Still Standing: Four the Moments legacy honoured at Nova Scotia Music Week

When a quartet of Halifax women began singing together a cappella in the name of social justice in 1982, there was little in the way of a music industry at play in Atlantic Canada. And even if there had been, its likely that Four the Moment would ...
By Rawson Property Group

They way in which the recent South African elections were run and the trends that emerged in the voting patterns will send a positive message to potential property investors



They way in which the recent South African elections were run and the trends that emerged in the voting patterns will send a positive message to potential property investors, says Bill Rawson, Chairman of Rawson Properties.

He adds, he will be relaying the news of this success to the business colleagues he meets in the three week visit to the USA on which he is now about to embark.

Many in the First World, said Rawson, have slapped a Third World African label on South Africa  but Third World countries tend not to have well-run peaceful elections, nor do their voters show a mature understanding of the delivery and economic issues at stake  as a significant proportion of SA voters appear to have done this time.

Rawson said that the fact that a truly multiracial party, like the DA, had been able to increase its share by 12,37% to 24% and that about 20% of its support now comes from black Africans is hugely encouraging.

There are now signs that the hurts and discrimination of the apartheid era can be forgotten and that young, educated Africans will start to support those parties which best advance their prospects and do not rely purely on racial loyalties for votes.

The reaction of potential property investors both here and overseas to this voting pattern has been cautiously optimistic. We can only hope that in the next four years those who play the race card will be further shunned by those looking for real efficiency in government.

One very positive result of the elections, said Rawson, is that they should speed up the delivery of low cost housing and services.

The lack of delivery has proven so contentious in this election that all responsible for it will now realise that a faster rate is a key to their survival  and more will benefit at last from all parties. The regular chant we are here for the poor may become more of a reality.

In previous statements, Rawson has repeatedly argued that with the money markets and the JSE still showing signs of volatility, property represents a viable, safer investment channel.

This, he said, has been my message for over 40 years and I have yet to find an investor who took our advice who today regrets it.

For further information contact Bill Rawson on 021 658 7100 or email bill@rawsonproperties.com.
Schmidt ad says Democrats helping Pyle "trying to steal" governor's race

Attorney General Derek Schmidt's campaign has hit out with a radio ad saying "national Democrats are trying to steal the Kansas governor's race."
Views and opinions vary on whether poverty exists in Samoa.

Some argue that there is no such thing considering the lush and green environment we have, and the blue ocean where our people can get food and money.

However, Faalelei Eti begs to differ. He thinks poverty exists in Samoa.

Faalelei is from the village of Faleula-Uta and he owns and operates a peanut plantation.

To support his argument, Faalelei said the first proof poverty exists in Samoa is when we look at how families struggle to budget their money on a daily basis.

You cant say that there is no poverty in Samoa, because realistically speaking, there is poverty in Samoa, Faalelei told the Village Voice.

The first thing we need to look at to prove this is look at how we budget our money. That is one of the toughest things to do nowadays.

We struggle trying to stretch the money we get to cover a whole week or two.

The cost of things is not helping at all. Its true that we have so many different shops nowadays, but the prices of goods keep increasing as well.

Other people also say all is well in Samoa, but for me, it is not.

How can you say that all is well when we struggle to find money even for sugar? Its also hard to find goods below $1 these days.

He went on to say that because of the expensive cost of living we have and the low income we get, many people dont have savings as a result of this.

Most of us want to save money for our childrens future and for our families, he said.

But where can we get money to save when the little money we get go straight to paying the bills, faalavelave and other things?

That is why I say that poverty does exist in Samoa.

Moreover, Faalelei believes that the people who say that there is no poverty in Samoa need to think about the future to realise that there is this issue of poverty in Samoa.

Yes, you can eat chicken today from the money that you get and then eat the same thing tomorrow.

But are you able to save any money for the future of your family? You can afford chicken with the little money that you have, but what if you want to build a house?

I know a lot of people who are employed survive by doing loans. And thats the truth.

I understand this because I used to work as well. What happens is that they go to the banks and make loans for all the different things for their families, and then they have to pay it back. What usually happens is that when they get their pay, some only get $10 after clearing all the payments for their loans.

And thats not a good thing because we are all providing for our families.

Faalelei has been working on his peanut plantation for three years now.

According to Faalelei, he prefers what he is doing now than being employed.

When I stopped working, I thought to myself that I should do something useful in my life not only for myself but also for my family too.

Its useless to just complain and do nothing and rely on others.

And thats why I started cultivating peanuts. Ive earned good money from it better than what I was getting when I was employed.

I started saving money as well and this has helped me and my family the past three years.

Lastly, Faalelei strongly believes that Samoa will continue to suffer because of the cost of living we have in our country.

I know that at the rate were going, life in Samoa will just get worse in the next 10 years.

The cost of living will keep going up and the minimum wage will keep going down.

And thats why I say that poverty exists in Samoa, because I see that people are struggling.
We all struggle sometimes in life.

In Samoa, a lot has been said and written about the struggles our people face on a daily basis.

For Ruta Falemoe and her family, budgeting the small money they get is a tough struggle. Aged 23, Ruta is a single mother of one and is residing with her family at Nuu-Fou.

For our family, my parents and my brothers all have jobs but the money they get from their pay is still not enough to cover for everything we need within our family, she told the Village Voice.

Thats usually the case because you know how it is for us in Samoa. We spend money on a lot of things like food, family obligations and faalavelave, church donations, paying the bills and others.

That is the hardest thing for us. The money we get goes straight to these things and we always struggle trying to budget and what to give our priority to.

Nevertheless, the childrens schooling is one of the things the money will go to especially as school will start soon.

Once school starts, that will add on to the list of expenses we already have. Its just not enough.

For our family, we have three children who are still at school, and I know very well that more money will be spent on them once school starts.

Moreover, Ruta said on the other side, her family is just starting a new life at Nuu-Fou.

Therefore, things are a bit different for them now because they had just moved to Nuu-Fou.

Id like to think things will get better.

I will also look for a job to help out my family with the things that we need to start afresh here.

Here at Nuu-Fou, its not like the villages in the rural areas where we have our own lands and we can work on our lands anytime and do anything with our lands.

But here, the land we have is too small for a big plantation, so the best option for me is to work.

I am now looking for a job so I can help my family. I know that if I do get a job, this will be a great help for me and my family.

However, Ruta said life in general in Samoa is great.

Everything is peaceful in our country. The only problem is that some of us dont have enough income to cover for all the things we need.

And another one is the high cost of living. But Samoa is still beautiful and peaceful.
PARIS (AP)  I am, therefore I'm paid.

The radical notion that governments should hand out free money to everyone  rich and poor, those who work and those who don't  is slowly but surely gaining ground in Europe. Yes, you read that right: a guaranteed monthly living allowance, no strings attached.

In France, two of the seven candidates vying to represent the ruling Socialist Party in this year's presidential election are promising modest but regular stipends to all French adults. A limited test is already underway in Finland, with other experiments planned elsewhere, including in the United States.

Called "universal income" by some, "universal basic income" or just "basic income" by others, the idea has been floated in various guises since at least the mid-19th century. After decades on the fringes of intellectual debate, it became more mainstream in 2016, with Switzerland holding a referendum  and overwhelmingly rejecting  a proposed basic income of around $2,500 per month.

"An incredible year," says Philippe Van Parijs, a founder of the Basic Income Earth Network that lobbies for such payments. "There has been more written and said on basic income than in the whole history of mankind."

But before you write a resignation letter to your boss in anticipation of never needing to work again, be warned: there are multiple questions, including how to finance such schemes. Here is a look at the issues:

___

WHY THE MOUNTING INTEREST?

In a word, robots. With automated systems and machines increasingly replacing human workers, France could lose 3 million jobs by 2025, says Benoit Hamon, a former education minister campaigning for the French presidency on a promise of gradually introducing no-strings-attached payments for all. As work becomes scarcer, a modest but regular guaranteed income would stop people from fearing the future and free up their time for family, the needy and themselves, he argues.

It could also encourage people to take risks, start businesses and try new activities without the risk of losing welfare benefits.

The other pro-basic income candidate for the Socialist Party presidential ticket is outsider Jean-Luc Bennahmias. Like Hamon, the former European Parliament lawmaker argues that it is pointless to expect the return of economic boom times, with jobs for all.

"Growth at two, three, four or five percent in western countries: it's finished," he said in a televised debate last week. "We have to speak the truth."

Outside research backs up their arguments. An Oxford University study in 2015 estimated nearly half of the American workforce is at risk of automation.

___

PUT TO THE TEST

Finland's small-scale, two-year trial that started Jan. 1 aims to answer a frequent question from basic income opponents: With a guaranteed 560 euros ($600) a month, will the 2,000 human guinea pigs  drawn randomly from Finland's unemployed  just laze around?

Budget constraints and opposition from multiple quarters stymied ambitions for a broader test, says Olli Kangas from the Finnish government agency KELA, which is responsible for the country's social benefits.

"It's a pretty watered down version," he said in a telephone interview. "We had to make a huge number of compromises."

Still, he argues that such studies are essential in helping societies prepare for changed labor markets of the future.

"I'm not saying that basic income is the solution," he said. "I'm just saying that it's a solution that we have to think about."

In the Netherlands, the city of Utrecht this year plans to trial no-strings welfare payments that will also allow test groups to work on the side if they choose  again, in part, to study the effect on their motivation to find work.

To prepare for "a world where technology replaces existing jobs and basic income becomes necessary," Silicon Valley startup financier Y Combinator says it plans a pilot study in Oakland, California, paying recipients an unconditional income because "we want to see how people experience that freedom."

___

THE COST

Obviously, expensive. Hamon proposes the gradual introduction of basic income schemes in France, starting with 600 euros ($640) per month for the nation's poor and 18-25-year-olds before scaling up payments to 750 euros ($800) for all adults  for a total estimated annual cost of 400 billion euros ($425 billion).

Part of the cost could be financed by taxing goods and services produced by automated systems and machines, he says. Opponents argue that doing so would simply prompt companies to move robots elsewhere, out of reach of French tax collectors.

Doing away with housing, family, poverty and unemployment benefits could free up more than 100 billion euros ($106 billion) to fold into a replacement basic income scheme.

There'd also be less red tape, saving money that way, too, but switching to basic income would still require new taxes, a 2016 Senate report said.

It estimated that paying everyone 500 to 1,000 euros ($530-$1,100) per month would cost 300 billion to 700 billion euros ($745 billion-$320 billion) annually. It recommended starting with three-year pilot schemes with trials involving 20,000-30,000 people.

___

THE CONS

Costs aside, opponents argue that guaranteed incomes would promote laziness and devalue the concept of work. Hamon's opponents for the Socialist presidential ticket dispute as false his argument that jobs for humans are growing scarcer.

Ultimately, to see the light of day, basic income schemes will need political champions, said Van Parijs.

"We need radical ideas as targets and then we need clever tinkering to move in that direction," he said.
Re: Diagnosis of whats happening in Samoa

Yes look only at the election results but dont look at how the election results came to be that way.

Look at the prize but dont look at the consequences. What we want to know is how the election results came to be that way.

The Samoan election was not won by luck but by human design - with lots of money involved - but where did all the money come from?

We want an analysis of the election events leading up to the results. Was the election done fairly and legally? Is having the P.M. and H.R.P.P leading the country the best for Samoa and its future?

Is there a better alternative? Because in the end someone has to pay for all the decisions (right and wrong) made by the P.M. and H.R.P.P.

Just because we keep asking the right questions do not mean we are against Samoa, this is further from the truth.

We love Samoa so much and hope for the best for every citizen of Samoa so that is why we (from this point of view or angle) have to keep seeking for answers whether its painful to see and hurtful to hear. If we keep letting the beast do whatever it wants without any self-control the beast will come back and eat us all up.

Keith Alderson
The Elders Committee of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (C.C.C.S) has reinstated Reverend Dr. Afereti Uili as a Pastor of the church.

The decision was made last week and relayed to the sacked former Secretary General of the Church during a meeting on Thursday.

Last year, Rev. Afereti was stripped of all his roles in the church over an allegation of a sexual nature made by a woman identified as Angeline Lesa.

But the Supreme Courts decision to give consent by judgment as a result of mediation between the two parties ended the longstanding fight by Rev. Afereti to clear his name.

Speaking to Samoa Observer yesterday, Rev. Afereti acknowledged the decision by the Elders Committee.

Firstly, I want to thank the church for their decision, he said.

Whats very important to me is the fact that they reviewed their decision and made it right.

Rev. Afereti said he has only been reinstated as a Pastor but he has not been allocated a church to look after yet. There were other roles he held within the church which have not been returned to him.

The most important thing is that they have reinstated my position as a Reverend. Im very happy with that, he said.

As you recall, the last time we spoke I expressed how hurt I was because of the decision they made."

Today I dont want talk about how deep that pain was because of what happened but Im just grateful and happy that they have reinstated me.

Now that the allegation has been resolved and the Elders Committee has reinstated him, asked if he would consider suing the church for his sacking last year, he said: To be honest Ive never thought of that."

It doesnt mean that the possibility has not been there but I never thought about that at all. Who knows what tomorrow and the future holds for us? We never know. Rev. Afereti also continued to stand by his innocence."

Even though I pleaded with the elders of the church at that time that I didnt do anything wrong (but) they stood by their decision.

At the time he said the alleged sex scandal were all made up stories against me so that I could step down from my roles within the church. For now, Rev. Afereti is grateful.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support and continuous prayers, he said. It has been one of the toughest times in our lives not only for me but for my wife and children as well.

Rev. Afereti said they were innocent victims of the circumstances.

But through your prayers, you were there to carry together with us the burden that we went through. This is called a Godly love. We want to say thank you.
A senior lawyer who is appealing the District Courts decision in relation to the suspended Director of the National Prosecution Office has denied being disrespectful of the Supreme Court.

New Zealand-based private prosecutor, Satiu Simativa Perese, told the Samoa Observer he was simply not aware the matter was to be called this week.

On Monday, Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu struck the matter off the Court list after the non-appearance of both counsels involved in the matter.

While Satiu is representing the A.Gs Office, Mauga was represented by former Attorney General, Aumua Ming Leung Wai. The Chief Justice said the absence of both lawyers for the matter was disrespectful.

The no appearance by any of the counsels in the matter means this is taken off the list, His Honour Patu told the Registrar. This is rather disrespectful to the Court to file an appeal and then the counsel filing the appeal does not appear.

But Satiu denied the inference.

I was not advised by the Court that the matter had been included in Monday's mentions list, otherwise I would have appeared or organised for someone to appear for me, he said.

Preparations of the appeal is well underway and we are awaiting the District Courts provision of the transcript of the evidence."

Once the transcript is provided, the appeal case book can be finalised and filed.

Asked if he will be refilling for the appeal, Satiu said he doesnt think so.

Normally when a case is "stood down", it will be allocated a new date for mention and that appears to have been what happened in this case.

Ive been making inquiries about what happened yesterday, and have not yet heard back."

I am curious that Mr. Leung Wai did not also appear which might indicate that he was similarly unaware that the matter was being called."

It is a pity and regrettable that the CJ considered that I was disrespectful by not appearing in support of the appeal."

I am not aware of any need to re-file the appeal and I will follow up the scheduling with the Court.

The appeal follows District Court Judge, Fepuleai Ameperosa Romas decision to find Mauga not guilty of three traffic-related charges (see story).

The charges include negligent driving causing bodily injuries, an alternative charge of dangerous driving and failure to stop to ascertain whether anyone was injured at the scene.
The relationship between Samoa and New Zealand continues to grow from strength to strength.

The point was highlighted yesterday when New Zealands new High Commissioner to Samoa, David Campbell Nicholson, presented his letter of Credence to the Head of State.

Mr. Nicholson replaces Jackie Frizelle who completed her posting in December 2016.

Mr. Nicholson was officially welcomed with a traditional ava ceremony followed by the presentation of his credentials to the Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi.

Samoa and New Zealand are closely linked by history and share close family ties and democratic traditions, he said.

New Zealand Samoans have prominent role in our political scene and contribute significantly in many fields."

Samoans have provided New Zealands first Pacific university Professor (Albert Wendt), Pacific Rhodes scholar (Damon Salesa), and first Pacific court Judges (Aeau Semikueva Epati and Ida Malosi). Samoans continue to make outstanding contributions to New Zealand in many other fields of endeavour including music, theatre, arts, literature, and sport."

In sport, I would like to acknowledge the most recent success; that of Lupesoliai La'auliolemalietoa Joseph Parker the World Heavy Weight Champion. Samoans have also been and continue to be the backbone of the All Blacks, notably Tana Umanga, Keven Mealamu and Jerome Kaino."

Samoa is well established as a regional and global leader in promoting good governance, economic reform, economic development and climate change."

We admire the gains achieved over the past decade through reforms that have provided a platform of stability and growth despite global economic challenges and natural disasters."

Equally, we value and respect Samoas views and appreciate Samoas leadership and engagement in the region and in multilateral fora.

In welcoming Mr. Nicholson, His Highness Tui Atua reminded about the special relationship between Samoa and New Zealand.

This is underpinned by the 1962 Treaty of Friendship based on principles of partnership, understanding and mutual respect.

This is demonstrated by our peoples share close family ties, similar cultural traditions and values as well as our infinite passion for sports.

Mr. Nicholson holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Canterbury and two Masters Degrees. He joined the Foreign Ministry in 2012.

In 2012-2016, he was appointed as the Director of the Pacific Development Division before taking over the post of Divisional manager for Melanesia, Micronesia and Northern Pacific before being appointed as High Commissioner to Samoa in 2017.

He is also the Consul-General of New Zealand to American Samoa and the Administrator for Tokelau. Mr. Nicholson is married to Dr. Suitafa Deborah Nicholson and they have three children, Anna Bella and Samuel Nicholson.
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP)  A Nigerian air force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp on Tuesday, killing more than 100 refugees and aid workers, a Borno state official said.

The state government official, who was helping to coordinate the evacuation of wounded from the remote area by helicopters, spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed the accidental bombardment in northeast Rann, near the border with Cameroon, saying "some" civilians were killed.

It was believed to be the first time Nigeria's military has admitted to making such a mistake.

The International Committee for the Red Cross said six staff members and volunteers with the Nigerian Red Cross were among the dead and 13 were wounded. "They were part of a team that had brought in desperately needed food for over 25,000 displaced persons," spokesman Jason Straziuso said in a statement from Nairobi, Kenya.

Two soldiers were also wounded as well as Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders, Irabor said, without giving a precise figure.

Doctors Without Borders said its team based in Rann had counted 50 bodies and treated 120 wounded. A statement from spokesman Etienne l'Hermitte in Geneva urged authorities to facilitate cross-border land and air evacuations. "Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients. We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following the event," the statement said.

Irabor said he ordered the mission based on information that Boko Haram insurgents were gathering in the area, along with geographic coordinates. It was too early to say if a tactical error was made, he said.

The general, who is the theater commander for counterinsurgency operations in northeast Nigeria, said the air force would not deliberately target civilians but there will be an investigation.

Villagers in the past have reported some civilian casualties in near-daily bombardments in northeastern Nigeria.

Some of the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 and freed last year have said three of their classmates were killed by air force bombardments, according to the freed girls' parents. Of the nearly 300 schoolgirls who were abducted, 196 remain missing.

The bombings have helped drive Boko Haram out of many towns and villages and, according to Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, the insurgents' last stronghold in the Sambisa Forest last month.

Boko Haram's 7-year-old Islamic uprising has killed more than 20,000 people and forced 2.6 million from their homes, creating the continent's worst humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning some 5.1 million people face starvation.
First-time attendees are often in a state of wide-eyed awe as they walk around the NAMM Show, the enormous annual trade show staged by the Carlsbad-based National Association of Music Merchants at the Anaheim Convention Center.

But awe is also common for veterans of the show. Its 116th edition, which runs Thursday through Sunday, is expected to draw a record 102,000 NAMM members from more than 125 countries and regions around the world.

I first attended the show in 1988, and I was overwhelmed. Its the closest thing to Fantasy Island for a musician you can imagine! said Richard McDonald, the Executive Vice President for the Fender Musical Instruments Corp.

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I have the same response now. The NAMM show is extraordinarily important and it has grown over the years to really become the global show for our industry.

Those sentiments are seconded by Yamaha Corporation of America Senior Vice President Tom Sumner, who attended his first NAMM Show in 1986.

It was amazing back then, but its much more of a happening now, Sumner said. NAMM has become the biggest music trade show internationally. And you still feel like a kid in the worlds biggest candy store.

Unveiling new lines and innovations

The NAMM Show fills virtually every inch of the Anaheim Convention Centers 1.6 million square feet. It will grow even larger next year with the opening of the centers new North building, which will enable NAMM to expand by an additional 200,000 square feet.

There wont be a wasted inch at the show, which this year features more than 6,000 brands produced by more than 1,700 companies from around the world.

The show is where Fender this week unveils its new American Professional guitar line. It replaces the 30-year-old American Standard series from California-based Fender, which has operated a large factory in Ensenada since 1987.

The show is where Yamaha showcases new instruments and products  it will debut 77 at NAMM this week  and stages private all-star concerts. This years concert lineup is still under wraps, but previous editions have featured Elton John, Earth, Wind & Fire and Sarah McLachlan.

The show is also where GearSecure will introduce its new embedded anti-theft device for musical instruments. And its where Spring Valleys Deering Banjos will debut its John McEuen Signaturemodel, a limited-edition instrument priced at $8,499.

Theres a real duality, noted Joe Lamond, who has been NAMMs President and CEO since 2001.

Theres the love of handcrafted acoustic instruments. And theres an insatiable appetite for new products that plug into a wall. Thats the fastest growing area for us  music technology and event technology, such as live sound gear for theaters  which speaks to the obsolescence side of our industry, in which this years model is a lot better than last years. 

Part of what NAMM is about is the sharing and cross-pollinating of ideas between industry segments. And, then, new ideas and products come out of that.

Musician Annie Clark, whose stage name is St. Vincent, is interviewed by National Association of Music Merchants honcho Joe Lamond at the 2016 NAMM Shows opening day at the Anaheim Convention Center. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM )

Founded in 1901, the nonprofit NAMM now represents a 10,300 member companies from 104 countries and regions. Several dozen of them  including Taylor Guitars (which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2014), Carvin Audio & Amplifiers, and Deering Banjos (which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2015)  are based in San Diego County.

The 1,700 companies whose wares will be displayed at the NAMM show this week will offer an eye-popping look at an industry whose reach extends to almost every corner of the earth.

Sales up globally to $17 billion

Sales of music instruments, technology and audio products brought in $7 billion in the United States in 2015, the same as 2014.

Worldwide sales rose to $17 billion in 2015, up from $16.6 billion in 2014. The figures for 2016 will be released by NAMM in April. Worldwide sales in 2008, tallied shortly before the recession kicked in, were $18 billion.

NAMMs prominence has remained undiminished over the past 15 years, as the organization weathered the recession and slowly but surely grow bigger, stronger and more influential than ever.

Fenders McDonald and Yamahas Sumner both credit the steady leadership of Lamond, whose pre-NAMM work included playing drums in the band Tommy Tutone, being the tour manager for rock music legend Todd Rundgren and running a music store in Sacramento.

Joe has done a great job leading the NAMM organization and growing the NAMM Show, which is not so easy to do, Sumner said.

Joe has an unbelievable amount of passion, agreed McDonald. Hes a steady, informed and thoughtful leader, which this industry really needs. Hes done an amazing job and I have a ton of respect for him.

NAMM also produces a smaller summer show each July in Nashville. Yet, while the annual trade show in Anaheim is certainly the most visible annual event NAMM stages, the nonprofit organization is even more notable for its year-round work on behalf of music education and the benefits of music-making.

The NAMM Show has a big impact, Yamahas Sumner said. But the stuff NAMM works on, every day, to promote music education is nonstop.

The NAMM Shows slogan is Music Begins Here. But its year-round motto, Believe in Music, speaks volumes about NAMMs mission. As part of its business model as a nonprofit, it channels its NAMM Show revenues back into promoting music, nurturing kids in music and having laws change to further music and arts education.

Our simple mantra is to get more people to start playing music and fewer to quit, Lamond said.

First and foremost is creating the case for music education, funding music-brain research at universities around the world, and then making decision-makers in government and parents aware that, beyond any reasonable doubt, kids who engage in music and art will do better in life.

Lamond and some of his NAMM colleagues have for years been a regular presence on Capitol Hill. Their patient but impassioned lobbying was credited for helping win passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act of late 2015. It has provided more access to music and arts courses for public school children across the nation, as part of a well-rounded education.

Closer to home, NAMM has provided key funding for the Community Opus Project, which provides school instrumental orchestra and band programs for students in Chula Vista.

There are kids in Chula Vista who have inspired their schools to start music programs again, Lamond said proudly. To me, thats the heart of NAMM.

We put on strong events for the music industry. But what we really care about is taking our commitment year-round and having it mean something more. So, when kids have an opportunity, like they do with the Opus Project, now youve got something.

Trade shows have a vital purpose. But, to me, dedicating my lifes energy to something bigger is more meaningful. Ninety percent of the schools in this country now offer music and arts programs. Thats life-changing  and gets everyone at NAMM out of bed, every morning, and coming to work with a purpose.

The record attendance of 101,736 at the 2016 NAMM Show will be surpassed at this years edition, which runs Thursday through Sunday at at the Anaheim Convention Center. The nonprofit NAMM is headquartered in Carlsbad. (Jess Grant / Getty Images )

117th annual National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show

Where: Anaheim Convention Center

When: Thursday-Sunday

Expected attendance: 102,000 (NAMM members only, not open to the public) from more than 125 countries and regions

Number of exhibiting companies: more than 1,700 representing 6,000-plus brands; 680 of the companies are from abroad

Estimated economic impact: $91.5 million (the NAMM Show has been held in Anaheim since 1978)

2015 global music and sound products sales: $17 billion *

2015 U.S. music and sound products sales: $7.1 billion *

*2016 sales figures will be released in April

Peering into NAMM honcho Joe Lamonds crystal ball

What Ill be looking for this year, and going forward, is: How will our industry incorporate virtual and augmented reality into music making? Will it be a tool for learning? A substitute for playing music with other people? Will it give an average player the opportunity to find themselves on stage, virtually speaking, with the Rolling Stones? Technology has opened up a tremendous amount of new possibilities for our industry.

Twitter @georgevarga

george.varga@sduniontribune.com
Invoking the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., demonstrators marched through downtown San Diego Monday afternoon to call attention to civil rights issues  homelessness, economic equality and criminal justice reform among them.

The protesters marched from City College to City Hall, carrying signs and banners that read: Black Lives Matter, White People for Black Lives, Do Not Normalize Bigotry, and Justice for Alfred Olango Jail Killer Cops.

This is the peoples parade, the one you dont have to pay to march in, said the Rev. Shane Harris, of the National Action Network civil rights group and an organizer of the event.

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This is Martin Luther Kings day, Harris added. Were trying to push the issues that matter to us the most.

After a two-hour rally that gave a voice to champions of labor, immigrants, women and the homeless, Harris posted a list of demands on the doors of City Hall that were locked for the federal holiday.

As a couple hundred marchers proceeded up and down B Street, they chanted Show me what democracy looks like, this is what democracy looks like, and Hands up, dont shoot, drawing a crowd of spectators from office buildings and cafes.

Some marchers focused on the shooting of Olango, an unarmed black man killed by an El Cajon police officer in September.

For Eastlake High School student Michaela Thomas, 15, Olangos death and the election of Donald Trump as president motivated her to become involved in civic issues. At Mondays demonstration, her first, she carried a poster she made that read, Im Scared for My Future.

Im afraid of the climate for African Americans. Im afraid I wont be able to do what I want to do in life, said Michaela, who marched with her mother. I want to understand civil rights, and I want to fight for them.

Some protesters linked the Olango shooting to broader concerns about what they view as troubled relations between police and minorities and a flawed criminal justice system.

The September incident sparked criticism and came amid a series of nationwide incidents of police use of force  sometimes deadly  against blacks. Last week District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis concluded the Olango shooting was justified.

Harris told the marchers Monday that the system of how police shootings are investigated needs to be changed.

What were dealing with is exactly what were dealing with across the country, he said. Local prosecutors cant prosecute local police.

Dumanis rules El Cajon police shooting of Olango justified

Fresh from a recent meeting with U.S. Department of Justice officials and Olangos father, Harris has called on Gov. Jerry Brown to appoint a special investigation into the case.

Olango was fatally shot September 27 after pulling a vaping device from his pocket and pointing it gun-like at police in the parking lot behind an El Cajon taco shop.

Police officers were initially called to the scene  three times before they arrived  by Olangos sister, who wanted them to take him to a mental health facility because of his erratic behavior that day.

Olangos sister, Lucy, told the dispatcher her brother didnt have any weapons. That message wasnt relayed to the officers.

As officers approached Olango, Dumanis said he did not heed their directions. He then pulled out an e-cigarette and took a shooting stance. He was quickly shot and killed.

In a letter to El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis that discusses her findings, the district attorney said tests showed Olango, a 38-year-old Ugandan refugee, had cocaine and alcohol in his system at the time of his death.

The law recognizes police officers are often forced to make split-second decisions in circumstances that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving, Dumanis said when she announced her determination in the case.

The only reasonable conclusion was the officers actions were justified.

Olangos relatives have said publicly the married father of two had been struggling with the death of a close friend.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, also of the National Action Network, and others have called on the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the shooting. Olangos family has filed wrongful-death claims with the city, which are precursors to lawsuits.

maureen.magee@sduniontribune.com

Twitter:@MaureenMagee
Army Staff Sgt. Marlene Rodriguez served three tours to Iraq before combat wounds sent her home for good. Rodriguez, 34, of Imperial Beach, is a recipient of the Purple Heart, the medal awarded to troops wounded or killed by enemy action.

She medically retired in 2009 after surviving two roadside bomb explosions and a firefight. A severe traumatic brain injury, back problems and post-traumatic stress disorder left her fully disabled. Despite all that, Rodriguez wanted to reconnect with military life.

I miss it so much. Just the structure, the discipline, the leadership. The honor, she said.

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This month, she joined the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a national service organization of combat-wounded troops. Chapter 49, the largest in California with about 325 members, welcomed her as its first female since it formed in San Diego in 1936, said Ulysses Miller, 69, of San Diego, adjutant and commander-elect of the chapter.

About 300,000 women have deployed since 2001 for the Afghanistan or Iraq wars. More than 150 were killed in action and about 950 were wounded in action, including injuries not inflicted by enemy forces.

Among those, roughly 500 women have been awarded the Purple Heart, a Pentagon spokesman said.

Only 85 women are members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Russell Smith, editor of Purple Heart magazine, said in the latest issue. In a column headlined Where are all the women? Smith urged members to recruit more.

Most of the orders roughly 45,000 members are male veterans of World War II and the Korean War, with a rapidly growing segment who served in Vietnam and a smattering of post-2001 combat-wounded.

Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a former Black Hawk helicopter pilot who lost both legs in a rocket-propelled grenade attack, was on the magazines cover for the March/April issue.

Military valor knows no gender bias, she wrote in the magazine. Duckworth described how she toured the Capitol with other wounded troops in 2005 as politicians were debating a bill to ban women from combat.

She had selected aviation as a career in anticipation of the 1993 end to combat restrictions on female pilots. As I rolled by in my wheelchair, some female legislators stopped me and asked if I thought women should be allowed in combat. I was surprised. I wondered where they thought Id been wounded.

Standing ovation

The North County chapter of the Purple Heart order welcomed its only female member about five years ago. When she met the other members for the first time, the men gave her a standing ovation, recalled Gary Doc Rutledge, 65, of Fallbrook, a former Army medic wounded by a land mine in Vietnam.

Rutledge is commander of the orders California department as well as a longtime officer of the chapter that meets in Vista.

The guys realize now that they ... are exposed to the enemy more than ever before, and they accept the fact that a woman gets wounded, Rutledge said.

The national order has at least one commander and one junior vice commander who are female, he noted. They are moving up in the ranks. Weve got a few chauvinistic pigs, if you want to call them that, who dont agree with it. But I agree with it wholeheartedly. The ladies deserve it just like the men. They put their lives on the line.

Leaders of both San Diego County chapters said they were surprised it took so long to get their first female member, but they expect many more in coming decades.

Miller left military service in 1971 but didnt join the order until 2003. The Air Force special operations veteran was wounded in Vietnam in 1969 by a mortar blast.

Even male recipients of the Purple Heart, when they get out of service often they want to keep at arms length away from that life. Its only later they realize that there is something to be gained from that comradeship, Miller said.

The San Diego County chapters have had more success in recent years recruiting younger combat veterans. But there arent a very big percentage of the Iraq or Afghanistan war veterans who join. They are like we were when we came back from Vietnam. It took us awhile, said Rutledge. He became active in the order after retiring from the postal service in 2004.

I get the greatest feeling you could ever imagine helping these people, he said, referring to the orders support for veterans, including benefits applications, emergency needs like rent or an electric bill, and equipment for medical centers.

The main reason most Vietnam veterans do the things we do for the order is because of the way we were treated when we came back from the war, he said. We swore we would never allow another person to go through that.

Three tours in Iraq

Rodriguez grew up in San Bernardino and worked for the sheriffs department like her father before joining the Army, becoming the first in her family to serve in the military.

She was stationed in Korea before the Iraq War. She volunteered for the 2003 invasion and drove an unarmored truck to Baghdad.

Rodriguez returned to Iraq as a vehicle commander running fuel convoys from Al Taqaddam across the war zone. One night in September 2005, her truck was blasted by a roadside bomb. She was blown from the cab and landed on her head, suffering a mild concussion. The driver was killed.

Rodriguez pushed through the last month of her tour despite intense headaches and mood swings, survivors guilt and night terrors. She got a combat action badge but not much treatment, she said. Partly because the military wasnt as aware of blast injuries. Partly because she hid her symptoms.

I was afraid of being non-deployable. Because I was a soldier I didnt want to be taken out of my job, she said.

Just weeks into her third tour, in Mosul, another bomb exploded. A chunk of shrapnel crashed through the windshield and melted into the front seat between herself and the driver. The private at the wheel dislocated his shoulder in the explosion. Rodriguez pulled him out the passenger door of the smoking vehicle.

As they took cover behind a berm, insurgents raced toward them, shooting out of their van. Survival, was the only thought in her head. That was it. Protect me and the soldier that was with me.

Rodriguez kept firing her M-16 rifle until she passed out.

She came to in the cash, the Combat Support Hospital. I was just scared that maybe I had lost somebody again. I actually thought it was a dream, she said.

Her driver survived and continued his tour. Rodriguez was evacuated for medical treatment. Months later, she got her Purple Heart pinned on.

Everyday challenges

Back in Colorado Springs, some soldiers doubted she had been wounded in combat.

You cant see a brain injury. They could see his injury because he had his arm in a sling (when they pinned on his Purple Heart), she said, but they couldnt see mine. So a lot of people didnt think I deserved the award.

After leaving the Army, Rodriguez moved back to San Diego County where she had lived before enlisting.

Today she still suffers from seizures. She cant walk far and has difficulty speaking. Its hard for me to think. Hard for me to express stuff. It sucks. I feel like Im 10 all over again, she said. Group therapy for PTSD has been very helpful, she said, but her symptoms are still so bad its ridiculous.

A caregiver drives her around. Even when she walks with a cane, strangers question why she gets to park close to the doorway. People say things like you look too young to be having a handicap placard. I get it all the time.

I just kind of let it go. Everyone has the right to say what they please. They really dont know what Ive gone through. Theres nothing to show it. I guess it would make it better if I had an arm cut off or something. Maybe they would understand.

Members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart do, local officers said.

Many men dont believe women belong in direct combat. But no one seems to have their hackles up about the first combat-wounded woman to join their chapter, Miller said: I dont think a bullet or a missile or shrapnel distinguishes gender.

HOW TO JOIN

Recipients of the Purple Heart must apply for membership through the national headquarters before they are assigned to a local chapter. For information, visit

www.purpleheart.org or call (703) 354-2140.
Ana Corona came from Mexico to California in 1967, following her father, brothers and sisters and joining millions who would live in the United States illegally.

Corona watched as family members got deported and escaped deportation herself. From the moment she crossed the border at age 14, her father reminded her and her siblings that they were in a precarious situation and that, by law, this was not their country.

One day, if they navigated the gantlet of being in the country illegally to become American, they should be thankful, her father said.

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When it came time to vote for president in November, Corona mailed her ballot and voted for Donald J. Trump, a candidate who had at times spoken so grimly about illegal immigration and immigrants from Mexico.

I just think we need to bring this country to what it used to be, Corona said, and I seriously believe that Trump is going to do it.

Corona, 63, is a minority within Americas largest minority group: Though a widely questioned exit poll suggested that about 28% of Latinos voted for the Republican president-elect, advocacy groups said less than 20% did. In California, some exit polls suggest about 80% of Latinos voted for Hillary Clinton.

Like Corona, many Latinos who voted for Trump believed America was going in the wrong direction and that Trump was the man to fix it. They were well aware of his strong rhetoric against immigrants here illegally, as well as his talk of mass deportations and building a wall at the border.

Some, like Corona, said they simply did not believe that Trump has the power to expel millions of people in the country on a scale to match the rhetoric that stirred his supporters. Others said they would support his tough approach.

If its physically possible and we can figure out a way to make it financially fiscally responsible, I dont have an issue with it at all, said Alexis Moran, a 21-year-old UCLA student and president of the Bruin Republicans. I understand that these are people who are here illegally and a lot of the time theyre taking opportunities away from legal citizens.

Some Latinos have been called traitors and faced criticism from family and friends for their support of Trump. But they believe they will be proved right in the end.

Mario Guerra, a former mayor of Downey and treasurer of the California Republican Party, came to the U.S. when he was 6 years old on one of the first freedom flights, an American sponsored resettlement of Cubans trying to escape Fidel Castros Cuba.

Raised Catholic, Guerra is a deacon in the church. Last year, when he was mistakenly listed as a Trump delegate, he received blowback from some in the Latino community, calling him a traitor.

A friend emailed him: The depth of my disappointment is immeasurable.

But it didnt influence Guerras vote. He cast his ballot for Trump, wanting, among other things, change in government and a move in a different direction.

I think theres grown-ups in the room that are helping the transition and I think were going to be fine, Guerra said. I think if he can fulfill some of his business plans, his economic plans, his educational plans  I think its going to be great for the Latino people.

Mario Guerra, center, former mayor of Downey and treasurer of the California Republican party, with Rick Rodriguez, left, a council member-elect, and Alex Saab, mayor of Downey, in Downey. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times )

::

Corona became a citizen in 1989 and has always voted Republican, attributing it in part to being pro-business. Her support for Trump is fueled by her desire to see the borders closed and to keep immigrants in the country illegally from taking advantage of the system, she said.

To Corona, immigrants coming to the country without legal papers were different from those who came during her era. She said being in the country illegally back then forced you to be on your toes more than now, when immigrants have many more advocates fighting for them. It was harder to enroll in school, work raids were a normal occurrence and you worried about being deported just for going to the hospital, said Corona, a business owner.

But even though she supported Trump from the beginning, she thought his early call about deporting 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally was unrealistic, though she is on board with deporting any immigrant in the country illegally with a criminal record.

The wall just made her laugh.

What hes saying about the wall, I seriously dont think that it is something that can come true or even be feasible, Corona said. We dont need a wall  we do need to strengthen our borders in a lot of ways.

She said she also did not think Trump would eradicate the protection President Obama gave to immigrants who were brought illegally to the country as children. Nor did she believe that Trump would end up deporting more than just criminals, something some experts said he would have to do even if he tried to adhere to his more moderate deportation vows.

Hes not going to do that, Corona said. Hes not dumb enough to do that.

Moran, who grew up in Fresno, said her favored candidate had been Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Although she questioned how conservative Trump was on some issues, she was understanding of his calls for cracking down on illegal immigration, criticizing the allowance of federal aid money given to students in the country illegally.

There are people who are citizens, of Mexican heritage, of Salvadoran heritage, of Guatemalan heritage, who could be using this money toward their education, Moran said. But instead this money specifically goes to illegal immigrants. Theres things like that that I dont think are fair and I dont think that its right.

Last year, the Pew Research Center National Survey of Latinos showed that one-third of Latino registered voters said they considered themselves and their political views conservative. A quarter of Latino registered voters in that survey said they either identified with or leaned toward the Republican Party.

Thats somewhat unchanged over recent years, said Mark Hugo Lopez, director of Hispanic research at Pew Research Center. Its not at a high or at a record low, but its a number thats been hovering around that 20% to 25% range for some time.

There have been two groups in the Latino electorate that have traditionally leaned more Republican: Cuban Americans and Evangelical Latinos, according to Lopez.

Robert Bob Pacheco, a Walnut city councilman, voted for Trump. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times )

Bob Pacheco, a council member in the city of Walnut, was a Democrat before he became a Ronald Reagan Republican.

This election season, when Trump called those immigrants crossing from Mexico drug dealers and rapists, Pacheco took it personally. He thought of his father and his grandfather, who crossed over from Mexico decades ago.

Still, Pacheco voted for Trump, believing that the candidate represented the bulk of the values he believed in. And, in the end, he said he didnt believe Trump would insist on carrying out some of his campaign promises, like building a massive wall along the border and making Mexico pay for it.

Being in the political circles, I know how politicians can talk and oftentimes they dont carry out what they say theyre going to do, but they make it sound good, Pacheco said. I thought perhaps that he probably would not carry it out. Thats still my belief, that hes not going to do that.

Pacheco said he is hopeful that Trump will be more conciliatory when it comes to immigration if he brings it up on the day of his inauguration as American president.

Maybe its wishful thinking, but Im hoping hell see reason and will in fact do things more humanely and will tamp down the rhetoric, Pacheco said. I think hes already tamped down quite a bit of the rhetoric and I think he will continue to do that.

Within his family, Pachecos vote stood in sharp contrast to that of his 31-year-old daughter, who voted for Clinton. She took issue with Trumps comments about women and his remarks about undocumented immigrants, among other things.

When she considers her fathers vote, she sees it as more of his desire to see a shift in the system than a reflection on his personal values.

The same person who voted for Trump also picked cotton and had a father who was an immigrant to this country, Cristina Pacheco said about her father. Its fascinating to me the way we want to boil this down to such a value statement of a person, of who they voted for, without understanding the nuance of the way the political system works.

But she said she could not see herself voting for Trump, as her father did.

I want to see change and I also want to see improvement for the lives of people of color in this nation  immigrants and women and a number of populations, she said. It was also a vote on behalf of other people whose voices are not heard.

Cristina Pacheco plans to watch the inauguration, like her father, but with a different outlook on what a Trump presidency could mean. The morning after, like women in other cities, she plans to march in L.A. in protest.

If I believe Im a contributor to this country, being the granddaughter of an immigrant, then I believe that every person who comes here who is an immigrant also has that, she said. God forbid a wall policy comes through, because I will be activated and I will be out the door and doing the work to knock that down.

brittny.mejia@latimes.com

Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia

Click here for a Spanish version of this story

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There was a sense of relief on Martin Luther King Jr. Day among the surfers at Lunada Bay in Palos Verdes Estates, a heavily localized point break where outsiders have not been welcome for decades.

Gone were the so-called Bay Boys, known for intimidating and harassing visitors in order to keep the well-shaped waves all to themselves.

I was forbidden from surfing here, said Dave Leuck, who grew up in Redondo Beach, as he prepared to get into the water. This is a necessary exercise.

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Leuck was among the scores who gathered Monday at Lunada Bay to celebrate the civil rights icon and protest the intense localism that has dominated the scenic surf spot.

For years, surfers have complained of harassment, intimidation and vandalism of their vehicles at the hands of Bay Boys.

But on Monday, the rocky shore and bluffs of Lunada Bay were visited by a steady stream of surfers and beachgoers from across Southern California, under the watchful eye of local police.

Its a pretty good turnout, said Christopher Taloa of Los Angeles, a former professional bodyboarder and actor who helped to organize the event. I didnt think it would take all this effort to get to this beach.

Three years ago, Taloa planned a similar event to honor King. But as he took to the ocean, he said, members of the Bay Boys kicked him and forced him underwater.

One person who confronted him wore blackface and an Afro wig, Taloa said, and told him: You dont pay enough taxes to be here.

Complaints about the Bay Boys have become well-known over the last few decades: incidents of slashed tires and assaults in the water  sometimes coordinated by walkie-talkies from a stone structure adjacent to the break.

That kind of harassment should not happen anymore, said Taloa, who on Monday helped people get down the bluffs and greeted surfers at the top after they got out of the water. A guy should be able to have fun without an issue.

In lawsuits filed in state and federal court last year against Palos Verdes Estates and 10 people alleged to be members of the Bay Boys, a group of petitioners claimed the surfers had intimidated and accosted outsiders for years and that the city had done virtually nothing to stop it.

A court hearing scheduled for next month will determine whether the federal case becomes a class-action lawsuit, which would allow more people to join the claims against the defendants.

This is the safest day to surf here in 35 years, said El Segundo Police Officer Cory Spencer, who jointly filed the lawsuits. He added that he knew many of the Bay Boys by sight but didnt see any of them Monday.

On the bluff above the surf spot, the Coastal Protection Rangers  a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving public beach access  sold T-shirts and handed out brochures. At the table was Justin Massey, the mayor pro tem of Hermosa Beach.

Lunada Bay is public coastline that should be accessible, Massey said. This is a small step to ensuring safe public access to the bay.

Last month, at the urging of the California Coastal Commission, the city hired a wrecking crew to dismantle the stone fort that local surfers had built without permits at the base of the steep cliffs. During the demolition, vandals damaged equipment and trucks used by the contractor.

City officials say they also have increased the police presence in the area.

I heard it was open today, so we had to come, said Maki Namikawa of Torrance after climbing back up the cliff, carrying a surf board with white polka dots. This is amazing.

With the waves improving as the morning wore on, Spencer asked Theo Encarnado of Redondo Beach if he was going to surf.

Absolutely, said Encarnado, who recalled that he had been harassed by surfers at the spot 12 years ago and encircled by them on the way back to his car. It was a weird vibe.

dan.weikel@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @LADeadline16

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A fort built by accused Lunada Bay surf bullies has been demolished  will it end their localism?
After dismissing rumors last year about her future plans as pure speculation, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has now confirmed she will not seek re-election in 2018.

Dumanis, who has been the countys top prosecutor for 14 years, told her staff of the decision in a Tuesday morning email. She shared the news Monday with The San Diego Union-Tribune but asked that it not be made public until she could tell her staff.

She said she did some soul-searching over the holiday season, and consulted with family and colleagues before making the decision.

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Dumanis said she has not decided whether she will complete her current term or step down sooner, and she has no concrete plans for what she will do after she leaves office, echoing comments she made to the Union-Tribune in October, when asked to address local chatter about her political future.

I think I was considering all options then, Dumanis said on Monday. But, you know, considering it and making the decision are two different things.  Its one thing to talk about it and say its a possibility. Its another thing to really come to terms with it.

Getting to this point  where she had made the firm choice not to seek a fifth consecutive term and was ready to reveal it to her staff and the public  has been difficult, she said.

She said she is satisfied with how the District Attorneys Office has evolved and is feeling comfortable that weve gotten things at a place where its stable, where weve got great talent within the office.

I have other things to do. Ive been in public service now for 42 years and, you know, I just thought the timing was right, Dumanis said.

People who have worked closely with Dumanis said Tuesday she has been a conscientious district attorney who made public safety a priority while being open to other points of view.

I think its a big loss for the law enforcement community and the legal community in San Diego, said county Public Defender Henry Coker, who said Dumanis has recognized the effects of mental health on a defendants behavior as well as the long-term effects of child abuse and neglect.

Sheriff Bill Gore said Dumanis has been a good partner in dealing with San Diego Countys response to major changes to the way criminal justice is handled in California, including actions at the state level that put more responsibility on local law enforcement to handle low-level criminals.

Collaboration is critical and shes done a great job of that, Gore said.

Lawyers who worked under Dumanis commended her leadership.

Throughout her tenure as San Diegos District Attorney, she has always been tremendously supportive of every member of this team  giving us the tools and support needed to fulfill her motto of doing the right thing, Steven Walter, president of the San Diego Deputy District Attorneys Association, said in a statement. Bonnie has set a very high bar for her successor  she will be missed.

Her future plans and who might replace her have been a topic of much discussion within the countys legal and political communities.

If she were to resign before her term ends, the county Board of Supervisors would make an interim appointment to fill the position until an election is held. One name that has come up repeatedly is Summer Stephan, a chief deputy under Dumanis.

In October, Dumanis said she would support Stephan if she wanted the job, but she would not say whether she had handpicked Stephan or anyone else as her successor.

Then, in December, an email obtained later by the Union-Tribune appeared to show Dumanis did have a plan in mind. It was sent by Rachel Cano, a former deputy district attorney and chief of the South Bay Division, to other prosecutors in that branch. (Cano has since become a Superior Court judge.)

It read in part: Dumanis does not have a retirement date but her succession plan is to have Summer take over as DA and Dave Greenberg take over as (assistant) DA.

Stephan has served as chief of the North County branch of the District Attorneys Office, chief of the district attorneys sex crimes and stalking division, and most recently has led the offices efforts to combat human trafficking.

Greenberg, another chief deputy in Dumanis office, is a veteran prosecutor and former head of the North County branch.

Stephan was out of the office Tuesday in meetings related to her work on human trafficking issues. Reached by phone, she declined to comment at this time about her future plans.

On Monday, Dumanis would not say whether she had groomed Stephan or Greenberg to take her place, but she said broadly that she had helped prepare all top-level members of her staff for the challenges of the office. She said its been her policy to transfer deputies every five years or so, which she acknowledged doesnt always go over well but helps the lawyers expand their experiences and grow professionally.

The voters will decide who takes over from here, Dumanis said, adding that whoever succeeds her will likely have their own priorities for the office. I would hope that they would continue some of the things that Ive done.

If she doesnt step down early, the race will soon be on for the next district attorney. The first step will be raising money for what can be an expensive countywide campaign.

Anyone seriously considering this would want to get an early start on fundraising, said veteran San Diego campaign consultant Tom Shepard.

State laws require a candidate to form a campaign committee before raising any funds.

For that reason, it probably would be advantageous for anyone considering getting into this race to get a committee formed as soon as possible Shepard said.

Dumanis didnt point to any particular case as a high-water mark but said she has been proud of her offices long-standing practice of meeting with victims families before she decides whether to seek the death penalty, and she said she is proud of hiring people to work in the office who reflect the communitys diversity.

She commended the people who have worked with her over the years to seek appropriate resolutions to challenging and often emotional cases.

Weve certainly had some high-profile cases, and Im proud of the way our folks have handled those high-profile cases, she said.

In her corner office at the downtown Hall of Justice, the district attorney has framed photos on her desk of a couple of well-known crime victims, including 17-year-old Chelsea King of Poway, whose body was found in 2010 near Lake Hodges.

Chelsea was one of two girls  the other was 14-year-old Amber Dubois of Escondido  killed by a convicted sex offender who lived with his mother in North County. In a deal with defense lawyers, Dumanis agreed to take the death penalty off the table if the killer pleaded guilty to both murders and led investigators to Ambers remains.

He was sentenced to two terms of life in prison without parole.

Dumanis also highlighted the offices efforts to combat cyber crime and elder abuse, reach out to community members around the county and promote a concept known as re-entry, in which government works to help offenders gain the life skills, education and job training they need to be successful out of custody.

One of the more controversial moments of her tenure came in 2014, when more than 30 defendants were charged under a mostly untested gang conspiracy law that holds active gang members liable for the crimes of others as long as the defendant willfully assists, promotes or benefits from that crime.

Superior Court judges dismissed the conspiracy charges against many of the defendants, some of whom were tried because of postings they made on Facebook or song lyrics they had written. Several defendants were convicted of other felonies.

Dumanis said later that she had no plans to file more cases under that law.

Last year, she testified in federal court in the case of a wealthy Mexican businessman who was ultimately convicted of funneling money to her and other San Diego mayoral candidates in 2012. It is illegal for a foreign national to contribute to political races in the U.S.

Dumanis, who lost her bid for mayor, said in court that she had a couple of meet and greet encounters with the businessman, Jose Susumo Azano Matsura, but she did not discuss financial arrangements with him and she was unaware of his immigration status.

Dumanis, a former prosecutor and Superior Court judge, was elected district attorney in November 2002 after a highly contentious race against then-incumbent Paul Pfingst. She took office the following January and has held it ever since, even through a health scare last year when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I never missed much of a beat, she said of working while battling the illness, for which she underwent surgery and radiation and is now cancer free. Other than the aging process, my health is good.

Now 65, Dumanis said its time for someone else with a fresh outlook to take the helm.

But letting go, whenever that happens, wont be easy.

Its really profound to me the sadness that I feel about leaving a job that I love so much, the people that I love so much, Dumanis said. And she said she feels honored to have served the public as district attorney.

Its a big, big decision, she said. I feel profound sadness and profound pride.

Staff writer Greg Moran contributed to this report.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
The rising activist Rev. William J. Barber II on Monday headlined the 29th annual All Peoples celebration in San Diego, which honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Addressing a rapt audience, the fiery pastor from North Carolina delivered the keynote speech that repeatedly brought a sold-out crowd at the Balboa Park Activity Center to its feet.

Barber took the stage and began delivering what would be an hour-long sermon addressing everything from gender equality to health care to minimum wage to voting rights, as well as myriad issues surrounding race and poverty.

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His recurring theme was a call to oppose powerful political and moneyed interests, namely President-elect Donald Trump and his cabinet. A top member of the North Carolina National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the nationally known pastor has recently emerged as fierce critic of the incoming president.

This moment that were in is about whether a government of the people and by the people will serve the people, he said. Its about whether we as the people can reconstruct the heart of our democracy.

Theres nothing unprecedented about Donald Trumps election if you know American history, he added. His appeal to the less angels of our nature is as American as apple pie.

The speech was one of a number of events on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, including a breakfast hosted by the United African American Ministerial Action Council at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, and the 9th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Interfaith Service, which invites people to volunteer on beautification projects in Balboa Park.

Theres nothing unprecedented about Donald Trumps election if you know American history.  Rev. William J. Barber

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber of North Carolina, a nationally recognized leader of civil rights. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune )

The All Peoples celebration, hosted by Alliance San Diego, drew more than a thousand community members, civic leaders and progressive politicians who responded to Barber with heartfelt cheers, roaring applause, tears and numerous standing ovations.

People came with a hunger and a need and I think he filled it, said state Sen. Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, who spoke at and attended the event. This is about inspiring us, but also with a dose of reality that weve got work to do.

Assemblyman Todd Gloria, D-San Diego, said Barbers speech was what a lot of us want to and need to hear.

Other notable speakers included Doug Moore, executive director of United Domestic Workers of America, AFSCME Local 3930, and Beth Johnson, co-president of Interfaith Center for Workers Justice.

Though Trump was heavily criticized by Barber, the president-elect earlier in the day held a high-profile meeting in New York with Martin Luther King III, son of the civil rights icon, to discuss voting rights.

That meeting came in the wake of increasing tensions between Trump and African-American leaders, triggered by some critical words between the president-elect and Rep. John Lewis, the Georgia Democrat who fought in the civil rights movement beside King.

Barber touched on this and other recent political dust-ups as fodder for the idea that the country continues to be dogged by issues of race and class.

Here we are in the 21st Century, my friends, and we still find that racism and economic fear can still too often conjure a powerful magic, which compels many in this nation to seek safety in hating the other, Barber said.

Republicans deny race and too often Democrats dont know how to talk about it, he added.

At the close of the speech nearly everyone in attendance stood, held hands and chanted at Barbers behest: Standing down and bowing down is not an option  an impassioned cry that he used throughout the event to punctuate long diatribes against the incoming administration.

The room responded because of all the truths that he told, which were right on key, right on target, said Barbara Perry, a registered nurse with the United Nurses Association of California, who attended the event.

Twitter: @jemersmith

Phone: (619) 293-2234

Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com
Along with his vow to repeal Obamacare, President-elect Donald Trump has promised to restructure Medicaid, the nations low-income health program  a move that could be acutely felt in California, where 1 in 3 residents receive health coverage through the state version, experts say.

Medi-Cal enrollment surged by 5 million over the last three years to a total of 13.5 million under President Obamas Affordable Care Act.

Some of those Californians could lose portions of their benefits or possibly be dropped from coverage altogether if Trump carries out his plan, which would likely cost the state billions. Even residents who relied on the program long before the current expansion could be affected.

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The cuts in federal funding could be quite significant, and California would have to make a lot of hard choices, said UC Berkeley Labor Center healthcare program manager Laurel Lucia. Theres no way California could maintain the program it currently has.

Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government offered states money to let more people into their Medicaid programs, which are jointly funded by state and federal governments. California is one of 31 states that took the deal, prompting the Medi-Cal enrollment surge over the last three years.

Now anyone in California can sign up if their annual income is low enough: $16,395 or less for a single person or $22,108 or less for a couple. Medi-Cal is free for participants.

Jason Rector, 32, was able to join Medi-Cal because of the expansion. Hes an actor who juggles part-time jobs so he can still make time for auditions.

Jason Rector, 32, is an actor who was able to qualify for Medi-Cal because of its expansion under the Affordable Care Act. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times )

Medi-Cal has been a huge lifesaver for so many of us, because we can pursue what were pursuing and not have to have a panic attack if we start to come down with a cold, said Rector, who lives in Culver City. Its just the unknown of what comes next that worries me.

Experts say that an immediate repeal of the Affordable Care Act is unlikely and that Congress will probably slowly dismantle the law while devising replacement plans. California would lose $15.3 billion in federal funding if the Medicaid expansion is fully undone, according to the states Legislative Analysts Office.

The Medicaid program in general, which now covers 73 million Americans, has been criticized for being unsustainable and inefficient, with an annual price tag of more than $500 billion and growing. Medi-Cal alone is a $90-billion program, with roughly 65% of that cost shouldered by the federal government.

Under the current funding model for Medicaid, the federal government reimburses states for their programs expenses regardless of how big they are. President Johnson created the program in 1965 with this flexible funding model so it could serve as a safety net that could accommodate periods of greater need, such as during economic downturns.

Trump and his pick for secretary of Health and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), have said they want to limit spending by giving states a fixed amount of money each year. States will then have an incentive to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse, according to Trumps website.

But the federal government contribution will probably be less than what states are currently receiving and wont increase enough over time to keep pace with rising costs, forcing states to either reallocate funds to fill the gap or make cuts, according to a recent Commonwealth Fund report.

Such a change would effectively reverse a 50-year trend of expanding Medicaid in order to protect the most vulnerable Americans, the report said.

Dylan Roby, assistant professor of health services administration at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, said California would probably be faced with a multibillion-dollar shortfall too large to fill with state funds.

He said state officials could consider limiting who can join the program and what benefits they receive, areas where California has historically been generous. They could also reevaluate payment rates for doctors, which already took a hit during the recession and are now among the lowest in the nation.

It just creates more fights around resources at the state level than we currently have, Roby said.

Roby said Congress could pass changes to Medicaid funding in the first few months of 2017 in a process known as reconciliation, which requires only a simple majority in the Senate. However, the restructuring likely wouldnt take effect for a few years, he said.

Officials in California say they will fight to keep Medi-Cal as it is, but its too early to know what theyll be faced with.

There are lots of open questions, said state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), who chairs that chambers health committee. As long as Im in the Legislature I will do everything I can to ensure that residents in the state of California have access to healthcare. Its inhumane if we put people in the streets without health insurance.

Pam Gross, 54, has relied on Medi-Cal for decades to afford treatment for lupus and fibromyalgia. Shes worried any changes to Medi-Cal will disrupt her healthcare regimen, which includes several doctors appointments each week and treatment from 10 specialists.

I actually talked to my doctors about the whole thing, and I said, OK  what can I go without? and theyre like, Nothing,  said Gross, who lives in Carpinteria.

The structural changes to Medicaid would likely also give states more autonomy over their programs, a welcome change for state officials who want to trim benefits or restrict eligibility.

Strict federal laws currently prohibit states from limiting Medicaid enrollment. The state of Montana, for example, wasnt allowed to make job training classes mandatory for people who signed up for Medicaid.

In a sign of support for loosening these restrictions, Trump chose Seema Verma to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Verma is the architect of an unusual Medicaid expansion model in Indiana  where Vice President-elect Mike Pence was governor at the time  that requires enrollees to pay a small fee to join.

This idea of fiscal responsibility, but also allowing states to make decisions from a policy perspective about their Medicaid population, that currently isnt allowed in federal statute, Roby said.

California, however, has long been committed to providing coverage to as many people as possible without restrictions. The rollout of the Affordable Care Act in California is generally considered a success, with the state cutting its uninsured population by half.

A group of legislators has launched a campaign to extend coverage even further  to immigrants in the country illegally who arent allowed to sign up under the law. In one of the movements first successes, such immigrants under 19 were able to sign up for Medi-Cal starting in May.

UC Berkeleys Lucia said that such efforts to further expand coverage could stop if California has to begin considering ways to reduce Medi-Cal spending.

We have a lot of forward momentum in California, and this really threatens that, she said.

soumya.karlamangla@latimes.com

Twitter: @skarlamangla

ALSO

These Republicans hate Obamacare, but arent ready to give it up just yet

Here are the lies Paul Ryan told about Obamacare during his town hall meeting

Whats in Browns new budget? A $65 vehicle fee, more Medi-Cal spending, a bigger rainy-day fund and more
The wife of the gunman who killed 49 patrons at an Orlando, Fla., nightclub last summer was arrested Monday near Oakland on suspicion of aiding and abetting terrorism and obstructing investigators, according to Orlandos police chief.

Noor Zahi Salman, the wife of gunman Omar Mateen, will face federal charges filed in central Florida after making an initial court appearance in Oakland scheduled for Tuesday morning, federal prosecutors said in a brief message on Twitter.

The FBI had been examining whether Salman knew of her husbands plans and questioned her extensively after the shooting. Officials said Salman had accompanied Mateen at least once to the nightclub where he later carried out the massacre and also drove with him to shop at a gun dealership, according to previous Times reports.

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Documents laying out the governments case against Salman were not immediately available.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina said in a statement that Salman was charged with aiding her husband in the commission of the brutal attack on the Pulse nightclub.

Mina added, Today, there is some relief in knowing that someone will be held accountable for that horrific crime.

U.S. Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch, in an appearance on MSNBC, declined to say much about Salmans arrest, but said officials had been examining Mateens plans and investigating who else knew about them, was anyone else involved, is there any other accountability that needs to be had here in this case.

One of Salmans attorneys, Linda Moreno, told the Associated Press that Salman didnt have advance knowledge of the attack, adding, We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonors the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person.

Salman faces at least one federal charge that is usually used against suspects who either tamper with evidence or interfere with an investigation, according to Alameda County jail records, which said Salman was arrested at 8:13 a.m. in the East Bay suburb of Dublin.

Salman had previously denied any involvement in Mateens attack on the Pulse nightclub on June 12, during which he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State extremist group. Mateen was killed in a shootout with police during the attack.

A child of Palestinian immigrants, Salman was born and grew up in Northern California. She met Mateen on an online dating site and the pair were married in Contra Costa County in 2011. The pair had each been married before, and they had a son together not long after the wedding.

Salman, who moved multiple times since the shooting to avoid public scrutiny, had previously told the New York Times in an interview that Mateen was volatile and had often beat her and that he also watched jihadist videos.

Salman said she was at home in bed during the attack and that Mateen had texted her during the ensuing standoff with police to ask her whether she had seen what happened. I love you, babe, he added.

I was unaware of everything, Salman told the newspaper. I dont condone what he has done. I am very sorry for what has happened. He has hurt a lot of people.

ALSO

A night of terror: How the Orlando nightclub shooting unfolded

Gunshots, screams and moans: Orlando 911 calls tell tale of terror at Pulse nightclub

The FBI investigated the Orlando mass shooter for 10 months  and found nothing. Heres why

UPDATES:

5:20 p.m.: Updates throughout with comments from Mina, Lynch, Moreno; background, other details.

10:45 a.m.: This article has been updated with Times reporting.

This article was originally published at 9:35 a.m.
A man suspected of robbing three San Diego gas stations at gunpoint Monday night was arrested about an hour and a half later following a brief chase in National City.

The robberies were committed in a 90-minute spree beginning about 7:30 p.m., San Diego police said.

The first was reported at a Shell gas station on F Street in the Golden Hill community. A man with a gun walked up to a clerk and demanded cash, police said. He left with an undetermined amount of money.

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About thirty minutes later, a similar robbery was reported at the 76 gas station on First Avenue in the community of Cortez. The third robbery was committed about 9:10 p.m. at a Shell gas station on Division Street in the Shelltown community.

Police suspected the robber, described as a thin Latino man in his 30s or 40s, made his getaways in a green Ford Ranger pickup.

Less than two hours later, Border Patrol agents tried to pull over the pickup in National City, but the vehicle fled. The agents and National City police officers searched the area and soon located a man.

Officers recognized the vehicle as one that may be linked to the robbery spree, and the suspect was turned over to San Diego police. He was later arrested in connection with the crimes.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
A landlord is suspected of fatally shooting one of his tenants and her friend before turning a gun on himself at a Spring Valley apartment complex Friday, a sheriffs investigator said Tuesday.

Terrence Andrada, 55, Tomomi Takahashi-Demetruk, 34, and Jamal Richardson, 23, were found with gunshot wounds in Andradas apartment at a complex that he owned on Jamacha Lane near Jamacha Road.

The younger man and woman died before being taken to a hospital. Andrada was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries soon after.

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Its unclear why Andrada opened fire on the two, sheriffs Lt. Kenn Nelson said.

Investigators know Takahashi-Demetruk was renting a room in Andradas apartment, but the exact nature of their relationship was unclear, Nelson said. She and Richardson were said to be friends.

The lieutenant said deputies went to the apartment after a woman believed to be Takahashi-Demetruk called 911 about someone in the apartment with a knife. Soon after, a series of gunshots prompted nearby residents to call 911 as well.

When deputies arrived, they found Andrada mortally wounded near the front door. The two victims were found dead, fully clothed, on a bed in a back bedroom, Nelson said.

A handgun and a shotgun were found in the apartment. Nelson said both were used in the shooting. A knife was also located but no one had suffered any stab wounds.

PREVIOUS: 3 dead in shooting at apartment in Spring Valley

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
Hazardous-materials crews spent hours cleaning a fuel spill in the underground garage of an assisted-living facility in La Jolla Monday.

About 200 gallons of diesel overflowed from a generator tank at Sunrise of La Jolla on Turquoise Street at La Jolla Mesa Drive, said San Diego Fire-Rescue Capt. Joe Amador. Staff reported it about 3:30 p.m.

Amador said the spill occurred may have occurred over the weekend and gone unreported until someone discovered it.

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A hazardous-materials crews found that there was no flammable vapors in the air. They worked into the night to clean up the fuel.

Residents were not asked or forced to evacuate.

Police shut down La Jolla Mesa Drive between Turquoise and Agate Street during the clean-up.

Breaking News

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez

UPDATES:

7:20 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 4:35 p.m.
A fight between two homeless men in Kearny Mesa led to a stabbing that landed one of them in jail Monday, San Diego police said.

The men were arguing about some belongings in a shopping cart behind the Food for Less store on Shawline Street near Clairemont Mesa Boulevard about 9:30 p.m., police said. When the fight became physical, one of the men took out a knife and stabbed the other twice in the arm.

The 57-year-old victims were not life-threatening, police said. Paramedics took him to a hospital.

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Shortly after, police arrested the 45-year-old suspect at the site of the stabbing.

Breaking News

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
A man armed with a gun robbed two of three gas station convenience stores he hit in less than two hours Monday night, San Diego police said.

The thief first pulled out a handgun and demanded money from an employee at the Shell gas station store on F Street at 25th Street in the Golden Hill neighborhood about 7:35 p.m. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

Half an hour later, a man believed to be the same suspect walked into a 76 gas station store on First Street just south of Interstate 5 in Little Italy and asked for money at gunpoint. Instead of complying, the employee shut the cash register drawer, police said. The man ran out empty-handed.

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Shortly after 9 p.m., the robber is accused of demanding money at gunpoint at a Shell gas station store on Division Street at National City Boulevard in the Shelltown neighborhood.

The robber was described as Latino, in his late 30s or early 40s, 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a thin to medium build. He was wearing dark clothing, police said.

Breaking News

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
We received these letters in response to recent Watchdog coverage in The San Diego Union-Tribune:

 In response to: Redevelopment dollars are ending up in the city general fund

Good work by the Watchdog in its report on the mysterious reallocation of redevelopment funds, particularly those devoted to affordable housing. You addressed questions that housing advocates have been asking for several years.

When redevelopment was shut down, the most important local source of financing for affordable housing didnt disappear. By default, it just got diverted to police, pensions, potholes and other general city purposes. Astounding that a city with a perpetually declared housing emergency, and one that effectively used these funds for decades, let this pass with no debate. It is even harder to understand, given the bipartisan support that the affordable housing component of redevelopment maintained even as redevelopment was abolished.

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Lets get that tax increment back into affordable housing where it belongs, and where it has worked so well to house San Diegans and create so many other economic benefits.

Evan E. Becker, Point Loma

 In response to: Public records are not always readily available in San Diego

The U-T article was highly valuable to show the public what many of us have learned the hard way. If you want our city to do the right thing, the legal thing, you must sue the city.

Otherwise they will try very hard to hide what they are doing with our public money. The city illegally withholds public information on a regular basis. For example, when public requests were made for (1) the location of all wireless transmitters and (2) city revenue over the past 2 years from wireless transmitters, the requesters were snubbed. Location data left out ALL the hundreds of DAS wireless transmitters that sit right next to many homes and businesses. While revenue data has been promised on multiple occasions, the city conveniently never follows up. This is a shameful approach for San Diego officials to Public Records Requests.

David N. Haney, La Jolla

 In response to: San Diego shuttles arriving police chiefs for international convention

Special treatment for visiting police officers with our taxpayers money is unbelievable. As pointed out in the excellent U-T Watchdog account, this is an expense paid for and reimbursed by the attendees. If SDPD wants to improve community relations, I find this especially disturbing and self-serving. My tax dollars pay for officers and their cars serving the public, not special interests. This only takes money out of the pockets of shuttle, taxi, Uber and Lyft employees. The city should be reimbursed for this waste.

Jack Resnick, La Jolla
Just a few days before his inauguration as the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump is dismissing approval ratings that, according to two polls released Tuesday, suggest people view him less favorably than they did Bill Clinton , George W. Bush or Barack Obama as they were assuming the presidency.

Rigged is how Trump described the new approval rating polls.

One poll by CNN/ORC asked people, Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his presidential transition? The poll found 40 percent approval for Trump and 52 percent disapproval.

Another poll by ABC News and the Washington Post asked, Do you approve or disapprove of most of the choices Trump has made for his cabinet and other top positions in his administration? It found 40 percent approval and 48 percent disapproval, a poorer initial reception than those of Obama, Clinton and both George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush.

Obama had an 84 percent approval rating during his inauguration in 2009, according to the CNN poll. And George W. Bush, whose inauguration was also marred by protesters, had a 61 percent approval rating.

Trumps complaint about rigged polls came on Twitter.

This isnt the first time Trump has dismissed polls as rigged or biased against him. Throughout the presidential race, Trump repeatedly blasted news organizations that placed Hillary Clinton ahead of him in the polls. And, of course, he won the poll that counted.

In his tweets Tuesday, Trump also again shifted the conversation by questioning the credibility of news organizations as he did during last weeks press conference where he blasted a CNN report as fake news.

Suddenly, Twitter users were keying in on polls again. Here are a handful of the many points being made.

What do you think  do you believe or distrust the polls? Do polls matter to you these days? Or do you not even care about them? Share your thoughts with me via email or Twitter and join the conversation.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez
Author and media personality Becca Keating will be the guest speaker when Intermountain Republican Women Federated members meet on Monday, Jan. 23.

The luncheon meeting will be in San Vicente Resort, 24157 San Vicente Road, and will begin at 11 a.m., with check-in and social time at 10:30. Cost is $16 per person.

Described as a powerful, contemporary voice on the front line of politics, media and religion, Keating is author of the Impact Your World series, which includes Empowering Parents to Educate and Empowering the Constitutional, Conservative Citizen.

Her online biography says that her urgent first-person perspective on faith and policy are ripped from todays headlines and featured on television and talk radio. She speaks with conviction on the value of every person and the tremendous potential each has to impact family, community, and country, the announcement of her visit to Ramona noted.

The next in her Impact Your World series targets the Secrets of Powerful Communication and Confronting the Bully Within.

The information in her books and speeches informs, stimulates thinking, and encourages an empowering, positive response to impact culture.

Keating is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree in family studies and child development. Her travels throughout Europe, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Canada, Japan, and the United States add another dimension to her insight and awareness of the times in which we live.

To attend the meeting, reservations are due by Jan. 18. Ramona residents with last names beginning with A to L may call Pam Sturgeon at 760-703-9963. Those whose last names begin with M through Z may call Millie Klein at 760-788-5801, and Julian/Santa Ysabel residents may call Mary Lou Jones at 760-765-1725.

For more information, contact Sandy Hurlburt at 760-789-0220 or sandylandrid@hughes.net.

Intermountain Republican Women Federated welcomes members, spouses, and guests from Ramona, Julian, Santa Ysabel, and surrounding areas.
A timeline of defrocked priest Stephen Kiesle:

- 1972: Ordained at St. Francis De Sales, Oakland.

- 1972-1975: Associate pastor at St. Josephs Church in Pinole.

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- 1975-1978: Assigned to Our Lady of the Rosary in Union City.

- August 1978: Kiesle is arrested and pleads no contest to lewd conduct, a misdemeanor, for tying up and molesting two boys. Sentenced to three years probation, record is later expunged.

- 1978-1981: Takes extended leave of absence, attends counseling and reports regularly to probation officer.

- July 1981: Oakland Bishop John Cummins sends Kiesles file to the Vatican in support of the priests petition for laicization.

- November 1981: Vatican asks for more information.

- 1982: Kiesle moves to Pinole.

- February 1982: Cummins writes to Ratzinger providing additional information and warning of possible scandal if Kiesle is not defrocked.

- September 1982: Oakland diocese official writes Ratzinger asking for update.

- September 1983: Cummins visits Rome, discusses Kiesle case with Vatican officials.

- December 1983: Vatican official writes Oakland to say Kiesles file cant be found and they should resubmit materials.

- January 1984: Cummins writes a Vatican official to inquire about status of Kiesle file.

- 1985: Kiesle volunteers as a youth minister at St. Josephs Church in Pinole.

- September 1985: Cummins writes Ratzinger asking about status of Kiesle case.

- November 1985: Ratzinger writes to Cummins about Kiesle case.

- December 1985: A memo from diocese officials discusses writing to Ratzinger again to stress the risk of scandal if Kiesles case is delayed.

- 1987: Kiesle is defrocked.

- 2002: Kiesle is arrested and charged with 13 counts of child molestation; all but two are thrown out after U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidates a California law extending statute of limitations.

- 2004: Kiesle pleads no contest to felony charge of molesting a young girl in 1995 at his Truckee vacation home.

- 2004: He is sentenced to six years in prison for the 1995 molestation.

- 2010: Registered as a sex offender living in Walnut Creek.
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By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

The latest storm that brought anywhere from .77 to .85 inches of rain to parched Santa Paula was a record-setter of sorts bringing the area to 104 percent of the average rain to date, good news following the long, dry drought.

Most of the rain fell after midnight Monday and by sunrise had calmed with light showers predicted during the day.

According to the Ventura County Watershed Protection District (VCWPD) the storm brought .77 inches of rain to the Santa Paula area; spweather.net reported .85 inches based on the rainfall at the weather station near the Santa Clara River.

Either way, everyone is willing to take it following a 5-year drought that dried lakes, evaporated reservoirs, challenged farming and killed greenery throughout Southern California.

According to the VCWPD so far this rain year, which runs from October 1 through September 30, the accumulated 6.56 inches rain to date for Santa Paula is 104 percent of the 6.31 inches normal rainfall to date. Last years rain to date was 4.64 inches.
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

You dont think too hard about the 4th of July on a cold, rainy January day unless youre a member of the Fireworks Spectacular Committee, which has officially launched fundraising for the 2017 patriotic celebration.

We wouldnt be able to have an Independence Day Fireworks Spectacular without the generous support of the community, said Ginger Gherardi, Santa Paulas Vice Mayor and Past President of the Rotary Club of Santa Paula, which acts as the nonprofit fiscal agent for the event.

The reason for the fundraising kickoff is timing: the committee must provide a 50 percent deposit on the approximate $15,000 cost of the fireworks spectacular to secure the date and the polytechnic company.

The City of Santa Paula is a co-sponsor the fireworks show, held each year at Harding Park. But, the show of pyrotechnics is visible throughout the city.

In recent years Dorcas Thille donated about $15,000 of Calavo Co. stock to start a Fireworks Spectacular Endowment Fund, which eventually could provide much of the funding for the annual show.

The Fireworks Spectacular is considered one of the best events in a city known far and wide for its celebrations.

The entrance to Harding Park is free, said Gherardi, but people can observe the fireworks throughout Santa Paula. Many residents even have gatherings at their homes that offer a good view of the fireworks  and if it is clear enough you can see the fireworks celebrations in Fillmore and Ventura from Santa Paula hillsides!

Started by the Mexican-American Chamber of Commerce, later the City of Santa Paula started staging the show until the Great Recession; in 2009 the Fireworks Spectacular was cancelled.

In the wake of the dark sky the Fireworks Committee was formed, which staged the show the next year and has continued to do so annually.
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Jasper C. Graf was far and away the best mortician we ever had in our town. At the time this all happened about the Arab woman and the uranium hunter, we had two, but he was far and away the best.

If you live in a big town maybe you never think of morticians, or at least maybe you never think of one of them as better than any of the others. But in a little town like ours, its different. When you only have two, the difference is bound to come out. Like I say, its probably something peculiar to little towns, or maybe to little towns out west, where our town is, where there isnt an awful lot to take your mind off your life or your job or your wife. You know how it is? People out west are interested in morticians as a rule, I think.

And Jasper C. Graf was a fine mortician. Theres more to it, you know, than just the embalming or the services: A man can make a good living in a town if hes good at those things, of course, and if he knows how to sell the more expensive caskets, but that isnt what I mean when I say Jasper C. Graf was a fine mortician. Its more difficult for a mortician to be a part of the town, a real part, you know. What I mean is, he sort of stands off to one side, or at least people put him off to one side; and if hes an ordinary man, thats where it ends, like with a preacher. But Jasper C. Graf was just about as pleasant a fellow as you ever saw. He only had one enemy that I ever heard of in our town, and that was Howie Loveless, the other mortician. Howie kept all that talk about the Arab woman going; and as our coroner, he got all mixed up in the other business too.

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You could always feel a depth of something in Jasper C. that you couldnt feel in many men. You always felt like whatever he said or whatever he did, you were just hearing or seeing the ripples on the surface: The movement, the thing that was really happening, was deep down inside somewhere, like when a sunken tree will shift in a river, underwater, unseen, making a bulge, a ridge where the water meets the light and air.

And Jasper C. Graf was such a big man, with such style to him, such a commanding man, that you always felt you were looking at somebody you knew was famous; but right that minute you couldnt remember exactly what it was he was famous for: straight and tall and above six feet, with a very thin grin crease around the corners of his mouth, as though someone was looking at him and he had to behave just so. He had a great depth to him.

Now, Howie Loveless was about as depthless a man as you ever came across. You could wade around in him all day and never even get your shoes wet. He was little, and he had a bad limp that nobody ever knew the straight facts about, and he was a hypocrite and a bad mortician. I mean, really a bad mortician: His people all looked the same when he got through with them; everybody always said so, and I heard Mrs. Angelovic say at her husbands funeral in Howies place that he looked just fine but it didnt look like him. If youd been to one of Howies funerals, youd been to them all. He  well, the details are pretty bad, but the fact was he was careless. He just pumped everybody full of fluid until no more would go in and of course you cant do it that way: It makes for round faces on everybody. And a hypocrite: He was married and had three dark little children just like himself, but he used to sneak off to Big Marys place all the time. Thats the kind of mortician Howie Loveless was. I used to be scared to death Id get killed somehow or other while he was coroner.

Because, of course, whoever is coroner has first chance at the accidentals. Or should have. The fact was, Jasper C. Grafs ambulance usually got there first, because he had such a good driver, Fat Jim. Fat Jim just worshiped Jasper C. He never said so but you could tell it, the way he followed him around and was always on call twenty-four hours a day, even though he was supposed to be the photographer on the paper. He used to get some wonderful accident pictures that way, and once Howie accused him at a coroners inquest of moving a fellows body in a car so it would make a better picture. It was just that Jasper C. Graf and Fat Jim paid more attention to their business, took it more seriously than Howie did. They were professionals; and Howie, in spite of his diploma from the school in San Francisco, wasnt, somehow. He was too much like everybody else and, of course, most of us are amateurs, as long as we live. You have to give yourself up pretty thoroughly to anything if you want to become professional at it, and most of us wont do it; wed rather please ourselves.

Thats the way it was with Howie, if you want to be charitable. All he wanted was to make a living and enjoy himself, and at every turn he ran smack into those two professionals. It grated on Howie.

Damn it, he said to me on the street one day before all the trouble, why dont them two relax for a while?

That was another thing: Jasper C. Graf never swore. And Fat Jim, why he never even smoked or drank or anything. You could tell Jasper C. just didnt think it was fitting, but that was the kind of thing that was lost on Howie. Still, he was an easygoing fellow, content with the leftovers, like the runt of the litter always is, but he knew people expected him to be upset every time Fat Jim beat him to a case on the highway and so he acted upset. And I think it might have gone on that way for years, maybe forever, if it hadnt been for the uranium hunter.

Thats what we thought he was at first. He came in on the 4 a.m. train from Denver. We dont get any tourists in our town, except a few buying gas over on the highway, so somebody noticed him right away, and they told somebody else and then everybody heard he was in the hardware store buying a scintillometer.

Well, we all went up there, because wed never heard of anything like that. Out in our part of the country, people from town and a few ranchers are our only uranium hunters. They dont find much, and outsiders arent attracted to it. And now here was this skinny little man standing in the store and reading out a long list in a whiny voice, laughing every once in a while.

There must have been 20 of us in there watching, and not one of us could believe it.

By God, somebody near me said, that fellows crazy.

He just said he didnt need no compass, somebody else said. Did you hear that? They tried to sell him a compass, a azimuth compass, and he said he didnt need one.

He was the skinniest little man, with a skinny voice and a skinny laugh, and his clothes were all wrong. Theyd started out right, somewhere, in some war-surplus or Army and Navy store in Denver, maybe, but now they were all wrong. He had on a pair of jeans, but they looked like they were made out of blue plastic, they were so thickly new and shiny  the copper rivets glittered in points in the store. And the back of his canvas hunting jacket had a fold in it so deep it looked like the two halves had not yet been stitched together but hung there on each shoulder, the edges lapped together waiting for the needle. The seams where the sleeves joined the jacket were outlined with white tacking thread, and the stitching around the soles of his jack boots was fresh and clean and glaring.

He mustve put all that on in the train, somebody said, and we turned and went out the door and across the street to the towns bar. I could see that little man in the tiny toilet room on the chair car, struggling silently into those clothes while the sweat burst out on his forehead and back and chest, struggling into the stiff, unwieldy clothes behind the locked door of the room no bigger than a telephone booth.

We all had a drink without anybody saying anything for a minute.

Where the hell, somebody finally said, did that fellow ever get such a damn-fool idea as that? Can anybody here tell me that? I dont want to hear another damn thing but that.

I tell you hes crazy, Bye Jenkins said.

What about the railroad? somebody said. You think the railroad aint crazy for selling him a ticket?

Well, what beats me, Bye said, is his color. I wouldnt worry about it if he was some damn fool from Denver. But hes so pale-looking. I bet the fellows a tourist.

That was what upset us, of course, As I say, there arent any tourists in our town, I dont know why, and this fellow arriving on the four a.m. train to hunt uranium was impossible, strange, unnatural. We dont dislike tourists as tourists: That wasnt it at all.

We sat there talking about it and thinking and worrying about it, and I was thinking Id ask Jasper C. Graf what he thought about it when next I saw him, when all of a sudden Charley Harper the druggist came running in.

Have you seen her? he said, hanging onto the bar and staring at us with his mouth twitching at one corner the way it always does. Have any of you seen her?

Her? Bye Jenkins said. You mean him? The little tourist over at the hardware store?

No, Harper said. He drank down a whole glass of beer and took out his handkerchief to wipe his mouth. The Arab woman, he said. I just seen Jasper C. Graf going around the corner in his Cadillac, and there was a Arab woman in a white sheet sitting next to him, he said, and a big bubble of gas burst in his throat before he could say any more, and we just sat, looking at him.

I went up to see Jasper C. Graf right after Charley Harper told us that. He was sitting in the mortuary office, just sitting in his big leather chair with his legs crossed so neatly for a big man, smoking a cigar and looking at the wall.

Sam, he said, and motioned me to take a chair.

I did, and just sat looking at him for a minute. I wasnt thinking about how I was going to ask him about the Arab woman: Jasper C. wasnt the sort of man you asked a question like that. You asked his advice, but you didnt ask him anything personal. No, I was thinking about that tourist fellow, and I thought, now why should Jasper C. Graf even care about such a thing? He goes away to conventions; he knows more about the country than the rest of us. Probably it wont concern him at all, I thought.

The darnedest thing has happened, I said. I started to say, You wont believe it, but I knew he would believe it, because it struck me that back over south, where he came from, they must be used to such unusual things.

Yes, he said, looking at me.

Theres a fellow getting ready to go uranium hunting, I said.

Jasper C. just kept looking at me for a minute, and then he looked down at his desk and picked up a nail file he kept there and started cleaning his nails, although there wasnt a speck of dirt under them I could see.

Kind of late in the year, isnt it? he said, looking at his nails.

It sure is, I said. They had thirty-two degrees at the post office yesterday morning.

Out-of-town fellow? Jasper C. said, and I nodded.

Hes not from around here, I said. His clothes are all brand new and hes not from out west.

You fellows try to stop him? Jasper C. said, still watching the nail file go along under his nails.

No, I said. Hes not the sort of fellow you can say something like that to, I guess. Hes a skinny little tourist fellow with a city kind of a laugh.

Jasper C. stopped moving the nail file, and a bright little bubble of red appeared at the tip of his little finger, where the file was.

Now look at that, I said. Youve dug into yourself with that thing.

Jasper C. Graf was always going to conventions. In that business you have to keep up with the latest, I guess, and you have to make yourself known to other morticians from around the country so that when they have a person to ship to our town for burial, you know. That way you can be put in charge of local arrangements. Howie Loveless used to say Jasper C. went to those conventions just to get a workout, because Howie never went to any conventions and thats what he called going down to Big Marys, getting a workout.

He pussyfoots around here and then goes off to those conventions and has himself a big fat time, Howie used to say. He gets on that big Pullman and sleeps all the way back out here, and butter wouldnt melt in his mouth. Thats the kind of a man I just cant stand.

But that was all a lie, of course, just Howies jealousy. Jasper C. Graf didnt fool around with women like that. It seemed he just didnt need to or something  he was busy looking at whatever it was that was down inside of him, I always thought.

But thinking like he did, Howie Loveless started talking up that Arab woman business as soon as he heard about it.

Why, sure, he said. He brought her back with him from that convention in San Francisco. They got any kind of woman you can think of out there. I bet he give her a big bunch of money to come back here with him, and now hell hide her out and act like nothing was going on at all and laugh at us. Thats just the kind of a fellow he is, thats all.

But why? Bye Jenkins wanted to know. Whyd he bring back a Arab woman? It just dont make sense.

Why, sure it does, Howie said, and his eyes got beady and he looked back over his shoulder, to see if his wife was coming up to the corner, I guess. Itd be different, wouldnt it? I wouldnt mind a Arab myself. Come on, he said, Ill show you something, and he took us across the street into the depot and pointed at the wall. Look at there, he said.

There was a big poster on the wall next to the one of the Western Union boy coming up to the door with the message for Mother, and it showed a dark-skinned woman in a big white veil looking away off somewhere. She had a white cloth draped over her head too, so all you saw was her eyes, as big as Jordan almonds and black as night. Back in the distance was some kind of a little town, and down below in big letters it said, ALGERIE, PAYS DE LUMIERE.

Well, Ill be damned, said Bye.

It was a new poster. Now that, said Howie, is a Arab woman.

You couldnt argue with him: The face on the poster had the most female-looking eyes Ive ever seen, and you wanted to see the rest of her, but of course you couldnt, because of the robe and veil, and that just made you that much surer that what was under there was a beautiful woman, like one youd never seen in your life before.

We were just standing there looking and not saying anything, when Ill be darned if Charley Harper didnt come loping into the depot all lathered up and puffing.

He grabbed Bye Jenkins by the arm and shook him.

I just saw all three of them, he said. They went around the corner just when I came out of the store.

What? Bye said, and he pulled his arm away. What the hells the matter with you, Charley?

The tourist and the Arab woman, Charley said, looking around at us. They were sitting on the seat right next to Jasper C. Graf, and the tourist was laughing with his head throwed back. I could see his teeth.

We all looked at Bye. Hes an old man and he has quite a story behind him, and we all looked at him.

What was Jasper C. doing? Bye said to Charley.

Nothing, Charley said. He wasnt doing nothing but driving the car and looking straight ahead.

Bye looked around at us but nobody said anything.

Well, damn it, he said to Charley, was he laughing?

No, Charley said. He wasnt laughing.

The tourist walked out of town the next morning, in plain sight of everybody, walking straight and unswerving toward some point on the horizon the rest of us couldnt see, climbing the first hill and disappearing into the desert.

That was about nine oclock. There was a stiff northwest wind blowing, and you could feel snow coming, and every once in a while a tumbleweed would appear around the corner from nowhere and go rolling and bumping across the street and out of sight.

Everybody was in the bar.

Ill tell you what it is, Bye Jenkins was saying as I walked in. Its thoughtless, just plain thoughtless.

Bye is an old, old man, and his story reaches clear back to the Wild Gang, and the Browns Park crowd, to Butch Cassidy and a lot of those other fellows. They were outlaws, and Bye started riding with them when he was fourteen, back in the 90s. Hes the only one that didnt get hanged or shot, I guess, and they say he killed a lot of men: You can find stories about him in the old copies of the paper, they say, but nobody ever bothers to look them up. If we have a first citizen, I guess Byes it.

Here its going to snow, Bye was saying, and that fellow just walks off out there into the brush like he knowed what he was doing and where he was going, and none of you even asked him where he was headed or if he even knew himself where he was headed. Now, howre we ever going to find him?

Because Bye knew that: Wed have to go out and find him. We knew he wasnt going to come walking back, because his clothes were so new and because he was different. Can you understand that? Its not that you have to look a certain way to handle this country: Thats the mistake dudes always make. Its just that if youve learned this country, you look a certain way; learning it gives you that look of belonging to it, the look the tourist didnt have.

So we knew wed have to go and find him, and most of the fellows got pretty mad about it: The whole thing was so crazy. Me, I didnt mind: I wanted to see him again, maybe to find out what it was that had moved him out here into our town, an alien in the rock and brush and wind.

You might as well all go home and get ready, Bye said. If we start this afternoon, he wont have such a head start on us, telling us to start now to save the man whod just left town, because Bye was that certain of the fellows mistake.

And then Howie Loveless came limping in the door all rigged up like he was going on a hunting trip: boots, Mackinaw and hunting knife, and a big water bag slung over his shoulder, and so mad I thought hed start crying any minute.

Now, listen! he said. I want you all to be witnesses that I said it and by God Ill make it stick. Im telling you, there aint nobody to move that body when its found until I get there and declare it dead, you hear me? Ive had just about enough of this, now.

Hold on, Bye said. You aint neither one of you got him yet.

Now, I tell you, its me thats coroner, Howie said, and he cut a big glare around at everybody.

But Howie, I said, Jasper C. doesnt even know about it yet. We havent told him yet. And I thought: And you dont know about it yet, either, not really; so what makes you so sure?

Oh, no? Howie said. Oh, no? Well, howd you like it if I told you I just seen Jasper C. Graf and that fat boy scooting out of town about 150 miles an hour right on that fellows trail?

After a minute Bye cleared his throat. Well, now, he said. Old Jasper didnt try to stop him either, and now hes really humping, aint he?

Was there anybody with them? Charley Harper said to Howie. Did you see anybody else?

What? Howie said, and he frowned. Of course not. They were in the jeep, and theyve got the sides on it.

Oh, Charley said, his mouth twitching, and he looked back down into his beer.

It all happened so fast after that I didnt get a chance to say goodbye to Jasper C. Graf or anything. None of us did. We had to get it all from Fat Jim, because by the time we found the place where they were in the desert, he was the only one. Nobody knew where Jasper C. Graf was.

It was terrible, Fat Jim said to us after we got some dry clothes on him. He was sitting by the fire trying to drink some hot coffee, but he couldnt seem to get his lips to come down on the cup edge; they kept skittering away from it.

He acted like he was crazy or something, Fat Jim said. We found the tourist fellow without any trouble at all, but we had to walk in the last four or five miles and cross the river. He was lying on his back just as peaceful as anything, and the snow had banked up along one side of him like he was a log or a piece of driftwood, and a tumbleweed was caught around his head like a mess of bob wire. I thought he was dead, but Mr. Graf knew right away he wasnt. I guess he knew even before we left town the fellow wouldnt be dead.

What? Howie said. What are you trying to tell me? You trying to  

That tourist started cackling at us as soon as he saw us, Fat Jim said, looking up at us. He like to scared me to death. Mr. Graf just stood there looking down at him for a minute and then he said, Get up. Just like that. Get up. But the tourist just lay there looking up and laughing, and Mr. Graf finally bent over and picked him up and slung him over his shoulder. Im going to ruin you, Jasper, the tourist said, laughing right into Mr. Grafs face with all them big yellow teeth. Mr. Graf, he just set his face a little and said to me, We got to get this man out of here before he freezes to death. Oh, no, says the tourist, I wont never freeze, Jasper, not while I got you to keep me warm. You aint never going to let me freeze, are you, Jasper? he says to Mr. Graf, but Mr. Graf just started walking, with me trotting along behind begging him to let me help.

The most high-handed thing I ever heard of in my entire life, Howie said. A criminal act, you all hear that? Moving that fellow before we  

And then the tourist fellow started bragging about all the things he could do, and Mr. Graf couldnt touch him for them because of what had happened, Jim said, shaking his head. He said hed follow Mr. Graf forever just like hed followed him for twenty years now, and hed ruin him every time. No matter where you go, he says, laughing into Mr. Grafs face, right into his ear, with his feet dangling down behind. Ill keep on following you, Jasper, and Ill keep on making you pay for what you done.

Done? Howie said, bending down over Jim. Done what? What did old Jasper do?

Finally we come to the river, Jim said. Mr. Graf never even slowed down. He missed the ford and just started walking out into it with that tourist cackling on his back and saying, Now, dont you get my feet wet, Jasper, and me splashing along behind hollering for Mr. Graf to look out. But he just kept walking. He didnt even look back and all of a sudden he went under. I started really yelling at him then. Im surprised you fellows didnt hear me in town. Then Mr. Graf bobbed back up and he commenced to fight that water like a crazy man, with that tourist still on his back. Only now that fellow was upset. Youre trying to drown me! he was hollering, and all the time Mr. Graf was fighting for both their lives. It was terrible. Youre going to add murder to your list, are you! that fellow screamed in Mr. Grafs ear, and then they went under again, Mr. Graf pumping his legs up and down and kicking and flaying at the water with his elbows and never letting out a sound or even changing expression. It was awful. And they went under, and this time the tourist come up first, shooting half out of the water like a dynamited snag and yelling his head off the minute he broke out, still yelling while he flew up in the air and flopped back. It was terrible.

What was he yelling? Howie said. I got a right to know, you hear?

Mostly it seemed like he was yelling Murderer, Jim said, looking into his coffee cup.

Ah, ha! cried Howie. I told you! I told you there was something sneaky about that Jasper C. Graf! I been telling you that for years, and you wouldnt listen. Goes a-running off out here and kills a man by drowning  

No, Jim said. After he shot up, the tourist fellow splashed back in the water and went spinning downstream a way, then he banged up against the other bank and climbed out. He just sat there yelling at us, but he was so far away I couldnt understand a word he was saying.

And what about Jasper C., Jim? Bye said.

He told me all about it, Jim said. He clawed his way back to where I was. He didnt swim. He just clawed at that water, and I helped him out. We sat there a minute, and then he said, Jim, I might as well tell you. You can tell everybody in town and it dont make no difference anymore, anyway. If you dont tell them, he will, and at least you can tell them straight. I made a mistake once, back in Missouri, he said. There was this woman; she was this fellows wife, and I made a mistake.

Now, there you are! Howie said, looking around at us. Butter wouldnt melt in his mouth and here he was, messing with  

No, Jim said. Not like that. He thought she was dead. They didnt have no doctor in that town, and they brought her to Mr. Graf after shed fell in a pond in the wintertime. She was drunk, Mr. Graf said, and everybody thought shed fallen into the pond while she was drunk and had died, and her husband wanted to ship the body out right away to St. Louis before the roads got too bad, so Mr. Graf started to embalm her. But she wasnt dead, she was just almost dead. It must have been a terrible thing, Jim said.

Negligence! said Howie. Professional negligence, thats what it was.

Mr. Graf was a young mortician then, Jim said. He found out right away what was wrong and he stopped everything and saved her life, but it didnt do no good. Ever after that she tells folks Mr. Graf resurrected her from the dead; and her husband, he says Mr. Graf has damaged his reputation for life because Mr. Graf had his wife lying there in the mortuary without her clothes on. And they follow him wherever he goes, they wont never stop it, Mr. Graf said. And he has to run off every few years when they find him. Its terrible.

Well, Ill be damned, Bye said. You mean we got to lose a good mortician because of something like that?

And thats why she wears them Arab clothes, Jim said. Because she was resurrected, she says. She thinks shes somebody out of Scripture, Mr. Graf said.

But why? Howie said, sitting down next to Jim. Why did that fellow buy that stuff and come walking way out here? And why did Jasper C. Graf bother to come after him? Why?

Just to devil Mr. Graf, Jim said, closing his eyes. He knew Mr. Graf would come get him. It was just his devilish way of announcing he was here, of showing Mr. Graf how mean he was.

But why go get him? Howie said, looking around at us. Why didnt he let that fellow just lay out there and freeze?

Bye Jenkins looked down at Howie. Because he aint that kind of a man, Bye said. If hed been that kind of a man, that fellow never could have bothered and hounded him at all. He couldnt have hounded you, could he, Howie?

Howie didnt say anything.

When we got back to town, Jasper C. Grafs office with the big leather chair was there, with a dead cigar in the ashtray and the nail file lying on the desk, but Jasper C. Graf and his Cadillac were gone. That afternoon the tourist and the woman came around a corner and into the depot, and when the 6 p.m. train for Denver came in, they got on board, the man looking angrier than a tornado and the woman so wrapped up in sheets you couldnt see what she looked like.

And that was how we lost the best mortician our town ever had. Charley Harper must have had his eye on the mortuary business for a long time, because it wasnt two weeks later that he opened up a funeral parlor himself, on an apprentice license he says hes had for years, and nobodys surprised by it anymore: It sort of goes with the drugstore business in a town like ours, and Howie Loveless is altogether too careless, and of course his reputation is just terrible: It seems to get worse all the time.
Humans first arrived in North America 10,000 years earlier than previously thought, according to an analysis of ancient animal bones found in northern Yukon, Canada.

The earliest settlement date of North America, until now estimated at 14,000 years before present, is now estimated at 24,000 years before present, said lead author Lauriane Bourgeon, a doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Montreal, and co-authors.

They made their discovery using artifacts from the Bluefish Caves, located on the banks of the Bluefish River in northern Yukon.

Excavated from 1977 to 1987 under the direction of Archaeological Survey of Canada researcher Dr. Jacques Cinq-Mars, the site occupies a unique place in Eastern Beringian prehistory.

Based on radiocarbon dating of animal bones, Dr. Cinq-Mars made the bold hypothesis that human settlement in the region dated as far back as 30,000 years before present.

In the absence of other sites of similar age, Dr. Cinq-Mars hypothesis remained highly controversial in the scientific community.

Bluefish Caves is the oldest known archaeological site in North America. Our results demonstrate that humans occupied Bluefish Caves as early as 24,000 years before present, Bourgeon and co-authors said.

The team examined 36,000 mammal bone fragments culled from the site. Comprehensive analysis of certain pieces revealed undeniable traces of human activity in 15 bones. Around 20 other fragments also showed probable traces of the same type of activity.

Series of straight, V-shaped lines on the surface of the bones were made by stone tools used to skin animals. These are indisputable cut-marks created by humans, said University of Montreal Professor Ariane Burke, co-author on the study.

The researchers submitted the bones to further radiocarbon dating.

The oldest fragment, a horse mandible showing the marks of a stone tool apparently used to remove the tongue, was radiocarbon-dated at 19,650 years, which is equivalent to between 23,000 and 24,000 calibrated years before present.

Our discovery confirms previous analyses and demonstrates that this is the earliest known site of human settlement in Canada. It shows that Eastern Beringia was inhabited during the last Ice Age, Prof. Burke said.

Beringia is a vast region stretching from the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories to the Lena River in Siberia.

Studies in population genetics have shown that a group of a few thousand individuals lived in isolation from the rest of the world in Beringia 15,000 to 24,000 years ago, she said.

Our results offer archaeological support for the Beringian Standstill hypothesis.

Genetic isolation would have corresponded to geographical isolation. During the Last Glacial Maximum, Beringia was isolated from the rest of North America by glaciers and steppes too inhospitable for human occupation to the West. It was potentially a place of refuge.

The Beringians of Bluefish Caves were therefore among the ancestors of people who, at the end of the last Ice Age, colonized the entire continent along the coast to South America.

The findings were published Jan. 6, 2017 in the journal PLoS ONE.

_____

L. Bourgeon et al. 2017. Earliest Human Presence in North America Dated to the Last Glacial Maximum: New Radiocarbon Dates from Bluefish Caves, Canada. PLoS ONE 12 (1): e0169486; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169486
A team of scientists and engineers is ready to start on an eight-month mock mission to study how humans behave and interact while living in Mars-like conditions. Funded by NASA, this will be the fifth Mars mock mission for the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS).

The goal of HI-SEAS is to simulate the state of living on long-duration space exploration missions, such as the journey to the Red Planet. The mock mission will be conducted by making the groups of volunteers stay inside a dome-shaped habitat for a long duration, stretching over eight months. Additionally, the crew will have no contact with the rest of the world and will be isolated.

The HI-SEAS Mission V will start off in Hawaii at around 3:30 p.m. local time on Jan. 19. The volunteers will live and work inside the geodesic dome located on the Mauna Loa volcano in the main island of Hawaii.

"Since 2012, HI-SEAS has been contributing to NASA's plans for long-duration space exploration," said Kim Binsted, principal investigator at HI-SEAS, according to the University of Hawaii System News. "We are an international collaboration of crew, researchers and mission support, and I am proud of the part we play in helping reduce the barriers to a human journey to Mars."

The tasks that the crew will undertake will include performing outdoor exploration tasks like life systems management and geological fieldwork. The team of volunteers will also be dressed in spacesuits whenever they step outside their habitat, just like they would do on Mars. The mock mission will include eight primary and three opportunistic research studies, according to Space.com.

Some of the daily activities that the group has to participate in will include routine exercises and make food, wherein the meals will be similar to the dried food that astronauts consume in space. The team, comprising of six members, will also simulate contact between Mars and Earth via a 20-minute delay in communication between them and mission control.
Boeing 747, which was a Turkish cargo plane, crashed into a village in Kyrgyzstan. It killed the four crew and 33 people in the destroyed village.

The plane was managed by ACT Airlines and was supposed to land at Manas airport, 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of the capital, Bishkek. On the other hand, it crashed and devastated a village. About 15 buildings were ruined and 33 people were killed with several children among the dead.

Deputy PM Muhammetkaly Abulgaziev stated that according to the preliminary information, the cause of the plane crash is due to pilot error. The authorities have declared a day of mourning on Tuesday, according to BBC News.

Click for Xinhua's exclusive footage of a Turkish cargo plane crash wreckage near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan pic.twitter.com/Z5QOHsWc5A  China Xinhua News (@XHNews) January 16, 2017

Baktygul Kurbatova, a witness, said he woke up because of a bright red light outside and could not understand what was happening. He further said that it turns out the ceiling and the walls were crashing on them. He was so scared but he managed to cover his son's face with his hands so that the debris would not fall on him.

CNN reports that the 747 cargo plane was headed from Hong Kong to Kyrgyzstan's capital of Bishkek. It crashed at 7:18 a.m. local time into the village, which is about 2 kilometers away from Manas airport.

The ACT Airlines, an Istanbul-based freight airline and operated the cargo plane, gave its deepest condolences to the families of the victims. It stated that Boeing extends its deepest condolences to the families of those who perished in the Turkish Airlines Cargo Flight TK6491 accident near Manas airport Kyrgyzstan, operated by ACT Airlines, as well as its wishes for the recovery of those injured. It further stated that a Boeing technical team stands ready to aid at the request and under the direction of government investigating authorities.
ADHD is a brain disorder that affects about 5 to 11 percent children in the United States. Most of the ADHD prescriptions are stimulant-based. With this, it is found that a stimulant such as caffeine could help in relieving the symptoms of ADHD.

Different studies indicate that caffeine could be useful for treating people with ADHD. A study that was printed in the European Neuropsychopharmacology suggests that caffeine could normalize the levels of dopamine and enhance the attention of ADHD patients. Meanwhile, in the study in Medical Hypotheses, it indicates that caffeinated tea could help adults with ADHD.

On the other hand, using caffeine as an ADHD treatment for children and teenagers requires a doctor's guidance. In case one wants to give his child caffeine, there are things to consider. These include the amount of caffeine consumption for children and teens. The Canadian government recommends not to exceed 45 milligrams of caffeine for 4 to 6-year-old children. Meanwhile, for 7 to 9-year-old, it must not exceed 62 mg and 85 mg for 10 to 12-year-old. It is known that a 12-ounce soda has about 30 to 48 mg of caffeine.

Another study printed in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews suggests that caffeine such as soda could interfere with growth and brain development by having disruption of sleep and lack of proper nutrition. It may also raise the heart rate and blood pressure, according to a report in the journal Canadian Family Physician.

Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises not to give children energy drink because it has a high level of caffeine and other stimulants. This may cause serious health problems. It also advises instead to give water to children as their primary source of hydration.

Medical News Today reports that ADHD medications have a stimulant that increases activity in the nervous system. The stimulants that heighten the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine are significant for focus and concentration. Most stimulants could make people more hyperactive and jittery. On the other hand, people with ADHD have the opposite effect. These stimulants could increase focus and memory, reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity in ADHD patients.
E-cigarettes are made to help smokers quit smoking. However, a current study shows that a type of e-cigarette called vape pen can influence the urge to smoke among the young adults as much as seeing someone smoke regular cigarettes.

Study author and director of the clinical addictions research laboratory at the University of Chicago Medical Center Andrea Kings said that the new e-cigarettes known as vape pens are now larger and more powerful. These have a low resemblance to cigarettes. Some people are hoping that they might not produce an urge to smoke.

King said in a university news release that the battery-operated vape pens look different. Also, they share too many silent features of the act of smoking. It includes inhaling, exhaling and hand-to-mouth behaviors, according to Health Day.

King explained that, "This makes them a potent trigger, encouraging people to smoke. They made the young adults in our study want to smoke." The impact of seeing the vape pens in use roughly equals to watching someone light up a regular cigarette.

The study that was published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research revealed that smokers aged 18 to 35, seeing someone else use either regular cigarettes, first-generation e-cigarettes or second-generation vape pens caused an immediate, significant and lasting increase in the desire to smoke.

King also mentioned that, "We've made real progress on reducing smoking in our country. 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."

She noted that their 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," according to Medical Xpress.
A new carbon aging test done on bones discovered in Yukon in the 1970s now shows that it housed humans 10,000 years earlier than scientists originally thought.

Once this theory is confirmed, the Yukon Bluefish Caves, which lie in the Beringia region stretching between Yukon and Alaska over the Bering Sea, was a dry landmass that is now mostly underwater. However, new evidence showed that lots of evidence show human presence in the area. CBC News reported that 23 fragments studied were likely bones that belonged to animals -- butchered by the people living in the caves.

Science Daily reported that doctoral student Lauriane Borugeon examined about 36,000 bone fragments from the site for two years. Comprehensive analysis of pieces revealed traces of human activity in 15 of the bones, with another 20 showing probable traces of the same activity.

Professor Ariane Burke of the Universite de Montreal's Department of Anthropology said that a series of straight V-shaped lines on the surface of the bones were unmistakably stone tools used to skin animals. "These are indisputable cut-marks created by humans."

Most early presence sites dated back to 14,000 years ago, but human presence supports the standstill theory that many have accepted previously. The theory argued that a group of humans from Central Asia was actually isolated in Beringia during the last Ice Age around 24,000 years ago. Their isolation caused their DNA to become unique but can still be traced to modern humans.

"Genetic isolation would have corresponded to geographical isolation. During the Last Glacial Maximum, Beringia was isolated from the rest of North America by glaciers and steppes too inhospitable for human occupation to the West. It was potentially a place of refuge," Burke noted.

If so, the Beringians were then among the ancestors of the people who colonized the Americas at the end of the last Ice Age.
A 500-year-old prophecy from an "Italian Nostradamus" was reportedly fulfilled.

The Sun reported that the heavy snowfall in the town of Salento, Italy, would lead to an apocalypse as predicted by Italian Philosopher Matteo Tafuri. Born in 1492, Tafuri was an influential person in the Apulia region during the 16th century. He died in 1582.

"Salento of palm trees and mild south wind, snowy Salento but never the touch." Matteo foretold: "Two days of snow, two flashes in the sky, I know the world ends, but I do not yearn."

Just last week, people were alarmed that the Italian resort town known for its mild climate has been covered with snow for two days. They theorized that the prophecy had come true and that the world is drawing near to the end of days.

In other news, another prediction leading to the end times was made by an Israeli Rabbi.

Rabbi Yosef Berger of King David's Tomb on Mount Zion claimed that a star collision known as Red Nova, which will occur in 2020, would signal the return of the Messiah.

"The Zohar states explicitly that the Messianic process will be accompanied by several stars appearing." Rabbi Berger told Breaking Israel News. "The Zohar goes into great depth, describing how many stars, and which colors they will be."

The Zohar is a compilation of Jewish mystic prophesies that predicted the color and type of stars that will appear.

The Messiah may or may not return with it, but Larry Molnar -- a professor of astronomy at Calvin College in Michigan who predicted the Red Nova -- said that the event will be the first time for people to see the birth of a star in the naked eye.

The Red Nova will join other stars in forming the North Cross star pattern within the constellation Cygnus.
MARION, S.C.  The City of Marion Diversity Committee welcomed more than 200 people to unite in the fourth-annual Martin Luther King Jr. Unity March.

Mayor Bobby L. Davis said it was awesome to see the crowd gather Monday morning with sounds of the Pastor Larry Williams and the Tabernacle of God Church Jubilee Band performing gospel music before walking down Main Street.

Its awesome to see the number of people wanting to come out and show their love for each other, because that is what this event is all about and thats unity, he said. We have such a great crowd to do exactly what Ive been praying for all these years, and thats to show unity and friendship to each other.

Bishop Michael Blue welcomed the crowd to Door of Hope Christian Church for a program where he gave a unity speech along with Marion Baptist Church Youth Pastor Adam Work.

I appreciate the efforts that have been made, and obviously there is a high level of excitement and anticipation, Blue said. Were grateful to see the growth this year and looking back on the previous years.

Blue said the county participation has made the event a regional movement.

Work said he was humbled and honored to be part of the program.

Its a great day for everybody, and I really hope that teenagers specifically come out and take part in it, he said. Our church is honored to partner. That is what today is about, and that is unity.

King promoted unity, Work said, and he wanted to honor the city in doing the same.

Dr. Paul DeMarco attends the march every year.

What Id like to see is more between the marches, he said. Bishop Blue is leading the impact group, and Im open to every year getting more together and looking forward to good things in 2017.

Oscar Foxworth took office representing Marion County Council District 2 last week and took the opportunity to join other municipal leaders honoring Kings legacy.

It means a lot to be here and help support the people, said Foxworth, who was with his son, third grader Oscar Foxworth Jr. Im happy to be on board and play a part in Marion County to help make a change right here at home. I want my son to learn and see what all they went through to make things better and play a part in it.

Willena Rembert said she was excited and pleased to see the diversity committee receive support.

Im so excited and so pleased that people joined us and took a leap of faith coming out today to march in unity in honor of Dr. King, she said. Its just an effort to bring our communities together, because we need each other.

More than 100 people gathered in Brittons Neck for the 24th-annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration organized by the Deacon Clyde Graves Foundation. Participants marched from Red Hill Missionary Baptist Church to Bethel AME Church for a program that featured youth dancers, music, video presentation and remarks from Marion County Councilman Tom Shaw and Marion County School Board member Levant Davis.

Organizer Lavoris Moore said the purpose of the annual event is to teach the children about Dr. Kings contributions.

There was a time we didnt have the ability to go to every establishment, she said. People walked for miles so a lot things could change, and they need to know that it hasnt always been that way.

Moore said the program has grown over the years, and Deacon Clyde Graves did a lot of this community.

He got the holiday celebrated in our schools, and this march was so important to him, she said.

Daphne Carter-McCants said the nonprofit organization works toward community service.

I want the children to know who Dr. King is, and the video presentation features the life and legacy of Dr. King, she said. Its important to let people know the struggles that we went through and how we achieved success.
A Jan. 10 letter to the editor regarding nurse practitioners urged health care providers to keep patients front and center with the best medical care possible. That truly is the mission of all advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). Nursing is the most trusted profession for a reason  we care about the patient. South Carolina currently earns an F in health care, and South Carolina ranks 42nd in the nation in the Americas Health Rankings Annual Report United Health Foundation. Parts or all of 46 counties in South Carolina are designated as medically underserved (South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services South Carolina GME Advisory Group).

As an APRN who has a doctorate degree in nursing practice, I have spent my career caring for patients and still care for patients in our community. As the director of the family nurse practitioner program, the faculty and I are preparing the best nurses to go out from Francis Marion University and practice as APRNs. We MUST change this health rating, because patients lives depend on all of us in the medical community. Patients do know we are APRNs holding a doctoral degree. The Lewis Blackmon Act demands we make this clear and we do.

Recently I was hospitalized at McLeod Regional Medical Center, where I received excellent medical care. My nurse was one of the recent APRN graduates from FMU. I knew I could count on Leigh Ann Woods to provide excellence in care, and she did! She was professional and capable, and I knew I was with a highly educated APRN. I appreciated knowing the education afforded her was the best!

Francis Marion University, under the visionary leadership of Dr. Fred Carter, also wants the future of health care to improve in our area. The additions of the APRN program, the physician assistants, speech and language pathology and an agreement with USC placing third- and fourth-year medical students into rural and underserved populations shows the dedication of Dr. Carter, the Board of Trustees and the medical community. Offering a DNP to APRNs in our area will only better educate the APRNs in underserved areas.

Should only large cities like Columbia and Charleston offer DNPs? I think it is beyond time that the Pee Dee area move forward in health care. Continue to do things the same way and expect a different outcome? I think not! I applaud Dr. Carter, Dean Wittmann-Price, the support of the medical community and our legislators in moving forward with the next logical step, the doctorate of nursing practice. The Pee Dee area needs this program.

DR. DEBORAH L. HOPLA, DNP, APRN-BC

Florence
A lot has been written recently about Russian President Vladimir Putin from authorizing the hacking of emails to the annexation of Crimea to his relationships with Donald Trump and Rex Tillerson. The latest is the malware code discovered on a Burlington, Vermont, electric department laptop. Developing a good working relationship with President Putin and Russia is beneficial to all for many reasons. If this is not possible, it is time to quit pussyfooting around with useless sanctions and show Putin exactly what we can do to his electronic communication system.

Over the decades we have levied sanctions against many countries: China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, to name a few. Fifty-five years of sanctions against Cuba only prevented us from getting good cigars.

Our Democratic Party bosses have chastised Russia and Putin for "interfering in our presidential election." How often have we interfered in the internal affairs of other nations? Maybe some people as old as I am remember Radio Free Europe, the Bay of Pigs invasion, the "removal" of Ngo Dinh Diem from office in South Vietnam and the Iran-Contra affair. These are just a few of the hundreds of instances of our interferences in the affairs of other nations. This is one reason so many nations hate us.

What if Russia did not do the hacking? President Obamas briefing by the intelligence community is classified. Whoever did the hacking already knows what happened, so there is no reason to try to keep the information from them. The only reason for the classification is to keep the real information from the American people.

Putin is a man of action. His goal is to establish Russia as the premier nation in the world, and he really doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks. He cares about his own country and its future. He has accomplished a lot in his terms as president. He is probably the best thing that has happened to Russia since Katherine the Great. The annexation of Crimea is an example of his leadership.

Crimea has been a disputed territory since the days of the Greek and Roman empires. It has been controlled by Gothic Tribes, the Byzantium Empire and the Mongols. In the 1400s the Crimean Khanate was a protectorate of the Ottoman Empire. Russia annexed Crimea in 1783 during the reign of Catherine the Great. In 1853 the Crimean War began. It pitted Russia against a consortium of Britain, France, the Ottoman Empire and Sardinia. This war was immortalized by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in the poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade," an event that occurred on Oct. 25, 1854. Although Russia eventually lost this war, Crimea remained part of Russia. In 1954 Nikita Krushchev gave Crimea to Ukraine, presumably as a reward for the suffering the Ukraine people endured during World War II. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia was concerned about Crimea because Sevastopol is the home of the Russian Black Sea fleet. In 1997, Russia and Ukraine signed a treaty that formally allowed Russia to keep its fleet in Crimea. With the recent political unrest in Ukraine, Russia was concerned about the future of this treaty, so President Putin took Crimea back. This is the mark of a leader who puts his own country first.

We might not like President Putin, but we had better respect him. To be successful, we must deal with him from a position of strength coupled with absolute resolve.

LAWRENCE D. WEBER

Quinby
You see it on the shelf in more and more grocery stores. It seems maybe yoga-related? Something to do with fermentation, maybe? Kombucha is an increasingly popular drink thats crossed into the mainstream from its crunchy origins. Now, New Orleans has its own kombucha brewery, Big Easy Bucha, in a bright, wide-open space at 4040 Euphrosine St. in Mid-City.

The brewery is open from 10 a.m.  4 p.m. Monday through Thursday  try products, fill growlers, purchase bottles, and learn about the kombucha-making process while youre there. After all, says co-founder Austin Sherman, We want to be the Abita of kombucha.

Sherman and his partner Alexis Korman began their business in 2014, using a local shared commercial kitchen before moving into their own large space. Sherman is a former bartender, and Korman is a writer and kombucha lover. They realized that there werent any other kombucha breweries in the region and got to work. Big Easy Bucha is the first (and only, so far) commercial kombucha brand in the state of Louisiana.

But what, exactly, is kombucha?

At the heart of it, kombucha is a fermented, sweet tea. The tea is mixed with organic sugar, and then a variety of yeasts are set upon it to eat the sugars, leaving behind carbonation and healthy bacteria. If that sounds a lot like brewing beer, it is  however, the open fermentation tanks allow oxygen to interact with the chemical changes, which converts the alcohol byproduct into organic acids. (This is a simplified explanation of the process, but basically science!) As a result, kombucha is a tart, refreshing beverage with only trace amounts of alcohol.

It can also be an acquired taste, albeit a healthy one. The probiotic active cultures present in kombucha aid in digestion, boosts immunity, and some say it improves liver function, sleep patterns, and promotes detoxification. Its low-calorie and low-sugar, making it a healthier alternative to juice and soda.

Sherman and Korman spent a year experimenting to settle on the perfect tea blend of green, white, and black tea leaves for their kombucha base. To create the fruit-flavored final product, they use local ingredients like strawberries, mayhaw berries, blueberries, honeysuckle, satsuma, and other citrus. They work with local farmers and foragers to find the perfect flavoring ingredients and steep the finished kombucha tea with the fruit and herbs; its infused, not blended into the mix, which cuts back on the amount of sugar ingested by consumers.

Big Easy Buchas natural fruit flavors are infused, not blended into the mix, which cuts back on the amount of sugar ingested by consumers.

Packaged bottles and growlers are available throughout the Gulf Coast in grocery stores, coffee shops, and restaurants; specifically, you can find it at Rouses, Breaux Mart, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Fairgrinds Coffeehouse, St. Roch Market, Steins Deli, and all Louisiana locations of PJs Coffee, as well as Whole Foods, New Orleans Food Co-Op, and Good Karma Cafe.

Big Easy Bucha also supplies roughly a dozen taps around the region with about 100 kegs a month, so there are places where its available on draft, like at NOLA Brewing Company, which has a designated tap for one of Big Easy Buchas products.

Both Korman and Sherman are dedicated to an all-around approach to health and wellness that extends beyond the touted benefits of kombucha. The two support the local economy by working with local farmers and vendors as often as possible, and they give back a portion of their profits to charities like St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital and Grow Dat Youth Farm. The brewery also regularly hosts yoga and fitness classes.

On Jan. 30, Big Easy Bucha holds its largest event, free and open to the public, called Geaux Vegan, Get Fit! In addition to a wide variety of vegan foods and kombucha available for purchase, the night also includes barre and pilates classes, a DJ, giveaways, and donation opportunities for the Humane Society of Louisiana. Check out the event registration page for more information.
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An interesting opportunity has arisen for cleaning staff across northern Lincolnshire.

But there's a catch. You have to be naked!

The bonus is that Naturist Cleaners is willing to pay staff 45 an hour with the unusual job description reading: "We are looking for female naturist cleaners who can clean private houses nude.

"The job will require doing all general cleaning like dusting, tidying up, vacuuming, watering plants, making beds, using the washing machine, ironing clothes and cleaning windows."

Naturist Cleaners was founded in London two years ago and offers naked cleaning services for the nudist community.

Prices for nude cleaning start at 65 for the first hour and 55 each hour thereafter, with the cleaners getting paid 45 an hour.

The majority of those who use the business are nudists, meaning there is a very high chance that your client will be naked themselves.

However, if you don't fancy cleaning in your birthday suit, you can do it clothed.

Fully-clothed cleaning is cheaper, at 25 for the first hour and 20 for additional hours.

Owner Laura Smith told the Manchester Evening News: "We started in London two years ago and it's proved really popular, so we're expanding.

"It's a service for the nudist community. We are a cleaning company. There's nothing sexual about the business at all. The majority of our clients are nudists.

"I understand people will think certain things about the company, but there is nothing untoward about it."

Company bosses say they believe in the "liberty of the true human form" and the "serenity of a spotlessly-cleaned home".

Laura added: "We have clients everywhere including Lincolnshire."

They're looking for part-time cleaners of "all ages and figures".

The company issues a number of rules to potential employees - go to the Naturist Cleaners website for further information and application.

Cleaning rules

1. During cleaning, you must be nude, but we recommend you to wear gloves and slippers.

2. Client can be nude or wear clothes during your cleaning.

3. No more than one person should be present in client's home when you clean, unless agreed differently.

4. No physical contact is allowed, if client made any sexual manner you should leave immediately.

5. All persons present at client's house must be free of drugs and alcohol.

6. Photography or recording devices can't be used during nude cleaning service, if you see any suspicious behaviour leave immediately or contact head office.

7. Your job role includes dusting, general tidying, vacuuming, watering plants, making beds, washing/drying up, using washing machines, ironing, polishing, cleaning windows and sweeping floors.

8. Your role wouldn't include: unblocking drains, cleaning ovens, emptying bins, cleaning of any areas that pose a risk to health and safety, and excessive lifting of heavy items and any other unsavoury tasks.

9. Client should provide all the cleaning materials and equipment.

Safety


Europe: The Process of Change Continues



By George Friedman and Jacob L. Shapiro





We end this series of sneak peaks at our 2017 forecast by describing what the year ahead will look like for Europe. To do that, we must keep two things in mind. First, due to limited space, this must be a high-level overview of the forecast. Many of the specifics and the arguments logic are contained in our 2017 forecast and in our daily tracking of these issues. The goal here is to paint a picture of the major forces at play. Second, we must remember that geopolitics does not observe the Gregorian calendar the same way people do. In this sense, one year is an arbitrary period of time, and our forecast for Europe is in many respects a long-term one.



Readers of The Next Hundred Years, The Next Decade, and Flashpoints: The Emerging Crisis in Europe by Geopolitical Futures founder George Friedman will recognize elements of a process that has been underway for over a decade.



2017 will not be decisive, but it will be another chapter in the European Unions slow unraveling.



The Italian Crisis



Our forecast for 2016 included a banking crisis in Italy. That crisis began to emerge in earnest by mid-year, and though developments have not accelerated as fast as we thought, the crisis has not gone away. It has played a prominent role in the destabilization of Italian domestic politics.



The key problem is the Italian banking sectors high rate of non-performing loans (NPLs). (Approximately 17% of all loans from Italian banks are non-performing, according to the European Banking Authority.) Italy also has poor prospects for meaningful economic growth in the near- to mid-term.



The bank currently making headlines, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, had 45 billion euros ($47.4 billion) worth of NPLs and other doubtful loans when its problems became apparent in 2016.



Many readers have written to us saying that even if Italy needed hundreds of billions of euros to bail out its entire banking sector, it would not be a large problem. If the only issue were the amount of money, these readers would be correct. The balance sheets of Italian banks, however, dont exist in a vacuum. If the European Central Bank were to bail out Italy, it would mean that all of Europe effectively would be paying for it. Greece, which had austerity forced upon it, would cry foul over this special treatment. The German public would object, and Chancellor Angela Merkels position would be severely weakened, even if she prevails in upcoming elections later this year.



Europe is not a country, and the EU is a union in name only. The transfer of sovereignty to Brussels was never total, and member states are independent countries with independent interests.



German Exports



Italy is the bridge to 2017. The major economic issue we expect to rear its head in 2017 is declining exports in Germany. According to the latest World Bank data, Germanys exports-to-GDP ratio is 46.8%. As those who have followed our series of articles on the subject know, we expect Chinas economic woes to continue in 2017, which means there will be no prospect for increased demand from China. Russia is also in economic trouble and wont be increasing demand. Germany has managed to survive thus far by increasing exports to the United Kingdom and the United States, but we do not view this as sustainable indefinitely. Most of the worlds major exporters have faced severe problems. Germany stands out as one of the few that has not. Yet its problems will reverberate throughout the Continent. Many Eastern European countries, for e xample, are part of the German supply chain.



The simple fact to remember is this: The EU is built around a massive exporter, and that exporter is Germany. That makes the EU susceptible to drops in demand for exports, and it also creates a particular kind of political relationship between Germany and the rest of the EU, especially countries that are markets for German goods and those that are in the German supply chain.



This dependency and economic architecture can, and has, worked in the past, but it now faces two key challenges. The first is the question of how to increase demand for the products in question, which is not in any single countrys control. The second is that as a result of the continued challenges emanating from the 2008 financial crisis, many of Europes economies are struggling. (Italy, as we described above, is the most salient example.)



The EUs growing socio-economic problems, in turn, lead to increased nationalism. We saw this manifest in Brexit in 2016. In 2017, this dynamic already is affecting elections in France and Germany. Even if the historically internationalist candidates win, the conversation has shifted from an internationalist position to a nationalist oneeven for those who historically have been most committed to the EU, Merkel being the most prominent example.



The Security Question



In addition to the economic and political reality, security will be an issue and here, too, member states interests diverge. Some countries are more concerned about refugees than others, and Brussels is still unable to present a coherent and universally accepted plan for dealing with the refugee crisis.



There also is the question of Eastern Europe, which faces an increasingly opportunistic and aggressive Russia, and wants its security prioritized. Western Europe is less concerned with Russia on a daily basis and more concerned about Islamic terrorism. Meanwhile, a Donald Trump administration in the US is about to shine a very bright light on the future of NATO.



This will mean difficult choices for many European countries. The security issues currently are not as serious as the economic and political issues for Europe, but they loom in the background and feed the strain on the EU rather than unite member states in common cause.



When we look around Europe today, we see less of a move toward EU dissolution than the gradual ignoring of EU directives (though the prospect of other Brexit-type votes or secession votes in states like Spain is very real). Western European countries are breaking EU regulations on budget deficits, and Brussels is looking the other way. Eastern European countries are breaking similar regulations and being called out for it more consistently, but no punishments are forthcoming. Each country has its own issues with refugees and either backs or ignores EU directives on refugee quotas as it suits the individual country.



At the beginning of last year, George wrote the following, and it remains the general frame through which we view events in Europe:



The EU will survive, and one day you will be able to visit a dusty office in Brussels, much like the European Free Trade Associations offices in Switzerland, where it still exists. [The EFTA was a British-led alternative to the European Community in the late 1950s and 60s that is irrelevant today despite the continued existence of its offices.] I am sure the staff will be doing something, writing directives that no one will follow, or even care to object to. I once expected Gotterdammerung, the Twilight of the Gods, to move the EU. Today I became convinced, not that the EU couldnt continue this way, but that it really isnt continuing in any significant way.



Italian banks, German exports, nationalism affecting domestic elections, and divergences on security issues will be the main issues in 2017, but they are really just small parts of a much larger forecast that is slowly hulking toward fruition.
Executive officer Kevin OSullivan said speakers and topics will be released in the coming months.

The venue will be Auckland Museum where the 2015 conference was held.Last year 135 delegates attended CNZs fourth annual conference in

Wellington where Azamara Club Cruises president and ceo Larry Pimentel was keynote speaker.

A highlight of the conference was the release of Cruise New Zealands 2015/16 economic impact report which revealed that a record number of more than 254,000 passengers and almost 92,000 crew visited the country between August 2015 and June 2016.In the 2016/17 wave season cruise ships will make 791 port visits, an increase of 13% on 2015/16.It was predicted that the total number of passengers will be 282,538 in 2017/18, injecting NZ$536m into the economy.
Previously with lines including Princess, Norwegian, Seabourn and Cunard, Tobler is 'one of the most recognized hotel operations professionals in the industry and a very detailed culinarian,' according to Windstar's Christopher Prelog, vp fleet operations.

Tobler's passion is helping his team become the best in the industry, Prelog said, adding that 'Peter has been an idol of mine and a leader for many others in hospitality for years. His leadership will set the standard for hospitality excellence in small ship cruising.'

Tobler has been running his own consulting business since leaving Princess in late 2014, where he was vp food and beverage operations. Earlier, he held the same role at Norwegian Cruise Line. Previously he directed food and beverage operations for Seabourn and Cunard. Tobler started his cruise career as a hotel manager for Seabourn, working aboard Windstars now Star-class yachts.

Recent successes include acting as team lead and receiving the 'Best Cruises for Food Lovers' distinction by Food & Wine Magazine, Seatrade Cruise Awards recognition for the Chefs Table, a 31st Annual Telly Award for 'Love at First Sip' and an award-winning partnership with Norman Love for 'Chocolate Journeys.'

'My goal is to assemble a tour-de-force of hospitality leaders that establishes Windstar as an employer of choice in cruising and travel,' Windstar president John Delaney said. 'We aspire to not only deliver the absolute best travel experience in small ship cruising, but to be a recognized leader of trends, innovation and personalized service in the greater tourism industry.' He added that Tobler and Prelog's expertise will help achieve that.
The exemption under the US embargo was granted for a two-year term, to the end of 2018, by the Bureau of Industry and Security, part of the US Department of Commerce.

'It's a major achievement for us,' said John Paul Brigneti, vp global logistics, cruise & marine solutions for Savino Del Bene - Miami.

Savino Del Bene is now able to ship perishable items like produce and cheese directly from the US to Cuba's Mariel container port, where they'll be cleared and transported to the cruise vessel in Havana. Brigneti did not want to identify the cruise line.

'We are very proud of this approval,' he told Seatrade Cruise News. 'It indicates we're looking for new ways to do business in the cruise supply chain. It's very big news and, for us, it's a major step.'

This will benefit US distributors, too, Brigneti added, because until now, procurement for the Cuba cruise operation has been handled in Europe.

For the cruise line, it ensures the ability to procure provisions in a very short timeframe. Containers can leave the US on Monday, arrive in Mariel on Tuesday and the ship can receive the items in Havana on Sunday.

'It's like air freight,' Brigneti said.

Savino Del Bene has in place an organization in Cuba to manage the complete process including documentation, brokerage/clearance, local transport and stevedoring. Arranging everything, culminating in the US agricultural license under the embargo, has taken about two years of effort.

Brigneti said the company hopes to make the first shipment in early February.

Savino Del Bene is an Italy-based global logistics giant.
With the raft of merged subsidiaries with new names and businesses across the group Seatrade Maritime News has put together an all in one place guide to the main businesses of Cosco Shipping.

Cosco Shipping

Considered one of the most complicated deals in the history of Chinas capital market, China Cosco Shipping Corporation Limited (Cosco Shipping) was formed last year following a RMB60bn ($8.7bn) merger plan involving 74 transactions between two biggest state-owned shipping conglomerates.

Shanghai-headquartered Cosco Shipping, a merger of China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (Cosco) and China Shipping (Group) Company (CSG), was officially launched in February 2016 after Beijing approved the merger in December 2015.

Due to the complex organisational structures of the two shipping groups, the consolidation and restructuring of the merged entity have been ongoing after the official launch. Today, several core subsidiaries have been carved out to manage different business aspects for the enlarged group. And unsurprisingly all the subsidiaries now carry a harmonised branding of including the words Cosco Shipping.

The rebranded, restructured subsidiaries and their business functions are as below  for more details on each company click on the name.

1) Cosco Shipping Lines (renamed from Cosco Container Lines Co or Coscon)  containerships owner and operator assimilating the boxship fleet from both COSCO and CSG

2) Cosco Shipping Bulk (new entity)  dry bulk carriers owner and operator formed from the merger of Cosco Bulk Carrier Co and China Shipping Bulk Carrier Co

3) Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation (renamed from China Shipping Development Co or CSDC)  LNG and oil tankers owner and operator

4) Cosco Shipping Specialised Carriers (renamed from Cosco Shipping Company Limited or Coscol)  specialised vessels owner and operator

5) Cosco Shipping Ports Limited (renamed from Cosco Pacific)  ports and terminals operator

6) Cosco Shipping Holdings (renamed from China Cosco Holdings Company Limited)  container shipping and terminal services

7) Cosco Shipping International (Hong Kong) Co (renamed from Cosco International Holdings Limited)  integrated shipping services provider

8) Cosco Shipping Financial Holding (new entity)  financial services such as ship leasing, investment, insurance, finance management

9) Cosco Shipping Development (renamed from China Shipping Container Lines or CSCL)  leasing businesses and ship financing

10) Cosco Shipping (South East Asia) Pte Ltd (new entity)  manage the groups companies in the region

11) Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry (new entity)  shipbuilder formed from the merger of Cosco Shipyard, Cosco Shipbuilding Industry Company and China Shipping Industry Co

12) Cosco Shipping Captive Insurance (new entity) - provides various insurance services for all the affiliates of Cosco Shipping

13) Cosco Shipping Logistics (new entity) - provider of integrated supply chain logistics services

14) Cosco Shipping  The group as a whole combining all of Cosco and CSG

C osco Shipping Lines is a core business of the group, taking on the containership fleet of Coscon and CSCL. With a carrying capacity of some 1.58m teu, Cosco Shipping Lines is now the worlds fourth biggest carrier taking up approximately 7.5% market share, behind Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and CMA CGM. Cosco Shipping has unveiled a plan to expand the fleet of Cosco Shipping Lines to 2m teu by end-2018, and focus on services on the major trade lanes of Asia-Europe and Asia-America. The name first made its appearance in the form of the vessel name Cosco Shipping Panama which made the inaugural transit of the expanded Panama Canal on 26 June 2016  a short video of which can be seen below.

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Cosco Shipping Bulk is undoubtedly the worlds largest bulk fleet owner after combining the assets of China Cosco Bulk Shipping (Group) Co and China Shipping Bulk Carrier Co, creating a company with 382 bulkers with a total capacity of 34.58m dwt. But becoming big may not be a strategic way amid the weak bulk shipping market, pointing to Cosco Shipping Bulks fleet streamlining plan of losing some 2.89m dwt of vessel capacity by end-2018.

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Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation boasts an oil tanker fleet of around 120 vessels totalling 17.85m dwt. Formerly known as CSDC, the tanker and bulker arm of CSG, the restructured Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation Co has discontinued its bulk shipping segment and transferred the business to the new Cosco Shipping Bulk. The new entity also took on the tanker assets of Coscos Dalian Ocean Shipping and renamed it Cosco Shipping Tanker (Dalian) Co. Cosco Shipping claimed that Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation is now the worlds largest tanker fleet owner. This tanker transportation arm is considered an important setup for China, which seeks to strengthen its capabilities in the global shipments of oil and gas in order to ensure the countrys energy security.

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Cosco Shipping Specialised Carriers operates more than 150 ships including multipurpose vessels, heavy lifts, semi-submersibles, car carriers, logs and asphalt carriers, and ice-class vessels. The renamed entity continues to focus on the business of specialised shipping, continuing from what Coscol had been focusing on before the major business structure shakeup.

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C osco Shipping Ports Limited operates 46 container terminals worldwide with overall throughput reaching 90m teu, making it the worlds second biggest terminal operator with a market share of 11.6%. Having consolidated its market position after the reorganisation of Cosco and CSG, Cosco Shipping Ports has become the flagship terminal for the parent firm, and can expect to benefit from container trades brought about by the 1.58m teu fleet commanded by Cosco Shipping Lines.

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Cosco Shipping Holdings has been streamlined to provide container shipping and terminal services, a change from the its previous identity of China Cosco Holdings Company, which was the listed flagship and subsidiary of Cosco. The reorganisation saw the new Cosco Shipping Holdings disposed of its dry bulk business to Cosco Shipping Bulk, and to focus on container shipping and terminal services. The new business includes taking over agencies and terminal companies under CSCL.

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Cosco Shipping International (Hong Kong) Co is now basically a one-stop shipping services provider in China, similar to its previous business of ship trading and supply services. The new entitys integrated shipping services comprise of ship trading, marine insurance brokerage, supply of marine equiment and spare parts, production and sale of coatings and bunker supply.

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Cosco Shipping Financial Holding, a new entity based in Hong Kong, aims to support Cosco Shipping in the areas of financial services such as ships and containers leasing, freight forwarding services, equity investments, internal finance management and insurance, and so forth. It is essentially the groups go to platform for any finance related matters.

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Cosco Shipping Development has replaced the familiar container shipowner name CSCL, and even changed the business from container liner operator into an integrated financial services provider. The services include vessel leasing, container leasing and non-shipping finance leasing, supply chain finance, shipping insurance, logistic infrastructure investment and other financial assets investment services. The previous CSCL had been the container arm and main brand of CSG, and the restructuring has led to all the container ships falling under the charge of Cosco Shipping Lines.

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Cosco Shipping (South East Asia) Pte Ltd is Cosco Shippings Singapore-based entity that manages the groups companies in the Southeast Asia region. The group views Southeast Asia as a growing market and a key global economy driver, making it important for Cosco Shipping to maintain a presence. Singapore, being the financial and shipping hub of the region, is the natural choice for Cosco Shipping (South East Asia) to be headquartered. The new entity manages more than 50 companies of the group in the region.

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Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry is one of the last few Cosco Shipping entities to be unveiled by the parent Cosco Shipping, due in part to the more complex integration process of the various shipyard subsidiaries of the former Cosco and CSG. Formed from the merger of Coscos shipyard companies Cosco Shipyard and Cosco Shipbuilding Industry Company and CSGs China Shipping Industry Co, Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry now has a combined shipbuilding capacity of 11.55m dwt and can repair approximately 1,500 ships a year. But going big on capacity is not ideal amid the severe slump of the shipbuilding sector, pointing to the new entitys aim to shrink yard capacity to 9.6m dwt by end-2020. The affiliated yards include 13 large-scale shipyards and more than 20 supporting service companies mainly engaged in shipbuilding, offshore and marine equipment manufacturing, and ship repair.

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Cosco Shipping Captive Insurance, established in Shanghai, is wholly-owned and controlled by its insureds, with the primary purpose of insuring the risks of its owners. The Shanghai-based entity will form an important unit of the group, providing various insurance services for all the affiliates of Cosco Shipping, and help with the groups expansion and development of financial services. Cosco Shipping Captive Insurance is known to be the first shipping captive insurance company in China.

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Cosco Shipping Logistics is headquartered in Tianjin and has undertaken the goal of becoming one of the worlds leading integrated logistics supply chain service providers. The new entity has in place various systems to faciliate highway bulk transportation, large-scale transhipment transportation and multimodal transportation, as well as centralised cargo trunk information system. Cosco Shipping Logistics engages in integrated freight, warehousing logistics, shipping agents, engineering and project logistics, with an aim to offer the full suite of logistics solutions for customers and partners.

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Cosco Shipping is headed by Xu Lirong, chairman of the board and previous chairman of CSG. Wan Min, previously Coscos deputy general manager, is general manager and board director of Cosco Shipping.

As a whole, Cosco Shipping will focus on a so-called 6+1 industrial cluster, namely shipping, logistics, finance, equipment manufacturing, shipping services, real estate industry, plus Internet Plus innovative business. The group believes that by proceeding with the 6+1 strategy, it will achieve a holistic operational chain and globalisation of its business.

The group has launched corporate branding under the tagline We are ready and the corporate video of Cosco Shipping can be viewed below:

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Last updated on 10 March 2017
American children's television network Nickelodeon will not be allowed to build an underwater theme park on one of the Philippines' most pristine islands, according to the nation's environment minister.

Nickelodeon's parent firm announced last week it would build a "themed attraction" inspired by its cartoon characters such as Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants as part of a 1,000-acre (400-hectare) development on Palawan, generating alarm from environmentalists.

Environment Secretary Gina Lopez said Wednesday she would reject the project.

"Lopez says she won't allow the underwater theme park in Palawan. #environment2017," the environment department posted on its Twitter account.

In an interview with ABS-CBN television, Lopez said she would not allow any project that would damage the environment and the welfare of local communities.

RELATED: 'World's Largest' Pearl Turns Up in Philipp

"That's our wealth. It's not allowed. You can't kill the corals. For a theme park? No. No way, man," said Lopez, who has been a vocal opponent of mining projects in Palawan.

"The commitment of the government is first and foremost and always, always to the benefit of our people."

Conservation groups call Palawan the nation's "last ecological frontier" because of its relatively untouched coastlines and forests, which are among the oldest and most diverse in Southeast Asia.

The environmental group Greenpeace said it would destroy the area's world-famous marine ecosystem.

"It's sad and alarming because a theme park that big will not promote environmental protection by building those structures," Vince Cinches of Greenpeace Southeast Asia told AFP. "Why build a viewing deck when you have the whole paradise to enjoy?"

Palawan is home to two UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites, a subterranean river and the Tubbataha coral reefs.

Monday's statement by Nickelodeon's parent firm, Viacom International Media Networks, said its resort would open in 2020 and feature restaurants and lounges 20 feet (six meters) below sea level.

It also said the Palawan project would "take its place alongside" other Nickelodeon-branded attractions such as Wet'n'Wild in Australia, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Land in Russia and IMG Worlds of Legends theme park in Dubai.

An online petition organized by local environmentalists calling for the project to be stopped attracted more than 125,000 signatures in less than 24 hours.

Viacom's Philippine partner, Coral World Park, issued a statement on Wednesday insisting the development was not a "theme park" and emphasized that it would not all be underwater.

The statement also highlighted the project's "ocean conservation focus" and said it would help fund environmental protection in the area.

It referred to plans for a marine sanctuary and said the Coral World Park would "be the largest coral reef conservation program in Asia,"

"There has never been any form of communication from our side mentioning a theme park," said Coral World Park marketing and communications director Susan Lee.

WATCH: What Are Coral Reefs and What's Their Purpose?
Frayer, a professor emeritus of anthropology from the University of Kansas, lead author Davorka Radovcic of the Croatian Natural History Museum in Zagreb and their team analyzed the rock, which was found at a site called Krapina . The object is roughly five inches long, four inches high and about a half-inch thick. Made of brown limestone, the rock features natural dark striations and a reddish hue on its corners. When wet, the stripes and redness become even more pronounced.

"Neanderthals are generally considered to be dull-witted and savage, compared to modern Homo sapiens," co-author David Frayer told Seeker. "As more and more evidence is being accumulated, their sophistication is being better appreciated. Our work on this rock is just another little piece of evidence that they were not the clods many assume they were."

The discovery, reported in the journal Comptes Rendus Palevol, provides some of the earliest known evidence that early humans collected rocks . It also adds to the growing body of evidence that Neanderthals appreciated beauty and had a sense of curiosity as well as symbolic-like capacities normally associated with modern humans.

Around 130,000 years ago, a Neanderthal in what is now Croatia eyed a pretty striped chunk of limestone and picked it up. He (or she) then carried it to a favorite cave for just one reason, according to researchers who just discovered the rock: the Neanderthal thought it looked really cool.

RELATED: Our Connection to Hobbits, Neanderthals and Other Ancient Humans Deepened in 2016

Frayer says that if he or his colleagues had come upon the rock as the Neanderthal did, "we would have likely taken it home with us. It is unique in the collection of 1000-plus tools in its brown color and the black inclusions ... It was never flaked and was not used as a tool. We think it was collected as a curiosity, just as someone might pick up a piece of petrified wood in the California desert."

The scientists think that the rock was either picked up just over a mile north of Krapina, where there are known outcroppings of this type of stone, or the Kraponica stream could have transported it closer to the cave site.

Social animals aside from humans are also known to collect interesting objects just because they like the look of them. Male bowerbirds, for example, collect pretty stones and other natural bling to attract females. Crows and ravens have been observed grabbing unique stones and staring at them for lengthy periods, but the jury is still out on what they are actually doing with the rocks.

Neanderthals weren't only interested in rocks, either. Prior research found that these early humans from Europe and Asia also collected interesting-looking teeth, shells and bird feathers, which they modified to wear as jewelry.

RELATED: Neanderthals Made 'Jewelry' from Animal Teeth, Shells

While people of European and Asian heritage are related to Neanderthals, retaining DNA from these humans in their genomes, it's still a mystery why Neanderthal populations died out.

Frayer said that "most people think their population density was very low and that they were susceptible to extinction because of it. Our work does not answer this question, other than to stipulate that they were not as stupid and cultureless as many still assume."

He added that he and his team are still analyzing finds excavated at Krapina, and "there is more to come from this important site."

WATCH: Did We Eat All the Neanderthals?
The successful launch of a Falcon 9 rocket this weekend sets the stage for Elon Musk's SpaceX to regain momentum following its launch pad accident last fall, but the company is not out of the woods yet.

With the Federal Aviation Administration's blessings, SpaceX settled on a short-term solution to fix the problem that caused a booster to burst into flames on Sept. 1 as it was being fueled for a routine prelaunch test.

Modifying the fueling procedures, as demonstrated during SpaceX's launch Saturday from California, is a first step. The company is working on a new design for the containers of helium that sit inside of the rocket's fuel tanks to maintain pressure. Accident investigators traced the cause of the launch pad fireball to a helium canister in the rocket's upper stage liquid oxygen tank that failed.

NASA will be closely watching SpaceX's progress. The U.S. space agency has hired SpaceX, along with industry stalwart Boeing, to fly astronauts to the International Space Station, hopefully before the end of 2018. Since the space shuttles were retired in 2011, the United States has been dependent on Russia for crew transportation services.

SpaceX's plan to fuel its rockets after the crew is aboard has raised questions by NASA safety advisory groups. SpaceX super-chills its propellants to make them denser so more can fit inside the tanks. The rockets need the extra power so they can not only boost their payloads into orbit, but turn around and land back on Earth as well. SpaceX's ambitious business plans are based on reusing its rockets, which dramatically cuts the cost of flying in space.

RELATED: SpaceX Makes Spectacular Return to Flight, Launching 10 Satellites Into Orbit

Loading the cryogenics just before launch keeps them from boiling off as the rocket awaits liftoff. Skeptics say the procedure, known as "load and go," adds extra risk, particularly when humans are aboard, and figuring out how much risk is, in itself, another problem.

"Despite testing at the component and subassembly level, systems often display 'emergent' behavior once they are used in the actual operational environment. We are concerned that any determination of risk associated with 'load and go' would have signicant uncertainty," the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel said in its annual report to NASA and Congress, which was released last week.

"We strongly encourage NASA top management to scrutinize this issue and ensure that any decision to accept additional risk ... is justified by the value that will be gained. The decision should not be unduly influenced by other secondary factors such as schedule and budget concerns," the panel added.

NASA is particularly sensitive to issues of crew safety. Two space shuttle crews were killed during the program's 30-year history due to equipment failures triggered by unexpected and seemingly benign operating environments that turned out to be deadly. The 1986 Challenger explosion was due to a booster rocket O-ring that failed after a Florida freeze. The ring allow hot gases to escape from the rocket, triggering a catastrophic explosion 73 seconds after liftoff, killing seven crewmembers.

RELATED: Will SpaceX Get People to Mars Before NASA?

A second shuttle, Columbia, was destroyed as it flew through the atmosphere for landing in 2003. Unbeknownst to NASA, the spaceship's left wing had been damaged 16 days earlier when a suitcase-sized piece of foam insulation fell off the external fuel tank during liftoff. NASA didn't know the lightweight foam could punch a hole into a wing panel made of reinforced carbon composites. The accident claimed another crew of seven.

"The trick is to recognize when the hardware is talking to you BEFORE an accident occurs and react to it," said Mike Leinbach, a former shuttle launch director who led a team that literally pieced together debris and flight data recovered from the Columbia accident to determine the cause of the accident.

"For new hardware and its new managers, being proactive can be very elusive, especially if complacency and/or overconfidence sets in following a few successful missions," Leinbach told Seeker. "Be ever vigilant, (which is) easy to say, hard to do. And harder yet if egos cloud good judgment and engineering decisions."

NASA's goal for the new space taxis is that they reduce the odds of losing a crew on any one flight to 1-in-270, which is about three times better than the risk of flying on the shuttle following post-accident improvements. The primary threat to the new vehicles comes frompotential orbital debris impacts.

SpaceX plans an unmanned test flight of its passenger Dragon spaceship in November. Boeing is targeting a similar test of its CST-100 Starliner for June 2018.

WATCH VIDEO: Space Can Make You Go Blind
Glynn Washingtons life makes for quite the story. He escaped an apocalyptic religious cult, earned his law degree, has lived all over the world, and has served as a political strategist, educator, diplomat, nonprofit director, actor, musician and artist.



Melissa Anders is a Brussels-based freelance journalist and metro Detroit native.

These days, Washington makes a living telling stories, sharing people's tales of life-changing moments in his weekly National Public Radio show and podcast Snap Judgment But storytelling has always been part of Washington's life, whether he was using narratives to promote public policy in support of his nonprofits' mission or sharing anecdotes to teach young entrepreneurs a lesson.Entrepreneurs, he said, can especially benefit from storytelling skills as they try to loop potential funders, partners, and employees into a shared narrative."That's what the best entrepreneurs really do well, is they communicate a vision to other people so that everyone can see the light at the end of the tunnel and start rolling the same way," Washington says.Washington, a Michigan native, is returning to his home state this week to emcee Startup Story Night , an event organized by Southeast Michigan Startup and the New Economy Initiative to highlight the stories of five local entrepreneurs. Following a half-day storytelling workshop with Washington, the entrepreneurs will present their stories of how they overcame challenges, switched directions when necessary, and experienced "a-ha" breakthroughs at the event, which is Thursday at Planet Ant Hall in Hamtramck.The entrepreneurs were selected from among 55 applicants. They include a Creole restaurant, natural health and beauty market, bio-tech firm, and chocolatier.Washington urges entrepreneurs to put just as much focus and effort into honing their pitches and developing their narratives as they put into their products. They should use their own strengths as storytellers and business people and not try to be someone else, he says."Identify the passion that brought you to do what you're doing," he says. "Often times that's not necessarily a natural thing for people. Its something that they may need to dig at a little bit."Washington is an entrepreneur himself as creator of the Snap Judgment radio show, podcast, and touring live show. Naturally, hes got quite the story to tell behind his rise to public radio star.He says he was always a "big public radio head" but had a problem with the way the industry covered certain communities. So, when he heard about the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Public Radio Exchange's Public Radio Talent Quest, he figured he should preserve his right to complain by throwing his hat in the ring. He learned about the contest the day before tapes were due. Undeterred by the deadline, he recorded a story, sent it in, then forgot about it.A few months later, he was dining at a restaurant when he got the call notifying him that he was one of 10 finalists. Washington thought it was his buddy Mark playing a joke on him, so he hung up. It took a second phone call before Washington realized he had really made the cut. He and the other finalists went through a series of challenges over the next several weeks that eventually weeded them down to three who were asked to make pilot shows.Washington didnt know much about media production, but he put his heart and soul into the pilot and was proud of his submission."The next morning," he says, "I get a phone call from the contest organizer, and he said, 'You have embarrassed NPR, you've embarrassed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, you've embarrassed me, and you've embarrassed yourself.' Click. I was in a fetal position. I didn't understand. What? What was the problem?"Washington didn't give up. He reached out to a public radio news director for a professional edit, then worked with a friend to meticulously improve the piece until it was worthy of public broadcast. He even shot a short video to go along with his pitch for a multimedia show.The first episode of Snap Judgment aired in 2010. Since then, the show has expanded to more than 400 NPR stations. The podcast is downloaded over 2 million times each month.Washington is passionate about his work, but he also knows its important to strike a balance."Stories are distilled life, and if you don't have a life, it's very hard for you to tell stories about one," he says.He records the show in Oakland, Calif., where he lives with his wife and two children. He's excited to visit Michigan this week, where he plans to enjoy a good home-cooked meal with his aunt and cousins.Washington says he's also looking forward to working with the entrepreneurs at Startup Story Night. Washington will lead a private half-day workshop with the entrepreneurs before Thursday's public performance. He says he feels "very lucky" to be able to help people tell their stories."I'm a Michigander so I love coming back home. Whenever I do, it seems like another story is born or crafted  it's just feeding that fire," he says. "You can take the boy out of Michigan, but you can't take Michigan out of the boy."
After a couple of years of designing, fundraising, and testing, the

The bottle is also designed with a natural nipple shape to help transition babies from breastfeeding to bottles, and it features flexible, food-grade silicone sides that collapse inward while feeding to minimize air intake and help prevent colic. Flipsi cofounder and chief technology officer Jeff Plott and brother, CEO, and co-founder Chris Plott originally conceived their product as a reversible sport bottle, but pivoted to focus on a baby bottle design in 2014.

The Plotts have had an eventful 2016 leading up to the launch. That included winning an Innovation Fund grant from Macomb Community College and a Business Accelerator grant from

"This funding provided the last push we needed to kick off the bottles mass production," Jeff Plott says.

Next came extensive quality testing for choking hazards and harmful substances in build materials. The bottle passed all required testing.

Flipsi Baby has been available at

"One thing that really sticks out from the initial feedback is that babies who had refused other bottles seem to really latch onto the Flipsi Baby right away due to the natural shape," Plott says. "We are extremely pleased to hear how much parents and babies love our bottle."




But Bishop would eventually move back north and take over the family business, re-branding and re-energizing the decades-old company by drastically shaking up the business model. And it seems to be working. Mr. Alan's is now



It's a quality over quantity approach. Some told him it wouldn't fly. Michigan is not Florida, they said. Keep it simple and don't get too colorful. But as incremental changes proved successful, Jacob was emboldened. It was time for change.



"If you're either not growing or evolving, you're dying," Bishop says.



Jacob is the son of Alan Bishop, founder of the Mr. Alan's chain of shoe and clothing stores. Like his son, Alan also split off from the family business at an early age. In 1974, Alan opened his first shoe store when he was 18 years old. Alan's father, Robert, had his own stores, specializing in women's shoes. So as not to compete with his dad, Alan opened a shoe store that carried men's shoes.



As with any successful business, Mr. Alan's changed with the times. Starting out in men's dress shoes, the company eventually began carrying men's casual shoes and even a few sneakers. Clothing was later introduced. As the decades wore on, Mr. Alan's shifted to a price-point-driven model offering good products at good prices, nothing too fancy. Sneakers became the focus. This shift is best identified by one of the catchiest slogans to be transmitted across Metro Detroit's broadcast airwavesMr. Alan's:



Somewhere around 2012, the brothers Bishop merged their Soles Inc. brand with their father's Mr. Alan's chain of stores. Soon, Jacob would be making the trek up north to help with the strategic merging of companies. What he thought would last one month turned into three and then six. Following his father's departure from day-to-day duties, Jacob did something he never thought he'd do. Along with his brother, he became co-CEO and co-president of Mr. Alan's.



"The company was doing fine; they were doing greateverything was pretty much consistent," Jacob says. "We weren't necessarily growing, we weren't necessarily declining, but we were not, for a good chunk of time, evolving as a company. Which, I think, leaves you very vulnerable. So even though we were flat, we were a sitting target."



To change that, Jacob took what he learned in Florida and applied it to the Mr. Alan's stores here in Michigan. Though some told him it wouldn't work, Jacob started small. He introduced higher end and better quality products into one section of the store and waited to see how customers would respond. He wanted to strike out and build something of his ownan understandable impulse for a 22-year-old. So Jacob and his brother Adam did just that, opening Soles Inc., a small high-end sneaker boutique in Miami's South Beach that grew to five locations throughout Florida.But Bishop would eventually move back north and take over the family business, re-branding and re-energizing the decades-old company by drastically shaking up the business model. And it seems to be working. Mr. Alan's is now Elite Mr. Alan's , a place for finding the latest trends in shoes and clothing, not just the best bargains.It's a quality over quantity approach. Some told him it wouldn't fly. Michigan is not Florida, they said. Keep it simple and don't get too colorful. But as incremental changes proved successful, Jacob was emboldened. It was time for change."If you're either not growing or evolving, you're dying," Bishop says.Jacob is the son of Alan Bishop, founder of the Mr. Alan's chain of shoe and clothing stores. Like his son, Alan also split off from the family business at an early age. In 1974, Alan opened his first shoe store when he was 18 years old. Alan's father, Robert, had his own stores, specializing in women's shoes. So as not to compete with his dad, Alan opened a shoe store that carried men's shoes.As with any successful business, Mr. Alan's changed with the times. Starting out in men's dress shoes, the company eventually began carrying men's casual shoes and even a few sneakers. Clothing was later introduced. As the decades wore on, Mr. Alan's shifted to a price-point-driven model offering good products at good prices, nothing too fancy. Sneakers became the focus. This shift is best identified by one of the catchiest slogans to be transmitted across Metro Detroit's broadcast airwavesMr. Alan's: $29 or two for $50 Somewhere around 2012, the brothers Bishop merged their Soles Inc. brand with their father's Mr. Alan's chain of stores. Soon, Jacob would be making the trek up north to help with the strategic merging of companies. What he thought would last one month turned into three and then six. Following his father's departure from day-to-day duties, Jacob did something he never thought he'd do. Along with his brother, he became co-CEO and co-president of Mr. Alan's."The company was doing fine; they were doing greateverything was pretty much consistent," Jacob says. "We weren't necessarily growing, we weren't necessarily declining, but we were not, for a good chunk of time, evolving as a company. Which, I think, leaves you very vulnerable. So even though we were flat, we were a sitting target."To change that, Jacob took what he learned in Florida and applied it to the Mr. Alan's stores here in Michigan. Though some told him it wouldn't work, Jacob started small. He introduced higher end and better quality products into one section of the store and waited to see how customers would respond.

"If I only mess up 20 percent of the store, I only mess up 20 percent of sales, right?"



Sales, in fact, only grew. Soon the higher end concept took up half of Mr. Alan's stores and eventually would come to take over the whole store. Drastic updates and improvements were made to the furniture, displays, and overall designs of each store. To reflect that evolution, Jacob changed the name from Mr. Alan's to Elite Mr. Alan's.



The company is now in expansion mode. The older Mr. Alan's stores have been re-designed and re-branded as Elite Mr. Alan's. New stores have been popping up throughout Metro Detroit, including the latest at McNichols and Grand River, near the new Meijer development. It's the thirteenth Elite Mr. Alan's store. The company plans to open six more over the next 18 months and 24 more over the next three years.



Like his father before him, Jacob Bishop is proving that in business, evolution is key.



Name and title: Jacob Bishop, co-president and co-CEO of Elite Mr. Alans



Year Mr. Alan's opened: 1974



Year Elite Mr. Alan's opened/began: Evolution into Elite began in 2012



One interesting job he had before running Mr. Alan's: Jacob started his own car detailing business in high school. His niche was that he would pick up the cars from his customers (wherever they were), detailed the cars at his house and then returned the cars to his customers.



Your favorite shoe of all time: White-on-white Nike Air Force 1



Biggest lessons you learned from his dad about running a business: To treat your brands with the same respect used to treat the customers

Despite having grown up in and around his father's shoe stores, Jacob Bishop showed little interest in joining his dad's company once graduating from Michigan State University.




In the early parts of 2014, the infamous polar vortex descended over Detroit, bringing temperatures that made the North Pole seem downright tolerable. With sub-zero temps combined with above average amounts of snow, it was the type of weather that inspired people to stay indoors, to avoid going out whenever possible. For a restaurant owner, it's the type of weather that means trouble.At Louisiana Creole Gumbo , sales were down 20 to 25 percent that year, says the restaurant's president and co-owner Joe Spencer. The New Orleans and Southern-style kitchen is located at 2051 Gratiot Ave.just on the outskirts of Eastern Marketand has been since 1970. Spencer says it was one of the first, if not the first, Creole-style restaurants in Detroit.The polar vortex threatened to put Louisiana Creole Gumbo out of business. Instead, Spencer has managed to turn the restaurant around, in part by taking advantage of the many small business programs in Detroit. Starting in 2014, Spencer enrolled in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses program . He's since received funding from Invest Detroit and Motor City Match . Most recently, Louisiana Creole Gumbo won the $100,000 NEIdeas award With the help of those programs, Spencer recently opened a new location on the city's northwest side at 13505 W. Seven Mile Rd., near Schaefer Highway. The Goldman Sachs program helped Spencer conduct a survey, determining that 25 percent of his customers live in northwest Detroit."Detroit has a really terrific system that's designed to help small businesses, to help people start businesses as well as help businesses that already exist," Spencer says. "I've been benefited greatly from that."The restaurant was first established in 1970, though not by Spencer. That distinction goes to Joseph Stafford, a chef who learned to cook from his mother in Bayou Laforche in New Orleans. Spencer, who's lived most of his life in Detroit, had never even tried Creole-style food before a fateful flip of a coin set the course for the second part of his career.Before he purchased Louisiana Creole Gumbo, Spencer had made a name for himself in broadcast media. In 1972, he worked for WWJ, becoming one of the first black radio producers in Detroit. In 1975, Spencer became the program director at WGPR-TV 62, the first black-owned television station in the nation. He stayed with channel 62 through its purchase by CBS in 1994, eventually taking an early retirement opportunity in 2001. He's since focused on the restaurant full time.It was in 1982 when Spencer and business partner Doug Morrison purchased the restaurant from original owner Stafford. Wanting to go into business for himself, Spencer had originally approached Morrison about purchasing an eight-unit apartment building on the city's westside. Morrison, on the other hand, had his eyes on Louisiana Creole Gumbo. A coin flip decided the duo's fate."Joe Stafford, having sold us the restaurant, spent the next year coming in to work every day to teach us how to prepare the product," Spencer says. "How to maintain his proprietary spice blends that he had, to control the taste of the food, how to manage the product, to introduce us to the vendors, create a relationship with the vendors, so we could continue his legacy. He really had a great product."The restaurant's continued success, now edging toward 50 years since first opening, is a testament to Stafford's original product. And now that Spencer has gone through a number of Detroit's small business programs, both educationally and financially beneficial, he's gearing up for a major expansion of the business.The new Louisiana Creole Gumbo in northwest Detroit is just the beginning. Spencer has an ambitious ten year plan to open 100 new locations throughout the I-75 corridor. He's also going mobile, having pegged the NEIdeas award money for two food trucks. The menu, too, is expanding; the new location features healthier options like red beans and quinoa, rather than rice, and vegetarian gumbo, in addition to the traditional favorites.For Lousiana Creole Gumbo, just a couple of years removed from that nasty polar vortex, it seems that a new season has arrived.
Press Release

January 17, 2017 SENIORS, PWDS TO KEEP VAT EXEMPTION - ANGARA The Department of Finance (DOF) is coming up with a revised tax reform proposal, which, among others, keeps the value added tax (VAT) exemption benefits of senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs), following the public hearing conducted by the Senate on such proposal. The DOF has recently presented to Senator Sonny Angara, chairman of the ways and means committee, the latest draft of the revised version of the first of six packages of the Duterte administration's comprehensive tax reform program. Package 1 seeks to lower personal income tax rates, broaden the VAT base, and adjust excise taxes of petroleum products and automobiles. "The DOF is open to retaining the VAT exemption of senior citizens and PWDs. Ibig sabihin po nito ay nakikinig ang ating administrasyon sa ating mga panawagan at sa hinaing ng taumbayan. Patuloy po tayong makikipag-ugnayan sa ating mga economic manager para makabuo ng isang komprehensibong tax reform program na patas, progresibo at hindi magiging pabigat sa ordinaryong Pilipino," said Angara, who were among those who opposed the removal of the VAT exemption. DOF's initial proposal seeks to expand the VAT base by limiting exemptions to raw food, education and health thus repealing laws exempting senior citizens and PWDs from VAT. During the Senate ways and means committee hearing last October, senior citizens and PWD groups voiced out their disapproval on such move. Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, which grants VAT exemption to senior citizens, was co-authored by Angara during his days in Congress while his father, former Senate President Edgardo Angara, is known as the father of the senior citizens law. Republic Act 10754, which exempts PWDs from VAT, was also sponsored by Angara. It was only signed into law in March last year and was only implemented in December. At present, approximately 7.5 million senior citizens and 1.4 million PWDs are entitled to such perks. While the DOF is finalizing its proposal, the senator said he would continue to conduct more public hearings on the comprehensive tax reform program to get significant data and hear the comments of various stakeholders. The next Senate ways and means committee hearing on the comprehensive tax reform is tentatively set on January 25.
Press Release

January 17, 2017 Transcript of Interview with Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin M. Drilon Q: LP should decide whether you will stay in the majority? Meron ba kayong ganoong option? SFMD: We were elected by the majority. We were part of the majority that voted for Koko. Q: You'll stick it out with the majority? You find no reason to leave? SFMD: We find no reason. We will stay where we are. Q: Yung incident yesterday is not something that will affect you? SFMD: No. Q: Hindi ka disappointed Sir? SFMD: We have been in the Senate long enough. That's just one incident where we filed a resolution. It was referred by the secretariat on the committee of Senator Trillanes, because it called for a possible reorganization of the Bureau of Immigration. Q: Na-surprised ba kayo? SFMD: Nothing surprises me these days. Q: Hindi raw ito orchestrated? SFMD: I will leave it at that. You judge it by yourself. Q: Sa death penalty, ano yung gagawin ng LP, will you block it as LP? SFMD: The LP has taken the position that it is again the death penalty. So when it comes to the floor, we will state our position, and we will accordingly express our opposition. Q: Non-negotiable po yung opposition n'yo? SFMD: My opposition is non-negotiable. Q: Kinakausap daw kayo ni Rep. Lagman para pagtulungan ang death penalty? SFMD: We have not talked to him. Q: Sa tingin ninyo dito sa Senate may chance kasi sa House ang target nila ay by June? SFMD: You can never predict what the Senate will do. Q: Considering na iyon ang gusto ng President? SFMD: The Senate has always been an independent body and the senators have always taken positions on the basis of their own beliefs. Q: On Charter Change hearing SFMD: We will have probably one more hearing in Manila and we intent conduct a hearing in Baguio, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro. Q: Sir, bukas may hearing kayo on Revised Penal Code. SFMD: This is the amendment to the Revised Penal Code because the property values upon which the penalties are based are still of the 1930 monetary value. To continue using these values would result in cruel punishment and therefore, we have to update the values so they become more reasonable and justifiable.
Press Release

January 17, 2017 PROCLAMATION DECLARING NON-WORKING DAY IN OLONGAPO IN HONOR OF MAYOR JAMES LEONARD TAGLE GORDON, MORE SIGNIFICANT - GORDON Senator Richard J. Gordon yesterday welcomed the proclamation signed by President Rodrigo Duterte declaring January 17, 2017 as a special non-working day in Olongapo in honor of the 100th birth anniversary of its founding father and first elected mayor, James Leonard Tagle Gordon. Gordon said that while there were people who, earlier, offered to change Olongapo City into Gordon City or name a holiday in Olongapo, the Gordon family refused. He wanted the late mayor given recognition on his 100th birth anniversary since it was the true test for people to remember those who have sacrificed. "I wanted to make sure that we would do it on his 100th anniversary because that is the true test of the people who must remember those, as is said, "No todos dormian en la noche de nuestros abuelos." They were those who did not sleep but kept vigil in the night of our forefathers. We must never forget the people who sacrificed. People who, with their vision and actions sacrificed at the cost of their lives," the senator said. "My father taught me to make fear my friend and to make the future my friend. He was the most courageous man I've ever met in my life. Quiet but steadfast in his fight for his country, for good governance, for his city city and its people and for the dignity of all. He was obviously aware of the roots of his grandfather, who was the first Filipino to win the battle against Spain by defeating a Spanish general, Capturing and handing over to General Aguinaldo the "Sable de Mando,' the Command Saber of the Spanish general. Our roots follow the motto: stand your ground and fight for justice and the upliftment of your fellow man," he added. Gordon's father also left him a dictum that served as his guide. It goes, "'Be a leader, if you can't be a scholar, be a leader of men." President Rodrigo Duterte, through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, signed Proclamation No. 136 on Monday afternoon. The proclamation declared January 17, 2017, as a special (non-working) day in Olongapo to mark the 100th birth anniversary of the late mayor. "Whereas, James Leonard T. Gordon, was born to an American father and Filipino mother on 17 January, 1917, served his country as a Filipino, focused his days in public service on fighting corruption, and died a Filipino hero. Whereas, it is but fitting and proper that the people of the City of Olongapo be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies," the resolution read.
Hontiveros' Expanded Maternity Leave bill to benefit dads

"Ang Expanded Maternity Leave Bill ay hindi lamang para kay nanay, pwede din kay tatay."

This was the statement issued on Tuesday by Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros in response to questions whether the paid paternity leaves of working men can also be increased.

Hontiveros, who chairs both the Senate Committee on Women and Senate Committee on Health, filed Senate Bill 215 otherwise known as "The Expanded Maternity Leave Act" to double women workers' maternity leave from the current 60 days to 120 days, with extra 30 days for solo mothers, for a total of 150 days.

"Daddy quota"

The Senator said that fathers can avail of the benefits of the proposed Expanded Maternity Leave Law. She called this the "Daddy quota" of the proposed measure.

"The idea behind the bill is not only to give expectant mothers ample time to ensure the best possible conditions for a healthy delivery, recovery from childbirth and stronger mother-child bond, it also recognizes the role of fathers, adoptive parents and alternate caregivers, and contribute to a more equal distribution of child care among Filipino families," Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros said that 30 days of the proposed 120-day maternity will be alloted to alternate caregivers (spouse, common-law partner, relative up to the 4th degree of consanguinity). Adoptive parents are also included.

"Parenting is a collective effort, and pregnancy is both a delicate and precious time. Pregnancy and child care is not the responsibility of women alone. Fathers and other alternate caregivers deserve the opportunity to create meaningful memories with their partners as they welcome and nurture their children," Hontiveros said. "Ang pagiging magulang ay isang kolektibong pagsisikap. Ang pregnancy at childcare ay hindi lang responsibilidad ng mga kababaihan. Ang mga tatay, adopters at alternatibong tagapag-alaga ay kailangang mabigyan ng oportunidad na magkaroon ng makabuluhang panahon kasama ang kanilang mga partners para masubaybayan at maalagaan ang sanggol," sabi ni Hontiveros.
Press Release

January 17, 2017 Koko asks for help, prayers for CDO, other flood-affected areas Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Tuesday appealed to the public for prayers and material assistance for the victims of massive flooding in Cagayan de Oro City and other areas in Visayas and Mindanao. The floods were brought about by prolonged heavy rains due to the combined effect of the tail-end of the cold front and a low pressure area. Pimentel, a native of Cagayan de Oro city, said, "We need to show the flood victims that they are not alone, and we are ready to stand in solidarity with them in their hour of need." Pimentel said that his office, although limited in resources, will do its best to help the victims to complement government efforts. The Office of the Senate President has launched a relief drive, called TabangCDO, which would help flood victims. Pimentel said, "We are putting up boxes in the Senate, at the PDP Laban headquarters in Pasay, and at Duterte's Kitchen in Cubao, for those with goods to share with our countrymen in the affected areas." Despite the name of the operation, Pimentel assured the public that the help will not be limited to his hometown. Pimentel said, "Let us remember that flood victims are not limited to CDO. We should ensure that we can help everyone to the best of our abilities." The combination of the two weather phenomena has caused floods in various areas in Visayas and Mindanao. Cagayan de Oro City has declared a state of calamity due to the floods that devastated the city. At 7am on Tuesday, PAGASA forecast more rains in the following 24 hours, and issued flood advisories for Regions 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 13.
Press Release

January 17, 2017 GRACE POE'S AMBUSH INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT Sen. Grace Poe: Meron tayong MMFF hearing...may MMFF hearing because of the resolution of Tito Sen sa Tuesday, 11 a.m. Ngayon, yung iba nag-post na parang, kasi yung resolution ni Tito Sen ay magkaroon ng separate indie. Ako naman, pakinggan natin yung panig kasi dalawang bagay yan: commercial viability and artistic expression ng ating mga, educating the viewers mga ganyan. Balansehin natin...Tingnan natin. Let's listen to the others. Q: Anong tingin niyo sa pag block ng porn sites, is this a cause for alarm? Poe: Definitely, all of the porn sites, especially those involving children, should really be banned from the Internet. It should be blocked and those behind it should be caught, penalized and thrown in jail. Hindi porket may Internet, malaya tayong gawin ang gusto nating gawin. Pag merong terrorist activities kahit naman ang facebook tinatanggal ang mga posts na yan. So pag yan dumaan sa public information committee ko, I will support it 100%. Q: Kailan po yung MMFF hearing? Poe: Tuesday Q: Ano po yung position niyo? Poe: As chairman, I should be neutral to both sides but you know film festival, dalawa ang pakay niyan eh. One is to be able to entertain and also for commercial viability but also at the same time we also want to up the standards of the content of our films, so how do we do that? How do we balance it? I'm not necessarily sure if I'd like to have a separate indie film festival, but maybe we should integrate it, maybe the good quality films should also get a boost in terms of advertising. The problem is if you are a mainstream producer and especially if you have a network behind you, it's easy to promote your films. But if you're a small-time producer, you don't have that. But even mainstream producers now are also producing films that are quality.
Press Release

January 17, 2017 Duterte told: Certify bills extending passport validity to 10 years Passing a law extending the validity period of a Philippine passport from 5 to 10 years is "one low-hanging fruit" Congress can pick, a move that will immediately benefit millions of Filipino travelers and migrant workers, Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto said today. And if Congress still needs prodding, Recto is asking President Duterte to officially certify as priority measure any of the bills lengthening the validity of the travel document. Recto reminded Duterte of the call the latter made in his maiden State of the Nation Address last July that Philippine passports should have a longer expiry. In his speech, Duterte recalled how hurt he was seeing passport applicants queue overnight and sleep on the pavement outside a mall in Davao City where the Department of Foreign Affairs maintained a satellite office. Extending the validity of the passport would, however, require a revision of Republic Act 8239, the Philippine Passport Act of 1996. Days before Duterte issued his SONA call, Recto filed Senate Bill 795, extending the passport validity to 10 years, by amending Section 10 of RA 8239. In his bill's explanatory note, Recto specifically cited the inconveniences experienced by OFWs in securing a passport. "Most OFWs are allowed to return to the Philippines from two weeks to a month for a vacation but the application, processing of passports can take up that entire period," he said. "This might be too short a time for OFWs to secure new passports. Many spend their entire vacation in queues for multiple government-issued permits needed for their employment," he lamented. While the bill extends the passport validity to a decade, such will not, however, cover minors in accordance with international norms that they be issued five-year passports due to the fact that their physical appearance could change substantially within that period. Recto's bill also grants the Secretary of Foreign Affairs the right to limit the validity of a passport to less than 10 years if he deems that national security, public safety or public health or whenever the applicant's supporting documents appear inadequate. For this year, the DFA is expected to collect P4.6 billion from passport processing. The agency receives about 15,000 applications a day. Recto said DFA representatives have said during budget hearings in the Senate that they do not object to the proposal.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press

In one of his waning acts in office, President Obama bestowed on seven Bay Area scientists and researchers the federal governments highest honor for certain early-career researchers.

Three men from Stanford were among those bestowed the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, according to a White House news release.
For several months, Subhi Beidas career was in limbo. Whether the engineer from Jerusalem could continue working at a San Francisco startup hinged on him landing an elusive H-1B visa, with a 1 in 4 chance of success among thousands of applications, through a lottery process.

It was really stressful, said 25-year-old Beidas, who won the lottery and got the visa.

The H-1B visas, which allow highly skilled workers to spend three to six years at sponsoring companies in the U.S., are a big deal in the Bay Area. Tech firms particularly rely on them to fill engineering positions. But President-elect Donald Trump is widely expected to change the way the H-1B visa system operates, which could impact how tech hiring is done.

Trump says on his website that the H-1B program brings in temporary foreign workers who end up replacing American workers at lower pay.

Sandy Huffaker/Special to The Chronicle

I will end forever the use of the H-1B as a cheap labor program, and institute an absolute requirement to hire American workers first for every visa and immigration program, he said in a statement. No exceptions.

The H-1B program requires employers in many cases to take steps to recruit U.S. workers for the openings, at wages at least equal to what the foreign worker would be paid. Some of those conditions are waived if the positions pay $60,000 or more.

A bill going through Congress proposes increasing the minimum $60,000 salary required to fast-track applications to $100,000. Among other categories of companies affected by this restriction would be those employing more than 50 people where at least 15 percent of the employees hold H-1B visas. The bills sponsor, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista (San Diego County), said he has briefed the incoming administration on it.

Trump is also considering eliminating the lottery system, which exists due to heavy demand, Reuters has reported.

Some startup executives oppose the changes, fearing it will hurt their ability to compete with larger technology companies like Apple, Google and Facebook. Last year, the three companies applied for a total of more than 13,000 job slots needing H-1B visas, according to a Chronicle report that analyzed Department of Labor data. It is unclear how many visas the companies obtained, but the government approves a maximum of 65,000 H-1B applications each year, plus another 20,000 for H-1B workers who hold at least masters degrees. In total, some 236,000 applications have been submitted during the current filing period.

It favors big companies that are able to pay a lot more, said Laura Behrens Wu, CEO of San Francisco software startup Shippo, where 10 out of the companys 51 employees are H-1B visa holders. Were not able to pay the salaries that the big companies do.

Sandy Huffaker/Special to The Chronicle

Stephan Goss, who came to the U.S. from Switzerland on a student visa in 2007 and later received an H-1B visa, said he might not have launched his startup, Zeeto, in the U.S. had he not obtained an H-1B visa. Today, Goss is CEO of the San Diego software company, which has 80 employees and annual revenue of $41 million.

Goss said his initial salary with an H-1B visa was under $100,000. He expressed concern about the impact a minimum salary requirement for H-1B workers could have on other foreign entrepreneurs considering where to launch their businesses.

The H-1B visa was really my stepping-stone, Goss said.

Kan Wang, a software engineer at Zeeto, said he doesnt think the proposed changes from the incoming administration will negatively impact foreign workers because H-1B visa workers already are supposed to be highly skilled.

Even if you prepare very well, you still can lose because you dont know how you are going to be picked, said 30-year-old Wang, who earns $85,000 a year.

Beidas, the tech worker who moved to the U.S. from Jerusalem and now works at Shippo, pointed out that there are other benefits to hiring foreign workers. For example, they have knowledge of other languages and perhaps locations where their companies are building products.

Sandy Huffaker/Special to The Chronicle

It helps the company understand our customers (and) develop products for people abroad, Beidas said.

Critics of the H-1B visa program say that it is in need of real reform.

When you look at companies that are not H-1B dependent, what you find is people making significantly more, said Issa.

Companies including Disney and Southern California Edison have come under fire for asking existing employees to train their foreign worker replacements.

Mike Emmons, a former Siemens worker in Florida, said he believes what the Trump administration is considering is a step in the right direction.

The programmer said as a Siemens contractor in 2002 he was told he was going to lose his job and had to train three foreign workers. Emmons said he believed those workers werent as experienced as he was. Siemens did not immediately return a request for comment.

The H-1B visa program was put in place for companies to hire foreign workers when there were no American workers available, Emmons said. Those were lies that were being told, Emmons said. The goal was to get cheap labor.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Tech startups say thats not the case. Entrepreneur Raheel Hasan said filling jobs is especially tough for startups due to a scarcity of talented engineers. An open position at his Menlo Park startup 1App can take three or four months to fill because engineers have a lot of negotiating power in Silicon Valley.

There is just not enough people to fill the gap here, Hasan said.

In order to avoid burning out existing employees with limited staffing, Hasan has looked into hiring foreign workers. But the H-1B program requires companies to place their requests months in advance, making it difficult for smaller companies that may not have that lead time in their staffing projections. The lottery system also favors large tech firms and consulting firms that flood the process with applications, he said.

As a small company, its a very small chance of getting an H-1B (visa), Hasan said.

So he has hired former workers with H-1B visas through a consulting company and believes he is paying a premium for these engineers. These consulting or outsourcing firms specialize in bringing workers from countries like India into the U.S. They submit lots of H-1B applications, increasing their chances of getting more workers through. Then they charge a premium on those consultants, Hasan said. He believes the way to fix the system is to only allow companies not consulting firms  to apply for H-1B visas. If the only change is raising the salary minimum, consulting companies will continue to submit many applications, he suggested.

Kalpesh Kapadia, CEO of Menlo Park credit firm SelfScore Inc., believes raising the salary requirements or favoring higher-paying jobs under the H-1B program could help the tech industry and discourage consulting companies from filing applications. His firm employs 20 people, three of whom are software engineers and H-1B visa holders. All of those positions pay more than $100,000, he said. We welcome all these moves that are being proposed, Kapadia said.

Google and Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment. Facebook declined to comment for this story.

In 2013, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece that the H-1B process, like other aspects of immigration, needs reform.

Why do we offer so few H-1B visas for talented specialists that the supply runs out within days of becoming available each year, even though we know each of these jobs will create two or three more American jobs in return? Zuckerberg wrote.

Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @thewendylee
When Sierra LaMar left her Morgan Hill home one morning in 2012, there was no indication the 15-year-old was headed anywhere besides high school. At 7:11 a.m., around the time she typically headed to her bus stop, she texted a friend to make plans to meet up on campus.

That was the last time anyone heard from her. A day later, her phone was found in a field, while her discarded clothes, books and purse turned up a day after that. But as investigators became more firm in their belief that Sierra had been abducted and slain, they never found her body.

Undeterred, prosecutors will go to trial this week and ask a jury to convict a 25-year-old man of capital murder, saying the evidence against him is strong enough to win a conviction in what is often referred to as a no-body case.

Paul Sakuma/AP

They face a difficult challenge  needing to prove not only that the defendant was involved but that Sierra is in fact dead  but not an unprecedented or insurmountable one.

While nearly three decades have passed since a Santa Clara County jury sentenced a defendant to death with no body to be found, similar cases have been won more recently in the Bay Area and around the country.

These are very much circumstantial cases where youll be pulling out many pieces of the picture and putting them together, but youre not ever going to have all the pieces, said Thomas Tad DiBiase, a former federal prosecutor who won a conviction in a no-body murder that happened in 2003 and later wrote a practical guide to trying such cases.

Associated Press

According to DiBiase, who keeps a database of hundreds of the cases going back to the 1800s, advancements in DNA technology and modern computing have allowed authorities to more frequently go to trial without bodies. The conviction rate at trial, he said, is nearly 90 percent.

Its much easier to argue someone is dead, not missing, than it used to be, he said. These electronic trails that we all leave behind didnt exist 50 years ago. When those trails go missing completely, its much easier to say theyre dead rather than living with their lover overseas.

With opening statements expected to begin Wednesday, Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney David Boyd is relying on DNA as he prepares to argue that Antolin Garcia-Torres killed Sierra after kidnapping her on March 16, 2012.

Authorities say she didnt know Garcia-Torres, who lived about 7 miles from her. But DNA found on Sierras clothes belonged to Garcia-Torres, investigators said, while Sierras hair was found on rope in Garcia-Torres Volkswagen Jetta.

The defendant also faces charges that he tried to carjack and kidnap three women in 2009. One of the alleged attacks took place outside a Safeway in Morgan Hill where Garcia-Torres had worked.

Defense attorneys Alfonso Lopez and Brian Matthews, meanwhile, are expected to question the reliability of the governments DNA evidence, while suggesting that Sierra ran away. They said in court documents that a friend of Sierras, who lived with the missing teen and her mother, told detectives that Sierra had expressed a desire to run away and had shown her a suitcase of clothes.

Attorneys have been at odds over a disconsolate entry in Sierras notebook, which may have been written by pranksters at Ann Sobrato High after Sierra went missing. The note reads, I hate my life ... no ever sees this. I will be in San Francisco by 3/16/12.

A second notebook  believed to have been shared among Sierra and three friends  contained an entry that included, I really just wanna run away.

Ben Margot/AP

Prosecutors have argued that the runaway theory doesnt make sense considering that Sierras clothing, phone and purse  which contained the $5 her mother routinely gave her to buy lunch  were recovered within 2 miles of her home. Her clothes also showed signs of an abduction, including marks indicating that Sierra was dragged, prosecutors assert.

The last time someone was sentenced to death in Santa Clara County in a no-body case was 1989, when Mark Christopher Crew was convicted of killing his wife, Nancy Crew, seven years earlier. Investigators believed Crew  who remains on Death Row  dropped her remains from the Dumbarton Bridge.

County authorities won a life sentence in a no-body case in 2003, but they struggled to prosecute the suspect in the 2011 disappearance of Jeanine Harms, a 42-year-old Los Gatos resident.

The suspect, Maurice Nasmeh, was arrested in 2004 but later released by a judge. In 2011, he was gunned down at a coffee shop by Harms vengeful brother, who then took his own life.

In Alameda County, Hans Reiser was found guilty of first-degree murder for the 2006 killing of his estranged wife, Nina Reiser, even though her body hadnt been found. Prosecutors relied on circumstantial evidence, including testimony that the victim was devoted to her two children and would not have abandoned them.

After he was convicted, Reiser led police to the body in exchange for a reduced sentence for second-degree murder.

Joseph OSullivan, who defended Mark Crew in 1989, said the burden will be on prosecutors in the upcoming trial.

The more serious the crime is, the more likely it is that the jury is going to require more evidence, he said. When theres not a body there, thats always a question.

Crews case turned on the chilling testimony of a witness who described seeing his wifes body before it vanished, said Dave Davies, the prosecutor on the case.

Usually, if theres no body, you either have to have physical evidence or a witness who saw the body, he said. In the Crew case, there was a witness who described seeing the body before it was moved and never found. It didnt turn out to be a mystery.

Anne Marie Schubert, who is district attorney in Sacramento County and helped prosecute a no-body case in 2005, said the cases were increasingly winnable thanks to DNA technology.

In any homicide case, whether you have a body or not, that person is not able to tell their story, she said. What were the last moments? DNA is a silent witness to the truth. It essentially gives the victim a voice. Shes telling you what happened in that car.

Chronicle staff writer Kimberly Veklerov contributed to this report.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
Just as the Kink.com team is packing up its cameras and porn-production operations, The Mitchell Brothers OFarrell Theatre  a strip club owned by a woman named Meta Jane Mitchell  has announced the opening of its CineStage for non-traditional strip club performances, including comedy, storytelling, burlesque, variety and side show. ... The venue is looking to become a more inclusive space.

This is perhaps good news for the performers who will be thrown out of work by the just-announced closing of the Ringling Bros. circus. Mitchell Bros. becomes Ringling Bros.: Move over, hardly clad ladies, to make room for women with poodles emerging from hoop skirts.

Meanwhile, the Tenderloin Museum and the Center for Sex & Culture are marking the centennial of a sex worker march in San Francisco that occurred on Jan. 25, 1917. A gathering at the museum will commemorate the demonstration organized by Tenderloin district madams Reggie Gamble and Maude Spencer, in opposition to a planned Valentines Day eviction of brothels.

The museum will mark the historic occasion with a talk by Ivy Anderson and Devon Angus, who co-edited Alice: Memoirs of a Barbary Coast Prostitute, followed by talks from members of various sex worker groups about the current state of the profession.

Finally, at Leavenworth and OFarrell, where Gamble spoke, Carol Queen of the Center for Sex & Culture will read the speech made by Gamble. Among those words was a modern-sounding pitch for a minimum wage: Nearly every one of these girls is a mother or someone who has someone depending upon her, Gamble said. They are driven into this life by economic conditions. One of the girls told me that when she applied to her brother, a minister, for help, he told her only to trust in God. You cannot trust in God when shoes are $10 a pair and wages are $6 a week.

Outside the American Conservatory Theaters Geary Theater in San Francisco, and in the courtyard of Berkeley Rep in Berkeley, theater folks (and anyone who wants to join them) will participate in the Ghostlight Project at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19. The plan is for participants in at least 100 theaters across the country to gather carrying electric lights, flashlights, electrical candles or smartphones, to affirm the power of community and inclusion, said Berkeley Reps Tony Taccone. The San Francisco gathering will include representatives of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Crowded Fire Theater and Z Space.

The name comes from the theater term ghost light, which describes the tradition of leaving a light on in a dark theater. This is not a substitution for protests or direct action, but rather a pledge for continued vigilance and increased advocacy, organizers said in a statement. More information is at https://theghostlightproject.com.

Meanwhile, Grace Cathedral is not only sending a contingent led by Dean Malcolm Young to the womens march in San Francisco on Saturday, Jan. 21, but also sending the Rev. Mary Greene, director of its youth and family ministry, with a group from the diocese to the Washington, D.C., march. Grace for all, they say, is the message behind this outreach.

Mimi Haas, honorary host of the Fog Design+Art fair and preview gala, hosted a party Friday, Jan. 13, at Stanlee Gattis studio, where in front of a roaring fireplace, Lindsay and Michael Tusks Cotogna was serving up paella and other wintry treats. Most guests  artists, art dealers and curators  were kicking back after a day at work/the fair, and the atmosphere was cozy and relaxed, something like a ski lodge after a hard but happy day on the slopes.

We chatted with Lonneke Gordijn, founder of Studio Drift in Amsterdam, and her partner, Ralph Nauta, whose illuminated cloth flowers undulated as they rose and fell  as though wafting on the wind  from the ceiling at the fair.

We also talked with gallerist Cheryl Haines, whose artists often make site-specific work from objects found in nature (shed already been out in the storms earlier in the week, inspecting fallen Presidio trees that might be utilized as artists materials for a new project).

As we drove home, we said to each other that we hoped the Drift team would meet Haines, because their interests seemed similar. Networking seems like a cold tech concept; matchmaking seems like an old-fashioned term to use professionally. Imagination spun into ideas seems a better description of the night.

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik

Public Eavesdropping

Bet your Fitbit is really happy tonight?
Mathew Sumner/Special to the Chronicle

In response to a resolutely traditionalist platform presented by the Republican party to delegates earlier this week, San Francisco-based porn production company Kink.com released a strongly worded open letter appealing to the delegates before they vote to ratify the platform on Tuesday.

The platform, which has been called "Victorian," "extremist," and "the most anti-LGBT" in the party's history, calls for prohibiting military women from combat in war, for an overturning of the Supreme Court's gay marriage decision, and, to Kink.com's chagrin, labels porn a "public health crisis" that is "destroying the life of millions."
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The widow of the gunman in the Orlando nightclub massacre appeared in an Oakland courtroom on Tuesday to face federal counts for her alleged role in the attack  charges that could send her to prison for life if she is convicted.

Noor Salman, 30, was arrested the day before at her home in Rodeo after being indicted Thursday by a grand jury in Orlando on charges of providing material support to a terrorist organization and obstruction of justice.

The gunman, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, died June 12 in a shootout with police after a three-hour standoff inside the Pulse nightclub, where he killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

But Salmans uncle, Al Salman, vigorously defended his niece after Tuesdays brief court appearance, saying the woman had no idea her husband would carry out such a violent attack.

More for you Wife of Orlando nightclub gunman arrested outside SF

She didnt know what was going on, the uncle said, while being swarmed by reporters and television cameras. The only thing in her life is she wants to raise up her son. If she knew about what that crazy guy was going to do, she wouldnt be here. She would take her son and run away from him.

Moments earlier, Salman looked sullen, wearing a yellow T-shirt and gray sweatpants as she stood in front of Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu during the morning appearance in Oakland federal court.

She spoke softly, answering that she understood the two charges before she was returned to the custody of U.S. marshals and held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. An arraignment and arguments on the terms of her detention were put off until Wednesday.

Charles Swift, director of the Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America, has acted as Salmans attorney and was en route to Oakland from out of state on Tuesday morning. A federal public defender stood in as her counsel during the hearing.

Prosecutors allege Salman was involved in the plot as early as April, and knowingly helped her husband provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, according to the indictment unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Florida.

Mateen had declared allegiance to the Islamic State before he was shot and killed by police. Federal authorities did not elaborate on specifics of how the shooters widow was allegedly involved in the attack.

The case will later move to U.S. District Court in Orlando, where Salman is charged.

She is also charged with obstruction of justice after prosecutors say she engaged in misleading conduct when interviewed by police and FBI agents in Florida.

Investigators interviewed her on numerous occasions in the days after the mass shooting, during which time she knowingly misled them about information related to the attack, according to the indictment.

In the days after the killings, Salman had told investigators that she had driven Mateen to the nightclub at some point before and was with him when he bought ammunition before the shooting spree, several media outlets reported, citing anonymous senior law enforcement officials.

Her uncle, having seen the reports, attempted to clarify some of the details on Tuesday. He said his niece and Mateen had gone to a Walmart store in Florida, and while the husband went to purchase ammunition, Salman and her son went to the stores toy section.

Hes a security guard, and he had weapons, he said.

Salman married Mateen in the Bay Area in 2011 and the two later moved to Fort Pierce, Fla., and had a son.

While working as a security guard, Mateen was investigated by the FBI and was briefly placed on a terrorist watch list, while authorities looked into statements he made to co-workers about having a family connection to terrorist organizations.

Federal authorities, though, took him off the watch list in 2014 after the investigation ended without charges.

On the night of the massacre, Salman grew concerned after her husband failed to return home, so she called his cell phone, her uncle said.

He said, Dont you see the news, Al Salman said, describing his nieces conversation with Mateen that night. She told him no. He said, I love you, babe. Thats all she knows.

Family members at Salmans Rodeo home, where she lives with her sick mother, did not comment to reporters after her arrest Monday. Salmans child is being cared for by family members.

I know that justice will prevail, and its going to show that she is innocent, Al Salman said. Shes a very soft, sweet girl. I know shes innocent. I raised her.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Ian C. Bates/The Chronicle

At last, City College of San Francisco can focus on its future, because it has one. Its tumultuous five-year battle to keep its accreditation ended Friday with the commission that had threatened to revoke it acknowledging that the school had made sufficient progress on its finances and administration accountability.

The journey was maddening at almost every turn, with plenty of blame to go around. The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges identified myriad inefficiencies and management shortcomings at the school  but the threat of closure was met with too much denial and resistance instead of a sense of urgency to fix them.
On a day that began with Brian Stelter going head to head with BuzzFeeds Ben Smith on CNNs Reliable Sources, and CNN itself still fuming after being labeled fake news by the president-elect, Lester Holt is unflinching.

Thats the word he believes NBC News and specifically NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt should keep in mind as they get ready to cover the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump.

Holt, 57, launched a four-stop Across America tour this weekend in Sacramento, where he interviewed a panel of just plain folks of varying ages and political affiliations about what they expect after the inauguration Friday, Jan. 20. From California, hell travel to Warren, Mich., and Fayetteville, N.C., before winding up in the nations capital. Hell anchor the Nightly News at each stop. On Friday, hell anchor the days coverage of the inaugural, capping it with an expanded one-hour edition of the Nightly News.

We focused on Sacramento because its such an incredibly diverse and integrated city, Holt said in an interview in the California capitals Old Sacramento district, teeming with tourists on this crisp, sunny Sunday.

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle Show More Show Less



We felt it was a good place where we could get a cross section of people, he said.

And what did he find in the city where hed spent a good part of his youth and where he attended Sacramento State for three years before dropping out to take a job at KCBS Radio in San Francisco?

What I sense is that theres still a lot of uncertainty out there, he said. President-elect Trump has spoken out on a lot of issues, but sometimes his opinions change a little on them, and people are trying to figure out whats real and what the future is going to bring.

The future is uncertain for the media as well. Trump had a heated exchange at his news conference last week with CNNs Jim Acosta because of CNNs report on a dossier that included an unverified report that Russia had details of a potentially compromising encounter Trump was said to have had during a trip to Russia. Acosta kept pressing to be allowed to ask a question but was shot down in no uncertain terms.

I dont think its healthy when our leaders are openly challenging the press for doing its job, Holt said at the Firehouse Restaurant after taping a segment for Mondays Nightly News. I believe journalism is still a high calling and that we have an important role ... holding those in power accountable.

That said, Trump wouldnt be the first president to engage in skirmishes or even outright war with the media.

I dont think any president has been completely comfortable with the media, Holt said. I think were going to push for access, just as we pushed, by the way, the Obama administration for access.

If what we do rubs people the wrong way, well, so be it, he continued. If somebody wants to take shots at us, so be it. Weve got a job to do. When someone in power runs afoul of tradition, those are news stories and well continue to follow them.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

A military brat whose father was stationed twice in Northern California, Holt conveys a commanding steadiness that comes in part from many years spent working in regional TV news, at CBS stations in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago before joining MSNBC 17 years ago. He has held a number of jobs at NBC, including substitute anchor of the Evening News, Weekend Today co-anchor and anchor of the weekend edition of NBC Nightly News, as well as hosting the networks Dateline newsmagazine. Holt was the obvious choice to take over the Nightly News desk when Brian Williams took a leave and was then suspended for inflating his role in a story about the Iraq War. Holt became permanent anchor of the Nightly News in June 2015.

Network evening news shows may not have anything close to the dominance they once had, but competition is still fierce among ABC, NBC and CBS. The network ended 2016 beating The CBS News With Scott Pelley and ABC World News With David Muir.

A number of variables impact TV news ratings, and in the case of NBC in 2016, one of them was the fact that it was an Olympics year and NBC has the franchise. But Holts grounded, down-to-earth delivery was clearly a factor in drawing viewers in what is still, of course, a mostly older demographic.

Holt was unflinching when he moderated the first presidential debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton in September, and drew mixed reviews because of it. Some media critics took issue with him for not being tougher on Trumps hyperbole in particular, although he did challenge the GOP nominee on his revisionism on whether he originally opposed the war in Iraq as he claimed.

Holt has a cautious view of how he hopes the press and Trump will interact over the next four years.

I would hope that we would continue to have regular press briefings in the White House, that the new president will avail himself to interviews, and we can really understand his thinking and allow him to articulate his vision on exactly what he does or does not want to do on a particular issue, he said.

At the same time, he acknowledges the obvious challenges, including a recent report by Esquire that the Trump administration may move the White House press corps out of the White House itself. Trump press secretary Sean Spicer told the magazine that the issue is being discussed and said it had mostly to do with the size of the briefing room, which contains only 49 seats. A move would enable more press to participate, he claimed.

A move out of the White House, though, would make it harder for the press to do its job, Holt and many others have argued. Holt called the potential loss of access a worrisome development.

Ive never had the White House beat, he said,  but I will tell you its vitally important that we have people in the West Wing because a lot of the interaction is that accessibility, to be able to walk from the pressroom to the press secretarys office, which is right around the corner, having some of that off-the-record dialogue, or just that eye-to-eye contact.

Contact and accessibility are especially important in covering a president with an exhaustively documented fondness for Twitter as a primary means of communication.

The tweets certainly give us an inkling into insight and thinking, Holt said, but they dont answer questions. Thats why we need access. We need to hear from the news makers  we need the ability to ask questions when a tweet comes out about nuclear arms policy that demands further exploration.

The media are experiencing an especially painful nadir of trust among many Americans, but the collective term the media is, Holt believes, part of the challenge for NBC and other legitimate news-gathering organizations. To the public, the media are a single entity, and often the same lens of trust is focused on broadcast networks, newspapers and news periodicals, and Internet sites, both the reliable variety and the spurious.

Holt acknowledged that but said, We have to do a better job of reminding people of the importance of an aggressive and responsible press corps. I think somewhere people have lost sight of that. ...

I, and my colleagues, are out here every day on behalf of people who dont have access to the White House and to those agencies and officials. Weve got to do our job.

David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle and co-host of The Do List every Friday morning at 6:22 and 8:22 on KQED FM, 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento. Follow him on Facebook. Email: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @WaitWhat_TV

NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt: 5:30 p.m. weekdays on NBC. Holt will anchor coverage of the Trump inaugural beginning at 7 a.m. Friday, Jan. 20, and including an expanded one-hour edition of the Nightly News.
PHILADELPHIA  The American Friends Service Committee is celebrating 100 years of nonviolent activism with an exhibition, Waging Peace, that showcases the groups accomplishments while also illustrating work that remains to be done.

General Secretary Shan Cretin hopes both aspects of the exhibit inspire visitors.

We dont want to just be looking backward, (but) a lot of the issues that are so urgent today  how we treat immigrants, racial justice issues  are issues we have been working on for nearly our entire history, Cretin said. We dont believe peace is a destination. We believe its a path. We always have to be working toward peace and justice in our lives.

Founded by Quakers during World War I, the organization has been promoting peace and justice as an expression of faith in action. The centennial exhibit, on display at the African American Museum of Philadelphia through April 30, is divided into four categories: Ending Discrimination, Addressing Prisons, Just Economies and Immigrants Rights.

Ending Discrimination includes two 8-by-8-foot photos  one showing a group of civil rights activists led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. facing a wall of police officers in the 1960s, the other taken in Baltimore in 2015 after Freddie Gray died in police custody. Theres also a first-person account from a former committee staffer who resisted Japanese internment during World War II.

In Addressing Prisons, visitors can crowd onto a floor mat that mimics the size and shape of the 5-by-7-foot solitary confinement cell that committee employee Ojore Lutalo occupied for more than 20 years.

I really wanted to tell personal stories, said exhibit coordinator and content developer Elizabeth Tinker, an independent museum professional.

We want to encourage discussion, she said.

One interactive feature highlights the challenges facing immigrants. Visitors roll oversize dice to determine citizenship paths in a setup like a giant board game. Millionaires and star athletes have a much easier time than those who have family members already in the U.S.

Asylum seekers with proof of persecution have a much easier time immigrating than those without proof  but its still not fast or easy. Tinker noted that this one category also illustrates why many people enter the U.S. illegally: What parent wouldnt risk violating the law and leaving their home country if they feared their children were in danger there?

This isnt telling people what they should think but giving them the information and opportunities to see videos of immigrants talking about why theyre here and the challenges they face, Cretin said.

One of the final displays invites visitors to use a magnet to mark places on a world or local map where theyve taken positive action. Visitors are also encouraged to contact the Quaker group via social media later if they wage peace somewhere so the map can be updated.

Its not just about learning about the past, Tinker said. Its about changing the future.

Natalie Pompilio is an Associated Press writer.
Bay Area events centered around President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration Friday.

Standing Together: Volunteers and elected officials are holding a fundraiser for progressive organizations from 6 to 9 p.m. at Devils Canyon Brewing Company, 935 Washington St., San Carlos.

Thursday

The Ghostlight Project: More than 100 theatrical organizations are holding actions in front of theaters and art spaces nationwide to protect the values of inclusion, participation and compassion. In San Francisco, a ceremonial illumination of electric candles and mobile phones, and a short program with speakers will be held at 5:30 p.m. outside the Geary Theater, 415 Geary St.

The 48-Hills Pre-Trumpocalypse Happy Hour: A fundraiser for alternative media will be held at the Stud Bar, 399 Ninth St., San Francisco, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Love Trumps Hate: The Throwback Party for America: A ticketed dance party at 9 p.m. at the Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell St., San Francisco. All proceeds go to Planned Parenthood, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, La Raza Centro Legal and Earthjustice.

Friday

Oakland protests: Demonstrators plan to gather at 7 a.m. outside the Ronald Dellums Federal Building, 1301 Clay St. Teach-ins and workshops start at 9 a.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza, 14th Street and Broadway. At noon, a labor-themed rally and march will be held at Latham Square, Broadway and Telegraph Avenue.

San Francisco protests: A rally and march will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting at Justin Herman Plaza and continuing into the Financial District. An evening rally is scheduled for 5 p.m. at U.N. Plaza.

Bridge Together Golden Gate: Participants will form a human chain across the Golden Gate Bridge in a peaceful demonstration and performance art piece, beginning at 10 a.m.

San Jose protest: A protest and march will start at 11 a.m. at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez, 1 Paseo de San Antonio.

San Leandro protest: A march will begin outside the San Leandro BART station on San Leandro Boulevard at 11:30 a.m.

Marin protests: Marchers will gather at 1 p.m. at Creek Park at the Hub in San Anselmo and at Pickleweed Park in San Rafael, then join up for 3 p.m. rallies at San Rafael City Hall and the B Street Community Theater, 618 B St.

Sidewalk protests: A protest will be held along El Camino Real in all Peninsula and South Bay cities from noon to 1 p.m.

The Sonoma County Inaugural Ball: A ticketed dinner and dance in celebration of Trumps inauguration begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Flamingo Conference Center, 2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa.

Not Our President with Hadley & the Hippies and Los Bros: Speakers, poetry readings, live music and a dance party at Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. The event begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15.

The Blue Ball: A fundraiser for reproductive rights, environmental protection, racial justice, and immigrant and LGBTQ rights, 8 p.m. at Home on Treasure Island, an event space, at Avenue D and 12th Street, Treasure Island.

Saturday

Resist Trump  #OccupyInauguration: Advertised as a family-friendly event to protest Trumps inauguration. Noon to 3 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza, 14th Street and Broadway, Oakland.

Womens March Bay Area: As part of the national Womens March movement, events will be held in several Bay Area cities. In San Francisco, a 3 p.m. rally at Civic Center Plaza will be followed by a march at 5 p.m. to Justin Herman Plaza. A march in Oakland begins at 10 a.m. in Madison Park at Eighth and Jackson streets. In San Jose, a march will begin at 10 a.m. at City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara St. In Walnut Creek, marchers will gather at 10:30 a.m. at Civic Park, 1375 Civic Drive and walk to the Walnut Creek BART Station. In Napa, marchers will gather at 10 a.m. at the Oxbow Public Market parking lot on First Street and walk to Veterans Memorial Park, Third and Main streets.

Sonoma County Stands Together for Women: Advertised as a sister event to the Womens March. Rally begins at noon at Santa Rosa City Hall, 100 Santa Rosa Ave.

 Sarah Ravani
Essilor of France said Monday that it would merge with the Luxottica Group of Italy, owner of the Ray-Ban and Oakley brands, in a $49 billion deal that would create a giant in the eyewear industry.

The combined company, to be known as EssilorLuxottica, would be the largest player in the eyewear market, manufacturing lenses for prescription glasses and sunglasses, as well as frames. It would have a presence online as well as in stores, with brands including Foster Grant, Oliver Peoples, Persol, LensCrafters, Pearle Vision and Sunglass Hut.

The deal follows more than four years of talks. The new company would have more than 140,000 employees and sales in more than 150 countries. Based on 2015 results, it is forecast to have revenue of more than 15 billion euros, or about $16 billion, in 2016.

The new group would be a clear leader in the optical industry, with a strong brand portfolio, global distribution capabilities and complementary expertise in ophthalmic lenses, prescription frames and sunglasses, Fred Speirs, a UBS analyst, said in a research report on Monday.

Luxottica, which makes prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses under a variety of brands, and Essilor, a maker of lenses, are the two largest companies in the sector, with Luxottica having a 14 percent market share and Essilor a 13 percent share, according to the market research firm Euromonitor International. Johnson & Johnson is the next largest, with a 3.9 percent share.

Mortgages

Feds sue bank

in Minnesota

The U.S. Department of Justice has sued a Minnesota bank for allegedly engaging in mortgage lending practices that discriminate against minorities. The bank disputed the claim Monday, saying the lawsuit is not based on fact.

In a lawsuit filed Friday, the department said KleinBank engaged in redlining, a practice in which banks deny or avoid providing credit services to consumers because of racial demographics or because of the neighborhood where they live.

Doug Hile, the banks president and CEO, said the governments claim has absolutely no basis in fact. To the contrary, KleinBank has an established history of responding to all credit requests with a commitment to fairness and equal opportunity. This history is undisputed.

In the suit, the federal government alleges KleinBank violated the Fair Housing Act and Equal Credit Opportunity Act. It says that from 2010 to at least 2015, KleinBank structured its home mortgage lending business to avoid serving neighborhoods where a majority of residents are racial and ethnic minorities.

Britain

Mergers likely

to fall sharply

Mergers and acquisitions in the United Kingdom are likely to drop sharply this year amid uncertainty over Britains relationship with the European Union, according to research released Monday.

The value of deals is expected to fall to $125 billion this year from $340 billion in 2016 as Britain begins to negotiate its exit from the EU, the law firm Baker McKenzie, a leading adviser on corporate transactions, said in a report. The firm previously estimated transactions would hit $265 billion in 2017.

The study comes amid increasing focus on how leaving the EU will affect the financial services industry, a key driver of the British economy.

Chronicle News Services
Uber drivers vastly outnumber Lyft drivers  but the latter say they are happier and better paid.

Those are among findings of a survey of 1,150 drivers by the Rideshare Guy, an independent blog and podcast for people who drive for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Postmates and similar services. The survey, conducted through email this month, is among the largest independent polls of drivers.

Its clear that Uber is the dominant force, said Harry Campbell, who drives for both services, as well as running the Rideshare Guy. Its also clear that drivers are not super-satisfied with their experiences there.

Three-quarters of surveyed drivers (863) primarily work for Uber, largely because its a much bigger source of passengers, he found. But only 49.4 percent of those Uber-centric drivers said they are satisfied with their Uber driving experience. (Most drivers work for both services, but the survey probed satisfaction and other factors for those who identified either Uber or Lyft as their primary service.)

Uber drivers were even less pleased with UberPool, with only 12.8 percent saying they like the companys shared-ride option. The obfuscating pay structure and additional hassle of picking up and dropping off multiple riders has been a major pain point for drivers, the survey said.

By contrast, Lyft-centric drivers were a far more upbeat group. While only 235 drivers, or 20 percent, said they primarily drive for Lyft, 75.8 percent of them said they are satisfied with driving for Lyft. Those drivers also reported higher earnings, averaging around $17.50 an hour, almost $2 an hour more than the average $15.68 reported by Uber drivers. Average earnings are calculated after taking out the companies commissions but before deducting expenses such as gas, insurance and car maintenance.

Lyfts app includes a way for passengers to tip their driver, which probably accounts for the difference. Uber has resisted adding tipping to its app.

If a rider gives a $1 tip (on Lyft), those tips go 100 percent to the driver, with no credit card processing fee and no commission, Campbell said. Those $1 or $2 tips really add up over time to a big chunk.

But while Lyft has carved out a very nice little niche, the fact remains that Uber is much busier.

Uber is where the rides are, Campbell said. If you can stay busy with Lyft in your city, youll make more money, but thats the challenge. If it has less market share, you may have to drive 10 or 20 minutes (to pick up) a passenger. Uber has much more density, more frequent ride requests, and (passengers) who are closer together.

Drivers said that pay is the most important thing to them, with flexibility running second. Only a sliver said they care about benefits such as health insurance and unemployment  which are not available to them because Uber and Lyft drivers are classified as independent contractors, rather than employees.

The survey primarily focused on U.S. drivers, although a handful of international drivers responded. A small number of drivers surveyed drove for services such as Postmates and DoorDash, often in addition to Uber and Lyft.

The Rideshare Guy sent the survey to almost 30,000 subscribers, giving them one week to respond. Respondents who said they are not a driver yet were eliminated.

Mike White exemplified some of the highs and lows of ride-hail driving. He started working for Lyft in 2013 in his native Los Angeles, found he loved the flexibility and camaraderie with passengers and continued his driving after a move to San Francisco. Also a writer and comedian, he submitted a video he shot to Lyft, earning him a trip to the Sundance Film Festival a few years ago as a Lyft creative  a driver who pursues creative vocations.

But as Lyft cut its fares in San Francisco, his earnings decreased. Company policy said he could no longer qualify for incentives because his 2006 Toyota Corolla was too old. He found that passengers were acting too entitled, and so many other ride-hail drivers were flooding the roads that he didnt feel safe. By the end, I felt like a human doormat, he said. He no longer drives for Lyft.

Looking at demographics, the survey found that about a fifth of drivers on both Uber and Lyft are female, higher than the 12.7 percent national average of women taxi drivers and chauffeurs. Women reported earning $14.26 an hour, about $2 less than the average $16.61 for all men. While the survey didnt explore why, it speculated that the difference could be because women prefer driving during daylight hours.

While passengers tend to be young, drivers do not. Slightly more than half of drivers said they are 51 or older, while 77.5 percent said they are 41 or older. Just over 78 percent of surveyed drivers said they are white, while 7.1 percent are Hispanic and 6.8 percent are black.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
Today in Trump tweets

Inauguration Day is turning out to be even bigger than expected. January 20th, Washington D.C. Have fun!

Its also turning out to be even quirkier than expected  witness the following:

The Scotland Sunday Herald did a masterful troll job in, of all places, its TV listings for Friday. It listed the inauguration as a return of The Twilight Zone, mentioning how science fiction writers often have alternative history stories, such as the Nazis winning World War II. The story begins in a nightmarish version of 2017, the listing says, in which huge sections of the US electorate have somehow been duped into voting to make Donald Trump president. It sounds far-fetched, and it is, but as it goes on it becomes more and more chillingly plausible.

The American Civil Liberties Union has put out a know your rights Web page with detailed information about demonstrating in Washington. There is a #MobileJustice hashtag that leads to an app for recording police, plus separate items about taking pictures in public, the District of Columbias marijuana laws and filing a claim with the ACLU.

The Associated Press reported about a tempest in a peepot: Workers preparing for the inauguration have taped over the name of the Virginia company that is providing portable toilets for many events, just as it has for many major outdoor events in the nations capital. The company? Dons Johns. For those not up on their trivia: The J in Donald J. Trump stands for John.

Compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techbriefing
Daniela Kienzler

San Francisco Symphony patrons will recall James Gaffigan from his tenure nearly a decade ago as the orchestras associate conductor, when he filled Davies Symphony Hall with sleek, muscular interpretations of orchestral standards and contemporary work.

In the intervening years, Gaffigans star has risen sharply on the international scene, with positions in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Germany as well as guest appearances in both symphony halls and opera houses.
MOSUL, Iraq  Iraqi special forces have captured the site of the Mosque of the prophet Younis after driving Islamic State militants from a new neighborhood in eastern Mosul, a spokesman said Tuesday. The progress comes as the United Nations warned that nearly 150,000 people have been displaced since the Mosul operation started in mid-October.

The mosque was among dozens of historical and heritage sites destroyed by Islamic State militants after their June 2014 onslaught.

The site is believed to be the burial place of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale in stories from both the Bible and the Quran. It was built on an archaeological site dating back to the eighth century B.C. and attracted religious pilgrims from multiple faiths around the world.

Special forces spokesman Sabah al-Numan said security forces found only the fences alongside the ruins.

The advance comes as Iraqi forces are pushing Islamic State militants out of the last neighborhoods in Mosuls east and closing in on the Tigris River that roughly divides the city.

While Iraqi forces continue to make territorial gains against Islamic State, Mosuls civilians continue to be killed, wounded and displaced by the fighting.

Walid Mohammed buried his son in a graveyard in eastern Mosul on Tuesday. The young boy had been killed in a mortar attack earlier this month, but at the time it was too dangerous to travel to the graveyard so Mohammed buried him in a school yard not far from his home.

This is the will of God and his decision, he gave them and he took them back, he said.

The United Nations said late Monday that the Mosul operation continues to inflict high civilian casualties. The United Nations said more than 1,500 wounded civilians were taken to hospitals in the nearby city of Irbil for trauma care since the operation began in October.

The number does not reflect the estimated hundreds more civilians who receive care at field hospitals in and around Mosul. Iraqi and U.N. officials believe that one reason so many have been killed and wounded is that Islamic State fighters have targeted civilians trying to flee.

The operation has also left more than 148,000 people homeless, according to the United Nations. Nearly 12,500 people were forced to flee their homes just over the past week, the U.N. said.

More than a million people were estimated to still be living in Mosul in October, when Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake the countrys second largest city from Islamic State.

Mstyslav Chernov is an Associated Press writer.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  He took a bullet, spewed Marxist rage, declared war on police and tried to start a revolution.

Funny what would now make a guy like that happy.

They are building me a goat house, Pete ONeal says by telephone from a village between two east African mountains.

Hes at home in his old chair, surrounded by 21 children who call him Babu, meaning grandfather, though he is that to none of them. In photos and videos, he doesnt look like much of a fugitive; no go bag in sight. Hes 76 with a degenerative spine, cataracts and prostate issues. A body worn out except for the smile.

But if he were to leave Tanzania, where hes lived nearly 50 years, and travel to the U.S., he would likely be arrested for a gun conviction dating to when he led the Black Panthers during the 1960s in Kansas City. He might be the last black militant of the era still at war with the U.S government.

He was a street kid and ex-con. Smart, gifted with charisma. His call for armed revolution served as a clarion to those like him and they followed him into the fray.

Most everybody else feared him, or hated him  him in his beret and sunglasses, disrupting polite company, barging into hallowed chambers, denouncing the way things had always been. He crashed a church service, brawled at police headquarters and stormed a Senate subcommittee hearing in Washington.

But a year ago, a new push began for a presidential pardon for ONeal, who in 1970, facing four years in federal prison  and fearing the same bloody end for himself as for other dead Panthers  fled the country.

First to Sweden, then to Algeria and finally to Tanzania, where ONeal and his wife, Charlotte, run the United African Alliance Community Center and school, which they founded in 1991 to serve the poor families and children around Imbaseni village.

Thats what the Black Panther Party originally set out to do, and we are continuing that work here, he said. People remember the guns and rage. We were so much more than that.

Leading the pardon effort is U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., who is ONeals third cousin. But now less than a week remains before President Obama, thought to be ONeals best hope, leaves office.

Donald Bradley is an Kansas City Star writer.
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Northwestern University Law Professor Steven Calabresi served in two Republican administrations, was an adviser to Attorney General Edwin Meese under Ronald Reagan and wrote speeches for Vice President Dan Quayle. He is co-founder and board chairman of the conservative Federalist Society.

So it raised a few eyebrows when Calabresi told a law school audience in San Francisco that when it comes to Donald Trump, impeachment needs to be on the table.

Even though both houses of Congress will be controlled by his fellow Republicans, Trump, a party outsider, will be on a short leash. There could be a spectacular end, Calabresi said in a recent panel at the annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools.

Calabresi was a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and another prominent conservative, Appeals Court Judge Robert Bork, and served in the Justice Department under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

In the Reagan administration, he was an influential advocate of expanded presidential power and the use of signing statements declaring a presidents intention to disregard portions of a newly signed law. That became common under President George W. Bush.

Calabresi did find some things to praise about the incoming administration at the San Francisco panel discussion on Jan. 5.

He said former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, Trumps nominee for secretary of state, was right to advocate better relations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, to the extent thats possible.

He noted that former Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, nominated for defense secretary, opposes waterboarding and other forms of torture. He said Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, Trumps pick to become U.S. ambassador to China, speaks Mandarin and is beloved in China. And he said choosing hard-line Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions as attorney general was a lot better than appointing your campaign manager (John Mitchell, by Richard Nixon) or your brother, referring to Robert Kennedy, by John F. Kennedy.

But Calabresi said Republican leaders, who have lamented their partys alienation from racial minorities, have been been dismayed by some of Trumps comments on racial issues  for example, his claim that U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, of San Diego, presiding over a fraud suit by students against Trump University, was biased because of his Mexican heritage. Trump has since settled the suit for $25 million.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has called Trumps denigration of Curiel the textbook definition of a racist comment.

Calabresi said Trump had also displayed sexism  an apparent reference to his tape-recorded boasting of grabbing women by the genitals  and an out-of-control temperament. If Trump continues such behavior after taking office, Calabresi said, Republican leaders should consider impeaching him and replacing him with Vice President Mike Pence, who is much closer to his partys establishment.

Hes not a creature of the Republican Party, Calabresi said of Trump. Hes a creature of the swamp.

His words may resonate more with Republicans than the dire forecasts from others on the San Francisco panel, and the law school community overall, since the election.

More than 1,300 law professors have signed a letter opposing Trumps nomination of Sessions as attorney general. Last month, 42 constitutional law professors sent Trump a letter asking him to reverse his positions on such issues as abortion, freedom of the press and a proposed registry of Muslims in the United States.

Trump is the least qualified person for the presidency ever, UC Irvine law school Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, who signed both letters, said in the panel discussion. Im more scared for the country than Ive ever been.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
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Tech companies paid tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday, posting special messages to their websites to honor the late civil rights leader.

A picture of Dr. King took over the Apple homepage. The photo was accompanied by a quote, which read, "Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in."

Google, as it often does, changed their homepage for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as well. The classic colorful letters were replaced by a cartoon illustrating unity, with a diverse group of characters holding hands.

Twitter also helped users celebrate MLK Day with a unique emoji. The emoji of a flaming torch was activated by hashtags like "#mlkday" and "#martinlutherkingjr."

RELATED VIDEO: Bay Area honors Martin Luther King, Jr.

Facebook also paid tribute to King with a message that appeared on users' timelines when they opened Facebook for the first time Monday.
Spencer's Gifts, a store with an entire shopping category dedicated to "Bathroom Humor," is under fire for selling a pro-Donald Trump shirt reading, "Grab America by the Pussy."

The shirt, spotted in Portland by a copywriter and sold out online, has led people to accuse Spencer's of "elevating sexual assault as patriotism." It references the now-infamous leaked 2005 recording of a conversation between Trump and former "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush wherein the President-elect bragged about his sexual exploits.
A Virginia man found himself caught in the crossfire of a nasty Twitter war between supporters of President-elect Donald Trump and supporters of Congressman and civil rights legend John Lewis.

The feud began when Rep. Lewis, D-Ga., questioned the legitimacy of Trump's election during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press." The congressman also said he is not planning to attend Trump's swearing-in ceremony on Friday.

Trump, never shy on social media, made his outrage with Lewis clear on Twitter, writing, "Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk- no actions or results. Sad!"

Many of Trump's supporters followed suit and took to Twitter to express their anger.

But that created a big headache for another, far less famous, John Lewis, a computer scientist and father from Virginia. His Twitter handle is @johnlewis. Congressman John Lewis's Twitter handle is @repjohnlewis.

That minor distinction was lost on many angry tweeters Sunday, who tweeted at innocent John Lewis to air their frustrations over the political battle. See the video above for some examples.

Lewis (the computer scientist, not the congressman) posted about the confusion, tweeting, "Depressing day. 90% of misdirected tweets today were racist rants, which I did NOT redirect or reply to."

Strangely enough, Lewis is no stranger to misdirected tweets. He has often been confused on social media with the United Kingdom retail store of the same name- which, for the record, is @johnlewisretail on Twitter.

Check out some of his hilarious responses to the mistaken tweets below:

While most of the political tweets incorrectly targeted at John Lewis were negative in nature, he also received some from defenders of Congressman Lewis.

RELATED STORIES John Lewis memoir sells out on Amazon after Trump's rant

Rep. Lewis was also active on Twitter Monday, but for a very different reason: in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. He wrote, "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was my friend, my mentor. He was like a big brother."

Lewis is a legendary leader of the civil rights movement. He suffered a skull fracture while marching in Selma, Ala. in 1965.
The story behind Dean Kamen's Segway scooter, and his combustive meeting with the kingpins of Apple and Amazon. Excerpt from Code Name Ginger.

by Steve Kemper

Steve Kemper was given complete behind-the-scenes access to Dean Kamen and the Segway design team during development of the much-hyped "human transporter." The result: A new book, Code Name Ginger. Here's an excerpt. Ed.

Evidently, he's always late, said Aileen Lee, John Doerr's associate. It was almost 8:30 A.M., half an hour after the meeting was supposed to start, and everyone in the locked and guarded ballroom was still waiting for Steve Jobs. The December 8 meeting at the Hyatt Regency near the San Francisco airport had been Doerr's idea. He wanted Dean to brainstorm about Ginger with him and some friends, including Jobs and Jeff Bezos. The three billionaires could spare only a couple of hours, so Doerr's request required a long trip for a short meeting.

Brian Toohey didn't mind. Barely settled in as Ginger's new vice president of regulatory affairs, he was still dazzled by Dean's roster of acquaintances and it was worth some inconvenience to meet these West Coast business icons. Tim Adams and Mike Ferry felt a bit more jaded and exasperated. Traveling to and from San Francisco chopped two days out of a schedule with no fat in it. Tim and Mike also suspected, as did Dean, that Doerr was setting them up for an ambush on his home turf. But all of them also realized that people who invest $38 million sometimes need their hands held, so Tim, Mike, and Brian had each put together a PowerPoint presentation for what Tim called "another dog and pony show."

You have a product so revolutionary, you'll have no problem selling it. The question is, are people going to be allowed to use it? Jeff Bezos

In addition to Jobs and Bezos, their audience would include Bob Tuttle, Dean's top lieutenant; Michael Schmertzler, representing the $38 million investment of Credit Suisse First Boston; Bill Sahlman, professor of entrepreneurial studies at Harvard Business School and the yenta who had introduced Dean to Doerr and other investors; and Vern Loucks, a minor investor in Ginger as well as a board member. Schmertzler had changed his mind about not coming, probably because of his evergreen suspicions of Doerr.

Brian, keyed up, got to the ballroom early to check the audiovisual equipment. By the time the others arrived, he had filled the screen with a giant photo of Dean, wearing jeans and sitting on an iBOT, smiling widely as he shook President Clinton's hand in the Oval Office.

The smile was missing as Dean pushed a tall hotel luggage carrier into the ballroom. The carrier held a couple of large black duffels, oddly protuberant, and some taped-up cardboard boxes, including an old Apple computer box. Dean instructed the security guard to lock the ballroom doors and not to let anyone enter without permission from someone inside.

When the doors were locked, he opened the duffels and the boxes, removed a couple of chassis and control shafts, and assembled two D1 Gingers using a screwdriver and hex wrenches. He finished in ten minutes, turned one on, and began tearing around the ballroom, looking happier with every revolution. Jeff Bezos arrived. Dean zipped up to him, stopping sharply at his shoe tips. Bezos didn't flinch.

"See how much I trust you?" said Bezos.

"Is that good judgment?" said Dean.

Bezos claimed the other Ginger, and his laugh soon gusted through the ballroom. Doerr entered wearing casual clothes and old sneakers. Dean surrendered his Ginger to him. Everyone was having too much fun to mind Jobs's tardiness.

Dean didn't mind either, for other reasons. He had flown his jet to San Francisco yesterday, carrying the Gingers. A limo hired by Doerr had whisked him and the machines to Jobs's house, where the two of them spent the afternoon. Jobs did most of the talking. Ranting, really, about Ginger's design. So Dean more or less knew what Jobs was going to say today and wasn't in a great hurry to have the Ginger guys hear it.

The others were so intent on Ginger that they didn't notice Jobs walk in. He was dressed even more casually than Dean, in sneakers, a black turtleneck, and Levi's in which a white pocket poked out of a big front hole. There was a hole in his wallet pocket, too. Within a couple of minutes, after some quick introductions, everyone settled around the big square table, Jobs at one corner, flanked by Dean and Doerr.

"Good morning to everyone," said Tim, smiling at the front of the table. "Before we start, we'd like to ask you to hold your questions until after each presentation."

"Yeah, right!" snorted Bezos, followed by that honking laugh.

"Otherwise we might as well not be here," said Jobs.

"How long is your presentation?" asked Doerr. "Each pitch is about ten minutes."

"I can't do that," said Jobs. "I'm not built that way. So if you want me to leave, I will, but I can't just sit here."

Tim studied Jobs for a moment, then turned to the screen and put up a spec sheet about Metro and Pro. "As you can see" began Tim.

"Let's talk about the bigger question," interrupted Jobs. "Why two machines?"

"We've talked about that," said Tim, "and we think"

I think [the design] sucks. Its shape is not innovative, it's not elegant and it doesn't feel anthropomorphic. Steve Jobs

"Because I see a big problem here," said Jobs. "I was thinking about it all night. I couldn't sleep after Dean came over." There were notes scribbled on the palm of his hand. He explained his experience with the iMac, how there were four models now but he had launched with just one color to give his designers, salespeople, and the public an absolute focus. He had waited seven months to introduce the other models. Bezos and Doerr nodded as he spoke.

"You're sure your market is upscale consumers for transportation?" said Jobs.

"Yes, but we know that's a risk for us," said Tim, "because we could be perceived as a toy or a fad."

If they charged a few thousand dollars for the Metro and it was a hit, said Jobs, they could come out with the Pro later and charge double for industrial and military uses.

Tim's eyebrows shot up approvingly. He looked at Dean, whose face was a mask, so he turned elsewhere. "Mike?" he said, looking at Mike Ferry for a marketing opinion.

"It's a good point," said Mike, giving his usual noncommittal response.

"What does everyone think about the design?" asked Doerr, switching subjects.

"What do you think?" said Jobs to Tim. It was a challenge, not a question.

"I think it's coming along," said Tim, "though we expect" "I think it sucks!" said Jobs.

His vehemence made Tim pause. "Why?" he asked, a bit stiffly.

"It just does."

"In what sense?" said Tim, getting his feet back under him. "Give me a clue."

"Its shape is not innovative, it's not elegant, it doesn't feel anthropomorphic," said Jobs, ticking off three of his design mantras.

"You have this incredibly innovative machine but it looks very traditional." The last word delivered like a stab. Doug Field and Scott Waters would have felt the wound; they admired Apple's design sense. Dean's intuition not to bring Doug had been right. "There are design firms out there that could come up with things we've never thought of," Jobs continued, "things that would make you shit in your pants."

There wasn't much to say to that, so after a pause Tim began again: "Well, let's keep going, because we don't have much time today to-" "We do have time," said Doerr curtly, changing his own ground rules. "We want to get Steve's and Jeff's ideas."

"The problem at this point is lead time in our schedule," said Tim. Jobs snapped his head from Doerr on one side to Dean on the other, as if he'd been slapped. "That's backwards," he said, his voice rising.

"Screw the lead times. You don't have a great product yet! I know burn rates are important, but you'll only get one shot at this, and if you blow it, it's over." Agitated, he turned to Bezos. "Jeff, what do you think?"

"I think we'd do a disservice to the machine if we didn't give a great design firm a chance," said Bezos in a calm, soft voice, trying to lower the volume. "I think Steve is rightthat as he so elegantly put it, they could do things that would make us shit in our pants." Jobs grunted.

After another pause, Tim moved on to the issue of service, determined to move ahead despite the punches coming at him. Within two sentences, Jobs was on him again. Tim put up his next slide, about the new plant, but again Jobs came at him with a flurry of half-insolent questions. Where are you building a plant? Why are you building a plant? Why are you manufacturing the machine yourselves?

Partly, explained Tim, because giving our code to someone else would be a great risk. Not a good reason, in Jobs's view, because the code could easily be reverse-engineered. No it couldn't, said Tim. Could, said Jobs. He added that Tim should be spending money and management time on other things, especially since there was no way he could convince any world-class manufacturing and procurement people to move to New Hampshire, for God's sake, his tone implying that only slow-witted rubes could bear such a place. Dean lifted an eyebrow.

"We have an adequate staff", said Tim defensively, but it sounded as weak as the adjective. Tim had lost control of the meeting. That was probably Doerr's plan all along. Dean sat silently, offering no help or defense as Jobs rampaged through Tim's presentation.

Brian Toohey spoke next, on the regulatory obstacles Ginger would face and how he intended to overcome them. Brian was a big, burly man who knew how to boom his voice, which may explain why he got two minutes into his spiel before Jobs began interrupting. Doerr suggested that instead of going through each slide, everyone should "take a study hall and read the deck" that Brian had handed out, then ask questions. Bezos had already read it, so he started chatting quietly (for him) with Dean.

"Jeff, have you read the entire deck?" said Doerr in a schoolmaster's voice.

"Yes, John, I have," said Bezos, amused.

When the study hall ended, Bezos held up Brian's handout. "I think this plan is dead on arrival," he said. "The U.S.A. is too hostile." The "car guys" were going to lobby against Ginger and they were going to win.

"No they're not," said Brian, smiling.

Bezos suggested starting slow, using one city or country as an experimental station. Once Ginger's benefits were clear, the company would have a wedge to pound into U.S. regulations. The perfect place to begin, thought Bezos, was Singapore. "You only have to convince one guy, the philosopher king, and then you have four million people to test it."

Vern Loucks, who had been quietly watching the fireworks up to this point, said, "You mean Gob Click Tong. He's not a king, he's the prime minister. I can get us in to see him if we want to do that," he added.

Michael Schmertzler hadn't said much. Now he asked when they should instigate a strategic leak to arouse interest in the product.

But Jobs was still shaking his head at Bezos's suggestion. Because of the Internet, he said, slow was no longer possible. People would learn about Ginger in a flash of bits and bytes, and would want one now. So a small launch in a foreign place was foolish, because if the machine was unavailable in the United States, the company would blow its chance for $100 million of free publicity in its biggest market. Plus, Singapore was a nest of pirates, and the company would end up spending a fortune fighting them. If the company wanted a slow, controlled launch, better to start on a handful of U.S. college campuses.

"If you show this to Hennessy," Jobs said to Doerr, referring to John L. Hennessy, president of Stanford University and a world-class engineer, "he'll shit in his pants." Evidently Hennessy did that more readily than Jobs did. "And if you offer to give him a hundred of them if he'll run a safety study and a usage study, that's a done deal in ten minutes," continued Jobs. "You do that at ten colleges and maybe at Disney, so people can see them but not buy them."

But he warned that even this sort of slow launch was filled with dangers. If one stupid kid at Stanford hurt himself using a Ginger and then announced online that the machine sucked, the company was sunk, because there was no way to control that or counter it if people couldn't ride one for themselves. With a big fast launch, on the other hand, a few malcontents wouldn't be heard above the general hoopla. "I understand the appeal of a slow burn," he concluded, "but personally I'm a big-bang guy." For the first time that day he smiled. "The risk with a fast burn," he continued, "is that it exposes you to your enemies. You're going to need a lot of money to fight thieves."

"We have a few things they can't get," said Dean. "Specialty components with only one source."

"They'll figure out a way around that," said Jobs.

"I've spent nine years looking," said Dean, "and I don't think so."

"I think the emphasis of this conversation is wrong," said Bezos. "You have a product so revolutionary, you'll have no problem selling it. The question is, are people going to be allowed to use it?"

Jobs said he lived seven minutes from a grocery and wasn't sure he would use Ginger to get there. Bezos agreed. Schmertzler wondered if it might be wiser to start with commercial sales. Bezos liked the ideait was safer and could give the business a solid foundation for growth.

By then it was 10:30. Bezos and Jobs had to leave. As they stood, Dean rose too. He had been almost silent, listening to Jobs like everyone else. Now he thanked Jobs and Bezos for coming. "This is the most energetic discussion we've ever had," he said, "and like all good energetic discussions it leaves you with more questions than answers, and leaves you questioning everything you thought you knew." He paused. "And that's good."
The widow of the gunman in the Orlando nightclub massacre appeared in an Oakland courtroom on Tuesday to face federal counts for her alleged role in the attack  charges that could send her to prison for life if she is convicted.

Noor Salman, 30, was arrested the day before at her home in Rodeo after being indicted Thursday by a grand jury in Orlando on charges of providing material support to a terrorist organization and obstruction of justice.

The gunman, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, died June 12 in a shootout with police after a three-hour standoff inside the Pulse nightclub, where he killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

But Salmans uncle, Al Salman, vigorously defended his niece after Tuesdays brief court appearance, saying the woman had no idea her husband would carry out such a violent attack.

She didnt know what was going on, the uncle said, while being swarmed by reporters and television cameras. The only thing in her life is she wants to raise up her son. If she knew about what that crazy guy was going to do, she wouldnt be here. She would take her son and run away from him.

Moments earlier, Salman looked sullen, wearing a yellow T-shirt and gray sweatpants as she stood in front of Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu during the morning appearance in Oakland federal court.

She spoke softly, answering that she understood the two charges before she was returned to the custody of U.S. marshals and held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. An arraignment and arguments on the terms of her detention were put off until Wednesday.

Charles Swift, director of the Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America, has acted as Salmans attorney and was en route to Oakland from out of state on Tuesday morning. A federal public defender stood in as her counsel during the hearing.

Prosecutors allege Salman was involved in the plot as early as April, and knowingly helped her husband provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, according to the indictment unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Florida.

Mateen had declared allegiance to the Islamic State before he was shot and killed by police. Federal authorities did not elaborate on specifics of how the shooters widow was allegedly involved in the attack.

The case will later move to U.S. District Court in Orlando, where Salman is charged.

She is also charged with obstruction of justice after prosecutors say she engaged in misleading conduct when interviewed by police and FBI agents in Florida.

Investigators interviewed her on numerous occasions in the days after the mass shooting, during which time she knowingly misled them about information related to the attack, according to the indictment.

In the days after the killings, Salman had told investigators that she had driven Mateen to the nightclub at some point before and was with him when he bought ammunition before the shooting spree, several media outlets reported, citing anonymous senior law enforcement officials.

Her uncle, having seen the reports, attempted to clarify some of the details on Tuesday. He said his niece and Mateen had gone to a Walmart store in Florida, and while the husband went to purchase ammunition, Salman and her son went to the stores toy section.

Hes a security guard, and he had weapons, he said.

Salman married Mateen in the Bay Area in 2011 and the two later moved to Fort Pierce, Fla., and had a son.

While working as a security guard, Mateen was investigated by the FBI and was briefly placed on a terrorist watch list, while authorities looked into statements he made to co-workers about having a family connection to terrorist organizations.

Federal authorities, though, took him off the watch list in 2014 after the investigation ended without charges.

On the night of the massacre, Salman grew concerned after her husband failed to return home, so she called his cell phone, her uncle said.

He said, Dont you see the news, Al Salman said, describing his nieces conversation with Mateen that night. She told him no. He said, I love you, babe. Thats all she knows.

Family members at Salmans Rodeo home, where she lives with her sick mother, did not comment to reporters after her arrest Monday. Salmans child is being cared for by family members.

I know that justice will prevail, and its going to show that she is innocent, Al Salman said. Shes a very soft, sweet girl. I know shes innocent. I raised her.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Last week, the Helena School District Board of Trustees voted to begin revitalizing our school system with the building of three new elementary schools at the Bryant, Jim Darcy and Central sites and providing extensive safety, security and technology updates to all of our K-8 schools.

All of our schools are old and increasingly inadequate. These will be the first major investments in our schools in more than 30 years. This bond will relieve overcrowding in the valley, replace the deteriorating facility at Bryant and bring kids back to their downtown home in the Central School neighborhood.

The decision of how to begin addressing our facilities was not an easy one. The seven of us, who serve as trustees, have not agreed on everything. But we all agree that we need to do whats best for all 8,000 children in our district and that this plan provides the best path forward.

We simply do not have the community resources to immediately renovate all 17 of our schools, the youngest of which dates from the 1970s. But all seven of us, along with our Superintendent, Jack Copps, agree that this is a vital first step. Replacing these three elementary schools makes sense.

Jim Darcy is a cheaply constructed facility that was built for a maximum capacity of 270 students. Today, due to growth in the Helena valley, Jim Darcy educates over 400 students many of whom are learning in temporary modulars.

Bryant school serves our highest population of free and reduced lunch students and, according to engineering reports, is our most fragile decaying facility. We simply cannot continue to place our most vulnerable population in our least habitable school. Bryant kids deserve a great school that will anchor the Sixth Ward.

Central School was shuttered following a March 2013 walk through by Beaudette Consulting Engineers, a leader in the assessment of historic buildings. After a three-year exile, students and families are eager to return to their neighborhood.

Replacement of Central with a state-of-the-art structure will finally bring kids back to the site where Helena students have learned for more than a century. The boarded-up building, now attracting graffiti and vandalism, will instead become a center of life and family activity -- a school the downtown area can be proud of.

The existing school is the second school on that site; the original was demolished to meet the instructional needs of the 1920s.

Because we neglected to invest in infrastructure for far too many years, determining where to begin has been a struggle for the community. Weve had numerous engineering and demographic studies, scores of community meetings attended by hundreds of people and various proposals for how to begin. Weve assessed in detail the needs of our schools, so that the bond will address the greatest needs first.

This bond will preserve neighborhood schools and cost less than the bond the community rejected two years ago. The board heard the message of those voters, some of whom voted against a school bond for the first time in their lives.

The poor condition of our schools is indisputable. Every year we delay, the worse the schools become. Without action, its only a matter of time before another school has a major expensive repair or becomes completely inoperative, forcing another neighborhood full of kids to find space elsewhere and leaving another site in limbo.

The time is now. The vote is May 2nd. Lets turn out and vote for our children and Helenas future. Our kids and our neighborhoods deserve it.

Helena School District Trustees Aidan Myhre, Sarah Sullivan, Libby Goldes, Cherche Prezeau, Tyler Emmert, Terry Beaver and Sanjay Talwani
I am excited for Helena schools. The school board voted to place before the voters a bond issue that would fund the replacement of three elementary schools and make improvements to the others. An important issue that the board dealt with was whether to restore or replace Central School. With good reasons the board chose to replace Central.

I attended several meetings regarding the options for Central. The historical preservation advocates made some compelling arguments to restore the building. However their arguments could not overcome the information presented at the January 10 board meeting. Engineering and construction professionals indicated that restoration is more expensive, takes longer, involves more compromises in design and functionality and presents more risks with time and budget because of the unknowns that will be encountered.

Building new is easier. There is more opportunity to design a school that will meet all objectives that a building must have to provide a quality education and serve the community. I am confident that todays architects can design an attractive building that can show some of our past, our future and compliment surrounding neighborhoods.

Let us accept the boards decision and not be distracted by continuing the restore/replace discussion. Energy is better spent on convincing a majority of voters to accept the proposed bond in the May election.

John H. McEwen

Helena
PureView Health Center is providing medical services to Lewis and Clark County detention center inmates after the previous provider canceled its contract.

PureView began offering services on Jan. 5 after county officials were given a 30-day notice of termination of services by the previous provider, Benefis Spectrum Medical Inc., said Jill Steeley, PureViews executive director.

Keri Garman, communications manager for Benefis Health Systems, said Benefis Spectrum was discontinuing medical services for correctional facilities.

According to a Dec. 8 news release from Terry Preite, president of Benefis Spectrum Medical and Regional Relationships, the company had been providing health care at correctional facilities across Montana for several years.

We made a strategic decision to exit from the provision of correctional medicine due to the increasing litigious behavior of the inmates and the inordinate time and effort it takes to defend the claims, including those that are completely without basis, the news release stated.

Over the next 30-90 days, our care in correctional facilities will be phased out.

During meetings with employees at the facilities where Benefis Spectrum provided services, employees were advised of the decision and offered alternative employment opportunities, the news release stated.

Two of the three staff people employed by Benefis Spectrum at the Lewis and Clark County detention center accepted employment with PureView, Steeley said.

Prior to Benefis Spectrum providing care to inmates, the detention center had its own nurse who served inmates, said Eric Bryson, the countys chief administrative officer.

Since 2011 or 2012 Bryson had been working with the health center -- it was rebranded PureView in 2016 -- on it providing detention medical services.

Steeley and the PureView staff had considered the detention center contract when it was up for renewal last year but were unable to bid on it.

A provision of federal law that limits liability and provides legal defense for the health center does not apply to medical services provided at detention facilities, Bryson said.

When the county was notified that Benefis Spectrum would be terminating its contract, the county purchased a $12,500 insurance policy on behalf of PureView so it could become the detention centers medical provider, he added.

Facilities like PureView provide care to people who are under-served such as those who are now incarcerated in the countys detention center, Bryson said.

PureView has a close relationship with the county, which provides an array of internal services for the organization. The organization is managed by its board even though its employees are county employees.

The move to provide detention center medical services comes less than seven months after PureView began providing health care to county employees.

While the contract between the county and Benefis Spectrum called for a payment of $256,985, Bryson said, the contract with PureView will be for the cost of actual services.

PureView will continue to face the same challenges serving inmates at the detention center as did its predecessor.

The space in the jail for health care is inadequate and makes providing services difficult and sometimes dangerous for our staff, Steeley said.

Medical staff may wait for hours for a detention officer to be available to transport an inmate to a closet off of the library where services are provided, she added.

A detention shift will have three officers working, Sheriff Leo Dutton said of the staffing that may be available to manage perhaps 105 or 110 inmates each day.

And for medical providers to reach the room where they will see inmates, they are typically stepping over four to five inmates who are asleep on the floor of the library, Steeley said.

The use of the library floor for inmate sleeping space is a result of overcrowding at the detention center. While the facility opened in 1985 with 54 beds, additional beds increased the capacity to 80 although the facility routinely houses some 100 or more inmates.

Overflow capacity is housed in jails in other counties where the county has contracted for space.

The medical service for inmates in jail is not a luxury, Bryson said and explained the county is required to provide it.

Its one of the biggest liabilities for counties operating detention centers, he added.

PureView will provide basic medical care, Steeley said, through a physicians assistant who will be there 16 hours a week doing examinations, assessments and meeting related needs.

Two nurses will also be assigned to the detention center to provide seven-day-a-week coverage for medication management and assessing inmate health concerns and issues.

While one nurse has already been assigned to the detention center, PureView is seeking a second nurse for duty there, Steeley said. Dr. Will Snider will be the supervising physician.

PureView already provides dental care to inmates although they are transferred across town to the health centers offices in the Michael A. Murray building on 11th Avenue for services.

All inmates who are incarcerated 14 days receive a medical assessment as does anyone who needs or requests care, Steeley noted.

A coordinator, hired by PureView through the Affordable Care Act, meets with inmates to enroll them in Medicaid, a federal-state program that provides health care for people with low incomes as well as those who are needy, aged, blind or disabled.

While Medicaid benefits are suspended for those who are incarcerated, enrollment allows inmates to receive medical care through the program upon release, Steeley said.
Nearly every state in the country has banned the use of cellphones while driving to some extent, but not Montana. In fact, one legislator wants to take the state even further in the opposite direction.

On Tuesday, Rep. Jeremy Trebas, R-Great Falls, introduced a bill that would prohibit local governments from creating cellphone or texting bans. The measure would nullify ordinances enacted in numerous Montana cities, including Billings, Missoula, Great Falls and Helena.

I know unbanning an activity that is dangerous makes people uncomfortable, Trebas said. I understand that being distracted while driving is dangerous. We are picking one small area of distracted driving and saying its the worst form.

His main argument was that research has not yet shown bans to be effective in reducing collision rates, although he admitted distracted driving does increase the likelihood of a wreck and the bans have been shown to reduce cellphone use while driving.

The Montana League of Cities and Towns, State Farm Insurance, Montana Medical Association and public health experts opposed the bill. They argued bans are effective in reducing the dangerous behavior. Cities also argued that the bill would infringe on their right to local control and residents should be able to make decisions about their own communities without state interference.

Were talking about local authority and local control, Ed Bartlett, a lobbyist for Billings, said. We do believe it has had an impact.

Studies completed since the first ban in 2001 have generally concluded bans have no effect on crash rates, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health, National Safety Council, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Some of those researchers have cautioned the available crash and insurance data might not accurately reflect the true incident rates because nothing at a wreck scene confirms whether a driver was using a phone and people are unlikely to offer up that information freely to police or insurance adjusters, especially if its illegal activity. Some studies using insurance data focus on low-speed, low-severity crashes, where researchers say changes in crash rates from distracted driving should be easiest to spot.

The first laws targeted phone calls made while driving. More recent laws focus on texting while driving. The research is clear that using cellphones, whether to make a call or to text, impairs drivers ability to pay attention. For instance, federal statistics show texting makes a driver 23 times more likely to crash. Research also shows that bans decrease the number of people who use their phones while driving and how frequently drivers do so.

So far, studies have not shown bans to decrease the number of crashes caused by drivers distracted by cellphones.

"Drivers are distracted by a lot of things," said Russ Rader from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "The research we've done suggests that when they're not on the phone, they do other distracting things. Things like talking to passengers, scolding the kids at the wrong time, eating, drinking coffee. Singling out one very visible distraction and banning it doesn't address the whole problem. Even though you may get a substantial number of drivers to put down their phones, it doesn't seem to affect crash risk."

Thats why, Trebas said, Montana should stop cities from creating bans.

Bad drivers are still going to be bad drivers, he said. We have to find a way to talk to them to change their behavior besides telling them not to do it.

He suggested public and behavioral health experts should take the lead and find effective ways to communicate the safety hazards of distracted driving.

Assistant City Attorney for Great Falls Joseph Cik presented an alternative reason for the inconclusive studies: Cities are still learning which types of penalties are most effective, especially as drivers cellphone habits have changed in recent years.

Recently, the city of Great Falls saw a dramatic increase in the number of tickets handed out in violation of our cellphone ordinance. More than 1,200 tickets a year (in 2016), almost triple the speeding violations handed out, he said.

The fines first approved in 2012 did not seem to be working to deter the behavior. Cik said officers were sometimes told by drivers it was just the cost of doing business, implying they would not stop. As a result, the city council decided in November to change the penalties, increasing the fines and adding community service, loss of plates and loss of license as possibilities for subsequent offenses. Cik said Trebas was the only person to testify against the changes.

While it may be understandable that a statewide ban might be unreasonable given that Montana is a vastly rural state, cities like Great Falls, Billings and Bozeman should be able to regulate their public safety needs, Cik said.

Great Falls Commissioner Bill Bronson said that cellphone bans are a more exact tool to combat this particular form of distracted driving. As written, current careless driving laws leave room for offenders to argue their cellphone use wasnt distracting and because the offense affects insurance rates drivers are more likely to fight it in court. He compared cellphone bans to drunk driving laws, noting they do not stop the behavior entirely but send a clear message.

Its OK to have a social drink once in a while. Its not OK to drink and drive, he said. We have very strong laws against drinking and driving. Do people still drink and drive? Absolutely. Have we been able to stop them from drinking and driving? Obviously, we have not. But we still hold that to be inappropriate behavior and we punish it.

Rep. Laurie Bishop, D-Livingston, echoed public health experts and worried that reversing bans would actually encourage more distracted driving, especially among teens who might see it as proof that texting and driving is not actually risky.

Several Republican members of the committee asked Great Falls representatives pointed questions about how much money the city makes in fines from their cellphone ban. Cik said he did not have the figures on hand and they would not capture the new fine structure, which he hoped will be better at reducing usage.

Frankly, were hoping our revenue is less under the new ordinance than it was before, he said. The idea is to deter people from this specific type of activity, not just cite them and fine them.

No action was taken on the bill Tuesday.
A proposal to create a long-term funding source for infrastructure projects introduced Tuesday is, by and large, not a new proposal, nor are the potential snags unknown.

Senate Bill 88 would divert some interest earned from the Coal Severance Tax Trust fund into a new Build Montana sub-trust, a proposal pitched by Gov. Steve Bullock in his recent re-election campaign. It would take an estimated five years for the fund to accrue a $50 million principal, the trigger to allow interest to pay for infrastructure projects. The strategy was first used in 1996 to establish the Treasure State Endowment Program, which pays for some local water, sewer and bridge projects. The fund diversion to build that program ended last year. In essence, the bill introduced this session would redirect the same money that had been used to build that program to establish a new one for other types of infrastructure projects.

This is the first of several steps forward to create an infrastructure program for the long term, the bills sponsor, Sen. Jon Sesso, D-Butte, told the Senate Finance and Claims Committee. As we all know, the current needs are not going to be met, with or without bonding. We need to establish as a Legislature another fund for us to use to fulfill those needs throughout the state, be they water, sewer, roads, school projects or the like. There are many projects and simply not enough money.

In recent years, several bills to fund infrastructure projects failed to pass the Legislature or were vetoed by Bullock, including a Republican bill similar to Sessos proposal. State leaders disagreed on which types of projects should be priorities, what source of funding should be used and whether the state should go into debt to pay for them.

Those same debates remain this session as legislators consider a slew of proposals to fund projects immediately as well as identify ongoing funding to reduce the states backlog of unmet need in future years. The introduction of SB 88 marked the start of those discussions.

Chairman Sen. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, said the Finance and Claims Committee would wait to vote on SB 88 until other infrastructure proposals have been heard. That way, he said legislators can better discuss how to put the pieces together without overlooking any particular type of project.

Dan Villa, the governors budget director, said he supports SB 88, but warned against busting the trust by capping the permanent fund as some Republicans had previously proposed.

You will find significant opposition from this administration, he said.

Villa also cautioned that diverting coal trust revenues as described in SB 88 will have ripple effects in the state budget, such as slowing growth of or shrinking the permanent trust. Other bills have proposed the same kind of diversion for other uses that will contribute to the big picture he urged legislators to consider.

The Montana Infrastructure Coalition also supports the bill. The group of cities, counties, contractors, economic developers and others formed after the 2015 failure to pass any infrastructure funding billings.

Our sole concern would be the immediate availability of funds, Executive Director Darryl James said, acknowledging other bills might support projects more quickly.

No one spoke in opposition to the bill.
Hlne Alline/ Sens Unique

For their second show, which has a work in progress showing this weekend as part of Kinetic Arts Centers artist-in-residence program, the French circus troupe A Sens Unique was inspired by the tour of its first show, Leger demele. And by Freud.

Working and traveling together for five or six years was such an intense experience, says collective member Aviva Rose-Williams, that the group thought of Freuds notion of the Hedgehogs Dilemma, which gives the new show its title. The idea is that no matter how close (humans) get, she says, there are little pins in between, in the way.
Joyce Goldschmid/Palo Alto Players

One of my favorite moments from Hannah and Her Sisters is when Woody Allens character, entering a movie theater, says, I just needed a moment to gather my thoughts and be logical and put the world back into rational perspective.

Cut to: a scene from the Marx Brothers Duck Soup, when Groucho et al. hit mallets upon marching soldiers helmets as if theyre xylophone keys.
Since the presidential election, several members of the House have spoken out publicly on their decision not to attend Donald Trump's inauguration. The investigation of Russian involvement in the election and Trump's recent feud with civil rights icon John Lewis have played a vital role in many of the decisions.

Unfortunately for the Trump team, this is not the first time bad news has surrounded the upcoming inauguration.
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If a property occupant died in the home, the property owner no longer has to disclose that fact if the death occurred more than three years from the time an offer to purchase is made.

It's now easier to build a "guest house," "in-law unit," or "granny unit," which are types of second units now being called Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). These unit have specific requirement changes for square footage, parking, setbacks, and zoning.

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MAIDUGURI, Nigeria  A Nigerian air force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp on Tuesday, killing more than 100 refugees and aid workers, a Borno state official said.

The state government official, who was helping to coordinate the evacuation of wounded from the remote area by helicopters, spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed the accidental bombardment in northeast Rann, near the border with Cameroon, saying some civilians were killed.

It was believed to be the first time Nigerias military has admitted to making such a mistake.

The International Committee for the Red Cross said six staff members and volunteers with the Nigerian Red Cross were among the dead and 13 were wounded. They were part of a team that had brought in desperately needed food for over 25,000 displaced persons, said spokesman Jason Straziuso.

Two soldiers were also wounded as well as Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders, Irabor said.

Doctors Without Borders said its team based in Rann had counted 50 bodies and treated 120 wounded. A statement from spokesman Etienne lHermitte in Geneva urged authorities to facilitate cross-border land and air evacuations. Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients, the statement said.

Irabor said he ordered the mission based on information that Boko Haram insurgents were gathering in the area, along with geographic coordinates. It was too early to say if a tactical error was made, he said.

The general, who is the theater commander for counterinsurgency operations in northeast Nigeria, said the air force would not deliberately target civilians, but there will be an investigation.

Boko Harams 7-year-old Islamic uprising has killed more than 20,000 people and forced 2.6 million from their homes, creating the continents worst humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning that 5.1 million people face starvation.

Haruna Umar and Bashir Adigun are Associated Press writers.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands  Ukraine has filed a case against Russia at the United Nations highest court, accusing Moscow of illegally annexing Crimea and illicitly funding separatist rebel groups in eastern Ukraine.

Kiev also is seeking compensation for deadly incidents including the 2014 shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. An international criminal probe concluded last year that a missile that destroyed the Malaysian passenger jet over Ukraine in 2014 and killed all 298 people aboard was fired from rebel-controlled territory by a mobile launcher trucked in from Russia and hastily returned there.

In the case announced Tuesday by the International Court of Justice, Ukraine accused Moscow of intervening militarily in Ukraine, financing acts of terrorism, and violating the human rights of millions of Ukraines citizens.

Kiev further alleged that Moscows takeover of Crimea brazenly defied the U.N. Charter, seizing a part of Ukraines sovereign territory by military force. No date was immediately announced for hearings in the case, which is likely to take many months to complete.

Fighting between Ukrainian government troops and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 9,600 people in eastern Ukraine since it began in 2014. Both Ukraine and the separatists are party to a truce under which both should cease fire and stop advancing.

Russia has been in control of Crimea since it annexed the Crimean peninsula in March 2014 after a hastily called referendum.

From the time the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine began in April 2014, the Ukrainian government referred to Russian interference as terrorism.

Ukraine has accused Russia of financing separatist rebels in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions as well as sending Russian troops there. The Kremlin has denied the accusations, although President Vladimir Putin said in October Russia had to defend Ukraines Russian-speaking population.

Moscow denounced the findings of the Dutch-led inquiry as biased and politically motivated.

Ukraine also asked the Hague-based world court to order interim measures while the case is going on, including ordering Moscow to halt the transfer of funds and arms to separatist rebels in Ukraine and to stop its persecution of ethnic Tartars in Crimea.

Rulings by the court are final and legally binding.

Mike Corder is an Associated Press writer.
BILLINGS  Donald Trump becomes president of the United States on Friday and Helena native Mark Fisher plans to be there.

Fisher is bringing a camera, a heavy coat and quite possibly a stopper, which will play a part in Fishers photos essay about draining the swamp, a play on Trumps promise to upend DC politics.

Were going to support a change in the government, Fisher told The Gazette. Were going to help drain the swamp.

Fisher scored tickets to the inauguration through U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont. Fisher moved to Florida a few years back. Hell be meeting up with his daughter, Amy, who is traveling from Helena.

Amy scored the tickets, Fisher said. Once a staffer for former Republican Montana Sen. Conrad Burns, Amy still has a few connections, which she called upon.

Members of the House and Senate collectively distribute about 250,000 tickets. Daines told The Gazette in December that ticket interest among Montanans was pretty strong. Montanas lone Congressman Ryan Zinke, reported the same. Zinke could be leading the Department of Interior on inauguration day, having been confirmed by the Senate earlier in the week.

Democrat Jon Tester, Montanas senior senator, still had tickets Friday when he was visiting Billings. Tester offered his wifes seat to one woman who said she was traveling to DC, not for the inauguration, but for the womens march the following day in protest of Trumps presidency.

The seat was 16 rows up from the swearing in, said Tester, who will be at Trump's swearing in but will skip the parade, at which he said nearly froze to death in 2008.

Daines was the easy source for last-minute tickets in 2013. He offered tickets within plain viewing distance to one Billings family who contacted him one week before President Barack Obamas second inauguration.

Initial estimates put the inauguration attendance a 600,000 to 800,000 people, roughly the same size as Obamas second inauguration. Obamas first was a record setting 1.8 million. The Washington, D.C., Transportation and Tourism Department, which has posted crowd estimates in the past, hasnt this year.

Joining Fisher on the West Lawn of the Capital will be 11 teens from 4-H groups in Montana. Chaperone Chris Skorupa said 4-H has its own lodging for attendees in D.C. and is will cover most of the costs for students, who will spend the entire week leading up to inauguration in the capital. Each teen will have to pay $1,500.

The Gazette will be posting photos and tweets from the 4-H crew throughout the week.

Really, tell me how many times have you heard of a 4-H delegation of kids going to the inauguration, Skorupa said. I dont know if its happened before.

Theres a full slate of things to do for the 4-H crew, Skorupa said. Daines has invited the group and all Montana visitors to an open house for Montana visitors the day before the inauguration. Stellas diner and bakery in Billings is shipping sweet rolls baked fresh for the occasion.

The Montana State Society hosts a bipartisan Best of the West Inaugural Ball the Saturday after the inauguration. Tickets are $100.
Soured diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Israel aren't expected to derail increasingly cosy business dealings between firms in the two nations.

Contact between the nations' official emissaries was put on ice when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recalled ambassador Itzhak Gerberg in December and blocked New Zealand's envoy from travelling to the Middle East nation after the Christmas Eve vote on the UN Security Council resolution that Israeli settlements violated international law and undermined a two-state solution.

The diplomatic breakdown came in a year when commercial relationships appeared to be deepening, with a film co-production agreement signed in 2016 and the nations on the verge of completing an innovation deal for joint research and development. Israeli embassy staff have said those initiatives are still going ahead, and New Zealand Jewish Council spokeswoman Juliet Moses expects the diplomatic issues will be short-lived and won't impede commercial ties.

"The UNSC resolution and the New Zealand government's role in promoting it shouldn't, in and of itself, negatively impact existing commercial ties between the two countries," Moses said in an email. "These commercial ties have grown steadily over recent years and the 56-strong delegation of Kiwi business professionals led by Simon Moutter last year reported back that there are tremendous opportunities to be gained for Kiwi companies that are doing business with Israeli companies."

University of Otago international relations professor Robert Patman says any ill-will would be short-lived, with New Zealand enjoying good relations across the entire Middle East.

"I think New Zealand has gone out of its way to be constructive and friendly towards Israel, and I think the relations between the two countries in bilateral terms is quite good and I dont see this being a long-term problem," Patman told BusinessDesk. "New Zealand has tried to balance its deepening friendship with Israel on the one hand, with, on the other hand, its deepening friendship with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council in particular and also with Iran."

Patman said officials would have seen the UNSC resolution as in line with their long-held policy objectives and as trying to bring forward the peace process which New Zealand "would see in the long run is in the political, economic and strategic interests of all concerned" rather than for any trade benefit.

University of Auckland international relations associate professor Steve Hoadley said New Zealand has tended to build long-term relations with its partners and while the vote wouldn't have hurt its trade ambitions, making "dramatic gestures is simply not New Zealand's style".

Qatar's ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Nasser Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, welcomed New Zealand's sponsorship and support of the resolution, saying Qatar, "highly appreciates New Zealand's courageous and principled stance".

Negotiations for a free trade agreement with Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, who collectively make up the Gulf Cooperation Council, concluded in 2009, although a final signing of a deal has been delayed by concerns over the way a major Saudi investor was treated when New Zealand blocked exports of sheep for slaughter. Trade Minister Todd McClay has been visiting Kuwait and the UAE to press for a conclusion to the deal, continuing the regular trips New Zealand ministers have made to the region in recent years.

Slumping oil prices reduced the value of two-way trade between New Zealand and Middle East nations over the past two years, although New Zealand's trade deficit shrank to just $110 million in the year ended June 30, 2016, from $2.42 billion in 2013. New Zealand exported goods worth $1.96 billion to the Middle East in 2016, including $26.2 million of products to Israel. On the import side, New Zealand bought $2.07 billion of goods, of which $115.5 million came from Israel.

Auckland businessman Martyn Levy said there were a number of delegations preparing to go to Israel this year after the trip in 2016 that has since led to several deals being closed as a result of the visit.

"Given Israeli companies' significant successes and experience in the commercialisation of technologies and in growing and exiting businesses and in raising venture capital, Israel represents a great commercialisation pathway for NZ companies seeking to commercialise technologies on the global stage," Levy said. "A number of delegations to Israel are already scheduled for 2017 to progress existing opportunities and also establish new relationships and gain ideas in emerging and critical market verticals, where Israel is a leading global player."

While Israel holds opportunities for burgeoning high-tech firms, Otago University's Patman sees New Zealand's trading relationship with the wider Middle East as a "nice fit".

"Many of these countries are rich in oil and gas, particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, but they actually lack farmland for food production, and therefore they have a high demand for imported food and drinks - New Zealand's highly regarded meat and dairy export go towards meeting those demands," Patman said.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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Postr Media, an ad-tech company which has contracts with Skinny Mobile and Optus in Australia, has raised $3 million from investors including the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund in its first significant raising.

The company builds branded white-label apps, where users hire out their Android lock screens for advertising in return for mobile data or airtime from major mobile carriers. In 2016, it created Skinny's first white-label app, Skinny Collect, and developed an app for pre-paid Optus customers. There have been more than 60,000 downloads of Postr's Skinny Collect app and its own direct-to-consumer app, the company says.

Postr had previously raised $600,000 in early seed funding in mid-2015, on top of $200,000 raised from family and friends when it was founded in 2014. The latest capital raising was well-supported by previous investors though more than half of the $3 million raised is from new investors, founder and chief executive Milan Reinartz said. The investment was led by private investors in Singapore, with others including NZVIF, Warehouse founder Stephen Tindalls investment vehicle K1W1, Gunung Sewu Group from Indonesia, and senior leadership from PayPal in the US.

NZVIF Investments now owns 8.7 percent of Postr, with Angel HQ's nominee holding 11.1 percent while Ice Angel's nominee has a 7.7 percent stake, according to Companies Office filings.

The money will be used to expand into markets in Australia and south-east Asia, though Reinartz said he wouldn't be more specific about locations due to commercial sensitivity, with a small number of major telcos in its target countries.

"Our intention has always been to eventually grow globally, with an initial focus on large developing markets in South East Asia where Android is dominating and mobile penetration growing incredibly fast," Reinartz said. "Sponsored data is a phenomenon on the rise, with mobile data being the most sought after source of connectivity. In the meantime, telco ARPUs (monthly average revenue per user) are shrinking as people are no longer willing to pay for minutes or SMS, instead using providers like Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger to make calls and send texts."

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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Microsoft New Zealand, the local unit of the world's biggest software company, is being audited by the Inland Revenue Dept over transfer pricing, a practice that can be used by multinationals to minimise tax.

The transfer pricing audit covers Microsoft NZ's accounts for the years 2013 to 2015 and comes as the IRD widens its net to require all foreign-owned firms with annual turnover of more than $30 million to submit an annual basic compliance package which details group structure, financial statements and tax reconciliations. The threshold was previously $60 million in annual sales, involving 600 taxpayer groups of which half were foreign owned and lowering the bar will add a further 300 foreign-owned companies.

A Microsoft spokesman said the company is "currently working with the IRD to complete the transfer pricing audit of the company as required, there is nothing more we can share about that at this time". He said Microsoft "complies with the law and we pay our taxes in New Zealand. We believe tax is an issue that should be addressed at the global level, but having said that, we abide by the laws in all jurisdictions in which we operate. Microsoft NZ's immediate parent is based in Luxembourg.

Last year, the department launched a number of audits of the tax arrangements of global technology firms and the NZ Herald reported at the time that an IRD briefing to Revenue Minister Michael Woodhouse said the audits were triggered by "anomalies" thrown up by close monitoring of multinationals. The briefing was from IRD manager of international revenue strategy John Nash, who told the Herald that such audits could be "fairly intense trench warfare" and would take several years to resolve.

Transfer pricing refers to the prices that divisions of a large company charge each other for goods and services and has been used by multinationals to shift profits to low-tax jurisdictions from countries with higher tax rates. Australia is among nations planning to introduce a diverted profits tax, commonly known as the "Google tax". The Guardian reported today that Australia's coalition government could impose a 40 percent penalty on profits that are artificially diverted from Australia by multinationals.

Executives at Microsoft, Google and Apple were hauled before an Australian Senate inquiry in 2015 to explain why they should be able to divert earnings to lower-cost countries.

Microsoft New Zealand says in its 2016 financial statements, released this week, that its directors and their legal advisers "believe we have adequately assessed and provided for our tax positions. The ultimate outcome of the tax audit cannot be reliably estimated at this time."

IRD's Nash wasn't immediately available. A spokesman said it was widely known that the IRD had focussed on global technology companies in recent years and pointed to the Multinational Enterprise Compliance Focus Document, a guide that sets out the requirements of the nation's tax law.

"Information gathered is closely examined based on a detailed risk assessment and any anomalies are brought up with the taxpayer for an explanation," the department says. "Audits can be triggered when Inland Revenue is not satisfied with the response and believe further investigation is required".

Microsoft NZ had net profit of $8.1 million in 2013 after paying tax of about $3.9 million, on revenue of $78.5 million. That year it got $56 million of revenue from related parties and had deposits with related parties of $28 million. It owed other members of the Microsoft group about $5.6 million. In 2014 the company paid $4.6 million of tax for a profit of $9.3 million on sales of $86.8 million. That year, revenue received from other group members rose to $60.9 million and deposits with related parties had jumped to $40.4 million.

The New Zealand unit of Microsoft chalked up another year of sales and profit growth in 2015. Sales rose to $96 million and after tax of $5.2 million was paid to IRD, profit rose to about $11 million. Some $69.5 million of revenue came from related parties and Microsoft NZ had $41.7 million of deposits with other members of the group. A note to its accounts says that all debt and advances "are interest bearing and repayable on demand."

The parent Microsoft's 2016 annual report says its effective tax rate was lower than the US federal statutory rate "primarily due to earnings taxed at lower rates in foreign jurisdictions resulting from producing and distributing our products and services through our foreign regional operations centres in Ireland, Singapore and Puerto Rico". Microsoft is in the process of settling with the US Internal Revenue Service over audits of its tax years back to 2004 and in 2012 the IRS reopened the audit for 2004 to 2006.

"As at June 30, 2016, the primary unresolved issue relates to transfer pricing, which could have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements if not favourably resolved," the company said.

Outside of the US, "our operations in certain jurisdictions remain subject to examination for tax years 1996 to 2016, some of which are currently under audit by local tax authorities," it said, adding that the outcome wasn't expected to be material.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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BILLINGS  A Yellowstone deputy county attorney resigned Tuesday Jan. 10 after being arrested over the weekend for a DUI.

Paul Chaon, 30, was arrested on Jan. 7 by a Montana Highway Patrol trooper. The trooper pulled over Chaon for speeding. Chaon took a Breathalyzer test and cooperated with the trooper's investigation.

Chaon was charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol.

On Tuesday, Chaon resigned from the Yellowstone County Attorney's Office where he has worked for three years. While Chaon's contract would not have required termination, he said he felt he needed to leave his prosecutor position with the county.

He is in a position of public trust and had not lived up to the high standards expected of prosecutors, Chaon said.

The Yellowstone County Attorney's office had no comment.

"Paul has been an excellent prosecutor," said Christopher Morris, deputy chief of criminal operations for Yellowstone County. "We wish him the best wherever he goes."

Morris moved to have Chaon's case switched to Carbon County where County Attorney Alex Nixon's office will prosecute the case. The case was set before Yellowstone County Justice of the Peace Pedro Hernandez, but Morris also moved to have the case put before Carbon County Justice of the Peace Kevin Nichols.

"At that point, we have no control over the case, that's the whole point," Morris said.

The office posted Chaon's position Wednesday. His cases are being reassigned to other prosecutors, Morris said.

Chaon is now employed with Fred Law Firm & Associates in Billings. He plans to do civil work for the most part while his case proceeds.
DECATUR  To the relief of some area residents, the city of Decatur is moving closer to beginning work on major sewer repairs across town.

The city council is expected today to consider accepting the bid of contractor SAK Construction for a rehabilitation project on Decatur's west side. The nearly $8 million project is an area identified as needing attention even before recent discussions began about meeting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements, City Manager Tim Gleason said.

After discussions with the EPA, the city is expecting at least $70 million worth of sewer work to be necessary. The council approved last month raising sewer rates beginning in May.

This is the start of what has been included in the U.S. EPA discussion, Gleason said.

Work on the west end could begin in March with completion anticipated in fall 2018, Gleason said. The bid is contingent on Illinois EPA approval.

In addition, the council will consider approving $4.8 million in construction engineering and resident inspection services for the Nelson Park combined sewer separation project.

Residents in that area are looking forward to that project moving forward, said Brad Berry, who is involved with the Nelson Park neighborhood organization. They've been waiting for repairs to be made while the sewer has at times backed up into houses, he said.

We're looking forward to hearing an update, Berry said.

Gleason said the city is coordinating with the Decatur Park District while finalizing easements in order to be mindful of changes and additions that are being made in that area. He doesn't to want pour concrete in a spot only to have to dig it up again soon after, as both sets of projects proceed.

If it stays on its projected timeline, Gleason said sewer work around Nelson Park could begin this summer and be finished in fall 2018.

The bid for the sewer work on the west side complies with minority business enterprise, or MBE, requirements, which Gleason said has been a recent point of emphasis for the city. It is hosting a minority contractor forum from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Decatur Club as it looks to increase the number of minorities included on public works projects.

All of the sealed bids for the west side project met the city's requirements. Gleason said SAK provided sufficient evidence of making a good faith effort toward including minorities as required.
DECATUR  Lee Holsapple, who served 34 years in the Macon County Sheriff's Office, including three terms as sheriff, is being remembered as an honest, hard-working man who had a tremendous influence on many law enforcement officers.

Holsapple, 80, who died Sunday morning, served six years in the Navy and two years in the Iowa National Guard before joining the sheriff's office as a deputy in 1964. He steadily earned promotions, to sergeant, then lieutenant and captain before running a successful campaign in 1986 for sheriff.

It's a loss to the sheriff's office, but also to the community as a whole, said sheriff's Lt. Tony Brown, who began working as a correctional officer in the jail in 1990. He directed and orchestrated so many careers. His impact will be felt for generations to come.

When he was asked to list his greatest strength by the Herald & Review during his first campaign, he wrote, The ability to communicate with others to achieve a common ground without using coercion or intimidation.

That was more than a campaign boast, but something that he consistently lived up to, according to those who worked with him.

Rick Bright, who worked in the sheriff's office for 30 years and remained friends with Holsapple after their retirements, said he was a personable leader who knew everybody's names and always greeted or spoke to those who he passed in the halls.

If you made an error you got your chewing out and 10 minutes later you'd be having a cup of coffee and it was never mentioned again, said Bright, who retired in 2007 with the rank of captain. He was a great leader that led by example. He taught us to respect people. He said it wasn't a job, it was a career and it took a special person to be in the career.

Holsapple ran a well-organized, no-nonsense office, while answering his own phone and responding personally to everyone who reached out to him.

Service to the public was his utmost priority, and respect for the public and respect for each other, Bright said. He loved the department with all of his heart, just as he did his family.

When Jon Butts was 22 years old in 1989, he was applying to several law enforcement agencies. It was Holsapple who saw something in him, which led to his first job as a deputy.

It's been an awesome office to work here, said Butts, who serves as administrative lieutenant in the sheriff's office. Sheriff Holsapple had all the characteristics of great leadership. He was loyal, compassionate, ethical. He ran the office like a business. We were all accountable. He understood we would make mistakes. He told us we'd learn from our mistakes.

After Holsapple promoted Butts to detective, he taught him to always follow through with the people who were affected by crime, to pick up the phone and call them.

He had compassion for crime victims and for us, Butts said.

While Holsapple was sheriff, Butts looked forward to going to work each day.

It was an office where you could be proud of working, he said, adding Holsapple made improvements such as bringing a chaplain and mental health professional into the jail. He had vision and values and was a man of faith.

Ed Culp, who served 20 years with the sheriff's office before retiring as chief deputy in 2010, said Holsapple was the reason many who served under him went on to become leaders.

He had a commanding presence, said Culp, who now serves as chief of the Decatur Park Police. He was a hands-on guy. He would step in to do an interview if need be. He would arrive at a crime scene.

Culp said other law enforcement officers who worked with Holsapple also adopted that style, including Tom Schneider, the current sheriff, and himself.

He wasn't just tied to a desk, said Culp, who was hired by Holsapple after a stint in the Marine Corps. All of us who hired under him have done well rising through the ranks. He wasn't just elected, he earned the title of sheriff.

Holsapple was a captain when Jerry Dawson was hired to work in the jail in 1977. After Holsapple took the reins, he promoted Dawson to sergeant and lieutenant. Dawson went on to serve as the sheriff from 2003 to 2008. He credits Holsapple for boosting his self-confidence, by showing confidence in him, especially by letting him run the jail when the superintendent was on vacation.

I dont remember Sheriff Holsapple ever taking vacations, said Dawson, now a Decatur city councilman. He was old school. He was always at work, always on top of what was going on. He was very dedicated to the office. He expected you to work hard, as he did himself. He led by example. The county board should forever be in his debt. He was very frugal with taxpayers' money.

When Brown was fresh out of the Army, his mother saw Holsapple coming out of a drugstore and told him her son needed a job. The sheriff called him, hired him, and later asked him to be a D.A.R.E officer, to speak to youths about drug abuse.

He helped me to get along with my career, said Brown, now head of the sheriff's investigations bureau. He gave me the opportunity to do something I loved doing.
It is a natural human tendency to want all good things to go together and all bad things to go together. Thats why we dont like hearing that Hitler built great roads and was kind to animals, or that Mahatma Gandhi could be petty and nasty. In other words, we hate hearing good things about our villains and bad things about our heroes.

This sort of thinking is downstream of tribalism. The essence of tribal thinking boils down to: The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and the friend of my enemy is my enemy.

Politics has its own kind of tribalism as well, bending facts and principles to partisan loyalties.

The clearest sign that one has given over to a kind of tribal partisanship is when someone  or whole groups of people  cannot countenance inconvenient truths.

In the 1990s, for example, feminists had laid down a series of arguments about sexual harassment. Then Bill Clinton got in trouble. Rather than maintain the principles theyd been asserting or acknowledge the facts they found regrettable, they rallied to Clintons defense. In their rush to help him, they left behind the baggage of their credibility.

Which brings me to Julian Assange and the issue of Russian hacking.

Donald Trump and many of his supporters are having a hard time acknowledging the following: Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is an avowed enemy of the United States who has openly admitted  and acted on  his animosity toward America. A onetime TV host for Russia Today, a Vladimir Putin-directed propaganda network, he is if not in the employ of Russia than objectively in service to it.

The government of Russia, through surrogates and proxies, meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, much as it has done in numerous other countries. The Russians used WikiLeaks as a very effective tool for their mischief. That mischief probably had some effect on how the election played out. Russia, under Putins authoritarian rule, seeks to undermine the legitimacy of American and Western democracy and to weaken NATO.

Democrats and many people in the media are having a hard time admitting the following: All of the election-related documents leaked to and by WikiLeaks have been authentic and pertain to legitimate issues for news organizations to explore. Much of the evidence for Russias meddling may in fact be circumstantial or hard to prove unequivocally.

The appointed leadership of the U.S. intelligence community, under Barack Obama in particular, has been politicizing intelligence (downplaying ISIS and Islamic terrorism generally, hyping the extent of al-Qaidas degradation, soft-peddling Irans intentions, etc.). Skepticism toward what they say on the way out the door is warranted (though perhaps not in the way Trump has expressed it). Even if Russia meddled in the election, Trump was legitimately elected.

Now, I consider all of these things to be true. But that leaves me  and many like me  in the middle of a partisan shooting war.

Trump and his subalterns have found themselves in the position of rehabilitating Assange as some kind of heroic truth-teller, because they feel it necessary for political reasons.

In 2010, Sarah Palin rightly described Assange as an anti-American operative with blood on his hands. This week, she apologized.

In 2010, with a bit of hyperbole, Newt Gingrich declared: Julian Assange is engaged in terrorism. He should be treated as an enemy combatant. This week, Gingrich told Sean Hannity (one of Assanges most prominent fans these days) that Assange is a down-to-earth, straightforward interviewee.

In 2010, Michael Moore put up $20,000 for Assanges bail  hed been charged with rape in Sweden  because there is a concerted attempt to stop  anybody that is trying to do the job of telling us the truth. Now, Moore says Trump has no right to be president because of Russias use of WikiLeaks truth-telling.

The Huffington Post was initially enthralled by WikiLeaks, running pieces with such headlines as Let Us Now Praise WikiLeaks. Now, the Huffington Posts hyperventilating threatens to suck the oxygen out of the atmosphere.

Of course, people are allowed to change their minds when new facts present themselves. But those facts should be relevant.

The problem is that the most pertinent facts  about Assange, Russia, etc.  have not changed. The only truly relevant new fact is that Assange is a useful tool for Republicans, and all other facts must be bent  on the left and right  to fit that new reality.
NEW DELHI: Artificial intelligence (AI) will play fundamental role in the success of an organisation's strategy but stringent ethical standards are also needed to ensure the success of the new technology, a report by Infosys today said.



The report said organisations that have already deployed or have plans to deploy AI technologies expect to see a 39 per cent increase on an average in their revenues by 2020, alongside a 37 per cent reduction in costs.



Also, companies in India and China are much more likely to state that they are ahead of industry competitors when it comes to AI use, followed by Germany, the US, the UK, France, it added.



About 76 pct respondents cited AI as fundamental to the success of their organisation's strategy, and 64 pct said future growth of the company is dependent on large-scale AI adoption.



The report also highlighted the ethical and job related concerns with 62 per cent respondents saying stringent ethical standards are needed to ensure the success of AI.



"However, most respondents seem optimistic about redeploying displaced employees with higher value work. The majority, 85 per cent, plan to train employees about the benefits and use of AI," the report said.



About 80 pct of companies replacing roles with AI technologies are expected to retrain or redeploy displaced employees, it added.



The leading industries that plan to retain and retrain their workers are: fast-moving consumer goods (94 per cent); aerospace and automotive (87 per cent); energy, oil and gas (80 pc); and pharmaceutical and life sciences (78 pct).



The research revealed that AI will also lead greater investment in workforces, specifically for countries like China (95 pct), France (90 pct), Germany (89 pct), the UK (82 pct), and the US (76 pct).



The report titled 'Amplifying Human Potential: Towards Purposeful Artificial Intelligence' was commissioned by Infosys and conducted by independent research agency Vanson Bourne.



It polled 1,600 senior business decision makers at large organisations across seven markets.



AI adoption is on the rise and Infosys is excited to see the investments in AI that businesses are gradually making to derive meaningful and creative change, Infosys President and Head of Americas Sandeep Dadlani said.



"As an industry therefore, we must take necessary steps to ensure AI is developed morally and ethically across every part of society and that employees are actively engaged and provided with the necessary training to be central to this journey," he added.



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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Three deaths with ties to the borough remain under investigation with autopsy reports from the medical examiner's office pending, authorities said.

Two of the deaths involved women who authorities said died in police custody, while the other involved a 7-month-old boy reportedly admitted to the hospital unresponsive with signs of trauma.

Woman revived from overdose, dies in custody

A 34-year-old woman arrested in December was pronounced dead while being held in a jail cell at the 120th Precinct stationhouse in St. George, authorities said.

Nicole Garbellotto of Brooklyn was arrested by Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) police officers when she was found passed out behind the wheel of her car at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge toll plaza about 6 p.m. on Dec. 8, an MTA spokesman said.

A hospital spokeswoman confirmed the woman was treated and released.

TBTA officers then transported Garbellotto to the 120th Precinct stationhouse for processing on charges of DWI and operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, police said.

Infant dies with signs of trauma

Seven-month-old Dameen Mohammed was unresponsive when he arrived with his mother and grandmother Jan. 7 at NYU Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, police said.

The boy showed signs of trauma that occurred prior to being seen at the hospital, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

The child's 25-year-old mother, who lives in New Springville, crossed the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to her mother's house in Brooklyn before the two women took the baby to the hospital at about 6:45 a.m., police said.

Police and members of the Administration for Children's Services are investigating.

Woman arrested on drug charges dies at courthouse

The day after a former Staten Island woman was arrested in Manhattan, she collapsed in a holding cell.

Sabrina Ippolito, 28, formerly of Rossville, was arrested on misdemeanor drug possession charges Thursday in the 34th Precinct, which covers the northern tip of Manhattan.

She died Friday while awaiting arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, police said.

According to a source with knowledge of the investigation, she became ill while in a holding cell and was rushed to the hospital.

Ippolito may have succumbed to cardiac arrest, the source said.
Trump.jpg

Donald Trump will take the oath of office on Jan. 20 where supporters and critics will be watching. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - As Washington, D.C., prepares for hundreds of thousands of well-wishers and protestors to flood the city for President-Elect Donald Trump's inauguration, both pro-Trump and anti-Trump Staten Islanders are making plans of their own.

Trump and Vice President-Elect Mike Pence will take the oath of office at noon on Jan. 20, administered by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building.

The oath is followed by an inaugural address by Trump, a departure ceremony for President Barack Obama and his family, then the inaugural parade.

The day before, Trump and Pence will have laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery, followed by a, "Make America Great Again," welcome concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

Several inaugural balls will take place over a few days.

The day after the inauguration, about 200,000 people are expected to participate in the Women's March on Washington, originally called the Million Women March, protesting Trump's presidency.

CELEBRATING A TRUMP WHITE HOUSE

Like many others, Frank and Karen Aversa received tickets for the inauguration through Rep. Daniel Donovan's office.

The Annadale residents will attend the inauguration, as well as the New York State Society ball on Thursday evening.

"I think it's historic," Frank Aversa said. He has been to presidential conventions, but, "this is just different,'' he said. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

He's optimistic that Trump will address the lobbyist culture in Washington, D.C.

"You see these guys constantly lobbying, pushing and shoving, and somebody's always helping someone and it's not right," Aversa said.

He is a managing partner in his family business on Staten Island, Aversa Brothers Industrial Contracting and Engineering, which has struggled to pay for its employees' health insurance since the Affordable Care Act came online, seeing premiums increase significantly.

"I'd like to see him address Obamacare," Aversa said. "As a business man, I've seen this thing destroy small business. It's got a strangle on us."

Anthony Accardo is a 21-year-old college student who voted for Trump in his first-ever presidential election and is driving with his father to the inauguration.

He is planning to attend law school, is interested in law and politics and has never visited the nation's capital, so his first visit will be a special one.

"I'd love to see the transition of power," he said. "To forfeit power to someone you might not want to forfeit to is remarkable ... not a lot of countries have that opportunity."

Initially, the Tottenville resident didn't like Trump.

"Of the two candidates, I supported Trump because I think I'd rather have someone who speaks his mind and is rough around the edges than someone who will lie to your face and do the opposite behind your back," he said.

Donna Fagan, always an enthusiastic supporter of local GOP candidates and, in this case, the Republican president-elect, said, "Oh, I'm going to the inauguration, baby."

She'll work her way into a few of the balls, she hopes, setting her eyes on the New York and Texas shindigs.

"I'm fugazzi-ing a way to get in without paying $350," she said.

A friend is making her a dress out of Trump/Pence posters, "in a nice pattern," and she's hoping to wear it to the New York ball.

"Just to go to a presidential inauguration, for me, is historical," Fagan said. "This particular one, where the president-elect is from New York and someone that I've rooted for from day one, and who overcame the odds ... I just feel like I'm very honored, and, if it's possible, it makes me even more patriotic."

MARCH ON WASHINGTON

Christina Mantz's business, Christina's Day Trips, will charter buses from Staten Island for people participating in the Women's March on Washington.

They have about 100 people traveling with them, leaving early Saturday morning from All Saints Episcopal Church and returning late at night.

The march starts at the intersection of Independence Avenue and Third Street near the U.S. Capitol and is one of many marches planned during the inauguration weekend.

While Mantz is coordinating the trip, "this is political," not a business venture, she said.

For her, the march is to let the Trump administration know they're watching his moves and, "if we don't like it, we're going to let people know."

"To me this is the beginning -- I don't think this is the end," she said.

One of the many people traveling with her is Patrice Ramkissoon, an office manager and executive assistant from Randall Manor.

"It's a women's march, and the overwhelming sense is that women's health care, the parts that we need progress on are under attack again, and that is just not acceptable," she said. "We are human beings and we deserve the same rights as men."

Ramkissoon is involved with a group in the tri-state area called Organize and Action, encouraging people to get involved in the political process.

It's, "for people who feel they don't have a voice, but want to have one," she said.

Gena Mimozo is also going to the march. A Wagner College alumna, she is traveling with other alumni, students and faculty.

The St. George resident is a grants administrator for Staten Island Arts and said there's no particular issue or cause she's marching for, but pointed to the march's progressive unity principles as a comprehensive list.

"I think that marching together in a large group of that magnitude is cathartic when you feel like you're in a situation that you have no control over."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- City, state and non-profit agencies across the borough are working hard to provide fundamental services to the developmentally disabled community.

Spread throughout the Island are community centers, schools, day habilitation programs, respite centers and residential homes.

Below is a list of some of the key resources available on Staten Island for individuals with disabilities and their families:

AHRC NYC:

The AHRC is one of the largest non-profit organizations in the city for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. On Staten Island, AHRC offers assistance and placement with group residences, respite, in-home support, recreation programs and a number of other services.

Community Resources:

Community resources offers a number of different programs for the developmentally disabled, including various kinds of community residences, work-readiness programs, therapies, day and in-home habilitation, pre-vocational training and social services.

Elizabeth W. Pouch Center for Special People:

A division of the Staten Island Mental Health Society, the Center for Special People provides comprehensive diagnostic evaluations, treatment programs, educational services, advocacy, therapies and other support services.

Lifestyles for the Disabled:

Lifestyles for the Disabled gives adults with disabilities a number of realistic work setting experiences, as well as day, community and supplemental day habilitation; Medicaid service coordination and employment options and services.

On Your Mark:

On Your Mark provides individuals of all ages who have developmental disabilities with therapeutic recreation, family support services, holiday trips, respite getaways, a residential program, residential habilitation, service coordination, supportive employment and day habilitation.

A Very Special Place:

Through A Very Special Place, individuals with disabilities have access to a community center, outreach services, day habilitation and pre-vocational programs, senior day programs, transportation services and supported employment programs. The agency also owns and operates The Harvest Cafe, located at 694 New Dorp Lane, a restaurant designed to create work and community opportunities for people with disabilities.

GRACE Foundation of NY, Inc.:

The GRACE Foundation provides educational, recreational, social skills and support services for children of various ages affected by autism spectrum disorders. On Friday nights, teens and young adults can attend Club L.I.F.E; weekend recreation and respite for 3- to 21-year-olds include swimming, a gym and bowling. Little League is available for people ages 12 to 21.

Eden II School for Autistic Children:

Eden II provides classroom and vocational classes for individuals with autism on Staten Island. Services include physical education, speech therapy, residential services, parent training, psychological therapies and more. Services vary for those from 3 to 21 years old.

Early Childhood Direction Center (ECDC):

Funded by the New York State Education Department and Staten Island University Hospital, the Early Childhood Direction Center is a free resource center for parents with children up to 5-years-old. Parents and professionals can receive information and referrals for diagnostic and evaluation services, early intervention, preschool special education, Head Start, respite and homemaker services, medical and dental services, support groups and counseling.

Volunteers of America:

The Volunteers of America Early Learning Center prepares children ages 3 to 5 who have developmental delays prepare for kindergarten. Education and therapy is provided by teachers, aides, speech, physical and occupational therapists, a nurse and a psychologist.

Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council (SIDDC):

The SIDDC is a coalition of agencies, parents, advocates and professionals who offer information, referrals, and assistance for those with developmental disabilities. The SIDDC works together with other agencies in an effort to ensure the quality of life for Staten Islanders with special needs.

Jewish Community Center of Staten Island:

First Foot Forward assists children ages 21/2 to 5 with developmental disabilities. In addition to classroom education experience, therapists work with children on speech, cognitive skills, socialization and movement.

Children at Play Early Intervention Center:

Children at Play is a non-profit agency for children from birth to five-years-old with developmental disabilities and offers comprehensive evaluation and treatment services; occupational, physical and speech therapies; counseling; support groups; workshops and a number of other services. They also offer a full-day preschool program.

Seton Foundation for Learning:

The Seton Foundation for Learning is a non-profit that runs three schools - the Joan Ann Kelley Memorial Preschool, Mother Franciska Elementary School and the Bishop Patrick V. Ahern High School -- for individuals with developmental disabilities. In addition to classroom instruction, children also receive speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, counseling, sign language instruction and health services.

Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Services Office (SIDDSO):

The state Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) provides services though individual borough DDSOs. Services include group home placement, advocacy, respite care, financial and estate planning, education, day treatment, children's services and discharge planning.

The Staten Island Center for Independent Living:

The center is a non-residential resource center that provides free programs for disabled individuals of all ages. Services include: advocacy, community education, counseling, transportation, financial management, housing assistance, independent-living skills, computer training and workshops.

The Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities:

The IBR is the research branch of the state Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). IBR offers a number of programs and services, such as outpatient services, genetic testing and counseling for a number of genetic and neurodegenerative disorders, evaluation for premature infants and developmental assessments.

Person Centered Care Services:

Person Centered Care Services is a nonprofit advocating for social change within communities by supporting different groups of people on their search for identity and acceptance.

For the past ten years, we've been dedicated to supporting people with disabilities and providing access to equitable education, employment, recreation, and housing opportunities.

Dignity in Danger is the Advance's depth report on the crisis of care facing Staten Island's developmentally disabled. View the full package.
CITY HALL -- Mayor Bill de Blasio's clout ain't going to save Wilbur the pig's snout.

De Blasio stymied the Advance's attempt to ask about the situation during an event on Tuesday.

"I don't know about the case, I can't speak about it, I don't know about it," de Blasio said. The mayor's office had nothing else to add and deferred to the Health Department.

Matteo brought Wilbur home to Great Kills five years ago and the pig has since become a beloved part of the family and a comfort to her ailing father.

"He's like my child," Matteo said.

The city typically warns owners and works with them to find new homes before issuing violations for illegal pets. In some cases like Wilbur's, the city will allow owners extended periods of time to remove the pets.

"The Health Code prohibits pigs to be kept as pets in New York City," agency spokesman Julien Martinez said. "In 2013, the Board of Health reaffirmed that pigs should remain on the list of prohibited animals because, among other reasons, there is no USDA-approved rabies vaccine for pigs."

Matteo said someone called the city's non-emergency line at 311 to report Wilbur to the city after four years without incident.

The Health Department said Matteo was given many opportunities to remove Wilbur from her home since being ordered to do so last August.

Wilbur now has until the end of the month.

"I was told if they come to my house after Jan. 31 and he's here, they will seize him and it's up to them...they can do whatever they want with him," Matteo said. "If they seize him, I'm afraid they will kill him."

The Health Department said Matteo agreed to have Wilbur sent to a sanctuary and found a location in November. Matteo told the Advance that Ziggy Refuge in Greensboro, North Carolina offered to take Wilbur but she's still hoping to find a way to keep him at home.

Matteo said that the National Service Animal Registry deemed Wilbur an "emotional support animal" for her father, who has cancer.

But the Health Department said the Americans with Disabilities Act doesn't recognize pigs, or other animals that only provide companionship, as service animals.

Pigs are prohibited as pets primarily because the U.S. Department of Agriculture hasn't approved a rabies vaccine for them and they can contract and transmit the disease.

The Health Department said this is a concern in the city and other urban environments because pigs can be taken outdoors and exposed to rabies-infected wildlife like bats or feral cats.

Matteo said Wilbur has gotten a rabies shot for dogs.

But pigs can also transmit the deadly "pseudorabies" disease to cats and dogs.

The ban is also in place because pigs raised as house pets can become aggressive to humans as they get older, which is when people are more likely to abandon them. A New Yorker may also buy a "miniature" pig before discovering their pet is too big to keep when fully grown.

So pet pigs are partially illegal because the city doesn't have the capacity to care for those that are unwanted or abandoned and there are too few sanctuaries for them outside the five boroughs, according to the Health Department.

Matteo is still holding out hope.

"The only thing I ask is that people just try to help me save my pig and come up with any kind of solution," Matteo told the Advance. "There has to a loophole and no one can seem to find it."
CITY HALL -- Mayor Bill de Blasio said the federal probe into the 2014 death of Eric Garner in Tompkinsville was coming "down to the wire."

De Blasio said he was told there would be an "answer" from the U.S. Justice Department on the federal civil rights investigation before the end of the Obama administration, now two days away.

The mayor spoke with Attorney General Loretta Lynch several times over the last year to get clarification on the case.

"The answer always was, you know, by the end of the administration there would be some kind of answer on how they were proceeding," de Blasio said at an unrelated event on Tuesday. "So obviously, we've come down to the wire here."

Two years ago, a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict police officer Daniel Pantaleo for his role in Garner's death during an arrest attempt across from Tompkinsville Park on July 17, 2014. Pantaleo can be seen on viral video wrestling Garner to the ground while he repeatedly screamed "I can't breathe."

"We will be ready to respond, obviously, either way," de Blasio said on Tuesday. "If the Justice Department brings charges, that will be one path, and if they don't, we will proceed with departmental charges."

Asked for clarification on whether the city already decided to bring charges against Pantaleo, de Blasio said that the NYPD "will proceed with whatever its approach to the situation will be."

"The department acts when all other parts of the legal system are finished acting and then that's when they announce what they're ready to do and how they will proceed," de Blasio said.

A spokesman for the NYPD had nothing to add.

The mayor on Tuesday also said that he plans to lobby legislators to reform state law that prohibits the city from releasing disciplinary records of police officers.
SPRINGFIELD  The first bill introduced in the Illinois Senate during the new session of the General Assembly that began Wednesday is reserved for a long-awaited overhaul of public schools funding.

But a plan hasnt been unveiled because a commission that Gov. Bruce Rauner convened this summer is still working out specifics.

With the panel's Feb. 1 deadline roughly two weeks away, a draft report issued last week shows several items on which lawmakers of both parties and both legislative chambers lack a consensus. Among those issues is how to define what constitutes adequate funding for each school district across the state.

Despite the remaining work, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle hope that an overhaul of Illinois education funding formula can be part of a grand bargain on the state budget and other issues.

A bipartisan package of bills that includes tax increases, spending cuts, new casino licenses and a host of other issues has been introduced in the Senate, and committee hearings are expected to begin as soon as next week on some portions. The effort has the backing of Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont.

The most important piece of that package, to me, is school funding reform, state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said Monday.

Manar, whos been working on the issue since arriving in the Senate in 2013, said the commission has brought lawmakers from both parties and both legislative chambers together with Rauner administration officials for a productive conversation.

I dont think weve unearthed an easier way to accomplish school funding reform in Illinois, he said. I think its as difficult today as it ever has been since we started this conversation.

Previous reform efforts have faltered due to the political difficulties of passing legislation that would either shift money from wealthier school districts to poorer ones or force much more state spending. The issue often breaks down along partisan and regional lines.

Given those challenges, tying school funding to the larger discussion of a budget compromise could be essential to passing legislation, said state Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, whos been a leader for his caucus on the issue.

If ever there was a time to address it, the time would be now in the context of us coming together in a bipartisan manner on all these other host of issues, Barickman said. This ones so difficult in any normal context that I think its critical to incorporate into this larger effort.

The overall goal of funding reform is to direct more state money to school districts with the greatest need while accounting for each districts individual characteristics, such as the number of special-education students and children from low-income households.

Illinois current system, which relies heavily on local property taxes, is among the worst in the nation at providing equitable funding for wealthy and poor school districts.

Manar and Barickman are optimistic the Senate can find a bipartisan approach to solving that problem.
Inauguration.jpg

Army Sgt. Maj. Greg Lowery, left, and Army Spc. Sara Corry, stand in for President-elect Donald Trump and Melania Trump during a rehearsal of the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - As of Tuesday afternoon, 53 Democratic Congress members have decided not to attend Friday's inauguration of President-Elect Donald Trump, but that doesn't faze Rep. Daniel Donovan, who's attending enthusiastically.

Initially a supporter of Ohio Gov. John Kasich in the Republican primaries, Donovan has supported Trump since it was clear he would be the GOP nominee.

The congressman and president-elect have been friends for many years, Donovan said, and he feels "hometown pride" at witnessing a president from New York take the oath of office.

"It's very exciting certainly, watching history - 44 people so far have been president and we're about to see the 45th get sworn in," he said.

Donovan will be seated behind Trump with the rest of the House of Representatives during Friday's inauguration ceremony.

The congressman will attend four balls in two days -- the presidential ball on Friday after the inauguration and on Thursday, the New York State Society ball, the New York State GOP ball, and he's being honored by PETA at its ball, co-hosted by actress Pamela Anderson and conservative political strategist Mary Matalin.

"It's pretty exciting," Donovan said. "I've got a great record with the humane society and they called us up and said, 'We'd like to honor the congressman at the ball'."

Beyond the balls, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani will host an event Thursday afternoon, and Donovan will host an event for his supporters in the evening before the other events.

As for the 53 Democrats skipping the inauguration -- led by civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis -- Donovan said it's a free country.

"But I hope after Friday, it's time to start governing and put politics aside ... I hope my colleagues who maybe supported Secretary Clinton or Sen. Sanders or the 16 other Republican candidates ... that they all realize the election's over and get to work."

FIRST UP? REPEAL AND REPLACE OBAMACARE

While Trump plans on getting to work right after taking office, Congress has already taken the first steps to repeal Obamacare, both the Senate and the House voting on initial resolutions to begin the process.

Donovan is confident Congress won't repeal the Affordable Care Act without having another option ready to go.

"I think there will be a replacement and no one's going to be left without insurance," he said.

He voted last week on the resolution to clear the way to repeal Obamacare, and said Tuesday that without enough healthy people paying into the program, sick people "drained the system," forcing high premiums and deductibles.

"The system collapsed," he said.

A replacement is being discussed that Donovan is confident will offer more choices, be more affordable and more stable.

"But no one is going to lose their health care."

LOCAL GOP HEADS TO WASHINGTON

A Trump delegate at the convention, co-chair of his campaign in New York and pro-Trump talking head on CNN and Fox News, Councilman Joe Borelli is one of a few local elected officials going to Washington for the inaugural festivities.

He boasted about receiving from the Trump team an invitation and tickets to the inauguration, apparently more exclusive than that from a local congress member's office, as many attendees receive.

"For people who really helped the campaign," he elaborated.

Like Donovan, he has a long list of balls and social events to attend, including free tickets for he and his wife to the welcome concert Thursday night.

The councilman has seats in the viewing stand for the inaugural parade but he won't attend, as he'll be busy appearing on BBC and possibly Fox or CNN.

Attending the presidential ball and New York balls, as well as a Trump advisory council reception will fill the remainder of his time.

While there has been much speculation about whether Borelli will leave the City Council for a job in the new administration -- he did admit to submitting his resume -- he said he's gotten no job offers yet.

Asked whether he'll take advantage of the hobnobbing opportunities to seek a job offer, he said, "I intend to speak to members of the transition team ... to share campaign war stories."

Assemblyman Ron Castorina Jr. was an alternate Trump delegate at the party's convention and will also attend the inauguration but will skip the other festivities and take in the sights with his younger brother, Daniel.

"It's something for him to remember always," Castorina said."I'm excited about the direction of the country and I'm excited about new leadership and I think it's a day filled with promise of a bright future for the country."

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, initially a supporter of Sen. Marco Rubio and chair of his New York campaign, is also attending the inauguration.

She will attend the NYS Society ball and an event where Greek Orthodox Archbishop Demetrios will honor Reince Preibus, chief of staff, and George Gigicos, deputy assistant to president.

Malliotakis will attend the official presidential ball and a breakfast for a political action committee that helps Republican women get elected to Congress.

"It's the first time as an elected official that I'm seeing a Republican being elected, so for me it's exciting to be there and to see it happen," she said. "I have really high hopes for President Trump."
NWS Sustainable Staten Island

Sustainable Staten Island, a coalition of labor, environmental, and human rights groups based in Staten Island, took to Borough Hall on Tuesday to unveil their "Staten Island Bill of Rights".

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With Donald Trump's inauguration taking place at the end of the week, over 50 people showed up at Borough Hall on Tuesday to present a "Bill of Rights" for Staten Island.

Sustainable Staten Island, a coalition of labor, environmental, and human rights groups based on Staten Island, unveiled a "Bill of Rights" to remind the federal government and local elected officials that certain rights can not be infringed upon, regardless of who is in the White House.

"It's a unique coalition of people across the political spectrum from unions, to immigrant rights organizations, to small business people," said Cesar Vargas of the DREAM Action Coalition, an organization dedicated to educating people about the DREAM Act. "We have representation from Democrats, Independents, and Republicans who want to ensure that in the next four years we're reaffirmed certain rights."

The document contains the following nine rights:

All Staten Islanders have the right to equal protection of the laws, regardless of citizenship, ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion, granting each one of us to live our lives without the threat of discrimination. All Staten Islanders have the right to employment opportunities, to fair conditions of work, compensation, and protection against unemployment, and the right to form unions for the protection of the pursuit of happiness. All Staten Islanders have the right to a fully publicly funded and quality education that will equip them in their journey for meaningful employment and purpose in life. All Staten Islanders have the right to accessible quality healthcare that will promote the strength and longevity of the body and mind. All Staten islanders have the right to long-term comfortable, affordable, and secure housing that will protect them from the storms of nature. All Staten Islanders have the right to clean water, air, parks, streets, and protection from climate change that is destroying Staten Island and our planet. All Staten Islanders have the right to quality mass public transit, modern and reliable bridges, roadways, to ensure the meaningful enjoyment of life and family. All Staten Islanders have a right to enjoyment of the cultural and natural heritage through the preservation of natural lands, and the designation of public structures for the purposes of entertainment, education and public gathering. All Staten Islanders have the right to express their voice by protests, letter-writing, lobbying, rallies, and all free speech protected by our inalienable right.

The "Bill of Rights" was read aloud outside Borough Hall by representatives from the various local organizations.

The crowd then entered the lobby of Borough Hall and asked for a meeting with Borough President James Oddo to deliver the document by hand.

After several minutes of confusion, security asked everyone to leave, citing a fire hazard.

Oddo did not meet with the group, and Borough Hall declined to comment.

Members of Sustainable Staten Island said they will try to set up a meeting with borough president at a later date.

"I think that this 'bill' is a strong stepping stone for a bright and progressive Staten Island, but also for New York City," said Philippe-Edner Apostol-Marius, who is running for Councilwoman Debi Rose's seat.

The organizations involved with Sustainable Staten Island and the creation of the "Bill of Rights" include: Communications Workers of America-Local 1102; Make-the-Road New York; La Colmena; New York State Nurses Association; DREAM Action Coalition; Professional Staff Congress (CUNY PSC); SI Peace Action; SI Against Racism and Police Brutality.

"As an organization representing nurses that work in the two major hospital systems, we're on the front lines every day so we see how health care injustice affects our community," said Patricia Kane, treasurer of the New York State Nurses Association, who was present at Tuesday's event.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Masses have been canceled at some Roman Catholic parishes on Staten Island as part of the "Making All Things New" pastoral planning initiative.

Empty pews and a dwindling number of priests have prompted the changes, which began this month at churches throughout the Archdiocese of New York.

Masses where the pews were less than 60 percent full -- particularly those services at down times, such as Sunday night and early weekday mornings -- were especially vulnerable to elimination, according to multiple church sources.

Under "Making All Things New," all parish clusters throughout the archdiocese were asked to evaluate their mass schedules, said Joseph Zwilling, director of communications for the Archdiocese of New York.

Zwilling described the 60 percent figure as a "guideline they were asked to use" and "not mandated; it was a suggestion."

He added that the mass evaluation process was "part of our effort to both make our parishes even more vibrant, and to best use our resources, including our priests."

The clusters of churches located near each other on Staten Island looked at whether it was necessary for all of the churches to continue all of their masses. Some clusters decided it would be feasible to consolidate masses due to a lack of attendance and staffing concerns, said Monsignor Peter Finn, vicar of Staten Island.

"It's a practical reorganization to meet all the needs of the people involved," he said.

Blessed Sacrament R.C. Church in West Brighton, the parish where Monsignor Finn is pastor, was able to avoid making changes at this time, he said.

Parishioners of other churches in Blessed Sacrament's cluster whose early weekday masses were eliminated now find it "perfectly fine" to attend the 7 a.m. mass there, he added.

The parishes started altering their mass schedules in January because that is when parishioners typically begin requesting memorial masses for the year, Monsignor Finn said.

Holy Child R.C. Church in Eltingville eliminated its 6:30 a.m. weekday mass, but still offers a 9 a.m. mass Monday through Friday, according to recent bulletins.

"Uncertainty of staffing has necessitated an alteration of the weekday mass schedule," a notice in Holy Child's bulletin said.

Meanwhile, St. Charles R.C. Church in Oakwood eliminated its 7 p.m. Saturday and 5:30 p.m. Sunday masses.

"Now the reason for this is not to punish the faithful, but we have to consider that there is a shortage of priests," the Rev. Louis Jerome, St. Charles' pastor, said in a message in Sunday's bulletin. "This year, the Archdiocese of New York will ordain only five men to the priesthood."

"It goes 'against my grain' to do [eliminate masses] because I believe that the people are entitled to our priestly services," he continued. "However, we also need to use some common sense which at times is not so common!

"We will now have seven masses over the weekend here at St. Charles, which I think is a very fair number."
AX099_73CA_9.JPG

Mayor Bill de Blasio reads to a pre-K class as City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina looks on. The mayor and chancellor announced the opening of 2017-18 Pre-K for All application period Monday. All New York City families with children born in 2013 are eligible to apply. (Staten Island Advance)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina, along with Mayor Bill de Blasio, announced the opening of 2017-18 Pre-K for All application period Monday.

All New York City families with children born in 2013 are eligible to apply for Pre-K for All starting Monday, and the main round of applications closes February 24.

There are free, full-day pre-K seats for every four-year old in New York City. A record 70,430 students who registered last year at this time are currently attending pre-K classes for 2016-2017.

"We have made Pre-K for All a reality in New York City, and it is transformative for tens of thousands of students and families," Mayor de Blasio said. "All families with children born in 2013 should apply -- not only are our 4-year-olds getting an invaluable foundation for their education, this program is also easing the financial burden of child care for hard-working New Yorkers."

Farina also introduced the Pre-K Quality Snapshot, a new tool for families to learn about pre-K program options. Snapshots are now available for nearly 1,800 full-day pre-K programs, and provide a resource to help families learn more about their options and make decisions about which program is the right fit for their child. The Snapshots are available online and in libraries and community organizations across the city.

In addition to using the Snapshot, the chancellor urged families to visit pre-K sites and speak with families and staff to learn more about the program firsthand.

"First and foremost, I encourage all families with children born in 2013 to apply. . . this is a critical year where students will build the foundation they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond," Farina said.

To guide families through the application process, the DOE will host an information session for Staten Island parents on January 23rd, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Staten Island Technical High School, 485 Clawson Street, New Dorp.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A new trend on the North Shore is driving residents to the edge.

More and more recreational vehicles, some 20 to 30 feet long, are popping up along Richmond Terrace and elsewhere in St. George, often parking in the same spot for days at a time.

And while the NYPD says that "No person shall park any boat trailer [with or without boat attached], mobile home or mobile medical diagnostic vehicle in any area, on any street, in excess of 24 hours," residents say the RVs they've seen have remained in the same place for days, move to another nearby location to avoid potential parking tickets and then quickly return.

"I don't take my car out during the week [because I'm afraid of losing my parking spot]," said Dennis, a New Brighton resident who declined to give his last name. "It's a nuisance."

Dennis said that the same RV has been parked near his apartment building on Richmond Terrace for at least a year.

"It's ugly," he said of the white RV with New York plates.

And forget about the noise it makes.

"They run [the generator] all night. It's really noisy," he said.

PARKED OUTSIDE SCHOOL

Meanwhile, parents of students who attend nearby PS 59 say another RV has been parked outside the school for more than two years.

"The exhaust gets sucked into the AC units and you can smell it in the school," said Meggin Juraska, whose daughter is a first-grader at the New Brighton school.

And the vehicle's generators can be heard at all times of the day, from as early as 7:30 a.m. when the school opens to as late as 6 p.m. when some parents pick up their children from the afterschool program.

"We walk our children to school past them every day ... [The RVs] are parked close to crosswalks and you can't see around them. It definitely creates a very dangerous situation," Juraska said about parents' concerns that the bulky RVs block motorists' view of pedestrians.

Parents say they are also curious about who is living in these vehicles.

Some said they have heard dogs barking in the RV parked near the school; others say they have seen a young boy around 8 or 9 years old get out it, while others have said they've seen adults come and go late at night or early in the morning.

But on two separate occasions when an Advance reporter and photographer knocked on the RV's door, no one answered.

"It concerns parents that these are people's homes parked right outside their children's school," Juraska said.

Borough President James Oddo said he is aware of the problem and has reached out to the Department of Transportation and the NYPD in an effort to resolve the issue and develop a long-term solution.

RV IN SUNNYSIDE, BUS IN GRASMERE

Yet another RV was spotted Monday on Little Clove Road, near Island Eye Surgery Specialists at 1500 Victory Blvd. in Sunnyside.

Michael He, who lives on Little Clove Road across from where the RV was parked, said that he's seen the vehicle in the neighborhood since December, parked at various locations near Silver Lake Park and Clove Lakes Park as well as on Victory Boulevard.

"If it's not against the law, what can we do?" he said. "We have no authority to make a complaint."

The oversized vehicles that stay parked on borough streets for days on end are not limited to RVs. A school bus covered in graffiti is often spotted on Mosel Avenue in Grasmere. The bus, which was located near the Staten Island Expressway overpass Monday, has a makeshift metal exhaust pipe coming out one of the windows, indicating there may be some sort of oven inside.
IDNYC.jpg

People wait in line at the Staten Island Business Center at 350 St. Marks Place to sign up for IDNYC. January 12, 2015 (Staten Island Advance/Hilton Flores)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - As city officials fight a lawsuit filed by two Assembly members from Staten Island over the municipal ID program, some Staten Islanders with the ID have opened up about their reasons for having the card.

Since it was launched in January 2015, the program, called IDNYC, has kept the personal documents that New Yorkers must provide to prove their identity and residency. These include copies of their driver's licenses, birth certificates, foreign and American passports and visas, utility bills and more.

The city planned on destroying the documents earlier this month, fearing Donald Trump's administration would use the documents to deport illegal immigrants.

Assembly members Ron Castorina Jr. and Nicole Malliotakis argue that the records should be kept for law enforcement purposes, subject to warrants and judicial subpoenas for investigating crimes.

So far, three judicial subpoenas have been issued and information from seven card applicants has been requested by law enforcement officials.

But the city argues that it's a violation of privacy to maintain the documents.

Close to 1 million IDs have been issued since the program began, city officials say.

It was created to give IDs to undocumented immigrants, so they can interact with police when ID is requested, as well as have access to government buildings and services.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has championed the ID as a way to get that population out of the shadows, as well as provide IDs for homeless and transgender people.

Castorina and Malliotakis argue that allowing foreign and expired documents makes the program's vetting process lax, opening the door for fraud.

The Assembly members have also argued that destroying the records violates the Freedom of Information law, which requires governments to provide copies of government documents to the public upon request.

Private documents like those on file for IDNYC, would be heavily redacted, even if a FOIL request is granted. Malliotakis' and Castorina's FOIL requests for the documents were denied.

As the lawsuit played out in court, city officials decided in December to stop retaining the background records from new ID applicants.

Here's a look at a few Staten Islanders who have the ID and why.

Anthony Corona is a college student and uses the ID as a backup to his driver's license and to get movie discounts. (Staten Island Advance/Rachel Shapiro)

Anthony Corona

A 19-year-old student at Borough of Manhattan Community College, Corona was born in Brooklyn and moved to Staten Island as a young boy.

The Port Richmond resident speaks both Spanish and English and got the ID to supplement his driver's license and college ID.

"I have it just in case, just for identification, you know. Just in case I lost my license or anything," he said.

He has had the card for about a year and uses it for the library and to get discounts on movies.

He opposes the lawsuit, saying the believes Castorina isn't being forthcoming about why the records should be retained.

It makes him uncomfortable that the city holds onto his personal records, he said.

Sara Signorelli, a lifelong Staten Islander and a teacher, got the city ID a year ago for free access to cultural institutions. (Staten Island Advance/Rachel Shapiro)

Sara Signorelli

Born and raised on Staten Island, Signorelli is a teacher at the Richard H. Hungerford School in Clifton.

She got the ID for free admission and access to museums, using it at the Staten Island Museum.

"I see what Nicole Malliotakis and that side is trying to get at, but I think it's unfair that the city did not explain the entire process. I feel that it's a bait and switch."

The fight over retaining the records makes her uncomfortable, leaving the impression that the records may be accessed by people other than law enforcement sources and for purposes like immigration status.

"I feel we're at the top of a slippery slope," she said.

Dave Tepper got the city ID by coincidence -- he happened to be in the building where people were applying for them. (Staten Island Advance/Rachel Shapiro)

Dave Tepper

A Staten Islander since the sixth grade, Tepper co-owned John's Pizzaria in Grant City until last fall, when the restaurant closed and he started up John's Catering and Event Rentals.

He happened to be in the right place at the right time, visiting the Staten Island Business Center at 350 St. Marks Place for business permits, and saw "there were lines upon lines" of people applying for the city ID.

A woman approached him and told him about the discounted visits to the Bronx Zoo and other places. He applied and got the card, hoping to bring his two children to somewhere fun.

But he doesn't get much use out of the card - he uses his driver's license for ID and hasn't visited any of the cultural institutions.

Once, when checking into a hotel, he pulled out the ID card instead of his driver's license and they accepted it.

To him "it's worthless" he said, but "it's a roundabout economy stimulator, I guess" because of the jobs it creates in producing it.

Alejandra Moran owns a small business, is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico and is transgender. The city ID helps her go about her daily life. (Staten Island Advance/Rachel Shapiro)

Alejandra Moran

Moran is an undocumented transgender woman who came to the United States from Mexico illegally almost 20 years ago.

She has owned a hair salon since 2001, Cortes Y Estilos on Port Richmond Avenue.

The ID helps her both as an undocumented immigrant and a transgender woman, both of which have prevented her from identifying herself on government documents.

She went through the process of changing her name from Alejandro to Alejandra and spoke about the importance of having the IDNYC -- the only card with her new name.

"The biggest difference is before I used my consular ID and many places wouldn't accept it," she said through a translator.

Having it "has opened doors for me."

The process of changing her name -- she saw a judge three times -- was important to her, and seeing that name on her ID is gratifying.

Moran is speaking to an attorney at Staten Island Legal Services about her options for gaining legal status and is working on getting Mexico to issue a new birth certificate with her new name.

Transgender people are persecuted in Mexico, so she's exploring her legal options for immigration protection.

In 2008, her business was one of three that was damaged when a man purposely rammed his truck into the Latino-owned stores.

Moran recently started an LGBTQ group at La Colmena, a community job center aimed at helping immigrants.
nws mayor 2.jpg

Mayor de Blasio speaks at a press conference at Port Richmond High School during his tour of schools in each borough on the first day of school, Sept. 8, 2016.

(Staten Island Advance/Amanda Steen)

CITY HALL -- More Staten Island public school students took and passed Advanced Placement exams last year, officials said on Tuesday.

The number of borough students that took at least one AP exam rose 7.8 percent in the 2015-16 school year, to 3,091 from 2,867 in year before, according to the Department of Education.

About 55 percent of Staten Island students that took at least one exam also passed -- scoring at least a 3 out of 5 -- during both the 2015-16 and 2014-15 school years.

But the number of borough students passing also increased 8.9 percent last year, from 1,568 in the 2014-15 school year to 1,707 in 2015-16.

The city also reported increasing AP exam enrollment and performance across the five boroughs.

The number of students taking at least one exam increased 8.4 percent citywide last year. The number that passed at least one rose 8.2 percent.

Through Mayor Bill de Blasio's AP for All initiative, the city aims to give 75 percent of high school students access to at least five AP classes by fall 2018. All students are supposed to have that access by fall 2021.

De Blasio on Tuesday said access to AP exams used to be about "who you were and where you lived."

"In some parts of this city, there were high schools that had AP courses for decades and decades, even generations. In other parts of this city, there were high schools that never had a single AP course," de Blasio said at a Queens high school. "Talk about a 'Tale of Two Cities' -- this is one of the starkest examples."

United of Federation of Teachers president and Staten Islander Michael Mulgrew praised the AP for All initiative.

"When you tell every child in this city, 'You have the opportunity to take an Advance Placement course,' what we're telling them is, 'It's time for you to reach higher in your life,'" Mulgrew said. "This should have been something this city enacted a long time ago."
Pulse Orlando,Shooting

FILE - In this June 12, 2016 file photo, law enforcement officials work at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., following the a mass shooting. Audio recordings of 911 calls released Tuesday, Aug. 30, by the Orange County Sheriff's Office show mounting frustration by friends and family members who were texting, calling and video-chatting with trapped patrons of the Pulse nightclub where Omar Mateen opened fire in June. A U.S. law enforcement official says the FBI has arrested the wife of the Orlando nightclub shooter. The official says Noor Salman was taken into custody Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, in the San Francisco area and is due in court Tuesday in California. She's facing charges in Florida including obstruction of justice. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

(Chris O'Meara)

WASHINGTON -- The wife of the Orlando nightclub shooter, who was extensively questioned by federal agents in the days after the massacre, was arrested by the FBI on Monday in connection with the attack, a U.S. law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

The official said Noor Salman was taken into custody Monday morning in the San Francisco area and is facing charges in Florida including obstruction of justice. A Twitter post from the United States attorney's office in Orlando said Salman will make her initial appearance Tuesday morning in Oakland, California.

The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Noor Salman moved to the San Francisco area after her husband, Omar Mateen, was killed in a shootout with SWAT team members during the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

FBI agents repeatedly questioned Salman in the aftermath of the shooting about whether she had advance knowledge of her husband's plans. She told The New York Times in an interview published last fall that she was unaware that Mateen planned to shoot up the nightclub.

"We said from the beginning, we were going to look at every aspect of this, of every aspect of this shooter's life to determine not just why did he take these actions -- but who else knew about them? Was anyone else involved?" Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in an MSNBC interview on Monday.

He was the only shooter, and by the time a three-hour standoff between Mateen and law enforcement had ended, 49 patrons were killed and another 53 people required hospitalization.

Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a 911 call to emergency officials during the standoff. He also made a series of Facebook posts and searches before and during the attack.

The Times first reported on the arrest.

"I want to thank the hard working law enforcement officers from the local, state and federal levels for their continued dedication to help find answers to this horrific terrorist attack that killed 49 innocent people," Florida Gov. Rick Scott said in a statement.

"I hope today's news provides some comfort to the families who are mourning their loved ones," he added.

Last month, Salman filed a petition in a California court to change the name of the son she had with Mateen
By KRISTIN DALTON

January 17, 2017

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- They are among our borough's most vulnerable.

But efforts to put a strategy in place to house and care for those with developmental disabilities is -- at best -- in a frustrating holding pattern, with critics pointing at a glaring lack of urgency.

Advocates go so far as to say that Gov. Andrew Cuomo's failure to provide support for the intellectually and developmentally disabled (I/DD) community is a violation of their civil rights.

Lack of state funding is preventing new services and programs from opening, and causing existing ones to stretch resources extremely thin, prohibiting them from expanding to meet the needs of the ever-growing I/DD community.

"The bubble is going to burst," said the parent of a 21-year-old son with autism.

The "bubble" that she is referring to is the significant jump in the number of people who were diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the late 1990s and, since that time, that bubble keeps on growing.

"We knew that this was going to happen; this was foreseen. It's been going on for years and we've been warning [people] about this for years. More and more children are being diagnosed with [I/DD] but the services -- and the funding -- are not growing with the community," she said.

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This mother is very familiar with all sides of a critical issue that gets very little exposure: She's the parent of a child with severe autism and has lived it, but also knows the depth of the policy crisis as a trained social worker.

Because the crisis is so widespread and largely ignored, she asked that her name not be used out of fear her son will lose services they waited to so long to get, in fear of retaliation for speaking out.

"My son was on a wait list for eight years!" she said about the crucial educational program for her son, adding that even her professional "connections" in the field could not help her fast-track the services her son so desperately needed.

"I know people that are still waiting. These places don't have enough funding," she said.

PUTTING PRESSURE ON ALBANY

She does not place blame on the borough's elected officials, who she says have recognized the problems and done what they can -- with what little they have -- for the community on Staten Island.

The vast policy and funding initiatives that are needed remain in limbo because of a lack of urgency or action in Albany and a languishing study Cuomo promised.

Over several months, efforts to get the governor or the key agency responsible for these services to comment have been met with silence.

Rallies have been popping up across New York state -- and across Staten Island - advocating for additional housing, funding, early intervention services and a united call for action by the community as a whole.

The Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council (SIDDC), in an effort to draw attention to the crises, staged protests across Staten Island, visiting the offices of elected officials, pleading with them to hear their concerns and asking them to put pressure on the governor.

WE INVITED THEM IN

The SIDDC's Islandwide effort included a stop at the Staten Island Advance.

The advocates asked that the Advance take an in-depth look at their concerns and aid them in their efforts for better services, more funding and an increased awareness of community.

"The families need to keep doing what they're doing and make noise. Let the governor and the administration know how the lack of action in Albany is affecting them," said Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn).

"[Gov. Cuomo] does respond to public pressure and it's so important that families keep writing to him and local legislators and let him know that you're not going to forget come election day. I think that's something that's important to communicate," Malliotakis said.

Malliotakis recently joined the Assembly Minority Task Force on Protecting the Rights of People with Developmental Disabilities, along with Assemblyman Ron Castorina (R-South Shore), and heard the testimonies of families from across the borough.

After holding forums across the state, the task force plans to put together a report with suggestions to aid lawmakers develop real solutions to better serve and support people with I/DD.

"It's a real issue and that's exactly why we did this. The idea behind this report is to push it and try to get the attention of the governor," Malliotakis said.

She said the report will have a number of suggestions to help shape legislation, and though they all won't get adopted, typically "three or four of the big ones" will.

WHERE WILL THEY LIVE?

Family members, advocates and providers say the governor's failure to address issues, some of which can be life-threatening, is a direct violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

A lawsuit filed in in the Western District of New York against Gov. Cuomo states that the "insufficient availability of appropriate adult residential settings violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act."

Kerry Delaney, acting commissioner of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), also is named in the federal class action lawsuit.

The lawsuit is referring to the nearly 11,000 individuals in the state of New York who are currently on OPWDD's residential request list (RRL).

The RRL has been even larger, at around 14,000 individuals, but some were lucky enough to be placed over the last few years.

Although the lawsuit was filed in Buffalo, the lack of residential options for individuals with I/DD stretches through New York state and trickles all the way down to Staten Island.

Of those 11,000, nearly 2,000 people are considered in emergency need of placement and some of them live on Staten Island.

The nearly 9,000 individuals who are not considered of emergent need make up the remainder of the RRL -- many of whom also live on Staten Island.

JUST ONE EXAMPLE

One Staten Island family is taking care of their daughter with I/DD. But the daughter is 53-years-old and is being taken care of by parents who are 82 and 79.

Their daughter has been on the residential request list for years.

This past summer, the daughter broke her hip and required surgery and rehab in order to recover. Due to her increased needs, the parents' age and lack of progress finding a secure residence, her parents made the difficult decision of placing her in a local rehabilitation center.

Over half of the individuals on the RRL are not unlike this family and have caregivers who are 60 or older.

LEGAL LEGACY OF WILLOWBROOK

The infamous Willowbrook State School shut its doors for the last time in September 1987, 13 years after it was renamed the Staten Island Developmental Center.

The repulsive and inhumane conditions discovered at the facility resulted in sweeping legal rulings regarding the treatment of the develomentally disabled across the nation as mandated by the courts and the Willowbook Consent Decree.

One such ruling -- the "Olmstead Decison'' issued in 1999 by United States Supreme Court -- was based on the Americans with Disabilities Act and states that individuals with I/DD have the right to receive state-funded supports and services in the community, as opposed to in institutionalized settings.

The ruling came after a Georgia resident Lois Curtis -- and later Elaine Wilson -- brought legal action against Tommy Olmstead, who was commissioner of the Georgia Department of Resources at the time.

The lawsuit alleged that the state did not help Lois and Elaine, who both had intellectual and developmental disabilities, receive treatment and support in the community, forcing them to go in and out of mental health hospitals in the state even though their physicians said they were able to live in the community - with proper resources.

"[If] the state's treatment professionals have determined that community placement is appropriate, the transfer from institutional care to a less restrictive setting is not opposed by the affected individual, and the placement can be reasonably accommodated, taking into account the resources available to the state and the needs of others with mental disabilities," the High Court stated.

The Supreme Court went on to say that "institutional placement of persons who can handle and benefit from community settings perpetuates unwarranted assumptions that person isolated are incapable or unworthy of participating in community life. Historically, confinement in an institution severely diminishes the everyday life activities of individuals, including family relations, social contacts, work options, economic independence, educational advancement and cultural enrichment."

FEAR OF GOING BACKWARD

Families are terrified that lack of services, community integration and funding to keep up with the Olmstead decision and other Willowbrook-related rulings will force a return to the time when institutionalized services were the norm and places like the Willowbrook State School were used to "warehouse" the disabled.

It may have been called a school, but Willowbrook was anything but.

Vulnerable adults and children were starved, mistreated, sexually abused and left in rooms or cages for hours, if not days, on end without any attention.

Advance reporter Jane Kurtin began uncovering the questionable practices of Willowbrook in the 1960s, but it wasn't until ABC-News' Geraldo Rivera's expose Willowbrook: The Last Disgrace that Willowbrook and the institutionalization of individuals with I/DD was placed in the national spotlight.

In the years that followed, that glaring light and relentlentless coverage by the Advance and other media led to legal and policy reforms that transformed how those with developmental disabilities are cared for. And a return to such inhumane treatment cannot, and will not, happen.

But with the population at an all time high, and still growing, the question is: How will the state maintain those reforms and provide those in need with the services, housing and care they not only require -- by law -- but deserve as members of our community?
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Clear to partly cloudy. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. Low 52F. NW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. Low 52F. NW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.
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Minister of Justice Rafael Boasman returned to the island on Wednesday, January 11th, from Aruba where he participated in Justitiele Vierpartij Overleg (JVO) Judicial Four-Party Consultations.





The Minister deemed the meeting to be very positive. Prior to the meeting, Minister Boasman used the opportunity to meet the ministers of Justice of Aruba and Curacao separately to discuss some of the agenda points and matters of mutual interest.





The minister said that he indicated to them that, in his opinion, the most important issue is that we stop fighting and accusing each other of all kinds of wrong doings. He indicated that the feeling exists that the Dutch treat St. Maarten as if we are all crooks, and that has to stop.





A sentiment that he conveyed to the Dutch Minister of Security and Justice Ard van der Steur who indicated that he was of the impression that St. Maarten was not taking the issues serious enough. Minister Boasman assured the minister that the current government has placed law enforcement as its highest priority and will be taking this very serious.





Minister Boasman had some very fruitful and positive discussions with Chief Public Prosecutor Ton Maan and the Solicitor General (PG) regarding the crime situation on the island in general and specifically the situation at the prison. The assurance was given by the minister that the issues at the prison will be given the highest priority. We agreed to move forward with mutual respect for each other, the Minister said.





The minister praised the members of his delegation for the preparations made prior to the meeting in Aruba. He commended the chair for accepting his request for the postponement for one month on the discussion of the evaluation of the consensus (Kingdom) law as he did not have the opportunity to discuss this with the Council of Ministers of St. Maarten.





The next meeting of the Judicial Four-Party Consultations will be held in June on Curacao, while St. Maarten has to prepare top host the meeting in January of 2018.




A mentoring relationship between Alexander Nassief '16 and Sara Arnell '82 is what boosted his startup, Rum Dogs, into the top spot in the 2016 Kenneth A. Freirich Business Plan Competition, after he had fallen just short in previous years.



Alex Nassief '16 (photo by Zack Bagot) Alex Nassief '16 (photo by Zack Bagot)

The first prize included $20,000 to help implement Nassief's groundbreaking process for aging rum in just six months (rather than five years) by maturing it in the ocean. As of last summer, Nassief reports, Rum Dogs 'is going quite well"; the funding enabled his company to triple production.

Arnell, a public relations professional based in New York City, has volunteered in the Freirich contest for several years. Watching this year's competitors make their pitches, she felt, "I wanted to work with Alex. I had watched him for the past three years and had a good understanding of what he needed to break through."

Nassief says Arnell's guidance helped him win, filling a gap with "her expertise in branding, marketing, packaging, and selling." He adds, "I always felt that the cash prize was very enabling but would be squandered without proper guidance."

He worked with professors, peers, and alumni, including competition founder Ken Freirich '90all of them exceedingly generous with their time and experience, says the determined young entrepreneur, a native of Dominica. That "diverse group of mentors," he says, "made what Rum Dogs accomplished far more possible. Each mentor of mine had a distinct style, but also incredible wisdom to offer."



Sara Arnell '82 (photo by Charlie Samuels) Sara Arnell '82 (photo by Charlie Samuels)

It's a "two-way street," Arnell emphasizes. "The openness of the students to listen, learn, and refine their work is critical to the process. It's a real effort in coming together over a short time period to achieve a shared goal." The two communicated via texting, email, phone, and FaceTime.

Nassief credits Skidmore's "absolutely nurturing environment and community full of eclectic ideas" with exposing him to enriching resources that "made a world of difference" in his academic, personal, and professional trajectory. Arnell adds that the college's "great liberal arts foundation allows graduates to pivot and pursue anything they want."

For Nassief, the mentorship "validated a business idea." For Arnell, the teaming was an opportunity to "drive with a very singular purpose to win." She concludes, "If you have had success in your career and have knowledge and expertise to share, pay it forward."Helen Edelman '74
By Amalya Margaryan

Gagik Safaryan, arrested in a scuffle when he and several friends attempted to bring a Christmas tree into Yerevans Liberty Square on January 1 last year, was sentenced today to two years imprisonment.

Safaryan, a member of the opposition Founding Parliament, was later charged with using violence against the police and held in pre-trial detention until May.

After the courts decision to hold Safaryan, Giorgi Gogia, South Caucasus director at Human Rights Watch, declared Given the minor nature of the incident, two months of pretrial custody is wholly unjustified. Pretrial detention should be a last resort, not the general rule, and only in cases where there is a well-founded fear that the person will evade justice or hinder the investigation.

At the time, Safaryans lawyer told Human Rights Watch that the event organizers had notified the Yerevan city authorities in advance about their plans to hold a New Years celebration on Freedom Square.

Safaryan, in a statement at the court today, said that while in detention he had read a copy of Kafkas The Trial.

If I wasnt so familiar with the judicial system in Armenia, it would have seemed that Kafka wrote some absurd and exaggerated stuff. Reading the book, it was as if Kafka was living today and writing about the system in Armenia. This means that our judicial system has reached the point of absurdity, Safaryan told the court.

Video footage of the incident available on YouTube shows a major police presence in the square as several dozen participants gathered on New Years Eve and in the early hours of January 1, 2016. When participants, dressed in costume for the New Year, attempted to bring a small New Years tree into the square, police told them they were not allowed to bring the tree there and confiscated it. When Safaryan and several others returned with a man wearing a tree costume, a scuffle broke out between police and some of the participants, and police detained Safaryan and several others.

Safaryan noted that the prosecutor, who demanded a sentence of 2.5 years, had told him it was better for all if the video was overlooked as evidence.

The young man said that the prosecutors office always protects the interests of the police, accepting as fact that the cops are always performing their duties correctly.

Safaryan added that the witnesses for the prosecution had offered false testimony.

The testimony given by the police officers who approached us was full of contradictions, Safaryan said.
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Saying that hes never sought political office for fame and fortune, Gagik Tsarukyan today released a video announcing his return to politics after being forced to step down as the president of the Prosperous Armenia Party from pressure exerted by President Serzh Sargsyan in 2015.

Claiming that he stepped down in order to avert bloodshed, the millionaire MP said that no political leader or force came to the fore to take his place to voice the just demands of the Armenian people as required.

Tsarukyan said that he would never had decided to return to active political life if he was convinced that Armenia was on the correct path of economic development and providing a better standard of living for the people.

Tsarukyan noted the large exodus of people from Armenia and the countrys weak economy, growing poverty and high levels of unemployment as factors impelling him to reenter politics.

The businessman said that, in response to a demand from the people, he will be forging a political alliance that will participate in the April parliamentary elections in Armenia.

Tsarukyan said the elections will be crucial for the country and that he will bear this burden like a cross, until the end.
British automotive giant Rolls-Royce has agreed to pay more than US$ 800 million to settle long-time bribery and corruption allegations in the UK, US and Brazil according to a statement released on Monday.

Rolls-Royce, which makes engines for civil and military planes, has reached a deal with the UKs Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over allegations that it paid bribes to secure contracts overseas.

Since 2012, the SFO has been investigating allegations that Rolls-Royce paid millions of pounds in bribes to land contracts in about a dozen countries including Brazil, China and Indonesia according to the Guardian.

The SFO confirmed that the company has struck a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and following a hearing on Tuesday, Rolls-Royce is expected to pay nearly US$ 611 million plus interest in penalties.

Deferred prosecution agreements are a relatively new addition to British law which allows companies to avoid prosecution if they pay lump sums and admit guilt.

Robert Barrington, the executive director of Transparency International told the Guardian that the Rolls-Royce deal was by far the largest settlement the SFO has reached since the DPA option was introduced in 2014.

Rolls-Royce said it reached similar agreements with corresponding bodies in the US and Brazil. The company is set to pay the US Department of Justice US$ 169 million and Brazils Ministerio Publico Federal US$ 25 million as well.

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Mick Koppie last spoke to his 36-year-old son Joel fewer than three hours into the new year.

The Canberra father and son are in a band together and had travelled to Braidwood to play a gig at a hotel. After finishing the set and chatting over a beer, Joel's dad called it a night about 2.30am.

Mick Koppie is pleading for the public's help to find his son, missing Canberra man Joel Koppie. Credit:Rohan Thomson

"We were staying upstairs, so we all said 'happy New Year' and I went to bed thinking he wouldn't be far behind me," Mr Koppie said.

"But in the morning I couldn't find him anywhere."
A large fire swallowed more than 3300 hectares, burning along the tablelands near Tarago on Tuesday afternoon, as locals watched in horror from Mt Fairy, gathered to defend properties or in the case of one man, drove towards the smoke to find his dog.

Mark Patterson, a contractor, stood with his partner Felicity, their kids and friend Christa Sadler and her mother Pat Sadler, as the fire burned the hills less than a kilometre from their property.

Molly, Logan and Felicity Patterson with Christa Sadler of Tarago watch on as water bombing plane flies over and are concerned for their properties. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

He'd pulled his employees off work to help defend homes along the north side of Mt Fairy Rd, including his.

"I know most of these people," Mr Patterson said, looking into the smoke. "This is a bit serious."
NBN Co believes its network build will be halfway complete by the end of this financial year, as its roll out moves into metropolitan areas.

As of January 5, 2017, NBN's footprint included 3.8 million premises. However, only 1.6 million premises have activated their connection. By the end of June, it expects up to 5.4 million homes will be passed.

NBN's footprint currently includes roughly 3.8 million premises. However, only 1.6 million premises have activated their connection.

"This will be a significant turning point as we aim to finish the build by 2020 and become the first fully-connected continent in the world," NBN's chief executive Bill Morrow said.

"As the NBN network rolls out into cities we will be met with new problems to solve," he added.
In 1683, a new Governor arrived in the Province of New York. He was Thomas Dongan. One of Governor Dongans early official acts was to try to settle the decades-old border dispute with Connecticut  again. It was during this time that John Pell of the Manor of Pelham, a member of the General Court of Assizes, became involved.





During the autumn of 1683, likely at the urging of new Governor Thomas Dongan, Justice John Pell issued a warrant requiring constables of Rye, Greenwich, and Stamford to appear before the General Court of Assizes in New York on October 1 to be called to account for the border dispute. The move was a rather transparent effort to invoke the jurisdiction of a Court in the Province of New York over officials physically located in the Colony of Connecticut as part of the ongoing border dispute between the two governments. Indeed, during the October court session, Governor Dongan pled to the court that Connecticut had violated a 1664 agreement intended to settle the ongoing dispute. He also issued a letter to Governor Robert Treat of the Colony of Connecticut warning that If you do not submitt to let us have all the land within twenty miles of Hudsons River, I must claime as far as the Dukes Pattent goes; which is to the River Connecticut. There is land enough for us all, and I love not to do my neighbors ill offices.





See Mon., Jul. 11, 2016: I have written before about John Pell's involvement in the settlement of this dispute in 1683.Mon., Jul. 11, 2016: John Pell of the Manor of Pelham Helped Settle the 1683 Border Dispute Between the Province of New York and the Colony of Connecticut . In that article I provided the full text of the report prepared by commissioners, including John Pell, reporting on the proposed settlement that the parties eventually reached.





Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the text of two letters relating to the dispute exchanged between Connecticut authorities and Governor Dongan of New York. The letters provide a fascinating glimpse of the nastiness of the long-running dispute and provide a little insight on John Pell's involvement on behalf of New York.





On October 5, 1683, the Secretary of the Council of Connecticut, John Allyn, wrote on behalf of the Governor and Council of Connecticut to the new Governor of New York, Thomas Dongan, complaining that John Pell had issued warrants "requireing the constables of Ry, Greenwich and Standford severally to appeare at N. Yorke on the 1st Wednesday in October instant, to make presentment at your grand assizes."





The letter made indirect reference to a previous "settlement" of the border dispute in December 1664. At that time, New York Governor Richard Nicolls led a group of royal commissioners to end unneighborly and unbrotherly contentions regarding the border between New York and Connecticut. The Commissioners met with the then-Governor of the Colony of Connecticut, John Winthrop, and a group of Connecticut commissioners. In December, 1664, colonial authorities announced an agreement to place the boundary line running north-northwest at the mouth of the Mamaroneck River. Long Island, however, was placed entirely within the Province of New York. The new line on the mainland, however, was well west of the line that would have been established by the Treaty of Hartford had that treaty been ratified by English royal authorities.





Governor Dongan responded by letter dated October 9, 1683. Clearly piqued by the fact that the letter on behalf of the Governor and Council of the Colony of Connecticut was written and signed by the Secretary of the Council and not the Governor of Connecticut (Robert Treat), Dongan began his letter criticizing the failure of the Governor to sign the letter noting, irritably, that "Itt is the usuall way, when one Government writes to another, for the Chief and Principall to signe it, but since the Gentlemen have not, tis to you, Sr, that I addresse this Answer."





Dongan launched into a tirade that rehashed the entire border dispute, saying that his predecessors had been "kinder to you than some think you deserved" and made clear that he was not "obliged" to confirm practices of Connecticut settlers that may previously have been allowed. He further made clear that he did not view Connecticut as living up to the 1664 settlement agreement and, therefore, that he would make claim to all lands to the Connecticut River. He wrote, rather scathingly, as follows:





"

you have hindred the people which belong to this Goverment from comeing hither; and not that only, but some of your Colony have come to settle within six or 8 miles of Hudson's River, and that without ny leave of this province I am informed.





"If it be so, I take it to be my Master's opinion that you have abused the former contract, if any such was, and therefore you cannot blame me to take notice of it, and make claime to the whole from Connecticut River.





"Your pretence to Virginia, this place, and all other of the King's dominions as far as the South Sea, would be as good as the other."





Eventually, as I previously have written, Commissioners from the two colonies settled the dispute and a border roughly similar to that existing today between New York and Connecticut was the result. John Pell of Pelham Manor played an important role in the establishment of the border that exists between these two states today.









Portrait of John Pell.

NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.









Diagram Depicting New York and Connecticut Border Disputes

Between 1636 and 1776. Source: Border Disputes Between

New York and Connecticut in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia

(visited Jan. 15, 2017). NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.





* * * * *





Below is a transcription of the text of the two letters that form the basis of today's article. Each is followed by a citation and link to its source. All spelling in quotes used above and in the letters below is as shown in the published text.





"APPENDIX.





NO. XLIX.

THE GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL TO GOVERNOR DONGAN.

[Colon. Boundaries, II. 42.]





Hartford, Octobr 5th, 1683.





Honble Sr. This being the first opportunity we have had since your arrivall of meeting in councill, we could doe no less than congratulate your safe comeing into these western parts of the world and entrance into the Govermt of his Royall Highness Territories, wishing you all prosperity and happyness therein, assureing you that we shall endeavoure amicably to deport ourselves towards yourselfe and goverment; and if any thing should happen otherwise, upon the first intimation we shall endeavour a right understanding between us.





And by the way, we can doe no less than give your Honour advice of that which transiently is come to our cognizance, viz. a warrant sd to be granted by Mr. John Pell, requireing the constables of Ry, Greenwich and Standford severally to appeare at N. Yorke on the 1st Wednesday in October instant, to make presentment at your grand assizes; nowthstanind the sd Townes are indubitably within the precincts and bounds of this his Ma ties Colony of Connecticutt, not onely by his Ma ties gracious Charter grant but by agreement and settlement of bownds between his Royall Highness' province and this Collony, as your Hon ble predecessors well knew; at which time and before, those Townes peaceably were, and ever since have continued, under this his Ma ties Goverment; the which, for the mutuall weale and safety of all his Ma ties good subjects concerned, we heartily desire may not be interupted or molested by any such injunctions or impositions from any of or good neighbours.





Hon ble Sr, we beg your pardon for this trouble, which, wth our best respects to your Honor, is all at present from any of or good neighbours.





Hon ble Sr, we beg your pardon for this trouble, which, wth our best respects to your Honor, is all at present from, Sr,





Your affectionate neighbours & humble servants,





The Govr & Councill of his Ma ties Colony of Connecticutt,





p their order signed,





p. JOHN ALLYN, Secry.





For the Hon ble Col. Tho. Dongan Esqr.,

Govr of his Royall Highness Territories,

at Fort James, in N. York, this dd.





The Govr & Councill ordered the above written letter."









"APPENDIX.





NO. L.

GOV. DONGAN TO SECRETARY ALLYN.

[Colon. Boundaries, II. 43. Holograph.]





New York, Octobr ye 9th, 1683.





Sr. I am much obliged to your Governor and Councill for the complements they made me, and do really desire that a firm friendship may be established, assureing you that if there be not, it shall be none of my fault.





Itt is the usuall way, when one Government writes to another, for the Chief and Principall to signe it, but since the Gentlemen have not, tis to you, Sr, that I addresse this Answer.





Tis well known that his Rll Highness has a patent for all the lands on this side of Hudson's River, and if my predecessors, as you hint, haveing power to be kinder to you than some think you deserved, were pleased to quitt the rest of the lands within twenty miles of Hudson's River, I am not, as I think, obliged to confirm it.





For, instead of being contented with that, you have hindred the people which belong to this Goverment from comeing hither; and not that only, but some of your Colony have come to settle within six or 8 miles of Hudson's River, and that without ny leave of this province I am informed.





If it be so, I take it to be my Master's opinion that you have abused the former contract, if any such was, and therefore you cannot blame me to take notice of it, and make claime to the whole from Connecticut River.





Your pretence to Virginia, this place, and all other of the King's dominions as far as the South Sea, would be as good as the other.





I am obliged in his R. H. name to wish you to find out some course to make an end of this difference, whereby a foundation may be laid for a good correspondence, and I will not fail to acquaint the Duke with your resolutions.





Wishing your Governor and Councell all prosperity and happinesse, I do assure you that none shall endeavour to deport himself more amicably with them than, Sr,





Your servant,





THO. DONGAN.





For Mr. John Allyn,

Secretary of Connecticut."





Source:

Source: Trumbull, J. Hamond, ed.,

, APPENDIX No. L,

(Hartford, CT: Press of Case, Lockwood & Co., 1859).





* * * * *





Although I previously have provided the complete text of the report prepared by John Pell and other Commissioners from the two colonies appointed to propose a settlement of the dispute, another transcription of the report may be found here:









Labels: 1664, 1683, 1684, boundary, Boundary Dispute, Colonie of Connecticut, John Allyn, John Pell, Province of New York, Robert Treat, Thomas Dongan
A surge in shipments of US gas into north Asia highlights the challenge confronting Australia's gas exporters as more gas projects come on stream over the next few years.

That threat of cheap US gas cutting across the ambitions of Australian gas exporters was evident during December, when three-quarters of the gas exported from the new US gas export project at Sabine Pass was sold into north Asia, according to industry analyst Graeme Bethune.

While the US was shipping into Asia, some Queensland gas has recently been sold into the Mexican market. Credit:Rob Homer

"Until a month ago, it wasn't sending much to Asia, but it is sending a lot now, although there is no sign of it harming Australian exporters," he said.

Close to $200 billion has been invested on a range of gas export projects in Queensland and northern Australia which have recently been commissioned and are ramping up production. As a result, Mr Bethune's EnergyQuest estimates that in 2017, Australia will export $36 billion of gas, if the price of oil averages $US55 a barrel in the year ahead.
Troubled infant milk formula foundation shareholder Jan Cameron has no beneficial interest in Bellamy's Australia but her charity, the Elsie Cameron Foundation does.

The identity of who controls the Black Prince Private Foundation has emerged as pivotal in a bitter stoush for control of Bellamy's.

Jan Cameron Credit:Edwina Pickles

With a 14.5 per cent shareholding in Bellamy's, this parcel is central to claims by Ms Cameron, better known as a co-founder of the Kathmandu retailing chain, that she and other shareholders commanding as much as 35 per cent of the company's capital are backing a plan to dump the four independent directors of the troubled company.

Even though Ms Cameron says the Black Knight Private Foundation has nothing to do with her, it is part of her efforts to unseat the board.
The world's chief executives are more worried about finding workers with the right skills than they are about global political volatility and a surge in populism.

That's the finding of accounting giant PwC's annual CEO survey, revealed at the Davos World Economic Forum overnight.

The survey of 1379 CEOs from 79 countries carried out in the last four months of 2016 shows 77 per cent are concerned about skill shortages - more than double the number when the poll was first taken 20 years ago.

Skill shortages has been one of the fastest growing concerns since 2015, when it troubled 73 per cent of CEOs.
Toll road giant Transurban could need to tap investors for $1 billion in fresh equity as it juggles new tollroad projects in Victoria, NSW and the US.

That at least is the view of investment bank Credit Suisse. It reckons the completion of negotiations with the Victorian government over the Western Distributor by the end of March will be the catalyst for a raising.

Also on the block is a slice of equity in the $16.8 billion Westconnex project in NSW where advisors have been appointed, and the sale of a slice of the Dulles Greenway project in Virginia in the US north-east.

"Transurban is in exclusive negotiations with the Victorian state on Western Distributor and expects to announce a final agreement in February or March," Credit Suisse told clients on Tuesday in a research note
In a protest to show that Switzerland's new rules on Swiss-Made are too lenient, a luxury watchmaker has built what it calls a 100 per cent Swiss timepiece, composed only with locally produced natural resources, such as a strap of cowhide rather than alligator leather, plus a more unusual ingredient: cheese.

At Geneva's annual watch fair, which opened Monday (Swiss time), H. Moser & Cie. unveiled the one-of-a-kind piece, whose watchcase is made of resin mixed with pasteurised Vacherin Mont d'Or cheese. The "Swiss-Made" designation is so meaningless that the brand will no longer use it, the Schaffhausen-based company also said.

"As much as 90 per cent of components can be made in Asia, but the watch could still carry the Swiss-made label," chief executive officer Edouard Meylan said in an interview. "The Swiss watch industry doesn't want people to know that. We don't want to be compared with a label that's not strong enough and that many brands are abusing."

As of Jan. 1, 60 per cent of the value of timepieces needs to come from Switzerland for them to gain the title, up from 50 per cent previously. Most of H. Moser's watches are 95 per cent Swiss. In a satirical video, which also takes swipes at Swiss banking and Heidi, Meylan appears wielding a crossbow and wearing red suspenders and a cap that says "Make Swiss-Made Great Again."
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Here we are  Donald Trump is about to become the 45th president of the United States and we have to prepare for the onslaught.

It beggars belief that in 2016 an outright climate change denier could rise to the highest office in the US, dragging with him a Republican controlled Congress hungry to revive the old glory days of coal, gas and oil, not to mention a Secretary of State that until last month ran the biggest oil company on earth.

Bill McKibben (black cap) was among activists arrested outside the White House in 2013 protesting against the proposed expansion of the Keystone oil pipeline. Two years later, the expansion was canned. Credit:Getty Images

Yet while Australians may groan and worry at the destruction that Trump will bring, take a look at your own Trump-like administration.

Washington DC may be awash with fossil fuel operatives, but Australia is no stranger to fossil fuel barons holding political sway either  indeed, you elected one to Parliament a few years ago in the form of Clive Palmer. And as Trump thrusts the US firmly into a position as international climate pariah, we are sadly joining Australia as two rogue developed nations openly trashing global climate efforts.
Like most Australians, we have come to Australia from other places and our family history and most of our relations remain on foreign shores. So all the little bits and pieces you stole from us, which looked like dollar signs to you, were for us links to our family history and small mementoes to pass down and share with our children. Did you have a chance to read any of the notes that I had attached to some of the items you took from us? They were little stories that I had written to explain to our children and grandchildren when we are long gone that this little trinket was a symbol and a link to their family far away and long gone.

What about the little cross with the inlaid beads, you might remember that one? Just for your information, that was a gift from my teacher/missionary in-laws who spent their lives helping others in Africa. How about the rhinestone apple broach? It must have cost $2 but to me it meant the world when it was given to me to by my grandma when I had scarlet fever.

I think we were lucky though. That even though you have violated every personal freedom one can have, you have not touched our sense of hope and community and the outrage to say that we will not stand for these types of violent and invasive actions. I will refuse to sit quietly and let this crime pass without giving you fair warning that I will support every effort to make sure that you do not this again and that no one in this community has to go through this ordeal.

I look forward to meeting you again soon. Perhaps I can drop in on you as unexpectedly as you did me and through prison bars tell you the other stories you carried away with you last Friday.

Mary Marx lives in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.
One home has been destroyed by a fast-moving and out-of-control bushfire near Canberra, on a day when temperatures soared across the state.

The blaze, referred to as the Currandooley fire, threatened homes at Boro and Mount Fairy, near Tarago, on Tuesday.

It burned through more than 2450 hectares of land since it broke out on Tuesday morning, causing an emergency warning to be issued for residents in the area.

The Rural Fire Service said it will inspect the fireground on Wednesday morning to confirm reports one home was lost in the blaze.
Former Labor senator Anne McEwen has lost a bid to introduce new evidence her legal team said would cast doubt on the ability of the Family First Party to replace resigned senator Bob Day with another Family First candidate.

The High Court is considering the eligibility of Mr Day to run for the Senate in July last year.

The make-up of the Senate hangs on the outcome, with the government requiring the support of eight of the nine remaining crossbenchers to pass legislation if Labor and the Greens combine to oppose them, now that two former senators are being scrutinised by the High Court.

The High Court is also reserving its judgment on the eligibility of former One Nation Senator Rod Culleton to run for the Senate.




"The HoseMaster is the funniest satirist writing about wine in the world today."



--Karen MacNeil













--Terry Theise









HoseMaster

HoseMaster

HoseMaster



--Robert Parker





"...With sometimes crude analogies and occasional droppings of f-bombs, Washam cleverly uses satire to expose the underbelly of the wine business. It's often hilarious stuff as long as you're not the one being lampooned.



Washam takes no prisoners in skewering all that is silly, stupid, frustrating and pretentious about wine, and his favorite targets are other bloggers and writers. No one is immune."



-- Linda Murphy in "Vineyard and Winery Management"









-- JancisRobinson.com





"

Hosemaster of Wine

First: Im not sure if there is anyone better at cutting through the confidence trick that is often intrinsic to the business of wine.

Second: in a world where offending people appears to border on the illegal, the Hosemaster piles in. No one is safe."

--Joss Fowler "Vinolent.com"







"As serious as the world of wine is, it does allow time for humor. Each Monday and Thursday, Ron Washam customarily posts a commentary on his needling wine blog HoseMaster of Wine . Washam, a former sommelier and comedy writer  he might say they are closely related  is the most opinionated, humorous and ribald observer in the wine world. His body of work is irreverent and remorseless. Its almost always satire and parody, though he occasionally drifts into straight commentary, sometimes even with tasting notes. This past year, one of his posts was named the best of the year in the Wine Blog Awards. His success has spawned several imitations, which in their awkwardness show just how difficult satire is."



--Mike Dunne, Sacramento Bee





Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/01/21/6089630/dunne-on-wine-wine-blogs-and-bloggers.html#storylink=cpy





"Please let this guy write the scripts for Saturday Night Live which has gotten so lame...his newest "wisdom" is worth an Emmy....I wonder if he is the genius behind all those Hitler/Parker,etc. clips? No one else is remotely as funny or as talented.And the wine world sure needs someone to poke fun at all the nonsense and phoney/baloney unsufferable crap out there."



--Robert Parker





"

Washam uses his own blog, HoseMaster of Wine , to skewer the industry in general and wine blogs in particular. If your mouse scoots to your browser's close box while reading a wine blog, Washam may be the blogger for you."



-- San Francisco Chronicle



"Ron Washam, former sommelier, is easily the most bitingly funny blogger/wine writer that we have ever come across. He is an equal opportunity crusader who pillories big wineries and amateur bloggers alike, as well as everything and everyone in between...One needs a sense of humor and a tolerance for earthiness to enjoy reading The Hosemaster . We must have both because this guy deserves a wider audience, in our humble opinion."





--Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine

--Steve Heimoff





"This site should carry a warning label. It's sort of a Dave Barry/George Carlin approach to wine. The Hosemaster (real name Ron Washam) skewers fellow bloggers and industry savants with glee, while offering hilarious wine guides such as his Honest Guide to Grapes...

--Paul Gregutt, Seattle Times

"Washam is a skilled wine judge (I have judged with him) who is willing to judge wine double blind, in public . To my knowledge, Parker does not do this and never has. So Ron's credentials are in place, and so is his sense of the absurd."

--Dan Berger, VintageExperiences





"...I consider Ron a

talented writer and Ive long been an admirer of his scathing wit..."

--1WineDude

"And if any free sites think they can conquer the world, theres always the Hosemaster

to take em down a notch."

--Tyler Colman "Dr. Vino"

--Jo Diaz "Juicy Tales by Jo Diaz"





"I must say you are an idiot. I've never liked you. I have no idea why people find you funny."

--Reign of Terroir

--Will Lyons (WSJ) on Twitter







--Levi Dalton on Twitter

very
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will ask his cyber security adviser to investigate how senior Australian politicians were caught up in a massive global data breach affecting Yahoo internet services.

Social Services Minister Christian Porter, shadow treasurer Chris Bowen and Liberal senator Cory Bernardi are among those whose Yahoo-linked accounts were reportedly affected by the breach.

As experts warned that stolen data could be used for blackmail, Mr Turnbull acknowledged: "Cyber vulnerability is a very real issue. It's really important for all of us to be aware of cyber security."

The ABC said it identified the MPs, including Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, from a data set obtained through US cyber security firm InfoArmor.
The Australian, Malaysian and Chinese governments have announced the hunt for missing flight MH370 will end immediately, after a two-year search of a 120,000sq km stretch of the Indian Ocean failed to find the plane.



"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," the three governments, who have coordinated the search, said in a joint statement.



"Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended. The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness."

MH370 disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people on board en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Most of the passengers were Chinese or Malaysian and six were Australian.

In December, fresh Australian Transport Safety Bureau analysis  conducted by a panel of international investigators  found the plane likely crashed in a stretch of the Indian Ocean north of the existing search zone.

With a "high degree of confidence" and using newly available information, the panel concluded that the plane would not be found in the 120,000sq km search zone and recommended the search be extended into the new 25,000sq km stretch.
After poaching one of his state MPs in her bid for Queensland domination, Pauline Hanson has some advice for Malcolm Turnbull on how to fix his government  bring Tony Abbott back to the cabinet.

Senator Hanson has emerged as one of Mr Abbott's biggest supporters since returning to parliament, the pair having buried the hatchet following his role in bringing about the downfall of One Nation in the late 1990s, when it posed a growing electoral threat to the Liberals.

But, speaking to Nine News on Tuesday, Senator Hanson took it a step further, campaigning for Mr Abbott's return to the front bench, once again as health minister.

"Bring Tony Abbott back into the portfolio," she said.
Former One Nation senator Rod Culleton's woes have shown no sign of abating, with the Queensland Police Service confirming it was still dealing with allegations he attempted to pervert the course of justice and threatened a Cairns magistrate.

Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath referred Mr Culleton to Police Commissioner Ian Stewart in November, asking he be investigated over a letter sent to a Cairns magistrate on November 15.

In that letter, then-Senator Culleton requested a matter before the court be adjourned, which Queensland Chief Magistrate Ray Rinaudo then referred to Ms D'Ath.

"The Chief Magistrate expressed concern that the contents of the correspondence from Senator Culleton could amount to an attempt to pervert the course of justice, and threatening a judicial officer," Ms D'Ath said in a November 23 statement.
Lindsay Lohan has left her Instagram followers confused after she deleted every picture she had posted on the app, leaving them with only an Arabic message of peace.

The former child star - who between her nightclub ownership, accent shift and humanitarian trips to Syria has kept her fans guessing about her next move - purged her social media presence earlier this month.

Lindsay Lohan walks the red carpet of Firenze4ever 14th Edition Party on January 9, 2017 in Florence, Italy. Credit:Getty

After deleting all of her Instagram photos, Lohan updated her bio to read, "Alaikum salam" ("peace be unto you"), an Arabic greeting used both socially and in Islamic ceremony.

The message prompted some Muslim Twitter users to speculate that Lohan had decided to follow Islam.
Like a lot of things about the fast-approaching Trump administration, it's hard to tell what role the first lady will play in it, or even who will perform the functions traditionally allocated to the president's wife. But last week, Melania Trump's longtime makeup artist Nicole Bryl gave an interview to Us magazine that suggests Trump is beginning to consider the space she wants to create for herself in the White House, and the conditions under which Trump wants her beauty team to work.

Though the prospect of a White House glam room has come in for a certain amount of derision, Bryl's explanation of the time and industry it takes to create Trump's look is actually a bit of valuable transparency. Beauty and style aren't ephemeral qualities that descend effortlessly from the heavens: They're the result of work, and the standards American women are expected to meet require the labour of trained professionals.

Melania Trump will reportedly have a 'glam room' in the White House. Credit:AP

The question isn't whether Melania Trump should have the space and resources she needs to look how she wants. First ladies have had professionals help them for years, and if they want that assistance, they should have it. Presidential spouses are some of the most-scrutinised women on the planet, and criticisms of how they look and dress that might otherwise be considered sexist nonsense can be repurposed and deployed as political weapons. The object of real curiosity ought to be how Melania Trump intends to deploy her sense of glamour and style, and to what ends.

The first lady's self-presentation has generally been used to communicate something larger than the idea that the president did well for himself.
A third of the thousands of Australian university students will not complete their degree within six years, new data has revealed.

The research shows that even nine years after the 2006 cohort began their studies, only 73.5 per cent of students had completed a course.

The figures come as spiralling taxpayer-funded student loans look set to blow out to $11.1 billion a year by 2026, or 46.3 per cent of the nation's public debt, according to figures from the Parliamentary Budget Office.

In Sydney, Western Sydney University had the lowest completion rate after only 73.7 per cent of the university's 2006 intake completed their degrees.
He may have a licence to kill, but it turns out James Bond is becoming increasingly aware of risks to his health.

Renowned for his shaken (not stirred) martinis, fictional spy James Bond has long been seen as quite attached to his cigarettes - shown smoking in bed, while driving and once even while flying a hang glider.

Sean Connery as James Bond with a cigarette in hand in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Credit:United Artists Corporation

But new analysis of all 24 films has found that 007 has kicked the habit for 15 years now, with his final smoke in 2002 in Die Another Day.

The study, published on Tuesday in international journal Tobacco Control, has shown the films are still riddled by images of smoking, with only one film in the 55-year franchise smoke-free - Casino Royale (2006).
They are the biggest cause of death on Australian farms and, on Monday, claimed yet another life.

Seven-year-old Connor Irvin, from the small Riverina wheat town of Barellan, was killed by a quad bike on Sunday afternoon when he turned a sharp corner on his family's farm and fell off.

Connor Irvin, 7, with his sister, Shenaye, died after he fell off his quad bike. Credit:Facebook

He was crushed by the kids' model bike but a nine-year-old family friend who was sitting behind him survived.

Both boys were wearing bicycle helmets and were under supervision, a police spokesman said.
Moments later, the 170-tonne Bold Street Bridge collapsed on carriages three and four, killing most of those inside in what remains Australia's worst train disaster.

On his way to work in Sydney's CBD, he had been standing in carriage three shortly before the train he was on derailed near Granville station about 8.10am on January 18, 1977.

In all, 83 people died and 213 were injured in the tragedy at Granville.

The Granville train disaster claimed the lives of 83 people.

"Where I had been standing, no one in that area survived. Someone was looking after me that day," Mr Garner recalled.

On Wednesday morning, survivors, victims' families and those who rescued passengers will be joined by NSW Premier Mike Baird, Transport Minister Andrew Constance and NSW Governor David Hurley at Granville to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the train disaster.

"It's a chance to remember those who were not as fortunate as me, who were seated where I was standing and lost their lives through no fault of their own," Mr Garner said.
A man accused of a stabbing murder in inner city Sydney was living in refuge accommodation and was on bail for an assault he allegedly committed earlier this month, court documents show.

Matthew John Whitehall, 40, was charged with fatally stabbing Paul Antaw, 38, in Woolloomooloo on Monday morning.

Paul Antaw was stabbed to death outside the Matthew Talbot Hostel on Monday. Credit:Facebook

According to court documents, Mr Whitehall was living at the Matthew Talbot Hostel, which provides accommodation and support for men who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The hostel, which is run by the St Vincent de Paul Society, has been open for 50 years and was recently praised by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for its work.
The NSW Police Association is calling for Police Minister Troy Grant to be retained in the job in the interests of continuity during a forthcoming cabinet reshuffle.

Premier Mike Baird and Deputy Premier John Barilaro are working out details of the reshuffle, which is expected to be announced within weeks.

Mr Barilaro revealed last year that he had offered to keep Mr Grant in cabinet following his resignation as Nationals leader and deputy premier after a record swing against the party in the Orange byelection.

However, there is speculation Mr Grant will be stripped of some portfolio responsibilities, which cover justice, police, gaming and racing, and the arts, and that police might return to the Liberals.
A Labor MP has hit out at her own government, labelling cuts to inner-city services a "timetable fail" as Queensland Rail prepares to roll out service changes.

Trains to four relatively busy northern stations were reduced when a major train line began bypassing them with the introduction of the Redcliffe Peninsula line on October 4.

A driver shortage was blamed for mass last-minute, network-wide service cancellations in the wake of the timetable change, triggering an interim timetable that will return to service on January 23.

An inner-city service was brought in to ease some of the shortfall to Nundah, Toombul, Wooloowin and Albion but at least some of those services were scrapped in the interim timetable.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has rejected Pauline Hanson's call to issue an amnesty on medicinal cannabis, saying it would be "irresponsible".

Speaking from Brisbane on Tuesday, Mr Turnbull said an incoming government scheme would enable licensed Australian growers to cultivate plants for medicinal use, but for the moment patients were effectively buying products on the black market.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says a cannabis amnesty would be irresponsible.

He said an amnesty would be irresponsible because there were no controls over medicines bought outside official channels.

Two women in NSW had recently been hospitalised because the strength of the cannabis they bought was too high, he said.
A woman has died four days after she was injured in a bicycle accident on the Gold Coast.

The woman was travelling with a male passenger on a powered bicycle in Varsity Lakes on Friday morning when it left the road.

She suffered serious injuries in the accident and was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital where she died on Tuesday morning.

AAP
It's common sense that having the best staff can transform your business. In fact, a recent study found 10% of productivity comes from the top 1% of employees and 26% of output derives from the top 5%.

On top of that, business owners know what top talent looks like. They are problem solvers, self-directors and strategic thinkers. They have passion and are highly skilled.

Monique Brasher of General Assembly believes networking attracts staff.

But how do you get a small team stacked with people like this when your brand isn't plastered on billboards? My Small Business asked three leaders how they've drawn high performing workers to their ranks.

Development
Ever lost your cool in a hospital? New research suggests you would be wise to stay calm.

Criticising doctors and nurses while they're caring for you or a loved one increases the risk of potentially catastrophic errors, a study of intensive care units has found.

Health care workers perform worse when facing criticism. Credit:Michele Mossop

With thousands of people dying every year due to preventable errors in hospitals, a team of American researchers set out to test whether rude parents undermined the care of their children.

Doctors and nurses from 39 neonatal intensive care units in Israel were asked to work through five mock clinical scenarios with mannequins to replace seriously ill infants.
A father-of-three who was rammed and shot at after confronting his children's purported bullies has been charged after investigators allegedly found a bulletproof vest in his room at his mother's house.

Alex Harrouk went to the Hume Islamic Youth Centre on November 21 last year to confront bullies when a fight ensued, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old fled in his car, chased by another vehicle, Echo taskforce detective senior constable Matt Lacey said.

He said Mr Harrouk was rammed before being fired at near the Paringa Boulevard intersection on Pascoe Vale Road. Both cars went their separate ways.

On Tuesday, police searched his home in Dallas and his mother's in Glenroy as part of the investigation into the November shooting, which no one has been charged over.
A man allegedly exposed himself to a series of women in Melbourne's eastern suburbs after pulling up beside them in a car and asking for directions.

Police have appealed for witnesses to the wilful and obscene exposure incidents in Box Hill earlier this month.

Investigators said the man stopped his car on Whitehorse Road, near Clota Avenue, about 6.40pm on January 3 and asked a 25-year-old woman for directions to a nearby shopping centre before the woman noticed that his penis was exposed and he was masturbating.

Police said the same man approached a 17-year-old girl who was walking along Dorking Road about 20 minutes later, and a 34-year-old woman who was walking near the service lane on Whitehorse Road, near Dorking Street, just after 4pm on January 12.

In both cases, the victims reported the offender asking for directions while masturbating in the car, a black Holden Commodore.
A South Yarra man has been rescued from his balcony as fire consumed his apartment on Tuesday morning.

The man, 25, was hiding on the narrow balcony  merely a hoarding for the shop below  when firefighters arrived to pluck him to safety.

The rest of the South Yarra apartment was well alight when firefighters arrived around 4.10am.

A wooden staircase had already been destroyed and the roof was on fire, an MFB spokesman said.

The fire took 30 minutes to bring under control, with 26 firefighters in nine trucks attending.
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.
Victoria's chief health officer has warned of a potential measles outbreak after two cases were reported in Melbourne's south-east.

Professor Charles Guest said the two teenage siblings from Rowville had just returned to Australia from Kuala Lumpur.

They travelled on Air Asia flight D7214, which arrived at Tullamarine at 9.30am on January 5.

Professor Guest said before they were diagnosed the children visited Fountain Gate Shopping Centre and a cinema with their family.
A newcomer to Melbourne once asked a tram driver in which direction the tram was heading.

The driver pointed to the long, straight track ahead.

One of the original 50 E-Class trams. Credit:Adam Chandler

"Ain't nowhere else to go," he said.

On Monday afternoon, however, the 96 tram took its passengers on an unexpected detour.
WA police are investigating the serious allegation that protesters have set up 'trip wires' at the site of the Roe 8 project in Perth's southern suburbs after a police horse was injured.

Hundreds of protesters have been a permanent fixture at the site of the controversial Roe 8 project in Coolbellup, which is part of the planned Perth Freight Link.

Protesters claim the four-lane highway through the Beeliar Wetlands will destroy habitat for endangered and rare species, like the southern brown bandicoot and Carnaby's cockatoo.

A police spokesperson said a horse suffered a minor leg injury after striking a wire cable that had been placed around trees on Tuesday morning.
Two women have allegedly been bashed, one with a rock, in a home invasion in the Perth Hills on Monday.

Police allege a 37-year-old man entered a property on Byfield Road, Parkerville on Monday afternoon, before punching a woman several times in the face and then kicking her as she lay on the ground.

Two women were allegedly bashed in an home invasion in Parkerville. Credit:Marina Neil/Fairfax Media

It's alleged a woman who tried to intervene was struck in the head with a rock.

A 12-year-old boy of one of the women was allegedly chased by the man before the two women and the child hid in the house.
People outside the Blue Parrot nightclub after the shooting. Credit:Por Esto! de Quintana Roo The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said there were no reports of Australians being injured or killed in the shooting, although a number of Australians were inside the club at the time. The attorney general for the state of Quintana Roo, Miguel Angel Pech Cen, said the shooting was not an act of terrorism, but police were still investigating a motive. Police guard the exit of the Blue Parrot nightclub in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. A deadly shooting occurred in the early morning hours outside the nightclub while it was hosting part of the BPM electronic music festival, according to police. (AP Photo) Credit:AP He said initial investigations suggested the gunman attempted to enter the club when another person tried to stop him, sparking a gunfight that drew in security staff.

During the struggle, shots were fired in different directions. Four people have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in the incident. Tim Mullen was in the Blue Parrot nightclub at the time of the shooting. Credit:Facebook Mr Cohen, who is travelling with a group of 12 friends from Melbourne, said his friends were near the club's stage and he was in the line for the toilets when all of a sudden he heard what he initially thought were bursts of fireworks for 10-15 seconds. "I saw a few different flashes. I actually thought there were gunmen coming from both directions, from the beach and from the entrance. I'm not sure, it happened very fast, other people are saying it was just one gunman," he said. A woman is treated by paramedics after being show at the nightclub. Credit:Esto de Quintana Roo, via AP

Mr Cohen said he and the British man who had been shot in the arm stuck together in their attempt to escape. First they located Mr Cohen's friends near the stage, but they could not physically reach them. "They didn't know what was happening, because the firing was from the other end of the stage. I screamed out to them 'Someone has got a gun, we need to get out right now!'." A group of Perth friends celebrate in Playa del Carmen in Mexico just hours before the shooting. Credit:Trent Cray, Facebook Mr Cohen and the injured man, from London, then clambered over a large fence onto the beach and sprinted up the sand to safety. They eventually hailed a cab in a nearby street, and Mr Cohen put the injured man into the cab to go to hospital. In the chaos of the situation, he never found out the man's name.

"I could see the bullet hole straight through his arm. It wasn't bleeding that much, and he was actually OK, he was doing quite well," Mr Cohen said. Mr Cohen then went back to his apartment, where he reunited with his friends. "As soon as I got home I called my dad," he said. "It was not in the back of my mind at all that something like this could happen." Another Australian tourist, Trent Cray, was also in the club at the time and posted on social media: "OMG the whole club just got shot up!!!"

"We all had to get on floor and wait. The gunman ran around then everyone legged it. I filmed the whole thing. We all ok." Tim Mullen, from Perth, was with friends at a VIP table at the centre of the club when they heard a series of "pops" going off, he said. "At first we thought it was part of the production of a show. We were looking for some pyrotechnics or some fireworks, but as the screams started around the pops, we sort of felt that something a little more sinister was going on," he told Sky News. "We all just got as low as quickly as we could, we kept our heads down and heard the pops progressively move closer towards us, and then kind of behind us, with all the music off and the lights on. The organisers did quite a good job of getting everyone to safety as quickly as they could." Mr Mullen said one of his friends provided first aid to one of the shooting victims. That friend, Jhana Green, wrote on Facebook that he used his singlet to apply pressure to a victim's gunshot wound.

"Certainly he [Mr Green] deserves commendation for putting himself into that situation, to help whoever it was that went down, and we had to rush past a number of what looked like victims on the way out of the club," Mr Mullen said. Mr Mullen said the tragedy occurred on the final day of what had been an "incredible music festival" that was well run. "We have felt safe and well informed the whole week," he said. He and his group of friends planned to continue their trip in Mexico. Loading
Hong Kong: Chinese President Xi Jinping cautioned against protectionism as he pushed back against criticism of globalisation by Donald Trump and other Western populists.

"Protectionism is like locking yourself in a dark room, which would seem to escape wind and rain, but also block out the sunshine," Xi told the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, the first Chinese head of state to address the annual gathering in the Alpine resort town of Davos. "No one is a winner in a trade war."

Xi used his speech to support a global economic order that has helped fuel China's almost four-decade economic boom.

While a surge in protectionist sentiment threatens to slow the engine of China's growth, it also offers Xi a chance to advance his goal of shaping global economic systems. In his speech he did not refer to Trump by name.
Civil rights legend and Democratic Congressman John Lewis plans to boycott the inauguration. Credit:Bloomberg But Trump can hardly be shocked at the notion of a president's legitimacy being questioned. For years he did precisely that to President Barack Obama, without a shred of evidence supporting his claim that Obama was not born in the US. Apart from coinciding with the MLK holiday weekend, Trump's blast came only days after confirmation hearings for his controversial choice of Alabama senator Jeff Sessions to be attorney-general. A painful history: John Lewis participated in the Selma March in 1965. Credit:Charles Shaw/Getty Images Sessions' alleged racism was enough for a GOP-dominated Senate panel to reject his 1980s judicial nomination. Lewis and others warned during the hearings that, as the country's top law officer, Sessions could undo decades of progress in race relations.

Not surprisingly, Trump suddenly finds himself feuding with some of the country's most senior African American leaders and the row has prompted more Democrats to announce they'll be boycotting his inauguration. They now number 26. Dr Martin Luther King jnr holds his head after being struck by a rock as he was leading about 600 demonstrators on a civil rights march through a Chicago neighbourhood in 1966. "What [he's] telling black people is that all the things John Lewis directly was involved in, that resulted in the [civil rights] legislation that we are fighting to maintain and make permanent, [he] considers nothing," Reverend Al Sharpton, who led a weekend protest in Washington, said. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People president Cornell William Brooks engaged Trump on his own turf, tweeting a graphic picture of the young and bloodied protester Lewis and saying: "By disrespecting @repjohnlewis, @realDonaldTrump dishonored Lewis' sacrifice; demeaned Americans; the rights, he nearly died 4. Apologize." Trump has promised an inauguration that would be "very, very special, very beautiful". Credit:AP

Mark Anthony Neal, professor of African-American studies at Duke University, said: "I don't think we have ever had a president so publicly condescending to what black politics means." Michael Gerson, formerly a speechwriter for George W. Bush and now a Washington Post columnist, also defended Lewis, describing the Trump tweets as "the essence of narcissism". Martin Luther King III in the lobby of Trump Tower. Credit:Bloomberg He wrote: "Trump seems to have no feel for, no interest in, the American story he is about to enter. "He will lead a nation that accommodated a cruel exception to its founding creed; that bled and nearly died to recover its ideals; and that was only fully redeemed by the courage and moral clarity of the very people it had oppressed. People like the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. People like John Lewis  Were John Lewis to call me every name in the book, I would still honor him."

US President-elect Donald Trump in an elevator in the lobby of Trump Tower. Credit:Bloomberg Apart from his tone deafness, Trump also has been called out on facts: Lewis' Atlanta congressional district does have poor neighbourhoods but it also has wealth enclaves such as Buckhead, and it is home to the world's busiest airport, several respected institutions, including the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Institute of Technology. It's also the corporate headquarters of Coca-Cola, among others. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution hit back with a page-one headline: ATLANTA TO TRUMP: WRONG. And its columnist Jim Galloway's challenge was headlined: "Dear Donald Trump: Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler Have Retired." Apart from Trump's warm, contemporary embrace of white supremacists and nationalists, he has his own dubious record on race. In the 1970s, he and his father were sued by the Justice Department for discriminating against black would-be tenants. And in 1989, he bought full-page advertisements in The New York Times urging that five black and Hispanic teenagers accused of raping a woman in Central Park be executed. Even when the five were exonerated, he criticised the city for compensating them for wrongful imprisonment.

Trump was expected to mark MLK day with a visit to Washington's new Museum of African-American History, but that was cancelled without explanation. Instead he had what was described as a "hastily organised" meeting in New York with Martin Luther King III, the oldest of Martin Luther King jnr's children. At the end of the 50-minute session, King emerged, telling reporters the encounter had been "constructive", adding: "He said that he is going to represent Americans. He's said that over and over again [and] we will continue to evaluate that." In what appeared to be a bid to ease the tension, King tried to step around the Lewis row, saying: "In the heat of emotion, a lot of things get said on both sides." Declaring that "we" had to move forward, he said: "I think my father would be very concerned about the 50 to 60 million people living in poverty. It's insanity that we have poor people in this nation, it's unacceptable. We need to be talking about how to clothe people, how do we feed people." Lewis has not engaged the Trump tweets directly. But speaking at a Miami breakfast to mark the MLK holiday on Monday, he celebrated King's philosophy of non-violence in a veiled swipe at Trump's aggressive style. "You must never, ever hate," he said. "Stand up, speak up, when you see something that is not right and not fair and not just. You have a moral obligation to do something and say something."
Shimmering with steel and glass Manila's newest sky-scraper soars 57 storeys above the sprawling city's financial district of Makati.

Trump Tower at Century City exudes luxury, according to its developer's pitch to buyers, with apartments and penthouses furnished with designer brand furniture such as Hermes.

Ivanka Trump, the American fashion model and former reality television personality, was selling her own brand jewellery to the tower's clients, until she resigned from the Trump Organisation before Christmas, to take what has been portrayed as a "quasi-First Lady role" in the administration of her father Donald, who will on Friday be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

The asking price for one of the tower's smaller one-bedroom apartments is $US750,000 in a city where the average worker takes home $US10 a day.
The European Union's two most powerful leaders have reacted strongly to the incendiary observations of US President-elect Donald Trump about the future of the union and the role of NATO, which he described as "obsolete".

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to calm European anxieties over Mr Trump's presidency while France's President Francois Hollande lashed out, saying the bloc did not need to be told what to do by outsiders.

"Europe will be ready to pursue transatlantic cooperation, but it will based on its interests and values," Mr Hollande said before awarding France's highest honour to outgoing US ambassador Jane Hartley. "It does not need outside advice to tell it what to do."

Speaking from Berlin, Dr Merkel said: "I believe we Europeans have our fate in our own hands. I'm personally going to wait until the American president takes office, and then we will naturally work with him on all levels and see what kind of agreements we can reach."
AGADEZ: A 200-vehicle convoy with Libya's toppled leader, Muammar Gaddafi, rumoured to be aboard has crossed into Niger and is heading towards the capital Niamey, officials say.

The convoy entered the Sahelian country late on Monday and drove through the city of Agadez, a stronghold of the former Tuareg rebellion that Gaddafi once supported, a local military source said yesterday.

''I saw an exceptionally large and rare convoy of several dozen vehicles enter Agadez from Arlit and go towards Niamey,'' the source said, amid speculation that Gaddafi may be in it.

''There are persistent rumours that Gaddafi or one of his sons are travelling in the convoy,'' the source said, adding that the convoy included civilian and military vehicles.
Istanbul: The suspected gunman who killed 39 people in an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day was born in Uzbekistan and received training in Afghanistan, Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin says.

After police caught him and four other suspects at a hideout in an outlying suburb of the city, Sahin told reporters the alleged attacker, whom he named as Abdulgadir Masharipov, had admitted his guilt and his fingerprints matched those at the scene.

"He knew four languages and was well educated," Sahin told a news conference after Masharipov's capture on Monday.

There were strong indications he entered Turkey illegally through its eastern borders in January 2016 and it was clear the attack was carried out on behalf of Islamic State, Sahin said.
Sara Connor is shown evidence at Denpasar District Court on Tuesday. Credit:Amilia Rosa "I saw her (Ms Connor) lying on the left side of the victim with her left hand around his neck," Mr Suryana told the court. "The victim was sighing." But Ms Connor told the court she had never laid in that position next to the victim. Sara Connor and David Taylor strolling in Bali's Kerobokan jail in January. Credit:Alan Putra "I never tried to grab hold of his neck," she said. "I had never seen David hold the hand of the victim like that."

It was dark, Mr Suryana said, the streetlights were blocked by the trees and the only light came from a full moon. The widow of Wayan Sudarsa, Ketut Arsini, and her son Kadek Toni, hold a portrait of the police officer who was killed on Legian beach. Credit:Alan Putra The security guard could not make out faces but there was enough light to identify a man with dreadlocks and a woman. Mr Suryana said he observed the trio for about 15 minutes. "There was no movement. The victim didn't struggle, he just stayed still. The two foreigners didn't make any sound." But Ms Connor said she had not been at the scene for 15 minutes. "Maybe it was 15 seconds," she said.

Mr Suryano told the court he then returned to his post outside the Pullman Hotel and didn't tell anybody about what he had seen. "When I went back to my post they were still in that position." Asked by the judge why he had simply walked away when he was a security guard, Mr Suryana said he thought they had just been "joking around". "The sighing was the sound of passion. I thought they were just joking," he said. "The fifteen minutes I observed them they were just fooling around." He said neither of the foreigners noticed him. Mr Suryana said police told him about the alleged murder of Mr Sudarsa at 7am the following morning and he was taken to the crime scene, where a crowd had gathered.

It was only then, Mr Suryana told the court, that he had seen the condition of the victim and noticed a bottle nearby on the sand. "The victim's face was covered with blood and sand," Mr Suryana said. "His position was the same as the one I had earlier seen." He also said he observed blood spots in the morning, which he had missed the previous night. "I didn't see details at night. They looked like they were people making out." Mr Suryana's evidence was erratic. He confused the time he was at the scene, when he signed the witness statement and when he was with police. Some observers in the courtroom laughed at the inconsistencies. At one point Ms Connor's lawyer, Erwin Siregar, interjected, asking the Pullman Hotel security officer if he was sure about what he was saying. "Because it involves the life and death of a person," Mr Siregar said.

Outside court another of Ms Connor's lawyers, Robert Khuana, accused the security guard of lying. He said it was impossible for the witness to have observed the three of them for 15 minutes from five metres away and seen no movement. "It's impossible. That's why I say: full lying." Mr Khuana also questioned why Mr Suryana had watched for 15 minutes if he thought they were simply making out. Outside court, Ms Connor repeated that she would only have been at the scene with Mr Taylor and Mr Sudarsa for 15 seconds. "I just can't wait for this case to be over," she said.
Hanoi: Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday promised Vietnam six new patrol boats during a visit to the Southeast Asian country locked in a dispute with China over the busy South China Sea waterway.

Abe's stop in Vietnam completes a tour through an arc of a region where Japan stakes a leadership claim in the face of China's growing dominance and uncertainty over what policy change Donald Trump will bring as US president.

Military music band play before a welcoming ceremony for Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi. Credit:AP

"We will strongly support Vietnam's enhancing its maritime law enforcement capability," Abe said, while emphasising that the dispute over the South China Sea should be settled through talks and in accordance with international law.

China claims almost all the South China Sea, through which about $US5 trillion worth of seaborne trade passes every year. Vietnam and four other countries also have claims in the sea, believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas.
The Philippines has filed a low-key diplomatic protest over reports that China has installed anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapons on seven artificial islands in the flashpoint waters of the South China Sea.

One of islands is within the Philippines' 200 mile exclusive economic zone.

Philippine foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay told reporters it was important to raise concerns with China carefully and not create a big row.

"We cannot engage China in a war," he said, adding "but when there are reports about the build-up of weapon systems in the area under our watch, we made sure that the interests and rights of the Philippines are properly protected."
D.B. Cooper's tie. Credit:FBI "Titanium was a rare metal in 1971 and this makes it extremely unlikely it is a post-event contamination," Citizen Sleuths notes on its site, which lays out in painstaking detail all of the findings from the case. "Its presence constrains Cooper to a limited number of managers or engineers in the titanium field that would wear ties to work." At the time, they noted, the element was used extensively by the military in aircraft and helicopters. Scientists think he may have worked at Boeing, which at the time happened to be developing a Super Sonic Transport plane that used those elements, Tom Kaye, a lead researcher with Citizen Sleuths, told King 5 News. "The tie went with him into these manufacturing environments, for sure, so he was not one of the people running these [manufacturing machines]," Kaye told the news station. "He was either an engineer or a manager in one of the plants."

He added that the group was asking anyone from the public with information to contact researchers through the Citizen Sleuths website. "Someone may be able to look at those particles and say, 'Oh my gosh, I know what that means having those particles on the tie,' " Kaye told the news station. The mystery began on November 24, 1971, when a nondescript man going by the name of Dan Cooper purchased a one-way ticket from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle directly from the Northwest Orient Airlines counter on the day of the flight. He used cash to pay for his ticket, then boarded the plane. Authorities later described him as someone in his mid-40s, dressed as an "executive" in a suit, a white shirt and what probably is the now-infamous black tie. The agency's official summary of how the hijacking unfolded reads like the plot of a Hollywood thriller from another era:

"He ordered a drink - bourbon and soda - while the flight was waiting to take off. A short time after 3:00 p.m., he handed the stewardess a note indicating that he had a bomb in his briefcase and wanted her to sit with him. "The stunned stewardess did as she was told. Opening a cheap attache case, Cooper showed her a glimpse of a mass of wires and red coloured sticks and demanded that she write down what he told her. Soon, she was walking a new note to the captain of the plane that demanded four parachutes and $200,000 in twenty-dollar bills. "When the flight landed in Seattle, the hijacker exchanged the flight's 36 passengers for the money and parachutes. Cooper kept several crew members, and the plane took off again, ordered to set a course for Mexico City. "Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, a little after 8:00 p.m., the hijacker did the incredible: He jumped out of the back of the plane with a parachute and the ransom money. The pilots landed safely, but Cooper had disappeared into the night and his ultimate fate remains a mystery to this day." The FBI pursued hundreds of leads. No body or parachute was ever found, but in 1980, a boy digging near the Columbia River found three bundles of $20 bills whose serial numbers matched the money Cooper had demanded.

The Cooper case baffled the FBI for 45 years, and in July, the agency announced it would no longer actively pursue the "NORJAK investigation," or Northwest hijacking. Over the decades, hundreds of tips had poured in, but none that could help prove culpability beyond reasonable doubt, the agency said. "Every time the FBI assesses additional tips for the NORJAK case, investigative resources and manpower are diverted from programs that more urgently need attention," the FBI said in a statement. Soon after the FBI dropped the case, Geoffrey Gray, the author of Skyjack, announced that he would make available hundreds of FBI files related to the Cooper case on True Ink, an online magazine Gray founded. By opening everything up to the public, Gray said he hoped to use people's enduring curiosity about the case to crowdsource, once and for all, Cooper's identity.
Theresa May waves as she arrives back at 10 Downing Street in London after the speech. Credit:AP But she said it was "overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's national interest that the EU should succeed". Mrs May's speech drew a rapturous reception from those who had campaigned for Brexit, with UKIP leader Nigel Farage commenting, "I can hardly believe that the PM is now using the phrases and words that I've been mocked for using for years. Real progress." Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, centre, listens to the speech. Credit:AP But it is likely to be less welcome in Europe.

European ambassadors were present in the room for the speech, and Fairfax Media understands few if any applauded the conclusion. Mr Downer in Australia House. Some were seen shaking their heads when it came to the threat of Britain becoming a tax haven. In a deliberate irony the speech took place at Lancaster House in London, where Margaret Thatcher set out her plan for the UK's membership of the single market in April 1988. Mrs May began by saying she wanted the country to be "a truly global Britain", a "best friend and neighbour" to Europe but one that "goes out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike ... a great global trading nation respected around the world".

She said the UK would begin by adopting EU laws, then modifying them, to allow a smooth transition and certainty for business. Mrs May also spent some time reassuring Ireland that there would be a "practical solution" that balanced the common travel area with Northern Ireland with the need to protect the UK's new immigration controls. "Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past," she said. On immigration, she said the UK would "get control" of the number of people coming to Britain from the EU, but would guarantee the rights of EU citizens already in Britain as an "important priority", preferably before the rest of the Brexit deal was done. On trade, she said "as a priority, we will pursue a bold and ambitious free trade agreement with the European Union.

"This agreement should allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and the EU's member states. It should give British companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets  and let European businesses do the same in Britain. "But I want to be clear. What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market." This agreement might take in elements of the current single market as it "makes no sense to start again from scratch", she said. But the UK needs to leave the single market and key elements of the customs union, Mrs May said, in order to strike its own trade deals. "We want to get out into the wider world, to trade and do business all around the globe."
The inauguration platform is prepared on the Capitol steps in Washington. Credit:AP For those who have bankrolled the events, inauguration week will look quite a bit different from what it will to average Americans viewing it from home or the National Mall. The festivities will begin Tuesday evening with a black-tie "Chairman's Global Dinner" for Trump's Cabinet picks, congressional leaders, foreign diplomats and a few top donors. On Wednesday, events include a lunchtime reception hosted by Reince Priebus, incoming White House chief of staff, and a dinner honouring Vice President-elect Mike Pence, according to a copy of the week's schedule obtained by The New York Times. Thursday will feature another "leadership luncheon," a public concert at the Lincoln Memorial featuring artists like Toby Keith and 3 Doors Down, and a candlelight dinner with Mr Trump and his family for about 1,500 in the great hall of Union Station. Packages range from $US25,000 to $US1 million or more for both individuals and corporations, and as the figures rise, so do the number of invitations available and the level of proximity to the president-elect and his inner circle.

Throughout the week, private transportation will ferry donors between a handful of high-end hotels, where donors were given priority booking, and the events. During unscheduled time, donors will be able to take advantage of private tours of Smithsonian museums arranged for them by the inaugural committee. Depending on the size of their gift, donors are also entitled to several VIP tickets to an inaugural ball (there will be two, hosted on two floors of the convention centre), the inaugural parade and the swearing-in. For the most important guests, including many of Mr Trump's Cabinet picks, his new hotel blocks from the White House will serve as a de facto home base and after-hours social venue, according to a member of the committee. Unlike campaigns, inaugural committees face few regulations limiting what they can raise and how they can do it. That has traditionally left it up to each administration to set its own restrictions. George W. Bush did not place restrictions on who could donate, but he did cap gifts at $US100,000 in 2001 and at $US250,000 in 2005.

Barack Obama went further in 2009, banning all gifts from lobbyists and corporations, and capping individual gifts at $US50,000, even as his fundraising team amassed $US53 million, then a record. He relaxed those restrictions in 2013, generally accepting corporate gifts up to $US1 million and individual gifts up to $US250,000. Mr Trump's team said it would not accept gifts from registered federal lobbyists or solicit corporate donations over $US1 million. The committee did not cap contributions from individuals. While Mr Obama and Mr Bush also offered tiered incentive packages, Mr Holman, of Public Citizen, said that the packages offered by Mr Trump's team appeared to promise greater access than those of the recent past. The inaugural committee will not be required to disclose its donors until late April, 90 days after the inauguration. The funds will cover all nonofficial inaugural programming, though the committee has not detailed exactly how much it plans to spend. A spokesman, Boris Epshteyn, has said any leftover money will be donated to charity.

Thomas Barrack Jr., the private equity investor leading the committee, said his group's work was made considerably easier by a large untapped pool of donors who for one reason or another did not support Mr Trump's campaign. The fundraising haul also shows that corporate America is coming around to the reality that it will have to do business with Mr Trump, who has shown himself more than willing to single out individual companies for criticism. His inauguration offers them a first chance to show their support. "A lot of the people who were not on board early on are now getting on," said Mel Sembler, a longtime Republican fundraiser who has helped solicit donations. Among the donors will be UPS and JPMorgan Chase, which declined to directly sponsor the Republican National Convention last summer, despite past support. (The bank donated instead to summer youth employment programs in the host cities for both conventions.) Bank of America and Deloitte, donors to Obama's 2013 inauguration, will give again this year, too. And a spokesman for AT&T said the company had made both a monetary contribution and agreed to spend millions of dollars to bolster cellular service for the crowds. Daniel I. Weiner, who studies campaign finance issues at the Brennan Centre for Justice, said those gifts, while certainly not unusual, raised questions about Trump's campaign promises.

"Virtually any industry of any significance in the United States has business with the government, and the chance to rub shoulders with the president and prominent officials is kind of priceless," he said. In a statement issued to The Times on the committee's fundraising work, Mr Epshteyn said the group was "honoured and humbled by the incredible outpouring of support" and focused on organising "world-class" events honouring the nation's history. Several members of the committee rejected the criticism of its fundraising. "Look, a lot of people are just good American citizens, and they want to support the transfer of power," said Ray Washburne, a Dallas investor and a member of the committee. "As far as buying influence, I don't know what kind of influence that can buy." Mr Sembler agreed, but said it was certainly "good public relations" for US companies to be backing the celebration.
"Chelsea Manning is somebody who went through the military criminal justice process, was exposed to due process, was found guilty, was sentenced for her crimes, and she acknowledged wrongdoing," he said. President Barack Obama has commuted the sentence of former US military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, the White House says. Credit:Christopher Furlong "Mr Snowden fled into the arms of an adversary, and has sought refuge in a country that most recently made a concerted effort to undermine confidence in our democracy." He also noted that, while the documents Manning provided to WikiLeaks were "damaging to national security", the ones Mr Snowden disclosed were "far more serious and far more dangerous". (None of the documents Manning disclosed were classified above the merely "secret" level.) Edward J. Snowden, the former intelligence contractor who disclosed archives of top secret surveillance files, is living as a fugitive in Russia. Credit:AP

Manning was known as Bradley Manning when she deployed with her unit to Iraq in late 2009. There, she worked as a low-level intelligence analyst helping her unit assess insurgent activity in the area it was patrolling, a role that gave her access to a classified computer network. She copied hundreds of thousands of military incident logs from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, which, among other things, exposed abuses of detainees by Iraqi military officers working with American forces and showed that civilian deaths in the Iraq war were probably much higher than official estimates. The files she copied included about 250,000 diplomatic cables from American embassies around the world showing sensitive deals and conversations, dossiers detailing intelligence assessments of Guantanamo detainees held without trial, and a video of an American helicopter attack in Baghdad in which two Reuters journalists, among others, were killed. She decided to make all these files public, as she wrote at the time, in the hope that they would incite "worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms". WikiLeaks disclosed them - working with traditional news organisations including The New York Times - bringing notoriety to the group and its founder, Julian Assange.

The disclosures set off a frantic scramble as Obama administration officials sought to minimise any potential harm, including getting to safety some foreigners in dangerous countries who were identified as having helped American troops or diplomats. However, prosecutors presented no evidence that anyone was killed because of the leaks. At her court-martial, Manning confessed in detail to her actions and apologised, saying she did not intend to put anyone at risk and noting that she was "dealing with a lot of issues" at the time she made her decision. Testimony at the trial showed that she had been in a mental and emotional crisis as she came to grips, amid the stress of a war zone, with the fact that she was not merely gay but had gender dysphoria. She had been behaving erratically, including having angry outbursts and lapsing into catatonia mid-sentence. At one point she had emailed a photograph of herself in a woman's wig to her supervisor. Prosecutors said that, by making secret material available for publication on the internet, anyone - including al-Qaeda - could read it. And they accused Manning of treason, charging her with multiple counts of the Espionage Act as well as with "aiding the enemy", a potential capital offence, although they said they would not seek her execution. Manning confessed and pleaded guilty to a lesser version of those charges without any deal to cap her sentence. But prosecutors pressed forward with a trial and won convictions on the more serious versions of those charges. A military judge acquitted her of "aiding the enemy".

In her commutation application, Manning said she had not imagined that she would be sentenced to the "extreme" term of 35 years, a term for which there was "no historical precedent". (There have only been a handful of leak cases, and most sentences are in the range of one to three years.) "I take full and complete responsibility for my decision to disclose these materials to the public," she wrote. "I have never made any excuses for what I did. I pleaded guilty without the protection of a plea agreement because I believed the military justice system would understand my motivation for the disclosure and sentence me fairly. I was wrong." After her sentencing, Manning announced that she was transgender and changed her name to Chelsea. The military, under pressure from a lawsuit filed on her behalf by Chase Strangio of the American Civil Liberties Union, has permitted her to transition partly to life as a woman, including giving her cross-sex hormones and letting her wear female undergarments and light cosmetics. But it has not let her grow her hair longer than male military standards, citing security risks, and Manning said she had yet to be permitted to see a surgeon about the possibility of sex reassignment surgery.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he doesn't believe that US President-elect Donald Trump met with prostitutes in Russia, calling the accusations part of a campaign to undermine the election result.

Unsubstantiated allegations made against Mr Trump in an explosive dossier made public less than a fortnight ago are "obvious fabrications," Mr Putin told reporters in the Kremlin on Tuesday. "People who order fakes of the type now circulating against the US president-elect, who concoct them and use them in a political battle, are worse than prostitutes because they don't have any moral boundaries at all," he said.

Mr Putin said that Mr Trump wasn't a politician when he visited Moscow in the past and Russian officials weren't aware that he held any political ambitions. It's "complete nonsense" to believe that Russian security services "chase after every American billionaire," he said.

The Kremlin has denied that it holds any compromising material on Mr Trump after US intelligence officials informed the president-elect about unsubstantiated reports that Russia had compiled potentially damaging personal information on him.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce donated to the St. Joseph School Choir. The St. Joseph School Choir was chosen by the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce as the recipient of this donation, in appreciation of its participation in COCI events and in support of its contributions to the community of St. Maarten. This choir not only brings joy, but showcases the youth of St. Maarten in such a powerful and positive way. The President of COCI was quoted saying: This choir is simply amazing and the joy it brings is throughout the Island. I was so proud of their performance during the launch of St. Maarten Flip Flops Walking Forward Together on the French side of the Island. Representing the country is such a powerful way by our youngest residents.. The donation was presented by Mr. Anastacio Baker (Vice-President) to Ms. Blondell (Choir coordinator) and Ms. Hodge (Secretary) on January 16th. In the words of Mr. Baker: The youth is the future of St. Maarten, and the importance of the arts to enhance lives and power the youth is a combination of unmistakable importance to this countrys further and future development. This is what St. Maarten is about and what makes us a force to be reckoned with..
A 10 kWh solar electric array is flush-mounted on the roof of a barn at Whitefeather Organics, an organic vegetable farm and community-supported agriculture business in Custer, Wisconsin. It offsets about 110 percent of the farms energy use. Above the solar electric array is a solar thermal array that heats water for greenhouse benches and flooring, as well as a residence on the farm.
Host in Ireland Announces New Addition to Its Advisory Council

DUBLIN, IRELAND  (Marketwired)  01/17/17  , a strategic global initiative created to increase awareness of the benefits of hosting digital assets in Ireland, and winner of the Datacloud Europe 2016 award for Innovative Data Center Location, announces today that data center executive, Bernard Geoghegan, has joined the Host in Ireland Advisory Council. Working in collaboration with Host in Ireland Founder and President, Garry Connolly, the Advisory Council furthers the reach and impact of the initiatives mission through well-formulated strategies based on its members extensive industry experience.

An IT industry veteran with more than three decades of experience, Mr. Geoghegan has served in a number of senior executive roles throughout the data center industry with companies including Interxion Deutschland, Digital Realty and Colt Data Centre Services. Leveraging his expertise within the digital asset hosting community in the U.S., EU and APAC regions, Mr. Geoghegan will support Host in Irelands mission to increase its partners and expand global market awareness while reinforcing Irelands position as a top European location for hosting digital assets. He joins the Advisory Council alongside existing members Ilissa Miller, CEO, ; David McAuley, Director, ; and Diane Hodnett, former Founder, CEO and Director of Sea Fibre Networks.

I am very excited to join the Host in Ireland Advisory Council, says Mr. Geoghegan. After watching Host in Ireland grow from just an idea in 2014 to Winner of the Innovative Data Centre Location award in Monaco in June, when I was asked to get involved, the answer just had to be yes.

From its inception in May of 2014, the Host in Ireland initiative has worked tirelessly to educate the digital assets hosting community and generate a deeper understanding of Irelands value as a optimum hosting location, globally. Host in Ireland conveys this message utilizing the 5 Ps, representing the most important aspects of digital asset hosting: Policy, People, Pedigree, Pipes and Power. Offering investors the highest in economic and political stability, global connectivity, available skilled labor, and high-level security and reliability, Ireland is an exceptional location for digital assets hosting within the EU region.

To learn more about Host in Ireland, visit .

Host in Ireland, winner of the Datacloud Europe 2016 award for Innovative Data Center Location, is an industry-led marketing initiative that provides timely and accurate information about Irelands digital asset hosting ecosystem at all times including demonstrating why Ireland is more cost-effective, efficient, reliable, secure and accessible than most other regions across the EU. Theres a reason companies like Microsoft, Zendesk, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Adobe and beyond have sought to host their solutions in as well as to/from Ireland. Many of these reasons are immediately realized due to access to affordable power, redundant network and bandwidth capacity along with a variety of data center providers that offer an array of services sustained by the 5 Ps: Policy, People, Pedigree, Pipes, and Power. On top of that is a very attractive business management structure, implemented by Ireland, which is keenly interested to bring new businesses into the market. Ireland supports this initiative through attractive fiscal structures, access to a skilled workforce and full support of the U.S. Safe Harbor and Patriot Acts  ensuring data asset compliance for companies large and small. For more information about Host in Ireland, visit .
Open-IX Announces PTC17 Participation and Appoints New Board Officers

NEW YORK, NY  (Marketwired)  01/17/17  , (OIX), a 501(c)(6) non-profit industry association formed to promote better standards for data center interconnection and Internet exchanges, today announces that four new members have been elected to serve on the Open-IX Board of Directors. New additions to the Board are Martin Hannigan, Chairman; Eli Scher, Vice Chairman; David Temkin, Treasurer; and Robert DeVita; Secretary. The other board members include Vinay Nagpal, Matt Griswold and Greg Hankins. The Board was reconstituted this past November as a result of board elections held at the Open-IX AGM on November 1, 2016.

Additionally, Open-IX is participating at the Pacific Telecommunications Councils (PTC) 39th annual conference, , taking place Jan. 15-18 at the Waikiki Beach Resort in Honolulu, Hawaii. As the premier telecommunications event for the Asia-Pacific region, this conference is an excellent opportunity for global executives and business leaders to network and strategize for 2017, and to catch up with the Open-IX team.

I am excited to return to the Open-IX board and appreciate the support given by everyone to select me as the Chairperson of the Board, states Martin Hannigan, Open-IX co-founder. We look forward to continued growth and our participation at PTC.

The Open-IX Board is comprised of volunteer representatives from the Internet community, converging to create a better, safer, stronger and fairer Internet. Open-IX aims to increase the reliability, resiliency and competitiveness of massive-scale interconnection for all. The Board of Directors is leading this initiative and promoting the importance of the standards to the industry.

Open-IX, with the help of broad participation of interconnect and data center professionals, has successfully developed Internet Exchange Point (IXP) and data center consensus-based community standards. It has certified over 20 data centers and 10 IXPs across three continents since its establishment in 2013.

To meet with the Open-IX team at #PTC17, please email .

OIX is an Internet community effort to improve the landscape of Internet peering and massive-scale interconnection. We encourage the development of neutral and distributed Internet exchanges while promoting uniform standards of performance for interconnections backed by the Internet community. The Association aims to promote common and uniform specifications for data transfer and physical connectivity, and improve overall Internet performance by developing criteria and methods of measurement to reduce the complexity that restricts massive-scale interconnection in fragmented markets. More information about OIX can be found by visiting .
OFRNs network of universities, researchers and businesses are creating jobs and meeting the needs of the Federal U.S. laboratories like NASA
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Justin Omans of Roseville said he was devastated to learn his mothers' body was discovered in the covered bed of a truck.
Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders may not remember much about the rallies they each held last year in Green Bay.

But officials at Green Bay City Hall sure do. And theyre miffed the three politicians have stiffed them on police protection bills totaling $24,000.

We appreciate, and we feel honored, when the candidates come to Green Bay, said Celestine Jeffreys, chief of staff to Mayor Jim Schmitt. We are also very appreciative when they honor their debts.

Green Bay is no anomaly.

At least three dozen municipal governments and law enforcement agencies say presidential campaigns have ignored hundreds of thousands of dollars in outstanding bills stemming from police security for campaign events  from Vallejo, California, to the University of Pittsburgh.

Thats according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of federal campaign disclosures and municipal invoices, as well as interviews with more than 60 local government officials.

Some cities, such as Madison, have not even bothered to bill campaigns for security costs for their visits. Katie Crawley, Madisons deputy mayor for public works and communication, said that decision was based on the citys inability to collect on bills issued during past campaigns.

Madison police incurred about $78,000 in overtime and benefit costs for securing visits by Sanders, Clinton and Ted Cruz  and for assisting Janesville police at a Trump event in that city, according to figures provided by Crawley to the Wisconsin State Journal. That doesnt include possible costs to other city agencies or other law- enforcement agencies.

Presidential campaigns asserted in communications with some city governments that theyre not responsible for many security costs. But this widespread failure to pay follows an election season when many presidential candidates  particularly Trump  argued that law enforcement deserved both more resources and more respect.

Local cops also found themselves in the midst of numerous unruly, even violent, Trump rallies, with Trump himself sometimes directing security to eject protesters and hecklers.

Trumps campaign alone hasnt paid nearly $204,000 worth of police-related invoices, according to municipal billing records obtained by the Center for Public Integrity.

And Trump arguably owes more.

Thats because the Trump campaign  despite receiving demand letters and collection notices  doesnt acknowledge in federal campaign financial disclosures that it owes cities a cent. Nor does the Clinton campaign. The Sanders campaign, in contrast, says in federal campaign filings that it owes $449,409, spread among nearly two dozen municipalities and law enforcement agencies.

The differing approaches make it difficult to determine just how many security-related bills have been sent to the major White House hopefuls since their campaigns began touring the nation in earnest in mid-2015.

The Trump, Clinton and Sanders campaigns wouldnt comment.

Eau Claire wants $47K

Rhetorically, Trump supports police with aplomb.

Last week, Trump marked National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day by tweeting six pictures of himself standing with police officers and other emergency personnel: Thank you to all of the men and women who protect & serve our communities 24/7/365!

But officials in Tucson, Arizona, say Trump owes the city $81,837 for security and traffic control services during his Make America Great Again Rally on March 19. Spokane, Washington, is still waiting for Trumps campaign to pay a bill of $65,124.

And in Wisconsin, where Trump beat Clinton by fewer than 23,000 votes, city officials in Eau Claire want Trump to cough up $47,398. Green Bay leaders are seeking $9,380.

Officials in Eau Claire also want reimbursement, noting in a Sept. 27 demand letter to Trumps campaign that his visit on April 2 incurred a significant amount of costs for the city of 68,000. The charges range from calling in help from three nearby police departments to providing cops with pizzas while they stood guard throughout the day.

In Green Bay, officials said the Trump campaign paid a $1,403 police bill for hotel security on March 29 and a $9,550 bill for an event Oct. 17. But the campaign hasnt settled up on the $9,380 security tab from an Aug. 5 rally, and the city could not explain why.

The Trump transition team did not respond to numerous requests for comment regarding its unpaid police protection bills or how it determined which police bills to pay or not pay.

The Trump campaign in December disclosed having more than $7.6 million remaining in its account. The only debt it reported was a $766,756 campaign polling expense that it labeled as contested in federal filings.

More city bills linger

Clinton, like Trump, talked a blue streak about boosting law enforcement, saying during an August meeting with law enforcement officials that she supported providing police with the resources they need to do their jobs. But Clintons campaign, too, has failed to pay some police bills.

Green Bay officials say the Clinton campaign has yet to pay off bills from events in March, September and November totaling nearly $12,800. Eau Claire says Clinton wont pay a $6,812 from a visit in April.

Clintons campaign committee has enough money to pay its bills, having last month reported carrying a more than $838,000 surplus on its books. It did not report police bills from Philadelphia, Green Bay or any other locality as campaign debt.

The Sanders campaign in December reported to the Federal Election Commission that it owed 23 local governments and law enforcement agencies a combined $449,409 for event security. In its filing, the Sanders campaign doesnt dispute the debts.

Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs declined to comment, referring questions to the Secret Service.

Brown County Sheriff John R. Gossage wasnt pleased when Casey Sinnwell, Sanders national director of scheduling and advance, told him to contact the Secret Service to collect on a $2,883 event security bill.

I am concerned that the campaign was overly selective as to what service/organization they would reimburse for protective services rendered, Gossage wrote back, noting that the Sanders campaign did pay one of its bills  all $11,472 of it  that Green Bays city government sent it.

What happened then?

I received no reply, Gossage said.

Some dont charge

Whether cities charge campaigns depends upon the cities themselves.

In addition to Madison, officials in Milwaukee; Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Detroit; Kansas City, Missouri; Orlando, Florida; and Las Vegas, for example, said their municipalities generally do not bill presidential campaigns for police protection they provide at campaign events staged within their cities limits.

Some officials explained that the exercise is pointless because campaigns over the years have rarely paid them back. Others consider police protection of political events part of their taxpayer-funded responsibilities  similar to policing a holiday parade or a peaceful public protest.

Another reason for not sending bills: Local officials dont want to dampen the economic benefits  full restaurants, happy hoteliers, etc.  of an event attracting thousands of people. Some local officials said they feared the campaigns might go elsewhere if they haggled over bills.

For his part, Mayor Dan Devine of West Allis, which twice hosted Trump campaign events last year, wishes all presidential candidates would just pay up. Devine notes that candidates often conduct campaign fundraisers before and after public events, and they receive municipal police services for them, too.

While West Allis, population 60,000, didnt bill presidential candidates for event security costs during the 2016 election, Devine says hell push to change that.

Morally, its the thing to do, he said of candidates paying for local police protection. City resources are already stretched thin without presidential candidates visiting. Ill definitely be doing my homework before late 2019.

State Journal reporter Mark Sommerhauser contributed to this report.
A look back on all of our reporting of the Delphi murders since 2017
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the
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A man is targeting people in car parks, asking them for money and using virtually the same story every time.

If you've been approached by a man with a story about a car breaking down and his family being stranded, you are not alone.

A number of people suspect they have fallen victim to the same person.

Jan Jas Spong was one of those targeted by the man.

She said: "He approaches people in car parks claiming he's broken down / kids/ pregnant wife in the car / ran out of petrol and is asking people for cash."

She was targeted in Singleton Hospital car park in Swansea, as was another man who did not want to be named.

"It happened to me just before Christmas when I was taking my daughter home from an appointment.

"He looked genuine but alarm bells were ringing in my head. He said he had broken down with kids in the car and I gave him some money, although I probably shouldn't have.

"Then I saw him approaching someone else and someone from car park security came over and asked if I had given him money, and how police were aware of him."

Jo Davies posted on Facebook describing how a friend of hers was approached outside Neath Port Talbot Hospital on January 12 by a man who claimed he needed to get home to Reading and had children in the car.

There have been several other sightings, including at supermarkets and Swansea's Waterfront Winterland.

Therese Shadbolt said he had an English, possibly a London accent.

Mike Smith said: "Tesco, Pontardawe too. Be careful as he likes to get up quite close in your space, I had to tell him to back off."

There have also been sightings in:

Curry's in Fforestfach

The Red Lion in Morriston

Burger King at Penllergaer services

Carmarthen Road, Swansea

Hungry Horse pub, Dunvant

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Nathalie Amirat said: "A tall, slim, white man, short dark hair, English accent, wearing a cream-coloured jacket approached people and me and my mum In Fforrestfach outside Homesense.

"He later followed us and came up really close and said he was genuine and didn't mean to scare anyone.

"My Mum reported it to Police. Please do report it if it happens to you.

"And the police did take it seriously and contacted mother regarding what happened."

A spokeswoman for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, which is responsible for Singleton and Neath Port Talbot hospitals, said: "We have been made aware that a man is approaching cars in hospital car parks asking for money, claiming that a car has broken down and they have a family in it.

"Please do not hand over money and report any incidents to car park/security attendants straight away. We will then inform the police."

A spokesman for South Wales Police urged anyone with information on any incidents to contact them on 101.
Russia and NASA are working together to develop a mission known as Venera-D, which would send an orbiter and a lander to Venus.

Russia's space program and NASA are working together on a mission to Venus that would investigate some of the scorching-hot planet's biggest mysteries, including, perhaps, whether it harbors life.

An international team of scientists tasked with fleshing out the main goals of the mission, which is known as Venera-D, is wrapping up its work and will deliver its final report to NASA and the Russian Academy of Sciences' Space Research Institute by the end of the month, said David Senske, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

"Is this the mission that's going to fly? No, but we're getting there," Senske, the U.S. co-chair of this "joint science-definition team," told Space.com last month at the annual fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, in San Francisco. [Mysterious Venus: 10 Weird Facts]

A long time coming

Venera-D is led by Russia, which has been developing the project for more than a decade. The mission would mark a return to once-familiar territory for the nation; Russia's forerunner state, the Soviet Union, launched a number of probes to Venus from the early 1960s through the mid-1980s, as part of its Venera and Vega programs. ("Venera" is the Russian name for Venus.)

"Russia has always been interested in going back to Venus," Senske said.

NASA got involved about three years ago, when Russia asked if the U.S. space agency would be interested in collaborating on the mission, Senske added.

The joint science-definition team arose out of those initial discussions. The team stood down shortly thereafter; Russia's March 2014 annexation of Crimea prompted NASA to suspend most cooperation with Roscosmos, Russia's federal space agency (with activities involving the International Space Station being the most prominent exception).

But the collaboration was up and running again by August 2015, Senske said, and the team met in Moscow that October. More meetings are planned, including a workshop this May that will inform decisions about the mission's scientific instruments, he added.

An orbiter, a lander and more?

Venera-D is a large-scale mission, comparable in scope to NASA "flagship" efforts such as the $2.5 billion Curiosity Mars rover, Senske said. The baseline concept calls for an orbiter that will study Venus from above for at least three years, plus a lander that will operate for a few hours on the planet's surface.

Mission planners said they had originally hoped the lander could survive for 30 days; the "D" in Venera-D stands for "dolgozhivushaya," which means "long lasting" in Russian. But this goal was ultimately deemed too difficult and costly, given the blistering temperatures on Venus' surface, according to RussianSpaceWeb.com (which outlines the mission's tortuous history in rich detail).

Data gathered by the orbiter should help scientists better understand the composition, structure and dynamics of Venus' atmosphere, including why the planet's air rotates so much faster than the surface does, a mysterious phenomenon known as super-rotation, Senske said.

The lander will collect further atmospheric information while descending, then study the composition and morphology of the Venusian surface after touching down.

Venera-D could incorporate additional components as well. Some ideas on the drawing board include a handful of small, relatively simple ground stations that would gather surface data for a month or so (putting the "D" back in Venera-D) and a solar-powered, uncrewed aerial vehicle that would ply the Venusian skies.

The surface of Venus is far too hot to support life as we know it, but temperatures are much more hospitable at an altitude of 31 miles (50 kilometers) or so. Furthermore, the planet's atmosphere sports mysterious dark streaks that some astronomers have speculated might be signs of microbial life. The UAV could hypothetically investigate this possibility, sampling the air while cruising along.

Engineers have already been thinking about how to build such an aircraft. For example, the U.S. aerospace company Northrop Grumman and partner L'Garde Inc. have been researching a concept vehicle called the Venus Atmospheric Maneuverable Platform (VAMP) for several years now.

An artist's illustration of the proposed uncrewed Venus Atmospheric Maneuverable Platform (VAMP) flying through Venus' clouds. (Image credit: Northrop Grumman)

Early days still

It's still too early to know exactly what Venera-D will look like, what it will do or when the mission will launch. A liftoff in 2025 or 2026 is possible under an "aggressive" time line, Senske said. "It depends when the Russians can get this into their federal space budget," he said.

Some things are known, however. For instance, Russia will build the orbiter and the lander, and Venera-D will launch atop Russia's in-development Angara A5 rocket, Senske said. If NASA remains involved in the mission  which is far from a given at this point  the U.S. space agency will likely contribute smaller items, such as individual scientific instruments.

"Russia is definitely in the driver's seat," Senske said. "NASA is the junior partner."

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
Apollo astronaut Gene Cernan, seen here aboard the lunar module on the moon in 1972, died on Jan. 16, 2017. He was 82.

U.S. astronaut Gene Cernan, who as the commander of the final Apollo lunar landing mission in 1972 became known as the "last man on the moon," died on Monday (Jan. 16). He was 82.

NASA confirmed Cernan's death on its website and social media channels, noting he was surrounded by his family at the time he died. The cause of death was not stated, but he was known to have been ill in recent months.

"We are saddened by the loss of retired NASA astronaut Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon," NASA wrote. "A captain in the U.S. Navy, [he] left his mark on the history of exploration by flying three times in space, twice to the moon." [In Pictures: Astronaut Eugene Cernan Remembered]

Cernan was chosen with NASA's third group of astronauts in 1963. His first spaceflight, Gemini 9A, came three years later, after he and Thomas Stafford replaced Elliot See and Charles Bassett in the wake of a jet crash that claimed the original crew members' lives.

As the pilot of NASA's seventh Gemini Flight  a three-day mission in Earth orbit that rendezvoused but failed to dock with an unmanned target vehicle, Cernan became only the second American astronaut to go out on an extra-vehicular activity (EVA). The two-hour spacewalk though, nearly cost him his life.

Apollo astronaut Gene Cernan, seen here aboard the lunar module on the moon in 1972, died on Jan. 16, 2017. He was 82. (Image credit: NASA)

'Spacewalk from hell'

"So, you know about that spacewalk from hell," remarked Cernan in a 2007 NASA interview, referring to his Gemini 9 EVA on June 5, 1966.

Finding it difficult to bend wearing a pressurized spacesuit, Cernan struggled to maneuver outside the two-seat space capsule, tumbling uncontrollably while trailing an umbilical. Lacking the handrails that would become common on later spacecraft, Cernan slowly climbed to the aft of the Gemini to don and test the Astronaut Maneuvering Unit (AMU), an early predecessor to the jetpacks astronauts demonstrated in the years to come.

Cernan's AMU flight, however, was not to be. The cooling system for his spacesuit overheated, causing his helmet's faceplate to fog. With no way to wipe it clear, he could not see. Exhausted and practically blind, Cernan managed to find his way back to his seat and, with Stafford's help, re-entered the spacecraft.

After orbiting the Earth 47 times during the course of their three days in space, Cernan and Stafford splashed down safely to be recovered by the USS Wasp aircraft carrier on June 6, 1966. [NASA's 17 Apollo Moon Missions in Pictures]

Gene Cernan seen becoming only the second American to conduct a spacewalk during the Gemini 9A mission in June 1966. (Image credit: NASA)

'White line in the sky'

The Gemini 9 crewmates re-teamed three years later  this time with a third astronaut, John Young  to launch on a dress rehearsal for the first moon landing on May 18, 1969. As lunar module pilot aboard Apollo 10, Cernan and Stafford flew the four-legged lander named "Snoopy" to an altitude of just 8.4 miles (15.6 kilometers) above the moon, the point where the next crew would descend to a landing.

"I keep telling Neil Armstrong that we painted that white line in the sky all the way to the moon down to 47,000 feet so he would not get lost, and all he had to do was land," Cernan said in his NASA oral history. "Made it sort of easy for him."

Again though, Cernan skirted disaster. After jettisoning the descent stage and igniting the ascent engine to return to the command module "Charlie Brown," the lunar module unexpectedly began to turn and roll, a situation that could have led to the Cernan and Stafford crashing to the moon. The two astronauts had accidentally left the lander's abort mode in "auto" for staging. Stafford was able to take over manual control and regained the proper attitude. [Watch - Moon Shots: Astronauts Remember]

The three Apollo 10 crewmates safely splashed down on May 26, 1969, eight days after they left Earth for the moon.

Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan, the last man on the moon, seen on the lunar surface in December 1972. (Image credit: NASA)

'America's challenge of today'

Only 24 people in history have voyaged to the moon and only three of them have flown there twice: Jim Lovell, John Young and Cernan.

But Cernan had to survive one more near-death incident before he could launch on his third and what was perhaps his most historic spaceflight.

On Jan. 23, 1971, Cernan was flying a Bell 47G helicopter as part of his training for landing on the moon, when he dipped too low and crashed into the Indian River at Cape Canaveral, nearly drowning. He walked away with second degree burns on his face and singed hair, and came close to being grounded by NASA.

NASA's last crewed mission to the moon however, lifted off on the first U.S. night launch on Dec. 7, 1972, with Cernan in the commander's seat. Four days later, he and Harrison Schmitt landed the Apollo 17 lunar module, Challenger, in the moon's Taurus-Littrow valley, as Ron Evans orbited on board the command module, America.

Over the course of three moonwalks, Cernan and Schmitt, the latter the only geologist to visit the moon, collected 741 rock and soil samples, including the only orange volcanic glass to be returned to Earth and the "goodwill moon rock" presented on behalf of the U.S. to more than 130 nations around the world. The Apollo 17 moonwalkers became the last to drive the lunar roving vehicle (LRV) and set several records, including one for the longest time spent outside on the moon's surface (22 hours and 6 minutes).

"America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow," said Cernan before launching for Earth. "As we leave the moon and Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came, and, God willing, we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind."

On their way to the moon, Cernan and his crewmates captured the first photo of Earth's face fully illuminated, a now iconic image referred to by some as the "Blue Marble."

The three astronauts splashed down on Dec. 19, 1972, for a mission duration of 12 days, 13 hours and 51 minutes.

In total, Cernan logged 23 days, 14 hours and 15 minutes in space, including more than 24 hours on one spacewalk and three moonwalks.

'Last Man on the Moon'

Eugene Andrew "Gene" Cernan was born in Chicago, Ill., on March 14, 1934. He earned his bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Purdue University in Indiana in 1956 and a master of science in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in California in 1963.

Commissioned in the Navy through the ROTC program at Purdue, he entered flight training upon graduation. Serving as a Naval Aviator for 13 years, Capt. Cernan retired from the Navy having logged more than 5,000 hours flying time, including 4,800 hours in jets and over 200 carrier landings.

Before retiring from NASA in 1976, Cernan assisted in the planning for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP), serving as the senior negotiator in direct discussion with the former Soviet Union in support of the historic joint mission.

Initially joining Coral Petroleum of Houston as an executive vice president, Cernan established his own company, The Cernan Corporation, in 1981 to provide consulting services for energy, aerospace and other related industries. He also served as chairman of the board for Johnson Engineering, prior to its acquisition by Spacehab (later Astrotech).

In 1999, Cernan published his memoir, "The Last Man on the Moon," with coauthor Donald Davis, covering his naval and NASA career. The book later served as the basis for a feature-length documentary by the same title, directed by British filmmaker Mark Craig.

Cernan was married to Barbara Jean Atchley from 1961 to 1981, with whom he had a daughter, Tracy. In 1987, he re-married and with Jan Cernan had two daughters, Kelly and Danielle.

The recipient of multiple awards and honorary doctorates, Cernan was bestowed the Distinguished Flying Cross and NASA Distinguished Service Medal, among other honors. Cernan was inducted in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1993 and the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2000.

In 2016, he was presented the Neil Armstrong Outstanding Achievement Award by the National Aviation Hall of Fame, in part to honor his advocacy for "personal empowerment and development, especially among youth," as well as his support for the revival of U.S. human space exploration.

"I've said for a long time [and] I still believe it, it's going to be  well it's almost 50 now  but fifty or a hundred years in the history of mankind before we look back and really understand the meaning of Apollo," stated Cernan in 2007. "We did it way too early considering what we're doing now in space."

"It's almost as if JFK [President John F. Kennedy] reached out into the 21st century where we are today, grabbed hold of a decade of time, slipped it neatly into the 60s and 70s and called it Apollo," he said.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2017 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
Authorities warned against driving on Tuesday morning as icy conditions continue to cause hazardous travel across southern Wisconsin.

While temperatures have edged above freezing for much of the area, pavement remains colder, causing untreated roads to continue to ice up, though treated main roads are in much better shape, according to forecasters.

Hundreds of cars were in ditches across southern Wisconsin and numerous roads were closed at times Tuesday morning, authorities reported.

Dane County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said deputies were called out to 70 incidents during the night because of terrible road conditions.

"We had 80 vehicles, seven semi-trailers, including three jackknifed trucks, three salter trucks, two tow trucks and two squad cars in slide-offs," Schaffer said. "At the shift change at 7 a.m., deputies were out on 15 calls and 18 calls were still pending."

One of the biggest slide-off and crash sites was on Highway G in the town of Primrose, where 20 to 30 vehicles were involved in slide-offs that started between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m.

The Dane County 911 Center said 150 vehicles in Dane County alone slid off slick highways overnight, mostly in rural areas that are less traveled and are loaded with hills and valleys.

"The salting and sanding trucks had to put chains on," a dispatcher said.

Madison Streets Superintendent Chris Kelley said extra crews were sent out during the night to try to make roads driveable, but heavy rain early Tuesday morning washed out those plans.

"The rain washed the salt off the roads and it all froze up again," Kelley said. "The main streets aren't too bad but the side roads are awful."

A dozen extra crews were added to the salters working on the main routes around Madison, with the extra trucks putting sand down on residential streets.

The state travel map showed practically all major highways were either snow- or ice-covered, and travel was not recommended on highways to the southwest, north and northeast of Madison.

Madison public schools are open Tuesday, but about 130 school districts and individual schools were closed or were going to start late on Tuesday.

No power outages were reported by Madison Gas and Electric, and less than 300 Alliant Energy customers were without power in the utility's region that stretches from Dane County to the north and east.

The National Weather Service said there may be light freezing rain mixed with rain early Tuesday morning around Portage, Reedsburg, Green Lake and Montello, possibly accumulating to another 0.2 inches, with conditions in that area especially dangerous.

A winter weather advisory has been extended until noon for portions of southern Wisconsin, mainly north of a line from Spring Green to Columbus to Mequon line.

Dense fog also was a problem across parts of southern Wisconsin early Tuesday.

The good news is temperatures will be rising to the upper 30s on Tuesday, then into the 40s through early next week, which should melt the ice as well as the areas remaining snowpack.

In Madison on Tuesday, theres a 30 percent chance for rain between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., with areas of fog, otherwise, cloudy skies, a high near 37 and northwest winds around 5 miles per hour, the Weather Service said.

Overnight, look for patchy fog before 7 p.m. as the low falls to around 26.

Wednesday should be mostly sunny, with a high near 40 and southwest winds at 5 to 10 mph.

After a low overnight Wednesday into Thursday around 28, Thursday should be mostly sunny again, with a high near 43 and south winds around 5 mph.

The Weather Service said chances for rain are 20 percent Thursday night after midnight, 40 percent Friday and Friday night, 30 percent Saturday through Sunday, 40 percent Sunday night, and 20 percent Monday.

Skies over Madison should be cloudy Friday, mostly cloudy Saturday, cloudy Sunday and mostly cloudy Monday, with highs near 42, 44, 44 and 41, and lows Thursday night through Sunday night around 31, 33, 36 and 34.

27 Storm Track meteorologist Max Tsaparis forecasts morning fog and freezing drizzle turning into light mixed precipitation later Tuesday, a possible few light showers Friday later in the day, a possible stray shower or some drizzle on Saturday, possible light showers on Sunday, and possible scattered showers on Monday.

Tsaparis said skies over Madison should be cloudy Tuesday, mostly sunny Wednesday, mostly to partly sunny on Thursday, and cloudy Friday through Monday, with highs near 36, 43, 46, 42, 44, 45 and 40, and overnight lows around 25, 30, 33, 35, 37, 36 and 34.

Mondays high in Madison was 34 at 11:59 p.m., 8 degrees above the normal high and 18 degrees below the record high of 52 for Jan. 16, set in 1933.

Mondays low in Madison was 20 at 2:06 a.m., 9 degrees above the normal low and 48 degrees above the record low of 28 below for Jan. 16, set in 1979.

Officially, 0.61 inches of precipitation was recorded at the Dane County Regional Airport on Monday, boosting Madisons January and 2017 total to 1.36 inches, 0.71 inches above normal. The meteorological winter (December through February) precipitation total (rain plus snow converted to liquid) rose to 3.39 inches, 1 inch above normal.

Madisons record precipitation for Jan. 16 is 0.8 inches, set in 1870.

Officially, a trace of snow was recorded at the Dane County Regional Airport on Monday, keeping Madisons January and 2017 snow total at 2.1 inches, 4.6 inches below normal. For meteorological winter, Madison has received 24.8 inches, 4.6 inches above normal. For the snow season (since July 1), Madison has received 24.8 inches, 0.5 inches above normal.

Madisons record snowfall for Jan. 16 is 6.6 inches, set in 1994.

Madisons official snow depth is 1 inch.
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WASHINGTON  The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether employers can require workers to sign arbitration agreements that prevent them from pursuing group claims in court, including a case involving Verona-based Epic Systems.

The justices have agreed to consider an issue affecting millions of workers who have signed forms waiving rights to bring class-action lawsuits over unpaid overtime, wage disputes and other workplace clashes. Businesses have increasingly used the agreements to limit exposure to large damage awards.

The National Labor Relations Board says such agreements conflict with labor laws giving workers the right to band together to complain about workplace conditions.

Lower courts have split over the issue. The high court will consider three cases  two in which appeals courts ruled that such agreements cant be enforced and a third in which the appeals court said they are valid.

One case involves a form that retail gas station owner Murphy Oil USA required its workers to sign, agreeing that any employment disputes would be resolved individually through binding arbitration. The agreement prevents workers from bringing any legal action as part of a group.

An Alabama employee, Sheila Hobson, signed the agreement when she applied to work for Murphy Oil in 2008. But Hobson and three other workers later sued the company in federal court for failing to pay overtime to them and other employees.

When Murphy Oil tried to enforce the arbitration agreement, Hobson filed an unfair labor practice with the NLRB. The board ruled against the company, saying the agreement violated workers rights under the National Labor Relations Act. Federal law has long protected the right of workers to join together to protest workplace conditions, including through litigation.

But a federal appeals court in New Orleans said the agreement was enforceable under a different law, the Federal Arbitration Act.

In a second case, the federal appeals court in San Francisco sided with two employees who filed a class-action lawsuit against the accounting firm Ernst & Young. The court ruled that the lawsuit seeking unpaid overtime wages could proceed even though the workers had signed arbitration agreements as a condition of employment.

The third case also involves an overtime pay dispute by an employee at Epic Systems, the health care software provider. The federal appeals court in Chicago ruled that the worker could file a class-action lawsuit and declared an arbitration agreement he signed unenforceable.

Two similar suits have been filed against Epic. One, filed by technical writers no longer at Epic as of April 2014, may be near settlement. A stipulation filed last week by lawyers for Epic and the technical writers asked for the case to be dismissed. But U.S. District Judge William Conley, noting the case is a class-action suit, asked for more information and gave the parties until Jan. 24 to disclose the nature of the dispute and how it was settled, the method used to calculate settlement amounts for people in the class, and details regarding any attorney fees.

A separate lawsuit was filed on behalf of technical writers still at Epic as of April 2014.

The Retail Litigation Center, a trade group representing retailers, had urged the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the cases. The group says arbitration agreements allow all parties to resolve disputes quickly and efficiently while avoiding the costs associated with traditional litigation. Consumer advocacy groups have argued that such agreements discourage workers from challenging illegal policies.
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Paris,17 January 2017 (SPS) - The Task Force of the European Coordination Conference for Solidarity with the Sahrawi People (EUCOCO) welcomed the decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) which "clearly" stated that Western Sahara, a non-autonomous territory, was occupied by its neighbor Morocco, demanding its application by the European Union countries.

In a statement released after its Sundays meeting in Paris, EUCOCO, which will hold its 42nd meeting in the French capital, examined the initiatives to be implemented on the ground, so that "this ruling is applied by the 28 member states of the European Union."

The EUCOCO members also welcomed the recent decision of the UN Committee against Torture. After receiving a complaint of torture by one of the Gdeim Izik detainees, arrested with 23 others in November 2010, the Committee issued on December 12, 2016 a "strong condemnation of Morocco."

In this regard, the members stressed that they were going to "closely follow" the trial of the 22 prisoners of Gdeim Izik, which is expected to be held on 23 January.

For 2017, the participants in the Paris meeting examined the initiatives to be taken to help the Polisario Front and Sahrawi associations to hold the referendum on self-determination and independence.

These initiatives will be undertaken with the African Union, the UN Security Council and the Fourth Committee on Decolonization, said a communique received by APS.

A certain number of initiatives are also planned with the European institutions in connection with the EP Intergroup "Peace for the Sahrawi people", at the Council of Europe and the Human Rights Council.SPS

125/090/700
Rome, January 17 2017 (SPS) - Italian parliamentarians on Monday questioned their government on the situation in Western Sahara, occupied by Morocco, calling on it "to take all useful international initiatives" with a view to ensuring a solution respecting the right of self-determination of the Saharawi people and ensures peace and security in the Maghreb and in the Sahel region.

Meeting in Rome in the framework of a conference under the theme "Sahrawi: what prospects?", The Italian parliamentarians recalled that since 1 January 2017, Italy has occupied a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council, stressed that this represents "an important opportunity" to support the implementation of the mechanisms of numerous resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly on the Saharawi conflict.

In a document published at the end of their meeting initiated by the Italian Parliamentary Intergroup of Friendship with the Saharawi people, Italian MEPs called on Rome to "take all useful international initiatives to promote the resumption of negotiations, in particular by convening a new conference in order to encourage the parties (Morocco and the POLISARIO) to open a new fruitful dialogue under the aegis of the United Nations with a view to setting as soon as possible the date of the Referendum of self-determination for the Saharawi people.

These discussions will also enable MEPs to "ensure a just and lasting solution to the conflict in Western Sahara, a solution that respects the right of self-determination of the Saharawi people and that ensures peace and security in the Maghreb as well as In the Sahel region ".

The Italian parliamentarians also ask their government to take steps to "extend the mandate of the Minurso mission to monitor human rights in Western Sahara in order to strengthen the role and the effectiveness of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara of this mission, which also includes Italian soldiers.

The United Nations has included Western Sahara in the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories and since 1991 it has set up and sent to Western Sahara an international interposition mission called Minurso, the only UN mission without a specific mandate Protection of human rights, it is recalled in the document.SPS

125/090/TRA
Anja Niedringhaus / Associated Press

The roster of speakers at this weeks World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland includes Greenwich billionaire Ray Dalio, chairman of Bridgewater Associates, the worlds largest hedge fund based in Westport.

Running through Friday, Jan. 20, the conference includes myriad panels on the world economy and policies, including two on which Dalio is featured titled Squeezed and angry: how to fix the middle-class crisis and Russia in the world.
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A handful of union members marked Mondays Martin Luther King holiday by rallying around their own cause  to get their jobs back as janitors at Greenwich Office Park.

In the latest of a series of rallies, around 12 union members held up signs saying Honk for Justice and Fareri Associates Unfair outside Greenwich Office Park. The union members are often seen outside the office park, where some of them once worked before being let go by the new office park owner.

In November, Fareri Associates, a Greenwich-based real-estate investment and construction company, bought the nine buildings of Class-A office space that comprise Greenwich Office Park. John Fareri is the president of the company and frequently the subject of rally signs.

On Nov. 4, 11 32BJ union members were told by a supervisor of their janitorial staff that they were fired and needed to leave immediately, said Rosalia Bravo, one of the fired staff members, in a December interview interpreted by Frank Soults, senior communications associate for the union.

The workers have presented a petition to Fareri Associates to get their jobs back and an attorney has contacted the company on behalf of the union members numerous times, Soults said.

By appeal of the union, the National Labor Relations Board opened up an investigation into the case against Fareri Associates in November, according to a Freedom of Information Act request by Hearst Connecticut Media.

Fareri Associates has not returned multiple requests for comments.

A number of local and state officials have attended the unions rallies in support of the workers. On Monday, those included Luis Marino, trustee for the village of Port Chester, N.Y., and Luis Yumbla, director of community outreach for the Hudson Valley Community Coalition.

This is our time to come together to build a powerful movement and fight against injustice, Yumbla said in a media statement. On this day when we remember the struggles for racial and economic justice of Dr. King, we say that no one will defeat our dreams and hopes for a better future for all. We call on the building owners to also honor the justice that Dr. King fought for and return these workers to the job.

Contact the writer at MBennett@greenwichtime.com, 203-625-4411; Twitter @Macaela _
An Oregon man who drove into oncoming traffic and struck a car was arrested for his alleged fifth drunken driving offense early Sunday morning.

Jon Lund, 51, also was cited for an unsafe lane deviation when arrested at about 2:45 a.m. at West Washington Avenue and North Bassett Street, Madison police said.

Police said Lund drove his van from Bassett onto Washington into the wrong side of traffic, hitting a car. The driver of the car was not seriously injured.

"He (Lund) had a hard time staying awake as an officer questioned him," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain. "He handed his cellphone to the officer when he was asked for his driver's license."
STAMFORD  Three New Britain victims of a November armed robbery, including a 17-year-old boy who was shot in the chest, have been charged with possession and sale of marijuana.

The trio initially told police they came to Stamford to sell a pair of valuable sneakers when the shooting occurred on Seaton Road on Nov. 27.

But Sgt. Paul Guzda said the investigation revealed they came to Stamford to sell a quarter-pound of marijuana and the robbery was the result of a drug deal gone wrong.

This was the appropriate way to end this matter, Guzda said. They had to be arrested for what they did. They were the reason this happened, because they came down here to sell drugs.

According to police reports, Anthony Cabuta, 21, of New Britain, said he was on Facebook looking for sneakers when he found the page of Armoni Kelley, 16, of Stamford. The two began messaging each other and Cabuta offered to sell him marijuana, police said.

They set up to meet in a Seaton Road parking lot near the boys home. Kelley and Savior Dominguez, 16, of Stamford, met with Cabuta and two others from New Britain and an argument began about the weight of the marijuana, police said.

Dominguez pulled out a gun that Cabuta initially thought was fake, but the teen then shot the New Britain 16-year-old in the chest nearly at point-blank range, police said.

The New Britain trio fled the scene and called 911. The boy was seriously wounded, but survived the shooting.

The Stamford teens have been charged as adults.

Dominguez has been charged with first-degree assault, possession of a firearm without a permit, unlawful discharge of a firearm, first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery and is being held in lieu of a $100,000 court appearance bond.

Kelley was charged with robbery and is being held on a $75,000 court appearance bond.

Cabuta, his companion Kyle Nazario, 18, and the 16-year-old, whose name is being withheld because of his age, turned themselves in this week and were each charged with conspiracy to possess marijuana and drug sales. They were released after posting $10,000 court appearance bonds.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com;
A former Dane County Sheriffs deputy pleaded guilty Tuesday to bringing contraband to an inmate last summer at the Dane County Jail.

Victoria A. Long, 37, of Portage, pleaded guilty to two of the five felony counts she faced for bringing a radio and batteries to a jail inmate last year while she worked at the jail.

Under a plea agreement, Long would be sentenced to three years of probation on one of the convictions, and prosecutors will ask that she serve 120 days in jail for the other conviction. Dane County Circuit Judge Nicholas McNamara will sentence Long at a later date.

Long was fired on July 11 after less than a year on the job, after investigators learned that she had brought several items to one inmate, including the radio, batteries, face wash and nicotine lozenges, as well as chewing tobacco to another inmate, according to a criminal complaint.

The complaint states that Long told investigators that the first inmate began asking questions of Long in mid-May, and later passed her a note asking to get to know her better. The complaint states that Long eventually gave him her phone number.

A shakedown of the inmates cellblock on July 11 turned up the radio, batteries and other items, the complaint states.
D isgruntled investors of an AIM-listed support services firm are attempting to remove the chairman after a scandal that saw its founder overthrown.

A letter, seen by the Standard, has been sent by investors holding almost 10% of the shares to Management Resource Solutions (MRS), and Northland Capital, its nominated adviser, demanding a general meeting to eject chairman Murray dAlmeida.

Companies must call a general meeting if requested to do so by investors holding more than 5%.

Shares in MRS, a support services business focused on Australian energy and mining which has a big following among retail investors, have been suspended for several months since uncovering issues in its consulting business, which it has since closed.

The directors sacked founder and chief executive Paul Morffew, who remains the biggest investor. Morffew has not commented on the issues.

Australian businessman dAlmeida is best-known as the founder of Retail Food Group, a billion dollar food franchise business in Australia behind the Donut King franchise.

A source said investors, trying to salvage value from the firm, were calling for dAlmeidas head because, they claim, he was napping at the wheel when the scandal happened.

Separately, Morffew hopes to appoint two directors of his own choosing. The firm declined to comment.

DAlmeida was also a director of AIM-listed coal miner Beacon Hill Resources which went bust in 2015, leaving hundreds of private investors out of pocket.
P rime Minister Theresa Mays long-awaited speech on Brexit will be a disappointment to those who hoped or expected that she would say something new, rather than simply finding a new way to repeat the same old things.

For some months now, when she has got bored with the vacuous Brexit means Brexit mantra, she has made it clear Brexit means the return of strict controls on immigration and an end to free movement of labour. That being the case, the UK cannot be a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), the socalled Norway option, or the Swiss variant constructed out of a series of bespoke deals, because both involve the acceptance of free movement.

Many have thought that if EEA membership were ruled out, we should seek to be a member of the customs union, as Turkey is. Being in the customs union means there are no tariff barriers but the single markets other rules on product standards and suchlike do not apply. The key point, however, is that there is no requirement for free movement. EU nationals cannot automatically work in Turkey, and that countrys citizens are not free to work where they want within the EU.

But this is not a solution either. The problem is that when not talking about curbing immigration, May has been similarly adamant that Britain must be free in the future to forge its own free trade deals with the rest of the world. This closes the door on being a member of the customs union because its members  Turkey included  are not free to make their own third-country deals.

These points are made abundantly clear in a recent podcast by Simon Deakin and Graham Gudgin of the Centre for Business Research at the University of Cambridge. They say that, having ruled out the first two options, May leaves the UK with only two options: leaving with no deal at all or leaving with a transitional deal.

Unfortunately, they then point out that there is nothing in EU rules to cover the possibility of a transitional deal, so it is entirely up to the Brussels side to decide whether or not one will be available. There is a slight irony too in that one of the criticisms made by Brexiteers is that the EU is very bad at making trade deals with other countries and takes years  10 in the recent case of Canada  to put one in place. But if true, this makes it highly unlikely that a deal could be negotiated in the two years before our departure.

Even if a transitional deal was cobbled together allowing for things to remain as they are for a bit longer, it would cause all manner of complications with the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It has supported rules that preclude favouring one country over another except where there are fully fledged ratified agreements in place.

Even if the UK felt cavalier enough to think this could be fudged, the EU  equally bound by WTO rules  would not. It would fear that doing favours for the UK would require it under WTO rules to grant similar favours to every other third country.

None of this can be lost on May  and if it is, she should listen to the Cambridge podcast.

The logic of her position  whether or not it emerged clearly from the speech  is that the UK leaves with no transitional arrangements. This is an outcome she euphemistically refers to as the best deal for Britain. An embryo PR strategy is also probably being developed to blame the subsequent confusion and economic shock on the intransigence of the EU negotiators.

What is missing in all this is a realistic discussion of what we are trying to achieve, not during the process of exit but thereafter.

Leaving the EU implies that the UK economy will have to be drastically reconfigured, yet May has given no clue as to what this means, other than that the economy should work for everyone.

But does this mean the UK will be a deregulated free-for-all  engaged in a race to the bottom of low-skills, low-wage part-time jobs and a stripping-away of workers rights and protections  all in the name of the free markets competitiveness and flexibility? Or will it mean taking the tougher interventionist path to deliver a high-value-added, high-wage economy where the bulk of the people have meaningful jobs that give them a feeling of self-worth and engagement? We should at least be told which of these she favours.

In a few years  in well under 10 on some forecasts  one job in five will disappear and a quarter of companies will go out of business. What will happen to the millions who make their living in the transport industry when driverless cars, vans and trucks arrive? What will happen to the thousands of professionals when blockchain technology guarantees the integrity of commercial transactions? What jobs will be available for the mass of people when artificial intelligence and robots take on all the mundane tasks?

The real challenge this country faces is not making a success of Brexit, it is coming to terms with the new world of work, and the tidal wave of change that will arrive as everything goes digital. This will happen whether or not we are in the EU, in a customs union or anchored to nothing and drifting like an overpopulated iceberg in the middle of the Atlantic.

Brexit is a huge distraction at a time when we really have much more important things to worry about.

While we are obsessing about the EU and trying to turn the clock back to some sepia-tinted age of warm beer and Agatha Christie, the real world is changing out of all recognition.

Mays next speech would be a touch more reassuring if it showed the slightest sign that she was aware of this.
T his year's World Economic Forum in Davos began with a bang thanks to Chinese President Xi Jinping's warning against trade wars. But the apparent message to soon-to-be US President Donald Trump wasn't the only action from the opening day of the event.

Here's a round-up of the other stories from day one:

Push the frontier, urges Google

You need to push people to take risks. Even at Google, people didnt want to go beyond their comfort zone, the finance boss of the search giants parent company Alphabet told Davos delegates.

Manchester-born Ruth Porat, chief finance officer of Googles owner Alphabet, was speaking in a panel debate on Size Matters: The Future of Big Business at the Swiss forum.

It flagged up the fact that fewer than 10% of the worlds public companies account for 80% of profits. Alphabet, the worlds second-biggest company after Apple, has grown through innovation, Porat claimed, quoting Googles founder Larry Page. Incrementalism leads to irrelevance.

She said: If you dont push the frontier you do end up by really becoming that incremental player. That is as true outside of technology as it is inside.

Lloyds chairman seeks EU exit clarity

We want clarity, the chairman of insurance market Lloyds of London said at Davos today over Brexit plans.

Reacting to news Theresa May is seeking a decisive break with the trading bloc, Lloyds chairman John Nelson said: We want, and others want, clarity. The more guidance and direction we get now, the better in terms of certainty.

Lloyds plans a new subsidiary base within the EU but has not yet decided where it will be. Its clearly a popular prospect for other nations, however: Nelson added: It is extraordinary how many [Davos] invitations we have had from European countries.

Banks need to merge, says Thiam

Credit Suisse chief Tidjane Thiam said European banks needed to merge to offer better services to clients.

What you see in Europe is a system that is still in flux where we could see benefits in further consolidation, which would certainly benefit clients, he told Davos.

The former Prudential chief added that banks should not become too big because it could fuel public scepticism of the sector, damping speculation of cross-border mega-mergers on the Continent.

Credit Suisse, like many of its European peers, is overhauling its operations to become nimbler and shake-off the long-running gloom affecting shares.

Banks expecting the worst for Brexit

The bosses of major banks said today they are planning for the worst outcome on Brexit, including the loss of so-called passporting rights.

Speaking at the World Economic Forums conference in Davos, HSBC chairman Douglas Flint said: If you dont know where you are going, you have to plan for the worst and execute faster.

His UBS counterpart, Axel Weber said the working assumption is banks will no longer be automatically allowed to trade in EU countries under passporting rules.

Its important to create optionality now, but lets see what the final agreement is, Weber told Bloomberg.


D eutsche Bank chief John Cryan said a lack of common sense from bankers had made lenders too complicated to manage.

The Briton, who is trying to slim down the bloated German lender, told Davos that investment bank deals had added complexity but not value, fuelling the 2007-08 crisis and fears the sector had become too big and powerful. Its not too big to fail; a better formulation would be too complicated to manage.

If all we did was take deposits and buy US Treasuries we could be very big and simple, he said. We proliferated the products. Parts of our business took sizeable concentrated risks. We didnt apply common sense.

Cryan said stress-testing balance sheets was the best way to prevent another banking crisis, adding he was a big fan of the tests.

Deutsche agreed to pay $7.2 billion (5.9 billion) last month to settle a long-running US probe into the sale of complex mortgage-backed products between 2005 and 2007. Shares have been hit by fears of thin capital buffers, leading to speculation Deutsche may have to raise money by selling assets.
I t says something about the changing fortunes of the London economy that a vast former Merrill Lynch trading floor in Farringdon has been the home of advertising agency Karmarama for the past few years.

The 300-strong agency, which looks after brands such as Just Eat and Costa Coffee, was independently owned until November, when a surprising buyer emerged. It wasnt one of the big six global ad groups such as WPP or Publicis. Instead, it was Accenture  the consulting giant with 384,000 staff  which paid an estimated 50 million.

This was the first time Accenture had bought a traditional ad agency but it was far from its first acquisition in the creative sector. Like other management consulting firms, Accenture has been quietly building its own digital advertising and marketing division, called Accenture Interactive.

Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC and some of the big software groups have also been gobbling up creative agencies  chiefly in the areas of digital, design and user experience.

Accenture, which wants to build the worlds largest digital agency, has been the most acquisitive, snapping up six agencies last year, ahead of IBMs five and Deloittes three, according to Clarity, a corporate advisory firm that specialises in M&A in marketing services. A number of factors have prompted the Maths Men from the consulting and technology sectors to make a land grab for the territory occupied by the Mad Men from the advertising agency groups.

First, advertising and media are becoming more measurable and accountable in an era of digital and data. The Maths Men argue they can bring more rigour to the marketing process than the Mad Men.

Second, there is a recognition that creativity and design are becoming more important to business in a broader sense. The consultants already claim to offer an end-to-end solution for clients  from strategy and insight to new product development and execution to launch and distribution. Being able to tap into creative and design talent during each step of that process should make it better and more engaging  at least thats the theory.

The third reason for the Maths Men to push into creative services is a growing demand from businesses for help with digital transformation. Thats because the impact of new technology is the biggest long-term issue facing most clients, even if worries about Trump and Brexit are more immediate. Since everything digital involves content and communications, it makes sense to have creative expertise.

WPP and the other ad groups are taking the threat seriously. The consultants already have a hotline to the chief executive, the chief financial officer and the chief technology officer. They want the ear of the chief marketing officer too.

What is alarming for the Mad Men is that the consultants priority, at least in the short term, may not be to make huge profits from marketing and creative services. Instead, Accenture and the others can embed themselves more deeply in the boardrooms of clients that are already paying for a number of their services.

The question is whether the consultants, with their tradition of bean-counting and a time-and-motion approach to efficiency, are capable of being creative. Advertising people tend to be free-spirited and gravitate towards small businesses, not giant corporations.

Accenture says it plans to keep its agencies such as Fjord, a London-based design outfit, and Karmarama as distinctive businesses with their own offices within a culture of cultures.

The good news for any independent agencies looking to sell is that the turf war between the ad groups and the consultants is pushing up their price.

Now its up to the consultants to prove they can do creative.

Gideon Spanier is head of media at Campaign
I nvestors piled into Rolls-Royce on Tuesday as they brushed off a 670 million pay-off to settle bribery allegations and welcomed a surprise hike in full-year profits and cashflow forecasts.

The industrial giants shares jumped almost 6% after it told shareholders it had a good finish to the year, which is likely to put earnings ahead of the 784 million expected by the City.

The company, led by Warren East, last night agreed to pay 671 million to the Serious Fraud Office, US Department of Justice and its Brazilian equivalent over allegations it bribed people to secure lucrative contracts overseas.

More details of the deferred prosecution agreement  a voluntary agreement that results in the suspension of prosecution  were expected today after the deal was signed off by the UK courts.

Despite the larger-than-expected fine  the biggest of its kind in UK corporate history  the shares gained 38p to 702p.

The payment has been spread out over several years, with 293 million upfront and the rest handed over subsequently.
JANESVILLE  A handful of police chiefs met with U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan on Monday in his Wisconsin hometown to discuss ways to reduce officers use of deadly force.

Ryan hosted a meeting that was open to the media but closed to the public with six chiefs from Arizona, Louisiana, Florida, New Jersey and Vermont. The meeting focused on a training program from the Washington-based nonprofit Police Executive Research Forum aimed at giving officers ways to slow down threatening situations to avoid the use of force.

Weve witnessed  especially last year  how if we dont get this right, communities will be destroyed, lives will be lost, Ryan said during the meeting in Janesville, whose police department sent six officers to the training last month and plans to train all officers over the next three years.

PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler said the techniques are particularly useful in situations where an unarmed individual is having a mental health crisis. He estimated that 30 to 40 deaths at the hands of police last year could have been prevented had the situations been handled differently.

Its a form of communication, added Scott Thomson, PERFs president and police chief of Camden County, New Jersey. Thomson said officers who have traditionally been trained to resolve situations as quickly as possible are now learning that repositioning is not retreating.

A message seeking comment about the gathering was left after business hours by the Associated Press with the Young Gifted and Black Coalition, a Madison-based group focused on ending police-involved deaths.

Ryan formed a bipartisan working group in Congress on police-community relations following the deaths of five law enforcement officers in a Dallas shooting in July.
D onald Trumps observations on Nato and the sluggish performance of its European allies are characteristically blunt and aggressive  but he has a point.

For the first time since 1945, we have a president warning that the US will not jump immediately to Europes defence. Europeans will have to do more to manage their own security if they are to earn the new administrations trust.

Despite sending an armoured brigade to Poland and expressing solidarity with its newest Nato allies in the Baltic states, America is not going to be deploying big battalions in Europe again soon. Current manoeuvres may have provoked a storm of bile from the Putin propaganda machine but they are little more than a diplomatic gesture.

From the way Mr Trump is talking, it is not clear that the US would leap to arms even if Natos Article Five is invoked, which states that all allies should come to the aid of a partner nation if it is attacked. It has only been invoked once, after the attacks on New York and the Pentagon in September 2001.

Trump is right to question the value of a 68-year-old treaty against attack by Stalins Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies. The Soviet Union is gone, as is the Warsaw Pact, so what is the value of Natos defensive alliance today, which is over-reliant on American funds, leadership, and imagination ?

Since the end of the Cold War, Nato has been used operationally several times  and not for the purposes for which it was designed . Perhaps the most instructive episode was the flawed operation for Libya in 2011. The shortfall of the European allies performance lends weight to Trumps criticisms. Ostensibly led by France, the UK and Italy, the conflict required American direction and support. The Europeans simply couldnt manage on their own.

Much has been made about the call by David Cameron at the Nato summit two years ago for the alliances European partners to commit at least two per cent of GDP to defence spending. Cameron boasted that Britain would take the lead in this, a claim echoed by members of Mrs Mays administration.

It is not quite true  the UK makes the two per cent figure by including pensions and allowances for all defence staff, depreciation of buildings and fixed assets and the gamut of intelligence services. In reality, the Government allocates 1.6 per cent of GDP on core defence spending. Meanwhile, the Treasury is reportedly still sucking up to 1 billion a year out of defence in the name of so-called efficiency savings. No wonder our forces now have an estimated 40 per cent less combat power than when Cameron came to office in 2010.

The only major European power that practically comes near the two per cent figure is France, a unique nuclear power that is part of both Nato and the EU. But like the UK, it needs to renew its ageing nuclear armoury.

Beyond these considerations, Trump has a greater point. What is the purpose of an alliance such as Nato in the face of new challenges, from cyberwar and terrorism, mass movements of people, collapsed states and regions devastated by climate change? Though America still leads the world in military technology, its forces also face being overstretched.

Looking at the mass of Nato headquarters in Brussels and at Mons, deep in the heart of Europe, one has sympathy with Trump. It hardly seems like the way to run a railway, let alone a strategic alliance fit to confront the perils of the 21st century.
B rexit is surely the biggest self-inflicted event that a British government has had to cope with for decades. Almost anything one says about it can be deemed to be politically motivated. But I will begin with two solid facts  Brexit will be very complex, and the long-term outcome could vary from moderately favourable to highly damaging, depending on the outcome of the negotiations and the way the Government chooses to use the new freedoms that it will have.

Membership of the EU has been good for financial services, and therefore for the country. The single market for financial services and free movement of labour within the EU have undoubtedly contributed to Londons growth as a financial centre. It has become the financial centre for Europe, serving government, corporates and individuals throughout the EU and beyond. This has led to more jobs in Britain and a substantial tax contribution.

Some still do not seem to understand the relevance of the single market to this position, arguing that business will still be done from here. And who wants to live in Frankfurt anyway? This is to miss the point.

If Britain does not retain access to the single market it will not be possible in law to continue doing some business that is currently done from London. Passporting is a simple concept: a bank authorised and regulated in the UK can do business throughout the whole of the EU without the need for authorisation in the other member states. American investment banks do business in the EU not from New York but rather from businesses authorised, capitalised and managed in London. If they could not continue to do so then they would have to shift some business to the EU.

It is also the case that Londons attractions, including being in the EU single market, have meant that over the years business that could have been done in London, New York or Hong Kong has been conducted here in the capital. Britain being outside the EU would reduce the relative attractiveness of London and over time would likely lead to a shift of some business back to New York. There is now a consensus that the financial centre that would gain most from Britain leaving the EU would be New York.

It does not follow that Brexit will mean a reversal. If Britain can negotiate continued access to the single market for financial services, together with maintaining a say in legislation and regulation through an enhanced equivalence or modified passporting regime, and financial institutions can continue to employ talent from throughout the EU with just a modest increase in bureaucracy, then little will change for the worse. And there may be opportunities to pursue policies that could make London even stronger as a financial centre. By contrast, if Britain leaves the EU with no deal, falling back on World Trade Organisation rules or with a deal that leaves us outside the single market for financial services with just a two-year transition, the effect could be significantly adverse.

The best-case scenario, according to one estimate  where negotiations secure trading rights with the EU similar to those the UK currently has  would likely see an annual decline of 2 billion in revenues, 0.5 billion in tax revenue and 4,000 jobs. By contrast, under conditions where the UK moves to a third- country arrangement with the EU, without any regulatory equivalence, and its relationship with the EU is defined by WTO terms, up to 50 per cent of EU-related activity (20bn in revenue) and 35,000 jobs could be at risk, along with 5bn of tax revenues a year.

However, there would also be the loss of related activities. An estimated further 14-18 billion of revenue, 34-40,000 jobs and around 5 billion in tax revenue a year could be at risk. So a worst-case scenario may be 20 times worse than the best. The type of Brexit is more important than Brexit itself.

So what chance of a good deal for the City? The first issue is the extent to which ministers prioritise finance. But there is little political appeal in seeking to protect the City, though the Government will be conscious of the implications for tax revenue and employment if the City loses business.

Business is generally agreed on the need for an implementation period. And the harder the Brexit the longer the transition period needs to be.

The focus now for the Government must be on seeking to make the UK an attractive place in which to do business  as Singapore has done so effectively. This does not mean a race to the bottom in terms of regulation and slashing tax rates. Nor does it mean Britain should become an offshore financial centre. But it does mean a very careful consideration of a whole host of policies, and that consideration must be done in the context of the likely world in 2030 not the world of 2015.

There are some clear global trends that will shape economies in the next quarter of a century. Technological change has become more rapid. Automation is a threat to some jobs but the evidence is that it increases prosperity and employment as low-skilled jobs are replaced by high-skilled ones. The role of government is to facilitate it, and this means above all policies and practices on education and training that equip people with the skills needed for the economy of tomorrow not the economy of today.

So what guiding principles should shape government policy in respect of the EU? If the UK wants to be out of the single market then a radical reappraisal of policies on tax and more particularly regulation is needed to make the UK attractive to international business.

And it is impossible to over-emphasise the important of access to talent, both home grown and international.

Outside the EU Britain can be an open economy and London can still be the worlds leading financial centre. But this will not just happen. It will require political and business leadership on a scale we have not seen in this country.

This is an abridged excerpt from the first Editorial Intelligence Networking Nations lecture given last night at Kings College London.
T he sun has broken through. We are in a strange state of La La politics. Colleagues and friends who were devastated by the Brexit/Trump results have a new devil-may-care approach. They ask: how bad can it be? The sky has not fallen in and if the US is now being led on a series of hunches and business deals it might work as well as process and policy. Where did that lead us? Iraq!

Positive thinking is something Trump and the Brexiteers have in common. It is a slightly intimidating form of optimism which brooks no doubt. La La politics, on the other hand, is based more on hope and goodwill.

The difference is elegantly expressed by the writer Rebecca Solnit. She says: Hope is not optimism. Optimism is a sense that everythings going to be fine no matter what we do Hope means believing that it is worth doing something even when nothing is obvious. Solnit is talking of social change from the point of view of a civil rights activist but the same distinction applies here. Everything is different now. We should be alert both to the opportunities and the dangers.

Hopeful alertness is not quite the same as  normalisation, which is the critics word for appeasement. Some degree of familiarity is bound to set in. I remember discreet discussion in magazine circles last month of when it might be socially acceptable for GQ to carry an interview with Donald Trump by Piers Morgan. Now Trump is interviewed by The Times and people read it with curiosity rather than horror.

Brexit and Trump both have the virtue of being opaque. Linguists notice that the President-elect leaves sentences unfinished, allowing some wriggle room. His conversational style and his Twitter outbursts also suggest works in progress rather than conclusions.

It is at odds with Theresa Mays formal, inflexible and heavily researched professional style. Yet she is now dealing with unknowns. She can have intentions but predictions would be foolish. The best advice might be among the following: Think Big. Protect the downside and the upside will take care of itself. Maximise your options. Use your leverage. Fight back. Have fun (Trump: The Art of the Deal).

In La La politics we are delighted by the new Presidents pledge to do a deal with us but before we expire with gratitude remember that deals have been his whole career, he is very good at them. And that it took us into this century to pay off the Second World War loan from the US. Doing deals with America may not be exactly the same thing as doing good deals.

La La politics is going to depend on a lot of luck as well as skill.

So far Theresa May has been lucky. Trumps victory looks like a rescue of Brexit rather than a double blow. More unexpected events may follow. We are in high-risk politics, which alpha business folk always enjoy.

Brexit could be the deal of the century, or we could all go bankrupt. Its all about conflict and compromise and its very exciting (La La Land). Have Fun. (Trump).

The City will deliver where May has failed

Perhaps because we are distancing ourselves from Germany, I see it at its best. Last week I went to Hamburg for the evening to look at the citys spectacular new 750 million Elbphilharmonie concert hall.

It is designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the architecture firm responsible for Tate Modern, and the construction evoked in me the same fetishistic appreciation of brickwork. Of course the acoustics are advanced and so on but it is the bricks and the oak I cannot forget. It feels like a gigantic ship.

Hamburg officials talked of our shared history and temperament. The British stayed in the city after the Second World War. We are both mercantile and at home in drizzle. What we lack is German romanticism. The concert hall cost nine times more than first thought and was finished nine years late.

But they stuck with it, and the Elbphilharmonie orchestra now performs in one of the wonders of the world. Hamburg has been lifted from a provincial city to a world-class one.

When the Prime Minister tried to see off the Centre for Music at the Barbican by withdrawing Government funding she failed the German test.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is not a vain or extravagant woman but she understands what it means to be a world centre of civilisation. No sooner had Hamburg opened the concert hall than Munich declared that it had plans to build.

The City of London could have turned its back on a concert hall. These are tricky economic times and it lacks Government support. Instead, it announced that it would fill the gap.

The business plan needs to be a great deal more disciplined than Hamburgs but it is an act of romantic heroism to persevere. A new creative axis in the City will power the capital. It takes business to see the value of art.

Its not just the birds who sense spring

In this dreary spell of winter, I have noticed that the birdsong is especially cheerful. Apparently there is a phenomenon of birds willing on the spring.

We can follow their lead by: 1. Watching Andy Murray play in 30 degrees in the Australian Open. 2. Putting aside Hygge fireside books in favour of urban self-help. 3. Marking the near end of pheasant season (hence cheerful birds, maybe). 4. Watching British drama not Scandi noir. 5. Wearing sunglasses in the manner of Victoria Beckham as she shopped in Belgravia last weekend.

* In the coverage of the NHS bed crisis, one doctor mildly raised the question: What about the families of the patients? If families took responsibility, you could shift those beds pretty fast. The state cannot solve the elderly population alone. Social care is us.
Welcome to the most depressing week of the year. If yesterday - aka Blue Monday, the day most of us give up on New Years resolutions, have spent most of Januarys pay packet and start counting down the minutes till summer - wasnt enough to contend with, following Fridays inauguration we will have to finally accept that the tangerine-tinged toupee-wearer is actually the new President of the United States.

You might think there is little we could do to salvage this situation. And youd be correct.

But while there may not be a cure-all solution for the s*** sandwich that is 2017 so far, we must take comfort in simple pleasures. Like going to see La La Land at least five more times before January is over. Or getting Prets cauli mac n cheese on your lunch break instead of a floppy egg sarnie.

If youre keen on following the style sets example, now, more than ever, its crucial to throw on a pair of jolly big earrings before leaving the house.

Stingray ball earrings, 155, Latelita London

Fashions equivalent to listening to Bruno Marss 24K Magic on repeat, a set of bobby dazzlers of ginormous proportions is the ultimate antidote to January blues. Not just because if youre feeling the pinch you can pick up a pair for the same price as a venti vanilla latte, but because the right pair is capable of perking up any outfit, no matter how January-ish it might be.

For your pick of the best cheap and cheerful options around, head to H&M - a goldmine for low-cost pick-me-up accessories - or & Other Stories, which currently has a good line in expensive-looking styles at pocket-money prices.

Pom-pom hoop earrings, 12.99, Mango

High street underdog Mango is also a contender for the title of most covetable ear candy, thanks to its extensive collection of bright geometric and crystal-encrusted shoulder-swingers which are proving a more effective anti-depressant than a slab of salted caramel chocolate.

Resin dinosaur earrings, 430, Celine

If you want to invest even more in your happiness, Celines tongue-in-cheek chic jewellery line currently includes toy dolphin danglers and hoop earrings decorated with tiny T-rexs, while Latelita London - stocked at Wolf & Badger - offers a variety of disco ball pave baubles in shades of turquoise and fuchsia.

Long Face earring, 350, Sarah & Sebastian

Cult Aussie jewellery brand Sarah & Sebastians aptly named Long Face earring is also a surefire way to cheer up yours.
I was standing in front of my grandmothers deathbed when my mother revealed the long kept family secret: Grandma, or Na, as we called her, had been a flower girl in her youth.

The revelation came as a shock. My beloved Na  the woman who had fed us rice and brought us up  a prostitute? Thats when my mother finally told me Nas story. My grandmother had been orphaned at six before being adopted by her aunt. When she blossomed into a beautiful young woman at 14, the aunts husband sold her to a brothel. In the twenty years since I heard this story, Ive often wondered how Na, a devout Buddhist, endured life inside a brothel called Spring Fragrance Pavilion, its front always lit up by red lanterns.

My grandmas fate was a common one for orphans at that time when women were treated as a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded. As soon as the Chinese Communists took power in 1949, they shut down all the brothels and reformed the prostitutes. In the reform era, however, relaxed social control and growing wealth led to a spectacular resurgence in the sex trade, especially along more developed coastal areas. Working girls were hired to lubricate the wheels of business negations  or used as bribes in the trade between power and money. Since then, the sex industry has become the fastest growing industry in China, staffed by some ten million girls.

Although illegal in China, prostitution is difficult to avoid even now. Once, during a reporting trip to Shenzhen, I walked into a salon, hoping for a haircut. One of the three giggling girls, her full chest threatening to spill out of her tiny top, told me that they didnt really know how to cut hair. I looked down and spotted no shavings on the floor; it dawned on me what kind of establishment I had actually entered. Perhaps I should have known: After all, we were in Shenzhen, referred to by some as Chinas Capital of Sins.

I chatted with the salon girls and learned that they were migrants from the impoverished countryside. All three were poorly educated and unskilled: The youngest was in her early teens  the same age as my grandma when she began work at a brothel in 1928. How did these women end up here? I wondered. And how did they reconcile their trade with their conservative upbringing in the village?

It was at that moment the seed for my novel, Lotus, was planted. Through the lives of these women, I could explore Chinas growing gap between men and women, urban and rural  as well as the tug of war between modernity and tradition.

Because my last book was a memoir, people often wonder if Ive penned another autobiography: I am always quick to point out that Lotus is purely a work of fiction, not based on personal experience. Keenly aware that my middle-class urban existence is so removed from that of a migrant-worker, I knew I needed serious research. And so I interviewed sex workers in Shenzhen, Dongguang, a neighbouring city, Beijing, and other cities. I tried to make friends with these sources, but it proved to be a very challenging task: Their lives are so transient, as they change from one massage parlour to another, from one city to another. They change their mobile numbers  or they simply vanish.

My breakthrough came after I managed to gain work as a volunteer for a non-governmental organisation NGO that is dedicated to helping female sex workers in a northern city in China. The main task of these volunteers is to distribute condoms to sex workers operating at massage parlours and hair salons  all fronts for brothels  in an outskirt of Tianjin.

Books that will be made into films in 2017 1 /14 Books that will be made into films in 2017 Click through our gallery to see the books that will be made into films this year Fifty Shades Darker by E L James Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes Ghost in the Shell by Masamune Shirow Wonder by Raquel Jaramillo Live by Night by Dennis Lehane My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier The Dark Tower by Stephen King The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

They are mostly low-class establishments, and I usually went out with a staff member from the organisation, Little Y  a former sex worker herself, who is very skilled in her NGO role. She would sit down and chat over a cup of weak jasmine tea; she would always find something flattering to say.

Wow, what a pair of heavy melons! Little Y would say, pointing at one womans robust chest. Are they real? She would volunteer that she had had implants herself; on several occasions, she lifted up her top and compared herself to other women who also had breasts enlargement. Little Ys augmentation was done in a back-alley clinic, and resulted in one of her nipples pointing westward.

Her language and approach made the girls feel she was one of them: They would tell her about the problems they had with their boyfriends, or some funny anecdotes about their clients, or just vent about the injustices they suffered at the hands of the police. One woman told us how shed been arrested during a police raid: At a police station, they beat her up. To avoid being sent to a labour camp, she had to pay a bribe of 3000 yuan (almost $500 at the time) to a policeman and provide her services to him for free. Upon being released, she returned to her parlour. A laid-off worker with two children to support, she needed the money.

Little Y would offer advice how to dodge police in case their parlours were raided. When she handed out condoms, she would urge women to use one for each transaction and warn them about the dangers of unprotected sex. At night, I stayed at NGOs office, its walls studded with heart-shaped plastic-encased prophylactics. There, I would furiously write down the details of our conversations and the stories the girls had shared with me.

Quite a few of them had experienced traumas, like losing their jobs or being deserted by their husbands. Other made a choice to become sex workers, because their other professional options were extremely limited.

The story of one massage parlour girl, Xiaohua, was typical: Lured by the bright lights of the city, she left her village of Sichuan, in Chinas hinterland, and joined a shoe factory in Dongguang. One of her friends found a job at a massage parlour in Shenzhen, which would not only earn her more income but also spare her the gruelling tasks of production line; she decided to to take the job after her family wrote her a letter, asking for money. Xiaohua took the job and sent the requested funds to Sichuan: Almost all girls I know provided financial support to their homes back in their villages.

Of course, it partly justified their profession and made them feel better. Still, their sense of filial duty, deeply imbedded in their upbringing, played a large part.

But what impressed me most in those vulnerable girls was their strength: their ability to cope with hardship and setbacks and simply keep going. It is the same quality Ive long appreciated in my grandma, to whom the novel is dedicated.

Lijia Zhang is a journalist and author. Lotus, out now, is her debut novel.

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I ts -2 degree Celsius outside in the middle of winter. The icy Danube River is flowing on the left, while the snow-covered Gellert Hill is looking back at you from the right. And, in the meantime, you are on top of a building soaking in a steaming 36-degree Celsius thermal bath.

Walk a couple blocks down the road and the same thermal water experience is waiting for you in a much more historical setting where the walls around were built during the First World War.

Bathing in thermal waters has been part of the culture in Budapest for centuries for two main reasons: One, millions of litres of thermal water is available from underneath the Hungarian capital through hot springs, and two, the medicinal features these waters provide.

Staff at the Gellert Thermal Baths said that they have several guests visiting regularly with a doctors note to treat a medical condition. Some of the health problems a thermal bath can provide relief for are degenerative diseases of the joints, circulatory problems, post-traumatic treatments and respiratory issues.

Szechenyi Baths / Klaudia Balogh

The waters are sourced from wells about a 1,000 metres deep under the city. Each spas thermal water is filled with minerals such as calcium, magnesium-hydrogen-carbonates, sulphates, fluoride and natrium. However, the amount of minerals each bath contains varies by location. Because the skin is the human bodys largest organ, these minerals are easily absorbed and get directly into the bloodstream and into the bodys myriad of cells.

Findings have shown that the healing powers of the hot springs were first discovered in 100 AD, when Romans settled at Aquincum, which is now part of city. Then it was the Turks, who occupied Hungary during the 16th century, who built the baths and developed the spa culture.

Over centuries, the hot springs remained which meant the spas were not going anywhere either. In 1934, Budapest officially received the title, The city of spas. There are more than a 100 hot springs running underneath the city pumping thermal water to Budapests 11 main thermal baths and several private ones built in hotels.

Budapest spa - in pictures 1 /21 Budapest spa - in pictures Szechenyi Baths Klaudia Balogh Szechenyi Baths Klaudia Balogh Szechenyi Baths Klaudia Balogh Szechenyi Baths Klaudia Balogh Szechenyi Baths Klaudia Balogh Szechenyi Baths Klaudia Balogh The outside pools at the Lukacs Baths Klaudia Balogh The preserved mill at the Lukacs Baths that was used for grinding wheat in the 19th century Klaudia Balogh Rooftop thermal bath at the Rudas Thermal Baths Klaudia Balogh Rooftop thermal bath at the Rudas Thermal Baths Klaudia Balogh Gellert Baths Klaudia Balogh Gellert Baths Klaudia Balogh Gellert Baths Klaudia Balogh Gellert Baths Klaudia Balogh Gellert Baths Klaudia Balogh Gellert Baths Klaudia Balogh

Four of the most commonly known baths are the Szechenyi Baths, St. Gellert Thermal Baths, St. Lukacs Thermal Baths and the Rudas Thermal Baths.

Each spa has its unique features from Art Nouveau style architecture decorated with the famous Zsolnai porzelan from the WWI era at the Gellert Bath, to the neo-Baroque features of the one of the largest European Szechenyi Spa.

Szechenyi Baths / Klaudia Balogh

The Rudas is where history meets modern design and innovation. While its main thermal pool and octagonal room dates back to 1550, on the roof is a modern bath overlooking the Danube River.

To complement its historical background, the Rudas Baths holds onto the traditions of separate male and female days at the main thermal pool on the weekdays, and only allows coed bathing on the weekends. From 1936 to 2005, only men were to use the bath, and women have only been allowed in since 2005 when the reconstruction work was completed.

All the other baths are coed every day.

The Lukacs Baths has its piece of history too. You can still find the structure of a mill inside that was used for grinding wheat in the late 19th century.

Bathing in thermal water isnt the only option for visitors at these spas. A variety of water exercises, saunas and steam rooms are also on site along with massage therapy rooms for a day of pampering. The Szechenyi Baths even has a Beer Spa, where they mix the thermal water with beer ingredients in a wooden tub for two. And, while guests soak in beer-infused water, they can also sip on a pint as well.

Follow us Twitter: @eslifeandstyle
A man was rushed to hospital after being stabbed in the stomach in south-east London.

Police were called by the London Ambulance Service to reports a 36-year-old man had been stabbed in Austen Road, Erith, shortly after 5.20am on Tuesday.

He was found in a nearby road with a stab wound to his stomach and rushed to a south London hospital in a life threatening condition.

His injuries are no longer believed to be life threatening.

Police had initially been called at 5.20am to an address in Austen Road to reports that a woman had received a cut to her hand.

A Met Police spokesman said the 34-year-old woman and a teenage boy were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and currently remain in custody at a south London police station.

Anyone who has any information is asked to contact police in Bexley on 101 or via Twitter @MetCC.
A suspect driver who crashed into parked cars after a police chase through north London aimed a handgun at two officers threatening to shoot them.

A huge manhunt was underway today for the gunman who sped off in his Ford Focus car before crashing into parked cars and fleeing on foot.

Scotland Yard said today officers were on routine patrol in a marked car when they came across a vehicle parked in Portland Rise, Hackney at 8.25pm last night.

As they approached, a man got out of the car and walked off at speed prompting the officers to drive closer. At that point the several occupants of the Focus started throwing objects at the police car.

Armed police descended on the area / Shulem Stern

Several people got out of the car and ran off and as the two police officers jumped out of their vehicle they were confronted by a man with a handgun, pointing it at them and threatening to shoot them.

The unarmed officers backed away, calling for urgent assistance from specialist firearms officers.

The gunman jumped into his car and sped off. A short time later the suspect vehicle collided with some parked cars in Seven Sisters Road, close to the junction with Hornsey Road, and the man ran off on foot.

Police searched the car and found a handgun.

Gunman: Portland Rise was cordoned off / @EastLondonBaby

Hackney Borough Commander Simon Laurence said: Officers across the Met have to deal with these types of situations day in day out across London and I commend my officers for their courageous actions.

Acting on instinct when approaching the suspicious car, they were then confronted by an armed suspect. They put themselves in harms way to protect the public and have helped take a dangerous firearm off the streets.

We are actively pursuing the armed man and the other suspects, and we would like to hear from anyone who has any information about this incident.

Residents told how armed police swarmed roads around Finsbury Park and Manor House station at around 8.30pm last night as a major operation was launched.

They said officers on patrol began to pursue the vehicle in Portland Rise, a residential street of homes and apartment blocks, when a number of passengers jumped out and who ran away.

Investigation: Police remained in the road (@999London) / Shulem Stern

Firearms units were called in and the car was chased along Seven Sisters Road before it was boxed in and sent crashing across the road into parked cars.

The driver pointed a handgun at one of the officers, it is claimed, as he made his escape. A suspected firearm was left on one of the seats.

One resident told the Standard: We heard lots of noise outside so we came to the window which is when we saw the police taping off the area directly below our flat.

Then lots and lots of police cars came zooming past up and down Seven Sisters Road.

She said the entire road was taped off as police wearing gloves searched beneath cars.

Three of the suspects are described as black males. One was a white male wearing grey tracksuit bottoms.

Detectives from the Mets Trident and Area Crime Command investigate.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Alternatively, tweet police via @MetCC.
A woman has died and another has been seriously injured in an alleged hit-and-run in west London.

The two women were hit by a black Range Rover shortly after 9.30am on Tuesday in Green Lane, Hounslow.

Video posted on social media shows an air ambulance land in a playing field near the scene, as a large police cordon is put in place.

Danny George, 46, lives opposite where the crash happened.

He was carrying out renovation work in his house and only found out about the incident when police knocked on his door.

He said: "It was complete carnage. There were ambulances, police and an air ambulance landed in the field on the other side of the road.

"The road was completely blocked off, the traffic was at a standstill."

A woman has died after the alleged hit-and-run in Hounslow / @DannyGee70/Twitter

The women, believed to be aged in their mid-20s, were rushed to hospital.

One has since died. Her next of kin have been informed.

The other remains in hospital with life-changing injuries.

Mr George, who has lived on the road for four years, added: "There have been so many near misses on that stretch of road, I'm suprised something like this hasn't happened sooner."

Emergency services rushed to the scene after the crash / @DannyGee70/Twitter

The Met Police, London Ambulance Service and Londons Air Ambulance all attended the crash.

The car did not stop at the scene, but was stopped shortly afterwards.

The driver, aged 39, was initially arrested on suspicion of causing injury by dangerous driving and taken to hospital.

He has since been discharged and taken into custody. He has been further arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

A Met Police spokeswoman said the Serious Collision Investigation Unit is carrying out enquiries into the circumstances of the incident.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the witnesses line on 0208 543 5157. To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or crimstoppers-uk.org.
T housands of crimes in London are going unsolved because police are failing to fully investigate CCTV footage, a former senior Met detective claimed today.

Mick Neville, a former detective chief inspector, said that despite billions of pounds being spent on CCTV cameras by companies and individuals, images were not routinely collected by police.

Mr Neville, who pioneered the use of super recognisers  people who can remember the faces of almost everyone they have seen  said: The Met has the best system in the world for identifying suspects who are caught on camera in connection with crimes but it is not getting the images.

All these cameras are on and capturing images of suspects, but they are not being used to anything like their full potential. He revealed that figures showed CCTV images were found in less than two per cent of cases in London during eight months last year.

Of 515,193 crimes recorded by the Met between April and November, CCTV images were found in 9,745 cases. A total of 84,035 offences were solved, including 1,629 with the help of CCTV. There were also 15,330 robberies in the same period. The Met solved 1,515 of these, but only 64 using CCTV. Mr Neville said that officers were not being routinely trained to recover images or given equipment that would help them download CCTV files. He said officers were confronted in many cases by a myriad of complex CCTV systems which even the owner did not understand

Austin Caballero stole jewellery, antiques and clothes worth 100,000 from stores

Crooks they did catch on camera Austin Caballero, 42, above, who stole jewellery, antiques and clothes worth 100,000 from stores including Harrods and Fortnum & Mason, was caught after officers from the super recogniser unit scoured thousands of CCTV images and matched his face to over 40 offences. He was jailed for three and a half years in April 2016. Michael Prabucki, 31, right, was jailed for four years in June 2016 after super recognisers linked him to 39 thefts, mostly of electronic goods, at shops across London. Richard Shelly, 38, a serial burglar from Forest Gate, was caught in the first case of its kind after super recognisers used software created for the advertising industry to track the logo on his Everlast T-shirt to two unsolved burglaries. Last year, he was jailed for five years.

However, when officers investigated non-residential burglaries involving banks and shops  where companies understood CCTV systems better  police found images in six per cent of cases, and a quarter of all cases solved involving banks and shop burglaries were cracked with the help of CCTV.

Mr Neville said: If the Met had specialist teams to gather and investigate images they could solve thousands more crimes. I think the Met is letting Londoners down. At present, officers have no training or equipment, or incentive, to gather CCTV in any but the most serious crimes.

However, we know that there are certain people, a small number, committing a lot of volume crime. By gathering more images the super recognisers could do a lot more.

Billions of pounds are being spent in London on CCTV, but we are only collecting images of 1.9 per cent of crimes. That is abysmal. We are trading our privacy for security, but we are not actually getting the benefit.

Mr Neville, who retired last week, spoke out after being cleared following an internal investigation into remarks he posted on Facebook supporting Ukip and speaking out against gay marriage. He blamed internal Met rivalries for the investigation, which was launched after an anonymous complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The former detective said he had issued a similar warning about the failure of police to gather CCTV images in 2008, but that his message had been ignored.

So far, the Met squad of super recognisers, called the Central Forensic Image Team, is just six strong, despite a recent independent review saying that it should be doubled in size. The squad makes an average of 100 arrests each week and has made more than 2,250 identifications since it was launched in May 2015.

The teams techniques have drawn interest from around the world and the Mets own super recognisers helped German police identify suspects after hundreds of people were assaulted in the 2015/16 New Years Eve attacks in Cologne.

Mr Neville said that detections of suspects using facial recognition were running at a higher rate in London than DNA detections.

Gary Pugh, the Mets Director of Forensic Services, said: "CCTV is routinely used to solve crime throughout the capital. We continue to make the best use of all resources available to us in order keep London safe.

Big Brother Watch chief executive Renate Samson said: We are one of the most watched cities in the world but as these comments reveal we may be sacrificing our privacy to a system which is providing very little security.

Whilst we are told CCTV prevents crime, these figures indicate that crimes are ongoing and that CCTV is only used to investigate crime which has already happened. We have lived with these cameras for over 15 years now, isnt it time we were told the truth about how they used, where they provide value and whether they are truly necessary to be everywhere we go.
Madison's Lowell Elementary School will be closed on Tuesday after flooding knocked out the building's power and heat Monday.

The school posted on its Facebook page around 7:45 p.m. Monday that workers were "attempting to make corrections" to the building's heating and electrical systems. At about 8:25 p.m., a follow-up message said classes at the East Side school, 401 Maple Ave., were cancelled Tuesday.

The message said officials expect school to resume on Wednesday.

A winter storm Monday created hazardous driving conditions as a mix of sleet, freezing rain and rain hit Madison. As of 6 p.m., the city had received a little more than four-tenths of an inch of precipitation for the day, the National Weather Service said.
T his is the moment three men raided a jewellery store in plain sight of passers-by on a shopping street in east London.

CCTV footage released by police shows the three suspects walking away from the Barking store carrying bags laden with 50,000 of jewellery.

Scotland Yard said two of the men entered the Turquoise jewellers in London Road at about 6.40pm on December 27 and offered the manager some jewellery for sale.

But the manager, a 45-year-old man, declined and was punched several times across the head and face before being tied up.

Two suspects leave the story carrying bags laden with jewellery / Metropolitan Police

The two men then emptied the shop and contents of the safe, while a third suspect stood outside keep a lookout.

The store manager, who suffered from head and facial injuries, alerted police to the robbery.

He was later taken to an east London hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A third suspect walks away from the store

Police released the CCTV on Tuesday in a bid to trace the three suspects.

Detective Constable Andy Davenport, from the Flying Squad, said: "This is a shocking incident that has left the victim very traumatised after his ordeal.

We are keen to identify the three men in the CCTV footage so we can speak to them about the incident. We would also urge anyone who witnessed the incident to contact us."

Appeal: Police want to speak to these men (described as Suspect One and Two) in connection with a robbery / Metropolitan Police

Suspect one is described as a white man with a black beard. He wore a grey bobble hat, dark blue jacket with a tartan hessian laundry bag over his shoulder, dark trousers and black trainers.

Suspect two is described as a white man with a black beard. He wore a dark body warmer over a grey top, a dark bag across his waist, grey jogging bottoms and dark trainers with yellow soles.

The third suspect is described as a stocky white man with a beard. He wore a grey hooded top, grey trousers and white trainers.

CCTV: Police want to speak to this man (described as Suspect Three) in connection with a robbery / Metropolitan Police

No arrests have been made and enquiries are on-going.

Anyone with information or any witnesses are urged to call police on 101 or on Twitter @Metcc or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
T he night manager at a luxury London hotel fractured a guest's skull in a "freak accident" after he squirted him with a fire extinguisher, a court heard today.

Boualem Messela, a former bouncer at celebrity nightclubs in London, is on trial accused of kneeing his victim in the head in a "vengeful and violent" assault outside the Sanctum Hotel in Soho last June.

Victim Christopher Meachin was knocked out and suffered a bleed to his brain and still has memory problems after the attack on June 15, the court heard.

Messela, 44, flew into a rage after Mr Meachin and his friends let off a fire extinguisher and sprayed it into his face before fleeing down the street, the jury at the Old Bailey heard.

The victim had been drinking prosecco and beer in the hotel with a group of guests and they had racked up a drinks bill of 1,000, said a witness for the prosecution.

Messela, a father of two who came to the UK 16 years ago, told jurors he behaved professionally and he was "trying to get the group to stop."

"I got into a situation where I didn't want to be," he told the court.

"I was trying to get the group to stop, at least one of them, but unfortunately Mr Meachin got hurt.

"I'm sorry for that. He does not deserve to be hurt but it was a freak accident."

"It was an accident because he was drunk, not thinking right. I was trying to catch him. Instead of running away he decided to turn back and face me."

But prosecutors say Messela attacked Mr Meachin in "retaliation" and not to arrest him.

Prosecutor Adrian Fleming said: "I'm going to suggest you were angry at their behaviour and certainly at being sprayed with water and you ran at Mr Meachin in order to retaliate, not to arrest him."

"This was a very angry man, out to retaliate," said Mr Fleming.

"Mr Messela was angry, he lost his temper. That's why he smashed into Mr Meachin."

But Messela told the court: "He [the victim] was going to rugby tackle me.

"I saw him ready to get me. He put his body in a way that he was ready to fight. I feared for my safety, I was protecting myself. It happened very, very quickly."

The court was shown CCTV footage appearing to show victim Mr Meachin landing on the ground after the encounter with Messela, from Beckenham.

Defence barrister John Carmichael said Messela is a family man of good character who encountered the group of "drunken louts" when they made their way down in a lift from the rooftop bar.

The rowdy group were play-fighting with the fire extinguisher which they set off in the hotel lift and lobby, Mr Carmichael said.

The court heard how Mr Messela did not become angry at the group but concerned for their and other guests' safety.

Mr Carmichael said the fact Messela chased the group through Soho's streets after they fled was "unsurprising" and added the prosecution is "making Mr Messela out to be a villain".

In the CCTV footage shown to the jury, Messela is seen to run at the victim.

Mr Meachin appears to fall to the ground in the middle of the street and lays unresponsive.

Messela told the court: "I chose to chase him but I didn't mean to assault him.

"My intention is to arrest him, stop him, but when I got to that point instead of running away from me he got into fight mood."

Messela denies one count of causing grievous bodily harm.

The jury have retired to deliberate on their verdict.
N otting Hill Carnival "poses a real risk to public safety" and four people who were stabbed at the event last year were nearly killed, an official report has warned.

Four people were stabbed so seriously at the festival in 2016 that they almost died and the event must be made safer, the report by the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee said.

The report warned Londons mayor Sadiq Khan that overcrowding and a rise in violent crime were the two main issues, according to the BBC.

The police and crime committee said the annual event urgently needed rethinking and that the mayor must consider warnings from police that each year, including in 2016, the festival had come close to a major catastrophic failure of public safety.

Notting Hill Carnival 2016 - In pictures 1 /24 Notting Hill Carnival 2016 - In pictures Street festival: Thousands of people headed to Notting Hill for the second day of the carnival Getty Snap: Performers in identical blue outfits pose for the cameras Getty Big turnout: Hundreds lined the streets for the procession Getty Caribbean culture: A woman dances her way down the street in the final day of the carnival Getty Festival of colour: A performer dances in front of the crowds during the Grande Finale on Monday PA Drummers filled the streets as Monday's event got into full swing PA Police presence is high following complaints about security last year PA Revellers take part in the Children's Day parade after a paint fight party EPA Revellers take part in the Children's Day parade EPA/WILL OLIVER Dancers perform during the Children's Day parade Isabel Infantes/PA Wire Revellers take part in the Children's Day parade after a paint fight party EPA/WILL OLIVER Dancers perform during the Children's Day parade Isabel Infantes/PA Wire Dancers perform during the Children's Day parade Isabel Infantes/PA Wire Revellers enjoy the Notting Hill Carnival after joining a paint fight party in the early morning Isabel Infantes/PA Wire Performers dressed in flamboyant costumes for the Children's Day parade EPA/WILL OLIVER Dancers perform during the Children's Day parade Isabel Infantes/PA Wire Police Officers during the Children's Day parade Isabel Infantes/PA Wire Revellers enjoy a paint fight party Isabel Infantes/PA Wire

Commander Dave Musker, the head of policing the carnival, said in November that last years carnival had come close to a disaster along the scale of the Hillsborough tragedy on at least two occasions.

"The police warn of the risk of a 'Hillsborough' scale tragedy; it would be foolish to ignore these voices," the committee said.

Sophie Linden, the deputy mayor for policing and crime, said a study had already been commissioned to understand what more can be done to keep revellers safe.

The History of the Notting Hill Carnival

The police and crime committee's report said that on the Ladbroke Grove section of the parade route, carnival floats and vehicles had caused people to be pushed to the sides of the roads and that police officers had dived in to rescue distressed children and adults from the crowd.

Safety barriers in All Saints Road collapsed on three occasions because of the large number of people crowding around the static sound systems, the report said.

"Public concern about the level of crime at carnival is nothing new. But we are now seeing a rise in more serious and violent crimes: this year four stabbings almost became murders," it added.

The report said 396 crimes were recorded at the 2016 carnival, with violent crimes recorded against 151 people.

It added that the vast majority of offences were related to theft and drugs but that the number of violent crimes were rising.

There were over 450 arrests at this years carnival, the highest number since 2010. The policing operation cost 8 million.

The 2016 carnival was policed by 6,000 Met officers on Saturday and Sunday and 7,000 officers on the August Bank Holiday Monday.

About two million people, including performers and spectators, flock to the area for the annual carnival in west London each year, which is the worlds second biggest after Rio de Janeiro.

Deputy mayor for policing and crime Ms Linden said: Notting Hill Carnival is one of Londons most important cultural events.

"Each August Bank Holiday, hundreds of thousands of Londoners from every background, and visitors from all over the world, make it one of the biggest street parade festivals in Europe. Our frontline police officers and stewards work extremely hard to keep Carnival-goers safe, in what are often difficult and testing circumstances.

Every year following the festival, London Notting Hill Carnival Enterprise Trust, the Mayor's Office, the Met police, TfL, The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster City Council and the Arts Council look again at how we can keep the event safe, enjoyable and sustainable.

"There are some specific concerns this group are looking to address this year, and all members, including the Met police, wanted to appoint independent experts to give guidance on crowd dynamics and control. Together, they have commissioned a study to understand what more can be done to keep revellers safe, given the huge numbers who take part.
T hree police officers were allegedly bitten by a man and a dog during a violent attack in north London.

The group were on patrol in Islington in the early hours of Tuesday morning when they approached a man suspected of stealing from a Turkish restaurant.

Scotland Yard said the man became instantly aggressive and set his dog on them  allegedly making it bite them. When they arrested him, the man is said to have become more violent and punched officers before biting them himself.

The three officers were left with a range of injuries, including puncture wounds from the dog bites and human bites on their arms and fingers.

They are being treated at St Thomas Hospital where they have received tetanus injections.

A spokesman for Islington MPS told the Standard: Officers were on patrol and noticed a dog outside a Gallipoli restaurant on Upper Street at approximately 4:50am.

A male was then seen exiting, pulling down shutters and walking off with his dog.

Officers approached him and he instantly became aggressive and was using his dog to threaten and intimidate officers.

Officers have gone to arrest him and he has started attacking them, punching and biting them and using his dog to attack them as well.

Other officers have attended and the male was handcuffed and taken to Islington police station where he continued to be aggressive.

The man was arrested on suspicion of burglary and assault.
S cores of homes were left without water after a burst water main flooded a south-east London high street.

Around 250 properties were left without running water or with low water pressure after an underground pipe in Bexley burst shortly before 11pm on Monday, according to Thames Water.

London Fire Brigade and police attended the scene of the flooding in Bexley High Street.

Pictures of the flooding show the road and pavement submerged under water as it crept up the stairs to peoples front doors.

The fire brigade said roads were still closed shortly before 1am on Tuesday morning but police said there were no forced evacuations.

Thames Water said they hoped water supplies would be back to normal around lunchtime on Tuesday.

A spokesman for Thames Water said: Were sorry to customers in Bexley who have low pressure or no water this morning.

Were planning repairs to our burst pipe and hope to have water supplies back to normal around lunchtime.

A spokeswoman for London Fire Brigade said: We were called at 11.07pm to reports of flooding from under the railway bridge due to a possible burst water main.

We sent one fire engine from Bexley Fire Station . The incident was over at 12.44am and the duty of care was left with Thames Water. The road remained closed.

A spokesman for the Met Police said: We were informed at 23.16 hours that a water main had burst in Bexley High Street. We attended the scene.
A London student has made it to the final of a TV competition to decide Germanys Eurovision entry.

Isabella Lueen, who performs under her middle name Levina, will battle it out with four others on Unser (Our) Song on February 9 after being shortlisted from more than 2,000 entries.

The 25-year-old, who moved from Germany to the UK at 16 for her education, is studying music management at London College of Music.

She told the Standard: I never thought I would make it to the final. The selection process is more popular than X Factor.

Ms Lueen, who divides her time between Acton and Berlin, added: London has been a key part of my musical education and career. My first band, Miss Terry Blue, was formed while I was at KCL.

The winner will be voted by the public, with Eurovision held in Kiev in May.
P ulling out of the European single market will have serious implications for the City of London, a major law firm has warned.

Magic circle law firm Clifford Chance made the claims in a statement after Prime Minister Theresa May outlined her plans for Brexit on Tuesday.

Simon Gleeson, regulatory partner at the law firm, said he believed it would "not be fatal, largely because London would remain Europe's financial centre in the short term.

This would make negotiations over arrangements for market access and regulatory co-operation less difficult between Britain and the European Union, he added.

Watch Theresa May's speech in full as the Prime Minister outlines her Brexit strategy in detail

The statement comes as London's financial firms wait to discover whether the UK can hold on to passporting rights which allow them to trade freely across Europe.

Banks have issued stark warnings since the Brexit vote, claiming thousands of jobs would shift to rival financial centres across Europe and the United States if Britain loses the right to sell financial services to the EU.

Xavier Rolet, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange Group, told the Treasury Select Committee last week that the financial services industry should be handed a five-year transition period after Article 50 is triggered.

On a transitional deal for the City, Mr Gleeson said: "Timing is critical.

"The sequence of events should be inter-governmental agreement followed by industry responding to that decision.

"Forcing industry to reconfigure itself in advance of knowing what the intergovernmental agreement is a recipe for inefficiency and wasted costs.

"This is why a post-agreement implementation phase is essential."

Anthony Browne, chief executive of the British Bankers' Association (BBA), said Prime Minister Theresa May had provided "important clarity" on the UK's future relationship with Europe.

Mr Browne previously warned that Bank bosses had their fingers "poised quivering over the relocate button" as they awaited clarity of Britain's Brexit deal with the EU.

US banking giant JP Morgan said 4,000 jobs would leave the UK, Goldman Sachs threatened to move 2,000 roles if Britain loses passporting rights and HSBC claimed it would transfer 1,000 positions from London to Paris following the Brexit vote.

In reaction to Mrs May's speech, Mr Browne said: "All existing EU member states have a mutual interest in ensuring that there's a smooth exit.

"The Government's support for interim arrangements is essential to ensure there are no cliff-edge effects when the UK leaves the EU."

Mark Boleat, policy chairman at the City of London Corporation, said Mrs May's pledge to pull Britain out of the European single market made the need for a transitional arrangement even more important.

"Government's phased implementation plan must avoid a cliff-edge and will be beneficial for firms across all sectors, especially financial and professional services firms.

"The Government must stick to this commitment."

Last week, Bank of England governor Mark Carney added his voice to a chorus of city heavyweights calling for a transitional arrangement for the financial services sector once Article 50 is triggered.

He said: "It is the best mitigant to those (financial stability) risks, yes. It's welcome."

Miles Celic, chief executive of TheCityUK, said the City would support Mrs May's phased approach for business.

He said: "The Prime Minister recognised the important role the UK plays as Europe's financial centre.

"Her assertion that the industry must be able to provide its services cross-border post-Brexit will benefit firms and customers in the UK and the EU."

He said she was right to try to strike a bespoke agreement with the EU, claiming there was "no existing off-the-shelf solution which can deliver the right deal for the UK".

Additional reporting by Press Association.
T hree Scotland Yard officers launched an unprovoked and potentially lethal attack on a man as he walked home from a night out, a police misconduct hearing was told.

Sergeant Jason Moody and Pcs Carl Hollman and Edward Griffiths face being booted out of the force for allegedly subjecting Joseph Kamano, 48, to unlawful force amounting to gross misconduct. The officers all deny using excessive force.

Pravin Fernando, representing the Met (prosecuting), told the hearing that the officers use of force put Mr Kamano at risk of injury or death.

Mr Kamano was left with a fractured finger as well as injuries to his head, he told the panel. During the disciplinary hearing in Fulham, Mr Kamano told the panel he suffered excruciating pain during the incident in Hounslow High Street in the early hours of November 23, 2013.

He said: I didnt really know what was happening. I felt some blows to the back of my head, probably about five or six. I was asking why? Someone kept saying leave him, he hasnt done anything. I was pushed back to the fence.

Jason Moody attends the Met misconduct hearing / Central News

I kept asking them what are you doing? They kept telling me to shut up. I was lifted up by the handcuffs. I remember excruciating pain. I wasnt told if I was under arrest. If they hadnt been in uniform I would have thought I was being attacked by a gang. It was incomprehensible.

The misconduct panel was shown CCTV footage of Sgt Moody appearing to continuously push Mr Kamano into a metal fence, causing him to fall to the ground.

The officers then appear to strike Mr Kamano a number of times before handcuffing and arresting him.

Sgt Moody and Pc Hollman are also accused of false claims in their accounts of the incident, including that Mr Kamano was confrontational.

The hearing was told Mr Kamano became involved after trying to console a woman in the street upset by her boyfriend being arrested, which led to one officer pushing him. Mr Kamano dismissed custody reports he was behaving erratically and intoxicated by alcohol and possibly drugs, telling the panel he was merry but not drunk.

All three officers are accused of using unlawful and/or excessive force which posed a risk of physical injury and/or death. In October 2015 they were each cleared at the Old Bailey of charges relating to the incident.

The 11-day hearing continues.
B ritain will quit the EU even if MPs vote down the Brexit deal promised by Theresa May, the Government insisted today.

Brexit minister David Davis told MPs that votes in the Commons and Lords, promised in Mrs Mays speech, would be on the deal she secures and not on Brexit itself.

The referendum last year set in motion a circumstance where the UK is going to leave the European Union, and it wont change that.

The Pound surged further as Mr Davis fielded MPs questions on the Brexit plan in the Commons. Sterlings rise paused at $1.23 soon after Mrs Mays speech finished, but jumped again to almost $1.24 as the Brexit Secretary clarified and confirmed her plans.

Mr Davis told MPs that the Prime Ministers speech met his promise last year that the Government would bring forward a Brexit plan. Asked if there would be more details, he replied that he had promised a plan as soon as possible and thats what weve done.

His answer suggested that there would be no more details than those given in todays speech. No 10 sources also said that there would be no further revelations. Demands for a White Paper from the cross-party House of Commons Exiting the EU Committee were firmly rejected.

Theresa May's Brexit speech - five key points

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron repeated his call for a second referendum, saying a vote in parliament would not be enough. It would be an outrage if voters were denied the final say, he claimed.

Labours Keir Starmer protested that Mrs May had snubbed parliament by giving her speech outside the Commons. But Cabinet minister Mr Davis retorted that MPs didnt have the opportunity of interrogating Tony Blair at all after hed appeared on TV and radio when Labour was in power.
T heresa May is expected to give the clearest suggestion yet that Britain will pull out of the European single market as she sets out her vision for Brexit.

Indicating that she favours a hard Brexit, the Prime Minister will say she does not want to retain partial membership of the EU.

It is thought the Prime Minister is ready to take Britain out of the European single market and customs union, though it remained unclear whether she will give a definitive answer on the question.

In a speech on Tuesday, Mrs May will say she wants a "truly global Britain" which will be "more outward-looking than ever before" and will remain "the best friend and neighbour" of the other 27 members of the EU.

But she will insist that she is not "seeking to hold on to bits of membership" or to achieve a "partial" or "associate" membership of the bloc.

What to expect from Theresa May's big Brexit speech

The pound tumbled below 1.20 US dollars on the eve of the London address, and a further day of market volatility is expected as nervous traders weigh up the possible impact of Mrs May's comments on Britain's future trading relationship with the continent.

Downing Street said that Mrs May will set out 12 negotiating priorities for the upcoming EU withdrawal talks.

But aides declined to spell out precise details of what the priorities will be.

Mrs May is expected to say: "I want this United Kingdom to emerge from this period of change stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than ever before.

"I want us to be a secure, prosperous, tolerant country - a magnet for international talent and a home to the pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead.

"I want Britain to be what we have the potential and ambition to be: a great, global trading nation that is respected around the world and strong, confident and united at home."

In a message directed at other European leaders, Mrs May will state that it remains overwhelmingly in the UK's interests that the EU should succeed.

"Our vote to leave the European Union was no rejection of the values we share," she will say.

On Britains post-Brexit future, she will say she does not want partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out.

Mrs May will add: "We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave.

"The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. My job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do."

The PMs crucial speech, which comes with less than 11 weeks to go before her end-of-March deadline for triggering withdrawal talks under Article 50 of the EU treaties, will be made to an audience including diplomats from EU states at Lancaster House.

As questions remained over whether the UK would stay in the customs union, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer urged Mrs May not to be distracted by "hypothetical" offers of trade deals, like that advocated by US president-elect Donald Trump.

The Labour frontbencher told BBC Newsnight that staying in the EU customs union would be the best way to preserve British businesses' ability to trade with the bloc.

But former cabinet minister and leading Brexit campaigner Michael Gove told the programme that the UK should leave the customs union.
As kindergartner Charlie Rohrer watched a puppet performance at the Overture Center on Friday, he was curious about how the Red Bird character was able to swoop around the stage.

Because the performance of Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Other Treasured Stories by Eric Carle by Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia was done in black light, it was difficult to see how the puppets were being manipulated. Charlie thought perhaps kite string was being used.

I wanted to ask them about how they moved the bird, Charlie said.

Charlie also said he wondered how a stage prop was manipulated to make it appear that the caterpillar in the The Very Hungry Caterpillar story ate part of an apple. So he was glad when some of the performers answered questions from the audience at the end of the show and demonstrated how some of the puppets worked.

Charlie and other students in the 4- and 5-year-old kindergarten programs at Blessed Sacrament School attended the show through the OnStage Student Field Trips program at Overture. The program gives children the chance to attend a performance by offering tickets for $9, or $8 each for groups of 20 or more, with ticket and bus subsidies available for low-income students. The lead sponsors are American Girls Fund for Children, Wisconsin Arts Board and Promega Corp.

It is an educational experience for students to have the opportunity to come to a venue such as ours and have a theater experience and to experience world class artists, said Tim Sauers, Overtures vice president of programming and community engagement. It is an audience development tool for us.

Teachers are provided resource guides, but not every performance offered through the OnStage program has the question-and-answer session.

Virginia Nodolf, kindergarten teacher at Blessed Sacrament, said it was a valuable tool because her students and the parent chaperones were wondering how the puppets worked.

They love to know how things work, Nodolf said of her students.

Another student, Lane First, figured the puppets were being manipulated from the top of the stage, not from below as they were.

Nodolf, who is a big fan of Carles books, said she has an annual unit that centers on his work. This year, students made brown bear collages and constructed caterpillars.

Some home-schooled and preschool-aged children also attended, including Tirzah Caron, 3, who had hoped to touch a puppet.

Its a great chance for them to see stories weve read in a different way, sad Becky Brotzman, who brought her two preschoolers. Youll see them play differently after we come to a show.
C hinese president Xi Jinping today warned Donald Trump against isolationist moves which could spark a trade war.

He stressed the importance of world trade amid growing fears of America putting up import barriers to protect its car and other industries.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Xi said: We must remain committed to developing free trade and investment...and say no to protectionism.

Pursing protectionism is just like locking oneself in a dark room.

While wind and rain may be kept outside, so are life and air.

No-one will emerge as winner in a trade war.

He stressed the challenges as well of the benefits of economic globalisation and that the process needed to be made more invigorated, inclusive and sustainable.

But he added: Whether you like it or not, the global economy is the big ocean that you can not escape from.

Any attempt to cut off loads of capital, technology, products, industries and people between economies and channel the waters in the ocean back into isolated lakes and creeks - this is simply not possible.

It runs counter to the historical trend.

President-elect Mr Trump has sparked alarm in Beijing by accusing China of raping America by flooding it with cheap imports.

The Republican billionaire also claims Beijing has manipulated Chinas currency to boost its exports, fuelling a US trade deficit.

He also angered China by taking a congratulatory telephone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China.

Chinas foreign ministry stressed that the One China policy was the foundation of China-US ties was non-negotiable but Mr Trump has cast this into doubt.

Mr Xi, who is leading a Chinese delegation of over 100 officials and scores of business executives, arrived by train in the Alpine ski resort to a red carpet welcome yesterday, to project political stability while drumming up business for China.
T he Prime Minister's plan to take the UK out of the European single market "undoubtedly" brings Scotland closer to a second referendum on independence, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The First Minister said Theresa May's hard Brexit proposal "threatens to be economically catastrophic", and she warned the British Government must engage with the Scottish administration's plans to stay in the single market even if the UK leaves.

In an interview with the BBC, she agreed that the move away from single market membership leaves a second independence vote "all but inevitable", and added: "I think that is very likely the case."

Ms Sturgeon had earlier said: "It seems the Westminster Tory Government now think they can do anything to Scotland and get away with it. They must start to understand how wrong they are.

"The UK Government cannot be allowed to take us out of the EU and the single market, regardless of the impact on our economy, jobs, living standards and our reputation as an open, tolerant country, without Scotland having the ability to choose between that and a different future.

Theresa May outlines her plans for Brexit in wide ranging speech

"With her comments today, the Prime Minister has only succeeded in making that choice more likely."

Her words echo her statement after the Brexit vote in the EU referendum, in which Scotland voted to Remain by 62% to 38%, when she said a second independence referendum was "more likely".

But Scottish Conservatives and their Labour counterparts have called on Ms Sturgeon to rule out a second independence vote.

Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said: "Ever since the Brexit vote, the SNP has tried to use the result as an excuse for holding a divisive second referendum on independence.

"It has failed to persuade people in Scotland of that case. Now that the UK Government has spelled out this plan of action, that case has collapsed altogether.

"There is no justification whatsoever for that threat to be maintained. Nicola Sturgeon should now rule a second referendum out and instead work to get the best deal out of Brexit for all of us across the UK."

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale also called for the First Minister to rule out a second independence vote as she said Mrs May's speech was a plan for a "more insular nation" which would increase divisions within the UK.

She said: "Once again the Tories have put the union at risk by furthering the sort of divisions the SNP thrives on. The wrong reaction to this speech would be to call for another referendum on independence.

"Under independence, Scotland would face the prospect of being out of the EU and out of the UK. That would be a disaster for Scotland."

Scottish Greens external affairs spokesman Ross Greer accused Mrs May of making a "confused, contradictory and dangerous" speech.

He added: "These vague UK Government announcements do nothing more than reinforce that an independence referendum looks unavoidable."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said the Conservatives are turning Brexit into a "democratic stitch-up", and said his party stands for Scotland remaining in the UK and the UK remaining in Europe, and wants a referendum on the Brexit deal.

Meanwhile, MSPs backed Scottish Government proposals aimed at keeping the country in the European single market.

They debated the plans just hours after Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain will leave the trade bloc when it quits the European Union.

External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop had urged Holyrood to "stand up for Scotland's interests" by getting behind the options published by the First Minister last year.

These include a "differentiated deal" which could see Scotland stay in the single market even if the rest of the UK leaves it, and the devolution of more powers to Holyrood.

MSPs voted 86 to 36 in favour of a Scottish Government motion welcoming the plans, and endorsing their discussion with the UK Government.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.
T heresa May set out a Brexit strategy that means quitting both the current EU customs union and the single market - with a final deal put to votes in Parliament.

The Prime Minister challenged European leaders with a bold Brexit strategy that will include slashing Britains cash payments to Brussels.

Mrs May gave a critical new pledge to the City to avoid a disruptive cliff-edge by phasing in changes.

The Pound rose as Mrs May spoke at the Mansion House, central London, delivering a long awaited speech setting out her negotiating strategy in the greatest detail yet.

In a blizzard of announcements the PM:

Said the Brexit deal will be put to a vote in both houses of Parliament, meaning MPs and Peers will have a chance to approve or reject it.

Made clear she wanted the right to set trade deals outside the EU, which would mean leaving the existing customs unions rules, possibly seeking associate membership. She added: I have an open mind on how we do it. Its not the means that matter but the ends.

Warned European leaders that it would be an act of calamitous self-harm if they try to punish Britain for leaving the EU by refusing a fair trade deal.

Set a deadline of 2019 for Brexit negotiations to be completed, after which there will be unspecified periods for implementation in different areas, such as immigration.

Indicated that she wants the financial sector to enjoy the extra certainty provided by having its own phasing period during which existing passporting would be maintained.

Said a common travel area with the Republic of Ireland will be maintained to avert a political crisis in Northern Ireland over the threat posed by Brexit to the open border with the south, providing it does not affect immigration to the mainland.

Playing hardball, Mrs May warned she would walk away from the talks without a deal if other EU leaders adopted a punitive approach.

Britain would not  indeed we could not  accept such an approach. And while I am confident that this scenario need never arise  while I am sure a positive agreement can be reached  I am equally clear that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain.

She then went further, saying that Britain could adopt an aggressive low-tax approach to competition if frozen out.

Because we would still be able to trade with Europe. We would be free to strike trade deals across the world. And we would have the freedom to set the competitive tax rates and embrace the policies that would attract the worlds best companies and biggest investors to Britain.

And  if we were excluded from accessing the single market  we would be free to change the basis of Britains economic model.

On the EU budget, Mrs May said: Because we will not be members of the single market, we will not be required to contribute huge sums to the EU budget. That suggested the UK is willing to continue paying into EU coffers after Brexit, for example for access to the single market.

Brexit speech: The Prime Minister struck an optimistic tone / Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images

Mrs May hit back at critics she show more of her hand, saying hyped reports risked undermining her position. She said: Its not my job to fill column inches with daily updates but to get the right deal for Britain.

Mrs May added a stern warning to EU politicians such as French President Francois Hollande who have suggested that Britain should be made to suffer after Brexit. I must be clear. Britain wants to remain a good friend and neighbour to Europe.

Yet I know there are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path. That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe. And it would not be the act of a friend.

The warning, delivered to an audience of EU dignitaries as well as British business and political leaders, reflected the Prime Ministers belief that she is in a position of strength at a time when US president-elect Donald Trump is offering London a free trade deal and threatening to impose taxes on German car manufacturers.

Mrs May said Britain would be a great trading nation and a country that goes out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike.

Mrs Mays most critical passage for the City audience covered their concerns that a Brexit deal could lead to a sudden freezing out of the City from crucial markets.

It is in no ones interests for there to be a cliff-edge for business or a threat to stability, as we change from our existing relationship to a new partnership with the EU, Mrs May said.

By this, I do not mean that we will seek some form of unlimited transitional status, in which we find ourselves stuck forever in some kind of permanent political purgatory. That would not be good for Britain, but nor do I believe it would be good for the EU.

Brexit speech: Theresa May / Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool/AP

Her solution, set out in broad terms, was significant because it confirmed there will most likely be special arrangements for the financial sector.

However, a transition period means that some EU laws could continue to apply to the UK for several years after Britain leaves the EU formally  including at the time of the 2020 election. No 10 officials were unable to rule out the possibility that the European Court of Justice would have jurisdiction over some aspects of UK law during these phasing periods.

Mrs Mays plans ruled out an interim deal, followed by lengthy post-Brexit negotiations, which would have been strongly opposed by Brexiteers in the Cabinet.

Instead, I want us to have reached an agreement about our future partnership by the time the two-year Article 50 process has concluded, she said.

From that point onwards, we believe a phased process of implementation, in which both Britain and the EU institutions and member states prepare for the new arrangements that will exist between us will be in our mutual self-interest.

This will give businesses enough time to plan and prepare for those new arrangements.

Mrs May said separate arrangements could cover different areas. This might be about our immigration controls, customs systems or the way in which we cooperate on criminal justice matters, she was to say.

Or it might be about the future legal and regulatory framework for financial services.

For each issue, the time we need to phase-in the new arrangements may differ. Some might be introduced very quickly, some might take longer. And the interim arrangements we rely upon are likely to be a matter of negotiation.

But the purpose is clear: we will work to avoid a disruptive cliff-edge, and we will do everything we can to phase in the new arrangements we require as Britain and the EU move towards our new partnership.

The speech was cleared with leading Cabinet Brexiteers, including Boris Johnson who inputted into it. Members of the full Cabinet were briefed on it this morning and held a discussion.

Iain Duncan Smith, the leading Brexiteer and former Tory leader, indicated beforehand that he could accept an implementation period providing it did not delay Brexit.

On the customs union she said: Its true that full customs union membership prevents us from negotiating our own comprehensive trade deals.

I want Britain to be able to negotiate its own trade agreements.

Setting out her stall: Theresa May / Kirsty Wigglesworth/WPA Pool/Getty Images

But I also want tariff-free trade with Europe and cross-border trade there to be as frictionless as possible.

That means I do not want Britain to be part of the common commercial policy and I do not want us to be bound by the common external tariff.

These are the elements of the customs union that prevent us from striking our own comprehensive trade agreements with other countries.

But I do want us to have a customs agreement with the EU.

Whether that means we must reach a completely new customs agreement, become an associate member of the customs union in some way, or remain a signatory to some elements of it, I hold no preconceived position.

I have an open mind on how we do it. Its not the means that matter but the ends.

I want to remove as many barriers to trade as possible and I want Britain to be free to establish our own tariff schedule at the World Trade Organisation, meaning we can reach new trade agreements not just with the EU but with old friends and new allies from outside Europe too.
T he European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator has criticised Theresa May's "threatening" tactics and warned the days of Britain cherry-picking its relationship with Brussels are over.

Guy Verhofstadt said the Prime Minister's decision to suggest the UK would become a low-tax, low-regulation haven if the EU failed to agree a good exit deal was a "counter-productive" strategy.

He also called on Mrs May to listen to the concerns of the 48% of voters who backed Remain.

Mr Verhofstadt, president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group, said: "Britain has chosen a hard Brexit. May's clarity is welcome - but the days of UK cherry-picking and Europe a la carte are over.

"Threatening to turn the UK into a deregulated tax heaven will not only hurt British people - it is a counter-productive negotiating tactic.

"May must take the concerns of the 48 per cent on board."

Germany's foreign minister welcomed Mrs May's decision to give "a bit more clarity" about her ideas for Brexit as politicians across Europe considered her plans.

Theresa May's Brexit speech - five key points

Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he was hoping for constructive negotiations with the UK but stressed Berlin's desire to maintain the unity of the European single market.

Chancellor Angela Merkel will chair a meeting of her cabinet's Brexit committee on Wednesday as Berlin prepares its position for the forthcoming negotiations.

Mrs May's plans involve leaving the single market but establishing a comprehensive free trade deal in its place, along with keeping some elements of the customs union without full membership.

Guy Verhofstadt: Not impressed / EPA

Mr Steinmeier said: "Almost seven months have now passed since the referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union. The British Government has still to formalise its desire to leave.

"We therefore welcome the British Prime Minister's speech today in which she outlined her Government's ideas on the exit and finally created a bit more clarity about Britain's plans.

"She stressed that Britain is seeking a positive and constructive partnership, indeed a friendship, with a strong EU. That is good.

"We, too, want relations that are as good and close as possible, and based on mutual trust. We are hoping for constructive negotiations to this end.

"However, our stance is and will remain: the negotiations will not begin until Britain has officially informed the European Union of its desire to leave.

"Tomorrow we will discuss in the Cabinet's Brexit committee Germany's position in the forthcoming negotiations.

"It is in the interest of Germany and of Europe to strengthen the cohesion of the European Union of 27 member states and to maintain the unity of the European single market."

Other official reaction from Europe was relatively muted, with European Council president Donald Tusk saying only that the remaining 27 members now had a "more realistic" view of Britain's goals and were "united and ready to negotiate".

Some MEPs were more forthright, with German Green Jan Philipp Albrecht saying Mrs May's message was "Go f*** yourself EU but please don't let us down".

Belgian socialist Kathleen Van Brempt tweeted: "The European Union is not a menu where the UK can freely pick and choose to their liking."

Additional reporting by the Press Association.
B ritain is facing a courgette crisis that could last for months after cold and wet weather hit much of Europe.

Prices of the Mediterranean vegetable have tripled after unseasonably cold and wet weather in Spain damaged crops.

And the shortage does not just stop at courgettes, with vegetable suppliers warning it could stretch to peppers, aubergines and tomatoes as well.

Sainsburys said the chain was hoping to maintain a stock of the vegetable, but recognised there was a problem.

A spokesman told the Standard: There has been severe weather in Southern Europe but we are working with our suppliers to maintain supply for our customers.

Tesco said they were experiencing availability issues, but were also working with suppliers to resolve them as quickly as possible.

Jordi Vorderman, sales manager at Dutch vegetable supplier Valstar Holland, told The Guardian that prices of courgettes have quadrupled since the summer.

The main issue is that supplies are low because of cold nights in Spain and Italy, he said. Prices are very high  they are above 20 for a 5kg box. During the summer prices are between 4 and 6.

And its not just courgettes. Lots of prices are extraordinarily high  peppers, aubergines, tomatoes.

Colin Putt, from Total Produce, added: Ive never seen it so bad on so many products. Its not just courgettes, its most of the produce we get from Spain at this time of the year.

They had a years worth of rain in less than 24 hours and theyve cold weather as well. And because of the weather they cant replant.

Those with a taste for the vegetable have been tweeting about the shortage, with one user writing: Courgette shortage in the UK - reconsidering my decision to apply for masters in this godforsaken land.

And @Rosiebsteele joked: If you voted leave I'd like you to think about what you've done. I don't wanna live without courgette and aubergine.
A Libyan dissident was today given the green light by the countrys top judges to sue the government and British intelligence agencies over allegations that they were complicit in his torture by Colonel Gaddafis regime.

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court said there was no reason in law why the claims of Abdel Hakim Belhaj should not be decided in the courts.

Their decision raises the prospect of senior MI6 officers, the former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, and other officials being forced to appear before judges to explain whether they knew or were involved in the case.

Mr Belhaj claims that he and his pregnant wife were detained in Malaysia in 2004 when MI6 informed Libyan forces of their whereabouts. He was held for six years and sentenced to death.

He has since been attempting to sue former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, MI6, MI5, the Foreign Office and Home Office, demanding a token 1 payment and an apology for its part in his degrading treatment.

Mr Belhaj has attempted to sue former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw / PA

The Government had sought to block his the claim saying it could not be held responsible, citing state immunity and doctrine of foreign acts of state which says such claims cannot be heard in the English Courts.

However, in a dramatic ruling today, the Supreme Court decided the Government could not block Mr Belhajs claim.

Sovereign states who without justification and without permitting access to justice detain or mistreat individuals in the course or in relation to their conduct of foreign relations or affairs have sovereign immunity in foreign domestic courts, said Lord Mance, in the 134-page ruling.

But I see no reason why English law should refrain from scrutinising their conduct in the court of adjudicating upon claims against other parties involved who enjoy no such immunity there, where the alleged conduct involves almost indefinite detention, combined with deprivation of any form of access to justice and, for good measure, torture or persistent ill-treatment of an individual.

The judge said that torture had long been regarded as abhorrent by English law and the allegations in this case, even if in line with foreign or UK policy, goes far beyond any conduct previously recognised as requiring judicial abstention.

Lord Mance added that the principles at stake are guaranteed under the Magna Carta which says imprisoned men should have access to legal judgement of his peers.

He added that rendition and assisting in torture were not justified on the basis of maintaining foreign policy advantages.

Mr Belhajs case, which has been under consideration by the Supreme Court for 15 months, will now proceed to trial.

Mr Belhaj says he was illegally detained and handed over to Libyan forces, subjected to a biased trial and sentenced to death, before eventually being released in 2010.

He claims his detention stems from former Prime Minister Tony Blairs so-called deal in the desert with Gaddafi in 2004, which reopened diplomatic links with Libya.

The Government and security forces deny liability, and have signalled that a ruling against them could lead to the UK military pulling out of the European Convention on Human Rights.

It says soldiers in future conflicts could be subjected to vexatious claims while fighting for the country.

The Crown Prosecution Service had considered bringing charges over the case against an unnamed individual, thought to be the former senior foreign officer diplomat Sir Mark Allen, but decided that there was insufficient evidence to do so. Mr Straw has denied involvement.

Meanwhile, in a linked ruling, judges also opened the door for a flood of claims by Afghan and Iraqi detainees who alleged they were tortured by British soldiers abroad.

The court ruled the Government can legally hold suspects for more than 96 hours if it is necessary for security reasons.

However, it said in the case of a terror suspect, Serdar Mohammed, who was captured in April 2010 in Afghanistan, the Government may not have sufficient legal grounds for holding him for more than three months.

The court heard Mohammed was a suspected Taliban commander, and had been seen discarding a grenade launcher after a ten-hour battle.

Mohammed says he was held between April 11 and May 4 2010 while being interrogated, then held for a further six weeks pending transfer to the Afghan authorities.

The judges ruled Mohammeds case should go to trial, and it may have cleared the way for several hundred similar claims in the lower courts which were waiting for todays decision.

Iraqi civilians are seeking damages for their allegedly unlawful detention and, in some cases, allegedly unlawful treatment by British forces. If they rely on the same point of law, they could go to trial.

The cases hinge on whether the UKs obligation to tackle terrorism, under a 2003 UN Security Council resolution, outweighs its duties under article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

In a statement issued immediately after the court ruling, Jack Straw said: "This judgment is about some important points of law, related to how far it is possible to bring into a court process in the UK actions of sovereign states abroad.

"However, at no stage so far have the merits of the applicants case been tested before any court. That can only happen when the trial of the action itself takes place.

"I repeat what I said in the House of Commons in December 2013, that as Foreign Secretary I acted at all times in a manner which was fully consistent with my legal duties, and with national and international law. I was never in any way complicit in the unlawful rendition or detention of anyone by other states.
S tunned tourists have captured the moment a huge alligator strolled past visitors at a nature reserve in Florida.

Footage shows the enormous creature  thought to be about 12ft long  looking relaxed as it walked past families at the reserve in Lakeland.

The reptile ignored awe-struck visitors who stood filming him just metres away.

According to the Polk Nature Discovery Centre Facebook group, the alligators name is Humpback.

Kim Joiner, who shared the video, described it as nature at its best.

Giant gator: The animal totally ignored awe-struck visitors / Kim Joiner

Awe-struck Facebook users commented that the animal was so big it was like "a dinosaur" and a regular visitor said he had been going to the reserve years but this was the biggest gator I have seen out there.
A Londoner caught up in a gunfight at a Mexico nightclub in which five people died today described harrowing scenes of dead bodies and sheer panic.

Charlene Grant, a music artist manager, was one of hundreds of revellers who fled the Blue Parrot nightclub in Playa del Carmen, Tulum, when shots rang in the early hours of Monday.

Local police believe a dispute inside the club, which was hosting the closing party of an electronic music festival, led to a lone gunmen opening fire on security guards.

Four festival employees were killed in the shooting, according to officials.

Harrowing video footage captured the moment partygoers made a desperate bid for the exits, while one woman is believed to have been crushed to death in the stampede.

Ms Grant, whose company Modest! Management represent artists including One Direction and Little Mix, took to Twitter describing scenes of carnage and horror.

She wrote: Scariest night ever at BPM closing party. Dead bodies and sheer panic. Sights Ill never forget. Luckily we are all safe and OK.

My heart goes out to all who lost their lives in the club tonight.

Fifteen people were also injured in the attack.

Glasgow-based DJ Jackmaster, who was playing at the 10-day festival, tweeted: Someone has come into the club in Playa Del Carmen and opened fire. 4-5 dead and many wounded. Stay in ur f****n hotel.

The BPM festival, which is in its 10th year, describes itself as a dance music lovers tropical paradise and the perfect winter getaway.

A statement published on the festivals Facebook page said: We are overcome with grief at this senseless act of violence and we are cooperating fully with local law enforcement and government officials as they continue their investigation.

In its travel advice for Mexico, the Foreign Commonwealth Office states that Playa del Carmen and nearby resorts like Cancun have not seen the levels of drug-related violence and crime experienced elsewhere in the country.
N igeria's air force killed at least 50 people, including Red Cross volunteers, in a mistaken air strike on a refugee camp.

The military said the strike, which injured a further 120, had targeted Boko Haram.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)said the strike occurred in Rann in Borno state, the epicentre of the jihadist group's seven-year-old bid to create an Islamic caliphate.

Regional military commander General Lucky Irabor, who said it was too early to determine the cause of the mistake, said an unknown number of civilians had been killed.

"MSF teams have seen 120 wounded and 50 dead following the bombing," said Charlotte Morris, a spokeswoman for the medical charity.

"Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients. We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following the event."

A spokeswoman for International Committee of the Red Cross said six Nigerian Red Cross members were killed and 13 were wounded.

The insurgency has killed more than 15,000 people and forced two million to flee their homes, many of whom have moved to camps because it has been too dangerous to return home.

The air strike came amid an offensive against Boko Haram by Nigeria's military over the last few weeks.

President Muhammadu Buhari said last month a key camp in the jihadist group's Sambisa forest base in Borno state had fallen.

A statement issued by the presidency said the air strike was a "regrettable operational mistake" that happened during the "final phase of mopping up insurgents in the northeast".

Boko Haram has stepped up attacks in the last few weeks as the end of the rainy season has enabled its fighters to move more easily in the bush.
U nprecedented security will surround Washington DC for Donald Trumps presidential inauguration on Friday amid fears of a terrorist attack.

The billionaire former reality star will be protected by a ring of steel when he is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

A heavily-guarded perimeter is being thrown up around the US Capitol building to prevent the kind of deadly lorry assault that left dozens dead in Germany and France.

Heavy construction equipment including trucks loaded with cement, dumpsters and other physical barriers are being strategically placed around the city to help police restrict vehicle access to sensitive areas and boost crowd control.

Thousands to march on Trump's inauguration day

Abut one million people are expected to flood into Washington for the inauguration, some to celebrate and others to protest. But the sheer numbers make it a security nightmare for law enforcement.

The inauguration events begin tomorrow with a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and continue through to Saturday's traditional prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral.

Donald Trump will be made President of the United States on Friday

But the main focus will be Friday's swearing-in and the inaugural parade from the Capitol to the White House.

Mr Trump will be be flanked by his family, close friends and aides for the ceremony at noon at the west side of the Capitol building.

Also present will be Vice President Mike Pence and his family, justices from the US Supreme Court and members of Congress, although some Democrats are boycotting the occasion in protest against some of the incoming presidents policies.

FBI executive assistant director Paul Abbate said he will be watching from an inauguration command centre which will have dozens of screens monitoring every angle.

Round-up of Trump's most infamous comments in the run-up to his presidency

Were facing a more complex threat environment. Just in terms of the types of attacks that have occurred - things weve seen happen here in the United States and around the world, he said yesterday.

Having seen both large-scale coordinated attacks similar to those last summer in Paris that left 86 dead and Berlins Christmas market that killed another 12, and lone wolf assassins such as the San Bernardino gunman in the US who shot dead 14 people, Mr Abbate said planners for the event cannot rule anything out.

We work hard every day 24/7, not just during inauguration but on every day, even today, to stop things like that from happening, he added.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said there were no specific or credible threats, but he said police and other agencies were doubling down to combat any possible atrocities.

The global terror environment is very different even from 2013, he said, referring to the last inaugural ceremony at the start of President Obama's second term. We have to be concerned about individual acts of violent extremism.

Mr Trumps polarizing election victory has also raised concern that protest from both sides of the political spectrum could spill over into violence.

Mr Johnson said that 99 protest groups - more than 10 times the usual number at past inaugurations - are expected to be in Washington and at least 63 of them are planning Inauguration Day demonstrations.

According to Washington DC police, some of those groups have boasted they plan to shut down events organised by the Trump transition team to celebrate the controversial billionaires first day in office.

Dress rehearsal takes place ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration

We've got to be vigilant, we've got to plan, we've got to be prepared. As long as they are non-violent, protesters will be allowed to exercise their First Amendment rights, added Mr Johnson.

The biggest protest, however, is likely to be the day after the inauguration when as many as 200,000 people are expected to join the Womens March on Washington, a coalition of civil and human rights supporters.

Michael Gove says Donald Trump is warmer in person, during interview on Good Morning Britain

Nearly 30,000 law enforcement officials will be on duty on Friday, including about 8,000 members of the US National Guard and 3,200 police officers drafted in from forces across the country.

Extra security will be focused on the Trump International Hotel, which is on the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route.

Its unclear whether Mr Trump plans to walk along the route in front of the hotel that bears his name, or whether he will remain in a motorcade from near the U.S. Capitol to the White House.

President Obamas first inauguration in 2009 drew a record 1.8 million people to the nations capital.
A great cabin suitcase can make all the difference when it comes to easy travelling.

The ideal suitcase is different for all of us. Those who love to cram in everything and the kitchen sink for a holiday, as well as leaving a bit of room for new souvenirs, should go for a soft shell case for extra flexibility, while if youre a light packer and want to make sure all your items are as protected as can be, a hard shell suitcase might be a better choice.

Then theres the considerations of whats inside the suitcase too. Do you need a hidden laundry bag, a USB port to charge your gadgets or a padded laptop compartment? Is a TSA-approved lock an essential? And do you like to have different compartments to keep your items separate?

Weve gone on the hunt for some of the best cabin bags and carry-on suitcases, whether youre looking for a no-nonsense, affordable option or want to spend a bit more on something really exceptional with all the travel trimmings. Weve also made sure these suitcases fit the restrictions of mainstream airlines, so youll never get the dreaded memo at the boarding gate that you have to check yours into the hold.

Weve included choices that are perfect for business trips, summer jaunts abroad and even some Instagram worthy options.

We considered how easy the suitcases were to wheel around, what special features they had and just how much we could squeeze into them. From smart business options to fun suitcase scooters, and from suitcases costing just 30 to those costing 300, weve got you covered no matter what your style or budget.

Knomo Park Lane 4-Wheel Carry On

Best for: The smart option for business or leisure travel

Weve long been fans of the smart, stylish and intuitive travel gear from British accessories brand Knomo, and the gorgeous Park Lane carry-on is no different.

The protective front pockets are perfect for carrying business essentials such as laptops and tablets, while the inside is deceptively roomy to squeeze in plenty of clothes and has lots more pockets too for secure organisation.

Made from splash-resistant nylon, the case doesnt just look great but has lots of useful details, from an RFID blocking pocket to a zipped section to hide and protect the handle when youre not using it. Theres even a unique Knomo ID code so that you can help track down your case should it ever get lost.

299 | Knomo | Buy it now

View on Amazon here

Away The Carry-On Suitcase

Best for: Seriously stylish travel

Beloved of all the cool kids, from fashion editors to Instagram influencers, luggage brand Away has stolen the hearts of travellers with its stylish products and genuinely useful features.

The brand has suitcases in four sizes and in a whole range of colours, from neutral to bold. The carry-on option, made with a durable polycarbonate shell, is small enough to fit into any overhead locker, but it packs a huge range of features into its modest size: 360-degree spinner wheels, a TSA-approved lock, an inner compression system to pack your things as tightly as possible and even a hidden laundry bag.

Best of all, though, is the ejectable battery that pops in and out of a neatly concealed port so you can charge your phone on the go. Were huge fans and want to buy the whole collection.

225 | Away | Buy it now

Away The Backpack

Best for: Handsfree travel

If you love to travel light, a backpack is a great option, and there are few backpacks in the world we love as much as this one, also from Away.

The backpack is designed to have a simple, streamlined look, but despite its unfussy appearance, its deceptively roomy and packs in all you need for a trip abroad. There are several compartments: the main one is perfect for storing clothes, shoes and bulkier items, the front pockets are great for magazines and notebooks, and a hidden laptop pocket is ideal for gadgets of up to 15.

There are also plenty of other hidden pockets to store items such as passports, wallets or keys securely. Most importantly, its incredibly comfortable to carry even when full to the brim, and its got a strap to easily slot onto any cabin bag handle, giving it top marks for convenience.

195 | Away | Buy it now

Revolve Suitcase by Thule

Best for: Travelling in style

Thule's Revolve suitcase certainly deserves its own wolf whistlethe monochrome design and angular facade is one of the best looking options we've seenbut it's the sturdy polycarbonate body and lightweight frame that make it a worthy investment option.

The impact-resistant shell shields against the hard hits and bumps, and the slightly larger back wheels tackle stairs better than mostthis also means your front wheels won't bear the brunt of any overzealous travel which will help ensure a reliable glide for the indefinite future.

This is one polished piece where performance and beauty successfully convene.

349 | Harrods | Buy it now

Snugpak Roller Kitmonster Carry On 35L G2

Best for: A sporty, waterproof option

If youre an adventurous type who needs your luggage to be flexible, compact and to withstand all weather types, go for the roller kitmonster carry-on from outdoor equipment brand Snugpak.

Available in three different colours, this is a cool, sporty option that will last you for years no matter what you put it through.

Made of durable, waterproof tarpaulin fabric, the lightweight carry-on has 35 litres of storage space and plenty of useful pockets for keeping items separate, including a mesh lid pocket organiser.

Once youre finished with it, it folds into itself and is incredibly light, a good option for those who dont have a lot of storage space and who cant find anywhere to hide a more bulky hard shell suitcase. The wheels only roll one way, but its a smooth ride with this cool case.

84.95 | Snugpak | Buy it now

Samsonite Lite-Box Spinner

Best for: Ultra-reliable and light protection

The luggage pros at Samsonite can always be trusted to create durable, protective and stylish kit, and this lite-box spinner is no different.

Available in four colours, this case is extremely sturdy and hardwearing, surprisingly flexible to help you fit in as much as possible and incredibly light so theres no fear of going over that luggage allowance.

Two zip-up fabric inner compartments have straps to help you organise clothing efficiently, and theres a TSA-approved lock too.

Naturally, its also got splendid wheels to help you glide through the airport with ease. We loved the cool vertical design and outer corner protections to withstand rough treatment from baggage handlers and turbulence, and were seriously impressed with the cases lightness.

369 | Samsonite | Buy it now

Rock Hybrid Small

Best for: Hybrid luggage

If you cant decide between luggage with a hard or soft shell, weve got the perfect solution for you: the genius hybrid luggage from family-run British brand Rock Luggage.

Available in four different colours, the handy suitcase is a great choice as it gives you the protection of a hard shell at the bottom, with the flexibility of cramming in a bit more thanks to the soft shell at the top.

The case has plenty of nifty compartments, including a laptop section with padding and a safety strap to keep your prized gadgets safe. The zips are really strong and withstood a world of overpacking, theres a TSA-approved lock and eight excellent spinner wheels and its got a 15-year warranty for your peace of mind too.

149 | Rock Luggage | Buy it now

199 for a 3 piece set on Amazon here

HB London Personalised Suitcase

Best for: Personalised gifts in a wide range of colours

Personalisation has never been so popular, and if youre looking for a monogrammed gift - for a friend, or indeed for yourself - this is the place to look.

Personalised accessories brand HB London has an enormous selection of prints and colours available in four different suitcase sizes, from on-trend animal prints and skull designs to bold block colours and glitter effect designs.

On each suitcase, you can get your initials in bold print: our top pick had to be the black snakeskin design for an option thats seriously in vogue.

Despite the affordability of the suitcase, it feels much more expensive than it is, with a tough, glossy outer shell, eight swivel wheels allowing for easy rolling, a TSA-approved lock, two handles and smart inner compartments that connect to the sides with super-satisfying clicks, helping you compress clothes and store smaller accessories.

135 | HB London | Buy it now

AmazonBasics Softside Spinner Luggage, 21-inch Carry-on

Best for: Affordability

Retail giant Amazon can always be trusted for a huge range of products at great prices, and this softside spinner luggage is no different.

Costing a fraction of the price of many other cases on this list, this is a really great value no-nonsense carry-on thats good quality and reliable.

Available either in black or navy blue, and in four sizes, the case has multidirectional wheels for easy whizzing through the airport, while the soft side design allows for easy storage when youre not using it, and for extra cramming and overpacking when you are.

Its expandable so you can pack 25 per cent extra if you end up doing too much shopping on your holiday, and inside, there are nifty pockets for useful organisation and straps to keep your clothes compressed.

This is a fantastic value option, and you can even buy a matching three-piece set for less than 100. Be aware that with the lower price, theres no TSA-approved lock, though this can be bought separately if needed.

30.82 | Amazon | Buy it now

Kitkase Flamingo Pink 20" USB Travelcase

Best for: Affordable fun with a USB option

Holidays are the best time of the year, and you can get the fun started early by packing with one of the cute suitcases from luggage brand Kitkase.

There are loads of options to pick from, from rainbow pride bags to football-branded suitcases, but our top pick had to be the bold flamingo case in millennial pink.

Not just fun outside, the inside of the case continues the theme with a cute green and pink flamingo print on the inside, plenty of nifty pockets for accessories and shoes, and straps to keep everything tight.

Its also got a TSA-approved lock, a branded dust bag and a USB charging port with an internal pocket for a battery pack. While the battery pack is not included, the affordability of this case compared to other USB options makes it a great option if youre looking for on-the-go charging.

59.99 | Kitkase | Buy it now

Pro-Idee Suitcase Scooter

Best for: A novel idea

While wed always recommend going with a suitcase you find easy to wheel, its hard to think of a suitcase thats more fun to transport than this suitcase scooter from cool concept store Pro-Idee.

The suitcase itself is spacious and useful, with lots of room to store clothes and shoes, and a padded central laptop compartment also acting as a useful divider.

However, where this case really stands out is when it comes to its attached scooter, which makes travelling, whether to work or to your holiday, so much more exciting. The suitcase arrives already built with a handy manual teaching you how to use it safely.

Its really simple to use, with satisfying clicks helping you know youre doing it properly. Its a bit heavier than the other cases on the list, but its more than worth it for the genius scooter, which makes travelling a breeze. Youll be the envy of everyone in the airport as you scoot past on the way to the boarding gate.

269 | Pro-Idee | Buy it now

Horizn Studios M5 Vegan Blue Vega Cabin Luggage

Best for: Vegan travellers

For a high quality vegan-friendly suitcase, we loved the Blue Vega cabin luggage from smart travel brand Horizn Studios, which has a great range of cabin luggage in on-trend pastel hues.

The stylish case is certainly on the pricey end but it comes with plenty of great features, including an inbuilt compress pad and premium laundry bag, a water-resistant front pocket for laptops and travel essentials, and a one-click removable smart charger thats seriously satisfying to use.

The hard shell is made of durable German polycarbonate to withstand even the most aggressive baggage handlers, the 360-degree Japanese wheels are super-easy to drag along with you, and the front pocket is made of waterproof nylon. Best of all, its all 100 per cent vegan for ethical travel.

320 | Horizn Studios | Buy it now

Lulu Guinness Red Hard-Sided Lips Small Spinner Case

Best for: A fashion statement

Fashionistas will adore this eye-catching red suitcase from British fashion brand Lulu Guinness. With a bright, high gloss hard shell depicting the designers signature red lips, its certain to turn heads as you wait in the easyJet queue at Gatwick.

The case is durable and hardwearing as well as being on-trend, and inside, youll also find more recognisable Lulu Guinness twists, such as the black and white striped fabric.

There are two large and two small zip-up compartments for you to easily keep your things organised as well as three drawstring accessories bags included for packing, and the wheels roll like a dream. It also comes with a TSA-approved high shine padlock to keep all your stuff safe.

225 | Lulu Guinness | Buy it now

Verdict:

For top style points and excellent functionality, we adored both Knomos Park Lane 4-Wheel Carry On and Aways The Carry-On. Both suitcases not only look fantastic but also have all the added features you could ever need for flexible, reliable and efficient travel.
J B Gill put his celebrity farmer hat on today when he talked about his livestock and the importance of giving youngsters good food.

He was speaking at a forum to ensure London children got a good breakfast every day either at school or when when they were on school holidays.

JB said he knew all about the importance of good wholesome food from his childhood when Caribbean food was on his menu at home.

He said he had lived in London most of his life and knew how stretched some families were in providing food for youngsters.

Food breaks: children at Flashpoint Centre Play in Chelsea where the Mayors Fund initiated a summer holiday pilot scheme with a focus on healthy balanced meals

Now the former JLS star reared livestock on a 10-acre farm in Bromley with 200 turkeys, chickens and some Tamworth pigs. There were even some wild deer  and he loved venison!

The challenge is to empower young people about the importance of food and the journey of food to the table, he told the forum held at City Hall.

He added that he liked being an ambassador to the Mayors Fund for London.

The Mayors Fund today launched an appeal for 1 million to help set up and support 330 hubs across London that would provide food for children across the capital.
The new owner of Universal Acoustic & Emission Technologies Inc. in Stoughton says it has no plans to shutter any of its acquisitions Wisconsin offices or manufacturing plants.

But some jobs may be lost as Universals operations are absorbed by new owner Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises Inc. of Charlotte, N.C., which provides energy and environmental technology and services for energy production and industrial customers.

As with any business, we will monitor operations to assure staffing and facilities are optimized to accommodate business needs and workload, said Ryan Cornell, spokesman for Babcock & Wilcox. Its possible some office positions could be eliminated during the consolidation and integration process.

Cornell said the company expected any job losses would be minimal and mainly could affect office positions. He did not provide a specific number.

Babcock & Wilcox on Wednesday announced it had acquired Stoughton-based Universal, which employed about 460 people throughout its operations in the U.S. and Mexico. The number includes 275 employees spread across three sites in Wisconsin.

Cornell said Universal employed 88 people in Stoughton, including general office staff, technical personnel and engineers. Its other Wisconsin sites are in Muscoda and Beloit.

Universal Acoustic & Emission Technologies Inc. will be renamed Babcock & Wilcox Universal and operate under the trade name B&W Universal, which will specialize in gas turbine inlet and exhaust systems, custom silencers, filters and custom enclosures.

Cornell said B&W Universal will operate as part of B&W MEGTEC in De Pere.

In a statement, Babcock & Wilcox CEO James Ferland said the addition of Universal expands the companys industrial environmental offerings, specifically in noise abatement and its presence in the natural gas market. Universal is expected to generate an additional $80 million in annual revenues for Babcock & Wilcox, a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BW.(tncms-asset)bc8b75ee-d9d7-11e6-acfb-00163ec2aa77(/tncms-asset)

UniversalAET formed in 1959. It was purchased by Nelson Industries in 1971 and moved to Nelsons corporate site in Stoughton.

When Indiana-based Cummins Inc., a manufacturer of diesel engines, acquired Nelson Industries in 1998, Universal became a Cummins company. Universal became an independent company in 2007 after it was acquired by a private investment group.
Several recent letters have voiced concern about "noise" from Truax-based F-35 fighter jets. Would those complaining rather hear the "noise" from Russian or Chinese fighter aircraft, should our nation be conquered by our enemies?
By MARK EVANS STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD Scott Schmieder, county road and bridge foreman, reported to the county commission last Thursday that temperatures are getting too cold at night for much more asphalt work to be done. He said potholes had all been patched. His crews were working on Bodine Road and made call-ins to locate




Kind of amazing in that I'm closer to the Indian Ocean than the Atlantic.

Caspian Sea, Mediterranean Sea.

Dead Sea, Red Sea.

How did I get here?

Is this really me?

Everywhere I see ...

...there are orange trees....













From my balcony I look down and see .....

.....either lemons, citrons or grapefruit trees.

The fruit are the flowers of Israel.













And there are a lot of flowers as well everywhere.

Plumeria trees without flowers because it's winter.

Faded hibiscus fighting to stay open despite the cold.

Even on the recycling bins there are flowers.

My son likes it my nephew does not.

It's sort of a contest who can add that last bottle?

Or maybe they guilt you into it...

Either way there's flowers there too!









Snapdragons recently planted.

Palm trees of every kind everywhere.

Okay no coconuts but all the others.

Date palms.

I had fresh dates with yogurt for breakfast!





And then you get to the beach....

The trees lean as the wind from the Mediterranean always blows...

.. a lot like Miami and the breeze from Biscayne Bay.









Does that not look like the Riveria?

http://www.timesofisrael.com/spotlight/

your-next-vacation-to-netanya-the-israeli-riviera/





Looks like a painting.

Taken with my Note 5 seriously...





So really Israel is hard to explain.

So many people from so many places in one small nation.

Orthodox Jews, secular Jews.

Different traditions.

Druze Arabs fight in the Israeli army.

They are considered the best fighters.

It's just a big mish mash like a delicious stew.





Israel unfolds slowly like a rose bud.

Each petal opens and waits for the next.

Each moment, each place.

First the beach, then the plains.

Then the desert, then the mountains.

Then Jerusalem that feels like the Center of the World.

Arabs, Jews.

Where am I?









I'm a little bit everywhere.

But I'm here.

It does feel like home in a way.





Where ever you are there is family.

Friends coming and going.

I have at least a dozen Facebook friends here.

Real life friends from Miami NY and California.

Am In in NY or California or Israel?













And there's 770 Chabad headquarters in Israel....

...awkwardly amazing as if it picked itself up and landed in Israel.

Kind of like me right now.









Looks like a Mayan structure.

By the beach, by the hotels.

Somehow it looks perfectly normal.













It's warm today so enjoying it.

I prayed on the balcony that was so hot in the warm sun.

The sounds of the city below.

The aroma of the food being cooked for a party tonight.

The women have a party tonight for the bride.

It's not my custom so I'll see what it is when I see it.





Israel it's really not what you expect...









Great music too!





One of the most popular singers here... in NY too!









Beautiful video...

...shows the mix of cultures, music, styles.









Nissim is awesome.

Story below tho just Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissim_(rapper)





Alex Clare studied at Aish here in Jerusalem.

Best known for the song "Too Close"

Also his relationship with Amy Winehouse but don't ask him on it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Clare

Studies in Israel now and records music.









Lastly a CD my son produced is #1

Well in those charts in Israel that relate to Orthodox Music.

Newest Single









Tell me what you need..............









Benny Friedman's new CD.

My son buying a copy in Israel.....

....of a CD he produced. Wild.

Here for his sister's wedding.

How cool is that?













A little plug here.

Great CD

Very popular in Israel and around the world.









http://bennysmusic.com/?p=euiqmefm





Kind of amazing back in August had no idea I'd be here now.

Life is like that sometimes.

It surprises you in good ways.





May your life be filled with good surprises!













Will blog as time allows.

Wedding tomorrow night.

Beautiful couple.

Can't wait to dance.

Weddings here are wild dance wise...





Besos BobbiStorm





Ps....And have a lot of kids in transit for the wedding.

So a bit scattered and the house smells of a million more calories...

...for the Mikva Party tonight....





































Okay I'm not sure I'll rhyme that much here but this is definitely the time to wax poetic on the beauty of Israel especially from my vantage point in Netanya. First off Netanya is known as the Israeli Riviera and it lives up to that tourist tag. It is very Mediterranean in a California coastline way. There are flowers everywhere even in January on a cold day and the brightest oranges I've ever seen on trees laden with the most orange trees I've ever seen everywhere. I'm from Florida and I've lived in California so that says a lot. They median in the street and in the front yards are filled with citrus trees where people actually reach up, take a few and take them home. This is not Miami where someone may shoot you for grabbing a mango...

Labels: Alex, beaches, benny, chabad, Clare, flowers, food, friedman, israel, music, netanya, Nissim, oranges, recycling, weather, wedding
Romania might continue also in 2017 a relaxed fiscal policy, which can have a negative impact upon public finance and debt, and a negative potential upon the country's rating, Moody's analyist Mathias Angonin told AGERPRES.

In this context, the quoted analyst estimates that Romania might register in 2017 a fiscal deficit of 3.4pct of the GDP, but also underscores that the fiscal deficits of the country were, in general, lower than the forecasts of the international financial institutions.

"The general elections held on 11 December 2016 led to the formation of a new coalition government. Against the background of a significant fiscal policy relaxation pursued by both the previous Social Democratic government and the technocratic government, we expect fiscal policy to remain loose. This may have a negative impact upon public finances and debt, and will therefore be potentially credit negative," Mathias Angonin said.

He believes that the fiscal deficit might increase in 2017 from 3pct to 3.4pct of the GDP.

"The fiscal outturn will hover around the Maastricht 3pct of GDP, benefiting from cooperation with supranational institutions, which should limit a further deterioration, but we expect the fiscal deficit to breach that fiscal limit in 2017, to 3.4pct of GDP. Throughout the past two years, however, Romania's fiscal deficits have generally been lower than forecast by international financial institutions," Mathias Angonin stated.

He also specified that Romania's associated perspective of the rating Baa3 is positive, reflecting the significant progress in correcting its macroeconomics imbalances, which has, in the agency's view, reduced the economy's vulnerability to external shocks and paved the way for robust economic growth.

The most important fiscal measures which are applied in 2017 are the VAT reduction from 20pct to 19pct, the elimination of the extra-excise on fuel, the special construction duty, environmental stamp, the elimination of the cap of five average gross salaries for the payment of social contributions, the removal of the income tax for pensions lower than RON 2,000, etc. Furthermore, in the beginning of this year the tax regime has changed for the SMEs, the tax rates being now 1pct and 3pct, in accordance with the number of employees. On the other hand, the cap including the category of microenterprises increased from EUR 100,000 to EUR 500,000.

agerpres.
Former President Traian Basescu declared on Tuesday, after exiting the headquarters of the General Prosecutor's Office, that he gave a statement as witness in front of prosecutors, but cannot reveal its content.

Traian Basescu was heard on Tuesday at the Prosecutor's Office, for two and a half hours, in the case opened as a result of information made public by former deputy Sebastian Ghita in several video clips aired on private TV broadcaster Romania TV. "It was a complete witness statement, to all of the prosecutor's questions but I cannot disclose its content because I am not allowed under the Criminal Code," Basescu said after the hearing.

Asked by journalists whether he had ever interfered with the justice act, Basescu replied: "Never. Forget about me ever meddling in a case." Basescu was also asked what Sebastian Ghita wanted to show through the video footage broadcast at Romania TV. "I don't know. It depends how you've read it," Basescu said.

The former president refused to make comments about his nephew, Dragos Basescu's conviction, or about General Florian Coldea's case. On January 4, the Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case following information made public through the video footage released by private TV broadcaster Romania TV and that shows a dialogue between former president Traian Basescu and another person on judiciary cases.

The Prosecutor's Office clarification came following the media circulation of some pieces of information on "possible interferences in the act of justice," as resulted from the recording made public by former MP Sebastian Ghita. According to the recording presented by Ghita, the interlocutor alleged to be Traian Basescu talks about "Mafia state" and declares, when answering a question regarding Voiculescu' s case: "'You should have seen them talking the day after the conviction, which fulfilled as they were told three days before. How they told me: Tomorrow we take Mustata and Camelia Bogdan steps in. You should have seen them one day later, saying: I spoke with Bogdan and she said that if we had had the Criminal Code she would have given him 20 years, but now she could give him only ten. Then Coldea drew the conclusions, you know. You should see how spectacular Coldea is when he draws conclusions. (...) Camelia Bogdan (...) entered as judge in the son in law's file. A judge who has had the file for a year is changed, and Camelia Bogdan entered at the last hearing. Hey you, Bogdan, I know who you are!'.

Referring to this topic, Traian Basescu said, at the date of the publishing, that the recordings presented by Sebastian Ghita are real, but edited by the author, therefore creating some confusions, adding that he had never met judge Camelia Bodgan and had never discussed with her about Dan Voiculescu's case.

Agerpres
Justice Minister, Florin Iordache on Tuesday asserted that the intelligence services should have no intervention in the judiciary, adding that the image of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) must become credible again. "[Intelligence] Services should have no intervention in the judiciary and in any way at all. Services have their role and undoubtedly as long as an investigation is underway my stance on the one hand or another wouldn't be good, I believe, which is why I decline any statement," specified upon exiting the Superior Council of Magistracy's (CSM) Hqs. Florin Iordache, when asked about the recent events the SRI is involved in.

Iordache added that the image of the SRI was being harmed. "It is very important to make it credible again, because the way this series (the records with former MP Sebastian Ghita - editor's note) have unfolded is prejudicing the image (of the SRI) and SRI is a very important part of Romania. We must make credible again the SRI's image, since it has a very important part when it gives notes, unfolds activity. We have a well-organised service and we all should leave this service to operate in the extent of the law," said Florin Iordache.

The minister also said that this is not the time to speak about an eventual suspension of the National Anti-corruption Directorate's head, Laura Codruta Kovesi, the presumption of innocence being the most important. He said that the moment something surfaces, then the said suspension talk could be resumed. "Let us wait and see, I don't know what images occur, we wait, then we say our word. The presumption of innocence is the most important and given the circumstances when something arises, then we talk. From my point of view, the role of the services is very clearly defined, a SRI committee was established yesterday (Monday - ed. n.), I've talked to Mr. Chairman (of the committee - ed. n.) Tutuianu, in the next period they'll have their own activity, consultation, hearings, and so on," the Justice Minister concluded.

Agerpres
The chief prosecutor of the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA), Laura Codruta Kovesi, stated in an interview granted on Tuesday to Agerpres, that the adoption of a law regarding the amnesty or pardoning of some crimes that are in the DNA area of competence would influence the anti-corruption fight, asserting that "defendants won't serve their sentences, and the money stays in their pocket."

She also speaks of the public debate on a law regarding magistrate responsibility, which, in the opinion of the DNA head, is, at this moment, no more than "an attempt to intimidate the judiciary as a whole".

The DNA head prosecutor also speaks of the relationship with the Romanian Intelligence Service, with defendants and in regards to attempts to destabilize the judiciary.

***

AGERPRES: In the context of the scandal that took over Romania, how affected was the image of the DNA?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: We will see this. From our perspective, we are continuing investigations, we draw up cases, we send to court, we go to court, we plead our cases, we are careful at what we have to do, not what it is discussed in the public space.

AGERPRES: Did the prosecutors communicate to you that they felt this scandal as a pressure?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: I would not limit myself to this scandal, as you call it, of the past few days. I would stop at the attacks that target the judicial system since last year's spring. Let's not forget that there were companies paid with a lot of money, over a million Euro, to make denigration, intimidation and harassment campaigns against the DNA prosecutors and not only. At the same time, I observed a systematic attack from several people sent to court by DNA, investigated by DNA, defendants in our cases or persons that support those persons and who, systematically, attacked the institution, attacked the case prosecutors, the judiciary as a whole. So, we are observing an assault on the judiciary that has as a purpose to destabilize, discredit, intimidate or harass magistrates. Surely this has an effect inside the judicial system, but we are not intimidated, we will continue our activity. Towards these attacks, we have constantly notified the CSM [Superior Council of Magistracy], there were 14 notifications sent to the Council last year, we have notified the National Audiovisual Council for 12 broadcasts. This year, again we notified the General Prosecutor, the Superior Council of Magistracy, we notified the Justice Ministry and, of course, we notified the new Superior Council of Magistracy because it is an unprecedented assault on the judiciary as a whole.

AGERPRES: Regarding these statements and accusations, did the DNA draw up cases at the request of the SRI or any politician?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: No, only in the situation a politician has submitted a written notice to the DNA, that denouncement, that notice was the basis to open a criminal case. As I have stated several times and I have said in the public space, the DNA prosecutors are independent in their activity. They decide what solutions to give in cases. Surely, we cannot decide what cases to open. If we get complaints or notices, we are forced to register them and I always announced how many cases were opened following notices or complaints, how many were opened ex officio and in no case, no person in Romania can give indications to the DNA prosecutors on how to resolve such a case.

AGERPRES: The latest accusations targeting you, appearing in the public space, say that you and Mr. Florian Coldea are officers of a foreign secret service. How do you comment?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: That is excluded! It's a grave and false accusation. So it is not true.

AGERPRES: Have you participated in private events with politicians? There are accusations launched in the public space not only by Sebastian Ghita, but also by Elena Udrea.

Laura Codruta Kovesi: I would make a general comment regarding all these statements, because it is very strange for me to realize now how many friends I have had, so to speak. In my institutional capacity, I was invited to certain events organized by heads of institutions or public institutions, by embassies, public events or smaller events in which I participated. I responded to the invitations because one of my attributions as chief prosecutor is to represent the institution. I participated in events I was invited in in my institutional capacity that were also attended by politicians and other people who had no criminal cases at the time but who subsequently had criminal cases at DNA or in other institutions. Of course, at such events, I have come across people being investigated by DNA, especially at public events. But I cannot censor the guest list at the events where I am invited. I cannot say: 'This person should or shouldn't come because I am from DNA and that person might be at some point investigated by DNA or is already investigated.' But this fact, of me attending events organised by heads of institutions or by public institutions, does not make me friends with those people. It doesn't mean that if there is a group picture or a picture taken at a certain event, I am friends with all people in that group. I have never had private meetings with Sebastian Ghita, I never went on holidays or traveling with him. I never emailed him or talked to him on the phone. I never attended private events he organised. I was not, I am not and never will be a friend of his.

AGERPRES: But what about private or family events, as it is said in the public space?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: I believe it's the only time I will comment on what I do in my spare time, because what happens in the private space of any dignitary should remain there. However, I will tell you that private events, organized by persons that had criminal cases, have criminal cases or are investigated by the DNA, I did not attend. I participated in private events organized by heads of institutions or representatives of public institutions, but not in private events organized by Sebastian Ghita or other persons we are investigating.

AGERPRES: You stated last year that you were not, you are not and will never be friends with defendant Sebastian Ghita. Were there meetings with him, before he was a defendant?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: There were no private meetings in any place. So, I say again, the meetings that I had were at the headquarters of public institutions or organized by heads of public institutions, I did not have private meetings. I believe it's the third time I've said this and I believe that, through what I said, I have clarified fully these subjects.

AGERPRES: Did you meet former Prime Minister Victor Ponta in a vineyard owned by Sebastian Ghita?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: Let's make a short history of public events. I would like to recall that, in the spring of 2009, I launched a book titled "Preventive arrest." The book launch took place at the Romanian Academy and I ask you to recall that, in the spring of 2009, Mr. Ponta came and had a small speech at that book launch. I invited him because he was the chairman of the Parliament committee that discussed at that moment the draft Penal Code and the draft Penal Procedure Code. I remind you that, in that same period, members of the committee that were part of that group of MPs debating the drafts for the two codes were invited to the General Prosecutor's office. It's also a public event so, as such, we cannot say that in 2009, if he came at the public presentation of a book published by me and even held a speech, we did not meet. There are pictures in the public space when we met. I believe I answered the question - when we met.

AGERPRES: But not at that vineyard...

Laura Codruta Kovesi: If I told you we met in 2009... please check the images which are public.

AGERPRES: What relation does Laura Codruta Kovesi have with the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) and how often did you go to the headquarters of the Service or other spaces owned by them?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: Laura Codruta Kovesi has no sort of relation with the SRI. The head of the DNA has institutional relations with other institutions, including the SRI. All the collaboration that took place with the SRI, with the other intelligence services and other public institutions, took place on the basis of the law and on the basis of protocols concluded. I do not count how many trips I have to each institution, I do not hold a chart of how often I go to an institution or another, but I find it natural, as leaders of institutions that have somewhat complementary attributions in combating the criminal phenomenon - whether we speak of the Internal Affairs Ministry, we talk of courts, of the CSM, of the Justice Ministry, ANAF [National Agency for Tax Administration], OLAF [European Anti-Fraud Office], all the institutions which we meet in our activity - I find it normal for institutional meetings to take place and for us to visit each other. I do not believe that public institutions in Romania were established so that each acts separately. There is a need for collaboration. Just as defendants meet and often times establish organized groups and agree on how to commit a crime, so the state's institutions must combat the criminal phenomenon by collaborating.

AGERPRES: All these meetings in the spaces of this service were solely institutional?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: I was invited in my institutional quality, not because I am Codruta Kovesi, but because I was General Prosecutor or because I was the head of the DNA.

AGERPRES: After the accusations launched by Sebastian Ghita that led to the suspension of the SRI First-Deputy Director Florian Coldea, did the DNA verify the information ex officio?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: No! It's the duty of the Romanian Intelligence Service to... I understand from the public space that an internal inquiry was started.

AGERPRES: Is there any monitoring of DNA cases done by SRI, as some politicians, magistrates or former magistrates claim?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: Who knows that should answer. I cannot answer for others. Those who claim those things should explain it. I can only say that the cases through which we notify the courts are public. Even you, the journalists, follow when there are appearances in certain trials, when the court decides and when they solve a case. All that is judged by the courts is public. Anyone accessing the website of a court of justice can see what trials are being judged, when they are being judged, at what hour, in which chamber. Thus, that's public information. Those who claim there is another type of monitoring, I believe they should respond. I have no way of knowing what they had in view when they made this statement and it's very hard to comment on it.

AGERPRES: But in this kind of monitoring, as you said, of the court dates, would you find it normal for the Service to monitor it?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: I don't know! If they are doing this, those who are doing it should respond. I say again, it's public information that appear on the website, any person who desires to know what trials are judged can check.

AGERPRES: Would an eventual pardoning and amnesty lead to the stopping of the anti-corruption fight? Today, the Minister of Justice said he will speak about these laws with the Prime Minister.

Laura Codruta Kovesi: Categorically, if a law regarding the amnesty or pardoning of some crimes that are in the investigation competence of the DNA is adopted, categorically that law would influence the anti-corruption fight. In both situations, the defendants would not serve their sentences, and the money would stay in their pockets. For example, in the case of amnesty, in all the cases where conviction sentences were handed down, the consequences of the conviction are erased, all the cases that were forwarded to the court of justice with an indictment would stop, and all the cases which are currently investigated by the DNA will close, if the crimes that we are investigating are the object of an amnesty law, for example, or a pardoning law. But, what is extremely important to say, beside the consequences in regards to convictions, is that, in such a situation, the damages caused by the state are left uncovered. In the past three years, the DNA has placed liens on goods and sums of money totaling one billion and a half Euro, and these sums will never be recuperated, if we do not have final rulings to confiscate.

AGERPRES: Is a law regarding magistrate responsibility necessary?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: There are provisions in law that regulate this institution of magistrate responsibility, it functions very well at present, I don't know what the arguments of those who claim this law should amended are, I did not see a draft law so I can comment on an amendment, if it's bad or not. From my perspective, this public debate regarding an eventual magistrate responsibility law is nothing but an attempt to intimidate the judiciary system as a whole.

AGERPRES: An eventual law of magistrate responsibility, as compared to the other state powers, how do you see it?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: I would limit myself to the attributions that the judiciary system has. I can say that there is such a responsibility instituted in law, there are provisions regarding the material accountability of magistrates and they should not be amended. If there is a belief that such provisions should be extended to other powers, I don't believe it's my turn to comment on it.

AGERPRES: You were saying of sums seized by the National Anti-corruption Directorate in the past three years, but what sums did the DNA place liens on in 2016?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: In 2016 we placed liens on goods and sums of money totalling 640 million Euro.

AGERPRES: Have you noticed in the past year an improvement in what regards recuperating damages from cases instrumented by the DNA?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: Yes, categorically. I would recall, I have also presented it in the activity report for 2015, that the sum seized by the DNA was of half a billion Euro, namely 500 million Euro, and in this year the liens are placed on 640 million Euro. So a 40 percent increase, if I'm not mistaken.

AGERPRES: Do you have cases open regarding possible crimes tied to the last elections?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: I cannot confirm this piece of information.

AGERPRES: How about regarding current members of Government?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: I cannot confirm this piece of information.

AGERPRES: Have you evaluated the impact of the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding wiretaps? Do you expect other legislative changes in this domain?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: Yes, we are currently evaluating, we are now preparing last year's activity report. A chapter in the activity report will be represented by the effects of the Constitutional Court's decisions, because there were several decisions handed down last year. As a general aspect, I can say that those decisions were sometimes interpreted differently in judiciary practice and led to different situations. We will analyze exactly what were the effects when we present our activity report. There is an emergency ordinance, that we respect fully, in what regards the implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding technical surveillance measures. Surely, on some aspects, from the point of view of our activity, we are out in the open, if I can say so. That operative surveillance, (...) we cannot conduct with our own resources because we do not have enough material resources and we do not have enough policemen to do this activity, meaning we need to appeal to the structures of the Internal Affairs Ministry. Otherwise, all the other activities are conducted through the DNA's technical service.

AGERPRES: Do you expect legislative changes in this domain?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: Regarding the multiple discussions in the public space, we expect all sorts of amendments be made, because there are very many statements, including from the Justice Minister, who mentioned that the Criminal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code and other special laws will be amended. So, we will see what drafts and what amendments will be made. What is, however, very important, and I hope the Justice Minister holds his promise, is that those amendments be made with the consultation of the judiciary system. And when those laws that we apply, we implement or affect our activity are amended, we be consulted so we can state our point of view. To not see, as has happened before in Parliament, that we now have various draft laws on the day's agenda, without being able to make an evaluation of those amendments.

AGERPRES: Will you contest the verdict regarding your doctoral thesis?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: No.

AGERPRES: When did you last speak with the President of Romania and in what context?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: The discussions with the President of Romania are only in an institutional context. The last discussion I believe referred to the naming of some prosecutors in the DNA, where the President of Romania has attributions in signing the decrees, of course, after the preapproval was issued by the Superior Council of Magistracy.

AGERPRES: Did he call you for explanations after the recordings scandal, as Florian Coldea was also called?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: No.

AGERPRES: Have you though in the recent period to withdraw from the leadership of the DNA? Are there pressures made upon you in this sense or has anyone requested your resignation?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: No, why step down? Because I've done my job? Because I stepped on defendants' toes? Resign for that? I've been appointed chief-prosecutor with the DNA to do my job. And the job of the DNA is to investigate high-level corruption. And this is what I did. This is what I'm paid for. I have no reason whatsoever to step down only because I've stepped on defendants' toes.

Those who are interested can make a summary calculation regarding the assets had by some of the defendants investigated by the DNA in the past two years. There, you'll see what a huge amount of money is piled up. Defendants who have the money to pay companies for intimidation, for harassment, for lobby in order to issue all kinds of reports and public pressure upon the prosecutors and justices, upon the judiciary. These attacks are not aimed only at the DNA or me or DNA prosecutors, they are aimed at the entire judiciary. Well, when making untrue statements that a case is fabricated, when a case is judged by various courts of law, in various structures, by justices with different levels of the courts of law, we are talking of a pressure upon the entire judicial system. Who is interested in undermining the judiciary? Who's interested in discrediting the judiciary? Lately, no word was spoken on the court hearings, on certain files that were completed. All that the culprits say is sometimes taken as truth. We cannot come out and comment the accusations we are thrown at in the public space by people we are investigating. We can only reply in the files, through the proofs we have, through the answers to the exceptions and demands they claim, at the requests the justices send to us.

AGERPRES: But did anyone ask for your resignation?

Laura Codruta Kovesi: No.
Former Prime Minister Petre Roman showed up on Tuesday morning at the General Prosecutor's Office in order to be heard by the military prosecutors in "the Mineriad" case, in which he is charged with crimes against humanity.

At the entrance of the General Prosecutor's Office headquarters he did not make any statements.

On Monday, former President Ion Iliescu was also called to the General Prosecutor's Office. The military prosecutors have informed him of being a defendant in "the Mineriad" case.

Last week, military prosecutors heard several persons who were charged in this case ? Gelu Voican Voiculescu, Miron Cozma and Adrian Sarbu, but also several witnesses, the most known being writer Andrei Plesu.

Among the others investigated in "the Mineriad" case are the following persons: former President Ion Iliescu, former Prime Minister Petre Roman, former Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) Virgil Magureanu, former Deputy Chairman of the National Salvation Front, former Deputy of Romania's Prosecutor General and Chief of the Military Prosecution Directorate General (in reserve) Mugurel Cristian Florescu.

Military prosecutors claim that in the period 11 - 15 June 1990, the defendants decided, organized and coordinated "a generalized and systematic attack," launched against the civil population, against the manifestations in the University Square in Bucharest respectively, as well as against the population residing in Bucharest, an attack which involved the participation of armed forces of the Interior Ministry (MAI), National Defence Ministry (MApN), Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), as well as a number of over ten thousand miners and other workers from multiple areas of the country.

agerpres.
Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) Eduard Hellvig requested President Klaus Iohannis to discharge General Florian Coldea, after the latter asked to be released form office, a SRI release sent to agerpres. on Tuesday informs.

According to the quoted source, the reasons for which Coldea made this gesture "are connected to the military dignity and honour, and to the risk of seriously affecting the institution."
Donald Trump seems to view the auto industry as a zero-sum game, where more jobs in a place such as Mexico mean fewer jobs in the U.S.

He has used Twitter to criticize Ford, General Motors and Toyota for making cars in Mexico, and he told a German newspaper that BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are guilty of unfair trade. His standard threat is that hell protect jobs by imposing a 35 percent tariff on imported autos.

Trump has even claimed victory when, after his Twitter barrage, Ford canceled plans for a new small-car factory in Mexico and announced that it would add 700 jobs in Michigan. Never mind that Ford is still moving production of its Focus to another Mexican plant or that the decisions had little to do with the new presidents policies.

Facts dont seem to matter to Trump. He criticized GM for importing the Chevy Cruze from Mexico, even though 98 percent of Cruzes are made in the U.S. He confused the details of a Mexican investment by Toyota, which says it wont cut any U.S. jobs. And he ignored the 411,171 vehicles BMW made in South Carolina last year, which is more than it sells in the U.S.

In Trumps idealized, fact-free world, putting a protective wall around the U.S. auto market is a way to create jobs. In reality, his policies will penalize consumers and make manufacturers wary of investing in the U.S.

In addition to low wages, Mexico offers automakers a growing domestic market, a well-established parts supply chain and free-trade agreements with much of the world.

That makes it an attractive place for GM to build the hatchback version of its Chevy Cruze. Small hatchbacks are popular in some parts of the world, especially Latin America, but theyre a niche product here.

Or consider the Audi factory that Volkswagen opened last year in Mexico. It wants to export the A5 sport-utility vehicle to Europe, with which Mexico has a free-trade agreement. The U.S. does not.

Ironically, the best way to make the U.S. attractive to global companies would be to sign more trade deals. Trump has rejected that idea, vowing to cancel the Trans-Pacific Partnership and rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Beyond that, nobody really knows how serious he is about the threat to impose a 35 percent tariff. The president has some authority to tax imports, but such a move would invite retaliation from other countries and sanctions from the World Trade Organization.

Weve seen tweets and threats, but we dont know what the overall policy is going to be, says Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at Autotrader. This industry has a very long lead time, and you dont build a plant or move production overnight.

At last weeks Detroit auto show, Trumps tweets were the uncomfortable backdrop to every product announcement. Every auto executive I talked to said, Well adjust, just tell us what the policy is, Krebs said.

Some policies, however, would be difficult to adjust to. If Trump were to tear up NAFTA, the car companies would have to rethink their entire North American supply chains, including parts sourced from south of the border.

By making the U.S. auto industry less globally competitive, Trumps policies could destroy jobs rather than protect them. Thats the story that is missing from the president-elects 140-character blasts.
WASHINGTON  The chief executive of Boeing Co. said on Tuesday that he and President-elect Donald Trump made progress on lowering the cost of the Air Force One presidential aircraft fleet and on a potential sale of St. Louis-made F/A-18s, suggesting a deal could be struck soon.

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburgs visit to Trump Tower on Tuesday marked another step in Trumps efforts to use his bully pulpit to cut better deals with defense contractors.

It also showed Boeings adroit use of the meetings to pursue its own sales and herald its importance to the U.S. manufacturing economy.

Trump has been pressuring defense companies on prices through Twitter posts and meetings. Last month he said a $4 billion contract for Air Force One was too expensive and should be canceled.

Boeing has said it so far has a $170 million contract for design work on the heavily modified Boeing 747 planes and that no final figure for the fleet of planes had been established.

Trump also last month asked the Chicago-based aerospace and defense company to price a contract for the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet to compete with Lockheed Martins F-35 fighter, which is famously over budget.

While not offering details, Muilenburg said the excellent conversation with Trump could lead to a deal in the very near term.

We made some great progress on simplifying requirements for Air Force One, streamlining the process, streamlining certification by using commercial practices, Muilenburg told reporters after the hourlong meeting. Thats going to lead to substantial cost reductions.

On fighter jets, he said, we were able to talk about options for the country and capabilities that will, again, provide the best capability for our war fighters most affordably.

Muilenburg praised Trumps approach to negotiations.

I think Mr. Trump is doing a great job of engaging business, he said, noting that as the United States top exporter, Boeing supports 1.5 million U.S. manufacturing jobs and 13,000 small and mid-sized supplier companies.
Every so often, you run into a person who doesn't care for trivia contests  but two employees of Fuzzy's Taco Shop in Webster Groves were determined not to let the haters win.

That's why the two workers, Larry Hardney Jr., 28, and Tim Mnyande, 23, chased down a would-be robber who used the popular Thursday-night promotion to snatch a tip jar, stuffed with about $90, from the store's counter.

The two men chased and caught the thief and then held the man until they could turn him over to a police officer, a store manager said.

Webster Groves police did not return phone calls.

"We have a really loyal, large crowd that comes to trivia on Thursdays," assistant manager Freddie Spinks said.

"So this man comes in about 8 p.m., and first he asks him for an application," Spinks said. "But then when (Larry) moved on to do something else, the guy just grabbed the tip jar and made a run for it."

That's when Hardney decided he would not simply let some man run off with a portion of his pay for that night.

"The woman working the counter started yelling 'thief!' and then I saw this guy booking out the door," said Hardney, an Oakville resident who has worked at the restaurant for almost five years.

"I started running (west) toward some houses next to us and I realized Tim was right behind me," he said.

They chased the suspect into a yard, where the man hid behind a trash container. Although it was extremely dark, Hardney said, they saw the man poke his head up from behind the receptacle  and then they grabbed him.

"I guess someone at the store had already called police, because they pulled up right next to us pretty soon after we caught him," Hardney said.

The store is located in the Yorkshire Village Shopping Center, at the intersection of Watson and Laclede Station roads.

John Hoffmann, a longtime police officer (now retired) and the publisher of a west St. Louis County newsletter, was in the restaurant. He said it was heartening to see the reaction of the Fuzzy's crowd.

"A bunch of people got up to give chase, but those two young men were in much better shape than the rest of us," joked Hoffmann, whose newsletter focuses on crime and politics.

When Hardney and Mnyande returned to the store, about 20 minutes after the robbery first occurred, the crowd gave them a standing ovation  and added more cash to the jar.

"They split those tips among the whole crew, the kitchen crew included," Hoffmann said. "And those kids need that money."
WASHINGTON  The controversial painting Untitled #1 was removed early Tuesday from a Capitol wall and now hangs in the congressional office of Rep. William Lacy Clay, who says he will challenge its removal from a prominent passageway.

Clay, D-St. Louis, did not say what, specifically, he planned to do, but he said the Supreme Court has held that art expressions are protected by the First Amendment.

The painting by former St. Louis high school student David Pulphus was removed sometime over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., who petitioned for its removal, said Friday it would be taken down by the Architect of the Capitols office, which ultimately determines the art that hangs on the walls of the congressional art competition.

Not only was the painting gone, but the placard describing it was removed, too. That had stayed throughout a controversial 10 days in which the painting was removed and returned to the wall several times.

Former Cardinal Ritter senior Pulphus work won Clays high school art competition last spring, and the piece hung for six months in a Capitol tunnel passageway with more than 400 other pieces of art before a conservative website took note of it.

Critics said the paintings depiction of police as piglike animals denigrated law enforcement and that the work provided a false hands up, dont shoot narrative of the shooting death of black teenager Michael Brown by Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in August 2014.

Supporters, including Clay, said the painting was a First Amendment-protected expression of the experiences of a young black man who grew up amid high-profile cases of black men killed by police.

Several Republican members of Congress removed the painting and returned it to Clays office, who then rehung it in the tunnel every time.

In a statement, Clay called the Architect of the Capitols decision to remove the painting unprecedented and unconstitutional.

Reicherts office said the architect cited rules of the contest that require winners of congressional art competition to avoid controversial, contemporary political issues. The House of Representatives is largely on hiatus this week in preparation for President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration on Friday.

Clays statement, issued by his office in St. Louis, said the removal of the painting has sent a chilling message to young Americans that their voices are not respected, their views are not valued, and their freedom of expression is no longer protected in the U.S. Capitol.

Clays statement went on: The assertion that the painting did not comply with the rules of the Congressional Art Competition is arbitrary and insulting. Like the other 400-plus entries, this painting was accepted and approved by the Congressional Art Competition last spring, and it has been peacefully displayed in a public forum for more than six months.
JEFFERSON CITY  Despite losing $500,000 in funding as part of Gov. Eric Greitens budget cuts, Amtrak service across Missouri remains on track.

Michelle Teel, director of multimodal programs at the Missouri Department of Transportation, told the Post-Dispatch Tuesday that riders on the Missouri River Runner trains should see no change in the twice-a-day schedule for the foreseeable future.

Were going to continue the service, Teel said.

The cut announced by Greitens on Monday was part of an overall $146 million reduction he initiated to help balance the budget. Most of the cuts centered on higher education programs.

The cuts were targeted at rolling back earmarks, new spending items, programs with no established track record of success, and services that are duplicated elsewhere in government, a news release noted.

The state pays Amtrak $9.6 million to operate two trains between St. Louis and Kansas City. The trains make 10 stops at stations across the middle section of the state, including Kirkwood, Washington, Hermann and Jefferson City. The loss of the $500,000 will be rolled into what MoDOT will owe the nations passenger railroad system in the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Teel said MoDOT will negotiate with Amtrak on how to close the funding gap. Among options that could be discussed are fare hikes, she said.

Ridership on the trains in the fiscal year that ended June 30 was down 7.3 percent from the previous year. In all, Amtrak reported 172,032 rode the trains.
Warwick Hospital

THE accident and emergency department at Warwick Hospital is coping with demand  despite claims of what has been described as a humanitarian crisis on the frontline of the NHS.

The hospital missed the nationally-set 95 per cent target of seeing patients within four hours in December, it admitted yesterday, Monday.

But figures for the previous two months show no signs of the problems suffered by other hospitals across the country.

Hospital figures show 93 per cent of the 5,613 people who went to A&E at the Lakin Road site in December were seen within four hours.

In November 96.5 per cent of the 5,730 A&E patients were seen in the target time, as were 95.9 per cent of the 6,229 patients in October.

Nationally, the November figure was 88.4 per cent and Octobers was 89 per cent.

The NHS publishes monthly figures relating to hospitals A&E performance. Decembers national figure will be published on 9th February.

Jayne Blacklay, deputy chief executive of South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Warwick Hospital, told the Herald: We have recently seen a high demand for our services and like many trusts throughout the NHS our A&E department has faced increased pressure.

We work throughout the year to prepare for the challenging winter months so have systems in place that have enabled us to continue to provide safe, high-quality care to patients.

Our A&E performance is consistently amongst the best in the country and credit should be given to the dedicated staff in the A&E department but also to staff who work in a variety of roles both in our hospitals and in our community services.

Our whole-system approach means we work with partners in health and social care to ensure patients receive the care they need, in the most appropriate setting.

We ask the public to think before coming to A&E. GPs, pharmacies and walk-in centres can help with many conditions and you can find great health advice by calling NHS111.

Using these alternatives could actually be more convenient for you and enable someone who is very unwell to receive urgent care.

Official data published by NHS England has revealed that 65 hospital trusts have issued warnings that they are under heavy pressures, including six which declared the highest state of emergency at some point.

The British Red Cross has declared it a humanitarian crisis, saying cuts to funding elsewhere in the health service were to blame.

Warwick is also battling the norovirus, with Nicholas Ward the most recent to be affected. It reopened on Sunday after being closed to visitors for several days.

Charlecote Ward was affected over Christmas.
(Updated - January 17, 2017 2:47 PM EST)

The Justice Department, along with federal partners, announced today a $7.2 billion settlement with Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB) resolving federal civil claims that Deutsche Bank misled investors in the packaging, securitization, marketing, sale and issuance of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) between 2006 and 2007. This $7.2 billion agreement represents the single largest RMBS resolution for the conduct of a single entity. The settlement requires Deutsche Bank to pay a $3.1 billion civil penalty under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA). Under the settlement, Deutsche Bank will also provide $4.1 billion in relief to underwater homeowners, distressed borrowers and affected communities.



This resolution holds Deutsche Bank accountable for its illegal conduct and irresponsible lending practices, which caused serious and lasting damage to investors and the American public, said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. Deutsche Bank did not merely mislead investors: it contributed directly to an international financial crisis. The cost of this misconduct is significant: Deutsche Bank will pay a $3.1 billion civil penalty, and provide an additional $4.1 billion in relief to homeowners, borrowers, and communities harmed by its practices. Our settlement today makes clear that institutions like Deutsche Bank cannot evade responsibility for the great cost exacted by their conduct.



This $7.2 billion resolution  the largest of its kind  recognizes the immense breadth of Deutsche Banks unlawful scheme by demanding a painful penalty from the bank, along with billions of dollars of relief to the communities and homeowners that continue to struggle because of Wall Streets greed, said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Bill Baer. The Department will remain relentless in holding financial institutions accountable for the harm their misconduct inflicted on investors, our economy and American consumers.



In the Statement of Facts accompanying this settlement, Deutsche Bank admits making false representations and omitting material information from disclosures to investors about the loans included in RMBS securities sold by the Bank. This misconduct, combined with that of the other banks we have already settled with, hurt our economy and threatened the banking system, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Departments Civil Division. To make matters worse, the Banks conduct encouraged shoddy mortgage underwriting and improvident lending that caused borrowers to lose their homes because they couldnt pay their loans. Todays settlement shows once again that the Department will aggressively pursue misconduct that hurts the American public.



Investors who bought RMBS from Deutsche Bank, and who suffered catastrophic losses as a result, included individuals and institutions that form the backbone of our community, said U.S. Attorney Robert L. Capers for the Eastern District of New York. Deutsche Bank repeatedly assured investors that its RMBS were safe investments. Instead of ensuring that its representations to investors were accurate and transparent, so that investors could make properly informed investment decisions, Deutsche Bank repeatedly misled investors and withheld critical information about the loans it securitized. Time and again, the bank put investors at risk in pursuit of profit. Deutsche Bank has now been held accountable.



Deutsche Bank knowingly securitized billions of dollars of defective mortgages and subsequently made false representations to investors about the quality of the underlying loans, said Special Agent In Charge Steven Perez of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of the Inspector General. Its actions resulted in enormous losses to investors to whom Deutsche Bank sold these defective Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities. Todays announcement reaffirms our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who deceived investors in pursuit of profits, and contributed to our nations financial crisis. We are proud to have worked with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York.



As part of the settlement, Deutsche Bank agreed to a detailed Statement of Facts. That statement describes how Deutsche Bank knowingly made false and misleading representations to investors about the characteristics of the mortgage loans it securitized in RMBS worth billions of dollars issued by the bank between 2006 and 2007. For example:



 Deutsche Bank represented to investors that loans securitized in its RMBS were originated generally in accordance with mortgage loan originators underwriting guidelines. But as Deutsche Bank now acknowledges, the banks own reviews confirmed that aggressive revisions to the loan originators underwriting guidelines allowed for loans to be underwritten to anyone with half a pulse. More generally, Deutsche Bank knew, based on the results of due diligence, that for some securitized loan pools, more than 50 percent of the loans subjected to due diligence did not meet loan originators guidelines.



 Deutsche Bank also knowingly misrepresented that loans had been reviewed to ensure the ability of borrowers to repay their loans. As Deutsche Bank acknowledges, the banks own employees recognized that Deutsche Bank would tolerate misrepresentation with misdirected lending practices as to borrower ability to pay, accepting even blocked-out borrower pay stubs that concealed borrowers actual incomes. As a Deutsche Bank employee stated, What goes around will eventually come around; when performance (default) begins affecting profits and/or the investors who purchase the securities, only then will Wall St. take notice. For now, the buying continues.



 Deutsche Bank concealed from investors that significant numbers of borrowers had second liens on their properties. In one instance, a supervisory Deutsche Bank trader specifically instructed his team that if investors asked about second liens, [t]ell them verbally . . . [b]ut dont put in the prospectus. Deutsche Bank knew that these second liens increased the likelihood that a borrower would default on his or her loan.

 Deutsche Bank purchased and securitized loans with substantial defects to provide flexibility to the mortgage originators on whom Deutsche Banks RMBS program depended for a continued supply of loans. Indeed, after the president of a large mortgage originator told Deutsche Bank he was very upset with the rejection percentage, Deutsche Banks diligence team was instructed, on three separate occasions, to clear loans it previously determined should be rejected.

 While Deutsche Bank conducted due diligence on samples of loans it securitized in RMBS, Deutsche Bank knew that the size and composition of these loan samples frequently failed to capture loans that did not meet its representations to investors. In fact, Deutsche Bank knew the more you sample, the more you reject.

 Deutsche Bank knowingly and intentionally securitized loans originated based on unsupported and fraudulent appraisals. Deutsche Bank knew that mortgage originators were giving appraisers the value they want[ed] and expecting the resulting appraisals to meet the originators desired value, regardless of the actual value of the property. Deutsche Bank concealed its knowledge of pervasive and consistent appraisal fraud, instead representing to investors home valuation metrics based on appraisals it knew to be fraudulent. Deutsche Bank misrepresented to investors the value of the properties securing the loans securitized in its RMBS and concealed from investors that it knew that the value of the properties securing the loans was far below the value reflected by the originators appraisal.

 By May 2007, Deutsche Bank knew that there was an increasing trend of overvalued properties being sold to Deutsche Bank for securitization. As one employee noted, We are finding ourselves going back quite often and clearing large numbers of loans [with inflated appraisals] to bring down the deletion percentages. Deutsche Bank nonetheless purchased and securitized such loans because it received favorable prices on the fraudulent loans. Ultimately, Deutsche Bank enriched itself by paying reduced prices for risky loans while representing to investors valuation metrics based on appraisals the Bank knew to be inflated.

 Deutsche Bank represented to investors that disclosed borrower FICO scores were accurate as of the cut-off date of the RMBS issuance. However, Deutsche Bank knowingly represented borrowers FICO scores as of the time of the origination of their loans despite the banks knowledge that these scores had often declined materially by the cut-off date.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward K. Newman, Matthew R. Belz, Jeremy Turk, and Ryan M. Wilson of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York investigated Deutsche Banks conduct in connection with the issuance and sale of RMBS between 2006 and 2007. The investigation was conducted with the Office of the Inspector General for the Federal Housing Finance Agency.



The $3.1 billion civil monetary penalty resolves claims under FIRREA, which authorizes the federal government to impose civil penalties against financial institutions that violate various predicate offenses, including wire and mail fraud. It is one of the largest FIRREA penalties ever paid. The settlement does not release any individuals from potential criminal or civil liability. As part of the settlement, Deutsche Bank has agreed to fully cooperate with investigations related to the conduct covered by the agreement.



Deutsche Bank will also provide $4.1 billion in the form of relief to aid consumers harmed by its unlawful conduct. Specifically, Deutsche Bank will provide loan modifications, including loan forgiveness and forbearance, to distressed and underwater homeowners throughout the country. It will also provide financing for affordable rental and for-sale housing throughout the country. Deutsche Banks provision of consumer relief will be overseen by an independent monitor who will have authority to approve the selection of any third party used by Deutsche Bank to provide consumer relief.
Chelsea Manning is pictured in this 2010 photograph obtained on August 14, 2013.Courtesy U.S. Army/Handout via REUTERS

By Roberta Rampton and Ayesha Rascoe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday shortened the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former U.S. military intelligence analyst who was responsible for a 2010 leak of classified materials to anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, the biggest such breach in U.S. history.

A White House official said there was no connection between Manning's commutation and renewed U.S. government concern about WikiLeaks' actions during last year's presidential election, or a promise by founder Julian Assange to accept extradition if Manning was freed.

Manning has been a focus of a worldwide debate on government secrecy since she provided more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to WikiLeaks - a leak for which she was sentenced to serve 35 years in prison.

Obama, in one of his final acts before leaving office, reduced her sentence to seven years, angering some Republicans.

"This is just outrageous," House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement. Ryan, a Republican, said the decision was a "dangerous precedent" for those who leak materials about national security.

"Chelsea Manning's treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation's most sensitive secrets," Ryan said.

Manning was working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad in 2010 when she gave WikiLeaks a trove of diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts that included a 2007 gunsight video of a U.S. Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters news staff.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton said the leak endangered troops, intelligence officers, diplomats and allies.

"We ought not treat a traitor like a martyr," Cotton said.

TOOK RESPONSIBILITY

Manning, formerly known as U.S. Army Private First Class Bradley Manning, was born male but revealed after being convicted of espionage that she identifies as a woman. The White House said her sentence would end on May 17 this year.

Manning, who twice tried to kill herself last year and has struggled to cope as a transgender woman in the Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, men's military prison, accepted responsibility for leaking the material -- a factor that fed into Obama's decision, a White House official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official said Obama's decision was rooted in Manning's sentence being longer than sentences given to others who had committed comparable crimes. Obama, who leaves office on Friday and is scheduled to give his final news conference on Wednesday, is expected to discuss his decision then.

WikiLeaks also published emails in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 8 presidential election that U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian intelligence agencies hacked the Democratic National Committee and the accounts of leading Democrats, part of a campaign by Moscow to influence the election.

But Obama's decision had nothing to do with the latest WikiLeaks controversy, the White House official said.

"The president's decision to grant clemency and offer commutation to Chelsea Manning was not influenced in any way by public comments from Assange or the WikiLeaks organization," a White House official said on a conference call with reporters.

Assange has been holed up at Ecuador's London embassy since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden for the investigation of allegations, which he denies, that he committed rape there in 2010. He has said he fears Sweden would extradite him to the United States, where there is an open criminal investigation into the activities of WikiLeaks.

WikiLeaks sent a tweet quoting Assange's attorney, Melinda Taylor, saying he would abide by his promise to accept extradition if Manning was freed. "Everything that he has said he's standing by," Taylor said, according to the tweet.

Civil rights groups praised the move, calling it overdue.

"Chelsea Manning exposed serious abuses, and as a result her own human rights have been violated by the U.S. government for years," said Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA.

STUXNET

Obama also pardoned retired U.S. Marine Corps General James Cartwright who pleaded guilty in October to making false statements to the FBI during an investigation into leaks of classified information.

The aggressive prosecution of Cartwright, who last served as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sent shockwaves through the Pentagon.

He lied during questioning by the FBI over a book written by a New York Times reporter that exposed a malicious computer software program known as "Stuxnet" designed to disrupt Iran's nuclear program. Cartwright denied being the source of the leak.

Obama weighed Cartwright's service along with his motive when making the decision, the White House official said, noting Cartwright had not divulged material that the journalist was not already aware of, and that his conversations were focused on preventing the publication of material that could hurt national security.

"It's clear in this case ... that General Cartwright's motive was different than most people who are facing charges of leaking classified information to a journalist," the official said.

PUERTO RICAN MILITANT

Also on the pardon list: Oscar Lopez Rivera, who was sentenced in 1981 to 55 years in prison for his involvement with Puerto Rican militant group FALN, which claimed responsibility for dozens of bombings in the 1970s and 1980s.

Lopez Rivera -- who turned down a similar offer from President Bill Clinton in 1999 -- was the last remaining member of FALN still in prison.

"Mr. Lopez Rivera is now in his 70s. He has served 35 years, nearly half of his life in prison," a White House official said. "The president determined that was sufficient amount of time to serve, although the president certainly believes that the crimes that were committed were serious."

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders campaigned for the release of Lopez Rivera during his unsuccessful campaign against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Manning and Lopez Rivera were among 209 commutations granted by Obama on Tuesday and Cartwright was among 64 pardons.

In total, Obama has commuted sentences for 1,385 federal prisoners -- a total greater than that of the 12 previous presidents combined -- and he is expected to announce more on Thursday, the White House official said.

Most of the commutations were a part of Obama's effort to reduce the number of people serving long sentences for non-violent drug offenses.

(additional reporting by Phillip Stewart, Patricia Zengerle and Dustin Volz)
Canadian Pacific Railway (NYSE: CP) January call option implied volatility is at 53, February is at 28; compared to its 52-week range of 21 to 47 into the expected release of Q4 results on January 18.
DALLAS, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Generational Equity, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held businesses, is pleased to announce the acquisition of its client, United Brass Works of Randleman, North Carolina, by Bradford Equities Management of White Plains, New York. The acquisition closed August 12, 2016. Details were not disclosed.

United Brass Works is a 107-year-old manufacturer of high-quality bronze, ductile iron, and carbon steel valves used in a variety of applications. The company, which started out manufacturing steam valves and components for steam equipment, has grown into a world-class manufacturer serving the general industrial, fire protection and sprinkler, contract cast and machined, and electrical transformer industries, among others.

Bradford Equities Management LLC is a private equity firm founded in 1974 that focuses on acquiring high-quality middle-market companies in the United States in partnership with management. BEM invests across a broad range of industries and favors low-technology manufacturing businesses, as well as specialty distribution companies. The company and its affiliates have acquired more than 150 companies with sales in excess of $4 billion and whose total transaction values have exceeded $2 billion.

Generational Equity Managing Director William Hunter led the deal to a successful close. "This was one of the more complicated transactions that I have worked on in my career," said Hunter. "With the help and patience of Rich at Bradford, we were able to overcome all of the issues that existed."

Mike Berkelhammer, President of United Brass Works, added, "We attended a Generational Equity seminar a few years back. In fact, a year or so later we attended for a second time, after which we began in earnest to create a plan, objectives and goals for a transaction."

"I'm happy to report with Generational Equity's help we are now about five months post closing and have successfully executed those plans in accordance with the original objectives," Berkelhammer said.

About Generational EquityGenerational Equity, part of the Generational Group headquartered in Dallas with over 200 professionals located throughout North America, helps business owners release the wealth of their business by providing merger, acquisition and strategic growth advisory services. Their four-step approach features exit planning education, business valuation, value enhancement strategies, and M&A transactional services. The M&A Advisor recently named the company its 2016 Investment Banking Firm of the Year. For more, visit www.genequityco.com and the Generational Equity press room.

For more information:Carl Doerksen972-232-1125[email protected]

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/generational-equity-announces-sale-of-united-brass-works-to-bradford-equities-management-300389261.html

SOURCE Generational Equity
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholars of literature have multiple options for accessing the Modern Language Association International Bibliography (MLAIB) database, but only ProQuest's delivery of the essential tool through its newly redesigned literature platform has been named to Choice's selection of Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016. Choice says the annual list "reflects the best in scholarly titles reviewed by Choice and brings with it the extraordinary recognition of the academic library community."

The redesigned ProQuest platform for MLAIB simplifies the user experience by eliminating distractions. The change caught the attention of Choice reviewers, who note the ProQuest platform is "cleanly designed" and provides "an even clearer breakdown of subject headings for novice users." Reviewers also like ProQuest's inclusion of MLA Directory of Periodicals, which provides submission guidelines and publisher information for over 6,000 indexed journals and series.

"This award affirms our commitment to providing scholars with a robust, comprehensive, integrated research experience," said Stephen Rhind-Tutt, President, Alexander Street. "We are honored that the Choice editors recognize the strengths of delivery through the ProQuest platform."

The MLAIB is a leading annual bibliography of books and articles on modern languages and literatures, linguistics, folklore, and other related topics produced since 1921. Coverage includes literature from all over the world  Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North and South America. Linguistics and language materials include history and theory of linguistics, comparative linguistics, semantics, stylistics, syntax and translation.

When used with the Literature Online database, the MLAIB can be cross-searched with a curated collection of more than 420 literature journals; 350,000 primary works; 6,000 author biographies and other specialist literary criticism and reference resources as well as the complementary Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (ABELL).

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/proquests-mla-international-bibliography-named-choice-outstanding-academic-title-300391582.html

SOURCE ProQuest
FREIBURG, Germany, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Flexibility, fast deployments, scalability, and lower costs are the main drivers for global organizations to move their business processes and data into the cloud. According to a recent research study conducted by BARC, leading enterprise software industry analyst, and US-based research firm Eckerson Group, this shift of data gravity has resulted in a significant uptick of 50% in cloud Business Intelligence (BI) deployments. With two third of all surveyed organizations already running their BI tools in the cloud, the highest demand for future deployments however was found in cloud-based Corporate Performance Management applications for advanced and predictive analytics, operational planning/forecasting, and strategic planning.

The just released research study "BI and Data Management in the Cloud: Issues and Trends" delivers insights into the status quo of cloud BI strategy and adoption, current and planned use cases, cloud architecture requirements, benefits of cloud adoption as well as top reasons for holding out. Analyst firms BARC and Eckerson Group identify a high commitment towards cloud initiatives: Only 6% of all companies surveyed are opposed to cloud computing in general; 63% see the cloud as highly or moderately strategic to their company's BI and data management program. While most organizations have already moved their reporting and dashboarding (76%) and ad hoc analysis (57%) into a cloud environment, the highest demand can be seen in Corporate Performance Management use cases: Advanced and predictive analytics (53% planned), operational planning/forecasting (44% planned), and strategic planning/simulation (44% planned) are top of the list when it comes to projected cloud deployments.

High demand in cloud CPM to support changing role of finance

Dr. Rolf Gegenmantel, CMO at Enterprise Planning and Business Intelligence software vendor Jedox, sees the changing role of finance as a main driver for the increasing demand in CPM solutions: "The role of finance is rapidly evolving from a backward-looking accounting function  reporting and analyzing the past  to a forward-looking strategic advisor providing insight and direction for the business. Modern corporate performance management addresses these challenges with collaborative planning capabilities that integrate financial plans and operations. Moreover, diverse deployment options from private, public to hybrid cloud and subscription pricing models offer greater flexibility and scalability."

Hybrid cloud deployments on the rise

The research study shows that the public cloud (46%) is the preferred deployment platform for cloud BI, while 24% of all companies surveyed choose to run their BI system in a private cloud. "However, we expect the percentage of hybrid BI cloud implementations to grow as more large and mid-size firms migrate operations to the cloud," commented Dr. Carsten Bange, founder and principal analyst at BARC and co-author of the report, giving an outlook on cloud architecture trends.

"The research study shows that cloud strategies of organizations worldwide are still highly specific", said Vladislav Malicevic, VP Development & Support at Jedox. "To meet those unique business demands, Jedox offers flexible deployment options so companies can make the transition to the cloud at their own pace: Customers can move their entire application to the public cloud for fast implementation, easy maintenance and upgrades, providing high scalability. They can also choose to run select applications in the cloud or even keep their entire system on-premises  maintaining a future-proof solution at hand if they decide to make the transition to the cloud later."

To download the complete research study free of charge and learn more about issues and trends in Cloud BI, please visit: http://info.jedox.com/barc-cloud-bi-research-study-2017

About BARC  Business Application Research Center  a CXP Group Company:The Business Application Research Centre (BARC) is an analyst and consulting firm for enterprise software with a focus on Business Intelligence (BI), Data Management (DM), Enterprise Content Management (ECM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). For over twenty years, BARC analysts have combined extensive market, product and implementation knowledge to advise clients. Along with CXP and PAC, BARC forms part of the CXP Group  the leading European IT research and consulting firm with over 140 staff in eight countries.

About Eckerson Group:Eckerson Group is a research and consulting firm focused on serving the needs of Business Intelligence (BI) and analytic leaders in Fortune 2000 organizations worldwide. Our consultants and researchers each have more than 20 years of experience in the field and are uniquely qualified to help business and technical leaders use data and technology to drive better insights and actions.

About Jedox:Jedox simplifies planning, analysis, and reporting with one unified and cloud-based software suite. Jedox empowers decision makers and business users across all departments and helps them work smarter, streamline business collaboration, and make insight-based decisions with confidence. Over 1,900 organizations in 127 countries use Jedox for real-time planning on the web, in the cloud, and on any device. Jedox is a leading Business Intelligence and Corporate Performance Management solution provider with offices on four continents and with over 180 certified business partners. Independent analysts recognize Jedox for its leading enterprise planning solutions. Simplify planning with Jedox and start your free trial today: www.jedox.com

ContactDiana KuchHead of PR[email protected]+(49) 761 15147 0

Related Links

Download: Research Study

Whitepaper: Cloud BI with Jedox

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com/.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/research-study-on-cloud-bi-corporate-performance-management-and-hybrid-cloud-solutions-on-the-rise-300391890.html

SOURCE Jedox
DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahraini authorities have suspended the online version of the opposition-linked al-Wasat newspaper until further notice, accusing it of publishing materials that threaten national unity, state news agency BNA reported on Monday.

Bahrain's only independent daily is associated with the mainly Shi'ite Muslim-led opposition, which has been facing a government crackdown since last year. It is the second time the newspaper has been closed since last August.

"The newspaper has repeatedly published and broadcast material that causes a rift in society and (promotes) a spirit of division that harms national unity and public order," the information ministry said in a statement carried by BNA.

A newspaper employee confirmed that the online edition, including online services, had been suspended but said the print edition had been allowed to continue.

Western-allied Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based, crushed mass protests by the country's Shi'ite majority in 2011.

The government has been waging a crackdown on the opposition since last year, closing down the main opposition al-Wefaq group, increasing a prison sentence against its leader, arresting prominent activist Nabeel Rajab and revoking the citizenship of Shi'ite spiritual leader Ayatollah Isa Qassim.

On Sunday, Bahrain put to death three Shi'ite men convicted of a bomb attack that killed three policemen, including an Emirati officer, in the first such execution in years.

Al-Wasat, founded by private investors in 2002, was briefly closed in 2015 and the government cited similar reasons then. It was also briefly shut in 2011 following anti-government protests in the Gulf island kingdom, and its senior staff were removed and prosecuted.

The paper is headed by Mansoor al-Jamri, one of three senior editors who was tried on charges of fabricating news when the paper reported the protests, led by the Shi'ites against the government of the Sunni Muslim ruling family.

(Reporting by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Newport and Camel cigarettes are stacked on a shelf inside a tobacco store in New York July 11, 2014. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

By Paul Sandle

LONDON (Reuters) - British American Tobacco (NYSE: BATS) has agreed a $49.4 billion takeover of U.S. rival Reynolds American Inc (NYSE: RAI), creating the world's biggest listed tobacco company after it increased an earlier offer by more than $2 billion.

BAT, which already owned 42 percent of Reynolds, will pay $29.44 in cash and 0.5260 BAT shares for each Reynolds share, it said, a 26 percent premium over the price of the stock on Oct. 20, the day before BAT's first offer was made public.

Reynolds, the maker of Camel and Newport cigarettes, rejected an initial approach in November, although the two sides remained in talks.

The deal, which values the whole of Reynolds at around $86 billion, will mark the return of BAT to the lucrative and highly regulated U.S. market after a 12-year absence, making it the only tobacco giant with a leading presence in American and international markets.

BAT Chief Executive Nicandro Durante said bringing the two companies together would create a market leader with brands including Newport, Lucky Strike, Camel and Pall Mall.

"It will create a stronger, global tobacco and NGP (next generation products) business with direct access for our products across the most attractive markets in the world," he said on Tuesday.

The U.S. tobacco market was the most profitable outside China, he said in an interview, and BAT "figured there was some room to grow there."

BAT left the United States in 2004 when it merged its subsidiary Brown & Williamson with R.J. Reynolds to form Reynolds American in 2004. A decade later, the U.S. group agreed to buy Lorillard in a $27.4 billion deal that added the Newport brand to its stable.

Durante said there was a clear rationale to bring the groups together, and an alignment in their relative trading multiples made an agreement possible.

"This is the right moment to make the deal; the multiples of BAT and Reynolds are closer than ever before," he said.

BAT would also be able to take Reynold's NGP portfolio, led by vaping brand Vuse, into its international markets, he said.

IGNITING THE MARKET

The takeover could spark further deals, analyst have said, as Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) and Japan Tobacco <2914.T> jostle for market share in an industry that is shrinking in the West as more people quit smoking.

"The sheer scale of the enlarged BAT raises the pressure on the remaining players to bulk up too, and attention is likely to turn to Britain's Imperial Brands (NYSE: IMB), who look more and more like a minnow swimming in a tank of big, hungry fish," said Hargreaves Lansdown fund manager Steve Clayton.

Some have predicted the deal could encourage current market leader Philip Morris International to reunite with its U.S. affiliate Altria, reversing a 2008 spin-off.

Shares in BAT reversed early gains as investors fretted about the price BAT was paying and the debt it was taking on.

BAT said it had agreed a $25 billion facility with a consortium of banks.

BAT shares were down 3.8 percent at 45.80 pounds, below the level in October before the company announced its approach. Reynolds' stock was trading up 3.1 percent at $57.72.

RBC Capital Markets said assuming BAT was able to achieve the annual cost savings of "at least $400 million" it has targeted, the deal would be financially neutral for BAT shares.

"We think (the deal) makes sense strategically and operationally and just about washes its face financially," it said. "That said, a value-neutral acquisition does little to alter our view that the shares are already reasonably valued."

BAT Fiance Director Ben Stevens told analysts the group now had a "lot more certainty" on the cost savings. "We hope that as we get closer to Reynolds we will find more cost savings than that," he said.

Centerview Partners, Deutsche Bank and UBS advised BAT on the deal, while Lazard, JP Morgan and Jones Day worked for Reynolds American.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Mark Potter and Susan Thomas)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Kazakhstan is fully ready to hold talks on Syria in its capital Astana on Jan. 23, Russia's RIA news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov.

Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, pushed for peace talks in Astana after Assad's forces won a major victory in eastern Aleppo.

The Astana talks are also backed by Turkey. The United States, which led failed efforts to launch peace talks last year, has not been directly involved in the latest diplomacy.

(Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Writing by Alexander Winning)
Kosovo's new President Hashim Thaci looks on during the Presidential inauguration ceremony in Pristina, Kosovo April 8, 2016. REUTERS/Armend Nimani/Pool

By Fatos Bytyci

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Serbia plans to seize a slice of northern Kosovo just as Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014, Kosovo's president told Reuters on Monday, as the two Balkan neighbors trade accusations of wanting to ignite a new regional war.

Kosovo special police units on Saturday prevented a train painted in Serbia's national colors and bearing the words "Kosovo is Serbia" from crossing the border.

Serbia does not recognize the independence of Kosovo, its former province, and did not seek Pristina's permission for the passage of the train, which it paid for and organized. On Sunday Serbia's president, Tomislav Nikolic, said Kosovo's action had shown it wanted war with Belgrade.

Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci said the train was aimed at "provoking" Kosovars in order to create a pretext for Serbia to intervene militarily and annex northern areas of Kosovo, home to some 50,000 ethnic Serbs who refuse to accept the province's independence and want to be governed again by Belgrade.

"Serbias intention is to use this train, which was donated by Russia, first to help carve away the northern part of Kosovo and then ... attach it to Serbia. It is the Crimea model," Thaci said in an interview.

He was referring to Ukraine's Crimea peninsula, home to Russia's Black Sea fleet and populated mainly by ethnic Russians who after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 continued to feel loyalty to Moscow rather than to the newly independent government in Kiev.

Crimea's ethnic Russians welcomed Moscow's annexation - carried out initially by soldiers wearing unmarked uniforms to disguise their identity - though the move also triggered Western economic sanctions against Russia.

"CHAIN REACTION"

Serbia lost control of Kosovo when NATO air strikes forced Belgrade to withdraw its troops in 1999 after they had killed 10,000 ethnic Albanian civilians. NATO still has around 5,000 troops stationed in Kosovo to keep the fragile peace.

As well as Serbia, its ally Russia and some other countries also refuse to recognize Kosovo's 2008 independence.

After talks with Serbia's military top brass and state security chiefs in Belgrade on Sunday, Serbia's Nikolic threatened to send troops back into Kosovo.

"If they are killing Serbs, we will send the army, all of us will go, I will go as well, it would not be my first time," said Nikolic, who is a former member of the ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party and in the 1990s fought alongside Serb paramilitaries in Croatia.

Responding to Nikolic's remarks, Thaci said any attempt by Serbia to annex northern Kosovo would set off "a chain reaction across the whole Western Balkans".

Belgrade and Pristina both aspire to join the European Union and normalizing relations is a condition of their progress, but Serbia continues to block Kosovo's membership of international organizations such as the United Nations.

Bilateral relations came under renewed strain this month when former Kosovo prime minister Ramush Haradinaj was arrested in France on a warrant from Serbia, which accuses him of war crimes.

(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; additional reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic in Belgrade; Editing by Gareth Jones)
The Japanese might be the hardest working people in the world. Employees there sleep less and work longer hours than almost anywhere else. The culture is so rigorous that there's a word for literally working yourself to death: karoshi.

That might be good if you're an employer trying to make a deadline or cut costs. But it's bad if you're a country with a falling birthrate and a population of people who say they're too busy and exhausted to have children.

So officials are launching a new campaign to get employees out of the office. Dubbed Premium Friday, it will encourage companies to let workers leave early on the last Friday of the month. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is also pushing a measure to cap overtime, which he says he'll enforce with random inspections. These come on the heels of major investigations into Mitsubishi and Dentsu, both accused of forcing excessive work. At Dentsu, a 24-year-old woman killed herself after putting in 100 hours of overtime.

A government spokesman told Bloomberg News that Japan needs to end of the norm of long working hours so people can balance their lives with things like raising a child or taking care of the elderly.

Businesses are also thinking up new ways to get people out of the office. Japan doesn't have much of a work-from-home culture right now. But one-third of large Japanese employers say that they're making remote work easier. Some, such as Yahoo Japan, are considering a four-day workweek, instituted by 2020.

Others encourage employees to take a power nap at their desks or in the staff lounge (though those who dose are expected to remain upright and tidy looking). Japan Post Insurance has come up with the very clever solution of turning off the lights in its headquarters at 7:30 p.m., forcing workers to go home or else work in the dark.

Officials hope their efforts can help transform a culture where employees often feel pressured to match their peers hour for hour, and where taking vacation is seen as selfish. One worker, Eriko Sekiguchi, told the Associated Press that she spends 14 hours a day at work and gives up many of her paid holidays.

She took just eight of her paid days off. But around her office, that made her seem downright indulgent. Nobody else uses their vacation days, Sekiguchi said. Hiroyuki Fujimura, a professor at Hosei Business School of Innovation Management, said that older workers see long hours as a good thing, the trait of a hard-working, disciplined person. But he said he thinks that that's changing. Those in the younger generation no longer see long work hours as a good thing, he told Bloomberg.

Hundreds of people die each year from heart attacks, strokes and other events caused by punishing work schedules. Work-related suicides rose 45 percent in the past four years among those 29 and younger. They're up 39 percent among women. In one case, a Tokyo man hanged himself after working almost 200 hours of overtime a month for seven months.
Leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have said on Monday that the premier did not ask for immunity unlike the perception being created in the media nad the public by opposition parties.

Spokesperson for the Prime Minister (PM), Musadiq Malik among leaders of the ruling party addressed a press conference in the federal capital today.

Malik said that the premier has offered himself for accountability. Daniyal Aziz alleged Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of attempting to scare the institutions to polish his politics.

He said that Khan had to apologise for his statement over Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Aziz accused PTI of habitual criminality and once partys representatives are caught, they resort to aggression.

Daniyal Aziz has alleged Jahangir Tareen, Secretary General of PTI to have purchased votes in General Elections 2013 and now Imran Khan was covering up the corruption.

General Hamid was relieved from his post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) but the cases were not disclosed.

He maintained that distorted version of issue concerning offshore companies was presented by PTI and that PM Nawaz was not named in Panama Leaks.
Denying apologizing to Election Commission Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan has said that backing out from what they have said is a marked trait of the rulers.

Talking to media while expressing solidarity with the office of Supreme Court Bar Association over housing colony for lawyers Imran demanded that the promises made to the Bar should be fulfilled.

After the beginning of the hearing of the Panamagate case by the Supreme Court I am having really great sleeps, Imran said jovially.
An Egyptian court on Monday, rejected a government plan to transfer two uninhabited Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, in a final ruling that prompted cheers in the courtroom but could deepen tensions with the countrys erstwhile financial backer.

Egypts government announced during a visit by the Saudi king in April a maritime demarcation accord that would see it cede control of Tiran and Sanafir. The deal prompted protests from Egyptians who said they had been taught in school that the islands belonged to them.

It has become a source of tension between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which showered its ally with tens of billions of dollars in aid in recent years but suspended petroleum supplies in September amid growing differences. Two leading lawyers challenged the legality of the accord at the Higher Administrative Court, a powerful judicial body which deals with cases involving the government and public entities.

In June, the court annulled the agreement, saying Egyptian sovereignty over the islands could not be given up. The Egyptian government received a boost last month when the court upheld its appeal but it lost the final appeal on Monday.

Celebrations erupted as the judge read out the verdict confirming Egyptian sovereignty over Tiran and Sanafir and saying that the government had failed to provide evidence that the islands belonged to Saudi Arabia. Outside the courthouse, hundreds of people waving Egyptian flags chanted Egyptian, Egyptian and Bread, Freedom, the islands are Egyptian.

Khaled Ali and Malek Adly, the two human rights lawyers who led the legal challenge to the governments plan, were carried out of the courtroom by jubilant supporters. This verdict is a victory for Egypt, Adly said.

There was no immediate response from the government.

Saudi and Egyptian officials had argued that the islands belonged to Saudi Arabia and were only under Egyptian control because Riyadh asked Cairo in 1950 to protect them. But the lawyers who opposed the accord said Egypts sovereignty over the islands dated back to a treaty in 1906, before Saudi Arabia was founded.
"I am not confident in Sen. Sessions' ability to be a defender of the rights of all Americans, or to serve as an independent check on the incoming administration," Mr. Schumer said.

So it was an eye-roller when Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York Democrat, announced Thursday why he was going to vote against fellow Sen. Jeff Sessions' nomination for U.S. attorney general:

Year after year, they rubber stamped whatever the Obama administration wanted to do, legally or otherwise.

Eric Holder and Loretta E. Lynch have been perhaps the most flagrant partisans ever to hold the office of attorney general.

The attorney general, who heads the Justice Department, takes an oath to enforce federal laws and uphold the Constitution. We're at the tail end of an administration in which the highest legal office in the land was weaponized along racial lines and openly attacked laws that the progressive left disliked, such as the federal Defense of Marriage Act and state voter ID statutes.

Under Mr. Holder, the Justice Department looked the other way as the Internal Revenue Service harassed tea parties and conservative groups. He aided and abetted the administration's violations of labor law, environmental law and provisions of Obamacare again and again. He ignored the Federal Communications Commission's unconstitutional seizure of authority over the Internet. He actually sued states for helping to enforce federal immigration law.

This past May, the Justice Department joined the Department of Education in issuing a bizarre reinterpretation of Title IX and ordered schools to allow biological males identifying as females to access girls' bathrooms and locker rooms.

Under Mr. Holder, the department stonewalled congressional investigations into the Fast and Furious scandal, in which federal agents inexplicably provided guns to Mexican drug cartels, including a weapon that killed a federal agent.

Even an ideologically divided Supreme Court routinely rejected the Obama Justice Department lawyers' zany reasoning. From January 2012 to June 2013 alone, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the Justice Department's absurd positions nine times. "The cases ranged from criminal procedure to property rights, religious liberty to immigration, securities regulation to tax law," Forbes.com noted.

Finally, the Justice Department's and FBI's mishandling of the Hillary Clinton email scandal is in a class by itself, epitomized by Ms. Lynch's meeting with Bill Clinton aboard a plane at the Phoenix airport supposedly to discuss their grandchildren. Right.

Ultimately, the "independent check" on any administration is supposed to be the Fourth Estate, that is, the media. This presents us with a problem. The media are not remotely independent or fair, as was glaringly evident during the presidential campaign and continues to be the case as they brazenly try to sabotage the Trump administration before it even begins.

On the morning of the second day of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Sen. Sessions' nomination, the major TV networks played up charges of racism leveled at him by fellow Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. John Lewis, Georgia Democrat.

Here's "Good Morning America's" Mary Bruce: "Thirty-one years ago before the same panel, Sessions was rejected for a federal judgeship over concerns he made racist remarks. Those are charges he has passionately denied ... Senator Cory Booker says he has to speak out because Sessions' comments are a call to conscience."

"Absent from any of the network coverage was the fact that Cory Booker worked with Jeff Sessions in 2015 to introduce legislation to honor demonstrators who participated in the 1965 civil rights march in Selma, Alabama," notes the Media Research Center's Kyle Drennen. "At the time, Booker said he felt 'blessed and honored to have partnered with Senator Sessions' on the matter.

"When it came to John Lewis' upcoming testimony against Sessions, the morning shows seemed to forget that Sessions held hands with Lewis as the two walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 2015 as part of a march commemorating the 50th anniversary of the same march from Selma to Montgomery Alabama."

Regardless of the ginned-up hysteria, complete with demonstrations by left-wing zealots inside the committee room, Sen. Sessions presented himself with dignity and grace.

When the Alabama senator takes the reins, the Justice Department will once again be worthy of its name.

* Robert Knight is a senior fellow for the American Civil Rights Union. First published at Washington Times.
From the New York Times - (Ed. note: The Times left-biased editorial terms emphasized in red)

WASHINGTON  President Obama on Tuesday largely commuted the remaining prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the army intelligence analyst convicted of an enormous 2010 leak that revealed American military and diplomatic activities across the world, disrupted the administration, and made WikiLeaks, the recipient of those disclosures, famous.

The decision by Mr. Obama rescued Ms. Manning, who twice tried to commit suicide last year, from an uncertain future as a transgender woman incarcerated at the male military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. She has been jailed for nearly seven years, and her 35-year sentence was by far the longest punishment ever imposed in the United States for a leak conviction.

Now, under the terms of Mr. Obamas commutation announced by the White House on Tuesday, Ms. Manning is set to be freed on May 17 of this year, rather than in 2045.
NCEA results are out today, and at the Graham household, both father and son logged on in anticipation of seeing how many credits they got.

They, because father Fraser also teaches Maths at Aquinas College.

Its often forgotten that NCEA results are a big deal for teachers, too, who like to see how their students went.

Of particular interest to Fraser is his Year 10 extension class  the bright sparks who sat Level 1 Maths a year ahead of their peers.

He says 29 out of the 31 students got endorsements, which hes very pleased with.

Im stoked, theyve done really well. Theyre a very good class.

Among them is his son Michael, who joined thousands of others across the Bay of Plenty and the country nervously checking how many Achieveds, Merits, Excellences  and even Not Achieveds  he received in last years external exams.

To his relief, there were none of the latter, although he is a bit miffed at getting one Achieved in a Chemistry paper.

Other than that though, the rest of his exams came back with Excellence  an amazing, and enviable, result for any student.

He took Level 1 Science as well, and says none of the exams really stood out for him in difficulty.

Honestly they were all pretty standard  quite consistent, he says.

They went much more smoothly than last Septembers MCAT exam, which made the news for its extremely difficult questions. Most schools rejected the results, or scaled the endorsements down to make it easier to pass.

It had certain parts way above the level we were at, recalls Michael, with Fraser adding the questions were ridiculous and too focused on real-world application of the Maths, rather than the clarity or appropriate level of the problem.

I dont think anybody walked out smiling, says Michael.

Theres no doubt most of the students from Aquinas College will be smiling today, though. 92 per cent of Level 1 students, 99 per cent of Level 2 students, and 91 per cent of Level 3 students at the school passed.

Frasers already collated the results and uploaded them to the school website, partly to ease traffic to the NZQA website, which is running fairly slow.

As for Michael, he plans to sit several Level 2 exams this year (when he will technically be Year 11), so that by the end of high school he will have covered all the Science and Maths subjects up to Level 3.

Im thinking of becoming a surgeon, or heading into medicine, he explains to this Maths-phobic journalist.

Students can check their own results via their Learner Login on the NZQA website.
Less than ten points separated second-place getters Bay of Plenty from the top spot in the New Zealand Surf Life Saving Representative Challenge at Waimarama Beach in Hawkes Bay.

With a series of demanding races on land and in the water, the team finished behind winners Capital Coast (Wellington), while Taranaki rounded out the podium in third.

The winning team managed to take top points in most of the team events at the weekend event, although they had the added bonus of two Olympians, Marty McDowell and Kayla Imrie, and two Black Fins, Stephen Kent and Samantha Lee, competing as part of their team.

Meanwhile, the youth was equally close, with Taranaki this time taking the top honours with total points of 125. Only five points behind and in second place was the Bay of Plenty, while the Gisborne region team finished in third.

While rain threatened the event throughout the day, competitors enjoyed a largely dry day with only a few light showers and near flat surf conditions. Event officials say with the surf being less than half a metre, it was an even playing field on the water so a lot of positions were made up during the running sections.

Waimarama Beach in Hawkes Bay. Photo: Supplied.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand sport manager Mike Lord says it was another successful event.

Our athletes played hard but fair out there. The close racing was a real highlight for us and we look forward to seeing more of these athletes compete at more of our upcoming events.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who made this event happen. They worked really hard out there all day to put on a safe and fun event for all of our athletes and their supporters.

Many of the events mimic real life rescues for the qualified surf lifeguards competing, including the rescue-tube rescue which sees four competitors from each team participate: a victim, one rescue tube swimmer, and two rescuers.

The victim swims approximately 120m to a designated buoy, signals, and waits to be rescued by the rescue tube swimmer. As they return to shore, the remaining two rescuers enter the water to assist and carry them to the finish line.
Seafood New Zealand wants the government ban on microbeads brought forward, says Seafood New Zealand Chief Executive Tim Pankhurst.

He welcomes the announcement the Government will ban the use of microbeads in make-up and other beauty products, citing their impact on oceans and marine life.

Research has shown that fish may eat the particles, rather than natural food sources, and they either die of starvation or their growth is stunted before they reach maturity, says Tim.

The minute beads are a hazard and are causing needless damage to New Zealands waterways and seas. The ban is effective July 2018 but it would preferable for that to be brought forward.

These small plastic particles, which do not biodegrade are a well-known hazard to the environment.

Environment Minister Nick Smith announced the ban on microbeads on Monday.

One tube of microbead facewash could contain more than 300,000 tiny plastic beads. Most end up washed through water filtration systems and into the sea, where they were ingested by marine animals.

A University of Canterbury-led project highlighted the problem with microbeads.

University of Canterbury researchers, including environmental chemist Dr Sally Gaw and Water Resource Management PhD student Phil Clunies-Ross, in collaboration with the University of Otago, found concentrations of microplastics on Canterbury beaches comparable to concentrations found overseas in more heavily populated areas.

It is difficult to remove plastics once they had been released into the oceans, says Sally. Shes pleased their research has influenced the Governments proposal and praises the ban as a valuable first stage.

Banning microbeads in personal care products is a great step forward that will remove one source of microplastics entering the oceans. Further steps will be required to reduce the enormous volume of plastics entering our oceans each year, says Sally.

We need to re-evaluate our love affair with plastic, and get smarter about how and when we use plastic if we are to protect our oceans.

Microbead Fact File

by Dr Sally Gaw, Environmental Chemistry academic, University of Canterbury
UPDATED 9.09PM: At least four homes have been destroyed and others evacuated as firefighters battle a large scale fire south of Whitianga.

Residents in the area say they have been told to leave their homes, which are in the path of the blaze.

The crews, including the rural brigade and two helicopters, arrived at Comers Rd, Kaimarama, between Whitianga and Coroglen, at 5.18pm on Tuesday.

Initially the fire covered five and six acres, says Northern Fire Communications shift manager Colin Underdown.

"Someone from [the Department of Conservation] has taken control on behalf of the Thames-Coromandel District Council."

Later reports say the area involved was much larger as the fire spread after sundown.

A caller to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline says the fire is appears to be quite large and they believe it will be a big disaster for the area.

Earlier:

Whitianga fire fighters are awaiting the arrival of a second helicopter as the deal with a scrub fire, currently out of control and threatening homes.

NZ Fire Service northern communication centre shift manger Colin Underdown says the fire is burning south of the township on a small peninsula near Comers Road, towards Coroglen.

All available fire crews are fighting the fire including two crews from the Rural fire Authority. The fire covers an estimated 5-6 acres, and is also endangering high tension power lines.
A man with affiliations to the Out Back Blacks gang has been charged after shots were fired during a funeral for a Mongrel Mob member in the Bay of Plenty.

Police are making ongoing enquiries after shots were fired at around 2.15pm, near the corner of Valley and Arawa Roads, Whakatane.

A large number of gang members, including those from Mongrel Mob and Black Power, were in the area for the funeral for a Mongrel Mob member who passed away on Thursday.

Acting Eastern Bay of Plenty area commander Senior Sergeant Richard Miller says police would like to speak with anyone who may have film recordings of the gang funeral procession which travelled from Kawerau to Whakatane yesterday afternoon.

The group of gang members involved in the motorcade moved on from the crematorium without incident yesterday evening.

Police are currently speaking to a number of people but as yet no charges have been laid in relation to this incident.

A 21-year-old man, affiliated with the Out Back Blacks gang, has been charged with possession of an offensive weapon.

He is currently scheduled to appear in Whakatane District Court on January 24.

If anyone has information which may help police in their investigation we encourage them to contact Whakatane Police on 07 308 5255.

Alternatively, information can also be left anonymously via the Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 line.

Police believe there are no ongoing concerns following this incident.
Unfortunately, many otherwise well-educated and well-meaning conservatives have succumbed to supporting Con Con. Conservatives should shudder at the thought of a convention populated by activists, who endowed with power have a Soros credit card in their pocket and a commitment to social justice as their purpose.

My ConCon article of January 11, 2016, Misguided Conservatives Ramp up Efforts for Constitutional Convention , explains just how enemies of the Constitution are targeting 2017 for passage of the Convention of States (COS). Enemies like big financier of global fascism, George Soros , are gearing up to exploit the Republican majorities in state legislatures.

Radio talk show host, Mark Levin started his push for a constitutional convention several years ago as the only way to restore the balance of federalism in our Republic. Among those who have followed Levin's lead are Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and Alan West. They have been led to believe that a Constitution Convention is the last hope to reform the federal government from its degenerate, bloated, imperial structure back to its smaller republican roots

In that the other side has bought off many key politicians with massive campaign contributions, attorney Andy Schlafly of Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund, who also serves as general counsel of the Association of American Physicians & Surgeons, and is son of the late Eagle Forum founder, Phyllis Schlafly, formulated a coalition letter that builds on grassroots activism as the best way to counteract the other side.

Schlafly's goal is for 50-100 groups and individuals to sign onto the letter. Through publicizing the letter, Schlafly hopes politicians will think twice before choosing mega-donors over the Constitution and grassroots activists.

"We have the Constitution on our side, and we will win," Schlafly said.

Below is a draft of the letter for feedback and signing on:

Coalition letter against Convention of States and in Support of our U.S. Constitution The undersigned organizations and individuals stand in defense of our U.S. Constitution, and oppose all attempts under its Article V to convene a new constitutional convention ("Con Con"). State legislation is being pushed by undisclosed donors to force Congress to convene a Con Con supposedly "to limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government." Such a convention would open the door to eliminate border security. It would inevitably seek to repeal the Second Amendment while inserting a new requirement for taxpayer-funded abortion. Article V expressly allows the adoption of amendments, plural, without limitation, so a Con Con would probably vastly expand federal power in many undesirable ways, such as expanding federal authority over churches and schools. Tremendous irrevocable harm would result from a Con Con because it would allow numerous changes to our Constitution with the national media guiding the way. Justice Antonin Scalia condemned the proposals for an Article V convention as a "horrible idea" months before he unexpectedly passed away. Phyllis Schlafly spoke out strongly against all Article V convention ideas, explaining that they would be "playing Russian Roulette with the Constitution." Chief Justice Warren Burger wrote against the mere suggestion of holding a Con Con. Second Amendment groups like the Gun Owners of America fully oppose it. The Founders themselves were very much against holding another constitutional convention, and many of the greatest American statesmen throughout history spoke out passionately against the idea. In July 2016 in Cleveland, the Republican Party national platform committee rejected, nearly unanimously, an attempt to adopt a resolution calling for an Article V constitutional convention to enact a Balanced Budget Amendment. Now the media want to repeal the Electoral College, which properly requires geographical diversity before a presidential candidate can win. Globalists and the media also want to repeal the Treaty Clause, which protects our Nation against harmful treaties with foreign powers by requiring the difficult-to-attain 2/3rds support in the Senate. The Constitution has never been the problem, and our political leaders should be defending the Constitution rather than falsely pretending that it needs to be changed. Politicians and courts that do not abide by the Constitution today will not abide by a rewritten one tomorrow. Promoters of the misnamed "Convention of States," which is merely a repackaged Article V "Con Con," fail to comply with state requirements for fiscal notes to disclose the economic impact of their legislation. Reducing federal power to secure our borders, as invited by the Convention of States legislation, would impose billions of dollars in new costs on states. States would be compelled to dole out more entitlements and spend far more combating crime as a result of reduced federal power to stop illegal immigration. Conclusion Our U.S. Constitution is the longest, most successful constitution in the history of mankind. It is not for sale, and it is not broken. It should not be "fixed" by secret billionaires having their own hidden agenda of globalism and open borders, views that they conceal with broad platitudes like "limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government." Far too much is at stake to gamble away the future of our Constitution and our Nation on a runaway constitutional convention. Please speak out against any and all proposals to convene an Article V Convention, including the Convention of States resolutions, and please demand that the undisclosed donors pushing this "horrible idea" identify themselves and disclose their real agenda. Thank you. Sincerely, Andrew Schlafly, Esq.

Phyllis Schlafly Eagles

Andy Schlafly will add names to his coalition letter in the order received. Contact Mr. Schlafly at aschlafly@aol.com to add your name.
Tony Bryant

Redactor

Tony Bryant was born in London in 1961 and he has lived in Andalusia since 1994. He is the author of several books of Spanish theme and has worked as a journalist at SUR in English since January 2016.
LEGAL NOTICE/WHO WE ARE

This website, with the URL address www.surinenglish.com (Website), is operated by the Prensa Malaguena S.A. company (Company) whose CIF is A29115672. In the Companies Register of Malaga it is registered in Volume 603, Book 454 of section 3 of companies, Page 1, Sheet number 3811-A, 1st entry, and its address is in Malaga, at Avenida Doctor Maranon, number 48. Further information may be obtained by emailing: surinenglish.su@diariosur.es.

Copyright  Diario SUR. The Website includes content from the Company, the Diario SUR media (Media) and, where relevant, third parties and/or other companies in the group of which the company forms part.

The relationships established between the Company and the Users as a result of using the services provided by the Website will be regulated in accordance with current Spanish law, with regard to applicable legislation and relevant jurisdiction. However, if the regulations state that the parties may submit themselves to a particular jurisdiction, the Company and the Users, expressly renouncing any other jurisdiction which may apply to them, submit themselves to the jurisdiction of the Courts and Tribunals of the city of Malaga.
CONDITIONS OF USE OF THE WEBSITE

INDEX

1.- Who we are. 2.- What is regulated by the Conditions. 3.- Information prior to accessing the services of the Website. 4.- General characteristics of the services. 5.- How to use the Website. 6.- Forms of participation in the Website. 7.- Intellectual and Industrial Property. 8.- Policy regarding links. 9.- Protection of personal data and policy regarding cookies. 10.- What you can do if you find illegal or unsuitable content. 11.- Responsibilities. 12.- Miscellaneous.

1.- Who we are.

This web page (Website) has a URL address and is operated by the company (Company). The Website and the Company can be identified by the data provided in the Legal Notice section.

2.- What is regulated by the Conditions.

These conditions of use (Conditions) regulate the access and use of the companys services and the information we make available to you as users (User/s) of the Internet network via the Website (in any of its modalities, applications etc., and for any type of device  fixed or mobile  through which the Website is accessed). They also regulate, in general, the relationship between you, the Users, and the Website, with the exception of other particular or specific communications, conditions and instructions of which you may be notified.

Accessing or merely using the Website implies that as Users you adhere to the Conditions which may be published at any time on the Website and are available for Users to read. You should read these carefully. You can save or print the Conditions at any time, and we advise you to do this.

3.- Information prior to accessing the services of the Website.

Before using the services of the Website or registering yourself as a User, you expressly state that you are a person with the ability to discern, that you have entered the Website of your own volition and that you have not been coerced into doing so, that you choose services exclusively on your own account and at your own risk, and that you expressly accept these Conditions, Privacy Policy y Policy regarding Cookies, in addition to any other notices and instructions, communications or particular conditions, of which you may be notified.

With regard to the conditions regarding other services of the Website, these same Conditions apply to the provision of those services unless contradicted by their own particular conditions.

You should be aware that communications via open networks are exposed to threats which mean that they are not secure. The Company takes all suitable security measures to ensure that the Website operates correctly. However, the User should adopt all technical measures possible to reasonably control these threats (for example, using the latest systems to detect malicious software, such as viruses, Trojans etc, and updating the security patches of the relevant search engines). As a User, you are solely and exclusively responsible for your own use of the Website and the services and, being aware of this, you voluntarily accept this responsibility.

Use by children.

With regard to children navigating on the Website, except as indicated in the paragraphs above, the Users are warned that the Company cannot control the use of the Website and its services by children. For that reason the Website, the Company and the business Group, as well as accepting no responsibility whatsoever in this respect, advise that parents and guardians are solely responsible for controlling and assisting children in the navigation of this Website. They are also responsible for using any necessary mechanisms which, if relevant, will stop children accessing the Website and/or its services. The Company will accept no claims in this respect.

Access codes and similar.

If a service on the Website requires access codes or user names, you will choose and indicate your own (user name, password or similar), without prejudice to other data which may be requested on the corresponding form. You may not use vulgar or insulting words, expressions or graphic-denominative combinations, or those which coincide with brand names, commercial names, signs of establishments, social denominations, advertising expressions, names and pseudonyms of people in public life or famous people without authorisation and, in general, anything which contravenes the law, is immoral, or does not meet generally accepted standards of behaviour.

A user name is assigned automatically once the User has chosen it. If the one you request has been reserved, you will need to choose a new one.

The User promises to use the access codes properly and not to make them available to third parties. The Company must be notified if the access codes are lost or stolen and if they could possibly be used by a third party.

As the User you are solely and exclusively responsible for your identification to access the service. If your users secret access code (password) or user name is used by a third party, used badly or forgotten, this will be your sole and exclusive responsibility.

General characteristics of the services.

The services which you can access on the Website are, as a general rule, free of charge so Users do not have to pay anything to enjoy them, apart from the cost of the connection via the telecommunications network provided by your contracted supplier. However, despite this, access to certain content on the Website may not be free of charge, depending on other factors such as the volume of access by the User or the type of content. In that case you will be advised accordingly and, where relevant, asked to subscribe or register.

Content or services offered by third parties.

Through the Website you can access other services from the same Company or services offered by collaborators, which will have their own general conditions of use or contracting. These will specify whether they are free of charge or have to be paid for, and the Company bears no responsibility in this respect.

In accordance with article 17 of Law 34/2002 of 11 July regarding companies information and electronic commerce services (LSSI), unless the Company has effective knowledge that an activity or information contained on the Website, or on the website to which you are directed, is illegal or damages the property or rights of a third party which may be eligible for protection, the Company will not be responsible for the information offered on or from the Website by third parties or Users.

5.- How the Website should be used.

The Users promise to use the services, channels and all content of the Website in accordance with these Conditions, the law, morality, generally accepted standards of behaviour and public order.

You are also obliged not to use the Website for ends or effects which are fraudulent, illegal, contrary to the terms of these Conditions, harmful to the rights and interests of the Company or third parties, or which in any way could damage, disable, overload or deteriorate the services and channels of the Website and its contents or impede the normal use, functioning or enjoyment of the same by the Users; nor will you modify or alter in any way either the content or other elements of the Website. You thereby promise not to carry out any of the following activities:

I. Send any type of advertising or communication to the Website with the aim of selling it or others of a commercial nature, or send it to a plurality of people who are users of the Website without prior application and consent. II. Send any other unsolicited messages without prior consent to a plurality of people who are users of the Website. III. Send chains of unsolicited electronic messages to users of the Website without prior consent. IV. Use any distribution lists which may be accessed via the Website or its services and channels to carry out the activities indicated in sections i) to iii) above. V. Make available to third parties, for any reason, data acquired from distribution lists. VI. Obtain or attempt to obtain information and any type of material accessible via the Website or its services or channels, using processes for this purpose which are distinct from those placed at your disposition. VII. Make incorrect use of the contents of the Website, use them for purposes which differ from those for which they are intended, reproduce them, modify them or transform them. VIII. Store, publish and/or transmit data, texts, images, archives, links, software or other contents which are considered objectionable under the law or are considered to be so by the Company because they are illegal, damaging, threatening, abusive, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, racist or objectionable in any way, or anything which may cause harm of any type to under-age children, especially pornography, tributes to violence or which could be dangerous in any other way for young people. IX. Hinder other Users access to the service by mass consumption of the IT resources through which the Company provides the service, or carry out actions which damage, interrupt or generate errors in the said systems or services.

In addition, we inform you that the Website is principally financed by income from publicity messages and announcements, through which advertisers publicise their products and services on the Website. By accessing the Website as a User, you agree to receive this information. For this reason, as a necessary condition for using the Website, it is not permitted to install or use any type of technology which could in any way impede access to and/or the receipt of the Website contents in their entirety (whether these are informative, advertising or any other type). The Company reserves the right to restrict, suspend or impede access to the Website for any Users who do not respect the above, and the Company will take any technical measure it deems necessary for this purpose.

Users are informed that in the event that they do not comply with these Conditions, the Privacy Policy y Policy regarding Cookies or any other particular terms and conditions of the Website, the Company reserves the right to restrict, suspend or end access to the Website, using any technical measure which may be necessary for this purpose.

Finally, we advise Users that the Company reserves the right to decide, at any time, whether or not to continue the services of the company and the information provided via the Website.

6.- Forms of Participation on the Website.

Users may participate in the Website in the sections which are set up for this purpose (for example blogs, forums, chats, comments, sharing etc.). The Company only provides these areas for participation and cannot take part in them in any way, so the contributions or opinions of the Users are their own responsibility. Allowing Users to make these contributions in no way signifies that the Company identifies with or shares the ideas, opinions or statements expressed. The Users are obliged to use these areas in accordance with the terms in section 5 above, How the Website should be used. Simply by posting comments or by participating in these areas, you irrevocably authorise, free of charge and without restriction, the Company and its business group to publish the most outstanding comments in its print editions (whether online, offline or via any other medium) or on the websites of the same.

The Company reserves the right to suspend or eliminate any contributions or comments which do not comply with current regulations or these Conditions.

Users who send images, photos, comments etc. guarantee that they are the owner of the same and have all necessary authorisations (especially in the case of data or images of third parties, and in particular if they are under-age children) so that the Company can use the Website, freely and with no associated charge whatsoever, to reproduce, distribute, make available to others and communicate them publicly. The Users, guaranteeing that they hold these rights, grant the Company and its group free and unlimited use of the material.

If, directly or through notification or complaints from third parties, illegal practices or similar are discovered, the Company will remove the offending content or take any other measure it considers necessary to prevent the situation continuing. Identical measures will be applicable if a use is detected which, because of its characteristics such as size, format etc., complicates the functioning of the Website, or if the content and/or links contain propaganda or spam, or if comments are repeated, do not make sense or are on a different topic. Without prejudice to the above, the Users agree that the Company will be able to notify the administrative or judicial authorities about anything which could constitute an illegal activity, without having to notify the User in advance.

In the event that the Company decides to suspend (temporarily or definitively) a Users participation in the areas where participation is possible, the Company will inform the User of this suspension by sending them a message via email, if they have previously provided an email address.

The Company reserves the right to cease to provide the service in any area of participation at any time, merely by communicating this fact on the access screen to the service at least fifteen (15) days in advance.

7.- Intellectual and Industrial Property.

The rights of intellectual property of the Website, its source code, design, navigation structures and different elements of the content are the property of the Company. The Company has exclusive rights to use these in any way, and especially the rights of reproduction, distribution, public communication and transformation, in accordance with Spanish and European Union legislation. At the same time, the Website consists of information of different types related to the activities of the Company (information created by the Company or created by third parties), which permits the Users to make personal and non-commercial use of it.

ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED with regard to the contents of the Company, the Media, other companies within the group of which the Company forms part, or third parties. It is prohibited to reproduce totally or in part, distribute, make available, communicate publicly or use, totally or in part, the contents of this website, in any way or form, without previous and express authorisation in writing. This includes, in particular, simply reproducing any content and/or making it available as a summary, comment or press review for commercial or directly or indirectly lucrative purposes, which is expressly forbidden. The presentation of pages from the Website is also prohibited, nor may images from the Website be displayed on pages which do not belong to the Company (no matter what technique is used). The unauthorised use of these contents will give rise to legally established responsibilities. The Company, in accordance with the LSSI, will not be responsible for any infractions committed by the User of the Website which affect third parties, unless it had effective knowledge of the said infraction. The Company informs Users that, without previous and express authorisation in writing, no licence or express or implicit authorisation will be granted regarding the rights of intellectual and/or industrial property, or regarding any other right or property related directly or indirectly with the contents included on the Website, and any alteration or modification of the contents or any other element of the Website is also prohibited.

In the case that Users place content onto the Website, the Company informs you that you will still retain ownership of the rights over your content if, when loading or publishing content on the Website (the Content), you agree to grant the Company a worldwide licence, which is non-exclusive and transferable (with the faculty of sub-licencing to third parties), for the maximum duration of rights in accordance with the applicable legislation. This licence authorises the Company to use, reproduce and distribute the Content, communicate it publicly (including making it available to the public), carry out works deriving from it, transforming, displaying and executing this Content in relation to the provision of the services of the Website, the functioning of the Website and the activity of the Company. It includes, with no restriction whatsoever, the promotion and redistribution of the Content (and works deriving from it) on the whole or part of the Website in any format and/or methods of operation and through any channel of communication. The licence granted by the User with regard to the content they provide will cease to be effective when the User eliminates or erases their content on the Website.

All commercial names, brands or distinctive signs, logos, symbols, combined figurative or nominative brands which appear on this Website belong to the Company, or it holds the licences for use of the same.

8.- Policy regarding links.

Links to other websites.

The Website may include links to sites controlled by third parties. The User should remember that when they use a link to access another website from this one, the Websites Privacy Policy and Policy regarding Cookies will cease to have effect. The Websites Privacy Policy does not apply to third party sites. In accordance with article 17 of the LSSI, unless the Company has effective knowledge of an illegal deed being carried out, or one which damages the property or rights of a third party who may be eligible for compensation, it holds no responsibility of any type with regard to other websites privacy and treatment of data. Navigation of and interaction with any other website, including those with links on this Website, are subject to the regulations and policies of that site. We recommend that Users read the other websites policies regarding treatment of data and privacy when they visit them via a link on the Website or any other method.

Links from other websites to this Website.

If any third party, entity or website wishes to establish any type of link to this Website, they should respect the following:

The link should be directed to the principal page of the Website.

The link should be absolute and complete; in other words, it should take the User, via a click, to the URL of the Website, showing the whole of the screen. Under no circumstances, unless the Company expressly authorises it in writing, may the website which places the link reproduce the Website in any way, include it as part of its own website or in one of its frames or create a browser on any of the pages of the Website. The page where the link is located must not state that the Company has authorised such a link, unless this has been expressly authorised in writing by the Company. If the entity which is placing the link via its page to the Website wishes to include the brand, denomination, commercial name, sign, logo, slogan or any other type of identifying feature of the Company and/or the Website, it must have express authorisation in writing before doing so.

Under no circumstances does the Company authorise a link to the Website from any web pages which manifestly promote hate, contempt or discrimination for reasons of birth, race, gender, religion, nationality, opinion or any other personal or social circumstance in general which contravenes morality, public order or generally accepted social rules.

The Company takes no responsibility for any aspect of a web page which places a link to the Website, specifically and without limitation regarding its operation, access, data, information, archives, quality and reliability of its products and services, its own links and/or any of its contents in general.

9.- Protection of personal data and policy regarding cookies.

Aspects relating to the treatment of Users personal data when using the Website are regulated in the texts of thePrivacy Policy and the different data collection forms on the Website.

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Fabian Picardo, Gibraltars chief minister, says he will not be losing a minutes sleep over the fact that members of the right-wing Vox political party have lodged a case against him with the Audiencia Nacional in Madrid, accusing him of instigating torture.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Picardo described the accusations as frivolous and vexatious and a clear abuse of process. In addition, he said, the proceedings are a slur on the excellent reputation and work of Her Majestys Royal Gibraltar Police, Her Majestys Prison Service and the Gibraltar Magistrates Court and legal system, all of which I have complete confidence in.

The events behind the case date back to June, when the leader of Vox, Juan Ignacio Minguez, was arrested and remanded in custody after placing a large Spanish flag on the Rock of Gibraltar. Lawyer Pedro Fernandez was also detained for taking photos during the court hearing two days later.

Vox claims that both men were unlawfully detained and subjected to torture and crimes against moral integrity by the police and legal officers on the instructions of Picardo. Judge Ismael Moreno will now try to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and will carry out his own investigations before deciding whether to take any further action.
Chief minister Fabian Picardo gave a televised message regarding the government's plans for 2017 on Tuesday evening and, unsurprisingly, part of it dealt with ways of managing Brexit.

He explained that the Gibraltar government is working closely with the whole Cabinet, the whole of the public sector and the civil service and with all those interested in the private sector to ensure that the Gibraltar position is accurately understood in London and in Brussels, and then went on to say that they are also working "beyond Europe to attract investment to Gibraltar and to establish strong, mutually beneficial and friendly relationships in neighbouring and far flung nations."

Gibraltar will be hit very hard by the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, and as well as tightening the already close ties with the British government, the Gibraltar authorities are keen to expand their interests in other parts of the world.

A financial services delegation visited Casablanca late last year, Gibraltar already has an office in Hong Kong and is looking to expand its networks in East Asia and the chief minister also said that "we will continue our lobbying work in the United States as that nation sees a new administration taking over. And we will work to build even stronger relationships with the United Kingdom, other Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and the nations of the Commonwealth."
The Lions' Club Balcon de Europa celebrated their New Year dinner last week, their first large event since the new group formed nine months ago. The dinner took place at the Mar Bella restaurant in Nerja and more than 30 members and guests, representing the wide range of nationalities that make up Nerja's population, shared the evening. Councillor Cristina Fernandez also attended the event.

The club's president, Jose Plaisant, from Belgium, gave an introductory speech in which he used the story of an anthropologist who visited the Xhosa tribe in Africa and learned the word, 'ubuntu,' meaning 'I am because we are,' from a group of children. This and other speeches given by Jose and vice-president, Elke Lange, were given in or translated into English, French and Spanish by Laura Viqueira, who is the club's vice-secretary.

A raffle and auction of paintings by local artists and donated by ANEDA (Asociacion Nerjena de Arte) raised a total of 479 euros, which will be donated to the different charities and organisations the Lions' Club Balcon de Europa supports.

So far the new organisation has helped a local school with an art project, in collaboration with the Estudio de Pintura Infantil de Nerja (children's painting studio), and future projects include a charity padel tournament, for which the club is looking for sponsors.
La Campana, one of the oldest and most popular taverns in Torremolinos, is celebrating its sixtieth birthday next month.

Founded by Narciso Perez Texeira, the bar was one of a franchise that bore the name of La Campana, which means the bell.

Perez Texeira, a former Malaga-based bodega, once owned 21 bars in the province of Malaga and two in Madrid and they quickly gained a reputation for outstanding quality.

One of its more unusual drinks was called 'sopa', a mixture of gin, mint and celery liqueur

La Campana opened in Calle de la Cruz in Torremolinos in 1957 and it soon became a popular tavern where locals would congregate over a game of dominoes and a glass of wine.

Torremolinos gained recognition at the start of the tourist boom in the late 1950s, and La Campana became favoured by the hordes of holidaymakers who visited the town.

A glass of red wine cost less than one peseta when Narciso first opened his bar, but probably more appealing to the clients was the huge selection of freshly-caught seafood that was available on a daily basis.

Pepe and Manolo with the fan.

The wines were served from large oak barrels, as they still are today, and the tavern became known for its extensive selection of sweet Malaga wines, Sherries and fragrant liqueurs.

One of its most unusual beverages was called 'sopa', a mixture of gin, mint cordial and celery liqueur, which in 1969 cost two pesetas a glass.

The large wooden beer fridge has been a feature of the bar since it first opened in 1957, when customers would enjoy their Victoria lager, Malaga's most popular at the time, from a bell shaped glass.

Everything that was sold, with the exception of mixers and Victoria beer, was supplied by the Perez Texeira winery in Malaga, but, like nearly all of the bars, the winery no longer exists.

Today, only four of the bars survive: two in Malaga; one in Torre del Mar and one in Torremolinos, although they are all now privately owned.

La Campana in Torremolinos has changed little over the years and, with the exception of a twelve month period in the early 1970s, it is still located in its original premises in Calle de la Cruz.

In February 1971, the street underwent a complete reconstruction and La Campana was forced to take temporary premises in Calle San Miguel.

The bar's current owner, Pepe Muriel Gonzalez, left school and immediately went to work as a waiter in La Campana.

Because of his age, Pepe needed to get a 'Triptico de Menores', (work permit), which had to be signed by his parents, his employer and the Guardia Civil.

"I started working here as soon as I left school, I was 14 at the time, and this is the only job I've ever had," the chirpy 63-year-old told SUR in English.

La Campana, one of the few bars left in the area that still chalks the bill on the counter, has long been a popular meeting point in the town.

One of the nice things about this old institution, for it is worthy of such a label, is the simplicity of the way in which it is run. Much of the old Andalusian ambience can still be found here, and it's favoured by some of the town's most celebrated characters.

Twelve oak barrels, containing some of the most famous wines of the province, line the eight-metre-long bar. The interior is decorated with old photographs and newspaper cuttings depicting the history of Torremolinos, and the distinctive livery of Pepe's beloved Malaga FC.

However, one of Pepe's most cherished possessions was given to him by one of his customers.

On clearing out his mother's apartment after her death in 2005, one of Pepe's long-time friends came across a small paper fan.

This fan was made in 1969 and was used in a promotional campaign to advertise the Perez Texeira bodegas during the feria. It is inscribed with the addresses of each of the 23 La Campana bars, and today it takes pride of place on the wall of the bar.

"This was an incredible find and I'm sure it will be the only one in existence. It is a little piece of history and I am so grateful that Manolo decided to donate it to the bar," Pepe says with a look of glee.

Today, almost fifty years on, Pepe is as passionate about La Campana as ever, although now he is the proud owner of the bar.

Pepe bought the business with a fellow workmate called Paco in July 1998. Paco retired ten years ago and Pepe now runs the establishment with his son, Jose Maria, and daughter, Elena.

There are also two long-serving employees - Antonio, who has been preparing the seafood tapas for the last 30 years, and his assistant, Jorge, who has worked there for twelve years.

Pepe's children have recently convinced their father to take a day off from the bar, and so on a Tuesday, Jose and Elena take charge of the business.

Pepe hopes to hand the business over to his children when he retires, but what will he do with his time after serving locals and tourists for best part of his life?

"It will be strange, for sure, but one of my hobbies is renovating old motorcycles, and I'm sure my wife will find plenty for me to do," Pepe says with a huge smile.
There comes a time in many peoples lives when they feel that they may have missed out on their true vocation. Maybe we feel that we should have pursued our particular goal or career, and yet once we reach 50, we inevitably believe that the chance has passed us by.

However, there is still time to achieve the things we postponed because our previous daily routines forbade them - as many expatriates on the Costa del Sol have realised.

The University of the Third Age in Spain (U3A) is a non-profit making organisation that focuses on the interests and requirements of English-speaking people.

The U3A offers a broad range of courses, activity groups and lectures for mature people and its aim is the promotion of learning for enjoyment.

The classes are informal and can be used to aid in ones daily life, provide a hobby, or just for fun and exercise.

The third-age organisation is a self-help group and the leaders are volunteers who share their interests and expertise with others.

Membership is not related to a specific age, but to a period in ones life - the third age - after the second age of full-time employment and parental responsibility.

Groups offer the chance to study many different subjects, including astronomy, photography, art, poetry, and Spanish language.

No qualifications are required and there are no assessments or qualifications to be gained; just the satisfaction of furthering ones education during retirement.

In this area U3A branches are found in Marbella, Fuengirola and in the Axarquia region east of Malaga, and their courses generally run from September to May, with a break for Christmas in December.

The Costa del Sol U3A was established in Marbella in 1997 and today has a membership of approximately 700.

However, while the organisation adheres essentially to the principles of U3A, the branches on the Costa del Sol remain entirely autonomous.

In January 1998, an off-shoot was started in Fuengirola, but when their combined membership reached a total of more than 400 members in 2003, steps were taken to separate the two in order to facilitate the administration.

The Marbella and Fuengirola branches have been operating independently ever since.

There are currently 300 members, representing 27 nationalities, in Fuengirola, and the branches in Marbella and Axarquia also have a broad sphere of nationalities.

The U3A in Fuengirola offers 30 courses on topics such as music, drama, history, philosophy and geology, and members have access to a small library of books covering varying subjects.

The organisation is a private concern without public funding, so they rely on self-sufficiency.

Geoff Cooke, president of the U3A in Fuengirola told SUR in English, We have been fortunate to be able to hold our courses and lectures in the premises of Lux Mundi and the Ark Christian Fellowship in exchange for a modest donation.

Our annual membership fee [30 euros] covers this and our administrative costs, while the courses are done by members on a voluntary bases, Geoff explained.

In addition to the courses, U3A in Fuengirola organises lectures, given by members or external speakers. They also go on cultural visits within Spain and have a regular Malaga museum visit, where members can spend the day at a chosen art gallery.

Everyone has the opportunity to meet like-minded people during our activities and it proves to be a popular social gathering, as well as an educational one, Geoff continued.

One of the most popular courses is the modern jive classes that take place in the Manila Cafe in Los Boliches every Thursday afternoon.

Helen and Richard Brampton, who have recently moved to the coast, said they had heard about the U3A in Fuengirola by word of mouth.

We have recently retired and settled in Fuengirola and we didnt know anyone when we arrived, so when we heard about the U3A, we thought we would come along to the jive class, as we both like dancing, Helen said.

Alan Campbell, treasurer of the Fuengirola branch, who joined the organisation one year ago, explained how the U3A is a good place to meet like-minded people.

We had only just moved to Spain when we became members of the U3A and it proved to be a great way for my wife and I to meet new friends, Alan, a former accountant, said.

The club loses around 20 per cent of its members each year, due to varying reasons, so they are always looking for new members, especially those who wish to share their knowledge and skills.

The U3A in Fuengirola aims to integrate the English-speaking community into the Spanish society by introducing several new courses.

We are adding new courses, especially Spanish courses. I think the new sevillana dance classes will prove extremely popular, Geoff says with a hint of confidence.
The former president of the Torremolinos animal welfare association, Parque Animal, Carmen Marin, has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for cruelty to animals, falsification of documents and unqualified practice.

The sentence, handed down by a Malaga court this week following the trial in November and December, could be appealed in the provincial court.

Both Marin and her assistant, Felipe Barco, were given one year in prison, the maximum sentence allowed under Spanish law for animal cruelty. The remainder of Marin's sentence, a further two years and nine months, was handed down for falsifying documents.

During sentencing, the judge took the landmark step to recommend a change to the criminal code to raise the sentence by "one or two degrees" in severe cases. "It would allow for a punishment that is more proportionate to the crime in cases such as this one," he concluded.

Marin was accused by the public prosecution department of sacrificing hundreds of dogs and cats "in authentic extermination sessions" when euthanasia products were administered in insufficient doses, causing a "slow and painful death" for the animals, despite running a 'zero sacrifice' policy for several years.

The judge also ruled that the lists of sacrificed animals, sent to Torremolinos town hall which would foot the bill, had been "manipulated" to include the participation of vets "who were never involved".

In response to this, Torremolinos town hall announced that an investigation would be launched into the conduct of the council, then run by the PP, which "didn't assist in any way" in the investigation which started in 2010 and allowed the documentation to be returned to Marin and then altered, according to officers from the Guardia Civil's nature protection unit, Seprona.

Dogs frozen alive

The animal killings were carried out for "financial gain", freeing up space for new animals and charging for their care, concluded the sentence.

Officers from Seprona, had also told the court that during their investigation they had discovered "dogs frozen alive". This would prove to be the key to the investigation.

During the trial, Marin, who has also been sentenced to pay a total of 19,800 euros for unqualified practice, moral damage and falsification of documents, said she had a "phobia" of injections and that the number of animals sacrificed was 283 in three years. Nevertheless the Association of Veterinary Surgeons estimated that the figure was more like 2,800.

Following the verdict, Marin announced on Wednesday that she would be appealing, calling the decision an "injustice", insisting that she was innocent on all charges.
Theres more to clowning than buckets of water and custard pies. A renowned clown who uses his comedy to explore social and political issues such as violence and warfare is to perform at the University of Salford.

Lucho Guzmans show Ceniza (Ashes) is inspired by real experiences of conflict in Colombia, and is based around a lone soldier who takes refuge in an abandoned big top and finds himself drawn into the world of the circus while a battle rages outside.

A highly experienced performer, director and teacher, Guzman founded the Pasos de Payaso (Clown Footsteps) company which has travelled as far as Washington DC as well as touring remote rural areas of Colombia. He has also taught at the National Hispanic Centre in New Mexico.

Earlier, Guzman, who has performed across North and South America, will bring more than 15 years of experience working in theatres, festivals and on the street to a workshop session for students on the universitys Theatre And Performance Practice programme.

The show will be followed by a discussion with Guzman chaired by university lecturer Dr Richard Talbot, an expert on clowning.

Lucho Guzman is one of a number of performers across the world demonstrating how its possible to use traditional clowning skills to make audiences think about big social issues, said Dr Talbot.

Its a real honour for him to perform here in Salford, and our students will draw a huge benefit from seeing how a unique performer from a different culture has taken an approach to theatre they may never have considered to create a passionate and important work.

The workshop session will also provide an unrivalled opportunity for them to see an internationally renowned master demonstrating his craft at close quarters, and for them to develop skills which can be used across a wide range of performance areas.

The show will be performed on Monday January 23 at 7pm in one of the high-spec performance studios in the New Adelphi Arts Centre, the 55m new home of the School of Arts and Media which opened in the autumn.

Its free but please reserve a place here.
Activity began at the new Ronda hospital on Tuesday morning with five outpatients surgeries open: General Surgery, Dermatology, Anaesthesia, Gynaecology and Obstetrics and Paediatrics, after a wait of more than 20 years. Mayte Flores, a young woman from Algodonales, was the first patient waiting for an appointment. The hospital will serve an area of 85,000 people who live in towns and villages in the Serrania as well as others in the province of Cadiz, such as Ubrique, Benaocaz and Villaluenga del Rosario, among others. A total of 82 patients went to their appointments on the hospital's first day.

The hospital will be fully operative in April, when the move from the Hospital Comarcal is complete. The more than 700 healthcare professionals at the Comarcal will eventually be moved to the new centre. The new hospital was visited on Tuesday by the representative of the regional government in Malaga, Jose Luis Ruiz Espejo; the province's Health delegate, Ana Isabel Gonzalez; the manager of the Serrania health district, Jose Antonio Ruiz; the mayor of Ronda, Teresa Valdenebro; and the councillor for Public Works, Francisco Marquez.

The facility has cost nearly 50 million euros. The first stone was laid in October 2008 by the firm FCC Construccion. Then a time line of 42 months was established for the works, however these were halted due to a lack of funds.

It has 152 individual rooms (compared to the previous 18 single and 55 doubles) and covers 37,800 square metres compared to 13,500. It is expecting annual activity of more than 41,000 emergency cases, 113,000 specialist consultations, 32,000 hospital stays and 3,500 surgical interventions.
Miguel Delibes de Castro, naturalist and director for 12 years of the Biological Station at Donana, says that man is a catastrophe for all other living beings. Perhaps that statement seems unnatural but it is so simple that it may just hold the explanation for the delicate present condition of a place which is considered the most important wetland in Europe. Donana, among other threats faced by its tens of thousands of hectares of land, is slowly and inexplicably drying up.

The park is completely dependent on water and every year the aquifer becomes drier. This is a disastrous trend for the marshes, the lagoons, the flora and fauna. It has been overexploited to such an extent that it would take between 30 and 60 years to recover completely, and creating a very difficult situation for the hundreds of thousands of birds which arrive from Africa or northern Europe each year.

Donana also has fantastic woodland and 32 kilometres of beaches where there are no buildings, something almost unheard-of in Spain, but its wetland is the most important part.

It has now rained for three consecutive days and I know it must seem crazy for us to say that it is drying up; if it rained for three weeks at a time this would even flood, but the problem isnt what we can see. The aquifer dropped to its lowest ever levels during the last major drought in 199, and now there are parts which are at the same level even though it has rained more. The worst thing is that no water is being saved for when the next big drought occurs, warns Juanjo Carmona,the spokesperson for Donana at the WWF, one of the most important nature conservation organisations in the world.

At present there appears to be plenty of water, but it is an illusion. The problem is the water table, the underground flow which is being increasingly exploited.

Many people near Donana use its water and over 1,000 illegal wells dot the landscape. In the western part, there has been an exorbitant increase in agriculture.

In theory that should be an asset, such as with olive groves or vines; they are basic in a natural area, but irrigation has grown out of all proportion and in a disorderly fashion, and the agriculture is taking up public space on the mountain, explains Juanjo.

Strawberry crops are expanding from Huelva and recently so have blueberries.

In the eastern part, in Seville, there are rice fields, and these contribute to the overexploitation of the aquifer, says Juanjo Carmona. Demand keeps increasing and now, in addition, they want to open Aznalcollar again. The authorities say the solution is to store more water to meet all the demand, but the problem is that the more water there is in the reservoir, the less will reach the marshes.

Aznalcollar was the scene of an environmental disaster in 1998 when the dam of the mines settling basin broke. Now it wants to open again, posing an additional threat to the park, like the project to dredge the river so that bigger ships and cruise liners could sail up the Guadalquivir to the port in Seville.

Lynx and Mozart

The consequences would be dire for many species which breed here, such as prawns and anchovies, which feed from the sediment and are then fished in the gulf of Cadiz. It would also increase salinity, which would be very damaging for the rice fields.

Nobody has taken into account the fact that these ships cant manouevre freely along a river with bends, so it would have to be modified to make a type of straight channel, and that would destroy the surroundings. And anyway, we already have ports in Cadiz, Huelva, Algeciras and Malaga, says Juanjo.

And the final straw, which has put ecologists on the warpath, is that the Gas Natural company wants to create a gas store below Donana, an area which is classified as a National and Natural Park, a Unesco Heritage Site, a Biosphere Reserve, an internationally important Ramsar wetland, and part of the Nature Network 2000. This should mean that it cannot be touched, and not a place in which gas can be stored. It seems we never learn, complains Juanjo, who seems to agree with something else that was said by Miguel Delibes, who is an expert on the lynx, to illustrate the importance of things: If a lynx becomes extinct, it is as if Mozart has died. Nobody ever dies from a lack of Mozart, but...

It is like comparing Donana with the Prado museum. Neither is vital for existence, but they both have an incalculable intangible value.

Donana owes its name to Dona Ana de Silva y Mendoza, the daughter of the princess of Eboli and wife of the duke of Medina Sidonia, one of its most illustrious residents. However, it owes an even greater debt to Jose Antonio Valverde, a Spanish zoologist who succeeded in convincing the authorities of the importance of preserving this area, instead of using it to plant rice or eucalyptus trees. When this does not happen, as in the case of Matalascanas, the buildings encroach upon the land. This scientists intervention was a determining factor in Donana being declared a National Park in 1969 and a World Heritage Site in 1994.

Unesco sent two missions to Donana, in 2011 and 2015, to ask Spain to protect the aquifer and the estuary, and to guarantee that the Guadalquivir would not be dredged. More recently the organisation has made it clear to the Spanish government that it should do this before December 1st if it does not want to become the first member state of the European Union to have a World Heritage Site declared in danger.

Shorter springs

At the same time, the European Commission has opened two cases against Spain for bad management of the water and putting the park in danger from dredging, and is threatening to take it to the European Court of Justice.

The WWF is so unhappy at the situation that it organised a workshop with water experts, who concluded that the state of preservation of Donana is worse than shown in the Administrations planning documents. It also warns of the need to declare the aquifer at risk and to state clearer conservation objectives.

These are the top priorities, but there are also others, such as closing down the illegal wells and farms, controlling the use of water, building and maintaining measuring stations to monitor how much water enters and leaves the marshes, improving the treatment of water which is released onto Donana and reducing contamination caused by agriculture.

Also, as Juanjo Carmona points out, it would be a big mistake to see that a week of rain has filled the marshes with water and think that the problem is over.Donana is drying up, even though it may not look like it, he insists.

The solution is not for the birds to seek water in the rice fields and fish farms. We are grateful for the support of their managers, but that isnt the model we need to follow, he explains.

JuanJo lives in the park, in Hinojos, beside the marshes, and sees the threats to Donana from close at hand. That is why he knows well that the problem does not lie on the surface, but with the water which flows from the subsoil and which dries up earlier every spring, leaving too little time for many of the baby birds which are born here to grow.

Donana is currently home to four varieties of endangered birds: the marbled teal, the white-headed duck - two of the most emblematic anatidae in Spanish fauna - the Spanish imperial eagle and Audouins gull.
Ever the optimist, Spain's economy and industry minister has recently been hinting that the country's economic growth might exceed the predicted 3.2% for last year. That figure, it should be remembered, was already pretty positive: it's about twice the eurozone average and applied to a year in which Spaniards spent ten months without a properly functioning government. Yet Luis de Guindos told radio station Cadena Ser on January 1st that "the estimate we're handling is that growth may have been higher in 2016 than in 2015". Growth in 2015 was 3.2% as well, but then 2015 was relatively stable.

If it seems surprising that Spain might post a similar - or even better - figure for a year in which it had a sleepwalking administration for ten months, remember the example of Belgium. Between 2010 and 2011 it lacked an elected government for 589 days - over a year and a half - and the economy didn't flinch. Spain was kept afloat during 2016 by a bumper tourist year and increased consumer spending among Spaniards; indeed, the prolonged lack of administration only really impacted on the preparation of the 2017 budget - still pending, much to the EU's annoyance - and spending on new infrastructure projects, which ground to a halt between January-November.

Now the politicians are back, this year's growth is actually expected to be less than 2016's. The official prediciton is for GDP expansion of 2.5% in 2017: this downgraded estimate reflects the risks posed by Brexit, a potential decrease in consumer spending and the fact that Spain is supposed to prioritise meeting EU budgetary goals to avoid sanctions from Brussels. The latter will involve a politically toxic combination of tax hikes and spending cuts that are currently being cooked up behind the closed doors of government.

De Guindos, by the way, is also very upbeat about the Spanish government's ability to raise the extra five billion euros or so needed to keep the accountants in Brussels happy: he says it will mainly be raised by blocking corporate tax loopholes that were put in place to enable businesses to recover from the recession. For its part, the EU remains justifiably sceptical of Spain's ability to make the grade in this respect: every single year it has been in office, Rajoy's Popular Party has failed to meet Brussels' deficit-reduction goals. Why should 2017 be any different, especially now that Rajoy now leads a minority administration that faces fierce opposition - from left and the new right - in congress?

Labour minister Fatima Banez has also being spreading a positive new year message, declaring last week that 2017 will be a "year of hope and of confidence". She wields the statistic that, of more than 3.5 million jobs lost in Spain during the recession, 1.7 have been recovered. Any kind of reparation of the enormous economic damage represented by that figure is better than nothing; the problem is, though, that not enough of those new 1.7 jobs are permanent, stable positions. Permanence and stability are currently in short supply in the Spanish labour market (as I wrote here last week, as well) - a fact which needs to change if 2017's growth target is to be met or exceeded.
A grey sandstone building half-way up Edinburghs Lothian Road, opposite the citys imposing Usher Hall, has for more than 30 years offered escapism into different worlds, through visual story-telling of intrigue, romance and fantasy. Here at Edinburghs Filmhouse, an independent cinema, I was captivated by Claude Berris Jean de Florette; seduced by visual richness of Gabriel Axels Babettes Feast; and both amused and confused by Almodovars Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

It was during those years, in the late 80s, as an undergraduate student of film that I first got to really know Scotlands capital. Its a spellbinding place that over the years has truly flourished, and one I love to revisit.

City of writers

As opposed to film though, Edinburgh is surely best known for its literary heritage. For example its here that Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and of course JK Rowling famously sat in the back room of the Elephant House tea & coffee shop, penning the drafts of her Harry Potter novels.

For the literary curious, pay a visit to The Writers Museum in the historic Lady Stairs House. It celebrates the lives and works of Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. Outside is Makars Court, where one finds flagstones inscribed with quotes from famous Scottish writers. Its one of the many quirky and original features of a European capital city that has a unique identity, charm and character.

Ancient, old and new

Architecturally, Edinburgh is not only notable for its Georgian New Town, an elegantly planned and constructed part of the city that runs north of George Street; but also for its atmospheric Old Town. With its ancient wynds, those narrow alleyways between dark-stone buildings, its little wonder it makes the perfect back-drop for touristy ghost-themed walking tours.

The city is a showcase too of Scottish baronial architecture, with the styles distinctive little turrets, battlements and romantic towers adorning many of the citys buildings. The gothic St Giles Cathedral and the elegant Holyrood Palace, the Queens official residence in Scotland, are two architectural headliners but if one steps away from the Royal Mile and its gift shops selling tartan scarfs, then one discovers a myriad fascinating streets and squares that reflect the hidden Edinburgh.

Taste of Scotland

Although each street feels infused with history, there is plenty of 21st century energy in this increasingly cosmopolitan city. To feel the pulse of modern Edinburgh means enjoying the lively bar and restaurant scene.

Scottish cuisine is affirming its contemporary credentials with a generous helping of new restaurants celebrating the nations larder. Edinburgh also now boasts a handful of Michelin star restaurants yet one doesnt have to fork out for fine dining in order to enjoy some of the best bites in town.

For example, head to the Leith, the citys docklands area and one will find some smart, informal places offering creative dishes from some of Scotlands emerging young chefs. When I first moved to the city, Leith felt disconnected from the centre, but now this port area has embraced positive change and is part of the citys urban cultural and gastronomic scene.

Hot tickets

Talking of culture, of course the Festival and the Fringe are now well and truly international events that define the summer season. Yet a winter break will still be rewarded with the opportunity to engage with local events. Admittedly the weather may not be exactly Mediterranean but Edinburgh has plenty more to offer. The hottest ticket in town is Hogmanay, the famous New Years Eve celebrations that see the streets fill with revellers and the sky light up with fireworks. Many book ahead for this time of year as many businesses typically close on the 31st except for those hosting events, dinners, galas and parties. If you dont book something, then join the locals and enjoy the atmosphere in the street.

Urban hiking

Edinburgh is one of those European capitals that although vibrant and lively, doesnt pulse with frantic urban energy. So a city break here wont leave you exhausted, but instead encourage you to relax, unwind and gently explore. Nature is never far away. Arthurs Seat is the highest peak of a series of volcanic remnants that are in the city centre, including Castle Rock upon which Edinburgh Castle is built. Arthurs Seat is less than two kilometres from the castle and offers the surprising opportunity to enjoy city centre hill walking, affording wonderful views across Edinburgh to the Firth of the Forth and beyond.

After a mornings hike up to the top, followed by a rewarding lunch in town, then youll feel like catching a movie matinee at the Filmhouse.
Bonfires, stone throwing, races, romerias and pet shows across Spain will mark the Fiesta de San Antonio de Abad or San Anton from this week until the end of the month.

INFORMATION Malaga. 22 January. Maro. 14, 15, 17 January. Mijas. 17 January.

Mijas celebrates with a strange tradition dating back to the 15th century with hundreds of 'singles' gathering at the Ermita de la Virgen de La Pena to throw stones at the genitals of the statue of San Anton to make sure they procure a partner this year. The hermitage is also the site for the blessing of animals. Locals take their pets and stock to be blessed by the saint who is also the patron of animals.

In Maro, the events are spread over several days starting with a procession to offer flowers to San Anton in the Las Maravillas church. Bonfires are lit in the street and prizes are awarded for the most traditional, largest etc. The main bonfire will be in the Plaza de la Iglesia. Competitions, wine tastings and live music fill the following days which culminate on the 17th with a special mass and procession of the saint through the streets.

Malaga celebrates San Anton every year with a romeria (procession) in the Parque del Lagarillo Blanco organised by the Asociacion de Vecinos de El Palo.

All the provinces of Andalucia will be holding events to honour the saint; Jaen, for example, has a nocturnal race in which around 8,000 runners take part; in Granada it is traditional to eat 'Olla de San Anton' (a stew made from pork and beans). In Cordoba, a few laps around the hermitage will stop you getting stomach ache for the rest of the year while the Parque Gonzalez Honitorio in Jerez de la Frontera will be filled with animals as they congregate for the blessing.
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There's a cleaning job on offer that pays 45 per hour - but it's only on offer to women, and they have to be happy to work naked.

Naturist Cleaners is currently seeking women in Surrey prepared to do cleaning work for clients all over the county.

The cleaning firm's advert reads: "We are looking for female naturist cleaners who can clean private houses nude.

"The job will require doing all general cleaning like dusting, tidying up, vacuuming, watering plants, making beds, using the washing machine, ironing clothes and cleaning windows."

Laura Smith, who is based in Surrey herself and runs the company from there, said: "We are like an agency so we are always happy to have more cleaners available. We have cleaners who have worked for a year or longer but we have more demand now so we are looking for more cleaners."

Majority of clients are male

She confirmed that the services cover the whole of Surrey and that the firm is currently only seeking to employ women, because most of its clients are men who prefer to have female cleaners.

"The majority of our clients are male and they prefer female cleaners. We also have families and couples who also prefer female cleaners," said Ms Smith.

"We have male cleaners as well in our books and some male clients who want male cleaners and females looking for male cleaners," she added.

(Image: Surrey Advertiser)

The service was initially intended as a service for naturists, but it expanded to allow anyone to hire a naked cleaner.

Ms Smith said: "We don't say we can't provide services if you're not a naturist but the idea and business started as a service for naturists. Once we developed we had different enquiries. Some clients prefer to stay dressed and just watch our cleaner or just want a nude cleaner to have a different experience.

"Most of the clients will be nude while our cleaner cleans. It's a liberating experience and they like to be nude at their own home. Most of our clients go to nudist resorts.

Security measures in place

Some people would be a little apprehensive about wandering around a strangers home with no clothes on, but Ms Smith reassures that there are security measures put in place to keep her cleaners safe.

She said: "We take a deposit through the bank system which gives us all their [the client's] personal details, such as their address and name. Our cleaner would never go to a client who was just offering cash.

"We always know where they are going and track our cleaners so they are never left totally alone and we always communicate through the booking system and are nearby if they need us.

"We also never take late night bookings. It's always during the day time. We don't provide any sexual services. The hours are from 9am until 7pm, we never go beyond that, to provide some safety for them."

The company has an FAQ section on its website where it outlines the rules and other information.

What are your rates and prices?

An hourly rate for our nude cleaning service provided by one nude cleaner is 65 for the 1st hour. The booking for more hours after that is 55 per hour. The minimum booking time is 1 hour. However, the time may vary based on your location as our nude cleaner may have to commute a long distance in order to reach you. In this instance, the booking time may be at-least 2 hours.

The fully clothed cleaning service can be booked for the 1st hour for 25 and 20 for any additional hour. The minimum booking requirement for this service is 2 hours.

Can I book more than one cleaner?

Yes, you can have two or more nude or fully clothed cleaners if you fancy that.

What if I don't like the cleaner?

We assure you that you will find our cleaners very likable. All our cleaners are very professional and friendly. Moreover, before booking your appointment we ask for all the preferences that you may have regarding your cleaner. After that, we will email you the pictures of our cleaners which fit your given preferences. Only when you agree, to the cleaner of your choice, the cleaner shall arrive to your house.

Do you have photos of specific cleaners in my area?

We do not have photos of our cleaners on our website for confidentiality reasons. Although, we can email you photos of recommended cleaners by your described preferences.

Do you provide any other services besides domestic help?

No, we just provide nude cleaning service and fully-clothed domestic cleaning service.

Can I touch your cleaning service provider?

No, it is strictly against our professional policies. You cannot touch our nude cleaners or those fully clothed at all. We take the safety of our cleaner as a priority.

Can I contact your cleaner in private?

For your own confidentiality and security, we strongly advise you to never give your contact details to our cleaners or hire them directly. If such arrangements are being made without our knowledge, then we cannot guarantee the quality of the services she will be providing you. In this case, we also will not take any liability and responsibility for leaked information and your own security.

Can I take pictures and videos of your cleaners?

No, you absolutely cannot record videos or take photos of our nude or fully clothed cleaners. This is strictly against our confidentiality policies. You can just watch her do her work.
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A Leatherhead school has become one of only 34 in the country to achieve "world class" status.

St Andrew's Catholic School was given the World Class Schools Quality Mark (WCSQM), awarded to schools that have "moved beyond" the Ofsted outstanding rating, in December.

The school was last inspected by the watchdog in 2013, achieving 'outstanding', and has now been given the new mark as evidence of its further achievements.

Alan Mitchell, head teacher at St Andrew's, said: "The World Class Schools Quality Mark is one which the community of St Andrew's should be proud of.

"The recognition rightly credits the tremendous efforts and commitment of all members of our community. Students, parents, staff and governors have all contributed significantly to help St Andrew's to achieve this world class recognition."

St Andrew's were officially given the award at a ceremony on December 1, 2016 at St Bartholomew's Hospital in central London.

Three Year 13 students  Abi Gwyther, Georgia Degg and Max Tanner  accepted the award on behalf of the school.

The award's uniqueness lies in the fact that it is the students who are assessed with regard to whether they are world class or not, rather than the school itself.

The rationale behind this is that if the school is truly world class, then its students should be able to demonstrate this in whatever context they find themselves.

All schools that apply for the WCSQM must first excel in their Key Stage 4 performance before they are eligible. Students must be highly confident in science, mathematics, technology and culture and be able to match the knowledge of the best students around the world.

They must consistently outperform students from similar backgrounds and be dedicated to learning. They must also be globally aware so that they are confident in living and working in an international environment.

Pupils have to submit a detailed audit of how their school helps them to develop all of the required skills, and submit videos to support this.

The final step sees the students participate in an assessment centre event, at which their performances are assessed against a rigorous framework.

Miranda Perry, co-director of WCSQM, said: "The Mark is about recognising how well the top secondary schools in the country prepare their students to thrive in the 21st century.

"We are confident that St Andrew's provides their students with the best life chances possible."

It is hoped that achieving the mark will bring a wide range of benefits to the school including opportunities for students to take part in work experience schemes and the chance to collaborate with other world class schools.

For more information on the mark visit the World Class Schools website.
Auburn state prison outside.JPG

Auburn Correctional Facility

(John Berry | The Post-Standard)

AUBURN, N.Y. - Three Auburn state prison inmates say the same guard planted weapons on them over the past two years to falsely accuse them of crimes behind bars, according to court papers.

A corrections officer was suspended without pay last month after admitting to the Cayuga County District Attorney's Office that he'd planted evidence on an inmate to break up a gang, DA Jon Budelmann said in a news release Dec. 23. The release did not identify the officer.



Donnesia Brown

Thomas Ozzborn

Naythen Aubain

That same day, Budelmann sent judges a letter saying his office had credible evidence that Officer Matthew Cornell planted a weapon on an inmate at Auburn. In six cases, Budelmann told judges his office would not oppose dropping criminal charges or overturning convictions against inmates because Cornell was the main witness in cases of promoting prison contraband.

In each of the six cases, the prosecution's case depended "almost entirely on Officer Cornell's testimony" about the search of the inmate, the letter said.

Cornell's name was disclosed publicly for the first time when lawyers for three inmates filed Budelmann's letter with their requests for judges to overturn the inmates' prison contraband convictions.

Four months before Budelmann's disclosure, one of the inmates accused Cornell in court of having planted two ice picks on him.

That inmate, Naythen Aubain, said Cornell removed him from a yard area in the prison in March and took him into a room with no video cameras, according to Aubain's lawyer, Adam Van Buskirk.

Cornell frisked Aubain and pretended to find the ice picks in the waistband of Aubain's pants, the inmate told Van Buskirk.

"All of a sudden, there were things there that hadn't actually been on his person," Van Buskirk said.

Cornell, of Auburn, refused to comment last week and referred questions to his lawyer, Michael Vavonese.

"He absolutely and unequivocally denies those allegations," Vavonese said. Cornell also denies ever making any admissions of planting evidence to the DA's office, Vavonese said.

Budelmann did not respond to a request for an interview.

State investigators raided the prison in December and discovered "multiple items of contraband in the possession of prison guards," defense lawyer Rome Canzano wrote in court papers.

State prison officials say they're investigating but would not comment further. Along with Cornell's suspension, two other guards were placed on administrative leave, state prison officials said. A guards' union official told Syracuse.com last month that four corrections officers had been placed on administrative leave.

In August, four months before Cornell's admission was disclosed, Aubain accused the officer of planting evidence and of ordering inmates to assault sex offenders, according to court papers.

Aubain's "unwillingness to follow the unlawful dictates of CO Cornell led to (Aubain's) being charged with (promoting prison contraband) as a retaliatory measure," Van Buskirk wrote in September.

Aubain, 27, served his full five-year sentence for an Oneida County robbery conviction before he was charged with promoting prison contraband.

Along with the three inmates who accused Cornell in court papers, lawyers for two others told Syracuse.com they're seeking to have their prison contraband convictions overturned.

The inmates were charged with crimes over the weapons as their release dates from prison approached, even though the items were found months earlier, defense lawyers said.

Before being charged criminally, they were found guilty of prison disciplinary charges for the same conduct. Three of them were sentenced to solitary confinement - one for 10 months, according to prison records.

Three of the inmates had "good time" taken away, meaning they had to spend more time in prison because of the weapons charges they say were false. One had his earliest parole date delayed by six months because of the weapons charge, state records show.

Canzano asked a judge in court papers to vacate convictions of promoting prison contraband against two of his clients, Thomas Ozzborn and Donnesia Brown.

Both men said they were innocent, but pleaded guilty because they were offered sentences of 2-to-4 years in prison instead of much lengthier terms, Canzano wrote.

The prisoners thought they stood little chance of being acquitted because the evidence would've come down to their word against Cornell's, Canzano said.

Brown, 48, of New York City, served the maximum sentence of five years before he was charged with prison contraband.

Ozzborn, 48, of the Bronx, also served the five-year maximum for drug-trafficking and illegal weapons possession before the contraband conviction.

Ozzborn spent 309 days in solitary confinement, known as the Special Housing Unit, after he was accused in May 2015 of altering an item into a weapon, according to prison records. He was also sentenced to a year of no packages, commissary or phone privileges, and 180 days of lost good time, the records show.

Cornell, 33, has been a state corrections officer for at least nine years, the last seven at Auburn. He was paid $90,980 last year, with a base salary of $59,821, according to state records.

Lawyers for four inmates -- Aubain, Ozzborn, Brown and Jose Muniz -- are scheduled to appear in Cayuga County Court this week on their requests to overturn their convictions based on the revelations about Cornell. Aubain, Ozzborn and Brown said in court papers that Cornell planted weapons on them. Muniz's paperwork does not mention Cornell but is based on the DA's letter.

Inmate Sean Gaines has also asked a judge to overturn his prison contraband conviction based on Budelmann's letter. His paperwork was not available. That case is scheduled for court next week. His attorney, Joseph Sapio, says Cornell planted a weapon on his client.

Gaines spent 234 days in solitary over a May 2016 charge of smuggling a weapon into the prison. Brown spent 120 days in solitary over a January 2016 charge of altering an item into a weapon.

In each case, the prisoner was also indicted on criminal charges.

The DA's office isn't aware of any other guard planting evidence, Assistant District Attorney Christopher Valdina wrote in court papers. There's no evidence Cornell planted a weapon on anyone who was then charged criminally, Valdina wrote.

In light of the officer's admission, the DA's office and the county court judges agreed to dismiss any pending cases in which he had recovered the weapon, Budelmann said in his news release. They would also vacate convictions in any such cases, he said.

Contact John O'Brien anytime | email | Twitter | 315-470-2187
AUBURN, N.Y. -- New York has committed more than $2 million to upgrade the drinking water for 50,000 people in Auburn and the town of Owasco after toxins in Owasco Lake entered their water systems.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced grant Monday afternoon.

The systems draw water from Owasco Lake which was impaired by cyanotoxins that was produced by harmful blue-green algae blooms over the summer.

"Clean drinking water is a critical component of building healthy communities and this administration is working hard to address emerging threats that place it in jeopardy," Cuomo said in a news release. "This funding will play a critical role in helping address the contamination issues facing the Central New York communities that draw their drinking water from Owasco Lake."

Some species of algae produce toxins that are harmful to people and animals. Last summer, cyanotoxins produced by blue-green algae blooms in Owasco Lake were detected in drinking water for the first time in New York State.

The state Department of Health worked closely with the water systems during the fall to monitor levels of the cyanotoxins every day for three weeks to assure that they did not exceed EPA's health advisory levels for young children and people with pre-existing health problems. The department also provided technical guidance to the water systems on temporary changes they could make to lower the levels of cyanotoxins.

The state is providing up to $150,000 to support studies being conducted by Auburn and Owasco to assess the costs and benefits of various treatments strategies, including powdered activated carbon, intake pipe extensions and ozone oxidation.

The state will provide an additional $2 million to implement the strategies identified by both studies, the press release from the governor's office said.

"Thousands of Central New Yorkers rely on Owasco Lake as a source for drinking water, making the discovery of this contamination a real threat to our communities," said Cayuga Cayuga County Legislature Chair Keith Batman said. "With this funding secured, Cayuga County residents can now be assured that there is a clear path forward. We thank Governor Cuomo for his leadership in addressing this problem head on and always working tirelessly to protect the health of communities throughout New York State."

"The safety and health of the residents of Owasco is our utmost priority and through the governor's leadership, we now have the support needed to complete studies that will pinpoint the best treatment plan and upgrade our water systems as soon as possible," said Owasco Supervisor Edward Wagner.

Last year, Cuomo launched the Water Quality Rapid Response Team to swiftly identify and address drinking water quality issues across the state.

In October, a $600,000 study was initiated to identify key sources of pollution in Owasco Lake. In conjunction with the study, a Finger Lakes Water Hub was also launched to provide focused expert staff to study algal blooms and undertake pollution reduction projects in the Owasco Lake watershed and the other Finger Lakes.

Upgrading infrastructure was a major component of Cuomo's state-of-the-state speeches last week. He has proposed investing $2 billion on water infrastructure as part of the Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017.

Contact Charley Hannagan anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-2161.
To the Editor:

Protecting undocumented immigrants is the wrong thing to do ("Mayor Miner: Syracuse will remain sanctuary city, won't enforce federal anti-immigrant policies," Jan. 12, 2017). To not support anti-immigrant policies, establish a sanctuary city in Syracuse, a haven for illegal, non-citizens is against reason and brings more obvious problems and problems not anticipated to a now troubled Syracuse.

Who shall fund all these immigrants without legal status? Will compassion turn into funding these people? Will God intervene or perhaps Mayor Stephanie Miner give her earnings to fund. We are not the compassionate people some claim to be. In reality, Syracuse is full of racial division, poverty, high crime rates and deeply troubling drug problems that are not confronted by police action.

"Stone Age Liberal" bleeding hearts are living in the past. This is not to be blind to the plight of human suffering, but to be motivated by compassion does not always direct the way to a solution to real problems. And the notion that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes and start a business is a flaw in Miner's thinking and repeated by her followers. All immigrants are not void of committing crimes and all immigrants are not capable of starting a business. Perhaps this was true with the immigrants in the 1900s who were of a different stock and involved in different circumstances. And these immigrants did not demand handouts from government.

It is against safety guidelines now, it blocks receiving taxes to Syracuse, it invites refugee demands to programs that reduce availability to legal citizens. What is America about? Making sure everybody else, even in foreign policy, has what they need? No boundaries, no common sense, no progress for the giver?

Building schools for refugees, giving them food stamps and medical coverage while legal, invested citizens lack or cannot afford basic needs, is a bit weak-minded. Why not have compassion and assistance for needs in your community, Mayor Miner, before adding unknown groups of people? Protecting undocumented immigrants is the wrong thing to do.

Leona Forbes

Syracuse
IMG_3041.JPG

Some of Fayetteville-Manlius High School's Model United Nation Club members, including seniors Jasper Rodgers, Joey Anderson, Victor Lee, Ted Wells, Will Franey, John Kim and Sonny Pohar, gather for a photo during the 34th Annual Central New York Model United Nations Conference.

(Submitted)

The following was submitted by Kristine Jarosz, public information specialist for Fayetteville-Manlius schools:

The Fayetteville-Manlius Model United Nations Club recently hosted the 34th Annual Central New York Model United Nations (CNYMUN) Conference, bringing together more than 700 students and advisors from school districts across the state.



CNYMUN is one of this country's largest Model United Nations conferences run by a public high school. During the event, which this year was held Jan. 6 and Jan. 7 at Syracuse University, students pose as United Nations delegates and debate a variety of global issues.

Some of this year's debate topics included pollution and waste management in Asia, illicit smuggling of migrant persons, regulating modern warfare, the Syrian refugee crisis and foreign economic relations in Apartheid South Africa.

This year's conference keynote speaker was Beth Broadway, who serves as president and chief executive officer of Interfaith Works.

Advised by F-M High School social studies teacher Mrs. Katherine Gross, the F-M club is geared to students interested in global affairs, international careers, or careers in politics and government. Throughout the school year, club members in addition to preparing for the annual MUN conference serve as delegates of member nations and participate in mock sessions of the United Nations. They discuss and debate global issues, such as the environment, human rights and nuclear arms.
An Upstate New York man tried to convince police that his attempted robbery of a convenience store was just a big joke.

Lawrence Foster

Police told WNYT-TV that Lawrence Foster, 29, of South Glens Falls, tried to rob the Bay Street Cumberland Farms store in the early hours of Sunday morning.

According to Glens Falls Police Detective Lt. Peter Casertino, Foster handed the clerk a note that said, "Give me all of the money in the drawer."

The clerk wouldn't do it, so Foster motioned to the waistband of his pants, indicating that he had a weapon, and reportedly said, "Don't make me do something I don't want to do."

At that point, the clerk yelled, and with other customers in the store, Foster fled.

According to the Glens Falls Post-Star, some officers were acquainted with Foster, and recognized him from surveillance video.

The officers didn't have to track Foster down, however. Shortly after the incident, Foster called the sheriff's offices in Warren and Saratoga counties from a room at the Clearview Motel, admitted to doing the deed and tried to explain that he was "joking."

Police didn't buy it, and officers were dispatched to arrest Foster. He was charged with attempted first-degree robbery, a felony, and sent to Warren County Jail for lack of bail.

If convicted, Foster's "joke" could cost him a 15-year prison sentence.
Cheez-Its

(Screenshot from YouTube)

Police in Niagara Falls are dealing with a serial shoplifter who has a taste for Cheez-Its.

Once a month since October, the unidentified male suspect has returned to the same Tops Market at 7200 Niagara Falls Blvd. for another snack heist, The Niagara Gazette reported.

First, on October 19th around 11:30 p.m., the man was seen loading a shopping cart with a large amount of Cheez-Its, and passing the cash registers without paying. When a manager approached him, he reportedly fled in a dark green Chevy Tahoe. The snacks, valued at $200, were recovered afterward.

Then, on Nov. 16th, a man matching the suspect's description returned to the store, this time making off with 24 boxes of Cheez-Its and 48 packages of peanuts with a total value of $268.08, according to police.

Finally, on Dec. 1, Tops employees spotted the same man, who this time took 36 boxes of Cheez-Its and 72 cans of peanuts valued at $402.12, and cheesed it before anyone could intervene.

In an effort to catch him, police released a description of him as dark-skinned, 6 feet tall and about 200 pounds, The Buffalo News reported. He was wearing a black or black and blue winter coat and white sneakers during the December 1 theft.

Will he return to resupply in January? Why does he steal in amounts divisible by 12? And why does he need twice as many cans of peanuts as boxes of Cheez-Its? The mystery continues.
By Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times (TNS)

MEXICO CITY -- It was supposed to be the celebratory finale of a 10-day international electronic music festival known as BPM, for Bartenders, Promoters, Musicians.

Ticket prices reached $900 or more for a 10-day pass to what promoters lauded on the internet as "the ultimate festival experience for underground dance music fans, industry professionals and artists from around the globe."

Instead, authorities said, the party became a bloodbath when a shootout at a club called the Blue Parrot left at least five people dead, 15 injured and temporarily transformed a portion of the tourist destination of Playa del Carmen on Mexico's "Mayan Riviera" into a scene of chaos and panic.

Police ruled out terrorism as a motive. Gov. Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez of Quintana Roo state, where Playa del Carmen is situated, issued a statement saying initial indications were that two people opened fire at each other as the result of a "personal dispute," prompting security guards to intervene.

"I'd say that no more than four minutes after we got in there we heard what sounded like 10 shots," said Carre Orenstein, 24, a Los Angeles resident who was at the Blue Parrot covering the festival for Mixmag, a dance music media outlet. "Right away, everyone started running."

Hiding with others beneath a counter in the cavernous club, Orenstein said she reflected on recent shootings in the United States, including the attack last June in Orlando, Fla., that left 49 dead at Pulse, a gay nightclub.

"We were hiding, and wondering if the next step is that someone marches in back here," recalled Orenstein, who spoke by telephone after returning home safely to Los Angeles.

Multitudes of young people from the United States, Canada and Europe attended the event -- which attendees described as peaceful and upbeat until the final devastating evening, when the Blue Parrot was one of two venues for music.

Late Monday, the U.S. Embassy said that Mexican authorities had confirmed that one of the dead was a U.S. citizen. NBC News reports she's been identified as Alejandra Villanueva, an 18-year-old aspiring teacher from Denver, who may have been trampled to death in the ensuing chaos.

Also among the deceased were two Canadian nationals, an Italian citizen and possibly a Colombian, authorities said. They included three private security personnel at the scene and two apparent clubgoers, according to authorities and event organizers.

At least one female patron was fatally injured in a "stampede" of people fleeing the club, according to Miguel Angel Pech, attorney general of Quintana Roo. She and most other victims were not immediately identified publicly.

Of the 15 wounded, the governor said, eight had been treated at medical facilities and released, and seven remained hospitalized, one in critical condition.

The injured included at least two U.S. residents and one Canadian, according to Pech.

The Canadian press identified one of the dead as Kirk Wilson, a longtime Toronto-area bouncer who was working security at the event. Social media tributes were pouring in for Wilson, 49, a father of two.

The shooting was an unusual instance of Mexico's entrenched violence intersecting with the nation's booming tourist trade and its often-raucous bar scene.

Video posted on social media showed panicked patrons fleeing from the club as the shooting occurred shortly before 2:30 a.m. -- a time when, police said, the dance venue was "saturated" with revelers.

"We heard detonations that we thought were fireworks," recalled Pipe Llorens, 32, a musician from the Mexican city of Torreon, who was at the Blue Parrot with friends. "We turned around and 10 meters away there were bodies thrown on the floor, full of blood. We got very scared, there were people crying. ... Everyone jumped on the floor."

Three people arrested nearby were in custody, Pech said, but it was not confirmed if either of the reported initial assailants was among them.

Police found at least 20 bullet shells at the venue from at least three weapons, the attorney general said.

In a statement, organizers of the well-publicized event said the violence erupted in front of the club and confirmed that the fatalities included three members of the event's security team.

Organizers condemned "this senseless act of violence" at the event, which was billed as an annual, post-New Year's electronic music festival held at various venues in Playa del Carmen and attracting thousands of revelers.

BPM was marking its 10th anniversary, with organizers promising a "magical journey" featuring more than 375 artists, including world-renowned DJs. A series of "global pre-parties" preceding the festival was dubbed, "Vamos a la Playa," or "Let's Go to the Beach."

Playa del Carmen and other popular tourist destinations, including nearby Cancun, have generally been spared the drug- and gang-related violence that has ravaged many parts of Mexico. By contrast, the famous tourist destination of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, has become a battleground for drug traffickers, scaring away many visitors.

But some merchants in the Playa del Carmen area complain that criminals mixed up in the drug trade have increasingly been turning up at resort areas on the Caribbean coast, hawking their illicit wares to tourists and others.

"This was going to happen eventually," said a restaurant owner, who, like others contacted, asked to be identified only by his first name, Carlos, for security reasons. "Playa del Carmen is a paradise that has always been calm, but in recent years bands of delinquents have arrived, dedicated to the sale of drugs -- mostly in the bars and nightclubs. They fight for the sale of drugs and also extort the owners of discotheques and bars."

Local officials, worried about a possible drop in tourism -- the area's economic life-blood -- pleaded publicly with federal and state authorities to step up enforcement. They expressed fears that rising violence could discourage visitors.

"We want to generate employment in an atmosphere of peace, that tourists find here an ambiance of tranquillity," Maria Elena Mata, president of a "Mayan Riviera" trade group, said in a news conference also attended by local officials. "We ask that the (federal government) help us in maintaining security. We don't want violence to keep on escalating, that other incidents like that of today keep on happening."

(EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE)

Nationwide, tourism is one of the bright spots in Mexico's shaky economy, generating almost $16 billion in revenues between January and October of 2016, according to official figures.

Mexico is bracing for possible economic shocks as the administration of President-elect Donald Trump takes office this week amid threats of new tariffs on goods imported from Mexico and large-scale deportations of Mexicans in the United States illegally.

This month, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto lauded the tourism industry as one of the nation's top income generators, accounting for 8.7 percent of gross domestic product. About 35 million foreign visitors came to Mexico in 2016, the president said, more than tripling the number in 2012.

Among countries in the Americas, Mexican officials said, only the United States receives more annual visitors than Mexico.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- The man suspected of fatally shooting five people and wounding six others at a Florida airport told investigators initially he was under government mind control and then claimed to be inspired by Islamic State websites and chatrooms, authorities said at a hearing Tuesday.

FBI Agent Michael Ferlazzo also confirmed that the 9mm Walther handgun used in the Jan. 6 shooting rampage at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the same weapon Anchorage, Alaska, police seized and later returned to 26-year-old Esteban Santiago last year.

Ferlazzo testified at a bond hearing that Santiago mentioned after the shooting that his mind was under some kind of government control. Later in the interview he claimed to have been inspired by Islamic State-related chatrooms and websites, although it is not clear if the FBI has been able to corroborate any terror-related claims.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana Snow set a Jan. 30 arraignment hearing for Santiago to enter a formal plea. Snow ordered Santiago kept in custody as a risk of flight and a danger to the community, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Del Toro said was clear from his actions at the airport.

"He has admitted to all of the facts with respect to the terrible and tragic events of Jan. 6," Del Toro said. "These were vulnerable victims who he shot down methodically."

Santiago could get the death penalty if convicted of federal airport violence and firearms charges that resulted in death. His public defender, Robert Berube, said Santiago would not contest the pretrial detention order.

"Mr. Santiago is prepared to remain in custody," Berube said.

Investigators say Santiago legally brought a gun box containing his weapon and ammunition as checked luggage for his flight, then retrieved it at the Florida airport and went into a bathroom. After loading the gun, authorities say he came out firing randomly and then laid down on the floor after using all 15 bullets in two clips.

Much of the hearing focused on Ferlazzo's testimony about what Santiago said after the shooting and what records from Alaska reveal about him.

Ferlazzo said Santiago, an Iraq war veteran who was a member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard, visited a gun range late last year before booking the one-way ticket from Alaska to Fort Lauderdale. It was previously reported that Santiago visited the FBI office in Anchorage last year complaining about hearing voices and supposed CIA mind control, which led to Anchorage police temporarily seizing his gun and Santiago's brief stay in a mental hospital.

At the Alaska Psychiatric Institute, Ferlazzo said, records show Santiago was given anti-anxiety medications but no prescriptions for drugs that would treat serious mental conditions such as schizophrenia. He was released after a five-day stay with no restrictions that might prevent him from possessing a gun, and his weapon was returned by police.

"He was deemed to be stable," the agent testified.

In the post-shooting interviews, Santiago at first repeated claims that he did it because of government mind control but later told investigators he had been visiting chatrooms and internet sites frequented by the Islamic State terror group or those inspired by it.

"It was a group of like-minded individuals who were all planning attacks," Ferlazzo said.

The FBI is examining Santiago's computers and other devices as well as those of family members, but so far agents have not confirmed any terrorism ties.

Other evidence collected so far includes video from 20 different airport camera angles that show the entire shooting episode, Ferlazzo testified. In addition, the roughly six-hour interview in which Santiago supposedly confessed was audio and video recorded.
Warren, Mich. -- Elected officials in Michigan are calling on the mayor of Warren to resign after he was caught on an audio recording allegedly making racist remarks and disparaging women.

The website Motor City Muckracker published the recording Monday. Warren Mayor Jim Fouts can allegedly be heard using the n-word, comparing black people to chimps and making vulgar comments about women.

Fouts has denied that he is the one making the remarks, according to the Detroit News. He accused a rival politician of releasing the recordings, which he called "vile, vitriolic" and "phony," according to the News.

The latest scandal for Fouts comes a few weeks after he allegedly made disparaging comments about people with disabilities in a separate set of audio clips.

Fouts also denied making those comments, according to CBS Detroit.

Regardless, a number of elected officials are now calling on Fouts to resign, CBS said. The list includes U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, state and local legislators and others.

"These comments are hateful. They are racist and disparaging of women," the officials said in a statement, according to the Detroit Free Press. "The leader of our state's third-largest city should be a role model for how we treat each other and anyone that harbors these feelings and expresses them is not fit to lead."

#BREAKING: Macomb County officials call for Warren Mayor Jim Fouts to resign after newly leaked recordings surface. https://t.co/erTAJOxmmS  Detroit Free Press (@freep) January 17, 2017

Warren is a prominent Detroit suburb.

The recordings include numerous insults to blacks and women.

"Blacks do look like chimpanzees," Fouts can allegedly be heard saying in the latest clip. "I was watching this black woman with her daughter and they looked like two chimps."

Fouts also explains why doesn't like to date older women.

"Think I want to date a f------ 60-year-old hag?" Fouts allegedly says. "They are p------ when they are young and when they get older, they're just mean, hateful dried up c----."

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Re: Hyundai: Handling charges dropped after battle with techie Kudos to the guy but unfortunately every dealer does this openly. I too had paid this while buying my car. However, one fine day something struck me out of the blue and I just removed the original invoice to see the handling charges on it.



Immediately emailed Hyundai asking them for an explanation and they promptly diverted my query to the dealer I had purchased from. I got a reply saying "Sir every dealer charges this". I replied saying I do not give a damn about other dealers as I had purchased the car from them and they need to refund the money. I attached some news article links of the judgement from SC and mentioned that this is illegal by the supreme legal authority in the country and if they are not willing to refund, I am willing to take them to court.



Some amount (majority) gets refunded and as a goodwill I went ahead and purchased an extended warranty from them which was introduced later and was not available when I purchased the car.



The point is that many people end up paying this without knowing or after knowing but not wanting to get into a hassle. Now the question is, what if the dealer cleverly masks this amount under some other charges?
If you've ever accidentally included the wrong username in a tweet, you'll know that it has the potential to be pretty embarrassing, especially if it's then quoted by someone with 20 million followers and who is about to become the leader of the free world.

Yes, Donald Trump's Twitter activities are once again under the spotlight after the President-elect sent out a quote from another user praising his daughter, Ivanka Trump.

"Ivanka Trump is a great woman with real character and class," wrote Seekonk, Massachusetts resident Lawernce Goldstein late on Monday. But instead of using the correct @IvankaTrump handle, he mistakenly wrote @Ivanka - the username of Ivanka Majic, a council worker from Brighton, England.

The mistake probably went unnoticed among the 160-ish followers Goldstein had at the time, but when the soon-to-be President quoted it, people noticed the error. Trump was live-tweeting his daughter's CNN interview on Monday night when he failed to spot the mistake. It's now been retweeted over 5000 times and has over 27,000 likes.

Majic, who has previously worked for the UK's Labour Party, said it was only when her husband texted her that she discovered Trump had mentioned her in a tweet.

"I came downstairs to check my phone, and I had so many notifications," she told the BBC. "It's very unusual to be speaking to both ITV (a British broadcaster) and the BBC 45 minutes into your day."

Majic says this isn't the first time someone on Twitter has used her profile name instead of Ivanka Trump's, though it's never come from such a high-profile account. She replied to the tweet, pointing out Donald Trump should take more care on the microblogging site while learning about climate change.
More bad news for post-Brexit Britain. For the second time in three months, Apple is raising the cost of its UK products as a result of the plummeting pound. This time, it's the price of apps and in-app purchases that will be affected.

Applications that were previously on sale for 0.79 ($0.97) will soon sell for 0.99 ($1.22). Tier 2 priced apps, meanwhile, will jump from 1.49 ($1.84) up to 1.99 ($2.45), according to a report from 9to5Mac. Even more expensive titles like Super Mario Run that now cost 7.99 ($9.85) will increase to 9.99 ($12.32).

The changes are expected to come into effect sometime within the next seven days. It's not just the UK that will be hit by the higher prices, fluctuating foreign exchange rates and taxation changes mean customers in Turkey and India will also be paying more for their apps.

The move follows Apple's decision in October to increase the UK price of every computer in its line, including three-year-old MacBooks (by over $600), Mac Minis, and even the new MacBook Pros.

A number of companies have upped the cost of their UK goods following the country's decision to leave Europe back in July. Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo, HP, HTC, and OnePlus have all blamed currency fluctuations for the rising price of their products.

In a statement, Apple explained that "price tiers on the App Store are set internationally on the basis of several factors, including currency exchange rates, business practices, taxes, and the cost of doing business. These factors vary from region to region and over time."
LG has promised that the company's flagship smartphone for this year, the LG G6, will be safe from overheating issues.

Such a promise seems strange when taken out of context, but considering the major issues that Samsung ran into with the literally explosive Galaxy Note 7, LG is making sure that consumers will not have to worry about the LG G6 blowing up and catching fire.

LG G6 Anti-Overheating Measures

According to LG, it has adopted new technology that will prevent the LG G6 from overheating. The company added that it is carrying out tests for the anti-overheating measures that are tougher compared to what is required under safety laws in the United States and in Europe.

To prevent overheating batteries, LG will be using copper heat pipes within the LG G6 which will help spread the heat across the body of the smartphone. Through these heat pipes, the battery of the LG G6 will not overheat even when subjected to temperatures of 150 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 15 percent hotter compared with the minimum requirements of heat tolerance tests.

Copper heat pipes are often used within the batteries found in PCs, laptops, and notebooks, and are capable of lowering the internal temperatures of devices by 6 percent to 10 percent.

LG added that it has designed the internal components of the LG G6 in such a way that the parts that heat up are placed with distance between each other. In addition, the smartphone is being subjected to harsh tests such as being dropped, exposing it to high voltages, and other extreme scenarios that the LG G6 could experience during its usage by a customer.

LG G6 Is Safe, Unlike The Samsung Galaxy Note 7

It is clear that LG is pushing the safety credentials of the LG G6, as it looks to position its upcoming flagship smartphone away from the fiery images that haunted Samsung's once-promising Galaxy Note 7.

Samsung opened its press conference at the recently concluded CES 2017 by apologizing for the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, as it was still the issue at the top of the mind for attendees of the annual event and consumers all around the world.

Tim Baxter, the president and COO of Samsung Electronics America, said that the company will not stop innovating despite the Galaxy Note 7 explosions, and that it has reflected upon what happened while listening to feedback that it has received.

LG is making sure that a similar problem will not be experienced by customers who will buy the LG G6, as customers now have safety to consider when purchasing smartphones.

What We Know So Far About The LG G6

In addition to the fact that it will likely not explode, things we know about the LG G6 include the possibility of a 5.7-inch Quad HD+ display and 4K resolution, along with being powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and 6 GB of RAM. The LG G6 is also expected to support LG Pay, wireless charging, and Always-On functionality.

The LG G6 is expected to be announced at the Mobile World Congress in the third week of February and released on March 10, before Samsung's Galaxy S8 launches.

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This year could usher in a new era for Amazon in the context of AI devices as reports suggest that the Amazon Echo will dominate the AI space in 2017.

In 2016, the Amazon Echo dominated the sales and ended up being one of the top-selling items on Amazon.com. Forrester Research's estimates suggest that 6 million Echo devices were sold in 2016.

The Amazon Echo features a personal assistant also known as Alexa, an AI assistant which is equipped to handle functions such as answering questions, playing music and even controlling smart devices.

Even at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show 2017, Echo ruled the roost as many companies including LG, General Electric and Ford announced that their respective products will rope in Alexa.

Challenges For Echo

The biggest challenge that Echo may encounter will come from Cortana, Microsoft's intelligent personal assistant and the Google Assistant. Reports suggest that even Apple is forging ahead with the development of an Echo-like smart home device powered by Siri.

Google enjoys a few advantages over Amazon, as firstly it can better anyone in terms of searching and delivering answers to any question, which happens to be a very important aspect for a voice assistant like Alexa.

"Google benefits from its huge search inventory, and has invested far longer in machine learning than its rivals," says Thomas Husson, the principal analyst of Forrester Research.

Secondly, at present there are almost 1.5 billion Android users across the globe and most of the devices have the option of being upgraded to the Google Assistant, whereas Alexa has just started to appear on phones and televisions.

Microsoft too has its own advantage with a huge dominance in producing business software like MS Office and more. Auto manufacturers like Nissan and Volkswagen as Tech Times reported will rope in Microsoft's technologies for its next-generation cars, which includes deploying Cortana.

Echo's USP

The appeal of Alexa is primarily that it comes with AI commands already embedded in its system. It also allows users to connect with Twitter, Uber, Nest Thermostats and more.

The Echo is tied directly into Amazon's e-tail ecosystem so with every order, more data goes into its recommendations. Seamless integration with the massive Amazon inventory is another reason why it is growing popular.

As Echo's reach grows with time, all will be sieved through various devices down the digital pipeline to the end user.

"Amazon will increasingly subsidize Echo by bundling content (think music, video) with the device. They can afford this since this is not core to their business model: the end-goal is to facilitate interactions," shared Husson.

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One of the most anticipated smartphones of 2017, the Microsoft Surface Phone, may be unveiled very soon.

Rumors and leaks pertaining to the purported Surface Phone suggest that the powerful device may boast top-end features and functionality. The latest buzz is that the Surface Phone could release soon and may be a phablet.

The Surface Phone will possibly have the same screen size as the Lumia XL as evidenced by leaked images of the handset

Surface Phone Rumored Specs

The Microsoft Surface Phone is rumored to sport a 5.5-inch HD display with a resolution of 1,440 x 2,560 pixels. The device's screen may also imbibe a novel liquid cooling technology. What exactly this technology is capable of is not clear at this juncture.

The new phablet is likely to be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and may come with 6 GB of RAM. The device will likely support Quick Charge 4.0.

Rumors that Microsoft is working on two prototypes, with one of them housing a 4 GB of RAM and the other 6 GB of RAM, have also been rife.

However, the latest rumors hint that the phablet may come in three variants. The high-end version will be house 8 GB of RAM with up to 500 GB of onboard storage capacity. The deluxe and midrange variants will feature 6 GB of RAM with 128 GB of internal storage and 3 GB of RAM with 32 GB of internal storage, respectively.

The Surface Phone may include Continuum support, which means that Surface accessories will be compatible with the Windows Phone.

Although most new handsets do not feature a 3.5 mm audio jack, Microsoft is likely to retain it and may do away with the USB Type-C port.

The phablet will possibly sport a 21-megapixel primary camera and an 8-megapixel selfie snapper. Other speculated features this device may boast of are a fingerprint reader, compass, barometer, proximity sensor, and many more. The Surface Phone can also come with a stylus, and similar to the Surface Pro, the device may also come with a keyboard cover.

The Surface Phone may possibly tout a 3-in-1 form factor and come armed with laptop accessories as suggested by previous reports.

The Windows 10 (with Redstone 3) powered smartphone will possibly introduce a new app dubbed Ecosystem.

Release Imminent

As of now Microsoft hasn't divulged any information regarding the official release date of the Surface Phone. However, it is expected that the device may be unveiled in Q1 2017, possibly in March. The pricing of the Surface Phone yet to be known.

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All seems to be not well in the Samsung camp as its Chief Jay. Y. Lee may be arrested in relation to bribery charges. The special prosecutor's office of South Korea said that it would lay out an arrest warrant for Lee.

Samsung is one of the world's largest tech conglomerates and the corruption scandal may hit the company hard. Jay. Y. Lee, the Chief of Samsung Group, was questioned by officers for 22 hours, as they probed into a scandal which has infiltrated the highest ranks of power in the company.

An official at the Seoul district court said that the arrest warrant must be approved by a court, before President, Park Geun-hye could be arrested. The hearing is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 18, but no official comment from Samsung was forthcoming.

The special prosecutors' office alleged that Lee had paid a total sum amounting to $36.42 million (in U.S. currency,) to Choi Soon-sil, who is a close aide of impeached President Park Geun-hye.

Lee had become the Chief of the company in 2014. He has also been charged with embezzling money and committing perjury, according to the prosecution's warrant.

"The special prosecutors' office, in making this decision to seek an arrest warrant, determined that while the country's economic conditions are important, upholding justice takes precedence," said Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the office.

Samsung, however, denied these accusations and stressed on the fact that he was innocent.

The officers are also investigating the matter by seeing whether Samsung-supported business initiatives were linked to the National Pension Service's (NPS) controversial decision to approve and support the $8 billion merging of two of Samsung's affiliates.

The chairman of the NPS, Moon Hyung-pyo, was charged with abusing power and falsely testifying in court. The charges were laid down last week.

Park remains the country's President, even though all her powers and privileges have been suspended. She awaits the decision of the Constitutional Court to forcefully eject her from the Office. If this is the case, she will become the first woman to be removed by force from the President's post.

Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of the President, has been accused of pressuring big companies, like Samsung, to provide monetary contributions to many of the President's non-profit schemes.

She remains in detention with accusations of abusing her power and attempting fraud, but denied any allegations when she appeared in the Constitutional Court on Monday, Jan. 16. She has also denied having any knowledge about the merger of the two Samsung affiliates in 2015. The impeached President also asserted that she did not know anything about the controversial merger of 2015.

She has also pleaded innocent, but admitted that she had been callous in her friendship with Choi.

A lot of political strife and turmoil has been pestering South Korea for months and the latest jolt which the country received was the impeachment of its President Park Geun-hye.

As a backlash of the scandal, shares of Samsung Electronics suffered losses and the rates went down by 2.3 percent.

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Setting a good example of industry-academia partnership, the researchers at Birmingham City University have signed a deal with Meridian  a leading manufacturer of magnesium components in the auto industry  to promote the use of magnesium as an alternative to many existing materials, including aluminum and steel.

The partnership with Meridian will give the academics from the Computing and Engineering department an opportunity to offer goods that cater to low-volume manufacturers in the auto and aviation sectors.

Since the end user industries have a problem with costs when it comes to using magnesium, the alliance will explore new methods to make its production more economic for Meridian as well as its clients.

Expansion Of User Base

By seeking to boost research and development on magnesium use, the alliance has set sustainability and weight savings as top objectives in achieving fuel efficiency.

"Birmingham City University is delighted to be entering into an agreement on magnesium research and education with Meridian, that builds on the heritage of the University as a catapult for growth among regional industries through knowledge transfer and offering a unique, interdisciplinary approach," said Professor Hanifa Shah, who is the Associate Dean of Faculty of Computing and Engineering at the Birmingham City University.

Advantage Of Magnesium

Thanks to the lightweight nature and its abundance on the earth, magnesium scores over aluminum and steel along with its unique 100 percent recyclable property. According to metallurgists, Magnesium is 75 percent lighter than steel and 33 percent lighter than aluminum.

Meridian, which produces 5,000 net metric tons of die-cast products a year in the UK plant, has been serving a vast clientele in automotive sector including Jaguar, BMW, Ford, Land Rover, Honda, and Volvo.

However, it has not been very successful in tapping the low volume market. A growing market with niche manufacturers, such as Aston Martin, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce, looking for bespoke magnesium components. The current manufacturing methods had been costly as tooling costs are up and not helping the small volume players much.

Now the partnership will aim to cut this hindrance and help in dipping into the nimble market of low volume auto makers and allied sectors like aviation.

Another core area of investigation will be the reduction of waste, as the current production process of magnesium creates product and waste in almost equal quantity.

The Magnesium Innovation Group will be looking at ways of creating value from the excess waste.

"Our partnership with Birmingham City University will certainly catalyze this, allowing us to benefit from its leading edge research in the field and ensuring that the next generation of engineers continue to experiment with new ways in which to utilize the metal," commented, Randy Chalmers, Plant Manager, Meridian Lightweight Technologies United Kingdom.

Magnesium Innovation Group

To take the project forward, the University has rolled out a Magnesium Innovation Group from the University and Meridian staff who are specialists in their respective domains.

A section of players in the auto industry, despite being convinced about the high utility of magnesium in instrument panels, are wary of the high costs in sourcing the material.

Previously, the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Middle East were top magnesium producers, noted Matt Zaluzec, Research and innovation technical advisor with Ford, while addressing the Automotive World's Megatrends USA.

Now, China is the new bulk supplier. Automakers are then facing issues like price swings and high import tariffs, added Zaluzec.

Positive Outlook On Adoption

However, a 2015 report by Lucintel has been bullish on adopting magnesium and said doing so on a global scale will deliver a compounded annual growth of 10.1 percent between 2015 and 2020.

"In this market, interior, powertrain, chassis, and exterior are the major application area of magnesium alloys material in a vehicle," the firm said.

In terms of demand, magnesium alloys in the exterior parts will enjoy the highest growth rate while those for chassis and interior segments will have a higher than average growth.

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Martin Luther King Jr. is known for his legacy of nonviolent protests and fighting for civil rights.

King followed the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi in taking the fight for racial equality and the just treatment of all citizens to the streets  to expose the ills that traditionally went unnoticed in the country.

Decades after King's assassination, this legacy of peaceful protest still remains the most powerful catalyst of change in American society.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a law that declared the third Monday of January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The third Monday of January is the closest to his birthday, Jan. 15.

To celebrate the contribution of the civil rights leader to the social movement in the U.S., Tech Times shares seven facts about Martin Luther King Jr.:

MLK Legacy Started With A Bus Ride

In 1955, King was elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, the organization responsible for the year-long Montgomery bus boycott. The protest was inspired by the strong conviction of Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat to a white man.

Near Fatal Assassination By Izola Curry

Ten years before King was assassinated, he almost lost his life to a woman who attempted to kill him at a book signing event in Harlem. Izola Curry approached King and, using an envelope opener, struck him in the chest and nearly hit his aorta. According to reports, the surgeons told King that just a sneeze would have punctured his aorta and killed him.

MLK's Nobel Peace Prize

King received the Nobel Peace Prize when he was 35, the youngest to receive the coveted award.

In And Out Of Jail

MLK was jailed 29 times. Citations were not limited to his leadership of nonviolent protests but also involved petty crimes such as speeding. On Aug. 28, 1963, following a short stint in jail, King organized a demonstration near the iconic Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. where he delivered the famous "I Have A Dream" speech.

King Dies In The Hands Of A White Gunmen

In 1968, King was assassinated by ex-convict James Earl Ray with a sniper's bullet. Five years later, the suspect was caught and sentenced to imprisonment for 99 years after pleading guilty to the crime.

Inspired by Gandhi's Nonviolent Protests

Owing to his deep faith as a Baptist minister, King  who was initially called Michael  was later renamed Martin Luther after the German scholar who fought for fair treatment and reform within the Christian church.

But MLK was also heavily influenced by Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence. Aside from staging boycotts, he also led protesters to sit in on the streets with the goal of being arrested and congesting jails.

Not All Blacks Supported His Campaigns

Although King was fighting for equality among Americans no matter their color or creed, not all blacks supported him. Some believed he was endangering the lives of children.

During the Birmingham campaign in 1963, entire families attended the protest. The police turned up and used fire hoses and dogs to chase them away. This risked the safety of the children who were also participating in the activity.

Here his famous words resounded:

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Given the change in leadership at the White House, the line is especially true today.

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For the first time, a huge, bow-shaped wave was seen in the Venusian atmospheres highest regions, another source of wonder for astronomers and fresh insights into what lies below.

The planet is enveloped in a thick cloud layer, stretching some 40 miles above the surface. The atmosphere shields Venus from view and makes it difficult to understand it. However, an image captured by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency caught the mysterious structure when the Akatsuki spacecraft arrived there in December 2015.

Through infrared and ultraviolet imaging, the team found a prominent curved wave in the upper atmosphere, where winds blow in excess of 200 miles per hour, and any feature in the vicinity should easily get carried along. The wave, however, remained firmly planted and lasted for at least four days.

Gravity Waves?

The wave is described to cover over 6,000 miles, stretching almost from pole to pole and accompanied by a bit warmer air in the upper atmosphere of Venus some 40 miles above the surface. It is fairly common to find such a huge feature, but it is practically unheard of for it to not move.

The atmosphere on the planet is in super-rotation, which means it outpaces the planet itself. Compare this to Earth, where winds move only up to 20 percent the speed of the planet.

This led researchers, discussing their findings in the journal Nature Geoscience, to deem the massive structure a result of gravity waves, which are a phenomenon in a planetary atmosphere caused by winds that collide with features on the surface. Note, however, that these are not the elusive gravitational waves or distortions in space-time that are likely produced by the most extreme events, such as the collision of black holes or two huge celestial bodies.

In Venus, the mountainous characteristics on the surface are potentially forcing winds into the upper atmosphere, a place where they slow down to form a persistent wave. The bulge is in fact located above the continent-sized highland region called Aphrodite Terra.

Astounding Size And Immobility

The bow wave disappeared a month later when researchers revisited the mission, but scientists have previously observed gravity waves in the same upper atmosphere, where the Venus Express of ESA discovered similar cloud shapes over the Ishtar Terra in 2014. This wave, however, is far more humungous than those ones.

But because Venus Express had a different orbit where it got lots of images of the poles but not of the low latitudes, it never saw a feature like this, said atmospheric scientist Colin Wilson, who worked on Venus Express data, in a Christian Science Monitor interview. It never got these beautiful images which this Japanese spacecraft has now revealed.

For Makoto Taguchi, a coauthor of the recent Japanese paper, these Y-shaped structures sometimes resembling a bow are always spotted and imaged, but all move with the background westward wind.

"This is the first evidence of gravity wave propagation from the lower atmosphere to the middle atmosphere, Taguchi said, explaining that lower atmospheric conditions may impact the higher atmospheres dynamics by momentum transfer of such waves.

Given these findings, scientists can potentially prove the lower and middle Venusian atmosphere through a look at the cloud tops  a piece of the puzzle that is Venus and its thick atmosphere.

The Japanese orbiter was expected to enter the planets orbit back in December 2010, but glitches involving one of its thrusters led it to orbit the sun for five years before finally entering the planets orbit. The spacecraft has started beaming data to JAXA.

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A new phishing scam is targeting Gmail users and has fooled many people including tech experts in giving up their Google credentials.

The hackers use the acquired Gmail credentials to log into the account, scour through the sent messages and pass the bugged email onto other non-suspecting users.

The attack is not only targeting Gmail users but other services as well. The scam was detailed by Mark Maunder, CEO of Wordfence, which is the security service for WordPress.

The Phishing Attack: How It Works

People easily fall for this trick as the malicious email comes from the account of a known person, whose account has already been compromised. The email contains image attachments in the disguise of a PDF file.

Once the attachment is clicked for a preview, a new tab opens up and asks the user to log into the Gmail account again. This is the part where most users get tricked. In the new tab, the location bar shows "accounts.google.com." On seeing this, most the users deem it is a safe and an authenticated Gmail login page, so they log in.

In reality, clicking the attachment loads a webpage full of codes into the browser's address bar. Once the sign-in has been finished, the account of the user has been compromised.

"The attackers log in to your account immediately once they get the credentials, and they use one of your actual attachments, along with one of your actual subject lines, and send it to people in your contact list," shared someone who experienced the scam.

Once the hacker gets access to a user's account, all the emails and documents sent and received by the user fall into the hands of the fraudster, who uses the new contacts to spread the malware.

Once the users lose the sole authority from their Gmail account, it is very likely they will be barred access to any other services linked to the Gmail account username and password. The process happens too fast for anyone to notice.

How To Protect The Gmail Account From The Phishing Attack

The trick to identifying the bug lies in careful scrutinization of the address bar. The bug hides in plain sight but doesn't get detected as most users think that the webpage is Google's protected login page after seeing ''accounts.google.com'' in the address bar.

The hackers use a phishing method known as URI or data uniform resource identifier. The URI method is used to attach a data file in the location bar in front of "https://accounts.google.com."

The data file "data:text/html" is included as a prefix in the browser's location bar, which opens up the fake login page.

To protect the account and not fall for this trick, a user should make sure that there is nothing in front of the host file name. One should verify the protocol and the host name.

Also enabling the two-step authentication available for Gmail can stop the attack from taking place as the hacker would need the OTP (One Time Password) required for completing the login.

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If the President of the U.S. tweets about your company at 6 AM in the morning, you are bound to get butterflies in the stomach. Well, that was not the case with Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.

U.S. President-elect, Donald Trump posted a tweet, alleging that Microsoft was not doing enough to keep jobs for American citizens. Nadella was unperturbed by these accusations.

"We're a U.S.-based company that operates worldwide and our predominant employment is in the United States," responded Nadella.

Nadella also remarked that Microsoft had created a "tremendous amount of high-paying jobs in the U.S."

American Presence

According to Microsoft's official website, the tech conglomerate has an excess of 113,000 people under its payroll. More than 64,000 of them are from the U.S.

Trump met with the CEOs of the top tech companies after his victory in the elections. Tech companies like Amazon and Tech30 had made rather publicized announcements about a prospective increase in jobs being offered to American citizens. This move was in sync with Trump winning the elections.

Responding to the accusations, Nadella has shared that despite Trump's victory, Microsoft has not made any changes or course corrections. He also added that Microsoft was a multinational company set up in the U.S., which operates responsibly in the country. The CEO also informed that Microsoft will continue to contribute to every country it is working with.

This is not the first time that Trump has created a flutter on Twitter. The micro-blogging site has always been a happy hunting ground for the U.S. President-elect and his team. Trump's PR team used Twitter with full gusto during the 2016 U.S. Presidential elections and many contribute his resounding victory to his Twitter campaign.

Trump had stated during his campaign that he has plans to create 25 million jobs for U.S. citizens. He continued to lay a lot of emphasis on high-paying jobs being made available to American citizens and is well on course to achieving the same.

Global Quotient

Microsoft has made its presence felt in many countries across the world and such a statement would further emphasize its stance as a truly global company. Nadella has maintained a clear stance of Microsoft holding up its fundamentals of being a multinational company, while providing majority of jobs to American citizens.

Trump's open comments on Microsoft's hiring policies have not worried Nadella much, but it will be interesting to see if and how the dynamics change once Trump is in power. Even though Nadella is strongly stating a global hiring scenario, Trump may cause the recruiting pattern to be changed and become more U.S.-centric.

This move may be a step towards Trump's vision of "making America great again."

Photo: Gage Skidmore | Flickr

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A string of code found in the latest beta version of the Google App hints that Google Assistant will become even more useful in the future by allowing users to make payments through voice commands.

The integration with Google's wide range of services and the expanding availability of third-party APIs has contributed to making Google Assistant a successful piece of software, and the future addition of a feature to make payments will only add to its appeal.

Beta Google App Code For Google Assistant Payments

The code in Google App beta version 6.11.13 that hinted at an upcoming payments feature for the Google Assistant was found by XDA Developers.

In a teardown of the latest beta version of the Google App, several strings of code were found that refer to payments settings for the Google Assistant. These strings include payment information such as the user's address and phone number, with one of the strings seemingly to allow users to choose the credit card that they would like to link to the feature. There are also lines for different billing and shipping addresses, and it also appears that users will be able to specify their devices linked to Google Assistant that will be able to participate in the payments feature to prevent any accidental purchases.

"You'll soon be able to pay for things," one of the lines of code reads, hinting that the service will not be available very soon. The payments feature, however, will likely arrive sooner than later, if Google would be adding such a line to the app.

According to XDA Developers, there is also evidence that the feature is at least partially implemented in the APK file of the beta app due to several references to layout files for a payments interface. There is the possibility that the payments feature is baked into the app, but Google is still currently making progress on the back end to prepare the service for its launch to all Google Assistant users.

Payments Made Through Google Assistant

Google Assistant currently does support payments but through service apps. The upcoming feature will expand payment support for transactions made through online shopping similar to what is offered by Amazon's Alexa, which will be a welcome addition for users.

The payments function for Google Assistant is highly requested by users, so while the feature is not yet available, it will surely be coming soon, as it would allow the digital assistant to better compete with rivals such as Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana, and Amazon's Alexa.

There is no official word on when the feature will be coming to the Google Assistant, though.

Other Google Assistant News

A recent report revealed that Google Assistant will be getting a keyboard input option soon so that users will be able to ask the digital assistant through typing text in addition to using voice.

The Google Assistant is also one of the more prominent features of the new Nvidia Shield Android TV streaming box, which has just been launched with a $200 price tag.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Are you suffering from high blood pressure? Do you have any heart-related health issues?

If you answered yes to both, then this could well be the first time you will feel privileged to have these health concerns.

A study published in the Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association reveals that those who have high blood pressure have a lesser possibility of suffering from dementia after the age of 90.

What Is Dementia?

Dementia is a disease where a person suffers from memory loss, difficulties with thinking, problem solving, and language.

Usually, these changes seem to be minor when dementia onsets, but as time progresses they start to affect one's daily life.

Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease or a series of strokes. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia but not all dementia is due to Alzheimer's.

Important Findings

Researchers of the University of California conducted the latest study and observed 559 people for 2 years and 8 months on average. The investigation was aimed at finding the link between the age when hypertension starts, dementia, and measurement of blood pressure.

All the participants were aged 90 or above and were part of a study that has been going on for a long time.

When the process started, the participants had an average age of 93 years and none of them had dementia. Out of all the participants, 69 percent were female.

During the study, the participants were assessed after every six months to ensure that no one has dementia. However, in the follow-up period, 224 people  which is nearly 40 percent of the total participants  were detected with dementia.

Researchers concluded that people who revealed they were suffering from hypertension onset from age 80 to 89 had 42 percent less chances of dementia at or after 90, compared with those who did not mention any history of high blood pressure.

Participants whose hypertension started at age 90 or above stood at a lower risk, and had 63 percent less chances of developing dementia.

"These new findings suggest some risk factors for dementia may change over the course of our lives," says Maria Carrillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer's Association.

Carrillo added understanding the bigger picture of what safeguards the brain's health through one's life is required.

Researchers cited few possible explanations regarding the link between hypertension and the risk of dementia, which they observed during the study.

They opined that blood pressure could require attaining a particular level so that it can maintain the adequate flow of blood to the brain to facilitate normal cognition, which is likely to change with growing age.

Another reason which the researchers deemed probable is blood pressure tends to come down before dementia occurs, as a follow-up process when the brain cells start deteriorating. Therefore, it can be deduced that old people who do not have dementia have high blood pressure.

The researchers admit that the study has quite a few limitations as most of the participants were female and all of them resided in California's Orange County. Therefore, the study was not an accurate representation of the complete "oldest old" population.

Photo: Lorenzo Granja | Flickr

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Humans may have been living in North America 10,000 years earlier than previously suggested, a new study has proposed.

The team from the University of Montreal in Canada analyzed artifacts from the Bluefish Caves in Yukon, which lie in an area called Beringia, a dry mass of land now mostly found underwater.

The site stretched from Yukon to Alaska over the Bering Sea leading to Russia almost 24,000 years ago during the last ice age. The new testing suggested this as the time when humans lived near the caves, setting back 10,000 years the known timing of human entry into North America via the Bering Strait.

Once confirmed, the findings on the new carbon aging tests on the ancient animal bones  first discovered in the caves in the 1970s  would place the caves as the oldest known North American archeological site, and the bones would emerge on record as the earliest proof of human settlement there.

Analyzing 36,000 Bone Fragments

Archaeologist Jacques Cinq-Mars excavated the site from 1977 to 1987, radiocarbon-dating the animal bones and hypothesizing that humans settled in the area as far back as 30,000 years ago. But it was a controversial finding as there was no direct proof that the presence of the bones in the caves represented actual human activity.

After examining about 36,000 bone fragments from the same site for two years, the University of Montreal team saw marks of human activity in 15 bones and probable traces of the same activity in about 20 others.

"We have lots of lines of evidence that are converging on what looks like quite a coherent story of what looks like human presence," said anthropologist and study author Ariane Burke, citing a series of straight, V-shaped lines on bone surfaces as made by stone tools meant for skinning animals.

Further Proof From Radiocarbon Dating

The team performed added testing via radiocarbon dating. A horse mandible, the oldest in the samples and displaying marks from a stone tool believed to have been used to remove the tongue, was radiocarbon-dated at 19,650 years and equated to 23,000 to 24,000 years ago.

Pollen found in the caves, too, was confirmed to be from the same time period.

According to Burke, certain findings in population genetics studies have demonstrated that a group of a few thousand people from Central Asia lived in Beringia  a massive region that stretched from the Northwest Territories Mackenzie River to Russias Lena River  isolated from other groups 24,000 years ago during the last ice age.

Their new results, she said, confirmed the standstill theory, which argued that the region was shut close from the rest of the continent by steppes and glaciers not conducive to humans. It was likely a place of refuge, the researcher added.

The isolation was also believed to result in their unique DNA that can still be traced in modern humans.

The findings were discussed in the journal PLoS One.

In June last year, bones of giant steppe bison and traces of their ice-age hunters have led scientists to conclude that early humans likely colonized North America south from Alaska along the Pacific coast, and not through the Rocky Mountains as previously believed.

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A 600-year-old Buddha statue has emerged from the waters of a reservoir in Jiangxi Province in China after the water levels here dropped during renovation work.

Buddha Statue Resurfaces

The Buddha statue, which measures around 3.8 meters (12.5 feet) tall and carved into a cliff, has long been submerged in the waters of the Hongmen Reservoir. A local villager first noticed the statue's head emerging last month after the water level dropped by more than 10 meters (32.8 feet) during work on a hydropower gate. It has since attracted the attention of tourists and locals who see it as an auspicious sign.

Centuries-Old Statue

Archaeologists said that the Buddha statue, which appears to be gazing over the body of water, may have dated back to the early Ming Dynasty between 1368 and 1644 as suggested by the style of its carving. It is also possible that it has already existed earlier, during the Yuan dynasty.

Built To Serve As Spiritual Protector

Records suggest that the reservoir was located on the ruins of the ancient town known as Xiaoshi. A local official said that the statue was built by the ancient people as a spiritual protector to calm the current where two rivers meet. Boats easily overturned at the intersection of the two rivers because of the rapid flow of water.

Being Submerged In The Water Protected The Buddha Statue

The Buddha statue, which features detailed carving, was submerged in the 1960s when the Hongmen reservoir was built. Authorities at the time were not aware of heritage protection.

Being submerged in the water though has somehow protected the statue. Many cultural relics were destroyed in the 1960s during a period of cultural revolution in China when people were told to get rid of things that were old, feudalistic and superstitious.

Director of the Research Institute of Archaeology of Jiangxi province Xu Changqing said that being submerged in the water may have also preserved the Buddha statue from harmful elements. He said that the statue would have suffered weather, oxidation and other risks if it had not been preserved in the water.

Trove Of Archeological Treasures

The statue is possibly just the tip of an untapped trove of archeological treasures. A base of a temple hall was also found under the water. Researchers said that an underwater archeology team is conducting an investigation of both the ancient town and the statue. It is also working on a preservation plan.

"The ruins of Xiaoshi town were not exposed by the lowered water levels, but the underwater team also explored the town," said Jin Huilin, curator of the museum of Nancheng County.

Brought Back Memories To Old Villagers

The re-emergence of the statue brought back some memories to the elders of the village who had seen the statue when they were younger. Huang Keping, an 82-year-old local blacksmith who first saw the Buddha statue in 1952, said that it was gilded at the time.

China has numerous Buddhist cliff and cave carvings. The famed Leshan Giant Buddha is the world's tallest stone Buddha statue.

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Olaf Scholz is the first European leader to visit China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. | Read More
The battle to become Louisiana's next state treasurer is starting to take shape, as veteran political operatives begin to line up on teams.

State Rep. John Schroder, a Covington Republican who is the first elected official to throw his hat into the treasurer's race, on Monday revealed key players on his campaign. He's assembled a team with representatives from a broad spectrum of previous Republican campaigns, with links to U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy and John N. Kennedy, former Gov. Bobby Jindal and former U.S. Sen. David Vitter, among others.

Jay Vicknair will serve as Schroder's campaign manager. Vicknair previously led Jay Dardenne's successful campaign for lieutenant governor in 2010 and Dardenne's unsuccessful bid for governor in 2015. Vicknair went on to work on David Vitter's gubernatorial campaign during the runoff race against Democrat John Bel Edwards.

Alle Bautsch, who led fundraising efforts for Jindal's gubernatorial and presidential campaigns as well as many other campaigns throughout the state, has been tapped to serve as Schroder's chief fundraiser.

Lionel Rainey, who recently worked on Kennedy's successful campaign for U.S. Senate, is Schroder's senior strategist.

And Republican pollster John Diez of Magellan Strategies BR, who advised U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy's campaign against Democrat Mary Landrieu, will be in charge of Schroder's polling, research and policy.

Im very proud of the strong, talented campaign team overseeing my 2017 treasurer campaign, Schroder said in a news release announcing the slate. I look forward to working with them as we share my conservative record of fiscal responsibility.

The special election to replace Kennedy in the state treasurer's office has been set for Oct. 14.

Kennedy, who was first elected as a Democrat but later switched to the GOP, held the office for 16 years. His election to the Senate has set up what's likely to be the first competitive race for state treasurer since he was first elected to the post.

Pundits have been speculating about who might run for the state-wide seat.

New Orleans Democratic lawyer/accountant Derrick Edwards, who recently ran for the U.S. Senate, and Republican Mike Lawrence, a Mandeville accountant who briefly ran former Ku Klux Klan leader David Dukes Senate campaign, have announced their plans to run.

Several others, including more members of the state Legislature, have indicated they are eyeing the post. Schroder's campaign says he has already raised $500,000 for his run.
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The nomination of Betsy DeVos to be secretary for the U.S. Department of Education has reawakened the split between self-styled education reformers in Louisiana and leaders of traditional public schools.

DeVos, who was picked by President-elect Donald Trump in November, faces confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions starting at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Backers say her longtime support for vouchers and charter schools will benefit the state, where "school choice" policies took off in 2012 under former Gov. Bobby Jindal  with considerable assistance from DeVos.

"She has championed providing a world-class education to every child, no matter their ZIP code or socioeconomic status," Stephen Waguespack, president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, said in a letter dated Jan. 9 to the committee.

"She has consistently supported all education options  high quality traditional public schools, private schools, charter schools, virtual learning and homeschooling," said Waguespack, former chief of staff for Jindal.

Leaders of Louisiana teacher unions and other critics say Trump's nominee is ill-equipped for the job because of her lack of experience as an educator, and that her wealth sets her apart from the education concerns of most parents.

"One of the things we have a problem with is she has no education experience," said Larry Carter, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers. "She is not an educator."

Trouble viewing video below? Click here.

Debbie Meaux, president of the Louisiana Association of Educators, also criticized Trump's pick.

"We believe that public education is where most of our kids are educated," Meaux said Monday. "Betsy DeVos has shown a record of not being pro-public education, though she says otherwise."

Report: Louisiana again ranks 49th in public school achievement Louisiana public school achievement ranked 49th in a report done by Education Week magazine 

The division over DeVos is similar to the battle over Jindal's sweeping education overhaul five years ago, and which plays out often at the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on key issues.

Backers say major changes are needed to improve Louisiana's long-suffering public school system.

Opponents contend DeVos and others hope to privatize public education, and that vouchers and other changes have failed to deliver on the promises of backers.

Trouble viewing video below? Click here.

DeVos was the head of the American Federation for Children, which advocates for vouchers and other school choice measures.

She is from Grand Rapids, Mich. and is former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party.

DeVos and her husband Dick are longtime donors to education causes and politicians, including U. S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, who is on the Senate education committee, and Jindal.

"Under her leadership we will reform the U.S. education system and break the bureaucracy that is holding our children back so we can deliver world-class education and school choice to all families," Trump said in a statement announcing her nomination in November.

DeVos backs charter schools, which are public schools run by non-governmental boards. She also supports vouchers, which are state aid for low-income children attending troubled public schools to move to private schools.

State to 442 students expecting financial aid: No vouchers for private school Nearly one out of three students who thought they would get a voucher for the 2016-17 school

Ann Duplessis, president of the Louisiana Federation for Children, which is part of DeVos' group, said the nominee "has really dedicated her life, and her money, to working with underserved minority students, kids."

Duplessis said Monday she has attended conferences where DeVos and other federation officials were on hand. "It is a sincere desire to create better lives for at risk children," she said.

Letters: DeVos should be confirmed for education post Americas education system has been broken for a very long time. The just-released Program f

DeVos had an impact on Jindal's 2012 education overhaul, which featured a statewide expansion of vouchers, among other changes, said Timmy Teepell, a former Jindal chief of staff and a longtime ally.

Teepell said Monday the former governor and DeVos spent hours discussing policies that would allow parents to find immediate education alternatives, and DeVos offered advise and support from the federation. "They have similar philosophies," he said.

Teepell said he believes that, as education secretary, DeVos would provide state and local governments with more opportunities to experiment with ideas that could invigorate the delivery of education. The environment she would create would pave the way for more federal grants, an expansion of charter schools and chances to expand vouchers as well as savings accounts that would give parents direct access to school district dollars, Teepell added.

DeVos and her husband gave $206,000 to Jindal and a political action committee that campaigned for the education revamp in Louisiana, according to the Louisiana Board of Ethics.

Teepell also said when Jindal was a congressman in 2005 he brought the DeVos family to Louisiana and the family presented a $500,000 check for hurricane recovery efforts.

DeVos' husband, Dick, is the son of the billionaire co-founder of Amway, and the couple has long donated to GOP candidates and causes.

Each donated $7,800 to Cassidy's successful U.S. Senate campaign in 2014, according to Education Week magazine.

Meaux said Cassidy should recuse himself from DeVos' nomination because of those contributions.

Cassidy, who is considered an ally of school choice advocates, could not be reached for comment Monday, a federal holiday.

DeVos has also donated to the political campaigns of at least three other Senate committee members, according to the financial questionnaire she filed with the committee.

Like many of Trump's cabinet nominees DeVos is coming under fire from civil rights groups and Democrats.

Officials of five groups, including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, plan to hold a press conference at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday to urge "intense scrutiny" of DeVos by the committee.

"She has never been an educator or worked directly with children and families in public schools," according to the group's announcement.

Mark Ballard of The Advocate Capitol new bureau contributed to this report.
People cleanup Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 at the home where three people were killed on River Road in Old Jefferson Monday. Dwayne Hanson, 46, his wife, Samantha Hanson, 45, and daughter Sydney Hanson, 20, who was 7 months pregnant, were all killed and Sydney's body set on fire. A suspect Jatory Evans, a former boyfriend of Sydney Hanson, was arrested and booked with three counts of first degree murder and feticide.
Concerned Citizens of Canberra Inc, the controversial group that for years fought the building of a mosque in Gungahlin, were on Tuesday ordered to pay the ACT government's costs in the long-running case.

The ACT government has confirmed those legal costs were likely to total more than $200,000, far exceeding the $35,000 in security the group was forced to pay into the court early on in the piece.

An artist's impression of the Gungahlin mosque.

Concerned Citizens lost its fight against the mosque in November 2015, and a costs hearing was heard last February.

In the costs hearing, the group had broadly argued the case was in the public interest, and therefore costs should be awarded either in its favour, or not at all.
Livestock lost in the Tarago fires on a farm near Mount Fairy. Credit:karleen minney Most of the fire was embers and spot fires, while smoke was still visible on the hills between Tarago and Mount Fairy. The main concern was the chance of embers picking up and lighting any grass east of Mr Bavington's position, and a small strand of bush where fire crews had pulled out earlier to allow water bombers to target it. The burnt-out area to the east of Canberra as of Wednesday afternoon. Mr Bavington had 30 trucks at his disposal along Goulburn Road plus ACT chainsaw crews, while locals were manning utes loaded with water tanks at the driveways to their properties.

NSW Rural Fire Service spokesman Paul Best said crews were "finding it difficult" to hold the blaze on an area that crossed east of Goulburn Road and reached to the west of Bungendore Road. Mulloon Creek Natural Farms owners Tony Coote, Gary Nairn and Michael Fitzgerald assess the damage to their property. Credit:Karleen Minney

There was an extreme fire danger rating for the area and Mr Best warned that conditions could deteriorate quickly. "The fire is behaving very erratically due to the weather so people should remain vigilant." A plane dumps water over the Tarago fire on Tuesday. Credit:Elesa Kurtz He said 135 firefighters from across the region, including seven aircraft, were battling the fire in 37-degree heat and winds that gusted between 50 and 80 kilometres an hour.

The fire had burnt through Taylors Creek Road, Bungendore Road and Mount Fairy Road. Firefighters were seen battling the front along Goulburn Road, with helicopters swooping constantly over nearby farms to collect water from their dams. This included one property off Hazeldell Road in Mount Fairy, which had been destroyed while builder Scott Williams overlooked the log cabin he had helped his boss renovate. "It came roaring across the paddock in a matter of of minutes," Mr Williams said. He had watched as the fire approached. He said the fast-moving grassfire had caught out one fire truck. The firefighters inside hunkered down until the flames went over them.

He and two others, who look after the property, had moved the cattle out but the sheep were mostly gone, some lying dead in the nearby paddocks with eyes open and fur burned off. Nearby, Mulloon Creek farm had come close to being destroyed as fire circled the chicken sheds, but as the smoke cleared in the morning the owners saw they had only lost six of 20,000 hens. Tarago Road and Goulburn Road remain closed to traffic and the Goulburn Queanbeyan Railway is also closed, with traffic being diverted to the Federal Highway, causing significant travel delays. Mr Allen said the Rural Fire Service was investigating the destroyed property in Hazeldell Road area, as well as livestock loss. "We have got our building impact assessment in the area to confirm that and determine what type of property it is," Mr Allen said.

"We are also looking at reports of two sheds and a couple of vehicles that have been damaged and livestock lost." More than 30 units from the Southern Tablelands and Lake George zones, as well as ACT's Fire and Rescue and Royal Fire Service, were first called on Tuesday to join the fight. ACT Emergency Services Commissioner Dominic Lane said two senior volunteer groups from ACT RFS remained on scene overnight on Tuesday. Additional crews and two ACT fire bombing helicopters returned on Wednesday. "We stand ready to provide further assistance to NSW if they need it," Mr Lane said.

ACT Fire and Rescue announced the first total fire ban for the year on Tuesday, with severe weather warnings expected to impact the blaze. Total fire bans are also in place for Goulburn Mulwaree, Palerang, Queanbeyan, Upper Lachlan and Yass Valley. Mr Allen said residents should enact a bushfire survival plan, which can be found at myfireplan.com.au. "They should not only make the bushfire survival plan but discuss what they would do with family," Mr Allen said.
Sydney Airport Corporation, the owner of the city's airport at Mascot, is unlikely to participate in the construction or running of the new airport at Badgerys Creek, a global ratings agency says.

If the ratings agency is proved right, that would mean the federal government would have to build the airport itself or contract with a rival to Sydney's existing airport operator.

The likelihood of Sydney Airport also operating the Badgerys Creek airport took a hit late last year when the Turnbull government said it would not make extra funds available for doing so.

The government had intimated to Sydney Airport, which owns a contractual right to be given the first chance to build and run a Badgerys airport, that it would provide billions in concessional loans.
Here's a question: When is a company considered privately owned? There's ownership, and there's control. If a company's shareholders and executives don't have control over the day-to-day operations of their organisation - if the government calls them up and tells them what to do - is it really private?

Most big companies in China fall into this gray zone. Although the official state-owned enterprises have shrunk as a percentage of the economy, the government directly or indirectly owns controlling interests in most privately held businesses, and large minority stakes in the rest. This frees China's various government officials from the day-to-day operation of the companies, but allows them to intervene on anything of political interest - or to use the companies as fronts for corruption.

Things are even more ambiguous in Japan and Europe. In these countries, powerful bureaucracies use a combination of closed-door jawboning and publicly issued guidelines to try to make companies do what they want.

Sometimes, as in Japan right now, the order is to focus more on profitability; following that order will make Japanese companies act a bit more like those in the US But other times, the directives can suit the non-economic purposes of the state.
Unbeknownst to me, family lawyers apparently call January "divorce month". As the Christmas tree is thrown out and the wrapping paper cleared away, the empty champagne bottles taken out behind the garage, Google searches for terms like "divorce lawyer" and "file for divorce" spike. Many of the people researching how to untie the knot will probably not do so. But some will.

Brad Wilcox and Samuel Sturgeon of the US Institute for Family Studies suggest that there might be good reason to hold off, particularly if you have kids. Of course, there might be good reason not to hold off! But the majority of divorces involving kids don't come from "high conflict" marriages or situations involving abuse; Wilcox and Sturgeon point to data indicating that most divorces come from couples who are still basically functioning as parents.

Thomas Haden Church, left, and Sarah Jessica Parker in a scene from Divorce. But getting divorced may not bring you the happiness you think it will. Credit:AP

Counterintuitively, kids whose parents divorce amid flying crockery and lurid accusations may actually do better, post-divorce, than kids whose parents unhappily fizzle out. But if you think about it for a while, that's not all that surprising. In homes with major conflict, divorce brings a certain measure of peace and stability. But if your parents are basically civil to each other, divorce could come as an unwelcome surprise.

Our parents, our family unit, are the first and most bedrock fact of our lives. Suddenly breaking that apart  for no reason apparent to the children involved  shakes a faith in the world that will never be rebuilt in quite the same way. Moreover, divorce often means downward economic mobility. Unless you are hugely wealthy, splitting your income across two households means that sacrifices have to be made by both parties, and often, that financial stress is added to the emotional upheaval of unravelling two lives.
The doctors have told me I have a few months to live. The cancer that began in my breast four years ago has spread to my spine, ribs, hips and, more significantly, to my lungs. The surgeries, extensive chemotherapy, and radiation that I went through back then, plus the on-going hormone therapy, didn't do the trick. And so now, in my mid 50's, I'm terminally ill. It often doesn't seem real, yet it is. But there's so much more that I want to do  I am not ready to go!

My story of facing an untimely death has been interwoven with that of my best friend and housemate who, within these same four years, was diagnosed and subsequently died of lung cancer. And no, she wasn't a smoker. As my first illness was coming to an end, her illness began and so I went from being the person who was cared for to being the one who was the primary carer. There was a week's difference. So the past four years have given me a unique window into the complexity of death and dying, of living and loving, and of holding on and letting go.

Julie Morgan believes bringing in legislation that allows a group of experts to determine who can ''legally'' die is a retrograde move. Credit:Joe Armao

The NSW community is about to debate physician-assisted death or voluntary euthanasia. No doubt one of the key ideas will be the notion that we ought to have a "free choice" when it comes to the manner of our death. This is coupled with the different understandings that people have about what it means to die with dignity. These are vitally important conversations. However, it often feels to me that the voices who want physician-assisted dying are given extra amplification by celebrities, and that, because they talk about dying with dignity, they somehow must be right. But the past four years have confirmed for me everything that my two ethics degrees have taught me: that human dignity is so inherent that it is expressed even in extreme vulnerability and not just in the good times.

The debate worries and scares me on several levels. Fortunately we just don't go around killing each other any more, so the notion that it's a person's "free choice" to die just doesn't make sense. Recognising the full scope of human dignity, we stopped capital punishment a long time ago. Now bringing in legislation that allows a group of experts to determine who can "legally" die, seems a retrograde move. Intellectually, that worries me. And once the legislation has been approved, experience tells us that it is likely to grow exponentially. I can imagine a time when particularly frail and vulnerable people will succumb to the thought that it might be best for their families and for society in general for them to let go and die  they will agree to something because they think they ought to. That scares me.
Lawmaking contributes to progress and thus should be seen as fundamentally noble. Politicians' privileged role is a position of public trust.

Their duty to be honest and altruistic is amplified by the fact that they deal exclusively with taxpayers' funds. And indeed many of our elected representatives are decent and hardworking champions of their communities. Yet survey after survey reveals politicians are viewed with disdain. In recent days we've seen, yet again, why.

A caucus meeting? Credit:Getty Images

The resignation of Sussan Ley from the role of federal health minister over an expenses controversy is but the latest in a lamentably long list of gormless and arrogant abuse of trust. It reflects an ugly, unacceptable sense of entitlement across the entire Parliament.

One of the most egregious recent cases, for example, was that of Labor senator Sam Dastyari, who shamefully supported Chinese positions after receiving direct payments from Chinese business interests.
In 2012 my father was diagnosed with end stage stomach cancer. He was scared of the process of dying, but the people from palliative care reassured him that he would not suffer. But he did suffer. Although he was in one of the best palliative care facilities in Melbourne, dying was a slow, cruel process. Whilst he was not previously interested in euthanasia, he asked the doctor on several occasions to help him die. Like many family members who have stood by helplessly, I still feel guilty that I could not help him.

Since that time three more bills seeking to legalise assisted dying (in NSW, Tasmania and South Australia) have been rejected by state parliaments. To hear politicians blithely debating euthanasia laws is particularly galling, having experienced the painful end of this process.

During 2017, a bill to allow assisted dying for individuals with a terminal illness who face unrelievable suffering will be put before the NSW Parliament. There have been more than 30 Voluntary Assisted Dying bills tabled in various states, and all have been voted down. Why?

The NSW premier and the leader of the Opposition are on record saying that they will be voting against such a bill. Likewise, many other state MPs have already made up their minds. When Dying with Dignity NSW conducted a survey of NSW MPs prior to the 2015 election, only 22 per cent stated that they in principle support legislation that allows voluntary assisted dying. What is going on when proposed laws known to be supported by at least 75 per cent of the electorate, are being consistently rejected by our elected representatives?

Sarah Edelman with her father Max three weeks before he died.

Our state and federal parliaments comprise a large proportion of MPs with strong religious beliefs, relative to the general population. This affects the way they vote on social policy issues, such as marriage equality, funding of school chaplains, abortion law reform, the safe schools program, enrolment to ethics classes in NSW schools and, of course, voluntary assisted dying. In concert with religious lobby groups, such as the Australian Christian Lobby and Right to Life, they work to defeat proposed laws that are not consistent with their view of Christian theology.

On many issues, these MP are out of step even with the majority of Australian Christians. A 2012 Newspoll survey showed that 88 per cent of Anglicans and 77 per cent of Catholics agreed that a doctor should be allowed to meet a request from a hopelessly ill patient for help to die. A group called "Christians Supporting Choice for Voluntary Euthanasia" are among the strongest advocates. They argue that a demonstration of Christian love and compassion for those with terminal or hopeless illness includes the option of a pain-free, peaceful and dignified death.
Sydneysiders have endured yet another sticky, stifling night of summer, with the temperature not dipping below 28 degrees in the city all night.

Overnight conditions were actually cooler in the city's west, where Penrith dropped to a low of 25.3 degrees and Badgerys Creek to 23 degrees in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The overnight temperature observations for the city made for some uncomfortable reading, and explain why many Sydneysiders would have tossed and turned into the early hours.

At 10pm on Tuesday, the temperature at Sydney's Observatory Hill was still sitting at 32.3 degrees.
The cause of the crash which brought the Bold Street railway bridge down on to the third and fourth carriages of the crowded train is not known. Rescue workers at the Granville train disaster Credit:SMH The engine pulling the eight carriages jumped the tracks just before the bridge and the stanchion supporting the concrete roadway was knocked out. A black box recorder which measures the train's speed and braking has been taken for investigation. The Premier, Mr Wran, announced a full judicial inquiry. Details will be given today.

Cash payments For obvious reasons we are going ahead delicately. Inspector Ray Williams, officer-in-charge of the emergency operation A six-man departmental inquiry has already started its investigations. The State Government has established a hardship committee to make immediate cash payments to the families of the dead and injured. Damage is so extensive to the line that travel will be disrupted for days and more than 100 buses are being used to replace services on the western line.

In the glare of floodlights early today, weary workmen were still chipping away at the concrete slabs. Inspector Ray Williams, officer-in-charge of the emergency operation, said: "For obvious reasons we are going ahead delicately." Huge cranes stood on either side of the fallen bridge and dozens of fire engines, rescue trucks and police vehicles lined the street. As cranes lifted slabs off the concrete roadway, bodies, some lying on top of others inside the crumpled carriage, were exposed.

At 1.30 am 19 bodies were recovered from a section of the fourth carriage when a four-metre square slab of concrete was lifted off by a mobile crane. There were nine men, nine women and one young girl. At 10 pm 17 bodies had been recovered. There were nine men and eight women. Ambulance men and police rescue workers were constantly moving backwards and forwards, carrying bodies from the railway tracks to a temporary morgue set up in a green tent nearby. Inside the tent, teams of police experts were beginning the task of trying to identify the bodies.

Hundreds of spectators crowded to the scene and Parramatta Road was lined with parked cars. Throughout the day hundreds of rescuers had battled to free the injured, some shockingly hurt from the shattered wooden carriages. Medical teams performed emergency surgery on the spot in the wreckage under the concrete slab. Amputations were performed to free some of the victims. Rescuers used their hands to tear at the wreckage.

Priests crawled through the tumbled debris, administering the last rites and repeated these rites as bodies were brought out. Late in the afternoon the efforts switched to one man, Bryan Gordon, of Emu Plains, pinned by his legs under the slab. 600 passengers At 6.15 pm a crane winched the slab a few centimetres up and he was pulled free. Then workers using a giant, crane-operated hammer collapsed part of the bridge still standing which throughout the day had threatened to fall.

The 6.09 from Mt Victoria left on time yesterday morning and picked up passengers at 20 stations down the Blue Mountains and on to the plain. The last stop was Parramatta at 8.08 - only one minute behind schedule. The train was full, carrying an estimated 600 passengers. Four minutes later and less than two kilometres down the line the crash came. Three cars were on the bridge as it fell on to the carriages. None of the car occupants was believed seriously injured. Three hours later the Blood Bank had more than 3,000 people queuing outside their Clarence Street headquarters after they broadcast an appeal for help.
A petition calling for a referendum on daylight saving in Queensland is gaining traction, gathering thousands of signatures on Tuesday.

The parliamentary e-petition, brought by Deputy Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, had about 3000 signatures at 9am, and had nearly doubled that number by 5pm.

Deputy Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says a previous daylight saving referendum in 1992 is now out of date. Credit:Joe Armao

Mr Schrinner argues a previous unsuccessful referendum in 1992 is now out of date, and Queenslanders should at least be given another chance to have their say.

But the two major political parties are yet to see the light on the issue, with both the premier and the opposition leader ruling out the move.
EXCLUSIVE

A Melbourne organised crime syndicate is suspected of masterminding a scheme to import $60 million of cocaine using a former Japanese whaling vessel, which was boarded by authorities last month, despite never entering Australian waters.

The syndicate, based in Melbourne's north-western suburbs, was monitored for about a year before the boat was intercepted about 1300 kilometres off the coast of Tasmania on December 12.

Authorities then spent another five weeks investigating the syndicate before arresting six Victorian men, four in Melbourne and two in Queensland early on Wednesday over the haul of 186 kilograms of cocaine.
For the first time ever Victorians will be able to discover where the state's high-risk toxic sites are.

The onus will also be on businesses to prove they were not responsible for pollution, under a sweeping overhaul of Victoria's environmental watchdog to be announced on Wednesday.

There are plans for a database of high-risk toxic sites.

More than 45 years after the establishment of Australia's first Environment Protection Authority, the Andrews government is set to give it sharper teeth to crack down on polluters.

The changes follow a major review handed to the government in March last year. It warned that pressures from population growth had been having "profound impacts" on the environment, with increasing waste, increasing traffic, overburdened infrastructure, declining air quality and legacy contamination.
The smartest state school students from across Victoria could board for the first time at a new academy for gifted children, with the Andrews government investigating its construction next to Melbourne High School.

The institution would be built at a site next to the select-entry boys' school in South Yarra and provide much-needed services for gifted students from regional Victoria.

The proposed academy would be built next to Melbourne High School. Credit:Wayne Taylor

It would include a state-government-funded residential college where boys and girls would board while they studied at the state's four select-entry high schools  Melbourne High School, Macrobertson Girls' High School, Nossal High School and Suzanne Cory High School.

"The Government wants to ensure that regional students get access to the excellent education resources provided by select-entry schools," Education Minister James Merlino said.
A Melbourne man with a history of mental health problems had a love-hate relationship with his mother before he allegedly murdered her.

Socrates Tamvakis, 44, was on Tuesday ordered to stand trial for the 2016 murder of his mother, Violet, after a committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court.

Violet Tamvakis was found dead in this London Street house in Bentleigh. Credit:Eddie Jim.

Police allege Ms Tamvakis was murdered by her youngest child at her Bentleigh home between 6am and 8am on April 26, 2016.

Her body was discovered in her bedroom by her youngest daughter after the 75-year-old did not pick up her grandchildren from school.
The church headed by controversial Victorian pastor Daniel "Danny" Nalliah has been stripped of its charity status, and could face a retrospective tax bill, after its congregation was asked to make election donations to an anti-Islamic political party he also leads.

Catch The Fire Ministries had its registration revoked by the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission, with acting commissioner David Locke declaring such an action was "reserved for the most serious of cases".

Pastor Danny Nalliah says his church is 'voluntarily serving the community'. Credit:Simon Schluter

The decision has been backdated to January 2014, which means the church could have to repay three years of Commonwealth charity tax concessions.

In 2014 and 2015 it received more than $500,000 in donations, tithes and offerings.
"I have to wear a beanie to bed," she says.

Winter means extra layers of clothes as the temperature plunges to 10 degrees inside.

Kylie Carville with her daughters Nimu and Ciku at their Coburg home. Credit:Simon Schluter

She loves the northern suburbs location but inside the house in summer it "just becomes unbearably hot".

After a few hot days the temperature can easily surpass 30 degrees inside Kylie Carville's brick home in Coburg.

With no airconditioning and gas heating in just one room, Melbourne's extreme weather takes its toll on Ms Carville and her daughters, Nimu, 8, and Ciku, 5.

Her gas bills are nearly three times higher in winter than other seasons.

She says better insulation, protection against drafts and higher quality awnings or curtains are affordable improvements that would make a big difference for lots of renters like her.

But the short-term nature of many residential tenancies discourages renters from forking out themselves to improve their homes, she says.

Now Environment Victoria is campaigning for the state government to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards for rental homes, saying renters are bearing far more than their fair share of the costs for inefficient homes.
It's tough to watch - and the only saving grace is that no one was hurt.

One Perth motorist must be counting their lucky stars after dash cam footage captured a very close call on Stirling Highway in Nedlands, where the line between close call and disaster was very fine indeed.

The footage shows a grey Mazda 2 cruising along Stirling Highway towards the city in the right hand lane when vehicles ahead stop to turn across traffic at an intersection.

The driver of the Mazda doesn't notice though, and continues driving at regular speed until it's too late, swerving at the very last second around a ute, clipping the tray and scraping the left hand side of the car.
Residents' fears the plumes of dust from the Roe 8 clearing in bushland in Coolbellup were covered with potentially deadly asbestos have been confirmed, after testing found the toxic material on the site.

The Barnett government is currently clearing bushland along the route for the contentious Roe highway extension, which is part of the Perth Freight Link.

A document outlining the testing which was done.

Residents had known for years part of the area has been a dumping ground for asbestos and raised concerns to the WA government the dangerous material was getting mulched and blown into nearby homes.

Main Road workers, covered in protective gear, had been on the site recently removing illegally-dumped asbestos.
Dakar, Senegal: A Nigerian fighter jet searching for Boko Haram fighters on Tuesday bombed a camp for displaced people who had fled the militants, killing scores of camp residents and wounding many others, including humanitarian workers.

The bombing occurred at a government-run camp in Rann, Nigeria, near the borders with Cameroon and Chad. The camp is in an area where Boko Haram has recently increased attacks.

In this image supplied by the aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres, smoke rises from a burnt-out shelter at a camp for displaced people in Rann, Nigeria. Credit:Medecins Sans Frontieres via AP

President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria said on Twitter that the camp was bombed by mistake. "I received with regret news that the air force, working to mop up BH insurgents, accidentally bombed a civilian community in Rann, Borno State," he wrote.

Government officials could not provide an exact death toll, saying they were focused on treating the wounded. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the medical charity, said its teams in Rann had counted 52 dead and 200 wounded as they tried to provide first aid and stabilise patients who were awaiting evacuation.
A Melbourne woman has described the horrors she saw in the aftermath of the Mexico nightclub shooting that claimed at least five lives and injured dozens more.

The 38-year-old fitness instructor, who has requested to be known only as Katie, managed to escape the chaos inside the Blue Parrot beachside nightclub and hid with friends behind a side fence as gunshots rang out.

It was when police escorted her to safety, back through the nightclub, that Katie was confronted with the bloody effects of the gunman's rampage.

"We saw three people dead, one was just lying there and they were trying to save him," she said.
New Civic Type R Prototype has official debut in Asia at the 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon

Prototype marked out by wide, aggressive bumpers, extended wheel arches and dramatic rear wing

Japanese sales launch of Europeanbuilt Civic Hatchback and Civic Type R in summer 2017

Production of Civic Type R starts this year in Swindon, UK

TOKYO - January 13, 2017: The new Honda Civic Type R Prototype has had its official Asian market debut at Japans specialist high-performance and custom car show, the 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon. The Prototype previews elements of the styling of the next-generation Civic Type R which will be officially unveiled later this year.

Hondas unveiling of the new Civic Type R Prototype in Tokyo was accompanied by the official announcement that Japanese sales of the Civic Sedan and European-built Hatchback and Type R will begin in summer 2017.

While the Civic Sedan will be produced at the Saitama Factory group of production plants in Japan, the five-door Hatchback and Type R models will be manufactured at Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) in Swindon, UK. Since the Civic nameplate first appeared in 1972, approximately 24 million examples of the model have been produced worldwide.

The next-generation Civic Type R was engineered within the same development program as the other members of the Civic family, and will be officially unveiled in production form later this year. It will be exported to markets around the world, including the US  which will mark the first time that any Honda-badged Type R has been officially sold in North America. The previous generation Civic Type R was sold in Japan, but only in limited numbers. Sales of the new generation high-performance hatchback in Japan will not be limited.

Based on the sleek new Civic hatchback, the Type R Prototype is enhanced by muscular body styling and modifications to aid aerodynamic performance. The show car is clothed in a finely-grained brushed aluminum-effect finish. Hondas famous red ?H badge  which adorns all Type R models  sits above a new air vent at the nose of the car.

The aggressive front bumper is extended by a winged carbon fibre splitter and sporty red accent line, which runs around the entire car. Additional slatted ducts add width to the bumper, and diamond-mesh inserts fill the sculpted air intakes.

Carbon fibre side skirts run the length of the wheelbase, between piano black 20-inch alloy wheels with red accents and 245-section high-performance tires. Enlarged arches accommodate the new wheels.

A substantial carbon fibre diffuser runs below the wider rear bumper, which frames three fully-functional tailpipes with a pair of directional strakes at each side. The central tailpipe is of a smaller diameter and is highlighted in bright metallic red. Unique peaks at the roof flanks point backwards towards a dramatic, visually striking rear wing.

Hondas exhibit at the Makuhari Messe convention centre in Chiba Prefecture includes a variety of cars and motorcycles as well as several Honda competition vehicles from the worlds of Formula One, MotoGP and SUPER GT.

The Civic Type R Prototype will be officially unveiled at 10:30 JST on the Honda stand, located at Booth 438 in Medium Hall.
GM Investing Additional $1 Billion in U.S. Manufacturing

Moves Axle Jobs to U.S. from Mexico

More than 5,000 New Jobs in Key Growth Areas

DETROIT January 17, 2017; General Motors today announced that it will invest an additional $1 billion in U.S. manufacturing operations. These investments follow $2.9 billion announced in 2016 and more than $21 billion GM has invested in its U.S. operations since 2009.

The new investments cover multiple new vehicle, advanced technology and component projects. A combination of 1,500 new and retained jobs are tied to the new investments. Details of individual projects will be announced throughout the year.

The company also announced it will begin work on insourcing axle production for its next generation full-size pickup trucks, including work previously done in Mexico, to operations in Michigan, creating 450 U.S. jobs.

As the U.S. manufacturing base increases its competitiveness, we are able to further increase our investment, resulting in more jobs for America and better results for our owners, said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. The U.S. is our home market and we are committed to growth that is good for our employees, dealers, and suppliers and supports our continued effort to drive shareholder value.

GMs announcement is part of the companys increased focus on overall efficiency over the last four years. With a strategy to streamline and simplify its operations and grow its business, GM has created 25,000 jobs in the U.S. ? approximately 19,000 engineering, IT and professional jobs and 6,000 hourly manufacturing jobs  and added nearly $3 billion in annual wages and benefits to the U.S. economy over that period. At the same time, GM reduced more than 15,000 positions outside the U.S., bringing most of those jobs to America. During that period, the company moved from 90 percent of its IT work being outsourced to an insourced U.S.-based model.

We will continue our commitment to driving a more efficient business, said Barra, as shown by our insourcing of more than 6,000 IT jobs that were formerly outside the U.S., streamlining our engineering operations from seven to three, with the core engineering center being in Warren, Michigan, and building on our momentum at GM Financial and in advanced technologies. These moves, and others, are expected to result in more than 5,000 new jobs in the U.S. over the next few years.

GM has also been facilitating its supplier base to do the same. The company has been executing a strategy to create supplier parks adjacent to its U.S. manufacturing sites (already accomplished at GMs Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas, Spring Hill Assembly Plant in Tennessee, Fort Wayne Assembly Plant in Indiana, and Lordstown Assembly Plant in Ohio), and will continue to expand this effort. Supplier parks locating near assembly plants result in significant savings from reduced transportation costs, higher quality communications and continuous improvement activities as suppliers are located closer to the final assembly location.

In addition, GM is confirming that another supplier has committed to make components for GMs next-generation full size pick-up trucks in Michigan, moving 100 supplier jobs from Mexico to the U.S.

http://www.gm.com.

EXPERTS COMMENT

Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for Autotrader:

As with Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Hyundai and Toyota before, General Motors announcement today is mostly theater to play in the news cycle created by President-Elect Trumps tweets. These investments and hiring plans have long been in the works and are a continuation of what the company has been doing in recent yearstrying to run a successful, profitable business. The only thing new here is GMs aggressiveness in announcing its plans.

Rebecca Lindland, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book:

Regardless of the motivation, timing or other exogenous factors, these are real jobs for real Americans that provide real economic gain for the individual and the community in which they live and work. Expanding the manufacturing base in this country is a win for all Americans and provides economic benefits for years to come.

Michael Harley, analyst for Kelley Blue Book:

Retaining and growing jobs in the U.S. is a political hot button right now. While the decision to create the new positions and opportunities was likely made months ago, the timing of the announcement shows General Motors is more than willing to play the new administrations publicity game  a sure bet to hear mention of GM in Fridays inaugural address.
Prince Friedrich of Prussia and the Princess Royal on their wedding day (Detail, John Phillips The Marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal)

[Wikimedia Commons]

Tiaras of the Princess Royals Wedding

(originally appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 11 Feb 1858)

The Princess Royal, eldest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, married Prince Friedrich of Prussia on January 25, 1858. This is a newspaper report, syndicated from the Times of London, that describes the dresses and jewels worn at the wedding by the ladies of the royal family.

From the Phillip painting: Queen Victoria with several her younger children

[Wikimedia Commons]

The train and body of Her Majestys [1] dress were composed of rich mauve (lilac) velvet trimmed with three rows of lace, the corsage ornamented with diamonds, and the celebrated Koh-i-Noor [2] as a brooch. The petticoat mauve and silver moire trimmed with a deep flounce of Honiton lace. The head dress, a royal diadem of diamonds and pearls [3].

The Princess Royal in her wedding gown

The Princess Royals [4] bridal dress was of white moire antique, the body trimmed with Honiton lace, and a bouquet of orange flowers and myrtle. The petticoat, trimmed with three flounces of Honiton lace, wreathed with orange and myrtle, and the train of white moire antique lined with satin, bordered with a ruche of white satin ribbons, Honiton lace, and a wreath of orange flowers and myrtle to correspond with the dress. Diamond necklace, earrings, and brooch; the Prussian order of Louisa [5], and a Portuguese order [6]. The head dress a wreath of orange flowers and myrtle; the veil of Honiton lace, to correspond with the dress. The design of the lace is alternate medallions of the rose, shamrock, and thistle, with a rich ground of leaves of the rose, shamrock, and thistle.

Princess Wilhelm of Prussia (the mother of the groom) in a detail from the Phillip painting

[Wikimedia Commons]

The Princess of Prussia [7] wore a white silk dress with silver worked flounces, a diadem of diamonds, feathers, and a lace veil. The train of blue moire antique, shot with silver, and embroidered with silver. Necklace pink topaz and diamonds.

From the Phillip painting: the Duchess of Kent; the Duchess of Cambridge; Prince George, Duke of Cambridge; and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge. Victorias sisters, Alice, Helena, and Louise, are in the foreground

[Wikimedia Commons]

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent [8] wore a petticoat of white moire antique brocaded with violet and trimmed with point lace. The train violet velvet trimmed with ermine; the stomacher violet velvet, with ornaments of diamonds and amethysts [9]. The head dress was formed of white ostrich feathers, diamonds, amethysts, and point lace. The materials of the dress and train were of Spitalfields manufacture.

The Duchess of Cambridge [10] wore a lilac silk dress, with double skirt, both skirts trimmed with bouillonnes of tulle and Honiton lace; the train lilac moire antique trimmed with ermine. A stomacher of diamonds and pearls; a necklace of diamonds. Her Royal Highnesss head dress was composed of a tiara of large pearls [11] and white feathers, with a veil of Honiton lace pendant from the back of the head.

The Princess Mary of Cambridge [12] wore a double skirt of blue crepe over a glace silk petticoat ornamented with blush roses and ruches of crepe and blue satin ribbon, with two very deep flounces of Brussels lace. The train, blue moire, trimmed with Mechlin lace, blush roses, and ruches of tulle to match the dress; the body trimmed to correspond with the train. Diamond and pearl stomacher. A diamond necklace. The princesss head dress was formed of a diamond diadem [13], white feathers, cappets of Brussels lace, and diamond ornaments.

Princess Louise, Princess Alice, and Princess Helena, sisters of the bride

The Princess Alice [14] wore a dress of white lace over rich pink satin trimmed with cornflowers and daisies.

The Princesses Helena [15] and Louisa [16] wore dresses similar to that of the Princess Alice, with cornflowers and daisies in the hair.

The Princess Royal with her parents, Victoria and Albert, on her wedding day

NOTES

1. Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (1819-1901), mother of the bride. The Princess Royal was the eldest child of Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

2. The Koh-i-Noor Diamond came into the Royal Collection in 1849, when it was ceded to Queen Victoria in the controversial Last Treaty of Lahore. (Lawsuits are frequently filed by parties who believe it was wrongly taken by the British and should be returned to Asia.) It was displayed at Prince Alberts Great Exhibition in 1851, and in 1852, Albert had the stone recut, reducing the size from 186 to just over 105 carats. Today, the diamond is set in the crown of the late Queen Mother, and it can be viewed in the crown jewel exhibit at the Tower of London.

3. For her daughters wedding, Victoria wore the grand Diamond Diadem that had been made for the coronation of her uncle, George IV. Shortly before this wedding, Victoria had lost a number of jewels to her cousin, King George V of Hanover (see here for more). Hugh Roberts notes that the loss was a serious blow to Victoria. She was reportedly consoled by the fact that she was able to keep this diadem and wear it at her daughters wedding.

4. Princess Victoria (Vicky), Princess Royal (1840-1901), later German Empress and Queen of Prussia, was the eldest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She married Prince Friedrich of Prussia, the future emperor of Germany, in 1858. They had eight children, including Queen Sophie of the Hellenes and the infamous Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.

5. The Order of Louise was a German order of chivalry created by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia to honor his late wife, Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

6. Not sure which Portuguese order, if any, Vicky had. She did have a Spanish order, the Order of Queen Maria Luisa. In the photographs of Vicky from her wedding day, the Order of Louise is visible on her shoulder beside at least one additional order, the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert.

7. Princess Wilhelm of Prussia (1811-1890), later German Empress and Queen of Prussia, was born Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Her son, Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, was the groom at this wedding. Her daughter, Louise, married the Grand Duke of Baden; they were the parents of Queen Victoria of Sweden.

8. The Duchess of Kent (1786-1861), born Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, was the mother of Queen Victoria and the aunt of Prince Albert. She was both the grandmother and the godmother of Princess Vicky.

9. The Duchess of Kent owned at least one gorgeous suite of diamond and amethyst jewels: the Kent amethysts, which are owned and worn today by Queen Elizabeth II.

10. The Duchess of Cambridge (1797-1889), born Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, was the wife of Queen Victorias uncle, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge. She was also the grandmother of Mary of Teck.

11. Augusta wore the famous Cambridge Lovers Knot Tiara to this wedding. The tiara is clearly visible in the John Phillip painting of the ceremony.

12. Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge (1833-1897) was a first cousin of Queen Victoria. Her parents were Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge and Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. In 1866, Mary Adelaide married Prince Francis of Teck, a member of the royal family of Wuerttemberg. They were the parents of Mary of Teck.

13. In the painting of the wedding by John Phillip, Princess Mary Adelaide is clearly wearing the Teck Crescent Tiara, identified by its distinctive crescent-and-rose pattern. She had inherited the diamond piece from Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, only a few months before.

14. Princess Alice of the United Kingdom (1843-1878), later Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, was the second daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Her descendants include Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, Queen Louise of Sweden, Lord Mountbatten, and the Duke of Edinburgh.

15. Princess Helena of the United Kingdom (1846-1923), later Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, was the third daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She was a major advocate for British nursing.

16. Princess Louise of the United Kingdom (1848-1939), later Duchess of Argyll, was the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She broke with tradition when she married an aristocrat (the Marquess of Lorne, later Duke of Argyll) instead of a royal prince. An accomplished sculptor, her statue of her mother stands outside of Kensington Palace.
The worlds second largest-religion is receiving a revolutionary rebranding, courtesy of the star of such films as Mean Girls, The Canyons, and Herbie: Fully Loaded. Lindsay Lohan, already the celebrity face of overtanning, cautionary tales, and making a major humanitarian crisis about you, is allegedly adding Islam to her packed roster.

Over the weekend, the convert formally known as LiLo changed her Instagram bio to Alaikum salam, an Arabic greeting that translates to and unto you peace. This greeting falls under the umbrella of proper Islamic etiquette, leading many believers to assume that Lohan has embraced the faith. The actress also deleted all of her posts on the social media platform, possibly under the impression that sponsored content and bikini selfies arent halal.

On the surface, Lindsay Lohan may not seem like the most likely brand ambassador for the religion of Muhammad. However, what Lohan lacks in a typical religious background, she more than makes up for in sheer enthusiasm.

Back in 2015, the actress was spotted stateside toting an unconventional accessorya copy of the Quran. Later, she explained that the holy book was an enlightening gift from some good pals. My very close friends, who have been there for me a lot, in London are Saudi and they gave me the Quran and I brought it to New York because I was learning, said Lohan. It opened doors for me to experience spiritually, to find another true meaning, she added. This is who I am. Lohan has also criticized the response to her reading habits, claiming that, I was a bad person for holding that Quran. I was so happy to leave and go back to London after that. Because I felt so unsafe in my own country after this. I mean, people were, like, horrible to me.

Like many celebrities, Lohan has posed for pictures in Muslim countries with a shawl wrapped around her head. But unlike your Rihannas or Khloe Kardashians, Lohan has fully immersed herself in a new cultureto the point of possible political indoctrination. On Oct. 15, fans first began to suspect that LiLo had been compromised. This revelation came in the form of the Lilohan, a new accent that the Parent Trap star debuted at the opening of her pro-refugee Athens nightclub. The vocal affect, which Lohan described as a mixture of most of the languages I can understand or am trying to learn, was enough of a red flag to prompt further investigation into Lohans recent endeavors and whereabouts. Theres no Google rabbit hole quite like the question: What has Lindsay Lohan been up to lately?

Naturally, the Lilohan was just the tip of the iceberg. When she wasnt busy opening eponymous Greek nightclubs, Lohan had apparently been cracking open the ol Rosetta Stones. As she told The Daily Mail, Ive been learning different languages since I was a child. Im fluent in English and French, can understand Russian and am learning Turkish, Italian and Arabic. Admittedly, 2016 was a difficult year. Who among us didnt lie about being a polyglot and debut their strange new diction on a nightclub red carpet? But it was the content of Lohans shocking interview that really raised eyebrows, as the 30-year-old spoke at length about her work with Syrian refugees, and at one point seemed to imply that the Lohan club could branch off into a string of spas and refugee camps.

Not content with sharing her vision for the worlds most confusing franchise, Lohan proceeded to utter the phrase The world is bigger than fivea slogan coined by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogans favorite saying refers to his opinion that the UN Security Council ought to expand its permanent membership beyond its current five statesChina, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United Statespresumably to include Turkey.

In fact, Lohan has been quietly and consistently praising Erdogans vision for restructuring the UN Security Council, as well as voicing support for his AKP party.

In a predictably off-kilter interview with Turkish TV network Haberturk, also last October, Lohan praised the Turkish strongmans approach to an attempted coup that had left more than 2,100 people injured and 300 people dead. Lohan mused, Erdogan did really well and his people, really admiring and respecting him, as the first elected president. This is a big deal. For some perspective, the Turkish leader who Lohan is essentially Kellyanne Conway-ing for has been accused of restricting the freedoms of his constituents and instituting authoritarian practices. It was during this same interview that Lohan criticized the American response to her carrying a copy of the Quran, opining, In Turkey you have free will as a woman, its amazing here, you can do what you want and its accepted, whereas I am in America and I am holding the Quran and I am the devil. (Note: This could not be further from the truth.)

So is Lindsay Lohan joining the growing group of famous Americans who double as pawns for foreign superpowers? For a possible spy, Lohan certainly keeps a high profile.

In the past, shes visited Turkish camps and hospitals, communing with refugees from the ISIS-ravaged city of Aleppo. On her Instagram pageR.I.P.she posted pictures of herself playing with refugee children and conversing with families. Apparently, the actress is extremely popular in Turkey, where she has garnered her first and last comparisons to fellow celebrity humanitarian Angelina Jolie. Like Jolie, Lohans humanitarian efforts have clearly become an integral part of her being, to the extent that the star has transformed personal tragedies into political fodder. When the actress lost a portion of her finger to a boating accident while on vacation in Mykonos, she mined her digital distress for spiritual revelations. In an online video interview with CNN, Lohan explained, Losing half of my finger and getting it back was one of the best things thats ever happened to me, adding, If that didnt happen to me, if I didnt lose a part of myself essentiallyand I weirdly think about this when I meditateI wouldnt have stayed in Turkey. I wouldnt have stayed there, and I wouldnt have understood what it feels like to lose a limb. No, this isnt fake news.

The actress expanded on her experience at the Syrian refugee camp in Turkey, recalling, It was scary for me at the time because Im entering a world that I know nothing really about and Im trying to learn about it But the most amazing experience Ive ever had was when I went into those container camps and saw what the Turkish people are actually doing for people that are just walking aimlessly and have nowhere else to go, and giving them refuge.

Lohans newfound religiosity may seem strange coming from a woman who posed nude for Playboy and famously chronicled all of her fuck buddies on an old Scattergories card. However, it seems that LiLos nascent spirituality has been building for quite some time. Back in 2014, she confessed to Oprah Winfrey that she was a very spiritual person. She had just completed her sixth stint in rehab when she sat for the interview, explaining, Im a very spiritual person and Ive become more spiritual as time has gone on. Im really in touch, whether its prayer or meditation... there are so many powers greater than me in the world. Ive been blessed and lucky enough to have been given a gift to share with other people.

Unfortunately for the rest of us, Lohans unconfirmed conversion probably means that that Mean Girls 2 treatment will have to wait.
President-elect Donald Trump is rumored to be plotting the exile of beat reporters from the White House press roomprovoking a collective panic attack among Washingtons media elite, and prompting Beltway denizens to wonder: If the rumor proves true, what, if anything, can the Fourth Estate do about it?

This is a time of institutions reinventing themselves, and we in the media have to do that, too, Ron Fournier, a former White House correspondent for the Associated Press, told The Daily Beast.

Look, theres no way the people are being served if they kick the peoples representatives out of the Peoples House, and well have to consider doing things other than protesting and whining. Well have to think about what we can do to bring some pain to make our point.

For more than four decades since Richard Nixons administration, credentialed reporters from print and broadcast outlets have operated from assigned desks and cubicles behind the White House briefing roombuilt over an indoor swimming pool used by presidents from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Lyndon Baines Johnsonand journalists have toiled in cramped cubicles in the West Wing since the Washington Stars William W. Price invented the White House beat during Grover Clevelands presidency in 1896. (Previously, according to National Journals George Condon, whos at work on a history of the White House press corps, journalists barely covered the presidency, and if they did, it was from Capitol Hill.)

With only a few interruptions since William Price (for instance, a months-long renovation of the press area during George W. Bushs administration), reporters have enjoyed physical access to the White House, interacting with senior policymakers and watching personages come and go.

At the start of Bill Clintons administration, journalists protested bitterly when then-communications director (now ABC News chief anchor) George Stephanopoulos ordered the door to the upper press roomand his officeshut, a departure from longstanding tradition; the decision was reversed when David Gergen joined Team Clinton in an effort to smooth over testy relations with the media.

Fournier, associate publisher and editor of Crains Detroit Business, was the APs White House reporter covering Presidents Clinton and the second George Bush.

For the coming Trump administration, he suggested that journalists can band together to boycott White House press briefings or take other punitive measures.

For example, instead of begging and asking and trying to shame Donald Trump into turning over his tax records, how can we force him into it? What if news organizations say Were not going to interview you until you turn over your tax returns? Maybe the media can start being as activist as the politicians they cover in getting their jobs done.

Those, admittedly, would be extreme and possibly unrealistic responses, given journalists competitive instincts and reflexive resistance to group action.

And they might also be ineffective, given Trumps proven ability to communicate to Americans via social mediaon which he boasts more than 40 million combined followers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagramand his penchant for granting exclusive access and interviews to friendly media outlets.

Trumps much-discussed, much-derided joint interview with the Times of London and the German publication Bildan hourlong session reportedly engineered by Times owner and frequent Trump phone buddy Rupert Murdochwas a case in point.

Tory MP and Murdoch pal Michael Gove, the prominent Brexit advocate who conducted the interview for the Monday edition of Murdochs paper, posed afterward with the president-elect for a sycophantic snapshot, with both men giving Trumps patented thumbs-up gesture.

At least the German journalist, Kai Diekmann, kept his hands by his side during his own closeup with the great man.

Yet Elisabeth Bumiller, Washington bureau chief of the New York Times and a former White House correspondent herself, argued that regardless of the pitfalls and challenges of covering President Trump, The press will still do its job.

If the press is cut off that way, information is going to be a lot harder to get, and holding the administration accountable is going to be a lot harder to do, Bumiller told The Daily Beast. That said, if they should do this, its not going to stop the press. If they believe that cutting off access at the White House is going to result in better press about the White House, theyre misinformed.

Still, Trump has thrived by shattering norms of behavior, political and otherwise.

As a New York real estate mogul in the 1980s, he didnt hesitate to launch eviction proceedings against troublesome tenants, even allowing their apartments to fester with leaks, rats, garbage, and dust in his aggressive campaign to push them out.

Thus it comes as no surprise if, as reported by Esquire magazines Peter Boyer, the president-elect is thinking about evicting irksome journalistsmembers of a profession he has regularly denounced as dishonestdisgracefulscumfrom their 120-year-old home in the Executive Mansions West Wing.

"They are the opposition party," Boyer quoted an anonymous senior aide to the president-elect, one of three senior Trump transition officials who confirmed that theyre seriously considering relocating the press corps to the Old Executive Office Building, next door to the White House, or possibly the White House Conference Center, across Pennsylvania Avenue on Jackson Placein either case, the logistical equivalent of Baltimore.

"I want 'em out of the building, the aide said. We are taking back the press room."

Sean Spicer, Trumps incoming White House communications director and press secretary, told Boyer that "there has been no decision" about a proposed move, but acknowledged that "there has been some discussion about how to do it."

That, plus Spicers pointed failure to deny the possibility of such a relocation in multiple television appearances since Boyers piece was published over the weekend, has been enough to send Washington journalists to battle stations.

Its an important principle for a free press that reporters who cover the White House have access to advisors around the president and very specifically to his press team and his press secretary, said Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason, president of the White House Correspondents Association. Those individuals sit in an office in the West Wing, to which we now have access, and it is critical to us to maintain that access to report the news.

On Sunday, in the aftermath of Boyers report, Mason met with Spicer face to face for two hours to voice his concerns.

I made clear that the WHCA would view it as unacceptable if the incoming administration sought to move White House reporters out of the press work space behind the press briefing room, he later wrote in a statement. Access in the West Wing to senior administration officials, including the press secretary, is critical to transparency and to journalists ability to do their jobs.

In an interview, Mason said Spicer was noncommittal about letting the White House press corps stay put. I think he listened to me, and I listened to him, and we both had some concerns, and raised concerns and we listened to each other, he said.

One concern was apparently prompted by the incident at Trumps press conference last week, when CNN senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta repeatedly demanded a chance to ask a question and the president-elect, angered by CNNs reporting on a classified intelligence briefing in which Trump was informed about a scandalous dossier concerning his alleged misbehavior during a trip to Moscow, refused Acostas questions and accused CNN of disseminating fake news.

Afterward, Spicer told Acosta that if he behaved disrespectfully again toward Trump, he would be summarily ejected.

Sean expressed concern that journalists adhere to a high level of decorum at press briefings and press conferences, said Masons statement. I made clear that the WHCA would object, always, to a reporter being thrown out of a briefing or press conference.

Spicer didnt respond by deadline to a request for comment from The Daily Beast.

Fournier, meanwhile, said there might even be a silver lining to the banishment of reporters from the West Wing, encouraging journalists to spend less time at canned briefings and more time cultivating sources, ferreting out documents and focusing on digging for whats really going on inside the Trump administration.

Former AP White House correspondent Terry Hunt, who spent 25 years covering presidents from Ronald Reagan to Bush the younger, predicted that reporters will stick together particularly if there is an aggressive White House that is trying to intimidate or vilify the press.

Tongue in cheek, Hunt added: Its going to be incredible to watch. Itll be a beautiful thing. I hope its not sad.
With three days to go before his inauguration, Donald Trump is being sued for defamation by a woman who accused him of sexually inappropriate conduct, according to attorney-to-the-stars Gloria Allred, who announced the lawsuit at a press conference this afternoon.

Summer Zervos, a former contestant on season five of The Apprentice, first came forward in October to accuse the GOP nominee of sexual assault. Following her short stint on the reality show, Zervos said she approached Mr. Trump about job opportunities in 2007, but instead of being offered employment, Zervos claimed, Trump groped her.

Ms. Zervos was ambushed by Mr. Trump on more than one occasion, the complaint states. Mr. Trump suddenly, and without her consent, kissed her on her mouth repeatedly; he touched her breast; and he pressed his genitals up against her. Ms. Zervos never consented to any of this disgusting touching.

Zervos came forward after the infamous Access Hollywood tapes were made public, in which Trump remarked to host Billy Bush that his celebrity meant he could just start kissing [women]...I dont even wait. And when youre a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.

For the first time, the lawsuit alleges, Zervos saw Mr. Trumps behavior towards her for what it was: that of a sexual predator who had preyed on her and other women.

Trump's presidential transition team spokeswoman Hope Hicks said the suit was more of the same from Gloria Allred. There is no truth to this absurd story.

In response to Zervos' original claims, Trump released a statement to People saying that he vaguely remembered her and denied ever meeting her at a hotel or groping her. That is not who I am as a person, and it is not how Ive conducted my life, the statement said.

Further, Trump insisted, Zervos had contacted him recently for help and a request to visit her restaurant. The presidential candidate then released a statement from a cousin of Zervos expressing shock at the allegations.

Zervoss defamation suit rests on the claim that Trumps denial was not only knowingly untrue, but was made with the knowledge that it would be heard by millions, and would do irreparable harm, subjecting Zervos and the other women to threats of violence, economic harm, and reputational damage, the lawsuit claims. Her claim, for emotional harm and economic damage, seeks an undisclosed sum in compensatory and punitive damages.

But Zervos, whom Allred said had volunteered and passed a lie detector test, said shed settle for a retraction. If Trump would simply retract his false and defamatory statements about me and acknowledge I told the truth about him, Zervos said, she would drop her lawsuit.

Zervos is one of a dozen women who came forward in 2016 before the presidential election to accuse Trump of unwanted kissing, groping, fondling, leering, or some other non-consensual sexual advances.

During the campaign, Trump loudly and characteristically denied the mounting allegations, often against the guidance of his advisors. My people always say, don't talk about it, talk about jobs, talk about the economy, Trump said at an October rally in Greensboro, North Carolina. But I feel I have to talk about it, because you have to dispute when somebody says something.

He went on: These are lies being pushed by the media and the Clinton campaign to try and keep their grip on our country. They are all false. They're totally invented, fiction, all 100 percent totally and completely fabricated. I never met this person, these people. I don't know who they are...I don't know who these people are. I look on television, I think it's a disgusting thing and it's being pushed. They have no witnesses. There's nobody around. They just come outsome are doing it for probably a little fame. They get some free fame. It's a total setup.

Trump also attacked the women personally, often on their appearance, ostensibly arguing his accusers were too ugly to be assaulted by him.

Shes a liar. She is a liar, he said of former People magazine reporter Natasha Stoynoff, who alleged Trump had forcibly kissed her and propositioned her during a 2005 visit to Mar-a-Lago where she was on assignment for a story about the real-estate mogul and his new (and pregnant) wife, Melania. Check out [Stoynoffs] Facebook page, you'll understand, Trump added.

Of Jessica Leeds, who told The New York Times that she had been groped on an airplane by Trump in the 1980s, he joked to a snickering crowd, When you looked at that horrible woman last night, you said, I don't think so, I don't think so.  Yeah, I'm going to go after you. Believe me, she would not be my first choice, that I can tell you.

And yet the women kept coming. Teen beauty pagent contestants who accused Trump of leering at them while they changed in the dressing room, a photography assistant who claimed she was grabbed, and the adult film star who says the future president offered to pay her for sex.

"Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign," Trump said later in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. "Total fabrication. The events never happened. Never. All of these liars will be sued after the election is over."

Trump has not as of yet sued anyone. And if he assumed a November win would mean an end to the accusations, it seems he was mistaken.

Oh, he can still be sued, said Michael Gerhardt, a professor of Constitutional Law at the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill.

Ironically, the Supreme Court unanimously decided a sitting president was not above the law in a 1997 ruling that allowed Paula Joness sexual harassment lawsuit against Bill Clinton to move forward.

Because Trump is undoubtedly the most sued person to ever take the oath of office, its no surprise that he has already tested the limits of a civil court's power over a soon-to-be-sitting president. Before the President-elect paid out $25 million to settle three separate lawsuits against Trump University in November, his attorneys argued that hed be far too busy with presidential duties to go through the rigors of trial, an argument dismissed by a California judge citing the Paula Jones verdict, which states that a judge is capable of scheduling events so interference is minimal.

As far as the defamation claim, Gerhardt said theyll have to show Trump intended to use information he know was false to the detriment of the plaintiff.

But the damage to Trump wouldnt rest solely in a verdict against him. Should the lawsuit move forward, the threat of discoverytestimony and evidence gathered in during the litigation of a caselooms large for a man like Donald Trump. Investigating accusations of sexual misconduct by a man who lies extensively in public and who, behind closed doors, claims to grab women by the pussy without their consent, could be extensive and embarrassing.

In a previous statement, attorney Lisa Bloom, Allreds daughter and an attorney for another woman who accused Trump of sexual misconduct this year, relished the possibility of bringing Trump to court, calling it a field day, because of the treasure trove of impropriety discovery might unearth.

In that lawsuit I would take the deposition of Trump and all of his enablers, and subpoena his business and personal records as well as any recordings that may exist in which he brags about sexual assault, such as the Access Hollywood recording and potentially, the Apprentice raw footage, the statement read in part.

And finally, theres a chance that whatever Allreds team finds could warrant an impeachment, as it did for Bill Clinton. We just dont know yet, Gerhardt said. We dont know whether Trump will answer truthfully under oath, or about the quality of evidence being put forward.

But barring a dismissal of the lawsuit, and regardless of the upcoming inauguration, the evidence will be coming. Weve given him two months [to retract]. Time is up, Allred said this afternoon.

It is time for Trump to answer the allegations in a court of law, rather than in his bedroom by tweeting in the middle of the night.
Out of power and out of ideas. Thats where Democrats are today, and thats where they were in the late 1980s when Al From co-founded the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), which brought Democrats back from the dead on the strength of New Democrat ideas, sending Bill Clinton to the White House.

Now the party is in need yet again of a savior. Somebody will pick up the mantle, says From. The Democratic Party has lasted a long time.

The policy ideas the DLC championed moved the party more to the mainstream and recaptured Reagan Democratsthe white blue-collar voters who had strayed. These working-class voters won the White House for Clinton in 92but they lost it for Hillary Clinton in 2016.

A couple lessons, says From. Hillary Clinton won California, New York, and Massachusetts by about five million votes, and Donald Trump won the rest of the country by a couple million. We need to win in more places, and we need to compete in more placesand that doesnt mean just getting out the vote and having labor leaders for you, From says. Labor turned out in those blue wall statesand the white ones voted for Trump.

From continued his analysis over a bunless burger at The Palm, his favorite lunch spot in downtown Washington: In December 1990, Doug Frazier of the UAW [United Auto Workers] told me black union workers vote Democratic for reasons that have nothing to do with politics, and white union workers are for Reagan and Bush.

Does watching Democrats come full circle back to where they were in the 80s, losing touch with the white working class, make him yearn to get involved? No, he says. What I do feel a yearning to do is remind my fellow Democrats why what we stand for mattersthat ideas matterthat you need a compelling message to move voters.

We dont need the DLCat least we dont need me. We need new young people whose future depends on it, he says.

But he does have some ideas, and they have to do with Making Work Pay Again. His defining idea for making work pay is eliminating what the late, great Senator Patrick Moynihan called the tax on work, which is the payroll tax.

From would replace the payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare with consumption taxes, including taxes on pollution, or green taxes, and taxes on Wall Street, plus eliminating the carried-interest loophole.

The point is to find different ways other than taxing the working class to pay for Social Security. This would be a good debate for our party to have, he says. It would give workers a lot more money, and it would also eliminate the employers contribution, which is an obstacle to employing low-income people. Republicans would support that aspect, and the concept could win bipartisan support.

Moynihan was one of Washingtons most original thinkers, and in a keynote speech in 1990 to Froms New Mainstream Democrats, he called on them to cut the tax on work.

If Hillary Clinton had embraced the idea of ending the tax on work, she could have laid claim to a big, bold idea that might have blunted the Bernie Sanders challenge, and given her an avenue to hold those Reagan Democrats. Growing the economy and making government work are progressive goals, says From: Youve got to create the wealth to redistribute. And if you believe in government, government has to work.

This is a vastly different world than 1935, when FDR signed into law the Social Security Act. There were 16 workers for one retiree. Now its fewer than three. Tax reform is on the agenda for Republicans and Democrats, but the focus is on lowering the corporate tax rate.

Moynihan never called for eliminating the payroll tax, says Rob Shapiro, an economist who worked for him when he was in the Senate and who worked with From at the DLC. He wanted to raise the amount subject to the tax (capped this year at about $120,000), and make capital income (capital gains, interest, and dividends) subject to the tax as well as labor income. Wall Street and the business community would fiercely resist that.

The payroll tax is the second biggest base in the economy (after the personal income tax), and youd have to find something with a comparably big base to replace it, says Shapiroeither a VAT (value added tax) or an energy tax. A substantial carbon tax could cut the payroll tax 1.5 points, he says, but eliminating it would be a much greater challenge.

I love Al, but hes not coming up with anything that will stand 30 seconds of scrutiny, he says.

Yet Shapiro agrees with From that Democrats need a bolder economic message. He was an adviser to the Clinton campaign and was sending Hillary memos every 10 days that she needed a big economic development program to raise incomes.

He had done research at the Center for American Progress tracking peoples incomes as they aged. Everybody was making steady progress in the 80s and 90s. Then it stops in 2001. The only people making progress were the college-educated. Households without college degrees were making less at age 40 than age 30. And theyre two-thirds of the country, Shapiro says, his voice rising for emphasis. Two-thirds! This is the central economic development of this whole era.

Clinton used the rhetoric Shapiro suggested about how everybodys incomes would rise under her policies, but she didnt take it far enough in his view. He wondered whether she thought it would imply criticism of President Obama, whom she was campaigning with in lockstep.

I think they were mesmerized by the demographics, says Shapiro. They (Clinton campaign) had a policy for every part of the coalition, for young people, for African Americans, for Hispanics, for single women, but they didnt have an economic program, and thats what he (Trump) had. A stupid one, he says, but he had one.
PARIS  What a relief! The World Economic Forum in Davos learned today that everythings going to be okay. President-Elect Donald Trump didnt really dump all over Europe and its unifying institutions over the weekend, or, well, he did but he didnt mean it like it sounded: NATO is only kind of obsolete, Germanys Angela Merkel opening the door to migrants was a catastrophe, but Trump really respects her a lot. So the high and mighty were told on the Davos stage by his soon-to-be assistant in the White House office of liaison, Anthony Scaramucci.

And in case you were worried about a China-United States trade war under the new administrationnah. No less an authority than Chinese Premier Xi Xinping declared himself to be an ardent free-trader, strongly opposed to protectionism, the new incarnation (although he didnt quite say this) of Davos Man.

Of course, if you believe all that, there are plenty of people with a couple of Alps to sell you.

Related: Davos Man Confronts Trumpocalypse Over Canapes

But however dubious the propositions put forth by the star speakers at Davos on its first full day, the core messagethat roles are reversing in a world turned upside downremained quite clear.

First came Xi Jinping, who is the only Chinese leader ever to attend and address the Forum, which he dubbed (in translation) a cost-effective brainstorming event.

In a speech often peppered with awkward analogies, metaphors and citations ranging from Charles Dickens (the best of times and the worst of times) to ancient Chinese proverbs, Xis core purpose was to defend globalizationand set himself up as the anti-protectionist anti-Trump, without ever naming the president-elect per se.

Xi rejected the idea that globalization was responsible for most of the worlds evils. The waves of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa which have so disturbed the equilibrium of Europe, for instance, are the result of regional turbulence, wars and unrest, not globalization, he said.

The international financial crisis, according to Xi, was the result of failed financial regulation, not globalization.

China, too, used to have misgivings about globalization, Xi claimed, but it realized that to grow its economy, China must have the courage to swim in the vast ocean of the global market. Protectionismany attempt to divide up that ocean into isolated lakes and creeks is simply impossible, he said.

Say no to protectionism, Xi declared. Pursuing protectionism is just like locking oneself in a dark room. While wind and rain may be kept out, so will light and air. No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war.

In a context that would hardly seem credible were it not for Trumps climate-change skepticism, the Chinese premier, who lives and works in the phenomenally polluted city of Beijing, presented himself as a champion of the environment.

The Paris Agreement on efforts to rein in greenhouse gas emissions is a hard-won achievement, said Xi. All signatories should stick to it instead of walking away from it, as this is a responsibility we must assume for future generations.

The message from Xi and other Chinese officials at Davos was that they did not want to devalue their currency (one of their most potent weapons if a trade war should take place). China has no intention to boost its competitiveness by devaluing the renminbi, he said.

He made it sound as if China would play by the rules that the United States under Trump may well be rejecting: We will open our arms to people of other countries and welcome them aboard the fast train of economic development, Xi declared. China will keep its door wide open and not close it, he said, adding a bit later, We will level the playing field to make Chinese markets more transparent and better regulated.

Whew.

A few minutes later, on the same platform, American financier and entrepreneur Anthony Scaramucci presented the Trumpian case as well as he could, given that he didnt seem sure exactly what the new president is thinking.

One point he made early on: the new administration [does] not want a trade war. But since the days of the Marshall Plan in the 1940s, the free trade agreements signed by the United States were meant to enhance stability in various countries around the world by giving them more advantageous terms than the Americans got for themselves. (This would surprise a number of trading partners, of course.)

Over the decades, the need for that kind of deal has diminished, and the result of this asymmetrical policy, said Scaramucci, has been a deleterious effect on American workers and manufacturers, leading to the backlash against international trade.

By making new and more balanced agreements, Scaramucci suggested, Paradoxically, President Trump could be one of the last great hopes for globalization.

Scaramucci made several half-joking references to what he clearly considered a hostile audience, and especially a hostile press. And he was probably right about that.

Trumps interview with The Times of London and the German paper Bild, published Monday, has provoked outrage on much of the continent. (Trump Against Europe, headlined the French daily Le Monde with its logo set in a black banner.)

Scaramucci fell back on anecdotes about what a great guy Trump is when you get to know him: a super compassionate man who loves kids and loves people and has all the elements of a great leader. He extolled Trumps attention to detail, working not only on his speech, but on the balls and things like that. (This is not the kind of remark that normally impresses Davosians.)

The Italian-American financier said Trump in his luxurious tower had a better feel for the working class than he did, even though the people at Trump rallies were the people I grew up with.

And Trump had the genius, as Scaramucci portrayed him, to take the kind of language youd use in an intimate setting, say a bar, and put it out on Twitter, thus sharing his true thoughts with the world. He comes right over the top of the mainstream media, Scaramucci boasted.

Again, not the kind of thing that wows them on the Magic Mountain.

Like so many of Trumps explainers, Scaramucci had to put his own spin on those cryptic remarks in an effort to make sense out of something close to nonsense.

So, Trump said NATO is obsolete? Well, it dates back to the 1940s, and styles change: Many people have renovated our homes, weve certainly changed our wardrobes since the 1940s," said Scaramucci.

NATO was meant to counter the Soviet threat, but it ought not to be so confrontational, even if we have some disagreements with the Russians. (Tell that to the Ukrainians.) And why shouldnt The Donald tell NATO members to pay up if they want protection. After all, hes a real estate developer.

Trump also looks at the North Atlantic Treaty the way an entrepreneur would, according to Scaramucci. He judges what works, what doesnt work well but can be fixed, and what needs to be thrown out, shattered and disrupted, according to Scaramucci, who didnt seem entirely sure which category NATO falls into. My guess is in category No. 2, he said.

As for the European Union, its a bureaucracy thats lost touch with the people, and while it was fine for a while preventing wars, Trump understands (it would seem) that the kind of nationalism that led to militarism and tore Europe and the world asunder in the 20th century isnt really a problem in the 21st. Trump is very non-militaristic, said Scaramucci.

Several of the reporters at Davos noted thats not exactly true of Vladimir Putin, but Scaramucci, like his man Trump, had nothing bad to say about Vlad the Invader.
The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has come up empty. After 28 months of operations in the southern Indian Ocean the last remaining vessel, the Dutch-owned Equator, is heading back to port in Australia having completed its final sweeps.

An announcement from the governments of Malaysia, China, and Australia said, Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modeling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in the field, unfortunately the search has not been able to locate the aircraft.

They said that the search was being suspended not terminateda term they have used for some time.

But behind suspended lies a controversy that is only likely to increase: The governments are under intense pressure to renew the effort at a different location that experts believe is far more likely to contain the remains of the Boeing 777.

In fact, as The Daily Beast first revealed, the Dutch-owned search ship Equator was urgently switched to the new location for several sweeps in the last two weeks. And we can now reveal that part of those missions was spent not searching for wreckage, but mapping the ocean floorsomething that would be necessary only if a new search is authorized.

In December, a team of Australian scientists said it was very confident that it now knew that the jet had dived into the ocean in a different placean area north of the one that has been the subject of the most intense underwater search ever undertaken, which began in October 2014. Moreover, this new area is far smaller, 9,600 square miles (the size of Vermont) compared to the original area of 46,000 square miles.

It was this report that gave relatives of the people lost on Flight 370 renewed hope that the airplanes remains would be found. Now those relatives are expressing despair and distress that the announcement of the suspension of the search gives no indication that a new one is being considered.

I feel so furious about the suspension, which is only due to a shortage of funding Jiang Hui, whose mother was one of the passengers, told The Guardian.

The crucial evidence that transformed calculations about the most likely end of the last five hours and 40 minutes of the flightthe period known as the zombie flight because nothing was heard from anyone on boardwas not produced by the sea search but by the discovery of debris on beaches in the western Indian Ocean.

Australian oceanographers made replicas of the first piece of wreckage discovered, called a flaperon, and carried out tests with them in ocean waters to measure the speed of their drift. They combined this data with the results of an unprecedented international effort to recreate the exact weather and ocean conditions from the time the debris originated as the airplane crashed in March 2014, to when it washed up. By these means they were able to far more accurately assess the most likely point of its origin, the crash site.

The search was funded by the governments of Malaysia, China, and Australia, and has cost $150 million. Five specialized vessels have at various times been involved, three operated by the Dutch company Fugro, one by the American company Phoenix International, and one by the Chinese.

Because of weather conditions, the work can be conducted only in the Southern Hemisphere summer, which is now drawing to an end. Even then, the crews have faced some of the most severe sea conditionsstorms with waves as high as 50 feet.

Seas were often so rough that crews, working 42-day missions on shifts around the clock, had to sleep on the floor wedged between a table and a bedlying in bed was impossible. Even for the most hardened crew, sea sickness was a constant curse needing continual treatment. When crew were injured or fell ill, the ships had to return to port because they were out of range of helicopters, 1,700 miles from the nearest Australian port and, in any case, seas would have been too rough for evacuation by helicopter.

Teams of experts aboard the vessels reviewed data as it came up from the depths and it was then streamed live to another team of experts in Australia for more lengthy review. On two occasions, debris was spotted that was thought to be of the Boeing 777 but, after closer examination, turned out to be shipwrecks.

During the last few months, the Equator was assigned to return to more than 30 sites that had previously been scanned and that, after review, were judged to require another look to make sure that wreckage had not been missed. Those sites have now been scanned without result.

The underwater equipment used to search for the airplanes debris field was often working at the limits of its capabilitiesbetween 16,000 and 20,000 feet. The same would be true if a search in the newly identified area was launched.

Executives of Fugro have emphasized that the deeper the search, the more limited is the equipment able to deal with terrain they describe as the most challenging they have ever faced. That is why mapping of the contours of the sea floor is so essential before a search can begin. Three-dimensional color images are created from a sonar scanner attached to the hull of the ship. (Only 5 percent of the worlds ocean bed is surveyed in any detail.)

Despite the abandonment of the search there is no doubt that it is not only the families of the passengers who are hugely disappointed and will be applying pressure for a new search. The Australian oceanographers whose effort came up with the new projection of where the wreck is likely to be are continuing their work and believe that they will be able to convince officials to fund a new search. But given the scale and cost of the operations involved, the time needed for the three governments to consider the costs of a new search, agree on the time required it is highly unlikely that a decision will be taken soon.

Ultimately it is difficult to believe that it should be acceptable that the wreckage of the airplane will never be found. That would imply that there are no scientific resources equal to the challenge when, in fact, those resources have been greatly advanced specifically as a result of the work done so far  in the same way that in the past great leaps of technology were made in the pressure cooker of war.

There is also an ethical issue: money, and the relative value of peoples lives. For more than two years the Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak, has been at the center of a scandal. He has been unable to explain how $680 million from a sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB, ended up his own bank account. Whistleblowers in his government have been swept aside, and the prime minister has clamped down on press freedoms. In the context of this kind of corruption the refusal to find new funds to resume the search for Flight 370 looks like the worst kind of misanthropy.
By Lauren Chadwick, Center for Public Integrity

The Defense Department trained at some of its top schools at least 17 high-ranking foreigners who were later convicted or accused of criminal and human-rights abuses in their own countries, according to a series of little-noticed, annual State Department reports to Congress.

Those singled out in the disclosures included five foreign generals, an admiral, a senior intelligence official, a foreign police inspector, and other military service members from a total of 13 countries, several of which endured war or coups.

Several officers committed crimes within a few years of their training. Others committed crimes more than a decade later. Many of the officers were described in the reports as leaders or participants in high-profile scandals and conflicts in their countriesincluding extrajudicial killings in Colombia, torture during Nepals conflict against Maoists, and murder during a Bolivian internal conflict, according to the State Department reports.

A senior Congolese military officer who attended a year-long program at the U.S. Defense Institute of International Legal Studies, in 2007, for example, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department last September for participation in violent intimidation of opposition political candidates, including death threats that prompted some of the candidates to withdraw.

The Defense Departments training was partly intended to instill democratic values and respect for human rights, but at least 13 of the 17 were subsequently arrested or charged in their home countries for crimes such as genocide, murder, and rape, according to the reports, one of which was labeled as Sensitive but Unclassified. Others named were accused of torture or murder by civil and criminal courts, human-rights lawyers, or government investigators, but continue to work in their official capacity.

Among the Pentagon- and military-run schools they attended, from 1985 to 2010, were the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, the U.S. Army Engineer School in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and others.

Independent analysts, lawyers, and human-rights experts say the actual number of U.S. foreign military trainees who committed human-rights abuses and other crimes is almost certainly higher than 17, in part because the State Department reports to Congressrequired under obscure language inserted into a military assistance bill in 2002 that may soon be removedonly encompass one of the more than 50 U.S. training and defense assistance programs.

At least 33 other foreign military officers who received U.S. military and police training later committed human-rights abuses, according to a separate tally by researchers at the nonprofit Center for International Policy, who based their tabulation on U.S. and foreign press accounts of incidents of violence or abuse involving foreign government officials.

Several of those on the centers listincluding Amadou Sanogo, a former captain in Malis armynotoriously led coups against their governments a few years after attending the U.S. institutions.

The reports to Congress account for a very small universe of all those trained, said Daniel Mahanty, who directed the Office of Security and Human Rights within the State Departments Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor from January 2014 to September 2015. Mahanty said that he did not know the actual number of human-rights abusers trained by the United States, because no effort has been attempted to monitor systematically the behavior of the militarys graduates.

Multiple agencies with little accountability

The reports to Congress specifically delineate those participants in the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program tagged in the State Departments annual human-rights reporting effort as having problematic behavior. As the main program that brings foreigners to the United States to attend U.S. military schools at Washingtons expense, IMET is now offered to select military and police officers in more than 120 countries worldwide. A much larger portion of the militarys foreign trainees is instructed in their own countries or at regional foreign centers.

Under a provision of the defense funding bill for fiscal year 2017 that Congress approved and President Barack Obama signed in December, the Trump administration will be required to certify that future security assistance includes a comprehensive curriculum on human rights and the law of armed conflict. But it does not specify what this should consist of.

The IMET training costs more than $100 million annually and in 2014 trained roughly 4,000 foreign military officers, amounting to 7 percent of the more than 56,000 foreign officers trained by the Defense Department yearly.

The IMET program, in turn, is part of a larger U.S. government effort to build up foreign police and military forces at a total cost of $250 billion since the September 2001 terror attacks. That larger effort is managed by roughly 46 government offices with little coordination and weak oversight, according to multiple critics. While the work is mostly funded by the Pentagon, the State Department is supposed to lead it, and to vet potential trainees.

These dysfunctions include shortcomings in personnel and bureaucratic structure a mismatch in planning cultures and budgeting timelines; a lack of policy prioritization and coherence [and] insufficient clarity, transparency, and monitoring and evaluation, according to the Open Society Foundations Rose Jackson, who served as chief of staff in the State Departments Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor from 2013 until last April and recently completed a comprehensive study of the issue (PDF).

The IMET program was started in 1976 to foster closer relations with foreign militaries, but one of its three stated goals is to teach foreign military officers basic issues involving internationally recognized human rights, according to the Foreign Assistance Act.

That goal has been sketchily met, experts say. Most of the IMET courses concern war strategy, technical skills, and management, and the participants read military history and are taught how to react in a crisis. The Defense Department says human-rights topics are woven into these courses. At the Defense International Studies Institute in Newport, Rhode Island, the naval school in Monterey, and the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in Georgia, for instance, IMET students take courses on international law, military ethics, and civil-military relations as part of yearlong masters degree programs.

At most of the other service colleges, however, the officers instead participate in field trips to American cities, courthouses, and nonprofit organizations meant only generally to expose the IMET students to American values, according to the State Departments annual Foreign Military Training report and interviews with independent experts and international program directors at Defense Department service colleges.

While most of the 17 officers listed in the State Department disclosures took courses on command and strategy, the reports list only one as having completed a rule of law course.

Their experience was typical, not unusual, according to researchers at the Security Assistance Monitor, a unit of the Center for International Policy that tracks U.S. spending related to foreign militaries. In an analysis completed last year based on public reports, the unit concluded that only 11.7 percent of IMET-funded students in 2014 took courses focused on human rights or the rule of law.

A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Cmdr. Patrick L. Evans, said in an email to CPI that the department is committed to providing comprehensive training to foreign personnel on military budgeting, civilian-control mechanisms, military-justice systems, and following codes of conduct that meet international human-rights standards.

But Shannon Green, a former senior director for global engagement at the National Security Council during the Obama administration who now directs the Human Rights Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the human-rights training component is merely a check-the-box exercise. She said she formed this conclusion after interviewing Pentagon officials about how to improve U.S. security assistance.

Colby Goodman, who directs the Security Assistance Monitor and oversaw its IMET research, said the U.S. military should not only give human rights a higher priority but take a broad view of how to instill it. Its courses, he said, should emphasize the importance of combating corruption and creating robust oversight mechanisms, while tailoring training to specific human-rights gaps in countries where the officers are serving.

Convict regrets not getting human rights training

Charles Bowry, a former lance corporal in the Saint Kitts and Nevis defense force, said in a jailhouse telephone interview that he did not take a human-rights course when he was in the United States at the U.S. Army Engineer School in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in 2010. Instead, he participated in field tripsto Washington, D.C., and an Amish villagemeant to satisfy that requirement.

Reached at Her Majestys Prison in Basseterre, where hes serving a 16-year sentence for raping a 16-year-old girl, he said he would have liked to take human-rights courses to learn more about the culture and the rights in the United States, because knowledge is power. Bowry, who was sentenced for the rape incident along with another U.S.-trained lance corporal, Jamal Phillip, complained that his conviction was a political setup but did not explain.

Even those who got more focused training have had stumbles. According to the State Departments report to Congress in 2011, John Numbi, an adviser to Democratic Republic of the Congo President Joseph Kabila, completed a year-long training in 2007 at the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies, whose leaders say it focuses on rule of law, governance, and human-rights studies. Three years later, Congolese authorities suspended Numbi from his post as head of police, after a human-rights activist, Floribert Chebeya, was murdered the same night he was supposed to meet Numbi.

Numbi has denied any wrongdoing and hasnt been charged in the case, but lawyers representing the victims filed an appeal after a related trial of a few police officers, in which they called for his trial, too. Almost 80 local and international human-rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) also expressed serious concerns about the credibility and independence of the investigation and [police officers] trial, according to the State Departments 2011 human-rights report on the Congo. The government there has denounced the U.S. sanctions against Numbi as grotesque violations of international law.

Paul Lambert, an assistant dean at Georgetown University who organized international-student programs for the National Defense University from 2008 to 2015, said training high-ranking foreign officers helps establish friendships and opportunities for future cooperation with foreign militaries and defense ministries. Lambert said in a phone interview that in 2012, when he surveyed IMET students after their training, he found that they were more critical of their home countries human-rights records, while holding more positive views of the United States.

It certainly changed the way they were thinking and opened their eyes about the U.S., Lambert said. But he added that the trainees are often cut off from the United States when they graduate and security partnerships are often under-utilized. Asked about students who went on to commit human-rights abuses, Lambert said, Weve trained 8,000 people. Theres bound to be a few bad apples. He said he understood the concern but considered it a rare occurrence.

Green, the former NSC official, said however that a desire for strong security partnerships often conflicts with the protection of human rights. U.S. security interests, she said, often override other considerations, and the United States ends up training militaries in countries with bad human-rights records.

I tried to put all the things I learned into practice

Amadou Sanogo, who five years ago as an army captain led a coup against Malis democratic government that helped open the door to the growth of radical Islamists there, took courses at a Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, and at Army bases in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and Fort Benning, Georgia. He was jailed in 2013 by a new government, and his trial on charges of complicity in assassinations that occurred during the coup began in November and will resume sometime later this year.

Sanogo, who was promoted to general and remained Malis strongman for more than a year after the coup, said in a 2013 interview with the German newspaper Der Spiegel that he had saved the country from its sick government. When asked what he learned in the United States while training there, Sanogo replied: America is great country with a fantastic army. I tried to put all the things I learned there into practice here.

In 2010, the United States trained 1,620 officers from Mali under multiple security-assistance programs at a total cost of more than $5 million; during the past decade, it spent over $1 billion on military and development projects there. After the coup in 2013, Gen. Carter Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, said in a Washington speech that the military had not spent enough time teaching Malis soldiers values, ethics, and military ethos.

Jose Zamora Induta, another of the 17 officers accused of abuses, trained with the U.S. Coast Guard in 2001 and 2002 and went on to run Guinea-Bissaus armed forces after political violence in 2009. Induta became head of Guinea-Bissaus armed forces after the murder of then-President Joao Bernardo Vieira and the armed forces then-Chief of Staff Tagme Na Waie.

According to the State Department Human Rights Report for 2009, Induta said initially that the president had ordered the killing of Na Waie [but] Induta subsequently denied any connection between the killings. After Induta took over the armed forces, a lawyer who criticized Induta publicly reportedly was beaten and tortured for four days, according to the report.

The next month, in April 2009, Marcia Bernicat, then-U.S. ambassador to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, wrote in a cable leaked by WikiLeaks that Induta had embraced illegal and brutish tactics and had either contempt for rule of law and human rights or lack of effective command and control over his troops.

Induta was ousted as chief of staff in 2010. Guinea-Bissau continued to receive IMET funding until 2012, when the armed forces successfully ousted the president in a coup detat. His lawyer did not return several phone calls.

Colombian Captain Ruben Blanco, who a State Department report said took a cadet orientation course at the School of the Americas, now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, in 1994, was arrested in 2004 and accused along with others by the Colombian prosecutor general of associating with paramilitary groups that committed political killings, including of labor leaders, according to the report.

A separate State Department report in August 2005 called the evidence in the case credible. The present status of the complaint is unclear.

According to the State Department reports and court records, former Bolivian army Gen. Roberto Claros Flores, a 1987 graduate of the U.S. Air Command and Staff College in Alabama, and former Adm. Luis Aranda, a Marine commander who completed a year of IMET training in 1987, were convicted in 2011 of crimes including genocide, stemming from their role in policing actions taken during Bolivias gas war, a confrontation in October 2003 between miners and indigenous protesters and the Bolivian government.

Claros remains imprisoned. Bjorn Arp, a lawyer who represents Claros, said in a telephone interview that the evidence in Bolivia used to convict Claros was not credible and called accusations against him curious and politically motivated. Aranda could not be reached.

The annual State Department reports disclosing the names of human rights abusers that had received U.S. training under the IMET program would be eliminated under separate legislation proposed last year by Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a New Hampshire Republican member of the Armed Services Committee, and by Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat. Congressional aides who asked not to be quoted by name said the legislations aim is to alleviate administrative burdens imposed on the executive branch.

Lauren Chadwick is a Scoville Fellow at the Center for Public Integrity.

National security managing editor R. Jeffrey Smith contributed to this article.

The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit, investigative newsroom in Washington, D.C. More of its national security reporting can be found here.
Over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, cockroach actor Rob Schneideryep, somehow, hes still aroundexplained civil rights.

He of Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo fame took a break from shooting recent films such as OMG, Im a Robot! to chime into an already unbelievable exchange between President-elect Donald Trump and civil rights legend (and current congressman) Rep. John Lewis, a fiery conversation that certainly would never have found clarity without that guy is from those Adam Sandler movies, right weighing in.

Lewis had poked the Trump bear with his refusal to attend this weeks inauguration and telling Meet the Press that Trump is not a legitimate president. Trump roared his mighty-ish roar via, of course, a Twitter tirade insulting Lewiss character and legacy that read as embarrassingly obtuse on the weekend honoring Martin Luther King Jr., whom Lewis marched next to and crusaded alongside.

Thats when Rob Schneider tapped out the President-elect and decided to join the fight.

Rep. Lewis, he tweeted. You are a great person. But Dr. King didnt give in to his anger or his hurt. That is how he accomplished & won Civil Rights.

Forget that Schneider is wronganger and hurt were the winds pushing the sails of the civil rights movement. Forget that Schneider thought he, the Hot Chick, was more of an authority on Dr. Kings philosophy and action than Lewis, the man who sat at the table with him.

What in the world would convince Schneider that he was qualified to make such a declarative and patronizing statement on the subject?

To be fair, Schneider might actually be an expert on race. He has appropriated, bastardized, and offended almost all of them.

He is currently employing that practice on the Netflix streaming comedy Real Rob, which is a thing that exists for real. It is best known as the first thing you see on those Every Netflix Series Ranked From Worst to Best lists.

The series is based on his life as a showbiz man married to a Mexican-American wife and raising their two-year-old daughter, roles played by Schneiders real-life wife and daughter. In its review of the showReal Rob currently has a dismal Metacritic score of 36The Washington Post wrote, Real Rob has elements of Louie and Curb Your Enthusiasms heightened reality, but the only thing that sets it apart from its predecessors is that its not very funny.

And would you believe that race isnt dealt with sensitively in the show?

Silicon Valley actor Kumail Nanjiani, who is from Pakistan but is regularly confused for Indian-American actors Kal Penn and Kunal Nayyar, recently tweeted about his attempt to watch Real Rob in the wake of Schneiders message to Rep. Lewis.

He has since, it seems, deleted them. They are amazing and we wish he hadnt.

True story: I started watching Rob Schneiders show on Netflix to amuse myself. Id watch a few minutes here & there, before going to bed, he began. Its [sic] epic awfulness was breathtaking. Just stunning. After a few weeks of watching it here & there, I wanted to see how many eps [episodes] in I was. I assumed I was 4 eps in. I checked. I was 15 minutes into episode 1. It was so bad that it warped space & time. It made the earth spin slower.

Then the kicker: Anyway, now he has advice on how civil rights heroes should honor Martin Luther King Jr.s memory. I cant even say stick to comedy.

Real Rob was a Louis C.K.-esque approach to comedy ground he first attempted to cover in traditional multi-cam style in a 2012 CBS sitcom titled Rob. As a roundup of reviews in Slate shows, the series was called genuinely offensive by The Denver Post, its characters were labeled a sprawling brood of shockingly stereotypical cliches by TV Guide, and The New York Times ruled the entire show is predicated on cheap ethnic humor.

But racial insensitivity isnt a skill the actor has honed on his own. No, it wasnt self-spawned so much as it was carefully reared over decades in the world of Adam Sandler comedies.While Schneider often played second banana or supporting comedic relief to Sandler in their junkyards worth of films together, he is the shining star of a recent Daily Dot retrospective titled 5 Adam Sandler Movies That Are Way More Racist Than You Remember.

In reality, Schneider is one-quarter Filipino. His maternal grandmother is from the Philippines, and met his grandfather, a white American army private, while he was stationed on the islands. In film, though, Schneider is a veritable United Nations of races, ethnicities, and, most of all, stereotypes.

As The Daily Dot recounts, he was a Middle Eastern delivery man in Big Daddy, an Asian minister in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, an Asian waiter in Eight Crazy Nights, and the vaguely Latino guy who shouts, You can do it! in The Waterboy.

In 50 First Dates he played a Native Hawaiian, whose marijuana use, laziness, and conniving nature succumbed to the worst wacky stereotypes of the minority, according to the Honolulu Advertiser. The New York Times blasted the portrayal as a leering Hawaiianwith a pidgin accent by way of Cheech and Chong.

Then theres the crowning achievement of head-slapping brownface. In You Dont Mess With the Zohan, Schneider payed a Palestinian cab driver named Salim who is also a terrorist.

Perhaps Schneider feels entitled to explaining civil rights because he believes he actually has been all of those minorities.

The actors recent tweet isnt the first time hes gotten political. He publicly declared his decision to switch political parties from Democrat to Republican in 2013, saying, The state of Californina is a mess, and the super majority of Democrats is not working.

His Twitter account this election cycle has truly been something to behold as well.

He trashed both Trump and Hillary Clinton, and made several pleas for unity.

He had thoughts about protestors who took to the streets after Trump was elected.

And he saved some real zingers for how Democrats reacted to Trumps victory. Hoo boy.

Listen, celebrities weighing in on the current polarizing political climate is expected. Its as expected as the polarized publics impassioned response to their comments.

Chelsea Handler and Lena Dunham are currently on the cover of Variety to exclusively talk politics. Meryl Streep ignited a cultural fire when she made a call for empathy and art that matters at the Golden Globes, trashing fans of mixed martial arts along the way.

Performing at the inaugurationor, more explicitly, deciding not to performhas become a political statement.

Nicole Kidman, somehow, has become a lightning rod for post-Trump politics in Hollywood.

So what makes Schneiders tweet any different? Any more scandalous?

Its not because critics of the tweet disagree with his politics, or that hes among a minority in the world of entertainers in that he is calling for patriotism, acceptance, and, at the very least, the benefit of a doubt when it comes to a Trump presidency. Thats a noble opinion.

Its because what he said was goddamn stupid.

Rob Schneiderwith his horrific history of offensive racial caricatures; who has donned brownface and yellowface to perpetuate stereotypes; who has taken away opportunity for minority actors to star in these films, unfunny as they may beis explaining civil rights to a person who actually fought for them.

How goddamn stupid. How very Rob Schneider.
Della Nichols was enraged when she thought her half-brother had molested her 6-year-old daughter. So the former Oklahoma City stripper had her boyfriend kill him, police say.

Nichols and Adrian Escajeda, the boyfriend, were arrested last week for the Dec. 5 murder, after more than a month on the lam. Police finally caught up with them in Mexico with the help of local authorities, and extradited them to Oklahoma through Texas.

The two apparently skipped town after Nichols gave her paramour a directive to cut out the legal system and take justice into his own hands by killing her half-brother, Ulises Lopez. We were advised Della said she sent Escajeda to assault the man and do street justice, the police affidavit said.

I love you I did this for you I accept whatever is coming for me, Escajeda, the boyfriend, allegedly texted Nichols after the body was discovered. Dont forget that there was no one who did something big like this so you know that I really love you Im sorry I destroyed your Christmas again.

It was Nicholss own mother who walked in to find her sons gruesomely executed body.

Its hard when a mother walks in a house and finds a son on a floor, Maria Lopez told a local FOX affiliate. I saw his bedroom, the door was open the door was open and I call his name

The mother found him with duct tape covering his face, his hands bound with zip ties, and his feet with duct tape. Escajeda had allegedly wrapped a black belt around the victims neck, choking him.

Police got a tip about what mightve led to the murder shortly thereafter, and even interviewed Nichols and Escajeda at the station after finding the body. The two were evasive, police said, but they were not arrested.

Their home smelled like bleach, according to the affidavit, and authorities then got a warrant to search the home, where they found the incriminating text messages but not the couple. They had fled to Mexico with Nicholss 6-year-old daughter, police believed. It wasnt until five weeks later that they were spotted across the border. Photos of the arrest show the couple guarded by U.S. Marshals.

"When I heard that according to my daughter, she say my son was touching my granddaughter and that's not true," Maria Lopez, the mother, said.

Nicholss daughter, who was apparently with her mother, is reportedly in the custody of Child Protective Services in El Paso, Texas.
Back in December, it was possible to pretend this week would somehow never come. But here it is. Donald Trump is going to be the president of the United States. And Barack Obama is going to give that final salute as he steps aboard Marine One. Well, maybe he wont be coptering, since hes only going to Kalorama. But you know what I mean. Its going to be a devastating day.

Ill get to the Trump half of this hand-off later this week, but for now, lets think about Obama. What will his legacy be?

Below, Ill list what I think were Obamas five greatest successes and his five biggest whiffs. Thats just for the sake of symmetry, but you shouldnt take it to mean I think he batted .500. I think his average was a lot higher than that. If he wasnt a great president, its mainly because our polarized times, and the corruption of so many of our institutions into naked instruments of partisan pursuit (hello, FBI), prevented him from achieving a formidable enough list of accomplishments to be considered great. When the other party gives you virtually no votes on anything, openly vows to make you a one-termer, and doesnt accept your fundamental legitimacy as president, youre not going to put a second New Deal in place.

In a different time, before the Republican Party became so radical and obstructionist, Obama would indeed have been a great president. He would have liked nothing more than to have 12 or 15 Senate Republicans with whom he could negotiate and solve the big problems, as Lyndon Johnson did. But he didnt. What he did, he had to do with no Republican help at all--and then, after refusing to negotiate with him, the Republicans turned around and accused him of being the partisan one! Nice work if you can get it.

So I therefore rate him a very good, not quite great, president. I think time will be kind to him. And if the next four years go like we have reason to fear they will, time will be a lot kinder to him a lot sooner than we may now think.

So, here are five hits and five misses. First, the good, in reverse order:

5. The Affordable Care Act. Yes, lots of peoples premiums and deductibles are too high, and certain small businesses legitimately find it burdensome. Those are things that can be fixed over time, if the law survives, which frankly I doubt.

Still, it was a landmark achievement. It has helped millions, and in the states that actually put effort into its implementation, its done well overall. Even if the Republicans dismantle it, Obamacare has accomplished one important thing: Everyone now agrees that Americans should not be denied health coverage because theyre sick. Thats something many other countries agreed on long ago, and its a wholly positive legacy no matter what happens.

4. Economic Recovery. This wasnt as great as we might have liked, but considering we were losing 600,000 jobs a month when he took office, he did all right. Job creation during his tenure clocks in at 11.3 million, ranking him third among recent presidents. Theres Dodd-Frankfar from perfect, but a law thats done much good, especially the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. And theres the auto bailout, which has been a magnificent success. Wage stagnation is a big problem, but its one that well predates Obama.

3. The Cuba Opening. Its hard to say how this will go down. I hope and suspect that the newfound exposure to capitalism will, over time, bring Fidelismo to heel. But whatever happens, it was a bold step, the best example of Obamas impatience with antiquated thinking. This was something the United States should have done 20 years before.

2. Getting Osama bin Laden. It amazes me that most people still dont know this detail about the raid, but if what Leon Panetta wrote in his memoir is accurateand Ive seen no one challenge itthen Obama deserves even more credit for this than just having ordered it. As the plans for the raid were being laid out to him, Obama suggested adding two backup helicopters to the mission. Sure enough, the lead copter malfunctioned. If those two backups Chinooks hadnt been there, the United States would have suffered a major humiliation and Obama probably never would have recovered. Not bad for a guy who supposedly hates the military.

1. Just Being Dignified. Heand his rather incredible wifealways comported themselves with dignity, always honored the office. Some liberals complain that he did this to a fault, especially recently, giving Trump far more deference than he deserves for the sake of ensuring the peaceful transition of power. Maybe thats so, but Id rather have a president err on the side of having too much honor. Well soon see what the opposite is like.

Corollary good deed here: A scandal-free White House for eight full years. (I mean actual scandals, not right-wing scandals.) Thats a really hard thing to do. I think its tied to the dignity with which he and Michelle carried themselves: People want to emulate the boss.

OK. Now the negative:

5. Overplaying His Hand With Bibi Early On. This has nothing to do with the merits of Obamas position on the settlements, but too much pressure too soon on Netanyahu started a downward spiral in the dynamic that could never be fixed. Democrats in Congress came to Bibis defense publicly and privately, and Obama was isolated against Likud and its bipartisan supporters. Bibi trolled him to death in subsequent yearsbut only because he knew he could.

4. Appointing Jim Comey to Head the FBI. Yes, a little benefit-of-hindsight at work here, but the issue of why Democratic presidents keep allowing it to be accepted as a truism that the FBI director has to be a Republican has been an issue at least since Bill Clinton named Louis Freeh to the job. And it did raise some eyebrows at the time. The historian Rick Perlstein wrote three columns about what a mistake it was for Obama to name Comey (heres one of them).

3. Not Being Tougher on the Banks. Again, theres a hindsight at work here. Very few people had any sense in 2009-2010 that wed be living through this anti-banker populist anger in 2015-2016. And its also the case that when Obama did tut-tut Wall Street, even with pretty light rhetorical barbs, they responded by whining in a way that, say, brown people would never, ever be permitted to whine about immigration laws. Still, Obama should at the very least have made an example of just one guy, just one firm.

2. Being Way Too Naive for Way Too Long About How Obstructionist and Extremist the GOP Had Become. I hardly need elaborate on this. I came to hate hearing him say I look forward to working with my Republican friends on whatever it was.

1. Syria. This is easily number one, sad to say, and I think his (non-)handling of the crisis in Syria will go down as the only really big black mark on his record. The false red line; I knew the second I heard him say that in 2012 that it was going to lead to a disaster of one kind or another. And while its true that any escalation risked further escalation, I think thats a lesson that liberals sometimes overlearn, or lean on too hard. We could have done more for the moderate rebels back when they were putting up a good fight.

Obama did less on Syria than he might have in part because of the Iran deal, which is why unlike most liberals I dont list that deal as among his high achievements. Too many Syrian lives were sacrificed to that deal. It was (and remains) a very complicated situation, but the bottom line will always be that the West watched this slaughter happening and did little. Not nothing. But little.

So thats one he cant escape. But lets go back to a happier note before we close this out. I think back to election night, 2008the history-making nature of it, the optimism after eight years of bumbling and darkness. Obama hasnt lived up to every expectation. Who could? But while I disagreed with some of his decisions and was deeply frustrated by some others, there was never a moment in the last eight years when I looked at him and thought, Im ashamed that guys the president. Usually quite the opposite in fact. So you bet Ill miss him, and Im pretty sure that after they get a gander at the alternative, most Americans will.
Uteruses and ovaries. Penis rainstorms. A revolver barrel plugged with a tampon. A declaration that a woman's place is in the revolution!

These are some of the images that decorate RESIST!, a 40-page tabloid newspaper of comics and cartoons by mostly women artists to be distributed in cities around the country on Inauguration Day and the following day in the nations capital, during the Womens March on Washington.

The idea for a tabloid stuffed with polemical comics responding to Donald Trumps election was conceived by Gabe Fowler, a Brooklyn-based bookstore owner who publishes the quarterly comics anthology Smoke Signal. Funded initially by a grant from Fowler and, after the project's launch, a separate grant from Democratic fundraiser Mitch Berger, RESIST! has since covered its costs with thousands of individual donationsand a print run of 20,000 copies has ballooned to 60,000.

A week after the election, Fowler recruited Francoise Mouly, who has been art director of The New Yorker since 1993, and who in turn signed up her daughter, 29-year-old writer Nadja Spiegelman. (The two had previously worked together on Blown Covers, a book and blog of mock New Yorker covers).

When the idea for RESIST! was fully formed, Spiegelman launched a website calling for submissions. Within days they received more than 1,000 from artists around the country.

Mouly is a legend in the world of comics: She edited the hugely influential magazine RAW with her husband Art Spiegelman, the Pulitzer-winning cartoonist behind Maus, the first graphic novel to be awarded the prize (first serialized in RAW), and was awarded both the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters and Knight of the Legion of Honour by the French government.

I have spent my whole life making a case for comics and images to be taken seriously, said Mouly, who laments the decline of the newspaper and, with it, the almost total dissolution of the radical underground press (I grew up with Charlie Hebdo). In the 1960s and 70s, both in France and in the United States, the homebrewed left-wing press profoundly influenced debate and acted as a training ground for many of todays mainstream journalists.

Printed in tabloid format, Mouly says RESIST! is, in part, a deliberate call-out to these mostly forgotten, radical forebearers. But its also a reaffirmation of the liberal principlesfree speech, a free press, racial and gender equalitythat they see as threatened by a Trump presidency.

Trump did not win in spite of the fact that his campaign was stridently isolationist, racist, xenophobic, and sexist, but because he had the courage to advocate a tribal allegiance, where people feel connected by the idea of excluding Mexicans and Muslims, said Mouly.

One of the goals of RESIST!, then, was to be as inclusive as possible. So while the first 34 pages are comics by women artistsincluding the cover by illustrator Gayle Kabakerthe last eight pages, a section called The Man Cave, are from male artists. Theres also a page dedicated to the work of gender nonconforming artists. (Comics that didnt make it into the print version will be posted to RESIST!s website.)

RESIST!s mission calls for inclusion, but Spiegelman also noted the importance of separating submissions from women versus men, the collective womens voice, and all of its different tonalities. The gender separation, Mouly argued, is important because RESIST! provides a platform where women can speak without fear of being censored or judged for what theyre saying... Here there is the cloak and comfort of many women speaking together.

While Trump himself makes a few appearances in the Manscape section, the president-elect is largely absent from the pages of RESIST! Were trying to define what we stand for rather than what we stand against, said Spiegelman.

Mouly and Spiegelman are sanguine but realistic about RESIST!s ability to persuade Trumps 60 million supporters. It is, after all, a project created by progressives, for progressives.

Yes, were preaching to the choir, Mouly said. But were preaching to the choir because it needs to hear that our song is a beautiful song. And they should keep singing.
It was thought that there was only one wild jaguar left in the U.S.

But a second big cat was spotted recently in Southern Arizona and now experts are working to learn more about it.

The North American jaguar is on the brink of extinction in the U.S. The jaguar is the only big cat native to the Americas. (Globally, big cats or the genus panthera include lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars.)

This symbol of Americas rugged West represents the wild beauty of our countrya beauty that is literally about to cease to exist if we do not do something about it. There are two cats still roaming the U.S. It is believed that both are males.

The only known female jaguars in proximity to the U.S. remain in Mexico.

Historically the jaguar inhabited the Americas from Argentina, north to Central America and Mexico, and into the U.S. states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

Jaguars need vast amounts of land, including mountainous corridors, to travel, mate, and reproduce. As human population densities increased in the Southwest, the growth of highways and fences limited the jaguars abilities to roam and procreate and the jaguar population greatly diminished. According to recent records, the last known female jaguar in the U.S. was shot in 1963. This fact puts obvious limits on the species as a whole.

The current walls and fences along Americas southern borderand the proposal by Donald Trump to expand thesewill continue to limit the jaguars reproductive capabilities as well as their access to wilderness corridors between the U.S. and Mexico.

As I sit here, in my office in Nogales, Arizona, I literally look at the border wall and I can see Border Patrol towers and lights that glare into peoples homes at night, 12 lines of traffic, stopped up for hours at times.

Yet on the horizon are the beautiful pine-covered mountains and grassy hills, with the most superb sunsets in the world.

I remember how it once waswithout the looming wallwhen families crossed to have lunch with their abuelos, or grandparents, and returned to the office for the afternoons work.

Now, with the wall, people spends hours in line, trucks wait up to 20 hours to cross produce, and jaguars, well, they just dont get to mate anymore.

Until recently, Americas only wild big cat was a jaguar called, El Jefe, or The Bossa nickname given to him by schoolchildren in Tucson, Arizona. He was tracked recently by the Center for Biological Diversity. Now, it seems we have a second jaguar, who was photographed on Dec. 1 on the Ft. Huachuca Trail, in southeast Arizona.

Preliminary indications are that the cat is a male jaguar and, potentially, an individual not previously seen in Arizona, Dr. Benjamin Tuggle, regional director for the Southwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a report to Arizona Central.

Another jaguar, Macho B, was accidentally and mysteriously killed in 2010 by a Game & Fish employee.

Sightings of El Jefe have occurred in a corridor near Nogales, Arizona, and Sonora, in the Santa Rita Mountains. The border region to the south has seen construction of border walls and boundaries that limit wildlife crossing, and more specifically, to the jaguars ability to mate.

We really do need to import a wife for El Jefe.

We can reintroduce female jaguars from Northern Mexico into the United States. In fact, The Northern Jaguar Project (a U.S. nonprofit, affiliated with a Mexican nonprofit) focuses efforts on creating a stable jaguar population in Northern Mexico to eventually see the return of the jaguar to the Southwest U.S.

Jaguars in northern Mexico need to be protected so that the jaguar population can re-enter Arizona and be re-established in the U.S. And travel corridors need to be protected so that El Jefe, and future jaguars, can move, reproduce, and and flourish again.

Advocates want to designate more than 50 million acres of critical jaguar habitat in the Southwest and to protect this species from government traps, snares, and poisons.

The Center for Biological Diversity also opposes walling off the U.S.-Mexico border to ensure that jaguars will always have access to the full extent of their range.

The recent sightings offer a glimmer of hope for the return of the majestic North American large cat. For now, at least, the border landscape still provides wilderness and an opportunity for female jaguars residing in northern Mexico to encounter the males in Arizona. This is exciting, at least to large cat aficionados like me. The border region is also my homeit includes the spectacular Sonoran desert, with 60 mammal species, 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, over 100 reptile species, 30 native fish species, and more than 2,000 native plant species.

I ask myself, if this were happening on another continent, lets say Africa, and the lion were about to become extinct, would Americans be outraged? Surely we would send donations and we would protest. People cared about Cecil the lion who was killed in Zimbabwe, so why not about El Jefe and the latest spotted jaguar?

We are all interconnected and Trumps wall not only hurts people and economies but also wildlife and our last remaining wild jaguars.

El Jefe and the newly discovered jaguar are symbols of the importance of biodiversity. Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms, ours and theirs, together.

A species may be doomed in our futile attempt to wall out people. With Trumps wall, we risk so much morepositive ties with Mexico and Latin America, positive economic growth, and the loss of our most beautiful large cat, the jaguar.

Gail Emrick is the Executive Director of the Southeast Arizona Area Health Education Center, a health workforce development agency based in Nogales, Arizona, serving three counties on the U.S.-Mexico border. Her office window literally looks out at the border wall and beyond. She is an Arizona native, and a Tucson Public Voices Fellow with The OpEd Project.
ISTANBUL  The Uzbek native accused of killing 39 New Years revelers at an Istanbul night club was arrested late Monday with three women and a large stash of money, a scene raising the question whether the Islamic State extremists who claimed credit for the terror attack had taken him on as a hired gun. Turkeys government has also darkly hinted at a state intelligence service being in cahoots with the mass murderer.

Police arrested Abdulgadir Masharipov, age 33, at an apartment in Esenyurt, on the European side of Istanbul after a 16-day manhunt. The governor of Istanbul, Vasip Sahin, said Masharipov had confessed to responsibility and his fingerprints matched those found at the upscale Reina nightclub on the Bosphorus.

He also said it was clear that Masharipov had staged the attack on behalf of ISIS.

But the arrest raised many questions, for unlike the typical ISIS militant, whos equipped with a suicide belt and would sooner die than be captured, Masharipov was found hiding under the bed in the apartment.

Four people were arrested with him, an Iraqi man, and three African women. The semi-official Anadolu news agency said they were from Egypt, Somalia and Senegal -- also highly unusual for an ISIS-directed operation as he is known to be married to an Uzbek woman.

Police also found a big stash of money$197,000as well as two pistols, two drones and telephone SIM cards. The cash on hand also did not fit the pattern of ISISs previous operations in Turkey, a sum that would appear to be more than needed to escape from Turkeys biggest city.

Even if the three women were Masharipovs wives, it would be unusual for another man to be hiding in the same apartment under the strict form of Islam practiced by ISIS. Sahin said Masharipov was a well-trained terrorist who spoke four languages, which local news media identified as Chinese, Arabic, Turkish and Russian.

Sahin also said he had been trained in Afghanistan and Pakistan. ISIS was just establishing its presence there in early 2016, when Sahin said Masharipov had crossed into Turkey illegally. Thus it would appear that he was trained either by the Taliban or by al-Qaeda, which has never completely left the country despite the U.S. intervention following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

This also adds to the possibility that he was recruited by ISIS from a pool of central Asian sleepers inside Turkey.

Turkish authorities were not commenting on whether Masharipov was a hired killer as opposed to an ISIS-trained religious zealot. Masharipov was filmed being led off from the apartment where hed been hiding, with a black eye, a wound above the eyebrow and blood on his face and shirt.

Local television showed the clothing strewn apartment with food still on the kitchen table, dishes in the sink, and two copies of the Koran, one in a cabinet and the other on a table.

A top government official here said another countrys intelligence organization played a role in the attack, which left 39 dead and 69 injured. Numan Kurtulmus, the Turkish deputy prime minister, said Monday the extremely well planned and organized act was not just the work of a terror organization but also an intelligence organization was involved. He didnt name a country, and other Turkish officials said they had no details.

It was just 75 minutes into the New Year when Masharipov is alleged to have struck the Reina nightclub, man of whose patrons come from throughout the Middle East.

He arrived close to the location in Istanbuls Ortakoy district by taxi, removed semi-automatic rifle stowed in a satchel in the trunk, then approached the nightclub and started shootingfirst outside the entrance, then inside, climbing to an upper story. After seven minutes of shooting, he changed his clothes, leaving his weapon behind, then went out into the street and got away by another taxi. First he went to an apartment in the Zeytinburnu district where according to local media accounts, he picked up his four-year-old son and escaped into the night.

Some 2,000 police were involved in the manhunt in Istanbul alone, supplemented by security forces in the town of Konya, where Masharipov had been living until late in 2016, in Hatay, a province along the Syrian border, and in Izmir, a big city on the Aegean coast where the Uzbek man reportedly had relatives. He had moved several times in the past 16 days and was thought to have arrived in Esenyurt last Saturday.

Police were closely watching five different locations when they staged the raid.

Although Turkish officials did not finger a foreign intelligence service, the most plausible implication is that they are referring to Syrias mukhabarat, which, as The Daily Beast has previously reported, has in the past collaborated with ISIS jihadists.

Two weeks ago, a ranking member of the Syrian parliament in fact boasted that Syrian intelligence had penetrated all the leading extremist groups and was well informed about their terror activities.

You are asking where is Daesh and the Nusra Front and all those Jihadist revolutionary factions? Khaled Aboud, the secretary of the Syrian parliament said in an interview on state television. (He was referring to the Islamic State by its Arabic acronym and Jabhat al Nusra, the al-Qaeda affiliate that has since changed its name.)

They are on the outskirts of Damascus. Then why have there been no bombings in Damascus? Why are these bombings occurring in Turkish cities instead? he asked.

The Syrian security establishment and the Syrian intelligence services have infiltrated and deeply penetrated these networks. They have managed to take control of key structures within. Consequently in my opinion, what is happening in Turkeyno one can stop that without cooperating with the Syrian security establishment.

He said the Syrian state is aware of important aspects of what is going on in Jordan and Turkey but added there was a difference in knowing about these operations and actually running them.

The CIA and the U.S. counter-terrorism center had no comment on Abouds statement.

With additional reporting by Duygu Guvenc from Ankara.
Weve known for some time that Prince Harrys relationship with his American actress girlfriend, 35-year old divorcee Meghan Markle, is serious, but there has been fresh confirmation of that fact this week, after Harry introduced Meghan to his sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, for the first time.

According to The Sun, Kate traveled especially to London on Tuesday last week for the meeting.

Kate will of course be Queen one day, but for now she would not be in a position to veto any relationship. Nor, indeed, would she dream of doing anything other than offering warm encouragement and support.

So while meeting Kate isnt a necessary seal on Harry and Meghans relationship, so to speak, it is equally inconceivable that Harrys relationship with Meghan could happily progress much further without Kates blessing.

The royal family have wisely given up trying to stop relationships - it seems almost fanciful now to recall, but ten years ago there were many old school courtiers who genuinely thought the Queen should intervene and put an end to Williams relationship with Kate on the grounds she was a commoner  but that is not to say there is not still a certain amount of nervousness at court about the prospect of Harry marrying an American actress with two million followers on Instagram.

But if Kate is prepared to vocally and directly support the lovebirds, that will count for a huge amount, especially as William is content to take his wifes lead on domestic matters such as this.

The meeting apparently came when Meghan was staying with Harry at Kensington Palace last week, after a new year trip to Norway to see the Northern Lights.

The Sun reports that Meghan, who had previously met William, was also introduced to Harrys niece Princess Charlotte this time around.

A source told The Sun that Harry and Kate are very close adding that he really values her opinion on girlfriends. Obviously Harry's mother, Princess Diana, died when he was very young so Kate really fulfils that older sister/maternal role. It went really well.

While there is little doubt that Kate is as delighted as everyone else that Harry appears to be forging a proper relationship with anyone, this latter assertion that Harry relies on Kates judgment when it comes to women is open to debate.

Kate and Chelsy Davy, Harrys first proper love, were wildly different characters and never got along particularly well, even though they were both dating princely brothers at the same time. Kate didnt much like Cressida Bonas eithersources have told the Daily Beast that she considered Cressida immature. The fact that Cressida is a half sister of one of Williams exs (Isabella Branson, nee Calthorpe) didnt help much either.

Indeed, Harry would be more likely to seek advice from his cousins, the blood princesses Beatrice and Eugenie who have also been blessed and cursed by being born royal, before turning to Kate when it comes to affairs of the heart.

However, the fact that Meghan has been introduced to Kate is significant, as it means she has now met all the most senior members of the Royal Family except the Queen, who is believed to be supportive of the relationship, and is said to have brushed aside concerns over Harry marrying an actress, who, by the very nature of her job, has previously welcomed publicity.

Its still too early to talk about an engagement (first, of course, the relationship has to survive Valentine's Day, for which the Prince is said to be planning a trip to Verbier, his favorite Swiss ski resort) and a proposal would be unlikely to happen without Meghan meeting the Queen.

If and when that meeting happens, the royal press pack will be well and truly on their marks for the most unlikely royal wedding in memory.

While the meeting with Kate is, therefore, significant, an even more telling sign of the depth of Meghans feelings for Harry are to be gleaned in her use of social media, which Harry loathes.

It's been over a month since she posted on Instagram, even though she used to post several times daily.

Meghan did, however, post an essay about her mixed race heritage--albeit one first published in 2015--on her blog The Tig this weekend to mark MLK day.

In it she writes:

When my grandparents decided to move the family from Ohio to California, my mom was about seven years old. A family of five, they packed up the car and took a road trip to Los Angeles. My grandfather told me this story when I was eleven years old. At the time, road trips to me were a collection of Are we there yets?, the license plate game, the drive-throughs for filler food (where McDonalds was less of a treat and more of the norm), photo ops by signs welcoming you from one state to the next, and stops at local restaurants to stretch your legs.

Things were different then, my grandfather said. Meggie, on our road trip, when we went to Kentucky Fried Chicken, we had to go to the back for coloreds. The kitchen staff handed me the chicken from the back door and we ate in the parking lot. Thats just what it was.

Thats just what it was.

That story still haunts me. It reminds me of how young our country is. How far weve come and how far we still have to come. It makes me think of the countless black jokes people have shared in front of me, not realizing I am mixed, unaware that I am the ethnically ambiguous fly on the wall. It makes me wonder what my parents experienced as a mixed race couple. It echoes the time my mom and I were leaving a concert at The Hollywood Bowl, and a woman called her the N word because she was taking too long to pull out of the parking spot. I remember how hot my skin felt. How it scorched the air around me.

Its an unequivocal declaration that Meghan intends to use her new, higher public profile as a force for social good.
The incoming president of the United States paid $25 million in November to settle lawsuits with people who believed they were ripped off by his for-profit university.

That has lawmakers like Sen. Elizabeth Warren worried that a Trump administration wont exactly be the most ferocious watchdog of the for-profit college industry, which has developed a reputation for peddling bogus diplomas and draining billions from federal coffers.

Its an issue that should get national attention this week, as Betsy DeVos goes before the U.S. Senate for her confirmation hearing to be Trumps secretary of education.

DeVos has not commented on the issue in the past, leaving a group of advocates for restrictions on for-profit colleges holding their breath, wondering what will become of the effort President Obama began to rein them in just over a year ago.

In a wide-ranging letter to DeVos last week, Warren made it clear she expects answers at the hearing.

One of the most important functions of the Department of Education is oversight of public, non-profit, and for-profit colleges and universities that are eligible for the federal student aid program, Warren wrote. The Department administers billions of dollars in student aid and loans; in return, it has a legal responsibility to ensure that every institution of higher education that participates in the federal student aid program meets minimal standards to ensure that students receive the education they are promised and that taxpayer dollars are not wasted on loans to students who attend bogus schools.

Warren said that in 2015, $8.1 billion was shoveled into student loans at fraudulent, for-profit institutions under investigation or being sued for outright fraud, including billions to Corinthian Colleges before the company went bankruptthe largest collapse of an institution of higher education in American history.

After noting that President-elect Trumps only real foray into higher education was his own predatory sham university, for which he paid $25 million for cheating students, Warren pointed to DeVoss lack of public comment on the issue.

Given the troubling history of for-profit colleges in this country, it is critical that federal student aid dollars come with strong accountability mechanisms to ensure that students and taxpayers are receiving a return on their investment, she said.

The letter includes a series questions that, Warren indicated, may come up during the hearing next weekincluding whether DeVos would commit to enforcing the new rules and the effort to hold schools with questionable records accountable for defrauding students.

While the tone of Warrens letter betrayed some pessimism, to say the least, outside advocates said they were hopeful that Trumps promise to weed out waste, fraud, and abuse would outweigh his penchant for fewer regulations in this case.

As with everything with Trump, its a little unpredictable you have on the one hand that Trump ran Trump University, which was a predatory operation that used deceptive marketing to lure people into expensive programs and didnt do much at all for their careers, said David Halperin, a Washington, D.C., lawyer, critic of predatory college practices, and former speechwriter for the Clinton White House.

The model of Trump U, he said, was very much what many of the big for-profit colleges and even small for-profit colleges have been like over the last 20 years.

But, Halperin added, On the other hand, Trump campaigned against waste, fraud, and abuse with taxpayer dollars and for smaller government, [and] that is exactly what these for-profit colleges have been engaged in.

Barmak Nassirian, director of federal relations and policy analysis at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, was hesitant to guess what Trumps policy may be given the president-elects lack of positions on the issue.

To my knowledge, neither Trump nor anybody associated with the campaign has addressed the epidemic of waste, fraud, and abuse in the for-profit sector, Nassirian said. Given that many of the millions of victims of the for-profit feeding frenzy may well represent Trump voters, Im hoping that once settled in, his administration will also see the need for addressing the sectors numerous problems.

In 2014, the Obama administration announced that for-profit colleges would have to prove they were preparing students for careers or face having their federal aid revoked.

Too many of these programs fail to provide students with the training they needat the taxpayers expense and at the cost of these students futures, then-Education Secretary Arne Duncan said at the time, according to CBS News. Thats why we are taking action to protect Americans from poor performing career programs that burden students with debt and leave them few opportunities to succeed.

We had a significant rise in student loan defaults, and complaints about schools that were luring people into education programs that were really in their best interest, said Bob Shireman, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation.

As the student debt rose, for-profit universities were expanding rapidlyand according to Shireman were aggressively pushing more people into degrees that would do little or nothing to forward their careers.

Thats when the Obama administration stepped in.

For-profits had to begin keeping track of how much debt their students were taking on versus their employmentthe regulation, called the gainful employment rule, took effect in 2015.

A second rule, defense to repayment, was implemented in November 2016 and stated that if a student could prove that a school misled them or engaged in other misconduct in violation of certain state laws, their federal student loans could be forgiven.

Government investigations and crackdowns on for-profit colleges eventually led to the shuttering of several schoolsincluding the massive Corinthian Colleges, which had its federal aid frozen after it failed to show that its advertisements were backed up with results for students.

The for-profit college industry has pushed back on the Department of Educations moves, saying the regulations were unfairly administered. They hope that Trumps administration will relax some of the restraints they see as unjust.

The president-elect and his team have been clear that they will be taking a very close look at overregulation and ways to address that, said Noah Black, a spokesman for Career Education Colleges and Universities, a trade organization that represents for-profit colleges.

Additionally, in the weeks leading up to the election, and right after, we have seen the current Education Department step up efforts to shut down more institutions and in one case an accreditor, Black said. So any easing of these unilateral actions that provide institutions with little appeal or resource and cut off student access would be welcome.
Many people feel that the capitalist economic system delivers wealth to a few and somehow cheats the rest of opportunity.

I agree: our market system is being looted by a small minority and the only real solutions call for courageous measures.

It has been all too easy for things to slide to excess. Traders in financial markets manipulate prices to obtain higher bonuses.

They and their managers take massive gambles with shareholders' money because these are essentially one-way bets - governments and central banks will bail them out if things go awry.

The management teams of large companies reward themselves with larger and larger compensation packages virtually independent of the performance of their enterprises.

In a more subtle strategy, and without perhaps considering the effects, business leaders can end up looting the future by investing insufficiently for the longer term. They are playing a game skewed towards the pursuit of short-term profits in order to achieve higher personal payouts.

In industry we see increasing forms of cartel-like behaviour everywhere. The big banks offer essentially similar services on similar terms and extract monopoly rents, often in egregious forms such as massive charges for late payments or unauthorised overdrafts for retail clients.

Large pharma companies actively work to extend patent protection on drugs and to limit the ability of generic drug makers to compete effectively.

Underdone oversight

But how can all this happen when the institutions of the market system are supposed to prevent them?

Companies are overseen by boards of directors who represent the shareholders and determine management compensation. Investors control the capital base of enterprises and have the power to replace the boards of directors.

Market activity is undertaken within a framework of laws and regulations overseen by central banks and by regulatory agencies staffed by civil servants and, over them, sit the elected representatives of the people.

In theory, it should work flawlessly, but too often the structure fails, and it's not all that hard to explain why.

Let's start with publicly traded companies. Many are actually controlled by their management rather than by independent directors. In the US it is still common for the CEO to also be the chair of the board and so play a major role in choosing those supposed to provide oversight. In any case, we typically see the same people serve on multiple boards while the CEO of one company sits on the board of another. No wonder boards endorse egregious compensation schemes.
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 United States, 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 neighbouring 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.

100 billion anyone? Where will the money come from?



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.

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 US, 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 (EPRS) 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 remains unclear.

Toshiba's financial plight puts another British project, the plan to build three Westinghouse AP1000 reactors in north-west England, in jeopardy. With the company's 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 ten 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 massive capital sums needed to build them, then wait around for a decade or more before getting any return. With the twin-reactor Hinkley C estimated to cost around 20 billion, ten reactors look like costing 100 billion or more. Any takers?





Paul Brown writes for Climate News Network, where this article was originally published (CC BY-NC-ND).


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 ...
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Final 2022 election Iowa Poll to be released on Saturday

Iowa Poll to test Senate race with Chuck Grassley and Mike Franken, governor race with Kim Reynolds and Deidre DeJear, Congress and attorney general.
A decade after a small flurry of new banks hit Connecticut main streets  only to come to a screeching halt in the 2008 financial panic  Norwalk is the planned home of a startup bank.

TNB has filed papers of organization with the Connecticut Department of Banking, with co-founder and spokesman Eugene Park confirming the company is seeking a state charter but otherwise declining further comment. TNB currently lists as its main office Parks South Norwalk condominium.

Not since 2010 has Connecticut chartered a new retail bank, the aptly named Start Community Bank in New Haven, which in six years of operation since had built up a deposit base totaling $83 million as of September.

Starting in April 2006 with the opening of Darien Rowayton Bank, with branches today in Darien, Norwalk and Fairfield, Connecticut would see the addition of five new banks in quick succession, including Bank of Greenwich and Fieldpoint Private Bank & Trust in Greenwich catering to affluent customers.

Park did not give an indication of TNBs own customer focus, with the bank listing as his fellow co-founders James McAndrews and James Calcagno.

Since 2010 when Start Community Bank launched in New Haven, just seven de novo startup community banks were created nationally between 2011 and 2015, according to the American Bankers Association, with fully 1,500 fewer banks in existence today. Connecticut had just over 1,200 branches statewide as of July, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., about 85 fewer than five years prior, despite a 35 percent increase in local deposits.

Community banks are an important source of local loans, according to Guy Williams, who testified in July on behalf of the American Bankers Association before a congressional committee examining the issue, with Williams CEO of Gulf Coast Bank and Trust in New Orleans.

The lack of de novo activity is concerning to our industry and sadly reflects the same forces that are driving consolidation: excessive and complex regulations that are not tailored to the risks of specific institutions, he testified. This  not the local economic conditions  is often the tipping point that drives small banks to merge with banks typically many times larger. It is also a barrier to entry for new banks.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-354-1047; www.twitter.com/casoulman
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NORWALK  Norwalk hopes to become the first city in the United States to address the disconnect between Martin Luther King Jr.s vision and the hundreds of streets, avenues and boulevards named after him nationwide.

In Norwalk and elsewhere, it has become easy to assign the name of the late civil rights leader to streets while ignoring nearby crime, unemployment and other problems, according to Freedom Faith Collaborative.

As part of Norwalks annual observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day at City Hall on Monday evening, elected officials and collaborative representatives announced a plan to breathe new life into such neighborhoods through The Martin Luther King Jr. Corridors Community Economic Development Initiative.

Connecticut is the first state in the nation and Norwalk is the first city in Connecticut to address the degradations and the challenges that are facing Martin Luther King Corridors, so were excited about that, said the Rev. Carl McCluster, senior pastor at Shiloh Baptist Church in Bridgeport and managing director of Faith Restoration Empowerment Economic Development Outreach Ministries.

McCluster thanked Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, state Sen. Ed Gomes, D-Bridgeport, state reps. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, and Bruce V. Morris, D-Norwalk, and Norwalk Mayor Harry W. Rilling for helping with the initiative, which first will focus on Norwalk, Middletown and New Britain.

This initiative will help advance that cause, said Blumenthal after praising Kings work as a civil rights leader.

The goal of the initiative is to document conditions in Martin Luther King Jr. corridors  streets that carry his name  and use that information to identify, target, and align new investment and strategic redevelopment opportunities in these areas. Enterprise zones likely will be part of the plan.

Its a matter of actually doing a study of what are really the best uses of the land and development within Martin Luther King corridors or zones with the potential those could ultimately become enterprise zones, said Morris, chairman of the legislatures Black and Latino Caucus. Because as it is right now, regardless of what city you go through around America, Martin Luther King boulevards do not appear to look like the dream that Dr. King epitomized.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Norwalk opened in the 1970s as a bypass around business and residential neighborhoods such as Ely Avenue. It is the longest roadway named after King in Connecticut, according to Freedom Faith Collaborative.
NEW CANAAN  On Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, the 45th president of the United States will be sworn into office, and while its too early to truly know what kind of leader Donald Trump will be, some people have already drawn comparisons to Ronald Reagan.

A former New Canaan resident got to know Reagan up close and personal. James Rosebush was deputy assistant to President Ronald Reagan and he also served as chief of staff to first lady Nancy Reagan. In 2016 he wrote a book titled True Reagan: What Made Reagan Great and Why It Matters. Rosebush returned to the New Canaan Library last May to discuss his new book. In it (Rosebush) shares his observations to reveal the heart of the man  the thinking, beliefs, and character many have declared mysterious and unknowable, according to the website www.goodreads.com. One reviewer called the book A compelling read.

Equally compelling is the classic Connecticut colonial house that Rosebush once owned and occupied at 615 West Road. Rosebush owned the house from August 1992 to November 1993. The current owners purchased the 5,019-square-foot house from him. It was built in 1930 and more recently underwent two major renovations to update it for todays living under the direction of noted New Canaan designer Louise Brooks. The project gave the home an addition that houses its gourmet kitchen, family room, and mudroom, and another project updated the second floor master suite. The house has large light-filled rooms many of which open onto the large bluestone terraced patio.

There is nothing mysterious about this house. Its many assets are obvious starting with its nearly two-acre level and sloping property, which is surrounded by significant estates of double the size of this one. The perimeter of the property is bordered with a fieldstone wall that may have stood on this former farmland for centuries. The white clapboard house with dark green shutters is set well back from the road. The driveway circles around the detached two-car garage. The front entrance is punctuated by four thin columns, sidelights, and dentil molding over the front door, all of which hint at the level of detail found inside. The front door is replete with an eagle knocker.

In the original part of the house the formal living room features a fireplace and French doors to a small covered porch, a bluestone patio and the backyard. The office has three walls of built-in bookshelves, a window seat and grass cloth wall covering. In the formal dining room the walls are adorned in an Asian-inspired green and white wallpaper.

The butlers pantry serves as a transitional area between the original section and the new addition. This pantry has a granite counter, glass front cabinets, wet bar, decorative green tile border on the backsplash, and a Dutch door to the patio and yard. Step down into the kitchen which features a large granite-topped center island with a breakfast bar, an eat-in area with a long built-in window seat, and a distinctive wood floor in an attractive pattern. Appliances include a Gourmet Wolf six-burner range and two Dacor wall ovens.

More Information ABOUT THIS HOUSE STYLE: Colonial ADDRESS: 615 West Road PRICE: $1,750,000 ROOMS: 11 FEATURES: 1.76-acre level property, generator, wet bar, bluestone terrace, storm windows, front and rear staircases, circular driveway, two fireplaces, fieldstone walls, only minutes from downtown New Canaan and train station, cedar wood roof, plaster walls, well water, shed, detached two-car garage, staff quarters, attic, partially finished basement, seven bedrooms, four full and one half baths SCHOOLS: West Elementary, Saxe Middle, New Canaan High School ASSESSMENT: $1,202,180 MILL RATE: 16.312 mills TAXES: $19,610 See More Collapse

The kitchen is open to the family room, which has a vaulted ceiling, stone fireplace flanked by built-in cabinets with hand-painted doors, and an archway topped with a keystone. One wall has a door to the patio.

On the second floor, there are five bedrooms. The master sits in a wing of its own and it has vestibule with built-in shelving, a sitting room with window seat, two walk-in closets, and bath with separate marble vanities, a deep soaking tub, and water closet. The opposite wing on this floor has two bedrooms and a full bath. These rooms are easily accessed from the rear stairs and could serve as an au pair suite or staff quarters, as they once did.

The finished third floor has two more bedrooms and a full bath. The landing is large enough for a desk to serve as a homework area.

At a recent public open house one woman called this house enchanting.

For more information or to make an appointment to see the house contact Martha Perry of William Pitt Sothebys International Realty at 203-912-9091 or mperry@wpsir.com.
The Grand Island City Council will hear presentations on the state of the Grand Island Police Department and Edith Abbott Memorial Library during a study session Tuesday night.

The city council is reviewing city departments in anticipation of the fiscal 2018 budget. According to the meeting agenda, It is the administrations intent to review each departments operational activities to determine the level of service provided, versus the cost of service.

Grand Island Police Chief Robert Falldorf will discuss the state of the Grand Island Police Department. The departments three divisional captains will also talk about their divisions.

We are covering essentially all of our operations, Falldorf said. We will give an overview of our budgetary impacts up to this point and talk about some possible revenue streams. For our police department, its tough to create any new revenue stream because we are not in the revenue business. So that is one of the challenges when you look at trying to increase revenues. Other departments have a better ability to do that than we do.

Falldorf said during the study session he will mention a study conducted by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) in 2012. At the time, he said, Grand Island had the highest serious crime rate per capita of the nine largest cities in Nebraska.

It was the recommendation of the ICMA study that we add additional manpower to address that to allow us to move toward more proactive policing, Falldorf said. We were really just a reactive agency back then. That is all we had the manpower to do.

Falldorf added that per the ICMA studys recommendation, the department added 10 additional officers and six additional civilian positions. According to the meeting agenda, property crime rates and violent crime rates have gone down more than 20 percent since 2009.

Falldorf said GIPD currently has 107 full-time equivalents (FTEs), which count as sworn and non-sworn officers. Of these FTEs, he added, 87 are sworn positions, but two are frozen, so the department currently has 85 sworn positions. For the fiscal 2017 budget, Falldorf said GIPD has frozen two full-time officer positions and one part-time community service officer position. He sees the hiring of additional manpower the biggest issue before the city council as it tries to figure out the fiscal 2018 budget.

Looking forward to the challenges of the budget, it is really going to be up to the city council to determine whether we need to freeze any more positions, if we will stay where were at or if they will allow us to hire back, Falldorf said. They will have to decide that. We dont want to go back to a position where we are doing reactive policing and crime rates start to rise again. That would not be good for the community.

Steve Fosselman, director of Edith Abbott Memorial Library, said he and library board president Alan Lepler will update the board on how they are doing with their strategic planning called GI Library 2020. Fosselman said one highlight of the plan is making renovations to the library building.

Its been about a decade since weve done an expansion project, Fosselman said. During that time, weve seen four different areas in which we have needs that were identified back in 2005 but were not realized due to lack of funding. We do have a non-taxed funding source  a donation from the Grimminger estate. That is part of a plan that we will have going forward to make some needed renovations and improve our services to respond to patron needs.

Fosselman added these renovations include improvements to meeting rooms, the administration area, teen/study rooms, an internet cafe and ADA parking and patron walkway access.

Fosselman said some challenges at the library are reduced staffing and reduced hours of operation as a result of a decreased budget. According to Fosselmans information in the meeting agenda packet, the librarys budget has decreased from $2.07 million in 2010 to $1.82 million in 2017.

Fosselman said he currently has 25 full-time equivalents (FTEs) and that the library will not request any additional FTEs for fiscal 2018. He added it depends on the librarys fiscal 2018 budget as to whether the library keeps the number of staff it currently has or reduces its number.

It is impossible to tell right now, but if we reduce the number of staff, then it is very likely we will have to reduce our hours again, Fosselman said. It is a cause and effect relationship that were very aware of. We know how to budget for it, we know how to react to it, we know the services we provide and we know the efficiencies that weve been able to have over the last several years.

The city council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.
Perhaps the biggest challenge Republicans face in assuming total control of the federal government is how to fulfill their promises to scrap Obamacare and prevent a massive health care crisis in which millions lose their coverage.

GOP leaders have been living in an unreal world, talking of repealing President Barack Obamas signature law now but delaying replacement for several years. In the meantime, Vice President-elect Mike Pence says, the Trump administration can deal with any problems by executive action.

Thats why several Republican senators are trying to change the script by delaying repeal until a replacement can be devised. And they got some encouragement from President-elect Donald Trump, though he didnt indicate how they could take both steps  and do it quickly.

Most Democrats realize suggestions of an easy fix are a myth, so theyre playing defense, blaming the GOP in advance for the potential worst case scenario. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer says the GOP mantra is Make America Sick Again.

Still, barring a compromise, a train wreck is likely. First, as generations of lawmakers can attest, health care is incredibly complicated. That Obama got Congress to enact the 2010 Affordable Care Act was nothing short of a legislative miracle.

Second, it may be impossible to scrap unpopular parts of the current law, such as the rapidly rising premiums, the mandate requiring universal participation or a penalty, the diminishing number of health care providers and the tax increases, and maintain such popular portions as insuring pre-existing conditions, providing coverage to age 26 and eliminating lifetime limits.

The biggest problem with the current GOP prescription, using a budget process that requires only a simple Senate majority, is that it would maintain services, while eliminating the taxes that pay for the costlier parts and the Medicaid expansion, while providing a big tax break to the wealthiest taxpayers.

Without that revenue, the whole structure might collapse, even if the legislation survives for several years, leaving millions without health care coverage.

One reason, Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell told the National Press Club, is that insurance companies might withdraw participation, jeopardizing coverage for up to 30 million Americans who get insurance from Obamacare and the expanded Medicaid.

We havent seen a real proposal for replacement yet, Burwell said, adding that any substitute needs to maintain the current laws three main successes: retaining coverage for those who didnt have it, protecting quality improvements in health care delivery and limiting future health care cost increases.

In a less partisan environment, both parties could cooperate to fix the current laws problems. No Democrat thinks its perfect, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell noted on CBS Face the Nation that a President Hillary Clinton would have proposed changes.

But what he didnt say is that Republicans would probably have opposed them and that, given current battle lines, prospects are minimal for any bipartisan fix.

The underlying political factor here is that, as unpopular as the law has been from the start, an increasing proportion of Americans prefer to fix it rather than replace it.

In fact, a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll showed the proportion of Republicans favoring outright repeal has dropped to just over half of those polled. A quarter wanted it scaled back, rather than repealed, and one in 10 wanted it expanded.

And in the population as a whole, where polls have generally shown roughly half oppose the law, one-third of them wanted a bigger government role, not a smaller one.

Given these factors, its hardly surprising there are divisions among both House and Senate Republicans. Though GOP leaders have talked of taking two or three years to implement a replacement, more conservative House Republicans prefer to scrap it immediately.

But the real action is in the Senate, where the GOP has a mere 52-48 majority, and several Republicans have expressed doubt about the repeal and delay strategy, both conservatives like Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and moderates like Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.

It shouldnt be finally repealed until we have a replacement ready, said Alexander, a potentially key player as chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

The stakes are enormous, both substantively and politically. As Burwell noted, 30 million Americans face a possible loss of health care. And just as Obama paid a political price for aspects of the initial law, Trump and the Republicans face a similar challenge.

Prompt repeal may satisfy the GOPs ideological hard core. But the ultimate impact will depend on whether Trump and his party can find a way to maintain health care for the many Americans who have come to expect it.

Carl P. Leubsdorf is the former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News. Readers may write to him via email at: carl.p.leubsdorf@gmail.com.
Teams familiar with another meeting again in 1st weekend of playoffs

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Linkedin Michel A. Rako (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017 08:12 2117 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bb66f8a 3 Opinion Trade,IDX,stock-market,OJK,financial-market Free

The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) has implemented its electronic trading activities for 22 years, but there is no single insider trading case that has been prosecuted or brought to justice.

The stock market watchdog, the Capital Market and Financial Services Supervisory Agency (Bapepam-LK), and now the Financial Services Authority (OJK) have conducted multiple investigations into several listed companies and securities firms allegedly involved in insider trading in 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2010.

The authority has encountered difficulties in investigating alleged perpetrators of insider trading, which is a crime according to Law No. 8/1985 on Capital Markets.

After completing an investigation Bapepam-LK discovered minor violations and ironically decided to suspend the probe, only to raise many eyebrows.

The authority only slapped a penalty against the directors or employees of listed companies and securities firms found guilty of irregular transactions.

A former head of the examination and investigation unit of Bapepam-LK acknowledges the difficulties in investigating and prosecuting insider trading cases due to numerous phases of examination the watchdog has to go through and the complexity facing it in finding evidence, which takes longer than any probe into other securities fraud.

The most arduous task in unveiling insider trading is to prove the source of confidential information given by the alleged perpetrator within a listed company to a securities firm or investor, or vice versa, concerning the companys plan or maneuver, which is yet unknown by the public in order to gain illicit profits in the stock market.

This information most of the time is delivered and exchanged verbally between them, rather than in the form of documents, and therefore the alleged perpetrator may freely engage in this illegal transaction without fear of being charged of a criminal offense.

It is no surprise that the OJK has been unable to prosecute insider trading in the past 22 years and has not done enough to improve law enforcement in the stock market. Worse still, the OJK as both the regulator and law enforcer under Law No. 21/2011 on Financial Services Authority has limited power in prosecuting securities fraud.

In the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) together with the US Attorneys Office, which is under the Department of Justice, successfully discovered in 2012 the biggest insider trading practice in American history and convicted Raj Rajaratnam, a founder of Galeon Group, a hedge fund based in New York, and Rajat Kumar Gupta, a former CEO of McKinsey & Company who was also a board member of Goldman Sachs.

During the trial of the two defendants, the prosecutors divulged wiretap recordings that indicated that Gupta had shared the discussion of Goldman Sachs boardroom meeting to acquire a commercial bank to Rajaratnam, information which was highly classified at that time.

Based on the tip-off, Rajaratnam gained illicit profits of more than US$23 million. The court then declared them guilty of conspiracy and securities fraud, and sentenced Gupta to two years imprisonment and Rajaratnam to 11 years in prison. The latter had been implicated on 11 counts related to insider trading.

American law enforcers are able to prosecute insider trading practices due to its authority to wiretap. As such they can trace securities fraud much more effectively compared to their Indonesian counterparts who are not granted the power.

Transactions in the stock market are indeed prone to manipulation and vested interest among the players to manipulate the value of shares of listed firms offered through Initial Public Offerings (IPO), rights issues, divestments and other corporate actions.

Strengthening law enforcement in the capital market world is a must to gain confidence in investors and must be supported with a clean and impartial judiciary system.

Article 49 of Law No. 21/2011 stipulates that the police and civil servant investigators are authorized to investigate alleged financial services crimes. But both the law and the Criminal Procedure Code Law do not say anything about the authority to wiretap.

Only the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) holds the wiretapping power. The privilege has helped the KPK to ensnare those known as the untouchables.

The draft bill of the Criminal Procedure Code initiated by the government specifically awards the power to bug to the police and state prosecutors. But unfortunately there has been no progress in the deliberation of the bill. Sadly, it is clear that the House is not interested in toughening law enforcement in the financial sector.

Without the power to wiretap, the OJK will remain toothless in prosecuting securities fraud, while in the future insider trading practices will definitely mushroom unchecked.

Insider trading will continue to go unpunished, putting the credibility of the Indonesian stock market at risk.

Conversely, if the authorities manage to prosecute and convict insider trading perpetrators, public trust in the equity market will strengthen. In addition, it will encourage more companies to go public and more people to invest in the stock market.

---------------

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Vajra Reza Alam (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017 15:28 2117 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bb772c8 3 Opinion religious-tolerance,intolerance,democracy,basuki-tjahaja-purnama,ahok,#ahok Free

As journalist Kate Lamb points out in her Guardian article (Dec. 12, 2016) in the wake of Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnamas blasphemy trial, Indonesia has seen rising religious intolerance, growing discrimination and attacks against religious minorities, as well as a wave of vitriol against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

Aggravating intolerance has unleashed a deluge of hate speech on online platforms, and President Joko Jokowi Widodo himself expressed concern about the situation.

In a number of occasions, the President said that social media were full of provocative remarks and hateful exchanges between those who condemn Ahoks controversial reference to the Quran and those who support the governor from a humanist and pluralist point of view.

I completely agree with the President that the death of civility in our cyberspace is something that we should fear, but probably a much more pressing and farreaching quandary facing the nation is the fact that many of us, especially the netizens, are extremely polarized between the anti-Ahok conservatives and the pro-Ahok progressives, so that hope for constructive dialogue between the two groups is vanishing.

As an advocate of both pluralism and tolerance, I have always been interested in engaging in honest and sincere conversation with those who oppose these values, but it is getting increasingly difficult to take part in such a communication in todays divisive atmosphere.

There is one author, however, who really inspires me in this regard, and that is Maajid Nawaz, a British counter-extremist and liberal activist.

In 2012, Nawaz published a book entitled Radical: My Journey out of Islamist Extremism, which details his life experiences, including embracing Islamism to then denouncing it after being imprisoned for five years by the Egyptian authorities for being closely linked to Hizb utTahrir, an organization banned in Egypt.

The most significant impact of the book on me was Nawazs statement that, Any prisoner held solely for the non-violent expression of their beliefs, no matter how illiberal, has an automatic and unconditional right to our support as a fellow human being.

This shows that despite his contempt for Islamic extremism, he recognizes that to deny the right to free speech is indeed immoral.

I did not fully understand the true meaning of Nawazs quote until recently. Growing up in a typical middle-class neighborhood in a Jakarta suburb, I had a close friend who lived nearby, with whom I did many activities together, although we came from vastly different worlds.

While my parents are well-educated liberals, his whole family is strongly attached to conservative Islamic values.

Our differences in terms of our outlook on life in general could not be more staggering. Whilst I believe in pluralism and tolerance, he believes in imposing sharia law in Indonesia.

As we grew older, we frequently became engaged in heated debates, which at times compromised our friendship.

One day we took part in a community outreach program organized by an NGO and set up a makeshift class in one of Jakartas poorest shanty towns to teach English to some children, many of whom had to quit school for economic reasons.

What was most astonishing, however, was that most of the children said they were relieved or even happy that they had left school, as they could start making money right away doing odd jobs.

I was naturally disappointed to hear that and tried to convince them that staying in school would give them a much better future in the long run, yet my liberal argument fell on deaf ears.

I knew they did not buy it, because they remained quiet and somewhat dismissive.

Faced by a cold response like this, I did not know what to say and felt dejected. But, precisely at that moment, my friend chimed in, Hey, have you guys ever heard of the Quranic verse, Allah will exalt [...] those who have been granted knowledge to high ranks? You mustve learned the hadith Seeking knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim.

So, you should all stay in school, dont you think? When he said this, all the kids in the room started listening; their eyes were even glistening with a shimmering hope  and I was blown away.

Having distanced myself from religious fundamentalism all my life, this was an epiphany. I realized that one could effectively interpret scriptural verses for humanitarian work, beyond strictly religious settings, simply because the individual who references them is genuinely concerned for fellow human beings.

My friend was obviously one of such individuals. He embraces intolerant religious ideas  and I strongly condemn them  but as long as his concern for humanity is truthful, we can continue our dialogue.

Nawazs ideas reminded me that, if we truly believe in pluralism and tolerance, we have to learn to live and work with those who reject these values and engage them in a genuine conversation.

And this is very pertinent to the double bind faced by our democracy at the moment.

Since the outbreak of the controversy surrounding Governor Ahok, who happens to be a Christian of ethnic Chinese descent, a rallying cry of, Dont vote for a non-Muslim candidate! has gotten so out of control that it threatens to impair the meritocratic principle of our democracy, i.e. a notion that power should be vested in individuals exclusively based on ability and talent without any reference to his or her personal attributes such as race, ethnicity, religion and gender.

So, the crucial question is, then, how should we reconcile this moral stance with another important democratic principle of one man, one vote and the rule of the majority? If, after all, the majority of our voters decide to choose Muslim candidates over non-Muslim competitors, simply because of their religious preference, shouldnt we just accept it as the peoples voice?

My answer to this is a resounding No. I think that those of us who firmly believe in pluralism and tolerance must do our best to resist that kind of primordial shift in our public opinion.

And the best way to prevent such a parochial, sectarian view from holding sway over our voters is to have a genuine dialogue with them, for only through a sincere and honest conversation can we win over their hearts and minds.

Any quick fix, such as banning hardline groups, is not only undemocratic, but it would also amount to surrendering our convictions, and once we choose to go down that path, well ultimately contradict the very essence of our values and lose our moral high ground for good.

Nawazs rendition of the Voltairean dictum  I disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it  seems to offer an effective antidote to the intolerant ideas surging in our country.

---------------

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017 14:58 2117 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bb748e0 4 Art & Culture aceh,Aceh-dance,dance,#dance,saman-dance,Dance-Festival,#Aceh Free

Up to 10,000 dancers are set to participate in a traditional Saman Dance performance in March at Blang Kejeren city stadium in Gayo Lues regency, Aceh.

The mass Saman Dance performance has been held twice and previously involved 5,000 dancers.

"Five thousand dancers was considered to be the biggest, but they will present [more than] 10,000 dancers," Aceh Cultural and Tourism Agency head Reza Pahlevi told kompas.com.

(Read also: Indonesian troupe to perform Majapahit-inspired dance in India)

Reza said that the performance was part of the dance's preservation and promotion program and the dancers themselves would be representative of all districts in Gayo Lues regency.

"Almost all Gayou Lues residents can perform the traditional dance," said Reza. "This is why [the Saman Dance] has received recognition from UNESCO, as it is very authentic and rooted in the people's lives."

At the time of writing, Reza had yet to reveal the performance date. He mentioned that the committee was still waiting for the Aceh regional election. "In the meantime, the event is slated for mid-March." (jes/kes)
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Linkedin Chanyaporn Chanjaroen and Abhishek Vishnoi (Bloomberg) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded its assessment of the Indonesian stock market, reversing an earlier bearish call that prompted Jakarta to stop doing business with the US bank.

The banks analysts raised their "tactical" view of Indonesian equities one level to neutral in a report dated Monday, saying volatility in emerging-market bonds following Donald Trumps US election victory in November should now subside.

The upgrade came two weeks after Indonesias government cut business ties with JPMorgan, citing a two-notch equities downgrade by the bank in November.

(Read also: Senior economic minister supports decision on JP Morgan)

Our tactical downgrade two months ago was driven by the risk of Indonesia underperforming the Asia Pacific ex Japan and EM indices as investors de-risked," analysts led by Adrian Mowat said. "Redemption and bond volatility risks have now played out, in our view.

Indonesia welcomed JPMorgans new assessment. The neutral recommendation is more in line with fundamentals, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution told reporters in Jakarta on Monday. The finance ministry had earlier said it would stop using JPMorgan as a primary dealer and an underwriter for sovereign bonds.

With its move to punish JPMorgan, Indonesia joined the ranks of emerging-market countries retaliating against analysts which publish negative research. Turkeys banking regulator issued an industry wide warning to avoid negative reports and in 2014, then Brazil President Dilma Rousseff chastised an analyst for suggesting her election would hurt the economy.

JPMorgans research "is independent and anything published is a result of extensive and objective analysis," the bank said in an e-mail. "Our research views and recommendations on Indonesia are no different."

Foreign investors sold a net $2.8 billion of Indonesian stocks and bonds last quarter as emerging-market assets retreated following Trumps victory. That drove the rupiah lower, forcing policy makers to intervene to stabilize the currency. Indonesian stocks have under-performed wider emerging-market indexes since JPMorgan issued its downgrade on Nov. 13. (bbn)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

Lawyers of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama refused to continue the sixth hearing of Ahok's blasphemy trial on Tuesday due to prosecutors failure to present witnesses who had been scheduled earlier.

During the hearing, the prosecutors instead proposed to present two eyewitnesses  Yulihardy and Nurkholis Majid  from Thousand Islands regency who were not scheduled earlier. Thousand Islands was where Ahok delivered a speech on Sept. 27, 2016 that was later deemed blasphemous by parties outside the regency.

The lawyers disapproved of the prosecutors' proposal.

"The prosecutors hadn't communicated to us about those two witnesses. We wanted to focus on examining witnesses who had denounced [Ahok] first. Previously, we found some irregularities from the witnesses [who testified earlier]," Ahok's lawyer told the judges.

(Read also: Police remain on alert as Ahok trial goes on)

Previously, the prosecutors informed the lawyers that they would summon six witnesses, namely secretary of the Bogor Islam Forum H. Willyudin Abdul Rasyid, Bogor police officers Brig. Agung Hermawan and First Brig. Ahmad Hamdani, Muhammad Asroi Saputra, Iman Sudirman and Ibnu Baskoro.

However, the prosecutors said the last three names could not attend the hearing.

Prosecutor Ali Mukartono argued that based on the Criminal Law Procedure, the prosecutors were not required to relay information about the summoned witnesses to the lawyers.

He added that the prosecutors had told the lawyers about their plan to hear testimonies from Yulihardy and Nurkholis on Tuesday morning.

Presiding judge Dwiarso Budi Santiarto decided to grant the lawyer's objection.

Dwiarso adjourned the hearing until Jan. 24.
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Linkedin Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post) Mataram  Tue, January 17, 2017

Mataram authorities in West Nusa Tenggara have arrested two Chinese citizens for allegedly running a pearl shop illegally.

The two men, identified as YNK, 45, and WCM, 43, reportedly used 30-day tourist visas to enter Indonesia through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, Banten, in May 2016, but they [later] opened a pearl business in Mataram. They are now under our investigation, Mataram Immigration Office head Romi Yudiyanto told reporters.

The two held temporary stay permits that had expired, Romi said, adding that they had started the pearl business in Mataram three months ago. They were arrested at their shop house on Monday afternoon, based on reports from local residents.

He further said the suspects could be deported or face legal proceedings in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, WCM said he and YNK had visited Mataram to open a pearl business and planned to develop a pearl cultivation place in North Lombok. Our acquaintance in Jakarta managed the [business] documents; we did not expect that those breached regulations, he said.

He added he had surveyed North Lombok and Mataram for the business since a year ago and started the pearl shop a week ago, selling pearls supplied from Jakarta.
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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17 2017

The governments plan to implement a gross split concept to replace the current cost recovery system for oil and gas fields may result in a closer revenue gap between the government and contractors.

In the final draft of a new ministerial decree regulating the new scheme, the government set the base split in oil projects to 43 percent for companies, with the rest dedicated to the government, while in a gas project a company will have the right to a 48 percent portion. The base splits described are subject to 13 percent tax revenue.

Under the current scheme, in an oil project, a companys portion is set at 15 percent of the production output and the rest is dedicated to the government, while in a gas project, the company has the right to a 30 percent portion.

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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

The House of Representatives has called on the government to speed up efforts to obtain compensation payments from Saudi Arabia, which the latter has promised for victims of a collapsing crane in Mecca in September 2015.

The government, through the Religious Affairs Ministry, should intensify its diplomacy with Saudi Arabian authorities and help collect data of the victims, so that they can immediately disburse [the compensation] because it has been more than a year [since the incident], said National Mandate Party (PAN) lawmaker Ali Taher Parasong during a hearing at House Commission VIII, overseeing social and religious affairs, on Monday.

The crane incident at the Masjidil Haram complex on Sept. 11, 2015, killed at least 107 people. Eleven Indonesian haj pilgrims died while 42 others were injured.

Several days after the incident, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Indonesia announced compensation of 1 million riyal (US$267,000) for families of the deceased and permanently disabled victims, and 500,000 riyal for the less severely injured.

[Saudi Arabian authorities] have taken too long, although we understand they are still deciding how to pay the compensation. They also need concrete data regarding the victims not only from Indonesia but also from other countries whose citizens are among the victims, Ali said.

Several lawmakers said the House was now questioning whether or not Saudi Arabia would fulfill its promise. Can we still expect compensation from them? NasDem Party lawmaker Khoirul Muna said.

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said Saudi Arabian authorities had formed a special team, which had started to collect data on the victims.

Actually, there is progress [on the compensation]. We hope the compensation is disbursed soon, Lukman said. (ebf)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

The Religious Affairs Ministry expects the additional haj quota Indonesia has received from Saudi Arabia to cut the waiting time for people on the countrys haj pilgrim list by up to three years.

The additional quota will likely affect Indonesias haj pilgrim waiting list period. If a pilgrim previously had to wait up to 17 years on average to do the haj, he or she may now need to wait 14 years, said the ministrys haj management director general, Abdul Djamil, after a hearing with the House of Representatives Commission VIII overseeing social and religious affairs on Monday.

Indonesia may be one of the countries with the longest waiting time for haj pilgrims, given its demographic position as the worlds largest Muslim-majority population. In Sidenreng Rappang regency, South Sulawesi, a person can wait up to 39 years to leave for the haj.

This year, Indonesias haj quota has returned to the normal figure of 211,000 per year, after it had been cut by 20 percent in 2013 due to the renovation of the Masjidil Haram grand mosque in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Arabian government has also granted an additional 10,000 seats, meaning 221,000 Indonesians can go to Mecca for the pilgrimage, which is required at least once in the life of every able-bodied Muslim.

(Read also: Govt urged to follow up Saudi Arabia's compensation promise for crane victims)

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said the additional quota was given only for Indonesia, because Saudi Arabia considered it a special country.

At the meeting, lawmakers proposed that 10 percent of the total quota go to the elderly of 60 years and above.

The ministry has noted that around 53,000 elderly pilgrims are on the waiting list. If we give 10 percent of the total quota to them, it means we can send around 20,000 elderly people for haj. Thats only one of the solutions. We should make them wait less, given their old age, said Commission VIII chairman Ali Taher Parasong of the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Ali also noted that the government should make early preparations, because a higher haj quota meant more personnel and officers should be dispatched to guard Indonesians in Saudi Arabia during the ritual. We should add more health care and security officers, Ali said. (ebf)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

The Islam Defenders Front (FPI) has called on lawmakers to push the National Police to investigate two of its high-ranking officers over alleged partiality in handling blasphemy cases involving the groups members.

FPI patron Rizieq Shihab, better known as Habib Rizieq, has reported West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan and Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Mochamad Iriawan to the polices Internal Affairs Division (Propam) for allegedly provoking clashes between FPI members and followers of other organizations.

We want them to help push the police to enforce the law professionally. All individuals, members of the National Police, who defame religion must be legally processed, Rizieq told House of Representatives members, on Tuesday.

Rizieq reported Anton and Iriawan to Propam on Monday. Anton was accused of being the man behind the clash between FPI members and followers of the mass organization Gerakan Masyarakat Bawah Indonesia (Indonesian General Society Movement, or GMBI), which erupted when Rizieq underwent questioning at the West Java Police headquarters in Bandung last Thursday.

Anton admitted that he was the GMBIs patron, a position the FPI said had led to his one-sidedness in handling the clash.

(Read also: FPI protests unfairness by West Java Police chief)

Meanwhile, Iriawan was accused of provoking police officers to attack protesters during the massive rally held by several Islamic organizations, including the FPI, on Nov.4, 2016.

Rizieq claimed he had video recordings as evidence of the attack.

We are sure that [National Police chief] Gen. Tito Karnavian has a strong commitment to law enforcement. However, he will find it difficult to enforce the law if individuals standing behind him do not uphold the essence of law enforcement itself. (ebf)
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Linkedin Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post)  Tue, January 17 2017

The immigration office in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, is holding five Timor Leste citizens for allegedly violating the terms of their stay permits.

There are five Timor Leste citizens currently being held by the immigration office in Mataram. They are still under investigation, said the head of the West Nusa Tenggara office of the Law and Human Rights Ministry, Sevial Akmily, on Monday.

Sevial said the five entered Indonesia with tourist visas, but had been working.

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Linkedin Juliana Harsianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17 2017

Getting to know Indonesian delicacies is now only a few clicks away.

Rendang (beef cooked with coconut milk and spices) is recognized worldwide, which Indonesia should be proud of. But there is more to the countrys cuisine than just rendang, with diverse food specialties scattered across the archipelago.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Pekanbaru  Tue, January 17 2017

The Sumatra legal enforcement office of the Environment and Forestry Ministry seized an excavator alleged to have been used to encroach on the conservation forest of Kepungan Sialang Keputihan in Pelalawan regency, Riau.

Authorities seized the excavator in the early hours on Saturday following a tip-off from local residents, office head Eduward Hutapea said.

Witnesses saw logs being taken out of the area so we formed a joint team that also involved personnel from Wirabima Military Command and Riau Polices Mobile Brigade unit to check on the report, he said on Monday.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

The Jakarta Police have put in place security measures in anticipation of a potentially large number of supporters of Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab, who will be questioned on Monday for allegedly spreading hatred and defaming state symbols.

No problem, we will face them, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Mochamad Iriawan said on Tuesday, as reported by tribunnews.com.

The police are set to question Rizieq on Monday for alleged hate speech and defamation of state symbols in relation to a statement that the countrys newly released bank notes carried the logo of the banned Indonesian Communist Party.

The questioning of Rizieq is based on reports filed by the Finance Ministry, a non-governmental organization and an economic observer.

(Read also: West Java Police question FPI leader over alleged insult to Pancasila)

Last week, the FPI leader was questioned by the West Java Police in Bandung for alleged defamation of the state ideology of Pancasila. After the questioning, Rizieqs supporters were involved in a clash with members of the Indonesian General Society Movement.
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Linkedin Bill Barrow (Associated Press) Atlanta  Tue, January 17, 2017

As Americans celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leaders and activists are trying to reconcile the transition from the nation's first black president to a president-elect still struggling to connect with most non-white voters.

In more than one venue Monday, speakers and attendees expressed reservations about President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration, some even raising the specter of the Ku Klux Klan.

"When men no better than Klansmen dressed in suits are being sworn in to office, we cannot be silent," said Opal Tometi, a Black Lives Matter co-founder, told a crowd in Brooklyn.

King's daughter offered a less direct message, encouraging 2,000 people at her father's Atlanta church to work for his vision of love and justice "no matter who is in the White House."

Bernice King spoke at Ebenezer Baptist hours before her brother, Martin Luther King III, met privately with the president-elect at Trump Tower in New York. The younger King described the meeting as "productive."

Trump won fewer than 1 out of 10 black voters in November after a campaign of racially charged rhetoric, and tensions have flared anew with his recent criticism of civil rights icon John Lewis, whom the president-elect called "all talk" and "no action."

Bernice King avoided a detailed critique of Trump, but said the nation has a choice between "chaos and community," a dichotomy her father preached about. "At the end of the day, the Donald Trumps come and go," she said, later adding, "We still have to find a way to create ... the beloved community."

The current Ebenezer pastor, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, did not call Trump by name, but praised his predecessor. "Thank you, Barack Obama," he said. "I'm sad to see you go."

In South Carolina, speakers at a state Capitol rally said minority voting power has never been more important and some attendees expressed unease about Trump joining forces with Republican congressional majorities.

"It's going to be different, that's for sure," said Diamond Moore, a Benedict College senior who came to the Capitol. "I'm going to give Trump a chance. But I'm also ready to march."

In New York, Martin Luther King III told reporters that Trump pledged to be a president for all Americans, but King III added "we also have to consistently engage with pressure, public pressure" because "it doesn't happen automatically."

Trump did not participate publicly in any Martin Luther King Jr. Day observances. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama took part in a service project at a shelter in Washington.

Back in Atlanta, Sen. Bernie Sanders brought the Ebenezer assembly to its feet with his reminder that King was not just an advocate for racial equality, but a radical proponent for economic justice  a mission that put him at odds with the political establishment.

"If you think governors and senators and mayors were standing up and saying what a great man Dr. King was, read history, because you are sorely mistaken," roared Sanders, who invoked the same themes from his failed presidential campaign.

Sanders, who struggled to attract black voters in his Democratic primary fight with Hillary Clinton, recalled King opposing the Vietnam War as exploiting the poor. He also noted King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, where he'd gone to rally striking sanitation workers, white and black.

Activist priest Michael Pfleger, himself a self-described radical, built on Sanders' message with a 45-minute keynote message indicting the nation's social and economic order, which he said would get worse under Trump.

The Chicago priest said "white hoods" of the Klan "have been replaced by three-piece suits." He bemoaned high incarceration rates, a "militarized, stop-and-frisk police state," profligate spending on war and a substandard education system.

Pfleger said many Americans too quickly dismiss violence in poor neighborhoods as the fault of those who live there, when the real culprit is a lack of opportunity and hope. "If you put two lions in a cage and you don't feed them," he said, "one will kill the other in the pursuit of survival."

Warnock, meanwhile, zeroed in on Trump for his treatment of Lewis, now a Georgia congressman who represents most of Atlanta.

Lewis angered Trump when he told NBC's "Meet the Press" that he views Trump as "illegitimate" because of alleged Russian interference in the campaign. Trump retorted on Twitter that Lewis is "all talk" and said his district is "falling apart" and "crime infested."

"Anybody who suggests that John Lewis is all talk and no action needs a lesson in American history," Warnock said, notably declining to say the president-elect's name.

As a young man, Lewis was arrested and beaten by authorities as he demonstrated for civil and voting rights for black Americans.

Lewis was in Miami at King Day events.

Some Republicans have defended Trump's criticism of Lewis, arguing it is inappropriate for a congressman to question an incoming president's legitimacy.

Clara Smith, an Atlanta resident who came Monday to Ebenezer, scoffed at any GOP indignation, remembering that Trump for years questioned whether Obama was a "natural born citizen" as the Constitution requires.

"He carried on with that knowing full well what he was doing" to the first black president, Smith, 66, said.

Elsewhere, residents in Memphis are honoring King with neighborhood clean-up events and a daylong celebration at the National Civil Rights Museum.

Bicyclists in Detroit have marked the day by pedaling to sites connected to a historic visit King made to the city.

___

Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, and Jonathan Lemire and Julie Walker in New York contributed to this story.

___

Follow Bill Barrow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BillBarrowAP (**)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) has urged all gubernatorial candidates to avoid making personal attacks during the next official debate on Jan. 27.

"We hope that the candidates do not bring up personal matters. The rules of the debate are clear  the candidates can't discuss sensitive matters that could potentially cause controversy," KPU Jakarta head Sumarno told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Sumarno said that some candidates had brought up personal matters during the first official debate on Jan. 13, although they did not violate any rules.

Sylviana Murni, the running mate of Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, called Anies Baswedan "Mr. Minister" during the debate.

Anies is the former education and culture minister who was dismissed from the position by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in July last year.

Meanwhile, incumbent Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama said that Anies and his running mate Sandiaga Uno had the "style of a lecturer" because Anies kept saying that Ahok prioritized physical development over human development.

Ahok said that human development without physical development was only a theory a lecturer would teach.

Sumarno said that Ahok's statement had reaped public criticism.

"There are many people who said to me that Ahok had insulted the lecturer profession, which is a noble profession," he said.

He added that KPU Jakarta planned to invite each campaign team to take part in an evaluation of the first debate within the next two days.

KPU Jakarta would convey their suggestions during the evaluation process, he said.
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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

Imports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is expected to continue rising alongside consumption as domestic production falls.

During the opening of the 2017 LPG Indonesia Forum, Setyorini Tri Hutami, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministrys director for downstream oil and gas business guidance, said that the higher volume of LPG imports was a problem the government hoped to tackle alongside state-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina.

Our imports continue to increase while production drops, she said on Tuesday at the Shangri-La Hotel in Central Jakarta.

(Read also: RI to buy LPG from Iran, team up on energy)

Data from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry show that total consumption of LPG rose to 6.67 million metric tons last year, up 1.5 percent from 2015. This has forced imports to also rise to 4.42 million metric tons in 2016 from 4.3 million in 2015.

Furthermore, domestic production of LPG has dropped to 2.24 million metric tons in 2016 from 2.27 million the previous year.

Meanwhile, Pertaminas senior vice president of the integrated supply chain (ISC) said the firm was expecting imported LPG to rise to 70 percent of total LPG consumption this year.

We expect to import more than 70 percent. Indonesia will become even more dependent on LPG imports, he said. (bbn)
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Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

Securities firm Mandiri Sekuritas has launched an online platform for mutual fund trading, branded MOST Fund, which currently offers 34 mutual fund products from 11 fund managers.

The 11 fund managers include CIMB Principal Asset Management, Eastspring Investments and Aberdeen Asset Management.

While not the first such platform in the industry, MOST Fund distinguished itself with a fund scoring feature, Mandiri Sekuritas president director Silvano Rumantir said during the launch at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) building in South Jakarta on Tuesday.

(Read also: Mandiri Sekuritas posts Rp 307b in revenues in August)

The scoring feature provides an assessment of a mutual fund's performance and risks, calculated using the firm's methodology.

Applications can be downloaded from the Apple Store and Google Play for both mobile and desktop devices.

"Our MOST Fund and its fund scoring feature give comprehensive guidance to customers wishing to invest in mutual fund products," he said.

Silvano expressed his hope that MOST Fund would gradually become an integrated platform and a one-stop shop for investors wishing to invest in the capital market. "We hope Mandiri Sekuritas's offering is lucrative for both our customers and partners," Silvano said. (bbn)
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Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

Meeting the leader of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, and his supporters, has backfired against Jakarta gubernatorial contender Anies Baswedan as it alienated many potential voters, a survey says.

The survey conducted by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) on Jan. 5-11, found that the recent meeting at FPI headquarters in Petamburan, Central Jakarta, contributed to a decline of over 3 percent in one month in support for Anies and his running mate Sandiaga Uno, from 23.6 percent in December last year to 20 percent this month.

LSI researcher Ardian Sopa explained that Anies meeting with Rizieq earlier this month apparently disappointed his supporters who are mostly educated Jakartans and tolerant Moslems.

Habib [Rizieq] is popular among lower-income voters, but is not among those of the middle class, who make up Anies support base, Ardian told the press on Tuesday. The meeting with Habib [Rizieq] turns to have been an electoral blunder for the Anies-Sandiaga pair.

(Read also: Anies shifting toward conservatism)

Besides the meeting, other reasons that contributed to the decline in support include a lack of significant and distinctive programs that Anies-Sandiaga propose for Jakarta as well as the pairs inability to attract a broad base of support.

The LSI survey has also found that Anies and Sandiaga would be eliminated from the race if an election took place today, leaving the Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono-Sylviana Murni ticket contesting a second round against the incumbent Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama-Djarot Syaiful Hidayat pair.(jun)
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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has urged an Indonesia-United States joint aviation working group to help national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia to materialize its plan to serve the world's most lucrative travel market.

"I strongly suggest the members of US-Indonesia aviation working group to keep finding the best way to facilitate Garuda Indonesia and US airlines to materialize Garuda flights to the US and the US airlines flights to Indonesia," he said in an official opening speech on Tuesday.

He referred to Garuda Indonesias plan to fly to Los Angeles with a transit stop in Narita International Airport in Japan. It saw a potential yearly market of 400,000 passengers, especially from possible Los Angeles and New York routes.

During Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Indonesia recently, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had also addressed the topic.

Garuda Indonesia has recently been able to serve direct routes to the world's largest economy as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) upgraded the safety status of Indonesian airlines to category one in August. (ags)
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Linkedin Indra Budiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnamas blasphemy trial continued on Tuesday with a police officer who received a report of Ahoks alleged blasphemy submitted by a Bogor resident, admitted that he made a mistake in typing the report.

In the hearing at the Agriculture Ministry building in South Jakarta, First Brig. Ahmad Hamdani, an officer with the Bogor Police, told the North Jakarta District Courts panel of judges that he unintentionally made an error when he typed the date of the report.

Wilyudin Abdul Rasyid filed the report with the police on Oct. 7, 2016 or one day after he watched a video of Ahok's controversial speech delivered in Thousand Islands regency on Sep. 27, 2016.

However, Ahmad stated in the report that Wilyudin watched the video on Sep. 6 or three weeks before Ahok made the speech.

"How can the report be filed before the speech took place? It is clear that you have made some errors," presiding judge Dwiarso Budi Santiarto told Ahmad, who testified in the hearing as a witness.

Ahmad said he should have typed the report more carefully.

I did not check the calendar [when typing the report]. I should have done that to make sure there were no errors, he said.

Wilyudins report also raised suspicion because it was written that Ahoks alleged blasphemy speech took place in Tegallega, Bogor, West Java, not on the island regency.

It was later revealed the Tegallega reference was referring to Wilyudins house where he watched Ahoks speech. He filed the report after he watched the governors speech in a video at his house in Tegallega, the officer said. (ebf)
Indonesia may bring up the issue of the Middle East peace process at an upcoming ministerial meeting of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Kuala Lumpur after the successful hosting of the International Peace Conference by France on Sunday.

In the OIC meeting scheduled for Thursday, when participants are expected to raise the issue of the plight of the Rohingya in Myanmar, Palestine plans to table the outcome of the recent Paris conference, which produced the Middle East Peace Conference Joint Declaration.

It would also raise concerns about United States presidentelect Donald Trumps intimate relationship with Israel, according to Nico Adam, political attache at the Indonesian embassy in Jordan.

With regard to the Paris conference, the Palestinian president [Mahmoud Abbas] expressly asked for the support of Indonesia to provide input on the followup mechanisms and [promote] the concrete outcome of the conference, Nico said in a statement delivered to The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi is expected to attend the OIC meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

Additionally, Abbas had asked Indonesia to rally backing for Palestine among Pacific island countries, most of which are usually supporters of Israel.

Nico met with Abbas as he accompanied the Indonesian ambassador to Amman, Teguh Wardoyo, on a courtesy call to the Palestinian leader in Ramallah on Sunday.

It is expected to be Teguhs last meeting before vacating his position as ambassador for Jordan and Palestine, which will be assumed by seasoned diplomat Andy Rachmianto, who was part of the Indonesian delegation in Paris.

Some 70 countries, including key European and Arab states, as well as the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), gathered in Paris to adopt the Paris Declaration in a conference that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected as futile and rigged. Neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians were represented.

As one of the outcomes in the Paris Declaration, convening parties must agree that a negotiated two-state solution is the only way to achieve enduring peace.

It also required all signatories to be prepared to contribute to political and economic incentives, including state-building initiatives for Palestine and civil society dialogue.

Furthermore, parties were asked to refrain from unilateral steps that prejudge the outcome of negotiations, including on the status of Jerusalem.

Nico said Abbas was especially concerned about the latter point, with Trump promising Netanyahu that the US Embassy in Tel Aviv would be moved to the holy city of Jerusalem, which would ultimately set back the Middle Eastern peace process.

The planned move will disrupt any efforts that have been made through negotiations. It is irresponsible and the international community must take steps to protect whatever progress has been achieved, Abbas said as quoted in the Indonesian embassys statement.

The move would be a step back from the US recent move to allow a UNSC resolution condemning illegal Israeli settlements to pass late last year. Indonesia has nevertheless sworn to promote the immediate implementation of the resolution.

Faced with such a challenging situation, Palestine will propose an emergency meeting of the OIC, the Arab League, the UN and the UNSC so as to mobilize the international community in opposing [Trumps] idea.

Among the concrete steps they have taken is to send a message to the OIC secretary-general and the Malaysian foreign minister ahead of the OIC meeting in Kuala Lumpur, asking for the issue [of Palestine] to be raised as well, Nico said, adding that Palestine sought Indonesias legal counsel and help for the negotiations.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has returned fire at the leader of conservative Muslim group the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), Rizieq Shihab, after he threatened to report PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri for blasphemy.

"Pak Rizieq Shihab has so far spread hatred and divided the nation. All factions of the PDI-P are united in their defense of Ibu chairwoman and the party, PDI-P secretary general Hasto Kristiyanto said in a statement on Tuesday as reported by tribunnews.com.

Rizieq who was questioned last week at the West Java Police headquarters in Bandung for allegedly insulting the state ideology Pancasila, threatened on Tuesday to report Megawati for insulting Islam.

In her speech during the celebration of the partys anniversary last week, Megawati called on the nations silent majority to reject groups who threatened the unity of the nation and flouted the dictates of the Pancasila.

(Read also: FPI threatens to report Megawati to police for blasphemy)

Hasto said Megwatis speech had been written based on her love of the nation and strong commitment to the state ideology and the Constitution.

If Pak Rizieq Shihab wants to challenge [Megawati], we are ready to face Pak Rizieq Shihab, he said. (jun)
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Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang, Central Java  Tue, January 17, 2017

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo has said the provincial administration has revoked state-run cement maker PT Semen Indonesias permit to develop a cement factory in Rembang.

The permits revocation was announced in a press conference held at the governors official residence, Wisma Perdamaian, in Semarang on Monday evening.

We hereby declare that the 2012 Central Java gubernatorial decree dated June 7, 2012, as revised in the 2016 Central Java gubernatorial decree dated Nov. 9, 2016, on the licensing of cement and raw material mining activities and the operation of Semen Indonesias factory in Rembang, Central Java, is void and annulled, said Ganjar, reading out the first section of the revocation.

He said the revocation followed up a Supreme Court (MA) ruling, which ordered the suspension of the Rembang factorys construction activities until all necessary environmental documents were completed.

Referring to the court ruling, Ganjar ordered Semen Indonesia to first complete its environmental impact analyses (Amdal), environment management plans (RKL) and environment monitoring plans (RPL). The governor also asked the Central Java Amdal Assessment Commission to evaluate the Amdal, RKL and RPL documents to fulfill the court ruling.

Ganjar said an appointed environmental expert team made it known to his administration that the court had clearly ruled the Amdal for the Rembang factory as procedurally flawed. (ebf)
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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

State-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina expects to increase liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports from the United States (US) this year following the expansion of the Panama Canal last year.

Around 90 percent of all LPG imports used to come from the Middle East, according to Pertaminas senior vice president for integrated supply chains (ISC), Daniel S. Purba.

Pertamina aimed to reduce the Middle East share to accommodate more supplies from the US, which would benefit from much shorter delivery and thereby increased competitiveness, enabled by the Panama Canal route, Daniel said, without providing a purchase estimate.

What is certain, though, is that the LPG imports from the Middle East will definitely decrease, replaced by US LPG. The amount will depend entirely on the market, Daniel told reporters on the sidelines of the 2017 LPG Indonesia Forum on Tuesday.

Daniel further explained that benchmark prices for LPG in the Middle East and the US were different, as the former relied on prices set by Saudi Aramco, while the US relied on prices traded by Mount Belvieu, which saw its competitive edge in the past hampered by the long shipment period of one and a half months.

(Read also: LPG imports, consumption continue to rise)

Indonesia is highly dependent on LPG imports, as rising consumption cannot be matched by domestic production, which is gradually dwindling.

It imported 4.42 million metric tons of the energy source in 2016, up slightly from 4.3 million in 2015, according to data from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.
State-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina and Russias Rosneft oil company are getting closer to starting the construction of the Tuban oil refinery in East Java after the former wrapped up the much-needed land-use agreement for the project with the East Java provincial administration.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed on Monday, has granted Pertamina permission from the local government to access a 60-hectare plot of land in Tanjung Jenu, Tuban regency, owned by the Environment and Forestry Ministry, which had previously given a similar approval.

This MoU solves two problems at once  that on the use of land owned by the Environment and Forestry Ministry; the other related to [local government] permits. Both are extremely important to ensure the smooth development of the Tuban refinery, Pertamina president director Dwi Soetjipto said in a statement.

(Read also: Pertamina names five candidates to build Tuban refinery)

Pertamina and Rosneft signed a joint venture agreement last year to build the Tuban refinery, Pertaminas first new oil refinery to be built in the past two decades.

Through the agreement, it was established that Pertamina will have the controlling stake of 55 percent while Rosneft will hold the remaining 45 percent. The Tuban refinery is expected to be completed in 2021 with a processing capacity of 300,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd). Though a final investment decision has not been reached, it is estimated the project will cost between US$12 million and $14 million.

The MoU also mentioned that the East Java provincial administration will help Pertamina in obtaining several permits needed to build the refinery, including the public space permit. In exchange, Pertamina will provide a 60-ha plot of land as compensation for the area that they will use to build the refinery. The area was originally earmarked for the construction of a port.

The Tuban refinery, along with the Bontang refinery in East Kalimantan, is part of Pertaminas plan to boost national production to 2.3 million bopd by 2025 from the current 1 million bopd.

Furthermore, four existing refineries will receive a facelift under Pertaminas ambitious plan.

According to Pertaminas grand scheme, production capacity is expected to further increase to 2.6 million bopd by 2030. At present, the countrys refineries are only capable of producing around 830,000 bopd, a little over half of the current refined fuel demand, due to age.

Even so, there have been a few speed bumps in Pertaminas ambitious plans to boost its refined oil production, including the absence of a joint venture agreement with Saudi Aramco, although the latter had signed a head of agreement (HoA) over the Cilacap refinery upgrade in Central Java more than a year ago.

Moreover, despite the expected boost in oil production, Pertamina still expects to see a small deficit of 231,000 bopd  comprising only gasoline  even if those projects are completed on time.

However, ReforMiner Institute executive director Komaidi Notonegoro said the government has already shown it is being proactive by issuing a ministerial decree that allows private companies to build their own refineries.

Private refineries could fill up the small deficit Pertamina is expected to experience in 2030, he said.
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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17 2017

State-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina and Russias Rosneft oil company are getting closer to starting the construction of the Tuban oil refinery in East Java after the former wrapped up the much-needed land-use agreement for the project with the East Java provincial administration.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed on Monday, has granted Pertamina permission from the local government to access a 60-hectare plot of land in Tanjung Jenu, Tuban regency, owned by the Environment and Forestry Ministry, which had previously given a similar approval.

This MoU solves two problems at once  that on the use of land owned by the Environment and Forestry Ministry; the other related to [local government] permits. Both are extremely important to ensure the smooth development of the Tuban refinery, Pertamina president director Dwi Soetjipto said in a statement.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Tue, January 17 2017

According to Indonesian tradition, polite guests are naturally expected to bring some nice oleh-oleh (gift) to their host, who in return will treat their guest with the utmost hospitality. When these two conditions are met, a very productive encounter that satisfies both sides will occur.

Such, however, was apparently not the case when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Indonesia to meet President Joko Jokowi Widodo on Sunday. At least judging from their joint press conference at the Bogor State Palace, it was hard to find a concrete outcome from their bilateral summit. Abe did not offer anything new and Jokowi did not have much for Japan either.

Amid a declining trend in their bilateral ties, especially in terms of trade and investment, the two leaders simply reaffirmed their commitment to boosting economic and business activities between the two countries. Indonesia renewed its call for Japan to be more open to Indonesian exports.

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Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

The National Police say they will continue to seek evidence in a preliminary investigation on alleged corruption related to the construction of a mosque worth Rp 27 billion (US$2.07 million), involving former Central Jakarta mayor Sylviana Murni, who is currently running as a Jakarta deputy gubernatorial candidate.

The police are currently investigating Al Fauz Mosque in the Central Jakarta mayoralty office complex, National Police Spokesman Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar has confirmed.

[The investigators] want to know about the construction process, especially whether the development was normal and was in accordance with the law, Boy told reporters on Tuesday.

During the investigation, investigators from the National Polices Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) reportedly tore down walls at the mosque, which was inaugurated in January 2011 during Sylvianas term as mayor, and found that some sections which should have been filled with cement were hollow.

Boy reiterated that the police had not yet planned to question Sylviana  the running mate of gubernatorial candidate Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono  about the alleged corruption.

The corruption allegations surfaced after the police's anticorruption directorate issued official letters to investigate the development of Al Fauz Mosque in late 2016.

The police have questioned 20 people involved in the mosque construction, including the current Jakarta administration secretary Saefullah, who was appointed to replace Sylviana as Central Jakarta mayor in November 2010.

Sylviana has repeatedly declined to comment on the matter.
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Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has revealed that of all institutions, the police were implicated in the highest number of human rights violation cases in 2016.



Throughout 2016, Komnas HAM received 7,188 reports related to alleged human rights violations. From that report, the police were reported 2,290 times, the highest figure among all institutions, Komnas HAM chairman Imdadun Rahmat said during a year-end report presentation at the commissions office in Jakarta on Tuesday.



The second and third place went to corporations and regional administrations with 1,030 and 931 reports, respectively, Imdadun said.



He added that most of the reports were related to violations of welfare and justice rights, such as a case in July when police officers surrounded a Papuan student dormitory in Yogyakarta to prevent residents from attending an event organized by the Peoples Union for West Papua Freedom (PRPPB). The police also reportedly prevented an Indonesian Red Cross ambulance from delivering food to the dormitory.

(Read also: 14 'arrested' before Papua rally in Yogyakarta)

Komnas HAM commissioner Nur Khoiron said the commission would continue cooperation with the police in an attempt to push the institution to be more human-rights friendly in carrying out its duty.



We have conducted some activities including launching a human rights pocket book for police officers and conducting a general lecture about rights principles for students at the Police Higher Education College (PTIK), he said. (jun)
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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017 14:22 2117 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bb736af 1 National FPI,#FPI,clash,police Free

The National Police have brushed off accusations by the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) that police had taken sides in handling a clash involving the hardline group and a mass organization in Bandung, West Java, last week.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said on Tuesday that the force had not discriminated against anyone, including FPI members, in mediating the dispute, because everyone was equal before the law.

We do not favor one party over another. We are impartial, Boy told reporters in South Jakarta.

(Read also: Police deploy 2,800 to secure FPI rally against West Java Police chief)

On Monday, hundreds of FPI members flocked to the National Police headquarters on Jl. Trunojoyo in South Jakarta to demand the dismissal of West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan after violence had broken out between FPI sympathizers and members of Gerakan Masyarakat Bawah Indonesia (GMBI, Indonesian General Society Movement) during last weeks questioning of FPI leader Rizieq Shihab by West Java Police.

Following the violent clash, a GMBI office in Bogor regency, West Java, was attacked and set alight, allegedly by FPI members. West Java Police arrested 20 people, reportedly FPI members, after the arson attack and later named 12 of them as suspects.

At Mondays rally, Rizieq claimed those arrests showed that West Java Police were biased in handling the case. (dan)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

Police remain watchful in securing the blasphemy trial against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, even though the number of anti-Ahok and pro-Ahok protesters outside the Agriculture Ministry's auditorium, where Ahok is being tried, has decreased.

"The security will comply with our standard operating procedure. Even if there are only three protesters, the security will comply with the standard," South Jakarta Police spokesman Com. Purwanta said on Tuesday.

He added that thousands of police officers would be divided in four security rings that would cover the area inside and outside the auditorium, including the traffic around the Ministry of Agriculture's offices in South Jakarta.

The number of protesters on Tuesday was not as large as during previous hearings, which could reach 2,000.

Despite the decrease, police have installed fencing wire to separate anti-Ahok and pro-Ahok protesters. They were separated by about 200 meters to avoid clashes.

Meanwhile, Transjakarta buses serving the Ragunan and Agricultural Department corridors will not operate on Tuesday, due to the trial.

"Ragunan and Agriculture Department bus shelters are closed. The Transjakarta service is directed to the Agriculture Department traffic light, just like last week," Transjakarta operational director Daud Joseph said in a statement on Tuesday.

He added that passengers who take that route would only be served to the SMK 57 bus shelter.
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17 2017

Prosecutors are set on Tuesday to present witnesses to testify about more allegedly blasphemous remarks made by Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama.

Fifi Lety Indra, a lawyer representing Ahok, said prosecutors had announced that they would resummon Bogor Islamic Forum secretary Willyudin Abdul Rasyid who previously reported the governor for alleged blasphemy in a speech he made in Tegallega, Bogor, on Sept. 6.

The court had earlier rejected the possibility of Willyudin providing testimony as it is examining the speech Ahok gave in Thousand Islands regency on Sept. 27.

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Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang, Central Java  Tue, January 17, 2017

Supporters of Jaringan Masyarakat Peduli Pegunungan Kendeng, a movement that rejects the development of a cement factory belonging to state-run cement maker Semen Indonesia in Rembang, Central Java, have said they will continue to stage protests until they are assured the factorys construction ceases.

In a front of a tent erected at the entrance of the Central Java gubernatorial office on Jl. Pahlawan, Semarang, the movements activists have been carrying out orations to show their rejection of the Rembang factorys construction since Dec. 19 last year.

We will continue to stage protests until no cement factory is built in Rembang, the rallys coordinator, Joko Prianto, told The Jakarta Post in Semarang on Monday.

Apart from the anti-factory group, there were several pro-factory organizations staging rallies periodically in front of the governors office. However, both camps refrained from clashing.

(Read also: Permit of Semen Indonesias Rembang factory revoked)

On Monday evening, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo revoked the factorys construction permit as a follow up to a Supreme Court (MA) ruling, which ordered the suspension of the project. Citing the court ruling, he said, the environmental impact analysis (Amdal) of Semen Indonesias Rembang factory that had been used as a reference to issue its initial permit was procedurally flawed.

Several [important] items were not included in the documents, especially on the procedures and regulations on the limitation of limestone mining activities in the areas ground water basin. Concrete solutions to the needs of local residents have also not yet been addressed in the documents, said Ganjar, adding that the permit could be reinstalled once Semen Indonesia fulfilled the requirements demanded. (ebf)

Tough measures: Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo reads out a decree, which revokes a construction permit for state-run cement maker Semen Indonesia's cement factory in Rembang, Central Java, in a press conference on Jan. 16. (JP/Suherdjoko)
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Linkedin Moses Ompusunggu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17 2017

The Culture and Education Ministry has issued a regulation aimed at strengthening the role of school committees, which have long been used by school officials to collect various fees from parents.

Issued on Dec. 30 last year, Culture and Education Minister Regulation No. 75/2016 on school committees will be a new legal basis to create school committees that are more independent, as teachers will no longer be allowed to join them.

Some requirements about who can be selected as school committee members were initially stipulated in the 2010 Government Regulation on Education Management, which among other things states that at least 50 percent of a school committee must consist of parents, while community leaders and education experts can fill no more than 30 percent of a committees seats.

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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) has said the second gubernatorial debate scheduled for Jan. 27 will raise more specific issues, through which all candidates will be able to convey their ideas more comprehensively.

The debates themes will still be about city problems, but we will limit it to only one or two issues. Panelists will explore further the themes when they raise questions about them, KPU Jakarta head Sumarno told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

He admitted issues raised in the first gubernatorial debate on Jan. 13 were too general. Not only discussing about social and economic issues, the candidates also discussed issues in the fields of the environment, transportation and education, he went on.

The issues were actually good but during the debate, the candidates didnt have time to answer questions well because the issues were too general while the duration was limited. Their explanations were not deep, Sumarno said, adding that the debate duration was only 90 minutes.

The election official further said KPU Jakarta would evaluate the first debate with the campaign teams of each candidate pair and several experts. The KPU would later decide the issues for the next debate, he added.

Sumarno said KPU Jakarta was now considering several issues for the debate. Among the issues are bureaucratic reform, public services, spatial planning and women and child protection.

After setting the issues, KPU Jakarta would engage several panelists to prepare questions for the debate, he said. (ebf)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

The directorate general of taxation has called on Google to submit its financial documents as part of the governments probe into the technology giants taxes, with estimated arrears of US$400 million.

According to the tax offices calculations, Google has to pay tax arrears including penalties for its five years of operations in Indonesia. However, Google said its tax arrears amounted to only $30 million.

"We want Google to be cooperative, and we are still waiting for the documents," tax office spokesman Hestu Yoga Saksama said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He said the tax authority had data regarding Googles business transactions that, according to Indonesian law, should have been subject to taxation, including advertising payments from Google clients.

Hestu added that Google and the Jakarta Tax Office had met several times. "The matter is handled by the Jakarta Special Office, they report to us or directly to the ministry when they have any update," he said. (ags)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

The Jakarta tax authority has threatened to start a legal investigation into the tax case of Google Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd if the Internet giant fails to hand over transaction data of the company, an official has said.

If there is any indication of delaying tactics, we will raise the issue to an investigation level, involving police and prosecutors, said Jakarta Directorate General of Taxation head Muhammad Haniv as reported by tempo.co on Tuesday.

With the handover of Googles transaction data, the government expects to know the advertisement contract data and the companys server.

The government believes that Google owes Rp 337.5 billion (US$25.28 million) tax plus Rp 3 trillion in penalties as the Directorate General of Taxation estimates that Googles revenue reached Rp 6 trillion for 2015.

Haniv said Google argued to the tax office that it needed time because there was a lot of electronic data that had to be handed over to the government. But Haniv suspected that Google might be worried that all of its activities in Indonesia would be uncovered.

Late last year, the government gave Google the chance to negotiate. But negotiations have so far been fruitless. The worlds approach in dealing with Google has ended up with settlements not based on the accurate tax calculations, Haniv added.

He called on Google to hand over the data by late January. He believed that Google would agree to do so before the government started a legal investigation. (bbn)
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Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

The majority of resentment toward Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama and his running mate Djarot Saiful Hidayat is the result of previous remarks Ahok has made, not his programs, a study suggested on Tuesday.

A recent survey commissioned by the Jakarta-based Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) revealed 47.2 percent of eligible voters had negative views of the Ahok-Djarot pair because of a statement on Quranic verse Al Maidah 51 that Ahok made during a working visit to Thousand Islands on Sept.27, 2016, which some have deemed as insulting to Islam.

Meanwhile, 28.9 percent of respondents involved in the study slammed Ahok because of his rude public statements. Only 10.5 percent of respondents criticized him for his supposedly anti-poor policies and only1.9 percent of eligible voters disapproved of Ahok for violating Jakartans rights, such as freedom of expression.

Its clear that anti-Ahok sentiment is still a determining factor. The Ahok-Djarot pair will lose the race if such sentiment continues to circulate until election day on Feb. 15, LSI researcher Ardian Sopa told journalists on Tuesday. The study also found that anti-Ahok sentiment has benefited Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono-Sylviana Murni, suggesting that the pair would win the election if voting took place today.

The study took place from Jan. 5-11 and involved 880 respondents in face-to-face interviews. (ebf)
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Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

A cross-sector meeting on border management led by Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo on Tuesday raised again a controversial plan to deploy military personnel to various areas outside Java and allow them to get involved in civilian affairs in the respective areas.

During the meeting, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto instructed local administrations to identify locations in border and remote areas where Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel could be deployed to help local people develop their areas by, among others ways, getting engaged in farming and the empowerment of the local economy.

I have one month [to further discuss the plan]; therefore, what if [I give local leaders] one week [to identify the areas]?" Wiranto said in the meeting.

He later cited a recent success in a location in East Java where a company of soldiers was allowed to help locals to manage 40 hectares of rice fields.

Wiranto declined to either give more details about the plan or to comment on how deep the penetration of the military into civilian life would be.

Concerns over the growing military role in civilian matters have emerged in the past few years. Only last week President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ordered the deployment of more military personnel to border areas to build both a stronger economy and defense. This sparked fresh debate as the Presidents call reminded many people in the country about the New Order military regime.

A 2015 Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) report revealed the military had attempted not only to expand its influence into civilian areas, but also to take back some powers from the police since Jokowi, a former governor who has no military background, took office over two years ago.

The military's clout in politics and civilian affairs during the dictatorship of late president Soeharto had been dramatically reduced over fears that a strong military role in non-combat operations would recreate the trauma of authoritarian rule.

In 2000, the TNI's authority in security affairs was stripped as part of a democratic reform movement, with the National Police, which was granted the sole authority to handle security, being removed from the TNI command structure. (ebf)
Four people from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) who were illegally trafficked to Aceh two years ago have returned home, a police member said on Monday in Kupang.

Kupang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Adjie Indra Dwiatma said the four victims were taken by force to Aceh by suspect Susi Nona, the leader of a recruitment agency in Aceh.

They are the second group that has been returned so far following the return of 12 human trafficking victims in November, Adjie told reporters.

He said the four had been in Aceh for two years. One of them, with the initials LL, was 16 years old. Three were from Kupang while one was from Malaka.

They were promised employment as domestic workers with salaries ranging from Rp 800,000 (US$60) to Rp 1 million a month.

However, they never received payment and were accommodated in a barn where they slept on the floor.

Adjie said the network led by Susi Nona had so far sent 375 people to work in Aceh, North Sumatra and Kalimantan without proper documents and without paying them as promised. They were only given pocket money.

They were initially trafficked through the main network gate in Medan and later were distributed to Aceh and Kalimantan, he said, adding that to do so the network forged documents such as identity cards, parent permits, birth certificates and baptism certificates for minors.

Adjie said that in dealing with human trafficking cases his office did not just process the perpetrators but also returned the victims home.

He said the victims would be taken to the Kupang Police headquarters for investigation purposes.

Separately, executive director of the NTT labor advocacy and initiative development association (PIAR), Sarah Lerry Mboeik, said the root of problems related to migrant workers was low-income people seeking decent livelihoods.

If local administrations offered job opportunities, people would have the choice to migrate or to stay in their home villages.

Sarah cited as an example a migrant worker village in Lembata regency where services were offered to migrant workers from the subdistrict level.

This is preventive and curative, said Sarah, adding that upon returning to their village after finishing their terms as migrant workers they created jobs by, for example, running home industries so that they did not need to return to their workplaces abroad.

PIAR data showed that throughout 2016, 54 migrant workers from NTT died, 51 of whom were working abroad.

Sarah said of the 54 workers, only 15 to 20 percent had proper documentation. The rest were undocumented.

Sarah blamed the situation on a lack of protections for migrant workers as a result of being fully managed by the private sector.

She also underlined a lack of transparency in their recruitment, placement and return home.

Also concerning, according to Sarah, was the fact that many migrant workers were women who shared the responsibility to bring in money for their families.

The potential consequences, however, were abundant.

For instance, they leave undocumented but when returning home their husbands are already married to other women and they have to take care of their children, Sarah said.
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Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, January 17, 2017

Effective spending along with reform in fiscal policy and the investment climate will help Indonesia grow its economy by 5.3 percent this year, according to a new World Bank report. The estimation is higher than the government's estimate of 5.1 percent.

In its January edition of Indonesia Economic Quarterly, World Bank stated that the 2017 state budget improved the country's quality of spending, including sustained higher allocations for infrastructure, health and social assistance, with better targeting for energy subsidies and social programs for the poor.

"It's very important for Indonesia to sustain this reform momentum so that the country can meet its development goals," said Rodrigo Chaves, the bank's country director for Indonesia, on Tuesday.

According to the report, improving the quality of public expenditure entails two actions with the first being reallocation toward priority sectors where public spending is low as additional spending can have the greatest impact on poverty and growth.

"These sectors include infrastructure, health and social assistance," the report said.

The second thing that the government should do is to maximize the effectiveness of spending in all sectors, particularly agriculture, education and social assistance, the bank wrote. (ags)
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Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post)  Wed, January 18 2017

State-owned construction firm PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PTPP) expects to see its new contract value increase by more than 20 percent this year, spurred by the governments massive infrastructure projects.

The publicly listed company projects to book at least Rp 35.86 trillion (US$2.7 billion) worth of new contracts this year, from Rp 32.6 trillion recorded last year. The optimism comes on the back of last years achievement, when the value of its new contracts was 105 percent of the firms initial target.

The company is optimistic to exceed this years target, supported by the governments programs to improve Indonesias infrastructure quality, PTPP president director Tumiyana said as quoted in an official statement published by the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) on Monday.

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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, January 18 2017

The Public Works and Public Housing Ministry signed on Tuesday infrastructure development contracts worth Rp 6.4 trillion (US$480.5 million) in an effort to accelerate the budget disbursement process and speed up the completion of priority projects.

The contracts consist of 952 infrastructure project packages spread across the archipelago. The ministry, which serves as the frontline institution in realizing President Joko Jokowi Widodos vision of massive infrastructure development, had previously put the packages on an early bidding mechanism beginning in October last year.

Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said the government aimed at leaving an impact on the countrys economic growth with the early contract signing.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, January 18 2017

The National Polices Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) has delved into the building materials of Al Fauz Mosque at the Central Jakarta municipal office complex.

The assessment is part of a preliminary investigation into alleged corruption surrounding the construction of the Rp 27 billion (US$2.07 million) mosque.

Investigators tore down some of the mosques walls and found that parts which should have been filled with cement were hollow.

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Linkedin Tama Salim, Haeril Halim and Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, January 18, 2017

The government has streamlined procedures for handling asylum seekers, clearing stumbling blocks that had earlier hindered them from entering the country.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo has just signed a presidential regulation (Perpres) on asylum seekers, detailing protocols for how to treat those who land on the nations shores to escape life-threatening events in their homelands.

The newly issued protocols, signed on Dec. 31, would help the government assist the more than 14,000 refugees and asylum seekers who have long been overlooked since entering Indonesia, which is not a signatory to the United Nations 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

We issued the presidential regulation in response to the need for a legal basis for handling refugees because Indonesia is a non-signatory of the refugee convention, Andy Rachmianto, the Foreign Ministrys director for international security and disarmament, told The Jakarta Post.

(Read also: UNHCR supports Indonesias policy on refugees)

He added that the issuance of the Perpres would have no bearing on the countrys current position as a non-signatory of the convention, making it only responsible for repatriation and settlement.

Prior to the Perpres, Indonesia only relied on Law No. 37/1999 on international relations to handle refugees and asylum seekers, leaving institutions unclear about what to do with asylum seekers and refugees when they arrived in their regions.

The law does not elaborate on how to handle refugees and asylum seekers stranded in Indonesia on their way to other destination countries, such as Australia.

Last year, Indonesia was criticized for its treatment of a group of Tamil migrants from Sri Lanka who were stranded on a beach in Lhoknga, Aceh.

The Aceh provincial government refused to allow them to disembark for one week, confining them to their grounded boat.

The local administration argued that the asylum seekers lacked the proper documentation and that it had no budget to look after them, after earlier facing problems while hosting hundreds of Rohingya Muslims.

The central government later ordered the administration to allow them to disembark.

The Perpres contains detailed stipulations on which institutions are tasked with managing refugees in Indonesia, complete with each of their respective responsibilities.

It also serves as a legal basis for regional administrations to propose operational funds for handling asylum seekers and refugees and providing temporary shelters.

With the presence of the presidential regulations it is now clear who is doing what and what kind of responsibility each institution has, said Agung Sampurno, the spokesperson for the Law and Human Rights Ministrys Directorate General of Immigration.

According to the Perpres, refugee handling is done through cooperation between the central government and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other international organizations.

The Perpres further stipulates that the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister coordinates the handling of asylum seekers in the country, from their discovery to settling and monitoring them.

For the discovery of asylum seekers, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) is tasked with conducting search and rescue operations on vessels suspected to be transporting asylum seekers.

Once the asylum seekers are found, they would be moved to safety boats if the vessels are about to sink and taken to docks or nearby land.

The asylum seekers in need of medical attention are to be identified immediately and they would be taken to immigration detention centers. If there is no available immigration detention center, the asylum seekers will be brought to the local immigration offices or nearby police stations.

Then the immigration officers are to record the data of the asylum seekers by checking their travel documents, immigration statuses and identities.

The UNHCR will review proposals from asylum seekers and decide whether they are eligible to be granted refugee status.

If their applications are rejected, the relevant institutions would have the authority to deport them to their countries of origin.

Before the Perpres was issued, the relevant institutions in Indonesia did not know what to do with asylum seekers whose asylum requests had been rejected by destination countries.
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Linkedin Hotli Sumanjuntak (The Jakarta Post) Aceh  Wed, January 18 2017

An 11-month-old elephant that was found injured and malnourished in Gampong Reuhat, East Aceh in Aceh province has been taken into the care of the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA).

The baby elephant was found by locals not far from the carcass of another elephant.

We suspect that the baby elephant was abandoned after being separated from its herd, BKSDA head Sapto Aji Prabowo said.

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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, January 18, 2017

The National Police will not bow to pressure from the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) to dismiss West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan before a thorough investigation is conducted, an official said Tuesday.

FPI members have demanded that the police immediately dismiss Anton because, according to them, the two-star general took sides when resolving a violent dispute between the FPI and mass organization the Indonesian General Society Movement (GMBI) in Bandung, West Java, last week.

That is good input but we have to stick to the existing law. We have our own mechanisms for replacing an officer, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar told reporters on Tuesday.

The FPI and GMBI were involved in a clash during the questioning of FPI leader Rizieq Shihab by the West Java Police over allegations of insulting the state ideology of Pancasila last week. Following the clash, a GMBI office in Bogor regency, West Java, was attacked and set alight by a group of people, allegedly FPI members.

The police have named dozens of people as suspects in the incident. Police claimed the suspects were members of the radical group, which the FPI has denied.
Indonesia should strengthen its role in ASEAN by taking a more active role and through intellectual leadership within the associations platforms.

ASEAN as a driver for regional cooperation needs to strengthen unity between its member states and it should operate under universal values without neglecting the non-interference principle, said foreign policy scholar Dewi Fortuna Anwar.

Currently ASEAN has a lot of problems [including] among its member states, the South China Sea dispute, highly different political ideologies, and the distinction between less developed and developed member states, she said at a discussion at The Habibie Center on Thursday.

These problems should not be happening as ongoing conflicts in the region will affect domestic interests, Dewi said, adding that ASEAN regional security and stability should be strengthened and that it was a prerequisite for other related government policies to be implemented.

As Indonesia is located in a strategic area within ASEAN, the country can and should effectively be engaged in the future, she said.

Dewi said President Joko Jokowi Widodo once mentioned that his term should not ambitiously focus on foreign policy but it should focus on economic growth and bilateral relations instead.

However, Dewi believed Indonesia needed stronger involvement in ASEAN.

We need security at the regional level to have positive economic growth. If there is a conflict at the ASEAN level, it will affect Indonesia directly, she said.

Meanwhile, commenting on Indonesias foreign policy priorities for 2017 as set by Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi during the Annual Press Statement on Tuesday, Dewi said we have to be optimistic that the various foreign policy targets will be realized as long as we work hard and intelligently toward the goals.

Retno set 14 foreign policy priorities including strengthening ASEAN, engagement in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and seeking support for Indonesias application as a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) non-permanent member.

Dewi agreed with Retnos foreign policy priorities but as for Indonesias engagement in IORA chairmanship, Dewi suggested that the government have a strong relationship with domestic stakeholders and called for ministries to support each other.

Indonesia should contribute substantive matters not limited to a chairmanship and establish realistic cooperation in IORA, she said.

Dewi also commented on Indonesias intention to bid as a nonpermanent member in the UNSC.

This might be a challenge for Indonesia. However, if it aimed for this goal it should seek support at the international level by performing an act of reciprocity, she added.

------------

The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.
The annual award, presented in honour of Michael Balcon, the British film producer known for his work with Ealing studios, will be awarded to the cinema chain, which has "provided the British public with unforgettable, cinema experiences".

The first Curzon was opened in Mayfair in 1934, and since then has provided over 80 years of cinema experiences, providing the British public with films which are not always screened in the multiplexes. The cinema gives a platform to smaller, independent films, as well as art house and foreign language cinema. The chair of BAFTAs Film Committee, Dame Pippa Harris said, "I am thrilled that BAFTA is honouring Curzon with the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award, and added that "For over 80 years, Curzon has provided the British public with unforgettable cinema experiences. She also stated that she would like to thank everyone at Curzon, for their extraordinary contribution to our industry, and for their unwavering commitment to bringing the very best in film to audiences across the UK. Philip Knatchbull, Curzons chief executive, showed equal delight at the award, saying Curzon has a long and proud history in the British film industry and many talented and passionate people have contributed to its success story over the years. "We think of ourselves as champions of bold and visionary film-making from around the world supported by our growing network of cinemas and home cinema digital platforms." Previous recipients of the award include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, and Ridley and Tony Scott. From humble beginnings, Curzon now has 15 cinemas and a distribution label, Curzon Artificial Eye.
Theresa May made clear her determination to make Britain a great global trading nation that is respected around the world in her speech on leaving the European Union today.

Theresa May meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit in September 2016

The Prime Minister also confirmed that Britain would leave the Single Market in the 45-minute speech this lunchtime.

May spoke of utilising old friends and new allies, before making it clear that she doesnt see Britains vote to leave the EU a decision to turn around and retreat from the world, but rather an opportunity to embrace the nations history as a racially diverse and international power outside of Europe.

In voting to leave the EU on 23rd June last year, May said that she believed voters had chosen to build a truly global Britain.

She also stated that it is in Britains own interest that the EU succeeds despite the current challenges surrounding it, that EU citizens will continue to be welcome in the EU, and that she hopes that the British will in turn continue to be welcome in Europe  because we are leaving the EU, we are not leaving Europe.

She went on to make her Hard Brexit strategy clear, saying that Britain would not accept a half in, half out deal, or hold on to bits of membership  no, the UK is leaving the European Union.

Her 12-point negotiation plan includes regaining control of British law and ending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Britain, securing the future of EU nationals already in the country, establishing free trade in Europe (using Brexit as a basis for a new, strong partnership within the EU), opening new trade deals with the rest of the world, including the US, China, Brazil and New Zealand, and continuing to cooperate fully with the EU to tackle the threat from terrorism.

Of the plan to move all law-making back to Westminster, May made it clear she believes that we will not have truly left the EU until we are in control of our own laws.

On immigration, May said that although she still wants the brightest and best to study and work in Britain, her six years as Home Secretary showed her firsthand that the negative effect of uncontrolled migration on housing, school and wages, and that Britain has no way to control immigration whilst keeping freedom of movement in its entirety.

She went on to say that the status of EU citizens living in the UK is one of her first priorities, something that EU officials are in agreement with.

She also aims to ensure the open border and friendly relationship between Britain and Southern Ireland, and has promised an increased presence in Whitehall for the devolved government of Wales and that of Scotland.

All the governments of Great Britain and Northern Ireland need to be united in order for Great Britain to become an open, successful trading nation, she said.

Leaving the Single Market is a certainty, May revealed, because remaining a member would mean keeping institutions including the European Courts of Justice, and would therefore mean not leaving the EU at all.

Instead May will attempt to negotiate a free trade agreement that would provide the maximum freedom to trade with EU member states. Financial services and car exports would be key areas that would benefit from such an agreement.

Such a trade agreement outside of the Single Market would allow Britain to trade freely with nations outside the EU, and rediscover its role as a great global trading nation... to trade around the world.

Science and innovation will also continue to be a shared focus of both Britain and the EU, with collaborations between British and European universities in areas including space travel and climate change remaining a top priority.

May also reiterated her governments commitment to sharing intelligence on crime and potential terror threats with Europe, utilising shared interests and values that we want to see projected around the world.

She went on to criticise hyped-up media coverage of Brexit, saying that it would only damage the process and that it is not her job to fill column inches with daily updates, but to get the best deal for Britain.

May summed up by warning EU officials against punitive measures, which would not be the actions of a friend and could cause serious damage to Europe  including member states potentially losing trade access to Britain, which remains one of the biggest economies in the world.

She is seeking to keep order, a phased approach to negotiation and certainty in the minds of the public wherever possible throughout the two years of negotiations that will be triggered by Article 50, in order to avoid a disruptive cliff edge.

The Prime Minister ended her speech by declaring that future generations would judge not only by the decision made, but by what we made of that decision.

Watch the full speech on the BBC website here.
Northern Ireland is heading for an election after the powersharing executive imploded over an eco-boiler scandal. Here are the answers to some key questions on how the next weeks and months are likely to play out in Stormonts latest political drama.

What happens now?

James Brokenshire is expected to make a statement in the Commons (Niall Carson/PA)

While the ruling executive has gone up in smoke, the Assembly is set to limp on for a number of days pending the required Westminster and Royal rubber stamps for dissolving it.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire is expected to make a statement to the House of Commons and the Queen will need to approve an Order of Council.

Once those requirements are fulfilled the Assembly will be dissolved and the election campaign will be up and running.

Will the election be like other Assembly polls?

Sort of. The campaign will be of similar length to past elections.

What resources the parties will be able to throw at it  after three elections in last three years  is another matter.

One crucial difference is the electorate is returning 90 MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) this time round, not 108. The reduction of the Assembly was due to be implemented at the next scheduled election  in 2021  but recent events have fast-tracked that reform timetable.

What if the DUP and Sinn Fein are returned as the largest parties?

DUP leader Arlene Foster leads her party to the chamber before todays session (Niall Carson/PA)

Barring a seismic redrawing of the electoral landscape, the pre-eminent parties of unionism and nationalism should retain their right to lead a powersharing government.

Whether they will take part in such an administration is another matter entirely.

A bitter election campaign will do little to resolve the myriad disputes between the DUP and Sinn Fein. Both parties have signalled the need to address their respective issues of concern before re-entering government.

How long have they got to sort it?

Martin McGuinness leaves the Great Hall after todays session (Niall Carson/PA)

After the election, the new Assembly needs to meet within one week. A new executive needs to be in place a further two weeks on from that.

If the leading parties decline to nominate first and deputy first ministers within that time-frame, legislation dictates that Brokenshire calls yet another election.

Another election. Are you serious?

(Peter Morrison/AP)

While the law as it stands requires another poll, it is debatable whether the UK Government would opt for a step that would surely test the electorates patience to breaking point.

In those circumstances, it is likely devolution would be suspended and Northern Ireland would return to direct rule by Westminster for the first time in 10 years.

Would suspending the institutions be straightforward for the Government?

Westminster may play a role in the future of Stormont (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Not really. The Secretary of State used to have powers to suspend the institutions  a step that was not uncommon during the early years of the peace process.

Those powers were removed under the terms of the 2006 St Andrews Agreement. The Government would need to pass emergency legislation at Westminster to regain the authority to put Stormont back in cold storage.

If there was a suspension, what would happen then?

A break may lead to reform (Peter Morrison/AP)

A return to direct rule would provide some breathing space for a more substantive talks process to address the issues of contention at the heart of Stormont.

How long it would take to strike yet another deal to save the powersharing institutions is anyones guess.
This is a Student Travel Writer 2018 competition entry

Former Italian capital and currently most culturally growing city in Northern Italy, Torino is by far a place thats go a lot to offer. It is the city of the Alps, the city the Mole, the first vegan city, the city of design, of tiramisu, and so many other things

However, for the Student Travel Writer Competition 2016 I returned to my hometown with an eye of curiosity regarding elements I hadnt previously cared about. For example, what I learned this time round, is that Torino is indeed the City of Magic, according to well established esoteric scholars and researchers of everything thats hidden to the eye.

Torino is apparently one of three cities enchanted by White Magic, with Prague and Lion, and the third point of the Dark Magic Triangle, with London and San Francisco. Both magic powers in one! This is said to be due to its foundations being constructed upon the intersection of the river Po, representing the Sun, and the river Dora, representing the Moon. Strangely, Torino also hosts the Sacred Shroud, an impressive relic of Christianity, and was home to a very great, very mysterious magician of the 1930s, Gustavo Rol. It was also holiday stay for the feared Nostradamus. Coincidence? We dont think so!

Indeed, esoteric scholars and associations claim that there are differing signs  under the form of architectural constructions - which supposedly serve as a representation of these energies passing through the city, or visual proof of their existence and tokens of their power.

Specifically, the east side of the city is associated with White Magic energies, as this used to be the higher neighborhood of Torino when it was founded as Augusta Taurinorum in 28 B.C. by the Roman Emperor Augusto, and it is the side of the city where the sun rose upon the buildings first.

Five major points of white magic can be identified.

One of the most majestic churches in Torino, the iconic Gran Madre, is said to be a very powerful point of white magic. Between the river and the hills, the church boasts two symbolic statues at its entrance, one representing Faith and the other representing Religion, as they point towards the Holy Grail. One of the two statues holds a chalice, whilst the other signals towards the path to find the Grail.

Piazza Castello, similarly, especially the Royal Palace with the Triton fountain, is the epicenter of positivity. This is the border between white magic and black magic in the city, with the gate of the palace and the two statues known as Dioscuri, Dark Gods, indicating the part of the city where the dead used to be buried and the condemned used to be crucified in ancient Rome.

The famous Egyptian Museum, recently renewed and since long world-renowned for its unprecedented collection of valuable pieces, is the location with the most both positive and negative energy in the city. Most of the positive energy in the museum comes from the pharaoh Thutmosi III, master of esoteric disciplines reigning over Egypt during the era of the construction of Torino itself.

The Angelic Fountain in Piazza Solferino is also a notable piece of esoteric power. Inspired from masonic forces, the fountain represents Spring and Summer with two elegant female figures and their counterparts as Winter and Fall. Winter faces the sun, great collection of positive energy, and the other statues pour water as a sign of wisdom and knowledge of humanity.

Last but not least, the iconic Torino symbol, the Mole Antonelliana, is thought to be a massive antenna pointing towards the sky and irradiating the entire city with positive energy seeping from the underground positive energy forces. This is technically also where the aforementioned Gran Madre Faith statue points as the direction of the Holy Grail, therefore hypothesising the Grail might be right in this building!

However, this voluptuous vortex of White Magic is equally counteracted by an underlying negative force, which I personally find more intriguing and honestly a bit more coincidental and creepy.

The Dark Magic side of the city is the western end, where in Roman times atrocities of violence and poverty took place and where dead bodies were abandoned to decay under the shadows of the sunset. Accordingly, five main spots of dark magic can be identified.

Piazza Statuto is the dark heart of the city, counteracting the heart of benign magic in Piazza Castello. This portion of the city in fact used to be the Val Occisorum, also known as the ancient necropolis, where bodies were massacred and buried. Similarly, the statue atop of the Monument of Frejus is thought to represent Lucifer, as the evil angel points towards east and guides the forces of negativity to fight against the orient, made of light and sunshine. Theres an obelisk of suspicious meaning in the centre of the square too, known as an indicator of the darkness in the city. Close to this location is also the Rondo della Forca, official town executioners block till 1863. This is also the area where Nostradamus came to stay, leaving an eerie incision Nostradamus was here, where theres Paradise, Hell and Purgatory.

Torino also boasts a palace known as the Palace of the Devil, and Id say the name says it all. It is often recounted that the palaces door, a massive art piece with a depiction of the devils face and a knocking ring made of two intertwining evil serpents, was placed here by the devil himself. It is told that a sorcerer apprentice attempted to call upon the Devil in vain and the latter, impatient about having been called for no valid reason, locked the sorcerer within the palace by erecting this large door and never letting him out again. The legends regarding this door are actually numerous, telling stories of women mysteriously assassinated and then returning to haunt the inhabitants, or this being a Tarot factory in the 1600s at number 15 of the street, also the number representing the Devils tarot card.

Similarly, in Via Lascaris theres a palace that used to be known as a masonic congregation location, and it is characterized by eerie slits in the floor, now known as the eyes of the devil.

Lastly, as previously mentioned, the Egyptian Museum is a very powerful centre of energy in the city, and although it represents a stronger positive force, it also holds some quite worrying negative symbols. For example, the Museum is home to the relics of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, and the mummified head of the malefic Seth, Osirides brother and murderer, divinity of the dead and the afterlife.

Whether this is a publicity stunt carefully crafted with the passing of time in the attempt to attract larger tourism, or whether the studies are simply not yet being taken seriously enough so to become common knowledge now that you know these details, I doubt youll walk around those Torino streets without taken the theories into consideration, even if only at the back of your mind.

Who knows, maybe some dark powerful demon will suck you through the grates of Via Roma while you nip into a shop, spindly hands reaching out through the sewers et all.

In order to provide no entrant with an unfair advantage, Student Travel Writer 2018 competition entries are edited for grammar only - stylistic choices and headlines are solely the work of the writer in question and not of The National Student's editorial staff.
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On Day 1 of India Today Conclave Mumbai 2022, Varun Dhawan revealed that he always wanted to work in Telugu and Tamil films. He said that if Lokesh Kanagaraj offered him a role, he would love to take it up. He also expressed his eagerness to work with directors SS Rajamouli and Shankar.
By India Today Web Desk: Who would've thought breathing clean air would become a luxury in Indian cities, especially the country's Capital.

What you didn't know, however is the fact that the air we breathe inside our homes is much more polluted than the air outside. Why? Because our common daily use items have pollutants we're negligent about. Be it the mattresses in our house that keep accumulating dust to the inside of our drawers, the paint on our walls, shampoos, creams etc--all of these contain chemicals and toxins that are causing us harm in the long run.

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A toxic gas-like carcinogen pollutant called formaldehyde is found in glues, shampoos, shaving creams, insecticides and carpets. The same carcinogen is also found in cigarette smoke. Even the chemicals from paint, nail products, cleaning equipment and detergents, all contribute to polluting the air inside our homes.

"Breathing in toxic gases can cause rashes, coughing, irritation in the eyes, as well as asthma like symptoms," Dr Manoj K Ahuja, Healing Touch Hospital, told NDTV.

So, instead of running to buy yourself a super-expensive air purifier, which is again made of plastic, we tell you some natural ways to get rid of the impure air at home to a great extent. Here's a list of 6 natural ways to purify the air at home.

1. Salt Crystal Lamp

Photo courtesy: Instagram/ashleyreh Photo courtesy: Instagram/ashleyreh

Himalayan pink salt is a natural air purifier that pulls toxins from the environment and neutralises them. In fact, all salt crystal products reduce airborne irritants, allergens and pathogens by pulling water vapour out of the air.

Installing a Himalayan Pink salt lamp in your room or keeping one at your office desk is all you need to do. While adding a beautiful rustic touch to your interiors, it also has the quality of glowing naturally, while not disrupting our sleep. Though their effect is more when turned on, they work even when turned off, because of the salt crystals in them.

2. Beeswax Candles

Photo courtesy: Instagram/quincehoneyfarm

All candles have a really soothing vibe, and it's best when you have a candle that reduces pollution too. If you love scented candles, it is best to avoid the paraffin ones, which are derived of petroleum and release pollutants like benzene, toluene and soot into the air. Instead of these, you can opt to light a few beeswax candles every day, as they are excellent for air purification.

Beeswax candles have the ability to ionise the air and neutralise toxic compounds and contaminants. They can not only improve the quality of air in our houses, but as an added bonus, they even burn slowly, so they don't need to be replaced often. In fact, absolutely pure quality of beeswax candles burn with almost no smoke or scent. If you have asthmatic patients at home, these candles are very helpful; they even remove common allergens like dust from the air.

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3. Houseplants

Photo courtesy: Instagram/sproutlondon

Different kinds of houseplants can purify air and they are the best medium to counter the pollution indoors, especially if you are dealing with respiratory illnesses. Some varieties of houseplants require very little or indirect sunlight. According to a study conducted by NASA, houseplants can purify and rejuvenate air within our houses and workplaces, safeguarding us from any side effects associated with prevalent toxins like ammonia, formaldehyde and also benzene.

Keeping a houseplant at every 100 square-foot of our homes is a very effective and efficient method for obtaining clean air. The most effective plants that can filter toxins from the air are Lady Palm or Broad-Leaf Palm, which prefer bright indirect light, and Peace Lily, which prefers very moderate light.

The Butterfly Palm, Golden Cane Palm and Bamboo Palm, all grow in indirect light and can be kept anywhere in the house. They should especially be kept in carpeted rooms or those recently painted.

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While all kinds of houseplants help purify air, the English Ivy or common Ivy are suitable to be kept in rooms with computers or printers. The Spider Plant is useful in a kitchen with a gas stove, as it helps control the carbon monoxide and xylene in the air.

Other commonly found houseplants are Money Plant, Boston Fern, Silver Vine and Centipede Tongavine.

4. Activated Charcoal

Photo courtesy: Instagram/activated_charcoal_malaysia

Activated charcoal is also called activated carbon and it helps purify the air indoors. It is odourless and has high absorptive properties. It works wonders by eliminating toxins from the air. Bamboo charcoal also helps purify air effectively.

5. Proper ventilation

Photo courtesy: Instagram/absitheoftimeabsitheoftime

Instead of opening windows and letting the pollution enter your home, it is better to install trickle vents to purify and recycle the indoor air. Exhaust fans are a great alternative that help push pollutants outside. After taking a shower, be sure to let all the steam out of your bathroom, because the extra moisture in the air can cause mold and mildew growth.

Kitchens also need to be properly ventilated, as they are a major cause of indoor air pollution, especially if you use a gas stove. "Cooking a single meal on a gas stove can produce levels of nitrogen dioxide that the EPA considers unsafe to breathe," according to a report published in NDTV.

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6. Essential Oils

Photo courtesy: Instagram/essentialmumma

Essential oils like rosemary, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, grapefruit, lemon, clove, lemon and tea tree have the ability to kill bacteria, viruses, fungi and mold. Studies from Webster State University have shown that Thieves oil, which is an antiseptic blend of pure essential oils like pine needle, cinnamon, thyme, eucalyptus, lemon and grapefruit, has a 99.96 per cent kill rate against airborne bacteria. This mixture of essential oils helps keep the home free of germs and purifies the air. You can easily add it to soaps and detergents to breathe fresh and clean air. You can even add a few drops to a bowl full of lukewarm water and let the bowl sit in the room you spend the most time in.

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Colombo, Jan 17 (PTI) At least 600,000 people in Sri Lanka have been hit by the worst drought since 2006 in nearly 13 of the 25 districts, disaster management officials said today.

"They are hit by shortages of drinking water and damage to crop," Pradeep Kodippily, spokesman for the disaster management centre, said.

Most irrigation tanks in the island have run dry, the Irrigation Department said.

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According to the Water authorities, restrictions have to be placed on the drinking water supplies.

The hydro powered electricity capability has also been affected.

The governmenthas requested that all air conditioners be set at 26 degrees in view of the electricity supply being affected by the drought.

The Meteorological Department said a temporary reprieve to the dry weather may happenfrom January20 with some showers expected to fall.

Lankan President Maithripala Sirisenas office said that UN agencies - Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) - called on him yesterday to assure international assistance to extend drought relief.

Sirisena on Friday appointed a special task force with the participation of all related institutions to make preparations to face the severe drought prevailing in the country. PTI CORR KJ AKJ KJ

--- ENDS ---
The Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) is constructing the Rajarhat 400/220 KV gas insulated substation as part of its 953-km high voltage transmission line to supply power from Farraka in West Bengal to Kahalgoan in Bihar.

By Indrajit Kundu: Violent protests have erupted in West Bengal's South 24 Pargana district as villagers opposed to a power sub-station project clashed with police over the issue of land acquisition. Farmers are protesting against alleged "forceful" acquisition of 16 acres of farmland for the project by the Power Grid Corporation of India.

The Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) is constructing the Rajarhat 400/220 KV gas insulated substation as part of its 953-km high voltage transmission line to supply power from Farraka in West Bengal to Kahalgoan in Bihar. Trouble has been brewing in the area since beginning of the new year as farmers began organising anti-land acquisition protests. Angry villagers allege that land was grabbed forcibly and are opposing the project claiming that it poses a huge health risk for locals.

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"Mamata Banerjee had promised that no farmland will be acquired forcibly. But today her party men are grabbing our land at gunpoint and she remains mute," alleged one of the agitating villagers.

West Bengal power minister Sovandeb Chatterjee on Tuesday reiterated that the state government has already instructed that work at the project site be stopped as per demand made by villagers. "I'm confident we can resolve the matter peacefully if there are any logical grievances. But if some try stoking violence unnecessarily then we are helpless," said the minister.

Earlier this month, angry villagers had clashed with police during a protest meet. Infact, the district administration called an emergency meeting with the protesting villagers and promised to look into the matter after Makar Sankranti festivities. However, things once again turned ugly this morning after the state CID allegedly picked up one of the villagers leading the anti-land acquisition agitation last night. Agitating villagers blocked the Shyamnagar-Haroa road this morning.

A large contingent of police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) was rushed to lift the blockade but protesters started pelting stone at the police. Eventually, police had to lathi-charge and fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Following the agitation, PGCIL has stopped work at its project.

--- ENDS ---
How many people have already voted absentee in South Dakota ahead of Election Day?
Anurag Kashyap got into loggerheads with a Twitter army of trolls today over the Zaira Wasim-Mehbooba Mufti controversy.

By India Today Web Desk: Anurag Kashyap is not one to back down. When trolled, he trolls harder.

It all began with Anurag Kashyap's tweet on 9th January, a day after Hollywood actor Meryl Streep slammed US President-elect Donald Trump on the Golden Globe Awards stage.

We in our film industry don't even need to give a speech like Meryl Streep if we just start standing up with those who actually speak up. Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 9, 2017

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READ full transcript of Meryl Streep's Golden Globes speech here

Anurag called out Bollywood's apathy to stand beside those who challenge the status quo in his tweet. To put things in context, earlier in 2016, Anurag Kashyap and his production house, Phantom, fought tooth-and-nail with the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) to get their controversial film Udta Punjab released. Very few Bollywood stars and filmmakers had spoken in support of the film then.

ALSO READ: Zaira Wasim is my role model, leave her alone, says Aamir Khan

ALSO READ: Dangal's Zaira Wasim posts and deletes apology for meeting J & K CM Mehbooba Mufti

ALSO READ: Why trouble Zaira Wasim more? asks Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti

ALSO WATCH: Dangal's Zaira Wasim threatened and bullied for meeting Mehbooba Mufti

Now, yesterday, Dangal star Zaira Wasim, who played the younger Geeta Phogat in the Aamir-Khan starrer, was presumably forced to put up an apology letter for meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

While no culprit has been singled out for bullying Zaira into writing an apology, screenshots on social media showed that Zaira and her family was being attacked for meeting Mehbooba Mufti whose PDP-BJP government saw a furious civil strife in the valley last year, resulting in the death of 100 people with 11,000 others getting injured.

This is the filth people filled up the comments section with, on a Facebook post about #Dangal star @zairawasim meeting @MehboobaMufti pic.twitter.com/CEM60KrXo9 Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) January 16, 2017

Soon enough, Anurag along with Aamir Khan and Karan Johar were asked to comment on the same by Twitter user @bhak_sala, the admin of the Right-Wing Facebook troll page Bhak Sala.

Dear Bollywood, you were simmering to show courage. A good opportunity for @aamir, @anuragkashyap72, @karanjohar and others to show that. https://t.co/aJAWE07Xqs Bhak Sala (@bhak_sala) January 16, 2017

In response, Anurag compared Twitter influencer Rahul Raj, the man behind the @bhak_sala account.

@bhak_sala They,who force her to apologise are same as you, Mr. Rahul Raj , I condemn you as much as I condemn them.. Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 16, 2017

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Soon, all hell broke loose.

@anuragkashyap72 what are you condemning rahul raj for? Revealing bollywood's dumbness Shobhit Todi (@shobhittodi) January 16, 2017

@anuragkashyap72 I thought you are the only guy with a spine in Bollywood. Sadly you turned out to be a mere monley balancer. :/ @bhak_sala Nishant (@Nsihnat) January 16, 2017

Those who make bombs are same as those who make movies. I condemn Anurag Kashyap as much as condemn Burhan Wani. #SayNoToLogic #UdtaAnurag https://t.co/4FSNJb7NDn Rahul Roushan (@rahulroushan) January 16, 2017

So much of bile against 'trolls' but not ONE word against d Islamist Separatist trolls who abused Zaira into submission? @anuragkashyap72 Shefali Vaidya (@ShefVaidya) January 17, 2017

Not only Anurag Kashyap chooses to use Zahira Wasim's harassment at the hands of Islamists, to his advantage, he fails to condemn it too. Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) January 17, 2017

In response, Anurag Kashyap took the trolls head on and went for who he calls is the Boss, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

My new year resolution.. The more the Bhakts troll me , i am going to troll the Boss..lets play Troll-Troll Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 17, 2017

The whole troll army is out.. @narendramodi sir.. Amazing people you follow.. Pride of the nation.. Did you conduct private classes for them Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 16, 2017

Literally today on the dining table, all the @narendramodi voters were sitting and discussing what a grave mistake they made @BhakSala Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 16, 2017

is this the strategy? a magazine actually run by @bhak_sala ,creating news of me being trolled..RahulRaj kab tak lagta hai expose nahin hoge https://t.co/6JVOPQupDG Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 17, 2017

@Shubham0408 @Goppalphoenix @Dev_Fadnavis i dont employ an army of trolls to do my job like the Big Boss so i have to do it all myself Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 16, 2017

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It must be noted that Narendra Modi's official Twitter account does follow a lot of troll accounts who have previously been accused of sexist bullying and targeting on social media.

--- ENDS ---
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday finally broke a three-month-long deadlock by conceding control over 90 per cent small taxpayers to the states.

By Mail Today Bureau: The stage is now set for rolling out the nationwide Goods and Services Tax (GST) from July 1 as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday finally broke a three-month-long deadlock by conceding control over 90 per cent small taxpayers to the states.

The GST was earlier proposed to come into effect from April 1. Its timeline, however, was disrupted by the turf war between the Centre and states over the administrative control of the tax.

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The new tax regime is India's biggest tax reform since Independence and is expected to transform the economy into a single market for the first time.

After a meeting with state officials here, Jaitley said that July 1 was a "more realistic" date for the GST launch as companies needed ample time to switch over to the new tax.

ALSO READ | GST Council's 9th meet fails to break dual control deadlock

"Since it's a transactional tax, it can be introduced any time," Jaitley told reporters.

Under the agreed arrangement, states will be allowed to administer and control 90 per cent of the asseesses with an annual turnover below Rs 1.5 crore and the remaining 10 per cent will come under the Centre.

In the case of assessees with annual turnover of over Rs 1.5 crore, the Centre and states will share control in a 50:50 ratio. However, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley insisted that each tax payer will be assessed only once and by only one authority.

The Centre also agreed to the demand of coastal states, allowing them to tax economic activity in 12 nautical miles even though constitutionally the Centre has jurisdiction over territorial waters.

ALSO READ | Delhi government launches online enrolment for GST

Jaitley also conceded some taxation powers over interstate and sea trade, which essentially come under the Centre's jurisdiction, in response to demands from coastal states such as Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh to levy and collect tax.

The GST Council will next meet on February 18 to finalise four legislations, setting out the operational details of the new tax. This is a significant headway, Jaitley said after the meeting. While a four-rate tax slab of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent had already been reached, a consensus on the administration of the Goods and Services Tax - which will subsume central and state levies like excise duty, service tax and VAT - paved the way for finalisation of the draft supporting laws.

Jaitley said the draft of Integrated GST or IGST, the tax which will be levied by the Centre on inter-state movement of goods and services, as well as SGST and CGST will be finalised in the next meeting of the GST Council on February 18. Once approved, the Council will then decide on taxing various goods and services in different tax slabs, he said.

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ALSO READ | What is the GST bill? Here's all you need to know about India's biggest tax reform

The Centre had earlier taken the stand that the states did not have the expertise to administer levies like service tax.

The Centre also did not favour dual agencies auditing and scrutinising each taxpayer as multiple authorities could end up acting at cross-purposes.

The penal arrest provisions, which were part of the draft law, have been diluted. Officials said default in payment of taxes amounting up to Rs 2 crore will be a bailable offence.

ALSO READ | Future of GST bill uncertain as Parliament Winter Session nears end

The arrest powers will be invoked only in cases of criminal offences like forgery and collected tax not deposited in government coffers.

Briefing reporters after the 9th meeting of the GST Council, Jaitley said the entire taxation base will be shared between the Centre and states.

The power to levy and collect the IGST taxation is with the central government but by special provision in law, the states will also be cross empowered in the same manner.

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ALSO READ | GST Bill: Government proposes, Opposition disposes

--- ENDS ---
Higher education has become a job-seeking tool in todays world as all the sectors demand skilled employees. But, because of government's decision to demonetise higher notes, some industries have landed in a place where they claim the prevailing economic conditions as unfavourable. It can though be considered as a good opportunity for people who are planning to enter in a corporate world even at a time when recession is turning the tables.

The world economy is the main game today. Starting from the great decline in the America to the recent recession of 2008, we have seen hits of changes. It made the people transform their way in how they thought of education in usual times. Job opportunities went down, simultaneously the overall dip in the economic sector and its parts were down.

There are prominent evidences that college-going actually increased during the great recession. How the colleges or schools in return reacted was legit on their part. The organisations started cutting down employment and significantly reduced the size of faculties and people over the age of 65 were forced to retire.

This was of course surprising, but the college going has actually gone up in every recession since the 1960s. However, there are other myths also, some people believe that recession is an ominous sign for the businesses but it is actually a part of a healthy economic cycle.

Throwing some light on the Indian scenario, we can hear the news coming from the companies like L&T, who has fired its 14,000 employees that is about 11.2 per cent of its total workforce. The company said that it was in attempt to right size the company, since it slowed down in the pre-time of demonetisation in the country.

The company further expects the economic environment to remain challenging in coming months. Likewise, another famous company Foxconn has asked 25 per cent of its total workforce to leave after the note ban which caused the sales to fall by 50 per cent and cut short their production. There might be some more to follow across big IT giants as an effect of international disturbances and change in environment.

According to the study done at Stanford, the industry or we can say that the business world is not ready to absorb the fresh talent. This is where higher education has penetrated its roots and is offering a way out to the young and fresh talent brigade and enables them to get great opportunities after the rough phase gets over.

Just like several other sectors and commodities in the industry ranging from the smallest to the gigantic, education sector is also being affected in the current scenario. There are sections in manifold that are being caught up after the recent changes.

Enrollment in higher education degrees like Master's in business administration or PHD etc might prove fruitful coping with these multifarious sections. Among a number of programmes, management, pharma and law are the topmost choices and they assure to provide better and brighter career opportunities to those who will go for these at the very moment.

At this point of time, new jobs and careers are not easy to go for, especially by those who have just graduated from colleges, because of the sudden interruption in the countrys economy. But they can definitely go for higher education at this juncture. This will not only save them from the flattening industry scenario but also safeguard their future assuring them job securities in the approaching time.

The people who have been able to retain their jobs are the ones who have qualified certain standards which the companies and the MNCs have set. The parameters certainly quote the academic eligibility which includes of higher education. Economic instabilities are here to stay. And to cope up with them one should have all the armours ready. Going for higher education at this point of time is going to help the freshman in a two-way process.

The current time which is opportunity scarce, will be invested in the best way possible as the students will not only have an advanced valued degree but also have an enormous opportunity base at the end. The future is of digital economy which enfolds gleaming prospects.

The graduates are likely to witness relatively lesser green pastures as the Indian corporations would have to reinvent themselves to meet the challenges of a stricter regime and fluctuating business prospects. Whole business structure will experience remarkable changes in coming days and people should realise that this change is nothing but a chance to build the door of opportunity.

Indian markets are never short of customers, instead every year we see increase in numbers. There is also a rise in number of transactions in this industry. Though this impact of demonetisation was already calculated but todays youth will surely adapt to change and will grow.

However, 2019-20 would be better years for graduates as the effect of demonetisation would be largely over by then and towards that end several schemes of the government would be budding that would help the youth to get jobs at that time.

The writer is executive director, IMS, Noida.
Union Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday urged the states and union territories to and implement the Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act from May this year, as proposed in the legislation, an official statement said.

He made the request at a meeting of Chief Secretaries and senior officials of states and UTs convened by his ministry to discuss implementation of the Real Estate Act.

"Real Estate Act is one of the most consumer friendly laws passed by the Parliament and states have no power to dilute its provisions. There is lot of hope and expectation from this Act by all the stakeholders," said Naidu, as per the statement.

"There are some media reports that some states have diluted some provisions of the Act in the Rules notified by them. States do not have such powers and I hope such reports are not true," he said, adding that any compromise with the spirit of the Act would have "serious implications including a public outcry".
Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ruled out an alliance with any party, asserting that the Congress would sweep the assembly elections with 2/3rds majority.

Dismissing as ridiculous the charges leveled by Arvind Kejriwal that he had decided to contest Lambi, which in any case was part of Patiala estate till 1930, to help Parkash Singh Badal, Captain Amarinder said the AAP leader was talking through his head without a rational thought in his mind.

First he said I should fight Badal and now he says Im helping the chief minister by contesting against him, said Captain Amarinder, describing Kejriwals statements as ludicrous and making it clear that his decision to contest Lambi was not in response to any perceived or real challenge from Kejriwal but was motivated only by his desire to save the people of Punjab from the Badals.

Lashing out at Kejriwal for his baseless allegations against the Congress, Captain Amarinder asked how the Akalis and the Congress could be in collusion, as alleged by the AAP leader, when they were out to defeat each other in the polls.
A day after bagging the cycle symbol, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said the decision to form an alliance with the Congress party ahead of the state polls will be taken in day or two.

Decision on alliance (with Congress) will be taken in a day or two, Akhilesh said adding that ties with his father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh yadav were unbreakable.

We will take netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) along, ties with him are unbreakable, he said.

The Election Commission (EC) on Monday recognised the faction led by Akhilesh Yadav as the Samajwadi Party and allotted it the 'cycle' symbol.

Leaders like Lalu Prasad and Mamata Banerjee, who had expressed sympathy and support for Akhilesh Yadav in the family feud, expressed satisfaction with the development while the Congress spoke of a possible alliance with the state's ruling party  a sentiment reciprocated by a vocal Samajwadi Party MP.

Meanwhile, Congress's UP Chief Ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit is willing to step down if an alliance between the two parties is finalised.

The Samajwadi Party formally split on January 1 when Ram Gopal Yadav, as the party's General Secretary, called the national convention of the party where Akhilesh Yadav was declared the party chief in place of his father Mulayam Singh.

Subsequently, both factions then petitioned the Election Commission to allot it the party symbol.


The next time you see an advertisement making sweeping claims about miraculous properties of a pain relieving oil on the television or come across pills that guarantee a male child in newspapers, don't fret as you now have the power to take action against such misleading advertisements.

The Department of Consumer Affairs has signed an MoU with the Advertisement Standards Council of India (ASCI), a voluntary self-regulatory body of Advertisement Industry, to rein in the menace of deceptive ads.

The tie-up may have come in a tad bit late, nevertheless, the self-regulatory body has been working in the direction much effectively.

As per the latest report by the ASCI, last year, in October alone, ASCIs Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) upheld complaints against 98 out of 162 advertisements.

Interestingly, out of 98 advertisements against which complaints were upheld, 37 belonged to the Healthcare category, 31 to the Education category, followed by six in the Food & Beverages category, five in Personal Care Category and 19 advertisements from other categories.

In fact, in November 2016, two Members of Parliament (MPs) Jyotiraditya Scindia and Arvind Sawant, sought related information during the winter session and accordingly, the house was informed that in the financial year 2013-2014, 187 misleading television advertisements making false claims were noted.

The following financial year, the number rose to 203 while in 2015-16, 135 such advertisements were taken note of.

From April 2015- July 2016 alone, complaints were received against 33 advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved Limited alone appearing on various media including print, electronic etc. out of which, 25 were found to be violating the ASCI code.

Some other complaints which were upheld by the ASCI include big names such as Vodafone, Airtel, Flipkart, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer and Panasonic among others.

Lodging a compliant

As an ordinary citizen anyone can lodge a complaint with the ASCI in more ways than one. You can simply send them a message or click a picture and Whatsapp it on 7710012345. Besides you can also log on to their website or email them at: [email protected]

Speaking to The Statesman, over the phone from Mumbai, Shweta Purandare, Secretary General, ASCI, said, " We have issued several guidelines for advertising about specific products . Besides, ASCI also takes suo motu action in many cases even if there are no complaints", she added.

However, when asked about advertisements in print and electronic media promoting fairness creams, she said, "Over the last few years, advertisements about skin products and more specifically face creams promising fairer skin, are on the decline. There are no denigrating references to skin tones in most of the advertisements. We still keep a track of such advertisements and do not hesitate in taking action whenever we come across any offensive or over-promising products".


The recent decision of retired army chief, General JJ Singh to contest assembly elections in Punjab on an Akali Dal ticket, sparked off a debate within the military community (serving and retired) on whether ex-chiefs entering politics is a right step befitting their appointment and whether their involvement would benefit the military? He is not the first though. General Shankar Roychowdhury was the first in recent times; however he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha. In the present government, General VK Singh serves as a junior minister in the ministry of external affairs.

In a discussion on television, retired chiefs, Generals Roychowdhury and JJ Singh defended their decision to join politics, stating that their participation would benefit the military. The discussion failed to bring out the fact that joining politics at the state and national levels are two different issues. The only silver lining was that General J J Singhs decision to join politics was taken well after he left the service; hence his ability to influence the military community had considerably reduced. Secondly, while the military has been represented earlier in the government as also is presently, has it been beneficial?

The well known names of retired officers in political circles are of Major Jaswant Singh and Major General BC Khanduri. Jaswant Singh had served as minister of defence and foreign affairs in the Vajpayee government while Khanduri was minister of surface transport in the same government and subsequently chief minister of Uttarakhand. He presently heads the parliamentary committee for defence. In his present appointment, he has regularly hauled up the defence ministry for its shoddiness in handling procurement of essentials, including bullet-proof jackets and boots, necessary for the functioning of the military.

However, neither of them above were chiefs of the service, hence possibly supportive. They created the impression that retired officers in parliament would benefit the military community, alas it was not to be. General VK Singhs involvement and support to military matters, including the OROP agitation, has been minimal. To maintain his military links, after all it was the military which enabled him to rise to his present level, he should have either supported the OROP demand or kept quiet, however negative comments including criticising protestors and suggesting they accept the half-baked release by the government was what flowed. Further, his contribution and comments to the ongoing battles of the seventh pay commission, disability pensions and allowances has been little, to state the least.

Hence, while an ex-chief presently in the central government, is unwilling to support his erstwhile organization, expecting a similar appointment to contribute at the state level, provided he is even elected, is asking for the moon. Claims would be made, as were done when electioneering was in progress in 2014, but realities turn out to be the opposite once they join the government. It was always felt that for the military to have its voice heard, it needed representation at the political level. With passage of time, the realisation has set in that while we may have politicians as supporters, Rajeev Chandrasekhar being a prime example, we cannot bank on our own ex-chiefs.

The military has always prided itself on being apolitical. The chief is a role model for his service. Every soldier looks up to his chief as a single point authority who would do his best for their welfare by interacting with the government in power. In short, he is a demi-god. Politicians are generally considered unreliable, only interested in obtaining power and winning elections by any means. Hence, while military personnel interact with the bureaucracy as part of their responsibility, they stay away from politicians. For an ex-chief to turn to politics is hence a huge disappointment. A video clip of General JJ Singh, presently viral on social media, speaking in an uncultured manner, unexpected of a senior army officer, only adds to the disappointment of the military family. There is no opposition to any other rank officer or soldier participating in elections, other than a service chief. The chair of a service chief is considered too sacrosanct to be discarded for petty political gains. His appointment as a governor, on the other hand, is always welcomed and respected.

The rank and file expect a chief to follow Douglas MacArthurs maxim, old soldiers never die, they just fade away.

Further compounding the issue is the decision of the breakaway faction of the Indian Ex-Servicemen League (IESM), which spearheaded the OROP agitation, now termed as the United Front of Ex-Servicemen, Jantar Mantar (UFESM), to support the Congress in the forthcoming elections. The OROP agitation was successful solely because it was apolitical. Every veteran living around Delhi, irrespective of rank, attended and participated in the protest because of its apolitical stance.

Initially, political leaders were even barred from entering or speaking at the protest site. The entry of the UFESM in the coming elections opens a new chapter in the participation of veterans groups in state level polls. Whether its actions benefit the Congress or like many before it fades away into the wilderness, time would tell. The debate may only get more acrimonious, if it fails.

On a chief entering politics, the mass opinion is that he has let down the prestige of the office he once held, as he joins ranks with those whom the military tends to avoid. If this becomes a norm, then in the future a chief could begin contemplating a political career while in service and thereby commence supporting the party he is likely to join, either directly or indirectly. This would imply politicisation of the military right from the top and signal the end of an apolitical service, which would be a sad day. Hence, we need to consider laying down a time limit, prior to a chief even considering joining politics.

The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army.
Series: Taboo

Director: Kristoffer Nyholm

Cast: Tom Hardy, Oona Chaplin, David Hayman, Stephen Graham, Michael Kelly and Jonathan Pryce

Taboo, a new miniseries co-created by Tom Hardy, made a superb start with its pilot episode, Shovels and Keys and manages to continue in the same vein, in a tense second episode.

Carrying on where we left off, James Delaney (Tom Hardy) is trying to find out if the East India Company (EIC) truly killed his father and at the same time, trying to gather some much-needed allies as he astutely surmises that he can't win this battle on his own.

The EIC are the villains of Taboo, that was established early on in the first episode and in the follow-up, we see a more direct approach from their end, which certainly ups the tempo.

James secures the services of his version of his fly on the wall, the grimy, batty Atticus (Stephen Graham). And, while the madam Helga (Franka Potente) seems to be on his side for the moment, it remains to be seen whether they will stick with him in choppy waters. Such dubious characters are perfect for the mysterious James, who will need all the help he can muster.

His obsession with his step-sister sister (Oona Chaplin), however, is a little grating, seeming like an annoying sidetrack for the moment at least.

Sir Stuart Strange (Jonathan Pryce) is clearly losing his patience and demands drastic results even as James makes baby steps towards building his own shipping empire. Something has to give and while we get James is a proverbial bad-ass, it would be silly to assume one man can openly defy the EIC for long. He goes out on a limb to openly court the good people at Boston, but it is unclear how exactly would they be able to provide him with adequate assistance.

For the first time, James is forced to confront the threats that had been swirling in the London air head on and while he comes off a little worse, with the episode ending on a virtual cliffhanger, it is safe to say that underestimating the omnipresent EIC is severely hazardous for your health.

There is plenty going on in Taboo, with danger lurking at literally every corner for the Delaney scion even as new contenders for his fathers will crop up, and at this junction it is too close to say who will come out on top.
Ukraine's President said he hoped United States President-elect Donald Trump would maintain his support for Kiev regarding the conflict with Russia.

Speaking alongside US Vice President Joe Biden, Petro Poroshenko said on Monday that Ukraine backed the democratic election of the US and was ready to cooperate with the new administration, Efe news reports.

"I hope the Ukrainian question continues to be a priority," Poroshenko said.

Russia had invaded Ukrainian territory, occupying part of Donbass in the east and Crimea, he said.

Incoming US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations that Russia "has invaded Ukraine, including the taking of Crimea".

Before taking on the top diplomatic post, the former ExxonMobil chief had criticized Washington sanctions against Moscow.

Last week, Trump said he was willing to negotiate with Russia on lifting economic sanctions in exchange for the Kremlin agreeing to reduce its nuclear weapons stockpiles.

Meanwhile, Biden reiterated the US backing of political and economic reforms undertaken by the Ukrainian government in recent years.

The common good had to be placed above local interests, Biden said, adding that this applied to members of the government, the Supreme Council of Ukraine, judges, media and citizens.

Ukraine has been locked in a bloody conflict with a pro-Russian separatist insurgency in the east since February 2014.
Based on specific inputs from military intelligence the Army launched a joined an operation late Monday night.

All the three men, identified as Zehrul Islam (36), Joved Ali (36) and Ajit Ali (30) are residents of Bongaigaon district in Assam.

By Indrajit Kundu: The Army in a joint operation with Assam police nabbed three Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA) linkmen from Kokrajhar on Tuesday.

Based on specific inputs from military intelligence, an operation was launched late on Monday night in Nayekgaon area of Kokrajhar District.

The Red Horns Division of Army along with Assam police force apprehended three persons moving suspiciously who later confessed to acting as linkmen of MULTA in the region.

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All the three men, identified as Zehrul Islam (36), Joved Ali (36) and Ajit Ali (30) are residents of Bongaigaon district in Assam.

Seven rifles have also been recovered from them. According to police, the three were involved in extortion and arms dealing on behalf of the ultras.

--- ENDS ---


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Smoke rises as Iraqi security forces fight against Islamic State militants inside Mosul University, in the eastern side of Mosul, Iraq, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed)
By Press Trust of India: in Guj

Ahmedabad, Jan 17 (PTI) Patel quota leader Hardik Patel today returned to Gujarat after spending six months away from his home state and launched a second round of agitation by appealing to Patels to unitedly fight against prevailing "autocracy" in the state, an oblique reference to ruling BJP.

Addressing a rally at Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district, the 23-year-old quota spearhead vowed to fight "till end" to get the reservation rights for his brethren under OBC quota and asked them to be prepared for the repeat of "GMDC-like dangal" (fight), a reference to his 2015 rally that had galvanised Patels across the state.

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"Many of us may have differences among ourselves. Some of you may not even like me due to my outspoken nature. But, let us forget all such differences and get united to fight against tanashahi (autocracy) prevailing in Gujarat," said Hardik, evoking a loud cheer from crowd gathered at the rally.

Hardiks pointed attack came at a time when the state government is trying hard to solder its fractured ties with the Patel community, considered as loyal voters of the BJP.

Gujarat is going to polls later this year.

"I want to assure you that we will not rest until we get reservation. We will definitely take it. Otherwise, we will snatch it," he said.

Hardik, facing sedition charges over the violence in the first leg of the quota stir in 2015, went straight to the venue of the rally after returning from Udaipur which he had made his temporary base to comply with the pre-condition set by the High Court before granting him bail in the case.

"I am having only two main aims now. First, to get reservation rights for Patels at any cost. Secondly, I want to free you from this rule of fear prevailing in the state," the quota leader said.

He appealed to his community members to get their act together for the second round of "dangal".

"Let us come together again. I want you to reach out to every citizen living in each part of the state. Let us awake them about our cause. Let us join hands to do a GMDC-like dangal again. I am ready to address a rally at GMDC if government gives us permission," said Hardik.

In August 2015, Hardik had addressed a massive rally at GMDC ground here demanding inclusion of Patels under OBC quota. His brief detention after that rally set off violence across the state, which claimed lives of at least 10 persons.

Though he stressed that the agitation is not aimed at uprooting government, Hardik, after addressing the rally, went to Gandhinagar to seek blessings of former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, who had contested the 2012 polls against the BJP when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was heading the state government. (More) PTI PJT PD GK NSK RG

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A BJP delegation comprising Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and party office-bearers Bhupender Yadav, Anil Jain and Sidharth Nath Singh lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Gandhi and sought freezing of the symbol.

By Press Trust of India: BJP today demanded that the Election Commission freeze the election symbol of Congress, alleging that its vice-president Rahul Gandhi violated the model code of conduct by linking his party symbol "hand" with various religious figures.

A BJP delegation comprising union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and party office-bearers Bhupender Yadav, Anil Jain and Sidharth Nath Singh lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Gandhi and sought freezing of the symbol.

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Also read | Phata kurta, nikla Rahul Gandhi: What the Congress leader said on Modi's kurta

"The grand old party Congress' grand new leader has tried to give communal colour to the elections by his statement in which he co-related the Congress' 'hand' with various religious figures such as Lord Shiv, Guru Nanak, Buddha and Islam. This is a clear cut case of corrupt practice. There should be action against both Congress and its leader", Naqvi told reporters after filing a complaint with the Election Commission.

WHAT BJP'S COMPLAINT SAYS

At the Congress' 'Jan Vedna Sammelan' earlier this month, Gandhi had made comments co-relating his party's symbol 'hand' with religious gods, violating the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, model code of conduct and the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court, BJP wrote in its complaint.

Alleging that Gandhi's remarks were in violation of the model code of conduct, Javadekar said, "We have requested the Election Commission that the Congress party's election symbol should be frozen."

Also read | RSS didn't hoist national flag at their headquarters for 52 years: Rahul Gandhi

Javadekar said that as soon as the schedule for Assembly elections in five states was declared, the Congress had started raising communal tension and seeking votes on the basis of religion.

Echoing Javadekar's view, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "The grand old party has a brand new communal agenda. The Election Commission has said they will take up the matter. We want an investigation into this and the party symbol should be sealed".

BJP national secretary Singh said that contents of Gandhi's speech were not only offensive, but also an attempt to communalise the polity in poll-bound states.

Last Friday, the BJP had taken its petition to the Uttar Pradesh Electoral Office regarding the same matter. The party had filed their petition along with a CD of the Congress vice-president's speech.

WATCH VIDEO

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By Press Trust of India: Agartala, Jan 16 (PTI) BJP today said it would demand moreautonomy to the tribals of Tripura and authority for the present Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), which constitute two-third of the state territory.

"We want to form a tribal Council within TTAADC area asthe tribals of the state can enjoy more autonomy and safeguardand protect their political and economic rights," Centralobserver and state in-charge of BJP Sunil Deodhar said today.

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"We feel that the present district council cannot fulfillthe aspirations of the tribals. It should be given more authority," he added.

When asked if the tribal council would be in line with theBodo Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam, he said, BJPs central tribal wing and state committee in Tripura were working on it.

"Our state committee and central tribal wing are researching on the issue and very soon we would announce the form of autonomy in the state," he told PTI.

When his attention was drawn about formation of All Tripura Indigenous Regional Parties Forum (ATIRPF) with all non-left tribal parties, Deodhar said his party welcomed the formation of the forum.

"This is an anti-left tribal forum and ours is an anti-left national party which wants to oust CPI-M from the helm ofaffairs. We wanted to unite all non-left tribal parties togive boost to our movement to oust CPI-M, but with they (tribal parties) themselves taking the initiative to forge unity, we welcome this move," Deodhar said.

The forum has opposed the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016introduced by BJP and yesterday announced to support a 12-hourstrike in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council(TTAADC) on February 8 called by Indigenous Political Forum ofTripura (IPFT) , a constituent of the forum.

Three tribal parties ? Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), National Council of Tripura (NCT) and IPFT - have formed the forum.

"Before we forge a formal alliance with the forum, (we) would discuss many issues and sort out the problems," he said. PTI JOY SUS SMJ KKB

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He was one of the most reclusive artists of our times, and yet, whenever late Sohan Qadris name surfaces, art lovers sit up and take notice. Bringing to art aficionados some of the most sought after works of this master-artist, renowned for tantric art, is Delhi-based Kumar Gallery that is showcasing 50 of his paintings in a solo show titled 'Celebration: Paintings by Sohan Qadri from1970-2010' at Kumar Gallery, 56, Sunder Nagar, New Delhi, from January 20 to February 5 from 11 am to 7 pm.

The exhibition is a collateral event of India Art Fair and includes oil impastos on canvas and ink dyes and incision on paper works. Many of these works are being exhibited for the first time. Sunit Kumar, director, Kumar Gallery, said, The exhibition includes oil impastos on canvas from 1970s and 80s to his later works of the 90s and the new millennium that were done using ink dyes and incision on paper. This is an odyssey of a pioneering Indian abstractionist.

Qadri was an internationally acclaimed artist, yogi and poet. He abandoned representation early on in his long career, incorporating tantric symbolism and philosophy into his vibrantly coloured minimalist works. His works are included in Peabody Essex Museum, the Ruben Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Modern Art and the Royal Ontario Museum among others.

He infused tantric symbolism into his own abstract, modernist language using broad areas of open color, capturing the northern landscape and sky of his Scandinavian surroundings. Although he began his career in the 1950s, painting in oil on canvas, he worked on paper from the mid 1980s.

In 1966, Qadri left India and traveled to East Africa, Europe and North America and later had studios in Zurich, Paris and Toronto. He had more than forty solo exhibitions in Mumbai, Vienna, Brussels, London, Oslo, Stockholm, Montreal, Toronto, Los Angeles and New York. He passed away in 2011.
The Congress party, on Tuesday, said it will contest the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in alliance with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party.



"The Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told the media, a day after the Election Commission allotted the cycle symbol to the Akhilesh faction.



Azad said the nitty-gritties of the alliance, particularly seat sharing, were being worked out.



Asked if the alliance would include the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and whether it would be on the lines of the Bihar-style Grand Alliance, Azad declined to comment.



"On that (Grand Alliance), I cannot say anything right now. Will talk about that later," he said.



"There has been speculation on whether or not this alliance is happening or not. This is to confirm that it is happening," he said.



Meanwhile, Congress chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh, Sheila Dikshit reiterated she would step down if asked to.



"I have said this earlier too (Monday), there can't be two chief ministerial faces, so I will step down," she said.



Alliance talks between the Congress and Akhilesh faction have been going on for some days, for the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh assembly elections that kick off on February 11 for 403 seats.
Mamata Banerjee faced the first land unrest in her six years of rule in West Bengal, when farmers of Bhangar in South 24 Parganas forcibly halted a power project by taking out massive protests on Tuesday.

Two villagers were killed after police allegedly opened fire at the protestors. One of the deceased was identified as Alamgir Hossain (40), while the identity of the other victim, who succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital is not immediately known.

The government, however, ruled out police firing, while the Intelligence has given report alleging Maoists' role in the protests.

The chief minister had to ask her power minister, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, to write to the power corporation to halt work.

About 23 acres of land were acquired from Kashipur area of Bhangar a few months back, in order to set up a big power-grid. For that, construction works were also being carried out. But a week before, villagers decided to form an anti-land acquisition organisation and gave government the ultimatum of not to carry out the work.

When the state government did not listen to them and dispatched police, the villages in the area erupted in anger. They blocked the road and attacked the workers with lathis.

On Monday, they pushed the power corporation workers out of the village. Police arrested Kalu Seikh, leader of the save farm land committee, which further enraged the protestors.

They pelted stones at the police personnel and police had to resort to lathi charge and tear gas to disperse the mob. The entire area looked like a war zone, with stones coming from both sides. Many villagers and policemen were injured.

Senior minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah was prevented from entering the village by protestors. The former communist minister, who was a strong critic of left fronts industrial drive by acquiring farm land, is an MLA from Bhangar and a cabinet minister in Mamatas government.

The village is largely inhabited by Muslim community and when the chief minister heard about the violent protests, she ordered police to exercise restraint. Mamata also asked Chattopadhyay to start dialogue with the villagers to continue with the work.

How could we stop agitation after the police beat us up and arrested our leaders. We will not accept that. This government is also becoming like the previous governments  full of land sharks, said Saiful Mollah, a leader of the save farmland committee.

Chattopadhyay told THE WEEK, Outsiders have gathered in the village and they are inciting them. But I have asked grid workers to stop work through a letter.

Asked about his reaction, minister Mollah said, The government decided that only the power minister would talk about this. But, principally, I am opposed to farm land being taken away.

This is the first land agitation Mamata is facing in West Bengal since she came to power in 2011, fighting the land acquisition of left front government in Singur and Nandigram.
A day after BJP and Shiv Sena started the seat sharing talks for the upcoming BJP polls, there was yet another round of salvos fired at each other.

By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: With only a month to go for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls, Shiv Sena and BJP might be looking at a possibility of alliance. However, the parties can't see eye to eye.

A day after the seat sharing talks formally began, there was yet another round of salvos fired at each other.

First round of talks that took place on Monday where BJP insisted on the transparency clause if the allies are voted to power together irked the Shiv Sena.

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BJP leaders during the discussion alleged that the BMC, which is ruled by the Shiv Sena at present, lacks transparency.Also Read: Khadi row: Shiv Sena MP calls PM Modi self-obsessed, BJP hits back

So the Shiv Sena hit out on Tuesday saying, "If they are so concerned about transparency then they should have transparency at the centre as well as in the state govt as well. Was the decision of demonetisation that was taken without taking us into confidence, a transparent one?"

But the BJP chose to play down the criticism and went a step ahead saying that the main question is about accountability.

"For us transparency is important, let people react and take it in a negative way. We are looking at it in a positive way. For us the development of Mumbai is important," replied Shaina NC, spokesperson of the BJP.

Citing accountability Shaina added, "If one party stays in power at the centre, state and in the BC it will increase accountability from top to bottom and bottom to top."

But even as leaders fought, Chief Minister Minister Devendra Fadnavis called Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray to discuss the modalities of alliance. The final decision will be taken by them.

Also Read: BMC polls: Shiv Sena leaders go into huddle, BJP plans separate manifesto on "transparency"

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"We do not seek partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union or anything that leaves us half in, half out", May said in a speech.

By Reuters: Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday that Britain would not seek a deal that left the country "half in, half out" of the European Union when it negotiates its exit from the bloc.

"We see a new and equal partnership between an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU. Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union or anything that leaves us half in, half out," May said in a speech.

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Also read | Britain's PM Theresa May says to trigger EU divorce by end of March

"We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave. No - the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union and my job is to get the right deal for Britain."

May also said she wanted the bloc to remain successful. "It remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's best national interest that the EU should succeed," she said.

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[COMMUNICATED CONTENT]

Rav Mordechai Avromovsky has never missed a levaya in Zichron Yaakov since becoming the citys Chief Rabbi decades ago. When an elderly, barely-frum member of his shul passed away a few years ago, as usual Rav Avromovsky attended the levaya and then was menachem the aveilim at the familys home. Rabbi Avromovsky led the minyan there and even showed the niftars son, a secular man, how to put on tefillin and say Kaddish. At the end of the shiva, the secular son asked if he could come to shul the next day and continue saying Kaddish for his father there, and Rav Avromovsky said, Of course! Yes! The secular man joined the minyan for several days, and then one morning asked another member of the minyan if it would be okay if he davened from the amud. The secular man wanted to lead the minyan for the zechus of his deceased father. The member of the minyan pointed towards the shtender at the front of the shul, and the secular man led Shacharis for the first time in his life. Immediately after the last Kaddish, a visibly upset member of the shul approached the secular man and began rebuking him: How can you be the shaliyach tzibur when you are mechallel Shabbos publicly! Do you think you can be motzei us in your brachos?! The secular man stood aghast, feeling all eyes in the minyan were watching the public rebuke. He looked around, and he saw Rav Mordechai Avromovsky, his Rav, his friend, also watching. The secular man interrupted the shul member and said, Lets ask the Rav. The shul member turned, saw Rav Avromovsky watching, and said, Gladly! And the two men approached the Rav. The shul member made his case, and Rav Avromovsky responded powerfully, Of course he can daven from the amud! Of course he can be the shaliyach tzibur! He must be the shaliyach tzibur! The shul member was completely confused. Unable to understand the reason for the Ravs psak, but clear that the Rav permits this secular man to lead davening, the shul member just walked away. The secular man also shifted to depart, but Rav Avromovsky called him back and whispered, Do you know why I poskined you can daven from the amud? The secular man, who now realized that a mechallel Shabbos really cant lead a minyan, responded, No, Rav, I dont understand. Rav Avromovsky explained, When that man rebuked you and told you that you couldnt lead the minyan for the zechus of your father because you are a mechallel Shabbos, I saw your face change. I saw the regret you felt. I understood that for your father, you will never be mechallel Shabbos again. Since I knew that now you are a Shomer Shabbos, I poskined that you can and should lead our minyan.

As he concluded recounting this story to the avreichim of the Center for Kehillah Development, Rav Avromovsky added: He was never mechallel Shabbos again, and for years he has been a frum member of our kehillah. That hanhaga is found only in the fifth chelek of Shulchan Aruch.

The CKD trip to Zichron Yaakov in December was part of the programs shimush component, a component that brings the CKD avreichim into close, personal contact on a regular basis with some of the most influential rabbonim in Klal Yisroel.

Rav Avromovsky, who also serves as the acting Chief Rabbi of Haifa and is in charge of Rabbanut Kashrus, then took the avreichim on a daylong tour of Tishbi Winery, the Beit El industrial food manufacturing facility, and Eden Hotel  all of which are under his hashgacha and meet Bdatz standards. The avreichim learned first- hand the subtle but significant differences between ordinary Rabbanut hashgacha, Rabbanut Mehadrin hashgacha, and the various Bdatz hashgachos.

Everyone knows from hearsay that their standards are different, said Rav Leib Kelemen, Dean of the CKD, but very few rabbonim really understand what those differences are and what the implications are for someone who is makpid on eating only mehadrin. Rav Kelemen explained that kashrus is not a game, and genuine psak cant be based on hearsay or politics. Youve got to know the facts on the ground, he stressed, and the only way to know those facts is real shimush, seeing what is actually happening in the field.

After the tour, Rav Avromovsky sat with the avreichim for an hour, telling stories from his many years in rabbanus. He concluded with a story about one of the first drashos he ever gave on the Yamim Noraim: It was erev Yom Kippur, and the shul was packed. Secular Jews I had never seen before even filed in and filled up the back rows. I gave a mussar shmuess full of fire to try to wake them up from their slumber. When I was leaving the shul that night, a secular woman approached me. She was so upset. Rabbi, she said, We came. We are the ones who came. Why did you yell at us? I realized she was right. The next day I welcomed them all and tried to show them the beauty of teshuva. Everyone could hear that. I learned then that even with good intention, I make mistakes. Rabbis make mistakes.

Rabbi Avromovsky looked out at the faces of the CKD avreichim, all of whom will soon be rabbinic leaders, and he concluded, Dont forget that even with the best of intentions, you can be wrong. Dont be afraid to admit when you are wrong.

The Center for Kehillah Development is a five-year, post-kollel program for English speaking avreichim between ages 25-30 who are committed to serving Klal Yisroel. They are now taking applications for a limited number of spots for this coming Elul. To find out more about the program, visit www.c4kd.org, or apply by emailing [email protected].
An official of the Beit Shemesh Religious Council told Kol Berama Radio host Noam Zeigman on Monday morning 18 Teves that a very small number of individuals are involved with downing eruv poles in the Bar Ilan neighborhood of the city. He explained the neighborhood is mixed, containing about 150 chareidi families living in peace alongside non-chareidim.

It is explained that last week, a pole was set in place by mistake, in an incorrect area. The pole has since been removed. He added that an apology was issued after the realization the pole was installed in an incorrect location. On Sunday afternoon 17 Teves, non-residents of the neighborhood, number 6 to 7 persons backed by a city councilman from Likud, arrived and downed the eruv, announcing the eruv will not likely be repaired by this coming Shabbos as a result. The council head lamented their actions, adding that one would expect a councilman to work to bridge gaps and not feed the flames of dissension and machlokes.

In its response to the report, City Hall released a statement explaining it has always worked to maintain harmonious relationship between religious and secular and a committee will be formed in coming days to oversee the matter here too while working with all concerned parties.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The Ministry of Defense Crossing Authority, the body responsible for operating the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossing points along the Israel-Gaza border as well as across Yehuda and Shomron, recently concluded another record year since its inception in 2005. Throughout 2016, about 13 million Palestinian pedestrians crossed into Israel through Ministry of Defense Crossing Authority points (1.6 million more than in 2015). In October 2016, a record of over 55,000 daily pedestrian crossings for those employed in Israel, for commerce, as well as for medical and humanitarian treatment.

In 2016, the movement of Israeli goods into Gaza through Kerem Shalom increased by 13% to 175,000 trucks and peaked at an average of 890 trucks daily throughout the month of October. The Shin Bet and Ministry of Defense Crossing Authority, together with IDF Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) , Israeli Police and Tax Authority, continue to fight the persistent attempts to smuggle contraband through Kerem Shalom into Gaza.

Smuggling attempts have increased each year since Operation Protective Edge. In 2016, 1,226 smuggling attempts were foiled, representing a 165% increase from 2015. This increase is a due to increased truck traffic, an expanded list of controlled items and an increased deterrence among truck drivers resulting in decreased cooperation with the smugglers. Dozens of investigations led by the Shin Bet have been conducted and have resulted in significant damage of the smuggling infrastructure in the south.

Examples of Thwarted Smuggling Attempts: Drones, small UAVs, security cameras, dismantled vehicle parts, 4X4 engines and tires, lasers, rappelling equipment, professional-grade diving equipment, communications equipment, winches, car batteries, military clothing, dual-use fiberglass, liquid polyester and adhesive material, spiral welding, aluminum and iron pipes, water pumps, metal pellets, steel rods and more.

Head of the Ministry of Defense Crossing Authority, Brig.-Gen. (res) Kamil Abu-Rokon: The defense establishments bitter war against smugglers has noticeably slowed the strengthening of terrorist groups in Gaza. In recent months, we have installed a new shipment screening system at Kerem Shalom, the most advanced in the world, and have added technologies and new testing methods that add to our abilities in the daily struggle against the smugglers.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan is among those who received an invitation to join in the inauguration event for President -Elect Donald Trump on Friday, 20 January. He told Kol Berama Radio host Noam Zeigman on Monday 18 Teves that he is thankful to the United States for the considerable aid received during the outgoing administration while remaining optimistic the incoming administration will adopt a more favorable position for the Jewish state, particularly vis-a-vis yishuvim and cities in Yehuda and Shomron. Dagan does not expect a blanket approval or anything of this sort but he believes at the very least, there will be a level of tolerance regarding construction in yishuvim if not actual support.

He warns Israel must realize there are many factors involved and Mr. Trump will be running the USA and is concerned with its issues before all else. He is however pleased and anxious with the realization that Mr. Trump will be sworn in this Friday.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The situation in Israels hospitals is catastrophic according to most people who have loved ones admitted to a hospital. It is well known that if a family member is hospitalized, the family must organize shifts to remain at ones bedside to act as an advocate for the loved one, who will otherwise be lost in the system.

A recently-released Ministry of Health report confirms this, citing the overwhelming overload in the nations hospital emergency rooms due to the lack of treatment beds. According to the report, the average emergency department occupancy two years ago was 111%, representing an 11% increase from 2012. The report also states northern district emergency rooms were the most crowded.

The report adds that a quarter of Israelis, about 1.7 million people, were treated in a hospital emergency room during 2015. The number of people seeking treatment in an emergency room in the northern district was 1.3 times higher than the national average while Jerusalem was the lowest, with 195 visits per 1,000 people; 67% of the national average for persons with illness and 56% of the national average for seeking treatment for outside factors including vehicular accidents.

The numbers are low for Yehuda and Shomron too, 198/1,000 people  67% of the national average for sickness and 63% of the average for outside factors. The Haifa District and center of the country reported 314/1,000 people, followed by the southern district with 307/1,000 people and Tel Aviv with 302/1,000.

Leading the least is Kaplan Hospital (Rehovot) with 258% occupancy on the average in 2015. Schneider Childrens Hospital (Petach Tikvah) reported 185% capacity and Barzilai Hospital (Ashkelon) 184% average during the same time period. Other hospitals include Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer inTel Aviv with 164%, Meir Hospital in Kfar Sava (152%), Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah (143%), Rambam Hospital in Haifa (137%), Soroka Hospital in Beersheva (134%), Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv (133%), Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem (124%) and Wolfson Hospital in Holon (120%).

Five hospitals received over 160,000 patients in the ER during 2015; Soroka, Ichilov, Sheba, Meir and Assaf HaRofeh (Rishon LTzion).

The poll also shows a decline in the number of treatment stations in emergency rooms in the nations hospitals. At the end of 2015 there were 1,195 treatment stations meeting Health Ministry criteria; of which 1,176 in hospitals for general admissions. This represents 0.14/1,000 people as compared to 0.15/1,000 in 2010.

The average hospital stay in an emergency room in 2015 was 2.9 hours as compared to 2,48 in 2012 while over a fifth (22%) of patient treated in hospitals were in the emergency room for over five hours and six percent for nine hours or more.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
This is one of the first moves against non-performing officers.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: The Narendra Modi government has finally cracked the whip on non-performing officers. Two IPS officers Rajkumar Dewangan, 1992 batch, Chhattisgarh officer and Mayanksheel Chauhan of AGMUT Cadre, 1998, have been sent on compulsory retirement.

As per the order, a senior IPS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre has been given compulsory retirement in "public interest" as ordered by Union Home Ministry.

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This is one of the first moves against non-performing officers. In 2016, the government had issued notification stating that "Performance of officers who have completed 30 years of services will be reviewed. Non-performing officers will be given compulsory retirement."

The order says the central government in consultation with state government will give three-month notice period or three-month pay in lieu of such notice.

In Rajkumar's case, an order accessed by India Today, says "In exercise the power conferred by sub-rule 3 of Rule 16 of All India Service (Death-Cum Retirement Benefits) Rules-1958, the President in consultation with the state government of Chhattisgarh hereby requires Rajkumar Dewangan, (CH:1992), a member of IPS, borne on the cadre of Chhattisgarh, who has completed 15 years of qualifying service, to retire from service in public interest with immediate effect by giving three months matters pay and announces in lieu of notice."

The Modi government had issued notification saying review of officers completing 15 years, 25 years or attaining age of 50 will be done.

Modi government for the first time after coming to power sacked these two IPS officers.

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An Israeli whose license expired over fifteen years ago was taken into custody and police are requesting that he be held without bail.

During a routine patrol in Eilat police saw a 36-year-old male who they recognized from past vehicular offenses. The patrol instructed the driver to pull over and an inspection revealed that he has been driving for over 15 years on an expired license.

Police records reveal he has been without a license since 1990, when he lost his license and did not do what was required to get it back.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel addressed the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Council regarding Shabbos work permits.

When he entered his current cabinet post, Ariel found there were fifty Shabbos work permits issued and he has worked to reduce that number to seven. He explained he is turning to his colleagues, other ministers, as well as director-generals of the ministries to follow his lead, to minimize to the absolute minimum the number of persons receiving a Shabbos work permit.

He told the rabbonim I view the council as the highest religious body, hence, I have come to consult with you as how to get other ministries to follow my lead.

At the end of the session, the head of the council, Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau Shlita announced they must work to have a permanent representative on the committee which grants the Shabbos work permits.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Attorney General Loretta Lynch, in her final speech as head of the Justice Department, praised the work of the Obama administration to advance the dream of justice and said worries of difficult days ahead should be a call for action, not despair.

Speaking in Birmingham, Alabama, just days before leaving office with the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, Lynch praised the work of President Barack Obama and acknowledged  without mentioning Trump by name some voters anxieties for the future.

I know that while our accomplishments should make us proud, they must not make us complacent. We cannot stop. We have to work. I know that in our pursuit of a brighter future, we still face headwinds. We still face oppositions. We see it. Waves of hatred, waves of intolerance and injustice that are still blowing in this country, and they seem to grow stronger the more that we achieve, Lynch said.

Lynch took the pulpit of Birminghams 16th Street Baptist Church for a celebration ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The church was the site of a 1963 Ku Klux Klan bombing that killed four girls just weeks after King delivered his I Have A Dream speech. The Obama administration this week named the church and other Birmingham civil rights landmarks as a national monument.

Lynch drew parallels between the church bombing that killed the four girls and the massacre of nine people at a Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015.

Fifty years after that we still see our fellow Americans targeted simply because of who they are  not only for their race, but for their religion, sexual orientation and gender identity, as well, Lynch said.

She said 50 years after the victories of the civil rights movement there are new attempts to erect barriers to the voting booth.

Lynch praised the work of the Obama administration and the Justice Department fight voting restrictions and prosecute hate crimes and to urge community policing tactics.

Lynch said the justice department has when, deemed necessary, investigated law enforcement departments for unconstitutional practices and policies and worked for reforms because every American deserves to see law enforcement as a guardian, not a threat.

In an interview with The Associated Press Thursday, Lynch, who championed a repair of relations between police and communities, said the federal government must continue to hold police accountable.

Some in the predominantly African-American congregation and crowd said they were openly mourning the end of the Obama presidency.

I cried. I cried. I never thought in my lifetime I would live to see the day that there was an African-American president, Tara Banks said.

Banks brought her granddaughter Kimorah Thomas to the church on her eighth birthday to learn about Kings legacy and hear Lynch, the first female African-American to hold the post of U.S. attorney general.

Lynch said she recognized the anxiety that some have about what is ahead, referencing Trump without saying his name.

And I have seen the concerns that the voting booth will be moved out of reach, that our hearts will close along with our borders, that a prayer in a different tongue or posture will place one at deadly risk. I have seen the fear that, with the turn of the electoral wheel, so many of us will be seen as children of a lesser God, Lynch said.

But Lynch added she has also seen the determination of men and women dedicated to the future of the country.

Yes, these are challenging times and yes, we undoubtedly have more challenges to come. But many of our greatest strides, in equal rights, in human rights and civil rights have come after some of our most heartbreaking losses. . We are Americans and we have always pushed forward, Lynch said.

(AP)
A proposal to lower the flight ceiling for noisy fighter jets has dragged on for so long that residents can be forgiven if theyve put it out of their minds.

But the Air National Guard is pressing forward with the plan with a goal of submitting a revised environmental impact report this year for the Federal Aviation Administration to consider. Public hearings on the proposal could happen as soon as this summer or fall.

Fighter jet pilots who say the airspace is needed for low-level training have been waiting 14 years for a final answer.

Its very frustrating for the Guard. We want and we need this to happen, said Jamie Flanders, airspace manager for the Air National Guard.

Critics among the 78,000 people who live in the sparsely populated training area  about 20 people per square mile  want the plan spiked. They say the screeching jets startle people and wildlife, ultimately hurting tourism and real estate values.

Its terrifying. Youd dive for the bushes for cover as they passed over, said Toni Seger, a vocal critic in North Lovell. Theyre supposed to be surprising the enemy. Im not the enemy. I live here. I pay taxes here.

The proposal is led by the Massachusetts National Guard, whose fighters were first on the scene in New York after 9/11.

The 104th Fighter Wing contends the airspace is needed for training to defend the Northeast. The proposal would essentially drop the flight deck across the 4,000-square-mile Condor Military Operations Area, which is in western Maine and the northern tip of New Hampshire.

Under the proposal, twin-engine F-15 Eagles from Massachusetts and single-engine F-16 Fighting Falcons from Vermont would be allowed to fly as low as 500 feet in those areas.

The proposal would disperse low-level flights over a bigger area instead of concentrating the planes  and noise  along existing, narrow corridors within Condor, Flanders said.

Stealthy F-35 fighters, which are even noisier than the F-15s and F-16s, will stay over 7,000 feet when they go into service with the Vermont National Guard in 2020, he said.

The Air National Guard finalized an environmental impact statement two years ago, but it was rejected because the Air Force didnt feel that it adequately addressed why alternatives including airspace over New Hampshire and New York wouldnt suffice.

After the revised statement is filed, the public would have 30 days to comment. Then, the proposal would go to the FAA, which would hold its own public hearings. It could take the FAA another year or more to make a final decision.

The current effort has faced gubernatorial objections, first from Democratic Gov. John Baldacci in 2009 and then from Republican Gov. Paul LePage two years later.

Flanders said the Air National Guard has gone out of its way to minimize the impact by reaching out to affected parties like the Penobscot Indian Nation, who are landowners with thousands of acres in the area, and also by limiting flights at certain times and avoiding sensitive areas altogether.

We want to ensure that we impact as few people as possible, if there is an impact at all, he said.

Seger said the problem is that military officials forget that people live in the area.

The mentality is that, People dont really live out here. When the pilots look down, they see a bunch of trees, she said.

(AP)
European Union foreign ministers on Monday opposed any plan by President-elect Donald Trump to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and warned that it could ratchet up tensions with the Arab world.

It is very important for us all to refrain from unilateral actions, especially those that can have serious consequences in large sectors of public opinion in large parts of the world, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters after chairing their talks in Brussels.

We hope that there can be reflection on consequences of any move that is taken, she said.

Mogherini declined to say what consequences could be considered as no formal decision has been made to move the embassy.

Trump hasnt yet outlined a clear policy for the Middle East, but has signaled he will be more sympathetic to Israels hard-line right than previous administrations. He has vowed to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, part of which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.

We will for sure not move our delegation. That is in Tel Aviv, Mogherini said.

Irish Foreign Minister Charles Flanagan said he would be concerned at any unilateral departure from what has been a long held position of the United Nations as far as the siting of embassies is concerned.

Mogherini said that the EU would continue to respect the international consensus that embassies shouldnt be based in Jerusalem, which is laid out in U.N. Security Council Resolution 478, dating from 1980.

(AP)
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Violent protests that were sparked by the arrest of chareidi females by IDF authorities continues on Monday afternoon, evening and according to a Jerusalem police spokesman, throughout the night.

Police on Tuesday morning 19 Teves report that there were violent protests at Kikar Shabbos, Bar Ilan Junction and nearby streets throughout the night involving hundreds of chareidim.

Protestors hurled rocks and other objects at police, set garbage receptacles ablaze and tried blocking streets. Three policemen were lightly injured, treated on the scene. Three protestors, including a minor, were arrested and arraigned on Tuesday.

Some of the photos are from the early evening (Monday) as clearly they are taken before sundown.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit:     24 )
In the above video, we see an IDF soldier who dared to walk in the old Tel Aviv bus station, which has been overrun by Eritreans. The following incident, the unprovoked attack and beating of a soldier was captured on security video a number of weeks ago.

We see the soldier did his best to fight back while clearly outnumbered.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The increase of Israeli settlements has gotten so substantial that it is inhibiting the possibility for an effective, contiguous Palestinian state, President Barack Obama said Sunday, in his final interview as president.

Speaking to CBS 60 Minutes, Obama dismissed the idea that there is a major rupture in the relationship between the United States and Israel after last months decision by the U.S. to abstain from a United Nations vote condemning Israeli settlements.

Because of our investment in the region, and because we care so deeply about Israel, I think (the U.S.) has a legitimate interest in saying to a friend, This is a problem,' Obama said. It would have long-term consequences for peace and security in the region, and the United States.

The outgoing president reflected on his legacy and his biggest challenges during his eight years in office during the hourlong interview. A number of his policies  from health care to his contentious relationship with Israel  could be short-lived as President-elect Donald Trump becomes the 45th president later this week and vows to reverse some of those policies.

Trump has been vocal about his disapproval of many of Obamas policies, often voicing his disagreement or engaging in public disputes with the president on Twitter. Most recently, Trump lashed out over hypothetical comments Obama made that he would beat Trump if they ran against each other in a general election.

Over the holidays, Trump accused Obama of throwing up inflammatory roadblocks during the transition of power and his administration of treating Israel with total disdain.

Obama acknowledged its been an unusual transition, adding, I suspect the president-elect would agree with that.

We are moving into an era where a lot of people get their information through tweets and soundbites and some headline that comes over their phone, the president said.

Theres a power in that. Theres also a danger  what generates a headline or stirs up a controversy and gets attention isnt the same as the process required to actually solve the problem.

He warned people not to underestimate the guy and urged congressional Republicans and Trump supporters around the country to be sure that as we go forward, certain norms, certain institutional traditions dont get eroded, because theres a reason theyre in place.

Obama said there needs to be a focus on making sure that our democracy stays healthy, and making sure that we maintain that sense of solidarity.

With that, he said hes been disturbed about intelligence reports over Russia hacking the U.S. election.

I have been concerned about the degree to which, in some circles, youve seen people suggest that Vladimir Putin has more credibility than the U.S. government, he said. Youre not going to be able to make good decisions without building some relationship of trust between yourself and that community.

Obama also reflected on his approach to the civil war in Syria, as it approaches its sixth year with hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced around the world.

The president acknowledged that his red line declaration about the use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar Assads government wasnt in his 2012 speech and that he didnt have to use those words. They later prompted harsh criticism, since the U.S. did not follow through on the threat.

I would have, I think, made a bigger mistake if I had said, Eh, chemical weapons. That doesnt really change my calculus,' he said. And regardless of how it ended up playing, I think, in the Beltway, what is true is Assad got rid of his chemical weapons.

(AP)
The United Nations Security Council convened today for its first meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since adopting resolution 2334 last month. Israels Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon addressed the Council.

Last month the Security Council voted to adopt resolution 2334 and this chamber erupted into applause with almost every nation represented voicing its approval of a resolution condemning Israel. Hamas and Islamic Jihad, murderous terrorist organizations who are openly committed to the destruction of the State of Israel, joined the Council in welcoming this resolution, said Ambassador Danon.

Last week a Palestinian terrorist used his truck to ram into a group of soldiers who were visiting Jerusalem, killing four Israelis and injuring dozens of others, continued the Ambassador as he held up photographs of those killed in the terror attack and listing their names: Shir Hajaj, Yael Yakutiel, Erez Orbach, and Shira Tzur were murdered by a Palestinian who was led to believe that he could use terror and violence to remove the Jewish people from Jerusalem. He will not succeed.

Ambassador Danon then addressed the Security Council members saying: The day after the Security Council vote, Fatah, the movement of Mahmoud Abbas, posted a cartoon on their official Facebook page. It showed a dagger in the shape of a map of Israel colored with Palestinian flag. Not Judea and Samaria, all of Israel. Under the dagger was a pool of blood and next to it said Thank you and listed each Council member who voted for the shameful resolution. The Palestinian Foreign Ministers immediate reaction to the resolution and Secretary Kerrys speech was to declare: No to Israel as a Jewish state. The Palestinians leadership received the message. They now understand that they should continue to spread lies and incitement, the Ambassador summarized.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
In a major twist, Tuesday, the charges against a man accused of killing a rabbi who was visiting South Florida have been dropped.

Deandre Charles, had said all along that he did not kill Rabbi Yosef Raksin in August of 2014.

A witness placed Charles at the crime scene. The state said they had DNA proof, but a judge, in April, deemed the evidence flimsy and granted bail.

DEVELOPING STORY  REFRESH FOR UPDATES

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, rebel fighters planted explosives yesterday in a tunnel in the town of Harasta, northeast of Damascus.

By Agencies, India Today Web Desk: A tunnel bomb blast outside Damascus claimed nine lives, including a Syrian general and eight soldiers, a monitoring group said.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, rebel fighters planted explosives yesterday in a tunnel in the town of Harasta, northeast of Damascus.

"The explosion killed a Syrian officer at the rank of general, and eight other members of regime forces, and wounded several people," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman was quoted as saying to AFP.

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According to reports, over 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests that were met with a regime crackdown.

ALSO READ | 35 dead in Damascus after serial blasts in Syria

Syria: At least 43 killed in car bomb explosion in northern Aleppo

--- ENDS ---
Aamir Khan has come forward to speak in support of Dangal star Zaira Wasim who was recently bullied and threatened online for meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

By India Today Web Desk: Dangal's star Aamir Khan has now come forward to give his take on the recent social media posts by actor Zaira Wasim who played the younger Geeta Phogat in his film.

Taking to both Facebook and Twitter, Aamir wrote, "I have read Zaira's statement, and I can understand and imagine what lead her to make that statement.

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Zaira, I want you to know that we are all with you. The beauty is that bright, young, talented, hardworking, respectful, caring and courageous kids like you are a role model for kids not only in India, but across the world. You certainly are a role model for me! May god bless you. Love. Aamir.

P.S. : I appeal to everyone to now leave her alone and respect the fact that she is just a 16 yr old girl trying her best to deal with life." (sic)

ALSO READ: Dangal star Zaira Wasim posts and deletes apology for having met Mehbooba Mufti

ALSO READ: Why trouble Zaira Wasim more?, asks J & K CM Mehbooba Mufti

OPINION: Zaira Wasim's apology sets a haanikaarak precedent for Kashmiri achievers

Yesterday Dangal actor Zaira Wasim put up an apologetic post on both Facebook and Twitter wherein she asked to be forgiven for her "recent actions", which included meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Kashmiri-born Zaira's post was presumably a response to online bullying from trolls who attacked her for meeting Mufti.

This is the filth people filled up the comments section with, on a Facebook post about #Dangal star @zairawasim meeting @MehboobaMufti pic.twitter.com/CEM60KrXo9 Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) January 16, 2017

Her entire open apology letter goes as follows:

"This is an open confession/apology. I know that many people have been offended and displeased by my recent actions or by the people I have recently met.

I want to apologise to all those people who I've unintentionally hurt and I want them to know that I understand their sentiments behind it especially considering that what had happened over the past 6 months but I hope people can also understand there are certain circumstances that emerge which one cannot control and I hope people still remember that I'm a just a 16 year old girl and I hope you treat me accordingly. I'm sorry for what I did but it was not a deliberate decision and I really hope people can forgive me.

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There are few more things which are very important and I want to clear them as well. The first and foremost thing is that I am being projected as a role model for Kashmiri Youth. I want to make it very clear that I do not want anyone to follow in my foot steps or even consider me as a role model. I'm not proud of what I'm doing and I want everyone, especially the Youth to know that there are real role models out there whether they be in this time or in our history.

To even consider me as a role model would be disgracing them and their disgrace would be OUR DISGRACE! I do not wish to start an argument here, this was a just a mere confession from my end which I really wanted people to know. May Allah bless us and guide us."

Soon after, Zaira deleted her Facebook apology and put up a clarification and then, deleted that as well.

Here is the full text of Zaira's clarification:

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"Regarding my last post, I have no idea why this has become such a big issue. I just wanted to make sure that I did not hurt anyone's feelings and all of a sudden it has been turned into national news. Again and again I am telling people that I have not been forced into anything by anyone. This was post was not meant against anyone, just wanted to make sure that people were not hurt by what I was doing. From media to everyone else, please don't blow this out of proportion. Neither was I forced nor am I against anyone. Hopefully this post just stops this once and for all." (sic)

Meanwhile, support poured in for Zaira from various quarters and soon enough, #StandWithZaira began trending on Twitter.

I've a problem with @MehboobaMufti trying to userp other peoples success to cover up her own failures but why punish/troll people she meets? Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) January 16, 2017

Those who shout AZADI from the roof tops don't give an iota of AZADI to others .Poor Zaira Waseem had to apologies for her success Shame !! Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) January 16, 2017

Just thinking what was going through her mind before posting the apology ??? #ZairaWasim https://t.co/vnnqwpxjCl Moody Allen (@rohanghuge) January 16, 2017

Zaira Wasim is a talented young girl to who has brought laurels to her community. She ought to be celebrated not demeaned #StandWithZaira Shakir Mir (@shakirmir) January 16, 2017

Really unfortunate that #ZairaWasim is being trolled for meeting the Chief Minister of her state. Jihadism has consumed the state completely Sunanda Vashisht (@sunandavashisht) January 16, 2017

Pragaash girls were hounded out of Kashmir some years ago. The world deprived of a fine band. The brave #ZairaWasim now being targeted. Siddhartha Gigoo (@siddharthagigoo) January 16, 2017

India's spineless #JeSuisCharlie crowd that takes 0 personal risks for themselves & their dear ones now tweeting #StandWithZaira #hypocricy Chitra Subramaniam (@chitraSD) January 16, 2017

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ALSO WATCH: DANGAL MOVIE REVIEW

--- ENDS ---
Usually a Vidhan Sabha session ends in the same year, but this time around the last year's monsoon session is still in progress even as Delhi is witnessing a bone-chilling winter.

By Kumar Kunal: It is said that the weather in the capital is fickle, but the Delhi Legislative Assembly has perhaps been successful in proving that wrong.

Even if Delhi continues to witness a bone chilling winter season, the Delhi Vidhan Sabha is still conducting its last year's monsoon session.

On Tuesday, when the session took place the topic of discussion was still what was discussed in the year gone by. Usually, the winter session starts by November or December but this time a session that began on 9 June, 2016 Delhi government could not finish even after 2017 began. Many are speculating the reasons behind Delhi government not finishing the session.

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Also read: Goa polls: AAP hoping that Elvis Gomes can be coastal state's Kejriwal

The reason for this could be because there are only 3 members who form the opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly and out of which BJP's OP Sharma was suspended for two sessions. So if the winter session was called, OP Sharma's membership would have been restored.

However, the Aam Aadmi Party does not want that to happen considering his out-of-the-line behaviour in the House.

Also, whenever a new year's Assembly session starts, it is addressed by the lieutenant governor who is a representative of the president of the nation.

Also read: 90 Punjabis to fly to India to campaign for AAP

However, AAP government found a way to not let the new Lieutenant Governor of Delhi -- Anil Baijal -- to address the Assembly.

On this, when the Assembly met on Tuesday, on behalf of the Opposition, an objection was also filed.

If the lieutenant governor had addressed the Assembly, then the presence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in his capacity as a minister of the house would have been mandatory.

Also read: NRI doctor's no-donation campaign against AAP, says Kejriwal misusing fund

In this situation, the first session in Delhi Legislative Assembly will be the Budget session that too in March 2017. Meanwhile, Punjab and Goa elections will get over and MCD elections will be closer so through Lieutenant Governor's address Aam Aadmi Party will be able to highlight its achievements.

Moreover, BJP's OP Sharma will also stay out of the Budget session, so only two members from the opposition will be present and there won't be much scope for a ruckus.

The monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly met six times and this is how the sessions ran from June 2016 to January 2017.

FIRST PART

June 9 to June 13: Discussion over general issues and a question period.

SECOND PART

August 22 to August 26: It was called after the ruling of High Court's and lieutenant governor's authority.

Increasing dengue and chikungunya cases in Delhi were discussed. Police taking actions against legislators was discussed.

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Two bills were also passed which are Delhi Luxury Tax bill and Bharat Ratna BR Ambedkar University bill.

THIRD PART

September 9 (One Day Session): The government called a meeting regarding the transfer of the officials where the appointment of secretary of the assembly also came under several questions.

Sandeep Kumar, BJP minister also raised the issue of the CD case.

FOURTH PART

September 30: The session was called to disclose the Central government's failure but it ended with a tribute to Indian jawans of the army as the surgical strikes happened in that very month.

Also read: India Today-Axis Opinion Poll on Goa: In key state, AAP eyed, BJP takes the cake

FIFTH PART

November 15: Arvind Kejriwal in the assembly had alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's involvement in corruption and produced documents in the assembly.

SIXTH PART

January 18 and January 18: Session still in progress.

--- ENDS ---
Specs appeal: Actress Sophie Turner wears a classic pair of Ray-Ban aviators

The company behind Ray-Ban sunglasses is to merge with French lens maker Essilor in a tie-up worth 40billion.

Italian group Luxottica, which also owns Oakley and Sunglasses Hut, and Essilor are expected to rake in revenues of 13billion as a combined entity.

The newly created group hopes to generate cost savings of up to 527million off the back of the deal. Leonardo Del Vecchio, Luxottica's billionaire founder, will be the majority shareholder of the group, with his holding company owning between 31 per cent and 38 per cent.

He said: 'With this agreement, my dream to create a major global player in the eye-wear industry, fully integrated and excellent in all its parts, comes finally true.

'Finally, after 50 years, two products which are naturally complementary, namely frames and lenses, will be designed, manufactured and distributed under the same roof.'

Del Vecchio will also be chief executive and executive chairman of the merged company, which will be listed in Paris.
The ultimate comfort food, bread, creates magic when met with plain milk and sugar--best enjoyed in the comfort of your quilt.

By India Today Web Desk: Even if we haven't bothered stepping out to get groceries in weeks--because it's just too darn cold--what we're sure to have in our kitchens at any given point are three basic things: bread, milk and sugar.

So, we thought why not make something absolutely irresistible with these three readily available ingredients while giving you some warm winter food comfort.

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And trust us, these recipes are as therapeutic while being made in the kitchen as they are inside your tummy.

1. French Toasts

French toast-Courtesy: Instagram/ck_makity

Ingredients

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1 tbsp cinnamon (dalchini) powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 pinch of salt

2 slices of bread

Butter or oil

Method:

1. In a bowl, beat egg thoroughly till fluffed.

2. In another broad-shallow bowl combine milk, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Add the beaten egg and mix well.

3. Heat a broad non-stick pan on a medium flame and melt some butter.

4. Soak bread slices in egg mixture for 20 seconds on each side, or until thoroughly coated.

5. Cook bread until both sides are lightly browned and crisp.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to make one more french toast.

7. Serve hot with maple syrup or honey, as per your taste.

Recipe courtesy: Tarla Dalal

Also read: Winter Munchies: 3 haldi (turmeric) recipes that are as warming as tasty

2. Eggless Bread Pudding

Eggless Bread Pudding-Courtesy: Instagram/stephanie_l_murdock

Ingredients

6 fresh bread slices

1 1/2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp cornflour

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

2 tbsp chopped walnuts (akhrot)

1 1/2 tbsp chopped raisins (kismis)

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp melted butter

Method

1. Remove the crust from the bread slices, apply half tsp of butter on one side of each slice and cut each slice into 2 to 3 strips.

2. Arrange the bread strips with the buttered side facing up on a greased 200 mm (8') diameter oven-proof glass dish. Keep aside. Combine the cornflour and sugar along with 1/4 cup of warm milk in a deep bowl and mix well till the sugar melts. Keep aside.

3. Boil the remaining one and 3/4 cups of milk on a slow flame and gradually add the cornflour-sugar mixture, while stirring continuously so that no lumps remain. Add the vanilla essence, mix well and cook on a slow flame for 5 minutes or till the sauce thickens and becomes smooth, while stirring continuously. Remove from the flame and keep aside.

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4. Sprinkle the walnuts and raisins on the bread strips and pour the sauce evenly over them. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly on top and pour the melted butter evenly over it.

5. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degree C (350 degree F) for 35 to 40 minutes.

6. Serve hot, garnished with nutmeg powder. Since the pudding is served in the same dish in which it is baked, use a glass dish and not an aluminum baking dish.

Recipe courtesy: Tarla Dalal

Also read: Get cosy in style this winter with these two off-beat soup recipes

3. Bread Rasmalai

Bread Rasmalai-Courtesy: Instagram/sunitabhagchandani

Ingredients

4 slices of bread

2 cups milk

1 tsp ghee

2 tbsp condensed milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp mixed nuts (pistachio, cashews and almonds)

4 strands chopped saffron

1/4 tsp cardamom powder (optional)

Method:

1. Take a wide, heavy-bottomed vessel, grease it with a little ghee and add condensed milk + milk. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium flame. Keep stirring till the milk starts thickening and reduced to half.

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2. Meanwhile, take 2 tbsp of warm milk, add saffron strands and crush it well. Keep aside.

3. Now add the saffron milk to the boiling milk and keep stirring. Then add the sugar and keep stirring. The mixture is called rabri and it tastes divine by itself.

4. Keep the flame low and stir it till it reduces in volume. Fry the nuts in ghee and add them to the rabri and mix well. Add cardamom powder and give a quick mix.

5. Once the rabri is thick, switch the flame off and refrigerate it. Meanwhile, take bread slices, trim the corners. Take a small lid and press it gently on the bread slices into small circles. At the time of serving, take a bowl add the rabri and drop the bread rounds.

5. Delicious bread rasmalai will be ready within minutes and remember to always serve and eat it when its cool. Since it is winter, this dessert dosen't have to be freezing cold and can be enjoyed even at milder temperature.

Also read: Thukpa, the Tibetan all-in-one broth, is just what you need right now

Notes by the expert:

1. Chill the rabri until serving time. Also do not pre-soak bread, just add it while serving.

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2. You can even toast the bread slightly in ghee then add it to the rabri.

3. You can also 1 tbsp milk powder for thickness and flavour.

Recipe courtesy: Sharmilee Jayaprakash (food blogger)

Also read: Watch: This is the easiest Saag Gosht recipe you'll ever come across

--- ENDS ---
Lindiwe Makhubu leading Mhlatane High School girls choir during last years competition.

MBABANE  Choral music lovers should brace themselves for one of the best SwaziBank Schools Choral Music Competitions this year.



The competition which is one of the countrys biggest in the choral industry will kick-start on February 23 and the finals will be held on July 2.

The competition will start off with a workshop for all the music teachers and conductors as well as composers.

Last year, the bank sponsored the competition to the tune of E370 000.



Khonelikhosi Dlamini, Chairperson of the Swaziland National School Choral Music Association (SNSCMA), said preparations for the competition have already began and added that they were presently finalising the songs to be sung during the competition. Some of the songs are ready. We are still finalising those that will be sung by the schools during the competition in the Champ of Champs section, he said.



He highlighted that the competition was growing due to the support of the bank and thanked the bank for believing in them in all these years.

Each year, we have seen a growth in the competition which we are thrilled about. The pupils have given their all during the competition and as organisers we believe this is a sign of how much choral music has become a part of the youth, he said.



Dlamini said pupils are expected to start preparations for the competition as soon as schools re-open.

The music teachers will receive the songs soon and we hope that once schools open, the preparations for the competition will begin.

The whole idea is to make sure that this competition becomes nothing but the best, he added.
Sir,



I would like to commend the Government of Swaziland for introducing positive discipline in schools and taking part in the global initiative to end corporal punishment which violates the rights of children.

According to a report on the global initiative to end all corporal punishment of children, government is in the process of a law reform to achieve full prohibition of corporal punishment. In this report, Swaziland was appreciated by Uruguay on the countrys part to ban this punishment as a penalty for minors. The country is currently working towards establishing positive discipline methods at educational level.



The Ministry of Education and Training has gone to great lengths in trying to educate teachers from all over the country on effective ways of administering positive discipline at school level. This ministry has made this possible by sending officials to conduct workshops on positive discipline. Despite the attempts of educating teachers on this discipline, still some teachers violate the rights of children by administering corporal punishment without following the laid down procedures. In the contrary nothing much has been done by government in educating parents at home level on this effective means of discipline.



Lack of capacitating communities on positive discipline has caused conflict and misunderstanding between parents, children and teachers.

In my own view, it would have been a great initiative for government to introduce the concept of positive discipline at the home level, before taking it to schools.

In the government report of 2016, government has accepted the recommendation made by Montenegro, which states that government should take appropriate measures to prohibit corporal punishment in all settings. Government accepted this recommendation but stated that only in the education sector policy, and that Swaziland was not yet ready to accept prohibiting corporal punishment of children in the home setting.



Since the country is heading towards 2022, I feel a research approach is needed before a concept that will affect individuals is accepted. Countries are unique and decisions should be informed by consensus. Positive discipline as a good phenomenon should have been taken to the people to discuss it and recommendations made. It is a good concept and it is about time we as a country do away with corporal punishment at all levels as we approach 2022.



Sihle Sihlongonyane
Let's wait and see what happens. Don't let's jump ahead of ourselves. I want to be prudent, Nicolas Maduro told a news conference.

By Reuters: Venezuela's socialist leader said on Monday that US President-elect Donald Trump was the victim of a global "hate campaign" and could not be worse than outgoing Barack Obama.

On the campaign trail, the conservative Trump criticized Venezuela's ruling socialists for oppressing their own people, but Maduro refrained from firing back in his first public comments on the Republican's election win.

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"Let's wait and see what happens. Don't let's jump ahead of ourselves. I want to be prudent," he told a news conference.

"He won't be worse than Obama, that's all I dare say. Obama has left the world plagued by terrorism. In Latin America, he will be remembered for three coups."

Also read: Why are millions of protesters on Venezuela streets against president Nicolas Maduro? All you need to know

Venezuela's government initially welcomed Obama's presidency but later soured on him, criticizing his "imperialist" foreign policy and accusing Washington of meddling to change governments in Brazil, Honduras and Paraguay.

"International media have speculated about Donald Trump," Maduro continued in brief comments about him.

"We are surprised at the brutal hate campaign against Donald Trump in the whole world, in the western world."

Also read: Will President Maduro's demonetisation drive save Venezuela's sinking economy?

Watch: Where do India-US relations stand in Donald Trump's era?

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: London, Jan 17 (PTI) A drug used to treat excessive daytime sleepiness may also improve memory and concentration in patients recovering from depression, according to a new study which offers hope for treatment of some of the cognitive symptoms of depression.

Researchers at University of Cambridge in the UK found that patients who received a dose of Modafinil experienced improvement in memory functions, compared to those on placebo.

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Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Symptoms such as difficulty concentrating or indecisiveness contribute to the disability associated with depression.

Almost all patients with depression experience problems with concentration, memory and attention. At least half of all patients with depression show cognitive deficits that can be measured objectively. These deficits tend to persist in the recovery phase.

Patients with persistent cognitive problems have poorer outcomes such as impaired work functioning and increased risk for relapse. Depression can be relapsing and return periodically, often for several months at a time.

Depression is associated with taking time off work, but also, in some cases, with presenteeism in the workplace, where employees may not be able to work as well as usual.

People often feel distressed when they have difficulty achieving their previous level of work performance on return to work after experiencing depression.

However, currently available treatments do not specifically address cognitive deficits in depression. Recent reports have highlighted the importance of defining cognition as a target for treatment in depression.

Researchers investigated the potential of modafinil to treat cognitive dysfunction in depression. Modafinil has already been shown in other studies to have beneficial effects on cognitive function in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.

Sixty patients aged between 18 and 65 years with remitted depression completed computerised memory, attention and planning tasks after receiving modafinil or a placebo.

The results showed that patients given a dose of modafinil experienced improvements in memory functions, compared to those patients on placebo.

Specifically, patients had benefits in two types of memory - episodic memory and working memory, both of which are important in our day-to-day activities.

"We use episodic memory when we are remembering where we left our keys in the house, or remembering where we parked our car," said Barbara Sahakian from University of Cambridge.

"Working memory, on the other hand, is the ability we use when we are rehearsing a new telephone number while we are trying to find a pen and paper to write it down," she said.

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The study demonstrated that patients receiving modafinil made fewer errors than those who received a placebo.

The study was published in the journal Biological Psychiatry. PTI NKS SAR SAR

--- ENDS ---
In a press release the ministry clarified that the said company had been supplying paper for bank note till 2010. Then, following a decision taken in 2013, the company was cleared to supply a security feature for bank notes till December 2015.

By Arindam De: Ministry of Finance has denied any collaboration with the tainted UK based Note Printing Company, De La Rue. Recently there have been reports in sections of media implying that the Union Government has compromised the national interest by collaborating with a tainted UK based Note Printing Company.

In a press release the ministry clarified that the said company had been supplying paper for bank note till 2010. Then, following a decision taken in 2013, the company was cleared to supply a security feature for bank notes till December 2015.

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The ministry further stated that no fresh contract has been given to this company by the government during the last three years. The Ministry of Finance has withheld security clearance for this firm sice 2014 and as such the government of India have placed no fresh orders with the said company since then. The company in question has applied for setting-up a factory in India. However it was further clarified that no action has been taken on their application.

In the second week of November, as demonetisation hit, reports emerged that UK headquartered De La Rue was printing currency for the Indian government and that it was blacklisted under the previous UPA government. By the second week of December 2016, De La Rue's Chief Commercial officer Richard Hird categorically refuted as "defamatory and malicious" those allegations and warned of "appropriate steps" to protect its reputation. De La Rue is one of the world's leading commercial banknote printer who reportedly supports 140 countries in their currency printing process, partially or wholly. The company is a founder member of the Banknote Ethics Initiative and reportedly practises the highest ethical standards.

De La Rue plc manufactures banknotes, passports and tax stamps, brand authentication and specialised paper and is headquartered in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. The company had humble beginnings and was founded by Thomas de la Rue, who moved to London in 1821 and set up in business as a stationer and printer. In 1831 he secured his business a Royal Warrant to produce playing cards. In 1855 it started printing postage stamps and in 1860 it began printing banknotes. It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1947. The company, then called Thomas De La Rue & Company, Ltd., changed its name in 1958 to The De La Rue Company Limited. De La Rue has an office in Delhi but is not contracted to print or supply technology for currency printing as of now.

--- ENDS ---
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By Bill Parry

The longtime head of an African-American-focused community library in Corona has been appointed to the Queens Library board of trustees by Borough President Melinda Katz.

Andrew P. Jackson, also known as Sekou Molefi Baako, was executive director of the Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center for 36 years before retiring last year. The East Elmhurst resident has a long history of community service and continues to serve as an adjunct professor at York College, where he teaches in the Black Studies Program and the Cultural Diversity Program, and as an adjunct professor at Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies.

As someone who has devoted his life to the promotion of literacy and learning to the benefit of the community, I am thankful that Borough President Katz has appointed me to the Queens Library board of trustees, Jackson said. I am committed to using my library-management experience to ensure that Queens Library is governed with transparency and fiscal soundness. We must continue to provide quality service to the Queens residents who depend upon having access to its vast catalogue of books and other media, and to its many educational, cultural and community programs.

Jackson continues to serve as executive director emeritus at the Langston Hughes Community Library, a full-service, general-circulation library with an extensive reference collection of materials related to African-American history and culture, and a cultural arts program that offers a variety of programming, including independent film screenings, stage presentations, panel discussions, concerts and art exhibitions.

Mr. Jackson has extensive library-management experience and has been a driving force behind the rise of the Langston Hughes Library and Cultural Center into a world-renowned institution of African-American scholarship and an important center of learning, literacy and culture in Queens, Katz said. Mr. Jacksons life work reflects a dedication to serving communities and will be an invaluable addition to the Queens Library board of trustees, which is entrusted with providing sound stewardship to our boroughs top-flight public library system.

Jackson is an award-winning author and prolific essayist, lecturer, and public speaker. Last year he was inducted to the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame for his service in the U.S. Air Force between 1964 and 1968 assigned to the 4th Air Commando Squad at Nha Trang Air Base in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Queens Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott is endorsing Gov. Andrew Cuomos proposal to provide free college tuition for families making less than $125,000 a year. Vermonts Sen. Bernie Sanders, who joined Cuomo on stage at LaGuardia Community College for the unveiling last week, called the plan revolutionary, but it will need to be approved by the state Legislature.

The governor is providing a tremendous opportunity to prospective students who may not be able to afford an undergraduate degree, Walcott said. As we expand our efforts to educate and inform more individuals in Queens and beyond, we look forward to seeing his proposal become a reality.
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.
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Finding qualified workers with high-tech skills such as software development and networking has been a challenge for Capital Region businesses in recent years.

And it has only gotten tougher, especially as unemployment rates drop.

The latest edition of Linium Recruiting's Hiring Index, which surveyed 56 human resource managers in the Capital Region on high-tech hiring trends, found that 82 percent of companies are finding it challenging to recruit and land "highly skilled" tech workers.

That's up from 70 percent in the last survey and the highest level recorded since the index was started in 2015.

"The year is new but the storyline is familiar," says Miriam Dushane, Linium Recruiting's managing director for upstate New York. "Employers are ready to grow their technology workforces but they're having a hard time recruiting strong candidates."

Perhaps even more concerning is that only 11 percent of companies believe that the situation is improving, down from nearly 20 percent in recent quarters.

That's cause for concern for Dushane who works out of Linium's headquarters on Wolf Road in Colonie has been championing IT workforce development in the region to help fill the so-called skills gap resulted in a tech worker shortage.

The biggest need has been for software developers and computer programmers, although demand for computer hardware and networking experts has suddenly surged locally, likely due to a number of outside consulting firms entering the market and grabbing many top candidates.

Dushane has been pushing for companies to become more creative in how they hire people with the high tech skills they need, especially since computer programmers and networking gurus don't always have a four-year degree and may be looking for flexible work hours. They also command higher than average salaries.

Dushane sees a troubling trend happening where some companies, especially small businesses with limited resources, are deciding not to fill tech jobs in some cases, which she says will likely hurt the companies'' bottom line in the long run.

"They're actually leaving positions open rather than paying more," Dushane said.

Linium added a twist to this quarter's hiring index. It asked companies if their hiring plans were impacted with the election of Donald Trump, who is set to be sworn in as the 45th president on Friday.

The majority, 64 percent, said a Trump presidency won't alter their hiring during the first quarter of 2017, with 30 percent saying they might be a bit more cautious depending on what happens. But only 4 percent said they would stop hiring because of Trump.

Dushane said that what troubled employers more was the period running up to the election when Trump and his rival Hillary Clinton were in still in a bitter campaign.

Hiring fell during September, October and November, Dushane said, likely over uncertainly of the future.

That has passed now.

"Honestly, I was relieved," Dushane said.
By Press Trust of India: Thanjavur (TN) Jan 16 (PTI) With a section of party leaders pitching for AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala to be made Chief Minister, her husband M Natarajan tonight said the government under O Panneerselvam was performing well and there was no need to replace him as of now.

"Under O Paneerselvam, a very good rule is happening... there is no urgency or need on our part to change him as of now and I say this as an observer," he said in response to a query in this regard from reporters here.

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Natarajan said the AIADMK and party MLAs would decide on elevating Sasikala as Chief Minister.

He alleged that saffron forces were trying to push the Aryan-Dravidian divide and insisted that such designs will not be possible.

Natarajan alleged that such forces were trying to create disruption in an otherwise peaceful state of Tamil Nadu.

He also alleged that there was a conspiracy by BJP to break AIADMK and its government.

On former AIADMK minister K P Munuswamys criticism of Sasikalas brother Divakaran, he said in the past Divakaran had even protected late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

Munusamy had contested Divakarans remarks that Natarajan played a key role in unifying various factions of AIADMK after the death of party founder M G Ramachandran and said it was MGRs wife Janaki who had asked Jayalalithaa to lead AIADMK in her husbands absence.

"Today they are speaking as if they reclaimed the AIADMK symbol (Two Leaves) though it was Janaki who wrote to the Election Commission in this regard," he had claimed while talking to reporters at Krishnagiri.

Divakarans statement had hurt the feelings of party workers and he should express regret for it, Munusamy had said. PTI SA APR AAR

--- ENDS ---
London

Woody Harrelson is trying to do something that's never been done before, although he's starting to realize why his feat would be a first.

The American actor plans to spend the early hours of Friday shooting a full-length film, called "Lost In London LIVE," which will be broadcast as it happens in over 550 U.S. theaters, including Regal Crossgates Stadium 18 & IMAX in Guilderland. The screening will begin at 9 p.m. Thursday.

"Someone was asking me earlier, 'Do you think that people will start doing this now? Filming a movie and live-streaming it at the same time?' And I said, 'Well, not if they speak to me first.' This is some harrowing stuff," he laughs.

Based on a relentlessly awful night out he really had in the British capital, Harrelson wrote and is directing the film that combines comedy and drama.

Talking on the movie's set in the streets of London's theater district, where rehearsals are happening during the day and at night, Harrelson says he could do with three more weeks of preparation before the action unfolds in real time.

Harrelson, 55, was arrested in London after a night out in 2002. He declined to say whether "Lost in London" is based on events from that night, but the set includes a recreation of the club he visited before his arrest.

"Lost In London LIVE" is an attempt to merge his two loves, film and theater. And even though audiences will be watching on the other side of the pond when it's Thursday evening, Harrelson is convinced the event's live-streamed nature will add an electrifying element.

"Will it mess up the performance? That's the question. Will the fear be too high to eke out a performance? I don't know," he said.

Harrelson's co-stars are musician Willie Nelson and actor Owen Wilson, a close friend who also helped refine the script.

"Owen Wilson is my best buddy. Now, that doesn't mean I'm his best buddy, but he's my best buddy and he is a tremendous asset because not only is he just so great on screen, and he's great as an actor and he's great to work with," he said.

Harrelson's breakthrough as an actor came on the 1980s television sitcom "Cheers."

Harrelson will next join the "Star Wars" universe, with a part in the spin-off movie about a young Han Solo.
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Albany

Albany County District Attorney David Soares officially returned to work Tuesday after being out since mid-October to recover from a serious heart ailment.

Soares, 47, came into work in his fourth-floor office in the Albany County Judicial Center. He is expected to work his way back to full-time status in the coming weeks, his office said.

Soares is at the start of his fourth term in office. The Democrat ran unopposed last year.

His undisclosed heart condition arose after he was working out, his office said in October. At the time, the office released a statement saying that "as a result of the extraordinary medical care Mr. Soares received, he was diagnosed, treated for a heart condition, and is now stabilized,"

Chief Assistant District Attorney David Rossi has run the office in the interim.

Soares, a native of Cape Verde off the coast of West Africa, was reared in Rhode Island and graduated from Albany Law School. Voters elected him in 2004 after he upset incumbent District Attorney Paul Clyne in a Democratic primary.

rgavin@timesunion.com  518-434-2403  @RobertGavinTU
State Police said they're still trying to figure out who killed a woman with no connection to the Northeast who was found dead 28 years ago on the shoulder of the Northway.

It took police months to confirm the identity of Terri Kay Roark, 31, after her body was found on the highway on March 29, 1988. Investigators were able to link Roark to an address in Texas and said she was last seen eight days earlier at a mental health facility in Tulsa, Okla.

In August 1988, Investigator Frank Connelly of the State Police station in Malta said, "This gives us a legitimate starting point, which we never really had before" after Roark's remains were identified through fingerprints.

She apparently was shoved out of a vehicle on the northbound lane of the Northway on the Thaddeus Kosciuszko Bridge, according to a Times Union article at the time.

State Police highlighted the case on Tuesday as part of an ongoing effort to draw attention to so-called cold cases.

Over the years, highway patrol departments from around the country have tried to find links between Roark's death and the deaths of others along the nation's highways.

A truck driver suspected of killing a woman whose car broke down in 1991 on Interstate 88 in Schenectady County was scrutinized, according to a Times Union article. No arrests have ever been made in Roark's case.

On the same day that Roark's body was found on the bridge, a motorist spotted a gray duffel bag on the center median of the Northway just north of Exit 11 in Malta. Authorities found items inside that belonged to Roark. State Police said Tuesday they believe the bag was thrown from a vehicle.

State Police said Roark died from a fractured skull.

"The investigation has been unable to identify any ties the victim may have had to the northeastern United States," State Police said Tuesday.

The State Police and investigators in its Bureau of Criminal Investigation unit in Saratoga County say they need the public's help to solve the nearly three-decade-old killing.

Anyone with information can call Troop G at 518-783-3211.
Albany

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has nominated attorney Rowan D. Wilson as an associate judge on the state Court of Appeals. If the nomination is approved by the state Senate, it will mark the first time in history of New York's highest court that two African-American judges have served at the same time.

Wilson, 56, is Cuomo's seventh nominee to the seven-member court, where judges serve 14-year terms. He'll replace Eugene Pigott, the court's final remaining appointee of former Gov. George Pataki. Pigott hit the mandatory retirement age of 70 last year.

Though he has never served as a judge before, Wilson has worked for 30 years at the New York City offices of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he leads the firm's pro bono efforts.

Vincent Bonventre, a longtime court-watcher who teaches at Albany Law School, called Wilson's experience "extraordinary," and noted that his record of defending large corporations such as American Express was balanced by his pro bono work. Bonventre noted that the late Judith Kaye, who served as chief judge from 1993-2008 after a decade as an associate judge, similarly came to the Court of Appeals from private practice with no prior experience as a sitting judge.

Bonventre said the lack of judicial experience was in no way a hurdle to a successful career on the panel. "The kinds of issues they deal with are fundamental, not legalistic," he said. " ... The work of high courts largely is political, in that they are rendering decisions on rights and responsibilities, government authority and individual freedom."

He noted that the current court includes only one Republican: former federal prosecutor Michael Garcia.

The state Commission on Judicial Nomination, which assembles the lists of potential nominees for Cuomo to select from, made Wilson an option five times before  including on the 2015 slate to replace former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, a post that went to former Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore.

DiFiore said Monday she was "delighted" by the appointment: "Mr. Wilson is held in the highest regard by the legal community in this state for his commitment to excellence and passion for the law."

In a statement, Wilson said he was "humbled and honored" to be nominated.

He will be the first Long Islander on the court since the 1992 resignation of Sol Wachtler, who was arrested after federal investigators caught him waging a campaign of harassment against a former mistress.

The Senate is required to vote on Wilson's nomination within 30 days.

cseiler@timesunion.com  518-454-5619  @CaseySeiler
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Schodack

Hudson the Railroad Puppy is no longer a puppy.

At 4, the doe-eyed pooch with a prosthetic back paw is a local celebrity with a loving home. In 2015, the American Humane Association awarded him a Hero Dog Award for his work as a therapy dog and for spreading awareness about animal cruelty.

And now the blue nose pitbull  left for dead as a puppy on railroad tracks in Albany  is again in need of the public's help.

Hudson's right back paw, the one that is not prosthetic, has greatly deteriorated to the point where he needs a cart and wheels to help him walk, his owner Richard Nash of Schodack, told the Times Union on Monday. Hudson has arthritis; the joint by his knee is worn away, he said.

Nash learned the news on Wednesday. He has taken Hudson to Eddie's Wheels For Pets in Shelburne Falls, Mass. to get him measured for the cart, but between the cost of the wheels and medicine, it could exceed $1,000.

The Facebook page called "Hudson the Railroad Puppy" links to a youcaring.com page where donators can contribute money to help Hudson.

"We're looking at every option as far as medical treatment. This is all very new for us," Nash said, adding that the wheels would "take the weight and pressure off his back."

On the youcaring.com page, Dr. Tom Bowersox, a veterinarian who worked on Hudson, praised the pooch.

''This is one great dog who really has done more for other animals and the shelter through his story and the efforts of his family than probably any other dog or family I have ever known," the doctor wrote. "Hudson deserves every chance at a pain-free and happy life that we can provide. I thank everyone who has donated to help him in his next phase of life. Whatever is to come, I am sure Hudson and family will be continuing to pay it forward in many ways. Thank you."

Hudson has already come a long way since Sept. 8, 2012, when he and his sisters Pearl and Carina  just 3 weeks old  were found by railroad workers at North Pearl Street. The dogs were dehydrated, malnourished, hypoglycemic and infected; Carina did not survive.

Hudson and Pearl were adopted. Nash now has a group on Facebook, Huddy's Buddies, to raise money for dogs in similar situations to Hudson.

The man who abandoned the dogs, Anthony Walker, pleaded guilty in 2013 to one count of aggravated animal cruelty, a felony known as Buster's Law, in exchange for six months in jail and five years probation. Police said it satisfied a second case of abuse in which Walker, at the time 30, abandoned four pit bulls in the back of a U-Haul trailer parked outside a hotel in Colonie.

Nash said he was thankful for the community's support. He said he will contribute whatever money is not used to help Hudson to help other animals in need.

"They deserve to have a good quality of life, just like Hudson," he said.

rgavin@timesunion.com  518-434-2403  @RobertGavinTU
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Albany

Anthony Bonomo, a star witness in the federal corruption trial of former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, has largely abandoned day-to-day management of the state's second-largest medical malpractice insurer and is unlikely to regain it, according to multiple people with knowledge of the matter.

The board of directors of the company, Physicians' Reciprocal Insurers, has instead retained Bruce Shulan, managing partner of the Connecticut-based firm The Princeton Partnership, in an effort to turn around the financially troubled operation.

The Princeton Partnership assists "boards of directors and management to resolve financial, operational and exposure based challenges," according to its website. Shulan, who declined to comment, is said to be managing PRI's affairs at its headquarters on Long Island.

Maria Vullo, who was confirmed last June as superintendent of the state Department of Financial Services, has made stabilizing PRI one of her top priorities. The department, which oversees New York's insurance industry, has urged the company's board of directors to reform PRI's practices, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Spokespeople for DFS and PRI both declined to comment.

A PRI collapse could throw New York's large and complex health care marketplace into turmoil  but the company's fiscal shape isn't just a matter of concern for the doctors and hospitals that are its customers. Every New Yorker who pays for home, auto or business insurance would foot the bill: In the event of PRI's demise, its unpaid claims would be paid by the state's insurance company guaranty fund, with the cost ultimately passed on to policyholders statewide.

PRI's balance sheet has been increasingly shaky in recent years. Through Sept. 30, it reported a negative surplus  that is, liabilities that outstrip assets  of $182 million, up from $86 million in 2014. The company's collection of premiums was also down last year.

The future leadership of the company remains unclear.

Under New York law, an outside management company headed by an attorney must run any firm categorized as a "reciprocal insurer," such as PRI. In the case of PRI, it has been run for years by Bonomo, who heads up and owns a management company, Administrators for the Professions, that oversees PRI.

That management structure has created an unusual set of incentives: PRI, which technically has no employees, holds all the future liability for potential lawsuits against hospitals and doctors, while the management company rakes in fees based on the amount of premiums written by PRI.

PRI has gained a reputation for underselling its competitors on premium rates to win hospital business, a tactic that might have contributed to its long-term financial problems.

Hiring Shulan is only a short-term effort to stabilize the company, sources said, and a permanent successor is unclear. It is highly unlikely DFS will allow Bonomo to be put back in charge.

DFS currently has leverage over the situation because the contract under which Administrators for the Professions runs PRI  the source of the outside management company's income  expires at the end of 2017, and DFS must sign off on a new one.

In 2015, Bonomo pegged the value of AFP between $100 million and $125 million, but that price tag was predicated on AFP serving as PRI's management company. Last year, Bonomo sought to sell the management company to a California firm called The Doctors Co., but the deal fell through.

PRI's board of governors includes six doctors, Bonomo, his brother Carl Bonomo, and Gerald Dolman, president of AFP.

PRI was founded in 1981, a rough time for the medical malpractice industry. The Legislature in 1985 passed a law allowing medical malpractice insurers to operate at a loss. That provision has been renewed every few years; its survival is a top priority for the lobbyists employed by PRI, as the company is one of two such firms operating in the red in New York.

Just weeks before his arrest in May 2015, Skelos pushed through the latest renewal of the law  good through 2019  as part of the state budget. The Senate's Republican leader had pressured Bonomo in 2012 to hire his son, Adam Skelos, to what amounted to a no-show job. Dean and Adam Skelos were convicted in December 2015 on eight federal counts connected to quid pro quo arrangements with PRI and two other companies.

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Before the scandal, Bonomo and PRI were among the state's biggest political donors, including to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

A horse racing enthusiast, Bonomo was appointed by Cuomo in March 2015 as chairman of the board of the New York Racing Association, which runs operations at the state's three thoroughbred tracks, including Saratoga Race Course. Bonomo took a leave of absence a few weeks later, after Adam Skelos' no-show job came to light following the arrest of the Senate leader and his son.

Bonomo testified about the arrangement with Skelos at the lawmaker's trial. AFP recently reached a $70,000 settlement with the state's lobbying and ethics regulator, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, over Adam Skelos' hiring.

The state Insurance Department  the predecessor agency to DFS, which was created in 2011  conducted required deep audits of PRI's finances in 2000, 2004 and 2009. But the agency suppressed the results each time, which has led to a dearth of public information about the company's financial state, even as its competitors' exams have been released.

A new DFS audit of the company began in September 2015, and remains ongoing 17 months later  an usually long period for such an exam.

Other market forces are at work in PRI's troubles. Warren Buffett's company Berkshire Hathaway is in the process of buying PRI's biggest competitor, Latham-based Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Co., which will likely give that firm more financial strength.

AFP officials, meanwhile, have complained that state regulators set the premium rates it can charge to doctors far too low.

cbragg@timesunion.com  518-454-5303  @chrisbragg1
THE ISSUE:

The governor's proposal to fund clean water infrastructure is smart and necessary.

THE STAKES:

It must not be part of the usual rancor that typically bogs down the legislative process.

More Information To comment: tuletters@timesunion.com or at http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion See More Collapse

As the more contentious debates start to dominate this year's state budget process  like the future of ride-hailing services, aid to education and how much to tax the richest New Yorkers  maintaining clean, safe water stands out as an issue on which all the players at the state Capitol should quickly agree.

Already revealed during Gov. Andrew Cuomo's sweeping "State of the State" tour, the proposed $2 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017 would issue bonds to support the ongoing program to repair and maintain the various public systems that deliver our water supply and treat wastewater before it's discharged into lakes and rivers. Already the governor's timely proposal is getting strong support from hard-pressed localities struggling to keep their aging systems operating efficiently.

Mr. Cuomo's office reports that requests by local governments for loans and grants through the state Environmental Facilities Corp. are at an all-time high, as more and more communities confront the costly responsibility of having adequate sewage treatment systems in place. The bond program will support communities like the Town of East Greenbush, which has faced state fines in recent years because of its inadequate municipal sewage treatment facility. During heavy rains, the plant overflows, dumping raw sewage into the Hudson River.

Until recently, it and other localities balked even at borrowing the money needed for the upgrades from the EFC. Though the loans were low-interest and long-term, the municipalities were reluctant to take on the carrying costs, or just unable to shoulder more debt at all. Thanks to accompanying state grants made available through the state's Water Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2015, more communities have started to invest in the upgrade and replacement of their aged waste treatment operations.

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Mr. Cuomo now says the need has outpaced the grant money available, which is why the more ambitious bond program is needed. The program has an added benefit: Investing in infrastructure not only meets a public need, but also stimulates local economies, by creating construction jobs.

As details of the governor's 2017-18 Executive Budget emerge this week, it's important that it not distract lawmakers from giving the $2 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act their immediate attention. The bond act must not be delayed by the usual legislative wrangling that leads up to the state budget passage deadline of April 1.

By getting the measure through the committee process right away and out for a vote by the Senate and Assembly, communities across the state will be able to get more projects off the drawing boards sooner.

It also will demonstrate that the legislative and executive branches are able to work together on a matter essential to the health and safety of all the state's residents.
Hardik is scheduled to address a "massive" rally planned by the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti in Himmatnagar where more than 1 lakh people are expected to turn up.

The firebrand leader, who is facing sedition charges, was released on bail by the Gujarat High Court on July 15 last year.

By Press Trust of India: Patidar leader Hardik Patel will return to Gujarat today after spending six months outside the state and address a rally of the Patel community in Sabarkantha district.

The firebrand leader, who is facing sedition charges, was released on bail by the Gujarat High Court on July 15 last year on the condition that he will stay outside the state for six months, starting July 17.

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He had been staying in Udaipur in Rajasthan since then. Hardik's close aide Dinesh Bambhaniya said he will receive a grand welcome on entering Gujarat from Ratanpur border. He said Hardik is scheduled to address a "massive" rally planned by the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) in Himmatnagar and expected to be attended by more than 1 lakh people.

SECOND ROUND

PAAS has described it as "the start of the second round of the Patel quota agitation".

Also read: Hardik 2.0: 3D rallies and a plan to 'work for all', Patel charts a new course

Also read: Hardik Patel not ill-treated in jail, his food not adulterated: Cops

In August 2015, Hardik had addressed a massive rally at GMDC ground demanding inclusion of the community in the OBC category for quota benefits.

"This rally in Himmatnagar is GMDC part two. Hardik will take up the reservation issue. He will also demand justice for those killed in police firing during the violence after GMDC rally. This rally will reignite the quota agitation in Gujarat," Bambhaniya said.

At around 2pm, Hardik will reach Gandhinagar to seek blessings of former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel. In the evening, he will leave for Pune to take part in "Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad". Hardik's return is being monitored carefully by political parties as well as the administration as the state goes to polls later this year.

Also read: Hardik Patel alleges 'house arrest' in Udaipur, files complaint against senior police officers

--- ENDS ---
Chelsea Gibson, a pupil of Cashel Community School, who recently became Cashel Lions Club Young Ambassador for 2017, has now been selected as winner of the National Final at an event which took place in the Carlton Hotel near Dublin Airport on last Saturday.

The aim of this competition is to recognise, support and encourage young people involved in their local communities. Particular importance is placed on their activity as volunteers and leaders within community welfare organisations. In this respect Chelsea scored very well as she has been a member of the Order of Malta in Cashel since she was 9 years old! Not only has she gained valuable skills in caring for, and aiding people in distress, but she also has laid the foundations for a future career in caring for the elderly, the sick and the less fortunate amongst us. Chelsea demonstrated a clear vision of her interest when interviewed by a judging panel which included senior Lions in Ireland but also RTE newscaster Brian Dobson.

Brian was so impressed that, when asked at the presentation ceremony why the judgment went in her favour, he reacted by asking Chelsea herself to explain how and why she became so involved. Chelsea responded with a very clearly stated summary of her situation and background which impressed all present. As if her activity with the Order of Malta wasnt enough, she is also a member of Cashel Neighbourhood Youth Project, where she recently completed a course in Future Leadership.

We dont have enough room to cover her involvement in all her chosen activities, however we would like to mention that she has found time to learn to speak German - which she polished up during a recent holiday in Berlin.

The Lions Young Ambassador competition in Cashel is sponsored by Affinity Credit Union, who have been very helpful in supporting this competition and indeed our Peace Poster competition for Cashel Lions Club over many years. The next stage in the Young Ambassador competition will be the final for winners from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales and will be held in Dudley near Birmingham in England.

The winner of Ireland/UK final stage then goes on to compete in the European final which will be held later this year in Montreux in Switzerland. Well all be keeping our fingers crossed for Chelsea !!
[January 17, 2017] CHNC partners with Velos on multicenter registry focused on improving care of infants with serious diseases

FREMONT, Calif. and KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Children's Hospitals Neonatal Consortium (CHNC) has selected Velos and its flagship technology platform Velos eResearch for their visionary data management and multicenter initiatives. CHNC is a benchmarking and quality improvement organization comprised of 32 Neonatal Intensive Care Units at leading children's hospitals across North America. The consortium provides a benchmark of care and short-term outcomes for infants with uncommon neonatal disorders. In 2010, CHNC collaborated with the Children's Hospital Association to launch the Children's Hospitals Neonatal Database (CHND). The partnership with Velos will position the consortium to achieve new improvements at the patient level. "Our evolving needs require a technology platform that can dynamically manage our large-scale datasets and support our registries as well as facilitate easy analysis and visualization of data," said Jacquelyn Evans, M.D., President, Founder and Chair of the CHNC. "With its comprehensive functionality and configurability, we believe Velos eResearch will be a strong fit for CHNC and its member organizations. he project will enable us to better provide key outcome metrics, simplify data access, help us improve care, advocate for medically-complex infants, and provide important information for their families."



"We are thrilled to support CHNC's comprehensive registries for transforming neonatal care," said Priti Sahai, M.D., Senior Vice President of Velos. "CHNC's needs and Velos' strengths are well aligned. Velos eResearch has inherent capabilities for multi-registry, multi-site management, electronic data capture, and reporting. The vast array of Velos eResearch's capabilities will not only serve the needs of CHNC for a dynamic registry, but also provide actionable insights into data collected over time." "CHNC is a special organization and a true champion of quality and safety improvement and related standards for children around the world," says John McIlwain, CEO of Velos. "Velos is honored to have the opportunity to support CHNC in this important international, multicenter initiative."

About Velos: Velos is the trusted clinical trial management resource for investigators, sponsors, and academic leaders throughout the world. Founded in 1996, Velos, Inc. is privately held with headquarters in Fremont, California. For more information, visit www.velos.com. About CHNC: The Children's Hospitals Neonatal Consortium (www.theCHNC.org) began in 2006 as a grass-roots initiative to improve neonatal care. CHNC partnered with the Children's Hospital's Association to launch a comprehensive dataset, the Children's Hospitals Neonatal Database, in 2010. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chnc-partners-with-velos-on-multicenter-registry-focused-on-improving-care-of-infants-with-serious-diseases-300391625.html SOURCE Velos

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Governor Ducey Proclaims Jan. 22-28 "Arizona School Choice Week"; Joins Leaders Nationwide in Celebrating Opportunity in Education

Jan. 22-28 is officially Arizona School Choice Week, thanks to a proclamation from Governor Doug Ducey. He joins more than a dozen other governors and more than 500 city and county leaders nationwide in issuing similar proclamations.

Across Arizona, 970 events will raise awareness and spark conversations about the educational options parents have, or want to have, for their children during National School Choice Week, January 22-28, 2017.

More than 21,000 independently planned events will take place nationwide. Events include rallies, roundtable discussions, coffeehouse meet-ups, festivals, school fairs, and more.

"As one of the most advanced states in the country when it comes to providing educational options for parents, Arizona has a lot to celebrate during National School Choice Week," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. "The momentum an enthusiasm for school choice has been exciting to see. Arizona parents, like parents everywhere, want choices for their kids' education."







Held every January, National School Choice Week is an independent, nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort designed to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options for every child. Through thousands of independently planned events across the country, National School Choice Week raises public awareness of all types of educational choices available to children. These options include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools, and homeschooling.

For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com, or visit www.facebook.com/schoolchoiceweek.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170116005803/en/
Governor Herbert Proclaims Jan. 22-28 "Utah School Choice Week"; Joins Leaders Nationwide in Celebrating Opportunity in Education

Governor Gary Herbert has officially proclaimed Jan. 22-28 as Utah School Choice Week, joining 14 other governors and more than 500 mayors and county leaders with similar proclamations.

More than 21,000 independently planned events will commemorate National School Choice Week, the largest-ever celebration of opportunity in education in U.S. history. More than 160 of those events will take place in Utah. Events include rallies, roundtable discussions, coffeehouse meet-ups, festivals, school fairs, and more.

School Choice Week is a nonpartisan, nonpolitical effort seeking to raise awareness of the school choice options parents have, or want to have, for their children.

"We are grateful to Gov. Herbert for his support of the school choice movement in Utah," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. "When parents are empwered to choose the schools they believe are best for their kids, the kids succeed - and Utah succeeds."







Held every January, National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort designed to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options for every child. Through thousands of independently planned events across the country, National School Choice Week raises public awareness of all types of educational choices available to children. These options include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools, and homeschooling.

For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com, or visit www.facebook.com/schoolchoiceweek.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170116005819/en/
[January 17, 2017] HealthSparq Achieves NCQA Certification

Today, HealthSparq, a company committed to helping people make smarter health care decisions, has been awarded National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health Information Products - Physician and Hospital Directories (HIP4) Certification. HIP4 certification reflects the rigorous and comprehensive independent review by NCQA, demonstrating the ability of a company to provide information in an intuitive and transparent manner to help eligible individuals choose physicians and hospitals. This certification is a part of HealthSparq's commitment to a people-first system, ensuring that health care works for people, not against them. "Earning NCQA's Health Information Products Certification demonstrates that an organization has expertise in gathering and disseminating health care information for health plan members," said Kathleen C. Mudd, Vice President, Product Delivery at NCQA. "HealthSparq is to be commended for being one of the few organizations in the nation to be reviewed for these services." "This achievement is a testament to the hard work of our employees who strive to ensure people have the critical information they need in order to make the best health are decisions for themselves and their families," said Mark Menton, interim CEO at HealthSparq. "We are proud to be working toward a more streamlined health care system and putting people first in all that we do."



NCQA certification is a nationally recognized evaluation that purchasers, regulators and consumers can use to assess health plans and health plan vendors. For more information about NCQA please visit at www.ncqa.org.

About HealthSparq HealthSparq empowers people to make smarter health care choices by providing the cost and quality information they need to truly compare health providers and services. By enabling people to see the total costs of care for more than 400 medical treatments based on their individual health plan, comparison shop for procedures and providers, review quality ratings, learn about alternative care options, schedule appointments or buy health care services online, HealthSparq is helping people navigate the health care system as they never have before. HealthSparq is part of the Cambia Health Solutions family of companies and is located in Portland, Oregon, and has grown to serve 71 health plans and their 74 million members nationwide. Interested in joining a health care revolution? Contact us at HealthSparq.com or tweet us @HealthSparq. About NCQA NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005646/en/

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[January 17, 2017] Heartland Technology Continues to Expand its Commercial Team with Water Industry Veteran Assaad Haddad

KIRKWOOD, Mo., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Heartland Technology (Kirkwood, MO), a global water technology company that develops innovative products to solve some of the world's most challenging wastewater problems, is pleased to announce that it has added another top water industry veteran to its Commercial team. Assaad Haddad brings 30 years of experience in water and wastewater treatment to his new role as Heartland's Director of Commercial Operations. He will be focused on driving the company's planned expansion into key global markets and building relationships with engineering firms which are key channel partners for Heartland. Most recently, Mr. Haddad was the Commercial Engineering Project Development Manager for GE Water focused on the development of GE's largest, complex projects globally, requiring equity injection with a high degree of technical, legal, engineering, and financing support. Prior to that, Mr. Haddad served as the Asset Manager of GE's largest Built-Own-Operate (BOO) water treatment facilities. Mr. Haddad has been involved with a wide variety of water treatment projects in various geographies and industries that incude the Sulaibiya wastewater reclamation plant in Kuwait, the Hamma desalination plant in Algeria, the Moneta Divide shale-gas wastewater treatment plant in Wyoming, and the Alabama Power Plant  Barry water treatment plant.



"We couldn't be more excited to have Assaad join Heartland. Assaad is high integrity team player who brings deep domain experience in partnering with EPCs to deliver wastewater solutions," says Earl Jones, CEO Heartland Technology. "Assaad's strong international experience is key for Heartland as we move into the growing ZLD opportunities in Asia, Africa, Oceana and Latin America." Fluent in English, Arabic and French, Mr. Haddad holds a Master of Science (MS) in Rural & Environmental Engineering from the University of Saint Joseph. He resides in the Boston area with his wife and three children.

About Heartland Technology Heartland Technology develops innovative solutions for treating the world's most challenging waste waters. Its platform technology, the Heartland Concentrator, has a proven eight-year track record of successfully treating a variety of difficult to treat industrial wastewaters including landfill leachate, FGD scrubber water and oil & gas produced water. Heartland's packaged systems are rugged, simple, and effective, and deliver the lowest lifecycle treatment costs. Inquiries and question about Heartland Technology should be sent to: John Weigold, Director of Marketing, at 617.823.8097 or [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/heartland-technology-continues-to-expand-its-commercial-team-with-water-industry-veteran-assaad-haddad-300391185.html SOURCE Heartland Technology

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[January 17, 2017] LendIt China Announces Lang Di Fintech 2017, Partners with JadeValue Fintech, And Launches LendIt News on WeChat

NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LendIt, the world's biggest show in lending and fintech, made several major announcements today related to China. First, LendIt announced the official launch of Lang Di Fintech 2017, its 2nd annual Chinese fintech conference held on July 15-16 at the Kerry Hotel, Pudong, Shanghai. Second, LendIt announced its partnership with JadeValue Fintech, a leading Chinese fintech incubator, to co-host the 2nd annual Chinese edition of the [email protected] startup competition. Finally, LendIt officially launched its daily fintech news channel called LendIt News on its brand new Lang Di WeChat channel. Lang Di Fintech 2017 expects over 2,000 industry decision-makers from around the world to participate across six tracks of content and with over 300 speakers. The primary focus will be on how technology impacts financial services with specific topics focused on artificial intelligence, machine learning, identity verification through biometrics, the Blockchain's impact on capital markets, the emergence of insurtech, fintech cooperation with banks, financial inclusion and financial wellness, wealth management for the mass affluent, innovation in real estate technology, applying alternative data to credit underwriting and decisioning, and the emergence of digital banking among other fintech categories. "We are advancing our goal to be the leading fintech summit in China by bringing together traditional financial services with the latest technologies and connecting industry leaders from around the world," said Peter Renton, co-founder, LendIt. "We are honored to deepen our ties with JadeValue to jointly support fintech startups by providing critical resources for their early development." LendIt and JadeValue have joined forces to co-host PitchIt at Lang Di. JadeValue has opened beautiful co-working and incubation space in the heart of Lujiazui, the financial center of Shanghai, to provide promising fintech startups with capital, talent, advice, operating resources, and a network. Lang Di will provide the stage and the spotlight to gain visibility and influence across China and the global fintech community. The winning company will receive a RMB 1 million investment from JadeValue and co-working space for 6 months. The winner will also receive 2 tickets to LendIt USA 2018 as well as round trip airfare and full accommodations for the duration of the conference. The LendIt team will curate meetings with fintech companies and investors during their trip to the U.S. For additional information on PitchIt at Lang Di including how to apply, please visit: langdifintech.cn



Yang Tang, founder of JadeValue, added, "As a professional financial technology incubator, JadeValue is rooted in this vertical industry, hoping to discover the latest fintech innovation enterprises. Our collaboration with LendIt not only provides a local venue and service backup for PitchIt China, but also further broadens our own capability to spot the industry's emerging stars." LendIt is also pleased to announce the launch of LendIt News translated into Mandarin on the newly formed Lang Di WeChat channel. This daily news brief is curated by the LendIt content staff to highlight the most important fintech news stories from around the world. This is the first launch of LendIt News, which rolls out in the U.S. in the coming months. You can find LendIt News at http://www.lendit.com/news/ or at WeChat account langdifintech.

About LendIt LendIt is a recognized global Internet finance industry leader, founded in New York in 2013 by Jason Jones, Bo Brustkern and Peter Renton. Its aim is to gather industry elites to discuss and explore latest trends in the development of international financial technology. LendIt currently operates LendIt Fintech Summits in China, Europe and the U.S. and has become the largest fintech industry event in the world. LendIt also owns an industry educational channel called Lend Academy. About JadeValue JadeValue is a financial technology incubator located at Lujiazui, the financial center of Shanghai. It brings together the world's top entrepreneurial teams, investors and financial technology social networks. It is dedicated to discovering epoch-making innovators in five defining fintech areas, which are insurtech, Blockchain, real estate big data/artificial intelligence, robo advisors and credit diagnosis. JadeValue was founded in November 2016 by China's micro-borrowing service company Cash Bus. Media Contact: Melissa Barto

JCUTLER media group

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lendit-china-announces-lang-di-fintech-2017-partners-with-jadevalue-fintech-and-launches-lendit-news-on-wechat-300391988.html SOURCE LendIt

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[January 17, 2017] Megaport Enters into Global Platform & Exclusive South American Strategic Alliance with Seaborn Networks

Seaborn Networks to Have Exclusive Megaport-Enabled Broadband on Demand Solutions in South America, With Global Reach for Seaborn Customers and Megaport Accessibility to Seaborn's US-Brazil Cable NEW YORK and BOSTON, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Megaport (USA), Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Megaport Limited (ASX: MP1) ("Megaport"), the leading global provider of Elastic Interconnection services, today announced its intention to enter into a Global Platform & Licensing Agreement with Seaborn Networks ("Seaborn"), the developer-owner-operator of submarine fiber optic cable system Seabras-1. As a result of this strategic alliance, Seaborn will have an out-of-the-box software platform that allows customers to order and provision elastic services via an online portal, thus bringing elastic subsea connectivity to South America. Leveraging this alliance, Seaborn will also have exclusive rights to deploy Megaport-enabled broadband on demand solutions inside of South America and for international connectivity to and from South America. "A strategic alliance such as this with Seaborn Networks, enables us to leverage our unique SDN to provide cloud connections between North and South American enterprises in a flexible, cloud agnostic manner," said Denver Maddux, Megaport CEO. "Seaborn was an easy choice for a strategic alliance and exclusive South American partnership with a long list of mutual benefits, like minded executive teams and a shared desired to disrupt the natural markets using leading technology and software. As Megaport continues to expand our global reach and diversification of services, partners like Seaborn will be a key focus in creating a truly neutral, global platform." Benefits of this alliance include the development of Seaborn's ow portal and provisioning platform in line with the existing services that Megaport currently offers. This will enable Seaborn customers to access any of Megaport's 140+ enabled data centres, and also to order from a portal that leverages three years of Megaport's technology and will have continued management and support from Megaport.



"We share Megaport's vision regarding the opportunity to roll out these broadband-on-demand capabilities on the US-Brazil route as well as throughout other South American markets," said Larry Schwartz, Chairman & CEO of Seaborn Networks. "We are excited to be able to have the exclusive rights to deploy Megaport's Elastic Interconnection services throughout South America and look forward to working with the Megaport team." The strategic alliance will also establish the first third party operated Megaport PoP in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This opens a whole new region of cloud services to a previously underserved market. Customers in both South America and North America will have an elastic interconnection offering capable of connecting the two regions. As with all Megaport enabled infrastructure, consumption is based on cloud computing economics, including month-to-month services and scalable bandwidth.

About Megaport Megaport is the global leading provider of Elastic Interconnection services. The Company's global Software Defined Network enables customers to rapidly connect their network to other services and data centres across the world. Services can be directly controlled by customers via their mobile devices, computer, or our open API. The Company's extensive footprint in Australia, Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe provides a neutral platform that spans many key data centre providers across various cities. Led by industry veteran Denver Maddux, Megaport has been built by a highly experienced team with extensive knowledge in building large scale global carrier networks and cloud connectivity. Megaport connects over 550 customers throughout its 140+ locations in 36 markets in 19 countries. Megaport is an Amazon AWS Technology Partner, Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Partner, and Google Cloud Interconnect Partner. If you would like to learn more about Megaport, please visit megaport.com. About Seaborn Networks Seaborn Networks is a leading developer-owner-operator of independent submarine fiber optic cable systems, including Seabras-1 between New York and Sao Paulo which has a committed ready-for-service date of June 2017. Seaborn was founded by successful submarine cable and wholesale carrier executives with experience in designing, building and operating many of the world's largest submarine and terrestrial networks. For additional information, see www.seabornnetworks.com. MEDIA INQUIRIES Megaport Contact:

Wendy Hill

[email protected]

Sapphire Communications for Megaport

(M) +61 427 173 203 Seaborn Press Contact:

Kate Wilson

[email protected]

(T) +1 978 471 3169 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/megaport-enters-into-global-platform--exclusive-south-american-strategic-alliance-with-seaborn-networks-300391658.html SOURCE Megaport

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By Press Trust of India: victims retropectively

Mumbai, Jan 17 (PTI) The Bombay High Court today rapped the Maharashtra government for inordinate delay in deciding whether benefits of a rehabilitation scheme meant for rape and child abuse victims can be given with retrospective effect and said it was obligated to help such victims.

A division bench of Justices R V More and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi was irked when informed by additional public prosecutor Mankhuvar Deshmukh that the state government does not have enough funds to extend the Manodhairya scheme provisions with retrospective effect.

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"You (government) are obligated to help these victims. It is your duty to ensure that they (victims) get proper counselling soon after the FIR is lodged and financial help is extended to them. You (government) are not doing charity or doing them any favour by helping them," Justice More said.

Under the scheme, which was introduced in 2014, the state government had decided to pay maximum Rs three lakh to rape victims and those suffering in cases of violence against women.

However, during earlier hearings in a public interest litigation, the high court had suggested the scheme be applied to some deserving cases with retrospective effect.

The government had then said it would take a decision on this soon but till date no decision has been taken.

The high court has posted the petition for further hearing next week. PTI SP DK SC

--- ENDS ---
[January 17, 2017] P&G and its Always Brand Announce Commitment to Changing the World of Refugee Girls

Today, Procter & Gamble and global feminine care leader, Always, announce a new commitment to address the challenges girls and young women are facing due to the effects of the Syrian refugee crisis. In partnership with UNESCO and Save the Children, they will help rebuild the confidence of girls in Jordan through education and skill development. Today's commitment furthers the Always brand's mission of championing girls' confidence and a world free from gender bias. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006529/en/ L-R: Lliam Findlay - Policy and Advocacy Adviser to the CEO, Save the Children; Tanya Beckett - Presenter, BBC News; Gulsar Corat - Director of the Division for Gender Equality, UNESCO; Carolyn Tastad - Gender Equality Executive Sponsor, P&G; Maurice Levy - CEO, Publicis Groupe (Photo: Business Wire) Marking the launch of this new commitment during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, P&G and Always brought together international experts and leading figures to discuss solutions to securing the future of young women through education and skill development within the context of the current refugee crisis. Participants included Carolyn Tastad, Gender Equality Executive Sponsor and Group President of North America, P&G, Gulser Corat, Director of the Division for Gender Equality, UNESCO, Lliam Findlay, Policy and Advocacy Adviser to the CEO, Save the Children and Maurice Levy, CEO, Publicis Groupe. A large number of Syrian refugees, especially girls, are no longer attending school. Adolescent girls entering puberty or going through their early teenage years are particularly at risk. Their bodies are changing and the support they might usually receive from their families may no longer be available, resulting in a loss of confidence and them being left out of school and education. Additionally, many young women affected by the refugee crisis are unable to work and provide income for their families, lacking access to training and facing gender-based barriers that keep them at home. P&G and Always are working to stop this, rooted in the belief that education is key to empowering girls and young women so they are confident, skilled, strong and equipped to take charge of their future even in the most challenging circumstances. It's well-documented that when girls and women thrive, families are healthier and communities are stronger. This new commitment in Jordan builds on the Always' 0-year heritage of providing puberty and confidence education to more than 17 million girls around the world every year, and furthers P&G's focus on and commitment to gender equality. It extends our existing partnership with UNESCO which has provided much-needed support to girls in Senegal and Nigeria to help them stay in school.



This new initiative with UNESCO focuses on reaching young Syrian and Jordanian women, who have encountered significant challenges with continuing and completing basic education or pursuing training opportunities. The programme provides these young, at-risk women with life-skills and work readiness training, whilst encouraging shared experiences and an open dialogue between Syrians and Jordanians. It is designed to help the young women develop business and vocational skills to realise their potential. Always are also supporting a second programme with Save the Children; which expands our collective work, focused on helping thousands of adolescent South African and Nigerian girls stay in school. This programme provides homebound girls with life skills and educates their parents on the importance of supporting their daughters through puberty. The programme also involves local community support through formal and non-formal education, either in local schools or home-school efforts.

Removing social and family barriers is important to ensuring girls have the confidence to grow and thrive. That's why these efforts include training and education of parents and community members on topics including girls' right to education, the role of women in society, and the importance of gender equality. The programmes aim to reach around 1000 girls and young women. Carolyn Tastad, Gender Equality Executive Sponsor and Group President of North America, P&G adds: "At P&G, we believe girls and women are a force for positive change in the world. Growing their knowledge and skills builds confidence and unleashes their full potential and power. Our commitment today as P&G and through our Always brand contributes to our aspiration to build a better world for all of us - a world free of gender bias." Those who want to support this commitment can donate to UNESCO and Save the Children funds, which will allow them to reach more girls and women with life-changing support. Be part of this positive force for change, and support activities by donating to their respective funds here: http://www.unesco.org/donate/syria2014.html www.savethechildren.org/girls - ENDS - About Procter & Gamble P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always, Ambi Pur, Ariel, Bounty, Charmin, Crest, Dawn, Downy, Fairy, Febreze, Gain, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Lenor, Olay, Oral-B, Pampers, Pantene, SK-II, Tide, Vicks, and Whisper. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands. About Always Always, the world's leader in feminine protection, offers a wide range of feminine pads, wipes and pantiliners designed to fit different body types, period flows and preferences. The Always line of feminine products includes Always Infinity, Always Ultra Thins, Always Maxis, Always Pantiliners and Always Feminine Wipes. Please visit www.always.com for more information. About UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was created in 1945 to promote solidarity and dialogue among nations in education, the sciences, culture and communication based upon respect for commonly shared values. Exchanges and cooperation among the Organization's 195 Member States in these areas is intended to promote peace and contribute to sustainable development. About Save the Children Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children - every day and in times of crisis - transforming their lives and the future we share. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006529/en/

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[January 17, 2017] U.S. Chamber Ad Campaign Urges Broad Legislative Action to Improve Missouri's Lawsuit Climate

The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today launched an online and television advertising campaign urging the Missouri legislature to take broad action to improve the state's lawsuit climate. "Missouri's poor litigation environment benefits trial lawyers at the expense of small businesses and consumers," said Lisa A. Rickard, president of ILR. "Fortunately, the state legislature now has a chance to put jobs and justice first." In partnership with the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ILR will advocate for comprehensive legal reforms in the legislative session. Included will be: Modernizing the state's expert testimony standards

Ensuring that courts and juries properly consider accurate damage calculations

Preventing plaintiffs' lawyers from shopping for favorable courts for out-of-state plaintiffs

Making sure that parties in a lawsuit do not pay more than their fair share of financial responsibility

Combatting "double dip" claims against asbestos bankruptcy trusts and in the tort sysem

Restricting "bad faith" lawsuits against insurers who in good faith attempt to pay a claim



2015 Lawsuit Climate Survey: Ranking the States, a survey of the 50 state lawsuit climates conducted by Harris Poll, representing an all-time low since the survey launched in 2002. Missouri also ranked below all eight states that it shares a border with in the survey, except for Illinois, which ranked number 48 out of 50. In the survey, 75 percent of senior company attorneys surveyed said a state's lawsuit environment is likely to impact important business decisions at their company, including where to locate or expand. That was an 18 percent increase from 2007, and an all-time high.

ILR seeks to promote civil justice reform through legislative, political, judicial, and educational activities at the global, national, state, and local levels. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations. InstituteforLegalReform.com @LegalReform www.freeenterprise.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005969/en/

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[January 16, 2017] LaMarr Barnes Named as CEO U.S. Water Services, Inc.

U.S. Water announced today that LaMarr Barnes has been named Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Water Services (U.S. Water), a wholly owned subsidiary of ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE: ALE). This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170116005775/en/ LaMarr Barnes named CEO at U.S. Water (Photo: Business Wire) Barnes replaces former CEO Allan Bly, who resigned his position after a 20-year career with the company. Barnes has more than 25 years of experience in industrial water treatment and technology management. Hired in 2010 as Vice President of Marketing, Barnes assumed added responsibilities as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development before being named Senior Executive Vice President of Marketing and Strategy in 2015. "I sincerely thank Al Bly for his service to U.S. Water as one of the company's co-founders and leading our organization as CEO, and wish him the best in his new endeavors," Barnes said. "I look forward to assuming the role of CEO and working with our talented employees on continuing customer service excellence and enhancements to our innovative products and services. Our iniial focus will be on ensuring an effective transition and maintaining U.S. Water's growth in an expanding market."



Barnes is recognized as an expert in plant operations and integrated water treatment program applications. He earned a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Illinois - Champaign, Urbana, and an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. Bob Adams, incoming ALLETE Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer, echoed Barnes' thanks to Bly, and said he is confident in Barnes' leadership and knowledge of U.S. Water's culture and customers.

"As senior executive vice president, LaMarr has played a large role in U.S. Water's recent growth, both organically by adding customers through superior service and also through strategic acquisitions," Adams said. "We foresee a seamless transition as LaMarr and the U.S. Water leadership team continues to seek growth opportunities by providing sustainable solutions for customers. ALLETE believes the demand for sustainable water management solutions will increase as large users seek ways to enhance efficiency and improve their bottom line." Headquartered in St. Michael, Minnesota, U.S. Water has a national footprint and serves a growing and diverse mix of about 4,600 industrial customers, including a significant number of Fortune 500 companies. U.S. Water provides integrated water management for industry, combining chemical, equipment, engineering and service for customized solutions to reduce water and energy usage and improve efficiency. U.S. Water helps customers achieve efficient and sustainable use of their water and energy systems, and is a leading provider to industries such as biofuels, power generation, oil and gas, and health care. ALLETE, Inc. is an energy company headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota. In addition to U.S. Water Services, ALLETE owns two electric utilities, Minnesota Power and Superior Water, Light and Power of Wisconsin; ALLETE Clean Energy (News - Alert), based in Duluth; and BNI Energy in Bismarck, North Dakota; and has an eight percent equity interest in the American Transmission Co. More information about ALLETE is available at www.allete.com. For more information, contact [email protected]. U.S. Water, an ALLETE company (NYSE: ALE), is an integrated industrial water management company headquartered in St. Michael, Minnesota. U.S. Water provides integrated water management for industry by combining chemical, equipment, engineering and service for customized solutions to reduce water and energy usage and improve efficiency. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170116005775/en/

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Governor LePage Proclaims Jan. 22-28 "Maine School Choice Week"; Joins Leaders Nationwide in Celebrating Opportunity in Education

Maine Governor Paul LePage has officially proclaimed Jan. 22-28 as "Maine School Choice Week." Fourteen other governors and more than 500 mayors and county leaders have issued proclamations of School Choice Week.

The largest-ever celebration of opportunity in education, National School Choice Week will feature more than 21,000 independently planned events around the country, including more than 70 in Maine. Events include rallies, roundtable discussions, coffeehouse meet-ups, festivals, school fairs, and more.

National School Choice Week is a nonpartisan, nonpolitical effort seeking to raise awareness of the school choice options parents have, or want to have, for their children.

"We are happy to have the support of Governor LePage and the state of Maine, home to one of the oldest school choice programs in the country," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. The school choice movement has spread to nearly every state in America, thanks to the growing enthusiasm and support for parents who want to provide the best education possible for their children."







Held every January, National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort designed to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options for every child. Through thousands of independently planned events across the country, National School Choice Week raises public awareness of all types of educational choices available to children. These options include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools, and homeschooling.

For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com, or visit www.facebook.com/schoolchoiceweek.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170116005812/en/
[January 17, 2017] Malaysia: A Practice of Inclusive Sustainable Growth in the Global Village

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The call for world leaders at the upcoming World Economic Forum 2017 in Davos to exercise "Responsive and Responsible Leadership" could not come at a better time. Expecting more than 2,500 global leaders in government, business and civil society, the meeting will focus on four critical leadership challenges for 2017 -- Namely, re-imagining global cooperation, revitalising the global economy, reforming capitalism and preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/457608/Coat_of_arms_of_Malaysia_Logo.jpg For a developing nation like Malaysia, with a diverse population of 31.7 million people of different backgrounds and cultures with each community having their own specific challenges, Responsible and Responsive Leadership means ensuring long term inclusive and sustainable growth for its people by driving economic advancements through domestic and international strategic initiatives. "Responsive and Resonsible Leadership is about ensuring that all segments of society are included in our nation building efforts. It is about driving inclusive growth from a domestic and international point of view," said Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia. "Despite trends in certain countries returning to more nationalistic roots, Malaysia is firmly committed to the idea that we live in a global community."



"The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is a good example of how small to medium sized countries working together have been able to transform themselves into a single market and production based with a combined population of 625 million and a GDP of USD2.43 trillion. That gives ASEAN considerable leveraging power and equal footing when negotiating with economies like Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea to form the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), to become an economic region with a total population of more than 3 billion people and a combined GDP of USD17.2 trillion." Recognising the opportunities and dangers that the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings if not managed properly, Malaysia has rolled out a National Internet of Things (IoT) Blueprint to help guide the nation through this new paradigm shift and to maximise the advantages and ensure inclusive growth for all its communities. Among initiatives in driving the digital economy, new identified certified locations called Malaysia Digital Hubs will be established especially for the start-up community. In addition to this, plans are underway with Australia to develop a fintech ecosystem for the country.

"The World Economic Forum is an excellent platform for world leaders and experts to get together to exchange ideas and views, and more importantly, commit to the idea that we share this world as one community," said Mohamed. "To move forward and drive meaningful inclusive sustainable growth for all, we need to do more than just align our interests. We need to align our values," he concluded.

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[January 17, 2017] Mastercard Launches Mobile Marketplace to Digitize East Africa's Agricultural Sector

Mastercard today launched 2KUZE, a digital platform that connects smallholder farmers, agents, buyers and banks in East Africa. 2KUZE, which in Swahili means "Let's grow together," enables farmers to buy, sell and receive payments for agricultural goods via their feature phones. The platform brings the benefits and security of mobile commerce and payments to farmers in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. 2KUZE was developed at the Mastercard Lab for Financial Inclusion in Nairobi, which was set up in 2015 to develop practical and cost-effective financial tools that expand access and help build stable futures for more than 100 million people globally. Through a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Lab is working with East African entrepreneurs, governments and other stakeholders to develop local products rooted in the company's global knowhow. In the initial pilot, 2KUZE is being launched in partnership with Cafedirect Producers Foundation, a non-profit organization working with 300,000 smallholder farmers globally. Currently, 2,000 small-scale farmers in Nandi Hills, Kenya are using the solution to sell their produce and working with farmer-friendly agents to ensure they reach the right buyers for the best price. "Eighty percent of farmers in Africa are classified as smallholder farmers having less than 1-2 acres of farming land, making it extremely difficult to drive growth and prosperity within this community," said Daniel Monehin, division president for Sub-Saharan Africa and head of financial inclusion for International Markets at Mastercard. "We believe that by using mobile, a technology that is so uiquitous among farmers in Africa, we can improve financial access, bring in operational efficiency and facilitate faster payments. The collaboration between the Lab team and farmers in the market helped to deliver a solution that can be implemented and make an impact without any major changes to the day-to-day."



2KUZE makes transacting much safer and simpler for all stakeholders in the agricultural supply chain - the farmer, the buyer and the agent. Farmers using 2KUZE can conduct the entire transaction of selling produce and receiving payments via their feature phones, without having to walk for hours to the markets. The platform enables farmers to capture a greater percentage of the wholesale value of their goods by providing price transparency, more direct access to buyers and empowerment of farmer-friendly agents. This solution in particular supports women farmers, who often have household duties that prevent them from leaving the farm gate and are more often subject to having to take whatever deal is given to them on the day. Digitizing these transactions in a trusted, auditable environment provides a legitimate financial footprint, opening up access to loans and other financial services, and also introducing a more efficient process that benefits the entire value chain, as well as the overall economy.

Mastercard Lab is exploring the potential for 2KUZE to help farming communities receive the right level of investment and to encourage more efficient ways of doing business with smallholder farmers. 2KUZE is one of several broad-based collaborations on which the Mastercard Lab for Financial Inclusion is working. The Lab was established in Africa to contribute to the company's global commitment to connect 500 million people to formal financial services through the use of public-private partnerships with governments, the private sector and non-governmental organizations. About Mastercard: Mastercard, www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world's fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard's products and solutions make everyday commerce activities - such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances - easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert): @MastercardMEA and @MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Mastercard Engagement Bureau. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170116005049/en/

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[January 17, 2017] AURAK Promotes Women's Opportunities in STEM Education with AGYA Workshop

The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) in association with the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA), has today launched the 'Women in STEM Education and Career Pathways' conference. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170116005521/en/ Dr. Sagebiel speaks about the harmful effects of gender stereotypes. (Photo: ME NewsWire) The international conference specifically focuses on boosting oppotunities and awareness for women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Over the course of the two days prominent women within the fields of science, technology and engineering, delivered lectures on their own personal experiences and how the situation could potentially be improved.



Reflecting on the importance of such initiatives, particularly within the Middle East and North Africa region, Professor Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, AURAK president, stated, "As a university, I feel that we have a duty to actively promote progressive values and attitudes. Through the power of education we are obligated to encourage equal opportunities for women, both within education and the sphere of work." In the keynote session, 'Women in Engineering and Higher Education', dean of the AURAK School of Engineering, Professor Mousa Mohsen, gave a speech examining the reasons as to why women in general, and particularly those living in the Arab region, have their opportunities restricted due to numerous sociocultural factors which need to be urgently addressed. Another keynote speaker, Dr. Felizitas Sagebiel from the University of Wuppertal in Germany, tackled the issue of gender stereotypes and their harmful effects on society.

Subsequent sessions, all aimed at the empowerment of women, took place throughout Sunday and Monday, included 'Women and Careers in Research', 'Shortage of Females in STEM', 'Promoting Women's Entrepreneurial Skills' and 'Best Practices for Attracting Women to Careers in Engineering in the Arab States and Germany'. These discussions and talks were led by a number of empowered women from institutions across the UAE, Germany, Morocco and Jordan. This initiative is the latest collaboration between AURAK and its German partners. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research sponsored the event, while AURAK's Dr. Ahmad Sakhrieh is also the co-president of AGYA. *Source (News - Alert): ME NewsWire View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170116005521/en/

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[January 17, 2017] CORL's Analysis Reveals Critical Gaps in IT Security Certification Upkeep Among Vendors Servicing Health Systems and Health Plans

ATLANTA, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CORL Technologies (CORL) today announced the identification of a significant lack of security practices leading to potential risk across thousands of health industry business associates (BAs) compared with companies servicing other industries. Using the health industry's largest database of 30,000 vendors, CORL's analysis found only 26 percent of health information technology (HIT), medical device and outsourced service BAs possess a security certification, including HITRUST, SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001 and FedRAMP. CORL is a SOC 2 Type 2 certified IT security vendor risk management firm with headquarters in Atlanta. The company's expert research analysts assess vendor security practices and recommend security strategies and solutions. "Large health systems and health plans rely heavily on BAs. Many maintain a roster of hundreds to thousands of vendors with access to protected health information. This means more third-party vendors than ever have access to a covered entity's data," said Cliff Baker, CORL's CEO. "Without the proper security certifications in place, a security breach experienced by only one business associate or its subcontractors could result in a damaged reputation, substantial regulatory penalties and breach remediation costs in the millions of dollars." CORL's research reflects the most extensive and unique data analysis of its type. The company sampled the certification status of 1,000 vendors from CORL's database of more than 30,000 health industry BAs. "Our research clearly indicates a wake-up call that valuable patient data is not secured properly and vigilantly, and remains at high risk," Baker said. "Hospitals, health systems, payers and other providers must implement risk assessment and management strategies for their BAs to mitigate and defend against future breach attacks." Two CORL clients employed at the same mid-size health system located in the Midwestern U.S. offered these comments: "We impose contract obligations with our BAs to keep our data secure, and consider certifications a strong indicator of commitment to data protection. In fact, vendor certification is a major buying decision for us," said the manager of information systems services. According to the director of internal audit and corporate compliance, "Few vendors have certifications yet, so we are unable currently to make it a contractual requirement. However, we rely on CORL to engage the vendors and push certifications and risk remediation activities. It's a slow move, but a shift is definitely occurring across the health industry." Key findings from CORL's research are as follows: Covered entities are not holding BAs accountable for investing in security. Sixty percent of health industry vendors surveyed lack a dedicated security leader. More than 50 percent of a health system's vendors are small, and certification rate typically drops to about 5 percent for these types of companies. Many certifications provided by vendors do not relate to protecting PHI, such as SSAE-16 and PCI.

Health industry vendors fall behind significantly in investing and maintaining security certifications compared with vendors servicing other industries. Non-health-specific companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, IBM and Google have multiple certifications including a combination of ISO, FedRAMP and SOC 2. Some are pursuing HITRUST and other health industry certifications. Microsoft Azure announced Jan. 3 that it is now HITRUST CSF Certified. The HITRUST Certification is one of the most widely recognized security accreditations in the health industry. By contrast, there is no consistency in certifications for many other HIT and outsourced services companies, and 74 percent of BAs lack relevant security certifications.

Relevant certifications most often adopted by vendors servicing health industry providers and insurers:







Type of Certification Percent Adopted by Vendors ISO 27011: 2013 19% HITRUST1 4% SOC21 18% SOC3 4% SSAE-162 24% PCI2 23% FedRAMP 3% FISMA 4%



1 Observing significant growth in healthcare 2 Not relevant to protecting PHI

"We believe a greater level of transparency in the relationship among providers, payers and vendors is achievable through adherence to industry standards, comprehensive security frameworks, and the attainment of their related certifications," said Baker. Baker recommends the following guidelines for hospitals, health systems, payers and BAs: Covered entities must take regulatory responsibility to understand the security risk to PHI created, received, maintained or transmitted by hired vendors and their subcontractors.

Security certifications give reasonable assurance about the safeguards in place to protect the data, and better determine risk and the related risk management plans to adopt.

A security certification is not a guarantee for security. It is, however, essential in helping organizations understand the safeguards in place to protect PHI. About CORL Technologies

CORL Technologies in Atlanta is a leading provider of vendor security risk management solutions. The company was founded in 2012 to address the immediate need for vendor security intelligence. CORL's Vendor Security Risk Management solutions are delivered as a managed service and are supported by expert research analysts who collaborate with an intelligence sharing community. With CORL, hospitals, health systems and payers can monitor risk with third-party vendors, ease compliance audits, and improve executive communications and risk-analytics reporting. Visit CORL at www.vendorsecurity.com or follow on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Media Contact: CORL Contact: Angela Jenkins Jay Stewart Agency Ten22 CORL Sales Leader 303.877.0115 [email protected] [email protected]

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/corls-analysis-reveals-critical-gaps-in-it-security-certification-upkeep-among-vendors-servicing-health-systems-and-health-plans-300391377.html SOURCE CORL Technologies

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[January 17, 2017] Verifone Expands International Access to Its Integrated, End-to-End Payment-as-a-Service Solution for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customers

NRF Retail's Big Show - Verifone (NYSE: PAY) today announced the expansion of its partnership with Microsoft (News - Alert) that provides comprehensive Payment-as-a-Service for Microsoft Dynamics 365 clients. Availability of Verifone Point, a Payment-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution, will now extend to Microsoft Dynamics 365 users internationally beginning with Canada. Together, the industry leaders commit to providing merchants-of-all-sizes worldwide with simplified, reliable and secure payment and commerce solutions that improve the consumer experience at the point-of-sale (POS). To keep pace with today's rapidly changing payment landscape, businesses often find themselves managing multiple technology vendors, payment device deployments and EMV certification with processors, compliance with ever-changing PCI (News - Alert) standards and payment security. Now, merchants and retailers using Microsoft Dynamics 365 all over the world can overcome payment complexity with the Verifone Point PaaS offering, which bundles payment hardware, software, and support services into a single integrated solution. "Partnering with Microsoft Dynamics, we look forward to helping a greater number of retailers focus on their business and better serving customers instead of putting precious time and resources into managing their payment systems," said Joe Mach, President of Verifone North America. "Over the last 12 months, our partnership with Verifone has helped simplify the standards and requirements that make managing payments so complex for merchants," said Balaji Balasubramanian, Principal Group Program Manager at Microsoft Corp. "We are delighted to expand this partnership to our international users and enable them to grow their business, improve the customer experience, and adopt a single, secure payment solution that is in sync with industry standards and requirements."



As a key benefit for many merchants, Verifone Point will include enhanced cardholder data protection through Secure Commerce Architecture (SCA) and end-to-end encryption. SCA prevents sensitive payment information from entering electronic cash registers, which cybercriminals often infect with malware to steal cardholder data. And, with end-to-end encryption, the data is useless to cybercriminals because it is encrypted. LEARN MORE AT NRF 2017

Visit Verifone (#3543) and Microsoft (#2803) booths in New York City, January 14-17. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for VeriFone Systems, Inc. This press release includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations or beliefs and on currently available competitive, financial and economic data and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements herein due to changes in economic, business, competitive, technological and/or regulatory factors, and other risks and uncertainties affecting the operation of the business of VeriFone Systems, Inc., including many factors beyond our control. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those associated with: successful extension of the Verifone Point solution for international Microsoft Dynamics users, execution of our strategic plan and business initiatives and whether the expected benefits of our plan and initiatives are achieved, short product cycles and rapidly changing technologies, our ability to maintain competitive leadership position with respect to our payment solution offerings, our assumptions, judgments and estimates regarding the impact on our business of the continued uncertainty in the global economic environment and financial markets, our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses into our business and operations, our ability to protect against fraud, the status of our relationship with and condition of third parties such as our contract manufacturers, distributors and key suppliers upon whom we rely in the conduct of our business, our dependence on a limited number of customers, the conduct of our business and operations internationally, our ability to effectively hedge our exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, and our dependence on a limited number of key employees. For a further list and description of the risks and uncertainties affecting the operations of our business, see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date such statements are made. Verifone is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise. About Verifone Verifone is transforming everyday transactions into opportunities for connected commerce. We're connecting payment devices to the cloud-merging the online and in-store shopping experience and creating the next generation of digital engagement between merchants and consumers. We are built on a 30-year history of uncompromised security with approximately 29 million devices and terminals deployed worldwide. Our people are known as trusted experts that work with our clients and partners, helping to solve their most complex payments challenges. We have clients and partners in more than 150 countries, including the world's best-known retail brands, financial institutions and payment providers. Verifone.com | (NYSE: PAY) | @verifone View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005606/en/

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[January 17, 2017] New Market Research on the World Market for Military Infrared Imaging Detectors and Systems (Vol. IRW-M) by Maxtech International, Inc.

SARASOTA, Fla., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Maxtech International, Inc. is releasing the 2017 edition of its market research report on military infrared detectors and systems markets (Vol. IRW-M). Military infrared imaging systems are poised to take a leap forward as advanced new infrared detector technologies become available for the next generation of systems. Some of the important trends that will start to shape advanced military infrared systems include: Uncooled systems for Manportable use with increasing performance based on large-format, small pixel Wafer-Level-Packaged (WLP) Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs) many of which are fabricated at commercial fabs that also fab low-end commercial FPAs.

Increasing competition in uncooled which has resulted in some companies withdrawing from certain market segments.

3 rd Gen dual-band cooled systems  a long delayed technology which started its programmatic development in 2016 in the U.S., followed by other countries. The technology will provide armored vehicles with unprecedented range for precision strike.

Gen dual-band cooled systems  a long delayed technology which started its programmatic development in 2016 in the U.S., followed by other countries. The technology will provide armored vehicles with unprecedented range for precision strike. High Operating Temperature (HOT) cooled detectors and systems which are expected to be incorporated into major new Programs of Record over the next five years  including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

SWIR detector (mainly InGaAs) growth in the double digits. Geographically, the U.S. continues to be the dominant supplier of military infrared systems. However, Europe, Israel and China also have a sizable presence. Countries in the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere are increasing their purchases of these systems. What's new in this report? (1) Updates on the five year market forecasts for the most dynamic high performance technologies in emerging military systems: HOT (High Operating Temperature) nBn/XBn Focal Plane Arrays

HOT MCT (Mercury Cadmium Telluride) FPAs

3 rd Gen Dual-Band megapixel FPAs

Gen Dual-Band megapixel FPAs InGaAs FPAs and systems - a breakdown by military application and company market shares. (2) An update on spending Projections for military infrared systems for the top 25 countries worldwide: NORTH AMERICA : U.S. and Canada

: U.S. and EUROPE : UK, France , Germany , Italy , Spain , Netherlands , Poland , Greece , Norway

: UK, , , , , , , , MIDDLE EAST : Israel , Saudi Arabia , Turkey , United Arab Emirates (UAE)

: , , , (UAE) ASIA : China , Russia , India

: , , PACIFIC RIM : Japan , South Korea , Australia , Taiwan , Singapore

: , , , , SOUTH AMERICA : Brazil , Colombia (3) Changes in U.S. Infrared Market Strategies (4) Market shares for suppliers of gimbaled airborne infrared systems Maxtech International's up-to-date research on World Military Infrared Imaging Markets separately covers the infrared detectors (FPAs) and the military infrared systems in which they are used. The following military infrared systems are covered in detail:

Ground-based Systems , including Night Sights, Fire Control Systems, Driver's Vision Enhancers, Thermal Weapon Sights, Fused IR/I2 Systems, Unattended Ground Sensors, Soldier Systems, Hostile Fire Indicators (HFI); Active Protection Systems (APS).

Airborne Systems , including Targeting/Navigation Pods, Targeting/Piloting Systems, Reconnaissance Systems, Infrared Countermeasures, Infrared Search and Track (IRST) Systems and Persistent Surveillance Systems (aerostats and air vehicles: fixed wing, rotary wing and UAVs);

Naval Systems including optronic masts, thermal night sights, targeting systems and shipboard IRST;

Tactical Missile Seekers , including air-to-air, surface-air, air-surface, ground-ground; and smart munitions;

Strategic Surveillance and Missile Defense including infrared satellite early warning systems and ballistic missile defense systems. The World Market for Military Infrared Imaging Detectors and Systems is the only such report on world military infrared markets and follows Maxtech International's highly acclaimed report on world commercial infrared markets. The report contains over 400 pages of up-to-date market information and forecasts and is priced at $5150. It is only available directly from Maxtech (no third parties are authorized for its distribution.) Maxtech International's analysis of World Military Infrared Imaging Markets provides the following valuable market information: The current size of world military infrared detector and systems markets (base year: 2016).

Five-year projections of world military infrared detector and systems markets (2017 - 2021)

Geographic segmentation of the overall market into the following regions: North America , Europe , Pacific Rim , Asia , Latin America , Africa and Middle East

An analysis of military infrared capabilities for 26 countries

Five-year Projections for Military Infrared Spending for the Top 25 Countries Worldwide

The expected market growth rate for various types of infrared FPAs

Technology trends and the status of next-generation FPAs and systems

Competitive analyses and market shares

Profiles of 47 suppliers of Military Infrared Imaging Detectors and Systems  Including their market strategies Updated new sections include:

Five year market forecasts for: HOT (High Operating Temperature) nBn/XBn Focal Plane Arrays

HOT MCT (Mercury Cadmium Telluride) FPAs

3 rd Gen Dual-Band megapixel FPAs

Gen Dual-Band megapixel FPAs InGaAs FPAs and systems The structure of the report: Executive Summary

A concise summary of the important results in the report. Introduction

A review of definitions, the scope of topics covered, the methodology used and the sources of information. Types of Infrared Detectors and Systems - An Analysis

Cooled Focal Plane Arrays, Cameras and Systems Mercury Cadmium Telluride (HgCdTe) FPAs and systems

Indium Antimonide (InSb) FPAs and systems

T2SL (Type II Superlattice) FPAs and systems

nBn/XBn FPAs and systems

QWIP (Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors) FPAs and systems

Lead Sulfide and Lead Selenide (PbS and PbSe) FPAs and systems

Extrinsic Silicon (Si:X) FPAs and systems

Other cooled FPAs and systems

HOT (High Operating Temperature) FPAs New developments in detector cooling technologies: Thermoelectric, Stirling and Joule-Thomson.

New developments in infrared optics, including molded optics and wafer-level optics. Uncooled Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs), Cameras and Systems Vanadium Oxide (VOx) Microbolometers and Systems

Amorphous Silicon (a-Si) Microbolometers and Systems

Other Microbolometers

SOI FPAs

Ferroelectric (Pyroelectric) Arrays and Systems

Thermopile Arrays and Systems

Vacuum Packaging of Uncooled FPAs

Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) FPAs and Systems

Novel Uncooled Technologies



Canada , Europe , Japan , and the Rest of the World.

The effect of commercial smartphone thermal imagers on the military infrared market. Trends in Military Infrared Imaging Systems:

1 st Gen

Gen 2 nd Gen

Gen 3 rd Gen (MWIR/LWIR HD)

Gen (MWIR/LWIR HD) HD (High Definition) Infrared Systems

HOT ("High" Operating Temperature) FPAs and Systems Major U.S. infrared programs (funding, program status and infrared components used) SADA I, II, III

2 nd Gen HTI upgrades

Gen HTI upgrades 3 rd Gen FLIR

Gen FLIR Driver's Vision Enhancer  FOS (Family of Systems)

BCTM (Brigade Combat Team Modernization)

FFV (Future Fighting Vehicle) IR

AAV (Amphibious Assault Vehicle) thermal sights

CCFLIR2

MRAP IR/EO

VOSS (Vehicle Optics Sensor System)

CROWS

TWS (Thermal Weapon Sights)

FWS (Family of Weapon Sights): Individual, Crew Served and Sniper

ENVG (Enhanced Night Vision Goggle) and ENVG III

XM25 (Individual Semi-Automatic Airburst System)

COTI (Clip On Thermal Imager)

DCHS (Dual Channel Heavy Sight)

INOD (Improved Night/Day Fire Control Observation Device)

HHPTD (Hand Held Precision Targeting Device)

MRTB (Medium Range Thermal Bi-ocular)

LLDR (Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder)

LTLM (Laser Target Locator Module) and LTLM II

JETS (Joint Effects Targeting System)

F-22 Missile Launch Detector (MLD)

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter EO (EOTS and DAS)

Sniper ATP (Advanced Targeting Pod) and ATP-SE

Litening G5 Targeting Pod

ATFLIR (Advanced Targeting FLIR) and NEXGENFLIR

OpenPod (Targeting, IRST etc.)

F/A-18E/F IRST (Infrared Search and Track)

Legion IRST for F-15C and F-16

MTS (Multispectral Targeting System), including AN/DAS-4

CSP (Common Sensor Payload)

Degraded Visual Environment Pilotage System (DVEPS)

ACES-HY (Hyperspectral Sensors) and SPIRITT (Spectral Infrared Imaging Transition Testbed)

MTADS/PNVS upgrade for Apache

GFAS (Ground Fire Acquisition System)

DIRCM (Directed Infrared Counter Measures)

LAIRCM (Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures) and NexGen MWS (Missile Warning System)

CIRCM (Common Infrared Countermeasures)

ThNDR (proposed fast-jet missile warning)

P-8A Poseidon EO/IR

UAV EO/IR systems (Switchblade, Predator, Reaper, Pioneer, Shadow TUAV, Gray Eagle , Global Hawk, Triton MQ-4C, Raven, Fire Scout MQ-8B, Blackjack RQ-21A, Puma AE)

, Global Hawk, Triton MQ-4C, Raven, Fire Scout MQ-8B, Blackjack RQ-21A, Puma AE) Javelin

JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile)

JSOW (Joint Standoff Weapon)

SDB II (Small Diameter Bomb II)

SFW (Sensor Fuzed Weapon)

AIM-9X

Shipboard IRST

CESARS (Combined EO/IR Surveillance and Response System)

SPS (Shipboard Protection System)

OASuW (Offensive Anti-Surface Weapon)

Phalanx CIWS

RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile)

PGSS (Persistent Ground Surveillance System)

PTDS (Persistent Threat Detection System)

AWAPSS (Airborne Wide Area Persistent Surveillance Sensor)

ARGUS-IR (Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance - Infrared)

WAPS (Wide Area Persistent Surveillance - AngelFire)

U-2 SYERS reconnaissance pod

SBIRS (Space-based Infrared System)

OPIR (Overhead Persistent Infrared) and WFOV HP (Wide Field of View Hosted Payload)

CHIRP (Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload)

FORTRESS (Focused Opportunity Reaching Toward Reliable Electro-Optic Strategic Sensors)

STSS (Space Tracking and Surveillance System)

PTSS (Precision Tracking Space System)

Ballistic Missile Defense (Aegis BMD, Standard Missile SM-3 Kinetic Warhead seeker, Ground-based Midcourse Segment, EKV seeker, CKV, THAAD  plus many others). European infrared programs MIRAS missile warning system for A400M

AASM

ASRAAM upgrades

ANL/Sea Venom

Storm Shadow /Scalp EG

/Scalp EG FCLV (Panther)

Leopard-2 upgrades

Scorpion

FELIN

Challenger II Life Extension Program

Scout SV

FENNEK

Eurofighter Typhoon, Pirate IRST

Skyward G IRST

BGTI

Catherine FC, MP, XP

Damocles

Talios

PDL NG

DDM-NG

DNVS3

SSARF

IRIS-T

JSM/NSM

MMP

OSF

ARTEMIS IRST

PASEO

SMArt 155

IdZ/Gladius (WBZG-HuntIR, NYXUS-Bird, IRV, DRAGON-C)

NH-90

Tiger

Taurus

VBCI

FCAS

EOMS NG

Watchkeeper Technology Trends

Leading research and technology developments are discussed. High Operating Temperature ("HOT") sensors (including nBn FPAs), new developments in Type II Superlattice (T2SL) FPAs (VISTA), 3-D Imaging Sensors, Ultra-small pixel Uncooled FPAs and Novel Uncooled FPA development. The latest and upcoming DARPA programs. Military Infrared Programs

More than 200 major military infrared programs worldwide are described including the detector type, prime contractors, status of program and status of funding. Market Segmentation and Forecasts

World market sizes and forecasts from 2016 to 2021 are provided separately for Infrared Detectors and Systems.

The overall market (consumption) is segmented geographically into the following regions: North America, Europe, Pacific Rim, Asia, Latin America, Africa and Middle East.

The detector market is segmented by cooled FPAs, First Generation and Uncooled FPAs.

A five-year forecast (by number of units) is made separately for the following FPAs: mercury cadmium telluride, indium antimonide, nBn/XBn, QWIPs, Other Cooled FPAs, Uncooled Microbolometers, Indium Gallium Arsenide and Other Uncooled.

Separate forecasts are given for MCT HOT FPAs, nBn/XBn FPAs and 3rd Gen FPAs

A separate, more detailed forecast is given for U.S. military infrared systems in the following segments:

Tactical Missiles, Strategic Missiles and Defense, Airborne, Naval and Ground Based systems.

Five-year Projections for Military Infrared Spending for the Top 25 Countries Worldwide Suppliers of Military Infrared Detectors and Systems

The structure of the military infrared industry is analyzed. Market shares and market strategies for suppliers of infrared detectors (overall) and of various types of infrared FPAs are given separately. Market shares and market strategies for suppliers of infrared systems are given. A total of 47 company profiles are provided, including: AIM Infrarot-Module (AIM)

Airbus DS Optronics

BAE Systems

Boeing

Diehl BGT Defence

DRS Technologies

Elbit Systems

Elbit Systems of America

FLIR Systems

Fujitsu

General Dynamics GIT

Harris/Exelis

Honeywell International

i3system

IAI  Tamam

IRnova

L-3 Communications

L-3 Cincinnati Electronics

L-3 Infrared Products

L-3 Insight

L-3 KEO

L-3 Wescam

Leonardo/Selex

Lockheed Martin

Mitsubishi Electric

N2 Imaging Systems

NEC

NORINCO-Kunming North/North GuangWei IC (GWIC)

Northrop Grumman

Opgal

Orbital ATK

Orion R&P

Qioptiq

QmagiQ

Rafael

Raytheon

Raytheon Vision Systems

Rheinmetall Def. Electronics

SCD Semi-Conductor Dev.

Safran Electronics & Defense

Sofradir

Sumitomo Electric

Teledyne

Textron Systems

Thales

ULIS

UTC Aerospace Systems Other companies included in the report: ACREO, AeroVironment, Agiltron, Amorphous Materials, Artis, Aselsan, Ball Aerospace, Beijing BOP, Bharat Electronics, Boeing/ Spectrolab, Bosch, Cantronic, Chunghwa, ClearAlign, Controp, Dali, Debut Optoelectronic, Edmund Optics, Elisra, Eloptro, ENOSA, EO System Co., EPIR Technologies, Excelitas, Fermionics, Fisba Optik, Fraunhofer Institut, Freescale, GDLS, GHOPTO, Guangzhou SAT, Guide Infrared, Gulfstream, HGH Infrared Systems, Hamamatsu, Hanhwa Techwin, Heimann Sensor, Hood Technology, HRL Labs, II-VI Infrared, IAI-Elta, IEC Infrared, INO, Insitu, IntelliEPi, Intevac, IQE, IRay, IRCameras, Jenoptik, JIR, Kazan Optical & Mechanical Plant, KBP Instrument Design Bureau, KEC Corp., Keii, Kongsberg, Kinghome, Korean Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), Kopin, LETI/CEA, Lightpath Technologies, LumaSense, Magnity, MBDA, Mikro-Tasarim, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, MTech Imaging, NATECH, New Imaging Technologies (NIT), New Infrared Technologies (NIT), NikkoIA, Ningbo Sunny, Nippon Avionics, Nivisys, North Guangwei IC (GWIC), Obzerv Technologies, OIP Sensor Systems, ON Semiconductor, Ophir, Optics 1, Optikos, PCO, Photonis, Princeton Infrared Technologies, Radiance Technologies, RAMSYS, Raptor Photonics, Ricor, Rochester Precision Optics, Rockwell Collins, Saab, SABCA, Samsung Thales, Santa Barbara Infrared, Sapfir, Schott, Seek Thermal, Simrad Optronics, STELOP Pte., Spetztekhnika, State Scientific Research & Engineering Institute, STELOP, Taurus Systems GmbH, Thermoteknix, Toshiba, TowerJazz, U & U Engineering, Sumitomo Electric, Ulirvision, Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant, Umicore, Vectronix, Vertex, Vigo Systems, Xenics, Zvezda Strela Research and Production Center. TABLES AND CHARTS IN THE REPORT TABLES Table 1.1 FIVE YEAR MARKET FORECAST FOR WORLD MILITARY INFRARED DETECTORS AND SYSTEMS

Table 1.2 FORECASTS FOR INFRARED FOCAL PLANE ARRAYS BY INFRARED DETECTOR MATERIAL (UNITS)

Table 1.3 MILITARY INFRARED DETECTOR AND INFRARED SYSTEM USE BY GEOGRAPHIC REGION

Table 1.4 FIVE YEAR MARKET FORECAST FOR U.S. MILITARY IR IMAGING SYSTEMS

Table 1.5 FIVE YEAR MARKET FORECAST FOR INFRARED SPENDING BY THE TOP 25 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE

Table 3.1 PROPERTIES OF INFRARED DETECTOR MATERIALS

Table 3.2 REPRESENTATIVE HOT FPA PROGRAMS AND PRODUCTS

Table 3.3 MEMS STRUCTURES USED IN UNCOOLED FPAs

Table 3.4 TYPES OF STANDARD ADVANCED DEWAR ASSEMBLIES

Table 3.5 MAJOR UNCOOLED INFRARED PROGRAMS IN THE U.S. MILITARY

Table 3.6 MAJOR WEAPON SYSTEMS AND THEIR IR SUBSYSTEMS

Table 3.7 MAJOR WEAPON SYSTEMS AND THEIR IR SUBSYSTEMS (CONTINUED)

Table 3.8 FUTURE SOLDIER SYSTEMS PROGRAMS WORLDWIDE

Table 6.1 FIVE YEAR MARKET FORECAST FOR WORLD MILITARY INFRARED DETECTORS AND SYSTEMS

Table 6.2 MILITARY INFRARED DETECTOR AND INFRARED SYSTEM USE BY GEOGRAPHIC REGION

Table 6.3 THE WORLD INFRARED MILITARY MARKET BY TYPE OF INFRARED DETECTOR (UNITS)

Table 6.4 FORECASTS FOR INFRARED FOCAL PLANE ARRAYS BY INFRARED DETECTOR MATERIAL (UNITS)

Table 6.5 FIVE YEAR MARKET FORECAST FOR INFRARED SPENDING BY THE TOP 25 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE

Table 6.6 FIVE YEAR MARKET FORECAST FOR U.S. MILITARY IR IMAGING SYSTEMS

Table 7.1 RECENT COMPANY CHANGES (ACQUISITIONS, NEW COMPANIES, POLICY CHANGES)

Table 7.2 RECENT COMPANY CHANGES (ACQUISITIONS, NEW COMPANIES, POLICY CHANGES) - continued CHARTS Chart 1.1 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Detectors (All Detector Types)  Ranked by Dollar Shipments

Chart 1.2 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Detectors and Detector Modules (Cooled Scanning and Staring FPAs)  Ranked by Unit Shipments

Chart 1.3 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Detectors and Detector Modules (Scanning and Staring MCT FPAs)  Ranked by Unit Shipments

Chart 1.4 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Detectors and Detector Modules (InSb Staring FPAs)  Ranked by Unit Shipments

Chart 1.5 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Detectors and Detector Modules (Uncooled FPAs)  Ranked by Unit Shipments

Chart 1.6 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Detectors and Detector Modules (InGaAs FPAs)  Ranked by Unit Shipments

Chart 1.7 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Systems  Ranked by Dollar Shipments

Chart 3.1 Military Applications of InGaAs FPAs

Chart 6.1 Market Growth for HOT nBn/XBn and HOT MCT (units)

Chart 6.2 Market Growth for 3rd Gen Focal Plane Arrays (units)

Chart 7.1 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Detectors and Detector Modules (All Detector Types)  Ranked by Dollar Shipments

Chart 7.2 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Detectors and Detector Modules (Cooled Scanning and Staring FPAs)  Ranked by Unit Shipments

Chart 7.3 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Detectors and Detector Modules (Scanning and Staring MCT FPAs)  Ranked by Unit Shipments

Chart 7.4 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Detectors and Detector Modules (InSb Staring FPAs)  Ranked by Unit Shipments

Chart 7.5 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Detectors and Detector Modules (Uncooled FPAs)  Ranked by Unit Shipments

Chart 7.6 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Detectors and Detector Modules (InGaAs FPAs)  Ranked by Unit Shipments

Chart 7.7 Market Shares for Suppliers of Infrared Systems  Ranked by Dollar Shipments

Chart 7.8 Market Shares for Suppliers of Airborne EO/IR Gimbals  Ranked by Dollar Shipments (This report is only available directly from Maxtech International, Inc. - no third party distribution is authorized.) To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-market-research-on-the-world-market-for-military-infrared-imaging-detectors-and-systems-vol-irw-m-by-maxtech-international-inc-300391502.html SOURCE Maxtech International, Inc.

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According to a study by Naz Foundation, children living with or affected by HIV/AIDS are increasingly being denied admission, suspended, expelled and segregated in class room.

By Harish V Nair: Reshma, a class XI-student, went through the worst trauma of being raped, losing a baby and finding out she was HIV positive. But as if that was not enough, she had to face more humiliation and pain when her school in Meerut refused to let her carry on her education. Shattered, she tried to commit suicide.

"If I am denied my right to education, what is the point in living? I want to end my life," she wrote.

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According to a study by Naz Foundation and Lawyers Collective working for the rehabilitation of victims of HIV/AIDS, there are thousands of students like Reshma in India who are suffering silently.

The NGO found that children living with or affected by HIV/AIDS are increasingly being denied admission, suspended, expelled and segregated in class room, they are being publicly ridiculed by school authorities.

ALSO READ | West Bengal: School bars HIV positive child to attend classes

Said senior lawyer Anand Grover, who is a member of the Naz Foundation: "In most of the cases, schools are forced to expel students due to pressure from parents of other children, who fear that their children might contract the condition."

But now, there is some hope for such children as the Supreme Court on Monday promised to lay down guidelines under the Right to Education Act to protect such students.

But a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud cautioned the NGOs: "You must keep in mind that on one hand is the right to education. But you must also appreciate various segments of the society. Some society may be very traditionalist. We have to do a balancing act. When we lay down parameters, we shall keep in mind we shall not harm other children just because they are not aware."

ALSO READ | SC to hear final arguments on PIL on rights of HIV+ students

According to the latest report of National Aids Control Organisation (NACO), the total number of people living with HIV in India is estimated at around 30.9 lakh and children less than 15 years of age account for 2.45 lakh.

According to UNICEF India, there are 2,20,000 children infected by HIV/AIDS in India. It is approximated that every year 55,000 to 60,000 children are born to mothers who are HIV positive. Thirty per cent of these children are likely to be infected themselves. The NGOs told the court that the breach of confidentiality regarding children's HIV-positive status was the beginning of their mistreatment.

Highlighting the severity of the situation, the plea pointed out that there have been incidents where HIV/AIDSafflicted students were made to clean toilets and classrooms.

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"Students are being denied admission, suspended and even expelled from schools if they or their parents or guardians are HIV-positive. They are publicly ridiculed by school authorities and humiliated to the extent that they are segregated from other children in schools and have been made to clean toilets and classrooms," the PIL states.

ALSO READ | HIV and AIDS Bill amendments approved, rights of the patients safeguarded

"Moreover, the confidentiality of the HIV-positive status of the children has been routinely breached, a violation of their right to privacy and the rampant acts of stigmatisation that have followed have undermined their human dignity," it added.

"Education can also give children affected with HIV a better understanding of HIV and equip them with lifeskills to cope with the challenges it brings. In this context, the rising cases of denial of education to HIV affected children are a matter of grave concern. If this discrimination continues, then a large number of children will be excluded from schools and mainstream society and be pushed to languish at the margins of our society," Grover told the court.

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The PIL sought the following prayers. No child affected by affected by HIV/AIDS be suspended or expelled from any educational institution or segregated in the class, Centre be asked to frame and notify comprehensive guidelines under Section 35(1) of the RTE Act 2009, pertaining to children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in schools, covering issues of right to education without any discrimination and confidentiality of their HIV-positive status.

ALSO READ | Revealing their HIV positive identity cost these workers their jobs

--- ENDS ---
[January 17, 2017] Dawn and Shedd Aquarium Inspire Next Generation of Wildlife Enthusiasts

Today, Dawn and Chicago's Shedd Aquarium launched a new national in-classroom and web accessible STEM curriculum called NextGen Animal Responders, which will allow teachers to offer fifth through eighth grade student's five Next Generation Science Standards lesson plans. The lessons aim to increase students' environmental and science literacy through Shedd animal rescue and rehabilitation stories and resources and provide a connection to nature and the environment that students living in an urban setting might not have the opportunity to experience. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005993/en/ In addition, Chicago Public Schools will be the first in the country to participate in an in-classroom roadshow and contest aimed to connect local teachers and students to the importance of animal care and conservation and show them how the next generation can take a hands-on approach to preserving and protecting animals and the environment. During the roadshow, twenty-five select Chicago-area schools will be visited by guest speakers and experts from Shedd, who will bring along engaging Dawn Wildlife activities, a contest call-to-action and materials for children to take home to their parents. "Shedd has been committed to working with response and rescue organizations globally for over 50 years and the urgency to protect animals and their environments is greater than ever," said Bridget Coughlin, Shedd Aquarium president and CEO. "Dawn and Shedd both share a similar passion for wildlife conservation as well as a shared mission of educating and inspiring the world about the wellbeing of animals, habitat conservation, and the health of our oceans. This is the first time we are working together to build care and compassion for animals that will extract curiosity and interest, which we hope will ultimately lead to interest in a new career path for some of these students." To celebrate the launch of the program, students at Telphonicalli Elementary visited Shedd for a hands-on science experiment and had a special opportunity to meet a member of Shedd's Animal Response Team to learn more about endangered African penguin rescue efforts and what they can do to help, and participaed in a penguin encounter.



NextGen (News - Alert) Animal Responders is part of the larger Dawn Helps Save Wildlife commitment with an aim to connect teachers and students with a singular goal, educating the next generation about the importance of wildlife conservation. "Dawn is honored to partner with Shedd on this new, education-based offering for teachers and students," said Mandy Ciccarella, Dawn Communications Manager. "Demonstrating how our next

generation of animal stewards can take a hands-on approach to help preserve animals and the environment is vital and important to the Dawn brand." As part of the program, all Chicago-area schools are able to enter a contest that will run for 11 weeks, beginning Jan. 17 at www.sheddaquarium.org/NextGen. Teachers and students will submit video entries to demonstrate their exemplary efforts in the appreciation of wildlife conservancy and answer simple questions about why preserving wildlife is important. The grand prize class winner will receive a special behind the scenes trip to visit Dawn Wildlife partner Shedd Aquarium to learn more about animal care and conservation, including protecting and rehabilitating aquatic animals. For more information on the complete rules and regulations about the contest, as well as downloading the full curriculum, teachers should visit www.sheddaquarium.org/NextGen. DAWN HELPS SAVE WILDLIFE Independent studies have proven Dawn Dish Soap to be the most effective dishwashing detergent for cleaning oiled animals, heralded because it removes tough grease while being gentle on animals' delicate skin and feathers. As such, Dawn is the only dishwashing brand trusted by wildlife rescue experts for decades. Since 2006, Dawn has donated more than 100,000 bottles of dishwashing liquid and financial support to its wildlife partners, International Bird Rescue and The Marine Mammal Center. These donations have helped these organizations clean more than 75,000 marine animals in the United States. For more information about the Dawn family of products, visit www.dawn-dish.com. ABOUT PROCTER & GAMBLE P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always, Ambi Pur, Ariel, Bounty, Charmin, Crest, Dawn, Downy, Fairy, Febreze, Gain, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Lenor, Olay, Oral-B, Pampers, Pantene, SK-II, Tide, Vicks, and Whisper. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands. ABOUT SHEDD AQUARIUM For more than 50 years, Shedd Aquarium has worked with partners around the globe to help animals in need. The Next Generation Animal Responders are a way to reaffirm its commitment to helping conserve and protect wildlife. While caring for animals affected by human activity such as overfishing, habitat degradation, plastic pollution and rising ocean temperatures, the team seeks to increase public engagement and advocacy along with inspire new individuals to make a difference. To support Shedd Aquarium's Next Generation Animal Response Team and their mission to rescue, rehabilitate, release and rehome animals in need, visit www.sheddaquarium.org/NextGen. You can also follow the conversation on social media via the hashtag, #AnimalResponders. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005993/en/

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[January 17, 2017] Clear Channel Airports is Awarded New Five-Year Contract with Milwaukee County's General Mitchell International Airport (GMIA) to Provide Immersive Digital Media Program

Clear Channel Airports (CCA), a brand division of Clear Channel Outdoor Americas (CCOA) (NYSE: CCO), and a subsidiary of iHeartMedia Inc., today announced it was selected, through a competitive bidding process, for a new five-year deal with Milwaukee County's General Mitchell International Airport (GMIA) to provide a comprehensive digital media network throughout the airport. The new program is scheduled for installation Feb. 1, 2017, and will enhance the travel experience for GMIA's nearly 7 million annual passengers by integrating terminal-wide state of the art advertising solutions. CCA has operated the advertising concession at GMIA since 1990. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006091/en/ Pictured is a rendering of just one of the many digital media assets Clear Channel (News - Alert) Airports will bring to GMIA in 2017. (Photo: Business Wire) Clear Channel Airport's digital upgrade for GMIA will further enhance CCOA's overall market presence in the Milwaukee area. Clear Channel Outdoor Americas already has significant coverage en route to downtown Milwaukee and across the Milwaukee metro area with more than 1,600 roadside billboards, including 49 digital displays. CCOA is also the exclusive advertising partner to both the Milwaukee Intermodal train station, connecting the Milwaukee and Chicago metro areas, and to the Milwaukee County Transit System for advertising across 125 bus shelters Home to a flourishing healthcare industry and legacy businesses, including Miller Brewing Company an Harley-Davidson, Milwaukee represents a diverse cultural population, offering brands a wide-ranging target audience.



GMIA is a medium hub airport owned and operated by Milwaukee County with non-stop flights to more than 35 cities and easy one-stop connections to over 160 cities worldwide, serving Wisconsin, northern Illinois and Chicago. It is the only airport in Wisconsin or Illinois served by all of the major domestic airlines, located five miles from downtown Milwaukee and 50 miles from the Chicago metro area. The new advertising program from Clear Channel Airports will complement GMIA's current terminal aesthetics and includes the following:

Two large format LED video walls/signature digital assets in each concourse to create high-tech gateways;

Head on digital LCD network throughout both concourses;

Terminal-wide digital network for both concourses and baggage claims;

Sponsorship and marketing opportunities, interactive and staffed kiosks and specialty displays; and

Exterior terminal assets including jet bridges, parking deck and terminal exteriors. A recent Nielsen study shows that nearly 60 percent of business and leisure travelers believe that advertising in airports is an indicator of high-quality brands and products, and more than three-quarters of leisure and business travelers say they notice airport digital ads, with over one-third of travelers surveyed confirming they've visited a website or used an app to find out more about a product or service they saw advertised inside an airport. "This new agreement helps the Airport create a sense of place, generate additional revenue and keep costs low for travelers," Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele said. "I am pleased that Clear Channel Outdoor Americas is helping us make visitors aware of the many national brands that call Milwaukee home." "Clear Channel Outdoor Americas roots in Milwaukee date back to 1860, so we couldn't be more proud about growing our relationship with the county and local community by way of our extended partnership with General Mitchell International Airport (GMIA)," said John Moyer, SVP, Business Development, Clear Channel Airports. "Our collaboration with GMIA over the past 25 years continues to provide travelers with innovative, advanced advertising experiences. Our new media program will offer a whole new level of opportunities for passenger engagement and we're very excited to begin installing our new digital assets." About Clear Channel Airports Dedicated to airport advertising for more than 40 years, Clear Channel Airports is the premier innovator of contemporary display concepts. The Company, a division of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CCO), one of the world's largest outdoor advertising companies, currently operates more than 250 airport programs across the globe and has a presence in 31 of the top 50 U.S. markets with major airports. More information can be found on Clear Channel Airports and Clear Channel Outdoor by visiting www.clearchannelairports.com and www.clearchanneloutdoor.com Like us on Facebook (News - Alert) at facebook.com/CCOutdoor

Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at twitter.com/CCOutdoorNA View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006091/en/

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[January 17, 2017] OMNI Systems Receives Smart Business "Evolution of Manufacturing" Award

OMNI Systems, Inc. (www.omnisystem.com), the industry's leading high quality-low price thermal label converter, has received the 2017 "Evolution of Manufacturing" Award by Smart Business Magazine. OMNI is one of twelve companies that will receive the award at this year's Evolution of Manufacturing Awards and Conference on February 23, 2017. According to Smart Business, the Evolution of Manufacturing Awards aim to honor Northern Ohio manufacturers for their ability to innovate, crete and drive manufacturing processes, resulting in a positive impact on their bottom line.



"We're proud to be counted among such successful and distinguished manufacturing companies in Northeast Ohio," says Adam DeFrancesco, founder and CEO of OMNI Systems. "Manufacturing innovation is a cornerstone OMNI strategy that enables us to drive costs lower and position ourselves as the premier high quality-low cost thermal label printer in North America." In addition to being recognized by Smart Business, in the past year OMNI Systems received an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Manufacturing and Distribution, grew to the 102nd largest printer ranked on the 2016 Printing Impressions Magazine list out of 10,000 printers, and appeared again on the 2016 Inc. 5000 list. OMNI's strong growth performance and industry recognition is tied to its proven ability to deliver customized labeling programs for all industries while operating a lean business model and providing high-quality service.

About OMNI Systems, Inc. OMNI Systems, Inc. was founded in 1990, with headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. OMNI Systems has quickly become one of the largest, privately-owned label convertors in the United States and is now the largest consumer of thermal media from the nation's leading raw material supplier. This purchasing power allows OMNI to procure the highest quality raw material components at the lowest prices. When combined with modern manufacturing and distribution centers operating 24 hours per day, and debt-free/ financially strong infrastructure (D&B 3A3), the OMNI difference is clear: "The Highest Quality Labels at the Lowest Prices." View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006093/en/

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[January 17, 2017] Advanzeon Solutions, Inc. Expects to Post a Profit for Q4 of 2016

Advanzeon Solutions, Inc. ("Advanzeon" or the "Company") (OTCBB:CHCR) today announced that it expects to show a slight profit for the quarter ended December 31, 2016. The expected profit includes revenue and non-operating revenue sources. Mark T. Heidt, the Company's President, stated, "Programs which the Company has been developing over the past two years have begun to gain traction, with a positive revenue trend developing over the last six months. We expect to continue to see a positive trend in our operations that should result in increased revenue for the first quarter of 2017." The final financial result for the quarter ended December 31, 2016, is subject to adjustments. About Advanzeon Solutions, Inc. Established in 1969, Advanzeon, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates the nation's most complete sleep apnea program known as SleepMaster Solutions. The Program, addressing recent Department f Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration regulations, is marketed primarily to clinics, employers, Taft-Hartley health and welfare Funds, and managed care companies throughout the United States. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, the Company's Program is available in all fifty states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. The Program focuses on personalized attention, flexibility, a commitment to high-quality services and innovative approaches that address both the specific needs of clients and changing healthcare industry demands. For more information, please call 813-367-9080 or visit our website at www.advanzeon.com.



Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking" as defined by federal law. Such statements are based on assumptions, but there is no assurance that actual outcomes will not be materially different as those implied. Any such statements are made in reliance on the "Safe Harbor" protection provided under the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995 and are subject to various factors including the risk that the Company may not be able to complete the reports in the time described herein.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006103/en/

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[January 17, 2017] TCF Bank and TCF Foundation Give $3 Million to Continue Building Better Communities

TCF National Bank (TCF Bank), a subsidiary of TCF Financial Corporation (TCF) (NYSE: TCB), and TCF Foundation announced it donated nearly $3 million to 530 nonprofit organizations in 33 states during 2016. TCF team members and TCF Bank customers donated more than $1.3 million through fundraising activities and matching gifts and TCF Foundation granted nearly $1.6 million to nonprofit organizations that support community development, education, human services, and arts and culture. Included in TCF Foundation's grants are four, new multi-year grants awarded to nonprofit organizations totaling $500,000. "We are proud that for 27 years we have supported and strengthened our communities by awarding grants to nonprofit organizations," said Barbara Shaw, chair of TCF Foundation. "This year we awarded $1.6 million in grants, including four, new multi-year grants to Catholic Charities' Dorothy Day Center, Cookie Cart, Second Harvest Heartland and Summit Academy due to their strong commitments to build and strengthen our communities and their desires to expand their services to those most in need. These nonprofit organizations are developing life, career and leadership skills; helping the homeless, sick and vulnerable; and feeding the hungry to significantly improve the quality of life for peole in need. We are honored to reinforce their efforts with multi-year grants that will help to support their expansion efforts and to sustain them for years to come."



TCF Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations actively supported by TCF team members through volunteerism or service on nonprofit boards and committees. TCF matches team member donations to nonprofit organizations dollar for dollar, supports team member fundraising efforts, and provides funds that TCF Bank branches donate to nonprofit organizations in their communities. To learn more about the TCF Foundation, please visit tcfbank.com/foundation. About TCF

TCF is a Wayzata, Minnesota-based national bank holding company. As of September 30, 2016, TCF had $21 billion in total assets and 341 branches in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, providing retail and commercial banking services. TCF, through its subsidiaries, also conducts commercial leasing, equipment finance, and auto finance business in all 50 states and commercial inventory finance business in all 50 states and Canada. For more information about TCF, visit tcfbank.com.

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New Market Research Report on Optoelectronics by Technavio

According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the global optoelectronics market is expected to grow at a CAGR of close to 17% during the forecast period.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005894/en/

Technavio has published a new report on the global optoelectronics market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)

This research report titled, 'Global Optoelectronics Market 2017-2021' provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. This report also includes an up to date analysis and forecasts for various market segments and all geographical regions.

Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=55488

Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

The market research analysis categorizes the global optoelectronics market into five major product segments, of which the top three are discussed in detail below:

LEDs (display and lighting)

Image sensors

Laser diodes

Optical isolators

Optical switches

LED

LEDs are an integral part of semiconductor devices. LEDs emit light using a process called electro-luminescence. LEDs are durable, cheaper, and environmentally safe lighting systems. They are rapidly gaining traction among consumers due to their multiple benefits and their energy-efficiency factor. LEDs consume up to 75% less energy than other bulbs and have a longer lifespan, which is 50,000 hours compared to 1,500 hours of incandescent bulbs and 8,000 hours of CFLs. Due to their energy-efficient features, LEDs are also known as green lighting systems.

Governments are also working on multiple projects and providing subsidies to promote LED lights. Countries such as India, China, and Japan have started different promotional campaigns to make LEDs available at subsidized rates and provide land at low prices to foreign companies to set up LED factories.

According to Sunil Kumar Singh, a lead analyst at Technavio for embedded systems research, "Government icentives, infrastructural development across the world, and the emergence of smart cities concept will foster immense growth in the LED market during the forecast period."







Image sensors

Image sensors are used to convert images to electronic signals. Image sensors are used in cameras, camcorders, and all types of imaging devices. CCD image sensors were the first high-quality image sensors, which were initially used in cameras. They are being replaced by CMOS sensors gradually in every application. Though CCD sensor is superior in factors like light sensitivity, quality, and noise, CMOS image sensors have low power consumption and low manufacturing cost, leading to their increased adoption. So, in the future, CCD sensors are likely to be replaced entirely by CMOS sensors.

The growing advances in the image sensors are attributed to their increasing implementation in several imaging devices such as camera modules for consumer electronic devices and digital cameras. Also, they are being used for medical imaging in minimally invasive procedures such as endoscopy. The development and growing awareness of driver assistance and safety offered by advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) are driving the adoption of these sensors in the automobile sector.

"The use of image sensors for quality control in industries will improve product yield by reducing the defective units. Developing economies such as India, China, and Latin American countries will contribute to the growth of image sensors," says Sunil.

Laser Diodes (News - Alert)

Laser diodes are combined with sensors to increase the sensing range of a laser by aligning the advantages of visible sensing beam. In instrumentation, the laser diodes are used to control the optical output of machines from thermal and electrical damage during an operation. Laser diodes have high efficiency, power, and brightness, which makes them useful in various applications.

They are used in industrial applications such as material processing in the automotive, manufacturing, and heavy industries. In the military segment, laser diodes are used in airborne laser mine detection systems, anti-missile systems, illuminators, and high-energy laser pump sources. They are also used for target destination locking. Laser diodes are also used for communication applications as they are easy to modulate. Laser communications are considered better than radio waves, as diodes can transmit more information at a faster speed with a stronger signal. The ability of laser diodes to produce large optical energies makes them suitable for medical purposes in the areas of ophthalmology, dermatology, and aesthetics.

Some of the top vendors highlighted by Technavio's hardware and semiconductor market research analysts in this report are:

Cree (News - Alert)

GE Lighting

LG Innotek

Lumileds Lighting

NICHIA

OSRAM

Browse Related Reports:

Become a Technavio Insights member and access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like human machine interface, lighting, and semiconductor equipment. 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].

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[January 17, 2017] NCR Enters into Agreement to Conclude Fox River Environmental Matter

NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) today announced it is resolving the Wisconsin Fox River environmental cleanup and related Superfund litigation by entry into a definitive consent decree with the United States Government and the State of Wisconsin, under which the company expects to finally conclude the longstanding matter. The decree is subject to court approval. The resolution includes NCR's commitments to complete the in-river cleanup work designed to remove polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the river, and to drop a potential legal appeal. It also incorporates elimination of Superfund claims brought against the Company by other parties, discontinuation of the Company's own such claims and assignments of responsibility for closing out certain final costs. With the contributions of its former corporate parents and affiliates from the past several decades, NCR has successfully performed the overwhelming majority of the cleanup work to date. NCR is the only company to have consistently been involved in that work from its start in 2009 to the present. Several other parties that had failed to participate in the work have recently entered into their own settlements, which included financial contributions applied toward remediation expenses. The remainder of the cleanup work is expected to be completed over 2017 and 2018. The remediation project, covering 29 miles of the Fox River, is the single largest sediment cleanup project to date in the United States. "NCR is pleased with the successful resolution of this matter pending the court's approval, following nine years of complex and protracted litigation involving multiple trials and appeals," said Edward Gallagher, General Counsel of NCR Corporation. "NCR is pleased to put this matter behind us, and we are also glad to provide the federal and state governments and the people of Wisconsin confidence that the clean-up, which NCR commenced in 2009, will be completed without interruption or delay." NCR will agree not to appeal a key decision on which it had previously prevailed, relating to calculation of harm and responsibility at Superfund locations. This eliminates a key litigation risk for the Government. Upon approval by the court, the decree is expected to bring to an end a set of complex litigations that commenced in 2008. In particulr the settlement will provide contribution protection to NCR that will foreclose Superfund litigation claims brought against it by other companies that had contributed to the pollution of the river. NCR is, at the governments' request, conditionally relinquishing its own affirmative claims for recovery against the same parties. This presumptive end to the litigation removes a substantial part of NCR's Fox River risks and renders its remaining responsibility readily measurable, and it helps enable NCR's commitment to complete the cleanup alone.



The settlement also includes arrangements under which other companies that had contributed to the river's pollution will bear primary responsibility for certain government costs, and for long-term monitoring and maintenance of the remediation work. The settlement will be funded internally by a non-material increment of approximately $14 million to NCR's reserve for Fox River discontinued operations, and the continued contributions of its former parent and sister corporations. NCR will not make any settlement payments under the consent decree, but will fund the remediation through contractors and vendors on a pay-as-it-goes basis over 2017-18, as the Company has done for the past 8 years. The impact on free cash flow is anticipated to be modest and at or near prior projections for Fox River expenditures; the settlement is expected to have no material impact on NCR's free cash flow as a whole for either year. This consent decree settlement would not affect the rights NCR has to pursue what is referred to in the company's SEC (News - Alert) filings as the NCR Adjustment, which is related to funds owed to the Company for prior Fox River remediation payments it made, and which has the potential to create future positive cash flow.

About NCR Corporation NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leader in omni-channel solutions, turning everyday interactions with businesses into exceptional experiences. With its software, hardware and portfolio of services, NCR enables more than 550 million transactions daily across retail, financial, travel, hospitality, telecom and technology, and small business. NCR solutions run the everyday transactions that make your life easier. NCR is headquartered in Duluth, Ga., with over 30,000 employees, and does business in 180 countries. NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are property of their respective owners. NCR encourages investors to visit its website, which is updated regularly with financial and other important information about NCR. Web site: www.ncr.com

Twitter (News - Alert): @NCRCorporation

Facebook (News - Alert): www.facebook.com/ncrcorp

LinkedIn (News - Alert): www.linkedin.com/company/ncr-corporation

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[January 17, 2017] NHI Expands Relationship with SLM to 15 Senior Housing Communities

National Health Investors, Inc. (NYSE:NHI) announced today that it has funded the remaining $11.9 million mortgage and mezzanine loan commitment to affiliates of Senior Living Management ("SLM"), headquartered in Coconut Creek, Florida, to facilitate the acquisition of five senior housing communities operated by SLM. Four of the facilities have primary debt financing by HUD. The NHI loans totaling $24.5 million exist under a master credit agreement maturing in August 2021, and bear interest at 8.25% annually. The financing expands NHI's relationship with SLM to 15 communities in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana, including 10 communities leased to SLM. SLM operates 23 licensed senior housing communities, including many that are purpose-built to offer specialized Alzheimer's and dementia care, on-site skilled nursing and rehabilitative services. Eric Mendelsohn, NHI's President and CEO, stated, "We are very pleased to expand our business relationship with a valued operator like Senior Living Management and to design a flexible financing structure that meets their needs as they continue to grow." About NHI Incorporated in 1991, National Health Investors, Inc. (NYSE: NHI) is a real estate investment trust specializing in sale-leaseback, joint-venture, mortgage and mezzanine financing of need-driven and discretionary senior housing and medical investments. NHI's portfolio consists of independent, assisted and memory care communities, entrance-fee retirement communities, skilled nursing facilities, medical office buildings and specialty hospitals. For more information, visit www.nhireit.com. This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding the Company's, tenants', operators', borrowers' or managers' expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, funds from operations, dividend and dividnd plans, financing opportunities and plans, capital market transactions, business strategy, budgets, projected costs, operating metrics, capital expenditures, competitive positions, acquisitions, investment opportunities, dispositions, acquisition integration, growth opportunities, expected lease income, continued qualification as a real estate investment trust ("REIT"), plans and objectives of management for future operations, continued performance improvements, ability to service and refinance our debt obligations, ability to finance growth opportunities, and similar statements including, without limitation, those containing words such as "may," "will," "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "estimates," "plans," and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results in future periods to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things; the operating success of our tenants and borrowers for collection of our lease and interest income; the success of property development and construction activities, which may fail to achieve the operating results we expect; the risk that our tenants and borrowers may become subject to bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings; risks related to governmental regulations and payors, principally Medicare and Medicaid, and the effect that lower reimbursement rates would have on our tenants' and borrowers' business; the risk that the cash flows of our tenants and borrowers would be adversely affected by increased liability claims and liability insurance costs; risks related to environmental laws and the costs associated with liabilities related to hazardous substances; the risk that we may not be fully indemnified by our lessees and borrowers against future litigation; the success of our future acquisitions and investments; our ability to reinvest cash in real estate investments in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; the potential need to incur more debt in the future, which may not be available on terms acceptable to us; our ability to meet covenants related to our indebtedness which impose certain operational; the risk that the illiquidity of real estate investments could impede our ability to respond to adverse changes in the performance of our properties; risks associated with our investments in unconsolidated entities, including our lack of sole decision-making authority and our reliance on the financial condition of other interests; our dependence on revenues derived mainly from fixed rate investments in real estate assets, while a portion of our debt bears interest at variable rates; the risk that our assets may be subject to impairment charges; and our dependence on the ability to continue to qualify for taxation as a real estate investment trust. Many of these factors are beyond the control of the Company and its management. The Company assumes no obligation to update any of the foregoing or any other forward looking statements, except as required by law, and these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Investors are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by NHI in its periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risk factors and other information disclosed in NHI's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year. Copies of these filings are available at no cost on the SEC's (News - Alert) web site at http://www.sec.gov or on NHI's web site at http://www.nhireit.com.



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A look back on all of our reporting of the Delphi murders since 2017

crime
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 16 (PTI) Indian-American Balaji S Srinivasan, a successful Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur and CEO of a bitcoin startup, is under consideration for Trump Administrations pick to lead the Federal Drug Administration after he met the US President-elect.

Balaji Srinivasan met Trump at the Trump Towers in New York on Thursday. No official announcement has been made yet.

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But the incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer confirmed that Balaji is under consideration for the position of heading Federal Drug Administration (FDA), the all-important federal agency for drug and pharma industry.

"Srinivasan along with Jim ONeill, managing director of Mithril Capital Management are being considered for positions in the FDA," Spicer told reporters.

Spicer said Srinivasan currently serves as the CEO and cofounder of 21.co and is a partner in Andreessen Horowitz.

"He has won FDA approval as a genomics entrepreneurial," he said.

"I am broadly interested in new technology, with a particular focus on "real world" applications where digital bits interface with physical atoms and substantive problems, such as quantified self (healthcare), MOOCs/edtech (education), Bitcoin (finance), drones, and 3D printing," Srinivasan wrote on his LinkedIn profile.

He has also been a lecturer at Departments of Statistics, and Computer Science at the prestigious Stanford University.

He is currently teaching Stanfords Bitcoin Engineering course at bitcoin.stanford and the Startup Engineering MOOC at coursera.org/course/startup.

On his website, Balaji describes himself as a computer scientist, investor, entrepreneur, and academic. He holds a BS, MS, and PhD in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford.

He was the CTO and co-founder ofCounsyl, a genomicsstartup that began in aStanford dorm roomand now tests four per cent ofall US births.

After ten years in genomics and five years at Counsyl,hestepped back from an executive role in November 2012 to work on other areas of technology.

Media reports said Srinivasan is closely associated with Peter Thiel, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist and co-founder of PayPal.

He was among the few Silicon Valley leaders to have supported Trump in his presidential campaign.

Srinivasans parents are from Chennai, who came to the US in early 70s. PTI LKJ AJR AKJ AJR MVV

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According to sources, ISI plotted the Kanpur train derailment on November 20, 2016 in which over 140 people were killed. Railways has rushed an investigation team to Motihari in East Champaran district to find out more.

By Press Trust of India: Bihar police today claimed to have unearthed a suspected ISI link to target the railways with the arrest of three people in East Champaran district of the state.

Police claimed the trio had confessed to having worked for a Nepalese contact suspected to be connected to Pakistan's ISI to target the railways. Whether this breakthrough is linked with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is being investigated.

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According to sources, ISI plotted the Kanpur train derailment in November last year in which over 140 people were killed. Railways has rushed an investigation team to Motihari.

Also read Indore-Patna Express accident: Helping victims is top priority, says Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu

The Railway Ministry has said that all agencies are probing India Today's 'ISI probe report'.

ALL 3 ACCUSED IDENTIFIED

District Superintendent of Police Jitendra Rana told reporters in Motihari that the 3 accused, identified as Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar Patel and Mukesh Yadav, were arrested from Adapur Police Station area of the district.

The three were "professional criminals" allegedly involved in over a dozen criminal cases, Rana said.

During the interrogation, police claimed they confessed to having been paid Rs three lakh by a Nepali citizen identified as Brajesh Giri allegedly connected with the ISI for planting a bomb on railway tracks at Ghorasahan in East Champaran district in October 1 last year to cause an accident.

Also read | Rail fracture may have caused Indore-Patna Express tragedy: MoS Railways

"Fortunately, the bomb was detected with the help of villagers at Ghorasan and defused, which thwarted the sinister designs of the terror elements," Rana said.

While three persons were arrested from East Champaran district, three others have been nabbed at Tailaya in Nepal for targeting railways on behalf of suspected terror elements in this country, he said. Rana added that cash for ISI's train plot was smuggled via Nepal.

EFFORTS TO TRACE 2 OTHERS ON

Efforts are on to arrest in this connection two others identified as Gajendra Sharma and Rakesh Yadav who are "hiding" in East Champaran area, he said.

Rana said the anti-terrorism squad and other security agencies had been informed about the confession made by the three men who were being interrogated for more details to ascertain if the gang had any role in train accidents inKanpur and elsewhere.

East Champaran is a district bordering Nepal and Indian Mujahideen chief Yasin Bhatkal was arrested from Raxaul in the district in August 2013.

WATCH VIDEO

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The suspect was caught in a special operations police raid on a house in a housing complex in Istanbul's Esenyurt district.

By AP: A gunman who killed 39 people during an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year's celebrations has been caught in a police operation, Turkish media reports said today.

The suspect was caught in a special operations police raid on a house in a housing complex in Istanbul's Esenyurt district, private NTV television said. The report said he had been staying in the house belonging to a Kyrgyz friend.

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The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the nightclub massacre, saying the attack was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria. The man identified as the suspect had been on the run since the attack.

ALSO READ | 2 Indians killed in Istanbul nightclub terror attack, tweets Sushma Swaraj

Hurriyet newspaper and other media have identified the gunman as Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national.

The suspect was to undergo medical checks before being taken to a police headquarters for questioning, the paper said in its online edition.

Dogan news agency published what it said was the first image of the attacker. It showed a bruised, black-haired man in a grey, bloodied shirt being held by his neck. Private NTV television said the gunman had resisted arrest.

ALSO READ | Bodies of 2 Indians, killed in Istanbul terror attack, to arrive in Mumbai on Jan 4

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AP: The Missouri Supreme Court is ordering Kansas City to put a proposed minimum-wage hike to $15 an hour on the ballot. Supreme Court judges ruled Tuesday that a vote is needed before judges can decide if a wage increase is lawful.

More detail from INSIDERS: "The Urban Summit led the petition drive, with assistance from Freedom. Attorneys Taylor Fields and Clinton Adams were co-counsel in the litigation. Taylor argued it before the Mo Supreme Court. Supporters are pushing for the April ballot."

court fight victory today for an issue that has been under debate since 2015 . . .A petition pushed this issue but it was actually a court battle led by a cadre of local activists and lawyers who earned this impressive victory.Developing . . .
When you see someone take a headshot in film or television, you usually dont question that theyre dead pretty much on the spot. With such a vital organ, the impact of a bullet should mean that even a round that, even if it doesnt directly pass through the cerebellum (the area of the brain that controls basic involuntary life functions), it must inflict enough damage on the gray matter that its not survivable.

But there are there those anomalous cases where a person is unlucky enough to take a bullet to the head while still being lucky enough to survive and carry on. The Baltimore Sun estimated that less than five percent of people survive a shot to the head, and of them only about sixty percent fully recover. Some of their stories were inspiring. Others are simply tragic. There are even a few where the gunshot victim had a fairly blase attitude about it. All of them are unforgettable stories.

10. Malala Yousafzai is Undeterred from Advocating for Womens Education by Taliban Bullet

In 2009, Malala Yousafzai became a blogger for the BBC when she was only eleven years old. She was in a uniquely qualified and dangerous position since she was living and seeking an education in the Swat Valley in Pakistan, a location that had been under the control of the Taliban since 2009. As Biography.com reported, the danger of that for her was made all too real in 2012 when a hail of gunfire during an attack injured several girls with her, and sent a bullet through her skull and down along her spine. The wound also caused swelling in her brain, necessitating the removal of part of her skull. It was too advanced of an operation for local medical services, and she needed to be flown to a hospital in Birmingham, UK, as reported by The Telegraph.

Yousafzais statements after fully recovering from the shooting made her something of a modern icon. In 2014, she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her continued commitment to education for women despite nearly dying a particularly horrible death. But in the public consciousness it was her appearances on television where she made the biggest impact. The most notable of these was when on The Daily Show, she said that she not only didnt wish violence on the person who shot her, but that if she were confronted by him again, she would say that she would want education for his children. Even comedian Jon Stewart was left speechless by that.

9. Patrick Ireland Survives Shotgun Shrapnel Passing Through His Brain

On April 20, 1999, Patrick Ireland was a victim of one of the most famous mass-shootings in American history, the Columbine Shooting. One of the thirty-seven people shot during that tragedy, he would acquire a period of infamy himself as the Boy in the Window who, after taking a shot in the leg and brain, limped to a second story window, which he fell out of only to be caught by a SWAT team, according to NBC News. In Dave Cullens harrowing book on the event, Columbine, the shot that had passed through his brain made it so that Ireland was still lucid but had extreme difficulty speaking. Even saying his own name came with a stutter. The initial prognosis was that he would not survive the injury.

Still, Ireland not only survived but effectively fully recovered, save for a slight limp. After graduating, Christian Science Monitor reported that he went into the field of financial services. Cullen said that Irelands ability to cope with and move past the event was the most inspirational thing he saw related to the shooting.

8. Paul Kern Survives Headshot, Loses Ability to Sleep

During the first World War, Hungarian soldier Paul Kern served the Central Powers and was stationed on the Russian front. In 1915, a Russian soldier shot him in the right temple, driving a bullet through his frontal lobe and back out. Kern didnt merely survive, but recovered quickly. After leaving the service, he got a job with the government and by all accounts functioned normally except for one thing: In the forty years following his injury until his passing in 1955, the Milwaukee Chronicle reported that Kern was not able to sleep. He sought extensive medical aid, tried numerous unsophisticated remedies, such as hypnotism and alcohol (alcohol in particular backfired by making him less sleepy than ever), and still had to content himself with just two hours of resting his eyes every night, according to National Geographic.

So what did a man in Hungary who needed only two hours of sleep do to pass the nights? Kerns night time habits for awhile included going to cafes for his eight daily meals, reading, then walking to the poorer districts to socialize with his friends who were forced into lives of sleeping in doorways. It was an interesting contrast between someone who was afflicted in a anomalous way and people afflicted in one of the worst and most common ways, especially at the time.

7. Tammy Sexton Takes Bullet Through Forehead, Makes Tea

People in shock brought on by grievous bodily harm will often do things that seem bizarre to everyone else. One of the most famous moments in the classic film Saving Private Ryan is a soldier picking his own arm up from the beach as blithely as if hes tying his shoes. And yet what Tammy Sexton of Jackson County, Mississippi did after she was shot seems so surreal and impossible it sounds like an incident from a particularly strange cartoon.

In 2009, Sextons husband, on probation for domestic abuse, entered their home, shot his wife in the center of her forehead, then killed himself. When police arrived, the Telegraph said they found that she had since made some tea after being shot, and offered them some. While it may seem as if she had been lobotomized to a degree, in fact she made a borderline miraculous full recovery.

6. Jacob Miller Spent Decades with Fragments in His Face

In 1863, Miller was a Union soldier during the American Civil War who, on September 19, 1863, had the rotten luck to be present at the Battle of Chickamauga, one of the deadliest battles of the war. Like Tammy Sexton, he was shot by a musket in the middle of his forehead and understandably, both his fellow troops and the enemy thought that he was dead. If they hadnt, he probably wouldnt have been able to get away from the battlefield after the fighting ended, using his rifle as a crutch, eventually reaching a Union hospital.

Historybuff.com reports that after waiting nine months, the musket ball was finally removed from his forehead. Seventeen years after that, a chunk of lead fell out of his head. But even that wasnt the end, for another one fell out of his head fourteen years after that. It hurt for him all that time. Ultimately, he survived the wound that really should have killed him by fifty-four years.

5. Richard Norris Survived Losing Half His Face to a Shotgun Shell

In 1997, for reasons he doesnt remember according to a profile in GQ, 22 year-old Richard Norris accidentally discharged a shotgun shell into his face. He was at his home, and his mother was close enough to him that parts of his face hit her. Though he survived against long odds, effectively half of his visage was gone. Understandably, he had to have the mirrors taken out of his home and he wore a black mask when he went out.

Around a decade later, his mother found out about a cutting-edge doctor named Eduardo Rodriguez, who agreed to reconstruct her sons face. It was a very new surgical procedure, with Norris being only the third person to undergo the surgery. It was a years-long process of grafting skin from other parts of Norriss body to his face and from cadavers that involved over a dozen surgeries. The surgeries culminated in the most elaborate facial reconstruction in human history in an operation in 2012 that lasted 36 hours. In the end, Norris felt confident enough with his new face that after years living in his parents house barely socializing, he went out and found a significant other.

4. Russian Terminator is Unfazed by a Bullet to his Forehead

The details behind this video from Russia (which you can find in the link two sentences from now) are scanty, but the images certainly are memorable. Reportedly dating back to a clash between Russian armed forces and Chechen rebels in 2000, it features a very crude field surgery performed on an anonymous soldier. Whats been identified by Independent.co.uk as an AK-47 bullet is lodged in his forehead. One of his comrades comes and has to resort to prying it out with a pair of pliers.

What makes the video compelling, instead of merely uncomfortable to watch, was the soldiers demeanor. Rather than showing any signs of being disturbed that hes just been almost killed or in pain because a bullet is being pried out of his head, he seems so calm he might as well be receiving a haircut. But rather than seeming like someone in shock, he turns to the camera and grins in a very lucid manner, even smiling a couple times while his wound is squeezed to remove any potential shrapnel. He seems like a living embodiment of stereotypes about the toughness of Russian people.

3. Sergeant Alistair McKinney Survives Taliban Sniper Shot Directly Through his Brain

Even this soldier from the First Battalion Royal Irish Regiment couldnt believe hed survived his head injury after he emerged from a coma in 2005 at age 33. On a routine guard duty, he was hit by a Taliban snipers bullet that struck him above his right eye and exited his skull above his right ear. The Telegraph reported that they were told he had a 0.1% chance of surviving the wound. Sergeant Alistair McKinney was at least fortunate enough to not remember the sensation of the bullet hitting him, just standing there in Pakistan one second, and the next he was in Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, UK (like Malala Yousafzai later would be).

McKinneys recovery was not easy and straightforward like Paul Kerns. He got multiple infections while in the hospital, including tuberculosis. He lost vision in the left side of both of his eyes. Three years after the shooting he was still in the care of his parents. McKinney still claimed that he wasnt bitter. After all, he was very lucky to just be alive.

2. Petra Anderson Survives the Aurora Shooting Because of a Brain Abnormality

This woman was twenty-two years old in 2012 when she was sitting in the now-infamous Colorado theater for one of the other most famous mass shootings in American history. The gunman fired three shotgun pellets into her arm and one up her nose into her brain. The pellet would have torn through vital areas easily, but Anderson had an irregularity of the cerebrum that would prove an unlikely lifesaver.

As CNN reported, she had a small channel of fluid that ran through her brain that no one had any idea was there, because it was a completely benign aspect of her anatomy, which many people have. Instead of just being more grey matter that the projectile would tear through, the pellet moved through the brain without inflicting any severe damage. As a result, Anderson not only survived but fled the scene under her own power before going into intensive care for a week. After she recovered, Colorado Public Radio reported that she became a music composer.

1. Toddler Survives Self-Inflicted Gunshot to Head

Children getting their hands on guns and accidentally shooting themselves and others is surprisingly common. The Washington Post reports that in 2015, 265 children in America accidentally shot people. So it was not anomalous when three year-old Darnal Mundy shot himself in the head in Miami, Florida on August 4, 2015. What would have been anomalous would have been for him to survive, as one of the nurses told Darnal Mundys parents when he was brought in.

According to CNN, he shot himself in the middle of the face and the bullet exited out the left side of the back of his head. Like Yousafzai, a portion of his skull was removed because of the swelling. He fell into a coma for three weeks, but thankfully recovered enough that in three months he was able to return home. He was in a wheelchair while he regained the ability to reuse the right side of his body.

Dustin Koski is one of the proud authors of the only fantasy novel about fairies turning into monsters.

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The abolition of guarantees as well as the procedure and the method of the withdrawal of foreign troops from Cyprus were at the center of a meeting between Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson

The abolition of guarantees as well as the procedure and the method of the withdrawal of foreign troops from Cyprus were at the center of a meeting between Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in Brussels on Monday.

The two ministers were attending the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC).

We discussed what happened in Geneva and how we can help so that talks on a solution for Cyprus can continue and achieve positive results. I got the impression that my British colleague has understood better our positions concerning the need to abolish the system of guarantees, as well as the interventionist  and in our opinion illegal  rights of any country to intervene in Cyprus Kotzias told public TV channel ERT after the meeting.

We also discussed the procedure and method for any withdrawal of foreign troops, he added.

Asked again about the negative media reports published about him after the Cyprus talks in Geneva were interrupted, he said: Every time the two sides meet to discuss the Cyprus issue, instead of them confirming Turkeys intransigence and lack of will for real solution  they blame me  These [accusations] are planned in order to give some sides of these talks an alibi for their unacceptable attitude in the negotiations.

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
Turkey will demonstrate whether it truly desires a solution to the Cyprus issue at the negotiating table, Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said in an interview with gr.euronews published on Monday.

"I know, from my experience of the negotiations for decades now and the knowledge I have accumulated on the subject called Cyprus, that when someone wants a solution they will show this when the core of the problem is discussed. If a party does not want a solution, that party will perhaps not allow the talks to reach that point so as not to show its true intentions. We will get there and Turkey must show its true intentions. Does it want a solution or does it want a front of legality for its illegal actions," Kotzias commented.

The minister had been asked about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement ruling out the abolition of guarantees.

Asked to comment on the latest critical reports in the press, Kotzias noted that "it wasn't only the Turkish side" but also other international actors "who consider it would be a good thing to have some sort of occupation on Cyprus, because their interests coincide with those those of the Turks."

"The essence is that they are expressed through such articles," Kotzias added, noting that it was important to "separate the facts":

"We had an invitation to go to Geneva to hold political discussions on the Cyprus issue last Thursday and Friday. On arriving on Thursday we receive from the United Nations a document on the type of political discussions to be held on Friday. Then they suddenly came and told us that there cannot be political talks on Friday but talks on a staff level. We replied that in order for the technical teams to meet, there has to be a previous agreement of the political leadership of the foreign ministries and the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, in other words the Turkish-Cypriot leader and the president of the Cyprus Republic, on how these teams will work, on what content, with what questions and what purpose. And then, suddenly, Mr. Cavusoglu replied: 'I hadn't properly understood, I've arranged to leave'. We asked him not to leave on Friday, to stay and talk for two-three hours, on the basis of the planning we had made. He left. He went to Ankara and said that we ran away when we were still in Geneva and talking and that he had gained the summit of the Himalayas."

Kotzias underlined that both the Greek government and himself as minister were fighting doggedly for a solution to the Cyprus issue and also for a definition of "what is a solution to the Cyprus issue, which is about to be solved."

"We are trying to solve a political, international problem that arose through the illegal occupation of Cyprus by Turkish troops in 1974. Consequently, the solution of the Cyprus problem is for the Turkish troops to depart through a process that we have proposed and have discussed and to abolish the regime that Turkey invokes from the treaties of Zurich and London, according to which it is their opinion they have a right to illegally intervene in Cyprus whenever they see fit because they are a guarantor power," Kotzias said.

The foreign minister noted that this issue, namely the guarantees, rights of intervention and the continued presence of the Turkish troops were "the core of the Cyprus issue".

"It is known that the Greek government wants a solution of the Cyprus problem and, among others, this must mean the maximum rights for the Turkish Cypriots and the maximum sense of security for the Greek Cypriots. In other words, the troops must go. A lot of people don't like this and this is why, every time there is a meeting about Cyprus, they blame me, who represents this line, which is the line of the Greek government in consultation with the Cypriots," Kotzias said.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
The mayors of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros, the islands which have been mostly affected by the refugee crisis, requested on Monday a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras

The mayors of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros, the islands which have been mostly affected by the refugee crisis, requested on Monday a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for January 23, sources said.

In a letter sent to the premier, the five mayors say the meeting is needed to reach a viable solution for the islands which are bearing the brunt of the refugee crisis. They also say they want to brief him on their common positions regarding the refugee crisis, always within the context of their willingness to cooperate for the good of the islands.

According to the same sources, the five mayors are scheduling a joint press conference after their intended meeting at the offices of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
In the following beautiful photo-essay, British site Guardian shows off the unique beauties of Mount Athos, located on northern peninsula in Macedonia. The Holy Mountain, as it is known, has been the spiritual centre for Eastern Orthodox Christianity since the 8th Century AD, and consists of 20 monasteries and numerous sketes and approximately 2,000 monks:

"Mount Athos is one of the most important centres of the Orthodox Christian world, consisting of 20 monasteries and approximately 2,000 monks. Located on a Greek peninsula, it is home to the oldest surviving monastic community on Earth. The way of life for the monks is practically unchanged since the first monks arrived in the ninth century. Most of the monks live within the walls of their chosen monastery, but others choose to live in complete isolation, away from any distractions.

Women are not allowed within 500 metres of the shore, and even female animals are prohibited from walking on Mount Athos. This is because the Virgin Mary is said to have visited the peninsula and prayed to have it as her own. It is believed that the presence of women might distract the monks, tempting them away from true celibacy and lead them to sin.

For the majority of monks on the holy mountain who live inside one of the 20 monasteries, prayer takes up most of the time. Even when they are hard at work or eating in the refectory, they are in prayer. Services take place in the monasteries often exquisitely ornate churches.

The timings of the services vary and can sometimes run for six hours. Most prayer takes place at night, with one of the services starting at 2am and finishing at 6am  this is because the monks believe prayer is easier when the monastery is at its quietest.

It is a common misconception that monks do nothing but sit and pray all day. In fact they spend a lot of the day working on the tasks given to them by the abbot. This can include cleaning the guest houses for visitors, making wine, preparing dinner or building and renovating the monastery."

Read 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
Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar said she cannot accept anyone other than her aunt and AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran as the party general secretary.

By Pramod Madhav: In a direct attack on VK Sasikala, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar said she cannot accept anyone other than her aunt and AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran as the party general secretary.

Not denying the speculations surrounding her forming a new party, Jayakumar said, "I have two options (before me)--one is to join AIADMK or to float a new party. I will discuss with my supporters before making a decision".

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Claiming Jayalalithaa's legacy, her niece said she will lead Tamil Nadu as per her aunt's wishes, adding that she will announce her next big political step on Amma's birthday, February 24.

Earlier, when Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Chennai, niece Deepa Jayakumar was denied entry. She had then alleged that someone was trying to stop her from meeting her aunt.

ALSO READ: Jayalalithaa death: Sasikala Pushpa and Sasikala Natrajan fight over legacy

Here is all that she said: After a long discussion and after talking to people, I have decided to enter politics. I cannot accept anyone other than MGR and Amma as the general secretary of AIADMK. I resemble my aunt in looks and in matters of heart and I will definitely work for people, especially for women. I will not ask for my aunt's properties. All I want is my aunt's pen. On Amma's birthday, I will inform everyone about my next step on entering politics. Party cadres are telling me that they want me to be their leader through letters and other ways of communication. The Sasikala family's claim that Jayalalithaa was working based on their ideas is false. I will definitely contest but I cannot say if it will be from RK Nagar or any other constituency.

ALSO READ:

More outfits launched in support of Jaya's niece Deepa

Jayalalithaa loyalist slams Sasikala, says senior leaders being sidelined

Sasikala Natarajan era begins in AIADMK: Jayalalithaa's aide elected party General Secretary

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
Euromoney Conferences, the worlds leading organiser of conferences for cross-border investment and capital markets and co-host, the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), have announced the return of the GCC Financial Forum.



The sixth annual event, which has grown to become the leading conference for financial services in the GCC since its inception in 2012, will take place in Manama on February 27 and 28.



A total of 600 financiers, economists, investors, bankers and policy makers are expected to attend the Forum to debate and discuss how the Gulf countries can fund their future.



Khalid Al Rumaihi, chief executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, said: Diversification agendas across the GCC are generating exciting new opportunities for the private sector to offer sustainable solutions.



In Bahrain, where financial services are the second largest contributor to the economy, we are particularly committed to working with the industry to facilitate sustainable long-term growth. Bringing together representatives from across industry and government, the GCC Financial Forum provides decision-makers with a unique platform to share the ideas that will shape the regions response to the challenges and opportunities ahead, and we are delighted to be working with the Forum for a sixth consecutive year.



Victoria Behn, head of Middle East and Africa at Euromoney Conferences said: We are proud to host the GCC Financial Forum for the sixth consecutive year in partnership with the Bahrain Economic Development Board and we are excited to present a significantly upgraded event for 2017. Our flagship Forum has uniquely established itself as a truly international gathering which provides an ideal platform for financial experts, business leaders and policy-makers to exchange ideas, develop new contacts and participate in informed, impartial and leading-edge discussions.



This year, our objective is to look at how the financial markets in the Gulf are evolving, to examine the regions financing challenges and to explore how the creation of vibrant and innovative approaches to financial intermediation can provide effective solutions to these challenges, Behn added.



Topics to be discussed at the event will include; the impact of global political events on the economic outlook; oil market dynamics with regards to demand, pricing and supply scenarios; fiscal strategy on tax, fees, non-hydrocarbon revenues; liquidity constraints, the financial sector outlook; capital markets development; Fintech and innovation in payments; the role of private capital and the search for new sources of funding. - TradeArabia News Service
Kuwait is set to spend about KD4.74 billion ($15.6 billion) on infrastructure and other projects in fiscal year 2017-2018 with the private sector contributing 16.9 per cent of the spend, said a report in a local daily.



The projects cover housing, roads, electricity, ports, airports, telecommunications and renewable energy, reported Arabic newspaper Al Anba, quoting Dr Khaled Mahdi, the secretary general of the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development.



The government will contribute 49.3 per cent of the investments, revealed Dr Mahdi.



Around 33.8 per cent will be spent by the state-owned oil sector, while 16.9 per cent will be spent by the private sector within a public-private partnership (PPP) programme, he said.



The 2017-2018 Development Plan, which is part of the second Five-Year Plan, includes projects intended to diversify the income sources, develop the tourism sector and increase investment flows, he added.

He said the development plans and projects will be undertaken under the slogan "New Kuwait" and the foreign investors and the private sector will be invited to be involved in these plans.

There are programmes for complete privatisation and new opportunities in the education, tourism and commercial sectors, with a view to reducing dependence on oil, in addition to petrochemical expansion projects.

He said the infrastructure development includes the development of air, land and sea transport, power generation, information technology, environmental protection and waste management, sustainable living, renewable energies and raising the living standards of citizens.

Amongst the strategic projects outlined in the development plan for 2017-18 are the Sabah Al-Salem University City; Zour refinery; clean energy; Kuwait Airport expansion, Terminal 2; Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Bridge; South Al Mutlaa City; sewage treatment; New Sabah Hospital; new buildings at Farwaniya Hospital; a new building at Adan Hospital; Sheikh Saad Al Aballah Islamic Centre in Jahra; and Kuwait Centre for rare manuscripts and publications.
UK-based property firm Savills has signed an exclusive strategic partnership agreement with an award-winning Bahraini real estate brokerage Evolve Real Estate.



As per the deal, Evolve will provide its key real estate agency services with Savills Northern Gulf (Bahrain Office), further enhancing the company's presence in the local and regional market. It will now operate additional services in Bahrain such as covering lettings, sales and property management.



Savills, founded in 1855, is one of the worlds largest property firms with over 700 offices and 30,000 staff around the world. It offers multiple professional real estate services, primarily property valuations, development consultancy, dispute resolution, market research, international investments and international property sales.



Evolve Real Estate offers local letting, sales, property management and international property sales.



On the deal, Donald Bradley, the chief executive of Savills Northern Gulf, said: "Evolve Real Estate has really impressed me with its achievements over such a short time frame. Most importantly, I know they operate to the highest standards and meet the requirements of a prestigious firm such as Savills."



Sheikh Hamad Al Khalifa, the owner of Evolve Real Estate, said: "Seeing a global firm such as Savills partner with a Bahraini company is a proud moment for me and Bahrain as well. I look forward to see the partnership develop over the coming months and years."



James Moore, the managing director of Evolve Real Estate, said: "We are very excited to be working in partnership with Savills. This is a great opportunity for us and provides our respective clients with an unmatched real estate offering in Bahrain and regionally."



Savills have two offices in Bahrain, its main office in Seef and a sales office in the Ritz Carlton Hotel, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Majaal Warehouse Company, a major operator of industrial facilities in Bahrain, will lead the Industrial Facilities Sector at the upcoming Gulf Industry Fair 2017 (GIF).



Gulf Industry Fair, the Northern Gulfs leading annual industrial expo, takes place 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 Bahrain.

Amin Al Arrayed, managing director of Majaal, said: Gulf Industry Fairs platform promotes the GCCs strategic goals for industrial and manufacturing growth, particularly for small and medium sized enterprises. Our commitment to GIF 2017 is not just in support of these goals but the ability of the Gulf Industry Fair to deliver on our business objectives.

Majaal, a subsidiary of First Bahrain Real Estate Development Company, located within the Bahrain Investment Wharf in Hidd, is strategically linked to major air, seas and land transport routes to accommodate the import and export of goods with the purpose of reducing logistic requirements and business costs for its tenants.



In 2016, Majaal focused its energies onto expansion by actively seeking opportunities to engage with third parties in the GCC. In addition, Majaal has been working with the Economic Development Board as part of its Transport and Logistics Committee in developing and promoting Bahrain as a hub in the GCC.



Majaal have become one of the pillars for Bahrains Industrial 2030 vision. Their presence at GIF highlights Bahrains supply of first-class innovative industrial facilities, said Jubran Abdulrahman, managing director of HCE, organisers of the show.



Gulf Industry Fair 2017 is sponsored by the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) and Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) in association with Noga. Naffco will be supporting the Fire and Safety products and services sector of the event.

Supporting organisations for GIF 2017 include 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.

For more information on Gulf Industry Fair 2017, visit www.gulfindustryfair.com -TradeArabia News Service
Kanoo Information Technology (Kanoo IT), one of Bahrain's leading IT and technology solutions providers, recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of its establishment.

Beginning as an IT arm supporting other divisions of Ebrahim K Kanoo, Kanoo IT quickly grew to become one of the top ICT companies in Bahrain, offering design, implementation and support of infrastructure and applications to clientele in key sectors such as banking, hospitality, education, and government.

This is a very special occasion for us, said Kanoo IT director, Waleed Kanoo. To see our hard work rewarded by our passing of such a significant milestone is an incredible feeling. When we launched the company 20 years ago, software development was a relatively unexplored field in Bahrain. We hope that by helping to pioneer this industry, we benefit the kingdom as much as it has benefited us. We are proud of the role we have played in helping IT become the vibrant field it is today in the kingdom.

Kanoo IT general manager Ramgopal Menon said: "It has been a long but steady growth journey for Kanoo IT over the last two decades. We work diligently to ensure that our products and services are at the forefront of the industry, guaranteeing success for our customers, who have come to associate our name with high-quality service. We pledge to continue to meet their high expectations as we enter our third decade.

The IT solutions firm made a number of achievements throughout its 20-year history, offering Microsoft solutions and hardware solutions from IBM to external customers in 2005, later reaching a customer base of over 150 clients and winning the IBM Best Reseller Award in 2008-2009. Its most recent significant achievement was reaching a record growth of 60 per cent and winning the prestigious EMC storage projects, as well as adding Dell Solutions to its portfolio in 2016.

Kanoo IT recently launched an innovative new support software solution for business, K Business Suite, at the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (Gitex) 2016 in Dubai. The K Business Suite, the first of its kind to be developed in the kingdom, consists of a number of mobile, cloud, and BI-compatible platforms bundled together. These platforms include K-Business Process Management, an engine to automate processes and achieve set targets; K-Asset Tracking System, which can scan and edit data with any Android smart device without the need for barcode scanners; K-meeting system to manage tasks, actions, and documents of meetings; K-Correspondence for creating and managing memos; and K-Payment Gateway, which can be integrated with any online payment services provider.  TradeArabia News Service


Saudi Arabia will invest up to $50 billion by 2032 in a renewable energy programme to be launched in the few weeks, said Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Khalid Al-Falih at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE.



Al-Falih said at that the Kingdom would start the first round of bidding for projects under the programme, which would produce 10GW of power, reported Arab News.



Saudi Arabia is in the early stages of studying its first two commercial nuclear reactors with a total of 2.8GW, he added.



The minister also said Saudi Arabia was working on ways to connect its renewable energy projects with Yemen, Jordan and Egypt.



We will connect to Africa to exchange non-fossil sources of energy, he said.



The step falls into the countrys targets set in Vision 2030, launched last year to prepare for a post-oil era following a plunge in oil prices. Saudi Arabia, the worlds largest oil exporter, plans to reduce its reliance on oil and diversify the economy by moving toward sustainable sources rather than depending on fossil oil, the report said.


The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and Abu Dhabis renewable energy company Masdar will begin construction of the 800-megawatt (MW) Phase Three of the Dh 50-billion ($13.6 billion) Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai, UAE, at the end of this month following the award of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract.



This was announced today at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2017 running in the UAE capital.



A Masdar-led consortium was selected last June by Dewa to develop what will be the worlds largest solar park on a single plot on completion, after setting a record-low bid price for solar power generation of US 2.99 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).



The EPC contract agreement has been awarded to an international consortium led by specialist renewable energy contractor GranSolar of Spain, alongside Spanish specialist Acciona and Ghella of Italy.



The agreement with Masdar supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to diversify the energy mix so clean energy will generate seven per cent of Dubais total power output by 2020, 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050.



The agreement also supports the Dubai Plan 2021 to promote sustainability and happiness in Dubai, and achieve the aspirations of its citizens and residents, and Dewas vision to become a sustainable innovative world-class utility, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa.



Construction of the 16-sq-km Phase Three expansion of the Dubai Solar Park will occur in three stages. The first 200 MW stage is expected to be completed by the first half of 2018 and the next 300 MW phase is due the following year, with the final 300 MW tranche to come on stream in the first half of 2020.



Todays announcement is the latest major milestone for the project, and follows the signing of a power purchasing agreement in November 2016 by Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and chairman of Masdar, and Al Tayer. Under the agreement, both Masdar and Dewa will form a joint venture, Shuaa 2, to lead the construction of the next stage of the project.



This important milestone is a clear demonstration of the strong momentum behind the expansion of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, now including partnerships with GranSolar, Acciona and Ghella  respected international companies with a strong track record in renewables. At Masdar, we are proud to be supporting the UAE in realising its bold clean energy targets, and we are grateful for Dewas excellent leadership in this benchmark project, said Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, chief executive officer of Masdar.



"The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park project marks a new global milestone in the development of renewable energy in the Middle East and the world. The consortium formed by Gransolar, Acciona Industrial and Ghella is delighted to form part of it, ready to provide its extensive experience in designing, constructing and operating solar energy plants and being fully committed to Dewa and Masdar vision towards a more sustainable future for the region, said Domingo Vegas Fernandez, representing the consortium.



The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is expected to displace an estimated 6.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum on completion in 2030.  TradeArabia News Service
Rooftop solar energy will help drive renewable energy to the next stage of its development in the Middle East and South Asian markets, said industry experts at the World Future Energy Summit and the Solar Expo in Abu Dhabi, UAE.



Renewable energy, particularly solar, is making rapid progress in the region, with organisers estimating that buyers at WFES have more than 200 gigawatts of planned capacity to be added within the next decade. The region is already setting the agenda for utility scale projects, with bids for projects in the UAE bringing below 3 US cents per kilowatt-hour during 2016.



The industry expects to see similar progress in rooftop solar, driven by initiatives such as the Shams Dubai programme by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa), which encourages PV systems on residential, commercial and industrial buildings. The projects themselves can vary in size from just a few solar panels to thousands. One of the initiatives under the Shams Dubai programme is the installation of 88,000 solar panels on buildings belonging to port operator, DP World, which will produce enough energy to power around 3,000 homes.



We are at a point where solar energy is clearly at the centre of the UAEs electricity plans, and we are beginning to see rooftop solar play an important part in this growth, said Sami Khoreibi, CEO of Abu Dhabi-based Enviromena.



Official targets are being set for installing rooftop solar panels, and policies allowing customers to sell electricity back into the network are in place. This will fundamentally change the way we think about electricity in the region.



Enviromena has constructed 42 solar projects in nine countries throughout the region, including rooftop solar installations at Yas Marina Circuit and solar carpark shades at Masdar City. It sees rooftop solar as an important growth market.



Rooftop and other small, localised solar projects have multiple benefits. Allowing property owners to invest in solar panels spreads the cost of expanding the electricity supply, while locating generation and consumption in the same place reduces the burden on distribution infrastructure.



Particularly where residential and community projects are concerned, a sense of personal ownership can create an increased appreciation of the resource.



This has been one effect that has been observed internationally, and there is evidence that it helps build public support for renewable energy, said Khoreibi.



Held under the theme of Sustaining the Clean Energy Consensus; Empowering New Players, WFES 2017 brings together the worlds leading technology providers, government delegations, innovators, and thought leaders in Abu Dhabi.



Within the growing renewable energy market, the falling cost and increasing efficiency of solar energy has particular relevance in the UAE, which is why, together with Masdar, the events host, we created a dedicated Solar Expo as part of WFES, said Naji El Haddad, group event director at Reed Exhibitions, which organises WFES in partnership with Masdar. The region is rich in sunlight, and solar energy is a growth industry.



Solar Expo, launched for the 2016 event, is one of four co-located shows now held alongside WFES, which celebrates its 10th edition in 2017. Others include the 5th International Water Summit, held in strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), and the 4th EcoWASTE exhibition and conference, held in partnership with Tadweer, The Center of Waste Management in Abu Dhabi (CWM). Energy Efficiency Expo is the newest event, with its first edition this year.



Part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2017, WFES is being held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) from January 16 to 19.  TradeArabia News Service
Masdar, Abu Dhabis renewable energy company, has signed a cooperation agreement with Qatar Electricity & Water Company (QEWC) and Nebras Power at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week to develop renewable and sustainable energy projects.



The agreement was signed by Fahd bin Hamad Al Mohannadi, general manager and managing director of QWEC; Khalid Mohammed Jolo, CEO of Nebras Power and Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar.



The agreement aims to strengthen mutual cooperation between Masdar, QEWC and Nebras in the development of commercially viable renewable energy projects in the UAE, Qatar, and international markets. It will also promote collaboration on research & development, education and raising awareness of the importance of sustainable development.



Al Ramahi said: Our cooperation agreement with QEWC and Nebras Power provides a valuable opportunity for collaboration and knowledge sharing among regional partners who share common goals. This will lead to closer ties, investment and value creation, and ultimately support the wider deployment of renewable energy."



Al Mohannadi said: This agreement will make an important contribution to the evolution of Qatar Electricity and Water Company, which seeks to be a leader in the field of power generation and water desalination in the Middle East. It also supports sustainable development and energy diversification in the State of Qatar, which has set a solar power target of 1.8GW by 2020.



Since its inception, QEWC has worked to meet Qatars energy and water needs through the development of efficient electricity and desalination projects that utilise modern technologies in collaboration with key partners. These activities support the community and contribute to the development of Qatars industrial and commercial sectors.



Khalid Mohammed Jolo said: "We hope this agreement will further the aim of Nebras Power to invest in regional and international utilities markets. It will enable all three parties to exchange knowledge and experience and help them to expand their activities in renewable energy and sustainability.



Through such partnerships, Nebras aims to consolidate its global position in the energy sector, especially in renewable energy, which is one of the most growth important areas for Nebras in line with the national vision of the State of Qatar. We support the vision of Qatars leadership to compete globally and to excel in sustainable development, research and long-term investment.



Qatar Electricity &Water Company is one of the largest electricity and water desalination companies in the Middle East and North Africa. Its production capacity is 11,098MW for electricity and 535.5 MIGD for desalinated water.



Nebras Power is mandated is to invest in international power generation, water desalination, water treatment, cooling and heating projects. The company also invests in liquid natural gas (LNG) projects and power plant-related fuel loading and unloading facilities.



Nebras Power has a proven track record in developing projects based on the Independent Power Producers (IPP) model and in financing, developing and operating projects around the world. The company also has long-standing partnerships with regional and international developers, investors and banks.



Masdar, Abu Dhabis renewable energy company, is at the forefront of the development, commercialisation and deployment of clean technologies  as a link between todays fossil fuel economy and the energy economy of the future.



Masdars clean energy division is a leading developer and owner of utility-scale, grid-connected projects; remote applications providing energy access to communities away from the electricity grid; and carbon abatement projects. Since 2006, Masdar has invested in renewable energy projects with a combined value of US$8.5 billion; Masdars share of these projects is $2.7 billion.



Masdars renewable energy projects span the UAE, Jordan, Mauritania, Egypt, Morocco, the UK, Serbia and Spain. The electricity generating capacity of these projects, which are either fully developed or under development, is 2.7 gigawatts (GW) gross.  TradeArabia News Service
By Press Trust of India: Chennai, Jan 17 (PTI) Announcing her intention to take the political plunge, Deepa Jayakumar, niece of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, today said she would disclose her political roadmap on February 24, the birth anniversary of Amma.

Deepa talked to the media after scores of AIADMK cadre thronged her residence here and appealed to her to assume a leading role.

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Days after announcing that she will make a declaration on her political entry on the birth centenary of AIADMK founder MGR today, she merely said she was all set for the political plunge.

However, she did not disclose if she would start a new political party or join any other party.

"So far there have been questions expressing doubts if I would enter politics or not, if I would engage in peoples work and whether I will be afraid and run away (from political arena)," she said.

"To end such things, I make it clear on this day (MGRs birth centenary) that I will enter politics, do peoples work and I desire that," she told reporters at a crowded press conference, adding, she was "interested in politics. I am waiting to work for the people."

She said she was all set to undertake a state-wide tour to solicit the views of her supporters, a section of whom are in the ruling AIADMK and the public before disclosing her plans on February 24.

"I have decided to enter politics. It will be made known on February 24 on the birth anniversary of J Jayalalithaa, the landmark day. I dont think there is any other day which will be best suited."

"The work left my Amma should be continued, her name and reputation should be guarded," she said, adding she was waiting to make public her landmark announcement on a landmark day.

Asked whether she and AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala should join forces and prevent a break-up in the party, Deepa said, "I have no opinion," adding, she was only considering the aspirations of the cadre and taking into account "Makkal Sakthi (peoples power)".

She said she was being given suggestions and recommendation to "join the AIADMK or start a new political party and there are also other views which I would like to analyse and take a decision."

She said she was asked by the cadre to take up a role in the AIADMK. Asked if Sasikala invited her to join the AIADMK, she said, "No. I can only give a direct answer and that is a no."

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Answering a question if she will have the support of Sasikala if she chose to join the AIADMK, she said, "It is premature to talk about this...my course of action has to be decided."

On her view in a petition in the high court for a probe into the circumstances surrounding Jayalalithaas death, she said, "I did not have suspicion. If such doubts had cropped up, I may have been a party (in the case)."

Asked if she concurred with the allegation that AIADMK has been "taken over" by Sasikala and her family, Deepa said, "That is the view of a larger section of people today. But this is not my view. I am only talking about my course of action." PTI VGN RC SMN VSC SMN

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Masdar, Abu Dhabis renewable energy company, has acquired a stake in Hywind Scotland, a 30-megawatt (MW) floating offshore pilot wind farm in the North Sea, it was announced at an official ceremony during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2017.



Through the transaction Statoil and Masdar have agreed to share the development risk and Masdar will cover 25 per cent of previous and future costs.



Due to start commercial operation in late 2017, Hywind Scotland is the worlds first floating offshore wind farm. The objective of the Hywind pilot farm is to demonstrate cost efficient and low risk solutions for future commercial-scale floating wind farms, a statement said.



Tone Skogen, State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway, attended an official ceremony to announce Masdars entry into the Hywind Scotland project. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and chairman of Masdar; Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE; Jens Eikaas, Norwegian Ambassador to the UAE; Tom Marchbanks, regional manager Middle East, Scottish Development International; Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, chief executive officer of Masdar, and Irene Rummelhoff, executive vice president, New Energy Solutions of Statoil, were also present.



Having met with representatives of Masdar at the Adipec conference late last year, I am greatly encouraged by this substantial international investment in Hywind Scotland and look forward to the further development of this world-leading 30 MW project, which will be situated 15 miles from Scotlands North East coast, said Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Fair Work, Scottish Parliament.



When complete, Hywind Scotland will be the first floating wind farm in the UK and its novel technology offers vast, global potential. This pilot project aims to take advantage of Scotlands huge offshore wind resource by operating in waters exceeding 100m depth, demonstrating cost efficient and low risk solutions for commercial scale parks.



Major investments, such as this one made by Masdar, highlight the importance of continued investment in offshore wind, are a sign of increasing confidence within the sector, and position Scotland at the forefront of the global race to develop the next generation of offshore wind technologies.



Located off the coast of Peterhead in Abderdeenshire, Hywind Scotland consists of five 6MW floating wind turbines anchored to the seabed. The farm covers an area of around four-square kilometres, with the average wind speed in this area of the North Sea is around 10 m per second.



The ongoing construction of monopiles will be followed by assembly at Stord in Norway next summer, before they are shipped to Scotland.



Masdar is excited to join the team developing the worlds first floating wind farm, and to build on our partnership with Statoil, said CEO Al Ramahi.



Hywind Scotland represents the next stage in the evolution of the offshore wind industry, combining the project management experience and technical expertise of one of the worlds largest offshore energy players  and our own capabilities in renewable energy development acquired over the last decade in the UK and international markets, Al Ramahi added. We see tremendous potential in the commercial application of floating offshore wind technologies.



The partnership also consists of a collaboration agreement which will enable the two companies to work together on clean energy technologies across several markets in the near future.



Hywind Scotland is the second offshore wind partnership between Masdar and Statoil after the Dudgeon wind farm, a 402MW project also due to come on-stream by the second half of 2017.



Dudgeon, Hywind Scotland and the 630MW London Array  currently the worlds largest offshore wind farm in operation  will bring Masdars gross renewable energy generating capacity in the UK to 1.06 gigawatts (GW), enough power to supply 6,600 homes and displace 63,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.



Masdars investments in wind energy also span projects in the Middle East.  TradeArabia News Service


Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa in Kuwait hosted a number of dignitaries at the Chaine des Rotisseurs dinner including the Ambassadors of Australia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Romania, and South Korea.



Guests of honour included Arlette Mabardi from Lebanon and Mohamed Hammam from Turkey.



For the third consecutive year, the dinner was held at Badriah Ballroom which was fully decorated with a London inspired theme.



As a member of the prestigious culinary society, general manager Hakan Petek said: It was a great honour to host the distinguished Chaine des Rotisseurs Association at Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa. Badriah Ballroom served as the ideal venue to transport our guests to London, the theme we selected for this distinctive event. We were delighted to hear that our guests were impressed by the menu which emphasizes our commitment to exemplary gastronomy.



From his part, Mohamed Najia, Bailli Delegue of the Chaine des Rotisseurs Kuwait chapter, said: We were very delighted to hold our Chaine ceremony at Jumeirah Messilah Brach Hotel & Spa and we look forward to further collaboration in the future.



Following the induction of the event, Najia presented Hakan Petek with an award in appreciation for his continuing support for the Baillage du Koweit.



As a fitting tribute to the distinguished members, the hotels award-winning chefs tailored a special six-course menu consisting of gourmet dishes with the finest ingredients such as Quail and Leek Terrine with roasted plums, Beef Wellington, River Salmon smoked with oak wood and Deconstructed Strawberry Trifle with vanilla custard for dessert.



The Chaine des Rotisseurs is an international association of gastronomy, established in over 80 countries that brings together a growing number of amateurs and professionals from all over the world in appreciation of fine cuisine and the culinary arts. - TradeArabia News Service


Hotels.com recently launched a travel concierge through a mobile digtal app. The service enables users to book transportation, book reservations, have food delivery and other activities from the Hotels.com app. It provides travelers with fast and simple access to various services, including Uber, Groupon, OpenTable and delivery.com.

The app is powered by the Button Marketplace, a commerce platform that lets consumers request the products and services of its partners through the Hotels.com app, according to Breaking Travel News. Button's technology makes it easy for users to seamlessly and smoothly order their favorite products and services on mobile through the Hotels.com Concierge.

For Hotels.com customers, all available local services will appear in the app on the 1st day of their hotel stay, leveraging key location data, such as the customer's hotel address, to make the process of enhancing their stay with complementary services seamless and intuitive.

The new feature provides travelers with fast and simple access to a various services, including Uber, Groupon, OpenTable and delivery.com. Uber is available worldwide, while Groupon is available in the U.S. and U.K. OpenTable is available in more than 20 countries, including the U.S. and U.K. Users in the U.S. will have access to delivery.com, while hungryhouse will be available to users in the U.K.

Most said they would want to use it to make restaurant reservations, find directions and purchase tickets to local tourist spots. However, the survey also showed interest in a mobile butler service for ironing, coffee deliveries and other chores.

While Hotels.com's senior director of mobile Daniel Craig admits the app "isn't quite at there yet," it's possible those services could be made available later on. "Mobile is changing the way people travel, and at the forefront of that we're constantly improving and investing in mobile, to offer more than just hotel bookings," said Craig in a statement. "We want to make our customers lives easier before, during and after their trip."

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Brussel, Belgium's capital they say is full of contradictions. Even the landscape and language seem conflicted: part wistful art nouveau, part concrete functionality; French and Dutch. But boring? Never. Here are some art attractions in the city.

Most of Brussels's best attractions are within easy walking distance, according to Timeout. In the middle of the city, the theatrically carved guildhalls of the Grand Place is one of the world's great squares, particularly when lighted at night. Nearby, the tiny Mannekin Pis statue fails to interest confused tourists daily, while five minutes' walk going east lies Galeries Royales St-Hubert, Europe's first shopping arcade, opened in 1847, and the best spot for chocolate shopping in the capital.

Past Brussels Park, the city's finest art museums are changing, with the newly-opened Fin-de-Siecle and renovated Musee Oldmasters museums having largely displaced their Modern Art counterpart on Rue de la Regence as it awaits re-housing in 2017. Both are worth your time, as is the adjoining Magritte Museum, which chronicles the life and works of one of the city's most famous painter, the surrealist Rene Magritte.

Across the road lies what is left of the Coudenburg, the former royal palace, which was destroyed by fire in the early 18th century. Here you can visit the ruined foundations. Atop them now sits the rebuilt Royal Palace of Brussels. It is said that King Leopold II thought that the building was too modest and had it redecorated it with neoclassical zeal. Check out his handiwork in the Mirror Room, of which the ceiling is decorated in the wing casings of 1.4 million Thai jewel beetles.

On south-west of the palace lays the daily Marolles flea market on Place du Jeu de Balle. Here you'll find everything, and scouring its wares is one of the best ways to spend a morning in Brussels. Before it was home to old Bruxellois traders whose old French-Dutch-Spanish language rang out across the flagstones; today, the sellers come mostly from Turkey and North Africa. Yet it remains a symbol of the city, with locals engaged in a never-ending battle to halt gentrification. You can view a guide for Brussel's museums here.

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During the Old Testament period, a Hebrew prophet named Daniel challenged the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in the area of overall fitness, and this is the first detailed documentation of Jewish vegan heritage making a strong statement. And now the top 5 vegan dishes of Israel feed a new army that is currently locked in a domestic ideological campaign called the "vegan revolution."

Despite being mostly described by the mass media as bordering mass-hysteria, it is the one social issue that many people in Israel take seriously. In fact, a report published by BBC underscores how the vegan revolution even gained supporters in the most respected organization in the country - the Israel Defense Forces.

There is little doubt that vegan culture is slowly becoming a mainstream in Israel. Any tourist who will plan to visit Tel Aviv might as well take note of the following vegetarian kosher food menu.

Lentil Soup

This staple kosher food is very popular among traditional Jewish households. This thick vegetable stew is standard comfort meal during the winter season. Lentil soup is one of the most widely imported recipes that originally came from Hebrew culture.

Sabich

Sabich is the Jewish answer to Italian pizza and American hamburger. It is unleavened pita bread stuffed with fried eggplant, potatoes, parsley and hummus (among other veggies). When Jesus broke the bread, his disciples could have thought of this recipe.

Israeli Salad

Take note: the ingredients in this dish are neither cooked nor processed. Israeli salad is a quintessential kosher food that only entails a combination of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions drenched in lemon juice (pure liquid squeezed from a sliced lemon).

Dolma

Although this dish is well-known in Israel's open cafes, it is important to take note that this original Mediterranean recipe was imported from Greece. Grapevine leaves wrap sweet rice and lentils, turning it into a fine stuffed desert.

Sambusak

Israel's competitive vegan culture has indeed gone far enough to challenge the world's best vegetarian nation - India. The Jewish answer to the famous Indian samosa is the 'sambusak.' This savory pastry is stuffed with chickpeas and other spices (some which, ironically, they might still import from India).

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
It's easy to mistake some people's wide-eyed reaction when one asks them about traveling to Ethiopia. It's either they don't know much to form a positive opinion, or they know at least 5 wicked facts about Ethiopia which left their minds blown. Here are the top 5 facts about Ethiopia that prospective visitors ought to remember.

Unconquered Nation

One of Ethiopia's wicked facts that its countrymen aren't tired of retelling is how their civilization repelled every known prospective invader. From Ancient Egypt in Classical Bronze Age to Fascist Italy of World Wars I and II, Ethiopians have stood up against oppressors in a drawn-out series of tactical skirmishes that made occupation a very demoralizing prospect.

First African Gold Medalist

Among the top 5 facts about Ethiopia, one of the first monumental achievements that earned the respect of worldwide audience was an Olympic gold medal that landed 'easily' hung around the shoulders of the first victorious black African in 1960. From then on, every long-distance runner aspired to be like Abebe Bikila (but none would want to do it barefooted like he did).

Birthplace of Mankind

Darwinian evolution suggests that humanity is a product of eons of biological development. In essence, our earlier genetic version looks a little like 'something else.' Everything about evolution was simply a fiercely contested theory until 1974 when an American paleoanthropologist named Donald Johansson discovered a set of Australopithecus bones in the Afar region of Ethiopia. "Lucy" was a quintessential scientific counterpart of the Biblical Eve.

African Vegan Center

One of the many things that make Ethiopia a unique country is that it is a haven for vegetarians. Due to the country's predominant Orthodox Christianity, old-school abstinence of animal products is observed with extraordinary piety. Ethiopians make spicy dishes so well that one can hardly crave for meat.

Soul of Reggae Music

Among the 5 wicked facts about Ethiopia, the hardest trivia to miss is the fact that this country has single-handedly inspired almost all aspects of reggae culture. If every social clique has to be identified by the color and pattern of a flag, all people sporting reggae colors (red, gold, and green) are virtually Ethiopians!

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Every country gives foreign tourists one or two good reasons for a visit. However, the basis as to why people visit Peru and find it particularly attractive is that it is one of the fewest places on earth that captures a wide range of interests. These top 5 reasons to visit Peru definitely appeals to several varieties of tourists:

Mosaic Micro Climates

One of the known facts about Peru in terms of its geography is that it is a nation composed of several ecosystems. Its geographical diversity is comprised of the steep highlands of the Inca Trails to Machu Picchu, the arid Nazca Desert, the humid Amazon rainforest and the placid Lake Titicaca. Eco-tourists, travel bloggers, hikers and all types of free-spirited adventurers will find their hearts in Peru's mosaic geography.

Home of the Ancients

Whether one prefers the ancient Incas or the ancient aliens, Peru attracts an army of avid academics - whether they're graduates from Princeton University or fans of National Geographic Channel. The Machu Picchu remains to be the centerpiece of Peru's heritage tourism while the infamous Nazca Lines of the Peruvian desert continue to inspire the revolutionary 'extraterrestrial intervention' as another branch of human evolution.

Hotel and Restaurant Boom

One of the many things that made traveling in Peru agreeable is that one can hardly experience any difficulty finding a place to sleep. For the past few years, Peru has increased its number of hotels at an almost exponential rate. While hotels spike in quantity, its famous restaurants maintain their world-class quality - serving the best local and imported dishes.

Colorful Culture Shock

Any veteran tourists traveling in Peru have already learned beforehand that its people are just as unique as the world they are living in. Speaking of culture shock, the far-flung high-altitude regions of Cusco holds a peculiar barehanded fighting every Christmas. Yes - only in Peru where the spirit of Christmas is celebrated with a broken nose!

Less than $40 Daily Budget

If there is one compelling reason why people visit Peru, it is the fact that traveling this country is relatively cheap. The daily budget in the cultural haven of Cusco is only $30.26, while the capital city of Lima only costs $31.17 per day.

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Wine, culture and food-loving chef Anthony Bourdain would never miss a trip to Japan. The "Land of the Rising Sun" is a haven for culture, artistry and gastronomy, and Anthony's frequent trips had him visit several markets selling fresh seafood and eat outside. If he recommended anything to travelers, he would definitely mention these five.

According to Los Angeles Eater, Anthony Bourdain first set foot in Omi-cho Market in Kanazawa. A sanctuary for artists and seafood, Bourdain strolls with chef Masa Takayama eating Urchin Roe, fresh snow crab and almost everything at the stalls. If they liked it here, foodies would definitely find class and a satisfied stomach in Omi-cho's food stalls.

Bourdain and Takayama had shown great admiration to the dishes the Ginza Sushiko chef makes. The restaurant is almost a hundred and thirty years old and is said to be the "proving grounds" for young chefs training in the art of sushi making. One can expect amazing sushi dishes right off the bat from this locale.

According to The Travel Channel, Anthony Bourdain's itinerary has seen him visit other non-food related locations including the Rokkakudo Temple in Kyoto -- famous for being the birthplace of "ikebana" or the art of flower arrangement. Rokkakudo is also a Buddhist temple having a hexagonal main hall.

Back to tasting delicious food, a break from seafood and ramen had Anthony Bourdain sit down and enjoy the food of Toriki. A train ride and a flight of stairs downward, Toriki boasts the best yakitori chicken dishes in Tokyo -- along with amazing atmosphere as many foreign patrons noted. Great for Western travelers having some difficulty in Nihonggo too as the staff speaks in English.

Traveling with Chef Morimoto, Anthony sits down in Roppongi to eat what his fellow Chef serves in a five-star restaurant. Foreign guests who had come and gone from Atelier Morimoto XEX said that Morimoto puts on an amazing performance. While quite upscale in terms of price, the passion and humanity of Chef Morimoto is clear not just to Bourdain, but to anyone who dines.

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By India Today Web Desk: Kiara Advani is on cloud nine. Her film MS Dhoni: The Untold Story became one of the highest grossing films of 2016, and Kiara also got praised by none other than Sakshi Dhoni herself.

ALSO READ: Salman Khan renamed Fugly actress as Kiara Advani

If a report in SpotboyE is to be believed, things are rosy on the personal front as well. Kiara is said to be dating director Mustan's (of Abbas-Mustan fame) son, Mustafa Burmawalla. Love blossommed between the two on the sets of their upcoming film Machine, which marks Mustafa's debut. A source is quoted as revealing that the two got along like a house on fire and have been hanging out frequently for the last few months, even though the shooting of the film is over. Apparently, they hang out quite often with designer Vikram Phadnis, who is a close mutual friend.

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Kiara was earlier reportedly dating her Fugly co-star Mohit Marwah.

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An ancient 600-year old Buddha statue was recently discovered in a water reservoir in Jiangxi Province, China. The head of the statue emerged when the water levels went down. Could this be just the tip of the iceberg? This could be another tourist attraction that travelers should really watch out for.

According to CNN, one of the local villagers spotted the head of the Buddha when the water levels went down at least 10 meters. The head is carved into a cliff, leaning against it while facing the lake. Now, a lot of visitors are flocking to the site because of the mystery that the statue brings.

After the discovery, an archeological team searched the area to learn more about the mysterious statue. China Topix reported that the statue is just the tip of another hidden historical edifice. The statue is 12.5 feet or 3.8 meters tall and studies suggest that the architectural design belonged to the Ming Dynasty. In fact, the statue could even date back as early as the Yuan Dynasty.

There was also a base of a temple hall discovered and local records are leading to the conclusion that the ruins are part of an ancient town named Xiaoshi. Research Institute of Archeology director Xu Changqing also said that an archeological team is proposing a preservation plan.

Many people are wondering how the statue survived for hundreds of years. Fox 5 reported that the water could have helped preserve the materials from oxidation, weather changes and other factors.

Local officials said that the Buddha statue was built back in ancient times to serve as a protector when river currents were rapidly flowing. However, laws about heritage site protection weren't strictly implemented at that time so the statue was sunk underwater in 1960 when the water reservoir was built.

But now that the tip of the 600-year-old Buddha is emerging once more, local officials are trying to preserve this historical site. It would be another reason for travelers and sight-seekers to rejoice.

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The London airport, yes. Everybody is excited to travel to exotic locations, and yet there is undoubtedly a hint of the tension in the air. There are quite a lot of issues to be anticipated in the airport that the majority people were unlucky enough to experience already.

Whether your bag is heavy or oversize, checking in your luggage is such a hassle. How to prevent these airport mistakes?

A London-based travel technology start-up decided to take up the steps in answering the needs of travelers which allows them to check in their luggage from anywhere in London. AirPortr, together with British Airways deployed the AirPortr + Bag Check-In, designed to lessen a traveler's load of carrying a heavy baggage all day long.

According to their press release, British Airways' Director of Airport Transformation, Philip Osmond, said, "We are always looking at innovative ways in which to give our customers more choice and improve their journeys. We are excited to launch this exclusive service, delivered by AirPortr, which will offer an even smoother travel experience."

Randel Darby, AirPortr CEO, said, "Our vision is to transform the way we travel and AirPortr + Bag Check-In is a game changer in international travel. It is the next step in our range of services aimed to make air travel more convenient and stress-free. We are delighted to be launching this service exclusively with British Airways in London, better connecting our city with global business and tourism."

The tech service is a key development to the Londoner's air travel experience. Passengers of British Airways taking flight from London can avoid the problem of what to do with bags if taking a late flight or early hotel check-out.

The app can also allow people to squeeze in that extra business meeting, go last minute distressing or shopping. Londoners can wave goodbye to the stress of dragging heavy luggage when taking public transport to the airport.

Technically, you can even have your luggage booked in your house.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
One of the biggest electronic music festivals in the world, the BPM festival is supposedly entering its 10th year partying with tourists and locals at Playa del Carmen clubs in Mexico. But last night, the event took a scary turn when an unidentified gunman opened fire at the Blue Parrot nightclub, killing five people in the process and injuring 15 others.

According to Quintana Roo State Attorney General Miguel Angel Pech, an Italian, Canadian, and Mexican were among the dead, with the nationalities of the remaining two victims still unidentified. 7 people were also rushed to the hospital because of the incident, with 1 person in really grave condition. Other injured victims were treated at the scene for cuts and bruises.

After the gunman started shooting, the crowd rose into panic which caused a stampede in the nightclub. One of the people who died in the incident was apparently caused by the stampede.

The party apparently started at noon, so by the time the incident happened everyone was either drunk or high on drugs. It caused a disorganized panic around the club during the shooting which resulted in a lot of confusion. A stampede occurred when partygoers tried to exit the club.

Hector Escardo Steck was among the people at the club when the incident happened. In his interview, he said: "It was awful, the club was completely full and at around 2am we heard ten successive gunshots and people immediately hit the floor. Just after that the music stopped and everyone started running in a panic."

"There is a tall fence between the club and the beach and everyone started trying to climb over that. A lot of people got hurt in the attempt top club over, because people were panicking and trying to get away. It was terrifying"

"I was at the back of the club, so I didn't see anyone get shot, but 20 minutes later in the streets I saw a lot of dead bodies being guarded by police officers. People were running everywhere, jumping, punching, running."

4 people are now in custody in relation of the incident. The perpetrator is still at large, but police are confident they'll find the suspect soon.

The festival organizers were deeply saddened by the event. In their statement, they said that because of the horror incident in Blue Parrot nightclub, all BPM parties will be shut down to pave way for the police investigation.

"It is with great sadness to share that police have confirmed reports of a lone shooter outside the Blue Parrot nightclub in Playa Del Carmen earlier today, which resulted in four fatalities and 15 injured," they said. "After alleged reports of shots fired this morning at Blue Parrot, all BPM parties are shut down while police investigations are underway."

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Recently, treasure hunters claimed they have found the Yamashita Treasure in the Philippines. Several experts have claimed otherwise, saying there is no evidence of the legendary treasure. However, a new video surfaced that has supported explorers claim to have found the lost treasure. The video shows blocks of gold apparently found adorned with explosives.

Treasure hunters are claiming they have discovered the multitude of gold reportedly concealed in the Philippines by Japanese soldiers during WWII. The finding could mark the culmination of decades of hearsay over the so-called Yamashita Treasure. The treasure is famed as comprising gold bars and gemstones worth tens of billions of dollars purportedly looted by the Japanese Imperial Army. This alleged stolen war loot was reportedly hidden in caves and tunnels during WWII. According to rumors, the looted Yamashita Treasures were hidden in more than 145 underground tunnels and caves in the Philippines before the Japanese surrendered in 1945.

The video displays men searching a water-filled cave apparently in the Philippines where they discover massive volumes of gold bars known as the Yamashita Treasure. The divers were seen getting rid of mud from the blocks of gold that were supposedly uncovered booby-trapped with explosives. The video has been viewed almost 160,000 times since it was shared on YouTube on January 9 and is also discussed in Reddit, says Daily Mail.

However, despite claims, anthropologist Piers Kelly sacked the myths surrounding the Yamashita Treasure, saying the theories were just rumors. The purported war loot stolen by Japanese soldiers was under the command of General Tomoyuki Yamashita, who was the general in charge of the country's forces in 1944.

In his statement reported by International Business Times, Kelly was quoted saying that tales of buried gold, silver, Yamashita Treasure and generic treasure are told throughout the Philippines. He added that by tracing disparities of this story they were able to identify that their popularity accords with periods of war and crisis. The promise of future wealth may have served to boost local morale, he asserted.

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Between the border of Colombia and Ecuador, a catholic Basilica is gaining worldwide attention and slowly turning into an international tourist attraction because of its amazing architecture. Las Lajas Cathedral, also known as "Las Lajas Sanctuary", is located near the Colombian city of Ipiales in the Colombian Andes.

Catholics are known to make lavish cathedrals, but what makes Las Lajas Sanctuary stands out is that it is built at an altitude of 2,900 meters (9,508 feet) inside the canyon where the Guitara River flows. A 50-meter tall bridge connects the church and the ravine, making it look like a European fairytale castle.

The construction of the Las Lajas Sanctuary took about 33 years between 1916 and 1949. The cathedral is built in a neo-Gothic style, making it look like it's a lot older than it is. It was financed by local churchgoers and apparently based on a local legend.

It's said that in 1754, an Amerindian woman and her deaf-mute daughter was caught in a terrible storm. And when they were trying to look for shelter they found a cave where the apparition of the Virgin Mary appeared in the cave's walls. The daughter pointed at it and she was apparently cured of her illness.

The miracle spread across the region urging a blind man to collect money from village to village so he can build a church that will pay homage to the site where the Virgin Mary appeared. When he collected enough money it's said that his blindness was cured as well, and he was able to build the church that he dreamed of.

Because of this, around 750,000 visit the site annually, mostly composing of pilgrims and tourists. On Jan. 13, the Las Lajas Sanctuary was added to the list of attractions on the Corredor Turistico del Sur by the Trade, Industry and Tourism Ministry.

A breathtaking sight, the Las Lajas Sanctuary is indeed a marvelous piece of architecture. The cathedral is particularly full during the Holy Week, where over 12,000 pilgrims flock to the site to pray to the Our Lady of the Rosary of Las Lajas.

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On April 6, 2017, Universal Orlando will open a new ride featuring Jimmy Fallon. The ride, called "Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon," will feature a simulated ride where the guests can experience being on the "Tonight Show", a late-night American talk show where Jimmy Fallon hosts.

According to ComingSoon, "As they experience the attraction, guests will make their way through Studio 6B to board the world's first-ever flying theater, which seats up to 72 audience members, for the race of a lifetime. They will speed through the streets of New York City and all the way to the moon and back, encountering iconic landmarks from the Statue of Liberty to the Empire State Building to everything in between."

Constructed started in March last year, where the new ride will replace "Twister...Ride it Out", which closed on November 2, 2015. But development for the new attraction started on November 4, 2015, as shown in Fallon's Instagram account.

In the pictures posted by Fallon himself, one showed where Fallon is wearing a motion-capture suit and helmet while sitting on a make-shift go kart, suggesting that filming for the attraction has already commenced. In his Twitter account, Fallon also posted a picture on April 8, 2016, saying he's filming new episodes on a closed set in Vancouver for the upcoming Universal attraction.

Fallon said that the ride will have a similarity with Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and some cast of the "Tonight Show" will also be featured in the ride. The cast who are said to make an appearance in the ride include Steve Higgins, The Roots, and A. D. Miles.

Guests will also have the chance to experience the "Virtual Line" in the upcoming attraction, an all-new line experience where guests will spend less time in a ride's queue but rather will have more time walking and touring other parts of the park via a bracelet they will receive upon checking in in the ride.

In a recent announcement by Fallon, "The Tonight Show" will have tapings done in Universal Studios Florida on April 3-6, 2017 in support of the ride's opening. Additional details would soon be announced concerning prospective celebrity guests and how-tos of the ride.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Recent study reveals that a raw salmon found in the United States has the possibility for Japanese tapeworm contamination. The study was published in the journal entitled Emerging Infectious Diseases by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for its issue this coming February.

Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense, commonly known as the Japanese Tapeworm, is a variety of parasites that directly infects the digestion of its prey. Despite the belief that this parasite is common only on fishes that are found in Asia, the recent study revealed that a Japanese Tapeworm has actually infected a wild pink salmon that was caught from Alaska, CNN reports.

The incident has led to the theory by several scientists that there is a possibility that the salmon gathered along the North America's Pacific coast can be assumed to be infected by the Japanese Tapeworms. Salmons can be reasonably unsafe especially to people who likes to eat it uncooked.

According to Travel and Leisure, Japanese Tapeworms redevelop because of the increasing number of people eating raw fish resulting to larger global importation. There are already 2,000 cases of Japanese Tapeworm infection that are reported all over the world, most of which came from the North Eastern part of Asia. This makes Japanese Tapeworm the world's second most common source of tapeworm infection in the world.

The study even provides supplementary confirmation that salmon caught from North America may practically be the source of a wide-spread human infection caused by parasites. Normally, salmons caught in the Pacific are distributed unfrozen to local markets and fishing ports. Having said that, the development of tapeworms called plerocercoids have the tendency to survive carriage and may basically cause infections to consumers.

Based on the results of a study conducted by a team of scientists in 2013, there are four types of Pacific salmon which are known to be probable for Japanese Tapeworm infection. These are the masu salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon and the pink salmon. These are also the most exported salmon in the world which are actually served in restaurants from Asia to Europe, to America and to Canada.

Sushi and anything that goes with raw salmon is definitely a blockbuster in every corner of the world. But with the emergence of these infections involving raw fish, we can always prefer to be on the safe side. Besides, salmons can be served at its best on many ways possible.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
When the train arrives tomorrow, it'll be the dawn of a new era for the historic Silk Road. The East Wind locomotive will travel 7,456 miles from Eastern China to Britain, carrying loads of goods of 34 carriages, in its 16-day travel.

The Daily Mail reports that the train will pass through Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Poland, Belgium, and France before it pulls into Hackney Rail Freight terminal in London's East End on Wednesday. Onetwothree Logistics Manager, Oscar Lin, said, "This cargo train service highlights the important trade partnership between the UK and China post-Brexit."

Taking the ancient route, it is noted that the trip's journey will be faster than a container ship and cost half the price of air freight. London will also be considered as the 15th city directly linked to China.

Anthropologist Prof Magnus Marsden of the Sussex University's School of Global Studies said in a report by the Guardian, "It's a new economic geography." He cites that this will be the first train to the UK, but very much part of a new type of commercial route.

"The commodities are small," he said. "It's not the big corporates who will be using this train, so it's very much in the tradition of the Silk Road, giving opportunities for those who are in fact the inheritors of those ancient traders today."

The old trading route was believed to have been used in 200BC. It brought Chinese silk, gems, commodities, western textiles, spices, cultural items or even diseases.

Rightly named as the East Wind, the train hopes to establish a good UK-China relations. In fact, the name was derived from Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, who quoted, "The east wind will prevail over the west wind."

Operations Director Mike White said, "We believe this is going to change the way a lot of forwarders and shippers view their imports and exports for China."

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
The centres are to have welcome gates, lounges, facilities for drinking water and wash rooms, and will also provide wheel chairs for senior citizens.

By India Today Web Desk: Since the advent of smartphones, selfies have become an innate response. Be it a celebratory event or mourning, or in this case, elections.

Voters can now take pictures of themselves after casting their votes as there will be selfie points at 73 model polling centres in Agra district of Uttar Pradesh.

The centres will also have welcome gates, lounges, facilities for drinking water and wash rooms, and will also provide wheel chairs for senior citizens.

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A large number of voluntary groups are mobilising voters and campaigning for free and fair elections.

"Wake Up Agra" President Shishir Bhagat said for a clean and efficient government in the state "we have to mobilise and sensitise all sections to ensure the right candidates win the elections and we get a government we deserve."

A campaign by Lok Swar President Rajiv Gupta in collaboration with Golden Age organisation through posters, is picking up momentum, while civil defence volunteers are organising meetings in colonies and holding rallies to mobilise voters.

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[IMAGECAPTION]PHOTO: Food allergies, such as those allergic to peanuts, are at the forefront of a federal complaint against American Airlines. (Courtesy Flickr/Andrew Malone)[/IMAGECAPTION]
After shooting Lean On in India, Major Lazer is all set to continue its tryst with the country.

The Lean On hitmakers will be on a three-city tour. Picture courtesy: YouTube

By India Today Web Desk: Come on, admit it. The 2015 earworm, Lean On, is still fresh in your mind and you can't help but play it every now and then.

And while you sit there and be sheepish about it, we think it our duty to mention that the makers of this very catchy number are coming to India.

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Yes, AGAIN! The world knows Lean On was shot in India and now extending their relationship with the country, Major Lazer is headed towards us in March, 2017.

Also Read: You can FINALLY get rid of Lean On, for Major Lazer is all set to release new music

Major Lazer--comprising DJ-music producer Diplo, DJ Jillionaire and DJ Walshy Fire--will reportedly be in attendance for a 'travelling carnival' titled, Mad Decent Block Party.

Also Read: How Lean On was shot on a low budget, in the company of a sleepy elephant, at an Indian palace

According to a report in The Times of India, the musicians will be on a three-city-tour across Mumbai (March 3), Hyderabad (March 4) and Delhi (March 5).

In what is the second edition of Mad Decent Block Party, the event will feature some of the biggest names from music genres like Hip Hop, Dance Music, Pop among many others.

--- ENDS ---
So, I just read an article complaining about how the flood of single-use straw bans is "annoying" and doesn't have any impact aside from making "liberal enviros" feel good about themselves. I am pretty sure that the marine animals with straws stuck in their noses might beg to differ, but hey, I'm just a liberal enviro (thank you very much) so what do I know?

What I do know is that plastic pollution is an enormous problem, so regardless of the specific statistics, the war on plastic straws is working double-time as an effective public awareness campaign. Plastic straws are also completely unnecessary for most of us (excluding those who truly rely on straws for physical reasons)  they are a frivolous contraption and can be a great introduction to breaking up with single-use plastic.

(And for the record, an analysis by a group of pollution research nonprofits called Better Alternatives Now estimates that 7.5 percent of plastic in the environment comes from straws and stirrers. Meanwhile, a recently published study estimated as many as 8.3 billion plastic straws pollute the world's beaches That is not nothing.)

But to anyone who is feeling annoyed that they may soon be deprived of the luxury of a plastic straw  even though humans somehow managed to live without them for hundreds of thousands of years prior to the 1960s  you may want to consider that straws aren't just bad for the environment, but may be bad for you as well. (I mean, what's bad for the environment is also generally bad for human health, but I'm talking more directly.)

I have long wondered if sucking on plastic via straws had any health implications, and while my curiosity didn't go much further than the plastic chemicals that might be leaching into one's drink and mouth, registered dietitian and nutrition writer Christy Brissette has been kind enough to lay it all out in an article for The Washington Post.

Here's what she's thinking.

1. Gas and Bloating

Nobody likes gas and bloating. They are uncomfortable, both physically and socially. Brissette says that sipping from straws delivers air into the digestive tract, which can cause uncomfortable digestive symptoms, like, yes, gas and bloating. "When Im counseling clients who are experiencing these symptoms, I always ask them about lifestyle habits, such as whether they drink from a straw often. Some of my clients have experienced significant improvements by ditching straws," she writes.

2. Dental Health

When drinking sugary or acidic drinks with a straw, it acts like a hose hitting a specific area of the teeth with a stream of concentrated sugar/acid, which can lead to the erosion of enamel and cause tooth decay. That said, if you put the straw behind your teeth, it can spare them  and since this will probably excite your gag reflex as well, you won't even want to drink the junky thing in the first place, a win-win!

3. Chemicals

This was my worry, and Brissette confirms my concerns  the fact that straws are made from petroleum, and something about sucking on a petroleum product sends up a red flag somewhere in the heart of my liberal enviro brain. Single-use plastic straws are primarily made of polypropylene, which the over-aloof and industry-lobbied FDA says is food-safe in certain amounts. "But there is evidence that chemicals from polypropylene can leach into liquids and may release compounds that could affect estrogen levels," writes Brissette, "especially when exposed to heat, acidic beverages or UV light."

But wait, there's more! There is so much plastic in the ocean that it is finding its way back to us: We ingest microplastics in things like seafood and sea salt. Fewer straws means less plastic in the ocean means less plastic for us to eat when consuming products from the sea.

4. Excess Sugar and Alcohol Consumption

Brissette notes that the idea of drinking something through a straw has been argued by some to contribute to excess sugar intake and/or faster intoxication (when drinking alcohol). While the jury is still out on those, I know for a fact that when I used to use straws, they encouraged me to drink a beverage much more quickly. Brissette writes that, "The thought is that straws cause you to gulp down a greater volume of liquid more quickly than drinking from a glass or cup. Plus, people arent very accurate about estimating how much liquid theyre taking in, especially if theyre distracted by a movie or smartphone screen."

5. Wrinkles

Because if the environment and health don't convince you, perhaps vanity will! For people concerned about wrinkles, using straws regularly can lead to pucker lines, like the ones smokers get from pulling on a cigarette.

For anyone very attached to their straw habit, there are paper straws and reusable straws. Yes, plastic straws may be convenient, but doesn't it seem strange to use something for five minutes that could pollute nature for hundreds of years to come? You don't have to be a liberal enviro to see that there's a problem in that logic.
It's all about the culture.

Denmark is a superstar when it comes to cutting down on wasted food. In 2015 the Agriculture and Food Council announced that the country had reduced the amount of wasted food by 25 percent in five years. The public conversation about waste has been marvelously effective, and America should take notes.

But taking notes would only go so far. If Jonathan Blooms assessment in an article for National Geographic is accurate, then Danish success in the area of food waste is firmly rooted in cultural differences, which would make it difficult for Americans to follow suit. Heres a quick run-down on why Bloom, author of American Wasteland, thinks Danes are so good at reducing food waste (and, by extension, why Americans are not).

1. The Danes have a leader.

Never underestimate the power of a passionate individual. The anti-food waste movement in Denmark has a well-known leader named Selina Juul, who emigrated from Russia as a teenager. Juul was shocked by the amount of food available and taken for granted, compared to the empty store shelves of her native country. She launched a group called Stop Wasting Food and is recognized as the force behind the past three governments attention to the problem of food waste.

2. Fighting food waste is trendy, and Danes like to be trendy.

Its so trendy, in fact, that the Danish Princess Marie attended the grand opening of WeFood, a grocery store in Copenhagen that sells expired food to the general public. Danes love the WeFood concept so much that they line up daily to buy whatever has been donated, and while a few may be looking for a deal, the majority is there for political reasons, says Sidsel Overgaard for NPR. Demand has been so great that WeFood recently opened a second location.

Bloom also points out that a conservative minister held a Better Food conference. It is hard to imagine that happening in the U.S. right now.

3. Denmark is a small country.

With a population the size of Wisconsin and relatively small geographical boundaries, its relatively easy to spread a campaign message like Stop Wasting Food and get people on board. The Danes really do seem to care. While visiting Denmark, Bloom found that everyone, from his taxi driver to culinary educators to politicians, was eager to talk about food waste and why its an important issue  the results of a successful campaign!

4. Danes are naturally frugal.

Food is very expensive in Denmark. Danes allocate 11.1 percent of expenses toward food, whereas in the United States that amount is only 6.4 percent. When something costs a lot, a person is less likely to waste it (which is why weve made the argument before on TreeHugger that food should cost more).

Disposable culture has not permeated Denmark in the way that it has other nations. This is visible in its design and architecture, too; things here are built to last.

5. Most Danes know how to cook.

Because food is so expensive, Danes tend to eat in more often than they go out. This means that everyone knows how to prepare basic meals, even bake bread, and that more leftovers get incorporated into meals. In the words of Rikke Bruntse Dahl, who works at the Copenhagen House of Food, a center that strives to improve food quality in public kitchens:

We are brought up to not waste resources and get the most out of what weve got, like housewives back in the day.

6. Fridges are small.

And distances are short, which means that people tend to shop in smaller quantities on a daily basis, rather than stocking up with a weekly trip to the supermarket. When youve got a small fridge in the kitchen, its harder to lose track of perishable items on the distant, hard-to-reach back shelf.

7. The government backs the fight.

Real change can happen when government policies change. As TreeHugger reported last summer, the Danish minister for food and the environment has made available a subsidy pool of almost US $750,000 to assist any projects tackling food waste, from production to consumption.

Its helpful to have looser rules surrounding the sale of expired food, enabling the existence of stories like WeFood. In Denmark, as long as expired food is clearly labeled and shows no sign of health risk, its legal to sell.

So if it's all about Danish culture, does that mean we in North America should give up the fight? Never! These are valuable lessons that can be applied to our problem on this side of the ocean, and show us how best to approach the search for an effective solution. If you're wondering where to start, the single best thing you can do for your own household is to start cooking from scratch.
An international agency that once brushed off the potential of wind energy has become one its biggest supporters.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) released a special report on wind power, saying that with continued improvements in technology and support from governments, offshore wind farms could generate more than 420,000 terawatt-hours per year worldwide  which is more than 18 times global electricity demand today.

Offshore Wind Outlook 2019 is a 98-page document that looks at technological advances, market forces and a geospatial analysis of where wind power can work. It's a snippet of the group's annual world energy report, which will be released on Nov. 13. IEA, which was founded in 1974 to coordinate a response to disruptions in the flow of oil, has since expanded to explore all energy issues.

"Offshore wind currently provides just 0.3% of global power generation, but its potential is vast," said Dr. Fatih Birol, the IEAs executive director, in a press release. "More and more of that potential is coming within reach, but much work remains to be done by governments and industry for it to become a mainstay of clean energy transitions."

It's also an economic opportunity as wind is on track to become a $1 trillion business, which may explain, in part, the agency's dramatic change of heart. As David Vetter explains in Forbes:

"...the IEA was for many years unconvinced of the potential of renewable energy sources, including wind, to produce sufficient energy for the worlds needs. In 2000, renewables were little more than an 'also-ran' category in the agencys report for that year."

Science is changing attitudes toward wind power

The first floating offshore wind turbine, floatgen, is pictured off La Turballe in western France. SEBASTIEN SALOM GOMIS / AFP / Getty Images

This backs up earlier research looking at the amount of wind energy available for harvest over our oceans. According to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, there's enough energy over the oceans to "potentially provide civilization-scale power."

To harvest that power, we would need to cover enormous stretches of the sea with turbines, a monumental engineering feat that would also have real environmental consequences. So while actually powering human civilization with wind power alone is probably impractical, the study demonstrates that floating wind farms have an immense untapped potential.

"I would look at this as kind of a green light for that industry from a geophysical point of view," said one of the study's researchers, Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Stanford, California.

The reason offshore wind power has so much more potential than land-based wind farms is that wind speeds can be as much as 70 percent higher over the sea. Part of that is because natural and human structures on land create friction that slows wind down, but researchers also found that wind over the ocean circulates from higher altitudes.

"Over land, the turbines are just sort of scraping the kinetic energy out of the lowest part of the atmosphere, whereas over the ocean, its depleting the kinetic energy out of most of the troposphere, or the lower part of the atmosphere," explained Caldeira.

The study found that it would take a 3 million square kilometer wind installation over the ocean to provide all of humanitys current power needs, or 18 terawatts. That's a lot of turbines; it would need to cover an area roughly the size of Greenland. Still, it's possible.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) A man from Bihar has been languishing in a jail in Saudi Arabia for over 15 years, and his family, unable to pay a punishment sum of over Rs 1 crore to secure his release, has now approached External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for help.

Mohammed Irfan, 42, was arrested for allegedly committing theft of medicines from a local government warehouse in Jeddah in January 2000 and since then he has been in jail, according to a December 21, 2016 correspondence between the Ministry of External Affairs and National Commission for Minorities (NCM) member Praveen Davar.

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Irfan was arrested for allegedly violating two Saudi rights -- public and private.

While Irfan, who hails from Bihars Piplawan village, has served imprisonment of 18 months under public right, he continues to be in prison for not fulfilling private right, under which he is required to pay a penalty amount of around Rs 1.29 crore (7,11,562 Saudi Riyals).

According to a public court in Jeddah, Irfan must pay the amount to the Saudi Health Ministry for allegedly stealing medicines from the warehouse of its medical supply department, where he used to work as an air-conditioner technician.

Irfan is accused of selling the medicines to Mansoor Ali Hakeem, a Bangladeshi national, and transmitting cost of the medicines.

Given the prevalent rules/laws of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, no one can exempt/waive or commute punishment awarded under private right except the affected party, the correspondence from the office of Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said.

The matter was taken up several times with the Saudi authorities concerned in the past, but no positive reply has been received till now in this regard, it said.

Irfans father Shakeel Ahmed and his brother Istekhar visited Jeddah during February-March, last year to enquire about the case and to meet him, the documents said.

Istekhar, who is said to have shifted with the family to Phulwari Shareef village now from Piplawan, though told PTI that it was not him or his father but his cousin who had met Irfan. PTI ENM ZMN SMN

--- ENDS ---
Bernice King, King's youngest daughter, told a gathering at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta not to give up hope and "Don't be afraid of who sits in the White House."

By Reuters: Martin Luther King's daughter said on Monday that "God can triumph over Trump," but the slain civil rights leader's son struck a conciliatory tone after meeting with the president-elect on the US holiday that honors their father.

The comments by the children of King, who championed racial justice until he was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39, punctuated an imbroglio involving Donald Trump and African-American congressman John Lewis that broke out over the weekend.

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The dispute started when Lewis, 76, a contemporary of King's who endured beatings and jail time in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, said in a televised interview that he saw Trump's election as illegitimate because of Russian interference in the campaign. That drew a scornful response from Trump.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT BERNICE SAID ABOUT TRUMP: Bernice King, King's youngest daughter, told a gathering at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta not to give up hope and "Don't be afraid of who sits in the White House." "God can triumph over Trump," she said, drawing a standing ovation, one of several times she was interrupted by thunderous applause. The service at the church where King once preached takes place every year on Martin Luther King Jr Day, a federal holiday honoring his life. This year the holiday fell days before Barack Obama ends his second term as the country's first African-American president. Trump takes the oath of office as his successor on Friday. Trump, who won only 8 percent of the black vote, offered praise for King in a Twitter post on Monday, a few hours before meeting King's oldest son, Martin Luther King III, at his Trump Tower offices in New York. "Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for. Honor him for being the great man that he was!" Trump tweeted. Trump and King III emerged from an elevator together, shaking hands. Trump said goodbye to King, then returned to the elevator without answering questions. King said they had a constructive meeting to discuss how to improve the U.S. voting system, which King considers broken, but he skirted questions about whether he was offended by Trump's comments on Lewis. "First of all I think that in the heat of emotion a lot of things get said on both sides. I think at some point I bridge-build. The goal is to bring America together," King told reporters. Lewis did not mention Trump in a speech about the civil rights struggle to honor King, who would have turned 88 on Sunday, but he urged young black Americans to consider voting a "sacred" act. "We all must become participants in the democratic process. When you get old enough to register to vote, go and register and vote," Lewis said in a half-hour address in Miami. "The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful, nonviolent instrument or tool that we have in a democratic society, and we must use it." The Trump-Lewis exchange began when Lewis told NBC News in segments of an interview released on Friday that he would not attend Trump's inauguration in part because "I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president." He referred to the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods to try to help Trump, a Republican, defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the Nov. 8 election. Trump was withering in his response the following day, saying in tweets that Lewis, a revered figure who risked his life for civil rights, was "All talk, talk, talk - no action or results." While many Democrats and Republicans said they disagreed with Lewis, they also questioned Trump's decision to denigrate an African-American political leader of Lewis' stature, especially over the Martin Luther King Jr weekend. Civil rights leaders have also opposed Trump's nominee for U.S. attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who was denied a federal judgeship in 1986 after allegations that he was racist and harbored sympathies toward the Ku Klux Klan, a violent white supremacist organization. The Senate Judiciary Committee has received letters from 400 civil rights organizations opposing his confirmation to the country's top law enforcement post, Democratic Senator Dianne Weinstein has said. Sessions strongly denied that he is a racist during his confirmation hearing in the Senate last week.

ALSO READ: 'Donald Trump won't tolerate China, Pak's double standards towards India'

ALSO READ: 'We're here to stay', shout protestors against Trump's immigration policies

--- ENDS ---
Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 17

The Mohali police today arrested three persons with 160 kg of raw gold, being taken in an SUV from Delhi to Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh.

Those arrested are Rakesh Kumar and Surjit Singh, both residents of Hamirpur, and Vijay Kumar, a resident of Chamba in Himachal Pradesh.

After purification, the seized raw gold will reduce to about 70 kg, worth around Rs 21 crore, said the police.

The gold was seized during a search of their vehicle, a Hyundai Creta, at a special naka near Bakarpur village on Airport Road. The vehicle reportedly belongs to a Himachal-based gold company and those arrested were working as drivers for it. According to Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Kuldip Singh Chahal, the persons carrying the gold did not have any documents related to it. They didnt reveal anything about the gold at the barrier on the Punjab-Haryana border, said the SSP. The police said the accused produced a waybill but the registration number of the vehicle mentioned on it did not match with the registration number of the Creta.

Senior officials of the Income Tax Department and the local Excise and Taxation Officer also reached the Sohana police station, where the accused were taken by the police along with the booty.

The police said the gold seemed to have been bought in Delhi. We are investigating the matter including the mode of payment and involvement of other persons, said the police.

The accused have also been interrogated by officials of the Income Tax and Excise departments.

A case under Sections 420 and 120-B has been registered against the trio at the Sohana police station.

The accused will be produced before a local court tomorrow.
C P Bhambhri

The issue of Rahul Gandhis leadership of the Congress has been settled once and for all, and beginning 2017, all are looking only towards him for providing an effective leadership to a party that has been decisively weakened, even ejected from larger states of the North, North-West and South India.

The Congress at present is competing against authentic regionalists in some states such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh or Orissa. At the all-India level, it is challenged by its ideological antagonist, the BJP, which is a political extension of the Hindu Sangh Parivar of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The task before Rahul Gandhi is not only to prepare the Congress to fight periodically elections for the Lok Sabha, state Assemblies or local bodies but also to prepare the party for meeting the political and ideological challenges of its main adversary, the BJP, and the well organised RSS. Pracharak Narendra Modi for the first time in a public speech at his Parivartan Rally in Uttar Pradesh directly attacked Rahul Gandhi. Its implication is quite clear: Rahul has to confront the challenge posed by Modi and his party.

The task before Rahul Gandhi is not to simply evolve political strategies to confront the Modi governments policies and programmes such as the neglect of farmers interests and farmer suicides, socially disastrous consequences of demonetisation, or other routine issues, because the real challenge is not just to play the role of an opposition party. The leader of a party in a highly competitive multi-polar political system cannot meet the challenge of an opponent without analysing and understanding the essential issues that separate one party from the other. The present reality of India is that the Congress occupies one pole of politics and the other is occupied by the BJP, and these two fundamentally opposite poles of politics are in confrontation with one another.

Concretely, Rahul Gandhi has to confront the BJP, which is the Congress real opponent because on the basic issue of political and cultural ideology, these parties are miles apart. If on one hand, the Congress has a historical tradition of social inclusion, on the other, the BJP is committed to social exclusion. The Congress political platform is open for all religions, castes, sects, language groups, and tribes, and follows non-discriminatory policies towards every cultural and religious diversity and plurality of the country, while the BJP believes and practises every idea that is just the opposite. The BJP has a distinctive ideology that is non-inclusive of social groups and communities whose religious reference points are outside India, like Holy Mecca and the Christian Pope, and hence these outsider religious groups are not considered the children of Bharat Mata.

The idea of Indian nationalism of the Congress and the BJP also flows from their above mentioned beliefs. The BJP is committed to the establishment of a Hindu Rashtra and Hindu State, because this is the only logical conclusion of its belief that only Hindus are the real children of Bharat Mata. The real contest is ideological and the idea of India divides the two political formations.

Rahuls task is to prepare the Congress to fight political-ideological battles against the BJP and its ideology of exclusivist Hindu Rashtravad. He has assumed leadership of the party at a time when fundamental political and ideological battle lines have been drawn on one hand between the secularist, pluralist democrats and on the other Unitarian nationalists represented by the party of Hindus only. Challenges for Rahul do not end here because the BJP is backed by a formidable paramilitary-like hierarchical organisation of the RSS. The RSS is not only the ideological fountain source of the BJP and all its affiliates but also gets its hundreds and thousands of ideologically committed and trained cadres to work during the elections. It is the RSS that manages election booths for the BJP.

This fact of active involvement of the RSS cadre in elections cannot be ignored because none of the other democratic, regional or all-India parties like the Congress has at its disposal a similar cadre. The Congress party organisation has lost its vision, energy and commitment. The candidates nominated by the party for elections have to mobilise their own supporters. They make individual efforts, and even Sonia Gandhis election has to be managed by her daughter, Priyanka Gandhi. How can the Congress confront the BJP in the absence of a committed Congress cadre?

The ideology of Hindutva has spread far and wide in India on the basis of hard work of the RSS workers. It is not only that the Congress has become weak in large parts of India, it has also been seen that the management of elections is left to mercenaries because at the grassroots level either the party is non-existent or weak. The consequence is that workers have to be hired to work for Congress candidates.

The Congress needs an organisation to carry the message of its ideology of secularism, pluralism and unity in diversity, and also to confront the cadre of the Hindu Rashtravadis and expose their ideology of Hindutva. And Rahul has to perform this task. Democratic parties such as the Congress always have a problem when faced with a political and ideological challenge from fanatics committed to a puritanical ideology of one country, one religion and one language, because the organisational structures created by democratic parties follow democratic procedures, including dissent and factionalism within the party. They are open to debate, and the consequence is that party workers of these parties cannot behave like the RSSs.

It is not expected that Rahul Gandhi will be able to create a party structure on the pattern of the Sangh Parivar, however, the present shapeless Congress has to be reformed and committed Congress workers have to be recruited. The upshot of the above narrative is that the challenges for Rahul Gandhi are many and there is also an urgency. If the Congress is not able to contain the onward march of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, not only will parties like the Congress become irrelevant, but also the secular, democratic, and pluralist republic of India will cease to be a reality, and it will be replaced by a Hindu republican state.

Rahul Gandhi in 2017 has to create a Congress that can integrally link its political-electoral goals with the ideology of secularism and the values of an Indian constitutional republic, just as its main opponents have integrated electoral politics with their ideology. Can Rahul revitalise and re-energise the Congress or will his main challenger, Pracharak Narendra Modi, have a walkover?

The writer is Professor Emeritus, Centre for Political Studies, JNU
Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, January 17

More than 44 per cent claim applications filed by farmers across the state to get compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for their kharif crops damaged due to waterlogging have been rejected by insurance companies.

A total of 3,229 of the 7,224 claim applications submitted by farmers across the state have been rejected. Sirsa district leads with 469 rejected applications, followed by Bhiwani and Hisar with 468 and 445, respectively. The figure is 287 in Rewari, 235 in Jhajjar, 215 in Yamunanagar, 202 in Fatehabad, 172 in Rohtak, 144 in Palwal and 117 in Kaithal.

A total of 577 farmers in Sirsa, 1,002 in Bhiwani and 1,460 in Hisar had filed claims to get compensation under the PMFBY. Insurance claims for Rs 28.87 lakh in Sirsa, Rs 1.52 crore in Bhiwani and Rs 1.79 crore in Hisar had been decided, said sources.

Similarly, 378 farmers had submitted claim applications in Rewari, 1,074 in Jhajjar, 340 in Yamunanagar, 291 in Fatehabad, 343 in Rohtak, 154 in Palwal, 123 in Kaithal, 117 in Mewat and 156 in Kurukshetra. Of these, 287 applications had been rejected in Rewari, 235 in Jhajjar, 215 in Yamunanagar, 202 in Fatehabad, 172 in Rohtak, 144 in Palwal, 117 in Kaithal, 112 in Mewat and 109 in Kurukshetra.

Insurance claims for Rs 10.42 lakh had been decided for Rewari. The figure was Rs 2.92 crore in Jhajjar, Rs 46.3 lakh in Yamunanagar, Rs 21.82 lakh in Fatehabad, Rs 86.24 lakh in Rohtak, Rs 88,000 in Palwal, Rs 50,000 in Kaithal, Rs 1.69 lakh in Mewat and Rs 19.82 lakh in Kurukshetra.

Dharam Sharma, consultant for crop insurance to the Haryana Government, said rejected claim applications would be scrutinised and insurance companies asked to disclose the grounds under which these had been rejected.

We will enquire the basis used by companies to calculate the insurance amount, he said. Many farmers whose crops were not insured had filed claims, he pointed out. The compensation for yield loss was being calculated on the basis of crop-cutting experiments and would be declared soon, he added.
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 17

A three-member delegation led by Bram Reinder, advisor to Prime Minister of Netherlands, visited Dharamsala today to explore the prospects of implementing various projects proposed for the hill town under the Smart City Mission. The other members of the delegation were Kees Van Der and Andy Yedcma.

The representatives of the Dutch government met the Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma and officials of the Dharamsala Municipal Corporation and held discussion to chalk out the strategy to implement the proposed projects.

Addressing a press conference, Sudhir Sharma said that the Dutch government was supporting the Smart City Mission of the Government of India. The Dutch government has set up a Partnership for International Business (PIB) under which 4 lakh Euros will be spent in various cities selected under the Smart City mission of India, he said, adding that Dharamsala smart city has been selected to implement this project on a pilot basis and will get financial assistance of 4000 Euros.

Experts in various fields from Netherlands will help the town in improving the water supply, sewerage and other basic services, he said. Dharamsala will partner with Dutch smart city Amsterdam to implement various other projects like telemedicine.

Sharing between the two sides will be on business to business, knowledge to knowledge and government to government bases, the minister said. Besides, a global summit of Smart Cities is also proposed at Dharamsala in the month of September.

Speaking on the occasion, Bram Reinder said that three main components of smart city mission were inclusive, ecological and economical bases. He said that the every project implanted under Dutch Smart City Strategy gives a good return.
Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 17

I need money to save my hand from amputation. I want to live, says a desperate Sandeep Sharma, a porter, whose hand was fractured in a landslide while working with 2 Ladakh Scouts in J&K.

On January 13, 2015, I was on my way to a forward post from Berchok when a massive landslide occurred. Four mules died on the spot. My hand was broken, he recalls. He says he was told that the injury was minor. But gradually his hand stopped working.

I was discharged from duty with a token payment of Rs 5,000 and left to fend for myself. I served in the most treacherous terrain dotted with glaciers in temperatures well below the freezing point. Sadly, the Army did not take care of me after I was incapacitated, he says.

Shelterless, Sandeep, who is of Nepali descent, has had to live in the open at the local bus stand or the railway station for the past one year. Urging the Army to come to his aid, he says despite an insurance policy worth Rs 17 lakh in his name, he has not been paid a penny.

Doctors at the IGMC have told me that to prevent my hand from being amputated, I need to be administered three injections, costing Rs 2,200, for the next 18 months.This comes to about Rs 1.20 lakh. I only have Rs 7 in my bank account. But I dont want to lose a hand, he says, his face stained with tears.

Returning to Nepal is not an option. His aged parents are too poor to afford the treatment. He is now hoping that some good Samaritans will come to his rescue.
Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 17

An inquiry report probing the circumstances leading to the death of a five-day-old infant at the neonatal unit of the Kamla Nehru Hospital has found that there was a power outage in the hospital on January 7 and the ventilator support to the baby was being operated manually.

The baby suffered from multiple critical infections and pulmonary bleeding and had septicemia before he collapsed on a ventilator following power outage in the hospital around 11 pm, a source said.

Doctors and nurses on duty on January 7 had no torches or searchlights and these were procured in the neonatal unit where 16 babies were under treatment.

The hospital claimed that they had diesel stock, but the generators could not be operated due to some mechanical fault, revealed the source.

The hospitals two generators were not working on that night, it added. Parents and attendants of the premature babies under treatment told The Tribune that it was cold inside the neonatal unit as the central heating system was not working.

We brought three LPG gas heaters to keep the babies warm, it added.

The doctors were puzzled over the deadly infection that caused pulmonary bleeding and septicemia in the baby and the parents of the baby might be asked to undergo some tests to ascertain the exact cause of the death of the baby, the source revealed.

The Chief Minister had taken cognisance of the report. Principal Secretary, Health, Prabodh Saxena, had appointed Dr Anil Chauhan, Director, Medical Education, as an inquiry officer to probe the death of the baby at the Kamla Nehru Hospital and had asked him to submit the report within a week.

Dr Chauhan said he had finished the inquiry into the case and submitted the report to the government today. We have addressed the technical part of the power system and the death issue as term of reference of inquiry, he added.

Saxena said the government had submitted an affidavit in the High Court stating that they were awaiting the inquiry report. We will examine the inquiry report, he added.
Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 17

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today continued his spat with HPCC president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. The Chief Minister, on his winter sojourn to Kangra district, while replying to queries from newspersons, said, Adding prefix of CM to ones name does not help in winning elections. To win elections. one has to have character.

The Chief Minister was responding to a statement of Sukhu in which he had said he also could have won election from anywhere in case the word CM was prefixed with his name.

The spat had broken out this week when the Chief Minister, while talking to newsmen at Nurpur, stated that Sukhu, before talking of gearing up the party for winning elections, should first win his own elections. He was taking a jibe at Sukhu for having lost the last Assembly election from Nadaun.

Sukhu responded to the jibe yesterday by saying that had the prefix of CM been attached with his name, he could have won elections from anywhere.

The present winter sojourn of the Chief Ministrer has been marred with fissures within the party. Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Transport and Technical Education GS Bali had remained away from the winter sojourn. He was riled after being denied access to stage during the rally of Rahul Gandhi at Dharamsala on December 24.

Now Sukhu had also joined chorus and allegations and counter-allegations are flying within the Congress. This is giving ready ammunition to the Opposition who is using the statements of Congress leaders to their advantage.

The CM has also convened a Cabinet meeting at Dharamsala on Wednesday. Earlier, the CM was scheduled to just organise meetings of welfare boards of various communities at Dharamsala.

The Chief Minister snubbed newspersons who posed him queries regarding the absence of GS Bali from his programmes.
Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 17

The power crisis in the Kashmir valley following a heavy snowfall and the shooting incident by the Army in Nagrota, in which a civilian, Hoshiyar Singh, was critically injured, brought the functioning of the Lower House to a standstill today.

National Conference MLAs, including former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, staged a walkout from the House when they were not satisfied with the answer from Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, who is also the Minister for Power.

Replying to the issue raised by NC MLAs, Nirmal Singh said that 80 per cent of the electricity had been restored in the Valley and power would be restored to the rest of the areas soon.

National Conference said the Deputy CM was misleading the House by giving a wrong statement and staged a walkout.

As the proceedings of the House began at 10 am, NC MLA from Nagrota Devender Singh Rana raised the issue of Army firing in the Nagrota area on Monday night in which a civilian, Hoshiyar Singh, who had gone to attend the natures call, was shot at by Army men. He was critically injured in the shooting incident.

Raising the issue, Rana said: While we have been hearing this kind of incidents in the Kashmir valley, it has begun in Jammu as well. The Army is harassing people by asking them to alight vehicles in the name of checking in Nagrota.

Recently, I talked to the General Officer Commanding of the 16 Corps and told him that this treatment will lead to some problem in future. And, that has happened today, Rana said in the House.

He asked the Speaker to give directions to the government to make a statement regarding the firing incident in the House.

Army clarifies position

The Army has clarified its position and said that an unidentified man was found moving suspiciously near the fence of the Nagrota Army camp along the banks of the Tawi. The alert sentry challenged the person as per the standard operating procedure. The person did not respond to the challenge, crossed the boundary fence and started running towards the camp. On not responding to the repeated challenges, the sentry opened fire, thereby injuring the individual, said the PRO defence Jammu.

Subsequently, a quick reaction team approached the individual, administered him first aid and shifted him to the nearest military hospital. The police have been informed and an FIR has been lodged, he added.

The PRO defence said the area where the individual was found lurking was far from any road and habitation.

An investigation is being carried out to identify and ascertain the antecedents of the individual, he added.

Meanwhile, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Rehman Veeri issued a statement in the House, echoing the Army statement.
Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 17

Fresh snowfall across the Kashmir valley on Tuesday has cut off connectivity with the region as it blocked a crucial highway and forced cancellation of flights.

The Srinagar-Jammu highway remained shut for the second consecutive day due to the downpour, which is continuing intermittently since early Monday. The Qazigund sector, home to the Jawahar tunnel and the gateway to Kashmir valley, received heavy snowfall, officials of state traffic department said.

The 300-km highway, which connects the Kashmir valley with the Jammu division and the rest of the country, is a crucial supply route into the region and is often shut for vehicular traffic during snowfall.

The officials said some stretches of the highway had become extremely slippery for the vehicles and it will take some time for it to be traffic worthy.

The latest snowfall, which is likely to continue intermittently and with varying intensity, is the second major spell within a month in the region, which is in the midst of winters harshest phase.

The snowfall has also forced cancellation of flights arriving at and departing from the regions only civilian airport. Sharad Kumar, director of Srinagar International Airport, said 29 flights which were scheduled to arrive at and depart from the airport were cancelled due to the inclement weather. The official said only one flight, carrying passengers from Jammu to Srinagar, could operate today before the operations were shut at the airport.

The state Meteorological Department in its forecast bulletin said light to moderate rain and snow would continue to occur at most places in the state during the next 24 hours.

The department said the spread of precipitation would shrink during Thursday and Friday, when rain and snowfall would occur at only scattered and isolated places.

The two back-to-back spells of snow this month have caused significant precipitation in the region and ended the lengthy dry spell which had lasted for a record duration of four months.

In Srinagar, the states summer capital, moderate snowfall has continued since morning and has made the roads slippery, slowing down the traffic.
By India Today Web Desk: Dangal star Zaira Wasim who played the younger Geeta Phogat in the Aamir Khan-starrer hit headlines yesterday when she posted an "open confession/apology" on her social media accounts and later deleted them, within a span of hours.

Her aplology was addressed to the people who "have been offended and displeased" by her recent actions, which included meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

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ALSO READ: Dangal star Zaira Wasim posts and deletes apology for meeting Mehbooba Mufti

ALSO READ: Dangal's Zaira Wasim and her family meets J & K CM Mehbooba Mufti

ALSO READ: Dangal bags three Filmfare Awards; here's the full winners list

ALSO READ: Aamir overwhelmed with public response to Dangal, thanks fans

She also wrote that she is not proud of what she does and urged fellow Kashmiris to not consider her as a role model.

Here is what Zaira Wasim wrote first:

"This is an open confession/apology. I know that many people have been offended and displeased by my recent actions or by the people I have recently met.

I want to apologise to all those people who I've unintentionally hurt and I want them to know that I understand their sentiments behind it especially considering that what had happened over the past 6 months but I hope people can also understand there are certain circumstances that emerge which one cannot control and I hope people still remember that I'm a just a 16 year old girl and I hope you treat me accordingly. I'm sorry for what I did but it was not a deliberate decision and I really hope people can forgive me.

There are few more things which are very important and I want to clear them as well. The first and foremost thing is that I am being projected as a role model for Kashmiri Youth. I want to make it very clear that I do not want anyone to follow in my foot steps or even consider me as a role model. I'm not proud of what I'm doing and I want everyone, especially the Youth to know that there are real role models out there whether they be in this time or in our history.

To even consider me as a role model would be disgracing them and their disgrace would be OUR DISGRACE! I do not wish to start an argument here, this was a just a mere confession from my end which I really wanted people to know. May Allah bless us and guide us."

Even though Zaira had deleted her posts from Facebook and Twitter, screenshots still remained. Here, they are:

After having deleted her initial post, Zaira put out a clarification as well. It went as follows:

"Regarding my last post, I have no idea why this has become such a big issue. I just wanted to make sure that I did not hurt anyone's feelings and all of a sudden it has been turned into national news. Again and again I am telling people that I have not been forced into anything by anyone. This was post was not meant against anyone, just wanted to make sure that people were not hurt by what I was doing. From media to everyone else, please don't blow this out of proportion. Neither was I forced nor am I against anyone. Hopefully this post just stops this once and for all." (sic)

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The Dangal actor deleted that as well. However, nothing ever disappears from the internet:

Now, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was heard expressing distress over Zaira Wasim getting bullied and threatened.

At the premises of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, according to sources, Mehbooba was heard saying, "Kyun bechare ko aur tang karna chahtey ho?" (Why do you want to trouble her more?)

Even though no one has been accused for having threatened Zaira Wasim into putting out an apology in the first place, social media reports suggest that Zaira was receiving a lot of hate from Kashmiri militant sympathisers who were attacking her and her family in comments.

This is the filth people filled up the comments section with, on a Facebook post about #Dangal star @zairawasim meeting @MehboobaMufti pic.twitter.com/CEM60KrXo9 Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) January 16, 2017

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Meanwhile, Aamir Khan, the Filmfare Award-winning star of Dangal is yet to respond.

ALSO WATCH: DANGAL MOVIE REVIEW

--- ENDS ---
Mona

Its a shame. More than that. How can a 38-year-old married man, Sunil Rastogi, father of five kids, three of them girls, go around sexually assaulting hundreds of girls without being caught? Child sexual abuse is a stark reality in India; where are the laws? How can Rastogi, a serial offender, go on for 12 long years without anyone bringing him to book? While the women activists are demanding his hanging and till the law takes its course, we must protect our children. Chandigarh folks share their take..

Talk it out

Mum to a six-year-old, Gurjeet Kaur is well aware of the dangers lurking around the corner. Her approach to safeguard her kid is to keep conversing. I have built the kind of rapport with my girl that she shares all her days activities with me, says this assistant professor from Chitkara University. Though the little girl is unaware of what abuse or molestation is, she is aware that anything off the mark must be brought to her mums notice.

Harsha Thakur, homemaker and mother to two girls, admits that it becomes quite difficult for her to keep them ready for every situation that they face. She defines the rules regarding how to deal with strangers. I have inculcated in their systems that they must not entertain people they dont know, she shares.

Teach well

If parents find it tough, its even more difficult for teachers, who tend the children for most part of the day. It is really not easy for teachers to look after all the students individually. But we try our best to keep children updated about whatever goes around. We teach them not to talk or accept anything from people they dont recognise, says Sushma, government primary school teacher, Nada.

Explain the rules

Kids protection is the responsibility of all of us as a society. Government has laws put in place, but implementation falls on the shoulders of parents, teachers and elders around. The first step is to talk to kids. If you start early, you are stopping the danger in its tracks. Small kids respond well. Tell them a story, explain the rules  private parts are private; no one touches; not even mamma, papa; sometimes elders can be wrong and you can remind them of the rules. CBSE has issued guidelines about no hugging and no kissing on school premises; its how well we implement it.

Puneeta Singh, Chandigarh-based counsellor

Be wary

From KG onwards, we spend one to two weeks on the theme stranger danger and talk about good touch and bad touch. In India, we dont have strict rules to track and stop the molesters. Unless it is a rape (many times even in such cases) the assaulters are roaming free. Why dont we have molesters profile pictures put online? That would sufficiently warn the society and work as a deterrent for offenders.

Anupam Grewal, director-principal, Kids R Kids

(Inputs by Kriti Thakur)
GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 17

A day before the last date for filing nomination papers, former Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu today arrived in the city to a grand reception. Sporting a Congress scarf, Sidhu was received by his wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu and a large number of Congress workers and local residents at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport from where he started a roadshow.

It took over six hours for the convoy to cover 13 km to reach the Golden Temple. The scenes were reminiscent of 2004 when he arrived in the city to begin his political innings as a Lok Sabha candidate on a BJP ticket. The people cheering for him this time belonged to the Congress. Another difference was that in 2004, he was honoured with a siropa by the SGPC, but today, he was not extended the honour for obvious reasons. Later, Sidhu also visited Durgiana Mandir.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Prominent Congress leaders present were LS bypoll candidate Gurjeet Singh Aujla, district urban chief Jugal Kishore, Amritsar West MLA Raj Kumar Verka, Lalli Majithia, Dinesh Bassi and Raj Kanwal.

Sidhu said he was a born Congressman who was coming back to his roots and would be ready to work under anyone appointed by the high command.

Attacking Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal, he said the Akali Dal was a pious movement, but was now reduced to a dynasty. I am in Guru ki Nagri to grab them from shoulder to say saada haq aithe rakh. This is the battle for Punjab and the aim is to win it for all Punjabis, he said. About the BJP, he said: They preferred alliance with the Akalis over me. Many BJP workers are feeling suffocated and are ready to join the Congress.

He vowed to expose Sukhbir, alleging that he had sold Punjab. If Punjab is my soul, Amritsar is my heart. I am here to tell people where the Akalis have sold Punjab, he said.

Sidhu will file his nomination papers tomorrow. On January 19, PPCC president Capt Amarinder will join Sidhu in Amritsar to take out a roadshow.
Seema Kaul

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 17

Receiving fake Aadhaar cards within minutes of sending their photographs made teenagers Shivani Gond and Tejasweeta Pradhan sit up.

They knew at once they were dealing with no ordinary person. These plucky schoolgirls from Darjeeling eventually tracked down a missing Nepalese woman who turned out to be a part of a human trafficking ring.

They will receive the Geeta Chopra National Bravery Award for helping the police arrest three persons  including the kingpin of the trafficking racket  last year.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Members of the school Students Against Trafficking Club (SATC), they became suspicious when studying the Facebook profile of the Nepalese woman. We contacted her. We told her we wanted to flee home to work for her. The first question she asked us was how old we were, recalls Shivani.

Shivani and Tejasweeta then agreed to meet their employers at Panitanki village in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. They were told to reach a restaurant. A young girl came to pick them up and take them to Delhi. She was nabbed by the police within minutes.

She gave information about another woman at the New Jalpaiguri railway station, who too was nabbed. Her interrogation led to the arrest of Gagan Verma, the kingpin, from Gurgaon.

Another braveheart, 15-year-old Sumit Mamgain of Dehradun, will receive the Sanjay Chopra National Award for rescuing his cousin from the jaws of a leopard. Sumit caught the beasts tail and attacked him with a sickle.

Praful Sharma, 11, won a bravery award for saving his school bus from rolling into a ditch. There were 12 of us. I was playing a videogame when some boys changed the gear to neutral. I hastened to apply the brakes. The driver had just got off for tea, says Praful. The boys were from Barchhwar village in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh.

The Indian Council for Child Welfare today held a function to honour the gritty children.
Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 17

The Congress today declared the remaining three candidates for the Punjab Assembly elections, naming former Akali leader and sitting MLA Inderbir Bolaria from Amritsar South, while rejecting the claim of former Ludhiana MP Manish Tewari from Ludhiana East.

The party chose to field local councillor Sanjay Talwar over Tewari, whose aides described the decision as a shocker and told The Tribune, Wait and see. Although a Congress source said Tewari would be accommodated in a bigger AICC role, Tewari, when contacted, said no one had spoken to him about anything.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The denial came in the wake of opposition to Tewaris nomination by Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu and his supporters, who said Tewaris entry would disturb local power equations. Another grudge the Congress bore against the former minister was his decision not to fight 2014 Lok Sabha election from Ludhiana despite his name being finalised. Tewari offered to contest this time to redeem his honour, but the party denied him a nomination.

Officially Congress today said Tewari had not applied for a ticket in Punjab. The argument doesnt cut ice as the party has fielded many non-applicants.

Meanwhile, from Amritsar South, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi eventually settled for former Akali leader and sitting MLA Inderbir Bolaria, who was expelled by Akali Dal was and once a blue eyed boy of Akali top gun Bikram Majithia.

In nominating Bolaria over local Congress man JS Dimpa, Gandhi banked on the counsel of Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh, who had inducted Bolaria into the Congress.

From Mansa, where Capt Amarinders aide BIS Chahals son was seeking a ticket, the Congress fielded Dr Manju Bansal, a local party leader. Bansals nomination fell into rough weather aalmost seconds after being made public with social media abuzz with reports of her husband facing a CBI sentence in a graft case.
Lucknow/New Delhi, January 17

A day after the Election Commission stamped its seal of approval on his claim over the Samajwadi Party and its symbol bicycle, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav went into a huddle with his advisers strategising on an alliance with the Congress and RLD to prevent the BJPs march to power in the key state.

On a day of fast-paced developments, Akhilesh, having put paid to SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadavs hopes of retaining control over the party, called on his father at the latters residence for a second time in two days and described his ties with him as unbreakable.

However, treading with caution, the Akhilesh camp also filed a caveat in the Supreme Court in case the ECs decision is challenged there.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

With Akhilesh in complete control of the ruling Samajwadi Party after the EC order, hectic activity was witnessed both in Lucknow and the national capital over the formation of an alliance with the Congress.

While the UP Chief Minister said in Lucknow that a decision on the alliance would be made in a day or two, senior Congress leaders in the national capital went a step ahead saying the nitty gritty of the proposed partnership would be decided over the next couple of days.

The decision on alliance (with Congress) will be taken in a day or two, Akhilesh told journalists in Lucknow, while his uncle and key party strategist Ramgopal Yadav, who stood behind him in the internecine feud in the SP, hoped a grand secular alliance would be in place for the state assembly election, the process of which kicked off on Tuesday with the notification being issued for the first phase of polling on February 11.

I am confident that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh, AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters in New Delhi.

Azad, who is in-charge of party affairs in UP, said it was just a beginning of the alliance process and the nitty gritty would be decided in the next few days.

At the AICC briefing later, party coordinator for UP Meem Afzal spoke in a similar vein. The Congress will have an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The details of the arrangement will be announced soon, he said.

Before the poll panel settled the dispute between the warring factions in the Samajwadi Party in Akhileshs favour, Mulayam had rejected all suggestions of a tie-up with the Congress despite his Chief Minister son having said if the two came together the alliance could win over 300 of the states 403 seats.

Rendered without a party, Mulayam was learnt to have given a list of about 40 candidates to Akhilesh on Tuesday when the latter came calling. According to unconfirmed reports, the list did not include the name of Mulayams younger brother Shivpal, who headed the SPs UP unit, and was one of the protagonists in the bitter family feud. Instead, the list reportedly has the name of his son.

Over 90 per cent candidates in both the lists are common. We will finalise the list of candidates soon, Akhilesh told reporters during an informal chat at his Kalidas Marg residence.

Akhilesh said his priority is to form a Samajwadi Party government again and he promised to take everyone along. I will take Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) along...my relation with him is unbreakable. I was confident that I would get cycle (symbol). Little time is left. Its a big responsibility and I will take everyone with us, he said. PTI
Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 17

A native of Bellary in Karnataka, D Durga Prasad (50), who has come all the way to Amritsar to contest the Lok Sabha seat, as well as taxi driver Dalbir Singh Tong, a contender for the Baba Bakala Assembly seat, have little money for electioneering. Yet this does not deter them.

Prasad, founder and president of ChallengersParty, who wants to be the PM, says: I have visited Amritsar before but I dont know much about the city. I know nothing about my rivals. I have Rs 10,000, which is enough for campaigning. I want social justice. He is lodged at a dharamshala along with two gunmen. An engineering graduate, he quit his job some years ago.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Tong, 33, is the Aam Aadmi Party candidate. A one-man army, he is content to use his taxi for campaigning. A Class XII passout, he used to work for the uplift of Mazhabi Sikhs under the banner of All-India Rangreta Dal. I encountered bias, corruption. I decided it was time to change the system, he says, adding money does not matter. Courage and determination do. His agenda: basic facilities to one and all.
Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 17

As soon as news of an alliance with Samajwadi Party became official today, Congress cadres reacted with mixed emotions bordering on extremes.

While a majority blamed AICCs central leadership for betraying the aspirations of UP by first promising a solo fight and then deciding to partner, a minority acknowledged that Congress good show in the largest state hinged on an alliance. There were apprehensions about how the party would fare had it gone alone, said a leader. Internal Congress surveys also did not paint a rosy picture for an independent show by the party, which had initially displayed tremendous aggression in the state.

A majority of the UP Congress leaders feel the decision would undermine Congress already sagging morale in the state where it has been out of power since 1989. There is also anguish in local ranks over the fact that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi ignored the dominant voice in UP Congress, which favoured ekla chalo in the state.

Looking back, Congress UP campaign was crafted around the party as a principal challenger to the two regional forces SP and BSP. Rahul Gandhis war cry throughout his longest political road show in UP (Deoria se Dilli tak) was 27 saal UP behaal.

The party was targeting lack of development in the state since 1989 when BSP and SP primarily ruled it.

There was tremendous zeal among Congress workers when Rahul Gandhi gave a call to oust SP and BSP. We all worked hard but are back to zero. Local cadres have surrendered as seats will be negotiated and they will be sacrificed, said a UP Congress worker actively involved in Congress UP campaign led by strategist Prashant Kishor.

So when did Congress change tack? Sources say the first signs appeared after the Armys surgical strikes across the LoC and the BJPs bravado around the move. The issue altered local power equations and benefitted the BJP. Serious thinking then began around alliance talks to stop the division of secular votes, said a Congress leader referring also to a controversial meeting Kishor later had with the ruling Yadavs of UP.
Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 17

The Samajwadi Party-Congress tango in Uttar Pradesh and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav attaining an emerging dominant position has forced the BJP to review its poll strategy for the state.

BJP chief Amit Shah on Tuesday rescheduled the CEC meeting, holding back-to-back meetings with the senior leadership as there were intraparty rivalries on the choice of candidates for Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab.

Sources say several leaders, including Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Uma Bharti and former Uttarakhand CM BC Khanduri, are upset over the choice of candidates by the CEC on Monday, especially the tickets given to turncoats like Congresss father-son duo Yashpal Arya and Sanjeev Arya who had crossed over to the BJP barely hours before and also the tainted leaders.

The arrival of sitting MLAs and leaders from rival parties has complicated the situation for the BJP. But its leaders defend the decision saying the winnability factor is important and tough decisions were needed to establish Prime Minister Narendra Modis good governance and development model for betterment of the states. Several BSP and SP legislators holding good support are vying for saffron tickets, they claim.

Meanwhile, amid the internal party tribulations, the BJP is also faced with the threat of Akhilesh Yadavs growing stature and the prospective alliance with the Congress and Ait Singhs Rashtriya Lok Dala situation that has forced it to review afresh plans for UP, including the number of rallies that the Prime Minister will address in the state.

BJP leaders dismiss the Bihar-type mahagathbandhan having an effect on the party. They say that since the Prime Minister was busy with other engagements (for instance the second Raisina Dialogue) the CEC had to be re-scheduled.

BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh says his party is not worried over its arch rivalsthe SP and the Congress Partycoming together in UP. It is for Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi to explain why his party is coming together with someone they called a failed CM. It is for Akhilesh Yadav to explain why he is going with the party that called him a failed CM.

Dismissing the prospect of the UP grand alliance affecting the BJP in any way, he adds, The BSP is also a player in UP. Has Mayawati also decided to join the mahagathbandhan? Any mahagathbandhan that is there in UP is between the BJP and its voters.

However, UP developing into a Bihar-like situation (where BJPs arch-rivalsRJDs Lalu Prasad and JD-Us Nitish Kumarcame together to deliver it a stunning blow) is a factor that the CEC will keep in mind while deciding the next batch of candidates for the state.

Uttar Pradesh and its caste equations may be different from Bihar but Akhilesh emerging as a new, fresh force in the state politics is a challenge for which it has no answer so far. Dramatic or otherwise, UP developments have fortified the image of Akhilesh and made the BJPs lack of a CM face in Uttar Pradesh even more prominent. The added-on strength of the Congress and the RLD reinforcing the SPs Muslim-Yadav vote base is another worry.

Learning from Bihar, the BJP has taken care not to sideline local leaders in UP. But the exercise of involving the local leadership in parivartan yatras would end up as a wasted exercise if they are not rewarded with tickets. Shah has been holding deliberations with party leaders to narrow down differences over candidates and evolve a consensus. Having pulled out all stops to ensure success in UP, Shah has also tied up with two regional parties--the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party and Apna Dal--to maximise gains.
Tribune News Service & PTI

Patna, January 17

The role of ISI in the Kanpur derailment was being suspected after the Bihar Police today arrested three persons who they claimed were working for the Pakistani intelligence agency to target the Railways.

The ISI link to the November 20 train disaster, in which 150 persons were killed, was being suspected after the interrogation of the trio, the police said.

During interrogation, the three arrested persons provided some leads about the Indore-Patna Express derailment in Kanpur, DSP Jitendra Rana said. He said the ATS and central agencies had been apprised of it for comprehensive investigation.

Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar Patel and Mukesh Yadav were arrested from the Adapur police station area and they allegedly confessed to having worked for a Nepalese contact suspected to be linked to the ISI to target the Railways, Rana said.

The three are professional criminals involved in more than 12 criminal cases. They were paid Rs 3 lakh by a Nepali man Brajesh Giri, who allegedly has links with Shamsul Hoda of Dubai who has connections with the ISI, the SP said.

The money was paid to them to plant a bomb on rail tracks at Ghorasan in East Champaran, bordering Nepal, on October 1 last year, Rana said. Fortunately, the bomb was detected with the help of villagers at Ghorasan and defused which prevented the sinister designs of the terror elements, Rana said.

The arrest of the trio came in course of investigation in the murder of two persons of East Champaran district in Nepal on December 28 for failing to successfully trigger bomb on the rail track at Ghorasan, he said.
Quintana Roo State Attorney General Miguel Angel Pech said a Canadian, an Italian and a Mexican were among the dead, while the US embassy in Mexico said authorities had confirmed the death of an American.

By Reuters: At least five people, including foreigners, were killed and 15 were wounded early on Monday, when a gunman opened fire at a nightclub in Mexico's Playa del Carmen resort during the BPM electronic music festival.

Quintana Roo State Attorney General Miguel Angel Pech said a Canadian, an Italian and a Mexican were among the dead, while the US embassy in Mexico said authorities had confirmed the death of an American. The nationality of the other victim was still unclear.

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Pech had earlier said a second Canadian and a Colombian had been killed in the attack. One of the dead died in the stampede to leave the club, he added.

NOT AN ACT OF TERRORISM

The gunman escaped and was still at large, Pech said, adding that the incident was not being investigated as an act of terrorism.

The Canadian government confirmed one citizen had died and said it was investigating reports of the death of a second.

Also read: At least 4 dead, 12 hurt in shooting at Mexico's music festival

Pech said the armed man entered the Blue Parrot nightclub around 3:00 a.m. (8:00 GMT) on Monday, during the closing events of the festival. An attempt to stop him sparked a gunfight that drew in security staff.

The shooting spells a major blow for Mexico's tourism industry, which has been one of the few bright spots in the economy, thanks to a weak peso exchange rate.

Tourists are generally shielded from the drug violence that has ripped Mexico apart over the last decade, killing well over 1,00,000 people since 2007.

Pech said seven of the 15 injured were still in the hospital. One was in grave condition, the state government said in a statement. Four people were arrested on suspicion of involvement.

Two BPM security workers were among the dead, Pech said, but in a statement, festival authorities said three of their security team had been killed. BPM blamed a lone individual for the shooting.

Quintana Roo and the surrounding Yucatan peninsula have traditionally been less violent than other parts of Mexico, with relatively few murders.

However, with many foreign tourists and a vibrant night life scene, there has long been an important local drug market in and around Playa Del Carmen, which is just south of the popular resort of Cancun.

The organiser of an electronic music event near Playa Del Carmen told Reuters that armed men who claimed to be part of a drug cartel turned up recently at one of his parties, demanding access to sell drugs.

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The event's security team decided to let them enter so as to avoid conflict, the organizer said, adding that cells from all the major Mexican cartels were now operating in Quintana Roo, a wealthy region full of tourists.

The organizer said the situation in Quintana Roo deteriorated after the political party controlling the state government was forced out in local elections last year, a shift that can spark violence as criminal groups struggle to realign allegiances with the incoming politicians.

Also read: Indian-American arrested in Mexico for shooting US diplomat

"They're all fighting for control of the region," said the organizer, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals. "This is an aggression toward any promoter of electronic music in Mexico. It's a wound for the entire community."

He added that he thought BPM would have to end, and feared for his own events in the region.

PANIC ON THE STREETS

Videos purportedly shot at the scene shown on television and social media show dancers ducking for cover and running out on the streets to safety.

"This is a very, very sad situation. Tryna get my head around it still. Thoughts and condolences to all affected," Scottish DJ Jackmaster, who was performing at BPM, said on social network Twitter.

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The BPM festival, which was entering its 10th year, has grown to be one of the world's biggest electronic music events, with top DJs flying in every January to play the clubs of Playa del Carmen along Mexico's Caribbean coast.

In recent years, a growing number of DJs and fans of electronic music have flocked to the beautiful, balmy region to escape the frigid European and North American winters.

Also read: Mexico fireworks market explosion leaves at least 31 dead, injure scores

--- ENDS ---
Chennai, January 17

Announcing her intention to take the political plunge, Deepa Jayakumar, niece of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, on Tuesday said she would disclose her political roadmap on February 24, the birth anniversary of Amma.

Deepa talked to the media after scores of AIADMK cadre thronged her residence here and appealed to her to assume a leading role.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Days after announcing that she will make a declaration on her political entry on the birth centenary of AIADMK founder MGR today, she merely said she was all set for the political plunge.

However, she did not disclose if she would start a new political party or join any other party.

So far there have been questions expressing doubts if I would enter politics or not, if I would engage in peoples work and whether I will be afraid and run away (from political arena), she said.

To end such things, I make it clear on this day (MGRs birth centenary) that I will enter politics, do peoples work and I desire that, she told reporters at a crowded press conference, adding, she was interested in politics. I am waiting to work for the people.

She said she was all set to undertake a state-wide tour to solicit the views of her supporters, a section of whom are in the ruling AIADMK and the public before disclosing her plans on February 24.

I have decided to enter politics. It will be made known on February 24 on the birth anniversary of J Jayalalithaa, the landmark day. I dont think there is any other day which will be best suited.

The work left by Amma should be continued, her name and reputation should be guarded, she said, adding she was waiting to make public her landmark announcement on a landmark day.

Asked whether she and AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala should join forces and prevent a break-up in the party, Deepa said, I have no opinion, adding, she was only considering the aspirations of the cadre and taking into account Makkal Sakthi (peoples power).

She said she was being given suggestions and recommendation to join the AIADMK or start a new political party and there are also other views which I would like to analyse and take a decision.

She said she was asked by the cadre to take up a role in the AIADMK. Asked if Sasikala invited her to join the AIADMK, she said, No, I can only give a direct answer and that is a no.

Answering a question if she will have the support of Sasikala if she chose to join the AIADMK, she said, It is premature to talk about this...my course of action has to be decided.

On her view in a petition in the high court for a probe into the circumstances surrounding Jayalalithaas death, she said, I did not have suspicion. If such doubts had cropped up, I may have been a party (in the case).

Asked if she concurred with the allegation that AIADMK has been taken over by Sasikala and her family, Deepa said, That is the view of a larger section of people today. But this is not my view. I am only talking about my course of action.  PTI
Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 17

Madhya Pradesh Police today arrested Kulpreet Singh, alias Neeta Deol, one of the six prisoners involved in the daring escape from Nabhas Maximum Security Jail on November 27 last year.

Deol, along with accomplice Sunil Kumar from Haryana, was arrested by the Indore police. The two were staying in a flat under fictitious names and were in touch with other accused, said sources. They were planning to flee the country using fake passports.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The Punjab Police had provided specific details to the MP Police about their presence in and around Indore, they said. A senior IPS officer told The Tribune that four police teams from Punjab were dispatched to arrest the accused, who had been on the run ever since their escape.

Sunil Kumar, who was sentenced in a murder case in the Bhadson area of Patiala, was declared a proclaimed offender in 2010, the officer said. Deol, a Moga resident, belongs to a well-off family involved in transport business.

The sharpshooter is associated with Shera Khubban gang and is one of 15 accused in Sukha Kahlwan murder. He has a Rs 5-lakh bounty on his head. In 2015, Deol was arrested from Amritsar airport in connection with six murder and attempted murder cases.

In December, Deol's father Surjit Singh, citing social media reports, had sought directions to the DGP to produce his son before the Punjab and Haryana HC claiming he had been arrested. The police told the court Deol had not been arrested.

"We expect them to be brought to Punjab by Wednesday. However, the MP Police were questioning them over their possible involvement in crime in that state," said a senior police officer. Their questioning is essential to ascertain how they dodged the police for so long, he added.

On November 27, six prisoners  terrorists Harminder Singh alias Mintoo, and Kashmir Singh, and four gangsters Harjinder Bhullar, alias Vicky Gounder; Kulpreet Singh, alias Neeta Deol; Gurpreet Singh Sekhon and Amanpreet Tonda  escaped from jail with help of 14 men. Mintoo was held within 24 hours. Assistant Jail Superintendent Bhim Singh, head warder Jagmeet Singh and Tejinder Sharma, who runs a sweet shop, were arrested for facilitating the escape.
New Delhi, January 17

In a clear message amidst the chill in bilateral ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked Pakistan to walk away from terror if it wanted to have dialogue with India.

Outlining his approach for an integrated neighbourhood, Modi said his vision for the countrys neighbourhood put premium on peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia.

But, India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistans journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India, he said while addressing the participants at the governments geo-political flagship initiative Raisina Dialogue-II.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

He also recalled several initiatives taken by him to normalise ties with Pakistan, including travelling to Lahore.

There is a deep chill in the Indo-Pak ties due to a series of cross-border strikes, including in Pathankot and Uri, by Pakistan-based terror groups.

In an obvious reference to Pakistan, the Prime Minister asserted that Indias belief in delinking terrorism from religion, and rejecting artificial distinctions between good and bad terrorism, are now a global talking point.

And, those in our neighbourhood who support violence, perpetrate hatred, and export terror stand isolated and ignored, he said.

Referring to Indias ties with China, Modi, at the opening of the three-day Dialogue, said it was not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences but both sides should show sensitivity and respect for each others core concerns and interests.

I see the development of India and China as an unprecedented opportunity, for our two countries and for the whole world. At the same time, it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences.

In the management of our relationship, and for peace and progress in the region, both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each others core concerns and interests, Modi said, adding that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had sought to tap the vast area of commercial and business opportunities in the relationship.

Asserting that the century belonged to Asia, he said the sharpest trajectory of change is happening in the continent and there are large and vibrant pools of progress and prosperity that dotted the landscape of this region.

But, rising ambition and festering rivalries are generating visible stress points. The steady increase in military power, resources and wealth in the Asia-Pacific has raised the stakes for its security.

Therefore, the security architecture in the region must be open, transparent, balanced and inclusive. And, promote dialogue and predictable behaviour rooted in international norms and respect for sovereignty, he said.

In his address, the Prime Minister gave a rundown of Indias foreign policy priorities, security interests in the Indian Ocean and bilateral engagement with neighbouring countries, Gulf nations and major powers, including the US, China and Russia.

He also emphasised that Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas is not just a vision for India but a belief for the whole world. PTI
Patiala, January 17

Former army chief Gen JJ Singh (retd) on Tuesday hit back at Capt Amarinder Singh saying the Punjab Congress chief had no right to judge a person who had been decorated in every rank.

He has no authority to judge me. Ive been decorated in every rank. I think he has no idea, he should read my autobiography. And then he will know what I am talking about, he said.

Gen Singh, who is the SAD-BJP candidate for the Punjab Assembly polls, dubbed Capt Amarinder as a gumshuda leader, saying his political career would end soon.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

A Captain is a Captain and a General a General, how can he compete and compare with me? I am using the strategy which he cannot match. If he can match, let him come on the ground. l challenge him to come and walk with me, he added.

He said the Congress leader would lose from both Patiala and Lambi assembly seats.

He will get tired. I am working 18 hours a day; he cannot work even six hours a day. He needs rest. My roots are here and he says I have nothing to do with Patiala. I think he knows nothing, he said.

The former army chiefs outburst against the Congress leader came after he described him as an average general.

He was a year junior to me and I know he was a lacklustre and an average general, he said.

The Assembly elections in the state will be held on February 4. ANI
Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 17

In a shock move today, the Congress ignored the ticket claim of former union minister Manish Tewari from Ludhiana by nominating local councillor Sanjay Talwar as official nominee from Ludhiana East.

Tewari had staked his claim from the segment though the Congress has all along maintained that Tewari didn't apply for a ticket.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

In the final and fifth list of candidates for the three remaining seats issued today, the Congress also named former Akali leader and sitting MLA Inderbir Boleria as a candidate from Amritsar South, the segment he currently represents in Punjab Assembly.

Boleria was selected over local Congressman JS Dimpa, who may declare revolt.

From Mansa, the Congress has declined the claim of Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh's aide BIS Chahal's son to nominate one Manju Bansal.

Bansal may also trouble the Congress with social media full of AAP's campaigning against her husband, who was earlier convicted for seven years in a case of graft.

Denial of a seat to former Ludhiana MP Tewari comes at the behest of sitting MP Ravneet Bittu, who argued that the ex-minister's nomination would disturb the balance of power in Ludhiana, where several sitting legislators and councillors are hoping for ministerial positions should the Congress come to power.

Tewari didn't comment immediately but sources close to him said "there will be hell to pay, wait and see."

The Congress, meanwhile, said Tewari would be represented in a senior AICC role shortly, but Tewari when contacted said no one had spoken to him.

With today's list, the Congress has declared all 117 seats.

Three high-profile leaders who joined from other parties, including ex-Akalis Boleria and Pargat Singh, and ex-BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, have got the Congress tickets.
Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 17

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal has a post-election plan of action against the Badals and SAD leadership, but says the state will have to wait for an opportune time for AAPs CM face.

On the SYL canal, he said the matter needed to be resolved at different levels, including the legal one. The AAP convener termed it a political matter left hanging by the Congress, BJP and Akalis. "We will solve the matter in the interest of Punjab. But if Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to solve it, he can do so in five minutes. His party is in power in the affected states of Punjab and Haryana as well as at the Centre."

Kejriwal set April 15 deadline for action against Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia. "If voted to power, the AAP government will arrest Majithia on drug charge," he told the media here today.

Majithia has filed a suit against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders, accusing them of defaming him on false charges of involvement in drug trade.

"I don't make hollow promises like other leaders. We had promised a similar action against former Delhi CM Sheila Dixit as well. And we fulfilled the promise by booking her in a corruption case. The case has been in cold storage ever since Modiji took control of the Delhi anti-corruption wing," he said. He announced to form a SIT to probe amassment of property by illegal means by the Badals.
Sanjeev Singh Bariana & Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/New Delhi, Jan 17

Union Minister and Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla today brushed aside rumours that he had resigned from the party. The controversy had arisen following a spate of reports in the media that he was upset over the announcement of Som Parkash as party candidate from Phagwara.

Sources said party president Amit Shah had communicated to Sampla to be careful and also that the party would not take any public show of dissatisfaction lightly. Sampla has been asked to campaign vigorously for all candidates.

One of the major points of difference between Sampla and Som Parkash was police cases against BJP workers. The Sampla group said at least 38 cases were registered against BJP workers and Som Parkash did not help them.

Sampla, in the press release, said he was occupied with a special poll mission that kept him out of touch with the media as well as his friends. Certain people are using the occasion to spread rumours that I had resigned.

Talking to The Tribune, Som Parkash said: I am not aware of any protest by Sampla. As far as the issue of cases against party workers was concerned, I will never defend the law-breakers. In any case, registering FIRs is the job of the police, not mine. Meanwhile, senior BJP leaders also rallied behind Sampla in New Delhi, terming the rumours of his resignation a conspiracy by the Congress to defame a tall Dalit leader.

On Samplas meeting with Shah, a senior party functionary, said: During election time, it is natural that state unit chiefs would be meeting Shah.
Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, January 17

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal today claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had assured Sikh hardliners that the control of gurdwaras would be handed over to them once the party came to power.

Addressing gatherings at Sri Hargobindpur and Kahnuwan in favour of SAD candidates, Sukhbir said AAPs rise as a party in Punjab had coincided with an increase in the number of incidents of sacrilege. It happened because Kejriwal made an assurance to the hardliners. This, in turn, vitiated the atmosphere in the state, he said.

Stating that only the SAD could preserve the heritage of the qaum, he added, We have transformed the precincts around Harmandar Sahib in Amritsar. In contrast, the Congress ordered an attack on the shrine, while AAP hurt Sikh sentiments by disrespecting the Golden Temple.
Tribune News Service

Chamkaur Sahib, January 16

Punjab Congress Chief Capt Amarinder Singh today prevailed upon miffed CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi by accompanying him to file his nomination papers from the Chamkaur Sahib Assembly segment here today.

There were reports of Channi contesting as an Independent after his nominee from Ropar was denied the ticket. An apparently mollified Channi said that neither was he contesting as an Independent nor was he resigning. It is a party matter and it will be settled within the party, he said.

The political bonhomie between the two leaders was on display both in action and words. After landing here, Amarinder accompanied Channi to historic Katalgarh Sahib gurdwara before addressing a gathering at a grain market.

Amarinder reminded voters that he was instrumental in bringing Channi to the Congress in December 2010.

Eliciting applause, Amarinder asked the gathering to ensure Channis win so that he could become a minister in the Congress government on being voted to power.

The Punjab Congress chief described Channi as an important leader, while Channi said there was no doubt about the CM candidate. Captain saab is everything. He is the face of the party, he said, while dismissing reports of making Navjot Singh Sidhu the Deputy Chief Minister.
The deep-sea search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has ended without any trace being found of the plane that vanished in 2014 with 239 people on board, the three countries involved in the search

By AP: After nearly three years, the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 ended in futility and frustration Tuesday, as crews completed their deep-sea search of a desolate stretch of the Indian Ocean without finding a trace of the plane.

The Joint Agency Coordination Center in Australia, which has helped lead the $160 million hunt for the Boeing 777 in remote waters west of Australia, said the search had officially been suspended after crews finished their fruitless sweep of the 120,000-square kilometer (46,000-square mile) search zone.

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"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," the agency said in a statement, which was a joint communique between the transport ministers of Malaysia, Australia and China.

Officials investigating the plane's disappearance have recommended search crews head north to a new area identified in a recent analysis as a possible crash site. But the Australian government has already nixed that idea. Reuters photo

"Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended. The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness."

Officials investigating the plane's disappearance have recommended search crews head north to a new area identified in a recent analysis as a possible crash site. But the Australian government has already nixed that idea.

Last year, Australia, Malaysia and China - which have each helped fund the search - agreed that the hunt would be suspended once the search zone was exhausted unless new evidence emerges that pinpoints the plane's specific location. Since no technology currently exists that can tell investigators exactly where the plane is, that effectively means the most expensive, complex search in aviation history is over.

ALSO READ:Now, some debris from missing flight MH370 found in Mauritius: Malaysia

There is the possibility that a private donor could offer to bankroll a new search, or that Malaysia will kick in fresh funds. But no one has stepped up yet, raising the bleak possibility that the world's greatest aviation mystery may never be solved. For the families of the 239 people on the doomed aircraft, that's a particularly bitter prospect given the recent acknowledgment by officials that they had been looking for the plane in the wrong place all along.

In December, the transport bureau announced that a review of the data used to estimate where the plane crashed, coupled with new information on ocean currents, strongly suggested the plane hit the water in an area directly north of the search zone. But Australia's government rejected a recommendation from the bureau that crews be allowed to search the new area to the north, saying the results of the experts' analysis weren't precise enough to justify continuing the hunt.

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The three countries' transport ministers reiterated that view in their statement, noting: "Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft."

Investigators have been stymied again and again in their efforts to find the aircraft since it vanished during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. Along the way, hopes were repeatedly raised and smashed by false leads: Underwater signals wrongly thought to be emanating from the plane's black boxes. Possible debris fields that turned out to be sea trash. Oil slicks that contained no jet fuel. A large object detected on the seafloor that was just an old shipwreck.

In the absence of solid leads, investigators relied largely on an analysis of transmissions between the plane and a satellite to narrow down where in the world the jet ended up - a technique never previously used to find an aircraft.

Based on the transmissions, they narrowed down the possible crash zone to a vast arc of ocean slicing across the southern hemisphere. Even then, the search zone was enormous and located in one of the most remote patches of water on earth - 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) off Australia's west coast. Much of the seabed had never even been mapped.

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For years, search crews painstakingly combed the search area in several ships, largely pinning their hopes on towfish, small vessels equipped with sonar that sent information back to the boats in real-time. The ships slowly dragged the towfish through the ocean just above the seabed, hoping the equipment would detect some trace of the plane. Unmanned submarines were used to examine areas of rougher terrain and objects of interest picked up by sonar that required a closer look.

ALSO READ:MH370 plane was in 'increasing rate of descent' when it vanished: Report

The search zone shifted multiple times as investigators refined their analysis, all to no avail. Some began to question whether the plane had gone down in the southern hemisphere at all.

Then, in July, 2015, came the first proof that the plane was indeed in the Indian Ocean: A wing flap from the aircraft was found on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar. Since then, more than 20 objects either confirmed or believed to be from the plane have washed ashore on beaches throughout the Indian Ocean. But while the debris proved the plane went down in the Indian Ocean, the location of the main underwater wreckage - and its crucial black box data recorders - remains stubbornly elusive.

--- ENDS ---

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New York, January 17

Caspian tigers  some of the largest cats to ever live  that met a grim end in the middle of the 20th century may roam again in Central Asia, using a subspecies that is nearly identical genetically to them, scientists say.

Until the mid-1960s when they were designated as extinct, Caspian tigers, which reached up to 10 feet long and weighed over 130kg, ranged from modern-day Turkey through much of Central Asia, including Iran and Iraq, to northwestern China.

The reasons for their extermination included poisoning and trapping promoted by bounties paid in the former Soviet Union until the 1930s, said researchers from the College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in New York.

Irrigation projects during the Soviet era destroyed the tugay woodlands - a riparian and coastal ecosystem of trees, shrubs and wetlands - and reed thickets that were critical tiger habitat and the cats prey disappeared as the riparian habitat vanished.

However, there is a chance that tigers - using a subspecies that is nearly identical, genetically, to the extinct Caspian - could be restored to Central Asia.

The study lays out the options for restoring tigers to Central Asia and identifies a promising site in Kazakhstan that could support a population of nearly 100 tigers within 50 years.

The territory of the Caspian tiger was vast. When they disappeared, the number of nations that hosted tiger populations was reduced by more than half, said Professor James Gibbs from ESF.

The researchers say introducing tigers in a couple of locations in Kazakhstan wont make a widespread difference immediately but it would be an important first step.

They analysed scientific literature that revealed Caspian tigers once lived in an area about 800,000 to 900,000 square kilometres (km) in size, mostly within isolated patches of riparian ecosystems (land along rivers or streams).

Generally, two or three tigers occupied an area that covered about 100 square km.

Spatial analyses based on remote sensing data indicated that options for Amur tiger introduction are limited in Central Asia.

However, at least two habitat patches are potentially suitable for tiger re-establishment, both in Kazakhstan.

When the researchers considered current land use and the low density of the local human population, they found the most promising site is the Ili River delta and adjacent southern coast of Balkhash Lake.

The team identified about 7,000 square kilometres of suitable habitat. Population models for animals that tigers typically prey on - wild boar, Bukhara deer and roe deer - suggest the area could support a population of between 64 and 98 tigers within 50 years if 40 to 55 tigers are introduced.

The study was published in the journal Biological Conservation.  PTI
Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 17

The BJP leadership has narrowed down on Yashpal Arya, an import from the Congress, to woo Dalit voters.

The BJP is eager to grab a major share of Dalit votes, which comprise 18.8 per cent of the total voting population. It has decided to bank on the disgruntled former Congress leader to widen its reach in the upcoming Assembly elections.

There has been a leadership vacuum in the BJP as far as the emergence of Dalit leaders is concerned.

In the short run, the partys prospects in the coming elections seem bright with Yashpal Arya and Sanjeev Arya fighting on the party ticket. However, analysts say in the long run, the BJP has blocked the path of home grown leaders.

If it plans to attract Dalit voters by bringing in more Dalit Congress leaders, the consequences will be disastrous for the overall health of the party. Already, there is growing disenchantment in the party. Leaders seem to have more faith in outsiders than those in the party, said Manohar Kant Dhyani, a senior BJP leader.

Due to compulsions of electoral politics, the BJP has fielded SC candidates from the reserved Assembly segments in the state. But the leaders have failed to make a mark.

In the organisation set up too, barring Khazan Das, who has been made general secretary in the state unit, and Suresh Rathore in Haridwar, the party has failed to bring Dalit faces on to the centre stage. Naturally, it has failed to groom leaders with a huge mass base after the creation of Uttarakhand. The BJP, as it did in Uttar Pradesh, has resorted to poaching BSP and Congress Dalit leaders, said Ravinder Kataria, a BJP contender who was denied seat from Rajpur (SC).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given enough signals for the inclusion of Almora MP Ajay Tamta in his first Cabinet. The move did not fructify and his accession was sabotaged by a senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister.

However, Modi had his way and Tamta was made Minister for Textiles in the second expansion of the Cabinet. This exercise seemed still way short of winning Dalit voters in the 2017 elections and Aryas disenchantment with the Congress and more specifically Chief Minister Harish Rawat came handy.

For the BJP seeking short-term results, Yashpal Aryas 41 years of the Congress legacy as a Dalit leader seems hard to resist.
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, January 17

Known as the iron lady of Haldwani, Finance Minister Indira Hridayesh is a stalwart of the Congress. She had begun her political career under the guidance of veteran leader ND Tewari, who was her political godfather in early 70s.

She won the last Assembly elections in 2012 with the highest margin, showing her political clout in the Haldwani Assembly segment.

Hridayesh, who is again expected to be the Congress candidate, polled over 53 per cent votes while her nearest rival BJP candidate Renu Adhikari polled only 23 per cent of the votes, followed by the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidates who polled nearly 17 and four per cent of the votes, respectively.

Hridayesh, who defeated BJPs Banshi Dhar Bhagat in 2002 from the constituency, decided to make Haldwani worth living that has emerged the biggest town of Kumaon with a large number of people from the hilly region settled there.

Tracing problems of the town, there is need to improve the road network, she said. The town after 2012 has got a clean and widespread network of roads. From my personal experience, I can say that the quality and expanse of roads in Haldwani cannot be compared with any other town, says Rajeev Pandey, a resident of Haldwani.

She has not only worked for a better road network but also developed parks in the town by obtaining special grants from various agencies and the government. She has been working to make Haldwani a modern city, says Jahangir Raju, a journalist based in Haldwani. Besides good roads, Hridayesh has got built two international-standard institutions, including an international stadium at Gaulapar and a zoo in the Gaulapar region with a biodiversity park, mono rail and an aquarium. The beautification of the town and the construction of a modern bridge on the Gaula river are another works she has done in the past five years, says Raju.

Hridayesh, who has traditionally been opposed by BJPs Banshidhar Bhagat, is in a comfortable position. The BJP has this time fielded Bhagat from Kaladhungi. The BJP is yet to decide about the Haldwani constituency.

Prominent among them are Renu Adhikari, Jogendra Pal Singh Rautula. There is speculation that the BJP could field Rohit Shekhar, son of veteran leader ND Tewari, from Haldwani. However, it has been learnt that Rohit Shekhar is not interested in fighting from Haldwani and wants the ticket from Lal Kuan.

The BJP has a tough fight in Haldwani as Hridayesh is seen as a formidable candidate. Already, long time political rival Mateen Siddiqui, who was in the Samajwadi Party and wields considerable clout among the sizeable Muslim community, has joined the Congress.

Opponents blame Hridayesh of running family politics and promoting her son Sumit Hriydesh while she ignored committed party workers. Last month, Congress national secretary Prakash Joshi raised these issues and held a symbolic protest against her for promoting her family members.

Though Hridayesh has done a remarkable work in Haldwani, it still lacks proper drinking water supply and health and quality education facilities even though it is the second largest town after Dehradun, says Basant Joshi, president of the Haldwani Bar Association.
Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, January 17

The BJP has fielded former Congress MLA Kedar Singh Rawat from Yamunotri, casting a shadow on the electoral fortunes of the Congress. The Congress is projecting incumbent Harish Rawat as its chief ministerial candidate for the Assembly elections scheduled for February 15.

Kedar Rawat was sure to get the Congress ticket from Yamunotri. His decision to join the BJP has jolted the Congress to the extent that it has been forced to rethink its poll strategy.

Kedar Rawat cited immense pressure from people and supporters as the reason for joining the BJP. The poll arithmetic in the state has altered drastically with Kedar Rawat joining the BJP. The BJPs move, which is being considered a masterstroke, could also back fire as ticket aspirants in the party may contest the elections as Independent candidates, thus jeopardising Kedar Rawats victory prospects.

The political situation is so confusing at the moment and the clarity would emerge only after the filing of nominations for the seat.

However, it is clear that the BJP will win the Yamunotri seat for the first time if all its factions remain united. The speculation of Kedar Rawat joining the BJP is not new as he was ready to join the party a few months ago at the persuasion of Congress rebel Harak Singh Rawat and former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna but stopped on the assurance of the ticket by Chief Minister Harish Rawat and state Congress president Kishore Upadhyay.

He also attended the Parivartan rally organised by the Congress a month ago. This was a sort of assurance to the Congress that he was not leaving the party. The BJP announcing ticket to Kedar Rawat from Yamunotri has shocked the Congress and even his hardline supporters.

Kedar Rawat told The Tribune that his supporters, who were being insulted by the Congress leadership, pressured him to leave the party and he had to honour their supporters demand. Kishore Upadhyay and Harish Rawat had failed to address the Congress workers issues and under such public pressure, he had no option but to join the BJP. His sole aim was the development of the Yamunotri segment and that could be best done by joining the BJP, he said.

With Kedar Rawat contesting on the BJP ticket, the poll equations in the constituency have changed considerably. Uttarkashi Zila Panchayat vice-president Prakash Ramola has announced to contest the elections as an Independent candidate if the Congress denies him the ticket. Zila Panchayat member Sanjay Dobhal has also announced to contest the elections as an independent candidate from Yamunotri.

Kedar Rawat might be thinking that the road to the Assembly has become easier by joining the BJP but party leader Jagvir Bhandari has rushed to the Congress camp and is vying for the ticket, fueling prospects of a rebellion in the BJP and making the going tough for him.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 17

The Chief Minister Harish Rawat today said the Uttarakhand Congress is now neat and clean. He was reacting to the sudden exit of state Revenue Minister Yashpal Arya from the Congress to the BJP fold. He accused the BJP of resorting to family politics, which is evident in the saffron partys list of candidates for Assembly elections released yesterday.

Rawat addressed a press conference at the state Congress headquarters here today. He said, The scams the BJP has been speaking about are related to the departments of those ministers who have now joined the BJP. Thus, the Congress has emerged as a clean political organisation. The BJP had disrupted the Assembly session for nearly 12 days over the alleged disaster relief scam, and now the individual (Vijay Bahuguna), who was then targeted, is among the think tank of the BJP.

The Chief Minister also reminded the BJP of its slogan in 2013 wherein it stated Jab say aaye Bahuguna, bhrashtachar badha sauguna (With Bahuguna at the helm of affairs in Uttarakhand, corruption has risen a hundred times).

Similarly, the BJP had also disrupted the House proceedings over the issue of polyhouse, mining and land scams and now all those concerned Congress ministers have shifted to the BJP so the saffron party owes a reply to the people, he said. I greet the BJP high command for giving ticket to all turncoats, Rawat said.

According to Rawat, the BJP pledged 10 days ago not to promote families in its list of candidates, but what it did was just an opposite of that.

When asked if the Congress would induct those BJP leaders who are unhappy with the saffron partys first list of candidates, Chief Minister Harish Rawat said induction, if any, would be strictly on the basis of merit. He appealed to people to support the Congress.

State Congress president Kishore Upadhyay described Yashpal Arya as a greedy person. The Congress gave it all to Yashpal Arya, but he wanted more wealth and ticket for his son. This made him go to the BJP, he added.
Madrid, January 17

A topless activist from the feminist group FEMEN attacked a life-size wax statue of US P resident-elect Donald Trump during an unveiling ceremony at Madrid's wax museum on Tuesday.

Reuters journalists at the scene saw the woman push past security ropes and place her hand on the statue's crotch while screaming "grab patriarchy by the balls." Museum staff spent several minutes trying to restrain the woman before eventually bundling her out through a back door.

The activist group claimed responsibility for the protest on Twitter, saying: "FEMEN just grabbed Trump's statue by the balls in Madrid." In a recording leaked last October, Trump spoke of grabbing women "by the pussy".

Gonzalo Presa, head of communications at the museum, called the woman's protest "unpleasant" and said he had hoped to give a "special welcome" to Donald Trump from Madrid.

"If they want to do this they should do it directly to him.

This is too easy," he told a Reuters reporter.

Artisans had spent over three days creating the wax figure, paying special attention to the colour and style of Trumps signature hair, Presa said.

FEMEN, an international group which began in Ukraine, is known for using nudity in protests over womens rights.  Reuters
Tehran, January 17

Iran will build a mobile phone network and petrol terminal in Syria under deals signed in Tehran on Tuesday during a visit by Prime Minister Imad Khamis, Iranian media reported.

The five deals include a "licence for a mobile phone operator, the transfer of 5,000 hectares for the creation of a petrol terminal and 5,000 hectares for farmland" in Syria, according to the IRNA news agency.

Iran will also have the right to operate phosphate mines in Sharqiya, around 50 kilometres south of the jihadist-held ancient city of Palmyra, and a deal for Iran to invest in an unnamed Syrian port.

Tehran is the chief backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, providing military advisors and coordinating thousands of "volunteer" fighters on the ground, which were considered vital to last month's recapture of the rebel stronghold in Aleppo.

First vice-president, Eshagh Jahangiri, said Khamis's visit marked "a new page for economic activities between the two countries".

"Iran supports the Syrian people and government," he said at a press conference with Khamis.

"The recent victories in Syria are due to the resistance of the people, the Syrian army... and the cooperation on the ground and politically between Iran and Syria." Khamis, who arrived early Tuesday with a large business delegation, said the two countries were in "the same trench".

He was also due to meet Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, which oversees political and military cooperation with Russia and Syria.

Iran will take part in Syria peace talks alongside Russia and Turkey in the Kazakh capital Astana on January 23 aimed at building on a fragile ceasefire with rebel groups.  AFP
New York, January 17

US President-elect Donald Trump met with the eldest son of the late civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr. amid tensions escalating between the New York magnate and prominent African-American leaders.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Martin Luther King III said that he had "a very constructive meeting" with the president-elect and touched on how he hopes to be a "bridge-builder" to help the country "become a greater nation" moving forward, ABC News reported.

The private meeting that took place on Monday evening at the Trump Tower in New York, comes after the president-elect was criticised over the weekend for sparring with African-American Congressman and civil-rights icon John Lewis who had marched with Martin Luther King Jr. at Selma and other key civil rights protests.

Trump attacked Lewis on Twitter after the Georgia Democrat told NBC News that he was not attending the President-elect's inauguration on January 20 and that he did not view Trump as a "legitimate president".

Martin Luther King III did not criticise Trump directly, saying that in the "heat of emotion, a lot of things get said on both sides".

"The goal is to bring America together," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Trump's incoming press secretary, Sean Spicer, announced on Twitter that the president-elect would meet with Martin Luther King III, as the nation observes the federal holiday honouring Martin Luther King Jr, ABC News reported.

Trump on Monday morning said: "We should honour Martin Luther King for being the great man that he was!" "Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for," Trump said on Twitter.

IANS
Istanbul, January 17

The Turkish Police have captured the suspected jihadist who slaughtered 39 people on New Year's night at an Istanbul nightclub, detaining him in a raid on a residential area of the city after a long manhunt.

The alleged assailant was found along with his four-year-old son in an apartment in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul after a massive police operation, state-run TRT television reported.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The attacker had been on the run for over two weeks, after slipping into the night following the attack on the glamorous Reina nightclub on the Bosphorus.

Reports had previously suggested he never left the Turkish metropolis, despite a tightening of borders in a bid to stop him escaping, triggering fears that a dangerous killer was on the loose in the city.

The Islamic State (IS) group took responsibility for the bloodbath, the first time it has ever openly claimed a major attack in Turkey.

It had previously been blamed for several strikes including triple suicide bombings at Istanbul airport in June.

The suspect was caught in an operation jointly carried out by the Turkish police and the spy agency MIT, Turkish TV said.

Turkish media published a picture of the detained man with blood on his face and T-shirt, his neck gripped by a policeman.

Television images showed him being roughly led away, his head bent low.

There had been confusion over the identity of the attacker in the wake of the massacre, with reports initially suggesting a Kyrgyz national and then a Uighur from China.

But reports on January 8 said intelligence services and anti-terror police in Istanbul had identified him as a 34-year-old Uzbek who was part of a Central Asian IS cell.

The state run Anadolu news agency identified the detained man as Abdulgadir Masharipov, while the Dogan news agency said he used the code name of Ebu Muhammed Horasani within IS.

These are the same names given in the January 8 reports.

The suspect was living in an apartment rented by a Kyrgyz in Istanbul who was also detained, TRT reported. Anadolu said a total of five people were detained in the operation, including three women.

Anadolu added the suspected attacker had been brought to the Istanbul police headquarters for questioning. It said other raids took place on IS targets in the city, without giving further details.

NTV television said the attacker was captured at a quarter past midnight (local time). The police had spotted his location three days earlier, but preferred to track him to identify his contacts.

The son is under protection, the reports said.

Turkish media reports had said that the gunman was a well-trained killer who had fought for IS in Syria and had gained weapons expertise there. AFP
Sydney, January 17

The deep-sea search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 ended on Tuesday without any trace being found of the plane that vanished in 2014 with 239 persons on board, the three countries involved in the search said.

The location of Flight MH370 has become one of the worlds greatest aviation mysteries since the plane, a Boeing 777, disappeared en route to Beijing from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

The last search vessel left the area on Tuesday, the three countries said, after scouring the 120,000-sq-km area of the Indian Ocean sea floor that has been the focus of the almost-three-year search.

Malaysia, Australia and China agreed in July to suspend the $145 million search if the plane was not found, or if new evidence that might offer a clue as to its whereabouts was not uncovered, once that area had been checked.

Australia last month dismissed an investigators recommendation to shift the search further north, saying that no new evidence had emerged to support that.

Since the crash, there have been competing theories over whether one, both or no pilots were in control, whether it was hijacked - or whether all aboard perished and the plane was not controlled at all when it hit the water.

Adding to the mystery, investigators believe someone may have deliberately switched off the planes transponder before diverting it thousands of miles out over the Indian Ocean.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, asked about the end of the search, said China placed great importance on the search and had actively participated in it alongside Australia and Malaysia. The spokeswoman did not elaborate.

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) said the hunt had been thorough and comprehensive and it stands guided by the decision of the three governments to suspend the search.

Boeing said it accepted the conclusion of the authorities leading the search. Malaysia and Australia have contributed the bulk of search financing. Malaysia holds ultimate responsibility given Malaysia Airlines is registered there. The aircraft is thought to have crashed west of Australia, placing it in its maritime zone of responsibility.

Grace Nathan, whose mother, Anne Daisy, was on the plane said the governments should consider the recommendation to search an additional 25,000 sq km. If money is a concern, prioritise within this area, Nathan said.

In China, Jiang Hui, whose mother was also on board the flight, said he felt disappointed, helpless and angry because the search had been ended purely due to a funding shortage. The 370 incident is the most important thing in my life, he said, referring to the flight number.

The only confirmed traces of the plane have been three pieces of debris found washed up on the island country Mauritius, the French island Reunion and an island off Tanzania.

As many as 30 other pieces of wreckage found there and on beaches in Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa are suspected to have come from the plane.

According to what is known, Flight MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport for Beijing at 12:41 a.m. local time on March 8, 2014. It was heading north but after its last message of Good night Malaysian Three Seven Zero, it changed course toward the west, according to a Malaysian military radar.  Reuters
By Press Trust of India: New York, Jan 17 (PTI) Software giant Microsoft is planning to come up with a 2-in-1 foldable device supported by flexible hinge that can transform from a phone to a tablet in seconds, the company said as it applied for a new patent.

In the patent, Microsoft describes the device - that aims to accomplish what a number of other companies, such as LG and Samsung, are already looking at ? as smartphones with foldable screens that can open up into a more tablet-like experience.

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The patent applied by Microsoft went public yesterday and it describes a foldable tablet supported by a flexible hinge.

When an average consumer makes a decision to buy a device, a size of the device becomes a primary consideration. A user may purchase a mobile device having a relatively small display device to make phone calls, text, and so on.

He may buy a larger display device such as a tablet to answer emails, browser the Internet, and so on. Microsoft is patenting a 2-in-1 foldable device which can act both as a smartphone and a tablet, the comapny said in a statament.

Such a device would provide the portability of a smartphone along with the enhanced productivity of a larger screen, and when paired with Windows 10 on ARM would give Microsoft a significant competitive advantage over iOS and Android.

In this patent, Microsoft is describing a device that secures the plurality of housings to each other, permits the plurality of housings to rotate about an axis in relation to each other, and supports a continuous viewing area of the display device that extends across the plurality of housings and the flexible hinge structure, it said.

Samsung and LG both reportedly launching their first foldable phone in the second half 2017. PTI AMS AKJ AMS

--- ENDS ---
Its easy to get in a food rut, ordering the same dish every visit to your favorite restaurant.

Its safe. No risk.

And youre expected to order Mexican food at a Mexican restaurant, Italian food at an Italian restaurant and burgers at a burger joint. Right?

Not necessarily.

Weve found some great unexpected dishes at local eateries. These are the things that stand out on menus, in some cases like they dont belong among the rest of the fare.

Weve learned that chefs add the dishes because they make them well, sometimes because of their culinary backgrounds and sometimes because of their heritage or cooking style.

Others are just offered for variety. Its the spice of life, from what we hear.

So go ahead  get the unexpected.

Eat some top-notch spaghetti at Calaveras Mexican Grill

2326 E. Admiral Blvd., 918-955-1213

The colorful menu can take a while to navigate at Calaveras Mexican Grill next to Circle Cinema in the Kendall-Whittier District. And there are some surprises on there, too.

For instance, who goes to a Mexican restaurant to order spaghetti?

The seafood-and-beef spaghetti is loaded with sliced mushrooms and ground beef, along with nine small scallops, six small shrimp and standard spaghetti pasta mixed with a tomato-based sauce. It is topped with shredded Mexican cheese and comes with two thick slices of buttery, toasted sourdough bread.

The sauce, something like a mildly spiced salsa, gives it a different slant than typical Italian sauces.

The restaurant also has a beef spaghetti on the kids menu.

Other unique offerings include cheese fries, a Hawaiian burrito and fresh shucked oysters.

The menu is packed full of many Mexican traditional dishes, such as tamales, enchiladas, pozole, sopes, chile relleno and much more.

Grab a burger at Roka Bar & Asian Flavors

1616 S. Utica Ave., 918-382-7777

When Roka opened in early 2016 in the space that formerly held Te Keis Chinese Asian Kitchen, the owners revamped the menu but kept several versions of favorite dishes from Te Keis, like the popular umami burger.

Meet the Roka burger.

It is served on a toasted kaiser bun with wasabi sauce and kewpie, a smooth and creamy Japanese mayonnaise. The hand-ground, fire-grilled beef patty is tossed in kung pao sauce with onions, red bell peppers and mushrooms and is served with Rokas signature hand-cut sesame fries.

Go on Monday when the burgers are $5. Its a heck of a deal.

On the more traditional side, the Asian restaurant also kept the steamed, pan-seared chicken dumplings, served with house-made soy cream sauce and sweetened mushroom soy sauce. They are some of the best potstickers around.

They have a wide selection of other dishes to choose from, ranging from sushi and noodle dishes to salads, soups and stir-fry.

Savor a well-cooked steak at In The Raw Sushi

3321 S. Peoria Ave., 918-744-1300;

6151 S. Sheridan Road, 918-524-0063

Sometimes its hard to get past all the great appetizers and sushi rolls at a great sushi place such as In The Raw.

Try something different and treat yourself to Genes Pepper Filet, an 8-ounce filet served with wasabi mashed potatoes and asparagus with portobello demi-glace. Yum.

Better yet, you can add three tempura shrimp. Yum.

Or 4 ounces of tempura lobster. Um, yum.

Or go full surf-and-turf with an 8-ounce lobster tail as an addition to the steak.

Theres nothing stopping you from starting off with one of their great sushi rolls, tuna nachos or ITR salad.

Dig into Fettuccine OFredo at Kilkennys Irish Pub

1413 E. 15th St., 918-582-8282

Kilkennys Irish Pub on Cherry Street has long been one of Tulsas favorite places to go for traditional Irish fare  boxties, bangers and mash, cottage pie, coddle and even a traditional Irish breakfast.

But the menu doesnt stop there.

We encourage you to try a couple of creamy pasta dishes  albeit with Irish names  when you arent craving the Irish favorites.

Kilkennys Fettuccine OFredo is a fettuccine pasta with house-made creamy OFredo sauce. Add a wee bit of grilled, blackened or paneed chicken, salmon or shrimp, if you like.

And if seafood is what you are craving, try the Lorrha Lobster Pasta. Its a bowl of rotini pasta in a delicious cream sauce with mushrooms and green onion, topped with a generous portion of cold-water lobster. Its worth the trip to the Emerald Isle, or at least Tulsas little version of it on Cherry Street.

Get your fill of tacos at Gogi Gui Korean Grill

6380 E. 31st St., 918-949-9377

The restaurant has two signature dishes, galbi short ribs and beef bulgogi  traditional types of gogi gui or roasted meats. The short ribs and bulgogi at Gogi Gui Korean Grill are tender and have lovely flavors.

Both dishes are served in steamy, hot iron skillets on wooden platters. They come with bowls of sticky rice and banchan, a group of side dishes traditionally served with gogi gui.

But the menu at Gogi Gui also has a fusion side including delicious bulgogi tacos.

The platter includes three large tacos filled with spicy pork bulgogi, tangy Asian slaw, cilantro, crispy noodles and queso fresco cheese. The tacos show terrific layers of flavors and a lingering heat on the tongue.

The owner explained that it is common on the West Coast to see Korean and Hispanic fusion restaurants. And this is a treat that Gogi Gui has shared with Tulsa.

Try a side of fries with your sushi at Yokozuna

309 E. Second St., 918-508-7676

9146 S. Yale Ave., 918-619-6271

Regulars at Yokozuna wouldnt dream of passing up on this unexpected food find  sweet potato fries.

There are two locations in Tulsa to visit this Asian restaurant and sushi bar for all your favorite sushi rolls and a good selection of ramen and other Asian dishes.

But you are definitely going to want to try the house-cut sweet potato fries, which are deep fried in tempura batter and served with chili soy sauce and wasabi mayo.

Get the fries on their own, or split the Pupu Platter for two or four people. This is one of our favorite dishes. It gives you a sample of gyoza, edamame, steamed buns, choice of spring rolls or summer rolls and  of course  the sweet potato fries.

Pick pizza or falafel at La Roma Gourmet Pizza and Mediterranean Cuisine

6027 S. Sheridan Road, 918-491-6436

Because the name says it all, the diversity of dishes isnt that unexpected at La Roma. But the unique combination of Italian and Mediterranean cuisines  which are celebrated equally by regulars  makes it a likely addition to this list for those who have never dined here.

For nine years, the owners operated a Lebanese bakery on Peoria Avenue before opening La Roma in 1990. They moved into space formerly occupied by a pizza chain, so they kept the ovens and gave pizza a featured spot on the menu. They added spaghetti, lasagna and calzone to round out the Italian offerings.

The food is an Italian and Middle Eastern mix. You can have pizza, calzone and spaghetti or tawook, baba ghannouj, tabouli, homemade pocket bread and more.

Give the bulgogi burger a try at Steakfinger House

403 S. Boulder Ave., 918-584-0454

Business is hopping at Steakfinger House, where downtown diners have enjoyed steakfinger baskets and chicken-fried steaks for decades. But the space has been expanded in the past few years, and the restaurant is now open on weekends.

What are steakfingers? Squiggly pieces of steak deep fried in a peppery batter that are complemented by a dunk in creamy gravy.

The chicken-fried steak sandwich is a simple pleasure, too  thin, tender, lightly battered chicken-fried steak that hangs out over the edges of a soft bun and dressed with lettuce, tomato and mayo.

When Jay Chung bought the restaurant in 2015 he added some new menu items. One of the most popular has been the bulgogi burger.

The bulgogi burger is marinated rib-eye steak in a sauce. You can have it topped with Swiss cheese if you please.

It is an unexpected treat. If you cant bear to pass up the steakfingers, bring a friend and split the bulgogi burger and the steakfingers. That way you both the get best of the old menu and the new.

Here are some other unique food finds worth trying

Golden Saddle Cafe, 6618 E. Admiral Place: Golden Saddle features an all-day buffet, breakfast, steaks and barbecue. But you might also be surprised to find Persian fare, too, such as lamb shank and shish kabobs.

Naples Flatbread and Wine Bar, 201 S. Denver Ave: Naples has a new item  the Moonshine BBQ Grill baby back ribs  that stands out among all of the Italian dishes on the menu.

Karls Burgers, 2828 E. 91st St.: The gyros are just as popular as the burgers at this burger joint.

Pryhme Downtown Steakhouse, 111 N. Main St.: At this fine-dining restaurant, you might not expect to find casual street eats. But you can get the Main Street Tacos there every day from 4-6 p.m. made with carne asada, fresh cilantro, house-made salsa and lime on the side for $2 each.

Moonskys Cheesesteaks and Daylight Donuts, 2218 E. Pine St.: Get your morning doughnut and cheesesteak for lunch at the same place. Moonskys has been a neighborhood fixture for years.
A Princes Town homeowner says he believes a water leak is to blame for a landslip affecting their home.

He tells our reporter Cindy Raghubar-Teekersingh that his investigations reveal that it' a WASA leak, and although he's made numerous reports to the authority, they continue to ignore his complaints.
By India Today Web Desk: Tamil Nadu: More than 500 people detained for protesting in support of jallikattu

People from all parts of Tamil Nadu assembled at Alanganallur late last night to protest against the ban on jallikattu. Police also had to resort to lathicharge to dismiss the crowd.

Australian Open: Serena Williams outclasses Belinda Bencic in opening round

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Williams lost the Australian Open final last year to Angelique Kerber but won last year's Wimbledon title to equal Steffi Graf's Open era mark of 22 Grand Slam singles titles.

Deepika to Priyanka: Hollywood films are not a big deal for Indian actors, unless...

Deepika Padukone or Priyanka Chopra who are making their big, grand Hollywood debuts this year, deserve better roles in the West, that can do justice to their talent.

Istanbul New Year nightclub attacker who killed 39 arrested

A gunman who killed 39 people during an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year's celebrations has been caught in a police operation, Turkish media reports said today.

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today came to the defence of 16-year old Kashmiri girl Zaira who featured in Dangal movie and was trolled for meeting J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and wondered why "ultra liberals" are silent on the issue.

"Why did she have to tender an apology for meeting the CM of her own state? Why is everyone silent now? Where are the so called ultra liberals now?" Naidu, who holds the portfolio of Information and Broadcasting, questioned.

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Naidu, who is also Urban Development Minister, was addressing a function of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) here.

Asserting that the incident clearly shows the irony of the pseudo liberals who vehemently came out to speak against the growing "intolerance" earlier, Naidu urged the people to stand up by her side.

Zaira, who has featured as a young Geeta Phogat in the recently released Bollywood movie Dangal, was trolled after her picture with Mehbooba emerged which triggered a backlash.

Naidu said it is in fact a great achievement that children from Jammu and Kashmir are coming into the mainstream and are showcasing their talent and inspiring thousands of other youngsters.

"Zairas episode shows how pseudo liberals react to different situations, adopt different standards. What is wrong committed by this young talented artist from Jammu and Kashimir?" he said.

She has shown the path and one should feel proud and appreciate her than trying to be verbally violent, the minister said.

Commenting on the controversy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi replacing Mahatma Gandhi in the 2017 calendar and diary of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Naidu said "creating unnecessary" issues by certain people has become a routine.

"What is the issue, I dont understand? PM Modi has been promoting Khadi from day one. He is appealing to the people to use khadi and its sales has increased over 30 per cent," he said.

Hitting out at those criticising the issue, he said it is the very same people who have never followed the Father of the Nation. "There was no photo of Gandhi ji for 5 years during the Congress regime but they had no objection at that time," he said. PTI MP RG

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Teenager Vlada and fellow displaced Ukrainian Alexandr have known hard times. They are among 66,000 people with disabilities who fled the fighting in the east of the country in 2014, along with two million others.

Vlada, 15, has spina bifida, a condition acquired from birth which leaves a gap in her spine. Alexandr, who is in his 60s, lost a leg to disease 10 years ago. Vlada and Alexandr both use a wheelchair.

The resourceful pair have found their own ways to cope in difficult circumstances.

Vlada has taught herself English and how to play the piano, and Alexandr dances in his wheelchair after indulging in his favourite pastime  knitting.

They live in the same corridor of a former Soviet-era sanatorium in the town of Sviatohirsk, near the demarcation line that separates the Donbas territory from areas controlled by the Kyiv government.

Vlada's local school is several kilometres from the former sanatorium where she has found shelter and is not accessible for students with disabilities.  UNHCR/John Wendle

The pair fled the fighting in the east with their families.

I learned English because I want to see the world, says Vlada. It was very difficult but this was my dream.

Alexandr says he feels like dancing whenever he hears music that he likes. The mood takes me and I start a move, he says. Its in my blood, the music sets me off.

Vlada pursues her dream with the help of her 15-year-old friend Sasha, a fellow resident. They first met when their displaced families were housed in another sanatorium in Odesa.

One morning I was bored, Vlada recalls. I said, Sasha, maybe we can walk in the streets. She said: Yes, of course.

Vlada and Sasha were forced to flee the fighting in eastern Ukraine along with two million others.

Now they are inseparable. Sasha helps Vlada to dress and pushes her on their long walks around the sanatorium. In return, Vlada plays the piano for Sasha and tries to teach her how to make origami birds out of paper.

With her Im happy, Sasha says. I dont feel with her as if Im with a disabled person. I feel that Im dealing with a complete person.

Alexandr fills much of his day with knitting. He says it calms his nerves. His grandmother taught him and he started with socks. Now he produces sweaters, scarves, even small woollen carpets which he sells or gives away.

His technique is to use discarded woollen garments that he or others find and then to unpick the knitting. He then uses the yarn to create something new, often using two or three strands in colourful new combinations.

The mood takes me and I start a move. Its in my blood, the music sets me off.

Alexandr is among 66,000 people with disabilities who fled the fighting in Ukraine in 2014.  UNHCR

My father used to paint pictures, he says. They were quite beautiful and I think these things I make are beautiful too.

For most of the 191 people housed in the sanatorium  both residents with disabilities and their carers  life is often confined to waiting. Vlada and Alexandr are two who have decided to fill their hours with work and new challenges.

However, Vlada is frustrated that she has been unable to attend school. The local school is several kilometres away and, unlike the school she attended in Luhansk before the fighting, is not accessible has no facilities for students with disabilities. Now, teachers go to Vlada's room and she learns alone, while her friend Sasha spends the day in classes with others.

UNHCR is looking into providing materials for ramps that would allow Vlada to attend classes at the school. However, without help from outside, her goals may remain unfulfilled.
By Press Trust of India: steps now: Nepal

New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) Nepal today said Prime Minister Narendra Modis Neighbourhood First policy has sparked great optimism, but it would like to see concrete steps taken in the form of trade, investment, and road and rail connectivity.

Nepals Minister of Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahant also emphasised on addressing the "root cause" behind the "limited growth" of SAARC so as to ensure better and effective regional integration.

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"Prime Minister Narendra Modi sparked great optimism when he articulated the vision of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas (together with all development for all) and his neighbourhood first policy," he said at the Raisina Dialogue 2017.

"We would like to see this vision translate into concrete deliverables in the form of trade, investment, connectivity with highways and railways and (power) transmission infrastructure," he said.

When asked about the joint military exercise between Nepal and China, Mahant downplayed the development saying its a "small" training.

"People are talking as if we are doing any huge exercise. Its nothing like that. We have so many engagements in India in terms of security cooperation and other things. When small training takes place, it should not (be seen) as if a strange thing is happening," he said, talking to reporters, later on.

He said private players in India should not feel Nepal is still what it was during insurgency days. The situation in the country has changed and its a different country now, he said.

Highlighting the problems facing South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, he said, "Evolution of SAARC process has been painfully slow to achieve regional integration and we must address the root causes of the problem to materialise the noble intention of regional integration and prosperity."

To address the electricity issues in Nepal, he said his country is working with India on open market access for power grid at bilateral and sub-regional level.

Besides, Mahant said, the two countries are also working in the sub-regional framework of Bangladesh Bhutan India and Nepal (BBIN) initiative to achieve greater cross-border connectivity in vital sector of trade.

He said, Nepal is inspired by the phenomenal progress India is making in fields from science and Technology to economic growth.

"How we can rise with our neighbours rise is our key interest. We are impressed by some bold initiatives India has taken under Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership to ensure digital and financial access to the poor and fight against corruption," Mahant added. PTI PR TIR

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By Press Trust of India: From Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Jan 17 (PTI) Nepal, Bangladesh and India should join hands for developing hydropower projects, a senior Nepalese Minister said today, underlining the Himalayan nations immense potential in the sector.

"Time has come for Nepal, Bangladesh and India to come forward and cooperate in harnessing Nepals immense hydropower potential," Nepals Minister for Supplies Deepak Bohara said, inaugurating the 3rd Bangladesh Trade Fair in Bhrikutimandap are of Kathmandu.

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He said the government and private sectors of the three countries need to reach an agreement for forging collaboration in developing hydropower projects.

The present volume of Nepalese rupees 5 billion trade between Bangladesh and Nepal should be further increased through more collaboration and cooperation in the areas of trade and commerce, he said.

Economic cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh started mainly after the two countries signed agreements on trade, transit, civil aviation and technical field in 1996, Bohara said.

"There is a need for more cooperation and collaboration between the two South Asian neighbours for the benefit of the people of both the countries," he added.

Foreign department chief of ruling Awami League Party of Bangladesh, Sajjat Haider, said Bangladesh needs hydropower from Nepal to help boost it industrialisation process.

"Nepal and Bangladesh can also cooperate in the area of hydropower and Bangladesh investors are interested in making investment in the field," he said.

"Nepal can benefit a lot if it can use Mongla Sea Port, which is more convenient than the present Calcutta dry port being used by Nepal for international trade," he added.

There is only 23 km distance between landlocked Nepal and Bangladesh and both the countries can benefit if they cooperate in the areas of hydropower, trade, tourism etc, he pointed out.

Jute, garments, food, electronic goods and leather items are mainly displayed in 54 stalls during the five-day trade fair organised by Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu. PTI SBP PMS

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This is believed to be the first time Nigeria's military has admitted to making such a mistake.

By AP: A Nigerian Air Force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp today, killing more than 100 refugees and wounding aid workers, a Borno state official said.

The state government official was helping to coordinate the evacuation of wounded.

HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed the accidental bombardment in northeast Rann, near the border with Cameroon. Among the wounded were two soldiers and Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee of the Red Cross, he said. This is believed to be the first time Nigeria's military has admitted to making such a mistake. Villagers in the past have reported some civilian casualties in near-daily bombardments in northeastern Nigeria. Irabor said he ordered the mission based on information that Boko Haram insurgents were gathering, along with geographic coordinates. It was too early to say if a tactical error was made, he said. The general, who is the theater commander for counterinsurgency operations in northeast Nigeria, said the Air Force would not deliberately target civilians but there will be an investigation. Some of the nearly 300 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 and freed last year have said three of their classmates were killed by Air Force bombardments, according to the freed girls' parents.

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Two of the popular "remedies" often suggested to improve education is to reduce class size or to allow parents and students go to the school they prefer. However, an education researcher revealed after years of study that these two and other popular school ill remedies do little to improve the quality of education the students receive.

John Hattie, a professor at the University of Melbourne Australia, examined more than a thousand meta-analyses on various education 'remedies' covering 250 million students around the world. Talking to NPREd about what he found out, he said that five of these most popular remedies actually do nothing or little to improve education. These five popular interventions include reducing class size, school choice, achievement standards, achievement tests, and more money.

Regarding class size, Hattie argues that Japan and Korea, which are considered as two of the highest-performing education systems in the world, have an average class size of 33 students in the classrooms. He is not alone in this observation, other researchers say that class size have indeed positive impact in the earliest grades but little in the secondary level. More so, they are also in disagreement whether those benefits outweigh the cost.

Hattie explained that in order for class size to be effective, teachers should collaborate and work more closely with children.

School choice is another popular idea which encourages competition between schools causing them to improve the quality of education they bring to students. One research on school choice said that its benefits are still highly disputed because it still depends whether the school has what the student needs. Instead of school choice, teacher choice is much more effective because it will push teachers to up their game if they really want to be marketable.

The two next popular 'remedies' are achievement standards and tests. Achievement standards have nasty effects because, according to Hattie, it labels kids from difficult circumstances as failures and those privilege kids as successful, which is not always the case. Also, those students who might not be performing well today can do much better later. Instead of creating a general standard, individual standard which evaluates the progress of each student is much better. As for achievement tests, those who are in schools and countries who perform well give tests less often.

The last remedy to improve education is to put more money into it. At present, the United States spends $105,000 per student while Korea and Finland spend $60,000 and $70,000 respectively for each student yet they outperform the US.

So if these 'remedies' don't work, what does? Hattie wrote in his book, Visible Learning in Action, the best ideas that work are those that empower teachers and encourages them to work more closely with their students.
Charles Feeney, also known as Chuck Feeney has promised to go broke. He is known for co-founding Duty Free Shoppers Group and made his fortune from it. For many years, he has given away money to countless organizations and foundations.

It all started when he founded Atlantic Philanthropies. It is a private foundation he had started. Although he is a billionaire, he is also known for his frugality. He lives in an apartment, flies economy and does not even own a car. By 2016, he had $1.5 billion left. Now at 81 years old, he spent his last few millions on Cornell University. According to the entrepreneur mogul, he wanted to donate all his wealth until the last check he issues bounces. Which means he exhausted most of his funds

On Dec. 2016, Feeney granted $7 million to Cornell University, as reported by CNet Worth. The fund is to enable students at Cornell to engage in community service work. And now he is officially broke.

The former billionaire is now living on a net worth of $2 million which could just be enough to cover their rent and other expenses for the remaining years of his life.

Feeney himself is a graduate of Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. His $7 million grant to The Cornell Tradition will help continue the fellowship program that offers service work and scholarship to some of the most civically minded students in college, as reported by The Cornell Chronicle.

Feeney's belief that people should put their wealth to serve humanity has served many organizations and foundations. In honor of Feeney's donations, Cornell University is putting up the Frank H.T Rhodes Funds for The Cornell Tradition because Cornell President Emeritus Rhodes and Feeney started The Cornell Tradition in 1982.

Chuck Feeney's last grant means that Atlantic Philanthropies has funded a total of $8 billion over the last 35 years. And $1 billion of that total was directed to Cornell. It also includes a donation of $350 million enabling the creation of Cornell's the New York City Tech Campus.

Watch the Cornell video below where author Conor O'Clery discusses Chuck Feeney:
The voice behind Rosita in the animated movie titled "Sing" is none other than Reese Witherspoon. But she also uses her voice to raise an issue that has been plaguing the film industry for decades.

The "Sweet Home Alabama" actress has made it loud and clear that she has had enough of Hollywood gender bias. And her complaints are founded on a 2016 report created by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

According to the report, women in the American film industry is low in percentage and it continues to slip, as reported by Gulf News. The study further indicates that women were underrepresented in certain fields and they see no employment gains in Hollywood compared to their male counterparts.

Working in Hollywood for most of her life, Reese Witherspoon reacts to the gender bias issue. She wants the practice of handing "thankless roles" to actresses to stop.

Witherspoon wants to see the film industry feature real women. She uses domestic violence, motherhood and divorce as examples of real women's experiences. According to Montre Missouri, a film maker and associate professor at Howard University, the lack of women behind the camera also means the lack of women with speaking roles in front of the camera, as reported by The American Association of University Women.

Darnell Hunt, an author of the UCLA study, said that Hollywood is largely male dominated and they want to keep their jobs. Which is why female film makers find it difficult to break into the industry.

For director Lexi Alexander, she says that there is no lack of female directors in Hollywood. It is most likely that there is just a huge lack of people willing to give them a chance.

Witherspoon hopes that things will change. She is set to star in "Big Little Lies." This will be her first major television role and will air on Feb. 19.

Watch this Producers Guild of America clip where Reese Witherspoon addresses Hollywood's gender disparity:
The University of Maiduguri was hit by a suicide bomber attack. The bomber is believed to be a teenage girl.

Local source NAIJ.com reported that a bomb exploded at the mosque inside the University of Maiduguri in Borno state. Many people are feared to be casualties of the attack, which transpired on Monday morning.

There are speculations that the attack was caused by Boko Haram terrorists. Students and staff members were in the mosque to have their early morning prayers when the bomb exploded.

According to Aljazeera, at least four people were believed to have died and 15 others injured in the suicide bomb attack. The mission was said to have been carried out by a teenage girl.

While no terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the incident, it is likely that Boko Haram may have played a role in the act. The group is notorious for using young women and girls as human bombs.

The publication noted that the act of terror may be the result of Boko Haram losing control in its strongest hideout, which is the Sambisa Forest. The northeast part of the country is already under military control.

Reporter Ahmed Idris said that Abubakar Shekau, leader of the Boko Haram group, urged his supporters to "hit the Nigerian population as hard as possible." He encouraged his supporters to use bombs, guns as well as slash-and-burn.

Borno police spokesman Victor Isuku confirmed that, prior to the blast at the mosque, police shot a girl, believed to be 12 years old, as she tried to get inside the school. The IED (improvised explosive device) she had strapped to her body exploded.

RT added that another suicide bomber detonated his device at one of the gates used to enter the University of Maiduguri. This came as panic rose due to the first explosion. The suicide bomber who was shot by police was said to have tried to scale a fence.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari sent his condolences to the victims' families. He also deemed the terrorists behind the attack as having "no true understanding of Islam."
The posters were damaged outside Sathaye College in Vile Parle area of Mumbai. Police have registered complaints filed by student groups.

By Saurabh Vaktania: Vile Parle area of Mumbai was tense on Tuesday after students affiliated to different political parties took to the streets to protest against damage to posters of Balasahab Thackeray and Swami Vivekananda placed outside Sathaye College. Police have registered complaints filed by student groups.

The police's timely intervention helped prevent the situation from getting worse, as people had just begun to gather to agitate. The cops, however, completely denied that the protest was a result of the rift between both political student wings and said that there were individual complaints against people not known to each other. Sources from both factions denied this claim of the police.

WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED Late on Monday, over 60 people had gathered outside the Sathaye College in Vile Parle area of east Mumbai. The Mumbai Police Control Room got a call that over 50 people had gathered outside the Sathaye College after a banner of Yuva Sena, which had Balasahab Thackeray's image, was torn by some unknown people. Members of Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Sang reached the site before the police. Banners of both the factions had torn the posters and were blaming each other for the same. A police team led by the ACP reached the spot as the matter escalated. The cops tried to calm down the situation. In the wee hours of Tuesday, a non-cognisable offence complaint was booked by the Vile Parle police in the matter against some unknown people. Laxman Chavan, senior police inspector of Vile Parle police station, said, "We have registered a non-cognisable offence case in the matter against unknown people. We asked both the parties if they had complained against each other which they denied. There is no allegation levelled by one faction against the other. A detailed investigation investigation into the case is on. We will check CCTV cameras."

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Also read | Swami Vivekananda's 154th birth anniversary: 5 inspiring quotes we need in our lives today

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Top researchers in the United Kingdom have urged their Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss climate change with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. This comes as the inauguration nears.

The Washington Post reported that 100 leading climate researchers in the U.K. wrote a letter urging Prime Minister May to "press president-elect Trump and his administration" about climate change. They want the incoming U.S. president to "acknowledge the scientific evidence about the risks of climate change."

They also want Trump to continue supporting international action to reverse the effects of climate change. This would include the Paris Agreement. Trump is also urged to support world class research and data-gathering in the U.S.

The scientists warned of Trump and his administration's skepticism on the global phenomenon. They are concerned that this would weaken climate change research and data-gathering in the nation.

According to The Independent, the researchers warned Prime Minister May that the U.K. would be affected if ever Donald Trump decides to turn his back on U.S.-funded climate change research. This would have a devastating impact on the world as well.

The Guardian added that the scientists want an expansion of research in Britain if ever Trump weakens climate change research in the United States. This would lead to many opportunities in the U.K. in terms of the economy.

Recently, the House Science Committee faced backlash for retweeting a post about a misleading and unscientific article that denied climate-change. This comes after Donald Trump continues to appoint climate-change deniers to office. He has previously tweeted that "the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."

This month, Trump has also met with William Happer, a professor of physics in Princeton, who is known for being vocal about the pros of climate change instead of focusing on its cons. There are speculations that the meeting was to discuss about a government post for the Princeton physicist in the energy or science departments.
Benedictine University is a Catholic College in Chicago which was founded in 1887. It has been consistently on the list of Forbes' top universities in the United States. Aside from this, Benedictine is also known as being one of the most attractive colleges among Muslim and Hindu students.

Benedictine University is located in a county where the majority is white and Catholic or Protestant. However, recent statistics reveal that it might be the Catholic university across the United States with the highest Muslim students, which fluctuates between 20 and 30 percent and still rising.

There are two main reasons why Benedictine is attracting Muslims. First, it is located from two Islamics schools not far from the area. These students, on the other hand, are attracted to the science curriculum that Benedictine offers. Second, DuPage county where Benedictine is located has a lot of tech and science jobs which are attractive to Muslim and Hindu students.

Aside from this, Benedictine has adopted a policy that is favorable for its Muslim students. That includes having meals that is halal-approved and allowing Muslim students to leave class during prayer times. They are also allowed to be absent during Muslim holy days, such as Ramadan.

Benedictine showed its commitment to its Muslim students by hiring Ali Yurtsever, a math professor and the president of American Islamic College in Chicago, to be its Muslim adviser. Benedictine President Michael S. Brophy said that Yurtsever has been very helpful in serving these students. He added that these students are devout not only in their faith but also in their studies as well.

To further encourage the safe and welcoming atmosphere, the college has an interfaith group made up of Christian and Muslim students where they have religious discussions over meals twice a month.
January 17 2017

USP and USI, ground and upper floor owners of Glasgows at-risk Egyptian Halls, have brought forward proposals for a facade retention scheme at the A-listed landmark after deciding that restoration is now  all but structurally undeliverable .Past attempts to restore the Halls stumbled after the Heritage Lottery Fund ruled out grant funding which would have seen the historic building refurbished for a hotel operator , casting doubt on the delivery of this latest scheme which still requires some grant funding to progress in addition to agreement with NCP.Should a stalemate continue USP have left a new build option on the table although full preservation scheme could still be delivered, including a rebuilt rear wall and roof, if funding is confirmed.The latest plans would establish a mews through route connecting Union Street to Mitchell Street, helping to reinforce the legacy of two of the citys greatest architects; Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Alexander Greek Thomson, by creating a direct pedestrian link from The Lighthouse through to Central Station.In a statement USP wrote: Its been documented that the Rennie Mackintosh Lighthouse building is seriously underused and therefore financially compromised due to its cul-de-sac like and out of the way location. Also, the 36-year delay to reconcile the Egyptian Halls repairs issues has certainly curtailed the now long overdue regeneration of Union Street and arguably this continually deteriorating building makes an increasingly negative contribution to the urban realm. This project reconciles this.Plans drawn up by The Morrison Partnership envisage a street level concourse threading through a central atrium with a hotel, restaurants and retail populating newly built accommodation behind a retained facade to a modernised NCP car park.
Two soaring program pioneers took a stroll through history with cadets and staff this fall at the 94th Flying Training Squadron, home to the Air Forces only Soaring Program.

Retired Lt. Col James Leland helped create the soaring program and retired Lt. Col. Richard Trail, a 1959 Academy graduate, was the first cadet to take a solo flight in a glider, in Denver.

Today, more than 200 cadets, military and civilian instructor pilots, are assigned to the 94th Flying Training Squadron, but the program didnt get off the ground until Leland arrived at the Air Force Academy in 1960. Leland designed the program with the support of Brig. Gen. William Seawell, the third commandant of cadets.

Although I was assigned to the Academy in April 1960, I didnt get involved in a soaring program until the middle of 1961, Leland said.

Leland contacted soaring enthusiasts at the Black Forest Glider Port, eight miles east of the Academy, and earned glider ratings to get a vision of what the program should entail.

All of my soaring was on my own free time, he said. I spent most of my weekends at the Black Forest Glider Port with the [cadets].

Leland directed the construction of a hangar, improved the airfield and acquired three gliders for the nascent Soaring Program, at the Academy.

When we purchased the first sailplanes and started the Airmanship Program, I spent more and more time at the airport during duty hours and weekends, Leland said.

Soaring didnt take off at the Academy until the hangar was complete.

Before we got the hangar, we flew the sailplanes from the Black Forest Glider Port, he said.

Leland attended soaring instructor training in Elmira, New York, to make sure he was ready to train cadets, once the program was ready for take-off. The program was in full flight with an infrastructure and three Schweizer SGU/Air Force TG-2 gliders for cadets.

Cadets were not involved in the Airmanship Program until 1965, when the Air Force began allocating funds for the program. Before then, cadets soared out of the Black Forest Glider port.

Today, junior and senior class cadets give almost all soaring instruction to 1,300 third and fourth class cadets enrolled in the various courses the Airmanship Program provides each year.

Leland said the program has come a long way since 1961.

You have the best equipment of any soaring operation in the world, he said. The leadership training you receive will serve you well in your Air Force career regardless of what you do.

These days, Trail said, cadets do it all.

They are the instructors and the hands and feet of a very complex organization, he said. Cadets do it all with what seems like very little oversight of the commissioned officers in charge. It is excellent preparation for future careers in rated positions.

Rated officers are specifically tasked to carry out the militarys operational missions, such as piloting aircraft.

I was totally and favorably impressed with the smooth-running organization the glider program has become, Trail said. Today the Soaring Program is an organized and integral part of the overall Academy program. It is an experience that can plant the [idea] that I can become a pilot.

Trail said cadets participating in the Soaring Program should hang in the there.

You are learning skills you will never know you had until they save the mission of your very life, he said.

Leland said cadets who attend pilot training have an advantage over officers who didnt take part in the Soaring Program.

Those who do not get pilot slots will still be able to use the leadership skills they learned as glider instructors in any field they enter, he said.

Trail agreed.

Graduates who have accomplished something significant in their career following graduation can give cadets someone to look up to and strive to emulate, he said.

Trail said taking part in the Soaring Program influenced every aspect of his Air Force career, from his Vietnam War experience or successfully knowing how to make a forced landings which occur when a pilot in unable to control the aircraft.

Trail said cadets may think, He trained on gliders and went on to become a successful Air Force pilot. That makes what I am now doing [as a cadet] now worth it, he said.

Cadets

Cadet 1st Class Tony Smith and Cadet 2nd Class Tori Gilster were among the scores of cadet instructor pilots who met Leland and Trail during the visit.

It is very touching to know I would not have all the experience I have today if it were not for Lt. Colonel Leland getting the program started, Smith said. All the stories and experiences he shared were amazing and should be shared throughout the squadron and the Academy in general.

Smith was equally impressed with Trail.

He really showed [the purpose of leaving] your comfort zone and take on challenges with a full head of steam. Smith said. He helped us realize you cant be scared to try new things that could be influential for the rest of your life.

Gilster said the influence of the 94th FTS is felt across the Air Force.

When we graduate, these experiences will influence how we fly and conduct ourselves as pilots and officers, she said.

Smith said the visit reminded him of the importance of resiliency and overcoming challenges.

My biggest takeaway was to continue to strive to be resilient in all matters of life, he said. One of the biggest things I learned [during the visit] was the program was denied a couple of times when it was first introduced to senior leadership. With a lot of resiliency, it was finally approved.

During his visit, Leland donated personal papers and research materiel to the Academy, accepted on behalf of the school by retired Brig. Gen. James McCarthy, the first officer in charge of the soaring program.

Trail donated his soaring logbook to the 94th FTS in the 90s'. Hes visited the Academy airfield three times since 1959.

Every time I go back to visit the Academy, I drive by the airfield and have a longing just to poke around and visit, he said.

(Editor's note: Visit www.usafa.edu/tu/306ftg/94fts/programs.cfm for more information on the Academy's Airmanship Program)
By Press Trust of India: Indore, Jan 17 (PTI) One of the six inmates who had escaped from Punjabs Nabha jail and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh was arrested along with another person, who is accused of heinous crimes in Punjab, from the city tonight, a senior police officer said.

"Kulpreet Singh Deol alias Neeta (the inmates who had escaped from the Nabha jail) and Sunil Kalra alias Shailla (a dreaded criminal in Punjab) were apprehended from Khajrana area in the city from a residential flat," DIG Harinarayanchari Mishra told PTI.

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He said, the duo were arrested after interrogation of some suspected persons in the area. Police also recovered eight mobile phones, laptop and Rs 92,000 cash from them.

Punjab police have been informed of the arrest of the prisoner, the DIG said.

The accused had reached Indore a few days ago and had rented a flat, he said.

Six inmates-- Khalistan Liberation Front chief Harminder Singh Mintoo, Kashmeer Singh, Gurpreet Singh Shekhon, Vicky Gonder, Kulpreet Singh and Amandeep Singh- had escaped from the Nabha jail in November. PTI COR RMT TIR

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UWs WyoCloud Team Updates Website

A new and improved WyoCloud website is now live, allowing University of Wyoming employees to learn more about UWs new cloud-based finance, administrative, research support and reporting system.

The site is here: www.uwyo.edu/wyocloud/.

After receiving feedback from campus about a need for more specific information about what systems and processes are changing with WyoCloud, the WyoCloud team has updated the website to include three new pages dedicated to the changes surrounding student reporting, finance and chart of accounts. Each of these pages will be updated monthly with new information.

Another new page was created featuring the WyoCloud change agents. The WyoCloud team has formed a network of change agents across the university to act as champions for the project and as a resource for the campus. Change agents attend monthly meetings with the WyoCloud team to learn about system and process changes to communicate to their schools and departments.

WyoCloud will replace the universitys current systems and provide a comprehensive, modern solution for UWs business needs, freeing up employees to focus their time and effort on advancing the mission of the university.

In addition to the WyoCloud website, more immediate updates on the system can be found on the projects Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds. Those with questions are asked to email the WyoCloud team at wyocloud@uwyo.edu.
A 30-year-old woman from Pune was humiliated over a Rs 10 note by her neighbours to such an extent that she committed suicide.

By India Today Web Desk: A 30-year-old from Pune, Maharashtra committed suicide over a matter of one Rs 10 note.

Sundaramma Prashuram Shelar, who belonged to a poor family, gave a Rs 10 note to her son Rahul and sent him to a grocery store in Janawadi area to buy something. Sundaramma's husband is a labourer and the family's financial situation isn't stable.

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As Rahul was on his way to the store, a neighbour's daughter, a 12-year-old, snatched the money away from him and refused to return it. Rahul complained to his mother and when Sundaramma confronted the neighbours, they humiliated her.

Sundaramma was abused and assaulted by her neighbours and even threatened her with murder.

The ordeal disturbed her so much that she went to her house and killed herself by setting herself ablaze.

She was taken to a hospital but the burns were so severe that she succumbed to death. The parents of the 12-year-old were arrested by the police along with the detainment of the young girl. Also watch: Selfie proves deadly again, two boys killed by speeding train

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"In the management of our relationship and for peace and progress in the region, both the countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests", the Prime Minister said.

By Smita Sharma: Addressing the inaugural session of the 2nd Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi on Tuesday, PM Narendra Modi said it was natural for two countries as large as India and China to have differences even as New Delhi and Beijing had deepened their relationship.

In his first major foreign policy speech in 2017, the Prime Minister outlined 'Sabka Saath,Sabka Vikas,' as his belief for the whole world, and not just a vision for India. But he reminded the world of 'rising ambitions and rivalries generating visible stress points', especially in the Asia-Pacific.

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"In the management of our relationship and for peace and progress in the region, both the countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests", the Prime Minister said.

SECURITY ARCHITECTURE IN ASIA-PACIFIC MUST BE OPEN

Sending out a message to China, blamed for increasing conflicts in the South China Sea, he said, "the security architecture in the region (Asia-Pacific) must be open, transparent, balanced and inclusive. And it must promote dialogue and predictable behaviour rooted in international norms and respect for sovereignty."

While underlining the need for regional connectivity, Prime Minister Modi also sent out a veiled message to Beijing on the China-Pak Economic Corridor running through Pak-Occupied Kashmir.

"Connectivity in itself cannot override or undermine the sovereignty of other nations. Only by respecting the sovereignty of countries involved can regional connectivity corridors fulfil their promise and avoid differences and discord," he said.

PAK MUST GIVE UP ON TERROR

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called upon Pakistan to walk away from terror if it sought peace with India. Addressing the inaugural session of the 2nd Raisina Dialogue - a leading foreign policy dialogue forum, Narendra Modi outlined his vision for an integrated and well-connected South Asia. "My vision for our neighbourhood puts a premium on peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia. That vision had led me to invite leaders of all SAARC nations, including Pakistan, for my swearing-in. For this vision, I had also travelled to Lahore," the Prime Minister said.

"But India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan's journey to tread. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India," he added.

Also read | Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants dialogue with India: PM Narendra Modi

The conference themed - 'The New Normal - Multilateralism with Multipolarity' witnessed several world leaders in attendance from the region and the world over. The Prime Minister stressed that in a multipolar world, 'India's transformation was not separated from its external context' in these unsettled times.

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"Instability, violence, extremism, exclusion and transnational threats continue to proliferate in dangerous directions. And, non-state actors are significant contributors to the spread of such challenges", he said.

REJECT PROTECTIONISM FOR MULTILATERAL MULTIPOLARITY

Interestingly, on a day when Chinese President Xi Jinping sent out a message to incoming US President Donald Trump to refrain from protectionism, India too sent out a similar message. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier, President Xi advocated strongly against protectionism in nearly an hour-long speech.

"No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war," he underlined in an apparent message to the Trump administration, which has been threatening Beijing with steep tariff hikes on the trade front.

On Tuesday evening, India that suffers a huge trade imbalance with China, echoed similar sentiments. The Prime Minister advocated the need to 'guard against any instinct or inclination that promotes exclusion, especially in Asia'.

"Physical borders may be less relevant in this age of bits and bytes. But, walls within nations, a sentiment against trade and migration, and rising parochial and protectionist attitudes across the globe are also in stark evidence", said Narendra Modi.

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Striking a balancing note between Russia and the United States, Modi hoped to continue building on the gains in India's strategic partnership with both the world powers in the days to come.

WATCH VIDEO

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By Press Trust of India: (Reopens DES 77)

(Reopens DES 77)

Lauding India for its continued support in its "quest" for peace and democracy, Mahant said Nepal is making efforts to accommodate everyone within constitutional framework by addressing their "legitimate" concerns.

Speaking in the same session, ex-Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai said the way the "war on terror" is being conducted, it is destroying extremism neither in his country nor in the region despite massive sacrifices in terms of lives and resources.

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He, however, appreciated the role of the international community, including India, for helping rebuild Afghanistan.

Recalling his interaction with President Vladimir Putin, Karzai said he was told that despite Russias differences with the US, the two countries "could see eye to eye" in Afghanistan.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said the United Nations has not been able to decide on the definition of terrorism for the past two decades.

"The nations that have lived through conventional challenges are still not being able to grapple with problems they cannot fully understand...over 20 years, the UN has not been able to find definition for terrorism...something which actually seeks to destroy the architecture of international stability," Akbar said.

He also rued that the problem with the current discourse is that "Islam is being blamed with sins of Muslims". PTI PR TIR

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According to a source of VIR, the two companies are on their way to sign the sales agreement by the end of this month, ending nearly one year of negotiations.

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) in principle agreed to ADP becoming the sole strategic shareholder, holding at most 20 per cent of ACV. ADP will let ACV decide the price of services not related to air transport on the basis that ACV will keep rental prices at airports and necessary services within the limit prescribed by the government. In addition, the prices of the services will have to be publicised by ACV.

The negotiations started in January 2016. ADP was the first investor to approach ACV after the prime minister approved the equitisation plan of ACV.

At the moment, there is little information on the price, but earlier ADP sought to buy ACV shares at the minimum auction price in ACVs initial public offering, which is VND13,100 ($0.58). At this price, ACV expects to collect between VND2.8 trillion ($125.5 million) and VND3 trillion ($134.5 million) from the sale.

ACV reported a revenue of VND14.5 trillion ($650 million) in 2016, up 25 per cent on-year, and a pre-tax profit of VND4.075 trillion ($182.7 million). The shares of the company, currently listed on the UPCom platform, closed at VND48,700 ($2.2) on January 16.

According to ACVs prime minister-approved equitisation plan, the government is going to hold 75 per cent of ACV, a strategic investor 20 per cent, and other investors the rest.
Photo : nasa.gov

The US space agency had already pushed back the launch by a day to Tuesday.

If technicians are able to finish their repairs as planned, Discovery and its six American astronauts will now launch from Florida's Kennedy Space Center at 3:52 pm (1952 GMT) Wednesday, NASA test director Jeff Spaulding said.

The flight to the orbiting International Space Station is the fourth and final shuttle flight of the year, and the last scheduled for Discovery, the oldest in the three-shuttle fleet that is being retired in 2011.
Business leaders in Southeast Asia are showing urgency in embracing the 4th Industrial Revolution, where 84 per cent of them believe that they need to transform to a digital business to enable future growth and 83 per cent agree that new data insights can lead to new revenue streams for their organisations.

These are some of the key findings of the Microsoft Asia Digital Transformation Survey to understand how business leaders are embracing the digital era.

Technology advancements have ushered in the 4th Industrial Revolution, where cutting-edge technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), advanced data analytics, and mixed reality are powered by cloud computing to create limitless possibilities in transforming the way people work, live and play.

This revolution, together with rapid urbanisation, emergence of the millennial workforce and a fragile global economic climate, is ushering societal and economic changes at an unprecedented pace.

The Microsoft Asia Digital Transformation Study surveyed 572 business leaders from Southeast Asia. All respondents were pre-qualified as being involved in shaping their organisations digital strategy.

Even as majority of business leaders are aware of the urgent need to transform digitally to address the changing business climate, the study found that the transformation journey for most Southeast Asian organisations is still at its infancy.

In fact, only 31 per cent of business leaders have a full digital transformation strategy and less than half 47 per cent are in progress with specific digital transformation initiatives for selected parts of their business; 23 per cent still have very limited or no strategy in place.

The Microsoft Asia Digital Transformation Study has shown that business leaders have started to act on the need for digital transformation to address the challenges and opportunities of the 4th Industrial Revolution in the region. Lessons from past industrial revolutions have taught us that organisations that do not evolve fast enough will be less competitive or even obsolete as they face disruptions in every industry, said Vu Minh Tri, CEO Microsoft Vietnam.

We urge organisations of all sizes to digitally transform themselves amidst changing demands externally and internally, to stay relevant.

At Microsoft, we believe this involves transformation in four key pillars  empowering employees, engaging customers, optimising operations and transform with new products, services or business models, and data and the cloud are key enablers of these, Tri added.

Microsoft has defined what it means to transform in four key pillars:

Engage customers: Consumers are savvier than ever before, with access to data ensuring they are often educated on a product or service before engaging.

To stand out, organisations will need to deliver a new wave of deeply contextual and personalized experiences, while balancing security and user trust.

Empower employees: The nature of how we work and the workplace itself has undergone a dramatic evolution. Organisations can empower their people and help them do their jobs better with the power of mobility, which allows employees to collaborate from anywhere, on any device, and access apps and data they need, while mitigating security risks.

Optimise operations: Technology disrupters such as IoT are accelerating the potential for businesses to optimise their operations. This can be done by gathering data across a wide, dispersed set of endpoints, drawing insights through advanced analytics, and then applying those learnings to introduce improvements on a continuous basis.

Organisations in manufacturing, retail, and even healthcare can shift from merely reacting to events to respond in real time, or even pre-emptively anticipating and solving customer issues.

Transform products& business models: The opportunity to embed software and technology directly into products and services is evolving how organisations deliver value, enabling new business models, and disrupting established markets.

The Study found that business leaders are putting people at the forefront of their digital transformation strategies:



Prioritization of Digital Transformation pillars among Southeast Asian business leaders today

According to Tri, its concerning to see that while there is widespread acknowledgement on the need to transform, they are doing so incrementally.

With constant pressure from newer, agile and tech savvy players disrupting across industries in Asia, the transformation of products and new revenue models provides the greatest opportunity for organisations to truly lead rather than be disrupted.

Leaders need to rethink business models, find new data insights which lead to new revenue streams. And they need to do this by embracing a different way of bringing together people, data, and processes, which create value in a new digital business, Tri said.
Photo: VGP

Addressing the Viet Nam-Japan business talks in Ha Noi on the morning of January 17, the government leader noted that the Viet Nam-Japan relations are growing, with Japan being Viet Nams largest official development assistance (ODA) provider, second largest foreign direct investment (FDI) investor and fourth largest trade partner.

Japan has invested an additional US$2 billion in Viet Nam since May 2016, increasing its total investment capital into the Southeast Asian country to US$42 billion, he said, attributing those positive results to the significant contributions of both nations enterprises.

Viet Nam has exerted efforts to develop an open economy of intensive integration, stabilized the macro-economy and the socio-political situation, and actively and drastically improved the business climate towards breaking into the leading group of ASEAN in this issue, PM Phuc added.

He voiced his hopes that Japan would become the largest foreign investor in Viet Nam, while calling for Japanese investment in the fields of industry, high-quality infrastructure, high-quality services, finance, banking, tourism, high-quality agriculture,manufacturing, equ itization of State-owned enterprises and support for startup projects.

The PM expressed the honour for Viet Nam to welcome Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko on their first visit to the Southeast Asian nation in the future.

For his part, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe expressed his delight at the positive outcomes of the talks between enterprises and government officials of the two countries earlier the same day.

He spoke of Viet Nam as part of ASEAN- the center of the worlds economic growth while speaking highly of the significant contributions of over 1,600 active Japanese firms to Viet Nam's socio-economic development process.

PM Abe proposed that PM Phuc and the Vietnamese government continue supporting actively Japanese companies as well as listening to their aspirations.

Japanese businesses are keen on contributing to Viet Nams development through technology transfer and human resource training, and becoming good partners of Vietnamese enterprises, he affirmed.
Ford started manufacturing the Ford Kuga in 2008. (AFP/JEAN-PIERRE MULLER)

Over recent years, the SUV model has been the focus of repeated accounts in South Africa of spontaneous fires taking hold while the car was being driven.

"We are now announcing a voluntary safety recall of the Kuga 1.6," Ford South Africa chief executive Jeffrey Nemeth told a press conference in Pretoria.

"We can confirm that a total of 39 incidents have been reported to Ford ... there may be some incidents that have not yet been reported to us."

Nemeth said that the fires were caused by overheating due to poor coolant circulation that led to an oil leak. "If the oil leak reaches a hot engine component it could potentially catch fire," he said.

"With this safety recall all affected vehicles, including those that have already been checked as part of our maintenance check, must be taken to a Ford dealer as soon as possible."

DISPUTE OVER FATALITY

One man, Reshall Jimmy, died in December 2015 when his Kuga burst into flames, but Ford said it believed the death was not related to the fault.

"We are not aware of any injuries that have resulted from our engine compartment fires," Nemeth said, while also offering his condolences to Jimmy's family, who attended the press conference.

Kaveen Jimmy, Reshall's brother, said his family's campaign over the Kuga would continue and that lawyers were preparing a civil action case against Ford.

"I think 50 per cent of the battle has been won. Part of the goal was to get these Kugas from South Africa so that the safely of South Africans can be protected," he said.

"The next leg of the battle is to get Ford ... to look at the evidence (and) what caused my brother's death, a very senseless death."

Ford said the vehicle were built in Valencia, Spain between December 2012 and February 2014.

Last week the company said it was expanding a safety recall of some defective airbag inflators from Japanese parts maker Takata.

The action extended the recall to about 816,000 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brand vehicles built in North America and sold in the United States and Canada for various model years between 2005 and 2012.

Most major manufacturers have been affected in what has been described as the largest-ever auto safety recall.
Intels local factory fits in with the companys future direction Photo: Le Toan

Sherry Boger, general director of Intel Products Vietnam (IPV), said that the companys achievements over the past 10 years have inspired IPV to continue investment and expansion in the future. The firms investment in its Saigon Hi-tech Park (SHTP)-based plant has reached $1.04 billion.

According to VIR, Intel has a quick and effective disbursement because the US chipmaker has closed some of its international facilities and transferred equipment to Vietnam for the production of the Haswell CPU. It is a fourth generation Intel Core processor, used for desktop and laptop PCs. Previously, the plant in SHTP assembled and tested chips for laptops and mobile devices, in addition to the system on a chip (SOC) in 2013.

During the launch of the Haswell CPU processor in late July 2014, Borger said that the new made-in-Vietnam product will improve Intels testing and assembling capacity globally.

We chose Vietnam because the Vietnam manufacturing site is the largest overseas facility of Intel, Borger said. The error rate of the made-in-Vietnam chips is low, so 80 per cent of the semiconductor chips used in computers around the world could be made by the Intel plant in Vietnam.

By the end of 2016, the Intel plant in SHTP has achieved a total output of 600 million units. IPV has assembled and tested 26 production lines including chips for wrist devices and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Intel is upbeat about the outlook of the Vietnamese plant. In 2017, we will expand Intels Class 10,000 clean room facility to keep up with the latest technology, Borger said.

Intel has been shifting to focus on powering data centre infrastructure and the Internet of Things (IoT) following its global restructuring. The technology research firm Gartner predicts there will be 24 billion IoT devices by 2020.

Intel Vietnam used to produce chips in a Class 100 clean room, but they will switch to the Class 10,000 clean room to produce smaller IoT products. The expansion indicates that IPV will need more space to build the Class 10,000 clean room facility.

Intel has also joined forces with Vietnams VNPT Technology to set up a lab reserved for IoT, which is first of its kind in the country and among the few IoT labs in the world.

IoT is going to impact business widely, in manufacturing, retail, automobile, transport, healthcare, and real estate. As a pioneer of IoT, Intel is expected to attract more IoT suppliers to Vietnam in the future. The entry of these companies will spur demand for skilled labour to join the supply chain.

Intel Vietnam has had many initiatives to train the local workforce to meet American standards. The Higher Engineering Education Alliance Programme (HEEAP) is the first educational project under a public-private partnership with the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET). The programme has trained over 5,000 educators in eight partner universities, and granted 454 scholarships for female students from 15 colleges and vocational schools in Vietnam.
The inputs related to the planning of the terror outfits were received by the intelligence agencies that have been keeping a tight vigil on the movements of these outfits.

Intelligence agencies are keeping a close eye on movements of banned terror outfits in the country. PHOTO- PARVEEN NEGI

By Chayyanika Nigam: Inspired by the terror strikes of ISIS, the banned terror outfits in India have been plotting Nice 'style' lone-wolf attack to sabotage the Republic Day celebrations, sources in the security agencies told Mail Today.

The inputs related to the planning of the terror outfits were received by the intelligence agencies that have been keeping a tight vigil on the movements of these outfits.

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According to highly-placed sources in the Intel agencies, specific inputs have been received that these outfits including Hizbul Mujahideen (HuM), Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT), Indian Mujahideen (IM), Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) are hatching a plot to launch a terror attack in various parts of the country at one-time.

Another input reveals that the militants may try and target the Parliament, too.

ALSO READ | Republic Day: Delhi under hawk-eye vigil amid terror threat

"Heavy vehicles could be used deliberately to be driven into crowds to kill maximum number of people like Nice (France) attack," one of the inputs reveals. After these the security forces have been informed and instructed to keep a tight vigil on movements of heavy vehicles. Also, the forces have been planning to prohibit the entry of the heavy vehicles for at least a day or two, sources said.

Recently, after NIA busted an ISIS module that had planned a Nice-style attack in Kerala, it was learnt that as many as 30 radicalised men were actively recruiting terror sympathisers from across the country using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Meanwhile, senior officials said after demonetisation, terror fundings along with hawala transaction have remained as major hit. Terror outfits have allegedly started planning smart and impactful.

ALSO READ | Terror attack foiled ahead of Republic Day in Jammu and Kashmir

"They have activated the sleeper cells and sympathisers. The outfits are now using the parked money (new currency including Rs 100 notes) across the border and for the sleeper cells," sources added.

"Apart from LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) also suffered heavy casualties in the surgical strikes the Indian Army carried out across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

"It may take a leaf out of the Islamic State playbook to inspire what may look like lone-wolf attacks in major Indian cities during Republic Day celebration,"sources further added.

ALSO READ |600 students to perform during R-Day parade

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The Ministry of Finance has proposed, in a draft law, to almost triple the environmental protection tax on oil and gas consumption from the current VND3,000 (US$0.13) to VND8,000 per litre.-Photo vov.vn

The draft will be submitted for approval to the Government in June and the National Assembly in October.

The new draft law proposes that E5 bio-fuel and E10 ethanol blend fuel be subject to environmental protection taxes of between VND2,700-7,200 and VND2,500-6.800 per litre, respectively, even though the products are considered cleaner and environmentally friendly than others.

In addition, the tax on aviation fuel was suggested to increase from the current VND1,000-3,000 to VND3,000-6,000 per litre.

The tax on diesel fuel is expected to increase from the current VND500-2,000 to VND1,500-4,000 per litre, while that of mazut would also go up to VND900-4,000 from VND300-2,000 per kilo.

Plastic bags are also expected to see higher environmental taxes, rising from VND30,000-50,000 to VND40,000-80,000 per kilo, if the draft is approved.

Earlier, Minister of Finance Do Hoang Anh Tuan acknowledged that the sector would continue promoting the collection of environmental protection taxes. This year, the ministry would expand the categories to be taxed.

Tuan said if the current environmental protection tax on petroleum was increased over the ceiling level, the value of collections would be 10 to 20 times higher than the direct collection from non-agricultural land use.

The ministry said the increased tax on some natural resources, and environmental protection on petroleum, had contributed to the domestic collection, thus easing difficulties for the State budget.

Experts believed that the proposed increase in the environmental protection tax would also raise gasoline prices in the country.

Economist Vo Tri Thanh said the Government should review the application of both special consumption taxes and environmental protection taxes, since the special consumption tax includes environmental fees.

Meanwhile, economist Nguyen Minh Phong said a hike in the environmental protection tax had been a method for increasing the State budget through petroleum prices. However, whether the tax was spent on environmental protection should be clarified, as there has been no specific report on the issue.

The necessary issue is how to use the collection effectively, transparently and following the current laws, Phong added.

In 2014, a similar hike was imposed, raising taxes from VND1,000 to VND3,000, which the ministry referred to as a good way to stabilise the national budget.

According to the current law on environmental protection taxes issued in 2012, products such as oil, gas, grease, coal, and plastic bags are subject to these types of tariffs.

Statistics from the ministry also indicated that the environmental protection tax contributed between 1.5 and 4.1 per cent of the annual revenue of the national budget.
According to the investigation results publicised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade dated January 12, 2017, Amway Vietnam was unable to show evidence of informing some provincial Departments of Industry and Trade for the 3rd, 4th , 5th, 6th, and 7th times that it changed its certificate of registration of MLM activities.

Failure to inform the departments is a violation of Clause 17 of Decree No.42/2014/ND-CP on state management of MLM activities. According to the clause, an MLM company can only operate in a locality after receiving confirmation from the local Department of Industry and Trade.

The company also trains its distributors online through the website www.welcome2amway.com, but does not have any concrete ways to ensure that the distributors are aware of the training content.

It runs ecommerce sites, including www.bodykey.vn, www.nutrilite.com.vn, and www.hotro.phonghopamway.com.vn, and allows distributors to order and pay online through the website amway2u.com.vn. At the moment of investigation, the company was asking for permission from Vietnam E-commerce and Information Technology Agency under MoIT to operate the websites.

In 2016, MoIT carried out a series of investigations of MLM companies in order to tighten state management of these activities. Many MLM companies had their licenses revoked and some voluntarily stopped operations.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gives a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on December 6, 2016 AFP/JOHN THYS

Asked to comment on Trump's remarks, a NATO spokesman made no direct response but referred to a statement by head Jens Stoltenberg on Dec 6 at an alliance foreign ministers meeting.

On that occasion, Stoltenberg had said: "I'm absolutely confident that the United States will maintain its strong commitment to NATO, to the trans-Atlantic bond and to the security guarantees for Europe.

"I am confident, both because he (Trump) has said so to many European leaders, and he also told me the same as such, when we had a phone call some weeks ago."

Stoltenberg also asserted that a strong NATO was of crucial importance not only to the European allies but also to the United States.

He recalled that the only time NATO's article 5 collective defence provision had been invoked was after the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States.

In interviews with top newspapers on Sunday, Trump condemned NATO as out of date, raised doubts about the European Union's future after Britain leaves the bloc and spoke warmly about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The bride in her white dress and conical hat was trying to climb up a bamboo ladder to cross into the grooms house with the help of the groom and his relatives while many others took photos of the couple.-Photo phunuvietnam.vn

Some people use eccentric transport on the big day, like using a buffalo rickshaw which was designed with two seats for the couple or a homemade tractor.

But one wedding photo in particular attracted much attention and thousands of online comments.

The bride in her white dress and conical hat was trying to climb up a bamboo ladder to cross into the grooms house with the help of the groom and his relatives while many others took photos of the couple.

Why did the bride have to do so? That was what many people asked. Some people felt bad for the girl. Some guessed that the bride was pregnant so she was climbing into the house by the back door to avoid bad luck.

"If I were the girl in the photo, I would go back home immediately," said one commenter, adding that it was dangerous for a pregnant woman to climb so high.

All these assumptions turned out to be false as Dang Danh, the groom, told a local newspaper that they did so for good luck.

"We are ethnic Tay people. We went to see a sorcerer before the wedding to seek advice from him," he told Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper.

The sorcerer told the bride to go into the grooms house from a door to the west for good luck.

"My house has no door to the west so climbing the ladder was the only way," Danh said.

No escape from this marriage

A persons wedding day is normally one of the happiest days of their life, but this was not so for Nguyen Thanh Tin, a groom from HCM City.

On Sunday night, Tin and his wife and their relatives had to stay overnight in a restaurant in Tan Phu District for not paying for the party.

Tin said he decided not pay the VND64 million (US$2,800) he had signed up for as he wasnt satisfied with the service, adding that he had paid half of the sum.

The restaurants staff constantly urged guests to finish the party quickly and served the wrong food.

Tin said he wanted to talk with the restaurants owner but the staff told him that the owner would arrive the next morning.

The restaurants security guard locked the doors, leaving the couple and their relatives stuck there all night.

Unforgettable party

Nguyen Van T, a 26-year-old man from Tay Ninh Provinces Go Dau District, wont ever forget a wedding party he attended recently.

After drinking a lot of beer at the party T fell asleep when he arrived home. But when he woke up he felt terrible pain in his throat and discovered that his three artificial teeth were gone. He went to Xuyen A General Hospital for emergency treatment.

Results taken by X-rays showed the teeth were in his gullet.

Soon after that, the doctor picked the three teeth out of his gullet. His health has stabilised and he has been discharged from hospital.

Doctors recommend that as the Lunar New Year approaches, there are often gatherings and parties so people should be more careful in eating to avoid swallowing objects such as toothpicks and artificial dentures.
Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu

Meanwhile, Japanese PM Abe, who is the first foreign leader to visit Viet Nam this year, voiced support for strong development of Viet Nam, affirming that Japan attaches great importance to the relations with the Southeast Asian country.

The two PMs agreed to continue enhancing the two countries political trust through maintaining high-level visits and contacts; improving the effectiveness of their dialogue mechanisms; and closely collaborating to prepare well for Japanese Emperors upcoming visit to Viet Nam.

The two leaders also agreed to further foster substantial defense and security cooperation, including post-war bomb and mine clearance and enhancement of maritime law enforcement capacity.

Both sides reached consensus on accelerating the connectivity of the two economies through strengthening investment, trade, official development assistance, local-to-local cooperation, agriculture and labor.

PM Abe pledged to beef up high-quality infrastructure projects in Viet Nam and provide an addition of around US$1.05 billion in official development assistance in the fiscal year of 2016 to help the country cope with climate change, treat wastewater and strengthen maritime security.

Both sides agreed to continue implementation of the Viet Nams Industrialization Strategy within the Viet Nam-Japan Cooperation Framework through 2020, vision to 2030; the 6th phase of the Viet Nam-Japan Joint Initiative to improve business environment in Viet Nam; and mega infrastructure projects, including the North-South expressway.

The two PMs welcomed the first meeting between the Japanese business delegation and leaders of the Vietnamese provinces scheduled on January 17 as part of PM Abes official visit to Viet Nam.

PM Abe announced that Japan has granted licenses for importing Viet Nams red-flesh dragon.

Regarding regional and international issues of common concerns, the two PMs vowed to coordinate closely at regional and international forums like ASEAN, APEC, ASEAN and the United Nations.

PM Abe committed to actively supporting Viet Nam to successfully host the APEC Year 2017.

The two leaders stressed the importance of ensuring peace, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation, accelerating settlement of disputes via peaceful measures, and fully respecting diplomatic and legal processes.

Relevant parties must avoid actions that may intensify tensions or militarization resulting in changing the status quo in the East Sea; avoid using or threatening to use force; strictly comply with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East and and work towards conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.
By Ilma Hasan: Students of Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU) staged a protest in the heart of the national capital marking the death anniversary of Hyderabad Central University (HCU) student Rohith Vemula. Calling the demonstration 'Insaaf March', students marched towards the Mandi House. The protest soon turned violent and over 20 students were detained by the Delhi Police.

JNU students later alleged that they were brutally beaten and harassed by the police officials. Sucheta De, national president of All India Students Union said, "Hundreds of paramilitary forces were deployed at Mandi House to unleash violence on those who participated in the Insaaf March in Delhi today. JNUSU president Mohit along with other activists were brutally thrashed. All India Students' Association's (AISA) Insaaf March in Kolkata also faced similar violence."

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Not only did AISA hold a national protest day today demanding justice for Rohith but also for Najeeb Ahmed, who went missing from the JNU campus over 90 days ago.

ALSO READ | Rohith Vemula's first death anniversary: Hyderabad University students prevented from protesting

Accusing the Modi government of indulging in inaction, series of casteist and political victimisation in universities, students staged a protest in Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad.

January 17 marks the one year anniversary of the day PhD scholar Rohith Vemula was found hanging in his hostel room. This came after HCU authorities refused to withdraw his and four other students' suspension from the hostel following a clash between Ambedkar Student Association and ABVP members.

Rohith's death had sparked a nationwide debate of discrimination based on caste in educational institutions and HCU's vice chancellor Appa Rao had come under intense scrutiny.

Meanwhile in Hyderabad, Rohith's mother Radhika Vemula was not allowed to enter the HCU. Students of HCU were also detained by the police.

ALSO READ | Rohith Vemula's death anniversary: Hyderabad University administration, students face off likely over observing Shahadat Din

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Jayna Zweiman, background, co-creator of the pussyhat, wears one that she knitted while knitting another one at The Little Knittery in Atwater Village, Calif.
The Omnipotent Owl  Why Are We Drawn to This Ancient Symbol of Wisdom?

Like a great sage, an owl sits stock-still, seeing everything, but saying nothing. When she takes action, it is swift and precise. These bold characteristics have earned the owl both respect and fear among humans; yet any great big eyes set into a fluffy body is sure to have broad
Chinese President Xi Jinping became his countrys first leader to speak at the World Economic Forum. The Philippines Defense Minister calls Chinas activity in disputed waters troubling. Beijing looks to clamp down even more on the internet. VOAs Steve Miller has your Asia news, in a minute.
Cambodia has informed the United States that it is canceling an annual joint military exercise this year, even though planning for the event had already begun.



Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Chhum Socheath said Monday the Angkor Sentinel exercise had to be postponed because Cambodian forces would be unable to fully participate as a result of two important events: local elections in June and a six-month campaign to eradicate drug-related crime.



U.S. Embassy spokesman Jay Raman confirmed in an e-mail that the exercises for 2017 and 2018 have been canceled. He said military exchanges and training programs are not affected.



Southeast Asian nations, even traditional allies of the United States such as the Philippines, have recently drawn closer to China as Beijing flexes its diplomatic and military muscle in the region.
Tension prevailed at the University of Hyderabad as police stopped the students and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) activists from entering the campus to participate in the meeting.

By India Today Web Desk: A number of students protested in front of the University of Hyderabad main gate today after they were denied entry into the campus to hold a meeting in the memory of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula, who committed suicide on this day last year.

A number of students were taken away by the police after they tried to "gate crash" into the university campus to participate in the 'Shahaadat Din' (martyrdom day).

Tension prevailed at the University of Hyderabad as police stopped the students and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) activists from entering the campus to participate in the meeting. Aam Aadmi Party workers staged a sit-in at the main gate, demanding that they be allowed to join the meeting. The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, an umbrella grouping of students' bodies demanding justice for Rohith, is holding a meeting in the campus to mark the 'shahaadat din' (martyrdom day). The organisers have invited Rohith's mother Radhika Vemula and Jaan Mohammed, brother of Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh over rumours of beef eating. The university authorities have imposed restrictions on the entry of outsiders into the campus. Security was tightened at the main gate since morning. Students and employees were allowed only after they produced their identity cards. The Registrar issued a circular stating that outsiders including media persons, politicians and activists cannot enter the campus. The university authorities also made it clear that there was no permission for holding any programme on the campus. However, defying the orders, a group of students gathered at 'Velivada' (Dalit ghetto) on the campus. Holding pictures of Rohith and placards, they raised slogans demanding the arrest of Vice-Chancellor P Appa Rao and justice for Rohith. Protesting against the restrictions over the entry of Rohith's supporters into the campus, the students plan to march to the main gate. Rohith Vemula, a PhD student, committed suicide by hanging himself in a hostel room on the campus in 2016 after alleged caste-based discrimination, triggering protests across India.

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In his farewell speech, outgoing US President Barack Obama reiterated his commitment to ensuring the smoothest possible transfer of power to President-elect Donald Trump, as George W. Bush had done for him in 2009.

This peaceful transition honors a tradition of democracy that has been adhered to by presidents throughout the nations 240-year history.

Many Cambodian-Americans whose families came to the US more than 40 years ago, fleeing civil war and killing fields, believe there are lessons for Cambodia to learn from this legacy of democracy as its own 2018 national elections near.

In the US when a candidate wins the election, they have to accept it, including the public all over the county and even the party that lost the election, said Schanly Kuch, a Cambodian-American from Maryland.

Its different from some small countries that do not have a clear spirit of nationalism among the leaders, where conflicts emerge because losing sides will not accept the results and instead throw insults, he added.

Schanly said the limit imposed on maximum terms for presidents to serve in office in the US was central to the peaceful transition. Like other Cambodian-Americans speaking to VOA Khmer, he said he would like to see a similarly smooth transfer of power in Phnom Penh.

I want to see the power transfer in Cambodia [happen] like in the US  the loser has to respect the winner and the winner has to recognize some of the good merit of the loser, he said. There should be a peaceful power transfer with dignity like other countries.

Prom Saunora, a Cambodian-American from Virginia, agreed, explaining that efforts should be made in advance to ensure the smoothest transition from one government to the next.

It has to be like that and it [the transition] should not be bumpy at all, he said.

Protests have been scheduled to coincide with Trumps inauguration to voice opposition to his proposed policies on immigration, healthcare, and the alleged Russian hacking, among other issues.

Tun Sovan, a Cambodian-American from Maryland, noted that despite people exercising their right to freedom of expression in opposing Trump, the president-elects inauguration would still take place on Jan. 20.

In Cambodia, he said, power is not transferred so easily.

In 1993, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen lost the UN-administered elections but would not relinquish power, instead entering into a power sharing agreement with Royalist party Funcinpec.

The one who won the election dared not fully take the power because the other side did not step down so they shared the power. It never happens in other countries that the one who won the election shared the power with the loser, he said.

Sovan and other Cambodian-Americans made the comments as the Southeast Asian country gears up for local elections in 2017 and national elections the following year.

With Hun Sens Cambodian Peoples Party having ruled the country for more than 30 years, the issue of a possible peaceful power transfer is always at the center of debates as polls near, despite pledges from the prime minister that he would accept the results, whatever the outcome.

Koul Panha, executive director of election watchdog COMFREL, noted that Cambodia has never experienced an attempt at a peaceful transition under Hun Sen.

While there are legal procedures set out in the constitution and election law, the legislation is yet to be put into practice, he said.

Panha applauded the smooth transition being carried out in the US, and said he hoped that Cambodia could do the same in the future.
During Barack Obamas eight years as US president he left his mark across the world, including on Cambodia.

But while ordinary Cambodian people interviewed by VOA Khmer have expressed overwhelmingly positive views of his presidency, politicians and NGO leaders have had a more mixed reaction to the leaders legacy.

Sok Eysan, a senior official and spokesman for the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party, said Obama had an overall positive impact on Cambodia, noting that relations between the two countries improved under his administration, while his visit to the Southeast Asian country in 2012 for the ASEAN summit had left fond memories.

However, he criticized Obama for allegedly relying too heavily on reports from opposition parties and NGOs when assessing democracy and human rights issues, meaning that he did not fully understand what was happening.

Government spokesman Phay Siphan was more critical.

Siphan said Obamas administration had more failures than achievements, as evidenced by the results of the US elections.

He and his whole family, including the first lady, joined campaigns to support Hillary Clinton who was the presidential candidate, but still did not get support [from the people]. It was not [just] a personal failure of the presidential candidate, but a failure of the president who was still in power too, he said.

Siphan added that Obama disappointed Cambodian people by not paying his respects to the body of former King Norodom Sihanouk during his visit to Cambodia in 2012.

But, he said, Obama did prove himself to be a leader of respectable character, who was capable of maintaining good foreign relations, including with Cambodia.

Son Chhay, a lawmaker with the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party, said Obamas election as the US first black president had brought hope to people across the world that regardless of race, they too could become a leader.

Chhay added that Obamas administration had shown itself to be one of compromise rather than force in global affairs, and the leader had listened to the public when making crucial decisions.

However, he said, this method of compromise also had its downfalls.

Cambodian people generally want to see the US play a more active role in pushing for freedom and social justice in the world, especially in Cambodia where suppression and human rights exploitation exist, he said.

We can see that under Obamas administration, the US did not use its influence much to put pressure on the government to support the advocacy for democracy and human rights in Cambodia.

Ou Virak, founding president of the Future Forum think-tank, agreed that Obamas soft policy had both positive and negative effects, as it ensured stability but allowed countries such as China and Russia to gain power.

While Obamas attempts to build stronger relations with ASEAN countries was a positive political move, in Cambodia he had no major breakthroughs or conflicts with the government, he added.

When it came to environmental issues, Obama played a crucial role in releasing funds to countries such as Cambodia to protect natural resources, according to Chhit Sam Ath, country director for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

It is important not only for one country, but for all countries in the world to protect and conserve natural resources to protect our planet, to prevent climate change, and to keep the environmental balance between the nature and humans, he said, adding that Obama struck the right balance between managing economic, social and environmental issues.

Sam Ath said Obamas character and vision should make him a role model for other leaders across the world.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has urged the incoming U.S. administration to continue supporting the fight against cancer. Brain cancer killed Biden's son Beau, keeping the senior Biden from running in last year's presidential race. The vice president addressed the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Monday, a day before the official opening of the annual conference. Zlatica Hoke reports.
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Amnesty International claims a deluge of anti-terror laws in Europe is undermining fundamental freedoms. But European states say the security measures are vital to counter the terror threat following of a series of deadly attacks in France and elsewhere. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.
The man suspected of fatally shooting five people and wounding six others at a Florida airport has been ordered held without bond.

During a Tuesday morning hearing in Fort Lauderdale, an FBI agent confirmed that the 9 mm gun used in the Jan. 6 shooting rampage at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the same weapon Anchorage, Alaska, police seized and later returned to 26-year-old Esteban Santiago last year.



The agent also testified that Santiago mentioned after the shooting that he was under government mind control. Later in the interview he claimed to have been inspired by Islamic State-related chatrooms and websites.



U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana Snow set a Jan. 30 arraignment hearing.



Santiago could get the death penalty if convicted of federal airport violence and firearms charges that resulted in death. He has yet to enter a plea.
Rolling states of emergency, blanket surveillance, selective house searches and detentions, and legislation to strip some citizens of their nationality  these are among a raft of counter-terror measures that are threatening cherished European values and freedoms, according to a new report released Tuesday by Amnesty International.

Terror attacks across the European Union have profoundly changed how security is viewed, it says, from a government tool to protect basic rights, to the view that governments must restrict peoples rights in order to provide security.

Looking at 14 member states across the region, the study focuses on the erosion of rights through eight separate themes, from privacy and free expression and movement concerns, to emergency laws and measures to strip citizens of their nationality or send them to countries where they risk torture or other ill-treatment.

Were concerned about the deep and lasting securitization of Europe, says Julia Hall, an expert on counter-terrorism for Amnesty International in Brussels.

Civil liberties

Brussels-based justice and home affairs expert Camino Mortera-Martinez, of the Center for European Reform, said the growing threat of terrorism has forced European governments to make hard choices between tougher security measures and the protection of privacy and individual rights.

The question for me is, do these measures make sense, are they reasonable? she says. Its not possible in the current context not to have invasive measures on civil liberties in fighting terrorism, because of the exceptional state in which were in.

She noted that governments have been accused of responding inadequately to terror attacks such as the recent massacres in Paris and Brussels. And whenever they miss [an attack], we criticize them as well.

Alarming trend

French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve defended stronger security measures when he extended a state of emergency in France two months ago, saying it is absolutely necessary to ensure the highest level of protection for French citizens.

Each of us should bear in mind the reality of the context that we are living in, a particularly high level of terrorist threat, he said.

Timed ahead of several key elections in countries where populist parties are gaining ground, and new security measures under discussion in others, the report reflects an alarming trend; the wave in which these counter-terror measures are being passed, Hall says. And that is fast-track procedures without any consultation with civil society or other experts.

France, for example, which has witnessed three major terror attacks over two years, last month extended a state of emergency for the fifth time. Now it goes through July 15, to cover upcoming presidential and legislative elections.

In Belgium, hit by terrorist attacks last March, a new amendment to old codes allowing dual nationality citizens to be stripped of their Belgian nationality has sparked concerns of potentially discriminatory practices, the report says.

In the Netherlands, a draft bill would place freedom of movement and other restrictions on potential terrorist suspects, Amnesty says.

And in Bulgaria, a Turkish national arrested on charges of money laundering was secretly handed over to Turkey last year, it says, despite court rulings that Ankara could not guarantee him a fair trial.

Other governments, Hall says, including Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland, are trying to harden criminal laws, inspired by France, which she describes as a market leader in emergency laws.
The underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has been suspended, with crews completing their deep-sea search of the Indian Ocean without finding a trace of the airliner

"Today the last search vessel has left the underwater search area. Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has not been located in the 120,000 square-kilometer underwater search area in the southern Indian Ocean," said a statement from the the Joint Agency Coordination Center in Australia, which has helped lead the $160 million hunt for the Boeing 777 in remote waters west of Australia. "Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft."



Officials investigating the plane's disappearance have recommended search crews head north to a new area identified in a recent analysis as a possible crash site. But Australia has already nixed that idea.



The Malaysia Airlines flight vanished nearly three years ago on March 8, 2014, while travelling to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. There were 239 people aboard.

Despite the massive search effort conducted off the Australian coastline where investigators believe the plane crashed, there has been no sign of the plane or the passengers aboard.

The governments of China, Malaysia and Australia agreed that the search for the missing plane would be suspended once the search zone was exhausted , unless credible new information arose.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is urging the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump to continue to support his national fight to eradicate cancer.

Speaking Monday before the official start of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Biden said: This is the one bipartisan thing that exists, and I pray it will continue to exist in the new administration.

WATCH: Joe Biden on the national fight to stop cancer

He said he already has spoken to his successor, Vice President-elect Mike Pence, about maintaining the Obama administration program to speed up research into cancer and to work to ultimately eliminate the disease.

It is my hope, as I have already spoken to the VP-elect, who is a good man, about to come in to be vice president in four days, or three days, about my willingness to continue to work with him and the incoming administration to be committed and enthusiastic as we are in the goal of ending cancer as we know it, and my prayer is they will do that as well, he said.

Biden was named by President Barack Obama to lead the government initiative called Cancer Moonshot, after Biden lost his son to brain cancer in 2015.

Like many of you, I decided to become acquainted with this after someone close to me and my family was diagnosed. You try to learn everything you possibly can once that occurs.

Biden also urged other countries to invest in fighting cancer, saying: This investment, in my view, should be matched by other nations who agree that now is the time to double down in our fight against cancer.

Biden has said he will continue to advocate for cancer research after he leaves office Friday.
For months, detractors and opponents of Brexit, Britain's pending departure from the European Union, had accused Prime Minister Theresa May of not having a plan to leave the regional bloc.



On Tuesday, Prime Minister May laid out the objectives of what is now clearly going to be a hard Brexit, or clean break that means leaving the single EU market and breaking with the European Court of Justice, as well as assuming control of borders to address the immigration concerns underpinning support for the move.



May said a final deal will be put to parliament for a vote. If approved, the deal would call for a phased implementation.



Mays government is due to trigger the formal, two-year process in March, and begin negotiations to disengage and dissolve arrangements covering everything from trade to immigration and travel.



May's commitment



The speech put an end to months of speculation on whether the prime minister would go ahead with a hard Brexit or opt for what observers termed a one-foot-in, one-foot-out arrangement.

May said Britain will want to pursue a free-trade agreement with the European Union.



This agreement should allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and the EU's member states. It should give British companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets, and let European businesses do the same in Britain, said May.



But I want to be clear: What I am proposing cannot mean membership of a single market, she said.



May also said Britain will propose an arrangement allowing for freedom of travel between its territory and the remaining 27 EU member states.



'Truly global Britain'



I want us to be a secure, prosperous, tolerant country, a magnet for international talent, May said, adding that Britain would pursue an arrangement in which its nationals could travel freely to the EU as they do now. You will still be welcome in this country as we hope our citizens will be in yours.



May said any deal, though, must ensure that Britain can control the number of people who travel there from Europe, a key issue among many of those who voted back in June in favor of Brexit.



The British pound tumbled Monday to a new 31-year low in anticipation of Mays announcement of a break with the European single market, but rose again on Tuesday after the prime ministers speech.
U.S. organizations that have worked closely with the outgoing Obama administration to improve relations with Cuba on Tuesday released a four-page letter to President-elect Donald Trump urging him not to act rashly toward the Communist-run nation.

The Cuban Study Group, an organization of Cuban-American business leaders who favor engagement, and the Washington-based Engage Cuba coalition, arranged what they termed the memo which says, to reflexively reverse course could have pernicious consequences for U.S. economic and foreign policy interests and the prospects of evolutionary change in Cuba.

The Trump transition includes five Cuban-Americans who are vocal opponents of detente and have close ties to Cuban-American lawmakers who are calling for a return to pre-Obama efforts to isolate Cuba.

New policy is a positive

A number of other Trump appointees have expressed hostility toward the Obama administration's two-year effort to normalize relations.

We are confident that a close evaluation will confirm that constructive engagement  including the reduction of travel and commercial barriers  is the best strategy for supporting the Cuban people and boosting U.S. jobs and exports, the signers of the report, which include the U.S.-Cuba Business Council, the National Foreign Trade Council, the American Society of Travel Agents and the Association of International Educators, say.

They argue that the policy has improved human rights on the island, sped the expansion of internet access, led to dialogue on sensitive issues, improved national security and created jobs, among other positive results.

The report follows the release last week of a similar plea by dozens of U.S. agricultural organizations which argued Cuba was an important market for their products.

Trump, a Republican, has said he will dismantle the still-fragile detente unless Cuba gives the United States a better deal, while providing no specifics.

Diplomatic relations restored

He is expected to review the Cuba engagement on taking office on Friday. Trump has named Jason Greenblatt, a Trump Organization executive and chief legal counsel, as negotiator for sensitive international issues, including Cuba.

The normalization of relations between the old Cold War foes has included restoration of diplomatic relations, Obama's historic trip to Cuba, the signing of 18 cooperation agreements and the use of executive orders to punch holes in the embargo, which can be lifted only by the U.S. Congress, now controlled by Republicans.

Travel to the island from the United States has increased, with the start of direct flights and cruises and the signing of cellphone roaming agreements, but no manufacturing or significant trade deals have been reached.
In October 1998, a case was registered against the actor under the Arms Act while he was shooting for Sooraj Barjatya's family drama Hum Saath Saath Hain in the desert state for alleged possession and use of arms with expired license. Salman was accused of poaching two blackbucks.

The actor and his entourage will be staying at Hari Mahal Palace in the city. The verdict is expected to be announced by 11 am.

In July 2016, Jodhpur High Court acquitted Salman in both the poaching cases. The actor was accused of shooting protected antelopes or chinkara in 1998.
Facebook is stepping up efforts to head off tougher regulation by Germany, a fierce critic of the social media network operator, saying Monday it would do more to combat fake news as its chief operating officer met with officials in Berlin.

Top German lawmakers are planning legislation this year to force Facebook to remove "hate speech" from its web pages within 24 hours or face fines, a push that could force the social media giant to bear more responsibility for content posted by users.

Chancellor Angel Merkel, who is running for a fourth term this year, has warned that the internet is not "a space that is free from the law."

Germany's strict libel and slander laws are meant to protect citizens by making it a crime to defame others. More than 218,000 cases involving insults were filed with prosecutors in 2015. But few internet-based cases were prosecuted.

Facebook's chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, visited Berlin on Sunday to meet with German government officials considering new regulations on Facebook, according to a Berlin-based source at a rival internet company.

Dan Rose, who is in charge of partnerships for Facebook, on Monday acknowledged that it was no longer a simple communications platform.

"There is no question we play an important role in the media landscape," Rose told the DLD technology conference in Munich.

"There are people who are discovering their news and consuming their video and other media types on Facebook. ... We take that role seriously."

The issue has taken on more urgency amid concern by Germany's political establishment that a proliferation of fake news and racist content, particularly about the 900,000 refugees that arrived here last year, could sway public opinion in the election campaign.

Facebook on Sunday announced a partnership with German third-party fact-checking organization Correctiv, promising to update its social media platforms in Germany "within weeks" to reduce the dissemination of fake news.

Rose said it aimed to expand that model to other countries.

Code of conduct

Tougher legislation poses challenges for the company's lucrative business model. Like most media companies, it is based on generating advertising revenue but without all the costs of producing and managing content.

Analysts expect Facebook to have generated $27.3 billion in revenue last year, more than 43 percent of which is set to fall to the bottom line as net profit.

But measures that would legally oblige such social media platforms to set up "complaints offices" and invest more resources into deleting hate posts or fake news would chip away at that profit.

A year ago Germany got Facebook, Twitter and Google's YouTube to sign up to a code of conduct, which included a pledge to delete hate speech from their websites within 24 hours. A similar voluntary code was adopted by the European Union in May.

A September report by a group that monitors hate speech said it found Facebook deleted about 46 percent of illegal content reported by users in Germany within 24 hours, more than the 10 percent and 1 percent removed by YouTube and Twitter respectively.

German Justice Minister Heiko Maas wants that rate to be increased to 70 percent. "A company that earns billions from the internet also has a social responsibility," he told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper last month.

Social networks such as Facebook are concerned that if they actively search for illegal content such as child pornography or incitement to terrorism, they could be deemed legally liable for such content.

To combat that disincentive, the European Union is considering adopting a so-called good Samaritan principle from the United States that would exempt platforms from liability in such cases, according to an EU Commission official.

Senior conservative lawmaker Volker Kauder has said platforms should also provide information when requested about the identities of those posting fake news and hate speech.

"They say there is too much [hate speech]," he said. "But a big auto manufacturer that produces millions of cars can't say: 'I produce so many cars that I can't guarantee they are all secure.' No, that is not on. I expect and demand from Facebook that laws are upheld."
The United Nations World Food Program reports it has been forced to suspend life-saving airdrops of food to residents of the besieged Syrian city of Deir Ezzor because of intense fighting between Syrian government forces and Islamic State militants.

The last airdrops into Deir Ezzor were on Sunday. World Food Program spokeswoman Bettina Luescher said they have been put on hold for security and operational reasons. She cited heavy fighting around the landing zone and in parts of the city where food distributions are taking place.

WFP partners on the ground simply cannot expose the lives of the 60 volunteers who are in that open landing zone and would receive the supplies and distribute them. It is simply too dangerous to do this now, she said.













WFP has conducted 177 airdrops into government-held Deir Ezzor since April. The U.N. agency has provided nearly 3,300 tons of food and other aid for the 110,000 residents of this city, which is surrounded by Islamic State militants.

While the operation is proving to be a lifeline for the trapped inhabitants, WFP told VOA it has drawbacks.

Because airdrops only drop off small amounts, you have to keep on doing it on an almost continuous basis. If we do a convoy, like to the other areas, with one convoy you are able to bring in food for a month. With airdrops...we have to keep on going continuously. So, we hope that we will be able to do this, said Luescher.

Deir Ezzor is only a small part of a huge aid operation run by the World Food Program throughout conflict-ridden Syria. Every month, the agency delivers food for 4 million people.
Authorities in central Somalia say they have detained five men accused of raping two girls early last month. News about the incident came to light Sunday when video emerged of one of the girls being tortured, stabbed and sexually assaulted.

The video was recorded on a cellphone camera by the attackers, officials said. The relatives of the girl confirmed the authenticity of the video to VOA's Somali service.

In the video, the 14-year-old is seen stripped naked. Several young men surround her, yell and order her to surrender to be raped.

The girl rejects and attempts to fight off the men, who then threaten her with a knife and tell her to lie on her back.

"I'm not sleeping!" she screams.

The men then curse her until she is forced to surrender.

Mother's nightmare

The mother of the girl seen in the video, Shukri Abdullahi Sheikh Abdirahman, told VOA the incident took place December 7 in the late afternoon outside the town of Goldogob in Puntland's Mudug region, near the border with Ethiopia. Her daughter and another girl accompanied a friend to her home. The men confronted them on their way back.

"The men pulled up in a car alongside them and told them to get in. When they refused, they pushed them into the car and drove off," Abdirahman said. "They were taken into the car forcefully and then the men turned on music. They took them to the outskirts of the town and they did the ugly things that you have heard [about]."

Abdirahman said her daughter was brutally beaten and tortured because she told the men, "You have to kill me to rape me."

Abdirahman was at her daughter's bedside at a hospital in the town of Galkayo when she talked to VOA.

Local officials and religious leaders have condemned the attack and have vowed to seek justice for the victims.

Hassan Salah Ayahle, the mayor of Goldogob, said authorities took the two girls to the hospital after the incident and then immediately started searching for the perpetrators. Five suspects were subsequently captured and are now being held in a house guarded by local security and police. A sixth man is on the run.

"We want justice for the girls so that this never happens again. The victims' relatives insist that they want the attackers tried according to the Islamic law," said Ayahle. "We will be relying on Islamic law as well as the regional rape laws to make sure they get the right justice."

Video evidence

Clan elders and local officials have been criticized and accused of hiding the case from the public in an attempt to solve it through traditional customs, a process in which the attackers seldom face tough punishment. Officials have denied this.

But Abdirahman told VOA that the clan elders held a meeting at which the boys argued the girls consented to sex. Abdirahman countered that claim, saying her daughter and the other girl said they had indeed been raped.

Officials believe the suspects leaked the video of the incident in order to embarrass the families of the girls and prevent them from speaking out. The video has had the opposite impact, though, exposing a crime that occurs frequently but is less reported in the region.

The suspects are said to be teenagers. Among them is the 15-year-old brother of the former minister of constitution, Abdirahman Hosh Jibril.

In a Facebook post, Jibril confirmed that his brother is one of the suspects. He strongly condemned the attack and said he wanted all of those accused, including his brother, to face justice.

Authorities have appointed a five-member committee of Islamic and legal experts to give recommendations on possible punishment in the case.

According to human rights organizations, sexual violence in Somalia is widespread. In a 2014 report, Human Rights Watch said rape was "normal" in Somalia. HRW said decades of civil conflict and state collapse have created a population vulnerable to sexual violence and, at the same time, have destroyed institutions that are supposed to protect those most at risk.
Editors note: As Donald Trump prepares to take the oath of office, the prospect of his presidency inspires the hopes of millions of Americans, and the doubts and fears of millions of others. In effect, Trump will inherit leadership of many Americas, each sharing pride in country but conflicted in expectations of where we are headed and how the next president should govern. Those views are rooted in personal experiences as well as politics.

To glimpse the country Trump will lead as the 45th president, Associated Press journalists traveled to four corners of the U.S., each unique in its own right. Their stories offer a window into what people are thinking at this pivot point in the nations history.

Patti Thomas owns a flower shop in the north Georgia town of Lula. Xavier Bryant runs an independent pharmacy just outside Atlanta. Looking toward the inauguration of an entrepreneur as president, the two share this expectation: Donald Trump will be good for business.

Hes already proven he can turn things around, the 52-year-old Thomas says, crediting Trump with Ford Motor Co.s recent announcement that it would scrap a planned Mexico plant while expanding in Michigan. Just his business enthusiasm, weve been lacking that.

My intuition, the 33-year-old Bryant agrees, is telling me that small business owners will win in Trumps economy.

But beyond that commonality, Thomas and Bryant  a white baby boomer from a tiny town and a black millennial from the big city  illuminate widening cultural fissures that help explain Trumps rise and may well define his presidency.

Trump draws his strength from places like Lula, a railroad town with 2,800 residents and no stoplight in the central business district. He won almost 3 out of 4 votes cast in surrounding Hall County, which abuts the multi-county cluster that makes up metro Atlanta. Even with a growing Hispanic population, Hall is whiter than Georgia and the United States as a whole, and conservatism carries the day.

This is Trump country up here, explains Margaret Luther, who works in Thomas flower shop, festooned with fresh and artificial flowers, crosses for religious arrangements and a conspicuous wreath celebrating the University of Georgia Bulldogs.

Bryant, meanwhile, hails from DeKalb County, a Democratic stronghold next to downtown Atlanta. Hillary Clinton won 4 out of 5 DeKalb votes, capitalizing on a large African-American population, a burgeoning Hispanic community and white liberals, many of them from elsewhere.

The dynamics at play in these two Georgia settings, just a short interstate drive apart, match national trends that helped give Trump his victory. According to an Associated Press count, Clinton won just 487 counties across the U.S., most of them urban, while Trump carried 2,626, mostly suburban and rural.

Conversations in Hall and DeKalb counties quickly reveal some of the sharp distinctions between the disparate Americas Trump will lead, even if some are exaggerated by perceptions each side has about the other.

In Hall County, Joe Thomas, Pattis husband, praises Trump as a non-politician who doesnt have to answer to establishment players. Patti Thomas says that style spoke to non-urban dwellers who see a nation increasingly dominated and defined by cities. The fact that Trump himself is from New York City doesnt matter, her husband adds, because of his force of personality.

But at a graffiti- and mural-covered hipster coffee shop in East Atlanta, 37-year-old Jessica Greene counters that what people like the Thomases see as refreshing moxie amounts to egomaniacal ... control issues that leave her leery and in a very dark place about it all.

She adds that, even if it makes me sound like a jerk, she sees Trumps base outside urban confines as reactionary and ill-informed, driven by religious and social beliefs that can amount to bigotry, intended or not. Greene, a stay-at-home mother, and Bryant, the pharmacist, both pointed to their own faiths as justification for their more liberal views.

In Lula, most Christian-based homes were for Trump, says 33-year-old waitress Ashley Chandler, but neither she nor those at the Thomases flower shop bring up their faith or hot-button social issues like abortion or same-sex marriage until asked.

Discussing differences in city life and small towns, Patti Thomas mentions crime, wondering aloud whether Atlanta residents feel safe. Chandler refers to the Black Lives Matter demonstrations shes seen broadcast on Atlanta television stations. I mean, there were people sitting in the streets protesting the police, she says.

Back in East Atlanta, 36-year-old Kenneth Bota faults that depiction of urban life as part of Trumps false narrative about African-Americans. Rather than dividing our communities, Bota says Trump and his supporters should see places like Atlanta and DeKalb County as different religions and cultures [living] as neighbors.

If there is any real agreement across the gulf between Hall and DeKalb, it is perhaps that Trump is but one citizen, however powerful.

They all make promises to get elected, says Chandler, the Lula waitress, explaining that her measure for Trumps success is modest: Maybe he can make it less of a struggle for people like her.

In DeKalb, Xavier Bryant says hell embrace Inauguration Day as a reminder of what he can do himself  including give off more good energy.

He adds: Its all the small parts that make the whole.
President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet-to-be is filled either with demigods of capitalism who will propel America to a new era of economic greatness or villainous predators who profited enormously from the financial ruin of others, depending on your view.



Both narratives will be heard in Washington this week as the Senate holds confirmation hearings for Treasury secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin and Commerce secretary nominee Wilbur Ross.



Mnuchin, a one-time partner at Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs, led a group of investors who bought out a failing California bank at the height of the 2008-2009 financial crisis. He also started a high-risk, high-reward investment group known as a hedge fund and, more recently, financed some of Hollywood's biggest movies, including Avatar, X-Men, Batman v Superman and Mad Max: Fury Road, and served as Trump's chief fundraiser during last year's presidential contest.





Ross is a billionaire who has specialized in buying out failing businesses, from American steel companies to coal mining operations to textile enterprises, what some see as "vulture" capitalism. In the 1980s, he helped rescue Trump's failing casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey.



Both men say the U.S. economy is underperforming and can do far better.

"Our most important priority is sustained economic growth. I think we can absolutely get to sustained three-to-four percent GDP [gross domestic product]," Mnuchin said on CNBC late last year. "And to get there, our No. 1 priority is tax reform."

"One of the problems with the recovery is that the newly-created jobs are not nearly as remunerative as were the jobs that were lost," Ross said, appearing alongside Mnuchin on CNBC."That's a very big structural problem."



Both nominees will face hours of questioning from senators at confirmation hearings this week. Partisan divides emerged as soon as Trump tapped them after the November election.



Democrats portrayed Mnuchin as a Wall Street insider who first profited from financial products based on risky loans that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis, then profited again by foreclosing on the homes of Americans who defaulted on their mortgages.





"After years peddling the kind of dangerous, mortgage-backed securities that eventually blew up the economy, Mnuchin swooped in after the crash to take a second bite out of families by aggressively, and sometimes illegally, foreclosing on their homes," said Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts in a statement. "This man has engaged in the worst kinds of practices on Wall Street and directly hurt thousands of working families."



By contrast, Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah said Mnuchin's "... wealth of private sector experience will serve him well in this new role. He understands that advancing meaningful policies to reform the tax code, promote investment and spur job creation are essential to growing our economy and ensuring middle-class families get to keep more of their paychecks."



Mnuchin is a believer in so-called "supply-side" economics that tax cuts generate additional economic activity, thereby boosting prosperity as well as tax revenues to the government.



"By cutting corporate taxes, we'll create huge economic growth and we'll have huge [gains in] personal income," the Treasury secretary nominee said. "The problem has been for the last eight years, there's been no economic growth. For the average American worker, they've gotten nowhere.And our job is to make sure that the average American worker has wage increases and good jobs."



Mnuchin did not dispute that he oversaw the repossession of thousands of distressed properties, the sales of which ultimately netted a profit, but noted that the bank had made those loans before his investment group took over the institution.



He also criticized financial reform under the Obama administration that strengthened lending requirements.



"The No. 1 priority is going to be, make sure that banks lend [money]," Mnuchin said on CNBC.



Several Democrats on the Commerce committee said they are reserving judgment on Ross until his testimony this week. Republicans are not.



"Wilbur Ross's business experience makes him an excellent choice for Secretary of Commerce," said Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas. "I'm confident he'll be a champion for American economic interests at home and abroad.I look forward to supporting his nomination.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday he would not consider renegotiating the Iran nuclear deal with the incoming Trump administration, which has repeatedly denounced the deal.

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday on the first anniversary of the deals signing, Rouhani said there would be no sense in trying to renegotiate it now.

"The nuclear deal is finished, it has been approved by the U.N. Security Council and has become an international document, he said. It is a multilateral accord and there is no sense in renegotiating it.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the nuclear deal, most recently in an interview Sunday with the Times of London, saying, Im not happy with the Iran deal. I think its one of the worst deals ever made.

The deal, struck last year between Iran and several western nations, limits Irans uranium enrichment abilities in exchange for the loosening of sanctions on the country.

Though he did not mention Trump by name, U.S. President Barack Obama warned in a statement on Monday against ripping up the deal, which he said has shown significant and concrete results.

"The United States must remember that this agreement was the result of years of work, and represents an agreement between the world's major powers -- not simply the United States and Iran," Obama said.

During his presidential campaign, Trump often insisted he would renegotiate the deal, though he declined in the interview Sunday to divulge his specific plans for dealing with Iran.

EU and British officials also said this week they would not support a renegotiation of the deal.
The U.N.'s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process warned Tuesday that Israeli-Palestinian tensions have been heightened in the aftermath of a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements as illegal and an obstacle to peace.

All stakeholders must avoid any unilateral action that would prejudge a negotiated final status solution, Nickolay Mladenov told council members via a video link from Jerusalem.

In the past week alone, four Israeli soldiers were killed in a Palestinian truck-ramming attack, while on Monday, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian during clashes near Bethlehem.

The council adopted resolution 2334 on December 23, 2016. The United States, which in the past has blocked similar resolutions to protect its ally, Israel, abstained from the vote, allowing the measure to go through.

Israel expressed its anger at the outgoing Obama administration for allowing its adoption and announced it would limit diplomatic and business cooperation with countries on the Security Council that voted in favor of the resolution, including cutting several million dollars in foreign aid to council member Senegal.

Israel was further angered by a French-sponsored conference Sunday in Paris intended to reaffirm the international community's position that a two-state solution is the only answer to the decades-old conflict and urge the two parties to return to the negotiating table. Israel did not attend the conference.

Over 70 nations met in the City of Lights without our presence to discuss how we should make peace, Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told the council. What arrogance!

Israeli retaliation

He said that in the aftermath of resolution 2334 Israel has decided that enough is enough and is reassessing its relationship with several U.N. organizations. Our first step is to suspend more than $6 million from our annual contributions to the U.N. for 2017. Danon said that money represents the portion of the U.N. budget allocated to anti-Israel bodies within the U.N. system.

Despite the United States' strong and continued support for the State of Israel, including a 10-year, $38-billion package of military aid for the country signed in September, President Barak Obama and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have had an often fraught relationship. Israel's envoy did not attempt to conceal his government's relief that president-elect Donald Trump, who has expressed strong public support of Israel and anger at its treatment at the United Nations, is about to take office.

With this new administration comes the hope the United States will return to its policy of rejecting unfair and biased Security Council resolutions and promoting direct and genuine dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians, Danon said.

Palestinians expect results

Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour called resolution 2334 a turning point and wagging his finger at the 15 council members said, Follow up must begin immediately and all must uphold their obligations, including each and every one of you members of the Security Council, it is your resolution; it is your duty to see that it is completely implemented.

Mansour said the resolution, which also demands Israel "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem," could provide the way back from the brink that the two sides need.

The international community must act now to revive the possibility of peace, Mansour said.
A high-profile Iraqi cleric says the best way to help his countrymen is at home, rather than pouring money into refugee programs overseas.

Kirkuk's Archbishop Yousif Mirkis, who is visiting France, called Tuesday for an initiative for Iraq similar to the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe after World War II. He said the the effort and money Western countries spend in taking in refugees would be more wisely targeted in Iraq, channeled into private projects such as building hospitals.

The Chaldean Catholic archbishop is visiting France to spread awareness about the situation in his homeland and to raise funds for an interfaith educational project targeting young Iraqis that he has set up in Kirkuk.

Iraq's Christian population has been plummeting for more than a decade. Thousands have fled the country since 2014, with the rise of the Islamic State group.

But Mirkis believes staying and resisting is the better path. He described the dynamism Iraqi Christians have traditionally contributed to the economy of their country, where many had dominated the engineering and medical fields.

Mirkis spoke of how one Iraqi medical student turned down a visa to France. There are many others like her, he said  youngsters who have decided to stay and build their future in Iraq.
Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa urged for calm in relations with Serbia following a war of words that erupted between the two countries over the weekend.

In an exclusive interview with VOA's Albanian Service, Mustafa was responding to comments by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic who said his country is ready to send troops to Kosovo to protect Serbian nationals, if necessary, after a train painted with the words Kosovo is Serbia was stopped Saturday from entering Kosovo.

Mustafa called Nikolic's statement irresponsible and a threat not only to Kosovo but also to the Balkans.

We do not want to respond to that threat with the same language, said Mustafa. We are interested in living in good neighborly relations with Serbia.

U.S.ambassador calls for 'restraint'

The United States ambassador in Pristina, Greg Delawie, said on Twitter that he was concerned about the train issue. Delawie called for restraint from all parties, adding that what was needed was normalization not confrontation between Serbia and Kosovo.

Nikolic said the two countries were on the verge of a conflict. He said Kosovo had shown it wanted war after it deployed special forces to prevent the train painted with Serbia's national colors from entering its territory.

Mustafa told journalists the train sent a message of occupation.

Train returned to Belgrade

According to reports, Serbian officials accused Kosovo authorities of attempting to mine the railroad with bombs.

Kosovo officials strongly denounced the accusations, adding they found no explosives on the railway.

Saturday's ride was the first from Belgrade, the Serbian capital, to the northern Kosovo town of Mitrovica since the 1998 war. Reports say the train later returned to Belgrade.

About 120,000 of Kosovo's 1.8 million inhabitants are ethnic Serbs.

Both countries seek EU membership

Both countries are seeking European Union membership to boost their struggling economies.

Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a decade after it split from Serbia. The country has been recognized by the United States and more than 110 countries, but not Serbia.
Thousands of people are running from the crumbling Islamic State group in eastern Mosul every day. Other families are staying put, hiding in their homes as battles rage outside, later emerging on the streets as Iraqi forces claim victory.

In the days that follow escape or military victory, remnants of IS remain on their bodies, in their neighborhoods and seared into their minds. Men and women are still dressed in IS-mandated styles. Discarded schoolbooks reveal the IS ideology, and IS licenses, newspapers and other everyday items show how deeply entrenched the group became as it terrorized the people.

On their bodies

Islamic State militants enforce a strict dress code they say is based on Islamic values. Families running from the war and the militant group are almost always Muslims, and they disagree, saying these rules are not recognized by mainstream Islam.

Regardless, when they lived under IS, they followed orders or faced harsh punishments. The women's dress code: a black full-faced veil, gloves and covered feet, all in the name of modesty and piety.

This code is enforced in two ways. First, militants beat the husbands or fathers of women who are dressed in anyway 'wrong.' Additionally, female IS members, known locally as "The Biters" literally bite women who broke the rules.

As families flee, many women flip the veils off their faces when they reach Iraqi-controlled areas.

Male dress codes are just as strict, although a little more difficult for outsiders and even many Mosul residents to understand. IS militants insist all men are bearded and their hair is of even length. Pants must have elastic sewn into the cuffs so they don't reach past men's ankles. Many men improvise by pulling socks over their cuffs or wearing sweatpants.

Men say non-compliance with dress codes could get them just a beating on the ankles in the streets, or jail time that includes whippings and other forms of violence.

As Iraqi forces push into eastern Mosul, men emerge from their homes dressed IS-style, but change their appearance within hours or days.

"On the day the Iraqi forces took our street, we immediately shaved our beards," says 27-year-old Ashraf, outside his Mosul shop in an area recently won by Iraqi forces. "Later in the day, we heard shouts of Allahu Akbar!' coming from behind the Iraqi army lines.

"We thought maybe they were counterattacking, so we ran to the sinks to retrieve our hair," he jokes.

Small shops that have recently opened around refugee camps say razors are their biggest seller.

Lessons

People fleeing IS in Iraq often laugh bitterly about the school curriculum the militants developed that cause most families to keep their children at home. In the schools, they say, they only teach one bullet plus one bullet equals two bullets.

A textbook for children around the age of seven reveals that their assessment of IS education is no joke. The books aggrandize violence, with cartoons of weapons and fighters on almost every page. Arithmetic problems on one page ask things like: If one fighter has 85 mortars and another fighter has 60 mortars, what is the difference?

At an IS clinic, posters explain why beards are required for all men and satellite television is banned. People who have escaped say punishments for non-compliance with these rules ranges from whipping to imprisonment to death.

IS legacy: Fear and destruction

As graffiti gets painted over, beards are shaven and city services are hopefully restored, IS's real legacy is expected to remain for the unforeseeable future. Neighborhoods are crushed, families are torn apart, children have been out of school for three years, and so many people have been killed, tortured or raped that it could take years to count the victims. And if all goes as planned in the next few months and IS is driven out of Iraq, a million people could be newly homeless.

Around noon one Friday, 30-year-old Nabil stands by the gate to his house, quietly watching as soldiers display weapons they captured from IS to visiting journalists. With a thick beard and pants cuffs synched well above his ankles, he looks like an IS supporter.

Less than 24 hours before, he was not a supporter, but silently complicit, trying to protect his family under IS rule.

"They were staying in that house for a week," he says, pointing to the house next door. "We could hear them talking on their walkie-talkies."

As news reached Nabil that the Iraqi army was getting closer to his area, he still felt powerless over the heavily armed militants. "We couldn't tell them to leave. We were scared."

In villages and city centers, locals describe the two-and-a-half years they spent under IS as life in a prison, and are eager to share some of the horrors they survived.

"They killed my brother and my mother after accusing them of helping the Iraqi police," says 20-year-old Farah, a few minutes after arriving at a makeshift bus station set up just outside the war zone. She and her family had fled on foot only an hour ago, and they duck behind a building when they hear the far-away crack of gunfire.

"They murdered my brother in a mosque while he was praying," she adds. "This is not Islam."
Sources claim that a seat sharing formula has already been finalised between Samajwadi Party and Congress. The Congress and Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal combine may get at least 120-125 seats, while the rest of the seats will go to the Akhilesh-led Samajwadi Party

By Shashank Shantanu: The months-long Samajwadi daily soap opera in Uttar Pradesh has concluded with son Akhilesh snatching party symbol - cycle - from father Mulayam Singh Yadav. The stage is set for another show in the state which will vote in seven phases starting February 11.

It is an open secret that Akhilesh Yadav favours an alliance with the Congress and a meeting between him and Rahul Gandhi is expected soon. Infact, sources claim that a seat sharing formula has already been finalised and both the 'young' leaders were waiting for the Election Commission's decision on Samajwadi Party symbol before they could officially put a stamp over the deal.

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The Congress and Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal combine may get at least 120-125 seats, while the rest of the seats will go to the Akhilesh-led Samajwadi Party, sources said. This Bihar-style mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance has added to BJP's headache and the party has every reason to be worried.

MUST READ: From India Today magazine - Building brand Akhilesh

In November 2015, arch-rivals Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar came together to script a stunning victory in Bihar Assembly polls halting BJP's winning streak. The loss was seen as a massive setback for the BJP-led NDA particularly because voters in the state rejected PM Narendra Modi's 'development agenda' and sided with local 'hero' Nitish Kumar.

BJP FACES TOUGH TEST

While the caste arithmetic in Uttar Pradesh may be different from that in Bihar, an alliance between the Samajwadi, the Congress and the RLD will be a potent force in crucial election for the BJP to take on.

The Samajwadi family feud has only worked to solidify Akhilesh's popular support. While the Congress already enjoys huge support in areas like Amethi, Raebareli and Sultanpur, areas like Etawah, Kannauj in central Uttar Pradesh are Samajwadi pocket borough, established over the years by party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.

MULAYAM EMERGES AS BHISHMA PITAMAH

Poll pundits believe that amid the bitter Samajwadi battle, it is Mulayam who has emerged as 'Bhishma Pitamah' (a character in Mahabharata who fought with Kauravas but wished they lost against Pandavas.) Mulayam, too wanted son Akhilesh to win while physically being with brother Shivpal and the wily leader is expected to do everything to see his son register an emphatic victory.

For the BJP, lack of a CM face in Uttar Pradesh is the biggest issue. It is a fact that Akhilesh has worked his way through to emerge as a pro-development leader. In Bihar, people rejected BJP's much successful plan of projecting PM Narendra Modi's face for votes. Also, sidelining local leaders in that state proved costly for the party. The BJP announced Sarbananda Sonowal as the CM face in Assam and won. The party has enough examples to fine tune its poll strategy and reports suggest it is consistently working on it.

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LESSONS LEARNT FROM BIHAR DEBACLE?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address at least 15 rallies in Uttar Pradesh, far less than what he did in Bihar. But the BJP is yet to find a local face for its campaign. Leaders like Varun Gandhi have been sidelined for reasons best known to the party.

Smaller parties like RLD, JD-U, RJD, Sanjay Nishad's Nishad Party, Peace Party, Mahaan Dal and Apna Dal (Krishna Patel faction) have also decided to join the Grand Alliance bandwagon in Uttar Pradesh.

An India Today-Axis Opinion Poll gave BJP a majority in Uttar Pradesh. The survey, conducted in October and December last year, showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation move has had no impact on voters, and has instead increased the BJP's vote share.

The poll showed that the saffron party may expect to win 206-216 seats in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly. However, with the Samajwadi Party war coming to a halt and Akhilesh in command, the scenario is likely to change.

WATCH: What to expect 'if' Akhilesh-Rahul join hands for Uttar Pradesh polls ALSO READ:

BJP set to win Uttar Pradesh: India Today-Axis Opinion Poll shows demonetisation is good for Modi

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India Today-Axis Opinion Poll: Youth back CM Akhilesh Yadav but BJP has clear edge in UP

Who will be NDA's CM candidate - the problem of plenty

--- ENDS ---
American actor Matt Damon used Davos to drum up support for his water charity, Water.org, on Tuesday, after getting a new multimillion-dollar commitment from Belgian brewer Stella Artois.

"The poorest of the poor pay more than the middle class in many countries as they were shut out of the infrastructure," Damon told Reuters at a panel discussion hosted by the Anheuser-Busch InBev beer brand at the World Economic Forum.

Water.org is trying to raise a $55 million fund that would provide microloans to finance projects that build access to clean water in developing countries.

It has already deployed an $11 million fund, Damon said.

WATCH: Matt Damon Addresses Global Water Issues

"People want to participate in their own solution, they want a hand up not a hand out," he said.

Stella Artois said it was committing $4.8 million over four years to Water.org, at a time that AB InBev is moving into Africa, where access to clean water can be limited.

"Water is our number one ingredient so we are very water-conscious," said Ricardo Tadeu, AB InBev's head of Africa.

The brewer's support for the charity precedes AB InBev's $100 billion-plus acquisition last year of SABMiller, which extended its reach in Africa as well Latin America.

"We've been able to see tangible results and a tangible impact," said Christina Choi, global brand vice president, Stella Artois.

Stella will also continue its "Buy a Lady a Drink" campaign, in which proceeds from each sale of a limited-edition beer glass gets donated to the charity, providing the equivalent funding for five years of clean drinking water for one person.

Lack of access to water disproportionately affects women and children, as they often spend hours each day collecting it instead of going to school or working.

In the two years since the project was launched, Stella said it has sold over 225,000 glasses and donated more than $3 million to Water.org. It said its new commitment aims to help 3.5 million people get access to clean water.

The brewer said it would also donate money for each six-pack and 12-pack of beer purchased in the United States and Britain.
The Pacific island state of Micronesia hopes U.S. President-elect Donald Trump changes his view on climate change, its foreign minister said on Tuesday, adding that global warming poses the biggest threat to low-lying island countries.

Trump, set to take office on Friday, dismissed climate change as a hoax during his election campaign and vowed to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, a deal among nearly 200 countries to curb global warming.

After his November election victory, he said he was keeping an open mind on whether to pull out of the accord. Some of his selections for top jobs in his administration are also skeptical about climate change.

Micronesia's foreign secretary, Lorin Robert, told a news conference in Tokyo he hoped Trump would have a change of heart.

"The greatest threat to us Pacific island countries is climate change," Robert said following a meeting of foreign ministers and other representatives from Japan, Australia, New Zealand and 14 Pacific island nations.

"I hope that the next president of the United States will have a different view, in the matter of days, when he takes his office because I know in his heart he will have an appreciation what Pacific islanders are all about."

Pacific island nations including Kiribati and Tuvalu are facing the brunt of climate change with rising seas and more violent storms raising grave doubts about their futures.

British climate change scientists on Monday asked British Prime Minister Theresa May to press Trump to acknowledge climate change risks and support international action to slow global warming.

The countries taking part in the Tokyo meeting included the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Moldova may scrap a trade agreement with the European Union after the country's next parliamentary election, President Igor Dodon said Tuesday during his first state visit to Russia.

Speaking in Moscow at a news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Dodon said it was "curious" that Moldova's trade turnover with the EU had wilted since signing a political and trade pact with the bloc in 2014.

"We gained nothing from this agreement," he told reporters. "We are not against the EU  we have common borders  but you cannot build a relationship on anti-Russia rhetoric," news agencies quoted Dodon as saying after meeting with Putin.

Dodon was elected in November with just over 50 percent of the vote after calling in his campaign for a referendum on Moldova's relationship with the EU, which came at the expense of ties with Russia. No referendum has yet been announced.

Moscow imposed retaliatory trade restrictions on Moldovan farming exports in response to Chisinau's signing of an association agreement with the EU in 2014. Dodon's vow to improve relations with the country's former Soviet master found favor with many Moldovans who have been hit financially by Russia's bans and a broader economic downturn.

Dodon's win and move away from the EU reflects a loss of trust in pro-European leaders in Moldova and Russia's increasingly assertive influence over ex-Soviet states.

Criticism from Plahotniuc

The coordinator of the pro-European ruling coalition in Moldova, Vlad Plahotniuc, said the country would not be pulled out of closer integration with the EU, criticizing Dodon for his comments to Putin.

"Our country does not have the right to send contradictory messages on foreign policy," he said in an online statement. "The Moldovan authorities will not allow the EU association agreement to be annulled. We will not only block any attempts to denounce the agreement, but will speed up the process of its implementation."

In Moscow, Putin struck a both conciliatory and sharp tone with Dodon, saying Russia's neighbors were free to make their own decisions and even court the EU, but Moscow would want its interests to be respected.

"It needs to be recognized that mutually beneficial ties with Russia deteriorated against the background of attempts to force a closer relationship with the European Union," he said.

Dodon's stance on the EU-Russia issue has been mixed since taking office. He has called for early parliamentary elections this year to force out the government, but also said the president "should be neither pro-European nor pro-Russian".

On Tuesday, he said Chisinau did not intend to build an "iron curtain" with the bloc.

Moldova, the poorest country in Europe, is expected to return to growth in the near future after contracting 0.5 percent in 2015. But its exports have yet to recover to pre-crisis levels, falling 4.3 percent in the first quarter of 2016.

Ukraine, another ex-Soviet republic, also played with the idea of closer ties with the EU but abruptly pulled out of a trade deal in late 2013.

The move prompted mass street protests in Kyiv, forcing then-President Viktor Yanukovich from office and paving the road to Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.
British human rights activists have held a vigil outside the Iranian embassy in London to appeal to Iran's president to free a British Iranian woman detained for nine months on unspecified security charges.

Richard Ratcliffe, husband of detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, spoke to VOA's Persian service from the scene of Monday's vigil, saying he wrote a letter to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani appealing for the release.

[The letter] asks for him to intercede and ensure that justice is served in Nazanin's case, Ratcliffe said via Skype. He said he also asked Rouhani for help in securing an Iran visa so that he can visit Nazanin and their infant daughter, Gabriella, whom he said he has not seen in 10 months.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is 38, was detained at Tehran's international airport in April 2016 as she was trying to return home with her daughter to Britain from a visit to relatives in Iran. An Iranian court sentenced the charity worker in September to five years in prison for undisclosed security offenses. British media have said she is accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government.

Her husband has said Iranian authorities kept her in solitary confinement in Tehran's Evin prison last year before transferring her to a cell with other women in late December. Gabriella has been staying with Zaghari-Ratcliffe's parents in Tehran since her mother's detention began.

Ratcliffe said he is waiting for an outcome to a January 4 court hearing in which he said his wife appealed her five-year prison term. We're hoping any day soon that a good verdict will be received, but we haven't heard anything, he said.

Reaching out to Iranian diplomats

British rights activist Rebecca Dallison, whose group Amnesty International helped organize the London vigil, told VOA that participants placed Ratcliffe's letter to Rouhani at the Iranian embassy's door, along with several letters that members of the public have written to Zaghari-Ratcliffe to express their support. Speaking by phone from the event, Dallison said the letters to Zaghari-Ratcliffe were among more than 30,000 messages addressed to the detainee as part of Amnesty's Write for Rights" campaign encouraging people to write to prisoners whose rights are under attack around the world.

Dallison said Iranian embassy officials told her via an intercom at the door that they would collect the letters. VOA called the embassy, but a woman who answered the phone said there was no one available to comment.

The Amnesty activist said about 20 people joined the vigil. It was timed to coincide with the first anniversary of Iran's release of U.S. journalist Jason Rezaian, who had been detained for 18 months also in connection with alleged security offenses that were not detailed by authorities. We really want to keep the pressure going to get Nazanin released too, and reunited with her family, Dallison said.

Using detainees as leverage?

Rezaian, a Washington Post reporter, was one of four Americans freed from an Iranian prison on January 16, 2016, hours before the United States and other world powers finalized a deal with Tehran on its nuclear program. At the same time, the United States pardoned seven Iranian prisoners and dropped charges against 14 other Iranians.

Rezaian filed a U.S. federal lawsuit against the Iranian government in October, claiming he was taken hostage and tortured in an attempt to extract concessions from the U.S. government. Ratcliffe has said he believes his wife also has been used as a bargaining chip by Tehran in its disputes with the West.

The Washington Post has said Rezaian is writing a book about his ordeal, tentatively titled Hostage: 544 Days, 400 Million Dollars, the Nuclear Deal & Me. It said the book is scheduled for publication next year. VOA contacted Rezaian's publicist seeking a comment from the journalist about Zaghari-Ratcliffe's vigil, but received no response.

VOA's Persian Service contributed to this report.
Noor Salman, the wife of Orlando nightclub gunman Omar Mateen, appeared in court Tuesday for the first time since being arrested near San Francisco, California.

A two-count indictment unsealed Tuesday shows Salman is facing federal charges of obstruction of justice, and aiding and abetting Mateen's material support for Islamic State.

The indictment papers allege that Salman knowingly misled police and the FBI during conversations after the June 12 nightclub shooting. They also say Salman aided her husband in providing support to the IS group as early as April 2016.

During an initial court appearance in Oakland, California, which is near where she had been living in San Francisco with her son, Salman's lawyer said he would seek to have her released from jail pending trial.

Salman did not enter a plea during the brief hearing and only spoke to say she understood the court proceedings.

Salman had been under intense police scrutiny since her late husband opened fire in an Orlando nightclub popular with gays in June 2016, killing 49 people and wounding more than 50 others in an attack said to have been inspired by Islamic State extremists.

Mateen, 29, was fatally shot by police after a three-hour standoff at the facility.

Prior knowledge?

Orlando police and the FBI have sought to learn whether Salman had prior knowledge of her husband's plot.

Law enforcement authorities have said Salman accompanied her husband on at least one trip to Orlando's Pulse nightclub prior to the attack. She also has admitted accompanying him when he bought ammunition.

However, she told the New York Times last year that she did not know the purpose of the club visit. She also said she had no reason to suspect that ammunition bought by her husband days before the killings was to be used in the massacre. She said he frequently made such purchases, which she linked to his work as a security guard.

Salman further sought to boost her claim of innocence by noting she bought her husband a Father's Day greeting card, which she planned to give him when he returned home on the evening of June 12. Her lawyers argue the card purchase backs her story that she did not know about the attack that occurred that evening.

Salman previously told authorities her husband was physically abusive and said he shrouded his personal activities in secrecy.
More than 60 percent of Americans would like to see the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's powers preserved or strengthened under incoming President Donald Trump, and the drilling of oil on public lands to hold steady or drop, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday.

The results could foretell stronger-than-expected public opposition to Trump's plans to boost energy development by slashing environmental regulations, an agenda shared by some of his top Cabinet picks slated for Senate confirmation hearings later this week. Trump takes office on Friday.



Some 39 percent of Americans would like to see the EPA, the nation's top environmental regulator, "strengthened or expanded," while another 22 percent hope for it to "remain the same," according to the poll. Just 19 percent said they would like to see the agency "weakened or eliminated" and the rest

said they "don't know."



Among Republicans, 47 percent wish for the EPA either to "remain the same" or be "strengthened or expanded," while 35 percent want it "weakened or eliminated".



The online poll of 9,935 people was conducted Dec. 16 to Jan. 12 and has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 1.1 percentage points.



"Trump is a businessman, and that's all he thinks about ... what will make money," said Terry Cox, a 61-year-old resident of Tennessee who voted for the New York real estate mogul in November's election. "But I'm hopeful there's a limit to what he can do when it comes to weakening protections for wildlife and

the environment."



A Trump transition team official declined to comment. Trump campaigned on a promise to drastically reduce environmental regulations in order to create jobs and pave the way for more oil, gas, and coal development. He has said he

would refocus the EPA on its core mission to protect air and water quality.



He also accused the agency of using "totalitarian tactics" to enforce its regulations under President Barack Obama, who had made the EPA central to his broader effort to combat global climate change by cutting carbon emissions.



According to the Reuters/Ipsos poll, just over 60 percent of Americans think it would be wrong to weaken wildlife protections and air and water regulations to bolster the energy industry, while they were nearly evenly split on whether carbon emissions should be softened to help the industry.



The poll also showed that 39 percent of Americans want to see a decrease in coal mining and oil drilling on U.S. federal lands in the coming years, while 23 percent hope for it to stay the same. Just 22 percent said they wanted to see an increase, and the rest said they do not know.



The U.S. government holds title to about 500 million acres of land across the country, including national parks and forests, wildlife refuges and tribal territories, overlaying billions of barrels of oil and vast quantities of natural gas,

coal, and uranium. Trump has promised to boost industry access to these reserves.



Trump nominated Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a climate change skeptic who has repeatedly sued the EPA over its regulations, to head the agency. Pruitt is scheduled for Senate hearings on Wednesday, where lawmakers are expected to ask him about his ties to the energy industry.



Trump also nominated U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke of Montana, an avid outdoorsman and former Navy SEAL commander who advocates for more coal mining on federal lands, to run the Department of the Interior that oversees public lands.



Zinke will face Senate questions on Tuesday.



And Trump chose former Texas Governor Rick Perry to head the Department of Energy, a move that would put him in charge of the agency he proposed eliminating during his failed bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Perry will be questioned on Thursday.
President-elect Donald Trump's hints ties with Moscow could improve after he assumes office has been a source of controversy and heated debate in the United States. And that is unlikely to go away after his inauguration later this week.



Across the Pacific, in China, it is an increasing source of hand-wringing and worry for Chinese officials because some believe if ties between Russia and the U.S. improve that could only be bad for Beijing.



In the West, people have been extremely concerned about Russian involvement in the U.S. elections, and Trumps commitments, but very few people take seriously the idea that he could lure Russia away from the partnership with China, says David Kelly, research director at China Policy, a research group in Beijing.



In China, its taken much more seriously and is a subject of daily speculation.



Scales tipping



At influential think tanks in Beijing and in state media publications online it is clear many are concerned.



Chinese state propaganda outlets have been playing up ties between Russia and China, and playing down the possibility of some sort of U.S.-Russia rapprochement.



Articles argue that while Moscow and Washington might be able to find some common ground on issues such as Syria and the need to work together to fight Islamic State, deciding how to divide up power after the conflict was over would not be as simple.



One long article on China Russia relations in the Peoples Daily, under the pen name Zhong Sheng, which is seen as reflecting the views of high-ranking party officials, noted what it calls the ballast role Beijing-Moscow ties play in global affairs.

At the same time, however, there is concern that the scales could be tipping away from Beijings favor and in a direction that could further challenge Chinas regional and global ambitions.



Three kingdoms



Kelly notes that there is a cultural tendency in China to view diplomatic relations in terms of triangular relationships. That, he says, traces back to the popular Chinese novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms.



One of the many strategies the novel popularized was that in a three-way struggle, you generally want to be two against one and not the one who is the odd man out.



Its something that people understand, like an Olympic event, he added.



If President-elect Trump can find a way to move beyond sanctions and smooth over ties with Moscow, Beijing could end up on the weaker side of the triangle. From Beijings perspective that would not be good, especially at a time when China is looking to forward an ambitious trade agenda for the region and Europe, and struggling under the pressure of a slowing economy.







Stephen Blank, a senior fellow for Russia at the American Foreign Policy Council says that for many in China, closer U.S.-Russia ties implies that relations between Beijing and Moscow would be affected.



"There is a lot of anxiety in Beijing that Russians who have all along taken an anti-U.S. stance may start to think differently," said Blank.



Until now, "the China-Russia relationship has been based in a large measure on their rejection of U.S. interests in the global order. This would be affected if there is improvement in U.S.-Russia relationship, he noted.



Temporary partner?



Ever since Russias invasion of Crimea, relations between Beijing and Moscow have been improving. Sanctions cut Moscow off from Western markets and investment and opened the door for Beijing to step in and grow ties. Chinese President Xi Jinping has invested much political capital into the relationship with Vladimir Putin, making a state visit last year.



Trust between the two, however, has never been easy.

Social media blogs and online commentaries about Russia are often skeptical of cooperation between the two countries.



A recent report that Russia had welded shut the engines of Sukhoi-35 fighter jets it sold to China had some enraged. So much so that some were arguing online that it was Russia, not America, that was Chinas main adversary.

Global Times opinion writer Gao Fei, the director of the Russian Research Center at Chinas Foreign Affairs University, stepped in to calm the masses, asking who benefits the most from sabotaging China Russia relations. He also noted that with any commercial deal comes legal and other safeguards against IP theft.



Although Chinese opinion writers have been talking up the crucial role the two play in global affairs, they have also openly worried about the political ambitions of Putin, noting that Moscow may be just a temporary partner.



And that stretches back to even before Trump was elected.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the outgoing U.S. administration of attempting to undercut President-elect Donald Trump by spreading erroneous information.

At a Moscow news conference Tuesday, Putin said last week's release of an unverified dossier containing salacious allegations about Trump was part of an effort by U.S. President Barack Obama's administration to "undermine the legitimacy of the president-elect" in spite of Trump's "convincing" presidential win.

Putin described as "fake" an allegation in the dossier that Trump engaged in sexual activities at a Moscow hotel in 2013. Putin added that those responsible for the allegations are "worse than prostitutes," and he questioned why Trump would "need prostitutes" when he has "been with the most beautiful women in the world."

Trump has blamed the intelligence community for leaking unsubstantiated information, which also linked Trump to the Russian government, and questioned whether Central Intelligence Director John Brennan was responsible.

In a Twitter post last week, the president-elected compared the intelligence community to Nazi Germany.

In an interview Monday with The Wall Street Journal, Brennan described the comparison to the Nazi's as "repugnant" and said Trump's criticism of the intelligence community's credibility was unwarranted. "Tell the families of those 117 CIA officers who are forever memorialized on our wall of honor that their loved ones, who gave their lives, were akin to Nazi's," said Brennan.

Brennan denied leaking the dossier, which was compiled by a retired British intelligence officer. Brennan said a synopsis of the report was included in briefing documents that were delivered to President Obama and President-elect Trump at the request of the FBI.

The dossier had been distributed around Washington for months before it was published by BuzzFeed News last week.

At a separate news conference Tuesday in Moscow, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said relations with the U.S. could improve when Trump assumes the presidency.

"If what Donald Trump and his team say about Russia, the readiness to search for joint approaches to the resolution of common problems and the deterrence of common threats ... we will reciprocate," Lavrov said.

The Russian foreign minister said Trump administration officials should attend talks in Kazakhstan later this month devoted to ending Syrian civil war. Lavrov expressed hope that the Trump administration "will not apply double standards in order to use the war on terrorism to achieve goals that don't have anything to do with this goal."

The U.S. and Russia have clashed over the Syrian conflict during the Obama administration, with Washington backing moderate rebel groups, while Russia has thrown its full support behind the government of Bashar al-Assad.
European governments struggled Tuesday to assess whether outspoken remarks by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, made in a weekend interview with two European newspapers, will be translated into new policies.

European leaders had hoped that as Trumps inauguration approached, the president-elect would tone down his campaign-trail criticism of the European Union and NATO, which he has dubbed obsolete.

They had thought his views would come to align more closely with those of some of his top national security nominees, such as likely defense secretary retired Gen. James Mattis, who at his Senate confirmation last week accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to foment a break-up of the Western alliance.



If we did not have NATO today, we would have to create it, Mattis said at the hearing.





But Trump renewed his criticism of NATO and the European Union in his interview with Londons Sunday Times and Germanys Bild newspaper, prompting frustrated remarks from the likes of German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.



Trumps NATO stance contradicts what the American defense secretary said in his hearing in Washington only a few days ago, Steinmeier complained.

European leaders and officials differ on how to approach Trump and they disagree about what might unfold as the real-estate tycoons administration begins. Will his Tweets and off-the-cuff remarks be translated into policy?

Wait-and-see strategy



Some Europeans favor a wait-and-see strategy. The characteristically guarded German Chancellor Angela Merkel, for example, limited herself to a few terse comments about the interview, and did not respond directly to Trump's assertion that her refugee policy has been a disaster.

The German leader has also ignored Trumps endorsement of Brexit and his dismissal of the EU as just a vehicle for Germany.

"When he is in office, and at the moment that's not the case, we will work with the new American government and see what kind of agreements we can reach, she said.

But other European politicians are arguing Europe needs to push back hard on the American president-elect.

As she entered a meeting of EU foreign ministers Monday, the blocs foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini stressed that European governments intend to stand by the Iran nuclear accord, which Trump has threatened to rip up. "It is proof that diplomacy works and delivers," Mogherini said.

The wait-and-see camp of Europeans argue that governing will change Trump. But members of the push-back camp doubt that Trump will change or moderate.

"I hope that the Congress, even with a Republican majority, will impose some limits in the long term," said Bundestag deputy speaker Ulla Schmidt. Thev Social Democratic Party legislator told Deutsche Welle: "I hope that not the man changes the office, but the office changes the man.

NATO



During the presidential campaign, Trump warned the U.S. might not support NATO members in a crisis unless it was reasonably reimbursed. In his weekend interview he reiterated his frustration over the failure of many alliance members to meet their defense spending obligations, suggesting to many that his views are unlikely to change.

Anyone who thought Trump would be more moderate after he was elected will find himself disappointed," said Schmidts SPD colleague, Rainer Arnold.

And Norbert Rottgen, chairman of the German parliaments foreign affairs committee, wonders whether Trump even believes in the idea of the West.



Perhaps one could say that in reality in his thinking the West does not exist, Rottgen told German public radio. Whether the EU is divided or contested doesn't matter to him, whether NATO is there or not, doesn't matter to him. It's obsolete to him anyway.

Further east, in states even closer to Russia, the fear is that a newly assertive Kremlin may feel free to challenge NATO more vigorously that in the past. "If Trump steps back then that will be an invitation for Putin to step forward, worried Igor Sutyagin, a Russian arms control expert now at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank.

Ukraine



Ukrainian leaders having become increasingly alarmed at Trumps talk of being able to make a deal with Moscow. In the weekend interview, the incoming president suggested that Ukraine-related sanctions on Russia might be lifted in exchange for a reduction in nuclear weapons.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has urged that the sanctions remain in place as long as Russia continues to hold Crimea, seized in 2014, and provides support for pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine realizes that it is not Moscows only enemy  all those who propound democratic values are Moscows enemies. That is why today the defense of Ukraine is the defense of the values of the free world, he said.





Putin



Talk of an early summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is further alarming the continent. According to the London Sunday Times, Trumps first foreign trip as president could be to Iceland for a summit with the Russian leader  a summit that could happen before the new U.S. leader has met with most NATO leaders.

Trump aides are denying any such plans, but British officials have told VOA they understand consideration is being given to a Trump-Putin summit within a matter of weeks.
Europe's human rights court ruled on Tuesday that Russia's policy to refuse adoptions to Americans is discriminatory and ordered the country to pay damages to 45 Americans who filed the case.

In a unanimous decision, a seven judge panel, which included one Russian judge, awarded about $3,800 in damages to each pair of couples that had their adoption applications denied by Russia between 2010 and 2012.

In a statement released after the ruling, Russia's Ministry of Justice said its US adoption ban is within international legal guidelines and it plans to appeal the decision.

Adoptions stopped in 2013

"The Russian authorities have proceeded and are proceeding on the basis of the need to ensure effective protection of the interests of children and also of the legal rights and the interests of potential adopters who are citizens of Russia," the statement said.

Russia stopped allowing adoptions by Americans in 2013 in response to U.S. sanctions placed on the country following the death in prison of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009.

Safety concerns cited

Moscow said it banned adoptions in the U.S. due to safety concerns after Russian media outlets reported abuse of adopted Russian children by U.S. families.

The judges, however, noted in their ruling that Russia and the U.S. signed an agreement in 2012 that guarantees against the mistreatment of adopted children.

Many of the 27 children blocked from being adopted by Americans since the law took effect have serious medical conditions that could be better treated in the U.S.
A Delhi Court on Monday sentenced the serial rapist Sunil Rastogi, who was arrested by the New Ashok Nagar police, to 14-day judicial custody.

By Shalini Lobo: Days after Delhi's serial rapist Sunil Rastogi (38) was arrested for rape of at least 700 minors, a Delhi Court on Monday sentenced him to 14-day judicial custody. He was arrested by East Delhi's New Ashok Nagar police while probing the rape case of a 7-year-old girl.

"I targeted girls aged between 7 and 11 years. I liked doing it," Sunil told the media with no sign of remorse. The police has formed teams in New Ashok Nagar, Mayur Vihar, Rudrapragya, Ghaziabad, Kondali and 5 other teams to find more victims.

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The accused's mobile phone is also being tracked to monitor his past movements and see if it can lead the police to more victims.

ALSO READ | Delhi: This man took a train from UP town to Delhi daily to rape schoolgirls

Sunil used to board trains to Delhi and sexually assault school girls. He coaxed them saying he would take them to their father and then raped them. He always wore the same clothes while raping the girls as he considered his red jacket 'lucky'.

Over the years, he targeted girls in Uttarakhand, Ghaziabad and Delhi. Sunil was arrested on twice for sexually assaulting minors. He was jailed for 6 months two years back and was later released.

Massive outrage has sparked across the nation with a call for tighter and stricter laws against rapists and sexual offenders.

ALSO READ | Police arrest serial paedophile from East Delhi

--- ENDS ---
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong is preparing to challenge an arrest warrant in court, but analysts say profits at the conglomerate are unlikely to stumble if the corporate heir is locked up.

Samsung Electronics is one of the top global IT companies. The decisions arent being made by one person, said Kim Yong-goo, an analyst at Hana Financial Investment.

Kim said some decisions could be delayed and some projects disturbed in the short-term, but each of Samsungs units has its own CEO to manage day-to-day operations. Plus, he said, theres no certainty Lee will be arrested.

Economic concerns

Prosecutors requested the warrant this week for Lee, the de facto head of the Samsung Group, over allegations he bribed a friend of President Park Geun-hye in return for favors to smooth his succession as heir of the business group. Park also awaits her fate in court after being impeached.

There were already concerns about South Koreas economy following a terrible year for exports and the current political turmoil. But the disturbance at the top of the countrys biggest and most famous conglomerate has put more people on edge.

A Reuters report said business lobby groups went to bat for Samsung and Lee, warning confidence in the economy could slip if hes arrested. Samsung officials also said its key businesses could take a hit.

There is precedent in South Korea for big business leaders getting off easy because of their corporations massive role in the economy. Lees father, Chairman of Samsung Electronics Lee Kun-hee, was pardoned following a slush-fund scandal in 2008.

Investor sentiment

According to Yonhap News, Samsung share prices rebounded Wednesday two days after a sharp drop when prosecutors requested the arrest warrant for Lee.

As long as their business performs well .. those aspects will be noticed more [than the scandal], said Hana Financials Kim.

Kim said Samsung investors have a lot to look forward to right now, including the corporations planned acquisition of electronics company Harman International Industries.

There are negative factors in the short-term, but I think those arent big enough to overshadow anticipated positive factors, said Kim, adding Samsung Electronics shares are heavily undervalued.

Asset managers told Yonhap News they expect share prices to continue to climb in value.

Business reform?

Kim also mentioned the prospect of corporate restructuring, another positive for Samsung, he said, at a time when the public is demanding greater transparency from big business and government.

Lee, however, is the man expected to bring that transparency to Samsung and provide a road map for the future that includes creating new growth engines.

Chung sun-sup, the head of local corporate watchdog Chaebol.com, said if Lee is arrested, management reform will be put on hold.

If prosecutors do get their way, it would be much harder to argue Lee is the man to lead Samsung into the future. The image of a detained billionaire being investigated for corruption would unlikely sit well the public, which has shown its frustration in the streets over too cozy business-government ties.

The only difference between the past and the present is that now the citizens are angry about the links between politics and business, so this time Lee could face a severe punishment, said Chung.
When Ulil Abshar-Abdalla was a teenager in Pati, Central Java, he placed first in an Arabic class held at his local madrasa. The prize was six months of tuition at the Institute for the Study of Islam and Arabic (LIPIA), a Jakarta university founded and funded by the Saudi Arabian government. At the end of six months, LIPIA offered him another six. He stayed on.

After that, it offered him four more years of free tuition to obtain a bachelors degree in Islamic law, or shariah. He accepted that too. In 1993, after five years at LIPIA, he was offered a scholarship to continue his studies in Riyadh. He finally said no.

Once you accept that, youre on their payroll for life, Abshar-Abdalla told VOA. But they made it awfully easy to stick around. Im from a poor family, and it was quite tempting I think they managed to pull a few good minds from my generation that way.

Since 1980, Saudi Arabia has been using education to quietly spread Salafism, its brand of puritanical Islam, in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation. The two main arms of this effort are LIPIA and scholarships for higher education in Saudi Arabia.

Salafism is an ultra-conservative reform movement that advocates a return to Koranic times. LIPIA teaches Wahhabi Madhab, a strain of Salafi Islam expounded by the medieval Sunni theologian Ibn Taimiyah.

Saudi alumni are now visible in many arenas of Indonesian public life, holding positions in Muhammadiyah, the Prosperous Justice Party, and the Cabinet. Some have also become preachers and religious teachers, spreading Salafism across the archipelago.

The effects of Saudi Arabias massive soft power exercise on the Indonesian citizenry are just starting to become clear.

'The most important post in Jakarta'

The nexus of Saudi educational diplomacy is the religious attache, a special office affiliated with its embassy in Jakarta. The office grants scholarships for students to study in Saudi Arabia, although the current attache, Saad Namase, refused to confirm how many students were involved.

We dont really work with the Indonesian government, said Namase. We just try to strengthen cultural ties between our two countries by, for example, holding Quranic recitation competitions. On the topic of scholarships, he said many countries, including the Netherlands and the U.S. offer scholarships to Indonesian students and the Saudi program was just one among many.

The Saudi religious attache is the most important post in Jakarta, said Abshar-Abdalla, who now runs the Liberal Islam Network. It is the portal for all Saudi efforts to influence Indonesian culture.

The attaches office also pays the salary of prominent Salafi preachers and supplies Arabic teachers to boarding schools across Indonesia, according to Din Wahid, an expert on Indonesia Salafism at the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University in Jakarta.

Beyond the attaches office, several Saudi Arabian universities directly offer scholarships to Indonesian students.

One reason the Indonesian government is unlikely to present roadblocks to Saudi cultural expansion is its precarious annual Hajj quota, according to Dadi Darmadi, a UIN researcher who focuses on the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.





We were just granted 10,000 extra Hajj permits this year, which is still a drop in the bucket considering Indonesias population of 203 million Muslims, said Darmadi, I think Indonesia would hesitate to antagonize Saudi Arabia and prompt cuts to that hard-won quota.

Divergent paths

Hidayat Nur Wahid, a member of Indonesias House of Representatives and a leader of the right-wing Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), is one of the most prominent national politicians who have passed through Saudi universities. He studied, through a series of scholarships, for an undergraduate, masters and doctorate degree in theology and history of Islamic thought at the Islamic University of Medina.

The majority of Islamic texts are in Arabic, which is why I wanted to study in Saudi Arabia, Nur Wahid told VOA. Plus, the spirit of the Prophet Muhammad animates Medina. I enjoyed my years there.

Nur Wahid said he was not exposed to radicalism or "anti-social" teachings in Medina. We just learned how to be good Muslims. And its a misconception that everyone who studies in Saudi Arabia becomes a preacher or religious teacher. Many graduates become officials or politicians like me.

Since it is the place where Islam originated, many students think that Saudi Arabia represents authentic Islam, researcher Din Wahid.

Saudi theology had the opposite effect on Abshar-Abdalla, who gradually grew disenchanted with the Salafi movement during his five years at LIPIA.

Although I had some short-lived enthusiasm for that simplistic theology, I found it to be puritanical at its core, said Abshar-Abdalla. Instead, he started to read various other Islamic texts on his own, including Sufi and Shia ones, and eventually founded the Liberal Islam Network (JIL) in 2001.

Ironically, he himself was once recruited for the student movement that would develop into PKS. I was invited for a rafting trip in Bogor one weekend at university, and I realized they were trying to get me to join Tarbiyah, the embryo of the current PKS party, said Abshar-Abdalla. I sort of ran in the opposite direction.

Extremist connection

Although Saudi-educated preachers in Indonesia might be causing a subtle rightward shift in national ideology, a more immediate concern is whether Salafi teachings encourage terrorism or extremism.

By and large, I think not, because official Salafism is quietist, or apolitical, in order to preserve the authority of Saudi royalty in its homeland, said Wahid. That being said, when this ideology migrates back to Southeast Asia, all bets are off.

One prominent example of non-quietist, or jihadist, ideology is the Salafi-influenced Ngruki pesantren in Solo, Central Java, which has incubated a number of known Indonesian terrorists.

And Zaitun Rasmin, a graduate of Medina Islamic University, was one of the chief organizers of the hardline demonstrations against the governor of Jakarta in late 2016. Hes an example of an Indonesian Salafist who is unconcerned with being apolitical, said Wahid.

Wahids point is that, for all the resources Saudi Arabia is directing towards Indonesian students, it remains to be seen how exactly Salafi ideology evolves in its new Southeast Asian context. There are three flavors of Salafi ideology: quietist, political, and jihadist. We dont know what exactly it looks like in Indonesia. All we know is that its here, and its growing.
Its estimated that anywhere from 12-million to 27-million people around the world are victims of human trafficking. Humanitarian agencies say human trafficking is a 32-billion dollar a year industry. Sierra Leone is one of the many countries where it takes place.World Hope International operates the Trafficking in Persons Recovery Center in Sierra Leone. It describes it as a holistic, high-trauma aftercare facility. WHI Vice-President of Programs John Lyon said that traffickers lure people by making false promises of jobs or a better life.In Sierra Leone, what were finding is two principle forms of trafficking  particularly in the labor trafficking area, as well as sex trafficking. Its hard to put numbers around it. Every country in the world has problems finding highly accurate numbers of what actually is the scope of this problem, he said.Before you can treat victims of human trafficking, you have to find them.We had a case in northern Sierra Leone where a smaller mining firm got young kids to work in this mine. They were burrowing under the earth and some of the kids were actually killed in the mine. The kids were trafficked. They werent paid reasonable wages. Our program helped identify that case and brought it to the attention of the local authorities and helped prosecute the case with the Ministry of Mines, as well as with police, he said.Human trafficking not only comes by land, but by sea.Weve also seen cases involving foreign fishing firms that come in and traffic girls to their ships for purposes of sex. We had one specific case just outside of Freetown where a foreign shipping firm kept docking near the village where wed been working. And these girls would go to these ships. It came to light that the guys on the ship would come to shore and theyd say, you know, come over to the ship. We can get you a job. We can get you a better life. But what turned out was that they were just using these girls for sex.Lyon said the fishing vessel actually raised anchor and set to sea with several girls on board. WHI reported its findings to local authorities, who intercepted the ship and rescued the girls.World Hope International has set up 58 parent groups in the country that watch out for possible human trafficking.Lyon said, In Sierra Leone, the local villages are really the structure that you need to work through to really accomplish any kind of large-scale goal. And so in these 58 villages, weve worked with the villagers to help educate and sensitize the villagers as to what human trafficking looks like. What does a human trafficker do when he wants to traffic somebody? Then once thats been identified in a village theyll report that to police or other NGOs or the Ministry of Social Welfare. So theres that referral network that weve helped develop.The parent groups have helped identify a number of criminal activities, not just trafficking.Once children or adults are freed from or escape from traffickers, Lyon said, they need help healing and reintegrating.Well provide treatment for the victim, education, health treatment, as well as mental health treatment. What makes our program very unique in Sierra Leone is that we dont have a limit to how long that client can stay in our treatment facility. The client can stay as long as it takes for them to be treated and reintegrated into their community.Reintegration includes regular meetings by WHI staff with the children and their parents  ongoing monitoring to make sure they havent fallen victim to traffickers again  and possible jobs.The U.S. State Department recently upgraded Sierra Leones status in its annual Trafficking in Persons report. Lyons says its an indication that WHI programs and similar efforts are having a positive effect.
The spokesman for Swazilands government says opponents of the administration are using a traffic accident last week that killed several young women to tarnish the reputation of the southern African kingdom.

The women were on their way to the annual Reed Dance at the Ludzidzini Royal Village, where they would dance bare-breasted in front of King Mswati III, who often chooses his next wife from among them. The government said 10 women and three men were killed in the August 28 accident.

A Johannesburg-based rights group, the Swaziland Solidarity Network, accused the government of understating the fatalities. A wire service report initially put the toll at 38; other reports said there more than 60 deaths.

Group spokesman Lucky Lukhele told The Associated Press it was unacceptable that the government used open flatbed trucks to take dancers to the festival. "Even if it was one, one is too many," Lukhele said.

Opponents said the government could have prevented the deaths by transporting the women in buses instead of what they described as packing them like cattle in a truck. They said that with the kings 14 wives traveling in luxury BMWs and jets, the kingdom could afford safe transportation for the girls.

Government spokesman Percy Simelane said those who were using the women's deaths as a propaganda tool against the kingdom would not succeed in their plan to undermine the countrys strong cultural heritage and political stability.

The international media reported the number of deaths was 68," Simelane said. "Mathematically, it doesnt appear to be reasonable, because we only had eight admitted in our hospitals, and then three were released after two days. ... None of those admitted died.

Somebody is taking advantage of this unfortunate accident to push his own personal agenda, because the international media is quoting somebody outside Swaziland who has always told people that he ran away from Swaziland for political reasons.

Some civil society groups had called for the kingdom to postpone this years annual Reed Dance to honor the young women who died on their way to the ceremony.



They said the women were victims and that it was unacceptable for the administration to say through the Swazi-Observer newspaper that they were in "service of the nation," defending Swazi cultural heritage.

Simelane disagreed, saying the kingdom woiuld not abandon the countrys rich cultural heritage. The Reed Dance is in the bracket of those customs of this country that cannot be stopped once started, he said.

He dismissed the criticism as a publicity stunt.

I wish the accusations were factual. It is difficult [responding] to something that is not factual, Simelane said.

Mswati is Africas last absolute monarch who chooses the government. He is not subject to the constitution, which bans political parties from taking part in the country's elections.

This week, the European Union passed a resolution calling for Mswati to honor Swaziland's treaty commitments on labor and human rights.



The EU parliament noted deep concern about the erosion of democracy and basic rights in Swaziland and the increasing brutal manner in which the government is responding to its critics.

The parliamentarians said noncompliance with its treaty obligations would jeopardize Swaziland's access to lucrative EU markets.

Last year, the United States dropped Swaziland from the African Growth and Opportunities Act for backsliding on human rights and promises of democratic reform.
Tibetan protesters in Switzerland say they are frustrated with the Swiss government for allegedly making it more difficult for them to protest a visit by China's leader Xi Jinping.

On Sunday, Swiss authorities gave a two-hour window for the Tibetans to protest before Xi arrived for an official reception in Bern. Some 32 Swiss-Tibetan protesters were arrested as they shouted Shame on China, Free Tibet and Don't Deal with Killer.

One Tibetan man in his 20s was stopped as he attempted to self-immolate, according to Bern police. The Office of Tibet in Switzerland said all of those detained were released later the same day.

The head of the Tibetan association, which organizes the protests, complained that the Swiss government's reluctance in issuing permits will affect protests planned for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Swiss take advantage?

Tenzin Nyingpo, the president of Tibetan Community in Switzerland, said his organization canceled the upcoming demonstrations after Swiss officials asked the group to withdraw its application for a permit. He said the officials in turn agreed to let them protest Wednesday when Xi visits the United Nation's office in Geneva. On Tuesday, Xi is scheduled to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, becoming the first Chinese president to participate in the gathering.

Tenzin Nyingpo said Monday the Swiss officials now asked him to either cancel Wednesday's plan or stage a protest only after the U.N. offices are closed.

As Tibetans, we've compromised our plans to support Swiss government's demands, Nyingpo told VOA. But now I feel Swiss officials are taking advantage of us.

Controlled demonstrations

In an email statement, Pierre-Alain Eltschinger, a spokesperson from the Swiss foreign ministry, said, Demonstrations in Bern are always subject to authorization by the local authorities. In the present case, the demonstration has been authorized within a specific time frame and location.

Switzerland was one of the first countries to host Tibetan refugees in the early 1960s when Tibetans had fled to India from Chinese occupation of their country.

Today, there are about 3,500 Tibetans living in Switzerland, according to a Swiss Tibetan Community website.
U.S. Senate committees continue their questioning of President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet choices Tuesday with confirmation hearings for his picks to lead the Department of Interior and Department of Education.

Interior secretary nominee Ryan Zinke will testify before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Zinke, a former Navy SEAL, is a proponent of keeping public lands under federal ownership. That puts him at odds with those in the Republican Party who favor privatization, or placing federal lands under the control of states. Zinke's position matches the views of Trump, who says he does not think public land should be placed under state control.

Many environmental groups oppose Zinke, who has advocated for increased energy drilling and mining on public lands and has expressed skepticism about the urgency of climate change.

The Interior Department has more than 70,000 employees across the United States and oversees more than 20 percent of federal land, including national parks.

Education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos will make her appearance before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

She is a billionaire philanthropist from Michigan who heads the American Federation for Children, an advocacy organization that pushes for expanded use of school voucher programs, which provide government money to help pay for a child's education in private schools.

She is a noted critic of teachers' unions, which she referred to as a formidable foe while speaking at a school choice forum during the Republican National Convention.

The National Education Association, the largest teachers' union, opposes DeVos. NEA President Eskelsen Garcia said in a statement after the nomination was announced in November that DeVos "has done more to undermine public education than support students."

The Senate will be busy with hearings for other Cabinet posts this week before Trump's inauguration on Friday.

Wednesday will feature hearings for Commerce secretary nominee Wilbur Ross, U.N. ambassador nominee Nikki Haley, Health and Human Services secretary nominee Tom Price, and the nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt.

On Thursday, former Texas Governor Rick Perry has a hearing on his nomination to head the Department of Energy.
Ukraine filed a lawsuit at the United Nations' highest court demanding that Russia immediately halt its support for pro-Moscow separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry accused Russia of "acts of terrorism and discrimination in the course of its unlawful aggression" in the filing to the International Court of Justice, according to a ministry statement issued on Monday evening.

Russia has repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine.

The filing itself has no direct consequences, though a finding by the court in Ukraine's favor could be enforceable in some national courts, theoretically triggering legal steps to freeze or seize Russian assets.

The Hague-based court had no immediate comment.

Kyiv is also challenging Moscow's actions on its territory at the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights, while Ukrainian energy firms Ukrnafta and Stabil have asked the U.N.'s Permanent Court of Arbitration to compensate them for investments lost when Russia seized the Crimean peninsula.

Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, and fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine the following month between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government forces, a conflict in which close to 10,000 people have been killed.

In Monday's filing, Ukraine accused Russia of violating the Terrorism Financing Convention "by supplying weapons and other forms of assistance to illegal armed groups operating on Ukrainian territory".

Among the separatists' alleged crimes, the filing cited the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014, the bombardment of residential areas in Mariupol and Kramatorsk, and the destruction of a civilian passenger bus near Volnovakha.
The United Nations wants almost a billion dollars to prevent famine in Somalia; but as a new government establishes itself, there are worries about corruption and political interference with aid delivery.

The United Nations warned Tuesday that drought in Somalia may push the country to famine this year.

The U.N. appealed for $864 million to fund relief efforts in the Horn of Africa nation for 2017.

In 2011, 250,000 people starved to death amid drought and conflict. Aid was slow to arrive at that time, and when it did arrive, much of it was diverted by armed groups or blocked from areas controlled by Islamic militant group al-Shabab.

Today, parts of Somalia again face a severe lack of food due to a shortage of rainfall and continued war between the government and al- Shabab.

The U.N. estimates that 5 million Somalis, or 40 percent of the population, need relief, including more than 320,000 children believed to be acutely malnourished.

Peter de Clerq, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, says food and water prices are rising, and people are crossing to Ethiopia in search of food.

"It's clear already if rapid and adequate action is not taken, we are more and more likely to find ourselves in the same situation as in 2011," he said.

Challenge for new government



The food crisis comes as Somalia gets a new government. The parliament, inaugurated earlier this month, selects a president next week.

The United Nations' representative to Somalia, Michael Keating, said avoiding famine will be a major test for the new officials.

"In some ways the legitimacy of the incoming government will in part be viewed by the degree it comes to terms with this problem and puts its weight behind solving it," he said.

Parliamentary speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari said parliament fully supports the U.N.'s humanitarian response plan for 2017.

He said the government established a national drought committee and would launch discussions on the matter in parliament immediately.

"We'll do our best, so whatever we can do on our side, we'll do. It's not time for politicking here. We have to do whatever we can do to save our people," he said.

There are, however, doubts.

Corruption, delays



The European Union representative to Somalia, Veronique Lorenzo, said the government must speak out against corruption.

"One of the things, which politically we'll be paying a lot of attention to, is the issue of corruption. I think the onus will be on the government to demonstrate that no corruption, nothing can get between the assistance and a starving child," she said.



De Clerq, the humanitarian coordinator, noted continued bureaucratic delays for aid delivery and the setup of irregular roadblocks, levying taxes on relief convoys.



"Many of which are not al-Shabab roadblocks, but they are basically done by the army elements or militia elements that have no accountability," he said.

Parliamentary speaker Jawari said the government would use force if necessary to clear roadblocks, but he did not address corruption.
The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is urging Iran to stop the execution of a man who was a juvenile when sentenced in 2012.

Sajad Sanjari was 15 years old when an Iranian court sentenced him to death for fatally stabbing a man. In 2014, he was granted a retrial under a new Islamic Penal Code, but the following year, a provincial criminal court rejected his argument that he acted in self-defense against a would-be rapist.

The court confirmed the death sentence, saying Sanjari was mature enough to understand the nature of his crime. This ruling was upheld by Iran's Supreme Court last year.

A spokesman for the human rights office, Rupert Colville, says Iran is one of a few countries that still executes juvenile offenders. He says the use of capital punishment on anyone under the age of 18 is a violation of international human rights law.

"At least five juveniles were reportedly executed in Iran last year, Colville said, and at least 78 people reportedly remain on death row for crimes they committed when they were under 18, although the actual figure may be much higher than that."

The number of executions in Iran is difficult to pin down, Colville tells VOA, because of the opaque system of government.

"According to various NGO [non-governmental organization] sources, the number of people executed in 2016, last year, was over 500  530 according to some, Colville said. The vast majority is said to be for drug offenses."

Under international law, the death penalty may be imposed only for the most serious crimes  those involving intentional killing. Human rights experts say drug-related offenses do not meet that bar.

The United Nations is calling for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty in Iran because of the high number of executions and concerns that defendants do not receive fair trials.
A former Libyan Islamist commander, who says he suffered years of torture by Muammar Gadhafi's henchmen after British and U.S. spies handed him over to Libya, was given permission on Tuesday to sue the British government and its former foreign secretary.

Abdel Hakim Belhadj, a rebel leader who helped topple Gadhafi in 2011 and is now a politician, says he and his pregnant wife Fatima were abducted by U.S. CIA agents in Thailand in 2004 and then illegally transferred to Tripoli with the help of British spies.

Britain's Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed an appeal by the government to stop him taking legal action, paving the way for Belhadj and his wife to seek damages against former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, the domestic and foreign spy agencies MI5 and MI6, a senior former intelligence chief and relevant government departments.

However, Belhadj has said he would drop the case if he was given a token payment of 1 pound ($1.21) and an apology from all the parties involved.

"We hope that the defendants in this action now see fit to apologize to our clients and acknowledge the wrongs done, so that they may turn the page on this wretched chapter of their lives and move on," said lawyer Sapna Malik from Leigh Day, the London law firm representing Belhadj.

Belhadj says he was originally detained in China, before being transferred to Malaysia and then moved to a CIA "black site" in Thailand.

He was handed over to CIA agents, acting on a tip-off from MI6, and flown via the British island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to Tripoli, because at the time Britain and the United States were keen to build relations with Gadhafi.

As a long-standing enemy of the former Libyan leader, he was imprisoned and tortured until his release in 2010 while his wife was also mistreated during her four-month incarceration. Leigh Day said documents found after Gadhafi's fall showed British complicity in his case.

Straw, who was foreign secretary at the time in the government of Tony Blair, said he had always acted in line with British and international law.

"I was never in any way complicit in the unlawful rendition or detention of anyone by other states," he said in a statement.
Shahid Kapoor shared a photo earlier today on his Instagram account that would simply take your breath away.

By India Today Web Desk: Men want to be him and women want to be with him, that's Shahid Kapoor for you.

As anyone remotely acquainted with Shahid Kapoor's social media accounts would know, the Rangoon star frequently shares pictures of himself working out, much to the delight of his fans.

ALSO WATCH: Shahid's hilarious imitation of wife Mira Rajput

SEE PIC: When Shahid-Mira partied with Harshvardhan and Sushant

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ALSO READ: Shahid's brother Ishaan to debut opposite Deepika?

Shahid Kapoor's recent Instagram pictures will remind you that age is just a number and it is never too late to hit the gym!

A photo posted by Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) on Jan 17, 2017 at 12:03am PST

A photo posted by Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) on Jan 16, 2017 at 9:08am PST

Recently, on the work front, Shahid Kapoor won the Best Actor (Critics' Choice) award at the 74th Filmfare Awards ceremony held on January 14. He got it for his performance in Udta Punjab where he played the drugged-out rapper Tommy Singh.

Came with one stunning lady and heading home with two. Thank you #filmfare. #udtapunjab congratulations @aliaabhatt and @diljitdosanjh A photo posted by Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) on Jan 14, 2017 at 1:26pm PST

Shahid will soon be seen in the World War II film Rangoon where he is acting opposite Saif Ali Khan and Kangana Ranaut. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, Rangoon releases in theatres on February 24.

ALSO WATCH: The women who ruled the red carpet at the 2017 Filmfare Awards

--- ENDS ---
The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed financial sanctions against Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik for actively obstructing the U.S.-brokered peace accords that ended Bosnia's war in 1995.

The sanctions, imposed Tuesday, allow U.S. authorities to block access by Dodik to any of his property or assets under U.S. jurisdiction.

Dodik, who is president of Bosnia's autonomous Serb Republic, has been criticized by the West for leading a campaign to celebrate a Serbian Republic Day holiday in defiance of the Bosnia and Herzegovina constitutional court.

The Republic Day commemorates the proclamation of a "Republic of Serb people" in Bosnia that took place three months before the inter-ethnic 1992-1995 conflict erupted, eventually claiming 100,000 lives.

An overwhelming majority of Bosnian Serb voters in September supported Dodik's referendum to continue to hold the holiday.

The holiday, however, causes deep anguish among survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of some 8,000 Muslim males by Bosnian Serb forces, Europe's worst atrocity since World War II.

The Dayton peace agreement that ended Bosnia's war split the country into two semi-independent entities, the Republik Srpska and a Muslim-Croat Federation, linked by a weak federal government.

John Smith, a senior Treasury Department official, said that "by obstructing the Dayton accords, Milorad Dodik poses a significant threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina."
The Vatican demanded on Tuesday that the leaders of the Knights of Malta, a worldwide Catholic chivalric and charity group, cooperate with an inquiry into alleged irregularities ordered by Pope Francis.

In the latest salvo of a battle of wills between the heads of two of the world's oldest institutions, a Vatican statement also rejected what it said was an attempt by the Rome-based Knights to discredit members of a papal commission of inquiry.

Both sides have been locked in a bitter dispute since one of the order's top knights, Grand Chancellor Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, was sacked on Dec. 6 in the chivalric equivalent of a boardroom showdown - ostensibly because he allowed the use of condoms in a medical project for the poor.

The all-male hierarchy of the group, whose top leaders are not clerics but take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, have defied the pope, refusing to cooperate with the investigation of the sacking or recognize the inquiry's legitimacy.

"The Holy See counts on the complete cooperation of all in this sensitive stage," the statement said, adding that it "rejects ... any attempt to discredit (commission) members."

That was a clear rebuttal of statements and letters by the Knights' top official, Grand Master Matthew Festing. He has denounced the papal commission as intervention in the order's sovereign affairs, accused members having a conflict of interest, and has set up his own internal commission.

In a confidential letter sent to top members on Jan. 14 and seen by Reuters, Festing said the five-member papal commission was "clearly unfit to address the situation objectively".

"There are serious accusations of a conflict of interest for at least three of the members who have been proved to be linked to a fund in Geneva," Festing says, without giving details.

Sovereign entity

The order, formed in the 11th century to provide protection and medical care for pilgrims to the Holy Land, has the status of a sovereign entity. It maintains diplomatic relations with over 100 states and the European Union and permanent observer status at the United Nations. It has about 120,000 members.

Festing, 67, a Briton, fired von Boeselager, accusing him of hiding the fact that he allowed the use of condoms when he ran Malteser International, the order's humanitarian aid agency.

Von Boeselager said his sacking was illegitimate and appealed to the pope.

The Vatican statement appeared to reject the order's claim of total sovereignty. It said that after he receives the commission's report this month, the pope will make "the most fitting decision" not only for the order but for the whole Church.

The German's supporters say the condom issue was excuse by Festing and Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, an arch-conservative who has criticized the pope on other issues, to increase their power.

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.

Von Boeselager said in a statement he shut down two projects in the developing world when he discovered condoms were being distributed but kept a third running for a while because closing it would have abruptly ended all basic medical services to poor people.

Francis has said he 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, especially the poor.
United Nations envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed is in Yemen as the U.N. marks a grim milestone  10,000 civilians dead in fighting.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed met with senior Yemeni leaders Monday, including President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, to appeal for a return to the April truce.

Yemen's political elite have a responsibility to shield people from further harm, protect their country's future, and commit to a peaceful settlement, Ould Cheikh Ahmed said. The current political stalemate is causing death and destruction every day.

Truce is key to peace

The U.N. envoy said the only way to stop this suffering in Yemen is for all sides to abide by the truce and sit down at the peace table.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed plans to meet later this week with Houth rebel representatives.

The U.N. says the fighting in Yemen has killed about 10,000 civilians since a Saudi-led Arab coalition launched airstrikes almost two years ago and sent in ground forces to defeat the Houthis.

Neighborhoods are gone

The airstrikes have wiped out entire neighborhoods in the capital, Sana'a.

The Iranian-backed rebels seized control of Sana'a in 2014. U.N. efforts toward putting together a permanent cease-fire and an interim government have so far failed.

Yemen is one of the world's poorest nations. U.N. estimates say about 80 percent of the civilian population is in desperate need of food and medicine.
In Zimbabwe, doctors and aid organizations have called on the government to improve the countrys water and sanitation amid a typhoid outbreak.

Authorities have started dismantling vendors' malls as part of efforts to contain the outbreak that has struck more than 200 people in the capital, Harare, killing two, and has been detected in other parts of Zimbabwe.

Vendors say authorities must ensure citizens have adequate clean water and sanitation.

Evans Masitara, the secretary general of the group Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights, told journalists in Harare that President Robert Mugabes government has to do more to contain the outbreak.

We really do not want to mix issues here. Typhoid is being driven by this water and sewerage problem and not by vendors. The meat vendors, definitely is a health problem; but it is not the driver of typhoid. It is an issue which needs to be addressed, but for now I think the priority should be on water and sewerage systems and refuse collection, Masitara said.

Last week, the doctors group called on the government to release funds to ensure medicine imports are not delayed. On Tuesday, the doctors said their call had not been answered positively.

'Deplorable'

Health Minister David Parirenyatwa on Tuesday visited Mbare township, the epicenter of the typhoid outbreak. He blamed the city of Harare for failing to ensure hygienic conditions.

We will not be able to get rid of typhoid or cholera or diarrheal diseases as long as we have conditions like these ones. Even if I say, 'Every hospital in this country, stop treating anything else except typhoid or cholera,' we still do not have a solution. The solution is that we still need hygienic conditions in this country, particularly here in Harare. The filth that is there. The worms that are breeding on top and under the cabbages that are sold, and the sewage that is flowing is just a shocking, a deplorable state.... As long as you do not clean this, you will not get rid of typhoid, Parirenyatwa said.

In 2008-2009, a cholera outbreak killed more than 4,000 people in Zimbabwe. The waterborne bacterial disease can be treated with antibiotics, but still kills more than 220,000 people worldwide each year.
Zimbabwes Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi, who is widely supported by African leaders to take over the coveted post of secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), has a new challenger.

According to UNWTO, the former Minister of Tourism and Culture of the Republic of Seychelles, Alain St. Ange, has entered the race after stepping down to concentrate on his election.

The Seychelles Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine presented his letter of resignation to the Seychelles President Danny Faure  He wants to enter the getting bigger race to become the UNWTO secretary general. He will be the second African minister entering the race.

Assertively endorsed by African Heads of State and Government at the African Union Summit held in Kigali, Rwanda, in July last year, Mzembi accepted the distinguished honor of Africas candidature for the top UNWTO post.

The days are fast approaching as the two contenders will meet in Madrid, Spain, to launch the official campaign for the post.

According to the London Evening Post, if St. Agne is to receive an the official endorsement of his own government, then he and his government will be openly breaking ranks with the 15-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) and 54-member African Union (AU), which endorsed a single candidate to carry Africas bid to win the post.

When asked to comment regarding the recent developments, Mzembi said it was too early for him to comment.

Too early and too soon for me to comment on other candidates. I am focused on my own lane. Still studying and observing this space, this is geopolitical chess game, so am keeping my cards close to my chest.

He referred further inquiries to his deputy, Annasticia Ndlovu, who started the interview on a grateful note by saluting SADC and AU member for backing Mzembi for the post.

She added, however, that it was unfortunate that there were some people who were determined to divide the African vote for the UNWTO vote.

It is very unfortunate that some people on the continent are still not yet able to resist the imagination of the imperialists who do not want to achieve anything but to divide the African vote.

She urged African Union members to stay resolute and remain focused and to know there is already an official candidate endorsed by the AU heads of states and governments.

She sternly declared that the competitor would not disturb Zimbabwes current Minister of Tourism and Hospitality in his unwavering focus, as he continues in his endeavors.

Now as a country and of course as his part as a candidate he has shown he will not be moved by puppets. He has shown exceptional leadership qualities, and has contributed in a big way, in promoting the growth of the economy though tourism for quite a while.

In a confirmatory tone, she added, I feel nothing is going to shake us, and nothing is going to shake him, he deserves the job and he is the best candidate. Africa did not make a mistake in endorsing (Mzembi) because he is going to take tourism to greater heights on the continent and globally when he assumes office of secretary general of UNWTO. He is a tried and tested leader and he is the longest servicing tourism minister on the continent.

Mzembi is serving a second-term as chairperson of the UNWTO Regional Commission for Africa since 2013.

Ndlovu indicated that it was important to separate perceptions and facts from and what is prevailing on the ground in Zimbabwe. Critics say the countrys degenerating social, economic and political situation is resulting from President Robert Mugabes poor governance.

However, his ruling Zanu PF party is blaming the West for imposing what it calls crippling targeted sanctions on the southern African nation following claims of human rights violations and election rigging.

Ndlovu expressed her pride in Zimbabwes tourism products, noting that the Seychelles former ministers moves are an act of weakness.

We are rich as far as endowments and diverse products choice and as a country I can say we are a bit more principled than Seychelles. We do not expect members of the SADC and even more so the AU to move away from resolutions of the regional body and continental body. Thats a weakness that works against them.

Zimbabwe co-hosted the UNWTO General Assembly with Zambia in August 2013 in Victoria Falls.

VOA is expected to get a comment from St. Ange on Wedenesday.
The broadcast by The Last Refuge of the complete recording of the meeting between Secretary of State John Kerry and the members of the National Coalition (22 September 2016, at the Dutch delegation to the United Nations) calls into question what we thought we knew about the US position on Syria.

First of all, we believed that while Washington had launched the operation known as the Arab Spring in order to overthrow the secular Arab regimes for the benefit of the Muslim Brotherhood, it had left its allies to assume the second war against Syria on their own, as from July 2012. Since these states pursued their own objectives  recolonisation for France and the United Kingdom, theft of gas reserves for Qatar, expansion of Wahhabism and revenge for the Lebanese civil war for Saudi Arabia, annexation of the North of the country for Turkey on the Cypriot model, etc.  the original objective had been abandoned. However, John Kerry states in this recording that Washington has never stopped seeking to overthrow the Syrian Arab Republic, which implies that it supervised the work of its allies at every stage. It follows that, over the last four years, the jihadists have been commanded, armed and coordinated by NATO Allied LandCom (ground forces command) based in Izmir (Turkey).

Second, John Kerry confirms here that Washington could go no further because of international Law and the position of Russia. Lets be clear about this - the United States have never ceased exceeding their rights. They have destroyed most of Syrias oil and gas infrastructures, on the pretence of fighting the jihadists (which is allowed under international Law), but without having been invited by President el-Assad (which violates intenational Law). However, they did not dare to deploy their troops on the ground and openly fight the Republic, as they did in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. For that job, they chose to put their allies in the front line  leadership from behind  and to support mercenary forces without discretion, as they did in Nicaragua, at the risk of being sanctioned by the International Court of Justice (UN internal tribunal). Washington does not want to engage in a war against Russia, which, although it had not opposed the destruction of Yugoslavia and Libya, stood up and drew a new line which must not be crossed. Moscow has the capacity to defend the Law by force if Washington were to openly engages in a new war of conquest.

Third, John Kerry confirms here that Washington hoped for the victory of Daesh over the Republic. Until now  on the basis of the report by General Michael Flynn on 12 August 2012 and the article by Robin Wright in the New York Times on 28 Septembre 2013  we had understood that the Pentagon intended to create a Sunnistan straddling Syria and Iraq, in order to cut the Silk Road. However, he admits that the plan went much further than that. Probably, Daesh was to take Damascus, and then be chased out by Tel-Aviv (in other words, they would be pushed back to the Sunnistan which had been allotted to them). Syria would then be shared between Israel in the South, Daesh in the East, and Turkey in the North.

This point enables us to understand why Washington gave the impression of no longer being able to control events, of giving its allies free rein  indeed, it engaged France and the United Kingdom in the war by leading them to believe that they would be able to recolonise the Levant, while in fact it had planned to divide Syria without them.

Fourth, by admitting that Washington supported Daesh, John Kerry recognises that it armed them, which destroys the rhetoric of the war on terror.

 Since the attack against the al-Askari mosque in Samarra, on 22 February 2006, we knew that Daesh (originally known as the Islamic Emirate of Iraq) had been created by the national director of US Intelligence, John Negroponte, and Colonel James Steele  on the model they had used in Honduras  in order to put an end to the Iraqi Resistance and to spark a civil war.

 We knew, since the publication by the PKK daily, Ozgur Gundem, of the minutes of the planning meeting held in Amman on 1 June 2014, that the United States had organised the joint offensive of Daesh on Mosul and the Kurdistan Regional Government on Kirkuk.

 We now know with certainty that Washington has never stopped supporting Daesh.

Fifth, we had interpreted the conflict between the Allen/Clinton/Feltman/Petraeus clan on one hand, and the Obama/Kerry administration on the other, as being concerned with the question of whether or not to support Daesh. This interpretation was wrong. Both sides had no qualms about organising and supporting the most fanatical of jihadists. Their disagreement concerned only the recourse to open warfare  and the risk of potential conflict with Russia  or the choice of secret action. Only Flynn  Donald Trumps current security advisor  is opposed to jihadism.

If, in a few years, the United States should collapse as the USSR did, this recording of John Kerry could be used against him, and against Barack Obama, before an international court  but not before the International Criminal Court, which today is discredited. Having recognised the extracts of this conversation which have been published by the New York Times, he would no longer be able to contest the authenticity of the whole dossier. The support that Kerry offers to Daesh violates several UN resolutions and constitutes proof of his responsibility and that of Obama in the crimes against humanity committed by the terrorist organisation.
On 12 January, two days after his farewell address, President Obama signalled the way for the biggest lining up of land forces in Eastern Europe following the end of the Cold War: a long convoy of tanks and other US armoured vehicles, coming from Germany has entered Poland. It is the armoured Brigade 3a, transferred into Europe from Fort Carson, Colorado. It is composed of around 4,000 men, 87 tanks, 18 self-propelled howitzers, 144 Bradley combat vehicles and about a hundred Humvees. The entire armament is transported into Poland either by road, or by 900 railway wagons.

At the welcome ceremony that took place in the Polish city of Zagan, the US ambassador Jones said that gradually, as the threat increases, so too increases the US military lining up in Europe. The nature of the threat was clarified by General Curtis Scaparotti, who holds in the tandem the position of the Head of the US European Command and the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe:

Our forces are ready and positioned should they be needed to contain Russian aggression.

The armoured Brigade 3a will remain at a base in Zagan for nine months.

Thereafter, it will be replaced by another unit brought in from the USA. Such a rotation will enable the US armoured forces to be permanently deployed in Polish territory. From here, their units will be transferred for training and drills, to other countries in Eastern [Europe], notably Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania and probably also Ukraine. In this way, they will be constantly deployed at the Russian border.

A second US contingent will be positioned this coming April in East Poland, in the so- called Suwalki Gap, a tract of flat ground, about a hundred kilometres long, that, Nato warns, would be a perfect crossing for the Russian tankers.

It thus resurrects the US / NATO tools of propaganda deployed in the old Cold War: Russian tankers poised to invade Europe. While stoking the spectre of a non-existent threat from the East, US tankers are arriving in Europe. The armoured Brigade 3a will sit alongside the air and naval forces that the US has already lined up in Europe in the operation Atlantic Resolve, to reassure the Nato allies and their partners if confronted by Russian aggression. This operation was launched by Washington in 2014, after intentionally provoking, with the Piazza Maidan putsch, a fresh confrontation with Russia. A strategy which was principally carved out by Hillary Clinton when she was part of the Obama Administration. Its aim? To reduce to nothing Russias economic and political relations with the European Union, a relationship that is harmful for US interests.

Poland is playing a central role in anti-Russian escalation. This is why it will shortly receive from the US, long-range cruise missiles, with anti-bunker penetrating capacity, which can also be armed with nuclear heads. And in Poland, the construction of a land installation of a US Aegis missile system, similar to the one that has already started operating at Deveselu in Romania, is underway. Also this one, equipped with Lockheed Martins system Mk 41, is capable of launching not only anti-missile missiles but cruise missiles which can be armed with nuclear heads.

However, in Warsaw and other Eastern European capitals  writes The New York Times  there is grave concern that the Republican Trump, may strike up an agreement with Moscow that would threaten the entire effort.

A nightmare torments the governments of East Europe that are forecasting their fortunes on hostility with Russia. A nightmare that the tankers sent by Obama the Democrat, may return home.
The former President of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, was arrested by the French Judicial police, at the airport of Bale-Mulhouse and then released on a bond of judicial supervision. Serbia is asking for his extradition to put him on trial for the crimes he committed as part of the Army for the Liberation of Kosovo (UCK) during the nineties.

Kosovo is a state created by Nato, but has not been recognized by the international community.

Set up by Nato from the Albanian mafia, the UCK unleashed a campaign of blind terrorism in Yugoslavia, provoking generalized, non-targetted repression by Belgrade that serves as a cover for the Nato war. Its officers had been trained by the German KSK on behalf of the Nato Alliance in Turkey.

17 years later, an international criminal tribunal should come into being, to judge the crimes perpetrated by the UCK. However those attributed to Serbia were immediately prosecuted.

Unable to prove that President Slobodan Milosevic had committed crimes against humanity, Nato had him killed in his prison cell in the Hague in 2006, following a trial lasting several years. His death presages that of two other Nato victims, Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi.

Ramush Haradinaj has already been tried by the International Court for the Former Yugoslavia in 2007. Nato intelligence services had in their possession documents relating to him, but they refused to hand them over to the Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte. More than ten witnesses for the prosecution had been assassinated when they were getting ready to testify before the Court. Ultimately, Mr. Haradinaj was acquitted.

Should an ad hoc court be set up, the chief accused would be the current president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci. In the meantime, Serbia is asking for Justice.

When the charges were being read out, Ramush Haradinaj insulted the French magistrates whom he accused of serving the now deceased President Milosevic. His lawyer, Mrs Rachel Lindon, pleaded that Belgrade lacks jurisdiction to prosecute her client, resting her case on the fact that he had already been tried at the Hague. But the prosecution observed that, in light of the deaths of the witnesses, the first trial had not been able to rule on all the crimes.

To extradite Ramush Haradinaj to Serbia, the French government must give its approval.
Snowfall arrived late in Sikkim but tourists are no less thrilled about it.

By Manogya Loiwal : It is not just North India that is witnessing spells of snowfall; the North-Eastern region has joined the brigade too.

Sikkim has been experiencing snowfall in the eastern and northern parts of the state.

A chilling wind along with light snow fall occured in Zuluk, Kupup and Lungthung of East Sikkim while on the other hand Lachen, Lachung and Gurudongmar remained semi snow-capped.

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Snowfall however seems to have arrived late in Sikkim owing to the delay in western disturbances. Nonetheless, a heavy snowfall is likely to occur in the state soon.

So, if you are taking a tour around Sikkim this time, make sure you do not miss out on the following tourist attractions.

Zuluk: This is a beautiful destination following Phadamchen at an altitude 7000 ft. This region offers you a beautiful view of Mt.Kanchenzonga and other mountain peaks. An amazing view of the sunrise is an added pleasure while travelling early morning to Thambi point (Dhupi dara), A night halt is recommended because of the extreme weather conditions in Zuluk.

Gnathang: It's a high altitude village (13500 ft.) in old Silk route of Sikkim and is visited by tourists all round the year. Snow-capped in winter, this destination turns into a beautiful flower valley in summer. A night stay is recommended after an excursion to the Lake and Baba Mandir.

Old Baba Mandir: This is the original Temple of Baba Harbhajan Singh where he was buried during Indo-China war. This region lies close to the Bhutan Border where the traveller can enjoy a panoramic view of the mountains, parallel to the plain of West Bengal in clear weather.

Also Read:Heavy snowfall in Himachal to Kashmir, rain in plains bring relief, disruption in north India

Kupup: This is an entry point to Old Baba Mandir and Kupup Lake.

Memenchu Lake: This is one of the most beautiful lakes in east Sikkim surrounded by dense forest, below new Baba Mandir and Kupup lake.This Memenchu Lake has been selected as the trout fish farming zone by both the state and the central government.

"I hail from Kolkata and am here to visit the Sikkim silk route as well as the villages Selari and Julu. But now I think that I will not be able to travel further witnessing the weather change to the worst. I do feel bad but on the contrary I am content with what I am experiencing now as I have never seen snowfall before and I am enjoying this to the extreme, " said Sreetama Banerjee while enjoying her holiday in Sikkim.

--- ENDS ---

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The mayor of Diyarbakir, recently appointed by the Yildirim government after the dismissal of the elected mayor, has removed the Assyrian statue [that had been erected] opposite the townhall.

The former mayor (HDP), had erected the statue of the winged bull, Lamassu, in recognition of the Assyrian community. Historically, Diyarbakir is an Assyrian town, which today has a strong Kurdish presence. HDP, a party representing minorities, is often presented as representing the interests of Kurds. However, it also represents all other minorities, such as the Assyrians.

On 16 November 2016, the Yldirm government had removed the only Assyrian mayor of Turkey, Mrs Februniye Akyol (mayor of Mardin) from office.

Erol Dora is an Assyrian HDP MP and has asked for explanations from the government during a parliamentary session. He has not obtained a response.

The Assyrians are the heirs of the Assyrian empire, one of the most ancient civilizations in the [history] of humanity (from 14th century BC to 6th century BC). Today, most of them are Christians. Turkish law prohibits the construction of Christian Churches. The Assyrians have already been singled out as a priority target for Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
Minister Isola Travels to Shanghai and Nanjing

As part of the Governments ongoing strategy to attract business to Gibraltar, Minister Isola travels to Shanghai and Nanjing this week for a series of meetings, presentations and seminars which will include State Owned Enterprises, Government Agencies and large companies.

On Wednesday 18th January Minister Isola will host a financial services seminar at the British Consulate in Shanghai, which is being organised in conjunction with the China Britain Business Council.

Isola also travels to Nanjing where he has been invited to address the senior insurance management team from offices across China of a global advisory, broking and solutions company. The following day Minister Isola will be meeting with a leading global information and communications technology solutions provider.

Minister Isola commented: We have welcomed a number of Chinese delegations to Gibraltar over the past 12 months and this will be my second visit to China following on from a successful week in Beijing last October. There was an unprecedented level of investment by Chinese businesses in Europe in 2016 and the Government of Gibraltar is working hard to develop new channels and opportunities to attract Chinese firms to use Gibraltar as a hub for investing more widely in Europe.

The Minister will be accompanied by Senior Executive of Gibraltar Finance Michael Ashton, Chief Executive of Gibraltars Office in Hong Kong Jason Cruz and Managing Director of Callaghan Insurance Brokers Bruno Callaghan.
Top Darts Stars Return For Gibraltar Darts Trophy

The world's top darts stars will return to The Rock in May for the fifth staging of the Gibraltar Darts Trophy, with tickets now available.

The PDC European Tour event, which offers 135,000 in prize money, will see 48 players competing from May 12-14 at the Victoria Stadium, with the tournament being streamed online worldwide.

The field is set to feature reigning World Champion Michael van Gerwen, who has won the tournament for the past two years and 2014 champion James Wade, with 16 top players competing alongside 32 qualifiers.

Friday's opening day features the first round as the 32 qualifiers, which will include four Host Nation Qualifiers from Gibraltar, face off across two sessions, before the top 16 seeded players come in at the second round stage on Saturday.

The Gibraltar Darts Trophy then concludes on Sunday May 14 with the third round, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.

Last year's tournament saw Gibraltar's Dyson Parody enjoy the most memorable weekend of his career as he won through to the quarter-finals, being the first Host Nation Qualifier to progress this far on The Rock.

Tickets for the 2017 Gibraltar Darts Trophy are now available and can be purchased online: www.buytickets.gi

2017 Gibraltar Darts Trophy

Tercentenary Hall, Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar

Friday May 12th

Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm)

First Round x8

Table Tickets 10

Tier Tickets 5

Evening Session (7pm-11pm)

First Round x8

Table Tickets 15

Tier Tickets 5

Saturday May 13th

Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm)

Second Round x8

Table Tickets 12

Tier Tickets 5

Evening Session (7pm-11pm)

Second Round x8

Table Tickets 20

Tier Tickets 5

Sunday May 14th

Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm)

Third Round x8

Table Tickets 15

Tier Tickets 5

Evening Session (7pm-11pm)

Quarter-Finals

Semi-Finals

Final

Table Tickets 20

Tier Tickets 5

Season Tickets (All Sessions)

Table Season Ticket 50

Tier Season Ticket 25

Ticket prices above subject to booking fee & sold subject to standard PDC Terms & Conditions available at www.pdc.tv/tickets

For enquiries, please contact the Ministry of Sports, City Hall via +350 200 47592 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tickets will also be available at the event.
MTV Presents Gibraltar Calling

MTV UK has today announced it will bring MTV Presents Gibraltar Calling, an outdoor live music spectacular, to Gibraltar on the 2nd and 3rd September this year through the brands first-ever partnership with HM Government of Gibraltar.

The Gibraltar Music Festival has evolved into MTV Presents Gibraltar Calling, which will be staged at the Victoria Stadium across two days and will feature stand out performances from UK and international music acts soon to be announced.

As part of the agreement, MTV will promote the event across its myriad of social, digital and linear platforms and will film the event for MTV LIVE.

With its sunny climate and stunning views, Gibraltar is a fantastic location for an outdoor live music event and were really looking forward to working with the Government of Gibraltar to showcase what Gibraltar has to offer to our youth audience, commented Mark Swift, Senior Vice President, Commercial & International Ad Sales, VIMN UK. Were confident that with the power of the MTV brand name behind it and the support well provide, MTV presents Gibraltar Calling will be the biggest and best festival in Gibraltar to date.

Gibraltars Minister for Culture, Steven Linares, said: I am delighted to be able to announce this exciting new development for Gibraltars cultural life. Since the first Gibraltar Mega Concert in 2012 the festival has become an important highlight of the year for locals and visitors alike. The event is firmly established as one of Europes major summer festivals, featuring international headliners and showcasing local talents.

This fantastic new collaboration with MTV is testament to the festivals success to date, and promises to take it to the next level. I am confident that Gibraltar Music Week will build on the excellent reputation of its precursors and I look forward to working with MTV to deliver this unprecedented event to the Rock.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, said: The huge success of the music festival has now allowed us to go global with the Gibraltar branding associated with this fantastic event. As a result we have been able to agree a partnership with a global household brand like MTV in a way that will enable us to promote Gibraltar internationally in an unprecedented manner at this crucial time in our history. This is an exciting development that is great news for music fans in Gibraltar and great for the jurisdiction as a whole. MTV is an iconic leader in its field and we are very proud indeed to call them partners in the international growth of the GMF."

Tickets for the event are set to go on sale on 1st March 2017. For further information on the event, ticketing and artists please visit www.gibraltarcalling.com

MTV Presents Gibraltar Calling continues MTVs long history of partnering with tourist boards and councils to promote cities and regions to youth audiences. Recent stand out live music collaborations include MTV Crashes events in Plymouth and Coventry, Club MTV events in Croatia, Swansea, Derry and Gothenburg, not forgetting the flagship MTV EMAs which last year took place in Rotterdam.
Put the rest of pop on high alert. Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Because America cant resist its Brits, Ed Sheeran has swooped back in from his hiatus with a new Billboard chart record. Hes the first artist to ever have two songs simultaneously debut in the Hot 100s Top 10. So, how high did they go and which one did his Stateside fans prefer? Of Ed Sheerans two new songs, released together, his Caribbean-pop-lite Shape of You has shot straight to No. 1, giving Sheeran his very first No. 1 song in America. Hed previously come close with Thinking Out Loud at No. 2; though, technically, he went No. 1 as a songwriter on Justin Biebers Love Yourself. But unlike in the U.K. and Australia, where his two songs debuted back-to-back at No. 1 and No. 2, theres a slightly larger gap between them here. The more familiar Castle on the Hill has debuted on the Hot 100 at a still-respectable No. 6. So right now all that stands between two more Sheeran megahits are a couple Weeknd songs, the Chainsmokers, Black Beatles, and your former reigning No. 1 Bad and Boujee. It had a good (albeit brief) run, but nothing can stop the powerful pop pen of Ed Sheeran. Not even Princess Beatrices alleged sword.
Edward Norton and his hat. Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Edward Norton, Bella Thorne, and Jim Gaffigan are joining Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman in the animated film The Guardian Brothers, about a Chinese family in danger of losing their family business, a wonton-soup shop, The Wrap reports. When the familys grandmother passes away, Raindrop (Thorne) and her mother (Kidman) must take over the shop. Meanwhile, millions of miles away, the Guardians, a group of protectors, have been watching over humans for centuries and are about to intervene. This isnt the first time white actors have been cast to voice Asian leads in an animated film: Kubo and the Two Strings was criticized for its whitewashing for using Western voice-actors to voice Japanese characters.
Photo: Getty Images/Matt Winkelmeyer

Earlier today, Isabelle Huppert was thanked by both her countrys Minister of Culture Audrey Azoulay and her peers for positively representing French cinema to the entire world, so, yeah, you should have seen Elle when it was in theaters. Smooth move. The Golden Globewinning star of Paul Verhoevens latest thriller received UniFrances French Cinema Award, and was publicly lauded by the organizations president Jean-Paul Salome for her willingness to travel extensively to promote the film. Directors Benoit Jacquot, Joachim Lafosse, Mia Hansen-Lve, and Anne Fontaine celebrated Huppert in person, while Michael Haneke, Agnieszka Holland, Brillante Mendoza, and her Elle director Paul Verhoeven sang her praises in a pre-recorded video. I realized through my trips how much people abroad love French cinema, Huppert remarked when receiving her award. Through all the recognition that I have been receiving over the last few months, its French cinema which was being celebrated for its audacity, transgression, subversion and ultimately its freedom. So, what, do you need an engraved invitation? Walk, drive, or fly immediately to a city thats still screening Elle.
Ben Affleck in Live by Night. Photo: Claire Folger/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Ben Afflecks adaptation of Dennis Lehanes 1920s-gangster novel Live by Night is strangely low-impact  the movie brings out all Lehanes weaknesses and none of his strengths. A big problem is that Affleck cast himself as Joe Coughlin, the reluctant Boston gangster (he preferred life as an unaffiliated outlaw) who turns out to be so smart at playing the long game that he ends up running all the rackets in Tampa for an Italian crime boss named Maso Pescatore (Remo Girone). Perhaps because Joe will never be a made man  hes not Italian  he builds the closest thing you can get to a fair, politically progressive crime menagerie. He hangs out in the colored section of Tampas Ybor City. He takes up with a kind, beautiful Dominican-Cuban woman named Graciela (Zoe Saldana) who puts much of her money into shelters for women and immigrants. He vanquishes a psychotic Ku Klux Klan leader. Still, Joe burns for revenge against the Irish mob boss Albert White (Robert Glenister) who tried to murder him and caused the death of an Irish moll (Sienna Miller) who was Whites mistress and the woman Joe loved beyond reason. Keeping his head  and moral compass  in a fundamentally violent world is tearing Joe apart.

Affleck gets the sadness in Joe  or is able, at least, to hold a sad expression on his mug for the length of a given shot. Hes a real movie star. But hes the opposite of a method actor. Hes more like the pre-method leading men of B noirs in the 40s and 50s who plugged away in one part after another and left little trace. You dont feel theres an emotional cost to his acting  unlike, say, his brother, Casey, who looks chewed up by everything he does. As Joe, Affleck would probably have no problem breaking character, putting on his directors hat, and checking the playback.

That matters because Lehanes writing has a depth of emotion that holds his rickety plots together. Affleck understood that when he cast his brother in Gone Baby Gone. So did Clint Eastwood when he put Sean Penn at the center of Mystic River. So did the makers of The Drop when they used Tom Hardy. Suffering actors all, they tapped into the pervasive grief of Lehanes work, in which the protagonists are always coming from behind, in mourning or morally compromised in their own eyes or in mourning for their moral compromises. Joes dad (Brendan Gleeson), a Boston cop, utters the movies thesis: What you put out in the world will always come back to you, and Joe senses on some level that hell have to pay for the sins of his past. His obsession with harmony has, at its core, the dread of watching uneasy gangster alliances break apart at any moment and the destruction of everything he loves.

Once Afflecks Joe gets to Florida, Live by Night loses its pulse and youre left with a lot of pale characters, secondhand plotting, and maybe second thoughts about the daffy idea of a liberal-humanist gang boss. (Lehanes 2016 follow-up, World Gone By, is a tighter, more interior, and far more gripping book. You can feel the influence of Hilary Mantels Cromwell series, especially Bring Up the Bodies  the certainty that the center, however shrewd and meticulously put together, cannot hold.) Live by Night isnt as savvy as the other films Affleck has directed. It looks both expensive and blurrily rear-screen. The shootouts are too chopped up to follow and have no bite. There were much better action sequences in The Town, where Affleck also got an electric performance from Jeremy Renner to keep you on edge.

Here, the actors get little help. Saldana makes a hot entrance  you think shell be a crime kingpin (or queenpin) in her own right  and then becomes blandly supportive. Chris Messina needed one more defining scene and more close-ups to make Joes sidekick, Dion, fully register. Max Casella needed another scene, too, as the Italian dons stupid, nasty son, to establish him as a real threat.

There are good, intense performances by Gleeson and Chris Cooper as the local sheriff, but both have played these kinds of parts before. The only extraordinary work is by Elle Fanning, who plays Coopers daughter, Loretta. She has two difficult scenes that she does brilliantly, the first as she heads off to Hollywood for a screen test and manages to embody (without a trace of banality) every well-scrubbed ingenue who has ever taken a similar path, and her final conversation with Joe, when shes every shattered, morbid refugee of a world more terrible than she could have imagined. In between, though, she appears as a big-tent evangelist denouncing the sins of liquor and gambling, and her voice sounds too small to fill a tent. She has no histrionic power, no oomph. Does Fanning  a superlative screen actress  lack size? Thats unclear, but Affleck should have protected her.

Live by Night isnt a terrible movie, like Ruben Fleischers synthetic Mickey Cohen atrocity Gangster Squad. It has some tart exchanges. (You a man of your word? Depends on who I give it to.) Its absorbing. And it has enough action that you probably wont turn it off when it comes on cable. But the material needs to be bigger, more momentous, as well as more intimate. It needs a leading man who knows hes on a tightrope with every step, instead of one who cant help signaling that gravity isnt an issue.
Hot on the tail of the president-elects latest beef with a person who doesnt agree with him, Seth Meyers dedicated the majority of his Closer Look segment Monday night to the Donald Trump Twitter attack on civil-rights icon and Georgia congressman John Lewis. As usual Donald Trump took it to an all-new, super-racist level, the Late Night host said before diving into the controversy and its aftermath. The soon-to-be 45th president wasnt the only one Meyers was taking shots at, though. He also pointed to Mike Pences rather liberal interpretation of Donald Trumps tweets (So Trump says, Go fuck yourself and Pence says, No hes just inviting you to engage is some constructive self-love) and a rather telling Freudian slip made by HUD secretary appointee Ben Carson.
CNN contributor and the host of The Messy Truth Van Jones stopped by Conan last night to discuss the signs and symptoms of an impending Trump presidency. While there werent a ton of time travelers blinking into existence this fall, drawing the eye with their shiny futuristic jumpsuits and slapping everyones ballots out of their hands, there was a palpable difference in the level of supporter enthusiasm shown for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Even Democrats, Jones explains, didnt really turn out for Clinton like they did for Obama. Which could have been brought to the nations attention yesterday, had voters not been so consumed with polls and charts and graphs predicting a handy victory for Hillary. Well, if the time travelers show up the day after the inauguration, thats egg on everyones face except Van Jones.
The office of Union Minister of Textiles and the Holy Child Auxilium School, Delhi, from where she claimed to have passed out, have also been directed by the Commission to provide the roll number or reference number of Smriti Zubin Irani to CBSE, Ajmer.

By Press Trust of India: The Central Information Commission on Tuesday directed the Central Board of Secondary Examination to allow inspection of class 10th and 12th school records of Union Minister Smriti Irani, rejecting CBSE's contention that it constituted "personal information".

The office of Union Minister of Textiles and the Holy Child Auxilium School, Delhi, from where she claimed to have passed out, have also been directed by the Commission to provide the roll number or reference number of Smriti Zubin Irani to CBSE, Ajmer, which possesses the records for the years 1991 and 1993 "to facilitate search from huge records which are yet to be digitized."

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Also read | Smriti Irani degree row: Patiala House Court to pronounce order

The Commission rejected the argument that Smriti Irani's academic details were "personal information" and thus could not be disclosed.

REVEAL RECORDS WITHIN 60 DAYS

"The Commission directs the respondent authority, the CBSE, to facilitate inspection of relevant records and provide certified copies of documents selected by the appellant free of cost, except personal details in admit card and mark sheet, within 60 days from the date of receipt of this order," Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said in his order.

Acharyulu was recently divested of the charge of HRD ministry by Chief Information Commission R K Mathur but retained CBSE barely a few days after he ordered inspection of B.A. records of Delhi University pertaining to 1978, the year in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi passed out.

--- ENDS ---
As usual, plenty of news is breaking on the restaurant front in Waco, with the following developments worthy of mention:

 Interior demolition has started on the former Elite Cafe building on Wacos traffic circle, with new owners Chip and Joanna Gaines planning to convert the historic locale into a breakfast-centric restaurant after a major remodeling. The Gaineses bought the place last year from the Austin-based Ford Restaurant Group.

 Bobby Horner, in the city of Wacos inspection services department, said a group wanting to place a La Madeleine Country French Cafe in Central Texas Marketplace has made inquiries about submitting plans for the project. Waco attorney Dan McReynolds said last year he has received the development rights for a La Madeleine in Waco. He is collaborating with businessman Gordon Robinson and Philippe Le Duff, whose family holdings include the La Madeleine chain, McReynolds said at the time.

 Sascees Southern Style Eatery has relocated from Franklin Avenue to the former Fat Ho Burger building at 719 S. 11th St. That move was necessitated by Clay Pots decision to move into the space Sascees previously leased at 416 Franklin Ave. Clay Pot, which serves Vietnamese food, will lose its present site to the widening of Interstate 35.

2 new restaurants

Greater Waco has seen the arrival of two new restaurants, including TeJun the Texas Cajun, a seafood restaurant now operating at 711 N. Robinson Drive.

TeJun serves Alaskan snow crab, lobster, Texas Gulf shrimp and large Atlantic white shrimp, according to its website and a Facebook posting announcing its arrival in Robinson.

The business operated out of a food truck in Robinson for years before choosing to build a permanent location. It also will serve Cajun sausage and farm-raised crawfish when available.

Hours of operation are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.

Restaurant manager Ashley Roper said the restaurant is owned by Joe and Tammy Reid, of Teague, who operate mobile food trucks in Corsicana, Fairfield and Mexia.

Robinson is the first community to have a brick-and-mortar restaurant opened by the Reids, Roper said.

Business so far has been good, she said.

Meanwhile, Mary Sues Diner has opened at 1001 Enterprise Blvd. in Hewitt to serve Southern comfort food and traditional Mexican dishes, said Monika Salinas, who owns and operates the restaurant with her husband, John Salinas. She said Mary Sues offers chicken-fried steak, burgers, hot tamales, menudo and daily specials.

Hours of operation are from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. or later Sunday.
The GSM's joining hands with MGP is likely to reduce the clout it has earned in last six months as the Hindu voters see MGP as a non credible party which can turn its side at any moment.

By Kiran Tare: On December 28 when they had gathered at the archbishop palace at Altinho in Panaji defence minister Manohar Parrikar and Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar were not prepared to hear something that was not music to their ears. The archbishop of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri Ferrao had held his annual civil Christmas reception on that day. Parrikar and Parsekar, both who consider the archbishop as their well wisher, were present in the audience. "What we see is an extensive environmental and social damage to Goa which has generated rampant corruption and even weakened governance," Ferrao said in his address leaving the BJP leaders red faced. Annoyed with the comments they left the place immediately after his address without waiting for the function to be concluded.

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A circle has come to full with the archbishop's comments targeting the government. Exactly five years ago he had appealed the 27 percent Roman Catholics in the state to go for a change in the government as the Church was not happy with the then Digambar Kamat led Congress government because of allegations of rampant corruption. "Elections to the legislative assembly are approaching and the Church leadership in Goa will take up once again this duty bound task. We do issue guidelines to our faithful on how to exercise their franchise and thus fulfil one of their sacred civic duties. The people are sovereign, they decide," the Church says. Though it has cleared that it will not maintain name of any political party or candidate the message to the community is clear - maintain distance from the BJP.

ALSO READ | India Today-Axis Opinion Poll on Goa: In key state, AAP eyed, BJP takes the cake

The BJP is fighting war on two fronts to retain its power. First, it is trying hard to nullify the effect of its former ally Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the rebel Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) who have come together on the issue of Konkani pride against the BJP's alleged Christian appeasement. Although GSM is a new entrant its supporters are traditional BJP voters who are upset with the BJP for not keeping its promise of scrapping grants to English medium schools, majority of them run by the Church. On the other hand, BJP is losing support of the Christians, who had backed it forming its first majority government in the state in 2012, as indicated by the Church because the institution is not happy with the party's policies at the Centre.

However, it does not mean the BJP is drowning in Goa. It is likely to remain as the single largest party after the February 4 polls though it may fall short of a couple of seats from the simple majority. Thanks to disintegrated Congress and the entry of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which might attract the affluent Christians in south Goa. The GSM's joining hands with MGP is also likely to reduce the clout it has earned in last six months as the Hindu voters see MGP as a non credible party which can turn its side at any moment.

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ALSO READ | BJP releases list of 29 candidates for Goa Assembly polls

Interestingly, this will be the first election in which the traditional voting pattern of both the majority - the Hindus - and the minority - the Christians - will be divided. While the affluent Christians are likely to back AAP the middle class and lower middle class Christians will be divided between Congress and BJP. The BJP will gain Christian votes in the constituencies where its sitting Christian MLA has performed well. Alex Saldhana runs one of Goa's biggest community halls at Parra in Calangute constituency. He is not happy with the union government's actions on demonetisation, increasing Value Added Tax and adding Swachch Bharat tax to the entrepreneurs. He, however, says he will vote for local BJP MLA Michael Lobo because he has done several development works. "I will vote for Lobo not for BJP," says Saldhana also known as a dog lover in the village for a team of 14 dogs at his bungalow.

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Saldhana says BJP is suppressing the opposition's voice. He also refers to the gossip posts on social networking app WhatsApp arguing that demonetisation was not a secret as claimed by the government. "The BJP leaders knew about it," he says. But when asked then why Union finance minister Arun Jeitley could not exchange the Rs 65 lakh cash he was possessing at the time of demonetisation Saldhana keeps mum. "Is it so?" he merely asks.

ALSO READ | Goa CM orders inquiry into bribery charges against IGP

Dean D'Cruze, a town planner from Porvorim, says AAP will make inroads because the environment friendly people are upset with the BJP for destructing the environment. "The BJP is destructing environment in name of development," he says pointing towards faulty regional plans.

Father Jean Da Cruz Fernandes from Cansaulim says the Roman Catholic Church has always been vocal on the social and political issues. "It is a wrong impression that we were on the BJP side in 2012. We were not happy with the Congress and had appealed for a change. This time too we are appealing for a change," he says in a politically correct manner.

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The BJP's main plank to retain its power is development works. It has built 14 bridges, widened or resurfaced seven main roads, renovated dozens of government offices, strengthened the health care system, set up Asia's first garbage treatment plant in north Goa and built the country's first ever state-of-the-art floating jetty in old Goa. No allegation of corruption from the opposition parties is another advantage to the BJP.

ALSO READ | Goa polls: AAP hoping that Elvis Gomes can be coastal state's Kejriwal

Parsekar is keen on turning the Christians on the BJP side. He literally convinced Parrikar to shift the venue for BRICS summit held in October 2016 from north Goa to south Goa so that the business in the south, mostly run by the Christians, will flourish. He succeeded in sending a message to the community that BJP will not become an obstacle in their financial interests. He also set up temporary mobile towers in south Goa for better network connectivity as the locals are against permanent structures. The BJP also has succeeded in having at least 200 loyal votes at each booth of 1100 voters.

A businessman from south Goa points out that the BJP ministers did not take money for personal use. "I had approached a minister with an offer of a huge in lieu of clearing my contract. He cleared it and asked me to deposit the money through cheque in the party's account," he says. "Later, I came to know that the BJP pays its ministers and legislators Rs 15 lakh and Rs 5 lakh per month respectively so that they are not indulged in making money using their office." No one from the BJP, however, confirmed that party payment scheme.

The GSM, led by former RSS leader Subhash Velingkar, is likely to play a spoilsport for the BJP in its stronghold of north Goa. The GSM has mobilised the traditional voters against the BJP alleging that the party especially Parrikar has not kept his promises. The GSM has planned to hold rallies across the state featuring a short film titled as 'U-turn' showing the BJP's flip-flops on the issues of grant to English medium schools, ban on mining and permission to casinos. Such is the feared backlash that the BJP has denied candidature to Speaker Anant Shet in Mayem and senior minister Rajendra Arlekar in Pernem. GSM has created a strong pro-Konkani wave in these constituencies. "We are in favour of protecting the Konkani culture rather than imposing the English culture upon us," says Shraddha Dhond, a Mayem resident who acts in street plays emphasising on primary education in Konkani.

ALSO READ | Don't underestimate the power of common man, says Arvind Kejriwal in Goa

The main opposition party, the Congress is left a broken house as half of its nine legislators are in a mood of rebellion. The influential MLA Babush Monserrate has formed his own party along with the MLA wife Jennifer after Congress sacked him after he stood accused of raping a minor. Other legislators Mauvin Godinho and Pandurang Madkaikar have joined BJP. The father and son duo of Pratapsinh and Vishwajeet Rane can impress the voters in their individual capacity rather than using the Congress identity. The only remaining influential Congressman is former chief minister Digambar Kamat, who is also facing the charges of corruption in the Louise Berger case.

The Congress headquarters in Panaji wore a deserted look on January 7 as majority of the leaders were in Delhi to discuss with the high command possibility of an alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Goa Forward. "We neglected the party organisation despite we had a long time of five years," says a Congress worker. He pointed that the party had to import workers of Congress Seva Dal from Solapur, Maharashtra to welcome its vice president Rahul Gandhi on his visit to the state on November 16. "The situation is self-explainery. Whatever votes we get will be as an outcome of negative voting against BJP not a positive voting in our favour." The Congress is facing the election with a theme of ethical tourism that does not promote casinos.

ALSO READ | Manohar Parrikar makes bizarre nuclear statement, his ministry says personal opinion

The initial sensation of AAP is diminishing. Its idea of launching mohalla clinics on the lines of Delhi fails to appeals the Goans as the state already has better equipped health clinics in remote areas too. AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal has been promising contradictory acts of ban on casinos and employment to 50,000 youths when a majority of the local youths are employed with the 15 casinos, five of them are off shore. At a rally in Mapusa on January 8 he promised that the AAP will send all corrupts in BJP and Congress to jail if it is voted to power. A Margao resident Santosh Kerkar, a seafarer who had backed Kejriwal six years ago during the agitation in Delhi, says Goans want development not hollow promises. "Kejriwal is not a person to be trusted. He had made a similar promise in Delhi. No one has been arrested except the MLAs of his own party."

The BJP seems to be the front runner in the battle of four. It will be interesting to see whether it emerges as winner.

ALSO READ | Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar clears defence deals worth Rs 80,000 crore

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On Monday, thousands of youths who started their protest in Alanganallur in Madurai district against a Supreme court ban on the bull-taming sport, were taken into custody by the police today as the protest extended overnight.

By Pramod Madhav: At least 500 people were detained after a whole night's protest against ban on jallikattu at Alanganallur.

The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned the conduct of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu. The court also held that bulls cannot be used as performing animals either for Jallikattu events or for bullock-cart races in the Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country.

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Ever since the ban order, people have been demanding that the central government take necessary legal steps to allow conduct of the sport.

HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED People from all parts of Tamil Nadu assembled at Alanganallur late last night to protest against the ban on jallikattu. Police also had to resort to lathicharge to dismiss the crowd. However, at least 300 men and women stayed back near Vadivasal and continued their protest. The protesters, sat down on the road and refused to move until cops allow to conduct jallikattu. Overwhelmed by their spirit, Alanganallur people cooked food and served them drinks. After all while, police cordoned the entire area and refused the villagers to give any food or water to the protesters. But even then, daring the cold winter night, the crowd hurdled together. On Monday, thousands of youths who started their protest in Alanganallur in Madurai district against a Supreme court ban on the bull-taming sport, were taken into custody by the police today as the protest extended overnight.

Also read:

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By Press Trust of India: Hyderabad, Jan 17 (PTI) Hailing the services of soldiers to the nation, the Telangana government today announced a substantial hike in benefits under different categories to the defence personnel or their dependents.

"We are constituting a special fund for the welfare of soldiers, which is nowhere in any state. This fund will be spent for soldiers and for the welfare of their families," Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced in the state Legislative Assembly.

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The Chief Minister and ministers decided to give Rs 25,000 every year, MLAs and MLCs and MPs decided to offer Rs 10,000 for the saink welfare fund.

Government employees expressed their willingness to give their one day salary to the fund, Rao said.

"The policy of getting only one pension, whether it is given by Centre or by state is in vogue. We are providing the facility of giving two pensions to ex-servicemen, who worked as employees of Telangana state government.

"Telangana state government is providing the opportunity of two pensions to wife in case of death of ex-servicemen," he said.

The state government has decided to give more cash award than any other state to the recipients of Param Veer Chakra, Mahaveer Chakra, Veer Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Keerthi Chakra, Sourya Chakra and Sena medals, Rao said.

The government would give to the sons of soil of Telangana, who got Param Veer Chakra award, an amount of Rs 2.25 crore on behalf of state government.

The state government would give Rs 1.25 crore to the sons of soil of Telangana, who are awardees of Mahaveer Chakra, Keerthi Chakra.

For Veer Chakra and Sourya Chakra awardees, the state government would offer Rs 75 lakh. For recipients of Sena Medal, the reward would be Rs 30 lakh.

The state government has decided to give Rs 25 lakh to the awardees of mention in "dispatches gallantry".

It was decided to give Rs 25 lakh to those who got Sarvotham Yudh Seva medal. For Uttam Yudh Seva medal recipients, Rs 20 lakh would be given. The recipients of Yudh Seva medal would get Rs 5 lakh.

The state and district level Sainik Welfare Boards will be strengthened, he said.

Rao also announced various other benefits, including waiving tax on vehicles and exemption from property tax, to the soldiers. PTI SJR RS NP

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Texas children facing abuse and neglect will be a major focus during the 85th Legislative Session as lawmakers grapple with a tight budget, a federal court case and troubling headlines about failings at the Department of Family and Protective Services.

In October, a fed-up Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus sent a letter to the department's commissioner, Hank Whitman, ordering bolder action to save children from abusive homes and help find foster home placements for them. As the session gets underway, the agency is facing scrutiny over how officials are managing its $150 million in emergency funding. Legislators are also filing bills that could dramatically change Texas' child welfare system.

Patrick said during a Texas Tribune event this week that child welfare is on his 25-point legislative agenda. He said child welfare is a growing problem in Texas, citing high turnover among state workers and a lack of foster families. But regardless of the funding battle, Patrick said, well always protect the children.

You cant pass legislation that unfortunately changes the culture of some families, but no child should be in an abusive home, no child should be in danger, Patrick said. We need to do all that we can.

Here are five things to watch during the session.

1. Its about Texas children ... but its also about the funding.

Texas legislators have said for months they want to help abused and neglected children but with a tough budget battle ahead, its unclear how much lawmakers will deliver on funding. Legislators received a grim report on Monday that they will have $104.87 billion in state funds for the two-year budget, a 2.7 percent decrease from 2015.

The Legislature has a checkered past when it comes to funding requests from state agencies. Consider in October how Senate Finance Committee members had a conniption when Whitman said he needed $53.3 million to help save abused and neglected Texas children. Members were initially unconvinced more money would help solve the agencys systemic problems. They said Whitman should have told them sooner how dire things were, especially with state caseworkers being unable to see thousands of endangered children in time due to hefty caseloads.

But headline after headline of grim reports about traumatized and abused children sleeping in offices whilewaiting for a home placement and overworked caseworkers may have softened lawmakers. In December, the Legislative Budget Board authorized $150 million for the agency to hire 829 new caseworkers and give $12,000 raises to existing ones. It will be important to watch whether lawmakers grant the Department of Family and Protective Services' funding request.

2. The Department of Family and Protective Services is facing big tests this session.

The department is required to deliver weekly reports to the governor's office and the Legislature on the number of at-risk children who have not been seen by Child Protective Services investigators within one day. State lawmakers expressed outrage when they learned thousands of Texas children had not been seen for days, weeks, or months at a time by a CPS worker due to high caseloads or an inability to locate them.

In addition, the department has to deliver twice-a-month reports looking at: the number of cases staffers are working on; investigations open for more than two months; salary rates for existing and new hires; and the number of people in training. These reports will likely be seen as a key indicator for legislators on whether the emergency funding is helping. May 1 is a big day for the agency  starting then, caseworkers will have to see 90 percent of children who are 6 years old and younger within 24 hours. That deadline comes as budget debates will be in high gear. The agency is also under pressure for supervisors to complete training by June 1. Meanwhile, the agency is starting staff exit surveys this month.

3. Texas federal court battle over its child welfare system isnt over.

U.S. District Judge Janis Jack continues to haunt Texas legislators in the wake of her ruling that the states foster care system violated children's civil rights. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and legislators are adamant that the state does not need federal oversight to overhaul the Department of Family and Protective Services.

But a report released Nov. 4 by "special masters" who have been tasked with evaluating the agency made a number of recommendations. Those include decreasing CPS worker caseloads and turnover rates in the agency, improving training, managing and mentorship opportunities for new hires and building up skills for children aging out of the program. In December, Jack ordered the state to stop allowing foster children to be placed in group homes without 24-hour supervision. Jack said in an order on Jan. 9 that the special masters' recommendations for Texas "require additional information gathering, input, and supervision by the Court." But Paxton and other state attorneys are arguing the recommendations are too vague for the state to follow and are not backed with enough evidence. Regardless of how much funding lawmakers decide to spend to address the child welfare crisis, the federal court may continue to loom over them.

4. The state is raising caseworker salaries, but hiring and retention goals matter, too.

When the Legislative Budget Board said in December the agency could give $12,000 salary raises to existing workers, it was a big win for the Texas social worker community. Agency officials, advocates and legislators are betting on the salary increases to slow the caseworker turnover rate. But part of that $150 million package includes giving reports on the number of new employees hired, staff turnover rates and how many cases theyre working on.

Hiring 829 caseworkers, special investigators and other staff for the agency is going to be a challenge. Besides finding people willing to take on these roles, the agency may have a tough time convincing hires to stay on, even if there are better salaries. Whitman says the agency is working on ways to improve mentoring for new hires going out into the field to see children so they have an idea of what to expect. But the number of cases is the real sticking point for the agency. Ideally, more workers would mean spreading out the workload, but lackluster retention rates has meant the agency is piling more cases on staffers. It will be important to watch how the hiring process goes.

5. Legislators have bills filed to work on a foster care overhaul.

The phrase foster care appears in 18 filed bills in the House and Senate so far, according to the Texas Legislature Online website. Sen. Jane Nelson, R- Flower Mound, chairwoman of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, chairman of the Senate Finance Committees Workgroup on Child Protection and Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, jointly filed Senate Bill 11, which would mean a massive overhaul for foster care.

Changes under the bill would include reviewing and extending retention of abuse and neglect records, requiring CPS special investigators to see residential child care facilities abuse victims within three days, implementing benchmarks, funding incentives and consequences for foster care contractors and collaborating with universities to evaluate prevention programs. Patrick has designated S.B. 11 as one of his legislative priorities.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2017/01/14/5-things-watch-child-welfare-fight-session/.
Presidential inaugurations matter because they usually mark a peaceful transfer of power and a new beginning for our divided democracy. Even as early as 1801, when Thomas Jefferson replaced John Adams as president after a bitter partisan election, Jefferson called on his fellow-citizens to unite with one heart and one mind. We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists, he said.

Donald Trump is not Thomas Jefferson, but he should strive for the same healing language in his upcoming inaugural address.

Trump will have a unique opportunity to change the tone of public discussion from the anger of the election to the conciliation necessary for effective governance. He should not diminish disagreements about trade, immigration, taxes, or other contentious issues, but rather he should emphasize deeper values that still unite all Americans. These values include freedom, opportunity and fairness.

Trumps inaugural speech should explain his personal commitment to these core American values and why he holds them dear. He should show how these values tie him to past leaders from both parties, and how they will help him to chart a new course for the country  to make America great again. By committing himself to values above policies, he can build connections with those who feel alienated by his campaign positions and his aggressive rhetoric. By committing himself to values, he can escape the debilitating polarities that have divided Democrats and Republicans in recent years.

Beyond values, Trump should assure all Americans that he will keep them safe. That is the presidents most important responsibility. Recent evidence of Russian cyber-attacks in the United States, as well as North Korean intercontinental missile development, international terrorism and homegrown hate violence imperil the freedoms of citizens and even the integrity of our democratic institutions. Trump must show that he cares about these issues, even if he disagrees with many conventional threat assessments. He should not offer a national security plan, but instead an outline of how he will approach these threats.

Values and security depend on the economy. The final element of a successful inaugural address is attention to how the government taxes and spends. Trump has made it clear he intends to lower taxes and increase spending on infrastructure. His opening statement as president should explain the relationship between the two, and how his economic vision will benefit all Americans. He should talk about how his low taxes and targeted spending policies will make American society more innovative, more competitive and more prosperous across communities.

Perhaps most importantly, Trump must articulate a governing philosophy. We know what he is against but what is he for? And how will he use the complex and often limited levers of government to move the country forward? A governing philosophy is not a laundry list of grievances or a jumble of emotional appeals. It is a coherent story that situates our current circumstances in the arc of history, explaining how we came to our current moment, and how the new president and his administration will help us turn todays challenges into tomorrows opportunities. Trump must replace anger with aspiration and persuade listeners who did not vote for him to join with him nonetheless.

That was the brilliance of Jeffersons moment in 1801, which Trump can re-create. Americans have been divided before, they have had contested elections before, and they have even feared foreign interference in their democracy before. Nontraditional presidents, from Andrew Jackson to Ronald Reagan, are also frequent occurrences in our history. Jefferson reminded Americans that they need not agree on policies or personalities to support the improvement of their country, which remains the worlds best hope.

Successful presidents lead by appealing to this shared aspiration in their words and actions. Trump must start on Inauguration Day or he will never get another chance. His speech must summon what Abraham Lincoln called the better angels of our nature. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. That is the historic calling for Trumps speech and listeners all across our land.

Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. His newest book is The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of Americas Highest Office.
News & opinion

I laughed out loud when I read columnist Bill Whitakers assertion that its important to divorce a newspapers opinion pages and the views of its editorial board from the daily reporting of the news staff. Thats true, but theres only one problem  it doesnt happen.

We need look no further than the politically correct nonsense in the two lead articles on the front page of the very same issue. Start with the headline: Immigrants face uncertainty. No they dont. People who immigrated legally to this country and have all the proper documents have nothing to be concerned about. However, just like speeders, red-light runners and everyone else who breaks the law, illegal aliens have every reason to be concerned, as they should. But, apparently, illegal is the word that shall not be spoken at the Trib.

Then, Donald Trump is described as an anti-immigration hard-liner. In the first place, thats an opinion, and, in the second place, its patently false. Mr. Trump and the tens of millions who voted for him are not anti-immigration, they are anti-illegal immigration and it is dishonest to conflate the two. Anyone who supports illegal immigration and tries to protect illegal aliens cannot with any veracity claim to support the rule of law. Those two positions are mutually exclusive.

When it comes to opinion being peddled as legitimate news, the Trib is Exhibit A.

David B. Anderson, Waco

Defending Pisciotta

I cannot believe the childishness of your reasoning, Donna M. Myers, in your Sunday letter. Let me help you understand with a few points about what Pro-Life Waco director John Pisciotta said since you seem to be having trouble comprehending in view of your retort.

No. 1: Hollywood actress Meryl Streep supports Planned Parenthood.

No. 2: Planned Parenthood will encourage a woman/child to kill her baby in the womb if it is deemed to be disabled.

No. 3: Disability to Planned Parenthood is a death sentence for an unborn baby.

No. 4: Killing someone for being disabled is a far worse act than mocking someone for being disabled. Remember that old rhyme repeated to bullies, Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Here it is being pointed out to you again. Only now it is not sticks and stones being used to kill unborn disabled as well as children not disabled, its dismembering instruments used by the abortionist.

Words from Planned Parenthood cannot kill. But their abortionists do.

No. 5: President-elect Donald Trump did not use words or actions to make fun of the reporters disability, he made fun of the fact that the reporter was caught in an out-and-out lie. Lies can hurt. He wasnt going to let the lie go without a rebuke. As I have done just now.

Doris Bond, Kansas City, Kansas
According to a report from Russian news agency TASS, Putin said, " People who order fake news like this, which are currently being spread against the US President-elect, are fabricating and using them in the political struggle. They are worse than prostitutes.

By Santosh Chaubey: Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that those who are trying to defame US President-elect Donald Trump with unsubstantiated claims are 'worse than prostitutes'.

According to a report from Russian news agency TASS, Putin said, "Prostitution is a seriously ugly social phenomenon as young women engage in this also because they cannot provide a worthy life for themselves otherwise and this is largely the guilt of societies and the state. But people who order fake news like this, which are currently being spread against the US President-elect, are fabricating and using them in the political struggle. They are worse than prostitutes."

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Putin was reacting on the claims that the Russian intelligence has compromising material on Donald Trump and Russia may use it to blackmail him in future. An unverified dossier, authored by a former British intelligence officer, made headlines last week with its sensational allegations of Trump accepting bribes and indulging in sexual favours while he was in Russia. Both, Trump and the Kremlin had dismissed the dossier as fake.

Putin added that the people who ordered such information have no moral restraints whatsoever.

ALL A PART OF SHOWBUSINESS

Talking about Trump being in showbusiness, Putin said that Trump fell for girls with reduced social responsibilities.

He said, "Trump is a person who has dealt with organising beauty pageants for many years and has communicated with the world's most beautiful women. You know, I can imagine with difficulty such a thing that he immediately headed off for the hotel to meet with our girls of reduced social responsibility".

Trump had slammed people spreading such rumours and had taken to Twitter to question if John Brennan, the outgoing CIA chief was behind the leak of the fake news.

Trump has indicated that he would take a soft approach towards Russia and would ease sanctions slapped on the country if 'Moscow decides to work with the US'. There are reports that Trump would meet Putin when he goes on his first foreign trip to Iceland.

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By Sam Farmer

WAHOO  Low winds during Winter Storm Jupiter kept power outages and damage to a minimum in the area.

Butler Public Power District customers started reported power outages on Monday. Outages happened district wide, but power was restored for most customers by the end of the day, said Butler Public Power District general manager Mark Kirby.

BPPD began receiving reports of outages around 9 a.m. and crews worked until midnight restoring power to their customers from areas north of Wahoo to their western boundary near Highway 81, Kirby said.

The main two issues were trees hanging or falling onto lines and conductor failure due to ice buildup on lines, he said.

The overall average was about a quarter of an inch of ice buildup, Kirby said.

With that much ice, safety is also a factor for workers.

Kirby said safety is the main thing for his workers, as gravel roads were sheets of ice Monday and many repair trucks drove with chains on their tires.

Our crews worked fantastically and restored power safely, Kirby said.

With power restored to most customers by Tuesday morning, Kirby said he still feared some potential issues during the day.

Any normal Nebraska winter wind and we would be in for a long haul, Kirby said Tuesday.

Luckily, low winds and warmer temperatures began to melt ice that encased power lines and trees.

Minimal outages were reported by OPPD in Saunders County and no outages were reported by Wahoo Utilities due to the storm.

POSTED JAN. 16: Area residents surviving storm

By Sam Farmer and Alyssa Sobotka

WAHOO  Early weather warnings and prudence kept most Saunders County residents safe from Winter Storm Jupiters icy effects Sunday and Monday.

So far, its been a pretty manageable storm, said Saunders County Emergency Manager Terry Miller.

Rain started on Sunday afternoon and turned to ice by evening, but the efforts of road crews, schools closed and early weather warnings allowed resident to take precautions.

People were looking for ice melt and stocking up on groceries, said Sandy Salkeld, employee of Vine Street Market in Yutan. Bread, milk and eggs were the staples people were flocking to the store to stock up on prior to the icy weather, said Rick Carlson, store director of SunMart in Wahoo.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday were all busy, and progressively so as the week went on, Carlson said.

Wahoo Super Owner Rex Kumpula said the grocery store experienced increased business on Friday and Saturday, as they sold out of eggs, bananas and ice melt.

We withstood the rush pretty good, but once it turned to ice it was done, Kumpula said.

Ice melt was popular over at Simons Home Store in Wahoo, too, said Owner Mike Simons.

We were very busy at the end of the week as people were preparing, Simons said. We ordered the maximum amount of ice melt that we could.

Simons said he also opened up shop for an hour and a half Sunday afternoon so that people still in need of ice melt or other winter items could still purchase them.

Bomgaars Employee Whitney Anderson said it has been four to five years the last time select items have sold out at the Wahoo store.

She said ice melt, generators, softener salt and kerosene were all out of stock Monday morning.

People were buying everything for winter, finally, Anderson said.

But come Sunday evening, area businesses foot traffic quieted down.

Wahoo Police Chief Ken Jackson said Monday that Wahoo residents were staying inside and avoiding road travel as well.

We have not had any accidents since the storm began, Jackson said. Everybody is being real careful. The people that are out there are moving slowly.

Miller said the Saunders County Roads Department began working Sunday. No roads were closed in the county as of Monday morning.

There are not a lot of wrecks, considering the conditions, Miller said Monday.

Not all county residents fared as well with other effects of the storm.

Rain and near freezing temperatures affected electrical service for some rural SaundersCounty residents.

Around 9 a.m. Monday morning, Butler Public Power District began receiving calls for outages due to ice, wind and broken tree branches, said General Manager Mark Kirby.

BPPD outages reported included areas west of Brainard, south of Bruno, west of Rising City and between Malmo and Prague.

Kirby said he hoped that some ice would fall off the lines with temperatures moving above freezing. But rain on Monday and winds predicted Monday night, there will still be some accumulating ice buildup on wires and trees.

OPPD reported minimal outages in the area on Monday.

Wahoo Utilities General Manager Jim Gibney said the City of Wahoo had not experienced any outages as of Monday morning.

Gibney said they do not take any extra precautions to prepare for ice storms.

We trim trees to a national standard and that helps keeps power line interference to a minimal amount, Gibney said.

And if ice affects the citys electricity source due to failures outside Wahoo, the Light Plant has the ability to generate power for Wahoo residents, he said.

With precipitation expected well into Monday night, Jackson said the effects might linger well into Tuesday.

Mondays rain did remove some ice, but just made some icy spots slicker, he said.

If its cold at night and theres water running everywhere now, it could get worse, Jackson said. A degree or two in either direction could make all the difference.

BPPD customers are to call 402-367-3081 to report outages. Wahoo Utilities customers are to call 402-443-3222 or 402-443-4213 after hours to report outages. Omaha Public Power District customers are to call 1-800-554-6773 to report outages.
By Press Trust of India: SP-Cong alliance

Lucknow/New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) A day after the Election Commission stamped its seal of approval on his claim over Samajwadi Party and its symbol bicycle, UP Chief Minister went into a huddle with his advisors strategising on an alliance with Congress and RLD to prevent BJPs march to power in the key cow belt state.

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On a day of fast paced developments, Akhilesh, having put paid to SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadavs hopes of retaining control over the party, called on his father at the latters residence for a second time in two days and described his ties with him as "unbreakable".

However, treading with caution, Akhilesh camp also filed a caveat in the Supreme Court in case the ECs decision is challenged there.

With Akhilesh in complete control of the ruling Samajwadi Party after the EC order, hectic activity was witnessed both in Lucknow and the national capital over formation of an alliance with Congress.

While the UP Chief Minister said in Lucknow that a decision on the alliance will be made in a day or two, senior Congress leaders in the national capital went a step ahead saying the "nitty gritty" of the proposed partnership will be decided over the next couple of days.

"The decision on alliance (with Congress) will be taken in a day or two," Akhilesh told journalists in Lucknow, while his uncle and key party strategist Ramgopal Yadav, who stood behind him in the internecine feud in the SP, hoped a grand secular alliance would be in place for the state assembly election, the process of which kicked off today with the notification being issued for the first phase of polling on February 11.

"I am confident that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters in New Delhi.

Azad, who is in-charge of party affairs in UP, said it was just a beginning of the alliance process and the nitty gritty would be decided in the next one or two days.

At the AICC briefing later, party coordinator for UP Meem Afzal spoke in similar vein. "Congress will have an alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The details of the arrangement will be announced in the next two days," he said.

Before the poll panel settled the dispute between the warring factions in the Samajwadi Party in Akhileshs favour, Mulayam had rejected all suggestions of a tie-up with Congress despite his Chief Minister son having said if the two came together the alliance could win over 300 of the states 403 seats.

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Rendered without a party, Mulayam was learnt to have given a list of about 40 candidates to Akhilesh today when the latter came calling. According to unconfirmed reports, the list did not include the name of Mulayams younger brother Shivpal, who headed the SPs UP unit, and was one of the protagonists in the bitter family feud. Instead, the list reportedly has the name of his son.

"Over 90 per cent candidates in both the lists are common. We will finalise the list of candidates soon," Akhilesh told reporters during an informal chat at his Kalidas Marg residence.

Akhilesh said his priority is to form a Samajwadi Party government again and promised to take everyone along. "I will take Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) along...my relation with him is unbreakable. I was confident that I will get cycle (symbol). Little time is left. Its a big responsibility and I will take everyone with us," he said. More PTI ABN SMI SPG SMN SMJ DV SK SK

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By Press Trust of India: Hyderabad, Jan 17 (PTI) A US citizen working with a multi-national law firm here was arrested by the Cyber Crime Wing of Telangana Police, for allegedly downloading and uploading child pornography in the form of videos and images.

The accused has been identified as James Kirk Jones, a release issued by the CID said.

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The action was taken after police received Interpol input of an IP address from which child pornography was being shared. The accused was arrested yesterday, said the release.

A case under relevant section of Information Technology Act, 2000, was registered and investigation was taken up, it said.

"During the course of investigation the IP address was traced to the address of accused at Madhapur. Immediately his premises were searched and police seized a laptop containing 29,288 items of child pornographic videos and images among others," said the release.

Jones has confessed that from childhood he developed the habit of watching child pornography and has been downloading, watching and sharing such material ever since, it said.

Further investigation about his activities in India is going on, the police said. PTI GDK RMT AYP

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) Terming 2017 as a "dangerous year", former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today said the global economic order will change under US President-elect Donald Trump, even as the US will witness a shift in its policy towards China and Russia.

Calling this two sets of policy departures, Rudd said Trumps focus was normalisation of relations with Russia as well as altering its ties with China.

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"The President of the United States has been voted in the office on the basis of normalising relations with Russia and identifying Russia as a strategic long-term partner. This move has turned the US Presidential, foreign and national security policy, which has existed more or less since 1945, on its head. Trump does not see Russia as a long term threat in making America great again," he said.

Rudd was speaking at Raisina Dialogue 2017.

The former Australian PM said, for the first time since 1972, the cornerstone of the US-China policy relationship the One China Policy has been thrown up into the air rather than being taken as a given into the relationship.

He said Trumps comments on China related to One-China Policy, Chinese cyber attacks and its trade have not remained confined to election, but have escalated beyond that.

"President Trump sees this as a bargaining chip with Peoples Republic of China," he said.

Rudd said the WTO may also see a change in US position considering Trumps nationalist and protectionist agenda. PTI PR SRY

--- ENDS ---
Chinese President Xi Jinping offered a vigorous defence of free trade at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday (Swiss time) in a speech that underscored Beijing's desire to play a greater global role as the United States turns inward.

In the first appearance by a Chinese leader at the annual meeting of political leaders, CEOs and bankers in the Swiss Alps, Xi also cautioned other countries against blindly pursuing their national interests, in an apparent reference to the "America first" policies of Donald Trump.

Real estate mogul and former reality TV star Trump, who will be inaugurated as US president on Friday, campaigned on a promise to confront China more aggressively on trade.

He has vowed to renegotiate or ditch multilateral trade agreements and protect US industries from foreign competition by levying new tariffs on goods from abroad.
Still to this day I can remember Gerard Ross' framed picture sitting on my teacher's desk as a local police officer stood at the the front of our classroom talking to us about stranger danger.

Just days earlier, Gerard's body had been found in a pine plantation not far from our school.

Several uniformed police officers came to my Year 6 demountable classroom to warn us to be extra vigilant in the wake of Gerard's murder, to tell our teachers or our parents about suspicious cars or any "strange people" we were unsure about.

I recall sitting very close to my teacher's desk as the police officer spoke clearly and calmly to us. He had placed Gerard's framed photo on the desk and I remember thinking to myself as I looked at his smiling face, 'who would do such a thing.'



It was a very unnerving time to be going to school in Rockingham, as I was in 1997.
It is widely speculated that the Grand Alliance in Uttar Pradesh, if formed, will be stitched by two powerful women leaders--Dimple Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi.

By India Today Web Desk: With the alliance between the Congress and Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party likely to be finalised soon, speculations are rife that Priyanka Gandhi and Akhikesh's wife Dimple Yadav will share the stage during the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

A few days ago, a poster carrying Dimple and Priyanka's pictures surfaced in Allahabad. The poster was put up by Congress workers Anil Chowdhary and Irshad Ullah. The slogan in the poster said, "Mahilaon ka UP mein bajega danka, jab saath aayengi Dimple aur Priyanka".

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It is widely speculated that the Grand Alliance in Uttar Pradesh, if formed, will be stitched by two powerful women leaders--Dimple Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi.

ALSO READ: Uttar Pradesh election: Next, Akhilesh Yadav to lead Grand Alliance, Cong to contest 100 seats

DIMPLE YADAV--THE NEGOTIATOR

If sources are to be believed, Dimple Yadav, a two-time Member of Parliament from Kannauj, is the one who is negotiating the terms of alliance with the Congress.

According to sources, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav propped up his wife to negotiate with Priyanka Gandhi while he put his party in order in the wake of the Samajwadi Pariwar.

ALSO READ: Akhilesh Yadav gets cycle: CM snatches Samajwadi Party symbol, name from father Mulayam Singh

In the last few months, Dimple has always been seen with Akhilesh at rallies. At the Vikas Rath Yatra, Dimple was seen interacting with media. "This will be a historic beginning, we can see so much youth force. We are very positive about the elections," she had said.

Dimple Yadav was also seen with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in a video that was launched in October last year. In the video, both Akhilesh and Dimple are seen taking care of their family, a message that sits well with the party's larger message that the state is one family and Akhilesh with wife Dimple are capable of taking its care.

ALSO READ: Please wait: Akhilesh Yadav on alliance with Congress for Uttar Pradesh election

PRIYANKA GANDHI--THE STAR CAMPAIGNER

For the Congress, it is Priyanka Gandhi who is chalking out party strategy for a possible alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

In a huge boost to the the Congress, Priyanka Gandhi is set to start campaigning in the poll-bound state. Besides the family bastions of Amethi and Rae Bareli, Priyanka may tour other parts of Uttar Pradesh, which is going to polls on February 11.

Priyanka Gandhi has often been billed as the name that can sway the votes in the Congress' favour. She has been discussing the party's strategy for the UP elections with brother and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, state unit chief Raj Babbar and other senior leaders.

During the last Assembly elections in the state in 2012, Priyanka campaigned extensively for the Congress, holding 200 rallies over a period of two months. While Congress did not emerge a winner then, political pundits believe the party in alliance with the Samajwadi Party has a better shot at winning power this time.

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ALSO READ:

Why BJP is spooked by a Bihar-style Grand Alliance in Uttar Pradesh

Yadav PariWar: Why Congress supports Akhilesh Yadav?

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
Dublin: Voters in Northern Ireland will go to the polls on March 2 in a snap election that was forced by the main Catholic party, Sinn Fein, after the collapse of a regional government in which Catholics and Protestants shared power.

The election will be held in the shadow of uncertainty over Britain's planned withdrawal from the European Union, a move that is broadly unpopular in Northern Ireland. Though a majority of Britons voted in a June referendum for the Brexit, as the withdrawal is known, the vote in Northern Ireland was 56 per cent to 44 per cent against.

Many in the region fear that security and customs checks will be reimposed along the border with Ireland, harming the economy, escalating tensions and threatening a return to sectarian conflict.

Sinn Fein hopes to use the snap election to gain clout and weaken its unionist opponents, especially the Democratic Unionist Party, which holds the most seats in the regional Assembly, with Sinn Fein in second place. The unionists are allied in London with the Conservative Party, which is pursuing Brexit, while Sinn Fein wants Northern Ireland to stay in the EU and eventually reunite with Ireland.
New York: Mothers in the United States are teaching their children about sexual consent and assault following President-elect Donald Trump's boasts about groping women, according to research published on Tuesday.

Roughly two in five US women think that women are more likely to feel unsafe and men more likely to feel entitled to treat women as sexual objects since Trump was voted into office on November 8, the poll by PerryUndem, a nonpartisan Washington-based research firm, showed.

The Republican billionaire businessman is due to be sworn into office on Friday amid heavy criticism over his attitudes toward women, much of it stemming from a 2005 tape in which he brags about groping women and making unwanted sexual advances.

As a result of his election, 50 per cent of women, and 35 per cent of men, who are parents, say they are teaching their children about consent or sexual assault issues, the polling showed.
"The whole Yadav feud was a political drama to hoodwink the voters out of the failures of the (Akhilesh Yadav) government on development front. We will inform the voters of the design of the ruling state government," said BJP's national secretary Shrikant Sharma.

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: A day after the Election Commission decided in favour of allotting the cycle symbol of Samajwadi Party to the faction led by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, BJP has decided to tweak its strategy for the poll-bound state. Besides reiterating on the development plank, the party ruling at the Centre would seek to "expose" the "political drama" of the ruling Yadav family and educate the voters about the "motive" behind it.

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Talking to IndiaToday.in, BJP's national secretary Shrikant Sharma said, "The whole Yadav feud was a political drama to hoodwink the voters out of the failures of the (Akhilesh Yadav) government on development front. We will inform the voters of the design of the ruling state government."

Although the BJP is focusing on development agenda to garner votes, educating the voters about the alleged drama in the garb of Yadav feud would be added to the campaign strategy.

Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju posted a tweet to this effect:

What a Political Drama created by Samajwadi Party! It appeared so real at times & anybody could believe that it was a genuine power tussle. Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) January 17, 2017

BJP would tell the voters that the so-called internecine internal fight in the Yadav family was a well devised strategy. The plan is to force the people to forget the failures of the state government and instead discuss how Akhilesh Yadav pulled out a victory.

"WAR WAS PLANNED"

It would tell the people that the first family of the Yadavs was always one and united. But the "war" was planned so that the people did not discuss the pertinent issues of "little" progress the state had made under Akhilesh Yadav's rule.

Also read: With 20 per cent of Uttar Pradesh voters Muslims, Akhilesh-led SP-Congress combine has the edge

The other purpose behind the "friendly Yadav war", according to BJP, is to make the people forget about SP's lacklustre performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections - when it won just five of the 80 seats - and the local polls. "SP fared miserably in the Lok Sabha and Zila Panchayat elections. They devised the family war to make people talk about Akhilesh's victory in getting the cycle symbol and party's name," said Sharma, who is contesting the upcoming UP Assembly election from Mathura.

The temple town of Mathura is represented in the Lok Sabha by actor-turned politician Hema Malini.

Also read: Why BJP is spooked by a Bihar-style Grand Alliance in Uttar Pradesh

Following the favourable decision of the Election Commission over symbol and name, SP is all set to forge an alliance with Congress and Ajit Singh's RLD. This is likely to make Muslims and Yadav voters to veer towards this alliance, causing worry for both BJP and BSP.

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Asked about the BJP's strategy in the event of the alliance, Sharma said, "It will not make any difference. Against the politics of caste and religion, our focus will remain on politics of performance."

BJP feels the Bihar experiment of Grand Alliance will not be at play in UP. While the Mahagathbandhan of RJD, JD(U) and Congress led to a bipolar contest, it would be a triangular fight in UP.

Besides, BJP has assiduously worked on building on a non-Yadav OBC votebank to counter SP and non-Jatav Dalit support base to negate BSP. The BJP is also wooing the upper caste votes. A large chunk of its candidates come from this category.

Also read: Congress confirms alliance with Samajwadi Party, Sheila Dikshit withdraws as CM face

As far as the Muslims rallying behind the SP-Congress-RLD combine is concerned, BJP believes it will not get consolidated as some portion of the minority votes would also go to Mayawati.

Finally, it is the BJP's belief that its support base would be wider than either the SP-Congress-RLD combine or BSP. It has just to keep reminding the people of development politics and SP's "political drama".

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Watch the video

--- ENDS ---
In cooperation with EU-FRONTEX, a WCO Customs workshop on the Organizational Development Package (WCO-ODP) was held in Chisinau (Moldova) from 13 to 15 December 2016, within the framework of the Eastern Partnership IBM Capacity Building Project. The event was the last of four regional workshops dedicated to the WCO packages. Fifteen (15) Human Resources Managers and Officers coming from the Customs Administrations of Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine successfully attended the event.

The objectives included promoting the WCO Organizational Development Package and raising awareness on WCO ODP available tools and instruments for the six WCO Member Administrations. The workshop was officially opened by Ms. Lilia Melnic, Head of Human Resources Division of Moldovan Customs Service who highlighted the importance of a modern HR approach to face the challenges coming from the Customs of 21st Century, stressing at the same time the importance of sharing experiences among neighbouring administrations.

During this three-day workshop, the WCO shared information on ODP tools and instruments which cover Strategic advisory support and delivery, Human Resources Development, Integrity and Stakeholder Engagements. The participants shared their national approach adopted in the six Administrations, contributing actively to create an open and engaging discussion, individuating common problems and possible solutions experimented at national level.

At the end of the workshop, the participants expressed their appreciation and emphasized the benefits of the workshop, recognizing the contribution to establish direct contact among HR experts, and wished that the regional initiative, launched through the Eastern Partnership IBM Capacity Building Project, could continue.
Former senior Congress leader cited differences with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat among other reasons to deflect to BJP.

By Shalini Lobo: Former President of Congress Party's Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee Yashpal Arya and his son Sanjeev Arya joined the BJP today. The father-son duo will be contesting the Uttarakhand Assembly elections from the Bajpur and Nainital area.

"I left Congress with a heavy heart, the party is no longer what it used to be. Their principles have declined," said the former senior Congress leader.

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After 40 years of being an active Congress leader and even holding the position of Congress President, Yashpal Arya and his son turned to BJP.

"My vision is Uttarakhand's development and Modiji and Amit Shah share the same vision', he said.

In May, nine Congress MLAs rebelled against the government and joined the BJP. Since then, Arya has been the eleventh Congress MLA to leave the party.

He also cited differences with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat.

Also read: India Today-Axis Opinion Poll on Uttarakhand: BJP to emerge winner in direct fight with Congress

Also read: Top Delhi industrialist, 15 others arrested in Uttarakhand for 'illegal' New Year party

Also read: Uttarakhand: Attacked over namaz break, Harish Rawat announces short breaks for all

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: gatecrash UoH

Hyderabad, Jan 17 (PTI) A group of protesters today tried to gatecrash into the University of Hyderabad (UoH) to take part in a meet organised in memory of Rohit Vemula on his first death anniversary but were whisked away by police.

The protesters comprising a number of students organisations had assembled in front of the UoH main gate as part of "Shahadat Din" of Vemula, who was found hanging in a hostel room on the varsity campus on January 17 last year.

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A section of students under the aegis of Joint Action Committee for Social Justice - UOH said they would gather at the Rohit Stupa to remember his legacy and to vow that fight will go on against "casteism and communalism".

The protesters marched towards the main entrance gate of UoH, raised slogans against UoH Vice-Chancellor Apparao Podile and sought immediate his arrest.

Holding placards reading "Justice for Rohit Vemula", the protesters marched towards the main gate and tried to forcibly enter by removing the barricade placed in front of the main gate.

Police immediately took them away in a vehicle even as JAC members assembled near the main gate after coming from inside the campus.

Vemulas suicide had sparked massive protests nationwide, resulting in a fierce political slugfest, with a string of political parties and Dalit organisations siding with students and accusing the BJP and varsity administration of being anti- Dalit.

Also, it had triggered a huge political furore with the then HRD Minister Smriti Irani coming under attack along with Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya for having written a letter related to the matter.

Raising questions on Rohit Vemulas Dalit status, a commission constituted by the HRD ministry after the scholars death had said the material on record did not establish it and attributed his suicide to personal reasons.

However, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Chairman P L Punia had rejected the judicial commissions report on Vemulas suicide as fake and fictitious, and said the deceased research scholar was a Dalit. PTI VVK RS DK ZMN

--- ENDS ---
xXx: Return of Xander Cage star Vin Diesel is seen to be leaving India to shouts of 'Takle!' meaning 'baldie' in a new video which has surfaced on the internet.

By India Today Web Desk: An interesting video has surfaced on the internet which gives a peek into first-class Indian hospitality for our international guests.

Ahead of the release of xXx: Return of Xander Cage in India on December 14, the film's star Vin Diesel had arrived in India with co-actor Deepika Padukone.

MOVIE REVIEW: xXx RETURN OF XANDER CAGE

OPINION: Indian actors should stop acting in sub-standard Hollywood films

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ALSO WATCH: Deepika's incredible journey to Hollywood

Vin spent a gala time in our country as Deepika played host and the two went about promoting their action film to much fanfare.

Global... India already breaking records... you called it. Wow. #Blessed #Grateful A photo posted by Vin Diesel (@vindiesel) on Jan 15, 2017 at 9:26pm PST

So, when it was time for Vin Diesel to bid adieu to India, he walked into the Mumbai international airport with no time to look back at his fans and the paparazzi who kept shouting, "Diesel! Diesel! Diesel!"

The icing on the cake is when somebody shouts out "Aye takle!" (Hey Baldie!) to Vin Diesel at the end of the video.

WATCH Vin Diesel entering Mumbai airport, when he gets called "takle"

Vin Diesel is one of the few celebrities who said bye bye to their hair before 30.

Meanwhile, xXx: Return of Xander Cage is scheduled to release in American theatres on January 20. In India, the film grossed Rs 15.85 crore in its opening weekend.

--- ENDS ---
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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.

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By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) The Obama administration has recently delivered a "very tough" message to Pakistan asking it to dismantle safe havens of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e- Mohammed and Haqqani network operating from its soil, outgoing US envoy to New Delhi Richard Verma said today.

Holding that India faces a "daunting challenge" from these Pakistan-based terror groups and hailing New Delhis efforts to deal with the menace, the envoy said the world needs Indias leadership in countering terrorism.

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Verma, who demits office ahead of Donald Trumps inauguration on Friday, Verma said the US also told the Pakistani leadership to come down hard on perpetrators of cross-border terrorism including in Afghanistan.

Talking about Indo-US cooperation in counter-terror efforts, he said intelligence sharing between the two strategic partners has reached "unprecedented level" which helped Indian secutrity agencies thwart various threats.

Asked about what exactly the Obama administration told Pakistan recently regarding Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Haqqani network, Verma told an event organised by a think tank, "We have taken a very tough line on these terrorist groups operating from Pakistani soil."

He said the message to the Pakistani leadership has been a "very tough and concerted" one, adding Islamabad has been told to eliminate the safe havens of the terrorist groups, shut down their cross border activities and take action against the perpetrators of terror.

Talking about threat of terror India was facing, he said, "On the Western front, India faces a daunting challenge of terrorist groups operating from inside Pakistan. Some of these groups including LeT and Haqqani network, and JeM also targeted the US and Afghan security forces in Afghanistan."

He said the US continued to press Pakistan at the "highest level" to take effective action against these groups and cited extension of terrorist designation to two more LeT leaders.

The envoy said India and the US must expand cooperation further in dealing with terror, radicalisation and violent extremism. "The US India partnership stands as a global example of what is possible."

He said concrete efforts were needed to understand how young people are being radicalised using digital technology by terror outfits like ISIS and come out with solution to the problem.

Complimenting India for its efforts to contain insurgency in the northeastern states, particularly Mizoram, he said it can be a lesson in dealing with broader challenge of violent extremism in various parts of the globe.

Noting that social media has become a key platform for ISIS to lure young people into terrorism, he said efforts and resources must be mobilised locally and globally in fight against terror and violent extremism. He said ISIS had recruited a around 40,000 people over the last 4 years. PTI MPB SK

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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.

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The following companies are subsidiares of PepsiCo: Alimentos Quaker Oats y Compania Limitada, Alimentos del Istmo S.A., Amavale Agricola Ltda., Anderson Hill Insurance Limited, Asia Bottlers Limited, BAESA Capital Corporation Ltd., BFY Brands, BFY Brands LLC, BFY Brands Limited, BUG de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Balmoral Industries LLC, Bare Foods Co., Barrhead LLC, Be & Cheery, Beaman Bottling Company, Bebidas Sudamerica S.A., Beech Limited, Bell Taco Funding Syndicate, Bendler Investments II Ltd, Bendler Investments S.a r.l, Beverage Services Limited, Beverages Foods & Service Industries Inc., Bishkeksut OJSC, Blaue NC S. de R.L. de C.V., Blue Cloud Distribution Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arizona Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arkansas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Colorado Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Florida Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Georgia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Illinois Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Indiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Iowa Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Kentucky Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Louisiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Minnesota Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Mississippi Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Missouri Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nebraska Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nevada Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of North Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Ohio Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Oklahoma Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Pennsylvania Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of South Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Tennessee Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Texas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Virginia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Wisconsin Inc., Blue Ridge Sales LLC, Bluebird Foods Limited, Bluecan Holdings Unlimited Company, Bokomo Zambia Limited, Bolsherechensky Molkombinat JSC, Boquitas Fiestas LLC, Boquitas Fiestas S.R.L., Bottling Group Financing LLC, Bottling Group Holdings LLC, Bottling Group LLC, Bronte Industries Ltd, C & I Leasing Inc., CB Manufacturing Company Inc., CEME Holdings LLC, CMC Investment Company, Caroni Investments LLC, Centro-Mediterranea de Bebidas Carbonicas PepsiCo S.L., Ceres Fruit Juices Pty Ltd, ChampBev Inc., China Concentrate Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Chipsy International for Food Industries S.A.E., Chipsy for Food Industries S.A.E., Chitos Internacional y Cia Ltda, Cipa Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cipa Nordeste Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cocina Autentica Inc., Comercializadora CMC Investment y Compania Limitada, Comercializadora Nacional SAS Ltda., Comercializadora PepsiCo Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Compania de Bebidas PepsiCo S.L., Concentrate Holding Uruguay Pte. Ltd., Concentrate Manufacturing Singapore Pte. Ltd., Confiteria Alegro S. de R.L. de C.V., Copella Fruit Juices Limited, Copper Beech International LLC, Corina Snacks Limited, Corporativo Internacional Mexicano S. de R.L. de C.V., CytoSport Holdings Inc., CytoSport Inc., Davlyn Realty Corporation, Defosto Holdings Limited, Desarrollo Inmobiliario Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Dilexis S.A., Donon Holdings Limited, Drinkfinity USA Inc., Drinkstation Inc., Drinkstation Innovation Co. Ltd., Drinkstation Limited, Dutch Snacks Holding S.A. de C.V., Duyvis Production B.V., EPIC Enterprises Inc., Echo Bay Holdings Inc., Elaboradora Argentina de Cereales S.R.L., Enter Logistica LLC, Environ at Inverrary Partnership, Environ of Inverrary Inc., Eridanus Investments S.a r.l, Evercrisp Snack Productos de Chile S.A., FL Transportation Inc., FLI Andean LLC, FLI Colombia LLC, FLI Snacks Andean GP LLC, Fabrica PepsiCo Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Fabrica de Productos Alimenticios Rene y Cia S.C.A., Fairlight International SRL, Far East Bottlers Hong Kong Limited, Food Concepts Pioneer Ltd., Forest Akers Nederland B.V., Forty-Six Peaks Holding Inc., Fovarosi Asvanyviz es Uditoipari Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Freshwater International B.V., Frito Lay Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Frito Lay Poland Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay de Guatemala y Compania Limitada, Frito-Lay Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Frito-Lay Dip Company Inc., Frito-Lay Dominicana S.A., Frito-Lay Global Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Inc., Frito-Lay Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Manufacturing LLC, Frito-Lay Netherlands Holding B.V., Frito-Lay North America Inc., Frito-Lay Sales Inc., Frito-Lay Trading Company Europe GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company Poland GmbH, Frito-Lay Trinidad Unlimited, Fruko Mesrubat Sanayi Limited Sirketi, GB Czech LLC, GB International Inc., GB Russia LLC, GB Slovak LLC, GMP Manufacturing Inc., Gambrinus Investments Limited, Gamesa LLC, Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Gas Natural de Merida S. A. de C. V., Gatorade Puerto Rico Company, General Bottlers of Hungary Inc., Golden Grain Company, Goveh S.R.L., Grayhawk Leasing LLC, Green Hemlock International LLC, Grupo Frito Lay y Compania Limitada, Grupo Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Grupo Mabel, Grupo Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gulkevichskiy Maslozavod JSC, Hangzhou Baicaowei Corporate Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co, Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Tao Dao Technology Co. Ltd., Health Warrior, Health Warrior Inc., Heathland LP, Helioscope Limited, Hillbrook Inc., Hillgrove Inc., Hillwood Bottling LLC, Hogganfield Limited Partnership, Holding Company "Opolie" JSC, Homefinding Company of Texas, Hudson Valley Insurance Company, IC Equities Inc., IZZE Beverage Co., Inmobiliaria Interamericana S.A. De C.V., Integrated Beverage Services Bangladesh Limited, Integrated Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., International Bottlers Management Co. LLC, International KAS Aktiengesellschaft, Inversiones Borneo S.R.L., Inversiones PFI Chile Limitada, Inviting Foods Holdings Inc., Inviting Foods LLC, KAS Anorthosis S.a r.l, KAS S.L., KFC, Kevita Inc., Kinvara LLC, Kungursky Molkombinat JSC, Larragana S.L., Latin American Holdings Ltd., Latin American Snack Foods ApS, Latin Foods International LLC, Lebedyansky, Lebedyansky Holdings LLC, Lebedyansky LLC, Limited Liability Company "Sandora", Linkbay Limited, Lithuanian Snacks UAB, Mabel, Marbo Product d.o.o. Beograd, Marbo d.o.o. 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After Aamir Khan, now Geeta and Babita Phogat have spoken out in support of Dangal star Zaira Wasim, who was attacked online for meeting Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

By India Today Web Desk: Dangal star Zaira Wasim was trolled no end online over the last two days, ever since she met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and the photo began doing the rounds of the internet. A terrified Wasim took to Twitter and Facebook to post a long apology, which she later deleted. The apology was followed by a clarification, which too, Wasim took off her social media timelines.

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Wasim's 'scream' behind the apology, as veteran actor Anupam Kher put it, saw several celebrities coming out in support of the child actor.

After Aamir Khan posted his message for Zaira and people trolling her, now the Phogat sisters have assured their support for Wasim. Zaira played the young Geeta Phogat in Aamir Khan's film Dangal that hit the screens last month.

Geeta said, "When people like Aamir Khan are supporting her, then she has nothing to worry; we all support her."

Babita added, "Zaira ko maafi mangne ki koi zarurat nhi, usne kuch galat nahi kia; usne desh ka naam roshan kia hai. Hum sab uske saath hai (Zaira doesn't need to apologise for anything. She hasn't done anything wrong. She has made her country proud. All of us are with her.)."

OPINION: Dangal girl Zaira Wasim's apology sets a haanikarak precedent for young Kashmiri achievers

ALSO READ: Dangal girl Zaira Wasim posts and then deletes apology for meeting Mehbooba Mufti

PHOTO: Dangal's Zaira Wasim and family meet Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti

Earlier today, Geeta told India Today, "Whatever the 16-year-old child has done, we are proud of everything. Not just all of us in the country, but abroad too. Zaira doesn't need to worry about anything. She doesn't need to be sad about anything."

The Phogat sisters' journey hasn't exactly been a bed of roses.

Geeta said, "When we (she and her sister) were of her age, we had to listen to more scathing remarks from people. People always wanted to pull us back. They kept talking about my father (wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat) because he trained us in wrestling. We have extricated ourselves out of all of these and are at this point in our life today. My father said only one thing: Work hard. If you do something for the country, all these people with these mentalities - their mouths will be shut. And that has happened too. Zaira should go ahead. She shouldn't be worried about people who have such mentalities. Zaira needs to think about all the people who love her, all the people who are with her. She should think of that and move forward."

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"There are certain people who cannot see others prosper. We should not spoil our careers for those people. We should work hard. When we were facing this, we had only our father and our family backing us. Today, Zaira has got the support of the entire country. People like us are with her. Zaira doesn't need to be worried about anything," the wrestler said.

Zaira Wasim was attacked online after she met Mehbooba Mufti. The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said, "Kyun bechare ko aur tang karna chahtey ho? (Why do you want to trouble her more?)"

Over the last 24 hours since Zaira's apology, she has found support in many people.

WATCH: Aamir Khan backs Dangal daughter Zaira Wasim after she was attacked online

--- ENDS ---
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Jameson ordered removed from the bench and disqualified for Tuesday's election
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 17, 2017 | 12:43 PM | CALVERT CITY, KY

As family members bring the body of Josh Franklin back to Paducah, co-workers from Jackson Purchase Energy honored him as he returned to the cooperative's territory Tuesday afternoon.Trucks from the utility were part of a caravan driving from Nashville, where Franklin was hospitalized, to Paducah, where Franklin lived with his wife and two small children.Another group of co-workers parked bucket trucks on the Patterson Ferry Road Bridge over I-24 near Calvert City, which is near the boundary for JPEC's service area. They raised the buckets on their trucks and used them to fly an American flag over the Interstate as the caravan passed underneath.A JPEC spokesperson said Pennyrile Rural Electric Cooperative did a similar tribute in Christian County and WKRECC also did a tribute to him in Calvert City, so he was welcomed home by all area cooperatives.Franklin came in contact with a live electrical wire on January 6 while working in West Paducah. He was taken to a local hospital and then airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville for treatment. After consulting with neurologists about the extent of brain injury from the electrical shock and lack of oxygen after the accident, family members decided to disconnect Franklin's ventilator on Monday. He died about 12:30 pm.Funeral arrangements for Franklin are incomplete.

On the Net:
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 17, 2017 | 12:08 PM | MAYFIELD, KY

Six people were arrested on methamphetamine and other drug charges after police carried out a search warrant in Mayfield Monday night.

According to the Mayfield Police Department, officers executed a search warrant at a home on North 17th Street. Police said methamphetamine and powder cocaine were found inside the home, along with three digital scales. Police also found heroin residue in tin foil, and some marijuana roaches.

Military medals, which had been reported stolen from a church on Paducah Road last year, were also found in the home.



Officers arrested 55-year-old Debra Potts of Mayfield, 62-year-old Jeffery Blake of Mayfield, 46-year-old David Riley of Boaz, 40-year-old Ricky Baker of Mayfield, 38-year-old Cody Nelms of Mayfield and 36-year-old Heather Marshall of Mayfield.

Police said Blake was in possession of a large amount of legend drugs. Potts allegedly tried to conceal some crushed up pills and Baker was wanted for an indictment warrant out of Graves Circuit Court.

All six were arrested on meth trafficking and other drug charges and lodged in the Graves County Jail.
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By The Associated Press

Jan. 16, 2017 | CADIZ, KY

By The Associated Press Jan. 16, 2017 | 12:55 PM | CADIZ, KY

Struggle Fueled by King's Ideals Continues - by Richard Nelson



Race relations in many of our cities may be their poorest since the late 1960's, but today we celebrate the courage of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who dedicated his life to restoring racial equality under the law. Dr. King, who navigated an even tougher political environment, invested much of his life to restore the basic dignity of black men and women systematically deprived of things most take for granted today.



King denounced violence and extremism and he opposed those inside the civil rights movement who stoked the flames of hatred and promoted racial separatism. As a pastor he pinpointed the problem of his time. He told an audience in a Detroit church in 1954, there is something wrong with our world, something fundamentally and basically wrong. The great problem facing modern man is that . . . the means by which we live have outdistanced the spiritual ends for which we live...the problem is with man himself and mans soul.



We don't talk much about our souls in our secular world where every physical need and pleasure seems to be met in an instant. Spiritual ends? The problem is with man himself? Such talk is often sanitized and overlooked in an age that celebrates the results of King's ideals without considering the root that made it flourish. We forget that Dr. King was a pastor with deep Christian convictions before he became a civil rights leader.



King saw widespread injustice and his soul was stirred to confront it. And like a modern day Moses he fought against long odds of systemic and institutional racism to lead his people to the "promised land" of equal opportunity and fair treatment under the law. King once told a group in Montgomery, Alabama in 1957 Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" It's a timeless challenge to each of us.



The impetus that led King to oppose racial injustice is identical to those involved in the civil rights battle of the last 40 years, otherwise known as the pro-life movement. The impetus is based on the idea that every human being is made in the image of God and endowed with dignity. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," King said in his Letter from Birmingham Jail. " We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.



There is still injustice towards the black community today and hence the work for reconciliation and equal treatment continues. But can it ever be successful so long as other closely related injustices are allowed?



The new civil rights movement is not over who has the right to drink from the same water fountains or eat at the same diners as the majority population. It's not even over the right to vote. It's over whether one human being has the right to deprive another human being of life. The right to life is a human rights issue. And this right, which precedes civil rights has disproportionately affected the black community. Minority women constitute only about 13% of the female population (age 15-44) but comprise more than one-third of all abortions.



It is estimated that more than 16 million black babies have been aborted since 1973. Who knows how many Michael Jordans, Colin Powells, or Condoleezza Rices were in that number. Maybe there was another Martin Luther King Jr. for our day.



Hundreds of thousands will again march on Washington in one of the most undercovered events by the institutional media this week. But so long as the injustice continues, so long as media turn a blind eye to what goes on behind the curtain and shut out the cries of those protesting, the struggle fueled by King's ideals, will continue.



Richard Nelson is the executive director of the Commonwealth Policy Center, a non-profit, non-partisan organization. He lives in Cadiz with his wife and children.
By Press Trust of India: Karachi, Jan 16 (PTI) Pakistans former President Asif Ali Zardari will attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in the US on January 20, according to media reports.

Zardari, co-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was invited to the January 20 ceremony by the US government which he accepted. He will leave for the US on January 17, the Daily Times reported.

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Zardari, who returned to Pakistan late last month after spending about 18 months in a self-imposed exile, would be accompanied by a delegation, which would include ex-Pakistani ambassador to US Sherry Rehman, former interior minister Rehman Malik and other party leaders.

It is also said that he would proceed to France from the US.

His son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, is expected to join him in the US on January 25 after the PPPs Lahore-Faisalabad rally, which is scheduled to be held on January 19.

Besides US-Pakistan ties, issues related to Pakistan-India relations, Afghan policy and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will also come under discussion during one-on-one meetings with the US authorities, including the Congressmen and senators.

Zardari, who is currently in Dubai, is expected to undergo a medical examination while in the US. PTI KJ AKJ KJ

--- ENDS ---
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/01/2017 (2117 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On the first day of the retrial for Candace Derksens murder, right as the defence questioned a former Winnipeg police officer about the shed in which he found the victim, Wilma Derksens phone suddenly started ringing.

She didnt know why it was beeping, and she fumbled to turn it off. When court took recess a few minutes later, she turned to her husband Cliff and their grown children, Syras and Odia. With a look, the family burst into laughter.

It was a beautiful sound, and for a minute, the room glowed with life. It felt as if sunlight had sneaked through the wooden blinds drawn over the courtroom windows. For a second, it seemed as if all of this could be normal.

In a way, Wilma had predicted that moment, in spirit if not specifics. On Sunday, hours before Mark Edward Grants retrial for her daughters 1984 disappearance and death began, she wrote in her blog about what she expected.

Yes, Wilma explained, there would sadness and there would be anger. There would also, she thought, be light.

Of course we will all laugh at some point, she wrote on WilmaDerksen.com. I will probably say something really silly  as I am prone to do  and they will laugh. We will find ourselves celebrating each other! I just know it.

That lightness, Wilma told reporters later, has been deliberately cultivated over the 32 years since Candace disappeared. After all, she pointed out, if the family had waited for justice, can you imagine where wed be?

Wed have put our whole lives on the shelf, she added. We had two other children. Weve had to say all of life is good. In that way, we also maintain Candaces memory even better, than if we had just obsessed over justice.

Yet justice  deliberate, labyrinthian  works in its own time. And it still searches for a coda to this crime.

So here the Derksens are again, in court again, hearing the frank details of how police found their daughters frozen body again: the orientation of her head, the twine that bound her limbs, the veil of frost that covered her skin.

Here they are in the big courtroom again, the one on the second floor with marble panelling and plaster curlicues on the ceiling. Here they are in the front row, surrounded by the typical assortment of law students and reporters.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Wilma Derksen: 'Of course we will all laugh at some point.'

It is the same courtroom where the Derksens sat in 2011, and were convinced emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually by those proceedings that Grant had killed their daughter. So, back then, was the jury that convicted him.

That legal conviction was overturned due to an error by the original judge. The one in the Derksens hearts was not. But theyre open to the possibility of Grants innocence, they said, and so they will go through it all over again.

Theyre not the only ones. On Monday, retired Winnipeg police officer Gilbert Vance Clarke once again took the stand to carefully describe a shed, as if that shed hadnt loomed in the nightmares of Manitoba parents for a generation.

And David Wiebe, one of Candaces former classmates and friends, once again described how he saw her walking home from school on the day she disappeared. That he threw snow at her  and that he had a crush on her.

But this is the surreality of time: today, Wiebe is in his late 40s. He has a family of his own and salt-and-pepper hair. Once upon a time, two blushing kids met in the snow; one of their timelines continued. Candaces was taken away.

In that way, Wiebes testimony was above all testimony of life: vibrant and vivid, studded with joy as well as pain.

I think Candace was desperately in love with David, Wilma laughed after court broke for the day. Thats why she was over-the-top happy when she said, He gave me a facewash. She was so happy that day.

So time will play a role in this retrial: how it affects memory, how it affects evidence. Clarke, for instance, testified that he doesnt have his old police notes; he retired in 1995, and doesnt know where they ended up in the years since.

But perhaps the bigger lesson is how entire lives have flourished since Candace went missing in November 1984.

In a poignant twist, Tuesday will mark the 32nd anniversary of the day her body was found. And so the Derksens have been living this longer than several of the reporters who flocked to interview them have even been alive.

And time, fluid and ephemeral time, saw the Derksens two surviving children grow into thriving adults. Time brought Wilma and Cliff three grandkids, who adore Paw Patrol and light up their grandparents lives.

Time brought Wilma the space to become an author, acclaimed speaker and a tireless advocate for victims and children. She has given hope to other families of victims, and shined her light on paths to healing and forgiveness.

For all these years, she has been a citys beacon for hope and justice sometimes even our moral compass.

Sooner or later, this retrial will conclude. The judge will issue her ruling, which will enter the public record. Let this enter the record too: In grace, the Derksens are once again transforming the unimaginable into a celebration of life.

With the span of time, it has also kept Candaces memory alive, Cliff said. Were always sensing Candaces presence. Its almost like she hasnt passed away, on some days. Because shes so present and so real.

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Wilma and Cliff Derksen outside the courthouse Monday afternoon.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/01/2017 (2118 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The first in a long lineup of judicial delay motions has been dismissed as Manitobas legal system wrestles with the fallout of a Supreme Court of Canada decision.

There have now been two key rulings in recent weeks where accused Winnipeg criminals have lost bids to walk free based solely on how long their cases have dragged through the courts.

Jeffrey Summerfield is accused of trying to rob a bank in October 2013. After losing his delay motion, Summerfield elected not to fight the case any longer and entered guilty pleas last week.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES There have now been two key rulings recently where accused Winnipeg criminals have lost bids to walk free based solely on how long their cases have dragged through the courts.

Defence lawyer Scott Newman argued the 39 months between his clients date of arrest and start of his substantive proceedings goes well beyond the 30-month window established by the countrys highest court in its ruling last July. He claimed the only remedy was to set Summerfield loose on the grounds his charter rights have been violated.

Newman argued that no meaningful delay should be attributed to the defence. The Crown countered by saying at least eight months were lost because Summerfield delayed obtaining legal counsel; the case would have been close to the upper-limit of 30 months.

Both the Crown and defence were slow

Queens Bench Justice James Edmond ruled the defence was responsible for about a six-month delay but said theres plenty of blame to go around.

Both the Crown and defence were slow to move this matter forward, Edmond wrote in a decision released earlier this month. He ultimately rejected Summerfields delay motion, saying he wasnt convinced anything egregious had occurred.

In my view, although the net delay exceeds the presumptive ceiling, this is a case in which the Crown has satisfied the court that the time the case has taken is justified, he wrote. I am not satisfied that the cause of the delay exceeding the presumptive ceiling is because of repeated mistakes or missteps by the Crown. With some minor exceptions the delays were explained by the Crown and the institutional delay was the largest component of the delay experienced in this case.

A culture of complacency

A similar ruling occurred Monday when Queens Bench Justice Vic Toews dismissed a delay motion filed by a man charged with attempted murder. Michael Kelly was arrested 33 months ago following a home invasion and shooting and his trial is now just getting underway.

Manitoba Justice officials have just a year to streamline the system to ensure Queens Bench cases are heard within the 30-month window. Provincial court cases are expected to be completed within 18 months after charges are laid, according to the Supreme Court. They set the new rules last July to battle a culture of complacency across the country that leads to unreasonable delays, violating charter rights.

Newman told the Free Press last week the high courts ruling has allowed lawyers to retroactively challenge for dismissal of some previous cases on the grounds they have been unreasonably delayed.

Well see cases regularly thrown out, he predicted, adding at least 27 such challenges have been filed so far. His bank robbery case was among the first to be argued, and none has been dismissed to date.

A national problem: Stefanson

The Supreme Court of Canada recognized that change takes time and the parties will require time to correct their behaviour. The courts also need time to address institutional delay and steps have already been implemented to accomplish that, Edmond wrote in Summerfields decision.

Manitoba Justice Minister Heather Stefanson has called the issue a national problem and said the province is working with the federal government to deal with it. She said delays cant easily be overcome by appointing more judges or building additional courtrooms, nor can they be attributed to how many long jury trials may take place in a short period of time.

The Supreme Court appeared to take that into consideration when they wrote for cases currently in the system, the framework must be applied flexibly and contextually, with due sensitivity to the parties reliance on the previous state of the law.

 with files from Nick Martin

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/01/2017 (2118 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

wfpvideo:8QWwNQze:wfpvideo

The second trial of a man once convicted of killing 13-year-old Candace Derksen began Monday with a promised focus on DNA evidence.

Mark Edward Grant again pleaded not guilty Monday to second-degree murder as the retrial got underway in front of Court of Queens Bench Justice Karen Simonsen. Grant was convicted of killing Candace in 2011, but the Manitoba Court of Appeal in 2013 ruled the trial judge erred in not allowing the jury to hear evidence that could have pointed to a different suspect, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2015.

At the end of the day, Candaces family remains emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually convinced, that Grant is responsible for Candaces death.

If were wrong, we want to be told and shown, her mother, Wilma Derksen, said after Day 1 of the retrial.

Crown attorney Brent Davidson presented an overview of what the judge can expect to hear over the course of the roughly six-week trial, including the three types of DNA analyses conducted as part of the investigation that pointed to Grant as a suspect and the ways in which police obtained samples of his DNA. The police officers who were involved in the investigation and one of the analysts who examined the DNA are set to testify later in the trial.

Davidson told court the Crown believes Grants guilt is the only rational conclusion to be drawn after all of the evidence is before the court.

Nearly 32 years to the day her daughters body was found frozen and bound in a shed a few blocks from their Elmwood home, Wilma Derksen sat in court with her family, taking notes on a thick blue steno pad. Outside the courtroom, she said writing is how she processes the evidence shes now hearing for a second time  she also plans to blog her account of the trial.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Wilma and Cliff Derksen outside the courthouse Monday afternoon.

Weve been through it all and it just feels so clear cut, she said. It wasnt as emotional.

She said she considers it a success that her family is juggling schedules and making time to be present at the retrial  their busy lives are a signal they didnt dissolve into trauma in the past three decades, she said.

But it doesnt take much for her mind to return to the day Candace went missing, memories surfacing of a teen who seemed happy talking to her mom on the phone after school because the boy she had a crush on had just playfully tossed some snow at her. Men tended to notice Candace when she walked into a room, even at 13, Derksen says now.

Im not surprised she got noticed, and that was kind of my fear.

David Wiebe, one of the last to see Candace alive on Nov. 30, 1984, was first to take the stand Monday. He recounted how he saw Candace on the phone after school that day and threw snow at her. He was about 15 at the time and admittedly had a bit of a crush on her. They chatted briefly, and she said she was going to walk a few blocks home. He remembered saying hed drive her, if only he had his drivers licence. He couldnt walk with her, he said, because he was on his way to a drivers-ed course.

Later that evening, he found out from Candaces mother that she never made it home. Police didnt tell him directly at the time, he said in response to lawyers questions during his testimony, but he would be considered a suspect in the investigation. He gave police hair samples, and later a blood sample, to help with the investigation. He also took a polygraph test in 2007.

Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files Wilma Derksen, seen holding a picture of her slain daughter Candace, hopes Mark Edward Grants retrial will provide answers to some questions the family still has about Candaces death.

Defence lawyer Saul Simmonds cross-examination of Wiebe focused on the time that has elapsed since Candaces death, which Wiebe agreed meant some details could have been lost from memory, and the DNA samples police collected from him. Wiebe said he was willing to give them whatever they requested because he had nothing to hide.

Court also heard Monday morning from Frank Alsip, who in 1984 was the general manager for a construction supply company on whose property Candaces body was discovered on Jan. 17, 1985.

All of the witnesses called to the stand on Monday  Wiebe, Alsip and retired Winnipeg Police Service officers Gilbert Vance Clarke, Derek Blackman-Shaw and William Keith Cahoon  had previously testified during the first trial, so hearing their evidence felt very much like a rerun, albeit one more tuned into legal nuances for Wilma Derksen.

During cross-examination of the witnesses, the defence team focused on a familiar line of questioning: DNA protocol, whose DNA may have been present inside the shed where Candaces body was found and whether anyone may have entered the shed before police arrived.

You didnt have DNA protocols in place in 1985, correct? Simmonds asked retired officer Blackman-Shaw, who confirmed there were none.

Defence lawyers questioned each witness about whether police asked them to provide samples of their DNA to help with the investigation, establishing only Wiebe had been asked to do so. The other witnesses, who showed up on scene shortly after the discovery of Candaces body, were all asked  32 years later  whether they could recall whether they had sneezed, coughed, deposited saliva or dry flakes of skin within the shed while they were confirming the presence of a dead body. All agreed they couldnt say for certain.

Once again, questions were raised about what Candace was wearing when her body was found. Alsip testified he saw a parka covering the body when he looked in the shed prior to calling police. But Blackman-Shaw, one of two officers first called to the scene, said he focused on her clothing when he arrived. He remembered her wearing a maroon club jacket with a hooded sweatshirt underneath. Her hands and feet were bound with twine, and a layer of frost had crystallized on her body, acting patrol Sgt. Cahoon testified. That detail was particularly difficult for Wilma Derksen to hear repeated.

Still, she said after court was adjourned that parts of Wiebes testimony brought back happy memories of Candace. Her mother had known about Candaces secret crush on Wiebe back then, and the feeling was mutual, according to his testimony. If Candace had returned home that night, Wilma said she felt sure she wouldve gossiped about him with her friends. Instead, seeing him on the stand again Monday brought back the awareness of time, and the what-ifs, Wilma said.

Grants second-degree murder conviction was overturned after the first trial because the trial judge didnt allow jurors to hear evidence the defence argued could have pointed to a different suspect in a similar abduction case that happened while Grant, a convicted sex offender, was behind bars.

In that case, a 12-year-old girl was allegedly abducted, bound with rope and left in an abandoned railway boxcar in the same area of the city, less than a year after Candace disappeared.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/01/2017 (2117 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As Canadians, weve actually seen this troubling picture before. It was back in the summer of 1971, when the Republican administration of Richard Nixon imposed a 10 per cent special surcharge on all (non-resource) imports entering the United States. It became known in Canada as the Nixon shocks.

Not surprisingly, this development sent enormous shock waves throughout official Ottawa. Many in the Pierre Elliott Trudeau government assumed it must have been an oversight or a mistake by an ill-informed Nixon White House.

There was talk of massive job losses in Canada, the need for government programs to assist the unemployed, and it stood as a stark reminder Ottawas special relationship with Washington had run its course.

SETH WENIG / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has floated trade-protectionist polices that would affect Canada.

Canadian officials were subsequently dispatched to Washington to set their U.S. counterparts straight. There was a general consensus among the delegation that once the Americans were briefed on the importance and integrative nature of the two economies, the Nixon administration would come to its senses and swiftly exempt Canada (as it had done in the past) from this punitive measure.

What they discovered, to their horror, was Canada was targeted specifically by official Washington. U.S. officials were apparently angry about a one-sided Canada-U.S. autopact, unwelcome noises about placing restrictions on U.S. investment in Canada and a growing bilateral trade deficit.

The big brains in the Trudeau government were at a loss as to how to get the Americans to cancel the surcharge.

Any thoughts of retaliation against the U.S. were seen as dangerously counterproductive and promptly dispensed with. Diplomacy (at both the bilateral and multilateral levels) would be the order of the day  and especially working closely with our European friends to plead our collective case.

As it turned out, former president Nixon relented, largely because of Japanese currency alignment, European pressure and an improving U.S. balance of payments situation, and scrapped the measure in December 1971.

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces the ominous prospect of another Republican president, Donald Trump, embracing Buy America provisions, dismantling NAFTA and imposing a 20 per cent border adjustment tax on Canadian imports.

The fulfilment of any one of these moves would be very bad news indeed for Canada.

Of course, Canadians are well aware of the stakes here: we export roughly 75 per cent of everything we produce to the U.S. marketplace. It is the largest bilateral trading relationship in the world. Indeed, the U.S. market comprises something like 16 per cent of Canadas overall GDP and Canada-U.S. trade amounts to $2.5 billion a day.

Moreover, millions of Canadian jobs depend on commercial access to the United States. As the automotive sector amply demonstrates, the two economies are highly integrated. (It is often said car parts move across the border seven times before the vehicle is finally assembled.)

Because of this economic dependence, though, a Trump border tax would inflict serious harm on the Canadian economy. We should not kid ourselves this time around that an exemption or quick fix for Canada is in the cards. It wont be.

So if president-elect Trump does move to implement a border tax, the Liberal government will need to say firmly to our U.S. friends restricting Canadian imports hurts U.S. subsidiaries operating in Canada, makes it more difficult for struggling Canadian companies to purchase U.S. products, and that we have only a small trade surplus with the U.S.

We should also not be shy about reminding U.S. officials Canada is the top trading partner for some 37 U.S. states  a number of which voted for Trump in November.

Diplomatically speaking, Canada will have to work in concert with other like-minded countries within multilateral forums to push back against the border measure. More important, Ottawa will have to use our embassy in Washington to strenuously lobby senior officials in the Trump White House, members of Congress (particularly key committee chairs), state governors and friendly U.S. business interests (such as those in the auto parts sector).

Simply put, we will have to inform the Trump team the scope of convergence between the two economies means punishing Canada with a border tax is tantamount to cutting off your nose to spite your face.

We all need to realize were now in a much different political universe than the one in the early 1970s. And, I have to admit, its hard to know what strategy, if any, would work with such a blinkered and unpredictable Trump presidency.

Peter McKenna is professor and chair of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown.
2016 marked the 45th Anniversary for Catholic Charities Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), a national program under the Corporation for National and Community Service. In the Winona area,, Catholic Charities of the Winona Diocese oversees Common Good RSVP through its active aging programs.

All area volunteers enrolled in RSVP were invited to wonderful lunch recently at the American Legion. Those volunteers who were also veterans were honored with a special pin and certificate. On hand to present these distinctions were Catholic Charities Executive Director Bob Tereba, as well as Jerry Obieglo and John Heiser from the Winona County Veteran Services.

A special Star Volunteer Award was given to David Girod. RSVP Program Coordinator Sue Degallier praised Girod for his 22 years of service to Habitat for Humanity. During that time, he helped to complete 50 homes in the Winona area. Along with his time and hard work, Girod displays a sense of care and compassion for the wellbeing of others.

Habitat construction manager John Corcoran added, Volunteers are a huge part of what makes our community great, and it is because of volunteers like David that we have been able to provide simple, decent and affordable homes for families in need. In the Winona area, nearly 300 RSVP enrolled volunteers served over 30,000 hours at several organizations in 2016.
Buffalo County might offer cost-sharing assistance to landowners with conservation structures that were damaged by flash flooding last summer.

An estimated 2,000 structures designed to help prevent soil erosion were damaged or washed out by heavy rains in August.

The countys land conservation and resource management committee recently passed a measure in favor of using up to $150,000 of CapX2020 funds to cost-assist with repairing structures.

The committee said financial aid is needed to assist landowners repair structures that were designed to reverse excessive soil erosion and water pollution runoff.

A proposed resolution sent to the countys finance committee calls for offering financial aid subject to a $1,000 deductible and landowner responsibility to pay half the cost of repair projects.

The plan would move ahead if eventually adopted by the county board.

In a related topic, the land conservation department is updating its inventory list of 135 dam structures in the county.

The department has sought landowner cooperation in identifying dam structure types, locations, maintenance records and status conditions.

Committee supervisors have talked about offering landowners cost-sharing to repair up to five dam structures annually. Landowners of dam structures that need repairs are encouraged to contact the land conservation department.

Nettie Rosenow, chair of the countys land conservation and resource management committee, recommended doing more promotion of conservation work.

She suggested highlighting water quality improvements achieved through watershed management practices installed in the Waumandee Creek Priority Watershed Project.

Conservation practices installed in the watershed project between 1985 and 2007 included manure storage and barnyard runoff facilities, livestock fencing, streambank protections and grade stabilization measures.

Rosenow said projects improved water quality in Eagle Creek and Joos Valley Creek. She advised further planning and monitoring efforts in the Waumandee watershed area.
A mix of freezing rain and sleet made for a treacherous morning commute and created additional headaches Monday afternoon and into the nighttime hours

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory in effect through noon today as conditions are expected to worsen this afternoon and evening.

The Winona YMCA closed at 6 p.m. due to worsening weather conditions. Winona area public and non-public schools were closed all-day Monday in anticipation of hazardous conditions and cancelled all evening activities.

The Winona Police Department issued this cautionary: "The roads are becoming slippery and accidents are being reported all over the county. Please drive slow and use caution if you have to be out."

A snowplow slid into the ditch in northeast Iowa Monday morning, and icing has been reported across southern Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. Sand and salt trucks were out covering city and county roads throughout the day.

Freezing rain and sleet were to continued mainly south of Interstate 90 before tapering off in the morning, according to the Weather Service.

A second round of precipitation hit iin the afternoon. Some falling as rain resulting in accumulation of ice on cold surfaces.

If not already icy roads will quickly go from slippery to hazardous, the Weather Service warns.

Additional accumulation of ice, sleet and snow contiued into Monday evening and icy travel conditions are expected to persist through this morning.
Donald Trump is right. (Ive been waiting weeks for a chance to write that.)

Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing, the president-elect tweeted last weekend. Only stupid people, or fools, would think that it is bad!

Thats true; no sensible person wants a state of hostility with a nuclear superpower.

But  and you knew a but was coming  Trump tweeted his foreign policy doctrine with an essential piece missing. The goal of American foreign policy is to protect U.S. interests, not to achieve a good relationship with any particular country  much less a country as troubling in its conduct as Vladimir Putins Russia.

Trump hasnt given a full-scale foreign policy speech since April, when he unveiled his America First slogan. He did, however, suggest during the campaign that he would focus on a few core goals:

Defeating the Islamic State and other terrorist groups.

Negotiating better trade deals to bring jobs back to the United States.

Curbing Irans power in the Middle East.

Canceling or renegotiating President Obamas nuclear deal.

Putins goals conflict with U.S. interests more often than they coincide.

Renegotiating the NATO alliance to force other countries to spend more on their own defense  with a warning that the U.S. might not defend them against Russia if they dont.

Heres the problem with Trumps bromance with Putin:

Of the four items on that list, the Russian leader might be helpful with one, the fight against Islamic terrorists. Hes not so interested in the others.

Bringing U.S. jobs back? Not his problem.

Curbing Iran and scrapping the nuclear deal? Actually, Putins proud of the role he played in negotiating the agreement, and hes been busy selling advanced weapons to the ayatollahs.

Renegotiating NATO? Putin may want to encourage Trump on that one  but mostly to see if he can undermine the Western alliance.

Putins priorities are different from ours. He wants to stay in power and stave off what he sees as Western pressure to democratize. He wants to restore Russias sphere of influence over the countries of the former Soviet Union, beginning with Ukraine, which he invaded in 2014. He wants to weaken the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which he views as a hostile military alliance.

In other words, Putins goals conflict with U.S. interests more often than they coincide.

In addition, Russia experts believe Putin actually prefers to cast the United States as an adversary, because it helps him maintain his hold on power.

The legitimacy of Putins system of repressive domestic controls depends on the existence of external threats, William J. Burns, a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow, wrote last week. If he cant easily build Russia up, he can take the United States down a few pegs with his characteristic tactical agility and his willingness to play rough and take risks.

Republicans  including the ones inside the new Trump administration  are divided over how much U.S.-Russian cooperation is feasible.

Trumps nominees as secretary of Defense (James Mattis), CIA chief (Mike Pompeo) and national intelligence director (Dan Coats) have all described Putin as an adversary, not a friend.

Meanwhile, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Trumps choice as national security adviser, has long argued that an alliance with Russia is key to defeating Islamic terrorism. We cant do what we want to do unless we work with Russia, period, he said last year.

And Trumps top political strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, has said he thinks Putin can be enlisted in a joint effort to contain the growing power of both Iran and China.

Trump has already proposed a way to settle the question: Just give Putin a chance.

Some say the Russians wont be reasonable; I intend to find out, he said in April. If we cant make a good deal for America, then we will quickly walk from the table.

But he still needs to define what a good deal would be.

Here are three specific steps Trump should take:

First, he should reassure U.S. allies that he doesnt plan to walk away from NATO treaty commitments. (The three small Baltic states, which feel directly threatened by Russia, are already racing to meet their commitments on defense spending.)

Second, Trump should announce that he wont support any relaxation of Western sanctions against Russia unless Putin withdraws from eastern Ukraine. Former U.S. envoy Stephen Sestanovich says the Russians are waiting to see if Trump will act without asking for anything in return. The other side never pays for something it expects to get for free, he wrote.

Third, the president-elect should wait for the 90-day review of cybersecurity hes requested before tweaking any of the Obama administrations added cybersanctions. Until now, hes treated questions about Russian hacking as political attacks on his legitimacy; once hes safely in office, he might be able to consider them more calmly as a question of U.S. security interests.

Trump should take his own advice: Deal with Putin from a position of strength, not weakness  and seek good relations only in pursuit of a good deal, not as an end in themselves.
In considering a new chief government administrator Tuesday, the Sauk County Board also may opine on the standard for removing that person from office.

A state law says county boards may remove an appointed county officer for cause  such as inefficiency or official misconduct  only by a two-thirds majority vote.

But a resolution that may go before the board Tuesday declares that Sauk County's chief administrative officer is not subject to that law.

The resolution to appoint Baraboo City Attorney Alene Kleczek Bolin as the county's next administrative coordinator declares the position is "not considered a public official" under the state law.

Instead of a two-thirds majority vote, the resolution says, the administrative coordinator may be removed under a county ordinance, and subject to contract terms.

The threshold for removal was a point of contention among attorneys involved in a dispute over the countys last administrative coordinator, Renae Fry.

Sauk County Corporation Counsel Todd Liebman said in an email the matter was an arguable point that the county wanted to clarify.

The issue is not one that's cut and dry among attorneys.

In neighboring Adams County, there is no ordinance governing removal of the administrative coordinator.

Its never been brought up, Adams County Corporation Counsel Kenneth Wagner said, although he added that he suspects a simple majority vote of the county board would be sufficient.

Wagner said the issue may boil down to whether the administrative coordinator is considered an officer. But he said thats an issue he hasnt thoroughly researched, and one that a court may have to decide in the future.

The Sauk County Board appointed Fry, a Minnesota attorney, as administrative coordinator in March after a $24,000 search facilitated by an Appleton-based recruitment firm.

In late October, her job performance came under scrutiny for reasons that initially were not made public. Fry signed a separation agreement Dec. 2 that entitles her to a full years salary. The deal will cost taxpayers nearly $135,000.

A state statute says counties that dont have a county executive or county administrator shall elect or appoint an official to serve as administrative coordinator. And a county ordinance deems the administrative coordinator the chief administrative officer of the county.

That language is clear, said Baraboo Attorney Nicole Marklein Bacher, who represented Fry in her employment dispute. It means Sauk County's administrative coordinator is indeed an appointed county officer under the state law governing removal of such figures.

In short, our position is that Ms. Fry was a county official under a plain reading of both state statute and county ordinance, Marklein Bacher wrote in an email. Pursuant to state statute, a county board-appointed officer may only be removed by a two-thirds vote of the county board for just cause.

Marklein Bacher said she is not convinced the county can supersede the state law simply by declaring in a resolution that the administrative coordinator is not a public official.

I think that, at the very minimum, they need to amend their ordinances, Marklein Bacher said.

Since Frys departure, Liebman has proposed changes to a county ordinance involving the exact issues addressed in Tuesday's resolution.

His proposed changes would declare that the administrative coordinator is not a county officer under state law, and may be removed by a simple majority vote of the board.

Liebman submitted those changes  and others  to the boards five-person Executive and Legislative Committee on Dec. 29. The committee has not considered them for approval.

Recently released documents suggest Frys departure largely involved conflicts she had with Liebman and Sauk County Board Chair Marty Krueger, among other allegations.

The documents also show that anonymous reviews of Fry's job performance by county department heads and managers were mostly positive.
Beaver Dam retailers of secondhand items will now need to record items they receive in an online database called LeadsOnline after Beaver Dam Common Council approved amendments, Monday.

This is all about victims and getting the items back to the victims, said Beaver Dam Police Chief John Kreuziger.

The amended ordinance will require these types of dealers to log secondhand items into the database and to hold on to the secondhand items for police to see if the item(s) are stolen. As part of the service, dealers will have to record the name and phone number of the seller as well. All officers have access to this database.

Kreuziger previously said the ordinance is the same as the Dodge County ordinance. He that this is all in an effort to eliminate some confusion with pawnbrokers and jewelry dealers in Beaver Dam about if they should follow the county ordinance or the state statue related to the matter.

Alderperson Jon Abfall suggested a $100 minimal limit for when dealers would have to upload this information to the database. Kreuziger said that he is against that suggestion because this ordinance is meant to remove confusion between the city of Beaver Dam and Dodge County law.

The database cost was already approved as part of last years police budget. LeadsOnline is also used on a state and national level. The cost for the service will run the department $2,800 annually, but Kreuziger said that the service will be available to pawnbrokers and jewelry dealers for free. Dealers will be fined an undetermined amount by a municipal judge if they do not upload what they buy in within 12 hours of the sale and then hold that item for one week.

According to Beaver Dam Police Department monthly reports, from January to September, there have been 110 shoplifting incidents with more than $20,000 worth of merchandise stolen.

The council unanimously approved the amendments to the pawnbrokers, secondhand articles and jewelry dealers ordinance.
With the spring election season approaching, the town of Necedah will hold a caucus on Thursday to choose candidates for the April 4 ballot.

The caucus, held at village/town hall at 101 Center Street, will begin at 7 p.m. Up for reelection is chairman Terry Taft, supervisors George Schumer and Ginny Hodal, clerk Susan Kosinski, treasurer Richard Baumgart and constable Jack Jasinski Sr.

According to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, the caucus can be used by towns and villages to nominate candidates for the spring election. A caucus is open to the public, but only qualified electors of the municipality may nominate and vote for candidates. Residents who are not registered voters may participate in the caucus.

Any person who is at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, and has resided in the municipality for at least 10 days prior to the caucus, is considered a qualified elector. The caucus method is an alternative to a spring primary election.

Residents of the town of Necedah are encouraged to attend the caucus and nominate candidates of their choosing.

Nominations are made separately for each office and will appear on the spring election ballot. During the caucus, nominations can either be taken from the floor or by conducting a vote from a secret ballot. When nominations are taken from the floor, each one must receive a second. After each nomination is made and seconded, the caucus chairperson must ask if there are any more nominations; if there are not, they must announce that nominations are closed.

If nominations are made by a secret ballot, a piece of paper is distributed to each elector, serving as their secret ballot. The elector selects a name for their nominee to an office position and those names are tallied. Whichever method is used, names of persons nominated will be announced by the chairperson and a flip chart of chalkboard is often used to record the names of those nominated.

While the method does sound unique, Kosinski said a caucus is typical in small towns before an election. Kosinski published a notice for the caucus on Dec. 29 and again at the last town board meeting on Jan. 12.

The village of Union Center also plans to hold a caucus on Thursday night. The village has three seats up for reelection this spring, including President Alan Scott.
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Items are listed under the day of the event only, running as space permits prior to the event. To submit items, call 745-3511, email jcutsforth@capitalnewspapers.com or visit www.portagedailyregister.com. Include name and phone number.

TODAY

Auditions: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. John Muir Elementary School, Portage. Portage Area Community Theatres spring show is a live radio show with audience participation; a flashback to the songs of the 50s and 60s. There are singing and non-singing parts. Rehearsals will be limited and songs will be karaoke accompaniments. People auditioning for singing parts should come with a song youd like us to hear. Actors will be provided a script to use. Performance dates are March 10-12 and March 17-19 at the Portage Center for the Arts, 301 E. Cook St., Portage.

Blood drive: Columbus Red Cross blood drive, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Columbus Community Hospital, 1515 Park Ave., Columbus. Download the American Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767 to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed. A blood donor card or drivers license or two other forms of identification are required.

Fundraiser: Culvers, New Pinery Road, Portage. Culvers will donate 20 percent of the sales all day for Carol Heisz and family. Please encourage your friends and family to attend.

Lake Wisconsin Alliance: 6 to 8 p.m. educational meeting, Merrimac Village Hall, 100 Cook St., Merrimac. The program is titled The Merrimac Railroad Bridge: Past, Present, and Future. Virgil Kasper will talk about the railroad history in Sauk County, the current status of the Merrimac bridge and the importance of the railroad to the economy of Sauk County. In August, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation approved a $17 million plan to repair the bridge. For more information, call Melissa Keenan at 608-355-4838.

Library event: 1:30 to 3 p.m. Tech Tuesday, Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. This is a drop in session where patrons bring their tablets, phones, gadgets, Overdrive questions, etc. for help.

Library event: 10 a.m. Preschool Story Time, Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. Open to children ages 3 to 5. New and returning families are encouraged to register in advance. Todays theme is Puppy Love and will feature dog stories, songs, activities and a craft. An adult is required to stay in the Program Room with their child during story time. For more information call 742-4959 ext. 211; registration can also be done online at www.portagelibrary.us.

Zumba Toning: 4:30 p.m. Woodridge Primary School, Portage. $5 drop in fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18

Bingo: 5:30 p.m. 131 Restaurant, North Main Street, Pardeeville. Bingo will be played every Wednesday, except the first one of the month.

Clinic: 8 a.m. to noon, Columbia County Public Health Walk-In Clinic, Columbia County Division of Health, 2652 Murphy Road, Portage. Use door No. 4. Bring childs immunization record. Visit www.co.columbia.wi.us for more information.

Free blood pressure screenings: 1 to 5 p.m. Divine Savior Healthcare, 2817 New Pinery Road, Portage. No appointment necessary. Call 745-6405 for more information. Do not eat, smoke, drink caffeine or exercise for 30 minutes prior.

Library event: 10 a.m. Preschool Story Time, Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. Open to children ages 3 to 5. New and returning families are encouraged to register in advance. Todays theme is Puppy Love and will feature dog stories, songs, activities and a craft. An adult is required to stay in the Program Room with their child during story time. For more information call 742-4959 ext. 211; registration can also be done online at www.portagelibrary.us.

Senior meal: 11:30 a.m. Portage Area Senior Citizens Group, Municipal Building, 115 W. Pleasant St., Portage. The meal will be provided by the Columbia County Nutrition Center. If you wish to have a meal, call Lois Williams at 608-697-5800 by noon Tuesday to register. The cost is a cash donation which will be directly put back into the nutrition program. The meeting will start at noon with cards to follow.

St. Vincent de Paul free medical clinic: 9 a.m. to noon. Wilz Drugs lower level, 140 E. Cook St., Portage. No appointments needed. Information needed is name, date of birth and a contact number. A chiropractor is available from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays. A foot clinic is available every week. The clinic can do exams and prescribe medications. Physical therapist available. Discounted medications are available at Wilz and Walmart. Call Bonny Oestreich, RN, at 608-234-0159 for information.

Writing workshop: 10:30 a.m. Portage Public Library Adult Services presents Palm of the Hand Memoir Writing Workshop, Heritage House, 2685 Airport Road, Portage. The public is welcome to join. This is a group that is all about memories and less about writing skills. We brainstorm ideas, share stories and spend some time in quiet reflection. This workshop runs on the third Wednesday of each month. More information can be found at: https://spiritblogs.uwc.edu/memoirs/. People of all abilities are welcome, whether you consider yourself a writer or not.

Zumba/Zumba Toning: 5 p.m. Montello. $5 drop in fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.

Zumba: 5:30 p.m. 1208 Northport Road (the former Freedom Carpeting building). This is a $5 drop-in class. For more information, contact Deb at DJMACK00001@yahoo.com or Rena at 697-6713.

THURSDAY, JAN. 19

Author event/book signing: 6:30 p.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. James Campbell will talk about his book, Braving It: A Father, a Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey Into The Alaskan Wilderness. Campbell, author of The Final Frontiersman and The Ghost Mountain Boys, is joined by his daughter, Aidan, to talk about his latest book, a powerful and affirming story of a fathers journey with his teenage daughter to the far reaches of Alaska.

Blood drive: Pardeeville Red Cross blood drive, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. St. Faustina Parish, 318 S. Main St., Pardeeville. Download the American Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767 to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed. A blood donor card or drivers license or two other forms of identification are required.

Ice Age Trail Alliance Lodi Valley Chapter: 7 p.m. Lodi Medical Clinic, 160 Valley Drive, Lodi. Join us to learn more about what is happening with the Ice Age Trail. For more information, call Joanna at 608-577-9984.

Library event: 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Toddler Thursday for children ages 18 to 36 months, Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. This week toddlers will have fun with froggies! with books, songs, activities and crafts. An adult is required to stay in the Program Room with their child during story time. For more information, call 742-4959 ext. 211; registration can be done online at www.portagelibrary.us. Please pick only one time slot to attend.

Museum: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Portage World War II Museum, 119 E. Cook St., Portage. Free tours for veterans every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The tours take 2 1/2 hours. For information, call 608-697-3690.

Portage Family Skate Park public meeting: 5 to 6:30 p.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. All interested people are welcome to attend. Meetings will be held on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Cancellations will be announced on our Facebook page. Call 608-742-4959 for more information.

FRIDAY, JAN. 20

Hope House support group: 1 to 2 p.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. Has domestic violence touched your life in some way? Find connections with supportive individuals who have similar life experiences as you at Hope Houses newest support group. All are welcome. Held on the first and third Friday of the month. For more information, contact Katie Fluger, outreach advocate, at 608-356-9123.

Library event: 1 to 2 p.m. early release day from school Popcorn Celebration for kids in first through fifth grades, Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. Whether you like popcorn or not, kids will get their fill of the fluffy white snack using it to play games, make a bird feeder and mosaic, and learning how to pop the corn in a variety of ways. After all that, kids will enjoy a popcorn buffet. Registration is not required. For more information, call 742-4959 ext. 211.Meet the Artist at Tivoli: Portage Center for the Arts at Tivoli presents The Paintings of Barb Sjoblom. Meet the artist and enjoy refreshments from 4 to 6 p.m. The exhibit runs through March, and is free and open to the public. Tivoli is located at 2805 Hunters Trail, behind Divine Savior Healthcare in Portage.Seniors Bowling Social: 1 p.m. Fireball Lanes, 817 E. Wisconsin St., Portage. Cost is $6 and includes three games of bowling and shoe rental.

Unique Singles: 5 p.m. Asian Cuisine, East Cook Street, Portage. All single men and women older than age 50 welcome. The group is strictly social with no dues or officers.

SATURDAY, JAN. 21

Community free meal: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, 207 W. Pleasant St., Portage.

Concert: 7:30 p.m. Performing Arts Series concert, Portage Center for the Arts, 301 E. Cook St., Portage. North Country Drifters will perform classic country and western swing. Reserved tickets on sale online, over the phone or at the office. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets will also be available at the door. Sponsored by Pointon Heating and Air Conditioning.

Snowball Shoot: 10 a.m. Merrimac Conservation Rod and Gun Club, Merrimac.

Religion class: 5 p.m. Deliverance ministry classes with Pastor Dale Smalley, Outreach Bible Church, 235 Northridge Drive, Portage. All welcome.

SUNDAY, JAN. 22

Mackenzie Center Snowshoe and Hike: 1 to 4 p.m. MacKenzie Center, W7303 County Highway CS and Q, Poynette. Snowshoes will be available to use or bring your own. Enjoy hot chocolate by the campfire. Park in the lodge parking lot and dress for the weather. If there is less than six inches of snow on the ground, the Center will not be able to lend out snowshoes. People can use their own or hike. The event is free, but donations are appreciated. Call 608-635-8105 or email DNRMacKenzieCenter@wi.gov for more information.

Zumba: 5:30 p.m. Rusch Elementary School, Portage. $5 drop in fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.
For family and friends of Carol Heisz, cautious optimism are the watchwords.

Their optimism is so cautious, in fact, that Carols sister, Susan Miller, is reluctant to repeat the report from Carols bedside Monday, offered by another sister, Laura Wendt: All good news today.

Heisz  a Portage resident and former Portage Common Council member remains at a trauma center in Joplin, Missouri, where she was airlifted after a Dec. 30 automobile crash near Chanute, Kansas, that claimed the life of her husband, Lee Heisz.

Carol Heiszs medical team has said that she is likely to be permanently paralyzed from the chest down.

It would be a vast understatement to describe her healing journey as up and down.

In the first week in January, according to Miller, Heisz had been moved out of the intensive care unit. But on Jan. 8, she told her caregivers she had trouble breathing, and a scan revealed blood clots on her lungs  a life-threatening condition.

Later, problems with her diaphragm also impaired her breathing, necessitating a tube in her throat to help her breathe.

Heisz is back in the ICU, where her visits are limited, and where she cant receive flowers.

Shes been through the wringer, Miller said.

Miller said Heiszs doctor hopes to remove the tube from her throat, but even if it has to remain in place for a while, the care team hopes she will eventually be able to talk.

For now, however, even phone calls are out of the question.

However, Miller said, she and other family members are picking up mail daily at Heiszs home, 411 E. Conant St.  and if people want to send greeting cards and well-wishes there, shell see them.

Meanwhile, the support from the community continues.

Today, all day, Culvers at 2733 New Pinery Road will donate 20 percent of all sales to the Heisz family.

Miller said other Portage eateries and businesses are making plans for benefits for the family.

The outpouring has been really, really nice, she said. Its been overwhelming.

The Carol and Lee Heisz Fund at gofundme.com has raised, as of Monday afternoon, more than $18,200. A fund for the family also remains active at Bank Mutual, 145 E. Cook St. Checks for the fund should be made payable to the Lee and Carol Heisz Fund.

The family needs all the help it can get as family members sort out insurance issues in an effort to get Heisz transferred to a hospital and rehabilitation facility closer to Portage.

Its been bumpy, but shes hanging in there, Miller said.

Family members are taking turns spending time with Carol in the Missouri trauma center, Miller said, and theyre offering her this hope: Everything will get better once you get home.
Gov. Scott Walker got loud applause and big headlines last week for proposing in his annual State of the State speech the first tuition cut at University of Wisconsin System schools in more than 30 years.

The Republican governor even vowed to reimburse UW for the lost revenue.

That sounds good.

But given Gov. Walkers $250 million reduction in state funding for UW System in the last state budget, the top priority for state leaders should be to bring back some of the state aid that UW lost.

UW System is requesting a $42.5 million increase for all of its campuses, not just UW-Madison. Thats a modest 1 percent increase in taxpayer support for the 2017-2018 school year, and a 2 percent increase in 2018-2019.

The Republican-run Legislature has sounded open to granting that amount, given the cuts to university staff and courses over the last two years. Tight university budgets led to larger class sizes, fewer advisers and lost campus jobs for students.

Spending on research at UW-Madison also declined by more than $100 million between 2012 and 2015, leading the university to fall from the top five of the National Science Foundations ranking of research institutions for the first time in more than four decades.

Thats bad for Wisconsins economy because it means our state is getting fewer federal dollars to search for scientific breakthroughs that can lead to patents, startup companies and lasting jobs.

The governor in his Jan. 10 speech didnt say how low he wanted tuition to go. Nor did he say how much funding he would give UW System.

Without more detail, its hard to know if Walkers tuition cut makes sense. Other pressing needs, such as K-12 schools, faster internet service for rural communities, and road projects are competing for state dollars. At the same time, the governor is talking about more tax cuts, which reduce state revenue and limit state spending.

The public will learn more when the governor releases his two-year budget plan next month, after which the Legislature can make changes.

In-state tuition at UW System schools has been capped since 2013, which is good. But state funding has fallen. And the cost of college remains challenging for students and families.

Tuition and fees at UW-Madison, for example, are $10,488 this year. Thats a lot of money and doesnt count housing and food.

A 1 percent decrease in tuition would save a Wisconsin student about $104 per year and reduce university revenue by about $15 million over two years, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

That means any tuition break, while welcome, should be offset by state dollars. And state leaders should grant UW its modest funding request.

Our universities need investment to fulfill their crucial missions.
The Reedsburg Area United Fund is preparing for its largest fundraiser of the year.

The 63rd annual Radio Auction runs Jan. 23-27 and will be aired on WRDB AM-1400 and RUCLS TV Channel 12. Residents and businesses donate prizes that are sold to bring in money for non-profit causes.

Last years auction raised more than $40,000, said Jeannine Mueller, who chairs the event with Kathleen Genz. Organizers would like to collect $38,000 this year.

The auction will be held at the VFW in Reedsburg, and hours are from 9:3011 a.m., 34:30 p.m. and 610 p.m. Volunteers help with everything from setup to item distribution.

Each prize must be worth at least $5, Mueller said. Baked goods are always big sellers. Farm Night also generates a lot of interest, with customers buying bags of soil, gravel and other agricultural supplies.

Other items include toys, afghans, artistic prints, gift certificates and homemade crafts.

Setup begins on Friday at the VFW, and it takes a lot of helping hands to make sure everything is set for the kickoff on Monday, Mueller said. Hundreds of volunteers have been known to help.

More than 30 nonprofits benefit from the auctions funds. To qualify for an allocation, charities must have the proper tax exemption and ensure that all funding stays within the Reedsburg and Weston school districts.

None of the money can leave, she said.

The United Fund supports a wide range of causes such as emergency services, homeless housing, childrens groups, the arts, senior needs and food for struggling residents.

Its all aspects of society, Mueller said.

She said the auction is critical to the mission of the United Fund.

If we didnt have this fundraiser we wouldnt be able to donate this money, she said.

Bids may be placed during the auction by calling 608-768-7000. Item lists are expected to be posted online closer to the auction dates. For more information about the auction and the United Fund visit www.7687000.org.
Citigroup Inc. is one of the worlds largest financial institutions. It is the 13th largest bank globally by assets and 8th by market cap with operations in consumer and institutional banking. In the US, Citigroup is the 3rd largest bank by assets and one of the Big Four deemed systemically important and too big to fail.

Citigroup Inc. was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. The bank was run by Samuel Osgood who led the company with success for many years, even throughout the War of 1812. The bank was later renamed the National City Bank of New York in 1865 and by 1895 is the largest bank in the US. In 1913 it was the first contributor to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a few years later it began to expand into overseas territories.

The bank became the First National City Bank of New York after another merger in 1955 and then later, the New York part was dropped off as part of the 150th-anniversary celebration. By 1974 the company is known as Citicorp which is still the operational branch of the business and a global banking powerhouse. A merger with Travelers insurance group in 1998 resulted in the name Citigroup but the joint venture did not last. By 2002 Travelers was publicly traded once again but Citigroup retained the new name.

Today, the company is headquartered in New York, New York but boasts more than 200 million customer accounts in 160 countries worldwide. As of mid-2022, it operated 2,649 branches in the United States, Mexico, and Asia. The company reports nearly 725 branches in the US and 1499 in Mexico with the rest scattered throughout its territory. Total annual revenue topped $75 billion in 2022.

Citigroup is a diversified financial services holding company that owns Citicorp among other assets. The companys mission is to serve as a trusted partner providing responsible financial solutions to its clients. Citigroup provides financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions. The company operates in two segments, Global Consumer Banking (GCB) and Institutional Clients Group (ICG).

The GCB segment offers traditional banking services including deposit and saving accounts, credit cards, personal loans, home loans, and investment services. This segment operates through local branches and digital means. The ICG segment offers wholesale banking products and services to corporate, institutional, public sector, and high-net-worth clients.
The following companies are subsidiares of PPG Industries: AIPCF V Texstars Blocker Inc., AkzoNobel, Alpha Coating Technologies LLC, Alpha Coatings Inc., Broad Range Development Limited, CG Holdings Manufacturing Co., Centro de Investigacion en Polimeros S.A. de C.V., Chemfil Canada Limited, Chorlton Trade Paints Limited, Comercial Mexicana de Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Comex, Comex Industrial Coatings S.A. de C.V., Consorcio Comex S.A. de C.V., Cristacol S.A., Cuming Microwave Corporation, Deutek SA, Dexmet Corporation, Dexmet Holding Corporation, Distribuidora Kroma S.A. de C.V., EPIC Insurance Co. Ltd., Eberle Design Inc., Empresa Aga S.A. de C.V., Ennis Canadian Holding Company, Ennis Paint Canada ULC, Ennis Paint Netherlands Holdings LLC, Ennis Paint U.K. Holding Company Limited, Ennis Traffic Safety Solutions Pty Ltd, Ennis-Flint, Ennis-Flint Inc., Foshan Bairun Chemicals Co. Ltd., Fpu Industrial S.A. de C.V., Grupo Comex S.A. de C.V., Hemmelrath Automotive Coatings (Jilin) Co. Ltd., Hemmelrath International Trade (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hodij Coatings B.V., Homax Products, Industria Chimica Reggiana I.C.R. SPA, Johnstones Paints Limited, Kalon Investment Company Limited, Kalon South Africa Proprietary Limited, Karl Woerwag Lack-und Farbenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG, Masterwork Paint, MetoKote Corporation, MetoKote Mexico Holdings Inc., MetoKote UK Limited, MetoKote de Mexico S. de RL de CV, Milamar Coatings LLC, OOO Tikkurila, PPG A P Resinas S.A. de C.V., PPG AC - France SA, PPG ALESCO Automotive Finishes Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PPG Aerospace Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Architectural Coatings (Puerto Rico) Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Canada Inc./PPG Revetements Architecturaux Canada Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Ireland Limited, PPG Architectural Coatings Italy S.r.l, PPG Architectural Coatings UK Limited, PPG Architectural Finishes Inc., PPG Asian Paints Private Ltd., PPG Business Services S.A. de C.V., PPG COATINGS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD., PPG Canada Inc., PPG Cetelon Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Cieszyn S.A., PPG Coatings (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, PPG Coatings (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., PPG Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Thailand) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Wuhu) Company Ltd., PPG Coatings (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings B.V., PPG Coatings Belgium BV, PPG Coatings Danmark A/S, PPG Coatings Deutschland GmbH, PPG Coatings Europe B.V., PPG Coatings Nederland BV, PPG Coatings S.A., PPG Coatings South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PPG DYRUP S.A., PPG Deco Czech a.s., PPG Deco Polska sp. z.o.o., PPG Deco Slovakia s.r.o., PPG Deutschland Business Support GmbH, PPG Deutschland Sales & Services GmbH, PPG Distribution S.A.S., PPG Europe B.V., PPG Finance B.V., PPG Finland Oy, PPG France Business Support S.A.S., PPG France Manufacturing S.A.S., PPG Guadeloupe SAS, PPG Hemmelrath Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Holdco SAS, PPG Holdings (U.K.) Limited, PPG Holdings Argentina USA LLC, PPG Holdings Latin America USA LLC, PPG Iberica S.A., PPG Iberica Sales & Services S.L., PPG Industrial Coatings B.V., PPG Industrial do Brasil - Tintas E. Vernizes - Ltda., PPG Industries (Korea) Ltd., PPG Industries (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Industries (UK) Ltd, PPG Industries Argentina S.R.L., PPG Industries Australia PTY Limited A.C.N. 055 500 939, PPG Industries Colombia Ltda., PPG Industries Delfzijl B.V., PPG Industries Europe Sarl, PPG Industries France S.A.S., PPG Industries International Inc., PPG Industries Italia S.r.l., PPG Industries Kimya a Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, PPG Industries LLC, PPG Industries Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Industries Lipetsk LLC, PPG Industries Middle East FZE, PPG Industries Netherlands B.V., PPG Industries New Zealand Limited, PPG Industries Ohio Inc., PPG Industries Poland Sp. Z.o.o., PPG Industries Securities LLC, PPG Industries de Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Investment (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Italia Business Support S.r.l., PPG Italia Sales & Services S.r.l., PPG Japan Ltd., PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes Canada LP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.K. LLP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.S. LLC, PPG Luxembourg Finance S.aR.L., PPG Luxembourg Holdings S.aR.L., PPG Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Packaging Coatings (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Performance Coatings (Hong Kong) Limited, PPG Powder Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Refinish Distribution Limited, PPG Romania S.A., PPG Reunion SAS, PPG SSC Co. Ltd., PPG Switzerland GmbH, PPG Trilak Korlatolt FelelosseguTarasasag (PPG Trilak Kft.), PPG Vietnam Co. Ltd., PRC-DeSoto Australia Pty Ltd., PRC-DeSoto International Inc., PT. PPG Coatings Indonesia, Painter's Supply, Paintzen, Peintures de Paris SAS, Plasticos Envolventes S.A. de C.V., Polymeric Systems Inc., ProCoatings B.V., ProCoatings BV, Protec Pty Ltd, Reno A&E LLC, Revocoat France SAS, Revocoat Holding SAS, Revocoat Iberica SLU, Revocoat S.A.S, Road Infrastructure Investment Holdings Inc., SEM Products Inc., Sealants Europe SAS, Sierracin Corporation, Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation, Sigma Marine & Protective Coatings Holding B.V., SigmaKalon (BC) UK Limited, SigmaKalon Group, Sikar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Spraylat International Ltd, Texstars LLC, The Crown Group Co., The Crown Group Inc, The Homax Group, Tikkurila Group, Tikkurila Oyj, Tikkurila Sverige AB, Traffic Safety Intermediate LLC, Traffic Safety Parent LLC, VF Specialty Products LLC, Vanex Inc., Vernisol S.p.A., VersaFlex Acquisition Corp., VersaFlex Inc., VersaFlex Intermediate Holdings LLC, Versaflex, Viasa S.A. de C.V., Whitford, Whitford B.V., Whitford Corporation, Whitford Jiangmen Ltd., Whitford Ltd. (HK), Whitford Ltd. (UK), Whitford Pte. Ltd., Whitford S.r.l., Whitford Worldwide Company LLC, and Worwag Coatings.

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He ways that many of the people in this part of the world are confused when they talk about Obamas legacy in the Middle East. However, Jay beiges that it wasnt his own policies that seemed incoherent, but also the idea of how the Middle East saw him. Jay writes, Obama could not decide on the Machiavelli conundrum of whether it is better to be feared or loved. It is as though he decided on neither, leaving a vast chasm open for regional intervention initially, rather than a global one, until Russia arrived in Syria in the late summer of 2015.

Many of the failures in his term that can be attributed to decision blunders  the greatest one coming from his predecessors decision to disband the Iraqi army shortly after the US invasion of 2003. This one shouldnt be underestimated as an error, a milestone that others were to follow, including Obama himself.

Jay writes that her has a question for Obama, Do you regret pulling US troops out of Iraq in 2008? He argued that this was a mistake that fueled the creation of what we now call ISIS or Daesh (Islamic State, formerly ISIL) in that country, and in Syria, of course.

Singular mistakes can be forgiven, given the objectives of his administration and its policy goals. But, Obama did not come in on a ticket that promised less drone attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan. in fact, he increased them dramatically from George W. Bush. Obama came in on a pledge to bring troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan. This was a decision that bore only pain, not gain, for the first black US President. He may have set himself up for a fall with this promise, but he badly wanted change, a completely new viewpoint on foreign policy, like so many other in the Middle East.

Its argued that this radical overhaul on Washingtons policies the Middle East can be traced back his appointment of Samantha Power, the Middle East advisor who once called the US , Nazi Germany, and slandered Hillary Clinton as a monster. It was Power, who had campaigned to reform the UN earlier, but grew despondent over that and lated joined it. Power was not a fan of Israel and wanted to downgrade the intensity its relationship with Washington. Perhaps more poignantly, she never had the fear and hatred of Iran that was the stance of her predecessors and, most likely, of the main Trump appointments in the region today.

She led Obama toward of reform in the region that with a number of policy decisions that dont add up. Like, for example, arming Syrian rebels who fight for the downfall of Assad, while also thawing relations with Iran, the chief sponsor and geopolitical Big Brother of Syria, Jay writes, and adds, But it is Iran and Hezbollah  or rather the Iranian sphere  which Obama will be remembered for by a great many Arabs in the region. Obamas somewhat incoherent policies resulted in a greater intervention in Iraq by both US forces, who finally came back in the form of special forces, but also the Iranian military and infamous Shia militias who are currently doing all the really gruesome fighting in Mosul today.

Jay believes that Obama not only signaled an entirely new era of putting up with Iran as the new superpower in the region, but that he encouraged it. Today, most Arabs criticize the fact that Iran and its allies are strengthening their grip on the region. He beiges it to be no accident that the appointment of a new President in Lebanon, who is allied to the militant group, Hezbollah, came during Obamas time. President Obama pushed for the Iran deal, which seeks to release Iran from crippling sanctions and unfreeze $100 billion of cash in the West. This tactic was supposed to shake up the region and signal an end to the status quo of Saudi Arabia calling the shots on everything, with Israel being the closest of all allies.

Donald Trump has just appointed some of he greatest adversaries of Iran. One, the US defense chief, and the others, a US ambassador to Israel, James Mattis and David Friedman. These two individuals probably agree with both Israels and Saudi Arabias views that Iran is a threat that has to be dealt with. This new threat is no longer a military one, but an economic one, which presents an entirely new quandary for Washington, who cant quite understand that Iran is a country with a modern, reformist group of people who clash with the old, conservative hardliners, unlike Saudi Arabia, which doesnt show signs of ever allowing reform to come from its citizens. Jay believes that Iran is progressing.

With Irans growing economy expected to reach at least five percent growth, and $50 billion of investment expected to pour in, the countrys geopolitical strategies will be able to expand as well. With the war in Syria more or less over. But we should remember that the fall of Aleppo is not only a victory for the Assad regime, but, more importantly, the spoils of war for Hezbollah, whose leader recently underlined in a speech that the West can now forget about toppling the Syrian regime.

Jay writes, The Lebanese Shia groups experience in Syria has dramatically improved its battlefield kudos, and everyone knows where this is leading: an inevitable war at some point with Israel. Its hardly a secret that the US has been in talks with Hezbollah, with some reports claiming that British diplomats are being used as go-betweens so that no US laws are broken. But who would have thought that, as sources within the intelligence community have told me, that US satellite photos of ISIS positions would be shared with the Lebanese group, who recently drew the wrath of American journalists when US made military troop carriers were found to be in their hands in Syria.

Given that Iran and its allies are stronger, better equipped, richer, and want to enhance their influence in the region, the Trump team that takes office already has a number of nightmare scenarios coming its way, with probably a new conflict emerging in Gaza when the 50-year anniversary of the occupation reaches fever pitch in the blistering summer heat in June of this year. Similarly, ISIS and Al Qaeda are expected to move to Yemen and Libya, while tensions between Israel and Hezbollah boil, as the latter boasts of thousands of new grade rockets aimed at Tel Aviv  a footnote of a speech that years earlier the Hezbollah leader would not have been able to make, but now asserts proudly, while making sure to no longer run down Uncle Sam, his new chum who made all of this possible, Jay concludes.
Caring for the community earns Delmonaco 2017 Monroe Prize

Monroe Prize: Daniel Delmonaco, a winter 2016 graduate of W&M, has been selected to receive the 2017 Monroe Prize in Civic Leadership. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption

Before Daniel Delmonaco attended a single class at William & Mary, he started volunteering in the Williamsburg area, getting to know the community that hed call home over the next four years.

Almost as quickly as he began working with organizations like Campus Buddies and the Nu Rho chapter of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, Delmonaco stepped into leadership roles with each, bolstering such important initiatives as the Campus Escort program and empowering others to lead, too.

Having worked with Daniel over the past three semesters as an advisor of Alpha Phi Omega's Nu Rho chapter, I have seen him display true commitment, sound judgment, caring and enthusiastic leadership and a sense of maturity beyond many of his peers, Director of First Year Experience Lauren Garrett said in a nomination letter.

Delmonaco, who graduated from W&M in December, has been selected to receive the 2017 James Monroe Prize in Civic Leadership at W&Ms 2017 Charter Day ceremony on Feb. 10. The award is presented annually to a student who has demonstrated sustained leadership of an unusual quality, leadership combined with initiative, character and an unfailing commitment to leveraging the assets of the William & Mary community to address the needs of our society, according to the award description.

Dans commitment to community engagement at William & Mary has been marked by his constant efforts to include others and build up leadership that would thrive beyond his tenure, said Melody Porter, director of the Office of Community Engagement. We are proud to recognize someone who has constantly learned from and amplified the voices and experiences of those who are so often silenced or overlooked.

A native of Metuchen, New Jersey, Delmonaco began getting involved in service during high school when he was required to complete a certain number of volunteer hours.

Other stuff might not have stuck with me, but that was one thing that did, just being involved in the community, he said.

When Delmonaco arrived at William & Mary, he participated in SHOW Day, an annual day of service for new students  typically before classes begin  hosted by the Office of Community Engagement. Soon after, he joined APO and became involved with the Campus Buddies organization, which brings W&M students and local children with disabilities together for art projects or sporting events.

My younger brother is autistic, so I had experience working with people with special needs, he said. Right from the start, I knew that was something I wanted to continue to do in college.

After just a semester with each organization, Delmonaco took leadership positions with both, stepping onto the executive board of APO and coordinating transportation and recruitment for Campus Buddies.

I knew I wanted to do something more than just volunteer, he said. I wanted to be on the exec boards or have a say in how the organization was going directionally.

Doing just that with APO, Delmonaco sought to improve the Campus Escort program, which provides rides or walking escorts to students across campus each evening throughout the academic year. The cart that APO had been renting was unreliable, and the demand for the service was increasing, Delmonaco said, adding that in the fall semester alone, the volunteer-staffed program gave more than 600 rides to students.

As the president of APO, Delmonaco worked closely with Student Leadership Development and the William & Mary Police Department to get a more reliable cart and improve coordination with the university. At the end of the fall 2016 semester, just before he was set to graduate, Delmonaco found out that WMPD ordered a new cart for the program that would belong to APO.

With the renewed involvement of Chief Deb Cheesebro, Nu Rho is now confident that Campus Escort is a truly sustainable service practice to the W&M community, regardless of the membership numbers or account balance, and in support of the increasing importance of student safety, said Garrett.

In addition to serving with APO, Campus Buddies and the Arc of Greater Williamsburg, Delmonaco worked with the W&M Mattachine Project: Documenting the LGBTIQ Past in Virginia. As a student researcher, he interviewed LGBTIQ alumni of W&M who are also members of other underrepresented groups in order to broaden the representation of the oral histories that are part of the Stephens Project in Swem Library.

I just loved the idea, as a history major, learning about this history that is there but has not really been explored or presented further and just kind of giving a voice to all of these people who werent necessarily presented in Virginia history, American history, Delmonaco said. Its something thats been really important to me in my history work and the things Ive been involved in. A great thing I learned from the professors here is that it is so important to have equal representation for everyone.

Delmonaco, who will pursue a career in library science, plans on taking that lesson with him as he also looks for ways to continue serving the communities he finds himself in.

No matter what Im doing, I want to be able to talk with people and work with people and get really involved with whatever community I am in, be that a college or museum or a school, he said. Thats really important to me.

As he leaves William & Mary for graduate school, Delmonaco encourages current students to look for ways to get involved in the community and not be afraid to step into leadership positions.

Dont be afraid to take on more responsibility, he said. You should give yourself credit and know that you can probably do it and will be great at it.
[January 16, 2017] Samsung offers iOS Compatibility with the Latest Wearable Devices

iOS users can now experience the Samsung Gear S3, Gear S2 and Gear Fit2 MISSISSAUGA, ON, Jan. 16, 2017 /CNW/ - Samsung Electronics Canada announced the expansion of iOS compatibility with the latest Samsung Gear family of devices, including the Gear S3, Gear S2 and Gear Fit2. Consumers can download the Samsung Gear S app for the Gear S2 and Gear S3 or the Samsung Gear Fit app for the Gear Fit2 on compatible iOS devices1 from the Apple App Store. Once the appropriate app is downloaded, consumers will be guided through the steps to complete pairing of their compatible iOS device with the Samsung wearable device. "We are constantly innovating with technology for Canadians to fit their connected lives," said Paul Brannen, COO and Executive Vice President, Mobile Solutions, Samsung Canada. "By offering both Android and iOS compatibility with our latest Gear devices, we're giving consumers more ways to enhance their wearable experience and connect to Samsung's Galaxy of possibilities." While features and functions will vary by device, iOS users will be able to enjoy the timeless and stylish design of the latest Samsung Gear with highlighted IP68 water and dst resistance2, built-in GPS, Alti/barometer and Speedometer apps. It is available in two models  the Gear S3 frontier, which takes inspiration from the active explorer with a rugged design, and the Gear S3 classic, featuring an elegant style found on luxury timepieces. Consumers will be able to track their fitness by monitoring distance and route traveled, running pace, calories burned and heart rate.



Samsung wearable devices with iOS compatibility are currently available where Samsung Gear devices are sold. The services and features of Samsung Gear devices may be limited for certain iOS devices and applications3. About Samsung Electronics Canada

Samsung Electronics Canada inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras and digital appliances. In 2016, Samsung was ranked in the top 10 most influential and reputable brands in Canada, based on studies by Ipsos Reid & Leger. Committed to helping Canadians live connected and make a difference, its Samsung Hope for Children corporate giving program supports children's education, sustainability and health-related issues in communities across the country. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com. Follow Samsung Canada at facebook.com/SamsungCanada, on Twitter @SamsungCanada ___________________________________________ 1 Compatible with iOS 9.0 and above. 2 This device has been tested and received an IP (Ingress Protection) rating of IP68, which tests for dust intrusion and for water submersion up to 1.5 metres for up to 30 minutes; rinse residue/ dry after wet. Not shockproof. 3 Functions and features may vary depending on the region or service provider. All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation. SOURCE Samsung Electronics Canada

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[January 17, 2017] Kevin Mitnick to Present Keynote at Data Center World and HostingCon Events

WEST CHESTER, Ohio, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Data Center World, the global conference for data center, facilities and IT professionals, and HostingCon, the global event for the cloud and service provider ecosystem, today officially announced Kevin Mitnick, will keynote both events, which will take place in Los Angeles, CA at the Los Angeles Convention Center April 3-6, 2017. Mitnick's address will shed light on ways companies can protect themselves from malicious hacking attempts. Once one of the FBI's Most Wanted because he hacked into 40 major corporations just for the challenge, Mitnick is now a trusted security consultant to the Fortune 500 and governments worldwide. Mitnick and The Global Ghost Team now maintain a 100% successful track record of being able to penetrate the security of any system they are paid to hack into using a combination of technical exploits and social engineering. "Data Center World and HostingCon attendees are going to absolutely love hearing Kevin's take on the cyber security landscape," said Kelly Kocher, VP of Event Sales and Operations. "With high-profile hacking incidents seemingly occurring every week, Kevin is the perfect speaker to share practical steps companies can take to safeguard their data and prevent hacks." No longer involved in "black hat" activities, Mitnick now mentors leaders, executives, and staff on both the theory and practice of social engineering, topics on which he is the leading global authority. Mitnick also helps consumers  from students to retirees  learn how to protect their information and themselves from harm. "My presentation will clearly illustrate why people are the weakest link in the security chain," said Mitnick. "Attendees will see real demonstrations of some of the most current combintions of hacking, social engineering and cutting-edge technical exploits my team and I actually use to penetrate client systems, with a 100% success rate. They will also gain strategies to protect their organizations, and themselves, from harm and to help mitigate the risks they face."



Mitnick has been a featured on CNN, CNBC, Al Jazeera, FOX News, CBC, BBC, Radio Moscow, Tech TV, National Public Radio, Good Morning America, and 60 Minutes  to name just a few. He has also testified before Congress (both the House and the Senate) on security matters affecting the United States. "I'm honored to be addressing the combined HostingCon and Data Center World audiences at their co-located event in Los Angeles," said Mitnick. "With security concerns in the data center and cloud community at an all-time high, it's more important than ever for service providers to be aware of the methods criminals, disgruntled staff and malicious governments use to breach their infrastructure and systems."

This year, HostingCon and Data Center World will feature an expanded exhibit hall that combines the best of both conferences exhibitors. Attendees will be able to discover even more products and services than ever before and have the chance to make more connections. Registration is now open for HostingCon at www.hostingcon.com and Data Center World at www.datacenterworld.com. ABOUT DATA CENTER WORLD

Data Center World is the global conference for data center, facilities and IT professionals. It offers premier education, abundant networking and the broadest access to best-in-class vendors. Designed to help data center and IT infrastructure professionals with challenging issues, Data Center World presents top-quality knowledge without bias toward a specific vendor product or service. Data Center World will be held April 3-6, 2017 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. For more information, visit datacenterworld.com. ABOUT HOSTINGCON

HostingCon is the global event for the cloud and service provider ecosystem. The conference connects the industry including hosting and cloud providers, MSPs, VARs, telecommunications providers, hardware and software vendors and other internet infrastructure professionals who make the Internet work to network, learn and grow. For details about HostingCon, visit www.HostingCon.com. About Informa

Data Center World and HostingCon are part of Informa, the international business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events group. Informa serves commercial, professional and academic communities, helping them connect and learn, and creating and providing access to content and intelligence that helps people and businesses work smarter and make better decisions faster. Informa has over 7,500 colleagues in more than 20 countries and a presence in all major geographies. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100. MEDIA CONTACT:

Andy Grider

Marketing Manager

Penton Technology

513-322-4785

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kevin-mitnick-to-present-keynote-at-data-center-world-and-hostingcon-events-300391422.html SOURCE HostingCon; Data Center World

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Iran deal makes world a safer place, says US president

17 January 2017

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One year on from implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the US president said the agreement with Iran "must be measured against the alternatives". Meanwhile, Behrouz Kamalvandi, deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) for International, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, is on a two-day visit to Moscow to discuss progress with the JCPOA.

A statement from the US president's office yesterday said the deal had achieved "significant, concrete results in making the United States and the world a safer place", adding, "this historic understanding  has rolled back the Iranian nuclear program and verifiably prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."

According to Iran's MEHR news agency, Kamalvandi was invited to Moscow by Nikolay Spassky, deputy director general for international affairs at Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, "to discuss bilateral and technical issues".

Signed in July 2015 by Iran and the E3/EU+3 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and the USA - also referred to as the P5+1 - plus the European Union), the JCPOA officially began on 16 January last year. Under its terms, Iran agreed to limit its uranium enrichment activities, eliminate its stockpile of medium-enriched uranium and limit its stockpile of low enriched uranium over the next 15 years. Implementation Day followed IAEA verification that Iran had fulfilled key commitments spelled out under the JCPOA.

The IAEA announced yesterday that Iran had removed excess centrifuges and infrastructure from the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, in line with the JCPOA requirements.

"The JCPOA required Iran, within one year from Implementation Day, to complete the removal of all excess centrifuges and infrastructure from the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant and to transfer them to storage at the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant under continuous Agency monitoring," IAEA director general Yukiya Amano said yesterday. Amano confirmed that "on 15 January 2017, the Agency verified that Iran has taken these actions related to Fordow" and that "Iran has carried out these steps within the timeframe stipulated under the JCPOA".

The US president's statement, which did not give Barack Obama's name, said Iran's nuclear program "faces strict limitations and is subject to the most intrusive inspection and verification program ever negotiated to monitor a nuclear program". Iran has reduced its uranium stockpile by 98% and removed two-thirds of its centrifuges, the statement added.

"Iran has not enriched any uranium at the Fordow facility, nor used advanced centrifuges to enrich ... In short, Iran is upholding its commitments, demonstrating the success of diplomacy ... There is no question, the challenges we face with Iran would be much worse if Iran were also on the threshold of building a nuclear weapon," it said.

The president stressed that the JCPOA was the result of "years of work" and represents an agreement between the world's major powers. The agreement "must be measured against the alternatives - a diplomatic resolution that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is far preferable to an unconstrained Iranian nuclear program or another war in the Middle East," it concluded.

In a separate statement, US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said yesterday the JCPOA is "grounded in strong technical analysis" provided by US Department of Energy scientists, including at its national laboratories, and supported by "unprecedented" IAEA verification measures. Moniz added: "One year after Implementation Day, the Iran nuclear deal is working, increasing regional and global security."

President-elect Donald Trump is due to be sworn in as the new US president on 20 January.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
Environmental approval for Yeelirrie

17 January 2017

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The government of Western Australia yesterday granted environmental approval to Cameco Australia's proposed Yeelirrie uranium project, subject to conditions that include measures to mitigate risks to underground fauna.

Yeelirrie is located on Yeelirrie Pastoral Station (Image: Cameco Australia)



The approval decision, issued as a 25-page ministerial statement by the Western Australia Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), was reached following an environmental assessment process, public consultation, and agreement between Western Australia's environment minister Albert Jacob and the state's ministers for water, mines and petroleum, Aboriginal affairs and state development.

In August 2016 the EPA found that Cameco's proposal would not adequately protect subterranean fauna, saying it could directly impact subterranean fauna. Cameco had previously identified 73 species of stygofauna - fauna which occur below the water table - in the project area, some of which are only known in the area that would be impacted by the project. All of the other key environmental factors assessed in the EPA's environmental impact assessment, including potential impacts to flora, vegetation and human health, as well as rehabilitation and decommissioning, met required objectives.

At that time, the EPA recommended the project should not be allowed to proceed because of the risk of potential damage to such species, but also said that if the minister approved the project, then "appropriate conditions" regarding the impacts on subterranean fauna should be imposed.

Yesterday, Jacob said the government had considered broader economic and social matters, as well as environmental factors in its decision to approve the project. "Further surveys may identify that the species currently only found within the project area are more widespread. I have therefore mandated as part of this approval further survey work and investment in research," he said.

Conditions attached to the ministerial approval include a requirement that Cameco carry out a detailed survey of subterranean fauna and that it must prepare, and implement, a research plan to develop a better understanding of the fauna and how to support it. These conditions must be met before any "ground disturbance activities" commence.

Cameco Australia managing director Brian Reilly welcomed the decision, saying it struck the "right balance" between environmental management and economic benefits. "We believe that with further sampling, investigation and research as outlined in the project conditions, subterranean fauna can be appropriately managed at Yeelirrie," he said. "The work at Yeelirrie will also contribute to a better scientific understanding of subterranean fauna more broadly across Western Australia."

The approval requires Cameco Australia to commence "substantial" implementation of the project within five years. Reilly said the company was "advancing" Yeelirrie through the environmental assessment process to be ready to respond "when the market signals a need for more uranium".

Yeelirrie, 100% owned by Cameco Corporation subsidiary Cameco Australia, has 127.3 million pounds U3O8 (49,000 tU) of measured and indicated uranium resources, with an average grade of 0.16% U3O8. The company acquired the project, about 650 kilometres northeast of Perth, from BHP Billiton in 2012 for $430 million. Cameco plans to mine the ore from a shallow open pit, about 10 metres deep, over a 22-year operational life. Production is expected to be up to 16.5 million pounds U3O8 (6350 tU) per year over the project's 15-year ore processing period.

Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett said he welcomed the approval and looked forward to the state becoming a "significant uranium producer". The state's approved uranium proposals - Vimy's Mulga Rocks, Toro Energy's Wiluna and Cameco's Kintyre and Yeelirrie projects - will, if they proceed, create about 1500 jobs and an export industry worth a potential AUD 1 billion (about $750 million) per year for Western Australia, the state estimates.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
(Scroll down for video) 2 girls freaked out after trespassing into an abandoned prison and getting trapped inside, according to police in Illinois.

Joliet police said that they have arrested the two 15-year-old girls, who were not identified, were charged with one count of trespassing after being accused of breaking into the old Joliet Correctional Center.

According to the police investigation, the girl who identified herself as Brittany, climbed over a fence with her friend to gain access to the abandoned jail on Monday.

They entered unlocked prison cells, and at some point, one of the girl got trapped.

Brittany called the Joliet Fire Department, to report that she and her friend were stuck in the prison facility that has been abandoned 15 years ago.

After about an hour, firefighters used a sledgehammer to break through the wall and freed the trapped girl. They were not injured.

The girls recorded their ordeal with their cellphones and uploaded the footage on Snapchat and Twitter.

aI accidentally locked myself in a cell at the abandoned Joliet prison and had to call Joliet fire dept. to get me out so enjoy this video,a one of the girl wrote in Twitter.
A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took
Two high ranking police officials in Pakistan, were arrested after they were caught driving a car that was stolen during a robbery, according to dailypakistan.com.

The car was recovered from the possession of police officers 12 days after it was stolen by thieves.

The officers were using the vehicle after removing the original license plates and replacing them with official plates.

Police in Sheikhupura, arrested a police chief and a deputy inspector following an investigation.

The vehicle was stolen from a taxi driver who was asked to drive to Khanqah Dogran.

When the driver arrived at the destination, he was robbed and his car was stolen.

The driver asked a good Samaritan to drive him to the nearest police station, where he filed a complaint.

A few days later, two police officers went to a store and the owner recognized their vehicle as the one that was stolen from his friend.

The friend took photos of the vehicle and provided them to the police.

After reviewing the surveillance video from the store, police discovered that the vehicle had been driven by the police chief in another area.

Officer raided that police station and found the vehicle, which was being used by the deputy inspector.

The police chief and the deputy inspector were arrested.

They said that they found the vehicle near the Khanpur Channel, and that they were not involved in the robbery.
A prankster will be able to entertain people in prison after being arrested for a prank that has gone wrong.

Police were called after 23-year-old Johnny Lima, was seen pleasuring himself while paying toll on the Florida Turnpike in Osceola County.

The toll booth attendant told police that Lima was informed that he was being filmed, to which he replied that he was doing nothing wrong and he drove off.

The toll booth attendant told police that this is not the first time that Lima flashed his private parts while paying toll.

Officers reviewed surveillance videos and tracked down the car through the license plate number.

The dark color Mazda he was driving belongs to a woman. After doing a search of the womanas Facebook page, officers learned that she and Lima are friends, according to the police report.

According to the video evidence, investigators determined that Lima, who is from Tampa, usually passed through the toll booth at around 6:45 p.m.

Officers waited for Lima to arrive in the Mazda and he was arrested.

Lima said that he was agoofing around and meant it as a jokea when he exposed himself, police said.
The Current State of Insecurity

Encrypted traffic accounts for a large and growing percentage of all network traffic. While the adoption of SSL, and its successor, Transport Layer Security (TLS), should be cause for celebration  as encryption improves confidentiality and message integrity  it also puts organizations at risk. This is because hackers can leverage encryption to conceal their exploits from security devices that do not inspect SSL traffic. How serious is the threat?

According to a recent Gartner (News - Alert) survey, less than 20 percent of organizations with a firewall, an intrusion prevention system (IPS) or a unified threat management (UTM) appliance decrypt inbound or outbound SSL traffic. This means that hackers can evade over 80 percent of companies network defenses simply by tunnelling attacks in encrypted traffic. To stop cyberattacks, organizations must gain insight into encrypted data, and to do this, they need a dedicated security platform that can decrypt inbound and outbound SSL traffic.

The Importance of Being EarnestWhen Evaluating SSL Inspection Platforms

To eliminate the SSL blind spot in corporate defenses, organizations should provision solutions that can decrypt SSL traffic  both inbound traffic to corporate servers and outbound traffic from internal users to the Internet  and allow all security products that analyze network traffic to inspect encrypted data. Organizations must carefully evaluate the features and performance of SSL inspection platforms before selecting a solution. If IT security teams deploy SSL inspection platforms in haste, they might be blindsided later by escalating SSL bandwidth requirements, deployment demands or regulatory implications.

Because SSL inspection potentially touches so many different security products  from firewalls and intrusion prevent systems (IPS) to data loss prevention (DLP), forensics, advanced threat prevention and more  organizations must develop a list of criteria and evaluate SSL inspection platforms against these criteria before selecting a solution. SSL inspection platforms should:

Meet Current and Future SSL Performance Demands

Performance is perhaps the most important evaluation criteria for SSL inspection platforms. Organizations must assess their current Internet bandwidth requirements and ensure that their SSL inspection platform can handle future SSL throughput requirements. When evaluating SSL inspection performance, IT security teams should:

Test SSL inspection speeds with 2048-bit and 4096-bit SSL keys.

Evaluate a mix of traffic with Diffie-Hellman and elliptic curve ciphers.

Ensure that the SSL inspection platform can handle throughput requirements, with extra headroom for traffic peaks.

Analyze appliance performance with essential security and networking features enabled. Testing SSL decryption speeds without considering

Those organizations that thoroughly evaluate performance benchmarks should be able to avoid surprises in their production environments.

Satisfy Compliance Requirements

Privacy and regulatory concerns have emerged as one of the top hurdles preventing organizations from inspecting SSL traffic. While IT security teams have deployed a wide array of products to detect attacks, data leaks and malware  and rightfully so  they must walk a thin line between protecting employees and intellectual property, and violating employees privacy rights. To address regulatory requirements like HIPAA, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI (News - Alert) DSS) and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), an SSL inspection platform should be able to bypass sensitive traffic, like traffic to banking and healthcare sites. By bypassing sensitive traffic, IT security teams can rest easy knowing that confidential banking or healthcare records will not be sent to security devices or stored in log management systems.

Support Heterogeneous Networks with Diverse Deployment and Security Requirements

Organizations must contend with a wide array of security threats from external actors and from disgruntled employees. To safeguard their digital assets, organizations have deployed an ever increasing number of security products to stop intrusions, attacks, data loss, malware and more.

Some of these security products are deployed inline, while others are deployed non-inline as passive network monitors. Some analyze all network traffic, whereas others focus on specific applications, like Web or email protocols. However, virtually all of these products need to examine traffic in clear text in order to pinpoint illicit activity.

As a result, SSL inspection platforms should interoperate with a diverse set of security products from multiple vendors. They should support transparent deployment and be able to route traffic from one security device to another with traffic steering.

Maximize the Uptime and the Overall Capacity of Security Infrastructure

Organizations depend on their security infrastructure to block cyberattacks and prevent data exfiltration. If their security infrastructure fails, threats may go undetected and users may be unable to perform business-critical tasks, resulting in loss of revenue and brand damage. Most firewalls today can granularly control access to applications and detect intrusions and malware. Unfortunately, analyzing network traffic for network-borne threats is a resource-intensive task. While firewalls have increased their capacity over time, they often cannot keep up with network demand, especially when multiple security features like IPS, URL filtering and virus inspection are enabled. Therefore, SSL inspection platforms should not just offload SSL processing from security devices. They should also maximize the uptime and performance of these devices.

Securely Manage SSL Certificates and Keys

Whether providing visibility to outbound or inbound SSL traffic, SSL inspection devices must securely manage SSL certificates and keys. SSL certificates and keys form the basis of trust for encrypted communications. If they are compromised, attackers can use them to impersonate legitimate sites and steal data.

When SSL inspection devices are deployed in front of corporate applications to inspect inbound traffic, they may need to manage tens, hundreds or even thousands of certificates. As the number of SSL key and certificate pairs grows, certificate management becomes more challenging. Organizations constantly add, remove or redeploy servers to meet business needs. This fluid and dynamic environment makes it difficult for organizations to account for all SSL certificates at any given time and ensure that certificates have not expired.

In conclusion, privacy concerns are propelling SSL usage higher. Businesses face increased pressure to encrypt application traffic and keep data safe from hackers and foreign governments. In addition, because search engines such as Google (News - Alert) rank HTTPS websites better than standard websites, application owners are clamouring to encrypt traffic. But IT security teams face their own set of challenges as they tackle threats like cyberattacks and malware  threats that can use encryption to bypass corporate defenses. If they wish to prevent devastating data breaches, they must gain insight into SSL traffic. And to accomplish this goal, they need a dedicated SSL inspection platform.

About the Author

Mohammed Al-Moneer is Regional Director, MENA at A10 Networks (News - Alert). Mohammed has held various sales leadership positions at networking and other high tech companies. Most recently at Infoblox, he served as regional manager for Saudi Arabia, where he leveraged his success in leading the services business to drive operational efficiencies and innovation and achieve exceptional growth. Prior to that, he worked as territory sales manager for enterprise servers, storage and networking at Hewlett-Packard (News - Alert).

Edited by Alicia Young
Council Budget Approved  Local Cuts Blamed On Westminster & Cardiff

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 17th, 2017

Wrexham Councils budget has been approved, which was described as sound and sensible by the Council Leader, with a finger pointed at Welsh and UK Government for the reason for local cuts.

The budget for Wrexham Council 2017-2018 was presented and approved today, and covers a net expenditure of 225,323,754 and an increase in council tax at Band D of 2.6% . The budget includes further savings or cuts of 4.17 million this coming year.

The budget has been formulated after public consultation in Autumn, including on and offline questions  plus a face to face session when Lead Members set up camp outside the Contact Centre on Lord Street.

Wrexham Council say over 1,000 peoples views were gathered during this process and that there was general support form the public for all of the savings proposed outlined.

Speaking at this mornings meeting, Leader of Wrexham Council, Cllr Mark Pritchard said: The Council has had a particularly challenging settlement from Welsh Government. In the final Local Government settlement announced on 21 December 2016 Wrexham County Borough Council had a 0.5% decrease in funding compared to an all Wales increase of 0.2%

Questions about the budget were raised by Cllrs Graham Rogers, Dana Davies and Andrew Bailey over staffing cuts contained within it, with a figure placed at around 120 Council jobs cut being given in response. That figure will include natural wastage, not filling vacancies, and failing that, going through Council HR processes such as considering redeployment , or retraining staff.

A Council Officer noted the 0.5% reduction in local government settlement from Cardiff, saying such job reductions are quite reasonable in that context.

Cllr Pritchard added commentary to answers to questions saying: None of us here come into politics to make these decisions. These cuts are forced upon us. The cuts, and they are cuts, devastating cuts, are coming from Government not us.

Cllr David Bithell pointed out that the Environment Department had recruited 27 extra staff, and had brought various services back in-house, adding: This has been against all the odds.

In a point to Westminster and Cardiff he later addressed Cllr Bailey saying: If yourself wants to make representation to local Assembly Members and Members of Parliament to support us to continually canvas the Welsh Government to get better settlements we would be.

If we got same settlement as the top authority in Wales we wouldnt be taking or considering as many cuts this morning. That was imposed on us, did say in my presentation weve had a very poor settlement.

Previously Cllr Pritchard has told us that he believed the settlement figures was a political decision, I am disappointed we are one of the lowest in Wales. A deal was done at our expense. I am disappointed and annoyed, as we work tirelessly and at times I dont feel we are playing on a level playing field.

I think North Wales has been a poor relation for far too long and it is time it should stop.

Below is a graphic of the settlement figures in Wales, compared to other local authorities:



Following the approval today the Council will include the Police and Community Council precepts once notified, and a composite report will be approved by the Council on 22 February 2017
The 2017 North East Wales Legendary Pie Challenge Begins!

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 17th, 2017

The search to find the winner of the North East Wales Legendary Pie Challenge has begun!



With 2017 being designated by Visit Wales as the Year of Legends, the North East Wales Destination Marketing Team saw it only fit to celebrate this with another great foodie challenge  branded the Legendary Pie Challenge!

Across North East Wales talented cooks and chefs have been invited to enter either a sweet or savoury pie, that will tell a story about the region or their business. The rules state the pie must be made of ingredients sourced wholly from within Wales.

Organisers say, January is typically a quiet month for restaurants and cafes, so introducing a food challenge is a great way for businesses to gain extra footfall by shouting about their special dish and encouraging potential customers to come along and try it out.

Taking place between Monday 16 January to Sunday 12 February, sixteen eateries from across Wrexham, Denbighshire and Flintshire will feature their legendary pies on their menus. They will also be required to promote the dish both within the establishment and across social media.

During that period, each participating venue will receive two mystery diner visits from members of the public and/or food journalists, bloggers and we hope us here at Wrexham.com!

After their visit the mystery diners will rate the overall experience, taste, presentation and creativity. The three highest scoring establishments will then go through to the final at the end of February, which will feature a live cook-off, before the overall winner is decided by a panel of judges.

The winning establishment will have to opportunity to host a stall at the 2017 Wrexham St Davids Day Festival in March and at other tourism events throughout the year, to sell their winning legendary pie.

Having taken the 2016 North East Wales Food Challenge by storm with their lamb tagine, competition winners One Planet Adventure have entered their Hogfather pie, a dish created by chef Rich Roberts.

Speaking about the challenge, Rich said: Weve developed a pie that uses some of the best local ham from our butchers and honey from the hills up here in Llandegla.

Supporting our local producers is something that weve always strived to do  so when our cyclists and walkers visit here (with many from the North West and Midlands) they can have a real taste of Wales.

The competition has also helped put our cafe on the tourist map  so naturally we were keen to take part again.

The challenge is part funded by Visit Wales Regional Tourism Engagement Fund and the tourism ambassador businesses taking part will each benefit from a professional photoshoot and hopefully make new links within the tourism trade during the challenge.

Destination Manager for Wrexham, Joe Bickerton added: This is the third year that weve run this challenge and each year we welcome new cafes and restaurants who are looking to raise their profile and attract new visitors.

The competition really demonstrates the wealth of great produce available in North East Wales, as well as the culinary talent in our kitchens.

More and more quality eateries are opening up around the three counties and pulling in visitors from other parts of the UK  so it can only help our tourism economy going forward.

A full list of the eateries and their savoury / sweet pies can be found below:

The Lemon Tree, Wrexham : Lamb Cawl Pie with Minted Mashed Potato and Buttered Greens

: Lamb Cawl Pie with Minted Mashed Potato and Buttered Greens The Fat Boar, Wrexham : Duck, Black Pudding and chorizo Pie with Sweet Potato Fries

: Duck, Black Pudding and chorizo Pie with Sweet Potato Fries The Royal Oak, Bangor-On-Dee : Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Mud Pie

: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Mud Pie The Alyn, Rossett : Turkey, Welsh cured bacon pie with Cabbage, bacon & potato hash with roasted carrots

: Turkey, Welsh cured bacon pie with Cabbage, bacon & potato hash with roasted carrots The Boathouse, Chirk : Chirk Estate Game Pie with own-grown seasonal vegetables and herbs

: Chirk Estate Game Pie with own-grown seasonal vegetables and herbs Caffi Wylfa, Chirk : Welsh Steak, Ale and Blue Cheese Pie

: Welsh Steak, Ale and Blue Cheese Pie The Mulberry Inn, Llwynmawr : Short Pastry Pie crust filled with slowed cooked lamb simmered in Mead with apricots

: Short Pastry Pie crust filled with slowed cooked lamb simmered in Mead with apricots Soughton Hall, Northop : Red Dragon Welsh Cawl Pie, served in a delicious shortcrust suet pastry with leek & potato mash and seasonal greens.

: Red Dragon Welsh Cawl Pie, served in a delicious shortcrust suet pastry with leek & potato mash and seasonal greens. The Fat Boar, Mold : Welsh rarebit & ham pie, creamed leek potatoes, with a lava bread pasty

: Welsh rarebit & ham pie, creamed leek potatoes, with a lava bread pasty Afonwen Craft Centre, Nr Caerwys : Lamb and seasonal vegetable pie, cooked with Hafod ale

: Lamb and seasonal vegetable pie, cooked with Hafod ale The Buck House Hotel, Bangor-On-Dee : Chicken, Smoked bacon Pie, Horseradish Cheese dauphinoise potatoes & leeks

: Chicken, Smoked bacon Pie, Horseradish Cheese dauphinoise potatoes & leeks The Holt Lodge Hotel : Lamb, Leeks and Potato

: Lamb, Leeks and Potato Set The Bar (Bar and Bistro), Wrexham : Slow cooked steak with oxtail in a rich beefy gravy, topped with buttery carrot and swede mash.

: Slow cooked steak with oxtail in a rich beefy gravy, topped with buttery carrot and swede mash. Bellis Brothers Garden Centre and Restaurant, Holt : Strawberry Dodgers Pork Pie with a Welsh mead and Caramelised onion chutney made with local pork, homegrown onions and a Welsh mead

: Strawberry Dodgers Pork Pie with a Welsh mead and Caramelised onion chutney made with local pork, homegrown onions and a Welsh mead Wrexham Museum : Dragon pie made with Jones Brothers Welsh Black Beef, Purple Moose Ale, Perl Las Cheese and braised leeks with scotch bonnet chilli jam

: Dragon pie made with Jones Brothers Welsh Black Beef, Purple Moose Ale, Perl Las Cheese and braised leeks with scotch bonnet chilli jam One Planet Adventure, Llandegla: The Hogfather featuring Ham hock, Jacks Nanas secret pastry, Llandegla Forest heather honey and Welsh mustard. With guest appearances from pickled red cabbage, creamy mash and a white wine and wholegrain mustard sauce.

As always we will bring you updates on the competition, and if you try any of the above tweet us a picture @wrexham !
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Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull met with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on Saturday amid the uncertainty and tensions being generated throughout the region by the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president this week.

Both countries have been central to the Obama administrations aggressive pivot to Asia against China over the past five years. Trump and his incoming administration have already indicated their intention to step up the US confrontation with Chinaon the economic front through trade war measures and on the military front through an accelerated expansion of the US armed forces, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.

In doing so, however, Trump is cutting across the plans and interests of Washingtons allies in AsiaAustralia and Japan. Trump has already announced that on day one in office he will set in motion the US withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP)an economic bloc directed against China.

During their talks, Turnbull and Abe reaffirmed their support for the TPP, saying in a joint statement that it remained an indispensible priority because of the significant economic and strategic benefits that it offers. Turnbull told the media: Weve confirmed our commitment to the rule of law, free trade, open markets in our region, the foundation on which our prosperity and that of billions of other people in the region depends.

The TPP was never about free trade. It was fashioned by the Obama administration, with the backing of Japan and Australia, as the means for countering Chinas growing economic influence in Asia and globally. As Obama declared, it was to ensure that the US, not China, writes the rules of the road for trade in the 21st century.

In abandoning the TPP and pursuing aggressive America First trade measures, Trump threatens the economic interests not only of China but also of close allies such as Australia and Japan, both of which are heavily dependent on trade with China.

The stand by Turnbull and Abe in support of the TPP is a last ditch attempt to pressure Trump and salvage the agreement. Abe, who has already pushed the treatys ratification through the Japanese parliament, previously declared that without the US, the TPP would be meaningless. After speaking to Abe, Turnbull has called for quick ratification of the agreement by the Australian parliament.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to their respective military alliances with the United States, which remain as relevant and important today as they have been for over six decades. Turnbull told their joint press conference: We will work closely together with the coming administration, as we have been, to advance the regions interests and our shared goals.

Even before Trump assumes office, however, the two US allies are at cross-purposes with Washington over the TPP and other key issues. During his election campaign, Trump publicly suggested that he would withdraw from the US alliance with Japan unless Tokyo paid more toward the costs of American military bases.

Trump and his appointees have also signalled their intention to ramp up pressure on China across a range of issues, including Taiwan and the South China Sea. Turnbull has already publicly reaffirmed Australias support for the One China policy, which Trump has declared he will retain only if China makes major concessions in other areas.

The One China policythe recognition of Beijing as the only legitimate government of all China, including Taiwanhas been central to diplomatic relations with China for all countries. Its abrogation by the US, particularly if it involved greater ties with Taiwan, would rapidly escalate tensions throughout the region.

Trumps nominee as secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, last week provocatively suggested that the US could block Chinas access to islets under Beijings control in the South China Seamilitary actions that would constitute an act of war. He also suggested that the United States would look to its allies in the region for back up.

Canberra and Tokyo have both been reluctant to challenge Chinas claims in the South China Sea by following the US navy in sending warships on so-called freedom of navigation operations close to Chinese-controlled islets. While neither government has commented on Tillersons remarks, their joint statement urging all parties to exercise self-restraint and to avoid actions that would escalate tensions could be read as directed not only at China, but also the incoming Trump administration.

The strengthening of strategic ties between Japan and Australia announced by the two prime ministers is no doubt regarded as a possible means for lessening their overwhelming dependence on the US as Trump threatens to destabilise the region. Turnbull declared Japan and Australia are all weather friends, saying the meeting had reinforced what was truly a very special strategic partnership.

Turnbull and Abe signed a revised pact to boost logistical cooperation between the Japanese and Australian militaries and signalled their intention to sign an agreement by the end of 2017 to allow enhanced joint training and operations. The revised Japan-Australia acquisition and cross-servicing agreement allows for the supply of arms and ammunition to each others militarya provision that was previously excluded.

The revision was made possible by legislation that Abe rammed through the Japanese parliament, in the face of huge protests, to allow for collective self-defencethat is, for Japan to participate in wars with strategic partners such as the US and Australia. The move was part of Abes ambition to weaken and end constitutional restrictions on the Japanese armed forces and remilitarise Japan.

Abes visit to Australia was part of a trip to South East Asia. Before arriving in Sydney, he visited the Philippines where he met with President Rodrigo Duterte, who during his six months in office has re-oriented Philippine foreign policy away from the US and toward China and Russia. Abe sought to use the opportunity to strengthen Japans ties with the Philippines, pledging to provide $8.7 billion in business opportunities and investment, as well as $5 million in boats and equipment for the Philippine coast guard.

After leaving Australia, Abe headed for Indonesia, then Vietnam, where he offered each country assistance and held discussions on maritime security. Both Indonesia and Vietnam have come into conflict with China over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Since coming to power in 2012, Abe has travelled extensively, not only in Asia but internationally. While acting under the umbrella of the US-Japan alliance, he has sought to strengthen Japans own ties as a means of advancing its own economic and strategic interests.
Canadas Liberal government has launched a major diplomatic offensive to convince the incoming Trump administration to maintain and expand the Canadian bourgeoisies economic and military-security partnership with the US, including privileged access to the US market.

Since the November 8 US election, Trudeaus principal secretary, Gerald Butts, and his chief of staff, Katie Telford, have held at least a dozen meetings with top representatives of Trumps transition team, including his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and chief strategist, the neo-fascist owner of Breitbart News, Stephen Bannon.

Last week, shortly after the Liberals publicized their concerted efforts to engage with Trump, Trudeau shuffled his cabinet. The press uniformly interpreted Trumps impending assumption of the US presidency as the chief reason for the shuffle. For his part, Trudeau said Canadas government had to take into account the shift in global context.

For three-quarters of a century, Canadian imperialism has relied on its partnership with Washington to advance its global interests. Canada was a founding member of NATO, is tied to the Pentagon through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and since the dissolution of the Soviet Union has participated in virtually every US war in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.

The Canada-US military-security alliance is underpinned by a close economic partnership. Fearing the growth of protectionism in Washington and the increasing division of the world into regional trading blocs, the most powerful sections of the Canadian bourgeoisie changed course in the 1980s, abandoned their traditional national policy and pressed for Canada to forge a free trade agreement with the US.

The 1989 Canada-US Free Trade Agreement and subsequently NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) provided a major boost to Canadian big business, especially in the 1990s. But they also increased Canadas vulnerability to a turn on the part of its US rivals to protectionist policies. Currently 75 percent of Canadas exports go to the US and in the case of the auto and oil industries, Canadas largest export earners, the figure is closer to 100 percent.

Ottawa is troubled by Trumps threats to downgrade NATO and otherwise turn away from the alliance system through which Washington has upheld North American global hegemony since World War Two. But its chief immediate concern is Trumps pledge to renegotiate and potentially even tear up NAFTA. Although China and Mexico are the main targets of Trumps protectionist pronouncements, there is considerable trepidation that Canada could be sideswiped by Buy American provisions and other nationalist measures that a Trump administration may adopt. On Friday, Trumps press spokesman Sean Spicer explicitly referred to Canada for the first time as a potential target for protectionist measures.

Canadas so-called newspaper of record, the Globe and Mail, published an alarmed report last week about the plans of the Republican Congressional leadership to introduce a border adjustment tax. Backed by House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, the measure would subject imports to a tax equivalent to the US corporate tax rate. With the Republicans intending to reduce corporate taxes to 20 percent, this would mean a 20 percent tariff on all imports. Such a measure would effectively spell the end of the integrated continental production lines used by the Detroit Three and to a lesser extent other automakers.

According to TD Bank assessment, worldwide only Mexico would be more adversely impacted by such a tax than Canada. Daniel Schwanen, vice-president of research at the right-wing C.D. Howe Institute, did not mince words when describing its impact: On its face, this proposal is devastating. This could really hurt trade and millions of workers in Canada.

Expanding Canadas role in Washingtons wars

The Canadian ruling elite is seeking to convince its US rivals to exempt Canada from its reactionary America First protectionist measures by pledging to increase its support for Washingtons drive to offset the erosion in its global power through aggression and war.

The Globe and Mail reported Saturday that security has been a key issue in the discussions between Trudeaus and Trumps senior aides. While the Globe provided next to no detail on the substance of these discussions, it did raise whether Canada might join the highly provocative anti-China freedom of navigation exercises the US has staged in the South China Sea.

Canadas press has been full of editorials and commentary urging the Liberals to increase military spending, with many urging a doubling of Canadas current $20 billion defence budget so as to meet NATOs target that member states spend 2 percent of their GDP on their militaries.

Last week, CBC carried a sensationalist article about Russia in which leading US and Canadian foreign policy experts spoke of the need to deepen military cooperation in the Arctic and deploy new equipment like military icebreakers to counter Moscow. The article cited Rob Huebert, an expert on Arctic issues at Calgary University, to promote fears of Russian aggression in the far north, History, said Huebert, wont allow us to forget that a state that uses military force to change borders to achieve political objectives usually does not stop that type of behaviour until they meet a capability that can push back. He then ominously declared, We have to make sure we can provide that type of pushback with our NATO allies.

While Canadas ruling elite has many misgivings about Trump and America First, it is all but unanimous in supporting the Trudeau governments efforts to offer the closest collaboration with what will be the most right-wing and belligerent administration in US history. This was perhaps given its most explicit expression by the Globe, the traditional mouthpiece of the Bay Street financial elite, which argued in mid-November that Canada has to do everything it can to be inside Trumps walls.

In other words, Canada must align itself so closely with Trump, whether in global economic disputes or Washingtons military-strategic offensives, that it is integrated into Trumps Fortress America strategy, which seeks to resolve US imperialisms crisis by offloading it, through protectionism, aggression and war, onto Washingtons acknowledged adversaries and ostensible allies around the globe.

Significantly, the Trudeau government has let it be known that if push comes to shove, Canada will abandon Mexico to conclude a separate trade agreement with Trump. Arguing that Ottawa must put Canadas interests first, an unnamed key Trudeau advisor said, Our goal isnt to save world trade.

Trudeau has sought and secured the assistance of veteran Conservatives in seeking to persuade the Trump administration of Canadas economic and strategic importance to US global power. This includes former Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, whom Trudeau has reportedly asked to use his personal friendship with Trump to argue Canadas case, and Derek Burney, who was Mulroneys chief of staff and later served as Canadas US ambassador.

The centerpiece of Trudeaus cabinet reshuffle was the promotion of Chrystia Freeland from International Trade to Foreign Minister and effective government point person for Canada-US relations. A former international financial journalist and Thomson-Reuters executive, Freeland has close connections to both the Canadian and global financial elite. She is also an outspoken advocate of free trade and a firm ally of the far-right, anti-Russian regime in Ukraine. In a clear illustration of what the government views to be its principal foreign policy issue, Trudeau has left Freeland in charge of the Canada-US trade file, rather than her successor at International Trade.

Trudeau also moved veteran senior cabinet minister John McCallum from the Immigration Ministry to the post of ambassador to China. This was widely seen in the corporate press as a sign that the Liberals are determined to push ahead with greater trading and investment ties with China, possibly even including a free trade agreement. The sending of such a senior figure to Beijing could also be aimed at strengthening Ottawas hand in talks with the Trump administration, since it underscores Canadas readiness to orient more towards China in the event of Trump insisting on the imposition of punitive protectionist measures.

The unions, Trump and Trudeau

Trudeau is well aware that a close alignment with a Trump administration that is deeply reviled by workers in the US and internationally for its militarism and anti-immigrant chauvinism will trigger popular opposition in Canada. The Liberal Prime Minister has thus taken the decision to keep a certain degree of distance in public from the new US president. Trudeau announced last week that he would not attend Trumps inauguration, but would instead begin a cross-country tour to hear from grassroots Canadians. He also cancelled plans to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, a gathering place for the handful of billionaire plutocrats who control the vast majority of the worlds wealth.

Such public relations stunts are the desperate attempt of a crisis-ridden ruling elite to prevent the eruption of social opposition, while at the same time ruthlessly pursuing its interests in alliance with US imperialism.

The fourteen months of Liberal Party rule have confirmed in spades the utterly fraudulent character of Trudeaus progressive politics, which the trade unions, the NDP and pseudo-left all shamelessly promoted prior to the 2015 federal election. Trudeaus government has initiated a vast program of privatization to expand the presence of super-rich private investors in Canadas public infrastructure; deepened military collaboration with the US by sending troops to the Mideast war and to Eastern Europe to menace Russia; retained the antidemocratic measures brought in by previous Conservative and Liberal governments under the guise of the war on terror; and overseen a further growth in social inequality.

Having assisted the Liberals to power, the unions are now playing a foul political role by stoking Canadian nationalism while seeking to deepen their cooperation with the Trudeau government. Unifor President Jerry Dias, fresh from imposing concessions contracts on 23,000 workers at the Detroit Threes Canadian operations, has hailed Trumps planned renegotiation of NAFTA, claiming that it will allow Canadians to get a better deal. Writing in the Globe and Mail last week, Unifors former economist Jim Stanford argued that Canada can now position itself to slash its auto trade deficit with Mexico by limiting market access, that is by pushing impoverished Mexican workers onto the unemployment lines.

Leo Gerard, the Canadian-born president of the Canada-US United Steelworkers union, has met with Canadas US ambassador, David McNaughton, to develop a joint USW-government strategy to lobby the Trump administration in favour of a North American protectionist, i.e. trade war, policy aimed against China and other Asian and European steel and aluminum producers.
A report released Friday by the US Justice Department details systematic police brutality and unconstitutional practices by the Chicago Police Department (CPD).

While the 161-page report outlines a broad array of horrific practices and crimes committed by the police force, it is an exercise in political damage control and cover-up. Not a single high-level political figure is held to account or charged for crimes by the investigation.

The city of Chicago has been controlled by the Democratic Party for decades with a long history of police violence and torture. The findings of the report, following a 13-month investigation, were announced at a press conference last week with US Attorney General Loretta Lynch alongside Chicagos Democratic mayor, Rahm Emanuel.

The Justice Department began its investigation of the CPD in December 2015 after the city released a video of a police officer shooting Laquan McDonald 16 times, which triggered widespread unrest and created a political crisis for the Democratic Party. The release of the video of McDonalds murder was stonewalled by the Emanuel administration for over a year until a court order forced its release, following a Freedom of Information Act request by an independent journalist.

The reports investigation spans a period from January 2011 to April 2016. It concludes that the CPD engaged in a series of pattern or practices that violate the US Constitution. The practices detailed in the reportfollowing similar reports about cities such as Baltimore, Cleveland, Ferguson and New Orleansare an indictment of the crimes of American capitalism and the state of class relations in the United States.

Some of the CPDs most egregious and brutal practices described in the report include: deadly and unreasonable use of force; systematic deficiencies and accountability failures; patterns of unlawful conduct; dangerous foot chases that resulted in officers shooting at someone who posed no immediate threat; deadly use of Tasers; deadly force against children; highly militarized police tactical units that terrorize neighborhoods; the manufacturing of false evidence; and witness intimidation.

The report also found that officers shoot at vehicles without justification, exhibit poor discipline when discharging their weapons, and engage in violent tactics that endanger themselves and public safety. Frequently, such tactics are used against people with severe mental illnesses.

Working class youth frequently view the CPD as an occupying force, according to the report. One youth revealed to the investigators that his neighborhood was an open-air prison, constantly terrorized by the police. Another resident stated that the police operated as marauding gangs: They patrol our streets like they are the dog catchers and we are the dogs.

The report notes that city has a systematic policy and practice of impeding investigations. The police accountability institutions are frequently complicit in the whitewashing of crimes committed by police forces. In the five years preceding the Justice Department investigation, the report found that the city of Chicago received over 30,000 complaints of police misconduct. Fewer than 2 percent were sustained, and 98 percent of complaints resulted in no disciplinary actions.

The CPDs so-called accountability bodies and independent review institutions include the widely-discredited Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA), the Bureau of Internal Affairs (BIA), the Chicago Police Board and the Inspector General. This year, IPRA is slated to be replaced by another oversight organization called the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), which the report hints will largely be toothless.

According to the report, the CPDs investigatory bodies do not investigate the majority of cases that it is required to investigate by law. When investigations do occur, the questioning of officers is often cursory and aimed at eliciting favorable statements justifying the officers actions rather than seeking truth. Moreover, while IPRA handles less than 30 percent of complaints, more than 70 percent of misconduct cases are handled via the BIA, and currently very little is published publicly about these cases.

Additionally, the report noted that it found many circumstances in which officers accounts of force incidents were later discredited, in whole or part, by video evidence. Moreover, given that there is no video evidence in the vast majority of cases, the report concludes that the pattern of unreasonable force is likely even more widespread than we were able to discern through our investigation.

Finally, despite the report painting a picture of systematic police abuse, brutality and murder, it concludes with a series of palliatives and reforms that include new mechanisms of police accountability. These include the use of body cameras, new training measures and proposals for community-oriented policing. What these really amount to are methods of increased surveillance by the police of working class neighborhoods through the creation of informants.

None of the proposals will address any of the underlying issues of police brutality, let alone the spike in violence in the poorest neighborhoods in Chicago. The proposals and reforms are largely couched in law-and-order terms, calling for greater police forces and funding for law enforcement, while the underlying social safety nets for working class youth and neighborhoods have been destroyed.

The real political purpose of the report was underscored by the presence of the Obama administrations DOJ officials alongside Emanuel at the press conference. Emanuel, a former official in the Obama administration, has presided over a regime of police violence and terror in Chicago. Despite being implicated in the cover-up of the McDonald murder, no charges have been brought against him.

Both Lynch and Emanuel made perfunctory remarks about the contents of the report at the press conference. Emanuel told the press that the issuing of the report was sobering and a moment of truth. He suggested that his administration and the CPD had made meaningful reforms since the beginning of the DOJ investigation.

Far from ending any of brutal practices outlined in the report, the CPD has continued to kill people with impunity in the last year. The city of Chicago has also kept open the secretive police detention center in Homan Square, where multiple people have alleged torture, sexual assault and police violence. Notably, the DOJ report makes no mention of the practices at Homan Square.

Additionally, based on the findings of the report, the Justice Department and Emanuel also agreed to negotiate a consent decreea court-ordered settlementover the next few months that would entail federal monitoring and oversight of the implementation of so-called reforms to the CPD and its practices. In reality, such court-enforced consent decrees have been utilized in cities across the country and have failed to change the practices of police violence in various departments.

Moreover, it is far from clear how the incoming Trump administration will handle such a negotiation. Trumps nominee for Attorney General, Senator Jeff Sessions, has expressed his vocal opposition to such consent decrees and any nominal oversight of police departments. Trump has previously called for draconian policies in response to the spate of violence in Chicago, a symptom of rampant poverty and social breakdown. Emanuel, for his part, has said he hopes to work with Trump.

In what has become a routinized affair, a pattern of cover-up emerges with the opening of every Justice Department investigation. Systematic police violence provokes mass public outrage and protests. The capitalist political establishment, including Democrats and Republicans, do everything they can to suppress social discontent. Federal intervention provides a political cover for the violence unleashed by the state against the poorest and most vulnerable sections of society. In the end, no high-ranking officials are charged with crimes, and nothing is changed.
As 2017 begins, students across the United States are confronted with a basic problem to their continuing education and livelihoods: they do not have enough money for food.

Hunger on campuses is skyrocketing. Nearly half of all college students48 percentare food insecure, meaning they had difficulty obtaining food over a thirty-day period during 2016. Some 22 percent go hungrynearly 4.5 million students every month, according to data presented in Hunger on Campus, a report from the College and University Food Bank Alliance.

These figures are four times the national average. They do not include the 3.9 million youth aged 10 to 17 that struggle to get enough to eat, nor the 2.9 million more children who suffer hunger.

Significantly, holding down one or more jobs and receiving financial aid does not spare students from food insecurity and hunger. The majority of students who are food insecure56 percentwork between five and thirty hours per week. A larger majority75 percentreceive financial aid, including the 52 percent who receive Pell Grants and the 37 percent who took out student loans.

Sixty-one percent of food insecure students used a food aid service such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, in the past twelve months. Even having a campus meal plan did not alleviate food insecurity, with 43 percent of those with access to campus food services suffering some form of food insecurity.

More and more, students are forced to choose between funding their education and filling their stomachs. A quarter of those who are food insecure are forced to drop a class in order to have sufficient funds to buy food. More than half do not buy a required textbook. Four-fifths have missed a class, study session, or club meetingor have never done an extracurricular activitybecause they do not have enough money to eat.

Food insecurity among students is associated with other social problems, including the proliferation of unaffordable housing and homelessness. Nearly two-thirds of food-insecure students struggle to pay rent, mortgages, and/or utility bills over a 12-month span. Fifteen percent were homeless for some part of that time frame. In total, 31 percent of college students have a hard time finding both adequate food and housing.

And how would they? Tuition costs continue to surge, while students wagesand those of their parentsstagnate and decline.

Average in-state tuition at public universities is $9,650, while tuition at private universities is $33,480. The total student loan debt in the United States exceeds $1.3 trillion, an average of more than $30,000 for each of the 44 million people that have borrowed money to go to school. Since the 2007-2008 school year, the average annual tuition at four-year public colleges has gone up by $2,333, or 33 percent. Since 2006, the cost of textbooks has increased 73 percent, forcing students to spend an average of $1,200 a year.

At the same time, the social programs that helped the previous generation of young people attend college have been gutted. The maximum amount awarded for a Pell Grant, for example, currently only covers 30 percent of the average tuition at four-year public universities, down from 70 percent in 1980.

The increasing costs of higher education are even more extreme at certain universities. The total cost to attend New York University, which has an enrollment of 50,000 students, is more than $70,000 a year and more than four times what the university cost in 1990. And while NYU conducts multi-million-dollar real-estate deals with Wall Street moguls and monarchies in the Persian Gulf, it bans the International Youth and Students for Social Equality from forming a club on campus based on the claim that the university doesnt have enough money.

None of this is the outcome of mistaken policies.

When he ran for the presidency in 2008, Barack Obama won the support of millions of young people by promising change we can believe in. His allies among pseudo-radical organizations on campuses promoted the illusion that he would end the wars in Middle East and improve living conditions. His first order of business, however, was to bail out the financial swindlers who caused the Great Recession that has wiped out good job opportunities for a generation. He carried on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and created new ones in Libya, Yemen and Syria.

Indeed, while they plead there is no money for college education, Republican and Democratic politicians alike find endless billions for war and police repression, bank bailouts and tax cuts. Each year the NSA alone spends more than $52 billion dollars on domestic and international spying, while $100 billion is spent on increasingly militarized police forces. The Pentagons new budget for 2017 is $619 billion. More than $4 trillion has been spent over the past 15 years on the War on Terror. Between 2007-2009, over $13 trillion was provided to bailout the largest corporations, banks and other financial institutions.

Why should society be this way? Why is it that the most advanced country in the world kills or turns into refugees millions of youth abroad while starving millions of youth at home? This is the result of the capitalist system, where a tiny handful of Wall Street speculators and corporate executives have control over every major policy decision.

In opposition to capitalism, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) asserts that an education, food and housing are among the social rights of every young person and student, along with the right to an interesting and well-paying job after graduation. These rights, along with all the rights of the working class, are incompatible with capitalism.

To achieve these rights, the IYSSE calls for the transformation of society from capitalism to socialismto a society organized on the basis of human need from one ruled by the profit drive of the superrich.

The immense social inequality that has emerged over the past half-centurywhere the richest one percent controls more wealth than the bottom fifty percentmust be reversed and the wealth of society placed under public ownership to be used for the social interests, including free higher education. The large companies and banks must be run and controlled democratically, with the explicit goal of employing people and ensuring that blights such as hunger and homelessness, among all ages, are things of the past.

The creation of such a society requires a fight for socialism, both on the campuses and in the workplaces, cities, and towns. The struggle that students and youth face on campusesthe bankrupting of education is bound up with the broader questions of austerity, dictatorship and war that the working class as a whole faces. Students must turn away from all the campus organizationsthe phony radicals and the identity politiciansthat in one way or another are tied to apron strings of the Democratic Party. The turn now is to the working class, unified across lines of nation, race and gender.

The younger generation faces a choice: it can endure a lifetime of hunger, poverty and war, or take up the fight to change society. The IYSSE, the student and youth organization of the Socialist Equality Party, is building a leadership and organizing this struggle. We call on young people to join the IYSSE, study its program and history, and take up the fight for socialism!
Fighting has intensified in Mosul over the past two weeks as Iraqi government forces, backed by US-led air strikes, have pushed forward to the Tigris River in their efforts to recapture the countrys second-largest city from Islamic State.

The US-backed offensive is having a devastating impact on the civilian population, which numbered over 1 million when operations began in October. On Saturday, reports emerged that a suspected coalition air strike killed up to 30 civilians in the west of the city. Two missiles struck the home of a senior ISIS commander who was not at home.

One Iraqi commander described the fighting in the city as guerrilla warfare last week. In operations to retake the Mosul University campus over the weekend, led by elite Counter-Terrorism Service special forces, several buildings were completely destroyed by advancing forces. Further gains were made Sunday as government troops reportedly killed over 120 ISIS fighters.

According to estimates by the United Nations, over 800 civilians were injured in Mosul during the last week of December and a further 670 in the first week of the new year. Lise Grande, the UNs humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, gave an indication of the heavy price civilians are paying in the fighting, telling reporters last week, You would expect in a conflict like this that the number of civilian casualties would be around 15 percent, a high of 20 percent. What were seeing in Mosul is that nearly 50 percent of all casualties are in fact civilians.

There have been reports of family members unable to bury their dead relatives for several weeks due to the intensity of the fighting in local neighborhoods.

While many civilians are being deliberately targeted by ISIS terrorists as they seek to flee, Iraqi forces have increasingly resorted to heavy weaponry in built-up areas, and coalition air strikes are driving up casualties.

The latest figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirm that over 144,500 civilians have fled their homes since the beginning of the Mosul offensive, a dramatic rise over the past month given that the total in December stood at 98,000.

The lack of medical care for those injured in the fighting is leading to further health problems. Doctors at a hospital in the Kurdish capital of Irbil report that casualties brought in from Mosul after several days with treatable injuries have frequently picked up infections.

The widespread disruption of the lives of hundreds of thousands of local residents has occurred before government forces even enter the most densely populated areas of the city. The UN estimates that some 750,000 civilians remain trapped in siege-like conditions on the west side of the Tigris. Early on in the offensive, the US bombed five bridges crossing the Tigris to prevent ISIS supplying its fighters in the east of the city.

The air strike killing 30 civilians marked the third time in little more than five weeks that US warplanes have carried out bombing raids with civilian casualties. On December 7, an air strike called in by Iraqi government forces targeted the Al Salem hospital in eastern Mosul, the districts largest medical facility. The Pentagon avoided acknowledging any civilian casualties in the incident. Three weeks later, on December 29, a bomb dropped on the Ibn-Al-Athir hospital compound claimed the lives of seven civilians and prompted a rare statement from the Pentagon acknowledging the attack, which amounts to a war crime.

While government forces in the CTS, backed by Shia militias with ties to Iran and the Kurdish Peshmerga, initially advanced rapidly to the outskirts of Mosul, the offensive became bogged down in November and early December. ISIS fighters launched counterattacks, including the use of car bombs, and inflicted significant casualties on Iraqi forces. Federal police and other security forces were called up to support the offensive, and the government troops began using heavy artillery on heavily-populated residential areas. Government officials first optimistically predicted the retaking of Mosul by the end of 2016, but it is now acknowledged that the operation will last at least several more months.

In an estimate published last week, Iraq Body Count, a project run by academics and peace activists that has counted civilian deaths in the country since 2003, reported that more than 16,000 civilians died in the country in 2016. In western Anbar province, health officials have issued a warning of a potential epidemic of diseases, including plague, caused by the decomposition of dead bodies left unburied following fighting in the area last year.

The high number of civilian deaths in Mosul, and the terrible conditions under which residents are being forced to suffer, thoroughly expose the double standards of the US political establishment and pliant corporate media, which incessantly accused Russia and Syria of war crimes during its offensive in Aleppo for its bombardment of residential areas as they sought to dislodge Jihadi forces led by the Al Qaeda-affiliated Al Nusra Front. Under conditions of an all-out assault on a much larger population center just a few hundred miles further east, the Iraqi army, Shia militia, Kurdish Peshmerga forces and their allies in the US-led coalition are being hailed as liberators even as they lay waste to large sections of one of the Middle Easts oldest cities.

The glaring hypocrisy is bound up with the fact that Washington relied on an alliance with Al Qaeda-linked Islamist extremists in Syria to achieve its goal of overthrowing the Russian-backed Assad regime.

Media reports on the Mosul offensive focus persistently on the use by ISIS of civilians as human shields, blaming this for the overwhelming majority of casualties. The truth is that real responsibility for the disastrous conditions facing Mosuls population, and Iraqis across the country, lies with the imperialist powers, above all the United States, which laid waste to Iraqi society during the 2003 invasion, leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands and forcing millions from their homes.

The bitter sectarian conflict that threatens to explode in the current Mosul offensive is directly linked to Washingtons criminal policy of divide and rule pursued in the years following the Iraq war. Support for the extremist ISIS emerged under conditions where the Sunni population was sidelined and suffered sectarian violence at the hands of the Shia-dominated Baghdad government.

While Iraqi government troops, Iranian-aligned Shia militias and Kurdish Peshmerga forces are ostensibly part of an alliance against ISIS, each is pursuing their own goals, and there are even sharp divisions within each camp.

On January 3, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi accused the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) of illegally exporting large quantities of oil via Turkey to raise finances. Under the Iraqi constitution, the national government is solely responsible for the countrys oil wealth. Abadi alleged that the KRG sent over 500,000 barrels of oil to Turkey during December, resulting in Baghdad missing its OPEC target by 200,000 barrels. An unnamed KRG minister reportedly offered to sell oilfields to Turkey for $5 billion.

The Iraqi government is moving to curtail the KRGs control over oil supplies. Iranian oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh is to visit Baghdad this month to discuss a planned pipeline from the province of Sulaimaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan to Iran. This would put an end to the monopoly currently enjoyed by the KRG on the regions oil reserves.

Disputes over control of Iraqs lucrative oil wealth are also linked to territorial conflicts in the region. Kurdish officials have previously expressed the desire to gain territory in the areas surrounding Mosul because of the role played by the Peshmerga in the advance on the city, a suggestion rejected out of hand by Baghdad. The Peshmerga have been accused by international organizations of carrying out sectarian reprisals against Arab populations.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the US agency responsible for tax collection and enforcement, will delay processing refunds by nearly a month for more than 40 million low-income families this year.

The delays will impact families claiming either the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), both of which are relied upon by families who are working poor.

The extended screening time is being carried out under the pretext of preventing tax fraud and identity theft, and is mandated as part of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act passed in 2015. The PATH Act was a bipartisan deal consisting primarily of pro-business tax cuts.

While the tax filing period officially begins January 23 in the US, many families in precarious or desperate economic situations file as soon as possible in order to receive their refunds. Under the PATH Act, the IRS wont process refunds claiming either the EITC or ACTC until February 15 at the earliest. However, the agency has noted that even after the refunds are processed they probably wont reach families bank accounts until the week of February 27.

In an admonishment on its web site to those seeking refunds from the tax credits, the IRS states, Be careful not to count on getting a refund by a certain date, especially when making major purchases or paying other financial obligations.

The EITC was initially enacted in 1975 as a work incentive. It has become the third-largest social assistance program for the poor, following Medicaid and food stamps (otherwise known as SNAP benefits).

In a policy review of the tax credit last October, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) noted, In 2015, the EITC lifted about 6.5 million people out of poverty, including about 3.3 million children. The number of poor children would have been more than one-quarter higher without the EITC. The credit reduced the severity of poverty for another 21.2 million people, including 7.7 million children (emphasis added).

For the 2016 tax year, a family with three or more children earning roughly between $14,000 and $24,000 could claim a maximum credit of $6,269, substantially boosting their yearly income. The CBPP review noted that the average credit claimed for the 2015 tax year was $3,186, the equivalent of adding $265 in wages per month.

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen admitted in an interview with the Associated Press, For most of these people its the biggest check they are going to receive all year.

Nina E. Olson, head of the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate, noted in her 2016 Annual Report to Congress the disproportionate rate of audits of tax returns claiming the EITC, stating, EITC audits make up approximately 36 percent of all IRS individual audits despite the fact that EITC returns account for only about 19 percent of all individual tax returns filed.

Olsons report further indicated that the IRS automatic fraud detection systems were highly inaccurate. False-positive rates were often over 50 percent, and for one system were found to be roughly 91 percent. In 2016, roughly 1.2 million legitimate refunds, totaling $9 billion, were delayed an average of 30 days. In some cases, families were forced to wait months for their refunds.

Those working class and poor families inadvertently flagged by the IRS fraud and identity theft detection systems will often find themselves caught up in a bureaucratic nightmare, as they spend countless hours attempting to prove their identity or the legitimacy of their returns.

Olsons report also pointed to some of the ramifications of delaying refunds to low-income families: Not only can scrutinizing a legitimate return unnecessarily subject taxpayers to a frustrating process, but it may also create a significant financial strain. For example, a delay of more than a month could pose severe consequences for a taxpayer who was relying on the refund to assist with medical expenses, rent, heating, or other necessary living expenses.

In addition to all the obstacles thrown up to prevent working class families from receiving the EITC, the IRS estimated that as of 2014 over 20 percent of those who are eligible for the credit didnt claim it. Such families may speak limited English, or simply lack the resources to secure assistance in deciphering the byzantine tax code and preparing their returns.

While the IRS seeks to wring every last cent from workers, the poor, and sections of the middle class, the financial oligarchy, with small armies of accountants and attorneys at its disposal, continues to dodge its nominally modest tax obligations, by means both legal and illegal.

The amount of improper payments estimated for the EITCapproximately $15.6 billion for the 2015 tax yearis dwarfed, to put it mildly, by the gargantuan scale of tax evasion by the super-rich.

A report released last fall revealed that 73 percent of Fortune 500 companies maintained subsidiaries in offshore tax havens, enabling them to avoid paying a total of $717.8 billion in taxes for 2015. The study estimated that the companies were stashing nearly $2.5 trillion in profits in offshore accounts.

During the presidential campaign last year, president-elect Donald Trumps tax returns were leaked to the press, revealing that he had declared paper losses of close to $1 billion in 1995, enabling him to offset income up to that amount over the next 18 years.

Trump bragged about his tax avoidance when questioned on it during the presidential debates, saying, That makes me smart, and has pledged to slash taxes for corporations and the ultra-wealthy still further.
Immediately prior to its first national conference, announced for next month, the pro-Jeremy Corbyn Momentum campaign liquidated its democratic structures last week at the click of a mouse button. This followed an email vote by members of the Momentum Steering Group on the evening of January 10.

A new constitution was imposed, aimed at purging those pseudo-left groups opposed to the plans of the groups founder, Jon Lansman, to seek affiliation to the Labour Party.

According to one Steering Group member, There was no prior notice to find out who might be available to take part in this email vote, there was no discussion about the significant content of Jons email or the 4 attached documents, one of which is a constitution for the organisation and surely worthy of much discussion.

The whole process took less than an hour6 votes for and 4 votes against, after which dissolution of all structures was announced along with a new constitution.

From now on, people will only be allowed to join Momentum if they are a member of the Labour Party and no other political party. Existing members who do not meet this criterion have been given until July 1, 2017 to join the Labour Party, or be deemed to have resigned their membership of Momentum.

For months, those in the Lansman faction have denounced what they described as a Trotskyist and sectarian, minority faction destructive to our movement and intent on halting democracy. The forces they are describing are pseudo-left groups bitterly opposed to Trotskyism, who have no intention of breaking with either Corbyn or the Labour Party. But they are viewed as a political embarrassment and an obstacle to Corbyns ongoing efforts to secure a permanent accommodation with the right wing of the party. To this end Momentums claim to be engaged in a new kind of politics, based on participatory democracy and grassroots power, has been summarily junked.

Corbyn, and those close to him, including Seumas Milne, Andrew Murray and Momentum spokesman James Schneider (on Corbyns strategic communications team) were all intimately involved. An email from Lansman to the Steering Group said that the constitution had been drawn up following consultation with a number of others in Momentum, the [Labour Party] leaders office and trade unions that have supported Jeremy Corbyn.

The email continued, We must put behind us the paralysis that has for months bedevilled all our national structures. This is an oblique reference to the faction fight that erupted inside Momentum last December between a bureaucratic cabal at the core of Corbyns leadership teammany of whom are Stalinistsand representatives of various pseudo-left groups. Summing this up, the World Socialist Web Site wrote, Lansmans overarching political concern regarding Momentum is shared by Corbyn and his inner circleto ensure that it remains as a useful adjunct of the Labour Party. In order to get Corbyn elected and re-elected as leader, Momentum assumed all the rhetoric associated with mass participatory democracy and successfully appealed to widespread hostility to the Labour right and the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) as a whole. But having succeeded in this task, it must now be made safe for the PLP and Corbyns stated aim of preventing the PLPs collapse, or Pasokification (a reference to the meltdown of the Greek social democrats.)

The Lansman faction has carried out a purge of the pseudo-left more ruthless than that of the Labour right during its moves against Corbyns supporters through the partys Orwellian Compliance Unitsuch that steering group member Jill Mountford, a member of the Alliance for Workers Liberty, declared, This coup is astounding and not what any of us expected.

Despite the grovelling of Lansman and Co, figures on Labours right continue to oppose Momentums affiliation to the Labour Party due to its backing of Corbyn. Richard Angell, director of the Blairite think-tank Progress, gleefully described Lansman as acting like a monarch, granting a committee, granting a conference and taking them away again.

Labour MP Tom Blenkinsopone of the MPs demanding Corbyns resignation as leader last yeartweeted, I will be opposing this with every fibre of my body, and has written to party general secretary, Iain McNicol, querying the basis on which Momentum could affiliate.

The Guardian cited Labour sources saying the process for Momentum to affiliate would be long and difficult... Organisations must have three years of accounts before they can apply to affiliate, with Momentum in existence for only just over a year.

Another Labour source quoted said, Momentum would have to substantially change what they do in order to be an affiliate. Anything that emulates structures of the Labour party, like constituency groups, wont be allowed. Its inherently a faction, not an affiliate.

Labours constitution does not allow affiliated bodies to support one or another faction or leader of the party. On this basis, all affiliates must accept Labour party policy in its totality.

The inclusion of Momentums aspiration to affiliate in the new constitution and the requirement that its members belong exclusively to the Labour Party is clearly aimed at excluding those like Mountford from its ranks. But this did not stop her from appealing to activists to resist demoralisation and walking away from Momentum.

Instead of alerting activists to the true character of Corbyn, Mountford reiterated her groups insistence that Our aim is to transform the Labour Party and to replace the Tories with a Labour Party that fights for the working class.

Every one of the pseudo-left groups has worked with Corbyn and his clique to reinforce illusions that his victory as party leader would offer the opportunity for such a transformation. To this end they have boosted Corbyns paper-thin left credentials, apologised for every accommodation and retreat he has made before the right-wing and now continue to claim that a Corbyn-led government is the way forward, even as he boots them out of his supporters club.

Following Corbyns election as leader in September 2015, the Socialist Equality Party (UK) wrote, No one can seriously propose that this partywhich, in its politics and organisation and the social composition of its apparatus, is Tory in all but namecan be transformed into an instrument of working class struggle. The British Labour Party did not begin with Blair. It is a bourgeois party of more than a centurys standing and a tried and tested instrument of British imperialism and its state machine. Whether led by Clement Attlee, James Callaghan or Jeremy Corbyn, its essence remains unaltered.

The events in Momentum have a clear precedent in what took place in the pseudo-left Syriza formation before it took office in January 2015 and continued enforcing brutal austerity against the Greek population.

In 2013, Syriza agreed to end its previous incarnation as an alliance of various pseudo-left and ecological groups, reflected in its official namethe Coalition of the Radical Left. Instead, it became a unitary party, firmly under the control of its leader and now Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, and his faction. The ditching of its previous radical pretences was central to Syrizas grooming by the ruling elite as a party of the bourgeois state, tasked with the imposition of savage austerity.

The author also recommends:

Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party: The strategic lessons

[15 November 2016]

Behind the faction fight in the UKs pro-Corbyn Momentum movement

[31 December 2016]

The political issues posed by Corbyns election as UK Labour Party leader

[14 September 2014]
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) is working with management at the Australian Paper mill in Maryvale, Victoria to impose a sellout deal on more than 900 production workers, including huge cuts to wages and conditions.

After more than 18 months of backroom negotiations for a new agreement, the union announced in November it would call on workers to accept an outright wage cut of 5 percent. The CFMEU and the company are using the threat of an imminent plant closure to bludgeon workers into accepting the deal.

While the agreement, which will be voted on next month, has not been publicly released, a production worker who spoke to the World Socialist Web Site outside the plant said it includes an additional 6.5 percent wage cut for all new starts. They are trying to undermine us by bringing people on lower wages, he said. Its called the grandfathering policy where they maintain the old guys and if you want a job you have to sign onto a new contract.

The worker said the CFMEU delegate had told other employees that if new people want a job, they will take it on the new conditions. He added that management was preparing for a lockout or a potential strike. The company has a large stockpile of photocopying paper stock, so they can keep sales going if we decide to go out or they decide to lock us out, he said. Other workers outside the plant also spoke of their opposition to the deal, and said they intended to vote against it.

This follows a deal imposed on the plants 160 maintenance workers last March. The CFMEU, Australia Manufacturing Workers Union, Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and National Union of Workers, which cover maintenance workers at the plant, deliberately isolated workers by negotiating the maintenance and production contracts separately. The deal includes a wage freeze until April 2017 and forces workers to work 38-hour, four-day weeks while being paid for only 35 hours. It saves the company $3 million in labour costs.

Peter Mooney, the Gippsland branch organiser of the ETU, told the Latrobe Valley Express: This was a different type of negotiation; it wasnt adversarial. It was one where all parties were trying to get an understanding and also at the same time build a relationship and a commitment to the long-term viability of the mill.

Indeed, there is nothing adversarial about the relationship between the corporation and the unions, which function today as labour management businesses tasked with suppressing workers resistance to wage-cutting and other productivity increases. Over the past three decades, the trade unions have presided over a sweeping assault on workers conditions, under successive Labor and Liberal-National governments. These attacks have devastated the Latrobe Valley region. Official unemployment in Morwell, next to Maryvale, is now 19.7 percent.

The onslaught on Maryvale workers is being driven by the economic breakdown of world capitalism, which has caused a deepening crisis in manufacturing and non-mining sectors of the Australian economy. The global paper and pulp giants are carrying out a fierce assault on workers wages and conditions, also in response to the decline of traditional paper-based mediums and the rise of digital technology.

Australian Paper (AP) is owned by the Japanese giant Nippon Paper Industries, and is highly dependent on global markets. AP products are exported to some 75 countries in Asia, America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Indian subcontinent. The market research firm Industry Edge reported that paper consumption in Australia fell by 6.2 percent in 2015 and 2016, falling by 73,400 tonnes compared with the previous two years.

Norske Skog, one of Nippons competitors, has in recent years shut nine of its 20 mills internationally. In March and April 2010, PaperLinX shut its two last remaining plants in Tasmania, destroying 450 jobs. Nippon, which bought Australian Paper from PaperlinX in 2009 for $700 million, announced the closure of its Shoalhaven mill in New South Wales in 2015, destroying 75 jobs.

In each case, the unions have worked with the company management and state and federal governments to impose orderly closures and other attacks. Last Thursday, the federal governments Fair Work Commission intervened to tear up the existing workplace agreement for 570 workers employed at the Loy Yang power station, near the Maryvale plant. This clears the way for the plants private operator AGL to cut wages by between 30 and 65 percent. The state Labor government of Daniel Andrews has also threatened to intervene against any strike by workers. Last November, the French multinational ENGIE announced it would close the nearby Hazelwood power station, destroying 450 jobs.

The CFMEU covers workers at each of these plants, but is deliberately isolating Maryvale, Hazelwood and Loy Yang workers to prevent any united fightback against this corporate-government offensive. In each case, the union is using the previous federal Labor governments reactionary Fair Work Australia laws, the introduction of which they supported, to justify their opposition to a combined campaign by workers.

Instead, the union is demanding that workers accept managements claim that it will keep the Maryvale plant open, if they agree to cut their wages and conditions. Alex Millar, the CFMEU pulp and paper division secretary, declared that we have confidence that [management] have a long term plan, and that is something that our members will have to trust in.

Such commitments are worthless. The wage cuts now demanded will not be a one-off, but will be repeatedly invoked as part of the unending drive by Nippon to remain globally competitive.

To cover for its own open collusion with management, the CFMEU is seeking to blame the attacks on workers conditions, not on the insatiable profit demands of the employers, but on foreign trade. The CFMEU has carried out a nationalist campaign against dumping of paper products by Indonesia, Brazil and China, and called for the federal government to impose tariffs on Chinese imports and to only use paper produced in Australia.

Workers must reject the nationalist and pro-business perspective of the union. Its denunciation of Chinese imports is aimed at dividing workers in Australia from their class brothers and sisters throughout Asia and internationally, who confront the same fight against the globally-organised corporations. The logical corollary of the unions call for tariffs is trade war, and eventually, military war.

In Australia as everywhere, the unions nationalist perspective has led workers to disaster. In the car industry, the unions spent decades collaborating with the carmakers and government to impose cuts to conditions and jobs in the name of boosting the companies international competitiveness and saving jobs. The unions are now presiding over the closure of GM Holden and Toyota, after Ford shuttered its factories last October.

In opposition to the thoroughly bureaucratic trade unions, workers at Maryvale must form new, genuinely democratic organs of struggle, such as a rank-and-file committee. This committee could appeal for a united industrial and political fight back with workers at Loy Yang and Hazelwood, and with car and other manufacturing workers across the country and internationally who face an onslaught on their jobs and conditions.

Such a struggle would immediately pit workers against, not only the employers, but the federal Coalition government and the Victorian state Labor government, which have already intervened publicly against Loy Yang workers, and are undoubtedly working behind the scenes with company and CFMEU at Maryvale.

Against the corporate and government assault, therefore, workers need a new political perspective. The defence of the right to a job and decent working conditions in every country today requires a struggle against capitalism, which serves the insatiable drive for profit of a tiny, super-rich elite. The alternative is the struggle for a workers government and socialism, which will place the economic resources of society under the democratic control of the working class, and organise production according to social need, rather than private profit. We urge workers who agree with the need for such a fight to contact the Socialist Equality Party today.
The Paris conference, called by the United Nations Security Council, bade a tacit farewell to the 1993 Oslo Accords that were meant to inaugurate a new era of peace with Israel through the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Delegates from more than 70 countries, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, recognised that there would be no similar conferences after the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president on Friday.

In a vacuous communique, they reaffirmed the illegality of Israels settlements on land occupied since 1967 and appealed to both sides [to] officially restate their commitment to the two-state solution, thus disassociating themselves from voices that reject this solution.

This was, as usual, framed as if both Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) were equally responsible for the absence of peace. Kerry had insisted that an earlier version of the communique be redrafted to include a condemnation of Palestinian attacks on Israel to ensure a more balanced resolution.

It also called for meaningful direct negotiations over borders, Jerusalem, security and the rights of Palestinian refugees of the 1948 and 1967 wars. There were no concrete proposals other than a reference to a special privileged partnership with Europe as an incentive to negotiate. Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is due to meet French President Francois Hollande later this week to discuss the communique.

The entire event was little more than a pathetic plea to Trump to continue with the peace process. This charade is seen as necessary political cover for the imperialist powers ongoing interventions in the Middle Eastunder conditions where the position of the US and its allies has been seriously weakened by the disastrous wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and the debacle of the proxy war for regime change in Syria.

To this end, the event assumed the character of a public recitation of the two state catechism over the burial of the Oslo Accords in advance of Trumps inauguration. He has vowed to be the most pro-Israel president in history and is expected to provide strong support for the Greater Israel project and move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He has even appointed Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, to impose a deal with the Palestinians on Israeli terms.

Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, emboldened by the prospect of a major shift in US policy, would have nothing to do with the Paris meeting and poured scorn on the whole event, calling it futile, rigged and a relic. He refused to be bound by its decisions, saying, Its a last gasp of the past before the future sets in... Tomorrows world will be different and it is very near.

As the Israeli daily Haaretz noted, the statement was in fact less harshto Israelthan an earlier leaked draft. Like the UN Security Council resolution of last December opposing Israeli settlements, the declaration contains no sanctions against Israel if Netanyahu does not end settlement construction and the brutal oppression of Palestinians.

That earlier resolution had marked an attempt by Washingtonwhich, contrary to its usual practice, did not use its veto to protect Israel but abstainedto warn that formally abandoning the two state solution, implicit in the settlement project, would harm both Israeli and American interests in the region.

Only the most deluded can have failed to note that the so-called peace process has been comatose for years, with the last face-to-face talks between Israel, the most powerful-armed force in the Middle East, and the PA, bankrupt and indigent, taking place nearly three years ago and lasting a few hours.

At issue has been the continual expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which make a contiguous mini-state of Palestine impossible. Washington, Israels paymaster and protector, has never seriously challenged Tel Avivs expansionist policy. In 2011, the US again vetoed a UN Security Council resolution declaring all settlements illegal. Since then, the number of settlers in the West Bank alone has risen by 100,000.

The Obama administration has supported Israels blockade of Gaza, backed its murderous assaults on Gaza in 2012 and 2014 and signed a massive 10-year $3.8 billion military aid package. Secretary of State Kerry even called Netanyahu on Sunday to promise him that the conference would lead to no further action at the UN or in any other international forum.

French President Francois Hollandes purpose in convening the conference, the second in less than a year, was to pose as a friend to the Palestinian people under conditions where his forces are playing an escalating role in military operations in the Middle East and North Africa. Hollande opened the conference saying, The two-state solution, which the international community has agreed on for many years, appears threatened.

It is physically threatened on the ground by the acceleration of settlements, it is politically threatened by the progressive weakening of the peace camp, it is morally threatened by the distrust that has accumulated between the parties, and that has certainly been exploited by extremists, he continued.

This hypocrisy came from a man whose government banned demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinians during Israels 2014 assault on Gaza, which left more than 2,200 Palestinians, including more than 550 children, dead. Last November, the French air force carried out military exercises with Israeli warplanes over Corsica, presaging joint military operations around the world.

The Paris conference comes in the wake of the toothless UN Security Council resolution and Kerrys follow-up speech, reiterating all the nostrums about US support for the two state solution and opposing Israeli intransigence, which Netanyahu vociferously opposed.

While the purpose of the conference was to warn Trump about the consequences of too closely embracing Israel, it refrained from criticising his suggestion that he will move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, even though the overwhelming majority of the delegates spoke to oppose the move. They fear widespread popular opposition will inflame the Middle East.

The conference also revealed growing divisions within Europe, with Britain and some central European states anxious not to upset the incoming Trump administration. British Prime Minister Theresa May sees the cultivation of economic and political relations with the US through Trump as essentialpost-Brexitin countering the loss of relations with Europe. She broke ranks and sent only an observer. The Foreign Office Spokesperson cited reservations over holding such a conference without Israeli or Palestinian representatives, just days before the transition to a new American president when the US will be the ultimate guarantor of any agreement.

This follows Mays criticism of Kerrys speech reaffirming US support for the two state solution and criticising Israeli intransigence of the settlements, despite Britains role in drafting the UN resolution opposing the settlements and vote in favour of the resolution.

In a highly irregular move, Britain, along with Lithuania and Hungary, intervened to stop the European Union Foreign Affairs Council adopting the Paris communique. It follows an intervention by Trump who told the Times on Sunday that he expects Britain to oppose any future UN Security Council resolution against Israel.

Russia also only sent a low-level observer, as it hopes that a Trump presidency will be more amenable to a working relationship between Moscow and Washington.

The Paris meeting demonstrates the utter futility of seeking democratic and social justice for the Palestinian people through some filthy deal between the Palestinian bourgeoisie, the Israeli government and the reactionary Arab states. The burial of the peace process under the auspices of the Trump administration will strengthen the turn in Israel towards authoritarian and militaristic rule on behalf of a handful of corrupt oligarchs who dominate the political, economic and social life of the country, while further impoverishing Palestinian and Israeli workers alike.
Eight billionaires, six of them from the United States, own as much combined wealth as the bottom half of the worlds population, some 3.6 billion people, according to the latest report on global inequality from the British-based advocacy group Oxfam.

The report was released Monday, on the eve of the annual World Economic Forum in the mountain resort of Davos, Switzerland, at which many of the ultra-rich will converge this week. The Oxfam document contains a range of figures that highlight the staggering growth of social inequality, showing that the income and wealth gap between a tiny financial elite and the rest of the worlds people is widening at an accelerating rate.

New data made available to Oxfam reveals that wealth is even more concentrated than the organization had previously believed. Last year, Oxfam reported that 62 people controlled as much wealth as the bottom half of humanity. In its latest report, the charity notes that had this new data been available last year, it would have shown that nine billionaires owned the same wealth as the poorest half of the planet.

Oxfam writes that since 2015, the richest 1 percent of the worlds population has owned more than the rest of the world put together, and that over the past quarter century, the top 1 percent has gained more income than the bottom 50 percent combined.

Far from trickling down, income and wealth are being sucked upwards at an alarming rate, the report states. It notes that the 1,810 dollar billionaires on the Forbes 2016 rich list own $6.5 trillion, as much wealth as the bottom 70 percent of humanity.

Over the next 20 years, some 500 people will hand over to their heirs more than $2.1 trillion, an amount larger than the gross domestic product of India, a country of 1.3 billion people.

Oxfam cites recent research by the economist Thomas Piketty and others showing that in the United States, over the past 30 years the growth in incomes of the bottom 50 percent has been zero, while the incomes of the top 1 percent have risen by 300 percent.

The same process is taking place in the worlds poorest countries. Oxfam notes that Vietnams richest man earns more in a day than the countrys poorest person earns in 10 years.

The report points to the systematic character of the siphoning of global wealth to the heights of society. The business sector is focused on delivering ever higher returns to wealthy owners and top executives, with companies structured to dodge taxes, drive down workers wages and squeeze producers.

This involves the most barbaric and criminal practices. Oxfam cites a report by the International Labour Organisation estimating that 21 million people are forced labourers, generating $150 billion in profits every year. The worlds largest garment companies all have links to cotton-spinning mills in India that routinely use the forced labour of girls.

Small farmers are also being driven into poverty: in the 1980s, cocoa farmers received 18 percent of the value of a chocolate bar, compared to just 6 percent today.

The extent of corporate power is highlighted in a number of telling statistics. In terms of revenue, 69 of the worlds largest economic entities are now corporations, not countries. The worlds 10 largest companies, including firms such as Wal-Mart, Shell and Apple, have combined revenue greater than the total government revenue of 180 countries.

Although the authors avoid any condemnation of the profit system per se, the information provided in their report amounts to a stunning verdict on the capitalist system. It highlights in facts and figures two central processes delineated by Karl Marx, the founder of modern socialism.

In Capital, Marx explains that the objective logic of the capitalist system, based on the drive for profit, is to produce ever greater wealth at one pole and poverty, misery and degradation at the other. In the Communist Manifesto, he explains that all governments are but the executive committee for managing the affairs of the capitalist class.

This is exemplified in the tax policies and other business-friendly measures undertaken by governments around the world. The Oxfam report notes that technology giant Apple is alleged to have paid a tax of just 0.005 percent on its European profits.

Developing countries lose around $100 billion a year as a result of outright tax dodging and the exemptions granted to companies. In Kenya, $1.1 billion is lost to government revenue every year because of exemptions, an amount nearly twice the countrys annual health budget.

Government tax policies work hand in hand with tax dodging and criminality. The report cites economist Gabriel Zucmans estimate that $7.6 trillion of global wealth is hidden in offshore tax havens. Africa alone loses $14 billion in annual revenues because of the use of tax havens: enough to pay for health care that would save the lives of four million children and employ enough teachers to ensure that every African child went to school.

There is one significant omission from Oxfams discussion of accelerating inequality. It makes no mention of the critical role of the policies of the worlds major governments and central banks in handing over trillions of dollars to the banks, major corporations and financial elites through bank bailouts and the policies of quantitative easing since the eruption of the global financial crisis in 2008.

A discussion of these facts would raise uncomfortable political issues. The report opens by favourably citing remarks by US President Barack Obama to the UN General Assembly in 2016 that a world in which 1 percent of the population owns as much as the other 99 percent can never be stable.

But the very policies of the Obama administration have played a key role in creating this world. After rescuing the financial oligarchs from the results of their own criminal actions with massive bank bailouts, the Obama administration and the US central bank ensured their further enrichment by providing a supply of ultra-cheap money that boosted the value of their assets.

Under Obama, the decades-long growth of inequality accelerated, along with the descent of the ruling class into parasitism and criminality. He paved the way for the financial oligarchy to directly seize the reins of power, embodied in the imminent presidency of casino and real estate billionaire Donald Trump, to whom Obama will hand over the keys to the White House on Friday.

The overriding motivation behind the Oxfam report is fear of the political consequences of ever-rising inequality and a desire to deflect mounting anger over its consequences into harmless channels. It advances the perspective of a human economy, but maintains that this can be achieved on the basis of the capitalist market, provided corporations and governments change their mindsets.

The absurdity of this perspective, based on the long-discredited outlook of British Fabianism, which has dominated the thinking of the English middle classes for well over a century, can be seen from the fact that the report is directed to the global financial elites gathered at the Davos summit this week, with a call for them to change their ways.

The bankruptcy of this outlook is demonstrated not only by present-day facts and figures, but by historical experience. A quarter century ago, following the liquidation of the Soviet Union, the air was filled with capitalist triumphalism. Freed from the encumbrance of the USSR, and able to dominate the globe, liberal capitalist democracy was going to show humanity what it could do.

And it certainly has, creating a world marked by ever-rising inequality, the accumulation of wealth to truly obscene levels, oppression and anti-democratic forms of rule, criminality at the very heights of society, and the increasingly ominous prospect of a third world war.

This history brings into focus another anniversary: the centenary of the Russian Revolution. Despite its subsequent betrayal at the hands of the Stalinist bureaucracy, the Russian Revolution demonstrated imperishably, and for all time, that a world beyond capitalism and all its social ills and malignancies is both possible and necessary. Its lessons must inform the guiding perspective for the immense social struggles that are going to erupt out of the social conditions detailed in the Oxfam report.
Four homeless people died of exposure on Portland, Oregons streets in the first 10 days of 2017. The deaths were directly the result of unusually cold temperatures and record snowfall; temperatures had dropped into the teens, along with a record 12 inches of snow.

Portlands Democratic Mayor, Ted Wheeler responded by declaring a state of emergency and issued an appeal for volunteers and donations of food, clothing and blankets. He also announced the opening of city-owned buildings as a supplement to the inadequate and overcrowded shelters, and the activation of emergency beds.

While these limited measures may prevent immediate additional deaths from exposure, the four recent deaths take place against a backdrop of an ongoing and grim toll of homeless lives.

The deaths of 279 homeless persons in the Portland area since 2011when the medical examiners office first started recording these fatalitiesunderscores not only the life-and-death conditions facing the homeless on a year round-basis but makes clear the entirely predictable, and therefore preventable, nature of these latest deaths. In 2015, 88 homeless persons, the highest recorded so far, died on Portlands streets.

The official figures are unquestionably lower than actual death totals since the survey deliberately excludes those who died while under medical care, in a health care facility or a transitional living situation, such as a hotel room. A 2008 survey determined that nearly half of 650 homeless people interviewed were medically compromised.

There is no national count of homeless deaths in the United States, however the National Coalition for the Homeless estimated in 2010 that those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness suffer 700 deaths every year due to hypothermia.

A January 2015 one night, or snapshot, count of homelessness in the Portland city and Multnomah County area tallied nearly 4,000 homeless men, women and children. The snapshot method has been criticized by homeless advocates as inherently limited, as has conducting the count in January when many homeless desperately seek whatever housing they can scrape together to shelter themselves from the cold.

According to the citys web site, the 2015 count found that 1,914 homeless were in shelters while another 1,887 survived on the street. Additionally, 653 homeless consisted of families with children.

The plan of the Democratic Party-dominated City Council to construct 1300 units of low-income housing vividly highlights its indifference and callousness to the victims of the for-profit housing system.

First, the plan fails to address the full scope of homelessness and, second, it totally fails to provide housing or rehabilitation programs for an indigent population that often struggles with mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction as well as the growing number of homeless workers who have given up on finding a job.

Indeed, the death of 52-year-old Karen Lee Battsone of the four homeless individuals who have died this yearwas precipitated by her eviction for failure to pay two months rent of $338. Despite her diagnosis of schizophrenia, market-driven considerationsnon-payment of rentforced the mentally ill woman, unable to take care of herself, onto the streets.

The Oregonian quoted Martha McLennan, director of the nonprofit Northwest Housing Alternatives which evicted Batts: Right now, our mental health system, our addiction system, our domestic violence system are all based on the victims seeking out support, and if they decline services, those systems kind of go away.

Even as conditions facing working class and poor people have deteriorated, the financial prospects for the real estate market have flowered.

A major driver of homelessness in the Portland area has been the massive rise in housing costs in which lower-income homes and rentals have all but disappeared. Average home prices rose slightly over 15 percent from April 2015 to April 2016, to $325,400 according to Zillow, average rentals are $1603, while an average two-bedroom apartment rents for $1753 per month.

Across the country, the number of homeless, graphically documented in the proliferation and persistence of tent cities, has grown even as politicians, the media and industry assert the revival of the economy nearly a decade after the 2008 financial crisis.

In 2015, six years after the recessions so-called end, more Oregon residents were in poverty than the year before the recession began. A study by the Oregon Center for Public Policy found that, In 2007, prior to the Great Recession, the share of Oregonians that lived below the federal poverty line stood at 12.9 percent. In 2015, the year with most recent data, 15.4 percent of Oregoniansmore than one in every sevenwere poor. Over 600,000 currently scrape by below the federal poverty line.

The growth of poverty and the increasing economic precariousness for ever-larger sections of workers and youth is not an aberration but the deliberate policy pursued by the Obama administration over the last eight years in order to funnel wealth from the bottom to the top 1 percent. The Trump administration intends to carry out this same policy, only more nakedly and with greater brutality.
On Monday, in an extensive interview with the Times of London and the German tabloid Bild, US President-elect Donald Trump placed a question mark over the cornerstones of the post-war European order.

Trump, who assumes the presidency on Friday, made many contradictory statements. But overall, he left no doubt that he welcomed the breakup of the European Union, had reservations regarding the future of the NATO military alliance, and regarded Europe, and above all Germany, as an economic rival of the United States.

Mr. Trump does not feel constrained by ideology or history, the Times wrote, commenting on the interview. Bild noted, [O]nly one thing can be said with certainty: Nothing is safe with him. No political rule, no diplomatic custom, no inviolable certainty.

Among Trumps statements in the interview was the declaration that Britains decision to leave the European Union is going to end up being a great thing. He made clear that his reaching out to the UK was motivated above all by his opposition to the European Union and was directed, in particular, at countering any economic or political challenge from Germany to the US.

You look at the European Union, and its Germany, he said. Basically a vehicle for Germany. Thats why I thought the UK was so smart in getting out

Asked if he would move quickly to seal a new trade deal with the UK, he replied, Absolutely, very quickly. Im a big fan of the UK. Were gonna work very hard to get it done quickly and done properly. Good for both sides.

He added that he and British Prime Minister Theresa May would have a meeting right after I get into the White House.

On the other hand, he openly threatened Germany with trade war. He said the German car maker BMW would be subjected to import duties of 35 percent if it held to its plan to build a new plant in Mexico. Trump noted that if you walked along Fifth Avenue in New York, you saw many Mercedes-Benz cars. In Germany, however, you saw very few Chevrolets. The fact is, you were very unfair to the USA. There is no reciprocity, he declared.

As a result, he claimed, the United States was losing nearly $800 billion a year in trade. I want it to be fair, there must be reciprocity, he said, so that will stop.

Trump said the EU was destined to disintegrate. The exit of Britain, which he attributed to the influx of refugees, was only the beginning: I believe others will leave. I do think keeping it together is not gonna be as easy as a lot of people think.

While expressing respect for German Chancellor Angela MerkelI will meet her. I respect her and I like her,he accused her of making a very catastrophic mistake when she allowed a million refugees into the country.

Trump solidarised himself directly with the UK Independence Party and tacitly with other parties of the xenophobic right, in part as justification for his own anti-immigrant policies. People dont want to have other people coming in and destroying their country, he said, and you know in this country were gonna go very strong on borders from the day I get in.

On Russia, not only did Trump moot a relaxation of sanctions if we can make some good deals on nuclear disarmament, he went so far as to place the chancellor of long-time US ally Germany on a par with Russian President Vladimir Putin, threatening both with a rupture in relations if they did not win his confidence. Well, he declared, I start off trusting bothbut let's see how long that lasts. It may not last long at all.

Trump went on to call NATO obsolete, in part because it wasnt taking care of terror, but also because the European powers aren't paying what theyre supposed to pay, which I think is very unfair to the United States. He sought to soften this declaration with a pro-forma pledge that the US was still committed to the defence of Europe: With that being said, NATO is very important to me.

At the same time, he attacked the military intervention of Russia in Syria, describing it as a very bad thing that had led to a terrible humanitarian situation.

Leading German politicians have responded to Trumps remarks in a bellicose manner, emphasizing Germanys own economic and geopolitical claims. Social Democratic Party (SPD) Chairman Sigmar Gabriel told the Saarbrucker Zeitung, I do not think we have to be afraid in Germany. We must not adopt a servile attitude now, as if we had nothing to offer ourselves. In dealing with Trump, we need German self-confidence and a clear stance.

Merkel called on EU member states not to be disarmed by Trumps harsh criticism. I think we Europeans hold our fate in our own hands, she said in Berlin.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said after meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that Trump's statements had created astonishment and agitation throughout Europe. He pointed out that both the designated US defense secretary, James Mattis, and the designated secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, had spoken in favour of NATO at their confirmation hearings. We must see what follows for American politics, he said.

In contrast, British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson welcomed Trumps statements about a US-British trade agreement after Brexit. I think it is very good news that the US wants to conclude a good free trade agreement with us and that they want to do it quickly, he said.

More than 70 years after the end of World War II and 25 years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, violent tensions and conflicts are again developing between Europe and the US and between the European powers themselves.

Trumps America-first policy is accelerating this process, but it is not its cause. This lies in the insoluble contradictions of the capitalist system, which is unable to overcome the antagonism between the international character of production and the nation-state framework in which capitalism is rooted. As in the years preceding World War I and World War II, the struggle for raw materials, markets, cheap labour and strategic influence is once again unleashing fierce conflicts between the imperialist powers, leading to trade war and military conflict.

The International Committee of the Fourth International has repeatedly warned of the inexorable movement of international capitalism toward world war. In July 2014, in the statement Socialism and the Fight Against Imperialist War, the ICFI wrote:

At present, Washington is pursuing these objectives with the collaboration of the other major imperialist powers. However, there is no permanent coincidence of interests among them. German imperialism, which fought two wars with the US in the 20th century, is reviving its imperial ambitions. Having secured the dominant position in Western Europe, it is seeking to become a world power All of the imperialist powers, including Britain, France, Canada and Australia, are taking full part in this struggle for spheres of influence. Every area of the globe is a source of bitter conflict: not only the former colonies and semi-colonies in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, but also the Arctic, Antarctic and even outer space and cyberspace.

Only a united, international movement of the working class that combines the struggle against war with the struggle against its cause, capitalism, can avert a new international slaughter. This requires the building of a new socialist leadership, sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International, in the European, American and international working class.
Last Friday, protests led to the cancellation of a speaking event by alt-right Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos at the University of California, Davis. The event, hosted by the Davis College Republicans (DCR), was also set to feature Martin Shkreli, the former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals notorious for the September 2015 price hike of Daraprim, a medication used to treat conditions associated with HIV.

Police set up barricades outside the Science Lecture Hall, the venue for the event, while roughly 150 protesters gathered. Police arrested one person inside the venue on suspicion of obstructing a police officer, but none were arrested from the group protesting outside the event, which remained peaceful, according to UC Davis spokeswoman Kimberly Hale. Protesters chanted, Say it loud, say it clear, racists are not welcome here!

After meeting with campus police and UC Davis Student Affairs officials, DCR leaders decided to cancel the event. Hale told The Sacramento Bee that the university did not in fact order the shutdown of the event, but rather presented DCR with their concerns about attendees safety.

Hale told the Bee, They [the College Republicans] were presented with the details of what was happening around the venue that evening. Protesters were blocking the entrance, so to be able to get the ticketed persons inside the venue, that would have been difficult.

Interim UC Davis Chancellor Ralph Hexter told KCRA News Saturday that he was deeply disappointed by the protest, saying, Our community is founded on principles of respect for all views, even those that we personally find repellent.

Following the events cancellation, Yiannopoulos and Shkreli took to social media to malign the protesters and campus administration, and to incite their right-wing audience. Even though the university did not itself cancel the event, Yiannopoulos wrote on Facebook, Left-wing thugs scared UC Davis into canceling my event last night by damaging property, hurling excrement at guests and starting fights. [] Come join us at 1pm today in the quad at UC Davis to protest the universitys pathetic failure to protect free speech.

In fact, the university has said that no property damage was reported due to the protests.

At campus Saturday, Yiannopoulos reportedly stood on a picnic table with a loudspeaker and denounced the university for canceling the event, and then led a march of protesters through part of the campus, chanting, USA! USA! A group of counter-protesters simultaneously denounced him, shouting, No Milo, No KKK, No Fascist U.S.A.

Provocatively titled The Dangerous Faggot Tour, Yiannopoulos (who is gay) has spoken at numerous campuses across the US and is slated to speak at other campuses on the West Coast in the coming weeks, including Washington State University on January 19, the University of Washington on January 20, UC Berkeley on February 1, and UCLA on February 2, among other campuses.

Yiannopoulos, like most of the alt-right and ultra-conservative media, has strongly supported Trump since he first launched his presidential campaign. As editor of Breitbart News, Yiannopoulos has a close connection to Stephen Bannon, the executive chair of Breitbart News, Trump's campaign manager and now his chief strategist in the White House.

Yiannopoulos gained notoriety last July after he was banned from Twitter for directing a series of racist and sexist tweets toward comedian Leslie Jones.

At UC Berkeley, hundreds of letters have been sent to the administration from faculty, students and others demanding the cancellation of Yiannopoulos February 1 event. One letter from a dozen faculty members argued that his talks include harassment, slander, defamation, and hate speech, all of which violate UC Berkeleys code of conduct.

Associate chancellor Nils Gilman told the LA Times that administration plans to go forward with the scheduled talk, arguing, It is not just a responsibility but really an operational necessity that we maintain an environment where free expression of ideas can take place.

Gilman told the Times that university officials will serve as referees trying to maintain a level playing field by demanding that groups such as the College Republicans pay for the increased security necessary to police their events.
The death early this month of 17-year-old Wesley Ballantine at a building site in Perth, the Western Australian state capital, further exposes the rundown of basic safety standards as employers, working in conjunction with the construction trade unions, speed up projects and cut costs.

Ballantine was one of seven workers killed in industrial accidents in Australia in the first week of 2017. Four workers died in the transport, postal and warehousing sector, one in agriculture, forestry and fishing and one in arts and recreation services.

Ballantine plunged 12 metres to his death at about 4.30 a.m. on January 5 while attempting to install glass-ceiling panels at the old Post Office building in Perths central business district. According to press reports, he was not wearing a safety harness.

The heritage-listed building, which is being remodelled into a retail outlet for the Swedish fashion giant H&M, was supposed to have been finished in mid-November, in time for the Christmas retail season. In what has become commonplace throughout the industry, work continued round the clock. Ballantine was on a night shift and due to finish at 6 a.m.

Ballantine was employed by contractors for interior construction company Valmont, which issued a public statement of condolence, as did H&M. Neither company offered any explanation, however, for the teenager working without a harness.

Tyrone Buchanan, Wesleys father, told the media he was not aware that the teenager was working in a high-risk area and would have tried to stop him. I just cant comprehend how a kid could go up there at his young ageand not to be wearing a harness, he said.

This kid, my son, he was not trained and, if he was, he didnt have enough experience to go up there. Was he supervised? If he was, who sen[t] him up there without harness on? I want the person whos responsible brought to justice, Buchanan said.

Few details have been released about the accident. It is one of a growing number of fatalities in the construction industry as builders and developers maximise profits by demanding quicker completions, cutting basic safety standards and employing larger numbers of youth and untrained workers.

The teenager died less than three months after another young, inexperienced workerMarianka Heumann, a 27-year-old German backpackerwas killed on a Perth building site. She died after falling 13 floors through an open lift shaft on October 10. Heumann was working alone while applying sealant to wall panels at the Finbar Concerto construction site.

Simon Waters, a self-employed trainer and assessor and former Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) safety representative, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that conditions at the Concerto site were deplorable.

Waters decided to leave the Concerto site after six weeks because of the lack of proper safety procedures. He feared that someone would be seriously injured or killed on that job. He said there were no safety exclusion zones at the site and a lot of young kids werent supervised properly, including many who were working on their own. He said numbers of builders in Perth were hiring apprentices as cheap labour.

An apprentice carpenter, who had also worked at the Concerto site, told the ABC that building employers were making increased demands on workers because there was more competition for jobs in construction as work declined in the mining industry. The biggest factor, he said, is the pressure to get the job done. We were doing massive hours, one break a day  It was compulsory to do six days a week but I was doing seven days a week, at least 10 hours a day.

Fearing victimisation, an apprentice carpenter wanted to remain anonymous. He explained that workers were being forced into dangerous situations. I was putting up [temporary supports] underneath the suspended [concrete] slab, which was only held there by a power crane. So it was moving around a bit and it would have easy weighed over five tonne. Youre not supposed to stand underneath a suspended load at any time, he said.

Last year 30 workers were killed in the Australian construction industry, almost double the number of fatalities in 2013, when 17 building workers died. Last October, five construction workers, including German backpacker Heumann, were killed within three weeks:

* On October 6, two men were crushed to death by a 10-tonne concrete panel at the Mirvac Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane.

* On October 25, a worker died after falling from a formwork deck onto reinforced steel bars at the Trinity Building & Construction site in Porter Street, Ryde, a Sydney suburb.

* On October 26, a boilermaker, who was working alone, was crushed to death while operating a knuckle boom (a small portable crane) at the Probuild Plenary Group site at the Melbourne Convention Centre expansion.

The inadequate health and safety conditions in the building industry are not restricted to small sites. They are prevalent on large projects. Lendleases Barangaroo casino and resort construction site on Sydney Harbour, which at its peak employed over 3,000 workers, has one of the highest rates of reportable workplace incidents in New South Wales.

Last year an ABC report revealed that these incidents included workers exposed to live electrical wiring, fires and explosions, as well as falling steel and other building materials. Between 2014 and 2016, there were at least 123 incidentsapproximately five times the rate of other major Sydney building sites.

Lendlease claimed that the high number of incidents at Barangaroo demonstrated the companys stringent reportage procedures and the high priority the company placed on workplace safety.

Speaking anonymously with the ABC in October, Antony, a former electrician at Barangaroo, said workers were scared to report incidents. In December, an ex-Lendlease health and safety manager told the network that workers were bullied into not reporting incidents.

The coverup was not only to hide [worksite incidents] from the regulator, but to hide [them] internally, the ex-manager said. To hide it internally means that the companys incident and injury statistics are kept as low as possible, which helps for future tenders  On a number of occasions we were instructed by some of the most senior level people within the project itself to do our best to hide things, not report the little stuff.

None of this could happen, however, without the role of the construction unions. Decades of union-brokered agreements with building employers to slash costs have created these dangerous conditions.

After Wesley Ballantines death, CFMEU state secretary Mick Buchan told the media it was sad to report another death so early in the new year. At the same time, he said the CFMEU would like to remind all workers to stay safe, suggesting that workers were to blame for the fatalities, not the employers.

The union said it was concerned about possible pressure on workers from tight building completion dates, but said it did not know if that was a contributing factor in this case. In fact, the unions have collaborated with employers to create an investment friendly climate for the construction industry by undermining workers hard-won conditions, including health and safety standards.

The construction unions, moreover, have substantial investments in the building industry through the multi-million dollar CBUS superannuation fund. This means they have a direct commercial interest in preventing any industrial action or other disruptions that delay construction projects.

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Australia: Five workers killed in industrial incidents within a week

[19 October 2016]
"Empathy" has become a big buzzword lately, with political leaders and philanthropists asserting increased empathy can heal America's political and racial divides and spur humanitarian efforts across the globe.

Many have concluded the recent election indicates a failure of empathy from both sides. And others insist solving the refugee crisis and helping Aleppo's victims demand far more Western empathy.

These appeals hearken back to what Barack Obama has long called a national "empathy deficit"  an inability "to put ourselves in someone else's shoes" and "see the world through those who are different from us"  a problem he labeled more pressing than the federal budget deficit.

Proponents of virtual reality, a rapidly expanding technology that simulates users' presence in a new physical environment, feel the medium is poised to mend this gap.

VR's sophistication and applications have multiplied since the first VR machine  a commercial flight simulator patented in 1931 and used to train WWII pilots. Now the technology is widely used to enhance video games, but also to train surgeons, ease pain, sell homes and heighten journalism.

Though high price tags have made it largely inaccessible in the past, new affordable devices like PlayStation VR or the $15 Google Cardboard are making VR available to mainstream users, enabling more people to experience its perception-altering effects.

Chris Milk, a VR film producer, called VR technology "the ultimate empathy machine" that "connects humans to other humans in a profound way" and can "change people's perception of each other."

He collaborated with the UN to produce the 2015 virtual reality film "Clouds over Sidra," which depicts the life of a 12-year-old Syrian refugee named Sidra in Jordan's Za'atari camp. Milk explained the immersive 360-degree experience made viewers feel as though they were actually sitting and walking with Sidra, allowing them to "feel her humanity in a deeper way."

The film seemed to affect viewers enough to motivate action. After a screening by the UN at the Third International Humanitarian Appeal for Syria in Kuwait in March 2015, the event exceeded fundraising expectations by over $1 billion, techradar reported.

And when UNICEF employees used Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear headsets to show the film on city streets, one in every six viewers donated  twice the normal rate, according to UNICEF's communications director, Patrick Rose.

Many similar projects have also harnessed VR technology to help users experience and understand others' lives.

The New York Times' story The Displaced used VR, text and photos to portray the lives of three child refugees from Syria, South Sudan and Ukraine, and Sky News' film Calais: The Jungle gave viewers a sobering 360-degree view of the French migrant camp.

Several scientific studies support the idea that VR experiences do increase empathy.

A 2013 study at the University of Barcelona showed that light-skinned VR users assigned dark-skinned avatars demonstrated less racial bias when completing a questionnaire than those who used avatars that matched their skin color.

The Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford University ran experiments that showed VR users represented by elderly avatars were more likely to save for retirement and users who experienced colorblindness spent twice as much time helping build a colorblind-friendly website than those who only imagined what colorblindness would be like.

The lab also conducted a study where people experienced life as a cow, roaming pastures, being poked by a virtual cattle prod and eventually led to a slaughterhouse (though the simulation ended before they got there).

The study's authors concluded that participants afterward felt more connected with nature and more aware of their impact on the environment. One individual commented "I truly felt like I was going to the slaughterhouse toward the end and felt sad that as a cow I was going to die. That last prod felt really sad."

Some experts are less convinced of these empathy machines' effectiveness.

Some worry that immersing viewers in a shocking, violent or otherwise troubling experience might alienate them, causing them to turn away rather than get involved and help.

Others feel accessibility is still a barrier. People have to either attend a museum or convention that offers VR simulations or actually buy a VR device before they can experience any empathy-inducing effects.

Andrew Trickett, co-founder of Merge VR, said "at this point, the biggest (challenge) is distribution of the devices. While there is a lot of excitement about VR, there still isn't much penetration of the required technology."

On a more basic level, Yale psychology professor Paul Bloom takes issue with the concept of empathy itself. In his controversial book Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion, which came out last month, Bloom argues efforts to increase empathy, including VR technology designed to promote it, won't save the world. As he told The Verge, these VR projects can be "incredibly exciting" and he has "nothing against that for pleasure," but he ultimately concluded empathy can't further ethics because it "distorts our reasoning and makes us biased, tribal and often cruel."

Bloom argued we are more likely to feel empathy for those who seem similar to us, that it is impossible to feel and understand the pain of a large group and that we can be easily manipulated to empathize with the wrong person  an aggressor rather than a victim. Bloom said empathy makes movies more engaging and relationships more meaningful, but it should not provide the basis for political policy or humanitarian efforts. Instead, he advocates for compassion based on reason rather than emotion.

Part of the contention surrounding Bloom's argument can be traced to semantics. Bloom defines empathy as literally experiencing the same emotions as another person, while other experts' definitions are more expansive, including "having an appropriate emotion (like compassion) triggered by another person's emotion," as Simon Baren-Cohen, a professor of developmental psychopathology, explained in a New York Times review of Bloom's book. Baren-Cohen noted that under Bloom's definition, only a therapist who felt as depressed as his or her patient would be considered empathetic.

But setting semantics aside, Bloom also seems to fundamentally doubt feeling someone else's pain can make a person more compassionate. This claim may open up a larger philosophical debate beyond the realm of technology.

Still, many VR proponents, including "Clouds Over Sidra" co-director Gabo Arora, who said many left the film "feeling enlightened and often moved, and often ready to take action," contend VR can make the world a kinder place.
PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Deputies in Pasco County are trying to figure out who shot a Perry woman in the head.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office said that victim has been identified as 50-year-old Teresa Thomas.

Deputies say it happened at the Lacoochee Trailer Park early Monday morning and that this shooting is not connected to a previous one at the same park.

They said that she and her boyfriend live in Perry, Florida, and not at the residence where she was shot.

Thomas has since been released from the hospital.

Anyone who has any information about this case can leave an anonymous message at the Pasco Sheriff's Office Crime Tips Line at 1-800-706-2488, or at Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay, Inc. at 1-800-873-TIPS.
LURAVILLE, Fla. (WTXL) - Deputies have identified the man who was killed when his amphibious advanced Aeromarine Buccaneer plane dived into the Suwannee River.

According to the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office, the pilot was 61-year-old Neal Harris from Kissimmee.

Lafayette deputies said that they weren't sure where Harris was flying out off, but said he was flying to meet a friend. They said the two were planning on going camping at Blue Springs.

According to Suwannee County Fire Rescue, the single-engine plane crashed in the western part of the county by Luraville on Sunday.

The Suwannee County Sheriff's Office and Suwannee County Fire Rescue were notified just after 5:00 p.m.

According to some Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) documents, it appears that this particular plane may have not been "suitable for operation" and possibly was not legally registered to fly.

The FAA has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Mission San Luis is hosting a free event all to give you the chance to spend the evening with renowned archaeologist David Hurst Thomas.

"Florida Histories: Past to Present" is a six-lecture series which for one evening will welcome Thomas, a Curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Thomas is known for literally "writing the book" on college level archaeology. Thomas will examine the connections between individual missions and their broader relationship with lands beyond Spanish control.

It all kicks off Thursday, January 19 from 6 -7:30 p.m. at Mission San Luis, at 2100 W. Tennessee Street in Tallahassee.

Tickets are free.
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ALEXANDRIA, VA.  The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA)has announced Dominique Youakim of Charleston, Ill., as its new president for 2017. Youakim owns and operates Aerinova Aerial LLC, an aerial application business in Mattoon. He also owns a helicopter tour business in St. Louis and Branson, Mo., and is an authorized Robinson helicopter dealer.

Before finding his niche as an aerial applicator, Youakim worked in corporate America as a vice president of operations for a manufacturing plant. He worked for the manufacturer from 1995 to 2005. During that same period, he earned his commercial pilot certificate. Ready for a less travel-intensive career, Youakim gave up his corporate job for the opportunity to become an agricultural pilot in 2005. His mentor, Rick Reed of Reeds Fly-on Farming, hired him as a full-time pilot that year. In 2013, Youakim purchased Reeds Mattoon-based operation, which now operates under the name Aerinova Aerial LLC.

In 2006, Youakim entered the NAAA/Syngenta Leadership Training Program, which develops new leaders and advocates for the agricultural aviation industry. He served as secretary/treasurer of the Illinois Agricultural Aviation Association in 20072008. He joined NAAAs board of directors as the Illinois AAAs state representative in 2009. From 2012 to 2016, Youakim chaired NAAAs bylaws committee.

In 2014, he was instrumental in revising and merging the associations constitution and bylaws into one set of governing documents. He received the distinguished Falcon Pin from NAAAs 2014 president for his exceptional work on the constitution and bylaws merger.

As president, Youakim looks forward to promoting the benefits of agricultural aviation. We need to enhance our professionalism and be active with promoting positive public relations about our industry to ensure our existence, Youakim said. This is especially important when you consider the number of folks out there that dont know or understand our industry.

Low commodity prices put a crimp on the amount of hours and acres ag aviation operations amassed in 2016, but Youakim remains bullish about aerial applicators future. The industry has a very strong future as long as we can get our yield results and efficacy results through to farmers, he said.

Youakim is joined on the 2017 NAAA officer team by Vice President Gary Jerger of Ag Spray Inc., Moorhead, Minn.; Secretary Mark Kimmel of Dixie Dusters Inc., Itta Bena, Miss.; and Treasurer Jim Perrin of Agricair Flying Service, Bancroft, Wis.
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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.
Astronomy Night scheduled at library

CHARLESTON -- The Charleston Carnegie Public Librarys Astronomy Night will be held at 6:30 tonight in the library parking lot if the sky is clear. If the sky is not clear, the session will be at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 24.

Telescopes will be set up for participants' use and guided viewing in an informal question-and-answer format. This drop-in program is free and open to the public, but children under 13 need to bring an adult. Feel free to bring your own telescope.

A library card is not needed to attend. For further information, call 217-345-1514 or log on to www.charlestonlibrary.org.

Tarble to host artist lecture

CHARLESTON -- Eli Craven, an Champaign-based photographer who has shown nationally and internationally, will speak at the Tarble Arts Center atrium at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

He was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and earned his BFA in Photography from Boise State University, Boise, in 2011 and his MFA in Photography at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 2016. He currently lives and works in Champaign, where he teaches photography at the University of Illinois. His work has been exhibited and published nationally and internationally, most recently at the Capture Photography Festival in Vancouver, B.C., and in the book "Unlocked" published by Atopos CVC in Athens, Greece.

For more information, contact the Tarble Arts Center at Eastern Illinois University at 217-581-2787 or at tarble@eiu.edu.

Charleston Kiwanis Club to hold trivia night

CHARLESTON -- The Charleston Kiwanis Club will hold their second annual trivia night fundraiser at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Charleston Moose Lodge, 615 7th St.

Registration begins at 7 p.m. The cost is $10 per person. Teams of 10 or fewer are welcome. A 50/50 raffle, silent auction, and a $100 grand prize are some of the highlights.

The Moose Lodge will be serving dinner from 5:30-7 p.m. Menu items will be $1. Beverages and popcorn will also be available during the event. Proceeds from this event will be used to fund Kiwanis service projects for children and the community. For more information, visit charlestonkiwanis.org.

ERBA to sponsor guest speaker at event

TOLEDO -- The Embarras River Basin Agency, Inc. (ERBA) will sponsor an event from 1-3 p.m. Jan. 30 with special guest speaker Dr. Donna Beegle at the Toledo Christian Church.

Beegle speaks, writes and trains across the nation about poverty. She is the author of See Poverty/Be the Difference. Beegles story of moving from 28 years of homelessness to achieving a doctorate and her work assisting people to move out of poverty has been featured on the internet, in newspapers and on television around the nation.

This program is designed for people who are currently facing poverty obstacles. Participants will be inspired, motivated and realize they already have skill sets that can assist them in obtaining a better life. Beegle teaches through story, discussion and a variety of activities.

Seating is limited and required reservations will be taken on a first come, first served basis until Jan 23. For more information, contact Taneya Higginbotham, Field Worker, Coles County ERBA, at 217-345-4840.

ERBA serves Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Jasper, Lawrence, and Richland counties.

HSHS St. Anthonys Auxiliary to host luncheon

EFFINGHAM -- The Auxilians at HSHS St. Anthonys Memorial Hospital will be hosting a Getting to Know You Luncheon on Feb. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the hospital auditorium. This event is open to anyone interested in learning more about being involved with the Auxiliary.

You do not need to be an Auxilian to attend this event, and you are encouraged to bring a friend who is also interested in learning more about the Auxiliary. The Auxiliary is a volunteer organization committed to promoting and advancing the welfare of HSHS St. Anthonys Memorial Hospital. There are many opportunities to provide service at St. Anthonys, including volunteering in the Gift Shop, on the floors, with special events, etc.

There will be a light lunch. There is no charge to attend this event, but seating is limited, so pre-registration is required by Jan. 27. To register or learn more, call Alta Welker in the People Services Department at 217-347-1335.

For more information about St. Anthonys Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, visit St. Anthonys website at stanthonyshospital.org.
Cpl. Viachislov Gregai, 20, of Rishon LeZion, was killed on Monday while working on an armored "Namar"-type personnel carrier (APC) on the El Furan base in the Golan Heights.

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The tragedy occurred during regularly scheduled drills with the Golani 51st brigade. His family has been notified.

Viachislov Gregai

While the incident is still under investigation, initial findings reveal that Gregai was evacuated to hospital after receiving a serious blow to his upper body from a piece of steel. The initial findings also reveal that Gregai was working on the APCs tracks when the incident occurred.

He was given first aid by his colleagues first, and by soldiers from the IDF medical corps soon after, before being evacuated by helicopter to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, where he was declared dead.

The APC track Viachislov was working on

GOC Northern Commander Major General Aviv Kochavi has created an investigative committee, which will be headed by Carmeli Brigade Commander Col. Pini Yosef, to look further into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The drill was cancelled due to the accident.

A 'Namer' APC (Photo: Aviyahu Shapira)

The "Namer" APC was incorporated into the IDF over the last several years, and is one of the most advanced APCs on the market, not least because it is kitted with the most reinforced slabs and layers of armor out there.

After the APC tragedy during Operation Protective Edge, the Ministry of Defense decided to acquire more of the APCs, and equip them with the "Trophy" anti-missile defense system, joining the IDF's Merkava 4, the only tank in Israel to be fitted with the advance technology.

Always had a smile on his face

Doron Turgeman taught Gregai Krav Maga for several years before the latter joined the IDF. He said in an exclusive interview to Ynet that "the day that he learned he was going to be in Golani, he texted me 'I got Golani. I got into the 51st battalion.' It was really important to him."

Turgeman added that he doesn't know any more details about the incident.

"I only know what I read in the news. I tried to call his family and friends, but no one really knows what happened. It's a tragic accident, and it's such a shame that it happened," he continued.

"(Viachislav) was a really good, quality guy. He would always come excited to Krav Maga. Throughout the six years that I knew him, I always remembered him smiling. He was always respectful of everyone. It was always important for him to learn and practice, and to be the best that he can be in everything that he did."
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah a-Sisi met with US President Elect Donald Trump, and said that "there will be more understanding, cooperation, and deeper understandings," with the US government.

Sisi also said that "there are issues which require more understanding and cooperation, such as with the Palestinians there will be more coordination with the US in the future."
The head of the Islamic Movement  Northern Branch, Sheikh Raed Salah, has been released from prison after carrying out his 9 month sentence.

He was charged with inciting to violence and racism following a sermon he gave in East Jerusalem in 2007.
TUNIS- A visit to a Russian aircraft carrier by Libya's Khalifa Haftar has given the eastern-based commander a symbolic boost while also signalling Moscow's interest in a greater role in the region following its intervention in Syria.

Haftar is a figurehead for east Libyan factions who harbours national ambitions, and his renewed engagement with Russia comes at a time when the U.N.-supported government in Tripoli that he has shunned is once more in crisis.

Russian support could embolden Haftar in making a play for power in Tripoli, a move likely to fuel conflict and represent a major setback for genuine unity government in Libya.

Western states say the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) provides the best chance of reversing Libya's slide into anarchy and warfare.
Three judges met to discuss, and likely approve, a plea bargain Tuesday at a special military court in the IDF headquarters (Kitya) in Tel Aviv for Brigadier General Ofek Buchris (res.), who was originally charged with 17 counts of sexual misconduct

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Much like the majority of past similar cases, the judges, headed by Brigadier General Orli Markman, are expected to bring the issue to a conclusion as they lend their signature to the deal, according to which Buchris will be demoted to the rank of colonel, but will not be sent to prison.

As the legal discussions got underway, Buchris asked to say a few words. I take full responsibility for all my actions for which I express sincere regret. I served our country with love and conviction for three decades. My resignation from the army caused me feelings of extreme emptiness. I wish to continue to contribute to the country, he said.

During the court discussions, the chief military prosecutor, Col. Sharon Zagagi-Pinchas, said that the punishment of demoting Buchris to the rank of colonel is extremely harsh.

Ofek Buchris with his wife (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Agreeing with the statement, Judge Tvi Gorfinkel responded with reservations. Demotion of rank is undoubtedly harsh for a brigadier general. He committed his offences as a colonel which he was a brigade commander so why return him to rank under which he committed the offences?

The prosecutor replied by saying that it is inappropriate to carry out offences such as those done so by Buchris. Buchris was already promoted to the rank of brigadier general and was on his way to becoming a general. The demotion therefore, she argued, was serious.

But the judge was unwilling to let the matter go so easily. Do you not see the problems in his denials, including in the courts? His denial was not immediate. Only after the plea bargain, to which Zagagi-Pinchas insisted: It is his right to deny. There was a mediation process.

As part of the plea bargain, Buchris confessed to two offences in a revised indictment issued against him. They include forbidden sexual relations and indecent conduct.

One of the women who filed a complaint against Buchris (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The confession in a dramatic dilution of the original 17 charges levelled against him, which included rape, indecent assault and inappropriate behavior, allegedly committed during his previous command in the IDF Golani Brigade between 2010 and 2013.

In order to ensure that the plea bargain would be approved by the judges and to clean what has become a sullied reputation over the course of the entire affair, Buchris invited a number of character witnesses to attend Tuesdays legal proceedings, which include combat soldiers who served alongside him, representatives of bereaved families, and General Avi Mizrachi (res.) who previously led the IDFs Central Command.

Mizrachi, who served in a number of units with Buchris and also commanded him in several career positions, described Buchris as a hero in a conversation with Ynet on Monday.

Recalling the fighting that took place in Jenin Refugee Camp during Operation Defensive Shield During the battle, Mizrach recounted an incident during which terrorists dropped bombs on the building in which the two of them sat.

Buchris, he said, threw himself on top of Mizrachiwho was then commanding the 36th Division before exiting the building and engaging the terrorists directly.

Buchris must be punished for what he did, which the courts will decide, Mizrachi said. I know that my actions are not popular, but we dont leave the wounded in the field. I will therefore be coming to testify for Buchris that I know him as a brave commander and a warrior, titles which cannot be taken away from him, Mizrachi said.

General Avi Mizrachi (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Testifying in court on Tuesday, he began by establishing his credentials as a character witness. I was his Buchriss teacher during company commanders course and during my time as a commander in the 36th commander. Ofek was a regiment commander in Golani under my command, Mizrachi told the courts.

I saw Ofek command over units in Lebanon and during Operation Defensive Shield. Ofek was always the first to volunteer for missions and to have a lot of sensitivity for the soldiers and bereaved families, he continued.

It is a loss for the IDF that Ofek was forced to resign, Mizrachi lamented.

He also repeated the story he told Ynet in the courtroom, adding that Buchris sustained shrapnel wounds as a result. He saved my life. After he saw that I was ok he went out to kill the terrorist and then returned (to) a seriously injured soldier. In another incident Ofek stopped me from touching a booby-trapped weapon and, as a result, saved my life.
Israel Hayom editor in chief Amos Regev has been called in for questioning to provide evidence for the ongoing investiagtion into the Netanyahu-Mozes affair.

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Israel Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh spoke about Prime Minister Benjamin Netnayahu's investigation, saying "our job is to eliminate corruption and to protect the state treasury. There have been a lot of achievements (to this end) over the last few years. On this particular, issue, we have a very defined role."

The commissioner then noted that he "doesn't believe that the investigations will take very long. The decision ultimately lies with the attorney general. Sometimes the investigators wish some clarification on one issue or another, but we are conducting the investigations as quickly as possible. No one should be bothered by us working professionally."

Israel Police Commissioner Alsheikh in Rahat (Photo: Roee Idan)

He continued saying "when dealing with corruption amongst elected officials, our job isn't to collect information and then to expose it to the public. Information comes naturally in a democratic country. We need to be coordinated with the attorney general and the government, and follow orders."

He was speaking at a public gathering in the southern city of Rahat.

Meanwhile, Channel 2 News published more alleged quotes Monday night from the conversations of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon "Noni" Mozes. Among other subjects, the quotes seemed to include the two discussing the circulation numbers of free newspaper and Yedioth Ahronoth competitor Israel Hayom.

Mozes: "Let's think for a minute about the legal details. It starts at two-thirds."

Amos Regev, Editor in Chief of Israel Hayom, taken in for questioning (Photo: Yaron Brener)

Netanyahu: "We need to tell Sheldon."

Mozes: "We need to say a number, not two-thirds." (Channel 2 claimed that the numbers discussed are Israel Hayom's circulation numbers)

Netanyahu: "We need to explain what the number is. Not to go down completely. Don't to go down to three thirds. Go down to two thirds."

Mozes: "When we started talking about numbers, it was 275,000 copies and today it's 325,000 copies. Do you understand why each passing moment causes a problem? We're going back to a situation where we're postponing it more, making it more difficult to solve. I'm trying to think, this Friday it's 400,000 copies. I'm trying to think of a formula of several ad pages."

Netanyahu: "What, can you limit its number of ad pages?"

Mozes: "Is there a problem? What's the problem? It's that there are government ads here. Thirty, fifty, seventy percent of the ads the state gives money for. That's not proper. I'm telling you this as an aside, but you can't have everything all at once."

Netanyahu: "Alright, I wrote that down, too. We won't take care of that now."

Mozes: "I'll say a number of copies and X percent capacity. Capacity is a term in journalism. In a free newspaper, above a certain number of copies the percentage of ads can't be high, which limits the damage it causes by lowering the price. We're trying to find something together."

Benjamin Netanyahu and Noni Moses (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky, AFP)

Netanyahu: "I think that something that sounds reasonable, I'm just thinking out loud Far be it for me to "

Mozes: "We're trying to find something together."

Mozes came in for investigation for the fourth time on Monday. Channel 10 has reported that Israel Hayom founder and owner Sheldon Adelson is due to give his own testimony over the next few days.

Arnon Mozes is the publisher and owner of Yedioth Ahronoth Group, which includes Ynet.
Less than four days before he leaves his post, US Secretary of State John Kerry sat down for an interview on CNN to speak, among other issues, about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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He explained once again why the Obama administration decided to abstain from the UN Security Council Resolution condemning Israeli construction in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem.

"We believe that Israel has a major choice and that that Palestinians have a major choice. The choice we put to Israel is that if you want to be a Jewish state, and you want to be a democracy, you cannot be a unitary state. Israel is marching down the road because of the increased settlements, and the absence of legitimate negotiations towards that possibility," Kerry said in his interview with Iranian-British journalist Christiane Ammanpour.

US Secretary of State John Kerry (Photo: Reuters)

The secretary of state also said that "the leaders of the two countries involvedone country and one entity, the Palestinian Authorityhave failed to come to the table and reach an agreement. You know the old saying 'you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.' We did a lot of leading to a lot of water, but people decided they weren't ready for one reason or another to move.

"All we're trying to do is speak as a good, good solid friend of Israel. We have done more for this government, more for Israel than any other administration with Iron Dome with $38 million."

The next generation of Palestinians (Photo: AFP)

Ammanpour then interrupted and asked Kerry if he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ungrateful for the aid. Kerry refused to answer the question.

"We speak out of a caring and concern as a democratic and Jewish state, and we also speak out of a concern for the Palestinians who will not be able to satisfy their aspirations ever without this ability to ever be able to create a state," he continued after the interruption.

"I guarantee," Kerry then stated, "that the Palestinians will not agree to less than a state based on 1967 lines with swaps. They're just not going to do that."
Hundreds of residents of the Israeli-Arab town of Um al-Fahm joyously welcomed the release and return of Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement's Northern Branch on Tuesday.

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He was released from Ramon Prison after being convicted and serving a nine-month prison sentence for incitment to violence and racism in a sermon he delivered in Jerusalem in 2007.

Children greet the sheikh, promise to sacrifice their lives for al-Aqsa

X

"I got on the bus and went to the Hasan Bek in Jaffa. People there welcomed me, and after staying there for an hour, I went to Um al-Fahm," Salah said.

Sheikh Raed Salah

Among those who joyfully greeted the sheikh were crowds of children, who anxiously waited while waving Palestinian flags and calling out: We will sacrifice our lives for al-Aqsa.

Crowds welcome home the sheikh

Salah's niece Muntah expressed her excitement at the sight of her uncle. "We're all waiting for Sheikh al-Aqsa (Salah's nickname). We're proud of him, he's a hero! I'm sad that they've tried to attribute things to him which aren't true, and thank God we all know that this is all being done to persecute and humiliate him. Thank God that the sheikh is strong and will stay strong, and all of the arrests in the world won't deter him, Muntah said."

People wait for Sheikh Salah to arrive in Um al-Fahm

The Former Mayor of Um al-Fahm Sheikh Abdel Rahman said that "every resident of Um al-Fahm is happy that Raed Salah was released. We are holding a festival for him here on Friday, and thousands are expected to attend."

Ahmed, a resident of Um al-Fahm, said "we need to stop this persecution of Sheikh Salah. This is a clean and respected manhe is far from an inciter. Just because he talks about al-Aqsa doesn't mean that he is an agitator, just that he is warning against harming the mosque. We (Muslims) are also prohibited from harming al-Aqsa."

Sweets handed out in Um al-Fahm to celebrate Salah's release

The police said last week that there is evidence pending against Salah, and that he may need to be put on trial for incitement to violence and supporting the activity of an unlawful organization.

A statement from the police says that this recent investigation began in the wake of reports in the media, social media, and other websites that Salah admitted to being part, and leader of, an outlawed political movementafter the movement was banned in Israel for its common practice of incitement to violence.
SPRINGFIELD -- The first bill introduced in the Illinois Senate during the new session of the General Assembly that began Wednesday is reserved for a long-awaited overhaul of the way the state funds public schools.

But a plan hasnt been unveiled yet because a commission that Gov. Bruce Rauner convened this summer is still working out specifics.

With the commissions Feb. 1 deadline roughly two weeks away, a draft report issued last week shows there are several items on which lawmakers of both parties and both legislative chambers have yet to reach a consensus. Among those issues is how to define what constitutes adequate funding for each school district across the state.

Despite the remaining work, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are hopeful that an overhaul of Illinois education funding formula can be part of a grand bargain on the state budget and other issues.

A bipartisan package of bills that includes tax increases, spending cuts, new casino licenses and a host of other issues has been introduced in the Senate, and committee hearings are expected to begin as soon as next week on some portions. The effort has the backing of both Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont.

The most important piece of that package, to me, is school funding reform, state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said Monday.

Manar, whos been working on the issue since arriving in the Senate in 2013, said the commission has brought lawmakers from both parties and both legislative chambers together with Rauner administration officials for a productive conversation.

I dont think weve unearthed an easier way to accomplish school funding reform in Illinois, he said. I think its as difficult today as it ever has been since we started this conversation.

Previous reform efforts have faltered due to the political difficulties of passing legislation that would either shift money from wealthier school districts to poorer ones or result in a large increase in state spending. The issue often breaks down along both partisan and regional lines.

Given those challenges, tying school funding to the larger discussion of a budget compromise could be essential to passing legislation, said state Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, whos been a leader for his caucus on the issue.

If ever there was a time to address it, the time would be now in the context of us coming together in a bipartisan manner on all these other host of issues, Barickman said. This ones so difficult in any normal context that I think its critical to incorporate into this larger effort.

The overall goal of funding reform is to direct more state money to school districts with the greatest need while also accounting for each districts individual characteristics, such as the number of special education students and students from low-income households.

Illinois current system, which relies heavily on local property taxes, is among the worst in the nation at providing equitable funding for wealthy and poor school districts.

Manar and Barickman are both optimistic that Senate can find a bipartisan approach to solving that problem.
The Hezbollah-affiliated television news network Al-Manar reported Tuesday afternoon that members of the terror organization found the Israeli drone that crashed in south Lebanon on Monday night

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According to the reports, the drone was taken to a secure location where it will be examined by Hezbollah members.

Photo: Effi Sharir

The IDF Skylark UAV fell in south Lebanon near the Israeli border. On Monday evening, Lebanese media outlets reported that the countrys army was conducting searches for the lost drone.

According to Lebanese news channel "Al-Mayadeen," the drone was reported to have crashed in the area near a village in the south.

Additionally, another Lebanese news channel "Al-Jadid" reported that the IDF has stepped up contacts with the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) in an attempt to locate the drone.
AMSTERDAM - Ukraine filed a lawsuit at the United Nations' highest court demanding that Russia immediately halt its support for pro-Moscow separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry accused Russia of "acts of terrorism and discrimination in the course of its unlawful aggression" in the filing to the International Court of Justice, according to a ministry statement issued on Monday evening.

Russia has repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine.

The filing itself has no direct consequences, though a finding by the court in Ukraine's favour could be enforceable in some national courts, theoretically triggering legal steps to freeze or seize Russian assets.
Anthony Scaramucci, who is part of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team, says global elites have to get out of their comfort zones and listen to the people if they don't understand how Trump was elected or why Britain voted to leave the European Union.

At a panel at the World Economic Forum, financier Scaramucci said the richest top 3 percent of the world benefited from the massive stimulus measures enacted by global central banks since the financial crisis and are basically back to where they were in 2007. The remaining people, he said, are "struggling."

To those among the global elites who don't understand that post-crisis phenomenon, Scaramucci had a message: "Go to the prairie lands of the United States, or perhaps places in Great Britain or places in Europe. You know the places. Listen to the people. We have to as a collective group of people come up with the right policies."
One of the men arrested in the case of suspected blackmail against a Shas leader in the Jerusalem municipality is actually a close associate of Minister and Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri.

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The man, Yosef Haim Kalif, had his detention extended for four days, while two other suspects in the caseMoshe Bergman and Yohanan Davdawere also kept in custody.

Interior Minister Deri has no involvement in the case, for now.

According to suspicions, a former member of the council was recorded after he began confessing to reckless sexual behavior and violating Shabbat rules.

Yosef Haim, a close associate of Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

The suspects then confronted the council member with the incriminating recordings, forcing him to resign from his position. The council member subsequently claimed that he was blackmailed, and consequently submitted a complaint to the police.

One of the suspect's lawyers, Yair Nahorai, said that there is no evidence to suggest that his client, Mr. Bergman, has any connection to the affair for which he is being investigated.

A police representative said at the hearing to extend Davda's remand that "This is a group of people who, together, conspired to take down a serving council member."

The representative added that "we have evidence which connects him to the toppling of the council member."

The police also are also allegedly aware of other suspects who they have yet to arrest in regards to the issue.
PARIS/BRUSSELS- The French jihadi left prison to serve out his parole, landing a part-time job as required. Then came the deadly Nov. 13, 2015, attacks in Paris. Sofiane Ifren was placed under house arrest, where he has stayed ever since. Stuck at home, he cannot serve out the terms of his parole.

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France's top constitutional court on Monday was given three months to consider one of the most-criticized aspects of the country's state of emergency: its ability to keep people considered a threat under house arrest as long as the state of emergency lasts. Renewed five times since the attacks in Paris that killed 130 people, the state of emergency has come under criticism from rights groups as one of the most extreme examples in a growing European trend toward draconian anti-terrorism laws.

Amnesty International on Tuesday said European counterterrorism measures in the past two years are rapidly -and potentially permanently - eroding basic human rights throughout the continent.

Dead in Paris terror attack (Photo: AP)

During that period, militant attacks have killed some 280 people in France, Belgium and Germany.

The attacks, mostly claimed by ISIS, have fanned tensions over immigration, fuelled the popularity of right-wing parties and made security a key theme in upcoming French, Dutch and German elections.

"Right across the EU regional space we see Muslims and foreigners being equated with terrorists," said Julia Hall, an Amnesty International expert on counterterrorism and author of the report. "This stereotyping so disproportionately affects these communities that there is a high degree of fear and alienation."



She warned that "draconian" surveillance measures and powers of search, detention and arrest like those introduced in France since November 2015, when attacks killed 130 people, could be abused to target activists or minority groups that did not pose a genuine threat.

Amnesty's report said new measures to crack down on glorifying or being an apologist for terrorism were shrinking the space for freedom of expression. In France in 2015, a third of more than 380 people prosecuted for apologizing for terrorism were minors, it said.

Brussels anti-terror police (Photo: EPA)

Amnesty condemned what it dubbed the "Orwellian" use of curfews, travel restrictions and police check-ins to monitor individuals who were not convicted of crimes and often did not know what they were accused of.

Hall criticized what she described as "governments looking at a person and saying: 'You look very suspicious to me. So I'm going to restrict your behavior because I think you might commit a crime.'"

For French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who is now running for the presidency, that's just fine.

"Let's be clear: this terrorist threat will last a generation. Today we have to live with a kind of permanent state of emergency," he told Le Parisien newspaper last week.

Brussels police arrest suspected terrorists (Photo: EPA)

Ifren will have to wait at least three more months to learn whether his house arrest under the state of emergency will be upheld. The rest of France, where it was extended until after an election this spring ushers in a new government, will have to wait somewhat longer.

The Amnesty International report echoed what other rights groups fear: That Europe has traded away its rights in exchange for a false sense of security. The report examined 14 countries and eight categories, including emergency laws, privacy rights, and efforts to strip nationality from people convicted of terrorism.

"We have to dismantle the paradigm that says there is the state of emergency or nothing in the fight against terrorism, that security equals restriction of rights equals state of emergency," said Dominique Curis, Amnesty's director in France.

Britain's recently passed Investigatory Powers Act law - which offers officials a no-warrant-needed access to the intimate details of citizens' online lives - is among the most severe in Europe, but its implementation has been derailed by a recent European Court of Justice ruling.

Even without the act, the U.K. government has a range of surveillance powers -- many of them used to police pedestrian issues, including parents suspected of sneaking their kids into better school districts, scofflaws dumping trash on the street or renegade dog walkers who refuse to pick up their pets' poop.

Reporters and leakers are another popular target. In 2015, Britain's interception watchdog revealed that police had used their surveillance powers to monitor the calls and emails of 82 journalists over a three-year period.

In Germany, where a radicalized Tunisian hijacked a truck and mowed down a Christmas market on Dec. 19, the government recently announced measures to force some people labeled potential threats to wear ankle monitors even if they have not been convicted.

Brussles police arrest alleged terrorist (Photo: BFM)

Truck attacker Anis Amri's asylum request had been denied and he had been flagged as a danger, but paperwork problems delayed his deportation from Germany.

A government's political persuasion matters little when considering rights issues, said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty's director in Europe.

"You give the power to one government, the government changes, and it's very difficult to get it back," he said.

The European Union, whose anti-terrorism directive was singled out in the Amnesty report, said human rights remained paramount and disagreed with its conclusions.

"Fundamental rights are precisely what the terrorists attack. And measures adopted in the field of security should not, do not and must not in the future reduce the standards of protection of fundamental rights, which is one of the pillars on which the EU is built," said EU spokeswoman Tove Ernst.
Police arrested, a 20-year-old resident of Kafr Qasim Monday night on suspicion of phedophilia, sexually assaulting a girl and other sexual offences, following a prolonged manhunt that began in March last year.

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According to the suspicion, Mohammed Taha climbed over a fence of an elementary school in south Tel Aviv that month, grabbed an 11-year-old girl and dragged her to a hidden corner where he sexually abused her.

After the girl told her friend what had been done to her, the school informed the police who then launched an investigation.

Only in the last few days however, were significant developments made in the case which led to the arrest of the suspect who had managed to evade authorities grasp for just short of a year.

Illustration (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Information compiled in the investigation shows that last September, Taha also attacked a woman in the town of Oranit in a similar fashion.

However, the woman was able to resist the assault and managed to escape from the grip of the assailant.

TAhas arrest was largely facilitated by the help of DNA evidence that was collected after Tahas attack on his would-be victim in Oranit.

The samples matched those taken after the school attack indicated that Taha, one again, was responsible for assault.

He was located according to  truck license plates after he fled the scene of the attack near Oranit.

The police suspect that Taha may have carried out indecent assault, intercourse with a minor and assault.

Police investigators also believe that the suspect carried out more similar assaults, and are currently looking into the possibility.

Liat Frieberg, Tahas lawyer, who brought Tahas father to where he was being detained along with the mayor of Kafr Qasim, requested that he be released to house arrest, reasoning that this was a young man of 20 with no criminal background.

The judge at the Tel Aviv Magistrates Court however, did not grant the request, choosing instead to extend his arrest until January 25.

After hearing the claims of the parties and after studying the investigative material, I believe there is reasonable suspicion based on foundational evidence against the suspect with respect to the offences of which he is suspected.
DAVOS- Donald Trump's comments about NATO being "obsolete" reflect how the world has changed, but should not be interpreted as meaning that it needs to be consigned to history, a senior adviser to the U.S. President-elect said on Tuesday.

Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Monday that Trump's comments had aroused concern across the 28-member alliance. Trump, who is due to be sworn in on Friday, criticised NATO for not defending against terrorist attacks.

"NATO is working but there are things about it that need to change and there are parts of it that are, in the words of Trump, 'obsolete'", Anthony Scaramucci, a hedge fund manager who is joining Trump's White House staff as an adviser, told an audience at the World Economic Forum (WEF).

NATO has been seen since the 1950s as the keystone of western European defences, extending its zone of activity in the post-Cold War period to the borders of Russia.
Ukraine has filed a case against Russia at the United Nations' highest court, accusing Moscow of illegally annexing Crimea and illicitly funding separatist rebel groups in eastern Ukraine.

Kiev also is seeking compensation for deadly incidents including the 2014 shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. In the case announced Tuesday by the International Court of Justice, Ukraine accused Moscow of "intervening militarily in Ukraine, financing acts of terrorism, and violating the human rights of millions of Ukraine's citizens."

Kiev further alleged that Moscow's takeover of Crimea "brazenly defied the UN Charter, seizing a part of Ukraine's sovereign territory by military force." No date was immediately announced for hearings in the case, which is likely to take many months to complete.
Any attempt by Israel to annex part or all of the West Bank risks destroying prospects for peace with the Palestinians, the UN envoy trying to promote Middle East peace warned Tuesday.

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Nickolay Mladenov told the UN Security Council that "divisive" calls for annexations in the 60 percent of the West Bank exclusively controlled by Israel, known as Area C, have been made following the council's approval of a resolution last month condemning Israel's settlements.

Mladenov stressed that Israel and the Palestinians "must avoid any unilateral action that would prejudge a negotiated final status solution."

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, said the resolution's adoption "represents a turning point," and Israel "must choose between occupation and peace."

Danon holds picture of four Israelis killed in last week's attack

"The will of the council and international community as a whole to stand by the resolution and implement its provisions will be an indicator of whether the two-state solution can be saved or not and whether peace will be possible or not," he said.

The monthly Security Council meeting on the Middle East was the first since the United States, in a stunning rupture with past practice, abstained and allowed the UN's most powerful body to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem as a "flagrant violation" of international law.

The resolution, supported by the 14 other council members, said settlements in lands the Palestinians want to include in their future state have "no legal validity." It demanded a halt to settlement building for the sake of "salvaging the two-state solution."

Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said the resolution has setback the pursuit of peace, and so have the messages from President Barack Obama's administration and Sunday's meeting in Paris where some 70 countries backed an independent Palestinian state and urged revived peace efforts.

Danon said all these actions have only "encouraged the Palestinians to continue down the dangerous path that they have chosen," claiming "their endgame is not to create a state alongside Israel but rather to replace it completely."

The Israeli envoy reiterated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's offer to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jerusalem, Ramallah or even New York "to enter into a real dialogue."

Danon told the council that last month's resolution encouraged Palestinians to continue to avoid negotiating and provided inspiration for the terrorist who carried out the vehicular attack last week that killed four.

Danon said Israel is hopeful that relations with the United States will change when Donald Trump, who has taken steps that show he plans to side with Israel, becomes president on Friday.

With Trump in the White House, he said, Israel hopes to see the US "return to its policy of rejecting unfair and biased Security Council resolutions and promoting direct and genuine dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians.
MK Basel Ghattas (Joint List) is currently facing two separate police investigations, the first on supposedly smuggling cellular phones to security prisoners and the second for alleged money laundering. As the investigations move forward, so do opposing MKs' attempts to oust Ghattas from the Knesset or deny him monetary rights awarded to sitting MKs.

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Ghattas spoke to the police's Lahav 443 Special Investigations Unit on Monday regarding the money laundering case. He was questioned under warning before being released to his home.

Ghattas (Photo: Ido Erez)

The abovementioned investigation alleges that the Arab faction Balad, which is part of the Joint List party, received donations from Arab nations considered hostile to Israel, going against Israeli law, and proceeded to launder the money. This was allegedly carried out by registering fictitious individuals as the donors.

Ghattas is suspected of forgery, receiving an item under fraudulent pretenses, false registry and money laundering. He responded by describing the investigation as "political persecution intended to hurt the party's image."

Ghattas is also at risk of being ousted from the Knesset over the phone smuggling affair, though the possibility of collecting 90 MK votes for it seem rather slim. So far, 71 votes in support of removing Ghattas have been gathered, 61 of them from the coalition. Benny Begin (Likud) and Yael German (Yesh Atid) refused to sign the petition, with German being the only MK from her party to not sign it.

As Ghattas was recently barred from attending the Knesset plenum, he is currently receiving all of his MK benefitsamong them a NIS 42,000 monthly salary, a car, three assistants and a NIS 70,000 yearly budget to keep in contact with voterswithout being allowed to actively represent his voters in the Knesset.

Due to this situation, MK Eli Cohen (Kulanu) submitted a bill that aims to bypass the Knesset Impeachment Law, which would prevent any MK who faces over 10 years in prison from continuing to receive said benefits until their verdict is announced. This would deny Ghattas MK benefits up until his verdict.

"It is inconceivable that sitting MKs use their immunity against the state and continue to receive a salary and other benefits while they are suspended and have serious allegations of harming state security stacked against them," said Cohen on his bill.
CHARLESTON -- One Eastern Illinois University professor whose focused studies have been on men like Martin Luther King Jr. explained some possible reasons why the civil rights leader still today is spoken about with such reverence and frequency.

Kevin Anderson, political science professor, said King and his legacy as a civil rights leader are still being discussed and, for many, have become a guide on how to move social and moral change in a country.

He said especially today, the civil rights leader and his practices have been used and spoken about with a noticeable frequency, and he thinks that comes largely from Barack Obamas presidency and contemporary issues today.

On Easterns campus, noticeably new faces joined the crowd of people marching Monday in remembrance of the civil rights leader and what he did during his lifetime. On their march to the Union to hear people speak on King and his legacy, students and some community members alike sung This Little Light of Mine.

What King did has in some ways been brought to the forefront during Obamas presidency with a lot of people considering what the civil rights leader accomplished as the reason for the presidents opportunities, Anderson explained.

Contemporary issues have kind of forced us to kind of grapple with very similar issues to what Dr. King was dealing with during his life, Anderson said. We have questions of race and inequality. To a certain extent, we have questions about war and the role of government and what is the moral commitment to overcoming these things.

The professor continued that issues the U.S. is fighting itself today can be correlated with the similar issues King dealt with, although not a direct parallel.

He said King is still revered today not only because of what he did but how he did it.

Anderson explained that the civil rights leader was not the only one to use nonviolent means of protest, but what he did was he was able to use mass media to highlight atrocities in the community while also marrying their cause as not just a political issue but a moral issue.

He wed together a kind of moral crusade with political activism almost as well as anyone, Anderson said. (King) said not only do you have to get rid of these bad laws because they have a terrible effect, but you have to get rid of it because it is the morally right thing to do.

Anderson said people, even today, are still practicing his tactics to bring about social change, which he sees as part of the reason the mans legacy has remained alive.

Anderson cited movements like the Black Lives Matter effort as one of many change groups that have adopted some of Kings words and practices to bring about change in the country today.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's eldest son, Yair, was investigated on Tuesday by the police's Lahav 443 Special Investigations Unit in regard to "Case 1000," an ongoing investigation into allegations that Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu received gifts worth hundreds of thousands of shekels from several wealthy businessmen. Among them is Hollywood businessman Arnon Milchan, who is suspected of granting Netanyahu large-scale favors. It was also previously reported that Yair Netanyahu stayed as a guest at Australian billionaire James Packer's mansion, who also reportedly funded the young Netanyahu's vacations.

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Israel Hayom Head Editor Amos Regev was questioned earlier Tuesday by the Lahav anti-corruption unit for four and a half hours in relation to "Case 2000," another ongoing investigation against Netanyahu, which involves allegations that Netanyahu had a mutually beneficial understanding with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon "Noni" Mozes . Mozes also appeared on Tuesday at Lahav's headquarters for his fifth investigation with the unit. He exited his investigation some eight hours later.

Yair Netanyahu (Photo: Zvika Tishler)

Journalist Amnon Abramovich reported that the police suspects Milchan of providing the prime minister with cigars and his wife Sara with pink champagne for seven to eight years, amounting to hundreds of thousands of shekels' worth of gifts. According to published reports, Mrs. Netanyahu stated in her testimony that she and her husband have also given gifts to Milchan.
Israeli officials bid outgoing US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro adieu on Tuesday at a farewell event for Shapiro organized by the Knesset Caucus for Israel-US Relations, headed by MKs Dr. Nachman Shai (Kulanu) and Dr. Avraham Neguise (Likud).

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Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources Yuval Steinitz (Likud) praised Shapiro at the gathering, saying that he has been the best US ambassador to Israel the country has ever had. The farewell event took place three days before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump and the expected confirmation in the coming weeks of David Friedman as the new ambassador to Israel.





MKs Neguise (L) and Shai (R) toast Shapiro. (Photo: Hillel Maeir/TPS)

The fact that  our bilateral relations and cooperation grew in strength despite some severe arguments is largely thanks to you. Best I can tell, you have been the best ambassador that Israel ever had, and both the Israeli and the American people owe you a great debt of gratitude, said Steinitz.

LR: Shapiro, Edelstein, Shai (Photo: Hillel Maeir/TPS)

Shapiro took office as ambassador in August 2011, two years after being appointed senior director for the Middle East and North Africa of the US National Security Council, during which time he developed a close relationship with former US Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace David Mitchell.

During his tenure as ambassador to Israel, Shapiro had to weather the storms of frequent tensions between US President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, especially with regards to the explosive issue of the Iran nuclear deal.

Shapiro (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Netanyahu leveled sharp criticism at Shapiro when the latter argued that Israel maintains  two standards of adherence to the rule of the law in the West Bank : One for the Israelis and one for the Palestinians. Netanyahu said the accusation was incorrect and unacceptable, especially in light of the murder of Dafna Meir , who had been murdered in her home in Otniel earlier that day. Shapiro later recanted his statement.

Opposition head and Zionit Union Leader Isaac Herzog praised Shapiro for his service and for his readiness to dig deep into Israels story and its complications. These, Herzog argued, allowed the ambassador to capture and transmit accurate messages on behalf of Israel.

Shapiro seconded Steinitzs contention, saying that contrary to popular opinion and despite some important issue-based disagreements, Israel and the United States actually grew closer during his tenure in Tel Aviv. He cited cooperation in the fields of securityparticularly the unprecedented military aid package the US signed with Israel military defense systems such as missile defense and Iron Dome, technology and economics.

He also said the Obama administration has shown unprecedented support for Israel in the international arena, especially at the United Nations during Operation Protective Edge and regarding Israels right to to self-defense.

Our mutual values continued to grow in strength, and the US considers Israel an incomparable ally in the Middle East, stated Shapiro.

President Obama sent me here with a vision of strong rapprochement between our countries, with a message that you are not alone. I have endeavored to remain faithful to this vision every day, he concluded.

Shapiro also vowed the embassy staff would continue to build cooperation on shared values, and security and economic interests.

It doesnt take any great wisdom to be an ambassador when there are no challenges or for two countries that do not expect anything of one another, conveyed Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein (Likud). You have fulfilled your duty with fairness, as a faithful representative of the United States but also as a true friend of the State of Israel, he said to Shapiro.

Shapiro (L) and Rivlin (Photo: Mark Neiman, GPO)

Following the event, Shapiro met with President Reuven Rivlin, who asked the outgoing ambassador to convey Rivlins appreciation to President Obama. Although, from time to time we have had some differences of opinion, friends take care one of each other. They sometimes criticize one another, but we have done that as friends, and the people of Israel appreciate this very much, Rivlin said.
Footage of IDF soldiers carrying a Palestinian man by his arms and legsnot with a stretcherseconds after he was shot and lying motionless on the ground Monday has been widely shared on the internet. The man later died from his wounds.

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The footage being shared online

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Qusai Al-Amour was shot Monday by Border Police after throwing rocks at security forces during riots of Palestinian youths. The 18 year old joined the rioting at the entrance to the Palestinian village of Tekoa, nearby Bethlehem. The IDF has explained that rocks were continually being thrown at the force that evacuated the shot man, endangering them, which is why they chose to remove Al-Amour quickly and not use a stretcher.

IDF soldiers carrying Al-Amour

In the footage, IDF soldiers are seen running to Al-Amour and then carrying him by his limbs and running back to the military vehicles, some 100 meters away. Al-Amour's body is clearly seen dangling between the soldiers near to the ground and hitting it several times. His head is dangling limply, unsupported, and moving freely with the soldiers' movement. He appears to be unconscious.

The first soldier reaches Al-Amour

Even though Al-Amour was critically wounded at this point, the soldiers did not use a stretcher until they reached their vehicle, where they dragged him onto one after laying him on the ground.

Clashes during Al-Amour's funeral (Photo: EPA)

IDF medical personnel treated him, but he died from his wounds shortly thereafter. His corpse was transferred to the Red Crescent, who returned him to his family. His funeral took place on Tuesday afternoon in his village, and clashes broke out during it between IDF forces and Palestinians. The widely viewed footage caused public anger due to the way the injured man was transported.

The IDF commented, "During a violent public disturbance in which over 200 Palestinians took part in Tekoa, which included stone- and Molotov-cocktail-throwing at security forces, a Border Police soldier responded by firing at one of the instigators. After locating the injured, an IDF force went to the wounded man intending to provide him immediate medical attention. During the evacuation, stones were thrown at the force in a manner that endangered them, so the injured man was evacuated swiftly to a safe place where medical treatment began, at the end of which he was pronounced dead. The incident is being investigated."
Brazilian police used rubber bullets and tear gas on Tuesday to break up a renewed clash between drug gangs in a prison where 26 inmates were butchered by rivals in recent days.

Major Eduardo Franco, spokesman for police in the state of Rio Grande do Norte where the AlcaAuz prison is located, said authorities managed to keep the rival gangs apart and so far prevent another massacre.

Brazil has been hit by a wave of deadly gang clashes in prisons in the north and northeast regions of the country since Jan. 1. At least 140 inmates have been killed in the intense violence.
A family member says the widow of the Orlando nightclub shooter is a victim herself and innocent of charges of helping her husband in the months leading up to the June massacre.

Al Salman, uncle of 30-year-old Noor Salman, said Tuesday that his niece knew nothing of her husband's plan to attack the Pulse nightclub, killing 49 people. He said his niece was a "simple and innocent" woman who was physically and mentally abused by husband Omar Mateen. Noor Salman's attorney said at a brief court hearing that he'll seek her release from jail pending trial. Salman said little and looked sadly back at her uncle as she was led back to jail.

A judge scheduled another hearing Wednesday to formally appoint a lawyer to represent Salman, discuss transporting her to Florida to face federal charges and her possible release pending trial.
A Nigerian air force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp on Tuesday, killing more than 100 refugees and aid workers, a Borno state official said.

The state government official, who was helping to coordinate the evacuation of wounded from the remote area by helicopters, spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed the accidental bombardment in northeast Rann, near the border with Cameroon, saying "some" civilians were killed. It was believed to be the first time Nigeria's military has admitted to making such a mistake.
Arab Israeli students abruptly interrupted a Hebrew University conference that focused on the current situation in Syria. The students accused the Syrian exile participants, who had come to tell their personal stories, of being "traitors" to their country, in addition to attacking the Israeli government's policy.

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The Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at Hebrew University in Jerusalem hosted the conference, which invited Syrians to speak to Israelis about life in Syria, in an effort to convey the present-day Syrian reality to the Israeli public. The conference included two Syrians exiles: Kurdish-Syrian journalist Sirwan Kajjo, who currently lives in the US; and Isam Zitun, who currently lives in Germany.

Students protest the peace conference (:     )

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An Arab student disrupts Syrian speakers at peace conference (Photo: EPA)

As the conference progressed, several Arab students began yelling at the Syrian speakers and reprimanding them for entering a dialogue with Israel. "The Golan has been occupied since 1967; you're a traitor and a conspirator!" yelled one of the student protestors. Zitun answered the students by saying, "Shame on you; you live in paradise compared to Syrians."

Photo: EPA

The verbal altercation began during a Skype call between the conference's participants and Al-Rukn Abu Sakher, who introduced himself as an officer in the rebel forces. The conversation was cut short and the confrontation with the students went on for several minutes until they finally left the auditorium. MK Ksenia Svetlova (Zionist Union) responded to the students by saying, "This is inappropriate; this is an academic conference. Israelis will continue to speak with Syrians."

The conference before the disruption

Zitun described the situation in South Syria and the Syrian-controlled Golan region, as well what can be done to help the people there. "The Golan is under siege by the Hezbollah and (Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's) regime. If Israel could help the people under this siege, that would be great."

Participants responding to the verbal altercation (Photo: Lee mram-ilat)

Zitun and Kajjo stated that this was not their first visit to Israel. Speaking to Ynet, the two said that they work to make Syrians' voices heard worldwide. "Israel is a neighbor of Syria's, and many of us think that it should be more involved, at least in terms of providing humanitarian aid to Syrians in need in south Syria," said Kajjo, before adding, "Israel should have a better relationship with Syria in the future." Zitun added that Israel should help the Syrian people out in both the humanitarian and political spheres, since the situation in Syria has spun into a regional crisis.

Zitun (Photo: EPA)

When asked why the opposition in Syria is not more unified against Assad's regime, Kajji said, "It makes sense for the opposition to be divided, since they come from different backgrounds." Zitun said that "It stands to reason that the opposition be divided after everything that Assad has done over the years. There also isn't much of a political culture in Syria. The international community needs to take responsibility."

Kajji (Photo: EPA)

Both Zitun and Kajji said that they do not see much good in the peace talks to be held in Kazakhstan next week, as not all the warring factions are due to take part in them.

Zitun (L) and Kajji (Photo: Roi Kais)

Lee Amran-Eilat participated in preparing this article.
A diplomatic crisis that has gone on for a year and a half came to an end on Tuesday, as the Brazilian government approved the nomination of Yossi Shelly to the position of Israeli ambassador to Israel. Shelly is considered to be close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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Brazil is the largest country in South America, has the seventh largest economy in the world and is home to a vibrant Jewish community. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement following Shelly's nomination, saying that it marks a new chapter in the two countries' relationship, and that the nomination is sure to strengthen their ties in the fields of trade and commerce.

Yossi Shelly

Israel has not had an ambassador to Brazil since the summer of 2015, when Brazil refused to approve Dani Dayan's nomination to the position due to his being a leader of the settlement movement . Israel's refusal to offer another nominee created an unprecedented situation where there was no Israeli ambassador to Brazil during the Olympic Games in Rio.

Following the impeachment of Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, Netanyahu recongnized an opportunity to end the diplomatic crisis and turn over a new leaf. After already setting Dayan up in New York as Consul General of Israel in March 2016, Netanyahu submitted Shelly as Israel's choice for ambassador. Shelly has no previous experience in diplomacy or Israeli public relations. He has, however, been indicted by the Jerusalem District Prosecutor for allegedly submitting false depositions to the public service appointment committee, in addition to lying under oath. Shelly signed a plea bargain on the case, which prohibitted him from serving in any public office for three years.

Leaders of the local Jewish community in Brazil expressed their disappointment that after a severe crisis between the two countries, Israel has decided to send a political wheeler-dealer instead of an experienced diplomat who would have helped rehabilitate the countries' ties.
Donald Trump's choice to head the Interior Department on Tuesday rejected the president-elect's claim that climate change is a hoax, saying it is indisputable that environmental changes are affecting the world's temperature and human activity is a major reason.

"I don't believe it's a hoax," Rep. Ryan Zinke told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee at his confirmation hearing. "The climate is changing. The debate is what is that influence and what can we do," said the Montana Republican.

Trump has suggested in recent weeks he's keeping an open mind on the issue and may reconsider a campaign pledge to back away from a 2015 Paris agreement that calls for global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Untitled Document

A lone figure carries in box upon box of donations. Winter snow blows across his face, but he doesnt stop while the mission remains unfinished.

The bitter cold is here and Tech. Sgt. Michael Woodall, Readiness Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) for the Airman and Family Readiness Center (A&FRC) here, is working diligently to fill the Airmans Attic. The holiday season brought in many donations and has filled the Airmans Attic from corner to corner with clothing, appliances, tools, toys and several other items.

The Airmans Attic, a donation collection and distribution hub for YARS service members in need, is located in Building 112. The Attic is open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Unit Training Assembly (UTA) weekends. Woodall oversees the Airmans Attic.

The Airmans Attic has seen tremendous growth since Sgt. Woodall took charge of it, said Master Sgt. Tom Beasley, first sergeant of the 910th Force Support Squadron. He has done a great job of connecting donations with the families that need them.

Woodall said that the Airmans Attic has been able to help families all over the base with a variety of issues. The Airmans Attic was able to supply a family with beds after a house fire, said Woodall.

It was also able to help out first time parents who were short on items that they needed for their newborn child.

The satisfaction that I get from hearing someone say that they need help and that I know that I was able to make someones life a little bit better is immeasurable, said Woodall. Thats what its all about. Just being able to help Airmen in need out and not having to turn anyone away.

Enlisted Airmen from E-1 to E-5 are encouraged to utilize the Airmans Attic, but it is available to any and all Airmen who are in need.

We have found a good way to get items to Airmen in need through the Airmans Attic, said Maj. Scott Julian, 910th Force Support Squadron Commander. Were excited to see how much this can grow and how many lives we can make a positive impact on.

Woodall said donations can be taken directly to the Airmens Attic. Questions regarding the Airmans Attic can be directed to Woodall via text message to (330)347-5287.
MATTOON (JG-TC) -- Police officers made four separate arrests recently on domestic battery charges.

A Mattoon Police Department press release reported that Ryan D. Spearman, 27, of Mattoon was arrested at 9:38 p.m. Friday at the police station on a charge of aggravated domestic battery. The charges allege that he choked and battered a female. Spearman was taken to the Coles County jail.

Separately, Maria B. Jones, 28, of Mattoon was arrested at 10:55 p.m. Friday at the police station on a charge of domestic battery. The charge alleges that she battered a male. Jones was taken to the jail.

In another case, Chad D. Morgan, 20, of Mattoon was arrested at 3:14 p.m. Sunday in the 1500 block of Moultrie Avenue on a charge of domestic battery. The charge alleges that he battered a female. Morgan was taken to jail.

Separately, Michael A. Castaneda, 18, of Mattoon was arrested at 3:05 p.m. Monday in the 2400 block of Prairie Avenue on charges of domestic battery and unlawful restraint. The charges allege that he battered a woman and prevented her from calling for help or fleeing the residence. Castaneda was taken to the jail.

In other matters, Quintaria S. Gray, 25, of Mattoon was arrested at 8:45 p.m. Sunday at the police station on a charge of reckless conduct.

The charge alleges that Gray was a passenger in a vehicle and attempted to strike the driver, causing the driver to crash the car into a light pole. Gray was issued a notice to appear in court.
315th delivers aid bound for refugees in northern Iraq

Six pallets, more than 50,000 pounds, over a quarter of a million Kurdish refugees fed.



Reservists from the 315th Airlift Wing delivered humanitarian aid bound for refugee camps in northern Iraq this weekend while also conducting a multifaceted training mission.



From a big picture stand point, even though the Reserve crews are training to stay proficient, we were able to help Kurdish refugees who were fleeing ISIS, said Master Sgt. Chris Fabel, a flying crew chief from the 315th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Joint Base Charleston who was on the complex mission.



Sometimes these missions can be hard and keeping current can be a pain, but we have to keep in mind that while we were doing that, we are helping a lot of people in need, said Fabel. We all feel a sense of accomplishment on these missions.



The humanitarian aid was flown using the Denton Amendment, a State Department and USAID Program that allows humanitarian supplies to be flown aboard U.S. Air Force aircraft on a space available basis.



According to the Denton cargo application, Global Samaritan Resources, a nonprofit corporation located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, donated 35 pallets, containing more than 275,000 dehydrated rice soy casserole meals intended for the refugees.



Our mission is simple, yet significant; we help people help people, said Danny Sims, executive director of Global Samaritan Resources. It makes me proud as a U.S. citizen to know we are sending food, and proud to know that the U.S. Air Force is delivering it.



The donated meals, worth approximately $85,000, will feed an estimated 285,000 Kurdish men, women, and children who have fled ISIS controlled areas and are currently living in refugee camps in northern Iraq.



The mission was difficult, yet rewarding, according to Tech. Sgt. Brian Farmintino, one of the loadmasters from the 300th Airlift Squadron who was on the mission.



Personally, I love flying these types of missions, said Farmintino. They really show the flexibility of our wing. We combined a training mission with evaluations and an instructional ride with a real-world humanitarian mission and added an aeromedical evacuation trainer on top of that.



The dehydrated food was delivered to Germany by the 315 AW and will be flown later to Erbil, Iraq and trucked to Barzani for distribution throughout the refugee camps in that area.



When asked about the importance of helping those in need, Sims said it was the most important and most gratifying part of his life.



I believe pretty much everyone wants to help someone else, its written in our DNA, he said. I get to partner with other people to do that; some Muslim, some are Christians, some of other faiths and some have no faith. But regardless, we all understand the beauty of helping people. That is something that transcends our differences and brings us together. It is a beautiful thing!


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- Romania's Attorney General Gabriela Scutea on Tuesday welcomed visiting head of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) Laura Codruta Kovesi to discuss professional training courses and study visits at the EPPO and completing the list of Romania's European delegated prosecutors. Fii

- Filmul horror psihologic "Smile" a urcat duminica pe prima pozitie a box-office-ului din Statele Unite si Canada, clasandu-se inaintea thriller-ului distopic "Don't Worry Darling", dovada a succesului de care se bucura povestile tulburatoare din cinematografia nord-americana, relateaza AFP. Fii

- The 4th edition of Bucharest Days at the Dinu Lipatti House of Arts will take place, Friday and Saturday, between 19:00 and 21:00 hrs, the event being dedicated to exceptional personalities of the Capital's culture, informs a press release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday. Fii la curent cu cele

- The National Authority for Consumer Protection has launched this week a new invitation to Blue Air representatives to discuss compliance with the measures ordered, ANPC president Horia Constantinescu announced on Tuesday night, stressing that the airline's representatives had said at one of the previous

- The scientific research projects were affected by the war in Ukraine, but the scientists have achieved the goals set within them, for which the Tulcea researchers are grateful, the specialist of the National Institute for Research and Development of the Danube Delta (INCDDD), Silviu Covaliov, manager

- The National Company for Natural Gas Transmission Transgaz has recorded a consolidated net profit higher by 33% after the first half of this year, to 177.278 million RON, and a turnover higher by 47.48%, to 1.178 billion RON, according to the report sent by the Bucharest Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

- A series of legislative novelties in the field of VAT will enter into force from January 1, 2023 as a result of the amendment of the Fiscal Code by Government Ordinance 16/2022, the biggest impact to be in the food, tourism and real estate sectors, is the conclusion of an analysis published on Tuesday
VILLANOVA, Pa.  This month marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of Villanova University and to commemorate this historic milestone, the University will host a celebration with events that span the 2017 calendar year.

In January 1842, a group of Irish Augustinian priests received the title to just under 200 acres of land from the Belle-Air estate of the late John Rudolph, and Villanova College was established. Villanova College officially opened its doors in 1843 with just seven students in attendance. Now, 175 years after its founding, Villanova celebrates its history and evolution as a university. Villanovas Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition remains the cornerstone of its academic community and today, there are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students hailing from locations across the country and around the world in the Universitys six collegesthe College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.

Much has changed at the University since those early days, but what remains constant are the Augustinian values that continue to shape who we are as a community and propel us into the future, said the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, Villanova University President. This celebration is an opportunity for our University community to come together to reflect on the blessing of our past, recognize the many opportunities of our present and work toward an even greater future for Villanova.

The 175th anniversary (demisemiseptcentennial) celebration begins with a week of events Jan. 17-22. The festivities will kick off with a Villanova birthday party Tuesday, Jan. 17, and continue with Donation Nation Jan. 18-19, an event which aims to collect and donate 1.75 tons of food Philabundance. The week of events also includes fireworks, an 1842-themed dinner, Anniversary Mass, and a student gala and winter festival.

Villanovas 175th Anniversary Event Highlights include:

January 17: Happy Birthday, Villanova! A celebration of Villanova's birthday with Father Donohue.

A celebration of Villanova's birthday with Father Donohue. January 18: Interfaith Prayer Service and Candlelight Vigil . Starts at 5:15 p.m. at the St. Thomas of Villanova Church.

. Starts at 5:15 p.m. at the St. Thomas of Villanova Church. January 18 and 19 : Donation Nation . Event aims to collect and donate 1.75 tons of good to Philabundance.

: . Event aims to collect and donate 1.75 tons of good to Philabundance. January 19: Fireworks. 5:45 p.m. at the Riley Ellipse in the center of the Villanova campus between Kennedy Hall and Connelly Center. Kick-off event for the 175th Anniversary Celebration. Fr. Donohue will provide a welcome and brief comments about the Universitys 175 th Anniversary.

5:45 p.m. at the Riley Ellipse in the center of the Villanova campus between Kennedy Hall and Connelly Center. Kick-off event for the 175th Anniversary Celebration. Fr. Donohue will provide a welcome and brief comments about the Universitys 175 Anniversary. January 19: 1842 Dinner & Discussion . Starts at 6 p.m. in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center. Sample menu items from the 1800s, listen to historians share stories from the past and enjoy the company of other Villanovans as we learn about the Augustinians, the U.S. and Philadelphia, in particular, around the time that Villanova was founded. Dinner is free, but registration is required at villanovatix.com .

. Starts at 6 p.m. in the Villanova Room of Connelly Center. Sample menu items from the 1800s, listen to historians share stories from the past and enjoy the company of other Villanovans as we learn about the Augustinians, the U.S. and Philadelphia, in particular, around the time that Villanova was founded. Dinner is free, but registration is required at villanovatix.com January 20: Demisemiseptcentennial Winter Festival . Starts at 4pm at the Riley Ellipse in the center of the Villanova campus between Kennedy Hall and Connelly Center. Villanova will be transformed into a winter wonderland with food and activities including ice skating and carriage rides through campus.

. Starts at 4pm at the Riley Ellipse in the center of the Villanova campus between Kennedy Hall and Connelly Center. Villanova will be transformed into a winter wonderland with food and activities including ice skating and carriage rides through campus. January 22: 175 th Anniversary Mass . Celebrated by Villanova President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, at 7 p.m. in the St. Thomas of Villanova Church.

. Celebrated by Villanova President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, at 7 p.m. in the St. Thomas of Villanova Church. January  March: Villanova Display in Presidents Lounge. On display through March in the Presidents Lounge in Connelly Center are some of the treasures documenting the University's history, featuring artifacts such as the first lock and key to the "Belle-Air" Mansion, historic photographs, and manuscripts.

For more on Villanovas demisemiseptcentennial, including a complete list of the events, visit 175.villanova.edu. The site also features 175 faces of Villanovans and a Now and Then section that compares the Villanova of the past with today.

About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova Universitys Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six collegesthe College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nations top universities, Villanova supports its students intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.
There is something special about Eric Cartman and George Costanza that make them all the more lovable and likable. It has got nothing to do with their looks and there is definitely no glorification of homoerotic love, but, what matters the most is their propensity to tell a lie  and sometimes, a bundle of humorous and horrible lies. <br><br> I dont know about others but I dont mind lying once in a while, for the art of concealing and pretending is something which I am completely at ease. And this was the very reason I did not participate in Sacch Ka Saamna, fearing a polygraph test, which would nail my every single lie to a live audience and then telecast it to the prime time idiot box lovers. Probably, thats one of the reasons why I am always happy, because like many others, I too believe in half-baked truths, hearsay and lies. <br><br> There are different types of liars, some are compulsive liars, some are protective liars, but I tend to believe I am an unyielding one, who never gives up  a platonic liar - who just happens to be verbose and every once in a while does not mind entertaining people with a verbal diarrhoea of his rambling thoughts. However, my garrulity is not the by-product of any substance abuse or psychosomatic disorders. At times, I just drop words from my mouth and as chivalrous as I am, I continue to carry the burden of truth because I do not want to hurt people intentionally or unintentionally. If not self-deceived, deceiving others can be really fun! <br><br> All this while you might be thinking how mean and spiteful the writer is, isnt it? Well, I cant help myself but thank you for being such a patient reader (Is that a lie? You decide buddy!). <br><br> Why do we lie? Is truth that big a burden or staying honest such a difficult thing? <br><br> I dont think most of us lie for the sake of creativity. One needs to interpret things and look beyond the context. Certainly, lying is not a virtue and definitely not a great thing to do but we all still lie. Just like a spider weaves its web, we constantly like to weave a web of delusions. <br><br> At times, it is very difficult to differentiate between truths and lies -- What about a lie that can save ones life? Isnt a lie that brings a smile on face thousand times better than the unsavoury, bitter pill of harsh truth? Is truth alone that we need to seek? It seems there is thin difference between truth and lies. <br><br> Life cannot be just black and white; there are some gray areas too. And herein lies the importance of lies, as a bit of fiction is necessary in our lives. After all, this is what that gives us the eternal hope to carry on with life. Well, ignorance can truly be blissful. Dont you think so? <br><br> <b><i>The writer of this blog firmly believes that he is not fat, just big boned! </i></b><br><br>
The last couple of weeks were the toughest of times for Indians. The terrorists, who wrought havoc in Mumbai, threatened to destroy the very idea of India. <br><br> The attack on Indias financial capital has really shaken the nation from its torpor. The incident has made common people take to the streets, cutting across lines of caste, creed, community and religion. <br><br> The consequence of the attacks has not even spared the sporting field. To be precise, it has turned India into a vulnerable cricketing hub where any foreign team will now give a second thought before planning a tour. <br><br> The terrorists launched their bloody battle in Mumbai when India had thrashed England five consecutive times in the seven-match ODI series, making a mockery of the English snobbery. Already shaken on the field, the Mumbai mayhem traumatized the British team and compelled them to leave the country midway through the series. <br><br> Some cricket pundits, administrators and former cricketers envious of Indias emergence as a new cricketing super power, started writing obituaries for India as a host nation for important cricketing events in the future. This sent shivers down the spines of cricket lovers and administrators in India. <br><br> Some feared that India is going the Pakistan way, which was robbed of several international cricket tournaments including the prestigious Champions Trophy in recent times due to security concerns. Nobody wants to be the guest of a person whose house is on fire. None should be blamed for being frightened. <br><br> But India is different in every aspect. The indomitable spirit of Indians is its greatest strength. In the past 60 years India has taken such beatings only to emerge as a much stronger nation. The largest democracy of the world may seem fragile on the face value, but has withstood several challenges in the past with resounding courage. <br><br> A nation, which braved four (1962, 1965, 1971 and Kargil) devastating wars, is on the threshold of becoming a super power. The nation is desperate to shed its third world tag. In every sector India as a nation has shown superb growth and improvement. <br><br> Its no difference in sports. Though in other sports India has only started doing well by securing its first individual gold in Beijing Olympics, cricket is the game the entire nation takes to with passion. Its all but natural that both as a cricket playing nation and international cricketing hub, India has emerged as a super power. <br><br> Our cricket team has emerged from a potential challenger, to becoming true champions by thrashing Australia 2-0 recently. Every cricket playing nation wants India to tour their country because it is the most followed team with plenty of charismatic players in its ranks. <br><br> Team India have the capacity to draw people out of their homes to the grounds. When India tour any country, people gather in huge numbers to catch a glimpse of the men in blue that ultimately proves to be a huge revenue generating factor for any country. So its all but natural that it will not be possible for any country to sever cricketing ties with India due to security reasons. <br><br> With a huge fan following and a powerful media, Indias emergence as the new cricketing hub cant be ignored. Its India which has heralded a new beginning in cricket by introducing Indian Premier League (IPL), a city-based rivalry everybody loves to take part in. <br><br> The snobbish England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with ever-conservative MCC at its helm, seems to be losing its ground as more and more English players want to be part of this money making extravaganza in India. Some foreign players may not like this third world country, but they simply cant ignore the land which fattens their purses. So much so that the IPL and even Indian Cricket League (ICL) saw players including Adam Gilchrist, Stephen Fleming and Shaun Pollock taking early retirements to get a taste of this moolah. <br><br> Moreover, best of the players from England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa who generally get lukewarm response from their own people, get a sense of fulfilment when cheered by millions in India as they play for Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Superstars. Money cant buy adulation. <br><br> Indian people, despite having faced poverty, unemployment and terrorism, have always found solace in cricket in their hour of crisis. Even the greatest cynic of the game accepts its overwhelming influence on Indians. The game binds the whole nation on a common platform. It makes them forget their mundane sufferings. <br><br> A country in which cricket is considered as religion and its heroes as demigods, a handful of terrorists dont have the power to destroy the game or its spirit.
Bhopal gas tragedy is back in the news again nearly 26 years after this ghastly incident took place. Over 20,000 people were killed within days and people continue to suffer till today. Everybody is appalled at the verdict because it seems that the incident has been treated like a road accident. <br><br> Every media channel, whether online or offline, is abuzz with discussions about the tragedy. Media is leaving no stone unturned to blame the government for its inaction. But, a closer look and the media would realize that it is a failure on its part as well. How? The kind of media attention that this incident is getting now could have been given earlier also. Media is very powerful. Had it kept the issue alive, then the government could have been pressurized to act earlier and faster. This has happened in the past in cases of Jessica Lal, Nitish Kataria, 26/11, tiger conservation, Rouvanjit Rawla etc. It is widely known that had the media not followed these incidents, these too would have died their natural death. <br><br> There is no written rulebook for media coverage for such incidents but, it is the medias moral responsibility to act on such issues. Unfortunately, media too is driven by TRPs. That is why some channels prefer to give more coverage to Amitabh Bachchans religious pilgrimages, Shilpa Shettys wedding shopping, the Ambanis handshake etc. <br><br> It is not that the media has not given coverage to the incident but, the focus is event driven. The focus has shifted back to the Bhopal gas tragedy because of the recent verdict. A few weeks down the line, this issue would again fade away. After all, the law of diminishing returns applies to them as well. <br><br> Back in the eighties, media was not so powerful but, now that it is, it can act as a catalyst in bringing a change in our society. After all, well done is better than well said. What has happened in the past cannot be changed, but going forward the media can learn from the same and make sure that this issue does not die down till it reaches its rightful conclusion. It is not the light that we need but, the fire.
<b>Sarjana Sharma</b> <br><br> Born to Devaki in Mathura, Krishna is considered the manifestation of Vishnu. His father Vasudev sent him to his friends Nand and Yashoda, as his life was under threat from his uncle Kansa. In his growing up years in Uttar Pradeshs Braj Krishna performed his mischievous acts and later chose Gujarats Dwarka region to set up his clans empire. Krishna breathed his last at Gujarats Prabhas Patan. Golok Dham was the place from where Krishna embarked onto his journey to the Nijdham and Bhalka Tirath is where an arrow pierced through Krishnas foot resulting in his death. <br><br> Nand ke Lal, Bal Gopal, Makhan Chor, Krishna Kishor, Natwar Nagar, Chit Chor, Partha Sarthi are several of the thousands of names by which Krishna is known and worshipped. In Indian culture he is the only god who is considered to be a friend and a lover by his followers. He is also referred to as Pyaar Chor and Rasiya by his devotees. <br><br> Krishna was also known for his playacts (leelas) whether it is grazing cows, romancing the milkmaids (gopis), driving the chariot of Arjuna. At the same time profundity is found when he delivers the Gita as a sermon to Arjuna in the midst of the battlefield of Kurukshetra. <br><br> Krishna was a friend of Pandavas and helped them to win against deceitful Kauravs. It prompted Kauravs mother Gandhari to curse his lineage (Yaduvansh) to perish due to internecine fighting, much in a similar manner leading to their end. <br><br> After the battle of Mahabharata, Krishna resided in Dwarka, which was their capital, for three decades until Gandharis curse materialised. Cursed also by some sages for playing a mischievous prank on them, the inebriated Yadavs engaged in such bloodshed ending their bloodline. <br><br> Seeing the painful end of his clan, empire and its descendants, a poignant Krishna departed from Dwarka for Prabhas Patans jungles. There he sat under a Ficus religiosa (peepal) tree in Yoga posture with his right leg over his left. <br><br> Mistaking Krishna to be a deer an archer, Zara, aimed an arrow at him and fatally injured him. Later realising his mistake he apologised to Krishna. Krishna then made him understand that it is not a mistake on his part, but he was paying off for his deeds of his last birth. <br><br> The place where Krishna was hurt by the arrow is now known as Bhalka Tirth. In Gujarati language the word Bhall means an arrow and that is how this place is named Bhalka Tirth. This place is at 3-4 kilometres far from the Lord Shivas Somnath jyotirlinga. Bhalka Tirth also has a statue of Lord Krishna where he appears as Lord Vishnu holding conk, chakra, mace and padma in his four hands. <br><br> Lord Krishna appeared as Lord Vishnu to the archer Zara. The Ficus religiosa (peepal tree) under which Krishna was sitting and a Shivlinga are also present there. With Lord Vishnu and Lord Shivas holy sites being present in close vicinity the place is also known as Hari Har kshetra (region). <br><br> According to the priest of the Bhalka Tirth, after Krishna was hit by the arrow he went to the confluence of rivers Hiranya, Kapila and Saraswati which is called the Prabhas Patans Triveni Sangam. With the course of time and geographic changes the Triveni confluence has slipped away from the place where Krishna started his journey to the Nijdham(personal abode). The footprints of Krishna are present even today at the place from where he left for the Baikunth Dham. <br><br> According to Bhagvad Gita and Vishnu Puran, Lord Krishna started his journey to Nijdham on the day of Chetra Shukal Pratipada. According to English calendar Krishna left his body for Vishnudham on February 18 of 3102 BC. <br><br> Many devotees visit this holy place to get a glimpse of Krishnas footprints and take a holy dip in the nearby Hiranya River. In the close proximity to the Bhalka Tirth is situated another temple, Heeta mandir, which has a Krishnas idol with his cow besides the teachings of Gita on its pillars. <br><br> The Triveni confluence is situated at some distance from Golok Dham, where people perform the last rites of their relatives and build mausoleum and chhatars in their memory. It is also considered a holy place for the pitar tarpan (prayer for the elder deceased in the family). <br><br> The maintenance of Golok Dham and the Triveni confluence come under the aegis of the Somnath temple trust as this is the place where Hari meets Har. <br><br> Following in Krishnas footsteps his elder brother Balram also made his journey to Nijdham via same route. Golok Dham also has a cave of Balram which is said to be the same place from where he left for the Patal Lok. <br><br> Krishna and his elder brother Baldau had grown up together and enjoyed their childhood together. Both of them killed many demons together and seemed to be inseparable. Even in his last moments Baldau did not leave the company of his brother. <br><br> At a distance of about two kilometres from Somnath temple is the place from where Krishna embarked onto his journey to Nijdham. Baldau also left for the Patal Lok from the same place. <br><br> Baldau is considered to be an avatar of the Sheshnag, who serves as the bed for the Lord Vishnu. It is believed that Baldau departed from the world in his Sheshnag manifestation. Outside the cave stands his idol with a snakes or head. <br><br> As per the priest of the cave the figure of a snake on the wall of the cave is the route from where Baldau made his journey to the Patal Lok. After visiting the site where Krishnas footprints are located, devotees mostly proceed to pay their respects at Baldaus cave also. <br><br> <b>Adaptation by: Abhishek</b>
First Nebraska Educators Credit Union said it has revised its charter to expand membership opportunities to more Nebraskans and Iowans and has changed its name to First Nebraska Credit Union.

The credit union previously had limited membership to teachers and other select employee groups, but under its new charter, membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Lancaster, Sarpy, Saunders or Washington counties in Nebraska and Pottawattamie County in Iowa.

The new charter allows us to be more inclusive," Ann Loftis, First Nebraska Credit Union chief executive officer, said in a news release. "Expanded membership provides increased benefits for current and new members, creating a win for both groups and individuals.
Wal-Mart plans to add about 10,000 retail jobs in the U.S. as it opens new stores and expands existing locations.

The world's biggest retailer said Tuesday that there will also be about 24,000 construction jobs generated by its expansion plans.

There will be 59 new, expanded and relocated Walmart and Sam's Clubs locations, according to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

However, none of that investment will be in Lincoln and very little in Nebraska.

A Wal-Mart spokesman said there are no plans for new stores in Nebraska and only two are scheduled to be remodeled -- both in Omaha.

The spokesman said the dearth in plans in the state is due to the fact that Wal-Mart has opened 11 new stores here since 2013, including one in Lincoln at 2501 Grainger Parkway, and has added 1,500 employees.

The company plans to spend $6.8 billion in capital investments overall in the U.S. in the coming fiscal year, which begins on Feb. 1. The investments include construction and remodeling of stores, clubs and distribution centers, and the expansion of new services such as online grocery pickup.

Wal-Mart added grocery pickup to three of its four Lincoln stores last fall.

Wal-Mart currently has 11,593 stores in 28 countries. The Bentonville, Arkansas, company has continued to pour money into its e-commerce and improving its stores. The company saw its online sales improve in the third-quarter and profit beat Wall Street's expectations.

Last week, Amazon announced that it would add 100,000 full-time jobs over the next 18 months. Amazon said Thursday its U.S. workforce has grown from 30,000 in 2011, to more than 180,000 by the end of this year. By comparison, Walmart employs about 2.4 million people worldwide, including 1.5 million in the U.S.
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A legislative bill authorizing the issuance of "Choose Life" personalized motor vehicle license plates was swiftly dispatched to the floor of the Legislature Tuesday after a public hearing that attracted a torrent of opposition testimony.

The bill (LB46) sponsored by Sen. Dan Watermeier of Syracuse cleared the committee on an 8-0 vote.

A similar bill was abandoned during the closing days of the 2016 legislative session after it was stalled by a series of opposition amendments and bumped into time limitations.

Watermeier said the plates are designed to "reflect support for the protection of Nebraska's children" with accompanying fees that would be credited to child abuse prevention.

A parade of opponents decried authorization of state-issued license plates that take sides in the ongoing battle between Nebraskans who identify themselves as anti-abortion or pro-abortion rights.

The plates are divisive, said Meg Mikolajczyk, speaking for Planned Parenthood, "silent, but no less hostile."

"Each woman and each circumstance is different," she said, and all women have the clear right to reproductive choice.

Lt. Gov. Mike Foley expressed his support for the measure at the hearing and the bill was endorsed by the Nebraska Catholic Conference.

Bob Blank of Omaha, speaking for Choose Life Nebraska, pointed to the funding tie that would help battle child abuse.

Choose Life plates began in Florida in 2000, he said, and they are preferred by some supporters who don't want to attach bumper stickers to their vehicles.

If the Legislature really wants to protect children, it should protect them from gun violence, one opponent told the committee.

And if Gov. Pete Ricketts and the Legislature are truly pro-life, senators were told, they would not reimpose the death penalty, reject expansion of Medicaid, reduce delivery of health and human services, or fail to address issues like the Native alcohol crisis in Whiteclay and resettlement of refugees.

A number of those who spoke in opposition to the bill said proponents are really more pro-birth than pro-life.

Also moved to the floor following a public hearing was LB45, another Watermeier bill, which would allow non-federalized reservists to be eligible for military honor license plates.

Tuesday's unusually swift action was prompted by a desire to move bills to the floor quickly so the Legislature can begin to tackle its workload as early as possible.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Genocide after genocide exhibition will be held in a number of European cities in 2017, Bedo Demirdjian, liaison of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy, told Armenpress.

The exhibition was opened for the first time in the European Parliament in February, 2016. 32 photos of the Armenian churches and religious monuments were presented at the exhibition, where the Armenian monuments, churches before and after the Armenian Genocide are compared.

The week-long exhibition had a great interest. During that period we had more than 1000 visitors. People became informed about what the Armenian community had had before the Armenian Genocide and what remained after that. This year we will hold this exhibition in various European countries. They will be launched in March, Bedo Demirdjian said.

During this year the Armenian National Committee will move forward the issue of the Armenian Genocide in the context of recognition and reparation. Bedo Demirdjian said last year as well a number of important events were held on this path. In particular, a big conference was held in May during which the reparation ways, legal, economic, and etc, were outlined.

Moreover, a press conference over the legal case submitted by Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia over the return of Sis Catholicosate was held in Brussels. Bedo Demirdjian stated that they will move forward based on these two key events.

He informed that they will most likely organize the 4th congress of the Armenians of Europe in Brussels at the end of 2017. It will last several days, the agenda issues of Armenia, Karabakh and Diaspora will be presented. The previous congress was held in 2013 with 350 participants.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The delegation of the Armenian MPs has departed for Israel where they will hold a number of meetings, Artak Zakaryan - RPA faction MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, writes on Facebook, reports Armenpress.

Today, the extended parliamentary delegation starts its first working day in Israel. Meetings will be held with the leading specialists in the healthcare sector and representatives of an educational institution in Israels Assuta medical center. The delegation will also visit Nesher factory and Kfar Vitkin agricultural kibbutz, Zakaryan writes.

Armenia and Israel have established diplomatic relations in April, 1992.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenias former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan continues holding political consultations with the parties, public structures, famous figures and intellectuals, reports Armenpress.

He issued a statement in Facebook, stating that an alliance of supporters is being formed as a result of such consultations who will present the public a realistic program.

Seyran Ohnayan also said his discussions are at the final stage.

The statement reads:

Dear compatriots, military and ideological fellow friends, I want to inform that I continue holding political consultations with the parties, public structures, famous figures, intellectuals by forming a team of supporters, a united alliance which will present the public a realistic program and road map to lead our country out of this situation. The wave of trust, created due to the unity, established in the conditions of justice, will enable to go ahead and solve complex issues with bold steps, rather than to bypass them.

The public expects changes, and the responsible people must satisfy the publics demand seeking for changes.

My discussions are at the final stage, and today I give the launch of this stage.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The Nagorno Karabakh conflict cannot be settled through use of force, Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during an annual press conference on January 17, reports Armenpress.

He drew the attention on the decisions adopted by the UN Security Council over the conflict, stating that the conflict must be settled without the use of force and with clarification of the final status of Nagorno Karabakh.

This is enshrined in the documents prepared by the OSCE Minsk Group through the Co-Chairs, it is enshrined in numerous statements adopted by the Presidents of the co-chairing countries, Russia, France and US, as well as in the statements and documents adopted by the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The peaceful settlement of the disputes is enshrined there with no ambiguous meaning, the Russian FM said.

He considered alarming the bloody events that took place in April, 2016. Russia played a decisive role in stopping the bloodshed. We have agreed with President Sargsyan and President Aliyev at the meeting in Vienna, then Russian President Putin reached an agreement with them in June in Petersburg that taking into account the mutual accusations it is necessary to install a mechanism for investigating the incidents, to increase the number of OSCE observers in the line of contact. The necessity of investigation of incidents was also emphasized in 2011 during the meeting of the Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in Astrakhan. Unfortunately, such simple thing, the investigation of incidents and increase of number of observers cannot be implemented since there is no consensus yet, Lavrov said.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan on January 17 held a meeting with member of the Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Frans Weekers, press service of the Government told Armenpress.

The PM assessed effectively the cooperation, numerous joint projects with the EBRD and expressed readiness on behalf of the Government to deepen it.

PM Karapetyan attached importance to the continuation of assistance programs provided by the bank to the private sector and stated: During the visits to Armenias provinces we are considering and summarizing numerous projects within the frames of which we want to cooperate with the private sector and as a tool we will be interested if the EBRD will be interested in cooperation with that directions. The government aims to boost the activeness of the business environment with various measures, and this can become a process on changing the business environment since the presented ideas are developed and become projects with concrete business logic.

Taking into account the great working experience of investors with the EBRD, the PM proposed to consider the partnership opportunities on the sidelines of the Governments Center for Strategic Initiatives and the investment fund to be established soon.

Karen Karapetyan attached importance to the joint work with the bank over the development of legislation related to the public-private sector cooperation and establishment of business ombudsmans institute.

In his turn Frans Weekers said Armenia and the EBRD have a long-term successful experience of cooperation within the framework of which a number of joint projects and initiatives were implemented. He welcomed the Governments steps aimed at improving the business environment and boosting private investment in the current economic situation. He said the initiatives of the establishment of the Center for Strategic Initiatives and the investment fund is promising, stating that the EBRD is ready to develop the cooperation at directions outlined by the PM.

The sides also discussed issues related to the ongoing strategy of EBRD-Armenia partnership.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Foreign researchers are interested in the documents kept in Armenias national archive, Director of the archive Amatuni Virabyan told a press conference in Armenpress.

He said they have 10-15 foreign researchers annually.

German, British, French, Russian, Italian researchers are coming from various countries. Firstly the foreign researchers were interested in the documents on the Armenian Genocide, however, in the last two years they are interested in documents telling about Armenias soviet period. They want to see how the Moscow events and developments impacted Armenia, Amatuni Virabyan said.

He stated that Turks are also interested in the archives documents. He informed that one, two Turkish researchers visit the archive within a year. They are also interested in the documents on the Armenian Genocide. Amatuni Virabyan said the Turkish researchers are interested a lot in Kars.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Arif Koroglu, head of the Edirne office of Turkeys Great Unity Party (BBP) , along with several citizens, filed a lawsuit against lawmaker Garo Paylan, milliyet reports.

Koroglu told reporters outside the Justice Palace of Edirne that Paylan has publicly incited people towards hatred and hostility. According to him, by saying the word Genocide in the Turkish Parliament, Paylan has humiliated the Turkish people.

Garo Paylan, Turkish lawmaker of Armenian descent, has used the term Genocide in Turkeys Parliament on January 13 during the constitutional changes debates. Paylans speech received harsh response from the ruling AK party and the opposition Nationalist Movement party. Paylan was demanded to distance from the word genocide. After Paylan refused to do so, he was banned from 3 Parliamentary sessions, and his speech was removed from the Parliaments records.

Paylan appealed to the Constitutional Court of Turkey, labeling the situation as a violation of his MP immunity and violation of freedom of speech. In addition to appealing to the court, Paylan demanded the Parliament to refrain from the decision which is conflicting with the rules of procedure.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Russian experts expect weak but positive growth for Russias economy, and, the most important one, stability in the financial market in 2017, RPA faction MP Khosrov Harutyunyan told Armenpress.

He said this factor will be very useful for Armenias economy in terms of the growth in export volumes and transfers. The MP stated that the demand for finished copper has been significantly increased in China which resulted in increase in prices. This will also have a positive impact on the economic situation of Armenia and Russia. The situation will be positive from this perspective.

Trumps administration tries to make China and Iran a target of his economic sanctions policy. This speaks about the fact that Trump may revise the policy against Iran adopted by Obama in the end of his presidency. Time will show this, but in any case, we are entering a new stage of economic cooperation with Iran, and it is linked with Irans interests towards the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). I think this will have a positive impact, the MP said, adding that in any case the economic situation in 2017 will be related with the reforms outlined in the Governments program.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Georgias President Giorgi Margvelashvili says the deal with Gazprom Export will harm the country, Margvelashvilis spokesperson Eka Mishveladze told reporters on January 17.

Georgia accepted the Gazprom Export deal to shift to monetary payment for Russia -Armenia gas transit, instead of gas. In addition, according to the agreement, in case of necessity Georgia will receive the gas from Russia for 185 USD per 1000 cubic meters, not 215 USD.

With the signing of this deal the countrys energy sector was worsened, Georgias economic and political interests were harmed. In the end we got a worsened situation in different directions, which in the future might be followed by several problems, Mishveladze said.

The President urged the Parliament to take actions.

The President of the country urges the Parliament to fulfill its constitutional obligation: heighten the control function, as well as propose a plan in terms of how to overcome and reduce to minimum the expected risks and threats, the Presidents representative said.
Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln on Tuesday introduced legislation to expand Medicaid coverage in Nebraska, suggesting it as a means of transitioning into a forthcoming Republican health care plan.

"LB441 allows us to bring home $775 million (in federal funds) paid in part by hard-working Nebraska taxpayers to reduce health care costs, improve efficiency in our Medicaid system and make sure the workers who are the backbone of our state's economy are as healthy and productive as they can be," Morfeld said.

President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican majority in both the Senate and the House have promised to replace the Affordable Care Act with a new GOP plan.

Congress has taken action to repeal ACA, or Obamacare, with its provisions essentially remaining in effect until a replacement plan is enacted. Current provisions of Obamacare provide a lopsided infusion of federal funds to expand Medicaid in states that enroll in the program.

Nearly 100,000 Nebraskans, most of whom hold modest-paying jobs, would qualify for the new program.

Acquiring a large influx of federal funding assistance would strengthen the state's health care system in advance of the new Republican health care plan, Morfeld said.

House Speaker Paul Ryan "has repeatedly indicated their desire to keep the Affordable Care Act in place until it is replaced and LB441 will ensure a smooth transition to the Republican health care plan for working Nebraskans," he said.

Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia already have created plans to participate in ACA's Medicaid expansion provisions.

The Legislature rejected the most recent plan to access that additional federal Medicaid assistance last year.

In order to access $775 million in federal funds under current ACA provisions, the state would need to provide about $12 million in state funding.

"For too long, tens of thousands of Nebraskans have struggled with no way to get health insurance," Nebraska Appleseed health care director James Goddard said.

"They are people we see every day working on construction sites and farms, in our schools, hotels and restaurants. These (often) are single parents fighting to give their children a better future."
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Tigran Sargsyan and President of Moldova Igor Dodon discussed issues of deepening and expanding economic ties of Moldova with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the EEC, an agreement was reached to elaborate a memorandum of cooperation between the EEC and Moldova.

Tigran Sargsyan announced that the Eurasian Commission is interested in restoring the traditionally positive and mutually beneficial relations between Moldova and the EAEU member states. According to him, the development of business cooperation, creation of maximally favorable conditions for business, removal of obstacles, and harmonization of customs regime will foster the development of the economies.

President of Moldova Igor Dodon stated that Economic cooperation with the EAEU is objectively beneficial for the citizens of Moldova and over 50% of them stand for close integration with it. AT the same time he noted that making a choice of cooperation either with Europe of the EAEU is unreasonable. Undoubtedly, we have to find mutual interests and opportunities for partnership both with our neighbors, the EU, and our friends, our strategic partners from the Eurasian Union, the President of Moldova said.

Tigran Sargsyan drew the attention of Igor Dodon on the fact that the principles of EAEU respect the interests and benefits of each member state.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The announcement of the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Nagorno Karabakh conflict is not only an internal issue for Azerbaijan reflects the reality and can be assessed as a cold shower for Azerbaijan, spokesperson of NKR (Artsakh) President David Babayan told Armenpress. Sergey Lavrovs announcement reflects the reality since Nagorno Karabakh conflict cannot be just an internal issue for Azerbaijan. I think by such announcements Lavrov calls on the political leadership of Azerbaijan to waive diplomatic selfishness as considering this conflict as an internal issue of Azerbaijan is wrong and contradicts the international law, Babayan said.

He added that in reality many conflicting states try to contradistinguish the principles of territorial integrity and the right of nations to self-determination, but in the case of Kosovos gaining independence many states and international players like the USA, Germany and others justified in their reports the independence of Kosovo, emphasizing the right of the nations to self-determination. They said that territorial integrity cannot have a vital role when an issue of self-determination of nations exists. The same situations existed when the Northern Ireland wished to exist from the Great Britain. Great Britain gave its approval despite the fact that the majority of the populations was against, but they did that. There are numerous examples. Now Azerbaijan tries to keep a blind eye on all these cases, and Lavrovs announcement, in my opinion, was aimed at urging Azerbaijan to waive diplomatic selfishness and put aside its fascist stance, Babayan concluded.

An Azerbaijani reporter asked the Russian FM whether Russia will intervene in Azerbaijans internal affairs if the Azerbaijani side launches military operations in Nagorno Karabakh. Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in response to the provocative question of the Azerbaijani reporter, said the implementation of military operations in Nagorno Karabakh is not Azerbaijans internal affair.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Police Chief of Armenia Vladimir Gasparyan reported to President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on the reform implementation process of the traffic police, presenting the works done and upcoming activities based on the instructions of the President issued on November 2, 2016.

The Police Chief mentioned that a traffic police reform concept was elaborated and submitted to the Government of Armenia on November 30. He also informed that the concept has been sent to relevant ministries and agencies, the opinions of which will be summed up and the revised concept will be submitted to the Government on January 20.

According to Vladimir Gasparyan, apart from the activities defined by the concept, a number of other activities for reforming the traffic system are already underway. Particularly, the pilot project of using cameras during patrol service has been launched.

The Police Chief also informed about the negotiation results with the "Security Dream" Ltd.

Stressing that reforms in the Police system and particularly traffic police has always been among priorities, President Sargsyan drew the attention of Vladimir Gasparyan on some activities defined by the preliminary concept, the implementation of which, to the Presidents conviction, will significantly improve the activities of the Police. Serzh Sargsyan highlighted improving the quality of interactions of the police officers with the citizens, issuing driving licenses and vehicle registration plate and mentioned that this range of activities can be continued.

Of course, the implementation of these activities must first of all be directed to raising the level of traffic safety. But this is not enough. I think the document, the concept needs finalization and improvement. Especially much room should be given to the innovations the application of which would give the traffic police an opportunity to properly and adequately implement their functions at least in a short or midterm period, the President said, instructing the Police Chief to revise the concept in the shortest possible period defining precise timetable for the activities.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has always had a firm position regarding the installation of mechanisms investigating border incidents and we find it is the best way to avoid extra victims, Armenia MFA spokesperson Tigran Balayan told Armenpress commenting on the announcement by Russian FM Sergey Lavrov on the investigation mechanism.

The installation of the investigation mechanisms is our firm position which we have voiced several times. We also find it is the best way to avoid victims as a result of different incidents, Tigran balayan said.

In a press conference on January 17 Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov considered alarming the bloody events that took place in April, 2016. Russia played a decisive role in stopping the bloodshed. We have agreed with President Sargsyan and President Aliyev at the meeting in Vienna, then Russian President Putin reached an agreement with them in June in Petersburg that taking into account the mutual accusations it is necessary to install a mechanism for investigating the incidents, to increase the number of OSCE observers in the line of contact. The necessity of investigation of incidents was also emphasized in 2011 during the meeting of the Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in Astrakhan. Unfortunately, such simple thing, the investigation of incidents and increase of number of observers, cannot be implemented since there is no consensus yet, Lavrov said.
France attracted between 82.5 million and 83 million foreign visitors last year, maintaining its rank as the world's top tourist destination, its foreign minister said

The number of international tourists rose by four percent worldwide to 1.2 billion in 2016 as Asians travelled more, but security fears hit visitor arrivals in Europe, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) said Tuesday.

This represents the seventh consecutive year of growth since 2009, when global tourism figures declined four percent as the financial crisis and an outbreak of swine flu saw cash-strapped people stay at home.

The number of people living in Asia and discovering both their own region and the rest of the world rose eight percent compared to 2015, the Madrid-based body said.

The Asia-Pacific area, meanwhile, proved a popular destination -- the second most visited region after Europe.

But the UN body cautioned that while still blessed with 620 million tourists last year, the growth in the number of visitors to Europe had slowed due to security concerns.

WTO chief Taleb Rifai told reporters the results in Europe were "very mixed," saying some destinations recorded "a double-digit growth rate and some others a flat rate."

The Americas registered a growth of four percent in visitor numbers, the body said.

Africa, meanwhile, recovered from a sharp drop in 2015 due to security fears, recording an eight percent growth.

The Middle-East, however, saw a four percent drop in the arrival of tourists.

Rifai refused to give a much-anticipated ranking of the most visited countries, saying this would be unveiled at a later date.

In 2015, France ranked number one, followed by the United States and Spain.

But France has been hard hit by extremist attacks in the past two years, and there are fears this has impacted tourist arrivals.

Paris, for one, has seen a drop in tourists after jihadists sowed terror in the French capital in November 2015, killing 130 people.

Frederic Valletoux, the tourism chief for the Paris region, told AFP last year that the area hadn't recovered, and that the impact was "lasting and completely unprecedented."

Tourism represents 10 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP), seven percent of international trade and 30 percent of service exports, according to the WTO.

Story continues

Emphasising how crucial it is worldwide, one in every 11 jobs comes from tourism, if direct and indirect posts are taken into account.

Spain is a particular case in point, as tourism provides some 11 percent of its economic output.

The country registered a surge in visitors last year to close to 75 million people, ten percent more than 2015, Rifai said last week.

Spanish tourism executives have credited security fears in competing sunshine destinations across the Mediterranean and in the Middle East for the rise in visitors to Spain's shores.

But Rifai said it was also down to the way Spain promotes itself as a welcoming, sunny destination.
British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech on the government's plans for Brexit in London on January 17, 2017

Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday said Britain will leave the EU's single market in order to restrict immigration in a clean break from the bloc, but lawmakers can vote on the final deal.

"Brexit must mean control of the number of people coming from Europe, and that is what we will deliver. What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market," May said during a highly-anticipated speech at London's Lancaster House.

She added that Britain would seek a trade deal giving "the greatest possible access" to the market on its departure.

The prime minister also announced that any divorce deal with the remaining EU members must be approved by votes in both chambers of Britain's parliament.

Britain has two years to negotiate a break-up deal once May triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, officially declaring the country's intention to quit, or face leaving with no agreement.

May has promised to trigger Article 50 by the end of March, and said that she believed a final settlement and trade deal could be simultaneously negotiated within the timeframe.

Foreign partners doubt such a timetable, with Austrian Foreign Minister Hans Joerg Schelling saying Brexit would take five years.

"It is not clear if it will be possible to negotiate the UK's exit from the EU and the terms of a future cooperation at the same time," he said.

Seeking to calm fears of a sudden jolt to the economy on abruptly leaving the EU, May said she would seek a "phased process of implementation".

Her direction will be cheered by those who want to leave the EU, but dismay those who fear the impact on Britain's economy.

EU countries accounted for 44 percent of Britain's total exports in goods and services in 2015, with the country recording a 68.6 billion ($82.7 billion, 77.9 billion euros) trade deficit with the bloc.

- Trump and trade deal -

The British currency has endured a rocky ride since the vote last summer to leave the union, but sterling responded strongly to May's speech, wiping out losses earlier in the week to stand at $1.2340.

Story continues

Britain's finance minister Philip Hammond adopted a tough line on Sunday, warning that Britain might undercut the EU economically to remain competitive if it faces EU tariffs.

Hammond said he wanted Britain to still be a "recognisably European-style economy with European-style taxation systems, European-style regulation systems."

However, London would have to change course "if we are forced", to "regain competitiveness", he told Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday.

French Finance Minister Michel Sapin on Tuesday accused May's government of making up its negotiating policy on the hoof.

"No-one was prepared," he said. "You can see very well that they are improvising, with flip-flopping between accommodating positions... and harder positions."

Britain's post-EU prospects were given a verbal boost on Sunday by US President-elect Donald Trump, who said he favoured a quick trade deal with the UK.

But a fast-track bilateral deal with Washington will be difficult in practical terms.

Under EU rules Britain cannot sign trade deals with third party states until it is formally outside the bloc, a position that does not change despite voting to leave.

A two-year negotiating period is foreseen in EU legislation for any country choosing to exit the 28-member bloc.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said there should be an agreement in place ahead of the European Parliament elections in 2019.

But even if the prime minister's plan outlined on Tuesday wins widespread support, legal challenges could still scupper her Brexit timetable.

Britain's Supreme Court is due to rule later this month on whether May must seek parliamentary approval before triggering Article 50, which could delay the start of Brexit negotiations.
Italian Minister of Economy and Finance Pier Carlo Padoan said, "the best way to bring down debt is growth, so growth is a priority for the government"

Italy is in discussions with the European Commission to try to prevent Brussels imposing penalties over Rome's management of its public finances, sources close to the talks said Monday.

Italy was one of eight eurozone countries warned in November that they could face fines and restricted access to funds from Brussels over their failure to stick to the EU's Stability Pact rules.

The daily La Repubblica said Monday the European Commission last week asked the government to find 3.4 billion euros (3.6 billion dollars), or 0.2 percent of GDP, in order to avoid the start of an infringement procedure.

"Brussels has reminded us that Italy's debt is too high. We all know it", Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan told Rai television, without revealing details of what the Commission in demanding.

"We will see if there is a need to take additional measures to meet the objectives. But the best way to bring down debt is growth, so growth is a priority for the government."

The government adopted a 2017 budget that foresees a budget deficit of 2.3 percent of GDP, significantly higher than the 1.8 percent level it had promised to deliver earlier last year, at a time when Italy's public debt is the second highest in the EU at 133 percent of GDP.

The government wants costs incurred over the migrant crisis and recent earthquakes stripped out of the calculation of how Italy is doing against the standards set by the EU.

After two years of recession, Italy's economy grew 0.1 percent in 2014 and 0.7 percent in 2015. It forecasts that will rise to 0.8 percent in 2016 and 1.0 percent this year.

"The programme of privatisations will restart this year and we are expecting higher growth than in 2016," said Padoan.

A spokesman for the European Commission declined to comment.
Nebraska would replace Columbus Day with Standing Bear and Indigenous Leaders' Day under a bill introduced Tuesday in the state Legislature.

Lincoln Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks sponsored the bill (LB485). Its seven cosponsors include Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, the first Native American ever elected to the Legislature.

Columbus Day takes place each year on the second Monday in October and has been a federal holiday since 1937.

Pansing Brooks' bill says replacing the holiday would "honor Chief Standing Bear and the many other remarkable and noble leaders of the state's indigenous peoples, including, but not limited to, Chief Blackbird, Chief Little Priest, and Big Eagle."

Standing Bear was a renowned Ponca chief who in 1877 led his people on a march to Oklahoma after the federal government forced them from their land in northeast Nebraska. He later returned to Nebraska to honor his dying sons wish to be buried along the Niobrara River and was captured by the Army.

He was allowed to fight for his freedom in court, and his 1879 trial led to him becoming the first Native to be legally recognized as a person.

In recent years communities have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous People's Day, citing historical misunderstanding of Christopher Columbus' role in American history. Native American groups also blame Columbus in part for the genocide of millions of indigenous people.

In September, the Lincoln City Council unanimously approved a resolution naming the second Monday in October Indigenous People's Day. The city didn't recognize Columbus Day before and still doesn't, and city offices do not close for Indigenous People's Day.

Other bills introduced Tuesday include:

Income tax cuts

Cuts in corporate and individual income tax rates would be at least partially offset by adding sales taxes for maintenance and repair services, personal care services, storage and moving services, newspapers, laundromats, lottery tickets and taxis under a bill (LB452) sponsored by Omaha Sen. Brett Lindstrom and cosigned by Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion.

Life and death

Sen. Ernie Chambers is refusing to give up on three bills he has introduced in recent years, reintroducing a bill (LB446) that would replace the death penalty with a sentence of life in prison for first-degree murder; a bill (LB450) that would allow for assistance in dying, in which a qualifying person could seek a prescription for aid-in-dying medication from his or her attending physician; and a bill (LB448) that would ban mountain lion hunting in the state.

Texting while driving

Texting while driving would become a primary offense under a bill (LB471) sponsored by Sen. Rick Kolowski of Omaha. Nebraska law currently treats texting while driving as a secondary offense, meaning it can't be the only reason for a traffic stop.

Breaks for part-time workers

Workers would be guaranteed a paid 15-minute rest for every four hours they work, in addition to the unpaid 30-minute lunch required for people working eight-hour shifts, under a bill sponsored by Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont and cosigned by Lincoln Sens. Matt Hansen and Adam Morfeld. The change would apply to all employers in the state, public or private, with six or more people on the payroll.
A new kid on the Aussie property block is claiming to save you thousands  as much as $40,000  on the sale of your home.

Purplebricks, the savvy UK property agent, has landed in Australia - eschewing the (often-hefty) price structure charged by the mainstream. Instead, it is charging an all-in flat marketing and commission fee for selling your property.

It launched in Victoria (Metro) and parts of Queensland including the Gold Coast and Brisbane in September, but now is extended its offering to Sydney Metro and the New South Wales Central Coast with hopes to go national mid year, Purplebricks Australia chief executive Ryan Dinsdale told Yahoo7 Finance.

Also read: More home loan rate hikes expected in 2017

The other thing the UK agents are eschewing is a direct bricks and mortar high street presence  instead using local property agents and a 24/7 online client platform showing how many queries the property has got, viewer feedback and direct offers.

The potentially game changing agents claim it can save home sellers as much as $86000 in agents fees on pricier properties along Sydneys Eastern Suburbs and circa $40,000 on Inner West, CBD and Southern properties.



Charging a flat fee of $5,500 in NSW, Purplebricks local property expert will sell a property via private sale, which includes advertising on Purplebricks.com.au, Realestate.com.auand Domain.com.au, floor plans, a property description, professional photography, a for sale board, support team and 24/7 support.

Australian property agents usually charge a 2.2% commission based on the value of the house and a further $2,500 marketing fee although these costs can vary.

However, for homes that go to auction in NSW, Purplebricks are charging an additional $1,100.

Purplebricks has made major waves since its arrival on the UK property scene in 2014  becoming the countrys third large property agent and was floated on the UK stock market in December 2015.

Story continues

The firm are incredibly happy with how its been received in Australia, Dinsdale said. In four months, Puroplebricks has sold 150 properties already including a house at Mudgeeraba in the Gold Coast for $545,000 at first viewing and a property auctioned at Heidelberg Heights, Melbourne for $787,000, which has a reserve price was $765,000. The owners saved $10,500 and $15,000 on agents fees, respectively, according to the company.

However, Purplebricks isnt some remote e-tailer like eBay or Amazon it is fully present [for the client] thanks to the local property agent, who work exclusively for Purplebricks and are experienced retail agents, according to its Australian chief executive.

We arent just online, our business is about the real estate agent and the property being sold. Weve taken the efficiencies of being able to show properties to a huge audience online and transferred that [saving] to the client, he added.

This is Purplebricks first international launch and has no immediate plans to look at the New Zealand market but never say never," Dinsdale added. There are no plans to list on the ASX, either.

'Good news'

The arrival of a new player pledging to shake up the market is good news for house sellers, believes Stephen Koukoulas, Managing Director, Market Economics.

The Purplebricks model is taking the traditional real estate agent model to task.

High fees linked to the value of the property and not the quality of the service provided by the real estate agent is allowing Purplebricks to come in and aggressively undercut the high fees currently being charged by traditional real estate agents.

The savings [for home sellers] will be substantial, he told Yahoo7 Finance.
LAS VEGASIts not every awards show where the master of ceremonies tells people to put your fucking hands together for the winners. But this is the GFY Awards, and as is the case with the unruly GFY.com webmaster forum theyre named after, zookeeper Eric Matis is in charge.

The annual event, which announces the results of voting by GFY.com members in various categories, took place January 16, the last night of the Internext Expo, in Vinyl nightclub at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.

The band Misty Dawn took the stage first: all girl, and all hotin terms of both looks and licks. Sexy outfits and stiletto heels aside, these women won over the crowd in a series of sets that ran a wide musical gamut, from the Beastie Boys (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!) to Lordes Royals.

After their first set Matis addressed the audience of typically inattentive GFYers, flying into a mock rage when they failed to clap enthusiastically enough for the winners. Noting the GFYs are a popularity contest, he said, We could just give the awards to the people who pay the most money but we don't do it that way. So put your fucking hands together for [joint sponsors] PussyCash and Bitter Strawberry, who paid for this and put those fucking drinks in your hands.

Most of the winners gleefully accepted their awards in the same spirit. Thank you for all the love and the hate you send our way, said Gary Jackson of CCBill, picking up the trophy for Best IPSP.

The acceptance speech by first-time winner Quantox was quick and cordial: Thanks, everyone. Great start of the year. Cheers.

Wearing his trademark orange fedora, Juicy Ads founder Juicy Jay came up to accept the award for Best Advertising Network. He told the crowd that impending fatherhood dictated the 2017 show would be his last Internext for a while.

Stefan G. came up to accept honors for colleague MaDalton of Amazing Content for Best Content Producer. Im just the guy who sells the stuff my partners make. I'm the guy on GFY who annoys people.

Yelling out, Wheres that crazy German? Matis announced Business Person of the Year

winner Andy Wullmer, who said, Again and again Vegas fucks me up, then threw back his head and bellowed, "Make some noise."

That phrase became the evenings catch phrase. Affil4Yous Joey Gabra went up with his whole group to nab the Best Mobile Company, saying the win was a team effort and welcoming new members Ines and Chi. I have one more thing, he said in a deadpan voice. Make some noise.

Shirley Lara of Chaturbate was there to claim victory as Best Live Cam Company. After Matis teased her about her shoes, she said. Guys, if you have a wife of some sort, or girlfriend: JImmy Choos. Lara got into the spirit, yelling, "Can everybody just shut the fuck up?"

Sales person CourtneyR_FFN of FriendFinderNetworks was in the house to win Best Company Rep on GFY. I don't want to give this to her, Matis muttered. I don't ever like her.

After another break during which they could enjoy the band, the event was in its home stretch. Dubbed Webmaster of the Year, the Hun came up to accept. I've been running this website for half my life. Thank youand go fuck yourself.

Also there to embrace their trophies were Chris of Paxum, winning for Best Payment Service; Best Cam Studio winner AJ Studios; Best Mobile Ad Network winner Bitter Strawberry; and Innovative Company of the Year CrakRevenue, accepted by the whole team.

For the final award, the years Hall of Fame entrant, Matis noted that GFY started in 2000, and it is a living entity. It's there to help you with your business. People in the Hall of Fame helped build the business.

So put your fucking hands together for AaronM.

Alas, the 2017 inductee was not present. But the band played on  and the drinks continued to flow, courtesy of ImLIve and Bitter Strawberry.

The full list of winners is as follows:

Best IPSPCCBill

Hall of FameAaronM

Best Webmaster ToolQuantox

Best Content ProducerMaDalton of Amazing Content

Best Content ProviderAdultCentro

Business Person of the YearAndy Wullmer

Best Company of the YearCrakMedia

Best Affiliate ProgramFlirt4Free

Best Advertising NetworkJuicyAds

Best Mobile CompanyAffil4You

Best Hosting CompanyMojoHost

Best Adult CPA NetworkMobsuite

Best Company Rep on GFYCourtneyR_FFN of FriendFinderNetworks

Best Live Cam CompanyChaturbate

Best Merchant ServicesNetbilling

Best Payment ServicePaxum

Best Cam StudioAJ Studios, AJEStudios.com

Newbie of the YearAdnium_Ivana

Webmaster of the YearThe Hun

Best Dating CompanyDatetronix

Best Mobile Ad NetworkBitterStrawberry

Best Affiliate ManagerRuben Rodriguez of FriendFinderNetworks



Troll of the Yearbrassmonkey

Best Content PartnershipYourPaysitePartner.com

Best DesignerZuzanaDesigns.com

Best New PaysiteGoGoBarAuditions.com

Most Popular MemberJFK



Business Thread of the YearPaySites Have To Change Before It's Too Late. Here Are Some Ideas... (by Shap)

Pictured above: the CrakRevenue team; photo by JFK/FUBARWebmasters.com
LOS ANGELESAs 2017 begins, newcomer TS starlet and cam model Raven Roxx has scored a new interview with InsidethePorn.com. Raven is a Kentucky T-girl who enjoys fast cars and her new DD tits. In the interview, she talks about getting into the industry, being bisexual, and some of the things that make her "such a naughty t-girl."

"Believe it or not, I transitioned later in life," Roxx told Inside the Porn. "I started hormones at 38 and went to living full time as a woman in 2015 at 40 years old. I used to weigh 215 pounds (I'm 150 pounds now). Working out was my way of overcompensating. So I'm amazed how well my body reacted to hormones at the age I started them. Now, I've put a lot of work in to help aid the process, but all in all I'm very proud of how far I've come."

Fans can read the full interview here.

Fans of Raven may enjoy her official website RavenRoxx.com where she currently has 13 high quality scenes ranging from solo play, TS on TS, TS on male, TS on female and more. Her latest video showcases her first scene with a big black cock as she and fellow TS starlet Kimber Haven share some Mandingo dick. She also has seven photo sets teasing viewers with her killer body and innocent-yet-sexy poses. She currently is preparing for a trip to Las Vegas to shoot exclusive content for her site with Thor Johnson, Lexis Steele, and Julie Rocket.

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In June 2016, Ukrainian writer, traveler and civic activist Bogdan Logvynenko launched a media project about a long-term expedition around the Ukrainian province called Ukraner. He teamed up with a photojournalist and a videographer and travels around the historical areas of Ukraine by car, staying away from the traditional tourist routes on purpose, looking for new places and untypical heroes. From the start, the project was supported by Bird In Flights publisher, Depositphotos photobank.

Last year, Ukraners team made expeditions to Zakarpattia in the west, the Azov Sea region in the south-east, and the Poltava region in central Ukraine. Bogdan Logvynenko shares the gems he discovered with Bird In Flight.
"We leave as we came, and, God willing, we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind." These were the last words Eugene Cernan said upon leaving the surface of our moon, at the end of Apollo 17.

Cernan (shown below at the beginning of EVA 3) was the last man to walk on the moon. He died Monday, Jan. 16, surrounded by his family.

From the NASA remembrance:

Cernan, a Captain in the U.S. Navy, left his mark on the history of exploration by flying three times in space, twice to the moon. He also holds the distinction of being the second American to walk in space and the last human to leave his footprints on the lunar surface.

He was one of 14 astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963. He piloted the Gemini 9 mission with Commander Thomas P. Stafford on a three-day flight in June 1966. Cernan logged more than two hours outside the orbiting capsule.

In May 1969, he was the lunar module pilot of Apollo 10, the first comprehensive lunar-orbital qualification and verification test of the lunar lander. The mission confirmed the performance, stability, and reliability of the Apollo command, service and lunar modules. The mission included a descent to within eight nautical miles of the moon's surface.

In a 2007 interview for NASA's oral histories, Cernan said, "I keep telling Neil Armstrong that we painted that white line in the sky all the way to the Moon down to 47,000 feet so he wouldn't get lost, and all he had to do was land. Made it sort of easy for him."

Cernan concluded his historic space exploration career as commander of the last human mission to the moon in December 1972. En route to the moon, the crew captured an iconic photo of the home planet, with an entire hemisphere fully illuminated  a "whole Earth" view showing Africa, the Arabian peninsula and the south polar ice cap. The hugely popular photo was referred to by some as the "Blue Marble," a title in use for an ongoing series of NASA Earth imagery.
The GM logo is seen at the General Motors Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Lansing, Michigan October 26, 2015. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors Co (GM.N) on Tuesday confirmed it will invest an additional $1 billion (807.82 million pounds) in its U.S. factories in 2017 and will move some parts production from Mexico to the United States that was previously handled by a supplier.

The investments are in addition to the $2.9 billion the automaker announced last year, GM said. (http://bit.ly/2iJ9xw0)

GM and other automakers have been sharply criticized by Republican U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for building vehicles in Mexico that are imported into the United States. Trump will be sworn in on Friday.

GM said the $1 billion investment will create or retain 1,500 jobs. The Detroit automaker said details of individual projects will be announced throughout the year.

"Thank you to General Motors and Walmart for starting the big jobs push back into the U.S.," Trump tweeted, referring as well to Wal-Mart Stores Inc's (WMT.N) announcement that it will hire 10,000 U.S. workers in 2017 as part of a plan previously announced by the discount retailer.

GM also said it will begin work on bringing axle production for its next generation of full-size pickup trucks, including work previously done in Mexico, to operations in Michigan, creating 450 U.S. jobs.

The part was previously built by American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc (AXL.N). American Axle did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

GM spokeswoman Joanne Krell said the automaker planned to add 7,000 new U.S. jobs over the next two to three years. Krell said the decisions being announced "had been in the works for some time" but she added "the timing was good for us to share what we are doing."

The 7,000 figure includes the 450 jobs on axle production, 1,500 jobs tied to the $1 billion announcement and more than 5,000 new jobs tied to engineering, GM Financial and advanced technology.

GM in 2014 announced it was investing $5 billion in Mexico and doubling production capacity by 2018. GM said last week it had no plans to cancel Mexican investments despite Trump pressure.

Story continues

GM said it had added about 6,000 U.S. jobs, consisting of 4,000 hourly and 2,000 salaried positions, since the end of 2015 for a total American workforce of 103,000.

Since GM's bankruptcy restructuring in 2009, when it had 77,000 U.S. employees, it has added more than 25,000 jobs as it boosted production, acquired an auto finance company and brought information technology work in house.

The United Auto Workers union said GM's new investments "have emerged as a result of the 2015" contract with the union.

GM shares slightly rose in midday trading, up 0.6 percent, or $0.23 per share, to $37.57.

'BIG STUFF'

Trump, who made bringing back manufacturing to the United States a large part of his successful election campaign, has been touting recent automaker investments in the United States.

"With all of the jobs I am bringing back into the U.S. (even before taking office), with all of the new auto plants coming back into our country and with the massive cost reductions I have negotiated on military purchases and more, I believe the people are seeing "big stuff," Trump said in a pair of tweets.

Trump has been inaccurate in describing some U.S. auto investments, wrongly saying last week that Fiat Chrysler (FCAU.N) (FCHA.MI) was planning to build a new factory in the United States. The company announced it is investing $1 billion in two existing plants, adding 2,000 jobs.

On Jan. 3, Trump threatened to impose a "big border tax" on GM for making some of its Chevrolet Cruze compacts in Mexico - and he has extended that threat to German automakers like BMW AG (BMWG.DE) and Toyota Motor Corp over building vehicles abroad.

Separately, Hyundai Motor Group said Tuesday in South Korea that it plans to boost U.S. investment by 50 percent to $3.1 billion over five years and may build a new plant in the United States.

Hyundai Motor Co and Kia Motors Corp , which make up the Hyundai Motor Group, have not been directly criticized by Trump but they may have felt vulnerable because among major brands, they have one of the lowest ratios of cars built in the United States to cars sold.

GM also said an unnamed supplier has committed to make components for GMs next-generation full-size pickup trucks in Michigan, moving 100 supplier jobs from Mexico to the United States.

But even as GM invests in U.S. plants, it has also been making job cuts. In recent months, the company announced plans to lay off about 3,300 employees at three factories.

It said in November it would cut about 2,000 jobs when it ends the third shift at its Lordstown, Ohio, and Lansing, Michigan, plants in January. Last month, it said it planned to cancel the second shift and cut nearly 1,300 jobs from its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant in March.

GM's "general plan is to build where we sell, and we're focussed on what we're doing in the United States," Chief Executive Mary Barra said in an interview with Reuters on Monday.

Barra, who said she planned to attend Trump's inauguration, said GM wants to work with him, adding, "I do believe we have more in common than we have areas that we aren't aligned."

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Frances Kerry and Jonathan Oatis)
The outgoing U.S. ambassador to Canada says he feels Canadians are bidding him a fond farewell as he prepares to leave his diplomatic post this week.

"I don't feel ushered out the door," Bruce Heyman told Metro Morning in a telephone interview from Ottawa on Monday.

"In fact, the way Canadians are embracing us, we've been so emotional. We feel loved."

Heyman, who has served as the U.S. ambassador to Canada since April 2014, resigns as of Friday, when Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th U.S. President in Washington D.C.

There has been no replacement named to fill Heyman's role.

"The reality is we expected all along that there would be a transition," he said.

"Everybody knows that each president selects his own ambassador. It was just a question of timing."

His resignation follows a blanket order from the Trump transition team for all politically appointed ambassadors to resign by Jan. 20.

Heyman said transitions between ambassadors can involve gaps of time and do not always proceed smoothly. "It happens," he said.

Heyman said he had much to learn when he assumed his post because his background was in the private sector.

He said his private sector work often involved pushing a specific agenda. As ambassador, he was required to work in a "government environment," which included budgeting and managing personnel. He had to oversee seven U.S. consulates across Canada and U.S. Custom and Border Protection staff at Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

There was a learning curve, he explained.

"It isn't always driving a specific outcome, which is what we did in the private sector. It's also tone and style and communication and how you represent yourself," he said.

Among his accomplishments, he said, is a U.S. customs pre-clearance agreement between Canada and the U.S. that will affect Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto.

The law ratifying the agreement was signed by U.S. President Barack Obama last year. The agreement will mean easier access to the U.S. for Canadian travellers.

Story continues

In the last couple of weeks, getting ready to move has proved to be emotional, he said.

"Boy, that time really went fast as we walked through the house this morning, with everything boxed up," he said.

Heyman and his wife Vicki said they feel that Canadian cities, including Toronto, embraced them during their time here.

"Thank you, Toronto, you've been a second home to us here," he said. "We have spent so many nights enjoying your beautiful city and we look forward to returning very soon."
For nearly a century, the art deco building at the corner of 10th and M streets has stood a silent witness to the ebb and flow of downtown Lincoln.

But the 233 Building  which started life as a pharmaceutical manufacturing company and once housed Lincoln Police headquarters  stands in the path of advancing progress, the only building left on a block potentially ripe for redevelopment.

Mayor Chris Beutler has ordered the building emptied of city, county and state offices in an effort to remove it as a possible stumbling block for developers while striving to save the city money by consolidating services.

The 233 Building block is a prime opportunity to continue the tremendous economic development weve seen in Downtown Lincoln and the Haymarket, Beutler said in an email statement.

The proximity to UNL and major employers makes it an attractive site for multiple types of development including residential, office, retail and more. The current two-story government building is in poor shape and a very inefficient use of that prime location.

No developers have approached the city with plans for the block, but officials want to be ready in case they do, said Rick Hoppe, chief of staff to Beutler.

That is where development is happening and wants to go. We simply dont want to put up a roadblock to development and progress," he said. "We clearly have other facilities that can house government operations."

The block is bordered on the north and south by N and M streets and to the west and east by Ninth and 10th streets.

Dave Landis, the citys urban development director, said there are several factors that could make the block attractive to developers, including that there are only three landowners to deal with, a rarity for downtown, and at least one of them  the city  would be an eager participant.

The other two landowners are the Jinni Chung Revocable Living Trust and local development company Speedway Properties.

The Chung Trust owns the property that is a parking lot on the north half of the block. Chen Chung said neither he nor his wife, Jinni, have been contacted by the city about selling the lot; and they currently are not interested in doing so.

Speedway owns the portion where The Karma Nightclub and Cabaret stood before it burned two years ago. Landis said Speedway Properties, which did not respond to a request for comment, has not discussed plans for its chunk of the block with city officials.

The 233 Building currently has five tenants, all of whom are in the process of looking for new office space, including: Lancaster County Emergency Management, Lancaster County Risk Management, Aging Partners, City Information Services and the Nebraska Child Support Payment Center, a division of the State Treasurers Office.

The area has a colorful past. Its been home to a livery stable, cigar manufacturer, brothel, auto stores and a gay bar  The Q.

The 233 Building, which gets its name from its address, 233 S. 10th St., was constructed in 1917 by the Smith-Dorsey Chemists. They paid $4,000 for the empty lot to build on and expanded in 1925 buying up the adjacent properties of Lincoln Welding and Barlow Harness Shop. The company built a third addition in 1940.

During the 1940s, the chemists extracted estrogen from pregnant mares' urine, which meant boiling large quantities of raw material. The basement distillation was vented into an alley, filling the neighborhood with the stench of urine. On one occasion, according to local accounts, a truck carrying race horses drove past on the way to the fairgrounds and all hell broke loose with stallions nearly destroying the truck.

The pharmaceutical company has since moved and is now part of GlaxoSmithKline, which has an over-the-counter drug manufacturing plant at 10401 U.S. 6.

The Lincoln Police Department moved to the 233 Building in 1979 in what was supposed to be a temporary arrangement. But budget constraints kept the headquarters there two decades until LPD moved in 2000 to the County-City Building three blocks away.

Looking to the future, city leaders see a bustling future for the 200 block of South 10th Street.

Beutler envisions the block filled with downtown apartments, brisk business people and possibly a grocery store.

We want the city to continue to be a key partner and catalyst for development, particularly when we can consolidate our operations and create a winning situation for everyone, he said.
STEM

Hawaii Offers College-Caliber Courses for Future Engineers

A program in Hawaii to help students get a head start on their college studies and career aspirations has sparked a partnership between the state's Department of Education and its university system. Recently, the HIDOE signed a formal agreement with the University of Hawaii at Manoa to create a course pathway for high schoolers interested in engineering.

Two high school classes, Engineering Technology I and II, were developed to track along with the course objectives covered by the university's entry-level engineering courses. By passing both, students admitted to the university will be accepted directly into the engineering major in the institution's program.

"This partnership falls in line with our goals to provide more college-level courses for high school students that will hopefully nurture students' interests in future professions," said Kathryn Matayoshi, Superintendent of the department of education, in a prepared statement. She noted that by working directly with the college, the state can be assured of offering courses that correspond to college level standards "and help to ease the transition for our graduates into higher level courses towards future success."

Song Choi, assistant dean of the college, said he hoped the agreement would help high school students maintain "interest and enthusiasm" in the discipline." "With the increase in interest in engineering from scholastic robotics, innovation competitions, design competition, etc., creating a 'direct' pathway to an engineering education from high school is a necessity."

The work of developing the courses was funded through the Office of Naval Research and the Educational Leadership Program at Chaminade University of Honolulu.

This is just one of the pathways that make up the state's career and technical education program. Other areas cover arts and communication, business, health, natural resources and public and human services.
High-Performance Computing

Indiana University Flips on 100G Transatlantic Link

International Networks at Indiana University (IU) and its partners have activated a new transatlantic subsea cable that provides 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) of network connectivity to support the flow of research data between the United States, Europe and Africa.

The Networks for European, American and African Research (NEAAR) project is co-led by IU in partnership with GEANT, which provides support to the European research and education network. Jennifer Schopf, director of International Networks at IU and principal investigator on the NEAAR project, said the new circuit will enable "important work in bioinformatics, geoscience and medical research."

"From food security to viral diseases and climate change, the challenges we face are very much global," said Cathrin Stover, chief collaboration officer at GEANT, in a prepared statement. "Our mission is to support researchers in solving these challenges, combining their knowledge wherever they are to allow faster discovery."

The network runs over the America-Europe Connect (AEConnect) subsea cable system provided by vendor Aqua Comms DAC. The new 3,431-mile undersea cable network between the U.S. and Ireland replaces the previous connection and provides three times faster connectivity using optical technologies.

The NEAAR project was funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of its International Research Network Connections program. The four-year, $3.25 million NEAAR grant provides "services and bandwidth connecting researchers in the United States with their counterparts in Europe and Africa" and supports "the majority of the NSF-funded research sharing between Africa and the United States," according to information from IU.

International Networks at Indiana University delivers network connectivity to support scientific collaboration. IU and GEANT have partnered on previous networking NSF-funded networking projects, including America Connects to Europe and TransPAC.
Rambus Inc. RMBS has signed a patent licensing agreement with Taiwan-based company Winbond Electronics Corporation for an undisclosed sum. Per the terms of the agreement, Winbond can use Rambus patented technology (comprising server DIMM chipsets) for its integrated circuit products for five years.



Rambus will receive royalty payments during the contract period. According to Luc Seraphin, general manager of the Interface Division at Rambus, This collaborative partnership with Winbond provides critical memory and interface technologies that address the needs and requirements to run effective data centers.



Founded in 1987, Winbond Electronics is involved in designing, manufacturing and supplying semiconductors and several types of integrated circuits. We believe this association with Winbond will support Rambus fundamentals in the upcoming quarters.



California-based Rambus designs, develops, and licenses chip interface technologies and architectures that are used in digital electronics products.



Licensing agreements are a recurring revenue source for Rambus, the result of successful monetizing of its patents. Rambus patented technologies are of great importance to chipmakers for manufacturing advanced chips used in computers and electronic goods.



Going forward, we believe that Rambus is well poised to capitalize on the rising popularity of energy-efficient lighting and LED products in the latest architectural, retail, commercial and residential lighting fixtures.



Notably, Rambus is going through a restructuring phase and we expect it to yield favorable results.



Furthermore, the acquisition of certain serial link assets of Semtech Corporations SMTC Snowbush IP and Smart Card Software will enhance its product offerings, thereby boosting its top and bottom line performance in the to-be-reported quarter, in our view.



Nonetheless, competition from Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. SMI and Advanced Micro Devices AMD and customer concentration remain headwinds for the company.

Story continues

Rambus stock price over the last one year has risen only 26.9%, underperforming the Zacks Categorized Electronics-Semiconductors industry, which has showcased an increase of 79.9%.

Currently, Rambus has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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Finnish English

Neste Jacobs

Press release

17 January 2017 at 9 am. (EET)

Neste Jacobs has optimized Borealis PE2 plant's distillation section with NAPCON Controller

Technology, engineering and project management company Neste Jacobs was selected to optimize the recovery area of Borealis Borstar PE2 plant in Porvoo, Finland. The PE2 plant's distillation section was optimized with Neste Jacobs' NAPCON Controller solution. The aim of optimization is to reduce energy consumption and production loss and enhance the plant operability.

"We are very proud to have this opportunity to deepen and develop our relationship with Borealis further. Neste Jacobs as an optimization partner is able to provide know-how of process technologies and has optimized performance of the PE2 plant's distillation section with minimum risks", says Jarmo Suominen, CEO of Neste Jacobs.

In this project the NAPCON Controller (real-time process control software) was first built on top of customer's process simulator while the actual plant changes were undergoing. Once the process changes were ready NAPCON Controller was commissioned to the real process. This way the full financial benefits from the process control solution were achieved right after the plant start up.

Neste Jacobs has provided real-time optimization solutions already to multiple plants at Borealis.

Read more about Neste Jacobs' NAPCON Controller solutions at www.napconsuite.com

For more information, please contact:

Jarmo Suominen, CEO, Neste Jacobs Oy, tel. +358 50 458 3399

Neste Jacobs is a preferred solution provider of high-quality technology, engineering and project services for a wide range of industries in the fields of oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, biorefining, biochemicals, biopharma and industrial infrastructure. We have 60 years of experience in technology development and industrial investment projects as well as maintenance and performance improvement in Europe, North and South America, Asia and the Middle East. In addition to our home market Nordic countries we are looking to grow in the global expanding markets. We employ 1300 professionals globally. www.nestejacobs.com

Neste Jacobs' NAPCON offers you a wide range of advanced process automation solutions to enhance your production. The dedicated solutions based on extensive process know-how and modern software engineering fulfil your needs on the areas of Production Optimization, Quality Optimization, Safety, Logistics, Business Optimization, Environment and Big Data. www.napconsuite.com

Borealis is a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers. With headquarters in Vienna, Austria, Borealis currently employs around 6,500 and operates in over 120 countries. It generated EUR 7.7 billion in sales revenue and a net profit of EUR 988 million in 2015. The International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of Abu Dhabi owns 64% of the company, with the remaining 36% belonging to OMV, an international, integrated oil and gas company based in Vienna. Borealis provides services and products to customers around the world in collaboration with Borouge, a joint venture with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). www.borealisgroup.com
Danish English

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, January 17, 2017 - Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA, OTC: BVNRY) today announced the appointment of Henrik Birk as Chief Operating Officer. In this newly created position, Mr. Birk will develop and lead the execution of Bavarian Nordic's operational and HR strategies. Mr. Birk will become a member of executive management, reporting directly to Paul Chaplin, Chief Executive Officer.

Prior to joining Bavarian Nordic in 2008, Mr. Birk served in various management positions at Coloplast focusing on supply chain and production. Since joining Bavarian Nordic, he has served in positions of increasing responsibility, most recently as Senior Vice President, Strategy, People and Organization. Mr. Birk holds a Masters of Business Administration from Henley Business School.

"I take great pleasure in announcing Henrik's appointment to executive management. Having worked with him for nearly nine years I am confident that in this new role he will continue to thrive, and the company, our employees, and our partners, will benefit immensely from his leadership, " said Paul Chaplin, President and CEO of Bavarian Nordic.

The executive management of Bavarian Nordic is now comprised of Paul Chaplin, President and CEO, Ole Larsen, Executive Vice President and CFO, and Henrik Birk, Executive Vice President and COO.

About Bavarian Nordic

Bavarian Nordic is a fully integrated biotechnology company focused on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of cancer immunotherapies and vaccines for infectious diseases, based on the Company's live virus vaccine platform. Through long-standing collaborations, including a collaboration with the U.S. government, Bavarian Nordic has developed a portfolio of vaccines for infectious diseases, including the non-replicating smallpox vaccine, IMVAMUNE, which is stockpiled for emergency use by the United States and other governments. The vaccine is approved in the European Union (under the trade name IMVANEX) and in Canada. Bavarian Nordic and its partner Janssen are developing an Ebola vaccine regimen, which has been fast-tracked, with the backing of worldwide health authorities, and a vaccine for the prevention and treatment of HPV. Additionally, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, Bavarian Nordic has developed a portfolio of active cancer immunotherapies, including PROSTVAC, which is currently in Phase 3 clinical development for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. The company has partnered with Bristol-Myers Squibb for the potential commercialization of PROSTVAC. For more information visit www.bavarian-nordic.com or follow us on Twitter @bavariannordic.

Forward-looking statements

This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance and/or other information that is not historical information. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law.

Contacts

Rolf Sass Srensen

Vice President Investor Relations (EU)

Tel: +45 61 77 47 43

Seth Lewis

Vice President Investor Relations (US)

Tel: +1 978 341 5271

Company Announcement no. 03 / 2017
WASHINGTON -- After my aunt died recently, a cousin found in her papers the "Petition for Naturalization" that our great-grandfather signed in 1913, 13 years after emigrating from Russia.

The wording on the yellowed page required my ancestor to affirm that he was neither anarchist nor polygamist. The oath continued: "It is my intention to become a citizen of the United States and to renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, and particularly to Nicholas II, Emperor of all the Russias."

The oath differs from the one President-elect Donald Trump will take at his inauguration. But if it was important enough for our nation to require a Brooklyn tailor a century ago to renounce the czar, is it too much to ask that our new president promise the same?

I'm not questioning Trump's citizenship or patriotism. But it would be reassuring to see him renounce fidelity to another repressive leader of Russia -- to demonstrate that he is "no puppet" of Vladimir Putin.

The renewed attention to Trump's Russia ties is welcome, but the unverified "dossier" published last week is a distraction. Hotel liaisons don't threaten American security. The danger is that Putin and his allies might control a chunk of Trump's debt and therefore hold hostage his financial stability.

Trump arguably owes his election to Putin. (In an election as close as this one, any number of minor factors could have been decisive, including the Russians' leaks of Democrats' hacked emails.) And he refuses to do the things that would remove fears that Putin has sway over Trump's finances: release his tax returns, divest of his businesses or put them into a blind trust. You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to wonder if the incoming president is beholden to one of the nation's most wily adversaries.

Here's what we know:

Trump, once the self-described "king of debt," now claims he isn't highly leveraged, but there's no way to verify this without tax returns. A New York Times examination last year found at least $650 million in debt, twice the amount that could be found in Trump's financial disclosure.

Though Trump has insisted he has no financial dealings with Russia, his son Donald Trump Jr. declared in 2008: "Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. ... We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia."

As The Washington Post's Michael Kranish recapped last week, Trump has attempted several deals in Russia over decades. He received $95 million from an oligarch for a Palm Beach mansion in 2008 and untold more from Russian investors buying his condos.

Britain's Guardian newspaper reported last week that the FBI unsuccessfully applied for a warrant during the summer to monitor four members of Trump's team suspected of "irregular contacts with Russian officials."

Russia's deputy foreign minister told the Interfax state news agency that the government had "contacts" with Trump's campaign and knows "most of the people from his entourage." Trump's campaign denied this.

Trump declined again last week to release his tax returns. Instead of selling his businesses or creating a blind trust, he announced that he gave control to his adult sons with his (unenforceable) assurance that "they're not going to discuss it with me."

While having all these known or potential entanglements with Russia, Trump has questioned the value of NATO, said he would consider removing sanctions against Russia and recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea, spoken favorably of Putin's leadership and resisted blaming Putin for cyberattacks and human-rights abuses. Trump hired as his national security adviser Michael Flynn, who has appeared on Russia's state-owned RT network and sat with Putin at a dinner celebrating the network.

Trump also tapped to be secretary of state Rex Tillerson, the former Exxon Mobil chief who received the Order of Friendship award from Putin's government. At his confirmation hearing, Tillerson declined to say Putin had committed war crimes or approved the killing of opponents and journalists. He left open the possibility of lifting sanctions against Russia.

Happily, Trump's picks to run the Pentagon and CIA were more skeptical of Russia in testimony, but that potentially puts them at odds with their commander in chief.

Asked last week whether he agreed that Putin tried to help him win the election and whether he would rescind Obama's actions punishing Russia, Trump replied: "If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability."

Clearly. And Putin, just as clearly, considers Trump an asset. The question is whether Trump is Putin's asset because the Russian president controls the American president's liabilities.
Earlier today, a Facebook user who claimed to be the late Chuks Okebata's sister shared videos of the veteran's wife asking her husband to leave their home or she will send him to jail.

His wife has however shared her own side of the story. She said they had marital issues before he was killed due to the man's infidelity.

Late Igbo-US veteran cheated on his wife and sent photos to her

PAY ATTENTION: Get all the latest gossips on NAIJ Gossip App

Before her husband was murdered, she had cried out to let the world know her husband was cheating and throwing it in her face.

She said he sent naked and very provocative pictures of the women he was cheating with to her. She said he told her he cheated because he was not getting satisfied at home and he said the women were more endowed.

READ ALSO: Dead Igbo-US soldier was threatened by his wife before he got killed

READ HER STORY:

"Amanda , I once came to you about my husband and his incessant abuse and cheating. Yes I am the wife of the man who was assassinated, and I am just distraught. I do not even know where to start but it is only right I tell my own side of the story. I am innocent, God is my witness that I did not kill my husband or the evil that my husbands family is portraying me to be, yes my sister in-law posted that video to make me look evil but the part she did not tell anybody was that I was calling the police to save me because he always beat me up and I was told to call the police whenever he started and that was exactly what I was doing, from the video you would see that I did not fight him or answered him. Should I have allowed him to kill me?"

"Amanda, we have been married for 13 years since I was 19, it has been beating upon beating, I have gone through surgeries because of beating he gave me. How can I kill my husband, we live together, till the day he left for Nigeria, I packed his things , how could I kill him. Who do I know to order a hit on the father of my children? I have no interest in his properties as suggested after all we built every thing together. God knows I am innocent. I know who I am married to, he is a show off and he went to Nigeria and was going to club spraying dollars and showing off, revealing his locations . They want to pin my husbands death on me, my husband was not assassinated. He was kidnapped, because he is a military man he is always with a gun and when he shot to death one of the kidnappers,they shot him. Why is my family leaving out information about what happened and pinning it on me?"

READ ALSO: Nigerian U.S soldier kidnapped and killed after he came back to Imo state for Christmas

"I never threatened him to kill him, I am a working woman with a paying job and have no reason to kill him because of properties . All I just want is peace to mourn and raise my children. You can confirm my story from those people in my home town. My husband was careless in a country with high rate of crime and was kidnapped, if he had not shot one of the robbers all we would have been talking about is paying ransom not death. Amanda why would I kill the father of my kids, why would I choose his death over a divorce if things were that bad. I have two boys, who will help me raise them? I am completely innocent of all the allegations. I have endured all this years through his beating and cheating and I did not leave or kill him, why would I do it now? All I ask is that I am left to mourn in peace and the killers found and prosecuted."

"See pictures of my husband spraying dollars at the club in Owerri.He even live streamed it showing his exact location

Nne biko help me

Im an innocent victim here

I love my husband and Im still in tears

Im mourning him and people are accusing them wrongly.My children are crying daily."

So sad!

Source: Legit.ng
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Last week, Sheridan County Commissioners could have done the right thing and denied the reissue of liquor licenses to the four beer stores of Whiteclay.

Instead, after just 10 minutes of discussion, the commission voted 3-0 to recommend reissuing licenses to the stores in the remote village with a population of 12 that, year after year, have been allowed to sell the equivalent of 3.5 million cans of beer. Most of the sales are to residents of the legally dry Pine Ridge Indian Reservation just across the South Dakota border.

The reservation, home to the Oglala Sioux Tribe, is plagued with alcoholism, crime, poverty and fetal alcohol syndrome -- all exacerbated by the easy availability of alcohol in Whiteclay. Shutting the stores down by denying the liquor licenses wouldnt end those problems, but it would likely reduce them.

But the commission sided with those who argued that solving those problems is the responsibility of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and only the tribe. To wit: I hope the tribe and the people that have the authority to help themselves will step up to the plate and deal with alcoholism, Commissioner Loren Paul told the Journal Star. Alcoholism is the problem, not the supply.

To be sure, the tribe needs to and has tried to address alcoholism and related problems on the reservation, but arguing that prohibition in Whiteclay would not be a step forward toward a solution is reprehensible.

In making their decision, the commissioners also ignored indisputable evidence that adequate law enforcement is absent in Whiteclay, where there has been a handful of unsolved deaths in recent years. Instead, they argued that county taxpayers shouldnt be required to pick up the tab for more and better policing.

The Whiteclay liquor license renewal process now moves to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, which will hold hearings of its own, most likely in March, and make the final decision on whether to renew the licenses.

The Liquor Control Commission should do the right thing, what Sheridan County refused to do: Deny the licenses, shut down the stories and cut off the easy flow of alcohol onto the reservation.
The Lancaster County Assessor's office has decided to reassess property values one year sooner than the normal three-year cycle ("Home value changes coming," Jan. 11). The purpose of this is to take advantage of rising market conditions and increase the overall valuation of Lancaster County's properties.

Granted, individual assessments may go up or down, but I am quite confident the overall property valuations will show an increase. The tax rate is not being reduced, so the overall tax revenue for Lancaster County will increase.

I wonder when housing prices drop in the future, will the Lancaster County Assessor's Office accelerate the assessment cycle to afford the taxpayer the benefits of a lower valuation? Don't hold your breath.

Troy Euse, Lincoln
State Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte, referring to our unicameral Legislature and the recently elected committee chairs, was quoted in the Journal Star as saying, Finally, this body represents the mindset of the state as a whole ("Senators sorting out what happened," Jan. 8). Does Nebraska have a red-state mindset? Is Nebraska the overwhelming Republican-leaning state some would like us to believe?

Consider this one simple, ignored fact about Nebraska voters: Most registered voters in Nebraska are not Republicans. Let that sink in a minute. It's hard to believe, but true. Republicans account for 48 percent of all Nebraska voters. That's less than half. A combination of Democrats, as well as independents and Libertarians comprise the remaining 52 percent.

So, contrary to Sen. Groenes declaration, the Nebraska legislative body, which is heavily tilted right, does not accurately, represent the mindset of the state as a whole. Most Nebraska voters are not Republicans. Do the math: 48 percent of voting Nebraskans are registered Republicans, but in our chamber, 35 of 49, or 71 percent, of legislators are Republicans.

In what reality do those numbers characterize the actual truth of Nebraskans' political views? The reality is that most Nebraska voters have very little representation in our legislative chamber. At the hands of red-tinted ideologues, our fabled, open-minded, nonpartisan Legislature has died a contentious death. Sorry Mr. George Norris., we gave it a shot. R.I.P.

Richard Dale Sullivan, Lincoln
Its a time of tectonic shift for the Nebraska Brand Committee, the agency that oversees cattle ownership in much of the state.

Rules and laws are being updated. Lists of the brands that mark cattle are being digitized. Inspectors plan to trade in pen and paper for iPads.

And now the ship has a new captain. Bill Bunce, hired as executive director late last year by the five-member Brand Committee, has taken the tiller.

His first day in the Brand Committees Alliance office was Jan. 3, although he visited the state in December to attend conventions for the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation, Nebraska Cattlemen and the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska.

Bunce will lead an agency undergoing a major overhaul. Brand Committee members have been working to deal with issues of lax bookkeeping and mismanagement highlighted in a scathing July report from State Auditor Charlie Janssen.

Bunce -- the first director in recent memory to be hired from outside the Brand Committee rather than promoted from within -- said hes not afraid of stepping up during a time of change.

Change is not something that discourages me. Nor should it discourage anyone. Its a normal function of businesses, and that includes the business of government and regulation, Bunce said in a phone interview from his Alliance office.

The Nebraska Brand Committee rustled Bunce away from his previous position as executive director of the New Mexico Livestock Board, where he began work in 2015, overseeing brand inspection, the state veterinarians office, livestock theft investigations and other related law enforcement.

He and his wife, Lydia, have bought a house in Alliance. They have two grown children, a daughter in the restaurant business in Arizona, and a son in the U.S. Army 75th Ranger Regiment.

Terry Cone, who serves as the Nebraska Cattlemens brand and property rights chairman, praised the hire. He said Bunce has the experience and personality to build relationships and restore faith in the Brand Committee.

Bunce, who likes to fish and hunt deer in his spare time, said the skill that will be of most use in these first few months on the job is his ability to listen.

Listening is the first component to being successful. You have to understand the dynamics of what is important to the person who is in front of you, he said.

The Nebraska Brand Committee, which has about 100 employees, records ranchers brands, inspects cattle to verify ownership and investigates missing livestock and cattle rustling.

The committee came under a microscope after an audit revealed a herd of issues, including lax procedures for handling check deposits and employee vehicle mileage, as well as payroll issues and lack of controls for handling the sale of animals with no known owner.

The Brand Committee has hired Nebraska Interactive, the state's computer application and web designer to develop a web-based bookkeeping software aimed at correcting many of those bookkeeping issues. Committee members also have updated policies and plan to ask the Legislature this year to update state statutes, including allowing the board to hold meetings via conference call.

Bunce praised the committees efforts and said conversations are ongoing about how to best roll out the new software this summer and make Nebraska a leader in the technology of brand recording.

One of the things the state and the agency should be very proud of is the intent to build this from the very best platform we can, he said. Everyone is playing with their cards face up.

Nebraska Interactive is charging 6 cents for every head of cattle the Brand Committee inspects. In fiscal 2014-15, it inspected 3.43 million.

Brand Committee board member Jaclyn Wilson said Bunce brings business experience, knowledge of brand law and the ability to look at the big picture in planning for the future.

The 60-year-olds resume includes a four-year stint as superintendent of ranch operations for Casper, Wyoming-based True Companies, LLC, eight years working as assistant to the chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network, and eight years as director of agri-business and international marketing for the Wyoming Business Council, as well as management positions at a handful of other organizations in Wyoming, Kansas and Texas.

One experience Bunce lacks is law enforcement, an issue because state statute requires the Brand Committee director to also be its chief law officer.

While Bunce has offered to enroll at the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center, Brand Committee members envision the position as being more administrative and are asking the Legislature to make the law enforcement part of his job description optional.

While Bunce may not need to become certified as a law officer, he does believe the Brand Committee needs to increase its number of officers. There currently are three certified officers who also serve as regional directors for a network of brand inspectors.

I want to be sensitive to not being top heavy or heavy-handed in law enforcement. However, if youre going to be effective in investigations and in working with other agencies on violations and with county attorneys on prosecutions, then you cant spread yourself too thin, he said. Three, in my opinion, is very light, uncomfortably so.

Bunce steps into an office vacated by Shawn Harvey, who the audit accused of having driven a state-owned pickup for personal trips, backdating an employee's disciplinary form and approving the sale of livestock without proof of ownership.

Harvey resigned in August, then was immediately rehired by the Brand Committee with the same $71,000 salary in a newly created position as chief investigator and director of field operations.

Harvey resigned again in November, this time leaving state employment. Wilson said the resignation was Harveys choice.

Bunce's starting salary is $85,000 plus benefits.
BEATRICE -- Last year was big for tourism in Gage County.

The Homestead National Monument had its second highest annual attendance in 2016, with 87,754 visitors.

Mark Engler, Homestead Superintendent, said thats an 11 percent increase over 2015, and second only to 2012, which was the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Homestead Act.

From a visitation standpoint this was a very good year and really strong visitation through not only summer, but really in the shoulder seasons as well, Engler said.

The Homestead National Monument is a National Park Service site dedicated to the Homestead Act of 1862, which helped settle the west by giving away free land to settlers.

Engler speculated a variety of factors contributed to the large turnout in 2016, including the centennial celebration of the National Park Service.

Another key factor is that the Homestead was featured on a quarter released in 2015. Engler said the quarter release has greatly enhanced awareness of the Homestead.

Additionally, Engler speculated that low gas prices also likely contributed to the high turnout.

While 2016 was a strong year, Engler wouldnt be surprised if 2017 is even better, driven by statewide celebrations for Nebraskas 150th anniversary as a state and continued awareness from the Homestead quarter.

The single largest event is expected to be the total solar eclipse in August, which will draw people from other states and countries to view the rare event.

Were already seeing traffic and visitation tied to that event, Engler said. People from great distances have already been here to see and evaluate us as a place to experience the eclipse.
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.
A 37-year-old North Platte man killed himself after being chased by authorities Sunday afternoon, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.

A North Platte resident called 911 at 1:31 p.m. after seeing Robert F. Mills crossing the Buffalo Bill Viaduct. The sheriff's office said the resident knew Mills had a felony warrant out for his arrest.

North Platte police found Mills walking in the area and tried to contact him, but the sheriff's office said he ran into a neighborhood carrying a handgun.

Mills ran into an alley between Front and West Sixth streets, where, police said, he shot himself.

Mills' death will be investigated by a grand jury, as required by state law whenever someone dies in custody or while being apprehended.

According to court records, Mills was supposed to be sentenced in December on charges of third-degree sexual assault, child abuse and being a habitual criminal.

A warrant was issued after he failed to show up for his sentencing hearing on Dec. 19, court records say.
On 3-5 October 2017 Kyiv is going to host the Space and Future Forum to network international experts and youth, many of whom will also participate at the first CosmoHack in the world. Joinfo provides media coverage of the Forum, and some of its topics were already discussed ...
Pakistan has many varieties of minerals like Peridot, Aquamarine, Topaz in different colors of violet, pink, golden and champagne, Ruby, Emerald, rare-earth minerals Bastnaesite and Xenotime, Sphene, Tourmaline, Quartz. The vast gemstone ore reserves can make the country a major player in the mineral world market, Joinfo.com reports with reference to Dunya News.

The northern and northwestern parts of the country are shrouded by the three world-famous mountain ranges called Hindukush, Himalaya, and Karakorum, where nearly all the minerals Pakistan is currently offering to the world market have been found.

Official sources told the edition that seven out of 25 precious and semiprecious stones and mineral specimens were intermittently exploited and marketed all over the world.

These are Emerald of Swat, Rubies of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Hunza-Ishkoman, Gilgit, Pink-Topaz of Katlang-Mardan, Aquamarine and Tourmaline of Gilgit and Chitral, Peridot of Kohistan and Pargasite of Hunza, they said.

According to the edition, the Pakistani government should attract investors which will finance scientific mining, cutting and polishing of the stones, adding value to the gemstones from the known localities, and exploring new locations.

Highlighting specifications of the Ruby of Kashmir, Hunza and Gilgit, the sources informed that it was transparent to translucent and brownish pink to pinkish-red and deep red in color.

The Ruby of Hunza and Gilgit have a slight touch of pinkish hue. The main ruby deposits occur in a dolomitic marble belt spanning over 100 kilometers from Hunza valley to Ishkoman, close to the main Karakorum thrust.

See also: Hunza Valley called an oasis of youth as local people live for 110-120 years.

The best known deposits of Emerald are located at Mingora, Malakand Division, 160 kilometers northeast of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They said gem quality tourmaline was found in the Kohistan magmatic arc Zone-6 at Haraosh near Gilgit, Stak Nala between Gilgit and Skardu, Bulecli and Shingus in Gilgit division and Garm Chashma in Chitral.

Tourmaline at Haraosh is discovered in pink, blue, and green varieties, whereas the Stak Nala is now famous for bicolour and tricolour tourmaline.

Gem quality tourmaline also occurs at Buleclhi and Shingus, Gilgit, they said adding that blue tourmaline was found in pegmatite of Garm Chashma (Chitral). Green tourmaline has also been found in pegmatites of Donga Nar in Azad Kashmir.

Thus, Pakistan can become a great hub of the gemstone industry provided it takes a few essential steps to enhance the exploration of resources and growth of gemstone business.

It should be recalled that Australian scientists created diamond thats harder than diamond.
The plane crashed at 7:31 am local time (GMT+6) in the village of Dacha-Suu near the Manas International Airport 25 km from the capital Bishkek, according to the local outlet AKIpress.

Flight TK6491 of Turkish Airlines was supposed to stop at Manas en route to Istanbul, Turkey.

Minister of Health of Kyrgyzstan Talantbek Batyraliyev said 35 people were killed in the plane crash, including 31 residents and 4 crew members. 6 other people were injured, he said.

At least 15 buildings were destroyed in the village.

14 ambulance crews, including 56 doctors and psychologists, are working at the crash scene.

January 17 was declared a day of national mourning for the victims of the plane crash.


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
Obstruction of the lumen of a bronchiole by mucoid exudate, goblet cell metaplasia, and epithelial basement membrane thickening in a person with asthma. Credit: Yale Rosen/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 2.0

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 33 percent of adults recently diagnosed with asthma by their physicians did not have active asthma. Over 90 percent of these patients were able to stop their asthma medications and remain safely off medication for one year.

"It's impossible to say how many of these patients were originally misdiagnosed with asthma, and how many have asthma that is no longer active," said lead author of the study Dr. Shawn Aaron, senior scientist and respirologist at The Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa. "What we do know is that they were all able to stop taking medication that they didn't need - medication that is expensive and can have side effects." Eighty percent of the participants who did not have asthma had been taking asthma medication, and 35 percent took it daily.

The study also found that doctors often did not order the tests needed to confirm an asthma diagnosis. Instead they based their diagnosis solely on the patient's symptoms and their own observations.

"Doctors wouldn't diagnose diabetes without checking blood sugar levels, or a broken bone without ordering an x-ray," said Dr. Aaron. "But for some reason many doctors are not ordering the spirometry tests that can definitely diagnose asthma."

The study looked at 613 randomly selected patients from 10 Canadian cities diagnosed with asthma in the last five years. After a series of detailed breathing tests followed by consultation with a lung specialist, asthma was ruled out in a third of these patients.

The research team was able to access the medical records of 530 of the patients to see how they were originally diagnosed. They found that in 49 percent of these cases, physicians had not ordered the airflow tests required by medical guidelines.

When the patients that were found not to have asthma were re-diagnosed, most had minor conditions like allergies or heartburn, and 28 percent had nothing wrong with them at all. Two percent had serious conditions like pulmonary hypertension or heart disease that had been misdiagnosed as asthma, and went on to receive proper treatment.

"It wasn't a surprise to most patients when we told them they didn't have asthma," said Dr. Aaron. "Some knew all along that their puffer wasn't working, while others were concerned that they might have something more serious. Thankfully, the majority of the conditions were mild and easily treated."

Retired nurse Becky Hollingsworth was diagnosed with asthma two years ago. While participating in this study she learned that her shortness of breath was actually a temporary breathing problem left over from a bout of pneumonia.

"I was delighted we could verify that I did not have asthma," said the 72-year-old grandmother. "Even if it's falsely diagnosed, you still have to deal with the consequences of having a chronic illness. You have to take medication and if you want to take a trip somewhere the insurance can be higher."

This study confirms and expands on the findings of Dr. Aaron's 2008 study which suggested that 30 percent of asthma patients had been misdiagnosed. According to a 2010 Statistics Canada survey, 8.5 percent of Canadians aged 12 and over have been diagnosed with asthma. In many cases asthma is a life-long condition, but sometimes it can become less active or go away entirely.

"We need to educate physicians and the public to get the diagnosis right in the first place," said Dr. Aaron. "Patients who have difficulty breathing should ask their doctor to order a breathing test (spirometry) to determine if they might have asthma or even Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Similarly, if patients think they may have been misdiagnosed with asthma or that they no longer have asthma, they should ask their doctor for a spirometry test. Asthma can be deadly, so patients should never go off their medication without speaking to a doctor first."

Provided by Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Imagine seniors walking around with stylish ear devices that amplify and clarify sound and connect wirelessly to smart phones, tablets, televisions and digital assistants such as Amazon's Alexa or Apple's Siri.

That day is coming, sooner than you may think.

Technology is already moving in this direction, and consumer marketers such as Samsung, Bose Corp., and Panasonic Corp. are reportedly readying new products of this kind.

They'll be sold over the counter, to customers who will test their own hearing with cell phone apps or online programs and adjust sound parameters themselves.

The devices "will be widely used by older people," just as earbuds are used by younger people today, predicted Richard Einhorn, a well-known composer who serves on the board of the Hearing Loss Association of America, a consumer group.

Recognizing market forces, the Food and Drug Administration is mobilizing. In December, Dr. Robert Califf, the FDA's commissioner, said the agency planned to take "steps necessary to propose to modify our regulations to create a category of [over-the-counter] hearing aids."

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission announced plans for a major meeting on hearing health care in April. That agency played an important role in ensuring that consumers get copies of eyeglass prescriptions so they could shop around for good deals. For the most part, that doesn't happen with hearing aids today.

Whether agency priorities will change under the new Trump administration isn't certain. But technology is developing rapidly under any circumstances.

Older adults with mild to moderate hearing loss, including aging baby boomers, are expected to be a prime market for a new generation of products marrying hearing aid and consumer electronics hearable technologies.

More than 40 percent of people over the age of 60 have some degree of hearing loss, mostly mild to moderate; that rises to 80 percent of people older than 80.

Yet only 20 percent of those with some degree of impairment use hearing aids because of their high cost (an average $4,700 per pair), the lack of insurance coverage (traditional Medicare doesn't pay for hearing aids), stigma, denial and difficulty navigating the hearing health system.

Hoping to expand access, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology came out in favor of low cost, over-the-counter hearing devices in October 2015. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine seconded that recommendation in a major report on hearing health care published in June.

Both organizations cite a growing body of research linked hearing loss to cognitive decline, depression, the onset of dementia, falls, poor physical functioning and social isolation. The longer people delay seeking help, research suggests, the more at risk they become.

Several recent developments are of note as consumer electronics companies, hearing aid manufacturers, audiologists, physicians, consumer advocates and regulators prepare for a surge of new hearing devices and changes in the hearing health care system:

REMOVING BARRIERS

For 40 years, the FDA has required that adults be examined by a doctor before purchasing a hearing aid or sign a waiver noting that they didn't want to take this step. Last month, the agency eliminated that requirement for people over the age of 18.

The National Academies of Sciences' expert panel on hearing health had noted that the rule "provides no clinically meaningful benefit" and could discourage people from seeking care. Instead of seeing a physician, adults signed the waiver 60 to 95 percent of the time.

Still, limits on access to hearing aids exist: All states restrict distribution of these devices to certified audiologists, physicians and device specialists. And some states still require medical evaluations.

PROPOSED LEGISLATION

Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said last month that they would soon introduce new legislation endorsing over-the-counter hearing aids, sold without those restrictions.

The goal is to increase competition, lower costs and expand access to devices for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, Grassley said in a prepared statement.

Currently, six companies control nearly 98 percent of the hearing aid market in the U.S., contributing to high prices. Nearly two-thirds of people with severe hearing loss - many of them elderly - report being unable to afford the devices. The cost is generally "bundled" with professional fees for evaluation, fitting and follow-up care.

Organizations representing hearing professionals are deeply divided.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, an organization representing audiologists and speech-language pathologists, doesn't believe consumers can adequately self-diagnose hearing problems and opposes over-the-counter devices.

The American Academy of Audiology, which represents more than 12,000 audiologists, believes professionals should evaluate hearing loss but is taking a "wait and see stance" until the FDA proposes a regulatory framework, its president, Ian Windmill, said.

Another audiologist group, the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, believes the benefits of expanded access to hearing devices outweigh the risks and supports over-the-counter products.

The senators plan to introduce their legislation, which asks the FDA to issue regulations ensuring the safety and effectiveness of these devices, in this new congressional session.

"Administrations shift and legal challenges occur," Grassley said in a statement, adding that getting the law on the books would ensure needed "certainty going forward."

CREATING STANDARDS

One area of considerable confusion is the distinction between hearing aids and personal sound amplification products, known as PSAPs.

This is a wide category of products, ranging from cheap devices that help amplify sound to sophisticated devices that resemble hearing aids in all but their name. In some cases, companies are marketing the exact same device as a hearing aid and a PSAP, sold at different prices.

In 2009, the FDA drew a distinction between PSAPs and hearing aids based on their "intended use." PSAPs were considered unregulated consumer electronics products for people with normal hearing who wanted to hear more sharply - for instance, during bird watching. Hearing aids were regulated and considered medical devices meant for people with hearing impairment.

But technological advances have brought the two categories closer. And it's well understood that people with hearing loss are using PSAPs as a cheaper alternative to hearing aids.

Going forward, Stephanie Czuhajewski, executive director of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, believes higher-end PSAPs will become over-the-counter hearing aids.

In the meantime, the Consumer Technology Association has prepared standards for PSAPs meant to make it easier for consumers to understand what they're buying. The standards, which address issues such as maximum output, peak output and sound distortion, and are under review at the American National Standards Institute and could be published as early as next month.

"The intent is to provide a 'Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval' for PSAPs," said Mead Killion, an audiologist who founded Etymotic Research, Inc., an Illinois company that manufactures hearing devices. Currently, there is no easy, standardized way to compare these devices.

2017 Kaiser Health News

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Credit: Petr Kratochvil/public domain

The average anesthesiologist, emergency physician, pathologist and radiologist charge more than four times what Medicare pays for similar services, often leaving privately-insured consumers stuck with surprise medical bills that are much higher than they anticipated, new research in JAMA suggests.

The problem is that most patients do not actually choose these doctors with the highest markups, allowing them no opportunity to anticipate how high their bills will be, say the researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.

After anesthesiologists (charging six times what Medicare pays), interventional radiologists (4.5 times), emergency medicine doctors (four times), pathologists (four times), neurosurgeons (four times) and diagnostic radiologists (3.8 times) have the highest markups. Those specialties with the lowest markups are internists, psychiatrists, and family doctorsphysicians with whom patients have the most interactions and whom they are most likely to actually choose.

These high charges affect not only the uninsured, but also the well-insured when they see physicians out of their insurer's network. While most people expect to pay more when they choose to go to an out-of-network physician, they are often surprised to be charged four-to-six times more when they are referred to a specialist, see a doctor as part of a medical emergency, or when an out-of-network physician is practicing in an in-network facility. Many times, it is an emergency situation and an out-of-network provider cannot be avoided.

The findings, published Jan. 17, suggest that patients should be vigilant in choosing doctors that are in their network whenever possible, and policymakers should find ways to protect patients from ending up with surprise medical bills.

"The doctors with the highest markups are often the ones that patients don't actually choose," says the study's senior author Gerard F. Anderson, PhD, a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg School. "Many people are shocked two weeks or two months later when they get a bill from a doctor they didn't really meet and no one told them what the exam would cost and later they discover the price is outrageous. But this is happening all the time."

Ge Bai, PhD, CPA, an assistant professor of accounting at the Carey Business School, and Anderson analyzed the 2014 Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, comparing physician charges to Medicare rates across medical specialties. The data set included more than 400,000 individual physicians in the United States.

Overall, the researchers found, the average physician charged roughly 2.5 times what Medicare pays for the same service. While the Medicare program determines what Medicare pays for certain services, out-of-network patientsalong with the uninsured, and casualty and worker's compensation insurersoften pay the full charge, which can be as much as two to six times what Medicare and most privately insured in-network insurers will pay.

There are also regional differences in excess charges. Doctors in Wisconsin, for example, have almost twice the markups of doctors in Michigan (3.8 vs. two).

Among the 10,730 physicians whose markups were among the top 2.5 percent of all physicians, 55 percent of them were anesthesiologists, and 32 percent of them were in 10 regions: Manhattan (NY), Houston (TX), East Long Island (NY), Dallas (TX), Milwaukee (WI), Atlanta (GA), Camden (NJ), Los Angeles (CA), Newark (NJ) and Charlotte (NC).

"Protecting patients from surprise medical bills from out-of-network physicians is an important issue in the ongoing national debate about the affordability of health care," Bai says. "It is particularly frustrating for patients who deliberately select an in-network hospital and an in-network physician only to learn that one of their physicians was out of network long after the care was delivered."

Anderson and Bai say Congress should take steps to require physicians to disclose their network status to each patient before delivering the service and improve price transparency by posting out-of-network prices. Disclosure alone, however, won't solve the problem entirely as sometimes it is not an option for patients in an emergency situation or who are too frail to make decisions.

States are beginning to act. In 2015, New York State enacted a law restricting the amount that out-of-network physicians could charge a patient. Eleven other states have limited the amount that can be charged by out-of-network physicians, but most of the rules apply mainly to emergency care. Anderson says the New York law could serve as a model for reducing excessive surprise medical bills.

"Variation in the Ratio of Physician Charges to Medicare Payments by Specialty and Geographic Region" was written by Ge Bai and Gerard F. Anderson.

Provided by Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Credit: University of Bristol

New guidelines have been developed that it is hoped will help to progress research into vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) following a study led by academics at the University of Bristol that brought together the views of over 150 researchers in 27 countries.

VCI refers to a decline in mental abilities, such as memory, thinking and planning, caused by problems with the blood supply to the brain. Vascular dementia, which is perhaps a more familiar term to most people, is recognised as a severe form of VCI. VCI is the second most common cause of dementia and gradual memory loss after Alzheimer's disease. Like Alzheimer's disease it does not have a cure and together both conditions contribute to the largest cause of death in England and Wales according to recent reports.

The Bristol team, led by Pat Kehoe, Gestetner Professor of Translational Dementia Research and Joint Head of the Dementia Research Group in the School of Clinical Sciences, invited researchers from around the world to participate in a project called the Vascular Impairment of Cognition Classification Consensus Study (VICCCS), which is funded by the Alzheimer's Society.

The international consortium has published their findings on what was agreed as a revised conceptual model of VCI and what should be considered to be its various subtypes. This new concept has built upon some key elements from sets of criteria that have been previously proposed but adopted to varying degrees. This lack of widespread adoption of any single criteria before now has proved to be a major stumbling block towards any progress in VCI research.

Professor Pat Kehoe, Chief Investigator for the study, said: "It may seem somewhat simplistic to some people that this study has been to get people to agree on how to view and name conditions that affects as many as 100,000 people in the UK alone.

"However, more than 20 years of research has been significantly hampered because numerous studies looked at this complicated group of related conditions in a large number of ways and under numerous different names. This has made the interpretation of any findings with other studies extremely difficult. For the field to move forward, and for us to successfully test potential therapies, there is a need for much greater clarity so that studies can be designed appropriately and meet with the latest requirements from regulatory bodies."

The project made use of an online consensus-building technique that uses recurring surveys, known as the Delphi method. The study was conducted in two parts and identified and addressed issues from the last two decades that have obstructed the progression of VCI research, which lags noticeably behind that of Alzheimer's disease.

Firstly, the surveys addressed what should be the guiding principles in defining a modern and workable concept of VCI and secondly, how the diagnosis of these conditions can be made in a more standardised way across the world. These surveys addressed issues and came up with consensus agreements in a step-by-step repetitive method that involved six phases of surveys over approximately two years.

Dr Olivia Skrobot, Research Associate in the School of Clinical Sciences, who coordinated the study, added: "This study was designed as a means to overcome the historical barriers to advance this area of research. The involvement of so many international researchers will, we hope, promote a new level of collaboration and togetherness and encourage significant progress for VCI research."

Dr Doug Brown, Director of Research and Development at Alzheimer's Society said: "Alzheimer's Society is thrilled to have funded this research as these guidelines will provide essential help to streamline research into vascular dementia. Historically, research in this area has lagged behind researchers' knowledge of Alzheimer's disease, despite vascular dementia being the second most common cause of the condition."

"Research relies on collaboration between experts in order to pool knowledge to further our understanding of the causes of health conditions and how to treat them. This research will allow us to work from the same understanding and criteria which will significantly speed up research in this vital area. As dementia is now the biggest killer in the UK, we need to bring researchers closer together to bring much-needed help to people with this condition as quickly as possible."

The paper, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, describes the results of the first part of VICCCS, and the researchers hope the revised model of VCI will be widely adopted by the field. The team is currently preparing the second part of their findings from the study for publication, where challenges around diagnostic approaches and lack of standardisation have been addressed.

The aim of this part of the study is to provide guidelines to enable clearer diagnosis and also to simplify the eligibility for people to take part in specific research studies on VCI that have been relatively less common than other types of dementia and cognitive impairment.

More information: Olivia A. Skrobot et al. The Vascular Impairment of Cognition Classification Consensus Study, Alzheimer's & Dementia (2016). Olivia A. Skrobot et al. The Vascular Impairment of Cognition Classification Consensus Study,(2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.10.007
HIV infecting a human cell. Credit: NIH

The antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV infection might inadvertently be boosting gay/bisexual men's susceptibility to the bacteria responsible for syphilis, Treponema pallidum, conclude researchers in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.

This might explain why new and repeat cases in these groups have risen so sharply compared with other sexually transmitted infections over the past decade, they suggest.

The availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of HIV infection has meant that HIV is no longer the automatic death sentence that it once was. The absence of the fear factor is thought to have prompted higher rates of sexually transmitted infections as a result of risky, unprotected sex.

But it's not clear why rates of syphilis among gay/bisexual men should be so much higher than those of chlamydia or gonorrhoea, especially as HAART boosts immune system activity, and so would be expected to lower susceptibility to infections, say the Canadian and South African researchers.

They therefore reviewed the available evidence on the impact of HAART on behavioural and immune system change to come up with a numerical analysis to explore which might affect the prevalence of the infection the most. They used two risk 'models' to test the likelihood of syphilis infection: one (lower risk) which compared HAART with no treatment in an HIV positive partner; and the other (higher risk) which compared existing infection with no infection in a partner who was either HIV negative or positive.

Behaviour change was taken to mean that HAART would result in more sexual partners; and immune system changes were taken to mean that HAART would boost susceptibility to Treponema pallidum.

The calculations showed that either factor could produce outbreaks of syphilis that would be substantially higher than expected, but that both factors combined produced a peak in the number of infections that was greater than that associated with either factor aloneand equivalent to the sorts of figures seen in the current outbreak.

This suggests that there's an interplay between behavioural change and immune system changes, say the researchers, who offer a possible explanation for a biological effect on the immune system.

The body's clearance of T pallidum relies on an increase in the number of an immune system cell called a T cell and a cascade of chemicals that stimulate an inflammatory response. HAART dampens down these activities. Clearance of chlamydia and gonorrhoea is less reliant on these processes, say the researchers.

The researchers also refer to other relevant associations, such as the increased risk of certain types of cancer that have been linked to HAART.

"Overall, these findings suggest a possible link between HAART and an increased risk for selected diseases of infectious and non-infectious origin, a potential unforeseen consequence that warrants further study," they write.

In a linked editorial, Drs Susan Tuddenham, Maunank Shah, and Khalil Ghanem from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, caution that the rise in syphilis cases may simply reflect inadequate screening for chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

They also point to previous outbreaks of syphilis in straight men and women in the 1980s and 1990s before the advent of HAART.

Similarly, they suggest that the calculations used by the researchers don't take account of the complexities of sexual relationships, such as relationship length or the number of concurrent partners, or decreased use of condoms in long term relationships, all of which might influence infection risk.

But despite these caveats, they describe the researchers' hypothesis as "intriguing," and one that "warrants careful consideration."

They continue: "We are living in an era where [antiretroviral therapy] is being used to effectively treat and prevent HIV infection. To some extent this seems to have tempered the urgency to control other [sexually transmitted infections]. As history has shown many times over, that would be a costly mistake."

And they conclude: "Over the past 15 years, syphilis rates among [men who have sex with men] have been rising unabated. We are not aware of any recent intervention that has led to a sustained decline in [these rates] in this population.

"If further investigations support a role for [antiretroviral therapy] in increasing susceptibility to syphilis, this will provide one more reason why screening, diagnosis and treatment of [sexually transmitted infections] in [men who have sex with men] must be prioritised."

More information: A double edged sword: does highly active antiretroviral therapy contribute to syphilis incidence by impairing immunity to Treponema pallidum? Sexually Transmitted Infections, sti.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136  sextrans-2016-052870 A double edged sword: does highly active antiretroviral therapy contribute to syphilis incidence by impairing immunity to Treponema pallidum? Editorial: Syphilis and HIV: is HAART at the heart of this epidemic? Sexually Transmitted Infections, sti.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136  sextrans-2016-052940 Journal information: Sexually Transmitted Infections
(HealthDay)The interaction between antibiotics and human growth and obesity is explored in a historical perspective piece published in the Jan. 17 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Scott H. Podolsky, M.D., from Harvard Medical School in Boston, addresses the recently published idea that antibiotics may have contributed to the rising obesity epidemic.

Podolsky notes that efforts to examine the correlation between antibiotics and human weight gain go back many years, with research in the 1950s exploring the role of antibiotics as beneficial for human nutrition. However, early studies showed that antibiotics did not serve as useful, nonspecific growth promoters for humans. A more complicated picture was presented in subsequent decades, against the backdrop of rising concerns over antibiotic resistance. Since the 1910s, scientists have examined the role of intestinal microflora in human health. As increasing resources and more sophisticated tools were devoted to understanding the microbiome by the 2000s, attention was turned to the role of antibiotics and intestinal microflora in the obesity epidemic. Easy answers relating to antibiotics and probiotics have given way to an understanding of the complexity of human growth.

"If the clinical significance of a potential association between antibiotics and obesity simply adds another reason to delimit inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, then no one seems to be arguing with the implications," Podolsky writes.

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Researchers have uncovered the key risk factors most likely to send Chinese Australians to hospital with cardiovascular disease. Credit: Creative Commons

Diabetes, smoking and physical inactivity have been uncovered as the key cardiovascular disease risk factors for Chinese Australians according to important new research from the largest ongoing study of healthy ageing in Australia, the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study.

Researchers from the School of Public Health and the School of Nursing at the University of Sydney undertook the first comprehensive examination of cardiovascular disease (such as a heart disease or stroke) risk factors in Chinese, mixed Chinese and non-Chinese Australians by studying 266,696 men and women in NSW aged over 45, who are part of the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study.

The results were published in the latest edition of the International Journal of Cardiology.

"Heart disease is the single biggest killer in Australia and we have identified the major risk factors in the Chinese Australian community - diabetes, smoking and physical inactivity," said Dr Melody Ding, the paper's senior author and a Senior Research Fellow at School of Public Health at the University of Sydney.

"When it comes to major cardiovascular risk factors, Chinese Australians have a 25% higher prevalence of diabetes, a 22% higher prevalence of smoking and a 45% higher prevalence of physical inactivity than non-Chinese Australians. Now that we have a better understanding of the unique risk profile of Chinese Australians, decision makers and advocates can begin to develop targeted, culturally specific programs to educate the community about cardiovascular disease and the key risk factors in their community."

Dr Ding said that the study's focus on a third category of "mixed Chinese", those with one parent of Chinese ancestry and one parent of different ancestry, had also yielded intriguing results, with mixed Chinese having higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease and higher risk of CVD than Chinese Australians.

"Our study suggests that mixed race Chinese have a distinctive risk profile that sits between Chinese Australians and non-Chinese Australians. To date, nearly all health studies identify participants by a single ethnicity, but as mixed-race marriages and the proportion of the population with more than one ancestry backgrounds increases, there is a stronger-than-ever need for researchers to study and understand mixed race Australians."

Doctor Martin McNamara, Head of Research Assets at the Sax Institute, said these findings demonstrated the value of large-scale, longitudinal studies like the 45 and Up Study to investigate big questions on public health and to get faster answers that are useful for policy makers.

"This research provides important information as to the risk factors for Chinese Australians and will provide real insights to Government, health agencies and the community as they seek to tackle the biggest killer in Australia - heart disease," said Dr McNamara. "To help answer the big public health questions like this you need to rely on robust data from large-scale studies - that's why the 45 and Up Study is an invaluable tool for researchers and decision makers right across Australia."

CEO of the Heart Foundation NSW Kerry Doyle said that in recognition of this issue the Heart Foundation had been working with the Chinese media and the Chinese Australian Services Society to raise awareness of heart disease risk over the past three years.

"This research will allow us to be more targeted in our approach so we can tailor our awareness activities to address specific lifestyle aspects that are strong contributors to heart disease risk in Chinese Australians," she said.

More information: Kai Jin et al, Marked differences in cardiovascular risk profiles in middle-aged and older Chinese residents: Evidence from a large Australian cohort, International Journal of Cardiology (2017). Journal information: International Journal of Cardiology Kai Jin et al, Marked differences in cardiovascular risk profiles in middle-aged and older Chinese residents: Evidence from a large Australian cohort,(2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2016.11.062
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have made exciting new findings that could offer a means of fighting resistance to treatment for people with oesophageal cancer. Resistance to radiotherapy is a major stumbling block in the treatment of this cancer.

For the first time, the research team led by Dr Stephen Maher, Ussher Assistant Professor in Translational Oncology at Trinity, have discovered that a molecule lost from cancer stem cells, called miR-17, is important in driving oesophageal tumour resistance to radiotherapy.

The team of scientists, which incorporated specialists from Trinity, St. James's Hospital Dublin, the Coombe Women and Infant's University Hospital and the University of Hull in the UK, demonstrated that populations of tumour cells that had higher numbers of cancer stem cells formed larger, more aggressive tumours. They also demonstrated that the cancer stem cells were more resistant to radiation-induced cell death.

The findings from this ground breaking research were recently published in the international peer-reviewed journal Oncotarget.

Many oesophageal cancer patients receive radiotherapy and chemotherapy to shrink their tumour prior to surgery and this forms a key part of their treatment. Unfortunately, while a subset of patients have excellent responses to treatment, the majority of patients are actually resistant to various degrees, and are subjected to treatment side effects and an unnecessary delay to surgery, which can worsen their overall prognosis. To date there hasn't been a way to test which patients will respond well to radiotherapy or to reduce resistance to radiotherapy.

Cancer stem cells are a tiny population of tumour cells that exist inside most tumours, and acquire some of the features of normal stem cells. Normal stem cells are unspecialised cells that can be characterised by the ability to change into mature, specialised cells, like the normal cells that make up the normal oesophagus. When normal tissues are damaged, through injury for example, stem cells in the local environment, help to repopulate and rebuild the normal tissue. However, in a tumour, cancer stem-like cells, the tumour cells that have acquired stem cell-like abilities, are able to drive and maintain the growth of tumours and repopulate the tumours following the damage caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

"This work is extremely important in understanding why tumours are inherently resistant to radiotherapy, and how they can acquire resistance. Our findings strongly suggest that it is the cancer stem cell population that we need to destroy if treatment is going to be effective in our oesophageal cancer patients", said Dr Maher.

"Up until recently cancer stem cells were largely considered hypothetical, as there were no clear ways to identify and isolate them. In this study we spent a tremendous effort in identifying tumour cells that had biological markers normally characteristic of stem cells. Once we had identified these stem-like tumour cells, we isolated them and started to pick apart their biology", continued Dr Maher.

The work, predominantly performed by Dr Niamh Lynam-Lennon, an Irish Research Council-funded Senior Research Fellow with Trinity's Department of Surgery, showed that the population of cancer stem cells could be further broken down into smaller groups, which had distinct radiation sensitivity profiles. Further genetic analysis revealed that the levels of a powerful gene-regulating molecule, called miR-17, were particularly low in the cancer stem cells that were most resistant to radiation. In patient samples, miR-17 was found to be much lower in the tumours of patients who did not respond to treatment.

"Interestingly, in the lab we found that if we put a synthetic version of miR-17 into the resistant cells they became more sensitive to radiation. Going forward, we could use synthetic miR-17 as an addition to radiotherapy to enhance its effectiveness in patients - this is a real possibility as a number of other synthetic miR-molecules are currently in clinical trials for treating other diseases", said Dr Lynam-Lennon.

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma, a cancer of the food-pipe, is a major problem in Ireland, the UK and the rest of the western world. Its incidence has increased by 600% over the past three decades, representing the largest increase in incidence of any disease of any kind over the same time period, and rates are projected to continue increasing over the next 20 years.

More information: Niamh Lynam-Lennon et al, MicroRNA-17 is downregulated in esophageal adenocarcinoma cancer stem-like cells and promotes a radioresistant phenotype, Oncotarget (2016). Journal information: Oncotarget Niamh Lynam-Lennon et al, MicroRNA-17 is downregulated in esophageal adenocarcinoma cancer stem-like cells and promotes a radioresistant phenotype,(2016). DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13940
Earlier this year, Dr. Jason Dranove had a mastectomy to prevent breast cancer.

Yes, you read that right.

It's rare, but males can develop breast cancer and have surgery to remove breast tissue.

Dranove, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Levine Children's Hospital, chose to have the operation after a medical discovery unfolded in his father's family. It began when his uncle in New Jersey was diagnosed with breast cancer and, a year later, with pancreatic cancer.

That unusual combination of cancers led another uncle in Chicago to begin asking questions. And that led to the realization that the cancers could be related to a genetic mutation in the family.

"It's very odd to see breast cancer in a male," Dranove said, "but it's pretty weird to see two cancers like that in the same person."

After having a genetic test, the New Jersey uncle learned he was, indeed, positive for a mutation in the BRCA1 gene that is known to increase the risk of breast cancer and several other cancers in both women and men. Because he was positive, it meant his brothers - Dranove's father and the Chicago uncle - each had a 50-50 chance of having inherited the mutation as well.

The brothers had to decide whether to be tested. Dranove encouraged his father to do it by explaining the potential effects on his children and grandchildren.

"You have a daughter, and now I have a daughter," Dranove said. "....If you get tested and you're negative, none of us have to get tested. And we don't have to worry about this....If you don't get tested, that means all of us have to get tested."

His father's test in 2013 turned out positive for the mutation. That meant Dranove and his brother and sister each had a 50 percent chance of having the mutation too.

Before he decided whether to be tested, Dranove met with genetic counselor Stacy Lenarcic, a colleague at Carolinas HealthCare System, in February 2015.

Through her, he learned that the increased risk of cancer due to a BRCA mutation is low for men, but for a woman, "it can be catastrophic," he said. He was worried about his daughter, now 2.

For an average man, the chance of getting breast cancer is less than 1 percent; with a BRCA mutation, it goes up to 10 percent over a lifetime. For the average woman, the chance of getting breast cancer is 12 percent; but with a BRCA mutation, it goes up to 87 percent.

When Dranove and his siblings finally had the test, Dranove was the only one who turned up positive.

He went back with his wife to speak with Lenarcic, who explained the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. They advise men with BRCA mutations to be watchful about potential cancer by performing regular self-breast exams and having breast exams by a doctor regularly. Lenarcic also recommended that he visit a cancer surgeon to talk about that option.

After being examined by Dr. Richard White, a surgical oncologist with Carolinas HealthCare, Dranove decided to have a mammogram, a screening test that is usually associated with women 40 and over.

"I was a little bit surprised at how painful it was," said Dranove, acknowledging what women have known for decades about the machines that compress breast tissue.

The mammogram showed Dranove had more breast tissue on one side than the other, but didn't show anything suspicious. Still, partly because of that extra breast tissue, he decided to have a mastectomy, just to prevent a cancer from growing.

"We knew that the chances are low that anything bad was ever going to happen to me," he said. "But it just seemed very silly to not do it....There's no reason to take a chance when you have something that could potentially be close to 100 percent preventable."

White, who performed the surgery on April 22 at Carolinas Medical Center, praised the Dranove family for communicating about their medical history and "doing the right thing" by getting tested and, in Dranove's case, having the mastectomy.

When Dranove's tissue was tested, White discovered that he had an very early stage breast cancer, called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). "If he didn't have the genetic testing and he didn't come to see me now," White said, "likely he would have been in my office later, with a breast cancer. So we avoided all that."

Dranove knows the choice to have a mastectomy was less complicated for a man than a woman "If anything, there are positive cosmetic effects for a man," he said, referring to his flatter, trimmer chest. "....For a woman, it's a major deal."

After his experience, Dranove has been passionate about encouraging other families to talk about their medical histories. Male breast cancer is not a huge problem, he said, but families with histories like his need someone, like his Chicago uncle, who is observant and connecting the dots.

"If I'd just ignored this, my daughter (wouldn't know she has) a 50 percent chance of getting a mutation...," Dranove said. "Now we'll know that she needs to be tested when the time is right.

"People need to advocate for themselves," he added. "Your doctor is not going to pry into your family history. You have to bring these things up, and you have to have an inkling that something may be strange....There are many other inherited disorders that, if you just know about them, you can prevent bad things from happening."

2017 The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(HealthDay)For individuals with type 2 diabetes, anxiety symptoms affect mortality risk, independently of depression symptoms, and attenuate the excess mortality associated with depression, according to a study published online Jan. 11 in Diabetes Care.

Kiyuri Naicker, from the University of Ottawa in Canada, and colleagues used data for 64,177 Norwegian adults from the Nord-Trndelag Health Study with linkage to the Norwegian Causes of Death Registry to examine excess mortality risk associated with symptoms of depression/anxiety comorbid with type 2 diabetes. They examined mortality risk over 18 years, from survey participation in 1995 through 2013.

The researchers identified three clear patterns: for individuals with diabetes, mortality risk increased in the presence of depression, anxiety, or both; mortality risk was lowest for symptoms of anxiety, higher for comorbid depression-anxiety, and highest for depression; and men with diabetes, but not women, had excess mortality risk associated with depression and anxiety. Men with diabetes and symptoms of depression only had the highest risk of death (hazard ratio, 3.47).

"This study provides evidence that symptoms of anxiety affect mortality risk in individuals with type 2 diabetes independently of symptoms of depression in addition to attenuating the relationship between depressive symptoms and mortality in these individuals," the authors write.

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Popular medical dramas such as Grey's Anatomy and Chicago Med often depict the tensions that can arise while making end-of-life medical decisions without "advance directives" on file. Advance directives, or living wills, are the legal documents individuals use to communicate their treatment preferences when faced with serious injuries or illnesses. Following a new study, Colleen Galambos, professor in the University of Missouri School of Social Work, says that more attention to how advance directives are used in nursing homes may reduce unnecessary care and save health care costs, all while respecting residents' wishes.

"In the nursing home setting, some providers use aggressive end-of-life care, even if it is not in a person's best interest or against a resident's wishes," Galambos said. "Evidence suggests that advance directives improve the dying experience for nursing home residents and decrease the cost of end-of-life care while honoring residents' expressed wishes about health care. However, at the national level only 65-70 percent of nursing home residents have advance directives; that number is significantly less here in Missouri."

Galambos and her team analyzed more than 1,800 medical records from St. Louis area nursing homes. Fifty percent of the records contained an advance directive; however, in many cases the forms were difficult to find in the charts, due to inconsistent record keeping. Galambos recommends that providers include a designated section in medical files for advance directives and that they reinforce with staff the importance of checking advance directives.

Galambos further suggests that parents and adult children begin discussions about their wishes for health care, including end-of-life care, as soon as possible, and that the forms be updated on a regular basis as health needs and philosophies of life can change. She says that no family member wants to be in a position to have to guess about what type of care their loved ones want when they are no longer able to communicate their wishes.

"There is no reason for adults not to have an advance directive and most nursing home residents should have an advance directive on file to ensure that they receive the type of end-of-life care they desire," Galambos said. "People can enact an advance directive at age 18, which is a good time to start thinking about what their wishes would be during an emergency."

"Analysis of advance directive documentation to support palliative care activities in nursing homes," recently was published in Health and Social Work, a journal of the National Association of Social Workers. Co-authors for the study were Marilyn Rantz, Curators' Professor of Nursing; Gregory Petroski, biostatistician with the Office of Medical Research; and Julie Starr, nurse practitioner with MU Health.

Galambos recently was selected as a National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Social Work Pioneer of the Year for her contributions to the social work profession. Galambos is the director of the graduate certificate in Gerontological Social Work program. The School of Social Work is part of the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences.
A screenshot of the app. Credit: Penn Medicine

Penn Medicine today launched its first Apple ResearchKit app, focused on patients with sarcoidosis, an inflammatory condition that can affect the lungs, skin, eyes, heart, brain, and other organs. The effort marks Penn's first time using modules from Apple's ResearchKit framework, as part of the institution's focus on mobile health and innovative research strategies.

ResearchKit is an open source software framework designed specifically for medical research that helps doctors and scientists gather data more frequently and more accurately from participants using an iPhone. Since its launch two years ago, valuable data collected from the iPhones of patients with Parkinson's disease, breast cancer, and asthma who opt in to use these applications, has poured into medical centers investigating better ways to study and treat these diseases.

Developed by Misha Rosenbach, MD, an assistant professor of Dermatology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Daniel O'Connor, a fourth-year Penn medical student, in collaboration with Marc Judson, MD, at Albany Medical College as well as the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, the app will deliver informational resources to patients, supplying links to disease information and advocacy groups, and directing them to specialists in their area based on their phone's GPS. Patients will have the ability to opt in to a research study which can provide researchers with a trove of data about this rare disease. Optional, once-a-month surveys will query users about, for example, their symptoms and flare ups, how sarcoidosis affects their lives, and medications. The app will also optionally pull data naturally tracked through sensors on iPhone - from the weather to physical activity - to help the researchers spot any trends.

Among potential queries the technology will allow investigators to explore: When sarcoidosis is flaring, are patients walking fewer steps? Do they miss work? Does their disease flare after a week's worth of sunny days? Does geographic location affect symptoms? Is there a seasonal variability? How quickly do patients respond to treatments?

"There's a great opportunity that has never been done," Rosenbach said. "In traditional research, you can't see patients every day, but in app-based research you can suddenly get all this information about the disease in real-time and over time, from many different patients all over the world. It gives us the power to do sarcoidosis research in a way that has never been done."

One of the biggest challenges in medical research is numbers. Researchers are faced with a shortage of patients for clinical studies. Even in a more common research space like cancer, studies have shown only 3 to 5 percent of patients volunteer to participate. But it's especially hard in rare disease research because of a much smaller pool of patients. Sarcoidosis, which occurs in the lungs for about 90 percent of patients, is diagnosed in anywhere between 10 to 30 out of 100,000 Americans each year. It can affect nearly anyone, but disproportionately affects African Americans, particularly black women.

The new Sarcoidosis Research App. Credit: Penn Medicine

The largest study to date, the ACCESS trial (A Case-Control Etiologic Sarcoidosis Study), enrolled about 800 patients over a three-year period across 20 medical centers in the United States, and still failed to completely answer many critical questions, Rosenbach said.

"This new app has the potential to build up a larger cohort of more diverse patients in a shorter amount of time," he said. "There's a motivated and engaged group of sarcoidosis patients who are active online, but there's a whole host of them out there we don't know about. This app, which can securely, privately, and anonymously collect data, casts a wide net that may engage those people, and funnel valuable, much-needed information to researchers."

The exact cause of sarcoidosis is unclear, but many researchers agree it starts from an immune response to some foreign material trigger, such as an atypical infection. When the body encounters a foreign material that it can't fight off, it builds up a protective wall of inflammatory cells called a granuloma - lumps of cells. In sarcoidosis patients, this production never shuts off - it keeps going and going, resulting in numerous granulomas - that can damage organs, particularly the lungs.

With this project, researchers will determine whether the app is an effective method of studying the disease and collecting quality of life measurements used in today's conventional clinical studies. Survey questions to enrollees can be tweaked throughout the process, if necessary, as new data rolls in or input from health care leaders and the sarcoidosis community emerges.

Data gathered from the app, the researchers said, could impact how tomorrow's clinical studies are designed.

"We're excited about future opportunities to repurpose the app for other rare diseases, as well," O'Connor said. "With a strong app framework in place, 'sarcoidosis' could be swapped out for another disease, allowing wide networks of patients all over the country to participate in Penn studies without traveling to Philadelphia."
A mini-symposium published in the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) provides important insights into new techniques and treatments that show promise for eliminating retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) throughout the world.

ROP is an eye disorder that potentially results in blindness primarily affecting premature infants. This disorder, which usually develops in both eyes, is one of the most common causes of visual loss in childhood and can lead to lifelong vision impairment and blindness. ROP occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow and spread through the retina, potentially leading to retinal detachment and blindness. A revolution in the diagnosis, management, and prevention of ROP has begun contributing to improving the lives of patients suffering from this devastating condition.

In Western countries, more than 90% of premature infants even with severe ROP can expect a favorable outcome, while under-resourced areas lack trained staffing, functional equipment, and even a rudimentary understanding of ROP in its myriad forms. Without less expensive and more accessible treatments, ROP will continue to condemn too many infants to a life of severe visual impairment or blindness.

One proposed solution is the use of telemedicine in areas in which trained examiners are not available. Dr. Michael F. Chiang, MD, of the Departments of Ophthalmology & Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, notes that recent developments in wide-angle retinal imaging, computing, and information technology have facilitated the implementation of major real-world ROP telemedicine programs in the United States and throughout the world.

According to Dr. Chiang, "The nature of ROP care is now being gradually transformed by some of these technologies. By evaluating other emerging imaging technologies, understanding their benefits and limitations, and gradually implementing them into practice when warranted, pediatric ophthalmologists will be able to enhance the care they provide to patients for a broader range of problems in the future."

ROP is traditionally treated using laser ablation of the abnormal blood vessels, but advancements have been made using vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors. Helen A. Mintz-Hittner, MD, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, shares her unique, sometimes controversial work on bevacizumab that has swept the country and changed the way many physicians treat advanced ROP. The treatment shows promise, however, delayed recurrence of ROP after bevacizumab treatments does occur (usually 5-10%). Dr. Mintz-Hittner emphasizes "the need for proper case selection (timing), careful injection (technique), and appropriate long-term follow-up (at least 65 weeks adjusted age) for parameters (outcomes)" to properly manage an ROP infant.

David K. Wallace, MD, MPH, of the Departments of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, contributes a balanced review of several anti-VEGF drugs. He cautions, "we have a long way to go to have an evidence-based paradigm for anti-VEGF treatment. There are many unanswered questions about which drug, what dose, relative benefits, and possible side effects. Consequently, there are many opportunities for high-quality comparative studies that will shape our future treatment of premature infants and aid in reducing the burden of blindness from ROP."

"We are fortunate to have a community of scientists devoted to working on a leading cause of blindness in children," commented Journal of AAPOS Editor-in-Chief William V. Good, MD, The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, CA. "Look how far we have come, thanks to the hard work of so many. It's time to consider the real possibility that this condition can be eliminated. When that happens, we will have achieved nothing short of a miracle."

More information: Michael F. Chiang. Retinopathy of Prematurity, Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (2016). Michael F. Chiang. Retinopathy of Prematurity,(2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2016.10.001 Helen A. Mintz-Hittner. Retinopathy of Prematurity, Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2016.10.002 David K. Wallace. Retinopathy of Prematurity, Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2016.08.013
WIND POINT  The Prairie School, 4050 Lighthouse Drive, welcomed Nineteen Thirteen to campus for a special concert, and question-and-answer session.

Racine native Victor DeLorenzo (Violent Femmes) and cellist Janet Schiff create the duos dynamic sound. As indicated on the groups website, A cello made in Romania in 1913 and a set of drums made in modern day America entertain each other in a haunting melodic dance that suggests mystery, romance and future thought. Original compositions and looping are by Schiff while beat brushes and commentary are by DeLorenzo.

The group came to campus during the first semester as part of The Prairie Schools 2016-17 Visiting Artists Series, an initiative conceived by Jamie Breiwick, instrumental music teacher.

The goal is to bring world-class performers into the classroom to provide students with direct contact to established and emerging innovators and professionals in the Arts, says Breiwick.

In addition to Nineteen Thirteen, the Series has also seen the David Hazeltine Trio and John Raymond & Real Feels visit campus. The Prairie School Music Department is currently establishing the series schedule for second semester.

Local music teachers and educators interested in bringing students to future Visit Artist Series events at The Prairie School are invited to contact Jamie Breiwick at jbreiwick@prairieschool.com for more information.
(HealthDay)Over a decade, there was a nearly fivefold increase in the number of babies born each year to American women who have used opioids, a federal government report says.

There was also a dramatic rise in the number of infants born with a dependency on opioids, the report found. These drugs include heroin and prescription painkillers such as fentanyl, oxycodone (OxyContin) and hydrocodone/acetaminophen (Vicodin).

"It is critical that pregnant women of all ages have access to prevention, treatment and recovery services that meet their specialized needs," said Kana Enomoto, from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

"Programs that provide pregnant women with access to opioid use disorder treatment and reproductive health services can help ensure that these future mothers and their children live healthier, happier, and more productive lives," Enomoto said in an agency news release. SAMHSA prepared the report for U.S. Congress.

Overall, women of childbearing age who were pregnant were less likely to have used an opioid recently (1 percent) compared to non-pregnant women (3 percent), the SAMHSA study found.

Still, even that one percent figure translates to an average of about 21,000 pregnant women using opioids for "non-medical reasons" in the past month, the report's authors said.

Age was a major factor in opioid use during pregnancy. Younger women are significantly more likely to use opioids for non-medical reasons during pregnancy. Those 15-17 had the highest use (2.8 percent), while women between 18 and 25 had the next highest rates (1.5 percent).

In contrast, among pregnant women over 25, only 0.5 percent had used opioids for a non-medical reason in the past month, the report said.

Of the more than 21,000 women who were pregnant when admitted for substance abuse treatment in 2012, 23 percent reported heroin use, while 28 percent reported using a non-heroin opioid.

Special treatment programs for pregnant/postpartum women aren't always easy to find, the study found. In fact, according to SAMHSA, just 13 percent of outpatient-only substance abuse treatment facilities offer programs for pregnant and postpartum women. And 13 percent of residential treatment facilities have such programs, according to 2012 SAMHSA data.

More information: The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse has more on The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse has more on opioids

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
A study led by scientists at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) has identified "a potent inhibitory compound" in the elusive hunt for an improved treatment against glioblastoma, the most common and deadly type of adult brain cancer.

Aurintricarboxylic Acid (ATA) is a chemical compound that in laboratory tests was shown to block the chemical cascade that otherwise allows glioblastoma cells to invade normal brain tissue and resist both chemo and radiation therapy, according to a TGen-led report published today in the scientific journal Oncotarget.

"The findings of this study could represent a breakthrough in our efforts to find an effective long-term treatment against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)," said Dr. Harshil Dhruv, an Assistant Professor in TGen's Cancer and Cell Biology Division, and a lead author of the study.

Initial treatment of glioblastoma consists of surgical removal of the tumor, radiation and chemotherapy using the drug temozolomide (TMZ). However, the proclivity of glioblastoma to invade adjacent brain tissue prevents the surgical removal of all tumor cells. Plus, invasive glioblastoma cells show resistance to TMZ, resulting in the cancer's eventual return and the patient's death, often within a year.

Despite recent advances, the median survival of glioblastoma patients is only 15 months, and survival statistics have not significantly improved over the past three decades. More than 16,000 Americans die each year of brain and other nervous system cancers.

"We simply must find a better way of treating patients with glioblastoma," said Dr. Michael Berens, TGen Deputy Director and one of the study co-authors. "Identifying ATA could bring real hope to these patients by disrupting the cellular pathways that drive glioblastoma and make it such a formidable threat."

Previous TGen-led studies have identified how the binding of molecules TWEAK and Fn14 stimulate glioblastoma cells to migrate, invade and survive in healthy brain tissue. The study published today shows that ATA is an agent that suppresses the TWEAK-Fn14 cellular pathway. In doing so, ATA makes the cancer more vulnerable to drug and radiation therapies.

Importantly, ATA was identified by screening pharmacologically active compounds for their ability to suppress TWEAK-Fn14 signaling. And ATA provides a great starting point to develop a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of GBM.

"These data demonstrate that ATA presents a scaffold structure that could be modified in ways to improve its properties and to develop as a potential therapeutic agent to limit invasion and enhance chemotherapeutic drug efficacy in GBM," said Dr. Nhan Tran, the senior and corresponding author of the study.

St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center and the University of Maryland School of Medicine also contributed to this study.

The scientific paper, Identification of aurintricarboxylic acid as a selective inhibitor of the TWEAK-Fn14 signaling pathway in glioblastoma cells, was funded by The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation, and by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"Step-by-step, TGen studies are drawing every closer to substantial improvements in how we treat glioblastoma," said Catherine (Bracken) Ivy, founder and president of the Arizona-based Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation. "Our aim is to help patients survive longer, and eventually find a cure."

The study outlines goals for future investigations that will focus on identifying specific cellular signatures that indicate vulnerability to ATA, and using the ATA chemical structure to try modifications, which would become drugs to improve GBM therapy.

More information: Identification of aurintricarboxylic acid as a selective inhibitor of the TWEAK-Fn14 signaling pathway in glioblastoma cells, Oncotarget, www.impactjournals.com/oncotar  5&author-preview=bbx Journal information: Oncotarget Identification of aurintricarboxylic acid as a selective inhibitor of the TWEAK-Fn14 signaling pathway in glioblastoma cells,
The scientists also made human retinal photoreceptors derived from induced plouripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to examine the expression of REEP6 in the human retina. Credit: S. Agrawal, R. Chen, M. Cheetham and G. Arno.

Progressive development of night blindness and tunnel vision, sometimes from the early age of 2, are trademarks of retinitis pigmentosa. Being the most common inherited disorder of the retina, retinitis pigmentosa affects nearly 1 in 4,000 people. More than 1 million are visually impaired around the world due to this untreatable disease.

A number of genes have been associated with this condition. Fifty-eight are inherited in a Mendelian autosomal-recessive manner, while a number of genes are passed following an autosomal-dominant or X-linked mode of inheritance. However, these genes do not explain about 40 percent of the cases.

Doctorate student Smriti Agrawal, a co-first author of this study, and her mentor, co-senior author Dr. Rui Chen, associate professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine, together with colleagues from other institutions in the U.K., California and Maryland have found that mutations in REEP6a gene that until now had not been associated with a human diseasecan explain some of the cases that lacked a genetic diagnosis.

This discovery was the result of a long-term collaboration, which began when Agrawal's abstract at the renowned ARVO meeting of vision specialists caught the attention of researchers at University College London, who also study retinitis pigmentosa.

"We had discovered four families affected with this novel REEP6-associated retinitis pigmentosa in our patients and had begun preparing a manuscript when we read the abstract Rui Chen's lab had sent to the 2016 ARVO meeting," said co-senior author Dr. Michael Cheetham, professor of molecular and cell biology in the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London. "When we learned that the Chen lab had a similar family and had developed mouse models with REEP6 mutations, we contacted Chen to discuss joining forces and collaborating."

The collaboration allowed them to extend their search for genes in a larger patient database. The result is the identification of new mutations in REEP6 in seven patients from five independent families with retinitis pigmentosa.

A way to discovery: from the front to the back of the eye

"Both my grandparents have cataracts, a disease resulting from the crystalline lens, located in the front of the eye, becoming opaque," Agrawal said. "This motivated me to study this condition, before joining Dr. Chen's lab. Along the way, I became interested in other eyes diseases. In particular, I was very interested in studying the genetic basis of retinitis pigmentosa, a disease affecting the retina, a thin layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye. The retina is made of many different types of cells that communicate with each other to let us see. In retinitis pigmentosa, a type of light sensing neurons called the rod photoreceptorsrequired for low-light and peripheral vision undergoes progressive degeneration, which eventually leads to severe vision impairment."

"In this disease, the affected rods die early and cause the surrounding cone cells to die, eventually leading to blindness in the most severe cases," said co-first author Dr. Gavin Arno, research associate in the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London."

Although the general characteristics of the different forms of retinitis pigmentosa are similar, they are genetically different. In addition, the manifestation of retinitis pigmentosa can vary significantly among patients. Some experience night blindness from the time they are 2 to 3 years old. However, the majority have symptoms when they are in their early teens; many don't notice the progressive night blindness because they don't drive, yet. The disease progresses to loss of peripheral vision, leading to tunnel vision. Sometimes, the end result is complete blindness. Other times, the patient may retain vision for life but still have decreased visual acuity.

"Understanding the genetics helps us project the natural path of the disease and, for instance, tell a teenager where his or her vision is likely going to be 20 to 30 years from now," Chen said. "Once the rods die, they cannot be replaced, and there is no cure for the disease, yet. We hope that our research also will help us find ways to repair the damaged rods before it is too late."

Bringing REEP6 to the table of retinitis pigmentosa research

The researchers analyzed all of the genes of nearly 600 patients with inherited retinal disease using next-generation sequencing. Seven of the patients with clinically diagnosed retinitis pigmentosaall had tunnel vision and vision loss and were not relatedhad mutations in the same gene, REEP6.

"In all of the families studied, the disease was inherited in an autosomal-recessive manner," said Agrawal. "Each of the parents does not present with the disease, but carries a defective copy of REEP6. The genetic mutations we identified in REEP6 differed among the patients."

To further support the role of REEP6 in retinitis pigmentosa, the scientists carried out a series of experiments in which they overexpressed one of the REEP6 mutations in human cells lines. Then, they looked at whether the mutations affected the REEP6 proteinits stability, function, expression and localization.

"We found that some of the variants cause formation of intracellular inclusion bodies as those seen in patient retinas, suggesting a level of protein instability" Chen said. "The mutant proteins do not fold properly and form aggregates that accumulate inside the cell as inclusion bodies."

The scientists also developed a mouse model in which they studied the disease further.

"We selected one of the human REEP6 mutations and created the same specific point mutation in the mouse equivalent of REEP6 using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing," Agrawal said. "Mice carrying the mutation presented with characteristics equivalent to those found in patients. Our lab is the first to use CRISPR gene editing to create a patient-specific mutation mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa and using it to study disease pathogenesis."

Opening new paths in retinitis pigmentosa research

"We are very excited about discovering a new gene associated with this disease," Chen said. "It can potentially help diagnose retinitis pigmentosa, and the mouse model can help test gene therapies to rescue the defective gene as well as other therapies."

"The new mechanism of disease we have discovered will allow us to study in greater depth how the retina works and maintains its function, and what happens when it goes wrong," Cheetham said.

"I am incredibly thrilled to work on this project," Agrawal said. "We found mutations in a new gene in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. I was amazed that the Reep6 mutant mice recapitulated the characteristics observed in the patients so well. Our work is exciting to me as it demonstrates the power of genetic tools and how we can use them to improve our knowledge of what causes blindness, a devastating condition that affects millions globally. I participated in a very productive international collaboration and I learned a lot along the way."

"It has been a really positive and excellent collaboration between Baylor and UCL and we look forward to working together in the future," Chen and Cheetham said.

The study appears in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

More information: Gavin Arno et al, Mutations in REEP6 Cause Autosomal-Recessive Retinitis Pigmentosa, The American Journal of Human Genetics (2016). Journal information: American Journal of Human Genetics Gavin Arno et al, Mutations in REEP6 Cause Autosomal-Recessive Retinitis Pigmentosa,(2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.10.008
Rudaw, a Kurdish media network, has reported that ISIS is using off-the-shelf commercial drones to drop bombs on its targets.

Brett Sylvia, the US Armys Task Force Strike Commander in Iraq, said the drones are used to drop bombs on Iraqi Security Forces  resulting in indiscriminate killing.

According to Sylvia, the drone bombings have resulted in civilian casualties and equipment damage.

The US Armys Task Force and the Iraqi Forces are fighting the drones and have seen a decline in their use.

Rudaw reported that the armed drones have not been used to deliver chemical weapons.

Photo credit: Mitch Utterback

Now read: Take down drones up to 2km away
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YEREVAN.  The Court of Cassation of Armenia will soon receive yet another appeal to the case into the murder of Avetisyan family in Gyumri.

Attorney Aramazd Kiviryan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that this appeal is being prepared, and it will be sent forwarded to the court by the end of the week.

Earlier, the representative of the legal successors of the aggrieved party, Artur Sakunts, had appealed the Court of Appeal judgment on the murder case at the Court of Cassation.

The appellate court had upheld the lower court decision on this case.

The legal successors of the murdered Avetisyan family are appealing the court decision. One appeal is about compensation for the damages caused. The other appeal is the re-examination of the case, and based on the theory that Valery Permyakov, a serviceman of the 102nd Russian Military Base in Gyumri and who has been found guilty of committing the murder, could not have acted alone.

The murder took place on January 12, 2015. According to the indictment, Permyakov entered the Avetisyan family home on that day, and he killed home residents Aida Avetisyan, Hasmik Avetisyan, Seryozha Avetisyan, Armen Avetisyan, Araksya Poghosyan, and little girl Hasmik Avetisyan. Subsequently, he stabbed 6-month-old Seryozha Avetisyan five times. The baby boy died in the hospital one week later.

Permyakov was apprehended by the Russian border guards near the Armenian-Turkish borderand nearby Bayandur villageon the same night, he was arrested on January 14, and held in custody at the Russian military base.

Armenia and Russia instituted criminal cases on charges of murder and military desertion, respectively.

On August 12, 2015, the Russian court sentenced Permyakov to ten years in prison. And on October 16 of the same year, Armenia formally brought criminal charges against the Russian soldier.

And on August 23, 2016, the Shirak District Court of First Instance found Valery Permyakov guilty of all chargesmurder, robbery, and attempt to cross the Armenian state borderthat were brought against him, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
WATERFORD The Waterford High School District Board also canceled its meeting planned for Monday, Jan. 16, due to the icy road conditions.

The School Board on Monday was to get an update on plans for a $12.2 million referendum that would ask voters whether the district should construct a field house and fitness center addition at the high school located at 100 Field Drive.

The residents will have the opportunity to vote on the referendum on Feb. 21.

The district also cancelled classes and all after-school activities on Monday due to weather conditions.
Azerbaijan has officially confirmed the non-constructiveness of its position with respect to the activities by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Commenting on the situation in connection with the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia, Haqqin.az news agency of Azerbaijan informed that Hikmet Haciyev, head of the press service of the Azerbaijan MFA, confirmed that Baku had blockaded the OSCE budget.

Azerbaijan repeatedly informed the Permanent Council of the OSCE that Baku is concerned by the military and political ambitions of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, stated Haciyev.

The cause for this demarche by Azerbaijan is the implementation of the OSCE demining program.

As long as the [Karabakh] conflict is not settled, Baku does not consider the implementation of such programs to be expedient, noted the Azerbaijan MFA spokesperson. Despite Azerbaijans warnings, the [OSCE] Office in Yerevan continued funding such events and programs.

As reported earlier, the activities of the OSCE Office in Yerevan have temporarily been suspended until consensus is reached on the extension of its mandate.
A statement released by German chairmanship of the OSCE dismissed the claims of official Baku.

The statement delivered by Ambassador Eberhard Pohl at the (Special) Meeting of the Permanent Council in Vienna on December 31, 2016 clearly indicates that the reasons to block extension of the mandate of OSCE Yerevan office that have been named by Azerbaijan are groundless.

The statement reads as follows:

I understand that it was not possible to reach consensus in the Preparatory Committee today on the extension of the mandates of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, the Office in Tajikistan, the Centre in Bishkek, the OSCE observer mission at two Russian checkpoints, nor on the revision of the 2016 Unified Budget. In all these decisions, we are however close to consensus.

The obstacle to reaching consensus on all these decisions today was an activity envisaged by the Office in Yerevan. In the course of our discussions, one delegation raised concerns that a planned activity of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, in the field of humanitarian demining, was not in line with the Missions mandate. Let me inform you that, following the UB negotiations 2016, the German Chairmanship sent Special Representative Bachler to Yerevan to assess the character of the Missions activities. Based on his findings, we came to the conclusion that the activity in question does not fall outside the Missions mandate. However, we took note that concerns persist, and we believe that it is possible to meet these concerns. Together with the incoming Austrian Chairmanship, we have been working to this end.

It is highly regrettable that it has not been possible yet to agree on the extension of the mandate of the Office in Yerevan, although, in terms of substance, a solution acceptable to everyone has been found. The remaining questions are of purely procedural nature, and we are confident that they will be resolved shortly under the leadership of the Austrian Chairmanship. It is our understanding that this would also enable us to take the other decisions currently blocked. As we expect decisions on the mandates of the missions soon, we would advise the Secretary General not to initiate the closing procedure of those missions at this point.

Let me stress that field missions are of particular value to this Organization, and that it is our common duty to ensure their proper functioning. I would like to underline that issues related to particular activities of field missions should be raised, discussed and addressed in the framework of the budget negotiations. In this regard, I would like to draw your attention to the exceptionality of this situation, which is far from being an example for future mandate prolongations.

On a more general note: It is worrying to see that those participating States that, against the background of persisting conflicts, could benefit most from the OSCE and its toolbox are the least inclined to compromise.
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Toni Kroos says 5 Champions League titles are more important than World Cup

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

Swine flu strain detected in 14-year-old child in Armenia, his condition is satisfactory

Twitter will have new paid services: Why does Musk order to save 1 billion dollars year?

Putin urges to evacuate civilians living in Kherson from the war zone

Iran parliament speaker to visit Armenia

Ancelotti says alliance between Roma and Mourinho is ideal

Armenian Health Ministry to receive 146 billion 373 million AMD from state budget in 2023

Stephen King to visit Ukraine

Selena Gomez comments for first time on photos of her and Hailey Bieber together

Ruling force MP: Canada is opening embassy in Armenia because we are one of worlds most democratic countries

Zidane to lead France after World Cup 2022

Girl with Armenian roots ends up in Vladimir orphanage

Erdogan says he has agreed with Putin to supply grain to needy countries for free

Armenia President, UK envoy agree to continue cooperation, close contacts

Money withdrawn from Wildberries buyers cards in Russia under name of fraudulent purchases

Armenia FM receives EU Monitoring Capacity

Spanish MPs don't approve agreement with Baku as a sign of solidarity with Armenia

Tai Chi trainer: Balance training prolongs life

Djokovic to play for 90th time in The Masters quarterfinals

Elton John to hold virtual concert in Roblox game

Japan says North Korea may go ahead with nuclear test

Armenia government to allocate about $5M to Karabakh refugees support program

Belarusian border service: Border guards intercepts Ukrainian training drone

President appoints Ruben Vardanyan as Karabakh Minister of State

US embassy expresses concern about human rights violation in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan continues muscle play on Iran border

Pique to receive 30 million less because of his retirement

Ibrahim Kalin says Turkey will become an important gas center one way or another

Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra Concept Machine with external Leica lens: What image quality does it provide?

UK woman eats only marmalade, oatmeal for one year

Biden: We're gonna free Iran

Reuters: G7 countries and Australia agrees on fixed price for Russian oil

World oil prices dropping

Wizz Air to launch new flights between Venice, Yerevan

EU assesses Armenia, Azerbaijan border commissions meeting in Brussels as constructive

Artsakh President convenes enlarged working consultation

Envoy: China supports Armenians

Barcelona intend to sign Jorginho

Azerbaijan MOD disseminates disinformation, Armenia army did not fire

It will soon be possible to issue, sell NFTs on Instagram

Cher, 76, sparks surprise romance rumors with music producer Alexander Edwards, 36

Armenia ruling party recounts congress voting results

Quake jolts Turkey

Haaland becomes worlds most expensive footballer

Newspaper: Armenia PM once again manipulates topic of negotiations, Karabakh conflict

Newspaper: Studies underway on Armenia MPs business involvement

Europa League: Match results of the day

Paris Masters: Khachanov loses to Djokovic

US wants to prevent Germany, other allies from working together with China

Protests turn violent in Iran's Alborz Province
YEREVAN.  Prime Minister of Armenia, Karen Karapetyan, on Tuesday received European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Board of Directors Dutch team leader, Frans Weekers.

Appreciating the ongoing effective cooperation with the EBRD, which numbers several joint projects, the PM expressed readiness on behalf of his government to deepen this collaboration, Press Office of the Government of Armenia (GoA) informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Highlighting the need to provide continued support for those projects intended for the private sector, the Karapetyan stated in part, We are considering several projects during our visits to the regions of Armenia, which imply collaboration with the private sector and, as a tool, we would appreciate if the EBRD could take interest in cooperating in the proposed domains. The Government seeks to stimulate the business climate in different ways, and this process can change the business climate, since the ideas are being developed based on specific business logic.

Given the EBRDs vast track-record in working with investors, the Armenian Premier suggested considering the possibility of cooperation within the framework of the Government Strategic Initiatives Center and the upcoming Investment Fund. Karen Karapetyan said the government will appreciate if the Bank would contribute to the development of public-private partnership-related law and the establishment of the Office of Business Ombudsman in Armenia.

Weekers, for his part, said Armenia and the EBRD boast a long track-record of successful cooperation that has led to numerous joint projects and initiatives. He welcomed the Armenian governments steps aimed at improving the business climate and promoting private investment as well as the short- and long-term action plans.

He described the idea of establishing a center for strategic initiatives and an investment fund as quite promising, and went on to note that the EBRD is stands ready to develop cooperation in the domains which by the PM noted.

The parties also discussed to the current strategy of GoA-EBRD partnership. In this context, they referred to the programs implemented in various fields of activity in both the public and private formats.
RACINE  The Racine Family YMCA is attempting to reopen the Bray Neighborhood Center, 924 Center St., CEO Jeff Collen confirmed Monday.

"We are exploring the possibilities of trying to reopen it," Collen said. "We would really like to make that happen."

The independent nonprofit community center has been closed to the public since late September and plagued by financial problems since well before that. Collen said the YMCA is particularly motivated by the need created in the surrounding community since the Bray Center closed.

"This is an initiative that we think is really important and really crucial to the community," Collen said.

Collen said that if the YMCA were to reopen the building, the Y would maintain some of the Bray Center's previous programs as well as introduce some run by the YMCA, including homework help and a fatherhood program. Eventually, Collen said, the YMCA would look to incorporate senior and family activities as well.

The YMCA has set up an advisory board to assess what programs the community most wants.

"We dont want to do what we think is needed, we want input and buy-in from people who live around there who know what their community needs," Collen said.

Collen was vague on whether the YMCA plans to buy the center outright, only saying that purchasing the building is "one of the options." The building has a mortgage on it, according to Collen, and any sort of agreement would need to be approved by the YMCA board.

Collen did not have a set timeline for when the Bray Center could reopen, but said he would love to have it open by the end of January, if possible.

"That might be aggressive, but the sooner we can do something, the sooner wed be making a difference in that community," he said.

Much of the timeline depends on ongoing building assessments, including an evaluation of the center's heating units, according to Collen.

"Were trying to assess the building itself and whats needed," he said. "As soon as we have answers to those things, well have a pretty firm timeline."

That said, reopening the Bray Center is clearly a priority for Collen.

"Were working on it and hopefully well be able to make that happen," he said. "Theres just such a need in that community."

Welcome news

Jerry Andrews, longtime volunteer at the Bray Center, said he heard the YMCA might step in to take over and he's in favor of that.

Im all for the doors being open at the Bray Center, Andrews said. "If the Y(MCA) takes over and they get some outside sources to help them, I know its going to be done right; Im all for it.

Andrews does have questions aboutsome of the details of the arrangement, such as would the kids using the center have to have a YMCA membership? And what happens if families cannot afford a membership?

"They (the YMCA) have good after-school programs and a good fatherhood programs," Andrews said. If they can put the programs in the Bray Center, that could help the community."
YEREVAN.  Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of Armenia, Ashot Manukyan, on Tuesday received director Thomas Eisenbach of the Energy Department at the German government-owned KfW Development Bank.

The interlocutors discussed the implementation of programs in the field of energy, and the avenues for further cooperation, the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Eisenbach briefed the minister on the KfW bank-funded project of the construction of the Armenia-Georgia high-voltage electricity transmission line.

The matter of quality is very important to us [i.e. Armenia], Manukyan noted, in turn, in this regard. The offered price is certainly very important, too.

Furthermore, the minister stressed the importance of finishing this project within the specified deadlines.

To note, the Armenia-Georgia high-voltage electricity transmission line will be a component of the Iran-Armenia-Georgia energy corridor.

Also, the parties reflected on the opportunities for further cooperation in the energy sector. In this connection, Thomas Eisenbach informed that the KfW Development Bank stands ready to partake in the ongoing wind energy projects in Armenia. Expressing satisfaction with such proposal, Ashot Manukyan, for his part, noted that Armenia is prepared to discuss any initiative.
After watching Trump's press conference, I am worried about national security. The President-elect continues to praise Putin but denigrate U.S. intelligence services and the press. Early in the conference, Trump finally said he believed intelligence reports that Russia had interfered in the presidential election. He later implied that it wasn't a problem, saying if Putin likes him, it's an asset. He ridiculed Lindsey Graham, who has promised additional sanctions on Russia. There are allegations that Trump has colluded with Russia and that Russia is in possession of material that could be used to blackmail Trump.

Our national security is at stake. These allegations should be investigated and be either verified or disproved. Trump has nominated for Secretary of State a man who has long-standing ties to Russia and has been decorated by Putin. I called Senator Ron Johnson's office to ask that the senator put national security above partisan politics and commit to calling for a full inquiry of the latest information concerning Trump's ties to Russia. I also asked that the senator oppose Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State because of his connections and business interests in Russia. The staffer said he doubted Senator Johnson would commit to either of these. When I politely requested a callback with a response from Senator Johnson, the staffer hung up on me. I did not appreciate that. I'm starting to think it's very appropriate that the color associated with the Republican party is red.
A resort complex in northwest Laos targeting Chinese visitors has become a "lawless playground" for the trade in illegal wildlife ranging from tiger meat to bear paws, an advocacy group says

A resort complex in northwest Laos targeting Chinese visitors has become a "lawless playground" for the trade in illegal wildlife ranging from tiger meat to bear paws, an advocacy group said Thursday.

Customers "can openly buy endangered species products" in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone on the border between Laos, Myanmar and Thailand in Laos' Bokeo province, according to a report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).

The London-based group, together with the non-governmental group Education for Nature Vietnam, also documented restaurants offering "saute tiger meat", bear paws and pangolins on their menus.

Laos is becoming a growing hub for the trade in endangered species with foreign tourists, particularly from neighbouring China, driving the demand for illegal products, according to environmental groups.

Many Chinese believe rare animal meat and body parts contain aphrodisiac or medicinal qualities.

The EIA report called on Laos to immediately set up a task force to tackle the trade and seize all illegal products in the Special Economic Zone.

"China also needs to understand and accept that its legal domestic trade in the skins of captive-bred tigers is doing nothing but driving consumer demand," said Debbie Banks of the EIA in a statement.

According to the report the Laos zone "appears more like an extension of China"running on Beijing time, employing mostly Chinese workers and displaying signs in Chinese characters.

Graphic on the world's remaining wild tigers

Similar temples of excess have sprung up in Myanmar where some border townsoften outside of central government controlhave become open markets renowned for selling rare animals, sex and gambling trips to Chinese visitors.

China's seemingly insatiable appetite for rare animal meat and parts has also led to a thriving smuggling scene across much of Southeast Asia.

Authorities in Vietnam and Thailand routinely uncover large hauls of endangered animals heading north in what conservationists say is likely just a fraction of the species smuggled into China.

 2015 AFP
Laser show. Credit: MBDA

The British government recently signed a 30m contract with a defence and aerospace consortium to deliver a brand new prototype laser weapon. The announcement of the project, named "UK Dragonfire", coincided with the release of a new Star Wars film, so perhaps it is unsurprising that media coverage of the weapons system owed rather more to George Lucas than it did to any current reality.

So is UK Dragonfire science fiction, or a really viable defence system? And how new is it? After all, we've been using lasers for decades in industrial processes, lecture theatres, and compact disc players. The criminal prosecutions of individuals shining lasers at aircraft do suggest that lasers have potential to do serious damage, and this potential has been considered for a very long time. The Martian "Heat Ray" in HG Wells' War of the Worlds from 1897 is well over a century old, and the invention by British scientist Robert Watson-Watt of radar originated in a 1930s ambition to create a British military "death ray".

In fact the UK has been using lasers in weapons for over 30 years. In the Falklands War of 1982, a shipboard laser weapon designed to blind attacking pilots was deployed, and in the 1991 Gulf War lasers were used to guide bombs to targets  a technique still used by the RAF today.

However, the use of a laser to actually destroy a target directly has proved a much tougher problem than using it to blind pilots or guide targets. There are two fundamental problems: first, getting enough energy, probably 30-60 kiloWatts  the electrical consumption of an average street  into the laser beam; and second, keeping the laser pointed at precisely the same spot for long enough to transfer that energy.

The new weapon being developed for the Ministry of Defence will therefore have two major technical requirements to get over these obstacles: making an extremely powerful laser beam that can stay focused on the same point on the target long enough to critically damage it. A 20cm target 3km away would be less than four thousandths of a degree in size, and if it was a missile flying at twice the speed of sound, could be moving at up to 25 degrees per second. It would also probably be manoeuvering to try and avoid being shot down for good measure.

This is a very difficult thing to do. And it would need to be done for several seconds at least, while the high powered laser pours energy into the target. Simply hitting the target for a fraction of a second is unlikely to do enough damage to take out a robustly manufactured military missile or drone.

The power of light

But it has been done before, most impressively by the United States Air Force whose YAL-1 Laser system successfully shot down several ballistic missiles during flight tests in 2010. However, it's worth noting that the US government spent over 4billion on that project  over 100 times the British government's budget. And it is unlikely that the Americans have shared many of the secrets behind their technology.

So what will Britain get for its 30m shot at a laser weapon? Well, definitely not something designed to blind people, as these are now banned by international treaty. But the prototype should, by the time of testing around 2019, demonstrate the basic ability to track a target such as a weaponised drone or an anti-ship missile, and hopefully put a relatively low powered laser onto it. With any luck, there will also be a good understanding of how to power and keep cool an extremely high energy laser, in a controllable environment, for short periods of time on demand.

For something that is funded as a research project, that's probably good enough. And by then, the UK will have gained quite a lot. It will know how to produce a full-scale deployable weapon, it will have a cadre of engineers and scientists who understand the technology of such a weapon, and they'll be working for the British companies who the Ministry of Defence would want to build an operational system.

Those companies and their engineers can of course also develop commercial products using the same knowledge (although usually with restrictions on any military usage). But the fact that Britain will have a good national understanding of the technologies will also make it much easier to talk to the US about what they've got. That in itself should justify the spending of what amounts to a 1.5% slice of the Ministry of Defence's 1.9 billion annual research and development budget.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Amazon rainforest - French Guiana. Credit: Dr Sophie Fauset, University of Leeds

A focus on policies to conserve tropical forests for their carbon storage value may imperil some of the world's most biologically rich tropical forests, says new research.

Many countries have climate-protection policies designed to conserve tropical forests to keep their carbon locked up in trees. But the new study suggests these policies could miss some of the most diverse forests because there is no clear connection between the number of tree species in a forest and how much carbon that forest stores.

Lead author Dr Martin Sullivan, from the School of Geography at the University of Leeds, said: "International programmes often encourage the conservation of forests with high carbon stocks, because their focus is to try to slow climate change. Until now, we didn't know whether these programmes would also automatically protect the most biodiverse forests. It turns out they probably won't."

A team of scientists from 22 countries measured both tree diversity and the amount of carbon stored in 360 locations across the lowland rainforests of the Amazon, Africa and Asia. In each plot the carbon stored was calculated using the diameter and identity of every tree within a given hectare (2.5 acres). In total 200,000 trees were measured in the study.

Amazon rainforest - French Guiana. Credit: Dr Sophie Fauset, University of Leeds

The results, published in Scientific Reports, show that African tropical forests, spanning the Congo and West Africa store high levels of carbon, but are the least species rich. Forests in the Amazon and Asia, mostly in Borneo, have the greatest diversity of tree species, yet the Amazon tends to store less carbon per hectare than forests in Africa and Asia.

Co-author, Dr Joey Talbot, also from the University of Leeds, explained: "In many ecosystems, sites with more species tend to lock up more carbon. But this doesn't work for tropical forests. Most tropical forests already have many species, and it may be that beyond a certain point adding even more species makes no difference to carbon stocks."

The study examined remaining intact tropical forests, the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet, home to half of all species. These forests also play a critical role in the global carbon cycle, storing 250 billion tonnes of carbon. Protecting them is essential -both to secure a future for millions of species, and to meet the global commitment of keeping temperature increases well below 2 degrees C.

Although biodiversity did not boost carbon storage, it could still be important in the long run.

Amazon rainforest - French Guiana. Credit: Dr Sophie Fauset, University of Leeds

Co-author Professor Oliver Phillips, from the School of Geography at Leeds and leader of the RAINFOR forest monitoring network in the Amazon said: "We found some forests with fewer tree species storing a lot of carbon, while other very diverse forests had remarkably little. Yet the wonderful diversity of tropical forests, with millions of plant and animal species, is something we rightly celebrate. And now forests face rapidly changing climates, so conserving the full variety of life present could make a critical difference in allowing them to adapt."

Dr Sullivan believes that careful consideration of biodiversity and carbon stocks can identify win-win scenarios. "Borneo, for example, is under extreme pressure from deforestation, but it's also a place where extremely high tree diversity and carbon stocks often coincide," he said. "A focus on protecting forests in Borneo would help both biodiversity and climate protection goals. Elsewhere, achieving both requires very careful planning."

Co-author Professor Simon Lewis, also from the School of Geography at Leeds and founder of the AfriTRON forest monitoring network in Africa, added: "It's critically important to keep this carbon out of the atmosphere. But we need to remember that forests are more than just sticks of carbon. Local community uses, species diversity, and the many other values of forests should be taken into account to plan adequate conservation strategies for the 21st century. A simple focus on carbon is never enough."

More information: "Diversity and carbon storage across the tropical forest biome" Sullivan et al. Scientific Reports on 17 January 2017. DOI: 10.1038/srep39102 Journal information: Scientific Reports
Arrow indicates edge of the rock with the reddish-brown limonite staining.La fleche indique le bord de la roche presentant une coloration de limonite rouge-brune. An international research team that includes Davorka Radovci?, Croatian Natural History Museum, curator, and David Frayer, University of Kansas, professor emeritus of anthropology, discovered a limestone rock recovered from the Krapina Neanderthal site didn't belong in the cave and was evidence a Neanderthal collected it 130,000 years ago. Credit: David Frayer, University of Kansas

Maybe this Neanderthal was a rock hound?

An international group that includes a University of Kansas researcher has discovered a brownish piece of split limestone in a site in Croatia that suggests Neanderthals 130,000 years ago collected the rock that stands out among all other items in the cave.

"If we were walking and picked up this rock, we would have taken it home," said David Frayer, a professor emeritus of anthropology who was part of the study. "It is an interesting rock."

The finding is important, he said, because it adds to other recent evidence that Neanderthals were capableon their ownof incorporating symbolic objects into their culture. The rock was collected more than 100 years ago from the Krapina Neanderthal site, which has items preserved in the Croatian Natural History Museum in Zagreb, where in recent years the research team has re-examined them.

The group's findings on the collected rock at Krapina were published recently in the French journal Comptes Rendus Palevol. Davorka Radovcic, curator at the Croatian Natural History Museum, was the study's lead author, and Frayer is the corresponding author.

The same research group in a widely recognized 2015 study published a PLOS ONE article about a set of eagle talons from the same Neanderthal site that included cut marks and were fashioned into a piece of jewelry.

"Clam-shell" view of Side A and B showing black dendrites against the background of the brown mudstone. The flake, only shown re-attached on Side A, is the result of a post-excavation fracture of the specimen. Arrows point to large inclusion visible on Sides A and B.An international research team that includes Davorka Radovci?, Croatian Natural History Museum, curator, and David Frayer, University of Kansas, professor emeritus of anthropology, discovered a limestone rock recovered from the Krapina Neanderthal site didn't belong in the cave and was evidence a Neanderthal collected it 130,000 years ago. Credit: David Frayer, University of Kansas

"People have often defined Neanderthals as being devoid of any kind of aesthetic feelings, and yet we know that at this site they collected eagle talons and they collected this rock. At other sites, researchers have found they collected shells and used pigments on shells," Frayer said. "There's a little bit of evidence out there to suggest that they weren't the big, dumb creatures that everybody thinks they were."

Similar to the Neanderthal jewelry discovery at Krapina, Frayer credits Radovcic's keen eye in examining all items found at that the site, originally excavated between 1899-1905 and found to contain Neanderthal bones.

The cave at the Krapina site was sandstone, so the split limestone rock stuck out as not deriving from the cave, Frayer said. None of the more than 1,000 lithic items collected from Krapina resemble the rock, but the original archaeologists apparently did nothing more with the rock other than to collect it.

Frayer said the limestone rockwhich is roughly five inches long, four inches high and about a half-inch thickdid not have any striking platforms or other areas of preparation on the rock's edge, so the research team assumed it was not broken apart.

"The fact that it wasn't modified, to us, it meant that it was brought there for a purpose other than being used as a tool," Frayer said.

There was a small triangular flake that fits with the rock, but the break appeared to be fresh and likely happened well after the specimen was deposited into the sediments of the Krapina site. Perhaps it occurred during transport or storage after the excavation around 1900, he said.

A microscopic view of some dendritic forms from Side A; (b) microscopic image of the limonite stains. An international research team discovered the rock in the Krapina Neanderthal site in Croatia as evidence that a Neanderthal collected it 130,000 years ago. Credit: David Frayer, University of Kansas

The look of the rock also caught the researchers' eye as many inclusions or black lines on it stood out from the brown limestone. Perhaps that is what made the Neanderthal want to collect it in the first place.

"It looked like it is important," Frayer said. "We went back through all the collected items to make sure there weren't other rocks like it. It just sat there for 100 years like most of the other stuff from the site. The original archaeologists had described stone tools, but didn't pay any attention to this one."

They suspect a Neanderthal collected the rock from a site a few kilometers north of the Krapina site where there were known outcrops of biopelmicritic grey limestone. Either the Neanderthal found it there or the Krapinica stream transported it closer to the site.

The discovery of the rock collection is likely minor compared with other discoveries, such as more modern humans 25,000 years ago making cave paintings in France. However, Frayer said it added to a body of evidence that Neanderthals were capable assigning symbolic significance to objects and went to the effort of collecting them.

The discovery could also provide more clues as to how modern humans developed these traits, he said.

"It adds to the number of other recent studies about Neanderthals doing things that are thought to be unique to modern Homo sapiens," Frayer said. "We contend they had a curiosity and symbolic-like capacities typical of modern humans."

More information: Davorka Radovcic et al, An interesting rock from Krapina, Comptes Rendus Palevol (2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.crpv.2016.04.013 Journal information: PLoS ONE
Tropical glaciers in the Andes Mountains in August 2014. Karl Zimmerer, professor of geography, has been researching the effects that climate change has had on these glaciers, which are receding, and the tropical communities that rely on their runoff. Credit: Karl Zimmerer

A Penn State professor is researching the trickle-down effects that melting tropical glaciers have on food security and biodiversity, and what regional communities, like Cusco and Huaraz in Peru, can do about it.

Karl Zimmerer, professor of geography, conducts research focused on the impacts of climate change on glaciers and in tropical mountains, and how this affects agrobiodiversity and food security in communities.

Agrobiodiversity is the biological diversity of domesticated crops and animals within an ecosystem, as well as the cultural landscapes and human-environmental interactions of a particular region.

Zimmerer develops and tests models of these human-environment interactions of agrobiodiversity that he and his collaborators then apply to climate change challenges, as well as to the adaptation and resilience of sustainable food systems.

Zimmerer conducts most of his research as director of the Geographic Syntheses for Social-Ecological Sustainability (GeoSyntheSES) Laboratory at Penn State, and he also completed research in Peru during his recent sabbatical.

"Working with my students and collaborators, I primarily focus on figuring out how to conserve agrobiodiversity in the world while making it more sustainable for the people that grow these foods and can reap the nutritional and health benefits," said Zimmerer.

Agrobiodiversity and food security are increasingly crucial topics as glaciers melt in tropical locations like Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and other countries in western and northern South America. Scientists consider at least three-quarters of the more than 25 million people in this region to be highly vulnerable to climate change.

"Tropical glaciers of South America are fragile systems that are responding to rising air temperatures and the warming of ocean currents with increased melting," said Zimmerer.

As tropical glaciers melt, runoff increases. As a result, the amount of stored water in these areas decreases, which has critical impacts on communities that rely on runoff for irrigation during the different seasons.

In the Andes Mountains in Peru, farmers are forced to combat the effects that climate change has on their access to water while ensuring that their families can eat. Increasing challenges, such as seasonal water deficits and major droughts, often result in worsened food security.

El Misti, a volcano, can be seen in the distance. Located near Arequipa, Peru, the volcanos snowfield is shrinking. Karl Zimmerer, professor of geography, has been researching the effects that climate change has had on tropical communities like Arequipa and the glaciers that provide vital runoff. Credit: Karl Zimmerer

"Poverty leads many of these Andean farmers to sell either their seed or the nutritious food that they grow to make some money," Zimmerer said.

International conference on climate change

During his sabbatical, Zimmerer reported on his research while delivering the keynote at an international conference in August 2016 titled "International Forum on Mountain Glaciers and Ecosystems," which focused on climate change impacts in tropical regions. More than 1,500 people attended the conference, which included leading international experts in the geosciences and the social sciences.

As part of his research, Zimmerer discussed innovative cellphone technology that could link farmers together to share information about the availability of seed, which could prevent food shortages.

"Connecting people on a regional level could help to share resources more quickly," he said. "This is critical, as the need for food increases in communities like those in Peru, which threatens the sustainability of agrobiodiversity."

In addition, Zimmerer discussed the migration of farmers and the effects that this has on agrobiodiversity.

"Part-time farming has profound effects on the sustainability of agrobiodiversity in particular human-environmental systems," he said. "We're often finding that migrant workers continue to care more about sustaining their supply of foods and so they use more of their money from migration toward farming in these areas."

Addressing global climate change and agrobiodiversity through international partnerships

Zimmerer also shared his agrobiodiversity research through an interview in Lima, Peru, with Modesto Montoya, one of Peru's well-known physicists and host of the radio and internet program, "Encounters with Science and Engineering." Montoya interviewed Zimmerer along with his son, Eric, a sophomore studying chemical engineering at Penn State, in July 2016.

In addition to discussing the research he presented during the conference, Zimmerer and his son talked with Montoya about their plans to further connect Penn State with Peruvian universities to address climate and agrobiodiversity challenges.

"I hope to continue to connect more communities through our research so that we can make agrobiodiversity as efficient as possible by blending the new and old practices in land use and food systems," said Zimmerer. "This work is vital to humanity's sustainable food future."
Credit: NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Every day millions of people mulling their retirement plan saving choices go online to study the offerings at retirement fund websites. Research shows, however, that they often choose high fee options, underinvest or don't invest at all because they don't understand the performance estimates, risks, recommendations, fee structures, and other disclosures that funds provide.

To address this issue, Junius Gunaratne, a doctoral student, and Oded Nov, an associate professor in the Department of Technology Management and Innovation at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, created the first online, interactive "nutrition label" for financial products that, like the ubiquitous information nutrition panels on food and packaged goods, is simple, easy to read and uncluttered. What's more, the financial label is interactive, allowing people to easily get a sense of the long-term implications of choices they make today.

Their first tests revealed that non-expert investors significantly improved their ability to reach simulated retirement savings goals. The study also revealed that novices who invested using the interactive labels were far more likely to invest in low-fee funds - a strategy that is widely advised because of the potentially large positive effects of compound interest. Nov and Gunaratne tested variants of their interactive financial labels with 450 test subjects in a retirement simulation experiment, in which the subjects were given $10,000 per simulation year and asked to save $1.5 million over 35 years, distributed among 10 stock, bond, and cash funds.

The participant pool was divided into four groups: those who received "nutrition label" fund information pages requiring interactivity; those who received the same information in static form; those who received pages in which interactivity was optional; and a control group who received financial information in a format currently used by leading investment firms.

"The impetus for taking the nutrition label approach is the need to help people make sense quickly and effortlessly, taking into account future implications of possible actions they make now," said Gunaratne.

"Unlike food labeling, however, we added the ability to check out different choices and their impacts. Interactivity enabled users to learn about the attributes of funds much like repeated decision-making over time helps people better understand risk and reward," said Nov. The information label borrows layout, print size, organization, justification, typography, information design and line spacing from nutritional labels.

Gunaratne and Nov found that interactivity increased understanding and improved decision-making. Those who used the interactive version of the financial nutrition labels (whether by choice or because of the researchers' requirement) were 54% more likely to reach their goal than those in the control group.

"Our motivation is really to build something that is easy for people to understandthat they can engage with and make personal so they can achieve long-term benefits," said Nov. "This is critical because research has shown that consumers don't save in effective ways, and leave a lot of money on the table."

Gunaratne added that individual investors are paying too much and getting too little, "Which is why the U.S. has a serious problem of underfunded retirement accounts - most Americans will take serious financial hits and see reduced standards of living when retiring because they don't save effectively, due to uninformed decisions."

The findings hold policy implications: "As demonstrated in our research, interactive financial product information labels can help consumers make better and more informed decisions," the authors wrote. "Regulators should therefore consider mandating the use of interactive information labels for financial products, just as simpler labels are used in other contexts such as food and other consumer products."

"Using Interactive "Nutrition Labels" for Financial Products to Assist Decision Making Under Uncertainty," was recently accepted for publication in the Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology.

A draft version is available at faculty.poly.edu/~onov/Gunarat  Nov_JASIST_final.pdf .

Provided by NYU Tandon School of Engineering
Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

Commercializing a new, innovative product is often the greatest challenge across the research and development landscape, as is evident in the failed attempt to bring jamming-based robotic gripper technology to market. The company developing the VERSABALL tells the story of its demise and the valuable lessons learned in a compelling article published in Soft Robotics.

In "Soft Robotics Commercialization: Jamming Grippers from Research to Product," John Amend, Nadia Cheng, Sami Fakhouri, and Bill Culley, Empire Robotics, Inc., Belmont, MA, describe their attempt to develop a sustainable business around jamming-based robotic gripper technology. The authors discuss many aspects of their research and product development efforts including product design, product features such as speed and pneumatics, the shape, composition, and durability of the membrane, and the product characteristics most likely to influence a customer's purchasing decisions.

"This is a really good example of how cutting-edge soft technology is stimulating new businesses and changing the way people think about robots," says Editor-in-Chief Barry A. Trimmer, PhD, who directs the Neuromechanics and Biomimetic Devices Laboratory at Tufts University (Medford, MA).

More information: John Amend et al, Soft Robotics Commercialization: Jamming Grippers from Research to Product, Soft Robotics (2016). DOI: 10.1089/soro.2016.0021
A worker removes expired food in a local supermarket in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. The European Court of Auditors has chided the European Union's executive branch in a report, "Combating Food Waste," that decries the bloc's lack of effort in reducing the food waste, estimating the EU wastes 88 million tons of food per year. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

The sheer waste of food had been bothering teacher Marijke De Jongh for so long that two years ago she set up a pop-up restaurant to serve perfectly good groceries and meat that were approaching their expiry date.

With her Rekub team, she followed it up with an app that brings thousands of consumers to retail shops were they can buy food closing in on its sell-by date.

Still, the efforts of a small group of conscientious consumers are no match for the masses that still waste food from farm to fork.

The European Court of Auditors on Tuesday chided the European Union's executive branch in a report, "Combating Food Waste," that decried the bloc's lack of effort in reducing the food waste. It estimated the EU wastes 88 million tons of food a year for a population of 510 million.

"The Commission is not combating the food waste effectively," said ECA member Bettina Jakobsen, noting a lack of strategy and inspiration being used to tackle the problem.

The report said more efforts should be made all along the food chain and special precautions should be taken when setting farm policy to make sure that less produce is discarded. An EU study, however, shows about half that waste can still be tied to households, not policy.

The ECA also recommended making food donations easier, since they are still mired in legal and tax issues that sometimes become a disincentive for food producers to give food away. It said with better EU regulations that could be turned around.

A worker removes expired food in a local supermarket in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. The European Court of Auditors has chided the European Union's executive branch in a report, "Combating Food Waste," that decries the bloc's lack of effort in reducing the food waste, estimating the EU wastes 88 million tons of food per year. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

The European Commission complained the ECA had overlooked recent efforts the member states and the executive had made.

"This commission is fully committed in the fight against food waste and maybe some of these efforts were a bit overlooked," European Commission spokesman Enrico Brivio said.

At the same time, De Jongh continues to try to make a difference at a local level in Antwerp, northern Belgium. After her pop-up experiment in 2015, she is planning a permanent Rekub eatery now.

"We have to keep this moving and put it on everyone's radar," she said.

A worker throws away expired food in a local supermarket in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. The European Court of Auditors has chided the European Union's executive branch in a report, "Combating Food Waste," that decries the bloc's lack of effort in reducing the food waste, estimating the EU wastes 88 million tons of food per year. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Marines test out a HoloLens during a weeklong exercise called Spartan Emerging Technology and Innovation Week at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Also called 'Spartan Week,' the exercise was geared toward the development and strengthening of small unit-decision making. Credit: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Kaitlyn V. Klein

Battlefield commanders face many scenarios requiring fast decisionsattacking an enemy position, evacuating injured warfighters, navigating unfamiliar terrain. Each situation pushes leaders to make quick yet informed choices.

To enhance these decision-making capabilities, especially for small-unit leaders, the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines (2/6) "The Spartans" recently held a weeklong exercise called Spartan Emerging Technology and Innovation Week at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The event, also called Spartan Week, featured various training technologiesfrom quadcopters to augmented realitydeveloped with support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to accelerate the development of decision-making skills.

"We are working with 2/6 to develop a suite of new training tools that are easy to implement, tailorable to Marines' needs and include the ability to assess decision-making skills." said Dr. Peter Squire, a program officer in ONR's Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combating Terrorism Department. "Exercises like Spartan Week enable the Marine Corps to better examine the use of training technologies to improve tactical decision-making at the small-unit level."

During Spartan Week, Marines used several ONR-sponsored technologies. These included the Interactive Tactical Decision Game (I-TDG) with an associated augmented-reality headset, the Augmented Immersive Team Trainer (AITT) and a quadcopter-based system for surveying and modeling terrain quickly.

I-TDG is a web technology-based application that allows Marines to plan missions and conduct "what if" tactical-decision games or simulation-based exercises. It supports maps and multimedia tools and links to ONR's HoloLens augmented-reality headset.

AITT comprises a laptop, software and battery pack, and helmet-mounted displayand can support forward-observer training in live field environments. It employs augmented reality technology, which inserts virtual objects into a real environment, to create realistic tactical scenariosincluding friendly and opposing ground vehicles, aircraft and battlefield effects such as explosions from mortar shells and artillery.

To rapidly develop terrain models to support these technologies, Marines were trained to operate a prototype, quadcopter-based terrain-mapping system. Two Camp Lejeune training sites were flown over and mapped out, and the resulting imagery was used to build terrain models for the training systems.

"Small-unit leaders are tasked with making big mission decisions in an extremely short time window," said Natalie Steinhauser, a senior research psychologist at Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division in Orlando, Florida, who took part in Spartan Week. "These decisions not only impact the success or failure of a mission, they affect life and death. With technologies like I-TDG, Marines can perform simulated missions in a safe classroom environment, carry out multiple missions and even use I-TDG as an after-action review tool."

Steinhauser said Camp Lejeune's Spartan Week was a success and that another event will be held at another location in early 2017. Perhaps the real measures of success, however, are endorsements from Marines who participated.

"For me, the best part of I-TDG was recreating simulated battles we conducted during past field exercises and using the system as a debrief on what we did wrong and how we could be better," said Lt. Andrew Veal. "Like athletes watching game film, you really experienced that 'a-ha' moment."

"The Spartan Week technology enabled all Marines, from squad leaders to riflemen, to evaluate their ability to make fast decisions," said Cpl. Fredrick Zuberer. "Marines tend to focus on using their bodies as weapons, but the most important weapon is the mind. Spartan Week helped sharpen that weapon beyond just pulling a trigger."
Artist's conception of NASAs New Horizons spacecraft encountering a Kuiper Belt object, part of an extended mission after the spacecrafts July 2015 Pluto flyby. New Horizons is set to fly past 2014 MU69  a KBO currently about a billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond Pluto, on Jan. 1, 2019. Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI

Members of NASA's New Horizons team will discuss the achievements of the first encounter with Pluto and look ahead to the mission's next exploration of the Kuiper Belt during a Facebook Live event at 4 p.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 19the 11th anniversary of the spacecraft's launch.

The event, live-streamed from New Horizons mission operations at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, will be available on the NASA New Horizons Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/new.horizons1/?fref=ts

The conversation will cover a range of topics, including the top three findings from the spacecraft's Pluto flyby and what New Horizons is doing on the way to its next science target.

Team members scheduled to appear are:

Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters

Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator at Southwest Research Institute

Glen Fountain, New Horizons (encounter) project manager at APL

Kelsi Singer, New Horizons co-investigator at Southwest Research Institute

Helene Winters, New Horizons project manager at APL

The team will answer questions from the public during the live event. Media may submit questions before and during the event by emailing Laurie Cantillo at NASA Headquarters, laura.l.cantillo@nasa.gov.

New Horizons team members also will be available for interviews through Friday, Jan. 20. Media should contact Michael Buckley in APL Public Affairs at (240) 228-7536 or michael.buckley@jhuapl.edu to arrange interviews with the team.

All data from New Horizons' flight through the Pluto system in July 2015 has been transmitted safely to Earth, with the last bits arriving last fall. While the team continues to analyze this historic set of images and other materials, it's planning for the spacecraft's next encounter  a flyby of Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69, on Jan. 1, 2019.

Provided by NASA
Credit: Concordia University

With winter upon us in full force, outdoor temperatures are plummeting. But inside an intense tornado, it's always chillyno matter the time of year. A new study from Concordia proves why that's the case.

In an article forthcoming in the Journal of Aircraftof the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, mechanical engineering professor Georgios Vatistas looks into the case of a violent tornado that touched down in 1955 in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

During the storm, three broadcasters from the mobile unit of a local radio station were reporting live on the scene and had to take shelter in the basement of a stone building. There, as the tornado's funnel passed overhead, they reported strange climatic changes. The temperature dropped from a mid-summer average, down to chilly, until the broadcasters were actually cold. They also found it difficult to breathe.

For 61 years, the cause of these phenomena remained unexplained. Enter Vatistasa leading expert on the topicwho was able to formulate an analytical approach that allowed him to construct a new mathematical model of a turbulent compressible vortex.

To do this, he expanded on his previous theoretical developments on vortices to include the effects of turbulence and density variation.

"Using this new advanced approach, we were able to identify the cause of the temperature drop inside vortices for the first time ever," says Vatistas, who conducted the study with recent Concordia master's students Badwal Gurpreet Singh (MASc 14) and Rahul Rampal (MASc 14).

"As air pockets move from the outer periphery of the vortex toward its centre, the pockets expand, thereby bringing the temperature and density down."

In the case of Scottsbluff, Vatistas and his team found that the temperature inside the tornado would have dropped from a comfortably warm background temperature of 27o C to a chilly 12o C. And at the tornado's centre, the researchers estimated the air density would have been 20 per cent lower than what's found at high altitudes.

"That's what's known as the 'death zone,' at 8,000 metres in altitude, beyond which mountaineers should not climb without breathing assistance gear," Vatistas explains.

That's why the reporters in Scottsbluff reported feeling deprived of oxygen. Luckily, the tornado passed quickly, and they avoided asphyxiation.

"It's my hope that this important finding will help researchers better understand the many mysterious manifestations associated with violent atmospheric vortices like tornados and waterspouts."

The study will also help engineers improve the operation of refrigeration vortex tubes, which are often used in the cooling of cutting tools during machining, various electronic components, hot melts, gas samples and heat seals.

More information: Georgios H. Vatistas et al. Thermal Properties of Compressible Line Vortices, Journal of Aircraft (2017). DOI: 10.2514/1.C034106
Credit: NASA

The International Space Station (ISS) will soon get an important tool capable of conducting highly accurate measurements of aerosols and gaseous constituents in the stratosphere and troposphere. The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE III) will study ozone, aerosols, water vapor, and other atmospheric gases to better understand the effects of natural and human-induced changes on the global environment.

SAGE III was initially planned for launch to ISS aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft in November 2016 atop a Falcon 9 launcher. The mission, designated CRS-10, was to be lifted off from from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's (CCAFS) Space Launch Complex 40. However, it was postponed several times and is currently targeted for launch on Feb. 8, 2017 from the Launch Complex 39A. The delays were forced by a pending investigation of the Sept. 1 explosion at the launch site when a Falcon 9 rocket was destroyed during a pre-launch static fire test.

The SAGE III instrument was delivered from NASA's Langley Research Center to NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in November 2015 and is now completely ready for launch.

"Final powered testing was completed at the KSC Space Station Processing Facility during the past year, and in December 2016, the instrument payload and the Nadir Viewing Platform were handed over to SpaceX for installation into the Dragon Trunk of the Falcon 9 rocket. The integrated trunk is now awaiting launch," Marilee M. Roell, SAGE III Science Manager at NASA's Langley Research Center told SpaceFlight Insider.

Roell added that all technical work is complete except for a few remove-before-flight items. Although a couple of pre-launch reviews are planned, all preliminary mission operations activities have been already completed.

"The team is well rehearsed and we are ready to support the mission after launch," Roell said.

After arrival at ISS, SAGE III will be mounted externally on the station on the Expedite the Processing of Experiments to Space Station (ExPRESS) Pallet Adapter (ExPA) to the Express Logistic Carrier (ELC). The instrument will orbit between 239 and 257 miles (385 and 415 kilometers) above Earth's surface at a 51.6-degree inclination with nearly a three-day repeat cycle. The station's orbit is expected to help maximize the scientific value of SAGE III observations while proving that atmospheric science instruments do have a place on the orbital laboratory.

To fulfill its scientific goals, SAGE III is equipped with a set of tools with a total mass of about 1,162 lbs. (527 kilograms). Its most important payload is the Sensor Assembly (SA) instrumenta grating spectrometer that measures ultraviolet and visible light and has a two-axis pointing system. SA contains the Charge Coupled Device (CCD) array detector that enhances measurement capability and may allow for new experimental data products like methane, bromine monoxide, and iodine monoxide, as well as measure larger aerosols.

This graphic illustrates the components that make up the SAGE III Instrument Payload. Credit: NASA

SAGE III is also fitted with the Interface Adapter Module (IAM), the Disturbance Monitoring Package (DMP), the Hexapod Pointing System (Hexapod Electronics Unit and Hexapod Mechanical Assembly), and the Instrument Control Electronics box. IAM is characterized as the "brain" of the instrument payload, providing power and computing to the payload and acting as the interface between the instrument and the station. DMP is a miniature inertial measurement unit that will measure all of the small motions from the ISS, while the Hexapod Pointing System will act as the "legs" of the payload, which keep the instrument level in orbit.

The main scientific objective of the SAGE III mission will be obtaining high quality, global measurements of key components of Earth's atmosphere. In particular, the instrument will assess the state of recovery in the distribution of ozone and will re-establish the aerosol measurements needed by both climate and ozone models. The mission is expected to gain further insight into key processes contributing to ozone and aerosol variability.

"Our view from the space station will give us a new perspective of atmospheric composition. Data from SAGE III, coupled with model results, will allow scientists to monitor the health of the ozone layer and track the recovery of stratospheric ozone since ratification of the Montreal Protocol. By the 2020sin most areasmodels predict that ozone will have recovered about half of the amount lost from the pre-1980 levels. SAGE III will be valuable in assessing the performance of the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite flying on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite," Roell said.

Data from SAGE III will also help to reinstitute aerosol measurements crucial for more-accurate long-term climate and ozone models. Moreover, if there are any new changes to the ozone layer, these data will help the scientific community identify the cause and assess the impact of the changes.

Understanding the stratospheric ozone changes is crucial to determine whether the recovery of the ozone layer is progressing as expected since the Montreal Protocol was enacted.

"We expect to see some recovery, based on model data, in the amount of stratospheric ozone since the 1990s. We'll also be looking to see if there are any new changes occurring in the stratosphere," Roell noted.

The instrument that will be installed on the ISS is the second SAGE III sent into space. The first SAGE III was launched on the Russian Meteor-3M spacecraft in December 2001. SAGE is one of NASA Langley's longest running Earth science missions. The idea for the instrument, beginning in the 1970s with the Stratospheric Aerosol Measurement (SAM) instrument, was developed and tested at Langley.

"SAM, as well as SAM II, SAGE, SAGE II, SAGE III Meteor-3M and now SAGE III/ISS have all been led by Langley. This latest project also included the Nadir Viewing Platform to point SAGE in the right direction, as well as other new hardware and software, all of which was designed, built, integrated, and tested at Langley," Roell said.

SAGE III on ISS will be operated from the Flight Mission Support Center at Langley. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. built the SAGE III/ISS instrument in Boulder, Colorado, and the European Space Agency and Thales Alenia Space provided a hexapod to keep the instrument pointing in the right direction as the ISS maneuvers in space.

Provided by Astrowatch.net
Credit: UWA

A UWA study found strict enforcement of the speed limit could be bad for road safety by making drivers focus on their speed rather than hazards.

The research recruited young drivers and told them they would be fined at one, six or 11km/h over a 50km/h limit before putting them through their paces on a driving simulator.

It found people who drove under the stricter conditions were less likely to spot red dots that appeared in their peripheral vision. They also reported a higher mental workload.

Drivers miss more with stricter enforcement

Lead researcher, Dr Vanessa Bowden, says participants who were told they would be fined at 1km/h over the speed limit were 10-20 milliseconds slower to respond to the dots than those told they would be fined at 6km/h over.

Drivers fined at 1km/h over also missed 14% of the dots altogether, compared to 12% for 6km/h over.

"They missed 2% more, which is, in driving terms, kind of a big thing," Vanessa says.

"We came to the conclusion that [monitoring speed] is eating up their limited pool of visual and mental resources a little bit and taking their attention perhaps a bit away from the task of safe driving."

Drivers fined at 11km/h over the limit missed only 10% of the dots but were no slower to react that the 6km/h group.

Fine threshold confusion

Police are typically reluctant to comment on the speed at which drivers will be fined, but most people believe the tolerance to be about 10%.

This means drivers would be fined above 55km/h in a 50km/h zone.

But Victorian Police have come under fire for speed tolerances of just 2km/h for fixed speed cameras and 3km/h for mobile cameras.

And in Queensland, the State Government was accused of revenue raising after it twice lowered the enforcement threshold in 2013.

"It's hard to get an exact idea of when people are going to be fined," Vanessa says.

"I'm not sure people necessarily know so it could potentially be that a bit more consistency there might be helpful."

Follow-up work to investigate accidents

Vanessa hopes to follow up the research next year by adding hazards such as a car braking, pedestrians and cyclists into the driving simulator.

This might show if enforcement thresholds can affect driver response times.

"It's what we want to do next with this, is see if it actually translates into more accidents," Vanessa says.

More information: Vanessa K. Bowden et al. Lowering thresholds for speed limit enforcement impairs peripheral object detection and increases driver subjective workload, Accident Analysis & Prevention (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2016.09.029

Provided by scitech.org

This article was originally published on Particle. Read the original article.
Terminalia superba -- a threatened tree species in southeastern Cameroon. Credit: Morin-Rivat et al.

Human disturbance may often be criticised for harming the environment, but new research suggests a persistent lack of human attention in the central African forest could actually cause some tree species to disappear.

The study, from Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - Universite de Liege and the Royal Museum for Central Africa, both in Belgium, presents challenges to current practices in forest maintenance and suggests how more effective measures could be taken in future. The findings are published in the journal eLife.

"Populations of light-demanding trees that dominate the canopy of central African forests are currently aging. With previous studies showing that few young trees are growing to replace them, they are likely to disappear if the forests are not properly maintained. This is a major concern," says first author Julie Morin-Rivat.

In the current study, Morin-Rivat and her team set out to understand what has happened in the central African forest to stop the regeneration of the light-demanding trees.

Their analyses, which focused on four species in the northern Congo Basin, showed that most of the trees in these species were about 165 years old, meaning they all grew from young trees that settled in the middle of the 19th century.

They then combined information from a number of datasets and historical records to reveal that many people lived in the forest before this time, creating clearings that turned it into a relatively patchy landscape. However, from about 1850 onwards, when Europeans started to colonise the region, people and villages were moved out of the forests and closer to rivers and roads for administrative and commercial purposes. Additionally, many people died in conflicts or through emerging diseases.

"Fewer people in the forest meant it became less disturbed," Morin-Rivat explains.

"Human disturbance is necessary to maintain certain forest habitats and trees, including light-demanding species. As common logging operations do not create openings large enough to guarantee that such species will be able to establish themselves naturally, complementary treatments are needed. These might include selectively logging mature trees around young members of light-demanding species, or planting threatened species."

More information: Julie Morin-Rivat et al, Present-day central African forest is a legacy of the 19th century human history, eLife (2017). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.20343 Journal information: eLife

Provided by eLife
62% of university students in Spain have experienced gender violence . Credit: Plataforma SINC

The first research on violence against women at Spanish universities reveals that 62 percent of the student body know or have experienced situations of gender violence in the university community. The study also suggests that such violence often goes unreported and that there is a lack of knowledge to identify these situations.

Four researchers from the universities of Barcelona, Girona and Rovira i Virgili have published the study. 25 percent of attacks identified as violence against women were perpetrated by faculty. Despite these figures, 91 percent of cases of attacks at Spanish universities go unreported.

As Patricia Melgar from the University of Girona, co-author of the study published in the journal Violence Against Women, tells SINC: "The law of silence on this topic at universities in Spain has been more rigid than in other social contexts. From the beginning of this research project, a we were fiercely persecuted, with anonymous accusations and even death threats."

The researcher explains that, "until now, the few victims who had dared to try to report a case had been destroyed one by one both professionally and psychologically."

The study is based on data collected from a sample of 1,083 students at universities in Andalusia, Castile and Leon, Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia and the Basque Country. Participants were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. An important aspect arising from the analysis of the data is that the large majority of university students do not identify or acknowledge violent situations.

In most cases acknowledged by the students interviewed, the victim was a female student (92 percent). The perpetrators were mostly male (84 percent) and students (65 percent). 25 percent of people who witnessed violence against women stated that the perpetrator was a faculty member. Only in 16 percent of cases of violence was the perpetrator unknown to the victim.

Control and humiliation are also forms of violence

The research participants saw male violence as that which involves a physical or sexual attack against women, but not other behaviour that involves control, domination and humiliation.

For example, the study points out that 23 percent of students did not consider violence cases in which women's partners prevented them from talking to other people. Another fact: 26 percent thought that unpleasant comments on women's physical appearance has nothing to do with violence.

This difficulty in identifying gender violence was obvious at all various stages of the study. When students were asked whether they had suffered or knew about cases of this kind, only 13 percent responded affirmatively. However, when they were provided with a list of situations which included physical or psychological attacks, non-consensual kisses or contact, stalking, or comments with humiliating sexual connotations, this percentage of affirmative responses rose to 62 percent.

Analysis of the results by gender also showed that women were more often able to identify situations of gender violence than men.

Many students believed that women who suffer gender violence have low educational levels, elderly, are financially dependent on their husbands, "when in reality, it affects women of any level of education, age or work status," Melgar adds.

How do we put a stop to the problem? "Research and prevention of gender-based violence in our country has frequently ignored evidence from science and international feminism. This is why serious mistakes have been made, such as focusing only on couples and ex-couples, ignoring the fact that it also happens in sporadic relations," the researcher continues.

For the experts, this mistake has not only led to a lack of acknowledgement as gender-based violence of murders committed, for example, when leaving a nightclub. "But it has also focused many prevention programs around attacking romantic relationships and ideal love rather than warning against all kinds of relations  stable or sporadic  with violent men."

According to the scientists, despite the important progress that has already been made, there is still very little active solidarity with victims. "This isolation is driven by severe second-order sexual harassment, such as attacks and slander against those of us who support victims," Melgar reports.

91 percent of victims do not report violence

In terms of victims' reactions to situations of gender violence, 91 percent did not report the situation, but of these students, 66 percent did tell someone. One of the likely reasons is that victims of gender violence do not identify as such.

In the survey, 92 percent of students stated that they did not know whether there was a service for victims at the university. However, 85 percent of students believed that universities should offer services to people who undergo any kind of gender violence.

Of those who did dare to report the situation at the university, 27 percent did not feel supported by the institution and 69 percent of those surveyed felt unsure as to whether victims would receive adequate support.

"Policies and actions developed by Spanish universities need to be grounded in two goals: intransigence regarding any kind of violence against women, and bystander intervention, support, and solidarity with the victims and with the people supporting the victims," Melgar concludes.

More information: R. Valls et al. Breaking the Silence at Spanish Universities: Findings From the First Study of Violence Against Women on Campuses in Spain, Violence Against Women (2016). DOI: 10.1177/1077801215627511
BIXOLON Unveils Innovative mPOS Printing Solutions at #NRF17

NEW YORK, NEW YORK (PRWEB) JANUARY 13, 2017  BIXOLON America, Inc., a leading global mobile, label and POS printer manufacturer, will unveil three compact printing solutions designed to support retails skyrocketing demand for mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Retails BIG Show, January 15-17 in New York City. The solutions include the space-saving cube printer, next-generation mPOS hub device and an ultra-compact 4-inch mobile printer.

Market research firm Technavio predicts a compound annual growth rate of 51% for the mPOS market in the Americas over the next four years, and a report from BI Intelligence forecasts growth of the mPOS market through 2021, with hardware upgrades being a core driver of mPOS usage. Retailers are cutting the cord and migrating to smaller, lighter, more mobile solutions, said John Kim, BIXOLONs marketing director. Our products are designed to seamlessly integrate and complement todays mPOS systems, providing robust functionality, ultra-compact mobility and advanced connectivity.

Exclusive Look at BIXOLONs Latest

In 2016, for the third year in a row, BIXOLON was named the global leader in mobile receipt printing by Japanese research company Chunichisha. Retailers visiting BIXOLON at the NRF Show (Booth #1443) will get a sneak peek at its newest, most innovative mobile solutions, available Spring 2017:

SRP-Q300: BIXOLONs first cube 3-inch thermal desktop printer is designed to free up counter space and complement the latest mPOS systems with its small, sleek and ultra-compact design. With top- and front-exiting receipt options, the SRP-Q300 also supports a range of accessories including LCD customer displays, card readers (MSR/SCR), and tablet standswhich transform it into a complete mPOS solution with sleek and easy cable management.

B-gate Box (BGT-100B): With limited ports, tablets are problematic when it comes to supporting multiple POS peripherals. BIXOLONs next-generation B-gate Box, is a standalone intelligent hub that seamlessly connects and charges the host tablet device (via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi wireless communication) while supporting up to 4 USB peripherals (scanner, cash drawer, customer display, RFID reader, scale, etc.). The BGT-100B gives retailers the flexibility and scalability to design their own POS environment while supporting existing peripherals and smart mobile devices.

SPP-R410: BIXOLONs latest-generation 4-inch mobile printer is a full 25% lighter and 22% smaller than its predecessor, the SRP-R400. With both wireless and wired connectivity options, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB and Serial, this tiny workhorse is ideally suited for retail warehouse and on-the-go printing applications.

In addition to its previewing its latest lineup, BIXOLON announces Apple MFi (Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad) certification for its popular, high-performance SRP-S300 liner-free label and receipt thermal POS printer, allowing retailers to easily integrate iOS devices.

Technology Partners

BIXOLON will host complementary hardware and software technology partners, including Iconex, eMobilePOS, MSP Mobility Corp, 4Court Solutions, Ltd, RPoint, MobiWork LLC, nClose. In addition, BlueStar will showcase a new mPOS bundle, featuring Partner Tech tablet, eMobilePOS software and BIXOLONs B-gate hub solution.

Were looking forward to another successful NRF show, commented Kim. We invite retailers to experience our innovative designs, and team with us to accelerate mobile initiatives.

About BIXOLON

BIXOLON is a leading global manufacturer of innovative, advanced printing technologies including point-of-sale receipt, label, Auto ID and mobile printers for a wide range of environments. Millions of BIXOLON printers are used today in retail, hospitality, healthcare, banking, ticketing, post/parcel, warehousing and other transaction-intensive industries. In 2016, for the third year in a row, BIXOLON was named global mobile receipt printer market leader by Japanese research company Chunichisha, securing a 31.9% market share. Continuing its history of innovation, the company offers the smallest and lightest mobile printer available today, the SPP-R210, as well as the SRP-F310II, the only waterproof POS receipt printer with an unlimited 4 year warranty. For more information, contact us at http://www.bixolonusa.com.



Other Point of Sale blogs of interest:
Gambias president, Yahya Jammeh, has until midnight of Wednesday, January 18 to leave office for the swearing-in of his successor, Adama Barrow.

This is the final verdict of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), according to a report by Thisday which further said the organisation has perfected plans to ensure Barrow becomes the new president of the country on Thursday, January 19.

Jammeh rejected the result of the election won by Adama Barrow

This new challenge for Jammeh came same day the countrys Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle, refused to hear an application by his party, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), to halt the swearing-in of Barrow.

Jammehs plot to remain in office beyond his legally mandated period was also punctured on Monday, January 16 with the resignation of the countrys foreign minister, Neneh MacDouall-Gaye.

The minister is to be followed by her counterparts, the minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Addou kolley; the minister of Trade, Industry and Employment, Abdou Jobe; and the minister of Environment, Ousman Jarju.

READ ALSO: Exposed! Jammeh caught on video begging Sirleaf for assistance (video)

Last week, Sheriff Bolang, the countrys information minister resigned and fled over the refusal of Jammeh to step down after his defeat in the December, 2016 poll.

Premium Times reports that Mrs MacDouall-Gaye said her resignation was because of the prevailing circumstances, adding in her letter: This letter serves as a formal notice of my resignation as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of The Gambia.

After due deliberation, I am of the conviction that under the prevailing circumstances I cannot effectively serve as foreign minister.

Thanking Jammeh for the opportunity given her to serve, MacDouall-Gaye, who had been one of Jammehs most trusted allies, prayed that the political tension in the state is calmed and the issue between him and Barrow resolved.

Premium Times reports that there are indications the minister fled Gambia after resigning as it is believed Jammeh is increasingly being dumped.

Jammeh had initially congratulated Barrow after the latter was declared winner of the election but suddenly back-tracked and rejected the result of the poll.

The African Union and the ECOWAS have made efforts to prevail on him to step down from office with fears that it could result in civil war.

On Monday, there were unverified photographs of Gambian citizens leaving the country amid tension.

READ ALSO: Adama Barrow loses son after dog bite

Thisday also quoted a staff of the countrys foreign ministry as saying: From what I gathered, they are extending the olive branch till midnight of January 18th. If he does not (handover power) by 19th, the troops will take-over.

The source said he had no idea of the troops but that they would come from ECOWAS.

When contacted, the report quoted the director of Army public relations, Brig-Gen Sani Usman, as saying that he was not aware of any plans to bring the military into the country as the issue falls into the purview of the foreign affairs ministry.

We are not at the forefront of solving the political problem in The Gambia; we are soldiers, he said.

Source: Legit.ng
Political gladiators are already strategizing and warming up for 2019 general elections which still two years away.

The political parties are making subtle moves to woo more members from rival parties to their camp.

Report has it that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is making serious efforts to woo governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-east and South-south regions ahead of the 2019 elections.

Following the lingering crisis in the PDP and other parties like the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), these governors may decide to dump their parties for the APC.

Below are five governors who are being wooed and may likely defect to the APC.

1. Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state

Governor Obiano is under pressure ahead of next year's governorship election in Anambra state

Anambra has been in the hands of APGA. Obiano won the 2014 election on the platform of APGA and was sworn in on March 17, 2014, to succeed Peter Obi. Report has it that he is under pressure to defect ahead of the governorship election in the state which comes up next year.

READ ALSO: APC woos PDP governors ahead of 2019

2. Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state

Gov Umahi said PDP remains the party to beat in Ebonyi state

The lobbyist are not sparing Umahi who was elected as governor in April 2015. The election was challenged by the Labour Party, APC and APGA. His election was upheld by the governorship election tribunal in October 2015.

However, Umahis chief press secretary, Emma Anya, has insisted that his governor would remain in the PDP as the party remains the party to beat in Ebonyi state.

3. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state

The lobbyists are not sparing Governor Umahi

Okezie was elected as governor on the platform of the PDP in 2015. Months back, the APC had urged Ikpeazu, to brace up for its imminent takeover of the Government House in 2019.

4. Governor Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers state

Ayade has stated several times that he remains in PDP

Ayade won the 2015 governorship election in his state under the platform of the PDP. There have been speculation that the governor may defect to the APC but Ayade has stated several times that he remains in PDP.

READ ALSO: PDP will collapse if I move to APC  Governor Umahi

5. Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state

Governor Udom is totally committed to the ideals of the PDP

He was sworn in on May 29 as the governor of the state. He won the election under the platform of the PDP. Despite speculation that Udom might defect, his chief press secretary, Ekerete Udoh, has said the governor is totally committed to the ideals and principles of the PDP and would not leave the party for another.

In the days ahead nobody can predict the move of these governors. Nigerian politicians cannot be trusted when it comes to being faithful to their political parties.

Watch Ribadu tell why he defected to the APC.

Source: Legit.ng
Singapore is a small nation with a population of barely 5.6 million but many of its companies have a global footprint and are dominant in their respective fields.

The Lion Citys success is built upon the bedrock of supportive government policies, a highly educated and skilled workforce, as well as world-class infrastructure.

This has enabled Singapore to become home to firms that are world leaders in sectors as diverse as banking, telecommunications, and even food processing.

Here, then, is a brief description of the countrys 10 leading companies based on total revenue, net profit, total assets and market capitalization.

1. Singtel







Source: Bloomberg

SingTel is an international telecommunications company with over 600 million mobile customers around the world. The SingTel Group has offices spread across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the US and employs 23,000 staff.

To fuel its expansion, SingTel has invested in several telecom companies including Bharti Airtel, which has operations in India, South Asia, and Africa. Investments have also been made in Telkomsel in Indonesia, Globe Telecom in the Philippines, and in Advanced Info Service in Thailand.

Not content with its existing service offerings, the company has even delved into the video streaming service industry in the form of Hooq, which is a joint venture with media heavyweights Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros.

Market Capitalization: S$62 billion

Total Revenue: S$17 billion

Net Profit: S$3.8 billion

Total Assets: S$43.6 billion

2. DBS Group Holdings







Source: DBS

DBS Bank, the largest in Singapore, is a subsidiary of DBS Group Holdings. With 280 branches across 18 markets, DBS has operations in Singapore, the Greater China region, Southeast Asia, and South Asia.

Recently, financial services magazine, Euromoney, announced that DBS was the worlds best digital bank, claiming the award ahead of other financial heavyweights such as Citi, BBVA and ING.

Story continues

DBS has already invested nearly S$5 billion in digital strategies to back up its newfound approach to innovation. It even recently launched an entirely mobile-centric banking service in India called Digibank, which has no brick-and-mortar branches whatsoever.

Market Capitalization: S$46.2 billion

Total Revenue: S$10.2 billion

Net Profit: S$4.5 billion

Total Assets: S$457.8 billion

3. OCBC Bank







Source: Shutterstock

One of Singapores top three banks, OCBC has a pedigree that stretches back to 1912. Global Finance magazine has ranked OCBC among the worlds 50 safest banks. Its area of operations includes Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Greater China.

The bank over 610 branches and is active in commercial banking, wealth management, and corporate banking. Its insurance subsidiary, Great Eastern Holdings, is a leader in the life insurance business in Singapore and Malaysia.

OCBC is also no slouch when it comes to technological innovation. It recently became the first bank in South-east Asia to use blockchain technology in pilot projects for payments transactions.

Aside from adopting cutting-edge technologies, it has also made strides in digital innovation by again being one of the first movers in the Southeast Asian banking industry to release its Application Programming Interface (API) platform  that opens data to third-party software developers  in May this year.

Market Capitalization: S$39 billion

Total Revenue: S$8.2 billion

Net Profit: S$3.9 billion

Total Assets: S$390.2 billion

4. United Overseas Bank







Source: Shutterstock

Commonly referred to as UOB, the bank is a market leader in the credit card and private residential home loan business in Singapore. It has a special focus on SME banking and has operations in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and China.

The banks asset management arm, UOB Asset Management, is one of Singapores top fund managers and it has built up an enviable track record over the years.

As one of the top 3 banks in Singapore, UOB is also stretching its legs in terms of innovative applications of technology by being the first bank in Singapore to enable customers to use their mobile phone as their security token.

Recognising that consumers are increasingly using their smartphones in all aspects of life, including banking transactions, this digital security feature is aimed at enhancing value-added service to its pool of customers.

Market Capitalization: S$34.3 billion

Total Revenue: S$7.4 billion

Net Profit: S$3.2 billion

Total Assets: S$316 billion

5. Wilmar International







Source: Wilmar International

The company is a leader in the agribusiness field and its activities include oil palm cultivation, oilseed crushing, edible oil refining, and sugar milling and crushing.

Wilmar International, which was established in 1991, has more than 500 manufacturing plants and a distribution network that extends to China, India, and about 50 other countries.

It is one of the largest palm oil plantation owners and the worlds largest processor of palm oil. The total size of the planted area in its palm oil plantations is a massive 240,956 hectares. The bulk of this is located in Indonesia, with about a quarter in Malaysia while the remainder is in Africa.

Aside from palm oil, Wilmar is also a titan in the sugar industry. It is the largest sugar producer in Africa and recently formed a joint venture with Brazil's Raizen Energia to form one of the world's largest exporters of Brazilian sugar.

Market Capitalization: S$23.5 billion

Total Revenue: S$38.8 billion

Net Profit: S$1.1 billion

Total Assets: S$37.9 billion

6. CapitaLand







Source: Shutterstock

CapitaLand is a leading real estate company with extensive holdings in China and Singapore. It is now making inroads into the property markets of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

Setting up integrated development projects is the companys forte. Its maiden project, Raffles City Singapore, was established in 1986. Some of its more recent projects are Westgate, Bedok Mall, ION Orchard, and the Orchard Residences.

It also recently launched its new corporate venture arm, C31 Ventures, which can tap into a fund size of S$100 million to invest in startups.

This new investment vehicle will find startups that are addressing the following areas which are synergistic to its core businesses: design & construction, operations & maintenance, sales & leasing, customer engagement, workplace productivity and smart-living solutions.

Market Capitalization: S$13.4 billion

Total Revenue: S$4.6 billion

Net Profit: S$1 billion

Total Assets: S$47 billion

7. Singapore Airlines







Source: Shutterstock

Acknowledged by travellers and industry professionals as among the worlds most efficiently run airlines, Singapore Airlines (SIA) has a network that covers 60 destinations throughout six continents. The companys Singapore Girl campaign has made the airline a household name across the world.

SIA is widely recognised as one of the best airlines in the world and is also regularly ranked as one of the safest for air travel.

Last year, Singapore Airlines flew more than 18 million passengers. It has extensive expansion plans and has ordered 110 wide-body aircraft to augment its existing fleet of 105.

Market Capitalization: S$11.6 billion

Total Revenue: S$15.2 billion

Net Profit: S$0.8 billion

Total Assets: S$23.8 billion

8. Global Logistic Properties







Source: GLP Japan

A warehousing giant, Global Logistic Properties has built its business on the back of the expansion in e-commerce. The firm is the second largest warehouse operator in the US. It also has extensive operations in China, Japan, and Brazil.

The company has a 562 million sq. ft. property portfolio valued at US$39 billion. It is currently working on its largest job to-date, the GLP Nagareyama project in Greater Tokyo. When complete, this project will provide 3.4 million sq. ft. of total gross floor area.

It also recently announced the establishment of a fund that is expected to invest US$1.5 billion over the next three years in US properties.

Market Capitalization: S$12.4 billion

Total Revenue: S$0.8 billion

Net Profit: S$0.7 billion

Total Assets: S$23.1 billion

9. Keppel Corp







Source: Keppel China

A leader in offshore rig design, construction and repair, ship repair, and shipbuilding, Keppel Corps global network spans the Asia Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, the Caspian Sea, the Middle East, and the North Sea region.

Keppel Corp is also active in land development, residential projects, and integrated townships. It has an asset management arm with an asset size of S$26 billion.

It also recently won the bid to build Singapores fourth desalination plant, beating out several other contenders for the project.

Market Capitalization: S$11.2 billion

Total Revenue: S$10.3 billion

Net Profit: S$1.5 billion

Total Assets: S$28.9 billion

10. Singapore Technologies Engineering







Source: STE

Singapore Technologies Engineering specialises in the aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine sectors.

It has approximately 23,000 employees and a network of over 100 subsidiaries and associated companies in 46 cities and 24 countries around the world.

Just this past year, its electronics arm, ST Electronics, has secured contracts for projects totaling S$2.33 billion, while its aerospace subsidiary, ST Aerospace, has also done well with S$840 million in contracts being clinched during Q4 alone.

Market Capitalization: S$10.4 billion

Total Revenue: S$6.3 billion

Net Profit: S$0.5 billion

Total Assets: S$8.2 billion

(By Ravinder Kapur)

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Hong Kongs property market is among the worlds most expensive and prices continue to climb steadily. In November 2016, flats in South Horizons in Aberdeen, sold for HK$16,497 (S$3,160) per square foot, a 12.8% increase over the previous peak in September 2015.

Real estate in Hong Kong is a favourite with local investors. Most of the citys wealthy families have large investments in real estate.

Although property prices can fluctuate, Hong Kong is high on the list of those international investors who can afford its inflated valuations.

High stamp duty costs







Source: Pixabay

All foreigners are liable to pay an additional amount as stamp duty in a property purchase transaction. This can add greatly to the cost of acquisition.

Foreigners would have to pay twice the standard stamp duty rate. The stamp duty rises with the price of the property being purchased.

Additionally, foreigners are required to pay buyers stamp duty (BSD). This is calculated at a flat 15% of the sale value and does not depend on the price of the property.

Stamp duty can be a major deterrent for foreigners as it can add up to 23.5% for an expensive flat or condo.

Is it possible for a foreigner to avoid paying Buyers Stamp Duty?







Source: Pixabay

If you dont have a permanent Hong Kong identity card, you are required to pay BSD. But if a foreigner happens to be married to a permanent resident, there will not be any liability for this additional financial burden.

Another way to escape paying BSD is to purchase the holding company which owns the property. In this case, you would buy the shares of the company, a transaction that would attract stamp duty which could be as low as 0.2%.

But there are certain disadvantages to following this route. You cannot mortgage the shares in the company to raise funds, a facility that is available if you buy property directly. Additionally, as the holder of the shares in the company, you would be liable for all its debts. It is essential to carry out a comprehensive due diligence exercise to protect your interests.

Story continues

Steps in a property transaction in Hong Kong







Source: Pixabay

After you identify a suitable property through your real estate agent, it is important to negotiate prices with the seller or with the developer, in case you are buying a new unit.

Once a price has been agreed upon, a provisional agreement for sale and purchase is prepared by the sellers solicitor. It is important to get this document reviewed by the solicitor appointed by you.





Source: Pixabay

When this document is signed, you will be required to pay between 2% and 5% of the purchase price as an initial deposit. The formal sale and purchase agreement will be signed within a period of 14 days of this date.

At this point in time, the buyer will be required to pay a further sum so that a total payment of 10% of the purchase price is paid. So, if you initially paid 2%, you would be required to pay an additional 8%.

You would then need to pay the entire purchase value. The total time for the deal to be completed, from the signing of the provisional agreement for sale and purchase to making the full payment, would be about six weeks.

As the buyer, you are responsible for payment of stamp duty and for the registration of the purchase document with the land registry.

An overheated property market?



Real estate prices rose sharply for most of 2016. A report by Knight Frank, an international property consultant, reveals the astronomical prices of residential real estate in Hong Kong.





Source: Knight Frank Research

In an effort to bring prices under control, the authorities have raised stamp duty rates. The latest increase was made in November 2016, when an extra stamp duty burden was imposed on buyers who were purchasing their second homes.





http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2016/11/05/df4de308-a2b6-11e6-b05c-0413422fb257_image_hires.jpg

Source: South China Morning Post/Bloomberg

But these measures do not seem to be having much effect on the enthusiasm of buyers to acquire additional properties. Analysts predict that as the recently imposed stamp duty hike applies only to residential real estate, investors will now switch over to the non-residential property market.

Can prices fall?







Source: Pixabay

Chen Hongtian, the billionaire chairman of Shenzhen-headquartered Cheung Kei Group, bought properties in Hong Kong valued at almost US$1 billion between September 2015 and July of the next year.

But he now says that he may consider investing in other places such as Singapore. The reason for his disillusionment with Hong Kong? According to Mr Hongtian, the local demand for autonomy from China is sure to have a negative effect on the property market.

He also says that an uncertain political environment has led to his becoming more careful about his investment plans for Hong Kong.

(By Ravinder Kapur)

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Malaysian Trade Minister Mustapa Mohamed said his country must get beyond the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal that has embroiled top figures in the country's political class and caused international embarrassment.

Allegations that huge sums were misappropriated from the state backed 1MDB fund have triggered a scandal which has turned on Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has denied any wrongdoing.

Malaysia has been seized since 2015 by the scandal, which has sparked investigations in several countries, including Switzerland, Singapore and the United States.

"We've learned many lessons and we are moving forward," Minister Mustapa told AFP on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"Essentially we have to move on and we have confidence that a number of issues that came to limelight as a result of 1MDB will at some point be behind us," he said.

The scandal has proven to be an embarrassment to Malaysia and drawn accusations that Malaysia failed in its response to the allegations.

Global investigators from about 10 countries believe that billions of dollars were absconded from 1Malaysia Development Bhd, a development fund set up Najib in 2009.

Billions are believed to have moved through Singapore, Switzerland and other wealth centres in order to buy art, real estate and invest in Hollywood movies.

"We have the authorities to go after those responsible for creating the mess. The law is taking its course," Mustapa said.
Philippine communist rebels waging one of Asia's longest insurgencies said Tuesday a peace pact was likely not achievable before 2019, in a blow to the government's hopes of securing a deal this year. Ahead of fresh peace talks starting in Italy on Thursday, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines also warned that forces on the ground were urging an end to a ceasefire as they became frustrated with the government's "broken promises". "The NDFP goes into the third round of formal talks in Rome determined as always to persevere with the peace talks but increasingly troubled by the other party's sincerity," the communists' chief negotiator, Fidel Agcaoili, said in a statement. The communists have been waging their "national democratic revolution" since 1968 to overthrow a capitalist system that has created one of Asia's biggest rich-poor divides. At least 30,000 people have died in the conflict, according to the military. President Rodrigo Duterte, who describes himself as a socialist, has made ending the rebellion one of his top priorities. He launched the peace process soon after he took office in June last year and installed three communists in his cabinet. Both sides agreed to a temporary ceasefire during the first round of talks in Norway last August. The government said then it was aiming for a final peace deal within 12 months. But Agcaoili said the communists would need at least two more years after negotiators agreed on a series of economic and political reforms before even beginning "serious discussions" on a final peace pact. Those economic and political reforms have yet to be agreed, and are meant to be discussed in Rome. Meanwhile, familiar grievances that derailed peace efforts under previous Philippine presidents appear to have returned to haunt the current negotiations. - ' A poker game' - The communists have long demanded that hundreds of jailed communists be released before they will consider making major concessions in peace talks. Duterte released 18 top leaders to kickstart the peace process but the communists are demanding another 434 rebels be freed immediately. Duterte said last month he did not want to release the rebels straight away, describing the negotiations as a "poker game". "My aces are in prison," he said, referring to the jailed communists. "If I released them all my cards would lost. There would be nothing else to talk about." The government's chief negotiator, Silvestre Bello, gave a more upbeat assessment of the peace process when contacted by AFP on Tuesday for reaction to Agcaoili's statement. He said the government was still sticking to its timeframe to secure a peace deal of between nine and 12 months from the start of the talks in August last year. Bello said he had told the communists it was to their advantage not to delay, or they would risk not being able to finalise a peace pact before Duterte's six-year term ends in 2022. Agcaoili said the prospect of a permanent ceasefire was "growing dim" because of the prisoner issue. He also accused security forces of violating the current temporary ceasefire. But Bello said he would still push at the Rome talks, which will last until January 25, for agreement on a permanent ceasefire. "The prisoners issue has no bearing on the signing of a bilateral ceasefire," Bello said. The government estimates the rebels' armed wing the New People's Army has about 4,000 fighters, down from a peak of 26,000 in the 1980s. But they remain particularly active in rural areas of the archipelago, where they are well known for extorting money from local businesses. Their regular deadly attacks on police and military forces also occasionally reach into urban areas.
The rise of China will be a source of global stability not conflict, major oil supplier Saudi Arabia said at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.

"As China gets integrated into the world, and into the world financial and economic systems, it has a tremendous interest in stability of those systems," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said.

"And so I think the rise of China should be one that is welcomed, not one that is viewed as a source of a threat," he told a discussion in the Swiss resort, where 3,000 members of the political and business elite gathered for annual talks.

Asia is the number one market region for Saudi Arabian oil.

Jubeir's comments came after China's President Xi Jinping warned, also at Davos, against scapegoating globalisation for the world's ills or retreating behind protectionist walls.

US President-elect Donald Trump has blamed China and globalisation for the loss of millions of American factory jobs.

Washington is a longstanding ally of Saudi Arabia but ties were strained under President Barack Obama, who hands power to Trump on Friday.

Riyadh felt Obama was reluctant to get involved in the civil war in Syria and other regional conflicts while tilting towards Saudi Arabia's rival Iran.

Jubeir said he expects the Trump administration to be more engaged in the Middle East, and the world in general, while "rebuilding" relationships with allies.

"I think the change will happen," the Saudi minister said.

Among Saudi concerns has been the regional role of Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah movement, which is backed by Iran.

"Our concern is that Lebanon not be a source of danger to us, mainly Hezbollah," Jubeir said.

But the election in November of Lebanon's President Michel Aoun, who was backed by Hezbollah, will contribute to a "healing process" in Lebanon, Jubeir said.

"He has acted as a statesman as soon as he was elected" and last week visited Riyadh as his first foreign stop, the Saudi minister said.
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
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
AFP News

Pope Francis warned the world is on the edge of a "delicate precipice" and buffeted by "winds of war" as he held inter-faith talks with one of Sunni Islam's top leaders in Bahrain on Friday. The 85-year-old Argentine decried the "opposing blocs" of East and West, a veiled reference to the standoff over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in a speech to religious leaders in the tiny Gulf state. "We continue to find ourselves on the brink of a delicate precipice and we do not want to fall," he told an audience including Bahrain's king and Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Cairo's prestigious Al-Azhar mosque. "A few potentates are caught up in a resolute struggle for partisan interests, reviving obsolete rhetoric, redesigning spheres of influence and opposing blocs," he added. "We appear to be witnessing a dramatic and childlike scenario: in the garden of humanity, instead of cultivating our surroundings, we are playing instead with fire, missiles and bombs." The pope's visit, aimed at strengthening relations with Islam, comes with the Ukraine war in its ninth month, and as tensions grow on the Korean peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who met Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in September, told journalists that there had been "a few small signs" of progress in negotiations with Moscow, warning that peace initiatives should not be "exploited for other goals". Francis, who is on his second visit to the wealthy Gulf, later met privately with al-Tayeb, with whom he signed a Muslim-Christian manifesto for peace in the United Arab Emirates in 2019. "This meeting has great symbolic importance, both locally and internationally, for promoting peace and peaceful co-existence between different religions and civilisations," said Hala Ramzi Fayez, a Christian and member of Bahrain's parliament. - Sunni, Shiite talks? - Leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, Francis has placed inter-faith dialogue at the heart of his papacy, visiting other Muslim-majority countries including Egypt, Turkey and Iraq. Al-Tayeb, who met with the pope on previous Middle East visits, also called on Friday for talks between Islam's two main branches, Sunni and Shiite, to settle sectarian differences. Later, the pope addressed 17 members of the Muslim Council of Elders, an international group of Islamic scholars and dignitaries, at the mosque of the Sakhir Royal Palace. He told them dialogue was "the oxygen of peaceful coexistence". "In a world that is increasingly wounded and divided, that beneath the surface of globalisation senses anxiety and fear, the great religious traditions must be the heart that unites the members of the body," he said. He also struck out at the arms trade, a "commerce of death" that he said was "turning our common home into one great arsenal". The pope, who is using a wheelchair and a walking stick due to long-standing knee problems, began the first papal visit to Bahrain on Thursday by hitting out at the death penalty and urging respect for human rights and better conditions for workers. Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, Bahrain's minister of finance and national economy, insisted the country has "led the region" with its criminal justice reforms. "We have some of the most robust and wide-ranging human rights and criminal justice protections in the region," the minister told AFP on Friday. "There are very well-established channels through which any of these critics can go, well established institutions of accountability," he said, adding that the pope's comments on the death penalty did not single out Bahrain. "It is important to note that that reference... was a general reference to countries around the world," the minister said. Bahrain has executed six people since 2017, when it carried out its first execution in seven years. Some of the condemned were convicted following a 2011 uprising put down with military support from neighbouring Saudi Arabia. cmk-lar/par/ho/th/dwo
Hungarian NGOs have long felt the heat under strongman Prime Minister Viktor Orban -- but they now fear that, emboldened by Donald Trump's victory, the right-wing premier will turn the screws even tighter. First in line may be groups backed by Hungarian-born billionaire financier George Soros, whose foundation once funded the Oxford studies of a young Orban more than 25 years ago. Last week the deputy head of Orban's ruling party Fidesz, in power since 2010, said that non-governmental organisations should be "cleaned out of here". Szilard Nemeth said that criticism of government policies by "fake" civil organisations set up to "influence politics" by Soros and others was "impermissible". The remarks triggered alarm among beleaguered NGOs, many of which -- in the absence of a credible political opposition -- have long attacked Orban's sweeping revamp of state institutions and hardline anti-immigration stance. "This is a new level of NGO-bashing," said Marta Pardavi, co-head of the Hungarian branch of the Helsinki Committee, a human rights group that provides free advice to asylum-seekers. Nemeth name-checked the body as potential targets along with civil rights group TASZ and corruption watchdog Transparency International. "The notion that we should be swept away like rubbish or have no right to comment on politics shows their arrogant intolerance of different views," Pardavi told AFP. Her office, staffed by some two dozen lawyers, heaves with case files as well as reports that have slammed Orban's anti-migration policies. She freely admits that her organisation relies on foreign funding to continue operating. But "otherwise it's not possible to do human rights advocacy work in Hungary," she says. Mirroring pressure in Russia under President Vladimir Putin, scrutiny of foreign-funded NGOs has been cranked up since Orban was re-elected in 2014. Dozens of groups supported by Norway were investigated by government auditors over alleged financial irregularities. None were found, and the purge prompted US President Barack Obama to warn Hungary against a "clampdown" on civil society. - 'Foreign money' - Orban's spokesman Zoltan Kovacs told AFP that the election of Trump as US president -- Orban is a great admirer -- will bring in a "new era". "With the new US administration, pseudo civil sector activity is not going to drive international politics," he told AFP. But Kovacs stressed that Hungary was not about to kick anybody out. "The rule of law prevails in Hungary. It's impossible to have singular or targeted action against anyone. Any new rules will apply to all and be in line with EU and international law," Kovacs said. But he added: "It's clear we need changes, we don't know how much foreign money or foreign influence there is behind NGOs." "Many on the political left claim they are civilians but they clearly have political goals and act like the political opposition." A draft bill addressing "transparency" of NGO funding will be submitted to parliament around April, according to a schedule on the Hungarian parliament website. Details have yet to be worked out though, said Kovacs. - Soros in crosshairs - The 86-year-old Soros, whose Open Society Foundations (OSF) body has funded civil groups in Eastern Europe since the 1980s, is in the crosshairs of the new push. "Soros has decided that he will be Viktor Orban's opponent and opposition in Hungarian politics... People have the right to know which organisations he's doing this through," Orban's chief-of-staff Janos Lazar said last week. Hungarian officials have even accused Soros-backed NGOs of posing a national security risk during Europe's migration crisis by allegedly colluding with human-smugglers and "terrorists". It's a charge Marta Pardavi says could scare off small donors if they fear their data might be compromised. "What a wonderful way of discrediting NGOs," she said. The OSF meanwhile has no plans to quit Hungary, its president Christopher Stone said. "We are not the opposition, neither in Hungary, nor elsewhere. We are promoters of open debate," he said in a statement emailed to AFP. The body says it currently funds over 60 Hungarian NGOs, ranging from corruption watchdogs and investigative journalists to human rights and anti-discrimination bodies. It has also awarded thousands of scholarships to Hungarian students -- including Orban in 1989 -- while the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and TASZ were even praised by Fidesz before 2010.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)  Omar Tarshan had never visited any of Syria's famous public baths until three weeks ago, when a water shortage in his Damascus neighborhood forced him to look for an alternative place to shower.

On Monday night, the 25-year-old accountant came with a colleague, Safwat Hariri, to the 1,000-year-old bath house in the old quarter of Damascus  the Hammam al-Malik al Zahir  where each was given two towels, a loofah and a piece of traditional olive oil soap. Minutes later, they stepped into the bath, enveloped by thick vapor.

The two men share the frustration of many other residents of the Syrian capital, forced to wait in long lines to fill their jerry cans after fighting with rebels in a valley northwest of Damascus cut off the main water line for the city last month. The more affluent, pay tanker trucks to come and fill up their tanks at home.

"We have no water at home and so I discovered the public bath," said Tarshan, a terry cloth wrapped around his waist.

The bath house, like others in Syria, has its own well and doesn't rely on the public water network.

Since Dec. 22, the fighting in Barada Valley has severely restricted the flow of water to Damascus, piling up more hardship on the city's 5 million people already suffering massive power cuts, rising food prices and general erosion in all services as Syria's brutal conflict is about to enter its seventh year.

President Bashar Assad's government forces fighting for control of the opposition-held Barada Valley say the rebels contaminated the area's Ein al-Fijeh spring with diesel. The rebels say government airstrikes damaged the water source.

As insulated as Damascus has been from the effects of the civil war that has torn much of the country apart, the recent water crisis has dominated the talk in much of the city.

Residents line up in front of public taps with containers in hand; others crowd around huge water tankers parked in residential neighborhoods. Government-owned tanker trucks ferry water around the clock to hospitals. Prices of bottled waters have doubled, as the fighting-stricken valley  Wadi Barada in Arabic  is home to some of the country's most famous drinking water companies.

Story continues

A driver of one of the state-owned tanker trucks filled it up on Monday morning at a public tap in western Damascus, before heading across town to one of the e city's main hospitals. "We cannot leave hospitals without water," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he did not have permission to talk to the media.

There are concerns of illnesses spreading because people and restaurants don't have enough water to wash produce and clean utensils properly.

Private tanker truck owners are seeing their businesses boom. They sell 1,000 liters (264 gallons) of water for about $10  a huge amount of money in a country where many people make no more than $100 a month.

The manager of the Damascus bath house, Bassam Kubab, said work has more than doubled since the water crisis began. But this has come at a cost to the quality of service, since he cannot afford to hire more staff, it would take too long for them to learn the business and who knows, by then the crisis might be over.

"This increase of work is not in our interest if we are speaking long term," Kubab said as dozens of customers crowded the bath house all at once  each paying $3.5 to use the showers.

Jihad al-Masri, a 52-year-old owner of a store that sells clothes, drove after work to a public tap in the western neighborhood of Mazzeh where he filled more than 10 containers to take home for washing dishes and showers.

"It has been more than 15 days and we don't have a drop of water," said the father of three girls. Instead of showering every other day, each family member now showers once a week, he said.

Sufian Mohammed Sharif came with his son in their pickup truck, packed with all kinds of small and large containers to take to their home in the suburb of Domar.

"In the past, we did not think about water ... now it has become a burden, an extra expense and humiliation," said the 55-year-old truck owner.

At one of the public taps in the Mazzeh neighborhood, about 20 people came to fill their water containers within half an hour.

"Not suitable for drinking," read a sign in Arabic above the tap.

Among those filling up was a small, elderly woman who was lugging several empty plastic bottles.

"We are the oppressed on earth," she muttered, mainly to herself, before slowly walking away toward her home.
Joseph Biais, Nabil Slimani, Valentin Bauer, Victor Pellegrin and Yeelen Moens bring the hype in a beautifully framed look at a city which has only become a destination for skateboarding in recent years.

A group of Vans Europe skaters head to South Korea to hit the endless spots and dodge the irate security guards of Seoul in Endless Light from Joaquim Bayle.

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There was heavy snowfall in and around Seattle for the first time in years, but the weather-watch didnt stop 50-plus attendees and 10-plus speakers from engaging in Microsoft Partner Networks 100 Days to Cloud workshop.

The future of technology as a whole, and IT is in the cloud and the workshop was geared to help individuals and companies align themselves with the shift in market.

Organizations are more than aware they need to transition to the cloud. We need to get on this cloud thing can be heard from conference rooms across the country, coupled with a collective shrug to the question of how.

We know what we have to do, but how do we get there?

Thats where the Microsoft Partner Network comes in, fully equipped with the infrastructure and mentorship to guide an individuals/companys transformation to the cloud.

Whats cloud ready? What needs to be cloud enabled? Are we dealing with any cloud-native applications? What do we currently have thats definitely not cloud ready?

Simply put, it starts with a self-assessment to understand where youre at.

Start with the assessment. Its what they had me do and I was fortunate to gain an objective view of where were at currently, said Sujit Ghosh, owner of 3S Global, who went on his 100 days to cloud journey in 2016. Cannot go where you need to be if you dont know current state.

According to a report released by Bitglass in November 2016, theres an incredibly high rate of adoption happening for cloud applications in general. This report found that over 59 percent of organizations worldwide either use Microsofts Office 365 or Google Clouds G Suite.

Whys this 59 percent figure significant?

Its over a 10 percent increase since 2015 (48 percent), indicating a rapid growth in deployment.

From the very first segment of the workshop, the goal was clear: not only understand what it takes to reach a certain level, but also how to be successful there. As Todd Nelmes, Karen Fassio, Sharon Lee and other Microsoft employees alluded to, companies have had proven success following the cloud-readiness model offered through the Partner Network. Complex ideas and processes  like this one in question about steps to cloud readiness  get broken down and laid out in an easy-to-follow manner, with other Partners journeys acting as the cornerstone of a growing ecosystem.

Peer Mentorship

With the figures and trends all supporting rapid growth, the only hesitation lies in the individuals willingness to take the leap and adopt.

Fridays #CloudReady workshop featured six individuals who had gone through Microsofts 100 Days to Cloud transformation, essentially acting as guinea pigs to gauge the efficiency and quality of the program.

A job well done would be an understatement.

The individuals  equipped with real life examples from their own journeys  provided highly-valuable tips and information to help break down any doubts about the journey to cloud adoption.

Youre not selling Power BI, youre selling a solution, said James Farhat, CEO of ACTS, Inc., and tech visionary. Todays the day an individual can build a business around all of this.

Local Impact

What stood out specifically about Fridays workshop was the focus on Washington states local economy, aimed primarily at helping smaller-to-mid-sized business to become cloud ready.

In the current infrastructure, its approximated that 37 percent of small businesses (US SMBs) are cloud-ready; that figure is projected to be at 78 percent by 2020.

Inspired by the Ignite Washington presence at the workshop, a portion of Fridays discussion honed in on making sure smaller local businesses are taking advantage of the shifts in technology. Whether it was a specific on banking, or inquiries about HIPAA-related processes, the conversation allowed for these individuals to have their voices heard and solutions presented.

As Chaitra Vedullapalli of Meylah pointed out, its not just a matter of building on the cloud. 98 percent of small business are not mobile ready; 70 percent cannot transact online.

Those not grouped in with the 78 percent by 2020 will be left out of the stitches in this solution fabric thats being developed.

Pitch Competition

Quite possibly the most rewarding aspect of the workshop was the cloud-ready pitch competition near the end of the day. By discussing ones company and pitching its potential IP, individuals were able to not only get real-time feedback and guidance, but also receive five hours of free consultation directly from Microsofts technical consultants.

Attendees were given some time to jot down notes and highlight what makes their IP a true solution to a problem in the market. By having an open forum to discuss ideas  all received without judgement, but plenty of critique  attendees were able to properly understand what ultimately makes someone successful in the cloud.

I dont care if I win or not, I just want the chance to share my idea with you, one attendee said before sharing an idea for his companys IP. To feel like the dream is alive again.

The dream is more than alive; it can be a reality in the cloud with a little bit of guidance from the Microsoft Partner Network.

This article was co-developed with Rohit Ghosh. Rohit has been working with IT Staffing for four-plus years, based out of Los Angeles, and is a content consultant for a variety of industries including IT, tech and sports. He has worked with major outlets including Yahoo! Sports, CBS, and Time Warner Cable.
Consumers are bracing for impact after the company behind some of Americas most popular coffee brands announced plans to increase prices by an average of 6 percent.

Folgers, Cafe Bustelo and Dunkin Donuts coffee will all be affected by global roaster and distributor J.M. Smucker, which blamed the imminent price hikes on sustained increases in green coffee costs.

At the start of January, Arabica futures rose to the highest level in weeks after a major Brazilian coffee exporter down-sized expectations for Arabica and Robusta harvests for 2017. Arabica beans make up more than 70 percent of all coffee production, while Robusta beans are more commonly used in espresso and instant coffees.

The Effect of Coffee Prices on Businesses

For small restaurants, cafes and businesses that rely heavily on using coffee as a workplace perk for staff, these supplier hikes could have the potential to subtly inflate overhead costs in the coming months.

Smuckers decision to raise prices directly follows two noticeable price increases from Starbucks. In July, the coffee mega-chain raised prices on many of its espresso drinks by up to 30 cents. Starbucks imposed a similar increase on sections of its iced drink menu in November 2016.

This isnt the first time Smucker has announced a major price increase. The company raised coffee prices by almost 10 percent in 2014 due to similar commodity spikes  although Smucker subsequently admitted that price hike was too aggressive for its customers, and later went on to lower coffee prices in 2015 and 2016.

Despite Smuckers incoming increases for 2017, the company said that all its K-Cup pods would be excluded from planned rate hikes. Smuckers K-Cup offerings include multiple high-profile brands.
Rebels who fought in Aleppo, and managed to get out, attribute their defeat to a lack of unity and the loss of access to the Turkish border. The only thing that united the rebels at all was hatred of ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) but aside from that each of these Islamic terrorist groups thought of themselves as the one anointed by God to lead the revolution and run a religious dictatorship to replace the Assads. The pro-Assad coalition (Iran, Russia and Turkey) has taken advantage of that to make it possible for the Assads to survive the 2011 rebellion against them. That is not guaranteed because the Assads committed numerous atrocities that most of the world considers war crimes. But Russia is one of the few nations with a veto in the UN and that makes it possible to block a UN approved prosecution of the Assads. Meanwhile rebels still hold parts of western Aleppo and fighting continues.

Iran, Russia and Hezbollah agree on defeating the Syrian rebels but Iran and Hezbollah are unclear on exactly what else Russia wants. Thats because Russia and Israel are openly on very good terms while Iran and Hezbollah call for Israel to be destroyed (and have done so for decades). Russia has no official explanation for this seeming contradiction. Russia and Israel have always had good relations, even though Russia often backs Moslem nations that want Israel gone. In the current situation Israel and Russia are constantly negotiating deals that keep Israelis safe (especially Israeli pilots carrying out airstrikes against Hezbollah or anyone else posing an immediate threat to Israel). Russia has installed a modern air defense system (based on their S-300 missiles and a few jet fighters) in parts of Syria and Israel must exercise caution when attacking targets in Syria from the air. For that reason many of the recent airstrikes are launched by Israeli aircraft over Lebanon. The Israeli aircraft launch long range guided missiles at targets in Syria and generally report few if any details. Israeli defense officials did recently admit that it is government policy to prevent Hezbollah and Islamic terrorists in general from getting advanced weapons. Currently this includes chemical weapons, which Israel believes Hezbollah had received from Syria or Iran and was trying to smuggle into Lebanon. Recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria apparently interfered with that. Israel also admitted that it wants Iranian forces out of Syria and the Assad government replaced by someone not dedicated to the destruction of Israel.

The pro-Assad coalition of Russia, Turkey, Iran and the Assad government are holding peace talks with the Syrian rebels on January 23rd in the Central Asian city of Astana (the capital of Kazakhstan). The U.S. was not invited when these talks were announced in December but Russia later asked that someone from the new (after January 20th) U.S. government attend. Most of the rebels were not invited either. Only the FSA rebel coalition was, because it does not support Islamic terrorism. Three rebel larger groups (Ahrar al Sham, Fatah al Sham Front and the Kurds) were not invited, nor was ISIL, the group everyone hates.

Russia reaffirmed that it is going to be a long-term presence in Syria once the rebels have been defeated and the Assads back in power. Russia will continue to use the Hmeimim airbase the port city of Latakia. Some (85 kilometers to the south the port of Tartus will host permanent Russian naval support facility that has been under construction for years.

Changing Loyalties

With the victory in Aleppo the Assad government forces (over 250,000 full and part time fighters) control nearly half the country and about 70 percent of the population. Most government forces are for local defense. The rebels have about as many fighters as the Assads but they are not as well armed, trained or united. Only the FSA (representing about a quarter of the rebel fighters) is acceptable to all the nations supporting the rebellion (Turkey, the West and the Gulf Arabs). The Kurd coalition (the SDF) has about 20 percent of the rebels but is not recognized by the Turks because it contains a lot of Kurdish separatists. The Islamic radical groups (often referred to as the Islamic Front coalition) account for a third of the rebels and are still supported by some Arab nations and used to be (and might still be) supported by Turkey. The remaining 21 percent of the rebel fighters are the Islamic radicals who are out to conquer the world but split into several factions that are at war with each other. These groups have little outside support. The worst of them is ISIL, followed by the local al Qaeda franchise (formerly al Nusra) which is still cozy with al Qaeda. It was the Islamic radicals who, more than anyone else, prevented the rebels from uniting and overthrowing the Assads by 2014 or 2015. At least half the rebel fighters are more anti-Assad rebel that devoted believer in whatever other political or religious agendas the various rebel factions have. These rebels have switched from one rebel faction to another over the last few years, depending on which coalition seemed most likely to possess a winning strategy. From the beginning the two main coalitions were non-religious (seeking a democratic government) or religious (seeking an Islamic dictatorship or a democracy that recognized Islamic law). Since the Russian intervention in late 2015 and the Turkish invasion a year later, many rebels have switched back to non-religious coalitions like the FSA or SDF. This was largely at the expense of the Islamic Front and the al Qaeda groups. ISIL always depended on a lot of foreigners but that source dried up since 2015 because ISIL was losing, everyone hated ISIL and the border security was much improved. ISIL is being destroyed but the damage ISIL did to the rebels since 2014 will likely prove fatal for any rebel victory. Russia, Turkey and Iran are taking advantage of that, at the expense of the West and the Gulf Arabs.

Turkey has killed over 1,800 ISIL fighters and over 300 Kurds since Turkish ground troops entered Syria in August. Only about ten ISIL men were taken alive as were more than ten Kurds. Turkey believes only 20 percent of the three million Syrian refugees in Turkey are willing to return to Syria (even if that means living under Assad rule). The other 80 percent are willing to remain in Turkey, especially if Turkey makes it possible to become citizens. Unlike the Arab Moslem nations the Turks are more willing to absorb other ethnic groups.

Changing Priorities

With Aleppo back in hands of the Assads the war is going in two directions. The Assad government, backed by Iran, Russia and Turkey are concentrating on clearing remaining rebels out of the northwest. That means Hama, Latakia and Idlib provinces, the areas where the Assads always had the most support. Turkey is intent on getting any anti-Turk (pro-PKK) Syrian Kurds out of there as well. Idlib province, west of Aleppo and bordering Turkey, is the main target and is now receiving most of the Russian airstrikes. There are still lots of rebels (few of them ISIL) west of Aleppo. Meanwhile the Kurds, Iraq, the West and the Gulf Arab states want to eliminate the ISIL presence in Iraq and eastern Syria (namely Raqqa).

Although all the foreign powers are supposed to be in Syria to defeat ISIL, that is clearly not the case. The core of ISIL power is in the east, in Raqqa. The only ones concentrating on Raqqa are the SDF coalition of Syrian Kurd and local Arab groups supported by Western and Arab nations. The SDF advance has been slow but that has kept SDF casualties down. Since the advance began in November the SDF has driven ISIL out of 3,200 square kilometers of territory, 236 villages and killed over 600 ISIL fighters and captured 18. The SDF lost 42 fighters but recruited over 2,000 additional ones from the liberated populations as well as Arab tribes throughout eastern Syria. Most of this progress was made in the last month. The SDF has Western (mainly American) special operations troops assisting, mainly to call in airstrikes from the U.S. led air coalition that includes warplanes from several Western nations as well as Arab Gulf states. The SDF does not plan to take Raqqa by itself and is waiting for the Turks and the Assads (or even the Iraqis) to join the effort to clear the city of Raqqa.

The pro-Assad coalition will turn its attention to Raqqa once the rest of the country has been brought back under Assad control. At that point the Assads seek to regain control of Raqqa. For the Assads it would be best for the Syrian Kurd and Arab groups advancing on Raqqa to take the city. This would be a costly (in lives) process. The Assads could then claim Raqqa as theirs and the pro-Assad coalition would back them as that coalition has always backed a peace deal with the Assads still in charge.

January 16, 2017: Turkey announced the capture of the Islamic terrorist responsible for the New Years Eve attack on a Turkish nightclub that left 39 dead and over 60 wounded. Many of those killed by the lone gunman were foreign tourists. ISIL took credit for the attack. Tonight the Turks showed photos of the Central Asian man they arrested today in a raid on a neighborhood where a lot of Central Asians live. There were some security photos of the shooter that were circulated and indicated that the attacker might be Central Asian. The police raid took the suspect alive even though he resisted. The next day police announced that the suspect, Abdulkadir Masharipov, was an Uzbek native who received his terrorist training in Afghanistan and came to Turkey a year ago. Masharipov confessed to carrying out the attack.

January 15, 2017: Turkey openly rebuffed American efforts to convince Turkey that the SDF rebel coalition does not contain any Kurdish groups that support the Kurdish (PKK) insurrection inside Turkey. Short term the Americans are probably right but the Turks have to look at this long-term, and in that sense the Turks are more accurate in their assessments of Kurdish loyalties.

January 14, 2017: In the east (Deir Ezzor province) ISIL began another offensive to take the city of Deir Ezzor (also called al Zour), which has been under siege by the Islamic terrorists since 2014. Syrian forces were largely absent from Deir Ezzor province until March 2016 when Syrian troops retook Palmyra, which ISIL grabbed in May 2015. Palmyra was a major ISIL victory but since the beginning of 2016 Russian air and ground forces have worked with Syrian troops to methodically fight their way back to Palmyra and surrounding Deir Ezzor province. ISIL had, at the end of 2015, controlled most of Deir Ezzor province, including Palmyra, which is astride the main road from Deir Ezzor to Damascus (the national capital and Assad stronghold). Supporting government forces in Deir Ezzor became more difficult with the loss of Palmyra in mid-2015. Syrian troops have been fighting ISIL in Deir Ezzor province ever since in preparation for an on the ISIL capital of Raqqa (227 kilometers to the northeast). The city of Deir Ezzor is halfway between the ISIL capital Raqqa and ISIL controlled areas of Iraq.

January 13, 2017: The government accused Israel of firing missiles from northern Israel at the Mezzah airbase outside Damascus. The explosions were heard in the city and a large fire broke out. Israel refused to comment but local reports indicate that the target was recently delivered (by air) long range, satellite guided Iranian missiles. Several days later Russia broadcast a statement approving of the Israeli action, pointing out that these missiles are an obvious threat to Israel and are meant for no one else.

In the south, rebels outside Damascus agreed to allow government engineers to repair water pumping facilities in rebel controlled territory (the Barada Valley northwest of the city) and restore water supplies for over five million people in and around Damascus. The water supply has been unsafe since December 22nd when rebels poured enough diesel oil into the city water supply, causing reductions in the supply of drinking water. That was followed by rebels damaging some key elements of the water supply system that they controlled. The UN arranged negotiations between the rebels and the government to resolve the problem. The rebels have threatened to shut down the water supply before but did not because many rebel held areas depended on it. But now the rebels have lost most of those areas and feel that control of the municipal water supply is one of the few weapons they have left. Since late December government forces have been fighting, without much success, to drive the rebels out of the Barada Valley.

Turkey and Russia revealed that they now coordinate their respective air operations over Syria. This is to avoid any accidents and to better organize airstrikes both nations are making on certain targets. Details on this cooperation had been worked out the day before in a meeting held in Russia.

January 12, 2017: In the south (Damascus) two rebel suicide bombers managed to carry out an attack even though the police were aware of their presence in the city and were actively searching for them. The two explosions killed ten people and wounded 17 others, apparently all of them civilians.

January 8, 2017: In the east (Deir Ezzor province) Abu Anas al Iraqi, the ISIL head of finance, was killed by an American armed helicopter. Al Iraqi and several subordinates died while riding in a truck some 50 kilometers outside the provincial capital. The U.S. had been seeking Al Iraqi for some time. A force of American commandos were seeking to capture al Iraqi but it came down to killing him for sure or possibly taking him alive later.

January 7, 2017: In the north (near the Turkish border, north of Aleppo) a car bomb went off in the rebel held town of Azaz, killing 50 and wounding more than 80 people, most of them civilians. ISIL was believed responsible.

January 6, 2017: In the east (Deir Ezzor province) ISIL used rockets and missiles to attack a government held airbase. The attack destroyed two aircraft and killed over 20 soldiers.

In the north (Idlib province) an airstrike killed Younis Shoueib, a senior al Qaeda advisor in Syria, and his son. The airstrike was apparently American because the United States has been search for Shoueib.

Russia announced it was reducing its military forces in Syria. By exactly how much is unclear. The Russian aircraft carrier task force off the coast departed for its home base in northern Russia. A dozen (or more) Russian warplanes are heading back to Russia. It is unclear how many (if any) Russian ground troops are leaving. The Russian air operations in Syria are expensive (in terms of spare parts and missiles and smart bombs). While its great for these new warplanes and their weapons to get some combat experience, Russia is still experiencing severe budget problems at home and still has to deal with their effort to seize eastern Ukraine.

Israel released spy satellite photos taken on December 28 that showed two Russian Iskander (also known as SS-26 and 9M723K1) ballistic missile launcher vehicles in Syria (at the base Russia shares with Syria). These are probably in Syria to be tested in combat by firing a non-nuclear warhead at a high profile target, like the ISIL capital of Raqqa. Iskander has a 500 kilometer range and is not a traditional ballistic missile. That is, it does not fire straight up, leave the atmosphere, then come back down, following a ballistic trajectory. Instead, Iskander stays in the atmosphere and follows a rather flat trajectory. It is capable of evasive maneuvers and deploying decoys. This makes it more difficult for anti-missile systems to take it down. Iskander began development near the end of the Cold War and the first successful launch took place in 1996. The 4.6 ton Iskander M has a solid fuel rocket motor and a range of up to 700 kilometers normally carries a 710 kg (1,500 pound) warhead. The missile can be stored for up to ten years. Russia developed several different types of warheads, mainly for, including cluster munitions, thermobaric (fuel-air explosive) and electro-magnetic pulse (anti-radar, and destructive to electronics in general.) There is also a nuclear warhead, which is not exported. Guidance is very accurate, using GPS, plus infrared homing for terminal guidance. The warhead will land within 10 meters (31 feet) of the aim point. Iskanders are carried in a 40 ton 8x8 truck, which also provides a launch platform. There is an optional reload truck that carries two missiles. Russia ended up only producing the Iskander-M for its own military. Entering service in 2005, Russia found there were no export customers for the innovative and expensive Iskander but free publicity from actual use in Syria might change that.

January 5, 2017: In the northwest (the coastal province of Latakia) a car bomb went off in the town of Jableh, killing ten people and wounding more than 30. Attacks like this are rare in Latakia, which is part of the Assad heartland. The bomb was believed to be remotely detonated by ISIL. There were similar attacks in early 2016 that left over 350 dead and wounded in the port city of Tartus and another in September that wounded 30.

In the east (Deir Ezzor province) ISIL launched another offensive to take the few remaining government bases.

Further east, across the border in Iraq the Iraqis launched an offensive to capture the ISIL held towns of Aanah, Rawa and Al Qaim. These are the westernmost Iraqi towns in the Euphrates River Valley, which stretches from the Persian Gulf to Turkey. Along the way this river valley passes next to or through Iraqi cities like Baghdad, Fallujah and Ramadi as well as the ISIL capital of Raqqa in eastern Syria.

January 2, 2017: During 2016 American warplanes used some 26,000 smart bombs and missiles in combat and 93 percent of them in Iraq and Syria against ISIL. Both nations got hit with the same number of bombs and missiles.

December 30, 2016: The pro-Assad coalition of Russia, Turkey, Iran and the Assad government agreed that peace talks with the Syrian rebels could be held in Central Asia (the capital of Kazakhstan). The problem is finding a rebel coalition large enough and agreeable enough to join the talks. That may not be necessary as discussions between Russia, Turkey, Iran and the Assad government apparently agreed to some general terms for such a deal. It would consist of a ceasefire with groups now in control of parts of Syria recognized as the temporary ruler of those areas. If the ceasefire held, there would be new elections. The Assads would not participate, but only if they were granted immunity to prosecution so the Assads could go into comfortable exile. All this assumes that ISIL control of any territory in Syria is eliminated. This is an old proposal, but it always depended on ISIL not being part of the mix. That is now a possibility. Meanwhile on the 29th a ceasefire agreement between Assad forces and some rebel groups, like the FSA and some other non-Islamic radical groups, began. It generally held but does not include most of the rebels, especially the al Qaeda and ISIL affiliated ones. A complication in all this the Iranian demand that the Shia minority remain in charge of the government. Since the Sunnis are still a majority, that does not seem likely.

December 29, 2016: In the east (outside Raqqa) and American airstrike killed Abu Jandal al Kuwaiti, one of the two most senior ISIL military commanders in Syria. Al Kuwaiti had recently been assigned to take charge of the defense of Raqqa, the ISIL capital.

December 28, 2016: In the south mortar shells were again fired at the Russian embassy in Damascus. One such shell fell within the embassy compound but was a dud (did not explode) while another shell did explode, but nearby and outside the embassy compound. This has happened several times since 2011. The Syrian government is believed to be responsible for some of these attacks, at least the ones that took place when there were no rebels reported close enough to have done so.

December 27, 2016: Russia criticized a recent American decision to loosen up their restrictions on what kinds of weapons are sent to Syrian rebel groups the U.S. still backs (mainly the ones that do not openly call for attacks on the West). This means that the Americans will send new anti-aircraft weapons (most likely Stingers.) This has been threatened, as in 2008 when the U.S. was seeking a suitable response to Russian sales of air defense systems to Syria and Iran. Missiles like the Stinger would be a serious threat to Russian aircraft (especially helicopters and ground attack aircraft) in Syria.
Learning Resources

Gale Releases Digital Archive from ACLU

Reference company Gale has released a digital archive of papers from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The content in the archive covers the years between 1912 and 1990, with a focus on civil rights, race, children and women's rights, freedom of speech and due process.

The collection includes case files, meeting minutes, legal briefs, research files and files of all staff members, as well as correspondence and materials from organizations affiliated with the ACLU (including its adversaries) and newspaper clippings.

The ACLU is one of the preeminent civil liberties organizations in the United States. It uses litigation, lobbying and public education to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The union has been at the forefront of American legal battles tied to the "Red Scare,"

the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, events related to the Vietnam War, Civil Rights movement and gay rights, among many others.

"The Making of Modern Law" archive, as it's titled, contains 2 million pages held at the Seely G. Mudd Manuscript Library at Princeton University.

The archive is available on the Gale Primary Sources platform, making it cross-searchable with other collections in the same platform. Tools allow researchers and students to perform textual analysis and generate visual displays of information to help uncover new insights and find relationships between themes, events and individuals.

"The papers of the ACLU are among the most-visited and most-requested of library collections," said Phil Faust, vice president for academic products at Gale. "The launch of this archive highlights Gale's extensive effort to bring to the forefront material crucial for the study of civil liberties and identity. We're living in exceptional times and the study of these topics has never been more relevant."
DGAP-News: MyBucks S.A. / Key word(s): Acquisition





The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



/ Media Release MyBucks enters the Australian market through the acquisition of a leading local lender - Entering a EUR 2+ billion FinTech industry in Australia - Adding more than ten thousand clients and boosting loan book by EUR 7 million Luxembourg, 17 January - - Frankfurt-listed FinTech, MyBucks, has announced that it will be expanding into the Australian digital lending space with the acquisition of micro-finance company, Fair Go Finance Pty Ltd. ("Fair Go Finance"). MyBucks has acquired a 75% stake in Fair Go Finance, for a consideration of AU$ 3 million (c. EUR2.1 million) through an issuance of 117,613 shares in MyBucks S.A. at a share price of EUR 17.67 per share. Fair Go Finance - which has been in operation for nine years - is a fully digital financial services provider in Australia. In the last financial year ending 30 June 2016, Fair Go Finance generated revenue of c. EUR 3 million with a gross loan book of c. EUR 7 million. CEO of MyBucks, Dave van Niekerk says, "Fair Go is well placed to bring MyBucks into the Australasian market and comes with a dedicated client base and local operational know-how." "This acquisition affords MyBucks the opportunity to expand our footprint and build on activities in Oceania and Australia with a potential funding line more than EUR 4 million," he adds. According to Austrialian FinTech Research, the Australian FinTech industry revenue is predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 76.3% and exceed EUR 2.3 billion by 2020. Van Niekerk highlights that in line with the businesses strategy at this time, unlocking such an emerging geographical region is key. "With our technological know-how, innovation and experience in establishing such services in unserved regions, MyBucks will continue to build the critical mass required to support growth and development." About MyBucks MyBucks S.A. (WKN: A2AJLT, ISIN: LU1404975507, Ticker Symbol: MBC: GR) is a FinTech company based in Luxembourg that delivers seamless financial services through technology. Through its brands GetBucks, GetBanked and GetSure the company offers unsecured consumer loans, banking solutions as well as insurance products to customers. MyBucks has experienced exponential growth since its inception in 2011 and today has operations in twelve African and two European countries. MyBucks aims to ensure that its product offering is accessible, simple and trustworthy, in comparison to traditional, non-technological methods, ultimately working towards enhancing the benefits to the customer. The MyBucks' product offering enables customers to manage their financial affairs easily and conveniently



Discover more at www.mybucks.com

17.01.2017 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


BANGKOK (AP)  Trudging up a lush mountainside to a remote village, plunging through a swift-moving river in the footsteps of elephants and cruising Bangkok's gleaming luxury malls  with each step, I walked into different worlds, each one beautiful, all in Thailand.

Don't forget glittering temples, bustling night markets and world-famous Thai massages to soothe weary muscles.

___

BANGKOK

The capital's malls and markets are endless, from Siam Paragon, filled with designer brands and an upscale food court, to stands of cheap goods where souvenir-seekers haggle over the price of utensils, bracelets and trinkets. After dark, the night markets come alive, bustling with shoppers grabbing cheap sunglasses and shoes while families and friends enjoy soups and curries in more bearable heat.

Bangkok is also famous for its opulent temples, including Wat Pho, Temple of the Reclining Buddha, with its stair-step monuments to royalty called chedis, similar to stupas. The centerpiece is a massive horizontal Buddha, its gold girth touching the temple walls from end to end.

Next door at the white-walled Grand Palace complex, black-clad mourners waited in snaking lines to pay their respects to King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The beloved leader died in October after a 70-year reign  his image ubiquitous on billboards and shrines.

The complex also houses Thailand's most sacred temple, Wat Phra Kaew, or Temple of the Emerald Buddha, with sparkling, gold-decked buildings. The surprise was the size of the famed Buddha figure, carved from jade and dressed in gold, but just 26 inches high.

___

CHIANG MAI

Chiang Mai's walled old city houses more famous temples, including Wat Chedi Luang. Its towering red brick is worn to black, its steps have all but crumbled, but stone dragons still stand guard.

My favorite temple, moss-covered Wat Pha Lat, is tucked in a forest just outside Chiang Mai. From the university, I got there by hiking Monks Trail, which is marked by strips of orange fabric. Head farther up the mountain to popular Doi Suthep temple or hail a songthaew, a shared taxi.

Story continues

Hungry after hiking? Hit the street vendors and restaurant options that abound back in the tourist center: vegetarian-friendly green curried rice, fried mushrooms and pad thai, plus plenty of beef and pork speared on sticks for meat-eaters. To cool off from the heat or spice, try fresh-cranked pomegranate juice or coconut ice cream.

___

TREKKING

Chiang Mai is the jumping-off point for trekking, elephant tours and other outdoor adventure. A friend and I booked an ecotour trek and overnight home stay in a village some 4 hours away in the Mae Hong Son region. The Karen ethnic group lives there, farming rice and cabbage on vibrant green hillsides. Our guides cut down wild passion fruit for us to sample, pointed out spiders as big as a hand and chopped bamboo to whittle into cups. After reaching the mountaintops near the Myanmar border and making it to the village, we used those cups to slug homemade rice liquor.

We set up a bed of blankets on the wooden floor and rested between bags of rice as our hosts cooked dinner in a hearth built into the floor. Sleeping in a home open to the elements was the only time I got cold on the trip, and the only place I skipped a shower, passing up a tub of chilly water in an outhouse with a squat toilet.

___

ELEPHANTS

I wanted to enjoy these majestic creatures, iconic in Thailand but often exploited, in an ethical way. The Elephant Nature Park allowed us to travel alongside them, not on their backs. We kept them moving through the jungle by thrusting bananas and melon into their eagerly outstretched trunks. It was surreal and a bit unnerving as we led four mostly blind and elderly female elephants on a muddy, uneven path, trying to keep our balance while avoiding their feet. In another part of the sanctuary, we got a peek at a baby elephant.

___

PHI PHI ISLANDS

After trekking, we looked forward to decompressing on an otherworldly beach on the Phi Phi Islands  pronounced "pee pee." But rain was falling as we arrived and promised not to let up.

Instead of the party-hearty main town on Ko Phi Phi Don, the largest island, we opted for a secluded resort. A long-tail boat plowed through choppy waters to get us there, leaving us windblown and wet from ocean spray and rain as we tried to photograph the green-topped rock rising from the Andaman Sea.

The weather cooperated enough the next day for a group tour to the smaller island, Koh Phi Phi Leh, and its hotspot, Maya Bay, which is breathtaking but overrun after the movie "The Beach" made it famous. Even early in the day, it was tough to find a spot free of people posing with selfie sticks.

Nearby, we reveled in an empty swath of sand framed by cliffs before winding through rock formations to the Blue Lagoon, a green-walled swimming hole packed with tourist boats.

___

After the beaches and long days in the devout atmosphere of temples, without blinking, our nights turned to buying knockoffs of favorite overpriced sandals, swigging 70 baht ($2) beer and watching men in elaborate makeup and sequined ball gowns perform a dance in a packed outdoor market.

That's Thailand, country of contrasts.
10 chocolate products which have quietly become smaller or more expensive

It hasn't been a year for good news, and chocolate-lovers are in for even more of a blow. Brands have been quietly shrinking the size of bars and packets because the ingredients to make chocolate are getting more expensive.

This has become known as 'shrinkflation', and even though chocolate bars may not be more expensive, brands are compensating for the rise in ingredient prices by shrinking the sweet treats.

Here is a look at some recent examples of chocolate shrinkage.

1. Terry's Chocolate Orange

Many of us are used to tapping and unwrapping these at Christmas, ready to get our hands on the plump segments of orange-flavoured chocolate.

Thnx to the #Toblerone scandal- these new hollowed Terry's Chocolate Orange segments have slipped under the radar. Is any chocolate safe?  pic.twitter.com/BTjRzgvbhT  DylaN s (@stew_sc) November 21, 2016

However, consumers are now met with a sad sight  the segments have been "hollowed-out" and are but a shadow of what they used to be.

The treat, first manufactured in York in 1932, has been reduced from 175g to 157g in weight  a cut of 10 per cent  prompting outrage among its fans.

Mondelez took over production of Terrys Chocolate Orange in 2012, moving its production to processing plants in Poland.

It has not commented on the "shrinkage" of Terry's Chocolate Orange.

2. Toblerone

If you haven't heard of the shocking new change to the Toblerone bar, you've probably been living under a rock.

Mondelez International has increased the gap between the peaks as a UK-only cost-saving measure to reduce the weight of its bars.

The new #Toblerone.

Wrong on so many levels. It now looks like a bicycle stand.#WeWantOurTobleroneBack. pic.twitter.com/C71KeNUWF1  James Melville (@JamesMelville) November 8, 2016

The company, which also owns Cadbury, said the move was down to the rise in the cost of ingredients, and denied it was a result of Brexit.

Story continues

In a statement on the Toblerone Facebook page, the company said: "We had to make a decision between changing the shape of the bar, and raising the price.

"We chose to change the shape to keep the product affordable for our customers, and it enables us to keep offering a great value product. it had to make a decision between changing the look of the bars or raising their price."

3. Maltesers

Bags of the chocolates appear to be 15 per cent lighter, and sold for the same price.

Forget #Marmitegate, it's #maltesersgate as Mars are reducing pack sizes again(!) 121g down to 103g. pic.twitter.com/TtQoHzrtl0  Steve Dresser (@dresserman) November 17, 2016

Mars told The Telegraph: Like all chocolate manufacturers, we have seen the cost of raw materials rise and, while we try to absorb these pressures as much as possible, sometimes we have to make the difficult decision to reduce the size of some of our products so our consumers can continue to enjoy an affordable treat.

"Our focus is always on offering consumers our great tasting, high quality chocolate brands at the best value for money.

4. Quality Street

Nestle cut the standard tin from 1kg to 820g, while keeping the price at 5, in 2012.

Then, in 2014, consumers got just 780g (wrapped weight) for 5.

Last year, in 2015, customers accused Quality Street of shrinking the tin yet again, a claim the company denied.

A Nestle spokesman said: "This image does not compare like for like.

"As well as the 780g tub pictured, we also have a 1.3kg tin available which lovers of Quality Street might like to try this Christmas.

"We want to give the best possible value for money and we believe that this product is still extremely competitive."

5. Cadbury Fingers

In 2015, the size of packs of Cadbury Fingers shrank by 11g, which equates to around two fingers, to a new weight of 114g, the Daily Mail reported.

Although labelled as a Cadbury product, Fingers are made under license by a Saint Albans-based company, Burtons Biscuit Company. Over a billion of the biscuits, which were launched in 1951, are consumed in the UK every year.

In a statement, Burton's said that the new, smaller packs were rolled out last year "responding to consumer demand", along with a larger, 171g "sharing pack". The company said that the recommended price of the packs had been reduced from 1.99 to 1.79 - though it remains up to supermarkets if they adopt new pricing.

We firmly believe that the variety of pack sizes for different occasions offer consumers the best value for money for a great quality product. Whilst we cant comment on retailer pricing, our data shows that the price has significantly fallen since the introduction of the new sizes", a spokesperson said.

6. Creme Eggs

Not only were Creme Egg fans dismayed when Kraft Foods stopped using Cadburys Dairy Milk for the shell, and instead started using a standard cocoa mix chocolate", in 2015 they also reduced the number of Creme Eggs in a pack.

The size went down from 6 to 5.

A spokesman for Mondelez, Kraft's confectionery division, told The Sun: "It's no longer Dairy Milk. It's similar, but not exactly Dairy Milk. We tested the new one with consumers. It was found to be the best one for the Creme Egg, which is why we've used it this year.

"The Creme Egg has never been called the Cadbury's Dairy Milk Creme Egg. We have never played on the fact that Dairy Milk chocolate was used.

7. Twix

In 2012, Mars, Inc. (who make Twix) announced a 250 calorie cap on all single-serve confectionary by the end of 2013. The result is that many of their products have now been downsized to meet these requirements. Twix have been cut down from 58g to 50g, marking a 14 per cent reduction.

8. Snickers

Another of Mars, Incs products, Snickers bars were cut down by 17 per cent, from 58g to 48g. Prices remained the same at roughly 51p, until they were raised to roughly 60p (except for Asda, who sell them for 45p).

9. Dairy Milk

Mondelez restyled Cadbury Dairy Milk, and got rid of the block design in favour of ovals.

This reduced the weight of each bar from 49g to 45g.

10. Freddos

Freddo chocolate bars, the little frog-shaped treat, are set to rise in price to 30p.

Food conglomerate Mondelez is due to hike the price by 20% as a "last resort" to "keep favourite brands on the shelf".

This comes after they controversially changed the shape of some Toblerone bars so they contain less chocolate for the same price.

A spokeswoman said: Increasing prices is always a last resort, but to ensure we can keep peoples favourite brands on shelf and look after the 4,500 people we employ in the UK, we are having to make some selective price increases across our range.
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
By Abdourahim Arteh DJIBOUTI (Reuters) - The president of Djibouti on Monday formally launched the construction of a project touted as Africa's largest free trade zone, to be built in the tiny Horn of African nation with Chinese backing. The agreement to build the 48 sq km (19 sq mile) free trade zone was signed in March 2016 as part of China's bid to expand trade routes, a series of infrastructure initiatives stretching across 60 countries that the Chinese have dubbed "One Belt, One Road". Tiny Djibouti, population 876,000, has long punched above its weight. It hosts large U.S. and French naval bases; China is also building a naval base. Djibouti also handles roughly 95 percent of the inbound trade for neighbouring Ethiopia, population 99 million. "(Djibouti) aims to become a gateway not only to Ethiopia but to South Sudan, Somalia and the Great Lakes region," Aboubaker Omar Hadi, chairman of the Djibouti Ports and Free Zone Authority, told Reuters. "This new free zone will be the country's first employment reservoir, with more than 15,000 direct and indirect jobs created." Chinas largest public port operator, Dalian Port Corporation Limited, is building the free trade zone. The Djibouti Ports and Free Zone Authority will operate it in a joint venture with China Merchants Holdings. The agreement calls for the zone to handle $7 billion in trade within two years. Djibouti will create a unified customs system with China, establish a transit trade centre and set up a currency clearing system, the agreement said. Chinese companies are also expanding Djibouti's Doraleh Multipurpose Port, estimated to cost $590m and scheduled to be operational in 2017, and building two new airports for with a combined cost of $599m. The larger of the two facilities  slated for completion in 2018  will be located 25 km south of Djibouti City and will be able to handle 1.5 million passengers per year and 100,000 tonnes of cargo. The second facility, located in the north, will have a capacity of 767,000 passengers per year. (Editing by Katharine Houreld and Alison Williams)
BANJUL (Reuters) - Gambian President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency on Tuesday after refusing to hand power to opposition leader Adama Barrow, who won an election last month. State television said the emergency would prevent a power vacuum while the supreme court rules on Jammeh's petition challenging the election result. That suggests Jammeh will stay in power beyond Thursday, when Barrow was due to have been sworn in as president. Regional leaders have threatened to intervene militarily if Jammeh does not step down and on Tuesday a senior Nigerian army source said Nigeria and other West African states were preparing a military force. "I ... hereby declare a state of public emergency throughout the Islamic Republic of Gambia," Jammeh's declaration said. The state of emergency banned "acts of disobedience" and "acts intended to disturb public order". Barrow is not intimidated by the state of emergency, a spokesman told Reuters. He declined to comment on whether the inauguration would proceed on schedule. Jammeh took power in a coup in 1994 as only the second president since Gambia's independence in 1965 and his government gained a reputation for torturing and killing perceived opponents, rights groups say. In 2015, he declared that the country was an Islamic Republic. Pro-democracy activists across Africa welcomed his defeat, and his refusal to step down has provoked an internal crisis as well as a test of mettle for regional leaders. Gambia's top judge on Monday declined to rule on Jammeh's election petition and in a political blow to the president, the ministers of finance, foreign affairs, trade and the environment have resigned, according to ministry sources. The Nigerian source said that defence chiefs of staff of West African countries met on Monday to discuss strategies to remove Jammeh. "Some West African countries will be contributing troops, including Nigeria, for the operation," said the source, adding that the United Nations and African Union had offered support to regional body ECOWAS for the plan. State television said on Monday Finance Minister Abdou Kolley was being replaced by Benjamin Roberts, the minister of tourism. Finance ministry sources said on Tuesday Roberts had also resigned. Ministry sources said other government figures, including Foreign Minister Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, had left the government and the country. The mayor of the capital Banjul has also resigned, according to sources at the city council. Hundreds of Gambians have fled to Senegal, Gambia's only neighbour, fearing for their safety because of the turmoil, and Senegalese authorities have increased security. Barrow is also in Senegal, his aides say. "We are scared. There are soldiers with guns all the time," said Awa Sanneh, 25, from Birkama in Gambia, who was leaving with two children and 24 other family members. Gambia, one of the smallest countries in Africa, relies on tourism and one main crop, peanuts, to fuel its economy. (Reporting by Felix Onuah in Abuja, Emma Farge in Diouloulou and Edward McAllister in Dakar; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by James Dalgleish)
VIENNA (Reuters) - The head of Austria's far-right Freedom Party, Heinz-Christian Strache, has said he will travel to Washington for meetings "on the sidelines of" the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, though he did not specify who. In a statement on his Facebook page, the head of the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPO) did not say whether he would attend the inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20, but did state he would not be meeting Trump himself. Spokesmen for his party were not immediately available for comment. Strache's visit is likely to raise fresh questions about ties between European far-right parties and people close to Trump. FPO officials met people close to Trump, including his pick for national security adviser Michael Flynn, on a recent visit to the United States, the party said last month. "There is a series of invitations to talks with interesting political representatives of the United States on the sidelines of the U.S. president's inauguration on our packed schedule," Strache said, adding that he would be accompanied by an FPO delegation. French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen was seen at Trump Tower last week, but a spokesman for Trump said she did not meet with him or his team. The Kleine Zeitung newspaper said Strache's delegation would include Norbert Hofer, who narrowly failed to become president last year, which would have made him the first freely elected far-right head of state in Europe since World War Two. Strache said "good diplomatic and economic relations" between Austria and the United States were a priority for him given his party's "possible future government responsibilities". Austria's centrist government's mandate runs until next year. "In order to avoid unnecessary speculation, a meeting with the future U.S. president, Donald Trump, is not planned," Strache said. (Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday Ukrainians risked becoming disillusioned with Ukraine's pro-European path if there are further delays to plans to cement its closer integration with the European Union. The European Union reached an agreement on visa waivers for Ukraine in December, after weeks of stalling, but the decision has yet to come into effect. "To delay further would be flagrantly unfair as Ukraine has paid a high price," Poroshenko told foreign ambassadors to Ukraine. "It would also be dangerous because more unreasonable delays would undermine Ukrainians' faith in Europe, which in fact is what Russia is aiming for," he said, adding that Ukraine's EU association agreement also needed to be legally ratified. Delays have raised criticism that the bloc was reneging on pledges to help Ukraine as it seeks to move away from Moscow's orbit in the wake of its 2013-14 pro-European uprising that ousted a Kremlin-backed president. After the change in power, Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and is accused by Kiev and NATO of fuelling an ongoing pro-Russian separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine in which close to 10,000 people have been killed. "We are all witnesses to efforts to build a new iron curtain and it is today's Russia that is building it," Poroshenko said. His comments follow a final visit to Kiev by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who called for the international community to stand up to "coercion and aggression" from Russia. Western support for Ukraine has contributed to a deterioration in relations with Russia to their worst since the Cold War. Trump's open admiration of Russian President Vladimir Putin and stated desire to improve bilateral ties have stoked fears in Kiev that international resolve to hold Russia to account could waver. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets; Writing by Alessandra Prentice)
By Aidan Lewis TUNIS (Reuters) - A visit to a Russian aircraft carrier by Libya's Khalifa Haftar has given the easternbased commander a symbolic boost while also signalling Moscow's interest in a greater role in the region following its intervention in Syria. Haftar is a figurehead for east Libyan factions who harbours national ambitions, and his renewed engagement with Russia comes at a time when the U.N.-supported government in Tripoli that he has shunned is once more in crisis. Russian support could embolden Haftar in making a play for power in Tripoli, a move likely to fuel conflict and represent a major setback for genuine unity government in Libya. Western states say the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) provides the best chance of reversing Libya's slide into anarchy and warfare. But as splits and resistance have weakened the GNA in the capital, Haftar has gained momentum in the east, with support from foreign allies who back his fight against Islamist groups. He enjoys close ties to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and has cultivated his friendship with Russia, visiting Moscow twice last year to ask for help in his anti-Islamist campaign. His tour of the Admiral Kuznetsov in the Mediterranean on Wednesday was Russia's most overt show of support to date. In a video-conference call from the ship reported by Russian media, Haftar and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the fight against "terrorist groups", also one of Moscow's stated targets in its Syria campaign. Haftar's advisers declined to comment on the aircraft carrier visit and what it might mean for relations with Russia. But following its intervention in Syria, Russia sees Libya as a way to anchor its return to the Middle East, said Alexei Malashenko, the chief researcher at Dialogue of Civilizations Institute, a think-tank with close ties to the Russian leadership. "One single Syria is not enough. That's why we need one more state for the Russian presence not only in Syria but generally in the Middle East. Libya is a convenient territory for it. It's complete chaos and you can always say that Russia helps to fight terrorism." Russian President Vladimir Putin may also take an interest in restoring his country's influence in Libya, analysts say. Before he was overthrown, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had been a long-standing Russian ally and Putin opposed the NATO campaign that helped to topple him. Russia did not use its U.N. Security Council veto to block the resolution authorizing military action, and Putin, who was out of presidential office at the time, took the risk of demonstrating a split in Russian leadership by publicly criticising it. CONTRACTS Russia has outwardly backed U.N. mediation in Libya, and says it will abide by an arms embargo on the country. But it could eventually stand to recover billions of dollars worth of weapons and energy deals lost when Gaddafi lost power in 2011. A parliament and government in eastern Libya that are allied to Haftar have no direct control over oil revenues. But they have maintained rival branches of the central bank, which has had Libyan dinars printed in Russia, and the National Oil Corporation (NOC), which has tried unsuccessfully to circumvent U.N. resolutions and sell oil independently of Tripoli. "We hope for a return of the Russian state to its role as a support of Libya's armed forces, which have been abandoned by most countries in their war against terrorism," said Abdallah Bilhaq, a spokesman for the eastern parliament, citing some $4 billion in pre-2011 arms contracts. Naji al-Maghrabi, appointed to head the NOC by the eastern government, told Reuters his office had signed 29 contracts, including recent ones with major states such as Russia and China. He did not give details. So far, Russia's support for Haftar appears to be mainly symbolic, said Karim Mezran, a fellow at the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, though that could change if Haftar tries to take Tripoli, as his opponents in western Libya fear he is actively preparing to do. "If he is getting signs of possible tribes or groups or militias who are really ready to switch to his side he might take the Russian encouragement and move," he said. The GNA has been hamstrung by its failure to win endorsement from Haftar's allies, and its leaders have appeared increasingly isolated and dependent on Western backing since arriving in Tripoli in March. At the start of January, one of its deputy prime ministers resigned, citing a failure to unite rival factions and tackle a collapse in living standards. On Thursday, the head of a self-declared government sidelined by the GNA claimed he had regained control over several ministry buildings. A general electricity blackout in western and southern Libya, on top of chronic security and economic problems, has pushed public frustration to new highs. Haftar, a one-time ally of Gaddafi who returned from exile to join the uprising that toppled him, has largely shunned attempts to shore up the U.N.-mediated deal that created the GNA just over a year ago, accusing the government of aligning itself with some of the Islamist-leaning forces that took control of Tripoli in 2014. In the east, his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) has been tightening its grip, ousting Islamist-led opponents from most of Benghazi, appointing military governors, and extending its control over oil facilities. As the LNA's profile has risen, Western envoys have begun to recognise its gains, while publicly insisting that the U.N. agreement is the only way to bring stability to Libya. Hoping for more support for his anti-Islamist stance from incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, Haftar is positioning himself to talk to the new U.S. administration from a position of strength, said Mezran. "He expects this political agreement to fail and in his mind he thinks the only solution will be a military takeover, and in the end he thinks the West will side with him," he said. (Additional reporting by Maria Tsvetkova in Moscow and Ayman al-Warfalli in Benghazi; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Giles Elgood)
By John Irish PARIS (Reuters) - Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Monday he was positive about the way the incoming U.S. administration wanted to restore American influence in the world, contain Iran and fight Islamic State. "We are optimistic about the incoming administration and look forward to working with it in all areas that are a concern for both of us," Jubeir told reporters in Paris. "We will look at the Trump administration's view as articulated. Wanting to restore America's role in the world, we welcome this. Wanting to defeat ISIS (Islamic State), absolutely. Wanting to contain Iran ... absolutely." Jubeir said the interests of the world's largest oil exporter were aligned with those of the United States, be it geopolitically - in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Iran - or on energy and financial issues. "The objectives we want to achieve are the same. We may have disagreements on how to get there, but we don't disagree on what needs to be done, and that will not change," he said. When asked specifically about Riyadh's relationship with its Shi'ite regional rival Iran and whether there could be a detente between them, Jubeir accused Tehran of destabilising the region. Relations between the two worsened after hundreds of people, many of them Iranians, died in a crush at the 2015 Muslim haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Iran blamed the disaster on organisers' incompetence and boycotted last year's haj. Ties worsened further when Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia executed a Shi'ite cleric a year ago. Angry Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran and Riyadh severed diplomatic relations. "Our relationship with Iran is tense and it's in function of its aggressive and hostile policies. It would be wonderful to live in peace and harmony with Iran, but it takes two to tango," Jubeir said, speaking in English. "We can't be subject to death and destruction and expect to turn the other cheek. We tried, but it didn't work." Jubeir added that proposed talks in the Kazakh capital Astana aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Syria were worth testing. However, it should not be construed as Riyadh abandoning moderate rebels fighting to topple Iranian-backed President Bashar al-Assad. "The objective is to arrive at a ceasefire and move on to the political process. Let's test it. So far it hasn't succeeded," he said. "If it does, then we go down the political path, but that doesn't mean we abandon the moderate opposition." The Astana talks, which are backed by Russia and Turkey, are due to take place later this month, with rebel military factions set to hold face-to-face negotiations with a government delegation. Jubeir, whose country has given military support to the opposition forces, said there had been close consultations with Turkey on the meeting and that it did not believe Ankara had changed its view on Assad leaving power at the end of a transition. "I don't see a change in Turkey's position. The fact the Turks are talking to Russians is not a concern. Turkey has people on ground in Syria and has direct contact with the Syrian opposition on ground," he said. (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
By Chris Mfula LUSAKA (Reuters) - A maize pest that has devastated crops in southern Africa is a South American species which is harder to detect and eradicate than its African counterpart, agriculture officials and experts said on Tuesday. The fall armyworm outbreak has erupted in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi and follows a crippling El Nino-triggered drought which scorched much of the region last year. The pest devours maize and other crops. The armyworms are caterpillars that "march" across the landscape in large groups feasting on young plants, leaving devastation in their wake. "The tricky part with the fall armyworm is that it burrows into the plant whereas the African armyworm eats from outside," Coillard Hamusimbi, the head of agri-business at the Zambia National Farmers' Union, told Reuters. "Because it burrows into the plant the fall armyworm will often only be seen when coming out after the damage has already been done. They can easily build resistance to chemical control because contact with the chemical is difficult." How the pest made its way to Africa is unclear. Hamusimbi said there were suspicions it came to Nigeria through the grain trade and spread from there. Eliot Zitsanza, the Zambia-based chief scientist at the International Red Locust Control Organisation for Central and Southern Africa, which assisted in a local study on the pest, said the South American experience suggested invaded fields could lose 30 to 40 percent of their crop. In Zambia, an estimated 200,000 tonnes of maize have been destroyed by the fall armyworms and the military has been deployed to wage war on the bugs, which have also damaged 2,000 hectares of the staple crop in Malawi. The outbreak in Zambia is being contained as most of the maize was attacked when it was knee-high and three-quarters of the fields that were hit were reporting the eradication of the pest, with plans to replant the crop. Zimbabwe meanwhile was investigating, and assessing the damage caused by the pest as infestation levels varied and the crops could recover after spraying, chief entomologist in the ministry of Agriculture Godfrey Chikwenhere said. Zambia's maize production rose to 2.87 million tonnes in the 2015/2016 crop season from 2.60 million tonnes the previous season, the one producer in the region to have experienced adequate rains during the El Nino. (Additional reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe in Harare; Editing by Ed Stoddard and Susan Thomas)
KAMPALA (Reuters) - Former Congolese rebels who have lived in disarmament camps in Uganda for years are not welcome and are not Uganda's problem, a state minister told Reuters on Tuesday. Okello Oryem, state minister for international affairs, said he didn't know and didn't care if rebels were missing from the camps following reports that some fighters may have crossed the border into neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) this weekend. "We never wanted them here, we never invited them here, they are not even desirable in Uganda," he said. "The responsibility for M23 lies squarely with the government of the DRC and the U.N., squarely with them, not the government of Uganda." (reporting by Elias Biryabarema; writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Dominic Evans)
Amberly Hedden, a Dawsonville native and senior nursing student set to graduate this May from the University of North Georgia (UNG), is one of 10 students in the nation selected to receive the newly created Hurst Review National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) Scholar award.

The NCLEX is an examination for the licensing of nurses in the United States, since 1994. After earning a nursing degree, graduates must take the exam to receive his or her nursing license.

Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two-year colleges and academic programs, partnered with Hurst Review, one of the nation's largest nursing exam preparation companies, to provide a nursing scholarship for nursing students. Nearly 500 students applied for the inaugural round of awards, which pay for students' Hurst Review course and the NCLEX exam.

"Receiving the scholarship for my boards exam greatly reduces my financial stress," Hedden said. "The Hurst course will help me understand how to take the NCLEX and give me a glimpse of what the questions will be like. It is a great resource to prepare me for future licensing."

After graduation, Hedden hopes to work in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit or Heart Failure floor at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

"After working for two to three years I want to return to UNG to get my Advance Practice Registered Nurse degree, and I ultimately teach other nursing students," Hedden said.

Elizabeth Boatright, assistant professor of nursing, had Hedden for several courses, and said it was a privilege to have her as a student.

"Amberly is a warm, caring, and hard-working student. She is eager to learn and highly dedicated to becoming an excellent registered nurse one day," Boatright said.

UNG's nursing program was ranked 4th in affordability and 10th best overall by College Choice in its 2016 Best and Most Affordable Online RN to BSN programs in the nation.

UNG offers a Bachelor of Science in nursing program and a Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in nursing bridge program, as well as a gerontology minor or certificate. Prospective students interested in graduate programs can explore the Master of Science with a major in Family Nurse Practitioner program or the Post-Master's Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner.
More than $250,000 will support various faculty and staff projects and initiatives in 2017 at the University of North Georgia (UNG), marking the fourth year of the Presidential Initiative Awards program, instituted by UNG President Bonita C. Jacobs in 2013.

"Since launching this program, we have awarded about $780,000 in support of more than 125 professional development, research and innovation projects across our campuses," Jacobs said. "These awards are a key investment in UNG faculty and staff, and the knowledge and expertise gained, the improved practices, and the resulting initiatives have significantly enhanced the educational experience of our students. This year's awards represent a new investment of $255,000, and I know the selected proposals will further contribute to academic excellence and student success at UNG."

There are three types of awards available through the program:

Presidential Semester Incentive Awards - recipients receive a full semester release from teaching and service, plus funding support of up to $12,000 each

Presidential Summer Incentive Awards - projects receive up to $10,000 each to support focused and meaningful research, or scholarship and creative activities during the summer semester

Presidential Innovation Awards - projects receive up to $5,000 each to support full-time faculty and staff members in interdisciplinary and/or cross-functional collaborations or individual pursuits focused on innovations and partnerships to promote implementation of best practice models

"Often, collegiate faculty have projects or ideas that just cant get off the ground without a boost, or there are initiatives that can reach a whole new level with a bit of financial support," said Dr. Jon Mehlferber, professor of visual arts, who received a Presidential Innovation Award in 2014 that allowed him and Dr. Terrie Millard and Alison Alhedeff of the Department of Physical Therapy to lead a graduate research project using 3-D printing to create cost-efficient devices designed to help children with disabilities assimilate into more activities. "Our award in 2014 helped produce very successful outcomes, and many children in our community are still benefiting from the devices we were able to create."

The 2017 awards feature a wide range of disciplines and projects, including a proposal from Dr. Susan Hurley of UNG's Department of Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Dr. Mark Griffin of the Department of Psychology to partner with The South Enotah Child Advocacy Center.

"The South Enotah Child Advocacy Center provides a wonderful opportunity to coordinate efforts and promote collaboration between law enforcement, medical, judicial, and social service agencies during sexual abuse investigations involving children. This collaboration involves teamwork to ensure the children are interviewed only once rather than by each agency requiring testimony or evidence, and other steps are taken as well to reduce the trauma experienced by the victims," Hurley said. "However, no facilities of this kind exist in Lumpkin or White counties, and driving these children north to Blairsville to the closest South Enotah facility only worsens their trauma. We realized if we could create a facility here, we could share it with White County and provide a very important service."

The group is now sharing UNG's Clinical Mental Health Counseling Center with South Enotah. With the center's existing technology, they can record interviews so they may be shared with other parties, while the center provides counseling to the children and their families. The Presidential Innovation Award will enable Hurley and Griffin to hire a graduate assistant for coordination and research, as well as providing supplies for the children and supporting the center in becoming a certified child advocacy center.

Dr. Katayoun Mobasher from UNG's Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis wants to help students with visual and physical disabilities who have difficulty with some facets of geology courses, such as field studies. She is very excited about the possibilities made possible through the Presidential Semester Incentive Award she has received.

"I realized that some things in these courses are completely inaccessible to some students, particularly students dealing with difficulties in sight or movement. Study in the field is a big part of geology, so I decided to develop a virtual field guide with sketches, videos and other materials for these students," Mobasher said. "Once this and other materials have been developed, I am hoping to translate the products to other disciplines. The virtual guide is already underway with mapping and 3D modeling, and once the award officially begins this fall, we will be able to access more materials to put on the finishing touches."

View the 2017 Presidential Awards (PDF) for a full list of the awards and their recipients.
Zhou Youguang, a onetime Wall Street banker from China who developed Pinyin, a Romanized writing system that has helped more than 1 billion Chinese and countless foreigners learn to read and write Mandarin, died Jan. 14 in Beijing, one day after celebrating his 111th birthday.

State-run media outlets in China confirmed his death but did not provide additional details. In addition to his contributions to language, Zhou also survived three years of exile and forced labor to become one of his countrys most outspoken dissidents.

Zhous writing system, formally known as Hanyu Pinyin  or putting sounds together, as its name is sometimes translated  had a transformative effect on Chinese society. Before its creation in the mid-1950s, about 85 percent of China was illiterate. Today, China claims near-universal literacy, in part through Zhous linguistic innovation.

Its impact is felt everywhere from streets in Beijing, where signs provide Pinyin spellings alongside names written in Chinas ancient script, to the name of the capital city. Following Zhous system, Peking became Beijing, the city of Nanking became Nanjing, and Mao Tse-tung  the Communist Party leader who initiated a wave of linguistic reforms that included the adoption of Pinyin  became Mao Zedong.

Pinyin gave rise to a Chinese version of Braille, the language for the blind, and enabled China to transition almost seamlessly to the digital age: On most laptops and cellphones, Chinese type Pinyin letters that are automatically converted to Chinese characters.

In an interview, Victor Mair, a professor of Chinese language and literature at the University of Pennsylvania, and a friend of Zhous since the early 1980s, described Pinyin as a simple, even elegant transcription system for Mandarin Chinese, the countrys official language.

For more than 2,000 years, Mair said, learning Chinese  a family of languages that includes Cantonese and Mandarin, which share the same script but wildly different pronunciations  has amounted to a gargantuan task of rote memorization. According to Mair, there are more than 80,000 characters in the Chinese script, and most of them give only a hint of their sound and a hint of their meaning.

To achieve even the most basic level of literacy requires memorizing at least 1,500 characters. To read novels, newspapers and the like requires no fewer than 3,000 characters.

Zhous alphabet was not the first of its kind  a British system known as Wade-Giles was a popular Chinese transliteration tool in the early 20th century  but it was the first to acquire the imprimatur of the Chinese government.

Taught in elementary schools throughout China, Pinyin acts as a kind of linguistic crutch, enabling students to learn the sounds of words through its 25-letter, four-diacritical-mark system before advancing to the memorization and study of the characters themselves.

Without an alphabet you had to learn mouth to mouth, ear to ear, Zhou told Britains Guardian newspaper in 2008. Its a bridge to speech between Chinese people.

Although Zhou  his full name is pronounced Joe Yo-Gwong  helped China better communicate within its borders and with the world at large, he did not escape the Cultural Revolution, a decade-long political campaign in which millions of Chinese were purged and persecuted.

Born Jan. 13, 1906, into a well-to-do family in the eastern city of Changzhou, Zhou was raised in a China where the Qing Dynasty still ruled, women bound their feet and men wore their hair in long braids.

He studied economics and linguistics at St. Johns University in Shanghai, one of the countrys oldest Western-style colleges, before transferring to Guanghua University and graduating in 1927 to begin a career as a banker.

Early in life, he also changed his given name: Born Zhou Yaoping, he took on the name Yaoguang, which means to illuminate, because he wanted it to be an indication of his bringing light into the world, Mair said.

Zhou married Zhang Yunhe in 1933 and studied for several years in Japan, returning to China after the escalation of the Second Sino-Japanese War. They settled in Chongqing, the countrys wartime capital. While there, their 5-year-old daughter died of appendicitis. Zhou struck up a friendship with Zhou Enlai, a Communist Party official who hosted intellectual gatherings in the city and later became the countrys premier.

Zhou and his family moved to New York in 1946, where he represented the Sin Hua Trust and Savings Bank on Wall Street and twice met Albert Einstein on visits to Princeton University. (I didnt understand relativity at all, Zhou later told China Daily, so we just chatted about everyday things.)

Safely away from the violence of the Chinese Civil War, he returned to Shanghai to teach economics in 1949, just as the Communists seized power in Beijing. He returned to see his mother and because I thought the country had been liberated, and had a new hope, he later wrote in an autobiography.

The hope did not last long. In the mid-1950s, Mao embarked on a crusade against rightists, presumed political enemies that included proponents of capitalism and economists such as Zhou. One of his students committed suicide; a good friend, he later told the Guardian, was imprisoned and also committed suicide.

Zhou was spared mainly because of his friendship with Zhou Enlai, by then Chinas premier and who recalled the economists fascination with linguistics and Esperanto, the global lingua franca. In 1955, he summoned Zhou to Beijing and tasked him with developing a new alphabet for China.

Zhou resisted before deciding on a crucial career change. I said I was an amateur, a layman, I couldnt do the job, he told NPR in 2011. But they said, Its a new job, everybody is an amateur. 

Working with a team of around 20 people, Zhou considered more than 2,000 writing systems, according to a 2004 account in the New Yorker. He eventually settled on a transcription system that used the Roman alphabet  a crucial point for Zhou, who later explained that he chose the Roman alphabet over Cyrillic (the alphabet used by Chinas ally, the Soviet Union) because of its predominance in the world.

Perhaps it was due to my time overseas, but I always envisaged Pinyin being useful to foreigners, too, he told China Daily in 2009. I still see it as a bridge between China and the rest of the world, a bridge between cultures.

Pinyin was adopted by Chinas First National Peoples Congress on Feb. 11, 1958. The writing system was later approved by foreign bodies including the United Nations, which formally acknowledged Pinyin in 1986.

Zhou escaped the political purges of the 1950s  he told the Guardian that were it not for his linguistics background, he believed he could have been imprisoned for 20 years as an economist. But his business experience caught up to him during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 70s.

Deemed a reactionary, he was exiled to the Ningxia region of northwestern China in 1969, where he languished in rice fields before returning home to Beijing and his linguistics work in 1972.

Zhou oversaw a translation of the Encyclopaedia Britannica into Chinese in the mid-1980s, and continued publishing books and scholarly articles on linguistics, Confucianism and Chinese history until shortly before his death.

Working out of a largely undecorated third-floor apartment in Beijing, surrounded by books that included his more than 40 published works  some of them banned in his home country  the elderly Zhou also became one of Communist Chinas most vocal critics.

Of Mao, the New York Times quoted him as saying in 2012: I deny he did any good. Of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre: I am sure one day justice will be done.

Although he lived without close family members in his final years  his wife died in 2002 and their son, astrophysicist Zhou Xiaoping, died in 2015  Zhou was known for a seemingly unflagging optimism and defiant spirit. He seemed unconcerned about the prospect of government reprisal for his political commentary, joking to the BBC in 2012: What are they going to do, come and take me away?
The downfall of Katie Nash as social media coordinator for Frederick County [Maryland] Public Schools was, she said, sealed in a tweet.

On Jan. 5, as a storm approached, a student tweeted a message asking the district to close school tammarow PLEASE.

Thinking she would combine pedagogy with a little levity, Nash tweeted from the districts account, but then how would you learn how to spell tomorrow? and followed it with a smiley-face emoticon.

District officials did not smile back.

They asked her to delete the tweet and subsequent banter with students about possible school closures, and the student in question received an apology from the districts communications director. On Jan. 13, Nash was fired.

It all set off an uproar on Twitter. Her original tweet had garnered more than 1,100 retweets and 1,400 likes. She became the subject of a hashtag, #KatiefromFCPS, and another one, #FreeKatie, after a report erroneously stated that she had lost access to the districts Twitter feed before being fired, the Frederick News Post reported.

The spelling-challenged original poster weighed in, tweeting that he did not take it personally.

That did not matter. Nashs tone and approach to social media were more laid back than her employer liked. The districts communications director, Michael Doerrer, told the News Post that its Twitter feed is expected to convey an FCPS voice, and Superintendent Terry Alban told the paper that Board of Education members had expressed concerns.

Liz Barrett, the boards vice president, said the tweet was inappropriate and certainly created a lot of unpleasant responses in terms of other students piling on, according to the paper.

Doerrer said that although he could not comment on personnel matters, we do have guidelines related to social media, and our number one goal is to lift up and to encourage students.

Weve had very successful social media for the last several years, he said, adding that the districts social media is considered a model for the state and that the last person in the position was there for four or five years and did very well. He said employees have the right to appeal personnel decisions.

Barrett also said she could not talk about personnel matters. She added that personnel matters are complex, and theyre so complex typically that they cant be summed up in a sound bite.

Neither Nash nor Alban could be reached Monday.

Nash, who reportedly started at her position in November, had been on a probation period. Three days before the controversy, she had tweeted, Love my job, from her personal account after talking to sixth-graders about books that changed them.

Her offending tweet came as the district aimed to be more relaxed and conversational with students on social media, she told WHAG-TV.

We had received feedback from some students in a focus group that our tweeting was a bit flat; they were looking for some more engagement, she said. I really took that to heart because I know that I am a little bit older and maybe not as hip as some of the students are.

Nash, 34, is part of the parent-teacher association and has two children who attend school in the district, according to her Twitter account.

Doerrer handed her a termination letter in a meeting that lasted four minutes, she told the New York Daily News.

That day, she tweeted from her own account that she did not regret a tweet and wished the district success.

The next day she tweeted, still a mom . . . just more time on my hands to yell at yall.

Since Jan. 5, the districts tweets have been far less humorous. Budget forum tonight  7pm! reads one.
Confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trumps Cabinet picks and other nominees will come fast and furious starting the second week in January. Heres your guide to the details, with information on completed hearings at the bottom:

WHO: Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont.

NOMINATED FOR: Interior secretary

WHEN AND WHERE: 2:15 p.m. Jan. 17; Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources (Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 366)

ARGUMENT FOR: Zinke, an outdoor enthusiast and fifth-generation Montanan, sits on the House Natural Resources Committee. Trump praised his impressive portfolio on Interior issues ranging from federal mineral leases to tribal affairs to public lands conservation and noted his experience and incredible leadership skills as a Navy SEAL from 1986 to 2008.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: Zinke, who has spent only one term in Congress, has been widely criticized by environmental groups for opposing their agenda on issues ranging from protections for endangered species to coal extraction to gas drilling. He said during a 2014 debate that climate change is not a hoax, but its not proven science either.

WHO: Betsy DeVos

NOMINATED FOR: Education secretary

WHEN AND WHERE: 5 p.m. Jan. 17; Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 430)

ARGUMENT FOR: To supporters of school voucher programs, DeVos is a champion. A billionaire conservative activist, she has spent millions on programs to expand them around the country. Trump called her a brilliant and passionate education advocate.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: DeVos has no professional experience in schools and no traditional experience in education policy. Detractors say her views pose an unprecedented threat to the public school system as a civic institution.

WHO: Wilbur Ross

NOMINATED FOR: Commerce secretary

WHEN AND WHERE: 10 a.m. Jan. 18; Senate Commerce Committee (Russell Senate Office Building, Room G50)

ARGUMENT FOR: Trump praised Ross, a billionaire investor who made his fortune restructuring distressed companies, as a champion of American manufacturing and one of the greatest negotiators I have ever met. Supporters hope his experience as a turnaround specialist will boost jobs and reinvigorate troubled U.S. industries.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: Ross record of buying and restructuring troubled businesses sometimes involved layoffs and budget cuts. He is a hard-line supporter of renegotiating or withdrawing from free-trade agreements, a stance that puts him in conflict with free-market Republican orthodoxy.

WHO: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, R

NOMINATED FOR: Ambassador to the United Nations

WHEN AND WHERE: 10 a.m. Jan. 18, Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 419)

ARGUMENT FOR: A daughter of Indian immigrants and rising Republican star, Haley is a polished communicator with national security views that fit into the Republican mainstream.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: Haley has virtually no experience in foreign policy or international affairs except for leading trade missions on behalf of South Carolina.

WHO: Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga.

NOMINATED FOR: Health and Human Services secretary

WHEN AND WHERE: 10 a.m. Jan. 18, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 430)

ARGUMENT FOR: Price, a third-generation doctor and chairman of the House Budget Committee, is a healthcare policy expert who has proposed his own alternative to Obamacare.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: Critics point to Prices desire to repeal the Affordable Care Act and overhaul U.S. entitlement programs as a reason not to confirm him. Prices stock portfolio is also receiving scrutiny amid revelations he bought and sold shares in health care companies that would be affected by legislation he worked on.

WHO: Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt

NOMINATED FOR: EPA administrator

WHEN AND WHERE: 10 a.m. Jan. 18, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 406)

ARGUMENT FOR: Pruitt is an expert in constitutional law and one of the countrys top attorneys general who has a deep familiarity with federal environmental and energy regulations.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: Pruitt has spent his tenure as attorney general fighting the EPA. Critics point to his philosophical differences with the agencys mission as reason not to confirm him.

WHO: Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, R

NOMINATED FOR: Energy secretary

WHEN AND WHERE: 10 a.m. Jan. 19, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 366)

ARGUMENT FOR: Perry was the longest serving governor in the history of Texas, a major oil-and-gas state.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: Perry has voiced support for abolishing the Energy department, and environmental groups worry his confirmation would mean rolling back efforts to expand renewable energy. He has also repeatedly questioned scientific findings about climate change.

WHO: Steven Mnuchin

NOMINATED FOR: Treasury secretary

WHEN AND WHERE: 10 a.m. Jan. 19, Senate Committee on Finance (Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 215)

WHO: Andrew Puzder

NOMINATED FOR: Labor secretary

WHEN AND WHERE: Sometime in February; Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

ARGUMENT FOR: Puzder is chief executive of CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Hardees and Carls Jr. Trump said he has created and boosted the careers of thousands of Americans.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: Detractors point to Puzders opposition to the Affordable Care Act, federal rules that would make more workers eligible for overtime pay and substantially raising the minimum wage to argue he should not lead the Labor Department. His ex-wife accused him of beating her  Puzder denies any physical abuse  in their 1986 divorce proceedings. He has also faced criticism for his companys use of racy and suggestive advertising.



COMPLETED HEARINGS

WHO: Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.

NOMINATED FOR: Attorney general

WHEN AND WHERE: 9:30 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; Senate Judiciary Committee (Russell Senate Office Building, Room 325)

ARGUMENT FOR: Trump has praised Sessions, a longtime adviser and supporter, as a world-class legal mind. First elected in 1996, Sessions previously served as a U.S. attorney and attorney general for Alabama. He has earned praise from Democrats who work with him.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: Accusations of racism have dogged Sessionss career. He was denied a federal judgeship in 1986 after former colleagues testified he used the n-word and said the Ku Klux Klan was okay until he realized Klan members smoked marijuana.

WHO: Retired Marine Gen. John Kelly

NOMINATED FOR: Homeland security secretary

WHEN AND WHERE: 3:30 p.m. Tuesday; Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 342)

ARGUMENT FOR: A widely respected and long-serving military officer, Kelly oversaw operations in Central and South America as head of the U.S. Southern Command. Trump praised him as the right person to spearhead the urgent mission of stopping illegal immigration and experienced in stopping drug and human trafficking.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: The choice of Kelly further raised questions about Trumps desire to surround himself with military generals, and Kelly has a blunt manner that can bring him into conflict with other leaders. Detractors have raised concerns about his past comments questioning the Pentagon order opening jobs in combat units to women.

WHO: Rex Tillerson

NOMINATED FOR: Secretary of state

WHEN AND WHERE: 9:15 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday; Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 106)

ARGUMENT FOR: Trump sees Tillerson, who joined ExxonMobil in 1975 and served as its chief executive, as the embodiment of the American Dream. Trump has praised his tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics. As a global business leader, Tillerson has experience dealing with heads of state around the world, including in Russia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: Tillerson has no experience in the public sector, received the Order of Friendship from Russian President Vladimir Putin and brings along potential conflicts of interest from his business career. Its also unclear whether he supports sanctions implemented against Russia in 2014 over its annexation of Crimea and Moscows support for separatists in Ukraine.

WHO: Elaine Chao

NOMINATED FOR: Transportation secretary

WHEN AND WHERE: 10:15 a.m. Wednesday; Senate Commerce Committee (Russell Senate Office Building, Room G50)

ARGUMENT FOR: Chao previously served as deputy secretary at the Transportation Department and secretary of the Labor Department, giving her expansive insight into the workings of federal bureaucracy. Trump praised her expertise, strong leadership and personal background as an immigrant.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: The nomination of Chao, a consummate Washington insider married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., defies Trumps promise to surround himself only with people from outside government.

WHO: Ben Carson

NOMINATED FOR: Secretary of housing and urban development

WHEN AND WHERE: 10 a.m. Thursday; Senate Banking Committee (Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 538)

ARGUMENT FOR: Carson started his career as a highly accomplished surgeon before turning his attention to politics. His many fans on the conservative right cite his religious faith and rags-to-riches personal story as factors behind their support. Trump has called Carson brilliant and a tough competitor.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: Carson has no experience in public policy and no particular expertise in housing issues. He is known for promoting theories that prison makes inmates gay and that the pyramids were originally constructed to store grain.

WHO: Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis

NOMINATED FOR: Defense secretary

WHEN AND WHERE: 9:30 a.m. Thursday; Senate Armed Services Committee (Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room G50)

ARGUMENT FOR: Mattis is highly experienced, having served more than four decades in the Marine Corps, including as the chief of U.S. Central Command. He is highly respected within the military establishment.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: Mattis is known for making impolitic comments from time to time, such as Its fun to shoot some people, a remark he made during a panel discussion in 2005. To lead the Pentagon, he needs a waiver from Congress bypassing a federal law that disqualifies military personnel who served on active duty in the previous seven years from becoming defense secretary. He is one of several former generals expected to join the top ranks of Trumps administration, a source of criticism for the president-elect.

WHO: Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan.

NOMINATED FOR: CIA director

WHEN AND WHERE: 10 a.m. Thursday; Senate Intelligence Committee (Hart Senate Office Building, Room 216)

ARGUMENT FOR: Pompeo, who was elected to the House in 2010, serves on the House Intelligence Committee. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he served as an cavalry officer before founding an aerospace company  a varied record that Trump favors. He was praised as bright and hard-working by Democratic House colleague Adam Schiff, Calif.

ARGUMENT AGAINST: Pompeo has no meaningful experience in espionage. He is seen as a fierce partisan on issues such as the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, and the leaks by Edward Snowden, a tendency some CIA veterans fear could bias his judgment.
SANTA FE  Santa Fe Public Schools increased its graduation rate by about four percentage points to 71 percent during the 2015-16 school year, matching the state average for the first time since the state started using a four-year cohort to measure graduation rates in 2008.

The 71 percent rate was also a record high for the state average, which was 69 percent for the 2015 graduating class and as low as 63 percent in 2011.

Despite the boost in students earning caps and gowns, New Mexico kids are well behind their peers in other states. The national rate is 83 percent, and high performers such as Iowa and Nebraska are graduating about 90 percent of students.

Gov. Susana Martinez, alongside Education Secretary Hanna Skandera, announced the results at a press conference held at the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce on Monday, the eve of this years 60-day legislative session.

The governor also took the opportunity to tout her support for proposed legislation that would hold back third-graders who fall short in reading proficiency. Similar third-grade retention bills have been introduced in each of the past six years, but none has reached the governors desk for approval.

Its time to end the failed practice of moving our kids from one grade to the next when they simply cannot read, Martinez said. We have children who cannot read a sentence and we are moving them from one grade to the next.

https://abqjournal.com/928826/gov-announces-re-graduation-rate.html

Graduation rates went up in 48 out of 89 school districts across the state, with Ruidoso, Taos and Carlsbad improving by 10 percentage points or more.

Because of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, school districts statewide were closed. A spokesman for Santa Fe Public Schools reached on his day off said Superintendent Veronica Garcia would be unable to comment until today.

Graduation rates are calculated using a model that factors in the number of students who graduated in four years after entering the ninth grade. For example, students who entered ninth grade during the 2011-12 school year are the ones who made up this 2016 cohort.

Santa Fes graduation rate came out ahead of Albuquerque (66 percent) but lower than Rio Rancho (84 percent).

Rates for some of the other school districts in northern New Mexico were 83 percent for Los Alamos; 75 percent for Pojoaque Valley Schools; 74 percent in Taos; 70 and 68 percent for West Las Vegas and Las Vegas Schools, respectively; and 64 percent for Espanola Public Schools.

SF high schools numbers

According to data released by PED, the graduation rate at Capital High School increased approximately 6 percentage points to 72 percent, while Santa Fe High went up 3 percentage points to 73 percent. Female students at both schools posted graduation rates of 81 percent, 3 percentage points above the state average. The rates for male students was 64 percent at Capital and 65 percent at Santa Fe High, compared with the state average 67 percent for males.

The graduation rate at Academy at Larragoite, an alternative high school, was 51 percent, while the Academy for Technology and the Classics, a college prep charter school within the Santa Fe district, graduated 84 percent of the 2016 cohort.

The governor noted during the press conference that gradation rates increased for Hispanic, African-American, low-income and disabled students statewide. With more students graduating high school than ever before, New Mexico is better preparing our kids to enter the workforce, college and beyond, she said.

The graduation rates for economically disadvantaged and disabled students in Santa Fe were 72 and 56 percent, respectively, both about 5 percentage points above the state average. At 71 percent, the graduate rate for Hispanic students in Santa Fe was right at the state average.

Caucasian students in Santa Fe graduated at a 74 percent rate, compared to 76 percent statewide.

Santa Fes American Indian students had 76 percent graduation rate, while the state average was 63 percent.

Martinez touted gradation improvement as proof her administrations educational reforms are bearing fruit. We raised the bar for the kids, and they have met the bar, Martinez said.

Change is hard for some people sometimes, and I understand that, she said. I think the special interest groups need to sit back and take a look at what is in the best interest for our kids and everything else will fall into place.

Charles Goodmacher, spokesman for the National Education Association  New Mexico, pushed back against the governor, saying the graduation rates increased despite harrowing working conditions for school employees.

Increased graduation rates are good news to be sure and there is much more to be done to ensure success for all NM students, he said. Early assessments and individually targeted supplemental learning help, started early would make state-mandated flunking of third-graders an irrelevant question. Reading supports must start in early childhood experiences and continue at every grade until all students achieve their full potential for reading and other learning skills.
Animal Right activists protest demanding humane management of animals inside TIA (Photo feature)

A group of animal activists staged a protest in front of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) office in Babarmahal against the shooting of a dog on Sunday at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA).
Two unusual types of medical malpractice cases in southern New Mexico show how rogue doctors can run up exorbitant medical bills, put patients through painful, and sometimes life-threatening, procedures that arent necessary and call into question the role of device manufacturers who may try to unduly influence doctors to use their products and perform unnecessary procedures.

They also call into question the oversight of conflicted hospital administrators who let profits overwhelm patient well being.

And, finally, are the regulatory agencies, such as the New Mexico Medical Board, effective mechanisms for protecting patients  or do they tilt toward watching the backs of fellow physicians?

The two egregious sets of cases generated millions of dollars in legal fees and settlements. And the unethical practices revealed in both cases are among problems that contribute to the runaway costs of U.S. health care.

One case involves lawsuits filed against the Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in Alamogordo; Dr. Frank Bryant, its chief of staff; and Dr. Christian Schlicht, an osteopath who injected unauthorized hot bone cement, basically a form of Plexiglas, into patients spines to alleviate pain. Those cases, which also named national hospital management firm Quorum Health Resources as a defendant, are unresolved after the hospital declared bankruptcy in 2011 as a result of lawsuits filed by more than 100 plaintiffs.

In the other cases, two dozen former patients sued two Las Cruces hospitals going back to 2010, osteopathic cardiologist Demosthenis Klonis and the American subsidiary of the German medical device manufacturing company Biotronik Inc.

Klonis was accused of persuading patients to have Biotronik devices implanted, including heart pacemakers. Patients were told they would die if they didnt have an immediate surgical implantation of a pacemaker or defibrillator and some patients were made to sign papers acknowledging they had been told their conditions were so serious they could even die on the way home.

Among allegations was that Biotronik pressured Klonis to use its pacemakers. In a separate 2014 action, Biotronik agreed to pay the United States $4.9 million to settle allegations the company paid kickbacks to physicians to use its devices.

The New Mexico pacemaker lawsuits settled in 2016 and, while the actual amounts are confidential, an Oct. 18 court filing suggests the plaintiffs attorneys received more than $10 million. In the only pacemaker case to go to trial, a state District Court jury awarded a $67 million verdict, but a trial judge reduced the award to $25 million. Defendants eventually settled.

As demonstrated by these cases, there appears to be fertile ground for pushy companies and unscrupulous doctors to run up bills at physical and economic detriments to patients.

Whatever fate awaits national health care policy in America under the new Congress, steps should be taken to require better oversight of operations of hospitals of all sizes to avoid such expensive outcomes.

Meanwhile, the New Mexico Medical Board, charged with oversight of doctors, operates quietly and under the radar. It had no jurisdiction over Schlicht or Klonis because they were osteopaths. The state board that regulates doctors of osteopathy took no effective action against Schlicht, who left New Mexico. In Klonis case, the New Mexico Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners settled a five-year-old disciplinary case against him in 2015. But, by that time, he had already stopped practicing and left the state.

The Medical Board, meanwhile, has allowed orthopedic surgeon Bryant to return to practice. Bryant says he feels terrible about what happened.

Thats not much comfort  either to those patients or to the rest of us going forward.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
A bill that would largely eliminate the controversial attendance portion of teachers evaluations received unanimous backing from the Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education last week.

Board members supported a slate of legislative priorities during their regular meeting, including the Teachers Are Human Too bill, which allows educators to utilize the sick leave granted to them in their contracts without fear of penalty.

Two Rio Rancho Republicans  Rep. Jason Harper and Sen. Craig Brandt  introduced the legislation to adjust the teacher evaluation formula the New Mexico Public Education Department instituted in 2013.

Under the system, teachers can miss three days in the classroom, but start to accrue penalties on the fourth day. Attendance counts for 10 points out of 200, or 5 percent of the total evaluation  a small enough portion that teachers can lose all the attendance points and still reach the exemplary category on their evaluation.

RRPS board President Don Schlichte said he believes its simply fair to freely grant the full leave outlined in teachers contracts  two weeks in most districts.

The core of the problem is that we have teachers coming to school who are genuinely sick, Schlichte told the Journal . Im getting word from administrators that its an issue. If its part of your evaluation and youre afraid that you are going to have consequences because you take sick days, I agree thats a problem.

Teachers annual evaluations are intended to affect critical advancement decisions: Those in the bottom two tiers were put on improvement plans until December 2015, when a judge handed down a partial injunction on consequential actions until the conclusion of a union lawsuit against the evaluation system.

PED officials have argued that they are holding teachers accountable by demanding measurable performance and replacing a system that rated nearly everyone effective.

The five tier-system  exemplary, highly effective, effective, minimally effective and ineffective  follows a bell curve. About 40 percent of New Mexico teachers are effective, with 4 percent exemplary and 5 percent ineffective.

Half of the evaluation is based on students improvement on standardized tests; the rest is made up of multiple measures, including classroom observations and attendance.

RRPS spokeswoman Beth Pendergrass said she sees Harpers bill  with its change to the attendance policy  as a way to support teachers.

It could be a small win that would have a big impact on our staff and make them feel a little more appreciated, she added.

District leaders met with Harper to discuss the legislation and worked on a few tweaks to the language, according to RRPS chief of staff Gary Tripp.

Tripp said he will be following that bill and a number of others when the session begins today.

We thank (Harper) for taking the charge on this, Tripp said. Anything he needs as he pushes this legislation through, were there for him
Call it a happy accident.

Truth is, Kyle Durrie is grateful  and a little tired.

The Silver City resident owns Power and Light Press, and on Dec. 29, she had an idea to create a tote bag.

The bag had a message about how Planned Parenthood helps women across the country with its services.

It seemed very timely, she said. With a new administration coming in, this is one of the organizations on the chopping block.

There has been an increased call to cut public funding for Planned Parenthood, which offers an array of services to women, including abortions.

The bag costs $15 and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Planned Parenthood.

Within three days  on New Years Eve  the company was able to make a donation of $20,000 to the nonprofit.

It wasnt a stroke of genius, Durrie said of the concept. I was doodling in my sketchbook. When we launched, I didnt think anyone more than my regular customers would order it.

It caught the attention of some high-powered Hollywood players.

Olivia Wilde, who filmed Cowboys & Aliens in New Mexico in 2010, posted a photo of the tote bag on her Instagram six days ago.

With 2.2 million followers, she is one of the many influencers who have taken note of the tote. Hollywood makeup artist Jamie Greenberg also took notice. As did musician KT Tunstall.

All three women posted to Instagram and a quick search of #standwithplanned parenthood, turned up nearly 100 posts.

At this point, there have been preorders for more than 12,000 bags.

To keep up with the high demand, Durrie has teamed with another print shop, which can handle the higher volume.

Durrie said the reason for creating the bag is simple  shes a female business owner who employs four women.

Theres a lot at stake, she said. We wanted to do some good. We never expected it to be this big.

Durrie also handles many of the social media accounts for her company.

She maintains an active routine online, but has never experienced anything like this.

The sales have been astounding, she said. And people are really excited to support this cause. And its such an approachable price point. Its resonating with people and I couldnt be happier. Its a strong message.

The message, though, had to be corrected a bit. In the original version, the tote bag said a woman can get a mammogram at Planned Parenthood.

Actually, the organization gives referrals for mammograms, but only provides breast exams.

It was pointed out to us and I quickly fixed it, she said. All of the bags ordered will have the correct information.

Durrie began her business  whose main focus is greeting cards  in Portland, Ore., in 2009. She moved to Silver City in 2012.

Its been a nice place to grow the business, she said.

The company recently sent out another donation of $50,000 to Planned Parenthood.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

A new federal report says two New Mexico for-profit career schools failed to prep their graduates to find jobs that would adequately pay off their student debts.

But the administrators at the Southwest Acupuncture Schools programs in Santa Fe and the Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academys cosmetology program in Albuquerque have challenged the Department of Educations findings. They say the classification either fails to represent their individual programs or is based on bad data.

Additionally, the Santa Fe University of Art and Designs cinematography and film and video production, and the Pima Medical Institutes now-defunct massage therapy and therapeutic massage programs received a zone rating, which is essentially a warning category.

When a student makes a personal and financial decision to attend college, the student must feel confident that it is a sound investment in his or her future, not a liability that will further defer his or her dreams, said U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. said in a statement.

The U.S. Department of Education report is tied to federal rules introduced in 2014 that govern which programs can receive federal money for student aid and aim to protect students from shoddy career training programs.

A program has failed to meet the Gainful Employment Regulations if its graduates annual loan repayment amount is greater than 12 percent of ones total earnings, or greater than 30 percent of ones discretionary income. The government defines that term as the difference between income and 150 percent of the poverty line.

Programs receive a zone classification if the average graduates loan repayments make up 8 to 12 percent of their total earnings or 20 to 30 percent of their discretionary income. Most of the evaluated programs are based on students who graduated between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2012.

Programs that receive fail or zone rates could become ineligible for federal student aid, according to the Department of Education.

The federal agency assigned ratings to roughly 8,600 programs nationally, 17 of which are in New Mexico. Overall, more than 800 programs failed to meet the new federal guidelines and roughly another 1,230 were placed in the zone category.

Anthony Abbate, the CEO of the Southwest Acupuncture College, said he has appealed the classification of the schools acupuncture and oriental medicine program. He said the schools loan default rate, the number of students who havent made a payment on their loans for 270 days, is usually between zero and 2 percent. That was true for students in the 2013 and 2012 group. Students in the 2011 group had a 6.6 percent default rate, according to the federal government.

If our students are paying their loans, theyre gainfully employed, Abbate said.

Programs at the acupuncture school run from $57,000 to $70,000, according to the schools website.

Joe LiRosi, the local franchise owner of Toni & Guy, said the data the Department of Education used to give the program its fail classification are wrong. He said the federal agency knows about the issue and the school has been working to provide accurate data that prove that all of our programs will pass and are in good standings.

The Toni & Guy cosmetologys program tuition and fees run $15,000 for the program, according to the schools website.

The massage course is no longer offered at Pima, according to the groups president, Fred Freedman, because of low demand for it.

And Rachel Lighty, a spokeswoman for the Santa Fe University of Art and Design, said the school understands the Department of Educations intentions, but said, This one-size-fits-all metric threatens professions in the arts for which success might be measured differently and over a longer period of time.
The annual New Mexico Kids Count Data Book released Tuesday shows the most improvement in measures of childrens health, but little improvement in measures of family economic well-being.

The data book, a project of New Mexico Voices for Children, showed declines in the rate of babies with low birth weight, in children without health insurance, and in teens abusing alcohol and drugs. The teen birth rate has also declined, following a similar national trend.

These gains can be tied directly to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which extended Medicaid coverage to low-income adults, said James Jimenez, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children. This means more kids are getting well-child check-ups, vaccinations and help with chronic problems such as asthma.

The possibility that the ACA may be repealed wont have a huge impact on children, said Voices for Children spokeswoman Sharon Kayne, because most of the kids who got covered were from Medicaid-eligible families, and they should still be covered under Medicaid.

However, families who bought coverage on the insurance exchanges may lose their health insurance in the event of repeal, she said.

The number of teens abusing alcohol or drugs has improved from 10 percent in 2008-2009 to 5 percent in 2013-2014. That translates to 8,000 fewer New Mexico teens abusing alcohol and drugs. The percentage of teens who engaged in binge drinking also decreased, dropping from 17 percent in 2013 to 15 percent in 2015, according to the data book.

Twenty-six percent of New Mexico children live in high-poverty areas, where the rate is 30 percent or greater. The national average is 14 percent. Between 2013 and 2014, 10,000 more New Mexico children fell into this category, and 35,000 more New Mexico children lived in high-poverty areas in 2014 than did in 2010.

New Mexico also saw in increase in the percentage of kids whose parents dont have full-time, year-round employment, with a 22 percent increase since 2008. The state is now ranked 48th nationally on this indicator.

This is a reflection of New Mexicos ailing state economy, and that we havent fully recovered from the recession, Kayne said. So families are not as financially secure as they could be.

New Mexicos child and teen death rate is 31 deaths per 100,000, far worse than the national average of 24 per 100,000, and ranking New Mexico 40th in the nation on this measure.

More than 141,000 children in New Mexico live in poverty, about 29 percent of all children in the state and the second-worst percentage in the nation, according to the data book. While the rate and number decreased slightly from 2014 to 2015, over time it has gotten worse. About 22,000 more kids now live in poverty than did in 2008  an 18 percent increase.

Thirty-one percent of New Mexico children live in households where families spend 30 percent or more of their income on housing. This is a slight improvement over the 33 percent reported in 2013, and it improves the states ranking from 29th in the nation to 20th on this indicator.

High housing cost burdens can push families into substandard housing, and mean that many  especially low-income families  have little to spend on food, health services, utilities and child care, the data book said.
BERLIN  Germanys supreme court on Tuesday rejected a bid to outlaw a fringe far-right party accused of pursuing a racist and anti-Semitic agenda.

Andreas Vosskuhle, chief justice of the Federal Constitutional Court, said that while the partys goals run counter to the German constitution, there are currently no concrete indications  that its actions will lead to success.

The German parliaments upper house had applied for the ban at the end of 2013.

Justice Minister Heiko Maas said the government respected the verdict, but warned against complacency.

No ban alone would get rid of xenophobia and racism, he said in a statement. Societys struggle against far-right extremism isnt something others can do for us.

It was the second attempt to ban the National Democratic Party, better known by its German acronym NPD. In 2003, the court rejected a previous application because paid government informants within the group were partially responsible for evidence against it.

Vosskuhle, in explaining the verdict, cited the partys political irrelevance, pointing out that it has only a single seat in the European Parliament and that the NPDs election results have in recent years been on a low level.

Vosskuhle said that a partys questionable ideology alone wasnt reason enough for a ban. A party would need to be actively working to abolish Germanys free and democratic order, he said, adding: Theres no evidence for this here.

The rise of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, which has assailed Chancellor Angela Merkel for allowing large numbers of migrants into the country and appeals to a much broader range of protest voters, has eroded the NPDs support in recent years.

The party isnt represented in the Bundestag after winning just 1.3 percent of the vote in the last national election in 2013. Parties need to pass a 5-percent threshold to win seats in the federal parliament. It is still represented at the local level, though, and receives money just like other parties based on its electoral performance.

Malu Dreyer, the governor of Rhineland-Palatinate state and a member of the upper house, said officials would now focus on finding ways to prevent the NPD from receiving taxpayer funds in the future.

The NPD could not immediately be reached for comment, but celebrated the verdict on Facebook saying it was now fully back in business.

Only two parties have been outlawed in West Germany and reunited Germany  the neo-Nazi Socialist Reich Party in 1952 and the German Communist Party in 1956.

The head of the World Jewish Congress voiced disappointment at the verdict and warned that the party shouldnt be underestimated.

We must never forget how little time it took Hitler and his party to destroy German democracy, to murder 6 million Jews and to plunge the entire European continent into mayhem, Ronald S. Lauder said in a statement. The situation today may be different, but there is absolutely no reason to be complacent. Germany must continue to combat the neo-Nazi movement vigorously.

___

Geir Moulson and Frank Jordans contributed to this report.
A growing group of Democratic lawmakers will boycott President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration Friday as a protest of Trumps worldview and his criticism of civil rights icon John Lewis, congressman of Georgia.

There are now nearly 40 House Democrats  38, at last count  who have declared that they will not attend the inauguration on Capitol Hill this week. The number rose sharply after Trump tweeted Saturday that Lewis is all talk, talk, talk and should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities.

Lewis, who sees Trumps Nov. 8 win as illegitimate because of Russias alleged interference in the election, is best known for leading civil rights protests in the 1960s, including the 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in which state troopers brutally attacked the crowd. Lewis will not attend the inauguration, he told NBC News in an interview for Sundays Meet the Press.

Heres a list of other lawmakers who will not attend, starting alphabetically with Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., whose spokesman confirmed her decision in an email.

Bass had asked constituents to vote about the inauguration on Twitter:

I want to hear directly from my constituents! Do you guys think I should attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump?

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va.:

I just told hundreds of my constituents that I will not be attending the Inauguration Ceremony this coming Friday.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.:

There is unprecedented concern by my constituents about the many threats posed by a Trump administration seeking to implement the President-elects policies on health, environment, nuclear weapons, and immigration, to name but a few.

I will forgo the inauguration, spending the day instead in my district talking with Oregonians to hear their priorities, try to answer their questions, and prepare for the coming assault on the values and programs we hold dear.

It is hard to think of a better use of my time on January 20th.

Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Md.:

Skipping Inauguration.@RepJohnLewis a civil rights hero. Enormous responsibility to be POTUS.I respect the office, cant tolerate disrespect

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif.:

After much thought, I have decided to #StandWithJohnLewis and not attend the inauguration.

Rep. Katherine M. Clark, D-Mass.:

My statement on the upcoming inauguration: pic.twitter.com/dQXE0ztvTf

Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y.:

I will NOT attend the inauguration of @realDonaldTrump. When you insult @repjohnlewis, you insult America.

Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo.:

A spokesman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Clay will be back home in St. Louis speaking to school kids.

Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.:

Announced @ Mason Temple, #MLK final speech, that I wont attend #inauguration out of respect for @repjohnlewis & for unpresidential remarks

Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich.:

Agree with VP Biden that its time for Trump to grow up. Being POTUS is a serious matter  not childs play. I stand w/ @repjohnlewis (3/3)

Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Ore.:

DeFazio typically avoids pomp and circumstance events in Washington, he said in a statement to Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif.:

It is with a heavy heart and deep personal conviction that I have decided not to attend the #TrumpInauguration on January 20, 2017.

Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.:

I will not celebrate a man who preaches a politics of division and hate. I wont be attending Donald Trumps inauguration.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y.:

I will NOT be attending the inauguration for @realDonaldTrump!

Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Pa.:

I #StandWithJohnLewis. I will not be attending the inauguration. Russian hacking must be investigated and I do not support the repeal of ACA

Rep. Marcia L. Fudge, D-Ohio:

As I told @JoyAnnReid, I will not be attending #Inauguration. I will be at home in Cleveland. #IStandWithJohnLewis

Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, D-Ariz.:

VIDEO: Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., discusses why he is not attending President Elect Donald #Trumps inauguration next week. pic.twitter.com/PXvDVshjpH

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, D-Ill.:

Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif.:

Appreciate //t.co/CA1q8tOzNG

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.:

I will not be attending Trumps inauguration. I will be with the people of my district. #OurFirstStand pic.twitter.com/TmCodl5w9t

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif.:

Inauguration should be a celebration. But we have nothing to celebrate on Jan 20. Instead of attending, I will be organizing. pic.twitter.com/P4whhl91ll

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.:

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif.):

Mr. Lieus statement on why he wont be attending the Inauguration of https://t.co/tx94zqE4rp

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.:

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.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.:

The rhetoric + actions of @realDonaldTrump have been so far beyond the pale, I cannot in good conscience participate in this inauguration.

Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine:

At MLK Day dinner in Portland, I announced that I would not attend Trumps inauguration. Heres why: https://t.co/4P35Mi8rf4#mepolitics

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis.:

After reading classified Russian hacking doc & @realDonaldTrump offensive tweets to @repjohnlewis I will not be attending the Inauguration.

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.:

BREAKING: Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA) will not attend inauguration, her office tells me in an statement. @RepRoybalAllard pic.twitter.com/eWdOq9t3UX

Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif.:

A real president doesnt attack the press because they ask tough questions, Ruiz told the Desert Sun. A real president doesnt insult and bully celebrities or everyday Americans because they disagree with him.

Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore.:

Im just not a big Trump fan, Schrader told Oregon Public Broadcasting. 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.

Rep. Jose E. Serrano, D-N.Y.:

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

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.:

As the House of Representatives is not in session the week of Inauguration, Congressman Smith will spend the District Work Period at home in Washington state meeting with his constituents, a represenative for the congressman said in a statement to Seattle NBC affiliate KING 5 News.

Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla.:

I am deeply disappointed with Trumps attacks against civil rights hero John Lewis and will not be attending the inauguration as a result, Soto told Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV Channel 9.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif.:

I stand with @repjohnlewis and I will not be attending the inauguration.

Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez, D-N.Y.:

.@repjohnlewis is a national hero and I stand with him! I also am not attending inauguration given the tone of @realDonaldTrumps campaign

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.:

I never ever contemplated attending the inauguration or any activities associated w/ @realDonaldTrump. I wouldnt waste my time.

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J.:

I do not intend to attend the inauguration of PE @realDonaldTrump. Instead, join me for an Interfaith Prayer Vigil. pic.twitter.com/c5aJYEQOUW

Rep. Frederica S. Wilson, D-Fla.:

Congresswoman @RepWilson tells me she will not attend @realDonaldTrump inauguration because of a wedding that day. @wsvn

Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky.:

For the last ten weeks, President-elect Trump has continually denigrated the office of the President by using his bully pulpit for insult and ridicule, Yarmuth said in a statement. This is not normal. It is an embarrassment to our country and to the office of the presidency, and we must send the message that this behavior is not acceptable from the leader of our nation. Not attending the Inauguration is one way for me to do that.
DAVOS, Switzerland  With the U.S. increasingly looking inward and China eager to take a lead on the global stage, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday cast his country as a champion of free trade and stability, a rebuke to the isolationist urges that helped carry Donald Trump to power.

Some of the elites listening in Davos, Switzerland, hailed a statesmanlike, even Barack Obama-like speech from Xi as the first Chinese head of state to attend the World Economic Forum  even if it depicted a Chinese commitment to open markets that falls short of reality.

The speech, rife with metaphor and allusions to Ali Baba, Chinese proverbs and even Abraham Lincoln, highlighted a high-brow effort to make a contrast with an incoming U.S. leader whose own words regularly stirred controversy at home and abroad and created new doubts about U.S. leadership in the world.

We must remain committed to promoting free trade and investment through opening up and say no to protectionism, Xi told an opening meeting of the WEF. Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. While wind and rain may be kept outside, so are light and air.

No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war, he said.

During his campaign, Trump promised to raise tariffs on Chinese goods and declare Beijing guilty of keeping its currency artificially low. That would be a first step toward imposing sanctions. But in fact, for the past couple of years China has been intervening in markets to prop up its currency, not push it lower.

China has no intention to boost its trade competitiveness by devaluing the renminbi, still less will it launch a currency war, Xi said Tuesday.

Xi made no direct reference to Trump, but his vocal support for free trade could appear rich to other Western countries who have grumbled about commercial restrictions in China.

Foreign companies complain Beijing is reducing access to its markets for electric cars, computer security technology and other promising fields or pressing them to give know-how to potential Chinese competitors. Some say they are blocked from acquiring assets in China, just as Chinese companies have been on a foreign buying spree.

The political leadership of China never ceases to assure us that further opening toward foreign investment  is a priority, Germanys ambassador to China, Michael Clauss, said this week. However, many companies keep telling us that their difficulties in these areas have increased.

It often appears that somewhere down the line, political assurances of equal treatment give way to protectionist tendencies, he said in a statement.

Beijing also faces U.S. and European complaints it is exporting steel, aluminum, solar panels and other goods at improperly low prices, threatening thousands of jobs abroad.

These are very nice words, said Nariman Behravesh, IHS chief economist, of the Xi speech. What specific things is China going to do in terms of opening up, becoming a true engine of globalization?  I like the commitments but in English we have an expression, Actions speak louder than words. Lets see what the actions are.

Xi also stepped into other areas of international consensus, calling the Paris accord to fight climate change a hard-won achievement, and urging signatories to stick to it.

Trump, who has called climate change a Chinese hoax, has raised speculation that he might pull the U.S. out.

The visit by Xi caps the largest-ever Chinese delegation to Davos, including over 100 officials and scores of business executives and embodying a tectonic shift at an event that started nearly a half-century ago among Europeans and Americans.

Speaking Monday, WEF Founder Klaus Schwab said this years event is not just a Western meeting. One third of participants are from developing economies.

The bumpy run-up to the Trump administration  Trumps poll numbers are low for an incoming president  has given the Chinese leader a convenient opportunity to advance his goal of giving his country a more assertive leadership role.

China previously sought to capture the mantle as a supporter of world trade after Trump said he would pull the United States out of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal championed by President Barack Obama.

Xi cast the world economy as adrift, saying it lacked a driving force and that inadequate global governance and unequal benefits have widened the gulf between rich and poor. This is the biggest challenge in the world today, he said.

He called for a new growth model that takes into account climate change, aging populations and increased automation.

Xi hit hard on the metaphor of the world economy as an ocean, saying countries must have courage to swim in the global market.

We should not develop a habit of retreating to the harbor whenever encountering the storm, for this will never get us to the other shore of the ocean, he said.

Mainstream Western leaders have been grappling with populist movements at home, including the one that helped undergird Trumps election victory. His transition team has one top adviser, Anthony Scaramucci, at the forum ahead of Fridays presidential inauguration.

Chinese officials last week said that envoys to the WEF were willing to meet with members of Trumps team in Davos, but Scaramucci said he didnt hear Xis speech. Outgoing Vice President Joe Biden did, however, and briefly met with the Chinese leader, a U.S. diplomatic official said.

Some have been puzzled by the shifting geopolitical landscape epitomized by Xis speech championing free trade and globalism. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, as he interviewed Secretary of State John Kerry in Davos, quipped: If you had just read me the words, I would have told you: I didnt know that President Obama came here.'

___

Wong contributed from Beijing. Theodora Tongas also contributed to this report.
LAS CRUCES  New Mexico State Police said a man died Sunday after the vehicle he was driving crashed into a pecan orchard south of Las Cruces.

The vehicle was reported stolen to the Las Cruces Police Department hours prior to the crash, state police reported in a news release.

The mans identity has not been released.

State police reported the 2006 Chevrolet SUV exited Stern Drive near Mile Marker 4 and went into a pecan orchard.

Reader Clara Murphy sent the Sun-News photos from the scene of the crash showing a mangled SUV nearly wrapped around a tree.

Officers investigating the crash believe the driver appeared to have lost control during inclement weather. It rained intermittently all day Sunday in Las Cruces.

State police reported the man was transported to University Medical Center in El Paso, where he was pronounced dead about 11 p.m. Sunday.



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

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New Mexico State Police are investigating two fatal traffic accidents in Lea County on Sunday.

According to news releases from the department, both accidents occurred on New Mexico State Road 18.

Elisa Armendariz, 27, of Jal, was pronounced dead at the scene after the car she was driving collided with a semi-tractor truck around 3 a.m. The driver in the semi was not injured.

Armendariz was allegedly driving into oncoming traffic prior to the collision.

Jesse Ables, 32, of Kermit, Texas, was pronounced dead at the scene of a one-car crash around 7 p.m. Ables was a passenger in a car driven by Lynn Wilbur Stehley, 44, of Jal. Stehley was taken to a Texas hospital for treatment.

State police said Stehley failed to correctly take a curve in the road and crossed a median into oncoming traffic, rolling the vehicle.

According to state police, Stehley and Ables were not wearing seat belts and were both ejected from the vehicle.



2017 the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.)

Visit the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) at www.currentargus.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

_____
Bird count begins in KTWR

A team comprising ornithologists and bird watchers has started bird count in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve.
WASHINGTON  President-elect Donald Trumps pick to lead the Interior Department told senators Tuesday that completing billions of dollars in backlogged projects at national parks should be a major part of Trumps plans to revamp aging roads, bridges and transportation hubs.

Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., the nominee for interior secretary, told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that Trumps ambitious infrastructure spending plans should prioritize the estimated $12.5 billion in backlog of maintenance and repair at hundreds of national parks across the country.

Zinke also said publicly for the first time that unlike Trump, he does not believe climate change is a hoax. Answering pointed questions on the issue from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Zinke said humans are almost certainly the drivers of climate change, but he said there is a debate among scientists over how much.

Sanders interrupted, saying there is no debate in the scientific community, only on his committee. Zinke said it is a matter that he will study with deliberation as secretary. Zinkes comments Tuesday provided his clearest perspective on one of the most contentious issues in politics. He seemed to flip-flop from his approach in previous years.

Man has had an influence, Zinke said under questioning by Sanders.

Zinke also put another key question to rest before the committee, which is chaired by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and includes high-profile lawmakers such as Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. He affirmed, forcefully, that he had no intention to sell or relinquish any federal land.

On the question of repairing the parks, Zinke said Trump is committed to a jobs and infrastructure bill, and I am committed and need your help in making sure that bill includes our national treasures.

During a recent visit to the Trump transition teams offices in Washington, Zinke said he was shocked to see unresolved repairs at a nearby federal park.

The fountains dont even work, he told senators. And then you start asking, Well, what about the rest of Washington, D.C.? Well it turns out that very few fountains work. And then the Memorial Bridge  it turns out that needs about $150 million. So wed better get on it.

The Memorial Bridge, which about 68,000 vehicles a day use to cross the Potomac River between Washington and Arlington, Virginia, needs $250 million in repairs, according to the National Park Service.

Zinkes comments were some of the first by a nominee on infrastructure spending, a topic that congressional Republicans have been eyeing warily amid concerns about the cost and scope of Trumps ambitions.

An exchange Tuesday between the nominee and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., was among the most intense in the hearing. Duckworth asked Zinke if he deplored some of the president-elects statements about women, particularly that sexual harassment in the military was inevitable because they serve in close proximity to men. In the past, Zinke has cast doubt on women in combat roles.

Duckworth noted that women at the National Park Service who have come forward with serious claims of sexual harassment are employed by Interior. You yourself have a history of saying women who served in combat were a distraction that weakened the force, the former Army lieutenant colonel said. Do you think serving in the front line of the Park Service weakens the force?

Zinke replied, I take issues of sexual assault and harassment absolutely seriously. As you know as a military commander, the tolerance is zero.

If confirmed, Zinke would take over a Park Service where female firefighters have been followed, touched and spied on in showers. When confronted, perpetrators were allowed to retire with benefits.

Zinkes position on climate change is a concern of conservationists at Interior because of the departments oversight of the fossil fuels under vast stretches of federal land and their potential for increasing greenhouse gases. Experts estimate that 40 percent of the coal burned in the United States comes from federal land.

In 2010, while in the Montana legislature, he was one of more than a thousand lawmakers nationwide who signed a letter calling for clean-energy jobs and climate-change legislation from President Barack Obama and Congress. Four years later, however, a former chair of the Montana Conservation Voters accused him of denying that climate change is occurring and caused by burning fossil fuels.

Franken touched on the letter in his questions to Zinke. You signed a letter.  I just want to clarify your stance.

We both agree the climate is changing and that man has had an influence, Zinke responded. Im not an expert in this field.

The senator interrupted: That to me is a cop-out. Franken said he is not a doctor but can have an opinion on health care.

Zinke finished his answer. We need objective science to figure a model out and then say what were going to do about it.

As secretary, Zinke would oversee about 250 million acres of surface land and more than 700 million acres below ground, including in the ocean. He would be the steward of such vast treasures as the Yellowstone, Yosemite and Great Smoky Mountains national parks, as well as the Fish and Wildlife Service and its huge wildlife refuges.

He would have oversight of the Endangered Species Act, with a say over what animals are listed, and the National Mall, the capitals most visited tourist destination.

The secretary guides the Bureau of Land Managements oversight of the sagebrush sea, an area covering 11 Western states, where conservationists and energy companies have fought over projects threatening the health of the greater sage grouse. And the person chosen by the secretary to lead Fish and Wildlife determines which animals get endangered-species protection  and which do not.

The former Navy SEAL, a 55-year-old Montana native, is expected to sail through the confirmation process generally unscathed. He was not listed as one of the eight Trump Cabinet picks that Senate Democrats intend to try defeating or at least discrediting during their hearings.

The selection of Zinke for the Interior post came as a surprise and a bit of a setback for Senate Republicans, given that many expected he would run in two years against incumbent Sen. Jon Tester and help the GOP snatch that seat from a moderate, if vulnerable, Democrat. Instead, Tester and Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., spoke on Zinkes behalf before the Senate panel on Tuesday.



VIDEO:

President-elect Trumps nominee for secretary of the interior Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., testified before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Jan. 17. Here are the key moments from that hearing.

http://wapo.st/2jWBXR7

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SYDNEY  Searchers frustration over Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is difficult to overstate, from the monstrous waves that battered search crews in one of the worlds most desolate stretches of ocean to the dearth of information on the planes flight path that stymied investigators. And now, perhaps most brutal of all, comes the admission of defeat.

Australias announcement on Tuesday that the fruitless, nearly three-year hunt for the plane in the Indian Ocean was officially suspended has sparked the inevitable second-guessing of those who led the $160 million search. Few know the agony surely being felt by the Flight 370 search crew better than American oceanographer David Gallo.

Back in 2010, Gallo and his team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts were given a task: They had two months to help find Air France 447, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

When they didnt find it by the deadline, officials halted the search. Gallo was sick over the failure, couldnt sleep, stared at pictures on his desk of the people who had been on board the plane. He was tortured by self-doubt, wondered if they had somehow missed the aircraft.

It was horrible, he remembers. The families were disappointed in a big way, the companies involved  Airbus, Air France  were wondering what had happened  wondered who are these guys who claimed they could find it and didnt?

After a year of lobbying, officials agreed to let Gallo and his crew look again. They found the plane in just over a week.

Much like the Flight 370 investigators, Gallo and his team were initially accused of not knowing what they were doing, of misreading data, of using the wrong equipment. But Gallo, who has been in close contact with the Australian search officials leading the hunt for Flight 370, feels confident they have done everything they could, given the limited data available.

Recently, investigators reanalyzed all the information available on the Malaysian plane and suggested that crews scour a new area north of the 160,000-square kilometer (46,000-square mile) search zone they just finished combing. Australias government nixed that idea, but Gallo says it is imperative crews be allowed to do so.

If you finish that area, you can say with good conscience, We did everything we could do at the time to try to find that plane,' he says. But if they dont do that area, it will always haunt us. Forever.

And there is a crucial need to find the plane, he says, for so many reasons.

Gallo still thinks about the people who lost their lives on Air France 447. He lives in coastal Massachusetts, where he often watches planes heading out over the Atlantic on journeys from Boston to Europe. He thinks of the passengers on board, each of them with loved ones back at home.

Their safety weighs on him. And its one of the major reasons he feels its crucial to find Flight 370  for the security of everyone who flies, and for the families of those on board the doomed plane.

Those 239 people with their loved ones, they just vanished without a trace. So what price do you put on that? he says. And then the flying public  until we know what happened there, it could happen to any of us.
AUSTIN, Texas  A claim by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller that illegal aliens attacked a hunting party in remote West Texas is being discounted by the local sheriff who says the hunters fired on one another.

Miller said in a recent Facebook post that the attack is another reason why a wall must be built to secure the Texas border.

Anyone who says that the people illegally crossing into our country are just those seeking a better future for their families simply do not understand what is happening on our borders, the Republican said in his post. There are violent criminals and members of drug cartels coming in.

He said the gunmen ambushed the party and shot a guide as he tried to protect the hunters.

But Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez on Monday criticized Millers account.

The agriculture commissioner needs to do his job and stick to that, and Ill do my job. You tell him I said that, Dominguez told the San Antonio Express-News.

A request to Dominguez for further comment Tuesday was not returned.

Sheriffs investigators said in a statement last week that the Jan. 6 incident in which the guide and a second man were shot was the result of friendly fire among the hunting party with several contributing factors.

Authorities say about 30 law enforcement officers searched the perimeter of the ranch where the hunters were staying and didnt find signs of people approaching the camp that night. And investigators found no evidence of cross-border violence, according to the statement.

An online blog cited an anonymous family member in posting an account of the shooting, which was then publicized by media outlets. The blog had asserted multiple gunmen attacked the group in an apparent effort to rob and kidnap the hunters.

Because Millers post was to his personal Facebook page, his office Tuesday referred questions to his campaign spokesman, Todd Smith, whose phone was not accepting incoming messages. But Smith told the Express-News that what surprised him is that people think were a news organization. Its a personal Facebook page.

He said the shooting is old news and added if the sheriff has concerns about the commissioners post then, Im sure hell contact us.

Miller has received criticism in the past for other posts, including one shared in 2015 that appears to suggest using an atomic bomb on the Muslim population.

He apologized in November after his official Twitter account briefly posted  then deleted  a tweet that used an obscenity to refer to Hillary Clinton.
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, the Islamic State is on the defensive in three countries and has been all but wiped out in another. Two and a half years after the extremists rolled across northern Iraq, Pentagon and diplomatic officials say a military victory, at least in their major strongholds, is within sight.

But tens of thousands of fighters remain, and the militants are showing signs of reinventing themselves as a dispersed terrorist movement  a threat that the incoming commander in chief says has been given too much time to grow.

This should have been over with quickly, Trump told CNN last year. Were not fighting strongly enough. We have to end it.

While Trump has promised a more effective military campaign than that of his predecessor, many of the actions he might take to accelerate progress in Iraq and Syria come with toxic side effects. Those include the potential worsening of already frayed ties with NATO ally Turkey, an increase in U.S. or civilian casualties or reinvigorated militant recruitment.

I think theyll find theres not a lot of low-hanging fruit, by which I mean obvious and low-cost things to do that will noticeably advance progress without negative or unintended consequences, said Philip H. Gordon, who served as President Barack Obamas coordinator for Middle East issues when the Islamic State captured the Iraqi city of Mosul in June 2014, an event that stunned U.S. officials and upended the presidents national security plans.

Obama administration officials credit their slow-and-steady strategy, which has centered on local combat power backed by U.S. air support, for the gradual recapture of much of the territory held by militants across Iraq and Syria over the past two years.

U.S. air power has also dealt a blow to a potent Islamic State branch in Afghanistan and, last month, finished off the militants sole stronghold in Libya.

While Trump has spoken only in general terms about his plans, Pentagon officials are already preparing recommendations in anticipation of the changes that Trump and his designated Pentagon chief, retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, may want to make.

Speaking in his confirmation hearing, Mattis told lawmakers that the current plan for recapturing Raqqa, the Syrian city where the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, has plotted external attacks, needs to be reviewed and perhaps energized on a more aggressive timeline. But he, like Trump, provided few details on what steps he might take.

U.S.-backed Syrian fighters are seeking to encircle Raqqa, supported by members of an American Special Operations force of about 500 troops. But U.S. reliance on the Syrian Democratic Force, a Kurdish-dominated group, in the lead-up to the Raqqa battle has already created deep strains with Turkey, which views the Kurdish fighters as a threat to its own security.

Robert Ford, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria, said the United States had already laid the ground for lasting conflict in Syria by empowering the YPG, the Kurdish group that is at odds not only with Turkey, but also with much of the countrys Arab majority.

The U.S. military has struggled since 2014 to build up a reliable, sufficiently large Arab force that can battle the Islamic State without exacerbating ethnic friction or fueling jihadist sympathies among Arabs opposed to Kurdish encroachment.

But increasing support to the Kurdish forces may be one of the only options Trump can exercise to accelerate the Raqqa offensive, short of sending in U.S. troops to liberate the city. Obama administration officials have long mulled providing weapons directly to the YPG, and are continuing to consider that step, but have held off for fear of triggering a crisis with Turkey.

Ford warned against such a move, saying that only by limiting support to Arab groups could the United States head off a more lasting, problematic conflict.

In return for delaying six months, youd have the chance of defusing the ethnic tensions that the Islamic State is sure to exploit in its soon-to-come insurgency, said Ford, who is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.

The president-elect, who said that Russia can help us fight the Islamic State, has also suggested he might broaden military cooperation with Moscow in Syria. Over the past year, Russias support for President Bashar al-Assad has altered the trajectory of the war while, Western nations allege, indiscriminate Russian airstrikes have killed thousands of Syrian civilians.

But moving to establish a robust partnership with Russia in Syria will probably face significant resistance at the Pentagon. Last year, defense officials sought to block a proposal to expand cooperation with Moscow over Syria air operations, a move that Pentagon officials argued would give the Kremlin access to sensitive U.S. intelligence and operational information.

One area where Trumps national security team may decide to dial things up is with the size of the U.S. force deployed in support of local troops in Syria and Iraq.

In Iraq, additional troops would mean more hands-on advisory capability for Iraqi troops who have taken heavy losses as they push their way deeper into Mosul. Obama has gradually increased the number of U.S. military personnel in Iraq to more than 6,000 U.S. troops today, most of whom serve in an advisory role away from the front lines.

In Syria, additional troops there could mean more hands to recruit, train and advise Arab forces ahead of the Raqqa offensive.

While military leaders will probably support modest increases to those advisory forces, proposals for any larger increase, many thousands or tens of thousands as Trump has suggested he might order, could lack military support.

Shaped by their repeated deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, many of the senior officers leading the Pentagon have questioned the need to risk American lives in conflicts that may fail to bring about lasting change in the countries where they occur. They also worry about the antibodies that large U.S. deployments will produce, among Sunni extremists or Shiite militias.

The president-elect, promising during the campaign to bomb the s out of the Islamic State, will probably intensify the American air effort. Although the United States has conducted more than 13,000 strikes in Iraq and Syria since 2014, critics have assailed the offensive for proceeding more slowly than previous air campaigns.

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters recently that air operations were limited only by the pace of ground operations, as American and allied officials seek to help local forces advance into militant territory.

But military officials have said they have been already hitting all the available militant sites, not just in areas where allied ground forces are active and are constrained primarily by strict rules about avoiding civilian casualties.

Theres not much left to strike in many cases, a defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss current operations, said. The bottleneck in the chain is having targets to hit.

Despite the restrictions, U.S. Central Command has acknowledged the death of at least 188 people in U.S. strikes over Iraq and Syria, a figure that watchdog groups say is too low.

As a candidate, Trump espoused a cavalier attitude toward civilian deaths, saying he would go after family members of terrorists.

I suspect . . . they will err on the side of possibly doing more, hitting more, and killing more, in order to go after ISIS, Gordon said. But there will be a cost.
WASHINGTON  Billionaire businessman Wilbur Ross, whose nomination as commerce secretary comes before Congress this week, has mapped out details to one major policy proposal to boost infrastructure spending  and leading economists say it doesnt hold water.

The proposal is this: In order to stimulate $1 trillion in expenditures over 10 years, the Trump administration should hand out $137 billion worth of tax credits to private businesses. That federal tax credit would leverage a flood of private money, covering 82 percent of the equity needed for new projects, argues Ross, who co-authored the plan with Peter Navarro, a University of California-Irvine business professor who President-elect Donald Trump has tapped as his trade adviser

Today, much of Americas infrastructure is crumbling. Much more needs to be built anew, Ross and Navarro wrote, adding that under President Barack Obama urgently needed projects have been routinely delayed for years due to endless studies, red-tape, and obstructionist lawsuits.

Moreover, Ross and Navarro say the tax credits would cost the government nothing because of increased tax revenue from new private spending, economic activity and employment.

Hogwash, say economists from across the political spectrum. It is totally ill-conceived, Lawrence Summers, Harvard University economist and former treasury secretary, said in an email.

The clash over the plan goes to the heart of one of Trumps main campaign pledges, to boost infrastructure spending. Trump never laid out whether he would do that through federal spending or through public-private partnerships. And he has not defined what would qualify as infrastructure, potentially triggering a feeding frenzy in Congress as public officials and corporations seek support for their pet projects.

As a result, the Ross-Navarro proposal, unveiled in late October, is the closest thing to an official one. But economists say its flaws are numerous.

First, It will function largely as a giveaway to contractors on projects that would have happened anyway, Summers insisted.

Take the Keystone XL pipeline, for example. TransCanada decided years ago that the project made economic sense on its own merits. Now, if Trump follows his pledge to approve the projects path from the Canadian border through Nebraska, then the Calgary-based company might make even more money thanks to the new tax credit.

The tax credit scheme would also exclude a wide variety of worthy projects that are unlikely to appeal to private investors because they dont generate an identifiable stream of revenue.

This proposal would work only if you have projects that generate cash flows such as tolls, congestion charges or user fees, that can be used to generate the return on equity, said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, which describes itself as a center-right policy institute.

One area that doesnt usually generate cash, policy experts say: Maintenance. And U.S. infrastructure is aging fast. Repairing existing infrastructure, such as bridges, can often be the most effective way to bolster communities and spur other investment- even if new tolls or fees cant be imposed.

Moreover, other analysts note, user fees and tolls are regressive, like gasoline taxes, placing a bigger burden on the lower and middle class because they eat up a larger portion of their income. Federal grants for infrastructure, however, would draw on tax revenues raised through the progressive income tax.

In addition, most of the biggest private investors in infrastructure dont need tax credits, Summers added. Thats because they are tax-exempt entities such as pension funds. Instead, the high tax credit would be more likely to attract those seeking tax shelters, not those seeking the most urgent public needs or efficient investments.

Holtz-Eakin, a former director of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, takes issue with the assumption the tax credits would pay for themselves. Its imagining that somehow there will be an immediate macro-feedback, he said. Its not going to be that big.

He noted that the new capital devoted to infrastructure will shift from one place to another. For the nation as a whole, a big chunk of thats a wash. The increase in wages Ross and Navarro promise, thats coming at the expense of something else, Holtz-Eakin said.

Holtz-Eakin also said that a plan to boost infrastructure must include state and local governments, and must also define what infrastructure is. People have called for spending on everything from bike paths and affordable housing to schools and roads.

Summers recently discussed the Ross-Navarro plan on the cable business channel CNBC and summed it up as simply a Potemkin house of nothing.

Summers also fired salvos at another paper by Ross and Navarro containing estimates of the impact of trade tariffs. Ross and Navarro said they would boost U.S. gross domestic product. Summers called their calculations the economic equivalent of denying climate change or being for creationism.

Ross and Navarro did not return calls or emails asking for comment. Their October paper defends the tax credit for private investors, saying construction costs tend to be higher when projects are built by the government rather than private sector. They said that by covering 82 percent of equity needed the tax credits would ease concerns about forecasts of revenue streams.

Yet even economists who favor privatization of infrastructure oppose tax credits as the way to go about that. Steve Hanke, a professor of applied economics at the Johns Hopkins University, served on President Ronald Reagans Council of Economic Advisers, where he was in charge of the infrastructure portfolio.

Hanke believes that infrastructure should be built and operated by private companies, arguing that public infrastructure projects are plagued by massive waste, fraud and abuse.

Yet Hanke too says that tax credits wont do the trick. He says that tax credits for financing infrastructure are an opaque way to finance infrastructure and would complicate an already monstrously complex U.S. tax code.

Moreover, he said, tax credits are resold from cash-flow-poor developers to a small number of cash-flow-rich banks, institutional investors, and corporations who have profits and desire tax credits to offset their income tax obligations. He said these are not boilerplate-type transactions, but only for the sharpest of the Wall Street sharpies.

My point is that tax credits are fraught with many problems, Hanke said. This is not the slam dunk that has been advertised. A very complicated set of issues would have to be addressed before I would consider a thumbs up for tax credit financing for infrastructure.
The rate of abortions in the United States has fallen to its lowest level since the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, according to a report out today from the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights.

In 2014, there were 14.6 abortions per every 1,000 women ages 15 through 44 in the United States, down considerably from a peak of 29.3 abortions per 1,000 in the early 1980s. Those numbers suggest abortions are about half as common today as they were in the early 1980s.

In raw terms, the number of abortions fell below one million a year for the first time since 1975, according to Guttmacher.

The numbers come from a survey of all known abortion providers that Guttmacher conducts every few years. The researchers supplemented the survey results with data from state health agencies to arrive at their estimates.

The researchers identify two main factors driving down the incidence of abortion. The first is a drop in the rate of unintended pregnancy, driven primarily by an increase in the use of long-term contraceptive measures, such as IUDs, which are highly effective. The Guttmacher report notes that the use of these contraceptives increased by 36 percent between 2009 and 2012, and even higher among younger and lower-income women, two groups who are particularly at risk for unplanned pregnancy.

More restrictive state-level abortion laws may also be playing a role. Numerous states saw a decline in the number of abortion clinics from 2011 to 2014, or enacted other restrictions on the practice, including waiting periods or bans on certain types of abortion.

However, the report points out the relationship between abortion law and abortion in practice is not always clear cut. For instance, several states in the Northeast saw an increase in the number of abortion providers from 2011 to 2014, but the abortion rate still fell by 11 percent in that region

On the other hand, the incidence of abortion increased slightly in a small number of states, including Kansas, Mississippi and North Carolina, that have enacted some of the tightest restrictions on abortion.

Overall it is unclear whether the most recent decline in abortion is due to fewer womens having unintended pregnancies, more womens being unable to access abortion services or some combination of these dynamics, the report concludes.

Close to half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
No matter where they stand on a $3.8 billion pipeline that would funnel oil through their state, North Dakota legislators have grown weary of a year of protests that have brought international scrutiny and a mounting police bill.

So theyve drafted legislation in direct response to whats happening near the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. One bill would make it illegal for adults to wear masks. Another would let the state sue the federal government for the cost of policing the pipeline protests.

Now, a legislator wants to give motorists a pass if they happen to hit one of the protesters.

House Bill 1203 was sponsored by state Rep. Keith Kempenich, the owner of a trucking company. It would extend protections for drivers who accidentally injure or kill a person obstructing traffic on a public road or highway.

Kempenich, a Republican, told The Washington Post hes in favor of the pipeline and the economic benefit it would bring to his state, but he wants to see it done right.

As the powers that be parse out the details, he said his bill is aimed at the aggressive tactics of some protesters who swarm passing vehicles and block traffic to get their message heard.

This bill is not about oil. We ranch. Were conservationists too, he said. But theres a line between protesting and terrorism, and what were dealing with was terrorism out there. [Drivers] who were legally doing their business or just going home and all of a sudden theyre in a situation they dont want to be in.

One distraught driver in particular caught Kempenichs attention  his 72-year-old mother-in-law. She was driving on Highway 1806 when suddenly she found herself swarmed by protesters, chanting, holding signs and, she told her legislator son-in-law, jumping in front of her car.

Thats where Kempenich got the idea for the legislation. He stressed that he is not trying to legalize vehicular manslaughter in the state of North Dakota. Drivers still have to do all they can to avoid protesters.

But the law says protesters have to do their part as well to stay on sidewalks and road shoulders. If they dont, Kempenich told The Post, the law should favor law-abiding motorists.

The first amendment gives people the right of freedom to assemble peacefully but it also gives the right for people to ignore that protest, he said.

LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, a protest organizer, told the Associated Press that the legislation is a product of people not communicating.

I have never seen so many people frightened in all my life, she said of the anti-protest bills. 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.

For a year, a coalition of Native American tribes and environmentalists have protested the Dakota Access Pipeline, according to The Posts Joe Heim.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other Native Americans believe the project, which would carry oil from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois, threatens drinking water and Native American cultural sites, according to the AP. Texas-based developer Energy Transfer Partners disputes that.

The protesters have created a camp in North Dakota adjacent to the Standing Rock reservation and a mile from where the pipeline is planned to cross the Missouri River.

Protesters also built a roadblock on Highway 1806, preventing people from passing by for months. Law enforcement agencies built their own checkpoint, according to Bismark, N.D., NBC-affiliate KFYR.

In December, the Army Corps of Engineers denied a permit for the section of the pipeline that would go under the Missouri River, but President-elect Donald Trump has said he supports the completion of the pipeline, Heim reported, which means protests could go on indefinitely.
They used to call him the boy who bought a field. Now headlines declare him the man who found a city underneath it.

Stuart Wilson was half a joke a decade ago: a young tollbooth worker who spent everything he had on four acres of Welsh grass, which hid  he was convinced  the ruins of a mysterious 700-year-old settlement that archaeologists had been seeking for decades.

Then, Wilson unearthed building after building on his field.

Now people fly from Japan to dig on it. TV producers line up to film it. Archaeologist defies sceptics, reads a headline in the Guardian, reporting that Wilson now lectures to the academics who once shunned him.

The self-described militant archaeologist  who, despised by his academic rivals, despised them in turn  found ancient Trellech when others found dirt.

But in the universities, that legend leaves some amused  others angry.

Wilsons lost city is no such thing, they say. And anyway he didnt find it so much as steal credit from the same rivals he now mocks.

We dont believe it is a city, said David Howell, an archaeologist with the University of Gloucestershire, whose father published a dozen papers on their digs at Trellech. But if it is, we discovered it 20 years before he did.

Trellech never quite disappeared in the first place. Its a tiny village today, but full of mysteries.

Clumps of iron slag litter fields and forests, suggesting great blast furnaces roared long ago. Bits of medieval pottery occasionally pop up in the pastures.

Its a very old and magical place, said Deborah Zsigo, who owns the local pub. There clearly used to be an ancient civilization and an awful lot of people living here.

In some legends, old Trellech had seven churches. In others, its standings stones were thrown by either Satan or a Welsh magician.

But even scholars are intrigued. Tax rolls from the late 13th century indicate that nearly 400 buildings and plots of land once stood in Trellech  on a damp, landlocked hill.

How in heavens name can you have a town of that size in a location as unlikely as Trellech? Ray Howell, then an archaeology professor with the University of South Wales, said in an interview with BBC Radio in 2006.

The working theory: Ancient Trellech was an enormous weapons factory  funded by the lords of Glamorgan to make iron for the endless wars that shaped medieval Britain.

A succession of attacks, fires and disease wiped it out, leaving just a medieval church and the stump of a vanished castle.

So go the theories. Archaeologists demand evidence.

Ray Howell and his team had been digging between the church and castle remains for about a decade by the early 2000s when Wilson came along  with a job at the tollbooth up the road, a fresh bachelors degree in archaeology and a conviction that the experts were looking in the wrong spot.

The academics were saying, Who in the hell does this chap think he is?' Wilson said. Theyd found rubbish. But they were so focused, they could not accept anything else.

In his early 20s at the time, Wilson was intrigued by a local hunch that ancient Trellech actually lay outside the modern village. A farmer up the road kept finding ancient pottery in mole hills.

So Wilson foraged into a sheep pasture in search of sunken buildings.

We had the first wall with the first hour, he said.

He and a group of mostly amateur archaeologists established a rival dig site  a five-minute walk from the universitys excavations, but a world apart in method and philosophy.

Were a bunch of independent militants, Wilson said. We were more than happy to bend a few rules, and break them when no one was around.

Wilson said he once sneaked onto Howells dig site to prove an ancient wall the professor had uncovered was really a modern field drain. He put out news releases and told anyone whod listen about a lost city beneath his field.

Academics sneered. Medieval cities had cathedrals, and Trellech had no sign of one.

But Wilson carried on. After two summers, he said, he had dug up melted walls that matched historical records of a great fire set by Trellechs enemies.

He became convinced that the settlements main street was buried in the fields. So in 2004, with a bank loan and savings from the tollbooth job, he bought one and resolved to dig on it for the rest of his life.

His gamble brought the BBC to town two years later to produce a radio show, The Boy who Bought a Field.

It really is the most extraordinary project, the host said. Weve got a field full of mole hills. Weve got a  well, I hope not a mad archaeologist who spent 32,000 pounds to buy it.

Down the road, other archaeologists were getting annoyed.

Ray Howell briefly spoke on the BBC show too, although his own work on Trellech was barely mentioned.

Dad had been digging up Trellech for the better part of a decade, but we were never going out of our way to publicize what we were doing, David Howell told The Washington Post this month. Whats coming out the ground is important. Its of tremendous value, but tagging on this brand of city  it raises expectation far beyond what Trellech can ever hope to produce.

As a child in the early 1990s, David Howell washed ancient pots that his fathers students uncovered at Trellech, he said. After getting a masters degree in archaeology, he supervised the digs.

It was slow, careful work  made slower by government restrictions on the land around the old church.

As a professional academic unit, we didnt have the luxury of being able to buy up land, David Howell said.

They got approval to dig six trenches near the church, and through the early 2000s slowly uncovered a large building that they think was Trellechs hospice  or perhaps a large tavern.

They found a medieval pilgrims flask, and presumed blacksmithing sites that may have produced swords and spears for the lords of Glamorgan.

Some of these artifacts went to museums for study. Academic journals published Howells discoveries at Trellech a dozen times between 1995 and 2008.

But other trenches the Howells dug  in spots that satellite radar suggested were filled with ruined walls  turned up none. Up the road, Wilson hammered their mistakes.

Were we given permission to open up that entire field, we can say with confidence there were more buildings, David Howell said.

Instead, their university funding dried up. By the late 2000s, the Howells had moved on and Wilsons lost city was the only excavation going.

Enticed by the coverage and Wilsons flair, hundreds of enthusiasts began flying to Wales, paying a small fee to dig for Wilson. They unearthed more and more structures beneath the field  most notably a mansion.

Wilsons team members didnt bother with academic journals. They announced their discoveries in newspapers, self-published reports and the occasional ad.

And after 14 years of digging, Wilsons legend of Trellech approaches reality.

The Guardian reported this month that an archaeological society had invited Wilson to speak at Cardiff University, after facing years of scepticism from some within the archaeological community.

Cardiff is the big one, Wilson said.

But the Cardiff Archaeological Society expressed some regrets about the invitation, after Wilson used the speech to belittle his rivals work.

It was certainly an interesting talk, Brian Davies, the Cardiff Archaeological Societys program director, said in an email. Unfortunately, after the talk the professional archaeologists I spoke to had concerns about his comments and work.

Despite his bold talk, Wilson has not published any papers in academic journals, Davies noted.

Consequently, Wilsons name still doesnt mean much in university halls.

Whoevers in the Guardian, if they claim to be the first person to find it, I dont think they can have done so, said Nancy Edwards, a professor of medieval archaeology at Bangor University. Its Ray Howell whos actually been digging parts of it.

The professor is retired now and didnt talk to The Post.

Ray, for his own health and well-being, doesnt follow the media coverage on this anymore, said his son, David. Its frustrating and quite hurtful to see 20 or 30 years of work casually dismissed in a newspaper article somewhere.

Many somewheres. Wilson starred in an episode of the BBCs Digging for Britain last year. Hes in talks with other TV producers about an entire series on Trellech, he said, and planning to build a tourism center on the field.

The public, it seems, accepts his lost city. The academics can have their old war.

They are closed-minded people, Wilson said. They still think themselves important, but that world is long since gone.
BAMAKO, Mali  The Nigerian air force on Tuesday bombed a crowded town full of people who had fled Islamist militants, killing more than 50 in what was described as a mistake by pilots targeting Boko Haram fighters.

The bombardment occurred in the town of Rann, near the Cameroon border, one of the places where more than 2 million victims of Boko Haram have sought shelter in recent years as part of one of the worlds largest humanitarian crises.

More than 100 people were injured, and humanitarian workers who had been helping the roughly 25,000 displaced people in Rann were among the dead, aid officials said.

Boko Haram, a radical Islamist group previously linked to al-Qaida, has killed an estimated 20,000 people since 2009, making it one of the worlds bloodiest terrorist groups. It pledged allegiance to the Islamic State nearly two years ago.

Nigerian Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed the strike, telling reporters that it was accidental and that the death toll was still being assessed.

Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian group, said at least 52 people were killed and 120 wounded. Officials from the group said they expected that more of the victims could die of their wounds because of the limited health-care capacity in Rann, a town of ramshackle buildings and makeshift tents.

Only eight medical personnel are treating victims there, said Hugues Robert, an emergency program manager for Doctors Without Borders in Nigeria.

We have nothing for dealing with this number, he said.

Robert said his staff reported two strikes at around noon Tuesday, in a location with many civilians but tightly controlled by the Nigerian army.

This is not a battlefield, not a disputed area, he said. It is a place controlled by government forces. Its not a place where insurgents hide. It doesnt make sense.

Six staff members or volunteers working with the Nigerian Red Cross were killed, and 13 were wounded, said Jason Straziuso, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross.

According to Irabor, the bombardment occurred during an operation to target Boko Haram militants, who have been fighting for years in parts of northern Nigeria and surrounding countries to impose strict Islamic codes.

Unfortunately, the strike was conducted, but it turned out that other civilians were somewhere around the area and they were affected, he told reporters in Maiduguri.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari called the strike a regrettable operational mistake.

Last month, Buhari said the militants had effectively been defeated. But insurgents have been able to wage frequent attacks on both military and civilian targets across the region.

Much of the Nigerian militarys campaign against Boko Haram has been conducted using attack helicopters and fighter jets that fly over large swaths of the northeast.

That effort has long posed a human rights dilemma, as militants are frequently difficult to isolate from civilians held against their will in insurgent encampments. Some victims of Boko Haram have reported that the Nigerian military shot indiscriminately at those encampments during offensive operations, killing both militants and kidnapped civilians.

This is the first time during Nigerias campaign against Boko Haram that the military has acknowledged a large number of civilians killed in a mistaken bombardment. It remains unclear how the military could have mistaken a town with at least 25,000 inhabitants, surrounded by the military, for a terrorist enclave.

In Rann in recent months, the Nigerian military has battled Boko Haram fighters, who had attacked troops with improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers and ambushes.

As the war has continued, the United States has been considering the sale to Nigeria of 12 Super Tucano planes, which are used for aerial attacks and surveillance. The prospect has reinvigorated a debate in Washington about whether the Nigerian military should be trusted with the new aircraft in light of allegations that the forces commit human rights abuses.

Alongside widespread and serious human rights abuses by the military over the last several years, this incident validates skeptical views of the pending sale, said Carl LeVan, a professor at American University and expert on Nigeria. In recent years, more than 2 million people were displaced as Boko Haram militants invaded village after village, killing large numbers of men, kidnapping women and girls and frequently turning boys into child soldiersWithout access to food, many of the displaced faced starvation.A military response, which included the militaries of nearby countries where Boko Haram had sought refuge, has been successful at forcing militants from their urban or semi-urban strongholds. But it left the insurgents dispersed across a vast landscape from which they could periodically stage attacks in urban areas.

Last year, Amnesty International reported that nearly 150 people, including children and babies, had died at the Nigerian militarys Giwa barracks in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, many of them of disease and hunger in overcrowded cells.

In Giwa and elsewhere in northeastern Nigeria, the military has often detained civilians who were once held by Boko Haram, accusing them of being sympathizers or sleeper agents for their former abductors.
The corrections officers told their new prisoner, Ahmer Iqbal Abbasi, to strip and face the wall. They had already twisted his hands in his handcuffs, shoved him and called him a fing Muslim, Abbasi said in an interview last week.

It was September 2001, two weeks after 19 Muslim hijackers carried out the worst terrorist attacks in American history. Federal authorities never found any connection between Abbasi, a 28-year-old yellow-taxi driver from Pakistan, and the terrorists. But, like hundreds of other Arab and South Asian men swept up in the aftermath of the attacks, he was not a legal immigrant.

Abbasi is one of six plaintiffs in a long-running case brought by noncitizens detained after 9/11 that reaches the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The question for the high court is not whether the men were abused, but whether they have the right to bring a case for damages against high-level U.S. government officials for the alleged unconstitutional treatment.

Their lawyers say authorities held some 400 men  many of them Muslim  on the sole basis of their race, religion, ethnicity, national heritage and immigration status, and subjected them to brutal conditions, including verbal and physical abuse, daily strip searches and months in solitary confinement.

The defendants include former attorney general John Ashcroft, former FBI director Robert Mueller III and other officials in the administration of former President George W. Bush.

A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York ruled in 2015 that the lawsuit could go forward.

Civil rights and immigrant advocates say the outcome will set a powerful precedent that becomes all the more significant with the election of Donald Trump because his policy proposals could possibly violate the constitution.

Trump has called for the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, a ban on new Muslim immigrants and deeper scrutiny of Muslims within the United States. He and his advisers have also weighed the idea of a registry for Muslim immigrants, and a visa vetting process that would scrutinize applicants religious beliefs.

Allowing high-level officials basic impunity for constitutional violations would send a really problematic message at this time when were faced with an incoming administration who talks about bringing back torture  and worse, rounding up Muslims  as legitimate policy choices, said Rachel Meeropol of the Center for Constitutional Rights who will argue the plaintiffs case on Wednesday.

Government lawyers, in the final case to be argued by the Obama administration, have urged the high court to reverse the 2nd Circuit decision and to stop the lawsuit from proceeding. Congress, not the courts, the government lawyers say, should decide whether individuals can sue government officials for what the administration describes in its briefing as unintended consequences arising from the implementation of policy decisions they made during an unprecedented national-security crisis.

Four former attorneys general from Republican administrations also have weighed in on the side of the former Bush administration officials.

Nobody claims they even knew who these defendants were, let alone ordered them held in solitary confinement, said Richard Samp, chief counsel of the Washington Legal Foundation, who filed a brief on behalf of the former attorneys general, including Alberto Gonzales and Edwin Meese III.

The obvious motivation was better safe than sorry. Were not going to release anyone until were sure they are not terrorists.

None of the immigrants who filed suit will be present in the courtroom Wednesday. All were deported following their detentions, and the three who sought to return to hear their case argued were denied visas, Meeropol said.

The men who filed suit all lacked lawful immigration status at the time of their detention, but none were found to have any connection to terrorism.

In the weeks following their arrests, authorities also often declined to tell family members where their loved ones were being held, Meeropol said. These were disappearances.

In 2003, the Justice Departments inspector general criticized government officials for their handling of some detainees after Sept. 11, finding that the FBI took too long to investigate and clear them of connections to terrorism. The report said authorities at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center, where Abbasi was held, subjected detainees to unduly harsh conditions.

In 2009 the government reached a settlement of $1.2 million with five original plaintiffs in the case. But those men were suing the United States, not the individual officials who presided over policy, and that outcome is unlikely to have any impact on the case before the Supreme Court, Meeropol said.

The high court first recognized a limited right for individuals to sue government officials in a 1971 case known as Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents involving an illegal search by federal narcotics agents. Since 1980, the Supreme Court has generally been hesitant to expand that right. The Obama administration lawyers argue that the high court should tread carefully especially when it comes to national security and immigration policies.

Civil rights and immigrant advocates are most concerned that the Supreme Court could shut off any opportunity for individuals to hold the executive branch accountable for damages in court after a constitutional violation has occurred.

If the Supreme Court sides with the Obama administration, not only would these detainees lose any opportunity to prove their claims, but so, too, would many future victims of human rights violations, Stanford Law School professor Shirin Sinnar, who co-authored an amicus brief in the case, wrote in a Washington Post column.

The court will be short-handed at oral arguments on Wednesday with only six justices. Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor are recused presumably because of their earlier work in the solicitor generals office and on the 2nd Circuit.

Abbasi, a father of four, who now lives in Karachi, Pakistan, said he is hopeful. He will wait for his attorneys in the United States to tell him how it goes.

The case is Ziglar v. Abbasi, 15-1358.
10 years of madhes movement: Crucial gains, Madhesi leaders ask for more

Monday marked the tenth anniversary of the first Madhes movement, a three-week long popular uprising in the plains that, together with other smaller revolts, contributed to establishing Nepal as a federal democratic republic.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto told an assembly of top diplomats last week that Mexico of course will not pay for Donald Trumps wall. His predecessor, former President Vicente Fox, put it more bluntly in a tweet storm last week, declaring: TRUMP, when will you understand that I am not paying for that fucken [sic] wall.

They are both wrong. Trump absolutely can make Mexico pay. And the answer lies in a provision of the corporate tax-reform plan House Republicans are planning to take up after Trumps inauguration  the so-called border adjustment.

Trump criticized the border adjustment this weekend, telling the Wall Street Journal Anytime I hear border adjustment, I dont love it. Here is why he should: It would force Mexico to give us every penny we need to pay for the wall, and then some.

The House Republicansplanwould lower the corporate tax from 35 percent to 20 percent and apply the tax based on the location of consumption rather than the location of production. It would do this through a border adjustment that exempts exports while taxing imports. Under the plan, all imports coming into the United States would be subject to the 20 percent tax, but exports would have the tax refunded  making them tax-free.

Supporters see it as a way for Trump to follow through on his campaign pledge to tax imports and support exports without resorting to tariffs that would provoke a massive global trade fight. Right now, more than 160 countries around the world have a border adjusted value-added tax (VAT). So unlike tariffs, a border adjustment should be able to pass muster with the World Trade Organization.

Here is where the wall comes in: As economist Martin Feldstein explains, the border adjustment would raise hundreds of billions in tax revenue  not from U.S. consumers or corporations, but from our foreign trading partners. Under the border adjustment, the United States would refund the tax on exports and charge it on imports  so the net revenue would be negative if we had a trade surplus, and positive if we had a trade deficit. Because the United States has a trade deficit, Feldstein calculates the border adjustment would bring in about $120 billion a year, or $1 trillion over a decade.

One of the countries with whom we have a large trade deficit is . . . Mexico. The U.S. trade deficit in goods with Mexico was $60.7 billion in 2015 and is expected to be around $65 billion in 2016. So if Mexican imports are taxed at a rate of 20 percent, the United States would raise about $13 billion a year in revenue from Mexico via the border adjustment.

How much will the wall cost? Trump has put the price at between $8 billion and $12 billion. Others have suggested it could be higher, between $15 billion and $25 billion. Either way, the full cost would be more than covered in one or two years by the $13 billion in annual revenues we would collect from Mexico. Indeed, over several years, the border adjustment could force Mexico to pay not only for the wall, but for the costs of a lot of Trumps other border-security measures  from expediting the deportation of criminal aliens to hiring more screeners to conduct extreme vetting.

In other words, the border adjustment would allow Trump to keep two major campaign promises at once  he could tax imports and subsidize exports, while forcing Mexico to pay for the wall.

And here is the really brilliant part: There is nothing Mexico could do about it. Mexico might find ways to retaliate over specific measures targeting it  such as increased fees for visas or taxing remittances. But with the border adjustment, Mexico would have no recourse to complain, because such a measure is global in nature and would affect all U.S. trading partners equally. Plus, how could Mexico object when it is one of the 160 countries around that world that has a border adjusted VAT of its own?

So yes, thanks to the border adjustment, Donald Trump can indeed make Mexico pay for the BLEEP-ing wall. And Mexico would be powerless to stop him.

Mr. President-elect, whats not to love?



Thiessen, a fellow with the American Enterprise Institute and former chief speechwriter to President George W. Bush, writes a weekly online column for The Post.
Dogs, the primary beneficiaries of the pet-humanization trend, get to go a lot of places these days  restaurants, workplaces, yoga. So perhaps it was only a matter of time before someone began offering a bus tour for pups.

What claims to be the worlds first such tour launched Monday in London. Three times a day, its ferrying pooches and their people around the city, offering one hour of commentary on spots that have a historical connection to canines and opportunities to disembark (get it?) at popular dog-walking areas.

Passengers both human and canine can learn about the citys lone dog cemetery, the corgis of Buckingham Palace, and the dog-related laws that have been passed in the House of Parliament. If they so desire, they can stroll the green of Kensington Palace, where Prince William and Princess Kate reside with their two children and their black cocker spaniel, Lupo. If theyre feeling parched or peckish, they can get off the bus and follow their tour-provided map of dog-friendly eateries and pubs.

More than 60 dogs and their owners took part in the free tour Monday, according to More Th>n, the company thats hosting it. Alas, its run ends Thursday, because this tour is more of a publicity stunt than a service. More Th>n, an insurance company that offers pet coverage, dreamed it up to mark the launch of its new product, Doggyssenti>ls, which delivers poo bags, dog treats, flea treatments and a toy or shampoo to members doorsteps each month.
WASHINGTON  The Internal Revenue Services battle against fraud and identity theft is intensifying as the tax filing season opens, and some of the neediest taxpayers are getting caught in the middle.

The agency is barred from issuing refunds before Feb. 15 on any returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit. Congress mandated the delay to give the IRS more time to review returns to try to catch fraudulent ones before refunds are paid out.

In reality, taxpayers taking these credits will probably have to wait even longer to get their refunds  until the week of Feb. 27, the IRS says, because of weekends and the Presidents Day holiday.

Dave DuVal, vice president of customer advocacy at TaxAudit.com, says the impact on these taxpayers could be tremendous. They live paycheck to paycheck, and this is money theyre counting on, he said.

Still, the attempt to reduce fraud is a positive thing overall, said Greg Rosica, tax partner at Ernst & Young.

Ric Eberle, an H&R Block office manager in Albuquerque, said the earned income tax credit has among the highest improper payment rates made by the IRS.

The delay gives two weeks to the IRS to do more checking and due diligence on those returns, Eberle said. It wont eradicate fraud entirely; it will alleviate it.

In New Mexico, about 210,000 people claimed the earned income credit in 2016, with an average individual credit of $2,485. The average Advance Child Tax Credit payment was $1,311 last year among the 145,600 New Mexicans who claimed it.

The IRS will begin accepting returns on Monday, and tax experts recommend Americans continue to file their returns early, even with the refund delays.

For this tax season, its more important than ever for taxpayers to plan ahead, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said in a statement.

This years filing deadline is Tuesday, April 18, since the traditional April 15 date falls on a Saturday, and D.C. Emancipation Day is observed on April 17.

Of course, taxpayers who need longer can request an extension. Getting a filing extension avoids the late filing penalty, but it doesnt avoid the late payment penalty, said Barbara Weltman, a consultant and author of books on taxes, law and finance.

So the advice from tax experts: To avoid the late payment penalty, estimate the amount due and pay it before the April 18 filing deadline. But even with that, you wont be able to avoid interest on payments made after the deadline.

Last year, the IRS processed more than 152 million returns. Electronic filing was up 2.4 percent, continuing a long-term trend. The average refund was $2,860, up 2.3 percent or $63 from the previous year, the agency said.

For those who foresee financial hardship due to a delayed return, some tax preparation companies are offering interest-free advance payments up to a certain amount.

H&R Block offers its clients up to $1,250, Eberle said.

Material from The Associated Press was used in this report
SANTA FE  Gov. Susana Martinez opened the last 60-day legislative session of her tenure on Tuesday by asking New Mexico lawmakers to embrace bipartisan solutions  as they have in the past, she said  to shore up the states flagging budget and promote economic growth.

But the Republican governor didnt back away from her insistence that the Legislature  Democrats now control both chambers  avoid increasing taxes to balance the budget.

Weve met challenges before in a bipartisan manner, and we can do it again, Martinez said in her annual State of the State address, which clocked in at 43 minutes. But it will take courage.

State Sen. Joseph Cervantes, a Las Cruces Democrat and potential 2018 candidate for governor, said Democrats are prepared to meet her halfway. But the governors call for bipartisanship is about six years late, he said.

The start of the session comes as New Mexico continues to face significant challenges  including the second-highest rate of unemployment in the nation and a state budget squeezed by falling oil and natural gas prices. The governor and lawmakers must address not only a $69 million projected deficit in this years budget but also agree on a spending plan for next year.

Cash reserves have been nearly wiped out, and the states top bond rating was downgraded.

Martinez urged lawmakers to focus on the budget and work together to craft a solution that attracts support from Democrats and Republicans, as they have previously on tax cuts and pension reform.

These werent wins for the governor or the Legislature  or Republicans or just Democrats  these were big wins for New Mexicans, Martinez said.

Her tone Tuesday wasnt as combative as it was last week  when she described a legislative budget plan as a cop-out  but the substance of her proposals hasnt changed.

She renewed her push for reinstatement of the death penalty for people who kill police officers or children and tougher criminal penalties in general, including a three-strikes bill targeting repeat offenders.

Martinez also asked lawmakers  once again  to pass legislation to end social promotion by requiring third-graders who cant read proficiently to repeat the grade. Martinez noted that Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama oppose social promotion, and she jokingly offered to name the bill after them.

Democrats didnt sound inclined to embrace ideas theyve rejected in the past. Cervantes, who provided the Democrats response to the governors speech, told reporters that the state needs to do more to encourage great teachers to enter or stay in the profession, not focus on social promotion.

And, he said, the results of Novembers election, in which Democrats retook the House and expanded their majority in the Senate, show voters are ready for change. Democrats will propose solutions focused on growing the economy and creating jobs, he said.

The state of our state is unacceptable, Cervantes said. This session, legislators will begin to tackle those challenges and the plans that we need to undertake to balance the budget and make sure its a meaningful and long-term plan.

Martinez, in turn, highlighted some recent successes. Graduation rates hit a record high, she said, and the state succeeded in attracting investment from FedEx and Facebook, which is building a data center in Los Lunas.

When we put political parties aside, Martinez said, we get a lot done.

She urged lawmakers to agree to consolidate state agencies to save money and to focus their capital spending on projects that make a difference, not small, frivolous expenses.

Legislators also should disclose any clients they have in their private careers whose interests could affect the lawmakers legislative decisions, Martinez said.

New Mexicans deserve to know if officials are making decisions on behalf of voters or on behalf of undisclosed clients, she said.

But she and others at the Roundhouse returned repeatedly to the task of fixing the state budget for this year and next.

Perhaps common ground will emerge on taxes at some point: Martinez repeatedly mentioned the possibility of closing loopholes and modernizing the tax system.

Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, warned senators Tuesday that he expected them to be back in the chambers within 30 minutes of the end of the State of the State address, and when they did come back, he urged them to read through the budget proposals immediately. Budget solvency bills could be debated on the Senate floor as early as tonight, he said.

Weve got an immediate budget crisis, Wirth said. The plan is to get right to work.
Heads up: The deadline to take part in the Albuquerque Journals Top Workplaces survey is fast approaching.

The Journal, Business Outlook and Workplace Dynamics LLP are once again teaming up to conduct the statewide survey. Taking part is an opportunity to take stock of your organization  to find out what youre doing right when it comes to motivating your employees and where you need to improve.

Heres how the program works:

To join the survey, an employee, employer or customer needs to nominate their company by Friday through ABQjournal.com/nominate or by calling 505-288-3443.

The organization will receive a call from Workplace Dynamics to explain the survey process.

Employees will be surveyed about the companys direction, execution and engagement of employees. Workplace Dynamics then determines who makes the list based on those surveys.

The survey has strict protocols. There is no internet voting, no click as many times as you can, and participating companies must grant individual access to either all employees or a vast majority for larger businesses.

The results will be published in a special section of the Sunday Journal next spring, and an analysis will be provided to employers.
PUEBLO, Colo.  A Fremont County sheriffs detective has been placed on paid administrative leave while state investigators look into the possibility that evidence from a 2006 unsolved murder was found in a storage unit that he rented.

Sheriff Jim Beicker said Monday that Lt. Robert Dodd was placed on routine administrative leave.

Rick Ratzlaff of Canon City told The Pueblo Chieftain (bit.ly/2jvO4aR) that he bought the contents of two storage lockers in December and one contained old uniforms with Dodds name badges and several envelopes labeled evidence. The evidence included two bloody socks and a bullet casing.

Ratzlaff said the sheriff told him the evidence may be related to the August 2006 shooting death of 17-year-old Candace Hiltz. Hiltzs mother, Dolores Hintz, told the newspaper she recognized some of the items.

The evidence has been turned over to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

___

Information from: The Pueblo Chieftain, http://www.chieftain.com
WASHINGTON  President Barack Obama commuted the 35-year prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, an Army private convicted of taking troves of secret diplomatic and military documents and disclosing them to WikiLeaks, after deciding that Manning had served enough time.

Obama also granted a full and complete pardon to retired Marine Gen. James Cartwright, a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in an investigation of a leak of classified information about a covert U.S.-Israeli cyberattack on Irans nuclear program.

The presidents dramatic, last-minute clemency actions for Cartwright and Manning were surprising for an administration that has brought more leak prosecutions than all previous ones combined. Obama took office pledging to bring a new era of transparency to government, but during his eight years, his administration has presided over at least nine leak cases.

But officials said the president thought that in Mannings case, seven years behind bars was enough punishment and that she had been given an excessive sentence  the longest ever imposed in the United States for a leak conviction. The administration has contrasted her case with that of Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency contractor who leaked classified documents in 2013 and then fled the country, pointing out that Manning did not try to avoid facing the U.S. justice system for her crimes.

Chelsea Manning is somebody who accepted responsibility for the crimes she committed, a senior White House official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House. She expressed remorse for committing those crimes. She began serving the sentence that was handed down. The presidents concern was rooted in the fact that the sentence handed down is longer than sentences given to other individuals who committed comparable crimes.

Republicans immediately blasted the White Houses decision, saying the commutation would encourage others to leak sensitive documents.

This is just outrageous, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said. Chelsea Mannings treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nations most sensitive secrets. President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security wont be held accountable for their crimes.

President-elect Donald Trumps team did not respond to requests for comment on the case.

Also on Tuesday, Obama granted clemency to more than 200 low-level drug offenders who were sentenced under harsh laws and would have received lighter sentences if convicted today. In all, the president commuted the sentences of 209 individuals and pardoned an additional 64. He is expected to grant more commutations before he leaves office.

Since 2014, Obama has commuted 1,385 sentences, more than the previous 12 presidents combined. Of those, 540 low-level drug offenders had been serving life sentences.

This final set of actions as Obama leaves office is a signal to the system that prosecutors have gone too far, said Steven Aftergood, a national security and transparency expert at the Federation of American Scientists.

Manning, 29, will be set free in four months, on May 17, instead of in 2045, under the terms of Obamas commutation.

The Pentagon did not make the recommendation to the White House to commute Mannings sentence, and senior Defense Department leaders opposed the move, said defense officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

White House officials said the presidents decision had nothing to do with a recent pledge by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that he would agree to be extradited to the United States if Mannings sentence was commuted.

Thank you to everyone who campaigned for Chelsea Mannings clemency, read a statement attributed to Assange on the WikiLeaks Twitter feed. Your courage & determination made the impossible possible.

Trump invoked the death penalty in 2010 after WikiLeaks disclosures, in stark contrast to his refusal to criticize Assange and WikiLeaks for the dissemination of hacked Democratic Party emails last year.

Members of Assanges legal team did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether Assange would now agree to be extradited.

President Obamas decision was both compassionate and amply justified, said Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the liberty and national security program at the Brennan Center for Justice. Mannings sentence was orders of magnitude greater than any sentence previously imposed for leaking classified information to the media.

Manning was arrested in Iraq in May 2010 after she transmitted documents to WikiLeaks that came to be known as the Iraq and Afghanistan War Logs. She also shared a video that showed a U.S. Apache helicopter in Baghdad opening fire on a group of people that the crew believed to be insurgents. Among the dead were two journalists who worked for Reuters. She also leaked documents pertaining to Guantanamo Bay prisoners, as well as 250,000 State Department cables.

In an impassioned statement last year accompanying her petition for clemency, she accepted full and complete responsibility for disclosing the material. She said she pleaded guilty without the benefit of a plea agreement because she believed that the military justice system would understand her motivation for the leak and sentence her fairly. I was wrong, wrote Manning, who is imprisoned at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

She said the 35-year penalty was far more than she imagined possible  unreasonable, outrageous and out of line with what I had done.

Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning, came out as transgender after her conviction. She said in her statement last fall that the three years since she had been sentenced had enabled her to reflect on her actions and her struggle to adjust to the military.

I am not Bradley Manning, she said. I really never was. I am Chelsea Manning, a proud woman who is transgender and who, through this application, is respectfully requesting a first chance at life.

Her reason for passing the documents to WikiLeaks was to raise public awareness about issues she found troubling, including the effect of war on innocent civilians, her attorney, Vincent Ward, said in a letter accompanying Mannings petition. Ward said Mannings sentence exceeds even international legal norms.

Manning was kept in solitary confinement for almost a year before formal charges were brought, an experience she has called humiliating and degrading. The United Nations special rapporteur on torture called her treatment cruel, inhuman and degrading.

She has tried to kill herself twice while at Fort Leavenworth  the first time in July 2016 and again in November. After the July attempt, she was placed in solitary confinement as punishment.

The family is delighted to hear the news, and we are looking forward to seeing Chelsea in May, and we want to thank President Obama for granting her request. Were all very, very happy about it, said Debbie, an aunt of Mannings in Maryland, who asked that her last name not be used to protect her privacy.

Cartwright, a retired four-star Marine Corps general, served as the nations second-ranking military officer and was facing his sentencing in two weeks after pleading guilty in October to a felony count of lying to the FBI in a classified leak investigation. He admitted to falsely telling investigators that he did not confirm classified information to reporters writing about a covert U.S.-Israeli cyberattack on Irans nuclear program.

The senior White House official said Cartwrights long history of distinguished service to the nation factored into Obamas decision. The official said a journalist involved in the case testified that Cartwright did not tell the journalist anything that the reporter did not already know. The conversation was focused on preventing the publication of information that could be damaging to our national security, the official said.

When the president is making clemency decisions, motive matters, the official said. Its clear in this case that based on what the journalist has said . . . that General Cartwrights motive was different than most of the people who are accused of leaking classified information to a journalist.

In a statement Tuesday, Cartwright thanked Obama.

With the greatest pride, I have served my country as a member of the military for more than forty years. This action allows me to continue that work as a private citizen, he said. I love this country and believe it to be the greatest nation on earth. I have never lost faith in that belief.

  

The Washington Posts Julie Tate, David Nakamura, Spencer Hsu, John Wagner and Missy Ryan contributed to this report.

  

Video: President Obama commutes Chelsea Mannings prison sentence

Chelsea Manning was convicted in 2013 for leaking secret diplomatic and military documents to WikiLeaks and originally sentenced to 35 years in prison. (Thomas Johnson / The Washington Post)

Short URL: http://wapo.st/2jWNgbH

Embed code:
KINGMAN, Ariz.  Authorities say a woman who was killed after lying on train tracks and getting struck by a train in northwestern Arizona has been identified as a California resident.

Kingman police say 39-year-old Amber Marie Pattee was from the Sacramento area.

They say she had been in the Kingman area for several days before the Jan. 10 incident.

Police say Pattee was lying down on the westbound tracks in between the rails.

As the train approached, she attempted to get off the tracks but the conductor was unable to stop the train in time to avoid striking Pattee, who suffered fatal injuries.

Before arriving in Kingman, police say Pattee had been arrested in the Bullhead City area and booked into the Mohave County Adult Detention Facility for an undisclosed charge.
University of California President Janet Napolitano is nearly finished with an undisclosed cancer treatment that began more than four months ago, the university system announced Tuesday, a day after she experienced side effects that required her to be hospitalized.

In a statement, UC said Napolitano was diagnosed with the cancer at the end of August and is doing extremely well. Spokeswoman Dianne Klein declined to specify what kind of cancer Napolitano was being treated for, out of respect for her privacy, or whether it was related to a previous cancer diagnosis that the statement said was successfully treated.

The university said Napolitanos physicians expect her to be discharged in the next day or so and back to her normal duties at full capacity very soon.

Though her cancer diagnosis was not made public, UC said Napolitano has kept Monica Lozano, chair of the UC Board of Regents, informed throughout the course of her current treatment. Senior university leadership has stepped in to help manage the system while she is recuperating.

Napolitano grew up in Albuquerque and served as governor of Arizona before joining the Obama administration.
BATON ROUGE, La.  A Louisiana man serving a life sentence for the rape of a nurse in 1971 claims authorities concealed evidence that the crime was committed by another man linked to two similar attacks.

In a court filing Tuesday, Innocence Project New Orleans attorneys asked the Louisiana Supreme Court to review Wilbert Jones 45-year-old case and order him a new trial.

A jury convicted Jones of raping the woman who was abducted from a Baton Rouge hospitals parking lot on the night of Oct. 2, 1971.

Jones attorneys say they uncovered evidence that another man, who fit the nurses description of her attacker, was suspected of kidnapping and raping two other women under similar circumstances in the early 1970s. But the defense lawyers claim authorities kept that evidence from Jones trial attorneys.

Mr. Jones has served almost half-a-century in prison without ever having received a fair trial, they wrote in Tuesdays petition for a new trial.

Jones has been seeking DNA testing since 2003, but his attorneys say key pieces of testable evidence  including the nurses clothing  went missing from an envelope.

East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore said in an email Tuesday that his office will respond appropriately to Jones latest petition.

No person should be wrongfully convicted and no prosecutor should ever refuse to provide evidence favorable to the defendant, especially evidence that he has knowledge or control over, Moore wrote.

Jones, now 64, remains imprisoned at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel. He was 19 when police arrested him on suspicion of carjacking the nurse at gunpoint and raping her behind a building.

The nurse, who died in 2008, identified Jones as her assailant during a police lineup more than three months after the rape. But defense attorneys said the nurse later testified that Jones had a different voice than her assailant and was too short to be the man who raped her.

Jones lawyers claim the nurses description matches a man who was arrested but never charged in the rape of a woman who was abducted from the parking lot of another Baton Rouge hospital 27 days after the nurses attack. The same man also was arrested on suspicion of raping another woman in 1973, but was only charged and convicted of armed robbery in that case.

That man lived one block from where the nurses rapist left her after the hour-long attack, Jones attorneys say. He was freed from prison more than 15 years ago and apparently was living in the Baton Rouge area as of March 2015, according to Jones lawyers.

Jones attorneys suspect prosecutors gave the man unusually lenient treatment and didnt pursue rape charges against him to protect their case against Jones. A court filing says the woman who was raped in 1973 only recently learned that prosecutors only charged her rapist with armed robbery.

Jones attorneys also claim that a prosecutor who secured his conviction had a track record of withholding evidence favorable to defendants. A 1974 opinion by a state Supreme Court justice said the prosecutor was responsible for 11 reversed convictions over the preceding year  an incredible statistic for a single prosecutor, the justice noted.

In recent court filings, the district attorneys office denied that authorities withheld relevant evidence and said Jones has failed to produce any new or conclusive evidence of his innocence.

The fact that other rapists were present in Baton Rouge committing crimes in the same time frame that (Jones) raped (the nurse) was not suppressed by the state, prosecutors wrote in October.

Moore, the district attorney, said most of the prosecutors and investigators who had worked on Jones case have died.

I do not know why any charging decisions were made and the reasons for those decisions, he wrote.

Jones attorneys say Tuesdays state Supreme Court petition probably represents his last shot at freedom.

He has survived as evidence has been hidden and lost, they wrote. He has survived being ignored and forgotten. Given his age and health, he will not likely survive much longer.
Dahal urges investment in Nepals energy sector

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday urged potential investors across the world to put money in Nepals energy sector.
BEIRUT  Iran opposes the participation of the United States in Syrian peace talks backed by Russia that are due to be launched in Kazakhstan next week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday.

His comments contradicted promises from Russia and Turkey and indications from U.S. officials that the newly installed Trump administration would be invited to the talks, scheduled for Jan. 23 in the Kazakhstan capital, Astana.

They also pointed to the potential for conflict over at least one of the Middle Easts flashpoints between Tehran and the incoming Trump administration, which has consistently indicated that it plans to adopt a more hawkish posture toward Iran than President Barack Obamas administration.

We have not invited the U.S. and oppose their presence at the talks, Zarif said, according to Irans Press TV.

Whether Iran would refuse to attend if the United States were invited was not immediately clear. The talks are part of a three-way process led by Russia and including Turkey and Iran  now the three most powerful international players on the ground in Syria. The process is aimed at forging a settlement in Syria after the failure of the Obama administrations diplomacy.

The opening round is expected to be a modest affair, with representatives of Syrian rebels meeting with members of the Syrian government to discuss the modalities of a shaky cease-fire that went into effect on Dec. 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow. Representatives of the invited countries will attend in the role of observers, rather than participants.

Assuming the meeting takes place, it would represent a profound moment for the Syrian conflict, bringing the military protagonists together for the first time since the uprising against President Bashar Assad in 2011.

It would also be a significant moment for the wider Middle East, signaling the first major initiative to resolve a big regional conflict in which the United States is not playing a leading role. Though Turkey and Iran are partnering with Russia in the effort, this is a Russian-led process, diplomats said.

No invitations have yet been formally issued, partly because Turkish efforts to persuade Syrian rebels to attend have dragged on longer than expected. On Tuesday, rebel commanders confirmed that half a dozen mostly Turkish-backed groups, most of them based in the north of the country, would send representatives.

Although Iran is one of the three sponsors of the peace talks, it has not signed the agreement reached between Russia and Turkey that launched the cease-fire, suggesting that Tehran has reservations about an effort that could potentially erode its extensive influence in Syria.

Both President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have said they regard Syria as one of the areas in which the United States and Russia could cooperate more closely. Trump has said on a number of occasions that he hopes better relations with Moscow will help counterbalance Irans expanding regional role.

Iran has been instrumental in providing the manpower and resources that have helped Assads government hold the rebellion at bay. Thousands of Iranian-trained Shiite militia fighters from Iraq and Afghanistan are on the front lines, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah is at the forefront of most of the major battles, and Iranian military advisers and commanders are embedded with them in many locations around the country.

The military conquests have cemented Irans role as a dominant player in Syria, making Iranian cooperation essential if any peace deal is to stick.
PHOENIX  Arizona Gov. Doug Duceys decision to again take for other uses state gas tax money intended to help cities and counties build and repair roads is getting a cold reception from some in the Legislature.

The Republican governors budget proposal for the year starting July 1 eliminates $86.5 million in highway spending in the current year, a decision likely to spur a fight with lawmakers from both parties who have been seeking a permanent stop to shifts of cash for road work to other uses.

Legislation that would bar the practice and require gas tax money only be spent on roads has been introduced in the Senate with both Democratic and Republican sponsors.

Republican Sen. Karen Fann said Tuesday that draining the fund year after year is akin to letting a small leak go unrepaired and eventually ruining the whole roof.

This is whats happening to our roads, she said. Were actually destroying our infrastructure by not keeping it up and maintaining it.

Fann, Democratic Sen. Steve Farley and two other lawmakers are sponsoring Senate Bill 1090, which would require gas tax and other money in a dedicated highway fund known as HURF be spent only on roadwork.

I think theres going to be a fight, because thats a bipartisan issue, Farley said of the highway cash shift. Ive never seen as much passion about stopping the HURF shift between parties as I have in recent years, and I dont think thats changed.

House appropriations chair Rep. Don Shooter said hes generally supportive, with a caveat that finding about $100 million lying around isnt that easy.

Ive tried to do that that over my tenure, but sometimes its not a perfect world, Shooter said. I support it all I can within the bounds of practicality.

The pot of cash has been regularly targeted by lawmakers who use it to fill other gaps in the budget. The practice began in the early 1980s, but it rapidly escalated when the Great Recession hit in late 2007. By 2012, cities and counties and the state road fund were losing $120 million in money they were supposed to receive. The cash nominally went to fund the state highway patrol.

A deal in 2015 that would see $30 million restored in each of the coming three years only lasted one year, and each session since has seen a battle. Particularly hard hit are rural counties, whose mainly Republican representatives have been vocal about ending the shift.

Even big counties have been hit, said Ken Strobeck, executive director of the Arizona League of Cities and Towns. The league estimates that cities and towns have lost nearly $347 million since 2001.

Thats why historically Tucsons streets have just been in terrible condition is because of the continued HURF sweeps, Strobeck said. And theyve actually passed local additional taxes to do street and maintenance.

Small towns that cant do local taxes essentially shut down all construction and repairs if their state cash is taken, Strobeck said.

Last years budget deal sent $30 million to the cities and counties and another $57 million for one-time projects like widening Interstate 10 between Tucson and Phoenix. All that money is out of Duceys budget proposal this year.

That solution that youre talking about last year was identified as a one-time solution, not an ongoing solution, Ducey budget Director Lorenzo Romero said at a legislative budget briefing Tuesday. The way that we do our budgeting . is for those one-time items to be backed out the next year. And weve done that, appropriately maintaining the existing funding structure.

While appreciative of Fanns proposal to require the state to spend road money on roads, Strobeck said the Legislature has a ready workaround.

Unfortunately, all is takes another bill to say notwithstanding that statute were going to take more anyway,  Strobeck said. We already have a statute that limits how much is supposed to go, and its overridden every year.
The University of Virginia, facing pressure from lawmakers to contain prices and enroll more Virginians, will open its gates a bit wider to in-state students in the next school year and offer some middle-class families a new tuition break worth $2,000 a year.

The public flagship universitys governing Board of Visitors approved a resolution Tuesday afternoon that aims to add 100 undergraduate seats for Virginians and create new scholarships for students whose families live in the state and earn less than $125,000 a year.

The expansion of in-state enrollment represents a modest increase from the current total of roughly 11,000. The in-state share of undergraduates, which now stands at about 69 percent, will remain virtually unchanged.

The number of Virginians the university enrolls has grown significantly in this century as the school in Charlottesville has grown. The projected total for in-state students in the coming school year, including growth in first-year and transfer students, is up 28 percent since 2001.

Our strategy for access and affordability keeps U-Va. on a sustainable financial path that increases quality, opens our doors wider to Virginians and cements our commitment to fully meet the needs of admitted students without any pre-screening of their family financial situation, President Teresa Sullivan said in a statement.

Tuition and fees for Virginians this school year total about $15,700, not counting room and board. The in-state price has risen significantly in recent years. But it is still far lower than tuition at comparably ranked private universities. Tuition and fees for out-of-state students totals more than $45,000. The out-of-state premium is crucial to U-Va.s finances.

U-Va. is one of a small group of schools that admits students without regard to financial need and pledges to meet full need. Under U-Va.s plan, officials said, the Cornerstone Scholarship would be available to students from certain families with annual income of less than $125,000 who might not currently qualify for need-based grants. The grants would be worth up to $2,000 for first- and second-year students and up to $1,000 for third-year students.

During the next three school years, the new scholarships and additional seats for Virginians are expected to cost $15 million. The money will come from income generated by more than $2 billion in reserves U-Va. set aside last year for strategic investments. That reserve fund drew criticism from some state lawmakers who wondered how U-Va. had been able to accumulate so much cash outside of its endowment.

Del. David Albo (R), who graduated in U-Va.s Class of 1984, is sponsoring a bill that would, among other provisions, require U-Va. and most other public universities to enroll at least 75 percent of their students from within Virginia.

My citizens want two things: Affordable tuition and access, Albo said. None of them cares if U-Va. is No. 1 if they cant get in.

U-Va. is not the only school that would be affected. The in-state share is 66 percent at the College of William & Mary, 72.5 percent at Virginia Tech and 74.5 percent at James Madison University, state data show.

Albos bill faces uncertain prospects in the Republican-controlled legislature because public universities wield significant clout in Richmond. Sullivan declined to comment on Albos bill.

Brian Whitson, a William & Mary spokesman, said the highly regarded school in Williamsburg opposes the bill. Out-of-state students bring a diversity of backgrounds, experience and perspective that you expect to find at a national university, Whitson said.
MOSCOW  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called reports that Donald Trump has been compromised by Russian intelligence total nonsense and said allegations were fabricated to undermine the legitimacy of Trumps presidency.

It was the Russian presidents first direct denial of the contents of an uncorroborated dossier written by a former British intelligence agent hired to compile opposition research. The dossier claimed that Trump was compromised by Russian intelligence agents during a 2013 visit to Moscow to hold the Miss Universe pageant.

The people who are ordering this kind of false information, who are now disseminating it against the president-elect of the United States, who fabricate it and use it in a political fight, are worse than prostitutes, Putin told journalists after talks with Moldovan President Igor Dodon in Moscow. They have no moral boundaries.

In a moment of levity, Putin addressed some of the more salacious rumors in the dossier: You know, its difficult for me to imagine that he ran to the hotel to meet with our women of lower social responsibility. Even though theyre the best in the world, of course. But I doubt that Trump went after them.

Putins remarks were just part of a larger indictment on Tuesday of the American establishment and political opponents of Trump as Russia enthusiastically waves farewell to the Obama administration this week and awaits a new U.S. administration that may give the Kremlin greater influence in international affairs.

In a nationally televised news conference on Tuesday morning, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov railed against the messianism and export by the West of post-Christian values that embrace permissiveness, a nod toward the conservative ethos that has found increasing support in the Kremlin.

Once an exporter of democracy, the West now tries to export values that are anathema to society in Russia, Lavrov complained. Under Trump, the Kremlin is hoping the United States will shift to focus more on national affairs than global values.

Lavrov said he was looking forward to cooperating with the incoming administration in the war on terrorism and bringing peace to Syria, and he took a shot at the Obama administration for what he called double standards.

If we hear that in the foreign policy of Donald Trump the main thing will be the fight against terrorism, then we, of course, can only welcome that, since that is exactly the thing that has been lacking with our American partners, Lavrov said.

Lavrov also criticized U.S. spy agencies for what he described as numerous efforts to recruit Russian diplomats and attempts by U.S. diplomats to disguise themselves to conduct reconnaissance in Russian. Lavrovs spokeswoman on Sunday made headlines in Russia when she said U.S. officials had tried to recruit a Russian diplomat who was arrested while trying to procure medicine for a leading Russian politician.

Like Putin, Lavrov brushed aside the racy dossier.

The document was published in full by BuzzFeed this month after reports that Trump and President Obama were briefed on its contents by the intelligence community.

The dossiers claims are separate, however, from an assessment endorsed by all 17 U.S. intelligence agencies that Russian intelligence used electronic hacking to try to swing the presidential election in favor of Trump.

Other major news organizations, including The Washington Post, have had the document for several months but have been unable to verify crucial allegations made by the author.

During the news conference, Putin said Russia did not even know that Trump had political ambitions when he was in Moscow in 2013. What do you think, our intelligence services are chasing after every American billionaire? Of course not! Its total nonsense, Putin said.

Despite criticism, Trump has stood by his calls for a reset in relations with Russia, setting him potentially at odds with cabinet picks who have described Moscow as a global adversary. On Sunday, Trump took aim at outgoing CIA chief John Brennan for saying the president-elect does not fully understand the Russian threat. In a tweet, Trump said current U.S. policies toward Russia could not be much worse.

Referring to Syria, where Russia has been backing the regime of Bashar al-Assad against rebels, including moderate groups supported by the United States, Lavrov said Moscow hoped that Trumps administration will not apply double standards to use the war on terrorism to achieve goals that dont have anything to do with this goal.

Asked to comment on reports that the Trump campaign was seeking a summit in Reykjavik, where Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev held nuclear talks in 1986, Lavrov said the report was untrue and that any arrangements would be made after Trump was inaugurated as president.



The Posts Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report
The clock is ticking and only a few days remain to send in your entries for the first edition of DIGIXX Awards. Initiated by Adgully in association with ad:tech, DIGIXX Awards will premiere at the ad:tech conference in New Delhi on March 9 and 10, 2017. The Awards will be judged by an independent panel of extremely acclaimed leaders from the advertising and marketing ecosystem.

Part of the esteemed Jury panel is Babita Baruah, who was recently entrusted with independent charge of JWTs business unit  Power of One (PO1)  that handles a large number of PepsiCos flagship brands. Baruah, who has been with JWT for 20 years, has an extensive portfolio  Unilever brands, Godrej brands, Kotak brands, Aditya Birla Capital, Kingfisher Airlines, Diageo, Kelloggs, Wills, Bata, Emami, World Gold Council, De Beers, and Nokia.

Baruah is actively engaged in mentoring students and women at work, speaking in industry forums, and is part of JWTs Worldwide Diversity Council.

Commenting on DIGIXX Awards 2017, Baruah said, Digital is growing exponentially. It calls for a mindset change, for unlearning, for re-skilling. It means confidence, experimentation, inventive thinking and creativity. Recognising good work in digital will be extremely encouraging for brands and teams. I look forward to DIGIXX 2017.

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.
Motivator, a media agency from GroupM, has launched the first phase of the Mangaaoo Dil Se digital campaign for food-tech startup Mangaaoo. The foodtastic campaign is aimed towards highlighting the sentiments behind food, and how Mangaaoo understands them better than anybody else.

Mangaaoo is a foodtech startup known for its Dil Se recommendations, long distance delivery guarantee, and state-of-the-art ordering app. The company has rolled out the primary phase of its first campaign, as they tap into the sensibilities of the young urban consumer who leads a fast-paced life. The Mangaaoo app has been built keeping in mind the core target group. With over 500 restaurant partners across Mumbai, it carries a comprehensive list of recommendations and food guides. Essentially, Mangaaoo is the service that everybody needs as they offer long distance, specialty food deliveries.

The first phase of the campaign highlights the individual features and services that the app has to offer. The most interesting aspect of this campaign phase is its title Mangaaoo Dil Se, which means order from the heart. The title indicates that users should have the libertyto order the food that they genuinely love, irrespective of the distance or their location. The first phase of the campaign has created noise across digital media, leading to over 50,000 installs of the app and close to 10 per cent transactions of the installs since the launch of the app.

Commenting on the success of the campaigns first phase, Mr. AkashShetty, CEO &Founder of Mangaaoo, said, It is exciting to see that our brand is getting quick recognition in an extremely cluttered digital space, and we would like to thankthe entire Motivator team for a splendid first phase. The idea Dil Se crafted by our Brand Mentor &Strategic Advisor MrParag More highlighted the real sentiment behind food as an experience was an interesting take, and it instantly struck the right chord with the target group.

Speaking about the campaign Parag More, Brand Mentor & Strategic Advisor of Mangaaoo said, The Ideais to create Mangaaoo Dil Se a food anthem of India. The objective to shed light on the most important aspect about the food experience has been brought out effectively by Motivator through their innovative campaign. The idea has been received well by our consumers. We couldnt have asked for a better start, and we look forward to a much bigger response to our second phase.

Commenting on the success of the first phase of the campaign, Trishul Bhumkar, General Manager, Motivator West said, In continuation of our approach to work with entrepreneurs in nascent stages, we have partnered with Mangaaoo.Mangaaoo solves a unique problem for food lovers and that fuels the traction. Being a new brand in the food tech was not an impediment but a fresh offering. Backed with close collaboration with our specialist performance and technology units the current initiative has already surpassed the success measures. We intend to deploy deeperconsumer insights married with data & technology in the 2nd stage of the campaign.
Social Samosa, Indias leading news aggregator on social and digital media industry, is coming up with the first edition of Best Social Media Brand Awards.

Conceptualized with the thought of promoting best practices benchmarking in the industry, #BestSoMeBrands will facilitate a platform to adjudge a brands performance amongst peers on a relative scale.

Brands can submit awards across 16 categories which include Automobile, Cement, B2B, Beauty, BFSI, eCommerce, Education, FMCG, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Media, Real Estate, Retail, Tourism & Hospitality, Technology, and Telecom categories.

The Jury Panel which is headed by Ashish Bhasin - Chairman & CEO South Asia Dentsu Aegis Network, Chairman Posterscope and MKTG Asia Pacific includes Ambi Parameswaran - Founder  Brand-Building.com & Author of Nawabs Nudes Noodles; Roshan Abbas - Managing Director at Geometry Global Encompass Network; Karl Gomes - Chief Fanatic - Fanatics; Manish Bhatt - Founder & Director at Scarecrow Communications; Carlton DSilva - CEO & CCO at Hungama Digital Services; Lata Subramanian - Brand Curator and Author of A Dance with the Corporate Ton: Reflections of a Worker Ant; Delna Avari - a brand Consultant and Mentor and Dheeraj Sinha - Chief Strategy Officer(South Asia) - Leo Burnett; Ranjini Ramachandran - Client Development Director  Unmetric and Pradyuman Maheshwari  Editor-in-Chief and CEO, MXMIndia. They will be judging the entries based on pre-decided parameters through careful dissection and examination.

Speaking on the same, Hitesh Rajwani, Head-Social Samosa said, The Indian social media industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the past five years. Hence to cherish this diligence, we have initiated the Best Social Media Brand Awards. Looking back at the growth of this medium involving real-time conversations and live feeds of things that happen around us, we can safely infer that Brands have played a major role in the making of this industry.

Their faith and confidence in the concepts of content marketing, influencer marketing, social media advertising, the resolve to engage and converse with new audiences every day and the will to experiment with innovative ways and means to hit the sweet spot drive the ecosystem. In fact, a myriad of agencies, plethora of platforms and publications thrive on the existence of brands in the social media sphere, simply put "Brands are the true evangelists of Social Media". We look forward to acknowledge and spot the best performing brands in the space and we will continue to do so in the coming years, he further added.

Jury Chair and Chairman & CEO South Asia Dentsu Aegis Network, Chairman Posterscope and MKTG Asia Pacific, Ashish Bhasin said, I think with growing importance of digital as medium, its time it got its due and spotlight and so events like Best Social Media Brands are extremely important. It helps digital practitioners showcase their work better.

He further added, As the Jury Chair, I'm hoping to see some really good and innovative work, out of the box, because this is one medium which sends itself to effective creativity like no other medium can.

Social Samosa has partnered with Unmetric to power the Best Social Media Brands Index and Treize Communications for media outreach.

Brands can submit their entries using #BestSoMeBrands till January 22nd, 2017.
General Secretariat of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications; General Secretariat DETEC

Bern, 17.01.2017 - Doris Leuthard, President of the Swiss Confederation, Davos, 17.01.2017

(Check against delivery)

Professor Schwab

Mr President

Excellencies

Ladies and Gentlemen

Mr President, I warmly welcome you to Switzerland and to Davos for this years Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum.

Professor Schwab, it is an honour for Switzerland to be the host country of this event. Year after year, the WEF Annual Meeting offers a stage for world leaders in business and politics to exchange views and  if all goes well  work together toward the greater good of the world.

The past year has shown us that the world is undergoing a period of fundamental change. Extremism, violence and conflict draw ever closer to regions previously regarded as safe. The European Union, stable for so long, now has its work cut out. In many regions of the world, nationalism and protectionism are gaining the upper hand. I observe these developments with concern, for they challenge the cohesion of the international community and make multilateral relations more difficult, both in economic and political terms.

None of these problems is easy to solve. Taken together, they mean that the world risks becoming an increasingly fragile entity. Uncertainty is rife. People are seeking security in smaller structures. And the future will bring additional challenges:

The economic environment is changing: the combination of debt, low interest rates and weak central banks is an explosive new phenomenon. In many countries, this combination has reached alarming proportions. This has made it difficult to make urgently needed investments, to guarantee stability and to lay the foundations for growth and prosperity.

Climate change has made environmental issues more important: the Paris Agreement has come into force, providing a sound basis for sensible energy, climate and environmental policies. China is on track and is therefore a model for other countries. Yet what approach will other countries, above all the United States, take to implementation?

Education is the key to the future: currently over 200 million people worldwide are unemployed, and over 70 million of them are under the age of 25. This brings feelings of despair and frustration. If the younger generation is to prosper, we must invest in their education and training.

And the rich grow ever richer: over 500 million people are now regarded as rich. In emerging countries, the middle classes have grown. Yet in the southern states of the Eurozone and in the USA, the middle class is getting poorer. Globally, more than 1.2 billion people live on less than 1.25 dollars a day. We must find strategies to prevent the deep divide between rich and poor from growing and putting more pressure on social harmony.

We are well aware of all these problems. Yet we have failed to solve them. What is new is that digitalisation, as a fourth industrial revolution, will place the world on a completely new footing. We must not allow new classes of winners and losers to appear: an elite that benefits, leaving many at a disadvantage, feeling the world has passed them by. That is not the way forward. Digitalisation must be democratised  just as knowledge was democratised by the printing press.

In times of such fundamental change, we need to know what position to take. We need signposts to show us the way and provide us with security and stability. In other words, we need responsive and responsible leadership.

Leadership with the ability to draw the right conclusions and take sensible and responsible decisions.

Leadership in order to implement these decisions in a credible manner, in consultation with ordinary people.

Leadership in order to forge cooperation and alliances, and work constructively with other countries.

Part of this is also the realisation that we have to bid farewell to the concept of one size fits all. We may well live on the same planet, yet many live in their own, often contradictory worlds. So there will never be a single solution that solves every problem, for every country or every person. But there are solutions. At a national level in Switzerland, on a small scale and over a long history, we have found ways for people with different cultures and languages, interests and beliefs to live together peacefully. At an international level, the process surrounding the Paris Climate Agreement has shown us that it is possible:

A global agreement signed up to by 195 states.

An agreement, which takes account of the socio-economic situation of individual countries and leaves them scope to find the appropriate solution.

An agreement that follows the motto of global responsibility, national implementation.

In tomorrows world, there will be ever fewer distinctions between industrialised and developing countries; and fewer distinctions between elites and the people. We all are the people. We all are citizens of this world. We therefore not only need responsible leadership, we also need much more responsible cooperation.

The Paris Agreement can serve as a model in that respect.

Davos can play a part in initiating and influencing this new way of thinking.

Address for enquiries

Communication DETEC, +41 58 462 55 11

Publisher

General Secretariat of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications; General Secretariat DETEC

https://www.uvek.admin.ch/uvek/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.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 16, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev will discuss issues of cooperation between the two states in the sidelined of the Eurasian Economic Union during their meeting on January 24. Armenpress reports, citing the official website of the Russian Government, the meeting of the Heads of the Executives of the two states will take place in Moscow where Karen Karapetyan will visit at Medvedevs invitation.

Issues of Armenian-Russian cooperation in trade and economy, energy, transport, humanitarian, as well as joint investment projects will be on the agenda of the meeting.

Special attention will be paid at the integration cooperation between Armenia and Russia in the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Based on the results of the talks signing of a number of inter-governmental and inter-agency documents aimed at fostering Armenian-Russian cooperation in various spheres is expected.
Judges for high courts: Govt lawyers object to JC recommendations

Government attorneys and officials at the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) have taken serious exception to last weeks Judicial Council (JC) decision of recommending 80 judges for High Courts, saying the constitutional failed to stick to the principle of inclusion and proportion representation as guaranteed by the constitution.
Govt, pvt offices in Bardiya accused of land grabbing

Landless people arent the only ones who have encroached upon public land to build their homes in Bardiya.
International conference on snow leopard kicks off

Forest and Environment Ministers, wild life experts, conservationists and high delegates from 12 countries that host the endangered snow leopard have begun a Management Planning Stocktaking Workshop here from Tuesday.
Fergus Burnett

The Charity Commission has today warned the public against donating to sham animal welfare and migrant appeals run by criminal groups, after a report from The National Fraud Investigation Bureau.

In a warning sent out today, the Charity Commission said that the NFIB has identified two charitable scams aimed at defrauding the British public into giving money, which in some cases is being laundered from the UK to overseas and diverted to support criminal activity.

The first fraud is based on what the regulator called a fake animal welfare charity overseas, whereby criminal groups are using social media platforms to target donors from the UK.

The NFIB also identified a fake Migrant Helpline, which has been sending out a high number of phishing emails to personal and business email addresses purporting to be from Migrant Helpine, and warned that charitable email addresses could also be targeted.

The Charity Commission said that Migrant Helpline is a genuine charity, but that the fraudsters have been using its name to trick members of the public into becoming victims of this fraud, and that the fraud is in no way related to the real charity.

The main email address sending the majority of these fraudulent emails has been identified as [email protected]; however the Commission warned that multiple email addresses have been seen.

Both the NFIB and the Commission have said that the first name, last name and telephone numbers appear to be targeted and correct for those who they are sent to. The email has a link which, if clicked, downloads a virus onto the victims device which is used to target and steal personal and corporate banking details.

Donors told to be 'vigilant' by Commission

The commission has advised donors to be vigilant, and said that genuine charities will print their registration details on all documentation. Donors have also been advised to watch out for poor grammar/spelling in emails and to send your donation to the charity directly.

Carl Mehta, head of investigations and enforcement at the Charity Commission, said: "The British public donate millions of pounds every year to good causes, any attempt to abuse this generosity is reprehensible. Do not be put off donating by these malicious scams, but follow the commissions advice on safer giving."

Both scams were identified in seperate reports issued by the NFIB at the end of last year.
The Scottish Daily Mail has published an investigation claiming that charities are squandering public funding and that tighter rules are needed to prevent charities becoming a "front for a political party".

Members of the Scottish Parliament have backed the Mail's call for tighter legislation to limit lobbying.

Yesterday the Scottish Mail published a six-page investigation into how 3bn of public money is spent by charities in Scotland. It criticises high chief executive pay and says money has been squandered on meaningless projects, some of which are too close to the policies of the Scottish National Party.

Examples of these projects included production of a safer sex phrase book in other languages, activities for members of the gay and transgender communities and projects to promote the Gaelic language.

The investigation also found examples of a charity investing in tobacco companies, at the same time as running an anti-smoking campaign.

A Daily Mail comment piece said: Instead of committed volunteer individuals working for charities struggling against the odds to improve the lot of others, we expose fat-cat bosses on six-figure salaries and with gold-plated pension schemes. And there is a shadowy world of charities that exist only because they are bankrolled by 3bn of taxpayers cash.

It warned of the "corrosive effect" on "charities that still fit with our template of waht charities should be about: reliant on the goodwill of donors and staffed by volunteers".

It also said so-called sock-puppet charities are props for SNP policies and that this is having a corrosive effect on charities that still fit with our template of what charities should be about: reliant on the goodwill of donors and staffed by volunteers.

It praised the Westminster government for introducing tighter rules around lobbying in new grant agreements and asked: Why has no such prohibition been enforced here?

The Mail said that its investigation has uncovered an "impression of a charity sector grown bloated on public subsidy". It said it is "time for a proper debate about charities' funding and their role".

Conservative MSP: charities open to allegations of corruption

In a comment piece published alongside the Mails investigation Annie Wells, an MSP and Scottish Conservative Party spokesman for equalities, also said it was time for a debate over how much public funding charities get and called for stricter rules for charities lobbying.

In England, publicly funded organisations will be banned from attempting to persuade and win the favour of decision-makers in the House of Commons," she wrote.

So far, the SNP has rejected a similar move, which leaves Scotland open to allegations of corruption  particularly if links are drawn between an organisation dependent on government funding which is also winning the ear of senior and influential ministers.

She also described the Scottish charity regulator, OSCR, as toothless and secretive and said it was slow to act over a fundraising campaign which made a loss.

'A fine example of fake news creation'

A number of the charities mentioned in the article by the Scottish Daily Mail have issued statements in response to the article, with SCVO chief executive Martin Sime calling the piece a fine example of fake news creation.

In a statement issued yesterday, Sime said: In a fine example of fake news creation SCVO was today singled out along with some other Scottish charities merely for doing the work we are here to do.

Amid such desperate grasping for a news angle, we discovered that millions of pounds is spent on delivering charitable services in Scotland.

And that was it  nothing that cant be learnt by having a quick glance at the openly available annual accounts of the charities mentioned.

Sime also said that the SCVO would never let bullying and hate stop our work.

The full version of SCVOs response is available to read here.

A spokesman from OSCR, the Scottish charities regulator, said: In our experience, the majority of charities that operate in Scotland have good governance. We want to reassure the public that the regulatory work we do with all Scottish charities makes donations safer.

We have always been clear that charity trustees, who are ultimately responsible for their charities, must make sure that they are making decisions on expenditure and salaries properly. If anyone does have a concern about a Scottish charity, they can raise it with us using our online form.

A spokeswoman for Community Safety Glasgow, whose chief executive, Phil Walker was named by the Scottish Daily Mail as one of the highest-paid charity chiefs in Scotland, defended Walkers salary: Mr Walker is the managing director of a sizeable service provider within the Glasgow City Council family. His salary is commensurate with the role and remit of his post.

She also said the 9.1m pension fund figure cited in the article was inaccurate, and stressed that CSG does not own or lease a yacht, nor does it have access to one.

A spokesman for Victim Support Scotland, another of the charities named in the article, said it doesnt provide counselling services as stated in the Scottish Daily Mail and said the organisation takes data protection and privacy extremely seriously.

Of the other named charities who have responded to Civil Society News request for a comment, a Project Scotland spokesman said the organisation was happy for the SCVO comment to speak for it.

Additional reporting by Hugh Radojev




King Day and volunteerism

Values espoused by the civil rights leader instill a spirit of service from which a developing nation like Nepal can benefit immensely
Evolving technologies should develop at a steady enough pace to adequately replace the jobs they eliminate, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff told CNBC on Tuesday.

"Technology's always taken jobs out of the system, and what you hope is that technology's going to put those jobs back in, too. That's what we call productivity," Benioff said on "Squawk Box" at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.



"I think a lot of people don't understand how deep AI already is in so many things," he said, one being Salesforce's newly updated Einstein product, which Benioff said is not yet available to clients but can tell the company whether it will make or miss earnings estimates using artificial intelligence.



What business leaders at the WEF have been calling the "Fourth Industrial Revolution" is at the center of a global transformation in the technology space, as artificial intelligence, robotics and cloud computing gain traction, he said.



"What you hope is that the technology doesn't outpace the system so that it starts to strip the jobs away, and that's the fear of artificial intelligence," Benioff said.

But fear won't stop AI's inevitable foray into what's considered normal for businesses and consumers alike, Benioff said.

Looking forward, Benioff sees the struggle between developing technology and its economic contribution is how we control it.



"Now the question really is, with all of this new technology, how do we get growth?" he asked. "But that growth has to be balanced against trust, because when you have all this new technology, I think that the big question that's getting asked here is can we trust it?"
ITV plc, an integrated producer broadcaster, creates, owns, and distributes content on various platforms worldwide. It operates through Media & Entertainment, and ITV Studios segments. The Media & Entertainment segment broadcasts various contents on its family of free-to-air channels, including ITV, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, ITVBe, ITV Encore, CITV, ITV Breakfast, CITV Breakfast, and various related +1 and HD equivalents; and offers television advertising services. It also delivers content through linear television broadcasting, as well as on the ITV Hub, catch up services on pay platforms, and through direct content deals. In addition, this segment offers online advertising, HD digital channel on pay platform, and ITV Choice subscription services, as well as licenses DTT Multiplex A. The ITV Studios segment creates and produces programs and formats that include drama, entertainment, and factual entertainment for its own channels and other broadcasters. It also operates as an unscripted independent producer of content in the United States; and produces content for local broadcasters and international OTT platforms in Australia, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. In addition, this segment engages in formats and distribution ITV's finished programmes, and formats and third-party content internationally, as well as finances productions. The company also engages in the development of platform, broadband, transactional, and mobile services; operation of digital television channels; operation of Freeview Multiplex A; rights ownership and distribution of television programs and films; and scheduling and commissioning of television programs. ITV plc was founded in 1955 is based in London, the United Kingdom.
Costa Asia has announced the successful return of Chinas first cruise to the South Pacific Islands.

The Costa Atlantica set sail on this 46-day voyage from Tianjin International Cruise Terminal on November 30, 2016, taking more than 2,000 passengers across two continents, visiting 12 islands in nine countries.

In line with Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative, Costa Asia has put in tremendous effort, together with Caissa Touristic, to design this new itinerary, stated Buhdy Bok, president of Costa Group Asia. After the success of the World Cruise in 2015 and this 46-day cruise to the South Pacific, we will keep providing our esteemed Chinese guests with the most creative and high-quality cruise products.

The voyage saw enhanced cooperation between China and South Pacific island countries in tourism exchanges, cultural communication and shared economic growth.

This was seen on calls to Vanuatu, Tonga, French Polynesia, American Samoa, New Caledonia, and Papua New Guinea, where passengers were welcomed with the highest honors by local governments and citizens. Heads of state and government officials explored Costa Altantica and exchanged gifts with Captain Nicolo Alba to express friendship, said Costa, in a prepared statement.

The Costa Atlantica will continue providing offers to more Chinese guests, now homeporting from Tianjian and then Shanghai starting in March.
Shakya is the founder CEO of beed, an international management consulting and advisory firm. He is the author of Unleashing Nepal and Unleashing The Vajra.
Director Cordray of the CFPB has become that guy who stays at the party long after everyone else has left. It is time for him to go. There is no great principle at stake here, other than the right of a president to have oversight over the direction of regulatory policy.

Love him or hate him, Donald Trump, who opposes much of what the CFPB stands for, was elected President by the American people. Nostrovia! The constitution gives the President the right to exercise executive authority, which includes appointing, albeit with the consent of the senate, his key lieutenants. Nevertheless, Director Cordray has given every indication that he will be fighting to stay on through the end of his term in 2018. This is not a noble act of principle but of misguided hubris; it will actually do more to harm the CFPB than enhance it.

First, there is the legal argument. The CFPB is an independent agency, but whereas most such agencies are overseen by a board, the Bureau That Never Sleeps is overseen by one man with a six year term. As a result, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is correct when it describes the CFPB director as the second most powerful person in America. It is precisely because the position holds unprecedented power that the Court also ruled that the CFPB director must serve at the pleasure of the President in order for the CFPB to be constitutional. In contrast, under the existing statute the director can only be removed for cause.

Director Cordray could fight to appeal this ruling and for him to finish his term but what would he accomplish by doing so? His refusal to leave is the best example I can think of for why, as structured, the CFPB, may very well be unconstitutional. After all what part of the constitution gives an unelected individual the right to exercise unchecked power over almost every consumer protection law in the country in open defiance of the elected-president?

Lets assume. For the sake of argument, that the director is correct and that he has every right to stay for all six years. He can still be removed for cause. He seems like one of the most honest people in Washington but that wont keep him from being pilloried in an attempt to dredge up enough nonsense to provide a legal pretext for firing him. We are already hearing about his alleged misdeeds. And the legality of any enforcement actions taken by the Bureau or regulations it promulgates after January 20th will be tied up in court for years.

In short, if he fights to stay as director he will accomplish nothing of substance, underscore the constitutionally suspect scope of his authority and be dragged through the mud by legislative inquisitors. But if he steps aside he has a record of achievements that will appeal to the populist electoral base of his native Ohio where he is expected to once again seek public office. He will also be in a better position to defend the bureau from its critics then he will be if he insists on being a virtual captive to his office.

Its time to turn out the lights. The partys over.
Cuban Telecom Etecsa Starts Home Internet Trial

The Cuban government has announced a two-month trial scheme to allow internet access in private homes.

State-run telecommunications company Etecsa will install Internet in some 2,000 homes in the capital's colonial district, Old Havana. The company has also reduced by 25% the fee charged to connect to the Web, which most Cubans can only access from public Wi-FI hotspots.

Cuba has one of the lowest online connectivity rates in the world.

Many Cubans hope the country's communist government will eventually expand the scheme. Although details are scarce, the authorities say the experiment will be extended if it is approved after the two-month trial period.

Obsolete Infrastructure

Etecsa has signed an agreement with Google to provide faster access to content including Gmail and YouTube. Google will install local servers that will speed up connection to its services. Much of the island's Internet infrastructure is obsolete.

Google and Etecsa reached agreement in the final weeks of Barack Obama's presidency, but it is not clear whether his successor, Donald Trump, will change US policies towards Cuba.

BBC: Mass Surveillance: Cuba Filters Text Messages:
Business mogul. Reality TV star. Political provocateur. President of the United States of America.



Donald Trumps unorthodox journey to the White House isnt the only reason his Electoral College victory in Novembers election sent shockwaves around the world. His outsider campaign shattered political norms, defied establishment expectations and threatened to upend longstanding tenants of both foreign and domestic policy. In the process, Trumps words and actions have struck deep, oft-unsettling nerves in American public life: issues of race, gender, economic fairness, even fundamental tenets of democracy itself.



Trump will take the oath of office at Fridays inauguration ceremony just like he conducted most of his campaign: against a backdrop of swirling controversies. Alleged ties to Russia, Twitter fights with civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis, debate over Republican plans to rescind President Obamas health-care legislation, the lowest approval rating of any incoming president in modern history... is this a taste of what the next four years might have in store?



On Wednesday night, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences put together two all-star panels of experts from across the university and beyond  spanning fields like political science, journalism, business and history  to consider the implications of a Trump presidency. Organized by Frank Harvey (dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), and moderated by Sylvain Charlebois (dean, Faculty of Management) and Camille Cameron (dean, Schulich School of Law), President Trump: Now What? explored topics such as immigration, class, race, journalism, global security, Canada-U.S. relations and more.



Ahead of the event, we invited panelists to share with our readers their thoughts on Trumps election and what may lie ahead for America and the world under his presidency. Here's what some of them had to say:



Brian Bow

Associate Professor, Political Science; Director, Centre for the Study of Security and Development  Dalhousie University

Studies Canada-U.S. relations, U.S. foreign policy



Trumpism is an outgrowth of Americans doubts about their ability to exercise global leadership, and about the benefits they derive as part of the liberal international order the US built after WWII. There are parallels with Nixon administration, which also sought to break  or at least renegotiate  the bargain underpinning the global order. But whereas Nixon had some success in shifting burdens to other states, but maintaining American leadership, Trump will probably only succeed in pulling back, diminishing US stature and influence, with no offsetting benefits. This will make the US weaker, and the world less stable.



Mary Brooks



Professor Emerita, Faculty of Management  Dalhousie University

Currently chair of the Marine Board of the US National Academies and member of the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board



In 1994 I investigated the impact of NAFTA on Canadian transportation companies and identified that the Canada US Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement had failed to address North Americas transportation network challenges. Transportation is the life-blood of trade; without secure, seamless and well-maintained transportation networks, trade fails to deliver economic prosperity. In 2008, I consolidated 14 years worth of research into a book on freight transportation security and prosperity in North America. My insights were freshened last week during Transportation Research Board meetings in Washington. I expect to update the audience on what will happen to transportation networks in North America under the Trump administration.



Sarah-Jane Corke

Assistant Professor, History  Dalhousie University

Teaches 20th-century U.S. foreign relations; specializes in history of the CIA



Although the relationship between the intelligence community and Trump is a very hot topic right now I think it is symptomatic of the larger issues surrounding the Trump presidency. Trump has upended the traditional values that have defined American political-culture since 1945. We are entering a dangerous new time.



Edna Keeble

Professor, Political Science  Saint Marys University (Dal alum: MA86, PhD94)

Teaching and research interests centre on Canadian foreign policy, re-definitions of security, and linkages between politics, gender and sexuality

I think that a Trump presidency has already served as a wake-up call to those who hold a progressive view that the West has been moving forward to ending injustices. A decade ago, British sexuality studies scholar Jeffrey Weeks published The World We Have Won (London: Routledge, 2007), the title of which signalled progressive optimism, if not complacency. Evident in the protests against Trumps inauguration, including the Womens March on Washington on January 21, 2017, individuals and groups are organizing, not agonizing against a president who legally won due to the Electoral College, but (as African-American Rep. John Lewis stated) is illegitimate.



Ajay Parasram



Lecturer, International Development Studies/History  Dalhousie University

Researches decolonization and public, political engagement



A Trump presidency extends the feeling of everyday precariousness lived by people of colour and women to everyone. In this way, his election is an opportunity for the public to witness the extension of deeply entrenched white and male privilege to the most powerful office on Earth. Conversely, his election enables an opportunity for political consciousness raising. My argument on Wednesday will be that we can and must counter the further normalization of misogyny and racism by understanding how these organizing principles are already normal, and then counter this process by actively normalizing public conversations about systemic white supremacy.



Isaac Saney

Assistant Professor, History; Director, Transition Year Program  Dalhousie University

Teaches African Nova Scotia history and researches history and politics of Cuba



My scholarly work and other activities connect with a Trump presidency in several ways. Im interested in Black history in the Americas: what will a Trump presidency mean for race relations and the struggle against racism? My academic work centres on Cuba, and I am also the co-chair and national spokesperson for the Canadian Network On Cuba: will a Trump Presidency reverse Obama's Cuba policy and, therefore, return to the policy of open overt hostility? And I am very active in the anti-war movement, and key question is what a Trump presidency will mean for world peace, international law and international organizations (especially the UN).



Kelly Toughill

Associate Professor of Journalism  University of King's College

Award-winning journalist and director of King's School of Journalism



Is Donald Trump the saviour of journalism, or the end of journalism? One can use the election and its aftermath to argue either point. Subscriptions at legacy media organizations like the New York Times and the Atlantic rose in the wake of his campaign and election; many argue that the elevation of a chronic liar to president has reinvigorated the mission of journalism. On the other hand, there is credible research showing that totally fabricated stories generated more interest and engagement during the election than real news. Certainly the role of journalism has changed dramatically this year. The gatekeeping and watchdog functions of journalism have ceded to a new role: defining reality.



View the full list of panelists from Wednesdays event.
The antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV infection might inadvertently be boosting gay/bisexual men's susceptibility to the bacteria responsible for syphilis, Treponema pallidum, conclude researchers in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.

This might explain why new and repeat cases in these groups have risen so sharply compared with other sexually transmitted infections over the past decade, they suggest.

The availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of HIV infection has meant that HIV is no longer the automatic death sentence that it once was. The absence of the fear factor is thought to have prompted higher rates of sexually transmitted infections as a result of risky, unprotected sex.

But it's not clear why rates of syphilis among gay/bisexual men should be so much higher than those of chlamydia or gonorrhoea, especially as HAART boosts immune system activity, and so would be expected to lower susceptibility to infections, say the Canadian and South African researchers.

They therefore reviewed the available evidence on the impact of HAART on behavioural and immune system change to come up with a numerical analysis to explore which might affect the prevalence of the infection the most. They used two risk 'models' to test the likelihood of syphilis infection: one (lower risk) which compared HAART with no treatment in an HIV positive partner; and the other (higher risk) which compared existing infection with no infection in a partner who was either HIV negative or positive.

Behaviour change was taken to mean that HAART would result in more sexual partners; and immune system changes were taken to mean that HAART would boost susceptibility to Treponema pallidum.

The calculations showed that either factor could produce outbreaks of syphilis that would be substantially higher than expected, but that both factors combined produced a peak in the number of infections that was greater than that associated with either factor alone--and equivalent to the sorts of figures seen in the current outbreak.

This suggests that there's an interplay between behavioural change and immune system changes, say the researchers, who offer a possible explanation for a biological effect on the immune system.

The body's clearance of T pallidum relies on an increase in the number of an immune system cell called a T cell and a cascade of chemicals that stimulate an inflammatory response. HAART dampens down these activities. Clearance of chlamydia and gonorrhoea is less reliant on these processes, say the researchers.

The researchers also refer to other relevant associations, such as the increased risk of certain types of cancer that have been linked to HAART.

"Overall, these findings suggest a possible link between HAART and an increased risk for selected diseases of infectious and non-infectious origin, a potential unforeseen consequence that warrants further study," they write.

In a linked editorial, Drs Susan Tuddenham, Maunank Shah, and Khalil Ghanem from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, caution that the rise in syphilis cases may simply reflect inadequate screening for chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

They also point to previous outbreaks of syphilis in straight men and women in the 1980s and 1990s before the advent of HAART.

Similarly, they suggest that the calculations used by the researchers don't take account of the complexities of sexual relationships, such as relationship length or the number of concurrent partners, or decreased use of condoms in long term relationships, all of which might influence infection risk.

But despite these caveats, they describe the researchers' hypothesis as "intriguing," and one that "warrants careful consideration."

They continue: "We are living in an era where [antiretroviral therapy] is being used to effectively treat and prevent HIV infection. To some extent this seems to have tempered the urgency to control other [sexually transmitted infections]. As history has shown many times over, that would be a costly mistake."

And they conclude: "Over the past 15 years, syphilis rates among [men who have sex with men] have been rising unabated. We are not aware of any recent intervention that has led to a sustained decline in [these rates] in this population.

"If further investigations support a role for [antiretroviral therapy] in increasing susceptibility to syphilis, this will provide one more reason why screening, diagnosis and treatment of [sexually transmitted infections] in [men who have sex with men] must be prioritised."

###

Research: A double edged sword: does highly active antiretroviral therapy contribute to syphilis incidence by impairing immunity to Treponema pallidum? http://sti.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/sextrans-2016-052870

Editorial: Syphilis and HIV: is HAART at the heart of this epidemic? http://sti.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/sextrans-2016-052940

About the journal

Sexually Transmitted Infections is one of 60 specialist journals published by BMJ. The title is an official journal of the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) and the Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine (AChSHM). http://sti.bmj.com
In a UK study of 5,320 women, 3% were found to have an active eating disorder in mid-life, a figure higher than expected as eating disorders are primarily associated with adolescence or early adulthood. The research was published in the open access journal BMC Medicine.

This is the first time the prevalence of eating disorders has been investigated in a population sample of women in the fourth and fifth decade of life and the researchers were surprised to find that eating disorders affected a significant amount of women aged 40-50 years. Around 15.3% of women in the study reported having an eating disorder at some point in their life and 3.6% reported an eating disorder in the past 12 months. Less than 30% of women who had eating disorders said they had sought help or received treatment.

Dr. Nadia Micali, lead author from the Department of Psychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and University College London, London said: "Our study shows that eating disorders are not just confined to earlier decades of life, and that both chronic and new onset disorders are apparent in mid-life. Many of the women who took part in this study told us this was the first time they had ever spoken about their eating difficulties, so we need to understand why many women did not seek help. It may be that there are some barriers women perceive in healthcare access or a lack of awareness among healthcare professionals."

The researchers also assessed factors that may be associated with the onset of an eating disorder including childhood happiness; parental divorce or separation; life events; relationship with parents; and sexual abuse.

Dr. Micali explained: "The early risk factors we assessed were associated with different eating disorders. Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and purging disorder were all associated with childhood unhappiness, and parental separation or divorce during childhood seemed to increase the risk of bulimia, binge eating disorder and atypical anorexia. We also found that death of a carer could increase the likelihood of purging disorder and that sexual abuse during childhood, or a fear of social rejection, was associated with all eating disorders."

In this study a woman's risk of suffering from anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, two of the most common eating disorders in the UK, was increased by 4-10% per unit score of 'unhappiness' if they reported being unhappy during childhood. Higher interpersonal sensitivity - the ability to accurately assess others' feelings - was associated with an increased risk of binge eating by 19% per unit score of 'sensitivity'. A good mother-daughter relationship was associated with a 20% reduced chance of developing bulimia.

The study used data from the Women from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort to assess how many women have or had an eating disorder at some point in their life. Women selected for the study were asked to complete a questionnaire where each eating disorder they had experienced in their life was recorded. Women who reported having ever had any symptoms of eating disorders, and an equal number of women who reported never having symptoms, were interviewed using standardized diagnostic interviews. Women who reported experiencing any eating disorder were asked if they had ever sought and/or received treatment for these.

This study was observational and longitudinal, so it can increase our understanding of possible links between early risk factors and eating disorders, but it cannot show cause and effect.

The data in this study covers the last 40 years and might reflect the past rather than the current lack of clinical awareness of eating disorders in the UK. The sample may also be limited as the cohort was made up of women who were pregnant at a specific point in time and from a defined region of the UK. Further studies are needed to better characterize eating disorders in mid-life and determine the different impact of the various risk factors that lead to mid-life eating disorders compared to those that occur earlier in life.

###

Media Contact

Alanna Orpen

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BioMed Central

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Notes to Editors

1. Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of eating disorders amongst women in mid-life: a population-based study of diagnoses and risk factors

Nadia Micali, Maria Martini, Jennifer Thomas et al.

BMC Medicine 2017

During the embargo, please contact Alanna Orpen for a copy of the study.

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Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the web, please link to the article. All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central's open access policy.

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Montreal, January 17, 2018 -- With winter upon us in full force, outdoor temperatures are plummeting. But inside an intense tornado, it's always chilly -- no matter the time of year. A new study from Concordia proves why that's the case.

In an article forthcoming in the Journal of Aircraftof the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, mechanical engineering professor Georgios Vatistas looks into the case of a violent tornado that touched down in 1955 in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

During the storm, three broadcasters from the mobile unit of a local radio station were reporting live on the scene and had to take shelter in the basement of a stone building. There, as the tornado's funnel passed overhead, they reported strange climatic changes. The temperature dropped from a mid-summer average, down to chilly, until the broadcasters were actually cold. They also found it difficult to breathe.

For 61 years, the cause of these phenomena remained unexplained. Enter Vatistas -- a leading expert on the topic -- who was able to formulate an analytical approach that allowed him to construct a new mathematical model of a turbulent compressible vortex.

To do this, he expanded on his previous theoretical developments on vortices to include the effects of turbulence and density variation.

"Using this new advanced approach, we were able to identify the cause of the temperature drop inside vortices for the first time ever," says Vatistas, who conducted the study with recent Concordia master's students Badwal Gurpreet Singh (MASc 14) and Rahul Rampal (MASc 14).

"As air pockets move from the outer periphery of the vortex toward its centre, the pockets expand, thereby bringing the temperature and density down."

In the case of Scottsbluff, Vatistas and his team found that the temperature inside the tornado would have dropped from a comfortably warm background temperature of 27o C to a chilly 12o C. And at the tornado's centre, the researchers estimated the air density would have been 20 per cent lower than what's found at high altitudes.

"That's what's known as the 'death zone,' at 8,000 metres in altitude, beyond which mountaineers should not climb without breathing assistance gear," Vatistas explains.

That's why the reporters in Scottsbluff reported feeling deprived of oxygen. Luckily, the tornado passed quickly, and they avoided asphyxiation.

"It's my hope that this important finding will help researchers better understand the many mysterious manifestations associated with violent atmospheric vortices like tornados and waterspouts."

The study will also help engineers improve the operation of refrigeration vortex tubes, which are often used in the cooling of cutting tools during machining, various electronic components, hot melts, gas samples and heat seals.

###

Related links:

Cited study

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Georgios Vatistas

Media contact:

Clea Desjardins

Senior advisor, media relations

University Communications Services

Concordia University

Phone: 514-848-2424, ext. 5068

Email: clea.desjardins@concordia.ca

Web: http://www.concordia.ca/now/media-relations

Twitter: @CleaDesjardins
Emissions of methane--a potent climate-warming gas--may be roughly twice as high as officially estimated for the San Francisco Bay Area. Most of the emissions come from biological sources, such as landfills, but natural gas leakage is also an important source, according to a new study from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).

The report by researchers Seongeun Jeong and Marc Fischer is the first to quantify the relative contributions of various sources to methane emissions. Their paper, "Estimating methane emissions from biological and fossil-fuel sources in the San Francisco Bay Area," was recently published online in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. They worked with collaborators at UC Irvine, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), Sandia National Laboratories, and San Jose State University.

"This study, along with a few others we've published recently, quantifies greenhouse gas emissions from multiple source sectors in a way that will both enable evaluation of AB32 (the California Global Warming Solutions Act) and help guide efforts to mitigate emissions in the future," Fischer said.

Their study found methane emissions are about 1.8 times what the BAAQMD has estimated. In statistical parlance, their results had a 95 percent confidence level that methane emissions are 1.3 to 2.3 times the inventory. They further found that about 82 percent is from biological sources--most likely from landfills--and 17 percent from fossil fuel sources. Their results were obtained by combining measurements of air samples from six towers in and around the Bay Area with calculations based on atmospheric transport models.

The research was funded by the California Energy Commission's Natural Gas Research Program. "Quantifying and reducing methane levels is an important tool to California reaching its greenhouse gas reduction goals," said Robert Weisenmiller, chair of the California Energy Commission.

Methane is a short-lived greenhouse gas that traps about 83 times more heat than carbon dioxide per unit mass when averaged over a 20-year timescale. It stays in the atmosphere for about 10 years, whereas carbon dioxide may stay in the atmosphere for more than 100 years. The primary man-made sources of methane are fossil fuels (natural gas and petroleum), livestock, landfills, and wastewater. There are also natural sources, such as wetlands.

At the statewide scale, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) estimates that the majority of California's methane emissions occur in the Central Valley. However, the authors note that "increasing evidence suggests that California's large metropolitan regions constitute another important component of the state's anthropogenic methane budget ... [and] that identifying methane emission sources is important at the sub-regional or city scale for mitigation planning."

Natural gas leakage and landfills main culprits in Bay Area

The nine-county San Francisco Bay Area accounts for about 10 percent of the state's methane emissions. "We wanted to know the emissions contribution from urban natural gas infrastructure, so we picked the Bay Area because it doesn't have significant petroleum production," said Jeong.

To differentiate and quantify the sources of the methane emissions, Fischer and Jeong measured levels of several different volatile organic compounds. "We used measurements of light alkanes--specifically ethane, pentane, and an aromatic called toluene--to estimate in a quantitative fashion how much fossil methane was being emitted, because biological sources do not emit any appreciable ethane or pentane or toluene," Fischer said. "By using several different tracers, we're able to say how much of the methane emissions are due to natural gas, and how much is petroleum."

Natural gas may be leaking anywhere along the transmission and distribution network, from pipes and fittings to the gas meter at your home or business. The Berkeley Lab study found that total methane emissions due to natural gas are between 0.3 and 0.5 percent of total natural gas consumption in the Bay Area.

"That's lower than what was estimated for the South Coast Air Basin?though the emissions in Los Angeles are highly uncertain due to the presence of other sources?and enormously lower than work that was done in Boston, which is a much older city," Jeong said.

For the biological sources, landfills are the main source since the Bay Area has very little livestock. "You have millions of people disposing of organic matter, and landfills are not perfectly mitigated," Fischer said.

The good news is that this finding underscores the significance of building methane recovery systems to generate electricity. "This has an important implication for the adoption of landfill methane as a non-fossil energy resource," Fischer noted.

Consistent with previous studies

This new Bay Area study is consistent with previous analyses by Fischer and Jeong, including an extensive study published last November in the Journal of Geophysical Research on the state's methane emissions that now forms the basis for CARB's official assessment.

They also contributed to two other recent papers on methane, one that used air samples gathered by aircraft instead of from a tower and which had consistent results, and another that used a bottom-up approach to predict the spatial distribution of methane emissions for the continental United States.

California's climate goals are set out in AB32 and a 2005 Executive Order. The state aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020--a reduction of approximately 30 percent--and then an 80 percent reduction below 1990 levels by 2050. While carbon dioxide is by far the more prevalent climate-warming gas, methane accounts for a nontrivial portion.

"We believe methane is 10 to 15 percent of California's total greenhouse gas emissions on a 100-year timescale," Fischer said. "If we are to reduce total emissions by 80 percent in 2050, we would have a very much harder time doing that if we don't also reduce methane."

###

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov.

DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.
New images taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile have revealed otherwise invisible details of our Sun, including a new view of the dark, contorted centre of a sunspot that is nearly twice the diameter of the Earth. The images are the first ever made of the Sun with a facility where ESO is a partner. The results are an important expansion of the range of observations that can be used to probe the physics of our nearest star. The ALMA antennas had been carefully designed so they could image the Sun without being damaged by the intense heat of the focussed light.

Astronomers have harnessed ALMA's capabilities to image the millimetre-wavelength light emitted by the Sun's chromosphere -- the region that lies just above the photosphere, which forms the visible surface of the Sun. The solar campaign team, an international group of astronomers with members from Europe, North America and East Asia [1], produced the images as a demonstration of ALMA's ability to study solar activity at longer wavelengths of light than are typically available to solar observatories on Earth.

Astronomers have studied the Sun and probed its dynamic surface and energetic atmosphere in many ways through the centuries. But, to achieve a fuller understanding, astronomers need to study it across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, including the millimetre and submillimetre portion that ALMA can observe.

Since the Sun is many billions of times brighter than the faint objects ALMA typically observes, the ALMA antennas were specially designed to allow them to image the Sun in exquisite detail using the technique of radio interferometry -- and avoid damage from the intense heat of the focussed sunlight [2]. The result of this work is a series of images that demonstrate ALMA's unique vision and ability to study our Sun.The data from the solar observing campaign are being released this week to the worldwide astronomical community for further study and analysis.

The team observed an enormous sunspot at wavelengths of 1.25 millimetres and 3 millimetres using two of ALMA's receiver bands. The images reveal differences in temperature between parts of the Sun's chromosphere [3]. Understanding the heating and dynamics of the chromosphere are key areas of research that will be addressed in the future using ALMA.

Sunspots are transient features that occur in regions where the Sun's magnetic field is extremely concentrated and powerful. They are lower in temperature than the surrounding regions, which is why they appear relatively dark.

The difference in appearance between the two images is due to the different wavelengths of emitted light being observed. Observations at shorter wavelengths are able to probe deeper into the Sun, meaning the 1.25 millimetre images show a layer of the chromosphere that is deeper, and therefore closer to the photosphere, than those made at a wavelength of 3 millimetres.

ALMA is the first facility where ESO is a partner that allows astronomers to study the nearest star, our own Sun. All other existing and past ESO facilities need to be protected from the intense solar radiation to avoid damage. The new ALMA capabilities will expand the ESO community to include solar astronomers.

###

Notes

[1] The ALMA Solar Campaign team includes: Shin'ichiro Asayama, East Asia ALMA Support Center, Tokyo, Japan; Miroslav Barta, Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ondrejov, Czech Republic; Tim Bastian, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, USA; Roman Brajsa, Hvar Observatory, Faculty of Geodesy, University of Zagreb, Croatia; Bin Chen, New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA; Bart De Pontieu, LMSAL, USA; Gregory Fleishman, New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA; Dale Gary, New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA; Antonio Hales, Joint ALMA Observatory, Chile; Akihiko Hirota, Joint ALMA Observatory, Chile; Hugh Hudson, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, UK; Richard Hills, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK; Kazumasa Iwai, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Japan; Sujin Kim, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Neil Philips, Joint ALMA Observatory, Chile; Tsuyoshi Sawada, Joint ALMA Observatory, Chile; Masumi Shimojo (interferometry lead), NAOJ, Tokyo, Japan; Giorgio Siringo, Joint ALMA Observatory, Chile; Ivica Skokic, Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ondrejov, Czech Republic; Sven Wedemeyer, Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, Norway; Stephen White (single dish lead), AFRL, USA; Pavel Yagoubov, ESO, Garching, Germany and Yihua Yan, NAO, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

[2] Indeed, this lesson has been learned the hard way: the Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope (SEST) had a fire in its secondary mirror assembly after the telescope was accidentally pointed at the Sun (https://www.eso.org/public/images/?search=%2Bsest+%2Bfire).

[3] A map of the whole disc of the Sun was also made with a single ALMA antenna, using a technique called fast-scanning, at a wavelength of 1.25 millimetres. The accuracy and speed of observing with a single ALMA antenna makes it possible to produce a map of the entire solar disc in just a few minutes. These maps show the distribution of temperatures in the chromosphere over the whole disc at low spatial resolution and therefore complement the detailed interferometric images of individual regions of interest.

More information

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of ESO, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Science Council of Taiwan (NSC) and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).

ALMA construction and operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.

ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and two survey telescopes. VISTA works in the infrared and is the world's largest survey telescope and the VLT Survey Telescope is the largest telescope designed to exclusively survey the skies in visible light. ESO is a major partner in ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre European Extremely Large Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

Links

* Photos of ALMA - http://www.eso.org/public/images/archive/category/alma/

Contacts

Roman Brajsa

Hvar Observatory

University of Zagreb, Croatia

Tel: + 385 1 4639 318

Cell: + 385 99 2619 825

Email: romanb@geof.hr

Ivica Skokic

Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Ondrejov, Czech Republic

Tel: + 420 323 620 133

Cell: + 385 91 890 5815

Email: ivica.skokic@asu.cas.cz

Richard Hook

ESO Public Information Officer

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Tel: +49 89 3200 6655

Cell: +49 151 1537 3591

Email: rhook@eso.org
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University research reveals a pattern of companies strategically locating facilities where wind will carry pollution across state lines.

Locating factories and power plants near downwind borders can allow states to reap the benefits of jobs and tax revenue but share the negative effects -- air pollution -- with neighbors.

"When you look at the location of major sources of air pollution, they are more likely to be nearer to downwind state borders, when compared to similar industrial facilities," said David Konisky, associate professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU Bloomington.

The study compares 16,211 facilities in the United States that produce air pollution with 20,536 sites that produce hazardous waste but not air pollution. Using a technique called point pattern analysis, they show that facilities that produce air pollution are more likely to be near downwind state borders than those that produce other types of waste. A polluter is 22 percent less likely to be near an upwind state border than near a downwind state border, after adjusting for other variables.

The trend is especially pronounced for large facilities that emit toxic air emissions, those that are included in the Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory program.

States have long complained about air pollution from their neighbors. The Clean Air Act was designed to address the problem by setting uniform pollution standards. But under the U.S. system of federalism, enforcement of the regulations falls largely to the states, which may have less interest in regulating facilities that produce air pollution that crosses state boundaries. The system lends itself to "free riding," meaning those who benefit from goods or services don't pay the full cost.

Previous research has found that states are not less strict in their enforcement for facilities near downwind borders than for facilities elsewhere. The IU study suggests the discrepancy may come earlier in the process: in the decisions about where the facilities are sited.

The lingering question is whether facility location decisions result from state or local government action or from businesses or institutions that build and operate the facilities. Both have incentives, Konisky said. Governments may want to recruit jobs or protect their constituents from air pollution. Facility operators may wish to avoid "not-in-my-backyard" opposition.

Analysis by the researchers suggests both influences may be at work. Findings show the tendency toward free riding is more pronounced in states with less stringent environmental policy and those with aggressive economic development programs that pursue "smokestack" industries, suggesting state decisions are a factor. But it's also stronger in states with a high density of environmental organizations, suggesting businesses may make location decisions to avoid local opposition.

###

The study, "Gone With the Wind: Federalism and the Strategic Location of Air Polluters," was published in the American Journal of Political Science. Other authors are James Monogan, assistant professor of political science at the University of Georgia, and Neal Woods, associate professor of political science at the University of South Carolina.
A new randomized controlled study published in The Permanente Journal has found that the Transcendental Meditation program significantly reduces trauma symptoms in female prisoner inmates. This is the first stress study focused specifically on female prison inmates with high levels of trauma symptoms. This newly published study with women inmates at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, Oregon follows an earlier published randomized study of male inmates, showing reduced stress and trauma symptoms through the Transcendental Meditation technique.

Women have become the fastest growing population in U.S. prisons, nearly double the rate of increasing male incarcerations. Along with the increasing confinement of female offenders, researchers have found that women carry the burden of proportionally higher amounts of traumatic experiences, with higher rates of mental/emotional trauma and sexual abuse than men. High levels of trauma contribute to poor lifestyle choices, psychological and physical comorbidities, and increased risk for recidivism. Further research has shown an association between traumatic stress exposure and various forms of cancer in a predominantly female population.

Significant reduction in trauma

The results showed that after four months of practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique, the women inmates in the meditation group had significant reductions in total trauma symptoms, including intrusive thoughts and hyperarousal compared with controls. Trauma symptoms were measured using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian (PCL-C).

'This study is a valuable addition to the research literature in women's mental health, showing a natural and effortless alternative approach to reducing trauma symptoms," said lead author Dr. Sanford Nidich, director of the Center for Social and Emotional Health at Maharishi University of Management. "It further replicates an earlier randomized controlled trial with Transcendental Meditation (TM) in male prison inmates suffering from high levels of trauma symptoms. Previous studies have shown reduced trauma in other populations, including veterans and African refugees with the TM program."

How Transcendental Meditation reduces stress

The inmates in the current study were taught Transcendental Meditation by certified teachers, and practiced this simple meditation technique 20 minutes twice a day. Unlike most other meditations, Transcendental Meditation is easy to practice because it doesn't require concentration or focus or consciously attending to one's thoughts and sensations. Instead, a very simple procedure allows the person's mind to settle down to quieter states in a very natural way.

Many studies spanning decades have shown that these periods of allowing the mind to transcend to quieter levels have very specific effects on the body -- effects that are the opposite of the body's hyperaroused state known as the flight-or-fight response. The system involved in this arousal, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, is significantly decreased in its activity. Studies have shown that the physiologies of people who practice Transcendental Meditation naturally don't react as sharply to stressful stimuli.

Meditating in prison cells

The subjects in the study were encouraged to practice Transcendental Meditation individually in their prison cells twice daily and encouraged to attend 30-40 minute group meditation sessions, supervised by a Transcendental Meditation teacher, twice a week over the four-month study period.

The subjects in the control group continued with their usual daily schedule and were given the option to learn the Transcendental Meditation program at the end of the study.

Comments from the subjects

Those practicing Transcendental Meditation said they felt a lot better -- less stressed along with a greater sense of inner freedom and resilience.

"It has been difficult to find peace and happiness in such an environment (prison).... ," one subject said. "Meditating twice a day has helped lessen my stress levels, allowed me to connect to and center myself at deeper levels, and to retreat, reflect, and problem solve.... Meditating helps facilitate my mental clarity, while at the same time calming me. TM has not only helped me mentally, my physical health has also improved. My blood pressure has gone down and my sleep, though I have insomnia, is deeper and more relaxed. I feel more energized."

In one case, an inmate who had been suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced significant relief.

"Before I learned TM I was waking up several times a week with night terrors -- literally screaming. I would only sleep a few hours per night because I was so frightened of my dreams. I had horrible flashbacks, nightmares, and severe PTSD. Almost immediately I saw the beneficial effects of TM.... I am able to fully focus throughout the day and have an inner peace and understanding..."

And another inmate discovered an inner freedom along with improved relationships with others.

"I feel so open and have gained such a deep sense of surrender to my life and the feelings surrounding my incarceration. I no longer feel imprisoned. I now feel my freedom from the inside of me. My relationships have blossomed and grown so much since I began using TM."

Consistent with previous research on prisoners

Transcendental Meditation has been implemented in other prison settings for the purpose of studying other mental health and behavioral factors. At La Tuna federal penitentiary near El Paso, Texas, findings suggested that Transcendental Meditation reduces obsessive-compulsive behavior, decreases social introversion, and increases positive social relations. A study at Folsom State Prison in California found a reduction in anxiety and neuroticism, as well as improved sleep.

Research in several prisons, including Folsom State Prison and San Quentin State Prison in California and Walpole State Prison in Massachusetts. found reduced rates of recidivism, ranging from 33% to 47%.

Expanding preventive medicine to include mind-body approaches

In addition to the study on TM, the January 2017 issue of The Permanente Journal includes a companion editorial by Charles Elder, MD, MPH, FACP, titled, "Mind-Body Training for At-Risk Populations: Preventative Medicine at its Best."

According to Charles Elder, MD, Kaiser Permanente, Northwest, "A principle advantage of the TM technique is a time-tested, standardized intervention protocol.... Once taught the Transcendental Meditation technique, an individual can use the skill for the duration of his or her life, as a stress management tool, providing ongoing benefits across a range of domains. In addition to helping the inmate cope with the stress of incarceration, there is a range of additional 'side benefits,' ranging from reduced recidivism to improved cardiovascular health."

###

The study was funded by the David Lynch Foundation.

Nidich S, Seng A, Compton B, O'Connor T, Salerno JW, Nidich R. Transcendental Meditation and reduced trauma symptoms in female inmates: A randomized controlled study. Perm J 2017;21:16-008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/16-008.

About the Transcendental Meditation Technique

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a simple, natural technique practiced 20 minutes twice each day while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. The TM technique is easy to learn and enjoyable to practice, and is not a religion, philosophy, or lifestyle. Unlike other forms of meditation, TM practice involves no concentration, no control of the mind, no contemplation, no monitoring of thoughts. It automatically and effortlessly allows the active thinking mind to settle down to a state of deep inner calm. For more information visit http://www.tm.org.
Malaysia to issue temporary work passes to undocumented workers

Malaysia on Tuesday said its issuing temporary work passes to foreigners working without legal status and allow companies employing undocumented workers to legally retain them.
BROOKLYN, New York - Every day millions of people mulling their retirement plan saving choices go online to study the offerings at retirement fund websites. Research shows, however, that they often choose high fee options, underinvest or don't invest at all because they don't understand the performance estimates, risks, recommendations, fee structures, and other disclosures that funds provide.

To address this issue, Junius Gunaratne, a doctoral student, and Oded Nov, an associate professor in the Department of Technology Management and Innovation at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, created the first online, interactive "nutrition label" for financial products that, like the ubiquitous information nutrition panels on food and packaged goods, is simple, easy to read and uncluttered. What's more, the financial label is interactive, allowing people to easily get a sense of the long-term implications of choices they make today.

Their first tests revealed that non-expert investors significantly improved their ability to reach simulated retirement savings goals. The study also revealed that novices who invested using the interactive labels were far more likely to invest in low-fee funds - a strategy that is widely advised because of the potentially large positive effects of compound interest. Nov and Gunaratne tested variants of their interactive financial labels with 450 test subjects in a retirement simulation experiment, in which the subjects were given $10,000 per simulation year and asked to save $1.5 million over 35 years, distributed among 10 stock, bond, and cash funds.

The participant pool was divided into four groups: those who received "nutrition label" fund information pages requiring interactivity; those who received the same information in static form; those who received pages in which interactivity was optional; and a control group who received financial information in a format currently used by leading investment firms.

"The impetus for taking the nutrition label approach is the need to help people make sense quickly and effortlessly, taking into account future implications of possible actions they make now," said Gunaratne.

"Unlike food labeling, however, we added the ability to check out different choices and their impacts. Interactivity enabled users to learn about the attributes of funds much like repeated decision-making over time helps people better understand risk and reward," said Nov. The information label borrows layout, print size, organization, justification, typography, information design and line spacing from nutritional labels.

Gunaratne and Nov found that interactivity increased understanding and improved decision-making. Those who used the interactive version of the financial nutrition labels (whether by choice or because of the researchers' requirement) were 54% more likely to reach their goal than those in the control group.

"Our motivation is really to build something that is easy for people to understand -- that they can engage with and make personal so they can achieve long-term benefits," said Nov. "This is critical because research has shown that consumers don't save in effective ways, and leave a lot of money on the table."

Gunaratne added that individual investors are paying too much and getting too little, "Which is why the U.S. has a serious problem of underfunded retirement accounts - most Americans will take serious financial hits and see reduced standards of living when retiring because they don't save effectively, due to uninformed decisions."

The findings hold policy implications: "As demonstrated in our research, interactive financial product information labels can help consumers make better and more informed decisions," the authors wrote. "Regulators should therefore consider mandating the use of interactive information labels for financial products, just as simpler labels are used in other contexts such as food and other consumer products."

"Using Interactive "Nutrition Labels" for Financial Products to Assist Decision Making Under Uncertainty," was recently accepted for publication in the Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology.

###

A draft version is available at http://faculty.poly.edu/~onov/Gunaratne_Nov_JASIST_final.pdf.

About the NYU Tandon School of Engineering

The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, when the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture as well as the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly) were founded. Their successor institutions merged in January 2014 to create a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention, and entrepreneurship and dedicated to furthering technology in service to society. In addition to its main location in Brooklyn, NYU Tandon collaborates with other schools within the country's largest private research university and is closely connected to engineering programs in NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. It operates business incubators in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn and an award-winning online graduate program. For more information, visit http://engineering.nyu.edu.
ARLINGTON, Va.--Battlefield commanders face many scenarios requiring fast decisions--attacking an enemy position, evacuating injured warfighters, navigating unfamiliar terrain. Each situation pushes leaders to make quick yet informed choices.

To enhance these decision-making capabilities, especially for small-unit leaders, the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines (2/6) --"The Spartans"-- recently held a weeklong exercise called Spartan Emerging Technology and Innovation Week at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The event, also called Spartan Week, featured various training technologies--from quadcopters to augmented reality--developed with support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to accelerate the development of decision-making skills.

"We are working with 2/6 to develop a suite of new training tools that are easy to implement, tailorable to Marines' needs and include the ability to assess decision-making skills." said Dr. Peter Squire, a program officer in ONR's Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combating Terrorism Department. "Exercises like Spartan Week enable the Marine Corps to better examine the use of training technologies to improve tactical decision-making at the small-unit level."

During Spartan Week, Marines used several ONR-sponsored technologies. These included the Interactive Tactical Decision Game (I-TDG) with an associated augmented-reality headset, the Augmented Immersive Team Trainer (AITT) and a quadcopter-based system for surveying and modeling terrain quickly.

I-TDG is a web technology-based application that allows Marines to plan missions and conduct "what if" tactical-decision games or simulation-based exercises. It supports maps and multimedia tools and links to ONR's HoloLens augmented-reality headset.

AITT comprises a laptop, software and battery pack, and helmet-mounted display--and can support forward-observer training in live field environments. It employs augmented reality technology, which inserts virtual objects into a real environment, to create realistic tactical scenarios--including friendly and opposing ground vehicles, aircraft and battlefield effects such as explosions from mortar shells and artillery.

To rapidly develop terrain models to support these technologies, Marines were trained to operate a prototype, quadcopter-based terrain-mapping system. Two Camp Lejeune training sites were flown over and mapped out, and the resulting imagery was used to build terrain models for the training systems.

"Small-unit leaders are tasked with making big mission decisions in an extremely short time window," said Natalie Steinhauser, a senior research psychologist at Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division in Orlando, Florida, who took part in Spartan Week. "These decisions not only impact the success or failure of a mission, they affect life and death. With technologies like I-TDG, Marines can perform simulated missions in a safe classroom environment, carry out multiple missions and even use I-TDG as an after-action review tool."

Steinhauser said Camp Lejeune's Spartan Week was a success and that another event will be held at another location in early 2017. Perhaps the real measures of success, however, are endorsements from Marines who participated.

"For me, the best part of I-TDG was recreating simulated battles we conducted during past field exercises and using the system as a debrief on what we did wrong and how we could be better," said Lt. Andrew Veal. "Like athletes watching game film, you really experienced that 'a-ha' moment."

"The Spartan Week technology enabled all Marines, from squad leaders to riflemen, to evaluate their ability to make fast decisions," said Cpl. Fredrick Zuberer. "Marines tend to focus on using their bodies as weapons, but the most important weapon is the mind. Spartan Week helped sharpen that weapon beyond just pulling a trigger."

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Poor diagnosis worldwide of fungal disease causes doctors to overprescribe antibiotics, increasing harmful resistance to antimicrobial drugs, according to a paper published today in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

"Inadequate attention is paid to fungal infection as the cause of antibacterial treatment failure," the authors, members of the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections (GAFFI), write in a call for improved fungal disease diagnosis.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, according to the World Health Organization. It is linked to 23,000 deaths per year and nearly $25 billion in excess health care costs in the United States alone, where the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is heading a $160 million, 50-state initiative to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Paying closer attention to underlying fungal infections is necessary to reduce drug resistance, the paper concludes.

"If we're trying to deliver globally on a comprehensive plan to prevent antimicrobial resistance, and we're treating blindly for fungal infections that we don't know are present with antibiotics, then we may inadvertently be creating greater antibiotic resistance," said David Perlin, a lead author and executive director of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School's Public Health Research Institute.

Inexpensive, rapid diagnostic tests are available for important fungal infections but are not being widely used, Perlin said. Better training is needed to encourage health care practitioners to test for fungal infections so the correct drugs are administered.

The report cites four common clinical situations in which a lack of routine diagnostic testing for fungal diseases often worsens the problem:

Many people diagnosed with tuberculosis of the lungs don't have TB - known as smear negative cases - but are treated ineffectively with costly TB drugs. A simple antibody test can pick up the fungus Aspergillus, which can be treated by antifungal drugs rather than unnecessary anti-TB antibiotics. In 2013, more than 2.7 million smear-negative TB cases were reported to the World Health Organization.

Inaccurate diagnosis of fungal sepsis in hospitals and intensive care units results in inappropriate use of broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs in patients with invasive candidiasis, fungal infections caused by yeasts.

Fungal asthma is often misdiagnosed as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and treated with antibacterial drugs and steroids. Of more than 200 million asthma sufferers, an estimated 6 million to 15 million have fungal asthma, which can be diagnosed with skin testing or blood tests and responds to antifungal agents, not antibiotics, the report notes.

Overtreatment and undertreatment of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in HIV-positive patients. The report estimates 400,000 patients with PCP go undiagnosed while more than 2 million mistakenly receive noxious PCP therapy.

Fungal infections, often undiagnosed, result in 1.5 million deaths a year. GAFFI launched in 2013 to promote global awareness of fungal disease as a major cause of deaths worldwide.

"Fungal disease diagnostics are critical in the AMR fight and will improve survival from fungal disease across the world," said David Denning, GAFFI president and a professor of infectious diseases in global health at the University of Manchester. "The close link between fungal diagnostics and antibacterial prescribing needs a great deal more attention."

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Colorado students viewed the legalization of marijuana favorably, medicinal or otherwise, and generally felt that the medical use of marijuana is acceptable in the treatment of conditions approved by the Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry. Nearly half (49 percent) felt that it had significant physical health benefits and 37 percent believed it had mental health benefits. This contrasts with other studies, which found that most Colorado family physicians would only recommend marijuana for patients who suffer from pain or cancer and that only 27 percent of physicians thought it had significant physical health benefits.

The study, "Colorado Medical Students' Attitudes and Beliefs about Marijuana," was published today in the Journal of General Internal Medicine by Springer. It investigated the attitudes of medical students in Colorado, a state that has long been at the forefront of marijuana legal reforms.

"Despite strong support for marijuana legal reform, students expressed hesitancy to recommend it themselves, suggesting that medical students may not believe that there is enough data to safely recommend its use to patients and/or may not feel sufficiently trained to prescribe it," said Chan, now a resident at the University of Texas Health Science Center.

These reforms have seen the decriminalization of marijuana on many fronts in recent years. In Colorado, it is legal for adults to use it for medicinal and recreational purposes.

Previous studies have shown that opinions vary among physicians about the value of prescribing marijuana. To add further insights into the matter, Chan's team set out to find out what medical students at the CU School of Medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus thought about the drug's use. In all, 236 of the 624 students contacted by e-mail completed the survey.

Students who grew up in Colorado were more in favor of medical marijuana than those who did not grow up there. This was also true for the 127 students who reported having used marijuana before. This finding is in line with previous studies showing that people with histories of substance use, including marijuana, believe the risk of adverse effects is relatively low.

The students were nearly unanimous (97 percent) in calling for further research into the medical usefulness of marijuana. Most expressed concern about possible physical (68 percent) and mental (77 percent) consequences, while 88 percent thought it could be addictive.

Chan and co-author Dan Matlock are now working to study how students are being educated about medical marijuana and its potential for health or harm.

"Clearly, medical students have a need for excellent education on marijuana," said Matlock, MD, MPH, and associate professor of geriatrics at the CU School of Medicine. "There's a lot we don't know and, medically, there is so little data."

###

References:

1. Chan, M.H. et al. (2016). Colorado Medical Students' Attitudes and Beliefs about Marijuana, Journal of General Internal Medicine. DOI 10.1007/s11606-016-3957-y

2. The Journal of General Internal Medicine is the official journal of the Society of General Internal Medicine.

3. Although legal under state law, marijuana is still a schedule 1 substance that is illegal under federal law.
Caspian tigers, some of the largest cats that ever lived -- up to 10 feet long and weighing more than 300 pounds -- met a grim end in the middle of the 20th century.

Until the mid-1960s when they were designated as extinct, they ranged from modern-day Turkey through much of Central Asia, including Iran and Iraq, to northwestern China. The reasons for their extermination are many: poisoning and trapping were promoted by bounties paid in the former Soviet Union until the 1930s; irrigation projects during the Soviet era destroyed the tugay woodlands (a riparian and coastal ecosystem of trees, shrubs and wetlands) and reed thickets that were critical tiger habitat; and the cats' prey disappeared as the riparian habitat vanished.

But there is a chance that tigers -- using a subspecies that is nearly identical, genetically, to the extinct Caspian -- could be restored to Central Asia.

A study published online in the journal Biological Conservation lays out the options for restoring tigers to Central Asia and identifies a promising site in Kazakhstan that could support a population of nearly 100 tigers within 50 years.

"The territory of the Caspian tiger was vast," said Professor James Gibbs, a member of the research team and a conservation biologist who is director of the Roosevelt Wild Life Station at the College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse, New York. "When they disappeared, the number of nations that hosted tiger populations was reduced by more than half."

The researchers say introducing tigers in a couple of locations in Kazakhstan won't make a widespread difference immediately but it would be an important first step.

"The idea of tiger reintroduction in Central Asia using the Amur tiger from the Russian Far East as an 'analog' species has been discussed for nearly 10 years. It met with considerable support from the government of Kazakhstan in 2010 during the Global Tiger Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia," said Mikhail Paltsyn, an ESF doctoral candidate who oversaw analytical aspects of the study.

"But the program needed a strong scientific foundation to evaluate the full habitat potential for tigers and to better explore different possible outcomes of the reintroduction in different scenarios," Paltsyn said.

In addition to Paltsyn and Gibbs, the research team includes ESF scientists Liza Yegorova, a recent master's graduate; Dr. Igor Chestin, director of WWF-Russia; and Dr. Olga Pereladova, director of WWF Central Asia Program. Paltsyn is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Cat Specialist Group and has served as a consultant with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and United Nations Development Programme.

The scientists say two factors have combined to raise the possibility of restoring tigers to the Ili-Balkhash region of western Kazakhstan:

* The breakup of the Soviet Union and introduction of market economies in newly established states has led to the recovery of tiger habitats in some areas as state-sponsored agricultural programs along rivers were abandoned. * Recent work in phylogenetics (the study of evolutionary history) indicates Caspian tigers were closely related to Amur tigers that still exist, making Amur tigers a likely "analog" species for restoration of tigers to the region.

But Paltsyn laid out the challenges that would need to be addressed before tigers start roaming the landscape again.

"First, it is necessary to stop riparian zone degradation caused by uncontrolled fires. Second, it is vital to restore wild ungulate (broadly defined as a hoofed mammal) populations in the area. That, alone, could take five to 15 years," Paltsyn said. "Third, human safety and socio-economic benefits for local populations need to be addressed to provide a sustainable future for both tigers and people. And, finally, water consumption from the Ili River needs to be regulated in both Kazakhstan and China to support sufficient water level in Balkash Lake for tugay and reed ecosystems - the main tiger habitat. However, WWF and the government of Kazakhstan seem to be ready to deal with all these difficult issues to bring tigers back to Central Asia."

Tiger reintroduction has support from the Kazakhstan government and local communities because of potential economic benefit from wildlife tourism, small-business growth and employment opportunities at Ili-Balkhash Nature Reserve.

In the study, the researchers analyzed scientific literature that revealed Caspian tigers once lived in an area about 800,000 to 900,000 square kilometers in size (between 300,000 and 350,000 square miles), mostly within isolated patches of riparian ecosystems (land along rivers or streams). Generally, two or three tigers occupied an area that covered about 100 square kilometers (about 40 square miles).

Spatial analyses based on remote sensing data indicated that options for Amur tiger introduction are limited in Central Asia. But at least two habitat patches are potentially suitable for tiger re-establishment, both in Kazakhstan. When the researchers considered current land use and the low density of the local human population, they found the most promising site is the Ili River delta and adjacent southern coast of Balkhash Lake. The river flows from northwestern China into southeastern Kazakhstan; it drains into Balkhash Lake, the 15th largest lake in the world.

The team identified about 7,000 square kilometers (about 2,700 square miles) of suitable habitat. Population models for animals that tigers typically prey on -- wild boar, Bukhara deer and roe deer -- suggest the area could support a population of between 64 and 98 tigers within 50 years if 40 to 55 tigers are introduced.

The Amur tiger is apparently the only subspecies that has significantly increased in number in the last 65 years. Scientists estimate some 520 to 540 still live in the wild. Moving some of them from the Russian Far East to the Ili River delta could be enough to eventually establish a wild population in 50 years, and would not harm the Russian population, the study says.

Around the world, similar relocation programs have worked for cat populations. The study says: "... case studies suggest high adaptive potential of big cats to novel environments. We know of no large cat translocation programs that failed strictly due to maladaptation of source population to environment of release."

###

This study was supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF Russia) (grant #WWF566) and NASA's Land Cover Land Use Change Program (grant #NNX15AD42G) to ESF.
Diabetes, smoking and physical inactivity have been uncovered as the key cardiovascular disease risk factors for Chinese Australians according to important new research from the largest ongoing study of healthy ageing in Australia, the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study.

Researchers from the School of Public Health and the School of Nursing at the University of Sydney undertook the first comprehensive examination of cardiovascular disease (such as a heart disease or stroke) risk factors in Chinese, mixed Chinese and non-Chinese Australians by studying 266,696 men and women in NSW aged over 45, who are part of the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study. The results were published in the latest edition of the International Journal of Cardiology.

"Heart disease is the single biggest killer in Australia and we have identified the major risk factors in the Chinese Australian community - diabetes, smoking and physical inactivity," said Dr Melody Ding, the paper's senior author and a Senior Research Fellow at School of Public Health at the University of Sydney.

"When it comes to major cardiovascular risk factors, Chinese Australians have a 25% higher prevalence of diabetes, a 22% higher prevalence of smoking and a 45% higher prevalence of physical inactivity than non-Chinese Australians. Now that we have a better understanding of the unique risk profile of Chinese Australians, decision makers and advocates can begin to develop targeted, culturally specific programs to educate the community about cardiovascular disease and the key risk factors in their community."

Dr Ding said that the study's focus on a third category of "mixed Chinese", those with one parent of Chinese ancestry and one parent of different ancestry, had also yielded intriguing results, with mixed Chinese having higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease and higher risk of CVD than Chinese Australians.

"Our study suggests that mixed race Chinese have a distinctive risk profile that sits between Chinese Australians and non-Chinese Australians. To date, nearly all health studies identify participants by a single ethnicity, but as mixed-race marriages and the proportion of the population with more than one ancestry backgrounds increases, there is a stronger-than-ever need for researchers to study and understand mixed race Australians."

Doctor Martin McNamara, Head of Research Assets at the Sax Institute, said these findings demonstrated the value of large-scale, longitudinal studies like the 45 and Up Study to investigate big questions on public health and to get faster answers that are useful for policy makers.

"This research provides important information as to the risk factors for Chinese Australians and will provide real insights to Government, health agencies and the community as they seek to tackle the biggest killer in Australia - heart disease," said Dr McNamara. "To help answer the big public health questions like this you need to rely on robust data from large-scale studies - that's why the 45 and Up Study is an invaluable tool for researchers and decision makers right across Australia."

CEO of the Heart Foundation NSW Kerry Doyle said that in recognition of this issue the Heart Foundation had been working with the Chinese media and the Chinese Australian Services Society to raise awareness of heart disease risk over the past three years.

"This research will allow us to be more targeted in our approach so we can tailor our awareness activities to address specific lifestyle aspects that are strong contributors to heart disease risk in Chinese Australians," she said.

###

About The Sax Institute:

The Sax Institute is an independent Australian leader in helping decision makers find and make best use of research to solve real-world health and social problems.

About the 45 and Up Study:

The Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study is the largest ongoing study of healthy ageing in the Southern Hemisphere, involving a quarter of a million people - one in every 10 men and women aged 45 and over in NSW. It is a major national research tool being used by both researchers and policy makers to better understand how Australians are ageing, how they're using health services, how to prevent and manage ill-health and disability and how this can guide decisions on our health system.

Over time, we are asking all participants ongoing questions about their health, lifestyle, and the medications they use. This is providing the first large-scale, comprehensive measure of health as people move from mid to later life and allowing governments and health policy makers to better plan health services and programs for our ageing population.

Previous research findings from the study include:

Up to two in every three Australian smokers can be expected to die from their habit if they don't quit

Sleeping more than nine hours a night, sitting too much during the day and a lack of exercise is a hazardous combination for health

Overweight and obesity account for $1 in every $6 spent in hospitals, costing our hospitals around $4 billion per year

Retirement is good for your health, with retirees smoking less, more physically active, sleeping more and sitting less than those in the workforce.
[BOSTON, Mass. - January 17, 2017] Leadership from the Baim Institute for Clinical Research (Baim) and Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (Tufts CTSI) today announced an agreement to collaborate on activities to advance clinical and translational science.

Under the terms of the agreement, the organizations agree to work together in areas of strategic mutual interest and support the intellectual exchange of expert consulting between both organizations.

The agreement builds on successful recent collaboration. Baim Institute worked with Tufts CTSI's Principle Investigator, Harry Selker, MD, MSPH, on the landmark NIH-sponsored IMMEDIATE (Immediate Myocardial Metabolic Enhancement During Initial Assessment and Treatment in Emergency Care) Trial (JAMA 2012;307(18):1925-1933).

The study of 911 patients, led by Dr. Selker, measured the impact of pharmacological myocardial metabolic support, in the form of intravenous glucose, insulin and potassium (GIK), for the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes (i.e., a threatening or established heart attack). The study significantly reduced the composite endpoint of cardiac arrest or mortality - by 50% for those presenting with suspected acute coronary syndromes, and by 60% for those presenting with ST elevation acute myocardial infarction, the most serious type of heart attack. Also, GIK reduced the size of the heart attacks by 80%. Researchers at Baim Institute contributed to data management and conducted statistical analyses.

Additionally, starting in July, 2016, Baim joined Tufts CTSI and the Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies at Tufts Medical Center as part of an NIH-funded national Trial Innovation Center (TIC) led by Johns Hopkins University and Tufts. The clinical trial expertise of Tufts and Baim will be critical as the Johns Hopkins-Tufts TIC supports the efficient and innovative conduct of NIH clinical trials.

"The Tufts CTSI and Baim partnership offers faculty, staff, and students at both organizations an opportunity to work on clinical trial challenges and introduces new educational opportunities. It also expands the capabilities of the Tufts CTSI Clinical Research Network, and makes it a platform for improvements in the design and conduct of clinical trials," said Selker, Dean of Tufts CTSI, Executive Director, of the Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies at Tufts Medical Center, and Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.

For the Baim Institute, which recently changed its name from the Harvard Clinical Research Institute, the agreement serves as an example of the non-profit organization's commitment to expansion of its collaborative agreements.

"Baim's new partnership with Tufts CTSI is an example of our commitment to collaboration with the world's most highly respected researchers from renowned institutions," said Spencer Goldsmith, President, Baim Institute. "Through our agreement with Tufts CTSI, we will expand our contribution to clinical trial innovation. We look forward to continuing to provide research sponsors the best research teams in the world to help answer important health care questions."

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About Baim Institute Name Change

On October 27th, the Harvard Institute for Clinical research changed its name to the Baim Institute for Clinical Research. The new name pays tribute to Dr. Donald S. Baim, a visionary in the field of interventional cardiology who was a founder of the organization in 1993 and a primary investigator and chief advisor through 2005.

The name change also paves the way for Baim Institute to expand its network of collaborations to better engage researchers from a global palette of academic experiences. The Baim Institute remains one of the world's most trusted not-for-profit academic research organizations.

About the Baim Institute for Clinical Research

The Baim Institute for Clinical Research is a leading, not-for-profit academic research organization that delivers insight, innovation and leadership in today's dynamic research environment. The Baim Institute collaborates with some of the world's most highly respected researchers from renowned institutions to help advance health and quality of life around the world.

The Baim Institute has gained notoriety for the design and execution of clinical trials for first-in-class medical devices. Examples of such include trials for the first approved drug-eluting stent, and the first approved transcatheter mitral valve repair device. In addition, we recently sponsored and completed the DAPT study, a large, FDA-mandated study that enrolled over 25,000 subjects, evaluating the use of dual antiplatelet therapy after stent implantation.

Since 1993, we have worked on over 450 clinical trials in North America, Europe and Asia. The Baim Institute is based in Boston. More information is at http://www.BaimInstitute.org.

About Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)

Tufts CTSI, a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported partnership among all the schools of Tufts University; Northeastern University, Brandeis University, RAND; Tufts CTSI-affiliated hospitals, and health care industry and community organizations, was established in August 2008. Its purpose is to accelerate the translation of laboratory and medical research into clinical use, widespread medical practice, and into improved health care delivery and health policy. It connects people to research resources, consultation, and education, and fosters collaboration with scholars of all disciplines and with community members, with the ultimate goal of improving the health of the public. Tufts CTSI is currently funded by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, award number UL1TR001064. http://www.tuftsctsi.org
The findings may help identify resistance to radiotherapy treatment and pave the way for new treatment options for esophageal cancer

Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have made exciting new findings that could offer a means of fighting resistance to treatment for people with oesophageal cancer. Resistance to radiotherapy is a major stumbling block in the treatment of this cancer.

For the first time, the research team led by Dr Stephen Maher, Ussher Assistant Professor in Translational Oncology at Trinity, have discovered that a molecule lost from cancer stem cells, called miR-17, is important in driving oesophageal tumour resistance to radiotherapy.

The team of scientists, which incorporated specialists from Trinity, St. James's Hospital Dublin, the Coombe Women and Infant's University Hospital and the University of Hull in the UK, demonstrated that populations of tumour cells that had higher numbers of cancer stem cells formed larger, more aggressive tumours. They also demonstrated that the cancer stem cells were more resistant to radiation-induced cell death.

The findings from this ground breaking research were recently published in the international peer-reviewed journal Oncotarget.

Many oesophageal cancer patients receive radiotherapy and chemotherapy to shrink their tumour prior to surgery and this forms a key part of their treatment. Unfortunately, while a subset of patients have excellent responses to treatment, the majority of patients are actually resistant to various degrees, and are subjected to treatment side effects and an unnecessary delay to surgery, which can worsen their overall prognosis. To date there hasn't been a way to test which patients will respond well to radiotherapy or to reduce resistance to radiotherapy.

Cancer stem cells are a tiny population of tumour cells that exist inside most tumours, and acquire some of the features of normal stem cells. Normal stem cells are unspecialised cells that can be characterised by the ability to change into mature, specialised cells, like the normal cells that make up the normal oesophagus. When normal tissues are damaged, through injury for example, stem cells in the local environment, help to repopulate and rebuild the normal tissue. However, in a tumour, cancer stem-like cells, the tumour cells that have acquired stem cell-like abilities, are able to drive and maintain the growth of tumours and repopulate the tumours following the damage caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

"This work is extremely important in understanding why tumours are inherently resistant to radiotherapy, and how they can acquire resistance. Our findings strongly suggest that it is the cancer stem cell population that we need to destroy if treatment is going to be effective in our oesophageal cancer patients", said Dr Maher.

"Up until recently cancer stem cells were largely considered hypothetical, as there were no clear ways to identify and isolate them. In this study we spent a tremendous effort in identifying tumour cells that had biological markers normally characteristic of stem cells. Once we had identified these stem-like tumour cells, we isolated them and started to pick apart their biology", continued Dr Maher.

The work, predominantly performed by Dr Niamh Lynam-Lennon, an Irish Research Council-funded Senior Research Fellow with Trinity's Department of Surgery, showed that the population of cancer stem cells could be further broken down into smaller groups, which had distinct radiation sensitivity profiles. Further genetic analysis revealed that the levels of a powerful gene-regulating molecule, called miR-17, were particularly low in the cancer stem cells that were most resistant to radiation. In patient samples, miR-17 was found to be much lower in the tumours of patients who did not respond to treatment.

"Interestingly, in the lab we found that if we put a synthetic version of miR-17 into the resistant cells they became more sensitive to radiation. Going forward, we could use synthetic miR-17 as an addition to radiotherapy to enhance its effectiveness in patients - this is a real possibility as a number of other synthetic miR-molecules are currently in clinical trials for treating other diseases", said Dr Lynam-Lennon.

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma, a cancer of the food-pipe, is a major problem in Ireland, the UK and the rest of the western world. Its incidence has increased by 600% over the past three decades, representing the largest increase in incidence of any disease of any kind over the same time period, and rates are projected to continue increasing over the next 20 years.

###

The work was largely funded by the Health Research Board (HRB) and involved research on cells grown in the lab, in vivo research and tumour samples from oesophageal cancer patients.

The paper is available here.
Among adults with a previous physician diagnosis of asthma, a current diagnosis could not be established in about one-third who were not using daily asthma medications or had medications weaned, according to a study appearing in the January 17 issue of JAMA. The researchers speculate that the failure to confirm the diagnosis could be because of spontaneous remission or misdiagnosis.

Diagnosis of asthma in the community can be difficult. Various types have been identified, all of which potentially have different triggers and clinical presentations. Asthma can be episodic or can follow a relapsing and remitting course, which further complicates attempts to arrive at a diagnosis based on a single patient-physician encounter. Although asthma is a chronic disease, the expected rate of spontaneous remissions of adult asthma and the stability of diagnosis are unknown.

Shawn D. Aaron, M.D., of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Canada, and colleagues conducted a study that included 701 adults who reported a history of physician-diagnosed asthma established within the past five years. All participants were assessed with home peak flow and symptom monitoring, spirometry (measures lung function), and bronchial challenge tests, and those participants using daily asthma medications had their medications gradually tapered off over four study visits. Participants in whom a diagnosis of current asthma was ultimately ruled out were followed up clinically with repeated bronchial challenge tests over one year.

Of 701 participants, 613 completed the study and could be conclusively evaluated for a diagnosis of current asthma, which was ruled out in 203 of 613 study participants (33 percent). Twelve participants (2 percent) were found to have serious cardiorespiratory conditions that had been previously misdiagnosed as asthma in the community. After an additional 12 months of follow-up, 181 participants (30 percent) continued to exhibit no clinical or laboratory evidence of asthma. Participants in whom current asthma was ruled out, compared with those in whom it was confirmed, were less likely to have undergone testing for airflow limitation in the community at the time of initial diagnosis (44 percent vs 56 percent, respectively). More than 90 percent of participants in whom asthma was ruled out had asthma medications safely stopped for an additional one-year period.

"Two phenomena may account for failure to ultimately confirm current asthma in 33.1 percent of the study cohort: (1) spontaneous remission of previously active asthma; and (2) misdiagnosis of asthma in the community. At least 24 of 203 participants (11.8 percent) in whom current asthma was ruled out had undergone pulmonary function tests in the community that had been previously diagnostic of asthma. These participants presumably experienced spontaneous remission of their asthma at some time between their initial community diagnosis and entry into the study," the authors write.

"This study also suggests that misdiagnosis of asthma may occasionally occur in the community. In 2.0 percent of study participants, a serious untreated cardiorespiratory condition was identified that may have been previously misdiagnosed as asthma. In addition, the study demonstrated that failure to consistently use objective testing at the time of initial diagnosis of asthma was associated with failure to confirm current asthma. These results suggest that whenever possible, physicians should order objective tests, such as prebronchodilator and postbronchodilator spirometry, serial peak flow measurements, or bronchial challenge tests, to confirm asthma at the time of initial diagnosis."

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(doi:10.1001/jama.2016.19627; the study is available pre-embargo at the For the Media website)

Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

Related material: The editorial, "Asthma - Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?" by Helen M. Hollingsworth, M.D., and George T. O'Connor, M.D., M.S., of the Boston University School of Medicine, also is available at the For The Media website.

To place an electronic embedded link to this study in your story This link will be live at the embargo time: http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2016.19627
Among adults in China, those with diabetes diagnosed in middle age lose, on average, nine years of life compared with those without diabetes, according to new research published in the January 17 issue of JAMA.

Most previous studies of diabetes have been in high-income countries where individuals with diabetes are generally well managed. In China the prevalence of diabetes has quadrupled in recent decades, with an estimated 100 million adults now affected. Because the increase in diabetes prevalence in China is only recent, the full eventual effect on mortality is unknown. Zhengming Chen, D.Phil., of the University of Oxford, England, Liming Li, M.P.H., of Peking University, Beijing, and colleagues examined the association of diabetes with mortality in China. The study included 512,869 adults ages 30 to 79 years from 10 (five rural and five urban) areas scattered throughout China, who were recruited between 2004 and 2008 and followed up for cause-specific mortality until 2014.

Among the participants, 6 percent had diabetes (4 percent in rural areas, 8 percent in urban areas; 3 percent had been previously diagnosed, and 3 percent were detected by screening). The researchers found that, compared with adults without diabetes, individuals with diabetes had twice the risk of dying during the follow-up period, and the increase was higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Diabetes was associated with increased mortality from ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, infection, and cancer of the liver, pancreas and female breast. The risk of dying from inadequately treated acute complications of diabetes (diabetic ketoacidosis or coma) was much greater in rural areas than in urban areas, and was much higher than in high-income countries.

The researchers estimated that the 25-year probability of death would be 69 percent among those diagnosed with diabetes at age 50 years compared with 38 percent among otherwise similar individuals without diabetes, corresponding to a loss of about nine years of life (10 years in rural areas and eight years in urban areas).

The risk increased with increased time since diagnosis of diabetes. "As the prevalence of diabetes in young adults increases and the adult population grows, the annual number of deaths related to diabetes is likely to continue to increase, unless there is substantial improvement in prevention and management," the authors write.

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(doi:10.1001/jama.2016.19627; the study is available pre-embargo at the For the Media website)

Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

Related material: The editorial, "China's Burgeoning Epidemic of Diabetes-Associated Mortality," by Margaret Chan, M.D., of the World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, also is available at the For The Media website.

To place an electronic embedded link to this study in your story This link will be live at the embargo time: http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2016.19627
Members of Chinese think tanks in Capital

A high-level 14-member delegation of Chinese think tanks arrived in Kathmandu on Monday at the invitation of Xinhua News Agency (Kathmandu Bureau) for a five-day visit.
Nearly all physicians charge more than the Medicare program actually pays ("excess charges"), with complete discretion to determine the amount charged. Ge Bai, Ph.D., C.P.A., and Gerard F. Anderson, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, conducted a study to understand the extent and variation of physician excess charges. The study appears in the January 17 issue of JAMA.

High excess charges can impose financial burdens on uninsured patients and privately insured patients using out-of-network physicians. Although some out-of-network physicians may offer discounts from their full charges, many patients receive unexpected medical bills. For this study, the researchers examined Medicare physician use and payment data, including payment and submitted charges for U.S. physicians who provided services to Medicare beneficiaries and submitted Medicare Part B claims in 2014. Physician excess charges were defined as total charges divided by total Medicare allowable amount for medical services (i.e., the charge-to-Medicare payment ratio) for each physician. Specialty and geographic distribution of physicians with high excess charges were defined as physicians with median charge-to-Medicare payment ratios in the top 2.5 percent.

Data from 429,273 individual physicians across 54 medical specialties were included in the study. The researchers found that the median physician charges were 2.5 times higher than what Medicare pays. The authors note that the charge-to-Medicare payment ratio represents the upper limit of each physician's actual excess charge, and may not be what a patient actually pays. The ratio varied across specialties, with anesthesiology having the highest median and general practice having the lowest. Of the 10,730 physicians with high excess charges, 55 percent were anesthesiologists and 3 percent were in general practice, internal medicine, or family practice.

There were also regional differences in excess charges. Two neighboring states (Wisconsin and Michigan) had different median excess charges (3.8 vs 2.0, respectively). About one-third of physicians with high excess charges practiced in only 10 hospital referral regions.

"As the health insurance market shifts toward more restrictive physician networks and high-deductible plans, protecting uninsured and out-of-network patients from high medical bills should be a policy priority. For example, a recent law in New York restricts out-of-network physicians from charging patients excessive unexpected amounts," the authors write.

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(doi:10.1001/jama.2016.16230; the study is available pre-embargo at the For the Media website)

Editor's Note: All authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none were reported.

To place an electronic embedded link to this study in your story This link will be live at the embargo time: http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2016.16230
RGS9-2, a key signaling protein in the brain known to play a critical role in the development of addiction-related behaviors, acts as a positive modulator of oxycodone reward in both pain-free and chronic pain states, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published online January 17 in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. The mechanisms of oxycodone action uncovered through this study will help scientists and physicians develop strategies and tools to dissociate the analgesic (pain relief) actions of opioids from the addiction-related effects.

Using mouse models of acute and chronic pain, Mount Sinai researchers found that RGS9-2, the intracellular protein that controls the function of opioid receptors in the brain reward center, promotes addiction to oxycodone in pain-free, acute, and chronic pain states. Mice that lacked the gene responsible for encoding RGS9-2 (RGS9KO mice) showed less propensity to develop addiction-related behaviors. Furthermore, the loss of RGS9-2 function does not affect the acute analgesic effects of oxycodone. The research team also found that RSG9-2 plays a protective role towards the development of oxycodone tolerance, as RGS9KO mice became tolerant to the analgesic effects of the drug earlier than those that had the gene. Researchers found that the same mechanisms control sensitivity to oxycodone addiction in pain-free as well as chronic pain states.

Oxycodone is a painkiller that is widely prescribed for acute and chronic pain conditions and is also among the most abused opioids. Oxycodone acts in the same brain receptors as morphine and heroin, the mu opioid receptors, which are present in many areas of the brain that mediate pain relief, but are also expressed in the brain network associated with addiction. While there has been extensive investigation into the mechanisms underlying the analgesia, dependence, and addiction potential of morphine, the mechanism by which oxycodone exerts its actions remained unknown.

"Although oxycodone produces similar analgesic and behavioral effects to those observed with morphine, our study demonstrates that the intracellular actions of morphine and oxycodone are distinct," says Venetia Zachariou, PhD, Associate Professor in the Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "Our work reveals that intracellular factors that prevent the actions of morphine may actually promote the actions of oxycodone. This information is particularly important for pain management strategies, as a common course is to have patients oscillate between oxycodone and morphine to achieve pain relief."

The Mount Sinai study provides new information on pathways involved in behavioral responses to oxycodone in pain-free and neuropathic pain states, which will help researchers and clinicians to determine the risks and benefits of oxycodone prescription for the treatment of pain. This knowledge may lead to the development of more efficacious and less addictive compounds for pain management.

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This research was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS086444).

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services--from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.

The System includes approximately 7,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 12 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is in the "Honor Roll" of best hospitals in America, ranked No. 15 nationally in the 2016-2017 "Best Hospitals" issue of U.S. News & World Report. The Mount Sinai Hospital is also ranked as one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Geriatrics, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Nephrology, Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Ear, Nose & Throat, and is in the top 50 in four other specialties. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked No. 10 nationally for Ophthalmology, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's, and Mount Sinai West are ranked regionally. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital is ranked in seven out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report in "Best Children's Hospitals.

For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Jan. 17, 2017 -- A study led by scientists at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) has identified "a potent inhibitory compound" in the elusive hunt for an improved treatment against glioblastoma, the most common and deadly type of adult brain cancer.

Aurintricarboxylic Acid (ATA) is a chemical compound that in laboratory tests was shown to block the chemical cascade that otherwise allows glioblastoma cells to invade normal brain tissue and resist both chemo and radiation therapy, according to a TGen-led report published today in the scientific journal Oncotarget.

"The findings of this study could represent a breakthrough in our efforts to find an effective long-term treatment against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)," said Dr. Harshil Dhruv, an Assistant Professor in TGen's Cancer and Cell Biology Division, and a lead author of the study.

Initial treatment of glioblastoma consists of surgical removal of the tumor, radiation and chemotherapy using the drug temozolomide (TMZ). However, the proclivity of glioblastoma to invade adjacent brain tissue prevents the surgical removal of all tumor cells. Plus, invasive glioblastoma cells show resistance to TMZ, resulting in the cancer's eventual return and the patient's death, often within a year.

Despite recent advances, the median survival of glioblastoma patients is only 15 months, and survival statistics have not significantly improved over the past three decades. More than 16,000 Americans die each year of brain and other nervous system cancers.

"We simply must find a better way of treating patients with glioblastoma," said Dr. Michael Berens, TGen Deputy Director and one of the study co-authors. "Identifying ATA could bring real hope to these patients by disrupting the cellular pathways that drive glioblastoma and make it such a formidable threat."

Previous TGen-led studies have identified how the binding of molecules TWEAK and Fn14 stimulate glioblastoma cells to migrate, invade and survive in healthy brain tissue. The study published today shows that ATA is an agent that suppresses the TWEAK-Fn14 cellular pathway. In doing so, ATA makes the cancer more vulnerable to drug and radiation therapies.

Importantly, ATA was identified by screening pharmacologically active compounds for their ability to suppress TWEAK-Fn14 signaling. And ATA provides a great starting point to develop a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of GBM.

"These data demonstrate that ATA presents a scaffold structure that could be modified in ways to improve its properties and to develop as a potential therapeutic agent to limit invasion and enhance chemotherapeutic drug efficacy in GBM," said Dr. Nhan Tran, the senior and corresponding author of the study.

St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center and the University of Maryland School of Medicine also contributed to this study.

The scientific paper, Identification of aurintricarboxylic acid as a selective inhibitor of the TWEAK-Fn14 signaling pathway in glioblastoma cells, was funded by The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation, and by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"Step-by-step, TGen studies are drawing every closer to substantial improvements in how we treat glioblastoma," said Catherine (Bracken) Ivy, founder and president of the Arizona-based Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation. "Our aim is to help patients survive longer, and eventually find a cure."

The study outlines goals for future investigations that will focus on identifying specific cellular signatures that indicate vulnerability to ATA, and using the ATA chemical structure to try modifications, which would become drugs to improve GBM therapy.

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About The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation

The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., was formed in 2005, when Ben Ivy lost his battle with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Since then, the Foundation has contributed more than $50 million to research in gliomas within the United States and Canada, with the goal of better diagnostics and treatments that offer long-term survival and a high quality of life for patients with brain tumors. The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation is the largest privately funded foundation of its kind in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.ivyfoundation.org.

About TGen

Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life changing results. TGen is focused on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, and diabetes, through cutting edge translational research (the process of rapidly moving research towards patient benefit). TGen physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of both common and rare complex diseases in adults and children. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities literally worldwide, TGen makes a substantial contribution to help our patients through efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. TGen is allied with City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and cancer and diabetes treatment center. This precision medicine alliance enables both institutes to complement each other in research and patient care, with City of Hope providing a significant clinical setting to advance scientific discoveries made by TGen. For more information, visit: http://www.tgen.org. Follow TGen on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @TGen.

Media Contact:

Steve Yozwiak

TGen Senior Science Writer

602-343-8704

syozwiak@tgen.org
The Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, has announced the 2017 recipients of Harrington Scholar-Innovator Awards. The awards support breakthrough discoveries of physician-scientists whose research shows promise to advance the standard of care.

The Harrington Discovery Institute - part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development -fulfills an unmet need in academic medicine: to advance early breakthroughs into the clinical realm. Its focus on physician-scientist innovators from across the country and the UK creates opportunity to transform the best innovation regardless of institution affiliation.

In addition to financial support awarded to the winners, the Institute provides direction from leaders in the pharmaceutical industry who are charged with overseeing therapeutic development of Scholar programs. While working with the Institute, physician-scientists (and their institutions) retain the intellectual property for their work.

"Our scholars tell us that the guidance they receive from members of the Harrington Innovation Support Center is absolutely the most valuable part of their time with us--of even greater value than the money," said Jonathan Stamler, MD, President of the Harrington Discovery Institute. "Research institutions and non-profit endeavors do not typically provide strong pharmaceutical capability. Technology languishes for lack of know-how. We believe that if we can marry the best science with the best practices, we should be able to more effectively advance discovery."

The selected scholars have access to several rounds of capital (up to a total of $700,000) through their affiliation with the Harrington Discovery Institute to support the transition of their work into the private sector. Scholars are then free to approach investors of their choice to underwrite the commercialization of their work or they can have facilitated access to BioMotiv, the mission-aligned development company that also is part of The Harrington Project. However, there are no obligations on either side.

The 2017 Harrington Scholar-Innovator grant recipients are:

Paul Bollyky, MD, PhD - Stanford University - A novel drug for Type I Diabetes

Ambrose Cheung, MD - Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth - A novel treatment against MRSA and other Gram+ bacterial infections

Giulio Draetta, MD, PhD - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center - A new therapy and first in-human trials for pancreatic cancer

Seth Field, MD, PhD - University of California San Diego - A novel pathway causing cancer

Todd Gould, MD - University of Maryland - A new medicine for depression

John Letterio, MD - Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals - A promising drug for Alzheimer's disease, stroke and cancer

David Lombard, MD, PhD - University of Michigan - A new strategy in melanoma therapy

Daruka Mahadevan, MD, PhD - University of Arizona - A novel class of cancer drugs and radiation sensitizers

Deepak Nijhawan, MD, PhD - University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center - A first-in-class immunotherapy for cancer

Stuart Orkin, MD - Harvard University - A novel treatment for sickle cell disease

Daniel Ory, MD - Washington University - A breakthrough treatment for Niemann-Pick C disease, a rare neurological disease

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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 into 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 on a 35-acre campus in Cleveland's University Circle, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The main campus also includes University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation; University Hospitals MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and University Hospitals 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 University Hospitals - 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.
New research that suggests a pre-existing 4G network infrastructure could help drivers make safe decisions in or near accidents has won the 'Best Paper Award' at an international conference.

The research carried out by the University of Bristol Communication Systems & Networks (CSN) Group, in collaboration with the Universite Blaise Pascal in France, was presented at the international conference Signal Processing, Telecommunications & Computing (SigTelCom) 2017, supported by IEEE, Newton Fund and British Council.

An important factor in vehicle-related accidents is the lack of information and if drivers are aware of their surroundings and road conditions, many accidents could be avoided. As driverless cars begin to gain momentum, improvements will be needed to ensure vehicles receive the correct information. A key question is how high-quality data can be shared by an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) to help drivers in emergency situations.

The research team suggest a cost-effective solution to this problem is for city-owned base stations to form a single frequency network (SFN), which will enable drivers to have the information they need to make safe decisions in or near accidents.

In order to ensure that transmissions are reliable, tight bounds on the outage probability would need to be developed when the SFN is overlaid on an existing cellular network.

The researchers also present an extremely efficient transmission power allocation algorithm that, for the situations outlined, can reduce the total immediate SFN transmission power by up to 20 times compared to a static uniform power allocation solution. This is particularly important when base stations rely on an off-grid power source, such as batteries.

Dr Andrea Tassi, Senior Research Associate in Wireless Connectivity for Autonomous Vehicles from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and CSN Group, who led the research, said: "Obtaining high-quality sensor information is critical in vehicle emergencies. We have shown that our proposed power allocation (PA) model can help to significantly reduce the transmission power of the proposed network while target signal-to-noise and interference ratio (SINR) outage constraints are met. With cars receiving reliable information, our research could improve road safety in future intelligent transportation systems."

The University's CSN Group is part of the Innovate UK-funded projects, VENTURER and FLOURISH, and is playing a leading role in connectivity for automotive applications.

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Paper:

'Wireless Vehicular Networks in Emergencies: A Single Frequency Network Approach' by Andrea Tassi, Malcolm Egan, Robert J. Piechocki and Andrew Nix, presented at SigTelCom 2017.
Bones from dead turtles washed up on Mexican beaches indicate that Baja California is critical to the survival of endangered North Pacific loggerhead sea turtles, which travel some 7,500 miles from their nesting sites in Japan to their feeding grounds off the coast of Mexico.

"These turtles are born in Japan, then migrate to the central and eastern north Pacific Ocean for some part of their juvenile lives before returning to Japan to breed and live out the remainder of their lives," said Carolyn Kurle, an assistant professor of biology at UC San Diego. "But nobody knew how long they were spending in each distinct ocean region."

That dearth of knowledge made it difficult to develop a comprehensive conservation plan for the endangered turtles. So Kurle's doctoral student, Calandra "Cali" Turner Tomaszewicz, who is now a postdoctoral fellow at UC San Diego, set out to find out.

In a study published in the current issue of the Journal of Animal Ecology, Turner Tomaszewicz, Kurle and Jeffrey Seminoff of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, determined that while some turtles may spend more than 20 years feeding in the productive waters off the Baja coast before migrating back to Japan to breed. Some turtles may actually spend only half that much time in this area.

"This is good news for this endangered population of turtles," said Turner Tomaszewicz.

To determine the turtles' migratory patterns at various ages, Turner Tomaszewicz chemically analyzed the stable nitrogen isotopes laid down during bone formation in the concentric growth rings of the humerus bones of dead turtles found on Mexican beaches.

Like the annual growth rings of trees, powder from these rings of bone allowed her to determine--when compared to the distinct nitrogen isotope profiles of different parts of the Pacific Ocean--where the turtles traveled during each year of their lives.

"From a conservation point of view, especially for a migratory species, the most essential goal should be to prioritize conservation efforts where they can have the biggest impact in protecting the population and facilitating recovery, in the most efficient way possible," said Turner Tomaszewicz.

One of those places appears to be off the Baja coast, the scientists concluded in their paper, where the population of loggerhead turtles ranges from three to 24 years of age.

"Cali demonstrated that there is a bimodal distribution to loggerhead settlement into these waters off Baja from the central North Pacific, with one group of turtles recruiting to that area at around an average of seven years of age and a second group recruiting at an average of 16 years of age," said Kurle. "She also determined that loggerheads mature at around 25 years of age, meaning they leave this area when they are about 24 years old to migrate back to Japan so they can breed."

This means that the turtles live from 10 to more than 20 years off the Baja coast, a particularly dangerous region where Hoyt Peckham of Stanford University, another co-author of the paper, had estimated in an earlier study that about 1,000 loggerheads a year are accidentally trapped and killed by fisherman as "bycatch" in small-scale "artisanal" fishing operations. Larisa Avens, of NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, was the fifth co-author of the Journal of Animal Ecology paper.

From those estimates, Turner Tomaszewicz calculated that loggerhead turtles that spend 10 years in Baja have a 30 percent of living long enough to travel back to Japan to breed, while turtles who spend 20 years in Baja have only a 10 percent chance to breed.

"The low survivorship of half of the turtles is somewhat depressing news for the loggerheads, but these data are now being used to develop better management techniques for the Mexican artisanal fishery to prevent such high turtle bycatch numbers," said Kurle. "The discovery that the turtles have a bimodal distribution to their recruitment into the Baja regional from the central North Pacific indicates that not all loggerheads spend upwards of 20 years in this region, meaning some have a greater chance of avoiding negative fisheries interactions and surviving to breed."

"Our study shows that this foraging hotspot is an incredibly important habitat for the reproductively-valuable juvenile life stage for North Pacific loggerheads and that this area needs to be a high-priority conservation habitat for this population," said Turner Tomaszewicz.

###

Funding for the study was provided by grants from NOAA Fisheries, National Institutes of Health (T32 GM007240), a UC-MEXUS Dissertation Grant, an ARCS Foundation Scholarship and a Jeanne Messier Memorial Fellowship.
LAWRENCE --Maybe this Neanderthal was a rock hound?

An international group that includes a University of Kansas researcher has discovered a brownish piece of split limestone in a site in Croatia that suggests Neanderthals 130,000 years ago collected the rock that stands out among all other items in the cave.

"If we were walking and picked up this rock, we would have taken it home," said David Frayer, a professor emeritus of anthropology who was part of the study. "It is an interesting rock."

The finding is important, he said, because it adds to other recent evidence that Neanderthals were capable -- on their own -- of incorporating symbolic objects into their culture. The rock was collected more than 100 years ago from the Krapina Neanderthal site, which has items preserved in the Croatian Natural History Museum in Zagreb, where in recent years the research team has re-examined them.

The group's findings on the collected rock at Krapina were published recently in the French journal Comptes Rendus Palevol. Davorka Radovcic, curator at the Croatian Natural History Museum, was the study's lead author, and Frayer is the corresponding author.

The same research group in a widely recognized 2015 study published a PLOS ONE article about a set of eagle talons from the same Neanderthal site that included cut marks and were fashioned into a piece of jewelry.

"People have often defined Neanderthals as being devoid of any kind of aesthetic feelings, and yet we know that at this site they collected eagle talons and they collected this rock. At other sites, researchers have found they collected shells and used pigments on shells," Frayer said. "There's a little bit of evidence out there to suggest that they weren't the big, dumb creatures that everybody thinks they were."

Similar to the Neanderthal jewelry discovery at Krapina, Frayer credits Radovcic's keen eye in examining all items found at that the site, originally excavated between 1899-1905 and found to contain Neanderthal bones.

The cave at the Krapina site was sandstone, so the split limestone rock stuck out as not deriving from the cave, Frayer said. None of the more than 1,000 lithic items collected from Krapina resemble the rock, but the original archaeologists apparently did nothing more with the rock other than to collect it.

Frayer said the limestone rock -- which is roughly five inches long, four inches high and about a half-inch thick -- did not have any striking platforms or other areas of preparation on the rock's edge, so the research team assumed it was not broken apart.

"The fact that it wasn't modified, to us, it meant that it was brought there for a purpose other than being used as a tool," Frayer said.

There was a small triangular flake that fits with the rock, but the break appeared to be fresh and likely happened well after the specimen was deposited into the sediments of the Krapina site. Perhaps it occurred during transport or storage after the excavation around 1900, he said.

The look of the rock also caught the researchers' eye as many inclusions or black lines on it stood out from the brown limestone. Perhaps that is what made the Neanderthal want to collect it in the first place.

"It looked like it is important," Frayer said. "We went back through all the collected items to make sure there weren't other rocks like it. It just sat there for 100 years like most of the other stuff from the site. The original archaeologists had described stone tools, but didn't pay any attention to this one."

They suspect a Neanderthal collected the rock from a site a few kilometers north of the Krapina site where there were known outcrops of biopelmicritic grey limestone. Either the Neanderthal found it there or the Krapinica stream transported it closer to the site.

The discovery of the rock collection is likely minor compared with other discoveries, such as more modern humans 25,000 years ago making cave paintings in France. However, Frayer said it added to a body of evidence that Neanderthals were capable assigning symbolic significance to objects and went to the effort of collecting them.

The discovery could also provide more clues as to how modern humans developed these traits, he said.

"It adds to the number of other recent studies about Neanderthals doing things that are thought to be unique to modern Homo sapiens," Frayer said. "We contend they had a curiosity and symbolic-like capacities typical of modern humans."

###

The study's other co-authors are, Ankica Oros Srsen, of the Institute for Quaternary Paleontology and Geology at the Croatian Academy of Science and Arts and Drazen Japundzic and Jakov Radovcic, both of the Department of Geology and Paleontology with the Croatian Natural History Museum.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Popular medical dramas such as Grey's Anatomy and Chicago Med often depict the tensions that can arise while making end-of-life medical decisions without "advance directives" on file. Advance directives, or living wills, are the legal documents individuals use to communicate their treatment preferences when faced with serious injuries or illnesses. Following a new study, Colleen Galambos, professor in the University of Missouri School of Social Work, says that more attention to how advance directives are used in nursing homes may reduce unnecessary care and save health care costs, all while respecting residents' wishes.

"In the nursing home setting, some providers use aggressive end-of-life care, even if it is not in a person's best interest or against a resident's wishes," Galambos said. "Evidence suggests that advance directives improve the dying experience for nursing home residents and decrease the cost of end-of-life care while honoring residents' expressed wishes about health care. However, at the national level only 65-70 percent of nursing home residents have advance directives; that number is significantly less here in Missouri."

Galambos and her team analyzed more than 1,800 medical records from St. Louis area nursing homes. Fifty percent of the records contained an advance directive; however, in many cases the forms were difficult to find in the charts, due to inconsistent record keeping. Galambos recommends that providers include a designated section in medical files for advance directives and that they reinforce with staff the importance of checking advance directives.

Galambos further suggests that parents and adult children begin discussions about their wishes for health care, including end-of-life care, as soon as possible, and that the forms be updated on a regular basis as health needs and philosophies of life can change. She says that no family member wants to be in a position to have to guess about what type of care their loved ones want when they are no longer able to communicate their wishes.

"There is no reason for adults not to have an advance directive and most nursing home residents should have an advance directive on file to ensure that they receive the type of end-of-life care they desire," Galambos said. "People can enact an advance directive at age 18, which is a good time to start thinking about what their wishes would be during an emergency."

"Analysis of advance directive documentation to support palliative care activities in nursing homes," recently was published in Health and Social Work, a journal of the National Association of Social Workers. Co-authors for the study were Marilyn Rantz, Curators' Professor of Nursing; Gregory Petroski, biostatistician with the Office of Medical Research; and Julie Starr, nurse practitioner with MU Health.

Galambos recently was selected as a National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Social Work Pioneer of the Year for her contributions to the social work profession. Galambos is the director of the graduate certificate in Gerontological Social Work program. The School of Social Work is part of the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences.

###

Editor's Note: In 2012, a team of University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing researchers, including Rantz and Galambos, received a $14.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reduce hospitalizations of nursing home residents. The team received an additional $19.8 million grant to expand the nursing home improvement project. One goal of the project is to develop communication systems at nursing homes to ensure that consistent communication of residents' decisions about advance directives can take place.
Researchers from the University of Sydney and Bond University are urgently calling for greater independence and transparency around industry-sponsored patient advocacy groups, following a growing amount of evidence which raises questions over potential bias in their activities.

Patient advocacy groups are becoming bigger players in healthcare, promoting certain interventions and shaping public debate about disease more broadly. Yet little is known about how these organisations' commercial interests ultimately influence regulatory decisions and patients' health choices.

In commentary published today in JAMA Internal Medicine, Professor Lisa Bero from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre and Dr Ray Moynihan from Bond University argue that patient advocacy groups should be subject to the same level of scrutiny over conflicts of interest and misleading claims as other medical and pharmaceutical bodies.

"As more research is conducted into patient groups and their influence in medicine, the question remains - are they engaging in potentially deceptive practices by suggesting solutions which better serve the interests of their corporate sponsors, rather than what's best for patients?" said Professor Bero, who is also based at the University of Sydney's Faculty of Pharmacy.

"The very way we think about disease is being subtly distorted because many of the ostensibly independent players, including patient advocacy groups, are largely singing tunes acceptable to companies seeking to maximise markets for drugs and devices."

Currently in Australia there are no national requirements for patient advocacy groups to disclose their funding sources or industry sponsorships, though some pharmaceutical companies voluntarily disclose payments to these organisations through Medicines Australia.

Professor Bero and Dr Moynihan point to an increasing body of evidence suggesting bias in favour of funding source by those patient advocacy groups sponsored by drug manufacturers and other device companies.

A new survey by Dr Susannah Rose and colleagues from the Cleveland Clinic in the United States of 439 patient organisations found that two-thirds of responding groups received some form of industry funding. One in 10 reported half their funding was from industry, with the median amount $50,000, while approximately 10 percent of groups received $1 million annually - almost half of that from pharmaceutical and device companies. Some of these groups even reported that they felt pressure from their sponsors to conform to their positions or interests.

"While there is ample evidence across medicine more generally showing that funding has the potential to bias research, education and practice, there is limited data on the possibility of similar associations between industry funding and advocacy group positions or activities," the authors state.

"In our view this new [research] demonstrates an urgent need for patient advocacy organisations to explicitly focus much more on representing the interests of patients and citizens, rather than serving - inadvertently or otherwise - the interests of their industry sponsors."

Another new study led by Dora Lin from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reveals that manufacturer-sponsored groups were more likely to oppose draft guidelines aimed at increasing regulation of opioid use (38 percent) compared to those with no industry funding (six percent). The study also revealed that of the 45 groups receiving industry funding, none of these were disclosed in the funding comments as part of the guideline submission.

"Thousands of patient advocacy groups in the United States are reliant on support from pharmaceutical or device industries, and at the system level the aggregation of this influence raises substantial concerns," said Dr Ray Moynihan of Bond University's Centre for Research in Evidence-Based Practice (CREBP).

"To ensure a healthier patient voice in medical research, education, policy and practice, sponsored groups that want to be seen as independent and credible need to decrease their industry sponsorship and ultimately disentangle - gaining in authority what they lose in resources."

###

Professor Lisa Bero is available for interviews on request.

Media enquiries:

University of Sydney

Emily Cook, +612 8627 1433, +61427 309 579, emily.cook@sydney.edu.au

Bond University

Terri Fellowes, +617 5595 1116, +61420 927 941, tfellowe@bond.edu.au
Strategies to boost staff performance and morale by manipulating our desire for meaningful work often achieve the opposite - damaging organisations and alienating employees - a new study suggests.

Previous research has shown that important and meaningful work is the single most-valued feature of employment for most of us, bringing a range of benefits for individuals and employers. This is borne out by the so-called 'lottery test', which shows that most people would continue to work after landing a windfall.

Managers have recognised this and employ a range of techniques to harness this natural motivation, such as encouraging us to adopt organisational values, supporting good causes, and linking work to a wider purpose.

But when employees view these strategies as self-serving, not genuine or incoherent - say, if the employer says one thing but does another - then they fall flat and can actually have negative consequences, according to a new paper in the journal Human Resource Management Review.

The lead author, Professor Catherine Bailey in the School of Business, Management and Economics at the University of Sussex, says that the mismanagement of meaningfulness in the workplace is giving rise to what she describes as 'existential labour'.

She says: "Management strategies like this, when executed badly, leave huge numbers of workers who feel compelled to act as if they find their work meaningful, even if they do not.

"This may be for career advancement, the wish to feel good about oneself or the fear of negative outcomes, such as job loss, stigma or career blocking.

"But faking it in this way, pretending that they believe things that they do not, for instance, takes a huge amount of emotional resource and can leave people exhausted, burnt out or wanting to quit."

Professor Bailey and colleagues at Greenwich, Berlin and LSE identify two forms of 'acting' that employees use when they perceive organisational efforts to manage the meaningfulness of their work.

Surface existential acting is when an employee acts in line with expectations at work even if their true values and beliefs are different.

Deep existential acting, meanwhile, occurs when an employee attempts to alter their own sense of what is meaningful in order to more closely align with their employer. The paper gives the example of a call centre worker who finds meaning in helping vulnerable or worried customers, yet is expected to handle as many calls as possible in a day. That person sets out to deliberately change their perception of the situation so that they instead find meaning in helping the maximum number of people in a day, even if that means sacrificing time spent on each one.

Both can cause problems for individuals and organisations, the researchers say, and managers and HR professionals should take note. Professor Bailey says: "HR professionals should consider the factors that are likely to give rise to forms of organisational acting, such as reward systems that emphasize 'fitting in', and structures and systems that allow little room for individual choice, voice and discretion, and explore the extent to which these are true of their organizations.

"Ensuring that line managers are appropriately trained and developed to help employees find their work genuinely meaningful should be the cornerpiece of a meaningfulness management strategy."

###
MH370: Families say search suspension for Malaysian plane 'irresponsible'

Families of the victims of flight MH370 say a decision to halt the search for the Malaysian airliner that vanished in March 2014 is "irresponsible".
During the Renaissance in the 15th and 16th century, art and culture increasingly turned towards the ancient Greeks and Romans. At the same time, the Renaissance marked a turning point in Euro-Arab relations. Professor Dag Nikolaus Hasse from the Julius-Maximilians-Universitat (JMU) Wurzburg n Bavaria, Germany, describes this process in his new book.

Researchers frequently assume that the people of the Renaissance had little interest in Arabic science and philosophy. In his book published in English, however, Hasse demonstrates that this was not the case.

Booming interest in Arabic works

On the one hand, the influence of Arab traditions such as pharmacology, astrology or theory of intellect peaked during the Renaissance. The epoch saw a virtual boom in Latin new translations and new editions of Arabic works such as Avicenna's Cannon of Medicine or Averroes' Commentaries on Aristotle.

Moreover, lots of Renaissance scholars adopted Arab ideas in the fields of medicine, astrology and philosophy. They even defended these ideas against critics.

Arabic roots suppressed deliberately

"On the other hand, people began to forget or even to reject the Arabic roots of European culture deliberately during this period," Hasse says. In line with a radical interpretation of humanism, Arab authors were deliberately replaced by Greek authorities in the curricula of European universities.

This process was accompanied by harsh polemics. For instance, Arab scientists were wrongly accused of being enemies of religion, plagiarists and of corrupting language.

But the polemics was not just ideological: The humanists were language experts and as such they were able for the first time to identify deficits in scientific Arab texts which had been caused by incorrect translation and handing-down errors.

A combination of ideological and scientific motives

In his book, the Wurzburg professor demonstrates how a mixture of ideological and scientific motives caused some Arabic traditions to almost disappear in European culture, whereas others continued to thrive.

Averroes' theory on intellect, for example, was attacked as being anti-religious and non-Greek, but still had supporters who argued cleverly. It was not before the mid-16th century that it was replaced by rivalling philosophical theories.

###
"Professor Laurens Molenkamp has significantly contributed to the experimental field of spintronics. His work includes ground-breaking methods for creating and manipulating spin-polarized charge-carrier states in semiconductors. Moreover, Professor Molenkamp has experimentally confirmed the quantum spin-Hall effect, thereby spurring the development of topological insulators."

With this explanatory statement, the King Faisal Foundation (KFF) recently awarded the King Faisal International Prize in the "Science" category to Professor Laurens Molenkamp. The award comes with a cash endowment of US$ 200,000. Molenkamp shares the prize with Professor Daniel Loss of the Department of Physics at the University of Basel in Switzerland.

Keyword "spintronics"

The science of spintronics is about the transport and manipulation of electrons with a specific spin orientation in semiconductors. Possible applications range from novel components such as transistors to memory cells and quantum computers.

Laurens Molenkamp is considered one of the fathers of semiconductor spintronics. In 1999, he was the first researcher worldwide to prove the possibility of electrical spin injection in semiconductors, thereby opening up the field of spintronics for experimental research.

2007 saw Molenkamp implement topological insulators for the first time. These materials are insulating on the inside and spin-polarised metallic conducting at the surface. Since then, this novel material class has been the focus of intensive research as it is expected to yield further progress in spintronics: Topological insulators should allow novel computer chips based on quantum mechanical principles to be implemented in the future.

Multiple awards for the physicist

Molenkamp received several prestigious international awards for his top research including the Europhysics Prize 2010, the Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize of the American Physical Society 2012, the Physics Frontiers Prize 2013, the Leibniz Prize 2014 and most recently the Stern-Gerlach Medal, the most prestigious Award of Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft to be presented next March.

King Faisal International Prize

The King Faisal International Prize was founded in 1979 by the King Faisal Foundation. Each year it is presented in recognition of excellence in five categories: Service to Islam, Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Literature, Science and Medicine. The prize owes its name to King Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz of Saudi Arabia, the son of the nation's founder. It is awarded during a ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under the auspices of the King of Saudi Arabia.

According to the foundation, the winners are selected "during a strictly regulated procedure following international standards", which is backed by the fact that many winners of the King Faisal Prize were later honoured with the Nobel Prize.

###
DALLAS - January 16, 2017 - Vision deterioration in astronauts who spend a long time in space is likely due to the lack of a day-night cycle in intracranial pressure. But using a vacuum device to lower pressure for part of each day might prevent the problem, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers said. Their study appears in the Journal of Physiology.

A change in vision is the No. 1 health risk for astronauts who spend extended periods of time on the International Space Station. The new research showed that intracranial pressure in zero-gravity conditions, such as exists in space, is higher than when people are standing or sitting on Earth, but lower than when people are sleeping on Earth. The researcher's finding suggests that the constancy of pressure on the back of the eye causes the vision problems astronauts experience over time.

To study how zero-gravity conditions affect intracranial pressure, UT Southwestern researchers recruited volunteer patients who had had a port (called an Ommaya reservoir) permanently placed in their head as part of treatment for cancer. The ports provided a way for researchers to measure intracranial pressure. NASA flights then flew the eight volunteers one by one on steep up-and-down maneuvers (parabolic flights) that created 20-second intervals of weightlessness. The researchers measured intracranial pressure during the zero-gravity intervals and compared these with intracranial pressure during standard times of sitting, lying face upward (supine), and lying with head inclined downward.

"These challenging experiments were among the most ambitious human studies ever attempted as part of the Flight Operations parabolic flight program, and changed the way we think about the effect of gravity - and its absence - on pressure inside the brain," said senior author Dr. Benjamin Levine, Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine (IEEM), jointly run by UT Southwestern and Texas Health Resources.

"The information from these studies is already leading to novel partnerships with companies to develop tools to simulate the upright posture in space while astronauts sleep, thereby normalizing the circadian variability in intracranial pressure, and hopefully eliminating the remodeling behind the eye," said Dr. Levine, who holds the Distinguished Professorship in Exercise Sciences.

The researchers have continued studying whether it is possible to lower intracranial pressure by means of a vacuum device that pulls blood away from the head. They previously showed that a negative pressure box that snuggly fits the lower body can lower intracranial pressure when applied for 20-minute periods. They will soon be testing the effect of the lower body negative pressure device on eye remodeling when negative pressure is applied for eight-hour periods.

"Astronauts are basically supine the entire time they are in space. The idea is that the astronauts would wear negative pressure clothing or a negative pressure device while they sleep, creating lower intracranial pressure for part of each 24 hours," said first author Dr. Justin Lawley, Instructor in Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern and a researcher at the IEEM.

The negative pressure device research was also used with patients with Ommaya ports.

"We are extremely grateful to these brave men and women from around the country who volunteered to let us make these critical measurements on them during parabolic flight. They have been through a lot of medical procedures in their lives, and were nonetheless extremely altruistic, desiring to give something back to medical science," Dr. Levine said of the cancer patient volunteers.

###

Other UT Southwestern researchers who participated in this research include Dr. Erin Howden, post-doctoral researcher; Dr. Satyam Sarma, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine; Dr. William K. Cornwell, former cardiology fellow; Dr. Rong Zhang, Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, and Internal Medicine; and Dr. Louis "Tony" Whitworth, Professor of Neurological Surgery and Radiation Oncology.

This work was supported by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute through NCC 9-58.

The Journal of Physiology publishes advances in physiology that increase understanding of how bodies function in health and disease.

About UT Southwestern Medical Center

UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution's faculty includes many distinguished members, including six who have been awarded Nobel Prizes since 1985. The faculty of almost 2,800 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide medical care in about 80 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients and oversee approximately 2.2 million outpatient visits a year.
When clamping of the umbilical cord is delayed, iron deficiency up to six months of age can be prevented, according to a new study from Uppsala University, published in JAMA Pediatrics. The study was conducted in Nepal.

Anaemia affects over 40 per cent of all children under five years of age in the world. Anaemia can impinge on mental and physical performance, and is associated with long-term deterioration in growth and development. Iron deficiency is the reason for anaemia in approximately 50 per cent of the children. When clamping of the umbilical cord is delayed, i.e. for more than three minutes, iron deficiency up to six months of age can be prevented, but this has not been shown to prevent iron deficiency or anaemia in older infants.

At birth, approximately one third of the child's blood is in the placenta. If clamping of the umbilical cord is done immediately (early cord clamping), the blood will remain in the placenta and go to waste (or can be stored in stem cell banks). If instead clamping is postponed for three minutes, most of the blood can flow back to the child as an extra blood transfusion, consisting of about one decilitre (half a cup) of blood, which is equivalent to about two litres (half a US gallon) for an adult. A blood donor gives 0.4-0.5 litres of blood.

Blood contains red blood cells that contain haemoglobin. Haemoglobin carries oxygen to the tissues of the body. Haemoglobin contains a lot of iron, and the extra decilitre of blood may contain iron that corresponds to three to four months of an infant's needs.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends umbilical cord clamping at one minute or later, while the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) recommends umbilical cord clamping at 30-60 seconds or later.

Our study:

In the study, the researchers randomised 540 children born at a large obstetrical hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, to early (less than 60 seconds) or delayed (more than 180 seconds) cord clamping. In Nepal, approximately 70 per cent of infants up to one year of age have anaemia. Follow-up included blood samples at eight and twelve months of age, to evaluate anaemia (haemoglobin) and iron deficiency (ferritin).

Previously, we have demonstrated that after delayed clamping children in Sweden had more iron in the body at four months of age and that the proportion of children with iron deficiency decreased by 90 per cent, from 5.7 per cent to 0.6 per cent.

We have also shown that the children's general intelligence and development did not differ at four years of age, but after delayed clamping the children had improved fine motor and social skills.

What did we find?

At the age of eight months, the incidence of anaemia was reduced by nine per cent among the Nepalese infants and even at twelve months of age, eight per cent fewer infants were anaemic. The children in the delayed cord clamping group generally had higher haemoglobin values, and the percentage of children who had iron deficiency at eight months of age decreased significantly, by more than 40 per cent.

Does the study have any limitations?

Major earthquakes occurred in Nepal in the midst of the trial, in May 2015. It was difficult to reach all the infants for blood sampling at eight and twelve months of age. At eight months, three quarters (74 per cent) and at twelve months just under two thirds (62 per cent) were assessed. We had anticipated these problems and had therefore 188 additional children included in the study from the beginning.

More than one fifth (23 per cent) of the infants randomised to delayed cord clamping were still clamped early. Their results were counted among the delayed clamped infants according to 'intention to treat'. If we exclude them, the beneficial effects of delayed cord clamping become even clearer.

What are the research implications?

This study implies that waiting to clamp the umbilical cord for more than three minutes is important in communities where it is common for infants to have anaemia and iron deficiency. Delaying cord clamping for more than three minutes is an action with no cost from which we have not seen any side effects. We hope that those who write recommendations regarding umbilical cord clamping will take our results into consideration in the future.

###

Andersson, O. et al, Can Delayed Umbilical Cord Clamping Reduce Infant Anaemia at Age 8, 12 Months? JAMA Pediatrics, 17 January 2017, doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.3971

For more information:

Ola Andersson, M. D. and researcher at the Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, ola.andersson@kbh.uu.se, +46 709 66 41 80

Ashish K.C., researcher in Nepal at the Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, aaashis7@yahoo.com, +977-1-984 145 3806.

Former studies: Delayed cord clamping improves fine motor skills (2015-05-26) http://www.uu.se/en/media/news/article/?id=4746&area=4,10,16&typ=artikel&lang=en
The Claas Group has given approval for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art headquarters building for Claas UK on Saxham Business Park near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

The next five years should see the multi-million pound project completely redevelop the existing Claas site.

Within this will be the construction of a new signature building that reflects both the importance of Claas within the UK agricultural industry and also the sites prominent position alongside the A14.

By giving go-ahead for this new building, both the Claas Group and the Claas family have shown their commitment to both Claas in the UK, and also to west Suffolk where were now one of the largest employers, Claas UK chief executive Trevor Tyrrell said.

Founded more than 100 years ago and still privately owned by the Claas family, the Claas Group is one of the largest private agricultural machinery manufacturers in the world.

Based in Germany, the company operates 14 manufacturing plants around the globe and employs more than 11,300 people.

Today, Claas UK employs more than 400 people throughout the UK and Ireland.

When the current building was constructed, they would never have imagined that 50 years later we would now have over 100 people working on site and that as the headquarters for Claas UK, it would be providing sales, service, parts and training support to dealerships throughout the UK and Ireland, in addition to receiving visitors from around the world, Mr Tyrrell added. The site is at maximum capacity.

Designed by architects Barber Casanovas Ruffles of Cambridge, the new state-of-the-art building uses solar passive design techniques, renewable energy and rain water harvesting to support the daily operations.
A Green Origin Launches To Provide Clean Energy Inspirations For Everyday People

A Green Origin is a website that seeks to democratize green energy by showing people the affordable ways in which they can introduce renewables to their homesteads.

--

Renewable energy is making huge strides every day, but the chief problem it still faces is one of cost. Solar, wind and hydroelectric power represent a huge up-front investment which takes years to earn back in free, clean energy. While this means many people can't take themselves off-grid immediately, there are many small and innovative new approaches to utilize this technology more affordably. A Green Origin is a website that helps people discover how renewable energy technologies can help them live more easily and cheaply in the 21st century, while helping to preserve the planet for future generations.

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The solar pool heater is just one example where solar has been proven more efficient and cost effective than either gas or traditional electric heaters. Using dedicated, closed systems like these, powered by renewable energy, is one way people can save money on their bills and reduce their impact on the environment at the same time.

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Source: http://marketersmedia.com/a-green-origin-launches-to-provide-clean-energy-inspirations-for-everyday-people/161601

Release ID: 161601

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Well, here we are in 2017. Lets hope its not such a tumultuous year as 2016 when politics on both sides of the pond suddenly became interesting.

This year, elections in France and Germany are in store plus the invoking of Article 50, maybe as soon as March.

I note that Andrea Leadsoms speech at the Oxford Farming Conference managed to say absolutely nothing of interest.

From what I understand, her main thrust was to reduce red tape in whatever replaces BPS. I think the EU review due this year will probably beat her to the removal of the three crop rule.

See also: Read more from our Arable Farmer Focus writers

Looking at previous debacles in introducing new schemes, I am not very confident that a shiny new farming support system will be up and running by 2020.

This is even assuming that we will have extricated ourselves from the EU by then anyway. Perhaps this might all be irrelevant if the French decide on Marine Le Pen and Angela Merkel loses the German election bringing the EU crashing down around us.

So my expectations are that to start with at least, we will get a watered down, reduced payment version of the current system. Oh, but without the three crop rule, of course.

Trials yield results

On-farm trials have always figured in my bid to improve what I do here. For the previous two harvests I have been looking at growth regulation in wheat.

With our wildly varying soils and undulating topography it is quite easy to either over- or under-apply growth regulators.

When you have soils varying from clay cap to gravel, chalk, and loam all in one field, plus valleys and banks, you can see my dilemma.

With the help of the SOYL precision crop services we have variably applied the T0 growth regulator and fungicide and compared that with a farm standard.

The result was a very pleasing 0.4t/ha yield increase over the past two years. As there was no lodging I am convinced the extra yield has come from not applying higher doses to the lighter soil areas.

My new motto then: Less is more.

Simon Beddows manages 1,000ha of arable land at Dunsden Green, south Oxfordshire. Cropping is cereals, oilseed rape, beans and forage maize.
The Prime Ministers much-trailed Brexit speech drew a mixed reaction from producers, exporters and those who buy from and supply goods to farmers.

Confirmation that the UK will seek to quit the EUs single market and full membership of the wider customs union, while negotiating a free trade deal with the EU, presents a huge challenge for UK agriculture.

See also: Sheep producers voice fears over hard Brexit

However, Mrs Mays desire for a phased implementation to avoid economic cliff edges and allow adjustment and reorganisation was welcomed.

Theresa Mays Brexit speech  her main aims for trade and the movement of people: Come out of single market

Have a customs union agreement, but not full membership

Get a free trade deal with the EU to keep barriers to trade as low as possible

No deal is better than a bad deal  she would be prepared to walk away without any trade deal with the EU

Reach an agreement over the next two years and then put in place transitional arrangements to avoid cliff edge for businesses

Will guarantee rights of EU citizens in the UK if the EU guarantees the rights of UK citizens on the continent.

Will not allow free movement of people. But still wants immigration from EU member states and elsewhere, but in a controlled way that meets the UKs needs

So what did those in the industry make of it?

Jack Ward, chief executive, British Growers

Referring to Mrs Mays assertion that she would favour no trade deal over a bad deal with the EU, Mr Ward said:

No deal may be a bad deal. They keep talking about trading with the US, Australia and New Zealand, but there is a world of difference between putting produce on a lorry, loading it at Folkestone and it being on the continent in 40 minutes  and loading it at Southampton, it sitting on the truck for 40 minutes [before shipping it to the US for example].

But free trade with the EU was important for the UKs horticulture sector, not so much for exports but for the importation of key inputs such as seeds, said Mr Ward.

There was a long way to go before UK horticulture would know whether a trade deal, if it was achieved, would be advantageous to the sector or not, added Mr Ward. The same was true for policy on movement of people.

The devil will be in the detail  at the moment were leading with headlines, he said.

Mrs Mays point about controlling immigration did not necessarily preclude a seasonal agriculture workers scheme, said Mr Ward, but there was no detail on whether it would include it.

David Sheppard, managing director, Gleadell Agriculture

There was no comfort in the speech for Mr Sheppard. It seems to be a hard Brexit and that is a hell of a lot worse for our industry than a soft Brexit, he said.

Geography dictates that most of our export business, whether lamb, beef, cereals or oilseeds, goes to or comes in from Europe.

Last season saw 2.85m tonnes of wheat exported from the UK with 2.3m tonnes of that going to other EU member states.

Mrs Mays position that no deal is better than a bad deal has set alarm bells ringing in the grain trade, too, as it heralds the possibility of trading with the EU under World Trade Organisation terms, which currently means a 12/t tax would be levied on grain exports.

In addition, such trade would have to be done under a bidding system, which would not necessarily secure business for the UK.

You cant suddenly pretend that you can shift most of your exports to South Korea or Saudi Arabia, said Mr Sheppard. Apart from quality and suitability questions, only a few UK ports could handle the size of cargoes required and so grain would have to be transported further by road even if this business was secured.

Richard Clothier, managing director, Wyke Farms

I think we need to stay positive about this. Looking through what she is saying, it looks as if we will have a deal with the customs union, which will be a good thing as it will give us access to the free market.

I think that premium dairy products can stand a small levy, but the scale of that levy will be critical for farmers.

Being realistic, the UK was always going to have to leave the single market if was to have any chance of forging trade deals with other big economies, said Mr Clothier.

But he warned: The government has set its stall out and is prepared to risk the free market that we enjoy with the EU. In return they will have to land a big free trade deal with one of the big economies, such as the US or India, to prove that it has been a success.

Now that stall was set out, it was more important for UK businesses to see the efforts and plans to build new markets and opportunities elsewhere.

The government must commit a fund to support trade in Europe in the form of promotions and tastings in European supermarkets and trade shows to prove that, despite Brexit, the government still values our EU trading partners, added Mr Clothier.

Mary Quicke, executive director, Quickes cheese makers

She talks about getting a deal, like [with] Trump. [But] its not a deal, its a highly complex negotiation. Have we got the negotiators in place?

Defra will do the food and agriculture negotiations. Andrea Leadsom keeps repeating that she is getting briefings from her team  Im not convinced her team have got the capacity to conduct anything like the complexity and extent of the trade negotiations required.

They will be negotiating with Brussels, who have been doing this stuff for 40 years. Unless we start understanding the scale of the demands, we [and our agricultural and food markets] will be toast.

Ms Quicke said it was positive that Mrs May was talking about transitional arrangements and noted that countries had 15 years to become an EU member, so why not have 15 years to come out properly.

If we dont, and the EU wont play, that will be very difficult for our EC cheese sales, and for all commodity agricultural products.

She questioned Mrs Mays trade deal; It sounds like she is pretending we can be part of the single market by calling it free trade.

The substantial contribution that the food sector and farming makes to GDP was reliant on migrant labour, said Ms Quicke.

Referring to Mrs Mays comment that she wanted skilled migrant labour, Ms Quick said: The labour we need is skilled, but doesnt show up as skilled in the visa requirements because farming and food is not a formal profession.
Achyut Wagle holds PhD in economics and is currently a professor at the Kathmandu University School of Management. He is an econo-political analyst, writing for The Kathmandu Post for many years.




Haiti - Politics : Demonstration of support to Guy Philippe front US embassy





Friday, more than 200 people, supporters and sympathizers of Senator Guy Philippe, brandishing his photo, Haitian flags and shouting slogans hostile to the Americans, demonstrated in front of the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince, where an important security device of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) and the peacekeepers of Minustah, had been deployed to avoid any overflow.



The protesters demanded the return to Haiti of Senator Guy Philippe, arrested and extradited to the United States on January 5, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19721-haiti-flash-senator-guy-philippe-extradited-to-the-usa.html , accused by the American justice of drug trafficking and money laundering and targeted by an arrest warrant issued in 2005 by a US federal court.



"We want to tell the Americans to bring Guy Philippe back to the airport, where they kidnapped him. It is not because we do not have an army, because we are a small country, that Americansmay think they are allowed to enter here and arrest an elected Senator," said a very motivated supporter of Senator Philippe.



It is worth mentioning that it was not the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that arrested the Haitian Senator on the national territory, but Haitian agents of the Anti-Trafficking Bureau (BLTS), and it was the Haitian security forces who subsequently handed over the same day to the DEA Senator Guy Phlippe for his transfer to the United States.



The same Friday, Guy Philippe, went to the Miami Federal Court for the arraignment hearing https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19731-haiti-flash-guy-philippe-the-charges-are-known-appearing-on-january-13-2017.html accompanied by his American lawyers Zeljka Bozanic and Richard Okyere Dansoh, he pleaded not guilty before a Miami judge to the charges the federal government had against him https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19796-haiti-flash-guy-philippe-pleads-not-guilty.html . No date has been set for the next hearing.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19796-haiti-flash-guy-philippe-pleads-not-guilty.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19790-haiti-security-all-closed-schools-in-the-department-of-grande-anse.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19774-haiti-flash-guy-philippe-was-extradited-on-what-legal-basis.html

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



TB/ HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Elections : Quick parallel counting and tendency of votes





Friday, in the perspective of legislative and local elections of 29 January, the leaders of the Steering Committee of the Citizen Observatory for the Institutionalization of Democracy (OCID) met, on the one hand, academics and opinion leaders and, on the other, members of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) around the experience of Systematic Electoral Observation, particularly the parallel and quick counting of voting trends.



During these two meetings, Rosny Desroches, a member of the Steering Committee, reminded the observatory bet to enhance the use of scientific methods at the service of politics to the detriment of subjectivity and inconsistency, while seeking the contribution of the interlocutors in this fight.



Neil Nevitt, Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto and consultant to the National Democratic Institute (NDI), explained the stages of systematic observation, from the determination of a sample polling station to the publication of the data collected.



Highlight of these exchanges was the presentation by Professor Nevitt of the results of the "Quick Count" carried out discreetly by the OCID during the presidential election of 20 November 2016, substantially matching to those published by the CEP.



The reactions of the participants were rather positive. Several officials of State structures and of the society have renewed their commitment to advocate for the modernization of political life through the use of scientific processes, such as surveys and polls.



This Monday, January 16, it will be the turn of the leaders of political parties to exchange with the leaders of the OCID about the actions to institutionalize democracy in Haiti.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping politics...





Jovenel Moise welcomes election of Senate bureau

Jovenel Moise, the elected President of Haiti welcomed the election of the new Senate Bureau https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19797-haiti-politics-youri-latortue-new-president-of-the-senate.html "This is an important step in the process of strengthening our democratic institutions and political stability. I renew my commitment to work together, executive and legislative, in a perfect spirit of national concord and transcendence to write the most beautiful page in the political, economic and social history of our common homeland."



Ambassador Paul Altidor and Martin Luther King

Sunday, Ambassador Paul Altidor received the International Service Award at the Martin Luther King, Jr. International Salute Celebration.



"We dedicate this weekend to the life and legacy of this great man whose dream made it possible for all nations to believe and strive for freedom, justice and equality for all. Haiti is honored to have been an inspiration as the First black nation to stand and revolt against oppression. Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day friends !" declared the Ambassador.



BAI deplores BCEN decision

The Office of International Lawyers and the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) deplore the incomplete verification carried out by the electoral authorities of Haiti, which are well below the verification indicated in the "before matters" of the Office of National Electoral Litigation (BCEN). The BCEN decision of January 3, 2017 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19690-haiti-flash-bcen-rendered-its-final-decision.html ignores the legitimate demands of political parties and observation groups and jeopardizes the credibility of the results of the recently announced presidential elections.



Jovenel Moise already supported by the State

According to a member of the government, Jovenel Moise would already be taken in charge by the State for his expenses while waiting for his oath on 7 February.



Senator Etienne thanks his colleagues

"I thank my colleagues Senators who elected me almost unanimously first Secretary of the Senate," said the new senator and only woman in the Upper House Dieudonne Luma Etienne (PHTK).



Successful concert at the Palace Sans-Souci

Saturday at the Palace Sans-Souci, despite the threats of rain, the public moved in numbers for the Concert for Peace and Reconciliation https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19785-haiti-news-zapping-politics.html More than 1,500 people on site and many others outside. The people of Milot came to attend the Concert with their chair and the joy of living... Some people remained standing, but with a smile...



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Heifer USA supports small-scale farmers to deliver fresh, nutritious food to reliable markets by providing them with training, education and resources needed to sell their products for a fair price. This work is critical to helping small-scale American farmers lift themselves out of poverty.

HOW WE ARE RESPONDING TO COVID-19:





As countless Americans face the possibility that unemployment benefits could end after months of struggling, we continue to donate thousands of pounds of nutritious food to local foodbanks and are proud to be offering employment to food service workers who have lost their jobs. Heifer USA is also working to quickly integrate more small farms into our value-chain system.
Michigan man sent to prison for role in overdose deaths

A Michigan man was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty in Henderson County Superior Court to his role in the drug overdose deaths of two men at a Hendersonville hotel last February.

Related Stories

Randy Nead of Pullman, Mich., pleaded guilty to two charges of involuntary manslaughter. Judge Alan Z. Thornburg sentenced him to two consecutive prison sentences totaling 58 months. Nead must serve 32 months of that sentence before parole can be considered.

Nead is accused of providing heroin to two men staying at the Mountain Inn and Suites on Feb. 12, John Matthew Tucker Jr. and Leonard Paul Lefford, Jr., both of Arkansas. Tucker was working for a pipeline company and Lefford was with him in hopes of obtaining employment from the same company, the district attorney's office said. When Tucker failed to show for work, a co-worker went to his motel room to check on him. It was at this time that the bodies of both Tucker and Lefford was located. They had been dead for several hours. The autopsies of both men stated that the cause of death was heroin toxicity.

The Henderson County Sheriffs Office, with assistance from the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, determined in their investigation that the heroin consumed by both Tucker and Lefford was sent overnight by FedEx from a location in Allegan, Mich. It was further determined that Nead was responsible for sending the deadly narcotics to Tucker and Lefford in Hendersonville. Text messages show Tucker instructed Nead to hide the drugs inside a valentine shaped candy box for shipping. The valentine shaped candy box was found in the motel room of the dead men.

Nead was arrested in the state of Indiana on June 1 and subsequently brought to the Henderson County jail. He will now be transferred to the NC prison system.

My position is that persons who distribute illegal drugs must own the consequences of their actions, said District Attorney Greg Newman. We are witnessing more opiate and heroin related deaths in our area and I intend to prosecute the individuals who make these inherently dangerous drugs available to anyone. Illegal narcotics destroy families and damage communities. These are not so-called victimless crimes. Just ask any mother or father who has a daughter or son struggling with addictions and they will agree with me that there are many people adversely impacted by narcotic distribution and use. I appreciate the dedication by our police and sheriffs department to aggressively investigate these cases so that the drug dealers can be prosecuted and held accountable."
NAC to take delivery of Chinese planes, finally

Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) will be receiving two Chinese aircraft for its domestic fleet by next week, two years after their delivery was confirmed.
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The Coast Guard have carried out two offshore operations to evacuate fishermen from two different vessels.

The Waterford-based helicopter R117 was sent to help a fishermen who suffered an onboard injury.
Theresa May and Enda Kenny have urged a "respectful" election campaign in Northern Ireland after a snap poll was triggered by the collapse of the power-sharing executive.

Both leaders spoke by telephone after Secretary of State James Brokenshire confirmed the region will go to the ballot box on March 2 amid a deepening political crisis.

The Taoiseach's spokesman said the pair discussed the bitter fall-out and regretted that the DUP and Sinn Fein had been unable to reach agreement.

"They both expressed the hope that the election campaign would be respectful, noting that following the election the Northern Ireland parties would once again have to engage on the various challenges they face," he said.

"The Taoiseach and Prime Minister repeated their desire to see the institutions established under the Good Friday Agreement operating effectively, and in particular to have a fully-functioning Executive in place as soon as possible."

Speculation has been mounting of a rancorous election campaign in the weeks ahead given the widening divergence between the two main parties at Stormont.

If a new power-sharing administration cannot be formed after the March elections, the region faces the prospect of yet another election or even direct rule being reimposed from Westminster.

Mrs May and Mr Kenny also spoke about the Prime Minister's much-anticipated speech to be delivered on Tuesday, which is expected to set out Britain's Brexit plan.

The Taoiseach reiterated a number of key concerns for Ireland during the conversation, focusing on economic and trading relationships, the common travel area and the peace process, including concerns about the border.
Former Conservative Party Minister Michael Portillo believes Ireland needs to defend the UK during Brexit negotiations.

"Obviously there are very special considerations between Britain and Ireland," he said.

"And I do think Ireland needs to be one of the advocates within the remaining members of the European Union saying: 'It doesn't follow that Britain has to be cast in some sort of outer darkness with tariff barriers between us'."

British Prime Minister Theresa May will set out a detailed plan later for taking the UK out of the EU.

Read: Read More: A sneak peek at Theresa May's major Brexit speech

She is expected to strongly suggest a 'Hard Brexit', leaving the European single market and the customs union.

She reportedly has a 12-step strategy for negotiations.

Last night she spoke to the Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who reminded her of Ireland's concerns, including those around trade and the border.

The British Irish Chamber of Commerce estimates there are about 350 points where roads cross into Northern Ireland from the Republic

The Chamber's CEO John McGrane has warned of the problems Brexit could create there.

"Borders create differences in price," he said.

"Differences in price create situations where people try and get around that through illicit trade.

"I think there's, appropriately, a very high concern in all parts of the island, and in the UK, about that."
The US government has urged a quick resumption of powersharing in Northern Ireland.

Restored democratic institutions and engaged citizens can take the country forward, the State Department said, following the calling of fresh elections.

There are fears a divisive campaign will make a rapprochement even less likely, raising the spectre of a return to direct rule if a new administration cannot be formed within the required three weeks on the other side of the March 2 poll.

The US statement said: "The United States remains committed to supporting a more peaceful and prosperous Northern Ireland.

"To this end, we urge all political parties to focus on quickly finding a way forward to the resumption of stable devolved governance.

"We also encourage civil society leaders to continue their vital work building a better, shared future.

"Restored devolved democratic institutions and an engaged, constructive citizenry can best take Northern Ireland forward."

The Ulster Unionists have referred Northern Ireland's botched eco-energy scheme which precipitated the crisis to the police.

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) threatens to cost the taxpayer up to 490m over the next 20 years.

Some boilers are producing profits of more than 80% for users, the Stormont assembly was told.

MLA Steve Aiken said: "I have written to the Chief Constable of the PSNI (George Hamilton) on foot of assertions made by the Minister for the Economy at yesterday's emergency economy committee meeting."

Northern Ireland will now go to the polls just ten months after the last assembly vote.

Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness quit last week citing irreconcilable differences with the DUP.

The deadline for Sinn Fein to renominate to the vacant post before an election had to be called passed on Monday evening.

Republicans have accused the DUP of alleged corruption, although that is unproven.

Sinn Fein did not show up at Stormont for a debate on the RHI.

Democratic Unionist assembly member Emma Little Pengelly hit back at her party's critics.

"I am not corrupt and I am not arrogant. I honestly know that my colleagues are not arrogant and corrupt either," she said.

"I got into politics to serve the people, to be an advocate and to deliver for the people of South Belfast and Northern Ireland."

Claire Hanna from the nationalist SDLP said there had been an "alphabet soup" of scandal.

"We need to start getting answers and we need people to understand that this assembly is more than a racket and a farce."

MLA Stephen Farry said the civil service was being politicised.

He said an inquiry should examine the design of the RHI, how whistleblowers were treated and delays in taking remedial action.

"RHI has struck a chord with people because it relates to the struggles they face and can recognise incompetence at least."

Nichola Mallon, of the SDLP, said the RHI had cost the taxpayer 32m since a whistleblower contacted the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in January last year.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland statement confirmed it had received Mr Aiken's letter and was considering the contents.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has said retaining the Common Travel Area between Ireland and the United Kingdom is an absolute priority for her in the wake of Brexit, writes Daniel McConnell of the Irish Examiner.

In her keynote address which signalled her intention to pursue a hard exit from the Customs Union, Mrs May spoke of the special relationship that exists between the Irish and British people.

Her comments are a significant boost to Ireland which is more exposed than any other from the fall-out from Brexit, but committing to the continuation of the Common Travel Area will be greatly welcomed by the Irish Government.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Mrs May had spoken last night and it is clear the views of the Dublin Government have been taken on board by the Tory leader.

Mrs May said her government will find a practical solution that allows the common travel area between Ireland and Northern Ireland to be maintained.

Mrs May has said her government will consider papers from the Scottish and Welsh government as it plans its Brexit strategy.

She added the British government will ensure, as powers are repatriated, the right powers go to Westminster, and the right ones to the devolved assemblies.

The Prime Minister said no decisions taken by the devolved administrations will be removed from them.

Sterling received another instant boost from Mays announcement that the Brexit deal will be put to parliament for a vote.

Mrs May said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all".

But the prime minister promised to push for the "greatest possible" access to the single market following Brexit.

In a long-awaited speech, she also announced Parliament would get a vote on the final deal agreed between the UK and the European Union.

And Mrs May promised an end to "vast contributions" to the European Union.

The prime minister used the speech to announce the 12 objectives the UK has set for its negotiations with the EU, including:

Mrs May said she does not want partial membership of the EU.

We seek a new and equal partnership  between an independent, self-governing, Global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU, she said.

Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out. We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave. The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. My job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do, she added.

Mrs May said she wants Brexit to lead to a fairer Britain.

There has been record immigration into Britain, she said.

That has put a downward pressure on wages.

She said, as British Home Secretary, she learnt you cannot control immigration while allowing free travel from the EU.

Brexit must mean control of number of people coming to the UK from Europe.

During her 45-minute speech, Mrs May proposed a flexible Brexit transitional deal, with different aspects lasting different amounts of time.

She said these proposals will be the basis for a new relationship with the EU.
BAM chief executive Theo Cullinane confirmed that a detailed 400,000 internal design plan for the facility, earmarked for the former Beamish and Crawford site on South Main St, has been prepared by a team led by Populous and Charcoal Blue, global leaders in arena, stadia and event centre design. They have devised a series of complex engineering solutions to allow the proposed 6,000-seat venue to be one of the most flexible standalone venues in the world.

Following input from the venue operators, Live Nation, the designs show how the venue can be configured quickly in more than a dozen modes to host:

Large music concerts, either fully-seated or with a mix of standing and seating, and in-the-round concerts;

Large West End-style theatre shows with an orchestra pit;

Tennis and basketball tournaments and boxing matches;

Skating shows on a full-sized ice-rink;

Banquets, seminars, and trade shows.

The plans show how seats can be deployed, reconfigured and stored, how acoustics and sight-lines can be maintained depending on the mode, and how sound, lighting, electrical, air-conditioning, and fire-safety systems can be installed or moved to suit each mode. Extra floor area to accommodate the modes, extra dressing rooms, and storage areas have also been added.

Reviews will take place over the next two to three weeks to resolve the outcome of this design process, with various budgetary constraints governing the project, which is set to get approximately 20m in state funding. This money was sanctioned in December 2014 after reports showed public funding was required to bridge a market failure gap to get the project off the ground.

Analysts said there is an economic case to justify the public investment: The venue will generate more than 17m for city businesses, together with more than 4.5m in tax revenues, and support up to 160 jobs.

However, it is more than two years since the funding was sanctioned, and next month marks the first anniversary of the sod turning on site by Taoiseach Enda Kenny. Apart from some demolition and archaeological work, there have been few public signs of progress, leading to mounting concern and criticism.

Mr Cullinane said he decided to speak out to allay public concerns.

We remain fully committed to delivering an events centre to serve Cork and the region, he said.

We have spent over 6m of our own money to get to this stage, including design fees, planning costs, and site purchase.

We want to build a quality venue, something iconic that the region can be proud of, and we are doing everything in our power to ensure that this happens. We want to build a building of unique design, capable of catering for all event modes to ensure the sustainability of the venues business case.

He said similar facilities are typically fully funded by the State, and cited developments in Leeds, Hull, Bristol, and Berlin, in which BAM has been involved.

He said, given the complexities of the design process and the funding mechanism for the Cork project, he hopes that a firm timeline, including a possible construction start date, can be established over the coming weeks.

He pointed out that the sod was turned on the regeneration of the Capitol Cinema site on the same day as the events centre ceremony, and that BAM has almost finished building on that site.

He also pointed out that BAM, established in Cork in 1958, has a proud track record of delivering major civil engineering and building projects in the city, including the award-winning One Albert Quay, Cork Airports terminal building, the Western Gateway building for UCC, while work is ongoing on the regeneration of the citys district court complex on Anglesea St.

Cllr Mick Finn welcomed the update, but said public representatives need to be briefed too, as they seek to safeguard the 20m investment of public money.

Mr Cullinane said BAM is carrying the full risk of the project to date. We are now on the cusp of achieving this goal with Live Nation, the top event-centre operator in the world, he said.
West Seti hydropower project: Nepal, China put initials on joint venture pact

In a major breakthrough in the development of West Seti Hydropower Project, NEA and China Three Gorges Corporation on Monday put the initials on a joint venture pact to build one of the largest reservoir type hydro projects.
According to the research, 60.4% of Irish women continue to drink when they are expecting a baby, amounting to six times the global average of one in 10.

The next highest rate of drinking after Ireland was to be found in Belarus, where 46.6% of women admitted drinking. Denmark came third with 45.8% of pregnant women opting for alcohol. The UK was the fourth worst offender on 41.3%. In fifth place was Russia, where 36.5% of women admitted to drinking.

Health guidelines advise women to avoid alcohol completely while pregnant, as it can cause neurological damage to a babys developing brain leading to behavioural, social, learning, and attention difficulties in childhood, adolescence, and in later life.

According to Alcohol Action Ireland, drinking more than three drinks a day increases the risk of miscarriage and more than 12 drinks a week increases the risk of premature birth.

The study, conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Canada, looked at research from 50 countries. It found that one in every 67 women who consumed alcohol during pregnancy would deliver a child with foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which amounts to about 119,000 children born with FAS annually worldwide. FAS can affect a childs facial features and height, as well as their central nervous system.

Study author Dr Svetlana Popova warned that FAS is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the wide spectrum of harm caused by pregnancy drinking.

It is believed that the prevalence ratio of FAS to foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is about one to nine or 10, indicating that FAS is only the tip of the iceberg, the report concluded.

The most recent research from the Department of Healths chief medical officer states that: Given the harmful drinking patterns in Ireland, the propensity to binge drink, there is a substantial risk of neurological damage to the foetus resulting in foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Therefore, it is the childs best interest for a pregnant woman not to drink alcohol during pregnancy.

The liver is one of the last organs to develop fully in a foetus, meaning unborn babies cant process alcohol efficiently.

A study of women who attended the Coombe Womens Hospital found that almost 63% of the 43,318 women surveyed said they drank alcohol during their pregnancy. In contrast, nearly 50% gave up smoking.

The authors fear FAS will rise worldwide in the coming year because alcohol use, binge drinking, and drinking during pregnancy are increasing. They concluded that more effective prevention strategies targeting alcohol use before and during pregnancy and surveillance of FAS are urgently needed.

They also said appropriate screening for alcohol use in women of childbearing age, in combination with pre-conception health promotion, contraceptive counselling, and referral to substance-abuse programmes, should become routine in primary care settings.
My mesmerising escape from foreboding beckoned within a nondescript building off a Limerick side street.

Within minutes I was moving along the Amazon, launched into outer space, before returning to Earth in a capsule which roamed around inside the human body, navigating all the vital organs. In between I waged ferocious warfare on all types of aliens.

The virtual wonderland is the brainchild of Damien McNamara, who holds a PhD in computer science.

McNamara, a 36-year-old graduate of Limerick Insitute of Technology and a former student of Sexton Street CBS, first read about how the concept operated in Scotland  where it had been imported from Canada  in the Irish Examiner.

On the second floor of Pillar House in Little Ellen St, he has built seven virtual reality zones. Called Fury VR, it offers 16 experiences which can be embarked on by groups or individuals.

The menu takes in all kinds of worldly and outer space adventures, and along the way there are battles with zombies and paintball warfare. After all that hi-tech combat, you can go back in time for an archery challenge.

This virtual reality centre is the first of its kind in this country. I built the seven different zones and put the equipment together myself and opened in November, said McNamara.

Each experience lasts about 30 minutes. Our virtual experiences cater for 10 year-olds and upwards.

As well as the range of games, we also offer an education programme which includes a virtual tour inside the human body in a capsule and a visit to outer space where a person can visit the planets.

It has been created with cutting-edge technology powered by high-spec gaming systems and consoles. What we now have in Limerick is the future of gaming.

As I returned to the street and the real world, Blue Monday came into sight in the form of a forlorn motorist watching his illegally parked car being reeled in to a towaway truck called by the Garda Traffic Corps.
VANCOUVER, Jan. 17, 2017 /CNW/ - Barsele Minerals Corp.  (TSX-V: BME) ("Barsele") is pleased to report an eighth operational progress update for the current exploration program within the Barsele Au-VMS Project area in Vasterbottens Lan, northern Sweden. The exploration program is being operated by joint venture partner Agnico Eagle Mines Limited  (TSX, NYSE: AEM) ("Agnico Eagle"). Ownership in the project is 55% Agnico Eagle and 45% Barsele.

During the month of November, diamond drilling with four machines were focused within and along the trend of the Avan, Central and Skirasen zones, where validation, conversion and expansion drilling has taken place. The highlight conversion hole SKI16010 yielded 6.00 meters core length (estimated 4.0 meters true thickness) grading 33.46 g/t gold uncut (6.33 g/t gold cut) at a depth of 180 meters below surface, plus 178.00 meters core length (estimated 125.00 meters true thickness) grading 1.68 g/t gold uncut (1.51 g/t gold cut) at a midpoint depth of 320 meters below surface. In addition, expansion hole CNT16017 yielded 31.00 meters core length (estimated 23.30 meters true thickness) grading 2.65 g/t gold uncut (2.60 g/t gold cut) at a midpoint of 410 meters below surface. This last intercept expands the known Central Zone by 175 meters towards the Avan Zone.

Twelve holes were completed during the month of November of which five were validation holes and seven were conversion holes that verify continuity of mineralization. During November, 4,935 meters was drilled, for a cumulative 2016 total of 30,432 meters in 79 holes. During November, there were 6,218 samples sent for analysis, with 8,014 assay results received. Basal till sampling results are yet to be received.

Barsele's President, Gary Cope states, "We continue to receive positive results in validation, conversion and expansion drilling at Barsele and we remain confident in Agnico Eagle's deposit development methodology. The 178-meter hole in the Skirasen Zone is very supportive of continuity in this sector of the deposit."

Highlight Results from the November 2016 Reporting Period Hole Category From

(m) To

(m) Core

Length

(m) True

Thickness

(m) Au

(g/t) Top-

Capped

at 20 g/t

Au (g/t) AVA16012 Expansion 202.00 213.00 11.00 8.30 2.80 2.62 AVA16013 Expansion 174.00 186.00 12.00 9.00 2.38 AVA16014 Expansion 604.00 612.00 8.00 5.00 2.03 AVA16015 Validation 117.00 131.00 14.00 7.50 1.46 AVA16016 Validation 18.00 30.00 12.00 7.00 1.46 AVA16017 Validation 135.00 160.80 25.80 18.50 1.33 AVA16018 Validation 200.00 207.00 7.00 5.00 1.63 CNT16014 Validation 20.00 40.00 20.00 15.00 4.93 2.35 67.00 107.00 40.00 30.00 3.94 3.13 142.10 169.00 26.90 20.20 1.02 217.00 240.00 23.00 17.30 1.15 CNT16015 Validation 29.00 47.00 18.00 12.00 1.70 58.00 67.00 9.00 6.00 2.13 83.00 99.00 16.00 10.50 1.35 124.00 148.00 24.00 21.00 1.32 169.00 174.00 5.00 3.80 2.94 191.00 238.00 47.00 31.00 1.55 257.00 291.00 34.00 21.00 2.76 CNT16017 Expansion 61.70 71.00 9.30 7.00 0.95 388.00 395.70 7.70 5.80 1.92 432.00 463.00 31.00 23.30 2.65 2.60 483.00 492.00 9.00 6.80 0.90 CNT16019 Validation 10.00 21.00 11.00 8.30 4.26 65.00 77.00 12.00 9.00 1.48 88.00 100.00 12.00 9.00 1.27 113.00 144.00 31.00 23.30 1.75 154.00 158.00 4.00 3.00 3.22 CNT16020 Validation 11.00 29.00 18.00 13.50 1.83 98.00 107.00 9.00 6.80 1.11 CNT16021 Validation 3.50 16.00 12.50 9.40 0.56 73.00 83.00 10.00 7.50 0.89 CNT16022 Validation 21.00 76.00 55.00 43.00 1.22 95.00 102.00 7.00 5.50 1.97 CNT16024 Expansion 495.00 508.00 13.00 6.50 1.75 526.00 541.00 15.00 7.50 1.10 CNT16025 Expansion 375.00 390.00 15.00 5.00 1.41 493.00 517.00 24.00 8.50 3.61 1.65 543.00 578.00 35.00 16.00 0.94 CNT16026 Conversion 394.00 434.00 40.00 22.00 1.41 480.00 504.00 24.00 13.00 0.89 631.00 639.00 8.00 4.50 2.41 SKI16008 Conversion 361.00 471.00 110.00 69.00 1.82 1.66 Incl. 361.00 403.00 42.00 26.00 2.32 1.89 Incl. 415.00 458.00 43.00 27.00 2.16 SKI16009 Conversion 303.00 317.00 14.00 8.50 0.94 419.00 436.00 17.00 10.50 1.22 SKI16010 Conversion 243.00 249.00 6.00 4.00 33.46 6.33 285.00 290.00 5.00 3.50 13.29 6.05 350.00 528.00 178.00 125.00 1.68 1.51 Incl. 420.00 428.00 8.00 5.50 9.55 5.65 Incl. 513.00 528.00 15.0 11.00 4.80 625.00 627.00 2.00 1.50 8.00 SKI16011 Conversion 59.00 66.00 7.00 5.00 1.76 109.00 119.00 10.00 7.50 3.68 2.99 192.00 211.00 19.00 14.30 6.42 1.34 347.00 352.00 5.00 3.80 3.04 423.00 425.00 2.00 1.50 8.58 SKI16012 Conversion 248.00 263.00 15.00 7.50 2.69 386.00 413.00 27.00 14.00 3.11 3.01 494.00 525.00 31.00 16.00 0.99 534.00 560.00 26.00 14.00 5.01 2.49 652.00 659.00 7.00 3.80 3.56



Drilling continued until December 21, 2016, at which time there was a break until planned resumption in the new year.

As project operator, Agnico Eagle has developed a community relations program to engage the various stakeholders in the project area. Basic environmental assessment and surface water characterization, species studies and hydrogeology studies are ongoing. Barsele expects that Agnico Eagle will release a new mineral resource estimate for the Avan, Central, Skirasen and Norra deposits in mid-February 2017.

About the Barsele Gold Project

The Barsele Project is located on the western end of the Proterozoic "Skellefte Trend", a prolific volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits belt, where it intersects with the "Gold Line" in Northern Sweden. Both polymetallic deposits and intrusive hosted orogenic gold deposits are present in this region and on the property. Current and past producers in the region include Boliden, Kristineberg, Bjorkdal, Svartliden and Storliden.

On September 25, 2015, mineral resource estimates by Barsele were released for the Barsele Project in four zones, the Central, Avan and Skirasen Gold Zones and the Norra VMS Zone. The resource estimate for the Central-Avan-Skirasen Zones states an Indicated Resource of 14.1 million tonnes grading 1.21 g/t gold for 547,000 contained ounces, plus an Inferred Resource of 20.2 million tonnes grading 0.97 g/t gold for 627,000 contained ounces. The polymetallic Norra Zone contains an Indicated Resource of 110,000 tonnes grading 3.13 g/t gold, 30.3 g/t silver, 0.53 % copper and 0.72 % zinc, plus an Inferred Resource of 310,000 tonnes grading 1.62 g/t gold, 12.7 g/t silver, 0.26 % copper and 0.42 % zinc. All zones were estimated at a gold cut-off grade of 0.6 g/t.

Art Freeze, P.Geo. is the Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and takes responsibility for the technical disclosure contained within this news release.

About Barsele Minerals Corp.

Barsele is a Canadian-based junior exploration company comprised of highly qualified mining professionals. Barsele's main property is the Barsele Gold Project in Vasterbottens Lan, Sweden, a joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 17, 2017) - Advantage Lithium Corp. (the "Company" or "Advantage Lithium") (TSX VENTURE:AAL) and its partner, Nevada Sunrise Gold Corp., are pleased to announce that a phase 2 drill program has begun at their Clayton NE property, which borders Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium brine production operation in Clayton Valley, Nevada. Drilling will be comprised of a total of approximately 1,800m (5,905 feet) in 3 Reverse Circulation ("RC") holes expected to test depths of a minimum 600m each. Using a similar approach to the successful phase 1 program that hit wide intercepts of lithium brine with strong brine flow rates, these new holes that will focus on high-priority conductive horizons identified and imaged in the 2016 3D Resistivity survey and confirmed by drilling to be lithium bearing brines. All 3 holes are adjacent to Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium brine field operation, in close proximity to several of their production wells.

2017 Drilling Program Highlights

Potential extension of 3.43 km mineralized brine trend: The highly-successful phase 1 program has already defined a 3.43 km mineralized trend. Phase 2 drilling has the potential to extend this trend strike length to 5.6km with successful holes.

The highly-successful phase 1 program has already defined a 3.43 km mineralized trend. Phase 2 drilling has the potential to extend this trend strike length to 5.6km with successful holes. Drilling deeper into potentially untapped aquifers. Hole CNE-16-03, from the phase 1 program, was one of the deepest boreholes drilled in the Clayton Valley and, based on results obtained, may have hit a previously untapped aquifer. As a result, phase 2 holes will target this deeper aquifer.

Hole CNE-16-03, from the phase 1 program, was one of the deepest boreholes drilled in the Clayton Valley and, based on results obtained, may have hit a previously untapped aquifer. As a result, phase 2 holes will target this deeper aquifer. Permits/Waivers obtained for future development of a lithium brine resource and wells. In November 2016, the Company received waivers from the Nevada Division of Water Resources for 5 of the 6 permitted holes, which allows for reaming a borehole to a larger diameter well, pump testing, and flow rate determination in order to provide the necessary technical information for development of a lithium brine resource at Clayton NE.

In November 2016, the Company received waivers from the Nevada Division of Water Resources for 5 of the 6 permitted holes, which allows for reaming a borehole to a larger diameter well, pump testing, and flow rate determination in order to provide the necessary technical information for development of a lithium brine resource at Clayton NE. Clayton NE exhibits very strong brine flows. Brine flows of up to 120 gallons per minute were encountered in the 2016 program, and if a larger diameter hole is drilled to further develop the exploratory boreholes, it is anticipated that brine flows will increase significantly. High brine flows are important for economic production of lithium from brines;

Ross McElroy, Director and Technical Advisor, of Advantage Lithium, commented: "We have already defined a 3.43km mineralized trend at Clayton NE and have encountered strong grades and excellent brine flow in all 3 Phase 1 RC holes drilled in 2016. We are excited to begin the Phase 2 round of drilling as we progress towards evaluating the potential lithium brine resource at Clayton NE."

Clayton Valley Project Overview

O'Keefe Drilling, of Butte Montana, has been retained for the phase 2 program to drill by reverse circulation (RC) equipment.

The approximately 437 hectare (1,080 acres) project is located in the Clayton Valley sedimentary salar and is contiguous to the eastern boundary of Albemarle's Silver Peak property - North America's only lithium producer.

Several of Albemarle's lithium brine production wells are situated within approximately 100 metres and less of the Clayton NE western claim boundary.

Phase 1 drilling intercepted lithium brines with robust grades and strong brine flows on all three holes, and established a 3.43km mineralized trend. Furthermore, based on results obtained, hole CNE-16-03, which is one of the deepest boreholes drilled in the Clayton Valley, may have hit a previously untapped aquifer.

Advantage Lithium is the operator of the Clayton NE project under the direction of Ross McElroy, Director and Technical Advisor for Advantage Lithium.

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of the company by Ross McElroy, P.Geol., Technical Advisor to Advantage Lithium Corp., and the Designated Qualified person for the company.

Further information about the company can be found at www.advantagelithium.com.

About Advantage Lithium Corp.

Advantage Lithium Corp. is a resource company specializing in the strategic acquisition, exploration and development of lithium properties and is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. Common Shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "AAL". The company has signed an LOI with lithium producer, Orocobre, to acquire 100% interest in five projects in Argentina and 75% in a sixth, called Cauchari. Cauchari is host to a near-surface resource of 470,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) and 1.62 million tonnes of potash (KCL), and a large exploration target of 5.6mt to 0.25mt of LCE and 19mt to 0.9 of KCL. Cauchari is located just 20 km south Orocobre's flagship Olaroz Lithium Facility. The company is also earning an interest from Nevada Sunrise Gold Corp., in a portfolio of five lithium brine projects in the Clayton and Lida Valley regions of Nevada, USA, including 70% in Clayton NE. In addition, the company has acquired 100% of the Stella Marys lithium brine project, immediately adjacent to Orocobre's Salinas Grandes project that hosts an inferred, near-surface resource, in Argentina's Lithium Triangle.
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan. 17, 2017) - Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX VENTURE:ORE) is pleased to announce positive drilling and preliminary metallurgical test results from a recent 5,968 m drill program at its 100%-owned Bombore Gold Project in Burkina Faso. These programs were focused on P17S, a new higher grade sulphide zone hosted in a shallowly plunging felsic intrusive, and on the oxide mineralization of the P13 oxide target, both situated on the Toeyoko permit adjacent to the Bombore mining permit.

Previous shallow drilling at P17S from surface to a depth of only 60 m (see press release July 10, 2014) resulted in a Measured and Indicated sulphide resource of 337,000 tonnes at 2.5 gpt for 27,000 ounces of gold. The results from the recently completed drill program (62 holes) intersected the unit at depths of up to 100 m and have the potential to substantially increase this resource. The deposit remains open at depth and to the north. In addition, previous geophysical and geochemical surveys indicate there are similar targets in close proximity that remain to be tested.

Highlights of the P17S Drill Results include:

Section m Hole_ID Type From_m To_m Length_m Au_gpt Depth m 42850 TYD0041 DD 106.00 118.45 12.45 7.42 84 42850 TYD0042 DD 124.00 143.25 19.25 2.62 102 42825 TYD0030 DD 43.00 55.00 12.00 2.58 38 42825 TYD0038 DD 115.00 123.40 8.40 3.42 89 42800 TYC0133 RC 30.00 43.00 13.00 3.41 30 42800 TYD0023 DD 44.00 52.50 8.50 4.65 38 42800 TYD0029 DD 91.60 99.90 8.30 4.07 73 42800 TYD0037 DD 99.00 117.20 18.20 1.49 82 42775 TYC0131 RC 11.00 24.00 13.00 2.39 14 42775 TYC0082 RC 20.00 32.00 12.00 3.68 20 42775 TYD0044 DD 34.75 40.60 5.85 5.20 28 42775 TYD0027 DD 88.40 98.00 9.60 4.02 70 42775 TYD0036 DD 103.30 110.30 7.00 6.94 81 42750 TYC0130 RC 6.00 18.00 12.00 3.68 9 42750 TYD0035 DD 85.00 90.50 5.50 7.62 67 42700 TYD0045* DD 35.00 44.50 9.50 3.31 30 42650 TYC0081 RC 24.00 38.00 14.00 5.88 25 42650 TYD0046 DD 35.00 52.50 17.50 2.44 36 42625 TYC0123 RC 11.00 18.00 7.00 7.49 12 42612.5 TYC0138 RC 0.00 9.00 9.00 4.87 6 42612.5 TYC0139 RC 8.00 15.00 7.00 5.31 9 42612.5 TYC0121* RC 19.00 25.00 6.00 7.69 18

* These two holes are included in the current P17S resource.

A detailed list of all holes in P17S can be found on the Company website at the following link. (P17S Drill Results)

"This discovery is very significant as the free milling sulphides of P17S, at an average grade of +2 gpt would greatly enhance the economics of any planned Phase II sulphide expansion," stated Ron Little, CEO for Orezone. "The Bombore Measured and Indicated sulphide resources, which are amenable to standard milling and carbon in leach (CIL) recovery processes, are currently 71 Mt at 0.97 gpt for 2.2 Moz. If we continue to expand these higher grade sulphide resources, a Preliminary Economic Study of Phase II will be completed to determine the potential impact on the overall economics and to update the valuation of the project." The Company is planning an additional 20,000 m of drilling on various targets in H1 2017.

P17S Positive Preliminary Metallurgical Test Results

Orezone contracted SGS Lakefield to perform a metallurgical test program on 100 kg of representative composite samples from the P17S drill core. The samples were crushed and blended, then split into subsamples for metallurgical and analytical test work. Repeat assays showed an average gold grade of 3.1 gpt, slightly higher than an average from core assays (2.57 gpt). The grinding testwork indicates a Bond Work index of 14.2 kWh/tonne which is slightly lower than average index of the Bombore sulphide mineralization at 16.8 kWh/tonne. Direct cyanidation bottle roll tests averaged 94.8% after a 48-hour leach, with a grind size of 74 microns and 81% recovery after a 24-hour leach. These results are on average better than the whole ore cyanidation recoveries expected for main sulphide material at Bombore based on a standard CIL circuit.

In addition, gravity recovery and the flotation of gravity tails show very positive results. Gravity concentration recovered 61% of the contained gold into 0.1% of the mass treated. This is much higher than in the main Bombore sulphides (~15%). Flotation of the tails from the gravity concentration recovered an additional 32% of the overall gold into 8% of the total mass treated. Regrind and cyanidation of this resulted in an overall combined recovery from gravity and flotation/regrind/cyanidation of just over 94%.

Reagent consumptions on the whole were moderate at 1.4 kg NaCN/tonne and just under 1 kg/tonne lime, in line with tests on the main ore body sulphides. There is no indication of preg-robbing (CIL tests did not show improved cyanidation recovery).

P17S Target Expansion

The P17S mineralization is hosted in a deformed and metasomatized granodiorite intrusive that typically contains 1 to 2% fine disseminated sulphides including arsenopyrite, pyrite and pyrrhotite.

The recent drill program confirmed that the P17S mineralized granodiorite extends over 275 m along strike and remains open at depth in a folded sequence of metagabbro and metasediments that plunges 20 degrees to the north from surface. The result is an open W-shaped and overturned synformal structure with an axial plane that dips about 45 degrees to the East, somewhat shallower than the general dip of the Bombore deposit.

Orezone will recommence work in January with a geophysical (IP) survey and saprolite sampling (auger drilling) over the area so that RC and core drilling can continue in February at P17S and other potential similar targets that may occur within the same geological setting.

P13 Target Expansion

Also during Q4 2016, the company completed 1,853 m (37 boreholes) of RC drilling on the P13 target to follow-up positive scout drilling results from 2013 on section lines that were spaced 400 m apart along a 4 km NE trend. The mineralization is hosted in carbonaceous metapelitic sediments surrounding a NE-trending metagrabbro unit. The recent program consists of 50 m step out RC holes along the interpreted mineralized structures.

The best mineralized drill intercepts to date average about 6 m in length with a gold grade averaging 1.9 gpt. Follow-up work will include geophysical surveys to better define the lithologies and structures in advance of the next round of definition drilling.

Highlights of the P13 Drill Results include:

Section Hole_ID Type From_m To_m Length_m Au_gpt 4750 TYC0120 RC 26.0 31.0 5.00 1.98 4650 TYC0118 RC 20.0 22.0 2.00 3.06 4650 TYC0118 RC 24.0 38.0 14.00 1.14 4575 TYC0112 RC 27.0 39.0 12.00 0.42 3050 TYC0100 RC 13.0 20.0 7.00 1.80 2250 TYC0090 RC 9.0 15.0 6.00 2.31 2250 TYC0090 RC 48.0 50.0 2.00 5.11

The mineralized intervals are based on a lower cut-off grade of 0.45 g/t, a minimal width of 2 m and up to a maximum of 1.2 m of dilution being included. The true width of the mineralization is approximately 90% of the drill length at P17S, but is unknown at this stage at P13. The RC drilling samples were divided by Orezone employees using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 2 kg split was prepared by SGS Burkina Faso s.a.r.l. at their Ouagadougou facility and then split by Orezone to 1 kg using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 1 kg aliquot was analyzed for leachable gold at BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l in Ouagadougou, by bottle-roll cyanidation using a LeachWellTM catalyst. The leach residues from all samples with a leach grade in excess of 0.2 g/t were prepared by BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l. and then split by Orezone to 50 g using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 50 g aliquot was analyzed by fire assay at SGS Burkina Faso s.a.r.l. Orezone employs a rigorous Quality Control Program (QCP) including a minimum of 10% standards, blanks and duplicates. The composite width and grade include the final leach residue assay results for most of the drill intercepts reported. A complete list of historical drill results on P17S and P13 and analytical procedures can be found on the company's website at the following link (Drill Results).

Orezone Strengthens Executive Management Team

The Company is also pleased to announce that Patrick Downey will assume the role of Executive Chairman before the end of January. Over the past 6 months Mr. Downey has been more involved with the senior management, including the various technical programs and financial planning. "I am keen to contribute in a more significant way with these aspects and the overall strategic objectives of the Company as it moves to complete an updated feasibility study and consider the various alternatives to develop the project," stated Mr. Downey.

About Orezone Gold Corporation

Orezone is a Canadian company with a gold discovery track record of +12 Moz and recent mine development experience in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The Company owns a 100% interest in Bombore, the largest undeveloped oxide gold deposit in West Africa which is situated 85 km east of the capital city, adjacent to an international highway. The Company is continuing with exploration and various technical studies in order to be in a position to complete an updated feasibility study during H1 2017.

Tim Miller, SME and COO, Pascal Marquis, Geo and SVP and Ron Little, PEng and CEO of Orezone, are Qualified Persons under National Instrument 43-101 and have approved the information in this release. Readers should refer to the annual information form of Orezone for the year ended December 31, 2015 and other continuous disclosure documents filed by Orezone since January 1, 2016 available at www.sedar.com, for this detailed information, which is subject to the qualifications and notes set forth therein.
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - January 17, 2017) - Sarama Resources Ltd. (the "Company" or "Sarama") is pleased to advise that Savary Gold Corp. ("Savary"), the operator of the Karankasso Project Joint Venture7 between Sarama and Savary, provided an update on January 17, 2017 of initial drill results from the Q4, 2016 drilling campaign. The drilling was undertaken across multiple target zones within the Karankasso Project area.

Highlights

22 holes totalling approximately 3,000 metres of diamond core (" DD ") and reverse-circulation (" RC ") were completed prior to year-end.

") and reverse-circulation (" ") were completed prior to year-end. Downhole intersections highlighted by Savary include:

HE-RC-16-41 7m @ 1.54 g/t Au from 10m HE-RC-16-44 15m @ 0.51 g/t Au from 129m HE-RC-16-46 2m @ 5.64 g/t Au from 10m HE-RC-16-47 12m @ 0.62 g/t Au from 30m HE-RC-16-48 6m @ 1.84 g/t Au from 62m HE-RC-16-51 1m @ 14.95 g/t Au from 36m HE-RCD-16-53A 10.4m @ 1.13 g/t Au from 158.5m HE-RCD-16-54 8m @ 1.87 g/t Au from 20m HE-RCD-16-55 7.2m @ 3.75 g/t Au from 142.0m 7.5m @ 4.2 g/t Au from 173.1m 8.0m @ 2.3 g/t Au from 192.0m HE-RCD-16-56 7.0m @ 6.73 g/t Au from 181.6m 5.5m @ 3.45 g/t Au from 197.3m (mineralisation true widths are estimated at 65-80% of listed downhole intersection lengths)

Follow-up drilling on selected targets is planned to commence in January 2017.

Sarama's President and CEO, Andrew Dinning, commented:

"The combination of infill and extensional drilling completed at the Karankasso Project in Q4 2016 will enhance understanding of the mineralised system. Sarama looks forward to the integration of recently collected geophysical, geochemical and prospecting data into the forward exploration program that may generate new targets outside the known mineralised system."

About Sarama Resources

Sarama Resources Ltd (TSX VENTURE: SWA) is a West African focused gold explorer with substantial landholdings in Burkina Faso. Sarama is focused on consolidating under-explored landholdings in Burkina Faso and other established mining jurisdictions.

Sarama's flagship properties are situated within the Company's South Hounde Project area in south-west Burkina Faso. Located within the prolific Hounde Greenstone Belt, Sarama's exploration programs have built on significant early success to deliver an inferred mineral resource estimate of 2.1 Moz gold1,2. Acacia Mining plc is earning up to a 70% interest in the South Hounde Project by satisfying certain conditions, including funding earn-in expenditures of up to US$14 million, over a 4-year earn-in period and may acquire an additional 5% interest, for an aggregate 75% interest in the Project, upon declaration of a minimum mineral reserve of 1.6 million ounces of gold.

Sarama holds a 31% participating interest in the Karankasso Project Joint Venture ("JV") which is situated adjacent to the Company's South Hounde Project in Burkina Faso and is a JV between Sarama and Savary Gold Corp. ("Savary"). Savary is the operator of the JV and in October 2015, declared a maiden inferred mineral resource estimate of 671,000 ounces of contained gold3,4 at the Karankasso Project JV.

Sarama has also agreed to acquire a 100% interest in the Bondi Deposit from Orezone Gold Corporation (refer news release May 24, 2016). Bondi has a historical estimate of mineral resources of 0.3Moz Au (measured and indicated) and 0.1Moz Au (inferred)5,6.

Together, the South Hounde Project, Bondi Deposit and the Karankasso Project form a cluster of advanced gold deposits, within trucking distance of one another, which potentially offers a development option for a multi-source fed central processing facility in the southern Hounde Belt region of Burkina Faso.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 17, 2017) - Timmins Gold Corp. (TSX:TMM)(NYSE MKT:TGD) ("Timmins" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Greg McCunn will succeed Mark Backens as the Company's new Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") effective February 1, 2017. In addition to the role of CEO, Mr. McCunn will also serve as a director on the Company's board of directors.

Mr. McCunn is a mining executive with 25 years of executive and management experience in finance, operations, project engineering, project construction and corporate development. Most recently, he was Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") of Asanko Gold, where over his six-year tenure he oversaw the transition of the company from exploration and development to a mid-tier gold producer. Prior to Asanko, Mr. McCunn spent four years as the CFO of Farallon Mining during which time the company financed, constructed and operated the G-9 mine in Guerrero, Mexico which is proximal to Timmins' Ana Paula project. Farallon was acquired by Nyrstar in early 2011. Prior to his roles as a finance executive, Greg's background includes technical, operational and corporate development roles with Teck, Placer Dome and junior mining companies in Canada and Australia. He is a Professional Engineer and holds a Master's degree in Business Administration as well as a Bachelor of Applied Science in Metallurgical Engineering.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors and our employees I would like to congratulate Greg and welcome him to the team as we look forward to him leading our Company into the future," stated Bryan Coates, Timmins Board Chair. Bryan further stated, "I would like to extend our appreciation to Mark Backens for his significant contribution to the Company and we look forward to his continued contribution as a Board member. I would also like to thank Arturo Bonillas and our operations group for delivering outstanding results during this search and transition."

Arturo Bonillas, President of Timmins stated, "I am very pleased with the addition of Greg McCunn and look forward to working closely with him to realize our shared vision for the Company. His experience both in capital markets and mining, specifically in Guerrero, Mexico, will be of great benefit to the Company."

About Timmins Gold

Timmins Gold is a Canadian gold mining company engaged in exploration, development and production in Mexico. Its principal assets include the producing San Francisco mine in Sonora, Mexico and the development stage Ana Paula project in Guerrero, Mexico. The Company also has a portfolio of other exploration properties, all of which are located in Mexico.
Seen above is a Scandinavian-style table setting made up of IKEA products for a family of four for the Lunar New Year holiday season. / Courtesy of IKEA Korea

By Park Jae-hyuk

IKEA Korea has begun to introduce Scandinavian-style table settings, holding discount events this month for its products and restaurant menu in time for the Lunar New Year, the Korean branch of the Swedish home furnishing company said Monday.

On its official website, the company has unveiled four table settings using IKEA products for a family of four, as well as larger extended families, those hosting home parties with friends and singles who eat alone.

"Our inspiring ideas for the Lunar New Year's table are made up of IKEA products that go well together with traditional Korean holiday foods," IKEA Korea stated in a press release.

For a setting for four, IKEA Korea suggested the DRIFTIG dinnerware series with Scandinavian-style patterns, saying the series goes well with traditional holiday dishes, such as rice cake soup, steamed tofu and three-colored cooked vegetables.

"Sujeonggwa, a signature holiday drink, can be served in a glass mug, instead of juice," IKEA Korea said.

For larger families consisting of two to three generations, IKEA Korea suggested its extendable dining table and its VARDAGEN serving plate for colorful pan-fried delicacies.

"Serving IKEA meatballs with fresh vegetables or makgeolli (Korean rice wine) in a wine glass can make the holiday more cheerful," the company said. "Decorating the room with AKERKULLA panel curtains with patterns resembling the Korean traditional design will add color to the atmosphere."

IKEA Korea also offers table settings for those who spend the holiday season alone, or celebrate it with friends.

The company said customers can set the perfect table for home parties with friends and share good times together by serving traditional Korean sweets or bulgogi with IKEA ROSTI potato pancakes on OSTBIT serving plates made of bamboo.

Singles can make hotpots with holiday leftovers, combining them with IKEA meatballs, which can be served on a SKYN serving plate made of high-quality bone china, the company added.

From Jan. 12 to Feb. 7, IKEA Korea will offer a 20% discount on BORJE chairs to IKEA FAMILY members who buy an extendable BJURSTA dining table. Oven roast vegetable with salmon, which is 6,900 won ($5.90) in regular at the IKEA Restaurant, will be sold for 4,900 won by the end of this month.

"We are happy to offer inspiring ideas to make the holiday more special," IKEA Korea marketing manager Nicolas Johnsson said. "We hope to inspire more people to share a delicious time together and celebrate a meaningful New Year with their families and friends."
Tika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade.


Arrest warrants expected soon over blacklist



By Jung Min-ho



Former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun were questioned Tuesday over their alleged roles in creating a blacklist of thousands of artists critical of President Park Geun-hye.



They appeared at the independent counsel's office for questioning on allegations they played leading roles in drawing up the blacklist containing the names of nearly 10,000 artists in 2014.



As Cho walked into the office in southern Seoul at 9:30 a.m., she told reporters: "I hope the truth will be revealed through the investigation."



Bombarded with questions from reporters, Kim, who showed up 30 minutes later, did not say a word as he entered.



Near the office, 10 protesters urged the investigation team led by special prosecutor Park Young-soo to conduct a thorough investigation, holding signs that read, "Arrest the masterminds behind the blacklist."



Investigators have already named the two as criminal suspects, saying evidence has been secured showing their direct involvement. The list was allegedly used to screen out artists applying for state subsidies.



Investigators are looking into whether the President and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, the central figures of a major corruption and influence-peddling scandal, were also aware of the list.



The counsel team said it would soon decide whether to seek arrest warrants for Cho and Kim. Three other suspects  former Culture Minister Kim Jong-deok, former Vice Culture Minister Chung Kwan-joo and former presidential secretary Shin Dong-cheol  have been arrested for their alleged involvement in making the list.



Investigators are also looking into Cho and Kim Ki-choon's alleged abuse of power, as they are suspected of having forced out government officials who were against the list.



Cho, who had long denied the existence of the list, admitted during an Assembly hearing last week that it did exist. The list is believed to include prominent figures such as novelist Han Kang, who won the Man Booker International Prize this year for an English translation of her novel, and movie director Park Chan-wook, the grand prize winner at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.



When the list was created, Cho was serving as senior presidential secretary for political affairs. She later became the culture minister in September 2016.



Kim Ki-choon, whose relationship with the President's family dates back decades, served as the presidential chief of staff from August 2013 to February 2015.



Investigators also questioned Kim Young-jae, a plastic surgeon who is suspected of knowing more on President Park's absence from duty during the first seven hours of the Sewol ferry sinking on April 16, 2014.



The doctor who has been close to Choi for years, is accused of treating the President at Cheong Wa Dae while the ferry was sinking. He denied the allegations, but admitted he secretly treated Park at the presidential office many other times.



Under the Park administration, the doctor and his family allegedly received business favors, including accompanying the President on overseas trips to promote his business.




In the same week that Donald Trump is set to become the 45th president of the United States, a maverick of a different sort is threatening to destabilise the whole West African region.

The decision by the dictatorial Gambian President Yahya Jammeh not to step down despite being voted out of office in December 2016 has plunged the country into turmoil. Yahya is supposed to step down on 19 January but is refusing despite initially accepting he lost in the elections in December.

Now The Gambia, a tiny West African country of less than two million people, is threatening to set the whole region ablaze.

Tyranny and Megalomania

The Gambia is now in the midst of a profound crisis which could flare up with potential revolutionary consequences for itself and the region as a whole. This crisis has prompted a united front between the UN Security Council, the European Union, the African Union and the regional body, ECOWAS in an attempt to contain the situation. ECOWAS is now threatening to intervene militarily which could have serious consequences for the whole West Africa region.

Yahya Jammeh came to power through a military coup in 1994. He has ruled with an iron fist and has used every brutal tactic to stay in power for the last 22 years including, kidnappings, assassinations, disappearances, unlawful imprisonment, etc. When asked by the magazine Jeune Afrique in May 2016 about this, he admitted he was a dictator and that he was "proud" of it.

Yahya is also known as a maverick. He claimed he has a direct line to Allah and that he has miraculous healing powers, including the ability to cure AIDS with a concoction of herbs and bananas! Over the last few years this has prompted many to question his sanity. It is of course possible that he has gone insane. Intoxicated by unfettered powers over people over a long time, his behaviour suggests that of a man out of touch with reality. However, in the case of Yahya it is also a method he has used to create an air of mystique around him, much in the same vein as as Kim Jong-Un of North Korea.

But this is an unfortunate time for Yahya. Over the last few years there have been mass revolutionary movements sweeping across the West African region, such as Senegal and Burkina Faso. Seeing this, Yahya tried to introduce some reforms to the electoral system to make it more transparent. For instance, he decided to hold elections as a means of trying to legitimize his rule. He even decreed that the vote count should take place at each voting station instead of at a central location as was the case in the previous experiment with elections in 2011. He also ordered the public counting of the votes and even allowed observers into the counting process.

However, as always the most dangerous time for an autocratic regime is when it lifts the boot and start to reform. His reforms proved to be a huge blunder, as they made nearly all attempts to rig the elections more difficult. By experimenting with elections he also introduced a mechanism through which the people could actually topple him.

This is exactly what happened. On 1 December 2016 the Gambian people rallied and used Yahya's own reforms to vote him out of office. This must be seen for what it is: in a country such as The Gambia with no democratic traditions, the move by the people to move through the electoral plain to remove a hated dictator has had an electric effect.

Immediately after the result was announced, masses of people celebrated in the streets, a sight never before seen in the country. This has stirred the country to its foundations. Faced with this reality and stunned by these developments, Yahya initially accepted the result and even called his opponent, Adama Barrow to congratulate him. "The Gambian people have spoken, and I have no reason to contest the will of the almighty Allah. The country will be in your hands in January 2017 and you are assured of my guidance on your transition and in selecting your new government," he said on a televised address to the country.

All of this had a huge effect on the masses. Then a few days later a senior member of the incoming transition of Barrow mentioned that it could prosecute Yahya for all the crimes he had committed in the past. This prompted Yahya to change his mind about stepping down and thereby he has plunged the country into chaos.

After accepting the result initially he now cried foul. He suddenly discovered "serious and unacceptable abnormalities" in the electoral system which he himself had introduced! He also criticized the electoral commission which prompted the president of this body to flee the country. He then went on to challenge the result in the country's highest court. The only problem is that the court does not have a quorum because he has purged four of its judges.

Now the country has become a powder keg which could explode into a revolutionary crisis if Yahya does not step down by 19 January. The masses have experienced their collective power and will not accept it if Yahya refuses to go. Yahya now faces unprecedented opposition from the previously docile masses. In other words, The Gambia is in a revolutionary crisis.

A regional crisis

The real significance of the Gambian crisis is the effect which this could have on the West African region. Over the last period this region has experienced waves of revolutionary movements in one country after another. The effect that the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions had on the Arab world is well documented. But what is generally less known is the effect which they had in Sub Saharan Africa, particularly in West Africa.

Following the Egyptian revolution of 2011, a revolutionary movement erupted in Nigeria in January 2012 when the government lifted a subsidy on fuel. The so-called Occupy Nigeria movement had a huge impact in Nigerian society. It prepared the downfall of the corrupt PDP government of Goodluck Jonathan.

The Nigerian ruling class realised the revolutionary significance of this. This is why they organised a smooth transfer of power to the administration of Muhammadu Buhari and the APC. This was the first peaceful transition in the history of Nigeria. But now the Buhari administration is itself faced with a profound crisis. The last thing they need is a little country like The Gambia to blow up in a revolutionary storm. This explains Buhari's decision to intervene in the Gambian crisis. Last week the Nigerian Lower House voted to allow Buhari to offer Yahya asylum. There are now serious last ditch efforts to offer Yahya an amnesty before the deadline of 19 January.

The problem for Buhari is that Yahya is such an erratic character that it is very difficult to predict what he is going to do. After his last meeting with the Gambian strongman, Buhari stated that "God alone knows what will happen!" But the West African ruling class is not willing to leave things in the hands of the Almighty! In addition to the carrot approach, the Nigerian military is on standby to intervene as part of an ECOWAS military force. Already troops from the Nigerian Armys 19th Battalion based in Okitipupa, Ondo State, is on standby for possible deployment as part of the Ecowas Military Intervention Group (ECOMIG).

Another country which was effected by the revolutionary events over the last few years is Senegal. In the midst of rising inequality, sustained unemployment and increasing corruption, the unpopular former president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade decided to introduce measures to amend the constitution which would have allowed him to stay in office for another term. But all his attempts backfired. Youth organisations such as Yen a Marre and M23 took to the streets and mobilized the people to defeat the attempts of Abdoulaye Wade at the ballot box.

After his defeat Abdoulaye Wade fled the country for Paris. The Senegalese experience is directly what influenced events in The Gambia. The Gambian people have essentially based themselves on the events in Senegal in 2012. In fact, until 1989 Senegal and The Gambia had been part of a federation. Senegal also intervened in The Gambia in 1981 to quell a military coup.

In the wake of Yahya's about-turn, Senegal began mobilising troops as part of the ECOWAS intervention force and asked the UN Security Council to back all attempts by ECOWAS to "resolve" the Gambian crisis, including intervening militarily.

The revolutionary events in West Africa over the years have taken different forms. In Burkina Faso there was no opportunity to defeat the regime at the ballot box. With no outlet provided for the accumulated anger in society, the revolutionary storm which erupted in October 2014 took everybody by surprise. Within a matter of 24 hours a mass movement of millions of people engulfed the country. The 27 year dictatorship of Blaise Compaore came tumbling down. In the country of revolutionary traditions the legacy of Thomas Sankara was reborn. Later the masses rallied again to defeat a coup by a section of the armed forces.

It is these revolutionary events over the past few years which have worried the leaders of the region and other parts of the continent. A revolutionary situation in The Gambia is a serious concern for bodies such as ECOWAS, the European Union and the African Union.

No to military intervention!

The claim that the African Union and ECOWAS are intervening in The Gambia to "protect the will of the people" is false to the core. Both of them are capitalist organisations and both have long term dictators in their ranks. The idea that characters such as Paul Biya, Idriss Deby, Paul Kagame, Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo and Omar al Bashir have now suddenly become champions of democracy is a really bad joke. These autocratic leaders are ready to intervene in The Gambia for their own selfish reasons. What they really fear is the revolutionary wave which has swept through the western part of the continent over the last few years. Now they want to intervene by force in The Gambia in order to stop any mass movement from spreading to other regions of the African continent.

The weak African bourgeoisie and their imperialist masters see the crisis in The Gambia as an opportunity to intervene militarily precisely to cut across a potential revolutionary situation. The situation in Nigeria, Senegal and Burkina Faso completely caught the regional leaders off guard while the imperialist powers were stretched by conflicts in other parts of the world. But the ruling class sees that the small size of The Gambia, the lack of a revolutionary leadership, and the ensuing possible collapse into instability, as an opportunity to intervene militarily as a means of strangling the revolutionary movement and prevent it from crossing the borders of the region.

However, things are not so easy. We have already seen the devastation which was caused when NATO, backed diplomatically by the African Union, intervened in Libya. A military intervention in The Gambia could have a similar effect in West Africa. Already tens of thousands of Gambians are fleeing to other parts of the region and even to Europe. A military intervention could speed up this exodus of people and destabilise the entire region.

All attempts by ECOWAS and their imperialist backers to intervene in The Gambia must be strenuously opposed by the world working class. They do not have the interests of the Gambians at heart. What matters to them is self-preservation. The only ally the Gambian people has is the workers, peasants and small farmers in the rest of West Africa and the working class of the world. The task of overthrowing the regime of Yahya Jammeh belongs to the Gambian people.

No to military intervention by ECOWAS!

The overthrow of the Yahya regime is the task of the Gambian people!

Long live the struggle for Socialist West African republics as part of an All African Union of Socialist Republics!
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Three sets of polls crucial to end Nepals political transition

The local, provincial and national elections that the government is planning to hold this year will be key to ending the ongoing political transition, as they would provide an opportunity to bridge differences and bring people into the political process.
Were excited to announce that metalbulletin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com.

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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.

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EnPro Industries, Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and service of engineered industrial products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Sealing Technologies, Advanced Surface Technologies, and Engineered Materials. The Sealing Technologies segment offers single-use hygienic seals, tubing, components and assemblies; metallic, non-metallic, and composite material gaskets; compression packing products; hydraulic components; expansion joints; wall penetration products; and dynamic, flange, resilient metal, elastomeric, and custom-engineered mechanical seals for chemical and petrochemical processing, pulp and paper processing, power generation, food and pharmaceutical processing, primary metal manufacturing, mining, water and waste treatment, heavy-duty trucking, aerospace, medical, filtration, and semiconductor fabrication industries. This segment also provides aseptic fluid transfer products for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. The Advanced Surface Technologies segment offers cleaning, coating, testing, refurbishment, and verification services for critical components and assemblies used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, as well as for critical applications in the space, aerospace, and defense markets; and specialized optical filters and thin-film coatings for various applications in the industrial technology, life sciences, and semiconductor markets. The Engineered Materials segment provides self-lubricating, non-rolling, metal polymer, engineered plastics, and fiber reinforced composite bearing products for various applications in the automotive, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, natural gas, health, power generation, machine tools, air treatment, refining, petrochemical, and general industrial markets. The company was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Two injured in Khalte bus accident succumb to injuries

Two men injured in Monday's bus accident at Pateni village of Khalte in Dhading succumbed to their injuries on Tuesday.
Value of education

It is unwise to politicise and Indianise the ancient Nalanda University
The following companies are subsidiares of Novartis: 1 A Pharma GmbH, Abadia Retuerta S.A, Admune Therapeutics, Advanced Accelerator Applications, Advanced Accelerator Applications, Advanced Accelerator Applications International SA, Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A., Advanced Accelerator Applications S.r.l., Advanced Accelerator Applications USA Inc., Aeropharm GmbH, Alcon, Alcon  Couvreur NV, Amblyotech, Amblyotech Inc., Arctos Medical, Arctos Medical AG, Australia Pty Ltd, Beijing Novartis Pharma Co. Ltd., BioMedical Research Co. Ltd., CELLforCURE, Cadent Therapeutics, Cadent Therapeutics Cambridge, Cellerys, Cellerys AG, CellforCure, Chiron Corporation, Ciba-Geigy Japan Limited, Co. Ltd, CoStim Pharmaceuticals, CoStim Pharmaceuticals Inc., Coalesce Product Development Limited, Corthera, Development Co. Ltd., EBEWE Pharma Ges.m.b.H Nfg. KG, Encore Vision, Endocyte, Endocyte Inc., Eon Labs Inc., Farmanova Saglik Hizmetleri Ltd, Fougera Pharmaceuticals, Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc, Gyroscope Therapeutics, HEXAL AG, Hexal, IDB Holland BV, Iberica S.L.U., Ilaclari Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S, JSC Sandoz, Japat AG, Kedalion Therapeutics Inc., Lek Pharmaceuticals d.d., Lek S.A., Manufacturing Pte Ltd , Navigate BioPharma Services Inc, Neutec Pharma Limited, Novartis (Hellas) S.A.C.I., Novartis (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Novartis (Taiwan) Co. Ltd, Novartis (Thailand) Limited, Novartis Argentina S.A., Novartis Australia Pty Ltd, Novartis Austria GmbH, Novartis Biociencias S.A., Novartis Biosciences Peru S.A., Novartis Bioventures AG, Novartis Business Services GmbH, Novartis Capital Corporation, Novartis Chile S.A., Novartis Corporation, Novartis Corporation Sdn. Bhd., Novartis Deutschland GmbH, Novartis Ecuador S.A., Novartis Farma S.p.A., Novartis Farma  Produtos Farmaceuticos S.A., Novartis Farmaceutica S.A, Novartis Farmaceutica S.A. de C.V., Novartis Finance Corporation, Novartis Finance S.A., Novartis Finance Services Ltd, Novartis Finland Oy Espoo, Novartis Gene Therapies, Novartis Gene Therapies EU Limited, Novartis Gene Therapies Inc., Novartis Grimsby Limited, Novartis Groupe France S.A., Novartis Healthcare A/S, Novartis Healthcare Philippines Inc., Novartis Healthcare Private Limited, Novartis Holding AG, Novartis Hungary Healthcare Limited Liability Company, Novartis India Limited, Novartis Inflammasome Research, Novartis Integrated Services Limited, Novartis International AG, Novartis International Pharmaceutical Investment AG, Novartis Investment Ltd, Novartis Investments S.a r.l., Novartis Ireland Limited, Novartis Israel Ltd, Novartis Korea Ltd., Novartis Middle East FZE, Novartis Netherlands B.V., Novartis Neva LLC, Novartis New Zealand Ltd, Novartis Norge AS, Novartis Ophthalmics AG, Novartis Optogenetics Research Inc., Novartis Overseas Investments AG, Novartis Pharma (Logistics) Inc., Novartis Pharma (Pakistan) Limited, Novartis Pharma AG, Novartis Pharma B.V. , Novartis Pharma GmbH, Novartis Pharma GmbH, Novartis Pharma K.K., Novartis Pharma LLC, Novartis Pharma Maroc SA, Novartis Pharma NV, Novartis Pharma Produktions GmbH, Novartis Pharma S.A.E., Novartis Pharma S.A.S., Novartis Pharma Schweiz AG, Novartis Pharma Schweizerhalle AG, Novartis Pharma Services AG, Novartis Pharma Services Romania S.R.L., Novartis Pharma Stein AG, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Limited, Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Limited, Novartis Poland Sp. z o.o., Novartis Portugal S.G.P.S. Lda., Novartis Ringaskiddy Limited, Novartis Saglik Gida ve Tarim Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S, Novartis Saudi Ltd., Novartis Securities Investment Ltd, Novartis Services Inc., Novartis Slovakia s.r.o., Novartis South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Novartis Sverige AB, Novartis UK Limited, Novartis US Foundation, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Inc, Novartis Vietnam Company Limited, Novartis de Colombia S.A., Novartis de Venezuela S.A., Novartis s.r.o., Oriel Therapeutics Inc., PT. Novartis Indonesia, Protez Pharmaceuticals, Pte Ltd, Research Inc, Salutas Pharma GmbH, Sandoz A/S, Sandoz AG, Sandoz B.V., Sandoz Canada Inc., Sandoz Egypt Pharma S.A.E., Sandoz Farmaceutica S.A., Sandoz Farmaceutica Lda., Sandoz GmbH, Sandoz Hungary Limited Liability Company, Sandoz Ilac Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Sandoz Inc, Sandoz Industrial Products S.A, Sandoz International GmbH, Sandoz K.K., Sandoz Limited, Sandoz Manufacturing Inc., Sandoz NV, Sandoz Pharma K.K, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals AG, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals d.d., Sandoz Philippines Corporation, Sandoz Polska Sp. z o.o. , Sandoz Private Limited, Sandoz Pty Ltd, Sandoz S.A. de C.V, Sandoz S.A.S., Sandoz S.R.L., Sandoz S.p.A., Sandoz South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Sandoz Ukraine LLC, Sandoz d.o.o. farmaceutska industrija, Sandoz do Brasil Industria Farmaceutica Ltda, Sandoz s.r.o., Selexys Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Shanghai Novartis Trading Ltd., Societe par actions SANDOZ, Spinifex Pharmaceuticals, The Medicines Company, The Medicines Company, Triangle International Reinsurance Limited, Trinity River Insurance Co Ltd, Vedere Bio, Vedere Bio ll, Xiidra, Ziarco, and Ziarco Group Limited.

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Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates through Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farms in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
KBR, Inc. provides scientific, technology, and engineering solutions to governments and commercial customers worldwide. The company operates through Government Solutions and Sustainable Technology Solutions segments. The Government Solutions segment offers life-cycle support solutions to defense, intelligence, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Its services cover research and development, advanced prototyping, acquisition support, systems engineering, cyber analytics, space domain awareness, test and evaluation, systems integration and program management, global supply chain management, and operations readiness and support, as well as command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance services. This segment also provides various professional advisory services to deliver high-end systems engineering, systems assurance, and technology to customers across the defense, energy, and critical infrastructure sectors. The Sustainable Technology Solutions segment holds a portfolio of approximately 70 proprietary process technologies for ammonia/syngas/fertilizers, chemical/petrochemicals, clean refining, and circular process/circular economy solutions. This segment also includes advisory and consulting practices that focuses on energy transition and net-zero carbon emission consulting; and provides engineering, design, and professional services, as well as industrial solutions through KBR INSITE, a proprietary, digital, and cloud-based operations and maintenance platform that identifies opportunities for clients to achieve sustainable improvements in production, reliability, environment impact, energy efficiency, and profitability. KBR, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
The following companies are subsidiares of TransDigm Group: 17111 Waterview Pkwy LLC, ARA Deutschland GmbH, ARA Holding GmbH, Acme Aerospace, Acme Aerospace Inc., Adams Rite Aerospace GmbH, Adams Rite Aerospace Inc., Advanced Inflatable Products Limited, Aero-Instruments, AeroControlex Group Inc., Aerosonic, Aerosonic LLC, Air-Sea Survival Equipment Trustee Limited, Airborne Acquisition Inc., Airborne Global Inc., Airborne Holdings Inc., Airborne Systems, Airborne Systems Canada Ltd., Airborne Systems Group Limited, Airborne Systems Holdings Limited, Airborne Systems Limited, Airborne Systems NA Inc., Airborne Systems North America Inc., Airborne Systems North America of CA Inc., Airborne Systems North America of NJ Inc., Airborne Systems Pension Trust Limited, Airborne UK Acquisition Limited, Airborne UK Parent Limited, Aircraft Materials Limited, AmSafe, AmSafe Aviation (Chongqing) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Private) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport Ltd., AmSafe Global Holdings Inc., AmSafe Global Services (Private) Limited, AmSafe Inc., Angus Electronics Co., Arkwin Industries, Arkwin Industries Inc., Armtec Countermeasures Co., Armtec Countermeasures TNO Co., Armtec Defense Products Co., Auxitrol SAS, Auxitrol Weston Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Auxitrol Weston Services China Ltd., Auxitrol Weston Singapore Pte. Ltd., Auxitrol Weston USA Inc., Aviation Technologies, Aviation Technologies Inc., Avionic Instruments LLC, Avionics Instruments, Avionics Specialties Inc., AvtechTyee Inc., Beta Transformer Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Beta Transformer Technology Corporation, Beta Transformer Technology LLC, Breeze-Eastern Corporation, Breeze-Eastern LLC, Bridport Erie Aviation Inc., Bridport Holdings Inc., Bridport Ltd., Bridport-Air Carrier Inc., Bruce Aerospace Inc., Bruce Industries, CDA InterCorp LLC, CEF Industries LLC, CMC Electronics Aurora LLC, CMC Electronics Inc., CMC Electronics ME Inc., Champion Aerospace LLC, Chelton Avionics Holdings Inc., Chelton Avionics Inc., Chelton Limited, Cobham Aero Connectivity, Cobham CTS Limited, Cobham Defence Communications Limited, Cobham Defense Products Inc., DART Aerospace, DDC Electronics K.K., DDC Electronics Ltd., DDC Electronics Private Limited, DDC Electronique S.A.R.L., DDC Elektronik GmbH, Darchem Engineering Limited, Darchem Holdings Limited, Data Device Corp., Data Device Corporation, Dukes Aerospace Inc., EST Defence Company UK Limited, Edlaw Limited, Electromech Technologies LLC, Elektro-Metall Export GmbH, Elektro-Metall Paks KFT, Esterline, Esterline Acquisition Ltd, Esterline Europe Company LLC, Esterline Foreign Sales Corporation, Esterline International Company, Esterline Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Europe Limited, Esterline Technologies France Holding SAS, Esterline Technologies French Acquisition Limited, Esterline Technologies Global Limited, Esterline Technologies Holdings Limited, Esterline Technologies SGIP LLC, Esterline Technologies Unlimited, Esterline do Brasil Assessoria e Intermediacao Ltda, European Antennas Limited, Extant Components Group Holdings Inc., Extant Components Group Intermediate Inc., GQ Parachutes Limited, Guizhou Leach-Tianyi Aviation Electrical Company Ltd, Harco, HarcoSemco LLC, Hartwell Corporation, Hytek Finishes Co., ILC Holdings Inc., IRVIN AEROSPACE LIMITED, IrvinGQ France SAS, IrvinGQ Limited, Janco Corporation, Johnson Liverpool LLC, Kirkhill Elastomers, Kirkhill Inc., Korry Electronics Co., Kunshan Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Leach Holding Corporation, Leach International Asia-Pacific Ltd, Leach International Corporation, Leach International Europe S.A.S., Leach International Germany GmbH, Leach International Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., Leach International UK Ltd, Leach Mexico Holding LLC, Leach Technology Group Inc., MarathonNorco Aerospace Inc., Mason Electric Co., Mastsystem Int'l Oy, McKechnie Aerospace, McKechnie Aerospace (Europe) Ltd., McKechnie Aerospace DE Inc., McKechnie Aerospace DE LP, McKechnie Aerospace Holdings Inc., McKechnie Aerospace US LLC, Mecanismos de Matamoros S. de R.L. de C.V., NAT Seattle Inc., NMC Group Inc., Norco, Nordisk Asia Pacific Limited, Nordisk Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Nordisk Aviation Products (Kunshan) Ltd., Nordisk Aviation Products AS, Nordisk Aviation Products LLC, North Hills Signal Processing Corp., North Hills Signal Processing Overseas LLC, Norwich Aero Products Inc., Palomar Products Inc., Pexco Aerospace, Pexco Aerospace Inc., PneuDraulics, PneuDraulics Inc., Pressure Systems International Ltd, Schneller, Schneller Asia Pte. Ltd., Schneller LLC, Schneller S.A.R.L., Schroth Safety Products, Semco Instruments, Semco Instruments Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Signal Processing Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Skandia, Skandia Inc., Skurka Aerospace, Skurka Aerospace Inc., Symetrics Industries, Symetrics Industries LLC, Symetrics Technology Group LLC, TA Aerospace Co., TA Mfg Limited, TDG Bavaria GmbH, TDG ESL Holdings Inc., TDG France Ultimate Parent SAS, TDG Germany GmbH, TEAC Aerospace Holdings Inc., TEAC Aerospace Technologies Inc., Tactair Fluid Controls Inc., Takata Protection Systems, Telair International, Telair International GmbH, Telair International Services PTE Ltd, Telair US LLC, TransDigm (Barbados) SRL, TransDigm Canada ULC, TransDigm European Holdings Limited, TransDigm Ireland Ltd., TransDigm Receivables LLC, TransDigm Technologies India Private Limited, TransDigm UK Holdings plc, Transicoil (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad, Transicoil LLC, Wallop Defence UK Limited, Weston Aerospace Ltd, Whippany Actuation Systems, Whippany Actuation Systems LLC, XCEL Power Systems Ltd., Young & Franklin, Young & Franklin Inc., and exas Rotronics Inc..

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17.01.2017 LISTEN

Ghanaian alternative rock band, Dark Suburb is set to launch their debut album The Start Looks Like The End together with a concert on February, 17 2017 at Alliance Francaise, Accra.

The band since bursting onto the music scenes in Ghana, have received nominations for several awards. Notable among them are the VGMAs, 4syte MVAs, AFRIMMA awards.

The band wears skeleton masks to highlight the point of their shared humanity and to remind the world that we are one people regardless of sex, race or social status.

They fuse all styles of music, especially African rhythms, with rock. The band constitutes 5 musicians and a poet who acts as their Chief Priest. Legend has it that the Chief Priest evoked them from the dead to come and entertain and educate the world through the most expressive style of music, rock.

Prior to the release of the album, the band made a courtesy visit to the residence of the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Jon Benjamin to deliver the first copy of their yet to be released debut album. The commissioner took to his official Twitter page to express his profound gratitude for being the first to receive a copy of the album.

The band has shared stage with some of Africa's biggest names including Diamond Platnumz from Tanzania at the just ended AFRIMMA 2016 in Nigeria.

The band is ready to give to fans nothing, but a great compilation of good music. The album features the likes of Edem, Wiyaala, E.L and Black Snake Mona from the United States. Couple of singles which have been released off the album has received a huge applaud from fans and stakeholders.

Dark Suburb under the supervision of their new management is ready to serve Ghanaians with nothing but good music.
Actress Kisa Gbekle as part of her birthday celebration on Monday donated items worth thousands of Ghana cedis to the children at the Paediatric Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

She was accompanied by some friends in the movie industry, including Daniel Edah, producer of 'In April' movie, who together with her shared some of the donated items like biscuits and drinks to the children at the ward. She was joined by some of the children at two of the wards to cut her two different birthday cakes.

It is the second time the 'Thank God It's Friday' actress and producer has donated to the children's ward of the hospital. The first time was a year ago when she celebrated her birthday.

Many had thought she would be throwing a party to have fun with friends this year, but she didn't. Rather, she decided to go back to the hospital.

Kisa is currently one of Ghana's fast rising actresses. From a humble beginning in Ghanas movie industry, she is one of the few youngsters who managed to cross over into Nigerias Nollywood movie industry.

She actually started career as a musician but ended up acting. She featured in the TV series; 'The Miser' and other movies such as 'Accra Runs', 'Accra Hustlers', 'Stand By Me', '8PM' and others. She recently produced the movie titled 'Thank God It's Friday'.

The beautiful actress was last in the news over comments that she won't settle down with a handsome guy because handsome guys are womanisers.

By Francis Addo (Twitter: @fdee50 Email: [email protected] )
The second daughter of President Barack and Michelle Obama, Sasha, turned heads when she took some time off to chill at the beach over the weekend.

Sasha who was clad in a black bikini was accompanied by Secret Service as she and few friends enjoyed the tides and breeze at Miami Beach.

Under the vigilant gaze of the Special Forces, Sasha looked banging hot in those shots.

She and her big sister, Malia, are prepping themselves for life outside the White House, after spending eight good years at the Oval.

-entertainmentgh.com, bossip.com




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A Ivory Coast patrols the airport in Bouake on January 13, 2017. By Sia Kambou (AFP/File)

17.01.2017 LISTEN

BouakA (Ivory Coast) (AFP) - A mutinous soldier was killed in Ivory Coast's administrative capital Tuesday, as fresh trouble erupted after troops took to the streets, firing shots in the air and terrifying residents.

The soldier's death in Yamoussoukro was the first since a mutiny over pay erupted in the second city Bouake on January 5, stoking security fears in the world's top cocoa producer.

Initial protests were quelled after an agreement was reached with the government last week. Soldiers involved in the first protests started receiving their payments Tuesday.

Under the deal, the mutinous troops were promised 12 million CFA francs (18,000 euros, $19,000) each, although it remains unclear how the government of the west African nation intends to finance the payments.

The mutiny has seen President Alassane Ouattara order major changes in the top security ranks -- the armed forces' chief of staff, the senior commander of the national gendarmerie and the director-general of the police.

Enraged that they were excluded from the deal, other troops took to the streets of Yamoussoukro and Bouake on Tuesday, firing in the air as scared residents took refuge.

"The mutinous soldier was killed by the Republican Guard in front of their camp" in Yamoussoukro, the military source said on condition of anonymity.

The precise circumstances of the soldier's death were not immediately clear.

'We're hiding'

Witnesses in the city earlier told AFP they saw soldiers firing shots in the air and stealing vehicles.

"I decided to go home," resident Koffi Germain said.

"We're hiding, there's a lot of shooting," a civil servant told AFP on condition of anonymity.

In Bouake, an AFP journalist also saw soldiers firing in the air.

Fearing for their safety, Bouake residents took shelter in their homes, the journalist said.

Bouake, which is home to 1.5 million people, was the cradle of a rebellion which erupted in 2002 in a failed attempt to oust then-president Laurent Gbagbo.

The revolt sliced the former French colony into the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south and triggered years of unrest.

Twelve years later, a similar dispute over pay by rebels-turned-soldiers erupted in Bouake which spread to Abidjan and briefly brought the country to a standstill.

The government then agreed to a deal that provided amnesty for the mutineers and a financial settlement.

Ivory Coast has long been west Africa's star economic performer. But when Gbagbo refused to step down despite an election defeat in 2010, 3,000 people were killed in months of conflict.

With a 10-percent yearly economic growth rate, the west African country is now back on the rails.

The International Monetary Fund said last month that Ivory Coast was on track towards becoming the continent's fastest-growing economy.

The latest mutiny, however, has raised fears the country might slip back into deadly unrest.
Abidjan (AFP) - Elite loyalist troops from Ivory Coast on Tuesday killed a mutinous soldier in the administrative capital Yamoussoukro, a military source said.

The soldier's death was the first since a mutiny over pay erupted in second city Bouake on January 5.

That mutiny ended in an agreement last week with the government, and soldiers involved in the initial protests started receiving their payments Tuesday.

Enraged that they were excluded from the deal, other troops took to the streets of Yamoussoukro and Bouake Tuesday, firing into the air and terrifying residents.

"The mutinous soldier was killed by the Republican Guard in front of their camp" in Yamoussoukro, the military source said on condition of anonymity.
Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - Gambian President Yahya Jammeh on Tuesday declared a state of emergency just two days before he is due to step down, citing "extraordinary" foreign interference in the country's post-electoral crisis.

The declaration was necessary, he said on state television, after the "unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign inference in the December 1 presidential elections and also in the internal affairs of The Gambia."

The 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) has repeatedly called on Jammeh to respect the result of the vote he lost to opponent Adama Barrow and step aside, backed up by the United Nations Security Council, African Union and several other institutions.

Jammeh said foreign powers had created an "unwarranted hostile atmosphere, threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country," forcing him to act.

Under the Gambian constitution a state of emergency lasts seven days if the president declares it unilaterally but up to 90 days if the national assembly confirms it, which has not yet happened.

President Yahya Jammeh said foreign powers created an "unwarranted hostile atmosphere, threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country," forcing him to take action

The terms of the declaration were left vague by Jammeh and seemed to correspond to laws already in place in a nation where human rights abuses are rife.

All citizens and residents were "banned from any acts of disobedience to the laws of The Gambia, incitement to violence and acts intended to disturb public order and peace," Jammeh said.

He then asked the security forces to maintain law and order.

The move will be dimly viewed by the international community as Jammeh's mandate runs out, but the president has shown little interest in diplomacy after rebuffing two high-level delegations by west African leaders in recent weeks pleading with him to go.

String of resignations

Gambian president-elect Adama Barrow (L), flanked by his supporters, arrives in Banjul for a meeting with four African heads of state on December 13, 2016

Meanwhile four more cabinet ministers in Jammeh's government defected, a source close to the regime told AFP on Tuesday, while citizens stream out of the country in fear of unrest.

Foreign minister Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, finance minister Abdou Kolley, trade minister Abdou Jobe and tourism minister Benjamin Roberts had all resigned, the source said, requesting anonymity for safety reasons.

Roberts was appointed to replace Kolley on Monday, meaning he spent less than 24 hours in the new post, local media said.

Gambian president-elect Adama Barrow (L), flanked by his supporters, arrives in Banjul for a meeting with four African heads of state on December 13, 2016

The latest resignations came after the high-profile defection last week of information minister Sheriff Bojang, who is now sheltering in neighbouring Senegal.

Citizens continued to pack their bags and stream out of Banjul by road and ferry for Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, taking as many possessions as they could carry.

One traveller told AFP that those arriving at 10:00 am would have to wait until the following day to board a ferry at Banjul port to cross the river headed for Senegal, unless they bribed officials, due to huge numbers exiting the city.

The UN's refugee agency has said several thousand Gambians have crossed the border in the last few weeks to shelter with extended family while they await January 19, when Jammeh is due to hand over power.

Barrow is in Senegal, where he plans to remain until his planned inauguration on Thursday.

Asylum offer

Gambia has been plunged into political turmoil since President Yahya Jammeh disputed opposition leader Adama Barrow's December poll victory, refusing to cede power until a judge rules on his legal challenge

The spectre of a military intervention in The Gambia now seems closer than ever, following declarations by the United Nations and African Union that boots on the ground could get the green light without a rapid resolution to the crisis.

Fears of conflict were ramped up in Banjul following the weekend arrest of soldiers suspected of being sympathetic to Barrow, underlining significant disagreement within the armed forces over whom they will support come Thursday.

Elsewhere Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf hit out at Jammeh for broadcasting a conversation they held by phone on Sunday on Gambian television without her knowledge.

"Unfortunately, being the person that he is, Jammeh recorded and televised their conversation without advising her of his intent to do so," a statement from the Liberian presidency said.

Sirleaf was then quoted as saying that as of Monday "there is no change in ECOWAS position. The Constitution of The Gambia must be respected."

In Rabat, it was reported that Morocco had offered Jammeh asylum for accepting the election defeat and stepping down "in return for a golden retirement", but Banjul sources were reluctant to confirm the claim.

And in a growing sign of Jammeh's hostility to international scrutiny, seven journalists from China, Sweden and Senegal were expelled late Monday soon after they arrived at Banjul airport to cover the ongoing crisis.
By Dennis Peprah, GNA

Sunyani, Jan. 16, GNA - Ghanaians have been urged to lower and manage their high expectations for jobs as President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is now forming his government.

Mr Thomas Benarkuu, the Project Officer of MIHOSO International, a Non-Governmental Organisation, gave the advice on Monday and said no government could be able to address the national challenges and satisfy the needs of the people within the shortest possible time.

Mr Benarkuu was addressing dressmakers, hairdressers, artisanal workers, commercial drivers, market women and transport unions at a forum on the Social Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (SPEFA) project in Sunyani.

The NGO is implementing the three-year SPEFA project in the Sunyani and Berekum municipalities which is aimed at improving citizens' perception about financial management - how the municipal and district assemblies manage and report on their resources.

SPEFA project emanated from the local Government Capacity Support Project, which was initiated by the Government and the World Bank.

Mr Benarkuu indicated that citizens would be disappointed if they over-relied on the new government for jobs hence the need for them to engage in skill and other artisanal trainings to be able to find jobs for themselves.

He asked citizens to show interest and participate actively in decision-making process at their municipal and district assemblies.

Mr Benarkuu explained that the Local Government Act, Act 462 mandated municipal and district assemblies to organise town hall meetings at least twice a year to update the local people on the activities and operations of the assemblies.

Mr Benarkuu said the local people were expected to impress on the assemblies to organise such meetings and contribute towards fee and rates fixing and especially the judicious use of the District Assemblies Common Fund and the internally generated fund.

He said knowledge, money and wisdom were the three key indices of development, and underlined the need for the media to develop interest and track the use of funds at the local assemblies.

Mr Benarkuu said the media played essential role in improving the quality of governance and when the media did this effectively it would increase citizens' empowerment.

He said all the resources that duty bearers used in their daily operations in providing service delivery were generated through taxes and grants hence citizens must develop interest and participate in local governance.

GNA
Fiapre (B/A), Jan. 16, GNA - Monsignor George Kwame Kumi, the Vicar General of the Sunyani Diocese of the Catholic Church, has appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to unite the citizenry for speedy development.

'I will like to plead with the President and his administration not to seek revenge against his perceived opponents and detractors as he assumes the mantle of leadership,' he said.

Monsignor Kwame Kumi, also the Parish Priest for the St Peter's Catholic Church at Fiapre, near Sunyani, made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.

He said: 'Nana Akufo-Addo with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) should leave the past behind, unite the people and be a loving father to all Ghanaians, irrespective of party, ethnic and religious affiliations.'

The Vicar General said one of the major challenges that faced the NPP Government was the fight against corruption, adding that; 'If Ghana overcomes corruption, it will not go about borrowing from Western countries and international financial institutions.'

'We should be able to harness and manage our God-given natural and human resources so effectively and efficiently that there will be no need to go for foreign loans to develop our nation,' Monsignor Kwame Kumi stated.

He urged Ghanaians to shun complacency and work diligently in order to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

He cautioned students, especially those in the Brong Ahafo Region, to desist from examination malpractices, and urged educational authorities to wage a relentless war to uproot the canker from the system.

'The menace does not help to churn out qualified, competent and capable personnel to manage the affairs of our region and the nation in general,' he said.

GNA
By Joyce Danso, GNA

Accra, Jan. 16, GNA - One out of five men who allegedly had sex in turns with a 13 year-old iced water seller has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court charged with defilement.

Sulemana Mohammed Razak, 21 years, claimed he did not know the victim was 13 years adding that the victim told him she was 16 years. He, however, admitted having sex with her.

Explaining further, the accused said he also sold packs of pure water and on the day of the incident the victim came to his shop looking sick.

He said he inquired from the victim her condition of health. The victim then explained that she was feeling cold. The accused, thereafter, decided to purchase some pain killer known as 'Quick Action,' for the victim.

The accused narrated that after getting the quick action for the victim, he advised her to go home but she declined. The victim explained that her Auntie, who she stays with, had travelled.

The court then interjected and asked the accused: 'Did you have sex with the victim?' the accused then responded: 'Yes my Lord'.

Court: Did you know the victim is 13 years?

Accused person: No please, the victim told me she was 16 years.

Prosecuting, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sophia Eva Ennim told the court that they had not been able to procure the birth certificate of the victim hence the Police was doing an age assessment for the victim.

The court, presided over by Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku, after listening to the accused, entered a plea of not guilty for him.

Razak was then remanded into police custody to reappear on January 30 for hearing.

The case of prosecution was that the complainant, Mohammed Salisu, is a teacher residing at Redco, a suburb of Madina and an uncle of the victim.

According to prosecution, the victim lives with her grandmother at Madina Post Office while the accused person resided at Madina Lorry Station.

DSP Ennim said the victim sold sachet water at Madina Zongo Junction Lorry Park.

She said in December last year, at about 06:00 hours, the victim was on her usual rounds selling water at the station when an accomplice of the accused person, now at large called her under the pretext of buying water.

When the victim got closer to the kiosk where the accomplice was, the accomplice then dragged the victim into the kiosk and Razak held her legs and pulled the victim into the kiosk whilst covering her mouth to prevent her from shouting.

DSP Ennim said Razak and the four others took turns and had sex with the victim; after the act they left the victim in the kiosk.

A witness who saw the victim laying helplessly in the kiosk rescued her and apprehended Razak to the police station.

Prosecution said the complainant was given a medical form to seek medical attention for the victim. The medical form was brought to the police station which necessitated the arrest and subsequent charging of Razak.

GNA
By Hafsa Obeng, GNA

Accra, Jan. 16, GNA - An Accra Circuit Court on Monday remanded three persons accused of conspiring and robbing various persons of their personal belongings at gun point.

Dickson Addai, Prince Owusu and Gbekpor Marvin are said to have conspired and robbed one Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkorno, Francis Kofi Torkorno, Anthony Kodua Bediako, and Patience Hammond of their personal belongings.

Dickson was also charged for possessing firearms. They all pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded by the court, presided over by Mrs Abena Adjin Doku Oppong, to reappear on January 30.

Prosecuting, Superintendent of Police Kweku Bempah told the court that the complainants in the case were Justice Gertrude Torkorno, an Appeals Court Judge, Francis Torkorno, an Officer at the Narcotics Control Board, Anthony Koduah Bediako, a Banker, and Patience Hammond, a trader.

The accused persons are residents of Chantan in Accra.

Justice Torkorno and Francis Torkorno are couple.

On December 12, 2016, at about 2030 hours, Superintendent Bempah said Justice Torkorno was on board her official vehicle returning from a night church service and upon opening the main gate of her residence, a gang of masked men holding weapons attacked her and subjected her and her entire family to severe trauma and threats of harm.

They robbed her of her Toyota Fortuner, one Apple MacBook Laptop valued at $1,300.00, one iphone valued at GH600.00, GH900.00 cash, $50.00 and three bibles.

The prosecution said the gang, in an attempt to drive the vehicle out of the house, bumped into Francis Torkorno, who was returning from work on board his vehicle.

They confronted and severally assaulted him and robbed him of $350.00 cash, eleven Zambian Kwacha, two ATM cards of Stanbic and Ecobank, one Delta Sky Miles membership card, his Narcotics Control Board ID Card and his vehicle.

Superintendent Bempah said the robbers, numbering about six, not satisfied with their act, further went to Anyaa at about 2130 hours and robbed Anthony of his Hyundai Senta-fe 4x4 vehicle, an amount of GH350.00, and one Huawei mobile phone.

They later forcibly marched the complainant to the apartment of his co-tenant, Patience, who in an attempt to raise the alarm, drew the attention of the gang.

Superintendent Bempah told the court that they broke into her room with cement blocks, subjected her to beatings and robbed her of five assorted mobile phones, one flat screen TV and jewellery valued at GH5,000.00 and bolted.

He said on December 20, 2016, one Elizabeth Okai, a customer of Patience, unknowingly called her business mobile line, which was stolen from her on December 8, with the intent of paying her a debt of GH4,800.00.

The Prosecutor said Prince responded to the call and gave his Fidelity Bank Account Number at the Lapaz Branch for her to deposit the money, but she informed Patience who immediately alerted the police, leading to the arrest of Prince.

Superintendent Bempah said the police managed to retrieve Patience's stolen Airtel mobile sim card and Fidelity savings cheque book bearing Prince's name from his room at Chantan.

He told the court that investigations led to the arrest of Dickson at Nanakrom, near East Legon, as a member of the gun where the police retrieved one pump action gun and 12 live ammunition, four assorted Samsung mobile phones, one Apple iphone, one Nokia mobile phone and HP mini laptop, all suspected to have been stolen.

He said the investigations also led to the arrest of Gbekor, being part of the gang.

GNA
17.01.2017 LISTEN

By Christabel Addo, GNA

Accra, Jan. 16, GNA - Professor George Gyan-Baffour, the Minister-designate for Planning at the Presidency, has met Dr Nii Moi Thompson, the Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) for a briefing in Accra.

The two discussed ways of working together to advance the President's development agenda through the Long-Term National Development Plan (LTNDP).

A statement signed by Ms Rosemary Danquah-Sampong, the Public Relations Officer of the NDPC, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said Prof. Gyan-Baffour was once the Director-General of the Commission during which he introduced the current four-year planning cycle to ensure continuity in national development.

The statement said Prof. Gyan-Baffour, during his tenure, also introduced the Annual Progress Reports (APRs) to monitor the performance of central government agencies as well as local governments.

It said the Minister-designate, during the interaction, enquired about the Commission's work in incorporating the Government's Manifesto into the LTNDP, to which Dr Thompson responded that; 'We reviewed all the political parties' manifestos during the elections, but once NPP won, we developed a matrix that aligns its manifesto with the five Strategic Goals and 25 strategic growth areas of the LTNDP.'

Dr Thompson, the statement said, explained that the Strategic Goals were aimed at achieving economic, social, institutional and environmental transformation, while the growth areas were based on under-utilised capacity, job creation potential and export prospects, among others.

Dr Thompson presented a copy of the matrix and other documents to the Minister-designate, saying once the Government found the matrix satisfactory, the Commission would operationalise it through the first medium-term plan (2018-2021).

He said in the immediate-term (2017), the Commission would be combining a list of 'catalytic initiatives' from the LTNDP with those in the manifesto for adoption and implementation.

He said the Commission had also begun preparing timelines for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to fulfill Article 36 (5) of the Constitution, which requires a new President to present, 'within two years', a 'Co-ordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies' to Parliament.

Dr Thompson said the Commission wished to assist the President to present his programme to Parliament in his first year.

Prof. Gyan-Baffour commended the Commission for the work it had done so far saying; 'I'm really impressed and I look forward to working with you'.

He promised to ensure that concerns of the Commission were swiftly brought to the attention of the President and Cabinet.

GNA
By Christabel Addo, GNA

Accra, Jan. 16, GNA - A team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are in Ghana to peer review the status of the National Nuclear Power Infrastructure for the introduction of a Nuclear Power Programme.

The service, which is being provided through an Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) Mission, was upon an official request made by the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), acting on behalf of the Ghana Nuclear Power Programme Organisation (GNPPO) to the IAEA.

Professor Benjamin J. B. Nyarko, the Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, at the opening ceremony of the meeting in Accra on Monday, said the process fulfils an important requirement of the IAEA's milestone approach in the Phase I towards the establishment of a nuclear power plant.

He said the week-long activity would be co-ordinated and led by the INIR Mission Team which comprises IAEA staff and international experts drawn from member states who have experience in different aspects of developing nuclear power infrastructure in a safe, secure and sustainable manner.

The goal of the IAEA coordinated International Peer Review was to conduct a holistic evaluation of Ghana's nuclear infrastructure on the basis of the 19 infrastructure issues to be considered for nuclear power development and sustainability and also provide suggestions and recommendations to fill gaps that may exist.

The 19 infrastructural issues involves the national position, nuclear safety, management, funding and financing, legislative frameworks, safeguard issues, radiation protection, regulatory frameworks, electric grid, and human resource development.

The rest are stakeholder involvement, site and supporting facilities, environmental protection, emergency planning, security and physical protection, nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste, industrial involvement, as well as procurement issues.

Prof. Nyarko said the INIR Mission would comprise interviews and discussions between the IAEA team and a panel of GNPPO members and stakeholder representatives for each of the 19 infrastructure issues.

He said the INIR service which consists of four steps involves: The preparation of a Self-Evaluation Report (SER), and if required the conduct of a SER support mission; the conduct of a Pre-INIR mission; the conduct of the major INIR mission; and then a Follow up to the INIR mission, he said.

Prof. Nyarko said prior to the present review, Ghana had to satisfy a preceding requirement of conducting and submitting a Self-Evaluation Report which was developed by the GNPPO with the active involvement of all stakeholder organisations and submitted in early April 2016 to the IAEA, with all the associated supporting documents.

He said a SER Support Mission and a Pre-INIR Mission were also conducted in 2016 and based on the contents from the SER Support Mission, Ghana's SER was revised and re-submitted to the IAEA together with over 150 supporting documents in early December 2016.

He said the various sessions would, therefore, require total commitment by participants in order to make the process a success.

Mr Dohee Hahn, the Head of the Nuclear Infrastructure Division, IAEA, said Ghana was no newcomer to nuclear power having joined the Agency since 1960, and therefore had gained great knowledge.

He said the team required maximum support to engage with an open and transparent stakeholder involvement to be able to make its suggestions to address any gaps identified for redress.

Dr Nii Moi Thompson, the Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission, admitted that a nuclear power programme was a major undertaking requiring careful planning, preparation and investment in time and human resources.

He said while nuclear power was not alone in this respect, it needed careful consideration because of the issues associated with the possession and handling of nuclear material.

The development of a nuclear power programme entails attention to many complex and interrelated issues over a long duration and involves a commitment of at least 100 years to maintain a sustainable national infrastructure through operation, decommissioning and waste disposal.

Dr Thompson congratulated all who had been involved in the process saying the current event builds on the progress made so far, but the time has come for the nation to move beyond the building of institutional structures and turn its attention to providing the necessary infrastructure for generating nuclear energy.

He said besides assurances of safety there were other compelling reasons why nuclear should be part of the future energy mix.

These, he said, included its capacity to generate the base load electricity to drive industry, high environmental friendliness with a zero greenhouse gas emissions at the plant operation level and concord with the country's Green Economy Agenda.

GNA
17.01.2017 LISTEN

By Lydia Asamoah, GNA

Accra, Jan. 16, GNA - The Reverend Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, has advised the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to allow Ghana's democracy to grow.

'We must allow our democracy to mature and, here, we appeal to the two leading political parties; NPP and NDC, that they must allow our democracy to work,' Rev. Opuni-Frimpong said in reaction to the brouhaha that characterized the transition process from the NDC Government to the NPP Government.

Rev. Opuni-Frimpong said all those issues had direct bearings on Ghana's democracy and that the best solution was to allow democracy to grow by 'accepting to heal the wounds of the past. Heal the wounds of our history'.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Accra, Rev. Opuni-Frimpong said: 'What NPP was complaining about yesterday the NDC is complaining about today and this does not augur well for Ghana's democracy'.

'People are carrying yesterday's pain into what they are doing today. And we must know that what we are doing to people today, tomorrow somebody will also do it to us,' he said, adding that the way to go was to accept to heal the wounds of the past.

He said instead of transferring pains and wounds, the parties must rather try to heal them bearing in mind that Public Service was bigger than personal comfort.

Rev. Opuni-Frimpong noted that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is the President for all adding; 'since the 2016 Elections are over, the Government must count all and bring everybody onboard and govern.

He, therefore, urged President Akufo-Addo to come out to condemn the acts of seizures of state properties and institutions by alleged followers of the NPP at the district and regional levels.

'The Government and the party must distant themselves from the act and warn their rank and file to stop the takeovers,' he said.

Rev. Opuni-Frimpong said the Police must be allowed to work as democracy thrived under law and order.

GNA
Accra (AFP) - It was always going to be hard for outgoing US President Barack Obama to live up to expectations in Africa.

Born to a Kenyan father who once herded goats, the first black US president was seen as Africa's prodigal son who would understand the continent in a way white presidents never could.

Nelson Mandela said Obama's historic victory was proof everyone should "dare to dream" and Africans gave the new president a hero's welcome.

Six months after taking office in 2009, Obama travelled to Ghana to lay the foundations for future policies that emphasised responsibility and trade.

"Africa's future is up to Africans," he said in a speech in the country's capital of Accra.

"Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions," he added, referring to the countless leaders who cling to power and enrich themselves in countries where poverty is rampant.

The speech electrified the crowd but the thrill wore off. The trip was his last visit to Africa in his first term.

He took a different approach in his second term, launching his signature Africa initiative in 2013 after a visit to Robben Island, the apartheid-era prison outside Cape Town that held Mandela for more than 20 years.

His Power Africa programme to double access to power in sub-Saharan Africa was designed to bring governments and the private sector together.

"That's a big part of his legacy, to change that perception that Africa is not the dark continent, it is rising and there is opportunity there," US-Africa specialist Scott Firsing told AFP.

"Obama changed aid to trade," added Firsing, from the University of North Carolina.

Growing terror threat

Obama, who has said that one of his greatest achievements in office was "taking out" Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, also took the fight against rising Islamist extremism to Africa.

He ordered an expanded military presence against Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in Mali, Boko Haram in Nigeria and the Shabaab in Somalia.

Drone bases were set up in Niger, which borders both Mali and Nigeria, and northern Cameroon, while there were targeted strikes in Somalia.

"Frankly the US military didn't have much cause to focus on Africa, but now, unfortunately, there is cause to be there," said the former head of US Africa Command, retired general Carter Ham.

President Barack Obama delivered a firm message on gay rights and corruption during a landmark visit to Kenya in 2015

The breakdown in Libya following the death of strongman Moamer Kadhafi in 2011 saw weapons and radicalised fighters spread across Africa.

"There clearly was a follow-on effect that was detrimental," said Ham, who led the initial military intervention against Kadhafi.

Tackling the threat was a priority for Obama, he said, adding: "I think he was genuinely concerned for stability and security in Africa.

"If left unaddressed it was only a matter of time before those organisations would fulfil their stated intention of attacking the West."

Shabaab gunmen confirmed those fears in 2013 when they killed at least 67 people at Nairobi's Westgate mall, a favourite shopping destination for Westerners.

'Transcendental awareness'

Obama's tenure has by no means been perfect.

His administration faced heavy criticism for supporting countries such as Ethiopia with poor human rights records.

Sometimes he misjudged the mood. Senegal cheered in 2013 when its president Macky Sall rebuffed Obama for hitting out at discrimination against gays.

And detractors say Power Africa is also falling short of its goals.

Obama is generally seen as having advanced US interests in Africa and deepened relationships, not least by continuing his predecessors' flagship projects.

George W. Bush's President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is credited with having given life-saving treatment to millions of people.

Arguably President Barack Obama's most enduring legacy in Africa is his leadership example

Bill Clinton's African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has boosted trade with sub-Saharan Africa.

Bur arguably Obama's most enduring legacy is his example.

"Having a leader like him has an important psychological effect on Africans," said Mzukisi Qobo, associate professor of politics at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.

"Despite his weaknesses and shortcomings, there is a sense of pride in seeing someone like Obama.

"He seemed to have a more transcendental awareness of the challenges of the world rather than looking at it through a white Western lens."

In Accra in 2009, Obama declared he had "the blood of Africa" within him.

Last month, Ghanaians remembered his words when president John Dramani Mahama lost an election to opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo.

The vote was hotly contested but generally peaceful. Mahama conceded and the transition was smooth, just as in Nigeria, when Muhammadu Buhari beat incumbent Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

"I remember Obama's famous speech 'we don't need strongmen'," said 28-year-old Daniel Apau Ofori as he celebrated outside Akufo-Addo's house.

"It had an impact. This has been the most free and fair election."
On Monday, January 16, 2017, the director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Mr. Prosper AGBLOR and the Ambassador of France to Ghana, HE Francois Pujolas, met at the CID Headquarter, in order to attend a presentation ceremony introducing different types of cooperation between France and Ghana regarding security and coordinated police activities which will be set up along the year 2017.

Historically, the technical cooperation between French and Ghanaian Services was mainly targeting the fight against drug trafficking and organized criminality. However since 2016, a new type of coordination has been set up: fight against terrorism.

In 2017, the cooperation between the two police services will be maintained and even strengthened, in order to respond to this new threat. All over the year, numerous programs will be set up, engaging more strongly France and Ghana, in a close bilateral cooperation. French experts will train Ghanaian police services, and some Ghanaian police members will be invited to France for taking part in different type of training sessions, for them to improve their skills in counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, and public order.

At the ceremony, the Ambassador of France to Ghana met the Commissioner of Police, Prosper AGBLOR, director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Deputy Superintendant Raymond ADOFIEM, Chief of the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Deputy Superintendant David Selom HUKPORTIE, Chief of Drug Law Enforcment Unit, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the whole foreign Liaison Officers.

In his speech, the French Ambassador underlined the importance of concrete steps forward. He stressed the importance of security and stability in Ghana and the sub-region, to allow progress towards economic development and prosperity.

He underlined the fact that fighting drug-tafficking helps indirectly to fight terrorism, since it is a known fact that terrorist groups get financial resources through illegal activities.

Last but not least, he expressed satisfaction over the increased coordination between Ghana and its neighbours in fighting drug trafficking. This a new and concrete step towards a more integrated approach in the common fight of those concerned countries against criminal activities and for a West Africa that is safer and therefore more stable, he added. Finally he said that France was happy to be able, due to its close links with both Ghana and its neighbouring countries, to help bridge the gap of linguistic differences in order to reach an improved level of cooperation.

At the end of the ceremony and to strengthen the investigative capacity of the CID / DLEU, some equipment was donated for a total amount of 10 000 euros and were offered by HE. Francois Pujolas to the Drug Law Enforcement Unit of the CID.

In 2016, France financed projects aimed at supporting Ghanaian security agencies in order to strenghten the fight against Drug trafficking for an amount of 100 000 euros (450 000 GHC). More than 150 Ghanaian Policemen from CID/DLEU and members of NACOB benefited from French expertise in anti-drug domain, and more than 50 were trained to better fight terrorism. The project improved the skills of the agents fighting against traffics also through the numerous operational exchanges among different countries of the sub-region. In 2017, the project entitled Reinforcement will help upgrading skills of DLEU but also strengthen the operational cooperation among countries in West Africa.
The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has asked government push the Volta River Authority (VRA) to pay more than $306 million it owes the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC).

The Committee warns in its latest report that the debts could hit unimaginable limits if the power producer does not move to clear it.

The report, which covers the first half of 2016 reveals that total debt owed Ghana Gas by State institutions as at June 2016 was $340.49 million with VRA alone accounting for 89.9% ($306.10 million) of the outstanding balance.

Also, the total interest payable by VRA on its outstanding debts amounted to $2.86 million in the first half of 2016, PIAC revealed.

PIAC said it is concerned about the ever-growing indebtedness of state institutions to [Ghana Gas], which is not only depriving the Petroleum Holding Fund (PHF) of much-needed inflows but is also beginning to compromise the ability of the [Ghana Gas] to commence the scheduled amortisation of the approximately US$1 billion CDB loan facility that was contracted by the Government of Ghana (GoG) for the construction of the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant.

The report also revealed that crude oil production from the Jubilee field declined by 40% from 19.08 million barrels in mid-year 2015 to 11.44 million barrels over the same period in 2016.

The decline in production was caused by a combination of scheduled shutdown of the FPSO for routine maintenance and a faulty turret bearing which led to the suspension of oil production for up to 50 days, the report explains.

Aside from urging the Finance and the Energy ministries to ensure that VRA pays its debt to Ghana Gas in order to prevent the debts from spiralling out of control and thereby compromising the financial integrity and viability of [Ghana Gas], the report also recommends that the gas company take preemptive measures.

The GNGC should consider fast-tracking the interconnection of its onshore pipeline to the West African Gas Pipeline to create new market for its lean gas so that in the event that VRA continues to default in honouring its obligations, the lean gas could be channelled to the new markets that would become available by virtue of the interconnection" the Committee recommends.

PIAC is a statutory institution charged with ensuring efficient, transparent and accountable management of Ghanas petroleum revenues and investments.

Its latest report also warned the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to desist from financing infrastructure projects with funds allocated to it from petroleum revenues.

PIAC proposes that any outstanding payment(s) to be made in respect of the Western Corridor Road project must be paid from the allocations to the Roads and Other Infrastructure priority areas,"

Click here to read the full report .

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | George Nyavor | [email protected]
Immediate past President, John Dramani Mahama is torn between acquiescing to suggestions by his immediate family not to contest the 2020 elections and pressures from members of the opposition National Democratic Congress to lead the party into the next presidential election, The aL-hAJJ can today confirm.

Mr Mahama, dependable sources close to him told this paper, has been inundated with calls from admirers and the rank and file of the NDC following media reports indicating he has yielded to advice by his immediate family not to make a comeback in 2020.

While the report indicated that Ex-President Mahama had reasoned with his family when they implored him to take a rest from the hurly burly of politics, our sources said the calls coming in from senior members of the party, supporters and admirers of the old man (Mr Mahama) when the issue was first reported in the media has put him in a quandary.

It has not been easy my brother. Though he (Mr Mahama) was not around people kept coming here to see him to rescind his decision not to contest the 2020 elections, a close aide to Mr Mahama disclosed to The aL-hAJJ.

Most activists and functionaries of the NDC believe ex-President Mahama is the ideal candidate to lead the party into the next presidential elections.

National Organizer of the party, Mr Kofi Adams believes President Mahama in todays NDC is the best material that we have but, was quick to add that; the decision to contest the 2020 election will totally depend on him (Mr Mahama).

One thing you need to realize also is that the fact that you have lost an election does not mean that your candidate was bad. We have had great candidates lose electionI have read in some papers quoting family sources that he is not going to stand again but I have not heard any denial from him but he has indicated to usthat his primary focus now is how we will rebuild our party, he added.

This paper in its last edition reported that the family of Mr John Mahama advised him not to consider leading the now biggest opposition party into the next presidential election. The report further stated that former president Mahama has agreed.

A younger brother of former President Mahama and Chief Executive Officer of Engineers and Planners, Mr Ibrahim Mahama, on behalf of the Mahama family recently told a select group of senior journalists that the Mahama family advised him not to contest the NDC primary to select flag bearer for the 2020 polls, adding and he (ex-President Mahama) agreed with us.

John has given his all in politics to 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 late Prof Mills, and when the time came for him to contest for President, we supported him and advised him to go for itnow we have again advised him not to make a comeback in 2020, the CEO of Engineers and Planners noted.

But since the publication, the old man (Mr Mahama) has known no peacepeople come here virtually crying with some of them threatening to quit the party if he does not comeback. The old mans phone has been buzzing since, another source told The aL-hAJJ

An NDC constituency executive in Ayawaso North (name withheld) stormed The aL-hAJJs Mamobi office, threatening to resign from the party if Mr Mahama decides not to seek reelection.

Earlier, 2016 Campaign Coordinator for the NDC and National Organizer of the party, Mr Kofi Adams warned he will stage demonstration should President Mahama refuse the consensus for him to still lead the party for the 2020 elections.

If such position is likely to cause the partys future, is it not right that we demonstrate to save the party? Im ready to demonstrate now, Adams said.

This was after he was reported to have said if he (Mahama) decides not to run for elections, I will be disappointedI will mobilize people against that virtually in sync with the views of MP for Odododiodoo, Nii Lante Vanderpuije who said well force John Mahama to go.

But General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketsiah, and NDC MP for Wa West, Joseph Yieleh Chireh; have described calls for former president Mahama to lead the party into the 2020 elections as premature and undemocratic.

Mr Asiedu Nketsiah said "we havent reached the stage where we will select a flag bearer for the NDC. We went into an election and lost and so we are looking into what led to our defeat in the elections and prepare ourselves for the next elections. When we are done then we will think of who leads the NDC into the next elections as flagbearer."

On his part, Hon Chireh also stated I think that since the party has gone through this troubling experience of defeat, it is only proper that we all keep our eyes open, wait for the report that has been commissioned by the party hierarchy to bring out the causes, the MP said.

Meanwhile, Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has also waded into the debate, advising ex-President Mahama not to succumb to pressure by some elements of his party requesting for him to stage an immediate comeback to partisan politics.

It will be very unwise for him to make any statement now nothing has happened yet. He should be expecting that his legacy would be attacked. If hes not expecting that his legacy will be attacked then hes naive. You cant move in and out of presidency the same way to check in and out of a hotel. Its a serious business. When I talk about defense of his legacy, Im talking about political defense of his legacy which may include other things like legal defense and other things. And the defense he needs to make may lead to the conclusion that he needs to make another brake, he stated.

But the former President himself has been reacting to the ongoing discussions. He told a high level meeting involving him and minority MPs as well as some senior party executives that they should stop arguing about his future political ambition and rather channel their energies into reorganizing the NDC and strengthening its base.

In attendance were, Mr Asiedu Nketia, NDC National Chairman, Kofi Portuphy, immediate past Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Edward Doe Adjaho and stalwarts like Kofi Attoh among others. Stay tuned
Having had unsuspecting Ghanaians buy into his lofty promises and sometimes, outright fabrications about the erstwhile Mahama government which led to his resounding victory in last December election, President Nana Akufo-Addo is reported having sleepless nights over how to redeem his mouth-watering pledges.

President Akufo-Addo, The aL-hAJJ gathered, is also fretting over his governments relationship with the International Monetary Fund, Millennium Challenge Agency and the Peoples Republic of China after threatening to review agreements entered into with the immediate past Mahama government.

The then NPP presidential candidate, Nana Akufo Addo, ahead of the 2016 elections warned he will review agreements (the party described as unfavorable to Ghana) entered into with China. The NPP also called to question the 3year Extended Credit Facility Program signed between Ghana and the IMF.

Another of President Akufo Addos headache is the disbursement of the controversial $490 million dollar MCA facility subject to the privatization of Electricity Company of Ghana.

The NPP has openly kicked against the erstwhile Mahama governments agreement with Millennium Challenge Agency of United during they (NPP) were alleged to have sponsored persons to use the law court to frustrate the program, but to no avail.

Already, the Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation designate, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, has hinted of plans by the Akufo-Addo government to renegotiate aspects of Ghanas bailout program with the IMF which should end this year.

Ahead of the December 7 elections, the IMF had insisted the programme, which it described then as broadly satisfactory, would not be affected should there be a change of government

But after the immediate past Finance Minister, Seth Terkper, in his last press interaction following the elections confessed that government will miss the fiscal target, the Fund appears to have relaxed its earlier tough posture, saying We will deepen our engagement after the new finance minister has taken office, according to a report in the B&FT.

The NPPs often hostile attitude towards these international institutions in opposition, sources in government say, puts the President in a very dire situation and has kept him thinking how to engage them.

While leading members of the NPP and supporters are still celebrating the partys victory after spending eight years in opposition, the president is said to be a worried man. Nana has been brooding over how to fulfill his numerous promises, particularly those with timelines, a reliable source close to the presidency told this paper.

President Akufo Addo, the source further explained, knows it will be very difficult if not near impossible to fulfill most of the promises he made during the campaign and giving how Ghanaians bought into these promises to vote for us, he has been thinking of either fulfilling them or be frank with Ghanaians telling them the bitter truth.

This revelation comes few days after Managing Editor of the The aL-hAJJ, Alhaji Bature Iddrisu stated on UTV that even though President Akufo-Addo has been happy he won the epic election, he is mourning inside due to the challenges ahead.

Running a government is not the same as being in opposition as this is the time reality hits you in the face. If you look at the promises he (Akufo Addo) gave Ghanaians, he would have no option than to find a way to let us know that most of the things are not feasible, Alhaji Bature stated.

Confirming Alhaji Batures assessment of the situation, an aide to President Akufo Addo confided in this paper that the president and his handlers are suddenly beginning to see the enormity of the challenges the country faces and therefore, may be difficult implementing some of the policies and programs we promised in the manifestothe President, I can tell you, is not a happy man at all.

Among some of the promises that is said to be giving the President nightmares include full implementation of the free Senior High School concept, One district, One factory, One village, One dam, One district, One million dollars, reduction of VAT from 17.5% to 3% for SMEs, reduction of corporate tax from 25% to 12.5%, reduction in utility bills and fuel.

Others are the restoration of trainee nurses and teacher allowances, scrapping of some taxes, free import duties on raw materials, payment of deposits to DKM and other financial institution customers whose monies were locked up, new harbors at James Town and Keta, railway services from Takoradi-Kumasi to Paga and industrial parks for all ten regions.

The rest include, Stadia in Brong Ahafo, Eastern region, Upper East and West, and Volta regions, police hospitals at Bolatanga and Sunyani, two new police training schools, increase compulsory retirement in the Ghana Armed Forces from 25 years to 30 years among other promises.

Revealing that it will be difficult implementing some of the promises, the source said what the President and his advisors have resolved to do in the coming days is to prepare the minds of Ghanaians that the economy is in a mess and therefore some of the pledges may have to be shelved for the time being.

Leading members of the NPP have resorted to blaming the Mahama government for bequeathing Akufo-Addos government with messy economy.

Speaking at a durbar of Zongo chiefs and Imams at Fadama in Accra over the weakened organized by the Chief Imam to mark the birthday of Holy Prophet Mohammed, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia told the gathering that the NPP government inherited a very difficult economy from the NDC administration.

We said that when by the grace of Allah we get into government, we will undertake a number of policies and by the grace of God we have gotten into government, we have looked at the economic situation, it is not an easy one, it is a very difficult one but by the grace of Allah we intend to keep all the promises that we made to the people of Ghana.

You have already seen that we mean business; we are going to deal with the economic challenges, after all, that is what we were elected to do, Dr Bawumia said.

President Akufo-Addo has in the past few days in office, been busy forming his government with the naming of Ministers and reviewing handing over notes submitted to him by his side of the transition team led by Senior Minister designate, Mr Yaw Osafo Marfo.

Both President Akufo-Addo and Mr Osafo Marfo have also been complaining about Ghanas economy, describing it as not in the best of shapes to demand immediate economic takeoff as Ghanaians would have wished.

At a press briefing to announce his last batch of ministerial nominees at the presidency last Thursday, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo painted a totally different picture on the economy from what Ghanaians were told by his predecessor.

Our economy is in difficulty and it is therefore time for all of us to put our shoulders to the wheel, work hard and have the appropriate policies in place that will enable us to lift our economy and bring relief to our population, he noted.

Supporting the Presidents position, Senior Minister designate told newsmen immediately after his announcement as minister that Ghanas economy is bleeding profusely. We are extremely, heavily indebted but not poor. The economy is fundamentally very strong. It is the management that has been a problem.

Ghanas budget deficit is currently around 8 percent. A figure higher than the 5% expected under the IMF agreement, he noted.

But immediate past deputy Finance Minister, Hon Ato Forsons has debunked these claims by President Akufo-Addo and Mr Osafo Marfo that the NDC government left behind a very bad economy with debt to GDP rate hovering around 72 percent.

He said if the NPP continuous from where the NDC left, the suffering of many Ghanaians would soon be a thing of the past.
The Greater Accra Regional Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Anthony Nukpenu, has said the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Stephen K. Opuni, contributed to the NDC's defeat in the 2016 polls.

Dr. Opuni, who was recently directed by the Presidency to handover to the president's representative at the Ministry of Agriculture, has bee accused of not connecting with members of the NDC thus contributing to voter apathy.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Nukpenu insisted that his [Opunis] role has also caused our defeat. I have friends, workers of the COCOBOD who told me in the face that; we are not going to vote for you people in 2016 because you created a monster between us and our CEO therefore we will not vote for NPP, but we will not vote NDC either.

How did we suffer our defeat; because apathy set in. people refused to go to the polls, the NDC executive pointed out as he indicated that there were senior members of the NDC who were bitter over Dr. Opunis attitude.

I know senior members of government and party who are bitter about Opuni and will not come out to talk. They are even more dangerous than me talking, Mr. Nukpenu stated.

Anthony Nukpenu

Opuni shunned us

Mr. Nukpenu also accused the former COCOBOD CEO of ignoring people who were not within his circles, making it difficult to engage him on matters pertaining to policy with some NDC members or stakeholders.

People come across him in public settings or private settings and it is like he has a class of people he should deal with. If you don't fall in that class, talking to him is a challenge.

For example, I would not go to his office to seek for financial favours or contract favours. I may encounter a challenge in his field of work because I interact with downstream cocoa sector workers. If there is a challenge, I need to meet the CEO and lay it there. And if we find it difficult in meeting him then what are we doing as a government or as a party, Mr. Nukpenu lamented.

Blame Rawlings for NDC's 'humiliating defeat'  Nukpenu

Mr. Nukpenu has been blaming various individuals for the partys defeat, including blaming former President Rawlings , the partys Founder for their loss.

This is regardless of the fact that the party has set up a committee to investigate its bad performance at the polls.

Impunity and corruption caused NDC's defeat  Rawlings

Meanwhile ex-President John Rawlings has accused former government officials of causing the defeat of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the just ended general elections.

He believes though there were clear signs ahead of the general polls that the NDC would lose the elections, it ignored the signs on the wall and failed to act.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Folks, did you notice that when Akufo-Addo left for Bamako, Mali, to attend the 27th summit of the Franco-African summit news reports didnt say that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was to act in his absence as the President of Ghana?

Why so? Its strange, to say the least, because it hasnt happened before in our 4th Republic. Anytime the substantive President is out of the country, we are told openly that the Vice President will act. It has been so since the establishment of the 4th Republic.

On previous occasions when both the President and his Vice were out of the country, the Speaker of Parliament took over, swearing the office of office administered by the Chief Justice.

Once, when the immediate past Speaker of the House (Doe Adjaho) chose not to swear the oath of office in acting for both the President and his Vice, he was taken to task and faulted.

The point here is that the acting capacity is integral to our democratic experiment. Yet, nothing was said about Dr. Bawumias status in the absence of Akufo-Addo. Why so? Your food-for-thought, folks!!

We next turn to another angle. Those of us who know how vicious the Danquah-Busia political tradition is will not hesitate to see the crude manner in which Akufo-Addo booted out Dr. Opuni (the CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board) from office as part of the vendetta that has been long in planning and short in implementation.

The manner in which he was kicked out speaks volumes about the mindset with which Akufo-Addo wants to do things.

First, let's recall here that in the late 1960s, Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia had done things in this crude manner to give us what became known as "Apollo 568" (which targeted mostly civil servants of Ewe extraction to be expunged from the civil service for no apparent reason than that they didn't belong).

That action gave us the "Sallah case" and led to Busia's disgraceful affront to the Judiciary, symbolized by his "No Court! No Court!!" outbursts to undermine the integrity of the Judiciary. Yet, Busia and his Danquah-Busia clan claimed to be liberal democrats!!

Fast forward that disgraceful moment to what Akufo-Addo has begun doing today and you shouldn't fail to see things beyond the surface to know that Akufo-Addo and his bunch have something sinister up their sleeves to unleash on those perceived as "enemies" in government service to be weeded out.

The manner in which Dr. Opuni has been removed from office is reprehensible; and, no wonder, the eminent K.B. Asante has condemned it as unGhanaian. I agree with him.

The letter to Dr. Opuni was served on him on Thursday, January 12, summarily directing him to leave office on Friday, January 13. Inconceivable.

Why should he be chased out of office this way as if he is a criminal being pushed to the wall to be nailed? How could he prepare handing-over notes within that short span of time? Or was he being set up for punitive action as an NDC sympathizer?

(We recall news reports from the pro-NPP camp that just after the NPP had won the elections, he shredded vital documents on the Cocobod's operations.

Whether true or not, the impression was created that he has something to hide, which means preparing him for the slaughter house. Thus, by quickly tightening the noose in this crude manner, Akufo-Addo and his team are looking for clues to nip him).

Back to the letter directing him to leave office, which itself speaks volumes of the incompetence of Akufo-Addos Secretary (Nana Bediatuo). As pointed out by Mr. Asante, the tone of that letter is really bad.

The same applies to the letter removing the CEOs of the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies from office. Equally stinking. Why so?

It smacks of wiliness, vile political vendetta, and abject arrogance to be condemned outright. It reflects an anti-worker attitude that makes nonsense of Akufo-Addos agenda for the workforce.

From a wider angle, what is the fate of workers in Ministries abolished or re-aligned by Akufo-Addo? Will they automatically lose their jobs or be re-settled elsewhere? Where is that elsewhere? How so?

(We recall here Rawlings obnoxious policy of retrenchment and redeployment of workers in the civil service that provoked much resentment for him personally and the NDC that he stood for, generally.)

Folks, I want to stick my neck out to say that what has been done to Dr. Opuni will be extended to others as Akufo-Addo bulldozes his way through the civil and public sectors to deal drastically with those seen as hostile to the NPP. We have seen it before and will brace up for more. Truly, efficiency will be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. Too bad in a democracy!!
17.01.2017 LISTEN

The African situation appears desperate, but from a spiritual perspective, they may have little or no problem if they adopt a positive outlook in life. The African situation in respect of Global governance is like the last born in a family. They are, as it were, at an advantage or in a comfortable position, for having the best operational opportunities; because all the mistakes have been made, all the knowledge acquired, and all the infrastructure laid etc. already by the elders/leaders.

Africans' unending focus on, and criticism of the Whites to date, should be relegated to the background to give attention to psyching themselves up for the management and revival of the Global Village. Or do Africans want to remain students/minors for ever, never growing up, or never graduating to apply their acquired knowledge! WAKE UP; for that is not the normal/standard procedure, to the best of my knowledge.

The continuous reference to slavery particularly in America by African-Americans is both unfortunate and unfair. It is common knowledge that Blacks, as Africans, do associate proudly with the early Egyptian civilization (which enslaved too to build the pyramids etc. anyway), but pretend not to know the West African "slave coast" in the slavery era, which is more recent, and from where they could even trace their roots! At times, I am tempted to wonder how many of these Africans even care to understand the early Egyptian heiroglyphic writing or language!

Given the abundance of natural resources coupled with the favorable climate in Africa, and the human resource developed over the years to date, there is little that Africans cannot do to develop Africa. This also is undoubtedly, the expectation of the whole world; and it would be sad that Africans, particularly those in the diaspora would seek to rub shoulders with the Whites but not consider uplifting their Africa and Africans to prove their power.

Meanwhile it must be said that some "neantherdals" of the Whites who want to keep the mindset that Blacks are practically "incapable" of doing what Whites can do, are only dreamers showing bigotry, so should better rethink as reasonable humans of our Global Village. Blacks have been as capable, as they, but have been deprived of opportunities.

Incidentally, this situation is not too different from the message the campaign to empower women and children is advocating/pushing. Fortunately, this campaign touted to be a human right issue is the initiative of, and heavily funded by the Whites. Those who have seen this need for gender equality should not find this proposal difficult to understand. Racial equality cannot be too different from gender equality.

By the way, and this goes to both Blacks and Whites, racism either way today, will have no place in any area of the present Global Village; so those with that mentality should rethink. Also, just as some Blacks are more Whites in attitude and life, so can some Whites be more Blacks than Africans; the "African" in this consideration therefore goes beyond skin color.

May God/Allah/Our conscience help us!
His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo is publicly known to have certain enviable qualities, aspirations and beliefs. He believes in treating all Ghanaians with fairness and dignity irrespective of their social and tribal backgrounds. He is an embodiment of unity who is colour and tribal blind when it comes to dealing with Ghanaians. He sees every Ghanaian as a compatriot who must have the same right to justice despite their status in the country. On top of all, he is incorruptible, dynamic, and dedicated to be of service to Ghana and his people, being the father for all, but not only for the privileged few or members of his NPP party.

Going by his qualities and aspirations to serve Ghana in absolute faith and honesty, I shall only advise his supporters, members of the NPP, and anyone who claims to share his dreams of better Ghana for all, not to do anything to undermine him.

What do I mean by this? Before then, let me explain what UNDERMINE means. By dictionary definition, it means, to make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, or to make something weaker, often gradually.

There are two major ways of undermining someone as per my view as regards this very publication. They are (1) deliberate (conscious) efforts made with the motive of getting a person fail in whatever task, aspirations or execution of their good or bad intentions. (2) Unconsciously doing something that has the potential to negate someones plans, good intentions or the job that they are doing.

Today, I will relate my advice, suggestions and solutions to how those who claim, or may claim, to love or support His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, may unconsciously do things that have the clear potency to undermine him to render him a failed President in the end.

If you love or like somebody without just pretending to, you will never do anything questionable that will either tarnish the reputation of, or undermine, the person. Love is not mischievous. According to 1 Corinthians 13:4 - Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, and is not conceited.

Let me pause a second to define the word UNCONSCIOUS as in the dictionary and as being applied by me in this write-up. An unconscious thought or feeling is one that you do not know you have or not consciously realized, planned, or done. When you do something without intent, with whether or not your action so taken, or the thing done, favours a cause or not, you are said to have done it unconsciously.

Going back to the reasons for putting out this publication, it has come to the public domain that some NPP sympathisers or activists are on crusade to pay the NDC people back in their own coin. In December 2008 and early 2009 when the late President Mills won the election and was sworn in as the President of Ghana, the former spokesperson of former President Rawlings, Victor Emmanuel Smith, who had just been sacked by his master, led gangs of NDC people to seize cars of the outgoing Ministers of former President Kufuors NPP-led government. The NDC gangs used force to chase out suspected NPP people manning public toilets and even at Agogloshie in Accra, it was alleged these gangs maimed and murdered some NPP sympathisers.

Mr Victor Emmanuel Smith later became Ghanas Ambassador to the United Kingdom until he resigned to proceed to Ghana to contest for the parliamentary seat of Abuakwah North in the Eastern region in the 2016 Elections but which he lost miserably.

Yes, the NPP supporters have every right to pay them back in their own coin but do two wrongs make a right? No! Let me quote Apostle Paul in the bible to buttress my contention. 1 Corinthians 6: 12- "I have the right to do anything," you say--but not everything is beneficial. "I have ... "Everything is permissible for me," but I will not be mastered by anything. ... There is a liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, in which we must stand fast.

Does forcibly lawlessly taking over public toilets or tollbooths help advance the cause, or the intended achievements, of, the President to better the lives of Ghanaians? No! His election as the President of Ghana alone has set us free from the economic slavery, lawlessness, practice of selective justice, cronyism and extreme tribalism that were brazenly in orchestration and perpetuation by former President Mahama and the NDC government and party. We have to be proud of it and make sure we safeguard it.

Surely, the public toilets and the tollbooths must be taken over but in a lawful way. I know for a fact that those attending such facilities generate money for themselves but not for the government or the Ghanaian taxpayers. Most of the money collected goes into the private pockets of the hired or the self-nominated operators of the facilities hence people always fighting over their possession or ownership by adopting all sorts of illegal means. I know this for a fact.

I shall write to suggest how this periodic fighting over public toilets and tollbooths at the change of governments will be resolved once and for all.

Anyone who means well for the President wont engage in lawless acts thinking he/she can get away with them because they are members of the NPP, or they voted for Nana Akufo Addo or campaigned for him to win the election. No, that is not his vision and that is not the trait of an incorruptible person or a man of integrity. Please, do not let our emotional actions taken, or the satisfaction of our selfish interests put the President in bad light.

With President Nana Akufo Addo, although the law is an ass, meaning the legal system or a particular law is wrong or not good enough, and should be changed; the law is still no respecter of persons, meaning, all men are equal before the law. Period! Therefore, there is no room for anyone to commit acts of lawlessness in the belief that he is a member of NPP or a supporter of President Akufo Addo so he can get away with them. If anyone does that, they are unconsciously undermining the authority of, or the trust the public has in, President Nana Akufo Addo.

Anyone who behaves in the manner that I have just spoken against, is in effect seeking the failure or the downfall of the President but unconsciously.

I shall advise all the supporters of the President and NPP to behave in a manner that is responsible and lawful to give no room to his detractors or political rivals to speak ill about him. We have the duty to help him succeed to the admiration and expectation of all Ghanaians as he has promised.

Please, let us not engage in any malpractices that have the likelihood of denting the credibility of our President if indeed, we love him and wish him well in the performance of his functions.

I pray that the President will in the few days ahead stamp his authority to be the firm, fair and friendly incorruptible person that we all know of.

I hope the supporters of NPP of whom I am one, will listen to me in good faith to do as I have suggested without seeking to settle personal scores with the NDC now by resorting to illegal means. We should wait for the law itself to hold them by their balls as soon as the President and his government settle in and set the ball rolling.

No lover or supporter of His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, should engage themselves in acts that are frowned upon by the law, but in the hope of getting away with them when caught, by the mere fact of their affiliation to NPP. Whoever does that either consciously or unconsciously must see themselves as undermining the President and his government.

Rockson Adofo
17.01.2017 LISTEN

My name is Razak Ibrahim , My father , Mallam Ibrahim is a senior Islamic cleric and an Imam. My fathers view on secular education is so extreme to the extent of making sure all his children are never enrolled in any secular educational institute.

However, he made sure we all have the basic knowledge of the Islamic religion thereby enrolling us in Arabic schools locally referred to here as  Makaranta.

I was not happy with that situation, so I explained my predicament to a prominent man in our area whom after listening to my plight coupled with my determination to be educated, promised to enrolled me in a secular school. The man fulfilled his promise and took me to school and that was what started my problem with my father.

Unknowingly to me, that man was a pastor of a church in a section of the community. The man apart from taken care of my educational needs also does a lot for me. The man managed to convince me into becoming a Christian. I started following the man to his church every Sundays and other worshiping days.

Initially my father who was vehemently opposed to my enrolment into a secular school was not aware that I had defected into the Christian faith until I was spotted by my fathers friend one day coming out of the church with the pastor.

I then anticipated a problem coming as I knew the man would surely informed my father. My father became very furious about what he heard about my newly accepted faith. He first sent for me and enquired to know whether he heard was true or not? I responded that it was true that I had accepted the Christian faith. My admission to the claim angered my father very more and he warned me seriously to denounce my Christian faith and re-accept my Islamic faith which I never agreed to.

Even though before my father I agreed to defect back to the Islamic religion, I never defected . My fathers next move was to send a group of thugs to attack me and the pastor at the church. My father claimed that I had disgraced him as He is an Islamic cleric and as such he doesnt see reason why his child would chose a different religion.

Me and the pastor were able to escape from the wrath of the thugs sent by my father as we spotted them from afar and sensed danger . The pastor then went with me into hiding at another place.

The pastor who doesnt want any thing to happen to me did his best and got me a traveling visa to Brazil from where I managed to made it to America through Mexico and other Latin American nations.

I left the shores of Ghana on October 19th 2016 and arrived in Brazil the same day. After some few months in Brazil , I proceeded with my journey towards the northern part of America and subsequently reached Mexico on 29th December 2016.

I am now on my way to the Mexico-American border in my bid to enter America to seek for political asylum and for a secure and better life for myself.
The All-Africa Students Union (AASU) has been following with keen interest the political situation in the Gambia. In fact, since the presidential election was held in The Gambia on 1st December, 2016, the country has been plunged in a stalemate due to the refusal of President Yahya Jammeh to accept the result of the general election.

President Jammeh has been in power for the past twenty-two (22) years and winning all the elections except the last one considered to be the most democratic, free and fair. To the surprise and delight of the International community, President Jammeh accepted the result first, before rejecting it subsequently. Since then, calls have come from all and sundry asking President Jammeh to accept the result and handover the reign of power to the President-elect, Mr. Adama Barrow.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with the backing of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) has mandated a negotiating team headed by H.E Muhammad Buhari - President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to find a peaceful solution to this crisis but to no avail so far.

As stipulated by the Gambian constitution, ECOWAS has decided that President Mr. Barrow will be sworn in on the 19thJanuary 2017 when the mandate of President Jammeh comes to an end. But the persistence of Jammeh to hang on to power by all means and the desire of ECOWAS not to allow impunity to prevail on the will of the people of the Gambia have created the fear of military confrontation.

The consequences of such eventuality on the general populace, particularly on the students community, are dangerous and incalculable.

Therefore, AASU calls on President Jammeh to accept the will of the Gambian who voted for Mr. Adama Barrow and handover peacefully the reign of power.

AASU salutes the efforts of ECOWAS by setting up a Negotiating Team led by President Buhari in its quest for peaceful solution to the problem.

In the meantime also, AASU is putting together a campaign to evacuate the student community in the Gambia should it become obvious that the nation will be plunged into war. The intention is to settle the students into universities in neighboring countries until The Gambia is stable politically.

The AASU team is working assiduously to be able to mobilize the needed resources and join forces with the key stakeholders to be able to fulfill its mandate towards students in the Gambia.

AASU urges ECOWAS to CONSIDER MILITARY SOLUTION, ONLY AS A LAST RESORT.

Long live democratic rule!

The will of the people must prevail at all times!

Signed,

H.E PETER KWASI KODJIE

11th Secretary General (Head of Mission)

All-Africa Students Union (AASU)

Tel: +233242879028 | +233502672146

Email: [email protected]

Alt Email: [email protected]

Skype ID: freekodjie
I read with great relief the promises to audit all judgement debt cases by Ms. Gloria Akuffo, the Attorney-General designate that appeared on Ghanaweb General News of Wednesday, 11 January 2017.

This is extremely important in view of the judgment of Justice Anthony Oppong at a Land Court in Accra that ordered the government to resume the payment of compensation to claimants in the Volta Basin Flooded Areas reported by the Daily Guide of December 23, 2016. According to the Daily Guide reporter, Justice Oppong said:

"... that the government White Paper covering the Sole-Commissioners report had no binding power on the court in its current state. He said all the findings leading to the recommendation of the suspension of the rest of the payments assumed the character of a High Court judgement after six months of the release of the report, and said the recommendation could not be binding on the court to decide whether the payment should be resumed."

On your confirmation as Attorney General, you will have to determine quickly whether "the findings [of Justice Apau's Judgment Debt Commission] leading to the recommendation of the suspension of the rest of the payments assumed the character of a High Court judgement after six months of the release of the report", and if it did assume the character of a High Court judgment according to my lay person interpretation, why should the recommendation "not be binding on the Court [Justice Oppong's Lands Court] to decide whether the payment should be resumed?" Why could the Land Court [a High Court] be ruling on the decision of another High Court [Justice Apau's JDC]? Is this not a decision that has to be decided by the Court of Appeal? Justice Oppong as reported by the Daily Guide asked How ... a negotiated settlement between the government and a powerless claimant [could] be said to be inordinate to the extent that the Sole-Commissioner can recommend that it should be stopped?, and added that the negotiated settlement represents a valid contract between the government and the claimants. Hence, in Justice Oppong opinion the negotiated settlement concluded in 2008 between the government and the plaintiffs under E.I. 98 of 1974 as amended by E.I. 67 of 1975 in pursuance of certain tranches of compensation payment which were made by the government to them was still valid and legally binding.

Justice Yaw Apaus Judgment Debt Commission (JDC) found falsification of facts and figures to have been used to prepare illegal claims totaling GHc138 million out of which GHc71 million has been paid by Government. Clearly, this is more than two times the amount involved in the Woyome scandal! The following should be noted as Ghanaians await your audit of the fraudulent payment of compensation to the claimants in the Volta Basin Flooded Areas:

1. Justice Yaw Apau's Judgment Debt Commission Report which assumed the character of a High Court judgment six months after its release clearly showed that, in addition to other unlawful actions (see excerpts of the Report below), the claimants and their Surveyor, and public servant collaborators presented documents for claims that were all fraudulent.

A typical example of the fraudulent claim was that made by the 1st Plaintiff (who represented the people of Asukawkaw/Akroso in the Krach East District) of the writ filed against the GoG on which Justice Anthony Oppong ruled. The people currently residing at Asukawkaw/Akroso in the Krachi East District whom the 1st Plaintiff represented in the writ against the GoG were resettled from an Akroso town called Akroso Amanfoso (see reference on Akroso Traditions below). Since the GoG provided the people resettled at Asukawkaw/Akroso with purchased land to replace their flooded land, they are not entitled to any additional compensation.

In addition, Akroso Tradition recorded by Kwabena Ameyaw of the Institute of African Studies, Legon-Accra in 1964, as part of a project funded by the Government of Ghana (GoG) to record the history of the communities whose lands were to be flooded by the construction of the Akosombo dam, clearly shows that the inundated Akroso lands for which the 1st Plaintiff was claiming compensation were stool lands. Kwabena Ameyaw wrote: Every member of the family selected a portion of the land and cultivated. Nonetheless, the absolute ownership is vested in the Akroso stool and is therefore held in check by the Akrosohene. There is no fragmentation of holdin gs by the villagers." However, the 1st Plaintiff was reported by The Ghanaian Times of 4th September, 2014 during the siting of Justice Apau's Judgment Debt Commission as stating under oath that  the land on which claims were made... by citizens of Asukawkaw/Akroso for compensation payment by the Government of Ghana as a result of the construction of the Akosombo dam belonged to the Kwabena Bosompim and Kwame Donkor families of Asukawkaw/Akroso.

Not only, were the documents used to claim the flooded Asukawkaw/Akroso lands fraudulent as evidence presented at Justice Apaus Judgment Debt Commission below shows, the 1st Plaintiff lied under oath that the flooded lands were family lands in a deliberate attempt to avoid complying with the 1992 Constitutional Provisions (Article 267) that required such stool lands compensation payments to be routed through the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands and be shared as provided under the Constitution and the 1994 Act establishing the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (Act 481).

2. Chief State Attorney Dorothy Afriyie-Ansah of the AG Department, who worked as a lawyer at the Lands Commission during the time when the fraudulent flooded Volta Basin Area lands compensation was approved should recuse herself from this case. She has collaborated with Mr. Kwame Poku-Buah, Lawyer for the Lands Commission to frustrate patriotic Ghanaians who have tried to challenge in Court this fraudulent payments by falsely claiming that the flooded lands are not stool lands

3. The challenge to you Attorney-General designate is that the GHc138 million was approved at cabinet level in 2008 and as Justice Apau's JDC noted on page 230 of the report:

"What is intriguing is that the claimants did not submit or attach any plan or plans to the claim they submitted to the Presidency on the alleged submerged lands before the approval by the Presidency. It was after the approval that they called on all those whose lands were submerged to submit plans of the said lands to the Land Valuation Division of the Lands Commission for the approved sum to be apportioned to them. "

The following are excerpts from Justice Apau's JDC Report:

iv) The testimony of the Director of Survey and Mapping

This Commission invited the Director of Survey and Mapping at the Lands Commission to examine the site plans submitted by the claimants which formed the basis of the payments approved for the alleged acreages of their lands. His testimony was that all the site plans were not authentic as they did not comply with the law.

He told the Commission that though his Department was part of the Lands Commission, the plans that were attached to the applications for compensation were not brought to his departments attention. He was emphatic that the plans should not have been accepted by the Land Valuation Division of the Lands Commission for approval since they did not conform to the requirements of the law.

After examining some of the plans, which had no dates and even signatures of the surveyors who allegedly made them, the Commissioner posed some questions to the Acting Director of Survey and Mapping for his response. The questions and answers were as follows: -

COMMISSIONER: Now, if these maps had passed through your end; do you think they would have passed the test of authentication?

ACTING DIRECTOR: No my Lord. In the first place, no licensed surveyor signed the thing so there is no way we would have even looked at it let alone the Director of Survey signing it.

COMMISSIONER: These were the original maps they presented to the Lands Commission and it is not that the original maps are somewhere and these are photocopies. Also, these maps were made several years after the floods, so if you are making a map after a whole land is flooded; how do you make it and what do you take into consideration because nobody has been here to tell us that he was on the field to check anything? What they are saying is that the maps were made based upon the land as described in the affidavit of the claimants. So somebody files an affidavit that his land is so and so then based upon that you draw a map without any physical inspection.

ACTING DIRECTOR: My Lord, I think we dont do maps that way

COMMISSIONER: So looking at the maps, can you determine the acreage because there is no legend?

ACTING DIRECTOR: The authenticity of the plans is doubtful; so I cannot even use it to determine whether what they have put on it is the correct thing or not.

COMMISSIONER: When we tried to find out how the maps were made, we were told the surveyors made the maps from a topographical sheet of the Volta area from the Land Valuation Office. So can you use a topographical sheet just like that to determine the size of somebodys farm land that has been submerged without doing physical inspection and other things? Does a topographical sheet show individual farm lands and other things?

ACTING DIRECTOR: My Lord, for the work that we do, a map can only be prepared when we have gone to the ground to do a physical survey so anything short of that for proprietary purposes cannot be said to be a map or a plan. You must visit the ground and do the real physical survey. Other maps can be prepared or derived from other maps but in respect of maps for proprietary purposes, you must visit the site.

COMMISSIONER: I want you to look at this plan for the Makango land. That is the plan they attached to their application for compensation and this is the valuation report on compulsory acquisition by the Volta River Authority of the Makango flooded area requested by Kullibuwura Kunumoto. They drew the map attached to the report out of this map and this map is in respect of Peki land but they used it to support land claims from the North that is Makango. How do you call that map; is it a topographical map?

ACTING DIRECTOR: My Lord, this is a topographical map.

COMMISSIONER: From this topographical map, they reproduced this map but this topographical map shows Peki in the Volta Region area and not Makango in the North.

ACTING DIRECTOR: My Lord there is no way these plans can even pass for a purpose like this as I have already indicated. So many things are lacking and the simple fact that the land is in the North but it is being evidenced by a map of land in the Volta Region area leaves much to be desired so I will rest my case here.

v) Fraudulent Computation of the claims

The fraudulent collaboration between Kodwo Abban and some senior officers at the Lands Commission and the Land Valuation Board in the claims in which Kodwo Abban & Co was described as the Surveyor and Valuer was exposed when some traditional rulers challenged in court the rationale behind the deduction of 10% from monies due them for payment to Kodwo Abban & Co.

Their contention was that they never engaged that company for any services so they did not understand why ten per centum (10%) of their compensation sums had been deducted and paid to Kodwo Abban & Co.

The fraudulent computation of the valuation of the said lands by Kodwo Abban & Co. seriously contravened existing legislations on the methods to be used in such exercise. While the defunct company used a flat rate of GHc200.00 per acre (which was said to be the value of an acre of land in the Volta Region around 2003-2005), Section 28 of the Volta River Development Act, 1961 [Act 46] provides that compensation for lands submerged under the Volta Lake Basin were to be assessed at the market value of land in the area as on March 6, 1957. That law has not been amended.

Even if the compensation is to be calculated under the provisions of the State Lands Act, 1962 [Act 125], which was the acquisition Instrument, what it says is that compensation is to be assessed at the market value of the land as on the date of acquisition.

Though the lands in question were inundated by 1965, the instrument that legally acquired them; i.e. State Lands (Volta River Flooded Area) Instrument *E.I.98+ was passed in 1974. It was later amended by the State Lands (Volta River Flooded Area) (Amendment) Instrument, 1975 *E.I. 67+. This means that at worst, the compensation assessment should have been based on the market value of those lands as at 1974/75 but not 2005.

vi) Non-Compliance with Article 267 of the 1992 Constitution

Another important point that this Commission would like to stress is that, while some of the lands in question belonged to families, a lot of them too belonged to Stools and Skins.

Unfortunately, compensation received was not disbursed in accordance with the 1992 Constitutional Provisions which require that such payments should be routed through the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands to be shared as provided under the Constitution and the Act establishing the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands.

Instead of abiding by the Constitutional Provisions as provided under Article 267 of the 1992 Constitution, 10% of the claims were paid to Messrs Kodwo Abban & Co. Since the company was defunct at the time, the monies were paid to Mr. Kodwo Abban personally. Mr. Kodwo Abban too was very old and visually impaired so according to his Principal Technical Officer Mr. Samuel Apoh Kuma who virtually did everything in the name of the company in concert with the Land Valuation Division of the Lands Commission; all the monies were received by Mr. Kodwo Abbans wife Mrs. Abban.

vii) The Volta River Re-imbursement Fund

Another 15% of the total claims paid were fraudulently allocated to a fictitious fund by name Volta River Re-imbursement Fund. This Fund was established with the objective; to facilitate and procure an early, expeditious and timely release and payment by Government of Ghana of the agreed tranches of compensation

Investigations revealed that it was the Omanhene of Krachi Traditional area, Krachiwura Nana Mprah Besemuna III who led a group of claimants to form the Fund. Nana Mprah Besemuna III (also known as Joe Como Mprah) who is a retired Commissioner of Police (CoP) assumed the Chairmanship of the Fund as well as the principal signatory to the Bank Accounts of the Fund. Incidentally, Nana Mprah told the Commission that he was not a direct beneficiary of the compensation payments since he was not one of the claimants as such. Evidence before the Commission, however, showed that he has benefitted from the compensation payments more than any of the claimants from the Volta enclave has. He deducted 15% from the monies received by all the claimants from his Traditional area as their Omanhene, aside of the 15% deducted and paid into the Volta River Re-imbursement Fund, which is under his direct tutelage.

Available records also show that the Fund has not been duly registered at the Registrar Generals Department. When this Commission requested him to submit a statement of account of the Fund showing how the monies lodged in the fund were disbursed, he failed to do so. He told the Commission that he was only accountable to the Fund members. Meanwhile, this Chief has recently been appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Volta River Authority (VRA) by Government.

viii) Non-Payment of Tax

The fact is that the Audit Department of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning acted negligently and carelessly by failing to undertake proper due diligence to ascertain the authenticity of the claim of GHc198 million submitted for payment even though data presented by the Lands Department showed patent discrepancies.

Quite apart from that, the Ministry of Finance and the Land Valuation Division of the Lands Commission again failed to deduct withholding tax from monies paid to Messrs. Kodwo Abban& Co. Out of the total sum of Seventy-one million Ghana cedis (GHc71 million) paid so far to the claimants, Kojo Abban and his wife, using the name of a defunct company, have been paid over Five million Ghana cedis (GHc5 million) without paying any tax on same.

At present the amount left to be paid by Government as arranged between Government and the leadership of the claimants in 2008 is Sixty-seven million Ghana cedis (GHc67 million). While this Commission was inquiring into the payments, the Ministry of Finance attempted to pay portions of this amount to the claimants. The Commission quickly wrote to the Ministry of Finance to place an embargo on further payments pending Governments reaction to the Commissions report.

3.10.1 RECOMMENDATIONS

(a) Statutory Provisions to be complied with

Officials of the Lands Commission have shown by their attitude that they do not appreciate the Constitutional and other statutory mandates required of them in carrying out in-depth investigations into claims but endorse whatever claims are placed before them for reasons best known to them. It is surprising that the Survey and Mapping Division of the Lands Commission was not brought into the picture to vet the various site plans claimants submitted in support of their applications to verify their authenticity. There was indubitable evidence before this Commission that most of the site plans with the acreages stated thereon that were submitted to the Lands Valuation Division of the Lands Commission as representing the alleged submerged lands were imagined and conflicting.

At the time the late Nana Asetena Mensah aka Mr. B. K. Mensah (a former Member of Parliament of the Kete-Krachi area) and a few opinion leaders championed the compensation claims at the Presidency in 2004, majority of, if not all the claimants, did not have any site plans of their alleged flooded lands. It was after the Government had been convinced to give approval to the claims that the various families and stools said to be the owners of the flooded lands were invited to bring site plans for the disbursement of the monies. Most of the site plans were therefore made in 2005 as expressly stated by the claimants themselves. This brought about disputes among the claimants, which they had to resolve by doing some additions and subtractions of the acreages some of them had submitted, to make room for others who came late and had not been catered for. It is important to note that any evaluation on compensation claims must take into account all the relevant statutory laws that had been enacted to establish the parameters within which the land acquisition took place.

(c) Ghana Institute of Surveyors

The Ghana Institute of Surveyors and Valuers must be impressed upon to ensure that the names of members in good standing are published occasionally for public consumption. The Lands Valuation Division of the Lands Commission, which also greatly relies on such surveyors and valuers, must seek clearance from the Institute on Private Valuers before accepting valuation reports from them to avoid a situation like what happened in the Kodwo Abban case.

(d) Involvement of Public Officers in Illegal Acts

Very senior officials from the Lands Commission have been identified to have collaborated with Mr. Kodwo Abban and his Technical Officer Samuel Apoh Kuma and some chiefs to falsify facts and figures to prepare illegal claims totalling GHc138 million out of which GHc71 million has been paid by Government.

A clear example of this is that Nana Otieku Amoani Asare who is the Chief or Omanhene of Apaaso, personally collected compensation claim in respect of an area called AHAMANDI. Witnesses from Apaaso who came to testify before the Commission told the Commission that there was no place in the area called Ahamandi. When Nana Otieku Amoani Asare was confronted over this, he told the Commission that it was his predecessor who submitted the application and that he was not the one who inserted the name Ahamandi. Meanwhile, it was he who collected the amount meant for the non-existent Ahamandi.

(e) Suspension of Further Payments of the Balance of GHc67 million

The Commissions investigations have elaborately shown that Kodwo Abban & Co did not follow legal process to arrive at the unit Market Replacement Value of an acre of land acquired by the State as a result of the flooding of the Volta Basin Area. Consequently, it is recommended that the Government would need to suspend any further payment out of the balance of GHc67 million till an in-depth investigation is carried out to establish the actual land size and the unit Market Replacement Value of an acre of land in the basin area as at 6th March 1957 as the law; (i.e. Act 46) has provided, or at best as at the time of the passage of E.I. 98 in 1974.

6.3 RECOMMENDATIONS SPECIFIC TO PAYMENTS MADE TO CLAIMANTS IN RESPECT OF (V.R.A.) AKOSOMBO FLOODED OR SUBMERGED LANDS

i) Evidence received by the Commission on the above payments disclosed that the Krachiwura Nana Mprah Besemuna III, who told the Commission that he himself was not a direct beneficiary of the compensation payments since Krachi lands are not stool lands but family or clan lands, led some few chiefs and opinion leaders in the Volta Lake enclave, to establish a fund called The Volta River Re-imbursement Fund [Members of the Fund are Nana Mprah Besemuna III, C. Owusu Kontor, Nana Diawuo Bediako II, Nana Kwabena Akuamoah II, Nana Otieku Amoani Asare III, Osman Abdulai, G.S.K Sasu, Col. Alex Antwi, DSP Nicholas Addo, Prof. Ofori Danson, Nana Gyamfi John].The principal objective in creating the Fund was to raise monies to be used; to facilitate and procure an early, expeditious and timely release and payment by Government of Ghana of the agreed tranches of compensation. What this meant, Nana Krachiwura and his cohorts could not tell the Commission.

Fifteen per cent (15%) of all compensation payments made by Government to claimants was deducted and lodged into this Fund. Krachiwura assumed the Chairmanship of the Fund though as indicated supra, he himself was neither a claimant nor a beneficiary of the compensation payments. The operators of this Fund and signatories to the account were: Krachiwura Nana Mprah Besemuna III, Nana Diawuo Bediako II and G.S.K. Sasu. Evidence however shows that it is the Krachiwura Nana Mprah Besemuna and Nana Diawuo Bediako who have been the only signatories of all cheques issued for withdrawals from this fund.

Petitions received by the Commission from some of the people who should have benefitted from the payments but did not, indicate that the second signatory Nana Diawuo Bediako had been destooled and was no more a chief, though he continued to partner the Krachiwura to operate the Fund. It was the Krachiwura who wrote to the Lands Commission to make this 15% deduction from the cash to be received from the Ministry of Finance for the compensation payments. All these deductions were lodged into this Fund controlled by the Krachiwura and Nana Diawuo Bediako.

Interestingly, all the claimants from the Krachi Traditional Area who appeared before the Commission told the Commission that aside of these deductions, Nana Krachiwura again deducted 15% of the remaining amounts received by all the claimant/beneficiaries from his traditional area for himself as the Paramount Chief of the Traditional Area.

A total of GHc8, 465,681.26 out of the sum of GHc71 million already paid by the State to all claimants in the Volta Lakebed enclave has been paid into the Volta River Re-imbursement Fund under the control of Nana Krachiwura. When this Commission requested Nana Krachiwura to brief it on how monies in the Fund had been disbursed, he told the Commission that he could not submit a statement on the disbursement to the Commission as he was only accountable to the owners of the Fund. This was contained in a memo written on his behalf by his lawyer Mr. Kwame Yankyerah.

Meanwhile, majority of the contributors to the Fund told the Commission that they did not know how monies in the Fund were being disbursed. Nana Krachiwura explained in the memo or letter that the amount left in the fund was about GHc400, 000.00, meaning, he and his small group had disbursed over GHc8 million of the fund within a period of less than two years. He claimed the monies were used to facilitate the payments made so far including legal fees paid to their lawyers, etc.

Incidentally, evidence before the Commission shows that no lawyers were involved in facilitating the payment of the claims. The one who facilitated the payment of the claims was one Kojo Abban who had a defunct company by name KOJO ABBAN & Co as at the time he was fronting the claimants for the said payments. This Kojo Abban entered into an agreement with the Krachiwura and a few others to deduct 10% out of all the compensation payments to be made as his professional fees. That 10% deduction was different from the 15% deduction made into the Fund. So the big question is; who were the people who benefitted from the disbursement of the over GHc8 million?

This Commission managed to secure the Statement of Account of the Fund from Ecobank (Gh) Limited, Accra through the Bank of Ghana. The Statement shows that after the appearance of Nana Krachiwura and Nana Diawuo Bediako before the Commission in September 2014, the about Four hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GHc400, 000.00) which they claimed was the amount left in the accounts had been drained leaving just Eighty-one thousand, five hundred and forty-three Ghana cedis, thirty-three pesewas (GHc81, 543.33) in the said account as at 2nd January 2015. These monies were withdrawn between 23rd September 2014 and 2nd January 2015. What was the moneys withdrawn used for?

Also, evidence of cashed cheques produced by the Bank of Ghana has so far shown that Nana Mprah Besemuna, Nana Diawuo Bediako II, Nana Otieku Amoani Asare III and Mr. Samuel Kumah have been the main recipients and beneficiaries of moneys disbursed out of the Fund. The major beneficiaries were Nana Mprah Besemuna (Krachiwura) and Nana Diawuo Bediako II.

The big question is; were these latest withdrawals also made to facilitate the speedy payment of the compensations when the matter was being inquired into by this Commission? If not, then what was the purpose of the rapid withdrawals of the amounts involved within a period of less than four (4) months after their appearance before the Commission?

Since the deductions were made from compensation payments meant for landowners whose lands were allegedly submerged by the creation of the Akosombo Dam, the Commission recommends that Nana Krachiwura should be made to render accounts on how the Fund was disbursed in the wake of agitations and petitions received by the Commission from some of the claimants on how the whole compensation package was handled. This was because he failed to do so when this Commission requested him to furnish it with a breakdown of the disbursement while he continued to make withdrawals from the Fund without the knowledge of the beneficiaries of the Fund.

ii) The Commission recommends further that the Government must not pay the remaining GHc67 million out of the GHc138 million approved by the Government in 2008 for the said claimants until:

(a) proper investigations are conducted into the real value of the submerged lands as at the time of the flooding;

(b) the actual acreage of the submerged lands is determined with the assistance of the Volta River Authority, which was the body primarily charged with the payment of compensation before the Lands Department took over in the 1970s. The reason is that evidence before the Commission was indicative that the maps that the claimants presented and which the Lands Commission relied on as the basis for working out the payments were not genuine but imagined;

(c) the real or actual owners of the submerged lands who are entitled to compensation payments are properly identified.

iii) The Commission again recommends that Nana Otieku Amoani Asare who is the Chief of Apaaso, should be made to account to the State all monies he collected personally as compensation since he admitted before the Commission that the flooded lands in his traditional area are stool lands but not his personal lands. He should also be ordered to transfer monies he is holding in his personal account to the Administrator of Stool Lands for proper disbursement of the monies in compliance with Article 267 of the 1992 Constitution.

iv) The Commission recommends further that Mr. Kojo Abban and particularly his wife, who received all the payments made to the defunct company Kojo Abban & Co because of Mr. Abbans advanced age and blindness, be made to pay tax and penalties on the monies she collected as the non-existent companys professional fees for work allegedly done for and on behalf of the claimants. The total of monies in question is in the region of over GHc5 million for which not even a pesewa was paid as tax.

v) The several petitions that the Commission received during and even after its public sittings expressing disappointment over the way the whole exercise of the compensation payment was carried out suggested that everything was wrong with the said payments. The Lands Commission and its Valuation Division, must therefore be made to account for the shoddy work that it did by accepting faked and inadmissible maps that led to the payment of the total sum of GHc71 million mostly into wrong hands.

vi) The predecessor of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO); i.e. the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), is also partly to blame when it okayed the submitted claims without conducting any proper investigations into same. This misled Cabinet into believing that everything was in order when it gave approval for the payments to be made.

It is interesting to note that it was after the Cabinet approval that the so-called beneficiary claimants were made to submit site plans of their alleged submerged lands for the monies to be apportioned to them. Several of the plans or maps submitted overlapped since they were imagined, leading to deductions and additions of acreages and the eventual litigations that erupted as a result. Agitations continue to mount in the area because people have benefitted when they were not supposed to and others who should have benefitted got nothing.

In all about fourteen (14) petitions were received by the Commission after the close of the Commissions public sittings in November 2014 from groups, communities and other claimants from the Volta River Enclave protesting the way or manner in which the whole compensation package was handled.

The gravamen of the petitions was that some of the payments were made to wrong people while some of those entitled were not brought into the picture at all. There is therefore the strongest need for the Government to re-visit the issue involving compensation payments to all the claimants in the submerged area stretching from the Volta Region through Eastern, Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo to Makango in the Northern Region.

I look forward to your confirmation as AG and the auditing of all judgment debt cases.

Reference: Kwabena Ameyaw (1964) Akroso Tradition. IAS acc. no, AM/15. Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra.

About the Author: The Authors interests are history of Ghana , economic history and political economy. He may be contacted at [email protected]
Greetings Mr. President and on behalf of all in the tourism fraternity we wish you a warm welcome to the hottest seat in Ghana.

H.E. like all others before you, I can sense your burning desire to place Ghana on a path of rapid socio-economic development. The problems facing Ghanas economy are the same and have remained unchanged throughout our close to 60 years as a country. In your opposition years you rightly labelled Ghanas economy a Guggisberg one  an allusion to the fact that our economy has remained the same in structure.

We have to diversify Ghanas economy. It is trite knowledge that proceeds from Cocoa and Gold our two traditional exports at best, fluctuate and are thus unreliable. Our manufacturing sector is almost moribund and keeps shrinking on aggregate in real terms year on year. The least said about Agriculture the better. H.E Ex-President John Mahama also noticed this and once called for the creation of more pillars for the Ghanaian economy to stand on.

Mr President, as you form your strategy to reverse these trends I humbly invite you to take a more determined look at tourism.

Ghana is blessed with four major kinds of gold, black (oil), yellow (real gold) and white (salt). All of these have high demand but is our invisible gold (tourism) that holds the greatest potential to speed the countrys march to socio-economic development.

Tourism earnings currently average around US$2.1billion per annum. TRAC sincerely believes that this amount can be at least doubled over the next five years.

You may find it intriguing to know that tourism generates more revenue for Ghana than oil! Data from the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) showed that between 2012 and 2014, tourism receipts summed up to US$6.09 billion, more than double the US$3 billion that oil exports brought to the economy during the same period (source: http://www.graphic.com.gh/business/business-news/ghana-can-learn-from-dubai-in-tourism-dev-t-unwto.html)

Tourism can be described as a friend of poor countries. Tourism has worked miracles for many countries through creating jobs, revenue for government and its agencies, demand for related goods and services and general goodwill.

Tourism has many benefits but let me focus on the two that meet Ghanas most pressing needs at the moment, jobs and revenue.

Tourism can be a creator of permanent jobs. Studies from poor countries such as Panama and Gambia have repeatedly shown that tourism can create permanent jobs for people. IN Gambia for example, research found that tourism created jobs in the informal economy such as taxi driving, fruit and art vending, tour guiding among others.

Tourism increases government revenues and boosts foreign exchange reserves. For example, Ghana records an estimated 1 million inbound tourists annually. A two- dollar levy on each arrival that would earn the country Eight million cedis annually just from one source.

The figures get better as the arrivals increase, thus, to maximize benefits from tourism, we need to boost inbound patronage and this can only be done when we have many quality tourism attractions.

However, I regret to inform you that Ghana has a long way to go in creating a competitive tourist experience. Exit interviews we have conducted by TRAC suggest that many tourists feel that the countrys attractions did not offer much for them to explore.

H.E., Ghanas attractions are in a bad state. Recent research has shown that many of them still exist in their raw state and the few that have been developed leave much to be desired. Perhaps this could be one of the reasons why the sector has been experiencing stagnated growth lately. As a country we have not added substantially to the existing tourism attraction stock over the past three decades. Stated differently, a tourist who visited Ghana in the year 1992 (25 years ago) is likely to be offered virtually the same itinerary used at that time. It is sometimes quite embarrassing when prospective visitors to Ghana request a 7-day itinerary and we are struggling to find suitable activities for such a short period.

You will be surprised to know that Ghana cannot boast of 20 world class tourist attractions across the country.

The way forward is to fix the problem of attractions. TRAC proposes a way forward. We think that government can adopt an emergency policy of one region one tourist attraction. Such a policy will fit into your philosophy of seeking to devolve development from Accra. Sir, if Ghana continued this policy for the next 3 years, we could almost triple the existing stock of tourist attractions and in the process attract more visitors and by extension create more jobs and earn your government more revenue. By our estimations, a well-developed attraction creates about 30 direct and at least 120 indirect jobs for service providers such as taxi drivers, fruit, food and art venders among others. Hence by expanding the existing attractions and creating new ones, tourism attractions alone can generate up to 5000 jobs, 1000 of which are permanent. What a relief from the existing situation that would be!

Funding this policy should not be a challenge at all. The tourism fund, one of the very laudable initiatives of the outgoing government has so far yielded close to 7 million dollars. The country could use half of that money to build 10 tourist attractions annually. US$3million will translate into 300,000 or Gh 1million per region to develop attractions each year.

More anon!

Congratulations once again Mr President and we wish you the best as you set about this arduous task before you.

Tourism Research and Advocacy Centre (TRAC)

Cape Coast

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.roamghana.com
The year 2016, with its turmoil, is now consigned to the ashes of history. The past year saw Ghana holding general elections culminating in the election of Nana Akufo-Addo as the president of Ghana and as such the de jure commander-in-chief of the nations military forces. None of us needs to overelaborate the point that millions of Ghanaians in and outside the country have high expectations, countless advice, and endless menu of wish lists they would want to relay to their newly-installed president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo.

Given the high possibility of information overload usually bombarded on the new national presidents, our message will be in abbreviated format to enable it fit neatly into the presidents overflowing inbox. These suggestions are meant to serve as a refresher to the president. Looking at the sequence of events since inauguration, President Akufo-Addo and his team appears to have a better understanding of which direction Ghana needs to take to reach the socioeconomic paradise.

Strong Bureaucratic Institutions

One of my New Years wish list pertains to how Nana Akufo Addo-led administration will ensure that the nations bureaucratic institutions are strengthened with the relevant support frameworks to make them more apolitical and independent of the whims of the ruling government. Obviously, President Akufo Addo is perfectly aware that a fully-baked democracy is to have public entities such as untrammeled legislature; highly independent judiciary; ethical Auditor General Department; efficient and patriotic custom and border services, and many more. Of course, all these are not achievable without set internal controls and standardized oversight structures that persistently and transparently seek to put unbreakable screws on the ingrained fraudulent practices within the moral undercoats of Ghanaian society.

In fact, one of the most significant reasons behind the United States democratic success story is its professional and disinterested civil service vis-a-vis the government in power. Whether Republicans or Democrats control both the White House and the Congress, the U.S. civil institutions, including the police, execute their functions without the governments undue influences.

Suffice to say, genuine democracy endures when the citizens have high hope and solid belief that their governments are veritably committed to fairness, transparency, and accountability. Once the masses begin harboring doubts and disillusionments carved out from ethically-challenged and inefficiently partisan state bureaucracies, the credibility and the trust of the leaders within the system become the natural culprits. And clearly, the citizens level of trust in their government and democratic governance per se are not mutually exclusive.

Law Enforcement Agencies

The role and place of the 21st century law enforcement agencies, especially policing in Ghana, are indispensable as to call for structural realignment to help meet the intrinsic challenges posed by multiparty political culture. The nations painstaking mission toward more stable democracy and socioeconomic development will at best hover on the fringes of mediocrities unless the police service as the countrys preeminent law enforcement body is cut off from the umbilical cord of bribery, partisanship and the central governments grips. Viable democracy requires the rule of law to thrive; and, the police organization is one of the principal custodians of law enforcement in every modern society.

To that end, if the police forces hands are tied up, because its leader (IGP) answers directly to, or is at the whims and fancies of the president or the leader of the ruling party, then for the most part the law enforcing mechanism is dysfunctional, to say the least. Effective policing in a democratic culture is local and community-based whereby each locality or region appoints its head of the police without the need for the seemingly colonial and partisan position of the so-called IGP. In other words, although modern police service calls for coordination in its operations with their counterparts elsewhere, each municipality in Ghana should have its own local police head chosen by an elected district CEO. This assumes that the local chief of police is only accountable to the district CEO who in turn is elected by the people in the district. To help eliminate partisan loyalty toward the ruling government on the part of nations police, the central government must not play part in the selection or hiring process.

Decentralization

Certainly President Akufo Addos resolve to help create jobs across the country and its countless districts is attainable, with meticulous planning. By the same token, serious priority must be given to decentralization of many of the state functions crowded in the nations capital. For instance, its hard to explain why the COCOBOD headquarters is centered in Accra when Brong Ahafo, Western, Ashanti, and Eastern regions are the major sources of the countrys cocoa production. Decentralization spreads out governmental operations quite evenly, and injects efficiency and eliminates excessive red tape. In the U.S., citizens seeking passports dont need to travel to Washington DC or any regional capital but go to any local post office with the required documents, and within two to three weeks the passport will be in the applicants mailboxabsolutely no Goro boys involved in passport procurement in the U.S.

First-class Communication Network

Lets be mindful that first-class communication network isnt just about flyovers in the cities, or that every Ghanaian has unfiltered access to cellphone, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Again, this is just a reminder to President Akufo Addo who rightly believes that we cannot have any serious conversation about decentralization without first-class road networks linking not only the major towns and cities, but also the agricultural producing areas and the backcountries in Ghana. It is perplexing to note at point in time many of the nations roads are deplorable and still remain deathtraps. Without good roads and excellent communication networks, socioeconomic development is a non-starter!

Galamsey as National Security Threat

Mr. President, whatever it is, treat galamsey as a national security issue. Ghanaian lands and water resources are gravely under threat because of the disturbing societal canker notoriously termed galamsey. There is no prudent justification for the illegal miners irresponsible greediness and self-serving behavior at the expense of our posterity. For the sake of Ghanas irreplaceable environment, the NPP-led administration must ban everyone, including the Chinese, from polluting and destroying the country. No amount of technical assistance from China can replace Ghanas lands. Many of us wonder if any Ghanaian/African will be allowed to mine illegally in China, let alone plunder their natural resources.

The writer is United States-based social critic; he can be reached: [email protected]
In a move that clearly indicates the speed with which president Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo wants to hasten the development of Ghana under his leadership, he has so far finished the appointment of people to serve as ministers. By so doing, he has sent out a clear signal that he has hit the grounds running and that he very well knows the people he has appointed and has trust in their abilities; that these appointees are not products of intensive lobbying spanning several months which normally lead to appointing square pegs and putting them into round holes.

In the just ended presidential and parliamentary elections, candidate Akufo Addo made history in virtually every constituency of Ghana. In the five constituencies of Mamprugu where I hail from and reside, his votes appreciated in gargantuan proportions, and he won in villages (polling stations) that hitherto the NPP feared to tread. Taking the Nalerigu-Gambaga constituency as an example, candidate Akufo Addo garnered 26,285 as against president Mahamas 23,130. This historic feat in my opinion can be attributed to the dynamism of the parliamentary candidate, the Dr. Bawumia factor, the invaluable contribution of the youth and women, and the demystification of Nana Addo. Even though Honourable Hajia Alima Mahama in 2004 won the Nalerigu-Gambaga seat on the ticket of the NPP, then president Kufuor lost woefully to candidate Atta Mills of the NDC. Nana Akufo Addo therefore became the first presidential candidate of the NPP to win majority votes in the Nalerigu-Gambaga constituency- that too, with a comfortable margin (no pun intended).

The nectar of victory tasted sweetest when as expected, Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama made light of a so-called keen contest between herself and the NDC Alhaji Baba Issifu Seidu by beating him to pulp with an expansive margin of close to 5,000 votes. I will like to make bare to my readers some of the innumerable qualities of Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama that puts her several light years ahead of her contemporaries in politics. By doing so, I hope the myriad of people out there who only see her on television or listen to her on radio without any personal relationship will get to appreciate fully the gem of a woman she is; and why president Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo did not hesitate for once in making her minister designate responsible for Local Government and Rural Development.

The cliche that politics is a game has almost become an accepted norm. However, Hon. Hajia Alima Mahamas view of politics is ideal. She sees politics as a call to the service of mankind. She once remarked famously that politics is a voluntary risk I have accepted to do in order to emancipate the majority of citizens from their plight, with the risk of rejection from the people I intend to help. From the quote above, it depicts a woman who is fully aware that in politics, the electorate can misconstrue ones good intentions. She did a lot as Member of Parliament of Nalerigu-Gambaga constituency in her first parliamentary stint from 2005-2009. Her legacies as Member of Parliament are still unparalleled up to date.

However, when the good people of Nalerigu-Gambaga misconstrued her good intentions, service and altruism, they voted her out in the 2008 elections with the believe that her successor will do a better job only to realise not long afterwards that she has no co-equal. We yearned for her to come back and stand for elections so that we could right the wrongs we did in 2008. She was not convinced she was in the right frame of mind to stand in 2012 (a euphemism she used to politely say NO to us). She didnt contest in 2012 and the NPP candidate lost by a hairs breadth to the NDC incumbent Member of Parliament. There was no way the NPP could afford to lose the seat to the NDC in the 2016 elections upon their ineptitude and insouciance to the plight of the mighty masses. Of all available options to the Nalerigu-Gambaga NPP, a comeback of Hajia Alima Mahama in the parliamentary ticket proved to be the best alternative.

We were as un-budging as she was dithery to our persistent pleas for her to put herself forward for election in the partys primary to choose a parliamentary candidate. When she finally succumbed to our pleas, we knew very well that the path was paved for NPPs victory in the constituency and the only hurdle she had to clear being the partys primary. A good product sells itself and it wasnt difficult for the NPP Electoral College to endorse her candidature by electing her as the NPP parliamentary candidate for the 2016 elections. Because of her believe that politics isnt a game which necessarily must have winners and losers, she did not allow wild jubilations after her victory in the primaries. She was magnanimous in victory. Her demeanour even in victory was very calm and relaxed. This surprised even her competitors and those who did not know the reasons behind her refusal to jubilate claimed that she was shocked that she won and because of that could not celebrate her victory. On the contrary, she was feeling for those that she had vanquished as if she was the one that lost. She could not compound their woes with extravagant celebrations. That is the Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama that I know, always putting people first.

Hon. Hajia Alimas honesty is legendary. She is by far the most honest politician I have come into contact with. Virtually everyone who has worked closely with her can attest and vouch for her integrity. If you were of the believe that all politicians are liars, then you might have to begin to have a rethink because sincerely speaking Hajia Alima Mahama will never lie for anything-including votes. She is the first and only politician I know so far that has refused to lie for political expediency. She refused to make promises that were potentially beyond her capacity to fulfil even when some of us her followers impressed on her to do so.

Next time you hear statements like Hajia is not a politician; you should know that it is a compliment of her honesty. People expect all politicians to lie and make very grandiose promises but this Hajia will never do that. She preferred telling the people what she has done for them, can do for them and will actually do for them; not what they want to hear. At first, some of us were pissed off by that unbridled honesty of hers which she was not in any hurry to jettison. Later, we acquiesced to her. We all had to become the new breed politicians, respecting the electorate, treating them as sacrosanct kingmakers and never lying to them wilfully. Gradually we realised that most voters were taking note of her honesty and paradigm shift in politicking which they appreciated so much. Indeed, integrity is the one thing money cannot buy. Opponents of Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama tried to find just a single fault of her that they could latch onto for political gain but they could not find anything.

Integrity without humility is deceptive. One other lovable quality of Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama is her humility. If I was interacting with her on the streets of Nalerigu or Langbinsi and you were not told that she was the one, you could never have guessed rightly. Whereas even some Assembly Members build barriers between themselves and their constituents, Hon, Hajia Alima with all her impressive academic credentials, national and international exposures, is so a woman of the people. She has conscientiously tried to remove all barriers between her and her people. She is fair in her judgment, gives respect to everyone without any consideration of class, tribe, religion or family background. She has never behaved in any way that shows that she feels like she is a step ahead of anyone. The amazing thing about her is that she is so natural and can never fake anything. She listens to everybodys opinion and respects them as such.

If you were wondering what makes women and the youth so madly in love with Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama, just a brief chat with her will reveal why. Of all her initiatives geared towards empowering people, the youth and women especially, take centre-stage. She is an ardent believer in the abilities of the youth and women. She naturally gets attracted to these two categories of people. As a youth myself and a very discerning voter, I thank God all the time for touching the hearts of people to buy into the policies of Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama and President Akufo Addo. There are so many things she did for women and the youth when she was part of President Kufuors government. During the political campaign, there were lots of testimonies from women who benefited from her brilliant initiatives that helped in alleviating their poverties. The amazing thing is that some of these testimonies surprised Hajia herself. She did a lot of good things for the good of it and never even considered them as her achievements. To the beneficiaries of these good deeds however, they marked turning points in their lives.

President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo has good acumen in choosing members of his government. With the choice of Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama as the Local Government Minister, the president has killed several birds with just a stone. In Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama, president Nana Addo has chosen competence, honesty, humility, loyalty, incorruptibility, a good counsellor, a trusted patriot of the republic, a women advocate, a rights activist and above all, an experienced hands that will by all means vindicate the trust entrusted in her, her constituents and her region. Hon. Hajia Alima will perform to the admiration of even her harshest critics; it is just a matter of time. She proved before, and will prove again that there are very competent women in our country that when given public offices, will prove their mettle and contribute to the national developmental agenda. Hon. Hajia Alima is worth celebrating and I congratulate her for her appointment.

PRESIDENT NANA AKUFO ADDO WILL SUCCEED, GOD WILLING!!!
The Public Affairs Director of the Ghana Police Service, Supt Cephas Arthur, has disclosed that 11 police officers manning the presidency have been reassigned.

But the move, he explained in an interview with Accra-based Class FM had nothing to do with President Nana Akufo-Addos government.

He said the reshuffle was sanctioned by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), John Kudalor. The names of the officers are yet to be made known.

Meanwhile, there has been a change of guard at the presidency too as a new administration takes over the affairs of the country.
Mourning and thanksgiving yesterday heralded the royal funeral at the forecourt of the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi as hundreds of well-wishers joined a durbar of chiefs to pay their last respects to the late queen mother of the Asante Kingdom, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.

The Asantehemaa, who clocked 111 years and reigned for 39 years after succeeding Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko II, died at the Manhyia Palace on Monday, November 14, 2016.

She is the 13th queen mother of the Golden Stool which is occupied by her son, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene.

She was laid in state with chiefs, diplomats and other dignitaries filing past to pay their last respects after the Otumfuo had left the place momentarily.

The ceremony, traditionally called Adoteyie, was a great spectacle of its kind, bringing the Ashanti Regional capital to a standstill as people from all walks of life raced to the palace to mourn with Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

The Asantehene led chiefs and people of Asanteman to begin activities marking the burial rites of his late mother at the event that was attended by many international dignitaries, including Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, the Esama of the Benin Kingdom in Nigeria.

Also in attendance were President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, former UN Secretary General Busumuru Kofi Annan, Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, British High Commissioner Jon Benjamin and former Minister of Defence, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor.

As at 7am yesterday, paramount chiefs, divisional chiefs, linguists, traditional priests and other people, who were donned in black mourning cloth  kuntunkuni  started arriving in droves at the venue for the funeral.

Otumfuo rode to the funeral ground in a palanquin under the canopy of large umbrellas amidst throbbing sounds from the traditional drums, horn blowers and clacking of executioners' swords.

Otumfuo was seen chewing cola nut which signifies the greatness and severity of his grief regarding the demise of the late Asantehemaa.

Each minute of the kings journey to the funeral ground was marked by the firing of musketry by his royal artillery unit, while the chief priest of Manhyia also performed intermittent rituals to neutralize any perceived demonic powers.

Several police officers, military personnel, Red Cross officers and medical staff were deployed to the venue under the scorching sun.

Outside the funeral ground, curious people were seen deeply engrossed in conversation with one another and some jostling one another to catch a glimpse of what was happening.

Its a day of history that may never come to meet us again, said one of the announcers who were running commentary on the event.

Nana Steals Show

President Akufo-Addo was the toast of the huge mourners at the Manhyia Palace.

The solemn event changed into near jubilation the moment it was announced that President Akufo-Addo had arrived.

Virtually all the mourners stood up spontaneously as if they had rehearsed it to welcome the Ghanaian leader.

It was the first time that Nana Akufo-Addo was stepping at the Manhyia Palace as president.

There were deafening cheers all over the venue, even before the MC of the event could finish announcing Nana Akufo-Addo's arrival.

The loud chants of 'Nana o, Nana o' that welcomed Nana Addo really shook the foundation of the funeral ground.

Otumfuo Consoled

The Ghanaian leader, who stormed the palace with a high-powered delegation, consoled the Asantehene, who was sitting in state.

Otumfuo and the president exchanged pleasantries after which the latter's delegation also empathized with the monarch.

President Akufo-Addo mourns with Otumfuo

Oyoko Clan

In a speech read on behalf of the president by Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako (aka Wontumi), he said Nana Akufo-Addo is from the Oyoko Clan and that its leader is Otumfuo.

He therefore stated that the death of the Asantehemaa is a huge loss to Nana Akufo-Addo.

Delegation

Nana Addo's delegation included ex-President Kufuor, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh aka Napo, among others.

Former President J.A Kufuor in the company of Mr Kofi Annan and wife

Ministers-designate, NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) and other top officials of the ruling party were also there.

From Ernest Kofi Adu & I F Joe Awuah, Kumasi
Ghana's revenue from the petroleum sector for the first half of last year dropped by over 50%.

The figure declined from US$274.47 million in 2015 to US$126.41 million for the same period last year.

This translates to a 55% reduction in revenues when compared to total petroleum receipts during the same period in 2015 (US$274.47 million) but 4% better than revenues received during the second half of 2015.

This was revealed in the 2016 Public Interest Accountability Committee (PIAC) report.

The report also revealed that the total half year receipts from the petroleum sector represented only 50.35% of the projected half year revenue of US$251.05 million.

The Chairman for PIAC, Joseph Winful explained to Citi Business News the drop in prices is as a result of a fall in prices of petroleum products.

So we know for a fact that in 2015 and 2014 oil prices were high and then that has been the cause of this depreciation in our revenues from petroleum. So it's been dictated by the fall in prices of petroleum and petroleum products and that is the main reason for this slump in revenues, he said.

The only thing is with the limited resource or the reduced resource it means we have to be very prudent and ensure that we get the best out of the reduced revenue. he added.

As part of recommendations, the PIAC reports further proposed that the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC) desist from financing infrastructure projects with funds allocated to it from petroleum revenues.

It proposes that any outstanding payment(s) to be made in respect of the Western Corridor Road project must be paid from the allocations to the Roads and other Infrastructure priority areas.



By: Jessica Ayorkor Aryee/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
Three persons are in hot waters for allegedly robbing four people, including Justice Araba Esaaba Torkornu, a judge of the Court of Appeal.

They are Dickson Addai aka Jah Rule; Prince Owusu aka Owusu and Gbekpor Marvin aka Lion.

The three, and three others on the run, on December 8, 2016, between Baatsona and Anyaa  both suburbs of Accra  reportedly conspired to rob the complainants.

Booty

According to the prosecutor, Superintendent Kwaku Bempah, the accused persons at Anyaa on the same day, snatched the judge's Toyota Fortuner with registration number GM 6852-13, an Apple Macbook laptop worth $1,300; Iphone valued at GH600; GH900 cash; $50 and three Bibles.

Superintendent Kwaku Bempah said the accused persons wielding cutlasses and pump action guns, also robbed Francis Kofi Torkornu, husband of the judge, of his 11 Zambian Kwatcha, a Delta Sky Miles membership card, one NACOB staff ID Card and $50.

Also at Anyaa, the gang robbed one Anthony Kodua Bediako, a businessman, of his Hyundai Santafe 4X4 vehicle, Huawei mobile phone and GH350 cash.

In the case of Patience Hammond, a trader  the last victim  the prosecutor said the accused persons robbed her of her jewelries worth GH5,000, five assorted mobile phones, a flat screen television set and GH5,000 cash.

Jah Rule is facing an additional charge of possessing a pump action gun with 21 live cartridges without lawful authority.

Custody

Before Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku, the accused persons variously denied the charges and were remanded into police custody until January 30, 2017.

This was after the court had refused a passionate bail application filed by Peace FMs Tweneboah Koduah (TK) and Augustine Gyamfi, lawyers for the accused persons.

The court held that it did not intend to grant the bail and that it would await the arrival of the substantive judge.

Facts

The accused persons are residents of Chantan and Nanakrom. On the said date, the judge at about 8:30 pm was on board the said vehicle and was returning from night church service but upon reaching her residence and opening her main gate to enter, the accused persons, masked and holding weapons, attacked her, subjected her entire family to severe trauma and under threats of harm, robbed her of the afore-stated items.

The gang, in their attempt to drive the judge's vehicle out of the house, bumped into Francis who was returning from work. He was also assaulted and the things mentioned earlier seized from him.

Unsatisfied with their booty, the night marauders further went to Anyaa and robbed the two other victims of their various belongings amidst assault and bolted.

They were later apprehended and charged with the offences.



By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson

[email protected]
Africa's largest airline, Ethiopian Airlines will from March 28, 2017 begin flights to Antananarivo, Madagascar.

The island nation is known as a biodiversity hot-spot, as over 90 percent of its wildlife is found nowhere else on earth.

Madagascar, which is home to lush rainforests, is famous for its curious lemurs.

Ethiopian's new non-stop flight will operate three times weekly to and from Ethiopian's hub at Addis Ababa, where passengers can connect to and from cities throughout the world, including Washington, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, Beirut, Jeddah, Cairo, Dubai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing.

Group CEO, Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam, said Ethiopian Airlines, as a flagship carrier of Africa, is pleased to add Madagascar to its wide route network.

Having started serving Africa seven decades ago with our motto Bringing Africa Closer, we are now continually enhancing our services and working to Connect Africa to the World.

As air connectivity is an essential cause and driver of a nation's socio-economic integration, our new service will certainly contribute for a growing business and bilateral cooperation with other sisterly African cities.

Moreover, he said travelers from Madagascar will be seamlessly connected with Ethiopian Airlines ever-expanding network across five continents.

Ethiopian Airlines is the fastest growing airline in Africa. In its seven decades of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent's leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success.

Ethiopian commands the lion's share of the pan-African passenger and cargo network, operating the youngest and most modern fleet across five continents.

Ethiopian fleet includes ultramodern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter and Bombardier Q-400 double cabin.

A Business Desk report




The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is the state institution charged with the onerous task of defending the territorial integrity of the Republic of Ghana.

In pursuit of the foregone, even at the peril of the lives of officers, men and women in the regimented formations this institution should be shielded from the negative politicization of its affairs by self-seeking politicians and a few bad elements within the Services.

As Ghanaians, personnel must exercise their civic responsibilities such as voting for parties, whose programmes they are in love with when elections are due.

They should, however, not be seen to be in open flirtation with politicians in a manner which compromises the standards of the military.

The allegiance of the Ghana Armed Forces, as it is in other civilized jurisdictions, is to the state and not the hierarchy of political parties.

Unfortunately, the contamination of this near sacred standard in the military by bad politicians, especially during the tenure of the just terminated rein of former President John Mahama has prompted varied questions.

Fortunately, we can count on a majority of our military personnel who are ready to uphold the standards of the Ghana Armed Forces, the integrity built over the years from the days of the Gold Coast Constabulary to the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) to today's decorated Ghana Armed Forces.

Some of these personnel have painfully suffered tribulations for their insistence that the appropriate procedures be applied.

Without such personnel who outnumber those ready to do the dirty work of bad politicians, the negative repercussions of these notwithstanding, the Armed Forces would have lost their shine and followed the path of other discredited institutions.

Elsewhere in this edition is a worrying story about how the Chief of Staff (COS) General Headquarters, Burma Camp did not only escape the recommendation of disciplinary action, having been found culpable of misconduct but rather promoted because he was a darling boy of the then political establishment. Perhaps he was rather rewarded for misconduct as a Brigadier-General through promotion to the next rank of Major General and for this to happen in such an unrivalled disciplined institution, wrenches our hearts.

Maj Gen Sampson Adeti allegedly claimed ownership of a Nissan Double cabin pickup donated to the troops of the Southern Command of which he was General Officer Commanding (GOC) in breach of Armed Forces regulations.

The contents of the report of the investigations into his conduct, following a Daily Guide story, constitute ample evidence about how politicians can influence negatively the maintenance of standards of critical institutions such as the Armed Forces or the Police.

In his statement in response to the queries, he appeared to have gone overboard, describing the Daily Guide and the originator of the story as 'bounty hunters' whatever that means.

For the information of Maj Gen Sampson Adeti, we are not a bunch of irresponsible Ghanaians at the Daily Guide as he sought to portray: we constitute important players on the media landscape and would not claim ownership of what does not belong to us.

We would leave no stone unturned in our obsession with protecting and enhancing the sanctity of our Armed Forces and for that matter our Motherland Ghana. Without the professionals and patriots in the colours, some bad nuts in uniform like him ready to do the bidding of power-obsessed politicians at the helm, we would have been perhaps been composing a different story during and after the elections.

We take exception to the untoward remarks he passed in his response to the queries and ask that he rethinks his impression about us.

We do not run down individuals but expose bad deeds such as usurping a vehicle meant for hard-working troops working to protect our apex bank.

His inability to proffer reasonable answers to the questions posed by the investigating officer takes away a lot from his quality as an Officer/Gentleman.

He is an unwanted blemish to this beautiful institution which should be protected by all means.
John Peter Amewu  Minister designate Lands and Natural Resources

Minister-designate for Lands, Natural Resources and Forestry John Peter Amewu, has pledged to halt the operations of illegal Chinese miners in the country.

According to him, most Chinese illegal miners in Ghana were using prospecting licences to mine.

Speaking in interview with the media shortly after his nomination by President Akufo-Addo, Mr Amewu explained the foreigners must not mine with prospecting licences.

What is shocking is that they get the licence for prospecting which is intended for surveying but then quickly they swing into mining.

He said his ministry would put measures in place to ensure that those with the right licences were allowed to mine.

We need to make sure that a licence made for prospecting must go for prospecting while a licence for 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, Mr. Amewu said.

He said that illegal mining was a major canker in the country and that the youth were mostly involved.

In view of that, Mr Amewu said government would work to eradicate illegal mining by building the capacity of those engaged in the activity to ensure sustainable mining.

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.

If we are able to build their capacity, they should be able to do mining in a sustainable way. They must be taught to do things in the right way, he added.

[email protected]

By Cephas Larbi


(Left) The pick-up- colour changed from white to blue; (right)Ex Presidetn John Mahama congratulating Maj General Sampson Adeti when he visited Burma Camps

Maj Gen Sampson Adeti, Chief of Staff, General Headquarters, of the Ghana Armed Forces at Burma Camp, has been indicted for allegedly appropriating a Nissan Hard-body double-cabin vehicle donated to the Southern Command of the Ghana Army by the Bank of Ghana.

Following the publication of the story by DAILY GUIDE, a summary investigation into the alleged misconduct was ordered by the then Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Maj Gen RK Opoku Adusei.

According to the investigative report  a copy of which is in the possession of DAILY GUIDE  the army officer is said to have misconducted himself for hiding the vehicle from his superiors ostensibly to 'pocket' it.

The cover on the alleged stealing by the army chief was blown by a request made by Adeti's successor, Brig M Whajah, GOC, Southern Command, who made a request to the Bank of Ghana for operational support and was informed that the bank donated a pick-up van to the command.

With no traces of the vehicle  registered GN 4240-15  in the inventories of the Southern Command, the new officer called for more details which led to visiting the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) for the registration details and the custodian of the vehicle. And it turned out that Adeti was keeping it in his garage on the blind side of the army.

Despite the damning report, Major Gen Adeti, who was then a Brigadier General, was promoted by the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration under President John Dramani Mahama  the Commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces.

The report found out that the army officer had breached military standards in respect of donated items to the Ghana Armed Forces, in spite of which however, he was promoted to the rank of Maj Gen; and the COAS who commissioned the investigation retired from the military.

The senior officer who investigated the issue, Brig RY Odoi, was also sent to the US on attachment at the Ghana Mission. Brig Gen Odoi was the General Officer Commanding the Northern Command of the Army

Recommendations

The COAS, following the investigations, endorsed the findings and recommendations of the sole investigator.

Brig Gen Adeti was found to have dishonestly appropriated the vehicle. The fact that he drove the vehicle straight from the Bank of Ghana to his Juba Villas residence without informing neither HQ Southern Command nor Army HQ using his residential number, personal phone and e-mail address to complete the transfer of ownership and changing the colour of the vehicle from white to dark grey were all indicative of his intention to usurp the vehicle, the COAS observed in the report.

He was also nailed for deliberately leaving no traces of all correspondences and documents in respect of the said vehicle.

The report recommended that the General suffer disciplinary action for dishonest appropriation of the said vehicle contrary to Section 52 of the Ghana Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105).

The misconduct, according to the report, constituted a breach of trust in respect of his position as a Superior Commander, contrary to Section 54 (a) of the Ghana Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105).

Following the developments, there was a backlash on social media from a cross-section of men and women in the military.

Maj Gen Adeti claimed when DAILY GUIDE engaged him in his office at the General Headquarters, Burma Camp, that the vehicle was his personal one, having been given to him for his invaluable services to the central bank  a claim that has been debunked by the Governor of the Bank of Ghana.

Portions of the Report of the 'Summary Investigations into allegations of misconduct involving Brigadier General SK Adeti' follow:

The 'Daily Guide' and 'Day Break' newspapers published on 10 Jun, 16 and 14 Jun, 16 respectively, articles alleging the dishonest appropriation by Brig SK Adeti of a double cabin Nissan pickup reg no GN 4240-15 officially donated to HQ S/Comd by Bank of Ghana(BoG) on 18 Sep, 15.

The two stories generated a lot negative interest and social media comments nationwide and among troops at GAF. Some of the comments impugned the lack of integrity of Brig Gen SK Adeti and the Ghana Armed Forces hierarchy. The Military High Command was further challenged to investigate the matter and take appropriate disciplinary action should the matter published in the newspapers be found to be true.

Army HQ in response to the article instituted a summary investigation into the newspaper allegations leveled against SK Adeti.

Persons interviewed as part of the investigation were Brig SK Adeti, COS, GHQ; Brig M Whajah, GOC, Southern Command; Col. R. Gyane, Director, Plan GHQ (PR&D); Col EK Commey, Provost Marshal; Mr. Daniel Osei-Bio, Regional Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority; Mr. Yaw Afrifa-Mensah, Head of Security BoG; Alhaji AR Gomda, DAILY GUIDE and Prince Prah, Editor Day Break newspaper.

It is important to note that SK Adeti passed uncomplimentary remarks about AR Gomda and the DAILY GUIDE excerpts of which follow: The investigations ostensibly, following the Daily Guide publications, are part of the 'grand design' especially over the last few months, to malign and discredit me. There is also a strong suspicion, as indicated by the Daily Guide reporter whom most people know consider 'bounty hunters' and would publish anything to discredit people, that the initial allegation was leveled by GOC Southern Command. His motives for doing so must be examined especially in the face of several military issues and concerns being put in the domain of social media.

The following were highlights of the findings against SK Adeti who regardless of these, was promoted to the rank of Maj Gen by the Armed Forces Council, without doubt, upon the acquiescence of then President John Mahama and Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, Chairman of the Armed Forces Council, as though to spite the report.

Brig Adeti as a senior officer and GOC at the time, ought to have known this procedure (receiving donations to the military) and complied with it. When questioned as to why he didn't do so, he replied that he was aware of the procedure but did not think it was necessary to do so in respect of the donation of the pickup.

For unexplained reasons, all correspondences and documents pertaining to the request, approval and donation of Nissan Pickup reg no GN 4240 15 to HQ S/C have been removed or vanished from all files at HQ S/Comd and do not exist on any file or office in GAF. This case of missing documents is contrary to Section 250 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 and Section 54 (a) of the Ghana Armed Forces Act 1962 (Act 105).

Brig Adeti in the course of the raging controversy, handed over the vehicle to the Provost Marshal on 18 June, 16 with the expression that he was doing so out of his own volition. He had earlier stated that he did not know the location of the spare key and documents covering the said pickup.

Another critical portion of the report states, The act or conduct of Brig Gen SK Adeti in declining to disclose or surrender the said vehicle at the time it was donated, but rather to decide to do so on 18 June, 16 after publications in the press on 10 and 14 June, 16 respectively and after the Army HQ Convening Order for a Summary Investigation on 17 June, 16; is prejudicial to good order and discipline contrary to Section 54 of the Ghana Armed Forces Act 1962 (Act 105).
It has become very complicated than imaginable, the brouhaha in the Gamabia over Yahya Jammeh's decision not to step down after haven lost an election. It is clear that, the mediators, thus, ECOWAS and other international bodies have lost all approaches, and have publicly stated in unequivocal terms, plans to resort to military intervention aimed at ousting the over twenty years old leader. This is wrong! The mediators must activate, with urgency, new diplomatic mechanisms, instead of engaging in fruitless immunity.

Yahya Jammeh, by all measure, isn't mean a leader to be ousted with ease, and any attempt to do this will only cause unimaginable innocent deaths, if not, plunge the country into a Libya-like situation. Such a system will not only be difficult for Adama Barrow to manage, but will pose so much security threat to neighboring countries, considering the fact that, the whole ECOWAS body is against Yahya Jammeh.

Yahya Jammeh is a radical military tyrant, and hides not his radical approach to getting things done. In an interview in 2011 with the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme, Mr Jammeh categorically stated that, he did not fear a fate similar to Libya's killed leader Muammar Gaddafi or Egypt's ousted President Hosni Mubarak. "I will deliver to the Gambian people and if I have to rule this country for one billion years, I will, if Allah says so."(BBC)

Yahya Jammeh's ascension to power was by the support of the military, and consciously, he have the full support of the Gambia's military. As a radical military/civilian, he'll rather stay to fight and die in the soils of Gambia than to give in to threats of military interventions aimed at ousting him.

In my opinion, the regional body-ECOWAS had a rather wrong footing. Knowing very well Yahya Jammeh is alleging electoral malpractice, and have filed a case consciously at the country's Highest Court, the body's reps should have appealed for expedite hearing of his case, and as well appeal on him to accept any outcome, as was exampled in Ghana in 2013. With the help and support of ECOWAS, independent juries could've been appointed and tasked with definite time frame to hear Yahya Jammeh's case. Aside that, Yahya Jammeh could be promised international engagements, aimed at taming him, if the decision of the court does not end in his favor. This way, the radical Jammeh would've been cowed to give up power as soon as possible. ECOWAS could also ask Jammeh to make a choice as to which country within the body he will prefer to stay, in case he wishes not to stay in Gambia. And if he wish to stay, he should be assured of security and non-vendetta by the incoming Adama administration. This way, the Gambia will be saved destruction and innocent deaths.

Going forward, though far reached, ECOWAS must recall an emergency meeting to reconsider their decision of military intervention option, as well as, call on Adama Barrow to disengage in the illegality of swearing himself in as President. His decision, if allowed to pass thru, will not only need a military intervention to oust Jammeh, but a peace keeping mission to restore sanity.

The regional mediators must therefore thread with caution, and save another African country from avoidable mess.

Abdul-Mumin Sofo Yumzaa

Email: [email protected]
Last year, The Royal Shrine House of Queen Mother Saa Poognaa, Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa's successor, from Seychelles but now in Ghana embarked on 'Planting the Roots of the Festival of Saint Yaa Asantewaa and the Exiled Kings'  kindly sponsored by Ethiopian Airlines: The New Spirit of Africa.

This event marked the 95th Anniversary of the Home Call of the Great Warrior Saint, Queen Mother Nana Yaa Asantewaa, from Seychelles back to her Holy Ancestors in Ghana where she sits today besides the other Royal and Holy Ancestors of the Nations of Ghana - who also achieved similar great feats of heroism for their Nation.

Sometimes referred to as the Royal Exiles in Paradise, the Festival of Saint Yaa Asantewaa & the Exiled Kings, was founded by The Royal House of Queen Mother Saa Pogh Naa, who was Ancestrally Appointed at Birth to become the Custodian and Royal Keeper of the Great Mother Father Protector Gods that were carried by the Great Warrior Saint Yaa Asantewaa during the war of the Golden Stool.

The creation of this Royal Festival is part of the huge sacred mission that has been given to her, by her predecessor and her Royal Ancestors - to tell the whole story of how it was that this Super Grandmother was able to stand up against all of the odds, and raise the support of Chiefs and Kings in the Ashanti Nation and Northern Territories to defend the Soul of Her Nation against the incursions of the British.

Queen Mother Saa Pogh Naa inaugurated this Festival not just to remmember the 21 long years of suffering that were spent by her predecessor in Exile in the Seychelles, but also to tell the story of how the Great Warrior Queen - went on to become a Warrior Saint - a Title she has been given by her own Royal Ancestors according to the sacred customs and traditions of the Dagarti and Dagomba Peoples of Ghana.

The Festival revisits and remember and honour the story of the Ashanti Queen Mother of King Prempeh. King Prempeh and the other Chiefs and Kings that were also sent to the Seychelles into Exile by the British in the late 1800s and 1900s.

Today her name is written in the Great Hall of Fame of her Holy Ancestors. We are very happy to hold this memorial exhibition here in the Natural History Museum in collaboration with the National Archives of Seychelles because it is the place where King Prempeh and the other Royal Exiles learnt to read and write English in the Carnegie Hall of this building.

King Prempeh was the Asantehene of the first Royal Delegation from Ghana that arrived in the Seychelles in 1900, having been sent into exile aboard the HMS Darkwa by the British Colonial Office after the 3rd AngloAshanti War, also known as the First Ashanti Expedition. Of the Ashanti Expedition, we have on the records from British Archive: Honorary Colonel H. Walker, East Yorkshire Regiment, late 14th Foot, who had charge of the mischief making monarch King Prempeh in the closing stages of the Ashanti expedition of 1895-96 Henry Walker was born in Edinburgh on 6 May 1860, and commissioned into the 14th Foot as a 2nd Lieutenant on 22 January 1879.

After service in Afghanistan, including the engagement at Mazina and the Kama expedition, he was next in action in the Ashanti expedition of 1895-96 for which he was mentioned in despatches. Not only did he take possession of the Ashanti Royal Palace on 20 January 1896, but, as a later issue of The Tatler recounts, Major Henry Walker commanded the Rearguard on the return to the coast and had charge of the mischief making monarch, King Prempeh. By way of recognising the work of the 14th in the Ashanti Campaign, the Governor of the Gold Coast presented to the 2nd Battalion some of the trophies taken from Prempehs Palace at Kumasi, including the State Chair of the Ashanti; Prempehs bed; State Umbrellas and Two War Drums with a human skull attached.

It was after the exile of the young King Prempeh to the Islands of the Seychelles, then controlled by Mauritius and also a British Colony, that Queen-King Nana Yaa Asantewaa became the Queen and King of Ejisu because her Grandson Nana Afrane II had also been sent into Exile along with King Prempeh. Nana Afrane II was considered to be the reincarnation of Queen Mother Nana Yaa Asantewaas brother who was the former King of Ejisu, Nana Afrane I. Queen Nana Yaa Asantewaa was therefore very enraged about him being sent away into exile.

This annual Exhibition is also in tribute to the Mother of Prempeh, Queen Mother Nana Yaa Akyaa and Ofinsohemaa Nana Amma Afranewaa who was the sister of Queen Mother Nana Yaa Asantewaa and who also occupied both the offices of King and Queen of Ofinso.

Both of these great Queen Mothers were angry that the British had exiled their respective grandsons, Edwesohene Nana Afrane II and Ofinsohene Kwadwo Appia. Queen Mother Nana Amma Afranewaa was much older than her 60-year-old sister, but nevertheless Ofinso oral tradition has it that it was Nana Amma Afranewaa who fired the first shot of the War of the Golden Stool in 1900 at Bare.

In testament to the great power and calibre of the Queen Mothers of Ghana, these courageous Queen-Kings made the determined pact to fight to expel the British, protect the Golden Stool and their ancient Ancestral traditions and preserve the independence of the Asante nations.

The two Warrior Queens raised the support of the Ashanti Army backed by the patronage of the Northern Gods at their side - they defended their Nation against the provocative demand of the British Empire that were being made by the British Governor; that the Ashanti Nation should hand over their Golden Stool to the then Governor, Sir Frederick Hodgson.

The Golden Stool was the Symbol that represented the Unity and the Soul of the Ashanti Nation and there was absolutely no way that Nana Yaa Asantewaa was going to let the other Ashanti Chiefs hand it over to the British, despite the fact that the Governor sent out many of his men to look for the stool and also burnt down many prominent Ashanti houses and villages in the process of his search.

The following excerpt has been taken from the Archives: The Date was Wed, 1900-03-28 It was on this date in 1900, that Britain dared to asked the Ashanti of Ghana for the Golden Stool. Their demand was seen as an attempt to get colonial control by possessing the Ark of the Covenant of the Ashanti people. With the close of the slave trade the Ashanti found themselves at a disadvantage with no other form of export.

Slave trading had also caused neglect to basic demands such as agriculture and cloth manufacturing. Severely weakened, soon they found themselves the targets of their former European allies. Ironically with reconstruction occurring in America, the British were trying to take possession of the Gold Coast, now known as Ghana. The proud warrior people known as the Ashanti, inhabited this region.

The British began their move by exiling the Ashantis King Prempeh in 1896. When this did not succeed in breaking the peoples spirit they demanded the supreme symbol of the Ashanti people: The Golden Stool. On March 28, 1900, the British Governor called a meeting of all the kings in and around the Ashanti City of Kumasi ordering them to surrender the Golden Stool. Deeply insulted, the Ashanti silently left the meeting and went home to prepare for war. Nana (Queen-Mother) Yaa Asantewaa became the inspiring force behind the Ashanti. In his infamous speech, also called the Provocation of the Ashantis, Sir Frederick Hodgson is recorded to have said: "What must I do to the man, whoever he is, who has failed to give to the Queen, who is the paramount power in the country, the stool to which she is entitled? Where is the Golden Stool? Why am I not sitting on the Golden Stool at this moment?

I am the representative of the paramount power in this country; why have you relegated me to this chair? Why did you not take the opportunity of my coming to Kumasi to bring the Golden Stool and give it to me to sit upon? In response to his demand, Queen-King Nana Yaa Asantewaa gave an uncompromising and unforgettable speech that stung the hearts of all the Ashanti men who were present.

Renowned for being a woman who hated injustice and loathed the telling of lies she said; "Now, I see that some of you fear to go forward to fight for our king. If it was in the brave days of Osei Tutu, Okomfo Anokye, and Opoku Ware I, Chiefs would not sit down to see their king to be taken away without firing a shot. No European could have dared speak to chiefs of Asante in the way the governor spoke to you this morning. Is it true that the bravery of Asante is no more? I cannot believe it.

It cannot be! I must say this: if you, the men of Asante, will not go forward, then we will. We, the women, will. I shall call upon my fellow women. We will fight! We will fight till the last of us falls in the battlefields.". The speech so moved the chiefs that at once they swore the Great Oath of Ashanti to fight the British until the Asantehene King Prempeh was set free from his exile. Yaa Asantewaa began by having her troops cut telegraph wires and blocking routes to and from Kumasi where the British had a fort. For several months the Queen Mother led the Ashanti in combat, keeping the British pinned down.

After sending 1,400 soldiers to put down the rebellion, the British captured some of the Ashanti Chiefs who led the rebellion but they could not capture Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa because as we say in our traditions  she was being protected by the Gods. Frustrated by this the British put out a ransom for her capture  but that did not work. In the end, they resorted to having to kidnap Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa's daughter before she herself eventually surrendered for the sake of her only child. And so it was that in the end all were exiled to the Seychelles with King Prempeh, arriving on June 22nd 1901.

Her bravery and name is still remembered by those who refer to one of the last great battles for Ashanti independence and the last war fought in Africa led by a woman.

The following Chiefs and Kings fought in the War and were exiled to the Seychelles along with Queen Mother Nana Yaa Asantewaa:

Kofi Kofia, Sub-chief of Gaasi Quami Elfilfah, Chief of Atchima Kwoku Nenchie, Linguist of Kumas Kudjoe Enfi, War Captain of Offinsu Asamoa Kwami, Chief Executioner Osei Kudjoe Krom, Sub-Chief of Bantama Akwesi Adele, Sub-chief of Chidom Kwoku Intsia, Chief of Akropong Akwasi Foli, Chief of Dompoasi Kobina Ekwanta Bissah, Chief of Odumesi Antoa Mensah, Chief of Antoa Kwoku Kumasi, Linguist of Kumasi Kwoku Adom, Linguist of Kokofu Ghanza, Chief of Bantama Yaw Appio, Linguist of Adansi/ Chief of Akrocheri

At the end of the War, Queen Mother Nana Amma Afranewaa was arrested along with Queen Mother Nana Yaa Asantewaa but due to her grand old age, she was not exiled to the Seychelles.

For more insights visit: http://seychellesfestivalofsaintyaa.com/festival/index.html


American University of Nigeria (AUN) has won the maiden edition of Facebook Global Digital Challenge (FGDC) held for African Universities.

The final competition which was described as the battle of the titans among three universities was held at the University of Ghana's (UG), Institute of Statistics Social and Economic Research (ISSER) conference room in Accra last Friday.

AUN received a juicy sum of $5000 while universities of Development Studies (UDS), Ghana and Tunisia Business School came second and third taking home $3000 and $1000 respectively.

The FGDC which is also referred to as a Peer-2-Peer challenging extremism initiative is a platform opened to students in universities across the world.

Participating students in the competition were required to design online and offline projects through which followers will engage in discourses leading to counteracting terrorism and other forms of violence.

According to Tony Sgro, CEO of EdVenture Partners who is the implementing agency for the event, twenty seven entries from thirteen African Universities were received when nominations opened in the third quarter of last year for the competition which lasted fifteen weeks.

Mr Tony Sgro lauded Facebook and other partners for the project which according to him was intended to tap what he referred to as great ideas of young people especially in African to make the world a peaceful settlement for all.

In his welcome address, the Head of Programs, Africa Centre for Security and Counter Terrorism (ACSC), Emmanuel Kotin, stated that the world had reached a stage where concerted effort was required to address the myriads of problems of violent extremism.

Increasingly many fundamentalist groups hide under religion to advance their agenda that end up killing and embarrassing the religions they identify with; working in concert to make the world a safe place should therefore be the responsibility of all manner of people including the youth in our tertiary institutions, he noted.

The Head of Programs regretted that Africa had been considered as a safe haven for terrorist maneuvers mentioning recent attacks in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Kenya and Egypt.

Mr. Kotin while congratulating the participants of the competition also urged African governments to put out workable strategies which will help reduce poverty, religious fundamentalism and human rights violations.

The Facebook Public Policy Manager For Africa, Akua Gyekye said her institution is happy to be part of the project adding that the youth have credible and authentic values to influence their peers positively.

A representative of the US Embassy in Ghana, Sarah Shabbir, urged the participants in the competition to carry the message of peaceful co-existence among all manner of people beyond the competition.

By Solomon Ofori


Gambian Foreign Affairs Minister, Neneh Macdouall Gaye, has resigned from her post.

She indicated in a letter addressed to the country's President, Yahya Jammeh that, I am of the conviction that under the prevailing circumstances, I cannot effectively serve as Foreign Minister. I thank you for the opportunity you gave me to serve my country.

Mcdouall Gaye's resignation comes at a time when the country is experiencing political difficulty with President Yahya Jammeh refusing to step down even after losing a democratically held election to real estate mogul, Adama Barrow.

The Gambias foreign minister resigns. Not many left standing in Jammehs government in its last few days (if indeed they are the last). pic.twitter.com/Ap9ma0UMn9

 Ruth Maclean (@ruthmaclean) January 17, 2017

ECOWAS leaders have failed on two occasions to convince Mr Jammeh to step down.

Jammeh, days after conceding defeat in the elections, alleged malpractice and filed a motion to challenge the results in the Supreme Court.

The country had been without a functional Supreme Court for two years, after Mr. Jammeh sacked some Supreme Court judges for ruling against his government in a case against affecting ex-military chiefs.

The countrys Chief Justice, Emmanuel Fagbenle, pulled out of the case filed by Jammeh, seeking to stop the inauguration of President-elect Adama Barrow.

Other senior officers in Mr. Jammeh's government including the Ministers of Trade, Environment, Finance and recently Foreign Affairs, have all resigned, spelling more doom for Mr. Jammeh.

Mcdouall Gaye

The Justice Minister, Mama Singhateh, is also reported to have fled the country to neighboring Senegal.

There are reports of many citizens fleeing the country ahead of Thursday's inauguration of President-elect Adama Barrow who is currently in Senegal until the swearing-in.

'Military intervention in Gambia'

Parliamentarians in Gambia on Monday, January 16, 2017, passed a resolution demanding that ECOWAS Heads of State Authority desist from using force to remove Mr. Jammeh from office.

The legislators say a peaceful means must been employed to settle the political stalemate, stating that the Gambia was a sovereign nation and its constitution must be respected.

Members of the governing APRC party in parliament, also called on ECOWAS to deploy supreme court judges from member states to hear Jammeh's election petition case.

They argued that the case must be heard before the transfer of power.



By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @jnyabor
Senior managers and executive members of Airtel have all joined hands to make this a reality by taking time off to visit and interact with pupils from all adopted schools.

Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs at Airtel Ghana, Hannah Agbozo, commented, At Airtel, we are big believers in empowering young people to fully realise their potential through education.

Through our Schools Adoption programme, we continue to support several schools across the country by investing in infrastructure such as classroom blocks, Libraries and ICT centers to facilitate effective teaching and learning.

Aside committing resources to improve infrastructure, our employees have consistently led the effort to inspire, mentor and spend time to shape the minds of the next generation of leaders across all our adopted schools. Todays session with pupils of Adaklu Salvation Army has been truly energizing.

Our commitment to support these schools and education in general will continue to be a central theme in our CSR investment well into the future. She concluded

The Head teacher of the Adaklu Abuadi Salvation Army School, Mary Dzakpoh expressed her appreciation for Airtels undying commitment to her school, she said we have been working with the company for over four years now and they have never failed in their commitment towards the school.

Their employees are always friendly, open and ready to inspire these young ones to be their very best. We are very grateful for their support and we hope that the friendship only gets better.

The Adaklu Abuadi Salvation Army School is one of Airtels adopted schools under its school-adoption initiative. Under the initiative the company works closely with the Ghana Education Service to improve the quality and delivery of education to children in underprivileged communities.

About Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 18 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 3 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 359 million customers across its operations at the end of July 2016. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com

About Airtel in Africa

Airtel is driven by the vision of providing affordable and innovative mobile services to all. Airtel has 17 operations in Africa: Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Airtel International is a Bharti Airtel company.
PARIS, France, 17 January 2017 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- As the second largest African market, Ethiopia is one of the most robust and best performing economies on the continent, with a two-digit growth rate over the past 10 years (a 10,8% annual average since 2005).

Accompanied by a delegation of Ethiopian CEOs, the Prime Minister will present the strategic orientations of his economic policy as well as several concrete investment projects in high potential sectors. The Ethiopian Government has launched significant programmes in sectors such as transport, telecommunications, energy and industry, especially textile industry, to accelerate the structural transformation of the country's economy.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister will also participate in the "Head of State panel" where he will discuss Ethiopia's economic outlook, highlighting the private sector's role in its growth dynamic. In 2016, the Presidents of Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana participated in this unique panel which has since become a highlight of the AFRICA CEO FORUM's programme.
The age-long Right to Information (RTI) Bill, which has been described by many as the oldest Bill in Parliament, suffered a major defeat when the Sixth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana under the NDC-led administration failed to pass the Bill into law before its tenure lapsed on 7th January, 2016.

The Bill had undergone a thorough review process initiated by a bi-partisan Select Committee of Parliament (the Select Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs), including a review of all the concerns raised by the public on the Bill, but Parliament still could not pass the Bill into law despite several calls by CSOs and other well-meaning Ghanaians.

Observations in Parliament indicated that the Bill was stalled when Members of Parliament from the opposition (NPP) raised the issue of lack of quorum, making it difficult for proceedings to continue. Some MPs from the Majority side argued that their colleagues from the opposition deliberately frustrated the process so that their administration, having won the 2016 elections, would be the government to pass the Bill into law. But some MPs from the opposition argued that the NDC administration could have used their majority in Parliament to pass the law if indeed they were committed to passing the legislation. Whether or not Ghanaians are persuaded by these arguments depends on which side of the political divide one belongs to.

In the year 2012, the NDC government came into power with a promise in their Manifesto that the RTI Bill will be passed into law. The promises did not end only in the Manifesto but were also re-echoed in the State of the Nations address, on the floor of Parliament, at various international (UN) programmes and events as well as on discussion programmes in the media both locally and internationally. President Mahama categorically stated in one of his many speeches that my government will be reckoned for passing the oldest Bill in Parliament but after eight years in leadership, the government could not deliver on this promise. Many observers both at home and abroad have expressed their disappointment at the failure by the past government to pass this legislation particularly because the administration had several opportunities to pass the Bill but preferred to wait till the dying minutes. Speaking on News file on 24th December, 2016, about his low points for the year 2016, the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper, Mr. Kweku Baako Jnr. stated, I will be damn damn disappointed if the RTI Bill is not passed by this Parliament Similarly at the Fourth Global Summit of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) held in Paris, France from 7th  9th December, 2016, it was observed rather sadly, that Ghanas five year participation in the OGP process could not deliver the passage of the RTI law unlike in Kenya and Tanzania.

The failure to pass this legislation by the outgoing administration is particularly disheartening given the amount of resources, time and energy that was committed to its review and consideration processes by the 6th Parliament, in addition to the fact that a new Parliament under the new administration will have to commence fresh processes to enable the passage of the Bill; processes which may not be completed within the first four years.

The adoption of Access to Information (ATI) legislation has become a global movement with more than 100 countries (including countries from every region) having FOI laws in place. According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) only a small minority of countries around the world (Africa and Arab Regions) still lack FOI recognition in their legislation. Africa joined the bandwagon when in the year 2000 South Africa became the first country to pass the law, followed by Angola in 2002 and Uganda in 2005. Since then, seventeen other countries have put in place the law including, Niger, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan to mention but a few. The advocacy became even more visible and strengthened with the official recognition by UNESCO on 17th November, 2015, of 28th September, as the International Day of Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).

In most African countries that have adopted the law, civil society actors played a key role in ensuring the adoption of the law/policies on ATI as well as in the review of such laws where they were already in existence. One such country that witnessed strong civil society advocacy is the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where after thirteen years of rigorous campaign, President Goodluck Jonathan before exiting office in 2011 signed the age long Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill into Law after it was passed by the then National Assembly. By passing the law, the former president together with the outgoing National Assembly opened up the democratic space for the involvement of Nigerian citizens in their governance. Today, one cannot refer to the FOI Act in Nigerian without the name Goodluck Jonathan. Another country which saw relentless struggle by CSOs to ensure the passage of the law is the Republic of Kenya. His Excellency, President Uhuru Kenyatta on 31st August, 2016, signed the ATI Bill into law bringing an end to the fifteen year struggle by CSOs to see greater access and transparency to government decision-making. The two leaders, unlike President Mahama, have left a legacy that will forever be remembered in Africas quest for open and transparent governance.

The Mahama-led administration was criticized for the many scandals that bedeviled the administration including the public perception that the 6th Parliament may not have effectively exercised its oversight role over the work of the Executive due to undue party partisanship. One would have thought that efforts by the administration to clear this strong negative perception would include the passage of a key anti-corruption tool - the RTI Bill. But unfortunately, the NDC administration led by President Mahama missed the opportunity of proving to the world and convincing some, if not all Ghanaians that their anti-corruption agenda was genuine.

On 12th May, 2016, the global torchlight was shown on corruption with the Anti-Corruption Summit held in London, United Kingdom. The Summit provided an opportunity for world leaders to showcase their commitment to the fight against corruption. Despite the proclaimed commitment to this fight, Ghanas participation at the summit could not deliver the passage of the RTI Law back home.

In the month of September, the world again turned its attention to openness and transparency when on 26th September, 2016, the UNESCO, as part of the events to mark the first International Day for Universal Access to Information (officially 28th September) organized series of inspiring talks International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) Talks on Access to Information. The main aim, as stated by UNESCO, of marking the IDUAI was to promote universal access to information through all platforms, as an essential means to achieving the 2030 Development Agenda and the Sustainable development Goals (SDGs). Interestingly, H.E President Mahama delivered the keynote speech at the event, however, his attendance and participation could not inspire Parliament to pass the RTI Bill.

In the midst of all these activities, the expectation by the international community and of course many Ghanaians was that the NDC-led administration would have passed the law having been actively engaged in these platforms, including signing on to the Open Government Partnership (OGP). Ghanas involvement and participation in these international events and initiatives kept the country in the limelight and enabled the world to put its searchlight on the countrys efforts to pass the RTI legislation. Indeed, President John Dramani Mahama missed the opportunity to inscribe his name in the annals of Open Governments.

To better appreciate the efforts by the 6th Parliament and the NDC led administration to pass the RTI Bill into law, it will be useful to recount the events that took place from 2013, after the NDC won the 2012 elections. On 12th November, 2013, President Mahama tabled the RTI Bill, 2013 before the 6th Parliament. Upon introduction in Parliament, the Bill was referred to the Select Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. The Committee held two meetings (in May and September 2014) with key stakeholders to review the content of the Bill and make recommendations for consideration by Parliament. Three months later, precisely on 17th December, 2014, the Select Committee tabled its report in Parliament with proposals for the amendment of all the problematic clauses identified by stakeholders. Following pressure from civil society, the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mrs. Marrieta Brew Appiah-Opong, on 25th June, 2015 (Six months after the Committee tabled its report) moved the motion for the second reading of the Bill. The second reading was concluded on 24th July, 2015 and the Bill was referred to the next stage in the Parliamentary process - the Consideration stage.

The consideration of the Bill witnessed even slower progress than previous stages. Parliament could not commence the consideration process until March 2016, (Eight months after the conclusion of the second reading). Discussions on the Bill witnessed several distractions and setbacks including the introduction by government of a new Bill The Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunication Messages Bill 2016 (otherwise known as Spy Bill); a Bill which was nearly passed but for the public outcry. Consideration of the RTI Bill continued in May and October 2016 during the second and third sessions of Parliament respectively. In October specifically, the AG withdrew the old Bill and tabled a revised Bill (RTI Bill 2016) making the consideration and passage of the Bill much easier than it previously was. The AG specifically requested in writing to Parliament to consider the Bill under a certificate of urgency. Following her request, the new Bill was immediately referred to the Parliamentary Select Committee and the Committee with a sense of urgency completed its review processes and submitted its report within three days. But these notwithstanding, Parliament could not complete the consideration processes to enable the passage of the Bill before 7th January 2017.

These commendable efforts by the 6th Parliament should ordinarily have been commended by all Ghanaians particularly those who have been following the discourse and advocacy on RTI, but this is not the case. The failure to pass the Bill for eight years and the last minute push by MPs from the majority side, including the first ever public plea by the outgoing President for the passage of the Bill appeared to have irritated many, particularly MPs from the opposition, who suddenly realized that having won the 2016 elections, they now have an opportunity to make global history and therefore became very unwilling to let their opponents take that glory.

Having had the opportunity for eight years to pass the most valuable anti-corruption tool without success, how will anti-corruption crusaders and the international community rate President Mahamas performance as one time President of Ghana? In discussing Ghanas anti-corruption agenda and achievements, what will the 6th Parliament and the NDC led administration be remembered for? Clearly, it will not be as they had promised the government that passed the oldest Bill in Parliament

Written by Ugonna Ukaigwe

January 2017

The author is a lawyer and a Project Consultant who consults for international, regional and national NGOs.

She currently coordinates the work of the Right to Information Coalition, Ghana
An Accra High Court has adjourned the case involving the mother of incarcerated narcotic drug offender, Nayele Ametefe, who is challenging the confiscation one of her properties at East Legon in Accra.

The adjournment followed the inability of the witnesses for the state to appear in court due to circumstances beyond his control.

According to the mother of Nayele, the said property belongs to her and not her daughter [Nayele].

The confiscation of the property located at East Legon, became an issue for legal tussle despite a court ordering the Narcotics Control Board, (NACOB), to seize it when the mother of the cocaine trafficker resisted claiming it belong to her.

An Accra High Court last Wednesday ordered the confiscation of properties of Nayele Ametefe also known as Ruby Adu-Gyamfi.

Nayele, who is currently serving eight years, eight months jail sentence in the United Kingdom, was arrested on November 10, 2014, at the Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom, by officers of the UK Border Force with 12.5 kg of cocaine worth $5million in her hand luggage.

The 33-year-old, who pleaded guilty to carrying 12 kilos of cocaine to the United Kingdom, was sentenced on her own plea by the Isleworth Crown Court in London on January 2015.

The sentence was discounted because of her early guilty plea.

Prosecutors said the cocaine carried by Nayele had a purity of 78%, and a street value of 1.872 million Pounds.

The prosecutors told the court Nayele had $23,000 and an additional 6,000 Pounds in her handbag when she was arrested.



By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
17.01.2017 LISTEN

It is an indisputable fact that the only vehicle that can lead us to achieve our dreams, goals and aspirations in life is INVESTMENT. Indeed, many a youth have come to understand that investment has a vitally inevitable role in achieving success. In my view, the understanding of the term and its application is skewed because the most fundamental element that one cannot do without is reasonable thinking.

My interactions with many friends who are still struggling to adjust their lives in their bits to securing a comfortable future largely attribute to lack of capital, to start anything on their own. Unfortunately, I have never heard any of them say, they lack strategic ideas. It is also a fact that the capitals such people think about getting by magic or divine grace are some humongous quantum of physical cash. I share a different thought with this piece.

In my ordinary view, thinking is the core of investment and for that matter, the greatest investment capital that is invincible but centrally paramount. Ones ability to generate ideas, set achievable goals and aims largely determines what he is able to achieve in life. I know that reasonable thinking alone cannot do the magic but it has the propensity to open doors for other peripheral elements necessary in making progress and prosperity. For me, it is absolutely unproductive to work towards physical cash as capital before generating strategic ideas for investment into any sector. Many people fail in their insatiable quest to invest without strategic ideas. For me, money without ideas resulting from critical thinking is profound poverty. Count yourself a potential successful person with strategic ideas. I am not oblivious of the fact that ideas without effective implementation only precipitate failure of dreams but with ideas, one is far ahead of reaching success.

The world is ruled by strategic ideas. These strategic ideas are the reason behind the proliferation of innovations and inventions globally. The most critical thinker in this idealistic global world is the one who makes use of his cognitive abilities. The problems people run away from are those critical thinkers take advantage of, to cause a change in society. In the most advanced economies dominated by the private sector, your ability to acquire wealth or occupy a niche in the enterprise of industrialization is largely dependent on your ability to keep on generating ideas through critical thinking. Such a thinking is largely positive thinking, resilient thinking, critical thinking, innovative thinking or call it visionary thinking. Ironically in the part of our world of developing economies like Ghana, people run away from problems and blame government or others without any conscious effort of making a bold step to solving those problems through critical thinking.

We sit aloof and clamor for change of governments, government support, sponsorship, good education, mechanized agriculture, improved education among others as if those are the fundamental panaceas to our sea of challenges. What are we also doing individually? A society that lacks foresight, is a society dominated by lazy thinking populace.

This is evident in the fact that most African countries with rich natural resources still lack the needed technical know-how to adequately tap them to create progressive and prosperous economies for ourselves. We dont need any rocket scientists to tell us our problems. Not even prophesies of our so called men of God, can perform any magic in our lives if we dont develop a positive attitude through critical thinking. It is through critical thinking that can feed this nation with enterprising ideas towards creating the much talked about industrialized nation we so much desire. No politician can do it by mere politics and policies.

Also, we must not only think positively but original in our thinking. There is no critical thinking when you lazily copy the thinking of others without a deeper appreciation and understanding of the hidden spirit, wisdom, behind it. That is another disease among us, Africans. Almost all our policies were blindly copied. We are a unique people with different abilities capable of solving our own problems but we have thrown those abilities away for an unconscious mental slavery which is now our major development challenge people refuse to talk about. The worst offenders are some politicians who continually indoctrinate the minds of the younger generations. Most of the youth are interested in what to eat today and not what to have tomorrow. At a point, I was perplexed when very educated men of society who are politicians told the Ghanaian youth that people do not eat infrastructure and that employment is solely created by government. Since am not writing a political article, I would not dwell much on it but I succinctly think that such backward thinking must be avoided in the mind of any individual or group that aspire for greater heights in life.

We live in a society with so many professors in diverse fields yet they are unable to proffer any alternative to any emerging contemporary impediments. They are perhaps only competent in the use of jargon and largely end up in politics with fixed ideas whiles the real solutions lie in front of us. It is really fascinating. I urge my fellow youth to take a different paths and consider critical thinking, the greatest investment.

Put together your aims and goals and always remain focus and committed through critical thinking. Learn to adjust yourself in the very "chameleonic" environment we find ourselves. We can sign our own financial and economic freedom when we believe in ourselves than entrenching our destinies into the hands of others.

Denis Andaban.

[email protected]

[email protected]

0208057227/0549734023.
The Commander of the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Patrick Adusei Sarpong, has warned that it is unlawful for police to remove the ignition keys of vehicles while on duties on roads.

He has also warned that police officers have no right to remove stickers of drivers when they are arrested for road traffic offence.

ASP Adusei Sarpongs warning is based on the numerous complaints by drivers, especially, commercial drivers that some MTTD police officers who are detailed to various check point have the penchant of removing the ignition keys and vehicle stickers of drivers.

Some police officers even go to the extent of fighting with the drivers. Speaking on the issue on Onua FMs Yen Sempa, ACP Adusei Sarpong said under no circumstance should a police officer on duty take the law into their own hands and remove the keys and stickers of a driver.

He explained that if a driver is being recalcitrant, the police can take the details of the driver and process him for court with or without his presence.

He said at the court, the police can secure a court order to arrest the driver and if that order is given, the police has the right to arrest the driver anywhere they see him.

ACP Adusei Sarpong further added that this is what the law says and not seize the keys and stickers of the driver.

Asked on what a driver should do should a police officer seizes his key and stickers, ACP explained that such driver should report to the nearest police commander for actions to be taken against the said police officer.
One person was shot at the Manhyia palace in Kumasi on Monday as final funeral rites opened for the departed Asantehemaa Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem, mother of the Asantehene.

According to Ultimate FMs Isaac Bediako Justice, a stray bullet from an unknown mascot hit the yet to-be identified victim in the leg.

The victim is reportedly recovering at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

Meanwhile, about 400 mourners passed out due to excessive alcohol intake at the funeral grounds, which has become the made-shift production house for some alcoholic beverages in the country.

Many of them have resuscitated while others are still receiving treatment at the hospital.

Filing past of the body has entered day two today.

Former Presidents John Mahama and John Rawlings are expected to bid their farewell to the departed queenmother today.
Mogadishu (AFP) - A serious drought has left parts of Somalia at risk of famine and 320,000 children are already severely malnourished and in need of care, the UN humanitarian agency said Tuesday.

"The level of humanitarian suffering in this country triggered by projected conflict, seasonal shocks and disease outbreaks are typically hard to bear, but the impact of this drought represents a threat of a different scale and magnitude," said Peter de Clercq of the agency UNOCHA.

Somalia is one of several East African nations, including South Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya, suffering from two failed rainy seasons, leading to food shortages and the death of livestock across the region in what some have said is the worst drought in over five years.

"Expanding drought conditions have left hundreds of thousands of Somalis facing severe food and water shortages. Overall, some five million people are in need of humanitarian assistance," said de Clercq.

The humanitarian community in Somalia is seeking $864-million (800 million euros) for its operations in 2017, to "avert catastrophe" from the drought.

Famine early warning system FEWSNET warned Monday that if 2017 rains were again poor in Somalia -- as forecast -- "famine would be expected."

However concerns are even higher for conflict-torn South Sudan, where fighting has compounded the fallout from the drought, and few humanitarian organisations remain.

In Kenya, the drought has led to a rise in conflict between pastoral communities looking to graze their animals, while roaming wildlife are coming into conflict with humans as they seek new water sources.

Nairobi, East Africa's economic hub, is under strict water rationing for four months, when the next rainy season is expected to start.
His Majesty King Mohammed VI, of the Kingdom of Morocco, will from Wednesday, January 18, 2017, begin an official visit to Ghana.

The visit is aimed at deepening the existing, cordial relations between Ghana and Morocco, as well present an opportunity to define new areas of cooperation that would serve the mutual interests of the two countries.

On Friday, January 20, President Akufo-Addo will hold bilateral talks with King Mohammed VI, before hosting him to an official lunch at the Presidency.

King Mohammed VI will thereafter depart for Morocco.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
By Subel Bhandari, dpa

Sydney (dpa/GNA) - After nearly three years of searching, the hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has come to an end without a trace of the plane, officials announced Tuesday.

The Australian government's Joint Agency Coordination Centre, which has taken the lead in the more-than-200-million-Australian-dollar (150-million-US-dollar) search for the plane, said the hunt has now been officially been suspended after finishing a final sweep of the search zone.

"Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has not been located in the 120,000 square-kilometre underwater search area in the southern Indian Ocean," said a joint communique from Malaysia, China and Australia, the three countries involved in the search.

The statement said the search was "not able to locate the aircraft" despite efforts using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals.

"Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended."

In July, Malaysia, China and Australia had agreed to suspend the search if no "credible new evidence" about the plane's location was discovered.

"Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft," the statement said.

The aircraft went missing on March 8, 2014 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, including the crew. The plane is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean.

Last month, a review based on analysis by a team of international experts and investigators said the underwater search zone probably did not contain the missing aircraft and instead identified an additional area of 25,000 square kilometres that could contain the wreckage.

The conclusion had raised the prospect of the search being continued, but the announcement on Tuesday has now quashed that possibility.

The search was the most expensive and exhaustive in aviation history.

"The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness," Tuesday's joint statement said.

"Today's announcement is significant for our three countries, but more importantly for the family and friends of those on board the aircraft... We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located.

GNA
17.01.2017 LISTEN

London (dpa/GNA) - British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to indicate her willingness to accept a "hard" Brexit outside the EU single market when she makes a key speech on her negotiating plans on Tuesday.

May is expected to say she is prepared to leave the single market to allow Britain to control the migration of EU citizens, according to media reports and political analysis ahead of the speech.

She is expected to answer critics who have accused her of failing to clarify her negotiating strategy or commit her government on the crucial issues of migration and market access.

The Times said May's speech would "make clear that the UK is set to pull out of the single market and the European customs union in order to regain control of immigration and end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice."

But the newspaper warned that "May's hard Brexit stance will put her on a collision course" with pro-EU lawmakers from her ruling Conservative party.

May has said she plans to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which sets the rules for a two-year negotiating process for a nation leaving the EU, by the end of March.

The Supreme Court, Britain's highest court, is scheduled to issue its decision this month on the government's appeal against a High Court ruling that May must consult parliament before triggering Article 50.

GNA
By Caroline Pomeyie, GNA

Accra, Dec. 17, GNA - Mr Clement Osei Amoako, the First Vice President of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce, says Ghana and Morocco are yet to tap their mutual economic potentials and opportunities for their benefits towards national progress.

He said: 'Available trade statistics for 2015 from the International Trade Centre shows that Ghana's exports to Morocco was $ 3, 624,000, which represents less than one per cent (0.03 per cent) of Ghana's total exports, whilst our imports from Morocco amounted to $ 64,806,000, (0.29 per cent) of Morocco's total exports.'

He said this at the Ghana-Morocco Economic meeting in Accra, organised by the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises, with support from the Bank of Africa.

Mr Amoako explained that the economic meeting was meant to provide requisite information to enable business delegates from Ghana and Morocco to take informed business and investment decisions.

He expressed the hope that the meeting would further strengthen the strategic partnership between Ghana and Morocco towards bringing economic and social benefits, by creating new opportunities for trade, investment, employment and above all improving the living standards of the people.

Mr Abdou Diop, the President of General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises South-South Commission, said there were 10 main sectors of investment opportunities in Morocco: Tourism, Industry, Energy, Fishing, Agriculture, Information and Communication Technology, Pharmaceuticals, Transport, Mining and Agribusiness.

Ms Miriam Lahlou Filali, the Head of Pharma5 Company, said the Company was looking forward to meeting Ghanaian pharmaceutical companies to explore 'opportunities for both countries - whether it is exporting or perhaps producing in Ghana in an already based company - to develop or to transfer technology'.

She said: 'We export our products to more than 40 companies, with 22 to Africa and we want to develop South-South cooperation. Moroccan pharmaceutical industry is second on the African continent, and Pharma5 ranks 17th out of 650 brands in Africa.'

Mrs Kate Quartey-Papafio, the Chairlady for the Reroy Group, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said Morocco had huge solar farms that could be replicated in Ghana.

'With the vision of one district one factory we require stable power in all the districts, a lower income generation power where the industries' cost of power consumption will be lower to enable the creation of more job opportunities for our people and help the sustainability of our industries,' she said.

She stated: 'Over the years we have been working with Morocco but not as intensive as they are here. We are looking for a spot in the Moroccan market and to expand our power sector. When we export to Morocco we also expect a tax rebate as Reroy have been working with them for about four years.'

GNA
It is really a curse for any country to be saddled with a morally bankrupt political leadership.

What is unfolding in Gambia tells us that the tiny country is about to witness the horrific consequences of exactly such a 'leadership'. Already, in anticipation of the unleashing of ECOWAS military forces on their country, Gambians are fleeing in their thousands, to neighbouring Senegal. Ironically, Senegal may well be the bedrock of any force sent to Gambia by ECOWAS.

Now, the terrible thing about the use of military force in any country is that it can have unexpected consequences which will result in what the military glibly call collateral damage. In ordinary language, it means that in an operation against a hard-to-define enemy, the military may not have the least idea whom to shoot at, and will kill many people, some of whom are, in fact, sympathetic to the very objectives the military operation is supposed to achieve!

Worse, the military operation may result in a political situation that is worse  as far as the civilian populace is concerned  than the situation the military operation was meant to rectify. For instance, everyone knew that Col. Gaddafi and his sons posed a threat to the lives of many Libyans, before foreign forces invaded Libya and Gaddafi came to a grisly end.

But no-one can say that the situation which Libya is in today  with a divided army and brutal, anarchic militias battling one another to keep control of its rich oil resources  is better than when Gaddafi was in power.

Meanwhile, the noble people who were so anxious to invade Libya to save lives in Benghazi and other threatened Libyan towns in October 2011, are nowhere to be found! They are pretending that they had nothing to do with the chaos currently facing Libya. Yet they were in a very good position, through espionage, to assess that if they didn't plan adequately for an apres-Gaddafisituation, all hell could break loose in Libya.

In Gambia's case, there is, in fact, an instructive precedent that ought to guide any military intervention from outside. On 29 October 1981, the Gambian field force, led by a politician called Kukoi Samba Sanyang, tried to carry out a coup while the Gambian President of the time, Sir Dauda Jawara, was in London attending the wedding of the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles and his beautiful bride, Lady Diana. A National Revolutionary Council, composed of Kukoi Samba Sanyang's Socialist and Revolutionary Labour Party (SRLP) and elements of the "Field Force" declared itself in power.

President Jawara then flew to neighbouring Senegal and invoking a defence pact signed with Senegal in 1965, requested Senegal to send troops to Gambia. Senegal agreed, and sent troops to reverse Kukoi's coup. The Senegalese troops received a lot of praise for being able to help liberate President Jawara's wife, Lady Chirel (who had been kidnapped by the insurgents) from captivity. But between 500 and 800 Gambians were killed as a result of the invasion. The Gambian people didn't like that.

Also, while Senegal's intervention was ostensibly to rescue President Jawaras regime, it undermined Gambia's independence. The continued presence of Senegalese troops in Banjul was testimony to Jawaras growing reliance on Senegal, and indeed, three weeks after the aborted coup, President Abdou Diouf of Senegal held a joint press conference with Jawara, at which it was announced that the two countries intended to establish a Senegambian Confederation.

In December 1981, the treaty of confederation was signed in Dakar. Under it President Diouf became President of the Confederation, with Jawara as his vice president. A new Gambian army was created as part of a new confederate army.

But because the confederation was the child of a shotgun wedding, it collapsed in 1989. Within five years of the collapse, Jawara was again overthrown  this time, by a lieutenant called Yahya Jammeh. Jammeh ruled for 22 years, during which his brutality and eccentric behaviour attracted world attention: he claimed, for instance, that he could cure HIV/Aids, and he always carried a big stick with him, to what purpose no-one could say for certain.

Despite his brutality  or perhaps because of it  signs had begun to appear, before the election of 2 December 2016, that Gambians would go to great lengths to get rid of him. Dissent against his rule was no longer hidden. And when he went ahead and held the election, hoping to be able to rig it (as usual) he had the shock of his life when the Gambian Electoral Commission said his people had rejected him and voted for the opposition candidate, Adama Barrow.

Whether out of a clever ploy to defuse the situation created by the election or to plan properly to stay in power, Jammeh accepted the result of the election. He called Adama Barrow and conceded victory to him. But after about a week, he announced that he had changed his mind. He had discovered discrepancies in the figures issued by the Gambian Election Commission, he claimed.

He has issued a petition to the Supreme Court asking for the result to be annulled.

But no-one is buying the argument for his change of

mind. In any case, because of his capricious rule, there is no Supreme Court in Gambia at the moment. One is to be constituted in due course, manned mainly by Nigerian judges.

In the mean time, ECOWAS leaders, led by the Liberian President, Mrs Johnson Sirleaf and President Muhammad Buhari of Nigeria, have been going up and down, to and from Gambia, trying to get Jammeh to stick to his acceptance of the election result. But Jammeh has remained adamant, and for fear that he might solve the problem by having Adama Barrow assassinated, Barrow has been whisked out of the country to Senegal. It is expected that he will be brought back to Banjul on Thursday, 19th January and sworn in.

It appears obvious that ECOWAS will dispatch troops to Gambia either to arrest or otherwise dispose of Jammeh before the swearing-in occurs. But ECOWAS will have to be very careful in sending troops to Gambia. The most important condition for the dispatch of troops should be that Senegalese troops should not dominate the force in numbers but be integrated into an ECOWAS force which can only take military action under one [non-Senegalese] command.

This is because Gambians deeply resented the Senegambian Confederation imposed on their country after the 1981 coup attempt and which collapsed in 1989. Some Gambians actually believe that ex-President Dawda Jawara undermined his own position by agreeing to the Confederation idea, and that Jammeh took advantage of Jawara's lack of patriotism in getting members of the Gambian army to join him in deposing Jawara in 1994.

Certainly, it would be a mistake for ECOWAS to ignore the pro-independence sentiments of Gambians in its attempt to help the Gambians put into effect, the change of government they voted for on 2 December 2016.

Will the ECOWAS leaders be able to help the Gambians without throwing the baby out with the bath-water?

That remains to be seen. What ECOWAS should keep constantly in mind, however, is that it is not enough to act with good intentions. It is essential is that thorough and efficient planning should be done before troops are sent in, so that the political situation on the ground should support the military action.

That the Americans failed to plan adequately for the post-military situations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya  even with their superior systems for gathering intelligence  makes it urgent that ECOWAS should plan very carefully before it acts in Gambia. But act it must. Obsolescent, tinpot dictators of the Jammeh type ought to be taught that it is not only one side in a political game that can resort to force.
Moscow (AFP) - Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital next week are aimed at consolidating the frail truce in the war-torn country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

"One of the objectives of the meeting in Astana is first of all to consolidate the ceasefire," Lavrov said of the talks due to begin on January 23.

Lavrov said the talks would also serve as an opportunity to involve rebel field commanders in "the political process" aimed at ending the bloodshed.

"Those who wish to join must have the possibility to do so."

Organised by rebel backer Turkey and regime allies Russia and Iran, the Astana meeting is the latest bid to put an end to the brutal conflict raging since March 2011.

US President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has been invited but has not yet officially responded.

Lavrov said on Tuesday it was "right to invite representatives of the UN and the new US administration" but did not say whether the incoming Trump administration had confirmed its attendance.

A source in the Russian foreign ministry told AFP the talks would not involve the foreign ministers of participating countries and could last a few days, but did not give further details.

Syrian rebel groups, including the powerful Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam), said on Monday they would attend.

Chief rebel negotiator Mohammad Alloush, a leading figure in Jaish al-Islam, will represent the opposition, according to National Coalition member Ahmad Ramadan.

The High Negotiations Committee (HNC), the main Syrian opposition umbrella group, has also expressed its support for the talks.

The Syrian government delegation attending the talks will be led by the country's ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar al-Jaafari, Syria's Al-Watan daily reported on Tuesday.

The government delegation will also include "figures representing the military and the Syrian judiciary", the newspaper wrote.

Alloush and Jaafari led opposing teams at UN-hosted peace talks in Geneva last year, trading accusations throughout the ill-fated negotiations.

Fighting despite truce

The talks come a month after the Syrian regime took full control of the country's second city of Aleppo from rebels in its biggest victory in more than four years of fighting.

Russia launched a bombing campaign to shore up the forces of long-time ally Bashar al-Assad in September 2015, a move Lavrov hailed on Tuesday.

"We are convinced we acted rightly when we responded positively to the request (to intervene) of Syria's legitimate government... whose capital was two to three weeks away from being seized by terrorists," said Lavrov.

Russia and Turkey last month brokered a ceasefire in Syria but without the involvement of the United States, a negotiator in previous truces.

The truce went into effect on December 30 and has brought calm to much of Syria although fighting continues in some regions.

Nine civilians were killed at the weekend in heavy fighting that erupted near Damascus, jeopardising the nationwide truce.

Government troops also lost ground to the Islamic State jihadist group near the Deir Ezzor military airport in the country's east.

The ceasefire excludes the IS group and its rival the Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front after breaking ties with Al-Qaeda last year.

If the Astana meetings are successful, they could bode well for a new round of UN-hosted political negotiations on the conflict set for next month in Geneva.

More than 300,000 people have been killed and over half of the population displaced in nearly six years of deadly fighting in Syria. Millions have also fled the country.

burs-gtf/ma/bc
Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - Four more cabinet ministers in Gambian President Yahya Jammeh's government have defected, a source close to the regime told AFP on Tuesday, as citizens stream out of the country in fear of unrest.

With two days left of his mandate, Jammeh has caused a political crisis by refusing to step aside and allow president-elect Adama Barrow to take power following his December 1 election victory.

Foreign minister Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, finance minister Abdou Kolley, trade minister Abdou Jobe and tourism minister Benjamin Roberts had all resigned, the source said, requesting anonymity for safety reasons.

Roberts was appointed to replace Kolley on Monday, meaning he spent less than 24 hours in the new post, local media said.

The latest resignations came after the high-profile defection last week of information minister Sheriff Bojang, who is now sheltering in neighbouring Senegal.

Meanwhile, citizens packed their bags and streamed out of Banjul by road and ferry for Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, taking as many possessions as they could carry.

Gambia

One traveller told AFP that those arriving at 10am would have to wait until the following day to board a ferry at Banjul port to cross the river headed for Senegal, unless they bribed officials, due to huge numbers exiting the city.

The UN's refugee agency has said several thousand Gambians have crossed the border in the last few weeks to shelter with extended family while they await January 19, when Jammeh is due to hand over power.

Barrow is in Senegal, where he plans to remain until the inauguration on Thursday.

Military arrests

The spectre of a military intervention in The Gambia has arisen in recent days following declarations by the United Nations and African Union that boots on the ground could get the green light without a rapid resolution to the crisis.

Fears of conflict were ramped up in Banjul following the weekend arrest of soldiers suspected of being sympathetic to Barrow, underlining significant disagreement within the armed forces over whom they will support come Thursday.

"Captain Babucarr Bah and some junior officers close to him were arrested on Sunday night at the Fajara barracks by members of the Republican Guards," a security source told AFP, adding they were still being held at the headquarters of the feared National Intelligence Agency.

Gambian president-elect Adama Barrow is currently in Senegal, where he plans to stay until his inauguration

Republican guard commanders personally protect Jammeh and are picked for their loyalty.

Bah had told the guards that the army should be loyal to the state and Gambian people, the security source added, when the elite troops came to solicit support for the president just days ago.

Elsewhere Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf hit out at Jammeh for broadcasting a conversation they held by phone on Sunday on Gambian television without her knowledge.

"Unfortunately, being the person that he is, Jammeh recorded and televised their conversation without advising her of his intent to do so," a statement from the Liberian presidency said.

Sirleaf was then quoted as saying that as of Monday "there is no change in ECOWAS position. The Constitution of The Gambia must be respected."

The 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) has repeatedly called on Jammeh to respect the result of the vote and leave after 22 years in power.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Sirleaf and Ghana's ex-president John Mahama have appealed to Jammeh to step down twice in person, without success, most recently on Friday.

Asylum offer

Jammeh has lodged a challenge to the election result with The Gambia's Supreme Court and last week filed a fresh injunction to prevent the chief justice from swearing Barrow into office.

But on Monday, Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle said he could not hear the new case, dealing a blow to Jammeh's efforts to halt Thursday's inauguration.

In Rabat, it was reported that Morocco had offered Jammeh asylum for accepting the election defeat and stepping down "in return for a golden retirement", but Banjul sources were reluctant to confirm the offer.
When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. (Psalm 126:1-3)

A look at the face of Mma Asampana Akayety, on that fateful night after she was picked up by Rev Eastwood Anaba by the leading of the Holy Ghost, and you could tell a psalm not so different from that of the liberated children of Israel, was exuding out of her heart towards Jehovah Zakar  the Lord who Remembers.

If it was a dream, she didnt want to wake up from it. If it was an illusion, she didnt want to leave this Fantasy world, because the world she had lived in all her life, has been one of pain and sorrow.

Mma Asampana was born into a poor family in Daboya, 25Km away from Bolgatanga. If they had food to eat, it usually wasnt enough. At a young age, a tumour developed on her right thigh. They couldnt afford medical care, causing her to have a limp. She got married later in life, but her financial state didnt get better. They were blessed with three children. She lost her husband and three children under mysterious conditions. Being accused of witchcraft, and not having anyone willing to support her, she moved to Bolgatanga with her aged mother, to beg on the streets and in the market place for a living.

Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but Mma Asampana hath not where to lay her head.

Not long after, she lost her mother  the only company she had at the time. It was then after she got engaged by an oil palm fruit seller, to work every three days for a meager GH3.00. The only accommodation available to her was a store which was being used as a Centre for weaving smocks. She slept late in the night when the weavers had closed and left, and woke up very early in the morning before the weavers arrived. She was at the mercy of mosquitoes and other dangerous insects and diseases.

As she groped in the dark trying to find a way out in life, the late Nana Apegyine, then a member of Fountain Gate Chapel  Desert Pastures, Bolgatanga, invited her to church, and she gracefully obliged having lost all hope. She got a new family and company in church, causing her to quickly get committed to attending church services. In all the difficulties she faced, Mma Asampana had a pictorial understanding in her spirit, of the scripture which says And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and nothing was going to shake her faith. She kept her plight to herself. She wouldnt even talk to church members about her struggles, believing that God will come through for her, and when things got tougher, she could only say, Though ye slay me, yet will I trust you. She was always in church, and will not miss a major program of the church for anything. It was at one of such programs (Possessing the Land Rally, 2016), Jehovah made a conspicuous and elaborate appearance in her situation. It was a time of her visitation.

A day which begun as a usual day was set to take a supernatural turn. She closed from the market and headed straight for the church, having received GH3.00 (her wages for the day) which she was to survive on for the next 3 days. During the service, she was picked up by Rev. Eastwood Anaba by the leading of the Spirit, as she limped down the aisle with GH1.00 (out of the GH3.00) in her hand to give as an offering unto the Lord.

The man of God requested for offerings from the congregation for her, the congregation responded and an amount of about 2,000 Ghana cedis was raised. Mma Asampana requested that the money be used to build her a sleeping place. Rev. Eastwood got alarmed, when he heard she had no place to lay her head. He immediately sent a team to go see where she spent her nights. After receiving the information, he came back to the church the following day to raise people to put up a single room with a bathroom for her, so that the money raised, and a top up if need be, will be used in establishing a business of her choice for her. By the next day, the plan changed from one-bedroom to a fully furnished two-bedroom house with bathroom, lounge and kitchen.

Rev. and Rev (Mrs.) Eastwood Anaba have placed her on a monthly remittance. Several members of the Body of Christ donated cloths, scarfs, footwear, food and money for her upkeep and maintenance of the house.

Indeed, when the righteous prosper, the city rejoices. Joy has filled the hearts of many, and God has been glorified through the love shown towards Mma Asampana.

Today, the marginalized employee is an employer; The squatter is a landlady; and the outcast has found a dwelling place amongst her own. A true jewel has emerged out of the rubble.

Rev Eastwood Anaba said, The poor man is the test of the rich mans heart. God has another person in mind, as He blesses you. A needy person close by has a portion in your blessing. God had Mma Asampana in mind as He blessed the members of the Body of Christ. Apostle Paul couldnt have delivered the message in a better way. He said,

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (2 Corinthians 9:8)

All sufficiency belongs to you, but remember, God has your neighbour in mind.
Dakar (AFP) - Seven foreign journalists have been barred from entering The Gambia, where President Yahya Jammeh is refusing to quit days before the planned inauguration of his rival Adama Barrow, they said Tuesday.

The journalists -- four from Chinese CGTN television based in Nairobi, two Swedes from the photo agency Kontinent and a Senegalese AFP photographer -- were refused entry Monday evening.

Immigration officers turned them back saying they did not have accreditation, although they had applied in advance and were supposed to pick it up once in the country, according to the journalists.

The small west African country has been plunged into political turmoil since Jammeh disputed Barrow's December poll victory. He is refusing to cede power, so long as a judge has not ruled on his legal challenge.

Barrow is in Senegal, where he plans to remain until the inauguration on Thursday.

By Tuesday afternoon, The Gambia's information ministry had not responded to multiple requests from AFP for clarification.

Information minister Sheriff Bojang was among government members either recently dismissed or who have announced their resignation, as Jammeh comes under intense international pressure to cede power to Barrow on January 19, at the end of his official mandate.

Bojang, who had held office for two years, was replaced last week by a lawmaker, Seedy Njie.

Gambia

The seven journalists, who arrived on a flight from Dakar, were questioned by immigration officers after stating their profession on a police form, and sent back to Senegal some three hours later.

"There seems to have been a miscommunication between the ministry of information and the immigration guys," said one of the journalists, requesting anonymity.

"They said we didn't have our accreditation although we had applied for one" before travelling to the country, he added. "We were told to come and pay in person."

Another of the journalists said immigration officers said they had no information about them, so they could not enter the country. "We were not trying to sneak into the country."

Three Senegalese journalists were detained on January 10 in Banjul, where they were covering a hearing of the Supreme Court, and expelled from the country.

Their media outlets said the reason given was a lack of accreditation, even though at least one had been accredited to cover the December 1 presidential poll, and had continued to work with the same document without any problems.
Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - At least 52 aid workers and civilians were killed on Tuesday when an air force jet accidentally bombed a camp in northeast Nigeria instead of Boko Haram militants, medical charity MSF said.

The incident happened at about 9:00 am (0800 GMT) in Rann, in the far north of Borno state, the epicentre of the jihadists' insurgency, as food was being distributed to displaced people.

There was no official death toll from the military, which blamed "the fog of war" for the mistake, but one senior commander described the casualties from the air strike as "huge".

One local resident, Abba Abiso, told AFP: "At least 25 were killed and many more injured."

The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said "at least 120 people were wounded and 52 killed following today's bombing", calling the attack "shocking and unacceptable."

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said six Nigerian Red Cross members were among those killed while 13 others were injured.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement he "received with regret" news of the bombing and said he sympathised with the families of the dead and injured.

Map showing Rann in northeast Nigeria, where an air force jet accidentally bombarded a camp for the displaced

The bombing comes as Nigeria's military claims further gains against the Islamic State group affiliate, pushing them out of captured territory and their remote bases in Borno.

Last month, the army said the conflict was in its final stages after nearly eight years of violence that has killed at least 20,000 and left more than 2.6 million others homeless.

'Fog of war'

Nigerian Army Major General Lucky Irabor, who heads operations against the militants, said the air force had been given coordinates of "Boko Haram terrorists" in the Kala-Balge area.

"Unfortunately the strike was conducted but it turned out that the locals somewhere in Rann were affected," he told reporters at a briefing in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.

Irabor did not give casualty figures but said local staff from MSF and the ICRC were among those wounded.

"These are the result of fog of war," he added. "It is unfortunate. That is the reason why this war must come to an end."

Defence spokesman Rabe Abubakar in Abuja described the incident as "a mistake", adding: "We are actually in grief. It's unfortunate and it's really not intended."

TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY Joel Olatunde Agoi Defence spokesman Rabe Abubakar in Abuja described the incident as "a mistake", adding: "We are actually in grief. It's unfortunate and it's really not intended"

Rann resident Abba Abiso suggested the error occurred as the military was targeting rebel fighters who had been flushed out of Boko Haram camps in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno.

"In recent weeks Boko Haram has moved base to Kala from Sambisa Forest and obviously a military jet mistook Rann for Kala and bombarded, killing many civilians," he added.

MSF and the ICRC said its teams were trying to provide emergency first aid at its facility in the camp and were stabilising patients to evacuate the wounded from the scene.

But Jean-Clement Cabrol, MSF's director of operations, condemned the error.

"This large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable. The safety of civilians must be respected," he said.

Previous blunders

Northeast Nigeria and particularly Borno state has faced severe food shortages as a result of the conflict and food distribution is vital, particularly in hard-to-reach rural areas.

In November last year, the United Nations warned that 75,000 children risked starving to death within months in the region if nothing was done.

Accidental bombings have occurred in the past: in March 2014 an air force jet killed five and wounded several others when it mistakenly hit Kayamla village in the Konduga area of Borno.

The fighter jet mistook the village for a Boko Haram camp during a night raid.

In January that year, the convoy of a Nigerian senator was fired on by an air force jet which mistook the six-vehicle convoy under police and military escort for Boko Haram fighters.

No one was hurt and the military described the incident as an "operational blunder".
PARIS  Burkina Faso estimates its production of raw cotton for the 2016-17 harvest will rise by 25 percent compared to the previous harvest as favorable rainfall boosts output, the country's agriculture minister said on Monday.

The west African country's growers had reverted entirely to conventional cotton for the new crop, after blaming a genetically modified (GM) variety supplied by U.S. seed maker Monsanto for a decline in cotton quality.

The 2016-17 harvest, which is expected to total 750,000 tonnes, was showing improved quality as well as production, minister Jacob Ouedraogo told reporters in Paris.

Burkina Faso's cotton producers had complained that increased levels of short fibers in their GM cotton had impacted its market value, and last April announced they were seeking 48.3 billion CFA francs ($78 million) in compensation from Monsanto.

Monsanto has acknowledged changes in cotton fiber length, but argued that fiber quality is also influenced by environmental conditions and that other cotton varieties have shown length variations.

The talks between Burkina's producers and Monsanto were continuing, Ouedraogo added.

The minister was in Paris to sign an agreement with French partners, including a foundation of oilseed group Avril, to develop a soybean sector in Burkina Faso.

He also argued that the cotton industry had not developed enough local value-added processing.

Soybean production, which generates oil and protein for human consumption as well as producing livestock feed, would be based on non-GM varieties, he said.

The project aims to raise soybean production, currently marginal in the country, to 100,000 tonnes over the next five years and also nurture a domestic processing industry to keep jobs and revenues in the country, said Ouedraogo.
The King of Morocco, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, will visit Ghana on Wednesday, January 18, 2017, as part of his official tour of the country.

A statement from the presidency singed by acting Director of Communications, Eugene Arhin, said the visit is aimed at deepening the existing, cordial relations between Ghana and Morocco.

The statement further said the visit will also present the two countries an opportunity to define new areas of co-operation that would serve the mutual interests of the two countries.

On Friday, January 20, President Akufo-Addo will hold bilateral talks with King Mohammed VI, before hosting him to an official lunch at the Presidency, the statement added.

King Mohammed VI will thereafter depart for Morocco.



By: citifmonline.com/Ghana
New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central has revealed that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo rejected a $500,000 Christmas gift from a foreign company.

Speaking on Adom TVs Morning Show Badwam Tuesday, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, said the President has demonstrated on several occasion that he is not materialistic.

"All these should tell you that Akufo-Addo is not corrupt," he said in reference to the President's character.

Although he failed to name the company in question, the legislator said it would be very difficult for anyone to describe the President Akufo-Addo as a corrupt leader.

Can you believe he told that company that if they want to do business in the country, they can go ahead and not overstep their boundaries? he quizzed.

The President has said he would lead the country free from corrupt practices and selflessly in the run up to the 2016 general elections.

In his January 7 inaugural speech, he told Ghanaians that anyone who wants to serve in his government should brace up for a selfless service, urging persons with monetary interest to go into business to that.

If your goal in coming into government is to enrich yourself, then dont come. Go to the private sector. Public service is going to be exactly that; public service! he stated.

Mr Agyapong known for his frank opinions said the President did not contest for the leadership of the country to reduce himself to bribe taking.

He said the President would not permit corrupt practices in his government as he claimed was done in the erstwhile President John Mahama's government.

Mr Agyapong has urged persons who have been nominated to head the various ministries to heed the words of President Akufo-Addo if they are approved by Parliament.
It has been said that little boys are seen and not heard so it is not surprising to find fewer people reading this because it emanates from the pen of an undergraduate student who just voted for the first time. Be that as it may, there are those with grey hairs who get everyone to keep mute and listen. One of such persons is Professor Addae. Everyone took notice when he criticized President Mahama for appointing too many people from Northern Ghana and people have not failed to recognize his description of President Akufo Addos appointees as a most excellent cabinet. I have also taken notice and would therefore like to focus on these two issues which are representation and competence. Ultimately, I would analyze the essence of the creation of the new ministries.

Primarily, the idea of democracy is inextricably related to the idea of representation. This is due to the fact that in a system of government where the people are sovereign, it is expected that diverse groups in the country are given their fair share. In light of this, how the presidents appointments are made vis-a-vis the respective populations of the various ethnic groups is quite significant. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are four main ethnic groups in Ghana; the Akans that constitute about 47.5% of the population, the Mole-Dagbanis who make up 16.6%, the Ewes who comprise 13.9% and the Ga-Adangbes that add up to 7.4%. Of course, there are the Grusis (2.5%) and the Mandes (1.1%) but for the purposes of this article, I would add these to the Mole-Dagbanis since per my research they all belong to the Kingdom of Dagbon. That brings the Dagbon tally to 20.2% of the population. The question that remains now is how this relates to the appointments that were made recently.

It must be noted first and foremost that there are 36 men and women who have been appointed to take up certain ministerial roles. Out of these, 24 are Akans, 7 are from Dagbon, 2 are Ewes and 3 are Ga Adangbes. This results in 66.7%, 19.4%, 5.3% and 8.3% respectively. This shows clearly that the Akans have been overrepresented, the Ewes underrepresented, while the people of Dagbon and the Ga-Adangbes have been well-represented. This ostensibly adds to the narrative that the New Patriotic Party is somewhat bias when it comes to tribal matters. Nonetheless, a closer look reveals that the opposite is true. Essentially, people who might make this claim gloss over a salient point.

The 1992 Constitution of Ghana specifically in Article 78 states emphatically that majority of ministers shall be appointed from among members of parliament. This definitely means that since about 67% of NPP members of parliament are Akans, it is no surprise that about the same percentage of ministers would come from that particular ethnic group. Similarly, because there is only 1 Ewe MP from the NPP it is no wonder we have the present situation. The problem stems from the Constitution itself. Even if a strict separation is not sought, there must at least be some leeway given to the President in terms of making such appointments. They must not necessarily come from parliament since the double job can in one way or the other hamper effectiveness. That brings me to the issue of competence.

It is widely known that both President Akufo Addo and Vice President Bawumia have impressive CVs. The former is recognized even by his opponents as a distinguished lawyer while the latter is acknowledged by many as a brilliant economist. Indeed, both of them have had some sought of education from Oxford University. But what about those they have surrounded themselves with? After all, most of our past presidents and vice presidents have proven themselves very qualified at least on paper. Lets just focus on seven of these ministers-designate.

It's only fitting that we start with the position of senior minister. Yaw Osafo Marfo who was once the minister of finance and economic planning was not only adjudged the Best Finance Minister in Africa by Banker Magazine (Kwabena Dufour was also a recipient of this award) but also the Best Finance Minister in the World by the World Economic Forum. So what about his current successor? Ken Ofori Atta, the former CEO of Databank received a BA from Columbia and an MA from Yale. One of his achievements is being listed as part of the top 5 most respected CEOs in Ghana by Price Water House Ghana. He will be assisted in the Economic Management team by Dr. Paul Acquah who not only went to Yale and the University of Pennsylvania but also worked with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and eventually became the Governor of the Bank of Ghana who was in charge of the redenomination of the cedi. Nevertheless, we can expect no less from those who manage our economy. After all, the fact that Seth Terkper went to Harvard University shows that the economy of Ghana is usually put in the hands of graduates of Ivy League Schools.

Another person who is part of the economic management team is Dr. Akoto Osei who is the minister-designate for Monitoring and Evaluation. Besides the fact that he was a Professor of Economics at Howard University, he was a Consultant to the World Bank. The same can be said about Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto who consulted for the World Bank regarding soft commodities such as cocoa coffee and Sugar. Having received his PhD in Agricultural Economics from Cambridge, it is no surprise that he has been appointed to man the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Another person of high repute is Professor Gyan Baffour who after receiving a post graduate diploma from Harvard, attained a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. Subsequently, he became the Director General of the National Development Planning Commission so it seems that he is the best man for the Ministry of Planning job.

Interestingly, the first minister to be named was Alan Kyeremanteng who is the only one in the new administration to assume his former role. With his past experience as the Minister for Trade and Industry coupled with the fact that he was once named as part of the top 100 leaders in the world for the new millennium, there are high expectations for him to make impact concerning the one district, one factory campaign promise. After all, the African Union Heads of State endorsed his bid for the position of Director General at the World Trade Organization.

Last but certainly not the least is Professor Frimpong Boateng who besides being the first black to perform a heart transplant, has been named by the Ghana Chartered Institute of Marketing as the Marketing Man of the Year. His most significant honour, however, was the Personality of the Decade Award which was given to him by the Millennium Excellence Foundation. According to our president, we should expect a radical transformation coming from the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology. From the above, one cannot disagree with Professor Addaes most excellent cabinet label. On paper, the future looks bright, but for now, its just on paper.

Finally, there has been a lot of discussion concerning the creation of some new ministries. First of all, the idea against big government is the issue of overspending and once there are additional ministers, there are additional salaries. Some have made the argument that this is in line with creating more jobs but that assertion is quite problematic since the president himself stated unambiguously that six of the newly created ministries report directly to the office of the president. In essence, one should not expect the creation of many jobs at the ministries. It is well known that the NPP ideology focuses more on the private sector but if you think Akufo-Addo is less of a fan of the private sector than Kufour, then think again! The current president unlike his boss does not have a Minister for Public Sector Reform.

Another pertinent issue for me concerns the creation of the Ministry for Regional Reorganization and Development. What happens to that ministry after the new regions have been created by the end of June 2018 as President Akufo Addo stated? Will it be dissolved or restructured to serve a different purpose? Having said that, I must say unequivocally that the creation of the new ministries comes with its advantages. First, it ensures that there is effectiveness in tackling specific problems. This was the rationale behind the creation of the Ministry of Fisheries under President Kufour and the Power Ministry under President Mahama. Moreover, this will help us hold the government accountable to some of their promises concerning certain policies. For example, the members of the Zongo Community can hold the government accountable in a more direct way since there is now an Inner Cities and Zongo Development Ministry. Furthermore, the vow of creating a railway system from Accra to Paga would be looked at very closely since there is now a Ministry for Railway Development.

Ultimately, concerning the aforementioned issues of representation and competence, one may ask whether besides all these, the NPP is ready for the job. As my father once told me, If a blind man threatens to throw a stone at you, you must watch out because his foot might already be on the stone. Be that as it may, only time will tell. As Mahama said in his last speech, posterity will be the judge. The people of Ghana have expressed immense confidence in the new administration and if the election results are anything to go by, then the NPP cannot disappoint because Ghanaians will not tolerate any excuses.

By Daniel Ewusi Awuku

[email protected]
Yamoussoukro (Ivory Coast) (AFP) - Two mutinous soldiers were killed in Ivory Coast's administrative capital Tuesday, as troops staged protests in several cities, firing shots in the air and terrifying residents.

The soldiers' deaths in Yamoussoukro were the first since a revolt among troops over pay erupted on January 5, stoking security fears in the world's top cocoa producer.

One soldier was "killed by the (loyalist) Republican Guard" in Yamoussoukro, a military source told AFP. The Republican Guard is an elite military force linked to the presidency.

A source close to the defence ministry confirmed the death, although the precise circumstances of the incident remained unclear.

Another died of injuries after he was shot, military sources said.

The latest wave of protests came after a mutiny was quelled by an agreement with the government last week.

Soldiers involved in the first protests started receiving their payments Tuesday, though some banks were forced to shut because of the unrest.

Under the deal, 8,500 mutinous troops were promised 12 million CFA francs (18,000 euros, $19,000) each.

Five million CFA francs are due to be delivered by February 5, although it remains unclear how the government of the west African nation intends to finance the payments.

The revolt has seen President Alassane Ouattara order major changes in the top security ranks -- the armed forces' chief of staff, the senior commander of the national gendarmerie and the director-general of the police.

Enraged that they were excluded from the deal, other troops took to the streets of Yamoussoukro and Bouake on Tuesday, firing in the air as scared residents took refuge.

"This morning, we took to the streets with our weapons. We want to show the whole world our dissatisfaction," a soldier protesting in Bouake told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"We don't understand why some soldiers are being paid a five million CFA franc bonus, while a whole other group is being forgotten," he said.

"We condemn this injustice in our army... If there is a bonus, it should be for everyone."

'We're hiding'

Other cities across the country -- Daloa in central Ivory Coast, Man in the west, Bondoukou in the northeast and Dimbokro in the south -- also saw troops take to the streets.

Soldiers stands guard at the airport in Bouake prior to the arrival of Ivory Coast's minister of Defence, who was held hostage during their two-day mutiny over pay

Witnesses in Yamoussoukro earlier told AFP they saw soldiers firing shots in the air and stealing vehicles.

"I decided to go home," resident Koffi Germain said.

"We're hiding, there's a lot of shooting," a civil servant told AFP on condition of anonymity.

In Bouake, an AFP journalist also saw soldiers firing in the air.

Fearing for their safety, Bouake residents took shelter in their homes, the journalist said.

Several banks were forced shut by the shooting, angering soldiers who were picking up their payments.

"The banks closed before everyone was paid," one of the mutineers involved in last week's deal told AFP.

"Whoever fires a single shot in the air will have to deal with us so long as we haven't all been paid," he warned.

Waves of unrest

Bouake, which is home to 1.5 million people, was the cradle of a rebellion which erupted in 2002 in a failed attempt to oust then-president Laurent Gbagbo.

The revolt sliced the former French colony into the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south and triggered years of unrest.

Twelve years later, a similar dispute over pay by rebels-turned-soldiers erupted in Bouake which spread to Abidjan and briefly brought the country to a standstill.

The government then agreed to a deal that provided amnesty for the mutineers and a financial settlement.

Ivory Coast has long been west Africa's star economic performer. But when Gbagbo refused to step down despite an election defeat in 2010, 3,000 people were killed in months of conflict.

With a 10-percent yearly economic growth rate, the west African country is now back on the rails.

The International Monetary Fund said last month that Ivory Coast was on track towards becoming the continent's fastest-growing economy.

The latest mutiny, however, has raised fears the country might slip back into deadly unrest.
Cairo (AFP) - Cairo will do all it can to preserve crucial ties with Saudi Arabia, experts say, after an Egyptian court ruled against government plans to transfer control of two islands to Riyadh.

Strains between the two Sunni Arab allies have grown in recent months, in particular over Cairo's less-than-enthusiastic support for Saudi efforts in Syria and Yemen.

Monday's ruling -- which saw Egypt's top administrative court block the transfer of the Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia -- is likely to fuel concerns in Riyadh.

Still, analysts say Egypt's government, which relies on Riyadh for vital financial backing, will take steps to ensure the dispute does not escalate further.

"The government will not spare any effort to implement the (islands) agreement," says Mostafa Kamel el-Sayed, a political science professor at Cairo University.

The Egyptian government "will use all legal means available for achieving that, whether at the constitutional court or the parliament," Sayed says.

Neither government has so far commented on the ruling, which upheld a previous court decision that the two islands -- Tiran and Sanafir -- are sovereign Egyptian territories.

The deal to hand over the Red Sea islands of Tiran (foreground) and Sanafir (background) to Saudi Arabia provoked accusations that Cairo had "sold" the strategic islands

The deal to hand over the islands, signed during a visit last April by Saudi King Salman in which Riyadh showered Egypt with aid, provoked accusations that Cairo had "sold" the strategic islands.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government had appealed the earlier court ruling blocking the sale and is likely to appeal the latest decision on consitutional grounds.

"The Egyptian authorities will try to calm the situation and prevent an escalation," parliamentarian Samir Ghattas says.

In an interview carried out on Sunday with state-run newspapers and published on Tuesday Sisi called for "unity" and "understanding" between Egypt and its Saudi "brothers".

Riyadh has provided billions of dollars in aid and credit to Egypt since then-army chief Sisi overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Alternative backers

An Egyptian woman celebrates after the High Administrative Court voted to void a government agreement to hand over the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is also one of Egypt's main trading partners and any cooling in relations could become "a difficult economic challenge" for Cairo, says a government official speaking on condition of anonymity.

Riyadh has already backtracked on one of the deals it signed in April without offering an explanation, with the oil giant Saudi Aramco suspending monthly deliveries of 700,000 tonnes of petroleum products to Egypt since October.

The suspension came a few days after Egypt voted in favour of a Russian-drafted UN Security Council resolution on Syria that Riyadh strongly opposed.

Economist Ibrahim al-Ghitani says Egyptian authorities are aware of their vulnerability, and have begun to seek alternative backers.

"The Egyptian government has already begun to seek an alternative in this area: an agreement has been reached with Kuwait, and negotiations with Iraq have reached a very advanced stage," Ghitani says.

In another possible sign of tensions, a Saudi delegation in December visited a massive hydroelectric dam being built on the Nile in Ethiopia -- a project which seriously worries Egypt as the river provides more than 90 percent of its water.

"The idea that we can count on Saudi Arabia as an economic partner for Egypt has started to fade," Ghitani says.

It is unclear how concerned officials are in Riyadh following the latest ruling.

Anwar Eshki, a retired Saudi general and founder of the independent Middle East Centre for Strategic and Legal Studies in Jeddah, says there is "no problem between Saudi Arabia and Egypt" about the decision.

"This is an internal affair," he says, describing the court battles as a reflection of domestic Egyptian struggles.

In Tuesday's edition of Saudi Arabia's Arab News, editor-in-chief Faisal Abbas also played down the dispute, saying that contrary "to some local media", Saudi Arabia "remains one of Egypt's biggest allies".

"The issue of Tiran and Sanafir will pass sooner or later," he wrote.
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania-The National President of the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA), Moses D. Sandy, has described the role of Liberian churches at home and abroad in ensuring a smooth political transition in the country this year as extremely critical.

Mr. Sandy said the slated 2017 general and presidential elections would be a crucial period in Liberia's quest for continued peace and stability. "The elections have the potential to either sustain or break the prevailing political quietude in Liberia if, not handle with caution," he observed.

After 12 years of stewardship under the Unity Party (UP) led government, Liberians will this October go to the poll for general and presidential elections. Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf first came to power in 2005 when she clinched the presidency after defeating her opponent, Senator George Weah of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC). In 2011, she won re-election for a second term.

According to an ALJA press release issued on January 17, 2017, Mr. Sandy spoke recently in the United States of America when he delivered the keynote address at the Liberian Ministers Association of the Delaware Valley (LMADV) Third General Assembly. The conference was held on December 31, 2016, at the Faith Immanuel Lutheran Church in East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. He spoke on the theme, "The Role of Liberia's Diaspora Church in Liberia 2017 Election". The Third General Assembly brought together several church leaders and members of the Liberian Christian Community with residences in the Tri-state region(Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey), and surrounding states on the east coast.

The LMADV is a group of US based Liberian Churches located in the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. The organization is headquartered in Pennsylvania and it is dedicated to fostering peace and unity amongst its members and the Diaspora Liberian Christian Community. It was founded in 2013. The Senior Pastor of the Faith Immanuel Lutheran Church, Rev. Doctor, Moses Suah Dennis, is the organizations President.

Mr. Sandy called on the Diaspora and local Liberian clergy to get engage in the 2017 electoral process through voters education and the propagation of messages of peace and reconciliation. "Use your sermons, pulpits, and sanctuaries as launching pads for the enlightenment of Liberian voters in exercising their political franchise during the elections," the ALJA National President admonished. He noted Liberian churches like others the world over, have the biblical commands of winning souls for the Lord, preaching the gospel, repentance, and remission. However, he said, the critical roles of Liberian churches in the October political race can't be overstated because they do not exist in utopia. "Liberian churches are part and parcel of the Liberian society so, our church leaders must support the electoral process by collaborating with the government and the International Community for the conduct of free, fair, and credible elections in October 2017," he maintained.

To ensure free, fair, transparent, and credible elections in Liberia, Journalist Sandy warned the Liberian clergy against the endorsement of candidates during the electoral period because of immediate material and monetary rewards. "Stop pledging support to politicians and honoring the dishonest and corrupt in Liberia as fathers and mothers of the year for financial gains and special privileges; Doing so would undermine the electoral process and further reinforce negative behaviors," he pontificated amidst a thunderous applause. He noted "If, the views of the Liberian clergy are to be taken seriously during the 2017 electoral period, then, they must lead by example."

Meanwhile Mr. Sandy is proposing the consolidation of Liberian churches in the United States. He said the mush rooming of Liberian churches is creating more problems than good for the unity of the Liberian Christian community in the US. Quoting the LMADV, the ALJA National President put the number of Liberian owned churches in the State of Pennsylvania at 50. "He said this is just a tip of the iceberg. In the States of Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland, among others, the numbers are astronomical, he said.

He said the proliferation is doing little or no good for the African community, mainly Liberians because many of those churches are setup by corrupt and incompetent church leaders, who are mainly fixated on financial and material gains rather than doing the work of God. He recommended the merger of churches with the same denominational philosophies if, they are to be of service to the tiny US based African Christian community. "A merger is the best way out because doing so, would minimize the mediocrity, corruption, crises, and the inadequate financial situations that continue to haunt African, particularly Liberian churches in the US," he observed.

He called on the Liberian Ministers Association of the Delaware Valley (LMADV) to take a lead in the unification and merger of the US based Liberian churches. Mr. Sandy urged "consolidate your resources, unite, and eschew divisive and corrupt tendencies that undermine the credibility of the church". Rev. Dr. Deddeh Poe, Pastor of the Philadelphia based Dominion Christian Fellowship Church and Youth Advocate and former Secretary General of the University of Liberia Student Union (ULSU), Amb. Joe Wilson, also, delivered papers at the conference. Rev. Dr. Deddeh spoke on the topic, The Church and Liberia's 2017 Elections: Maintaining a Prophetic Voice Beyond Partisan Politic while Amb. Wilson addressed the gathering on Youth and Election Violence: How Can the Church Ensure a Violent Free Election 2017. The one day General Assembly also, featured Rev. Anthony Blessed Tarnue, Pastor and head of the International Free Pentecostal Church Ministries, Inc. as one of the panelists. He spoke on the topic, The Church and National Reconciliation: How Can the Church Promote a Liberia National Identity beyond Tribalism.

Signed: __________________

Gardea V. Woodson

National Secretary General

610-212-1935

Approved: _____________________

Moses D. Sandy

National President

302-494-4688
Dear Mr. President,

First of all, congratulations on your swearing in as President of the Republic of Ghana. We are sure Ghanaians voted for you not necessarily because of any physical, material or spiritual considerations, but because they were convinced you have superior ideas to solving the challenges this country faces and they trust in your ability to deliver on those plans. We expect you to work as hard as you can to deliver on those promises so you do not disappoint them.

We bring you warm greetings from Alliance For Science Ghana, a network of scientists, agriculturalists, researchers, civil society persons, academics and farmers working to promote access to scientific innovation as a way to enhance food security, improve environmental sustainability and raise the quality of life in the country.

As Ghanaians, we also have some expectations of your administration that we find it necessary to write to you about. We additionally have some ideas we will want to share with you on how your administration can help improve agricultural production, boost food security and make Ghana a role model in agricultural development so other countries can come learn from us.

Obviously Ghana is not a hungry country. As far back as 2013, it became evident that we had managed to meet the Millennium Development Goal on hunger reduction, two clear years before the expiration of the goals having reduced the absolute number of undernourished people by half between 1990 and 2012. Something the world rightly celebrated us for achieving.

But this country still faces major food security challenges that require all the attention it can get from the first gentleman of the land  your good self. This country spends more than 1.5 billion US Dollars importing food annually, majority of which are foods we produce here. We lose about 400 million US Dollars annually to post harvest losses. One in every five children under the age of five years in this country suffers from stunting as a result of malnutrition. And about 1.2 million people, representing five percent of the population remain food insecure. The above-enumerated statistics speak to the fact that we are not as comfortable when it comes to our food needs as the impression is sometimes created.

Mr. President, you made the following promise in your partys manifesto ahead of the 2016 elections that we will want to remind you of now that you are president: Our vision for the next four years is to modernize agriculture, improve production efficiency, achieve food security, and profitability for our farmers, all aimed at significantly increasing agricultural productivity. This commitment of yourself and your team gladdens our hearts because if you succeed in achieving this vision, poverty will be reduced in rural farming communities and a lot of our food security challenges would be solved.

There are two things we will encourage your administration to do if you can bring this vision into fruition. First, put scientific evidence at the center of decision making when drafting and implementing policies for the agric sector. And secondly, prioritise agric innovation instead of relying on the same old ideas to solve the complicated problems of the sector that keep getting complex as the days go by.

One promising agricultural innovation that we will urge your administration to pay attention to and prioritise is the science of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) food production, or genetic engineering or agricultural biotechnology. As we are sure your agric team has told you, following the passage of the National Biosafety Act by parliament in 2011, processes have been ongoing to commercialise GMO foods in the country.

The first batch of GMO crops is expected on the local market in the next year or two. We look forward to these processes running smoothly without any hindrance under your watch because scientific evidence (both physical and social) points to the fact that GMO technology is a good innovation that the world needs to ensure food security.

There have been lots of controversies surrounding the production of GMO crops, inspired mainly by misinformation and the pursuit of personal, parochial interests by people who do not see anything good in a technology they do not understand or have deliberately closed their minds to. But the reality is that the technology of GMO crop production and its consumption has been proven to be safe for human consumption, environmentally friendly, and economically beneficial to ordinary farmers.

Statistics indicate that the growing of GMO crops increased from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to 179.7 million hectares in 2015, with about 18 million farmers growing it now (90 percent of them being small scale farmers) in 28 different countries, 20 of which are developing countries. This makes GMO technology the fastest adopted crop technology in recent times. The statistics also show that farmers globally have benefited from at least a 50% reduction in the amount of insecticide application thanks to the growing of GMOs, thereby reducing farmer exposure to insecticides and ensuring a more sustainable environment and better quality of life.

Hundreds of scientific institutions including Ghanas Food and Drugs Authority have repeatedly made it clear that their research points to no adverse effects of GMO crop consumption on human health. The latest such research result is what was published by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine in the US last year which concluded that after what is probably the most extensive study on the impact of GMOs, they found no substantiated evidence that foods from genetically engineered (GE) crops were less safe than foods from non-GE foods.

Agriculture has seen a lot of transformation over the centuries, from the earliest methods of hunting and gathering, to domestication when man brought seeds home to re-grow. Then came the more controversial methods of mechanization, then came the application of chemicals to food production in the form of pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers, then to the development of improved crop varieties through conventional plant breeding, and today, genetic engineering.

All the latter innovative technologies of food production faced one level of pushback or the other at the time of their introduction that is no different from what GMOs are facing today. They all triumphed over the hurdles that sought to hold them back. So, we are convinced that GMOs will eventually survive this. But at what cost?

During the campaigning season ahead of the elections, your colleague presidential candidates and some of your generals made a lot of noise about plans to launch a Green Revolution in Ghanas agric sector if they win the elections. The Green Revolution they speak of refers to encouraging the use of improved crop varieties and increased application of agro chemicals to improve crop productivity. Currently across our African continent, there are a million and one such Green Revolution initiatives and projects running.

The sad part is that this Green Revolution being championed across Africa today swept across Latin America, Europe and Asia more than 40  60 years ago at a time when Africa just looked on like spectators. Half a decade on, we are now going back to chase those same technological innovations to feed our people.

We sure dont want the story to be same with the technology of GMO crop production. That is what is defining the science of food production today, and the earlier we buy into it, the better for us as a country. We have seen demonstrations and court actions and recently petitions to you to block the ongoing processes to introduce GMOs into the country. If we heed to those demands, the same story will be told 50 years from now when we will come back seeking to introduce GMO technology at a time when the world would have moved on to even more advanced technology.

Mr. President, we know you are a smart, open minded politician of many years experience who understands the importance of scientific innovation to the development of our country. We urge you this day to stand by scientific innovation and support agricultural biotechnology development in our country. It will be a choice of progress over retrogression. It will be a choice of a better tomorrow over a difficult today. And it will be the choice of a food secured Ghana over a malnourished population.

Signed

John Awuku Dziwornu

Rufai Ahmed Braimah

For Alliance for Science Ghana
Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - Here is a timeline of developments in Gambia since the December election which President Yahya Jammeh lost to opponent Adama Barrow:

Jammeh concedes defeat

- December 1, 2016: Gambians go to the polls to choose their new president from three candidates, including incumbent Jammeh, who has ruled with an iron fist for 22 years, and Barrow, representing a large opposition coalition.

A day later the electoral commission announces that Barrow has won, to scenes of jubilation on the streets.

Jammeh concedes defeat, congratulating Barrow for his "clear victory", adding: "I wish him all the best and I wish all Gambians the best."

Opposition freed

- December 5: Gambian opposition leader Ousainou Darboe, who was jailed in July for taking part in a protest, is freed on bail with 18 others.

In the following days some 40 other members of the opposition are also freed.

Jammeh U-turn

- December 6: The electoral commission says that Barrow has won the election more narrowly than originally thought, and with a lower turnout. He garnered 43.2 percent and Jammeh 39.6 percent of the vote. Third party candidate Mama Kandeh took 17.1 percent.

- December 9: Jammeh announces he has changed his mind, saying: "In the same way that I accepted the results faithfully believing that the Independent Electoral Commission was independent and honest and reliable, I hereby reject the results in totality."

He lodges a complaint with the Supreme Court to overturn the result.

The defiance sparks global concern, with the UN Security Council among those demanding Jammeh hand over power.

Jammeh urged to go

- December 13: Heads of state from West African regional bloc ECOWAS are sent to Gambia, but do not manage to persuade Jammeh to acknowledge his defeat. A new mission takes place a month later.

- On December 31 Jammeh accuses ECOWAS of declaring "war".

Supreme Court stalls

- January 4, 2017: The army chief reaffirms his loyalty to Jammeh.

- January 9: Jammeh fires 12 ambassadors after they called for him to step aside. Several ministers have since been fired or resigned.

- January 10: The Gambia's chief Supreme Court justice says Jammeh's legal challenge against the result will not be heard for several months.

- January 13: The African Union (AU) urges Jammeh to respect the results and quit power peacefully, warning of "serious consequences". It says it will not recognise him "as of 19 January 2017".

Thousands of Gambians fearing unrest cross the border into neighbouring Senegal and further afield to Guinea-Bissau.

Barrow in Senegal

- January 15: Senegalese President Macky Sall announces that he has agreed to "welcome Gambian president-elect Adama Barrow in Dakar until his inauguration," on January 19.

- January 16: The Gambia's top judge pulls out of hearing a bid by Jammeh to halt the inauguration.

State of emergency

- January 17: Jammeh declares a state of emergency, saying foreign powers had created an "unwarranted hostile atmosphere, threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country".

African troops ready

- January 18: The Senegalese army says it is ready to intervene in Gambia if there is no solution to the crisis.

Senegal asks the UN security Council to approval any ECOWAS military action in The Gambia to force Jammeh to cede power.
17.01.2017 LISTEN

By Belinda Ayamgha, GNA

Accra, Jan. 17, GNA - The Finance Ministry will soon introduce a Fiscal Stability and Responsibility Act, to help ensure the stability of the macro economy to attract more investors.

Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister designate, said in order to ensure macro-economic stability and to uphold the currency, the Ministry would submit itself to the Act, which would wet out parameters within which it could function.

The weak currency is an issue, which Ghana is struggling with, and of interest to investors.

Opening the Ghana-Morocco Economic Meeting, organised by the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce, the Minister Designate said the Act would be put together after the presentation and approval of the budget in the first quarter of 2017.

'Hopefully by the year's end, we should get those in place,' he said.

Mr Ofori-Attah decried Ghana's current ranking on the World Bank's Doing Business Report, which had moved up to 114, saying the figure was 'not flattering', and was due to challenges with ease of doing business in the country.

'We are already in discussions with the British Government on certain things we must remove to facilitate that.'

He said the project, headed by Dr Tony Oteng Gyasi, Former President of the Association of Ghana Industries, was well underway and expressed commitment to ensure its completion.

He reiterated government's intention to eliminate some taxes, some of which, he noted would be contained in the first budget of the new government, especially in light of the need to attract investment.

He stated however, 'with the type of deficit we have, we will clearly have to be cautious about it'.

He also pledged to promote south-south cooperation with Morocco.

Mrs Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun, President of ConfAdAration GAnArale des Enterprises du Maroc and leader of the Moroccan Business delegation, said the forum, which preceded the visit of King Mohammed V1 of Morocco later this week, was very important as the potential opportunities between the two countries remained largely untapped.

She said the 67 million dollars of trade between Ghana and Morocco was unflattering. 'As business leaders and entrepreneurs, we see potential for more added value and job creation. Private sector is the sector that creates most sustainable jobs.

Mrs Bensalah-Chaqroun said most of the businesses represented in the more than 38-member Moroccan delegation already had operations in at least two African countries and were key players in the various sectors which they represent.

'It is a good start and I wish the forum will highlight opportunities between Ghana and Morocco,' adding that the partnership would open up the 320 million consumer base in West Africa to Morocco.

Sectors covered by the Moroccan side include Banking, Insurance, Agriculture, Oil and Gas, Energy, Transport and Logistics, among others.

Mrs Mawuena Trebarh, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Council said the key drivers of Ghana's economy included the services, industry and agriculture and urged the delegation to explore opportunities in priority sectors including agriculture and agri-business, manufacturing, tourism, transport and property development.

GNA
Accra, Jan. 17, GNA - Mr Stephen Essien, the Chief Business Officer of Tigo Business, has called for the creation of an enabling environment for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to thrive and contribute to national development.

Mr Essien made the call at the Tigo sponsored 68th Barcamp in Accra when he spoke to some startup businesses and a section of tertiary students on the topic; "Empowering Startups and SMEs for National Development'.

He said apart from government ensuring conducive environment for businesses to thrive, big corporate institutions including multi-nationals could do more to help small businesses to grow to employ more Ghanaians.

Using Tigo as an example, he spoke about how the company supports startups through several comprehensive communication solutions that help to increase market size, staff productivity and widen payment options among other things.

Touching on the role young startup owners can play in securing funding to scale up their businesses, Mr Essien admonished them to fully understand the terrain and develop a sustainable business plan.

Beryl Hammond-Appiah, the Human Resource Director of Tigo, advised the students to set targets for their businesses and strategise to achieve those targets as this would improve productivity.

She said it was important to have good professional values that included integrity, reliability and accountability.

'Your professional values are key to your productivity because they will ultimately define your business and differentiate you from the other competitors' she said.

Barcamp is organised by the GhanaThink Foundation with support from Tigo Ghana. Over the years it had sought to build a network of young change-makers and entrepreneurs through a series of forums held across the country.

GNA
Accra, Jan. 17, GNA - The Centre for Local Government Advocacy (CLGA) has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo to honour his promises on local governance development and decentralisation.

The group made this known in a statement to congratulate the President on his election victory, as the fifth President of Ghana.

The statement, signed by Dr Vladimir Antwi Danso, the Acting Executive Director of CLGA, said paramount among the concerns of the CLGA has been the 'ordering of decentralisation and local governance as a way of crystallising democracy and deepening participation in governance'.

He referred to the issues of Local Government and Decentralisation in the Manifesto of the New Patriotic Party, and urged him to endeavour to realise each of them.

Among the plans to ensure local governance development as stated in the Manifesto include: to oversee the direct election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives within 24 months of election into office, to coincide with the next district assembly elections in 2019; strengthen the substructures of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) through capacity building and adequate resource allocation.

The promise to local governance development also includes plans to strengthen the roles of traditional authorities within the local governance system as well as improve allowances paid to district assembly members.

Also featured are plans to abolish the current practice of central government manipulation of the District Assembly Common Fund through the procurement process.

Additionally, the NPP promised to decentralise and equip the Land Valuation Board (LVB) to provide direct technical support on property valuation to MMDAs for enhanced revenue mobilisation.

CLGA also tasked the government to ensure the speedy enactment of the Municipal Finance Bill, initiated by the Kufuor-led administration, into law, as promised.

The law would provide space for MMDAs to access funds from the capital market for rapid socio-economic development and partner the private sector to provide job opportunities for local people.

They also want President Akufo-Addo to ensure the consolidation of all national sanitation policies, plans and programmes into a Comprehensive National Sanitation Programme and Action Plan, and establish a National Sanitation Fund to fund this.

Dr Antwi Danso, on behalf of the CLGA, ensured the new administration of 'our readiness to support the full implementation of the above-promised,' as according to him, the group has developed a tracking tool to track the implementation of promises made in the manifesto.

'We would want to assure you that the CLGA is always available as a Think Tank on Local Governance ready to offer feedback to your administration on decentralisation and local governance in Ghana,' he added.

The Acting Executive Director said CLGA remained committed to advocacy for better quality and deepening and strengthening of decentralisation and local governance in Ghana.

'We will lead the charge together with other CSOs to hold political parties accountable and responsible to implement any manifesto in the areas of decentralisation and local governance,' Dr Danso said. GNA
By Iddi Yire, GNA

Accra, Jan. 17, GNA - Esoko Ghana Limited is taking advantage of mobile money service technology to reach out to smallholder farmers in order to provide assistance for them.

Addressing the 68th Annual New Year School and Conference at the University of Ghana on Tuesday, Mr Daniel Asare-Kyei, the Managing Director of Esoko Ghana Ltd, said the banks usually found it very difficult to assist farmers because they lacked the requisite knowledge on the farmer.

However, through mobile money, Esoko had been able to build the history of farmers and is, therefore, in a position to assist them.

Speaking on the topic: " E-solutions and Agriculture Productivity,' Mr Asare-Kyei said to address the numerous challenges facing farmers, Esoko had been providing relevant data on market prices and weather information to farmers via SMS to help them make better decisions about their farming activities, leading to better livelihoods.

He said having access to basic information could help farmers increase their revenues.

Mr Asare-Kyei said a study conducted by New York University on Esoko's Market Prices in Ghana, revealed an average of 10 per cent increase in revenues among participants receiving Esoko's market prices.

He, therefore, called for the promotion of the use of mobile telephony to reach out to smallholder farmers.

He said Esoko, since its establishment, had been a fervent supporter of open data, adding that their social enterprise began by collecting data and sharing this information with farmers over SMS.

"Studies conducted on Esoko show that access to this data has helped smallholder farmers to increase their income levels," Mr Asare-Kyei said.

The theme for the 68th Annual New Year School and Conference is "Promoting National Development through Agriculture Modernisation: The Role of Information and Communication Technology".

It aims at creating in-depth discussions on how ICT could be integrated into agriculture to modernise the sector for sustainable national development.

It is organised by the School of Continuing and Distance Education, University of Ghana, under the auspices of MTN, Eximbank Ghana, and The Kosmos Innovation Centre.

GNA
Accra, Jan. 17, GNA - King Mohammed VI, of the Kingdom of Morocco is to begin an official visit to Ghana from Wednesday, January 18.

A statement issued in Accra on Tuesday by the Office of the President Mr Eugene Arhin, Acting Communications Director said the visit was aimed at deepening cordial relations between Ghana and Morocco.

The visit would also present the opportunity to define new areas of co-operation that would serve the mutual interests of the two countries.

The statement said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would on Friday, January 20, talks with King Mohammed VI, before hosting him to an official lunch at the Presidency.

King Mohammed will thereafter depart for Morocco.

GNA
Accra, Jan. 17, GNA - The Zongo Community in the Tatale-Sanguli District of the Northern Region has commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for nominating Alhaji Boniface Abubakari Saddique, as the Minister for Inner Cities and Zongo Development.

"We have heard with profound happiness and joy the bold move by His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo -Addo, following his appointment of our beloved brother, leader, mentor and associate, Boniface Abubakari, to head a newly created Ministry in the interest of all, but more beneficial to Zongo as a whole."

This was contained in a media release signed by Alhaji Inusah Sittu Damballe IV, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

They praised the visionary leadership being exhibited by the Government, saying it was highly appreciated.

The statement called on the Ministerial nominee not to relent on his charged efforts to bring light, prosperity, success, progress and development to the people of the Zongos, including the Tatale Zongo.

The statement appealed to the potential Minister to tackle low-level education, unemployment, neglect in political leadership and poor healthcare, as some of the salient issues upon assumption of office.

"The Zongo Chief in collaboration with the Chief Imam, Council of Imams, ZongoYouth and the Islamic Community (Ummah) once again extend greetings and warm congratulations to you and the President for the confidence reposed in you to help uplift the falling standards in the Zongo communities nationwide.'

GNA
17.01.2017 LISTEN

Ken Sackey, GNA

Accra, Jan 17, GNA - The Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has said that the Constitution of The Gambia must be respected amid President Jammeh's appeal to the sub-regional body.

President Jammeh of The Gambia telephoned the ECOWAS Chairperson on Sunday, January 15, 2017, to make an appeal to ECOWAS Authority to make judges available as a means of addressing the crisis.

According to a release issued by Liberia's Executive Mansion, the ECOWAS Chairperson in a statement said: 'This was nothing new as he had said the same thing in meetings with the mediating Team twice in Banjul'.

She said unfortunately, being the person that he is, Jammeh recorded and televised their conversation without advising her of his intent to do so.

The statement said President Sirleaf noted: 'Let me make it clear that there is no change in ECOWAS position. The Constitution of The Gambia must be respected.'

GNA
By Afedzi Abdullah, GNA

Cape Coast, Jan.17, GNA - The Cape Coast and Elmina castles recorded a total of 111,297 foreign and local tourists from January to December last year as against 105,423 in 2015, an increase of 5,874.

The Cape Coast Castle recorded a total of 70,326 tourists last year as against 61,532 in 2015, an increase of 8,794 while the Elmina Castle received 40,971 tourists as against 43,891 in 2015.

The number of domestic tourists who visited the two castles increased to 87,655 in 2016 from 82,521 in 2015.

The number of foreign tourist also increased slightly from 22,827 in 2015 to 23,639 in 2016.

Mrs Martha Krah, the Assistant Administrative Secretary at the Cape Coast Castle, who made this known to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said 9,525 of last year's figure were foreign students, 1,702 foreign children whiles 12,412 were adults.

She said 39,888 Ghanaian children also visited the two castles.

The hitherto large numbers of foreign tourists who visited the Cape Coast Castle over the years was largely affected by the Ebola scare in 2015 but the situation had not changed much after the scare abated in 2016.

The Elmina Castle recorded a marginal increase of foreign tourists from 10,778 in 2015 to 11,206 last year.

This is despite the construction of the Benya Bridge at Elmina that leads to the Elmina Castle.

The construction works on the bridge also meant that tourists had to use the long distance Ataabadze road which, apart from its distance, was also in a very deplorable state compelling most tourists to walk to the castle.

A total of 458 VIPs also visited the castles last year as against 386 the previous year.

Though domestic tourism had increased slightly over the years, school children continued to be the major patrons with very little interest from adults.

Mrs Krah said Ghanaian adults were charged Gh5.00, foreign adults paid Gh40.00 and non-Ghanaian students with ID cards paid Gh30.00.

She said non-Ghanaian children paid GH5.00 and Ghanaian students in the primary and junior high school were charged GH1.00 each while senior high school students paid GH2.00 and tertiary students with ID cards paid GH3.00.

She, however, could not disclose the total revenue accrued from the visits but expressed the optimism that if the number of visitors continued to increase, it would benefit the Ghana Monuments and Museums Board and the nation at large.

Though pleased with the patronage of the facility, she appealed to Ghanaians to show interest in domestic tourism by visiting the tourist sites to have first hand information on the slave trade. GNA
By Stephen Asante, GNA

Kumasi, Jan 17, GNA - The funeral of the Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Kobi Serwaah Ampem II, continues to attract more foreign dignitaries.

The body of the deceased, the biological mother of the Asante King, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has been lying Installed in year 1977 as the 13th Asante Queen, she passed on at the ripe age of 111.

She would be buried on Thursday at the Royal Mausoleum in Bremang.

Canadian High Commissioner, Ms. Heather Anne Cameron, on Tuesday joined the huge crowd of mourners to bid farewell to her.

She conveyed the condolences of her government to the Asantehene and Asanteman on the loss of the Queen.

President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and other high profile personalities including celebrated Ghanaian Diplomat, Mr. Kofi Annan, Chief Justice Theodora Wood and Togbe Afede XIV, President of the National House of Chiefs, were among those, who thronged the Palace to pay their last respects, yesterday.

Also there were other high profile personalities including the British High Commissioner, Jon Benjamin, South Korean Ambassador Wen Ki Lio, the Esama of the Benin Kingdom in Nigeria, Sir Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion together with delegations from South Africa and La Cote d' Ivoire.

The four-day funeral is being held amid tight security - strong presence of police and military officers, as the large crowd of people clad in black and red, signifying their somber mood, stood in long snaking queues to file past the body.

The beauty, pomp and pageantry of Asante royal funeral, was at full blast.

As the Asantehene sat under the canopy of huge umbrellas to receive and exchange greetings with sympathizers, the traditional drummers and dancers put up intricate performances amid the clattering of executioner's swords.

The air intermittently had been filled with deafening sounds from the firing of musketry.

Teams of health professionals alongside the Red Cross Society and the Saint John's Ambulance and the Ghana National Fire Service are also on hand to respond to any emergency.

GNA
17.01.2017 LISTEN

By Amadu Kamil Sanah, GNA

Accra, Jan. 17, GNA - Mr Thomas Donkor Ogaja, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Wulensi in the Northern Region has promised to be a MP for all his constituents.

He said his quest to develop Wulensi would not be based on ethnic and political lines.

Mr Ogaja was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra.

He said promises made by him during his campaign would be pursued and taken into consideration for the development of the area aside Government development plans through the District Assembly.

Mr Ogaja noted that children in the constituency still study under trees whilst food crops harvested were still left in the farms due to the bad road network.

He said his first development target was to ensure that a radio station was established in the constituency to make information available to people about what was happening in the country.

The MP said the one million dollar District Fund that would be provided by the Government to all districts would be used meaningfully and purposefully.

He said the Government of the NPP under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had a brighter prospect for Ghana and Ghanaians.

The law marker maintained that the perception of a section of Ghanaians that the President was ethnocentric was dismissed by his creation of the Ministry of Inner Cities and Zongo Development.

He said the NPP under President John Agyekum Kufuor was receiving a common Fund of about GHa 670,000.00 per year while the National Democratic Congress under President John Dramani Mahama was receiving about GHa 580,000.00 as Common Fund every quarter and yet development was at a lower rate.

GNA
17.01.2017 LISTEN

By Elsie Appiah-Osei/ William Fiabu, GNA

Accra, Jan. 17, GNA - Mr Kafui Kanyi, the Volta Region Manager of the Ghana News Agency, (GNA) on Tuesday received GH5,000.00 from the World Vision International for winning the Rural Reporting Award with focus on Child Protection.

Mr Kanyi, who is expected by his benefactor to continue to write more stories on child protection, also received a laptop and a voice recorder.

His story,' My baby, my farm,' won him the Award under the 2015 Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards, which was celebrated in August 2016.

Mr Affail Monney, the President of GJA, who made the presentation to Mr Kanyi, lauded him for his sterling performance in journalism and dedication to the cause of the Association.

He urged media practitioners, particularly, those in the GNA, not to be motivated by personal gain in the performance of their work but put in their best efforts for God and country.

'Seek ye first the professional excellence and all other things shall be added,' Mr Monney said.

'Coming to GNA always brings a nostalgic memory to those days when GNA reporters worked with such excellence and urgency that many of their colleagues in other newsrooms waited for their reports to copy in order to do a good job.

'I am talking about the days of Kwaku Sakyi-Addo, Frank Agyekum, Bright Blewu and many others, and I wish to advise the present generation of reporters to rise above whatever challenges that exist to bring the GNA back to the media spotlight it ought to occupy.'

Mr Monney, however, acknowledged that the GNA still had very good hands, such as Mr Kanyi, who were contributing to the advancement of the nation through journalism, and encouraged such fellows to submit their work for the consideration of awards.

'The 2016 GJA Awards will open in due course for nominations and I encourage all journalists with outstanding stories, especially those in GNA to participate and win in honour of their institutions,' he said.

Mr Rex Annan, the acting General Manager of the GNA, praised Mr Kanyi for his commitment to duty, saying he was a good example of young reporters worthy of emulation.

'You have excelled today because you work selflessly for the good of the Agency and Ghana as a whole,' he said.

Mrs Yaa Oforiwah Asare-Peasah, the Acting Director Editorial of the GNA, also commended Mr Kanyi for his outstanding performance that had raised him to the ladder in his career, saying: 'You have worked very hard and proven me right, as I keep telling my reporters not to think of today's rewards but that of the future.'

Mrs Linda Asante-Agyei, the GJA Treasurer, said it was unfortunate that many reporters in the Agency were not interested in participating in the Awards Scheme because the few who had entered over the years always won.

She, therefore, urged the Management of the Agency to motivate their reporters to compete for the awards.

Mr Kanyi, for his part, said: 'I am very excited for the recognition and happy for the kind words.

'My joy is seeing the GNA among the award winners, and this is my motivation but not what to get from it.'

He thanked GNA, GJA and World Vision for the opportunities as well as the appreciation of his little quota towards the development of Mother Ghana.

In all, a total of 19 journalists were honoured out of 163 entries submitted for the 21st GJA Awards held last year on the theme: 'Media for Undisputed and Peaceful 2016 Election: The Support of Civil Society.'

GNA
17.01.2017 LISTEN

By Fatima Anafu Astanga

Bolgatanga, Jan.17, GNA - Over 35,971 beneficiaries from 21,000 households in the Upper East Region under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) are expected to receive their bimonthly stipend third week of January.

Mr Hamidu Harruna, the Regional Social Welfare Director, said the beneficiaries were spread over the 13 districts of the Region and had received regular remittance paid from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection bimonthly.

Mr Harruna who spoke to the Ghana News Agency in an interview reiterated the significance of the LEAP remittance in the Upper East Region, especially its role in supporting the aged, orphaned and people with disabilities in extreme poor conditions.

He noted that the Region was one of the poorest in the country and the intervention of LEAP provided the needed support to beneficiaries who had no support of any other kind.

He said out of 35,971 beneficiaries, 17,689 of the number formed the aged group, 17,978 beneficiaries were orphaned and vulnerable children and 10, 600 were people with disabilities from the 13 districts.

Mr Harunna giving a breakdown of beneficiaries in various districts indicated that 2,558 beneficiaries were supported in Builsa North District, 6,350 people benefitted in Kassena Nankana, while there were 634 beneficiaries in the Bolgatanga Municipal.

According to the Director, 1,050 people benefitted under the LEAP in the Talensi District, 8,206 in the Bongo District, 859 beneficiaries in Nabdam and 9,498 in Bawku West whilst in the Garu District 7,250 beneficiaries benefitted and in the Bawku Municipality 445.

He said 3,584 beneficiaries were supported in Buisa South District, 1,862 beneficiaries in Pusiga District and in Binduri District, 3 145 people received LEAP support.

He said his outfit in 2016 increased registration of more vulnerable people due to the high poverty levels in the Region and called for an expansion of the programme to include more vulnerable people in five districts including the Binduri and Builsa North Districts, Kassena Nankana Municpality, and Bolgatanga Municipality.

He called for more complementary services in addition to the free National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) provided the beneficiaries to reduce their financial challenges.

He also called for improved internet connectivity in the districts to enhance payments which were done through mobile money and E-zwich among others.

The LEAP programme which was launched in 2008 is a social cash transfer programme adopted by the previous government to provide cash and health insurance to the extremely poor households across the country to alleviate short-term poverty and encourage long-term human capital development.

The programme is currently administered by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and managed by the Department of Social Welfare and is funded by the Government of Ghana and supported by the World Bank and DFID with technical support from UNICEF's Social Protection Unit.

GNA
By Kodjo Adams, GNA

Accra, Jan. 17, GNA - Dr Godfred Frimpong, Deputy Director for Centre, for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has called for the integration of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) into agriculture to ensure holistic national development.

Dr Frimpong made the suggestion in Accra at the 68th Annual New Year School and conference on the theme; 'Promoting National Development through Agricultural Modernisation: The Role of ICT'.

Dr Frimpong said it was imperative for the country to prioritise agriculture if agriculture was to be modernised to spur rural development.

He said the Government implemented the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS I) over the period 2003-2005, which resulted in stable macroeconomic conditions with increased fiscal space.

The country is currently implementing a successor national development policy framework, the GPRS II, over the period 2006-2009.

He said in addition to the implementation of policies addressing poverty under GRPS I and II, the country had adopted Modernised Agriculture Based on Rural Development.

'The transformation of the rural environmentis expected to be achieved through agro-based industrialisation, effective decentralisation, private sector development and a changing role of the State,' he added.

He said land reform was also seen as essential not only for rural transformation but for enhancing the production environment in general.

He explained that the Government's Agricultural Modernization Strategy also hinged on increased land under irrigation, increased mechanisation, value addition to traditional crops such as cocoa, expanding cash crop production and strengthening support to the private sector.

Dr Frimpong explained that the role of Government in the strategy comprised investment in transport infrastructure and concentrating in areas of high agricultural potential to make them attractive to formal private investment.

'While commercial agriculture is central to the strategy, it is anticipated that some priority is given to smallholder agriculture,' he said.

'The strategy favours labour intensive as opposed to capital intensive technologies, rural over urban locations for processing plants, and crops which can be produced by smallholders.'

He said the Government's objective to modernise agriculture based on rural development broadly included reforming land acquisition to ensure easier access and more efficient land ownership and title processes, and the creation of lands.

Dr Frimpong said the government had put in place policies to serve as a catalyst to assist the private sector to increase the production of grains to achieve food security, including extension and research services, irrigation facilities, and affordable credit to support the farmer.

He said the implementation of policies aimed at ensuring food security such as reducing post-harvest losses, increasing the tonnes of major crops produced, establishment of silos showed positive trends over the period of implementation.

He noted that the policies had made tremendous successes, including the provision of irrigation facilities, particularly small-scale irrigation facilities, which utilised minimum machinery, small dugouts, bore holes and tube wells, and the rehabilitation of all viable irrigation facilities.

Professor John Ofosu Anim, the Dean, School of Agriculture, University of Ghana, described agriculture as 'the backbone of a country's economy' saying no country could develop without agriculture'.

Prof Anim also suggested the infusion of ICT into the process of agriculture through the digitising of land records, mapping out fields or land areas and improved agriculture extension officers.

He said the integration of ICT into agriculture would strengthen local industries and farmer participation, improved transparency, ensure accountability, help farmers to access financial services and lead to better procurement.

Prof Anim urged the Government to continue to build the capacity of stakeholders to ensure that food security, economic security, and national security were carried out in a sustainable manner.

GNA
By Robert Anane, GNA

Accra, Jan 17, GNA - From the middle of this week, which is tomorrow, hazy weather conditions are expected to improve.

This means there would be better visibility and more atmospheric moisture than there was during the hamattan period.

Mr. Michael Padi, Senior Meteorologist at the Ghana Meteorological Agency, said this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview.

He said there would also be isolated thunderstorms in coastal areas of the country, especially in the afternoons, adding that though hazy or harmattan conditions would persist along the coast, it would not be as severe as before.

'There would be a slight moisture intrusion from the sea from the middle of this week, which would lead to the thunder-storms,' he said.

The Senior Meteorologist said whilst the harmattan would not immediately end completely and would from time to time show up, it would not be as severe and persistent as before.

Explaining the sudden intensification of harmattan conditions which has been experienced in the country for the past week, Mr. Padi said the harmattan season had reached its peak.

He said the next stage was however a gradual decline.

He said the case would however not be the same for the northern part of the country, adding that with Northern Ghana, the harmattan would persist.

Mr. Padi said the harmattan season was however expected to be over within the entire country by February.

GNA
By Iddi Yire, GNA

Tema, Jan. 17, GNA - The timely intervention of personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), has prevented another gas fire disaster in an accident involving a Burkina Faso bound liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker on the Accra-Tema Motorway.

Divisional Commander I Timothy Osarfo-Affum, the Deputy Greater Accra Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), speaking to the Ghana News Agency at the scene of the accident said his outfit received a distress call at 0520 hours that a Burkina Faso bound gas fuel tanker was involved in an accident at the Adjei-Kojo under a bridge near Ashaiman.

He said upon arrival at the accident scene, he and his team discovered that some valves of the gas tanker were leaking and they managed to assist the driver's mate to tightened them to block any further leakage, which according to him, would have caused another big gas fire disaster on the motorway.

He said the gas tanker belonging to Maxx Gas, was carrying LPG from Takoradi to Burkina Faso, but had to pass through Ashaiman, where the Company's depot was located for routine maintenance.

He said according to the driver of the gas tanker, just some 20 metres to the Adjei-Kojo under-bridge near Ashaiman, a kia truck veered into his lane and in an attempt to avoid collision, he lost control and landed on its side and skidded off the road about 45metres.

He said a combined team of the GNFS and the Police had to block the Accra-Tema side of the motorway, hence all vehicles plying the road had to use the other half - Tema-Accra.

Mr Osarfo-Affum said the blocking of the Accra-Tema side of the motorway caused heavy vehicular traffic, thereby frustrating commuters and drivers.

He said the combine team had to study the situation before using a crane to lift the gas tanker and then dismantling its damaged head from the tank.

He said another head was brought in to connect to the tank, but it also developed a fault after the fixing.

He noted that a third head was acquired and connected to the tank, which drove it away for the gas to be emptied into a different vessel.

Chief Superintendent Oduro Amaning, the Tema Regional Commander of the Motor Transport and Traffic Division of the Ghana Police Service said it took the combined team of Police and Fire officers about nine hours to clear the gas tanker to restore normal traffic flow on the motorway.

He urged drivers to drive with caution, avoid over speeding and wrong overtaking.

GNA
By Joyce Danso, GNA

Accra, Jan. 17, GNA - An Accra Circuit Court has imposed a fine of GHE6,000.00 on Beatrice Boamah Boateng a sales representative for stealing GHE38,098.00 belonging to Janarif Marketing Company her employers.

Beatrice in default would serve a three- year jail term.

The court presided over by Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku further ordered the convict to refund the sum of GHE38,098.00.

Beatrice held for stealing pleaded not guilty. However the court at the end of the trial found her guilty and convicted her.

The case of prosecution was that the Mr Henry Holdbrook, the complainant was the marketing Executive of Janarif Marketing Company located at Odorkor, Accra.

Prosecution said the convict worked for the complainant's company.

Prosecution said in 2011, prosecution said the company detected that Beatrice had stolen the cash, which she collected from various customers at Okaishie Market.

When Beatrice was confronted, prosecution said she stated that the money was with a particular customer and that she would retrieve the amount.

Prosecution held that investigations revealed that the said customer was the accused person's brother but the said brother he knew nothing about the said money.

According to the prosecution, the complainant reported the incident to the Police and Beatrice was nabbed.

When Beatrice led the Police to Okaishie market, the customers indicated that they paid their monies to her.

GNA
On 3 December, Yahoo! published a story about Donalds Trump latest fashion gaffe. It seems the US President-elect likes to secure his ties with Scotch tape, of all things.

The article was quick to criticise Trumps other style choices, describing his dress sense as a uniform of loose-fitting, frequently unbuttoned suits and overly long ties.

But it is, unmistakably, a uniform. One thats been carefully curated, according to David Yi, editor of mens beauty and grooming site Very Good Light.

Lets make it clear  when it comes to a presidential race, there are no style mistakes Everything is planned out methodically, [from] lapel size to tie color. So when it comes to Trumps suits, of course the ill fit and copious jacket sizes are intentional. He wants to look larger than life.

Trumps uniform may not appease the fashion gods, but it certainly makes an impact. (Whether the long-term impact is positive or negative remains to be seen.)

I dont have a business uniform myself, though I do try to choose outfits that dont require a lot of ironing (I have enough to do in the morning).

My only real uniform is reserved for weekends, when my default setting is activewear. (If youre not familiar with activewear, watch this video. It explains everything.)

In my opinion, activewear is the perfect all-day option  from the gymto coffeeto the supermarketto cleaning my apartment. The only place you cant wear it is out to dinner (and even thats up for debate).

Perhaps I need a default setting for work, too. It would eliminate the 10 minutes I spend standing in front of my wardrobe every morning, desperately trying to conjure up an outfit in my head. Not to mention the accompanying shoes and accessories

Of course, women arent the only ones who face this problem. Im sure there are plenty of men out there whod love to spend less time worrying about what to wear every day.

So now Ill hand you over to entrepreneur and multimillionaire Mark Ford, who highlights the advantage of having a business uniform, with tips from his book, Living Rich.

The advantage of the business uniform

Ralph Lauren makes beautiful clothes. Over the last five decades, his company has grown from making a small line of neckties to a multibillion-dollar international name with nearly 500 bricks-and-mortar stores.

Yet he dresses simply.

His usual attire is a pair of jeans and a collared shirt. Ive seen dozens of photos of him over the years. Hes always looked good  even well dressed, albeit in a casual way. Even when hes wearing a coat and tie, hell often be wearing jeans, too.

Yet if I (Mark) had to describe his personal clothing style, Id call it a uniform.

Not a uniform in a strict, militaristic sense. But a distinct and recognisable style that doesnt really differ from day to day.

Like most people, I have a larger working wardrobe comprised of dozens of different pants, shirts and suits that give me hundreds of options every morning. Sometimes I get it right  I feel well dressed, and people say so. Sometimes I get it terribly wrong.

When you have lots of choices, dressing each morning takes time  even if you are an organisation nut like me and have all your clothing sorted. On a typical morning, I spend 10 to 15 minutes getting dressed. Thats about as much time as it took me to write this little essay.

So Im thinking about doing the uniform thing  and even thinking about it is getting me sort of excited. Not only will I save myself 10 to 15 valuable minutes every morning, I will also reduce a bit of stress and eliminate the fear of having a bad clothing day.

Im serious. After a lifetime of trying to look good (but different) every day, Im looking forward to picking a uniform.

When you think about it, the traditional suit and tie was the executive uniform for more than 50 years. Its only since that look has been abandoned that weve been caught in the timewasting trap of new day, different outfit thinking.

Besides the uniform, its possible to dress well and feel very good about your clothes without spending a lot of money. All you have to do is follow the two simple rules from my book, Living Rich, which will improve your wardrobe and save you a fortune:

Buy quality, classic clothing and wear it for years. (You can even buy second-hand if you like.) Buy cheap, trendy clothing to replenish your wardrobe every two or three years.

And, of course, never buy anything  no matter whose name is on the label or how cheap it is  if it doesnt make you look and feel good when you put it on.

*****

Some great insights there  thanks Mark.

I (Michelle) agree that the whole suit-and-tie thing is out. Thats why I wont be taking my style cues from Mr Trump! Unless youre a politician, theres no need to dress so predictably  business uniform or not.

If you do decide to create a business uniform, get creative with it. Just because youll wear it every day doesnt mean it has to be stiff and boring. In fact, thats all the more reason to make it interesting.

Thats what Ill be trying to achieve, anyway.

Regards,

Michelle Hammond

Editors Note: Building a comfortable, fashionable and affordable wardrobe is just one part of living an overall wealthier  and healthier  lifestyle. Mark has spent more than three decades dispensing wisdom like thisand now hes compiled it into the most comprehensive wealth-building program in existence

Its called the Wealth Builders Club, and it provides the sort of mentorship that has made Marks proteges so successful over the years. It includes everything from extra income blueprints (which have the potential to generate thousands of dollars per month) to investment strategies outside the stock market, plus several of Marks bestselling books, including Living Rich. Click here to learn more.

From the Port Phillip Publishing Library

Special Report: The Lazarus Project Your best chance to double every dollar you invest this year [More]
Members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) visited Trump tower in New York to commence the 'Biafra For Trump Solidarity Rally'.

The group has always been showing support for the US president-elect, Donald Trump, claiming that he would help them actualise the Biafra dream.

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu's father berates Igbo leaders not supporting Biafra

They also passed a message concerning the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, their leader and the director of Radio Biafra who remains in custody since the middle of October 2015.

See the photo report from the venue below:

Biafra supporters visit Trump Towers

Biafra supporters visit Trump Towers

Biafra supporters visit Trump Towers

Biafra supporters visit Trump Towers

Biafra supporters visit Trump Towers

Biafra supporters visit Trump Towers

Meanwhile, the IPOB said it is going spiritual against President Muhammadu Buhari and operatives of the state security services.

In a fresh statement, the IPOB called on all its members to all over the world to pray to God for a peaceful power transition in the United States of America. The US president Barrack Obama will be handing over power to Trump on Friday, January 20.

The group said the protest is themed an "IPOB-Tump solidarity rally".

We are going to ask Sovereign Lord God Almighty Chukwu Okike Abiama, for Trump's successful take over on that day and for the release of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and others detained illegally in the orders of Major General Muhammadu Buhari in all the DSS secret cells and prisons across Nigeria, the IPOB said.

The group said the rally will take place in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, a venue IPOB has named Igweocha.

Source: Legit.ng
The Coalition of Yoruba Youths (CYY) on Sunday, January 15, stormed the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), alleging that there is a plot by the anti-graft agency to manufacture evidence against former first lady Dame Patience Jonathan.

This comes even as the group urged the EFCC to embark on thorough investigation on Patience Jonathan before smearing her name, Vanguard reports.

Yoruba youths urge EFCC to stop harrassing Patience Jonathan as she does not engage in corrupt practices

READ ALSO: Real reason police stormed Patience Jonathan's house

In a peaceful protest staged at the Lagos office of the EFCC in Ikoyi, Lagos, Yoruba group warned the EFCC against campaign of calumny against the former first lady.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos, leader of the group, Prince Usman Oyekan argued that the EFCC has gone contrary to its claim of commitment to the principles of rule of law.

In a petition, the group said: An Open petition by the Coalition of Yoruba Youths on the sinister plot by the EFCC to manufacture evidence against Dame Patience Jonathan, Nigerias former First Lady and President Africa First Lady Peace Mission.

Oyekan alleged that there is an elaborate political scheme to silence Mrs Jonathan

He said: For the sake of records, Dame Patience Jonathan does not engage in fraudulent or corrupt practices as she is being portrayed by some individuals with vested interest in President Buharis government. This is for no other reason than to envy the rising profile of former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, within and outside the shores of the country.

In his response, Executive Chairman, Head of Economic Governance of the EFCC, Mohammad Issa Rabo, denied the allegation that the commission was out on a smear campaign against Patience Jonathan.

However, he assured that the commission would do its job thoroughly without witch-hunting or persecuting anyone.

READ ALSO: Ijaw youths protest probe of Patience Jonathan

Rabo said: We are talking about Patience Jonathan, we are on it and we are investigating. We do not just call somebody for calling sake, we must have carried out our investigation thoroughly, so we assure you that we shall do as you have asked, we shall look into your complaints and we shall address the issue. We shall investigate thoroughly, before investigating anybody, no enemies carried of justice, no stone will be left unturned when it comes to issues of corruption. Your petition will also be forwarded to the executive chairman.

Recall that security operatives recently raided the house of Patience Jonathan at Igbeti Rock street in Abuja.

It was gathered that the unknown security operatives took with them an envelope whose content is yet to be disclosed.

Source: Legit.ng
- Professor Yemi Osinbajo says oil wont be as precious as it is today in another 20-30 years from now

- According to him, countries buying oil from Nigeria are already building alternative means of power, China and Japan are developing electric cars

- The vice president says there were over 1447 incidents of vandalization from January to June 2016

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said Nigeria must move fast to diversity its economy as the nation cannot continue to depend on oil for income.

According to him, crude oil would have lost its value 20-30 years from now as countries who buy oil from Nigeria are now devising alternative means of power such as solar and wind energy, Premium Times reports.

Osinbajo says oil will have little value in 20 years during his visit to Niger Delta region

READ ALSO: Tension brews as Delta state traditional rulers walk out on Osinbajo

"We must be smart and act intelligently and fast," he said.

The vice president said this on Monday, January 16, when he visited Gbaramatu kingdom in Delta state as part of his peace mission to the Niger Delta region.

He spoke after meeting behind closed doors with leaders of Gbaramatu at the palace of the Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom, Oboro Gbaraun II Aketekpe, despite reports that the traditional rulers stormed out of a peace meeting.

Osinbajo while speaking to a large crowd told the people that the future of the oil industry is full of challenges.

He said: "In another 20 to 30 years, our oil wont be as precious as it is today and that is reality? America has stopped buying oil from us. All the countries of Asia that buy oil from us are building alternative means of power, China and Japan are developing electric cars. In fact, Japan has more charging stations than petrol stations. Solar power is getting cheaper.

In 2013 alone, there are over 3700 incidents of pipeline vandalization. From January to June 2016, there were over 1447 incidents of vandalization.

The Niger Delta of today is one where aside environmental degradation, between 1998 and 2015, over 20,000 persons have died from fire incidents arising from breaching of the pipelines.

To prepare for a great future for the Gbaramatu kingdom, three things must happen: we must recognize the unique environmental challenges the Niger Delta is facing, we must also recognize that the Niger Delta is a special economic zone for this nation so we must treat it as a special development zone.

He added: This means the federal government, state government, National Assembly, NDDC, civil societies representing Niger Delta must sit together and develop a plan for rapid development.

There is no excuse for not planning together. The federal government cannot solve the problem of Niger Delta. It is impossible for the FG to do it alone. The state should devote substantial portion of its budget to this special project.

According to him, PAN Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has submitted a concise list of 16 dialogue issues that will be extremely helpful in ascertaining the key development priorities.

READ ALSO: Osinbajo visits Gbaramatu for Niger Delta support

He said: It is an important working document that represents an excellent road map to the future of Niger Delta.

In the 2017 budget, we have provided for the commencement of the Lagos  Calabar rail way which will go through Delta. We are working with the Chinese on this project.

When I leave here we will visit the site of the Maritime University. The president has directed the ministry of petroleum to work quick to see to the realization of all of the objectives of implementing this crucial educational institution.

Establishing this university has passed the second reading in the National Assembly and I know we have the commitment of the members of the national assembly to fast track this bill so that the maritime school will be completed as soon as possible.

The Maritime University is expected to commence fully in September.

Osinbajo also spoke on the necessary cleanup of contaminated oil producing communities in the Niger Delta.

He said: The Ogoni cleanup has been flagged off. For the cleanup not be a waste of money, we must enforce strict environmental standard for the oil producing companies. And all our communities must prevent vandalization which is also a major source of environmental degradation.

Osinbajos visit on Monday, January 16, is part of his peace tour across oil producing communities in the Niger Delta.

The visits are part of the ongoing efforts of the Buhari administration to achieve a permanent resolution of the Niger Delta crisis which in 2016 reduced Nigerias oil output by half.

Source: Legit.ng
Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, has saluted President Muhammadu Buharis quick response to the bomb attacks on University of Maiduguri by Boko Haram insurgents on Monday, January 16.

Reno Omokri says Buhari has done well with his swift reaction to Maiduguri bombing

In a tweet early on Tuesday, January 17, Omokri applauded President Buhari in a rather unusual post. He commended the president for being swift in his response to the attack that killed a professor, one other person and the two bombers.

READ ALSO: UNIMAID bomb blast: 6 things you need to know about the event

Omokri however lashed at the president in the same tweet saying he would have been happier if the president had done the same for Southern Kaduna killings to which Buhari did not say anything publicly.

Recall that just shortly after the attack, President Buhari expressed his sadness over the incident. The president is keen on not allowing terrorism to triumph over the peace and safety of the nation under his administration.

He stressed that the perpetrators have no understanding of the religion they claim to be operating under. Also, the president reached out to those affected in the gory accident through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina.

Source: Legit.ng
- A recording has emerged online purportedly of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau confirming that his Islamist insurgent group was behind the attack on a university in Borno state capital Maiduguri on Monday, January 16

- Shekau claimed in the recording which was uploaded to YouTube that UNIMAID was attacked because of its ungodly activities even though he did not state what they were

- The authenticity of the audio could not be immediately confirmed but Legit.ng team is trying to reach the Nigerian Army for comment on the audio recording

- President Muhammadu Buhari has strongly condemned the attack which left four dead, including a professor

- In the past, Shekau does not usually swiftly react to bomb attacks by his suicide bombers, especially within 24 hours of the attack

Abubakar Shekau has said in an audio recording he reportedly released that UNIMAID was bombed because of ungodly acts.

Elusive leader of Boko Haram insurgents Abubakar Shekau has reportedly reacted to the early morning attack on the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) on Monday, January 16.

Shekau gave the reason for the terror attack on UNIMAID which claimed around four lives, including that of a professor and the two suicide bombers, in an audio tape released on YouTube.

READ ALSO: Reno Omokri hails Buhari for swift reaction to Maiduguri bombing

According to the report, Shekau said the attack was retaliation to UNIMAIDs ungodly activities.

Shekau was quoted as saying in the recording: The bomb that happened this morning, its my people. Dont deceive people that its a mosque, how would you build a mosque and do ungodly things in it.

We are not angry with Nigeria. You didnt kill anyone in Sambisa. We are praying that we dont change; Koran is our teacher; this is the message we are sending to you. Are you [Buhari] as powerful as God?

READ ALSO: UNIMAID bomb blast: 6 things you need to know about the event

You should know its Shekau talking and Im alive and its we that did it, even if King Pharaoh repents, we will not accept it.

The authenticity of the recording could not independently confirmed as at press time.

Legit.ng team is also trying to reach the Nigerian Army for comments on the recording allegedly made by Shekau.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) carried out a counter operation against Boko Haram terrorists in their new hideout.

According to a statement by the air force, the day and night operation was in response to an attack on military troops on Thursday, January 12.

Source: Legit.ng
- Enugu state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has appointed Mr Uwakwe Ukuta Azikiwe as his special adviser on special duties

- Uwakwe is the son of the former Premier of the Eastern Region and Nigerias first President, late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe

- The governor said the appointment was on merit

Enugu state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has appointed Mr Uwakwe Ukuta Azikiwe as his special adviser on special duties.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

Uwakwe is the son of the former Premier of the Eastern Region and Nigerias first President, late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.

A press statement issued by Governor Ugwuanyis special adviser on media, Mr Louis Amoke, said the appointment was in recognition of the contributions of late Nnamdi Azikiwe to the development of the Igbo nation and the country at large.

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Azikiwe's house to become a tourist site - Governor

The governor also noted that the appointment of Azikiwes son was based on merit and on the conviction that his wealth of experience and contributions would add value to the efforts of his administration to impact positively on the lives of the people of the state.

Recently, Governor Ugwuanyi rewarded players, technical crew and management staff of Enugu Rangers for winning the 2015/2016 Nigeria Professional Football League title.

This comes two month after the team were crowned champions of the Nigerian league.

At a grand reception held in honour of the victorious team at the Michael Okpara Square in the state, the governor handed a cheque of N41.5 million to the team.

Source: Legit.ng
Nigerians have slammed the elusive Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau for claiming that University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) was attacked on Monday, January 16, because the institution committed ungodly acts.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has come under fire after revealing the group's reason for attacking UNIMAID.

Many of those who commented on social media platform Facebook about an audio recording purportedly uploaded to YouTube on the day of the bombing (Monday) said Shekau was a coward to attack a school when tougher targets with adequate resistance are there.

READ ALSO: Shekau is hiding in a new location - Buratai

Others warned the Boko Haram leader to watch his back because the Nigerian Armed Forces would soon catch up with him.

Read the comments below:

Nnamdi Boniface: Shakiu if you don't bomb aso rock then you are nothing but a coward.

Buhari Umar: You days are numbered. You attacked the holy Mosque, so do you want Muslim to stop attending prayers, and you still say you are a muslim, you fight in the name of Allah killing and destroying mosques. God bless Nigeria and expose the real people behind the killing of muslims and destroying mosque.

Oluomo Prince: No worry Naija Army is at ur back ur days on earth are numbered

Jane Okonkwo: Where u dey shakau, even bbog folo d find u inside sambisa, pls tel us were u dey, we wil give u amnesty.

Sunday Ignatius Ugwuoke Go on Aso rock and stop killing innocent people that did nothing to you blood sucker, dead man alive, undertaker2.

READ ALSO: Boko Haram: President Buhari gives Nigerians serious warning

Henry Kanu That's good. You should print more flags n buy more Koran for the govt to catch nxt time.

Juliet Chinyere This guy is up to something... His Wings are becoming too high...

Olly Ebere @ times I wonder if dis guy is a wizard sooner or later ur cup will be filled up

Cj Mega so na u but the army said many times that u are dead

Daniel Racks Make dem boko go bomb olumo rock

On Twitter, the feeling is similar, many Nigerians believe that Shekau's end is near.

Listen the original of the audio message below:

Source: Legit.ng
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has released an audio recording taking responsibility for the bomb attacks on University of Maiduguri in Borno state on Monday, January 16.

The audio, which was posted to YouTube, is about 19 minutes long and as usual, was full of Shekau's threats to Nigeria and other countries of the world.

Here are top 8 quotes from the audio message:

1. Boko Haram camp in Borno

Shekau claims that the insurgents have now established a base in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

2. Attacks on democratic governments

The Boko Haram leader made it clear that the attack on Nigeria is because of democracy and the group will continue to fight back.

3. Terrorizing the terrorists

Shekau claimed that Islam as practised by Boko Haram insurgents is being terrorized by democratic governments and such 'terrorism' is worse than the group's incessant killings.

READ ALSO: Unilorin steps up 24hour security after Unimaid blast

4. Other African countries are not safe from attacks

Shekau says Nigeria and other countries in Africa who practice democracy are all targets of Boko Haram attacks because they are all ungodly for practising that type of governance.

5. Buhari is an enemy

The Boko Haram leader once again declared the group's dislike for President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria. According to him, President Buhari is allowing the use of constitution, which is ungodly.

READ ALSO: 3 facts about the professor that was killed in Maiduguri bombing

6. Boko Haram attacks end when democracy ends

Shekau says attacks on Nigerian soil and other African countries will only end when the countries renounce democracy.

7. Government shut down

Boko Haram leader Shekau says all institutions of governance and schools across Nigeria should shut down.

READ ALSO: You are a coward! Nigerians react as Shekau reveals why UNIMAID was attacked

8. No friendship between religions

Shekau says there is no way that different religions can work together because all the other ones are against the type of Islam Boko Haram practices.

Listen to original audio below:

Source: Legit.ng
- National Assembly has faulted projects executed by the Border Communities Development Agency

- The lawmakers have refused to commission the projects by the agency on the grounds that some of the projects were not well executed

The National Assembly has described projects by the Border Communities Development Agency as not well executed.

The National Assembly has rejected the move by a federal government agency to commission unfinished and non-functional projects in Cross River state.

READ ALSO: Ndumes removal was necessary  Oyegun

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), had planned to commission its projects in Ifang-Ayong, Bakassi local government area of Cross River.

But on arrival at the project site, the Senate committee on states and local government administration and the House of Representatives committee on special duties, realised the projects were either not well done or non-functional.

The lawmakers therefore refused to commission the projects, stating that some of the projects were poorly executed.

The chairman of the Senate committee, Abdullahi Gumel, who spoke on behalf of the two committees, told journalists at the project sites that some of the projects were not well executed.

Mr. Gumel had earlier declined the request to commission a healthcare centre, school and water board built by the BCDA.

He urged the agency to work on the landscaping of the areas around the projects, including tackling erosion site, directly in front of the healthcare centre.

READ ALSO: APC Senate caucus denies plot to impeach Ekweremadu

Ensure constant supply of water for the water storage facility in the area to meet the needs of the communities, the lawmaker said.

On his part, the clan head of Ifiang-Qua, Edem Archibong expressed concern that since the projects were executed particularly the water storage facility, he had not seen water running from the tap.

He said: It is only today that I saw water coming from the water storage facility.

Also, the healthcare centre needs to be kept clean and there should be workers on ground.

They (agency) said they are going to commission the place, how can they commission the place without something functioning.

They should try and make sure that these things are working.

In other news, former Senate president, Ken Nnamani and immediate past speaker of Enugu House of Assembly, Eugene Odo, are among top politicians in the state who are expected to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to a report on The Nation, both Nnamani and Odo will use the period of three weeks registration exercise which began yesterday in the South East to formalise their movement from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

They will be following the footsteps of the former governor of Old Anambra, Senator Jim Nwobodo and wife of former PDP national chairman, Dorothy Nwodo, who had earlier cross carpeted from the PDP to APC.

Speaking with newsmen at the end of the partys stakeholders meeting in Enugu on Monday, January 16, Enugu state APC chairman Dr. Ben Nwoye, said that the partys door is wide open to all including Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

Source: Legit.ng
- The Nigerian Senate has lamented the way government waste funds on new projects while old ones are left unattended to

- As a result of this, the upper legislative body, through Senator Dino Melaye, has issued a warning to President Buhari

The Nigerian Senate has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that all projects embarked upon by his predecessors, including Goodluck Jonathan, are not abandoned by his administration.

The Senate warned Buhari against abandoning uncompleted projects started by his predecessors

In the country, it is usual of successive governments to abandon projects started by their predecessors so as not to have the former occupier of the office taking the glory for it.

The Senate said Buharid government must look at projects started by former presidents including Olusegun Obasanjo; the late Umaru YarAdua and Jonathan since government is a continuum.

READ ALSO: See how Senator Dino Melaye celebrated his birthday

Vanguard reports that while speaking during an investigative hearing by the Senate committee on the Federal Capital Territory into the abandoned N8 billion Code of Conduct Bureau office headquarters in Abuja, Dino Melaye said there was the need to cut down on waste.

According to him, the number of abandoned projects has become alarming and of great concern to Nigerians who want such projects completed.

As soon as these programmes and projects are abandoned, new ones are initiated only to be abandoned again by yet another successive government. The process continues while the nations resources continue to be wasted

It is instructive to state that this is not so with the developed countries. Projects and programmes, as well as policies are sustained.

They place nations interest above other considerations. This sutenable poicy has yielded positive results as these countries have moved from developing to developed world, he said while urging Buharis administration to correct this anomaly.

The Senate was utterly dismayed when it received a motion in respect of the abandonment of N8 billion Code of Conduct Bureau office headquarters projects, he added.

The committee then directed the chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Mr Sam Saba, to ensure the completion of the project by including it in the 2017 budget before the National Assembly.

READ ALSO: APC Senate caucus denies plot to impeach Ekweremadu

In his contribution, the deputy chief whip of the Senate, Francis Alimikhena, said: From the way things were done from the beginning, I think the project was conceived to fail. In 2010, N3bn was projected for the project.

And then the amount was reviewed in 2012 to N8 billion; that is after spending over N1 billion. You decided to dump the contract and procure the same office building for N4.4 billion. Is this not waste?

Source: Legit.ng
The Nigerian Naira on Tuesday, January 17 stayed unchanged at N497/$1 in black market, but crashed against pound and euro.

According to report, the local currency now exchanges at N597 per pound from N595 and N521 per euro from N515 respectively.

The local currency may be seeing its worst times but hopes have been rekindled, following reports that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) plan to resume dollar sales to Bureau De Change (BDC) operators this week.

Dollar to Naira

READ ALSO: Naira stays low at N497/$1 in black market

Traders at the market said that while the scarcity of the greenback remained visible, there were strong indications that the Naira was on its way to imminent recovery.

Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, the president Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), expressed hope that the Naira would strengthen this week.

Gwadabe said that the CBN would be selling about 25 million dollars to BDCs this week and it would definitely help in reducing liquidity challenge in the market.

He urged Nigerians not to panic as the CBN was working closely with the BDCs to ensure that the Naira recovers quickly.

Meanwhile, you can check Legit.ng's BDC rate here.

Source: Legit.ng
Africa is the country with the economy, which is gradually developing. It makes the country attractive for billionaires. Who is richest man in Africa? Lets find it out!

Richest men in Africa 2016

Aliko Dangote

Aliko Dangote is the owner of the Dangote Group Company, which makes the activity in the territory of Nigeria and the countries of the Western Africa. He is one of the richest businessmen of Africa. The Dangote Group Company is engaged in the sale of the most part of consumer goods in Nigeria. It has received this leadership thanks to political connections of Aliko Dangote. The Dangote Group Company initially was a quite small enterprise. It was founded in 1977 and now it is a many-billion conglomerate. The company conducts the trading activity in such countries as Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo. Besides production of food, the Dangote Group Company is engaged in the production of concrete transportation. Also, it is a leader in sugar production in Nigeria. At the moment the estimated current capital of Aliko Dangote makes 3.3 billion dollars. He is the richest man in Africa.

Johann Rupert

The richest black man in South Africa, the billionaire with the European appearance Johann Rupert has turned a part of the father's company into the business shining in every sense. Compagnie Financiere Richemont headed by him develops luxury brands of jewelry, watches, and clothes, increasing sales every year. Rupert who has recently come back to the place of the head of the Council of directors takes the top positions in the rating of the richest Africans. The office of his Richemont Company is located in Switzerland. The company is quoted on SIX Swiss Exchange. Its market capitalization makes about 42 billion. It is possible to call the company international as it possesses brands of jewelry and the clothes based in the most different countries  from Great Britain and France to Hong Kong. In 2000, Richemont has made one of the loudest purchases in the branch, having bought brands of International Watch Company (IWC), Jaeger-LeCoultre and A. Lange & Soehne approximately for 2.5 billion. The general capital of the businessman makes $8.1 billion.

Harry Oppenheimer

Harry Oppenheimer for the quarter of the century remained on a post of the president of the Anglo-American corporation and didnt leave this post until 1982. Along with it, he was also the president of the international diamond overworking De Beers Corporation for 27 years, having left from this position in 1984. His son became the vice president of the Anglo-American corporation in 1983 and the president of De Beers since 1988.

Nassef Onsi Sawiris

Nassef Onsi Sawiris is the Egyptian businessman, younger of three sons of the famous businessman of Onsi Sawiris. Nassef has the secondary education at the German international school in Cairo, has the economic education at the Chicago University, and has a degree of the bachelor of sciences and arts. In 2012, the rating of the richest man in Africa Forbes has given him the 3rd place in the list of the richest people of Egypt. His capital is about $5,1 billion now.

Christoffel Wiese

Christoffel Wiese is a rich and at the same time scandalous person in Nigeria. The South African investor who makes capital investments in the companies on gold mining and diamonds has run into debt to the government about 250 million dollars in the form of back tax payments. The businessman and the billionaire Christoffel Wiese has an outstanding debt to SARS. The debt of $250 million is considered the largest in the history of the state. Wiese has for the first time come into the view of tax administrations after the staff of the British customs has detained him at the London airport on the way to Luxembourg. Wiese took $1 million cash with him.

Mohamed Mansour

The capital of the billionaire from Egypt, Mohamed Mansour, makes $4 billion. It takes the 418th position in the global list of billionaires. In the list of the richest people of Egypt, he is in the second place. He has based Al Mansour Automotive Company, which has the exclusive right of distribution for GM products in Egypt. During the last revolution in Egypt, his corporation has taken the serious blow. However, in 2015 he managed to enter the list of 500 richest people in the world and to repair his situation from 520 to 418.

Mike Adenuga

This Yorubian billionaire is a resident of Nigeria. He has achieved the success independently. Mike Adenuga possesses 8 billion dollars. He is engaged in oil and telecommunication business. He owns Globacom founded in 2003. This company became one of the most popular companies on the continent. He has also founded Conoil, which is also the rich company in the delta of Niger River.

Nathan Kirsh

Nathan Kirsh (R) is one of the most successful and famous developers of Africa. He was born in the Republic of South Africa in 1932, has citizenship of Swaziland, the USA, and Australia. The Kirsh Holdings Group Company owns expensive objects of the residential and commercial real estate in London, the Republic of South Africa and Australia. In August, Nathan Kirsh has taken 29% of shares of the Minerva Company, one of the largest builders of Great Britain for 78 million dollars. The millionaire from the Republic of South Africa Nathan Kirsh has bought the well-known skyscraper, Tower 42 in London. The magnate has paid for the building, which is the fifth on height in the British capital, 282.5 million pounds sterling (about 440 million US dollars). According to Forbes, the previous owners of the Tower 42 have agreed to sell the building to the South African businessman. Public information on a way of financing the transaction by the buyer is absent.

Isabel dos Santos

Isabel dos Santos is the Angola businessman, the oldest daughter of the second president of Angola. According to Forbes, she is the Africa's first female billionaire. The private capital of Isabel dos Santos in 2016 is estimated by the magazine at 3 billion dollars. Isabel is a co-owner and the board member of the largest Angola mobile network operator Unitel, the co-owner of the Angola bank Banco BIC. The Portuguese assets include 15% of stocks of the network of cable television ZON Multimedia and about 20% of one of the largest banks of the country Banco BPI. Critics derisively call her princess, accuse the president's family of enrichment at the expense of the population of Angola, the part of which lives no more than for $2 a day.

Issad Rebrab

Issad Rebrab from Algeria has begun business with small, beginning the private accounting company. His first investments consisted of 20 percent of Sotecom civil engineering firm. Twenty years later, he lost a huge part of money because of the terrorist attack. He has run away from the country, but in 1998, he came back and founded Cevital. Now his capital is equal to $3.1 billion.

Every year in Africa the number of millionaires increases. The number of Africans, whose capital exceeds one million dollars, has reached a point of 160,000 people. In ten years, by estimates, this figure will increase by 45%. Therefore, perhaps the rating will be filled with new names soon.

Source: Legit.ng
A military jet has mistakenly dropped a bomb inside the Rann IDP camp in Borno state leading to the death of about people with 120 injured.

According to Premium Times, those who were injured had to be evacuated to hospitals for treatment.

The Rann IDP camp is located in Kala-balge local government area and it caters for thousands of persons displaced by Boko Haram.

READ ALSO: President Buhari condoles with family and Borno state over IDP camp bombing

Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar who is the spokesperson of the army confirmed the tragic incident and said the military deeply regretted the error.

File photo of IDPs

He said the military got intelligence report of Boko Haram and deployed ground and air troops and that it was the air troop that mistakenly dropped bomb on the IDP camp.

The Borno state government has sent a message to all hospitals in Maiduguri to be prepared to receive and treat injured people.

A helicopter belonging to the International Red Cross was deployed to the camp to evacuate the injured.

BREAKING: Military jet mistakenly drops bomb on IDP camp

Lucky Irabor who is the theatre commander of the armed force in Borno also confirmed the incident.

He said: This morning today, we received reports about gathering of Boko Haram terrorists somewhere in Kala Balge Local Government area of Borno State. We got a coordinate and I directed that the air should go to address the problem.

Unfortunately the strike was conducted but it turned out that the locals somewhere in Rann were affected.

Some of IDPs affected by the blast

We are yet to get the details of the casualties. But we have some civilians that have been killed, others are wounded and we also have two of our soldiers that were also wounded. Among some that are wounded are local staffs of the Medicine Sans Frontiers as well as ICRC.

According to PM News, Irabor added that the two soldiers who were injured have also been evacuated for treatment.

READ ALSO: 'How can the army make such a mistake?' - Nigerians react to IDP camp bombing

So far, it is a little bit disturbing; death has occurred. There are casualties; there were deaths and injuries but on the actual number of casualties, we would get back to you later.

I am yet to get the number of casualties of civilians killed, but two soldiers were also affected.

Some humanitarian staff of Medicines Sans Frontiers and some staff of International Committee of Red Cross(ICRC) were also affected.

Dejection on the faces of the IDPs after the blast

We are sending helicopters to evacuate those that were critically wounded, including our wounded soldiers."

According to International Business Times, 20 aid workers especially from the Red Cross were also killed while a source from Borno put the death toll at 120.

Source: Legit.ng
The news that the Nigerian army mistakenly dropped a bomb on an IDP camp in Rann has caused an uproar among Nigerians at such an enormous mistake.

'How can the army bomb an IDP camp?' Nigerians react angrily

The Rann IDP camp is located in Kala-balge local government area, Borno state and it caters for thousands of persons displaced by Boko Haram.

Although, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar who is the spokesperson of the army confirmed the tragic incident and said the military deeply regretted the error, Nigerians are not happy about it:

Here is the question on the minds of many:

Another Twitter user said:

"Haven't the IDPs suffered enough?" asks this Twitter user:

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Military jet mistakenly drops bomb on IDP camp

A Facebook user, Michael Sunday says:

"Calamity upon Calamity. Hope Apc will not blame GEJ and PDP for this unfortunate incident? Why didn't they mistakenly drop it on the two National Assemblies or rather the state house?"

Another Facebook user called for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, saying:

"Mistaken d IDP camp as what? Were they drunk? Have we started having bomb driven army officers with accidental bomb discharge like d Nigerian police?

"They should b arrested and prosecuted cos there might b a reason behind this. I believe they were all professionals in that jet."

Another Facebook user says:

"The north shall continue to experience tragedy, till eternity for killing 3.5 million of my people during the genocidal war they brought on us yesterday was bomb blast in university in Borno state today is bomb blast in IDPs camp more are coming."

Some do not believe that the bombing was a mistake, saying:

"What nonsense! This cannot be a mistake? I thought Sambisa was captured, where and on whom are they dropping bombs?"

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Bomb explodes at University of Maiduguri mosque

Some Facebook users however believe that it was a mistake, saying:

"Every human being is capable of making mistakes. At least they they better than those who failed to protect their citizens intentionally."

"Subhanallah may Allah rest their souls, for the misguided igbo's making reckless comments they should know it can happen to anyone.. you better stop mocking the dead and seek God's forgiveness."

"We should b sympathetic to this people. Loosing lives daily to Boko Haram is pathetic. I don't know why some people take joy in people loosing dear lives. It is bad. Some people are bad to comment rubbish in d name of ethnicity. I hate seeing people not valuing lives."

Source: Legit.ng
- A construction company Julius Berger has said that to fix the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja will take as much as two years without closure

- The construction company agreed the airport can as well be fixed without shutting it down

Julius Berger said it will need two years to fix Abuja airport if not shutdown for repairs

A construction company Julius Berger has said that to fix the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja will take as much as two years without closure.

Speaking on Tuesday, January 17, at a meeting with Nigerian lawmakers, the managing director of Julius Berger Wolfgang Goetsch said the airport can as well be fixed without shutting it down.

That he said would take the company two years to finish the work on the airports runway.

READ ALSO: Senate agog as lawmakers grill Fashola over closure of Abuja airport

He also said that if there were only spot damages on the runway, the repairs can be done locally.

It can be shut down in the night. The spot can be repaired in the morning and temporarily given back for usage, Goetsch said.

But the state of the runway in Abuja, extent of damage and deterioration. The whole runway from one end to the other end is damaged.

This means that if the method of spot repair is loose, you start from one side of the runway, lock it in the night and in the morning to open it up for traffic, he said.

READ ALSO: Fashola, Bello absent as Senate grills Amaechi, Sirika over Abuja airport closure

He added that this implies that the spot repair will take two and half years to keep the runway stable for use.

There is absolutely no option than to close the runway for these six weeks because it is not a repair work. It is a new construction of the whole surface of the building.

He said the repairs have to include an interlocked layers to guarantee a lifespan of at least 10 years, in the interest of stakeholders.

On our end, we guarantee that within the 6 weeks, the repair work is done. This is subject to the fulfillment of the obligation of all stakeholders, he said.

Under the leadership of the minister of State for aviation, all stakeholders are on board.

Everything is going on very smoothly according to plan and there is no doubt that the obligation of all stakeholders is fulfilled.

Source: Legit.ng
The former minister of aviation Femi Fani-Kayode on Tuesday, January 17, visited the founder of Living Faith Church popularly known as Winners Chapel David Oyedepo.

The former minister paid a visit to the Bishop at his home in Otta, Ogun state.

Confirming the visit to Legit.ng, the former minister said: It is like son going to see his father; I went to see my father.

READ ALSO: OPINION: Nigeria's deadly monsters (part 1) by Femi Fani-Kayode

He also said the meeting with the Bishop was fantastic.

I am happy he is so strong and healthy; as strong as ever. He is a blessing to our generation, the body of Christ and the nation as a whole, Fani-Kayode said.

See photos below:

Bishop David Oyedepo and former minister of aviation Femi Fani-Kayode

Fani-Kayode visits Bishop David Oyedepo

Source: Legit.ng
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned terrorist bomb attack on a mosque in the University of Maiduguri.

The ruling party in a statement issued on Tuesday January 17, in Abuja and signed by Bolaji Abdullahi the national publicity secretary, condoled with the families of victims of the bomb blasts, adding that that the days of the Boko Haram terrorists are numbered.

APC also strongly condemned this cowardly act by Boko Haram, saying it views this latest act of terror as another confirmation of the groups desperation to remain in the national consciousness, having lost its former stronghold to the Nigerian Army.

READ ALSO: UNIMAID bomb blast: 6 things you need to know about the event

We once again salute our gallant men in uniform for their heroic efforts and their invaluable sacrifice to our nation. We commend President Muhammadu Buhari for keeping the promise that our Party made to Nigerians that we would end the insurgency and restore peace to the Northeast of Nigeria.

The Party assure Nigerians that with their support and prayer, even these isolated attacks by Boko Haram insurgents will soon be a thing of the past, the statement added.

On Monday, January 16, a bomb exploded at the mosque of the University of Maiduguri, Borno state.

The attack left 5 people dead with about 20 others sustaining different degrees of injury. The head of the veterinary teaching hospital, Professor Aliyu Mani, lost his life in the tragic incident.

In another development, Senate president, Bukola Saraki, has called for urgent security measures at all potential targets across the country to prevent Boko Haram insurgents from carrying attacks on soft targets.

READ ALSO: President Buhari reacts to Monday morning bombing in Maiduguri University

He said the rising trend of isolated Boko Haram attacks on soft targets since the liberation of the Sambisa Forest has created fears among Nigerians.

Source: Legit.ng
Nigeria in 2017 budget has made provision to extend telecommunications services to additional 40 million people.

The executive vice chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, said the commission had conducted a survey, which identified about 200 communities nationwide with telecommunication access gap.

READ ALSO: Use this special code on your phones to stop unwanted messages - NCC tells Nigerians

Danbatta, who unveiled the plan in the latest edition of the commissions publication, The Communicator, said through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) being managed by a department under NCC, 40 million people in these communities would be covered in 2017.

He said that access to telecommunication services had caused direct and indirect rise in employment generation across the sectors of the economy.

As you are aware, the growth witnessed in the telecommunication sector in the last 15 years had been phenomenal by all standards.

From less than half a million lines on the eve of our democratic revival , today active connected lines are about 150 million , which has come with a contributing increase in tele-density.

Development in other sectors of the economy had been shaped positively and measurably by the potent realities in the telecommunications sectors.

He said Nigeria was looking forward to seeing greater development in the sector.

READ ALSO: Nigerians cry out as telecoms operators threaten bad service

Recall that NCC provided Nigerians with a way to avoid unsolicited messages.

Known as the Do not Disturb policy, the NCC urged all Nigerians to send the 2442 short code in order to determine the type of messages they want to receive from telecoms operators.

Source: Legit.ng
Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose, has faulted the federal governments claims that the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists have been technically defeated and that government was clamping down heavily on perpetrators of the Southern Kaduna killings.

FG is hiding the truth from Nigerians on Boko Haram, Kaduna killings  Fayose

Fayose said apart from being an opposition figure, he had chosen the path of revealing the truth, asking Nigerians to look at events in the country and compare with his previous comments.

READ ALSO: APC blames Fayose for death of Ekiti worker

The governor on Tuesday, January 17, while answering questions from journalists in Ado-Ekiti said: I do not want to be seen as an opposition figure, but a man who tells Nigerians the truth. You can place my predictions, comments and warnings side by side with happenings in the country and you would know I tell the truth and I do not mince words.

Look at the Boko Haram issue. The Federal Government first said they have technically defeated the group, later they brought a flag to The Presidency saying Boko Haram has been utterly defeated, but look at what we are witnessing now. In as much as they are making some efforts, they are not telling us the truth.

I cant join them to lie. I say the truth and stand by it. Over 1000 people have been killed in Southern Kaduna, but what are they telling Nigerians? It is a pity that the military has been drafted into the lying game.

They too are no longer saying the truth. If you look at the video clips sent from Southern Kaduna before the military clamped down on sending such videos out, you will know that we are having a terrible situation on hand.

He said: Hunger is unprecedented in the land. The economy is down and people are hiding under the guise of fighting corruption to hunt opposition figures. A government that can not make any impression in the first two years, I am afraid, may not be able to make any at all."

Fayose said he had raised the standard of governance in the state despite the huge debts left by his predecessor and the economic downturn.

READ ALSO: Probe stolen money from Ekiti government house, APC tells EFCC

He pleaded with the people of the state to endure the inconveniences being experienced as a result of ongoing projects all over the state, adding that the completion of the projects would bring comfort to them.

In another development, the APC has blamed Governor Fayose for the death of a civil servant who killed himself over alleged non-payment of salary.

Afolayan, a grade Level 12 officer in the office of the state accountant general and final year law student of the Ekiti state University, Ado-Ekiti, hanged himself in his Olorunda area home in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, last Thursday, January 12, over alleged unpaid salaries and his inability to pay his huge debt.

Source: Legit.ng
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SANTIAGO, Chile  Many watched in disbelief: There he was, Pope Francis, calling people in Osorno, a city in southern Chile, dumb for demonstrating against a bishop accused of being complicit in clerical sexual abuse.

The Osorno community is suffering because its dumb, Pope Francis told a group of tourists on St. Peters Square in Vatican City, because it has let its head be filled with what politicians say, judging a bishop without any proof.

Dont be led by the nose by the leftists who orchestrated all of this, the pope said.

The video, filmed by an Argentine tourist in May, was obtained by a Chilean television station and broadcast Friday, quickly instilling doubts here about the popes commitment to protecting victims of sexual abuse.

Under a heavy rain, demonstrators with black balloons chanted again outside the San Mateo Cathedral in Osorno on Sunday as the bishop at the center of the controversy, Juan Barros, said Mass.
WASHINGTON  It was a frenetic Monday afternoon at Abs Hospital in northern Yemen, with doctors and nurses busily shuttling among the patients and a maternity ward filled with 25 women expecting to give birth.

The bomb from the Saudi jet dropped into the middle of the hospital compound, a facility run by Doctors Without Borders, landing between the emergency room and a triage area for new patients. Nineteen people were killed, dozens were injured, and a humanitarian group that for decades has braved war zones across the globe decided it had had enough.

Doctors Without Borders announced in the days after the Aug. 15 strike that it was pulling out of six medical facilities in northern Yemen, the latest turn in a war that has further devastated one of the Arab worlds poorest countries and has bogged down a Saudi military ill-prepared for the conflict.

For the Obama administration, it was another public reminder of the spiraling violence of a war in which it has played a direct role. American officials have publicly condemned the hospital bombing  and the bombing of a school two days earlier  but the Pentagon has given steady support to the coalition led by Saudi Arabia, with targeting intelligence and fuel for the Saudi planes involved in the air campaign.
In a Caribbean resort city, far from the jungles where guerrilla battles once raged, the Colombian government and the countrys largest rebel group signed a peace agreement on Monday evening.

The ceremony, held in Cartagena, brought an end to a 52-year-old war with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, whose Marxist insurgency marked the last major war in the Americas.

What we sign today is a declaration from the Colombian people before the world that we are tired or war, President Juan Manuel Santos said in his prepared remarks, that we dont accept violence as the means of defending ideas.

It was a moment perhaps reminiscent of the Good Friday Agreement that ended the conflict in Northern Ireland or the Oslo Accords that promised peace in the Middle East. And it was an image that generations of Colombians had yearned to see on their soil: A sitting president shaking the hands of the very rebel leader whom government forces had once hunted in the mountains, as the two sides pledged a future of peaceful politics.
It is a truth universally acknowledged by every war correspondent, humanitarian aid worker and Western diplomat: Some wars, like Syrias, receive tremendous public attention, which can translate into pressure for resolution. But many others, like Yemens still raging but much ignored conflict, do not.

Some of the reasons are obvious; the scale of Syrias war is catastrophic and much worse than Yemens. But attention is about more than numbers. The conflict in eastern Congo, for instance, killed millions of people and displaced millions more, but received little global attention.

Every country in the world has its own version of that dynamic, but it is uniquely significant in the United States.

The United States is the worlds sole remaining superpower, but Americans often seem so inward-looking as to be almost provincial. Foreigners often express wonder that American television news, for instance, spends fewer minutes covering the rest of the world than the rest of the worlds news shows spend covering America.
Kigeli V, the last king of a dynasty that ruled Rwanda for a millennium, died last Sunday in Washington, where he had been living on public assistance. He was 80.

His death was announced by the Rwandan government, which did not specify a cause.

King Kigeli, a towering, regal presence at 7 feet 2 inches, reigned for less than two years, forced to step down when his central African nation voted in 1961 to replace the kingdom with a republic and gained independence from Belgium.

His reign coincided with an outbreak of sectarian violence that would continue to plague Rwanda and culminate in the 1994 ethnic genocide, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, mostly Tutsis but also Hutu moderates. Kigeli was of the Tutsi caste.

Deported after independence was achieved, Kigeli found refuge in neighboring African nations for three decades. In 1992, fearing growing political unrest in central Africa, he was granted political asylum in the United States.
NEW DELHI  In what rights advocates regard as an important test case for press freedom in Bhutan, a prominent journalist is facing a defamation suit for sharing a Facebook post documenting a property dispute involving a local businessman.

The journalist, Namgay Zam, has been accused of libel by the businessman, Sonam Phuntsho, in what Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay has called a landmark case that could shape proposed restrictions on social media usage in Bhutan. The post includes allegations that Mr. Phuntsho had garnered favors from the countrys judiciary, where his son-in-law is chief justice.

Ms. Zam, a former television presenter with the state-run Bhutan Broadcasting Service, and the woman who wrote the post, Shacha Wangmo, face a maximum fine of about $38,000  around 15 times the countrys annual per capita income  or up to three years in prison if convicted.

Ms. Zam and Ms. Wangmo presented evidence at a district court in Thimphu, the capital, on Monday.

Known for its adherence to gross national happiness, a development indicator that values levels of well-being over economic indicators such as gross domestic product, Bhutan was considered a success story in South Asia when it held peaceful democratic elections in 2008, after a century as an absolute monarchy.
 The World Economic Forum in Davos opens today. For the first time, President Xi Jinping of China will attend the elite gathering in the Swiss Alps, as will Ms. May.

In a time of Brexit and Trump, the relevance of the Davos class is in question, our columnist writes.

And in what may be a related story, the charity Oxfam says eight of the richest men on earth are now as wealthy as the poorer half of the global population.

_____

Image Credit... Turkish Police, via Depo Photos

 Abdulgadir Masharipov, the man accused of carrying out the New Years Day shooting rampage in an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people, was arrested in an outlying district of the city, the Turkish news media reported.
As Mr. Price prepares for two confirmation hearings  the first of which is scheduled for Wednesday  his past efforts on behalf of health-related companies, which have donated generously to his campaigns, are under scrutiny. So, too, is Mr. Prices history of trading in biomedical, pharmaceutical and health insurance stocks while serving on the health subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee. Democrats have called for investigations into whether he traded stock based on information he gleaned as a congressman.

Last year, Mr. Price bought stock in a company that makes orthopedic implants shortly before introducing legislation that could have protected the company, Zimmer Biomet, from financial losses due to a new federal regulation. The regulation sought to rein in spending on joint replacements for Medicare patients; Mr. Prices legislation would have delayed its implementation. After he introduced it, Zimmers political action committee contributed to his re-election campaign; the string of events was first reported Monday by CNN.

Phillip J. Blando, a spokesman for the Trump transition team, said Mr. Price had no knowledge or input into the purchase of the Zimmer stock, which he said was made by a broker. Asked why Mr. Price had not directed his broker to avoid buying health-related stocks while he wrote and voted on health legislation, Mr. Blando said, We know that other members of Congress, including Democrats, have holdings in health care stocks and vote on health-related legislation.

In a letter to an ethics lawyer at the Department of Health and Human Services last week Mr. Price said he would divest himself of holdings in 43 health-related and other stocks to avoid conflicts of interest. Noting that the Office of Government Ethics had completed an exhaustive review of Mr. Prices financial holdings, Mr. Blando said last week that Mr. Price takes his obligation to uphold the public trust very seriously.

Although not among the billionaires whom Mr. Trump has tapped for his cabinet, Mr. Price has profited from medicine, both as a doctor and as an active investor in health care-related companies including Aetna, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Zimmer Biomet, which makes artificial joints and other medical devices. He has an estimated net worth of $13.6 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, with assets that include real estate. He has also been an effective fund-raiser: Even in his first run for office in 1996, his war chest of $173,000, much of which came from doctors and medical companies, led his poorly financed Democratic opponent to call him Dr. Dollar.

A brisk, hyper-focused workaholic who relishes the granular details of legislative proposals and process, Mr. Price expressed concern last year about Mr. Trumps grasp of the issues. Taking questions from a student group at Emory University, he said he had voted for Marco Rubio in the Republican primary and called Mr. Trump an empty policy vessel who was dangerous for politics and the economy, according to the student newspaper.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has chosen Rowan D. Wilson, a partner in a prominent Manhattan law firm, to be a judge on New York States highest court, the governors office announced on Monday.

If Mr. Wilson, 56, were confirmed to the New York Court of Appeals, it would give the seven-member court two African-American judges for the first time in history, a spokesman for the governor said.

Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, had a Jan. 15 deadline to name a replacement for the last remaining judge on the court of another governors choice: Eugene F. Pigott Jr., an appointee of Gov. George E. Pataki, a Republican. Judge Pigott retired last year. The selection was made just before midnight, on the eve of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
A hip-hop podcast host who feuded for years with the Brooklyn rapper Troy Ave was arrested on Monday on a federal weapons possession charge in connection with a shooting last year in which the rappers bodyguard was killed.

DNA believed to belong to the podcast host, Daryl Campbell, 31, who is known as Taxstone, was found on the trigger, hand grip and magazine of the 9-millimeter Kel-Tec semiautomatic handgun that was used in the shooting in the V.I.P. green room of a crowded Manhattan concert venue, a federal complaint says.

Mr. Campbell had the gun before the shooting, and videos show him coming into the green room before the gunfire and then fleeing, the complaint says. In front of him was the bodyguard, Ronald McPhatter. Behind Mr. Campbell was a person who is not named in the complaint, but who appears to be Troy Ave  whose real name is Roland Collins  based on earlier police accounts. Wounded in the legs, Mr. Collins was holding the Kel-Tec gun and firing it toward a fleeing Mr. Campbell.

Mr. McPhatter was fatally shot in the chest at close range. The gun also had his and Mr. Collinss D.N.A., and it was later found in a van that transported Mr. Collins to the hospital. Two bystanders were also wounded at the venue, Irving Plaza, where the rapper T.I. was set to perform. Mr. Collins pleaded not guilty in June to attempted second-degree murder and other charges.
For more than four decades, Sala Udin lived under the shadow of a federal firearms conviction, the result of a search by the Kentucky police who found an unloaded shotgun in the trunk of his car in 1970.

Mr. Udin, who had been a Freedom Rider during the civil rights era, carried the gun for protection as he drove around the South. After eight months in prison, he lived an exemplary life, serving on the Pittsburgh City Council and playing a role in the citys redevelopment. But when President Obama visited Pittsburgh in 2009, Mr. Udin wasnt allowed to meet him: His criminal record prevented such an encounter.

Last month, Mr. Obama issued Mr. Udin a pardon  one of just 148 pardons the president has granted during his two terms in office. It is an abysmally low number for a president who has stressed his commitment to second chances and the importance of helping convicted people re-enter society.

The White House has been trumpeting Mr. Obamas use of his clemency power in the last two years, especially his nearly 1,200 commutations of prison sentences, more than the last several presidents combined. Most of these inmates were serving outrageously long terms, including life without parole, for nonviolent drug crimes. Commuting those sentences is meaningful progress, even if Mr. Obama could and should have started much earlier and released thousands more deserving people.
Its hard to convince shareholders and partners they are a hip Silicon Valley-style company when these charges show them to be a company run like a feudal dynasty.

GEOFFREY CAIN, the author of a forthcoming book on Samsung, on prosecutors call for the arrest of the companys heir apparent in the bribery case surrounding President Park Geun-hye of South Korea.
Eugene A. Cernan, the commander of the Apollo 17 lunar-landing mission in 1972 and the last human to walk on the moon, died on Monday in Houston. He was 82.

His death was announced by NASA.

A ferocious competitor with a test pilots reckless streak, Mr. Cernan (pronounced SIR-nun) rocketed into space three times, was the second American to drift weightless around the world on a tether, went to the moon twice and shattered aerospace records on the Earth and the moon.

He also slid down a banister on a visit to the White House and once crashed a helicopter in the Atlantic while chasing a dolphin. Skimming the lunar surface in a rehearsal for the first manned landing, he erupted with salty language heard by millions when his craft briefly spun out of control.

But he made spacewalks and romps over the lunar surface look routine, and in a way they were.

Three and a half years after Neil A. Armstrong took mankinds first step onto the lunar surface in 1969, Mr. Cernan, a Navy captain and one of the nations most experienced astronauts, landed with a geologist-astronaut near the Sea of Serenity in the final chapter of the Apollo program, Americas audacious venture to fulfill President John F. Kennedys 1961 pledge to put Americans on the moon.
Americans and the California Dream, 1850-1915 was published in 1973, to great acclaim. The literary scholar John Seelye, reviewing it in The New York Times, called it one devil of a fine book, a book only a native Californian could write.

In the second volume in the series, Inventing the Dream: California Through the Progressive Era, which was published in 1985 and shifted the focus from Northern to Southern California, Mr. Starr described his intention to write intellectual history that showed how the California of fact and the California of imagination shape and reshape each other.

This he proceeded to do in succeeding dream books. He chronicled the rise of California as a land of opportunity in Material Dreams: Southern California Through the 1920s (1990) and a treacherous paradise in the fraught years of the 1930s, which he described in two Janus-like volumes: the somber Endangered Dreams: The Great Depression in California (1996) and the much sunnier The Dream Endures: California Enters the 1940s (1997).

Embattled Dreams: California in War and Peace, 1940-1950, published in 2002, traced the emergence of the state as an industrial powerhouse. But the tale took a darker turn with Coast of Dreams: California on the Edge, 1990-2003, published in 2004.

I was beginning to wonder whether I had chosen a dead end, Mr. Starr wrote in the introduction to that book. Was California an aberration, a side show, or worse, a case study in how things could go wrong for the United States?
WASHINGTON  President-elect Donald J. Trump and congressional Republicans appear to have accomplished a feat that President Obama, with all the power at his disposal, could not in the past seven years: They have galvanized outspoken support for the Affordable Care Act.

People who benefit from the law are flooding Congress with testimonials. Angry consumers are confronting Republican lawmakers. And Democrats who saw the law as a political liability in recent elections have suddenly found their voice, proudly defending the law now that it is in trouble.

Thousands of people across the country held rallies over the weekend to save the health care law, which Republicans moved last week to repeal with a first but crucial legislative step. A widely circulated video showed Representative Mike Coffman, Republican of Colorado, eluding constituents who had wanted to meet with him to express their concerns on Saturday at a community event in Aurora, Colo. Rallies on Sunday to save the health law drew robust crowds around the country.

We are here today  thousands strong in Boston, and at more rallies all across this country  because we will make our voices heard, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, told a crowd outside Faneuil Hall in Boston. If Republicans try to rip health care out of the hands of millions of Americans, we will fight them every step of the way.
OTTAWA  Canadas federal conflict-of-interest and ethics office confirmed on Monday that it is investigating the propriety of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his familys spending part of the Christmas holidays as guests of the Aga Khan, the billionaire philanthropist and spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims, on a private island in the Bahamas.

Jocelyne Brisebois, a spokeswoman for the ethics commissioner, Mary Dawson, said in an email that an inquiry is being conducted under Canadas conflict-of-interest act but offered no details about its scope or timing.

Ms. Dawson said earlier that she would speak to Mr. Trudeau about separate allegations that he had broken conflict-of-interest laws by attending Liberal Party fund-raising events, where small numbers of people met the prime minister after making donations of 1,500 Canadian dollars apiece, or about $1,100.

The two inquires threaten to tarnish the image of Mr. Trudeau, who has long promised to conduct politics in a transparent manner. The penalty of any finding against Mr. Trudeau, however, would be mostly political. Violations of these conflict-of-interest laws are not crimes and bring comparatively small fines in the worst cases.
CAIRO  An Egyptian court on Monday upheld a ruling that said the government cannot transfer control of two key Red Sea islands to its main financial backer, Saudi Arabia, deepening a rift between the two Middle Eastern countries.

The alliance between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, two of the most influential Sunni countries in the world, has been tense for over a year, with Egypt refusing to substantially bolster Saudi war efforts in Syria and Yemen, despite receiving over $25 billion in aid since 2013. Saudi Arabia has given the money in an effort to salvage Egypts economy, which has been battered by political turmoil since the 2011 uprising.

Mondays verdict is widely expected to further shake, but not break, these strained ties.

The Saudi government will be unhappy about this, said Mustapha Kamel al-Sayyid, a political science professor at Cairo University. But eventually, Saudi will come to terms with the fact that having Egypt on its side is more important than these islands, he said.

Many analysts agree that Saudi Arabia is eager to make sure Egypt does not slide into civil unrest and to preserve its alliance with the country, the largest Arab military power in the region.
The American Museum of Natural History has long been on the front lines of the climate change discussion, as its scientists study the potential damage and its educators try to alert new generations to the dangers of global warming.

The depth of that mission is evident in the numerous exhibitions at this Manhattan museum, like the film Wonders of the Arctic, which is on view through March 2. The polar bear has always been the symbol of the Arctic, the narrator intones. Now its become the face of climate change and the threat it poses.

But one of the museums leaders, a trustee who is also an important donor to the institution, Rebekah Mercer, has been using her familys millions to fund organizations that question climate change, a cornerstone of the conservative agenda she is advancing as an influential member of President-elect Donald J. Trumps transition team.

In recent years the Mercer Family Foundation  which Ms. Mercer operates with her father, the New York investor Robert Mercer  has given nearly $8 million to organizations including the Heartland Institute in Illinois, a group that rejects the scientific consensus on climate change. She is also on the board of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that is skeptical of whether human behavior causes climate change.
The situation  with its charges of a honey trap and kompromat (compromising material gathered by the authorities)  reflects the climate of suspicion and growing authoritarianism in Russia, where artists like the female punk band Pussy Riot have faced jail, but, for the most part, outright Soviet-style censorship has given way to artistic self-censorship in the face of changing laws and cuts to culture funding.

The accusations, however, have prompted even some supporters of Mr. Pavlensky to question his behavior. The theater where the actress works, Teatr.doc, is known for documentary-style plays that have criticized and angered the Russian government, and it has supported Mr. Pavlensky in the past. But its leadership has seconded the assault accusations and defended the actress against the couples assertions that she was working for the state.

This is not the first time Mr. Pavlensky has found himself in the cross hairs of the Russian authorities. Over the years, they have ordered him to undergo a dozen psychiatric evaluations, a technique long used to quash political dissent. In 2014 he chopped off his right earlobe for a piece called Segregation, inspired by van Gogh and intended, he said, to show that psychiatry is a collection of subjective opinions.
LONDON  Maria Balshaw has been named as the new director of the Tate group of art museums in Britain, assuming the top position at one of the most important museum organizations in the world, it confirmed on Tuesday.

In her new role, Ms. Balshaw will oversee the four museums in the group  Tate Modern and Tate Britain in London, Tate Liverpool in the northwest of England, and Tate St. Ives, in the countrys southwest. She is expected to take over June 1, and will be the museum groups first female director.

Tate Modern is among the 10 most visited art museums in the world, and together, the four Tate museums draw roughly eight million visitors a year.

Ms. Balshaw has served for the past decade as the director of the Whitworth in Manchester, England, a gallery that completed a 15 million pound, or $23 million, expansion in 2015 that was well received. She has also served as the director of Manchester City Galleries since 2011.
AMSTERDAM  A painting attributed to the circle of the 16th-century Italian artist known as Parmigianino has been determined to be a modern fake, according to a complaint filed by Sothebys auction house in United States District Court in New York on Tuesday.

The company filed the complaint against the collector Lionel de Saint Donat-Pourrieres, who consigned the painting to Sothebys for a 2012 auction, where it sold to another collector for $842,500. Last year, Sothebys asked the buyer to send the painting back for testing, after receiving information that the artwork may have passed through a source under investigation before coming into Mr. de Saint Donat-Pourrieress possession.

Through testing of paint samples taken from the oil painting, the auction house says, it has determined that the portrait of St. Jerome contains pigments throughout the paint layer that were not invented until the 20th century.

According to the complaint, Each and every one of those samples (none of which were taken from areas of restoration) contained the modern synthetic pigment phthalocyanine green, which was first used in paints nearly four centuries after Parmigianino died.
As Faye moves through her days, she speaks to people: friends, old lovers, real estate agents, salon employees, students, fellow writers, construction workers. Their stories, as filtered through Faye, comprise the bulk of the narrative. I like it that you ask these questions, one woman says to her at a dinner party. But I dont understand why you want to know.

Image Rachel Cusk Credit... Siemon Scammel-Katz

Much of what Faye learns is about human loneliness. When she considers the computer algorithms that increasingly mimic human speech and thought, for example, she rakes up melancholy anecdotes from others that thicken her own intellection.

A friend of mine, depressed in the wake of his divorce, Faye says, 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.

Theres a constant sense of Ms. Cusks mind whirling, as if she were forever, in the background, performing an internal disk check.

Transit is fat with substance, as August Wilson once said he wanted his plays to be. Theres a lot of humor in its talk. About one woman, Ms. Cusk writes: It was Dianes view that bringing up a completely undamaged child was in bad taste. A writer says to a noisier writer, I spend so much time in your shadow Im starting to get a vitamin deficiency.

But mostly, Ms. Cusks novel bears down on topics like power and powerlessness, freedom and fate, love and its opposite. The most important thing we have in this world, Transit suggests, is other people, and its very hard to find the good ones: They were like expensive paintings hung in the safety of the museum. You could look as hard as you liked, but you werent going to find one just lying in the street.

Ms. Cusks book does not oppress us with too much literary talk. But whats here is good. When Faye is onstage at a literary festival with two male memoirists, one says: Any writer who denied the childish element of revenge in what they did was, as far as he was concerned, a liar. Writing was just a way of taking justice into your own hands. If you wanted the proof, all you had to do was look at the people who had something to fear from your honesty.
The anxiety began well before the Cleveland convention, where the candidate of the Forgotten Men, the one who declared Americans the greatest Race on the face of this old Earth, seemed likely to clinch his partys presidential nomination. Doremus Jessup, the protagonist of Sinclair Lewiss 1935 novel It Cant Happen Here, sees something dark and terrible brewing in American politics  the potential for a real fascist dictatorship led by the up-and-coming populist candidate Berzelius Windrip. Friends scoff at this extravagant concern. That couldnt happen here in America, not possibly! they assure him. But Jessup, a small-town Vermont newspaper editor and a mild, rather indolent and somewhat sentimental liberal, worries about the devastation ahead. What can I do? he agonizes night after night. Oh  write another editorial viewing-with-alarm, I suppose!

When Election Day comes to pass, Jessup learns that his editorials have not done the trick. The reality of the new situation feels unspeakably awful, like the long-dreaded passing of a friend. Jessup faces the presidential inauguration in a state of high distress, convinced that the nation is careering toward its doom, but that nobody  least of all his fellow liberals  can do much to stop it.

It Cant Happen Here is a work of dystopian fantasy, one mans effort in the 1930s to imagine what it might look like if fascism came to America. At the time, the obvious specter was Adolf Hitler, whose rise to power in Germany provoked fears that men like the Louisiana senator Huey Long or the radio priest Charles Coughlin might accomplish a similar feat in the United States. Today, Lewiss novel is making a comeback as an analogy for the Age of Trump. Within a week of the 2016 election, the book was reportedly sold out on Amazon.com.

At a moment when instability seems to be the only constant in American politics, It Cant Happen Here offers an alluring (if terrifying) certainty: It can happen here, and what comes next will be even ghastlier than you expect. Yet the graphic horrors of Lewiss vision also limit the books usefulness as a guide to our own political moment. In 1935, Lewis was trying to prevent the unthinkable: the election of a pseudo-fascist candidate to the presidency of the United States. Todays readers, by contrast, are playing catch-up, scrambling to think through the implications of an electoral fait accompli. If Lewiss postelection vision is what awaits us, there will be little cause for hope, or even civic engagement, in the months ahead. The only viable options will be to get out of the country  or to join an armed underground resistance.
 President Obama commuted most of the sentence of Chelsea Manning, the army intelligence analyst convicted of an enormous 2010 leak to WikiLeaks that revealed U.S. military and diplomatic activities around the world. She will be free in five months.

The decision will likely come up at Mr. Obamas final news conference today, along with other legacy issues, like the fight to preserve the Affordable Care Act.

A report found that repealing major provisions of Obamacare would cost 18 million people medical insurance in the first year, a number that could increase to 32 million in 10 years.
1. President Obama commuted most of the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the army intelligence analyst sentenced to 35 years in prison for giving a massive trove of secret documents to WikiLeaks.

Ms. Manning, already jailed for nearly seven years, will be freed in May. That rescues Ms. Manning, who has tried to commit suicide twice in prison, from an uncertain future as a transgender woman in a male prison.
LONDON  British American Tobacco said on Tuesday that its sweetened offer to buy the stake in Reynolds American that it did not already own had been accepted, a $49 billion deal that would create a tobacco giant with a significant presence around the world.

The purchase would create the worlds largest publicly traded tobacco business, based on net sales, and it would combine companies with brands that include Camel, Lucky Strike, Newport and Pall Mall. It comes as the industry faces a shift toward so-called next-generation products, or N.G.P.s, such as e-cigarettes and vaping products.

The agreement came nearly three months after British American Tobacco first offered to buy the 57.8 percent of Reynolds American that it did not own, at the time offering about $47 billion.

It will create a stronger, global tobacco and N.G.P. business with direct access for our products across the most attractive markets in the world, Nicandro Durante, the British American Tobacco chief executive, said in a news release. We believe this will drive continued, sustainable profit growth and returns for shareholders long into the future.
They raise one of the enduring mysteries of the federal judiciary: Why hold a government program to be unconstitutional if you arent going to do anything about it?

At the end of December, the Securities and Exchange Commissions administrative enforcement strategy, bolstered by Dodd-Frank, was found by a federal appeals court to have vested too much power in agency adjudicators. The adjudicators could preside over high-profile enforcement actions, but had not been selected under the authority to appoint important government officers, which is given to the president alone, in the courts of law or in the heads of departments, as the Constitutions Appointments Clause puts it.

In October, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has cracked down on various sharp practices by lenders, was found by an appeals court to be too independent from presidential oversight to be consistent with the authority vested in the White House to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

As Peter J. Henning observed in his White Collar Watch column, The idea behind the Appointments Clause is to maintain the separation of powers in the federal government by placing the authority in the executive branch that will be politically accountable, rather than creating fiefs that are beyond the reach of the president.

The same observation might be made of the Take Care Clause. By assigning the faithful execution of laws to the president, Congress cannot give executive powers to someone else, ensuring that the buck stops in the Oval Office.
The clout of the Davos Man may be in question with the victories of Donald J. Trump and the Brexit campaign, but the worlds leaders and thinkers are rolling into the snowy resort of Davos, Switzerland, all the same.

And the World Economic Forum is trying to acknowledge what may have been a failing on the part of attendees at its annual meeting to articulate the benefits of open trade.

So the events organizers have put together an index of what they call inclusive growth and development, measuring countries according to their progress on economic growth and reducing income inequality.

Its our response to how capitalism has failed us  and how we need to fix it, said Adrian Monck, a member of the forums executive committee.
Walmart, the nations largest private employer, said Tuesday it would create about 10,000 jobs when it opens about 60 new stores, plans that had already been announced last year. The additions to the work force are largely in line with Walmarts typical hiring practices for new stores, according to a company spokesman, Lorenzo Lopez.

Months before it announced the new stores last year, Walmart said it could lose as many as 16,000 workers by closing 154 of its American locations and 115 stores overseas. Mr. Lopez said on Tuesday that a lot of the workers who had been affected by the store closures were able to move to surrounding Walmart stores.

In the case of the auto industry, Mr. Trumps criticism of imports of Mexican-made vehicles has prompted companies to defend their American manufacturing presence aggressively and announce new investments, some of which had long been in the planning stages.

Last week, the chief executive of Fiat Chrysler, Sergio Marchionne, admitted that plans for 2,000 new jobs in the United States had been under consideration long before Mr. Trump won the presidency in November.

The decision has been in the works for a long time, dating back to 2015, Mr. Marchionne said during an appearance at the Detroit auto show. It is just a continuation of the retooling of the U.S. manufacturing base.

But Mr. Trumps immediate  and positive  reaction to the announcement underscored how closely the president-elect is following the automotive job picture, and how his keen interest in American manufacturing is influencing automakers.

On Tuesday, General Motors, the largest American automaker, announced $1 billion in new investment in its American factories that would create or retain 1,500 jobs. The automaker also said it was moving production of axles from Mexico to the United States and creating 450 American jobs, and would continue to add thousands of new technology jobs over the next few years.
Lets not be coy, they wrote. The changes will lead to fewer editors at The Times.

In an interview on Tuesday, Mr. Baquet acknowledged that The Times had long valued its meticulous editing, and reducing its editor ranks represented a significant cultural transformation. But, he said, I do not believe that eliminating some of that editing will make us a lesser institution.

The plan to cut back on editors reflects a broader effort by legacy publications to streamline their operations and align themselves with leaner digital media companies, which built their newsrooms without the kind of multilayered editing process inherent in print production.

If you look at any newsroom that was built for a digital environment, they dont have anything like the editing structure that The Times has, said Joshua Benton, the director of the Nieman Journalism Lab. On the one hand, that is something that The Times is differentiated through. But on the other hand, if you do need to become more efficient, then some reduction there does make sense.

Mr. Baquet and Mr. Kahn said in their note that the shift to digital publishing demanded a smaller and more focused newsroom, but added that the reconfiguration should be viewed as a necessary repositioning of The Timess newsroom, not as a diminishment. An announcement about downsizing in the newsroom will come in the first half of the year, Mr. Baquet said.

Their note also laid out some concrete steps for various projects, including a plan to invest $5 million toward covering the incoming president, Donald J. Trump, and his administration.

The report coincides with a series of broader changes at The Times, including a reimagining of the print newspaper; an aggressive international expansion; a heightened emphasis on graphics, podcasts, video and virtual reality; the $30-million purchase of the product recommendation site The Wirecutter and its sibling, The Sweethome; and changes in top newsroom management. The Times also recently appointed A.G. Sulzberger as deputy publisher, positioning him to succeed his father, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., as publisher.

Many of the initiatives are intended to support an ambitious goal that The Times laid out in October 2015: to double its digital revenue, to $800 million in 2020 compared with $400 million in 2014. Last year, the report says, The Times generated nearly $500 million in purely digital revenue.
In the United States, JetBlue is considering entering the European market. Philip Stewart, a spokesman, said that the airline had the option to take delivery of Airbus A321LR aircraft and that the plane could potentially fly to Europe from the East Coast. He said Europe suffered from a lack of competition and high fares, and that is certainly an environment that JetBlue competes well in.

American carriers that already fly to Europe are focusing on new in-flight products to challenge airlines like Norwegian, which offers a premium in-flight service with more legroom, meals and airport lounge access, along with three different economy fares. Condor also offers flights with three classes of service.

The president of Delta, Glen Hauenstein, said last week that by next year the carrier would fully roll out its basic economy fare  for which seats are assigned at check-in and the ability to make changes or cancel is prohibited  on international flights. In addition, starting this year Delta will begin offering a higher-priced premium select service on Airbus A350 and Boeing 777 aircraft, with improved seat pitch and upgraded meals, among other amenities. For its part, American recently began offering a premium economy service on 787-9 Dreamliner flights from Dallas to Madrid and Paris, and will eventually introduce it on all international wide-body aircraft.

The availability of varying in-flight offerings might well determine the popularity of low-cost carriers among business travelers, as opposed to the price-sensitive leisure travelers they traditionally attract. Greeley Koch, executive director of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, said its members looked for an array of choices on fares and routes.

Travelers occasionally close deals worth millions of dollars, and a trip of that significance justifies a business-class seat, he said. At other times, low-cost, lowest-fare options can make the trip practical. I frequently see this with smaller companies and start-ups where budgets are extremely tight, he said.

Anders Lindstrom, a spokesman for Norwegian, said almost one-third of its trans-Atlantic flight bookings in Europe were made by corporate customers, a figure it hopes to match in the American market once it expands its sales activities there.
LOPEZ ISLAND, Wash.  On a blustery afternoon in December, Scott Meyers mingled in a pasture with a herd of black cattle, sweet-talking them as if they were family dogs with a weakness for flattery. He scratched their backs, hugged them and rattled off their names: Chocolate, Fudge, Honey.

From these pampered creatures, Mr. Meyers produces grass-fed Wagyu beef, celebrated for a buttery flavor that comes from the Japanese breeds intense fat marbling.

It used to be that to get beef from Mr. Meyerss Sweet Grass Farm, customers had to order it directly from him in freezer-busting quantities, like a 30-pound variety pack or a quarter of a cow. Then they had to pick the meat up on designated dates at one of two locations outside Seattle, or take the 40-minute ferry ride to this island.

But about a year ago, Mr. Meyers connected with some Seattle tech entrepreneurs who had just created a start-up called Crowd Cow. The online service sells whole cows from small ranchers, divided into manageable orders, usually about 10 to 12 pounds, and delivered to homes as frozen, vacuum-sealed cuts. The beef from Mr. Meyerss first animal sold out on Crowd Cow within a couple of hours.
One night, just after I sat down, the screen went up, and a hand stretched toward me. Without thinking, I held out mine, and we shook. Anxiety flushed through me. Had I broken ramen protocol? Was this like reaching over the front seat of a car to give an Uber driver a neck rub?

I recovered from my shame and started filling out the menu with check marks and circles. How strong did I want the broth? How rich with melted pork fat  a few isolated slicks coasting on top of the soup, or a layer thick as frosting on a cupcake? Would I like chopped scallions or not? How about cha-shu, thin slices of marinated pork? Extra cha-shu on the side? No chopped garlic, a pile of garlic, or something in between?

Should my noodles be soft on arrival, or firm because theyd get to keep cooking in the hot soup? Finally, did I want any of Ichirans proprietary spice mixture dropped on top, and if so, how much? Would a few pinpricks of fire do, or should I make the broth so incendiary that I would have to reach for the tissues mounted on the wall behind me?

All these decisions would be pointless, of course, if the ramen were not very good. It is. Whether you will prefer it to the majestically potent tonkotsu at Mu Ramen or the memorably savory one at Ippudo, I cant say. But it is rounded and substantial, moving across the mouth with the glide and density of extralight coffee. The flavor is very porky without any of the unnerving butcher-shop note that creeps into some tonkotsus. I was never served a bowl that was less than painfully hot, which is the ideal.

One edge Ichiran holds over its competitors is that you can give what you consider the correct answer to all of those questions. For the record, my preferences after a few rounds of experimentation are: broth of medium richness and strength; yes to scallions and the standard, free portion of cha-shu (it is less flavorful than at some other places, the meat less generous with jiggly streaks of fat); a smallish dab of garlic; and firm but not extra firm noodles, which are straight and skinny, like spaghetti.

The spice blend is called hiden no tare, which translates as secret sauce. Supposedly only four people know the recipe. This coarse, rust-colored paste adds more than heat; after it sits in the soup for a while, the broth takes on a toasted flavor that sometimes reminded me of roasted peanuts. The amount I asked for varied based on how badly my head required banging that day. I stopped short of a full skull-shattering dose, but its reassuring to know I can get it when the need arises.
GENEVA  Ask watch fans to name a wristwatch model and the responses could include the Nautilus by Patek Philippe, the Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet or the Tank by Cartier.

In the realm of clocks, however, there is but one boldfaced name: the Atmos by Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Invented in 1928 by the Swiss engineer Jean-Leon Reutter, the Art Deco pendulum clock is an elegant nod to a bygone era. It is also a sleek piece of modern design, thanks to Jaeger-LeCoultres bold approach to collaboration.

Since 2008, the Swiss brand has teamed with the celebrated industrial designer Marc Newson on three editions of the Atmos. The latest of these, the Atmos 568, is making its debut this week at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva.

Housed in a rounded cube of clear Baccarat crystal and with a transparent dial, the clock, which retails for $28,000, is an ode to simplicity. Blue transferred Arabic numerals and blued hands are the only concessions to color.
The Great Show Shake-Up has reached couture.

Versace will not hold its usual fashion show this coming Sunday, the opening night of the couture spring 2017 shows in Paris, opting instead for a number of major client events during the year in cities around the world, including Hong Kong and New York, according to its chief executive, Jonathan Akeroyd.

After mens wear events in Milan this week for both the main Versace line and the secondary Versus Versace line; after outfitting celebrities such as Blake Lively and Naomi Campbell at the Golden Globes, and presumably readying for the upcoming British Academy of Film and Television Arts (known as Bafta) and Oscar nights; and before the womens show in February, the house has decided that, well, six is enough.

At the moment, we do six shows a year, and my feeling is: Thats a lot of shows, Mr. Akeroyd said. Eight, if you count couture, seems excessive. And we all know the model is changing quite a lot, so why not take the opportunity to try something new?

The change is Mr. Akeroyds first big move since joining the Italian brand last spring after more than a decade at Alexander McQueen. And though the cancellation could be interpreted as a cost-saving choice, especially for a company rumored to be preparing an initial public offering, Mr. Akeroyd said that budget was not the issue. Stress was. Also relevancy.
LONDON  For Stephen Forsey, the Grand Sonnerie that he and Robert Greubel are presenting this week at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva reflects the 30 years that each man has spent in watchmaking.

After all, the piece took them 11 of those years to make.

It sounds like one of the very best pocket watches from the past, but in a wristwatch, Mr. Forsey, the co-founder of Greubel Forsey, said during an interview in London last month.

The timepiece has 935 parts packed into a titanium case 1.7 inches by 0.6 inches, with visible hammers and gongs on the dial, an hour and quarter striking mechanism, minute repeater, inclined tourbillon  and a price tag of 1.15 million Swiss francs, or about $1.12 million, before taxes.

We push each other forward all the time, Mr. Forsey of his partnership with Mr. Greubel, which began in 1992. Previously he worked on prototypes for IWC, while Mr. Forsey restored Asprey watches.
Some watch brands, searching in a down market for ways to attract new buyers and retain the ones they already have, are improving their warranties.

After all, what better way to assert confidence in your product?

Traditionally, watch warranties are good for two to three years after purchase, covering manufacturer defects affecting the performance of the movement and the watchs reliability in timekeeping. Normal use and damage caused by the wearer usually are excluded.

Rolex, long known for the reliability of its products, has led the way in strengthening warranties. The brand announced in 2015 that all Rolexes purchased through official retailers would be covered for five years, rather than just two. And the warranty is attached to the watch, not the owner, so resales wont affect the guarantee.

A Rolex representative said the extension was intended to demonstrate the brands confidence in the quality of its products and its commitment to customers.
Article: In Trumps Feud With John Lewis, Blacks Perceive a Callous Rival

Before Reading

Who is John Lewis? What has he done in his life to be described as a civil rights icon and someone who is revered on Capitol Hill by Democrats and Republicans alike?

Then, read some background on why Mr. Lewis announced on Friday that he would not attend Donald J. Trumps inauguration. What do you think of that decision?

Questions for Comprehension and Analysis

1. How have some Democratic lawmakers reacted to Mr. Trumps criticism of Mr. Lewis?

2. What role does Twitter play on both sides of this situation?

3. How has Vice President-elect Mike Pence responded?
ALBANY  Just days before President-elect Donald J. Trumps inauguration, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York will meet with Mr. Trump on Wednesday, the first face-to-face meeting between the two men since the election.

The meeting will take place at Trump Tower, and the topics will include infrastructure, the Affordable Care Act and issues of importance to New York, according to Melissa DeRosa, the governors chief of staff.

The meeting comes against a complicated backdrop: Mr. Cuomo believes that New York, the home state of both men, faces potentially harrowing financial consequences, a loss of more than $3 billion, from Mr. Trumps planned repeal of the health care law. Mr. Trump has said the law should be repealed and replaced, and has suggested that he has a plan in hand, but has not offered any details.

Mr. Cuomo, who spoke to the president-elect shortly after the election, initially offered an optimistic assessment that Mr. Trumps election could be a bonus for New York, citing his understanding of building, infrastructure and urban areas. Nonetheless, Mr. Cuomo said he wanted to see how Mr. Trump would handle federal programs, like housing, that he called very important to New York.
I had never been at any military school, said Ms. Mo, now 70 and still living in a small house in Cu Chi. As a girl, I was so scared when I cocked a gun for the first time. But, you know, I learned a lot on the battlefields.

Image Starting at age 13, Vo Thi Mo worked as a secret messenger for Communist forces in South Vietnam. Credit... Thanh Phong

That poorly equipped, poorly supplied Communist forces were able to resist a sustained mechanized onslaught was a testament to the resilience, adaptability and tenacity of fighters like Ms. Mo. Their ability to survive, at a terrible cost, and learn from the experience helped shape their strategy for the rest of the war.

To understand the experiences of Vietnamese on both sides of the war, Ive studied hundreds of Vietcong reports and communications, soldiers diaries and letters, captured by the Central Intelligence Agency and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and archived at Texas Tech University. Ive also conducted dozens of interviews in Vietnam in which former soldiers like Ms. Mo reflected on the war, and Cedar Falls in particular. Besides Ms. Mo, the other interviewees spoke on condition that their initials, but not their names, would be published.

Even a half-century later, Col. Q.T.N., an 81-year-old former regiment commander and one of the few survivors of a division that was considered among the most hardened units of the Vietcong, shuddered as he recalled Cedar Falls in an interview at his home in Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh City.

After bomb and rocket attacks from B-52s, jet fighters, helicopters and heavy artillery secured the area, American tanks and troops came in to search for and destroy us, Colonel Q.T.N. said. The lands of Cu Chi, Ben Cat and Ben Suc  villages at the perimeter of the Iron Triangle  were razed as if they were some evils peeled off the skins of our body. Therefore, we called the operation Peeling the Shell of the Earth.
Frances national motto is Liberty, equality, fraternity. But the depth of its commitment to fraternity is being tested by activists who say they cannot, as French citizens of good conscience, stand by while the state fails in its humanitarian duty toward African migrants who are stranded on the border with Italy, or lost along French roadsides, tired, hungry, thirsty and cold.

It is illegal under French law to help illegal migrants enter France, travel in France or stay in France. But a 2013 law allows aid to illegal migrants if the aid is given freely  a caveat aimed against profiteering from human trafficking  and if the aid is necessary to protect their dignity and physical integrity. This month, a court in Nice acquitted Pierre-Alain Mannoni, a university researcher charged with illegally transporting three Eritrean migrant women, on these grounds. Mr. Mannoni swore he was not a smuggler. He said he had acted to protect the migrants dignity, explaining that it was very cold and that they were young, perhaps minors, and needed medical care.

The case against Cedric Herrou, also heard in Nice this month, is stickier. Mr. Herrou is an unapologetic serial violator of Frances laws prohibiting aid to illegal migrants. An olive farmer in a mountain valley near the Italian border where Jews found refuge during World War II, Mr. Herrou admits to searching out needy illegal migrants across the border and sheltering them in France. There are people dying on the side of the road. Its not right, he told the three-judge panel hearing his case. For Mr. Herrou, helping those in need is part of what it means to be French. I am a Frenchman, he declared.

Even though Mr. Herrou could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 30,000 euros, the prosecutor has asked for an eight-month suspended sentence. A judgment is expected on Feb. 10. A light sentence would send a welcome signal that fraternity is, indeed, a French value that deserves to be defended. The French, who will vote in April on a new president, are understandably spooked by terrorism. And many fear that if the state takes care of migrants, it will have to reduce benefits for citizens. The right-wing candidates Marine Le Pen and Francois Fillon are pledging to tighten the borders and clamp down even harder on migration.
To the Editor:

Re Let Opioid Users Inject in Hospitals (Op-Ed, Jan. 6):

Tim Laheys call for safe drug-use rooms in hospitals is aligned with what we at the Elton John AIDS Foundation have always said: Curbing the opioid epidemic and its devastating consequences requires a comprehensive, pragmatic approach grounded in public health, not stigma and shame.

In the face of decreasing private funding to combat injection-drug abuse, our foundation continuously invests in organizations that link injection-drug users to care and challenge how our institutions tackle drug use. But we cant do it alone.

It is urgent that decision makers across the country support the initiatives that address the medical needs of injection-drug users, including the harm-reduction programs that are proved to thwart the spread of diseases like H.I.V.

They should also support the AIDS service organizations, L.G.B.T. centers and other care providers that play a vital role in ensuring that people who suffer from addiction can lead healthier lives. Its our only hope of stopping this public health crisis.
To the Editor:

Re In Trump Tweets, Blacks Perceive a Callous Rival (front page, Jan. 16):

Donald Trumps words of hatred toward Representative John Lewis and his constituency hurt all Americans, regardless of race. Black, white, Asian, Latino, whatever we may be, we all have a stake in our unified future and welfare.

As a staunch civil rights advocate over many years, Mr. Lewis is a national treasure. No one should attack this man.

The hatred Mr. Trump brings forth does not belong in the White House. There are too many questions that should have been answered through investigation and the release of his tax returns. Whom is he beholden to?

Mr. Lewis is correct to question the legitimacy of this president-elect, who won the election with the help of Russian hackers and rampant disinformation. I am outraged.
To the Editor:

Re Where Homelessness Can Be a Crime (news article, Jan. 10):

The issue should not be the criminalization of homelessness. The waging of public campaigns claiming the right to rest as a new civil right for the homeless further impedes serious efforts to address the homeless problem.

I agree with the Denver City Council president, Albus Brooks, whom you quote as saying, Its immoral for a community to accept folks on the street.

The solution to the homeless problem is inescapable: more housing at affordable rates and treatment for those homeless people who need it. It requires serious efforts by federal, state and local governments, and public support for their efforts.

JOHN A. VITERITTI

Laurel, N.Y.
Even as more and more states allow their residents to use marijuana, the federal government is continuing to obstruct scientists from studying whether the drug is good or bad for peoples health.

A report published last week by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine points out that scientists who want to study cannabis have to seek approvals from federal, state and local agencies and depend on just one lab, at the University of Mississippi, for samples. As a result, far too little is known about the health effects of a substance that 28 states have decided can be used as medicine and eight states and the District of Columbia have approved for recreational use.

The situation is so absurd, the report says, that chemists and brain researchers are not allowed to study cannabis concentrates and edibles. Yet those forms of the drug are widely used. For example, in Colorado, where voters decided to create a regulated market for marijuana in 2012, sales of concentrates reached $60.5 million in just the first three months of last year.

Many of the research restrictions stem from the federal governments decision to classify marijuana under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, which limits access to funding, among other burdens. The report, which was written by a committee of health experts, does not go as far as calling for reclassification, something that Congress or the executive branch has the power to do.
King David was most compelling when he danced. Overcome by gratitude to God, he stripped down to his linens and whirled about before the ark of the covenant  his love and joy spilling beyond the boundaries of normal decorum.

His wife, Michal, the daughter of King Saul, was repulsed by his behavior, especially because he was doing it in front of the commoners. She snarked at him when he got home for exposing himself in front of the servants slave girls like some scurrilous fellow.

The early Christians seem to have worshiped the way David did, with ecstatic dancing, communal joy and what Emile Durkheim called collective effervescence. In her book Dancing in the Streets, Barbara Ehrenreich argues that in the first centuries of Christianity, worship of Jesus overlapped with worship of Dionysus, the Greek god of revelry. Both Jesus and Dionysus upended class categories. Both turned water into wine. Second- and third-century statuettes show Dionysus hanging on a cross.

But when the church became more hierarchical, the Michals took over. Somber priest-led rituals began to replace direct access to the divine. In the fourth century, Gregory of Nazianzus urged, Let us sing hymns instead of striking drums, have psalms instead of frivolous music and song,  modesty instead of laughter, wise contemplation instead of intoxication, seriousness instead of delirium.
When Barack Obama ran for president in 2008, he understood, without quite saying it, that there had been no highly successful Democratic president in decades.

Bill Clinton made the country a better place, but his biggest legislative plans failed and he was beset by scandal. John F. Kennedy, though popular in retrospect, had his agenda stalled in Congress when he was killed. Harry Truman left office deeply unpopular. Jimmy Carter lost re-election.

And Lyndon Johnson, despite grand domestic achievements, was driven from office. The chant Hey, hey, L.B.J., how many kids did you kill today? doesnt exactly suggest progressive heroism.

This history of liberal disappointment was the subtext of a revealing early comment from Obama: Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. The history also led Obama to reject the advice of his first Treasury secretary that their legacy should be preventing another depression. Thats not enough, Obama replied.
MEXICO CITY  For Mexico, the United States has been a difficult neighbor, sometimes violent, almost always arrogant, almost never respectful, rarely cooperative. Mexico, on the other hand, has been a good neighbor to the United States.

To each offense, we have responded first with a gesture of noble resignation and then by searching for a practical resolution through a conciliatory openness of mind. Our positive attitude has allowed our two nations to live for almost 200 years in a generally peaceful atmosphere, though there have been tragic episodes and periods of tension. It is a record of tranquillity that few countries sharing a border can claim.

But this state of relative accord is now being menaced by President-elect Donald J. Trump, who brandished a rabidly anti-Mexican agenda during his campaign and once elected showed a disposition to act on the basis of his slanders. At his news conference on Wednesday, he vowed again that Mexico would pay for the wall he wants to build. It may well be time for Mexico to change its practice of using appeasement to cushion the damage of historical grievances.

The first and most serious offense was of course the American invasion of Mexico in 1846 and the subsequent Mexican-American War, which resulted in Mexico losing more than half of its territory. It was so traumatic an event that it became the theme of our national anthem.
This Week in Hate highlights hate crimes and harassment around the country since the election of Donald Trump.

Reliable data on hate crimes is hard to come by. As reports of racist, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic harassment and attacks poured in after the election of Donald Trump, many Americans wondered whether they represented a nationwide increase in hate crime. While the Southern Poverty Law Center saw a dramatic increase in reports after the election, its not yet clear whether this indicates a nationwide trend.

Thats one reason This Week in Hate is joining with ProPublica and a coalition of other organizations to work on Documenting Hate, a project that aims to gather data on hate crimes and incidents of bias around the country. Documenting Hate will analyze information from law enforcement, news reports, nonprofit groups and individuals in order to investigate topics like how many hate crimes occur annually, which parts of the country have the highest prevalence and whether the frequency or severity of hate crimes has changed since the election of Mr. Trump. This Week in Hate and several news organizations will publish results from those investigations.

Here are some reports of hate crimes and harassment that have drawn public attention in recent days.
On Wednesday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will consider President-elect Donald J. Trumps choice of Scott Pruitt, Oklahomas attorney general since 2011, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Pruitt spent much of his time in office fighting the Obama administration over the E.P.A.s actions to regulate air and water pollution and to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

The committee is led by Senator John Barrasso, Republican of Wyoming, an outspoken contrarian on climate change, and includes several Republicans openly hostile to federal action to address it. The Democratic members of the committee include some of the Senates strongest supporters of the E.P.A. and most forceful voices for decisive action on climate change.

We asked readers what questions they would ask if they could question Mr. Pruitt. More than 2,000 replied, and their answers largely fell into a few categories. Here is what some of them would like to know.

Climate change and climate science

Many readers seemed familiar with Mr. Pruitts statement that the science of climate change is far from settled. Most pointed out that an overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity, specifically by the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and asked for Mr. Pruitts sources for his position.
The military beret has long been a symbol of soldiers and revolutionaries and beatniks. And this season, the style popped up on a handful of mens runways. Last week in Kaliningrad, Russia, Gosha Rubchinskiy presented an assortment of colorful hats with his collection of tailoring and sportswear, for a look he described to T as a portrait of todays youth. In Milan, Missoni, true to fashion, showed its berets in colorfully woven stripes and plaids, while at Prada they came in leather and corduroy  fitting accents to a collection that felt decidedly 70s. I didnt want to do it, Miuccia Prada said of the influence of the decade on the collection. But it came out anyway, because it was a very important moment for protest, for rights, for humanity that could be very necessary now.
The bot first asks for your travel city and dates, whether you have a specific hotel brand in mind and if you have any neighborhood preferences in the city.

I texted SnapTravel while I was looking to book a few nights in my hometown, Binghamton, N.Y., during Thanksgiving week. Based on my initial responses, SnapTravel gave me a cost estimate for three- and four-star hotels in the area.

After another series of questions regarding my budget, brand preference and more, I was told to hang tight and it would get back to me with hotel options within an hour.

Seven minutes later, I was sent what it deemed my four best options, with photos and links to more details and booking options for each hotel, a link to a map with more options, and I was asked if I wanted to be put in touch with one of its travel agents (who can offer some human insight).

The entire process from start to finish took 16 minutes. But it felt more like an automated phone call with a cable company than a typical text conversation. I thanked the bot, and was pleased that it did not bug me later on, something I had expected.

The hotel recommendations were a mixed bag. I told the bot that I prefer Marriott hotels, and it included a Courtyard Marriott within my budget. The other three included a bed-and-breakfast, a local resort and a Homewood Suites by Hilton. Points for variety, but another Marriott choice would have been nice. Meanwhile the map with more options had only two additional hotels.

As far as the deals themselves, they seemed legitimate when compared with the prices seen on discount booking websites like Hotwire.com. When you click on the hotels link on SnapTravel, you get its rates, are told whether there is a cancellation fee and are given the opportunity to compare its rate for that hotel with other booking sites.
To be a woman in the United States is to feel unequal, despite great strides in gender equality, according to a wide-ranging poll about gender in postelection America released Tuesday. Its catcalls on the street, disrespect at work and unbalanced responsibilities at home. For girls, its being taught, more than boys, to aspire to marriage, and for women, its watching positions of power go to men.

Men, however, dont necessarily see it that way.

Those are some of the findings from the poll, by PerryUndem, a nonpartisan research and polling firm whose biggest clients are foundations. It surveyed 1,302 adults in December via the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicagos AmeriSpeak panel.

Eighty-two percent of women said sexism was a problem in society today, and 41 percent of women said they had felt unequal because of their gender.

Men underestimated the sexism felt by the women in their lives, the survey found. And while most respondents agreed its a better time to be a man than a woman in our society, only Republican men thought it was a better time to be a woman than a man.
WASHINGTON  In the Virginia suburb of McLean, where the local diner is a C.I.A. breakfast hangout, Gen. Michael V. Hayden, who ran the agency for George W. Bush, is playing career counselor these days. With President-elect Donald J. Trump attacking the intelligence community, the general says his old tribe is feeling a special angst.

In free-spirited Takoma Park, Md., a nuclear-free zone since 1983, a left-wing resistance movement is taking shape. Nadine Bloch, an activist and artist, is running pre-inaugural training on nonviolent protest  complete with mock police officers wielding rolled up newspapers as batons.

And here in the District of Columbia, where 91 percent of voters cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton, full-scale panic is setting in, said John Feehery, a Republican strategist and Trump enthusiast. Leslie Harris, a liberal Democratic lawyer, uses war imagery: I feel like my city is about to be invaded.

Washington has always been a chameleon of a city, accustomed to remaking itself when the White House changes hands. But as Mr. Trumps inaugural draws near, in a nation so deeply divided that it seems the political middle has entirely disappeared, perhaps no place in America feels as unsteady and on edge as the capital, which Mr. Trump calls the swamp.
Bishop Eddie L. Long, the flamboyant megachurch pastor whose reputation was tarnished after former congregants accused him of sexual misconduct, died on Sunday. He was 63.

The cause was cancer, his church, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., said in a statement. The statement did not say where he died.

Bishop Long had been the senior pastor since 1987 at New Birth Missionary Baptist, a 10,000-seat church in Lithonia, a suburb of Atlanta. The church said it grew from 300 members to more than 25,000 under his leadership, operating television and international ministries and building satellite churches in several cities, including Miami, Denver and Charlotte, N.C.

Bishop Long was known for preaching a prosperity gospel, which said the faithful would be rewarded with wealth. He himself flew around the world on a private jet, drove a $350,000 Bentley and lived in a $1.4 million house.
No wonder President-elect Trump realizes that repeal without replace is the real disaster, said Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader. No wonder he has admonished the Congress not to do plain repeal.

Republicans now have two powerful reasons to repeal and replace together: They hope to protect about 20 million Americans who have gained coverage under the law. And they want a politically acceptable judgment from the Congressional Budget Office on the effects of their alternative.

Mr. Trumps statement last week that a replacement plan should go hand in hand with repeal efforts had already ignited a sense of urgency among Republicans on Capitol Hill. Over the weekend Mr. Trump said he was close to completing a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act with the goal of insurance for everybody, but congressional aides said Tuesday that they had not seen an actual proposal.

Republican congressional leaders are trying to put together a plan that could pass muster with the Trump team and also win approval in the Senate under fast-track procedures that would neutralize the threat of a Democratic filibuster.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, met last week with Mr. Price to hash out alternatives, and they have been in close contact with the relevant committee leaders and staff members to begin hammering out ideas that could come into relief at the end of the month, when Republicans have their annual policy retreat.

Stephen Miller, a former Senate press aide and the incoming senior White House adviser for policy, who has been particularly aggressive in presenting himself as the voice of Mr. Trump on all policy matters, has pushed the notion that a plan should move quickly and in tandem with a replacement measure, rather than in a series of smaller bills, congressional aides said.
Maybe hell cite Two Corinthians

President-elect Trump  not exactly known for his piety  will be sworn in as the 45th president with not one Bible but two  the one that Abraham Lincoln used at his first inauguration and his own personal Good Book.

Thomas Barrack Jr., who is leading the inaugural committee, said in a statement:

In his first inaugural address, President Lincoln appealed to the better angels of our nature. As he takes the same oath of office 156 years later, President-elect Trump is humbled to place his hand on Bibles that hold special meaning both to his family and to our country.

Mr. Trumps Bible was apparently presented to him by his mother upon his graduation from the Sunday Church Primary School at First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens, on Childrens Day, June 12, 1955.

The president-elect may not have studied it closely. At a speech to the evangelical Liberty University during the campaign, he famously referred to Two Corinthians, a faux pas in Christian circles (he also cursed, twice). Its Second Corinthians.

Education secretary nominee still hasnt finished ethics form

The late-day confirmation hearing for Betsy DeVos, a billionaire and Mr. Trumps pick for education secretary, is expected to feature fierce questioning from Democrats over her still-incomplete ethics form.

Ms. DeVos, the heiress to an automotive fortune who married into the even more vast fortune of the family that owns Amway, is one of few nominees to go before a Senate panel before completing an ethics questionnaire for the independent Office of Government Ethics addressing her financial holdings. According to prepared remarks, Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the highest-ranking Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, will say:

I am going to want to learn more about your extensive financial entanglements and potential conflicts of interest. As a billionaire with hundreds, if not thousands, of investments made through complex financial instruments  many of which are made in ways that are not transparent and hard to track  you need to make it very clear how you will be avoiding conflicts of interest should you be confirmed. That goes for your investments, as well as the massive web of investments made by your immediate family.

Trump disagrees with Republicans  again

Mr. Trump had already upended Republican plans to quickly repeal the Affordable Care Act, then replace it several years down the road, by demanding that a new health care law be ready within weeks.

He made matters worse for Republicans when he told The Washington Post this past weekend that any replacement plan should offer insurance to all Americans, and that Republicans should embrace the long-held Democratic proposal to empower the federal government to negotiate drug prices for Medicare and Medicaid.
It was the kind of moment that used to make Republicans think: Senator Marco Rubio will not have to suffer this job for long.

He glared at Rex W. Tillerson, the nominee for secretary of state, from behind his committee nameplate, his boyish face just a pinch more weathered than it used to be. He checked off the grievous offenses of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia with prosecutorial zeal, pressing Mr. Tillerson to brand Mr. Putin a war criminal and acknowledge the mysterious deaths of his political opponents.

When Mr. Tillerson equivocated, saying he hoped to learn more once he could receive classified information, Mr. Rubios retort was the stuff of a thousand cable news replays.

None of this is classified, Mr. Tillerson, the senator said flatly. These people are dead.

With that exchange and two others later in Mr. Tillersons rocky nine-hour confirmation hearing last week, Mr. Rubio, 45, reintroduced himself to the legislative body he had hoped, not so long ago, to leave behind for good.
WASHINGTON  President Obama on Tuesday commuted all but four months of the remaining prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the Army intelligence analyst convicted of a 2010 leak that revealed American military and diplomatic activities across the world, disrupted Mr. Obamas administration and brought global prominence to WikiLeaks, the recipient of those disclosures.

The decision by Mr. Obama rescued Ms. Manning, who twice tried to kill herself last year, from an uncertain future as a transgender woman incarcerated at the mens military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. She has been jailed for nearly seven years, and her 35-year sentence was by far the longest punishment ever imposed in the United States for a leak conviction.

At the same time that Mr. Obama commuted the sentence of Ms. Manning, a low-ranking enlisted soldier at the time of her leaks, he also pardoned James E. Cartwright, the retired Marine general and former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who pleaded guilty to lying about his conversations with reporters to F.B.I. agents investigating a leak of classified information about cyberattacks on Irans nuclear program.

The two acts of clemency were a remarkable final step for a president whose administration carried out an unprecedented criminal crackdown on leaks of government secrets. Depending on how they are counted, the Obama administration has prosecuted either nine or 10 such cases, more than were charged under all previous presidencies combined.
WASHINGTON  President Obama on Tuesday pardoned James E. Cartwright, a retired Marine Corps general and former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. about his discussions with reporters about Irans nuclear program, saving him from a possible prison sentence.

General Cartwright, who was a key member of Mr. Obamas national security team in his first term and earned a reputation as the presidents favorite general, pleaded guilty late last year to misleading investigators looking into the leaking of classified information about cyberattacks against Iran.

He was due to be sentenced this month. His defense team had asked for a year of probation and 600 hours of community service, but prosecutors had asked the judge overseeing his case to send him to prison for two years.

Now, the retired general will be spared such punishment.

Both General Cartwright and his lawyer, Gregory Craig, a former White House counsel to Mr. Obama, thanked the president in statements. The presidents decision is wise and just, and it achieves the right result, Mr. Craig said. It allows General Cartwright to continue his lifes work  to serve, protect and defend the nation he loves. It allows the nation to continue to benefit from his vast experience and knowledge.
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court considered on Tuesday how broad the governments authority is to deport immigrants who commit serious crimes.

The question was in one sense fairly technical, concerning whether a federal law on the subject was unconstitutionally vague. In another sense, though, the argument was part of a larger debate over the nations immigration laws, which President-elect Donald J. Trump has pledged to enforce vigorously.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the laws have grown increasingly draconian.

We have many more criminal sanctions with harsher sentences now, she said. Today whats at stake is a lot more than what was at stake decades ago.

Edwin S. Kneedler, a deputy solicitor general, said there was another side to the question.

Whats at stake cant be viewed just from that perspective, he said. Whats at stake is the fact that the immigration laws are vital to the nations national security and foreign relations and the safety and welfare of the country.
We saw the struggles and sacrifices many of these families faced when trying to choose the best educational option for their children, she said. For me, this was not just an issue of public policy but of national injustice.

She added: Heres the sad reality. In the past 28 years, the need and demand for these other options have grown, unabated.

Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said she was extremely disappointed that Ms. DeVoss hearing was proceeding before she had completed an agreement with the independent Office of Government Ethics that outlined a plan to deal with potential conflicts of interest.

Zinke balances land use and preservation

Mr. Zinke portrayed himself as an eager steward of the nations public lands, treading a fine line between the importance of preservation and utilization as he testified before a Senate panel as Mr. Trumps choice for interior secretary.

Mr. Zinke professed his admiration not only for the naturalist John Muir, a champion of preservation, but also for Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the United States Forest Service. Mr. Pinchot pushed for what he described as the planned use and renewal of natural resources.

It is also these lands that many communities, like the town I grew up in, rely on to harvest timber, mine and to provide our nation with energy, he said in prepared remarks.

He said one of his priorities leading the Interior Department would be addressing an estimated $12.5-billion backlog of maintenance and repairs in the national parks system.
OAKLAND, Calif.  She fired none of the shots, she was nowhere near the bloody scene, and none of the evidence made public so far hints that she shared her husbands violent jihadist ideology. Yet Noor Zahi Salman, the widow of the gunman who massacred revelers at an Orlando nightclub, stood before a federal judge on Tuesday as the only person charged in the attack.

In the early hours of June 12, Ms. Salmans husband, Omar Mateen, killed 49 people at Pulse, a gay nightclub, and wounded 53 others in one of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil. Before being fatally shot by the police, Mr. Mateen, a 29-year-old security guard, declared his allegiance to the Islamic State.

Though suspicion and scrutiny naturally fall on people close to someone who commits terrorism or mass murder, it is rare for a wife or a girlfriend to end up facing charges. But in a brief hearing in federal court in Oakland, a federal prosecutor, Roger Handberg, explained why the authorities considered Ms. Salman an exception.

She knew he was going to conduct the attack, Mr. Handberg said.

An indictment unsealed on Tuesday accused Ms. Salman, 30, of aiding and abetting the attempted provision and provision of material support to a foreign terrorist organization, a charge that can carry a sentence of life in prison. She was also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly misleading police officers and federal agents, who interviewed her for 12 hours on the day of the shooting.
DAKAR, Senegal  A Nigerian fighter jet searching for Boko Haram members on Tuesday accidentally bombed a camp for displaced people who had fled the militants, killing dozens of camp residents and at least six humanitarian workers, and wounding numerous others.

The bombing struck a government-run camp in Rann, Nigeria, near the Cameroonian and Chadian borders, an area where Boko Haram had recently increased attacks.

Government officials could not provide an exact death toll, saying they were focused on treating the wounded. Doctors Without Borders, the medical charity, said its teams in Rann had counted 52 dead and 200 wounded as they tried to provide first aid and stabilize patients who were awaiting evacuation.
Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, said after the election in November that Congress would not take it up. That meant it was dead.

The letter by the six ambassadors, all of whom are political appointees who leave their jobs on Friday, was symbolic. It put them on record supporting Mr. Obamas plan more than a year after the trade chiefs of the nations involved endorsed the pact. Following is the text of the letter:

An Open Letter to Members of Congress:

Seventy-five years ago last month, an attack on the United States set us on the path to becoming the Asia-Pacific power we are today. As U.S. Ambassadors assigned to the region, we interact daily with governmental, business, and civil society leaders who appreciate profoundly the role the United States has played in underpinning the regions security and prosperity ever since. These same leaders are now asking an alarming question: Will we relinquish our mantle as the pre-eminent force for good in the planets most dynamic region? The cause for their concern  possible U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). We believe their fears are justified, that walking away from TPP may be seen by future generations as the moment America chose to cede leadership to others in this part of the world and accept a diminished role. Such an outcome would be cause for celebration among those who favor Asia for the Asians and state capitalism. It would be disastrous for supporters of inclusive politics, rule of law, and market economics  and for U.S. national interests.

Lets be clear. The alternative to a TPP world is not the status quo. Others are actively engaged in setting the rules of commerce in the Asia-Pacific region without the United States. In addition to its massive Eurasian infrastructure initiative, China is working on a trade pact called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with fifteen other countries, many of whom are TPP signatories. RCEP is a much lower-standard agreement that, in the absence of TPP, would likely serve as the template for economic integration in Asia and shift trade away from America, which would face higher tariffs. That would mean less U.S. exports and more jobs moving overseas.

TPP would not just cut tariffs for U.S. products. Unlike RCEP, it would compel stronger intellectual property rights, limits on subsidies to state-owned enterprises, and protection of worker rights, the environment, and a free and open internet. These enforceable commitments would give a leg up to U.S. companies already adhering to high standards  and the U.S. workers who make them the most productive in the world  and provide a powerful lever for change that we are unlikely to replicate in any other form in the near future. Without them, our companies will face even more competitive disadvantages in Asias booming markets.

The blow to our strategic position is even more worrisome. This is not speculation. To turn our back on our allies and friends at this critical juncture, when the tectonic plates of regional power are shifting faster than ever, would undermine our credibility not only as a reliable trade partner, but as a leader on both sides of the Pacific. It would also create a potentially destabilizing void that might even lead to conflict, an outcome which would hurt everyone in the region, including China.

The bottom line is this: TPP is good for American workers, American values, and American strategic interests. We urge the Congress to work with the new administration to find a way to realize its many benefits before the window for doing so closes. As we reflect on more than seven decades of U.S. sacrifice and stewardship in the region that will define our destiny in coming decades, we should understand that, if we fail to answer todays call, history will pose a stern question  why did America forsake its best chance to shape the Pacific Century?

Signed by: Max Baucus, ambassador to China; Nina Hachigian, ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations; Caroline Kennedy, ambassador to Japan; Mark Lippert, ambassador to South Korea; Mark Gilbert, ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa; and Kirk Wagar, ambassador to Singapore.
When the archaeologists researched pendants of that era, he said, they were struck by something else: the pendant found at Sobibor was nearly identical to one that had belonged to Frank, who was also born in Frankfurt. That pendant was exhibited in the 1980s, Mr. Haimi said, and had since been kept by a relative of Franks in a safe in Basel, Switzerland.

Objects with links to Frank have gained in value in recent years. In November, an autographed poem written by her in a friendship book when she lived in Amsterdam fetched about $148,000 at an auction in the Dutch city of Haarlem, a price that reflected the hold she continues to exert on the global imagination.

Mr. Haimi said the charm found in Sobibor differed in one respect from the one belonging to Frank: the date on the pendants was different by a matter of three weeks.

Mr. Haimi said he had determined from the database that Karoline was deported to the Minsk ghetto, in Belarus, from Frankfurt on Nov. 11, 1941. But he said it was not clear if she had survived the harsh conditions of the ghetto or had been deported to Sobibor in September 1943, when the ghetto was shut down by the Nazis and 2,000 Jewish prisoners interned there were deported to their deaths elsewhere.

The discovery offered clues but also raised several questions: Was Karoline a close friend or relative of Franks? Was she the one who dropped the pendant through the floorboards? Or was it a relative, perhaps her mother, who had clung to it after Karoline was killed? In hope of finding the answer, the memorial has appealed to family members of the girls to come forward.

Mr. Haimi said that on Tuesday, an 88-year-old Israeli Holocaust survivor, who was born in Frankfurt, came forward, saying that she, too, owned a pendant resembling the one linked to Karoline and had kept it for eight decades. He said he hoped she could help solve the mystery.
LONDON  Get on with it.

With those words late in a major speech on Tuesday, Prime Minister Theresa May charted Britains course toward a clean break with the European Union and expressed her fondest hope: that the time for division and discord is over.

Her much-anticipated speech outlined what promised to be a hugely complex, drawn-out negotiation, and it defined the broad objectives, but not the details, of British withdrawal. The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union, and my job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do, she said.

With the address, Mrs. May began the jockeying that will lead to a break after more than four decades of tight integration, and define Britains relations with its neighbors for decades to come.

She confirmed that Britain is determined to regain control of migration from the European Union and rejected the supremacy of the European Court of Justice. That stance is anathema to the European Union, which has made the free movement of people  as well as goods, capital and services  a bedrock principle and which relies on the court to arbitrate.
LONDON  A Libyan dissident who claims he was abducted and tortured by American and British intelligence agents can sue the British government and a former foreign secretary over his rendition, Britains Supreme Court said on Tuesday.

The courts decision overturned a High Court ruling that said the dissident, Abdel Hakim Belhaj, could not seek damages from the government, the spy agencies MI5 and MI6, or Jack Straw, the former foreign secretary. That court said Mr. Belhaj did not have standing to sue because the case involved other countries and could damage Britains relations with the United States.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court said it unanimously dismisses the governments appeals, and that Mr. Belhajs case could go to trial.

Mr. Belhaj was the leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, a terrorist organization, according to the United States, when, he said, he and his pregnant wife, Fatima Bouchar, were abducted in 2004 in Bangkok. He was tortured for several days by two people he claims were C.I.A. agents. He was then returned to Libya, where he was thrown into solitary confinement for six years, three of them without a shower, one without a glimpse of the sun, he said. His child would turn 6 before Mr. Belhaj saw him for the first time.
BRUSSELS  Antonio Tajani was elected president of the European Parliament on Tuesday, and he wont have much time to settle in.

Mr. Tajani, an Italian who beat out his countryman Gianni Pittella in the fourth round of voting, takes over as the European Union confronts an array of pressing issues.

The Parliament is the only directly elected body among the bewildering list representing the European Union, but it often struggles for relevance  a fact underscored when Mr. Tajanis ascendance on Tuesday was overshadowed by a speech by Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain on plans for her country to leave the bloc, and an address by Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, in Davos, Switzerland.

Who is Antonio Tajani?

Mr. Tajani, 63, from the European Peoples Party  the Parliaments largest political group, with 217 members from 27 nations  was the favorite for the post.
MOSCOW  President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia declared on Tuesday that the political memo alleging that the Kremlin had sought for years to influence President-elect Donald J. Trump was fake, and he said that the effort to compile such a dossier was further evidence of the political decay of the West  one of the Russian leaders favorite themes.

Mr. Putin also accused the departing United States administration of trying to undermine President Obamas successor, saying that Russian spies had better things to do than chase rich American businessmen and try to catch them in compromising situations.

These bogus stories are clearly fake, Mr. Putin said at a news conference of allegations that included Mr. Trump cavorting with prostitutes while visiting Russia.

He is a grown man, somebody who for many years has been organizing beauty contests, interacted with the most beautiful women in the world, he added. You know, it is difficult for me to imagine that he ran to a hotel to meet with our young women with lowered social responsibility.
Dozens of Turkish journalists have been jailed, and several foreign journalists have been harassed, detained, denied entry or expelled from Turkey in recent months, particularly since an unsuccessful coup attempt in July. A Wall Street Journal correspondent, Dion Nissenbaum, was held incommunicado for three days in December without explanation before leaving the country along with his wife and infant daughter.

After having arrived at the Istanbul airport from London, Mr. Nordland said in an email that he had been stopped by the border police. They told him that his name was on an Interior Ministry order denying him entry and that they were placing him on the next flight back, no reason given, he wrote. A Turkish lawyer for The Times, Orcun Cetinkaya, said the airport police had told a colleague that the reason was national security, with no further details.

A spokesman for the Turkish presidency, who spoke on condition of anonymity under government protocol, and Huseyin Muftuoglu, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said they would investigate the circumstances and had no further immediate comment. Telephone attempts to reach Ali Ozturk, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, were met with a busy signal.

What we consider before using anonymous sources. Do the sources know the information? Whats their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. Learn more about our process.

Turkish officials had earlier expressed unhappiness over some articles by Mr. Nordland from November and December, particularly one from the southeast city of Diyarbakir, the former stronghold of an outlawed Kurdish group, the Kurdistan Workers Party, or P.K.K. The article described the aftermath of months of fighting there between P.K.K. guerrillas and government forces.

In a statement, Mr. Baquet said: The Turkish governments action is an affront to freedom of the press and an effort to keep the world from having access to independent reporting from Turkey. Rod is a veteran correspondent who has done groundbreaking journalism from around the world. There was no justification for todays action. The Times remains committed to covering Turkey fairly, accurately and fully.
MOSCOW  Europes human rights court ordered Moscow on Tuesday to pay damages to American families who were abruptly prevented from adopting Russian children, characterizing the ban as discriminatory.

Russia said it would appeal the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights within the next three months, but it could ignore the decision outright.

A panel of seven judges, including one Russian, unanimously ruled that a 2012 adoption ban was discriminatory and said that Russia should pay each pair of prospective American parents $3,200 in damages and $600 in legal fees.

In its ruling, the court said the ban had unlawfully discriminated against the prospective parents and had prevented the adoption of Russian children by the U.S. applicants purely on the basis of the prospective parents nationality.
The Uzbek man who was taken into custody on Monday and is believed to be the gunman who carried out an attack at an upscale Istanbul nightclub, killing 39 people early on New Years Day, has confessed, the Turkish authorities said on Tuesday.

The suspect, identified as Abdulgadir Masharipov, an Uzbek citizen born in 1983, received help in the attack, done in the name of ISIS, Vasip Sahin, the governor of Istanbul, said at a news conference, referring to the Islamic State militant group, which claimed responsibility for the rampage.

No one will get away with what they have done, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said from his office in Ankara, the capital.

Mr. Masharipov, whose arrest was confirmed by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, was detained Monday night after the police raided a residence in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul, which is home to a large number of migrants from former Soviet states in Central Asia.
TEHRAN  Even if President-elect Donald J. Trump would want to, there is no chance of renegotiating the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, the countrys president, Hassan Rouhani, said on Tuesday.

Mr. Trump says things like that he is not happy with the nuclear deal, or he calls it the worst agreement, Mr. Rouhani said. These are more like slogans. I consider it unlikely that anything will happen in practice.

On numerous occasions Mr. Trump has called the nuclear agreement a really, really bad deal, and has said that he may want to renegotiate its terms after he is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday.

His pick for defense secretary, James N. Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general, has been critical of Iran and the deal, but he contradicted Mr. Trump during his confirmation hearing last Thursday in Washington. He said the incoming administration should respect the nuclear agreement.
2017 could be the year that Nokia makes its big comeback. At least thats what the stalwart brand name is hoping for. Once upon a time, Nokia dominated the cell phone space. But in 2007 when the iPhone came out and marked the dawn of the smartphone age, not even Nokia realized the major shift that was about to happen.

Floundering for years, Nokia sold off its phone division to Microsoft in 2013. The terms of the deal meant Nokia couldnt return to the phone business until the end of 2016.

Now that those terms have expired, Nokia is boldly (or foolishly, depending on your perspective) venturing into the smartphone game again. It launched its new Android smartphone exclusively in China in December. HMD Global, a newly-formed company in Finland, is releasing the phones under the Nokia name.

This may very well be a test ground for future products. Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is upon us next month and the company is teasing an announcement. MWC is a stage for launching devices to the worldwide market so if a new phone is on the horizon; it would be Nokias return to the mobile phone business in a big way.

But will it be a triumphant return? Nokia screwed up a lot of things the first time around. Here are five things that HMD Global/Nokia need to do.

Its time to park the nostalgia. For many people a Nokia device may have been their first cell phone and playing Snake was a lot of fun but Nokia needs to shake off the shackles of its past. The name value is important of course. People know Nokia. HMD Global is right to take advantage of that. However it needs a fresh start too, which is easier said than done.

The smartphone market is dominated by a handful of names (Apple and Samsung, you may have heard of them) and most companies have given up on the notion of taking these behemoths on. There have been enough flops over the years to show that launching a brand new smartphone name to the market is a lofty task (Amazon Fire Phone, anyone?).

When Google launched the Pixel, it was pretty clear that it wasnt aiming to unseat Samsung but rather provide more choice on the market for consumers. This kind of attitude can also be attributed to the likes of Huawei and its more moderately priced devices. Nokia will never achieve a huge chunk of market share like it once had. Its glory days are behind it but that doesnt mean it still cant be successful.

The third point ties in with number two. Nokia needs to keep things simple. The iPhone is now 10 years old and while OEMs continue to tinker with new things, the foundation of what makes a good smartphone is well established. People know what they like.

No one is saying the new Nokia phones shouldnt try to innovate but re-establishing the brand as an affordable, reliable one with quality products is more important. The trinkets can come later.

For many years, Nokia had used its own operating Symbian to run its phones. This changed in 2011 when it first hooked up with Microsoft to run the Windows Phone operating system. Hindsight tells us this didnt work but at the time they could have had something. But Microsoft was similar to Nokia in the sense that it did not move with the times and keep pace with iOS and Android.

Despite best efforts, the two just could not turn Windows Phone into a significant player. Back in its heyday, Nokia was king at hardware, perhaps at the expense of software. This time Nokia is releasing Android phones. The ecosystem is established so users will be more inclined to try out a new Nokia and the company will need to continue to understand and appreciate the equal importance of hardware and software.

Weve focused on how Nokia needs to keep things simple in order to get a little foothold back in the smartphone market. That is the first step but change is inevitable and Nokia will need to keep its finger on the pulse too. We didnt do anything wrong, but somehow, we lost, were the infamous words of Nokia CEO Stephen Elop after the Microsoft acquisition.

In fact, Nokia had done something wrong. It rested on its laurels at the height of its success. Should it find some new success on this occasion after re-establishing itself, it needs to be ready, willing, and able to change with the times.
Many Colombians dont know the Vallenato Legend, though they hear from the cradle to the grave a musical form that celebrates it.

The legend is a rip-roaring good yarn.

When the Spanish ended their fevered Colombian quest for the golden city of El Dorado, they launched a feverish quest for souls. They built missions, Catholic outposts that anchored settlements and haciendas and fostered European-style civilization in the untamed north of a vast new continent called South America.

One settlement rose in the Valle de Upar (later simply Valledupar). This pueblo, like many towns in the New World, began as a church surrounded by wooden and stucco structures. A few merchants did business, and little ranches with cattle pens dotted the flat swath of fertile savannah lands between rugged mountain ranges. To the east rose a spiky ridge of the Andes that today forms the Colombian border with Venezuela. To the west, a massif, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, soared straight out of the warm Caribbean to snow-capped peaks, the highest in Colombia.

The Legend of Valledupar tells of a household servant here, and the tragedy and miracles brought on by her mistresss jealousy.

Francesca, an indigenous Chimila Indian, worked as a maid in a Spanish household. A young woman with lustrous black hair, wide brown eyes, and the striking facial features of her native people, Francescas breathtaking beauty would be the stuff of legend.

The Spanish mistress of the house grew deeply jealous, no doubt due to the attention the servant girl drew from menfolk. La duena watched and waited for a moment to find fault with Francesca, and when that moment came, the mistress quickly dealt out harsh punishment. The lady cut off her servants long hair and had her publicly whipped.

As with Helen of Troy, the incident launched a thousand shipsor curare-tipped poison arrows, in this case. The Chimila tribe, joined by other local indigenous people, went to war with the colonizers. An attack on the settlement killed many Spanish settlers, and all would have been slain, but for a miracle.

As the Chimila made a final assault on the church, legend holds that the Virgin Maryknown afterward as the Virgin of the Rosarymystically appeared. Wielding a supernatural cape like a matador, she shielded the holy structure and those faithful colonists inside from Indian arrows.

Surprised by this divine intervention, the Chimila fled into the Sierra Nevada. North Colombia is dry country certain times of yearcactus grows along the Caribbean coast not too many kilometers northand water is precious. The Indians craftily poisoned a lake where Spanish soldiers sent to avenge the attack would need to water their horses and themselves.

The plan worked. The soldiers stopped. The soldiers drank. The soldiers died.

Then, in her second dramatic deus ex machina moment, the Virgin Mary reappeared. She passed among the corpses, one to the next, touching the dead with a heavenly scepter. Like an army of Lazaruses, the Spanish soldiers rose to their feet, alive and well again and ready to fight.

The Indians knew they were beaten. They surrendered to the Spanish. Many gave up their pagan ways and converted to Christianity. Most were dead in a few years.

The Virgin Marys appearance was a miracle to the Spanish. To the Chimila, not so much.

People come to Valledupar today to celebrate this Vallenato Legend musically.

Musicians here through the centuries developed the vallenato, a beloved roots music that blends three musical tributaries of Colombian heritage: the distinctive European accordion; a Native American rhythm instrument, the guacharaca; and an African American drum called a caja. Each April, the Vallenato Legend Festival brings the worlds best composers and performers of the form together in a musical celebration that ranks among the great folk culture festivals in all of South America.

As befits its legend, the festivals lively music can raise the dead.

Artists perform on stages all over Valledupar, competing in various vallenato categories: best accordion playing, best unrecorded new song, best child performer, best this n that. A highlight is a sort of battle of the bands: two vallenato players onstage at the same time will invent verses, trying in turn to outdo and outlast the storytelling of the other. Vallenato players infuse the merengue, son, paseo, and puya rhythms of the tradition into songs overlaid with mesmerizing, emotional lyrics. Think of Hank Williamss heart and Johnny Cashs honesty set to hip-shaking Caribbean rhythms and jaunty accordion lines. Alongside vallenato stages, famous performers from all over the world perform pop, salsa, and other genres. Audiences dance and drink through the hot nights, reveling until sunrise wakes the towns roosters.

Though home to 400,000 people, Valledupar is really a glorified country town. The vallenatos all seem to know one another personally, and everyone tells everyone elses history, including that of the Castros, my fiancees family. Adela, born here, spent her first 15 years in a house with an upstairs window looking out to the stars. As warm winds stirred a nearby almond tree, she dreamed of life ahead.

Trees matter here. I amuse myself by checking a weather app daily to compare temperatures in Valledupar with those in Death Valley, California. About 300 days of the year, Valledupar is hotter. Here the shade of a mango tree, green fruit hanging on stems like pendulums in grandfather clocks, feels like cool lotion.

Through this shimmering heat, the chilly Guatapuri River cascades down from snowmelt in the sierra. The river keeps Valledupar green, and it also freshens the spreading savannah lands with their cattle pastures, banana groves, and palm oil plantations stretching toward the mountains.

Cars cruise Valledupar streets shaded by mango trees and huge ceibas. The greenways and tree canopies feel remarkable in Colombia, where trees can be scarce around sunbaked town plazas and along crazily chaotic streets originally built for horses and carts. Valledupars calles bring to mind lovely tree-shaded boulevards in New Orleans.

Next column, Ill share more on Valledupar. This out-of-the-way spot in north Colombia isnt a top tourist destination, apart from the annual music festival. Still, its real. Real Colombia. Its legends, its vallenatos, reveal this fascinating nation and its culture.

Also, the Virgin Mary may make an appearance at any moment.

Image: Juan Felipe Rubio, CC-BY

Charles McNair is Pastes Books editor emeritus. He served the magazine as writer, critic and editor from 2005-2015.
I used to work in politics, and back in 2002 I met a guy named Reed Millar who was a young Democratic campaign worker doing the hard work of knocking on doors, calling voters, and organizing campaign volunteers. Reed and I became friends and kept in touch over the years, and today Im a largely-ineffectual political pundit while Reed has gone on to do lots of great work on the ground game to mobilize voters for Democratic candidates and progressive causes.

Today Reed Millar is running his own business, Bespoke Consulting, a campaign and advocacy strategy firm focused on planning and managing organizing programs. He has worked in politics for more than 17 years on dozens of campaigns and organizing projects in most of the 50 states. He is from Pennsylvania and currently lives in Minnesota, and has worked with the Democratic parties of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, giving him special insight into the Upper Midwest region that unexpectedly drove Trumps electoral college victory.

Reeds expertise is in GOTV (get out the vote) organizing, a discipline of campaign tactics that is focused on identifying and building relationships with voters and mobilizing them to get to the polls. He has managed GOTV efforts in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, among others. In 2012, he led a team that won a Pollie Award for a GOTV canvass in Milwaukee, WI, which helped drive turnout for Obamas re-election and the election of Senator Tammy Baldwin, Americas first openly gay Senator.

During the 2016 election, Reed worked for Bernie Sanders in four states during the primary, and then volunteered at the Democratic National Convention in July to help the Clinton campaign and the DNC reach out to Bernie supporters. He was in Michigan doing GOTV work in November and was in Flint, Michigan on Election Night. Reed has a keen strategic mind and is one of the best-informed, biggest-hearted people that Ive met during my time working in politics. I talked with Reed about what went wrong for the Democrats in this election, especially as it relates to the Upper Midwest white working class voters who went for Trump, and how progressives can move forward for 2018, 2020 and beyond.

You were on the ground in Michigan in November, which was one of the blue wall states that everyone thought would be likely to go Dem, and instead Trump won it. What was the experience like in Michigan leading up to Election Day? Did you feel it coming, like maybe this was going to be a loss? Or was it a huge shock?

On a number of occasions, since Clinton won the nomination, my heart had been filled with dread and I thought, Oh no, we are going to lose this thing. That included the first day of the convention, which should have been about unification, but was scripted like it was written by people that had never met a Bernie voter; when FBI Director Comey revived the email scandal; when I heard how late resources were coming to some vital states; and when on Election Night after 6 p.m. I wasnt hearing any reports of long lines at the pollsindicating that turnout was going to be lower than we had expected.

But like most everyone, I had largely convinced myself that defeat was nearly impossible. Trumps campaign was a long series of train wrecks and they just seemed dedicated to doing everything wrong. I saw signs of trouble but I figured someone must have this all figured out. It turned out they didnt.

I was watching CNN on Election Night and a reporter said someone on the Trump campaign had said that it would take a miracle for them to win. Even they were convinced Trump was going to lose right up to the minutes before they won.

So no, it wasnt a shock. I had convinced myself Clinton would win but I knew enough to see this as a real possibility, and the moment I saw some county-by-county results in Pennsylvania on election nightI knew this election had gone off script.

Obviously theres been a lot of analysis and postmortem, but from your immediate perspective, as someone who lives in Minnesota and has worked in Iowa and other Upper Midwest states, why did Trump win Michigan and so many of these other Midwestern states?

Well, given that Hillary won the popular vote by a healthy margin, I think we first have to acknowledge a degree of strategic incompetence in losing the electoral college by such a margin. When you hear that Hillary Clinton never did an event in a state like Wisconsin and only came to Michigan in the final weeks, and didnt fund robust organizing and persuasion campaigns in a number of these states, you have to acknowledge that the outcome would likely have been different if a number of mistakes hadnt been made. Without on-the-ground feedback on volunteerismlike feedback on how many volunteers were ready to work or how many were defecting to Trumpthe Clinton campaign was in the dark about the growing problems on the ground until the final weeks. Without spending the summer developing relationships with volunteers and updating voter lists, they were underprepared to address issues once they could see them.

There seems to have been this assumption that with Trumps negatives, the Democratic base voters had nowhere else to go. Some of the early analysis of the election I have seen pointed to us losing votes from three groups: working class white voters that moved to the Republican Party, young voters (millennials) and African American voters not turning out in the same way they did four and eight years earlier for Obama. Those three groups have been a large part of the Democratic base since the 1960s. None of them seem to have been inspired by Democrats this year and all three are feeling economic pressure even as the economy recovers.

I am no expert on message, but I have talked to a lot of voters over the years and it seems that part of why the Clinton campaign lost votes all over the country was that they failed to connect with these core constituencies that had real concerns about our economy, our politics, and our involvement in the wars of the last 13 years. The persuasion message was focused on Trumps negatives and talking points about Secretary Clintons experience, which didnt seem to address any of that.

In the upper midwest the lack of campaign resources and the lack of a populist message combined with an economy that has been particularly bad for all three of these key voter groups, along with shifting demographics in the Upper Midwest that are leaving the region older and whiter as the young and the poor leave to find work.

Why did Donald Trump win? I think it boils down to establishment politicians not listening to people and assuming they knew how they would vote.

What has changed in those states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa in the past few years that went for Obama twice, but went with Trump? Is this a regional phenomenon and if so what is driving it?

A lot more research needs to be done to give a definitive answer on that, but there are a few trends that probably contributed. Some of it was national, where Clinton received nearly 5 million fewer votes in 2016 than Obama did in 2008. In terms of the region, it seems that the Upper Midwests economic struggles have effects on who votes: 1. Economic hardship seems to both increase political volatility and depress turnout, 2. Young and poor people move away, leaving older populations in regions with little growth, and 3. Without economic growth, immigrants dont come to your region. All said, you end up with an older, whiter voting population.

How much of a fluke is Trump? Is he a political mastermind who has reshaped politics forever, or is this more of a Black Swan event where he faced a badly flawed opponent and got the most out of a dwindling, unlikely coalition, but probably cannot repeat this result in 2020? Do you feel like Trump now has an entrenched base of hardened loyalists in the Upper Midwest, or is it bad to read too much into such a close, shocking result? How winnable do you feel these states could be for the Democrats in 2020?

Trump is neither a fluke, nor a genius. But rather the two parties have avoided populist messages for so long that the back door of our political system was wide open and pie was on the table. It didnt take a genius to wander in and make himself at home. With Hillarys popular vote victory, its also hard to pin this on her unpopularity. Its more about her campaigns lack of understanding of which voters needed extra attention and motivation to support her and what they were concerned about.

The anti-establishment mood of American voters, especially in the Upper Midwest, is nothing new. If you look at the candidacies of Pat Buchanan, Bill Bradley, Howard Dean, Barack Obama, Ron Paul, Bernie Sanders, and now Donald Trump, you see larger and larger blocks of voters looking to get outside the political establishment to find a voice for their concerns about the government and the economy. Since Richard Nixon, virtually every candidate with more Washington experience has lost. The Clinton team seemed to have missed that trend entirely and ran on experience in an anti-experience climate, all while assuming the Democratic base would be safely in their column despite the evidence to the contrary.

I have seen evidence of this trend firsthand. In late 2008 I was eating breakfast in a spot in rural Pennsylvania and the conversation next to me was about how the U.S. should drop a nuclear weapon on the Middle East. I know, wow! But despite their troubling foreign policy views, when the conversation shifted to whom they had voted for, they had voted for Obama. They described why they voted that way by saying: I think we just have to keep voting them out and putting new people in until somebody gets it right.

My lesson from that is that unless things start looking better, voters are going to keep voting for the outsider that speaks to their needs. That worked against us this year, but unless Trump is way better at governing than he is at tweeting or casino management, in four years he will be a sitting president that hasnt really made much of anything better and probably has the Democratic base really ready to vote against him. What we need to have in place is a Democratic party that effectively speaks to voters concerns all over the country, but specifically in regions like the Upper Midwest.

Without underplaying the openly racist, misogynist campaign that Trump ran, do you feel like its wrong to ascribe racism or sexism as the only motivator of why people voted for Trump?

For some voters racism or sexism were the primary reason for their votes. I dont suggest we try to win them over. They werent the late-breaking votes that swung this election.

That said, I think the art of persuasion in politics is about finding common ground with people and there is evidence that for a significant number of folks, racism or sexism wasnt the driver. If we want to reach those voters, we need to have a conversation, and labeling them racist, sexist, or insulting them intellectually is just going to end the conversation. Instead, its important that we engage these voters in a discussion of the issues that are central to what really drives them to vote. Mainly I think these voters want to hear more about an economy where they get an ever-reducing share of the rewards for an ever-increasing amount of work, and a government that seems to never take their side in their struggle to maintain their standard of living.

How should the Democrats reconnect with the (predominantly white) voters of the Upper Midwest that they lost to Trump? How much of it is about re-energizing the Democratic base (who stayed home instead of voting for Clinton) vs. persuading the reachable Trump voters?

There isnt a definitive answer to what the right mix is until you know who the candidates are or what the swing states are, and other factors that fluctuate from one election to the next. Like I have said, I think the failure this year was primarily about our base. And some of those working class white folks who voted for Trump used to be part of the Democratic base, and I think we do need to reconnect with them on economics. They should get the sense the Democrats owe their base more than they owe Wall Street.

I also think its odd that we havent seen polling to test for voters Trump regret post election. The media, the Clinton campaign, and the Trump campaign all seemed sure Hillary would win so its pretty likely a lot of voters cast their vote for Trump as a protest, but assumed that Trump would never take office. They wont be able to ignore the possibility in four years.

Is there anything else that you wish more people understood about the Upper Midwest voters and the climate of talking with these voters on the ground?

For liberal white democrats who have good educations and good jobs and who live in big, prosperous cities, I wish they understood just how radically different life is in some parts of the country. I had thought I was prepared to see poverty, but everywhere I go it surprises me in how severe and commonplace it is, and this is in many parts of America that just a generation ago used to think of themselves as solidly middle class.

In what we call the Rust Belt there are many places where its hard to find a job, a restaurant that isnt a chain, a grocery store, or even clean drinking water. Lives are being wasted to abject poverty, addiction epidemics, and pointless incarceration. If you dont see that, then its hard to understand why just telling people things are good! is such a bad message for getting votes out of those regions.

When we are oblivious to that struggle and then we call George W. Bush or Donald Trump idiots for talking in rather working class ways, folks that have just an underfunded high school education assume that we are looking down on them too.

What should Democratic voters and liberal activists (not party leaders but everyday people who are worried about politics and Life Under Trump) do now? How can people get more involved at the national, state or local level? What do you recommend that people do starting today?

Vote every chance you get, in presidential, midterm, state and local elections. The more votes there are, the less each big money donation means. Donate to candidates that share your values. Demand that the Democrats provide a populist alternative to the far right. We just saw what happens when the people want populism and they arent getting it from the left; the vacuum can create a real monster on the right. Support organizations and media outlets that fight the narrative that racism serves any people other than the powerful.

Were going to be in for a tough fight during these next few years, but liberal white people, especially the ones who have education and income, need to do more to get out of their comfortable bubbles. Its not constructive for liberal whites to abandon and write off all of Trumps white working class voters because were mad at them for voting for a racist; we need to understand the challenges in their communities and find common ground so we can win their votes next time.
Novo Chairs, Systems Furniture, commercial furniture dealers in Green Bay

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Systems Furniture

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--Start 2017 with a plan to improve your office. Systems Furniture, Inc. in De Pere, Wisconsin has five tips for making your office a healthier and more efficient workplace for everyone who comes through your company's front door. Sit in a comfortable chair  A task chair that supports your back, arms and legs is essential. You can test drive a wide selection of chairs including the Focus and Novo chair from the aptly named Sit on It company at our commercial furniture dealership in De Pere. Turn on an adjustable lamp  Instead of squinting or complaining about the glare in your office use a task light where you need it most. Systems Furniture recommends Knoll's Copeland Lamp and the Sparrow Desktop Light. Focus on ergonomic benefits It is all about allowing employees to adjust their workspace to suit them. Monitor arms swivel and move monitors to the correct height for easy computer viewing. Keyboard trays put the keyboard at the right position to save wrists from strain. Adjustable height worksurfaces allow employees to change their position from sitting to standing. Consider individual lockers/closets  As part of an office reconfiguration, add a personal closet to a workstation to give each employee a spot for their coat and personal effects. Knoll's Anchor storage lockers can be ordered with optional locking mechanism. Design a space where creativity happens  Update the cafeteria with colorful walls and install booths and cafe height seating. Include a collaborative area with lounge seating and moveable whiteboards. Update conference rooms with furniture for video conferencing and team huddles.As one of the areas premier commercial furniture dealers, Systems Furniture has five account managers who meet with clients in Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan and northern and central Wisconsin. Stacey, Kerry, Amy, Patrick and Jason can show you a stand-up workstation ( http://www.sysfurniture.com/ index.php/2016/ 12/15/stand- up... ), seating, tables, collaboration furniture, and so much more. They team with our three senior interior designers to bring ideas that encourage the best work from your current employees and help you recruit new staff. Give us a call at 920-336-1510 and view our website, sysfurniture.com ( http://www.sysfurniture.com/ ), for more information on what we can do for you in 2017.View original post on commercial furniture dealers in Green Bay (http://www.sysfurniture.com/index.php/2017/01/16/5-ways-to-make-your-office-healthier-and-more-productive-in-2017/) here.
WDTC Ready to Help your Business

Consortium Renewals and enrollment at WI Drug Testing

End

-- Transportation providers have a firm set of rules and regulations they must adhere to, including maintaining a drug-free workforce. Federal rules require transportation employees are tested for drugs before they can begin working and are included in a pool of workers subjected for random testing. That is why it is important to include consortium renewals and enrollment on your January to-do list. Wisconsin Drug Testing Consortium (WDTC) is an Accredited Third Party Administrator that will ensure your company stays compliant with all of the drug testing rules and regulations.WDTC is an Accredited - Certified Third Party Administrator (C-TPA) and manages a drug-testing consortium that meets your company's needs. Workers are not allowed to enter our consortium pool until we have a negative pre-employment drug test on file. It does not matter if WDTC performed the test or not. We just need to see proof of the negative test result. WDTC also requires proof that a drug test has been completed during the 12 months prior to requesting entrance into the pool.DOT testing regulations can be cumbersome and confusing. Consortiums must maintain a pool of employees, randomly select employees each quarter for drug and alcohol testing, and put together a quarterly and annual summary of the drug and alcohol tests. When you partner with WDTC, we make sure your company stays compliant."We work with businesses of all sizes to make sure they follow federal guidelines,"said WDTC President Mike Bray. "We manage the consortium and keep track of all the essential paperwork, allowing the business owner to focus on his company and know that everything is taken care of."WDTC also has convenient test collection sites nationwide and offers on-site testing so employees can spend more time working and less time traveling back and forth to complete their drug test.In the transportation industry, drug testing for employers is an important issue. Companies must stay compliant with federal regulations. WDTC partners with transportation companies to provide affordable drug and alcohol testing and is a third party administrator for drug tests. Sign up now for your consortium renewals and enrollment in WDTC's drug testing programs.WDTC sets itself apart by managing high-quality, convenient drug and alcohol testing processes and reasonable suspicion training for supervisors in the transportation industry. Visit our website at https://widrugtesting.com to learn more about WDTC and its services or contact President Mike Bray at mike@widrugtesting.com View original post on Consortium Renewals and enrollment here.
CBRE Global Investors has amended and extended its existing 325m Revolving Credit Facility (RCF) into a 200m RCF (until the end of 2021). The credit facility is financed by a combination of ING Bank and ABN AMRO Bank. ING acts as facility and security agent. In March 2016 the CBRE

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M&G Real Estate has acquired the leasehold of Blekholmen 1 an office scheme in central Stockholm for 230m (196m) from NIAM. The acquisition was made on behalf of the global real estate fund managers core European property strategy, managed by David Jackson and Simon Ellis. Located next to Stockholms Central

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ABELLIO is selling a 40 per cent stake in its Greater Anglia franchise to Mitsui, reinforcing the Japanese presence in the British rail sector.

The Dutch group, which is the international arm of Nederlandse Spoorwegen, based in Utrecht, said the deal met a 'long-standing objective' to run GA as a 60:40 joint venture.

The RMT union is bitterly critical, saying the deal 'made a mockery' of the franchising process.

Abellio consolidated its position in East Anglia last year, when it began a nine year franchise in October having previously run two short contracts, the first of which began in 2012.

Abellio is also working with Mitsui on a joint bid for the West Midlands franchise with the East Japan Railway Company in a two-horse race with the incumbent Govia. A Department for Transport announcement about West Midlands is due in June, ahead of a planned October launch.

Managing director for Abellio UK Dominic Booth said: We are delighted to have reached agreement with Mitsui, fulfilling our long standing objective of running the franchise as a 60:40 joint venture. With the introduction of Mitsuis knowledge and experience, we look forward to delivering significant improvements for Greater Anglias customers, including through the introduction of a brand new fleet.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash responded: "Following on from National Express sale of the c2c franchise to Trenitalia, this latest sell off by Abellio of a chunk of the Greater Anglia franchise to Mitsui shows that the Britain's rail network is up constantly for grabs making a mockery of the expensive DfT franchising process.

The checks and balances for both passengers and the taxpayer, which the DfT claims are enshrined in its multi-million pound franchising programme, are clearly lacking when the winning bidder can simply walk away, share out its responsibilities and choose its replacement whenever it sees fit."
Opposition Democratic Party has promised to give Shs 500,000 for every goal scored by Uganda Cranes in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Gabon.

Thirty nine years of agony come to a definitive end this evening when the Uganda Cranes roll into the lions den to take on Ghanas Black Stars in Port Gentils Stade Sogara.

Uganda is in group D with Ghana, Mali and Egypt and at 7:00 pm Uganda plays Ghana in their first game.

Ghana are familiar opponents for Cranes with the two teams having played one another three times in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and The Black Stars have no win in four matches against Uganda

Addressing journalists at their weekly press conference in Kampala earlier today, DP Spokesperson Kenneth Kakande said Ugandas qualification to the AFCON after a very long period of time is a great achievement and they ought to support the cause with some sort of motivation.
Its disgusting. Imagine solid lumps of frozen human excreta from a plane flying overhead decending on your house or as has happened recently falling on a person damaging her shoulder. It is following these reports that National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued orders to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to warn all airlines against disposal of waste mid-air.

This order comes after a resident of Delhi, Lt. Gen. (Retd). Satwant Singh Dahiya, filed a petition seeking action against airlines that dropped excreta around his residence. This waste was picked up by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), following which it was confirmed to be human excreta. Though the exact source could not be identified, the petitioner called the act of dropping waste from the airplane as a violation of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

It was noted that some planes are emptying human waste tanks while in mid air. Human waste thus discharged from an airplane has the tendency to freeze on falling to the earth from such a great height while it causes a host of problems for people on land. The NGT has directed DGCA to inspect all such tanks when the aircraft lands.

Surprise checks should be carried out and violators should be made to pay INR 50,000 ($735) as environment compensation each time their human waste tanks are found to be empty. The DGCA has also been told to maintain a helpline whereon such complaints and reports of falling human waste can be registered.

Air India plane at Leh Airport  Image  BCMTouring.com

For obvious reasons all human waste tanks should be emptied by ground crew at airports but it is only in the case of an emergency leak or technical constraint that tanks can be emptied midair.

via bloomberg
Ford India has seen a surge in exports during December 2016 when a total of 17,904 units were shipped out of the country. This is a 262% increase in YoY exports when in December 2015, 4,941 units were exported. During the past calendar year, Ford India exports amounted to 1,51,638 units, while taking total exports in the past month into account, and the company has even beaten Hyundai Motor India to become the largest exporter of cars from the country.

Hyundai Motor India, who has been the leader in passenger vehicle exports, noted a significant dip in exports in December 2016, by 23.19%. Exports in the past month stood at 17,107 units in as compared to 22,273 units exported in December 2015. Hyundai Motor India exports the i10, i20, Grand i10, Xcent and Getz.

Ford India exports its models to 50 countries across the globe that also includes parts of ASEAN, Europe, Middle-East and Africa. The company also commenced exports to European markets in mid 2016 with the Ford KA+. Ford India exports also include the Figo, Figo Aspire and Endeavor and EcoSport all of which have received good response in international markets.

Ford India has invested heavily into its facilities in India. In 2015, the company invested $1 billion in the Sanand Plant. This plant, which has annual capacity of 2.4 lakh units and 2.7 lakh engines is spread over 460 acres and offers employment to over 2,500 workers.

Ford Sanand Plant.

Ford India is on course to become the global export hub for small cars, compact sedans, and mini crossovers. Speaking to Economic Times, Nigel Harris, president and MD of Indian subsidiary, confirmed that these export models would be global B platform vehicles. The aim is to export roughly half of Indian produce by 2020.

The company plans to have a total production capacity of 4.4 lakh vehicles annually by the turn of decade out of which 2.2 lakh units would be shipped to markets like Europe, Latin America, Africa, Middle East, Asia-Pacific. Ford EcoSport, one of the first global B platform models, is already being exported to several international markets and the soon-to-be-launched Figo Aspire compact sedan and Figo hatchback will also eventually foray into numerous markets.

Mr. Harris says that an export strategy would result in economies of scale which would help the company achieve certain cost targets. Thus, the firm will not only increase its quantum of business but will also be able to price products competitively in the domestic market. Over the last few years, Ford India exports have been steadily growing at an impressive rate. Ford India aims to export 2 lakh cars from India by 2020.

Top car exporters from India  Dec 2016
As part of the BMW  TVS JV, the new Apache 310 was launched earlier last month. Priced at about Rs 2.35 to Rs 2.7 lakh, depending on the city you buy, the BMW-engineered motorcycle is on sale at a total of 51 dealerships across India.

In different cities, the on road price of Apache 310 is different. For example, in Bangalore it is at Rs 2.7 lakh while in Mumbai it is at Rs 2.36 lakh. In Hyderabad, it was at Rs 2,34,000. This was the price told to the first customer when he booked the bike earlier this month. But, recently, the dealer called the owner and told him that the price had increased to Rs 2,37,600.

Reviews of the new TVS Apache 310 have already been published. But all of them talk about how the bike performs on the track. Now, for the first time there is a review which talks about how the bike performs in the city traffic. Youtuber Aarth Motovlogs has managed to test ride the bike in the city during peak hours and this is what he has to say.

 Easy to handle in traffic

 Engine does not get heated

 Smooth to ride

 Acceleration is impressive

 Cruising is also impressive

 Seating is comfortable

 Not a track bike

 Braking is good

 Tyres could have been better

Watch the full video below.

New TVS Apache 310 is based on the BMW G310R naked bike. It is part of the JV, which will see BMW-TVS launch a range of new motorcycles in the sub 500cc segment. As per Stephan Schaller, CEO, BMW Motorrad, the engineering of this new range of motorcycles has been 100% done by BMW. This means, the Apache 310 has BMW engineering at its core. Until now we have already seen two bikes from BMW  G310R and G310GS. Apache 310 is the third product. All these motorcycles are made at the TVS plant in Hosur, India.

Also Read  TVS Apache 310 continues testing after launch

TVS Motors has revealed that they will sell 10,000 units of Apache 310 annually. The segment leader, KTM sells about 4,500  5,000 units. This includes the KTM Duke 200, Duke 250, Duke 390, RC 200 and RC 390. Considering that Apache 310 is priced in between the RC 200 and the RC 390, they might into the share KTM RC twins.

TVS has also said that they are very confident of their new product. In order to meet the demand, their supply chain is well in place. The production line is currently equipped to assemble one unit of Apache 310 at every 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

Powered by a 313 cc single cylinder liquid cooled engine generating 34 hp and 27 Nm, Apache 310 has a top speed of 160 kmph (speedo indicated). TVS says that it can go much higher than that as well. Yes, the bike is equipped with features, and is said to be having the best built quality for any made-in-India motorcycle seen till date. But, considering that they are pitching this bike as an all-out racing machine, it seems overpriced. As for about Rs 25,000 more, you can buy yourself a KTM RC 390, which not only offers 10 hp more, but also comes with slipper clutch, ride by wire, better acceleration, tyres, braking and a wider sales / service network.

Only time will tell if TVS will be able to meet their sales target or not. For now, we can take admire the Apache 310 for its design and engineering.
SPC President meets Sana'a, Dhamar, Baidha governors

SANA'A, Jan. 16 (Saba)  The president of the Supreme Political Council (SPC) Saleh al-Sammad, his deputy Dr. Qasim Labuza and the member of the Council Sultan al-Samee met on Monday with Governors of Sana'a, Dhamar and Baidha provinces.



During the meeting, they discussed the situation in the three provinces and what have been achieved by the local authority to face the US-Saudi aggression and the blockade and its consequences on the citizens, particularly the continuous escalation of the aggression off the west coast of the Republic.



The president praised the role played by the army and popular forces in confronting the aggression in several military fronts, especially imposing firearms control on the west coast of Yemen which will be studied at military sciences and humanities colleges.



He stressed the need of working as a team at various levels and re-double efforts to face the US-Saudi aggression against Yemen as well as working in a unique and district management style like the previous phase when the US-Saudi aggression started to attack Yemen's institutions in all provinces.



The US-Saudi aggression aims to divide Yemen not only geography but also demography, the president said.



He added that a unity of the Yemeni people in one line and national strength make everybody confident of victory and the bright future for Yemen and for its people.



He pointed out what will be experienced by the National Salvation Government on level of crisis management so as to alleviate the suffering of the people and develop solutions by putting legal and exceptional treatments in the light of stability of Yemen's institutions.



The President affirmed to continue resilience and to preserve of the social unity which face the fiercest war campaigns against Yemen's community by the aggression and its tools inside the country.



HA



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[16/January/2017]
UN: Blockade on Yemen capital airport unacceptable







SANA'A, Jan. 16 (SABA)  The United Nations Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for Yemen Jamie McGoldrick reiterated on Monday that the blockade imposed on Sana'a international airport is unacceptable because it causes much suffering on the Yemeni people .



This came at a press conference held in Sana'a prior to his leaving for Brussels, Geneva and London in order to launch the Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen for the current year 2017.



Mr McGoldrick said the United Nations is making efforts to unconditionally ensure humanitarian access to all those who are in need.



"It is currently difficult to limit damage to civilian infrastructure, but civilians pay the expensive price in Yemen," he said, adding that the numbers of civilian deaths caused by the aggression war on Yemen were more than 10 thousand people, while the injured were more than 40 thousand according to available statistics.



The programme plans to provide four cranes from Japan and four others from Dubai at the end of this month to the port of Hodeida to facilitate unloading ships and to speed up the arrival of aid to those who are in need for help, McGoldrick said.



He also said that around eight million Yemenis have lost their jobs or stopped their business because of the economic blockade, stressing on the urgent need to facilitat humanitarian aid access.







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[16/January/2017]
WhatsApp Security Vulnerability

Back in March, Rolf Weber wrote about a potential vulnerability in the WhatsApp protocol that would allow Facebook to defeat perfect forward secrecy by forcibly change users keys, allowing itor more likely, the governmentto eavesdrop on encrypted messages.

It seems that this vulnerability is real:

WhatsApp has the ability to force the generation of new encryption keys for offline users, unbeknown to the sender and recipient of the messages, and to make the sender re-encrypt messages with new keys and send them again for any messages that have not been marked as delivered. The recipient is not made aware of this change in encryption, while the sender is only notified if they have opted-in to encryption warnings in settings, and only after the messages have been re-sent. This re-encryption and rebroadcasting effectively allows WhatsApp to intercept and read users messages. The security loophole was discovered by Tobias Boelter, a cryptography and security researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. He told the Guardian: If WhatsApp is asked by a government agency to disclose its messaging records, it can effectively grant access due to the change in keys. The vulnerability is not inherent to the Signal protocol. Open Whisper Systems messaging app, Signal, the app used and recommended by whistleblower Edward Snowden, does not suffer from the same vulnerability. If a recipient changes the security key while offline, for instance, a sent message will fail to be delivered and the sender will be notified of the change in security keys without automatically resending the message. WhatsApps implementation automatically resends an undelivered message with a new key without warning the user in advance or giving them the ability to prevent it.

Note that its an attack against current and future messages, and not something that would allow the government to reach into the past. In that way, it is no more troubling than the government hacking your mobile phone and reading your WhatsApp conversations that way.

An unnamed WhatsApp spokesperson said that they implemented the encryption this way for usability:

In WhatsApps implementation of the Signal protocol, we have a Show Security Notifications setting (option under Settings > Account > Security) that notifies you when a contacts security code has changed. We know the most common reasons this happens are because someone has switched phones or reinstalled WhatsApp. This is because in many parts of the world, people frequently change devices and Sim cards. In these situations, we want to make sure peoples messages are delivered, not lost in transit.

Hes technically correct. This is not a backdoor. This really isnt even a flaw. Its a design decision that put usability ahead of security in this particular instance. Moxie Marlinspike, creator of Signal and the code base underlying WhatsApps encryption, said as much:

Under normal circumstances, when communicating with a contact who has recently changed devices or reinstalled WhatsApp, it might be possible to send a message before the sending client discovers that the receiving client has new keys. The recipients device immediately responds, and asks the sender to reencrypt the message with the recipients new identity key pair. The sender displays the safety number has changed notification, reencrypts the message, and delivers it. The WhatsApp clients have been carefully designed so that they will not re-encrypt messages that have already been delivered. Once the sending client displays a double check mark, it can no longer be asked to re-send that message. This prevents anyone who compromises the server from being able to selectively target previously delivered messages for re-encryption. The fact that WhatsApp handles key changes is not a backdoor, it is how cryptography works. Any attempt to intercept messages in transmit by the server is detectable by the sender, just like with Signal, PGP, or any other end-to-end encrypted communication system. The only question it might be reasonable to ask is whether these safety number change notifications should be blocking or non-blocking. In other words, when a contacts key changes, should WhatsApp require the user to manually verify the new key before continuing, or should WhatsApp display an advisory notification and continue without blocking the user. Given the size and scope of WhatsApps user base, we feel that their choice to display a non-blocking notification is appropriate. It provides transparent and cryptographically guaranteed confidence in the privacy of a users communication, along with a simple user experience. The choice to make these notifications blocking would in some ways make things worse. That would leak information to the server about who has enabled safety number change notifications and who hasnt, effectively telling the server who it could MITM transparently and who it couldnt; something that WhatsApp considered very carefully.

How serious this is depends on your threat model. If you are worried about the US governmentor any other government that can pressure Facebooksnooping on your messages, then this is a small vulnerability. If not, then its nothing to worry about.

Slashdot thread. Hacker News thread. BoingBoing post. More here.

EDITED TO ADD (1/24): Zeynep Tufekci takes the Guardian to task for their reporting on this vulnerability. (Note: I signed on to her letter.)

EDITED TO ADD (2/13): The vulnerability explained by the person who discovered it.

This is a good explanation of the security/usability trade-off thats at issue here.

Posted on January 17, 2017 at 6:09 AM  124 Comments
Many infectious diseases are one and done; people get sick once and then they are protected from another bout of the same illness. For some of these infections -- chickenpox, for example -- a small number of microbes persist in the body long after the symptoms have gone away. Often, such microbes can reactivate when the person's immunity has waned with age or illness, and cause disease again.

Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis studying leishmaniasis, a tropical disease that kills tens of thousands of people every year, believe they have found an explanation for the seemingly paradoxical connection between long-term infection and long-term immunity. By constantly reminding the immune system what the parasite that causes leishmaniasis looks like, a persistent infection keeps the immune system on alert against new encounters, even while it carries the risk of causing disease later in life, the researchers found.

Understanding how persistent infection leads to long-term immunity could help researchers design vaccines and treatments for persistent pathogens.

The research is published the week of Jan. 16 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"People had been thinking of the role of the immune system in persistent infection in terms of mowing down any pathogens that reactivate in order to protect the body from disease," said Stephen Beverley, PhD, the Marvin A. Brennecke Professor of Molecular Microbiology and the study's senior author. "What was often overlooked was that in the process of doing this, the immune system is constantly being stimulated, which potentially promotes protection against future illness."

In a persistent infection, a small population of microbes remains in the body long after the patient's symptoms are gone. In addition to the parasite that causes leishmaniasis, many kinds of microbes can cause persistent infections, including bacteria responsible for tuberculosis and viruses that lead to herpes and chickenpox.

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"A lot of pathogens cause persistent infections, but the process was something of a black box," said Michael Mandell, PhD, the first author on the study. Mandell, who conducted the research for the study as a graduate student, is now an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico. "Nobody really knew what was going on during persistent infection and why it was associated with immunity."

To find out, Mandell and Beverley studied Leishmania, a group of parasites that cause ulcers on the skin and can infect internal organs. An estimated 250 million people worldwide are infected with the parasite -- found in tropical areas -- and 12 million have active disease. The disease can be disfiguring or even fatal, but once a person is infected, he or she is protected from getting sick a second time. In other words, infection confers long-term immunity.

People are thought to continue to harbor the parasite at low numbers for years after they recover from the disease, including some people treated with anti-leishmania drugs. This persistence may be to the benefit of their human hosts; studies in mice have shown that completely clearing the parasite often makes the animals susceptible to another bout of disease if they encounter the parasite again.

Studying mice, the researchers used fluorescent markers to distinguish different types of mouse cells, and found that most of the parasites live in immune cells capable of killing the parasites. Yet, despite their dangerous homes, the parasites appeared normal in shape and size.

Further, most of the parasites continued to multiply, yet the total number of parasites stayed the same over time.

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"Mike Mandell called it the 'Jimmy Hoffa effect' because we couldn't locate the body," Beverley said. "We were unable to show directly that the parasites were being killed. But some of them must have been dying because the numbers weren't going up."

The immune cells that housed the parasites are responsible for killing pathogens and activating a more robust immune response. It is this process -- the ongoing multiplication and killing of parasites -- that the researchers believe underlies the long-term immunity associated with persistent infection, and thus explains why people typically can't get sick with the same pathogen twice.

"It seems that our immunologic memory needs reminding sometimes," Mandell said. "As the persistent parasites replicate and get killed, they are continually stimulating the immune system, keeping it primed and ready for any new encounters with the parasite."

These findings suggest that there are benefits as well as dangers to persistent infection, and, for some organisms at least, developing a vaccine that elicits life-long immunity might require a live vaccine that has the ability to persist without sickening people.

"Usually scientists design vaccines to get sterilizing immunity. They're trying to just kill all the bugs," Beverley said. "But what you really need is protection against the pathologic consequences of the disease, not necessarily sterilizing immunity. For some of these organisms, solid, long-term protection may come at the price of persistent infection."
A synthesized steroid mirroring one naturally made by the dogfish shark prevents the buildup of a lethal protein implicated in some neurodegenerative diseases, reports an international research team studying an animal model of Parkinson's disease. The clustering of this protein, alpha-synuclein, is the hallmark of Parkinson's and dementia with Lewy bodies, suggesting a new potential compound for therapeutic research.

The finding, published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also demonstrated that the synthesized steroid, called squalamine, reduced the toxicity of alpha-synuclein clumps that already existed.

The pre-clinical study results show that squalamine prevents and eliminates alpha-synuclein build up inside neurons by unsticking the protein from the inner wall of nerve cells, where it clings and builds up into toxic clumps, researchers say.

The animal model used for this study, C. elegans, is a nematode worm genetically engineered to produce human alpha-synuclein in its muscles. As these worms age, alpha-synuclein builds up within their muscle cells causing cell damage and paralysis.

"We could literally see that squalamine, given orally to the worms, did not allow alpha-synuclein to cluster, and prevented muscular paralysis inside the worms," says the study's co-senior author, Michael Zasloff, MD, PhD, professor of surgery and pediatrics at Georgetown University School of Medicine and scientific director of the MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute.

The study's lead author, graduate student Michele Perni, and other co-senior authors, Michele Vendruscolo, PhD and Christopher M. Dobson, DPhil, ScD, are from Cambridge University. An additional co-senior author, Adriaan Bax, PhD, is from National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. Scientists from the Netherlands, Italy and Spain also contributed to this research.

Zasloff, an expert in innate immune systems, has been studying squalamine for more than 20 years. He discovered it in dogfish sharks in 1993 and synthesized it in 1995 (in a process that does not involve use of any natural shark tissue). His research, as well as that by other scientists, has established antiviral and anticancer properties of the compound. This is the first study to show it has neurological benefits in in vivo models of Parkinson's.

In Parkinson's disease, alpha-synuclein, a normal protein present within the nervous system, forms toxic clumps that damage and ultimately destroy the neurons in which they form. Considerable research has been directed at discovering compounds that prevent the formation of these masses, thereby representing potential therapeutics for Parkinson's disease.

In this study, the researchers demonstrated in a series of in vitro experiments that squalamine, a positively charged molecule with a high affinity for negatively charged membranes, could literally "kick off" alpha-synuclein from negatively charged membranes, where the protein binds, preventing the formation of the toxic clumps.

The research team also showed that squalamine could protect healthy human neuronal cells from being damaged by exposure to pre-formed toxic masses of alpha-synuclein, by preventing them from adhering to the outer membrane of the neuronal cells.

The researchers then extended these studies to a living system, C. elegans, a well-studied model of Parkinson's disease. "Orally administered squalamine prevented the formation of toxic alpha-synuclein clumps in this complex animal, and rescued the animal from loss of mobility," Zasloff explains. "This experiment taught us that the basic mechanism demonstrated in vitro achieved the anticipated outcome in an animal."
Of patients over age 65 who received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) after surviving sudden cardiac arrest or a near-fatal arrhythmia, almost 80 percent survived two years -- a higher rate than found in past trials performed to demonstrate the efficacy of the devices in this situation, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Patients who survived sudden cardiac arrest or had a near-fatal fast heart rhythm, called an arrhythmia, are sometimes treated with an ICD to prevent future cardiac arrest. An ICD is placed under the skin and connected to the heart with wires, which detects when the heartbeat is irregular and can return the heart rhythm to normal with an electrical shock -- also known as defibrillation.

"In this population, there is a very high risk for these cardiac events to happen again," said the study's lead author, Frederick Masoudi, MD, MSPH, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the Chief Science Officer of the American College of Cardiology's National Cardiovascular Data Registry. "I was surprised to see the survival rates in our study were as high as they were."

Masoudi said the findings suggest that physicians are doing a good job of selecting elderly patients for the implantable defibrillators.

Past randomized clinical trials of ICDs were relatively small, were conducted several decades ago and did not include many older patients. ICD technology and treatment for underlying heart disease have since improved, Masoudi said. In an analysis of these clinical trials, the risk of death for patients at least 75 years of age was approximately 35 percent among those receiving an ICD, compared with 22 percent in the current study, in which 75 percent of the population was at least 75 years old.

"It's important to study older patients, because they often have other co-existing medical conditions, which may have an impact on their outcomes," Masoudi said.

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Using data from NCDR's ICD Registry, the study included 12,420 Medicare beneficiaries undergoing an ICD implantation after surviving sudden cardiac arrest or a near-fatal ventricular arrhythmia, between 2006 and 2009 in almost 1,000 U.S. hospitals.

The researchers found 65.4 percent of patients were hospitalized during the two years after receiving an ICD, ranging from 60.5 percent in those less than age 70 to 71.5 percent in those 80 and older. In addition, 13.1 percent among those less than 70 years old and 21.9 percent of those 80 and older were admitted to a skilled nursing facility. The risk of admission to a skilled nursing facility was greatest in the first 30 days after the procedure. The risks of hospitalization and admission to skilled nursing facility were all greater with increasing patient age.

The researchers noted that the high hospitalization and skilled nursing facility admission rates, particularly among the oldest patients, indicate there are substantial care needs after an ICD is implanted.

"This gives us a good picture of the health care needs of this population after their procedure," Masoudi said.

Limitations include that the study was not designed to evaluate the effectiveness of ICDs and did not compare the patients receiving the devices with a control group who did not receive them.

In an editorial accompanying the study, Sumeet S. Chugh, MD, associate director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, wrote that the findings from the new study would suggest that although patients over age 75 implanted with ICDs after a sudden cardiac arrest or near-fatal ventricular arrhythmia "may have reasonable overall survival, they also have significantly high rates of admission to hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, with no clear evidence of mortality benefit from the device."

He said that until more research is done about the devices in elderly patients, doctors should consider non-heart-related co-occurring medical conditions and frailty along with age in their decision-making process about ICDs. They should provide the patient with a clear understanding of the rationale and limitations of the ICD, encourage advance directives and bring up the possibility of deactivating the ICD if the patient is nearing end of life.
Prosecution in the murder case against the 3 Lugogo murder suspects ; Matthew Kanyamunyu, Cynthia Munwangari and Joseph Kanyamunyu has today failed to commit the suspects before High court for trial as earlier promised.

Court at Nakawa presided over by court grade one magistrate Noah Sajjabi has heard from state attorney Recheal Nabwiire that police investigations into this case are still on-going.

Nabwiire then told court that she had instructions from the DPP Mike Chibita to have the case adjourned to another date to enable police wind up with its investigations.

Magistrate Sajjabi consquently adjourned the case to the 31st /January 2017 for further mention and the suspects were returned on remand at Luzira prison till then.

The Kanyamunyus are said to have murdered social worker Kenneth Akena on the 12th/November 2016 at Lugogo Forest mall along Jinja Highway in Kampala district.
A new study shows that access to health insurance can help hold a community together socially, and lack of it can contribute to the fraying of neighborhood cohesion.

The study, "Beyond Health Effects? Examining the Social Consequences of Community Levels of Uninsurance Pre-ACA," published by the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, is an effort by researchers Tara McKay and Stefan Timmermans to "broaden the conversation" about the effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

"Given the strain that uninsurance places on individuals, providers and health care markets, it is not unreasonable to imagine that the consequences of uninsurance are likely to go beyond health and health care and impact the social lives of individuals and communities," said McKay, assistant professor of Medicine, Health and Society at Vanderbilt University.

Timmermans is a professor of sociology at UCLA. "We find that living around a lot of people who have insurance makes you more likely to trust the people you live around, makes you more likely to have common goals and values and feel like those goals and values are shared," McKay said of the results of the study. "That's true for everyone in such a community, even those who don't have health insurance. Conversely, low levels of insurance in a community strain relationships and trust among people who do live here."

ACA Endangered

McKay and Timmermans' research appears while the ACA, which has resulted in health insurance coverage for more than 20 million Americans, is endangered because of pledges from Republicans in Congress to repeal and replace the ACA in 2017. President-elect Donald Trump denounced the ACA during the presidential campaign.

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Surveys conducted in 2000-2002 and 2006-2008 by the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (L.A.FANS), provided data for the study along with information from the U.S. Census Bureau. The Vanderbilt study was funded by the National Science Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Social cohesion increases by a third

L.A.FANS, a multistage probability sample of adults in Los Angeles County, was designed to probe the neighborhood effects on the health and well-being of a random sample of adults and children. These data have been used to examine a broad array of issues, including neighborhood and household effects on health and mortality, and health care access and utilization.

McKay and Timmermans based their analysis on 1,195 L.A.FANS survey respondents, and a series of multilevel regression analyses to "demonstrate that prior to the enactment of ACA, individuals living in communities with lower levels of insurance reported lower levels of social cohesion," McKay said.

"After adjusting for individual and community characteristics, we find a 34 percent decrease in social cohesion scores when moving from a neighborhood with the highest levels of insurance to one with the lowest levels of insurance," McKay said.

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The L.A.FANS data were collected in a way in which it can account for potentially confounding factors, such as the age, race-ethnic, nativity and income composition of the communities.

Social cohesion continues to rise

Importantly, when the researchers estimate the effects of an ACA-type insurance expansion on the same respondents, they find that social cohesion increases over time.

"I think this is an important step -- to consider the other ways that policies actually affect people beyond health and health care access. This can change how we see ourselves and how we interact with our communities too," McKay said.

"You can't participate in social life and civic engagement without having health first, right?"
A team of University of Notre Dame astrophysicists led by Peter Garnavich, professor of physics, has observed the unexplained fading of an interacting binary star, one of the first discoveries using the University's Sarah L. Krizmanich Telescope.

The binary star, FO Aquarii, located in the Milky Way galaxy and Aquarius constellation about 500 light-years from Earth, consists of a white dwarf and a companion star donating gas to the compact dwarf, a type of binary system known as an intermediate polar. The system is bright enough to be observed with small telescopes. Garnavich and his team started studying FO Aquarii, known as "king of the intermediate polars," a few years ago when NASA's Kepler Telescope was pointed toward it for three months. The star rotates every 20 minutes, and Garnavich wanted to investigate whether the period was changing.

"I asked Erin Aadland, an REU student, to precisely measure the spin rate of a white dwarf. Does it speed up or slow down?" he said. "We can do that by looking at the interval between flashes from the star just like we use the ticks in a clock to tell time. The star turned out to have other plans for the summer."

Intermediate polars are interesting binary systems because the low-density star drops gas toward the compact dwarf, which catches the matter using its strong magnetic field and funnels it to the surface, a process called accretion. The gas emits X-rays and optical light as it falls, and we see regular light variations as the stars orbit and spin. Graduate student Mark Kennedy studied the light variations in detail during the three months the Kepler Space Telescope was pointing at FO Aquarii in 2014. Kennedy is a Naughton Fellow from University College, Cork, in Ireland who spent a year and a half working at Notre Dame on interacting binary stars. "Kepler observed FO Aquarii every minute for three months, and Mark's analysis of the data made us think we knew all we could know about this star," Garnavich said.

Once Kepler was pointed in a new direction, Garnavich and his group used the Krizmanich Telescope to continue the study.

"Just after the star came around the sun last year, we started looking at it through the Krizmanich Telescope, and we were shocked to see it was seven times fainter than it had ever been before," said Colin Littlefield, a member of the Garnavich lab. "The dimming is a sign that the donating star stopped sending matter to the compact dwarf, and it's unclear why. Although the star is becoming brighter again, the recovery to normal brightness has been slow, taking over six months to get back to where it was when Kepler observed."

"Normally, the light that we'd see would come from the accretion energy, and it got a lot weaker when the gas flow stopped. We are now following the recovery over months," Garnavich said.

One theory is that a star spot, a cool region on the companion, rotated into just the right position to disrupt the flow of hydrogen from the donating star. But that doesn't explain why the star hasn't then recovered as quickly as it dimmed.

Garnavich and his team also found that the light variations of FO Aquarii became very complex during its low state. The low gas transfer rate had meant the dominant, 20-minute signal had faded and allowed other periods to show up. Instead of a steady 20 minutes between flashes, sometimes there was an 11-minute signal and at other times a 21-minute pulse.

"We had never seen anything like this before," Garnavich said. "For two hours, it would flash quickly and then the next two hours it would pulse more slowly."

The Sarah L. Krizmanich Telescope, installed on the roof of the Jordan Hall of Science in 2013, features a 0.8-meter (32-inch diameter) mirror. It provides undergraduate and graduate students cutting-edge technology for research and is used to test new instrumentation developed in the Department of Physics at Notre Dame.
A drug that's commonly used to treat high blood pressure is being repurposed for a rare tissue cancer in Europe. The medication, named propranolol, was recently granted Orphan Drug Designation by the European Commission (EC).

The designation signifies that the EC supports the use of a drug to treat patients because of its significant benefit to those living with a rare disease -- in this case, soft tissue sarcoma. The cancer affects approximately one quarter of a million people living in Europe, and is generally considered difficult to treat.

"People with soft tissue sarcomas have a very poor survival rate," says Brad Bryan, Ph.D., a biomedical scientist at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso). "Four out of 10 patients with the cancer will die and are in urgent need of new treatment options."

Propranolol's ability to treat angiosarcoma, a very lethal form of soft tissue sarcoma, was originally discovered by Bryan's TTUHSC El Paso lab. In his study, Bryan used cell lines and animal models to show that propranolol could fight angiosarcoma and remarkably reduce the growth of tumors; the results were published in a 2013 PLOS One paper. Later, in a 2015 JAMA Dermatology article, Bryan described treating a patient with angiosarcoma -- who only had months left to live -- and bringing the tumor down to undetectable levels. What's more, the treatment had little to no side effects.

Several scientists across the world have reported similar results since then, testing propranolol on their own patients with the rare cancer.

A 69-year-old woman with metastatic angiosarcoma made a full recovery after being treated with propranolol by Shripad Banavali, M.D., an oncologist at Tata Memorial Center in Mumbai, India and Eddy Pasquier, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Aix-Marseille. The results were published in ecancermedicalscience. After witnessing the patient's improvement, Drs. Banavali and Pasquier were prompted to go even further; just a year later, the two successfully treated seven patients with inoperable angiosarcoma, as described in EBioMedicine.

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"What surprised us the most about this new treatment is the fact that we got 100 percent clinical response, which is defined as either tumor regression or stabilization of the disease," says Pasquier. "This is not a cure in the sense that most patients will eventually see their disease progress, but this level of response is still very impressive, especially in this patient population with a very bleak prognosis; we're talking patients whose prognosis was roughly one year, give or take a few months."

The results soon caught the attention of the Anticancer Fund. After gathering research on the drug's effects, the nonprofit foundation -- which is dedicated to expanding the range of treatment options available to cancer patients -- applied to have propranolol approved as an orphan drug in Europe.

"Our ultimate objective is to have propranolol, if proven effective, fully licensed as a new standard of care treatment for angiosarcoma," says Pan Pantziarka, Ph.D., an oncology researcher at the Anticancer Fund. "Bryan's research was important because not only did it demonstrate the validity of this approach in animal models, but it also illustrated the effect of treatment in a patient for whom existing treatments are unlikely to be effective. These two elements were important in making the case for the clinical potential of propranolol in this rare and hard-to-treat cancer."

In an age of soaring cancer drug prices, propranolol offers a glimmer of hope for the checkbooks of some cancer patients.

First developed in the 1960s, today, propranolol is a generic drug, meaning it's available for a relatively affordable price. Current prescription drug therapies for sarcomas can cost patients upwards of $10,000 a month. Propranolol, however, costs about $4 a month.

"Treating soft tissue sarcoma can easily top $100,000 to $200,000," Bryan explains. "While propranolol will certainly not replace these treatments, our data show it improves the ability of the treatments to work -- all at the cost of a generic co-pay."

The Anticancer Fund recently formed the Propranolol for Angiosarcoma Task Force to bring together researchers and clinicians who are interested in further developing propranolol treatment options. Bryan, Pasquier and Dr. Banavali have teamed up with collaborators around the world to share research information, helping to reduce the risk of duplicating efforts, and work cooperatively to prove the efficacy of propranolol in treating soft tissue sarcoma.

The Anticancer Fund has plans to meet with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom to discuss the level of evidence required to take propranolol through to relicensing.

If relicensed, propranolol's drug label could be changed to officially indicate its use in treating soft tissue sarcomas. International health guidelines could also be updated to designate propranolol as an official cancer drug, thereby encouraging physicians to use the new form of treatment.
Maybe this Neanderthal was a rock hound?

An international group that includes a University of Kansas researcher has discovered a brownish piece of split limestone in a site in Croatia that suggests Neanderthals 130,000 years ago collected the rock that stands out among all other items in the cave.

"If we were walking and picked up this rock, we would have taken it home," said David Frayer, a professor emeritus of anthropology who was part of the study. "It is an interesting rock."

The finding is important, he said, because it adds to other recent evidence that Neanderthals were capable -- on their own -- of incorporating symbolic objects into their culture. The rock was collected more than 100 years ago from the Krapina Neanderthal site, which has items preserved in the Croatian Natural History Museum in Zagreb, where in recent years the research team has re-examined them.

The group's findings on the collected rock at Krapina were published recently in the French journal Comptes Rendus Palevol. Davorka Radovcic, curator at the Croatian Natural History Museum, was the study's lead author, and Frayer is the corresponding author.

The same research group in a widely recognized 2015 study published a PLOS ONE article about a set of eagle talons from the same Neanderthal site that included cut marks and were fashioned into a piece of jewelry.

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"People have often defined Neanderthals as being devoid of any kind of aesthetic feelings, and yet we know that at this site they collected eagle talons and they collected this rock. At other sites, researchers have found they collected shells and used pigments on shells," Frayer said. "There's a little bit of evidence out there to suggest that they weren't the big, dumb creatures that everybody thinks they were."

Similar to the Neanderthal jewelry discovery at Krapina, Frayer credits Radovcic's keen eye in examining all items found at that the site, originally excavated between 1899-1905 and found to contain Neanderthal bones.

The cave at the Krapina site was sandstone, so the split limestone rock stuck out as not deriving from the cave, Frayer said. None of the more than 1,000 lithic items collected from Krapina resemble the rock, but the original archaeologists apparently did nothing more with the rock other than to collect it.

Frayer said the limestone rock -- which is roughly five inches long, four inches high and about a half-inch thick -- did not have any striking platforms or other areas of preparation on the rock's edge, so the research team assumed it was not broken apart.

"The fact that it wasn't modified, to us, it meant that it was brought there for a purpose other than being used as a tool," Frayer said.

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There was a small triangular flake that fits with the rock, but the break appeared to be fresh and likely happened well after the specimen was deposited into the sediments of the Krapina site. Perhaps it occurred during transport or storage after the excavation around 1900, he said.

The look of the rock also caught the researchers' eye as many inclusions or black lines on it stood out from the brown limestone. Perhaps that is what made the Neanderthal want to collect it in the first place.

"It looked like it is important," Frayer said. "We went back through all the collected items to make sure there weren't other rocks like it. It just sat there for 100 years like most of the other stuff from the site. The original archaeologists had described stone tools, but didn't pay any attention to this one."

They suspect a Neanderthal collected the rock from a site a few kilometers north of the Krapina site where there were known outcrops of biopelmicritic grey limestone. Either the Neanderthal found it there or the Krapinica stream transported it closer to the site.

The discovery of the rock collection is likely minor compared with other discoveries, such as more modern humans 25,000 years ago making cave paintings in France. However, Frayer said it added to a body of evidence that Neanderthals were capable assigning symbolic significance to objects and went to the effort of collecting them.

The discovery could also provide more clues as to how modern humans developed these traits, he said.

"It adds to the number of other recent studies about Neanderthals doing things that are thought to be unique to modern Homo sapiens," Frayer said. "We contend they had a curiosity and symbolic-like capacities typical of modern humans."
When you have a baby, a nurse or a phlebotomist performs a heel stick to take a few drops of blood from your infant and sends it off to a state lab for a battery of tests. Most of the time, you never hear about the results because your child is fortunate enough to not have a rare disease, such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease or any of the dozens of conditions for which most states screen. You, as a parent, may not even remember hearing about newborn screening.

Newborn screening is mandatory in most states, unless parents refuse for religious or other reasons. Screening is generally accepted because screening is only performed for a small number of conditions where measures are available to save the baby's life or mitigate the harms of such conditions, if found early enough. However, now that scientists have developed methods for sequencing the entire genome, what would happen if states began incorporating genome sequencing to find out more about baby's health? How would that work? What should parents learn about their baby's genome? What shouldn't they?

To study these questions, through funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers and doctors across the country have formed a consortium called NSIGHT, which includes four NIH grants spanning multiple institutions:

 University of North Carolina School of Medicine

 UC-San Francisco School of Medicine

 Brigham and Women's Hospital/Boston Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine

 UC-San Diego Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine and Children's Mercy Kansas City

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This consortium will work with parents and conduct genomic sequencing on newborns to develop evidence that may support guidelines for how this new technology could be effectively and appropriately incorporated into newborn screening or the care of newborns.

"Where is the boundary of parental responsibility to learn important health information about their child versus delving too far into genetic information that could take away from that child's ability to make decisions for themselves?" said Jonathan Berg, MD, PhD, associate professor of genetics at the UNC School of Medicine and corresponding author of a paper about the consortium's work, published today in the journal Pediatrics. "This is one of the main bioethics questions of our time: how much should we protect a child's capacity to make decisions about what information to learn, or not to learn, about themselves when they become adults? Some people think this concern is an old, quaint notion that is being made obsolete by technology. And some people believe fervently that it could infringe on the child's autonomy or potentially even harm the child if parents learned or intervened too much."

One clear example is Huntington's disease. Is it the right of the parent to know that their child harbors the genetic lesion that underpins this terrible disease, even though manifestations are unlikely to develop until adulthood? What about an untreatable neurodegenerative disease that will present during childhood? What if early intervention might help, but the disease might not present until the child is an adult?

Regardless of what people might think, Berg said, "Technology is forcing this decision-making process on us." The cost of genome sequencing has plummeted in recent years, meaning the national public health system and the broader medical community need to figure out how to address these kinds of issues, and soon. Through the NIH-funded NSIGHT consortium, researchers and doctors are laying the groundwork.

The lead NSIGHT institutions are spearheading the four studies across the country to address three clinical scenarios:

 Diagnostic: using genome sequencing to find the specific genetic causes of congenital anomalies or unexplained illnesses in babies admitted to neonatal intensive care units.

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 Preventative: using genome sequencing to screen healthy newborns for preventable or treatable conditions that genetic sequencing could detect or help confirm.

 Predictive: using genome sequencing to explore the entire genome of the child, as a resource for health care throughout the course of the child's life.

Currently, NISIGHT doctors and researchers are consulting with parents and soon-to-be parents to learn about their concerns and their personal decision-making processes regarding genome sequencing for various purposes, including finding health information that could be clinically useful immediately.

"We're learning when the best time is to approach parents," Berg said. "Clearly, immediately after birth we can't just say to a new mom and dad, 'we'd like to talk to you for a few hours about your thoughts on sequencing your child's entire genome.'

"We're learning what kinds of decision aids and other resources parents need, such as genetic counseling. We're wrestling with how to implement this in practice when we already have a shortage of genetic counselors in the United States. We can't have every single couple sit down with a genetic counselor, but we could have them go through an online decision aid."

The NSIGHT project based in Boston is co-led by Robert Green, MD, of the Division of Genetics at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Alan Beggs, PhD, of the Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research at Boston Children's Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, who co-authored the Pediatrics paper.

"Simply putting together all the pieces to design these complicated research projects is an ambitious undertaking, as described in today's article," said Green, who is also a physician-scientist at Harvard Medical School and The Broad Institute. "But it is absolutely essential that we find ways to rigorously measure the clinical utility of new technologies so that we can apply them responsibly, and that is the focus of the BabySeq Project, and of the other NSIGHT projects."

Beggs added, "Genome sequencing is a new and still enormously complex process, and oftentimes the results have uncertain implications. These studies represent some of the first organized approaches to developing the best practices for determining the right information and best ways to return it to parents and their babies' doctors."

UNC's Berg said the consortium is finding that while many parents simply aren't interested in genomic sequencing for their newborns, there's a subset of parents who want to dive into the genetic information. "Perhaps it would be appropriate to focus our genetic counseling resources on them," he said.

"The bottom line is this," Berg added. "We hope that the information we get from these studies will help us make recommendations for how to best roll out some form of newborn genomic screening in the future."

All sites are still enrolling.
Page Content

Employers have until Jan. 22, 2017, to get up to speed on using the newest version of the Form I-9, marked 11/14/2016. The version that has been in effect since 2013 (marked 03/08/13) will become obsolete on that date. The new form can be accessed on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website. The expiration date on the new form is 08/31/2019.

Failure to use the new form beginning Jan. 22 will expose organizations to penalties, which were recently nearly doubled.

"With a new administration coming in we have a lot of indications that ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] audits will increase, new investigation officers will be hired and enforcement in this area will get a lot of focus," said Cynthia Lange, managing partner of immigration law firm Fragomen's Northern California practice in San Francisco.

"Employers will find that the Form I-9 in many ways is very similar to the previous version, but some individual fields and the form instructions have been revised," said Katie Nokes Minervino, an immigration attorney in the Portland, Maine, office of law firm Pierce Atwood. "The core requirements of the form have not changed," she added. The acceptable documents list and retention requirements have remained the same.

Employers are not required to use the new I-9 on existing employeesone of the most common queries after a new version of the form is released, said Dave Basham, a senior analyst in the verification division at USCIS.

[SHRM members-only toolkit: Complying with I-9 and E-Verify Requirements]

There are now three ways for users to complete the Form I-9:

Print it and fill it out manually, pen to paper.



Fill it out electronically, then print and sign it. Take note that using the online "smart" version of the form does not qualify as a compliant electronic I-9. If the online fillable version is used, it must be printed and signed pen to paper.



Use an electronic I-9 vendor.



Employers using electronic I-9 systems should not experience any direct impact with this form change, Lange said. Electronic systems should simply update the form.

If relying on a vendor, employers should compare the electronic product and the fields and requirements of the new I-9 version to ensure the vendor is collecting all the necessary information, added Pierce Atwood immigration attorney Tony Derosby, also in the Portland office.

Using the 'Smart Form'

The newest version of the I-9 has been dubbed a "smart I-9" because of the fillable, interactive PDF option that enables users to fill in the fields of the form online before printing and signing a hard copy. "When a user opens the smart I-9 in Adobe Reader, the fillable PDF form limits options for further responses based on information previously provided, flags errors and fields where information is missing, provides a link to the form instructions, and includes additional instructions for specific fields that are available by hovering over a question-mark icon that appears above a field within the PDF," Minervino said.

"The form substitutes for training and helps guide people to not make the same mistake over and over again," Lange said. But she reminded employers that the smart form is not a safe harbor against ICE enforcement, is not integrated with E-Verify nor other HR systems, and cannot store information nor enable reporting.

"This is still really a 'paper' I-9," she said.

There's also no requirement that employers use the smart form at all. Or, the smart form can be partially filled out online before being printed, finished and signed.

Derosby explained that an employee could, for example, fill in Section 1 online, print it out and sign page 1 before handing it to his or her employer. The employer could then fill in Section 2 and sign the document, making sure to keep the two pages together for retention. Or, a new hire could fill in Section 1 by hand, and the employer could complete Section 2 online, print and sign.

He said that while the smart I-9 option is "probably not worth going out of your way to have an employee use," especially if it will complicate getting it back on time, there's enough benefit to it that employers shouldn't write it off completely.

"The new fillable I-9 is a good fit if your onboarding process involves the new hire sitting down at a company computer to complete the I-9 on the first date of hire and you can ensure that the employee has access to the current version of Adobe Reader, the internet and a printer," Derosby said.

Read the New Instructions Carefully

Users will notice three tabs on top of the online I-9Instructions, Start Over and Printafter clicking on the link for the form on the USCIS site.

"If someone makes mistakes while entering information onto the form and wants to start over, they can hit the Start Over tab," Basham said. If the HR professional decides to print out the form to be completed, he or she will need to click on the Instructions tab and print those out as well to give to the worker filling it out.

The instructions were more than doubled from six pages to 15 to provide more guidance for users. "The instructions are dense but actually provide a lot of good information to train your HR team," said Montserrat Miller, a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Arnall Golden Gregory.

Changes to Section 1

Patrick Shen, a partner in Fragomen's Washington, D.C., office, said only the employee can fill out the information in Section 1.

One key change is that users must enter N/A in any fields that they previously would have left blank. For example, if there is nothing to enter in the fields asking for a middle initial, or apartment number or Social Security number, those fields can no longer be left blank.

The main benefit of using the smart version of the form is that once the employee and employer are finished entering information and click out of the form, all entries are reviewed for the correct format, including entries in blocks that require an N/A. If errors are found, the form will signal what needs to be fixed.

Another modification lessens the administrative burden on foreign workers. If the new hire attests to being a foreign national authorized to work in the U.S., he or she can provide either an alien registration number, Form I-94 admission number or foreign passport number. Previously, foreign nationals authorized to work were required to provide both an I-94 number and foreign passport information.

The new form allows for up to five preparers and/or translators to each sign and date the form in his or her own field. The prior form had one field for potentially multiple preparers and translators to fit their signatures in.

"The employee [now] needs to affirmatively check a box indicating that he or she did not use a preparer or translator if that's in fact the case," Minervino said. "This is an important double check for all employers to ensure that this box is completed by the new hire."

Changes to Section 2

Employers are responsible for completing Section 2 of the Form I-9. Lange said the employer representative verifying employment eligibility must be in the physical presence of the person being verified and must also see the original documents being presented.

Although the smart I-9 was an attempt to leverage technology to assist employees and employers in the I-9 process, USCIS stated that using FaceTime or Skype with a new hire to review documents is not permissible under the regulations, Derosby said.

"Employers are still confused about this," Lange added. "Using a webcam or some remote technology is still not acceptable."

Basham said that if an employee is using the online version of the form, Section 2 will self-populate the worker's full name on page 2. A new field asks for the new hire's citizenship or immigration status. Employers must enter the corresponding numeral (1, 2, 3, 4) from the employee attestation on page 1.

There are no changes to the document list columns, but dropdown menus common to electronic I-9s are now available on the online form.

"Use the dropdown to select which document(s) was presented," Basham said. "We don't require HR professionals to be document experts. But HR must accept documents presented by an employee if they reasonably appear to be genuine and relate to the individual."

Shen said that the smart form is "pretty smart, but it's not perfect. Using it is not a safe harbor." He added that it's important for HR to continue to be familiar with immigration-related anti-discrimination laws to stay compliant. If an employer asks too many questions of foreign workers about documents or doesn't accept a valid document, then it could be exposed to liability. "Note that not all acceptable documents are included in the dropdown menus," he said. Even though the scenario is not common, an employer may receive an acceptable document that is not listed and can be open to a discrimination charge if it is rejected.

Finally, USCIS has added a large box for additional information in section 2. This could be used to notate information that used to have to be scribbled in the margins of the form, such as a foreign national's Temporary Protected Status or Optional Practical Training information. "You can use it to include an E-Verify case number, employee termination date, form retention dates, and any other comments for the employer's business process," Miller said. "But make sure whatever comments you write are limited to the Form I-9 or your participation in E-Verify. If your form is the subject of a government investigation, whatever you write on the form is fair game."

No Changes to Section 3

Section 3 regarding reverification has not changed, but any reverifications done after Jan. 22 must be done using the revised form. Reverification must be done when a worker's employment authorization or employment authorization documentation expires. "Employers must remember that workers can show any document that shows right to work and don't have to use the same documents they presented when verified previously," Shen said.

USCIS is holding a national teleconference on Jan. 31 to review the latest enhancements to the Form I-9 and answer questions from the HR community.
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The Uganda Blood Transfusion service says it is having a shortage of 1300 units of blood daily.

The executive Director Uganda Blood Transfusion services Dr. Dorothy Kyeyune says out of the 1500 units of blood required at daily basis only 200 units of blood are being received at Nakasero blood Bank service center.

She says annually the country requires about 340,000 units of blood although approximately 200,000 units are collected annually.

She says during, holidays the institution finds a problem of collecting enough blood, because students are the ones mostly willing to donate blood.

She made the remarks while launching a blood donation week organized by the National social security Fund targeting collection of 3000 units of blood .
At the end of 2016 Israel retired the last of its 125 F-16A fighters. The first 70 were acquired in 1980 and 1981 and included 8 two-seater F-16B trainers. One of the F-16As achieved a record by being the single F-16 with the most air-to-air kills (6.5), all achieved in 1982 using three different pilots. Israel received 50 used F-16As in 1994 (including 14 B models) and used these mainly as trainers. Israel may still be able to sell some of these F-16As on the second-hand market, like it did with its older Kfir fighters (retired in the 1990s). The F-16As were the first of the nearly 400 F-16s Israel obtained from the United States since 1980. Israeli F-16s have shot down 47 aircraft (out of 67 kills for all 4,588 F-16s built). Israeli F-16A flew 474,000 sorties and spent over 335,000 hours in the air over 35 years. Israel was the most energetic user of the F-16 and also took the lead in developing upgrades and accessories. This could help in selling the older F-16As, but that is a crowded market with more and more of these oldest F-16s being retired rather than upgraded. That is easier to do with the later F-16C models and that what Israel did with all of its F-16Cs.

Four months before the Israeli F-16A retirement production of the F-16 ceased after 44 years. The manufacturer (Lockheed Martin or LockMart) will continue to do upgrades and refurbishments into the 2020s and beyond. Currently LockMart has orders for over 300 upgrades of late model F-16s to the F-16V standard. This involves replacing the mechanical radar with an AESA (phased array) radar, an upgraded cockpit, a Sniper targeting pod, a Link 16 digital data link and upgraded navigation gear. The new cockpit features a 15cm x 20cm/6x8 inch flat screen display that replaces dozens of gages and switches and makes it much easier to fly the aircraft. AESA and the new fire control system makes it possible to track multiple aircraft at once as well as track vehicles on land or vessels at sea. The targeting pod enables the pilot to confirm (visually) what is on the surface and promptly attack it with smart bombs or missiles. LockMart expects to get orders for at least 700 F-16V upgrades. While that brings in less than $10 million per aircraft, five or ten of these upgrades equals the price of one new F-16.

The F-16 thus follows the path of previous best selling fighters. During The Cold War (1947-91) Russia built over 10,000 MiG-21s, and the U.S over 5,000 F-4s but since 1991, warplane manufacturing has plummeted about 90 percent. However, the F-16 has been popular enough to keep the production lines going strong until 2016. The U.S. still has about 1,200 F-16s in service (about half with reserve units). F-16s built so far went to 27 countries. America has hundreds in storage, available for sale on the used warplane market. The end of the Cold War led to a sharp cut in U.S. Air Force fighter squadrons. Moreover, the new F-35 will be replacing all U.S. F-16s in the next decade. So the U.S. has plenty of little-used F-16s sitting around, and many allies in need of low cost jet fighters.

Since the 1990s most F-16s produced were for export and these cost as much as $70 million each (like the F-16I for Israel). Some nations, like South Korea, build the F-16 under license. A used F-16C, built in the 1990s, would go for about $10 million on the open market. The 16 ton F-16 also has an admirable combat record, and is very popular with pilots. It has been successful at ground support as well. When equipped with 4-6 smart bombs it is an effective bomber.

The U.S. F-16 is one of the most modified jet fighters in service. While most are still called the F-16C, there are actually six major mods, identified by block number (32, 40, 42, 50, 52, 60), plus the Israeli F-16I, which is a major modification of the Block 52. The F-16D is a two seat trainer version of F-16Cs. The various block mods included a large variety of new components (five engines, four sets of avionics, five generations of electronic warfare gear, five radars and many other mechanical, software, cockpit and electrical mods.)

The most advanced F-16 is the F-16 Block 60. The best example of this is a special version of the Block 60 developed for the UAE (United Arab Emirates). The UAE bought 80 "Desert Falcons" (the F-16E) which is optimized for air combat. It is a 22 ton aircraft based on the Block 52 model (which the KF-16 was originally), but with an AESA radar and lots of other additional goodies.
LAS VEGAS -- The maker of sunglasses beloved by troops everywhere is planning to release a new lens in its Prizm collection later this year.

Staff with Oakley said here at SHOT Show that the newest lens using the companys sophisticated light-filtering technology would be a universal lens, unlike most of the line, which tune perception of light and color to emphasize certain ranges.

The Prizm universal lenses coming through are for daily use where theyre not environment or action-specific, said Kevin Nottage, product manager for Oakleys military line. Its meant more for the everyday user than it is for a unit on patrol. Its for you and I versus allowing a soldier to acquire a target faster and more clearly.

The Prizm lenses focus on the human eyes three cones, which pick up light and color, said Tatiana Kalache, with research and development at Oakley.

You have specific peaks and valleys that are in really specific locations for that environment based on how our eyes work, she said. We know specifically where we need to put those peaks and valleys. So every lens has a slightly different profile, but these profiles are doing are helping us separate color so we can see more vividly what we need to see for that environment.

Oakleys Prizm collection includes lenses designed for shooting, snow environments and maritime use, as well as a sun line tuned for a variety of sport uses.

Nottage said the new lens would be well suited to an urban environment, knocking down sun glare and tuning overall light reception for a more clear and pleasant aesthetic for the everyday user.
British American Tobacco Plc reached an agreement to buy full control of Reynolds American Inc. with a sweetened $49.4-billion (U.S.) offer, bringing a successful end to almost three months of bartering with the maker of Camel cigarettes.

BAT increased the cash element of a cash-and-share bid for the 58 per cent of Reynolds that it doesnt already own. The new offer values each Reynolds share at $59.64, the London-based maker of Dunhill and Lucky Strike said Tuesday, about 5.6 per cent more than the $56.50 it proposed on Oct. 21.

Hammering out the terms of an improved deal has been a slow process for the cigarette makers, complicated by uncertainty created by Donald Trumps election. With agreement in place, the companies can move forward with a combination that marks the latest stage in a wave of consolidation for the industry, which is struggling with shrinking demand for traditional cigarettes and an uncertain pathway to new, potentially less harmful technologies.

The market will be relieved that they have got the deal over the line, said Richard Marwood, a fund manager at Royal London Asset Management, whose assets include BAT shares. People were starting to worry that the negotiations might break down.

The U.K. company said its offering $29.44 in cash and 0.526 of a BAT share for each Reynolds share, pushing the cash element up from $24.13. That values Reynolds at 16.9 times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, BAT said, a higher multiple than for comparable industry deals, reflecting BATs desire to boost its standing in the race to replace traditional cigarettes with products such as Reynoldss Vuse brand.

Analysts have said a possible corporate tax cut by President-elect Trump would also justify an increase in the bid, although BAT denied that played any role.

BAT shareholders will be the happier of the two groups because they will be getting the potential benefits from a lower corporate tax rate, said James Bushnell, an analyst at Exane BNP Paribas.

Uncertainty over the tax rate is reflected in a breakup fee of $1 billion should either side pull out of the deal, Bushnell said. The transaction requires the approval of at least 50 per cent of Reynolds shareholders in a vote that will exclude BAT.

BAT forecast a minimum of $400 million of annual cost synergies within three years. The U.K. company has gained confidence in the target and is studying ways to exceed it, chief financial officer Ben Stevens said on a conference call.

Combined, the two companies would overtake Philip Morris International Inc., the maker of Marlboro, as the worlds largest publicly traded tobacco company by revenue. It would give the U.K. company an initial foothold in the U.S., which will account for about 35 per cent of the combined groups revenue, according to Bloomberg data.

The combination could herald more tobacco-industry deals. Japan Tobacco Inc. buying Britains Imperial Brands Plc, and Philip Morris International Inc. remerging with Altria Group Inc. eight years after splitting are the most plausible scenarios, experts say.

BAT said a committee of independent Reynolds directors unanimously approved the offer, which will boost the U.K. companys earnings per share in the first year after completion, scheduled for the third quarter. The British company has held a stake in Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Reynolds since the U.S. company was created in 2004, and the two tobacco giants are close partners on vapour technology innovation.

Centerview Partners, Deutsche Bank and UBS AG advised BAT on the deal, while JPMorgan Securities and Lazard acted for Reynolds.

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Finance Minister Bill Morneau is considering reintroducing a risk cushion as he prepares Canadas next federal budget amid economic uncertainty driven in part by the Trump administration, according to people familiar with his plans.

Canadas budget has typically included wiggle room, either by using low-ball growth forecasts or by actually budgeting a line-item cushion. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government did the former in its first budget, before eliminating the practice in its November economic update.

In a move that would inflate deficit forecasts, the government is now considering reinstating some form of cushion because of several risk factors including president-elect Donald Trump, said three people who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision hasnt been finalized. Morneau himself was asked last week what contingencies, if any, he would put in place amid uncertainty over Canada-U.S. trade.

We are looking forward to working with the new administration, Morneau said, later adding government would be careful to ensure we have the capacity to deal with the environment we find ourselves in.

Daniel Lauzon, Morneaus communications director, referred to those comments and others made during the November economic update when asked about the potential of a risk adjustment.

Trudeaus team is facing sluggish growth as the country continues to limp through the oil price shock. Current deficit projections of about $115 billion over the next five years are more than four times what Trudeau campaigned on in 2015. The government doesnt presently forecast a return to balance, instead saying it will use the countrys debt ratio, predicted to be little changed, as a fiscal anchor.

Before Trumps victory in November, Morneau said he did away with the cushion because risks were more balanced, adding he would consider reintroducing it if required. That will be a consideration that well take carefully.

Morneau met economists in Toronto on Friday as he and his team prepare the budget, due in the coming few months. Uncertainty in Trumps policies, and when they will take effect, cloud the outlook. He has pledged to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and threatened the auto industry with a border tax.

Brett House, vice-president and deputy chief economist with the Bank of Nova Scotia, was among the economists. In an interview afterward, he said the U.S. economy was already picking up steam through the end of 2016 with positive signals on the labour market, manufacturing, housing and investment.

Scotiabanks forecasts have incorporated only minor impacts of immediate fiscal stimulus and regulatory overhaul from Trump. Other major Trump measures wont have an effect on U.S. numbers until the second half of 2018 due to delays in enacting changes and seeing their impacts ripple through, he said.

Thats why in our forecasts, and I think its fair to say in many forecasts, you dont see much of a Trump effect, House said.

While some of Trumps policies could stimulate the U.S. economy, they could also create competitive disadvantages for Canada, Craig Alexander, chief economist for the Conference Board of Canada, said. Alexander, who also attended the Morneau meeting, and House each said they want the government to reintroduce a risk adjustment.

I think that Trumps presidency creates additional uncertainty related to the U.S. outlook, because we simply dont know what this new administration is going to bring, Alexander said.

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General Mills Inc., facing sluggish sales as consumers seek less processed products, is turning to a foodie favourite to help snap a slump weighing down the U.S. packaged food industry.

The maker of Cheerios and Progresso soup, which has seen sales fall in 12 of the last 13 quarters, is leading a $7.8-million funding round for Rhythm Superfoods, an Austin, Texas-based startup best known for its kale chips. Its the latest investment from General Mills 301 Inc., the venture fund launched in 2015 to put money into food startups capitalizing on the shift in eating trends.

Big Foods search for growth has increasingly led to acquisitions and investments in small startups in recent years, bucking an established trend of waiting until a consumer brand had proven itself and hit at least $130 million in sales. Campbell Soup Co. and Kellogg Co., two of General Mills chief rivals, also have venture funds to help find the next big thing.

Large packaged-food companies, adept at managing billion-dollar brands, have recognized that reacting quickly to changing trends with in-house innovation isnt their strong suit. Instead, theyre investing in startups to find growth, said John Grubb, managing partner at Sterling-Rice Group, a food consulting firm.

Its a capitulation to the fact that they cant move that fast, he said. Their fine motor skills are not very good.

Over the past two years, venture capitalists poured about $2 billion into food and beverage startups, about a 50 per cent increase from the previous two-year period, according to PitchBook Data, a research firm. The surge has been led by Silicon Valley, where the tech community has turned its attention to developing the next generation of consumer food products. Blueberry Ventures, based in San Francisco, also participated in the recent funding round for Rhythm.

Rhythm Superfoods surpassed $13 million in sales last year, and should top $26 million this year, according to co-founder and chief executive officer Scott Jensen. The company hit the market with kale chips in 2010 and has since expanded into snacks made from broccoli and beets. Rhythm has its products in about 8,000 stores, including Whole Foods stores across the U.S, and another 8,000 Starbucks locations. The company should be profitable by 2018, Jensen said, declining to provide a valuation.

301 Inc. first invested in Rhythm about year ago, leading a $4-million investment round. The fund, which started as an innovation unit at General Mills before shifting to investing in startups, has put money into a handful of small companies, including Kite Hill, which makes vegan cheese from almond milk, and Beyond Meat, which produces vegan burgers. Last year, Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat producer, also launched a venture fund that invested in Beyond Meat.

Investments have started flowing to smaller food and beverage companies in recent years, in part because those companies are growing faster than ever. Marketing and distribution costs have dropped in the industry, with retailers eager to put upstart products on their shelves to meet consumer demand, said Ryan Caldbeck, founder and CEO of CircleUp, a food-and-beverage investment platform.

Big Food companies use CircleUp to identify targets. Since 2012, when it was founded, more than 200 companies have raised about $400 million on the platform. CircleUp also operates two investment funds, with about $33 million to work with, that have put money into Rhythm and other companies.

The investment dollars have helped Rhythm double its production capacity and improve distribution and marketing. Last summer, the company started producing chips at a new factory in Mexico that is closer to farms that supply the vegetables needed to make its products. Theyve added dehydration equipment to make more chips, and are working on a series of new products with the help of food scientists at General Mills, Jensen said.

For years, food startups were leery of working with large players like General Mills, fearful of losing their authenticity and ability to connect with customers. But after watching General Mills 2014 acquisition of Annies, the maker of organic macaroni and cheese, Jensen was comfortable taking an investment from 301 Inc.

Theyre blowing wind in our sails and we have to steer the ship, he said. Were able to make bigger bets, beyond anything a company of our size could figure out.

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I first heard about sous vide cooking almost a decade ago at the peak of the molecular gastronomy trend. Its a method of cooking in which food is sealed in an airtight plastic pouch then submerged in a temperature-controlled hot water bath for hours to ensure an evenly cooked piece of meat.

It sounded weird to cook steak in a plastic bag but as molecular cooking died out, sous vide stayed. Restaurants adopted this technique, allowing chefs to cook dozens of chops at the same time at a precise temperature across the board to ensure consistency. When an order comes in, the meat is taken out of the bath and quickly seared on a hot pan for a perfect medium-rare steak.

A decade later, the technique that was mostly used in restaurants is now available to the home cook. No joke, I know four people who got sous vide machines over the holidays.

The idea of cooking in a water bath has existed for centuries but it wasnt until the 60s that it was used in a commercial application. By the 70s, French chef Georges Pralus started to use sous vide in his restaurant to maintain the shape and texture of foie gras.

When people talk about sous vide today, theyre likely referring to an immersion circulator, a portable sous vide device that looks like an immersion blender that you stick in a pot of water.

The machine works by drawing water into the machine, heating it to the desired temperature and then spitting it back out, constantly circulating the water to maintain the temperature. Anova and Sansaire are the most popular brands and each cost about $200. Burlington-based appliance company Cedarlane Culinary outfitted the test kitchen with a Sansaire circulator when I told its co-owner I wanted to try sous vide cooking.

Coincidentally, around the same time, the former chef-owner of Cava and Avalon, Chris McDonald, released The Complete Sous Vide Cookbook ($30, Robert Rose). Following his recipes, I made pork chops, chicken breasts, steaks, poached and soft-boiled eggs, tuna, sauces, and salmon for family and friends. The results were magical: steaks were perfectly pink throughout and salmon filets were buttery, delicately flaky and had a beautifully shiny pinkish orange hue that would have been a dull peach had it been seared on a pan.

Its not molecular gastronomy. Its a great tool for chefs because you can hold foods at certain temperatures and prepare them in advance, says McDonald who started cooking sous vide 15 years ago at Avalon.

Back then, sous vide machines were mostly used for laboratory work but McDonald says they were extremely useful when cooking for large crowds or for home cooks who cant figure out how well a steak was done in a pan. Say youre cooking lamb or venison. You have them all portioned and cooked to how you want it in bags and when someone orders one, you take one out, roll it in oil and brown them in a pan and theyre good to go. You dont have to worry about doneness.

Still, every kitchen gadget has its disadvantages. Cooking sous vide requires menu planning way in advance since a steak that otherwise takes a few minutes to cook needs about two hours. Also, as someone who tries to reduce waste when cooking, it pains me to use plastic bags every time I want to sous vide something.

The obvious limitation is that you cant tell whats going on in the bag, says McDonald. You cant prod it like a roast in the oven. You have to have a set time and temperature and stick to it.

But for now Im happy with the new kitchen gadget. Considering how its making its way into home kitchens (and also the new season of Top Chef Canada) it looks like its on its way to becoming a fixture on the counter like the slow cooker and the microwave.

A note on food safety

The premise of sous vide is cooking at lower temperatures and longer times than conventional cooking, so inevitably questions about food safety come up. Food held between 40F (4C) and 130F (55C) for longer than two hours is considered to be in the danger zone of pathogens being able to multiply, so any meats must reach an internal temperature of at least 130F (55C) within six hours to reach pasteurization point. Sousvide recipes lay out the cooking times and temperatures to program into the machine. Once youre comfortable with that, you can start experimenting.

Essential gear

In addition to an immersion circulator, plastic pouches are required to hold the food while its submerged in water. Food-grade resealable freezer bags (e.g.: Ziploc) work just fine. These bags dont contain BPA or phthalates, and most brand-name zipper bags are made of polyethylene, which are safe for using in the low temperatures of sous vide cooking. Some gadget-obsessed cooks use a vacuum sealer but its not necessary.

Sous vide machines are also available as stand-alone units with a fixed tub that you fill with water (Cederlane lent me a SousVide Supreme). On the upside the unit has a lid so you dont have to worry about water evaporating. The downside is that it takes up counter space and hoisting that heavy thing over the sink to empty the water after cooking is awkward.

Perfect poached salmon

McDonald and I prefer salmon that is slightly undercooked, with a sashimi-like texture but if you prefer the fish to be firmer or you have a compromised immune system (or are pregnant), set the water to 130F (54.4C) and cook for the same amount of time. If the salmon is going to be finished on the pan afterwards for a crispy coating, lower the temperature to 110F (43.3C). Since the fish is cooked at a low temperature, eat it right away or refrigerate immediately after cooking.

2 cups (500 mL) cold water

2-1/2 tbsp (37 mL) kosher salt

1-1/2 tbsp (22 mL) granulated sugar

2-5 to 6oz (140g to 170g) skinless salmon fillets

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring water, salt and sugar to a gentle simmer and stir until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Let the brine cool for 20 minutes before refrigerating until cold, about 1 hour.

Place salmon filets in two separate resealable plastic bags. Add brine, making sure filets are submerged. Seal bags and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.

Prepare a hot water bath by filling a pot or container with cold water. Set sous vide to 125F (51.7C).

While water bath is heating, drain brine from plastic bags. Pat salmon dry with paper towel and brush with olive oil. An optional step is to wrap the fish in plastic wrap so it is easier to remove from the bag after cooking.Return salmon to bags and leave about an inch of the seal open at top to expel air. When water reaches desired temperature, slowly lower bags into pot, allowing water pressure to push out any air from bag through opening. Seal bags just before they are completely submerged.

Let fish cook in water bath for 45 minutes.

Remove pouches from water. Carefully remove salmon from pouches and serve immediately with hollandaise.

Makes 2 servings.

Hollandaise

This recipe has been scaled down from the book to fit the two salmon filets cooked above. In addition to using a freezer bag, you can also cook the sauce in a small Mason jar. That way, you have a resealable jar to hold any leftovers for later, perhaps for eggs Benedict.

1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter

1 tbsp plus 1/4 tsp (16 mL) white wine vinegar

1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped shallots

2 tsp (10 mL) water

2 egg yolks at room temperature

1/2 tbsp (7 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 tsp (4 mL) kosher salt

Dash of hot sauce like Tabasco

Prepare a hot water bath by filling a pot or container with cold water. Set sous vide to 165F (74C).

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat combine vinegar and shallots. Stir until vinegar starts to boil. Remove from heat.

In a blender or immersion blender in a bowl, combine vinegar and shallot mixture, water, eggs, lemon juice, salt and hot sauce. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes until well combined. With motor running, add butter in a continuous stream until sauce yields a heavy cream consistency.

Transfer sauce to a plastic bag or Mason jar and seal tightly. Immerse bag or jar in heated water bath for 30 minutes. Before serving, stir sauce to remove any air bubbles. If mixture is too thick, add a bit of water and stir.

Makes about 3/4 cup hollandaise.

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Just after she got engaged, Simone Chubb, a 20-year-old from Pennsylvania, found herself in the throes of a horrendous pregnancy.

She vomited at least once a day, if not multiple times, and in the midst of it, she found out she was having a girl, though shed wanted a boy. Three months into her pregnancy, Chubb and her husband, who was in the military, moved to Kansas, away from family.

That was where she gave birth to Riley Faye, whom Chubb immediately regretted.

As soon as I had her, I realized, Im miserable,  said Chubb, now 21. Im sore and tired, and I have to do everything.

She, like many women whove regretted being mothers, didnt tell anyone how she felt because she was ashamed.

It was another two months until Chubb whispered the words, I regret having a baby, to her doctor, who referred her to a therapist. Chubb started taking antidepressants, which helped. Sometimes.

Statistics on the number of people who truly regret having children are hard to come by, because the topic is such a taboo, said Avital Norman Nathman, author of The Good Mother Myth.

It goes against everything our society says mothers should say or feel, Nathman said. Society sets us up to expect one idea of perfection of motherhood  its the ideal job, its a huge part of our identity.

But the reality is nearly always different.

Perhaps thats why a Facebook group created for parents who regret having children has more than 5,200 members (the Tribune tried to reach some members but was unable to get responses) and according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 3 per cent of parents admit to regretting their decision to have kids.

Orna Donath, a sociologist at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, studied the topic extensively and spoke with women, young and old. She found that the regrets stemmed from a variety of reasons. Some of the pregnancies were planned and some of the women wanted to have children very badly, while others were surprised to find that they were pregnant, she said.

Their regrets about motherhood had nothing to do with their children, however.

This is also not a question of loving or hating children, Donath said. What is at the centre of the discussion is motherhood, not the children themselves.

The big issue, Donath said, is that society has difficulty acknowledging that women are very different from one another and therefore, for some, motherhood is the most wonderful thing that ever happened to them. For them, its a profound change and they may believe that it must be the same for every woman.

We women have diverse dreams, fantasies, yearnings and needs, Donath said. It is dangerous and outrageous to command us to think and to feel the same.

While the majority of the women in the study loved their children, they felt pressure from society to think motherhood was also the best thing that had ever happened to them. When they didnt feel that overwhelming joy, they regretted their children, Donath said.

Accepting that motherhood is not going to be incredible for everyone might not eliminate regret, but it might ease the pressure on these moms, she said.

Chubb felt a lot of pressure, along with shame that she wasnt enjoying her baby. After all, she was a stay-at-home mother and her baby was adorable and delightful. But Chubb wasnt happy.

Theres a stigma that its supposed to be the time of your life, Chubb said. People want to create this facade of the perfect life and the perfect reality, but its all just a dream.

Chubb said that shes regretting becoming a mother a little less now that her baby is sleeping longer periods at night and isnt crying as much.

But most of the women in Donaths study felt the regret for their entire lives.

Thats because, in general, people find satisfaction when they feel theyve accomplished something, when they have autonomy and control and when they feel challenged and appreciated, said Nancy Darling, professor of psychology at Oberlin College.

But they may not find that when they parent.

At a day-to-day level, parenting rarely accomplishes anything: You get your kids to bed sometimes, they get dressed, they stop hitting their brother. But lots of times, that is stopping a negative or hitting minimal standards, Darling said.

Children may say they love you, but they tend not to say youre doing a good job, she said.

While regretting children may be the most painful emotion that a parent has and one that may never go away, its possible to feel better about it and to deal with it in a way that wont affect your parenting, Nathman said.

Those feelings will come out in some way  overindulgence, obedience or neglect, she said.

But there are safe spaces for your feelings, such as visiting a therapist or sharing through anonymous online groups.

Voicing those feelings may help you figure out ways to move on.

Regretting motherhood exists and mothers who feel this way are not monsters, Donath said.

SHARE:
LUANG PRABANG, LAOSThe irony of Joys name doesnt escape me as he sighs and trudges over to my cooking station to show me, once again, how to stuff the ground chicken mixture into the cut stalk of lemongrass. In all fairness, Joy is a Lao chef and cooking instructor, not a saint.

Moments earlier I had been happily exuding the confidence of a domestic goddess in pulverizing the meat with herbs via mortar and pestle, discovering my knack for culinary skills that require only brute force. Anything that requires dexterity, delicacy, finesse, coordination or patience however. . .

Buzz from travellers about Tamarind Cafes cooking class flew around Luang Prabangs easy-going and placid streets, chatter tagged with words authentic and real local food. For $29 U.S. the course includes a morning market tour, the chance to make (and eat) six dishes and an education in the food of Laos.

And an education is needed. Lao cuisine is mysterious.

Starting half an inch from the bottom, Joy runs the tip of the knife down the centre of the woody, pale yellow stalk, rotating and repeating the cut several times. He opens up the lemongrass to form a little cage, artfully stuffs the filling inside and plops it on the plate ready for the deep fryer. No goopy mess. No oozing out the sides. Everything is neat and self-contained. Now my turn.

The result is both a comedy and a tragedy.

Joy sighs and moves on to show the group the next dish. I reassure my ego that the Ua Si Khai will all be the same in the end: deep fried and delicious.

I cant imagine a nicer setting to fail at making Ua Si Khai. We are a 15-minute tuk-tuk drive outside the citys tourist centre in lush and tranquil countryside. The class is held beside a small lake where the tilapia was caught for our Mok Pa, whitefish filets wrapped in a banana leaf with an herb marinade and steamed. The outdoor pavilion holds individual cook stations, fully outfitted, and one head demonstration table loaded with the fresh herbs and flavours essential to Lao cuisine: coriander, galangal, kaffir lime, basil, mint, dill, chili, garlic, ginger and fish sauce.

Lucky for me, most Lao dishes are not as fussy to prepare as Ua Si Khai.

Lao cuisine is all but unknown to the outside world, especially when compared to the cuisine of the countrys Southeast Asian neighbours. To use a popular local expression, I assumed Lao food would be same-same as Thai or Vietnamese. How wrong I was.

Absent are the heavy and oily coconut milk-based curries of Thai cuisine, or the prominence of French food as in Vietnam. In spite of a hundred-plus years of French rule, the colonizers food never sank in here (although the scrumptious baguette can still be found all over Laos  thank goodness).

Unlike Laos neighbours, mint and dill are used. Sweetness is never added to savory. Dishes are commonly eaten at room temperature and served with raw, undressed greens as a side. Lao cuisine is low key yet refreshingly unique.

The mortar and pestle is an essential tool in a Lao kitchen for extracting those flavours. I blissfully bash my way to foodie heaven making starter Jeow Mak Keua, an eggplant dip. We roast the eggplant over hot coals, remove the blackened skin then pound it with green onions, cilantro, garlic and chili until it achieves a silky texture. Infused with subtle smokiness and some spicy kick, it tastes marvelous.

I smash the contents of my mortar with even more gusto for Jeow Mak Len, a fiery tomato salsa.

Lao cuisine is not about being timid, not about cajoling ingredients, not cooking as if one is coaxing a kitten out of the closet with Motherese. The flavours are bold, bright, at times brash, but always fresh. I already know the meat stew Orlarm, currently simmering away, will be controversial with this cooking groups palate. A signature dish of Luang Prabang that traditionally took advantage of the wild bounty available in the Mekong jungle, the aroma wafting from the pot is almost medicinal.

Pea eggplants, cloud ear mushrooms, local basil and dark leafy greens were just a few of the ingredients thrown into the pot. Orlarm is conventionally made with water buffalo, but Joy offered the group the alternative of chicken. Ive opted for the real thing, adding fat, leathery pieces of dried water buffalo skin and meat.

The most distinctive ingredient in this dish is Sa Khan, also known as chili wood. It is quite literally wood. Joy had pointed out the small logs of the thick vine during our market tour. It tastes of peppercorn, chili spice and a bracing bitterness that left me coughing and munching on tomatoes as a remedy. It also made the inside of my mouth tingle, then go slightly numb to boot.

But what really defines Lao food and the way it is eaten is the staple, sticky rice.

Also known as glutinous rice (describing the consistency not ingredient  it is gluten-free), the special variety of short-grain rice is soaked in water for several hours and steamed in a bamboo basket. The result is rice that is dry but whose grains stick together.

Sticky rice is the heart of every meal and defines all Lao eating customs and habits. Eaten with fingers (the consistency makes it difficult to eat it any other way) food is made the way it is to suit this method. We sit at a big family table and learn the proper way to dig in.

With a clean hand we gather a small amount of the rice with our fingers and knead it into a ball. It becomes the perfect vehicle for dips and sauces. We use it to pick up the eggplant dip, to sop up the tomato salsa. Using the sticky rice ball like one would use a piece of bread, we scoop and pinch flaky morsels of fish with our thumb and pop it into our mouth. In essence, eating with the hands is a literal show of the tactile relationship Laotians have with their ingredients and their food. To honour the communal nature of Lao meals, we even sample one anothers dishes and exchange praise.

And while my unpretty Ua Si Khai will never grace the cover of Saveur magazine or be up to snuff in Hells Kitchen, it tastes darn good  if I may say so myself.

Cindy Fan is a freelance writer and photographer based in Toronto.

Just the Facts

DOING: Tamarind offers market tours and cooking classes daily except Sunday. Reservations are required and classes often fill two days in advance. www.tamarindlaos.com

ARRIVING: Bangkok Airways flies to Luang Prabang from Bangkok and Siem Reap. A tourist visa is available upon arrival, price dependent upon nationality.

SLEEPING: While luxury boutique hotels abound (splurging on the Amantaka, www.amanresorts.com, will run you $700-$1,400 U.S. per night), Luang Prabang is a budget travellers dream with a plethora of quality family-run guesthouses on side streets throughout town.

DINING: Grilled chicken and pork chops, spicy green papaya salad, fresh spring rolls  roll up your sleeves and dig into Luang Prabangs daily night market. For the adventurous foodie, Tamarind Restaurant offers a tasting menu that highlights the more exotic and unusual ingredients in the local cuisine. $15 per person, two-person minimum.

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CALGARYThe mother of a five-year-old boy testified Monday that she found blood everywhere  but no bodies  when she arrived at her parents home to pick up her son after a sleepover.

I saw pools of blood and hand marks of blood on the wall in front of me, so I thought something was really wrong here. Something has happened here. Something really bad has happened here, Jennifer OBrien testified at the first-degree murder trial of Douglas Garland.

Garland, 56, was charged after the disappearance of Alvin and Kathy Liknes and their grandson Nathan from the couples Calgary home on June 30, 2014.

OBrien said she had been helping her mother and stepfather with an estate sale. She was planning to stay the night, but her one-year-old son wouldnt settle down, so she went home for the night. Nathan stayed behind with his grandparents.

OBrien told the jury that her mother didnt answer a call early the next morning, but it wasnt until she went over to the house and found the door open that she realized something was wrong.

Inside, there was no sign of her family, just undeniable evidence of a bloodbath.

Throughout the whole house it was just like a bloody scene, OBrien testified. There was pools of blood on the side of the bed and on the wall and all throughout the kitchen.

She went outside and called her husband and told him: My son ... my familys been murdered and hes taken the bodies.

OBrien said she called police who told her to get into her car and lock herself in. She told court that the police officer seized the running shoes she was wearing that day.

They noticed they were covered in blood and hair which I think was Nathans.

Under cross-examination, OBrien said she had never mentioned before Monday her comments about her family being murdered.

From what I saw and what my heart told me, I knew my family was murdered. People kept telling me that, No, they could be missing, which raised my hopes, but deep down inside I knew that they were murdered.

The Crown opened its case by telling the jury that the three victims were violently snatched in the night and taken to a rural property where they were killed and their bodies burned.

The three individuals were violently removed from their beds and taken to the Garland farm and killed, prosecutor Vicki Faulkner said.

Over a number of days, investigators combed through several properties surrounding the area near Airdrie, north of Calgary, where Garland lived.

The Crown outlined what police found. A burn barrel, still smouldering, contained bones and a small tooth. A tiny piece of burned flesh was found in the grass beside the barrel.

DNA belonging to Alvin Liknes and Nathan was found on a saw. Kathy Likness DNA was found on meat hooks.

A bag discovered in one of the outbuildings contained handcuffs, a dagger and a leather baton.

Faulkner said Garland was acting on a years-long petty grudge against Alvin Liknes over a pump patent and had been meticulously planning the killings.

She said Garland did Internet searches to keep tabs on the couple and took action that took the form of obsessive and methodical planning as they were about to move away.

The boy was an unintended victim, Faulkner said.

Faulkner said OBrien received a terrible shock when she arrived at her parents home.

She did not see her parents. She did not see Nathan. They were gone and all that was left was blood.

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ST. JOHNS, N.L.The Newfoundland police officer who shot and killed Don Dunphy at his home on Easter Sunday 2015 says he did a cursory background check to assess any potential threat before visiting him.

Const. Joe Smyth of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary told the public inquiry today into the killing that a more formal assessment using approved guidelines would not have helped as he had too few details about Dunphy.

Smyth had gone alone to Dunphys house in Mitchells Brook on St. Marys Bay to assess a Twitter post flagged by staff of then-premier Paul Davis.

Smyth was then a member of the premiers security detail and was in RCMP jurisdiction when the shooting happened.

Smyth told the inquiry he went on medically approved stress leave from November 2015 to May 2016 after being moved to a desk job as the investigation continued.

He now works in traffic operations.

Smyth told investigators that Dunphy had invited him in but suddenly aimed a rifle at him as the conversation became heated.

A loaded .22-calibre rifle was found near Dunphys body but had not been fired.

Smyth shot him once in the left chest and twice in the head but Dunphys daughter has testified that she doesnt believe Smyths account.

She has suggested to the inquiry that Smyth mistook a long stick that Dunphy had for protection and then staged the scene after killing him.

An RCMP probe found Smyths use of force was appropriate and no charges were warranted.

Inquiry Commissioner Leo Barry is to report any recommendations by July 1 after hearing from more than 50 witnesses.

He will not make findings of criminal or civil responsibility, however, any new evidence could be investigated by police.

SHARE:
First, some somewhat encouraging news for the 11 non-Quebec candidates who are gathering in the provinces capital for the only French-language debate of the federal Conservative leadership campaign. The Quebec Conservatives who hold the second-largest number of leadership votes are not  in principle at least  wedded to the concept of having a native son as party leader.

For the main part, they are voters who stuck with Stephen Harper over successive elections despite the overtures of Quebec-based leaders as diverse as Paul Martin, Jack Layton, Thomas Mulcair, Justin Trudeau and, of course, Gilles Duceppe.

If place-of-political-origin had been a primary consideration, surely one of Harpers rivals would have fit the bill.

In fact, over the past decade, Harper and Jack Layton put to rest the notion that political success in the province is out of the reach of a federal leader who is not also a Quebec insider. The more sobering news for the majority of candidates whose fluency in French is non-existent or, at best, a work in progress is that proficiency in that language is as essential to connect with their partys Quebec members as mastering English would be in the other regions of the country.

According to the latest available census numbers, about 60 per cent of francophone Quebecers are not bilingual. If anything, the proportion of Conservative members who do not master English or understand it easily is higher than the provincial average.

In contrast with the New Democrats and the Liberals, the seats the Conservatives hold are all deep in francophone territory including Quebec City, the venue chosen for Tuesdays French-language debate.

There was a time, in the pre-Harper era, where Reform and Canadian Alliance strategists believed the path to success in Quebec ran through the more anglophone areas of the province. That was until they found out the hard way that Quebecs English-language minority and its allophone counterparts tend to be rock-solid Liberal constituencies.

It was not for lack of trying that Harper never managed to gain a foothold in Montreal or in the diverse suburbs that surround Quebecs metropolis. Some Montreal-area voters did flirt with the NDP at the time of the 2011 orange wave but they consistently gave the ruling Conservatives the cold shoulder.

The NDP and the Reform party were the last federal parties to run under leaders whose French-language skills were below the standards of an election debate. The Quebec results speak for themselves: a measly 1.5 per cent for Audrey McLaughlins NDP in 1993 and  in case you think thats bad  less than half of that for Preston Mannings Reform Party four years later.

Would-be leadership contender Kevin OLeary has argued that Quebecers are more sensitive to what he calls the language of jobs than to their own language. Good luck with testing that assertion. It is uncomfortably reminiscent of the bygone era when French was considered a second-class language in the provinces corporate circles.

In the real world, language-savvy Quebec Millennials treat as a given the notion that those who seek national leadership roles should similarly master both French and English.

For most Quebecers, Canadas linguistic duality is more than a rhetorical concept to which federal politicians only need pay lip service once in a while. An overwhelming Quebec majority believes the city of Ottawa as the federal capital should be officially bilingual and expects Supreme Court justices to be able to hear arguments in either official language without the help of an interpreter. The same goes for leaders of serious federal parties.

With the leadership campaign about to move into high gear, Quebec is by all indications Beauce MP Maxime Berniers to lose  in no small part, because his non-Quebec opponents including those who are bilingual have little or no profile in the province.

If the likes of former ministers such as James Moore or Jason Kenney  who were both efficient in French and on the Quebec radar  were running, the dynamics of the campaign to find a successor to Harper would be different.

Given the language limitations of most of the leadership candidates, the safest debate game plan for Berniers out-of-province rivals might be to play nice in the hope of emerging as the second choice of his supporters. One way or another, based on the year-end bilingual debate, the French language is set to take more hits than the presumed Quebec front-runner on Tuesday night.

Chantal Hebert is a national affairs writer. Her column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

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VANCOUVERA British Columbia Supreme Court judge has instructed a jury to be very cautious about relying on eyewitness evidence to find guilt in the case of four men accused of smuggling hundreds of Tamil migrants to Canada.

Justice William Ehrcke noted that the jury had heard evidence from witnesses that on more than one occasion, they were shown photographs by the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency and asked if they could identify anyone pictured.

The judge said problems with the photo lineup raised by defence lawyers are a serious concern.

You should consider these matters very carefully in deciding how much weight you choose to put on the identification evidence, he told the jury Tuesday.

The MV Sun Sea left Thailand on July 5, 2010. The dilapidated cargo ship was intercepted off the coast of B.C. on Aug. 12, 2010, carrying 492 Sri Lankan Tamils who intended to claim refugee status in Canada.

Two Sri Lankan men and two Canadians have pleaded not guilty to organizing the voyage contrary to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Ehrcke began his final instructions to the jury on Tuesday and is expected to finish Wednesday.

The two Canadian men, Nadarajah Mahendran and Thampeernayagam Rajaratnam, were not aboard the ship. They are accused of being agents who travelled to Bangkok to arrange migrants journeys.

Their lawyers have argued that eyewitness identification of the men cannot be trusted because Canadian authorities conducted a flawed investigation.

Ehrcke told the jury that Mahendrans lawyer had pointed out numerous problems with the eyewitness evidence, including that the photo lineup procedures did not conform to RCMP protocol and Canada border services did not provide details of every circumstance where a photograph was used.

The judge said some witnesses testified under cross-examination that the photos they were shown by Mounties and border agents had influenced their identification of the accused men. On one occasion, a witness identified a different man in a photo before he later identified an accused.

Earlier Tuesday, Crown attorney Charles Hough said police had to diverge from usual procedure when interviewing hundreds of migrants who had been aboard the MV Sun Sea.

The police adapted, he told the jury. Use your common sense and think about it. Putting a photo book to a witness, asking them open-ended questions: Who did this? Do you recognize them?

Ask yourself whether that would produce reliable information. I submit that it would.

Lesly Emmanuel, one of the Sri Lankan men, is accused of being the ships captain. His lawyer, Sandy Ross, has argued that he did not intend to pilot the ship but was thrown into the role of captain, and the act doesnt apply because his actions were humanitarian in nature.

Hough, however, told the jury that the actions of the men could not be humanitarian.

The MV Sun Sea was a terribly overcrowded vessel that had been in service for 30 years, rather than the standard 15 years for cargo ships, he said. It had a single lifeboat with room for about 20 people, not enough life-jackets for adults and none for children, he said.

Everyone could have died on that ship on the way to Canada. Fortunately that didnt happen, but it could have happened, he told the jury.

He said migrants have testified that they were charged about US$20,000 or US$30,000 for the voyage, most often paying about US$5,000 up front with the expectation they would pay the remainder upon arrival to Canada.

Is this something the Red Cross would do? he asked. Charging people money is inconsistent with it being a humanitarian operation.

The other Sri Lankan man, Kunarobinson Christhurajah, is accused of being the owner of the ship.

Hough told the jury he made an error last week when he said Christhurajahs lawyer had argued his client had divested himself of the company that owned the ship. In fact, Hough said Tuesday, lawyer Casey Leggett had not made that argument.

Leggett argued there was no evidence his client profited from his actions and the Crown had failed to prove he hadnt acted for a humanitarian purpose, the Vancouver Sun reported.

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OTTAWAA possible leak of sensitive data around plans to build a new fleet of warships appears to have sparked Vice-Admiral Mark Normans sudden removal as second-in-command of Canadas military, the Star has learned.

While the Defence Department continues to refuse to comment on Normans sudden ouster, industry sources say it appears tied to the ongoing  and controversial  $26-billion program to refit the Royal Canadian Navy with new warships to replace frigates and destroyers.

It was revealed Monday that Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of defence staff, had removed Norman from his post as the vice-chief of defence staff. The Globe and Mail has reported that it was related to an alleged leak of classified information.

On Tuesday, defence industry sources told the Star that the alleged leak is likely tied to the Canadian Surface Combatant program to build a new fleet of vessels to replace destroyers and frigates, with the goal of influencing the ultimate choice of ships.

Its not necessarily a better product. Its the product that the navy believes they should have, said one source.

Another source said the investigation has been underway since before Christmas.

The Defence Department refused to comment on those allegations Tuesday.

But the allegations of leaked information are already raising questions about the fairness of the competitive process and, if true, would spell more trouble for an already troubled program.

It should sink the program and I dont even think the government sees this coming, an industry source said.

In a 2015 interview with CBC News, Norman, who was head of the navy at the time, expressed frustration with the ballooning cost of the program, saying it was certain to top $30 billion, and he worried that the navy could be left without the capabilities it needs.

He said in the original estimates for the projects costs, we got a lot of it wrong.

Vance, who has been travelling out of the country and returns Thursday, issued a statement Tuesday that did little to shed light on his reasons for removing Norman from his position.

I understand there is a great deal of speculation surrounding the circumstances that led to my decision with regards to VAdm Mark Norman. For privacy considerations I am unable to provide further information, Vance said in his statement.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also refused to provide any insights into the decision.

The chief of defence staff took a decision and this government supports Gen. Vance in the decision that he took and I have nothing further to say on this at this time, Trudeau told reporters during a stop in Fredericton, N.B.

He sought to downplay any suggestions that the alleged Defence Department leak would upset Canadas relations with its allies.

We continue to engage with our allies on an ongoing basis to demonstrate the seriousness with which take issues of security because its essential for the co-operation, the collaboration we have not just with our five eyes allies but indeed with partners around the world, Trudeau said, referring to the intelligence-sharing alliance.

Still, Normans abrupt removal has sent seismic waves through the Defence Department and the allegation of leaked classified information has only added to the shock.

Its bred into us from the day we join the military. The rules and regulations, were reminded of it every because of the material we deal with, one former officer said Tuesday.

Everything is classified, even things that are unclassified. Thats still a classification, he told the Star.

Mishandling of classified information, thats an extremely serious situation and it gets more serious with the rank that is associated with it, he said.

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A man in his 30s was shot in the Englemount-Lawrence neighbourhood, near Hwy. 401 and Allen Rd., on Monday evening, leaving him with serious injuries.

Paramedics got a call around 7:15 p.m. that a person had been shot at Varna Dr. and Leila Lane.

Police were unable to confirm if the shooting occurred inside a home.

There are no suspects.

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BARRIE  On June 30, 2016, 20-year-old Kassidi Coyle went to the drive-in with two friends and spent the night at one of their homes.

In the early hours of the next morning, police were called and 38-year-old Shawn Roy, visiting from Quebec, was arrested and charged with sexual assault.

Four months later, Kassidi died by suicide, leaving her family and friends devastated and fixed on one question: Will her alleged attacker still face a trial?

According to those closest to her, Kassidi changed after July 1.

It was like day and night, her mother, Judi Coyle, said. That friendly, bubbly Kassidi was gone.

Kassidi, the youngest of four sisters, had been strong, spontaneous, kind and outgoing, the life of every party. She planned to become a nurse. She was a girly-girl with always flawless makeup. She sang country music purposely off-key to annoy her mom.

After the alleged sexual assault, she became quiet and withdrawn. She stopped wanting to leave her home or even her room.

It got to the point where we didnt even recognize her, said Emily Anderson, one of her best friends.

Anderson said Kassidi began having recurring nightmares.

Whenever I asked her about them, shed say she just pictured it happening over and over again . . . she was losing her mind really, she was, Anderson said.

Two weeks after the alleged sexual assault, she made her first suicide attempt by taking pills, according to Coyle. It took Kassidi three days to wake up from a coma. When she did, her mother said, the first thing she wrote on the board by her bed was: I want to die.

She tried to kill herself two more times before Oct. 27.

That was the night her mother went into her room to check on her and found her barely breathing.

Medical staff were able to restart her heart, but it was too late for her brain. She died on Nov. 1.

It was 16 days before her first scheduled counselling appointment at Athenas Sexual Assault Counselling and Advocacy Centre in Barrie. That was the earliest available date, Coyle said, though the alleged assault took place on July 1.

They say she saved six lives (through organ donation) and I said if shed been an ICU nurse, if shed been a nurse period  if shed made it further in life  she would have saved a lot more, Coyle said. She would have saved so many more lives.

Coyles grief has become intertwined with her desire to see Roy face justice.

What is it going to hurt if you put it before a judge or jury? The jury may say hes not guilty. But at least we will know that we tried. Let her have the chance of having her case heard, after her death. . . . You prosecute a murderer even though the victim isnt alive to testify.

On Monday, the publication ban on Kassidis identity was lifted by the court at Coyles request. Kassidis case returns to court in February, when a trial date might be set. If there is a trial, it would be before a judge, not a jury.

Coyle said Kassidi gave multiple video statements to the police, as did others who were at the home that night. A rape kit was also done.

But without Kassidi to take the stand to testify and be cross-examined about what happened that night, Coyle is concerned that the future of the case is in jeopardy.

Roys lawyer, David Wilcox, said his client maintains he did not commit the alleged sexual assault.

Obviously this is a tragedy. This young woman has taken her own life. We will never know why she did that or to what extent she was thinking clearly. We will just never know, Wilcox told the Star. We are just waiting now while the Crown reviews the evidence to see if it is sufficient to continue in the absence of the complainant.

Cross-examination is the most effective weapon that any accused person has in defending a criminal charge, he said.

He referred to the cross-examination of the three complainants in Jian Ghomeshis sexual assault trial as an example.

Until the defence lawyer had the opportunity to cross-examine those complainants, the prevailing view was he was going to be convicted, Wilcox said. It is difficult to imagine a fair trial in the absence of a right to confront and cross-examine a complainant, but again it is not an absolute because there are ways a Crown can try to bring a case to trial in the absence of a complainant.

Legal experts agree that proceeding with a sexual assault trial where a complainant cannot testify is unusual, but not unheard of.

In a 2015 case in Toronto, a sexual assault trial proceeded after the complainant died by suicide. The prosecution relied on a security video of the alleged sexual assault. The accused man was acquitted.

It is difficult enough with the complainant alive and ready to testify, said Amanda Dale, executive director of the Barbra Schlifer Clinic, a legal clinic for women who experience violence.

Although a complainant can be the best Crown witness in a sexual assault case, there may be other forms of evidence that the prosecution can present.

A suicide note or medical records could be used to argue a suicide is an aggravating factor or to show a complainants behaviour was consistent with someone who had been sexually assaulted.

On the other hand, the defence might use her suicide as a bias factor in the interest of justice and also argue lack of evidence as she not there to testify, Dale said, speaking generally.

Much may hinge on whether statements a complainant has made to police are admissible at a trial, something that depends on whether a judge finds they are reliable and necessary, said criminal law professor Robert Currie at the Schulich School of Law.

Lawyer Joanna Birenbaum said that in general it is appropriate for the Crown to proceed when the complainant has given statements under oath to the police.

In principle, persons who perpetrate sexual violence should not automatically be free from prosecution because the complainant has died, especially when the complainants death was a direct result of the trauma of the sexual assault, said Birenbaum, who is not involved in this case.

Kassidis mother said she is haunted by what-ifs. What if she had checked on Kassidi sooner on the night she overdosed? What if shed realized some of the things Kassidi was doing that made her seem like she was getting better were actually signs she was still suicidal? What if Kassidi hadnt been discharged from the hospital? What if shed been able to speak to a counsellor sooner?

Thats the way rape is. It starts out here and it ripples, ripples, ripples through everything. Every family member. Every friend. It creates almost like a perfect storm, Coyle said.

I still cant believe she is dead, I keep thinking she is going to come home and say, Kidding. 

Coyle said more support and more funding for sexual assault victims and for mental health is required across the country, and more education so that family and friends know how to help their loved ones.

Anderson agreed. In some ways she believes Kassidis final overdose was an attempt to be hospitalized again and access the help she felt she wasnt able to get otherwise.

I think she was conditioned to think this is the only way to get the help that I need, Anderson said. I dont think she meant to die.

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Canadian authorities say they plan to deport Toronto serial rapist Selva Kumar Subbiah to Malaysia when his prison terms expires later this month but they wont say if they plan to warn police or the public there.

Subbiah, 56, is eligible for mandatory release on Jan. 29 when his 24-year prison term expires, even though prison staff has warned theres a high risk hell reoffend or even kill.

Subbiah was sentenced to 24 years in prison in 1992 after being found guilty of 19 counts of sexual assault, 28 counts of administering a drug or noxious substance, 10 counts of various kinds of assault and a dozen other charges, including extortion.

MORE ON THESTAR.COM

Toronto serial rapist to be released from prison amid warnings hes a risk to reoffend

Serial sex attacker gets cushier surroundings despite lack of remorse

Would any Canadian think it is fair to dump a person into their home country without telling them about his many convictions? asked Paul Normandeau, the retired Crown attorney who helped send Subbiah to prison.

Is Canada not friendly with Malaysia? Would it not be a serious diplomatic breach not to follow through with competent authorities in Malaysia?

When he sentenced Subbiah to prison, Mr. Justice David Humphrey of the Ontario court, general division, ordered police to accompany Subbiah back to his native Malaysia and give police there his extensive criminal file.

A CBSA statement said that Subbiah will held in custody when hes released from prison later this month so that he can be deported to Malaysia. However, Canada Border Services wont say whether Subbiah will be escorted from Canada by guards, as Humphrey ordered.

If the Canada Border Services Agency has reasonable grounds to believe that an individual could pose a danger to the public, officers will be deployed to escort the individual to their point of finality, the statement said. The CBSA is conducting a thorough review on the details of his removal to mitigate any danger to the public when he is removed.

The statement cited security and privacy concerns as it declined to answer whether Malaysian police and the public would be warned about Subbiah.

The safety and security of the person being removed and any escort is paramount, it said. The enforcement of a removal is protected under the Privacy Act.

In response to questions from the Star, the agency said Subbiah is under a forcible deportation order and that his appeals time has run out.

An individual has 15 days to appeal the order from the date of issue, the unsigned message said. Mr. Subbiahs appeal period has ended. Once released by Corrections Canada, he will be held in CBSA custody until he is removed from Canada.

One of the women that Subbiah raped warned that he should be taken extremely seriously.

They cant take it lightly, said the woman, who was in her early teens when she was attacked. They cant just sweep it under the rug and hope for the best.

The Star agreed not to identify her because of her security concerns.

Subbiah was told in a June 2016 parole hearing that hes considered a grave risk to society.

The CMT (case management team) believes that you are likely to commit an offence causing death or serious harm to another person prior to the expiration of your (parole) and therefore, is recommending that your detention order be confirmed, the parole record from that parole hearing states.

File information indicates that you continue to struggle in the areas of victim empathy, remorse and your inability to take full responsibility for your personal choices which results in your lack of mitigation in risk.

Subbiah made no comment at that hearing.

Subbiah arrived in Canada in 1980 and never obtained permanent resident status. He was granted student and visitors visas, claiming he attended McMaster and Ryerson universities, where he said he was a divinity student.

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WASHINGTONDonald Trump will be sworn in is as Americas 45th president on Friday with a speech he has suggested will be inspired by Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy.

His transition has not been like theirs.

Or anybodys, really.

Trump has raged through the two months since his victory, casting aside norms of decorum, policy and international relations while refusing to temper the anger that thrilled millions of voters while scaring much of the world.

Here are 11 things his transition has taught us about the president-to-be and his looming administration:

It wasnt just rhetoric: Trump supporters and critics alike brushed off much of his campaign rhetoric as bluster, strategic metaphor to be discarded the day after the campaign. His preposterously tall Mexico wall seemed a prime example. In fact, he appears serious about building a barrier, even if it doesnt precisely match his previous description. While he has backed off on other pledges  ripping up the Iran deal, for example  it wasnt all nonsense.

Ball of confusion: Democrats used the Senate confirmation hearings for Trumps Cabinet nominees to grill them on his most controversial remarks. Instead of defending the boss, as nominees are usually expected to do, they simply disagreed  on Russia, on torture, on climate change, on NATO. Will his views or their views prevail? Until further notice, therell be an unusual degree of policy uncertainty.

Expect upheaval: Forget his campaign words. During the transition alone, Trump has declared the One China policy up for negotiation, suggested he still thinks NATO is obsolete, said he doesnt care what happened to the European Union, and expressed a desire for closer ties with Russia. For better or worse, he was signalling the dawn of a new international order, with Americas role in the world transformed. The consequences of this kind of realignment are impossible to predict.

Look, a fly!: Trump has a famously short attention span. His transition conduct suggests he might have trouble focusing on the weighty matters of governance at the expense of trivialities. Exhibit A: while he has declined to receive a standard daily intelligence briefing, he has made time to weigh in on the table settings for inauguration balls.

Republicans wont stand in his way on conduct: The chairman of the House oversight committee, Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, aggressively pursued investigations into the official conduct of Hillary Clinton. He is now making clear that he has no intention of spending much energy overseeing the dealings of the party mate in the Oval Office. Unless Democrats win back the House in 2018, dont expect much checking-and-balancing from Congress . . . .

. . . but Congress is where the policy action is: Trump is a master attention-monopolizer, and its tempting to obsess over every pronouncement and feud. The meaningful action, though, will often be in intraparty policy battles between congressional Republicans, especially as the incoming president usually has little interest in specifics. On Sunday, as Trump set Twitter alight with a vague proclamation that his Obamacare replacement would include insurance for everybody. Republicans were working on plans that would not do so.

Resistance is possible: Republicans control the entire federal government, and Democrats are demoralized. That doesnt mean they cant get results. A public uproar, led by the left and joined by Trump, pressured Republicans into abandoning plans to gut an ethics watchdog.

Hes no invincible juggernaut: Its understandable if everyone is a little suspicious of polls at the moment. But national polls were pretty accurate; Trump lost the popular vote by two percentage points after trailing in the polls by three, and national polls now show him with an approval rating in the 40s, 20 points worse than his three predecessors at this stage. His base is loyal, but not big. A big error or two might make him toxic fast . . . .

but he is a formidable political force: Betting on a quick impeachment? It is more likely that Trump again proves unexpectedly successful. His command of political showmanship, evident again in his skilful claiming of credit for job creation that has little to do with him, allows him to establish powerful narratives before the facts can catch up.

Ethics problems abound: Ethics-in-government experts are unanimous: to avoid conflicts of interest, Trump needs to sell his company. He isnt doing so. His decision to merely hand over management control to his sons guarantees that there will be clashes between his private business and his official duties . . . and very possibly the constitution.

Healing isnt happening: Trump delivered a gracious victory speech in which he said is time for us to come together as one united people. He has made no effort to make that happen. Between mocking Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush, insulting civil rights legend John Lewis and turning a Happy New Year tweet into a gloat, Trump has proven unwilling to attempt to heal the wounds of the campaign. By all indications, this will be a scorched-earth presidency.

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WASHINGTONThe roster of House Democrats planning to boycott president-elect Donald Trumps inauguration grew to more than 50 on Tuesday in a protest of the New York businessmans policies and his repeated criticism of legendary civil rights activist John Lewis.

The Georgia congressman made headlines over the weekend for challenging Trumps legitimacy to be the next president and erroneously claiming that Trumps inauguration would be the first he will have missed since coming to Congress three decades ago.

In fact, Lewis had skipped President George W. Bushs inauguration in 2001.

Trump struck on Tuesday morning, as is typical, on Twitter: WRONG (or lie)! Trump tweeted, citing a 2001 Washington Post report that noted Lewis had skipped George W. Bushs inauguration.

Lewis office on Tuesday confirmed that the congressman had missed Bushs swearing-in.

His absence at that time was also a form of dissent, said spokeswoman Brenda Jones. He did not believe the outcome of that election, including the controversies around the results in Florida and the unprecedented intervention of the U.S. Supreme Court, reflected a free, fair and open democratic process.

Lewis said last week that he would skip Trumps swearing in on Friday, telling NBC News that he didnt view Trump as a legitimate president.

I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, Lewis said in an interview with NBCs Meet the Press that aired Sunday.

Lewis comments drew angry weekend tweets from Trump, who wrote that rather than falsely complaining about the election results, Lewis should focus on his congressional district.

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan also weighed in, telling a Milwaukee Fox television affiliate Tuesday that Trump won this election fair and square and that Democrats were wrong to try and inject some kind of claim of illegitimacy on the dawn of a new presidency.

Ryan praised Lewis, however, telling Fox6Now.com that Lewis knows what I think of him, how much I look up to him. I think both men would do better by just getting to know each other, and understanding each other.

The number of Democrats boycotting Trumps inauguration continued to increase, including Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, a top contender to lead the Democratic National Committee, as well as many black and Hispanic lawmakers. Top Democrats like House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York will attend, however, and none of the Senate Democrats said theyll skip the inauguration.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer shrugged off the protest and indicated they would give away the seats.

Wed love for every member of Congress to attend but if they dont, weve got some great seats for others to partake in. Its a shame that these folks dont want to be part of the peaceful transfer of power, Spicer told reporters on a morning call.

On Tuesday, Democrats such as Alma Adams of North Carolina, Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania and Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire joined the growing ranks of lawmakers boycotting Trumps inauguration.

I cannot in good faith and consciousness pretend to celebrate the inauguration of someone who has spoken so horribly about women, minorities and the disabled, Adams said.

Trump and other Republicans have dismissed the boycott and complaints, saying Democrats are sore losers who need to accept the results of the election and move on. Democrats control 194 House seats.

While many Democrats were furious with the outcome of the drawn out 2000 election in which George W. Bush defeated Al Gore after recounts and a Supreme Court ruling, they generally attended Bushs inauguration as the nations 43rd president.

The House is out of session most of this week and roll call votes are not anticipated, so other lawmakers in both parties may skip the trip.

Obama repeatedly faced questions during the 2008 campaign about the widely debunked claim that he was not a U.S. citizen and that his birth certificate was a fake. Trump, in fact, perpetuated that notion for many years before a brief statement last year that Obama was a citizen. Republicans attended Obamas two inaugurations.

Democratic Rep. Don Beyer said he will not be part of the normalizing or legitimizing of a man whose election may be the result of malicious foreign interference of Russian leaders, a reference to U.S. intelligences assessment that Russia meddled in the election to help Trump win.

Heres a list of other lawmakers who will not attend:

Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C.

Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif.

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.

Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa.

Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Md.

Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C.

Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Calif.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Tex.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif.

Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass.

Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y.

Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo.

Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.

Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich.

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif.

Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa.

Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y.

Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Pa.

Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio

Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.

Rep. Al Green, D-Tex.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.

Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif.

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.

Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.

Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Calif.

Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis.

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.

Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif.

Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore.

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H.

Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.

Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.

Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif.

Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J.

Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla.

Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky.

With files from the Washington Post

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OAKLAND, CALIF.The widow of the Orlando nightclub gunman knew about the attack ahead of time, prosecutors said Tuesday as she appeared in court to answer charges of aiding and abetting her husband in the months before the rampage last June that left 49 people dead.

Noor Salman, 30, stood before a federal judge under tight security, looking downcast and bewildered. She did not enter a plea. When she was led back to jail, she locked eyes with her tearful uncle.

She knew he was going to conduct the attack, federal prosecutor Roger Handberg told the judge. Handberg did not disclose any more details and declined to comment after the hearing.

Outside court, Salmans uncle Al Salman said his niece was innocent and did nothing to help her husband, Omar Mateen, plan the June 12 attack on the Pulse, a gay nightclub in Florida.

Shes a very soft and sweet girl, Salman said. She would not hurt a fly.

In an indictment unsealed Tuesday, she was accused of aiding and abetting Mateen in providing material support and resources to Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL, between April and June of last year. She was also charged with obstruction, accused of misleading and lying to police and the FBI during their investigation. The charges carry up to life in prison.

The indictment gave no additional details on Salmans actions.

During the standoff, Mateen pledged allegiance to Daesh in a 911 call. He was killed in a shootout with SWAT officers. In addition to the 49 victims killed, 53 people were injured.

The couple lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the time of the rampage.

After repeated interrogation by the FBI, Salman was arrested Monday at a house she shared with her mother in Rodeo, a San Francisco suburb.

Al Salman said that Noor Salman was physically and mentally abused by Mateen and that she stayed with him for fear of losing custody of their son.

A judge scheduled another hearing Wednesday to discuss her possible release ahead of trial, her transfer to Florida to face the charges, and the appointment of a lawyer to represent her.

Charles Swift, director of the Richardson, Texas-based constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America, planned on representing her at that hearing, said public defender John Paul Reichmuth, who represented her during Tuesdays proceedings.

Linda Moreno, a Florida attorney who also represents Salman, said after Salmans arrest that the widow had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night.

Salman told The New York Times in an interview published in November that she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but that she was unaware of everything regarding his intent to shoot up the club. Salman also said he had physically abused her.

This story has been corrected to reflect that the indictment was unsealed Tuesday, not Monday.

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Zeenat Rafiq had been married to her husband for just one week when her mother showed up at the couples home in June offering to throw them a wedding celebration.

It must have been strange for the 18-year-old Pakistani woman. Her mother, Perveen Bibi, had never approved of her relationship with Hassan Khan, a classmate. Nor had other members of the family, who had rejected multiple marriage proposals from her husband before the couple eloped.

But now, all was forgiven, her mother told her. Come home to celebrate so youre not branded as an eloper.

Rafiq nervously agreed.

But there was no celebration on her return to the familys home in Lahore, Pakistan. Instead, her mother and brother beat and strangled her, then tied her to a cot, doused her in kerosene and lit her on fire, according to reports at the time.

After the attack, Bibi ran outside and yelled, I have killed my daughter for misbehaving and giving our family a bad name, the mothers sister told Agence France-Presse at the time.

Authorities arrested the mother and later Rafiqs brother, Anees Rafiq, and charged them in the young womans death. The mother confessed almost immediately, telling police, I have no regrets, according to the Associated Press.

On Monday, Bibi was sentenced to death and Anees Rafiq to life in prison for killing Zeenat Rafiq, the AP reported. A defence attorney for Rafiq told the AP his client was innocent.

Such honour killings are commonplace in Pakistan, where roughly 1,000 women are slain every year by relatives, most of them men, who believe they have disgraced their families. In 2015, about 1,100 women died in honour killings, while another 900 suffered sexual violence and 800 attempted suicide or took their own lives, the countrys independent Human Rights Commission said in its 2015 report.

Rafiqs death came after a series of attacks on women triggered outrage in Pakistan, which is struggling to reconcile traditional attitudes about women and marriage with growing calls for reform. A week after her mothers arrest, a group of Pakistani clerics issued a fatwa, a ruling under Islamic law, calling honour killings unethical and unjustifiable and urging the government to draft new legislation to punish perpetrators.

In October, Pakistans parliament passed a landmark law guaranteeing 25-year prison sentences for men convicted in honour killings and barring families from legally pardoning killers. Previous law allowed a victims family to absolve killers of guilt, making prosecutions difficult or impossible in many cases.

Hassan Khan, Rafiqs husband, described his wife as his high school sweetheart in an interview with Newsweek Pakistan.

We were just friends in the beginning, he said, but both of us realized we loved each other after some time.

Eventually, the two decided to get married. Khan said he urged Rafiq to discuss their engagement with her family. When she did, he said, they beat her mercilessly.

Her family found it a matter of great dishonour, he said.

The couple tried on other occasions to get the familys permission to marry, Khan told Newsweek, but they were rejected. So in the summer of 2016, they eloped.

For the first two days, Khan said, they hid at a cousins house, fearing retribution from Rafiqs relatives. Then they went to Khans mothers house.

A few days later, Khan said, Rafiqs mother and an uncle arrived with something of an olive branch: if you let Rafiq return home, they said, well arrange a formal wedding reception.

It took some coaxing, but a male relative guaranteed Rafiqs safety, Khan told Newsweek. But even after Rafiq agreed to go, she knew she was taking a risk, he said.

Please forgive me if I dont come back, Khan recalled his wife saying.

It was the last time he saw her alive.

Rafiq had been home just a couple days when her mother and brother burned her. Neighbours heard screams and saw smoke rising from the house, but family members prevented them from coming inside, the AP reported.

Khan said he learned about her death through one of her cousins, who called and said, They have killed her.

I couldnt believe my ears, Khan told Newsweek. I rushed to their house and saw the burned remains of a body  it was so badly disfigured I couldnt even tell if it was a person.

Before Rafiqs mother and brother were sentenced, Khan vowed to seek justice for his wife. He told Newsweek he refused to let her killing cloud his memory of her.

She was full of joy, he said, and had such a beautiful smile.

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIAThe nearly three-year search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 ended Tuesday, possibly forever  not because investigators have run out of leads, but because the countries involved in the expensive and vast deep-sea hunt have shown no appetite for opening another phase.

Late last year, as ships with high-tech search equipment covered the last strips of the 120,000-square kilometre search zone, experts concluded they should have been searching a smaller area immediately to the north. But by then, $160 million had already been spent by Malaysia, Australia and China, who had agreed over the summer not to search elsewhere without pinpoint evidence.

The transport ministers of those countries reiterated that decision Tuesday in the joint communique issued by the Joint Agency Coordination Center in Australia that announced the search for Flight 370  and the 239 people aboard the aircraft  had been suspended.

Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft, said the agency, which helped lead the hunt for the Boeing 777 in remote waters west of Australia.

Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended. The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness.

Relatives of those lost on the plane, which vanished during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, responded largely with outrage. A support group, Voice 370, issued a statement saying that extending the search is an inescapable duty owed to the flying public.

Without understanding what happened to the plane, theres a good chance that this could happen in the future, said K.S. Narendran, a member of the group.

But last year, Australia, Malaysia and China  which have each helped fund the search  agreed that the hunt would be suspended once the search zone was exhausted unless new evidence emerges that pinpoints the planes specific location. More than half of those aboard the plane were Chinese.

Since no technology currently exists that can tell investigators exactly where the plane is, that means the most expensive, complex search in aviation history is over, barring a change of heart from the three countries.

There is the possibility that a private donor could offer to bankroll a new search, or that Malaysia will kick in fresh funds. But no one has stepped up yet, raising the bleak possibility that the worlds greatest aviation mystery may never be solved.

For the families of the aircrafts 227 passengers and 12 crew members, thats a particularly bitter prospect given the recent acknowledgment by officials that they had been looking for the plane in the wrong place all along.

In December, the transport bureau announced that a review of the data used to estimate where the plane crashed, coupled with new information on ocean currents, strongly suggested that the plane hit the water in an area directly north of the search zone.

Officials investigating the planes disappearance recommended that search crews head north to a new 25,000-square-kilometre area identified in a recent analysis as where the plane most likely crashed. But Australias government rejected that recommendation, saying the results of the experts analysis werent precise enough to justify continuing the hunt.

Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft, the transport ministers of the three countries involved said in their statement Tuesday.

The lack of resolution has caused agony for family members of the flights passengers, who have begged officials to continue the hunt for their loved ones.

The whole series of events since the plane disappeared has been nothing but frustrating, said Grace Nathan, a Malaysian whose mother was on board Flight 370. It continues to be frustrating and we just hope they will continue to search . . . . Theyve already searched 120,000 square kilometres. What is another 25,000?

Investigators have been stymied again and again in their efforts to find the aircraft. Hopes were repeatedly raised and smashed by false leads: Underwater signals wrongly thought to be emanating from the planes black boxes. Possible debris fields that turned out to be sea trash. Oil slicks that contained no jet fuel. A large object detected on the sea floor that was just an old shipwreck.

In the absence of solid leads, investigators relied largely on an analysis of transmissions between the plane and a satellite to narrow down where in the world the jet ended up  a technique never previously used to find an aircraft.

Based on the transmissions, they narrowed down the possible crash zone to a vast arc of ocean slicing across the Southern Hemisphere. Even then, the search zone was enormous and located in one of the most remote patches of water on earth  1,800 kilometres off Australias west coast. Much of the seabed had never even been mapped.

For years, search crews painstakingly combed the search area in several ships, largely pinning their hopes on towfish, small vessels equipped with sonar that sent information back to the boats in real-time. The ships slowly dragged the towfish through the ocean just above the seabed, hoping the equipment would detect some trace of the plane. Unmanned submarines were used to examine areas of rougher terrain and objects of interest picked up by sonar that required a closer look.

The search zone shifted multiple times as investigators refined their analysis, all to no avail.

Then, in July 2015, came the first proof that the plane was indeed in the Indian Ocean: A wing flap from the aircraft was found on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar. Since then, more than 20 objects either confirmed or believed to be from the plane have washed ashore on beaches throughout the Indian Ocean. But while the debris proved the plane went down in the Indian Ocean, the location of the main underwater wreckage  and its crucial black box data recorders  remains stubbornly elusive.

If the plane is never found, the reasons for its disappearance and crash will probably never be known, though Malaysia has said the planes erratic movements after takeoff were consistent with deliberate actions.

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In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, outgoing Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan said that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump crossed the line when he used Twitter last week to accuse the department of leaking an unsubstantiated, unflattering dossier and compare U.S. spies to Nazis.

Brennan brushed off the significance of personal attacks Trump launched directly at him, which included a tweet about the CIA director Sunday that asked, Was this the leaker of Fake News? but was angered by the president-elects remarks about others in the agency.

Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to leak into the public, Trump tweeted on Jan. 11. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany?

RELATED:Outgoing CIA chief rips Trump over tweets, Russia

Brennan told the Journal in a story published Monday night that he did not leak the dossier, which contains unverified but salacious personal information about Trump and alludes to possible contact between the president-elect and the Russian government. He said the information did not come from the intelligence community, but from a former British intelligence officer, Christopher Steele, and that he had no knowledge of it until last fall when reporters asked about it. The dossier had been circulating around Washington for many months and was published in full by BuzzFeed News last week.

I think its the right and indeed the responsibility of the president of the United States to challenge the conclusions of the intelligence community, Brennan told the Journal. We dont expect our information and our assessments to be swallowed whole.

Its when there are allegations made about leaking or about dishonesty or a lack of integrity, thats where I think the line is crossed, he said.

Tell the families of those 117 CIA officers who are forever memorialized on our wall of honour that their loved ones who gave their lives were akin to Nazis, Brennan told the Journal. Tell the CIA officers who are serving in harms way right now and their families who are worried about them that they are akin to Nazi Germany. I found that to be very repugnant, and I will forever stand up for the integrity and patriotism of my officers who have done much over the years to sacrifice for their fellow citizens.

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If the future of Canadian relations with the U.S. were a weather forecast, it would read Foggy with a chance of uproar and outrage.

We dont know what the future holds for the relationship, but we can count on a few, and perhaps many sources of friction. Now this may sound like any analysis before any new administration moves into the White House; never has there been so much uncertainty and worry and for one very good reason: Team Trump is largely unknown.

Its a safe bet that before last November, few Canadian diplomats were studying the words of Rex Tillerson, the next Secretary of State. Ditto for the next Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a hedge funder and Hollywood movie producer known as the foreclosure king. Rick Perry, the candidate who wanted to close down the department of energy, is the next Secretary of Energy. Climate change denier Scott Pruitt is the new head of the EPA, which he is not only suing, but he once called the EPA unlawful and over reaching.

Then theres Trump himself. Who knows what he will end up doing or what he truly believes. Promising more than a trillion in new spending for infrastructure even makes Justin Trudeau look like a skinflint conservative.

The real worry is not that Trump may turn out to be a closet liberal, but a mercantilist, a 16th century economic nationalist for whom the only priority is enriching the state by concentrating manufacturing within its own borders. The art of the deal in that world is to win, pure and simple, and for the other side to lose. Theres no common cause.

Where that all leads to is import taxes. Trump has already threatened such a tax on American carmakers who construct their cars in Mexico and ship them into the U.S. Its hard to see how Canada would be exempt. American car companies operate in Canada too, even though a car built in Canada crosses the border dozens of times before its ready for sale, raising the question is it a Canadian or American car? Its unlikely the Trump administration would have much time for such nuances.

But the growing worry goes far beyond the automotive sector. A mercantilist government could hit almost all aspects of our economy, including energy.

As scary as all this sounds, there may be hope. Speaker Paul Ryan has previously stated his lack of support for a border adjustment tax on American companies who manufacture in foreign countries. This is in contrast to his recent inclusion of something similar in his Better Way tax bill being discussed with the Trump team. However, he, like many other more traditional Republicans, come from the school of freer trade. While Congress is Republican Red, they are not all mercantilists like Trump, and they could pour molasses on his protectionist dreams.

Trumps going to face another dilemma which could stop him cold on his more controversial ideas. Official Washington is not going to take kindly to his notion of draining the swamp considering thats where they all live and work. There will be push back, and in the time-honoured tradition of bureaucrats everywhere, it will involve unauthorized dissemination of information, otherwise known as leaks. I suspect Washington will be awash in brown envelopes revealing eyebrow raising details of the making of political sausages.

This isnt all bad news for Canada. It may present us with some prime opportunities.

First, we do have friends on both sides of the aisle in Congress. Republicans have traditionally been the party of trade, and even though the Trump White House seems to be against it, a good number of traditional Republicans remain free traders. We need to keep these friends close.

The State Houses are primarily Republican, but that should be good news for both trade and cross border issues. They may be our best friends if  and likely when  we have to fend off another round of buy America provisions in the new infrastructure spending.

Mayors tend to be democratic and they can be natural allies on issues like the environment and, to a degree, on reciprocal rights on government procurement.

What we cant do is focus too much on the White House. By all signs, Trump has a rather benign neglect for us, and we are best to leave it at that. By and large he will never see Trudeaus Canada as a close friend. So lets not appear needy.

The other thing we need to avoid is setting our hair on fire. Trump may not be as bad as many fear. Power has a way of imposing discipline and levelling ambition. In the end, the sclerotic American system of government may do its job and water the wine. Where we need to keep the focus is on our own interests and who can best help us realize them.

Tom Clark is chair, public affairs and communications, for Global Public Affairs.

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Donald Trump will be sworn into office this week after one of the most uncertain presidential transitions in the postwar period. U.S. foreign and trade policy could now be entering a change period as significant as any since the beginning of the Cold War when Harry Truman helped build a consensus around U.S. global international leadership.

Trump wants a new foreign policy direction and his policies toward Russia and China in his first 100 days could be key leading indicators of the degree of transformation on the horizon. It is already clear he will challenge key elements of postwar orthodoxy pursued, in different ways, by Democratic and Republican presidents based around U.S. global dominance, and commitment to expanding the liberal democratic order, including U.S.-led alliances.

Specifically, with Trumps commitment to putting America First, he is rhetorically committed to more combative relations with China; greater burden sharing with traditional military allies including Japan and Europe; reviewing or scrapping trade deals, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); potential withdraw from the Paris climate change deal agreed by over 170 countries as a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol; potentially ending the Iranian nuclear agreement; and the prospect of pursuing rapprochement with Russia.

Yet, one reason why transition to the Trump presidency has been so uncertain is contrasting views of his incoming cabinet. For instance, Defence-secretary-designate James Mattis said last week that Russia is raising grave concerns on several fronts, including trying to break the Northern Atlantic alliance [NATO]., and that Washington should keep the nuclear deal with Iran.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson was also forceful in his criticism of Russia. And he also indicated his support for free trade agreements such as TPP and the Paris climate change agreement.

The balance of probability is that, while Trumps campaign rhetoric will be watered down in some areas, his instincts will powerfully shape the contours of the new teams policies. He knows that there is, currently, a sizeable body of U.S. public opinion that supports him, with for instance one April 2016 Pew poll finding that almost 60 per cent of the populace believing the United States should deal with its own [domestic] problems and let others deal with theirs the best they can.

In his first 100 days, two key areas to watch will be policy toward other great powers, especially China and Russia. Already, it is clear that Beijing could become the bete noire of the new administration, and underlying Trumps hawkish sentiment is a conviction that the country represents the primary threat to U.S. interests globally. Yet, he has also acknowledged that China can also play a potentially very constructive role in key areas such as North Koreas continuing provocations.

In this context, Trump asserted last week that everything is under negotiation with Beijing, and it appears he may ultimately be looking for a grand bargain that encompasses both security and economic policy. He has already begun to shakeup the bilateral status quo following his telephone call last month with Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen. This is believed to be the first such communication between U.S. and Taiwanese presidents since the 1970s, and a breach of the so-called One China protocol under which Washington agreed to withdraw diplomatic recognition of the island nation as part of a deal to open up relations with the mainland.

China policy appears one area where Trump is relatively aligned with his cabinet. For instance, Tillerson warned last week that Beijing would not be allowed access to its new, artificial islands in the South China Sea, and Mattis also slammed the countrys behaviour in the area, which has unsettled U.S. allies.

Any grand bargain with China would need to extend beyond the security arena to economics, too. Here, one specific measure Trump wants to see is Beijing floating the yuan: he asserts that the country is manipulating its currency by keeping its exchange rate artificially low in order to secure export advantage.

It is U.S. policy to Russia, however, that has potential to be most controversial  with Congress already looking into allegations of the Trump administrations ties with Moscow. While Trump may tread carefully in his first few weeks, his team has already been in very frequent contact with the Russian Ambassador to the United States  and is seeking a relatively early meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

Trump believes Russia is not a serious threat to the United States, and there is scope for rapprochement, hinting last week that he could drop economic sanctions if the country is helpful. Specifically, he perceives there are common interests over issues such as preventing Iran secure nuclear weapons, combating terrorism, and potentially even helping contain a rising China in a new balance of power.

One key area the Trump team will be most keenly watched, internationally, will be how any warming ties with Moscow may impact NATO. He has described the military alliance as obsolete, yet Mattis has argued that NATO needs integrated steps  diplomatic, economic, military and the alliance steps, working with our allies, to defend ourselves where we must.

Already, lack of clarity over NATO policy is one driver spurring Europeans to reverse around a decade of defence spending cuts, totalling around 10 per cent in real terms. To this end, a new European Defence Action Plan was discussed at last months EU summit that, subject to final agreement, will see greater continental military co-operation.

Taken overall, Trumps stance toward Russia and China could be key leading indicators of the degree to which U.S. foreign and trade policy is now entering a period of significant change.

Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS (the Centre for International Affairs, Diplomacy and Strategy) at the London School of Economics.

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The notion that extreme inequality is corrosive for a society is an ancient one. In the 4th century B.C., Plato wrote that no man should be more than four times wealthier than any other, lest the divide lead to laziness among the rich and stifle opportunity among the poor.

Some two thousand years later, at the height of the Enlightenment, Jean-Jacques Rousseau more or less saw the Brexiteers and Trumpism coming: he wrote that vast wealth disparity leads to everything that can inspire mistrust and mutual hatred in the different estates by setting their rights and interests at odds, and so strengthen the power that contains them all.

Over the last quarter-century, we have, not for the first time, seen aspects of the philosophers warnings bear out.

While experts may disagree on the causes, the impacts of rapidly growing inequality are becoming increasingly clear: the decline of trust and social cohesion, the threats to democracy, the impact on economic growth of shrunken demand. Little wonder global inequality and the rise of populism seem to be dominating the conversation as world leaders descend on Davos.

And yet, despite a broadening awareness of the problem and a fledgling cross-partisan consensus about the dangers it poses, we have done too little to address it. A new report from Oxfam International shows that wealth has continued to become more and more concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer people.

The numbers are shocking. The eight richest men in the world now own as much wealth as the 3.6 billion poorest people. In Canada, the wealthiest two citizens, Galen Weston Sr. and David Thomson, are together as rich as the poorest 30 per cent combined. Its through no fault of their own that these men have become symbols of stark inequality. The ratios would knock Plato out.

If there is good news, it is that, increasingly, the debate is not about whether extreme inequality is a problem but rather about how to solve it. While there is inevitable disagreement about what can and should be done, theres no shortage of ideas.

For instance, pioneering British economist Anthony B. Atkinson, who died on New Years Day, left behind a set of practical policy tools he argued would allow governments to mitigate inequalitys consequences, as well as to curb the problem itself. These range from the relatively commonplace (for instance, more progressive taxes) to the bold (a job guarantee).

Many of these ideas would no doubt be tough sells in the current political context. But one concrete proposal, endorsed by the authors of the Oxfam report, is likely politically saleable and has the potential to provide some the resources needed to tackle inequality: a global crack-down on tax havens and tax cheats.

Oxfam challenges governments and corporations to address the problem of tax havens, which is fuelling economic inequality and preventing hundreds of millions of people lifting themselves out of poverty. It estimates that some $7.6 trillion of individuals wealth currently sits offshore, allowing the richest few to dodge about $190 billion in taxes per year.

The Panama Papers chronicling of lost revenue may have done more to erode trust than anything since the 2008 financial meltdown. Canadas record here leaves much to be desired. Making matters worse, our sprawling tax code has grown in recent years to include a diverse array of tax loopholes that benefit the richest few with no evident contribution to the public good. The costs to Canada of tax avoidance and evasion are estimated to be in the many tens of billions of dollars every year.

The day after the U.S. election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Donald Trump won in part because too many citizens were not sharing in the countrys prosperity and that this problem is one Ottawa must also address. The Liberal government has taken some hopeful steps to that end: expanding the national child benefit and, if modestly, the Canada Pension Plan. But a comprehensive approach to tackling inequality and poverty, at home and around the world, must begin with collecting the taxes owed and closing the loopholes that compound disparities and erode trust.

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Nothing to see here, folks. Just move along.

Thats essentially the line that the prime minister, defence minister and top commander of the Canadian Armed Forces are asking us to accept in the wake of the sudden disappearance of the forces second-in-command.

It isnt good enough. The Canadian public, as well as the military, deserve a proper explanation of why the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, has been suddenly sidelined amid reports that a leak of top-secret defence information may be involved.

Norman was abruptly relieved of his duties in a notice signed by Gen. Jonathan Vance, chief of the defence staff. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau say they support the decision  and thats all they will say.

Apparently, no one at the top of the military or government thinks the public has a right to be in on this secret, even though national security issues may be at stake.

Citing confidential sources, the Globe and Mail reports that Vances decision followed an RCMP investigation into an alleged leak of top-secret defence information. The RCMP itself wont confirm or deny any details of any investigation that may (or may not) have taken place.

But the fact remains that ejecting such a senior officer from his powers, duties and functions (even temporarily, as a defence department spokesman told the Star) is a shocking and possibly unprecedented move in the Canadian military, and cries out for answers. The opposition Conservatives are quite properly pressing for more information, with defence critic James Bezan noting that when a decision of this magnitude is made, Canadians deserve to be kept informed.

The deafening silence on such a move is all the more confusing because of the build-up Norman received when he was officially installed in the No. 2 position just last August.

By all accounts, the vice-admiral has had a brilliant career spanning almost 40 years and including serving as head of the Royal Canadian Navy. In his new job, he helped Vance oversee a defence department with 119,000 employees and an annual budget of $18.6 billion. Vance himself praised him extravagantly, saying Norman does much, if not most, of the heavy lifting that keeps defence running.

What could possibly have changed so dramatically in only five months? Canadians should not be kept in the dark. The government needs to provide a full explanation of whats going on here.

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Re: Serial rapist due to be freed from prison soon, Jan. 10

Serial rapist due to be freed from prison soon, Jan. 10

The news caption of the serial rapist is very disturbing to the law abiding citizens of Canada. Interesting to note that this offender, despite having served his sentence for his criminal behaviour, is not rehabilitated to live in our society. The prison authorities have said he is likely reoffend or even kill.

Are we waiting for a innocent life to be taken away or many more young women be the victims of this beast? The authorities have indicated clearly he should not be released from prison if released he should be stripped of his Canadian Citizenship and deported immediately to his country where he came from.

The Canadian government should exercise all the legal power to deport this individual, with no chance to return. We live in a multi-cultural society with a lot of pride being a Canadian in our peace loving country and do not need this rapist to be amongst us.

Kingsley George, Markham

Why is deportation not mandatory upon conviction and the order served at that time. Kumar Subbiah s release should not have come as a surprise. They have had 24 years in which any argument to the contrary should have been resolved.

Donald Adams, Brighton

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Re: What's in a name? Lotsa cash, Jan. 10

What's in a name? Lotsa cash, Jan. 10

It used to be that serious people named prominent buildings with worthy names all for the purpose of nation building. This gathering of a nations passions around a recognizable name was a meaningful branding tradition which served to grow a societys sense of identity. These noble names were awarded not purchased for public display. They cued recognition, associations and memories that helped to define us and thereby promote social unity and coherence. Moreover by publicly acknowledging these worthy persons names, society through its elected representatives was able to bestow legitimacy on its own worthy judgment.

But now we have mercenary politicians with social amnesia. For lotsa cash, as if this proposition justified anything socially useful, these politicians with bad judgment are selling off these symbolic naming opportunities to merchants of attention for commercial brands. Unbeknownst to these politicians with little imagination what they are actually selling is the publics precious sense of self.

Perhaps as a show of good faith a politician must be willing to have their name changed legally for the same duration of time to the same brand name that they are willing to bestow on sites. Kathleen Budweiser?

Tony DAndrea, Toronto

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Re: Why are women not included in peace-building efforts? Opinion Jan. 10

Why are women not included in peace-building efforts? Opinion Jan. 10

The exclusion of women from peace-building efforts is perplexing. Not only does war impact women in a particular way, such as through sexual violence, but studies show that peace processes involving women are more equitable, inclusive and sustainable.

At KAIROS we have seen first-hand how womens rights organizations use advocacy training to empower victims of conflict to participate in long-term peace building. These organizations are effective because they respond to the local context.

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development has noticed, and recently recommended, that Canada make women, peace and security a priority of its foreign policy. This is encouraging, but whats needed now is a budget and political will.

The Canadian government can make a significant difference on the world stage by committing multi-year development assistance to support these womens rights organizations that are building peace in conflict-affected and fragile states.

Rachel Warden, Latin American Partnerships and Gender Justice program coordinator, KAIROS, Toronto

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Chris Spence says hes still reeling over being stripped of his teaching licence a month ago because of plagiarism, and that he has already paid a heavy price for his mistakes.

The former director of education with the Toronto District School Board also says he believes his very public disgrace that began four years ago could be a lesson for kids on how to face mistakes and the ability to get back up after youve been knocked down.

I am a work in progress, Im a flawed human being, Spence, 54, told the Star Monday, a month after the Ontario College of Teachers removed his licence.

The fact of the matter is in life everyones going to face failure and defeat. And Im staring it right in the face right now. And I want to demonstrate to all those kids that you can overcome adversity and you can get back up and you can make contributions. And it really starts by taking ownership.

Spence says he has taken responsibility for his conduct, which was first revealed in 2013 with the discovery he had cribbed someone elses material for a Toronto Star article. Evidence quickly emerged that he had also used other writers work in speeches, blogs, books and his doctoral thesis two decades ago.

Im filled with regret and remorse, said Spence, who says he wants a chance to continue to make a difference supporting students and particularly at-risk youth, which he devoted much of his career to doing.

He agreed to an interview because of an outpouring of support from family, friends, former students and colleagues whove encouraged me to fight, who felt this was a penalty that was not in line with the conduct, he said.

Thats whats inspired me to try to get back and fight.

Spence is currently working in Chicago, where he is involved in a documentary on gun violence, has set up a youth mentoring program and works with a social service agency, which he declined to name.

The ordeal has been particularly hard on his family, including his teenage son and daughter, who are in Toronto, he said.

Revocation of a teaching certificate is the most serious penalty a teacher can receive from the Ontario College of Teachers, and means Spence cannot teach at any publicly-funded school in Ontario. Fifteen teachers lost their licences in 2015.

There is no appeal process for the decision, though a teacher can apply for reinstatement if they have a compelling reason, said college spokesperson Gabrielle Barkany.

That situation is pretty rare, she added.

The three-member panel is in the process of writing its decision, which will be posted on the college website.

While there is no appeal option through the college, one can be sought through Ontario divisional court.

Spence is still subject to another investigation by the University of Toronto, which is probing allegations he plagiarized portions of his thesis. A tribunal is expected to make a ruling following a hearing next month.

Spence said he was numb and shocked at the colleges decision in December.

When these allegations came through I felt like I did the right thing. I stepped down, he says.

My hope was that would be viewed as the most severe penalty, to step down from the position you loved and aspired to.

Spence did not appear at the hearing in front of the colleges disciplinary committee citing his doctors advice, but sent a statement expressing his remorse and speaking of his depression and despair.

Ryerson professor Lisa Taylor says Spence seems to have paid an incredibly heavy price. But, Taylor, who teaches ethics and law in journalism, says there is never any excuse for plagiarism. Its hard to imagine him ever regaining his former stature, she added. But at the same time, Id like to think there are very few wrongs we can commit in life that we cant come back from.

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Despite plenty of tempting reasons to do otherwise, Snapchat co-founders Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy show no signs of giving in and acting more like Facebook (FB) and Alphabet's Google (GOOGL) .

As parent company Snap Inc prepares to sell shares in its wildly-popular messaging app sometime this spring, advertisers are wishing it would behave more like its chief rivals, who together dominate the market for digital advertising. But just as Spiegel and Murphy resisted an oh-so tempting offer to sell to Facebook three years ago for $3 billion in cash, the budding multi-millionaires have dismissed calls by marketers to give them the same kinds of analytics they get from Facebook and Google.

Though Snap recently launched a programmatic advertising platform that allows marketers to buy ads based on certain measurements that track user engagement and better target certain kinds of consumer, its new interface has been met with some head-shaking from advertisers accustomed to getting reams of user data about their marketing campaigns. Typically, Facebook and Google aggregate data from multiple mobile users and then make that pool of analytics available for marketers to tailor messages either around brand awareness, or encouraging consumers to actually buy a product.

Partly as a result, ad spending on Snap is typically much smaller than what's allocated to Facebook and Google, which accounted for 61% of digital ad spending in the world excluding China, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

"A lot of advertisers like the option of having an alternative to Google and Facebook but their Snap spending is mostly in the experimental category right now," Jan Dawson, an independent equity analyst who runs Jackdaw Research, said in a phone interview. "Snap has really resisted making a lot of this tracking and targeting analytics available but it's absolutely critical if they want to get to an IPO anytime soon."

And that initial public offering, which could value Snap as high as $25 billion, could come as early as March.

Facebook and Alphabet are holdings in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells FB or GOOGL? Learn more now.

Though going public could force Spiegel and Murphy to behave more like Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page or Sergey Brin, investors might be wise to expect Snap's leadership to act more like media company executives than tech entrepreneurs.

After all, Snap was founded on the idea of disappearing data, which might explain its co-founders possessive guarding of the site's content and its apprehensive relationship with the advertising industry. In the five short years its taken Snapchat to amass a stunning 150 million daily active users -- compared to less than 140 million for Twitter -- Snap could easily be confused for a media company along the lines of CBS (CBS) or 21st Century Fox (FOXA) .

"They're still looking at themselves from a consumer point of view," Ian Schafer, chief executive of Deep Focus, a digital ad agency, said in a phone interview in New York. "They like the valuation that a technology company gets and expect to see that in an IPO, but when you traffic in scarcity, you behave more like a media company, which means you're more careful about which advertisers and content get onto the platform. You've seen them really gate their site."

That's clear in how Snapchat manages its Discover platform, a news feed that's limited to a few dozen publishers that agree to create unique content each day. Snap wasn't immediately available for comment.

Snap is variously described as an image-sharing service, a disappearing messaging app and even a camera company (the last is how Snap describes itself on its home page). But above all, its service is only available on mobile devices, unlike Facebook or Google. For the uninitiated, or those over 35, Snap allows users to send images and short videos that disappear in seconds or hours. In September, Snap introduced Spectacles, its first hardware product, which sells for $130 and allows users to create 10-second videos that to post on Snapchat.

It's easy to imagine Snap evolving into a video platform, and even introducing its own original content. Michael Lynton, chief executive of Sony's undefined film and television studios, said last week that he will become chairman of the board at Snap, for which he was an early investor. Lynton advised Spiegel in 2012 after making a $200,000 investment in the company, according to leaked e-mails made public in a hacking later tied to the North Korean government.

True to form, Spiegel and Murphy are preparing to structure an IPO that would give investors no control of the company, similar to how media moguls Sumner Redstone and Rupert Murdoch control CBS, Viacom and Fox, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Snap's two co-founders are expected to retain 70% of the company's voting shares despite owning less than 50% of its common stock (to be sure, Facebook created a dual-stock structure when it went public in 2012, and Google did something similar when it reorganized in 2015 under the Alphabet umbrella).

But ad agencies may be content to work with Snap on its own terms, mindful that as consumers under 35 years old turn away from traditional media, reaching them is becoming more and more difficult. The cohort known as Millennials or Gen Z, is more apt to watch on-demand content like Netflix (NFLX) , Hulu or any number of video-centric web sites. They're not going to go to a website unless they come across it on their social feeds.

"If you really want to get in front of this younger generation, Snapchat is the way to go," Monique Lemus of The Media Kitchen, a New York media planning agency, said in a phone interview. "For advertisers, they seem to be trying to take some slower steps, to make sure that the users are OK with the experience. They want to make sure that they stay relevant to the user."

And for the moment, that means operating an advertising platform that isn't nearly as robust as that of Facebook and Google even though marketers are eager for a third major digital option.

Yet as Snap moves closer to an IPO, Spiegel and Murphy are likely to feel increasing pressure to appease marketers who are even expected to increase their allocations to Google and Facebook in the coming year. For the moment, though Snap has stood firm to doing things its own way.

"It may be pride, or a certain amount of arrogance," Dawson said. "They're kind of saying, 'we're Snapchat, we know best how to reach our users, trust us.' And partly, they haven't had to. They're not a public company, so they haven't had enormous pressure to drive performance -- yet."
Rolls-Royce has agreed in principle to settle bribery and corruption cases with U.S., U.K. and Brazilian authorities by paying the equivalent of more than $800 million to the three countries, the company said in a news release Monday.

Rolls-Royce said it has cooperated with authorities on the cases, which involve bribery and corruption of intermediaries in overseas markets, concerns about which the company said it passed to the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) from 2012 onwards.

Some of the cases date back a decade, according to a BBC report which noted that they involve local companies that deal with sales, distribution, repair and maintenance in countries where the British company has few representatives on the ground.

The manufacturer said it reached a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the U.S. Department of Justice, a leniency agreement with Brazil's Ministerio Publico Federal and a DPA with the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which was the subject of a preliminary court ruling on Monday.

The U.K.'s proposed DPA is pending a judicial approval, and Rolls-Royce will appear in court on Tuesday to finalize the agreement. The agreements are voluntary and spare the company prosecution as long as it fulfills the agreed-upon terms and financial penalty.

The multimillion settlement break-down has $169,917,710 going to the DOJ, $25,579,179 to the MPF and 497,252,645 plus interest to the SFO under a schedule lasting up to five years plus a payment covering SFO's costs.

The aero-engine company builds power systems for aerospace, marine and off-highway applications and has a market cap of $12.24 billion and nearly 50,000 full-time employees. The German automaker BMW owns and manufactures the luxury Rolls-Royce automobile line.

According to Joel Rueter, a spokesperson for Rolls-Royce, more details will be forthcoming following the judicial review on Tuesday.
Rolls Royce plc (RYCEY) shares rose the most in five months in early trading Tuesday after the engine maker agreed terms to settle bribery and corruption charges in the United States and hinted at an upgraded 2016 profit forecast.

Shares in the group were marked 6% higher by 08:40 GMT, the most since July 28, and changing hands at 704 pence each to extend their post-U.S. Presidential election gain to 15.76%.

Rolls-Royce agreed to pay around $800 million to settle bribery and corruption cases with U.S., U.K. and Brazilian authorities, the company said Monday, and will report full year 2016 results on Feb. 14. "Early indications are that the Group has had a good finish to the year with both profit and, in particular, cash expected to be ahead of expectations," the company said.

Some of the cases date back a decade, according to a BBC report which noted that they involve local companies that deal with sales, distribution, repair and maintenance in countries where the British company has few representatives on the ground.

The manufacturer said it reached a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the U.S. Department of Justice, a leniency agreement with Brazil's Ministerio Publico Federal and a DPA with the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which was the subject of a preliminary court ruling on Monday.

The U.K.'s proposed DPA is pending a judicial approval, and Rolls-Royce will appear in court on Tuesday to finalize the agreement. The agreements are voluntary and spare the company prosecution as long as it fulfills the agreed-upon terms and financial penalty.

The multimillion settlement break-down has $169,917,710 going to the DOJ, $25,579,179 to the MPF and 497,252,645 plus interest to the SFO under a schedule lasting up to five years plus a payment covering SFO's costs.

The aero-engine company builds power systems for aerospace, marine and off-highway applications and has a market cap of $12.24 billion and nearly 50,000 full-time employees. The German automaker BMW owns and manufactures the luxury Rolls-Royce automobile line.
You can now add Walmart (WMT) to an expanding list of multinationals trying to get on the good side of the next U.S. president as he threatens companies with border taxes.

Walmart, America's largest private employer, will add 34,000 employees and provide specialized training for more than 225,000 store associates this year, the company said Tuesday. About 10,000 retail jobs will be created by the opening of 59 new, expanded and relocated Walmart and Sam's Club stores and e-commerce services. Walmart estimated that another 24,000 construction jobs will be created by those efforts.

Of particular interest to Trump may be the world's largest retailer's investment in new U.S.-based training academies. By July, Walmart plans to open 160 of these centers across the country, bringing the total number of sites to 200.

In February 2016, Walmart opened its first training academy to teach new employees critical retail skills such as putting out the right pricing displays and knowing which items are turning a profit and why. Walmart calls the new training "upskilling." The academies occupy about 3,000 square feet outside of Walmart stores.

Most students live within 40 to 50 miles of an academy, said Walmart. Each store with an academy has 15 to 17 extra workers, mostly managers, designed to serve as mentors to new employees while they apply their new skills in Walmart's mor than 4,600 U.S. stores. The training program usually takes two weeks, and employees get compensated for their time and travel. Walmart has pointed out that stores with an academy have seen improved customer service scores.

In total, Walmart estimated it will spend $6.8 billion in the form of capital investments in the U.S. this fiscal year.

One can't blame Walmart, which sources a significant amount of goods from China, for extending an olive branch to Trump during his inauguration week.

A Walmart employee does her thing

Trump's team is reportedly mulling a 5% tariff on imports. Meanwhile, Trump has taken to the airwaves and Twitter since being elected to suggest even more penalizing taxes for companies that import goods and ship U.S. jobs overseas.

If Trump pushes through his promises, Walmart, apparel maker Nike (NKE) and watch maker Fossil Group (FOSL) are just some of the names that could be especially hard-hit given their high degree of imported products, according to a new, 30-page report from Wells Fargo.

Don't think all of this -- and the need to get out in front of any Trump-driven policy changes -- hasn't been lost on Walmart CEO Doug McMillon. The youthful-looking McMillon was recently appointed to the President's Strategic and Policy Forum.

The threat of meaningful profit hits and Trump Twitter attacks haven't been lost on other multinationals, either.

General Motors (GM) has outlined a plan to invest $1 billion in its U.S. factories, following recent criticism of the company by Trump. The largest U.S. automaker said the investment will create or retain more than 1,000 jobs. GM is expected to make an announcement this week.

Toyota (TM) recently said it would invest $10 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, while Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) will move to invest $1 billion to modernize two plants in the Midwest, creating 2,000 jobs.

Ford (F) , a target of Trump's during and after the election, announced earlier this month that it would cancel a planned $1.6 billion factory in Mexico and invest $700 million at a Michigan plant.

Who would have thought Twitter had this much influence on American business? In hindsight, maybe Trump should just keep tweeting (about the jobs, not that dossier nonsense).

You Missed All of This Stuff

With a long holiday weekend comes the desire to read nothing market-related. So here are several interesting reads from the past day or so.

Amazon to accept food stamps: The U.S. Department of Agriculture is testing a two-year pilot program this summer that will allow seven online grocery stores to accept food stamps, including online retailing king Amazon (AMZN) , reportedCBS News. The agency said it wants to roll out the program nationwide and add more retailers. The big losers here could be dollar stores such as Dollar General (DG) and Dollar Tree (DLTR) , who for years have relied on people spending their food stamps inside of their stores. About 43 million Americans are currently on food stamps.

The ultra-rich sure have a lot of money: A scant eight of the richest people on Earth boast as much combined wealth as half the human race, reportedThe New York Times, citing new data from Oxfam. Here are the eight names, with total net worth estimated by Forbes.

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft (MSFT) . Tops on the list with a net worth of $75 billion.

Amancio Ortega Gaona, the Spanish founder of fashion company Inditex, which owns Zara. He has a net worth of $67 billion.

Warren Buffett, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) . Clocks in with paltry net worth of $60.8 billion.

Carlos Slim Helu, the Mexican telecom tycoon, has a net worth of $50 billion.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon , has a net worth of $45.2 billion.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook (FB) founder, has a net worth of $44.6 billion.

Lawrence Ellison, the founder of Oracle (ORCL) , comes in at a net worth of $43.6 billion.

Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York and founder of financial data and news firm Bloomberg, has a net worth of $40 billion.

Facebook is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells FB? Learn more now.
TechnipFMC (FTI) , the oil services company born of the merger of Texas's FMC and France's Technip, began trading on Tuesday with investors, and analysts at French broker Exane BNP, giving it a lukewarm reception.

Shares in the new entity opened in Paris at 34, before sliding to 33.67 in Europe's morning session. The stock will begin trading Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker (FTI) .

"We think there are attractions and obvious catalysts (that could boost share prices)," noted Exane BNP's Oil and Gas team in a note published Tuesday. "But we find value a challenge in our base case scenario."

Much of the company's short term performance will rest on the direction of oil prices, which have rallied since the announcement of an OPEC cut in production in November to trade at near $56 a barrel on Tuesday. That is still well below the $65 to $70 a barrel that Exane predicts is needed to drive a significant recovery in capital spending by oil majors.

At current oil prices TechnipFMC's chief challenge in the short terms is likely to be its aging contract base, which is shifting away from more profitable contracts signed ahead of 2016 when rates collapsed as oil companies cut spending.

FMC's order backlog will consist of just under 50% of pre-2016 contracts during the current year, dropping to under 20% by 2018. Tecnhip's contract mix will also fall from about 50% pre-2016 contracts just over 20% by 2018.

There is "deep uncertainty over 'price downs' on new work," noted Exane. "We have heard of about 10% margin reduction on subsea equipment (hire).

Concerns about contract losses could also weigh on shares in the short term. FMC's legacy operations, in particular, are under threat from competition from Schlumberger (SLB) 's OneSubSea unit, which last year won a key contract from Woodside Petroleum and is expected to challenge for work on BP (BP) 's Mad Dog 2 project in the Gulf of Mexico.

On the positive side of the ledger, the nascent group is well positioned to benefit from increases in U.S. shale gas activity, which has ticked up with oil prices in recent months and could offset lost subsea business.

The combined company also has a strong cash position, which coupled with lower balance sheet and earnings volatility could entice management into share buy backs. Exane BNP is tipping a $750 million buyback in 2017, equivalent to about 5% of the combined group's market capitalization.

In the medium-term management may may also consider spinning off Technip's engineering and construction business from 2018. The unit could fetch in excess of seven times its earnings, freeing cash and driving a re-rating of the remaining onshore and offshore services business, which would likely trade at multiple closer to 11 to 12 times earnings, according to Exane BNP.
One of the significant market stories of 2016 was AT&T's (T) proposed acquisition of Time Warner (TWX) for $85.4 billion. However, uncertainty has sprung up around the merger because of President-elect Donald Trump's dislike of the deal.

So, when AT&T CEO Randal Stephenson was spotted in Trump Tower last week, naturally people wondered if the deal was discussed, which Stephenson denied. He discussed what he called a 40-minute meeting on CNBC's "Squawk Box" Tuesday morning.

"It was a good meeting we had a lot of conversations about where his administration is going in terms of tax reform," Stephenson said. "I was able to say as the largest investor in the U.S. That is pretty important to us."

Stephenson stated that if tax reform policy reflects the persistent rhetoric Trump has used, the implications regarding AT&T's capital investment domestically would be substantial.

"I mentioned to him that over the last five years we have spent over $140 billion, that's looking back not forward. If you get this new tax reform, we would step our capital spending up," Stephenson contended.

Furthermore, tax reform would change the way AT&T would go about deploying capital, and that it would accelerate, Stephenson added.

Regarding the main headline pertinent to AT&T, Stephenson said he's "confident" that the proposed deal to acquire Time Warner will get done.

(AT&T stock is held in the Dividend Stock Advisor portfolio. See all of the holdings with a free trial.)
After shuttering all of its 250 stores last week, Limited Stores, the operator of chain of women's apparel shops The Limited, succumbed to bankruptcy amid dwindling mall traffic and intense competition from e-commerce.

The New Albany, Ohio-based retailer commenced its insolvency case on Tuesday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware in Wilmington with a $25.75 million offer for its IP and related assets and $6 million in debtor-in-possession financing. Both transactions will be subject to approval by Judge Kevin J. Carey.

The Limited listed $10 million to $50 million in assets and $100 million to $500 million in liabilities in its petition.

"Despite years of popularity and expansion, the debtors, like many other retailers, recently faced significant operational challenges - including declining mall traffic, an increase in online shopping and disappointing sales - resulting in a precipitous drop in EBITDA over the course of 2016," said Timothy D. Boates, The Limited's chief restructuring officer, in a declaration.

The Limited joins a slew of struggling retailers who have been unable to revitalize their comparable store sales. Recently, Macy's (M) and Kohl's (KSS) slashed their earnings guidance amid a 2.1% year-over-year decline in same-store sales in November and December, while Sears Holding's (SHLD) comparable store sales have fallen roughly 12%.

In its filings, The Limited said its holds $13.4 million of secured funded debt and just $250,000 cash on hand.

Last Sunday, all of The Limited's stores, located primarily in shopping malls, were closed, resulting in the loss of about 4,000 jobs. The company kept its e-commerce business in operation. At its peak, The Limited operated about 750 retail stores.

The private equity-backed retailer said in its filings that it was forced to file for insolvency "in the face of considerable uncertainty and turbulence" around its business. It plans to sell its IP and related assets under Chapter 11 process and liquidate its remaining operations.

With the help of Guggenheim Securities and Hilco Merchant Resouces over the past five months, The Limited said it was able to secure a $25.75 million lead offer, the "stalking-horse bid," from an affiliate of New York City private equity firm Sycamore Partners, who is looking to purchase the IP of the company.

The Limited is requesting that all interested parties file competing bids by Feb. 9 and that an auction, if necessary, be held by Feb. 11, with the sale hearing to follow on Feb. 16.

The bankrupt retailer is also looking to use a $6 million DIP loan with Cerberus Business Finance LLC, comprised of new money, to fund its insolvency case.

The Limited traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol LTD from 1982 until it was bought by private equity firm Sun Capital Partners in 2007.

Debtor counsel Domenic E. Pacitti of Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg did not immediately return a request for comment.

James Stempel of Kirkland & Ellis represents the stalking horse.
Samsung (SSNLF) president and company heir Jay Y. Lee has been accused of paying millions of dollars in bribes to national political parties and other committees in order to receive favorable treatment from South Korea's government.

Bloomberg's managing editor of digital video Sam Grobart appeared on Tuesday afternoon's "Bloomberg Markets" to further discuss the bribery case and what this will mean for Samsung's succession plans.

"Samsung and modern South Korea are intertwined," Grobart said. "If you go back to the years following the Korean War, South Korea was actually in far worse shape than North Korea. It was decided then that industry and export-based industry were going to be the way forward. The government worked hand in hand with specially selected family owned conglomerates...to make them national champions."

Ways to make the companies so successful included favorable lending practices and other support from the government that allowed the businesses to become the major companies we know today.

Jay Y. Lee is the son of Samsung chairman Lee Kun-Hee, who has been presiding over Samsung for the last forty years, but within the last two years Hee has suffered a heart attack and has been incapacitated ever since. Grobart called Lee Kun-Hee the "maker of modern Samsung," bringing it into the age of electronics.

"He looms very large over the company, culturally, and it was long expected that his son Jay Y would become the next leader of the company in an orderly transition," Grobart continued.

This is not the first time Samsung has had to deal with corruption. Lee Kun-Hee has actually be convicted twice of bribery and tax evasion, but was pardoned by the government for his contributions to South Korean society. There have been cases where company leaders in South Korea do go to jail when convicted, but often remain at the helm of the business, running things from prison.

As far as the future of Samsung's succession it is now "thrown up in the air," Grobart said. "Jay Y. was supposed to be the one. If that's no longer the case there may be a few other family members who could step in on an interim basis, but likely what would happen is that one of the existing executives from one of the larger divisions would ultimately take control."
Tyler Technologies, Inc. provides integrated information management solutions and services for the public sector. The company operates in three segments: Enterprise Software; Appraisal and Tax; and NIC. It offers financial management solutions, including modular fund accounting systems for government agencies or not-for-profit entities; utility billing systems for the billing and collection of metered and non-metered services; products to automate city and county functions, such as municipal courts, parking tickets, equipment and project costing, animal and business licenses, permits and inspections, code enforcement, citizen complaint tracking, ambulance billing, fleet maintenance, and cemetery records management; and student information and transportation solutions for K-12 schools. The company also provides a suite of judicial solutions comprising court case management, court and law enforcement, prosecutor, and supervision systems to handle multi-jurisdictional county or statewide implementations, and single county systems; public safety software solutions; systems and software to automate the appraisal and assessment of real and personal property, as well as tax applications for agencies that bill and collect taxes; planning, regulatory, and maintenance software solutions for public sector agencies; software applications to enhance and automate operations involving records and document management; and data and insights solutions. In addition, it offers software as a service arrangements and electronic document filing solutions for courts and law offices; software and hardware installation, data conversion, training, product modification, and maintenance and support services; and property appraisal outsourcing services for taxing jurisdictions. The company has a strategic collaboration agreement with Amazon Web Services for cloud hosting services. Tyler Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Plano, Texas.
Phillips 66 operates as an energy manufacturing and logistics company. It operates through four segments: Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, and Marketing and Specialties (M&S). The Midstream segment transports crude oil and other feedstocks; delivers refined petroleum products to market; provides terminaling and storage services for crude oil and refined petroleum products; transports, stores, fractionates, exports, and markets natural gas liquids; provides other fee-based processing services; and gathers, processes, transports, and markets natural gas. The Chemicals segment produces and markets ethylene and other olefin products; aromatics and styrenics products, such as benzene, cyclohexane, styrene, and polystyrene; and various specialty chemical products, including organosulfur chemicals, solvents, catalysts, and chemicals used in drilling and mining. The Refining segment refines crude oil and other feedstocks into petroleum products, such as gasolines, distillates, aviation, and renewable fuels at 12 refineries in the United States and Europe. The M&S segment purchases for resale and markets refined petroleum products, including gasolines, distillates, and aviation fuels primarily in the United States and Europe. This segment also manufactures and markets specialty products, such as base oils and lubricants. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
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..

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Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated insurance holding company in the United States. The company develops, markets, and underwrites insurance products for personal residential insurance, such as homeowners, renters/tenants, condo unit owners, and dwelling/fire; and offers allied lines, coverage for other structures, and personal property, liability, and personal articles coverages. It also advises on actuarial issues, oversees distribution, administers claims payments, performs policy administration and underwriting, and assists with reinsurance negotiations; places and manages reinsurance programs for the insurance entities; and operates Clovered.com, an online platform in which consumers receive side-by-side quotes from various carriers across multiple states, as well as educational materials about homeowners' insurance policies. It offers its products through a network of independent agents, as well as Universal Direct, a direct-to-consumer online platform, which enables homeowners to directly purchase, pay for, and bind homeowners' policies. The company was formerly known as Universal Heights, Inc. and changed its name to Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. in January 2001. Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The following companies are subsidiares of Caterpillar: Advanced Tri-Gen Power Systems LLC, Anchor Coupling Inc., Asia Power Systems (Tianjin) Ltd., AsiaTrak (Tianjin) Ltd., Banco Caterpillar S.A., Berg Propulsion International Pte Ltd., Bucyrus, Bucyrus Australia Surface Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Holdings Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Limited, Bucyrus International (Chile) Limitada, Bucyrus International (Peru) S.A., Bucyrus Mining Australia Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Mining China LLC, Bucyrus UK Limited, Cat Rental Kyushu LLC, Caterpillar (Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar (China) Financial Leasing Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Machinery Components Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (HK) Limited, Caterpillar (Huainan) Machinery Service Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Langfang) Mining Equipment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Luxembourg) Investment Co. S.a r.l., Caterpillar (NI) Limited, Caterpillar (Newberry) LLC, Caterpillar (Qingzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Logistics Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar (U.K.) Limited, Caterpillar (Wujiang) Ltd., Caterpillar (Xuzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Zhengzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar Acquisition Holding Corp., Caterpillar Americas C.V., Caterpillar Americas Co., Caterpillar Americas Funding Inc., Caterpillar Americas Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Asia Limited, Caterpillar Asia Pacific L.P., Caterpillar Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Asset Intelligence LLC, Caterpillar Belgium S.A., Caterpillar Brasil Comercio de Maquinas e Pecas Ltda., Caterpillar Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Brazil LLC, Caterpillar Castings Kiel GmbH, Caterpillar Centro de Formacion S.L., Caterpillar China Limited, Caterpillar Commercial Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Commercial LLC, Caterpillar Commercial Northern Europe Limited, Caterpillar Commercial S.A., Caterpillar Commercial S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Commercial Services S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Communications LLC, Caterpillar Corporativo Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Cote DIvoire, Caterpillar Credito S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., Caterpillar DC Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Digital Services & Solutions SARL, Caterpillar Distribution International LLC, Caterpillar Distribution Services Europe B.V.B.A., Caterpillar East Real Estate Holding Ltd., Caterpillar Emissions Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH, Caterpillar Energy Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions S.A., Caterpillar Energy System Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Engine Systems Inc., Caterpillar Equipos Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Eurasia LLC, Caterpillar FS (QFC) LLC, Caterpillar Finance France S.A., Caterpillar Finance Kabushiki Kaisha, Caterpillar Financial Acquisition Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Aftermarket Solutions Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Australia Leasing Pty Limited, Caterpillar Financial Australia Limited, Caterpillar Financial Commercial Account Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Corporacion Financiera S.A. E.F.C., Caterpillar Financial Dealer Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Funding Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Caterpillar Financial Leasing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial New Zealand Limited, Caterpillar Financial Nordic Services AB, Caterpillar Financial Nova Scotia Corporation, Caterpillar Financial OOO, Caterpillar Financial Receivables Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Renting S.A., Caterpillar Financial SARL, Caterpillar Financial Services (Dubai) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services (Ireland) plc, Caterpillar Financial Services (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Argentina S.A., Caterpillar Financial Services Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Financial Services CR s.r.o., Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Services GmbH, Caterpillar Financial Services India Private Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Leasing ULC, Caterpillar Financial Services Limited Les Services Financiers Caterpillar Limitee, Caterpillar Financial Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Caterpillar Financial Services Netherlands B.V., Caterpillar Financial Services Norway AS, Caterpillar Financial Services Philippines Inc., Caterpillar Financial Services Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Limited, Caterpillar Financial UK Acquisition Funding Partners, Caterpillar Financial Ukraine LLC, Caterpillar Fluid Systems S.r.l., Caterpillar Fomento Comercial Ltda., Caterpillar Forest Products Inc., Caterpillar France S.A.S., Caterpillar GB L.L.C., Caterpillar Global Investments S.a r.l., Caterpillar Global Mining America LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Equipamentos De Mineracao do Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Expanded Products Pty Ltd, Caterpillar Global Mining Germany Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining HMS GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong AFC Manufacturing Holding Co. Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Global Mining SARL, Caterpillar Global Mining U.S. Parts LLC, Caterpillar Global Services LLC, Caterpillar Group Services S.A., Caterpillar Holding (France) S.A.S., Caterpillar Holding Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Holdings Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Hungary Components Manufacturing Ltd., Caterpillar Hydraulics Italia S.r.l., Caterpillar IPX LLC, Caterpillar IRB LLC, Caterpillar Impact Products Limited, Caterpillar India Private Limited, Caterpillar Industrial Inc., Caterpillar Industrias Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Industries (Pty) Ltd, Caterpillar Insurance Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Insurance Company, Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc., Caterpillar Insurance Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Finance Designated Activity Company, Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg I S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg II S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Product SARL, Caterpillar International Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Services del Peru S.A., Caterpillar Investment Limited, Caterpillar Investment One SARL, Caterpillar Investment Two SARL, Caterpillar Investments, Caterpillar Japan LLC, Caterpillar Latin America Services S.R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Panama S. de R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Servicios de Chile Limitada, Caterpillar Latin America Support Services S. DE R.L., Caterpillar Leasing (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar Leasing Chile S.A., Caterpillar Leasing GmbH (Leipzig), Caterpillar Leasing Operativo Limitada, Caterpillar Life Insurance Company, Caterpillar Logistics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Logistics (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Logistics Inc., Caterpillar Logistics ML Services France S.A.S., Caterpillar Logistics Services China Limited, Caterpillar Luxembourg Group S.ar.l., Caterpillar Luxembourg LLC, Caterpillar Luxembourg S.a r.l., Caterpillar Machinery Nantong Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asset Intelligence, Caterpillar Marine Power UK Limited, Caterpillar Marine Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Maroc SARL, Caterpillar Materiels Routiers SAS, Caterpillar Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Mexico S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Mining Canada ULC, Caterpillar Mining Chile Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Motoren (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG, Caterpillar Motoren Henstedt-Ulzburg GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Rostock GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Verwaltungs-GmbH, Caterpillar Netherlands Holding B.V., Caterpillar North America C.V., Caterpillar Operator Training Ltd., Caterpillar Overseas Credit Corporation SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Investment Holding SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Limited, Caterpillar Overseas SARL, Caterpillar Panama Services S.A., Caterpillar Paving Products Inc., Caterpillar Paving Products Xuzhou Ltd., Caterpillar Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Power Generation Systems (Bangladesh) Limited, Caterpillar Power Generation Systems L.L.C., Caterpillar Power Systems Inc., Caterpillar Power Ventures International Ltd., Caterpillar Precision Seals Korea, Caterpillar Prodotti Stradali S.r.l., Caterpillar Product Services Corporation, Caterpillar Propulsion AB, Caterpillar Propulsion International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Italy S.R.L., Caterpillar Propulsion Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB, Caterpillar Propulsion Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Singapore Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar R&D Center (China) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe LLC, Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe Servicios S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Reman Powertrain Indiana LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Drivetrain LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Renting France S.A.S., Caterpillar Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar SARL, Caterpillar Services Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Servizi Italia Srl, Caterpillar Shrewsbury Limited, Caterpillar Skinningrove Limited, Caterpillar Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd., Caterpillar Special Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Switchgear Americas LLC, Caterpillar Switchgear Holding Inc., Caterpillar Tianjin Ltd., Caterpillar Torreon S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Tosno L.L.C., Caterpillar Transmissions France S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Tunneling Canada Holdings Ltd., Caterpillar Tunnelling Canada Corporation, Caterpillar Tunnelling Europe Limited, Caterpillar UK Employee Trust Limited, Caterpillar UK Engines Company Limited, Caterpillar UK Group Limited, Caterpillar UK Holdings Limited, Caterpillar Undercarriage (Xuzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Underground Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Used Equipment Services Inc., Caterpillar Venture Capital Inc., Caterpillar Work Tools B.V., Caterpillar Work Tools Inc., Caterpillar World Trading Corporation, Caterpillar Xuzhou, Caterpillar of Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar of Canada Corporation, Caterpillar of Delaware Inc., Centre de Distribution de Wallonie SPRL, CleanAir Systems, Downer Freight Rail, ECM Railway Evolution Romania s.r.l., ECM S.p.A., EDC European Excavator Design Center GmbH, EMC Holding Corp., EMD International Holdings Inc., ERA Information & Entertainment (BVI) Limited, ERA Mining Machinery Limited, Electro-Motive Diesel Limited, Electro-Motive Locomotive Technologies LLC, Electro-Motive Technical Consulting Co. (Beijing) Ltd., Energy Services International Limited, Equipos de Acuna S.A. de C.V., Eurenov S.A.S., F. G. Wilson (Proprietary) Limited, F. Perkins Limited, FG Wilson (Engineering) Limited, GB Holdco (China) Inc., GFCM Comercial Mexico S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., GFCM Servicios S.A. de C.V., Gremada Industries - Assets, Hong Kong Siwei Holdings Limited, Inmobiliaria Conek S.A. de C.V., JCS Co., Kemper Valve & Fittings Corp., Leo Inc., Locomotive Demand Power Pty Ltd., Locomotoras Progress Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Lovat, M2M Data Corporation, MGE Equipamentos & Servicos Ferroviarios, MWM, MWM Austria GmbH, MWM Benelux B.V., MWM Energy Australia Pty Ltd, MWM France S.A.S, MWM Real Estate GmbH, MaK Americas Inc., MaK Americas Inc. (Canada), Magnum Power Products LLC, Marble, Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH, Mec-Track S.r.l., Metalmark Financial Services Limited, Motoren Steffens GmbH, Nippon Caterpillar LLC, P. T. Solar Services Indonesia, PT Caterpillar Finance Indonesia, PT. Bucyrus Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia Batam, PT. Caterpillar Remanufacturing Indonesia, Perkins Engines, Perkins Engines (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, Perkins Engines Group Limited, Perkins Engines Inc., Perkins Group Limited, Perkins Holdings Limited LLC, Perkins India Private Limited, Perkins International Inc., Perkins Japan LLC, Perkins Limited, Perkins Machinery (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Perkins Motores do Brasil Ltda., Perkins Power Systems Technology (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines LLC, Perkins Small Engines Limited, Perkins Technology Inc., Progress Metal Reclamation Company, Progress Rail Arabia Limited Company, Progress Rail Australia Pty Ltd, Progress Rail Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Equipamentos e Servicos Ferroviarios do Brasil Ltda., Progress Rail Equipment Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Holdings Inc., Progress Rail Innovations Private Limited, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems GmbH, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems S.r.l., Progress Rail International Corp., Progress Rail Leasing Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Progress Rail Locomotivas (do Brasil) Ltda., Progress Rail Locomotive Canada Co., Progress Rail Locomotive Chile SpA, Progress Rail Locomotive Inc., Progress Rail Maintenance de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Progress Rail Manufacturing Corporation, Progress Rail Raceland Corporation, Progress Rail Rocklin Corporation, Progress Rail SA Proprietary Limited, Progress Rail Services Corporation, Progress Rail Services Holdings Corp., Progress Rail Services LLC, Progress Rail Services UK Limited, Progress Rail Switching Services LLC, Progress Rail Transcanada Corporation, Progress Rail Welding Corporation, Progress Rail Wildwood LLC, Progress Rail de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pyroban Group, Pyroban Group, Pyrrha Investments B.V., Pyrrha Investments Limited, S&L Railroad LLC, SCM Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., SPL Software Alliance LLC, Sabre Engines, Servicios de Turbinas Solar S. de R.L. de C.V., Shandong SEM Machinery Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines (Beijing) Trading Services Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines (Thailand) Ltd., Solar Turbines CIS Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Canada Ltd./Ltee., Solar Turbines Central Asia Limited Liability Partnership, Solar Turbines EAME s.r.o., Solar Turbines Egypt Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Europe S.A., Solar Turbines India Private Limited, Solar Turbines International Company, Solar Turbines Italy S.R.L., Solar Turbines Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Solar Turbines Middle East Limited, Solar Turbines New Zealand Limited, Solar Turbines Saudi Arabia Limited, Solar Turbines Services Company, Solar Turbines Services Nigeria Limited, Solar Turbines Services of Argentina S.R.L., Solar Turbines Switzerland Sagl, Solar Turbines Trinidad & Tobago Limited, Solar Turbines West-Africa SARL, Tangshan DBT Machinery Co. Ltd., Tecnologia Modificada S.A. de C.V., Towmotor Corporation, Traction & Mining Motor Repairs Pty Ltd, Turbinas Solar S.A. de C.V., Turbinas Solar de Colombia S.A., Turbinas Solar de Venezuela C.A., Turbo Tecnologia de Reparaciones S.A. de C.V., Turbomach, Turbomach Endustriyel Gaz Turbinleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited, Turbomach France SARL, Turbomach GmbH, Turbomach Netherlands B.V., Turbomach Pakistan (Private) Limited, Turbomach S.A. Unipersonal, Turbomach Sp. Z o.o., Turner Powertrain Systems Limited, UK Hose Assembly Limited, Underground Imaging Technologies Inc, United Industries LLC, VALA Inc., Vasky Energy Ltd., Wealdstone Engineering, Weir - Oil & Gas Division, West Virginia Auto Shredding Inc., Western Gear Machinery LLC, Wetland Sustainability Fund I LLC, Williams Technologies, Yard Club, Zhengzhou Siwei Mechanical and Electrical Equipment Sales Co. Ltd., and okyo Rental Ltd..

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Aetna Inc. operates as a health care benefits company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Health Care, Group Insurance, and Large Case Pensions. The Health Care segment offers medical, pharmacy benefit management service, dental, behavioral health, and vision plans on an insured and employer-funded basis. It also provides point-of-service, preferred provider organization, health maintenance organization, and indemnity benefit plans, as well as health savings accounts and consumer-directed health plans. In addition, this segment offers Medicare and Medicaid products and services, as well as other medical products, such as medical management and data analytics services, medical stop loss insurance, workers' compensation administrative services, and products that provide access to its provider networks in select geographies. The Group Insurance segment offers life insurance products, including group term life insurance, voluntary spouse and dependent term life insurance, group universal life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; disability insurance products; and long-term care insurance products, which provide the benefits to cover the cost of care in private home settings, adult day care, assisted living, or nursing facilities. The Large Case Pensions segment manages various retirement products comprising pension and annuity products primarily for tax-qualified pension plans. The company provides its products and services to employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups, and expatriates. Aetna Inc. was founded in 1853 and is based in Hartford, Connecticut.
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.
Credit Suisse Group AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services in Switzerland, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Asia Pacific. The company offers wealth management solutions, including investment advice and discretionary asset management services; risk management solutions, such as managed investment products; and wealth planning, succession planning, and trust services. It also provides financing and lending solutions, including consumer credit and real estate mortgage lending, real asset lending relating to ship, and aviation financing for UHNWI; standard and structured hedging, and lombard lending solutions, as well as collateral trading services; and investment banking solutions, such as global securities sales, trading and execution, capital raising, and advisory services. In addition, the company offers banking solutions, such as payments, accounts, debit and credit cards, and product bundles; asset management products; equity and debt underwriting, and advisory services; cash equities, equity derivatives, and convertibles, as well as prime services; and fixed income products, such as credit, securitized, macro, emerging markets, financing, structured credit, and other products. Further, it provides HOLT, a framework for assessing the performance of approximately 20,000 companies; and equity and fixed income research services. The company serves private and institutional clients; ultra-high-net-worth individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and affluent and retail clients; corporate clients, small and medium-sized enterprises, external asset managers, financial institutions, and commodity traders; and pension funds, hedge funds, governments, foundations and endowments, corporations, entrepreneurs, private individuals, financial sponsors, and sovereign clients. As of December 31, 2021, it operated through a network of 311 offices and branches. The company was founded in 1856 and is based in Zurich, Switzerland.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

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Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low near 60F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

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Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low near 60F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
An official website of the United States Government
- Prophet Owuor has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to set aside one day for nationa worshiping

- According to the prophet, Kenya is experiencing famine and drought because the country has neglected God

Prophet Owuor has said Kenya is experiencing drought and famine because politicians have distanced themselves from God.

Prophet Owuor

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Owuor of the Repentance and Holiness Ministry has now asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to set aside one day for national prayers.

This country cannot ignore the Lord. Rain will not come from the United Nations, Security Council, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, a government policy paper. Rain comes from the Lord, said Prophet Owuor on Tuesday on Jesus Is Lord Radio.

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President Uhuru Kenyatta

READ ALSO: Woman goes to Facebook to mourn after her husband of 17 years cheated on her with young lady

I see a famine that is coming to this end, I see people walking; the kind of a long call with a plate and a sauce pan in the hand. So, the Lord is asking this country to repent and return to holiness and prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.

"There must be a national repentance where all the leadership and all the people will gather as one person and go before the Lord.

READ ALSO: You love John Cena? Take a look at his STRONGEST MOVES that make him one of the best wrestlers

"This nation that has been so beloved of the Lord; that has seen the goodness of the Lord needs to learn to go back to same God that healed her cripples, the deaf, the mute, HIV/AIDS, spinal cord injuries. That God may also now cover her on this nakedness of famine.

The United Nations had said in December, 2016 that Kenya needs to brace itself for worsening drought in 2017.

Watch his video below:

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Militants launched 41 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the ATO zone in Donbas over the past day, the press center of the ATO headquarters reports.

The enemy continued shelling our positions in all directions. A total of 41 attacks have been recorded over the past day. One our soldier has been wounded, reads a report.

Thus, in Mariupol direction, terrorists used 82-mm mortars to fire at Ukrainian positions in Pavlopil; grenade launchers and small arms  in Pavlopil, Hnutove, Mariynka, Vodiane, Krasnohorivka, and Shyrokyne.

In Luhansk direction, the enemy shelled the Shariv Kut area, Stanitsa Luhanska, Novozvanivka Krymske, using grenade launchers and small arms.

In Donetsk direction, the militants used grenade launchers to shell Luhanske, Opytne, Avdiyivka and Myronivske.

iy
Defense Minister of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak has invited Minister of National Defense of Portugal Jose Alberto Azeredo Lopes to pay an official visit to Ukraine, the ministrys press service reports.

Mr. Lopes thanked for invitation and accepted it and said he would visit Ukraine in 2017, reads a report.

The minister also expressed hope that a Memorandum on defense technical cooperation will be signed during his visit.

iy
Field engineers of Ukraines Defense Ministry during last weeks mine clearance operations cleared over 1.5 hectares of land in the ATO zone in Donbas.

Colonel Oksana Havrylyuk, the head of Defense Ministrys department on communication and press, stated this at a press briefing on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"In the ATO zone, military engineers cleared more than 1.5 hectares of land, having detected 355 explosive devices, she said.

The colonel also noted that since the start of ATO, sappers cleared a total of 2,765 hectares of land in Luhansk and Donetsk regions and destroyed over 140,500 explosives.

iy
Infrastructure Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Omelian says that aircraft of Antonov State Company will receive the EU certification.

Today [January 16] we have signed an important document - the agreement between the State Aviation Service [of Ukraine] and the European Commission regarding the compliance of certification systems, Omelian said at a press briefing, Ekonomichna Pravda reports.

According to Omelian, it is one of the main documents so that Antonov aircraft can be certified in the EU and worldwide.

The minister also added that a dialogue between Ukraine and the EU on new infrastructure projects and general development of transport strategies will be held every year.

iy
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman states that the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has enough foreign currency reserves and financial tools to avoid sharp fluctuations of hryvnia exchange rate.

He said this at todays press conference during his official trip to Chernihiv region, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The country has enough foreign currency reserves to maintain normal situation and keep the exchange rate within projected limits, Groysman stated.

iy
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) puts forward the adoption of a law on the alcohol industry's demonopolization as a requirement to providing the next tranche, Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Taras Kutovyi has stated on his Facebook page and presented Ukrspyrt's privatization model.

The International Monetary Fund has put forward tough requirements to Ukraine. Many Ukrainian mass media sources have presented such news today. I will add another one, which no one has probably been aware of until now. The IMF demands that Ukraine adopt a law on the demonopolization of the alcohol industry. It is that very step that will trigger the fund's next tranche, and it has been reflected in the document under discussion, the report states.

Kutovyi also stressed that he supported Ukrspyrt's privatization.

It is necessary to privatize Ukrspyrt! We prepared relevant draft bill No. 5445 which had already passed the government committee and was supported by the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Economic Policy, Kutovyi noted, adding that he will continue to stand for Ukrspyrt's privatization despite numerous speculations.

mk
National cover crop expert, Dr. Allen Williams, will be highlighting the benefits of cover crops in corn and soybean production at two area meetings in February. Cover crops are being utilized as a major tool in conservation to reduce soil erosion. Cover crops also have the potential to reduce fertilizer inputs, improve weed control, and increase grain yields.

Williams will be discussing the production characteristics of cover crops and how they influence and benefit a grain production system. Cover crops serve as an extension of row crop production to provide year-long soil protection. Intercepting the explosive erosion caused by rainfall dramatically reduces soil loss. Retaining topsoil maintains soil quality, yield potential, and farm value. Adding cover crops can improve soil quality, the No. 1 contributor to improving yields and financial performance. Williams will be highlighting the greatest benefits cover crops bring to row crop production.

Ted Bay, UW-Extension Crops and Farm Management Agent for Grant and Lafayette counties, will be reviewing the successful practices of longtime cover crop users. These are producers who have made cover crops an integral part of their grain and livestock operations. These farmers have learned how to maximize returns from cover crops and how to manage cover crops in their row crop systems.

These cover crop meetings will be held Saturday, Feb. 18, at the American Legion Hall, 120 N. Rusk Ave., Viroqua, and Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Community Commerce Center, 16391 State Hwy. 131, Gays Mills. Saturdays meeting begins with registration at 9 a.m. and concludes with noon lunch. Sundays event begins with lunch at noon and concludes at 3 p.m.

These meetings are being sponsored by Vernon County Farm Bureau. Registration is $40 per person with free admission for all Farm Bureau members. RSVP for this program before Feb. 10 by calling John Delaney at Valley Stewardship Network at 608-520-0017 with choice of meeting date.
Switzerland will provide $100 million as the first tranche of financial assistance to Ukraine, which will be transferred to the National Banks account by the end of January.

President Poroshenko stated this following a meeting with President of Switzerland Doris Leuthard during the World Economic Forum in Davos, the presidents press service reports.

Recently the decision has been announced that Ukraine will have received 100 million dollars by the end of January that will be transferred to the National Banks account. 100 million dollars of financial aid from Switzerland as the first part of tranche aimed to support Ukraine, Poroshenko said.

iy
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko will participate in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Spokesman for Ukrainian President Svyatoslav Tsegolko posted this on his Facebook page.

"The President of Ukraine will go to Davos, Switzerland, to take part in the World Economic Forum. However, he will not come to the breakfast event organized by Viktor Pinchuk," he wrote.

As known, the World Economic Forum in Davos will be held from January 17 to January 20 of this year.

ish
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko held a meeting with Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria Sebastian Kurz, the presidents press service reported on Monday evening.

Presidents Poroshenko expressed confidence that today, when Russia is violating obligations within the Organization, Austria, as the country presiding in the OSCE, would be guided by the necessity of restoring respect to the rule of law, particularly to the principles of the Helsinki Final Act.

We must make Russia clearly understand that it will not avoid liability for blatant disregard for norms and principles of international law, and its hopes for easing the pressure of sanctions are vain, the President emphasized.

Also, President Poroshenko praised the intention of the Austrian chairmanship to increase technical capabilities of the OSCE SMM. This is crucially important for controlling compliance with the ceasefire regime and recording the facts of supply of Russian weaponry and servicemen in Donbas.

In addition, he urged the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to respond by all possible means to the violation of rights of Ukrainian citizens in the occupied territories by Moscow and facilitate liberation of political prisoners illegally detained by Russia and hostages in Donbas.

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Billionaire businessman Wilbur Ross, whose nomination as commerce secretary comes before Congress this week, has mapped out details to one major policy proposal to boost infrastructure spending  and leading economists say it doesnt hold water.

The proposal is this: To stimulate $1 trillion in expenditures over 10 years, the Trump administration should hand out $137 billion worth of tax credits to private businesses. That federal tax credit would leverage a flood of private money, covering 82 percent of the equity needed for new projects, argues Ross, who co-authored the plan with Peter Navarro, a University of California at Irvine business professor whom President-elect Donald Trump has tapped as his trade adviser

Today, much of Americas infrastructure is crumbling. Much more needs to be built anew, Ross and Navarro wrote, adding that under President Obama, urgently needed projects have been routinely delayed for years due to endless studies, red-tape, and obstructionist lawsuits.

Moreover, Ross and Navarro say the tax credits would cost the government nothing because of increased tax revenue from new private spending, economic activity and employment.

Hogwash, say economists from across the political spectrum. It is totally ill conceived, Lawrence H. Summers, Harvard University economist and former treasury secretary, said in an email.

The clash over the plan goes to the heart of one of Trumps main campaign pledges  to boost infrastructure spending. Trump never laid out whether he would do that through federal spending or through public-private partnerships. And he has not defined what would qualify as infrastructure, potentially triggering a feeding frenzy in Congress as public officials and corporations seek support for their pet projects.

As a result, the Ross-Navarro proposal, unveiled in late October, is the closest thing to an official one. But economists say its flaws are numerous.

First, it will function largely as a giveaway to contractors on projects that would have happened anyway, Summers said.

Take the Keystone XL pipeline, for example. TransCanada decided years ago that the project made economic sense on its own merits. Now, if Trump follows his pledge to approve the projects path from the Canadian border through Nebraska, then the Calgary-based company might make even more money thanks to the new tax credit.

The tax-credit plan would also exclude a wide variety of worthy projects that are unlikely to appeal to private investors, because they dont generate an identifiable stream of revenue.

This proposal would work only if you have projects that generate cash flows such as tolls, congestion charges or user fees that can be used to generate the return on equity, said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, which describes itself as a center-right policy institute.

Commerce secretary nominee Wilbur Ross at Trump Tower in November. (Evan Vucci/AP)

One area that doesnt usually generate cash, policy experts say, is maintenance. And U.S. infrastructure is aging fast. Repairing existing infrastructure, such as bridges, can often be the most effective way to bolster communities and spur other investment  even if new tolls or fees cant be imposed.

Moreover, other analysts note, user fees and tolls are regressive, like gasoline taxes, placing a bigger burden on the lower and middle class because they eat up a larger portion of their income. Federal grants for infrastructure, however, would draw on tax revenue raised through the progressive income tax.

In addition, most of the biggest private investors in infrastructure dont need tax credits, Summers added. Thats because they are tax-exempt entities such as pension funds. Instead, the high tax credit would be more likely to attract those seeking tax shelters, not those seeking the most urgent public needs or efficient investments.

Holtz-Eakin, a former director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, takes issue with the assumption the tax credits would pay for themselves. Its imagining that somehow there will be an immediate macro-feedback, he said. Its not going to be that big.

He noted that the new capital devoted to infrastructure would shift from one place to another. For the nation as a whole, a big chunk of thats a wash. The increase in wages Ross and Navarro promise, thats coming at the expense of something else, Holtz-Eakin said.

Holtz-Eakin also said that a plan to boost infrastructure must include state and local governments and must also define what infrastructure is. People have called for spending on everything from bike paths and affordable housing to schools and roads.

Summers recently discussed the Ross-Navarro plan on the cable business channel CNBC and summed it up as simply a Potemkin house of nothing.

Summers also fired salvos at another paper by Ross and Navarro containing estimates of the impact of trade tariffs. Ross and Navarro said they would boost U.S. gross domestic product. Summers called their calculations the economic equivalent of denying climate change or being for creationism.

Ross and Navarro did not return calls or emails asking for comment. Their October paper defends the tax credit for private investors, saying construction costs tend to be higher when projects are built by the government rather than private sector. They said that by covering 82 percent of equity needed, the tax credits would ease concerns about forecasts of revenue streams.

Yet Americans apparently dont want to pay bridge and transportation tolls for private infrastructure investors via tax breaks as Ross and Navarro suggest, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted Jan. 12 to 15. The survey showed that 66 percent opposed such a plan and only 29 percent supported it.

While Republicans were more favorable, at least half of each group, Republicans, Democrats and independents, opposed the idea. The poll was a random national sample of 1,005 adults. The question didnt mention Trump, Ross or Navarro.

Even economists who favor privatization of infrastructure oppose tax credits as the way to go about that. Steve H. Hanke, a professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, served on President Ronald Reagans Council of Economic Advisers, where he was in charge of the infrastructure portfolio.

Hanke believes that infrastructure should be built and operated by private companies, arguing that public infrastructure projects are plagued by massive waste, fraud and abuse.

Yet Hanke, too, says that tax credits wont do the trick. He says that tax credits for financing infrastructure are an opaque way to finance infrastructure that would complicate an already monstrously complex U.S. tax code.

Moreover, he said, tax credits are resold from cash-flow-poor developers to a small number of cash-flow-rich banks, institutional investors and corporations who have profits and desire tax credits to offset their income tax obligations. He said that these are not boilerplate-type transactions but only for the sharpest of the Wall Street sharpies.

My point is that tax credits are fraught with many problems, Hanke said. This is not the slam dunk that has been advertised. A very complicated set of issues would have to be addressed before I would consider a thumbs up for tax-credit financing for infrastructure.

Scott Clement contributed to this report.
Ann Patchetts Commonwealth, a novel inspired by her own family, and Michael Chabons Moonglow, a novel based on the life of his grandfather, are among the finalists for this years National Book Critics Circle fiction prize. The fiction finalists, announced Tuesday morning, also include LaRose, the latest novel about the Ojibwa people of North Dakota by Louise Erdrich, and Swing Time, by British novelist Zadie Smith.

The NBCC is an organization of nearly 1,000 reviewers and book section editors. The finalists in six categories are chosen by the groups 24-person board.

Several of the finalists for the prize in general nonfiction reflect the tenor of the times. Ibram X. Kendis Stamped From the Beginning is a history of American racism that won the National Book Award for nonfiction last fall. Dark Money, by New Yorker writer Jane Mayer, examines the influence on American politics of conservative billionaires including Charles and David Koch. Evicted, by MacArthur genius grant winner Matthew Desmond, is a study of American poverty and homelessness based on the experiences of eight families in Milwaukee.

Margaret Atwood (Liam Sharp)

Today, ahead of the winners ceremony this spring, the NBCC also announced the recipients of three special prizes:

Canadian writer Margaret Atwood has received the Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award. The prize recognizes Atwood for her many short stories, poems, childrens books, works of nonfiction and 16 novels, including The Handmaids Tale (1985) and The Blind Assassin, which won a Booker Prize in 2000.

Yaa Gyasis debut novel, Homegoing (Knopf), has won the John Leonard Prize, an annual award for a first book in any genre.

Michelle Dean, whose criticism appears regularly in the Guardian, the New Republic and other publications, has won this years Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing.

Atwood, Gyasi and Dean will receive their honors at a ceremony on March 16 at the New School in New York, where the NBCC will also announce the winners for best fiction, nonfiction, autobiography, biography, criticism and poetry.

The full list of NBCC finalists follows. (To read The Posts reviews, click on the authors):

FICTION

Moonglow, by Michael Chabon (Harper).

LaRose, by Louise Erdrich (Harper).

Imagine Me Gone, by Adam Haslett (Little, Brown).

Commonwealth, by Ann Patchett (Harper).

Swing Time, by Zadie Smith (Penguin Press).

NONFICTION

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond (Crown).

Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, by Ibram X. Kendi (Nation).

Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right, by Jane Mayer (Doubleday).

Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War, by Viet Thanh Nguyen (Harvard University Press).

Writing to Save a Life: The Louis Till File, by John Edgar Wideman (Scribner).

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

The Iceberg, Marion Coutts (Black Cat).

In Gratitude, by Jenny Diski (Bloomsbury).

Lab Girl, by Hope Jahren (Knopf).

The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between, by Hisham Matar (Random House).

The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father, by Kao Kalia Yang (Metropolitan).

BIOGRAPHY

Moscow Nights: The Van Cliburn Story, by Nigel Cliff (Harper).

Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, by Ruth Franklin (Liveright).

Black Elk: The Life of an American Visionary, by Joe Jackson (FSG).

Krazy: George Herriman, a Life in Black and White, by Michael Tisserand (Harper).

Guilty Thing: A Life of Thomas De Quincey, by Frances Wilson (FSG).

CRITICISM

White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide, by Carol Anderson (Bloomsbury).

Against Everything: Essays, by Mark Greif (Pantheon).

Looking for The Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic, by Alice Kaplan (Univ. of Chicago Press).

The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone, by Olivia Laing (Picador).

Am I Alone Here?: Notes on Living to Read and Reading to Live, by Peter Orner (Catapult).

POETRY

House of Lords and Commons, by Ishion Hutchinson (FSG).

Olio, by Tyehimba Jess (Wave).

Works and Days, by Bernadette Mayer (New Directions).

At the Foundling Hospital, by Robert Pinsky (FSG).

Blackacre, by Monica Youn (Graywolf).

Disclosure: Ron Charles, the editor of Book World, is a board member of the NBCC.


Left: Henri Matisse. "The Yellow Dress," 1929-31; Right: Richard Diebenkorn. "Seated Figure with Hat," 1967. (Copyright Succession H. Matisse/ARS NY and The Richard Diebenkorn Foundation)

The Baltimore Museum of Art has had extraordinary success with its large and appealing exhibition Matisse Diebenkorn, which closes Jan. 29. It has extended museum hours to accommodate the crowds, the largest of any ticketed show it has presented in the past decade, and the exhibition has attracted attention and visitors from far outside of Baltimore.

It is billed as the first major exhibition to explore connections between the great French modernist, Henri Matisse, and the American painter Richard Diebenkorn, who pursued both figurative and abstract work and is best known and most loved for his sunny, pastel-colored geometric forms dubbed the Ocean Park series. The relationship was, of course, one-way, with Diebenkorn studying and incorporating ideas from Matisse. The two artists never met, and the much younger Diebenkorn (born in 1922) was barely launched on his career when Matisse died in 1954 at the age of 84.

Still, influence is a popular subject, and detecting its operation from one artist to another yields satisfying insights  especially when dealing with abstract art. Influence gives us an appealing approach to art that might otherwise be unapproachable, a way of describing something tangible in work that eludes verbal description.

The influence that Matisse exerted on Diebenkorn was enormous, and this exhibition documents it thoroughly. Diebenkorn freely acknowledged his deep admiration for his French predecessor and made special efforts throughout his career to seek out Matisses work. These included visits to art museums, including the Phillips Collection in Washington, while Diebenkorn, a Marine, was stationed at Quantico during the Second World War. There was also an early encounter with the Matisse works owned by Sarah Stein (who married into the famous clan of art collectors that included Gertrude, Leo and Sarahs husband, Michael). The Stein residence in Palo Alto, which Diebenkorn visited while a student at Stanford, was stuffed with Matisses work, and Sarah had been both a collector and an influential advocate for his art in the early part of the 20th century. Diebenkorn also sought out Matisse exhibitions and gained access to the large collection of Matisses work in the Soviet Union, which he visited on a cultural exchange in 1964.

[Kennicott on Gertrude Stein, great gibbering earth mother of gobbledygook]



Henri Matisse. "Studio, Quai Saint Michel," 1916. (Copyright 2016 Succession H. Matisse/ARS NY/The Phillips Collection)

Richard Diebenkorn. "Urbana #4," 1953. (Copyright 2016 The Richard Diebenkorn Foundation/Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center)

Its easy, and for a while pleasurable, to explore the exhibition looking for the more obvious examples of Diebenkorns meditation on Matisse. A 1916 Matisse that Diebenkorn saw at the Phillips, Studio, Quai Saint-Michel, had a particularly profound impact on him, and one can detect its basic geometries, color palette and other elements in the younger artists 1953 abstraction Urbana #4. You may sense that something fairly primitive is going on, that perhaps Diebenkorn has simply made an image of what Matisses canvas might look like if viewed through a fuzzy mirror or lenses smeared with thick oil. Has he merely reduced the figurative particulars of Matisse to a set of abstract shapes that no longer function as representative elements? And if so, is that enough to qualify as an important or great painting?

But as the exhibition continues, it becomes obvious that Diebenkorns work doesnt need Matisse behind it to give it sense or meaning. In some cases, juxtapositions of paintings by the two artists leave one feeling more inclined to celebrate Diebenkorns work than that of the older master, especially Diebenkorns Chabot Valley, from 1955, which manages to suggest a far greater sense of space and atmosphere with its careful deepening of blue tones in the sky than the slightly clumsy sunset in Matisses Corsican Landscape from 1898, which hangs near it.

More important, the exhibition ultimately exhausts its premise, leaving one looking not for the similarities, which are easy to see, but rather for what makes Diebenkorns work distinctive. Where could he go that Matisse never traveled? The 1963 Cityscape #1, which shows a green, grassy landscape from on high, with a palpable sense of speed and emptiness, as if you are flying over it rapidly, is one clear example of Diebenkorn operating far beyond the possibilities of his revered predecessor. Matisse often painted scenes from a high vantage point, as if he were surveying the room from a ladder that lifted him up near the ceiling. Diebenkorn takes this perspective to a far more challenging place, such that the earth itself has the strange, tilted-up planes of one of Matisses tables, and the viewer isnt just perched on a ladder but installed precipitously somewhere in a hang glider or hot-air balloon.



Right: Richard Diebenkorn. "Window," 1967; Left: Henri Matisse. "Goldfish and Palette," 1915. (Copyright 2016 The Richard Diebenkorn Foundation/Copyright Succession H. Matisse/ARS NY)

Both Matisse and Diebenkorn were interested in the empty room, but there is also a marked difference between the emotional valences of the emptiness they depicted. Matisses interior spaces may be temporarily void of people, but they always feel only momentarily abandoned. Someone will return shortly to take up the violin in the bright blue violin case, or feed the fish in the 1914 Goldfish and Palette. Diebenkorn, by contrast, often depicts an empty chair in a space that doesnt give a clear indication of ordinary human habitation. His spaces are emptier, more forlorn, with little of the civilized enchantment one feels in Matisse.

[Diebenkorn exhibition was one of the last great Corcoran exhibitions]

Diebenkorn went back and forth between representational and abstract work before ending up firmly engaged with abstraction during the final decades of his life. The presence of Matisse seems to fade in the last room of the exhibition, despite the inclusion of some peculiar and fascinating works in which Matisse pushed as far into the realm of abstraction as any artist could in 1914, including French Window at Collioure and View of Notre Dame, both from the same year. These feel like outliers for Matisse, and despite their importance to Diebenkorn (he saw them in a 1966 Matisse show in Los Angeles), he was soon going in a direction that made the old Matisse connections tenuous. These were the Ocean Park paintings, full of luminous bands of color, shapes that suggest translucent windows onto a sun-drenched landscape, with a strong but coy sense of three- dimensional space, as if one is looking at a thin screen that hides the world behind it.

Matisse may have helped him get there, but once there, Diebenkorns work is entirely his own, and it doesnt make sense to think of influence at this late stage in his career. But one neednt give this exhibition a happy ending, as if Diebenkorn finally found himself and his own voice in the 1960s and asserted his true and proper independence. In fact, despite the celebrated Ocean Park series, Diebenkorn is at his most exciting while trying to find his way in the middle ground between abstraction and figurative work. Paintings such as the 1959 View From the Porch, which somehow manages to give a horizontal landscape a sense of vertiginous perspective, are among the most powerful works produced in the 20th century. So, too, the 1965 Recollections of a Visit to Leningrad, which references Matisses love of floral patterning with a blunt homage on the left side of the canvas.

Ideas such as influence, the development of style, the emergence of a voice or the resolution of tensions between different ways of looking at the world  these all tend to leave us thinking that the point of art is to get the artist to some sense of conclusion. Life is like an arrow pointing to a place of rest and finality. But the best moments of this exhibition show us an artist working through things, not quite arrived or fully achieved. The apparent fading of Matisses influence wasnt necessarily a good thing, even if it yielded the work that we now think of as Diebenkorns greatest.

Matisse Diebenkorn is on view at the Baltimore Museum of Art through Jan. 29. For more information, visit artbma.org.
Six (History at 10) Walton Goggins (Justified) stars in this drama about a team of Navy SEALs who uncover a U.S. citizen working with terrorists during a covert mission to eliminate a Taliban leader. (Kent Smith/History)

(All times Eastern).

Undercover Boss (CBS at 8) The chief executive of the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf goes incognito to help with day-to-day operations at the coffee chain.

Blindspot (NBC at 8) A strange tattoo leads the group to consider sending Roman to go undercover with a dangerous biker gang.

Speechless (ABC at 8:30) When Maya gets sick, the family bands together to keep the household running smoothly.

Star (Fox at 9) Gladys Knight guest-stars, which means the girls will perform a cover of one of her classic hits.

Frequency (CW at 9) Raimy and Frank make a major discovery in their search for the Nightingale.

Blackish (ABC at 9:30) Dre grudgingly agrees to try therapy in hopes of coping with his anger issues.

Match Game (ABC at 10) Andy Richter, Bellamy Young and Neil deGrasse Tyson are among this weeks celebrity panelists.

Girlfriends Guide to Divorce (Bravo at 10) Abby struggles to stay busy after losing her job.

Documentaries

Frontline: Divided States of America (WETA and MPT at 9) Part 2 of this four-hour special examines the countrys increasing partisanship and racial tensions ahead of a new White House administration.

The End: Inside the Last Days of the Obama White House (CNN at 9) This two-hour documentary explores the outgoing presidents achievements and challenges, as told by those who had a front-row seat.

Awards Show

Peoples Choice Awards (CBS at 9) Joel McHale hosts. Nominees Blake Shelton and Fifth Harmony are set to perform.

Late Night

Conan (TBS at 11) Ted Danson, Gad Elmaleh, Josh Abbott Band.

Daily Show (Comedy Central at 11) Samantha Power.

Fallon (NBC at 11:34) James McAvoy, Nick Offerman, Kings of Leon.

Colbert (CBS at 11:35) Rachel Bloom, Louie Anderson.

Kimmel (ABC at 11:35) Bill Maher, Wendi McLendon-Covey, AFI.

Corden (CBS at 12:37) Vin Diesel, Deepika Padukone, Woody Harrelson, OK Go.

Meyers (NBC at 12:37) Michael Keaton, Emily Deschanel, Neal Brennan.


Tuscan-Style Roast Beef (Rosbiffe); get the recipe link below. (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)

Florences most iconic dish is, without a doubt, bistecca alla fiorentina: an enormous porterhouse steak, minimally seasoned with salt and pepper, grilled and served bloody rare. Its a showstopper, for sure. But its not for everyone, or for every occasion. Less well known, but just as worthy, are the simple roasts served in the citys cozy trattorias, in family-run restaurants in the countryside and in home kitchens throughout the Italian region of Tuscany.

During a visit to Florence last summer, I was reminded of just how appealing a roast  beef, pork, veal  can be, thinly sliced and adorned only with pan drippings. My jet-lagged family and I followed my friend Emiko Davies on a hot day in late July as she ducked through a doorway beneath a green-and-white-striped awning. Davies, a longtime resident of the city and author of the cookbook Florentine: The True Cuisine of Florence, was taking us to Trattoria Mario, one of her favorite spots for traditional Florentine food.

Although it was barely lunchtime, the place was already packed with a mix of locals and intrepid tourists sitting elbow to elbow at communal tables. The menu, handwritten (in Italian only) on butcher paper and taped to the wall, listed the days selections. Seeing that we werent quite ready to face a bloody bistecca, Davies instead ordered several platters of sliced roasts to share, plus traditional sides of roasted potatoes and stewed cannellini beans. The food, like the trattoria itself, was no-frills: no special sauces, no fancy garnishes, no clever twists on classics. But, also like Marios, it was genuine, and really, really good. Especially those roasts, all juicy and tender and succulent  just what you want a good roast to be. We polished them off.

A few days later, another roast stole the show. This one, a turkey breast, was the centerpiece of a luncheon prepared by my friend Giulia Scarpaleggia, a food writer who shares recipes and snippets of life in the Tuscan countryside on her blog, Juls Kitchen. She served it sliced and cold, with a tonnato (tuna and mayonnaise) sauce on the side. Even without the dollop of sauce, the turkey was tender and rich, with meaty flavor.

Weeks after we had returned home and gone back to our usual habit of grilling steaks and chops, I was still thinking about those roasts. With winter in full swing, I decided it was time to crack the code on how to make them.

[Make the recipes: Florentine Pork Roast; Stove-Top Veal Roast]



Florentine Pork Loin Roast (Arista di Maiale). (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)

Stove-Top Veal Roast (Arrosto Morto di Vitello). (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)

Simply prepared roasts have a long history in Tuscan cuisine. Arista di maiale, a bone-in pork loin roast seasoned simply with herbs, garlic and white wine, dates to at least the 15th century, when it was served at an assembly of bishops in Florence. Rosbiffe, the Italian adaptation of roast beef, is a more recent import, arriving in the 1800s with a large British expatriate community that settled in Florence. Pellegrino Artusi, author of the famous 19th century cookbook La scienza in cucina e larte di mangiar bene (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well), lived in Florence for most of his life and devoted an entire chapter to roasts. Roasting preserves the nutritional qualities of meat better than any other method of cooking, and the meat is also easier to digest, Artusi wrote.

The success of a roast depends on the quality of the meat, says Andrea Falaschi, Daviess butcher in San Miniato, not far west of Florence. Our recipes arent complicated, he says. Simplicity is our strength; its the beauty of our cuisine. But we start with the best primary ingredients.

Florence is famous for its Chianina beef, says Davies, which comes from an ancient breed of cattle raised in Tuscany and in parts of Umbria, Lazio and Abruzzo. One of the worlds largest breeds, Chianina are known for the creamy white color of their hide and their lean, flavorful meat. The regions best pork, she says, comes from Cinta Senese pigs, a slow-growing heirloom breed prized for its fatty meat: Whenever you eat anything made with Cinta Senese, you can tell, because it has a richness and juiciness to it that comes from that amazing layer of fat.

Davies, who tested recipes for her book in her native Australia, says she used Berkshire pork, a heritage breed that originated in England and has characteristics similar to those of Cinta Senese, to make her arista di maiale. The breed has been raised in the United States since the 1800s and in recent years has become more widely available, including at local butcher shops such as the Organic Butcher of McLean and Red Apron Butcher in the District and Virginia. It is noticeably fattier and juicier than standard mass-produced pork, which is bred for leanness. Arista, with its rack of rib bones, makes an impressive roast for very little effort. For that reason, it took the place of turkey this year at our Thanksgiving table, and it might make an encore performance next year.

As for rosbiffe, it is possible to buy U.S.-raised Chianina beef, but it is not easy to find at retail markets. Grass-fed beef, which is available at many farmers markets and supermarkets, makes a good substitute. It is leaner and not as buttery-soft as typical beef raised on grain, with a more pronounced beefy flavor. Because of its leanness, it is best cooked slowly at a moderately low temperature.



Stove-Top Roasted Turkey Breast (Arrosto Morto di Tacchino). (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)

[Make the recipe: Stove-Top Roasted Turkey Breast]

Dave Burton, a butcher at the Organic Butcher of McLean, offers an alternative for those willing to splurge a bit: Wagyu roast beef. Derived from a Japanese cattle breed, Wagyu is richly marbled with fat. However, the whole-muscle cuts typically used for roast beef, such as top round and eye round, are not as fatty. Wagyu eye of round makes an especially good roast beef, Burton says, because it gives a typically lean cut, one thats prone to dryness, just enough fat to ensure a good roast. At $12.99 a pound, it isnt cheap, but it is certainly less costly than prime rib or tenderloin.

[8 steps to a mouthwatering Tuscan-style roast]

Veal is more complicated; it is more expensive and less popular in the States than in Italy. Italian veal is older  more like young beef  and is rosier in color and tastier than the young milk-fed veal sold here. Many Americans are put off by the poor, cramped conditions in which veal calves are raised. But it is getting easier to find humanely raised veal that is more like what is sold in Italy. The Organic Butcher of McLean carries it, but it is prohibitively expensive: about $29 a pound for top round. I found a good substitute for about $10 less per pound at Arrowine and Cheese in Arlington. The wine, cheese and charcuterie shop carries a limited selection of meats from high-end producer DArtagnan, including a petite (2 -pound) chuck roast already bound in mesh.

If you are not tired of turkey, try roasting a boneless turkey breast. Scarpaleggias turkey roast sold me on this less-expensive alternative to veal or pork. You can buy a butterflied boneless breast to roll and tie yourself, or look for one that it is already tied in mesh; some Whole Foods Markets stock them on the weekends (best to call in advance). Once youve chosen your roast, follow a few simple steps, and within a couple of hours youll have a beautiful Tuscan-style roast at your table. All thats left is to open a bottle of Chianti.

Marchetti is the author of, most recently, Preserving Italy: Canning, Curing, Infusing, and Bottling Italian Flavors and Traditions (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016). Shell join todays chat at noon: live.washingtonpost.com.


Mary Ourisman with Vernon Jordan at the Washignton Ballet gala in 2004. (Rebecca D'Angelo/For The Washington Post)

Every four years, the presidential election creates winners and losers in Washington. In the political world, the victors celebrate, the vanquished stay home.

But in the social world, elites from both parties gather  in the bipartisan spirit of patriotism, of course  to mark the inauguration with receptions, dinners and plenty of alcohol.

Its part of the unspoken rules of engagement: Dont gloat, dont pout. No matter whom you voted for, be civil.

In a year when nothing seems normal, Washingtons establishment is determined to carry on as if everything is perfectly normal. Part ritual, part tradition, the operating principle every four years is to put on a good face and welcome the new administration with respect and excruciating good manners. If they go low, we still go high . . . tea.

Part of it stems from the belief that Washington changes presidents more than presidents change Washington. Part of it is the genuine hope for everyone to come together for the greater good of the city and its institutions. And part of it is the desire to stay in the social mix, regardless of whos in the White House.

This raises the larger question of how much the new president and his advisers will engage with the citys establishment  and to what degree it will embrace him. Thats a question for every incoming president, and it takes at least a year to answer.

But for now, these celebrations arent specifically about Donald Trump. Theyre about the country and the peaceful transfer of power.

Mary Ourisman, a Republican whom George W. Bush appointed ambassador to Barbados, is throwing an Inaugural Afterglow Party on Friday for all her friends.

My whole premise is for the old guard of Washington and members of Congress to welcome the new people coming into town with the new administration, she said.

Although her Palm Beach house is literally next door to Mar-a-Lago (and shes a member of the club there), she said that shes just a social acquaintance of the president-elects. Oursiman, the wife of automobile magnate Mandy Ourisman, has teamed up with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Republican Sens. Marco Rubio, Roy Blunt and John Cornyn, and Rep. Mike McCaul for the party at Cafe Milano. The guest list? Ambassadors, government officials, Supreme Court justices, business leaders  in short, about 500 people on the D.C. social list. Its mostly bipartisan, but it will be interesting to see who comes, she laughed.



Valerie Jarrett chats with Bill Clinton at Vernon Jordan and Buffy Cafritz's inaugural party in 2009 (James Brantley/ )

Connie Milstein, owner of the Jefferson Hotel and a generous donor to Democrats, is hosting a Salute to the Senate on Thursday. On Election Night 2014, Milstein teamed up with Republican strategist Rachel Pearson for a party at the hotel; this year, Kristi Rogers, wife of former GOP congressman Mike Rogers of Michigan, is joining them for a salute to the upper chamber. The trio have invited about 200 people in the hope that we can all just get along.

Now more than ever is the time to encourage a spirit of graciousness here in Washington, Milstein said. Its important for us to gather together, put aside partisan bickering, place country first and enjoy one anothers company. Remembering simple courtesies, along with a few cocktails, could actually go a long way!

Missing from the party list this year: the quadrennial party hosted by philanthropist Buffy Cafritz that was a staple of establishment Washington, a place for all the A-listers to mingle and congratulate the incoming power brokers.

Cafritz and her late husband, Bill, came up with the idea of throwing an inaugural party after the 1984 election. They were Republicans but had hundreds of friends who were Democrats. We wanted to have a bipartisan gathering because the county seemed so divided, she said. It was a great success, so together we said, Lets have this every four years. 

For years, the late-night reception was held at the Jockey Club, with celebrities and politicians crammed together in half-lighted booths and corners until the wee hours. In the 90s, Clinton confidants Vernon and Ann Jordan joined as co-hosts, and four years ago, philanthropists Roger and Vicki Sant signed on, greeting more than 600 guests at the Madison Hotel.

The death of Bill Cafritz in 2014 took away the joy from doing the party this year, said Cafritz. She consulted with the Jordans and the Sants, and they all decided to sit this one out. Hopefully, it will be back on the calendar in four years, she said. I have some regret because the premise of 1984 is even more acute today.



Buffy Cafritz chats with Catherine Reynolds in 2011. (Rebecca D'Angelo/For The Washington Post)

Diplomats, masters in the art of not taking sides, approach inaugurations from the lofty perch of international relations.

British Ambassador Kim Darroch will kick things off with a reception Wednesday, inviting officials of the current, former and incoming administrations, members of Congress and leaders of the media, business, academia and the arts. The embassy hosted a similar event in 2013.

The presidential inauguration is a celebration of the values that the U.K. and U.S. share: democracy, representative government and the peaceful transition of power, explained a British Embassy spokesman. The reception honors those values and the close U.K.-U.S. partnership with the new administration and Congress.

Embassy Rows preeminent hostess, Rima al-Sabah, is having another invitation-only party at the Embassy of Kuwait on the same day. The cocktail buffet is co-hosted by her husband, Ambassador Salem al-Sabah, Sen. Roy Blunt and Abby Blunt, Wayne and Lea Berman, and Georgette Mosbacher, who made quite the splash when she first landed in Washington as the wife of then-Commerce Secretary Bob Mosbacher back in 1989.

French Ambassador Gerard Araud is hosting one of his A-list cocktail receptions the next day. The Canadian Embassy, which sits on the inaugural parade route, will host its traditional invitation-only viewing party Friday. The Russian Embassy did not return calls about inauguration plans.

Beginning Tuesday, lobbyists, corporations and media outlets will host lavish open houses, receptions and cocktail parties around the nations capital, with those on the parade route getting the best response on Inauguration Day itself.

But Washington veterans typically skip the official balls (as life experiences go, one inaugural ball is enough for most people) and opt for smaller parties that night.

Trump and Vice-President-elect Mike Pence have a packed schedule of official events this week, including a candlelight dinner Thursday night for donors who gave up to $1 million to the Presidential Inaugural Committee. The dinner, designed by New York event planner David Monn, is expected to include Trump family members and senior administration officials. Trump and Pence are not scheduled to make any surprise appearances at unofficial parties  but that doesnt mean that they havent been invited to drop by.

And the other guests? None of the hosts disclosed who would be attending their events, but expect CEOs, celebrities, political donors and more than a few billionaires.

The money coming into town that weekend is out of control, confided one diplomat.


Donald and Melania Trump arrive at Trump Tower following primary election results in May. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Under Donald Trump, one tradition-bound White House office could be in for a small revolution. During the opening days of his administration, the Office of the First Lady could be nearly empty.

Melania Trump, the incoming presidents wife, will remain in New York to allow her young son, Barron, to finish out the school year. And although Trumps daughter Ivanka will move to Washington, the familys spokeswoman Hope Hicks said flatly that Ivanka will not have a role in the East Wing.

While the role of first lady has largely been shaped by each presidential spouse, there are some set duties assigned to the unsalaried position. She is expected to act as a hostess, and has a substantial paid staff (up to two dozen) to assist in planning massive lunches and dinners, supporting whatever cause she adopts and representing the country on goodwill tours.

As Trump moves into the White House alone, he seems content not to foist the role fully on his spouse. While Michelle Obamas staff are packing up and moving out of the East Wing, there have been no announcements from the Trump transition team about who will serve on the first ladys staff or handle the traditional White House events, some of which begin as soon as a new administration takes office.

They are way, way behind, said a former East Wing staff member who has talked with members of Trumps team and spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity. The governors dinner is at the end of February. Its like a state dinner. Its very formal and takes a lot of planning. As of press time, neither an East Wing chief of staff nor a social secretary had been appointed.

[Whats it like to be a kid in the White House? These 10-year-olds have a lot of ideas.]

During the process of planning the inauguration, Melania Trump has relied on her friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, an event planner whose star rose in New York when she began planning the celebrity-packed Costume Institute gala. Wolkoff, who did not respond to an interview request, is unfamiliar with White House processes and Washington protocols but could be tapped for a senior East Wing position, said the person who had been consulted by the Trump transition.

(Nicki DeMarco/The Washington Post)

Ann Stock, who served as social secretary under President Clinton, was appointed six days before the inauguration and came into an office with no computer but a long list of events to plan. After the governors dinner, there are receptions associated with the State of the Union address, an Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn attended by as many as 30,000 people, and of course, state dinners.

As social secretary you work very, very closely with the first lady, Stock said. Mrs. Trump is going to be in New York, but technology makes it a lot easier. She can totally be engaged. One of the challenges of the first two months is going from campaigning to the transition to actually governing. Whomever she eventually chooses as social secretary will rely heavily on the florists, calligraphers and chefs who stay on from administration to administration.

During Trumps campaign, Melania, who is 24 years his junior, gave few speeches  while his daughter Ivanka and adult sons Eric and Donald Jr. were active surrogates. Ivanka introduced her father when he declared his candidacy and again at the Republican National Convention.

Melania Trump, left, and Ivanka Trump listen as Donald Trump speaks on election night. There is uncertainty around the roles that Trumps wife and daughter will play during his administration. (Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)

Questions remain about the roles the two women will play going forward: Will Melania Trump take on the traditional hostess role and fly to Washington to welcome foreign heads of state alongside her husband? Will Ivanka Trump, who was invited by her father to sit in on a meeting with the Japanese prime minister, carve out a role as policy partner? Who will have more influence over Trump? Hicks did not respond to several email requests regarding plans for the East Wing.

Melania, who worked as a model before marrying Trump, has shown little overt interest in engaging with the East Wing or the scrutiny that comes along with the first lady position. She is only the nations second foreign-born first lady, and she speaks five languages  Slovenian, English, French, Serbian and German.

Her fluency in those languages could help with the global outreach expected of a presidents spouse. Since her husbands election, she has not embraced being a public figure, though she did say during the campaign that she intends to take on cyberbullying as an issue.

The single most important role that a presidential spouse plays is as the emotional ballast and adviser, said Carl Sferrazza Anthony, a historian with the National First Ladies Library. Sometimes she is the one person who has the courage and the tenacity to defy a president in private. Melania Trump may still be present behind the scenes as the confidante to her husband. If Ivanka Trump is more comfortable assuming a public role, the public will assume shes representing her father. But its nuanced because a child is not going to be able to speak to a parent the same way a spouse will speak to their spouse.

Still, Ivankas involvement could stretch the White House in new directions. In a statement on her Facebook page, the 35-year-old Ivanka said she will take a formal leave of absence from the Trump Organization and her fashion brand to settle her three children into new schools in Washington.

After hearing from advocates on issues shes interested in  access to education for women and girls and fairness for women in business  Ivanka said, she will determine the most impactful and appropriate ways to serve the country. That could be either the nonpartisan cheerleader role that Michelle Obama filled, or it could veer into policy, as Hillary Clinton did with health care.

Theres a lot of flexibility in how [the first ladys office] is run and what shape that it takes, said Anita McBride, who was chief of staff to Laura Bush and has provided advice to the Trump transition team when called upon. If needed, it could accommodate support staff for a first daughter, she said.

Ivankas friend and adviser Dina Powell, president of the Goldman Sachs Foundation, will join the Trump administrations West Wing as an assistant to the president and senior counselor for economic initiatives focused on growing small businesses and the economic empowerment of women. Powells position could be a linchpin for establishing Ivankas public role.

Life in the White House has historically been a family affair, but Ivanka and husband Jared Kushners deep involvement would push the idea into new territory. It is unheard of in recent years to have adult children (or a son-in-law) working full time in the White House, in their 30s and 40s, who have the career and life experience to be involved in their fathers administration.

Some people have suggested that instead of a first lady, this White House might have a first family.

The thing that has been consistent across contemporary politics is the first lady really is still a pretty symbolic role where its just an extension of the president, said Jennifer Lawless, director of the Women and Politics Institute at American University. When we think of expanding from a first lady to a first family, it becomes a little bit fuzzy. His children are the heirs to his fortune and his businesses, so although Donald Trump technically has no conflict of interest, his children do.

Ivanka, who grew up in the shadow of her fathers celebrity, has worked to create her own brand, which is focused on an idealized picture of life for professional working women. She is releasing a book in May called Women Who Work.

While Melania has not posted to social media since Election Day, Ivankas social media feed is full of cheerful family photos with her husband and children. Ivanka is also more familiar with Washington than other members of her family. As a college student, she studied at Georgetown University for two years and more recently headed up her fathers redevelopment of the Old Post Office Pavilion into a luxury hotel complex.

If Ivanka plays an active role in the administration, she would not be the first to do so. Other first daughters have played small roles in their fathers administrations, including Maureen Reagan, who led foreign delegations for her father, including to the United Nations Decade for Women conference in Nairobi in 1985. She was also the co-chair of the Republican National Committee and lived in the White House for a time. Susan Ford also traveled with her father on occasion.

Whether Ivanka will become the most powerful first daughter in history, as some have suggested, remains to be seen, said Ruth Mandel, director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.

It seems to break all the old patterns and molds on one hand. But on the other it follows all the old patriarchal structures, Mandel said. I dont know that it portends any change for the long run.
Former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams has endorsed Besty DeVos, President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for Secretary of Education, a show of support that stands in stark contrast to the harsh criticisms directed at DeVos by many of Williams fellow Democrats.

In a YouTube video released Tuesday morning, Williams praised DeVos for the same thing that has made her among the most controversial of Trumps cabinet picks: Her championing of publicly funded voucher programs that enable poor children to attend private schools.

The Senate confirmation hearing for DeVos, a wealthy education activist and GOP donor from Michigan, is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

[Betsy DeVos expected to undergo unusually contentious hearing]

In discussing the Districts Opportunity Scholarship Program - the nations only federally funded voucher plan - Williams said his citys experience with vouchers had been an amazing success and that DeVos fought by my side to help make it happen over the opposition of some in his own party.

Betsy makes the education establishment nervous because she shakes up the status quo, Williams says in the video. Shell always fight for whats best for the kids. Betsy DeVos is a compassionate leader. She has a big heart, and shes a proven reformer who will challenge an education establishment that has forgotten too many children.

[See Tony Williams video endorsement of DeVos]

Williams was one of two endorsement videos published Tuesday morning by the American Federation for Children, the pro-voucher organization that DeVos chaired until her nomination as education secretary.

The other featured Howard Fuller, a former superintendent of the Milwaukee Public Schools system and well-known leader in the civil-rights movement. Fuller called DeVosa proven reformer who will take on protectors of the status quo and the special interests as education secretary.

We need more parent choice, Fuller says. Betsy DeVos understands the importance of parent choice, particularly for low-income and working-class families. Shell fight hard to give children access to great schools regardless of their zip codes.

[See Howard Fullers endorsement]

The highlighting of DeVos support from two respected African-American leaders seemed aimed at countering her depiction by critics as a rich ideologue whose policies could harm the nations public schools. Former Ward 7 Council member Kevin P. Chavous, another African American D.C. Democrat, also backs DeVos. He serves on the board of the American Federation for Children that DeVos created.

Both major teachers unions are opposed to DeVos. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has called her the most ideological, anti-public education nominee put forward since President Carter created a Cabinet-level Department of Education and said that in nominating her Trump makes it loud and clear that his education policy will focus on privatizing, defunding and destroying public education in America.

Opponents of school-choice programs, including the unions and many Democratic elected officials, say they divert money from public schools and offer little guidance or oversight for families trying to navigate the confusing world of for-profit educators.

D.C.s landmark voucher program has not been free of controversy.

[Quality a blind spot in the D.C. voucher program]

A Washington Post investigation in 2012 found that hundreds of students used their voucher dollars to attend unaccredited or otherwise questionable schools, such as a family-run K-12 school operating out of a storefront and a Nation of Islam school based in a converted Deanwood home. A 2013 report by the Government Accountability Office also found widespread management problems.
Michigan billionaire Betsy DeVos is scheduled to appear Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. (Jimlo Scalzo/EPA)

A key Senate Democrat has asked Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trumps pick for education secretary, to turn over three years of tax returns to the committee overseeing her confirmation process.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), ranking member of the committee on Health, Education, Pensions and Labor (HELP), made the request in a letter dated Jan. 13, days after Murray voiced concern about DeVoss extensive financial entanglements and potential conflicts of interest.

While the HELP committee has not required education nominees to share tax returns in the past, Murray wrote, several have done so voluntarily, including two George W. Bush nominees, Rod Paige and Margaret Spellings.

Murray said she plans to try to revise committee rules to require all presidential nominees to share tax returns. In the meantime, she said, DeVos should voluntarily disclose her tax returns to ensure that the Committee has an opportunity to fully understand the challenges your investments and other financial transactions may present to your coming nomination as Secretary of Education.

[Betsy DeVos omitted $125,000 anti-union donation from her Senate disclosure form]

A spokeswoman for Trumps transition team did not respond to a request for comment.

DeVos, a Michigan billionaire who has lobbied forcefully for charter schools and taxpayer-funded vouchers, is one of several Trump nominees that Democrats have singled out for extra scrutiny.

Her personal investments and significant political donations to GOP candidates and conservative causes are likely to come up during her confirmation hearing, which is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The hearing, originally scheduled for Jan. 11, was postponed after Murray and other Democrats argued for a delay given that the Office of Government Ethics  which is responsible for identifying and resolving conflicts of interest  had not yet finished its ethics review of DeVos.

That ethics review was still not complete as of Jan. 16, according to Democratic and Republican Senate aides.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the HELP committee, has said he has no concerns about DeVoss paperwork and believes she will be an excellent education secretary.
Democrats attacked Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trumps education nominee, calling her unfit for the job during a contentious confirmation hearing Tuesday evening, while Republicans defended her as a bold reformer who would disrupt the status quo in U.S. education.

DeVos told skeptical senators that she looked forward to working with them to improve the nations schools. But she sidestepped several issues important to Democrats and their allies, declining to take a position on whether guns belong in schools or to commit to upholding the Obama administrations aggressive approach to handling sexual assault on college campuses, and she called Sen. Bernie Sanderss (D-Vt.) ideas about free college interesting.

A Michigan billionaire, DeVos has lobbied for decades to expand charter schools and taxpayer-funded vouchers for private and religious schools, but she has no professional experience in public schools, never attended public schools or sent her own children to public schools. She also has not held public office.

[Trump could reverse Obamas actions on sexual assault, transgender rights]

DeVoss inexperience in the realm of public education appeared at times to be a liability. During rapid-fire questioning by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), she seemed to demonstrate a lack of understanding of one of educations major federal civil rights laws, which requires states that take federal funding to provide children with disabilities the services they need to benefit from a public education.

DeVos said states should decide whether schools should be required to meet those special-education requirements.

So some states might be good to kids with disabilities, and other states might not be so good, and then what, people can just move around the country if they dont like how their kids are being treated? Kaine said.

When Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.)  who has a son with a disability  challenged DeVos to explain whether she understood that the law was a federal civil rights law, DeVos said she may have confused it.

DeVos also declined to say whether she believes that all schools receiving taxpayer funding  public, public charter, or private  should be held accountable to the same performance standards. She also declined to say whether such schools should be required to report suspensions and expulsions, and incidents of bullying and harassment, to the federal government.

Joe Lieberman, the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2000, introduced DeVos Tuesday and vouched for her leadership, arguing that her status as an outsider is an asset.

She doesnt come from within the education establishment. But honestly, I believe that today thats one of the most important qualifications you could have for this job, the former senator from Connecticut said. We need a change agent.

DeVos is an unusually polarizing nominee for education secretary; most of her recent predecessors have sailed through the confirmation process, winning Senate approval on voice votes. The strong feelings about DeVos were evident in the line of more than 100 people waiting to enter the Capitol Hill hearing room Tuesday evening, including supportive students in plaid uniforms and bright yellow scarves embroidered with National School Choice Week, and a large contingent of parents and teens from Detroit who came by bus to oppose DeVoss nomination.

1 of 29 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  See photos from the second week of confirmation hearings of Trumps Cabinet nominees View Photos Hearings continue on the president-elects choices for top jobs in his administration. Caption Hearings continue for the presidents picks for top administration jobs. Jan. 24, 2017 Linda McMahon, President Trumps nominee for administrator of the Small Business Administration, is sworn in for her confirmation hearing before the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. Aaron P. Bernstein/Bloomberg News Wait 1 second to continue.

GOP senators cheered DeVoss nomination, saying they hope she will champion alternatives to the nations public schools and scale back the federal footprint in K-12 education.

[Teachers unions mount campaign against Betsy DeVos]

Betsy DeVos, in my opinion, is on our childrens side, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, said in his opening remarks Tuesday. Shes devoted her life to helping mainly low-income children have access to better schools.

Alexander dismissed DeVoss critics as out of step with public opinion, arguing that Democrats, including President Obama, have embraced charter schools, and that vouchers are patterned on the most successful social policy this Congress has ever enacted  the GI Bill, which provides tuition assistance for veterans to attend the college of their choice.

Why is such a great idea for colleges deemed to be such a dangerous idea for K-12 schools? Alexander said.

He restricted senators to one five-minute round of questions, saying he was adhering to committee precedent and the golden rule, treating Trumps pick as the committee treated Obamas nominees. Democrats were dismayed, arguing that the committee has never before cut off questions, and that they needed more time to examine DeVoss record.

I think were selling our kids short by not being able to ask follow up questions, said Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.). Franken had asked DeVos for her views on the debate  common in education circles  about whether standardized tests should measure the progress students make during a year, or their grade-level proficiency. He was unimpressed with what he said was her lack of familiarity with that debate.

Im surprised you dont know this issue, Franken said.

Teachers unions and civil rights groups have argued that DeVoss support for a free-market approach to education has undermined public schools, which they see as a critical civic institution. DeVoss opponents also point to the fact that she has no record on higher education or protecting childrens civil rights, two areas critical to the work of the department she aims to lead.

[Betsy DeVos and her family members are major donors to the senators who will vote on her confirmation]

Asked about her relatives contributions to anti-LGBT groups, DeVos said she believes in equality: I believe in the innate value of every single human being and that all students, no matter their age, should be able to attend a school and feel safe and be free of discrimination, she said.

But she declined, under questioning from Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the ranking Democrat, to say whether she plans to rein in the Office for Civil Rights, which investigates allegations of discrimination in schools.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) asked questions about DeVoss qualifications to run the trillion-dollar federal student loan program, with DeVos acknowledging that she has no experience running or managing anything near the size and complexity of the program. DeVos also acknowledged that she had never taken out a federal student loan for herself or her children.

[Dems raise concerns about possible links between DeVos and student debt collection agency]

DeVos declined to take a stand on whether guns belong in schools, saying that decision should be left to local and state officials. She pointed to a rural Wyoming school that is surrounded by a fence to keep bears out: I would imagine theres probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies.

Asked by gun control advocate Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)  whose constituents include parents who lost children in the mass shooting at Newtowns Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012  whether she would support Trump if he moves forward with his proposal to ban gun-free school zones, she said she would support what the president-elect does.

The hearing went forward Tuesday evening over the objections of Democrats, who are concerned that the Office of Government Ethics, which is responsible for vetting presidential nominees for potential conflicts of interest, has not finished its review of DeVoss vast wealth and financial investments.

Alexander has said that the committee wont vote until the ethics offices work is complete. DeVos promised to resolve any conflicts of interest the office identifies. I will not be conflicted, period, she said. I commit that to you all.

She said that if confirmed, she will be a strong advocate for great public schools. But when public schools are troubled, or unsafe, or not a good fit for a child, she said, parents should have a right to enroll their child in a high-quality alternative.

I share President-elect Trumps view that its time to shift the debate from what the system thinks is best for kids to what moms and dads want, expect and deserve, she said.

[Betsy DeVos omitted $125,000 anti-union political donation from Senate disclosure form]

On the campaign trail, Trump proposed a new $20 billion grant program to encourage states to expand such efforts, but he offered few details about how that might work, and there is a tension between the incoming administrations interest in expanding vouchers and charter schools and conservatives interest in leaving decisions about education to states and school districts.

DeVos said Tuesday that she would not coerce states to expand vouchers or charters. But in an exchange with Murray, she also refused to say that she would not work to privatize schools.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), an advocate for vouchers and charters, called DeVos a champion for low-income children who dont have access to great schools.

Mrs. DeVos is not opposed to accountability, he said, rejecting one of the Democrats charges against her. What she is opposed to is leaving children trapped in schools that we know are failing, failing the very students that will have no hope if they do not receive a high-quality education.

Ed OKeefe contributed to this report.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), flanked by House speaker Michael E. Busch (left) and Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford (right), spoke to the House of Delegates last week as the 2017 session opened. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday promised a $43.5 billion state budget that would shrink spending and close an estimated $750 million deficit, yet increase funding for key programs such as education and the public safety net.

The governor also proposed bills aimed at avoiding future funding shortfalls by reining in automatic spending increases  something Democrats rejected last year  and requiring the state to save more money when it has excess revenue.

Hogan (R) said his plan  which will be released in full on Wednesday  would balance the budget without raiding special funds such as the Transportation Trust Fund, and without raising taxes or making major cuts to services.

Because of the fiscal restraint that weve instituted over the past two years, while many other states are facing crippling budget shortfalls, we are in much better shape today than we would have been, Hogan said.

The governor outlined his budget at a news conference after giving fiscal leaders a general overview during a breakfast at the governors mansion.

[Maryland session opens with calls for bipartisanship  and bickering]

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) described the governors plan as a good news budget. But he and the legislatures Democratic fiscal leaders said they are waiting to see what cuts the governor proposes in his budget-reconciliation bill, a measure that generally involves tweaking the states annual funding formulas during years when revenue falls short of projected levels.

Itll be interesting to see the details, said Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery), vice-chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.

The state faces estimated budget deficits of $209 million for fiscal 2017 and $544 million for fiscal 2018, based on the latest revenue forecast in December and spending projections by legislative analysts.

Hogan said he plans to close the gap in large part by tapping into reserve funds and with savings from his decision last year to withhold $82 million that Democrats fenced off for special purposes. He said he would leave $1 billion in reserves and trim almost nothing from agency budgets.

It sounds too good to be true, but it is true, he said. There are no serious cuts.

State budget officials said the governors plan would trim state operating expenditures, which totaled $17.1 billion in fiscal 2017, by about $20 million. They said the capital budget would remain the same at just under $995 million.

For education, Hogan said, his plan would fully fund the states spending formulas for K-12 and community colleges while pumping an additional $17.5 million toward the University System of Maryland to hold tuition increases to 2 percent.

He said his budget would also bolster the states social safety net, providing additional money to help individuals who are battling heroin and opioid addiction, increase the number of treatment beds for drug-abuse patients and provide a 2 percent bump in thereimbursement rate for care providers who work with vulnerable residents, including the developmentally disabled.

The governors plans also call for tax relief for military retirees, police, firefighters and emergency-response personnel, something he has proposed in the past without success.

Hogan said Baltimore will receive more financial support from the state than any other jurisdiction, including continued funding for a blight-removal program.

But House Appropriations Committee Chairman Maggie L. McIntosh (D-Baltimore) left the breakfast with Hogan saying she was concerned that his budget would leave out spending on various programs that the legislature approved last year to help Baltimore, including a scholarship program for the citys youth, money for parks and funding for after-school and library programs.

Maryland had a budget surplus last year, and the governors 2016 spending plan sailed through the General Assembly with little contention. Fiscal leaders said snags are possible this year because of the upcoming budget-reconciliation bill, which could lead to battles over spending priorities.
Two well-known figures in the Minnesota theater world jump toward the silver screen this week as they take their short movie to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. Actor Sha Cage and writer-director E.G. Baileys film New Neighbors was selected from tens of thousands of entries for Sundance.

New Neighbors began when E.G. Bailey saw a Washington Post story on Facebook. It was by an African-American woman named Fay Wells, who locked herself out of the Los Angeles apartment where shed lived for seven months. She called a locksmith and got back inside. But things soon went bad, when she answered a knock at the door.

And theres a gun pointed at her face, Bailey said. And its the police, telling her to Get down, get down. Who else is with you? Who else is in the house? Why are you here? She counted 16 officers. She learned later there were 19 dispatched. Wells wrote that the police were not interested in hearing her story. And then this happened: She found out that a neighbor called the police, thinking that she was a burglar, he said. The neighbor, a white man, claimed he had never seen her before. Wells said they had met.

Bailey and his wife, Sha Cage, were in England at the time, touring with her one-woman show U/G/L/Y, which he directed. He couldnt shake what Wells had described. He found himself writing a short story.

And rather than look at it in terms of her own story, I tried to look at it from the perspective of parents, the perspective of a mother, he said. What do you do in this situation, in trying to protect your children?

He rewrote it several times from the viewpoints of different people in the story. Then he wrote a script about a black family moving into a white neighborhood. They shot it last summer.

A woman walks door-to-door with a handful of fliers. They bear the names and photographs of her sons, and other family members. Her two adult sons trudge behind. They are not happy.

Yall better get up here, she shouts to them.

Im going back to the house, the younger son says to his brother.

Man, just let her do this so we can hurry up and change, says the older son.

You may be fine with being embarrassed like this, but I aint, says the younger man.

Who says I aint? the older son retorts. But arguing with her aint going to change her mind.

Maybe if you would speak up! You know she listen to you way more than me says the younger man.

I aint got all day, the mother calls.

But Momma, why we got to do all of this? the younger son whines.

Because I said so. Im going to do whatever I have to, to save your lives.

Sha Cage plays the mother bent on introducing her sons to all the neighbors so they recognize them. At some homes, no one answers. At others, people dont know what to make of this woman with her two sons, huddled together, looking uncomfortable, halfway down the path.

Its just that there have been a number of incidents lately, she tells one man, where black folks have moved to a new area and the neighbors...

Youre not part of that Black Lives Matter thing, are you? he interrupts.

No, she replies.

Because I dont go in for that kind of thing. We like things quiet in our neighborhood, he says with a scowl.

So do we, she responds, scowling herself.

Good! says the man, shortly before heading back into his house.

Each of the neighbors sort of represent ways in which people engage with whats happening with the African-American community and the African-American struggle, said Bailey.

Theres a lot of nuance in New Neighbors, which runs about 8 minutes. The mother is forcing people to talk, but her sons worry that shes doing more damage than good. One neighbor wonders if shes being accused of racism. The film has no neat summation nor easy answers.

Cage said its been a learning experience, and going to Sundance will help them learn more. Black filmmakers can feel isolated, and theres real value in getting feedback, she said.

And perhaps we dont hit the mark, she said. But I think jumping in and being a part of the contenders is equally important.

Cage and Bailey are also looking to make connections. Bailey said film has always been his final destination.

Film allows me to bring all the other expertise that I have in theater, radio, spoken word, and writing, and playwriting, Bailey said. I can bring all of that into this art form and tell nuanced black stories.

After Sundance theyll return to Minnesota to work on the Guthries latest production of King Lear. Bailey is assistant director, and Cage plays the king of France.

Film allows me to bring all the other expertise that I have in theater, radio, spoken word, and writing, and playwriting. I can bring all of that into this art form and tell nuanced black stories. E.G. Bailey, writer and director of New Neighbors
Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.) said Tuesday that he will not go to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, reversing his earlier plan to be in attendance.

These are not normal times and I cannot pretend as if they are. The moral and political legitimacy of this presidency are in the gravest doubt, Raskin said in a statement.

The freshman from Montgomery County is the third member of Congress from the D.C. metropolitan area to skip the ceremony. Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and Anthony G. Brown (D-Md.) said earlier this week that they will join dozens of other Democrats who are sitting out the event in protest of Trump.

[The latest tally of which lawmakers will skip Trumps swearing-in]

As of Tuesday afternoon, Reps. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.) and A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) were still undecided about whether to go to the inaugural festivities.

(Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Cummings, a member of Congress since 1996, explained his position Monday in an appearance on MSNBC.

I havent decided  its an interesting situation. I tell my constituents not to concentrate on who we are fighting against but what we are fighting for, Cummings said. And so I try to concentrate on those things.

Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), a nonvoting member, will not attend the inauguration because she is recovering from surgery.

Raskin said that he takes issue with Trumps business entanglements with foreign governments and corporations, denial of Russias efforts to influence the election and what he called a relentless trafficking in bigotry, misogyny and fear.

He said that he is also upset by Trumps tweets over the weekend criticizing civil rights pioneer Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.). After Lewis questioned the legitimacy of Trumps election, noting intelligence agency reports of Russian interference during the campaign, Trump tweeted that Lewis was all talk, talk, talk and should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities.

Given these dynamics and given that one can never have any confidence in what Trump might say or tweet, I cannot risk my presence at his inauguration being interpreted as any kind of endorsement of the normality of our situation, Raskin said.

He added, I am afraid that these kinds of searing moral and political conflicts are our destiny for a while.

Raskin was elected to Congress after three terms in the Maryland Senate, where he rose to majority whip. He worked as a constitutional law professor at American Universitys Washington College of Law for 25 years.

In his statement, Raskin noted that he attended the inauguration of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, in 2015 in Annapolis. Hogan denounced Trump during the election but will attend Trumps inauguration.
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) has not said whether he will veto a $15-an-hour minimum wage. (Jeffrey MacMillan)

Legislation to raise Montgomery Countys minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020 passed the County Council on a 5-to-4 vote Tuesday, but it is unclear whether County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) will allow the measure to become law.

The affluent county of about 1 million would be the first jurisdiction in Maryland  and the second in the Washington area after the District  to adopt a $15 hourly minimum wage.

Leggett said last week that he was worried that the increase would put Montgomery at a competitive disadvantage in terms of attracting businesses, and that it could put too great a burden on employers.

The Montgomery legislation would go into effect by 2020 for most businesses and in 2022 for businesses with fewer than 25 employees, a change made in an effort to address Leggetts concerns, said chief sponsor Marc Elrich (D-At Large).

But county government spokesman Patrick Lacefield said Leggett wanted to delay implementation for all businesses, not just small ones, until 2022.

Supporters of a $15 minimum wage await the Montgomery County Councils vote on the measure. (Patricia Sullivan/The Washington Post)

Leggett will study the issue further before deciding whether to sign the bill, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature, Lacefield said. The council would need six votes to override a veto by Leggett, which is one vote more than the legislation received on Tuesday.

As the vote was tallied, the packed council chamber erupted in cheers from supporters of the Fight for 15 campaign, which is spearheaded by organized labor and has secured laws requiring a $15 minimum wage in Seattle, California and New York, in addition to the District.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pushed for a national $15 minimum wage during his unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. The quest became part of the party platform and was embraced by nominee Hillary Clinton.

But efforts to approve a $15 minimum wage failed this past summer in Baltimore, and some Montgomery council members were wary of becoming the first jurisdiction in Maryland to pass such a wage hike.

Sidney Katz (D-Gaithersburg-Rockville), who voted no  along with Council President Roger Berliner (D-Potomac-Bethesda), Nancy Floreen (D-At Large) and Craig Rice (D-Upcounty)  argued that a minimum-wage hike should not take effect until Montgomery begins and completes an economic impact study that would spell out the effects that such a change would have on the county, its employers and low-wage workers.

This is not a delay tactic, Katz said. We are about to put massive operational constraints on small-business owners.

One of the business owners who attended the hearing, Boris Lander, said he would probably have to cut jobs at the 14 Dunkin Donuts franchises he owns in the county and shut down a production facility in Gaithersburg if the wage increase takes effect.

Lander, in a letter to the council, noted increases in the minimum wage that the council launched beginning in 2014, from $7.25 to $10.75 an hour. Another increase, to $11.50 an hour, is scheduled for July. Those hikes cost 70 to 100 full-time jobs, Landers wrote. A $15 minimum wage would mean that an additional 38 jobs would be cut and that 84 new jobs would not be filled.

Proponents of the minimum-wage increase argue that businesses adjust to rising costs all the time and publicly object only when labor costs go up.

Its hard to adjust to being poor, too, Elrich said. When you dont have money, theres only one adjustment  you dont spend, you dont buy.

Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA, which assists low-income immigrants, issued a statement after the vote urging Leggett to approve the bill. It could become one of the most enduring achievements of his leadership, the statement said. Signing into law a $15 minimum wage will cap Ikes legacy of putting working families in Montgomery County first.

Council member George L. Leventhal (D-At Large), who voted in favor of the bill along with Elrich, Hans Riemer (D-At Large), Tom Hucker (D-Eastern County) and Nancy Navarro (D-Mid-County), said that 143,000 Montgomery workers make less than $13.59 an hour.

A family of four needs its breadwinner to make $22 an hour to be self-sufficient in the county, Hucker said.

Other council members said they supported the idea of a $15 minimum wage but felt that it was folly to require it in Montgomery when employers in the rest of Maryland and in Northern Virginia can pay less.

The last time we took this up, we at least had Prince Georges County with us, Floreen said, referring to the earlier wage hikes. This crowd should be in Annapolis to push the state forward on these issues.

In an attempt to avoid a veto, the council passed a series of amendments in addition to the delay for small businesses. They included allowing a delay in the wage hike if local or national economic indicators show a significant downturn, and providing a way for the county executive to ask for a delay as well.
Vivian Marrow, 68, was known in her Southeast Washington neighborhood as the Candy Lady and Miss Vivian. (Obtained by NBC4)

One after the other, the Districts interim police chief and the grieving son urged a killer to surrender.

On Monday, gunfire claimed the life of Vivian Marrow, a 68-year-old mother of three, grandmother of 11 and beloved community member who had for all intents raised one generation of neighborhood children and was working on the next.

Ill even say to the person who is responsible, You need to come in and tell us what you did,  interim chief Peter Newsham implored at a news conference Tuesday. Youve taken a woman out of our community who had no business losing her life.

A few minutes later, Marrows 52-year-old son, William Marrow, offered a similar message: Turn yourself in. Youre going to get caught, regardless. . . . Eventually youre going to realize that you did a lot of hurt to a whole lot of people.

[Beloved community resident Vivian Marrow fatally shot in Southeast]

Marrow, known as Miss Vivian and the Candy Lady, was shot Monday morning in the 2400 block of Elvans Road SE as she rolled her wheelchair toward a corner store. Police described her as a bystander who was not the intended target.

Police said Monday that she might have been caught in a crossfire; a man also was struck in the shooting. But Newsham said Tuesday that investigators now think that there was one shooter, although they dont yet know whether the wounded man was the target.

Newsham would not say whether a surveillance camera positioned nearly above the location of the shooting captured anything. He also would not say if the gunfire was related to other neighborhood violence, including several recent fatal shootings or a dispute between neighborhood crews.

What Newsham did do was plead for witnesses to come forward to help make an arrest in the case. I frequently go to meetings across this city and people frequently ask me how they can help, he said. This is one of those times we need your help. . . . We believe somebody in that neighborhood knows exactly what happened, the circumstances under which it happened and probably the person who is responsible.

Residents and friends of the victim expressed disbelief in the killing. Vivian Marrow kept her door open for people who needed a place to sleep. She watched over children, most not her own, and they called her mom. She handed out candy. She fed the hungry. She rarely missed a funeral.

William Marrow said he planned on returning to the shooting scene to lay down flowers. There may be a vigil Wednesday evening. Most of all, he wants an arrest.

I want people to come forward and say they know something, say theyve seen something, he said, adding that his mother was not afraid of her community of 30 years orthe violence outside her front door.

People say she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, he said. I look at it that she was in the right place at the right time. Them people were doing something wrong in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Police said a shooting incident in Herndon on Monday began with a domestic dispute  followed by a two-alarm fire  and ended with police fatally wounding the suspect.

The incident began about 2:40 p.m., when Fairfax County police say they were notified that two brothers suffering from gunshot wounds had driven themselves to a hospital.

Police went to the 13300 block of Covered Wagon Lane, where they heard additional gunshots inside the home.

Shortly thereafter, county officers made contact with the suspect, who refused to leave the home, said Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr.

As negotiations were continuing, Roessler said, the suspect apparently set fire to the home. A 911 call from a hostage inside made clear that there was a third potential victim.

The caller stated that he could not breathe, Roessler said. We had to take action.

Soon after, the suspect stepped outside with a knife in his hand and police used a combination of rubber bullets and real ammunition to subdue him, Roessler said. He said the suspect was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

As some officers rushed to detain the suspect, others entered the townhouse and rescued the hostage, who was treated for smoke inhalation and released at the scene, police said. Roessler said it was not clear what started the dispute or how the man shot by police may have been related to the victims.

A routine investigation is underway to determine the sequence of the nonlethal and lethal force used by police, Roessler said.

The chief praised the work of officers on the scene, saying their actions probably saved the life of the hostage.
Four people were arrested in the killing of local rapper Khalil Wiggins, who Prince Georges County police believe was killed in his home during a robbery. (Prince Georges County Police Department)

Four people were arrested in the killing of local rapper Khalil Wiggins, who police believe was killed in his home during a robbery.

Four people have admitted their involvement in Wigginss killing, according to Prince Georges County police: Michael Stevenson III, 22, of Southeast Washington; Quran Middleton-Bey, 22, of Cheltenham; and Kierra Williams and Damond Foster, both 23 and both of Alexandria.

All four have been charged with first- and second-degree murder and are being held without bond, police said.

Wiggins, 44, was found shot inside his home at about 8:40 p.m. Dec. 29 in the 3900 block of Byers Street in Capitol Heights. He was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Wiggins performed under the name Big Lyl and was active in the regions music scene, according to tribute pages on social media.
Ahmer Iqbal Abbasi talks to the Associated Press in Karachi, Pakistan. The Supreme Court on Wednesday is hearing an appeal from former U.S. officials who want to shut down a lawsuit filed by human rights lawyers on behalf of Muslim men, including Abbasi, who were detained after the Sept. 11 attacks. (Fareed Khan/AP)

The corrections officers told their new prisoner, Ahmer Iqbal Abbasi, to strip and face the wall. They had already twisted his hands in his handcuffs, shoved him and called him a f---ing Muslim, Abbasi said in an interview last week.

It was September 2001, two weeks after 19 Muslim hijackers carried out the worst terrorist attacks in U.S. history. Federal authorities never found any connection between Abbasi, a 28-year-old yellow-taxi driver from Pakistan, and the terrorists. But like hundreds of other Arab and South Asian men swept up in the aftermath of the attacks, he was not a legal immigrant.

Abbasi is one of six plaintiffs in a long-running case brought by noncitizens detained after 9/11 that reaches the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The question for the high court is not whether the men were abused, but whether they have the right to bring a case for damages against high-level U.S. government officials for the alleged unconstitutional treatment.

Their lawyers say authorities held some 400 men  many of them Muslim  on the basis of their race, religion, ethnicity, national heritage and immigration status, and subjected them to brutal conditions, including verbal and physical abuse, daily strip searches and months in solitary confinement.

The defendants include former attorney general John D. Ashcroft, former FBI director Robert S. Mueller III and other officials in the administration of former president George W. Bush.

A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York ruled in 2015 that the lawsuit could go forward.

Civil rights and immigrant advocates say the outcome will set a powerful precedent that becomes all the more significant with the election of Donald Trump because his policy proposals could possibly violate the Constitution. Trump has called for the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, a ban on new Muslim immigrants and deeper scrutiny of Muslims within the United States.

Allowing high-level officials basic impunity for constitutional violations would send a really problematic message at this time when were faced with an incoming administration who talks about bringing back torture  and worse, rounding up Muslims  as legitimate policy choices, said Rachel Meeropol of the Center for Constitutional Rights, who will argue the plaintiffs case.

Government lawyers, in the final case to be argued by the Obama administration, have urged the high court to reverse the 2nd Circuit decision and to stop the lawsuit from proceeding. Congress, not the courts, they say, should decide whether individuals can sue government officials for what the administration describes in its briefing as unintended consequences arising from the implementation of policy decisions they made during an unprecedented national-security crisis.

Four former attorneys general from Republican administrations have also weighed in on the side of the former Bush administration officials.

Nobody claims they even knew who these defendants were, let alone ordered them held in solitary confinement, said Richard A. Samp, chief counsel of the Washington Legal Foundation, who filed a brief on behalf of the former attorneys general.

The obvious motivation was better safe than sorry. Were not going to release anyone until were sure they are not terrorists.

None of the immigrants who filed suit will be present in the courtroom Wednesday. All were deported after their detentions, and the three who sought to return to hear their case argued were denied visas, Meeropol said.

The men who filed suit all lacked lawful immigration status at the time of their detention, but none were found to have any connection to terrorism.

In 2003, the Justice Departments inspector general criticized government officials for their handling of some detainees after 9/11, finding that the FBI took too long to investigate and clear them of connections to terrorism. The report said authorities at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center, where Abbasi was held, subjected detainees to unduly harsh conditions.

Meeropol said authorities also often declined to tell family members where their loved ones were being held. These were disappearances, she said.

In 2009, the government reached a settlement of $1.2 million with five original plaintiffs in the case. But those men were suing the United States, not the individual officials who presided over policy.

The high court first recognized a limited right for individuals to sue government officials in a 1971 case known as Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents involving an illegal search by federal narcotics agents. Since 1980, the Supreme Court has generally been hesitant to expand that right.

Civil rights and immigrant advocates are most concerned that the Supreme Court could shut off any opportunity for individuals to hold the executive branch accountable for damages in court after a constitutional violation has occurred.

If the Supreme Court sides with the Obama administration, not only would these detainees lose any opportunity to prove their claims, but so, too, would many future victims of human rights violations, Stanford Law School professor Shirin Sinnar, who co-authored an amicus brief in the case, wrote in a Washington Post column.

The court will be shorthanded at oral arguments on Wednesday with only six justices. Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor are recused presumably because of their earlier work in the solicitor generals office and on the 2nd Circuit.

Abbasi, a father of four, who now lives in Karachi, Pakistan, said he is hopeful. He will wait for his attorneys in the United States to tell him how it goes.

The case is Ziglar v. Abbasi, 15-1358.
A man arrested and charged with groping three women last week in different areas of Northwest Washington has been convicted of similar sexual offenses at least 20 times since the early 1990s, according to D.C. police and court records.

Michael Hilliard, 57, of no fixed address, was arrested about 10:40 p.m. Friday. He was charged with three counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse and was released from jail. He has a court hearing Feb. 2.

Police said two of the most recent sexual assaults occurred Jan. 11. The first happened about 8:20 a.m. in the 1900 block of 15th Street NW, near the U Street corridor. The second was at 5 p.m. in Logan Circle. Authorities said another attack occurred Thursday about 8 a.m. in the 1300 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW, one block from Thomas Circle.

[Three women groped in Logan Circle, other areas in Northwest]

In each case, police said a man approached a woman and grabbed her in an sexually inappropriate place.

Court records show that Hilliard has been convicted at least 20 times since 1991 of misdemeanor sexual abuse, most for inappropriately touching random women. In most of the cases, he was sentenced to 180 days in jail, the maximum penalty. He also has been screened for mental illness, the records show.

Hilliard has been convicted of at least a half-dozen other misdemeanor crimes as well, including assaulting a police officer, unlawful entry and escaping confinement.

His latest convictions include a 2016 conviction of misdemeanor sexual assault after he inappropriately touched a woman who was sitting next to him at a bus stop in the 1900 block of Massachusetts Avenue NE. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail.

In 2014, police said Hilliard sexually assaulted a nurse at MedStar Washington Hospital Center while he was being treated. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail.

Hilliards attorney in his pending case, David Akulian, said his client has asserted his innocence. Akulian would not comment on the specifics of the charges but said: Often times in cases like this, there is a mental-health issue. I think we as a society have to make sure we are taking care of those who are most vulnerable, despite the fact they may misbehave from time to time.
Ricky Gray is escorted from the county courthouse in Culpeper, Va., ins 2007. Gray is scheduled to be executed for the 2006 murders of the Harvey family of Richmond. (Mike Morones/AP)

If death row inmate Ricky Gray is executed in Virginia on Wednesday evening, he will be injected with a controversial drug obtained as part of a process shrouded in secrecy.

Virginias Department of Corrections has never used midazolam, which has been involved in several prolonged and apparently painful executions in other states. Virginia procured the drug from a compounding pharmacy whose name is shielded from the public.

Attorneys for Gray, who murdered a well-loved Richmond couple and their young daughters in 2006, filed an emergency application for a stay of execution Tuesday with the U.S. Supreme Court, after Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) declined to commute his sentence.

It is the Governors responsibility to ensure that the laws of the Commonwealth are properly carried out unless circumstances merit a stay or commutation of the sentence, said a statement from McAuliffe, who is opposed to the death penalty but has promised to uphold the states capital punishment law. After extensive review and deliberation, I have found no such circumstances.

McAuliffes refusal came after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuitdeclined last week to halt the execution.

Rickys execution will serve no purpose other than retribution, Grays attorneys, Jon Sheldon and Rob Lee, said in a statement after McAuliffe announced his decision. We regret that he will no longer be able to try to make amends for his past wrongs.

The execution of Gray, 39, would be the first since October 2015 and the first to take place since the state passed a law to keep secret the identities of pharmacies that produce the lethal drugs, as a way to protect them from political pressure.

Gray has admitted that, with help from his nephew Ray Dandridge, he beat his wife to death with a lead pipe and dumped her body on a hill in Washington, Pa. in October 2005. Three months later, on New Years Eve, they attacked Ryan Carey as he walked from his car to his parents home in Arlington, stabbing him multiple times, according to Grays confession. Carey ran into the home and survived, but he permanently lost the use of his right arm.

The next day, as the Harvey family in Richmond prepared for its New Years Day party, Gray and Dandridge entered their home through an unlocked door. They brought Kathryn, Bryan, 9-year-old Stella and 4-year-old Ruby to the basement, tied them up and taped their mouths closed. After ransacking the house, Gray cut every family members throat. He bludgeoned them with claw hammers. Then he poured two bottles of wine over an easel and lit a match, setting the basement on fire. The men left with some electronics, a wedding ring and a plate of homemade cookies.

The scene was so awful that when homicide detectives arrived, they cried.

Gray and Dandridge say 21-year-old Ashley Baskerville helped them target the Harveys and hide after the murders. A week later, they planned to attack Baskervilles mother and stepfather. They were bound, stabbed, then gagged and suffocated in their home. So was Baskerville, who Gray reportedly complained was nagging him for money.

Advocates against the death penalty argue that Grays crimes are irrelevant to the concerns regarding midazolam, a drug normally prescribed for anxiety and minor surgery.

One of the hallmarks of constitutional safeguards is that they exist to protect everybody, said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. One does not get to torture somebody because you dont like what theyve been convicted of doing.

In five out of 19 executions in which midazolam has been used since its introduction in 2014, according to statistics compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center, the condemned person has shown signs of pain or difficulty breathing and has taken longer to die than expected.

Although use of the drug in executions was narrowly upheld by the Supreme Court, the pharmacologist who testified in favor of its use relied heavily on the consumer website drugs.com. Arizona has pledged to stop using midazolam.

Because of the way the drug affects the brain, experts say, theres a limit on how effective even a massive dose can be.

Its used to decrease anxiety  its not used by itself to produce anesthesia, said S. Stevens Negus, a professor of pharmacology at Virginia Commonwealth University and one of sixteen pharmacologists who told the Supreme Court that midazolam was not being used appropriately in executions. It will produce relaxation and that relaxation may be sufficiently severe to produce sleep, but in studies weve conducted, it does not eliminate sensation to pain.

In Virginia, midazolam will be used as the first drug in a three-drug protocol, along with rocuronium bromide to cause paralysis and potassium chloride to stop the heart. The first and third drugs were produced by a compounding pharmacy; under a 2016 state law, the name and other particulars are kept secret.

A spokesman for the Virginia Department of Corrections said a similar protocol has been used successfully . . . many times in states like Florida.

Grays lawyers also say his traumatic upbringing and drug use was not fully explained or appreciated when he was sentenced to death. In a video released last week, family members say that as a child, Gray was beaten by his father almost daily with cords, pipes, and a leather belt labeled with Rickys name. He was violently raped by an older brother almost as often. Gray began using PCP as a small child and was high on the drug during his killing spree.

Remorse is not a deep enough word for how I feel, Gray says in the video. I robbed them of a lifelong supply of joy. Ive stolen Christmas, birthdays, and Easters, Thanksgivings, graduations, and weddings, children. . . . Im sorry they had to be a victim of my despair.

Two of Grays nieces say in the video that since going to prison, Gray has become a father figure, encouraging them to do well in school and stay out of trouble.

If he was executed . . . I would just lose all my motivation, I just wouldnt even have a purpose anymore, one niece says.

Last week, lawyers for Gray presented the evidence of abuse to Judge Henry Hudson, who ruled that Gray failed to prove that use of midazolam, compounded or otherwise, is unconstitutional. Moreover, he said that Virginia offers all prisoners a constitutional alternative: the electric chair.
Janaye Ingram is the local point person for logistics for the Womens March on Washington. She is shown Dec. 22, 2016, at Third Street and Independence Avenue SW (next to the National Museum of the American Indian), where the march is to begin on Jan. 21, 2017. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

When the video leaked of President-elect Donald Trump bragging about grabbing womens genitals without their permission, Brandi Swindell was horrified. That video offended her sense of how she believed women should be treated, and caused her to question her support for Trump. But on Nov. 8 Swindell, a 40-year-old antiabortion advocate from Idaho, cast her ballot for Trump anyway.

This weekend, shell be participating in Idahos sister march of the Womens March on Washington. The Washington event is a high-profile demonstration in front of the U.S. Capitol the day after the inauguration, with women from all over the country rebuking Trumps remarks and demanding equal rights for women on his first day in office.

About 250,000 women and men are expected to attend the Womens March on Washington, which has become a galvanizing event for Hillary Clinton supporters after the bitter election. Tens of thousands more are expected to attend smaller, sister marches throughout the country.

[It started with a retiree. Now the Womens March could be the biggest inauguration demonstration. ]

But conservative women who are politically against abortion  many of whom say they reluctantly voted for Trump on the basis of his vow to nominate an antiabortion Supreme Court justice  also plan to attend to ensure that during talks of feminism and womanhood in a Trump era, their voices of dissent are also heard. They may disagree with Democrats on abortion, but say they, too, have goals such as equal pay, more progressive child-care policies and generous maternity leave.

But is there a place for them at events that are being held to protest the remarks and policy proposals of the man that many of them helped elect? And can a march with a political agenda be one that includes everyone? Fresh energy was injected into the debate this week when march organizers dropped an antiabortion group as a partner.

I have some very serious concerns about Trump, said Swindell, who started Stanton Healthcare, a womens health facility with multiple locations that does not offer contraception or abortions. I am a feminist.

The Womens March has a folksy origin story tracing back to a grandmother in Hawaii who launched the concept as a Facebook event as soon as the unexpected election results were announced. As the march has grown in prominence, it has highlighted long-existing racial, socioeconomic and political rifts in the feminist movement.

The march was originally unfocused in its mission, but in recent weeks has been more and more defined by a progressively liberal agenda. Planned Parenthood is the biggest sponsor of the march, and groups including Emilys List and the Natural Resources Defense Council are partners.

Last week, the marchs organizers released a platform and list of principles calling for open access to safe, legal, affordable abortion and birth control for all people, regardless of income, location or education.

[Heres whats happening in D.C. on (and around) inauguration.]

Many women argue that by tying the march to reproductive issues, its organizers squandered an opportunity to unite women en masse. Theres enough to unite behind ahead of the new administration, they argue, that they didnt need to bring a divisive issue into play.

It further proves that this is what the abortion industry does, said Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life. They have taken over any talk of feminism in the country to point out that if you are antiabortion, you are accused of being anti-woman.

Linda Sarsour, one of the main organizers of the march and the director of the Arab American Association of New York, said the platform is deliberately broad  it includes sections on disability, and workers and immigrant rights  and the march is open to everyone, even if they dont agree with every part of its mission.

We dont believe a quarter million people will see themselves in every platform, Sarsour said. We are not a pro-abortion march, we are a pro-women march.

Still, when the Atlantic magazine reported this week that an antiabortion group, New Wave Feminists, was an official partner of the march, the backlash was strong. The march organizers quickly dropped the group and apologized, writing in a statement that we look forward to marching on behalf of individuals who share the view that women deserve the right to make their own reproductive decisions.

[Abortion falls to lowest level since Roe v. Wade]

Abby Johnson, an antiabortion activist from Texas, thinks that Planned Parenthood, with its political muscle, has tied abortion to feminism, and she decided to attend the march to ensure that the antiabortion voice is included. Johnson is a former Planned Parenthood employee who founded And Then There Were None, a group that helps abortion clinic workers leave their jobs.

Like many of the antiabortion women planning to attend, Johnson says she will participate in the march, and not protest it, but will still carry signs making her stance known. They say they want to start dialogue with people about the issue.

I think its important that a pro-life feminist voice is there. I am not going to protest, I am going to join in solidarity, Johnson said. And to be honest, abortion is not the only issue Im concerned about. Im concerned about the pay gap. Im concerned about the lack of women in the political arena. There are a lot of things that are important to me.

Although organizers say antiabortion women are welcome to attend the Womens March, their inclusion in what the event represents could become more complicated if the platform laid out by the organizers is a sign of the feminist movement in the Trump era. Elizabeth Velez, a professor of women and gender studies at Georgetown University, said that feminism is a political term and that the idea that women should be able to choose what they do with their bodies is fundamental to feminism.

One reason for this, Velez said, is that history shows that abortions will still be carried out if they become illegal, and proponents of reproductive rights think that those opposing abortion are denying women safe access to these procedures.

Feminism is more than finding personal satisfactions in your life; its a political movement, and if you are not part of the political movement, you cant be a feminist, Velez said. If you are pro-life, you are certainly not looking at the struggles across all of us.

The week after inauguration weekend, tens of thousands of women are expected to come to the nations capital for the annual March for Life  the largest antiabortion rally in the country. Jeanne Mancini, the head of the March for Life, had originally intended to attend the Womens March, but once organizers released the platform, she changed her mind. She said it did not feel right to attend a march that had a message that explicitly ran counter to the one she was hosting.

I would have wanted to march because Im pro-women, Im 100 percent pro-women. I want little girls to be empowered to know that they can be anything they want to be, she said. I have never felt left out from the feminist movement. I feel more misunderstood and frustrated.
Since first meeting candidate and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, this city on the Mississippi River has weathered a recession and the ensuing lukewar
From now on, children at a family shelter in Southeast Washington may get a kick out of the fact that they are swinging and sliding where two of the countrys most famous children once played.

On Monday, as part of their move from the White House, President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama personally donated to the shelter the play set they surprised their daughters with eight years ago, when the girls were 10 and 7.

Most of the families at the Jobs Have Priority Naylor Road Family Shelter are headed by young African American women, according to the shelters website. The average family at the 28-apartment shelter has two to three young children, and many have at least one child with a mental, developmental or physical disability.

The Rainbow-brand structure, which has a plaque that says Malia and Sashas Castle, has a slide, a fort, a climbing wall and rope, three regular swings, a tire swing, and a picnic table etched with the names of all 44 presidents, according to Teen Vogue.

It was first offered to the family of President-elect Donald Trump, who has a 10-year-old son, Barron, but they declined, CNN reported.

The Obamas arrived at the shelter a little after 3 p.m. Monday and pitched in with a half-dozen school-age children painting an indoor mural of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and butterflies.

After a few moments, Michelle Obama quipped, We are painting in silence . . . Does anyone have any good jokes? Age appropriate?

Later, the Obamas, accompanied by D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), walked onto the playground, where eight children were playing on the structure.

Hey, guys! . . . Its Barack Obama! the president said, echoing one of the children.

First families with children have frequently added play equipment to the White House grounds. Caroline Kennedys pony, Macaroni, roamed freely on the grounds, and Amy Carter had a treehouse.

As the president pushed two girls on the swing Monday, he noted that Sasha was not much smaller when the family moved into the White House.

Brings back memories, he said.

An earlier version of this story inaccurately reported the name of Caroline Kennedys pony. It has been corrected.
Virginia Democratic congressmen Don Beyer, of the 8th district, left , Bobby Scott of the 3rd district, center, and Gerry Connolly, of the11th district, acknowledge the crowd after winning re-election at an election results party hosted by Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe in November 2016. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) announced Monday night before a room full of supporters that he will not attend President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration on Friday.

He made the comments during a town hall meeting at Arlingtons Wakefield High School to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. and to give progressives a path forward after Hillary Clintons loss.

Dr. King spoke of the fierce urgency of now, Beyer said, according to a statement from his office. Yes, I treasure the peaceful transfer of power. Yes, I will respect the constitutional prerogatives of the presidency.

Beyer then went on to list what he sees as a litany of transgressions by Trump, saying he lies without apology, mimics the disabled, insults those who disagree with him and disrespects women.

His values and his actions are the antitheses of those I hold dear. It would be the height of hypocrisy for me to pretend to be part of this inaugural celebration, he said.

(Jayne Orenstein/The Washington Post)

Earlier in the day Beyer participated in a unity march in Falls Church, according to his Facebook page. His heavily Democratic district includes Arlington and Alexandria.

Last month he made headlines when he called on his colleagues in Congress to delay the electoral college vote after it was reported that Russia intervened in the presidential election to help elect Trump.

Before the election, Virginia Democrats said Beyer was among a handful of appointees who Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) might have considered had Sen. Tim Kaine become vice president and left his seat vacant.

[After his political resurrection, candidate Beyer adopts high-minded approach]

Beyer, a car dealer, served two terms as lieutenant governor in the 1990s, and lost the 1997 governors race to Jim Gilmore.

He later served as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein under President Barack Obama, and returned to elected office in 2014 when Rep. James P. Moran retired.

Beyer, 66, easily won a second term in November.
Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam applauds as he recognizes visitors in the gallery during the Senate session at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. (Steve Helber/AP)

RICHMOND  Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam (D) is trying hard to elevate his profile as he makes a bid for governor this year, but for the next six weeks or so hes anchored to the State Capitol for the General Assembly session.

On Tuesday, though, he got a chance to stand out.

As part of his duties, Northam (D), has to preside over the Senate while his rival, former congressman Tom Perriello, is out raising money to mount his challenge for the Democratic nomination for governor.

The exceedingly formal chamber, where one member cant even address another without asking Northam for permission, was proceeding in a stately manner from one bill to the next. Up came SB981, a relatively tame and arcane measure creating liability protection for administrators of charity health clinics.

Suddenly, there was a commotion up on the dais where Northam presides. One of the pages just collapsed, Northam said, and before anyone could react he was down off the dais, running up the center aisle and pushing through the glass doors out of the chamber.

One of the knocks on Northam as a candidate is that he has an overly calm - some would say boring - demeanor.

But now he was down on all fours giving medical attention to a young page in jacket and tie who was stretched out on the carpeted floor in the hallway.

Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant (R-Henrico), who is also a doctor, came over to help.

Senators milled around in surprise, absorbing what had happened. Someone brought bottles of water. Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel of Fauquier, who is seeking the Republican nomination to replace Northam as lieutenant governor, walked over to check on some other pages at a spot near the dais.

Luckily, she told them, weve got a pediatric neurologist in the chamber.

That would be Northam, who strolled back in just two or three minutes later.

Thank you for that brief recess, he said, as senators returned to their seats. Everybody is fine and we can proceed with our business.

The page had apparently just been tired and dehydrated. And Northam, who has yet to really begin introducing himself to Virginians, was in the right place at the right time.
RICHMOND  Yes, were already at the name-calling stage in the Virginia governors race.

Republican hopeful Corey Stewart blasted rival Ed Gillespie Monday for sending a surrogate instead of attending a gun rights rally, calling him a coward who was afraid to do anything not approved by consultants.

Gillespie said he could not attend because he had agreed to participate in a Martin Luther King Day service event.

Stewart was joined at the rally by fellow Republican hopeful Denver Riggleman, along with several candidates for lieutenant governor and attorney general. No Democrats attended the event, which was put on by the Virginia Citizens Defense League.

Hello, deplorables! Stewart greeted the crowd of about 200 on Capitol Square, using the term Hillary Clinton famously used to refer to supporters of Donald Trump. Are you ready to take back the commonwealth of Virginia?

Some in the crowd wore hunters camouflage; at least one man had a rifle slung across his back, and at least one woman had a handgun in a hip holster. Most wore orange stickers that said, Guns save lives.

Stewart invoked his early support for Trump, and said that while we won the battle for the presidency, thats not enough. We have to gain the controls in Virginia, he said, to be able to not just defend Second Amendment rights, but to extend them even further.

Stewart said he would push to eliminate fees for getting concealed carry permits and advocate for a constitutional amendment for the right to carry a weapon.

As you know, he said, Im not afraid to [tick] off liberals.

Then he turned to the subject of Gillespie, who had sent Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter (R-Prince William) to speak on his behalf. Lingamfelter is one of the legislatures most forceful voices for gun rights.

Calling Gillespie as Establishment Ed, Stewart said he had seen Gillespie that morning at the General Assembly Building.

But did he even bother to show up and address you? He didnt, Stewart said. He sent somebody else, another politician, to come and talk to you. The guys afraid of his own shadow. He doesnt do anything unless his consultants approve of it. Everything is poll-driven. Folks, thats not leadership. That is cowardice, pure and simple.

While his rivals were at the gun-rights rally, Gillespie was at Mount Vernon Baptist Church a few miles from the Capitol. Donning clear gloves and tucking his tie into his dress shirt, he helped pack up meals of baked chicken, rice and green beans for use at a homeless shelter.

Ed committed to participate in an event at a church honoring MLK Day before getting invited to speak at the rally, and he did not want to break that commitment, said Gillespie spokesman Matt Moran. He appreciates VCDL President Phil Van Cleave understanding that, and allowing Delegate Scott Lingamfelter to share with the crowd Eds strong support of our Second Amendment rights.

At the rally, Lingamfelter said Gillespie will oppose any effort to infringe on our Second Amendment right and he will use his veto pen when he needs to.

Lingamfelter said Gillespie had assured him he would sign legislation that would allow retired law-enforcement officers to carry guns while working security in schools.

He will empower law-abiding gun owners to defend themselves, their families and their homes because it is our right! he said. Ed Gillespies gonna fight against the liberals when they try their over-reaching tactics.

Gillespie is in the midst of a five-day, 20-stop statewide tour that took him to Richmond, Williamsburg and Fredericksburg on Monday. In Richmond, he courted business-oriented Republicans with a speech to a gathering of Americans for Prosperity (AFP), the political organizing arm of the conservative group led by billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch. The three other Republicans running for governor addressed the AFP gathering in the afternoon.

[The Koch networks new agenda: familiar ideas and much higher expectations]

In his speech to AFP, Gillespie limited his criticism to Democrats, namely McAuliffe and his chosen successor, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam. McAuliffe is prevented under the state constitution from seeking back-to-back terms,

Gillespie said the McAuliffe-Northam administrations singular approach to economic development has been to lure big companies with taxpayer-funded incentives.

Gillespie he would do more to foster natural, organic growth by reforming the tax code and easing regulations. He voiced support for off-shore drilling and for making public schools and universities more responsive to parents and students.

We desperately need to get Virginia moving again, he said.

Northam spokesman David Turner said that under McAuliffes administration Virginia has created 167,100 additional net new jobs leading to more people employed now than ever before.

Enron Ed probably doesnt know this because hes spent the majority of his life working in D.C., Turner said.

Denver Riggleman, the newest and least-known GOP candidate, used the gun rally and AFP event to lay out a colorful biography that includes counter-terrorism work for the National Security Agency. He and his wife opened a craft distillery in Nelson County.

Riggleman got the most enthusiastic response at the AFP event, bringing the audience to its feet with his personal tale of regulatory woe. He described loads of red tape involved in opening the distillery: Curbs in the parking lot that had to be torn out because they were  an inch too high. Conflicting mandates from the federal and county governments on the positioning of his outdoor lighting. Run-ins with the liquor lobby.

Those things are actually what got me into this race, he said. Its not just regulatory issues. Its the fact that people behind closed doors are creating their own self-licking ice cream cones.  The simple fact is, people are paying to keep other people out of the competitive space.

He took no shots at fellow Republicans; he even said there are a lot of good people in the race. But he needled a Democrat seeking the nomination.

I think there was a congressman who called you guys nut-job extremists, he said at the gun rally. He appeared to be referring to Tom Perriello, the former congressman who is running for the Democratic nomination for governor and used that term Friday in a radio interview.

So I dont think youre just deplorables, I think youre nut-job extremists too, and Im one of you, he said. So Id like to say that as a fellow nut-job extremist, theres somebody else who was a nut-job extremist up there.

He then invoked Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and tied him to the rally this way: You know Martin Luther King was a pacifist. Martin Luther King thought that there should be peaceful revolution just like everybody else out here. I was reading about it, I didnt know that he applied for a concealed carry permit.  He wanted a concealed carry permit  why? Because he knew that [while he favored] peaceful revolutionyou have to defend yourself violently if somebody comes after your person.

At the AFP meeting, State Sen. Frank Wagner (R-Virginia Beach), who missed the gun-rights rally because he was attending a Senate committee meeting, based his pitch on his experience as a businessman and a long-time member of the General Assembly. He stressed the need to reform career and technical education, reduce regulation, and improve transportation.

I know a little bit about job creation, said Wagner, a Navy veteran whos owned shipyards.
A growing number of Democratic lawmakers have announced they will not attend Republican Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20, 2017, the vast majority of them in protest of Trump's attack on civil rights icon John Lewis. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

The Virginia General Assembly plowed ahead with its 46-day session Monday despite it being a statewide holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. The spirit of the slain civil rights icon hung over the legislative work, which by tradition on this day featured large groups of citizens coming in to speak on various matters.

King was invoked to support civil rights during floor speeches, to call for raising the minimum wage in a committee meeting and to push for concealed weapons permits at a pro-gun rally.

But Democrats in the House of Delegates were abuzz over something that didnt happen.

Del. Roslyn Tyler (D-Sussex) stood in the House of Delegates to pay tribute to King. At the end of her floor speech, she mentioned the clash over the weekend between President-elect Donald Trump and U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia.

Lewis, who marched with King and is a revered civil rights icon in his own right, had suggested that Trumps election was illegitimate because of interference in the political process by Russian hackers.

(Virginia House Democratic Caucus)

The president-elect responded with a series of tweets that dismissed Lewis as all talk and saying he represents a failing district.

[Democratic lawmakers to skip Trumps inauguration]

Tyler said Trump saw fit to insult and denigrate a colleague of Dr. King. In response, she said, it is time for all of us to stand up against this bullying and intimidation, as it is inconsistent with the life of Dr. King and the values of this country.

So today I ask my colleagues to stand with me in support of Congressman John Lewis, to honor the legacy of Dr. King and the countless other civil rights leaders who fought to make America the great country that it is.

A video shot by other House members shows that Democrats all stood with Tyler and applauded, while Republicans in the chamber remained seated. Some Republicans could be seen clapping, but none appeared to stand.

After the session, Democrats seized on the moment to say that their Republican colleagues were disrespectful.

The president-elect has denigrated a man who risked his life so that all Americans could realize the ideals of this country, said House Minority Leader David J. Toscano (Charlottesville). I call upon every member of the House Republican Caucus to immediately condemn this shameful attack.

The Republicans, though, werent taking the bait.

It is unfortunate, House Republican spokesman Christopher E. West said, that House Democrats would politicize a floor speech honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
President-elect Donald Trumps pick to lead the Interior Department told senators Tuesday that completing billions of dollars in backlogged projects at national parks should be a major part of the new presidents plans to revamp aging roads, bridges and transportation hubs.

Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), who is nominated to serve as the next interior secretary, told the Senate Natural Resources Committee that Trumps ambitious infrastructure spending plans should prioritize the estimated $12.5 billion in backlog of maintenance and repair at hundreds of national parks across the country.

[National Park Service turns 100, and some sites are showing their age]

Zinke also said publicly for the first time that unlike Trump, he doesnt believe climate change is a hoax. Answering pointed questions on the issue from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Zinke said humans are almost certainly the drivers of climate change, but he said theres a debate among scientists over how much.

Sanders interrupted, saying theres no debate in the scientific community, only on his committee. Zinke said its a matter that he will study with deliberation as secretary. Zinkes comments Tuesday provided his clearest perspective on one of the most contentious issues in politics. He seemed to flip-flop in his approach in previous years.

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.

Rex Tillerson, Trumps choice to serve as secretary of state, also said last week that climate change is affected by humans and is not a hoax.

Man has had an influence, Zinke said under questioning by Sanders.

On the question of repairing the parks, Zinke said Trump is committed to a jobs and infrastructure bill, and I am committed and need your help in making sure that bill includes our national treasures.

He said repair projects should include fixing sewers and restrooms at parks in the West, finding ways to develop land just outside national parks  and even fixing fountains on federal property in downtown Washington.

During a recent visit to the Trump transition teams offices on F St. NW in Washington, Zinke said he was shocked to see unresolved repairs at a federal park across the street.

The fountains dont even work. And theyre in need of repair, he told senators. And then you start asking, well, what about the rest of Washington, D.C.? Well, it turns out that very few fountains work. And then the Memorial Bridge. It turns out that needs about $150 million. So wed better get on it.

The Memorial Bridge spans the Potomac River between Washington and Arlington, Va. and about 68,000 vehicles cross it daily. A total overhaul of the bridge is set to cost about $250 million, the National Park Service said last year, warning that repairs must be completed by 2021 to avoid serious structural problems.

Zinkes comments were some of the first by a Trump nominee on infrastructure spending, a topic that congressional Republicans have been eyeing warily amid concerns about the cost and scope of Trumps ambitions.

Disclosing few details, Trump has pledged that his infrastructure program would cost half a trillion to a trillion dollars, paid for with a mix of federal dollars and possibly tax credits.

An exchange Tuesday between the nominee and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) was among the most intense confrontations in the hearing. Duckworth asked Zinke if he deplored some of the president-elects statements about women, particularly that sexual harassment in the military was inevitable because they serve in close proximity to men.

Duckworth said women at the National Park Service whove come forward with serious claims of sexual harassment are employed by Interior. You yourself have a history of saying women who served in combat were a distraction that weakened the force, Duckworth said. Do you think serving in the front line of the park service weakens the force?

[Lawmakers step up pressure on Park Service in sexual misconduct probe, threatening subpoena]

Zinke told Duckworth, I take issues of sexual assault and harassment absolutely seriously. As you know as a military commander, the tolerance is zero.

Duckworth, a former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, served in the Iraq war as a helicopter pilot, a role she chose to take because it was one of the few combat roles open to women.

In the past, Zinke has cast doubt on the role of women in combat roles several times. During his first congressional campaign in 2013, Zinke criticized the Obama administrations plan to drop the prohibition on women in combat roles, telling the Newsmax website that the military was not ready for the change.

Physically, I think there are some women who can do it. But the issue is what are the unintended consequences? This is not a Demi Moore movie, he told the website.

Zinke reminded Duckworth Tuesday that his daughter is a Navy diver.

If confirmed, Zinke would take over a park service where women wildfire fighters have been followed, touched and spied on in showers. When confronted, perpetrators were allowed to retire with benefits. Congress heard similar stories from women who serve in the Forest Service under the Agriculture Department.

Zinkes position on climate change is a concern of conservationists at Interior because of the departments oversight of the fossil fuels under those federal lands and their potential for increasing greenhouse gases. Experts estimate that 40 percent of the coal burned in the United States comes from land owned by the federal government. As secretary, Zinke would wield power over hundreds of millions of acres and the oil and minerals beneath them.

In 2010, while in the Montana legislature, he was one of more than a thousand lawmakers nationwide who signed a letter calling for clean-energy jobs and climate-change legislation from President Obama and Congress. Four years later, however, a former chair of the Montana Conservation Voters accused him of denying that climate change is occurring and caused by burning fossil fuels.

Zinke, 55, also reiterated Tuesday that he opposes selling land owned by the public.

I am absolutely against transfer or sale of public land, he told Sanders. That stance puts the first-term congressman on par with Trump, who has also said he wants to keep federal land.

Although he often votes against environmentalists on issues from coal extraction to oil and gas drilling  earning him a 3 percent voting score from the League of Conservation Voters  his position against federal land sales was serious enough for him to quit the GOP platform-writing committee last summer after the group included language that would have transferred federal land to states.

Zinke campaigned for Congress on a platform of achieving North American energy independence, and he criticized as unnecessary a recent Interior Department plan to reduce inadvertent releases of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that scientists say is far worse than carbon emissions in contributing to global warming.

Clean air and clean water are absolute top priorities when we talk about responsible energy development. However, the final rule issued by the Obama administration does nothing to further protect our resources, he said in a statement. This rule is a stark reminder that we need to invest in infrastructure projects like the Keystone pipeline, so we dont need to flare excess gas.

His support of Keystone pleases the oil and gas industry but is a another worry for conservationists, who fear that Trump will attempt to resurrect the billion-dollar project the Obama administration halted in September.

If confirmed, Zinke also would be the steward of the National Park Service and such vast treasures as Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Great Smoky Mountains, as well as the Fish and Wildlife Service and its huge wildlife refuges. He would have oversight of the Endangered Species Act, with a say over what animals are listed, and the National Mall, the capitals most visited tourist destination.

The secretary guides the Bureau of Land Managements oversight of the sagebrush sea, an area covering 11 western states, where conservationists and energy companies have fought over projects threatening the health of the greater sage grouse. And the person chosen by the secretary to lead Fish and Wildlife determines which animals get endangered-species protection  and which do not. The agency is engaged in an international fight to protect elephants and rhinoceros from poachers and to curb the sale of artifacts from those animals in the United States.

One enforcement action, Operation Crash, has resulted in numerous arrests of foreigners and U.S. citizens illegally trafficking rhino horn. The question is whether those efforts would continue under Zinke.

The former Navy SEAL, a Montana native who draws support from many sport and recreational fishermen, is expected to sail through the confirmation process generally unscathed. He was not listed as one of the eight Trump Cabinet picks that Senate Democrats intend to try defeating or at least discrediting during their hearings. The committee considering his nomination is chaired by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and includes high-profile lawmakers such as Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.).

[Here are the eight Trump Cabinet picks Democrats plan to target]

The selection of Zinke for the Interior post came as a surprise and a bit of a setback for Senate Republicans, given that many expected he would run in two years against incumbent Sen. Jon Tester and help the GOP snatch that seat from a moderate, if vulnerable, Democrat. Instead, Tester and Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) spoke on Zinkes behalf before the Senate panel on Tuesday.
Nicodemo Little Nicky Scarfo, whose reign over organized crime in Philadelphia during the 1980s was one of the bloodiest in its history, died Jan. 14 while in custody at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, N.C. He was 87.

Nancy Ayers, a Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman, confirmed the death. The cause was not disclosed.

Mr. Scarfo led the Philadelphia-southern New Jersey mob from 1981, when then-boss Philip Chicken Man Testa was killed by a nail-bomb outside his home, until around the time he and more than a dozen associates were convicted of racketeering charges in 1988.

Mr. Scarfo, described as 5-foot-5 with a high-pitched voice, was a greedy, ruthless despot who reveled in wanton, ruthless and senseless violence, Philadelphia Inquirer reporter George Anastasia wrote in his book Blood and Honor. The Philadelphia Daily News once called him the undersized Atlantic City man with the oversized temper.

Ultimately, Mr. Scarfos vengeance and mismanagement forced several of his associates to be witnesses for prosecutors. One of them, Nicholas Nicky Crow Caramandi, said his hand was forced because he believed Mr. Scarfo, widely described as paranoid and egotistical, was ready to kill him.

Mr. Scarfo, a longtime soldier in the Philadelphia Mafia, rose to prominence soon after the assassination of mob boss Angelo Bruno in 1980. Bruno, known as the Docile Don, kept a tight rein on his associates illegal activities and led a Mafia that made money without a hint of flamboyance.

But Brunos killing set in motion a mob war that lasted more than half a decade and left more than two dozen mobsters dead.

Mr. Scarfo is prone to violence, is unpredictable, and the people he surrounds himself with are equally prone to violence and are unpredictable, FBI agent James Maher testified in a 1981 court hearing.

Federal prosecutors said Mr. Scarfos crews made money the same way La Cosa Nostra always has  through extortion, gambling and loan sharking. But they also accused Mr. Scarfo of embracing the drug trade and said he frequently resorted to murder.

His undoing began in 1986, when he was indicted for trying to shake down a developer who wanted to build a project on the Delaware River waterfront. Mr. Scarfo was convicted of conspiracy to commit extortion in the case, which also brought down a corrupt city councilman.

His reign finally ended in 1988, when he and 16 others were convicted of racketeering. The federal indictment had accused the men of participating in a criminal enterprise that resulted in nine killings and four attempted murders, as well as extortion, gambling, loan sharking and drug trafficking. One of the murder victims was a New Jersey judge.

Prosecutors relied on FBI wiretaps of mob meetings and the testimony of two reputed mobsters-turned-informants, Caramandi and Thomas Tommy Del DelGiorno, who detailed killings, extortions and other deals.

Mr. Scarfo and seven others were convicted in state court of murdering mob associate Frank Frankie Flowers DAlfonso in 1985. The 1989 convictions for DAlfonsos were later overturned, and all eight were acquitted at a second trial.

Two other convictions on racketeering-related offenses resulted in consecutive 14-year and 55-year sentences for Mr. Scarfo, who had been behind bars since 1989.

Prosecutors portrayed him as a remorseless and profoundly evil man and, in the words of Inquirer writer Anastasia, a greedy, small-minded and violent terrorist who climbed to the top over the dead bodies of onetime associates.

Organized crime investigators said Mr. Scarfos concrete company, Scarf Inc., laid the foundations for many of the casinos erected in Atlantic City in the years after gambling was legalized there. It was an arrangement he enforced through his associations with local unions, authorities said.

Nicodemo Domenico Scarfo was born March 8, 1929, in Brooklyn and grew up in Philadelphia. He was purportedly introduced to gangster life by three of his uncles.

Mr. Scarfo was reputed to be a numbers-runner when, in 1963, he and two companions got into an argument with a longshoreman at a South Philadelphia diner over who would sit in a booth. The longshoreman was stabbed to death; Mr. Scarfo pleaded guilty to manslaughter and served six months in prison.

The violence reportedly angered Bruno, who banished Mr. Scarfo to Atlantic City, to run the familys outpost there.

Mr. Scarfo served time for refusing to testify about organized crime before a New Jersey commission in 1971, a prison stint that reportedly raised his profile in the organization. He later served two years in federal prison for illegally possessing a gun.

His son was shot in 1989 in one of Philadelphias most notorious attempted mob hits. Nicodemo Scarfo Jr. was dining at a crowded Italian restaurant on Halloween night when a masked man shot him several times. He survived.

In July 2015, the younger Scarfo was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a scheme to take over a financial company.
PENNSYLVANIA

People gather to mourn slain teen

Hundreds of people gathered Monday in Glenside, Pa., near Philadelphia to remember a slain teen as a kindhearted girl who looked out for classmates at school.

A memorial for 14-year-old Grace Packer was held Monday at a Glenside church as her adoptive mother and the mothers boyfriend sit in jail on rape and murder charges.

Friends from Abington Junior High School said Grace would give them hugs or help them with math homework. They said she seemed hungry at times and didnt think her adoptive mother liked her.

Police say Sara Packer and Jacob Sullivan tortured and killed Grace last year and hid her body as part of a rape-murder fantasy. Sullivan has said he is sorry for what he did.

Organizers are raising money for a foundation to assist foster children in need. They may call it On Gracies Wings, in a nod to Graces love of butterflies.

 Associated Press

NEW YORK

Second arrest in fatal concert shooting

Police have arrested a second man in connection with a fatal shooting at a popular Manhattan concert venue.

Authorities say 31-year-old Daryl Campbell, of Brooklyn, was arrested Monday on a charge of criminal possession of a weapon.

The May 25 shooting at Irving Plaza occurred just before the rapper T.I. was to perform.

A bodyguard of rapper Roland Collins, who performs as Troy Ave, was fatally wounded. Three other people, including Collins, were wounded.

Collins also was charged in the case, and was freed on $500,000 bail after pleading not guilty to an attempted murder charge.

Collinss attorney says Collins didnt shoot his bodyguard, Ronald McPhatter.

While sitting in his car Dec. 25 at a Brooklyn intersection, Collins was shot in the arm and a bullet grazed his head.

 Associated Press

Miss. city adopts MLK Day: A Mississippi city has decided to ditch Great Americans Day and rename it to honor Martin Luther King Jr. The Biloxi City Council voted 6 to 0 to make the change Monday. The Sun Herald reports the vote came moments before the beginning of an annual parade honoring the slain civil rights leader. Monday was a federal holiday and was recognized in most of the United States as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In three states  Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas  the holiday has a dual designation honoring King and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The change follows an uproar on social media that erupted after a Biloxi spokesman posted that city offices would be closed for Great Americans Day. The name came from a city ordinance adopted in 1985.

Man explodes bomb in apartment building: A man in a small northwestern Wisconsin community was killed after he followed through on his threat to explode a bomb in his apartment building, police said. Rice Lake police said 12 to 14 residents were evacuated before the explosion and subsequent fire that destroyed the one-story building Sunday night. Police Capt. Tracy Hom said Monday that officials received a call about 11 p.m. Sunday from an angry person making threats. Officers responded and evacuated tenants. Hom said the man had a history of contact with police.

U.S. resident extradited to island to face murder charge: A U.S. resident has been extradited to the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba to face charges in the April 2015 killing of a California medical student. Sundays announcement identifies the suspect only by his initials. But U.S. officials previously identified him as 31-year-old Senad Cejvan, a citizen of Bosnia and a legal permanent resident of Missouri. Cejvan was a student at the Saba University School of Medicine with the victim, 24-year-old Kavya Guda of Fremont, Calif. Authorities say he abruptly left the Dutch island after she was found strangled. They say nearly 10,000 images of child pornography were later found on a computer he left behind.

Coast Guard suspends search for father and son: The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a father and his young son who were swept into the sea by a wave along an Oregon beach. The agency, along with Oregon State Police and other responders, searched unsuccessfully Sunday and Monday for 31-year-old Jayson Dean Thomas, of Elmira, Ore., and his 3-year-old son. Thomas and the boy had been walking Sunday on a beach about two miles north of Cape Blanco when the wave struck. The boys mother saw it happen and called authorities.

 From news services
Amid the universal demand to cut health care costs, a La Crosse pediatrician advocates a baby step that would trim more than $1 million a year: train nurse practitioners to do circumcisions.

The change wouldnt lower patient bills immediately but would improve efficiency in other hospital departments as well, said Dr. Dennis Costakos, neonatology chairman at Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare.

This is a free-market solution, Costakos said in an interview. When we increase the numbers doing it, the costs accelerate slower.

Costakos conclusions emerge from an unprecedented 10-month study he conducted with a registered nurse and several neonatal nurse practitioners, or NNPs, in which physicians trained the NNPs to do circumcisions and the practitioners performed the surgery on 198 babies born at Mayo-Franciscan during that period.

Mayo-Franciscan became perhaps the only place in the country where nurse practitioners do the procedure. The protocol at Gundersen Health System enlists pediatricians for the procedure, according to a Gundersen official

Mayo-Franciscans duty-shuffling carries a couple of advantages, Costakos said:

At Mayo-Franciscan, NNPs are on duty 24 hours a day, so they are readily available to do circumcisions any time of the day or night, as opposed to the extra expense of calling in or waiting for a physician to do the procedure. That sometimes can result in earlier releases, which could lower a patients charge.

When nurse practitioners circumcise baby boys, doctors are freed up to care for other patients  boosting a hospitals efficiency through better use of personnel.

The study, published in the November issue of Neonatology Today, lists the charge for a circumcision  regardless of whether insurance or another source pays  as $1,035.75, broken down as $340 for the hospital and $695.75 in professional fees.

It cites hourly compensation for each health care specialty as:

$53.74 for a neonatal nurse practitioner.

$94.41 for a pediatrician.

$115.65 for a family practitioner.

$140.38 for a neonatologist.

$167.16 for an obstetrician.

$247.96 for a urologist.

Thus, enlisting nurse practitioners to do circumcisions would reduce professional salary expenses for the procedure two to nine times, according to Costakos findings.

Circumcision is a high-demand surgery in the Coulee Region, running at about 80 percent, while studies indicate that it dips as low as 30 percent in some regions. Globally, infants in some countries, such as Denmark and Brazil, rarely are circumcised, while others, such as South Korea, have shifted from a rate of 85 percent uncircumcised to 85 percent circumcised.

In the United States, the circumcision rate for newborns dipped from 83 percent in the 1960s to 77 percent in 2010, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which also reports that the overall rate for U.S. males ages 14 to 59 is 81 percent.

Meanwhile, groups such as Mothers Against Circumcision www.mothersagainstcirc.org insist that the rate is declining and now is around 33 percent.

If every hospital in the United States switched to using NNPs instead of other professionals, professional fees could be reduced by $105 million over a decade, assuming 1.1 million newborn circumcisions a year, said Costakos, who also is an assistant professor at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn.

Although a layman logically might expect the bills for parents of newborn boys to drop overnight with such reductions in overhead, that wouldnt be the case, Costakos said.

Rather, at least initially, the savings would result in slower price increases and spreading the savings to other departments and/or procedures, he said.

The market catches up eventually, and it would be a free market solution, Costakos said. Its like the big, expensive TVs that are cheaper now  eventually, the savings spread.

The personnel shift also has health implications in areas where risk rates for contracting the human immunodeficiency virus, as well as other sexually transmitted diseases, are higher, he said, adding that that is not a major concern in the Coulee Region.

Studies indicate that the lifetime risk of HIV among circumcised heterosexual males decreased by 16 percent, and two trials found that contraction of herpes simplex virus type 2 and the human papillomavirus dropped by one-third.

This may be the first surgery to decrease infection, Costakos said. If you could discover a vaccine that could do the same thing with infection as circumcision, you would be a rich person.

In the long run, curbing infection also helps the bottom line, with Costakos observing, You get more bang out of the buck, reducing infections as well as health care costs.

Circumcision also is known to lower the risk of penile cancer, decrease the possibility of urinary tract infections during the first year of life and prevention of foreskin infections, Costakos said.

Circumcision, which is not considered a necessary surgery, although some religions such as Judaism and Islam traditionally require it, has its detractors  some of whom dismiss it as cosmetic.

The cosmetic contention is one reason some insurers and even Medicaid dont cover the procedure, Costakos said.

His study cites a review that found private insurance paid for 61 percent, Medicaid covered 36 percent and parents, 3 percent. Medicaid in Wisconsin covers the procedure, while Medicaid programs in 18 states, including Minnesota, do not cover it.

Circumcision rates in states where Medicaid covers the procedure are nearly 70 percent, compared with 31 percent in states where Medicaid doesnt cover it, Costakos study found.

The CDC, reflecting on the fact that such restrictions make the procedure unaffordable to many low-income families, contends that populations that might benefit the most are denied access. Although the procedure carries risks in a very low percentage of cases, the American Academy of Pediatrics most recent policy statement on the issue, in 2012, states: Evaluation of current evidence indicates that the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweighs the risks and the procedures benefits justify access to this procedure for families who choose it.

The CDC echoes that sentiment in guidelines published in 2014.

Groups such as Intact America and Mothers Against Circumcision reject the procedure as not only unnecessary but also one that is barbaric and inflicted upon someone too young to grant consent.

On the other hand, postponing it until teen years or adulthood has the disadvantage of making it more complicated.

Costakos has high hopes for training neonatal nurse practitioners to perform the procedure, saying, We hope to be a model for the nation. This is a very Franciscan change.
EGYPT

Court overrules plan to give away islands

A top Egyptian court on Monday overruled a government plan to transfer sovereignty of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, dealing an embarrassing and unexpected setback to President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi and his attempts to reward financial benefactors in the Persian Gulf region.

The verdict, by Egypts Supreme Administrative Court, rejected a government appeal of an earlier court ruling and was final, said Khaled Ali, one of the lawyers who challenged the transfer.

The plan to hand over the uninhabited islands had sparked unusually large protests in Egypt, shocking officials and defying a ban on demonstrations. Many Egyptians saw the possible loss of territory as overreach by an unaccountable government as well as an intolerable attack on identity, with the islands representing, for some, the countrys steady loss of independence and regional clout.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations have propped up Egypts faltering economy with billions of dollars in aid since 2013, when the military, led by Sissi, ousted President Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist leader from the Muslim Brotherhood and the countrys first democratically elected leader.

During a visit to Egypt by King Salman of Saudi Arabia in April 2016, the government announced it was transferring the two islands, which sit at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba and are called Tiran and Sanafir. Officials said that the islands belong to Saudi Arabia and that Egypt had taken control of them in the 1950s, out of concern that Israel would seize them.

 Heba Mahfouz and Kareem Fahim

8 officers killed in attack on checkpoint

At least eight police officers were killed and three wounded in an attack by Islamist militants on a security checkpoint in Egypts New Valley province in the Western Desert, the Interior Ministry said Monday.

The attack took place about 8:15 p.m. at Naqb checkpoint, 370 miles southwest of Cairo, state television reported.

At least two of the attackers were killed, the Interior Ministry said. There was no immediate assertion of responsibility.

Egypt is facing a more than three-year-old insurgency led by the Islamic State following the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi after mass protests against his rule.

 Reuters

OMAN

10 Guantanamo Bay detainees accepted

Oman said Monday that it accepted 10 detainees from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ahead of President Obamas leaving office, part of his efforts to shrink the facility he promised to close.

Omans Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had accepted the prisoners at Obamas request. It did not

name them.

In consideration of their humanitarian situation, 10 persons have been released from detention and arrived in the sultanate today for a temporary residence, the statement said.

The U.S. Defense Department did not immediately respond to questions about the transfer.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity as the transfer had yet to be publicly announced by the United States, confirmed that the prisoners had been sent to Oman. The official declined to elaborate.

The Omani Embassy in Washington said it had no other information about the transfer. The U.S. Embassy in Muscat declined to immediately comment.

 Associated Press

MEXICO

At least 5 dead, 15 hurt in music fest shooting

At least five people, including foreigners, were killed and 15 wounded early Monday when a gunman opened fire at a nightclub in Mexicos Playa del Carmen resort during the BPM electronic music festival.

Quintana Roo State Attorney General Miguel Angel Pech said a Canadian, an Italian and a Mexican were among the dead, while the nationality of the two other victims was unclear. He had earlier said a second Canadian and a Colombian had been killed in the attack. One of the dead died in the stampede to exit the club, he added.

Pech said the shooter escaped and was at large. He added that the shooting was not being investigated as an act of terrorism.

Pech said the incident began when an armed person entered the Blue Parrot nightclub about 3 a.m. Monday during the closing of the festival. Someone tried to stop the person, sparking a gunfight that drew in security staff. Pech said seven of the 15 injured were still in the hospital.

 Reuters

Turkish 747 cargo jet crashes in Kyrgyzstan, killing dozens: A Boeing 747 cargo aircraft crashed early Monday during its approach to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, killing at least 37 people, most of them on the ground. The jumbo jet  operated by ACT Airlines, an Istanbul-based air-freight specialist that trades as MyCargo Airlines  was attempting to land at Manas airport at 1:20 a.m. after a flight from Hong Kong, the Turkish carrier said on its website.

Northern Ireland government crumbles, faces March vote: Northern Irelands shattered unity government will be dissolved next week to make way for an early election demanded by the coalitions main Irish Catholic party, the secretary of state for the British territory announced. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire said the election to reelect the Northern Ireland Assembly would be held March 2, six weeks after its dissolution. Brokenshires declaration became inevitable once the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party refused hours earlier to fill its vacated top post in the nearly decade-old coalition with the major British Protestant party, the Democratic Unionists.

 From news services
Nineteen years ago Tuesday, the Drudge Report introduced the world to Monica Lewinsky and changed journalism forever. Now, at a time when sensationalism and salacious headlines are again dominating the news, the media industry is confronting one of the toughest challenges it has faced at any time since: how to cover President Trump.

Clearly emboldened by the media malpractice that defined much of 2016, Trump has been testing journalists on a near-daily basis since winning the election. He has attempted to manipulate press coverage through early-morning Twitter rampages, trumped up job-creation announcements and, most recently, the farcical news conference he convened last week, the ostensible purpose of which was to discuss how hell avoid conflicts of interest in his business dealings. (Spoiler: He wont.) Taking questions from reporters for the first time since July, Trump marked the occasion by berating news organizations for running stories he didnt like about his campaigns purported coordination with Russia.

In fairness, BuzzFeeds decision to publish the unverified contents of a sensationalistic dossier compiled by a former British intelligence official detailing Trumps alleged Russian contacts was a matter of legitimate disagreement among journalists. But the whole spectacle was also a timely reminder that the media, like the rest of the country, are entering uncharted territory as Trump assumes the presidency. And in this brave new world, if we hope to succeed in holding power to account, were going to have to step up our game.

Last week, members of alternative media outlets published a manifesto for accountability journalism in the Trump era. Noting that our jobs as journalists have gotten more difficult and more critical, they offered several principles that all members of the fourth estate would be wise to consider, including a few that demand special attention.

First, as Trump and the Republican Congress rush to advance right-wing policies, it will be important for the media to rededicate itself to covering the issues. The country cant afford a repeat of 2016, when the three major nightly newscasts, reveling in the high drama of the campaign, devoted barely half an hour of their combined election coverage to actual policy issues. Rather than obsessing over partisan posturing or Trumps latest tweets, holding the new administration accountable will require a commitment to real, on-the-ground reporting  the kind that reveals how actual Americans will get sick and suffer if their health insurance is taken away, for example, or how blue-collar workers will be abused if labor protections are eviscerated.

But that kind of deep reporting from the heartland and inner cities alike shouldnt be limited to coverage of the policies coming out of Washington. Bringing more attention to local issues, which are too often overlooked, is no less essential. As the media have become more fragmented and conglomeratized, the gutting of local newsrooms in recent years has resulted in too many Americans who are uninformed about what is happening in their communities and too many political commentators who are disconnected from ordinary citizens. When there are fewer reporters watching statehouses, local courts and corporate boardrooms  and when there are not enough journalists talking with ordinary people  we end up with a pundit class that is profoundly out of touch, the authors of the manifesto write.

As part of that on-the-ground coverage, I also hope to see more serious attention paid to emerging social movements and voices of dissent nationwide. In todays media environment, grass-roots protest movements are too often sensationalized, as Black Lives Matter has been at times, or simply ignored. Telling the story of the Trump presidency, however, also requires telling the stories of the many activists who are collectively rising up in opposition to him. And while reporters will presumably have their eyes on the Womens March and other inauguration-related events, there will be more demonstrations of dissent around the country that deserve our attention in the weeks and months ahead.

By seeking out a diverse array of perspectives, journalists can avoid the pack mentality that, as media critic Michael Massing has argued, contributed to the massive institutional failure of news organizations in 2016. To function properly, the media have to be more than an echo chamber. At the same time, journalists should remember that we all face a common threat from an administration that is hostile to the very notion of freedom of the press. But instead of lamenting Trumps contempt for the media, the best defense is to get to work and prove that watchdog journalists committed to digging up the truth still have a vital role to play in our democracy.

Indeed, if Trumps news conference last week taught us anything, its that he intends to deploy the same strategy against the media that he used so ruthlessly with voters during the campaign: divide and conquer. As journalists, we cant allow him to pit us against one another. If he succeeds, it will become even more difficult to defend the American peoples right to know.

Read more from Katrina vanden Heuvels archive or follow her on Twitter.
Former ExxonMobil executive Rex Tillerson appears before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 11. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Rex Tillerson, the former ExxonMobil chief executive nominated to be secretary of state, revealed to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week that Cuba has not done enough to protect human rights since reestablishing diplomatic relations with the United States.

We must adhere to standards of accountability, he protested. Our recent engagement with the government of Cuba was not accompanied by any significant concessions on human rights.

Mr. Tillerson further advised that we have not held Cuba accountable for its conduct. Where was the moral light he referenced regarding Cuba when he later declined to judge Philippine strongman Rodrigo Duterte or, equally distressing, the atrocities in Syria and neighboring countries?

Mr. Tillerson claimed he did not have enough information on those countries, but Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) rightly noted during the confirmation hearing that this information is not classified. Indeed, Human Rights Watch has repeatedly chronicled severe abuses.

Surely Mr. Tillerson is aware that his observations regarding Cuba are in striking contrast to his proclaimed need to have greater information before judging whether other countries are guilty of human rights violations. Perhaps, with additional insight, he can be the agent of freedom for mankind that he referenced.

Neal Helm, Potomac
Regarding David Ignatiuss Jan. 13 op-ed, Four burning questions on Russia, and the report that retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn allegedly had telephone calls with the Russian ambassador, potentially in violation of the Logan Act.

If this is true and, in fact, a violation of the Logan Act, should we now expect that Mr. Flynn will lead the chants, to paraphrase Mr. Flynn, to lock him up?

Jerome P. Akman, Washington

It was widely reported that the unverified dossier on President-elect Donald Trump had been circulating within media and political circles for several months, with even Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) having known about it [Classified Russian report targets Trump, front page, Jan. 11]. Are we then to believe from Team Trump that the first time Mr. Trump may have known about this was just last week, as an addendum to his briefing from Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. (a fact that has subsequently been denied and/or muddled by Sean Spicer and Kellyanne Conway)? Are Mr. Trump and his team that disconnected?

Greg D. Rowe, Centreville
IN THE final days of his presidency, Barack Obama has an opportunity to give some deserving people a second chance. He has the power to grant executive clemency  pardons and sentence commutations  to those who have been subject to inequities in the justice system, such as unduly long sentences that they would not have received under current guidelines. The president, who has been accelerating his use of this authority in recent months, should give it his best effort before crossing the finish line.

When properly carried out, the process of pardons and commutations can often be mundane. But Mr. Obama devoted far too little attention to it in his first term and granted mercy to only a handful of people. Then in 2014, halfway through his second term, the administration announced a clemency initiative to prioritize applications from inmates serving federal sentences who would have likely received a substantially lower sentence today and who were nonviolent, low-level offenders who had served at least 10 years, among other criteria.

Many drug offenders were given long sentences under older laws, in some cases decades long. When the sentencing law was revised in 2010, these offenders from earlier years remained incarcerated . Among them are prisoners convicted of sale and possession of crack cocaine who were treated more harshly than those with powder cocaine, a distinction without a difference. As Mr. Obama noted in a recent essay in the Harvard Law Review, the push in recent decades for stricter laws and tougher sentences hit the African American and Hispanic communities disproportionately hard.

Mr. Obama seems determined in the final year to do the right thing. He has now commuted sentences for 1,176 people, including 231 on a single day in December, and more are expected this week. He has also granted 148 pardons so far and thankfully avoided any embarrassing forgiveness for high-profile donors or cronies. He has denied 14,485 commutation requests and 1,629 pardon requests; 4,242 commutation requests and 505 pardon requests were closed without presidential action. Mr. Obamas record of commutations is greater than that of any president of the post-World War II era, excepting President Gerald Fords 1974 clemency program for thousands of Vietnam War-era draft dodgers and military deserters.

The Obama initiative of 2014 has been followed by a surge of applications; as of Dec. 31, still pending were some 13,568 for commutation and 2,154 for pardon. Had Mr. Obama moved earlier to establish a regular process for executive clemency, many of these might have been dealt with in a more timely fashion. Justice Department officials say they have worked hard to review thousands of petitions and have sent recommendations to the president. The outlook for clemency in a Trump presidency is not very promising, given the president-elects law-and-order campaign rhetoric.

Mr. Obama would be wise in his final act to forgive more of those with the unreasonably long sentences that would not be imposed today. Also, he should give Mr. Trump a tip from experience: Set up a process for clemency decisions early on, and stick with it.
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) raised an inevitable issue when he questioned President-elect Donald Trumps legitimacy [Feud may be harbinger of new era of hyper-partisanship, news, Jan. 15].

There is no question regarding the president-elects legitimacy in a constitutional/legal sense. He won the requisite states and requisite votes in the electoral college, regardless of ones views of that institution.

But legitimacy has another aspect. It is a feeling by the American people, based on philosophical, psychological, moral and emotional elements, about whether their president has been fairly elected. This is where Mr. Trump faces doubts.

First, Mr. Trump lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes. There is also the question of whether Russian meddling shifted votes in his favor and whether FBI Director James B. Comeys intervention, contrary to agency policy, injured Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at a critical moment. And what was the role of Republican voter-suppression efforts in close states  North Carolina, Pennsylvania and others?

To be an effective president, Mr. Trump should acknowledge and address the issue. Otherwise, our rabid prevailing political partisanship may well sink his presidency.

Christopher E. Goldthwait, Washington

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) questioned whether Donald Trump is a legitimate presidential victor because of Russias help. I, too, am deeply distressed by Mr. Trumps election, but I think he is the legitimate winner. The blame or credit for the election result is far more on us, the citizens, than on Russia, FBI Director James B. Comey, locker room talk videos, etc. A democracy requires its citizens to be engaged, informed and competent. Only about 60 percent of those of us who were eligible were engaged enough to vote.

Our efforts to be informed were dominated by attention to the biggest headlines reporting the latest hyperboles and gutter developments, with little attention to the discussion of issues, positions or facts. Our competence has been compromised by cynical distrust of our institutions to the point of any big change being better than any small improvement. Our media and politicians focus on ratings and winning, rather than on reaching a consensus compromise the whole country could embrace, has not helped. But they are only responding to a citizenry that would rather be entertained by politics than entrusted with politics.

To make America great again, we citizens must recognize our responsibility and do our part a lot better.

Patrick V. McGregor, Millersville
After reading the Jan. 13 Economy & Business article Trump tweets endorsement of L.L. Bean after getting board member support, I was further disheartened about the tenor of our times. People are encouraging others to boycott companies such as L.L. Bean because a co-owner expressed support for President-elect Donald Trump. A similar boycott storm erupted after an official with the New Balance company supported Mr. Trumps opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Both companies have deep American roots and have strong philanthropic arms that benefit many in our communities.

For the record, I did not vote for Mr. Trump and am offended by any rhetoric that demeans others. But like President Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, I respect the results of the election. While we may not like the president-elects policies or plans, there are avenues to oppose strategies we dont like without becoming bullies ourselves. Attacking companies and individuals who express their opinions only hurts this country and its citizens, and turns us all into deplorables.

Kasha Helget, Alexandria

I have a post-Christmas dilemma. I received two L.L. Bean plaid shirts, both of which I like very much, for Christmas this year. One was made in China, the other in Sri Lanka. Since our president-elect is asking Americans to shop at L.L. Bean (which I have been doing since the 1960s), should I send a tweet to Donald Trump indicating the countries of origin of these L.L. Bean products? Maybe he wouldnt care; after all, some of the products in his clothing line are made in Asia. He has ready excuses for his own profit motives, but recommending one particular retailer as, presumably, a shining example of American capitalism enters another realm.

If a show of support garners favorable presidential attention on a national stage, will business owners want to keep their mouths shut for fear of retribution if they disagree with Mr. Trumps ideas?

Heres the dilemma: Should I report the retailer out of a newfound sense of patriotism, or should I simply continue to enjoy wearing my shirts despite a sense of guilt in colluding with the forces of globalism and free trade? The phrase See something, say something may take on a whole new meaning under a president who alternately praises and bashes individual companies according to how he views their corporate policies.

Richard M. King, Great Falls
Rep. John Lewis is the son of sharecroppers. As a child, he wanted to be a preacher; he practiced by delivering fiery sermons to the familys chickens. But history had other plans for him: lunch counter sit-ins, Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, the Edmund Pettus Bridge, a seat in Congress representing most of Atlanta. No sane person would accuse such a man of being all talk, talk, talk  no action or results.

But that is precisely what Donald Trump said of Lewis. It was not the first time the president-elect raised questions about his own sanity, and I doubt it will be the last.

As Ive said before, Trumps compulsion to answer any perceived slight with both barrels blazing is a sign of dangerous insecurity and weakness, not strength. We are about to inaugurate a president with the social maturity of a first-grader.

There is another troubling aspect of this episode, however: Trump took a gratuitous swipe at Lewiss majority-black congressional district, saying it was in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested). In a subsequent tweet, he said Lewis should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities of the U.S.

Weve heard this sort of thing before from Trump. When he thinks of African Americans, Trump apparently pictures inner cities that are Godforsaken hellholes of despair. He sees dystopian enclaves beset with record levels of crime  ramshackle places that are falling apart in every sense.

(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

[Trump picks the perfect time to show off his ignorance about black Americans]

This vision is patently wrong, grievously insulting and guaranteed to ensure that the new administrations support from black America remains minimal. Trump received just 8 percent of the black vote; if anything, he is driving some of those few supporters away.

In August, Trump made this campaign pitch to an almost all-white audience in Akron, Ohio:

The Democrats have failed completely in the inner cities. For those hurting the most who have been failed and failed by their politicians  year after year, failure after failure, worse numbers after worse numbers. Poverty. Rejection. Horrible education. No housing, no homes, no ownership. Crime at levels that nobody has seen. You can go to war zones in countries that we are fighting and its safer than living in some of our inner cities that are run by the Democrats. And I ask you this, I ask you this  crime, all of the problems  to the African Americans, who I employ so many, so many people, to the Hispanics, tremendous people: What the hell do you have to lose? Give me a chance. Ill straighten it out. Ill straighten it out. What do you have to lose?

Ridiculous. Begin with the question of poverty. It is true that the poverty rate for African Americans, at about 27 percent, is almost triple the rate for whites. But that ignores history and context. Since 1971, according to a December 2015 Pew Research Center report, African Americans have improved their income status far more than any other racial group.

Black Americans now have roughly $1 trillion in annual purchasing power. Dotted around the country are African American neighborhoods, lined with McMansions, that are affluent by any standard  including parts of Lewiss district.

As for education, black attainment has risen steadily in recent decades; nearly a quarter of black adults have college degrees, compared with about a third of white adults. The story in homeownership is similar: gains paralleling those of whites, but starting from a lower baseline and thus not having reached full parity.

[Trumps attack on John Lewis is the essence of narcissism]

And someone really should let Trump know that the rate of violent crime is barely half what it was in the early 1990s. Most big cities are safer, wealthier, more vibrant places than they were 20 or 30 years ago. How can a real estate developer not know that?

To be sure, many big-city public school systems are failing. Poor urban neighborhoods are desperate for jobs, much like the Rust Belt towns that put their trust in Trump. And in terms of crime, Chicago is a tragic outlier worthy of presidential attention; Mayor Rahm Emanuels city saw more murders last year than New York and Los Angeles combined.

But the president-elect seems to have no clue that African Americans  like any grouping of 40 million people  are incredibly diverse, economically and culturally. They would be much more diverse politically, too, if Republicans ever bothered to make a serious play for their votes.

Tell the president-elect: Theres more to black America than Ben Carson, Don King, Omarosa and a bunch of huddled masses.

Read more from Eugene Robinsons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A.
Whether he knows it or not, the specter of Lyndon Baines Johnson haunts Donald John Trump. There are some jarring similarities  two big, fleshy men given to vulgarities and gauche behavior, boastful, thin-skinned, politically amoral, vengeful, unforgiving and, most important, considered illegitimate presidents. For Johnson, that took some time to sink in; Trump is already there.

Johnson ascended to the presidency upon the death of John F. Kennedy and then won election in a landslide over Barry Goldwater. Nevertheless, an air of illegitimacy clung to him like an odor. It thickened as opposition to the Vietnam War became more and more furious and it peaked, in my estimation, with a hoax in 1967 by Paul Krassner in the counterculture magazine the Realist. Tongue in cheek, it reported that Johnson had climbed into Kennedys casket and there done unspeakable things. The story was abominable, tasteless and deserved any other insult you could throw at it, but some people believed it. I know. I heard it.

[Just when you thought the Trump ethics disaster couldnt get worse, it did]

Jump now a half-century to the recent stories relating to Trump and alleged shenanigans in Russia at a time not all that distant. The accounts, unverified and as revolting as any concocted about Johnson, had a currency that can be explained only by Trumps own behavior  a persona that seems so self-indulgent, so juvenile, that almost any sort of behavior seems credible. Trump called the report fake news and, as always, blamed the messenger (the media, the intelligence community, etc.), but he ought to have looked in the mirror and wondered why he looks so ugly to so many people.

Krassner is an obscure 1960s figure; Rep. John Lewis is not. The Georgia Democrat said the other day that Trumps presidency was illegitimate and he would not, as an invited member of Congress, attend the inauguration. Trump, of course, tweeted a disparagement. As he did when he belittled John McCains heroism under torture, Trump said Lewis was all talk and no action.

(Ashleigh Joplin,Randolph Smith,Rhonda Colvin/The Washington Post)

Lewis is one of the last of the great civil rights-era heroes. He marched. He protested. He had his head cracked at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. It was 1965 and the Alabama police nearly beat him to death. He is a man of immense courage and morality, so much greater than Trump in those respects.

Yes, Trump won in the electoral college, and that, alas, is all that matters. But on the larger point, Lewis is right. Trump conducted a dirty, dishonest campaign that sullied the very presidency he won. He questioned Barack Obamas legitimacy, trafficked in racism and demagoguery, and seems to have had poll workers in far-off Moscow. Still, hell be the president.

But Trump ought to pay attention to Lewis and what he represents. The president-elect will take the oath with a minority of the popular vote  a substantial deficit of almost 3 million votes. He enters the Oval Office with historically dismal poll numbers, lower now than right after he won the election. He has done nothing to woo the majority of Americans who rejected his candidacy and has, instead, adhered to his schoolyard habit of tweeting his every grievance, denigrating his every critic, making cameos with vaccine and global-warming doubters and, as if to show some versatility, rascals such as Don King and Kanye West. It is a Gong Show with no gong in sight.

[Trump is a legitimate president. But we need to know how he won.]

Lyndon Johnson would no doubt warn Trump that he is already on thin ice and he will plunge through it the moment Congress takes the measure of his unpopularity. Johnson was a man of huge political abilities and experience, and his achievements in civil rights entitled him to greatness. Yet, when Vietnam went sour, so did the public, and it seemed, after a while, that his personal characteristics, scathingly caricatured by artists such as David Levine and Jules Feiffer, oozed out of him so that they obscured both him and his accomplishments. He was deemed capable of anything  of lying and perversion of all kinds. This is where Trump stands now.

By the end of the week, Trump will be the president. I wish him the best; I wish him the worst. The dilemma is how to separate loathing for him from love of country. I am leaving it to time to work that out. Meanwhile, Trump will have his moment, thats for sure, but when things go wrong he will be chased from office  just like Johnson once was. The ancient Greeks knew why: A mans character is his fate. In that case, Trumps presidency is doomed.

Read more from Richard Cohens archive.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto told an assembly of top diplomats last week that Mexico of course will not pay for Donald Trumps wall. His predecessor, former president Vicente Fox, put it more bluntly in a tweet storm last week, declaring: TRUMP, when will you understand that I am not paying for that [f----n] wall.

They are both wrong. Trump absolutely can make Mexico pay. And the answer lies in a provision of the corporate tax-reform plan House Republicans are planning to take up after Trumps inauguration  the so-called border adjustment.

Trump criticized the border adjustment this weekend, telling the Wall Street Journal Anytime I hear border adjustment, I dont love it. Here is why he should: It would force Mexico to give us every penny we need to pay for the wall, and then some.

The House Republicans plan would lower the corporate tax from 35 percent to 20 percent and apply the tax based on the location of consumption rather than the location of production. It would do this through a border adjustment that exempts exports while taxing imports. Under the plan, all imports coming into the United States would be subject to the 20 percent tax, but exports would have the tax refunded  making them tax-free.

Supporters see it as a way for Trump to follow through on his campaign pledge to tax imports and support exports without resorting to tariffs that would provoke a massive global trade fight. Right now, more than 160 countries around the world have a border adjusted value-addedtax (VAT). So unlike tariffs, a border adjustment should be able to pass muster with the World Trade Organization.

Here is where the wall comes in: As economist Martin Feldsteinexplains, the border adjustment would raise hundreds of billions in tax revenue  not from U.S. consumers or corporations, but from our foreign trading partners. Under the border adjustment, the United States would refund the tax on exports and charge it on imports  so the net revenue would be negative if we had a trade surplus, and positive if we had a trade deficit. Because the United States has a trade deficit, Feldstein calculates the border adjustment would bring in about $120 billion a year, or $1 trillion over a decade.

One of the countries with whom we have a large trade deficit is . . . Mexico. The U.S. trade deficit in goods with Mexico was $60.7 billion in 2015 and is expected to be around $65 billion in 2016. So if Mexican imports are taxed at a rate of 20 percent, the United States would raise about $13 billion a year in revenue from Mexico via the border adjustment.

How much will the wall cost? Trump has put the price at between $8 billion and $12 billion. Others have suggested it could be higher, between $15 billion and $25 billion. Either way, the full cost would be more than covered in one or two years by the $13 billion in annual revenues we would collect from Mexico. Indeed, over several years, the border adjustment could force Mexico to pay not only for the wall, but for the costs of a lot of Trumps other border-security measures  from expediting the deportation of criminal aliens to hiring more screeners to conduct extreme vetting.

In other words, the border adjustment would allow Trump to keep two major campaign promises at once  he could tax imports and subsidize exports, while forcing Mexico to pay for the wall.

And here is the really brilliant part: There is nothing Mexico could do about it. Mexico might find ways to retaliate over specific measures targeting it  such as increased fees for visas or taxing remittances. But with the border adjustment, Mexico would have no recourse to complain, because such a measure is global in nature and would affect all U.S. trading partners equally. Plus, how could Mexico object when it is one of the 160 countries around that world that has a border adjusted VAT of its own?

So yes, thanks to the border adjustment, Donald Trump can indeed make Mexico pay for the BLEEP-ing wall. And Mexico would be powerless to stop him.

Mr. President-elect, whats not to love?

Read more from Marc Thiessens archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
(Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

After a tumultuous campaign and transition, President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office Friday as the least-popular incoming president in at least four decades, but a majority of Americans nevertheless express optimism that he will be able to fulfill campaign pledges to boost the economy and deal with threats of terrorism, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Amid controversy and calls for additional investigations into possible Russian interference in the election, most Americans disapprove of Trumps response to the hacking and other activities. But they are divided on the question of whether the president-elect has been too friendly toward Russia or taken the right approach in his public comments and posture.

On ethical matters, a bare majority say the steps Trump and his attorney outlined last week to turn over control of his sprawling business enterprise to his children create adequate separation while he serves as president. But the public is split almost evenly on whether he and his family are fully complying with federal ethics laws, and an overwhelming majority say he should release his federal tax returns, which he has long declined to do.

[ Read full Post-ABC poll results ]





The Post-ABC survey offers a starting point and a measuring stick for a Trump presidency. As in the campaign, Trump is a polarizing figure who generates great enthusiasm among those who support him and deep hostility among those who do not. Attitudes toward Trump, along with deep partisan divisions that predated his candidacy, provide the backdrop for Fridays ceremonies at the Capitol and the opening days of the 45th presidents tenure.

On the eve of his inauguration, 44 percent of Americans say they believe Trump is qualified to serve as president, compared with 52 percent who say he is not. The good news for Trump is that the 52 percent figure is the lowest since he became a candidate.

Trump will enter the Oval Office on Friday with his image upside down. Just 40 percent say they have a favorable impression of him, and 54 percent view him unfavorably  with 41 percent saying they have a strongly unfavorable impression of him. That is starkly different from current views of President Obama, whose favorable rating is at 61 percent.

Compared with other presidents, Trumps handling of the transition has been judged harshly by respondents. As with his favorable rating, 40 percent say they approve and 54 percent disapprove. In comparison, roughly 8 in 10 approved of the way Obama and former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush handled their transitions. And about 7 in 10 approved of the way former president George W. Bush handled his, even though it came amid the rancorous 37-day recount of ballots in Florida and a controversial Supreme Court decision that helped put him in the Oval Office.





Independents have not rallied behind Trump, a change from what has consistently been the case for past presidents. But another reason for Trumps lower-than-average numbers is that some segments of his political base are less enthusiastic than might be expected. Only 56 percent of conservatives give him positive marks on the transition, and only 62 percent say they have a favorable impression of him.

The transition has been dominated by the intelligence communitys report that concluded the Russians were responsible for hacking the Democratic National Committee and the private email of John Podesta, Hillary Clintons campaign chairman, with the goal of helping Trump.

The Post-ABC poll finds that 64 percent of Americans believe that Russia was responsible for hacking Clinton campaign emails, and 45 percent think that was intended to boost Trump. More than 8 in 10 Democrats polled say the Russians were responsible, with three-quarters of all Democrats saying they believe that Moscow sought to undermine Clinton and aid Trump. Not quite half of the Republicans polled say the Russians were behind what happened, with about 1 in 5 saying they think the goal was to help the president-elect.

There are similar partisan divisions on Trumps approach to the Russians. More than 2 in 3 Democrats say he is being too cozy in his treatment of Russia, while 3 in 4 Republicans say his posture has been about right  that from a party whose leaders have historically shown significant hostility toward that country.

On individual issues, however, the picture is strikingly different. Trumps campaign slogan, Make America Great Again, has generated hope among many Americans that on economic issues at least he will be able to do just that.

Roughly 6 in 10 say they expect the New York businessman to do an excellent or good job in handling the economy and creating jobs. He has said repeatedly that both will be top priorities of his presidency. At the same time, he has stressed his determination to defeat the Islamic State and protect the country from threats of terrorism. The Post-ABC survey found that 56 percent of Americans say they think he will do a good or excellent job on that front.





On other issues, the outlook is less positive. The public appears about evenly divided on whether Trump will do well or not well in his nominations to the Supreme Court. Half of all Americans express optimism about how he will handle the federal budget deficit and help the middle class. Slightly more than half have negative views about how he would handle an international crisis and whether he can improve the health-care system.

His lowest ratings come on two areas that have been controversial since he first announced his candidacy in the summer of 2015: race relations and handling issues of concern to women.

Fifty-seven percent of Americans say they do not think he will do a good job on race relations. Those opinions came on a weekend in which Trump clashed with Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the civil rights icon who had told NBCs Chuck Todd that he did not regard Trump as a legitimate president because of Russian interference in the election.

Meanwhile, just over 6 in 10 say they do not think he will do a good job dealing with issues of special concern to women.

Trumps policy agenda draws mixed assessments in terms of support or opposition. On immigration, for example, 6 in 10 Americans oppose his call for building a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border, one of the signature initiatives of his campaign. But over 7 in 10 support his call to deport roughly 2 million undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of a crime, a continuation of Obama administration policy but with a faster pace of deportations.

Majorities oppose his campaign recommendation to ban most Muslims who are not U.S. citizens from entering the country or the possibility of having the United States withdraw from the international treaty addressing climate change. A plurality of Americans say they oppose withdrawing from the nuclear agreement with Iran.

Americans are closely divided on repealing the Affordable Care Act, with 46 percent in support and 47 percent opposed, according to the survey. Two-thirds of repeal supporters say this should not occur before a replacement is created.

Where Trump finds support is on some of his economic initiatives. The Post-ABC poll finds small majorities support both his call to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and taking punitive action against companies that shift jobs from the United States to other countries. On taxes, majorities of Americans support cuts for the middle class and those with lower incomes and oppose cuts for higher-income taxpayers, while the public is split about evenly over cutting business taxes.

One pattern first seen during the presidential campaign continues to shape attitudes as Trump prepares to become president: a division among white Americans based on levels of education. In general on questions in the new poll, whites without college degrees expressed considerably more support for Trump than whites with college degrees.

1 of 74 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Heres what President-elect Donald Trump has been doing since the election View Photos He has been holding interviews and meetings as he prepares to enter the White House. Caption He has been holding interviews and meetings as he prepares to enter the White House. Jan. 19, 2017 President-elect Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, visit the Lincoln Memorial before the Make America Great Again concert. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

Emily Guskin contributed to this report.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), right, and others listen as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks on Capitol Hill in December. (Cliff Owen, Associated Press)

When Vice President-elect Mike Pence addressed House Republicans in a closed-door meeting earlier this month, he let them know just how quickly his running mate plans to get to work.

The Jan. 20 parade from the Capitol to the White House would be sped up, Pence said, so a newly inaugurated President Donald Trump could sit down sooner in the Oval Office and start rescinding his predecessors executive actions. The lawmakers cheered, two people in the room said.

When it comes to unraveling President Obamas legacy, Trump could not have found a more enthusiastic partner than the GOP Congress.

After just two weeks of work, the House has passed several sweeping bills that, if enacted, would roll back scores of Obama administration regulations and make it significantly harder for future presidents  including Trump  to write similar rules. One measure would allow Congress to eliminate a host of regulations in one fell swoop, while another would make it harder for agencies to issue rules.

[In a race to the finish, Obama ushers in new rules. But will they survive?]

Next month, the House is expected to take up more targeted measures that would use fast-track procedures to undo several recent rules issued by executive-branch agencies.

The effort to eliminate existing regulations and place curbs on future ones has garnered almost unheard-of unanimity among fractious House Republicans and heralds sweeping changes to federal labor, environmental and financial oversight as the GOP takes control of Washington.

Not a single House GOP member opposed a trio of major regulatory restructuring bills that have passed this year; two other recent House bills to restrict financial-industry regulation were opposed by only one Republican  Rep. Walter B. Jones of North Carolina.

It brings everybody together, said Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, whose members have often bucked party leaders on major votes.

[House conservatives want Trump to undo regulations on climate, FDA, Uber]

Among the regulations on the Republican chopping block are Interior Department rules aimed at protecting waterways near coal mines and preventing the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from oil and gas wells, as well as a Labor Department rule that expands overtime eligibility.

Democrats, along with major labor, consumer and environmental groups, are warning of significant and lasting harm to the public from the GOP push. A list of targets from the House Freedom Caucus includes school-lunch nutrition guidelines, renewable fuel standards and anti-tobacco programs.

The effort could be slowed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has expressed general enthusiasm for regulatory restructuring measures  but who has yet to commit scarce Senate floor time, with health-care and tax changes looming.

House Republicans, however, are pushing full speed ahead. The Freedom Caucus has drawn up a list of more than 200 executive orders or regulations, most but not all issued by Obama, that it is eager to see Congress or Trump undo.

Republican lawmakers are being encouraged by conservative activist groups  including the Club for Growth, Heritage Action for America and the Koch network  that are pressing lawmakers to make good on years of small-government promises while the GOP controls both houses of Congress and the White House.

While conservative activists might have their differences with Trump on infrastructure spending and entitlement revisions, stifling regulation is one area where they appear to be simpatico.

Regulations have grown into a massive, job-killing industry, and the regulation industry is one business I will put an end to, Trump said in a September policy address.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said this month that regulatory rollbacks will be one of the highest priorities of this new unified Republican government.

For too long, unelected bureaucrats have been simply telling people how things are going to be, he said. This needs to change, and not just by peeling away this rule or that particular regulation.

The Koch-affiliated Freedom Partners recently issued a Roadmap to Repeal laying out dozens of Obama-era executive actions and agency regulations it says constitute an unprecedented onslaught of regulatory costs on the U.S. economy. The group has assembled a list of dozens of Obama initiatives it wants to see reversed. Some can be ended with a stroke of Trumps pen, others are in the rulemaking process and can be withdrawn, and still others can be targeted through Congress or the courts.

The well-funded group is poised to reward or punish lawmakers, promising to educate voters on whether particular legislators follow through.

If we do not take on regulatory reform now and keep those promises weve been talking about for years, then this would be a signature failure for us, said Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), an author of the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny, or REINS, Act, which passed the House on Jan. 5.

[Congress wants to rein in presidential power. Will Trump sign on?]

The bill would require Congress to approve any agency regulation that would have an economic effect of more than $100 million, would lead to a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, industries, government agencies or geographic regions, or would have significant adverse effects on employment, investment, productivity or innovation.

Another House-passed bill, the Midnight Rules Relief Act, would allow Congress to undo dozens of recent Obama administration regulations in one combined action, while a third, the Regulatory Accountability Act, would place major burdens on agencies seeking to issue regulations  requirements that Democrats say would grind the rulemaking system to a halt.

What you do when you repeal regulations or make it harder to have regulations is you make it better for business, better for the Chamber crowd, better for the manufacturing folk, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) said on the House floor. The side that loses is that of the consumers and the folks who will be injured or killed because of lack of regulations.

Each of the anti-regulatory bills passed the House in some form in previous Congresses, but Obamas veto pen and the threat of a Senate filibuster kept the legislation from advancing. Now opponents are worried that Republicans will succeed in landing at least some of the bills on Trumps desk.

Robert Weissman, president of advocacy group Public Citizen and chairman of a coalition opposing the bills, said the GOP legislation would wipe out our ability to establish and enforce public protections, with catastrophic consequences.

That House Republicans are choosing to make this package of bills one of their first orders of business shows that they believe their constituents are corporations and the super rich, not the American people, he said.

Collins pointed to the recent uptick in the stock market as proof of enthusiasm about the GOPs anti-regulatory agenda.

The mood in the country is saying were no longer going to have to be worrying.

[Republicans can cancel some Obama environment rules. But theyll have to choose carefully.]

The House will soon move to undo several recent regulations using the 1996 Congressional Review Act, which includes fast-track procedures to skirt Senate filibusters. Targets could include the stream-protection and overtime measures, as well as regulations on aircraft greenhouse-gas emissions, appliance efficiency standards and nondiscrimination compliance rules for federal contractors. If those efforts are successful, future presidents could be prevented from reregulating those areas.

Read more at PowerPost
The Nigerian air force on Tuesday bombed a crowded town full of people who had fled Islamist militants, killing more than 50 in what was described as a mistake by pilots targeting Boko Haram fighters.

The bombardment occurred in the town of Rann, near the Cameroon border, one of the places where more than 2 million victims of Boko Haram have sought shelter in recent years as part of one of the worlds largest humanitarian crises.

More than 100 people were injured, and humanitarian workers who had been helping the roughly 25,000 displaced people in Rann were among the dead, aid officials said.

Boko Haram, a radical Islamist group previously linked to al-Qaeda, has killed an estimated 20,000 people since 2009, making it one of the worlds bloodiest terrorist groups. It pledged allegiance to the Islamic State nearly two years ago.

Nigerian Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed the strike, telling reporters that it was accidental and that the death toll was still being assessed.

1 of 7 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Refugees killed by mistake from Air Force jet bombing in Nigeria View Photos A Nigerian fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp, killing more than 50 and injuring more than 100. Caption A Nigerian fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp, killing more than 50 and injuring more than 100. Jan. 17, 2017 People walk at the scene after a bombing attack on a refugee camp for internally displaced people in Rann, Nigeria. Reuters/MSF via Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian group, said at least 52 people were killed and 120 wounded. Officials from the group said they expected that more of the victims could die of their wounds because of the limited health-care capacity in Rann, a town of ramshackle buildings and makeshift tents.

Only eight medical personnel are treating victims there, said Hugues Robert, an emergency program manager for Doctors Without Borders in Nigeria.

We have nothing for dealing with this number, he said.

[They survived Boko Haram. They now face starvation.]

Robert said his staff reported two strikes at around noon Tuesday, in a location with many civilians but tightly controlled by the Nigerian army.

This is not a battlefield, not a disputed area, he said. It is a place controlled by government forces. Its not a place where insurgents hide. It doesnt make sense.

Six staff members or volunteers working with the Nigerian Red Cross were killed and 13 were wounded, said Jason Straziuso, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross.

According to Irabor, the bombardment occurred during an operation to target Boko Haram militants, who have been fighting for years in parts of northern Nigeria and surrounding countries to impose strict Islamic codes.

Unfortunately, the strike was conducted, but it turned out that other civilians were somewhere around the area and they were affected, he told reporters in Maiduguri.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari called the strike a regrettable operational mistake.

Last month, Buhari said the militants had effectively been defeated. But insurgents have been able to wage frequent attacks on both military and civilian targets across the region.

[Inside the rape camps of Boko Haram]

Much of the Nigerian militarys campaign against Boko Haram has been conducted using attack helicopters and fighter jets that fly over large swaths of the northeast.

That effort has long posed a human rights dilemma, as militants are frequently difficult to isolate from civilians held against their will in insurgent encampments. Some victims of Boko Haram have reported that the Nigerian military shot indiscriminately at those encampments during offensive operations, killing both militants and kidnapped civilians.

This is the first time during Nigerias campaign against Boko Haram that the military has acknowledged a large number of civilians killed in a mistaken bombardment. It remains unclear how the military could have mistaken a town with at least 25,000 inhabitants, surrounded by the military, for a terrorist enclave.

In Rann in recent months, the Nigerian military has battled Boko Haram fighters, who had attacked troops with improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers and ambushes.

[What happened to girls abducted by Boko Haram?]

As the war has continued, the United States has been considering the sale to Nigeria of 12 Super Tucano planes, which are used for aerial attacks and surveillance. The prospect has reinvigorated a debate in Washington about whether the Nigerian military should be trusted with the new aircraft in light of allegations that the forces commit human rights abuses.

Alongside widespread and serious human rights abuses by the military over the last several years, this incident validates skeptical views of the pending sale, said Carl LeVan, a professor at American University and expert on Nigeria. In recent years, more than 2 million people were displaced as Boko Haram militants invaded village after village, killing large numbers of men, kidnapping women and girls and frequently turning boys into child soldiers Without access to food, many of the displaced faced starvation. A military response, which included the militaries of nearby countries where Boko Haram had sought refuge, has been successful at forcing militants from their urban or semi-urban strongholds. But it left the insurgents dispersed across a vast landscape from which they could periodically stage attacks in urban areas.

Last year, Amnesty International reported that nearly 150 people, including children and babies, had died at the Nigerian militarys Giwa barracks in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, many of them of disease and hunger in overcrowded cells.

In Giwa and elsewhere in northeastern Nigeria, the military has often detained civilians who were once held by Boko Haram, accusing them of being sympathizers or sleeper agents for their former abductors.

[Schoolgirl kidnapped by Boko Haram found  with her baby]

Read more:

75,000 children in Nigeria could die from hunger over the next year

Inside the remote city of smugglers in the Sahara

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
ATLANTA  As Americans celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leaders and activists are trying to reconcile the transition from the nations first black president to a president-elect still struggling to connect with most non-white voters.

In more than one venue Monday, speakers and attendees expressed reservations about President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration, some even raising the specter of the Ku Klux Klan.

When men no better than Klansmen dressed in suits are being sworn in to office, we cannot be silent, said Opal Tometi, a Black Lives Matter co-founder, told a crowd in Brooklyn.

Kings daughter offered a less direct message, encouraging 2,000 people at her fathers Atlanta church to work for his vision of love and justice no matter who is in the White House.

Bernice King spoke at Ebenezer Baptist hours before her brother, Martin Luther King III, met privately with the president-elect at Trump Tower in New York. The younger King described the meeting as productive.

Trump won fewer than 1 out of 10 black voters in November after a campaign of racially charged rhetoric, and tensions have flared anew with his recent criticism of civil rights icon John Lewis, whom the president-elect called all talk and no action.

Bernice King avoided a detailed critique of Trump, but said the nation has a choice between chaos and community, a dichotomy her father preached about. At the end of the day, the Donald Trumps come and go, she said, later adding, We still have to find a way to create ... the beloved community.

The current Ebenezer pastor, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, did not call Trump by name, but praised his predecessor. Thank you, Barack Obama, he said. Im sad to see you go.

In South Carolina, speakers at a state Capitol rally said minority voting power has never been more important and some attendees expressed unease about Trump joining forces with Republican congressional majorities.

Its going to be different, thats for sure, said Diamond Moore, a Benedict College senior who came to the Capitol. Im going to give Trump a chance. But Im also ready to march.

In New York, Martin Luther King III told reporters that Trump pledged to be a president for all Americans, but King III added we also have to consistently engage with pressure, public pressure because it doesnt happen automatically.

Trump did not participate publicly in any Martin Luther King Jr. Day observances. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama took part in a service project at a shelter in Washington.

Back in Atlanta, Sen. Bernie Sanders brought the Ebenezer assembly to its feet with his reminder that King was not just an advocate for racial equality, but a radical proponent for economic justice  a mission that put him at odds with the political establishment.

If you think governors and senators and mayors were standing up and saying what a great man Dr. King was, read history, because you are sorely mistaken, roared Sanders, who invoked the same themes from his failed presidential campaign.

Sanders, who struggled to attract black voters in his Democratic primary fight with Hillary Clinton, recalled King opposing the Vietnam War as exploiting the poor. He also noted King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, where hed gone to rally striking sanitation workers, white and black.

Activist priest Michael Pfleger, himself a self-described radical, built on Sanders message with a 45-minute keynote message indicting the nations social and economic order, which he said would get worse under Trump.

The Chicago priest said white hoods of the Klan have been replaced by three-piece suits. He bemoaned high incarceration rates, a militarized, stop-and-frisk police state, profligate spending on war and a substandard education system.

Pfleger said many Americans too quickly dismiss violence in poor neighborhoods as the fault of those who live there, when the real culprit is a lack of opportunity and hope. If you put two lions in a cage and you dont feed them, he said, one will kill the other in the pursuit of survival.

Warnock, meanwhile, zeroed in on Trump for his treatment of Lewis, now a Georgia congressman who represents most of Atlanta.

Lewis angered Trump when he told NBCs Meet the Press that he views Trump as illegitimate because of alleged Russian interference in the campaign. Trump retorted on Twitter that Lewis is all talk and said his district is falling apart and crime infested.

Anybody who suggests that John Lewis is all talk and no action needs a lesson in American history, Warnock said, notably declining to say the president-elects name.

As a young man, Lewis was arrested and beaten by authorities as he demonstrated for civil and voting rights for black Americans.

Lewis was in Miami at King Day events.
Zhou Youguang, a onetime Wall Street banker from China who developed Pinyin, a Romanized writing system that has helped more than 1 billion Chinese and countless foreigners learn Mandarin, died Jan. 14 in Beijing, one day after celebrating his 111th birthday.

State-run media outlets in China confirmed his death but did not provide additional details. In addition to his contributions to language, Mr. Zhou also survived three years of exile and forced labor to become one of his countrys most outspoken dissidents.

Mr. Zhous writing system, formally known as Hanyu Pinyin  or putting sounds together, as its name is sometimes translated  had a transformative effect on Chinese society.

Before its creation in the mid-1950s, about 85 percent of China was illiterate. Today, China claims near-universal literacy, in part through Mr. Zhous linguistic innovation.

Its impact is felt everywhere  from streets in Beijing, where signs provide Pinyin spellings alongside names written in Chinas ancient script, to the name of the capital city. Following Mr. Zhous system, Peking became Beijing, the city of Nanking became Nanjing, and Mao Tse-tung  the Communist Party leader who initiated a wave of linguistic changes that included the adoption of Pinyin  became Mao Zedong.

Pinyin gave rise to a Chinese version of Braille, the language for the blind, and enabled China to transition almost seamlessly to the digital age: On most laptops and cellphones, people people type Pinyin letters that are automatically converted to Chinese characters.

In an interview, Victor H. Mair, a professor of Chinese language and literature at the University of Pennsylvania and a friend of Mr. Zhous since the early 1980s, described Pinyin as a simple, even elegant transcription system for Mandarin Chinese, the countrys official language.

For more than 2,000 years, Mair said, learning Chinese  a family of languages that includes Cantonese and Mandarin, which share the same script but have wildly different pronunciations  has amounted to a gargantuan task of rote memorization. According to Mair, there are more than 80,000 characters in the Chinese script, and most of them give only a hint of their sound and a hint of their meaning.

To achieve even the most basic level of literacy requires memorizing at least 1,500 characters. To read novels, newspapers and the like requires no fewer than 3,000 characters.

Mr. Zhous alphabet was not the first of its kind  a British system known as Wade-Giles was a popular Chinese transliteration tool in the early 20th century  but it was the first to acquire the imprimatur of the Chinese government.

Taught in elementary schools throughout China, Pinyin acts as a kind of linguistic crutch, enabling students to learn the sounds of words through its 25-letter, four-diacritical-mark system before advancing to the memorization and study of the characters themselves.

Without an alphabet you had to learn mouth to mouth, ear to ear, Mr. Zhou told Britains Guardian newspaper in 2008. Its a bridge to speech between Chinese people.

Although Mr. Zhou  his full name is pronounced Joe Yo-Gwong  helped China better communicate within its borders and with the world at large, he did not escape the Cultural Revolution, a decade-long political campaign in which millions of Chinese were purged and persecuted.

Born Jan. 13, 1906, into a well-to-do family in the eastern city of Changzhou, Mr. Zhou was raised in a China where the Qing Dynasty still ruled, women bound their feet and men wore their hair in long braids.

He studied economics and linguistics at St. Johns University in Shanghai, one of the countrys oldest Western-style colleges, before transferring to Guanghua University and graduating in 1927 to begin a career as a banker.

Early in life he also changed his given name: Born Zhou Yaoping, he took on the name Yaoguang, which means to illuminate, because he wanted it to be an indication of his bringing light into the world, Mair said.

Mr. Zhou married Zhang Yunhe in 1933 and studied for several years in Japan, returning to China after the escalation of the Second Sino-Japanese War. They settled in Chongqing, the countrys wartime capital. While there, their 5-year-old daughter died of appendicitis. Mr. Zhou struck up a friendship with Zhou Enlai, a Communist Party official who hosted intellectual gatherings in the city and later became the countrys premier.

Mr. Zhou and his family moved to New York in 1946, where he represented the Sin Hua Trust and Savings Bank on Wall Street and twice met Albert Einstein on visits to Princeton University. (I didnt understand relativity at all, Mr. Zhou later told China Daily, so we just chatted about everyday things.)

Safely away from the violence of the Chinese Civil War, he returned to Shanghai to teach economics in 1949, just as the Communists seized power in Beijing. He returned to see his mother and because I thought the country had been liberated, and had a new hope, he later wrote in an autobiography.

The hope did not last long. In the mid-1950s, Mao embarked on a crusade against rightists, presumed political enemies that included proponents of capitalism and economists such as Mr. Zhou. One of his students committed suicide; a good friend, he later told the Guardian, was imprisoned and also committed suicide.

Mr. Zhou was spared mainly because of his friendship with Zhou Enlai, by then Chinas premier and who recalled the economists fascination with linguistics and Esperanto, the global lingua franca. In 1955, he summoned Mr. Zhou to Beijing and tasked him with developing a new alphabet for China.

Mr. Zhou resisted before deciding on a crucial career change. I said I was an amateur, a layman, I couldnt do the job, he told NPR in 2011. But they said its a new job, everybody is an amateur.

Working with a team of around 20 people, Mr. Zhou considered more than 2,000 writing systems, according to a 2004 account in the New Yorker. He eventually settled on a transcription system that used the Roman alphabet  a crucial point for Mr. Zhou, who later explained that he chose the Roman alphabet over Cyrillic (the alphabet used by Chinas ally, the Soviet Union) because of its predominance in the world.

Perhaps it was due to my time overseas, but I always envisaged Pinyin being useful to foreigners, too, he told China Daily in 2009. I still see it as a bridge between China and the rest of the world, a bridge between cultures.

Pinyin was adopted by Chinas First National Peoples Congress on Feb. 11, 1958. The writing system was later approved by foreign bodies including the United Nations, which formally acknowledged Pinyin in 1986.

Mr. Zhou escaped the political purges of the 1950s  he told the Guardian that were it not for his linguistics background, he believed he could have been imprisoned for 20 years as an economist. But his business experience caught up to him during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 70s.

Deemed a reactionary, he was exiled to the Ningxia region of northwestern China in 1969, where he languished in rice fields before returning home to Beijing and his linguistics work in 1972.

Mr. Zhou oversaw a translation of the Encyclopaedia Britannica into Chinese in the mid-1980s and continued publishing books and scholarly articles on linguistics, Confucianism and Chinese history until shortly before his death.

Working out of a largely undecorated third-floor apartment in Beijing, surrounded by books that included his more than 40 published works  some of them banned in his home country  Mr. Zhou also became one of Chinas most vocal critics.

Of Mao, the New York Times quoted him as saying in 2012: I deny he did any good. Of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre he said, I am sure one day justice will be done.

Although he lived without close family members in his final years  his wife died in 2002 and their son, astrophysicist Zhou Xiaoping, died in 2015  Mr. Zhou was known for a seemingly unflagging optimism and defiant spirit. He seemed unconcerned about the prospect of government reprisal for his political commentary, joking to the BBC in 2012: What are they going to do, come and take me away?
Britain will seek a clean break from the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May said Tuesday in a speech that eliminated any doubt her country would pursue a starkly different path outside the bloc, which for decades has been at the heart of attempts at continental integration.

The speech, long anticipated and rich with detail, was celebrated by Brexit advocates as an endorsement of their most fervent hopes for a full-scale liberation from the dictates of E.U. headquarters in Brussels. E.U. advocates countered that May was steering the country toward a potentially calamitous breakup, leaving Britain with the Donald Trump-led United States as a partner but with few true friends in Europe.

European leaders offered measured responses, suggesting that Britain was becoming more realistic about its prospects in the complex divorce negotiations to come. But they also maintained that the United Kingdom would meet resistance as it seeks to cherry-pick the benefits of the E.U. while throwing off the burdens.

There was no immediate reaction from the incoming American president, who set alarm bells ringing across Europe just a day earlier by signaling he was indifferent to the future of the European Union  and expected more countries to follow Britains path out.

Whether that prediction proves accurate could hinge on whether May succeeds or fails in charting a new course  one she said would be independent of E.U. rules on immigration, trade and justice.

After refusing for months to give a running commentary on Britains negotiating strategy, May offered the clearest indication to date of the countrys departure plans, which were set in motion by last Junes referendum on Britains E.U. ties.

[Read the full transcript of Mays remarks]

May said Britain wants to be the best friend and neighbor to our European partners but cannot be half-in, half-out of the bloc, which was born from the ashes of World War II and is designed to prevent future conflict by uniting Europe around a common economic and political project.

We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave, she said. She went on to reject preexisting models for quasi-membership that have been favored by those seeking a soft Brexit.

Her remarks instead point to a jarring departure that transforms Britains relations with Europe.

Britain, she said, will jettison membership in both the single market  which guarantees the free flow of goods, services and people across national boundaries  as well as the customs union, which dictates the terms of trade between Europe and the outside world.

Instead, she said, Britain will seek preferential trade access to European markets through a new agreement. And she said the country would strike out on its own in negotiating trade deals outside the European Union, which will be left with 27 members spanning from Ireland to Cyprus.

[For Brexit backers, Trumps trade talk a welcome message]

Such a break has been widely anticipated, though never formally spelled out. The British pound climbed Tuesday after drops over the previous several days as excerpts of Mays speech began to circulate.

The pounds value jumped when May said she would give Parliament final say on Britains new deal with the European Union. Unlike the country at large, most members of Parliament favored remain. May declined to answer when asked what would happen if Parliament nixes the deal.

Mays promise to allow for a transitional period  in which any new agreement is phased in  also seemed to please investors. British businesses have been concerned about the potential for a disruptive cliff edge in which the impact of an exit kicks in overnight.

Britain voted by 52 to 48 percent in June to leave behind the European Union after more than four decades of membership in the bloc and its precursors. Britains anti-establishment message was seen as prelude to other populist backlashes around the world, led by the election of Trump in November.

[Brexit tremors shake Rock of Gibraltar]

May was a reluctant backer of remain, but in the months since the vote she has done little to disappoint ardent Brexiteers. She has stressed that British voters want tighter control over immigration, and her words Tuesday suggested that will be her priority in the breakup talks  even at the expense of economic pain from losing membership in the single market and customs union.

Brexit advocates were delighted by Mays plan, while critics despaired.

Former U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, a Trump ally, tweeted after the speech that May is now using the phrases and words that Ive been mocked for using for years. Real progress.

But Tim Farron, leader of the pro-E.U. Liberal Democrats, told the BBC that May was careening toward a destructive Brexit that would harm the countrys self-interest. This is a theft of democracy, a presumption that the 51.9 percent of people who voted to leave meant the most extreme version of Brexit available, he said.

Farrons ally, former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, said May was effectively siding with Donald Trump and against [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel and thereby virtually guaranteeing that acrimony rather than compromise will prevail.

Mays speech came a day after the publication of an interview in Britains Times of London and Germanys Bild in which Trump dismissed the European Union as a vehicle for Germany and said that Britain was so smart in getting out.

Trump, who backed Brexit, also expressed enthusiasm for a free-trade deal between the United States and Britain. Such a deal would be possible only if Britain leaves the customs union.

May welcomed those remarks, saying Tuesday that Britain is not at the back of the queue for a trade deal with the United States, the worlds biggest economy, but front of the line.

The comment referenced President Obamas intervention in British politics last spring, when he urged Britons to say no to Brexit and insisted that the U.K. would have to wait its turn before negotiating an agreement with the United States should it leave the E.U.

May, who has been in office since July, has repeatedly promised to trigger the start of Britains exit talks by the end of March. Once thats done  through a mechanism known as Article 50 of the E.U.s Lisbon Treaty  Britain will have two years to negotiate the terms of its departure.

Europe has signaled it will take a hard line with Britain. At a time when other E.U. countries are flirting with a departure, allowing Britain to keep the benefits of membership while unshackling itself from the burdens could prompt other nations to speed toward the exits.

[Why Catholics are more pro-E. U. than Protestants]

Mays Tuesday speech was cautiously welcomed across the English Channel, where leaders had previously derided Britain for wanting to have its cake and eat it, too  a charge that British politicians did not exactly deny.

Sad process, surrealistic times but at least more realistic announcement on #Brexit, tweeted European Council President Donald Tusk.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed a bit more clarity about the British plans. [May] has underlined that Great Britain is seeking a positive and constructive partnership, a friendship, with a strong E.U. That is good.

The prime minister delivered her speech at a gilded, neoclassical, 19th-century mansion  Lancaster House  in front of an audience that included foreign diplomats. Margaret Thatcher had used the venue 29 years ago to endorse Britains single-market membership.

May spoke in front of a white backdrop emblazoned with the words A Global Britain, and her speech emphasized the importance of the countrys continuing ties with Europe and beyond.

We are leaving the European Union, but we are not leaving Europe, she said.

But amid generally conciliatory words, there were also barbs.

She said any effort by Europe to negotiate a punitive deal with Britain would be an act of calamitous self-harm.

If Europe fails to negotiate in good faith, she said, she could decide to change the basis of Britains economic model  words that were interpreted as a thinly veiled threat to turn the U.K. into a tax haven that would undercut E.U. markets.

She also suggested she was prepared to walk away from the negotiating table, an outcome known as dirty Brexit.

No deal for Britain, she said, is better than a bad deal for Britain.

Karla Adam contributed to this report.

Read more:

What does Brexit mean? Britain still doesnt have a clue.

Britain voted for Brexit. And then things got remarkable.

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Turkish officials on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of a suspect accused of fatally shooting 39 people at a New Years Eve party in an Istanbul nightclub, saying he is an Uzbek national who is linked to the Islamic State militant group and who had received training in Afghanistan.

Officials said the suspect, Abdulkadir Masharipov, was arrested late Monday in Istanbuls high-rise Esenyurt district and detained along with four other people. He was the focus of a nationwide manhunt in several cities and had eluded police for weeks. He was shown bruised and bloody in pictures that were apparently taken after he was in custody and that local news outlets distributed.

The perpetrator of this vile attack has been captured, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters in Ankara, the Turkish capital. The powers behind this will be revealed, he added, without elaborating.

Vasip Sahin, Istanbuls governor, said that fingerprint evidence linked Masharipov to the killings and that the suspect had accepted his crime.

The attack on the waterfront Reina nightclub was among the worst mass killings in recent memory in Turkey, which has been shaken by an onslaught of attacks from militants as well as Kurdish separatists.

Abdulkadir Masharipov was arrested late Monday in the New Years Eve attack that killed 39 people in Istanbul. (AFP/Getty Images)

[U.S. boosts support for Turkish military in Syria]

The details and surveillance footage from the brazen assault shocked the country, with the gunman blasting his way through the front entrance of the club, one of Turkeys most famous venues, as people fell around him.

The victims included more than two dozen foreigners, mostly from countries across the Middle East, as well as a Turkish security guard who, just weeks before, survived another terrorist attack in the city.

The Islamic State quickly claimed responsibility, framing the carnage as retaliation for Turkeys military involvement in Syrias civil war. There, Turkish forces have battled Islamic State fighters in strongholds along the border. Turkey has also carried out air and artillery strikes on the Islamist militants.

[Opinion: How Obama pushed Turkey into Russias embrace]

Hundreds of Uzbek militants have flocked to join the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, according to researchers tracking the groups foreign fighters. Uzbek Islamic militants have been featured in the groups propaganda videos and have carried out suicide attacks on Iraqi troops.

Turkish authorities did not say Tuesday whether Masharipov had spent significant time in Iraq or Syria. But his alleged training in Afghanistan raises questions about the potential role of the Islamic State affiliate there.

The affiliate, known as Khorasan Province, has struggled to establish a foothold and is not known to have ordered or participated in an attack outside Afghanistan.

But Uzbek militants have long fought in Afghanistan, where they were allied with the Taliban, and they have launched attacks on U.S. and NATO troops. In 2015, a faction of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which has a strong presence in Afghanistan, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

Sahin, the Istanbul governor, said Tuesday that Masharipov speaks four languages and was well trained. He was born in 1983, Sahin said.

Authorities think he arrived in Turkey last year. Turkey is home to a number of residents from Central Asian countries, with which it shares linguistic and historical ties.

After the attack, the hunt for Masharipov involved about 2,000 officers searching dozens of locations, Sahin said.

The authorities found nearly $200,000 in cash at the apartment where Masharipov was captured.

Read more:

Slain partiers came to Istanbul from near and far to celebrate the New Year

Gunman slays 39 in Istanbul New Years massacre

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Vlado Trifunovic in 2010. The former Yugoslav army generals treason conviction by Serbias wartime leadership became a symbol of the senselessness of the Balkan conflict. (Darko Vojinovic/Associated Press)

Vlado Trifunovic, a former Yugoslav army general whose treason conviction by Serbias wartime nationalist leadership became a symbol of the senselessness of the 1990s Balkan conflict, died Jan. 15 in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. He was 78.

Serbia state television reported his death. Details were not immediately available.

Gen. Trifunovic was in charge of a Yugoslav army unit in the town of Varazdin in independence-seeking Croatia as war broke out there in 1991. He disobeyed orders from Belgrade to fight and instead negotiated a safe passage for his troops.

Yugoslavias once multiethnic military became dominated by Serbs and controlled from Belgrade after the western republics of Slovenia and Croatia declared independence in 1991.

Gen. Trifunovic was convicted of treason by the nationalist government of Serbias then-President Slobodan Milosevic. But antiwar Serbs hailed Gen. Trifunovic as a hero for saving the soldiers lives.

Varazdin would have been destroyed if I gave the orders to fight, Gen. Trifunovic told the Associated Press in 2010. My soldiers and I would probably have ended up in some mass grave that would become a symbol of Serb-Croat hatred.

The opposing views of Gen. Trifunovics move mirror the divisions that still exist in Serbia over the countrys role in a war that claimed more than 100,000 lives and left millions homeless.

His conviction was thrown out in 2010, years after Milosevic was ousted from power and handed over to a U.N. war crimes court to face a genocide trial. Milosevic died in his cell in The Hague in 2006.

Croatia and Slovenia accused Gen. Trifunovic of war crimes, further reflecting the animosities among the former Yugoslav republics following the breakup.

Largely forgotten, he spent most of his postwar years in a drab Belgrade hotel occupied by Serbs expelled from other former Yugoslav republics.
Iran opposes the participation of the United States in Syrian peace talks backed by Russia that are due to be launched in Kazakhstan next week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday.

His comments contradicted promises from Russia and Turkey and indications from U.S. officials that the newly installed Trump administration would be invited to the talks, scheduled for Jan. 23 in the Kazakhstan capital, Astana.

They also pointed to the potential for conflict over at least one of the Middle Easts flashpoints between Tehran and the incoming Trump administration, which has consistently indicated that it plans to adopt a more hawkish posture toward Iran than the Obama administration.

We have not invited the U.S. and oppose their presence at the talks, Zarif said, according to Irans Press TV.

Whether Iran would refuse to attend if the United States were invited was not immediately clear. The talks are part of a three-way process led by Russia and including Turkey and Iran  now the three most powerful international players on the ground in Syria. The process is aimed at forging a settlement in Syria after the failure of the Obama administrations diplomacy.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, shown arriving at a news conference in Tehran, Jan. 17, 2017, said Iran opposes U.S. participation in Syria peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

The opening round is expected to be a modest affair, with representatives of Syrian rebels meeting with members of the Syrian government to discuss the modalities of a shaky cease-fire that went into effect on Dec. 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow. Representatives of the invited countries will attend in the role of observers, rather than participants.

Assuming the meeting takes place, it would represent a profound moment for the Syrian conflict, bringing the military protagonists together for the first time since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad in 2011.

It would also be a significant moment for the wider Middle East, signaling the first major initiative to resolve a big regional conflict in which the United States is not playing a leading role. Though Turkey and Iran are partnering with Russia in the effort, this is a Russian-led process, diplomats said.

No invitations have yet been formally issued, partly because Turkish efforts to persuade Syrian rebels to attend have dragged on longer than expected. On Tuesday, rebel commanders confirmed that half a dozen mostly Turkish-backed groups, most of them based in the north of the country, would send representatives.

Although Iran is one of the three sponsors of the peace talks, it has not signed the agreement reached between Russia and Turkey that launched the cease-fire, suggesting that Tehran has reservations about an effort that could potentially erode its extensive influence in Syria.

Both President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have said they regard Syria as one of the areas in which the United States and Russia could cooperate more closely. Trump has said on a number of occasions that he hopes better relations with Moscow will help counterbalance Irans expanding regional role.

Iran has been instrumental in providing the manpower and resources that have helped Assads government hold the rebellion at bay. Thousands of Iranian-trained Shiite militia fighters from Iraq and Afghanistan are on the front lines, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah is at the forefront of most of the major battles, and Iranian military advisers and commanders are embedded with them in many locations around the country.

The military conquests have cemented Irans role as a dominant player in Syria, making Iranian cooperation essential if any peace deal is to stick.

Read more

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Secretary of State John F. Kerry says he will remain active on conflict resolution and confronting climate change when he leaves office. (Alex Brandon/AP)

John F. Kerry has already started referring to himself as Citizen Kerry.

After 29 years in the Senate, and four years as secretary of state, Kerry is about to return to private life in Boston. When he returns from a four-country trip late Wednesday, he will have traveled a record 1.4 million miles and spent cumulatively a year and half overseas on various diplomatic forays.

But after leaving office, some of the signature policies and accomplishments he is most proud of may be abandoned or subject to significant change. President-elect Donald Trump has suggested he will get tougher on Iran, work with Russia, treat climate change with some skepticism and change the approach to Syria and Israel.

[Kerrys exit memo is filled with accomplishments Trump may want to undo]

Or maybe he wont, Kerry suggests, brushing off suggestions the Obamas administrations legacy is about to be upended.

Ive been around long enough to see the difference between campaigning and governing, and I just dont know yet what they will do, he said in an interview in Paris on Sunday after joining diplomats from 70 countries to discuss resuscitating Israeli and Palestinian negotiations.

While declining to talk directly about Trumps positions, Kerry urged the incoming administration not to take steps that would doom the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which lifted sanctions against Iran in return for restrictions on its nuclear program. Trump has panned it, and Republicans in Congress have threatened to impose new sanctions.

[Iran nuclear deal may not survive a Trump administration]

I would caution people very strongly against looking for excuses to stir it up or to not comply on our part. I think that would be very damaging to the credibility of the United States, he said.

He was cautiously optimistic about prospects for peace talks over Syria. Russia has invited the Trump administration to join the talks it is sponsoring with Turkey and Iran later this month, after freezing out the Obama administration.

[First sign of enhanced U.S.-Russia relations under Trump: an invite to Syria talks]

Ive always believed that there was a moment where this would move into a slightly different phase, he said. And I think it could well be that that moment could be at hand  not necessarily, not definitively, but I do believe it could be.

Kerry leaves office at a time when the U.S.-Israeli relationship has been strained by the U.S. decision not to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, as well as Palestinian incitement to violence. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader Kerry has spent the most time on the phone with, has openly welcomed Trump getting sworn in.

Kerry said the U.N. resolution, and a speech he made defending it, was prompted by his conviction that the time for a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict is running out, and Israel has ignored U.S. entreaties to rein in settlement growth.

But if our good friends are just not ready to listen to us when we say were having a harder and harder time defending you, its getting harder and harder in the international community to defend it, I think that it was really important for us to support our own policy, he said.

But I will stand up forever for the truth of the words I spoke about what is happening to Israel and about the choice Israel has.

Among his main concerns for the future, he said, are the persistence of violent extremism, and North Koreas nuclear weapons program under its mercurial leader Kim Jong-un.

The way to combat terrorism, he said, is by trying to prevent radicalization by providing more opportunities to young people lacking job prospects and education.

North Korea poses a threat on a par with radical extremism, Kerry said. Last year, the United Nations placed the country under the most severe set of sanctions ever. Kerry called for more pressure to be exerted on Pyongyang.

I think that weve done well to get China to agree to several more stringent sanctions measures and to enforce them at the U.N., he said. But we still also believe more has to be done, and we would support rational, thoughtful approaches by the new administration to try to continue what weve been doing, which is raising the level of pressure  and it needs to be raised more.

Kerry showed no concern about filling a void when he wakes up Saturday morning with no urgent crises to address, no phone calls to world leaders to make, no stable of diplomats to direct.

He said he will remain involved with peace and conflict resolution, combatting climate change and the state of the oceans.

I will miss trying to solve some of these problems very directly as someone who has these incredible resources and talented people to be able to try to do that with, he said. And so one of my challenges will be trying to land somewhere in some way that I still have talented people working with me and Im able to work on some of those kinds of issues that I find rewarding and challenging at the same time.

Read more:

Back on the Mekong Delta, John Kerry meets a man who once tried to kill him and finds exoneration

Kerry harshly condemns Israeli settler activity as an obstacle to peace

9 foreign policy issues the Trump administration will have to face
Noor Salman, the wife of Orlando nightclub killer Omar Mateen, was arrested Monday in connection with the June massacre. She is pictured here with her husband. (CBS/Reuters)

Noor Salman, the wife of Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, would have run away had she known her husband intended to carry out a massacre in the name of the Islamic State, her uncle said Tuesday, as his niece appeared in court for the first time on charges that she aided and abetted the attack.

Al Salman, Noor Salmans uncle, said his niece, whom he helped raise, was innocent of the allegations against her and did not fully understand what was happening. Noor Salman, he said, was mainly concerned with the well-being of her and Mateens young son.

I understand this is a big crime thats happening, but dont sacrifice an innocent person, Al Salman told reporters outside the hearing. She would not hurt anybody. She dont like to see anybody get hurt. I know that the justice will prevail and is going to show that she is innocent.

Noor Salman, 30, was arrested early Monday morning at a residence in Rodeo, Calif., and charged with aiding and abetting terrorism and obstructing justice. She appeared in federal district court here for the first time Tuesday, and federal prosecutors released the formal two-count indictment against her.

[Read: The complete indictment of Noor Salman]

Salman looked ragged and confused at the brief court appearance. At certain points, as the prosecution read the charges, she seemed to be shaking. Al Salman said that when FBI agents came to arrest her, she had been sleeping.

Federal prosecutors have not revealed precisely what cause they have to believe Salman committed the federal crimes with which she is charged. The indictment, which also seeks forfeiture of $30,500, does not provide specific information. Salman appeared in court in Oakland because she was arrested in California; the indictment is out of the Middle District of Florida, and she will eventually be transferred for court proceedings there.

In a previous interview with the New York Times, Salman claimed she was unaware of everything and was sorry for what happened.

Mateen, 29, was killed by police in the June attack that left 49 people dead inside Orlandos Pulse nightclub. Officials have said he appeared to have been radicalized online and professed allegiance to the Islamic State during the massacre. Since the attack, FBI agents have been exploring his wifes level of knowledge and involvement and had interviewed her at length.

A law enforcement official had previously told The Washington Post that Salman was with her husband on at least one trip to the club before the attack, and at one point went with him to buy ammunition. Salman told the Times that she did not know the purpose of their trip to Orlando and that she thought nothing was suspicious about Mateens purchase of ammunition. She told the Times that when her husband told her he would not be home for dinner the afternoon before the attack, she asked him not to go. Mateen left anyway, claiming he had to go see a friend.

Salman is expected in federal court Wednesday for a status hearing.

Zapotosky reported from Washington.

Read more:

Who is Noor Zahi Salman, wife of Orlando gunman Omar Mateen?

They took too damn long: Inside the police response to the Orlando shooting

Graphic: The lives lost in Orlando
President Obama commuted the 35-year prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, an Army private convicted of taking troves of secret diplomatic and military documents and disclosing them to WikiLeaks, after deciding that Manning had served enough time.

Obama also granted a full and complete pardon to retired Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in an investigation of a leak of classified information about a covert U.S.-Israeli cyberattack on Irans nuclear program.

The presidents dramatic, last-minute clemency actions for Cartwright and Manning were surprising for an administration that has brought more leak prosecutions than all previous ones combined. Obama took office pledging to bring a new era of transparency to government, but during his eight years, his administration has presided over at least nine leak cases.

But officials said the president thought that in Mannings case, seven years behind bars was enough punishment and that she had been given an excessive sentence  the longest ever imposed in the United States for a leak conviction. The administration has contrasted her case with that of Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency contractor who leaked classified documents in 2013 and then fled the country, pointing out that Manning did not try to avoid facing the U.S. justice system for her crimes.

Chelsea Manning is somebody who accepted responsibility for the crimes she committed, a senior White House official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House. She expressed remorse for committing those crimes. She began serving the sentence that was handed down. The presidents concern was rooted in the fact that the sentence handed down is longer than sentences given to other individuals who committed comparable crimes.

[How do presidential pardons and commutations work?]

Republicans immediately blasted the White Houses decision, saying the commutation would encourage others to leak sensitive documents.

This is just outrageous, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said. Chelsea Mannings treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nations most sensitive secrets. President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security wont be held accountable for their crimes.

President-elect Donald Trumps team did not respond to requests for comment on the case.

Also on Tuesday, Obama granted clemency to more than 200 low-level drug offenders who were sentenced under harsh laws and would have received lighter sentences if convicted today. In all, the president commuted the sentences of 209 individuals and pardoned an additional 64. He is expected to grant more commutations before he leaves office.

Since 2014, Obama has commuted 1,385 sentences, more than the previous 12 presidents combined. Of those, 540 low-level drug offenders had been serving life sentences.

This final set of actions as Obama leaves office is a signal to the system that prosecutors have gone too far, said Steven Aftergood, a national security and transparency expert at the Federation of American Scientists.

Manning, 29, will be set free in four months, on May 17, instead of in 2045, under the terms of Obamas commutation.

The Pentagon did not make the recommendation to the White House to commute Mannings sentence, and senior Defense Department leaders opposed the move, said defense officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

White House officials said the presidents decision had nothing to do with a recent pledge by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that he would agree to be extradited to the United States if Mannings sentence was commuted.

Thank you to everyone who campaigned for Chelsea Mannings clemency, read a statement attributed to Assange on the WikiLeaks Twitter feed. Your courage & determination made the impossible possible.

Trump invoked the death penalty in 2010 after WikiLeaks disclosures, in stark contrast to his refusal to criticize Assange and WikiLeaks for the dissemination of hacked Democratic Party emails last year.

Members of Assanges legal team did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether Assange would now agree to be extradited.

President Obamas decision was both compassionate and amply justified, said Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the liberty and national security program at the Brennan Center for Justice. Mannings sentence was orders of magnitude greater than any sentence previously imposed for leaking classified information to the media.

Manning was arrested in Iraq in May 2010 after she transmitted documents to WikiLeaks that came to be known as the Iraq and Afghanistan War Logs. She also shared a video that showed a U.S. Apache helicopter in Baghdad opening fire on a group of people that the crew believed to be insurgents. Among the dead were two journalists who worked for Reuters. She also leaked documents pertaining to Guantanamo Bay prisoners, as well as 250,000 State Department cables.

In an impassioned statement last year accompanying her petition for clemency, she accepted full and complete responsibility for disclosing the material. She said she pleaded guilty without the benefit of a plea agreement because she believed that the military justice system would understand her motivation for the leak and sentence her fairly. I was wrong, wrote Manning, who is incarcerated at the all-male Fort Leavenworth prison in Kansas.

She said the 35-year penalty was far more than she imagined possible  unreasonable, outrageous and out of line with what I had done.

[Bradley Manning comes out as transgender: I am a female ]

Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning, came out as transgender after her conviction. She said in her statement last fall that the three years since she had been sentenced had enabled her to reflect on her actions and her struggle to adjust to the military.

I am not Bradley Manning, she said. I really never was. I am Chelsea Manning, a proud woman who is transgender and who, through this application, is respectfully requesting a first chance at life.

Her reason for passing the documents to WikiLeaks was to raise public awareness about issues she found troubling, including the effect of war on innocent civilians, her attorney, Vincent J. Ward, said in a letter accompanying Mannings petition. Ward said Mannings sentence exceeds even international legal norms.

Manning was kept in solitary confinement for almost a year before formal charges were brought, an experience she has called humiliating and degrading. The United Nations special rapporteur on torture called her treatment cruel, inhuman and degrading.

She has tried to kill herself twice while at Fort Leavenworth  the first time in July 2016 and again in November. After the July attempt, she was placed in solitary confinement as punishment.

The family is delighted to hear the news, and we are looking forward to seeing Chelsea in May, and we want to thank President Obama for granting her request. Were all very, very happy about it, said Debbie, an aunt of Mannings in Maryland, who asked that her last name not be used to protect her privacy.

Cartwright, a retired four-star Marine Corps general, served as the nations second-ranking military officer and was facing his sentencing in two weeks after pleading guilty in October to a felony count of lying to the FBI in a classified leak investigation. He admitted to falsely telling investigators that he did not confirm classified information to reporters writing about a covert U.S.-Israeli cyberattack on Irans nuclear program.

The senior White House official said Cartwrights long history of distinguished service to the nation factored into Obamas decision. The official said a journalist involved in the case testified that Cartwright did not tell the journalist anything that the reporter did not already know. The conversation was focused on preventing the publication of information that could be damaging to our national security, the official said.

When the president is making clemency decisions, motive matters, the official said. Its clear in this case that based on what the journalist has said . . . that General Cartwrights motive was different than most of the people who are accused of leaking classified information to a journalist.

In a statement Tuesday, Cartwright thanked Obama.

With the greatest pride, I have served my country as a member of the military for more than forty years. This action allows me to continue that work as a private citizen, he said. I love this country and believe it to be the greatest nation on earth. I have never lost faith in that belief.

Julie Tate, David Nakamura, Spencer Hsu, John Wagner and Missy Ryan contributed to this report.

Read more:

Here are the others who received pardons and commutations from Obama

How do pardons and commutations work?
JANESVILLE, Wis.  A handful of police chiefs met with U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan on Monday in his Wisconsin hometown to discuss ways to reduce officers use of deadly force.

Ryan hosted a listening session that was open to the media but closed to the public with six chiefs from Arizona, Louisiana, Florida, New Jersey and Vermont. The meeting focused on a training program from the Washington-based nonprofit Police Executive Research Forum aimed at giving officers ways to slow down threatening situations to avoid the use of force.

Weve witnessed  especially last year  how if we dont get this right, communities will be destroyed, lives will be lost, Ryan said during the meeting in Janesville, whose police department sent six officers to the training last month and plans to train all officers over the next three years.

PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler said the techniques are particularly useful in situations where an unarmed individual is having a mental health crisis. He estimated that 30 to 40 deaths at the hands of police last year could have been prevented had the situations been handled differently.

Its a form of communication, added Scott Thomson, PERFs president and police chief of Camden County, New Jersey. Thomson said officers who have traditionally been trained to resolve situations as quickly as possible are now learning that repositioning is not retreating.

A message seeking comment about the gathering was left after business hours by The Associated Press with the Young Gifted and Black Coalition, a Madison-based group focused on ending police-involved deaths.

Ryan formed a bipartisan working group in Congress on police-community relations following the deaths of five law enforcement officers in a Dallas shooting in July.

Weve witnessed  especially last year  how if we dont get this right, communities will be destroyed, lives will be lost. House Speaker Paul Ryan
White House National Security Advisor Susan Rice, shakes hands with her incoming successor, Gen. Michael Flynn, during the 2017 Passing The Baton conference at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington on Jan. 10. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

President Obamas National Security Council staff, the largest in history, has been cut by at least 15 percent over the past two years and is smaller than the workforce of many think tanks, Susan E. Rice, Obamas national security adviser, said in a notice released Tuesday.

Acknowledging that NSC staff reform remains a subject of debate in Washington, Rice warned that the staffs size and structure will have a real-world impact on the advice given to the President, and whether the development and implementation of policy is properly coordinated across the U.S. Government.

President-elect Donald Trump has said little about the organization of his White House staff. While he has made numerous appointments of senior advisers  one of whom, Monica Crowley, bowed out of an NSC job Monday amid allegations of plagiarism  it remains unclear how roles and responsibilities will be apportioned. Most of those named thus far have little or no experience in the executive branch, and several Cabinet nominees have expressed policy positions that dont mesh with those enunciated by Trump.

Rice wrote that she had given her candid and best advice to her designated successor, retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, about how to shape an NSC staff to address upcoming national security challenges. The notice was posted Tuesday on the White Houses website.

[Read Susan Rices notice about the staff levels at the National Security Council]

Each administration has made adjustments to the way its NSC staff is organized and operates, in most cases described in a presidential directive released shortly after inauguration. The national security advisers job traditionally is to chair meetings of principals  Cabinet and agency heads  and to coordinate among them to provide the president with a series of options for national security decisions.

[How the Obama White House runs foreign policy]

The buck still stops at the White House, Rice wrote. Especially in the face of polarized politics and a relentless, 24-hour news cycle. It falls to the NSC staff to frame for the President the toughest national security decisions, weighing disparate and sometimes competing information and equities from across our government.

And it falls to the NSC staff to ensure that the President is fully briefed on the costs, trade-offs and risks associated with any major decision.

Obamas NSC staff has been widely criticized for its size  at least 400 people at its zenith, more than half of them policy advisers, with the rest in administration and technology support  and for what some of his former Cabinet officials have called excessive micromanagement of their departments.

Over the last three decades, Rice acknowledged, the size of the NSC staff has grown in each presidential administration, Democratic and Republican alike. Until recently, this Administrations NSC staff was no exception.

The NSC, initially comprising the president and his top diplomatic and defense advisers, was established after World War II with a small White House secretariat. Over the years, the White House staff has expanded to cover virtually every area of national security policy. Numbering about 50 under President George H.W. Bush, it grew to about 100 in the Clinton administration and to more than 200 in the George W. Bush administration.

Rice attributed the unprecedented size under Obama to a merging of the NSC with the Homeland Security Council established after the 2001 terrorist attacks and the intensification of emerging security challenges, from cyber threats to public health emergencies such as Ebola.

My strongly held view . . . is that the NSC staff works best when it is mean but lean, she wrote in the notice. Rice, who became Obamas third national security adviser in July 2013, said that she had reduced the overall staff size by 15 percent and cut policy and senior staff positions by 17 percent, to fewer than 180.

Much of the policy staff is not on the White House payroll but is on loan from other government agencies, including the intelligence community and the State and Defense departments.

In a speech last week at the U.S. Institute for Peace, Flynn thanked Rice for handoff advice and for the initiation of various NSC reform measures that she has already undertaken, without indicating additional steps that he intended to take.

On the National Security Council we will serve four primary functions, Flynn said. We will advise the president on national security issues, we will formulate national security policy in coordination with the interagency process, we will monitor how policy is carried out, and we will also ensure that the president is properly prepared and staffed for the many national security-related events that we are likely to encounter.

And I would add one additional function. I want to add that President-elect Trump, we need to help him work with our partners in Congress on both sides of the aisle despite the difficulties that we will face.
Members of the Iraqi rapid-response forces inspect a hospital damaged by clashes during a battle between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants in the Wahda district of eastern Mosul, Iraq, on Jan. 8. (Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters)

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, the Islamic State is on the defensive in three countries and has been all but wiped out in another. Two and a half years after the extremists rolled across northern Iraq, Pentagon and diplomatic officials say a military victory, at least in their major strongholds, is within sight.

But tens of thousands of fighters remain, and the militants are showing signs of reinventing themselves as a dispersed terrorist movement  a threat that the incoming commander in chief says has been given too much time to grow.

This should have been over with quickly, Trump told CNN last year. Were not fighting strongly enough. We have to end it.

While Trump has promised a more effective military campaign than that of his predecessor, many of the actions he might take to accelerate progress in Iraq and Syria come with toxic side effects. Those include the potential worsening of already frayed ties with NATO ally Turkey, an increase in U.S. or civilian casualties or reinvigorated militant recruitment.

I think theyll find theres not a lot of low-hanging fruit, by which I mean obvious and low-cost things to do that will noticeably advance progress without negative or unintended consequences, said Philip H. Gordon, who served as President Obamas coordinator for Middle East issues when the Islamic State captured the Iraqi city of Mosul in June 2014, an event that stunned U.S. officials and upended the presidents national security plans.

[U.S. military aid is fueling big ambitions for Syrias leftist Kurdish militia]

Obama administration officials credit their slow-and-steady strategy, which has centered on local combat power backed by U.S. air support, for the gradual recapture of much of the territory held by militants across Iraq and Syria over the past two years.

U.S. air power has also dealt a blow to a potent Islamic State branch in Afghanistan and, last month, finished off the militants sole stronghold in Libya.

While Trump has spoken only in general terms about his plans, Pentagon officials are already preparing recommendations in anticipation of the changes that Trump and his designated Pentagon chief, retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, may want to make.

Speaking in his confirmation hearing, Mattis told lawmakers that the current plan for recapturing Raqqa, the Syrian city where the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, has plotted external attacks, needs to be reviewed and perhaps energized on a more aggressive timeline. But he, like Trump, provided few details on what steps he might take.

U.S.-backed Syrian fighters are seeking to encircle Raqqa, supported by members of an American Special Operations force of about 500 troops. But U.S. reliance on the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-dominated group, in the lead-up to the Raqqa battle has already created deep strains with Turkey, which views the Kurdish fighters as a threat to its own security.

Robert Ford, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria, said the United States has already laid the groundwork for lasting conflict in Syria by empowering the YPG, a Kurdish group that is at odds not only with Turkey but also with much of Syrias Arab majority.

Members of the Iraqi special forces advance in Mosuls Zahraa neighborhood on Jan. 7 during an ongoing military operation against the Islamic State. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images)

The U.S. military has struggled since 2014 to build up a reliable, sufficiently large Arab force that can battle the Islamic State without exacerbating ethnic friction or fueling jihadist sympathies among Arabs opposed to Kurdish encroachment.

[The mounting death toll in Mosul forces questions about the battle plan]

But increasing support to the Kurdish forces may be one of the only options Trump can exercise to accelerate the Raqqa offensive, short of sending in U.S. troops to liberate the city. Obama administration officials have long mulled providing weapons directly to the YPG, and are continuing to consider that step, but have held off for fear of triggering a crisis with Turkey.

Ford warned against such a move, saying that only by providing support exclusively to Arab groups could the United States head off a more lasting, problematic conflict.

In return for delaying six months, youd have the chance of defusing the ethnic tensions that the Islamic State is sure to exploit in its soon-to-come insurgency, said Ford, who is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.

The president-elect, who said that Russia can help us fight the Islamic State, has also suggested he might broaden military cooperation with Moscow in Syria. Over the past year, Russias support for President Bashar al-Assad has altered the trajectory of the war while, Western nations allege, indiscriminate Russian airstrikes have killed thousands of Syrian civilians.

But moving to establish a robust partnership with Russia in Syria will probably face significant resistance at the Pentagon. Last year, defense officials sought to block a proposal to expand cooperation with Moscow over Syria air operations, a move that Pentagon officials argued would give the Kremlin access to sensitive U.S. intelligence and operational information.

One area where Trumps national security team may decide to dial things up is with the size of the U.S. force deployed in support of local troops in Syria and Iraq.

In Iraq, additional troops would mean more hands-on advisory capability for Iraqi troops who have taken heavy losses as they push their way deeper into Mosul. Obama has gradually increased the number of U.S. military personnel in Iraq to more than 6,000 U.S. troops today, most of whom serve in an advisory role away from the front lines.

[U.S. increases support for Turkish military operations in Syria]

Additional troops in Syria could mean more hands to recruit, train and advise Arab forces there ahead of the Raqqa offensive.

While military leaders will probably support modest increases to those advisory forces, proposals for any larger increase  many thousands or tens of thousands as Trump has suggested he might order  could lack military support.

Shaped by their repeated deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, many of the senior officers leading the Pentagon have questioned the need to risk American lives in conflicts that may fail to bring about lasting change in the countries where they occur. They also worry about the antibodies that large U.S. deployments will produce, among Sunni extremists or Shiite militias.

The president-elect, promising during the campaign to bomb the s--- out of the Islamic State, will probably intensify the American air effort. Although the United States has conducted more than 13,000 strikes in Iraq and Syria since 2014, critics have assailed the offensive for proceeding more slowly than previous air campaigns.

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters recently that air operations were limited only by the pace of ground operations, as American and allied officials seek to help local forces advance into militant territory.

But military officials have said they have already been hitting all the available militant sites, not just in areas where allied ground forces are active and are constrained primarily by strict rules about avoiding civilian casualties.

Theres not much left to strike in many cases, said a defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss current operations. The bottleneck in the chain is having targets to hit.

Despite the restrictions, the U.S. Central Command has acknowledged the death of at least 188 people in U.S. strikes over Iraq and Syria, a figure that watchdog groups dispute as too low.

As a candidate, Trump espoused a cavalier attitude toward civilian deaths, saying he would go after family members of terrorists.

I suspect . . . they will err on the side of possibly doing more, hitting more, and killing more, in order to go after ISIS, Gordon said. But there will be a cost.

Read more:

Do campaign statements and tweets add up to a Trump foreign policy strategy?

The Iran nuclear deal may not survive a Trump administration

First sign of better U.S.-Russia relations: An invite to Syria talks
The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was finally called off Tuesday after crews spent nearly three years combing the desolate Indian Ocean and its deep seabed, leaving one of the greatest aviation mysteries of all time unsolved.

The governments of Malaysia, Australia and China said crews finished an underwater sweep of a 46,000-square-mile zone of seabed without finding the missing Boeing 777.

The most complex and expensive search in aviation history cost around $150 million but failed to locate the plane, let alone answer the questions surrounding its disappearance in March 2014.

Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft, the Joint Agency Coordination Center in Australia said in a statement.

The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness, the agency said.

The jet carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysias capital, to Beijing vanished from civilian radar in the early hours of March 8, 2014, without so much as a distress call from its pilots.

[Lost: The baffling disappearance of Flight 370]

After several false starts, scientists examining satellite pings decided the plane had turned south and flown toward one of the remotest places on Earth. They directed the search toward a vast arc of ocean some 1,100 miles west of Australia.

Last month, officials investigating the planes disappearance took another look at the satellite data and modeling of ocean currents and decided they might have been searching in the wrong place after all.

They recommended that the search be moved more than 200 miles north.

But it was too late: The three governments bankrolling the search had already concluded that it would be suspended unless convincing new evidence emerged to pinpoint the planes location.

That wasnt forthcoming, so in the absence of fresh leads or private money to fund a new effort, the search for Flight 370 is now officially over.

The investigation has been controversial from the outset. The Malaysian government was criticized for releasing contradictory information in the first few days after the plane disappeared and for initially being reluctant to share information with foreign experts.

As the search area moved south over the Indian Ocean, Australia took charge. But there was still more than a hint of chaos, with hopes repeatedly raised and then dashed.

In April 2014, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced that underwater signals had been heard, making him very confident that the planes black-box data recorders  the keys to solving the mystery  had been located. It turned out that the pings probably came from the search ship itself or its towed listening device.

[Flight 370: The depth of the problem]

An oil slick was spotted from the air, but it did not contain jet fuel. Debris on the ocean surface turned out to be trash.

Finally, confirmation that the plane had indeed crashed in the Indian Ocean came in July 2015, when a wing flap was found on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar. Since then, more than 20 objects confirmed or believed to have been from the plane have washed ashore on Indian Ocean beaches, according to the Associated Press.

By then, the search for the plane itself had long since moved underwater, with several ships dragging sonar-equipped towfish back and forth through the ocean to map vast areas of deep seafloor to look for signs of wreckage. Unmanned submarines were also used to take a closer look at objects of interest or areas of rougher terrain. Still, nothing  apart from a couple of old shipwrecks.

The search zone shifted several times as the satellite data was examined and reexamined and combined with updated information on ocean currents.

And there was a final twist in December when the Australian Transport Safety Bureau revealed that another review suggested searchers had been looking in the wrong place all along.

[Right before they gave up, investigators figured out where to look]

But Australias government had lost patience  or run out of cash. It rejected the bureaus recommendation that crews be allowed to move north, and it argued that the results of the experts analysis were not precise enough to justify continuing the hunt.

The three countries funding the search reiterated that view in Tuesdays statement.

Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft, they said.

The flight was carrying 152 Chinese nationals, and victims relatives here have consistently expressed frustration with the search.

Voice 370, a support group for Chinese passengers relatives, said that extending the search to the patch of seabed recently identified by Australias Transport Safety Bureau was an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interest of aviation safety.

[What happened to Flight 370?]

Commercial planes cannot just be allowed to disappear without a trace, the group said in a statement. Having already searched 120,000 square km, stopping at this stage is nothing short of irresponsible, and betrays a shocking lack of faith in the data, tools and recommendations of an array of official experts assembled by the authorities themselves.

Jiang Hui, a 42-year-old man whose mother was aboard the flight, said he was very disappointed, sad and angry.

Before, the three governments told the world that they wouldnt give up. Now they say the search is suspended, but I know they have just given up, he said. It is not that humans cant solve the problem of finding the plane. Its just that each government just doesnt want to contribute more money.

Jin Xin and Luna Lin contributed to this report.
A top NATO general said Tuesday that aspects of the alliance were obsolete, echoing President-elect Donald Trumps language and saying that the Western military alliance needs to adapt for a changing world.

The admission was a first sign of how NATO may try to pitch itself to the most skeptical U.S. president in the history of the bloc, which was formed as a defensive bulwark against the Soviet Union in the aftermath of World War II. But it appeared unlikely that French air force Gen. Denis Mercier, the senior NATO commander based in the United States, and Trump believe that the same aspects of NATO are obsolete.

[European leaders shocked as Trump slams NATO and E.U., raising fears of transatlantic split]

Trump has said that he wants the 28-nation defense alliance to focus more on counterterrorism, a shift that NATO leaders say was already underway before Trumps insurgent candidacy transformed into an election victory. He has also left open the question of whether he would come to the aid of NATO allies that have not been meeting their defense spending commitments and left open the door to a deal with Russia that would be anathema to most other NATO members.

[Trump says U.S. wont rush to defend NATO countries if they dont spend more on military]

NATO leaders have been left to struggle with how to present themselves to an incoming president even as U.S. and allied troops fan out across Eastern Europe to provide deterrence to a threat of a Russian invasion.

When I look at the threats we are facing now, we see that we may have focused too much, until the Ukraine crisis, we may have focused too much on expeditionary operations, especially in Afghanistan, and doing that, NATO has a bit failed to look at the change in the strategic background, said Mercier, who is the supreme allied commander transformation of NATO, based in Norfolk.

His job, previously held by retired U.S. Marine Gen. James Mattis, Trumps nominee for secretary of defense, is focused on the technical side of developing NATOs future military stance and strategies, a command post that stands to benefit from major demands for change. His assessments do not appear to be shared by all senior staff at NATO.

We have some structures that are obsolete, Mercier told a small group of journalists in Brussels, saying that aspects of NATO bureaucracy are duplicative and could be streamlined. One example he offered was a standardized blueprint for the way NATO partners with nonmember countries on security initiatives.

But in a sign that his vision of NATOs future may diverge from Trumps, he said that the July 2016 summit in which NATO nations committed thousands of troops to Eastern Europe was an example of successful adaptation.

If there was not obsolescence in many areas of the alliance, we would not have decided this adaptation, in fact, Mercier said.

Mercier also said that NATO was working on counterterrorism efforts by committing military trainers to Iraq and by offering NATO radar planes to the coalition combating the Islamic State. He said that additional initiatives were also possible as the world struggles to confront the terrorist group.

He carefully broke from Trumps desire to team up with Russia, saying that NATO needed to talk to the Kremlin but that Russia should not violate the territorial integrity of other nations.

We always talk better with Russia when we are strong, he said, praising the current NATO troop deployments across Eastern Europe. Again pitching NATOs work to Trump, he said that resolving the complexities of the multinational deployment would speed future counterterrorism efforts.

But he acknowledged that Trumps unorthodox approach to NATO, if carried through to a full reversal of military commitments made under President Obama, could result in significant disruptions to the alliance.

If the U.S. forces would stop deploying, it would be some kind of strategic shock in Europe, he said of the deployments to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Over the weekend, Trump called NATO obsolete and said that other nations were not paying enough for their own defense. With that being said, NATO is very important to me, Trump told the Times of London and Germanys Bild newspaper.

Read more:

Trump vows to strengthen NATO despite previous criticism of the alliance

European leaders, NATO caution Trump on warming relations with Russia

Will Donald Trump abandon Europe?

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called reports that Donald Trump has been compromised by Russian intelligence total nonsense and said allegations were fabricated to undermine the legitimacy of Trumps presidency.

It was the Russian presidents first direct denial of the contents of an uncorroborated dossier written by a former British intelligence agent hired to compile opposition research. The dossier claimed that Trump was compromised by Russian intelligence agents during a 2013 visit to Moscow to hold the Miss Universe pageant.

The people who are ordering this kind of false information, who are now disseminating it against the president-elect of the United States, who fabricate it and use it in a political fight, are worse than prostitutes, Putin told journalists after talks with Moldovan President Igor Dodon in Moscow. They have no moral boundaries.

In a moment of levity, Putin addressed some of the more salacious rumors in the dossier: You know, its difficult for me to imagine that he ran to the hotel to meet with our women of lower social responsibility. Even though theyre the best in the world, of course. But I doubt that Trump went after them.

Putins remarks were just part of a larger indictment on Tuesday of the American establishment and political opponents of Trump as Russia enthusiastically waves farewell to the Obama administration this week and awaits a new U.S. administration that may give the Kremlin greater influence in international affairs.

(Julie Vitkovskaya,Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

In a nationally televised news conference on Tuesday morning, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov railed against the messianism and export by the West of post-Christian values that embrace permissiveness, a nod toward the conservative ethos that has found increasing support in the Kremlin.

Once an exporter of democracy, the West now tries to export values that are anathema to society in Russia, Lavrov complained. Under Trump, the Kremlin is hoping the United States will shift to focus more on national affairs than global values.

Lavrov said he was looking forward to cooperating with the incoming administration in the war on terrorism and bringing peace to Syria, and he took a shot at the Obama administration for what he called double standards.

If we hear that in the foreign policy of Donald Trump the main thing will be the fight against terrorism, then we, of course, can only welcome that, since that is exactly the thing that has been lacking with our American partners, Lavrov said.

Lavrov also criticized U.S. spy agencies for what he described as numerous efforts to recruit Russian diplomats and attempts by U.S. diplomats to disguise themselves to conduct reconnaissance in Russian. Lavrovs spokeswoman on Sunday made headlines in Russia when she said U.S. officials had tried to recruit a Russian diplomat who was arrested while trying to procure medicine for a leading Russian politician.

Like Putin, Lavrov brushed aside the racy dossier.

The document was published in full by BuzzFeed this month after reports that Trump and President Obama were briefed on its contents by the intelligence community.

(Dalton Bennett,Jason Aldag,Julie Vitkovskaya/The Washington Post)

The dossiers claims are separate, however, from an assessment endorsed by all 17 U.S. intelligence agencies that Russian intelligence used electronic hacking to try to swing the presidential election in favor of Trump.

Other major news organizations, including The Washington Post, have had the document for several months but have been unable to verify crucial allegations made by the author.

[Trump says he has nothing to do with Russia. The past says otherwise.]

During the news conference, Putin said Russia did not even know that Trump had political ambitions when he was in Moscow in 2013. What do you think, our intelligence services are chasing after every American billionaire? Of course not! Its total nonsense, Putin said.

Despite criticism, Trump has stood by his calls for a reset in relations with Russia, setting him potentially at odds with cabinet picks who have described Moscow as a global adversary. On Sunday, Trump took aim at outgoing CIA chief John Brennan for saying the president-elect does not fully understand the Russian threat. In a tweet, Trump said current U.S. policies toward Russia could not be much worse.

Referring to Syria, where Russia has been backing the regime of Bashar al-Assad against rebels, including moderate groups supported by the United States, Lavrov said Moscow hoped that Trumps administration will not apply double standards to use the war on terrorism to achieve goals that dont have anything to do with this goal.



Asked to comment on reports that the Trump campaign was seeking a summit in Reykjavik, where Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev held nuclear talks in 1986, Lavrov said the report was untrue and that any arrangements would be made after Trump was inaugurated as president.

[Opinion: Trump is Putins mouthpiece]

Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more:

There is no joy in Moscow after tough talk from Trump appointees



Putin won 2016, but Russia has its limits as a superpower

Trump and Putin: A relationship where mutual admiration is headed toward reality

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
WASHINGTON  After my aunt died recently, a cousin found in her papers the Petition for Naturalization that our great-grandfather signed in 1913, 13 years after emigrating from Russia.

The wording on the yellowed page required my ancestor to affirm that he was neither anarchist nor polygamist. The oath continued: It is my intention to become a citizen of the United States and to renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, and particularly to Nicholas II, Emperor of all the Russias.

The oath differs from the one President-elect Donald Trump will take at his inauguration. But if it was important enough for our nation to require a Brooklyn tailor a century ago to renounce the czar, is it too much to ask that our new president promise the same?

Im not questioning Trumps citizenship or patriotism. But it would be reassuring to see him renounce fidelity to another repressive leader of Russia  to demonstrate that he is no puppet of Vladimir Putin.

The renewed attention to Trumps Russia ties is welcome, but the unverified dossier published last week is a distraction. Hotel liaisons dont threaten American security. The danger is that Putin and his allies might control a chunk of Trumps debt and therefore hold hostage his financial stability.

Trump arguably owes his election to Putin. (In an election as close as this one, any number of minor factors could have been decisive, including the Russians leaks of Democrats hacked emails.) And he refuses to do the things that would remove fears that Putin has sway over Trumps finances: release his tax returns, divest of his businesses or put them into a blind trust. You dont have to be a conspiracy theorist to wonder if the incoming president is beholden to one of the nations most wily adversaries.

Heres what we know:

Trump, once the self-described king of debt, now claims he isnt highly leveraged, but theres no way to verify this without tax returns. A New York Times examination last year found at least $650 million in debt, twice the amount that could be found in Trumps financial disclosure.

Though Trump has insisted he has no financial dealings with Russia, his son Donald Trump Jr. declared in 2008: Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. ... We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.

As The Washington Posts Michael Kranish recapped last week, Trump has attempted several deals in Russia over decades. He received $95 million from an oligarch for a Palm Beach mansion in 2008 and untold more from Russian investors buying his condos.

Britains Guardian newspaper reported last week that the FBI unsuccessfully applied for a warrant during the summer to monitor four members of Trumps team suspected of irregular contacts with Russian officials.

Russias deputy foreign minister told the Interfax state news agency that the government had contacts with Trumps campaign and knows most of the people from his entourage. Trumps campaign denied this.

Trump declined again last week to release his tax returns. Instead of selling his businesses or creating a blind trust, he announced that he gave control to his adult sons with his (unenforceable) assurance that theyre not going to discuss it with me.

While having all these known or potential entanglements with Russia, Trump has questioned the value of NATO, said he would consider removing sanctions against Russia and recognizing Russias annexation of Crimea, spoken favorably of Putins leadership and resisted blaming Putin for cyberattacks and human-rights abuses. Trump hired as his national security adviser Michael Flynn, who has appeared on Russias state-owned RT network and sat with Putin at a dinner celebrating the network.

Trump also tapped to be secretary of state Rex Tillerson, the former Exxon Mobil chief who received the Order of Friendship award from Putins government. At his confirmation hearing, Tillerson declined to say Putin had committed war crimes or approved the killing of opponents and journalists. He left open the possibility of lifting sanctions against Russia.

Happily, Trumps picks to run the Pentagon and CIA were more skeptical of Russia in testimony, but that potentially puts them at odds with their commander in chief.

Asked last week whether he agreed that Putin tried to help him win the election and whether he would rescind Obamas actions punishing Russia, Trump replied: If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability.

Clearly. And Putin, just as clearly, considers Trump an asset. The question is whether Trump is Putins asset because the Russian president controls the American presidents liabilities.
Kamiyah Mobley, the 18-year-old who was abducted as a newborn from a Florida hospital and raised by her kidnapper in a South Carolina home, may have reunited with her biological parents over the weekend  but the man who she called dad for her whole life says hell always be her father.

In a new interview with ABC News, Charles Manigo is opening up about the harsh reality of knowing the girl he believed to be his own daughter for 18 years was really another couples child.

Mobley was only hours old on July 10, 1998 when authorities say her alleged abductor Gloria Williams posed as a health care worker and took her from a Jacksonville, Florida, hospital maternity ward. According to local reports, Mobley was briefly given to Williams because her family believed she was a nurse, while hospital staff believed Williams was a relative.

Williams was arrested Friday at her home in Walterboro, South Carolina where she and Manigo had raised Mobley  whom he says they had named Alexis Kelly.

I named her  a name I had for a year, a tearful Manigo told ABC News.She was the love of my life.

He says his ex-girlfriend told him she gave birth to their daughter when he was away. The two continued to date until 2003, raising Mobley together and sharing custody after they split. He says he was there for her recent prom, among other milestones.

Manigo had no idea Mobley had been kidnapped. Her disappearance in 1998 made national news and continued to garner attention as it turned cold over the years. A series of leads via the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children led authorities to Mobley, authorities said  with DNA evidence confirming her true identity.

RELATED VIDEO: Newborn Stolen from Hospital 18 Years Ago Found Safe

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

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Williams, 51, is currently still in jail  charged with first-degree kidnapping and third-degree interference with custody. Mobley was not present at the time of her arrest but appeared in court in South Carolina on Friday afternoon, according to a First Coast News reporter, where she told told Williams she loved her and was praying for her.

I talk to her every day, Manigo said. The attention is overwhelming to her. Shes still processing everything. Its a shock to me, its a bigger shock to her.

One of the hardest things she said on Friday was, Dad I love you, even though she knows whats going on, he added.

Manigo said that even though hes not her biological father, he will always be there for Mobley. Shes still my child, he explained. I love her just as much  thats not going to change. Shes the love of my life. Shes my child.

Mobely and her biological family  father Craig Aiken and mother Shanara Mobley  reconnected on Saturday in a 45-minute private reunion at the Walterboro Police Department on Saturday, CBS affiliate WCSC reported.

First meeting was beautiful, it was wonderful, couldnt went no better, Craig Aiken told WCSC. She was glad to meet us.

He said hes still in shock  and told Mobley how much he loved her and missed her.

Its a feeling that you cant explain it, its hard to put it in words right now its hard to deal with this here right now, he added. We are just trying to process it, 18 years, its going to be hard to make that up.
Grandfather Fights Off Woman Attempting to Kidnap His Granddaughter at the Park: Police

A familys afternoon at the park took a frightening turn this weekend in Auburn, California, when police say a 3-year-old girls grandfather had to physically intervene to stop her abduction, PEOPLE confirms.

Lindsay Frasher, 28, is being held on $200,000 bail after being charged with a single kidnapping count in connection with the incident.

According to Auburn police, the girl and her sibling were near the duck pond at Ashford Park with their grandfather on Saturday when Frasher allegedly approached them.

Authorities tell PEOPLE that Frasher allegedly walked up to the little girl and called her by a different name before snatching her up  then the grandfather sprang into action, latching onto the little girl.

Frasher allegedly wouldnt let go, triggering what police described as a tug-of-war between her and the childs relative.

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

Others at the park witnessed what was happening and rushed to the grandfathers aid, helping thwart the alleged kidnapping attempt, police say.

The grandfather and several other park visitors managed to stop Frasher from allegedly fleeing. Police tell PEOPLE the group was able to restrain her until officers arrived at the scene.

The little girl did not sustain any injuries.

According to police, Frasher is not known to the childs family and did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of her arrest.

 Pick up PEOPLEs special edition True Crime Stories: Cases That Shocked America, on sale now, for the latest on Casey Anthony, JonBenet Ramsey and more.

Authorities declined to comment on whether Frasher has a mental illness.

It was unclear Tuesday if Frasher has entered a plea to the charge against her, and court records indicate she has yet to retain an attorney.




Photo credit: Geffen Pictures

From Esquire

We will do some crazy things to look and feel young. The latest bonkers trend is apparently replacing your blood supply with the blood of the young, vampire-style, for a mere $8,000.

Ambrosia, founded by entrepreneur Jesse Karamazin, is conducting a trial to study the effects of receiving blood and plasma from teens and young adults. The idea was inspired by studies on mice who had their veins conjoined that showed some effects of aging were reversed or accelerated when older mice received blood from young mice.

However, many say the study is poorly-designed and not scientific. Also, they claim there are ethics violations in running a study that requires participants to pay and that will generate up to $4.8 million in revenue for Ambrosia.

Furthermore, it is unclear if a one-time human blood transfusion could yield similar results to studies in mice where the mice shared blood for almost four weeks.

"People want to believe that young blood restores youth, even though we don't have evidence that it works in humans and we don't understand the mechanism of how mice look younger," Stanford University neuroscientist Tony Wyss-Coray told MIT Tech Review. "I think people are just attracted to it because of vampire stories."

[H/T MIT Tech Review]

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The war in Yemen has killed at least 10,000 people and injured 40,000, according to the U.N., whose Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed was in the port city of Aden this week to urge government and rebel leaders to cease hostilities.

The current political stalemate is causing death and destruction every day, Ahmed said, according to a U.N. press statement released Monday. The only way to stop this is through the renewal of the Cessation of Hostilities followed by consultations to develop a comprehensive agreement.

Yemens political elites have a responsibility to shield people from further harm, protect their countrys future and commit to a peaceful settlement, he added.

Read More: What You Need to Know About the Crisis in Yemen

The two-year conflict between Yemens government and the Houthi rebels escalated in March 2015 when Saudi Arabia intervened in support of the government. It has often been characterized  and sometimes oversimplified  as a proxy war between Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia.

While the Houthi rebels have also been accused of committing human rights violations, most civilian casualties have been blamed on the Saudis, the Guardian reports. Western powers, including the U.S. and U.K., have been sharply criticized for providing weapons, logistical support and intelligence to Saudi Arabia.

The U.N. revised its estimated death toll from an earlier figure of 6,000 up to 10,000 people back in August. On Monday, the U.N.s humanitarian aid official in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, confirmed the death toll of 10,000, saying it was derived from data collected by health facilities that have kept track of the victims of the war, according to the Associated Press, although the actual number could be much higher. It likely does not include most of combatants killed in the conflict.

U.N. officials also estimate that the war has displaced more than 3 million people with a further 19 million in need of humanitarian aid  80% of the population.
The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or graduate school search.

For many college applicants, the admissions process is a waiting game -- and being placed on a waitlist just adds to the suspense.

Being offered a spot on the waitlist means there's still a chance -- though a slim one -- of being admitted if space becomes available. Applicants can accept an offer to be placed on a waitlist if they are still interested in the school, or reject the offer if not. Only those who accept are considered for final admission.

Among the 286 ranked colleges that submitted these data to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average percentage of applicants wait-listed for fall 2015 was 10.5 percent. This figure includes applicants for early decision, early action and regular decision.

[Discover three college waitlist mistakes to avoid.]

But among the 10 schools with the highest proportion of wait-listed applicants, the average percentage was significantly higher: 37.8 percent.

Case Western Reserve University in Ohio tops the list, wait-listing 41.4 percent of applicants for fall 2015. Of the 9,446 applicants who fell into this category, 5,119 accepted their spots on the waitlist, and just 518 were ultimately accepted, U.S. News data show. Of the colleges on the list, Case Western also had the highest number of both total and wait-listed applicants.

At the 10 colleges on the list, an average of 43.8 percent of applicants who were offered a place on the waitlist accepted. Of those applicants, an average of just 8.4 percent were admitted. Lehigh University and Bryn Mawr College, both in Pennsylvania, accepted no students off their waitlists for fall 2015.

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Most of the schools on the list are either National Universities -- meaning that they offer a range of undergraduate majors plus master's and doctoral programs -- or National Liberal Arts Colleges, which emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.

[Learn more about applying to college.]

All but two of the colleges on the list also rank within the top 50 in their categories.

Below are the 10 colleges that had the highest percentage of applicants placed on a waitlist for fall 2015. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.

Don't see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find admissions data, complete rankings and much more. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.

U.S. News surveyed more than 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2016 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News' data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News' rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The admissions data above are correct as of Jan. 17, 2017.

Jordan Friedman is an online education editor at U.S. News. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at jfriedman@usnews.com.


More than a year after the deadly massacre at an office holiday party in San Bernardino, two survivors are speaking out about dealing with PTSD and survivor's guilt on a daily basis.

Read: A Dad of 6, an NFL Player's Cousin and a Woman Engaged to Be Wed: All 14 Victims Are Named

Fourteen people were killed and another 22 were injured after Syed Farook, 28, and his wife Tashfeen Malik, 29 shot more than 1,600 rounds of ammo at the gathering on December 2, 2015.

Ray Britain, 48, was working as an interim division chief for Environmental Health Services when he recalled the shooting in an interview with the syndicated daytime series, The Doctors.

"The door opened," he said. "The individual dressed in black and a ski mask, assault rifle, started spraying the room. I remembered the shock on peoples' faces."

Britain ended up escaping the scene and leaving to get help, yet the trauma of witnessing his friends and co-workers shot and killed was enough to leave a lasting effect.

"I've been formally diagnosed with PTSD," Britain said. "It's a rollercoaster of depression and anxiety and paranoia."

For Julie Piez, 50, a former environmental health inspector working in Ray's department, however, the scars were more visible.

"The first bullet shattered my pelvis, the second bullet went through my rectum," she recalled. "I thought this might be it. I was with two of my friends, and they both were killed."

While both their roads to recovery have been difficult, the one challenge they never expected to encounter was medical coverage.

Read: Heartbroken Relatives Pay Tribute to San Bernardino Victim at Her Funeral: 'She Was Our Soulmate'

Both Piez and Britain said their health insurance is not covering any treatment necessary as a result of that fateful day, and they are now fighting to have their bills covered through worker's compensation.

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"I think we all assumed we pay a lot of money for health insurance, and we'll be taken care of," Britain said. "Unfortunately, that didn't happen."

Tune in to The Doctors on Wednesday, January 18, to find out more about Britain and Piez's journey to recovery. Check local listings or visit their website for more information.

Watch: Noor Salman, Widow of Orlando Gunman Omar Mateen, Misled Cops to Help Husband: Indictment

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Among the victims of Miami's MLK celebration shooting were five juveniles, one aged just 11.

Shots rang out Monday afternoon at was supposed to be a Pan-African & Caribbean Family Festival to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., causing chaos near a park named for the civil rights leader.

Read: Widow of Orlando Massacre Shooter Arrested in San Francisco by FBI Agents, Charged with Aiding and Abetting

The Miami-Dade Police Department said the victims range in from age from 11 to 30 years old.

WSVN reporters at the scene said they heard between four and six shots just before 4 p.m.

After a stampede of frightened bystanders fled, a total of eight victims were reported injured. One of them, 20-year-old Jerome Battle, was critically injured.

The other shooting victims were identified as Michael Clarke, 30, Shawnteri Wilson, 18, Alfanesha Times, 17, Nakya-Senat Butler, 15 and Lajada Benson, 14. Two girls  13-year-old Keionna Green and 11-year-old Ciara Johnson  were reportedly grazed by a bullet.

At about 5:20 p.m., Miami-Dade police confirmed they had detained two people for questioning and recovered two weapons from the scene.

Read: Trooper Who Was 'Ambushed' on Highway Was Likely Saved by Armed Passerby

"I now can report that we have two people detained and are being questioned by our detectives," Detective Marjoria Eloi said, "And we have two firearms that have been detained."

Police had not identified the two people detained for questioning as of Tuesday morning.

"It is unknown if additional subjects are at large as this investigation continues to be very active," police said in a statement.

Watch: Cop Killed in Baton Rouge Ambush Wrote Chilling Post: I Get Nasty Hateful Looks

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When I started doing yoga, I obsessed over getting to class every day and mastering every pose. Sure, I dropped 40 pounds within two months, but I proceeded to injure myself and put the weight back on again. I felt depleted and inferior because I was comparing myself to the fit, more flexible students around me. I went from enjoying a newfound yoga practice to taking it too seriously to be healthy. It became self-destructive.

[See: How to Know If You're Exercising Too Much.]

Yoga should enhance your self-awareness and promote self-care. When you practice compulsively, you lose sight of why you are doing yoga in the first place. Don't live your life to do yoga. Instead, practice yoga to live your life to the fullest both on and off the mat. Here's how to tell whether you are taking your practice too seriously:

1. You are pessimistic.

A negative outlook on your yoga practice is a sign you're becoming rigid. It's easy to fall into the trap of nit-picking everything from your poses to your physical appearance. But when you are overly particular, you start to view everything from a place of scarcity, like nothing is good enough, rather than from a place of plenty, in which you're grateful for what you do have. To maintain a healthy yoga practice, it's important to be optimistic before being critical. The most fundamental teaching I offer is the concept of receiving yourself and life as it is, with all its imperfections, as a gift. It's a radical affirmation when you start to view the world through that lens. If you are cynical in yoga class, stop, take a deep breath and remember to be light-hearted.

2. You are obsessed with how you look.

How you align yourself in yoga poses makes all the difference in how efficient they are at opening up and healing your body. However, if you notice that you are constantly looking at yourself in the mirror while you practice in an attempt to find the perfect pose, you may be crossing the line. Every person's body is different; therefore, everyone looks different in his or her poses. Down dog looks completely different for a 6-foot-5-inch athlete than for a 5-foot retired school teacher. What's great about yoga is that everyone's experience is personal, yet it's just as beneficial for all practitioners. Shift your focus to how the poses feel, rather than how they look.

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3. You push through pain.

Agony is a sign that you're forcing yourself into poses you're not ready for. If you are in pain, you are no longer practicing yoga intelligently. You are just injuring yourself. There's a difference between challenging yourself to overcome some discomfort and hurting yourself. Do not push yourself to the point that you ignore sharp pain or burning. If you're not listening to your body's signals to back off, you need to take a step back. You should never feel pain in your joints, especially in your knees, elbows or ankles. Back out of the pose if you feel a twinge in your lower back. You should only get sensations in the belly of your muscles and not near the attachments. Depending on your history and body type, there are some poses in which you may not feel anything. Always focus on good technique.

[See: 7 Signs You Should Stop Exercising Immediately.]

4. You put off other responsibilities to practice.

If you insist on going to a yoga class while other, more pressing obligations get put on the back-burner, you are taking your yoga practice too seriously. Sometimes, your practice is showing up for your family, friends and the other people you love when they need you. If you find yourself casually skipping weddings, funerals, birthday celebrations or family events to take a yoga class, it's time to take a close look at where your priorities are. Remember, there are always options to practice at home or on your own. I am all for a committed practice of three to five times a week, but not at the expense of your adult responsibilities and relationships.

5. You suddenly lose weight.

Yoga is a great way to lose weight without losing your mind. If you attend classes regularly, you will start to resist sugary, fattening foods. When you do something that feels healthy for both your mind and body, it gives you a sense of accountability to continue to take care of yourself. Rapid weight loss is never healthy or sustainable. If you find yourself going to yoga and stepping on the scale more than a couple times a week, you are probably overemphasizing weight loss and not focusing enough on how you feel and actually look.

[See: How to Weigh Yourself the Right Way.]

6. You are becoming preachy.

Often yoga teachers and overly passionate students become so self-absorbed in their practices that they are unable to connect with others. It stems back to traditional yoga philosophy, which is based on an enlightenment model. In the traditional method, if you practice and live your life perfectly, you will transcend this earth. As far as I know, this concept isn't relatable or obtainable. A more progressive take on yoga philosophy is that your life is a gift, and it is perfect with all its imperfections. You should not be concerned with transcendence, perfection or achieving an other-worldly experience. If you act like you are better than others and speak down to people or use yoga jargon to communicate, you alienate people. If you are shaming others for not practicing yoga, you are only projecting your own insecurities. Yoga should be a way to bring you closer to others, not isolate you.
Eight men -- including the founders of both Microsoft (ticker: MSFT) and Amazon.com (AMZN) -- hold the same amount of money as half of the world, according to a report published this week by Oxfam International.

Bucking previous thought, the study found that there's even less money in the poorest half of the world, i.e. 3.6 billion people.

"It is mind-boggling that just eight men own as much wealth as the poorest half of the world's population, but that's the sobering reality of 2017," Paul O' Brien, Oxfam America's vice president for policy and campaigns, said, reports USA Today. "Such dramatic inequality is trapping millions in poverty, fracturing our societies and poisoning our politics."

The eight richest people include Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft ($75 billion); Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) ($60.8 billion); Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder, chairman and CEO ($45.2 billion); Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook (FB) chairman, CEO and co-founder ($44.6 billion); and Larry Ellison, Oracle (ORCL) co-founder and CEO ($43.6 billion). CNN Money points out that 89 percent of the 1,810 billionaires worldwide are male.

According to a news release, 70 percent of people inhabit a country where inequality grew the past 30 years.

Oxfam wants leaders to address the inequality or risk public outcry.

"Public anger with inequality is already creating political shockwaves across the globe," according to the same news release. "Inequality has been cited as a significant factor in the election of Donald Trump in the U.S., the election of President Duterte in the Philippines, and Brexit in the UK."

Oxfam determined the richest people data by examining Forbes' billionares list from March 2016 and took the global wealth distribution data from Credit Suisse Global Wealth Data book 2016.

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David Oliver is Associate Editor, Social Media at U.S. News & World Report. Follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, or send him an email at doliver@usnews.com.
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f350713%2f808254e8-9e57-4faf-95ca-1da4a8ce0d06

Chevy Chase, the quiet D.C. neighborhood soon to be home to Vice President-elect Mike Pence, is about to get really, really loud.

Activists behind WerkForPeace and #DisruptJ20 have joined together to plan a huge queer dance party outside of Pence's new home this Wednesday, Jan. 18th. Queer dancers and their allies will follow a dancing route through Pence's new neighborhood, hoping to get as close as possible to his home.

SEE ALSO: Can we please stop branding compassion as 'liberal elitism?'

"We have planned a route to dance through Pence's neighborhood and celebrate queerness, leaving behind traces of rainbow and glitter that he is bound to see and never forget," Firas Nasr, a representative from WerkForPeace, told Mashable in an email. "Our most important point is to celebrate our love for one another and our diversity through dance and self-expression. He will know we are there!"

Image: Jean van devanter White/werkforpeace

LGBTQ activists are deeply concerned about the vice president-elect's record on issues pertaining to the gay community. In the past, Pence expressed support for conversion therapy, a dangerous practice presently opposed by the American Medical Association.

Trump himself has promised to sign the First Amendment Defense Act, which would allow businesses, landlords and even hospitals to turn away LGBTQ people if their needs violate the owners' religious beliefs.

WerkForPeace wants to make its opposition known (and, in a welcome development, actually have fun at the same time). The group, organized after the Pulse nightclub massacre, has planned similar dances in the past. And members are expecting a large turnout for the Pence protest:

"Over 2,000 people have expressed interest, and nearly 500 people have [RSVPd] to come out and werrrkkk! Yas queen!" Nasr told Mashable.

Pence's new neighborhood hasn't exactly welcomed him with open arms. Previously, Pence's neighbors plastered the area with gay flags and signs that read "This Neighborhood Trusts Women." Pence has also expressed support for defunding Planned Parenthood and overturning Roe V. Wade.

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"We choose to bring the dance floor to the streets and assert that #WeAreHere and #WeWillDance. No longer will we remain silent about bigotry in our country, especially when it is occupying one of the highest positions in government. Instead, we choose to stand together and #werkforpeace," Nasr told Mashable.

Image: jean van dewanter white /werkforpeace

More details about the event can be found here.

BONUS: NBD, just a massive alligator out for a stroll
Paris (AFP) - Swedish researchers said Tuesday acupuncture "appears to reduce crying" in babies suffering from colic.

But their work was criticised by colleagues in the medical field, with one calling the study methodology "appalling".

A duo from the Lund University's medicine faculty tested the traditional Chinese needle-piercing remedy in a trial involving nearly 150 babies between two and eight weeks old.

They reported their results in the journal Acupuncture in Medicine, published by the BMJ -- formerly known as the British Medical Journal.

Compared to babies who did not undergo the needle treatment, infants who received acupuncture over two weeks exhibited "a significant relative reduction" in crying, the team found.

Such research can be controversial. Acupuncture is invasive, potentially painful, and its benefits are not universally accepted.

Organisations such as the British Medical Acupuncture Society says it is used to treat muscle and postoperative pain, as well as nausea.

But some think acupuncture's effects are that of a placebo, meaning people feel better because they believe it works. The National Institutes of Health, the main UN research agency, says there is "considerable controversy" around its value.

Colic affects as many as one in five families, and is diagnosed when a baby cries for more than three hours per day on more than three days per week.

Why it occurs is not well understood. Indigestion, trapped wind and intolerance to cows' milk have been identified as possible causes.

For the study, colicky babies were divided into three groups of 49.

One received "minimal" acupuncture treatment, while another was given up to five, 30-second needlings per session. The third group was not given any needle treatment.

"Significantly fewer infants who received acupuncture continued to cry/fuss excessively", the researchers concluded.

This suggested "acupuncture may be an effective treatment option" for babies crying more than three hours a day.

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- 'Sounds bizarre' -

Criticism of the study was harsh.

David Colquhoun, a professor of pharmacology at University College London, described the researchers' analysis of data as "incompetent" and "appalling".

The study "certainly doesn't show that it (acupuncture) works," he told the Science Media Centre.

"What parent would think that sticking needles into their baby would stop it crying? The idea sounds bizarre. It is."

Edzard Ernst from the University of Exeter said the study showed "almost the opposite of what the authors conclude".

"We know that colicky babies respond even to minimal attention, and this trial confirms that a little additional TLC" - Tender Loving Care -- "will generate an effect".

A total of 388 acupuncture treatments were performed on the babies, the authors reported.

On 200 occasions the infant did not cry at all after being pierced, 157 times they cried for up to a minute, and 31 times for more than that.

"The acupuncturists reported bleeding (a single drop of blood) on 15 occasions," the authors said.

The treatment "may be considered ethically acceptable" if it managed to reduce excessive crying in the longer term, they added.

The report did not indicate what acupuncture points were used.
Strasbourg (France) (AFP) - An affable and canny Italian politician, Antonio Tajani on Tuesday snagged the European Parliament's top job in a comeback of sorts for his mentor Silvio Berlusconi.

Silver-haired, sharp-suited and with a fondness for luxury watches, the 63-year-old pro-European conservative is well connected after a long spell in EU politics.

A good communicator in several foreign languages -- he speaks French, English and Spanish -- he "speaks a lot but never says anything," one parliamentary source joked.

Formerly a journalist with Italy's Rai television and Il Giornale newspaper, Tajani is a founding member of Berlusconi's Forza Italia.

He has long spread the former Italian premier's influence in the centre-right European People's Party, the biggest bloc in the European Union's only elected body.

Tajani strictly follows Berlusconi's dress code and style: dark suit, discreet tie, firm handshake and fresh breath.

His election is a setback for Manfred Weber, the head of the EPP group. "Tajani was not his candidate. He is too controversial because of his links with industry, too branded by Berlusconi," an aide to Weber told AFP.

Weber's favourite was former French minister Alain Lamassoure but the EPP voted by secret ballot and the Frenchman was swept aside amid the distrust of German lawmakers, the aide said.

"Antonio Tajani won because he was always loyal and because each elected member knew him personally," German member of the European Parliament Andreas Schwab told AFP.

- He knows everyone -

Tajani's greatest strength is he knows just about everyone not only in the 751-seat parliament, where he has been since 1994, but also in the European Commission, the executive of the 28-nation EU.

He served as EU transport commissioner in 2008-10 and then as industry commissioner in 2010-14.

"He has done favours for an enormous number of people and many elected members owe him," an EPP official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

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When he was a member of the EU executive, Tajani boasted he was Spain's second commissioner because the socialist Joaquin Almunia -- then in the Jose Manuel Barroso team - was a strong opponent of Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy, a conservative.

"He has really no enemies. Tajani is an affable networker," another official said.

However, he recently ran into heavy flak over his handling of the Volkswagen "Dieselgate" pollution cheating scandal.

Meanwhile EU parliamentarians have remarked on the irony of a Berlusconi disciple replacing Germany's Martin Schulz, whose political career was effectively launched by a clash with the former Italian premier.

Berlusconi once compared Schulz to a Nazi concentration camp "kapo" after the German had alluded to tycoon-turned-politician Berlusconi's business affairs. Schulz then won praise for his dignified response.

Tajani will however seek to differentiate himself from his predecessor, who made the job of European Parliament head far more powerful and prominent that it had ever been.

"We don't need a powerful president of the European parliament. We need a strong European Parliament," Tajani said.

"I am a consensus man. I want to be president of all the members of parliament."
Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - At least 52 aid workers and civilians were killed on Tuesday when an air force jet accidentally bombed a camp in northeast Nigeria instead of Boko Haram militants, medical charity MSF said.

The incident happened at about 9:00 am (0800 GMT) in Rann, in the far north of Borno state, the epicentre of the jihadists' insurgency, as food was being distributed to displaced people.

There was no official death toll from the military, which blamed "the fog of war" for the mistake, but one senior commander described the casualties from the air strike as "huge".

One local resident, Abba Abiso, told AFP: "At least 25 were killed and many more injured."

The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said "at least 120 people were wounded and 52 killed following today's bombing", calling the attack "shocking and unacceptable."

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said six Nigerian Red Cross members were among those killed while 13 others were injured.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement he "received with regret" news of the bombing and said he sympathised with the families of the dead and injured.

The bombing comes as Nigeria's military claims further gains against the Islamic State group affiliate, pushing them out of captured territory and their remote bases in Borno.

Last month, the army said the conflict was in its final stages after nearly eight years of violence that has killed at least 20,000 and left more than 2.6 million others homeless.

- 'Fog of war' -

Nigerian Army Major General Lucky Irabor, who heads operations against the militants, said the air force had been given coordinates of "Boko Haram terrorists" in the Kala-Balge area.

"Unfortunately the strike was conducted but it turned out that the locals somewhere in Rann were affected," he told reporters at a briefing in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.

Irabor did not give casualty figures but said local staff from MSF and the ICRC were among those wounded.

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"These are the result of fog of war," he added. "It is unfortunate. That is the reason why this war must come to an end."

Defence spokesman Rabe Abubakar in Abuja described the incident as "a mistake", adding: "We are actually in grief. It's unfortunate and it's really not intended."

Rann resident Abba Abiso suggested the error occurred as the military was targeting rebel fighters who had been flushed out of Boko Haram camps in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno.

"In recent weeks Boko Haram has moved base to Kala from Sambisa Forest and obviously a military jet mistook Rann for Kala and bombarded, killing many civilians," he added.

MSF and the ICRC said its teams were trying to provide emergency first aid at its facility in the camp and were stabilising patients to evacuate the wounded from the scene.

But Jean-Clement Cabrol, MSF's director of operations, condemned the error.

"This large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable. The safety of civilians must be respected," he said.

- Previous blunders -

Northeast Nigeria and particularly Borno state has faced severe food shortages as a result of the conflict and food distribution is vital, particularly in hard-to-reach rural areas.

In November last year, the United Nations warned that 75,000 children risked starving to death within months in the region if nothing was done.

Accidental bombings have occurred in the past: in March 2014 an air force jet killed five and wounded several others when it mistakenly hit Kayamla village in the Konduga area of Borno.

The fighter jet mistook the village for a Boko Haram camp during a night raid.

In January that year, the convoy of a Nigerian senator was fired on by an air force jet which mistook the six-vehicle convoy under police and military escort for Boko Haram fighters.

No one was hurt and the military described the incident as an "operational blunder".
We have all seen futuristic movies or read sci-fi books that feature flying cars that zoom and swerve in the skies, leaving behind the congestion of the urban sprawls below. And one company is working toward making that a reality in a not-too-distant future.

French aerospace giant Airbus, commonly known for building airplanes, has been working on a flying car since mid-2016. Called Vahana (a Sanskrit word that means the vehicle of gods), it is meant to be a self-piloted flying vehicle platform for individual passenger and cargo transport. The project is a part of the companys A^3 division, located in Silicon Valley, California.

In a statement, A^3 CEO Rodin Lyasoff said flight tests for the first Vahana prototype are expected at the end of 2017.

Many of the technologies needed, such as batteries, motors and avionics are most of the way there, Lyasoff said, but warned that the biggest challenge was to develop technology that would allow the vehicle to sense and avoid potential collisions. The self-driving technology is still being developed for cars that drive on roads, and no such solution exists for airborne travel.

And speaking Monday at the DLD digital tech conference in Munich, Germany, Airbus CEO Tom Enders reaffirmed that timeline. He said the company was eager to invest in new technologies such as autonomous driving and artificial intelligence, and be at the forefront in the era of flying cars.

One hundred years ago, urban transport went underground, now we have the technological wherewithal to go above ground. We are in an experimentation phase, we take this development very seriously, Enders reportedly said.

He added that using the sky for cars would save costs spent on building and maintaining roads and bridges, and also said that the technology behind the Vahana project would have to be one that doesnt further pollute already congested cities.

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Al Sharpton (MSNBC)

The Rev. Al Sharpton says he agrees with Rep. John Lewis view that the election of Donald Trump was not legitimate.

Theres no question that the process that elected him was not legitimate, Sharpton said in an appearance on MSNBC Monday night.

The activist and talk-show host said evidence collected by U.S. intelligence agencies showing the Russian governments interference during the campaign clearly raises serious questions about Trumps victory.

ICYMI: Rev. Al Sharpton: Process That Elected Trump Was Not Legitimate https://t.co/iNMn3G4z9N via @msnbc  Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) January 17, 2017

Late last week, Lewis told NBCs Chuck Todd that he is planning to boycott Trumps inauguration because the Kremlins apparent intrusion in the U.S. election delegitimizes Trumps victory.

I dont see this president-elect as a legitimate president, Lewis said.

In response, Trump fired off a series of tweets saying Lewis  a civil rights icon who was beaten while marching in Selma, Ala., in 1965  was all talk and should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested).

Sharpton said Trumps tweets showed disrespect by attacking a living icon.

To come from John Lewis, a man who was beaten on the bridge in Selma, Ala., to get the Voting Rights Act, that opened up the voting rights process to everyone  he has some blood in this, Sharpton said. You should not take lightly his view at all.

He claimed he was going to give a new deal to black Americans, Sharpton said of Trump. Is this the new deal? When you disparage one of our living icons? Is this the new deal, when you disparage a congressional district? I think that the president-elect needs to take a long, hard look at the fact that hes a few days of being inaugurated and hes got to fulfill the commitment that he will be a bigger person.

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Read more from Yahoo News:
An American college student was among five people killed when gunshots broke out during a rave at a Mexico beach resort early Monday, according to reports.

Alejandra Villanueva, 18, was out partying at the Blue Parrot nightclub in Playa Del Carmen when a gunman entered the club and opened fire at about 2:30 a.m.

Read: Great-Grandmother and Volunteer Firefighter Among Those Killed in Ft. Lauderdale Shooting

Villanueva and four others were killed. Fifteen bystanders were injured, according to reports.

The suspect then fled. He has not yet been captured, according to reports, and authorities have ruled out terrorism.

Mass choas broke out during the shooting causing a stampede of people and Villanueva was reportedly trampled to death, according to CBS.

A man, who had gotten to know Villanueva while she was on the vacation from Colorado, said the teen had died right next to him.

I met Alejandra during the festival in Playa Del Carmen and she [hung] out with our group of friends for the past three days, Ignacio Valencia wrote on Facebook. She was a person full of life Unfortunately, she passed away next to me during the shooting. My heart is broken in pieces.

Valencia said Villanueva was in college to be a teacher.

The teens brother, Aaron Martinez, started a GoFundMe for his sisters funeral services

Alejandra was currently in college and working, Martinez wrote on the donation page. She is who sustained a home of a single mother with two younger siblings due to my mom being very ill. She was very young with a life ahead of her, Martinez wrote.

Authorities reportedly think that the shooting may be linked to the drug cartel, Los Zetas, and their claim to new territory, according to reports.

Read: Teacher Describes Moment She Was Saved by Complete Stranger During Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooting

Three security guards were also reportedly among the dead, but police have not released names.

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The BPM Festival, which was hosting its 10th and final night of electronic music at the club when the shooting took place, released a statement in the aftermath of the tragedy.

We are overcome with grief over this senseless act of violence and we are cooperating fully with local law enforcement and government officials as they continue their investigation, organizers said in a statement. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and their families and all those affected by these tragic events.

Watch: Dad Dies Shielding Son From Gunman In Targeted Shooting That Killed 2 Children

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The organizers and participants in the Sunday rally to support the Affordable Care Act are to be commended.

While the Republicans are the primary angels of death in the American health-care system, the tragedy of health care in America is a bipartisan tale.

Late last week, 13 Democratic senators aligned with a majority of Republicans to kill a bill sponsored by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobucher to lower the price of prescription medications.

Thirteen Democratic senators betrayed their constituents and voted to deny affordable medication to families. One of those senators, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., has received $250,000 in campaign contributions from Big Pharma.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the opioid epidemic, the price of the medication naloxone, which can save overdosed people, has seen price increases of 1,000 percent. That is not a typo -- literally 1,000 percent. Ghoulish price gouging as an average of 134 fellow Americans die of overdose daily.

The ACA has problems and successes, but bottom line, only a single-payer system is going to give everyone the medical care they need for the common good of us all. It will take people of compassion and conscience of both parties to break the bipartisan unholy alliance of both parties with Big Pharma and the insurance industry lobby.
Getty Image

It seems like everyone wants a piece of Conor McGregor. For many of the fighters in the UFC, you cant blame them. A fight with McGregor is the famed red panty night, a guaranteed payout that takes you from the hard working but underpaid ranks of the roster and puts you in a position to never have to worry about money again. But now even the top guys who are up there with McGregor for pay are calling McGregor out. In the latest example of this, Anderson Silva says he wants a piece of the Irish fighter.

Silva has just stepped back into the spotlight due to his last minute addition to Februarys UFC 209 card, which needed some starpower to add to its inaugural womens featherweight fight between Holly Holm and Germaine De Randamie. Anderson called the UFC up when Jon Jones was pulled off UFC 200, and who knows  maybe he called them up and offered his services for UFC 209 as well. Now hes offering to fight McGregor as well.

Related Links:





Now that Im old, Im beginning to challenge everyone, Silva told Brazilian outlet Globo. I want to beat this dwarf  whats the boys name again? McGregor. It is not provocation. Its just that I forget, Im old. Old men know what its like. I have this urge to test myself against him. I think hes a guy who has an unusual ability. I do not know if he would reach a weight of 178 pounds, which is the weight I can get to, but its a guy Id like to test myself before I end my career.

Thats 8 pounds heavier than the weight McGregor fought Nate Diaz at, and as many have noted, Diaz is regularly a lightweight fighter while Anderson Silva has jumped between middleweight and light heavyweight over the course of his career. Hes a guy that welterweight slab of muscle Georges St. Pierre never had the stones to fight on account of his superior size, and now hes challenging the UFC lightweight champion?

Still, as crazy as it sounds, nothing is impossible when it comes to Conor McGregor. Just throwing your name into the McGregor conversation isnt a bad idea, because his opponents have a bad habit of pulling out last second and hes always on the lookout for the biggest money / hype replacement fight. McGregor may love the fight just because it is so crazy. Legacy wise, what could be better than taking out the consensus pound for pound great of the last decade, nearly three classes up from the featherweight division McGregor started in?

(via Champions.co)
LONDON (Reuters) - The British Antarctic Society is recalling scientists from its Halley VI polar research base in March after a fissure developed in the ice sheet. The decision was taken after a huge crack appeared in the Brunt Ice Shelf, just 10 miles away from the Halley VI research station. "We want to do the right thing for our people, said Captain Tim Stocking, Director of Operations at the British Antarctic Society (BAS). "Bringing them home for winter is a prudent precaution given the changes that our glaciologists have seen in the ice shelf in recent months." There are currently 88 scientists stationed at the Halley VI research centre, which monitors climate data and played a key role in discovering the ozone hole in 1986. The station is currently undergoing a process of relocation, after a fissure - once thought to be dormant  began encroaching on the base in 2012, advancing a mile every year. But the new site is faced with another huge chasm, which developed in October 2016. Scientists from the center have been monitoring the chasms development but cannot be sure whether a large iceberg will "calve, splitting away from the main ice shelf. According to the BAS, the risk of this happening is low and the decision to pull scientists form the research station was made as a precautionary measure. If the ice fractured during summer months, an evacuation could be swiftly mounted. But the forthcoming Antarctic winter complicates things, bringing 24-hour darkness and frozen seas, making evacuation an extremely complex process. Scientists will return to their duties at the research center once winter has passed. (Reporting by Luke Bridges; editing by Stephen Addison)
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. 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.

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"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.

Editor's Recommendations
Sarah Palin isn't blaming a recent fatal shooting at a Florida airport on "Mexican Muslims" despite the claims of a story being shared on social media.

The story posted by Newslo's politicono.com falsely quotes the former Republican vice presidential candidate as saying it was President Barack Obama's "policy of allowing Mexican Muslims to walk freely on our streets that has caused so much death and destruction recently, including this latest incident which has taken five innocent lives."

Palin's attorney John Tiemessen says the quote and others attributed to her in the story are fabricated.

Five people were killed and six others were injured when a gunman opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Jan. 6. Esteban Santiago was charged in the shootings. Santiago is a U.S. citizen born in New Jersey and raised in Puerto Rico.

Newslo describes itself as a "hybrid News/Satire platform."

Like many of its articles, the story on Palin allows readers to display the story with or without facts highlighted. When a reader clicks "show facts," the quotes attributed to Palin are not highlighted.

___

This story is part of an ongoing Associated Press effort to fact-check claims in suspected false news stories.
By Tom Hals

WILMINGTON, Del (Reuters) - Education Management Corp scored a victory in its fight against an investor opposed to its $1.5 billion debt-cutting plan on Tuesday, when a U.S. appeals court overturned a decision in a closely watched case involving creditors' rights.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Manhattan said a lower court erred in its ruling that a Depression-era law, the Trust Indenture Act, barred Education Management's plan to restructure its debt.

The appeals court also said the holdout creditor opposing the debt-cutting plan, Marblegate Asset Management LLC, could pursue its right to repayment by suing Education Management. However, the court said Marblegate could not invoke the Trust Indenture Act to retain an "absolute and unconditional" right to payment.

The dispute stems from Education Management's business of providing post-secondary education at Argosy University and the Art Institutes campuses, which ran into severe financial problems. The company needed to cut its debt without filing for bankruptcy, which would have caused it to lose access to federal student loan programs.

Creditors holding 98 percent of the liabilities agreed to swap their loans and bonds for new debt and equity in the company, according to the court ruling. Lenders would get about 55 percent of the $1.3 billion they were owed, and investors holding $217 million in notes would get a 33 percent recovery.

To carry out the deal over Marblegate's opposition, the company's lenders foreclosed on Education Management's assets. They then sold them to an Education Management subsidiary and divided ownership of the unit.

Marblegate still had the legal right collect, but those claims were brought against a corporate parent without assets.

Marblegate sued to force Education Management to pay in full, invoking the Trust Indenture Act.

U.S. District Judge Katherine Failla in Manhattan ruled in 2015 that the company violated that law by undermining Marblegate's practical ability to collect on its debt.

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Education Management appealed, saying the law only guaranteed a legal right to a payment, not the ability to collect.

Judges Jose Cabranes and Raymond Lohier, in a 42-page opinion agreed, citing in large part the law's legislative history.

Judge Chester Straub filed a separate 16-page dissent.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce had warned in a friend-of-court filing that the lower court ruling expanded the law to ban out-of-court restructurings supported by a majority of bondholders.

(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The racket had it coming. It had been annoying him for some time and deserved it, according to Alexander Zverev. So the 19-year-old German took matters into his own hands and smashed it twice into the Hisense Arena ground at the start of the fourth set in his Australian Open first round clash with Robin Haase on Tuesday. It worked. The cathartic release ended a flurry of unforced errors and double faults flying off his racket and enabled him to fight back and advance to the second round with a 6-2 3-6 5-7 6-3 6-2 victory over the 29-year-old Dutchman. "I think letting my frustration out in the beginning of the fourth helped me a little bit," Zverev told reporters. "Sometimes you just have to let go." Prior to that outburst, Zverev, considered one of the best players among the 'Generation Next' of athletes on the men's circuit, had been facing the real possibility of an early exit after he lost the second and third sets and been broken early in the fourth. He didn't like the thought of that. "If you're down two sets to one and 2-love ... there are thoughts going through your head a little bit," he said. "But I kept playing, and I knew I had to keep playing and try my best. "Obviously getting that first break back in the fourth set, I really felt like I could still do it. That's how it went then (and) I'm happy to get out of that." The gangly Zverev, who made two finals last year and won the St. Petersburg title with victory over Stan Wawrinka, added he felt that he had Tuesday's match won when it entered the fifth set. "I think the mental battle, if you can call it that, was more in the fourth set when I broke him back, and then I broke him right again to win the set," he said. "I think he broke down a little bit then. He got a little bit tired, I thought. His energy went down. "I don't know if that's because he's tired or if because he lost the fourth set where he may have thought he should have won. But I picked it up and I played great the fifth set." (Writing by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Los Angeles (AFP) - President-elect Donald Trump was hit with a defamation lawsuit on Tuesday by a former contestant on his reality television show "The Apprentice," who had previously accused him of sexual misconduct.

Summer Zervos's lawsuit claims that Trump -- set to become the 45th US president on Friday -- lied when responding to allegations that he tried to kiss and grope her without her consent.

Trump is a "liar and misogynist" who has "debased and denigrated Zervos with false statements about her," the lawsuit says.

The Republican president-elect, who faced a spate of sexual misconduct accusations in the weeks leading up to the election, has previously denied any wrongdoing and vowed to sue the more than a dozen women behind the claims.

"All of these liars will be sued after the election is over," Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania in October. He has yet to file suit.

Zervos's attorney Gloria Allred said her client -- who previously said she would not take any legal action against the president-elect if he did not sue and if he retracted his comments -- had a change of heart as Trump has shown no remorse for his alleged behavior and had "lied" further to cover it up.

The longtime women's rights attorney said her 42-year-old client had passed a lie detector test concerning her allegations before filing the suit.

- 'No one above the law' -

"It takes a great deal of courage to sue the most powerful man on the planet," Allred told reporters at a news conference in Los Angeles, adding that Zervos was well aware of the risks she was taking by going after Trump.

"No one is above the law, including the president-elect," she said.

In a statement read to reporters, Zervos said she would be willing to drop the case if Trump agreed to retract his comments about her and if he acknowledged she had told the truth about their encounter.

Zervos last year revealed that Trump had made unwanted sexual advances toward her when she met him at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles in 2007 to discuss career opportunities.

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Trump moved toward her aggressively during the encounter and touched her on the breast but she rebuffed him, she alleged.

Zervos and several other women who made similar allegations came forward after a 2005 videotape of Trump bragging about groping women surfaced in early October.

The president-elect claimed his comments on the tape were "locker-room banter," and denounced the sex assault allegations as lies and fabricated stories.

Should Zervos's case go to trial, it could open a can of worms for Trump as it may lead to the release of long-sought outtakes from his 14 seasons on "The Apprentice."

"We would certainly seek any and all information and documents, recordings etc, which may be relevant to the litigation of our lawsuit," Allred said.

The former reality TV show contestant is asking for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages should her suit go to trial.

There was no immediate reaction on Tuesday from Trump -- who often takes to Twitter to publicize his opinion on specific issues -- or his transition team concerning the suit.
Paris (AFP) - Alex Thomson nibbled away again at Armel "The Jackal" Le Cleac'h's lead in the Vendee Globe solo round the world race on Tuesday but was running desperately low on time to overhaul the Frenchman.

Thomson, looking to become the first Briton to win the gruelling race in its 27-year history, has been shaving down his rival's lead in recent days, during which he even set a 24-hour speed record for distance covered in a single hulled yacht.

But Le Cleac'h has steadied his Banque Populaire VIII and at 1700 GMT had a lead of 58 nautical miles as they raced towards the French coast and the finishing line.

The race winner is expected to cross the line between 1100 and 1300 GMT on Thursday, which would be a record fast time.

With the wind having dropped, the Frenchman was still under pressure to keep the dogged Thomson in his Hugo Boss vessel at bay as they steered towards the English Channel, where northeasterly winds await.

Thomson has been fighting to close the gap for 45 days since Le Cleac'h ended the Briton's brief spell at the head of the race which embarked from the French west coast November 6.

Le Cleac'h is straining to go one better than two runner-up showings and those who know him think he will not let the chance of glory slip, having already endured more than 72 testing days at sea.

"They don't call Armel 'The Jackal' for nothing. He is a few miles ahead and I think he won't let our British friend pass," said Conrad Colman, standing 10th with Foresight Natural Energy.

"Alex is plugging away and coming back very strongly but I think that Armel has what it takes to defend his lead," added Fabrice Amedeo, 11th in Newrest-Matmut. "It'll be tight -- but he will hold on."

Leading positions Tuesday at 1700 GMT:

1. Armel Le Cleac'h (FRA/Banque populaire VIII) at 459 nautical miles from the finish

2. Alex Thomson (GBR/Hugo Boss) at 57.5 nm behind the leader

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3. Jeremie Beyou (FRA/Maitre Coq) at 816.1

4. Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA/StMichel-Virbac) at 1,714

5. Jean Le Cam (FRA/Finistere Mer Vent) at 1,833.7

6. Yann Elies (FRA/Queguiner-Leucemie Espoir) at 1,835.2

7. Louis Burton (FRA/Bureau Vallee) at 2,904.7

8. Nandor Fa (HUN/Spirit of Hungary) at 4,578.9

9. Eric Bellion (FRA/CommeUnSeulHomme) at 5,159.9

10. Conrad Colman (NZL/Foresight Natural Energy) at 5,221.8
The number of international tourists rose by four percent worldwide to 1.2 billion in 2016 as Asians travelled more, but security fears hit visitor arrivals in Europe, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) said Tuesday.

The number of people living in Asia and discovering both their own region and the rest of the world rose eight percent compared to 2015, the Madrid-based body said.

The Asia-Pacific area, meanwhile, proved a popular destination -- the second most visited region after Europe.

But the UN body cautioned that while still blessed with 620 million tourists last year, the growth in the number of visitors to Europe had slowed due to security concerns.

WTO chief Taleb Rifai told reporters the results in Europe varied widely from one country to the next.

He refused to give a much-anticipated ranking of the most visited countries, saying this would be unveiled later.

In 2015, France ranked number one, followed by the United States and Spain.
By Tom Westbrook and Jonathan Barrett SYDNEY (Reuters) - The deep-sea search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 ended on Tuesday without any trace being found of the plane that vanished in 2014 with 239 people on board, the three countries involved in the search said. The location of Flight MH370 has become one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries since the plane, a Boeing 777, disappeared en route to Beijing from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. "Despite every effort using the best science available ... the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," Malaysian, Australian and Chinese authorities said in a statement. "The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness." The last search vessel left the area on Tuesday, the three countries said, after scouring the 120,000-sq-km (46,000-sq-mile) area of the Indian Ocean sea floor that has been the focus of the almost-three-year search. Malaysia, Australia and China agreed in July to suspend the $145 million search if the plane was not found, or if new evidence that might offer a clue as to its whereabouts was not uncovered, once that area had been checked. Australia last month dismissed an investigators' recommendation to shift the search further north, saying that no new evidence had emerged to support that. Since the crash, there have been competing theories over whether one, both or no pilots were in control, whether it was hijacked - or whether all aboard perished and the plane was not controlled at all when it hit the water. Adding to the mystery, investigators believe someone may have deliberately switched off the plane's transponder before diverting it thousands of miles out over the Indian Ocean. A next-of-kin support group called Voice 370 said in a statement investigators could not leave the matter unsolved. "In our view, extending the search to the new area defined by the experts is an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interest of aviation safety," Voice 370 said. Most of the passengers were from China. TRACES A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, asked about the end of the search, said China placed great importance on the search and had actively participated in it alongside Australia and Malaysia. The spokeswoman did not elaborate. Malaysia Airlines (MAS) said the hunt had been "thorough and comprehensive" and it "stands guided by the decision of the three governments to suspend the search". "MAS remains hopeful that in the near future, new and significant information will come to light and the aircraft would eventually be located," it said. Boeing said it accepted the conclusion of the authorities leading the search. Malaysia and Australia have contributed the bulk of search financing. Malaysia holds ultimate responsibility given Malaysia Airlines is registered there. The aircraft is thought to have crashed west of Australia, placing it in its maritime zone of responsibility. Grace Nathan, whose mother, Anne Daisy, was on the plane said the governments should consider the recommendation to search an additional 25,000 square kilometres. "If money is a concern, prioritise within this area," Nathan said. In China, Jiang Hui, whose mother was also on board the flight, said he felt "disappointed, helpless and angry" because the search had been ended "purely due to a funding shortage". "The 370 incident is the most important thing in my life," he said, referring to the flight number. The only confirmed traces of the plane have been three pieces of debris found washed up on the island country Mauritius, the French island Reunion and an island off Tanzania. As many as 30 other pieces of wreckage found there and on beaches in Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa are suspected to have come from the plane. The engineering group leading the search, Fugro has raised the prospect someone could have glided the aircraft outside of the defined search zone to explain why it has not been found. A Fugro representative was not immediately available for comment. Twelve of the 239 on board were crew. According to the flight manifest, 152 passengers were Chinese, 50 Malaysian, seven Indonesian, six Australian, five Indian, four French and three were American. (Reporting by Tom Westbrook and Jonathan Barrett in SYDNEY. Additional reporting by Rozanna Latiff in KUALA LUMPUR and Christian Shepherd in BEIJING; Editing by Robert Birsel)
The massive underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was called off Tuesday, leaving unsolved one of the most enduring mysteries of the aviation age.

Nearly three years after the airliner vanished, distraught relatives refused to accept the idea that the 239 passengers and crew might now never be found after the failure of one of the most expensive undersea operations ever.

"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," said a statement from Australia, China and Malaysia.

"Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended."

The Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.

An initial search focused on an area east of peninsular Malaysia, but attention soon shifted to the west when it emerged the plane had changed course and headed into the Indian Ocean -- just as its communications equipment had been switched off.

The information spawned speculation that the plane had been hijacked or rerouted, but little supporting evidence could be produced and conspiracy theories abounded.

Investigators later focused their search on a 120,000 square kilometre (46,000 square mile) area to the west of Australia.

The area was determined based on scant clues available from satellite "pings" and calculations of how much fuel was on board, which suggested the plane had ditched in the southern Indian Ocean.

Deep water search specialists scoured the ocean floor at depths of up to several thousand metres (feet) for almost two years before declaring they had done as much as they could.

Malaysia Airlines hailed the search effort as "thorough and comprehensive", adding it was hopeful "new and significant information will come to light and the aircraft would eventually be located".

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- Unprecedented scale -

Relatives lashed out at the announcement, with campaign group Voice370 calling on authorities to prolong the hunt, which has cost upwards of $135 million.

"In our view, extending the search to the new area defined by the experts is an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interest of aviation safety," Voice370 said in a statement.

"Commercial planes cannot just be allowed to disappear without a trace."

Many relatives have repeatedly complained about the lack of a coordinated search in the western Indian Ocean and along the African coast, where three pieces of debris confirmed to have come from the stricken plane have been found.

Search coordinators countered that oceanic drift patterns were consistent with debris making its way from the presumed crash site to the western fringes of the Indian Ocean.

The search for MH370 was on an unprecedented scale and in one of the world's remotest locations, where winds tear up north from Antarctica whipping up mountainous seas.

The lack of a final resting place for MH370 has spawned numerous ideas, including that it was a hijacking or terror plot. The jet's captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah also came under scrutiny, although investigations on him have turned up nothing.

A. Amirtham, 62, whose only son S. Puspanathan was on board MH370, spoke of the pain she and her husband G. Subramaniam have endured over the years.

"Deep down in my heart, I believe he is alive," she told AFP in Kuala Lumpur.

"How can they stop the search when they have not found the plane? I am sad and confused because I just do not know if my son is dead or alive."

China's Jiang Hui, whose mother Jiang Cuiyun was also on MH370, said he was disappointed and angry that the search was being halted now.

"We believe that the main reason for stopping the investigation is a lack of funds," he told AFP.

"It is not because human technology cannot get results. It is not because each country has done their best."

- 'Backbone' -

The end of the search, which had been a joint operation by the governments of Australia, Malaysia and China, was flagged months ago, with authorities saying in the absence of significant new information there was nothing more to go on.

AirlineRatings.com editor Geoffrey Thomas said it was possible the search could continue if it was privately funded, as he warned that the failure to extend the search could fuel conspiracy theories.

"It's highly likely that someone in the world will see the value in finding this aeroplane to bring closure for the relatives," he told AFP.

"But also from the aviation point of view, of finding out what happened to the aeroplane because the 777 is the backbone of the world's fleet."
BEIJING (AP)  Baidu Inc., which operates China's most popular Internet search engine, said Tuesday it has hired a former Microsoft executive and artificial intelligence specialist to improve its competitiveness in the field.

The Beijing-based company said Qi Lu was named group president and chief operating officer in charge of products, technology and sales. Qi, who has a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, previously was Microsoft Corp.'s global executive vice president.

"With Dr. Lu on board, we are confident that our strategy will be executed smoothly and Baidu will become a world-class technology company and global leader in Ai," said Baidu chairman Robin Li in a statement.

Chinese Internet companies are spending heavily to develop new services and technology as they try to retain users who are shifting rapidly to going online via mobile phones and tablet computers.

Baidu is testing autonomous vehicles in China, hoping to cut road congestion. Last year it joined with Ford Motor to invest in Velodyne, a company that makes laser sensors that help guide self-driving cars.
Miami (AFP) - A US judge on Tuesday ordered the Iraq war vet accused of shooting five people dead in a Florida airport be held without bail as his court case proceed.

Esteban Santiago, who also wounded six people in his January 6 shooting spree at the Fort Lauderdale airport, told investigators that he had been visiting "the dark web" to communicate with jihadists and members or sympathizers of the Islamic State group, the local Sun Sentinel newspaper reported.

Santiago appeared handcuffed and wearing the red jumpsuit of a maximum security prisoner to answer questions Tuesday in the court of US judge Lurana Snow.

The day of the incident the accused gunman had arrived in Fort Lauderdale -- a city some 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Miami -- on a one-way ticket from Alaska.

Soon after landing around noon that day Santiago retrieved a 9mm handgun and ammunition that he had declared and packed in his checked luggage, then opened fire in Terminal 2 of the busy airport until he ran out of ammunition.

Then he dropped to the ground and peacefully surrendered to a sheriff's deputy.

Prosecutor Ricardo Del Toro told the judge that at various points Santiago "said he carried out the attack because of government mind control," the Sun-Sentinel reported.

However "he later said he did so because of ISIL ... after participating in jihadi chat rooms."

On November 7, the same month in which Santiago left his job with an Alaska security firm, Santiago walked into the FBI's Anchorage office complaining that his mind was being controlled by national intelligence agencies, which were forcing him to watch IS group videos, authorities said.

This "erratic behavior" led agents to contact local police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, FBI agent George Piro told reporters last week.

Santiago will be formally charged with crimes - the most serious of which carries the death penalty - on January 30.

Santiago was born in New Jersey and grew up in Puerto Rico. A former member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard, he served in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011 and ended his service in August.

Currently Santiago is being held in solitary confinement under suicide watch at the main Broward County jail.
Washington (AFP) - Throughout his presidency, Barack Obama -- an eloquent and talented orator with undeniable charisma -- has taken particular care in the writing of his speeches, several of which have marked milestones in his White House tenure.

"Some of the craft of writing a good speech is identical to any other good writing," he told The New York Times in an interview published Monday.

"Is that word necessary? Is it the right word? Is there a rhythm to it that feels good? How does it sound aloud?"

For Obama's chief speechwriter Cody Keenan, each address is "a way to tell a story," and the balancing act each time is to offer a vision on an issue without getting trapped by the "very real danger of being out of touch."

"There were arguments internally in the early years of the administration about how optimistic and forward looking you could get in economic speeches when unemployment is still at like 8 or 9 percent," Keenan told AFP.

Obama, a former lecturer in constitutional law at the University of Chicago, is very involved in drafting his speeches.

"We will usually sit down with him in the Oval Office and he will just talk and we will type it out and that gives us something to go work with," Keenan said.

"We'll spend a couple of days, write a draft, give it to him. If he doesn't like it, he will take out a yellow legal pad and write his thoughts and if he does, he will start outlining the whole thing," he said.

It usually takes three or four drafts to arrive at a final product... which are often tweaked at the last minute anyway.

Here's a look at five key speeches in the career of the 44th president of the United States.

- Boston: Disrupting the political scene -

July 27, 2004

"There's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America."

Story continues

Then unknown on the national scene, a young senator from Illinois named Barack Hussein Obama -- the son of a Kenyan father and a white American mother -- was the breakout star of the 2004 Democratic convention.

"Probably his most successful speech was the one where he introduced himself to the country for the first time," Keenan said.

"All he did there was tell the country's story and tell his own story and weave them together."

- Cairo: Appealing to the Muslim world -

June 4, 2009

"I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect."

Addressing the world's 1.5 billion Muslims with the traditional Arabic greeting "Salam alaikum," Obama called for ending "this cycle of suspicion and discord."

- Oslo: War and peace -

December 10, 2009

"To say that force may sometimes be necessary is not a call to cynicism -- it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason."

Less than a year after taking office, Obama delivered his views on the conditions for using force as he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize.

He also gave a nod to the "considerable controversy" generated by his winning the award.

"I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage," he pointed out.

- Selma: The march continues -

March 7, 2015

"We just need to open our eyes, and our ears, and our hearts to know that this nation's racial history still casts its long shadow upon us."

Speaking at the Edmund Pettus Bridge 50 years after the brutal repression of a peaceful protest there, America's first black president rallied a new generation to the spirit of the civil rights struggle.

Accompanied by his wife Michelle, daughters Malia and Sasha, and 50 others, Obama then walked across the infamous bridge over the Alabama River.

- Charleston: Amazing Grace -

June 26, 2015

"For too long, we've been blind to the way past injustices continue to shape the present."

Obama made the pronouncement during a rousing eulogy for pastor Clementa Pinckney and eight members of his congregation at the historic "Mother Emanuel" black church, who were killed in a hail of gunfire unleashed by a white supremacist.

After focusing on America's struggles with race and guns in a sermon-like address, he paused -- and then began singing "Amazing Grace." The thousands of mourners joined in.

"We had the lyrics in there twice, in the middle and then at the end," Keenan said.

"That morning, we were flying on the helicopter to (Joint Base Andrews) and he said, 'You know, I might sing the second one if it feels right.'"

"I watched from the plane, on the tarmac, and you could tell within about three minutes, with that crowd there and the organ playing while he was speaking, that, of course, he was going to sing it."
New York (AFP) - German chemicals giant Bayer will invest about $8 billion in the United States in agriculture research in conjunction with Monsanto, which it is purchasing, the companies said on Tuesday.

The announcement came after a "very productive meeting" last week between President-elect Donald Trump, Bayer CEO Werner Baumann and Monsanto chief Hugh Grant.

The joint statement did not however confirm the announcement by a Trump spokesman that Bayer will create "at least 3,000 new US high-tech jobs," and retain "100 percent of Monsanto's 9,000 plus US workforce."

"The combined company expects to spend approximately $16 billion for R&D in agriculture over the next six years with at least half of this investment made in the United States," the Bayer-Monsanto statement said.

"This is an investment in innovation and people that will create several thousand new high-tech, well-paying jobs after integration is complete."

It was the third announcement of US investment and job creation plans by a major company on Tuesday, just three days before Trump's inauguration. Trump quickly took credit in a pair of tweets that came shortly after announcements from General Motors and Walmart.

"With all of the jobs I am bringing back into the US (even before taking office), with all of the new auto plants coming back into our country and with the massive cost reductions I have negotiated on military purchases and more, I believe the people are seeing 'big stuff.'"

Monsanto shareholders last month approved the $66 billion takeover of the US company by Bayer. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2017 pending approval by antitrust officials in the US and Europe.

Bayer-Monsanto, which will be headquartered in St. Louis, said its US investment will be in "global seeds and traits research and development."

The Trump spokesman said the investments are coming "because the president-elect's focus on creating better business climate here in the United States, which has already increased consumer and small-business confidence since the election."
Models Backstage wearing Ben Sherman at their Autumn Winter 2017 Catwalk Show The Vinyl Factory store in Londons West End [Photo Credit: Mehul Derodra]



The British Fashion Council present Autumn Winter 2017 Menswear collections as we give you our favourite edit of the shows this week from front row.

Ben Sherman



Spirit of Mod sqaud comes to town at the Ben Sherman Autumn Winter 2017 show as we take a sneek peek pre-show backstage to see behind the scenes footage. [Photo: Mehul Derodra]



Ben Shermans collection explored the sixties mod culture as models walked the runway in flat caps and beannie hats.

Fitted tailoring came in single and double breasted suit styles kept it minimaly cool with skinny ties and tapered trousers.

Interesting patterns adorned textures on knitwear contrast well together worn with bold accessories were an interesting combination and colour pallete.

Models featured walking the catwalk for Ben Sherman Autumn Winter 2017 at The Vinyl Factory [Photo: Mehul Derodra ]



Throughout the range Parker coats popped up as a signature look as well as cropped jackets worn wih smart roll neck knitwear emphasized the key looks by dressing them up slightly as smart casual chic.

Models (Left) Ryan Barrett and (Right) Harry Rowley at Models 1 attend the Ben Sherman After Party! [Photo: Mehul Derodra ]



Debonair Man About Town: Samuel Harwood at Models 1 attends the Ben Sherman show with Ryan Barrett and Harry Rowley (Above) [Photo: Mehul Derodra ]

Casley Hayford



Following on from Private White V.C.s collection during mens fashion week designer capes seem to be appearing this season on the runway also at Casely Hayford with their quirky structured jacket pieces.

Designer capes for both Menswear and Womenswear hit the catwalk at Casley Hayfords Autumn Winter 2017 collection at LFW Men [ Photo: instagram / feed_my_fashionego_ ]



Clean lines on garments kept it minimal and contemporary for ready to wear this season as structured tailoring dominates a strong style statement for menswear.

Story continues

Style! Alert: Model seen at Casley Hayford sporting a check blazer is this seasons hot new trend as seen aslo at Chester Barrie and Oliver Spencer this week [ Photo:Mehul Derodra ]



Alongside male pieces in the collection, Casely Hayford showcased a womenswear line where panelled jackets with contrasting fabric portrayed softness as well masculinity.

Models Backstage in final line up at Casley Hayford Autumn Winter 2017 - A model wears a signature jacket piece from the collection [Photo: instagram / feed_my_fashionego_ ]



The bold print statement jacket in the collection with monochromatic black and white stripes set itself apart as the main statement piece for Autumn Winter 2017.

Ximonlee



GQ China was proud to present German based Chinese born Korean designer Ximonlee at London Fashion Week Mens Autumn Winter 2017, this marks GQ Chinas 8th season at Mens Fashion Week where the British Fashion Council provide designers with International exposure to the western market.

The final walk at Ximonlee Autumn Winter 2017 as models parade on the Catwalk [Photo: Mehul Derodra ]



Ximonlees signature style explores sustainable concept which is inspired this season by the Chinese symbol of shame exploring a combination of symbols that repressent beauty and ugly.



Model wears outfit with clusters of beaded pearls on sheer panels. Other model is pictured wearing a tapered corset hiding the body or revealing the same body through engineered cut-aways [Photo: Mehul Derodra ]



The collection pieces reveal engineered fitted and cut-away silhouettes conveying hidden signals or messages such as tapered corsets hiding the body or exposing it. Treated materials applied to the collection were deconstructed leather bras mixed with bonded velvet coats hinting at the leg through high slits. Fine exquisite detailing include a series of nude figures that are woven into bloodstained and aged bronzed brocade.

Ximonlees meticulous attention to detail and innovative work has brought him the international spotlight of prestige amongst the fashion elite with an LVMH prize showroom in Paris and collaboration with H & M for a capsule collection.

Interested in writing for us, join our Yahoo Style! Blogger Network


Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f350382%2f003e4683-6d19-45a3-aafd-4d74933dc8ab

Scientists stationed in East Antarctica are being forced to evacuate after another big ice crack appeared near their base.

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said it was making a highly unusual move and closing its Halley VI Research Station during Antarctica's winter season, which runs from March to November 2017.

Scientists will evacuate in March, the BAS said, due to concerns about the consequences of an ice crack known as the "Halloween crack."

SEE ALSO: Warm ocean water is melting East Antarctica's largest glacier

About 90 people are now stationed on the research platform located on the floating Brunt ice shelf, including 16 people who were scheduled to stay over winter to monitor scientific experiments, the U.K. science office said Monday in a news release.

While the scientists aren't immediately at risk, the BAS said there was "sufficient uncertainty" as to how safe the crew would be during the coming Antarctic winter. The office thus decided to shut down Halley VI as a "precautionary measure" and remove the crew before March.

"We want to do the right thing for our people," Captain Tim Stockings, director of operations for BAS, said in the press release.

"Bringing them home for winter is a prudent precaution given the changes that our glaciologists have seen in the ice shelf in recent months," he said.

Stockings added that the crew is working to "winterize" the station and leave it ready to be re-occupied as soon as possible after November.

The Halley VI research station, which gathers important weather and climate data, was already under threat before this latest ice crack appeared.

Since December, the U.K. office has been moving the base farther inland to protect it from a different expanding ice chasm. That crack threatens to cleave off the part of the ice where the facility sits and send the station adrift on an iceberg.

Image: british antarctic survey

Story continues

The chasm was dormant for nearly four decades. But since it became active again in 2013, it has grown at a pace of about 1.7 kilometers, or 1 mile, per year, according to the BAS.

Scientists discovered the second crack on Oct. 31 last year  hence its nickname.

This crack sits about 17 kilometers, or 10.5 miles, north of the base's new location and stretches about 44 kilometers, or 27.3 miles, long.

Glaciologists have been monitoring the Halloween Crack's growth using GPS instruments, satellite imagery, ground-penetrating radar and on-site drone footage.

Halley VI Research Station.

Image: British antarctic survey

They determined that "the recent changes to the Brunt Ice Shelf have not been seen before," the BAS said.

East Antarctica was once considered the most stable part of Antarctica. But the ice is showing increasing signs of melting, driven in part by human-caused climate change.

The U.K. office previously said the earlier ice chasm was part of a "natural" glaciological change, although it did not specify what might've caused the Halloween Crack.
The four men who accused Bishop Eddie Long of sexual coercion said Monday they will publish a book on how the megachurch pastor affected their lives.

Long, 63, died of stomach cancer Sunday.

Jamal Parris, Spencer LeGrande, Maurice Robinson and Anthony Flagg filed suit in 2010 against Long, senior pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia, accusing him of making sexual advances and other acts when they were just teenagers. A fifth accuser, Centino Kemp, came forward later. Long denied the allegations but settled the suit in 2011.

The men have made no comment on Longs death, telling the Atlanta Journal-Constitution they will let their book, Foursaken, speak for them.

"As much as wed like to make a statement about the passing of Bishop Eddie Long, weve all decided to remain silent, for now," the group said in a statement. "Were all brothers in this. Our perspectives will be addressed in our book, Foursaken, which we hope to release soon."

LeGrande said he met Long when he was just 15. He told the Journal-Constitution in a 2011 interview Long filled the void in his life left by his father, who abandoned him when he was just learning to crawl.

Parris told the newspaper his father was abusive and mostly absent.

Both men were 17 when they allege Long made his move.

Though Long never addressed the allegations directly, he said in a sermon earlier this year he had considered suicide.

I had a moment.  I had a moment.  I wanted to kill myself and was ready, Long said, thanking his family and congregants for loving him and not judging him.

Even though we dont know the details right now, Bishop Long wouldnt leave us in a lurch, longtime church member Lela Brooks said. His legacy will live on. He did a lot of good and we wont let that fade.

Longs memorial service is set for Jan. 25, the church said Monday.

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By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Florida man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges stemming from his employment with an unlicensed bitcoin exchange that prosecutors say was owned by an Israeli who oversaw a massive scheme to hack companies including JPMorgan Chase & Co. Ricardo Hill, 38, entered his plea in Manhattan federal court to seven counts, including conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, wire fraud and bank fraud. The Brandon, Florida-resident is one of nine people to face charges following an investigation connected to a data breach that JPMorgan disclosed in 2014 involving records for more than 83 million accounts. The charges against Hill stemmed from his employment as a finance support manager and business development consultant for an unlicensed bitcoin exchange called Coin.mx, according to court papers. Prosecutors have said Coin.mx was operated by another Florida man, Anthony Murgio, from 2013 to 2015 and exchanged millions of dollars into bitcoin while operating through several fronts, including one called "Collectables Club." Prosecutors said Coin.mx was owned by Gery Shalon, an Israeli who with Maryland-born Joshua Samuel Aaron orchestrated cyber attacks on companies including JPMorgan that resulted in more than 100 million people's information being stolen. Prosecutors said the men carried out the cybercrimes to further other schemes with another Israeli, Ziv Orenstein, including pumping up stock prices with sham promotional emails. Aaron was deported from Russia in December and taken into U.S. custody, while Shalon and Orenstein were extradited from Israel in June. All three have pleaded not guilty. Murgio, who like Hill was not accused of engaging in the hacking scheme, pleaded guilty on Jan. 9 to charges that included conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Five other individuals have been charged in connection with Coin.mx, including Murgio's father. Two individuals linked to it are scheduled to face trial on Feb. 6. The case is U.S. v. Murgio et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 15-cr-769. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Tom Brown)
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
By Alwyn Scott and Doina Chiacu (Reuters) - Boeing Co's chief executive said on Tuesday that he and President-elect Donald Trump "made progress" on lowering the cost of the Air Force One presidential aircraft fleet and on a potential sale of Boeing fighter aircraft, and suggesting a deal could be struck soon. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg's visit to Trump Tower on Tuesday marked another step in Trump's efforts to use his bully pulpit to cut better deals with defense contractors. It also showed Boeing's adroit use of the meetings to pursue its own sales and herald its importance to the U.S. manufacturing economy. Trump has been pressuring defense companies on prices through Twitter posts and meetings. Last month he said a $4 billion contract for Air Force One was too expensive and should be canceled. Boeing has said it so far has a $170 million contract for design work on the heavily modified Boeing 747 planes and that no final figure for the fleet of planes had been established. Trump also last month asked the Chicago-based aerospace and defense company to price a contract for Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet to compete with Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter, which is famously over budget. While not offering details, Muilenburg said the "excellent conversation" with Trump could lead to a deal "in the very near term." "We made some great progress on simplifying requirements for Air Force One, streamlining the process, streamlining certification by using commercial practices," Muilenburg told reporters after the hour-long meeting. "That's going to lead to substantial cost reductions." On fighter jets, he said, "we were able to talk about options for the country and capabilities that will, again, provide the best capability for our war fighters most affordably." Muilenburg praised Trump's approach to negotiations. "I think Mr. Trump is doing a great job of engaging business," he said, noting that as the U.S.' top exporter, Boeing supports 1.5 million U.S. manufacturing jobs and 13,000 small and mid-sized supplier companies. "If you want manufacturing jobs, aerospace is the place to invest," he said. "We're proud to take on that mission and I think Mr Trump's engagement with industry is going to help us grow manufacturing jobs in this country." "I appreciate the teamwork approach on this - I think it's the right way to do business." Boeing's stock was down 0.6 percent at $157.87 in afternoon trade. (Reporting by Alwyn Scott in Seattle and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Marguerita Choy)
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A creditor group has challenged Oi SA's in-court reorganization plan presented in September, saying the Brazilian wireless carrier's proposed restructuring has "illegal and abusive elements" that favor shareholders at the expense of bondholders. In a statement on Tuesday, the group accused Oi of being reluctant to share key information which it said prevents creditors from taking a stance on decisions such as potential asset sales. The Moelis & Co-advised group presented an alternate plan for Oi's reorganization on Dec. 16. According to the statement, Rio de Janeiro-based Oi has failed to engage in discussions with creditors over its future. Oi, which is trying to restructure about 65.4 billion reais ($20.4 billion) of debt after filing for Brazil's largest ever bankruptcy protection in June, did not have an immediate comment. The creditor group's objection "focuses on the illegal and abusive nature of the Sept. 5 plan, particularly its inappropriate favoritism of the company's existing equity holders to the detriment of creditors," its statement said. The group's statement has the potential of reigniting a rift between creditors and shareholders of Brazil's No. 4 wireless carrier. Pharol SGPS SA, Oi's largest shareholder, fought a restructuring accord prior to Oi's June bankruptcy filing, saying it called for a highly dilutive debt-for-equity swap. The escalating tension among creditors and shareholders of Oi has forced the Brazilian government to repeatedly threaten a potential intervention in Oi. In an interview published on Tuesday, Communications Minister Gilberto Kassab said the government is ready to intervene in Oi if in-court negotiations fail. Kassab told Folha de S. Paulo newspaper that the government, through industry watchdog Anatel, "has an obligation to intervene. His media office was not immediately available to confirm his remarks. Oi's preferred shares gained 0.4 percent to 2.64 reais on Tuesday, extending this year's gains to 17 percent. (Reporting by Ana Mano; Editing by Guillermo Parra-Bernal, Nick Zieminski and Paul Simao)
By Pedro Fonseca and Brad Brooks RIO DE JANEIRO/SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Police put down a new uprising at a prison in northeastern Brazil where 26 inmates were killed by a rival gang faction over the weekend and questioned five drug gang leaders they think ordered the bloodshed, authorities said on Monday. A SWAT team entered the prison before midday "to get control of the situation," said Major Eduardo Franco, spokesman for police in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, where the prison is located. Yet for most of the afternoon, television images showed inmates on the roofs of at least two wings of the Alcacuz prison, wielding large knives, waving banners with gang acronyms and yelling death threats to rivals. By evening, police said the SWAT team gained control of the wing housing members of Brazil's most powerful drug gang, who until nightfall had refused to hand over their weapons and allow police to enter their area. The officers located and questioned five of the prisoners who they think led the weekend killing spree of members of a rival drug gang. The five will be transferred to other prisons, the locations of which were not disclosed. It was in the same prison, located about 25 km (15.5 miles) south of the state capital Natal, that members of the powerful drug gang the First Capital Command (PCC) slaughtered 26 other inmates from a rival gang in a riot that began late Saturday and was not halted until Sunday. As in a series of other prison uprisings in recent weeks, many of those killed had their heads cut off and were badly mutilated or burned. At least 140 inmates have died in Brazil's prisons in just over two weeks. The intense violence is the result of a split between the PCC and Brazil's second-most powerful gang, the Red Command. For more than two decades the two gangs maintained an uneasy working relationship, ensuring that a steady flow of drugs and arms easily made its way over Brazil's porous borders with the world's biggest cocaine-producing nations. But about six months ago, security officials and experts say, the PCC moved to fully take over trafficking routes and tried to push the Red Command aside. The Red Command responded by forming alliances with smaller regional gangs, primarily in Brazil's Amazon region and in the northeast, in an attempt to block the PCC from taking over those drug routes and gaining new turf. A New Year's Day prison massacre at the Anisio Jobim prison complex in Amazonas state in which 56 died ignited the recent violence. Most of those killed were members of the PCC, butchered by members of the North Family gang, which is allied with the Red Command. It was Brazil's deadliest prison uprising since a 1992 rebellion at the Carandiru penitentiary in Sao Paulo state that saw police storm the building and kill 111 prisoners. After the Jan. 1 bloodletting, members of the PCC on Jan. 6 murdered 33 inmates at the Monte Cristo prison in the Amazonian state of Roraima. Videos taken by inmates showed the slaughter, with those hacking away at bodies saying they were doing so in revenge for their "brothers" killed the week before. Brazil's prisons, mostly under control of states and not the federal government, have for decades been in a state of chaos, with extreme overcrowding and escapes and violence the norm. The prisons are also largely run by prison gangs and the state, experts and authorities acknowledge, has little control over the institutions. Drugs, guns and all manner of contraband seemingly enter the jails at will. (Reporting by Pedro Fonseca in Rio de Janeiro and Brad Brooks in Sao Paulo; Writing by Brad Brooks; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Nick Zieminski and Bill Rigby)
Natal (Brazil) (AFP) - Brazil's government Tuesday ordered the armed forces to help secure the country's overcrowded jails as police fought to separate rival gangs of inmates in one prison following a massacre.

Inmates climbed on the roof and set up barriers of furniture in a northeastern jail inhabited by warring rival drug gangs vowing to behead each other.

Police fired rubber bullets to try to keep apart two rival factions, sending the inmates fleeing in panic and drawing screams from their relatives gathered outside the prison walls.

A total of 26 prisoners were killed in a bloodbath at the weekend in the facility, the Alcacuz jail near the northeastern city of Natal.

Two days later, crowds of prisoners were still loose in the open air between the prison blocks and the outer walls of the complex.

Television images showed inmates sharpening machetes.

The governor of the surrounding Rio Grande do Norte state, Robinson Faria, said authorities were working to stop the prisoners escaping from Alcacuz.

After a series of violent prison riots, President Michel Temer "made the armed forces available to the states" to secure their jails, a presidential spokesman said.

The defense ministry scheduled a meeting for Wednesday to present an action plan.

- Drug gang war -

Experts say the violence is part of a war between drug gangs battling for control of the cocaine trade in Brazil, a key trafficking route to Europe.

The Natal riot was thought to have been a clash between Brazil's biggest drug gang, the First Capital Command (PCC), and a rival called Crime Syndicate.

"The PCC is defying not only the state but also the regional crime cartels in its efforts to control the drug trade," Faria said.

Gathered outside the jail, prisoners' relatives said members of Crime Syndicate were trying to break into a prison block to attack PCC members.

One female relative showed AFP a video sent to her by her partner, an inmate in the jail.

Story continues

"We have just one desire and that is to rip the heads off the PCC, and that's what we're going to do," he shouted.

"We're not going to let those bastards lay down the law on our turf."

- Prison guards on strike -

The unrest raised fears that violence could spread to jails across the country -- including the crime-plagued metropolis of Rio de Janeiro.

Prison guards there went on strike Tuesday in protest over unpaid wages, a symptom of Brazil's economic crisis.

Rio prison guards' union spokesman Gutembergue de Oliveira said there was just one guard for 200 inmates, although the government says there should be one to five.

"As well as a lack of prison guards, doctors, nurses and carers, we are faced with a huge jail population," he said.

The Alcacuz prison was built for a maximum of 620 inmates but currently houses 1,083, according to the state justice department.

After two riots earlier this month, President Michel Temer announced the federal government would spend $250 million to build new prisons.

On Tuesday the focus was on containing the volatility, however.

- Bonfire of human heads -

The weekend bloodbath was the third mass-killing in Brazil's overcrowded jails this month.

"It was the most barbaric thing I have seen in my life. They made a bonfire of human heads," Faria told reporters in Brasilia, where he met with the government.

In total, 134 people have been killed in prison violence this year, Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper said, citing justice ministry figures.

About 60 inmates were killed in the northwestern city of Manaus on January 1. Many were beheaded and mutilated.

A further 33 died in a prison riot in Roraima state on January 6.
Doha (AFP) - Britain's largest local authority concluded a landmark "post-Brexit" trade visit to Qatar on Tuesday in a bid to secure up to $6.5 billion in investment.

Birmingham City Council's three-day business tour to the Gulf is thought to be the first ever undertaken by a British local authority to Qatar to seek funding.

Council leader John Clancy said the visit was in direct response to the British vote to leave the European Union.

"To be frank, it's a post-Brexit thing," said Clancy.

"It's part of a post-Brexit resettlement and cities in the UK in particular have to have an international profile."

Birmingham, with a population of more than one million and located in England's west Midlands, wants billions for infrastructure projects and new homes as it seeks to meet the cost of regenerating two areas in Britain's second most populous city.

The council describes itself as the largest UK local authority.

Clancy was in Doha with a four-strong team, including members of "Marketing Birmingham", a public and privately funded group which seeks to attract investment to the city.

They met Qatari government ministers and business leaders and were supported by British officials and embassy staff.

"We have had strong input from the Department of International Trade, strong embassy support -- that says a lot about government policy."

In the past Birmingham has used European Union funding to help regenerate the city, including money for a convention centre and transport.

But the uncertainty caused by Brexit has caused it to look elsewhere and this week's visit follows a similar trade visit to China by Birmingham council leaders last year.

In recent weeks, two British government ministers -- Philip Hammond and Liam Fox -- have visited Qatar to try to improve flourishing trade links between the two countries, thought to be worth around $6 billion a year.

And at the end of last year, Prime Minister Theresa May visited Bahrain for a two-day Gulf Cooperation Council meeting.

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According to official London figures, Britain is the fourth largest exporter to Qatar.

Investments in Britain by the gas-rich Gulf emirate include Harrods, Canary Wharf, a stake in Heathrow and The Shard.

Birmingham will also host a UK-Qatar trade conference in March.
By Nicole Mordant VANCOUVER (Reuters) - First-time home buyers in British Columbia, home to Canada's most expensive real estate market, started applying for loans from the provincial government on Monday under a program it says will make ownership more affordable. The Western Canadian province last month unveiled a plan to provide 25-year loans of up to C$37,500 ($28,480) to qualifying buyers to help with their first down payment. The loans are interest-free and require no repayment in the first five years. Twenty-four applications had been submitted as of 1 p.m. PT (1600 EST), a spokeswoman for the minister responsible for housing said in an email. The program has been criticized by economists and academics who say it will pile more debt onto already financially-stretched residents and increase home prices even more in a region where a supply shortage is the real problem. Some have said the plan, launched four months before a provincial election, is politically motivated. "If this program does anything, the only thing it can do is increase demand. It can't increase supply. That puts upward pressure on prices and ultimately harms affordability," said Joshua Gottlieb, an assistant professor of economics at the University of British Columbia. The provincial government and Vancouver's municipal government have taken several steps over the past year aimed at cooling the red-hot housing market. Prices for a typical single-family home in British Columbia's biggest city surged 19 percent last year to nearly C$1.5 million. Most notable was a 15 percent tax introduced in August by the province on house purchases by foreigners in Vancouver after many residents and housing advocates complained that international buyers, especially from China, were driving up prices. The tax has damped sales and led some real estate agents to forecast near double-digit percentage declines this year in prices, which until now have remained resilient. Since August, Vancouver-area home sales have fallen each month and in December dropped nearly 40 percent compared with the same month a year earlier. For prices to become more affordable, however, supply needs to be increased, Gottlieb said. "The city government should make it much easier to increase density. And the provincial government should pressure the city to do that," he said. (Editing by Alan Crosby)
By Melanie Burton MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Britain's growing hopes of a first women's grand slam champion in 40 years moved a step closer on Tuesday when ninth seed Johanna Konta took out Kirsten Flipkins 7-5 6-2 in the blazing sun at Australian Open. Konta came through the tricky opening-round encounter in reasonable shape after an hour and a half, with two breaks in the opening set and another couple in the second helping to keep her time on court to a minimum. Belgian Flipkens, who turned 31 last week, did not give her an easy ride, however, mixing it up with a smorgasbord of shots to give the 25-year-old a proper workout under the open roof on Margaret Court Arena. "She made it difficult for me out there," Konta told reporters. "She's got this great ability at really frustrating her opponents with some of the balls she's able to hit. She's very creative in that way, so I think I was really happy I was able to work myself into the match and to come through." Australian-born Konta has had a fairytale last 12 months, soaring to world number nine after a surprise charge into the semis in Melbourne last year. Last week, she won a warm-up tournament in Sydney to bag a trophy from the city of her birth, fuelling hopes that she could bring Britain to its women's glory since Virginia Wade's 1977 Wimbledon triumph. Konta has attempted to downplay expectations but showed few signs of nerves as she brought up match point with an uncompromising smash at the net before sealing victory when Flipkens went long with a return. The Briton was delighted to get out of the sun as quickly as possible, even if she had experienced worse conditions during a Sydney heat wave last week. "It was hot, but last week in Sydney, we experienced something a lot hotter. So I think it was almost cool in comparison," Konta laughed. She will next play Naomi Osaka, the 19-year-old Japanese ranked number 48 in the world. "I remember her playing once in the U.S. Open, 2015, in the qualifiers," Konta said. "Since then, she's improved a lot. I have tried to, as well. I know she plays a big game. She has big shots. I'm definitely prepared to go in for a battle." (Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May is setting out the principles that will guide her approach to Britain's withdrawal from the European Union in a speech in London on Tuesday. Below are the highlights from her speech: UK WILL LEAVE EUROPEAN SINGLE MARKET This agreement should allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and the EU's member states. It should give British companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets, and let European businesses do the same in Britain. But I want to be clear: What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market. NOT SEEKING PARTIAL OR ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP We see a new and equal partnership between an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU. Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out. We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave. No. The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union and my job is to get the right deal for Britain. I WANT A TRULY GLOBAL BRITAIN I want this United Kingdom to emerge from this period of change stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than ever before. I want us to be a secure, prosperous, tolerant country, a magnet for international talent. I want us to be a truly global Britain, the best friend and neighbour to our European partners, but a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe too. A country that goes out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike. INVESTMENT IN ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE This government has a plan for Britain ... That is why, as we continue to pay the deficit down, we will take a balanced approach by investing in our economic infrastructure, as it can transform the growth potential of our economy and improve the quality of people's lives across the whole country. EU NATIONALS WILL STILL BE WELCOME You will still be welcome in this country as we hope our citizens will be in yours. BREXIT MUST MEAN CONTROL OF IMMIGRATION Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe and that is what we will deliver. GUARANTEEING RIGHTS OF EU CITIZENS IN UK, UK CITIZENS IN EU We want to guarantee the rights of EU citizens who are already living in Britain and the rights of the British nationals in other member states as early as we can. BREXIT DOES NOT MEAN UK IS TURNING INWARD The result of the referendum was not a decision to turn inward and retreat from the world, because Britain's history and culture is profoundly internationalist. We are a European country and proud of our shared European heritage. But we are always a country that has looked beyond Europe to the wider world. That is why we are one of the most racially diverse countries in Europe. UK DOES NOT WANT EU TO UNRAVEL Our decision is not always understood by our friends and allies in Europe, and many fear the beginning of a great unravelling of the EU. But let me be clear. I do not want that to happen. It would not be in the best interest of Britain, it remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's best national interest for the EU to succeed. (Reporting by Sarah Young, Elisabeth O'Leary and Paul Sandle, editing by Estelle Shirbon)
Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is being investigated over the vacation he and his family spent on the private Bahamian island of billionaire philanthropist and spiritual leader Aga Khan over Christmas.

The countrys federal conflict-of-interest and ethics office is now determining whether Trudeaus visit to Khans home breached conflict-of-interest rules, a spokeswoman for Mary Dawson, the ethics commissioner, confirmed to the New York Times Monday.

Trudeaus press secretary told the paper that the Prime Minister, who also used Khans private helicopter, is happy to answer any questions that the commissioner might have.

At a press conference last Friday,Trudeau told journalists: This was our personal family vacation and the questions youre asking, I allow you to reflect on them, the BBC reports.

Shah Karim al-Hussayni, the Aga Khan IV of France, had an estimated wealth of $800 million in 2011, according to Forbes. The Aga Khan, who does not rule over a specific geographic territory, is known for extravagant possessions including a lavish yacht club in Sardinia.
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Lending activity to small businesses in Canada picked up in November on gains in the manufacturing and retail sectors, a report showed on Tuesday, suggesting companies felt more confident with the U.S. election out of the way. The PayNet Canadian Small Business Lending Index rose to 119.9 from 116.5 in October, while lending to medium-sized firms increased to 218.3 from 211.3. While uncertainties still remain as to what policies U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will enact, the November bump in lending points to the removal of at least one uncertainty, PayNet President Bill Phelan said. The United States is Canada's biggest trading partner. Although business lending in Canada weakened in much of 2015 and 2016 in the wake of the oil price crash, November's gain suggests a trough has been made, Phelan said. "Once you can stabilize the economy, you can position it for growth," he said. Lending to manufacturers, a sector economists have looked to as an offset to the slump in the oil patch, rose to 66.3 from 65.8. The retail sector jumped to 185.7 from 178.2. Delinquencies continued to show companies were in strong financial health, with the amount of businesses that were 30 days or more behind on loans falling to 1.09 percent from 1.11 percent. Companies that were 90 days or more behind on loans held steady at 0.37 percent. (Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Paul Simao)
A middle-age man in Canada with oral cancer found that medical cannabis oil may have helped to slightly reduce the size of a wound that his cancer caused on his cheek, according to a new report of his case.

The cannabis oil treatment also reduced the man's pain after the cancer created a hole in his right cheek, according to the report published in the January issue of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Studies have suggested that marijuana may work to treat cancer patients' pain.

Much more research is needed to know whether medical cannabis oil may have a wound-healing effect. But the man's case "really validates what has been known for thousands of years about the utility of cannabinoids in so many different areas," said Dr. Vincent Maida, an associate professor in the Division of Palliative Care at the University of Toronto, who treated the man. [25 Odd Facts About Marijuana]

"Ancient cultures used cannabis extracts on wounds," Maida said.

The 44-year-old man went to see Maida at a palliative-care clinic in Toronto in the spring of 2016 for the treatment of pain caused by a malignant wound in his right cheek. The man had been diagnosed with oral cancer three years earlier, and despite having the tumor surgically removed as well as undergoing radiation and chemotherapy for his condition, the cancer returned. The man had chosen, two years before his visit to Maida's clinic, to forgo any further treatments for his cancer, according to the report. (Palliative care generally involves only treatments to reduce pain.)

The man had tried taking opioid medications, but was still having severe pain in his cheek. In addition, he was experiencing side effects from those medicines, such as drowsiness and constipation, the man told Maida. He asked Maida to prescribe medical marijuana to treat his pain.

The doctor prescribed vaporized medical marijuana for the man, which the man then used for the next few months. The marijuana seemed to help alleviate the pain significantly, and allowed the man to reduce the doses of opioids he was taking. However, the wound in his cheek grew and the cancer eventually eroded through his cheek, creating a hole, which prevented the man from continuing to use vaporized marijuana.

Story continues

The man then asked Maida for a prescription for medical cannabis oil, which he could apply directly to his wound. The man used the oil four times daily for about a month.

He found that his wound stopped growing, and shrank by a small amount, about 5 percent, over the next month. The man said he experienced pain relief starting about 10 to 15 minutes after he applied the oil to the wound, which lasted for about 2 hours after application.

However, about a month after the man started using the oil, he was admitted to a hospital because his overall condition had deteriorated. He died from cancer three weeks later, according to the report.

The new report showing that the cannabis oil seemed to work for treating the man's wound "is really interesting," said Dr. Anita Gupta, the vice chair of the Division of Pain Medicine at Drexel College of Medicine in Philadelphia, who was not involved in the report. [Mixing the Pot? 7 Ways Marijuana Interacts with Medicines]

So far, no actual studies have looked at using cannabis oil for wound treatment in people. One study, done on human intestine cells growing in lab dishes, suggested that cannabinoids may enhance the closure of wounds.

Though it is not clear why cannabis oil may have had a wound-healing effect in this case, one possible reason might be that the oil reduced inflammation, Gupta said.

However, she noted that more research is needed to examine whether cannabis oil may have any robust benefit in large numbers of patients with significant wounds.

Originally published on Live Science.

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LONDON (Reuters) - Carlyle Group has agreed to become the largest shareholder in Johannesburg-based Global Credit Ratings (GCR), the U.S. buyout fund said on Tuesday, looking to broaden the pan-African ratings agency's services. Terms of the deal, which was first reported by the Financial Times, were not disclosed. Carlyle is set to buy around half of the equity in GCR from its management founders and German development finance business DEG, which will remain invested in the company, Carlyle said. GCR serves 400 customers across 20 countries and is the only ratings agency to have a strong presence in multiple geographies across Africa. "The business plays a critical role in deepening African capital markets and we look forward to working with management to continue to develop and broaden the companys service offerings," Steve Burn-Murdoch, a Vice President on the Carlyle Sub-Saharan Africa team, said in a statement. Carlyle raised $698 million for its Africa buyout fund in 2014, exceeding its $500 million target. In November, Carlyle, which has $169 billion of assets under management, agreed to buy a majority share of CMC Networks, a pan-African telecommunications business. In September, it agreed to buy a majority share of Amrod, a supplier of promotional products and clothing in South Africa and neighboring countries. Carlyle is already invested in the sector, having partnered with private equity fund Warburg Pincus and a consortium of Canadian-based individual investors to acquire the world's fourth largest global credit ratings agency DBRS in 2015. Founded more than two decades ago as the African arm of the New York Stock Exchange-listed Duff & Phelps, GCR expanded through acquisitions, alliances, and organic growth, and says it assigns more credit ratings in Africa than S&P, Moodys and Fitch combined. (Reporting by Dasha Afanasieva; Editing by Jason Neely and Mark Potter)
Madrid (AFP) - Spain's regional tensions took centre stage Tuesday as Catalan and Basque leaders boycotted a major gathering attended by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, in a first.

Catalonia chief Carles Puigdemont, who wants independence for his region, and Inigo Urkullu, head of the strongly autonomous Basque Country, did not show up at the meeting in Madrid.

The meeting brought together the presidents of Spain's 15 other semi-autonomous regions and the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

There have been five such gatherings in the past, the last one in 2012, but both Puigdemont and Urkullu favour direct, bilateral negotiations with the state.

"These types of meetings aren't the most useful to defend the interests of the Catalans," Puigdemont said in a press conference on Monday.

Among other things the talks will address Spain's budgetary arrangements under which most regions send tax money to Madrid, which then redistributes it according to what it believes each area needs.

Wealthy Catalonia, which represents around 20 percent of Spain's economic output, regularly complains that much of the tax money it sends to Madrid is used to prop up poorer regions.

These and other grievances have contributed to the region's decision to go a step further and hold an independence referendum in September -- a move that Madrid categorically opposes.

The Basque Country, for its part, enjoys a high level of autonomy in many areas including taxation, a sector that Catalonia and other regions would like to get more control over.
From Popular Mechanics

China's sole aircraft carrier has returned home following a far-ranging three-week training mission during which its combat capabilities were closely scrutinized and speculation soared over what future role the flat-top will play amid China's growing military ambitions.

The Defense Ministry said the 60,000-ton Liaoning sailed in to the eastern port of Qingdao on Friday along with its battle group that includes destroyers, frigates, a supply ship and anti-submarine craft.

The ministry quoted the group's commander, Rear Adm. Chen Yueqi, as saying the drill simulated real combat as closely as possible and "achieved all targets set for it." China commissioned the carrier in 2012 and declared it combat ready in November, shortly after which it launched its first live-fire exercises.

The cruise that began on Christmas Day took it through the Miyako Strait, south of Okinawa, Japan, and then the Bashi Channel separating Taiwan from the Philippines as it entered the disputed South China Sea that China claims virtually in its entirety.

It headed home through the Taiwan Strait in what was seen by many as a threatening message to the island's independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said it was closely monitoring the passage but that there was no cause for alarm.

China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949 and Beijing has vowed never to renounce its threat to use force to recover what it considers lost territory.

Japanese and Taiwanese surveillance aircraft and ships closely monitored the Liaoning along its journey, seen by some as a sign of how China plans to use it to demonstrate its willingness to back up its territorial claims with military muscle.

The Liaoning originated in 1990 as the unfinished Varyag for the now-defunct Soviet fleet. Purchased as a shell by China in 1998, it was towed from the Black Sea to the northeastern Chinese port of Dalian where it underwent an extensive overhaul of its hull, radar, electronics and other systems.

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Designated first as an experimental and training platform, the Liaoning represents a new degree of sophistication in the Chinese armed forces that includes ballistic missile submarines and prototype stealth fighters. It's also considered a blueprint for future Chinese carriers built using entirely domestic technology, at least one of which has been under construction since 2015.

Yet, analysts point out major limitations in both the carrier's design and the Chinese navy's ability to utilize its full capabilities.

Considerably smaller than the 100,000-ton U.S. Nimitz-class carriers, it can carry just 24 fixed-wing aircraft compared to 55 for the American flat-tops, according to a recent report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

While the Liaoning's J-15 multirole fighters - a Chinese version of the Russian Su-33 - are highly capable, they lack the low-observable stealth technology of fifth-generation fighters such as the U.S. F-35C.

CSIS also says the ship's Soviet steam turbine power plant was badly designed and poorly maintained, probably limiting it to a typical speed of around 20 knots. That is far slower than the Nimitz-class' 30 knots, meaning it would take longer to arrive at target and be less able to flee from threats.

Its aircraft are also launched from a "ski jump" style deck rather than the powerful steam catapults that U.S. carriers use, requiring China's jets to use more fuel for takeoff and limiting them to smaller payloads.

The Liaoning's pilots and crew are also far less experienced than their American counterparts, although they benefit from lessons learned by the U.S. and others in the decades since carriers entered operation, CSIS said. Other analysts point out that the Liaoning doesn't appear yet able to launch and recover aircraft at night, a crucial ingredient for combat effectiveness.

The CSIS study concludes that those shortcomings make the Liaoning unsuited for "sustained, high-intensity combat operations," at least for now. That will likely restrict it to humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations, training and diplomatic missions and cruises in the South China Sea asserting Beijing's territorial claims.

Despite that, the Liaoning "represents an important step in advancing China's ability to project naval power," the study said.

"Regardless of the Liaoning's future abilities, the ship commands a degree of political utility as a tool of naval diplomacy through various operations, regional and global."

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DAVOS, Switzerland -- As the world continues to witness political surprises and upsets, the Chinese leadership is working to present itself as guardians of stability and clear leadership. China's President Xi Jingping said on Tuesday that it would be wrong to blame the world's problems on globalization.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Xi said that "Many of the problems troubling the world are not caused by economic globalization," making a point to speak specifically on economic measures. Xi is the first Chinese head of state to attend the annual WEF meetings in Davos, and his keynote speech that opened this week's meetings packed the main congressional hall's 1,600 seats and filled various side rooms that webcast his speech.

Xi attendance at Davos comes at a time of uncertainty, both for multilateral approaches and the World Economic Forum, which both face a backlash against "elites." Globalization itself has come under increasing criticism in the West for uneven distributions of wealth.

The Chinese leader vigorously defended world trade and came as the leaders of the U.S. and U.K. appear to be retreating. British citizens last year voted to leave the European Union and on Tuesday, as the WEF opened, British Prime Minister Theresa May outlined a clean break from the EU.

[ READ: The unlikely Brits who caused a revolution.]

In the U.S., meanwhile, Donald Trump was elected as the next president, riding a campaign that heavily criticized trade agreements. He has promised to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

In his speech, Xi acknowledged the problems tied to globalization, calling it "a double-edged sword." Yet he argued that the benefits outweighed the problems. "It is true that economic globalization has created new problems. But this is no justification to write (it) off altogether."

Xi warned that no countries could win in any "trade war" -- a veiled criticism of the incoming U.S. President-elect. Anthony Scaramucci, a senior adviser to Trump who also is attending Davos, said any Chinese moves to retaliate against import tariffs would cost Beijing "way more" than it would cost the U.S.

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[READ: Why Donald Trump's China policy may stir a trade war.]

The Chinese premier called for courageous leadership around the world that focuses on engagement, using an analogy from nature to drive his message home: "If one is always afraid of the bracing storm, one will get drowned in the ocean sooner or later." He also used an environmental analogy as he argued against protectionism, stating that pursuing such policies, "... is just like locking oneself in a dark room. While wind and rain may be kept outside, so are light and air."

Xi promised that his country would remain committed to the climate change agreement struck in Paris last year and became effective last November. Xi's support was welcome news for many of those attending meetings here and his comments again drew a contrast to Trump, who has cast doubt over U.S. commitments to the Paris agreement.

Mina Al-Oraibi, is a Iraqi-British journalist and WEF Young Global Leader. You can follow her on Twitter here.
By Anjuli Davies

LONDON (Reuters) - Citigroup <C.N> has hired former British foreign minister William Hague to be a senior adviser to the Wall Street bank, as Britain prepares to negotiate its exit from the European Union.

Banks and investment firms have a long history of recruiting former political leaders and policymakers as advisers, and the appointment of Hague follows that of Mervyn King, former Governor of the Bank of England as senior adviser to Citi in July.

"We're delighted Lord Hague will be working with Citi as an adviser, providing his unique perspective to our clients, " a spokesman for Citi said on Tuesday.

"Lord Hague's experience on the global stage and his understanding of the forces shaping the world will be a key asset for Citi," he said, adding that he would not hold a management role.

When Citi held a call for clients on the risk implications of Brexit a few days before the national referendum vote on whether the country should leave the EU in June 2016, it included William Hague and ex-Swedish finance minister Anders Borg, who is also an adviser to the bank. Around 1,400 clients dialed in and bankers said similar briefings have been popular.

Hague, who also served as the leader of the Conservative Party in Britain, quit frontline politics in the 2015 General Election but was voiced support for Britain to stay inside the European Union.

The UK head of Citi, which employs around 9,000 people in Britain, said last October that some jobs in London's financial sector would move to countries inside the European Union after Britain leaves the bloc, regardless of what deal is struck on access to the EU financial services market.

Banks have appointed more than 30 advisers who in the past sat at the top table of global politics and central banking, according to analysis by IFR. They include former leaders of Britain, Mexico, Australia and Sweden, top European policymakers, and former central bank governors from the United States and Europe.

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Former European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso joined Goldman Sachs in July as an adviser and non-executive chairman of its international business, which sparked controversy and an EU ethics investigation which subsequently cleared him of any conflicts.

JPMorgan hired former British prime minister Tony Blair in 2008 to advise on strategic and political issues, and it also has former Italian finance minister Vittorio Grilli and ex-Israel central bank boss Jacob Frenkel as vice-chairmen.

(Reporting By Anjuli Davies; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
Yamoussoukro (Ivory Coast) (AFP) - Two mutinous soldiers were killed in Ivory Coast's administrative capital Tuesday, as troops staged protests in several cities, firing shots in the air and terrifying residents.

The soldiers' deaths in Yamoussoukro were the first since a revolt among troops over pay erupted on January 5, stoking security fears in the world's top cocoa producer.

One soldier was "killed by the (loyalist) Republican Guard" in Yamoussoukro, a military source told AFP. The Republican Guard is an elite military force linked to the presidency.

A source close to the defence ministry confirmed the death, although the precise circumstances of the incident remained unclear.

Another died of injuries after he was shot, military sources said.

The latest wave of protests came after a mutiny was quelled by an agreement with the government last week.

Soldiers involved in the first protests started receiving their payments Tuesday, though some banks were forced to shut because of the unrest.

Under the deal, 8,500 mutinous troops were promised 12 million CFA francs (18,000 euros, $19,000) each.

Five million CFA francs are due to be delivered by February 5, although it remains unclear how the government of the west African nation intends to finance the payments.

The revolt has seen President Alassane Ouattara order major changes in the top security ranks -- the armed forces' chief of staff, the senior commander of the national gendarmerie and the director-general of the police.

Enraged that they were excluded from the deal, other troops took to the streets of Yamoussoukro and Bouake on Tuesday, firing in the air as scared residents took refuge.

"This morning, we took to the streets with our weapons. We want to show the whole world our dissatisfaction," a soldier protesting in Bouake told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"We don't understand why some soldiers are being paid a five million CFA franc bonus, while a whole other group is being forgotten," he said.

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"We condemn this injustice in our army... If there is a bonus, it should be for everyone."

- 'We're hiding' -

Other cities across the country -- Daloa in central Ivory Coast, Man in the west, Bondoukou in the northeast and Dimbokro in the south -- also saw troops take to the streets.

Witnesses in Yamoussoukro earlier told AFP they saw soldiers firing shots in the air and stealing vehicles.

"I decided to go home," resident Koffi Germain said.

"We're hiding, there's a lot of shooting," a civil servant told AFP on condition of anonymity.

In Bouake, an AFP journalist also saw soldiers firing in the air.

Fearing for their safety, Bouake residents took shelter in their homes, the journalist said.

Several banks were forced shut by the shooting, angering soldiers who were picking up their payments.

"The banks closed before everyone was paid," one of the mutineers involved in last week's deal told AFP.

"Whoever fires a single shot in the air will have to deal with us so long as we haven't all been paid," he warned.

- Waves of unrest -

Bouake, which is home to 1.5 million people, was the cradle of a rebellion which erupted in 2002 in a failed attempt to oust then-president Laurent Gbagbo.

The revolt sliced the former French colony into the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south and triggered years of unrest.

Twelve years later, a similar dispute over pay by rebels-turned-soldiers erupted in Bouake which spread to Abidjan and briefly brought the country to a standstill.

The government then agreed to a deal that provided amnesty for the mutineers and a financial settlement.

Ivory Coast has long been west Africa's star economic performer. But when Gbagbo refused to step down despite an election defeat in 2010, 3,000 people were killed in months of conflict.

With a 10-percent yearly economic growth rate, the west African country is now back on the rails.

The International Monetary Fund said last month that Ivory Coast was on track towards becoming the continent's fastest-growing economy.

The latest mutiny, however, has raised fears the country might slip back into deadly unrest.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) -- A partial closure of an aging coal-fired power plant serving customers across the Pacific Northwest could come earlier than planned depending on the actions of its co-owner and Montana lawmakers, according to documents released Tuesday by Washington state regulators.

The documents submitted by Puget Sound Energy detail its plan to retire two of Colstrip's four generating units.

The 2,100-megawatt facility is one of the largest coal-fired plants in the West. It's seen as increasingly uneconomical to operate because of competition from cheaper power sources and mounting pollution control costs.

Puget Sound has a 50 percent share of Colstrip Units 1 and 2, which were built in the 1970s. The utility reached an agreement last year with environmentalists that requires their closure by July 2022.

Puget Sound representatives warned that could happen sooner given that co-owner Talen Energy wants to exit its role as Colstrip's day-to-day operator by mid-2018.

The ownership group is seeking a third party to take over as operator, with initial bids due in February, said Ronald Roberts, director of thermal resources for Puget Sound.

"Our intent right now it to operate through July 1, 2022," Roberts said. "A lot of the caveats that are out there are outside our control."

Talen spokesman Todd Martin declined comment.

Talen also operates Units 3 and 4 at Colstrip, which were built in the 1980s and are co-owned by Puget Sound, Talen, Northwestern Energy, PacificCorp, Portland General Electric and Avista. There are no plans to close those more efficient units.

Puget Sound suggested an early closure for the two older units also could be prompted by pending measures before the Montana Legislature, including an increase in the wholesale energy tax rate.

Roberts said the tax increase could make Units 1 and 2 less economical than power from other sources.

The measure by Montana Rep. Jim Keane, D-Butte, would double the tax from .015 to .030 cent per kilowatt hour on electricity generated by power plants that is put on transmission lines.

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Half the money collected would go into the state's general fund and the other half would go into a new account for grants and loans to help communities where a power plant is closing.

Keane said Puget Sound could seek an early closure of the power plant but would need the approval of the investment firm Riverstone Holdings LLC, which bought Colstrip co-owner Talen Energy last year. Keane said he hopes the private company will be more receptive to operating the plant as long as possible.

"I think you have to take the threat seriously, but at the same time they can't close the plant down without the cooperation of both owners," Keane said.

Other bills pending in Montana would require Puget Sound and Talen to submit a decommissioning and remediation plan to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and a measure appropriating $130,000 to allow the state to intervene in Puget Sound's rate case in Washington state.

__

Volz reported from Helena.
Manila (AFP) - Controversial Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened over the weekend to impose martial law to prosecute his deadly war on drugs.

His comments triggered deep anxiety in a nation still haunted by the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, which ended in 1986 with a famous "People Power" uprising.

Duterte frequently makes controversial comments that he or his aides then seek to clarify or quash completely, making it hard to determine the government's position.

With his martial law threats attracting a barrage of criticism, there was a familiar outpouring of contradictory and confusing statements from various officials.

Here are Duterte's quotes, and the various explanations or responses:

- 'No one will be able to stop me' -

Duterte on Saturday night:

"If I wanted to, and it (the drug war) will deteriorate into something really very virulent, I will declare martial law if I wanted to. No one will be able to stop me."

And for emphasis:

"If I have to declare martial law, I will declare it -- not about invasion, insurrection, not about danger. I will declare martial law to preserve my nation - period."

- Media to blame -

Presidential spokesman Martin Andanar:

"The president has categorically said no to martial law. He even made a pronouncement saying that martial law did not improve the lives of the Filipinos.

"We therefore decry the latest misreporting that the president will declare martial law simply 'if he wants to' or that 'no one can stop the president from declaring martial law'. Such headlines sow panic and confusion to many. We consider this kind of reportage as the height of journalistic irresponsibility."

- 'Just an angry expression' -

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre:

"It's just an angry expression from the president and the public, especially the media, should not be surprised and rather be already accustomed to this mindset of the president."

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- Doubtful, but full support -

National police chief Ronald Dela Rosa:

"By all means we will support the president if he declare(s) (martial law), but I doubt he would declare it. He only said that because of frustration about the (drug) situation, out of anger, but I doubt he will do that."

- No need -

Military spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla:

"Right now we're able to operate and catch all the people who have been perpetrating violence and we are operating within the bounds of law. So currently we are able to accomplish our mission without the complexity of needing any kind of special rule applied."

Bristling at the comments by Andanar that reporters took Duterte's comments out of context, the local press also hit back via scathing editorials:

- 'Fools' -

Manila Standard:

"It is difficult to imagine how anybody could deny a direct quote, but (Presidential) Palace officials did it anyway. It is not the first time they have made fools of themselves and the president they serve."

- 'Shut up' -

Philippine Star:

"The president may be familiar with the wartime admonition that loose lips sink ships. When one is prone to rambling in public, leaving a wide room for different interpretations, there is virtue in circumspection.

"If President Duterte sincerely believes imposing martial law is needless and stupid, he should just shut up about it."
Two Congressmen have introduced a bill to require the United States Supreme Court to allow cameras to record the Courts proceedings under certain circumstances. So does Congress have the power to compel the Justices to comply?

The answer is maybe. The lifting of a camera ban in the Supreme Court could be done by statute, if such a law were ever passed, says the Congressional Research Service. But as with any legal case, the Supreme Court could have something to say on the matter if lawsuits were filed objecting to the move.

The argument over cameras in federal courts isnt new. In 1937, a member of Congress first proposed a statute to allow cameras in federal district courtrooms after amateur photographers snuck cameras into a public area and took two snapshots of the Supreme Court. It provided for the recording of certain proceedings in the district courts of the United States by motion pictures and synchronized sound-recording equipment and for the reproduction of such proceedings by talking pictures in the circuit courts of appeals of the United States and in the Supreme Court of the United States upon the review of any such case.

The Supreme Court later agreed to follow the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. They were amended in 1946 to add a provision about cameras called Rule 53: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom.

Under the Rules Enabling Act passed by Congress, the Supreme Court proposes these rules to Congress for approval. The Congressional Research Service says that, as Rule 53 indicates, the prohibition on cameras could be lifted if the Supreme Court and Judicial Conference amend the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, or if Congress passes a statute that allows or requires cameras in the courtroom.

In the new Congress that started in Washington this month, Representatives Gerry Connolly, a Democrat, and Ted Poe, a Republican, introduced the latest version of the Cameras in the Court Act. The Supreme Court shall permit television coverage of all open sessions of the Court unless the Court decides, by a vote of the majority of justices, that allowing such coverage in a particular case would constitute a violation of the due process rights of one or more of the parties before the Court, the bill reads.

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Previous efforts to get such a bill signed into law have failed. About decade ago, the late Arlen Specter sponsored a similar bill and he asked Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy about it at a congressional public hearing. A majority of my court feels very strongly . . . that televising our proceedings would change our collegial dynamic. We hope that the respect that separation of powers and checks and balances implies would persuade you to accept our judgment in this regard, Kennedy told Specter.

The current Supreme Court rules allow cameras in public spaces building, but not within the actual courtroom. Also barred from the courtroom are cell phones and audio devices.

The debate over cameras in the Supreme Court has been lively and frequent over the past decade. Congressional advocates for cameras include Richard Durbin, Patrick Leahy, and Chuck Grassley.

The Justices themselves have been either guarded in their public opinions or in opposition. The late Justice Antonin Scalia openly opposed cameras in his Supreme Court. In 2015, Justice Stephen Breyer offered conflicted remarks in an MSNBC interview. Part of me wishes [cameras] were in the courtroom because I think people would find this a very educational experience. Part of me is slightly afraid that it would be misleading, he said.

As a custom, the Supreme Court has been slow to adapt to technology. The Supreme Courts audio recordings date back to October 1955. But the recordings were only available to the Justices, clerks and researchers, with usage restrictions, until 1993. After a dispute with a political scientist who published select audio records, the Court allowed audio to be available to the general public without restrictions. It wasnt until 2010 that audio of Supreme Court arguments was made available during the current term, but now audio is available on a weekly delayed basis.

Nationally, all 50 state supreme courts allow cameras under certain circumstances, and many lower courts within states allow cameras. But as of last June, cameras were allowed in just two federal circuit courts and 14 federal district courts under controlled circumstances.

Scott Bomboy is the editor in chief of the National Constitution Center.

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By Francesco Guarascio STRASBOURG (Reuters) - Antonio Tajani of Italy was elected president of the European Parliament on Tuesday, consolidating a conservative grip on key European Union institutions as the mainstream right and left struggle to unite against eurosceptics. The new speaker, a 63-year-old former EU commissioner and ally of former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, relied for his victory on support from the ruling conservative parties of Britain and Poland, which are sharply critical of the EU. They argue that the EU impinges on national sovereignty and see it as bureaucratic and wasteful. To get their final backing Tajani issued a statement saying solutions to the EU's problems "are not found in more and more Europe," an unusual remark for a president of an institution that has traditionally been a bulwark of EU integration. But he also said solutions are not to be found in blowing up the EU project. Tajani, a former journalist, succeeds German Social Democrat Martin Schulz at a time of crisis for the EU. Britain wants a divorce deal that needs the legislature's blessing while old adversary Russia and old ally the United States both pose new threats to EU survivors holding together. Schulz's tenure saw close cooperation with the centre-right head of the EU executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, but ended with recriminations over the end of a decade-long left-right grand coalition. That could spell trouble for the smooth passage of EU laws on a range of issues, and has been seen as giving a potentially greater voice to eurosceptics bolstered by Britain's vote last year to quit the EU. The new coalition that will run the legislature will rely on an awkward alliance between sceptic conservatives and pro-EU centre-right and liberal lawmakers. In what was seen as a further concession to British conservatives, the liberal Guy Verhofstadt, the parliament's negotiator on Brexit, will be flanked by more powerful parliament committees in the talks, Tajani said after his election. Parliament will have to sign off on the exit deal with Britain, probably by late 2018 or early 2019, just as lawmakers are campaigning for an EU-wide legislative election in May 2019. Reacting to a call from Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday for Britain to keep extensive free access to the EU market while shedding many of its obligations, Verhofstadt said she was offering an "illusion" and dealing in "threats". RESHUFFLE? Tajani beat centre-left leader and fellow Italian Gianni Pittella by 351 votes to 282 in a rare fourth-round runoff, contrary to past appointments decided by mainstream parties before the voting. The fracture with the socialists, the second-largest party in the parliament, is likely to worsen if the right keeps its hold on all top three pivotal EU political institutions following Tajani's win. The socialists have called for change from either Juncker at the European Commission or Donald Tusk, who chairs the European Council of national leaders and whose mandate ends in May. However, there is no clear consensus for such changes. Tajani, mindful of the scars left by an unusually bruising battle over a post which can be a powerful influence on which EU rules are made, promised to be "a president for all of you". (Additional reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek in Brussels; Writing by Alastair Macdonald and Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Mark Heinrich and James Dalgleish)
When deciding between studying in the United Kingdom, Australia and the U.S., Nigerian doctor Ugwoke Sunday Paul says the final decision came easy -- he chose the U.K. Paul says he favored everything from the shorter degree time to few required standardized exams for graduate school admission.

Prospective international students weighing which of these three countries to pursue graduate studies in may find that the U.K. and Australia -- rather than the U.S. -- offer them a quicker, more affordable master's degree without the required GRE or GMAT.

Here are three reasons to consider the U.K. and Australia over the U.S. for grad school.

1. Shorter, less expensive degree: In the U.S., a master's degree typically requires two years of study; however, in the U.K. and Australia, students can complete the degree in as little as a year. This shorter time frame can help students spend less on tuition and living expenses.

"The shorter duration comparatively saves cost both in terms of physical cash and time cost," says Paul, who attended the University of Nottingham.

Seeking to address global infertility, Paul chose Nottingham's master's in medical sciences program in assisted reproduction technology. He says it is the "U.K.'s longest running master's course specializing in ART" and takes only a year. Paul also secured the Chevening Scholarship, which the U.K. government awards to international students with demonstrated leadership skills, to help cover his expenses.



[Prepare for the hidden costs of earning a degree overseas.]

Michael Peak, education adviser for the British Council, a U.K. organization focused on cultural and educational opportunities, says many U.K. graduate courses can be completed in under a year, "which can prove more affordable and allows students to enter or re-enter the job market earlier than students in other study locations." He says international students can also work part time while studying in the U.K.

Story continues

However, one disadvantage Paul notes is that international students can only remain for four months following graduation due to U.K. immigration policy. In Australia -- where master's programs vary between one year, 18 months and two years -- the latter degree option allows students to work after graduation.

Laurie Pearcey, executive director, international, at the University of New South Wales in Australia, said via email that international master's degree students can apply for a post-study work stream visa, "provided that the degree is at least two years of duration." According to the Australian government's website, this visa can be granted for up to four years.



[Learn the rules for working while studying in Europe.]

2. Lower tuition: Not only can the shorter degree duration provide international students with cost savings, but universities in the U.K. and Australia typically charge lower grad school tuition than programs in the U.S.

In the U.K., for example, a one-year Master in Science in Sustainability and Environmental Management at Middlesex University London costs 12,500 British pounds or roughly $15,200 for full-time international students.

In comparison, the first year of tuition for a Master of Science in Environmental Management at the University of San Francisco is $20,720 for all students. The second year of tuition is around $18,130.

[See global universities where tuition is low or free.]

Pearcey says the average postgraduate coursework fees in Australia for international students are around 29,000 Australian dollars or about $21,600, with average fees at the University of New South Wales around 34,000 Australian dollars or roughly $25,400.

Cameroon national Eric Ngang, a University of South Australia grad, says compared to the U.S., his tuition costs were lower. Ngang, who received a scholarship, completed his year-and-a-half master's program in environmental management and sustainability in 2013.

At the time, his tuition costs were 22,500 Australian dollars or around $16,800. That same degree's tuition was 30,000 Australian dollars for international students in 2016 or roughly $22,400.

Experts say even with lower tuition, universities in the U.K. and Australia can offer international students a quality education. Peak, of the British Council, says the U.K. has a range of internationally ranked universities, with many that "have close links to research, commerce and industry."

Pearcey says that research opportunities and programs that integrate work experience at Australian universities, as well as the country's global economy, resonate with career-focused students.

3. Few or no required standardized tests: Many U.S. graduate programs require students to take standardized tests like the GRE or GMAT. But in the U.K. and Australia, the requirements differ, with many universities only requiring international students to take English language proficiency exams.

"I only took the IELTS," says Chinese national Cindy Zhao, referring to the International English Language Testing System. Zhao is pursuing a master's in global media communication at the University of Melbourne in Australia. For the U.S., she would likely have had to also take the GRE, which she preferred not to do, saying the exam can be challenging and require significant preparation.

University of Nottingham grad Paul says he appreciated not having to take the GRE, which he felt allowed his application for admission to be evaluated on its own merit, rather than on how well he performed on the standardized exam.

However, a few U.K. schools, like the London School of Economics and Political Science, may require the GRE or GMAT to demonstrate an applicant's quantitative skills.

Pearcey of the University of New South Wales said via email that in Australia standardized tests are used for MBA programs, but in general graduate admissions is based on "a quality bachelor's degree with strong academic results and in many cases work experience, portfolios or other forms of evidence to meet requirements set by universities."

Ngang, who took the GRE years earlier and was unable to secure admission to a U.S. university, says not having to take the exam again "was very helpful and informed my choice of Australia as a destination for my academic pursuit."

See the complete rankings of the Best Global Universities.

Anayat Durrani is a Los Angeles-based freelance education reporter for U.S. News, covering global universities, including those in the Arab region.
Could acupuncture help soothe babies with colic? [Photo: Getty]

As any parent whos had a baby with colic will understand youd literally try anything to stop the crying. Jiggling them til your arm goes dead, going for a drive in the middle of the night, turning on hoover at 3am, and on, and on.

But, a new study has found that acupuncture could be a go-to cure for helping soothe a colicky baby.

The research published in Acupuncture in Medicine found that the practice may reduce incidences of excessive crying in babies who have a condition known as infantile colic.

Scientists at Lund University in Sweden trialled the ancient Chinese needle technique on a group of babies who were crying for more than three hours a day, for three or more days of the week and found they came through the condition far quicker than those who received no acupuncture.

The study looked at 147 babies aged between two and eight weeks old and all suffering from colic who were then split into three groups. Two groups were given acupuncture; in the first group one needle was inserted to a depth of 3mm for a few seconds and in the second group up to five needles were inserted for up to 30 seconds.

The time the babies spent crying excessively reduced in all three groups, but researchers found that the groups given acupuncture appeared to reduce their crying at a slightly faster rate and tended to be calmer in the long term.

Dr Kajsa Landgren, who led the study at Lund University, told The Sun: Colic is a spontaneously healing condition but can cause pain in the infant and lots of stress in the family. Many desperate parents want to shorten this strenuous period and seek help in complementary medicine as there is no effective medication available. We found that infants who received acupuncture cried less.

The goal was not to cut out crying completely but to reduce it in babies crying excessively.

Fussing and crying are normal communications for a baby, therefore a reduction to normal levels, rather than silence, is the goal of treatment, researchers said of the study results.

Story continues

For those infants that continue to cry for more than three hours a day, acupuncture may be an effective treatment option.

Would you give your baby acupuncture? [Photo: Getty]

But not all experts agree that there is enough evidence to consider acupuncture a safe and effective approach to reducing a colicky babys cries.

Professor David Colquhoun, a pharmacologist at University College London, said: What parent would think that sticking needles into their baby would stop it crying?

The idea sounds bizarre. This paper certainly doesnt show that it works.

Infantile colic affects up to one in five babies and though it is harmless it can be very distressing and frustrating for parents. Though the frequent, excessive crying will normally subside by the time the baby is six months old, parents can often feel helpless in being unable to soothe their babys cries.

The causes of colic are unknown, but some experts believe that indigestion, trapped wind or a gut which is sensitive to breast or formula milk could be contributing factors.

In terms of treatment the NHS website recommends a number of techniques including holding your baby during a crying episode, burping your baby after feeds, gently rocking them over your shoulder, and massaging your babys tummy.

Would you give your baby acupuncture? Let us know @YahooStyleUK

This is what we can expect parenting to look like in 2017

What if you change your mind about your babys name?
With the political climate thoroughly poisoned by the election, and Trump, Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) holding the whip hand in dictating the direction Congress will go, the prospects of any meaningful compromise on health care seems far-fetched. Yet even if the Republicans succeed in ramming through a budget resolution later this month or in early February to repeal Obamacare at some future date, Republicans will need eight or more Senate Democrats to adopt a replacement plan under Senate rules.

One idea that is gaining some attention is the Solomon-like proposal of freshman Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) to create an unusual hybrid approach. Cassidys approach would essentially shift major decision-making authority away from the federal government and allow the states to decide whether to stick with some version of Obamacare or opt for whatever Trump and the Republicans come up with.

Related: Congress Is Headed for a Showdown With Trump Over Obamacare Repeal

Cassidy, one of a half-dozen moderate Senate Republicans who has voiced concern about their partys increasingly perilous course on health care, first introduced The Worlds Greatest Healthcare Plan bill a year ago in concert with Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX). It began as a bid to give patients market-based solutions by lowering costs, eviscerating Obamacare mandates on individuals and businesses, and returning power over insurance to the states.

But over time, the Cassidy-Sessions approach has evolved into a potential starting point for the two parties to negotiate a compromise that would somehow preserve many of the features strongly favored by Democrats and blue states while allowing the Republican majority and its allies among red states to chart a new course in national health care.

I believe that Republicans and Democrats can find common ground, Cassidy said in a floor speech earlier this month. My replacement plan would give states the option.

Story continues

I am willing to concede that some folksthe Minority Leaderbelieve that Obamacare is working just fine, he said. In my plan, we repeal Obamacare on a federal level, but if states like California or New York think that Obamacare works for them, then god bless them.

Related: Rand Pauls Obamacare Substitute: Take Two Aspirin and Call Me in the Morning

Under Cassidys approach, state legislatures in Sacramento, Albany and the rest of the country could decide to take federal funding to maintain an Obamacare-style system in their own states or opt for the GOP alternative.

The legislation would repeal the federal mandates that require individuals to purchase health insurance and that require employers to provide coverage under the threat of penalties. Every American would receive a refundable tax credit that could be spent on health insurance premiums or deposited into a Health Savings Account and used to pay directly for health care services. They would also qualify for catastrophic major medical coverage and prescription drugs.

Under my replacement plan, we would also cover more Americans than Obamacare by giving states the option of enrolling the uninsured in a basic health plan unless they choose to opt out, Cassidy explained. This will likely lead to 95 percent enrollment or more.

The plan calls for a two-year transition period that would give states through 2018 to decide what approach to take. By 2019, the GOP repeal and replace plan would take effect, although states that chose to stick with Obamacare could subsequently opt out.

Related: Obamacare Repeal Could Push Rural Hospitals to the Brink

Joseph Antos, a health care expert with the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, said on Tuesday that the Cassidy-Sessions approach might offer the seeds of a compromise.

Its a hybrid approach, and like all hybrid approaches it could be the basis for conversation, he said. I think that there would be substantial changes to it, but it does point in a useful direction for Republicans.

You have to recognize that many aspects of the ACA have changed the individual insurance market in a fundamental way, and some of those things youre just not going to be rolling back.

Ezra Klein, writing today in Vox, recalled that in 2006, Price and Tammy Baldwin, then a liberal Democratic House member and now a senator from Wisconsin, co-sponsored a bill to allow states to make more creative use of federal funds in providing health care to their residents.

Related: The Potential Cost of Obamacare Repeal: 32 Million Without Insurance

The bill asked that states submit health reform plans that would likely lead to increased health coverage and access. If a special bipartisan commission approved of a states proposed new approach to health care coverage, it would be submitted to Congress for final approval.

The Price-Baldwin bill, which drew a strong endorsement from the conservative Heritage Foundation, would provide states with a combination of repurposed existing federal money and new federal grants.

Here, then, is what the Trump Administration could do to replace Obamacare with something better without falling flat on their face, Klein wrote in praising an approach similar in some ways to Cassidys bill. Tell the states to do it, instead.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Dakar (AFP) - Seven foreign journalists have been barred from entering The Gambia, where President Yahya Jammeh is refusing to quit days before the planned inauguration of his rival Adama Barrow, they said Tuesday.

The journalists -- four from Chinese CGTN television based in Nairobi, two Swedes from the photo agency Kontinent and a Senegalese AFP photographer -- were refused entry Monday evening.

Immigration officers turned them back saying they did not have accreditation, although they had applied in advance and were supposed to pick it up once in the country, according to the journalists.

The small west African country has been plunged into political turmoil since Jammeh disputed Barrow's December poll victory. He is refusing to cede power, so long as a judge has not ruled on his legal challenge.

Barrow is in Senegal, where he plans to remain until the inauguration on Thursday.

By Tuesday afternoon, The Gambia's information ministry had not responded to multiple requests from AFP for clarification.

Information minister Sheriff Bojang was among government members either recently dismissed or who have announced their resignation, as Jammeh comes under intense international pressure to cede power to Barrow on January 19, at the end of his official mandate.

Bojang, who had held office for two years, was replaced last week by a lawmaker, Seedy Njie.

The seven journalists, who arrived on a flight from Dakar, were questioned by immigration officers after stating their profession on a police form, and sent back to Senegal some three hours later.

"There seems to have been a miscommunication between the ministry of information and the immigration guys," said one of the journalists, requesting anonymity.

"They said we didn't have our accreditation although we had applied for one" before travelling to the country, he added. "We were told to come and pay in person."

Another of the journalists said immigration officers said they had no information about them, so they could not enter the country. "We were not trying to sneak into the country."

Three Senegalese journalists were detained on January 10 in Banjul, where they were covering a hearing of the Supreme Court, and expelled from the country.

Their media outlets said the reason given was a lack of accreditation, even though at least one had been accredited to cover the December 1 presidential poll, and had continued to work with the same document without any problems.
By Marc Frank HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba and the United States on Monday signed an agreement to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering and other international criminal activities on the eve of President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration. President Barack Obamas Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes, who helped negotiate the normalization of relations between the two countries begun two years ago, was present for the signing, according to the White House. A brief statement said Rhodes was in Cuba for official meetings, cultural engagements, and to witness the signing of a U.S.-Cuba Law Enforcement Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Trump, who takes office on Friday, has threatened to scrap a still-fragile detente between the two countries unless Cuba makes further political and economic concessions. Trump is expected to review Cuba policy upon taking office and has named Jason Greenblatt, a Trump Organization executive and chief legal counsel, as negotiator for sensitive international issues, including Cuba. The arrangement will establish a framework for strengthening our partnership on counternarcotics, counterterrorism, legal cooperation, and money laundering, including technical exchanges that contribute to a strong U.S.-Cuba law enforcement relationship, the White House statement said. The signing was not open to the press, however Reuters has seen a copy of the agreement, signed by U.S. Charge d'Affaires Jeffrey DeLaurentis. The two countries on Thursday announced a deal to cooperate on immigration issues and put an end to a 20-year-old policy that gave entry to Cubans without visas if they set foot on U.S. soil. Obama has used his executive powers to improve relations and punch holes in the U.S. trade embargo, which can only be lifted by Congress. The deals and orders can be reversed by Trump. Eighteen cooperation accords have been inked to date, ranging from postal services and science to protecting the environment and healthcare cooperation. There has been initial discussion over more difficult issues such as U.S. nationalization compensation claims, Cuba's demand for embargo reparations, extraditing fugitives and the return of the Guantanamo Naval Base to Cuba. Travel to the communist-run Caribbean island from the United States has increased, with the start of direct flights and cruises and cellphone roaming agreements signed, but there have been no manufacturing or major trade deals inked. (In eighth paragraph, changes day of immigration accord to Thursday) (Reporting by Marc Frank; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
The FBI in Seattle has recruited a band of amateur sleuths to help solve its 45-year-old head-scratcher of Americas most notorious skyjacker  D.B. Cooper.

Read: Head of U.S. Intelligence Says Trump Dossier Is a Potential Threat to National Security

The amateur scientists, who call themselves Citizen Sleuths, are asking for the publics assistance as they gather new leads that may link Cooper to The Boeing Company as either an employee or a contractor hired by the tech giant in the 1970s.

The Citizen Sleuths analyzed the clip-on tie discovered aboard the hijacked Northwest Orient passenger jet in November 1971.

The JC Penny brand accessory was put under an electron microscope that found elements like cerium, strontium sulfide and pure titanium.

The scientists claim that such elements were very rare around the time of the hijacking, but were used by Boeing on their supersonic plane, which was being developed with government funding.

The scientists are now trying to link Cooper as a man who may have worked with Boeing.

These particles, through their shape and composition, can tell a story, but they are inherently difficult to work with because they often represent one very, very small piece of the actual evidence," Citizen Sleuths wrote on their website.

"In some aspects of this investigation, multiple lines of evidence pointed to the same answer, and in others, only a single clue was available to shine a light down a dark tunnel. It should be understood up front that the information presented here represents the best deductions of the researchers on what is certainly a very cold case.

"The tie went with him into these manufacturing environments, for sure, so he was not one of the people running these [manufacturing machines]," Tom Kaye, the group's lead researcher, told King5. "He was either an engineer or a manager in one of the plants."

Story continues

Kaye and his band of Citizen Sleuths are now calling on anyone with a background or experience with the aerospace industry in the Pacific Northwest to aid in the investigation.

In November 1971, a man now known as D.B. Cooper climbed aboard Northwest Orient passenger jet, which was manufactured by Boeing and headed to Seattle from Portland, and told the flight attendant that he had a bomb in his suitcase.

He then demanded $200,000 and four parachutes.

The FBI handed over the money and the parachutes to Cooper as the plane landed at Seattle's Sea-Tac Airport. The aircraft then took off again, heading south.

At some point, he made his now-infamous escape by jumping out of the plane. Cooper, who was said to have been wearing a business suit at the time of the hijacking, was never found.

Read: 45 Years After Plane Hijacking, Mysterious Case of D.B. Cooper Is Shut Down With No Credible Leads

A minimal amount of the money that was given to Cooper was recovered, as was his airline ticket, which was issued to a "Dan Cooper."

The FBI closed the case last July after turning up no new leads on Cooper's identity.

The Citizen Sleuths were granted access to the FBIs files a decade ago and have recently made their discoveries public with the public appeal for assistance.

Watch: Passenger Defends Hijacker Selfie: 'I Wanted Him To Know I Was Human'

Related Articles:
(BRUSSELS)European Union nations bracing for the looming Donald Trump presidency showed defiance Monday in the face of the president-elects stinging comments on everything from NATO and German cars to the crumbling of the EU itself.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the U.S. president-elects view that NATO was obsolete and his criticism that European allied members arent paying their fair share had caused astonishment.

Trump also said Britains decision to leave the 28-nation European Union would end up being a great thing, and he predicted that other countries would also leave.

At a meeting of E.U. ministers, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the best response to such comments was simple  it is the unity of the Europeans.

In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted: We Europeans have our fate in our own hands.

Im personally going to wait until the American president takes office, and then we will naturally work with him on all levels, she told reporters.

French President Francois Hollande was even more outspoken in his defiance.

Europe has no need for outside advice to tell it what to do, Hollande said at a ceremony for outgoing U.S. ambassador in Paris Jane Hartley.

Europe will always be willing to pursue trans-Atlantic cooperation, but it will base its decisions on its interests and its values, he added.

Some E.U. officials fear Trumps frequent, often acerbic Twitter postings might be the prelude to a caustic presidency after Fridays inauguration.

We are going to move away from, I guess, a kind of Twitter diplomacy, and then into a reality, said Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen, adding that reality could be perhaps more difficult than what is going on on Twitter.

E.U. foreign ministers were already worried what Trump might do beyond their continent. They came out against any plan by Trump to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and warned that it could ratchet up tensions with the Arab world.

Story continues

It is very important for us all to refrain from unilateral actions, E.U. foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said. We hope that there can be reflection on consequences of any move that is taken, she said.

Although Trump had made similar statements about NATO during his election campaign, his recent comments still came as a bit of a surprise since his choice for defense secretary, retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, stressed his support for the NATO military alliance in his U.S. congressional confirmation hearing last week.

Trumps views, in an interview published Monday with German daily Bild and The Times of London, contradict Mattis, Steinmeier said.

If one compares the positions of the designated president and the future foreign and defense ministers, then one cant discern a common foreign policy line among the new U.S. government, he said.

There have even been fears the U.S. military commitment to Europe would wane under Trump. A German newspaper group reports that Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite has urged Trump to continue meeting the U.S.s financial obligations toward the alliance.

Since World War II, the presence of U.S. troops has been a prerequisite for rebuilding the continent, safeguarding peace and ensuring security, she told the RND network of some 30 German papers.

We expect continuity from the new U.S. administration. Trump must maintain this leadership role, to ensure security, stability and peace, she was quoted as saying.

Trump indicated he was indifferent to whether the E.U. stays together or not, a sharp break from the Obama administration, which encouraged British people to vote to remain in the E.U. in the June referendum.

I believe others will leave  I do think keeping it together is not gonna be as easy as a lot of people think, Trump said in the interview.

The British exit from the E.U. would end up being a great thing, he said.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said its very good news that the United States of America wants to do a good free trade deal with us and wants to do it very fast.

Trump was less kind to German industry officials, saying car manufacturers including BMW could face tariffs of up to 35 percent if they set up plants in Mexico instead of in the U.S. and try to export the cars to the U.S.

Such tariffs would make the American auto industry worse, weaker and more expensive, Sigmar Gabriel, Germanys economy minister, told Bild.

Gabriel suggested Europeans should exhibit more self-confidence in dealing with Trump. Were not weak and inferior, he said.

Whatever his goal, Trumps comments were strong enough to make him the talk of the town in European capitals.

It is clear that we are discussing this issue all the time, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said at the E.U. meeting in Brussels.

___

Grieshaber reported from Berlin. David Rising and Frank Jordans in Berlin, Lorne Cook in Brussels and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed.
With Donald Trump about to get the keys to the White House and the political winds blowing a populist gale through Europe, the world's elite have been in need of a new saviour.

Enter stage left Chinese President Xi Jinping, who in an hour-long speech on Tuesday won over a crowd of ardent capitalists gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"I've been coming to Davos for years and that's the kind of speech that was usually given by a US president," said John Neill, the head of British logistics company Unipart.

"He's used this brilliantly to try and take global leadership," Neill added, believing he may have witnessed a turning point in history.

The irony that it was the leader of communist China who preached a message in favour of open markets and globalisation, in contrast to Trump's "America first" approach, was not lost on attendants such as former Swedish prime minister and Davos regular Carl Bildt.

"A century ago there was a man called Vladimir Lenin, who was sitting in Zurich nearby plotting world revolution. And now a hundred years later we have the leader of the largest communist party in the world coming to the leading meeting of global capitalists to preach the virtues of globalisation," he told AFP.

"Lenin is dead," said Bildt, who is now co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Like most Xi speeches, this one was rich in historical allusions and Chinese proverbs as he paid his maiden visit to the Davos forum.

But addressing a packed convention hall, Xi also invoked tropes drawn from Western culture including Charles Dickens ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times") and the Gettysburg Address.

Countries cannot pursue development in isolation of the world around them, he said.

"Development is of the people, by the people and for the people."

- Actions speak louder than words -

Trump, who takes office as US president on Friday, routinely browbeat China on the campaign trail and has threatened punitive tariffs on its exports as he vies to restore millions of lost factory jobs.

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In Davos, Trump transition advisor Anthony Scaramucci said "we want to have a phenomenal relationship with the Chinese".

"But if the Chinese really believe in globalism, and they really believe in the words of Lincoln, they have to reach now towards us and allow us to create this symmetry, because the path to globalism in the world is through the American worker and the American middle class," he said.

However, other members of the Davos tribe were thrilled at the prospect of globalisation staying safe under Chinese custodianship.

"I heard a president that was wise and measured," said Philippe Brassac, the chief executive of Credit Agricole, one of France's biggest banks.

"In the end this is a leader who is positioning himself as, at least in part, responsible for the fate of humanity," he said.

Dax Lovegrove, vice president of Austrian jewellery brand Swarovski, contrasted Xi's message to another speech given Tuesday by British Prime Minister Theresa May.

May said Brexit-bound Britain will leave the European Union's single market in order to restrict immigration in a clean break from the bloc, but that lawmakers can vote on the final deal.

"I've just been listening to President Xi speaking which I found very inspiring because he's championing openness and cooperation, which is exactly what the world needs," Lovegrove said.

Still, others in the Davos crowd were unwilling to overlook the kind of political system Xi oversees.

"Close your eyes on Xi's speech, you could almost forget he leads an authoritarian regime. Do the same for Trump, same happens for democracy," said analyst Ian Bremmer.

IHS Markit chief economist Nariman Behravesh said he was encouraged by Xi's promises to open up the Chinese economy further to more imports and foreign investment.

But he added: "In the end what they actually do matters more than what President Xi says."
WISCONSIN RAPIDS (AP)  Scarlett Griffith's face lights up whenever she watches actress Scarlett Johansson call her Little Scarlett.

"I'm thinking of you and sending you lots of love and support from New York, and wishing you a speedy recovery," Johansson, a film actress who starred in the "Avengers" series among other movies, said in a video she sent to the Wisconsin Rapids girl's family. "Everybody in New York City is thinking of you, including me."

Scarlett Griffith is just 2 years old, and she is battling cancer with the support of her parents, Jordan and Tami, and her three siblings. Scarlett is named after the actress, and her parents said shortly after she was diagnosed with the disease, Jordan's aunt asked if she could reach out to Johansson with Scarlett's story.

"She asked if it was OK, and we said it was," Jordan Griffith said. "I didn't think she had a snowball's chance to be able to contact her."

But within a couple of weeks, Johansson's public relations agent brought Little Scarlett's story to the actress. The Griffiths received the video message from Johansson in November.

"Scarlett (Griffith) loves it," her dad said. "She watches it over and over and smiles. She absolutely loves it."

Signs of trouble for the younger Scarlett started one day in October, when she began to limp as she walked. Her parents took her to the emergency room because of leg pain, thinking she had a dislocated hip. Two days later, Scarlett was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia.

Scarlett stays at the American Family Children's Hospital in Madison for chemotherapy treatments, but she is able to be home between treatments. The length and frequency of her stays can vary  some treatments keep her in the hospital for a couple of days; some are outpatient. But an infection or a problem can keep her there for a month or longer, as happened recently. Jordan Griffith said if all goes well, treatments should last about 30 months, but they are most intense in the first year.

"She's young enough that she doesn't know she's sick," Jordan said. "She thinks she's a normal, happy, healthy kid. She doesn't mind it at the hospital. She likes going and playing with all the nurses, so she gets happy when she gets to go (to Madison)."

The chemo treatments make Scarlett sick, but otherwise, she is doing well both physically and emotionally, her father said.

"She gets a little nauseous with the chemo drugs," he said. "She gets sick, but in less than five minutes, she's fine and happy again, saying 'I don't have any more yuckies in my belly.' Her spirits are good; she's always positive."

Jordan said he and his wife are grateful for the support they have received not just from Johansson but also from the community and other parents who have gone through similar trials with a child. He said he and his wife learned about the diagnosis on a Tuesday morning and rushed to pack clothes and necessities before driving to Madison. They met people at the hospital who understood the stress the parents go through, and had food and gift cards for Jordan and Tami, as well as blankets and toys for Scarlett.

Tami's cousin, Tara Wawrzyniec is a bartender and server at Old 10 Bistro in Stevens Point, where the staff will host a benefit for Scarlett from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Jan. 14.

"All of the staff have agreed to donate either their salary for the day or their tips for the day," Wawrzyniec said. "(The owner) Matt is also going to donate half of the proceeds for all of the specials that day, which are all of Scarlett's favorites."

Wawrzyniec asks people to make reservations if they plan to attend, so the staff can prepare.

"People are amazing," Wawrzyniec said. "We expect a pretty good turnout."
Donald Trumps nominee to be the countrys next health care czar invested last year as much as $90,000 in six pharmaceutical companies shortly before leading a legislative and public relations effort that benefited those specific companies, records show.

Within weeks of making investments worth between $1,000 and $15,000 in Eli Lilly, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Amgen, McKesson, Biogen and Pfizer according to Congressional disclosure forms, Rep. Tom Price co-sponsored legislation and took part in a public effort that ultimately killed proposed regulatory changes that would have likely hurt those companies bottom lines.

The six pharmaceutical companies where Price made investments all lobbied Congress to stop the regulatory changes, Congressional lobbying records show, which would have changed the way Medicare reimburses doctors for expensive drugs.

Prices investments, discovered as part of a TIME review of Congressional and lobbying records, raise new questions about Trumps Cabinet, which ethics watchdogs say has not taken care to avoid appearances of conflicts of interest.

According to a TIME review of Congressional financial disclosures, Price held between at least $60,000 and $250,000 in stocks in health care-related companies as of the end of 2016. Price also sits on the House of Representatives subcommittee, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, that deals in health care-related legislation. On Monday CNN reported that Price invested between $1,000 and $15,000 in a medical device manufacturer, Zimmer Biomet, before introducing legislation last year that would have helped the company.

The correlation between Prices purchase of these stocks and the actions he took as a member of Congress certainly raises questions about Price using his position as a member of Congress for his own personal financial benefit, said Brendan Fischer, associate counsel at the Campaign Legal Center. By the time that Price was getting around to advancing the interests of these companies he knew full well that he potentially stood to profit personally from the defeat of these changes.

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Price spokesman Phil Blando said that the trades were conducted via a broker-directed account without [Prices] input or knowledge and that Price only knew of the trades after the fact. Blando said that Senate Democrats have also made large trades in pharmaceutical companies.

Dr. Prices 20-year career as an orthopedic surgeon and a fiscal conservative make him uniquely qualified to lead HHS, Blando said.

Price, a Tea Party Republican and orthopedic surgeon, is a conservative stalwart on Capitol Hill. A regular at the right-wing think tank Heritage Action retreats, he is respected by conservative colleagues as a health-care wonk. He has long been one of the more vocal opponents of the Affordable Care Act and has regularly supported or cosponsored legislation backed by pharmaceutical companies and health care groups.

As nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services in the incoming Trump Administration, Price would have wide latitude to oversee Medicare, Medicaid, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and numerous others, putting him in charge of regulating companies in which he has thousands of dollars in investments.

Senate Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and key members of the committee that will be questioning Price on Wednesday this week have called for an ethics investigation into Prices investments. Price has said he will divest in the companies after his Senate confirmation hearing.

Prices critics say he has acted in the interests of drug companies and doctors over patients, arguing that his role in the Medicare payment fight last year provides a window into how he will govern as HHS secretary. What I see here is someone who is being placed in a position after taking a lot of money from the pharmaceutical companies to be in the position where he can do a lot of help for pharma, said Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat who opposed Price on the Medicare Part B fight.

Prices role in the Medicare reimbursement proposal began in March 2016.

On March 8, a little-talked about government agency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed a new rule to reduce Medicare doctors incentives to prescribe expensive treatments for cancer drugs and arthritis treatments. It was praised by academics who saw it as a smart first attempt to relieve burdensome expenses for seniors on lifesaving drugs.

The CMS proposal would have lowered Medicare reimbursements to doctors for drugs from 6% of the price of the drug to 2% plus a small flat fee. The Obama Administration argued it would incentivize doctors to prescribe generic, cheaper drugs instead of their much more expensive counterparts, for which the federal government and sick patients foot the bill. On March 10, Price first announced his opposition to the proposed changes.

On March 17, a week after CMS proposed the new rule, Prices broker invested between $1,000 and $15,000 in each of the six pharmaceutical companies, Eli Lilly, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Amgen, McKesson, Pfizer and Biogen, financial disclosures show. Those six companies strongly opposed CMSs new Medicare proposal, lobbied against it in Congress and created a public relations campaign against the change.

On April 15, Price signed off on financial disclosures that showed he had invested in those companies.

Then, on April 29, Price signed on as an original co-sponsor on legislation introduced in the House that would have blocked the proposed regulatory changes if they were ever enforced. On May 2, Price was the top signatory on a letter that opposed the Medicare rule changes and included Democratic signatories as well.

The Administrations alarming Medicare Part B Drug Payment Model will make it harder for our nations seniors and sickest patients to receive the drugs they so desperately need, Price said about the CMS plan in May.

Over the following months, the CMS proposal faltered and then died, which sources inside CMS and stakeholders said in interviews with TIME was largely a result of the legislative and lobbying effort by the pharmaceutical industry and members of Congress.

Top Senate Democrats have said that Price may have on his other trades violated the STOCK Act, which prohibits members of Congress from using non-public information for profit when trading stocks.

Price is also at odds with President-elect Trumps on several issues. In February, Trump criticized drug contributions to politicians. The drug companies probably have the second or third most powerful lobby in this country, he said at a town hall in New Hampshire in February. They get the politicians, and every single one of them is getting money from them. He repeated the message in an interview with TIME late last year. Im going to bring down drug prices, he said.

Health care researchers say the proposed Medicare changes that Price opposed last March would have been an important step toward reducing health care costs had they been enacted.

The rules would protect patients who otherwise end up getting more expensive drugs than they need, said Dr. Peter Bach, a researcher who supported the new rules and is the director of the center for health policy and outcomes at Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital.

In addition to the pharmaceutical companies, the Medicare rules would have also reduced revenues for some doctors, who get bigger bonuses for prescribing expensive drugs. Price opposing changes to the fee-for-service payment structure is favorable to physicians and doesnt necessarily favor good care or outcomes, said Dr. Manik Chhabra, an internal medicine physician and researcher at the University of Pennsylvania.

Trump is in favor of having Medicare bargain with pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices. But Price said in 2007 that he opposes giving Medicare the ability to bargain with drug companies for reduced prices, calling it a solution in search of a problem, according to a New York Times article.

Republicans have defended Prices investments. Im the chairman of the Ethics Committee, said Sen. Johnny Isakson according to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Nobody knows the law, the STOCK Act, better than I do. Tom  has done a great job and has made no ethics violations.

Prices confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee is on Wednesday.
(WASHINGTON)  Donald Trumps choice to head the Interior Department on Tuesday rejected the president-elects claim that climate change is a hoax, saying it is indisputable that environmental changes are affecting the worlds temperature and human activity is a major reason.

I dont believe its a hoax, Rep. Ryan Zinke told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee at his confirmation hearing.

The climate is changing. The debate is what is that influence and what can we do, said the Montana Republican.

Trump has suggested in recent weeks hes keeping an open mind on the issue and may reconsider a campaign pledge to back away from a 2015 Paris agreement that calls for global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

In contradicting Trump, Zinke cited Glacier National Park in his home state as a prime example of the effects of climate change, noting that glaciers there have receded in his lifetime and even from one visit to the next.

Still, he told Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., that there is debate about how much humans have influenced the climate.

Likely to win Senate confirmation, Zinke sketched out a variety of purposes for the nations vast federal lands, from hiking, hunting, fishing and camping to harvesting timber and mining for coal and other energy sources.

An admirer of President Theodore Roosevelt, Zinke said management of federal lands should be done under a multiple-use model set forth by Gifford Pinchot, a longtime Roosevelt associate and the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service.

Zinke also pledged to tackle an estimated $12 billion backlog in maintenance and repair at national parks, saying parks and other public lands should be a key part of Trumps infrastructure improvement plan.

Zinke has said he would never sell, give away or transfer public lands  a crucial stance in his home state of Montana and the rest of the West where access to hunting and fishing is considered sacrosanct.

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Zinke feels so strongly that he resigned as a delegate to the Republican National Convention last summer because of the GOPs position in favor of land transfers to state or private groups. But Zinkes commitment to public lands has come into question in recent weeks.

The Interior Department and other U.S. agencies control almost a third of land in the West and even more of the underground mineral estate that holds vast amounts of coal, oil and natural gas.

Zinkes position on public lands came under fire after he voted in favor of a measure from House Republicans that would allow federal land transfers to be considered cost-free and budget-neutral, making it easier for drilling and development.

Zinke says hes against transfer of federal lands, but theres a big gap between what he says and what he does in that regard, said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, the nations oldest and largest environmental group.

Zinke told senators Tuesday that he flatly opposes all sales or transfer of federal lands.

Indeed, his support for public lands was a crucial reason why Zinke was chosen by Trump. The president-elect and son Donald Trump Jr. both oppose sale of federal lands. The younger Trump, an avid hunter, has taken a keen interest in Interior Department issues and played a key role in Zinkes selection.

Zinke also reiterated his support for coal production on federal lands as part of an all-of-the above energy strategy

Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state, the top Democrat on the energy panel, asked Zinke about modernizing the federal coal program, saying it was important to make sure American taxpayers arent short-changed for the benefit of corporate interests

Zinke promised to review the coal program and said he thinks taxpayers should always get fair value, whether its coal, wind power or other energy sources.
LONDON (Reuters) - Drivers working for Britain's Southern Rail have agreed to suspend strike action next week which would have brought the network to a standstill once again, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) said on Tuesday. Southern Rail, which runs services from central London to Gatwick Airport and Brighton on the south coast, has been hit by a series of stoppages in a dispute about whose job it should be to open and close the train doors. Driver's union ASLEF had planned to stage three days of strikes next week but has agreed to suspend them to allow for talks on Wednesday with Southern, run by Britain's largest train operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) - a joint venture owned by London-listed Go-Ahead GOG.L and France's Keolis. "We are committed to finding a fair solution to this dispute," said TUC General Secretary Frances OGrady. "We are pleased that all parties have agreed to meet for meaningful talks. (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison)
The Hague (AFP) - Dutch voters head to crunch parliamentary polls in two months time, heralding the start of a "super election year" in three of Europe's leading economies: The Netherlands, France and Germany.

After the surprise Brexit result in Britain and as Donald Trump's inauguration looms on Friday in the United States, the spotlight is shifting to the continent's future political landscape.

"It's going to be something of a 'super election' year in Europe," said University of Amsterdam political analyst Claes de Vreese.

"There will be a lot of focus on these elections," he told AFP.

On March 15, some 12.6 million Dutch voters will be eligible to cast ballots to usher in a new parliament, prime minister and government.

It will be the first in a string of elections held against a backdrop of growing anti-EU sentiment and fears over Europe's largest wave of immigration since World War II which have emboldened far-right parties.

The anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV) of Dutch MP Geert Wilders is riding high in the polls, with latest figures showing it may grab the lion's share in the 150-seat lower house harnessing between 31-37 members of parliament.

"It could very well be that Wilders' party becomes the largest after the elections," political analyst Andre Krouwel told AFP.

"But I don't think Wilders will end up in government, because it's clear that nobody in The Hague wants to govern with him," he said.

- No Rutte-Wilders match -

As the countdown began here and the gloves came off, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Sunday there was "zero chance" that his Liberal Party (VVD) -- running second in the polls -- would agree to govern in a coalition with Wilders.

A firebrand politician with a trademark peroxide hairdo, Wilders was convicted of discrimination in December over statements he made about Moroccans living in the country.

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In his election manifesto, Wilders vowed to shut mosques, ban the Koran, close the country's borders and take The Netherlands out of the European Union -- the very institution which it helped found.

Rutte told the NOS public broadcaster that the PVV leader's comments vowing fewer Moroccan immigrants were "at odds" with Dutch values and he would not govern with him. "It's not going to happen," he said.

He may still be wary of Wilders. Rutte's first minority cabinet collapsed in 2012 when Wilders withdrew his party's support in parliament.

Analysts believe the fractured nature of Dutch politics means the next government will also likely be a coalition -- with perhaps as many as five parties.

Most probably it would include Rutte's VVD, the centre-right Christian Democratic Appeal and the progressive D66 party "with two or more of the smaller Christian parties," predicted Krouwel from the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam.

- People's revolt? -

The Dutch vote will be followed just a month later by the first round of the French presidential elections on April 23.

French polls show the first round 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.

And after the summer, Germany will vote for a new parliament, with anti-immigrant party Alternative for Germany (AfD) polling at around 15 percent.

Europe's far-right parties have been boosted by the Brexit vote and Trump's unexpected election win, De Vreese said.

But he said there were "different reasons" for each party's success.

"We should guard against a meta-narrative where each vote for a non-mainstream party is seen as one-and-the same -- they are not," he cautioned.

"Of course it fits really well into their (Wilders and Le Pen's) narrative, but it's dangerous to call it a 'people's revolt' against the establishment."

Should far-right leaders consolidate gains "you'll have a transatlantic alignment of populist leaders in real power," Krouwel said.

"Trump will then no longer be in isolation. They will work with him and that will have an impact on all kinds of treaties, including the Paris climate accords," he told AFP.

"There will be real political consequences."

Ko Colijn, senior researcher at The Hague's respected Clingendael Institute think-tank said far-right victories in The Netherlands, but particularly in France, would likely usher in closer co-operation with both Trump and Russia.

"Should Le Pen win... there is a real chance that she and Trump will see (Russian President Vladimir) Putin as 'a man you can make a deal with'," Colijn said.
Beirut (AFP) - The World Food Programme said Tuesday it has suspended aid drops to the Syrian city of Deir Ezzor because of heavy fighting after a fierce assault by the Islamic State group.

IS has besieged Deir Ezzor's 100,000 residents since 2015 and already controls large parts of the city, but on Saturday advanced further inside remaining government-held territory.

The clashes, which continued for a fourth day on Tuesday, have killed more than 100 people, according to a monitor.

"We have put on hold the air drop operation in Deir Ezzor for security operational reasons," said WFP spokeswoman Bettina Luescher.

"There is heavy fighting ongoing in and around the landing zone... It is simply too dangerous to do this now," she told reports in Geneva.

The WFP has been dropping humanitarian aid into Deir Ezzor since April 2016, and the government-held area is the only place in Syria where the agency has permission for the drops.

Luescher said the WFP's last aid drop was on Sunday, adding that 3,300 tonnes of food and other aid have been dispatched to the city since the operation began.

The IS assault has managed to divide the east of the remaining government-held parts of the city from the west.

It has also cut the route running from the city's key military airport, limiting the government's ability to bring in supplies and military reinforcements.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said Tuesday that Syria's military and allied Russian forces were carrying out air strikes against IS, as government troops battled the jihadists on the ground.

Ten civilians were killed Tuesday in air strikes on the Deir Ezzor district of Al-Ummal, which is held by IS, the monitor said, bringing to 37 the total number of civilians killed in the four-day IS offensive.

The latest assault, which included waves of suicide bombers, was the "most violent" attack on the city in more than a year, said the Observatory.

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It said the government was flying reinforcements into the military base and had called up residents to fight on the front lines against IS, including some without military training.

Since the siege began, the government has been able to fly limited supplies into the airport, and WFP and Russia have also delivered aid.

But residents have nonetheless faced shortages and rising prices, as well as being unable to leave the city.

Deir Ezzor sits in the oil-rich eastern province of the same name, most of which is controlled by IS.

The extremist group has lost swathes of territory in northern Syria to Kurdish fighters as well as a Turkish-backed rebel alliance, but it remains on the offensive in other parts of the country.

More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests that were met with a regime crackdown.

The violence has drawn in international players, as well as attracting jihadist groups like IS.
In some of his many previous lives, 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron has been a philosophy student, an investment banker, and a minister of economy. It is not surprising, then, in his current life as an independent candidate for the French presidency, he does not always speak like other candidates. And its not only the substance of his language that stands out but also, sometimes, his choice of language. Last week, in a speech at Berlins Humboldt University, Macron spoke in impeccable English on the imperative of giving Europe a chance.

And of giving the future a chance: Macrons speech offered a powerful and convincing case that he is the last great French hope for a European future based on a common market and a common morality, a single currency and a singular commitment to the continents core values.

Though his immediate audience was Humboldts faculty and students, Macron was in fact addressing a far wider audience. He was seeking to mobilize French as well as German youths, and  in a reference to the program that allows EU citizens to study in other member states  the non-Erasmus as well as the Erasmus generations. Based on the audiences response to his speech, and his surging poll numbers in France, Macron  despite not having the support of an established party, or perhaps because he doesnt  is no longer the dark horse but instead the white knight for a growing number of French voters. However, what this particular knight promises, beyond verve and vitality, is not yet clear.

Predictably, the National Front lambasted Macrons choosing to speak English in Berlin. From the extreme far-right party, the tweets came fast and furious. Marine Le Pen, the partys presidential candidate, announced: The presidential candidate Macron is going to Berlin to speak at a conference in English. With a distinctly Trumpian flourish, she lamented: Pauvre France! (Poor France!) Her second-in-command, Florian Philippot, was equally displeased: Its not only that he [Macron] disrespects our language, but he also doesnt believe in France.

Language matters, of course, in France  especially when the language is not French but English. Fears that the language of Moliere and Pierre Corneille  and thus the place of France  would be swept away by English have long stalked the French. Moreover, Le Pens ire might have been compounded by her ignorance of English, even though this trait has long been, if not a qualification, then at least not an obstacle to the Elysee. (Most presidents of the Fifth Republic have had an adversarial relationship with English. Indeed, one thing the Socialist Francois Hollande and Gaullist Nicolas Sarkozy had in common was a Clouseauian grasp of the language.)

At the start of his talk, Macron joked  in French  that since he has always believed the point of speech was to be understood, it made no sense to speak French at a European conference where English was the common tongue. He then segued seamlessly not only into English but into a worldview that would have been thoroughly familiar to the father of the European Union, fellow Frenchman Jean Monnet (whose English was fluent enough to coin the phrase attributed to Franklin D. Roosevelt describing the United States as the arsenal of democracy). But this same view is now retreating under the pressure of nationalist parties across Europe, united in their distaste for both the United States of America and the United States of Europe.

Given the ascendancy in the polls of Le Pen and the candidate of the center-right Les Republicains, Francois Fillon, Macrons approach might seem tantamount to political suicide. Both Le Pen and Fillon have run not just against immigration and refugees but also against Brussels and Monnets idea of Europe. Le Pen has, without respite, railed against immigrants in France, declaring, Immigration is not an opportunity but instead a burden. We have neither the means, desire, nor energy to treat the unfortunate of the world with more generosity.

Despite his Catholic faith, Fillon is equally unforgiving of those unfortunate enough to be born in failed states. When Fillon unveiled his immigration platform on Jan. 11, the newspaper Liberation described it as a bombshell. Instead of focusing on Fillons plans to reduce or eliminate state aid to immigrants, the paper instead underscored his intention of introducing immigration quotas from non-EU states. Not only would this mark a rupture in French immigration policy since 1945, but it also marked a divorce with the French republican tradition that refuses to distinguish among races and religions. As the historian and legal scholar Patrick Weil warned when Sarkozy made a similar proposal in 2008, If we adopt this law, France  the home of the rights of man  will be shunned by civilized nations.

As for Europe, Fillon is still remembered for having voted against the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, and although he now describes himself as European, he insists that France remain sovereign in a Europe that respects nations. Of course, if the EU didnt exist, Le Pen would have had to create it, so useful has it been as a scapegoat in her political rise. (The EU does try to defend its own honor: While Le Pen has been demanding Frances withdrawal from the union, the EU has been demanding more than 300,000 euros it claims she took from Brusselss bank account to pay her National Front staff.)

Finally, both Fillon and Le Pen have repeatedly played the national identity card. This month, Fillon caused a stir by presenting as presidential credentials that he is Gaullist and Christian. Rarely frequenting the church, Le Pen instead anchors her faith in the scripture of classic extreme right-wing (and anti-Semitic) thinkers like Maurice Barres and Charles Maurras. What unites these otherwise disparate discourses is that they leave precious little room for Frances 5 million Muslims.

Macrons erstwhile colleagues in the Socialist Party have done little to set themselves apart from these claims. In particular, their leading candidate, former Prime Minister Manuel Valls, has hammered away at a straight and narrow interpretation of republicanism. He called for the outlawing of the so-called burkini, an Islam-inspired full-body swimsuit, warning French Muslims to be more discreet in advertising their religious convictions. Valls has been equally unbending on the politics of immigration. During a visit to Germany last year, he slammed Chancellor Angela Merkels open-door policy on refugees. Echoing his ostensible foe in Le Pen, he declared: Europe cannot welcome any more refugees.

Given the widespread appeal of anti-immigration and anti-European politics, Macrons position becomes all the more striking. It reflects not only his political and moral convictions but a strategic conviction as well: The French and the Germans, he believes, can still be rallied to the European project. He first expressed this position when, in early January, he published an editorial in Le Monde. Addressing the terrorist attack on a Christmas market in Berlin, he announced: We are all Berliners, we are all Europeans. In crisp and compelling language, Macron argued for more and not less Europe. The answer was not to expel refugees from the national community and build barricades between one another  the solution for which nationalists on both sides of the Rhine clamored  but was instead to galvanize cooperation and compassion among Europeans. Whereas Le Pen and Valls see the refugees as a burden, Macron insisted they represented an economic opportunity for France and Europe.

Significantly, Macron repeatedly praised Merkel for maintaining, even in the face of terrorism, our common values and preserving our common dignity by welcoming and lodging refugees in distress. But Macron had not only come to praise Merkel on her refugee policy but to provoke her on her monetary policy. Describing the euro as little more than a weak Deutsche mark, he urged Germany to adopt a pro-growth and pro-investment strategy, all the while cutting slack to the EUs struggling members. Should Berlin fail to do so, Macron warned, the euro would be dismantled in 10 years time. In a clever riff on the concept of sovereignty  which now has totemic significance for Europes nationalist right  Macron went on to argue that the euro will be saved only if Europe, and not its constituent members, acts like a truly sovereign body.

Not only has he challenged the Gaullist concept of national sovereignty, but Macron is also challenging the Gaullist concept of the state. Rather than maintaining the dirigiste model bequeathed by the concepts namesake, Macron is an unapologetic liberal. Not surprisingly, the policies he enacted as economy minister remain radioactive among many on the left. The so-called loi Macron of 2015 bundled together a number of modest labor reforms, in particular allowing stores to remain open on Sundays, that sparked waves of union demonstrations and a schism within the Socialist Party. But Macron not only had the support of one important union, the CFDT, but also powerful old-guard Socialists like Gerard Collomb, the mayor of Lyon. Several other powerful figures on the left have since gravitated toward his candidacy, including the influential architect and intellectual Roland Castro and Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the former revolutionary of 1968 and current Green Party representative in the European Parliament. (Cohn-Bendit was, in fact, slouching prominently in the front row during Macrons speech at Humboldt, right next to former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.)

Most telling, though, was the enthusiastic legion of students sitting in the auditoriums mezzanine. Macron made a point of directly addressing them during his talk, just as the students made a point of repeatedly cheering both his economic and political stances. What we might call Macronomie 201 has a swelling enrollment in France as well. In contrast to the staid and sparse crowds at the rallies of his opponents, Macrons campaign events consistently draw thousands of loud and enthusiastic supporters. Last week, fewer than 300 people attended a speech by Valls in Clermont-Ferrand  the same city where, a week earlier, Macron drew a standing-room-only crowd of 2,000, with another 500 turned away at the doors. Reflecting Macrons burgeoning popularity, polls now credit him with 20 percent of the vote, placing him in third place behind Le Pen and Fillon. In a startling poll published last week by French pollster Ifop, Macron would defeat not only Le Pen with 65 percent of the vote, but also Fillon by 52 percent, in the second round of the election.

The obstacles faced by Macron, running without the support of a political party, remain imposing. But as the unflappable and understated political commentator Eric Dupin recently wrote, something is happening with Macrons candidacy. There is, he wrote, a kind of political crystallization taking place around his candidacy, spurred by Macrons promise to confront ideological shibboleths of the French left no less than the right. In a much-discussed column he wrote for the French edition of the Huffington Post, the crusty leftist Castro gave voice to this crystallization. Following their meeting last November in Paris, when Macron declared his candidacy to more than 10,000 supporters, Castro left deeply impressed. He was certain, he wrote, that Macron was not going to occupy a centrist position but a central position. This is the proper place for a president of the Republic, one who is not the incarnation of a party but the president of all the French.

As elections and referendums in 2016 remind us, stranger things have happened. But unlike the experiences in Great Britain and the United States, the stranger thing in France would be an immeasurably more hopeful thing, perhaps for all of Europe.

Photo credit: SEAN GALLUP/Getty Images
Brussels (AFP) - The European Union has informally contacted the incoming Trump administration to clarify "misunderstanding" about the Iran nuclear deal which he has threated to scrap, an EU diplomatic source said Tuesday.

EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini on Monday insisted the bloc would stand by the accord -- which she helped negotiate -- because it showed that diplomacy worked and served Europe's security needs.

US President-elect Donald Trump has blasted the agreement as "one of the dumbest deals I have ever seen" and warned it will not stop Tehran getting atomic weapons.

The EU diplomatic source, who asked not to be named, said the contacts were made to explain the value of the accord.

"Some informal outreach was done to the new US administration to explain the added value of the deal," the source said.

"There has been a lot of misunderstanding out there ... It is a multilateral agreement; if one side steps away from it, the others can do the same."

The source said the EU was determined to stick with the accord and was "working very much hand in hand with China and Russia on this."

"We see this deal as very important, as having averted a potential major crisis in a region running high with tensions," the source added.

Under the hard-won accord, Tehran agreed to rein in its nuclear programme in return for an easing of punishing Western economic sanctions.

US President Barack Obama hailed the accord as one of his major achievements, preventing Iran getting nuclear weapons without having to go to war.
Strasbourg (France) (AFP) - The European Parliament elects a new president on Tuesday in a vote that promises to be stormy after a coalition aimed at keeping eurosceptics out of power broke down.

The winner will replace Germany's Martin Schulz, who during five years in office made the role far more powerful and prominent than it had ever been before.

The new president will lead the EU's only elected body, which will have the final say on a Brexit deal expected in two years time.

The 751 members of the parliament will cast secret ballots in Strasbourg, France. The vote can go to a maximum of four rounds.

The main candidates are both Italian: centre-right politician Antonio Tajani, and socialist Gianni Pittella. Another five candidates have little chance.

"I am almost sure the winner will have a link with Italy," joked Liberal candidate Guy Verhofstadt -- a former Belgian premier who owns a vineyard in Italy.

Schulz is meanwhile going back to politics in Germany.

But the contest has been a bitter one as a long-standing agreement between the two political groups broke down.

Tajani, a former spokesman for Italys Silvio Berlusconi and ex-European commissioner, is the candidate of the European Peoples Party (EPP), the largest group in the assembly.

The EPP, which counts German Chancellor Angela Merkel as a member, says there was an agreement under a "grand coalition" that it should get the position, as a socialist, Schulz, held it last time.

The two groups have rotated the leadership of parliament between them for almost every year since the 1970s.

But Pittella says he will not accept an EPP "monopoly" of the EUs top jobs, held by EPP members Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, and Donald Tusk, the head of the European Council.

A Tajani win could therefore prompt calls for a reshuffle of the top jobs, adding unwelcome instability to an already crisis-hit union.

Verhofstadt, the European Parliaments Brexit negotiator, meanwhile saw his chances dip after a failed merger last week with Italys populist 5-Star Movement.

The grand coalition has been seen as limiting the influence of Eurosceptic groups led by Britains UKIP and Frances National Front, after they made stunning gains in the last European Parliament elections in May 2014.

The anti-EU movement has since gained strength, with Britons voting to leave the bloc in a shock referendum result last June, while across the Atlantic a similar wave of populism took Donald Trump to the US presidency.
Brussels (AFP) - Lithuania can use EU funds to install surveillance systems on its border with Russia's militarised Kaliningrad exclave but not to build a fence, the EU said on Tuesday.

Vilnius has said it wants to build a fence on the border with Kaliningrad amid concern from fellow Baltic states over the Russian military build-up.

The so-called exclave of Kaliningrad is sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, both EU and NATO members.

"The Commission indeed does not finance the construction of fences or barriers at the external borders," said Tove Ernst, a spokeswoman for the European Commission, the executive of the 28-nation bloc.

"What we do fund is border management, including through stepping up surveillance and border control equipment," Ernst told AFP.

"The national programme for Lithuania does for example include the upgrading of border surveillance systems at the external borders," Ernst told reporters earlier, citing thermal cameras and sensor alarm systems.

Construction of the 130-kilometre (80-mile) fence will start this spring and will be finished by the end of the year, Lithuania's Interior Minister Eimutis Misiunas told AFP on Monday.

"The reasons are both economic to prevent smuggling and geopolitical to strengthen the EU's external border," he said.

The two-metre (six-foot) high fence will cost around 30 million euros ($32 million).

"It would not stop tanks but it will be difficult to climb over," Misiunas said.

The stretch of border is currently a popular route used by Kaliningrad-based cigarette smugglers to ferry contraband into Lithuania.

Misiunas said the fence could prevent cross-border "provocations", recalling a 2014 incident in which Estonia accused Russia of abducting an intelligence officer at gunpoint on the border.

NATO is deploying troops in the Baltic states and Poland to deter Russia from making more land grabs following its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Story continues

The Kremlin denies any territorial ambitions and insists NATO is trying to encircle Russia.

Moscow's deployment of nuclear-capable Iskander missiles into Kaliningrad last year and frequent military drills in the Baltic region have rattled neighbouring Poland and Lithuania.

Over the next few months, the United States is due to also deploy part of an armoured brigade to Lithuania and other Baltic NATO states on a rotational basis.
Below is a clarification in regards to an article about snowmobile trail pass requirements printed on Dec. 29, 2016.

According to Keith Bauer, Vernon County Director AWSC(Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs) in order to ride trails in the state of Wisconsin you are required to have a trail pass whether you are a resident or non-resident. You can get a discounted trail pass for $10.00 per sled if you are a member of a snowmobile club in Wisconsin and the AWSC. You must order your discounted trail pass through the AWSC. The AWSC will verify that you are a member of a club and a AWSC member.

Each of Vernon Countys seven snowmobile clubs welcomes new members annually. With your club membership you become a member of the AWSC. Your snowmobile club membership also helps area organizations maintain its many miles of snowmobile trails.

No tax payer money is used to fund snowmobile trails and the costs that go with maintaining them. It is all user funded, Bauer said.

County snowmobile clubs include: Chaseburg Snowtrailers, Eric Ostrem (608) 780-0452; Coulee Track & Trail, Gary Gilbeck (608) 452-3354; Hillsboro Trailblazers, Tom Jindrick (608) 489-4455; Kickapoo Valley Riders, Zack Biermann (608) 625-2903; Mt. Tabor Moonlight Riders, Rob Jackson (608) 489-3179; Ocooch Trail Riders, Gary Erlandson (608) 627-1923; or Viroqua Ridgerunners, Derek Schroeder (608) 606-1673. Many of the clubs also have websites and Facebook pages for the most updated trail information.

If you dont belong to an area snowmobile club your trail pass can be purchased for $30 per sled through the DNR. All trail pass money is collected by the DNR and each person is required to purchase their own trail pass each year for every registered snowmobile they own.

Clubs cant order the trail pass for you and the money received from the trail pass does not stay with the club in our county, Bauer said.

Snowmobile trail passes can also be purchased at the follow Vernon County locations: Tippy Toe Inn, 307 Depot St. Chaseburg, 608-483-2119; Nelson Agri Center, Viroqua, 608-637-2192; Walmart, Viroqua, 608-637-8511; Hillsboro Hardware Hank, Hillsboro, 608-489-2588; or Rockton Tavern, State Hwy 131, Rockton, 608-625-4395.

Vernon County snowmobile trials are currently all closed and for the newest Vernon County trail conditions report call 608-637-5481or go to vernontrails.webs.com.

Any questions, please contact: Dale Hochhausen, Wisconsin Conservation Warden . Phone: 608-785-9972 or Email: dale.hochhausen@wisconsin.gov. or contact Keith Bauer at 608-386-7668.
Reuters

(Reuters) -U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Friday again declined to block President Joe Biden's plan to cancel billions of dollars in student debt, this time in a challenge brought by two Indiana borrowers, even as a lower court considers whether to lift a freeze it imposed on the program in a different case. Barrett denied an emergency request by the Indiana borrowers, represented by a conservative legal group, to bar the U.S. Department of Education from implementing the Democratic president's plan to forgive debt held by qualified people who had taken loans to pay for college. Barrett on Oct. 20 denied a similar request by a Wisconsin taxpayers organization represented by another conservative legal group.
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  Former Yugoslav army general Vlado Trifunovic, whose treason conviction by Serbia's wartime nationalist leadership became a symbol of the senselessness of the 1990s' Balkan conflict, has died, Serbia's state broadcaster reported. He was 78.

Trifunovic, a native of Bosnia, reportedly died on Sunday in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. No other details were immediately available.

Trifunovic was in charge of a Yugoslav army unit in the town of Varazdin in independence-seeking Croatia as war broke out there in 1991. He disobeyed orders from Belgrade to fight and instead negotiated a safe passage for his troops.

Yugoslavia's once multi-ethnic military became dominated by Serbs and controlled from Belgrade after the western republics of Slovenia and Croatia declared independence in 1991.

Trifunovic was convicted of treason by the nationalist government of Serbia's then-President Slobodan Milosevic. But anti-war Serbs hailed Trifunovic as a hero for saving the soldiers' lives.

"Varazdin would have been destroyed if I gave the orders to fight," Trifunovic told The Associated Press in 2010. "My soldiers and I would probably have ended up in some mass grave that would become a symbol of Serb-Croat hatred."

The opposing views of Trifunovic's move mirror the divisions that still exist in Serbia over the country's role in the war that claimed more than 100,000 lives and left millions homeless.

His conviction was thrown out in 2010, years after Milosevic was ousted from power and handed over to a United Nations war crimes court to face a genocide trial. Milosevic died in his cell in The Hague, Netherlands in 2006.

Croatia and Slovenia accused Trifunovic of war crimes, further reflecting the animosities among the former Yugoslav republics following the breakup.

Largely forgotten, Trifunovic spent most of his postwar years in a drab Belgrade hotel occupied by Serbs expelled from other former Yugoslav republics.

Serbia's state TV says Trifunovic will be buried in Bosnia.
In a major speech on Tuesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May will clear up months of speculation about what sort of relationship Britain will seek to have with the E.U. once it leaves the bloc.

According to remarks reported over the weekend, she will say the United Kingdom is prepared to make a clean break from the European Unions common market, or what has become known as a hard Brexit.

May will say that Britain will not be half-in, half-out of the E.U. or hold on to bits of membership as we leave, as she lays out her negotiating objectives at Londons Lancaster House. The Prime Minister has pledged to trigger Article 50 of the E.U. treaty  the formal mechanism to begin the process of depature  by the end of March.

For readers who are not closely familiar with the debate that has followed the U.K.s vote to leave the E.U. in June 2016, heres exactly what a hard Brexit means.

The term is thought have been coined more than year before the referendum, in a Feb. 2015 report to HSBC clients by Simon Wells and Liz Martins. In the report, the economists distinguished between hard and soft exits from the E.U.; the former, they said, would be a huge risk and operationally complicated while the latter is less risky, but maintains much of the status quo.

A hard Brexit arrangement means the U.K. will give up full access to the E.Us single market in order to have full control over its borders. It would also likely mean a withdrawal from the E.U.s customs union.

The single market is an economic arrangement between E.U. member states and a few others who agree to four fundamental freedoms: the free movement of services, goods, capital and people. The customs union ensures E.U. member states and others each charge the same import duties on goods from countries outside the bloc. Membership also allows countries to enjoy tariff-free goods transport.

Story continues

Given Britains vote to leave the E.U. was driven, amongst other things, by a desire to put stronger restrictions on immigration the government insists that it must regain control of its borders as part of any Brexit. As membership of the single market requires free movement of E.U. citizens, Britain must leave in order to do that. Britains minister of international trade, Liam Fox, has also said a Britain outside the E.U. would be free to sign its own trade deals, which would entail withdrawal from the customs union.

What Britain gains, in theory, is full control over immigration and the ability to sign independent trade deals. But post-Brexit the government will be under pressure to quickly make new trade pacts with not only the economic bloc, but also countries around the globe, as tariffs will be imposed in line with World Trade Organization rules.

Institutions and economists have also warned a clean break with the E.U.s trading zones could severely disrupt the economy if alternative mechanisms are not quickly set up. In 2015, around 44% of all U.K.s exports in goods and services went to the E.U. Banks would have to give up their passporting rights, which allows them to provide services in the E.U. while based in London. The British Retail Consortium has warned that severing ties could see an overall rise in prices of goods in shops.

A soft Brexit  which some in industry and in Theresa Mays own Conservative Party had wanted  would have allowed Britain to retain some form of access to the single market by maintaining the free movement of people. However as the HSBC report of 2015 said, this would have kept much of the status quo intact  which is not what 52% of voters wanted when they chose Brexit last year.
By Ethan Lou CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Canada's main spy agency last year warned energy companies about an increasing risk of cyber espionage and attacks on pipelines, oil storage and shipment facilities and power transmission towers using homemade explosives, according to a classified document seen by Reuters. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) warning last May highlights an additional risk for the energy sector, where opposition to pipelines has ramped up in Canada, home to the world's third-largest oil reserves, and the United States. In the document, which features speaking notes prepared for a CSIS briefing with energy and utilities sector stakeholders, an unidentified official specifies a threat from foreign state-owned firms looking for confidential information about investments or takeovers. "You should expect your networks to be hit if you are involved in any significant financial interactions with certain foreign states," the official said in the document, seen by Reuters under access-to-information laws. The hackers would want information on anything from valuations to tax records and client names, the official said in the document. The official said the agency had collected evidence of such espionage in the past. The document, parts of which were obscured for security reasons, did not show the foreign states whose companies may be linked to industrial espionage or their purported Canadian victims. A spokeswoman for Public Safety Canada, which oversees CSIS, said there has been "growth in attempted cyber attacks," but declined to comment on specific incidents or threats, citing the demands of privacy and national security. In 2012, CSIS told the government that takeovers by Chinese companies may threaten national security. At the time, China's state-owned CNOOC Ltd <0883.HK> had bid for Canadian producer Nexen Inc. The document also warned the sector was "vulnerable to explosives" and identified potential targets. In the document, the CSIS official referred to "terrorist attacks" since 2014 in Canada and abroad, saying even large-scale attacks are "technically simple." Last year, five oil pipelines carrying Canadian crude in the United States were halted in coordinated attacks by environmental protesters, showing the ease with which people with no technical expertise can disrupt the industry. Energy companies already use surveillance cameras, helicopters, remote sensors and drones to monitor some 119,000 km (74,000 miles) of pipelines across Canada, carrying 3.4 million barrels of crude a day, and have an agreement to collaborate during an emergency. But security experts and energy industry officials have said it is impossible to lower the threat to zero. Last week, vandals used on-site equipment to damage a pipeline under construction in Canada's oil heartland of Alberta. Asked about the document, CSIS spokeswoman Tahera Mufti did not address details about the industry meeting or the briefing official's description of physical threats to Canada's energy infrastructure. She said only that the agency's overall threat assessment for the energy sector has remained constant, and that the sector is a target globally for cyber attacks. Detecting such threats is a "key national security priority," she said. Major energy infrastructure companies in Canada, including TransCanada Corp and Enbridge Inc , declined to say whether they sent representatives to the meeting. The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, which includes major pipeline companies but did not attend the meeting, said its members have a "robust cyber security program" to prevent espionage. The Natural Resources Canada federal department said only that it works with the industry and regional governments to address physical security. Last year, Public Safety Canada ran a review of its cyber protection measures and separately partnered with Natural Resources and the United States to work toward better protecting electric grids, the department said. (Reporting by Ethan Lou; Editing by Matt Scuffham, Grant McCool and Bill Rigby)
By Ethan Lou CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Canada's main spy agency last year warned energy companies about an increasing risk of cyber espionage and attacks on pipelines, oil storage and shipment facilities and power transmission towers using homemade explosives, according to a classified document seen by Reuters. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) warning last May highlights an additional risk for the energy sector, where opposition to pipelines has ramped up in Canada, home to the world's third-largest oil reserves, and the United States. In the document, which features speaking notes prepared for a CSIS briefing with energy and utilities sector stakeholders, an unidentified official specifies a threat from foreign state-owned firms looking for confidential information about investments or takeovers. "You should expect your networks to be hit if you are involved in any significant financial interactions with certain foreign states," the official said in the document, seen by Reuters under access-to-information laws. The hackers would want information on anything from valuations to tax records and client names, the official said in the document. The official said the agency had collected evidence of such espionage in the past. The document, parts of which were obscured for security reasons, did not show the foreign states whose companies may be linked to industrial espionage or their purported Canadian victims. A spokeswoman for Public Safety Canada, which oversees CSIS, said there has been "growth in attempted cyber attacks," but declined to comment on specific incidents or threats, citing the demands of privacy and national security. In 2012, CSIS told the government that takeovers by Chinese companies may threaten national security. At the time, China's state-owned CNOOC Ltd had bid for Canadian producer Nexen Inc. The document also warned the sector was "vulnerable to explosives" and identified potential targets. In the document, the CSIS official referred to "terrorist attacks" since 2014 in Canada and abroad, saying even large-scale attacks are "technically simple." Last year, five oil pipelines carrying Canadian crude in the United States were halted in coordinated attacks by environmental protesters, showing the ease with which people with no technical expertise can disrupt the industry. Energy companies already use surveillance cameras, helicopters, remote sensors and drones to monitor some 119,000 km (74,000 miles) of pipelines across Canada, carrying 3.4 million barrels of crude a day, and have an agreement to collaborate during an emergency. But security experts and energy industry officials have said it is impossible to lower the threat to zero. Last week, vandals used on-site equipment to damage a pipeline under construction in Canada's oil heartland of Alberta. Asked about the document, CSIS spokeswoman Tahera Mufti did not address details about the industry meeting or the briefing official's description of physical threats to Canada's energy infrastructure. She said only that the agency's overall threat assessment for the energy sector has remained constant, and that the sector is a target globally for cyber attacks. Detecting such threats is a "key national security priority," she said. Major energy infrastructure companies in Canada, including TransCanada Corp and Enbridge Inc, declined to say whether they sent representatives to the meeting. The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, which includes major pipeline companies but did not attend the meeting, said its members have a "robust cyber security program" to prevent espionage. The Natural Resources Canada federal department said only that it works with the industry and regional governments to address physical security. Last year, Public Safety Canada ran a review of its cyber protection measures and separately partnered with Natural Resources and the United States to work toward better protecting electric grids, the department said. (Reporting by Ethan Lou; Editing by Matt Scuffham, Grant McCool and Bill Rigby)
(Reuters) - Facts about retired U.S. astronaut Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, who died on Monday: * In addition to being one of 12 men to walk on the moon, Cernan was the third person to walk in space, following Russian Alexei Leonov and American Ed White. Cernan spent two hours and seven minutes outside the Gemini 9 spacecraft on the 1966 mission but had to come in early because his helmet visor was fogging up due to exertion. Because the spacewalk was shortened, Cernan did not have a chance to test a new jetpack. He recalled the incident in his memoir in a chapter titled "The Spacewalk From Hell." * Cernan holds the moon's speed record, having driven the lunar rover at 11.2 miles per hour (18 km per hour) on a downhill run. * He almost missed out on Apollo 17 because he severely strained a tendon in his leg playing softball with NASA personnel two months before the launch. He used crutches for a week and willed himself not to limp so NASA officials would not pull him from the mission but said walking on the moon was painful. * Security at Cape Kennedy had to be increased for Apollo 17 because of the threat of attack from Black September, the Palestinian group that had killed 11 Israelis at the Summer Olympics in Munich three months earlier. Officials also were concerned about the astronauts' families, so authorities followed their children's school buses and federal agents kept an eye on their classrooms. * Less than two weeks after returning from the moon, Cernan and crew mate Ron Evans went to Bimini in the Bahamas for New Year's as the guests of the chief executive of Rockwell International. Cernan said the executive was an old friend but there were conflict of interest concerns in Washington because Rockwell manufactured modules for NASA spacecraft. Cernan was given a letter of reprimand from the agency. * Cernan met Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, at Purdue University, where they studied in the 1950s. (Reporting by Bill Trott; Editing by Ian Simpson and Paul Simao)
Brest (Belarus) (AFP) - On a snowy day a commuter train leaves the Belarusian border city of Brest as usual for the town of Terespol in EU member Poland just a few kilometres away.

Half the train is made up of regular cross-border travellers, but two carriages are filled with Chechens fleeing to Europe from their homes in the faraway Russian Caucasus region, where authorities have made their lives unbearable as the Kremlin looks away.

Those leaving are often accused of Islamist or anti-regime activities, or have become embroiled in blood feuds. Many victims say they have no idea who is targeting them, or why.

Twenty-year-old Maga shows AFP pictures of his back streaked with gashes. His forearms are also covered in scars -- injuries sustained from masked men who came without warning, he says.

"We don't know who they are. They put a bag over your head, they take you away, beat you and torture you, and we never know for what," Maga said.

He, like other Chechens interviewed by AFP in Brest in late December, asked to be identified with a fictional name out of fear of reprisals from authorities in his native region.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has led the majority-Muslim region with an iron fist since 2007, is accused by rights groups of running Chechnya like his personal fiefdom.

People's disappearances are widespread as well as allegations of involvement in torture and kidnapping by his unofficial security force, known as the Kadyrovtsy.

Many Chechens trying to escape the tyranny say they are not safe in other Russian regions because Moscow overlooks Kadyrov's abuses, instead hailing him for bringing order to a region ravaged by two separatist wars in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Human Rights Watch said, in an August report on Chechnya, that the "increasingly abusive crackdown seems designed to remind the Chechen public of Kadyrov's total control".

People are terrified of talking to journalists because of "a climate of fear", it added.

Story continues

- Turned away 44 times -

With documents and photos alleging abuse, Chechens were once able to seek refuge in Europe via Belarus, a Moscow ally which does not have a formal border with Russia.

But several months ago, Polish border guards began turning most people away, so the Chechens return to Brest by train three hours later.

On the 20-minute ride, Chechen men smoke with trembling hands after Poland allowed only two families and a young man through.

"I asked for political asylum, but they wouldn't even look at my documents," said 20-year-old Alan, after his 44th failed attempt.

Some have made so many trips they are running out of pages in their passports.

Among asylum seekers, some said they were punished in Chechnya for refusing to join Kadyrov's men, including to fight in Syria and eastern Ukraine.

Others are wives and widows caught up in Chechnya's conflict against Islamists.

There are also Chechens whose police duties saw their families targeted in blood feuds, and those who crossed or criticised Kadyrov.

The Chechen leader has said those trying to leave for Europe are "not refugees" but rather pawns of European security services.

"Some say 'I wasn't tortured, only beaten with a hose and doused with icy water'," said Vyacheslav Panasyuk, a rights activist with Belarusian NGO Human Constanta who has worked in Brest for five months.

"They think only electrocution or needles stuck under their nails is torture."

Panasyuk estimated there are about 1,000 Chechens stuck in limbo on the border between Belarus and Poland.

"They are running for their lives," he said, voicing concern about those who gave up and returned to Chechnya promising him to send word they were okay but never did.

"I don't know what happened to them there," he said.

Polish media has reported that 61,000 Russian citizens were refused entry into Poland from Belarus between January and September 2016, compared with 10,000 for the same period in 2015.

Poland's border control authorities did not respond to requests for comment about Chechen asylum seekers.

- 'They looked for me everywhere' -

Zulikhan, a slender 24-year-old, has made 36 attempts to cross the border with her three children as she runs from authorities and a drug-abusing, violent husband to whom she was married off at 15.

"After he was put in jail, soldiers started coming around at night," said Zulikhan, wearing sneakers in the freezing cold, her feet wrapped in cloth instead of socks.

"They would hold my daughter and say they would rip her tongue out."

Zulikhan said that Kadyrov's men had threatened to report her as a Wahhabi radical Islamist.

"They beat me once, they looked for me everywhere," she said.

At the Brest train station, Chechen children silently play while their parents discuss their failed border trips. Many spend the night here after running out of money.

"Each of these children has a very sad story to tell," said Marina Hulia, a Polish teacher, who often travels to Brest to teach them some Polish and make their days a little less dreary.

"Their parents are under constant stress watching over their possessions, so the kids don't leave the station for months," said Hulia, who recently took 50 Chechen children to the zoo.

Asked what she wants to do in Poland, Zulikhan perked up.

"I've wanted to become a doctor since I was a child, but my childhood was taken from me," she said.

"They say in Poland you can't hit and abuse people. I don't want my children to fear that I will be killed."
The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has officially ended with no concrete clues as to the plane's whereabouts, authorities announced Tuesday. The fruitless search for the Boeing 777-200 had been carried out for nearly three years in a remote part of the southern Indian Ocean, costing almost $160 million.

Today the last search vessel has left the underwater search area. Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has not been located in the 120,000 square-kilometre underwater search area in the southern Indian Ocean, read the MH370 Tripartite Joint Communique, co-signed by the transport ministers of Malaysia, China and Australia. Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft."

Flight MH370 went missing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Authorities earlier said that the plane may have crashed in a remote part of the southern Indian Ocean. However, no plane debris was found in the search zone leaving the disappearance of the plane as one of the greatest aviation mysteries in modern history.

MH370

Photo: ATSB

After the announcement, the next of kin of those on board the jet expressed their anger over the suspension of the search, urging the tripartite to extend the search to a new area.

"First Principles Review Report released on 20th December 2016 by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) recommended a new search area of 25,000 square kilometres (9,650 square miles) north of the present one," the Voice370, a group formed by the families of MH370 passengers, said. "In our view, extending the search to the new area defined by the experts is an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interest of aviation safety."

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It added, in a statement: "Commercial Planes cannot just be allowed to disappear without a trace. Having already searched 120,000 square kilometres (46,000 square miles), stopping at this stage is nothing short of irresponsible, and betrays a shocking lack of faith in the data, tools and recommendations of an array of official experts assembled by the authorities themselves."

MH370

Photo: Reuters/Damir Sagolj

Over the last few months, several debris pieces washed up on the shores of Madagascar, Reunion Island, Mozambique, Tanzania and Mauritius. At least six of the pieces where confirmed to be plane debris and belonging to a Boeing 777-200 jet  the same make as Flight MH370. The debris pieces are currently being examined by Australian authorities.

However, little evidence has turned up since the planes mysterious disappearance, giving rise to several conspiracy theories. However, none of the theories have been confirmed by authorities.

Death Dive Theory

Last year, evidence surfaced in a new report that suggested that the pilot of the missing Boeing 777-200 might have taken the plane on a premeditated suicidal flight, giving rise to the "death dive" theory. Leading Canadian aviation expert Larry Vance claimed that the condition of the flaperon debris discovered near Reunion Island in 2015 indicated the plane had its wings extended when it hit the water. As the flaperon wasn't broken, Vance alleged that a human  maybe the pilot, Zaharie Ahmad Shah  had tried to execute a controlled crash or landing.

The Rogue Pilot

According to some theories, someone in the cockpit  most likely the captain or first officer  took control of the aircraft, veered it off course on purpose, and caused it to run out of fuel and crash into the ocean. Nik Huzlan, a Malaysia Airlines captain who knew Flight MH370 pilot Zaharie for decades, said that it was beyond imagination to think the pilot would do such a thing, but told the New York Times: Your best friend can harbor the darkest secrets.

An airmen looks out at the ocean in the search for MH370.

Photo: REUTERS/Richard Wainwright/Pool

Hijacked By Terrorists

Some people speculated that the Malaysia Airlines jet was hijacked by terrorists. Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets reported in April 2014 that the plane had been taken over by unknown terrorists and flown to Afghanistan, where the crew and passengers are being held captive. Pilot and science journalist Jeff Wise also reportedly sparked a complicated theory in New York Magazine suggesting that hijackers  possibly on orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin  broke into the jets electronics and equipment bay, tampered with the data there to throw off satellite pings and flew the plane north to Kazakhstan.

Other theorists also believe terrorists hijacked the plane and crashed it into the sea, after the revelation in 2015 that at least two of the passengers on board were traveling on stolen passports. But Malaysian officials said the two men had no apparent links to terrorist groups, according to BBC News.

A Cockpit Fire

One popular theory is that there was a fire on board MH370, possibly electrical or from an overheated tire on takeoff, which killed all passengers and crew. A fire on the plane probably caused the crew to pass out from smoke inhalation, and the plane continued on autopilot until it ran out of fuel, eventually crashing into the ocean.

Burning Lithium-Ion Batteries

A new theory proposed by a U.S. pilot to explain the disappearance of Flight MH370 claimed that the plane was filled with deadly carbon monoxide from burning lithium-ion batteries on board before it crashed into the southern Indian Ocean. Bruce Robertson, in an analysis posted on his website, claimed that Zaharie succumbed to the fumes, but co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid survived long enough to turn the plane around and place it into a descent in an attempt to make an emergency landing. However, he also succumbed to the carbon monoxide, leaving the jet on autopilot for several hours until its fuel ran out and the plane crashed.

Shot Down

London-based journalist Nigel Cawthorne wrote in his book Flight MH370: The Mystery that the Boeing 777-200 was accidentally shot down during a joint Thai-U.S. military training drill. The claim was made based on the eyewitness testimony of a New Zealand oil rig worker, Mike McKay, who said that he saw a burning plane go down in the Gulf of Thailand shortly after Flight MH370 lost radar contact with air traffic controllers on March 8, 2014.

A Second Bermuda Triangle

Some theorists also raised concerns over an existence of a second Bermuda Triangle stating that Flight MH370 entered another Devils Triangle located in Asia in the Indian Ocean. A number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the patch of sea in the North Atlantic Ocean known as the Bermuda Triangle, or the Devils Triangle.

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(Reuters) - An Iraq war veteran accused of killing five people at a Florida airport told investigators he was inspired by Islamic State and previously chatted online with Islamist extremists, an FBI agent testified on Tuesday, U.S. media reported. Esteban Santiago, 26, was ordered held in jail until a Jan. 30 arraignment, court records show. At that time he would enter a formal plea to charges that he opened fire in the baggage claim area of the Fort Lauderdale airport on Jan. 6. "He has admitted to all of the facts with respect to the terrible and tragic events of Jan. 6," Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Del Toro said at the federal court hearing in Fort Lauderdale, NBC 6 South Florida television reported. "These were vulnerable victims who he shot down methodically." Reuters was not immediately able to reach U.S. prosecutors or the Federal Bureau of Investigation to confirm the media reports. Santiago, a private first class in the National Guard who served in Iraq from 2010 to 2011, traveled from Alaska to Florida with a handgun and ammunition in his checked luggage, officials said. Upon retrieving his gun case from the luggage carousel, he went to a bathroom to load the weapon and then opened fire on others waiting for their bags, investigators said. FBI special agent Michael Ferlazzo testified Santiago told interrogators he carried out the attack on behalf of Islamic State and that he had been in contact with others on jihadist chat rooms who were planning attacks. "It was a group of like-minded individuals who were all planning attacks," Ferlazzo said, according to NBC 6. The FBI has said Santiago previously displayed erratic behavior, entering the FBI office in Anchorage in November and saying his mind was being controlled by a U.S. intelligence agency. The FBI turned him over to local police, who took him to a medical facility for a mental evaluation, officials said. Police took a handgun from him but returned it last month after a medical evaluation found he was not mentally ill, authorities said. Santiago used the same weapon in the airport attack, agents testified, the Sun Sentinel reported. His defense team did not challenge the prosecution's argument that Santiago posed a flight risk and said he was prepared to be detained through his trial, CNN said. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta in New York; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Lisa Shumaker)
A sudden coughing fit erupted inside a swanky restaurant at Trump Tower with nearly all patrons seemingly hacking up a lung at the same time Monday afternoon.

Read: Steve Harvey Breaks Silence After Trump Meeting: 'I Didn't Expect the Backlash to Be So Fierce'

In the world renowned Jean-Georges, located inside the Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York City, the people engaged in the coughing fits were activists protesting the Donald Trump's desire to repeal Obamacare.

The protesters then shouted: We need Obamacare! Trump care makes us sick!



Hotels are expected to be flashpoints during President-elect Trump's inauguration Friday, which is shaping up to be a security nightmare.

At the Hyatt Place Hotel, located within blocks of the parade route, Hillary Clinton supporters, Trump enthusiasts and protesters will all be comingling, and the hotel is doing everything it can to keep the peace.

"We'll have the National Guard right out front of the hotel 24/7," hotel manager Stacy Smith told Inside Edition. "We will have plain clothes off duty police officers who will be helping us out with security efforts as well."

She added: Someone will always be around.

Hotels were also the scene of violence during the campaign, punctuated with scenes of complete chaos.

A million visitors are expected in Washington, D.C., for the inauguration and authorities are pouring much effort into thwarting any terror truck attack like those in France last summer and Germany over Christmas.

Read: Poll Says Trump Has Lowest Approval Rating of Any Recent Incoming President; He Calls Survey 'Rigged'

Huge sanitation vehicles filled with sand, like the ones used to protect Trump Tower and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, will cordon off streets in D.C.

With the whole world watching, violence and chaos are what authorities are hoping to avoid.

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Watch: Bush Twins Send Message to the Obama Girls as They Leave the White House: 'Your Joy and Laughter Was Contagious'

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By P.J. Huffstutter and Mark Weinraub

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. Dairy Export Council on Tuesday named former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack as its president and chief executive officer, making him the top official promoting American milk producers and processors overseas.

Vilsack, 66, served as head of the U.S. Agriculture Department for eight years and before that was governor of Iowa.

He will start his new position on Feb. 1.

He told Reuters in an interview that he stepped down from his Cabinet position earlier than expected, on Friday, because he planned to take a trip to Mexico with his family this week and did not want the federal government to pay for a security detail to travel with him.

"I wanted to save taxpayers a few bucks," he said.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has left the agriculture secretary as the last department head to be named to his Cabinet.

Vilsack, who said he and his agency were tasked by the White House to provide "as smooth as possible" a transition to the new administration, said he did not know why Trump has taken so long to select a replacement.

He said a transition office has been set up in the USDA's offices, and his former team has created "extensive briefing books, thumb drives filled with information" about the agency for the Trump administration.

"It's a lot of information," he said. "It's going to take some time for them to absorb it."

Vilsack said he left a memo for his successor on his desk at the USDA. Among the advice he gave, he said, was to "rely on the career folks around you. Rely on the people you work with."

In his new role, Vilsack will follow Tom Suber, who retired at the end of 2016 as head of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, which promotes U.S. dairy products to overseas markets. Suber had served as the Council's president since its founding in 1995.

(Reporting by Mark Weinraub; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Matthew Lewis)
BANJUL (Reuters) - Gambian President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency on Tuesday after refusing to hand power to opposition leader Adama Barrow, who won an election last month. State television said the emergency would prevent a power vacuum while the supreme court rules on Jammeh's petition challenging the election result. That suggests Jammeh will stay in power beyond Thursday, when Barrow was due to have been sworn in as president. Regional leaders have threatened to intervene militarily if Jammeh does not step down and on Tuesday a senior Nigerian army source said Nigeria and other West African states were preparing a military force. "I ... hereby declare a state of public emergency throughout the Islamic Republic of Gambia," Jammeh's declaration said. The state of emergency banned "acts of disobedience" and "acts intended to disturb public order". Barrow is not intimidated by the state of emergency, a spokesman told Reuters. He declined to comment on whether the inauguration would proceed on schedule. Jammeh took power in a coup in 1994 as only the second president since Gambia's independence in 1965 and his government gained a reputation for torturing and killing perceived opponents, rights groups say. In 2015, he declared that the country was an Islamic Republic. Pro-democracy activists across Africa welcomed his defeat, and his refusal to step down has provoked an internal crisis as well as a test of mettle for regional leaders. Gambia's top judge on Monday declined to rule on Jammeh's election petition and in a political blow to the president, the ministers of finance, foreign affairs, trade and the environment have resigned, according to ministry sources. The Nigerian source said that defense chiefs of staff of West African countries met on Monday to discuss strategies to remove Jammeh. "Some West African countries will be contributing troops, including Nigeria, for the operation," said the source, adding that the United Nations and African Union had offered support to regional body ECOWAS for the plan. State television said on Monday Finance Minister Abdou Kolley was being replaced by Benjamin Roberts, the minister of tourism. Finance ministry sources said on Tuesday Roberts had also resigned. Ministry sources said other government figures, including Foreign Minister Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, had left the government and the country. The mayor of the capital Banjul has also resigned, according to sources at the city council. Hundreds of Gambians have fled to Senegal, Gambia's only neighbor, fearing for their safety because of the turmoil, and Senegalese authorities have increased security. Barrow is also in Senegal, his aides say. "We are scared. There are soldiers with guns all the time," said Awa Sanneh, 25, from Birkama in Gambia, who was leaving with two children and 24 other family members. Gambia, one of the smallest countries in Africa, relies on tourism and one main crop, peanuts, to fuel its economy. (Reporting by Felix Onuah in Abuja, Emma Farge in Diouloulou and Edward McAllister in Dakar; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by James Dalgleish)
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande told British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday that negotiations over Britain's exit from the European Union should begin as soon as Britain invokes Article 50, a presidential sources said. Hollande and May held a telephone conversation after she set a course for a clean break with the EU trading bloc in a speech on Tuesday. May said Britain would quit the bloc's single market. "The president took note of this clarification and indicated that he hoped negotiations would begin as soon as possible after the notification of the planned exit by the end of March," the source said. May informed Hollande of her desire to establish an economic relationship with the EU in the framework of a trade agreement and insisted on the importance of Franco-British cooperation in the areas of security and defense, the source said. May intends to trigger Article 50, to launch the formal process of negotiating the terms of Britain's exit from the EU, by the end of March. (Reporting by Jean-Baptiste Vey; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Alison Williams)
By Ingrid Melander PARIS (Reuters) - French presidential candidate Francois Fillon got the backing of prominent French businessman and HSBC board member Henri de Castries on Tuesday, with his long-term friend confirming a move into politics. De Castries, who left AXA in September after nearly 17 years leading Europe's second-biggest insurer, had been regarded as frontrunner for taking over as chairman of HSBC after joining its board in March. However, the 62-year-old started appearing at campaign events for Fillon, who in November became the conservative candidate in the presidential election and is the frontrunner in opinion polls to succeed Socialist President Francois Hollande. It is not very common for corporate leaders to publicly back French presidential candidates and it is even more rare for them to get involved in campaigning or join government. "Francois Fillon has the best answers for the challenges we face: security, solidarity, competitiveness, education and innovation," de Castries told Le Figaro newspaper. Fillon has said he wants non-professional politicians to join his government if elected in May. French media speculated at the end of last year, when he was advising Fillon unofficially, that de Castries could become finance minister. De Castries, a pro-European, declined to say what form his support would take or if he wanted to become a minister. An aristocrat known for his economically liberal ideas, de Castries has been criticized by union leaders and opposition politicians who saw him behind Fillon's plans to radically overhaul France's social security - something he denies. Fillon has since toned these down after raising concerns even within his center-right The Republicans party. De Castries, whose full name is de la Croix de Castries, is the descendant of an ancient aristocratic French family. The family has counted among its ranks a defense minister and several centuries previously one of the few holders of France's top military distinction. A graduate of France's elite ENA administrative school and HEC business school, de Castries was a civil servant before moving to Axa in 1989. (Additional reporting by Sophie Louet; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Thousands of Japanese evacuees from Fukushima should keep getting free housing, supporters said Tuesday, as the local government readies to yank support offered after the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

Some 27,000 so-called voluntary evacuees -- people who chose to leave their homes in the region after the 2011 accident due to safety concerns -- are set to lose the six-year-old housing subsidy at the end of March.

That means leaving state-paid housing in other parts of Japan and possibly returning to homes in the region where a quake-sparked tsunami swamped the nuclear plant, sending some reactors into meltdown and spewing radiation into the environment.

"If we lose this housing support -- the only lifeline we have -- single-mother evacuees like me will fall into poverty," Noriko Matsumoto told a press briefing in Tokyo organised by activists.

Matsumoto left her family's home 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the plant, after her daughter, then 12, began suffering an array of health problems, including nose bleeds and nausea.

Matsumoto, 55, who now lives with her daughter in Kanagawa, about 250 kilometres from the plant, said she also developed serious health disorders after the accident, including hormonal disorders and a non-cancerous tumour in her thyroid.

"I am furious that the central government and Fukushima prefecture stigmatised and now abandoned us," she told reporters.

A local government spokesman said areas not covered by the original evacuation orders have been deemed safe to live in.

"The environment is safe for leading a normal life and that means we are no longer in a position to provide temporary housing," he told AFP.

Some evacuees will still be eligible for a small housing subsidy, the spokesman added.

The 2011 accident drove more than 160,000 people from their homes, some by evacuation order and others by choice.

Some have since returned but many stayed away, creating a new life elsewhere amid lingering concerns about radiation.

Japan has lifted most evacuation orders for areas around the plant, with the total number of evacuees now standing at about 84,000, according to local government figures.
BANJUL (Reuters) - Gambian President Yahya Jammeh said a state of emergency announced on Tuesday would prevent a power vacuum while the supreme court decides on his petition challenging opposition leader Adama Barrow's victory in a Dec. 1 election. The statement read on state television suggests the veteran leader will stay in power beyond Thursday, when Barrow is due to be sworn in as president. Regional leaders threaten military intervention if Jammeh does not step down. (Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
General Motors is set to announce a billion dollar investment in multiple U.S. factories. The investment is part of the normal process of equipping factories to build new models and has been planned for months, according to sources. It's expected to generate 1000 jobs. Multiple factories will get part of the money. British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to confirm in a speech that the United Kingdom will leave the single European Union Market. She is expected to detail a new and equal partnership between other EU countries. A major tobacco merger is now one step closer to creating a global tobacco giant. British American tobacco and Reynolds American have agreed to the terms of their $49 billion deal. It would create the world's largest tobacco company. International leaders and celebrities convene for the first day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
BMW and other German automakers dont appear ready to surrender in a new battle between President-elect Donald Trump and foreign car production. After taking shots at Detroits Big Three, Trump turned his fury to the Germans on Monday, calling out the countrys car industry.

I would tell BMW if they want to build cars in Mexico and sell in the U.S.A. without a 35% tax, they can forget it, Trump said in an interview with German newspaper Bild, translated by The Wall Street Journal. They can build cars for the U.S.A. but for every car that comes into the U.S.A. they will pay a 35% tax. What Im saying is, they have to build their factory in the U.S.A. It will be much better for them and for our efforts.

Unlike their American counterparts Ford (NYSE:F) and General Motors (NYSE:GM), German automakers are so far holding firm.

BMW is standing by its decision to build a new $1 billion factory in Mexico, saying the facility will supply cars to global markets. BMW also noted that its assembly plant in South Carolina, where the company is spending $1 billion to increase capacity, is now the companys largest in the world.

The issue is about commitment and BMW made a significant commitment to the U.S. when it began manufacturing vehicles in America more than 22 years ago, BMW said in a statement.

BMW exports 70% of its U.S. production, according to company statistics. The Department of Commerce pegs the annual value of those exports at nearly $10 billion, more than any other auto company manufacturing in the U.S.

For German producers, the United States is not only the second largest export market but also an important production site from which the world market is supplied, Matthias Wissmann, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), said in a statement provided in German. One can only warn against the global rampant tendencies towards protectionism. In the end, all nations will be harmed, despite seemingly short-term benefits.

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One government official went so far as to needle American car companies. In comments cited by Bild, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel shrugged off Trumps tariff proposal, saying the U.S. should build better cars.

Daimler, the owner of Mercedes-Benz, declined to comment on Trumps interview with Bild. Volkswagen didnt immediately respond to a request from FOXBusiness.com for comment.

Mexico is the home of a large manufacturing base for most major automakers, who have sought to capitalize on cheap labor south of the border. Also, vehicles can be shipped to the U.S. and other top markets without incurring taxes. Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW all have a presence in Mexico.

In the U.S., Mercedes-Benz has expanded its Alabama plant to build more SUVs, and Volkswagen builds certain models in Tennessee.

According to the trade group VDA, 59% of the vehicles produced by German manufacturers in U.S. are exported to other markets. German car brands, who currently employ 33,000 Americans, nearly quadrupled their U.S. production from 2009 to 2016, Wissmann said in remarks made at the Detroit Auto Show last week.

Trump has been a frequent critic of the U.S. automotive industry, targeting Ford, General Motors and Toyota (NYSE:TM) for building vehicles in Mexico and shipping them into the U.S. tax-free. The soon-to-be 45th President has threatened to pursue tariffs of up to 35% on those vehicles.

Some corporate giants have already bowed to pressure from Trump. After taking heat throughout the presidential campaign and after the election, Ford scrapped plans to build a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico.

Meanwhile, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (NYSE:FCAU) is making a $1 billion investment in two U.S. factories, opening up the possibility that production of Ram heavy-duty pickup trucks will return from Mexico. CEO Sergio Marchionne said Trumps policies could play a role in the final decision.

Both moves earned the automakers a positive thank-you tweet from the President-elect.

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Berlin (AFP) - Germany's highest court will on Tuesday announce its ruling on whether to ban the far-right NPD party -- an explosive issue as the country faces an election year roiled by an anti-immigration backlash.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's government supports the case, although the executive has not formally joined the high-stakes legal gamble, launched by the Bundesrat upper house of parliament which represents Germany's 16 states.

Most observers expect the judges at the Federal Constitutional Court to reject the bid, the second against the neo-Nazi NPD (National Democratic Party of Germany) after the first one failed in 2003.

"We aren't madly optimistic," one of the initiators of the court proceedings told the Berliner Zeitung daily in December.

While the NPD's ideology is widely regarded as hostile to the democratic order in Germany, many expect the judges to find it unnecessary to forbid such an insignificant political party.

Spurred by the sensational discovery of a murderous group calling itself the "National Socialist Underground" (NSU) in 2011, the Bundesrat launched the second attempt to outlaw the NPD in 2013.

Since then, the NPD has lost its remaining seats in state parliaments, retaining just one representative, Udo Voigt, in the European Parliament.

It has also lost ground to the anti-euro fringe party AfD, which has morphed into an anti-immigration force railing against the mass arrivals of refugees in 2015.

Polls now credit the NPD with around 1.0 percent support, compared with 12 to 15 percent for the right-wing populist AfD (Alternative for Germany).

In a scene from black comedy bestseller "Look Who's Back," released as a movie in 2015, a reanimated Adolf Hitler scolds modern NPD leaders for their ineffectiveness in defending the "national cause".

- 'Germany for Germans' -

To justify a ban, judges must be convinced that under the definition in Germany's constitution, the NPD poses an active threat to the democratic order and holds an "aggressive and combative attitude".

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For the Bundesrat, the group creates a "climate of fear", "shares essential characteristics" with the Nazis and "wants to destabilise and overthrow the liberal-democratic order".

Founded in 1964 as a successor to the neo-fascist German Reich Party, the NPD calls for "the survival and continued existence of the German people in its ancestral central European living space" -- or simply, "Germany for the Germans".

Such language flirts with the turns of phrase used under the Nazi Third Reich.

Germany's domestic intelligence services classify the ultra-nationalist NPD with its 5,200 members as a far-right party.

A previous attempt to ban the NPD failed because the presence of undercover state informants within party ranks was seen as sullying the evidence.

While those informants have since been "deactivated", the judges have voiced doubts over the danger the NPD poses to the democratic order.

With an eye cast back at the elimination of dissent in Hitler's Germany, the drafters of the post-war constitution set high hurdles for banning a party.

Only two political parties have been outlawed since 1945: the SRP, a Nazi successor party, in 1952, and the West German Communist Party (KPD) in 1956.

- New political landscape -

Things however have changed in German politics since the launch of the second case against the NPD in 2013.

The AfD has brushed the NPD to the fringes, and the populist movement could see members elected to the parliament in Berlin at polls later this year -- something no similar party has managed since 1945.

For most politicians and media commentators, parties such as the NPD must be beaten in the battle of ideas.

"It's up to politics and civil society, not the courts," the centre-left Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily commented.

"Hating foreigners cannot be banned, no law can help against radicalisation reaching the centre of society."

What's more, the newspaper argues, banning the NPD risks sending a signal to "autocrats" abroad, who could point to the decision to justify crushing the opposition.
A man carrying a flag with the National Democratic Party logo attends a May 2016 rally of the NPD in Schwerin, Germany. (Photo: Jens Buettner/dpa via AP)

After years of debate, the high court of Germany officially rejected on Tuesday a proposal to ban the far-right, neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD).

The Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgerichts  commonly abbreviated as BVerfG) unanimously ruled that the political group, which has been described as anti-Semitic and racist, does not pose an existential threat to Germanys republic despite violating its constitution.

The NPD intends to replace the existing constitutional system with an authoritarian national state that adheres to the idea of an ethnically defined peoples community (Volksgemeinschaft). Its political concept disrespects human dignity and is incompatible with the principle of democracy, reads the courts judgment, which was also released in English. Furthermore, the NPD acts in a systematic manner and with sufficient intensity towards achieving its aims that are directed against the free democratic basic order.

However, according to the BVerfG, there is a lack of specific and weighty indications that the NPD will be successful in achieving its goals.

Back in 2013, the German Bundesrat, the upper house of parliament, which represents Germanys 16 federal states, submitted a request to ban the NPD  citing its agenda of anti-Semitism and hypernationalism. This appeal was partly inspired by the shocking discovery of a violent group calling itself the National Socialist Underground in 2011, AFP reported.

According to the high court, the NPD shows clear parallels to National Socialism: Its members celebrate Nazi Party leaders from the 1940s; use vocabulary, literature, music and symbols associated with Nazism; and promote revisionist history that sympathizes with the mindset of National Socialism.

From left: NPD leading member Peter Marx, NPD lawyer Peter Richter and NPD chairman Frank Franz arrive at the Federal Constitutional Court on Jan. 17 in Karlsruhe, Germany. (Photo: Simon Hofmann/Getty Images)

It appears entirely impossible, BVerfG continued in its judgment, that the NPD would be able to achieve its objectives by parliamentary or extra-parliamentary democratic methods.

There had been another failed attempt to ban the NPD in 2003. The New York Times noted that only two political parties have been banned in Germany since the fall of the Third Reich and the Allied victory in World War II: the Socialist Reich Party of Germany (1952) and the German Communist Party (1956).

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The highly anticipated ruling comes at a time of heated debate within Germany over Chancellor Angela Merkels controversial decision to welcome more than a million refugees fleeing war and persecution.

In a parallel to Brexits surprise victory in the U.K. and Donald Trumps meteoric ascent in the U.S., conservative factions in Germany have been calling for stronger borders, and resentment toward migrants and refugees has been on the rise.

Right-wing politicians vowing to clamp down on immigration gained power last year amid a spate of terrorist attacks. Another nationalist, Euroskeptic party, Alternative for Germany, has overtaken the NPD among anti-immigrant circles, recently surging to 15 percent in opinion polls, according to the Associated Press.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - Confidence among investors in Europe's largest economy, Germany, picked up in January, a closely-watched survey showed Tuesday, defying political uncertainty across the eurozone.

After plateauing in December, the ZEW institute's investor confidence index increased 2.8 points to 16.6 points in January.

But analysts surveyed by Factset had predicted an even more robust increase to 18.8 points.

"The slight increase is mainly due to an improvement in eurozone economies," ZEW head Achim Wambach said in a statement, "and can also be seen as a leap of faith for 2017."

Economic observers were met with unexpectedly positive figures for German gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016 and for industrial production across the eurozone in November last week, Wambach noted.

At 1.9 percent, the German economy grew at its fastest rate since 2011 last year, data released last week showed.

The ZEW survey's sub-index measuring sentiment about the present state of the German economy matched that positive surprise, reaching its highest level since July 2011.

Meanwhile, confidence about both the present state and future outlook for the eurozone economy as a whole improved markedly.

January's reading "confirms that optimism about the German economy is gradually returning despite fears about the political situation elsewhere in the eurozone," analyst Jennifer McKeown of Capital Economics said.

Questions hover around the impact the election of Donald Trump in the US and Britain's formal notification that it will begin the process of leaving the EU will have on the German and eurozone economies.

And with elections coming up in Germany, the Netherlands, France, and possibly Italy, 2017 promises uncertainty within the 19-nation single currency area as well.

ZEW's investor confidence index "remains below its long-run average," McKeown said, but "the fact that it is rising again is encouraging."
Karlsruhe (Germany) (AFP) - Germany's highest court on Tuesday threw out a bid to ban the far-right NPD party, arguing that the xenophobic fringe outfit is too insignificant to spell a real threat to the democratic order.

Federal Constitutional Court top judge Andreas Vosskuhle said "the NPD pursues anti-constitutional goals, but there is currently no concrete evidence... to suggest that it will succeed."

The request to ban the party "has been rejected," he added of the neo-Nazi group which has around 6,000 members.

The case marks the second failed attempt to outlaw the National Democratic Party of Germany, with the latest launched by the Bundesrat upper house of parliament which represents Germany's 16 states.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's government supported the case, although the executive did not formally join the legal campaign.

NPD lawyer Peter Richter said that now that the case is over, "we can now really concentrate on our task of contributing to shaping the political will of the people".

The Bundesrat had launched the challenge in 2013, seeking to stub out any neo-Nazi influence as Germany was still reeling in shock over the discovery in 2011 of a group calling itself the National Socialist Underground (NSU) that carried out a series of racist killings.

But since then, the NPD has lost its remaining seats in state parliaments, retaining just one representative, Udo Voigt, in the European Parliament.

- 'Disastrous signal' -

It has also lost ground to the anti-euro fringe party AfD, which has morphed into an anti-immigration force railing against the mass arrivals of refugees in 2015.

Polls now credit the NPD with around 1.0 percent support, compared with 12 to 15 percent for the right-wing populist AfD (Alternative for Germany).

But the International Auschwitz Committee's vice president Christoph Heubner voiced dismay at the ruling, warning that it could spur extremists across Europe to champion more hate.

Story continues

"How can it be that those who cheerfully celebrate the Holocaust and provoke new episodes of hatred in many municipalities may remain in the democratic spectrum?" he asked.

"This reality-blind and untimely decision sends a disastrous signal to Europe, where far-right and right-wing populists have found new partnerships and are now trying to transform the fear and insecurity of the population into hatred and aggression," he cautioned in a statement.

World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder agreed, saying that "the situation today may be different, but there is absolutely no reason to be complacent."

But the court said that "banning a party does not equate to banning an ethos or a world view."

"The party's battle against the democratic order would need to surpass a threshold" to warrant prohibition, said Vosskuhle, the Constitutional Court's top judge.

"There must be a systematic approach aimed at destroying or eliminating the liberal democratic constitution or threatening the existence of Germany," he said, noting that the threat had to be credible.

- 'Germany for Germans' -

With an eye cast back at the elimination of dissent in Hitler's Germany, the drafters of the post-war constitution set high hurdles for banning a party.

Only two political parties have been outlawed since 1945: the SRP, a Nazi successor party, in 1952, and the West German Communist Party (KPD) in 1956.

Founded in 1964 as a successor to the neo-fascist German Reich Party, the NPD calls for "the survival and continued existence of the German people in its ancestral central European living space" -- or simply, "Germany for the Germans".

For the Bundesrat, the group creates a "climate of fear", "shares essential characteristics" with the Nazis and "wants to destabilise and overthrow the liberal-democratic order".

Germany's political landscape has however shifted since 2013.

The AfD has relegated the NPD to the fringes, and the populist movement could win seats in parliament at polls later this year -- something no similar party has managed since 1945.

Many observers say parties such as the NPD must be beaten in the battle of ideas.

"It's up to politics and civil society, not the courts," the centre-left Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily commented.

"Hating foreigners cannot be banned, no law can help against radicalisation reaching the centre of society."
Washington (AFP) - General Motors said Tuesday it will invest an additional $1 billion in US manufacturing operations and create up to 5,000 jobs in the coming years, for which Donald Trump immediately took credit.

The investments in new vehicle and advanced technology are tied to 1,500 new and "retained" jobs, while 450 will be returned to the US from Mexico, the company said in a statement. Those and other moves are expected to total 5,000 new US jobs over the next few years.

The company said the latest investments follow $2.9 billion announced in 2016 and more than $21 billion invested in its US operations since 2009.

GM is the latest in a series of companies to announce plans to create US jobs -- including Amazon, Ford and WalMart -- amid continued pressure, mostly via Twitter, from US President-elect Trump, who has threatened stiff penalties on companies that import products manufactured overseas.

Shortly after the GM and Walmart announcements on Tuesday, Trump took credit for the new jobs in a pair of tweets.

"With all of the jobs I am bringing back into the U.S. (even before taking office), with all of the new auto plants coming back into our..... country and with the massive cost reductions I have negotiated on military purchases and more, I believe the people are seeing 'big stuff.'"

GM chair and CEO Mary Barra said: "As the US manufacturing base increases its competitiveness, we are able to further increase our investment, resulting in more jobs for America and better results for our owners."

"The US is our home market and we are committed to growth that is good for our employees, dealers and suppliers and supports our continued effort to drive shareholder value," she added in a statement.

The company touted insourcing of 450 jobs from Mexico to produce axles for new full-size pickup trucks, and of thousands of position in information technology.

In addition, GM said another supplier has committed to make components for GM's next-generation full size pickup trucks in Michigan, moving 100 supplier jobs from Mexico to the US.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  In control of Congress and soon the White House, Republicans are readying plans to roll back the influence of the Endangered Species Act, one of the government's most powerful conservation tools, after decades of complaints that it hinders drilling, logging and other activities.

Over the past eight years, GOP lawmakers sponsored dozens of measures aimed at curtailing the landmark law or putting species such as gray wolves and sage grouse out of its reach. Almost all were blocked by Democrats and the White House or lawsuits from environmentalists.

Now, with the ascension of President-elect Donald Trump, Republicans see an opportunity to advance broad changes to a law they contend has been exploited by wildlife advocates to block economic development.

"It has never been used for the rehabilitation of species. It's been used for control of the land," said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop. "We've missed the entire purpose of the Endangered Species Act. It has been hijacked."

Bishop said he "would love to invalidate" the law and would need other lawmakers' cooperation.

The 1973 act was ushered though Congress nearly unanimously, in part to stave off extinction of the national symbol, the bald eagle. Eagle populations have since rebounded, and the birds were taken off the threatened and endangered list in 2007.

In the eagles' place, another emblematic species  the wolf  has emerged as a prime example of what critics say is wrong with the current law: seemingly endless litigation that offers federal protection for species long after government biologists conclude that they have recovered.

Wolf attacks on livestock have provoked hostility against the law, which keeps the animals off-limits to hunting in most states. Other species have attracted similar ire  Canada lynx for halting logging projects, the lesser prairie chicken for impeding oil and gas development and salmon for blocking efforts to reallocate water in California.

Story continues

Reforms proposed by Republicans include placing limits on lawsuits that have been used to maintain protections for some species and force decisions on others, as well as adopting a cap on how many species can be protected and giving states a greater say in the process.

Wildlife advocates are bracing for changes that could make it harder to add species to the protected list and to usher them through to recovery. Dozens are due for decisions this year, including the Pacific walrus and the North American wolverine, two victims of potential habitat loss due to climate change.

"Any species that gets in the way of a congressional initiative or some kind of development will be clearly at risk," said Jamie Rappaport Clark, president of Defenders of Wildlife and a former Fish and Wildlife Service director under President Bill Clinton. "The political lineup is as unfavorable to the Endangered Species Act as I can remember."

More than 1,600 plants and animals in the U.S. are now shielded by the law. Hundreds more are under consideration for protections. Republicans complain that fewer than 70 have recovered and had protections lifted.

"That tension just continues to expand," said Jason Shogren, professor of natural resource conservation at the University of Wyoming. "Like a pressure cooker, every now and then, you've got to let out some steam or it's really going to blow."

Congress reconvened last week with two critics of the law holding key Senate leadership positions  Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso as the incoming chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski as chairwoman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Spokesman Mike Danylak said Barrasso will seek to "strengthen and modernize" the management of endangered species but offered no specifics.

Barrasso's predecessor, Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, suggested in an interview that one species should be removed from the list every time another is added. Another Republican, Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, said he wants to limit applications for protections to one species at a time.

In the House, Rep. Tom McClintock of California, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands, said he wants to ease logging restrictions in national forests to reduce tree density blamed for catastrophic wildfires.

Some Democrats, too, have been frustrated with the law: Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson and two other Democrats joined 11 Republicans last week on a bill to end protections for wolves in the Great Lakes and Wyoming.

Simply by striking a few key words from the law, it could be transformed from a tool to protect huge areas of habitat for imperiled species into little more than limits on hunting for protected animals, said J.B. Ruhl, a Vanderbilt University law professor considered a leading expert on the act.

Trump's position is unclear. A strong advocate for energy development, he has lamented environmental policies he says hinder drilling. But his appointment of Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke as Interior secretary was seen by some conservationists as a signal that Trump will support protections for public lands to the benefit of fish and wildlife.

The Trump transition team did not respond to requests for comment. The incoming administration already has immigration, the health care law repeal and infrastructure improvements atop its agenda.

If the administration or Congress wants to gut the law, "they certainly can do it," Vermont Law School professor Patrick Parenteau said. "The real question with the Endangered Species Act is where does it rank?"

Advocates and senior Obama administration officials argue the law's success is best measured by extinctions avoided  for 99 percent of protected species, including black-footed ferrets, whooping cranes, American crocodiles and hundreds of others.

"There's a lot of evidence that some species are conservation-reliant," Ruhl said. Political fights over certain species have dragged out for decades, he added, because recovering them from "the brink of extinction is a lot harder than we thought."

__

Daly reported from Washington.

___

Follow Matthew Brown at https://twitter.com/matthewbrownap . More of his work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/matthew-brown
Cops say a grandfather stopped an attempted kidnapper from snatching his 3-year-old from a California park over the weekend.

The Auburn Police Department says the incident unfolded Saturday when a woman they identified as 28-year-old Lindsay Frasher approached a family and grabbed the little girl in a bear hug.

Read: Baby Kidnapped From Florida Hospital in 1998 is Found Living in South Carolina With Alleged Abductor

Frasher allegedly then "attempted to physically take the female child away," police said.

However, as the little girl's family watched in horror, the grandfather fought back in what Sgt. Gary Hopping called "a tug of war over the little girl."

Cops say the grandfather prevailed and members of the girl's family held Frasher at the scene while waiting for authorities to arrive.

Watch: 9-Year-Old Carlie Trent Found Safe 8 Days After Uncle Allegedly Kidnapped Her

Officials say Frasher didn't know little girl or her family.

Frasher was arrested on kidnapping charges and her bail was set at $200,000.

Watch: Missing 4-Year-Old Girl Found Alive Hours After Search Grows to 5 States

Related Articles:
Constitution Daily looks back at some of the most noteworthy presidential inauguration speeches. Franklin D. Roosevelts speeches dealt with imminent national crises and served to inspire millions.

First inauguration. Source: White House.

Roosevelt became president in 1933 as the United States was in the middle of the Great Depression. Roosevelts speech was heard by millions of people on the radio and set the tone for his administration.

Highlights from 1933 inaugural address

President Roosevelt set the stage for his New Deal program, which started with a four-day bank holiday on the day after the inauguration.

Quote: First of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear isfear itself  nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and of vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. And I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.

Link: Full text of 1933 inaugural address

Highlights from 1937 inaugural address

In 1937, Roosevelt was the first president to take the oath in January, after the 20th Amendment moved inauguration up from March (it also changed the date for the beginning of the new Congress).

The nation was still mired in the Great Depression and war clouds were gathering in Europe. Roosevelt also talked about the 150th anniversary of the Constitutional Convention.

Quote: At that convention, our forefathers  created a strong government with powers of united action sufficient then and now to solve problems utterly beyond individual or local solution. Today, we invoke those same powers of government to achieve the same objectives.

Link: Full text of 1937 inaugural address

Highlights from 1941 inaugural address

President Roosevelt won an unprecedented third term in office, which eventually led to the 22nd Amendment limiting a president to two terms or 10 years in office. He spoke at length about the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, and democracy.

Story continues

Quote: In the face of great perils never before encountered, our strong purpose is to protect and to perpetuate the integrity of democracy. For this we muster the spirit of America, and the faith of America.

Link: Full text of 1941 inaugural address

Highlights from 1945 inaugural address

President Roosevelts final inauguration was brief, and because of wartime conditions it was held outside at the White House. There were no parades or large celebrations. The president would pass away three months later.

Quote: We can gain no lasting peace if we approach it with suspicion and mistrust or with fear. We can gain it only if we proceed with the understanding, the confidence, and the courage which flow from conviction.

Link: Full text of 1945 inaugural address
By Kanupriya Kapoor JAKARTA (Reuters) - Environmental group Greenpeace International on Tuesday slammed HSBC Holdings Plc for allegedly funding palm oil companies in Indonesia that it says have destroyed tropical rainforests. HSBC and other banks lent to palm oil companies that are "responsible for unacceptable activities", Greenpeace said in a report, highlighting loans worth hundreds of millions of dollars given out by the London-based bank since 2012 to six companies allegedly responsible for deforestation in Indonesia. The report, which also alleges violations of labor laws and operating licenses, follows a trend of increasing pressure being brought to bear by green groups on corporations in Europe to clean up their supply chains in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. "By providing financing without proper diligence on sustainability, banks enable the palm oil sector's destructive practices to continue," the green group added. HSBC said its policies call for sustainable and legal practices. "HSBC's policies prohibit the financing of operations that are illegal, damage high-conservation value forest... or violate the rights of workers and local people," the bank said in an emailed statement. "We are not aware of any current instances where customers are alleged to be operating outside our policy and where we have not taken, or are not taking, appropriate action," the bank added. Indonesia is the world's biggest producer of palm oil, an edible oil used in a range of products from chocolate to soap. Environmentalists say millions of hectares of forests have been cleared to make way for plantations, often by smallholder farmers using slash-and-burn methods that blanket the region in haze every year. "(HSBC) claims its policies 'prohibit the finance of deforestation', although many companies that it funds are destroying forests," Greenpeace added. Greenpeace urged HSBC, Europe's biggest bank, to step up due diligence on clients and not rely on standards set by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). RSPO has recently come under fire from environmentalists for its poor handling of complaints against members, prompting groups such as Nestle to step up their own checks on suppliers. The industry body has also been criticized for weak enforcement of sustainability standards and workers' human rights. (Additional reporting by Lawrence White in LONDON; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
Photo credit: Road & Track

From Road & Track

The big news for Bronco lovers out of Detroit last week was Ford confirming the Bronco will return in 2020. But more big news in the Bronco world comes a far less publicized but no less significant unveiling of two historic original Broncos at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale this week.

Tucked away in the Gateway Bronco booth in the Salon Showcase at B-J, where you can buy everything from a portable hot tub to a 30' tall bronze yard eagle, are the two tattered old trucks that few might pay attention to. But that would be a mistake.

Photo credit: Road & Track

The one that caught our eye was the bright yellow 1969 Bronco with "BOSS BRONCO" decals on its front fenders. Flared fenders, big tires, and a hood scoop are not uncommon on early Broncos but on this one they have special significance. This very truck was Ford's prototype for a proposed high-performance Bronco in 1969. Built at the legendary Ford skunk works Kar-Kraft for Ford boss "Bunkie" Knudsen it has a slew of wicked modifications like a 351 CID engine swiped from a 1969 GT350 and 4.11:1 limited slip differentials on both ends. Unfortunately when Lee Iacocca fired Bunkie Knudsen in late 1969 the Boss Bronco concept was no more, and this prototype put on a list of vehicles to be destroyed. But then Kar-Kraft was shut down and it is thought that is when the Boss Bronco escaped. It was discovered in 2016 completely intact and in remarkable original condition. Of course it came as no surprise that the new owner is R&T's own vintage car expert Colin Comer. Maybe we'll see a "Shopping With Colin" story on this one soon to get the story behind its discovery.

Photo credit: Road & Track

Sitting next to the "BOSS" is, for all appearances, a very sad looking half-cab 1966 Bronco with sagging doors and mis-matched paint. But don't dismiss it. This one happens to be what is reported to be The First Ford Bronco. It is a prototype that was built at the Ford Michigan pre-production plant, which is special enough in our book, but then delivered to Carroll Shelby at his Shelby American Los Angeles facility in 1967. While at the facility, Shelby repainted the truck in a red and white color scheme, pulled the factory six cylinder and replaced it with, what else, a 289 V8 and made a multitude of other changes. During Shelby's ownership, the prototype Bronco was used as a work truck on Shelby's Christmas Mountains Land & Cattle Co. ranch in Texas. In 1978, it was sold to the second owner, Vinnie Yakubanski, for $100. Gateway Bronco acquired this historic truck in October 2016 and has plans to restore it to its 1967 Shelby configuration.

Story continues

So, Bronco lovers, which one would you pick to park next to your 2020 Bronco?

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Washington (AFP) - Despite a flurry of last-minute releases from Guantanamo Bay, President Barack Obama is set to fail in his eight-year quest to close the infamous military detention center.

One of his first acts as president in 2009 was to issue an executive order to shut the controversial jail within a year, but it is clear it will remain open when he leaves office on Friday.

"I don't anticipate that we will succeed in that goal of closing the prison, but it's not for a lack of trying," White House press secretary Josh Earnest told his final media briefing on Tuesday.

Obama's successor, President-elect Donald Trump, has vowed not just to keep Guantanamo open, but to boost the number of terror suspects housed there -- even raising the prospect of US citizens being sent to the facility.

"We're gonna load it up with some bad dudes, believe me, we're gonna load it up," Trump said while campaigning last year. He separately said "it would be fine" if US terror suspects were sent there for trial.

On Monday, 10 former detainees -- eight Yemenis and two Afghans -- were sent to Oman, bringing the remaining Guantanamo population to 45, down from 242 when Obama took office.

Several more have been cleared for transfer, and a US official told AFP to expect a "handful" more by Friday -- despite Trump's call this month for "no further releases."

But dozens of inmates will remain in indefinite detention on day one of the Trump presidency.

"President Obama's legacy on Guantanamo isn't just about those he transfers, it's also about those he leaves behind," Elizabeth Beavers, a senior campaigner with Amnesty International USA, told AFP.

"There is a risk that the prison could become permanent, with those remaining at risk of torture or other ill-treatment."

Of the 45 men still at Guantanamo, nine are cleared for transfer and another 26 remain in legal limbo -- the so-called "forever prisoners" who have not been charged with anything but are deemed too dangerous to release.

Story continues

The other 10, including the alleged plotters of the September 11, 2001 attacks, are going through a glacially slow military prosecution at Guantanamo.

They are due in a Guantanamo military court next week for yet another pre-trial hearing.

- Jihadi 'recruitment tool' -

Obama struggled to find a solution to the vexed question of what to do with the forever detainees, and it is uncertain they could be convicted in a civilian court.

The outgoing president had tried to transfer many detainees abroad and bring the most high-value ones to the United States, but funding was blocked by Republicans and even some in his own Democratic party pushed back against closure plans.

An oft-cited reason for keeping Guantanamo open is the recidivism rate. About 30 percent of detainees released are suspected or confirmed to have re-engaged against US interests, though the rate dropped sharply among those released under Obama.

Guantanamo first opened in early 2002, hastily erected on a grassy hillside on America's naval base in Cuba, where detainees would be out of the reach of federal US courts.

The men arrived in orange jumpsuits, shackled and blindfolded -- and sometimes were trundled around the outdoor prison camp on gurneys that looked like giant wheelbarrows.

Some had been kidnapped by foes in Afghanistan and sold to the Americans for a bounty, often on the basis of slim or made-up evidence.

The cages they were held in have long since been shut and modern, high-security facilities erected to replace them at a cost of millions of dollars.

Obama repeatedly said the controversial prison served as a "recruitment tool" for terrorist organizations and was a waste of money -- it currently costs about $7 million to keep each detainee there per year.

He has laid the blame for Guantanamo's continued use squarely at lawmakers' feet.

"I have not been able to close the darn thing because of the congressional restrictions that have been placed on us," he said last year.

- 'For the duration' -

Countries receiving former detainees must give guarantees they will be monitored and participate in rehabilitation programs.

Six former Guantanamo inmates were resettled in Uruguay in 2014, but the men floundered in the Spanish-speaking nation and one went on hunger strike to demand being sent elsewhere.

"They are rebuilding their lives in Uruguay, but among the six, at least five are struggling," Christian Mirza, who heads the case for the Uruguay government, told AFP.

Retired general James Mattis, who is set to become Trump's defense secretary, last week said America retains the legal right to capture enemy combatants and hold them as prisoners "for the duration of a war."

"Long-term detention is appropriate when an unprivileged enemy belligerent poses a continuing significant threat to the security of the United States," he told lawmakers last week.

But how many new inmates will actually end up in Guantanamo is tough to predict.

Obama widely expanded the use of drones in counterterrorism operations and if US agencies have solid intelligence on a terror suspect, they now tend to simply send a drone to kill him.
Looking for a job in the new year? The recent election brought about a confusing new twist for many job seekers in states where marijuana is now legal. How do you handle a pre-employment drug screening if you use marijuana? Here are a few things to consider.

[See: 10 Reasons to Quit Your Job Already.]

Marijuana is still an illegal substance on a federal level. This means that employers, even those in a state where pot is legal locally, have the right to a test for illegal substances. If an employer aspires to have a drug-free workplace, detecting marijuana in a drug test may prevent a candidate from being hired. This is true even in Colorado -- although it has brought about many challenging lawsuits.

So what does this mean? It means the way to prevent a failed drug test while job searching is to avoid using all recreational drugs while job searching. Yes, even if cannabis is legal in your state. Just as you likely know not to take shots of tequila before you head to the urine test, stay away from anything with THC, as well. But for how long? While most of us realize alcohol metabolizes pretty rapidly (think hours and days), marijuana has a much longer, less agreed upon tail. Given the varieties of drug tests, individual metabolisms and length of use, drugs can show up for days, weeks or even months after use. What might be fun in your personal life could limit your options professionally. This is no different than employers avoiding candidates who have questionable social media posts or Twitter rants.

[See: The 6 Best Jobs for Work-Life Balance.]

It helps to remember why most employers drug test -- to keep their work environments safe and productive. Like it or not, recreational marijuana use does not have common acceptance like alcohol use. Drug use, in general, is tricky for employers because it is difficult to know how long the effects may linger. Given the uncertainty, it is easier for employers to start with a drug test so that they may avoid any unnecessary risks brought about by habitual users of any drugs. It is a logical move on their behalf.

Story continues

Some employers who drug test may not target marijuana use if they are in a state where it is legal. Over the next couple of years, some employers in states with legalized pot use may revise what substances they are targeting in a drug test. I have seen this in practice already in California. If you are considering a job change, start by researching their full employment screening process before you start. Typically, employment screenings may involve things like completing an online application, providing managerial references, conducting a criminal background and credit check and completing a drug test. A question like, "So that I can be prepared, what is your employment screening process?" can be very helpful early in the job application.

[See: Relaxation Exercises for When You're About to Lose It at Work.]

If you are a savvy conversationalist, you can turn the recent election into a conversation by saying something like, "I bet the recent legalization of marijuana in California has caused some challenges for how employers handle drug tests." You might get lucky and get a hiring manager or recruiter who will discuss if they ask the lab to report on marijuana use. If you don't get a direct answer regarding what drugs they screen for, your safest bet is to avoid everything. If that is not an option, you can ask what substances are being targeted. However, you do run the risk that a potential employer may make an assumption that your question is an admission of use, and that could impact your candidacy. Drug use is not a protected class, so an employer is not violating any laws by passing on someone who they suspect may be using anything illegal.

Professionally speaking, being drug free will make your life simpler when looking for a job. There is no doubt that the subject of pre-employment testing for marijuana use will be a highly contested topic for some time, but employers have the right to screen for any substance listed as illegal on a federal level. If you know you are going to take a drug test and you have been using marijuana, your best move is to be upfront before you submit for a potentially costly test. Some employers may appreciate your honesty and opt to not screen for marijuana specifically. It is still a risky move, but it beats knowingly submitting for a test that will come back positive.

Robin Reshwan is the founder of Collegial Services, a consulting and staffing firm that connects college students and business professionals with the organizations that hire them. She has interviewed, placed and hired thousands of people across a broad spectrum of companies and industries. She is a Careers contributor for U.S. News and World Report and her career tips and advice have been used by national clubs, associations and businesses in addition to media outlets such as Yahoo, Business Insider, Fast Company, Monster, Kiplinger and Schools.com. Robin is also a frequent speaker on professional development for the alumni associations at Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business and University of California, Davis, plus the School of Economics and Business Administration at Saint Mary's College of California. A Certified Professional Resume Writer, Robin has been honored as a Professional Business Woman of the Year by the American Business Women's Association.
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Well, it's almost time. On January 20th, noted L.L. Bean fanatic Donald Trump will take the oath of office and be inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States in the nation's capital.

It should be a really interesting time.

SEE ALSO: I wrote Obama's farewell address for him and here is the text

We were able to get our hands on the updated schedule of events for the special day and it sounds like it's going to be pretty cool!

9:30 a.m.

Presidential Cabinet and Vice President-elect Mike Pence take their seats on big gold thrones.

9:45 a.m.

Trump takes his seat on even bigger golder [sic] throne.

10:00 a.m.

The Queen Of Piss SOMEBODY NOT OF SIGNIFICANCE takes her seat.

10:15 a.m.

The cast of Duck Dynasty take their seats.

10:45 a.m.

Kid Rock sings America Kicks Ass (And My Dick Hurts)

11:00 a.m.

Actor James Woods threatens to sue each individual audience member.

11:15 a.m.

Actor Scott Baio says safe space and snowflake alternatively for 15 minutes.

11:30 a.m.

Kid Rock and Ted Nugent reprise America Kicks Ass (And My Dick Hurts)

11:50 a.m.

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts Dennis Rodman administers the presidential oath of office to President-elect Trump. Trump dons Crown of Power.

12:00 p.m.

President Trump delivers inaugural address.

12:01 p.m.

End of Trumps inaugural address.

12:05 p.m.

Jeff Dunham and Achmed, the dead terrorist puppet, address nation.

1:00 p.m.

Donald Trump, Jr. ceremoniously shoots the earths last male white rhino.

1:15 p.m.

Barron Trump reads the list of active ingredients in Tylenol AM.

1:30 p.m.

Kid Rock performs Money Is So Good (Need To Get My Dick Looked At Pronto)

1:45 p.m.

Eric Trump morphs into bat.

7:00 p.m.

Inaugural ball (Must have minimum $15 million net worth to be admitted. CASH BAR.)

Wow, looks great. Make sure to tune in. You won't want to miss this!

BONUS: Even Fox News is defending CNN against Trump
OTTAWA (Reuters) - High-profile Canadian businessman and television personality Kevin O'Leary will enter the race to run the opposition Conservative party, joining an already crowded field of candidates, media reported on Tuesday. O'Leary will launch his campaign for leader in Toronto on Wednesday, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported, citing sources close to him. A spokeswoman for O'Leary was not immediately available to comment. After a nearly decade-long run in power, the Conservatives were defeated in 2015 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals, prompting former Conservative Prime Minister and party leader Stephen Harper to step down. Since then, a number of politicians have announced their candidacies and 13 leadership hopefuls are set to take part in a French-language debate on Tuesday evening. O'Leary is known for his appearances on reality shows "Shark Tank" and "Dragons' Den", where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas. He is also known for unconventional ideas, including that Senators could buy their seats in the upper unelected house of Parliament. Montreal-born O'Leary said earlier this month that he would skip the French debate until he was more "proficient" in the language and that he was committed to learning French again, seen as a crucial requirement to become prime minister. The Conservatives will vote for their leader in May. (Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Sandra Maler)
LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May set out the principles that will guide her approach to Britain's withdrawal from the European Union in a speech in London on Tuesday. Below are highlights from her speech: UK WILL LEAVE EUROPEAN SINGLE MARKET This agreement should allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and the EU's member states. It should give British companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets, and let European businesses do the same in Britain. But I want to be clear: What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market. NOT SEEKING PARTIAL OR ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP We seek a new and equal partnership between an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU. Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out. We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave. No. The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union and my job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do. WILL PURSUE GREATEST POSSIBLE ACCESS TO SINGLE MARKET An important part of the new partnership ... will be the pursuit of the greatest possible access to the single market on a fully reciprocal basis through a comprehensive free trade agreement. WILL NO LONGER CONTRIBUTE HUGE SUMS OT EU BUDGET Because we will no longer be members of the single market, we will no longer be required to contribute huge sums to the EU budget. There may be some specific EU programmes we might want to participate in. The days of Britain making vast contributions to the European Union will end. PUNITIVE DEAL FOR UK WOULD BE SELF-HARM FOR EUROPE I must be clear: Britain wants to remain a good friend and neighbour to Europe. Some voices are calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path. That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe and it would not be the act of a friend. Britain would not, indeed we could not accept such an approach. NO DEAL BETTER THAN BAD DEAL While I am sure a positive agreement can be reached I am equally clear that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain. WANT TARIFF-FREE TRADE WITH EUROPE I want Britain to be able to negotiate its own trade agreements but I also want tariff-free trade with Europe and cross-border trade to be as frictionless as possible. That means I do not want Britain to be part of the common commercial policy. CUSTOMS UNION: SEVERAL OPTIONS, NO PRECONCEIVED POSITION I do want us to have a customs agreement with the EU, whether that means we must reach a completely new customs agreement, become an associate member of the customs union in some way or remain a signatory to some elements of it, I hold no preconceived position. I WANT A TRULY GLOBAL BRITAIN I want this United Kingdom to emerge from this period of change stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than ever before. I want us to be a secure, prosperous, tolerant country, a magnet for international talent and a home to the pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead. I want us to be a truly global Britain, the best friend and neighbour to our European partners, but a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe too. A country that goes out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike. INVESTMENT IN ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE As we continue to bring the deficit down, we will take a balanced approach by investing in our economic infrastructure - because it can transform the growth potential of our economy, and improve the quality of peoples lives across the whole country. EU NATIONALS WILL STILL BE WELCOME You will still be welcome in this country as we hope our citizens will be in yours. BREXIT MUST MEAN CONTROL OF IMMIGRATION Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe and that is what we will deliver. We will ensure we can control immigration to Britain from Europe. GUARANTEEING RIGHTS OF EU CITIZENS IN UK, UK CITIZENS IN EU We want to guarantee the rights of EU citizens who are already living in Britain and the rights of the British nationals in other member states as early as we can. BREXIT DOES NOT MEAN UK IS TURNING INWARD The result of the referendum was not a decision to turn inward and retreat from the world, because Britain's history and culture is profoundly internationalist. We are a European country and proud of our shared European heritage. But we are always a country that has looked beyond Europe to the wider world. NO NEW BARRIERS TO TRADE Our guiding principle must be to ensure that as we leave the European Union no new barriers to living or doing business within our own union are created. COMMON TRAVEL AREA WITH IRELAND AN IMPORTANT PRIORITY The United Kingdom will share a land border with the EU and maintaining that common travel area with the republic of ireland will an important priority for the UK in the talks ahead." UK DOES NOT WANT EU TO UNRAVEL Our decision is not always understood by our friends and allies in Europe, and many fear the beginning of a great unravelling of the EU. But let me be clear. I do not want that to happen. It would not be in the best interest of Britain, it remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's best national interest for the EU to succeed. UK WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TO KEEP EUROPE SAFE At a time when together we face a serious threat from our enemies, Britains unique intelligence capabilities will continue to help to keep people in Europe safe from terrorism. UK TROOPS IN EASTERN EUROPE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THEIR DUTY And at a time when there is growing concern about European security, Britains servicemen and women, based in European countries including Estonia, Poland and Romania, will continue to do their duty. (Reporting by Sarah Young, Elisabeth O'Leary and Paul Sandle, editing by Estelle Shirbon)
By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors brought two weapons charges against a hip-hop podcast host over a fatal shooting at a Manhattan concert venue last May, although he has not been charged with the killing itself. Daryl Campbell, who goes by the name Taxstone on his podcast, appeared on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court. U.S. prosecutors said in court filings that Campbell's DNA had been found on the only weapon used in the shooting. A bodyguard for rapper Troy Ave, Ronald McPhatter, was killed. Troy Ave, whose real name is Roland Collins, was shot in the leg, and two concertgoers were also wounded May 25 at Irving Plaza, where the rapper T.I. was scheduled to perform. Collins previously pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges for firing back at Campbell after he was hit. Campbell and Collins have feuded for years, with Campbell at one point publicly threatening to shoot Collins if he approached him, according to federal agents. Surveillance video shows Campbell entering the room where the shooting occurred and then running out after four shots were fired, according to court papers. Video also shows Collins holding the gun after the shooting and firing a single shot at Campbell as he ran, authorities said. At Tuesday's court hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten argued Campbell should be detained, calling him a danger to the community and a risk of flight. He said prosecutors were concerned about witnesses in the case, saying that Campbell was a member of a "dangerous gang" and has been arrested more than 20 times, with two felony convictions. But defense lawyer Kenneth Montgomery said Campbell had numerous opportunities to flee since the shooting and had not, even after a SWAT team came to his door on Jan. 3. He said the evidence showed another individual was the "most culpable," in an apparent reference to Collins, and said that Campbell's discussions about his gang involvement years ago on his podcast were taken out of context. "He has walked down the path of redemption," he said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Peck set bail at $500,000 and ordered that Campbell remain under house arrest, though he is allowed to leave to work on his podcast. "I'm taking a chance on you, Mr. Campbell," he said. (This version of the story corrects the spelling of prosecutor Hagan Scotten's first name in paragraph seven) (Reporting by Nate Raymond; Writing by Joseph Ax; editing by Grant McCool)
Competition is intense during the MBA admissions process, and some applicants feel intimidated by the impressive qualifications of their peers.

Insecure MBA applicants are occasionally tempted to puff up their resumes and exaggerate their credentials, experts say, but this critical mistake may lead to automatic rejection if it's discovered.

Paul Bodine, a California-based MBA admissions consultant and founder of Paul Bodine Consulting/Admitify, says he has a cautionary tale for clients about the dangers of exaggeration -- the story of a misguided customer whose fib about the length of time he spent working for a community organization resulted in a business school revoking its admissions offer.

" Dishonesty and exaggeration have very serious consequences, actually the worst possible consequences: loss of an admission offer," Bodine said in an email. "So applicants need to be honest from the start."

Carrie Marcinkevage, MBA managing director at the Smeal College of Business at Pennsylvania State University--University Park, says honesty is ultimately in the applicant's best interest. "Authenticity allows you to find the right school and that school to find you," she says. "Allow them the chance to find the real you."

[Learn why authenticity matters for MBA applicants.]

Consequences for Cheaters

Rosemaria Martinelli, a former associate dean for full-time MBA admissions at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and director of MBA admissions and financial aid at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, says business schools often do background checks on applicants to verify their credentials.

Cheating is a perennial problem in MBA admissions, she says.

"It's been a problem because the stakes are so high," says Martinelli, who has more than 20 years of experience in higher education and who now serves as a senior director at the Huron Consulting Group, where she advises leaders of colleges, universities and academic medical centers on how to achieve their institutional goals.

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Martinelli says during her career in MBA admissions, she encountered situations where students were expelled from business school due to lies on their application right before graduation.

Plagiarism in application essays is also severely punished, experts say. If it is exposed during the admissions process, plagiarism leads to a swift rejection.

[Discover ways to sharpen the focus of an MBA application.]

Stick to Facts

Very few applicants go so far as to plagiarize admissions essays, but exaggeration is a common problem, experts say. Sometimes the desire to make a good impression becomes a slippery slope that leads to deception, experts warn, so applicants should be vigilant about ensuring the accuracy of every single claim made in an MBA application.

"Application readers are savvy," says Dan Bauer, CEO of The MBA Exchange admissions consulting firm. "By reviewing hundreds, if not thousands, of applications they get clear sense of what achievements, experiences and responsibilities are reasonable for applicants."

Andrew Ainslie, dean of the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester, says he puts his guard up when he reads an MBA application that makes the applicant seem superhuman. Ainslie prefers an application that includes an admission of a weakness that the applicant is working to address, because that indicates the humility necessary to learn and grow.

"When I'm looking through essays, I want to see that I'm talking to a real person," he says.

[Learn three ways to stand out in a competitive b-school applicant pool.]

Acknowledge Mistakes

Jesse Mejia, founder and CEO of the MBA Catalyst admissions consulting firm, says that failure can actually be a source of inspiration for powerful admissions essays.

"We all have blemishes in our past," Mejia said in an email. "The way to explain these mistakes is to be upfront and candid."

Mejia said applicants who made a significant mistake in the past, such as those with a criminal record from their teenage years or those who were once kicked out of school for having a low GPA, can describe how they have evolved since then and what they learned from a difficult experience.

"This is how you illustrate how you overcame adversity and describe your grit," he says. "Be honest with yourself and know that your setbacks made you the successful person you are today."

Show Personality

Ainslie, the Simon dean, warns against relying too much on the feedback of others when crafting an application, because the result is an impersonal application that feels inauthentic.

Mejia says it is critical to ensure that your personality does not get edited out of your MBA application.

"Asking for support is a smart idea, however, feedback from friends and family that are not familiar with the application process can also hurt if they try to 'change your voice,'" Mejia said in an email. "The way you write is the way you write. How you tell your story must be narrated in a way that the reader can hear you speak from the heart."

Searching for a business school? Get our complete rankings of Best Business Schools.

Ilana Kowarski covers graduate schools for U.S. News. You can reach her via email at ikowarski@usnews.com.
Hong Kong's tough former deputy leader Carrie Lam, widely seen as China's favourite in an upcoming election for the top post, pledged Monday to end the divided city's "heartache" as she announced her candidacy.

Lam was deputy to the unpopular current chief executive Leung Chun-ying until she resigned to contest the poll, but is a less disliked figure.

Leung is vilified by the city's pro-democracy camp as a puppet of Beijing squeezing the semi-autonomous city's freedoms.

Hong Kong has become sharply polarised during his four-year term, which has been marked by anti-Beijing protests.

Speaking for the first time to confirm her candidacy for the leadership vote in March, Lam was repeatedly asked if she would be another version of Leung, as some critics fear.

She said she would try to build consensus and "restore faith and hope".

"In recent years, some situations have emerged in Hong Kong that have made people very concerned and worried, sometimes even caused heartache," Lam, 59, told reporters.

"Like many of you I am worried about the discontent," she added, saying her supporters believed she had the ability to "resolve Hong Kong's deep contradictions".

But Lam, who spent 36 years in government, stopped short of acknowledging the discord between pro-Beijing and pro-democracy supporters, saying the public was more concerned about income inequality and sky-high housing costs.

"While democracy is something we should go for, we have to take a very pragmatic stance on whether we have the right environment for us to revive the discussion on another political reform in Hong Kong," she said.

Also poised to announce his candidacy is former finance secretary John Tsang. Opinion polls show him and Lam well ahead in opinion polls, with two other candidates trailing far behind.

But the public will not vote for the next leader following the rejection of political reforms put forward by Beijing.

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The next leader will instead be chosen by a committee of 1,200 mainly pro-Beijing representatives.

Lam had presented the reform package, seen by critics as fake democracy, which triggered mass street protests in Hong Kong in late 2014.

The plan offered the public its first chance to vote for the city's leader but said all candidates must be approved by a loyalist committee.

The package was eventually voted down by pro-democracy lawmakers.

Political analyst Willy Lam said Lam was unlikely to touch on political reform until later in her tenure if she wins.

He said she needed to "build bridges" with the pro-democracy camp and show she was not afraid of confronting Beijing.
Greenpeace on Tuesday accused banking giant HSBC of helping to arrange billions of dollars in financing for companies whose palm oil operations have been blamed for destroying vast swathes of Indonesian rainforest.

The environmental group said the British bank had broken its own guidelines which ban supporting palm oil companies involved in unsustainable practices as it was part of syndicates that had arranged $16.3 billion of loans since 2012.

The bank was also involved in arranging nearly $2 billion of corporate bonds, the activists said in a new report.

"HSBC claims it's a respectable bank with responsible policies on deforestation. But somehow these fine words get forgotten when it's time to sign the contracts," said Annisa Rahmawati, senior forest campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

The bank said it did not knowingly provide services to directly support palm oil companies that do not comply with their policies on deforestation.

Vast tracts of Indonesian jungle have been cleared in recent years to make way for plantations to feed insatiable global demand for the edible vegetable oil, which is a key ingredient in goods from shampoo to biscuits.

This has led to the destruction of the habitats of endangered animals such as orangutans. Burning land to make way for plantations also causes huge forest fires that burn out of control most years and shroud the region in toxic haze.

Greenpeace, which analysed corporate financial data and company reports and statements, listed six firms it said received financial services from HSBC and whose palm oil operations had been accused of unsustainable practices.

The report said the companies were accused of activities including land seizures from local people, forest fires, abuse of workers and operating without legal permits.

HSBC said customer confidentiality meant it could not comment on specific companies.

But the bank added it had no interest in financing customers involved in illegal operations, land clearance by burning, the conversion of high-value conservation areas, child or forced labour or the violation of local communities' rights.

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"We are not aware of any current instances where customers are alleged to be operating outside our policy and where we have not taken, or are not taking, appropriate action," the bank said in a statement.

The companies mentioned in the report as having received financial services from the bank were: Bumitama Agri; Goodhope Asia Holdings; IOI Group; Noble Group; Posco Daewoo; and Salim Group.

Noble referred requests for comment to its sustainability information document, which said its plantation arm was a member of the industry's Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and it followed RSPO procedures.

The other companies did not respond to requests for comment.
Apart from a few unsubstantiated theories, it was understood that human settlements in North America, made by settlers who crossed over from Russia over the Bering Strait, date back to about 14,000 years ago, which was toward the end of the last Ice Age. However, a recently published study pushes that timeline back by another 10,000 years, when the Ice Age was at its height.

Such a claim had been made about 30 years ago by Jacques Cinq-Mars, an archeologist, who excavated the Bluefish Caves on the banks of the Bluefish River in Canadas Yukon province, near the border with Alaska. Based on radiocarbon dating of animal bones he found in the caves, he proposed humans had settled in the area as far back as 30,000 years ago.

However, his hypothesis was not widely accepted in the scientific community, given the lack of other sites that could be dated back to the same time period, as well as the fact that just finding animal bones in a cave was not evidence that they reached there as a result of human activity.

Lauriane Bourgeon, a PhD student at the Universite de Montreals department of anthropology in Canada, worked with her professor Ariane Burke, as well as Thomas Higham from Oxford Universitys Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit in the United Kingdom, to examine about 36,000 bone fragments found in the Bluefish Caves. And she found at least 15 bones showed undeniable traces of human activity, with another 20 or so showing probable traces of the same sort of activity.

Series of straight, V-shaped lines on the surface of the bones were made by stone tools used to skin animals. These are indisputable cut-marks created by humans, Burke said in a statement Monday, adding: "Our discovery confirms previous analyses and demonstrates that this is the earliest known site of human settlement in Canada. It shows that Eastern Beringia was inhabited during the last ice age.

Beringia refers to a large area in and around the Bering Strait, stretching from Canadas Northwest Territories across Alaska and all the way to Lena River in Russia. Genetic studies have shown a few thousand individuals lived in the area, isolated physically and genetically from the rest of the world, between 15,000 and 24,000 years ago.

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Our discovery confirms the Beringian standstill [or genetic isolation] hypothesis. Genetic isolation would have corresponded to geographical isolation. During the Last Glacial Maximum, Beringia was isolated from the rest of North America by glaciers and steppes too inhospitable for human occupation to the West. It was potentially a place of refuge, Burke said.

The study, titled "Earliest Human Presence in North America Dated to the Last Glacial Maximum: New Radiocarbon Dates from Bluefish Caves, Canada, was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

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Budapest (AFP) - Hungarian NGOs have long felt the heat under strongman Prime Minister Viktor Orban -- but they now fear that, emboldened by Donald Trump's victory, the right-wing premier will turn the screws even tighter.

First in line may be groups backed by Hungarian-born billionaire financier George Soros, whose foundation once funded the Oxford studies of a young Orban more than 25 years ago.

Last week the deputy head of Orban's ruling party Fidesz, in power since 2010, said that non-governmental organisations should be "cleaned out of here".

Szilard Nemeth said that criticism of government policies by "fake" civil organisations set up to "influence politics" by Soros and others was "impermissible".

The remarks triggered alarm among beleaguered NGOs, many of which -- in the absence of a credible political opposition -- have long attacked Orban's sweeping revamp of state institutions and hardline anti-immigration stance.

"This is a new level of NGO-bashing," said Marta Pardavi, co-head of the Hungarian branch of the Helsinki Committee, a human rights group that provides free advice to asylum-seekers.

Nemeth name-checked the body as potential targets along with civil rights group TASZ and corruption watchdog Transparency International.

"The notion that we should be swept away like rubbish or have no right to comment on politics shows their arrogant intolerance of different views," Pardavi told AFP.

Her office, staffed by some two dozen lawyers, heaves with case files as well as reports that have slammed Orban's anti-migration policies.

She freely admits that her organisation relies on foreign funding to continue operating. But "otherwise it's not possible to do human rights advocacy work in Hungary," she says.

Mirroring pressure in Russia under President Vladimir Putin, scrutiny of foreign-funded NGOs has been cranked up since Orban was re-elected in 2014.

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Dozens of groups supported by Norway were investigated by government auditors over alleged financial irregularities.

None were found, and the purge prompted US President Barack Obama to warn Hungary against a "clampdown" on civil society.

- 'Foreign money' -

Orban's spokesman Zoltan Kovacs told AFP that the election of Trump as US president -- Orban is a great admirer -- will bring in a "new era".

"With the new US administration, pseudo civil sector activity is not going to drive international politics," he told AFP.

But Kovacs stressed that Hungary was not about to kick anybody out.

"The rule of law prevails in Hungary. It's impossible to have singular or targeted action against anyone. Any new rules will apply to all and be in line with EU and international law," Kovacs said.

But he added: "It's clear we need changes, we don't know how much foreign money or foreign influence there is behind NGOs."

"Many on the political left claim they are civilians but they clearly have political goals and act like the political opposition."

A draft bill addressing "transparency" of NGO funding will be submitted to parliament around April, according to a schedule on the Hungarian parliament website.

Details have yet to be worked out though, said Kovacs.

- Soros in crosshairs -

The 86-year-old Soros, whose Open Society Foundations (OSF) body has funded civil groups in Eastern Europe since the 1980s, is in the crosshairs of the new push.

"Soros has decided that he will be Viktor Orban's opponent and opposition in Hungarian politics... People have the right to know which organisations he's doing this through," Orban's chief-of-staff Janos Lazar said last week.

Hungarian officials have even accused Soros-backed NGOs of posing a national security risk during Europe's migration crisis by allegedly colluding with human-smugglers and "terrorists".

It's a charge Marta Pardavi says could scare off small donors if they fear their data might be compromised.

"What a wonderful way of discrediting NGOs," she said.

The OSF meanwhile has no plans to quit Hungary, its president Christopher Stone said.

"We are not the opposition, neither in Hungary, nor elsewhere. We are promoters of open debate," he said in a statement emailed to AFP.

The body says it currently funds over 60 Hungarian NGOs, ranging from corruption watchdogs and investigative journalists to human rights and anti-discrimination bodies.

It has also awarded thousands of scholarships to Hungarian students -- including Orban in 1989 -- while the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and TASZ were even praised by Fidesz before 2010.
"Rising parochial and protectionist" attitudes are threatening global economic gains, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday, the same day China's leader warned against blaming globalisation for the world's ills.

The vocal defence of globalisation from the leaders of the two Asian powerhouses comes just days before US president-elect Donald Trump takes office.

"A sentiment against trade and migration, and rising parochial and protectionist attitudes across the globe are also a stark statistic," Modi said in a keynote address at an annual geo-political conference in New Delhi.

"The result (is that) globalisation gains are at risk and economic gains are no longer easy to come by."

His remarks echoed those of Chinese President Xi Jinping at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday, which were met hailed by government and industry leaders.

Xi, in his hour-long maiden speech at the annual Davos elite gathering, said "no one will emerge as a winner in a trade war", in an apparent reference to growing protectionism in US and Europe.

US president-elect Donald Trump, whose inauguration will take place on January 20, has long blamed China and globalisation for the loss of millions of US factory jobs.

Throughout his election campaign he threatened to block the outsourcing of jobs from the US and slap tariffs on goods from other countries, including China.

India is one of the largest beneficiaries of US industrial outsourcing and fears increasing protectionism will result in job cuts for Indians.

Modi, without naming any country, said there is a need to "guard against any instinct or inclination that promotes exclusion" in an increasingly multipolar world.

"Voices of many, not views of a few should shape the global agenda," he said.

Modi was speaking at the yearly, three-day geo-political "Raisina Dialogue" conference, attended by politicians and military officials from 65 countries.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Canadian former PM Stephen Harper will also address the conference.
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(3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (4) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (5) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (2) Dec 29 (2) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (2) Dec 11 (6) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (6) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (4) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (2) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (7) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (4) Nov 15 (6) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (2) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (2) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (2) Oct 24 (2) Oct 23 (2) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (2) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (4) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (7) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (7) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (2) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 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22 (3) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (2) May 18 (3) May 17 (3) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (5) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (3) May 10 (4) May 09 (4) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (2) May 05 (3) May 04 (4) May 03 (2) May 02 (3) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (7) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (7) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (5) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (6) Mar 18 (6) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (5) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) 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By Douglas Busvine NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Growing military ambitions in the Asia-Pacific are creating security risks, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday in a coded message to China to exercise strategic restraint. Although couched in diplomatic language and not mentioning China by name, Modi's remarks in a keynote foreign policy speech aligned New Delhi with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's intent to curb Beijing's regional clout. "Rising ambition and rivalries are generally visible stress points," Modi told an audience of politicians and top military brass from 65 nations at a security conference in New Delhi. "The steady increase in military power, resources and wealth in the Asia-Pacific has raised the stakes of security." The U.S. Republican has, since his shock election victory in November over Democrat Hillary Clinton, called into question the "One China" policy that Washington has adhered to for decades. His pick for secretary of state, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, also told a confirmation hearing that Beijing's militarization of reclaimed islands in the disputed waters of the South China Sea must be stopped. That is music to the ears of the foreign policy establishment in New Delhi, as are Trump's tentative - albeit in Washington controversial - overtures towards Russia's President Vladimir Putin, whom Modi on Tuesday called "an abiding friend". EMERGING INDIA Modi was addressing the second annual Raisina Dialogue, a geopolitical gathering in New Delhi sponsored by India's foreign ministry and the Observer Research Foundation, a think tank, that is competing for attention with the higher-profile World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Speaking in Davos, Chinese President Xi Jinping avoided mention of Trump and instead mounted a vigorous defense of free trade that the American president-elect has vowed to roll back to protect U.S. jobs. Although many of the guests in New Delhi were former, rather than current prime ministers, they did include the top U.S. naval commander in the Pacific, Admiral Harry Harris. Modi, elected on a nationalist platform in 2014, called for a rules-based security architecture in the Asia-Pacific that is "open, transparent, balanced and inclusive, and promote(s) dialogue and predictable behavior rooted in international norms and respect for sovereignty." That reflects not only India's concerns about the South China Sea, but fears that Beijing is threading a "string of pearls" in the Indian Ocean theater by building strategic ports in countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Djibouti on the eastern coast of Africa. India has maritime interests in all directions that are "strategic and significant", said Modi, whose country is the world's fourth-largest oil importer and juts southward from the Eurasian landmass into the strategic shipping lane running from the Middle East to the rising economies of the Asia-Pacific. "Primary responsibility for security in the Indian Ocean rests with those who live in this region," he said. "Respecting freedom of navigation and adhering to international norms are essential for peace and growth in the larger and interlinked marine geography of the Indo-Pacific." (Reporting by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
By Ronnie Cohen (REUTERS HEALTH) - As a social worker, Susannah Rose referred clients with cancer to patient advocacy groups she trusted to dispense unbiased advice - until she heard the groups might be taking money from pharmaceutical companies. So she set out to investigate. Two-thirds of patient advocacy organizations reported receiving industry funding, Rose, now a bioethicist, finds in a new study. Her research was published today online in JAMA Internal Medicine along with other studies showing a host of ways pharmaceutical manufacturers appear to pay for influence. Relationships with industry might bias advice, and I dont think anyone is immune to that, said Rose, who is scientific director of research for the Cleveland Clinics office of patient experience in Ohio. If theyre getting funding and advocating for certain medications, theres a potential for undue risk of influence, she said in a phone interview. Rose and her colleagues identified 7,865 patient advocacy organizations in the U.S., most involving cancer and rare or genetic disorders. Blinded to the identity of the groups, they surveyed a random sample of the organizations leaders about financial conflicts of interest. More than 67 percent of 245 patient advocacy groups reported receiving industry funding in the past year. Of those, nearly 12 percent reported that more than half their funding came from industry. Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C., said he was astonished by the sheer number of nonprofits claiming to advocate on behalf of patients. Its good to get a light shined on these organizations, Jacobson said in a phone interview. He was not involved in the study. Industry wants to put as many thumbs as possible on the scale. They fund researchers, patient advocacy organizations, right-wing organizations, he said. They give consulting fees to professors. When the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention drafted guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain in an effort to curtail a growing epidemic of abuse of the painkillers in 2015, nonprofit organizations stepped in to challenge the effort, according to a letter in the same issue of JAMA Internal Medicine by Dr. Caleb Alexander of the Johns Hopkins Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness in Baltimore, Maryland and colleagues. The CDC postponed releasing the guidelines and solicited public comments for 30 days. Opioid manufacturers gave money to 45 of 158 patient advocacy and professional organizations that commented on the proposed guidelines, according to Alexanders team. Most of the comments supported the guidelines, the study found. But organizations with funding from opioid manufacturers were significantly more likely to oppose them, researchers found. The CDC received enormous pushback from these organizations, Alexander told Reuters Health in a phone interview. They argued that the guidelines were not evidence-based, that they werent developed transparently, and that they would ultimately jeopardize the care of those in pain, he said. In 2012, a U.S. Senate committee scrutinized how financial relationships between industry and nonprofits might have influenced regulations and prescribing practices for opioid painkillers, Alexanders study points out. The American Pain Foundation shut down just days after two members of the committee wrote to the Maryland-based so-called health advocacy group questioning its funding in light of a report in ProPublica showing that the foundation had downplayed the risks associated with opioids and had received nearly 90 percent of its $5 million from the drug and medical-device industry. Rose and Alexander both called for more transparency about the flow of money to patient advocacy and professional organizations. Alexander recommended that the CDC request or require disclosure of funding sources from commenters. The CDC achieved its goal of soliciting feedback on the opioid guidelines from a host of stakeholders, spokeswoman Courtney Lenard told Reuters Health in an email. Because commenters may remain anonymous, not all financial conflicts could be identified, she said. In an editorial, researchers Ray Moynihan and Lisa Bero call for prominently displayed disclosures of funding sources on patient advocacy groups websites as well as adding the groups to a program that mandates disclosure of physician funding. Moynihan and Bero, both from the University of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia, write that Rose and Alexanders studies demonstrated an urgent need for patient advocacy organizations to explicitly focus much more on representing the interests of patients and citizens, rather than serving  inadvertently or otherwise  the interests of their industry sponsors. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2jHeHHr, http://bit.ly/2jW9OJT and http://bit.ly/2jlcf9M JAMA Internal Medicine, online January 17, 2017.
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will leave the EU's single market when it exits the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday, putting an end to speculation that London might try to seek a "soft Brexit". She said the government would put the final deal to a vote in both houses of parliament. Following are some initial reactions to her speech (latest reactions first). FINNISH FINANCE MINISTER PETTERI ORPO, ON TWITTER "Britain has laid out its plan for #brexit. Next, it is the job of #EU27 to find a common position. United we stand, divided we fall." MARCEL FRATZSCHER, PRESIDENT OF GERMANY'S DIW ECONOMIC INSTITUTE "Theresa Mays promise to turn Britain into a global trading nation after Brexit is an illusion, just like Donald Trumps promise to make America great again with the help of protectionist measures. Mays compatriots need to prepare to be very disappointed. A hard Brexit is the worst possible solution economically." "With her announcement of a hard Brexit, Theresa May has set Great Britains gradual economic decline in motion. "Theresa Mays announcement is a hidden threat to Europe and Germany that she will harm her European neighbors if they dont grant Britain any special treatment." OPPOSITION LABOUR LEADER JEREMY CORBYN ON SKY NEWS "She has said 'leave the single market' but at the same time said she wants to have access to the single market. I'm not sure how that's going to go down in Europe ... She seems to be wanting to have her cake and eat it." IAN GUNNER, CURRENCY FUND MANAGER AT HEDGE FUND ALTANA, LONDON "Some people will say this is a hard Brexit, however she wants to dress it up, and there will be criticisms from various politicians. But its a clean Brexit, and thats the most important thing ... I think to start with a clean slate is a lot more constructive for both sides." FRANCES O'GRADY, LEADER OF BRITAIN'S TRADES UNION CONGRESS "Working people are worried they will end up paying the price of leaving the single market. There is real concern that it will be bad for jobs, bad for rights at work and bad for the living standards of British people." UNILEVER CEO PAUL POLMAN "What we need to do is make sure that we don't shoot ourselves in the foot and we have a solution that is good for the UK, good for Europe and ultimately good for the long term. "My opinion unfortunately was different but that doesn't mean that we are not 100 percent focused now on trying to reduce the damage as much as possible." GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER "We welcome that the British prime minister is today outlining her government's ideas for leaving and has finally created a little more clarity about the British plans. She has underlined that Great Britain is striving for a positive and constructive partnership, a friendship, with a strong EU. That is good. "We too want the best, closest and most trusting relationship and wish for constructive negotiations with this goal. But our line is, and remains: the negotiations can begin only when Great Britain has given official notification of its desire to leave." CZECH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EU AFFAIRS TOMAS PROUZA, ON TWITTER "Thorough speech by @theresa_may. At least now we know what UK wants #HardBrexit" "UK's plan seems a bit ambitious - trade as free as possible, full control on immigration ... where is the give for all the take?" FORMER SWEDISH FOREIGN MINISTER AND PRIME MINISTER CARL BILDT, ON TWITTER "I regret the approach the UK government has taken. I think most of the EU would have preferred a closer relationship with the UK. "Theresa May speech indicates that UK is seeking something slightly less than the Ukraine DCFTA (Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement) agreement with the EU. A retreat from Europe." IRISH GOVERNMENT STATEMENT "She made clear that her priorities include maintaining the common travel area and avoiding a return to a hard border with Northern Ireland, both of which are welcome... "The Government notes that the British approach is now firmly that of a country which will have left the EU but which seeks to negotiate a new, close relationship with it. While this will inevitably be seen by many as a 'hard exit', the analysis across Government has covered all possible models for the future UK relationship with the EU. "The Government is under no illusion about the nature and scale of the Brexit challenge. The Government is acutely aware of the potential risks and challenges for the Irish economy and will remain fully engaged on this aspect as the negotiations proceed. "The Government is also very aware of the potential economic opportunities that may arise for Ireland, including in terms of mobile investment. Economic opportunities for Ireland will be pursued vigorously." JAWAID AFSAR, SENIOR TRADER AT SECUREQUITY, UK "The speech has given some direction, but the real test will come when Article 50 is triggered. Stay tuned for a bumpy Brexit ride." SUNIL MITTAL, INDIAN BILLIONAIRE AND FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF BHARTI ENTERPRISES, OWNS SEVERAL HOTELS IN BRITAIN "India and the UK have been trying to do a lot of things together and I have been wishing and hoping for this to happen ... but we have been prevented from (doing a trade deal) by the UK being part of the EU. "That's done, it is separate now ... and I am optimistic." NAEEM ASLAM, CHIEF MARKET ANALYST, THINK MARKETS UK LTD "Theresa May has shown today that she has no interest in staying in the EU and she wants to develop a completely new relationship. She is ostensibly optimistic, but not sure if investors are willing to buy her optimism, as you can see this clearly today by looking at the markets... "The currency advanced as she said that the final deal will be in the parliament to vote. She has asked a lot from her EU partners in relation to have an access to the single market and pay a little fee. The ball is in their court." (Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Dhara Ranasinghe, Atul Prakash, Padraic Halpin, Jason Hovet, Niklas Pollard, Michelle Martin, Michael Holden, Tuomas Forsell, Jemima Kelly; Compiled by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
(WASHINGTON)  Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke says he would never sell, give away or transfer public lands, a crucial stance in his home state of Montana and the West where access to hunting and fishing is considered sacrosanct.

Zinke feels so strongly that he resigned as a delegate to the Republican National Convention last summer because of the GOPs position in favor of land transfers to state or private groups. But Zinkes commitment to public lands has come into question in recent weeks and is likely to be a point of contention Tuesday as the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee considers his nomination to be interior secretary under President-elect Donald Trump.

Zinke, 55, a former Navy SEAL who just won his second term in Congress, was an early Trump supporter and, like his prospective boss, has expressed skepticism about the urgency of climate change.

A self-described Teddy Roosevelt Republican, Zinke has supported legislation to boost land and water conservation and recreation on public lands. Zinke has also advocated for increased oil and gas drilling and coal-mining on Western lands.

The Interior Department and other U.S. agencies control almost a third of land in the West and even more of the underground mineral estate that holds vast amounts of coal, oil and natural gas.

Zinkes position on public lands came under fire after he voted in favor of a measure from House Republicans that would allow federal land transfers to be considered cost-free and budget-neutral, making it easier for drilling and development.

Zinke says hes against transfer of federal lands, but theres a big gap between what he says and what he does in that regard, said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, the nations oldest and largest environmental group.

Youd think the congressman would be on his best behavior going into a job interview, but instead hes taking steps to once again jeopardize the future of Montanas outdoor economy, Nancy Keenan, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party, said after the Jan. 3 vote.

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Zinkes spokeswoman said the congressman maintains his position against the sale or transfer of federal lands.

Supporters call the dispute overblown and say Zinkes vote was on a much larger package that sets House rules in the new Congress.

Indeed, his support for public lands was a crucial reason why Zinke was chosen by Trump. The president-elect and his son, Donald Trump Jr., both oppose sale of federal lands. The younger Trump, an avid hunter, has taken a keen interest in Interior issues and played a key role in Zinkes selection.

Coal is likely to be another focus on Tuesday. Montana boasts the largest coal reserves in the nation, and Zinke has warned environmentalists and the Obama administration that to take coal out of the energy mix would be a disaster.

I dont agree with keeping it in the ground, he said during his re-election campaign.

Eric Washburn, a lobbyist and former aide to Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, said Zinke will likely be asked to defend federal ownership over federal lands and detail how he would balance energy development with the need to conserve fish and wildlife habitats.

Zinke appears to be a straight shooter, someone that energy and conservation interests can both work with, Washburn said.

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership endorsed Zinke, calling him a leader on many issues important to Americas hunters and anglers.

Brune, of the Sierra Club, scoffed at the comparison to Roosevelt, saying the only way to connect the men is to describe the ways Zinke wants to undo TRs legacy of conservation.

Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state, the top Democrat on the energy panel, said she is eager to ask Zinke about modernizing the federal coal program to make sure American taxpayers arent short-changed for the benefit of corporate interests. Cantwell also said wants reassurances that Zinke will protect the interests of American consumers and native tribes  not just the coal and mining companies.

Zinke spent 23 years as a Navy SEAL, serving in Kosovo and Iraq, where he was awarded two Bronze Stars for combat missions. He currently serves on the House Natural Resources and Armed Services committees.

He made an unsuccessful 2012 run for Montana lieutenant governor before shifting his ambitions to Congress in 2014. Before his selection for Interior, Zinke had been considered a likely challenger to Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in 2018.
Tehran (AFP) - President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday there was no chance of Iran renegotiating the nuclear deal with world powers if US President-elect Donald Trump demands it.

"The nuclear deal is finished, it has been approved by the UN Security Council and has become an international document. It is a multilateral accord and there is no sense in renegotiating it," said Rouhani at a news conference a year on from the deal coming into force.

Trump frequently criticised the nuclear deal during campaigning and called for fresh negotiations, but has refused to be drawn on his plans since being elected.

His nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, has called for a "full review" of the deal.

"Mr Trump, the president-elect, has made various statements that the nuclear deal does not satisfy him, that it was not a good deal or even that it was the worst deal ever," said Rouhani.

"These are mostly slogans, and I don't think that when he enters the White House, something will happen. It is not a bilateral deal that he can decide he likes or doesn't like," the president added.

The deal was signed between Iran, the US, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

EU and British officials have this week said they would not support any renegotiation of the deal, which places strict curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for a lifting of international sanctions.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Iran's president on Tuesday compared talk of renegotiating its nuclear accord to "converting a shirt back to cotton," and said U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's talk of doing so is "mainly slogans."

Trump has strongly criticized the deal struck with world powers, in which Iran agreed to curb its uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief, but has not said what he plans to do about the agreement.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani told reporters that "renegotiation has no meaning at all."

"Mr. Trump has so far made many remarks on the deal," he added. "These are mainly slogans. I do not see it as likely that something happens in practice." He said the deal is beneficial to the United States, but that Trump "doesn't understand this."

The agreement also included Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. None have expressed interest in scrapping the deal or restoring sanctions.

"There will be no negotiations on the nuclear deal," Rouhani said. "The deal has been finalized and it was approved in the U.N. Security Council."

Rouhani, a moderate who has advocated greater openness toward the West, is up for re-election in May, in what will likely be seen as a referendum on the nuclear deal. He said the new administration in Washington would have no impact on the vote.
By Isabel Coles and John Davison MOSUL, Iraq/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi special forces pushed deeper into Islamic State-held districts in eastern Mosul and army units fought the insurgents inside a military base in the city's north, officials said during the day on Tuesday. On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the military had begun "movement" against Islamic State in the west of Mosul without specifying what action was being taken there. Three months after the start of the U.S.-backed campaign, Islamic State has been driven out of about three quarters of the eastern districts of its Iraqi stronghold, ceding large areas along the Tigris River, which bisects Mosul from north to south. Renewed military progress has been made in the last two weeks, thanks to improved tactics and coordination between different military units, U.S. and Iraqi military officials say. Advances slowed towards the end of last year as the military tried to avoid hitting civilians, they say, but now the capture of the entire east bank is imminent and will allow attacks in the city's west, still fully held by the militants. Rapid response units of the Iraqi federal police have secured many southeastern districts along the Tigris, spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Abdel Amir al-Mohammedawi, said. Iraq's elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), which has spearheaded advances inside Mosul, holds large sections of the east bank further north from where the federal police operate. Some Islamic State fighters had fled by boat across the river, taking civilians as human shields, Mohammedawi said. "They fled the eastern bank for the west, and took women and children," he told Reuters. Islamic State has fought from among crowded residential areas and witnesses have seen its fighters shoot at civilians in areas they have lost, in apparent efforts to slow the advance of Iraqi forces. Several thousand civilians have been killed or wounded in fighting since October. CALIPHATE UNDER THREAT CTS spokesman Sabah al-Numan said told state television on Tuesday that more than 60 neighborhoods in eastern Mosul, out of a total of about 80, had been recaptured since the offensive began. The loss of Mosul would probably spell the end of the Iraqi side of Islamic State's self-styled caliphate, which its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared from a Mosul mosque as the militants swept through vast areas of Syria and Iraq in 2014. The group has carried out a series of attacks elsewhere in Iraq as it comes under increasing pressure in its stronghold. On Tuesday, a car bomb blast in southern Baghdad killed at least seven people in a mostly Shi'ite Muslim area. There was no immediate claim for the bombing. Islamic State has claimed a number of recent attacks on the Iraqi capital. Also on Tuesday, CTS forces pushed into the Eastern Nineveh and Souq al-Ghanam districts, both flanked by areas held by Iraqi troops, CTS spokesman Numan said. Special forces have now taken control of the Andalus and Shurta neighborhoods, where they were fighting on Monday, he told a Reuters reporter in Mosul. "Roughly all the eastern axes for which CTS is responsible will be completed and we will announce the liberation of the entire eastern side," he said, but did not specify when. A separate military statement said the CTS had also seized al-Muhandiseen district, nearly three miles further northwest, a short distance from the river. In a parallel advance, Iraqi army troops in the north of the city moved into the Kindi military base, and were fighting insurgents inside, an army officer said. (Additional reporting by Saif Hameed in Baghdad and Stephen Kalin in Erbil; Editing by Louise Ireland)
SULAIMANIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Three days per week, a group of women gather at a sport center in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniya for aerobic classes. The aim of the sessions is not to lose weight and build stamina, but to reduce the harmful effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy and to ease cancer-related fatigue. The exercises are part of a rehabilitation program for female cancer patients at Hiwa Cancer Hospital, the only specialized cancer facility in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region. All the women involved have undergone painful cancer treatments and some have had breasts removed. Most have suffered from tiredness and psychological distress due to the disease. "I had both of my breasts removed," said 66-year-old cancer patient Nisreen Abdullah, who has attended the three hour-long classes each week for the last three months. She says the workouts have helped her feel much better. "I wish that all the patients would come here to improve their health," Abdullah said. The aerobic sessions began four years ago after an agreement between the hospital and a local gym owner, Farah Mawared. The aim was to provide physical training for cancer patients who completed chemotherapy treatment. Since then, about 120 women have taken part in the classes, according to Mawared and Shwan Ali Tawfeeq, who works as a hematologist-oncologist at the hospital. "Sport is very important in improving the psychological condition of the patients as many of them experience anxiety, fear and depression," Tawfeeq said. One patient, who gave her name as Kulthum, said her right breast was removed after she was diagnosed with cancer about five years ago. She was subjected to several chemotherapy doses, she said, and underwent laser photo-radiation. "A friend told me about this center," said Kulthum. "She advised me to go and so I did ... I really benefited a lot from these exercises." (Reporting by Reuters TV in Iraq; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli forces have rearrested a Palestinian journalist who was freed from prison last year after an extended hunger strike, his family and Israeli officials said Tuesday.

Mohammed al-Qiq was detained Sunday night at a checkpoint near the West Bank city of Ramallah on his way back from a demonstration against Israel's refusal to return the bodies of slain Palestinian assailants, his wife Fayha Shalash told AFP.

According to Shalash, Qiq's lawyer told her he was being held in Ofer prison, west of Ramallah, and "has been on hunger strike since the moment they arrested him."

In May, 34-year-old Qiq was released from a six-month prison term without trial following a 94-day hunger strike.

He occasionally took minerals and vitamins but mainly ingested only tap water.

Qiq had been held under the administrative detention system, which allows Israel to hold prisoners without trial for renewable six-month periods.

Israel's Shin Bet domestic security service said at the time he was detained for "terror activity" on behalf of the Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza.

Qiq denied the allegation, saying he worked for the Saudi television channel Al-Majd.

Qiq's case was widely covered, and the United Nations expressed concern about his condition during his previous time in prison.

Shin Bet said Qiq had been detained on Sunday night along with 12 other men, including a member of the Palestinian parliament, as part of a network of Hamas operatives.

Shin Bet said the men were accused of a series of "economic and social" activities, including organising demonstrations and financially supporting families of prisoners, to "strengthen Hamas influence in the West Bank while attempting to topple the (Palestinian) Authority."

The Palestinian Prisoners Club said Israeli forces had arrested 20 people, 15 of them former prisoners.

A spokesman for the Israel Prison Authority said Qiq was in its custody since Monday but denied he was on hunger strike.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli forces killed a Palestinian who attempted to stab a soldier at a crossing in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the army said, with no injuries reported among Israelis.

"A short while ago an assailant, armed with a knife, attempted to stab an (Israeli) soldier at a crossing adjacent to Tulkarem," an army statement said.

"Responding to the imminent threat, forces fired towards the attacker, resulting in his death."

A wave of Palestinian gun, knife and car-ramming attacks erupted in October 2015, though the violence has greatly declined in recent months.

Since October 2015, 250 Palestinians, 40 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities, with others killed during protests, in clashes or air raids on Gaza.

Israel blames incitement by Palestinian leaders and media as a leading cause of violence.

Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with the Israeli occupation and settlement building in the West Bank, comatose peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have helped feed the unrest.

A conference in Paris last weekend including around 70 countries reiterated support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

There have been growing warnings the chances of reaching a resolution based on two states are gradually slipping away.

Peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

Donald Trump, who will be sworn in as US president on Friday, has signalled strong support for Israel and has spoken of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

The Palestinians have warned recognising the contested city as Israel's capital would spell the end of the two-state solution.
The man believed responsible for an attack on an Istanbul nightclub New Years Eve that left 39 people dead and dozens injured has been arrested, Turkish media reported Monday.

Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national, was believed behind the attack on the Reina nightclub. He was captured in Istanbuls Esenyurt district, Hurriyet Daily News reported. The suspects 4-year-old son was nearby when he was arrested.

The Daily Sabah reported Masharipov was being sheltered by an Islamic State group terror cell. He was transferred to Istanbul Police Headquarters.

Masharipovs wife was arrested Jan. 1 in a raid in the Maltepe district.

"I learned about the attack from TV. I didn't know that my husband was a Daesh [another name for ISIS] terrorist, let alone a sympathizer," she said in various media reports.

She told anti-terror investigators she met Masharipov at a house in the Zeytinburnu district the night of the attack. He took their son and vanished, she said.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack that claimed victims from Israel, France, Tunisia, Lebanon, India, Belgium, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, saying it was revenge for Turkeys involvement in the Syrian conflict.

A gunman armed with a long-barrelled gun burst into the club and opened fire.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus Monday called the attack professional and said it was carried out with the help of an intelligence organization.

It appears the Reina attack was not just a terrorist organizations act, but there was also an intelligence organization involved. It was an extremely planned and organized act, Kurtulmus told Hurriyet Daily News.

Police said they found $150,000 Sunday in a house in Silivri believed used by the attacker. Masharipov reportedly had been unable to return to the house and retrieve the cash because of the manhunt for him, police said. Masharipov is believed to have rented the house using an alias, Ebu Muhammed Horasani.

Security forces described Masharipov as a mercenary who conducted the attack for money, not for ideological reasons.

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Twenty suspects were detained in Izmir province for suspected links to Masharipov.

Related Articles
MILAN (Reuters) - Tests conducted on Fiat Chrysler vehicles show they are compliant with regulations and contain no emissions defeat devices as alleged by Germany, Italy's transport ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Tensions have risen between Rome and Berlin over the issue, with German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt saying at the weekend that Fiat Chrysler vehicles breaking emissions rules should be recalled and taken off the streets.

"This is an inadmissible suggestion. You don't give orders to a sovereign nation like Italy," Italian Transport Minister Graziano Delrio said.

Germany last year raised concerns over certain Fiat Chrysler <FCHA.MI> <FCAU.N> models, including the Fiat 500X, Fiat Doblo and Jeep Renegade, alleging that hidden software allowed excessive emissions by their diesel engines.

The issue resurfaced last week when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency accused Fiat Chrysler of manipulating emissions tests in its Jeep Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicles and Ram 1500 pick-up trucks.

Fiat Chrysler has denied any wrongdoing.

After Italy rejected Germany's allegations last year, Berlin asked the European Commission to mediate in the dispute.

Italy's transport ministry said on Monday it had "carried out the necessary checks and sent a detailed report to the German authorities which shows that the Fiat 500X, in contrast to what is claimed by Germany, is in compliance with regulations".

It added that the European Commission did not appear to have conducted any tests of its own that would confirm the German allegations. An EU official has told Reuters that the Commission had taken emissions measurements on one rented Fiat 500X model.

The Commission last week called on Italy to provide proof against Germany's allegations. Rome on Monday dismissed Commission accusations that it was dragging its feet in the case, saying it has always responded to requests from Brussels in a punctual manner.

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The Commission could not immediately be reached for comment.

Under an emissions testing regime which the Commission is now seeking to overhaul, national watchdogs approve new cars and have the exclusive power to police manufacturers - though once approved in one country, vehicles can be sold across the bloc.

Volkswagen AG <VOWG_p.DE> admitted in September 2015 to installing secret software in hundreds of thousands of U.S. diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests. Earlier this month it said it had negotiated a $4.3 billion draft settlement with U.S. regulators and would plead guilty to criminal misconduct over the issue.

As part of a widening clampdown on health-threatening nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution levels in the wake of the VW scandal, the Commission in December began legal action against Germany, Britain and five other EU member states for allegedly failing to police for cheating emissions tests.

(Reporting by Agnieszka Flak in Milan and Alissa De Carbonnel in Brussels; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
By Steve Scherer ROME (Reuters) - A Rome court on Tuesday handed down eight life sentences for the murder of 23 Italian citizens in a conspiracy, known as Operation Condor, in which South American dictatorships hunted down and killed thousands of dissidents in the 1970s and 1980s. It is the first time an Italian court has ruled a conspiracy existed between the governments of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia to help find and assassinate each others' political opponents. After a trial that lasted more than two years, lead judge Evelina Canale said eight men were convicted in absentia, including former Bolivian President Luis Garcia, now 87 and serving a 30-year prison sentence in Bolivia for crimes committed during his government, and former Peruvian President Francisco Morales, now 95. "It's clear that this conviction confirms that Operation Condor existed and that it was a criminal conspiracy," Prosecutor Tiziana Cugini told Reuters after the ruling. "It's very significant, especially given that heads of state from the time were convicted." Under Italian law, Italian magistrates can investigate the killings of Italian citizens overseas. Morales' son, Remigio Morales, said his father had nothing to do with the killings. Garcia's attorney, Frank Campero, said Garcia was never notified of the trial in Rome, but would appeal the verdict as he denies wrongdoing. According to Italian law, the first-degree conviction can be appealed twice before the ruling becomes definitive and sentences are served. Should the sentences become definitive, Italy can ask for extradition, but due to their age it may be more likely that they would serve their sentences in their own countries. Operation Condor, named after the broad-winged birds that inhabit the Andes, was a Cold War era campaign by U.S.-backed right-wing dictatorships in South America that killed scores of left-leaning opponents. Last year an Argentine court found 15 ex-military officials guilty of conspiring to kidnap and assassinate dissidents in Operation Condor, including former dictator Reynaldo Bignone, who was given a 20-year sentence. Morales' life sentence marks the second time a former Peruvian leader has been found guilty of human rights abuses, following ex-president Alberto Fujimori's 2009 conviction for leading death squads that killed civilians in the 1990s. Italy's investigation into the murder of its citizens began in 1999. Cugini sought 27 life sentences in October, but the court acquitted 19 of them. The other six convictions were of former military and government officials from Uruguay, Chile and Peru. Some 140 witnesses testified during the trial, Cugini said. "We heard some truly terrible torture stories," she said. (With additional reporting by Mitra Taj and Marco Aquino in Peru, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) - Outgoing US Secretary of State John Kerry delivered a stark warning of the dangers of economic populism on Tuesday, insisting on the greater benefits of global trade and cooperation.

Kerry made his last annual pilgrimage as Washington's top diplomat to the World Economic Forum in Davos just three days before President-elect Donald Trump is to take office.

Speaking before the world's business and political elite at an event moderated by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, Kerry warned against protectionist rhetoric.

"It's really dangerous to play to the lowest common denominator of American, of global political life," he said, accusing politicians of exploiting voters' fears.

Trump won November's White House race having pledged to return "American jobs" from production plants in China and Mexico, and the incoming leader has threatened to tear up trade deals.

This week Trump also declared the NATO strategic alliance "obsolete" while praising Britain's decision to leave the European Union, predicting that other members would follow suit.

Kerry admitted that "certain people in political life" have tapped into legitimate anxieties about job insecurity in a globalised economy of free trade and capital flows.

But he insisted automation rather than a shift toward foreign labour was what has hit the US workforce and argued that trade would help power the growth needed to bring new jobs.

Kerry also defended NATO and the European Union as guarantors of stability in a continent once wracked by war.

"I don't know where the new administration is going," he said, of the new White House team that will replace President Barack Obama's administration on Friday.

- 'Killing Europeans' -

"But my message, friends in Europe ... is that Europe has got to believe in itself," Kerry said.

"Europe needs to recognise it that the reason people came together was not just economic, in fact it was not just principally economic," he added.

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"It was to stop Europeans from killing Europeans."

Kerry argued that far from inheriting the enfeebled US economy Trump described in his campaign rhetoric, the real estate tycoon turned politician would enter office "with the wind at his back."

This could be put at risk by a disengagement from the world economy in the name of protecting US jobs.

"Now obviously the new president is tapped into the anger," Kerry admitted.

"But has he seen the way in which this can be solved that doesn't undo economic opportunities and doesn't create more barriers and more turmoil?"

Kerry's stance was closer to that of Chinese leader Xi Jinping -- who had addressed the Davos forum earlier in the day -- than of the incoming US president.

Xi had told attendees there was "no point" in blaming economic globalisation for the world's problems and that no one would win a trans-Pacific trade war.
By Humphrey Malalo NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan legislators on Tuesday approved a corporate lawyer to head the electoral board, hoping to restore voters' confidence in the much-maligned body before national elections later this year. The previous electoral board resigned in October after the opposition accused them of corruption, leading to deadly protests. The new candidate to head the electoral board, Wafula Chebukati, unsuccessfully ran for parliament in 2007 on the opposition ticket but has largely stayed out of politics since then, practicing as an independent corporate lawyer. His appointment now needs to be confirmed by President Uhuru Kenyatta, who will be seeking a second term in the August 8 elections. Kenyatta's long-time opponent Raila Odinga is also likely to run. Opposition politicians appeared satisfied with Chebukati's nomination. "He will deliver free and credible elections," Chris Wamalwa, an opposition legislator, said during the hearings. More than 1,200 people were killed in post-election violence in Kenya in 2007, after the opposition said the government rigged the results. Also on Tuesday, lawmakers approved a former Anglican archbishop to head the anti-graft watchdog. Eliud Wabukala will head the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, replacing the former chairman who quit over an alleged conflict of interest. Kenyan politics is dogged by corruption scandals. Doctors are have been strike for five weeks, saying millions of dollars has gone missing from the Health Ministry's budget while they are poorly paid and public hospitals lack basic equipment like gloves. (Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
By Shadrack Kavilu and Justus Wanzala KITUI, Kenya (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When the Kenyan government announced five years ago that coal deposits had been found in the Mui Basin, a land of rolling hills and pristine forests east of Nairobi, local farmers hoped the discovery would help transform their livelihoods. But as villagers prepare to leave their loamy, fertile soils to make way for the multi-million dollar mine and power station development, many households fear they will miss out on compensation because women do not have titles to their land. Traditionally, Kenyan society is patriarchal and ownership and decisions on land management or disposal are made by men. The villagers' situation reflects the predicament of thousands of women throughout Kenya who head their households but are not named on land ownership documents. Around 30,000 households will be affected by the proposed coal mines in the Mui basin, said Alex Nganga, leader in the local county assembly. There are no definitive figures for how many local families are headed by women, but it is known that there are many. "We were anticipating that women would be listed in title deeds as co-owners or joint owners of land," said Kasyoka Malonza, a Mutito community representative in the Mui Basin. "It's unfortunate that we have not been recognized despite all our efforts," she said. A NATIONAL PROBLEM According to the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Kenya now has a raft of progressive laws aimed at ensuring gender equality but customary laws continue to limit women's rights to land and property. The Land Registration Act, introduced in 2012, includes provisions for joint tenancy and gives wives a legal right to land that is held in the other spouse's name where the woman has contributed either in financial terms or through her labor. FIDA estimates that only five percent of all land title deeds are held jointly by women with men and only one percent of land titles in Kenya are held by women alone. This is despite figures that show that around 32 per cent of households are headed by women and that they are responsible for nearly 90 per cent of the farming work. A report on gender issues and the effect of coal mining in the Mui Basin prepared last year with Canadian government support also highlighted the need to ensure fair compensation for land women who live in polygamous households. MORE POWER FOR KENYA The coal-rich Mui Basin covers around 500 square km and is located around 270 km (170 miles) east of Nairobi. It has been divided into four sections for mining development. A Chinese firm, Fenxi Mining Group, was given rights to develop half the area in 2011. Another Chinese company, HCIG Energy Investment Company with Liketh Investments Kenya Ltd won rights to develop the rest of the area and coal fired plant in 2015. The east African nation hopes that coal from the $2 billion power plant will not only help supply Kenya's cement and steel industries which import large volumes of coal but also save on foreign exchange by cutting import costs. Surplus electricity will be sold into Kenya's national grid. George Kariithi, director of the Great Lakes Corporation, a Kenyan partner of the Fenxi Mining Group said the company could not comment on the issue of land compensation and ownership rights. "We have left that for the government to handle," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. A spokesman for the National Land Commission told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that questions on land titles and the mining development must be referred to the Kitui County government. But an official for the county said he could not comment as it was a matter for the Land Commission. WOMEN FIGHT BACK Christine Kalikanda of the advocacy group Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRCE) said the group was working in the Mui Basin as well as many other areas of Kenya to teach women how to ask for their property rights. "We mobilise communities to voice issues collectively," she said, adding that CHRCE has also developed guidelines to help villagers negotiate fair, market value compensation. According to local residents however, there has been very little interaction between the mining companies and local communities. Activists say that the government itself has not been forthcoming either and communities still have no idea where churches, markets and water points are to be re-located. Simon Mutui of the campaign group Kenya NGO Council said widows and single parents are particularly worried as they have no legal claim to their land at all. "Children born out of wedlock stay with their maternal extended families but have no claim to land as their mothers lack inheritance rights, they have no claim to compensation," he said. For Mutito community representative, Malonza, the answer lies with the Kenyan government: "It should guarantee women's rights both for ownership and the equitable division of assets," she said. "We want to see that even women in polygamous families get an equal share." (Reporting by Shadrack Kavilu and Justus Wanzala, Editing by Paola Totaro; 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)
LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday it was "inappropriate" for Donald Trump to brand German Chancellor Angela Merkel's refugee policy "a catastrophic mistake". "I thought frankly it was inappropriate for a president-elect of the United States to be stepping into the politics of other countries in a quite direct manner," Kerry told CNN's Christiane Amanpour during a one-day visit to London in the last week of the Obama administration. "He will have to speak to that. As of Friday, he is responsible for that relationship." Trump, who will be sworn in as president on Friday, had said in a joint interview with Bild newspaper and the Times of London that he respected Merkel, but criticized her stance on refugees, which allowed a wave of more than 1 million refugees into Germany. Merkel faces a tough re-election battle in September. "I think we have to be very careful about suggesting that one's strongest leaders in Europe, and most important players with respect to where we are heading, made one mistake or another. I don't think it's appropriate for us to be commenting on that," Kerry said. He rejected Trump's description of Merkel's refugee policy as "catastrophic". "I think she was extremely courageous. I don't think it amounts to that characterization," Kerry said. "It has had some problems, but everybody has had some problems with this challenge of how to respond as a big nation, a great nation, as the West, where our values, our principles are important with respect to caring for people who are in distress," he added. The United States has admitted far fewer Syrian refugees than some allies, such as Germany. Trump has said violent militants could enter the country posing as refugees. The CNN interview came a day after Kerry attended a one-day conference of 70 nations in Paris on Israeli-Palestinian peace. The conference reaffirmed that only a two-state solution could resolve the conflict and warned against unilateral steps by either side that could prejudge negotiations. Trump has said resolving the conflict will be a priority of his administration and suggested that his son-in-law Jared Kushner could help broker a peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians. Kerry, who tried for nine months to forge an agreement between the two sides, welcomed Trump's efforts but pushed back at a suggestion that the Obama administration was to blame for the failure to clinch a deal. "No, no, the leaders of the two countries involved ... have failed to come to the table to reach an agreement. You can lead a horse to water, you can't make it drink, and we did a lot of leading to a lot of water." (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; editing by Andrew Roche)
A team of University of Notre Dame astrophysicists say they cannot yet explain why an interacting binary star known as the king of the intermediate polars about 500 light-years from Earth appears to be fading.

The binary star FO Aquarii is in the Aquarius constellation and is made up of a white dwarf star and a companion low-density star  known as an intermediate polar. The companion feeds gas to the white dwarf.

The team led by physics Professor Peter Garnavich first observed the system when NASAs Kepler Telescope was pointed toward it for three months. The star was rotating every 20 minutes and Garnavich wanted to know whether that rotation varied. He tasked a student with precisely measuring the spin rate.

We can do that by looking at the interval between flashes from the star just like we use the ticks in a clock to tell time. The star turned out to have other plans for the summer, Garnavich said in a statement Monday.

Once Keplers attention was turned elsewhere, the team switched observations to Notre Dames Sarah L. Kizmanich Telescope, which was installed in 2013.

Just after the star came around the sun last year, we started looking at it through the Krizmanich Telescope, and we were shocked to see it was seven times fainter than it had ever been before, said Colin Littlefield, a member of the Garnavich lab. The dimming is a sign that the donating star stopped sending matter to the compact dwarf, and its unclear why. Although the star is becoming brighter again, the recovery to normal brightness has been slow, taking over six months to get back to where it was when Kepler observed.

The recovery has been remarkably slow, Garnavich said. The team theorizes the companion rotated to a position that disrupted the flow of hydrogen to the white dwarf, causing the dimming, but that doesnt explain the long recovery period. The team has noticed the stars pulsing now varies from 11 to 21 minutes.

The findings were published in the Astrophysical Journal.

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Intermediate polars are considered an important subset of what are called cataclysmic variables. Essentially, the companion star is gravitationally stripped by the white dwarf in the form of an accretion disk. NASA confirmed 47 of 49 ironclad or confirmed intermediate polars as of October 2014.

Related Articles
Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) (AFP) - Kyrgyzstan was observing a national day of mourning on Tuesday as rescuers searched for more bodies in the wreckage of a cargo plane that crashed into a village outside the capital.

Authorities in the ex-Soviet Central Asian country have blamed pilot error for Monday's crash of a plane operated by ACT Airlines, a Turkish cargo carrier, as it was attempting to land in fog at Manas airport in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

The death toll climbed to 38 on Tuesday after the discovery of the body of the plane's fourth pilot at the crash site in the village of Dacha Suu, Deputy Prime Minister Mukhammetkaly Abulgaziev said on state television.

But Abulgaziev warned that the toll could go higher.

"It is not clear how many people still remain under the debris," said Abulgaziev who visited the crash site. "So the search for more possible victims continues."

The health ministry said in a statement that 13 people remained hospitalised with injuries sustained in the crash, which happened as the Boeing 747-400 was travelling from Hong Kong to Istanbul via Bishkek.

Kyrgyz authorities also said on Tuesday that the plane's second black box has been recovered. The first box was found on Monday.

An analysis of the boxes will be carried out by international aviation experts who arrived in Bishkek on Tuesday, the government said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Kyrgyz authorities said visibility at Manas airport on Monday was sufficient for landing despite the fog.

And the country's interior ministry said that "no trace of explosives" has been discovered at the crash site.
Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis's duel with the Knights of Malta intensified Tuesday as he backed an investigation into the ancient order, which has questioned the legitimacy and make-up of the panel carrying out the probe.

In a condom-related spat that is seen by some as a proxy war between liberals and conservatives in the Catholic church, Francis last month appointed a five-strong team to examine recent turmoil at the Order, a Church-linked charity body descended from the crusading knights of the Middle Ages.

The Knights' hierarchy is currently refusing to cooperate with the probe. They say the dismissal last month of the Order's number three, Grand Chancellor Albrecht von Boeselager, is an internal affair of a sovereign entity which the Church has no reason to interfere with.

And the increasingly public row took a new twist with the leaking of a letter written by the Order's Grand Master, Matthew Festing.

In the letter, Festing claims three of the Vatican's appointees have "personal and financial" links to a Geneva-based fund in which the Order also has a stake.

As the sacked Grand Chancellor previously oversaw the Order's interest in the fund, this creates a potential conflict of interest, Festing writes in the letter without elaborating.

The letter appears to have triggered a statement from the Vatican on Tuesday in which Francis reiterated his confidence in the investigative team and rejected "all attempts to discredit the members of this group and their work."

Von Boeselager's dismissal has been widely interpreted as being the result of him being too liberal for the tastes of Raymond Burke, the American cardinal who has acted as the Vatican's liaison with the Holy See since being sidelined from more important roles by Francis.

Burke is a prominent conservative figure who has been outspoken in his criticism of Francis's efforts to reform Church teaching on questions related to the family, marriage and divorce.

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Reports in the specialist Catholic press have suggested Boeselager was targeted because of a row over the use of condoms in Africa to prevent the spread of AIDS - something conservatives say violates Church teaching but has been deemed acceptable by Francis and his predecessor Benedict XVI.

The Order of Malta was founded in Jerusalem in 1048 as a community of hospitals caring for the sick.

It was recognised by the pope in 1113, and now operates in 120 countries, managing hospitals and clinics, with 13,500 members and 100,000 employees and volunteers.
SYDNEY (AP)  The Latest on the official suspension of the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (all times local):

10:30 p.m.

The sister of the Flight 370 pilot has slammed the authorities for ending the search despite earlier being confident the plane was in the area.

Sakinab Shah said the unresolved mystery meant that her brother, senior pilot Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, will not be free of the accusations that he turned rogue and crashed the plane deliberately.

"How can they end the search like that? There will be finger-pointing again," she said.

"They just don't give a damn about people's feelings. They were so cocksure it was there but after three years and so much money and manpower poured in, what came out of it? How do they answer that?"

Sakinab also said it was an embarrassment to the world that such a big plane couldn't be found despite modern technologies and state-of-the-art gadgets.

___

10:15 p.m.

Malaysia Airlines says the search for Flight 370 has been "thorough and comprehensive" and it remained guided by the decision of the three governments.

The underwater search was ended Tuesday after three years of effort failed to find a trace of the plane. It disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people on board.

The airline said it "remains hopeful that in the near future, new and significant information will come to light and the aircraft would eventually be located."

More recent analysis of debris that has washed ashore in the western Indian Ocean and other data indicated the plane crashed just north of the search zone. But the governments involved say the new information is not conclusive enough to justify a new search.

___

8:15 p.m.

China says it will continue to keep in contact with other countries on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 even after the three countries ended the underwater search for the plane.

A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, told reporters that China remains "highly concerned" about the March 2014 crash that killed 239 people, nearly two-thirds of them Chinese.

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Hua promised "close communication and cooperation" with Australia and Malaysia.

The three countries announced Tuesday they were suspending search operations, which have cost an estimated $160 million over nearly three years.

Some relatives of the Flight 370 victims said they weren't satisfied with rescue efforts and wanted them to continue.

Hua declined to comment on the search operation itself.

___

6:45 p.m.

A woman whose sister was on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 says the families had hoped until the end that a clue would be found that would locate the plane. But they understood the search was too expensive to continue indefinitely.

Jeanette Maguire's sister Cathy Lawton of Australia and brother-in-law Bob Lawton were on the flight that disappeared in March 2014.

"We were hoping and praying that that wouldn't be it and we would have found something of significance for them to be able to keep searching," Maguire said.

"It's very upsetting for everybody, but at the same token you've got understanding there as well to the finances that are required as well as the time required for that search," she said.

___

6:30 p.m.

Relatives of some of the 152 Chinese who died aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 say they're angry and demoralized by the suspension of search efforts.

Li Xinmao, whose daughter and son-in-law were on the flight heading to Beijing, called Tuesday's announcement "unacceptable."

Li accused Malaysia and China of being "irresponsible" and ignoring relatives' protests. Nearly two-thirds of the 239 people on board Flight 370 were Chinese.

Nan Jinyan, whose brother's fiance was killed, said relatives had to accept the "fact that the missing plane can't be found, maybe forever."

Many Chinese relatives have long been frustrated with the investigation and what they said was a lack of credible information, at one point marching to the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing.

___

5:45 p.m.

The husband of a victim of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 says he'll never board a flight without feeling terror until he finds out why the plane carrying his wife disappeared.

Chandrika Sharma was one of the 239 people aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 when it crashed in March 2014. Her husband, K.S. Narendran, and other relatives of victims say they're dismayed by Tuesday's suspension of the search for the plane.

Narendran, of Chennai, India, says it's "mind-boggling" that Australia won't search an area north of the existing search zone where experts recently concluded the plane likely crashed. Authorities want more specific information about the plane's location.

Narendran says the families involved expect to one day get a "credible explanation to what has happened," even if they never see their loved ones again.

Without an explanation, Narendan says he feels there's a "good chance that this could happen in the future."

___

5:25 p.m.

A support group for relatives of the victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is protesting Tuesday's decision to suspend the search for the plane.

The group Voice370 issued a statement shortly after Australia, China and Malaysia announced they were suspending the nearly three-year search, which failed to find the main underwater wreckage or the bodies of the 239 people killed.

The group is criticizing the decision not to search waters north of the existing search zone based on a new analysis. It says extending the search is "an inescapable duty owed to the flying public."

Voice370 called on the three nations to reverse their decision, while also acknowledging the "tremendous effort" of the governments involved in the search.

___

5:20 p.m.

The husband of a flight attendant lost on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 says he is extremely disappointed the search has been suspended because the Malaysian government had promised they would not stop the search until the plane is found.

Lee Khim Fatt said Tuesday that he still holds a small glimmer of hope that his wife, Foong Wai Yueng, is still alive somewhere.

Australian officials announced Tuesday that the search in the Indian Ocean has been suspended, nearly three years after the plane disappeared.

Lee says he has held no memorial for his wife, and that all her possessions in their house have remained untouched.

"I told my children to keep praying. As long as nothing is found, nothing is proven," Lee said. His two children are 13 and 7.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on President Barack Obama's final days in office (all times local):

2:55 p.m.

The White House says the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba will still be open when President Barack Obama leaves office.

The Obama administration is acknowledging publicly for the first time that Obama will be unable to fulfill a core campaign promise. Although it's long been clear he wouldn't be able to shutter the prison, the White House had continued to maintain he was working toward closing it.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says it became clear Obama couldn't fulfill the goal after the administration entered its final 30 days. By law the president must give Congress 30 days' notice of detainee transfers.

Congress repeatedly blocked Obama from closing it. Earnest says politics in both parties was to blame.

___

2:45 p.m.

President Barack Obama and his family will fly to Palm Springs, California, for a vacation just after Donald Trump is sworn in as president on Friday.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says Obama will be joined by first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia for the traditional departure of the ex-president from Washington. They'll use the presidential airplane, but it won't be referred to as Air Force One because that designation only applies when the current president is on board.

The Obamas aren't expected to have public events while in California. It's unclear how long they'll stay, but eventually they'll return to Washington as private citizens.

Obama and his family have rented a home in Washington and plan to live there until youngest daughter Sasha finishes high school.

___

12:30 p.m.

President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to the final daily press briefing with White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.

Obama praised Earnest Tuesday for "his smarts and his maturity," but added that one of his best qualities has been his integrity.

Story continues

Obama says Earnest is "tough and didn't always give you guys what you wanted," but that he tried to make sure to share as much of the administration's vision and policy as possible.

Earnest praised the journalists attending the briefing, saying that they serve a role that is a "uniquely American feature of our government.

He said, "it's made President Obama a better president and a better civil servant."
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  Nearly eight years after a car wreck claimed the lives of a mother and two teens in Cabell County, a trial is set to begin in a lawsuit against Subaru.

The trial is slated for Jan. 23 in Kanawha County, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail (http://bit.ly/2jUNv7b).

Claims against Subaru are all that remain from lawsuits filed in 2011 by the families of 47-year-old Carole Crawford, 16-year-old Meaghan McGuire Crawford and 15-year-old Kelsey Kuhn. The three were killed when a Ford Explorer struck the Crawfords' Subaru Forester head-on on West Virginia Route 10 between Huntington and Barboursville in 2009.

The Subaru caught fire and its occupants couldn't escape, despite attempts by people who stopped to help. Nearby resident Mike Edens was one of them.

"I just wish I hadn't went over there. There was nothing I could do," Edens told the Huntington Herald-Dispatch at the time.

The lawsuit alleges that the construction of the Subaru contributed to the deaths. Subaru vehemently denies the allegations.

In addition to the car manufacturer, lawsuits were also filed against Dr. Anita Dawson, who wrote several prescriptions for pain medication for the driver of the Explorer, Erma Marie Brown. Brown was also sued, along with pharmacies that filled her prescription orders.

Brown later pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of prescription painkillers and was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.

Plaintiffs' attorney Scott Segal says claims against all of the defendants besides Subaru were previously resolved. He wouldn't elaborate on the terms of the settlements.

___

Information from: The Charleston Gazette-Mail, http://wvgazettemail.com.
By Gabriel Stargardter MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At least five people, including foreigners, were killed and 15 were wounded early on Monday, when a gunman opened fire at a nightclub in Mexico's Playa del Carmen resort during the BPM electronic music festival. Quintana Roo State Attorney General Miguel Angel Pech said a Canadian, an Italian and a Mexican were among the dead, while the U.S. embassy in Mexico said authorities had confirmed the death of an American. The nationality of the other victim was still unclear. Pech had earlier said a second Canadian and a Colombian had been killed in the attack. One of the dead died in the stampede to leave the club, he added. The gunman escaped and was still at large, Pech said, adding that the incident was not being investigated as an act of terrorism. The Canadian government confirmed one citizen had died and said it was investigating reports of the death of a second. Pech said the armed man entered the Blue Parrot nightclub around 3 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Monday, during the closing events of the festival. An attempt to stop him sparked a gunfight that drew in security staff. The shooting spells a major blow for Mexico's tourism industry, which has been one of the few bright spots in the economy, thanks to a weak peso exchange rate. Tourists are generally shielded from the drug violence that has ripped Mexico apart over the last decade, killing well over 100,000 people since 2007. Pech said seven of the 15 injured were still in the hospital. One was in grave condition, the state government said in a statement. Four people were arrested on suspicion of involvement. Two BPM security workers were among the dead, Pech said, but in a statement, festival authorities said three of their security team had been killed. BPM blamed a lone individual for the shooting. Quintana Roo and the surrounding Yucatan peninsula have traditionally been less violent than other parts of Mexico, with relatively few murders. However, with many foreign tourists and a vibrant night life scene, there has long been an important local drug market in and around Playa Del Carmen, which is just south of the popular resort of Cancun. REGIONAL CHAOS The organizer of an electronic music event near Playa Del Carmen told Reuters that armed men who claimed to be part of a drug cartel turned up recently at one of his parties, demanding access to sell drugs. The event's security team decided to let them enter so as to avoid conflict, the organizer said, adding that cells from all the major Mexican cartels were now operating in Quintana Roo, a wealthy region full of tourists. The organizer said the situation in Quintana Roo deteriorated after the political party controlling the state government was forced out in local elections last year, a shift that can spark violence as criminal groups struggle to realign allegiances with the incoming politicians. "They're all fighting for control of the region," said the organizer, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals. "This is an aggression toward any promoter of electronic music in Mexico. It's a wound for the entire community." He added that he thought BPM would have to end, and feared for his own events in the region. PANIC ON THE STREETS Videos purportedly shot at the scene shown on television and social media show dancers ducking for cover and running out on the streets to safety. "This is a very, very sad situation. Tryna get my head around it still. Thoughts and condolences to all affected," Scottish DJ Jackmaster, who was performing at BPM, said on social network Twitter. The BPM festival, which was entering its 10th year, has grown to be one of the world's biggest electronic music events, with top DJs flying in every January to play the clubs of Playa del Carmen along Mexico's Caribbean coast. In recent years, a growing number of DJs and fans of electronic music have flocked to the beautiful, balmy region to escape the frigid European and North American winters. (Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Alan Crosby)
Chevrolet has unveiled a life-size model of the Lego Batmobile that will be hitting cinema screens when "The Lego Batman Movie" premieres in the US on February 10.

Built with help from Detroit Cody Rouge students and the First Lego league, the 17-foot long, 6.9-foot tall model is making its official debut at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit this week.

It's by no means the first time a movie tie-in car has made its debut at an auto show. Toyota has taken the wraps off not one, but two Spongebob Squarepants-inspired Siennas at recent LA Auto Shows.

Nissan chose the 2016 LA Auto Show to launch the Star Wars Rogue One edition Rouge SUV and at this year's Detroit show, Pixar unveiled a life-size model of the older, wiser Lightning McQueen ahead of his return to the screen in "Cars 3."

However, none of these cars were built from 344,187 Lego bricks. Even the all-terrain tires were formed from black Lego bricks and as a result each one weighs over 100lbs.

"To work on the Lego Batmobile with Warner Bros. is an absolute thrill for us at Chevy," said Paul Edwards, US vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. "Many of the themes in The Lego Batman Movie,' like imagination, family and community, align perfectly with our Chevy brand values and add to the value of the partnership."

The build took 1,833 hours to complete and if the car had used a Lego rather than an aluminum supporting frame it could have been much longer.

But now that it's completed and has made its debut, the car is set to take a starring role in an upcoming Chevrolet media campaign.

And while 344,187 is a lot of Lego bricks, Chevrolet still has a very, very long way to go if it wants to break the record for the world's largest ever Lego structure.

Fittingly, that record is held by another carmaker -- Jaguar Land Rover. It constructed a 5.8 million-brick scale model of London's iconic Tower Bridge as part of the launch event for the fifth-generation Land Rover Discovery SUV in September 2016.

Most impressive of all is that the model was strong enough to support the weight of not one, but three Discovery vehicles.
London (AFP) - A British court on Tuesday ruled that a former Libyan militant can sue a former foreign minister and an ex-MI6 officer over his rendition in a landmark case that could pave the way for more lawsuits.

"The Supreme Court unanimously dismisses the government's appeals," the court said in a statement.

"The cases may proceed to trial," it said.

Abdelhakim Belhaj, a former Islamist fighter, later became Tripoli's military commander after Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi was ousted in 2011.

Belhaj has alleged that he and his wife were detained by US intelligence officers at Bangkok airport in Thailand in 2004 when he was leader of the anti-Kadhafi Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.

His wife was several months pregnant at the time.

The couple were then taken to Tripoli, where Belhaj was jailed for six years. Belhaj claims British involvement in his illegal rendition.

Files unearthed from Kadhafi's archives after his fall suggest he was captured due to a British tip-off.

Belhaj's case is against Jack Straw, who was Britain's foreign minister in 2004, and Mark Allen, who was a senior MI6 counter-terrorism officer at the time, according to lawyers in the case.

Sapna Malik from the law firm Leigh Day said: "We hope that the defendants in this action now see fit to apologise to our clients and acknowledge the wrongs done so that they may turn the page on this wretched chapter of their lives and move on".

Straw responded to the ruling in a statement saying: "As foreign secretary I acted at all times in a manner which was fully consistent with my legal duties, and with national and international law.

"I was never in any complicit in the unlawful rendition or detention of anyone by other states," Straw said.
London (AFP) - A report on security at hotels in the Tunisian resort of Sousse had found security failings just months before a terror attack, an inquest into the killings of 30 British tourists there heard on Tuesday.

Andrew Ritchie, a lawyer who represents 20 victims' families, read extracts from the report at the hearing in the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

"There seems to be little in the way of effective security to prevent or respond to an attack" from the beach, the lawyer quoted the report as saying.

The report was compiled in January 2015, shortly before June when the mass shooting occurred, Ritchie said. He gave no details about the authorship of the document, but it was heavily redacted.

The report included the Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel where extremist Seifeddine Rezgui killed 38 people including 30 Britons and three Irish citizens.

The attack was claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group.

The area had previously been targeted by a suicide bomber in October 2013, who had killed only himself and had accessed one of the hotels from the beach.

The inquest opened on Monday and is expected to last three weeks. It is not a trial although it could lead to further legal action by victims' families.

Jane Marriott, a Foreign Office official, said there was "little public desire for a more intrusive police presence" in Tunisia following the overthrow of its authoritarian regime in a popular revolt in 2011.

"This made it difficult for the authorities to be proactive with security," she said.

Samantha Leek, the main lawyer the inquest, on Monday said a report by a Tunisian judge had identified failings by local security which could have ended the attack before more police arrived and killed Rezgui.

"He said the units that should have intervened in the events deliberately and unjustifiably slowed down to delay their arrival at the hotel," she said.

"They had the ability to put an end to the attack before the police arrived but wasted a considerable amount of time in getting to the hotel," she added.
TOKYO (Reuters) - The Pacific island state of Micronesia hopes U.S. President-elect Donald Trump changes his view on climate change, its foreign minister said on Tuesday, adding that global warming poses the biggest threat to low-lying island countries. Trump, set to take office on Friday, dismissed climate change as a hoax during his election campaign and vowed to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, a deal among nearly 200 countries to curb global warming. After his November election victory, he said he was keeping an open mind on whether to pull out of the accord. Some of his selections for top jobs in his administration are also skeptical about climate change. Micronesia's foreign secretary, Lorin Robert, told a news conference in Tokyo he hoped Trump would have a change of heart. "The greatest threat to us Pacific island countries is climate change," Robert said following a meeting of foreign ministers and other representatives from Japan, Australia, New Zealand and 14 Pacific island nations. "I hope that the next president of the United States will have a different view, in the matter of days, when he takes his office because I know in his heart he will have an appreciation what Pacific islanders are all about." Pacific island nations including Kiribati and Tuvalu are facing the brunt of climate change with rising seas and more violent storms raising grave doubts about their futures. British climate change scientists on Monday asked British Prime Minister Theresa May to press Trump to acknowledge climate change risks and support international action to slow global warming. The countries taking part in the Tokyo meeting included the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Local vendor sells beans at his vegetable stall at the food market of Kottayam on December 28, 2009 in Kottayam near Trivandrum, Kerala, India. (Photo by EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)

The city with the lowest relative cost of living in the world is Thiruvananthapuram, India.

Thats according to rankings published by data company Numbeo. The company continuously updates its data and just published its Cost of Living Index Rate for 2017. The list is calculated relative to New York City, which has an index of 100. If a city has a cost of living index of 130, it is 30 percent more expensive than New York; if a city has an index of 70, it is 30 percent less expensive.

Thiruvananthapuram has a rating of 19.83. A 1-bedroom apartment in the center of the coastal city costs as little as $89 per month to rent.

In fact, 16 of the 20 least expensive cities on the list are in the vast South Asian nation. Since the country is so large, its able to produce the majority of its goods domestically, without having to import more expensive products from other countries.

India (in the middle of this map) is home to 16 of the top 20 cities with the lowest cost of living in the world. (Courtesy of Numbeo)

Abhijit Banerjee, professor of Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), told The Independent of India: Theres a very large population, so people are willing to work for very little, which means goods stay cheap.

Village living farmers look at their vegetable agricultural field and plucking cucumbers to supply it to nearest market for sale outskirts of the eastern Indian city Bhubaneswar, on December 12, 2016. Maximum village farmers are facing problem to sale their vegetables due to distress sale after the demonetization in India. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Only two other nations are represented in the bottom 20: Ukraine and Egypt.

Heres the bottom 20:

445. Chandigarh, India: 25.93

446. Goa, India: 25.88

447. Ahmedabad, India: 25.86

448. Surat, India: 25.85

449. Lucknow (Lakhnau), India: 25.81

450. Jaipur, India: 25.62

451. Vadodara, India: 25.53

452. Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine: 25.29

453. Sumy, Ukraine: 24.75

454. Indore, India: 24.38

455. Lviv, Ukraine: 24.32

456. Hyderabad, India: 24.05

457. Kochi, India: 23.58

458. Visakhapatnam, India: 23.54

459. Nagpur, India: 23.47

460. Coimbatore, India: 23.36

461. Bhubaneswar, India: 23.25

462. Cairo, Egypt: 22.29

463. Mangalore, India: 21.89

464. Thiruvananthapuram, India: 19.83

For comparison, the most expensive cost of living in the world is Hamilton, Bermuda, with an index of 141.59, 10 points higher than the second-most expensive city on the list, Geneva, Switzerland. Seven of the top 10 cities on the list are in Switzerland.

Numbeo published this map showing the cost of living in nearly 500 cities around the world. Red dots indicate expensive cities and green less expensive.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)  Argentina's president defended the country's spy chief on Tuesday after a news report linked him to the biggest corruption scandal in Brazil's history.

The local newspaper La Nacion reported last week that Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht paid spy chief Gustavo Arribas nearly $600,000 in 2013 through a black market money dealer who has accepted a plea bargain. La Nacion alleged the money was deposited in a Swiss bank account.

President Mauricio Macri said in a press conference Tuesday he doesn't understand the alleged link between Arribas and Odebrecht, and the spy chief will explain it when he returns from vacation next week.

The federal intelligence agency that Arribas leads has denied the reports, saying that Arribas only received $70,000 as part of a real estate deal in Brazil, where he lived at the time. Arribas was involved in the transfer of soccer players and was not a government official back then.

Odebrecht is one of the companies embroiled in the so-called "Car Wash" investigation into an alleged kickback scheme at the state-run Petrobras oil company. The scandal has led to the arrest of dozens of business leaders and politicians.

In late December, Odebrecht and petrochemical company Braskem agreed to pay a combined penalty of at least $3.5 billion to settle allegations that they bribed government officials in a dozen countries around the world.
LILONGWE (Reuters) - Malawi's President Peter Mutharika ordered an investigation on Tuesday into a $34.5 million government maize purchase from Zambia after allegations that the price had been inflated. Zambian opposition leader Saviour Chishimba said last month he had seen documents showing Malawi had been charged $345 per tonne for 100,000 tonnes of Zambian white maize worth $215 a tonne. Malawi is importing the maize to ease food shortages affecting an estimated 6.7 million people, triggered by the severe drought that swept the region in 2016. Some senior Malawi government officials have said the price was higher because a transport and logistics company had to be hired to move the maize between the neighboring countries. In a statement from the office of the president and cabinet, Mutharika ordered an urgent probe into the deal. "We need to get to the bottom of this and bring to the people nothing but the truth," Mutharika said. "This investigation starts immediately and will report its findings by January 31, 2017," he said. Only 4,000 tonnes of maize have so far been moved from Zambia, according to state officials. Mutharika has suspended the chief executive of ADMARC, the government-owned grain trader involved in the deal, pending the investigation. (Reporting by Mabvuto Banda; Editing by Adrian Croft)
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  A 44-year-old man is accused of killing and dismembering another man who was living with the suspect's ex-girlfriend in an apartment where detectives found evidence of blood spatters, a big pool of blood and a struggle, authorities in a New Orleans suburb said Tuesday.

The woman, about 52, had accused Viusqui Perez-Espinosa of raping her, and he had been held on that charge since mid-November, said Michael Glaser, the police chief in Kenner, about 10 miles west of New Orleans, .

While Perez-Espinosa was locked up, he was also a suspect in a presumed homicide -- but before charging him police needed proof that Ivis Alexis Portales-Lara, 27, had been killed, Glaser, said in a phone interview.

The proof came Jan. 12, he said, when he learned that Portales-Lara's DNA matched that from a severed arm found by a fisherman on Dec. 29 in a canal in St. John the Baptist Parish, another 20 miles west.

Glaser said he got a warrant to arrest Perez-Espinoza on charges of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

Jealousy seems a likely motive, Glaser said.

Glaser said Perez-Espinosa knew the woman needed help with the rent after he broke up with her and left her for another.

"He kind of recruited" Portales-Lara, a co-worker at a scaffolding company, to take the spare bedroom, Glaser said at a news conference livestreamed to cellphones by WWL-TV. But then Perez-Espinosa returned, after the new woman kicked him out, and his ex said he could sleep on her sofa for a few days, Glaser said.

He said the ex was at work when Portales-Lara was killed and dismembered, and believed Perez-Espinosa's story that he had simply moved out.

Both men were immigrants  Perez-Espinosa from Cuba and Portales-Lara from Honduras  and investigators don't know either man's immigration status, Glaser said.

Lt. Brian McGregor, a police spokesman, did not know whether Perez-Espinosa had a lawyer who could comment. Bond has not been set on the murder charge, Glaser said. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office website shows that bond of $150,000 has been set on a charge of second-degree rape.

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Portales-Lara's relatives said they hadn't been able to reach him since Nov. 11.

Glaser said Perez-Espinosa told an officer who went to the apartment on Nov. 13 that Portales-Lara had moved out. The apartment had been cleaned up, Glaser said.

Portales-Lara's ex-wife reported him missing on Nov. 14, after he failed to pick up his son for weekend visitation, Glaser said. She said she'd talked with his employers, and he hadn't been to work.

On Nov. 15, a scaffolding company employee reported that not only was Portales-Lara not at work, but "he'd been hearing rumors that the victim has been killed and dismembered," Glaser said.

Detectives went to the apartment Nov. 15 to interview Perez-Espinosa, Glaser said. One officer saw what appeared to be blood spatters. Glaser said Perez-Espinosa denied any knowledge, but agreed to go to the police station for questioning.

While he was there, police got a warrant to search the apartment. The woman showed up at the apartment and then went to the police station, where she told detectives that Perez-Espinosa had raped her the night of Nov. 11, Glaser said.

Investigators found "positive presumptive tests for blood throughout the floor, the bathroom, in what would have been the bedroom of the victim," Glaser said during the news conference. Removing wall moldings revealed actual pools of blood, he said.

Tests showed it was Portales-Lara's.

A fisherman called the St. John the Baptist Sheriff's Office on Dec. 29, saying he had found an arm in a canal in Reserve.

Sheriff Mike Tregre said deputies searched the immediate area but found nothing more until Jan. 12  the same day the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office crime lab identified the arm  when a work crew's airboat apparently tore open a bag about a mile from the original site.

After the crew reported seeing a body part, deputies found more in other trash bags  everything but the head and left arm, Glaser said.

"We went back Saturday with 30 to 40 deputies and officers, cadaver dogs and underwater sonar, looking for the missing body pieces," he said.
MANCHESTER, England (AP)  Antonio Valencia has extended his contract with Manchester United until 2018.

The 31-year-old Ecuadorean has become a key player at Old Trafford since joining from former Premier League club Wigan in 2009, scoring 21 goals in 271 appearances and winning six trophies.

Previously a winger, Valencia has established himself as Jose Mourinho's first-choice right back.

United announced Valencia's contract extension on Tuesday.
By Rich McKay and Alex Besant ATLANTA/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Martin Luther King's daughter said on Monday that "God can triumph over Trump," but the slain civil rights leader's son struck a conciliatory tone after meeting with the president-elect on the U.S. holiday that honors their father. The comments by the children of King, who championed racial justice until he was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39, punctuated an imbroglio involving Donald Trump and African-American congressman John Lewis that broke out over the weekend. The dispute started when Lewis, 76, a contemporary of King's who endured beatings and jail time in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, said in a televised interview that he saw Trump's election as illegitimate because of Russian interference in the campaign. That drew a scornful response from Trump. Bernice King, King's youngest daughter, told a gathering at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta not to give up hope and "Don't be afraid of who sits in the White House." "God can triumph over Trump," she said, drawing a standing ovation, one of several times she was interrupted by thunderous applause. The service at the church where King once preached takes place every year on Martin Luther King Jr Day, a federal holiday honoring his life. This year the holiday fell days before Barack Obama ends his second term as the country's first African-American president. Trump takes the oath of office as his successor on Friday. Obama and first lady Michelle Obama spent part of their last MLK Day in office helping paint a mural in the "community room" of a Washington shelter, to which they donated a play set used by their daughters when they arrived at the White House in 2009. Trump, who won only 8 percent of the black vote, offered praise for King in a Twitter post on Monday, a few hours before meeting King's oldest son, Martin Luther King III, at his Trump Tower offices in New York. "Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for. Honor him for being the great man that he was!" Trump tweeted. Trump and King III emerged from an elevator together, shaking hands. Trump said goodbye to King, then returned to the elevator without answering questions. King said they had a constructive meeting to discuss how to improve the U.S. voting system, which King considers broken, but he skirted questions about whether he was offended by Trump's comments on Lewis. "First of all I think that in the heat of emotion a lot of things get said on both sides. I think at some point I bridge-build. The goal is to bring America together," King told reporters. Lewis did not mention Trump in a speech in Miami about the civil rights struggle to honor King, who would have turned 88 on Sunday, but he urged young black Americans to consider voting a "sacred" act. "We all must become participants in the democratic process. When you get old enough to register to vote, go and register and vote," Lewis said in a half-hour address. Gunfire during Miami holiday festivities wounded eight people ages 11 to 30 at Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Park, police said. Two people were detained and two weapons seized, and the cause of the shooting is under investigation. RUSSIAN MEDDLING The Trump-Lewis exchange began when Lewis told NBC News in segments of an interview released on Friday that he would not attend Trump's inauguration in part because "I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president." He referred to the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods to try to help Trump, a Republican, defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the Nov. 8 election. Trump was withering in his response the following day, saying in tweets that Lewis, a revered figure who risked his life for civil rights, was "All talk, talk, talk - no action or results." While many Democrats and Republicans said they disagreed with Lewis, they also questioned Trump's decision to denigrate an African-American political leader of Lewis' stature, especially over the Martin Luther King Jr weekend. Civil rights leaders have also opposed Trump's nominee for U.S. attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who was denied a federal judgeship in 1986 after allegations that he was racist and harbored sympathies toward the Ku Klux Klan, a violent white supremacist organization. The Senate Judiciary Committee has received letters from 400 civil rights organizations opposing his confirmation to the country's top law enforcement post, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein has said. Sessions strongly denied that he is a racist during his confirmation hearing in the Senate last week. (This story corrects senator's name in final paragraph to 'Feinstein'.) (Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta and Alex Besant in New York; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Jeff Mason in Washington; Writing by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Alan Crosby and Cynthia Osterman)
CHESTERTOWN, Md. (AP)  An Eastern Shore deputy who was critically wounded in an exchange of gunfire with a suspect in a domestic disturbance has been released from a Baltimore hospital.

The Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post Monday that Deputy 1st Class Warren Scott Hogan was headed home from the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

He was expected to be escorted by police and fire personnel to his home near Centreville.

Hogan had been hospitalized since a Dec. 29th shooting. Authorities said he exchanged gunfire with a man who had been in a physical dispute with his girlfriend. The man was fatally shot.

Authorities said earlier that Hogan is white and the man was black.
Mexico City (AFP) - Mexican authorities investigated on Tuesday whether a feud over local drug sales was behind a nightclub shooting that killed three foreigners and two Mexicans at a popular beach resort.

Monday's shooting at the Blue Parrot club during the BPM electronic music festival rocked Playa del Carmen, a usually peaceful Caribbean seaside town.

While the resort -- popular among American, Canadian and European tourists -- has been spared from the gang violence plaguing other parts of Mexico, drug dealers regularly approach foreigners to sell them narcotics.

The shooting "could be a case of small-time drug dealers fighting for control" of turf, said Miguel Angel Pech, attorney general of Quintana Roo state.

Pech said the gunman fired five times at a Mexican man at the Blue Parrot club before dawn on Monday.

The victim's bodyguards or other people protecting him fired back "to repel the attack," Pech told the Televisa network.

When the shooter fled the club, he hit another person who was also armed and whose gun went off when he fell, hitting other people, Pech said.

"That is why people were injured in the feet and buttocks," he said.

A Canadian man and an Italian man, both of whom worked for the BPM electronic music festival, and a Mexican man, died from bullet wounds.

An American woman was trampled to death in a stampede as people fled the club in panic. Fifteen other people were wounded by bullets or hurt in the stampede.

- Four people detained -

Four people were detained near the scene of the crime and authorities are investigating if they were connected to the shooting.

Officials are also investigating whether the shooter showed up to kill the Mexican man, or whether the incident was linked to a dispute over an extortion racket against the club, or the dealers were not allowed to sell drugs inside the club.

Authorities are probing the background of the Mexican victim, who is originally from the eastern state of Veracruz. His family said he worked for a phone company and that he was related to a Veracruz state government official.

Story continues

While authorities have surveillance camera footage, it is insufficient to identify the shooter, Pech said.

Officials had suggested on Monday that the shooting was linked to a personal conflict between two people. Earlier, they reported that the gunfire erupted after the gunman was denied entry at the club.

According to local prosecutors, the five deceased victims are Kirk Wilson of Canada, Italian Daniel Pessina, Alejandra Villanueva Ibarra from the United States and the Mexicans Rafael Penaloza Vega and Francisco Ruiz Murillo.

Witnesses described scenes of terror in the club when the shooting broke out.

Amateur video footage showed people cowering and running down the street.

The BPM festival said in a statement that three of its security guards were killed "trying to protect patrons inside the venue."

Rashed Qassem, a Lebanese events promoter who lives in the United States, told AFP he was sitting at a table near the club's exit.

"We thought it was fireworks placed in the club," he said. "Then we realized that someone had entered through the exit door and had begun shooting."
MIAMI (AP)  Miami-Dade police say eight people  five of them juveniles  have been wounded in a shooting at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park.

Police Department spokesman Detective Daniel Ferrin says in a news release that two suspects are being questioned about the Monday afternoon shooting. He says two firearms were recovered and the active investigation is continuing.

The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/2ji9upu) reports that hundreds of people had gathered in the park after the annual MLK Day parade in the Liberty City neighborhood in northwest Miami-Dade.

Ferrin says the victims range in age from 11 to 30, with five listed in stable condition and one critical. He says two juveniles grazed by bullets were treated and released on the scene.
MIAMI (AP)  Miami Seaquarium says it won't release its orca named Lolita to "appease a fringe group" that includes Mexican actress Kate del Castillo.

Del Castillo and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released a campaign Tuesday calling for the orca's release. In the videos, del Castillo says Lolita is suffering in a small tank, and she urges people to boycott marine parks.

In a statement, Seaquarium General Manager Andrew Hertz said it would be "reckless and cruel" to move the "healthy and thriving" orca from its home for the last 46 years.

Lolita has lived at Miami Seaquarium since its legal capture off the Pacific Northwest in 1970. Hertz says there's no evidence the orca that's over 50 years old would survive a transition to a sea pen or open waters.
Microsoft might be out of the smartphone-making business for the time being, but the company has been rumored to be working on a high-end Surface Phone. Its unclear whether the company will go forward with a Surface Phone launch anytime soon, although a new discovery suggests that Microsoft is also studying foldable smartphones  the kind of devices that could easily be turned into Windows tablets.

Don't Miss: How to enable the dark mode feature hiding in your iPhone browser right now

Samsung, Apple, and others are also researching foldable smartphones. Just like its competitors, Microsoft also has documentation that highlights its foldable smartphone vision.

microsoft-foldable-smartphone-patent-surface-phone-1

Found by MSPowerUser, USPTO Patent No. 9,541,962 describes a Mobile computing device having a flexible hinge structure.

microsoft-foldable-smartphone-patent-surface-phone-3

The patent, awarded on January 10th, features plenty of imagery to explain Microsofts vision. The user would be able to easily switch from tablet to smartphone mode, with the screen being placed on the exterior of the device. That way, the tablet could be used as a phone in compact form, or as a tablet when unfolded.

microsoft-foldable-smartphone-patent-surface-phone-2

A recent report said Samsung will release a smartphone just like the one Microsoft envisions later this year. LG is also rumored to have similar foldable screen technology in place, tech thats supposedly even more advanced than Samsungs. The report claimed that LG might even provide foldable screens to its competitors, including Apple and others.

microsoft-foldable-smartphone-patent-surface-phone-4

The Microsoft patent also imagines devices that would have two hinges and three foldable parts.

microsoft-foldable-smartphone-patent-surface-phone-5

Furthermore, Microsoft even lays out screen sizes for mini-tablet and smartphone mode, as well as resolutions.

microsoft-foldable-smartphone-patent-surface-phone-6

Microsofts patent doesnt guarantee that such a device will actually be built. However, The Verge notes that the Surface Studio leaked out months in advanced thanks to patent filings.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
This article was co-published with the Daily Beast.

The Defense Department trained at least 17 high-ranking foreigners at some of its top schools who were later convicted or accused of criminal and human rights abuses in their own countries, according to a series of little-noticed, annual State Department reports to Congress.

Those singled out in the disclosures included five foreign generals, an admiral, a senior intelligence official, a foreign police inspector, and other military service members from a total of 13 countries, several of which endured war or coups.

Several officers committed crimes within a few years of their training. Others committed crimes more than a decade later. Many of the officers were described in the reports as leaders or participants in high-profile scandals and conflicts in their countries  including extrajudicial killings in Colombia, torture during Nepals conflict against Maoists, and murder during a Bolivian internal conflict, according to the State Department reports.

A senior Congolese military officer who attended a year-long program at the U.S. Defense Institute of International Legal Studies, in 2007, for example, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department last September for participation in violent intimidation of opposition political candidates, including death threats that prompted some of the candidates to withdraw.

The Defense Departments training was partly intended to instill democratic values and respect for human rights, but at least 13 of the 17 were subsequently arrested or charged in their home countries for crimes such as genocide, murder, and rape, said the reports, one of which was labeled as Sensitive but Unclassified. Others named in the reports were accused of torture or murder by civil and criminal courts, human rights lawyers, or government investigators, but continue to work in their official capacity.

Among the Pentagon- and military-run schools they attended, from 1985 to 2010, were the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, the U.S. Army Engineer School in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and others.

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Independent analysts, lawyers, and human rights experts say the actual number of U.S. foreign military trainees who committed human rights abuses and other crimes is almost certainly higher than 17, in part because the State Department reports to Congress  required under obscure language inserted into a military assistance bill in 2002 that may soon be removed  only encompass one of the more than fifty U.S. training and defense assistance programs.

At least 33 other foreign military officers who received U.S. military and police training later committed human rights abuses, according to a separate tally by researchers at the nonprofit Center for International Policy, who based their tabulation on U.S. and foreign press accounts of incidents of violence or abuse involving foreign government officials.

Several of those on the Centers list  including Amadou Sanogo, a former captain in Malis army notoriously led coups against their governments a few years after attending the U.S. institutions.

The reports to Congress account for a very small universe of all those trained, said Daniel Mahanty, who directed the Office of Security and Human Rights within the State Departments Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor from January 2014 to September 2015. Mahanty said that he did not know the actual number of human rights abusers trained by the United States, because no effort has been attempted to monitor systematically the behavior of the militarys graduates.

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Multiple agencies with little accountability

The reports to Congress specifically delineate those participants in the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program tagged in the State Departments annual human rights reporting effort as having problematic behavior. As the main program that brings foreigners to the United States to attend U.S. military schools at Washingtons expense, IMET is now offered to select military and police officers in more than 120 countries worldwide. A much larger portion of the militarys foreign trainees is instructed in their own countries or at regional foreign centers.

Under a provision of the defense funding bill for fiscal year 2017 that Congress approved and Obama signed in December, the Trump administration will be required to certify that future security assistance includes a comprehensive curriculum on human rights and the law of armed conflict. But it does not specify what this should consist of.

The IMET training costs more than $100 million annually and in 2014 trained roughly 4,000 foreign military officers, amounting to 7 percent of the more than 56,000 foreign officers trained by the Defense Department yearly.

The IMET program, in turn, is part of a larger U.S. government effort to build up foreign police and military forces at a total cost of $250 billion since the September 2001 terror attacks. That larger effort is managed by roughly 46 government offices with little coordination and weak oversight, according to multiple critics. While the work is mostly funded by the Pentagon, the State Department is supposed to lead it, and to vet potential trainees.

These dysfunctions include shortcomings in personnel and bureaucratic structure  a mismatch in planning cultures and budgeting timelines; a lack of policy prioritization and coherence [and] insufficient clarity, transparency, and monitoring and evaluation, according to the Open Society Foundations Rose Jackson, who served as chief of staff in the State Departments Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor from 2013 until last April and recently completed a comprehensive study of the issue.

The IMET program was started in 1976 to foster closer relations with foreign militaries, but one of its three stated goals is to teach foreign military officers basic issues involving internationally recognized human rights, according to the Foreign Assistance Act.

That goal has been sketchily met, experts say. Most of the IMET courses concern war strategy, technical skills and management, and the participants read military history and are taught how to react in a crisis. The Defense Department says that human rights topics are woven into these courses. At the defense International Studies institute in Newport, Rhode Island, the naval school in Monterey, and the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in Georgia, for instance, IMET students take courses on international law, military ethics, and civil-military relations as part of yearlong masters degree programs.

At most of the other service colleges, however, the officers instead participate in field trips to American cities, courthouses and nonprofit organizations meant only generally to expose the IMET students to American values, according to the State Departments annual Foreign Military Training report and interviews with independent experts and international program directors at Defense Department service colleges.

While most of the 17 officers listed in the State Department disclosures took courses on command and strategy, the reports list only one as having completed a rule of law course.

Their experience was typical, not unusual, according to researchers at the Security Assistance Monitor, a unit of the Center for International Policy that tracks U.S. spending related to foreign militaries. In an analysis completed last year based on public reports, the unit concluded that only 11.7 percent of IMET-funded students in 2014 took courses focused on human rights or the rule of law.

A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Cmdr. Patrick L. Evans, said in an email to CPI that the department is committed to providing comprehensive training to foreign personnel on military budgeting, civilian control mechanisms, military justice systems, and following codes of conduct that meet international human rights standards.

But Shannon Green, a former senior director for global engagement at the National Security Council during the Obama administration who now directs the Human Rights Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the human rights training component is merely a check the box exercise. She said she formed this conclusion after interviewing Pentagon officials about how to improve U.S. security assistance.

Colby Goodman, who directs the Security Assistance Monitor and oversaw its IMET research, said the U.S. military should not only give human rights a higher priority but take a broad view of how to instill it. Its courses, he said, should emphasize the importance of combating corruption and creating robust oversight mechanisms, while tailoring training to specific human rights gaps in countries where the officers are serving.

Convict regrets not getting human rights training

Charles Bowry, a former lance corporal in the Saint Kitts and Nevis defense force, said in a jailhouse telephone interview that he did not take a human rights course when he was in the United States at the U.S. Army Engineer School in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in 2010. Instead, he participated in field trips  to Washington, D.C., and an Amish village  meant to satisfy that requirement.

Reached at Her Majestys Prison in Basseterre, where hes serving a 16-year sentence for raping a 16-year-old girl, he said he would have liked to take human rights courses to learn more about the culture and the rights in the United States, because knowledge is power. Bowry, who was sentenced for the rape incident along with another U.S.-trained lance corporal, Jamal Phillip, complained that his conviction was a political setup but did not explain.

Even those who got more focused training have had stumbles. According to the State Departments report to Congress in 2011, John Numbi, an advisor to Democratic Republic of the Congo President Joseph Kabila, completed a year-long training in 2007 at the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies, whose leaders say it focuses on rule of law, governance, and human rights studies. Three years later, Congolese authorities suspended Numbi from his post as head of police, after a human rights activist, Floribert Chebeya, was murdered the same night he was supposed to meet Numbi.

Related: "Check the box exercise.

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Numbi has denied any wrongdoing and hasnt been charged in the case, but lawyers representing the victims filed an appeal after a related trial of a few police officers, in which they called for his trial too. Almost 80 local and international human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) also expressed serious concerns about the credibility and independence of the investigation and [police officers] trial, according to the State Departments 2011 human rights report on the Congo. The government there has denounced the sanctions against Numbi imposed last year by the Treasury Department as grotesque violations of international law.

Paul Lambert, an assistant dean at Georgetown University who organized international student programs for the National Defense University from 2008 to 2015, said that training high-ranking foreign officers helps establish friendships and opportunities for future cooperation with foreign militaries and defense ministries. Lambert said in a phone interview that in 2012, when he surveyed IMET students after their training, he found that they were more critical of their home countries human rights records, while holding more positive views of the United States.

It certainly changed the way they were thinking and opened their eyes about the U.S., Lambert said. But he added that the trainees are often cut off from the United States when they graduate and security partnerships are often under-utilized. Asked about students who went on to commit human rights abuses, Lambert said, Weve trained 8,000 people. Theres bound to be a few bad apples. He said he understood the concern but considered it a rare occurrence.

Green, the former NSC official, said however that a desire for strong security partnerships often conflicts with the protection of human rights. U.S. security interests, she said, often override other considerations, and the United States ends up training militaries in countries with bad human rights records.

I tried to put all the things I learned into practice

Amadou Sanogo, who five years ago as an army captain led a coup against Malis democratic government that helped open the door to the growth of radical Islamists there, took courses at a Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, and at Army bases in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and Fort Benning, Georgia. He was jailed in 2013 by a new government, and his trial on charges of complicity in assassinations that occurred during the coup began in November and will resume sometime later this year.

Sanogo, who was promoted to general and remained Malis strongman for more than a year after the coup, said in a 2013 interview with the German newspaper Der Spiegel that he had saved the country from its sick government. When asked what he learned in the United States while training there, Sanogo replied: America is great country with a fantastic army. I tried to put all the things I learned there into practice here.

In 2010, the United States trained 1,620 officers from Mali under multiple security assistance programs at a total cost of more than $5 million; during the past decade, it spent over $1 billion on military and development projects there. After the coup in 2013, Gen. Carter Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, said in a Washington speech that the military had not spent enough time teaching Malis soldiers values, ethics, and military ethos.

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Jose Zamora Induta, another of the 17 officers accused of abuses, trained with the U.S. Coast Guard in 2001 and 2002 and went on to run Guinea-Bissaus armed forces after political violence in 2009. Induta became head of Guinea-Bissaus armed forces after the murder of then-President Joao Bernardo Vieira and the armed forces then-Chief of Staff Tagme Na Waie.

According to the State Department Human Rights Report for 2009, Induta said initially that the president had ordered the killing of Na Waie [but] Induta subsequently denied any connection between the killings. After Induta took over the armed forces, a lawyer who criticized Induta publicly reportedly was beaten and tortured for four days, according to the report.

The next month, in April 2009, Marcia Bernicat, then-U.S. Ambassador to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau wrote in a cable leaked by Wikileaks that Induta had embraced illegal and brutish tactics and had either contempt for rule of law and human rights or  lack of effective command and control over his troops.

Induta was ousted as chief of staff in 2010. Guinea-Bissau continued to receive IMET funding until 2012, when the armed forces successfully ousted the president in a coup detat. His lawyer did not return several phone calls.

Colombian Captain Ruben Blanco, who a State Department report said took a cadet orientation course at the School of the Americas, now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, in 1994, was arrested in 2004 and accused along with others by the Colombian prosecutor general of associating with paramilitary groups that committed political killings, including of labor leaders, according to the report.

A separate State Department report in Aug. 2005 called the evidence in the case credible. The present status of the complaint is unclear.

According to the State Department reports and court records, former Bolivian army Gen. Roberto Claros Flores, a 1987 graduate of the U.S. Air Command and Staff College in Alabama, and former Adm. Luis Aranda, a Marine commander who completed a year of IMET training in 1987, were convicted in 2011 of crimes including genocide, stemming from their role in policing actions taken during Bolivias gas war, a confrontation in October 2003 between miners and indigenous protestors and the Bolivian government.

Claros remains imprisoned. Bjorn Arp, a lawyer who represents Claros, said in a telephone interview that the evidence in Bolivia used to convict Claros was not "credible" and called accusations against him "curious" and politically-motivated. Aranda could not be reached.

The annual State Department reports disclosing the names of human rights abusers that had received U.S. training under the IMET program would be eliminated under separate legislation proposed last year by Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a New Hampshire Republican member of the Armed Services Committee, and by Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat. Congressional aides who asked not to be quoted by name said the legislations aim is to alleviate administrative burdens imposed on the executive branch.

National security managing editor R. Jeffrey Smith contributed to this article. Lauren Chadwick is a Scoville Fellow at the Center.

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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.
Miranda Kerr's debut denim collection has been unveiled.

The model-turned-designer teamed up with high-end LA brand Mother on a 12-piece limited-edition capsule collection that will see a portion of the proceeds donated to charity.

'MirandaxMother' channels the brand's laid-back California style, with the everyday off-duty model look that Kerr has perfected over the course of her fashion career. From a cropped denim jumpsuit to thigh-skimming cut-off shorts, the series is full of fashion-forward basics with a 1960s and 70s vibe. There is a flared jean, a skinny ankle-length jean, and a button-down denim skirt, as well as cropped T-shirts and a simple navy sweater. The pieces range in price from $105 - $325.

The star took to Instagram to share a few snaps of herself modeling the collection with her 10.5 million followers, styling the basic pieces with fun accessories such as metallic boots and white retro sunglasses.

A portion of the sales profits from the MirandaxMother collection will go to The Royal Women's Hospital Foundation, an Australia-based foundation that cares for premature babies and their families, via life-saving equipment.

Although this is Kerr's biggest major fashion collaboration to date, the model has had a chance to cut her teeth in the industry thanks to previous projects that have seen her design a handbag for Samantha Thavasa and china pieces for Royal Albert.

To shop the MirandaxMother collection, see https://www.motherdenim.com/miranda-mother
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Mississippi's Democratic attorney general is once again tangling with Google, alleging in a lawsuit that the company is illegally violating student privacy, even as some Republicans seek to muzzle his ability to file such civil suits.

Attorney General Jim Hood sued the California-based computer giant Friday in Lowndes County Chancery Court. In a news conference Tuesday, Hood said Google is breaking Mississippi consumer protection law by selling ads using data from services it provides to schools.

"They're building a profile so they can advertise to them," Hood said. "They expressly stated in writing that they would not do that."

Google did not immediately respond Tuesday to an email from The Associated Press inquiring about the lawsuit.

Hood said a test involving a student account from the state-run Mississippi School of Math and Science in Columbus showed ads targeted to previous searches. The attorney general wants a judge to order Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc., to stop the practice.

The suit says Google could be fined up to $10,000 for each of its student accounts in Mississippi. With half the state's school districts using Google's email, calendar and other online services, that amount could top $1 billion.

Hood sent a letter to local school superintendents Friday asking them to preserve evidence to help with the lawsuit. He's advising parents to consult their local school systems.

"When you give a written contract and you don't follow it and you mine the data, then it's a violation of the Mississippi Consumer Protection Act. It's an unfair and deceptive trade practice," he said.

Google sued Hood in 2014, saying his wide-ranging attempts to investigate whether Google was aiding music pirating and illegal drug sales were illegal. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in April that Hood's inquiry is legal. Hood said Tuesday that the investigation continues but denied that he was motivated by personal animus against Google.

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"You make decisions based on the facts and the law and you set emotions aside," Hood said.

Some Mississippi Republicans continue to try to trim Hood's ability to file civil lawsuits without outside permission, part of a long-running Republican perception that Hood pursues civil lawsuits in part to provide income to plaintiffs' lawyers who politically support him. Hood said outside lawyers brought the student privacy issue to him after publicity about his earlier dispute with Google.

A committee in the Republican-led House Tuesday passed House Bill 555 , which would require a three-person panel of the governor, lieutenant governor and secretary of state to approve plans to file any civil lawsuit where the state could win more than $250,000. That panel is supposed to approve hiring outside lawyers for big lawsuits but has never met, because Hood has instead hired lawyers according to a pre-set fee schedule that an earlier law allows as an alternative.

The bill to limit Hood's powers now moves to the full House. Similar measures have failed in previous years.

House Judiciary A Committee Chairman Mark Baker, a Brandon Republican, said Hood's use of civil lawsuits is a "rampant abuse" of his role.

"Every lawsuit that he files is a declaration of public policy" Baker said. "We're the legislators, the setters of public policy. He's the lawyer. He's not also the client."

Hood, though, said efforts to limit his power violate the state's Constitution.

The attorney general's victories have contributed tens of millions of dollars to patch state budget holes in recent years. For example, Mississippi will gain $25 million from a settlement with New York-based Moody's Corp., over credit ratings the company assigned to various securities before the financial crisis. Last year, Hood collected about $55 million from lawsuits against large companies.

___

Follow Jeff Amy at: http://twitter.com/jeffamy . Read his work at https://www.apnews.com/search/JeffAmy .
(ATLANTA)As Americans celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leaders and activists are trying to reconcile the transition from the nations first black president to a president-elect still struggling to connect with most non-white voters.

In more than one venue Monday, speakers and attendees expressed reservations about President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration, some even raising the specter of the Ku Klux Klan.

When men no better than Klansmen dressed in suits are being sworn in to office, we cannot be silent, said Opal Tometi, a Black Lives Matter co-founder, told a crowd in Brooklyn.

Kings daughter offered a less direct message, encouraging 2,000 people at her fathers Atlanta church to work for his vision of love and justice no matter who is in the White House.

Bernice King spoke at Ebenezer Baptist hours before her brother, Martin Luther King III, met privately with the president-elect at Trump Tower in New York. The younger King described the meeting as productive.

Trump won fewer than 1 out of 10 black voters in November after a campaign of racially charged rhetoric, and tensions have flared anew with his recent criticism of civil rights icon John Lewis, whom the president-elect called all talk and no action.

Bernice King avoided a detailed critique of Trump, but said the nation has a choice between chaos and community, a dichotomy her father preached about. At the end of the day, the Donald Trumps come and go, she said, later adding, We still have to find a way to create  the beloved community.

The current Ebenezer pastor, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, did not call Trump by name, but praised his predecessor. Thank you, Barack Obama, he said. Im sad to see you go.

In South Carolina, speakers at a state Capitol rally said minority voting power has never been more important and some attendees expressed unease about Trump joining forces with Republican congressional majorities.

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Its going to be different, thats for sure, said Diamond Moore, a Benedict College senior who came to the Capitol. Im going to give Trump a chance. But Im also ready to march.

In New York, Martin Luther King III told reporters that Trump pledged to be a president for all Americans, but King III added we also have to consistently engage with pressure, public pressure because it doesnt happen automatically.

Trump did not participate publicly in any Martin Luther King Jr. Day observances. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama took part in a service project at a shelter in Washington.

Back in Atlanta, Sen. Bernie Sanders brought the Ebenezer assembly to its feet with his reminder that King was not just an advocate for racial equality, but a radical proponent for economic justice  a mission that put him at odds with the political establishment.

If you think governors and senators and mayors were standing up and saying what a great man Dr. King was, read history, because you are sorely mistaken, roared Sanders, who invoked the same themes from his failed presidential campaign.

Sanders, who struggled to attract black voters in his Democratic primary fight with Hillary Clinton, recalled King opposing the Vietnam War as exploiting the poor. He also noted King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, where hed gone to rally striking sanitation workers, white and black.

Activist priest Michael Pfleger, himself a self-described radical, built on Sanders message with a 45-minute keynote message indicting the nations social and economic order, which he said would get worse under Trump.

The Chicago priest said white hoods of the Klan have been replaced by three-piece suits. He bemoaned high incarceration rates, a militarized, stop-and-frisk police state, profligate spending on war and a substandard education system.

Pfleger said many Americans too quickly dismiss violence in poor neighborhoods as the fault of those who live there, when the real culprit is a lack of opportunity and hope. If you put two lions in a cage and you dont feed them, he said, one will kill the other in the pursuit of survival.

Warnock, meanwhile, zeroed in on Trump for his treatment of Lewis, now a Georgia congressman who represents most of Atlanta.

Lewis angered Trump when he told NBCs Meet the Press that he views Trump as illegitimate because of alleged Russian interference in the campaign. Trump retorted on Twitter that Lewis is all talk and said his district is falling apart and crime infested.

Anybody who suggests that John Lewis is all talk and no action needs a lesson in American history, Warnock said, notably declining to say the president-elects name.

As a young man, Lewis was arrested and beaten by authorities as he demonstrated for civil and voting rights for black Americans.

Lewis was in Miami at King Day events.

Some Republicans have defended Trumps criticism of Lewis, arguing it is inappropriate for a congressman to question an incoming presidents legitimacy.

Clara Smith, an Atlanta resident who came Monday to Ebenezer, scoffed at any GOP indignation, remembering that Trump for years questioned whether Obama was a natural born citizen as the Constitution requires.

He carried on with that knowing full well what he was doing to the first black president, Smith, 66, said.

Elsewhere, residents in Memphis are honoring King with neighborhood clean-up events and a daylong celebration at the National Civil Rights Museum.

Bicyclists in Detroit have marked the day by pedaling to sites connected to a historic visit King made to the city.
Moscow (AFP) - Moldova's president said Tuesday he hoped the ex-Soviet nation's association agreement with the European Union would be cancelled if his party obtains a parliamentary majority, paving the way for an alliance with Moscow.

Speaking after talks with President Vladimir Putin in the Russian capital, Igor Dodon, who won an election in November against a pro-European opponent, said he is seeking "full reestablishment" of economic cooperation with Russia because the EU deal did not bring promised trade.

"This agreement did not bring any positive aspects to Moldova. We lost the Russian market while our exports to the EU also fell," said Dodon, who symbolically picked Moscow as his first foreign trip as president and called the visit "a historic day for Moldova-Russia relations."

"I don't rule out that after the next parliament polls this will be the position of the parliamentary majority, and I will support this position," he said.

He said he hoped the Socialist Party he had led "will get a parliamentary majority and that this agreement will be annulled."

Moldova's parliamentary polls are scheduled for late 2018 but Dodon said he did not rule out the holding of elections this year.

He made it clear he will seek to prepare the paperwork for joining the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union while also aiming to improve conditions for trade with Europe.

- Resolving Transdniestr -

Moldova is wedged between Ukraine and Romania and has an East-West cultural and linguistic split similar to Ukraine.

One of Europe's poorest states and with a population of 3.5 million, it is plagued by corruption and relies on remittances from its nationals working in Russia and EU countries.

The country suffered from a brief 1990s civil war in its south which ended with the Russian-speaking Transdniestr region breaking away and declaring independence.

Dodon earlier this month became the first Moldova leader since 2008 to visit the region, prompting indignation from pro-EU politicians in the country but praise from Putin, who said Tuesday that he welcomed his "courage".

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If Chisinau reaches a compromise with Transdniestr, where Moscow has thousands of troops, "we will certainly act as guarantors on implementing all the agreements," the Russian president said.

Dodon in turn said: "I hope that with the active participation of our strategic partners from Russia, we will make headway in resolving the problems" between Transdniestr and Chisinau.

He called Transdniestr "a part of Moldova."

Dodon said he agreed with Putin to begin talks on signing a "framework memorandum" on cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union, but also plans to speak with EU officials and "show them the figures" on a visit to Brussels in February that will be his second foreign trip.
MOSCOW (AP)  Moldova's new president, who is visiting Russia on his first trip abroad, voiced hope Tuesday for rebuilding "strategic" ties with Moscow and hinted that the ex-Soviet nation could eventually shelve a trade pact with the European Union.

President Igor Dodon, who was elected in November, has pledged to restore the trade and political relations with Moscow that cooled after Moldova signed a trade association agreement with the EU.

Dodon said after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moldova "got nothing" from the agreement while losing the lucrative Russian market. He said his government could move to annul the EU pact if it gets support for such a move after 2018 parliamentary elections.

He added that Moldova also was willing to take on observer status in a Russia-dominated economic alliance.

Standing alongside Putin, Dodon said Moldova "won't repeat mistakes of the past" and will work to rebuild close ties with Russia.

The Russian leader hailed Dodon for making a trip to Moldova's breakaway Trans-Dniester region, saying it showed courage and reflected respect for the region's residents that could help settle a long-running separatist conflict.

Putin said Russia, which has its troops stationed in Trans-Dniester, could act as a mediator and a guarantor of a settlement.

Before his trip to Moscow, Dodon said he wanted closer relations with Russia. Ties between the two countries deteriorated after Moldova signed the European Union association agreement and Russia placed a trade embargo on Moldovan wine, fruit and vegetables.

Moldova, an agricultural nation of about 3.5 million located between Ukraine and Romania, exports mainly to the EU, with more than 50 percent of exports going to EU markets in 2016. Its top market is Romania.

Russia, however, has remained a major market for Moldovan workers. There are about 500,000 Moldovans working in Russia, especially in construction.

___

Alison Mutler in Bucharest, Romania contributed to this report.
Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif. (Photo: Jason Reed/Reuters)

More than 40 Democratic lawmakers have announced they intend to skip Donald Trumps inauguration this week to protest the president-elects plans for the country. The boycotters now make up one in five of all House Democrats, and their decision to protest represents a break with tradition that they say is warranted by Trumps agenda.

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.

Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon, ignited a small firestorm on Friday when he told NBC that he didnt view Trump as a legitimate president-elect and that he would be skipping the inauguration in protest. The swipe at Trumps presidency caused Trump to denounce Lewis on Twitter, leading several more Democrats to say they would not attend the event in solidarity with Lewis.

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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.

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. 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., would 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 in December 2016, in Detroit. (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 conscience 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

Skipping Inauguration.@RepJohnLewis a civil rights hero. Enormous responsibility to be POTUS.I respect the office, can't tolerate disrespect  Anthony G. Brown (@AnthonyBrownMD4) January 16, 2017

Read more from Yahoo News:
By Elizabeth Dilts NEW YORK (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley inked deals with 10 technology outfits last year to improve the products and services it offers wealth-management customers, the bank said on Tuesday. Among the new partners are Addepar, which offers investment-tracking software, and Zelle, a digital payments network that aims to compete against the popular mobile application Venmo. Although the tools will not necessarily generate fees, they will help financial advisers do their jobs better, Morgan Stanley Chief Executive James Gorman said. They may also attract and retain customers who prefer digital options, he added. "We've got to be careful that we are not penny wise and pound foolish," he said. Big banks, investment firms and brokerages have been investing heavily in financial technology lately to avoid losing customers to Silicon Valley. In the wealth-management business, the most common threat has been so-called "roboadvisors," like Wealthfront and Betterment, which manage clients' money using algorithms. They tend to charge less than human advisers and cater to customers with relatively little money to invest. Morgan Stanley's wealth business is sticking to a model that favors wealthier customers, Gorman said. However, he left the door open to serving those who want purely digital advice, and said he expects all customers to want cutting-edge digital options going forward. "We will be building a lot of digital technology to support the financial advisors and the branch operations," he said. In December, Morgan Stanley said 20 of its top adviser teams would use Addepar's software to track wealthy clients' assets across all of their accounts - even those outside Morgan Stanley - to manage their assets better. Zelle, the peer-to-peer payments app, was developed by a group of big banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co and Bank of America Corp. It plans to launch later this year. In an earnings-related document, Morgan Stanley listed several other technology firms including cloud-based messaging service Twilio, data-analytics provider Cloudera and tax-software maker LifeYield, as partners it is using to modernize branches, communicate with customers and target clients who prefer digital options. Morgan Stanley has also made a number of key hires to build out its digital department, including Naureen Hassan, who joined as chief digital officer for the wealth business from Charles Schwab & Co Inc last year. The focus on technology is part of a broader strategy to increase profit margins in Morgan Stanley's wealth business to a range of 23-to-25 percent by next year, from a current 22 percent. As Gorman tells it, the technology can encourage customers to do more business with Morgan Stanley and allow advisers to use their time in more productive ways. Gorman feels "strongly" that Morgan Stanley will hit the 2017 target, he said. Morgan Stanley has also been trying to increase lending to wealth customers to bolster its bottom line. Since taking full control of the Smith Barney brokerage from Citigroup Inc in 2012, Morgan Stanley acquired a lush amount of deposits. It is working to put them to use through mortgages, lending against customers' investment portfolios and tailored loans that use fine art and other luxury items as collateral. Over the course of 2016, Morgan Stanley grew loans to wealth customers by 24 percent, to $55.3 billion. (Reporting By Elizabeth Dilts; additional reporting by Olivia Oran; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Lauren Tara LaCapra)
Rabat (AFP) - Morocco has offered The Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh asylum in return for accepting election defeat and stepping down, a local news website reported Tuesday.

The small west African country has been plunged into political turmoil since Jammeh disputed president-elect Adama Barrow's December election victory and refused to cede power.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and the North African kingdom's foreign intelligence chief Yassine Mansouri have been conducting "a delicate mission in Banjul", the Gambian capital, for several days, Le Desk website reported.

Morocco wants Jammeh "to accept his election defeat in return for a golden retirement in Morocco", the website said.

The initiative comes after an international outcry over Jammeh's refusal to step down.

Even the prospect of military intervention in The Gambia has been floated in recent days, following declarations by the United Nations and African Union that boots on the ground could get the green light without a rapid resolution of the crisis.

The Moroccan foreign ministry did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on the authenticity of the report.

The report came ahead of an African Union summit in Addis Ababa at the end of January, which will see Morocco return to the regional bloc decades after pulling out in 1984.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI visited The Gambia in 2006, and the two nations have long held strong ties.

A spokesman for The Gambia's opposition leader Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, has vowed that the president-elect's inauguration will go ahead as planned on January 19.
Paris (AFP) - Controversial French novelist Michel Houellebecq admitted Tuesday that the bleakness at the heart of his work was because his mother didn't love him enough.

"When I was a baby my mother didn't cradle or caress me enough. She simply wasn't sufficiently tender, that's all," the author of "Atomised" and "Platform" wrote of himself in a newly published appraisal of his work.

"It explains everything else, my personality, the most painful parts anyway," he said in the book, which also includes tributes to his work penned by fellow novelists Salman Rushdie and Julian Barnes as well as the rock star Iggy Pop.

Although Houellebecq later played down the emotional privations of his childhood in an interview on French public television, his relations with the hippy doctor he once branded "my old slut of a mother" were notoriously bad.

The assessment of the provocative polymath's novels, poetry, films and music by the prestigious French Herne imprint appeared on the same day that his publisher Flammarion issued a 1,500-page volume of his collected works.

Herne usually limits itself to taking stock of the work of dead writers.

Houellebecq also said he was going to "stop writing political books" after the furore over his last novel, "Submission" which imagined the election of a moderate Islamist as president of France in 2022.

"Submission" was published the same day jihadists attacked the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris in January 2015, killing 12 people including one of the writer's closest friends.

- Under police protection -

Having been accused of stirring tensions, Houellebecq went into hiding after the attacks under armed police guard.

"I am finished with all that (politics)," Houellebecq told France 2. "I think that feelings are the most important thing," he added, saying his next novel is about love.

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Far from taking a grim view of human nature, he said a lot of his books were about couples whose relationships don't quite succeed.

Houellebecq argued that jihadism was a "revolutionary movement which like all such movements will exhaust itself, although there will be a lot of carnage on the way."

Despite his declaration that he was going to steer clear of politics, he could not resist a pop at the centrist French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron.

Having admitted that he liked former rightwing president Nicolas Sarkozy "a lot", he said he found Macron, a former economy minister, "bizarre. A bit of a mutant. I don't know where he is coming from. I can't get a handle on him."

Houellebecq's mother Lucie Ceccaldi packed her son off to live with his grandparents when he was five so she could go travelling around Africa.

She returned to haunt him when he had become the enfant terrible of French literature with a 2008 memoir in which she described him as an "evil, stupid little bastard".

"This individual, who alas came from my womb, is a liar, an imposter, a parasite and above all a petit arriviste ready to do absolutely anything for money and fame," she added.

Whatever his late mother's invective, Houellebecq is the most-read living French novelist outside France, and the only one to have given their name to an adjective, Houellebecquian.
Today, I learned a lot about washing machines and Italian television shows. Let me share with you my findings.

Hafthor Thor Bjornsson is a very strong man that plays Gregor The Mountain Clegane  and the zombified version of said character  on HBOs Game of Thrones. Bjornsson appeared on the seventh series of Italys Lo Show Dei Record to square off against another strong man in an attempt to set an arbitrary World Record.

Related Links:





The Guinness World Records Italian Show (yes, thats what its called) brought The Mountain in to set the record for farthest washing machine throwindividual. Bjornsson faced off against Lithanias Zydrunas Savickas, who also hates clean laundry and wants to punish the instruments with which the proletariat cleans its garments.

Both decided it best to balance the machine on their heads before chucking it, which seems like a terrible idea, but then again I am pretty far down the list of the worlds strongest men. Ever the television star, Bjornsson urged the crowd to make some noise before his attempts, the first of which only flew about a meter. Maybe he should try a different fabric softener for better results.

He was furious with himself and his technique, especially after Savickas seemed to pull a muscle but got off a massive chuck of a luxury household appliance. Just think, a century ago most of the developed world was painstakingly washing their Underoos by hand. Now the miracle appliance of 19th century humanitys wildest dreams is casually hucked to and fro by beefy dudes who want their name on a website. We truly live in advanced times.

This is actually the fifth time the two strongmen have faced off in an attempt to set a record, which means either these two really love Guinness World Records or are incredibly passive-aggressive toward one another. Whatever the case may be, Savickas got the upper hand in this one, hurling a 46-kilogram (101-lb) washing machine 4.13 meters (136.6) to set the record.

Now unhook your least favorite appliances and try to beat this record, America.
Tears fill Maung Lay's eyes as he describes losing the dolphin he knew since his childhood, the latest casualty of a battle against pollution and electrofishing that may see the species disappear in Myanmar.

Loved for generations for corralling the catch into fishermen's nets, the 'smiling' Irrawaddy dolphins are being killed in record numbers by rogue gangs who use car batteries to stun aquatic life.

The illegal technique now threatens to wipe out the dolphins and the tourist bonanza they promise.

Maung Lay's dolphin, known as Thar Gyi Ma, was found washed up on the banks of the river in November. When locals cut her body open, they found she was pregnant.

"She is irreplaceable because she's like my own parents. I'm heartbroken," the 55-year-old told AFP inside his bamboo hut, in a small village a few hours by boat from Mandalay.

"I laid wreaths and flowers for her by the river."

Irrawaddy dolphins can be found in rivers, lakes and seas across southern Asia, from the northwest Bay of Bengal, in India, to the south of Indonesia.

On this stretch of river in Myanmar the animals have developed a deep bond with local fishermen, who they work with in a generations-old partnership that has become the stuff of local folklore.

With careful choreography, locals call the animals using a throaty purr, splashing their oars and tapping on the side of the boat.

The dolphins signal they are ready to begin with a flick of a fin, before driving the fish towards the fishermen's boats where they are scooped up by waiting nets.

Maung Lay said he had spent more than 30 years fishing with one group of seven dolphins, led by Thar Gyi Ma.

"I'm sorry for the great loss because she's the leader of her group," he said sorrowfully. "The others are not skilled like her."

- Record deaths -

In neighbouring Laos, the Irrawaddy dolphin was declared "functionally extinct" by the World Wildlife Fund in October 2016 after just three individuals were counted during their latest survey.

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"There is now little hope for a reversal of the situation," the WWF said.

In Myanmar, officials say there only 62 Irrawaddy dolphin are thought to be left, after a record three were killed last year.

"We lost the highest number of dolphins (in 2016)," said Jaw Kar, the deputy head of Mandalay's fishery department during a recent visit by AFP.

He blamed pollution from mining upriver in Kachin state, where chemical-heavy gold prospecting has boomed since the former military government stepped down in 2011.

Run-off from agricultural fertilizers is also thought to be poisoning the water.

But fishermen say the greatest danger comes from rogue gangs who are wiping out river life in their quest for easy money.

Initially these electro-fisherman used small batteries attached to wire wound around bamboo poles to shock fish within a close radius, a cheap and effective way to bolster their catch.

Now locals say they have moved on to using car batteries, high-voltage transformers and trawling nets.

"Even a big buffalo couldn't stand such an electric shock," said fisherman Thein San Min, 26, who lives in another village on the river's edge.

Electrofishing around Mandalay is punishable by up to three years in jail and a fine of 200,000 kyat ($150) -- a small fortune for local villagers.

But conservationists say there is little they can do to stop the fishing gangs, who attack anyone daring to venture into their territory.

Villagers refused to take AFP to where the electrofishermen live citing safety concerns.

- Broken bond -

For Irrawaddy locals, losing the dolphins is not just about destroying traditions from their past -- it threatens their future.

With fish stocks plummeting there are hopes ecotourism will prove a lifeline to bolster meagre incomes.

Visitor numbers have soared in the five years since the end of military rule and authorities are hoping to lure as many as 7.5 million people a year to Myanmar by 2019.

Wildlife Conservation Society ecotourism manager Thant Zin has set up a dolphin-watching programme to attract tourists, which he believes will incentivise locals to protect the animals and their habitat.

He is training villagers from a string of Irrawaddy villages in cooking, hospitality and environmentally responsible guiding.

"This is a very important business for the community," he said.

But some fishermen fear the electrofishing gangs may already have destroyed the special bond that existed between man and beast.

"Dolphins in the Irrawaddy river used to appear wherever we called them," Thein San Min said.

"We worry because they won't come close to us, although we coax them. It seems now we will have to watch them from far away."
North Korea denounced outgoing US President Barack Obama for blacklisting leader Kim Jong-Un's sister over human rights abuses, urging him to concentrate on "packing" as he exits the White House.

The US Treasury Department last week added seven individuals -- among them Kim's younger sister Yo-Jong -- to America's growing list of North Koreans sanctioned for "serious" rights abuses.

The Treasury announcement came as the US State Department released a report on rights abuses in North Korea, which it said were among the worst in the world.

"Obama would be well advised not to waste time taking issue with other's 'human rights issue' but make good arrangements for packing in the White House," state news agency KCNA said in a commentary late Monday night.

Obama had created "the worst human rights situation in the US during his tenure", it added. "He had better repent of the pain and misfortune he has brought to so many Americans and other people of the world."

Nuclear-armed North Korea has carried out a series of atomic tests and missile launches during Obama's time in office, and been subject to increasingly strict United Nations sanctions as a result.

Washington has long pursued a policy of "strategic patience" -- essentially a refusal to engage in any significant dialogue unless Pyongyang makes some tangible commitment to denuclearisation.

The KCNA commentary slammed the Obama administration's "extreme hostile moves" against Pyongyang, which it said only bolstered the country's "military capability to mercilessly wipe out aggressors".

US president-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Friday, has never clearly stated his policy on the isolated state, although he has tweeted that Pyongyang developing ballistic missile capabilities to threaten the US mainland "won't happen".

In his New Year's speech Kim did not specifically refer to the incoming US administration, but called on Washington to make a "resolute decision to withdraw its anachronistic hostile North Korea policy".
Givenchy has released new images of its latest denim campaign featuring Naomi Campbell and Justin Levy.

In the black and white Instagram photo, Campbell sits topless on Levy's shoulders wearing nothing but a pair of jeans, a black bar hiding her chest.

The duo front the brand's Givenchy Jeans collection. The campaign is styled by Carine Roitfeld and shot by fashion photography duo Luigi and Iango.

After an acting stint on the hit Fox show "Empire," Campbell made her return to the fashion world, most recently walking the catwalk at the Victoria's Secret fashion show in Paris in November.

She also posed for Balmain last year along with Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer -- the original supermodels from the 1990s -- for its 2016 spring-summer campaign.
Asteroid 16 Psyche

NASA has announced plans to launch a robotic mission to explore a 200-km-wide asteroid known as 16 Psyche. The asteroid is located in the large asteroid belt between the planets Jupiter and Mars. Scientists estimate that the iron contained in the asteroid could be worth more than about $10,000 quadrillion.

The asteroid, orbiting the Sun at a distance about three times the distance of Earth from the Sun, is made up mostly of iron and nickel. It is also believed to contain smaller amounts of rare metals, such as gold, platinum, copper, cobalt, iridium and rhenius.

NASAs robotic mission, budgeted at $450 million, is expected to be launched in 2023 and reach the asteroid in 2030.

Lindy Elkins-Tanton, lead scientist for the mission and director of the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University in Tempe, told the Canadian news site Global News, that the iron content of asteroid 16 Psyche alone could be worth more than $10,000 quadrillion, enough to collapse the global economy currently worth nearly $74 trillion.

Commenting on the staggering value of the asteroids metal resources and the hypothetical economic implications if it could be transported and placed in orbit around Earth for mining, Elkins-Tanton said, Thats something Ive contemplated for a long time.

Click here to continue and read more...

NASA To Explore Asteroid 16 Psyche That Contains Iron Worth $10,000 Quadrillion [Video] is an article from: The Inquisitr News
Jan 16 (Reuters) - With each successive defeat, Carmelo Anthony's stay in New York becomes more contentious as his future with the Knicks is put into question. Anthony, who has been an All Star for the franchise each season since being traded to the Knicks in 2011, has been asked in recent days about the possibility of waiving the no-trade clause in his contract which would allow the team to move him. Responding to an article that suggested it was time for Anthony to depart New York, the forward said on Sunday that if Knicks management no longer wants him then "that's a conversation that we should have." Following New York's 108-107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, Anthony was again pushed on the subject of his stay with the team. "I don't want this to be kind of going back and forth between me and the front office and management," Anthony said. "I responded to an article that I read, and that was that. My clarity is playing ball right now and getting some wins." It has been a particularly rocky campaign for Anthony and the Knicks (18-24) who have lost 11 of their last 13 games. Last month, Anthony had to fend off comments from team president Phil Jackson who criticized his star player in the media for his tendency to hold the ball and stop the offense. Anthony has failed to lead the Knicks to the playoffs since 2013, yet still professes his loyalty to the franchise. "I've proven that over the years, day in and day out," Anthony said. "Regardless of what's going on that's surrounding this team, any talk, anything, I've still showed that me being here, coming to work every day, being a professional. "So I don't think I have to prove that to anybody." (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
By Anuradha Nagaraj CHENNAI, India (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Nearly 40 people were found guilty on Tuesday of buying and selling girls in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, signaling a rare victory for prosecutors in a country where fewer than two in five trafficking cases ends in a conviction. Human traffickers, pimps and brothel owners were among the 39 people convicted by a district court in Ballari with sentencing due on Wednesday, according to prosecutor Rathod Ramsingh, who said he hoped the verdict would deter others. "Normally only the pimps get picked up but this time everyone involved in buying, selling and reselling of these girls has been found guilty," Ramsingh told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The prosecution came after Ballari police raided several brothels in 2013, rescuing 43 women and 21 children, including a 13-year-old, and seizing evidence including cash and account ledgers. Seven of the rescued victims were from Bangladesh and the rest were from Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Karnataka and Odisha. A further 48 suspects in the case are being tried in three separate cases in Karnataka. Of an estimated 20 million commercial sex workers in India, 16 million women and girls are victims of sex trafficking, according to non-governmental organizations working in the country. The U.S. State Department said in its 2016 Trafficking in Persons report that investigations, prosecutions and convictions for human trafficking were low in India even though the government has stepped up its law enforcement efforts. Of the 2,075 human trafficking cases that were prosecuted in 2015, 824 ended in a conviction, according to India's national crime records bureau. Campaigners welcomed Tuesday's verdict, saying it should encourage other victims to come forward. "This conviction is because of the courage of the survivors, all young women, who walked into the packed courtroom to identify their traffickers and the men who abused them," said Adrian Phillips of non-profit Justice and Care that worked with the police on the case. "Offenders who previously assumed they would get away with the crime will now know otherwise." (Reporting by Anuradha Nagaraj, Editing by Katie Nguyen. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking and climate change. Visit www.trust.org)
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - The Nigerian air force killed an unknown number of civilians by accident in an air strike on Tuesday against Islamist militant group Boko Haram in the northeast, a military official said. Regional military commander General Lucky Irabor said the strike took place on Tuesday morning at Kala Balge local government in Borno state. "Somehow, some civilians were killed. We are yet to ascertain the number of persons killed in the air strike," Irabor told reporters in the northeastern city of Maiduguri. "Many civilians including personnel of International Committee of the Red Cross and Medicins Sans Frontieres were wounded," he said, adding that the air force had acted on information that Boko Haram militants were in the area. ICRC and MSF could not immediately be contacted for a comment. Boko Haram has stepped up attacks in the last few weeks as the end of the rainy season has enabled its fighters to move more easily in the bush. The northeast has been the focus of the jihadist group's seven-year-old bid to create an Islamic caliphate. (Reporting by Lanre Ola,; writing by Alexis Akwagyiram, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Wole Soyinka, the first African writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, once fled to the United States from Nigeria. Now the fickle winds of politics are pushing him in the opposite direction.

Back in the 1960s, jailed for alleged associations with rebels amid the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War, Soyinka composed protest poems on toilet paper in solitary confinement. The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny, Soyinka wrote in the collection of prison notes he later published. In the 1990s, the Nigerian strongman Sani Abacha confiscated Soyinkas passport after the playwright urged Nigerians to stop paying taxes in defiance of military rule in the country. Soyinka managed to sneak out of his homeland and take refuge in the United Statesa period he described to me as his political sabbatical, because I never accepted, really, that I was in exile. Abacha sentenced Soyinka to death in absentia. Soyinkas crime was said to be treason.

Soyinka is now 82 years old, and his latest flash of activism involves Donald Trump. While spending Thanksgiving with his family in the United States, Soyinka says, he followed through on a pledge he made shortly before the U.S. election: to destroy his U.S. permanent-resident card, or Green Card, if Trump won the presidency. Soyinka has been based in Nigeria for some timeever since our dearly beloved dictator Sani Abacha kindly took his leave of us (translation: died of a heart attack) in 1998, Soyinka told me by phone from the Nigerian city of Lagos. But over the years, hes left Nigeria for stretches to teach at universities in the United States and around the world, most recently at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He said he obtained his Green Card during his political sabbatical at Emory University in the 90s, with the help of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

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Soyinka told me that he has now rendered his Green Card inoperable, without going into further detail. I dont have strong enough fingers to tear up a Green Card, he added. As long as Trump is in charge, if I absolutely have to visit the United States, I prefer to go in the queue for a regular visa with others, he said. Im no longer part of the society, not even as a resident.

Recommended: Why Europe Is Worried About Donald Trump's Latest Remarks

His self-described Wolexit from the United States is an act of protest against what he views as Trumps xenophobic campaign rhetoric regarding specific ethnic, racial, and religious groups, including blacks, Hispanics, and Muslims. Its a statement by a man who in the past has warned of humanitys terrible tendency toward [p]olarizations within various micro-worldsus versus the inferior them.

Trumps wall is already under construction, Soyinka recently told The Interview magazine in Nigeria. Walls are built in the mind, and Trump has erected walls, not only across the mental landscape of America, but across the global landscape.

But Soyinka is not necessarily urging others to follow his example and join the resistance to Trumpism. He appears to be withdrawing from the political dysfunction he denounces instead of trying to resolve it. He has characterized his decision as a personal and private one, to which [n]o one else is invited. (Soyinka vowed to tear up his Green Card in a question-and-answer session with students at Oxford University, not in some showy press conference, and he hasnt much welcomed the media attention surrounding his move.)

In discussing that choice, he casts himself as an aging activist seeking tranquilityrather than the next cause to championin a tumultuous world. After a long career of outward struggle, he seems to be turning inward. In tampering with his Green Card, Soyinka told me, I delivered myself from uncertainty, from discomfort, from internal turmoil.

Its like seeing a people in a different light for the first time.

As one grows older, one becomes more sensitive about such things, especially as one is inclined to close the world around one as much as possible  and therefore devote ones time and energy to activity in congenial spaces, he said. The U.S. for me, watching that electionit was no longer congenial.

There is inevitably some kind of apprehension when someone rides to power on what one considers a negative outlook on a multinational society like America still is today, Soyinka explained. What horrified me was not so much the individual demagogue, but to watch  [the] swelling numbers of his followersto expect, for instance, that listening to that kind of rhetoric [from] a would-be leader of peoples, that crowds would diminish. But they did not.  Its like seeing a people in a different light for the first time.

Recommended: John Dean on Trump: 'He Is Going to Test Our Democracy as It Has Never Been Tested'

Soyinka recalled his interactions with leaders of black-power movements in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s: I witnessed the assertion of the black peoples. And one was encouraged by that beginning transformation, which attained its apogee with the election of the first black president of the United States, and [the first American president with] African [heritage] for that matter. One didnt thereby imagine that racism would die or anything of the sort. But I think that that temporary summit of black equality, this symbolic ascendancy of Obama, [suggested] that social consciousness in a progressive way would be the norm. Mr. Trumps campaign was a sharp, deliberate reversal, almost as if Barack Obama had just been tolerated all along.

More broadly, he observed, this is a critical period globally, with extreme violent, brutish religious fundamentalism, which of course must be fought to a standstill. His own country, Nigeria, is plagued by the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram. But with a situation like this you also need a large mind which is capable of distinguishing, which is capable of plodding [its] way through, the nuances of this violent, oppositional situation, not somebody who will use the excuse of the solidarity of hatred for these religious extremists as an opportunity to rope in, to have a blanket attitude towards, those who, for instance, profess the Muslim faith.

Recommended: The Trumpcare Conundrum

Once you create outsiders, you enlarge the colony of outsiders, Soyinka continued. You dont have enough within the original catchment area, [so] you then begin to include others, not merely on the grounds of religion, but on the grounds of race, tendencies. The minorities become social targets, whether directly or indirectly.

These worries notwithstanding, Soyinka recently told Nigerian journalists that Trump is not really my business, and that Trump should be allowed to go about his work after winning the election. We [should] just watch [to see] whether our worst fears will be effected, he advised. There are born-again humans all over the place, in all religions. Why not in politics?

In the meantime, after decades of speaking out against dictators and kleptocrats, Soyinka is retreating to Abeokuta, the Nigerian city where he grew up. For me, my little hole in Abeokuta is not just home, he told me. Its a one-man nation. Its the obvious place to return to.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
By Alexis Akwagyiram KADUNA, Nigeria (Reuters) - A new terminal at northern Nigeria's Kaduna airport is still under construction with cables hanging from ceilings less than two months before it is due to become an aviation hub when the capital's airport closes temporarily for runway repairs. Nigeria plans to shut Abuja airport for six weeks from March 8 to repair its runway and divert flights to Kaduna, an airport used primarily for domestic flights about 160 km (100 miles) to the north, after airlines threatened to stop flying to the capital. Abuja-bound passengers will have to fly to Kaduna and travel in buses, guarded by security, on a road where kidnappings have taken place in the past few years. Kaduna airport handled 12 flights in December 2015, the last month for which Nigeria's airports authority has figures, compared with 812 that used Abuja. The government hopes international carriers will use Kaduna during the closure but the new terminal, in the works for about four years, was still a building site when a Reuters team visited the airport on Jan. 10. Bricks were stacked throughout what will be the lounges, cables hung from the ceiling and mounds of sand were dotted across the ground. Most of the workers, who numbered around 30, were sat idle outside. "We will try and fast track the contractor to deliver the terminal building before the end of February so that we can take it over in March," Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika told a forum of businesses and aviation industry figures this month. "Whether that happens or not, we have an alternative," he said, explaining that the existing terminal would be used. Sirika said the building could handle up to 500 passengers, although a visual assessment by the Reuters team suggested the capacity may be far lower. The check-in desks have no computers and there is only one security checkpoint. Airport officials, who did not want to be named, said modifications could be made to the building such as creating an extra entrance, covered by a canopy, to ease the flow of people. An Aviation Ministry spokesman did not to respond to emailed questions on Monday about details of the contingency plan if the terminal is not finished on time and the size of its capacity. "If the government says it will be ready, it will be ready," Mohammed Joji, chairman of a government-appointed committee that is overseeing the temporary airport closure and transition, said last week. The temporary closure of Abuja's airport has been criticised by aviation labour unions, business leaders and diplomats. "Some businesses will fold up and be unable to recover," said three Nigerian aviation unions in an open letter, adding that the country's aviation industry "will lose colossal sums of money". (Additional reporting by Garba Muhammad and Camillus Eboh; Editing by Ulf Laessing and Alison Williams)
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) - China's President Xi Jinping warned Tuesday against scapegoating globalisation for the world's ills or retreating behind protectionist walls, staking out an alternative vision for the international economy days before Donald Trump takes office.

The global economic order has been led for decades by the United States but the president-elect is threatening to tear up the rule book and Xi used his debut appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos to insist that globalisation was irreversible.

"Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. Wind and rain may be kept outside, but so is light and air," Xi said in a speech that took in references to Chinese folklore, Charles Dickens and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

It is simply "not possible" to reverse the flow of global capital, technology, goods and people, Xi said in the heart of a continent where Britain is plotting its exit from the European Union and far-right parties are on the rise.

He insisted China was committed to "opening up" and stood by globalisation's gains for emerging economies -- as well as defending the Paris accord on climate change, which is also in Trump's sights.

And he said there is "no point in blaming economic globalisation for the world's problems", highlighting China's view that catastrophically weak regulation rather than free trade lay behind the West's 2008 financial crisis.

His message was met with acclaim from many in a hall packed with government leaders, captains of industry, stars of entertainment and agenda-setting thinkers.

Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt noted that a century ago, Russian Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin was plotting world revolution in Zurich, a couple of hours' train ride from Davos.

"And now, 100 years later we have the leader of the largest communist party in the world coming to the leading meeting of global capitalists to preach the virtues of globalisation," he told AFP.

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"Lenin is dead."

Xi's keynote address kicked off four days of networking and partying by the global elite in the Swiss ski resort, in a week that climaxes with Trump taking office after a campaign that blamed China and globalisation for the loss of millions of US factory jobs.

The Republican property tycoon's signal pledge is to "Make American Great Again" but Xi warned: "No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war."

- Playing to the gallery -

In Davos, Trump transition advisor Anthony Scaramucci said "we want to have a phenomenal relationship with the Chinese".

"But if the Chinese really believe in globalism, and they really believe in the words of Lincoln, they have to reach now towards us and allow us to create this symmetry, because the path to globalism in the world is through the American worker and the American middle class," he said.

For his part, like Xi, departing Secretary of State John Kerry defended the possibilities of globalisation while taking implicit swipes at Trump.

"It's really dangerous to play to the lowest common denominator of American, of global political life," he said.

Conscious of the sour public mood in the West, organisers are billing the Davos meet as "a call for responsive and responsible leadership", and top business executives agree that they must not appear oblivious to the anger of ordinary people.

"The advantages of globalisation are more clear in emerging markets than in developed countries. We have to listen, to help people that are concerned," Sergio Ermotti, chief executive of Swiss banking giant UBS, told AFP.

A World Economic Forum study said that within advanced economies, median per capita income fell on average 2.4 percent over the past five years, helping to explain why disaffection is so high across the West.

Other research presented by the consultancy Edelman found public confidence in institutions including in governments, business, the media and NGOs slumping across the rich world.

Philip Jennings, general secretary of the UNI Global Union, demanded governments commit to spending the same funds on retraining workers as they do on defence.

"This needs a massive injection of political will and adrenaline," he told one of hundreds of panel discussions taking place this week in Davos.

Trump promises just such a shot in the arm for US labour, and China along with the Davos elite will be watching his inauguration Friday attentively to see what the future holds as he rips up the pro-globalisation consensus.
Noor Salman deliberately misled police to help her husband, the Florida gunman who killed 49 people in a massacre at the Pulse nightclub, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday.

Salman, the widow of Omar Mateen, did knowingly aid and abet her husbands efforts to support ISIS for at least two months before last Junes shooting spree in Orlando, the two-count document said.

Read: Widow of Orlando Massacre Shooter Arrested in San Francisco Area By FBI Agents

The 30-year-old woman gave false information to police on the day of the attack, according to the indictment, hindering federal agents investigating the incident.

Mateen died in a shootout with authorities on June 12 after holding terrified hostages at the Pulse nightclub and pledging allegiance to ISIS in phone calls with police negotiators.

More than 50 people were injured in the nightclub carnage

Salman has been charged with aiding and abetting the support of a terrorist organization and obstruction of justice.

Read: Orlando Gunman Posted Chilling Final Message Before Massacre: 'Now Taste the Islamic Vengeance'

She was arrested early Monday at her Bay Area home. She moved from Fort Pierce, Florida, after her husbands killing spree. She and her 4-year-old son live near her family.

Salman has given contradictory statements to investigators, according to authorities. She initially said she had previously visited the popular gay club with her husband and had accompanied him when he bought ammunition, officials said.

But she did not know he planned a terror attack, Salmon said, according to authorities.

Her attorney said Monday Salman had no knowledge of her husbands plot and had been a victim of verbal and physical abuse throughout her marriage to Mateen.

Salman is expected to appear in federal court in Oakland on Tuesday.

Watch: Orlando Gunman Jumped with Excitement in High School After 9/11 Attacks

Related Articles:
A senior North Korean diplomat in London who defected to South Korea last year said Tuesday that a much larger number of Pyongyangs civil servant defections have taken place recently than have been made public, South Korean media reported.

A significant number of diplomats came to South Korea, Thae Yong-ho said at a conference hosted by the conservative Bareun Party, Yonhap News Agency reported. Even now, there are a number of (North Koreans) waiting to head to the South.

There will be an increase in the number of elite-class defectors seeking a better life, Thae added. I am the only high-ranking official whose identity has been revealed to the public. South Korean media do not know but North Korean diplomats are all aware of it.

More than economic reasons, the political situation in Pyongyang has been the main factor for North Koreans fleeing the country, the Wall Street Journal quoted South Koreas Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo as saying in an interview Monday.

According to the Ministry of Unification data, the number of defectors from North Korea rose to 1,417 people in 2016, following years of decreasing numbers, possibly because of the heightened border security by Pyongyang. However, Hong said: We need to wait and see the trend more, but security in the border region didnt get weaker, so its clear that peoples desire for a better life has increased.

Thae, who was the Norths former deputy ambassador to the U.K., reportedly defected for his sons education, and not other economic reasons. He claims that Kim Jong Un is facing additional challenges as he did not have the time required to prepare for the succession, unlike his father Kim Jong-il.

The concept of a proletarian dictatorship is long gone in North Korea. It has instead become a single gigantic slave society that exists only for the Kim family, Yonhap quoted Thae as saying at the National Assembly.

Related Articles
Oslo (AFP) - Norway on Tuesday insisted mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik enjoyed "cosy" conditions in prison, including cells with a view, an Xbox and a comfy armchair, as it appealed a lower court conviction for "inhumane" treatment.

"He is a VIP inmate in many regards," Attorney General Fredrik Sejersted told the appeals court.

Last year, the Norwegian state was found guilty of violating Breivik's human rights, primarily because of his prolonged isolation, and it has appealed the ruling.

The 37-year-old right-wing extremist is serving a 21-year prison sentence handed down in 2012, which can be extended indefinitely as long as he is considered a threat.

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.

An Oslo district court stunned victims' families in April 2016 when it found the Norwegian state guilty of treating Breivik "inhumanely" and in "degrading" fashion, in breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

"His prison conditions are better than those of other prisoners," argued Sejersted on Tuesday, calling them outright "cosy".

In the Skien prison in southern Norway, Breivik has three cells, some of which have views of the nature outdoors, where he can play video games and watch television. He also has a computer without internet access, gym machines, books and newspapers.

But, held apart from other inmates for security reasons, he told the court that he is suffering from his isolation, which he claims has radicalised him further.

He has also complained about full-body searches and the frequent use of handcuffs, especially in the early stages of his incarceration, and the strict controls on his correspondence, which he claims are in violation of his right to privacy under the European Convention.

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The lower court judge had ruled against Breivik on that point.

- 'Young Adolf Hitler imprisoned' -

The state has meanwhile argued that Breivik has not been isolated, noting his multiple contacts with guards, with whom he plays backgammon, his lawyers and pastors, as well as his studies by correspondence and various activities made available to him in his cell to compensate for being detained alone.

"No other prisoner can discuss and play games with prison staff for two hours a day," insisted Sejersted, also noting the numerous letters -- albeit censored by prison guards -- that he exchanges with the outside world.

Breivik also remains very committed to his ideological goals, the attorney general said.

"He sees himself as a young Adolf Hitler jailed in the early 1930s. He expects to get out at some point and become the Fuhrer," he said.

Facing him, Breivik spent most of the day shaking his head in apparent disagreement.

The appeals case has drawn limited attention in Norway, a tranquil and prosperous country trying to turn the page on this painful episode in its history.

Survivors and victims' families usually try to ignore the man they refer to only as "the terrorist", as well as his provocations.

Last week, Sejersted painted a picture of an inmate in strong physical and psychological health, but who has expressed no remorse for his crimes.

Behind his polite exterior, he "is the same man as the one who shot teenagers in the back and who, when they were lying on the ground praying for their lives, walked up to them and put a bullet in their head," he said.

Sejersted said the strict controls on Breivik's contacts with the outside world were needed to prevent him from building a far-right network capable of carrying out future attacks.

"We grant him the very same guarantees that he holds in contempt. But we don't need to be kind to a fault, the rule of law has the right to defend itself," he argued.

The six-day hearing concludes on Wednesday when Breivik's lawyer presents his final arguments. A ruling is due in February.
U.S. President Barack Obama has issued more commutations than the past 11 presidents combined and pardoned 212 prisoners. And, as of Tuesday, they include two of the most prominent individuals targeted in the Obama administrations war on leakers: Chelsea Manning, a former Army soldier who leaked secret documents to Wikileaks, and retired General James Cartwright, who lied about leaking information about U.S. cyber attacks.

Just three days before leaving office, Obama commuted Mannings 35-year sentence for leaking a huge trove of classified information to WikiLeaks in 2010. Obama also pardoned Cartwright, who had been convicted but not yet sentenced for lying to federal investigators about his conversations with reporters about Stuxnet, the covert cyber operation aimed at Irans nuclear weapons program.

Manning, who announced after her sentencing that she is a transgender woman, has served time in a male military prison, from which she will be released in May of this year. She was known as Bradley Manning at the time of the leaks and said that her realization and struggle to process being transgender contributed to the mindset that led her to leak the documents.

WikiLeaks, through which Manning leaked the cables and documents that uncovered abuses by the U.S. military, tweeted just days earlier that editor-in-chief Julian Assange would agree to extradition to the United States if Obama were to grant Manning clemency. Assange has spent over 4 years holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has continued to run Wikileaks. The United States has not yet requested extradition.

If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case https://t.co/MZU30SlfGK  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 12, 2017

Another champion of clemency for Manning: Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor who leaked documents detailing American surveillance programs the same summer Manning was sentenced.

Story continues

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

Just because Manning has gotten clemency doesnt mean Snowden is next. White House spokesperson Josh Earnest noted that Manning came forward and went through the militarys judicial process, while Snowden fled into the arms of an adversary. Snowden has been in Moscow since 2013, whereas Manning has been in prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Amnesty International said after the announcement of the commutation that Manning has been denied critical and appropriate treatment related to her gender identity at various points during her incarceration. Amnesty also called the commutation overdue. (Not everyone was as pleased. In separate statements, House Speaker Paul Ryan called the commutation just outrageous, while Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain described it as a grave mistake that I fear will encourage further acts of espionage and undermine military discipline.)

Cartwright and Manning represent the two sides of the Obama administrations attempt to cut down on leaks of classified information. Though campaigning on a promise of unprecedented transparency, Obama has aggressively prosecuted government officials who have disclosed classified information, carrying out more prosecutions under the Espionage Act for such crimes than all previous presidents combined.

Prior to his fall from grace, Cartwright had been regarded as a darling of Obama. Cartwright masterminded the Stuxnet program, which used a digital weapon to attack Irans nuclear enrichment program. Stuxnets existence was first revealed not by official leak, but rather when the virus broke out of the computers controlling Irans uranium-enrichment centrifuges.

The New York Times then exposed the existence of the operation to sabotage Irans nuclear infrastructure and confirmed American and Israeli authorship of the virus, citing participants in the program, immediately setting off a Washington parlor game as to who had leaked the existence of one of the most-highly classified operations in memory. Cartwright emerged as the leading suspect, and the FBI began investigating the general in 2012.

Cartwright was beloved in the White House for a host of unpopular opinions that cut against the grain of military orthodoxy. He opposed the troop surge to Afghanistan and suggested killing the production of the F-22 fighter jet, to the dismay of defense contractors. Such contrarian opinions won him a favored position in the White House, but rubbed many in the Pentagon the wrong way.

Though Cartwright is said to have been source of the Stuxnet revelations, he wasnt charged with disclosing classified information  but for lying to investigators about it.

Update, Jan. 17 2017, 6:07 pm ET: This piece has been updated to include quotes from separate statements issued by Paul Ryan and John McCain.

Photo credit: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images
President Obama has commuted the 35-year prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, paving the way for the Army intelligence analyst turned high-profile leaker to be freed on May 17, the White House announced Tuesday.

Manning was on a list of 209 commutations and 64 pardons released Tuesday, though they may not be Obamas final acts of clemency before he leaves office at midday on Jan. 20. Edward Snowdens name was not on the list.

Manning was convicted after leaking U.S. military incident logs and diplomatic cables, among other secret government documents, to WikiLeaks, in 2010.

In his final scheduled briefing for reporters, White House press secretary Josh Earnest described Manning and Snowden in starkly different terms.

Chelsea Manning, as a member of the United States armed forces, went through a legal proceeding administered by the United States military under the laws that govern the conduct of members of the United States military, and there was a hearing and a conviction and a sentence, Earnest said. It all went through that regular process. And thats the way we determine guilt or innocence in this country, particularly with regard to the conduct of men and women in our armed forces. And thats the way that our system works.

But Snowden should return to the United States and face the serious crimes with which hes been charged, Earnest said. He will, of course, be afforded the kind of due process thats available to every American citizen whos going through the criminal justice process. But the crimes that hes accused of committing are serious. And we believe that he should return to the United States and face them rather than seeking refuge in the arms of an adversary of the United States that has their own strategic interests in disseminating information in a harmful way.

Earlier this week, WikiLeaks said on Twitter that its founder, Julian Assange, would agree to be extradited to the United States if Obama granted clemency to Manning. He has been living in Ecuadors embassy in London since June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he has been accused of sexual assault.

Story continues

If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case https://t.co/MZU30SlfGK  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 12, 2017

The Obama administration has accused the Russian government of using WikiLeaks to influence the 2016 election. The organization published emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee and from Hillary Clintons campaign.

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan denounced Obamas commutation decision as just outrageous.

Chelsea Mannings treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nations most sensitive secrets, Ryan said in a statement. President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security wont be held accountable for their crimes.

Mannings commutation reads:

Chelsea Elizabeth Manning  Oklahoma City, OK

Offense: One specification of wrongful and wanton publication to the internet intelligence belonging to the United States; five specifications of stealing, purloining or knowingly converting U.S. government records; six specifications of willful communication of information relating to the national defense; one specification of willful communication of information in unlawful possession; one specification of willful communication of information relating to the national defense by exceeding authorized access to a U.S. government computer; one specification of willful communication of information relating to the national defense obtained by accessing a U.S. government computer; five specifications of failure to obey order or regulation; U.S. Army Court Martial

Sentence: 35 years imprisonment (August 21, 2013)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 17, 2017.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Washington (AFP) - US President Barack Obama slashed the sentence of transgender army private Chelsea Manning, who had been sentenced to 35 years behind bars for handing classified US documents to WikiLeaks.

Obama pardoned 64 people and commuted the sentences of 209 others -- including 29-year-old Manning, who will now be released in May -- in one of his final acts as president.

Manning was convicted in August 2013 of espionage and other offenses, after admitting to the leak of 700,000 sensitive military and diplomatic documents.

The cache included military logs from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and cables offering sensitive -- and often embarrassingly bareknuckle -- diplomatic assessments of foreign leaders and world events.

Then Bradley Manning pleaded guilty and was sentenced by military court martial. She has since been held in an all-male prison, at times in solitary confinement, and has attempted to commit suicide twice.

Activists had argued her sentence is excessive and point to the psychological frailty of the transgender soldier.

"This move could quite literally save Chelsea's life," said Chase Strangio of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Still, Obama's move is something of a surprise, coming in the midst of a scandal over election-related hacking.

Obama has imposed sanctions on Russian intelligence services over the hack of Democratic party emails, some of which were released via WikiLeaks.

- 'Victory' -

In recent weeks the White House had refused to be drawn on a possible commutation or pardon.

But spokesman Josh Earnest did attempt to paint a stark difference between Manning -- who went through the courts and admitted wrongdoing -- and the likes of Edward Snowden.

Snowden, a former NSA contractor, fled to Hong Kong and then Russia in 2013 after revealing a highly classified global communications and internet surveillance system.

He was not on Obama's list of commutations or pardons, but did tweet his thanks.

Story continues

"Let it be said here in earnest, with good heart: Thanks, Obama."

WikiLeaks -- which has been linked to last year's election hacks -- claimed "victory" and thanked those who campaigned on Manning's behalf.

"Your courage & determination made the impossible possible," the group tweeted, citing founder Julian Assange.

But there was no suggestion Assange -- who is holed up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London -- would make good on a promise to be extradited to the United States if Manning was freed.

"If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case," the group tweeted last week.

White House officials dismissed any link between WikiLeak's pledge and Obama's decision on Manning.

- Backlash -

Republicans expressed outrage at Obama's decision.

This is just outrageous," said House Speaker Paul Ryan. "Chelsea Manning's treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nations most sensitive secrets."

"President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security wont be held accountable for their crimes."

Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who is tipped as a possible future leader of the party, expressed fury at Obama's decision, saying "we ought not treat a traitor like a martyr."

"I don't understand why the president would feel special compassion for someone who endangered the lives of our troops, diplomats, intelligence officers, and allies."

Republicans have been on the back foot over Russian hacks that appeared to help their presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Among the others who received commutations was Puerto Rican nationalist Oscar Lopez-Rivera, who has been in prison for more than three decades on terrorism charges.

Obama also pardoned James Cartwright, a former four-star general who lied to the FBI about his discussions with journalists about Iran's nuclear program.

Another round of commutations is expected on Thursday, officials suggested.

Many will look to see whether the new list includes Bowe Bergdahl, a US Army sergeant held captive for five years by the Taliban before his release in a prisoner swap. He is due to be court-martialed for desertion.

Other names omitted Tuesday were General David Petraeus -- who pleaded guilty to improperly sharing classified information -- and Obama's ally Hillary Clinton.

There had been wild speculation that Obama may choose to preemptively pardon her, forestalling any Trump-led prosecution over her handling of email as secretary of state.

Presidents can theoretically pardon people before they are even sentenced.

Trump takes office on Friday.
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The Obama administration wrote a second check for $500 million on Tuesday to the Green Climate Fund, an international organization designed to help the developing world adapt to global warming and deploy more clean energy technologies.

The announcement from the State Department comes less than three days before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. During the campaign, Trump vowed to choke off all U.S. funding for international global warming programs.

The most recent check from the Obama administration now brings total U.S. contributions to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) so far to $1 billion.

SEE ALSO: Binge-watching is going to make your carbon footprint soar

The funding for the GCF fulfills a pledge the U.S. first made as part of the U.N. climate talks beginning in 2009, when developed nations committed to spending $100 billion to assist the developing world, which is already reeling from the effects of climate change, like rising sea levels, scorching droughts and deadly floods.

This funding commitment helped make the Paris Climate Agreement  which went into effect in November of last year  possible since the industrialized world is responsible for the majority of human-caused climate change-to-date.

In 2014, the U.S. committed $3 billion toward the fund, but Congress refused to appropriate the money.

Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f350937%2f695f7b4e-4101-474d-aa22-8d4d7eab76ad

However, Congress didn't prevent funds from simply going toward the program, either. So, in a bureaucratic end run, the Obama administration directed money that had been appropriated through other legislation to be used for the Green Climate Fund.

Republicans on Capitol Hill have denounced such spending, alleging the administration is flouting congressional authority.

They will soon have an ally in a Trump administration, which has put forward a nominee for secretary of state, former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, who says climate change is not a top national security threat to the U.S. and repeatedly refused to commit to keeping the U.S. within the Paris Climate Agreement during his confirmation hearing.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday pardoned a retired U.S. Marine Corps general who pleaded guilty in October to making false statements to the FBI during an investigation into leaks of classified information.

James Cartwright, who last served as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2012 over a book written by New York Times reporter David Sanger, which exposed a malicious computer software program known as "Stuxnet" designed to disrupt Iran's nuclear program.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Washington (AFP) - Barack Obama passes the reins of US power to Donald Trump on Friday.

Since Trump's election victory in November, the Republican billionaire and the outgoing Democratic president have tried to turn the page on the harsh language of the campaign -- with mixed success.

Here are some quotes from Obama on Trump, and from Trump on Obama:

- Obama on Trump -

"I continue to believe Mr. Trump will not be president, and the reason is because I have a lot of faith in the American people, and I think they recognize that being president is a serious job."

-- February 17, 2016, following a summit with Southeast Asian leaders in Rancho Mirage, California

"Demeaning women, degrading women, but also minorities, immigrants, people of other faiths, mocking the disabled, insulting our troops, insulting our veterans. That tells you a couple things. It tells you that he is insecure enough that he pumps himself up by putting other people down. Not a character trait that I would advise for somebody in the Oval Office."

-- October 9, 2016, on the campaign trail in Chicago

"Donald Trump is uniquely unqualified, Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit to be commander in chief."

-- November 3, 2016 at a rally in Jacksonville, Florida

"Now, if somebody can't handle a Twitter account, they can't handle the nuclear codes. If somebody starts tweeting at 3 in the morning because SNL made fun of you, you can't handle the nuclear codes."

-- November 6, 2016 at a rally in Kissimmee, Florida

"He clearly was able to tap into a lot of grievances. And he has a talent for making a connection with his supporters that overrode some of the traditional benchmarks of how you'd run a campaign or conduct yourself as a presidential candidate."

"I think everybody has to acknowledge -- don't underestimate the guy, because he's going to be 45th president of the United States. The one thing I've said to him directly... is just make sure that as we go forward certain norms, certain institutional traditions don't get eroded, because there's a reason they're in place."

Story continues

-- January 15, 2017, in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes."

- Trump on Obama -

"I think President Obama has been the most ignorant president in our history. (...) He has been a disaster as a president. He will go down as one of the worst presidents in the history of our country."

-- July 27, 2016 at a rally in Florida

"He's the founder of ISIS. He's the founder of ISIS. He's the founder. He founded ISIS. (...) I would say the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton."

-- August 10, 2016, also in Florida

"President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period."

-- September 10, 2016 in Washington, admitting for the first time that the Democratic leader was not born abroad and thus was an illegitimate leader -- a conspiracy theory Trump had fueled for at least five years

"A fantastic day in DC. Met with President Obama for first time. Really good meeting, great chemistry. Melania liked Mrs. O a lot!"

-- November 10, 2016 on Twitter after a post-election visit to the White House

"Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks. Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!"

-- December 28, 2016, also on Twitter
By Kim Palmer CLEVELAND (Reuters) - The first gorilla born in captivity, who went on to become the oldest known member of her species, has died at the age of 60, officials at the Columbus, Ohio, zoo that served as her home said on Tuesday. Colo, a Western lowland gorilla, was found dead on Tuesday morning in her enclosure, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium said in a statement. She had been born at the same property on Dec. 22, 1956 and five years passed before another gorilla was born in captivity in the United States, the zoo said. The zoo celebrated her 60th birthday less than a month ago weeks after a malignant tumor was removed from under her arm on Dec. 3. She was the oldest gorilla on record and exceeded her normal life expectancy by more than two decades, said Patty Peters, a zoo spokeswoman. There had been no sign that Colo was unwell as some 13,000 visited the zoo on Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Peters said in a phone interview. "There were lines of people. She interacted with guests all day," Peters said. Colo, whose name was a play on Columbus, was the mother of three, grandmother of 16, great grandmother of 12 and had three great-great offspring. Her oldest, Emmy, was the first second-generation gorilla born in a zoo and her grandchild, Cora, was the first third-generation gorilla born in captivity. Gorillas, typically found in lowland and mountain tropical rainforests in central Africa, are the world's largest primates, the mammalian group that includes lemurs, monkeys, apes and humans. Adult males reach up to about 440 pounds (200 kg). There are approximately 350 gorillas of all species in accredited zoos across the United States and an estimated 150,000 to 250,000 Western lowland gorillas left in the world, the zoo said in a statement. Gorillas are listed as endangered due to loss of habitat, poaching, and susceptibility to diseases. Colo will be cremated and her ashes buried at an undisclosed location at the Columbus Zoo. Results of the necropsy to further define the cause of death are expected in approximately four weeks. (Editing by Scott Malone; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
Photo credit: marcoventuriniautieri / Getty

From Popular Mechanics

It's one of the more infuriating experiences you can have as a driver: The light turns yellow, you make the split-second decision to make the light rather than slamming on the breaks, you make it just under the wire... and then receive a ticket in the mail a few days later from an automated traffic camera.

Adam MacLeod's experience was even more frustrating. He wasn't even in the car when it was ticketed. He loaned his car to a friend, and that friend was the one in the driver's seat when it was caught by the camera. The city of Montgomery, Alabama decided to prosecute MacLeod anyway, for loaning his car to "someone who speeds." Unfortunately for the city, MacLeod is a professor of law at Faulkner Christian University, and he wasn't about to go down without a fight.

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Traffic cameras reside in a peculiar intersection of criminal and civil law. As MacLeod points out, cities tend to classify the offenses they capture as a "civil violation of criminal law"-which means, according to MacLeod, the city has "the powers of both criminal and civil law and [is] excused from the due process duties of both criminal and civil law." This means the city can charge you with a criminal offense without the inconvenience of having to provide witnesses, probable cause, or due process.

This is rather unjust, but it's not easy for ordinary citizens to fight back. MacLeod, though, is not an ordinary citizen, and he managed to successfully appeal the ruling against him. Still, his victory was a hollow one. To fight the ticket in the first place, he was required to pay twice his ticket cost to the court, and it turns out the city doesn't even have a procedure in place for returning that money if the defendant wins.

Story continues

MacLeod may have lost a few hundred dollars, but he has a bigger point to make. Governments should operate on behalf of the people, he says, instead of using tricky procedures and dubious legal arguments to wring money out of them. It's worth noting that while the state of Alabama repealed the traffic camera law due to citizen pressure, the city of Montgomery continues to operate the program, and even tripled the size of fines.

Source: The Public Discourse via BoingBoing

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San Salvador (AFP) - A former president of El Salvador who is detained pending trial for alleged embezzlement was transferred to an ordinary jail Tuesday.

Police said Antonio Saca was sent to the Mariona prison, an overcrowded facility on San Salvador's northern outskirts that holds 5,000 inmates -- four times the number it was designed to incarcerate.

He was transferred with six other people suspected with him of pocketing $246 million in public funds during his 2004-2009 mandate, the national police service said on its Twitter account.

They had been held in cells in the police's counternarcotics division, but a court ordered their move in line with a request from state prosecutors.

Saca was arrested in October with his former private secretary and former communications secretary, among others.

They are charged with embezzlement, criminal association and money laundering.
(OAKLAND, Calif.)  The widow of the Orlando nightclub gunman knew about the attack ahead of time, prosecutors said Tuesday as she appeared in court to face charges of aiding and abetting her husband in the months before the rampage last June that left 49 people dead.

Noor Salman, 30, stood before a federal judge under tight security, looking downcast and bewildered. She did not enter a plea. When she was led back to jail, she locked eyes with her tearful uncle.

She knew he was going to conduct the attack, federal prosecutor Roger Handberg told the judge. Handberg did not disclose any more details and would not comment after the hearing.

Outside court, Salmans uncle Al Salman said his niece was innocent and did nothing to help her husband, Omar Mateen, plan the June 12 attack on the Pulse, a gay nightclub in Florida.

Shes a very soft and sweet girl, Salman said. She would not hurt a fly.

In an indictment unsealed Monday, she was accused of aiding and abetting Mateen in providing material support and resources to the Islamic State group between April and June of last year. She was also charged with obstruction, accused of misleading and lying to police and the FBI during their investigation. The charges carry up to life in prison.

The indictment gave no additional details on Salmans actions.

During the standoff, Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in a 911 call. He was killed in a shootout with SWAT officers. In addition to the 49 victims killed, 53 people were injured.

The couple lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the time of the rampage.

After repeated interrogation by the FBI, Salman was arrested Monday at a house she shared with her mother in Rodeo, a San Francisco suburb.

Al Salman said that Noor Salman was physically and mentally abused by Mateen and that she stayed with him for fear of losing custody of their son.

A judge scheduled another hearing Wednesday to discuss her possible release ahead of trial, her transfer to Florida to face the charges, and the appointment of a lawyer to represent her.

Story continues

Charles Swift, director of the Richardson, Texas-based Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America, planned on representing her at that hearing, said public defender John Paul Reichmuth, who served as her attorney during Tuesdays proceedings.

Linda Moreno, a Florida attorney who also represents Salman, said after Salmans arrest that the widow had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night.

Salman told The New York Times in an interview published in November that she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but that she was unaware of everything regarding his intent to shoot up the club. Salman also said he had physically abused her.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)  The widow of the Orlando nightclub gunman knew about the attack ahead of time and then hindered the criminal investigation when she lied to FBI agents after the shooting, prosecutors said Tuesday during a brief court appearance a day after her arrest in California.

Visibly nervous and bewildered, Noor Salman quietly acknowledged she understood the two felony charges alleging she assisted her husband and obstructed justice. She could face life in prison if convicted of both counts.

She didn't enter a plea and was ordered back to court Wednesday for the formal appointment of a lawyer and discussions on how to transfer her and the case to federal court in Orlando, where a grand jury indicted her.

She was arrested Monday at her mother's home in Rodeo, a middle-class suburb about 25 miles northeast of San Francisco.

Salman, 30, was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, with her husband Omar Mateen when he attacked the Pulse nightclub on June 12.

"She knew he was going to conduct the attack," federal prosecutor Roger Handberg told the judge Tuesday. Handberg did not disclose any more details and would not comment after the 15-minute hearing held in a courtroom packed with security officers.

Outside court, Salman's uncle Al Salman said his niece was innocent and did nothing to help Mateen plan the attack on the gay nightclub.

"She's a very soft and sweet girl," Salman said. "She would not hurt a fly."

The indictment charges her with aiding and abetting Mateen in providing material support and resources to the Islamic State group between April and June of last year. She was also charged with obstruction, accused of misleading and lying to police and the FBI during their investigation.

The indictment gave no additional details on Salman's actions.

During the standoff, Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in a 911 call. He was killed in a shootout with SWAT officers. In addition to the 49 victims killed, 53 people were injured.

Story continues

In California, next-door neighbor Glauber Franchi said he was unaware that Noor Salman was living with her mother until she was arrested Monday.

"It's a very private family, very quiet family," Franchi said. "You don't see them. You barely see them on the street. They're good people from my knowledge. Never had a problem."

Al Salman said that Noor Salman was physically and mentally abused by Mateen and that she stayed with him for fear of losing custody of their son.

Charles Swift, director of the Richardson, Texas-based Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America, planned to represent Noor Salman at the Wednesday hearing, said public defender John Paul Reichmuth, who served as her attorney Tuesday.

Linda Moreno, a Florida attorney who also represents Salman, said after her arrest that the widow "had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night."

Salman told The New York Times in an interview published in November that she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but that she was "unaware of everything" regarding his intent to shoot up the club. Salman also said he had physically abused her.

___

Tucker reported from Washington. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP

___

This story has been corrected to reflect that the indictment was unsealed Tuesday, not Monday.
President Obama on Tuesday commuted the sentence for Oscar Lopez Rivera, who fought for Pureto Rican independence and has been imprisoned since 1981. Though he was due to serve 70 years, he will be released on May 17.

Rivera was born in Puerto Rico and lived in Chicago after serving in the Vietnam War, where he earned a Bronze Star but became disillusioned by American imperialism. He became a member of the Fuerzas Armadas de Liberacion Nacional (FALN), a group responsible for dozens of bombings and several deaths. He was captured by the FBI and convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Human rights organizations and high-profile figures like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Bernie Sanders have called for his release, and Rivera maintains that he is a political prisoner. Though he was offered commutation by President Bill Clinton in 1999, he rejected it based on certain conditions of the deal.

Sanders and other supporters applauded the news on Twitter:

I appreciate @POTUS listening to Puerto Ricans and people worldwide who believe Oscar Lopez Rivera deserves a chance to enjoy his freedom.  Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 17, 2017

Oscar Lopez Rivera has been pardoned!!!!!  #ComingHome  Gina Rodriguez (@HereIsGina) January 17, 2017

[Telesur]
A mother who murdered her own daughter and set her alight for marrying the man of her choice has been sentenced to death, officials said Tuesday, in a case that had revolted many in Pakistan.

Zeenat Bibi, aged 16, was doused with kerosene and set alight in June last year in Pakistan's teeming cultural capital Lahore, a little over a week after she wed 20-year-old motorcycle mechanic Hasan Khan against her family's wishes.

A judge in an anti-terror court in Lahore sentenced her mother Perveen Bibi to death on murder and terrorism charges, prosecutor Mian Mohammad Tufail told AFP.

She was charged under Pakistan's terrorism laws rather than newly-reformed criminal legislation against honour killings because of the use of kerosene in the murder, Tufail said.

Bibi also received a 14-year jail term and was fined one million rupees ($9,300) under separate counts related to the killing. Her son Mohammad Anees was jailed for life and fined 1.5 million rupees for his role in the killing, Tufail said.

Bibi's son-in-law, the husband of another daughter, was acquitted, he said.

Zeenat's vicious murder sent shockwaves across Pakistan and triggered fresh calls for action against so-called "honour killings".

Hundreds of women are killed by their relatives each year after allegedly bringing shame on their families in the deeply conservative Muslim country.

Under previous legislation the culprits -- usually men -- could get away with the killings after being pardoned by members of their own family.

But in July last year the high-profile murder of social media star Qandeel Baloch, whose brother confessed to the killing, reignited calls for reform.

In October parliament passed a law aimed at removing the ability to forgive "honour" killers. But critics contend some loopholes still exist.

In the latest incident of honour killing, police have arrested a man for electrocuting his sister to death after she married according to her own choice.

Story continues

The incident occurred on Monday in a remote village of Lodhran district, in central Punjab province.

Rana Mushtaq, a police official in the area said the woman was first tortured by her brother and then tied with electric wires and electrocuted.

Mushtaq said the suspect was arrested after villagers informed police.

"The brother has been arrested and he has confessed that he was not happy with his sister's decision to marry the person of her choice," Mushtaq told AFP.
Moscow (AFP) - The main Palestinian parties on Tuesday announced a deal to form a national unity government prior to the holding of elections, after three days of reconciliation talks in Moscow.

"We have reached agreement under which, within 48 hours, we will call on (Palestinian leader) Mahmud Abbas to launch consultations on the creation of a government" of national unity, senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad told a press conference, speaking in Arabic.

Ater the government is formed, the Palestinians would set up a national council, which would include Palestinians in exile, and hold elections.

"Today the conditions for (such an initiative) are better than ever," said Ahmad.

The non-official talks in Moscow began on Sunday under Russian auspices with the goal of restoring "the unity of the Palestinian people." Representatives came from Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other factions.

Abbas's secular party Fatah and the Islamist Hamas have been at loggerheads since the latter seized Gaza in a near civil war in 2007.

Last year the Palestinian government postponed the first municipal polls in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in 10 years after the high court ruled they should be held only in the Fatah-run West Bank.

The last time the Palestinians staged elections in which both Hamas and Fatah took part was in 2006.

The Palestinian representatives also met on Monday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and asked him to dissuade incoming US president Donald Trump from carrying out a campaign pledge to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Israel captured east Jerusalem during the 1967 war and later annexed it -- in a move not recognised by the international community -- declaring all of the city its unified capital.

"We sensed understanding on the part of Mr. Lavrov," said Ahmad.

Ahmad and Moussa Abu Marzouk of Hamas spoke derisively of the Quartet -- the United States, Russia, the EU and UN -- in its years-long effort to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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"The Quartet's work completely failed. It was unable to advance the decisions taken by the international community, including (UN) resolutions," said Ahmad.

"It is imperative to find a new working mechanism for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," he said.

Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, said he no longer wanted to work with the Quartet but instead with countries and organisations on an individual basis.

"Russia can play a substantial role" in the region, he said.
Jerusalem (AFP) - An Israeli minister said Monday the Palestinians had no way to block incoming US President Donald Trump from moving his country's embassy to Jerusalem.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has said such a move would have consequences as it was a "red line" whose crossing would ruin hopes for a two-state solution.

But regional cooperation minister Tzachi Hanegbi, of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, said the Palestinians were powerless to stop it.

"What can they do? What can they do?," he said in a briefing to reporters in Jerusalem.

"There are not going to be any consequences."

Trump -- who takes office Friday -- has pledged to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocate the US embassy there from Tel Aviv.

That is bitterly opposed by Palestinians, who see it as a destructive and unilateral action, as the status of the city is contested.

They demand Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, while Israel proclaims the entire city as its capital.

The United States and most UN member states do not recognise Jerusalem as capital of the Jewish state, and the city's status is one of the thorniest issues of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On Sunday French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault warned the move would have "extremely serious consequences."

Among the threats Abbas has made is that his government could reverse its recognition of Israel, but Hanegbi said that would be suicidal.

Others have suggested it could lead a new Palestinian intifada -- or violent uprising.

"This is not a threat. This is shooting themselves in the head," Hanegbi said in English.

"I don't think Abu Mazen has an interest to open an intifada, I don't think the Palestinians would like another intifada," he added, referring to Abbas by his Arabic nickname.

He said he did not expect a "domino effect," and that most other countries would keep their embassies in Tel Aviv.

"It is a decision reflecting the special relationship between Israel and the United States. It is not going to be a domino effect."
Personality, once thought to be fundamental and resistant to change, can shift in response to therapy, new research finds.

The study synthesizes data from 207 published research papers that measured personality traits as one outcome of various psychotherapies. Though most of the research was observational rather than experimental, the review, which was published on Jan. 5 in the journal Psychological Bulletin, adds new weight to the idea that personality is not static.

But that doesn't mean that personality change is easy, warned study researcher Brent Roberts, a social and personality psychologist at the University of Illinois.

"For the people who want to change their spouse tomorrow, which a lot of people want to do, I don't hold out much hope for them," Roberts said. However, he continued, "if you're willing to focus on one aspect of yourself, and you're willing to go at it systematically, there's now increased optimism that you can affect change in that domain." [10 Things You Didn't Know About You]

Consistency or change?

Previous research has found that the "big five" personality traits  openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism  are predictive of success in life.

And much research has suggested that these traits are stable. For example, one 2010 study showed that people's personalities were relatively stable from first grade to adulthood, and that a first grader's personality could predict his or her adult behavior, the review said. People who were impulsive as kids were likely to be talkative and expansive in their interests as adults, while those who were more restrained as children grew up to be more insecure and timid.

Studies such as that one have led some researchers to view personality as basically immutable. But other scientists have challenged that notion, including Roberts in his own research. For example, he and his colleagues foundthat people become more conscientious and emotionally stable during young adulthood and midlife. Openness to new experience increases in the teen years and declines in old age.

Story continues

If personality can change, even late in life, Roberts told Live Science, the natural next question was whether a person could change his or her personality deliberately. Some research analyzed in the review suggested that even surprisingly short-term interventions might do just that.

In 2009, for example, researchers at Northwestern University in Illinois found that antidepressants make people more extraverted and more emotionally stable. And a 2011 study found that a single dose of psilocybin, the hallucinatory compound in "magic mushrooms," can increase people's openness to experience for at least 14 months, which is considered a long-term change.

Gold mine of data

When Roberts and his colleagues first became interested in looking at whether interventions can change personality, they expected to find few studies to analyze, because personality psychologists don't typically focus on altering personality, Roberts said.

"I thought we could do this pretty quick, which, you should never say that as an academic," Roberts said. [5 Things You Must Know About Sleep]

To his surprise, Roberts said, he found what he called a "gold mine" of data on personality change. It came from an unexpected source: clinical psychology. While personality psychologists had more or less neglected the question of how to change personality, clinical psychologists had been measuring personality change that resulted from therapy and psychiatric medications all along, but almost as an afterthought.

"Most of the literature is [asking], 'Does this version of cognitive behavioral therapy work better than that version of cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety?'" Roberts said. "It's usually something very specific to a clinically motivated agenda  [but] in the process, they measure a bunch of different things."

Those things included personality. The biggest changes, Roberts and his colleagues found, were in people's levels of neuroticism. This trait is marked by jealousy, fear, anxiety and other negative emotions. People typically become less neurotic as they age, Roberts said. The new analysis found that three months of psychological treatment could also significantly lower neuroticism, by about half the amount you might expect to see over 30 to 40 years of adulthood.

"One way to look at that is you get half of a life in a three-month period," Roberts said. "I honestly did not expect to see effect sizes that large."

Another personality trait, extraversion, also showed significant, though smaller, changes after psychological interventions. The type of therapy used didn't seem to matter, the researchers reported Jan. 5 in the journal Psychological Bulletin, though psychotherapy was associated with slightly larger changes in personality than drug therapies alone. Hospitalization for psychiatric problems did not result in any personality changes, the researchers found.

Trait vs. state

One key question is whether the changes were representative of a change in fundamental personality traits versus simply a shift in psychological state, or mood, Roberts said. A person's mood, for example, can affect how he or she responds to questions about his or her personality.

"If you're in a bad mood and I force you to take a 150-item personality inventory, you might not respond well," Roberts said.

Complicating matters, few of the studies available were true experiments that randomly assigned patients to treatment and control groups. Those studies that were experimental, however, did show significantly larger effects on personality in the treatment group compared with the control group, the researchers found. And in the observational studies, follow-ups that took place months or years after treatment showed no evidence that people were backsliding: The changes that followed therapy stayed stable, suggesting that these are changes in people's basic personality traits rather than moment-by-moment moods, the researchers said. [9 DIY Ways to Improve Your Mental Health]

Still, more studies with long follow-up periods need to be done in order to really test the idea that personality can be changed, Roberts said. Ideal research, he said, would include randomly assigning patients to treatment as well as getting outside observers, like friends or family, to rate any personality changes. A perfect study would also follow people for several years after the treatment, Roberts said.

A further question is what is the "magic ingredient" in therapy that ushers in personality change, Roberts said.

"If you can actually affect change in something like neuroticism or conscientiousness," he said, "you could possibly have pretty interesting consequences for somebody, because personality traits are important."

Original article on Live Science.

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MANILA (Reuters) - China's recent installation of weapons on artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea was "very troubling", the Philippines' defense minister said on Tuesday, after Manila quietly protested against Beijing's activities. The Philippine foreign ministry sent a note verbale to the Chinese embassy last month after confirming a report from the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies about China's arms buildup in the Spratlys. "The actions of China in militarizing those disputed features are very troubling," Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement. "They do not square with the Chinese government's rhetoric that its purpose is peaceful and friendly." Lorenzana took a stronger line than Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, who refrained on Tuesday from criticizing China, but said the issue had to be handled carefully and the public should know "we are not sleeping on the job". "When something happens that can pose us some kind of threats to our sovereignty rights we issue a note verbale so we can talk about it and make sure it is properly addressed," he told ANC television. With billions of dollars of potential Chinese trade and investment at stake, the Philippines has a difficult balancing act in upholding its sovereignty claims while staying on the better terms President Rodrigo Duterte has established with historic rival China. Mischief Reef, one of the islands where China has modern weapons, is located within the Philippines' 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone. In Beijing, when asked about the Philippine protest, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China had the right to deploy on the Spratly islands "necessary and appropriate defense equipment to protect its sovereign territory". At a daily briefing, she reiterated a call for two-way talks between China and maritime claimants, adding that work between China and relevant parties, including the Philippines, was "progressively lowering the temperature in the South China Sea". The Philippines, for its part, has decided to shelve planned upgrades to facilities on islands it controls, such as repairing an eroded runway, to avoid incurring China's wrath. Lorenzana said a diplomatic protest was the correct procedure and despite warming relations with China, the government still had a duty to protect the national interest. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion of goods passes annually. An international arbitration ruling last year invalidated those claims. China's artificial islands became a hot issue last week when the U.S. nominee for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, told a Senate hearing that Beijing should be repelled from, and then denied access to, the controversial islets. Yasay last week suggested the Philippines would play no part in such efforts, saying of the United States, "Let them do it". (Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Additional reporting by Christian Shepherd in Beijing; Editing by Martin Petty and Clarence Fernandez)
The former James Bond will take a leading role in "The Son," a series launching on US TV network AMC in April. The Irish actor is making his comeback via the small screen, a medium that served to kickstart his career in the 1980s.

AMC, the network behind hit shows "Mad Men" and "The Walking Dead," will present its latest original creation, "The Son," April 8. This western follows the birth of the USA as a global superpower through the rise and fall of a Texan family at the helm of an oil empire.

The plot of this 10-episode drama spans three generations of the family. Pierce Brosnan plays the patriarch, the charismatic Eli McCullough. Henry Garrett, Shane Graham and Sydney Lucas also star in the show.

Pierce Brosnan has been keen to return to TV for several years. The actor rose to fame in the 1980s thanks to his small screen role in the series "Remington Steele." From 1982 to 1987, he played a charming thief working alongside private detective Laura Holt. The drama was canceled after five seasons at the request of the actor, who was initially forced to decline the James Bond role due to commitments to NBC.

The Irish actor made up for lost time in the 1990s, stepping into role as James Bond for four movies: "Goldeneye," "Tomorrow Never Dies," "The World Is Not Enough" and "Die Another Day." The star also had roles in "Mrs Doubtfire," "Mars Attacks!," "The Thomas Crown Affair" and "Mamma Mia!."
By Pawel Sobczak and Lidia Kelly WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland should increase its military cooperation with the United States, a senior adviser to the Polish president said. Krzysztof Szczerski, President Andrzej Duda's top foreign policy adviser, was speaking days before the new U.S. administration that has signaled a friendlier approach to Russia takes power in Washington. Szczerski also suggested that Poland would welcome the re-election of Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany, Poland's largest trade partner with whom relations have soured since Polish conservatives came to power a year ago. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's friendly rhetoric towards Russia puts Poland, which has frosty ties with Moscow and fears President Vladimir Putin's influence over the region, in an awkward diplomatic position. The country has just received the largest U.S. military reinforcement in Europe in decades under a planned NATO operation to strengthen its Eastern European allies in face of what the pact sees as a growing Russian aggression. "First of all, we want to maintain and possibly deepen the current level of the (Poland-USA) military cooperation," Szczerski, who is also the chancellor of state in Duda's administration, told Reuters. Moscow, which unnerved Eastern Europe by annexing Ukraine's Crimea in 2014, sees the NATO reinforcement in the region as a security threat. In retaliation, it has deployed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in its European exclave of Kaliningrad. Although it is unlikely that 28-member NATO would change its deterrence policy any time soon, Szczerski said Warsaw wants a "political conversation" between Duda and Trump as soon as possible. "Our task is to insist that the U.S. presence in Europe, including in Poland...lies in the interest of the United States and Poland, as well as of the alliance," he said. MERKEL VISIT The conservative Law and Justice (PiS) ruling party, fearing Germany's pre-eminence in Europe, has allowed relations with Berlin to deteriorate while shifting its foreign policy focus onto Britain. Merkel is to visit Poland next month at the invitation of the Polish government in what diplomats are saying could be an attempt by Warsaw to repair ties, now that Britain is leaving the EU. Duda and his administration are PiS's allies. "From the point of view of Polish-German relations and the future of this part of Europe in general, the stability of Germany politics is a value," Szczerski said, asked whether Poland would root for Merkel in the German elections this year. "On the turbulent map of Europe such a stability is needed." (Writing by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Poland's Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said after meeting French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen her vision for Europe would mean "a return to the law of the jungle". During a visit to Paris on Sunday, Waszczykowski had an unusual 90-minute discussion with the far-right leader, who is rarely met by top diplomats from European Union states. Since coming to power in late 2015, his eurosceptic government has clashed with EU officials over what critics call a drift towards authoritarian rule in Warsaw. "Here is an EU that's broken apart into a loose union," Waszczykowski told journalists on Monday on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. "Mrs Le Pen also wants less European solidarity in such a union. And this would mean a return to the law of the jungle," he said. Waszczykowski was in Paris on Sunday to participate in a Middle East peace conference. Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party shares Le Pen's opposition to the euro currency and is against any EU quotas for the resettlement of migrants from the Middle East. Its leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, has expressed ambitions to help reshape Europe into a bloc where member states have significantly more say at the expense of Brussels institutions. Most Poles want to remain in the EU. Opinion polls predict that Le Pen, leader of the anti-immigration, anti-EU National Front will make it to the French presidential election's second round in May, but they see her losing that run-off. In Paris Waszczykowski also met Bruno Le Maire, in charge of European and international issues for conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon. Poland's relations with France, a fellow NATO member, deteriorated sharply in October when the PiS government unexpectedly scrapped a 13.5 billion-zloty ($3.5 billion) deal to buy 50 Airbus utility helicopters for the Polish army. Le Pen's aides were not immediately available to comment on Monday. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels, Ingrid Melander in Paris and Jakub Iglewski in Warsaw; editing by Andrew Roche)


The falling cost of solar energy technology is helping India increase its production of electricity.

Solar energy is electrical power captured from the sun. Last April, Indias energy minister Piyush Goyal reportedly said it is now less costly to produce electricity from the sun than from coal in his country.

The drop in the cost of solar power is also helping India reach its goal of producing more renewable energy.

The U.S. Energy Information Commission says India is the worlds fourth largest user of electricity. However, many of its people still do not have electricity.

India urgently needs to increase its electricity production. But, reducing the countrys high levels of pollution is also very important.

In an effort to meet both goals, the government plans to produce 100 gigawatts of solar power by 2022. A gigawatt is a measure of electrical power equal to one billion watts.

Its the size of 60 Taj Majals

A few months ago, India launched the largest solar power plant in the world in the town of Kamuthi in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Global News agency describes the power plant as being the size of 60 Taj Mahals. The plant took less than one year to build.

The power center covers more than 1000 hectares of land. It is made up of 2.5 million individual solar panels. Together, the panels can produce as much as 648 megawatts of electrical power.

Adani Power, an Indian company, financed the building of the plant in Kamuthi.

The solar plant is not Indias only big effort to develop solar energy.

Indias solar mission

All over the country, there is evidence that Indias use of solar power is increasing.

In 2015, CNN reported that India became the first country to operate an airport completely on solar power. That year, the Cochin International Airport placed a solar plant on unused land near some of its buildings.

Now, the airport no longer pays electric bills. Instead, it plans to sell its extra electricity back to the state.

Other airports in India are also using solar power, including an international airport in Kolkata, which launched a two megawatt rooftop solar energy farm in 2015.

At the beginning of 2010, India launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission to increase renewable energy, which includes solar. By 2022, the government wants to produce enough solar electricity to power more than 60 million homes.

Last year, India joined the Paris Agreement. The U.N. agreement is a promise by almost 200 countries to help slow climate change by 2030. Part of Indias promise is to increase renewable energy to 40 percent of its total.

Claire Brunel is an assistant professor of economics at American University in Washington, DC. Brunel recently spoke to VOA Learning English about Indias solar growth.

Theyre building an incredible amount of solar and theyre fast becoming one of the biggest  the countries with the biggest solar capacity and definitely the biggest added solar capacity. I mean, theyve overcome the U.K. already and theyre on their way to overcoming Italy. I mean it's - it is pretty amazing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has supported solar and other renewable energy sources. His government plans to increase solar power production from four gigawatts to 100 gigawatts by 2022, according to the World Resources Institute.

However, Modis main goal is to expand electricity production using all possible sources, including coal and other fossil fuels. Modi plans to double coal production by 2020, according to CNN.

When land is limited

The Indian government also wants to increase the use of rooftop solar panels. Cities are developing plans to use these panels to help make electricity service more dependable.

Cities like Delhi have already announced plans to place solar panels on the roofs of buildings throughout the city. For government and public buildings in Delhi, it will be a requirement. The Times of India reported that Delhi Metro, the citys underground train service, will put solar panels on the roofs of some of its metro stations.

But, cities are not the only places collecting the suns energy on roofs. Rural communities are getting electricity from companies like Simpa Energy. The website ThinkProgress says Simpa and similar companies rent solar panels to individual customers. These panels provide electricity without being connected to central power lines.

Customers can add credit to their mobile phones to use the panels.

Other companies rent rechargeable solar lanterns to customers very cheaply.

Companies like Simpa are opening for business in states like Uttar Pradesh, one of Indias largest and poorest states.

Claire Brunel says that many developing nations are using rooftop solar panels to get electricity to rural communities, where electrical systems are not dependable.

The less-than-sunny-side

Yet, India still faces serious energy shortages.

The countrys energy needs are growing too fast to be met by renewable sources alone. Indias energy use has doubled since 2000, according to the International Energy Agency.

Brunel says that by 2040, an estimated 300 million people in India will need new electricity service.

New coal plants are being built to provide for this growing need. The country gets more than 60 percent of its electricity from coal. Reuters news agency says India has almost as much coal-related pollution as China.

Brunel says the countrys growing need for energy will affect whether it can reduce its levels of greenhouse gases.

If - if solar is capturing the growth in electricity basically, then youre not technically changing emissions. Youre just making sure that emissions are not increasing, but youre not decreasing them either.

She says India will probably not be able to end the use of coal and other fossil fuels completely.

Im Phil Dierking. And I'm Alice Bryant.

Alice Bryant wrote this story based on VOA news reports by Anjana Pasricha and Kevin Enochs and other news sources.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

renewable energy - n. energy that is comes from a source that does not run out

watt - n. a unit for measuring electrical power.

Taj Mahal - n. a large white, marble mausoleum located in Agra, India

panel - n. a large, flat piece of equipment that uses the sun's light or heat to create electricity

proximity - n. the state of being near

logistics - n. things that must be done to plan and organize a complicated activity or event

climate change - n. a change in global climate patterns caused by an increase in heat-trapping gases resulting from the burning of fossil fuels (such as coal and natural gas)

capacity - n. the ability to hold or contain people or things  usually singular

fossil fuel - n. a fuel (such as coal, oil, or natural gas) that is formed in the earth from dead plants or animals

customer - n. someone who buys goods or services from a business

lantern - n. a light that has usually a glass covering and that can be carried by a handle

shortage - n. a state in which there is not enough of something that is needed

greenhouse gas - n. a gas in the atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation

emissions - n. the act of producing or releasing something, such as a gas or chemical element, from a source
Villa de Reyes (Mexico) (AFP) - In a rocky desert of northern Mexico, impoverished villagers fear they may be the first people in the world to suffer the impact of US President-elect Donald Trump's trade crackdown.

In the town of Villa de Reyes stand the square white skeletons of two huge buildings: an unfinished Ford car factory.

The $1.6-billion plant was expected to bring thousands of jobs to the area, but Ford abruptly called off the project this month in the state of San Luis Potosi.

The closure sparked concern that more companies could flee Mexico, where the auto sector has become a driver of growth, accounting for three percent of the economy and changing the face of some regions like San Luis Potosi.

While Ford insisted it was a business decision, Mexican officials said it was also partly due to Trump's criticism of the company and his vow to penalize US companies that shift jobs abroad.

"That guy in the United States is tightening the screws," says Concepcion Segura, 54.

He, his wife and four of their six sons lost their jobs on the Ford building site when the project was pulled.

"He has taken Ford away from us to keep it for himself," Segura said.

- Autos and poverty -

Half of the population of San Luis Potosi was categorized as living in poverty in 2014, according to the latest data from Mexico's National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL).

The level is extremely high, but it has gradually eased over recent years as the state has become a hub of auto production.

Now it is one of the first places to suffer from the Trump effect.

"The same old thing could happen," says Segura. "Lots of shortages and little work."

General Motors started operating in San Luis Potosi in 2008. It and hundreds of other international companies have transformed the state's fortunes.

Smart hotels for visiting executives sprang up along the highway where the abandoned plant now stands.

Story continues

Houses were built near factories for the workers and their families.

The Ford plant was supposed to begin operations in 2018.

"We were growing very well, but with Ford that growth was going to accelerate," says Gustavo Puente, the state's development secretary.

Ford's decision to abandon the plant here meant the loss of 2,800 direct jobs in San Luis Potosi.

Instead, Ford says it will expand a factory in the state of Michigan, the US auto-making heartland, to build electric and self-driving vehicles.

Poverty in Michigan has risen in recent years -- the rate is about one in six, according to the US Census.

- Optimism versus uncertainty -

While Mexican officials voice optimism that other companies will not follow Ford's lead, President Enrique Pena Nieto warned Trump last week against influencing foreign investors "on the basis of fear or threats."

Trump has threatened to impose a 35 percent import tariff on companies that ship jobs to Mexico.

The Republican billionaire also wants to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico.

Mexico's car production has tripled since NAFTA came into force -- from 1.1 million in 1994 to nearly 3.8 million last year.

But not all firms in the sector are fearing the wheels will come off San Luis Potosi's auto powerhouse.

"It is too early to say," says Gunter Daut, vice-president for Mexico at German parts maker Bosch.

Another supplier operating in the area, Michigan-based TI Automotive, is also optimistic.

"We shouldn't be too alarmed," says its plant head, Luis Caballero.

"We have to trust in the business we have and companies' plans for expansion."

He says T1 Automotive's main client, German manufacturer BMW, is planning to start operating in San Luis Potosi in 2019.

Further down the pecking order, the poorest of the local workforce are racked with uncertainty, however.

In the nearby hamlet of Providencia, Teresa Contreras, 34, lost her job as a cleaner at the in-progress Ford plant when it was scrapped.

"They told me it was going to last four years and it was only four months," she says. She doesn't know where she will find work now.
By Andrei Khalip LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's president approved a decree on Tuesday cutting the social security tax companies pay on the minimum wage, but parliament looked set to block the measure in a move that could expose cracks in the government's alliance with the far left. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he signed the government-decreed tax cut because it had been agreed in a collective bargaining process between the minority Socialist government, unions and employers. The measure would be "favorable to the economy and support corporate investment". "What the president had to do has been done. What happens next is not in the president's hands," Rebelo de Sousa told reporters. In a parliamentary debate soon afterwards, most parties to the right and left of the ruling Socialists reaffirmed their opposition to the measure. As allowed under the constitution, the Communist Party requested a parliamentary vote on the decree. The decree reduces the levy applied to the salaries of workers earning the minimum wage by 1.25 percentage points to 21.5 percent and was designed to compensate for an increase in the basic wage this year to 557 euros per month from 535 euros. Above the minimum wage, the rate remains 22.75 percent. Both the Communists and Left Bloc - usually allies of the Socialist government - have long objected to compensating companies for minimum wage increases and their rejection of the decree will not come as a surprise to the government. But the government had hoped that the main opposition Social Democrats, who traditionally support such tax cuts for firms, would back the measure. Still, the Social Democrats ruled out support in a maneuver their leader Pedro Passos Coelho, a former premier who was unseated after an inconclusive election in late 2015, said would demonstrate the government had no reliable parliament majority. Prime Minister Antonio Costa defended the Communists and Left Bloc, saying they were consistent in their stance, but attacked Passos Coelho. "There is no rift with the Communist Party and the Left Bloc, they have consistently been against this measure. What we do have is huge incoherence within the Social Democratic Party, which has done a huge about-turn," he told lawmakers. Left Bloc head Catarina Martins also focused her fire on Passos Coelho, accusing him of a "lack of principles". The first-ever alliance of the center-left Socialists with the hard left, now in its second year, has already survived longer than most analysts had expected, with many forecasting a quick split after EU pressure for more fiscal consolidation. Still, some concerns about the return of political and fiscal instability linger on. (Reporting By Andrei Khalip, editing by Axel Bugge and Richard Lough)
President Obama shortened the sentence of Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. Army soldier who admitted to leaking secret government documents to WikiLeaks. She had been sentenced to serve 35 years behind bars.

Under the Presidents order, Mannings sentence will expire on May 17, 2017.

Manning, who was born Bradley Manning, came out as a transgender woman after she was sentenced to serve 35 years in prison. Shes faced trouble in her efforts to transition behind bars. In 2016, a petition garnered 100,000 signatures calling for President Obama to release her early. She has been in an all-male prison and has tried to commit suicide more than once.

The presidents announcement came as a surprise to Evan Greer, a friend and supporter of Mannings who spoke to TIME on Tuesday. The presidents decision, Greer said, is saving Chelseas life.

She has so much to offer the world. Its incredible that shell be able to do that now and people will be able to learn about who she is as a whole being, Greer said. Her friends and supporters and legal team will be jumping into action to be there for her and help her return to her life.

Mannings was one of 209 commutations granted by President Obama on Tuesday. He also pardoned 64 individuals.

Chelsea Manning exposed serious abuses, and as a result her own human rights have been violated by the U.S. government for years, said Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA. President Obama was right to commute her sentence, but it is long overdue. It is unconscionable that she languished in prison for years while those allegedly implicated by the information she revealed still havent been brought to justice.

Amnesty also called on Obama to pardon Edward Snowden, though press secretary Josh Earnest has indicated thats unlikely. At Fridays press briefing he outlined stark differences between the two cases.

Im relieved and thankful that the president is doing the right thing and commuting Chelsea Mannings sentence, said Chase Strangio, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Unions LGBT Project representing Manning. Since she was first taken into custody, Chelsea has been subjected to long stretches of solitary confinement  including for attempting suicide  and has been denied access to medically necessary health care. This move could quite literally save Chelseas life, and we are all better off knowing that Chelsea Manning will walk out of prison a free woman, dedicated to making the world a better place and fighting for justice for so many.
Paris (AFP) - French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said Tuesday she would relish a duel for the presidency with former economy minister Emmanuel Macron, as polls show the rising star closing in on the frontrunners.

A little over three months before the French begin voting in an election that could decide the European Union's future, the race is seen as wide open.

Most polls show National Front leader Le Pen -- who wants to exit the eurozone and hold an election on France's membership of the EU -- going through to the May runoff, along with conservative candidate Francois Fillon.

But recent surveys have shown Macron, 39, gaining ground.

"It would be a gift if I met Macron in the second round," Le Pen told AFP.

"You couldn't dream of a clearer, total clash of ideas."

Le Pen, who is running on a French-first, anti-immigration platform that contains shades of Donald Trump's campaign in the US, has billed the election as a choice between defenders of globalisation and "patriots".

On Tuesday, she dismissed the youthful-looking Macron as the face of "unabashed globalisation".

"A face-off between a globalist as unabashed as him and a patriot like me would be ideal," 48-year-old Le Pen said.

Macron, a former Rothschild banker who served two years as economy minister under President Francois Hollande, styles himself as a third-way candidate who supersedes France's entrenched left-right divide.

He is running as an independent.

A survey Tuesday showed him to be France's favourite politician, with 40 percent of voters saying they supported Macron, compared to 32 percent for Fillon and 26 per cent for Le Pen.

The Odoxa poll of 984 people for French media did not ask respondents for their voting intentions.

- Turning supporters away -

An Elabe poll of 995 people conducted in early January showed Macron pipping Le Pen for an election run-off spot in two of eight scenarios tested by pollsters.

Story continues

On Monday, he was forced to turn away around 500 people at a rally in the western town of Quimper because the 2,500-capacity venue was full.

Macron's rise has overshadowed a primary to choose the candidate of the Socialist Party.

Two rounds of voting are planned on Sunday and January 29, with pro-business former prime minister Manuel Valls facing a stiff challenge from two leftist party dissidents, former economy minister Arnaud Montebourg and former education minister Benoit Hamon.

Hollande ruled himself out of the running in December.

Current projections show the Socialist candidate crashing out in the first round on a wave of frustration with the party's lacklustre record in office, particularly its failure to revive the economy.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Car horns rang out across Puerto Rico and people celebrated in the streets Tuesday after President Barack Obama announced he had commuted the prison sentence of 74-year-old nationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera.

Many Puerto Ricans have long demanded his release, and some wept with emotion upon hearing the news while others headed to all-night parties announced on social media.

His lawyer, Jan Susler, told The Associated Press that she broke the news of the release to Lopez, who was sentenced to 55 years in prison for his role in a violent struggle for independence for the U.S. island territory.

"He's very, very grateful," she said in a phone interview. "One of the things he said was: 'Tomorrow's my daughter's birthday. What an amazing present for her.'"

Lopez belonged to the ultranationalist Armed Forces of National Liberation, which claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings at public and commercial buildings during the 1970s and '80s in New York, Chicago, Washington and other U.S. cities. He was convicted on one count of seditious conspiracy, and he was later convicted of conspiring to escape from prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. He is currently being held at Terre Haute, Indiana.

The group's most notorious bombing occurred at New York's landmark Fraunces Tavern in 1975 that killed four people and injured more than 60. Lopez was not convicted of any role in that attack, but some still hold him responsible because of his ties to the ultranationalist group.

"I'm willing to forgive, but he never once said he was sorry, showed no remorse at all," said Mary Connor Tully, whose husband, Frank Connor, was killed in the bombing. "He's an old man and he'll get to live his life free, and hopefully he can live with the sins he committed, and that he'll answer one day to a higher power than us for what he did."

Lopez, whose release also was opposed by several groups including a national police organization, is now scheduled to be freed May 17.

Story continues

"He wants to live in Puerto Rico, and people there really want him to come home," Susler said.

Lopez was offered clemency by President Bill Clinton in 1999, but he rejected the offer because it excluded two comrades who have since been released. Then in 2011, the U.S. Parole Commission denied his request for an early release.

Among those who publicly supported Lopez's release was Pope Francis, "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, former President Jimmy Carter and several legislators, including U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois.

"Sobbing with gratitude here in London," Miranda tweeted Tuesday, adding that he will have a show for Lopez in Chicago. "It'll be my honor to play Hamilton the night he goes."

Alejandro Molina, coordinator of the National Boricua Human Rights Network, joined about 100 other people in a spontaneous celebration Tuesday at the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Chicago, which was founded by Lopez.

"It's wonderful news," he said.

Upon his return to Puerto Rico, Lopez plans to spend time with his daughter and granddaughter and wants to establish a think tank that will work on such problems as climate change, the economy and the island's political status.

"He wants to be actively involved in solving the problems of Puerto Rican society," said Molina, who accompanied Lopez's daughter on a Christmas prison visit

Susler said the U.S. pardon attorney told her that sometimes inmates first transition to a halfway house after being released. But eventually, Lopez will return to Puerto Rico, she said.

"He's a man who lives with a lot of hope," she said. "That's how I think you survive 35 years in prison. He's never had false hope or illusory hope. He thought he was in prison for a higher cause for his people, and that's something that's very life-giving."

___

Associated Press writer Ben Fox in Miami and Deepti Hajela in New York City contributed to this report.
Fast-rising Czech star Karolina Pliskova played down her Australian Open chances on Tuesday despite kick-starting her campaign with an ominous straight-sets rout.

Ranked at a career-high five in the world, the tall and tattooed 24-year-old proved too hot to handle for Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo in blistering heat on Rod Laver Arena.

She showed no mercy in thrashing the 106th-ranked Spaniard 6-2, 6-0 to set up a second-round clash with Russian qualifier Anna Blinkova, who ended the hopes of Romanian Monica Niculescu.

Pliskova, a US Open finalist last year, said ahead of the opening Grand Slam of the year that the Melbourne Park surface suited her game and it was the tournament that offered her the best chance for a maiden Grand Slam title.

"Actually, I feel 100 times better than I felt before the US Open," she said, having never gone beyond the third round at any Grand Slam before that.

"So this thing, like the scariness of the second week, is already gone.

"Doesn't mean that I'm going to be there for sure now every Grand Slam in the second week. It can happen that I still lose, but definitely I feel better with this pressure than before."

She came into the event in form after her victory at the lead-up Brisbane International, and has tasted success in Melbourne before -- winning the girl's singles title in 2010.

But she played down her chances over the next fortnight.

"I don't feel like I would be favourite on this tournament or any Grand Slam so far," she said. "I think there are still better players than me. Me, I don't want to put the pressure on myself."

She traded blows early on against Sorribes Tormo, who was making her Australian Open debut, before grabbing the first break in the fourth game when the Spaniard slammed a backhand into the net.

Pliskova didn't look back as she turned the screws, breaking again for 5-1 before losing her focus and allowing Sorribes Tormo to stay in touch by breaking back.

Story continues

But it was only a temporary blip as she took the set on a love service game next up.

Power-server Pliskova, last year's WTA aces leader, then raced through the second set in just 29 minutes as her opponent wilted.

"I was a little bit nervous in the beginning, made a lot of mistakes on my forehand, especially first serves," she said.

"But overall, I think in the second set it improved a little bit, the game. But not the best, I would say."
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israel has released a radical Islamic cleric from prison after he completed his nine-month prison term.

Raed Salah heads the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, a group that Israel accuses of inciting Arabs to violence and outlawed in 2015. He was sentenced for "incitement to violence" and "incitement to racism" in a 2007 sermon and walked free Tuesday.

Salah has had repeated run-ins with Israel and was previously imprisoned for funneling money to Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza.

His release was marked by confusion, with his lawyer Omar Khamayseh accusing Israeli prison authorities of transferring Salah to unknown locations. He said Israel would be held responsible for anything that happened to Salah.
1 The Sarus Crane is the tallest flying bird in the world, found in Vietnam and Cambodia. The crane is considered extinct in Thailand. (Photo by Suy Senglim)
Thank you. Ive had the privilege of serving in the Obama administration for eight years. First in the White House, and for the last three and a half years, as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Ive never had a more meaningful job. Now I have just three days left.

This is my last major speech as a member of this Administration. And much as I would have liked to use it to urge others to go into public service, or to make the pragmatic case for strengthening the United Nations  I feel that the circumstances require me to focus on a much more immediate subject, a major threat facing our great nation: Russia.

Before getting to the core threat posed by Russia, I want to stress that some of the most rewarding and impactful work I have done at the UN has come in the times when my Russian counterpart and I have been able to cooperate. Back in 2013, together we negotiated a resolution to get the most dangerous chemical weapons out of Syria. Russia was a key pillar in imposing sanctions on Iran for its illicit nuclear program  sanctions that were essential to bringing Iran to the table, so we could forge an agreement that cut off Irans pathways to a nuclear bomb. And Russia worked constructively with the rest of the Security Council to select the best candidate for a new UN Secretary-General  a leader with tremendous experience and vision.

While people tend to look to the Cold War as the paradigm for understanding the nature of U.S.-Russia relations, the reality is that for pivotal parts of our shared history, U.S. and Russian interests have frequently aligned. We fought together in both of the 20th centurys world wars. Indeed, had it not been for the colossal sacrifices made by the Soviet Union in World War Two  in which they lost more than 20 million people, many times more than any other nation, friend or foe  the war would have dragged on much longer, millions more Americans and people of other Allied countries would likely have lost their lives, and fascism may well have prevailed in large parts of the world. Not to mention that the post-World War Two order may never have been built. Russias immense contribution in that war is part of their proud history of standing up to imperialist powers, from the Mongols in the 16th century to Napoleon in the 19th century. In addition, many of the challenges that Russia faces today  from violent extremism and Chinas territorial expansionist aims, to national industries and jobs that have been rendered obsolete by globalization  are ones we also face here in the United States. So it is very much in our interest to try to solve problems with Russia. Dialogue between us is absolutely imperative.

Having said that, anyone who has seen my debates in the UN Security Council with Russia knows that I and my government have long had serious concerns about its governments aggressive and destabilizing actions. The argument I want to make today goes beyond any particular action Russia has taken to its broader strategy, and what that means for the security of the United States.

Today, I will set out how the Russian Government under President Putin is taking steps that are weakening the rules-based order that we have benefitted from for seven decades. Our values, our security, our prosperity, and our very way of life are tied to this order. And we  and by we, I mean the United States and our closest partners  must come together to prevent Russia from succeeding.

This means better understanding and educating our public about how Russia is challenging this order. This means reaffirming our commitment to the rules and institutions that have long undergirded this order, as well as developing new tools to counter the tactics Russia is using to undermine it. And this means addressing the vulnerabilities within our democracy that Russias attacks have exposed and exacerbated. To do this, we cannot let Russia divide us. If we confront this threat together, we will adapt and strengthen the order on which our interests depend.

Terms like international order can seem pretty abstract, so let me be concrete about what is threatened by Russias actions. The order enshrined in the UN Charter and other key international agreements in the aftermath of the Second World War was built on the understanding that all our nations would be more secure if we bound ourselves to a set of rules. These included the rule that the borders between sovereign states should be respected. That even in times of war, some weapons and tactics should never be used. That while forms of government might vary from one nation to another, certain human rights were inalienable and necessary to check state power. And that the nations that break these rules should be held accountable.

Now, as we all know, a lot has changed in the seven decades since that order was created. When the United Nations was founded, there were just 51 member states, a fraction of todays 193; some great contemporary powers were not yet independent nations; and many countries that did exist did not have a say, much less an equal voice, in developing its rules. In addition, some of the threats we face today, such as violent terrorist groups and cyber-attacks, would have been unimaginable to the architects of that system. So there are many reasons why the rules-based order conceived in 1945 is not perfectly tailored to the challenges that we as an international community face in 2017. And it is reasonable to think that we need to update those rules, with more voices at the table, some of which we will not agree with. Yet evolve as the system may, the vast majority of countries recognize that we all benefit from having rules of the road that constrain certain kinds of behavior to enhance our shared security  rules that must not be rewritten by force.

Now, I acknowledge there are times when actions the United States takes in the interest of defending our security and that of our allies can be seen by other nations as offensive moves that threaten their security, and we need to be alert to this, which is why dialogue is so important. And some may argue  not unfairly  that our government has not always lived up to the rules we invoke. As President Obama made clear when he entered office, while the United States strives to lead by example, there are still times when we have fallen short. Yet, under President Obamas leadership, we have shown our commitment to investing in and abiding by the rules-based international order. The same cannot be said for the Russian Government today.

For years, we have seen Russia take one aggressive and destabilizing action after another.

We saw it in March 2014  not long after mass peaceful protests in Ukraine brought to power a government that favored closer ties with Europe  when Russia dispatched its soldiers to the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. The little green men, as they came to be called  for Russia denied any ties to them  rammed through a referendum at the barrel of a gun, which Mr. Putin then used to justify his sham annexation of Crimea.

We saw it months later in eastern Ukraine, where Russia armed, trained, and fought alongside separatists. Again, Russia denied any role in the conflict it manufactured, again flouting the international obligation to respect the territorial integrity of its neighbor.

We saw it also in Russias support for Bashar al-Assads brutal war in Syria  support it maintained, even as the Assad regime blocked food and medicine from reaching civilians in opposition-held areas  civilians who were so desperate that they had resorted to eating leaves. Even as photographs emerged of countless prisoners who had been tortured to death in Assads prisons  their bodies tagged with serial numbers. Even as the Assad regime repeatedly used chemical weapons to kill its own people.

We saw it in 2015, when Russia went further by joining the assault on the Syrian people, deploying its own troops and planes in a campaign that hit hospitals, schools, and the brave Syrian first-responders who were trying to dig innocent civilians out of the rubble. And with each transgression, not only were more innocent civilians killed, maimed, starved, and uprooted, but the rules that make all our nations more secure  including Russia  were eroded.

We saw it in Russias efforts to undercut the credibility of international institutions like the UN. For example, in an emergency UN Security Council meeting last month, then-Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the member states that the Assad regime forces and Iranian militias were reportedly disappearing men as they took parts of eastern Aleppo. In response, the representative of Russia  which was providing air cover for the offensive  not only claimed that Russian investigations had uncovered not a single report of ill treatment or violations of international humanitarian law against civilians of eastern Aleppo, but also accused the Secretary-General of basing his information on fake news. Minutes later, Syrias representative echoed Russias line, holding up as proof what he claimed was a photograph of a Syrian government soldier helping an elderly woman. The only problem was that the photo was taken six months earlier, in June 2016. In Fallujah, Iraq.

In this same period, we also saw Russias systematic efforts to sow doubt and division in democracies, and drive a wedge between the United States and our closest allies. Russia has done this by supporting illiberal parties like Frances National Front, which has a xenophobic, anti-Muslim platform. When the National Front was having trouble raising funds for its 2014 campaign, a Russian bank with ties to the Kremlin stepped in to loan the party more than $11 million. While that may seem like a small amount compared to the budgets of U.S. national campaigns, it was roughly a third of what the party was aiming to raise, and the National Front made significant gains in that election. With national elections coming up in France this year, the National Front has said that it is looking again to Russian financing for help. Little surprise that the partys leader has repeatedly attempted to legitimize Russias attempted land grab of Crimea.

Russia has also used hacking to sow distrust in the democratic processes of some of our closest allies, and undermine the policies of their governments. Consider the case of Germany. According to German intelligence agencies, groups linked to the Russian government carried out a massive May 2015 attack targeting the German Parliament, energy companies, telecoms, and even universities. And just last month, Germanys domestic intelligence agency reported an alarming spike in aggressive and increased cyber-spying and cyber-operations that could potentially endanger German government officials, members of parliament, and employees of democratic parties, which the agency attributed to Russian hackers. The head of Germanys foreign intelligence service said the perpetrators aim is delegitimizing the democratic process.

In other instances, Russias interference in democratically elected governments has been far more direct. Late last year, officials in Montenegro said they uncovered a plot to violently disrupt the countrys elections, topple the government, install a new administration loyal to Moscow, and perhaps even assassinate the Prime Minister. Montenegros Prime Minister had been pushing for the country to join NATO, a move Russia openly opposed. The plotters reportedly told investigators that they had been funded and equipped by Russian officials, who had also helped plan the attack.

It is in this context that one must view the Russian Governments latest efforts to interfere in Americas democracy.

As our intelligence community found, we know that the Russian government sought to interfere in our presidential election, with the goals of undermining public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrating one candidate, and helping the other candidate. Our intelligence agencies assess that the campaign was ordered by President Putin, and implemented by a combination of Russian Government agencies, state-funded media, third-party intermediaries, and government-paid trolls. We know that, in addition to hacking the Democratic National Committee and senior Democratic Party officials, Russia also hacked U.S. think tanks and lobbying groups. And we know Russia hacked elements of multiple state and local electoral boards, although our intelligence communitys assessment is that Russia did not compromise vote tallies. But think for just a moment about what that means: Russia not only tried to influence our election, but to access the very systems by which we vote.

At first glance these interventions by Russia in different parts of the world can appear unrelated. That is because the common thread running through them cannot be found in anything that Russia is for  but rather in what Russia is against. Not in the rules it follows, but in the ones it breaks. Russias actions are not standing up a new world order. They are tearing down the one that exists. This is what we are fighting against  having defeated the forces of fascism and communism, we now confront the forces of authoritarianism and nihilism.

There are multiple theories as to why the Russian Government would undermine a system that it played a crucial role in helping build, and that has fostered unparalleled advances in human liberty and development. Perhaps it is to distract the Russian people from the rampant corruption that has consumed so much of the wealth produced by the nations oil and gas, preventing it from benefitting average citizens. Perhaps it is because our rules-based order rests on principles  such as accountability and the rule of law  that are at odds with Russias style of governing. Perhaps it is to regain a sense of its past glory, or to get back at the countries that it blames for the break-up of the Soviet Union, which President Putin has called the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the twentieth century.

It is not my aim today to speculate on which, if any, of these motives lies behind the Russian Governments actions, which not only threaten our democracy, but the entire order upon which our security and prosperity depends. It is instead to ask: What are we going to do to address this threat?

First, we must continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to determine the full extent of Russias interference in our recent elections, identify the vulnerabilities of our democratic system, and come up with targeted recommendations for preventing future attacks. The Congressional hearings initiated last week, the bipartisan inquiry announced on January 13 by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Joint Analysis Report on Russian Malicious Cyber Activity and Harassment, and the Joint Intelligence Report prepared at the request of President Obama, are all important steps toward achieving these crucial objectives.

The purpose of such efforts is not to challenge the outcome of any races in our recent election. The purpose is to identify the gaps in our defenses that Russia exploited  as well as other gaps that may not have been seized upon in this attack, but that Russia or others could take advantage of in the future. And the purpose is to determine the steps needed to close such gaps and strengthen the resilience of our system. Because it would be deeply naive  even negligent  to think that those who have discovered vulnerabilities in our system would not try to exploit them again and again. And not just Russia, but all the governments and non-State actors who see undermining our democracy as a way to advance their interests. Indeed, it already has happened repeatedly  as we know, there were also hacks in our presidential elections in 2008 and 2012.

That these efforts be bipartisan is absolutely essential. Allowing politics to get in the way of determining the full extent of Russias meddling and how best to protect our democracy would undermine our core national security interests. It is healthy for our parties to debate issues such as how to expand our middle class or what role our nation should play in the world. What is not healthy is for a party or its leaders to cast doubt on a unanimous, well-documented assessment of our intelligence community that a foreign government is seeking to harm our country.

Second, we have to do a better job of informing our citizens about the seriousness of the threat the Russian Government poses. Here too, our unity is crucial. When we send conflicting messages about a threat Russia poses, it sends a mixed message to the American people. A recent poll found that 37 percent of Republicans hold a favorable view of President Putin, up from just 10 percent in July 2014. That is an alarmingly high proportion for a leader that has had journalists, human rights activists, and opposition politicians murdered, ridiculed our constitutional safeguards, and tried to tip the scales in our elections. I know some have said that this focus on Russia is simply the party that lost the recent presidential election being sore losers, but it should worry every American that a foreign government interfered in our democratic process. Its not about the leader we chose  its about who gets to choose that leader. That privilege should belong only to Americans.

We must also forcefully reject the false equivalency between the work that the U.S. Government and the Russian Government are doing in other countries. There is a world of difference between supporting free and fair elections, and investing in independent institutions that advance human rights, accountability, and transparency  as we do; and trying to sow distrust in democratic processes, misinform citizens, and swing elections toward illiberal parties, as Russia is doing.

Third, we must reassure our allies that we have their backs, and ensure that Russia pays a price for breaking the rules.

That means maintaining our robust support for NATO, and make clear our nations steadfast commitment to treat an attack on any NATO member as an attack on us all. We expect all our NATO allies to do their part in keeping the Alliance strong, which includes meeting the pledge made in 2014 to spend at least two percent of their GDP on defense  a commitment we in the Obama Administration have pushed relentlessly for them to fulfill. We also need to increase cooperation and intelligence sharing to deter, detect, and defend against the next generation of hacks and cyber threats, particularly as France, Germany, and the Netherlands look forward to national elections this year.

That also means maintaining the sanctions placed on Russia, including those imposed by President Obama in response to Russias meddling in our election. Now, some have argued that the most effective way to get Russia to start playing by the rules that undergird the international order is actually by easing sanctions. If only we reduce the pressure, they claim, Russia will stop lashing out against the international order. But they have it backwards: easing punitive measures on the Russian Government when they havent changed their behavior will only embolden Russia  sending the message that the best way to gain international acceptance of its destabilizing actions is simply to wait us out. And that will not only encourage more dangerous actions by Russia, but also by other rule-breakers like Iran and North Korea, which are constantly testing how far they can move the line without triggering a response.

Similarly flawed is the argument that the United States should put recent transgressions aside and announce another reset with Russia. Yes, the Obama Administration tried this approach in our first term. But 2017 is not 2009. In 2009, Dimitri Medvedev was president of Russia, and we were able to find common ground on issues such as counterterrorism, arms control, and the war in Afghanistan. More important, in 2009, Russia was not occupying Crimea, fueling an ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, and bombing hospitals and first responders in Syria. Nor, most importantly, had Russia interfered directly in a U.S. election.

Yet it would be a mistake to think that all we need to do to defend ourselves and our allies against the threat Russia poses is to rely on the same tools we have been using; that if we just close the gaps in our defenses, inform our public, maintain or even ratchet up sanctions, and shore up NATO, we will be able to protect the rules-based order. Because Russia has an edge in one respect. It is easier to break institutions down than build them up. It is easier to sow skepticism than earn peoples trust. Making up fake news is easier than reporting the facts required for real news. Put simply, in international affairs in 2017, its often easier to be bad than good.

Let me give just one example. On September 19th, 2016, a humanitarian convoy of the Arab Red Crescent was bombed in the Syrian city of Urem al-Kubra, killing at least 10 civilians, and destroying 18 trucks filled with food and medicine intended for desperate Syrian civilians. Because the strikes were carried out in a region where only the Assad regime and its Russian allies were flying, the attack was widely reported as likely being carried out by the regime or Russian forces. Yet rather than accept any responsibility  rather than even try to get to the bottom of what had happened, the Russian Government did what it always does in the face of atrocities with which it is associated: deny and lie.

Russias Ministry of Defense initially said no airstrikes had been carried out in the area by Russian or Syrian planes, and that its expert analysis of video footage of the strike showed that the aid convoy had been destroyed by a fire. Then President Putins press secretary said that terrorists had been firing rockets nearby, suggesting they were the ones who had struck the convoy. Then Russia claimed a U.S. drone had been detected above the convoy just minutes before it was struck  contradicting its initial assessment that the convoy had not been hit from the air. Two days. Three stories. All false.

Yet Russias willingness to lie turned reporting on the attack into an on the one hand, on the other hand story, even in respected outlets like the New York Times, the BBC, and CNN. And Russian Government-controlled networks like RT played a critical role in this effort, rapidly disseminating those lies while questioning the accounts of eyewitnesses. As RTs own editor once said, Not having our own foreign broadcasting is the same as not having a Ministry of Defense. When there is no war, it looks like we dont need it. However, when there is a war, it is critical. In other words, lying is a strategic asset. It didnt matter whether Russias accounts were accurate or even consistent; all that mattered was that Russia injected enough counterclaims into the news cycle to call into question who was responsible. By the time the UN issued a report on the incident more than three months later, concluding that the convoy had been struck by an airstrike that could only have been carried out by the Assad regime or Russia, the finding and Russias cover-up received almost no attention. Deny and lie.

At times, it can start to feel that the only way to outmaneuver an adversary unbounded by the truth is to beat them at their own game. But that would be deeply misguided. If we try to meet the Russian government in its upside-down world  where right is left and black is white  we will have helped them achieve their goal, which is creating a world where all truth is relative, and where trust in the integrity of our democratic system is lost.

We dont need to gin up our own propaganda networks, bankroll our own army of trolls, and inundate social media platforms with even more fake news targeting our adversaries. We have to fight misinformation with information. Fiction with facts. But documenting and spreading facts  just like manufacturing fake news  takes resources. A report by the UK Parliament found that the Russian Government spent between $600 million and $1 billion a year on propaganda arms like RT. So we need to be spending at least as much  and arguably much more  on training and equipping independent reporters, protecting journalists who are under attack, and finding ways to get around the censors and firewalls that repressive governments use to block their citizens from getting access to critical voices.

This brings me to the fourth and final way to address the threat Russia poses to the rules-based international order: we must continue to seek ways to engage directly with the Russian people  and  coming back to where I started today  their government.

It can be easy to forget that virtually all the tactics the Russian Government is using to undermine democracy abroad are ones they fine-tuned on the Russian people, to devastating effect. After all, when Russian soldiers are killed fighting in a conflict in eastern Ukraine that their Government denies it has any role in  its Russian mothers, widows, and orphans who are denied the benefits and recognition they deserve as the family members of slain soldiers. The mafias that the Russian Government uses to sow corruption abroad profit most off the backs of the Russian people. And it is Russian journalists and human rights defenders who have been harassed, beaten, and even killed for uncovering their governments abuses.

So we must be careful to distinguish between the Russian Government and the Russian people. We cannot let Americas relationship with a nation of more than 140 million people  people who have made remarkable contributions to the world, who have a proud, rich history and culture, and whom we fervently wish to see prosper  be defined solely by the nefarious actions of a tiny subset in their Government. And yet we have less contact with ordinary Russians than at any time in decades. This is no accident; in the past few years, the Russian Government has closed 28 U.S. Government-funded American Corners, which offered free libraries, language training, and events about American culture to Russian citizens, and shuttered the American Center in Moscow, which hosted over 50,000 Russian visitors per year. It has also expelled U.S. Government-supported and independent non-profits, such as the National Endowment for Democracy and the Open Society Foundation, which had spent decades fostering civil society and the rule of law in Russia. As the Kremlin closes off these outlets for reaching the Russian people, we must find others to take their place.

We also cannot give up engaging with the Russian Government. We should do this in part because collaborating on issues of shared interest will allow us to show, not just tell, what we know to be true  that our nations have a lot more to gain by working to build up a system of shared rules and principles than tear it down. And in part because by working together, we may be able to rebuild the respect and trust needed to tackle to the unprecedented global threats that we face today  many of which we cannot solve without one anothers help.

Let me conclude. In 1796, our nations first president, George Washington, used his Farewell Address to issue a stark warning to the American people about the danger of foreign governments trying to interfere in our democracy. He told his audience: Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow-citizens), the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government.

More than 220 years later, Washingtons warning feels strikingly relevant. For if anything, the vulnerabilities that Washington saw, in his words, to tamper with domestic factions, to practice the arts of seduction, to mislead public opinion, to influence or awe the public councils, have only multiplied with modern technology. And unlike in 1796, it is no longer enough for us simply to protect our own democracy against foreign interference; we also have to protect the integrity of the entire rules-based international order, on whose foundations our security and prosperity rest.

Yet while so much has changed since Washington issued his warning, the essence of the threat has not. It goes to the creation of America itself  a nation born out of a simple, yet revolutionary idea: that it was the American people, ordinary citizens  and not a government, domestic or foreign  who should enjoy the right to shape our nations path. That is a right that we have had to fight to defend throughout our history. And while in recent decades we may have felt confident that no power would dare try to take that right away from us, we have again been reminded that they will try.

Just as the threat is fundamentally unchanged since Washingtons time, so is our most effective way to confront it. And that is by renewing the faith of the American people in our democracy. Our democracys vitality has long depended on sustaining the belief among our citizens that a government by and for the people is the best way to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, to preserve the freedoms they value most, and to expand their opportunities. It is not that we have a perfect system, but a perfectible system  one that the American people always have the power to improve, to renew, to make their own. That faith is the engine that has powered our republic since its creation, and it is the reason other nations still look to America as a model.

And it is precisely that faith that the Russian Governments interference is intended to shake. The Kremlins aim is to convince our people that the system is rigged; that all facts are relative; that ordinary people who try to improve their communities and their country are wasting their time. In the place of faith, they offer cynicism. In the place of engagement  indifference.

But the truth is that the Russian Governments efforts to cast doubt on the integrity of our democracy would not have been so effective if some of those doubts had not already been felt by many Americans. By citizens who are asking whether our system still offers a way to fix the everyday problems they face, and whether our society still gives them reason to hope that they can improve their lives for the better. In this way, the attack has cast a light on a growing sense of divisiveness, distrust, and disillusionment.

But we know not only what we are against; we know what we are for. So just as we are clear-eyed about the threat Russia poses from the outside, and unified in confronting it, we must also dedicate ourselves to restoring citizens faith in our democracy on the inside  which always has been the source of Americas strength, and always will be our best defense against any foreign power that tries to do us harm.

I thank you.
Paris (AFP) - Renault on Tuesday reported a 13-percent surge in global sales last year and assured investors it was taking the emissions scandal swirling around it "with the upmost seriousness".

A year and a half after Volkswagen's "dieselgate" erupted, Paris prosecutors are probing Renault over possible "cheating" in diesel emissions.

Sales rose 13.3 percent in 2016 with more than 3.18 million vehicles sold, a record for the group.

The French automaker put its sales success down to buoyant markets in Europe, India and, increasingly, Iran.

"We are making progress in market share in each of our regions," Renault's commercial director Thierry Koskas said.

Renault's former reliance on Europe is decreasing as it sells more vehicles in other parts of the globe, with European sales decreasing from 57.6 percent in 2015 to 56.7 percent last year.

Koskas stressed that Renault would move swiftly to address the concerns expressed by Paris prosecutors about its diesel emissions.

"We are treating this issue with the upmost seriousness and giving it great attention," he said.

Renault cars "respect the law and do not have the 'cheat' software, and so we are completely confident," he said.

Shares in the automaker, which fell last week on the news that a probe had been opened, were up 2.0 percent at 84.87 euros in mid-afternoon trading in Paris.
(BILLINGS, Mont.)  In control of Congress and soon the White House, Republicans are readying plans to roll back the influence of the Endangered Species Act, one of the governments most powerful conservation tools, after decades of complaints that it hinders drilling, logging and other activities.

Over the past eight years, GOP lawmakers sponsored dozens of measures aimed at curtailing the landmark law or putting species such as gray wolves and sage grouse out of its reach. Almost all were blocked by Democrats and the White House or lawsuits from environmentalists.

Now, with the ascension of President-elect Donald Trump, Republicans see an opportunity to advance broad changes to a law they contend has been exploited by wildlife advocates to block economic development.

It has never been used for the rehabilitation of species. Its been used for control of the land, said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop. Weve missed the entire purpose of the Endangered Species Act. It has been hijacked.

Bishop said he would love to invalidate the law and would need other lawmakers cooperation.

The 1973 act was ushered though Congress nearly unanimously, in part to stave off extinction of the national symbol, the bald eagle. Eagle populations have since rebounded, and the birds were taken off the threatened and endangered list in 2007.

In the eagles place, another emblematic species  the wolf  has emerged as a prime example of what critics say is wrong with the current law: seemingly endless litigation that offers federal protection for species long after government biologists conclude that they have recovered.

Wolf attacks on livestock have provoked hostility against the law, which keeps the animals off-limits to hunting in most states. Other species have attracted similar ire  Canada lynx for halting logging projects, the lesser prairie chicken for impeding oil and gas development and salmon for blocking efforts to reallocate water in California.

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Reforms proposed by Republicans include placing limits on lawsuits that have been used to maintain protections for some species and force decisions on others, as well as adopting a cap on how many species can be protected and giving states a greater say in the process.

Wildlife advocates are bracing for changes that could make it harder to add species to the protected list and to usher them through to recovery. Dozens are due for decisions this year, including the Pacific walrus and the North American wolverine, two victims of potential habitat loss due to climate change.

Any species that gets in the way of a congressional initiative or some kind of development will be clearly at risk, said Jamie Rappaport Clark, president of Defenders of Wildlife and a former Fish and Wildlife Service director under President Bill Clinton. The political lineup is as unfavorable to the Endangered Species Act as I can remember.

More than 1,600 plants and animals in the U.S. are now shielded by the law. Hundreds more are under consideration for protections. Republicans complain that fewer than 70 have recovered and had protections lifted.

That tension just continues to expand, said Jason Shogren, professor of natural resource conservation at the University of Wyoming. Like a pressure cooker, every now and then, youve got to let out some steam or its really going to blow.

Congress reconvened last week with two critics of the law holding key Senate leadership positions  Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso as the incoming chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski as chairwoman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Spokesman Mike Danylak said Barrasso will seek to strengthen and modernize the management of endangered species but offered no specifics.

Barrassos predecessor, Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, suggested in an interview that one species should be removed from the list every time another is added. Another Republican, Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, said he wants to limit applications for protections to one species at a time.

In the House, Rep. Tom McClintock of California, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands, said he wants to ease logging restrictions in national forests to reduce tree density blamed for catastrophic wildfires.

Some Democrats, too, have been frustrated with the law: Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson and two other Democrats joined 11 Republicans last week on a bill to end protections for wolves in the Great Lakes and Wyoming.

Simply by striking a few key words from the law, it could be transformed from a tool to protect huge areas of habitat for imperiled species into little more than limits on hunting for protected animals, said J.B. Ruhl, a Vanderbilt University law professor considered a leading expert on the act.

Trumps position is unclear. A strong advocate for energy development, he has lamented environmental policies he says hinder drilling. But his appointment of Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke as Interior secretary was seen by some conservationists as a signal that Trump will support protections for public lands to the benefit of fish and wildlife.

The Trump transition team did not respond to requests for comment. The incoming administration already has immigration, the health care law repeal and infrastructure improvements atop its agenda.

If the administration or Congress wants to gut the law, they certainly can do it, Vermont Law School professor Patrick Parenteau said. The real question with the Endangered Species Act is where does it rank?

Advocates and senior Obama administration officials argue the laws success is best measured by extinctions avoided  for 99 percent of protected species, including black-footed ferrets, whooping cranes, American crocodiles and hundreds of others.

Theres a lot of evidence that some species are conservation-reliant, Ruhl said. Political fights over certain species have dragged out for decades, he added, because recovering them from the brink of extinction is a lot harder than we thought.
YANGON, Myanmar (AP)  Human rights organizations expressed alarm Tuesday over the disappearances of two Baptist pastors who had shown journalists a Catholic church allegedly damaged by airstrikes by Myanmar government forces who are fighting ethnic Kachin rebels.

Langjaw Gam Seng, 35, and Dumdaw Nawng Lat, 65, were summoned to an army base in northern Shan state in northeastern Myanmar on Dec. 24. Heavy fighting has been occurring in the area between the government and a coalition of Kachin and three other ethnic guerrilla groups. Myanmar's army has often been accused of human rights abuses in its decades-long battles with ethnic rebels seeking greater autonomy.

Human Rights Watch and Fortify Rights said the two men appeared to have been forcibly disappeared and that Myanmar authorities "should urgently provide information on (their) whereabouts and well-being.

"The disappearances raise grave concerns for the safety of the two men and witnesses to the incident," the joint statement said.

Zaw Htay, a spokesman for the Myanmar president's office, said the military denied detaining the two men and he suggested they might be in Kachin state.

Amnesty International issued a separate statement saying people in the area where the pastors disappeared believed the men "may have been detained by Myanmar authorities for their role in organizing a visit by journalists in late November 2016 to Monekoe town." Its statement said Kachin organizations reported the church was partially destroyed by Myanmar army airstrikes following fierce fighting between the army and the Brotherhood of the Northern Alliance, the coalition of ethnic groups.

Myanmar's Kachin Baptist Convention, the largest church organization among the large Christian Kachin community, said the government and the military have ignored their pleas to clear up the matter.

"We have sent letters to the President's and the Commander-in-Chief's offices about the disappearance of our two pastors and we have not received anything from them yet," said Rev. Samson, the chairman of the Kachin Baptist Convention. Township police also failed to respond to inquiries by the two men's families, he said.

The statement by Human Rights Watch and Fortify Rights said Kachin and Shan civil society organizations "have documented unlawful killings, torture, rape, forced labor, and other abuses committed by Burmese military forces against civilians in Northern Shan and Kachin States."
London (AFP) - British engines manufacturer Rolls-Royce will pay 671 million in three countries to settle bribery and corruption claims, following a deal approved on Tuesday by a British judge.

The settlement approved by Judge Brian Leveson came five years after Britain's Serious Fraud Office began investigating "allegations of malpractice" involving intermediaries in China and Indonesia.

The probe revealed "the most serious breaches of the criminal law in the areas of bribery and corruption", Leveson said in a written judgement issued at Southwark Crown Court in central London.

Under the deal approved on Tuesday Rolls-Royce will pay 497.3 million ($617 million, 576 million euros) plus interest to the SFO over a period lasting up to five years.

The company has also reached separate deal with the United States, under which it will pay the US Department of Justice $170 million.

A settlement with Brazil will see the British manufacturer make payments to the country's Federal Prosecution Service totalling $25.6 million.

Following the settlements being reached, Rolls-Royce Chief executive Warren East apologised for the conduct uncovered during the investigations launched in 2012.

"The behaviour uncovered in the course of the investigations by the Serious Fraud Office and other authorities is completely unacceptable and we apologise unreservedly for it," he said in a statement.

"This was unworthy of everything which Rolls-Royce stands for, and that our people, customers, investors and partners rightly expect from us."

The company said it no longer uses any of the intermediaries implicated in the probe, while a number of people had left the firm as a result of disciplinary action.

The UK probe into Rolls-Royce cost 13 million and was the largest single investigation carried out by the authority, SFO Director David Green said.

The settlement results in the suspension of prosecution against Rolls-Royce, although anti-corruption organisation Transparency International UK called for individuals involved to face charges.

"In order to serve as a proper deterrent for companies who think it is acceptable to do business with bribery, those involved with or who sanctioned bribery must be prosecuted individually," said its executive director, Robert Barrington.

The engine maker Rolls-Royce has no connection with Rolls-Royce cars, a marque owned by the Germany auto maker BMW.
DUBAI (Reuters) - At least 10 countries have offered to mediate in the escalating feud between Saudi Arabia and Iran, President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday, noting that Tehran would restore ties with Riyadh if Saudi Arabia changes it regional policies. Answering a question about Iraq and Kuwait's reported offer to help defuse the tension between regional rivals, Rouhani said in a news conference broadcast live on state television: "There are many countries. You mentioned Iraq and Kuwait. There are eight to 10 other countries in my mind now whose officials have talked to us about this." He said Iran is not seeking to eliminate Saudi Arabia from regional politics and will offer its help to Riyadh if "it takes the right decision" and ends its military intervention in Yemen and stops what he called its meddling in Bahraini affairs. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Dominic Evans)
Strasbourg (France) (AFP) - The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Russia's policy of refusing to allow Americans to adopt Russian children was discriminatory, a decision Moscow said it would appeal.

The court ordered Russia to pay damages to the 45 Americans who filed the case, who had hoped to adopt 27 children between 2010 and 2012.

Many of the children had serious medical problems, including Down's Syndrome or developmental disorders, requiring specialised treatment.

Russia halted the procedures with legislation in January 2013 that prohibited Americans from adopting Russian children, solely based on their nationality.

The law was in response to US sanctions on officials deemed responsible for the death in prison of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009. Magnitsky had been arrested after pointing out a fraud scam by high-placed officials.

Moscow had said it was protecting the children's welfare, after Russian media outlets claimed cases of mistreatment of adopted Russians in the United States, in a bid to encourage adoptions at home.

But in a unanimous decision, the judges at the Strasbourg-based rights court said Russia had violated statutes of the European Convention on Human Rights against discrimination and protecting the respect of family life.

It ordered Moscow to pay 3,000 euros ($3,200) in damages to the American couples and individuals in the case.

Russia's justice ministry said it would appeal the ruling, saying its restrictions on adoptions by Americans were in accordance with international rules and its constitution.

"The Russian authorities have proceeded and are proceeding on the basis of the need to ensure effective protection of the interests of children and also of the legal rights and the interests of potential adopters who are citizens of Russia," a ministry statement said.

In its ruling, the court said the ban was disproportionate to the government's stated aims, "given that it had been retroactive, indiscriminate, and was applied irrespective of the status of proceedings or the individual circumstances".

The court noted a 2012 accord between the two countries that provides guarantees against mistreatment and that allows international adoptions only when placing a child with a Russian family is not possible.

But the judges rejected the plaintiffs' claim that the law resulted in the mistreatment of the children, saying they had received adequate medical treatment in Russia.
By Denis Dyomkin MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moldova may scrap a trade agreement with the European Union after the country's next parliamentary election, President Igor Dodon said on Tuesday during his first state visit to Russia. Speaking in Moscow at a news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Dodon said it was "curious" that Moldova's trade turnover with the EU had wilted since signing a political and trade pact with the bloc in 2014. "We gained nothing from this agreement," he told reporters. "We are not against the EU, we have common borders, but you cannot build a relationship on anti-Russia rhetoric," news agencies quoted Dodon as saying after meeting with Putin. Dodon was elected in November with just over 50 percent of the vote after calling in his campaign for a referendum on Moldova's relationship with the EU, which came at the expense of ties with Russia. No referendum has yet been announced. Moscow imposed retaliatory trade restrictions on Moldovan farming exports in response to Chisinau's signing of an association agreement with the EU in 2014. Dodon's vow to improve relations with the country's former Soviet master found favor with many Moldovans who have been hit financially by Russia's bans and a broader economic downturn. Dodon's win and move away from the EU reflects a loss of trust in pro-European leaders in Moldova and Russia's increasingly assertive influence over ex-Soviet states. The coordinator of the pro-European ruling coalition in Moldova, Vlad Plahotniuc, said the country would not be pulled out of closer integration with the EU, criticizing Dodon for his comments to Putin. "Our country does not have the right to send contradictory messages on foreign policy," he said in an online statement. "The Moldovan authorities will not allow the EU association agreement to be annulled. We will not only block any attempts to denounce the agreement, but will speed up the process of its implementation," he said. In Moscow, Putin struck a both conciliatory and sharp tone with Dodon, saying Russia's neighbors were free to make their own decisions and even court the EU, but Moscow would want its interests to be respected. "It needs to be recognized that mutually beneficial ties with Russia deteriorated against the background of attempts to force a closer relationship with the European Union," he said. Dodon's promise to side with Russia over the EU is in direct conflict with the stance of Moldova's current government and his stance on the issue has been mixed since taking office. He has called for early parliamentary elections this year to force out the government, but also said the president "should be neither pro-European nor pro-Russian". On Tuesday, he said Chisinau did not intend to build an "iron curtain" with the bloc. Moldova, the poorest country in Europe, is expected to return to growth in the near future after contracting 0.5 percent in 2015. But its exports have yet to recover to pre-crisis levels, falling 4.3 percent in the first quarter of 2016. Ukraine, another ex-Soviet republic, also played with the idea of closer ties with the EU but abruptly pulled out of a trade deal in late 2013. The move prompted mass street protests in Kiev, forcing then-President Viktor Yanukovich from office and paving the road to Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. (Additional reporting by Andrey Ostroukh in Moscow and Alexander Tanas in Chisinau; writing by Jack Stubbs and Alessandra Prentice; editing by Mark Heinrich)
By Andrew Osborn and Vladimir Soldatkin MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow was ready to talk to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's new administration about nuclear weapons and Syria, saying the two countries could together solve many of the world's problems. Lavrov, speaking days before Trump's inauguration, used an annual news conference to flag potential areas of cooperation and to belittle what he described as malicious attempts to link Trump to Russia in a negative light. Trump, who has praised President Vladimir Putin, has signaled he wants to improve strained ties with Russia despite U.S. intelligence agencies alleging the Kremlin chief ordered a cyber campaign to help him beat rival Hillary Clinton to the White House. Russia denies it tried to sway the U.S. election by hacking or other means. It has also dismissed as a fabrication a dossier written by a former officer in Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, which suggested Moscow had collected compromising information about Trump. Lavrov dismissed the dossier's author, Christopher Steele, as "a fugitive charlatan from MI6" and said the dossier looked like part of a campaign to cause problems for Trump and his allies. Putin on Tuesday called the same dossier a hoax. While cautioning that the new U.S. administration would need to settle in before wider conclusions could be drawn, Lavrov signaled he was encouraged by the tenor of the Trump team's statements so far which he said suggested it would be possible to have a pragmatic relationship. "Trump has a particular set of views which differ a lot from his predecessor," said Lavrov, who accused the Obama administration of wrecking cooperation across a swath of areas and of trying to recruit Russian diplomats as agents. "By concentrating on a pragmatic search for mutual interests we can solve a lot of problems." He said Syria was one of the most promising areas for cooperation, saying the Kremlin had welcomed Trump's statement that he wanted to make fighting global terrorism a priority. "What we hear from Donald Trump (on Syria) and his team speaks to how they have a different approach (to Obama) and won't resort to double standards," said Lavrov. SYRIA AND NUKES On Syria, Lavrov said representatives from the new U.S. administration had been invited to take part in peace talks slated for Jan. 23 in Kazakhstan. He hoped U.S. officials would attend, he said, as that would be the first opportunity for Moscow and Washington to start talking about closer Syria cooperation. Moscow backs President Bashar al-Assad in the Syria conflict while Washington supports rebels opposing him, but both have a common enemy in Islamic State militants. Lavrov questioned however whether Trump, in an interview he gave to The Times of London, had really suggested he would be ready to drop U.S. sanctions on Moscow in exchange for nuclear arms cuts saying his own reading of the interview had not suggested any linkage between the two issues. But he said Moscow wanted to start talks with the United States on nuclear weapons and on the balance of military power between the two former Cold War foes anyway. "It's one of key themes between Russia and the United States. I am convinced we will be able to restart a dialogue on strategic stability with Washington that was destroyed along with everything else by the Obama administration." Such talks could cover hypersonic weapons, the U.S. anti-missile shield in Europe, space weapons, and what he said was the U.S. refusal to ratify a ban on nuclear testing. Trump has called for a nuclear weapons build-up. Some commentators have said Senate hearings for some of Trump's picks show they will be tough on Russia. But Lavrov said he had been encouraged by Rex Tillerson, the incoming Secretary of State, whom he cited as saying Moscow's behavior was not unpredictable. "(That) means that we are dealing with people who won't get involved in moralizing, but will try to understand their partner's interests," Lavrov said. Tillerson had extensive dealings with Russia when he was the head of Exxon Mobil oil company. (Editing by Angus MacSwan)
A new report from a British anti-poverty organization says eight men own as much wealth as the poorest 3.6 billion people in the world.

The eight men include Microsofts Bill Gates and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Oxfam International released the report on Monday. Oxfam is a group of international organizations that seek to fight poverty around the world.

The group warned that public anger over inequality might cause more political changes. Examples of such changes, Oxfam said, include the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president and Britains vote to withdraw from the E.U.

The report appears as international political and business leaders meet at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This yearly event gathers leaders, experts and activists to discuss important international issues.

Oxfam released a similar report last year. That report suggested 62 people owned as much wealth as half the worlds population. The activist group says new information from Swiss bank Credit Suisse and Forbes magazine shows that fewer people hold more of the wealth.

Forbes lists Bill Gates as the wealthiest individual. The magazine says he is worth about $75 billion.

Following Gates on the list are Amancio Ortega of the Spanish clothing company Inditex and American businessman Warren Buffett. Also among the eight are Mexican businessman Carlos Slim Helu and Amazon head Jeff Bezos. They are followed by Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and former New York City mayor and media businessman Michael Bloomberg.

Winnie Byanyima is the executive director of Oxfam International. She will be attending the World Economic Forum meetings in Switzerland. She hopes to discuss the problems inequality causes with world leaders.

It is obscene for so much wealth to be in the hands of so few people when 1 in 10 people live on less than $2 a day, Byanyima told the Associated Press. Inequality is trapping hundreds of millions in poverty; it is fracturing our societies and undermining democracy.

Oxfam offered possible solutions to economic inequality in its report. These include higher taxes on wealth and income to pay for more public services. The group also calls on business leaders to pay their share of taxes.

In addition, Oxfam calls for stronger agreements between governments on fair pay for workers.

Max Lawson is the head of policy for Oxfam. He urged extremely rich people to, in his words, do the right thing.

We have a situation where billionaires are paying less tax often than their cleaner, or their secretary Lawson told the Associated Press. Thats crazy.

Last year, the release of financial documents known as the Panama Papers showed how some wealthy people avoid paying taxes. The leaked documents were a collection of information about secret bank accounts some wealthy people used to hide their wealth.

On Monday, another report warned that income inequality has led to a decrease in trust in governments and other institutions.

Edelman is one of the worlds biggest marketing companies. The company studied the opinions of 33,000 people from 28 different international markets before the start of this years World Economic Forum.

Edelman said its study found the largest drop of trust in government, business, media and non-governmental organizations yet. The company has reported on its trust and credibility survey for 16 years.

Trust of chief executive officers of companies is at an all-time low, according to Edelman. The report added that government leaders are the least trusted group.

Im Dorothy Gundy.

Pan Pylas reported this story for the Associated Press. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English using additional Reuters news service material. Mario Ritter was the editor.

We want to hear from you. How different are the lives of a wealthy person and a poor person in your country? What percentage of people own most of the wealth in your country? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

inequality  n. an unfair situation in which some people have more rights or better chances than other people

obscene  adj. morally disturbing or upsetting

fracturing  v. damaging or destroying something

undermining  v. making someone or something weaker or less effective usually in a secret or gradual way

billionaire(s)  n. a rich person who has at least a billion dollars or pounds

institution(s)  n. an established organization
By Aidan Lewis TUNIS (Reuters) - A visit to a Russian aircraft carrier by Libya's Khalifa Haftar has given the easternbased commander a symbolic boost while also signaling Moscow's interest in a greater role in the region following its intervention in Syria. Haftar is a figurehead for east Libyan factions who harbors national ambitions, and his renewed engagement with Russia comes at a time when the U.N.-supported government in Tripoli that he has shunned is once more in crisis. Russian support could embolden Haftar in making a play for power in Tripoli, a move likely to fuel conflict and represent a major setback for genuine unity government in Libya. Western states say the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) provides the best chance of reversing Libya's slide into anarchy and warfare. But as splits and resistance have weakened the GNA in the capital, Haftar has gained momentum in the east, with support from foreign allies who back his fight against Islamist groups. He enjoys close ties to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and has cultivated his friendship with Russia, visiting Moscow twice last year to ask for help in his anti-Islamist campaign. His tour of the Admiral Kuznetsov in the Mediterranean on Wednesday was Russia's most overt show of support to date. In a video-conference call from the ship reported by Russian media, Haftar and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the fight against "terrorist groups", also one of Moscow's stated targets in its Syria campaign. Haftar's advisers declined to comment on the aircraft carrier visit and what it might mean for relations with Russia. But following its intervention in Syria, Russia sees Libya as a way to anchor its return to the Middle East, said Alexei Malashenko, the chief researcher at Dialogue of Civilizations Institute, a think-tank with close ties to the Russian leadership. "One single Syria is not enough. That's why we need one more state for the Russian presence not only in Syria but generally in the Middle East. Libya is a convenient territory for it. It's complete chaos and you can always say that Russia helps to fight terrorism." Russian President Vladimir Putin may also take an interest in restoring his country's influence in Libya, analysts say. Before he was overthrown, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had been a long-standing Russian ally and Putin opposed the NATO campaign that helped to topple him. Russia did not use its U.N. Security Council veto to block the resolution authorizing military action, and Putin, who was out of presidential office at the time, took the risk of demonstrating a split in Russian leadership by publicly criticizing it. CONTRACTS Russia has outwardly backed U.N. mediation in Libya, and says it will abide by an arms embargo on the country. But it could eventually stand to recover billions of dollars worth of weapons and energy deals lost when Gaddafi lost power in 2011. A parliament and government in eastern Libya that are allied to Haftar have no direct control over oil revenues. But they have maintained rival branches of the central bank, which has had Libyan dinars printed in Russia, and the National Oil Corporation (NOC), which has tried unsuccessfully to circumvent U.N. resolutions and sell oil independently of Tripoli. "We hope for a return of the Russian state to its role as a support of Libya's armed forces, which have been abandoned by most countries in their war against terrorism," said Abdallah Bilhaq, a spokesman for the eastern parliament, citing some $4 billion in pre-2011 arms contracts. Naji al-Maghrabi, appointed to head the NOC by the eastern government, told Reuters his office had signed 29 contracts, including recent ones with major states such as Russia and China. He did not give details. So far, Russia's support for Haftar appears to be mainly symbolic, said Karim Mezran, a fellow at the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, though that could change if Haftar tries to take Tripoli, as his opponents in western Libya fear he is actively preparing to do. "If he is getting signs of possible tribes or groups or militias who are really ready to switch to his side he might take the Russian encouragement and move," he said. The GNA has been hamstrung by its failure to win endorsement from Haftar's allies, and its leaders have appeared increasingly isolated and dependent on Western backing since arriving in Tripoli in March. At the start of January, one of its deputy prime ministers resigned, citing a failure to unite rival factions and tackle a collapse in living standards. On Thursday, the head of a self-declared government sidelined by the GNA claimed he had regained control over several ministry buildings. A general electricity blackout in western and southern Libya, on top of chronic security and economic problems, has pushed public frustration to new highs. Haftar, a one-time ally of Gaddafi who returned from exile to join the uprising that toppled him, has largely shunned attempts to shore up the U.N.-mediated deal that created the GNA just over a year ago, accusing the government of aligning itself with some of the Islamist-leaning forces that took control of Tripoli in 2014. In the east, his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) has been tightening its grip, ousting Islamist-led opponents from most of Benghazi, appointing military governors, and extending its control over oil facilities. As the LNA's profile has risen, Western envoys have begun to recognize its gains, while publicly insisting that the U.N. agreement is the only way to bring stability to Libya. Hoping for more support for his anti-Islamist stance from incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, Haftar is positioning himself to talk to the new U.S. administration from a position of strength, said Mezran. "He expects this political agreement to fail and in his mind he thinks the only solution will be a military takeover, and in the end he thinks the West will side with him," he said. (Additional reporting by Maria Tsvetkova in Moscow and Ayman al-Warfalli in Benghazi; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Giles Elgood)
Outgoing U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power slammed President-elect Donald Trump, Russia, and the burgeoning threat of authoritarianism and nihilism in a an unusual 11th hour speech just days before Trump takes office.

Without explicitly naming Trump, Power scolded the incoming president for not taking a harder line on Moscow, especially after he was briefed on the scope of apparent Russian meddling during the recent election. Trump repeatedly denigrated U.S. intelligence findings pointing the finger at Russia for election-season hacks meant to boost his chances of winning.

Allowing politics to get in the way of determining the full extent of Russias meddlingwould undermine our core national security interests, Power said in a speech Tuesday at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank. What is not healthy is for a party or its leaders to cast doubt on a unanimous, well-documented assessment of our intelligence community that a foreign government is seeking to harm our country, she added.

She underscored how Russian meddling in the election, including the hacking of Democratic emails and their release through Wikileaks, made true some of George Washingtons warnings about the baneful influence of foreign interests in U.S. politics.

Its not about the leader we chose  its about who gets to choose that leader, Power said. That privilege should belong only to Americans, she added.

While Russian intervention around the world  from paramilitaries in Ukraine to strike fighters over Syria to email hacks in the United States  seem unrelated to each other, Power identified a common thread: What Russia is against. Russia took one aggressive and destabilizing action after another in recent years, she said, recounting its illegal annexation of Crimea, war in Ukraine, and atrocities in the Syrian civil war to shore up Bashar al-Assads regime.

Moscow, she said, is not trying to shape a new global order, but rather tearing down the one that exists.

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This is what we are fighting against, Power said. Having defeated the forces of fascism and communism, we now confront the forces of authoritarianism and nihilism.

Power also cautioned the incoming Trump administration about seeking too eagerly another reset with Russia. Trump and some of his closest advisers want a much closer relationship with Moscow, ostensibly to fight terrorism, and the president-elect has floated the idea of scrapping U.S. economic sanctions as a sweetener.

Easing punitive measures on the Russian Government when they havent changed their behavior will only embolden Russia, she said. President Barack Obama attempted a reset with Russia at the beginning of his term, but secured only limited gains before bilateral ties became frosty. Now, with Russia actively seeking to dynamite the existing order in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, is not the time for olive branches, Power said. 2017 is not 2009.

But she noted, with alarm, that fond feelings for Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, arent just confined to Trump and his inner circle. According to a recent poll conducted by YouGov and the Economist, 37 percent of Republicans view Putin favorably, up from just 10 percent in 2014.

That is an alarmingly high proportion for a leader that has had journalists, human rights activists, and opposition politicians murdered, Powers said. She warned Russia would continue to exploit fissures in the United States highly partisan political landscape. We cannot let Russia divide us, she said.

Photo credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
SEOUL (Reuters) - Jay Y. Lee, the 48-year-old leader of the Samsung Group, is due to appear at a court hearing on Wednesday when a judge will decide whether to issue an arrest warrant over his alleged role in a corruption scandal that has rocked South Korea. A special prosecutor on Monday said it would seek a warrant to arrest the third-generation leader of the country's largest conglomerate on suspicion of bribery, embezzlement and perjury. Lee, questioned last week for 22 straight hours at the prosecutor's office in Seoul, has denied wrongdoing. The influence-peddling scandal led parliament last month to impeach President Park Geun-hye, a decision that if upheld by the Constitutional Court will see her become the country's first democratically-elected leader forced from office early. Park, 64, has denied wrongdoing. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. (0130 GMT), and it is possible that the judge's decision may not be announced until after midnight, a court official told Reuters on Tuesday. The special prosecutor has accused Lee of paying bribes totalling 43 billion won ($36.70 million) to organisations linked to Choi Soon-sil, a friend of the president who is at the centre of the scandal, to secure the 2015 merger of two affiliates and cement his control of the family business. Earlier this week, the special prosecutor indicted the chairman of the National Pension Service (NPS), the world's third-largest pension fund, on charges of abuse of power and giving false testimony. NPS chairman Moon Hyung-pyo was arrested in December after acknowledging ordering it to support the controversial $8 billion merger in 2015 of two Samsung Group [SAGR.UL] affiliates while heading the health ministry, which oversees the NPS. Jay Y. Lee became the group's de facto leader after his father, Lee Kun-hee, was incapacitated by a 2014 heart attack. On Tuesday, the special prosecutor's office said it did not seek arrest warrants for three other Samsung Group executives that also underwent questioning, in order to minimise the impact on Samsung business. The group's flagship, Samsung Electronics <005930.KS>, is the world's biggest maker of smartphones, flatscreen TVs and memory chips. (Reporting by Ju-min Park and Se Young Lee; Writing by Tony Munroe; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Models wearing Chester Barrie showcase the new collection at the Autumn Winter 2017 Presentation at Smith & Wollensky [Photo Credit : Mehul Derodra]



London Fashion Week Men once more headlines this season as Menswear is making waves on the international fashion front as London takes centre stage.

So what makes London so special. When it comes to style as Brits we embrace tradition, fine craftsmanship, sartorial elegance and the debonair attitude to look immaculate. These are the home grown talent designers that Britain are proud to call their own making their mark on the fashion scene.



There has been a decline in British manufacturing since the Industrial Revolution and Fashion Designers such as Nick Ashley Creative Director of Menswear Label Private White V.C. are pioneering the concept of Made in Britain to challenge that.



Private White V.C.



Nick Ashley Creative Director at Private White V.C. proudly shows his latest signature piece a designer cape at his Autumn Winter 2017 Presentation during London Fashion Week Men [Photo Credit : Mehul Derodra ]



The heart of the labels collection remains at the core of the Designers muse Private Jack White an Army War Veteran that served with the 6th Kings Own Royal Regiment Lancaster during The First World War.

Each garment by Private White V.C. is British-made luxury clothing inspired by Victoria Cross Recipient Private Jack White is handmade at their factory in Manchester, England.

Explore Private White V.C.s latest designer menswear range of twin track jackets inspired by the wardrobe of Private Jack White V.C. [Photo Credit: Dan Watson]



Nick Ashley, Commented specifically on the versatility of the collection with a piece in mind on utilising clothing such as The Family Coat can be worn by both male and female.



The Rain Proof Mac on display during the presentation was a signature piece in the form of a beautiful cape was elegantly quirky introducing a new stance on menswear trends this season.

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The exquisite palette colours of a cobalt blue, mixed with an olive green gave the clothes rich textures contrast well against grey, charcoal, and beige tweeds paired with fine luxury wool and cashmere.

Jim Chapman, Darren Kennedy and Model Johannes Huebl attend the Private White V.C. Autumn Winter 2017 Presentation during London Fashion Week Men,[Photo Credit: Mehul Derodra]

Meanwhile at Oliver Spencer and Chester Barrie Savile Row, we saw the return of Blackwatch tartan paving its way for a comeback conjuring the Ivy League Preppy vibes of the 90s. I think Cher Horowitz from Clueless would so approve.

Oliver Spencer



Model Issac Carew at Models 1 at far (right) wears Black Watch Tartan Clothing on the Catwalk at Oliver Spencer Autumn Winter 2017 [Photo: instagram / OliverSpencer ]



Black Watch Tartan Style Trends appear at the Chester Barrie Autumn Winter 2017 Presentation [Photo: instagram / Chester_Barrie ]



It seems both Menswear Fashion labels have embraced the see now by now at this weekends London Fashion Week Mens including Ben Sherman joining the latest concept in digital shopping retail innovation.

As Designers are gravitating towards innovative social media and Buy Now platform Vero collaborates again with Oliver Spencer for AW2017 on a specially designed umbrella available to purchase through Vero. This season Oliver Spencer has created a collection titled Velvet Head Twist inspired by the cultural roots of music and fashion.

The colour palettes are sophisticated in shades of autumnal burnt orange, forest green contrast well with powder blue, pink blush and grey. Spencer introduces oversized parka coats, powder blue polo necks, soft leather bombers and signature cropped trousers are coherent in the collection.





Chester Barrie



Just a few of the suits featured in the Chester Barrie Autumn Winter 2017 collection accompanied by fashion illustrations [Photo: instagram / Chester_Barrie]



At Chester Barrie AW 2017 opulence and decadence sets the scene for elegance in the nineteen thirties surroundings of Smith & Wollensky. The collection celebrates the elements of classic sophistication adding contemporary twist to tuxedos and smoking jackets. With Awards season in full swing this is formal dresswear when it matters most for Red Carpet Glamour, Society Balls and Weddings.



The elegant Tuxedos on display at the Chester Barrie Autumn Winter 2017 Presentation at LFW Men [Photo: instagram / Chester_Barrie ]



The trends which impact this season on the catwalk were checks and tartans playing their pivotal role emphasizing colour tones and intriguing surface textures are evident in Chester Barries Jacket Collection. Fine Italian and English cloths such as West Country Cloths kept in line with tradition of Made In Britain conceptdistinctively introduce softness and substance in the collection. Classic colour hues and textures are fashioned into the range brought warmth and intrigue with complimentary tones of petrol blue, russet, green and urban tweeds draped from the body.

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By John Irish PARIS (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has hit back at suggestions by some French presidential candidates that Riyadh funds Islamist extremism in France and that bilateral ties between the two allies should be reviewed. With less than four months before France's elections, the favorites - conservative Francois Fillon and far-right National Front Marine Le Pen - have both stepped up anti-Gulf rhetoric in recent weeks. Both say Paris should review ties with Saudi Arabia and Qatar and suggest it has an unhealthy relationship with countries they say propagate a radical Islamist ideology in France. "I can't comment on what's said during an election campaign, but I know there is a misperception of Saudi Arabia," Adel al-Jubeir told reporters late on Monday. "People say Saudi Arabia is extremism. Saudi Arabia is intolerance. Saudi Arabia is funding radical institutions and I always say it's not true." The debate in France has been stoked by a spate of Islamist militant attacks over the last two years, which prompted calls for a stricter control of foreign financing of mosques. It also touches the core French principle of secularism in public life that aims to separate religion from state affairs. Former conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy and current Socialist President Francois Hollande both aligned themselves with Gulf Arab Sunni states and adopted a hawkish attitude to their main Shi'ite rival Iran. That stance has brought criticism at home, with certain lawmakers saying Paris is thinking short-term, picking Sunnis over Shi'ites in the region and ignoring Gulf influence domestically. "When people say the Saudis are funding this, I say show me. Nobody has anything to show, but the image has stuck and becomes a reality," Jubeir said. A French parliamentary report on mosque financing concluded in July that overseas financing was "marginal". According to the Saudi Embassy, the kingdom has financed eight mosques around the country, at a cost of about 3.7 million euros, and paid salaries for 14 imams. "They (extremists) want Mecca and Medina. For people to think that we would be funding a mindset whose objective is to kill us, you'd have to assume we were either naive or not very smart," he said. Jubeir said critical French politicians would be better off looking at the strong trade, political and security ties between the countries and assess positively Riyadh's management of oil markets and financial investments to help global economic growth. "I would imagine things should be the other way round and that they would want stronger French-Saudi ties," he said. (Additional reporting by Marine Pennetier; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One of the most powerful Democrats in the U.S. Congress on Tuesday pressed President-elect Donald Trump to keep the consumer financial watchdog agency's current director, as rumors about a possible termination and replacement swirled. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters that Trump will break his campaign promise of "standing up for workers and consumers against the rigged system" if he fires the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) director, Richard Cordray, after taking office on Friday. "If Trump intends to keep any of his promises and un-rig the system, he would keep Rich Cordray," the senator from New York said in a phone call with reporters. Created in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law, the CFPB has battled all sorts of lenders through regulation and litigation. It most recently participated in a settlement with Wells Fargo for $190 million for allegedly creating ghost accounts. By law, the president can only fire the agency's director for cause, but a recent federal court decision says the U.S. chief executive should be able to dismiss the director at will. That decision has been stayed pending appeal. Some want Trump to not wait for the appeals court and fire Cordray for cause as soon as he becomes president. At the earliest, the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is expected to announce in February whether it will review the case. Last week, Trump met with one of the agency's biggest critics, former Republican Representative Randy Neugebauer of Texas, who is frequently mentioned as a top choice for to replace Cordray. Conservatives say Neugebauer would limit the reach of the CFPB, which they say has gone too far and does not have enough accountability. Congress is controlled by the Republican Party, and most Republicans would prefer having a commission in charge of the agency, instead of a director who both creates and enforces rules. During the call with reporters, Schumer characterized the possibility of making Neugebauer director as an attempt to dismantle the CFPB from the inside. Also on the call, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said removing Cordray would allow Trump to block the CFPB's current work on rules on mandatory arbitration, payday lending and debt collection. Democrats like Warren, who came up with the idea of an agency to protect individuals' finances after the 2007-09 crisis, say the CFPB is an important guard against fraud in mortgages, student loans and other consumer products. (Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f350626%2fffea1b8a-a02e-417e-b638-04e7440c6275

The Bachelor got a little spacey on Monday night.

Bachelor Nick Viall and contestant Vanessa Grimaldi, a special education teacher from Montreal, took a flight aboard a plane that designed to simulate the feeling of weightlessness you get in space.

All in all, it's a pretty nerdy outing for a show that once sent a contestant on a Cinderella date. Clearly The Bachelor contains multitudes.

SEE ALSO: Life and leisure aboard Skylab, NASA's 1970s space station

"I knew that something like this did exist, but I thought it was only for the astronauts to practice on, so today, I am an astronaut," Grimaldi charmingly said before boarding the plane.

The two lovebirds flew aboard the Zero Gravity Corporation's G-Force One plane, a modified Boeing 727 with most of its seats removed and padding lining the interior of the plane.

Here's how it works:

The plane flies in a series of parabolic arcs that create about 30 seconds of weightlessness every time the 727 is on the downslope of the parabola. You can think of it as a roller coaster without the rails 24,000 feet to 32,000 feet up in the sky.

During those weightless 30 seconds, passengers can get up, jump around and do flips to feel what it would be like to be onboard the International Space Station or any other spacecraft in orbit.

When the plane is on the upswing of the parabola, passengers can't do much of anything.

Viall and Grimaldi had to lie down on their backs as twice the weight of Earth's gravity bore down upon them while the plane headed toward the top of the arc at a 45-degree angle.

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Flights usually last for about 15 parabolas total.

For the most part, a flight on a Zero Gravity plane is a pretty easy, breezy ride, though it can be disorienting.

The closest analog your body probably has to the feeling of weightlessness created during these flights is falling, so the automatic response for many people is to flail around.

Proof that the writer of this story was on a Zero Gravity flight.

Image: miriam kramer/zero gravity corporation

Full disclosure: I took a ride in a Zero-G plane a few years back, and while I had a great time, I also couldn't figure out how to move my body in weightlessness. I did, indeed, try to dog paddle my way through the air. (It didn't work.)

Viall and Grimaldi seemed to take to the weightlessness of the flight better than I did, however. The two reality TV stars bounced around, flipped and twirled like pros.

That is, until Grimaldi learned first-hand why NASA's plane made for parabolic flights was nicknamed the "vomit comet" by members of the press.

Grimaldi puked a few times during her flight, which isn't unusual. About one in three people who flew aboard NASA's vomit comet got sick on their first flight, according to NASA.

It's true that these flights were limited in the earlier days of the space program, but now Zero-G Corporation (which is a separate entity from NASA) flies whoever has the willpower (and the money) to book a ticket.

You too can experience the nausea-inducing weightlessness of a zero-g flight. The company sells seats aboard their planes for $4,950.

BONUS: Normal couples turn dating into a real-life 'Bachelor' episode
By Elisabeth O'Leary EDINBURGH (Reuters) - The British government's plan for leaving the European Union is "economically catastrophic" and Scotland must have the option of voting for independence if its views on Brexit are rejected, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Tuesday. Sturgeon, who leads the pro-independence devolved government, was speaking after British Prime Minister Theresa May signalled Britain would quit the European Union single market and impose immigration limits whilst seeking fair trade deals across the globe. Sturgeon said Scots, who voted by a clear majority against leaving the EU in last June's referendum, were now more likely to want independence. She has submitted a series of proposals on Scotland's position to the UK government, including the option of Scotland maintaining its EU single market links from within the UK. Many see that as impractical but the Scottish government argues that as Brexit is unprecedented, a creative approach should be considered. Sturgeon said she wanted evidence that Scotland's voice was being taken into account by the government in London. "The UK government cannot be allowed to take us out of the EU and the single market, regardless of the impact on our economy, jobs, living standards and our reputation as an open, tolerant country, without Scotland having the ability to choose between that and a different future," she said. "With her comments today, the prime minister has only succeeded in making that choice more likely." Ruth Davidson, leader of the May's Conservative Party in Scotland, said Sturgeon should back off the threat of independence. "(Sturgeon's) Scottish National Party should have the good grace to accept that many of its own demands - including the protection of workers' rights, and the protection of rights for EU citizens in Britain and cross-border cooperation on tackling crime - have been recognised by the UK government," she said. The Scottish government is due to meet UK counterparts on Thursday in London as part of negotiations for Brexit. (Reporting by Elisabeth O'Leary; editing by Michael Holden)
The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has officially ended, nearly three years after the plane mysteriously disappeared.

Transport ministers from Malaysia, Australia and China announced Tuesday the search had officially been suspended.

The Boeing 777 plane disappeared March 8, 2014 while carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China. The plane lost voice contact with officials on the ground less than an hour after takeoff and did not send any emergency messages.

More than half the planes passengers were Chinese.

In a statement, the ministers said that even with the best technology and search techniques available, the aircraft had not been found. The underwater search had been focused on a 120,000 square kilometer area in the southern Indian Ocean.

Investigators became hopeful in July 2015, when a piece of the planes wing was found in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. The Associated Press reported that since then, more than 20 objects - either confirmed or believed to be from the plane - have washed up on beaches throughout the Indian Ocean.

The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness, the statement said.

The ministers thanked all nations that provided equipment, expertise and assistance. More than $150 million was spent on the search efforts by Malaysia, Australia and China. The ministers said they remain hopeful that new information may be found in the future to help locate the missing wreckage.

As the search for MH370 ended, new technology has been launched to help prevent planes from ever going missing.

New technology to track airplanes

On Saturday, a group of satellites were successfully deployed with technology that experts say will be able to track airplanes over the entire earth.

A Falcon 9 rocket from American aerospace company SpaceX carried 10 satellites into orbit for telecommunications company Iridium. The launch from California marked a successful return to rocket launches for SpaceX after an explosion on its launch pad last September.

Iridiums partner Aireon will use the satellites to track aircraft, instead of current methods using ground radar and other monitoring tools.

This successful first launch brings us one step closer to changing the way the world flies by enabling the ability to track aircraft anywhere on the planet, Aireon CEO Don Thoma said.

Currently, about 70 percent of the world's airspace lacks real-time surveillance because of rough terrain, deserts or oceans. The new satellite technology is expected to also make airplanes trackable in those so-called black zones.

Aireon has said its global satellite-based system will be deployed by 2018 to track and monitor aircraft around the world in real-time.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, with additional material from reports from VOAs Carolyn Presutti and the Associated Press. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Do you think it was the right decision to end the search for the missing Malaysian airliner? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

wing  n. one of usually two long, flat parts of an airplane that extend from the sides, making it possible to fly

enable  v. to make something able to do or accomplish

terrain  n. a particular kind of land
Chicago experienced its deadliest year in almost two decades in 2016. According to Chicago police, 762 people were killed, an increase of 58% from 2015. The rise in homicides came as the number of shootings3,550, with 4,331 shooting victimsjumped by 47%.

A new study released Tuesday by the University of Chicago helps put those numbers in context. The reports authors find that while the number of murders jumped dramatically last year, the characteristics of those homicides were largely similar to 2015. Most involved guns, occurred in public places, and stemmed from what police believe was some sort of altercation, the report states. The victims were mostly black and in their teens, while many of the suspects had prior arrest records. And increasingly, much of the violence occurred in just a handful of neighborhoods.

One of the most striking figures is the growth in the citys homicide rate. While remaining steady between 2010 and 2015, the murder rate in Chicago jumped dramatically in 2016 to 27.7 homicides per 100,000 residents. Thats the highest homicide rate in Chicago since the mid-1990s and well above a low of about 15 per 100,000 in 2014.

The murder rate is far outpacing most other U.S. cities, including the four other largest in the U.S.: New York City, Los Angeles, Houston and Philadelphia. But a handful of cities homicide rates still surpassed Chicagos last year, including St. Louis, Baltimore and Detroit.

The number of crimes involving a firearm also rose significantly last year. Gun homicides, shootings, and robberies involving a gun all saw double-digit percentage increases over 2015.

Most of the citys murder increase is concentrated in just a few neighborhoods on Chicagos South and West sides, but the reports authors note that the reasons behind the rise are still unknown. Weather appears not to have played a factor, and the number of arrests for homicides and shootings held steady compared to 2015. But since homicides and shootings rose last year, those stagnant arrest numbers meant more of those crimes remained unsolved than in previous years, and the reports authors believe the lack of arrests following violent crimes may have played a role in worsening a cycle of retaliatory violence.

The problem in Chicago, the authors concluded, is not a widespread change in anti-social or criminal behavior in general, but rather a narrower one of gun crimes committed in public places, frequently by young people in our citys most distressed neighborhoods.
By Dustin Volz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nine Democratic senators asked President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions, on Tuesday to recuse himself from any FBI or Justice Department investigation into Russia's efforts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election. The request was signed by every Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the panel responsible for confirming Sessions' appointment. It comes amid growing concern in the U.S. Congress about what U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded was hacking and other actions by Russia during the election campaign aimed at tilting the November vote in Trump's favor, and about potential personal or financial connections between Trump associates and Moscow. The letter also asked Sessions, who as attorney general would be the country's top law enforcement official and head of the Justice Department, to commit to not shutting down any investigation into Russia's activities. FBI Director James Comey last week declined to comment on whether or not the FBI might be investigating links between Russia and associates of Trump. The president-elect frequently called during the campaign for improved relations between Washington and Moscow. A spokesman for Sessions, who is expected to be confirmed in the job by the Republican-controlled Congress, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the letter. On Friday the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee said their panel would investigate allegations Russia used cyber attacks to influence the U.S. presidential election, including any links between Russia and the political campaigns. Classified documents that the heads of four U.S. intelligence agencies presented earlier this month to Trump included unsubstantiated information compiled by a private security firm suggesting Moscow had compromising personal and financial details about Trump. Trump has called the dossier that contains salacious claims about him in Russia "fake news" and "phony stuff." The Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing last Tuesday for Sessions, a Republican and early backer of Trump's candidacy. He declined to comment on news reports that emerged late in the hearing about the dossier, saying he had no information about the matter at that time. "We understand that you may have been unaware of this news report at the time, which is why we would like to give you another opportunity to respond," the senators wrote. During his testimony, Sessions said he would recuse himself from investigations involving Trump's rival for the White House, Democrat Hillary Clinton, saying comments he made during the campaign about her email practices and charitable foundation would cloud the perception of impartiality at the Justice Department. He said he would instead favor a special prosecutor to carry out any future Clinton probes. (Reporting by Dustin Volz; Editing by Frances Kerry)
Brussels (AFP) - When British Prime Minister Theresa May laid out her plans to leave the EU Tuesday, the key issues were leaving the single market to pursue a free trade deal, and future ties to the bloc's customs union.

Here are the key issues at stake:

- What is the Single Market ? -

The European single market groups the 28 member states of the European Union along with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, which are members of the European Economic Area (EEA).

The single market guarantees freedom of goods, people, services and capital -- the so-called "four freedoms" of the European Union.

Every EU citizen can work in any EU member state and businesses across the union have direct access to 508 million consumers, with reduced legal and technical constraints.

The single market is much more integrated than a free-trade area, in which it is only customs duties that are abolished, because EU countries have tried to align their politics too.

But the EU single market is still a work in progress. Brussels admits there is still more to do on taxation, the digital economy and services.

- Why leave the single market? -

Britain would have to accept the "four freedoms" to keep access to the single market while outside the EU.

But Theresa May has identified immigration as the key issue of the Brexit referendum and is determined to impose limits, especially on people from central and eastern Europe, after a wave of immigration from those areas in the 2000s.

London would also have to contribute to the EU budget despite losing all decision-making power.

And the European Court of Justice would still hold sway over any issue involving the single market in Britain, seen by Brexiteers as an unacceptable surrender of sovereignty.

- What is the EU customs union? -

Members of the EU customs union -- the 28 EU member states plus Turkey, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino -- have a common system for handling goods that are imported, exported or tranisiting.

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For example if an import from outside the customs union enters Turkey and customs duties are paid on it, those goods can then move freely throughout the customs union.

Unlike her firm stance on the single market, May said she had "no preconceived position" about either striking a new customs agreement, becoming an associate member or to "remain a signatory to some elements of it."

Analyst Vivien Pertusot, of the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) in Brussels, said a customs union "brings a freedom that you don't always have with a free trade agreement, where you have to negotiate case by case."

Pieter Cleppe of the Open Europe think tank said May was probably thinking of a "technical agreement to smooth customs bureaucracy" like one Switzerland has with the EU.

It is also possible to only belong to a customs union for certain sectors -- Turkey's farming and services sectors are excluded, for example.

- New free trade deal? -

May said she wanted a "bold and ambitious free trade agreement with the European Union" after Brexit.

She said she did not want it modelled on others but a recent EU-Canada free trade deal for example reduces tariffs on goods to almost nothing.

In contrast, without a deal Britain and the EU in theory revert to World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules that involve often punishing tariffs.

Pertusot said it was "very likely that it would resemble a customs agreement" but with additional previsions for the City of London financial industry.

But such deals can take years to agree -- the Canada deal took seven.

One option is for the outline of a deal to be agreed during the two years of Britain's divorce procedure, and then phased in over a transitional period until a full deal can be agreed, to avoid the "cliff edge" of a sudden return of tariffs.
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's special prosecutor's office said on Tuesday it plans to question President Park Geun-hye by early February in its investigation of a corruption scandal that saw her impeached by parliament last month. The prosecution expected Park to agree to questioning but had yet to discuss details with her office, Lee Kyu-chul, spokesman for the special prosecutor, told a regular media briefing. As president, Park is immune from prosecution in the case but has said previously she would agree to questioning by the special prosecutor. She has denied any wrongdoing in the matter. The Constitutional Court will decide whether to uphold or overturn parliament's impeachment motion. (Reporting by Ju-min Park and Se Young Lee; Editing by Tony Munroe, Robert Birsel)
Its tempting to look to the playbooks and historical traditions of the late Soviet Union to explain the audacity of todays Russian intelligence activity, from its meddling in U.S. elections, to apparently killing Kremlin opponents abroad. But these activities are not just products of old ways or new geopolitics. They also stem from a shift in the activities of Russias political police force, the infamous Federal Security Service (FSB). Originally established to protect the Kremlins rule at home, it has increasingly moved into Russias foreign operations. A new cohort of secret policemen, ignorant of the traditions of spycraft and secure in Putins protection, has fundamentally altered the nature of Russian intelligence.

The FSB stands accused not just of engineering the leaks against Hillary Clintons presidential campaign, but also backing extremist parties in Europe, stirring up discontent among Russian-speaking minorities in the Baltic, allegedly murdering Chechen opposition leaders in Turkey and Austria, spreading disinformation, and even kidnapping an Estonian security officer across the border in 2014. And according to the infamous unverified dossier published by Buzzfeed on January 10, it also collected compromising information on Trump with the suspected aim of turning him into Vladimir Putins puppet. One has to go back to Soviet times for such a rich array of proven and suspected covert adventures abroad.

By allowing the FSB to move into foreign intelligence and covert operations, though, Putin hasprobably inadvertentlyunleashed a beast. The FSB is playing a central role in current developments not because it possesses greater technical capabilities than the other Russian agencies, but because, for the most part, it does not recognize or respect the same limitations as the rest of Russias security services. To put it crudely, the FSB does the kinds of things everyone else thinks about doing but doesnt because theyre too risky, too politically inflammatory, or too likely to backfire.

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The FSB is just the latest, longest-lasting iteration of the old Soviet KGB. In one of his many toxic legacies, former Russian President Boris Yeltsin ignored calls to disband an institution that appeared beyond repair and rebuild it from scratch. Instead, after 1991, he opted to partition the KGB. Its first chief directorate, responsible for espionage, was simply rebranded as the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). Most of the directorates tasked with domestic security were gathered together first under the umbrella of the Ministry of Security, then the Federal Counter-Intelligence Service, and, in 1995, the FSB.

Recommended: The Real Meaning of Putin's Press Conference

Since then, the FSB has not looked back, especially after 1998, when for a brief time it was headed by a little-known ex-KGB officer whose career was about to experience an unexpected boostone Vladimir Putin. In the years since, the FSB has been one his staunchest allies, hounding and discrediting his rivals, looking after his underlings, and clamping down on any spasms of popular protest. In return, he has shielded, empowered, and elevated the agency, turning a blind eye to corruption in its ranks, allowing it to one-up rival agencies such as the Federal Anti-Narcotics Service (Russias equivalent to the DEA, which was abolished in 2016), and giving its officers key positions, from regional governorships to head of his security council.

Traditionally, Putin controlled Russias sprawling bureaucracy by creating multiple, overlapping agencies, that he would then play off against each other. This is especially evident within the intelligence community. In Ukraine, for example, the SVR, FSB, and GRU, the military intelligence agency, all ran competing operations. When former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was toppled by the Euromaidan revolution in 2014, catching Moscow by surprise, the result was a hurried game of pass-the-buck. Although the FSB had been the agency most closely associated with Yanukovych and had argued most forcefully that he would survive, it enjoyed Putins support, and so the SVR wound up taking the blame for the intelligence failure.

Recommended: Obama and the Limits of 'Fact-Based' Foreign Policy

One result of the agencies fighting over the same turf has been the increasing intrusion of the FSB into foreign operations. In 2003, the agency absorbed most of the electronic eavesdropping and cyber-espionage capabilities of FAPSI, Russia's equivalent of the NSA. In 2005, it began operating in post-Soviet neighboring states. In 2006, Russia passed a law allowing military force to be used to suppress international terrorist activity outside the Russian Federationjust before the murder of defector Alexander Litvinenko in London.

As the FSBs stature rose, that of its competitors in Russian intelligence was falling. By the late 2000s, the GRU was in disgrace, due to its blunders in Russias 2008 war with Georgia, leading to abandoned airfields being bombed and Russian units getting outflanked. Putin also felt the SVR was too conservative and timid for limiting itself to simple information-gathering. It had failed to present Washington as being as aggressive as he believed it to be. He was increasingly coming to believe that the United States was leading a campaign to isolate Russia and deny it the great-power status he felt it deserved. He saw the Color Revolutions, for example, as U.S.-engineered plots to topple Moscow-friendly governments (Georgia in 2003, Ukraine in 2004, and Kyrgyzstan in 2005), and interpreted NATOs 2011 intervention in Libya as a sign that Washington remained committed to aggressive regime change. The more Putin came to see the West as a threat, the more he felt he needed his spooks both to collect information and to serve as active instruments of his geopolitical ambitions. This perspective seems to have crystallized during his brief time as prime minister and as the power behind the throne, from 2008 to 2012.

Recommended: Tulsi Gabbard, the GOPs Favorite Democrat, Goes to Syria

The FSB scrambled to fill the spook gap left by the flailing GRU and SVR. Suddenly, it was briefing Putin on foreign policy, edging its way into the traditional turf of the SVR and the foreign ministry. It lobbied hard and successfully for the funds and the mandate to mount political operations, first in Europe, then beyond, from funneling resources to populist parties and separatist groups, to penetrating both Democratic and, to a limited extent, Republican National Committee computers. When an indiscreet conversation between Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt emerged in 2014, it was almost certainly both intercepted and then leaked by the FSB. It may even have hijacked SVR and GRU operations: Intelligence insiders told me of FSB reports that claimed credit for information gathered by other agencies.

The FSB could do all this because it had Putins trust, and because it realized that he increasingly wanted his spies to tell him what he wanted to hear. As one embittered former SVR officer put it to me, our mistake was to keep talking about the world as it is, not as he would like it to be. Thus, the FSBs political police officers flattered their way into a privileged position, getting tasked with manipulating elections, wooing electorates, and lobbying politicians across the West.

These are not just spies under a different acronym, though. Most do not know or respect the etiquette of the shadow war. Their backgrounds as secret police in an authoritarian state make them especially prone to bullying and blackmailing, corrupting and killing. They also operate under far fewer constraints than traditional spies. So long as they remain in Putins favor, they can (sometimes literally) get away with murder. Even Russias once-formidable Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, once able to challenge the spies, is now limited to cleaning up their messes.

This has all resulted in a brazen new turn in Russian intelligence operations, with the FSB at the helm. They were behind the cross-border kidnapping of Estonian security officer Eston Kohver in 2014, and, according to sources in Moscow, were behind the DNC leaks, even if the GRU actually collected the emails. They are the ones most eagerly backing and bankrolling divisive extremists and populist leaders in Europe. This is despite the fact that the SVR and GRU have a great deal more experience.

The FSB realized that Putin increasingly wanted his spies to tell him what he wants to hear.

But the FSBs greatest asset is its sheer willingness to take chances. In that respect, it is simply mirroring Putin himself, who has played his weak hand well, precisely byat least in the pre-Trump erabeing more unpredictable and confrontational than anyone else.

How will this work out in the long term? When the FSB kidnapped Kohver, it managed to draw attention to the very issue it sought to keep hidden: its own links with organized crime, which subsequently became the focus of more intensive investigation in both Estonia and Europe as a whole. One Italian counter-intelligence officer who had for years been warning about this problem, for example, told me that within a month he had been given the green light to open new investigations into corruption among Russian security officials.

Similarly, the agencys hacking of Western politics looks worryingly effective, but is generating a backlash in the West against Russian interference and disinformation. It has become the story of the moment on both sides of the Atlantic, with the German and French security services warning that Moscow will try to manipulate upcoming elections in both countries. Just as dangerously, the SVR, GRU, and other agencies, have followed the FSBs lead in tailoring their briefings to flatter Putins prejudices and assumptions.

As a result, the one man who decides Russian strategy has become cocooned in an ever-thickening latticework of half-truths, dubious interpretations, and ludicrous optimism, which may make him prone to dangerous adventuresdeeper engagement in the Syria quagmire, a wider invasion of Ukraine, or tangling directly with NATO or China. In the long run, the FSB may well be as dangerous to Putin as to the West.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
(Photo: YouTube/Lucasfilm)

By Ryan Parker, The Hollywood Reporter

And that, kids, is why you let the Wookiee win.

A recently unearthed clip that was cut from a version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens shows Chewbacca ripping off the arm of Unkar Plutt after the Jakku junk dealer threatens Rey in Maz Kanatas castle.

In the final cut of the movie, the entire interaction never takes place.

The clip, which has more than two million YouTube views already, was posted online recently. It may have been included in the Force Awakens 3D Collectors Edition. Wherever it came from  damn, its pretty intense. And it is no surprise Disney hit the brakes on this.

Unkar, played by Simon Pegg, appears to be all CG in the rough cut scene  that is, until Chewie rips his arm off and it lands on a table, at which point the limb is physical.

Now, where have we seen this before?

The gag (for those of you non-hardcore Star Wars nerds) dates back to 1977s A New Hope, when Han Solo tells C-3PO to always let a Wookiee win  at games and just life in general  because they are known to rip peoples arms out of their sockets when they lose. The arm scene also is a call back to the Mos Eisley Cantina scene in New Hope when Ponda Baba gets his arm sliced off by Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Check out the clip below:

Related: Star Wars: Episode VIII  Wheres the Trailer Already?
Here's What's Trending Today...

John Lewis is a Congressman from the American state of Georgia. He represents the city of Atlanta and its suburbs. Over the weekend, Lewis had this to say about incoming President-elect Donald Trump: "I don't see the President-elect as a legitimate president."

When Chuck Todd, host of the Meet the Press news program, asked why, Lewis continued, "I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton. I don't plan to attend the inauguration."

The President-elect answered back in his tweets. He wrote that "Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk - no action or results. Sad!"

Many Twitter users sent their own messages in support of Rep. Lewis. Rather than him being "all talk and no action," they reminded Trump of the many actions that Rep. Lewis took as a civil rights protester and still takes as a Representative.

Rep. Lewis took part in sit-ins to protest segregation in the southern United States in the early 1960s. He was beaten by mobs and arrested for being in the protests.

Lewis has been arrested at least 45 times, the latest arrest in 2013 during an immigration protest outside the U.S. Capitol. In June, 2016, Lewis led a sit-in on the floor of the House of Representatives to protest lack of action on gun control.

Other representatives in Congress are following the steps that Rep. Lewis says he will take. Representative Mark Takano said he will also boycott the inauguration.

According to Fusion.net, there are more than 40 representatives who have said they will not attend the inauguration. The list of representatives contains their reasons for not attending.

Some commentators are criticizing the timing of Trump's attack on Rep. Lewis. The attack came on the weekend when Americans celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. as a national holiday.

Trump had planned to visit the new Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture on Monday, which was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Instead, he met privately in New York with the son of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King III told the press he had talked with Trump about voting rights. King added that Trump said that he is going to represent Americans  hes said that over and over again. We will continue to evaluate that.

And that's what's trending today.

Im Jill Robbins.

Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Now its your turn. What do you think of the boycott of the inauguration? Do politicians in your country use social media to criticize each other? Write to us in the comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

segregation - n. the practice or policy of keeping people of different races, religions, etc., separate from each other

sit-in - n. a strike or protest in which people sit or stay in a place and refuse to leave until they are given what they demand

commentator - n. a person who discusses important people and events on television, in newspapers, etc.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Obama administration tried to persuade the Supreme Court Tuesday to retain a federal law that makes it easier to deport immigrants who have been convicted of crimes.

If the justices agree, the outcome could help the incoming Trump administration fulfill its pledge to step up the deportation of immigrants who are convicted of crimes.

The justices heard argument in the administration's appeal of a lower court ruling that struck down the law as unconstitutional. The case concerns a provision of immigration law that defines a "crime of violence." Conviction for a crime of violence subjects an immigrant to deportation and usually speeds up the process.

It was unclear from the argument how the court would rule.

The federal appeals court in San Francisco struck down the measure as too vague. The appeals court based its ruling on a 2015 Supreme Court decision that struck down a similarly worded part of another federal law imposing longer prison sentence on repeat criminals.

Since then, four other appellate panels have ruled for immigrants, while one has sided with the government.

The high court case concerns James Dimaya, a native of the Philippines who came to the United States legally as a 13-year-old in 1992. He was twice convicted of burglary in California. The government began deportation proceedings against him in 2010.

"We have seen this show before. We know how it ends," said Joshua Rosenkranz, Dimaya's lawyer, urging the court to strike down the measure. The justices heard several cases involving repeat criminals before finally voiding the law.

But Justice Stephen Breyer said he was unsure what to do. "I'm floating on this," he told Rosenkranz. On the one hand, Breyer said there was much to Rosenkranz's argument. But, Breyer said, "I quite worry about the implications."

Justice Department lawyer Edwin Kneedler pointed out that other laws allowing for deportation of people convicted of sexual and domestic abuse could be vulnerable to a court challenge because they rely on the same contested language. Kneedler also said the courts are not having the same trouble dealing with deportations as they did with repeat criminals. "There is simply not the disarray there was," Kneedler said.

A decision in Lynch v. Dimaya, 15-1498, is expected by June.
Istanbul (AFP) - A 34-year-old Uzbek man suspected of slaughtering 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Eve confessed to the massacre on Tuesday, hours after his capture in a police raid.

Authorities detained Abdulgadir Masharipov, who spent 17 days on the run after the attack claimed by Islamic State (IS) jihadists, along with three women and an Iraqi man during a massive police operation in Istanbul.

"The terrorist confessed his crime," Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin told reporters. He said the fingerprints matched those of the attacker and confirmed he is an Uzbek national.

"He was trained in Afghanistan and can speak four languages. He's a well-trained terrorist," added the governor, saying Masharipov is believed to have first entered Turkey in January 2016.

Police also confiscated 197,000 US dollars (185,000 euros), two firearms and clips during the raid on an apartment, he added.

The arrest eased the anxiety of Istanbul residents, already on edge after a string of attacks, who had feared for more than a fortnight that a trained killer was on the loose in the city.

Local media published a picture of the detained man with blood on his face and T-shirt, his neck gripped by a policeman.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the arrest and congratulated the security forces.

"From now on in this country, nobody will get away with what they have done," he said in a speech in Ankara. "Everyone will be brought to account within the rule of law."

- 'Like a nightmare' -

The operation to find the whereabouts and capture the suspected jihadist involved some 2,000 police officers, the Istanbul governor said.

The suspect had apparently slipped into the night following the attack on the glamorous Reina nightclub on the Bosphorus, as police tightened borders to prevent him escaping.

But he was hiding in the working-class, densely populated western districts of Istanbul. Days of police tracking eventually traced him to an apartment in the residential Esenyurt district.

Story continues

An Iraqi man was also detained with him, as well as three women, one a Egyptian citizen and two others from African states, Sahin said.

Police allowed reporters into the apartment, which had been thrown upside down during the 20 minute raid to apprehend the suspected extremist.

Drawers were flung open and clothes thrown onto the floor. But there were also tantalising glimpses of daily life like handwritten notes and a half-eaten loaf of bread.

"It is like a nightmare, this man was living under the same roof and we didn't know it," said neighbour Sezen Aras.

The IS extremist group took responsibility for the bloodbath, the first time it has ever openly claimed a major attack in Turkey.

It had previously been blamed for several strikes in Turkey, including the triple suicide bombings at Istanbul airport in June.

Capturing the suspect alive will be seen as a major victory for the Turkish security forces and he may be able to shed light on the existence of other IS cells in the city.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said: "What matters is the capture of the perpetrator of this vile attack and exposing the powers behind him."

- 'Tracked for 3 days' -

There had been confusion over the attacker's identity in the wake of the massacre, with reports initially suggesting a Kyrgyz national and then a Uighur from China was responsible.

But authorities later identified him as a 34-year-old Uzbek who was part of a Central Asian IS cell using the code name Ebu Muhammed Horasani.

Images released by police during the manhunt were taken from a chilling silent video he purportedly took on Istanbul's Taksim Square with a selfie stick, before carrying out the carnage.

According to NTV television, the police had spotted his location three days earlier, but preferred to track him to identify his contacts.

The investigation had also focused on the central Turkish city of Konya where the attacker was reported to have lived for several weeks after returning from Syria before moving to Istanbul.

A total of 50 people have now been detained in the investigation as a result of 152 raids since the attack, Sahin said.

Of the 39 killed in the Reina attack, 27 were foreigners including citizens from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq and Morocco who had been hoping to celebrate a special New Year.

The attack, just 75 minutes into 2017, rocked Turkey which had already been shaken by a series of attacks in 2016 blamed on jihadists and Kurdish militants that has left hundreds dead.
(ISTANBUL)Turkish authorities captured the gunman who carried out the deadly New Years nightclub attack in Istanbul, with officials saying Tuesday that hes an Uzbekistan national who trained in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters in Ankara that the man was being questioned by police and expressed hope that the interrogation would unveil the forces behind the attack, which killed 39 people and was claimed by the Islamic State group.

The vile terrorist who attacked the place of entertainment on New Years eve and led to the loss of so many lives has been captured, Yildirim said.

He added: What is important is for the suspect to be captured and for the forces behind it to be revealed.

The premier wouldnt provide further details on the arrest or the investigation, saying authorities would provide specifics in time.

Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin said that the captured nightclub attack suspect is an Uzbekistan national who trained in Afghanistan. He is believed to have entered Turkey in January 2016.

Sahin says the suspect, captured late Monday, has confessed to carrying out the massacre and that his fingerprints matched those of the attacker.

The suspect, according to Sahin, was a well-educated terrorist who speaks four languages and had clearly carried out the attack in the name of IS.

The statements come hours after police began questioning the suspect, who was identified in Turkish media reports as Abdulgadir Masharipov and was caught in a police operation at a luxury residential complex in Istanbul.

The state-run Anadolu Agency said that a man from Kyrgyzstan and three women  from Somalia, Senegal and Egypt  were also detained in the raid, while the gunmans 4-year-old son was taken into protective custody.

IS group has claimed responsibility for the nightclub massacre, saying the attack in the first hours of Jan. 1 was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria. The man identified as the suspect had been on the run since the attack.

Story continues

Anadolu said police have also carried out raids on members of a suspected Uzbek IS cell in five Istanbul neighborhoods, and detained several people.

Authorities had set up a 1,000-person force to capture the gunman, Anadolu said.

Photographs from raids, widely published in the Turkish media, showed a bruised, black-haired man in a gray, bloodied shirt being held by his neck. NTV television said the gunman had resisted arrest.

Hundreds of people were gathered at the swanky Reina nightclub to celebrate the end of a tumultuous 2016 only to become the first victims of 2017. The gunman shot a police officer and a civilian outside the club, before storming the premises.

Most of the dead in the attack on the upscale club were foreign nationals, mainly from the Middle East.

___

Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, and Dominique Soguel in Basel, Switzerland, contributed to this report.
By Tom Westbrook SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Australian government said on Wednesday it was not ruling out a future underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, but added there was currently no credible new evidence to warrant it. "I don't rule out a future underwater search by any stretch," Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester told reporters in Melbourne, a day after the tripartite group of Australia, Malaysia and China officially called off the search in the southern Indian Ocean. Families of passengers on board the Boeing 777, which disappeared en route to Beijing from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board, have criticized the decision to halt the search. Chester said restarting the search would require "credible new information which leads to a specific location," and that it would be at the discretion of the Malaysian government. A recommendation from investigators last month to look to the north of the 120,000 sq km (46,000 sq mile) area that has been the focus of search efforts was not specific enough, he said. The head of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which led the hunt for the plane, said authorities are confident it is not in the area where they have been looking. ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood said "residual search activity," including satellite and drift analysis would continue until the end of February. (Reporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Jane Wardell, Toni Reinhold)
Moscow (AFP) - Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital next week are aimed at consolidating the frail truce in the war-torn country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

"One of the objectives of the meeting in Astana is first of all to consolidate the ceasefire," Lavrov said of the talks due to begin on January 23.

Lavrov said the talks would also serve as an opportunity to involve rebel field commanders in "the political process" aimed at ending the bloodshed.

"Those who wish to join must have the possibility to do so."

Organised by rebel backer Turkey and regime allies Russia and Iran, the Astana meeting is the latest bid to put an end to the brutal conflict raging since March 2011.

US President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has been invited but has not yet officially responded.

Lavrov said on Tuesday it was "right to invite representatives of the UN and the new US administration" but did not say whether the incoming Trump administration had confirmed its attendance.

A source in the Russian foreign ministry told AFP the talks would not involve the foreign ministers of participating countries and could last a few days, but did not give further details.

Syrian rebel groups, including the powerful Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam), said on Monday they would attend.

Chief rebel negotiator Mohammad Alloush, a leading figure in Jaish al-Islam, will represent the opposition, according to National Coalition member Ahmad Ramadan.

The High Negotiations Committee (HNC), the main Syrian opposition umbrella group, has also expressed its support for the talks.

The Syrian government delegation attending the talks will be led by the country's ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar al-Jaafari, Syria's Al-Watan daily reported on Tuesday.

The government delegation will also include "figures representing the military and the Syrian judiciary", the newspaper wrote.

Story continues

Alloush and Jaafari led opposing teams at UN-hosted peace talks in Geneva last year, trading accusations throughout the ill-fated negotiations.

- Fighting despite truce -

The talks come a month after the Syrian regime took full control of the country's second city of Aleppo from rebels in its biggest victory in more than four years of fighting.

Russia launched a bombing campaign to shore up the forces of long-time ally Bashar al-Assad in September 2015, a move Lavrov hailed on Tuesday.

"We are convinced we acted rightly when we responded positively to the request (to intervene) of Syria's legitimate government... whose capital was two to three weeks away from being seized by terrorists," said Lavrov.

Russia and Turkey last month brokered a ceasefire in Syria but without the involvement of the United States, a negotiator in previous truces.

The truce went into effect on December 30 and has brought calm to much of Syria although fighting continues in some regions.

Nine civilians were killed at the weekend in heavy fighting that erupted near Damascus, jeopardising the nationwide truce.

Government troops also lost ground to the Islamic State jihadist group near the Deir Ezzor military airport in the country's east.

The ceasefire excludes the IS group and its rival the Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front after breaking ties with Al-Qaeda last year.

If the Astana meetings are successful, they could bode well for a new round of UN-hosted political negotiations on the conflict set for next month in Geneva.

More than 300,000 people have been killed and over half of the population displaced in nearly six years of deadly fighting in Syria. Millions have also fled the country.

burs-gtf/ma/bc
BEIJING (AP)  A former premier will represent Taiwan at Donald Trump's inauguration Friday, a visit likely to be closely scrutinized by China for signs the incoming president intends to make good on remarks suggesting a shake-up in relations between Taipei, Washington and Beijing.

Yu Shyi-kun will be joined by lawmakers and local government officials representing both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Nationalists, the Foreign Ministry announced. It said the delegation, which intends to "express the importance our government and people place on close friendly bilateral relations," left Monday.

Along with attending the inauguration, the delegation will hold talks with politicians, academics and overseas Chinese community representatives, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

"Taiwan-U.S. relations have a lengthy history and have made significant progress in recent years," the statement said. Congratulating Trump on his election, it said the government would "continue to strengthen Taiwan-U.S. relations in future on the basis of excellent mutual trust and interaction."

The U.S. has no formal relations with Taipei in deference to China, which claims the island as its own. However, the two maintain robust informal ties, while Washington sells Taiwan arms and is legally bound to regard any threat to the island as a matter of grave concern.

Trump upset decades of diplomatic precedent by talking by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen shortly after his victory in November's presidential election. Last week, he said in a newspaper interview that Washington's "one China policy" under which it recognized Beijing in 1979 was open to negotiation, and had earlier questioned why the U.S. should be bound by such an approach without China offering incentives.

On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry said the "one-China principle" regarding Taiwan is not negotiable and any attempt to reconsider the issue would be self-defeating.

Story continues

"Not everything in the world can be bargained or traded off," Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.

China threatens to use force to assert control over Taiwan and tensions across the Taiwan Strait have risen since Tsai's election last year. Beijing has cut off contacts with her government and is using its diplomatic clout to further isolate the island.

Yu served as premier under former President Chen Shui-bian, who was despised by Beijing for his defiantly pro-independence stance.
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) - The global elite kicked off four days of earnest debate and Alpine partying Tuesday in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, in a week bookended by two historic presidential speeches.

One was being given by Xi Jinping, the first Chinese president to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos. Speaking to a packed room, he was expected to seek to turn the page on the US-led global trade order in place since World War II, in favour of a "multipolar" approach.

The other speech will be by Donald Trump when he is inaugurated in Washington as the 45th US president on Friday. His barnstorming conquest of the White House has left many in the globetrotting Davos crowd agog at his repudiation of all that they stand for -- liberal thought, free trade and open borders.

Around 3,000 government leaders, captains of industry, stars of screen and agenda-setting thinkers are braving heavy snow and the chill winds of an anti-globalisation revolt by Western voters to congregate in Davos for the 47th World Economic Forum.

CEOs jostled with philanthropists and experts on artificial intelligence in the queue to remove their snowboots as the event got underway.

Conscious of the sour public mood in the West, organisers are billing the Davos meet as "A call for responsive and responsible leadership", and top business executives agree that they must not appear oblivious to the anger of ordinary people.

"The advantages of globalisation are more clear in emerging markets than in developed countries. We have to listen, to help people that are concerned," Sergio Ermotti, chief executive of Swiss banking giant UBS, told AFP.

A World Economic Forum study said that within advanced economies, median per capita income fell on average 2.4 percent over the past five years, helping to explain why disaffection is so high across the West.

And the scale of the chasm between the richest and poorest was laid bare by an Oxfam report that said eight men own the same wealth as the poorest half of the world's population.

Story continues

The eight include Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who is speaking at the forum this week, and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, which like several other companies has remodelled a Davos shop as a promotional "pop-up" venue.

- Perils and parties -

Other research presented by the consultancy Edelman found public confidence in institutions including in governments, business, the media and NGOs slumping across the rich world.

The sense that the world is at an inflection point is apparent in the topics of debate at Davos, across hundreds of different panels.

One panel Tuesday discussed "Why facts don't unify us" any more. Another asked whether the future of work is pregnant with "promise or peril", given the impact of technology on jobs, a theme that is resonating loudly on the electoral front with Trump's victory, Britain's vote to quit the European Union and the rise of far-right parties across Europe.

China, meanwhile, is selling itself as the future as it touts new types of trade agreement shorn of US influence.

Away from debates on weighty issues such as reform of capitalism, artificial intelligence and a cure for cancer, Davos attendees including China's richest man Jack Ma and Hollywood star Matt Damon will get to unwind at exclusive apres-ski events dotted around the town.

But the party for "Davos Man" may be drawing to a close if the anti-elite backlash intensifies.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will address the World Economic Forum on Thursday, two days after outlining her vision for Brexit in another keenly awaited speech.

Paul Sheard, chief economist at S&P ratings agency, said twitchy investors were looking for "a general sense coming out of the speech that they (the British government) have got a game plan".

May's predecessor David Cameron is also attending Davos, and will no doubt offer some rueful remarks on how he so badly misjudged the mood of British voters.

But the week's most consequential speech will come in Washington as Davos winds down Friday.

What response, if any, that Trump offers in his inaugural address to Xi's vision for an alternative world order will provoke much soul-searching among the forum's great and good.
President-elect Donald Trump told a radio interviewer in October 2015 that he had met Vladimir Putin one time  a long time ago and that he got along with him great  a statement that conflicts with his later denials during the campaign that he had ever met or spoken with the Russian president.

The newly surfaced audiotape, uncovered by a political opposition-research group, could fuel new questions about the precise nature of Trumps past relations with the Russian president  a subject about which he has made multiple contradictory comments. It was released just hours after Putin, speaking from Moscow, denounced officials in the Obama administration as worse than prostitutes for circulating nonsense personal allegations about Trump that were allegedly collected by Russian intelligence.

On the newly uncovered audiotape, released by the Democratic Coalition Against Trump, Trump discusses Putin with conservative radio host Michael Savage, telling him its wonderful that the Russians were really hitting ISIS hard in Syria.

Have you ever met Vladimir Putin? Savage asks.

Yes, Trump answers, emphatically.

You have? Savage follows up.

Yes, a long time ago. We got along great, by the way.

Savage then asked, If you win the presidency, do you feel you can do business with Vladimir?

Yes, I do. I think I would get along very well. I had the Miss Universe pageant, believe it or not, in Moscow two years ago. I got many of the Russian leaders, the top people in Russia, honestly.  These are people, they are looking to do things.

Trumps responses to Savage add to the confusing, flatly contradictory comments the president-elect has made about his past dealings with the Russian president. While in Moscow during the Miss Universe content, Trump gave an interview to MSNBCs Thomas Roberts  who was co-hosting the event  in which, when asked whether he had a relationship with Putin, he replied: I do have a relationship, and I can tell you that hes very interested in what were doing here today. He later said in a National Press Club speech in November 2015 that while in Moscow for the Miss Universe contest: I spoke, indirectly and directly, with President Putin, who could not have been nicer.

Story continues

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News, photos: Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool Photo via AP, Evan Vucci/AP )

But later, when repeatedly pressed last July 31 by ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos, Trump gave a very different answer about Putin. Ive never met him, Trump said then. I have no relationship with Putin. I dont think Ive ever met him. I never met him.  I mean if hes in the same room or something. But I dont think so.

Youve never spoken to him on the phone? Stephanopoulos followed up.

I have never spoken to him on the phone, no, Trump replied. Well, I dont know what it means by having a relationship. I mean, he was saying very good things about me, but I dont have a relationship with him. I didnt meet him. I havent spent time with him. I didnt have dinner with him. I didnt go hiking with him. I dont know  and I wouldnt know him from Adam, except I see his picture and I would know what he looks like.

During the Stephanopoulos interview, Trump sought to clarify comments he made about Putin during a November 2015 debate on the Fox Business channel. In the debate, when discussing Putin and the Ukraine crisis, Trump said, I got to know him [Putin] very well because we were both on 60 Minutes. We were stablemates, and we did very well that night.

In the Stephanopoulos interview, Trump explained what he meant. We did 60 Minutes together, Trump said. By the way, not together-together, meaning he was probably shot in Moscow.  And I was shot in New York.

Trumps comments prompted Politifact, the fact-checking website, to give Trump a full flop last August for his comments about Putin. The surfacing of the Savage audio seemingly adds to the confusion. Its discovery comes just a few days after the Senate Intelligence Committee announced it will be conducting a full-scale investigation  including the use of subpoenas  into the Russian hacking of the election, including any intelligence about links between the Russian government and any political campaigns in the United States.

A spokesman for the Trump transition did not respond to a request for comment.

Read more from Yahoo News:
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She's sixteen, talented, newly famous. And unfortunately, facing vile abuse on social media.

Zaira Wasim, the young actor who dazzled audiences with her flawless debut in Dangal  India's highest-grossing film ever  posted an inexplicable "confession/apology" on Facebook last night.

And then, she deleted it in no time.

SEE ALSO: 'Dangal' becomes the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time

Not before screenshots had been taken though.

Shocking open letter by #Dangal actress @zairawasim apologizing for her work. Was she harassed and threatened by the extremists in #Kashmir? pic.twitter.com/cHl2HhkzA2  Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) January 16, 2017

Her note reeks of fear and coercion. And sadly, submission too. She says she is "sorry for what I did" and wants to "make it very clear that I do not want anyone to follow in my foot steps or even consider me as a role model."

What has she "done"? No one knows. Yet.

But there's enough conjecture.

Going by the comments surfacing on social media, she's either being bullied for meeting Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister (CM) Mehbooba Mufti or being criticized for her supposedly "un-Islamic" act of joining films.

Scores of abusive comments have flooded her Facebook page.

This is the filth people filled up the comments section with, on a Facebook post about #Dangal star @zairawasim meeting @MehboobaMufti pic.twitter.com/CEM60KrXo9  Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) January 16, 2017

She's apparently being vilified for this meeting with the state CM.

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Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti today meets young Kashmiri girl @ZairaWasim who is playing the role of Aamir khan's dangal. pic.twitter.com/Bsa6SVar0C  Srinagar Times (@SrinagarTimes_) January 14, 2017

However, there's a silver lining. Almost.

The hate comments have been outnumbered by the empathetic ones. All sections of Indian society from politicians and media-persons to film personalities and sportsmen, and of course, the masses have come out in loud support of the Kashmiri actor.

Noted among them is a comment from former Jammu & Kashmir CM and Mufti's political rival, Omar Abdullah.

I've a problem with @MehboobaMufti trying to userp other peoples success to cover up her own failures but why punish/troll people she meets?  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) January 16, 2017

Support from the film industry has been noticeable too, with Dangal's lead actor Aamir Khan releasing a Twitter statement this afternoon, appealing "everyone to leave her alone".

Some veteran actors have insisted that Wasim is their "role model".

Dear @zairawasim! Ur apology letter is sad but full of courage. It exposes d cowardice of people who made u write it.But u r my #RoleModel. pic.twitter.com/fCF2zlzvzC  Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) January 16, 2017

And some others have reminded her that she didn't need to apologize.

Those who shout AZADI from the roof tops don't give an iota of AZADI to others .Poor Zaira Waseem had to apologies for her success Shame !!  Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) January 16, 2017

#ZairaWasim u dont need 2 apologise 2 faceless losers. They r narrow minded cowards. U ARE a role model for ALL young girls & u shud b proud  Swara Bhaskar (@ReallySwara) January 16, 2017

The youths of #Kashmir should come out on the streets & and announce that we don't want to be stone throwers but achievers like @zairawasim  Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) January 16, 2017

"Leave her alone." Yes, please!

She is Sixteen, Going on Seventeen.. & this is the Sound of Bullying. So very CRUEL what @zairawasim has been put through. LEAVE HER ALONE  barkha dutt (@BDUTT) January 16, 2017

This Indian poet recalled a similar incident from 2013 when an all-girl band in Kashmir had been issued a fatwa for playing music.

Chilled to the bone, also, by the cadences of @zairawasim's 'apology': it reads like a heretic's forced recantation in mediaeval Europe.  Ranjit Hoskote (@ranjithoskote) January 16, 2017

Thinking of #ZairaWasim, I think also of Pragaash, the Srinagar girl band that was silenced in 2013. Women suffer more in the culture wars. pic.twitter.com/TuXu7MCeu0  Ranjit Hoskote (@ranjithoskote) January 16, 2017

Sportspeople, including Indian wrestler Geeta Phogat, whose role Wasim essayed in Dangal, have voiced their support and concern.

#ZairaWasim we are proud of you dear don't worry and stand strong  pic.twitter.com/6bHQZHXou9  geeta phogat (@geeta_phogat) January 16, 2017

Men will be men. Insecure 2 see a girl like @zairawasim get wings. Sadly we think "Maahri Choriyan AAJ B Choron se kum hain." @aamir_khan  Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) January 17, 2017

Mass support continues to pour in as people tweet with the hashtag #StandWithZaira.

#ZairaWasim you don't owe it to anyone. You have made all of us proud by your sheer talent & hard work. You need not to be apologetic. Bravo pic.twitter.com/QiMgTblFkq  Mubassir Latifi  (@Mubassir_Latifi) January 16, 2017

It must take extra courage to go after a 16 year old debutante. @zairawasim, you're awesome and don't let this get to you  Tanmay Bhat (@thetanmay) January 16, 2017

Shocking & unfair that 16-year-old Dangal actor Zaira Wasim forced to apologise by trolls. She met the CM, not Hafiz Saeed! #StandWithZaira  Sayoni Aiyar (@sayoniaiyar) January 16, 2017

Why should a talent be suppressed, abused, trolled and made to apologise. On @zairawasim some answers I need from kashmiris. #Kashmir pic.twitter.com/3RFsScAnU7  Sajid Yousuf (@sajid_Yousuf_) January 16, 2017
ACAPULCO (Reuters) - Ten people were found dead in Guerrero, one of the most violent states in Mexico, on Monday, in separate incidents connected to drug-gang rivalries, state authorities said. Roberto Alvarez, a spokesman for a security coordination group that includes members of Mexico's federal police, army and navy, said in a statement that six decapitated bodies were discovered in the state capital of Chilpancingo. Four other bodies were located at two separate sites in the city of Chilapa, located some 200 miles (324 km) south of Mexico City, he added. "A red Ford EcoSport truck was found, with black plastic bags on the roof, which contained six human limbs," Alvarez said. "Six dismembered bodies were found inside the vehicle." The other bodies were found along a highway and in a home, he said. Waves of grisly killings have taken place in Guerrero as cartels battle over drug trafficking routes and clash with security forces. (Reporting by Uriel Sanchez; Writing by Natalie Schachar; Editing by Richard Chang)
The numbers of students missing 15 days or more of school in a given year is on the rise in the US. Evidence shows certain approaches can get kids back in school and help them stay in class.
Washington (AFP) - As Barack Obama prepares to leave office on January 20, here are 10 things his presidency may be remembered for:

- Making history -

If historians were to write only one thing about Barack Hussein Obama, they would likely note that -- 143 years after slavery was abolished -- a young Illinois senator became the first black president of the United States.

Obama, just 47 at his 2009 inauguration, harnessed magisterial oratory to rally a diverse electoral coalition behind a message of "hope and change."

In office, Obama however sometimes struggled to turn his poetry into the prose of governance.

- Too big to fail -

Obama's first term in office was dominated by economic freefall.

A real estate crisis spawned a financial meltdown that torpedoed Wall Street banks and lenders, and was metastasizing into an economic crisis of global proportions.

Outgoing president George W. Bush and the Federal Reserve had kicked off the government's first panicked efforts at containment, but Obama faced down ideological opposition to large fiscal stimulus, extending government spending by $831 billion and providing ballast to the economy.

As he leaves office, the political and social aftershocks of that financial cataclysm are still being felt, but the economy has added jobs for 75 straight months.

- 'Justice has been done' -

"Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden."

With those words on May 2, 2011, Obama exorcised the anger and frustration of millions of Americans -- that the most powerful country on earth could not hold the man accountable for the 9/11 attacks.

The risky special forces operation was also illustrative of Obama's controversial drone-and-raid approach to counterterrorism. As he leaves office, Al-Qaeda offshoots and affiliates remain potent, but their leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been decimated.

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- Legislative toil -

"It's one of the few regrets of my presidency -- that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better," Obama said in his final State of the Union address.

From the moment Obama was elected, Republicans in Congress vowed to oppose him tooth and nail.

Efforts to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay and enact gun controls -- even after the 2012 massacre of young students in Newtown, the emotional nadir of his presidency -- would fall victim to partisan rancor.

- A deal with a half-life -

For more than two decades, the United States had rolled out sanctions and covert actions to prevent arch-foe Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Obama tried a different tack, engaging in secret talks with the Islamic Republic.

That gambit ultimately yielded a deal that saw Iran halt its sprint toward a nuclear weapon, in return for substantial sanctions relief and a dollop of international legitimacy.

The pact would strain US relations with Iran's enemies Israel and Saudi Arabia, but prevented a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and defused tensions between Iran and the United States that have simmered since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

- No turnabout on Syria -

No international crisis tested Obama's foreign policy or his high bar for US military intervention like Syria.

Even when Bashar al-Assad defied Obama's red line on chemical weapons use and killed countless thousands of civilians -- along with Russian and Iranian forces -- the man who came to office on an anti-war ticket rejected calls to step in.

Syria will likely be in crisis for years to come.

Critics will long argue about whether Obama's policy was sensible and to what degree his decision damaged America's reputation, allowed the Islamic State group to grow, fueled a flow of migrants that destabilized Europe, and allowed Russia and Iran to extend influence in the region.

- Change the climate -

After the climate skepticism of Bush, Obama's eight years in office resulted in a tidal wave of environmental legislation, protecting marine ecosystems, curbing carbon emissions and boosting renewable energy.

In a bid to ingrain environmentalism into America's body politic, Obama hiked Alaskan glaciers, snorkeled at Midway Island and rushed through ratification of the Paris climate accord.

But Obama's environmental agenda is likely to come under sustained assault from his successor, putting the durability of that legacy into question.

- A very big deal -

Democrats had tried and failed for decades to provide Americans with universal health care. Obama wasn't quite able to do that but he extended insurance coverage to tens of millions of citizens who previously had none.

Republicans decried the "Obamacare" plan as socialism incarnate, at one point claiming it would even create "death panels." But they failed to stop it from passing. They may yet have a crack at repealing it under Donald Trump's watch.

- Racial tensions persist -

Many hoped that America's first black president would help the nation overcome racial inequality. But the man elected with the overwhelming support of the nation's minority voters of all colors disappointed many.

Racial tensions -- underscored by police shootings of unarmed black men and conspiracy theories about Obama's birthplace -- persisted, and the president remained cautious about weighing in on the issue -- too cautious, for some.

But the very fact of his election confirmed monumental changes in society, and he sometimes offered very personal, searing messages about the struggle of blacks in America.

In 2012, after the fatal shooting of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin in Florida, Obama said: "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon."

- Meet the neighbors -

Obama's trip to Cuba may be remembered in the same way as Richard Nixon's visit to China, but in truth it was the capstone of a much broader effort to improve US relations with Latin America.

Resurgent left-wing populists in the region had rekindled past memories of "yanqui imperialism" -- US-led coups, death squads and heavy-handed intervention.

Barely 100 days after Obama took office, he told regional leaders at a Summit of the Americas that the United States had changed. The approach was to deny leaders like Venezuela's Hugo Chavez any excuses for sideshow anti-Americanism.

He shook Chavez's hand, met Nicaraguan firebrand Daniel Ortega and visited the tomb of a popular Salvadoran priest killed by US-linked death squads.

Obama alluded to "mistakes" in a coup that installed dictator Augusto Pinochet in Chile, released documents about involvement in Argentina's dirty war and, of course, visited Havana.
A former middle-school English teacher who was impregnated by a 13-year-old student has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to having a long-term sexual relationship with a child.

Alexandria Vera, 25, from Texas, was arrested in June and initially charged with continuous sexual assault of a child, which carries a maximum of life imprisonment, the Washington Post reports. Her sentence was capped at 30 years after she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

Vera, who taught at Stovall Middle School in Houston, said she met the boy during summer school and romance blossomed after they began messaging on Instagram. According to prosecutors and the WP, the pair had sex almost every day for nine months.

The court learned that Vera paid cell phone bills and bought groceries for the family, as well as attended holiday events with them as the boys girlfriend. Prosecutors also said that she let two eighth graders have sex at her home, the Houston Chronicle reports.

The State District Judge said during Veras sentencing hearing that he does not believe the 25-year-old is a classic pedophile or a danger to other children, but that he needed to send a message to the community.

[Washington Post]
On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May at last outlined her objectives for Brexit, confirming after weeks of speculation that the United Kingdom will leave the European Unions single market rather than accept the free movement of people across borders. May made clear, in other words, that her recipe for making Britain a great economic power again requires first leaving the worlds biggest economic and trading bloc.

May spent much of her speech trying to spin Brexit as an internationalist move, rather than an insular retreat to Little Britain. The day of the Brexit referendum, she said, was not the moment Britain chose to step back from the world. It was the moment we chose to build a truly global Britain.

That truly global Britain will feature, if May has her way, stricter border control, and will have to renegotiate its trading relationship with Europe. She explained that the U.K. would make no attempt to remain in the European single market because that would mean accepting so many conditions from Brussels that It would to all intents and purposes mean not leaving the EU at all.

Instead, May wants to reach a separate trade deal with Europe and with other countries around the world; President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview published in The Times (English edition) on Saturday that he will do a deal with Britain.

Theresa May has promised a clean Brexit, Joseph Dobbs, a research fellow at the European Leadership Network, told Foreign Policy. But given that she has just promised voters in the U.K. an excellent free trade deal with Europe with no trade-offs, my bet is that it will be anything but clean. That will be bad news for the British economy next year, after Brexit got a relatively benign reception in markets. 2017: Like 2016, but now with consequences, Dobbs said.

Those consequences may still be a while away. Negotiating the terms of departure from the EU could take years, and will keep things paused meanwhile: The EU has already said that Britain may not make the independent trade deals until after its put the exit in Brexit.

Story continues

And though May has vowed to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the legal mechanism for beginning the end of the United Kingdoms time in the EU, her countrys supreme court has yet to decide whether she is empowered to do so. The decision may instead rest with Parliament, whose members tend to see departure differently.

But even delayed consequences manifest themselves at some point. Take British universities: May insisted Tuesday theyll remain competitive globally, but vice chancellors of those universities say her hard Brexit is a disaster, and that European applications are already down. Of course, since May was the Home Secretary who wanted to limit student visas and send foreign students home right after after graduation, she might not see that as a disaster at all.

Still, it wasnt all bleak news for everyone. Mays comment that she will throw the ultimate decision on Brexit to cooler heads in Parliament gave a boost to the beleaguered British pound, which just had its best day since the financial meltdown almost a decade ago. Investors apparently believe that, given the chance, lawmakers will undo last summers shocking referendum.

Photo credit: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images
Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - Four more cabinet ministers in Gambian President Yahya Jammeh's government have defected, a source close to the regime told AFP on Tuesday, as citizens stream out of the country in fear of unrest.

With two days left of his mandate, Jammeh has caused a political crisis by refusing to step aside and allow president-elect Adama Barrow to take power following his December 1 election victory.

Foreign minister Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, finance minister Abdou Kolley, trade minister Abdou Jobe and tourism minister Benjamin Roberts had all resigned, the source said, requesting anonymity for safety reasons.

Roberts was appointed to replace Kolley on Monday, meaning he spent less than 24 hours in the new post, local media said.

The latest resignations came after the high-profile defection last week of information minister Sheriff Bojang, who is now sheltering in neighbouring Senegal.

Meanwhile, citizens packed their bags and streamed out of Banjul by road and ferry for Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, taking as many possessions as they could carry.

One traveller told AFP that those arriving at 10am would have to wait until the following day to board a ferry at Banjul port to cross the river headed for Senegal, unless they bribed officials, due to huge numbers exiting the city.

The UN's refugee agency has said several thousand Gambians have crossed the border in the last few weeks to shelter with extended family while they await January 19, when Jammeh is due to hand over power.

Barrow is in Senegal, where he plans to remain until the inauguration on Thursday.

- Military arrests -

The spectre of a military intervention in The Gambia has arisen in recent days following declarations by the United Nations and African Union that boots on the ground could get the green light without a rapid resolution to the crisis.

Fears of conflict were ramped up in Banjul following the weekend arrest of soldiers suspected of being sympathetic to Barrow, underlining significant disagreement within the armed forces over whom they will support come Thursday.

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"Captain Babucarr Bah and some junior officers close to him were arrested on Sunday night at the Fajara barracks by members of the Republican Guards," a security source told AFP, adding they were still being held at the headquarters of the feared National Intelligence Agency.

Republican guard commanders personally protect Jammeh and are picked for their loyalty.

Bah had told the guards that the army should be loyal to the state and Gambian people, the security source added, when the elite troops came to solicit support for the president just days ago.

Elsewhere Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf hit out at Jammeh for broadcasting a conversation they held by phone on Sunday on Gambian television without her knowledge.

"Unfortunately, being the person that he is, Jammeh recorded and televised their conversation without advising her of his intent to do so," a statement from the Liberian presidency said.

Sirleaf was then quoted as saying that as of Monday "there is no change in ECOWAS position. The Constitution of The Gambia must be respected."

The 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) has repeatedly called on Jammeh to respect the result of the vote and leave after 22 years in power.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Sirleaf and Ghana's ex-president John Mahama have appealed to Jammeh to step down twice in person, without success, most recently on Friday.

- Asylum offer -

Jammeh has lodged a challenge to the election result with The Gambia's Supreme Court and last week filed a fresh injunction to prevent the chief justice from swearing Barrow into office.

But on Monday, Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle said he could not hear the new case, dealing a blow to Jammeh's efforts to halt Thursday's inauguration.

In Rabat, it was reported that Morocco had offered Jammeh asylum for accepting the election defeat and stepping down "in return for a golden retirement", but Banjul sources were reluctant to confirm the offer.
Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - Here is a timeline of developments since the December election in which President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia lost to opponent Adama Barrow:

- Jammeh concedes defeat -

- December 1, 2016: Gambians go to the polls to choose their new president from three candidates, including incumbent Jammeh, who has ruled with an iron fist for 22 years, and Barrow, representing a large opposition coalition.

A day later the electoral commission announces that Barrow has won, to scenes of jubilation on the streets.

Jammeh concedes defeat, congratulating Barrow for his "clear victory", adding: "I wish him all the best and I wish all Gambians the best."

- December 3: Barrow holds talks with his team to plot his transition to power, telling reporters: "We are not witch-hunting anybody, nothing is personal."

- Opposition freed -

- December 5: Gambian opposition leader Ousainou Darboe, who was jailed in July for taking part in a protest, is freed on bail with 18 others.

In the following days some 40 other members of the opposition are also freed.

- Jammeh U-turn -

- December 6: The electoral commission says that Barrow has won the election more narrowly than originally thought, and with a lower turnout. He garnered 43.2 percent and Jammeh 39.6 percent of the vote. Third party candidate Mama Kandeh took 17.1 percent.

- On December 9 Jammeh announces he has changed his mind, saying: "In the same way that I accepted the results faithfully believing that the Independent Electoral Commission was independent and honest and reliable, I hereby reject the results in totality."

He lodges a complaint with the Supreme Court to overturn the result.

The defiance sparks global concern, with the UN Security Council among those demanding Jammeh hand over power.

- Jammeh urged to go -

- December 13: Heads of state from West African regional bloc ECOWAS are sent to Gambia, but do not manage to persuade Jammeh to acknowledge his defeat. A new mission takes place a month later.

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- On December 31 Jammeh accuses ECOWAS of declaring "war".

- Supreme Court stalls -

- January 4, 2017: The army chief reaffirms his loyalty to Jammeh.

- January 9: Jammeh fires 12 ambassadors after they called for him to step aside. Several ministers have since been fired or resigned.

- January 10: The Gambia's chief Supreme Court justice says Jammeh's legal challenge against the result will not be heard for several months.

- January 13: The African Union (AU) urges Jammeh to respect the results and quit power peacefully, warning of "serious consequences". It says it will not recognise him "as of 19 January 2017".

Thousands of Gambians fearing unrest cross the border into neighbouring Senegal and further afield to Guinea-Bissau, according to the United Nations refugee agency and Guinea-Bissau officials.

- Barrow in Senegal -

- January 15: Senegalese President Macky Sall announces that he has agreed to "welcome Gambian president-elect Adama Barrow in Dakar until his inauguration," on January 19.

- January 16: The Gambia's top judge pulls out of hearing a bid by Jammeh to halt the inauguration. Seven foreign journalists are barred from entering the country.

- State of emergency -

- January 17: Jammeh declares a state of emergency, saying foreign powers had created an "unwarranted hostile atmosphere, threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country," forcing him to act.
SYDNEY (AP)  Australia's Transport Minister Darren Chester said on Wednesday that experts will continue analyzing data and scrutinizing debris washing ashore from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in a bid to narrow down where it crashed in the southern Indian Ocean. But Chester declined to specify what kind of breakthrough would convince officials to resume the search for the missing airliner that was suspended this week after almost three years. "When we get some information or data or a breakthrough that leads us to a specific location, the experts will know it when they see it," he told reporters in the southern city of Melbourne.

TOKYO (AP)  Caroline Kennedy is stepping down Wednesday after three years as U.S. ambassador to Japan, where she was welcomed like a celebrity and worked to deepen the U.S.-Japan relationship despite regular flare-ups over American military bases on the southern island of Okinawa. She ruffled some feathers early on by tweeting her opposition to Japan's dolphin hunt, shortly after her embassy issued a statement expressing "disappointment" that Japan's leader had visited a shrine that memorializes World War II war criminals, among others. During her tenure, though, the conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and liberal U.S. President Barack Obama built a relationship of trust despite coming from opposite ends of the political spectrum.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  The Indian Ocean search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has been suspended almost three years after the Boeing 777 vanished. Here's a look at some numbers associated with the tragic mystery: ___ 40: Number of minutes Flight 370 had been flying before air traffic control lost contact with the plane on March 8, 2014. The plane was on a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing when it disappeared from radar and communications and went off course for reasons that remain unknown. Investigators used automatic signals sent to a satellite to determine the plane had flown thousands of miles to the eastern Indian Ocean before crashing.

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BEIJING (AP)  K.S. Narendran never boards a flight without feeling terror. And he doesn't expect that to change without answers to what happened to the plane carrying his wife three years ago. His wife, Chandrika Sharma, was one of the 239 people aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared over the Indian Ocean after veering far off course on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. After a fruitless search, the governments of Australia, China and Malaysia announced Tuesday that they were suspending their efforts. Some relatives of Flight 370's passengers expressed anger, disappointment and a resolve to press authorities to resume their efforts and find out exactly what happened.

SYDNEY (AP)  Searchers' frustration over Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is difficult to overstate, from the monstrous waves that battered search crews in one of the world's most desolate stretches of ocean to the dearth of information on the plane's flight path that stymied investigators. And now, perhaps most brutal of all, comes the admission of defeat. Australia's announcement on Tuesday that the fruitless, nearly three-year hunt for the plane in the Indian Ocean was officially suspended has sparked the inevitable second-guessing of those who led the $160 million search. Few know the agony surely being felt by the Flight 370 search crew better than American oceanographer David Gallo.

HONG KONG (AP)  Hong Kong's outgoing leader has issued a warning in his farewell policy speech to those advocating independence for the Chinese-controlled territory. In his annual address to the legislature, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said Wednesday that Hong Kong is an "inalienable" part of China. He said, "There is absolutely no room for independence or any form of separation." The latter part of Leung's five-year term has been marked by growing separatist sentiment following massive 2014 pro-democracy protests that failed to sway the government's position on restricting electoral reform. Last year, Leung's government took a tough stance against two newly elected lawmakers, taking legal action to disqualify them after they used their swearing-in ceremonies to mount apparent protests against China and express pro-independence views.

BANGKOK (AP)  Thai police say they have arrested a Czech man in Phuket who is believed to be infected with HIV and is wanted by Interpol for alleged sexual offenses against minors back home. Interpol issued a red notice for 49-year-old Zdenek Pfeifer from northeast Bohemia in March 2016. Thai police deputy spokesman Krisana Patanacharoen says one of the crimes he is accused of by Interpol is having sex with minors. He says Pfeifer had been living in Phuket on a tourist visa which expired in 2015. He is being brought to court on Wednesday to be charged with overstaying his visa, which will allow him to be deported.

BANGKOK (AP)  Trudging up a lush mountainside to a remote village, plunging through a swift-moving river in the footsteps of elephants and cruising Bangkok's gleaming luxury malls  with each step, I walked into different worlds, each one beautiful, all in Thailand. Don't forget glittering temples, bustling night markets and world-famous Thai massages to soothe weary muscles. ___ BANGKOK The capital's malls and markets are endless, from Siam Paragon, filled with designer brands and an upscale food court, to stands of cheap goods where souvenir-seekers haggle over the price of utensils, bracelets and trinkets. After dark, the night markets come alive, bustling with shoppers grabbing cheap sunglasses and shoes while families and friends enjoy soups and curries in more bearable heat.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  The end of the deep-sea sonar search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 leaves the largest and most technologically challenging search in aviation history unresolved. Some of the key moments in the search: March 8, 2014: Air traffic control loses contact with the plane 40 minutes into a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing. An air and sea search begins four hours later in the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea. March 15, 2014: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announces that Flight 370 was tracked by military radar doubling back across the Strait of Malacca and was sending satellite signals seven and a half hours after takeoff.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  The deep-sea sonar search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 may not have found the plane but will reveal more about how land beneath the Indian Ocean formed over millions of years and where oil fields could lie. National geoscience agency Geoscience Australia will soon release detailed sonar mapping of 120,000 square kilometers (46,000 square miles) of seabed that was searched for the wreckage of the Boeing 777 that vanished with 239 passengers and crew on March 8, 2014. The unique information about plate tectonics would interest geoscientists as well as oil and gas explorers, said Australian National University marine geologist Neville Exon, who has advised Geoscience Australia on the sonar data.
Washington (AFP) - Chelsea Manning, the transgender American soldier whose prison sentence President Barack Obama commuted Tuesday, became a hero to anti-war activists and a villain to government officials outraged over her leaking of classified files.

Originally named Bradley, Manning was convicted in August 2013 and sentenced to 35 years in prison for espionage and other offenses after admitting to handing a massive trove of classified documents to the WikiLeaks website.

After sentencing, Manning announced that she identified as female and later obtained legal authorization to change her name and receive hormone therapy.

She remains, however, in an all-male military prison in Kansas, where she has been appealing her sentence.

Manning, 29, last year twice attempted suicide, and in September began a hunger strike to protest what she said was the military's refusal to treat her gender dysphoria.

Five days later, she ended the protest after the US Army agreed to provide her with surgery.

That move followed a Pentagon decision to allow transgender troops to serve openly, and to pay for related medical treatment -- including gender reassignment.

A native of Oklahoma who later moved to Wales, Manning reportedly was taunted by other children for being a "geek," and as a youth in Britain endured ridicule from classmates for being a young gay man.

Manning's father kicked Manning out of the house when he learned his child's sexual orientation.

In 2007, Manning joined the Army and trained as an intelligence analyst, before deploying with the 10th Mountain Division to a base near Baghdad.

In Iraq, Manning was subject to the military's ban on openly gay troops, known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The law has since been repealed.

Friends and those who knew Manning growing up have described a youth who struggled to find acceptance, according to The New York Times, with Manning's ambitions in the Army frustrated by being asked to perform menial tasks.

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- Low-ranking analyst -

In the Army, Manning was reportedly reprimanded for assaulting an officer, resulting in a demotion from specialist to private first class.

As a low-ranking intelligence analyst, Manning had access to a vast archive of sensitive documents on the military's classified computer network, SIPRnet or the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network.

In online conversations published in the magazine Wired with a former hacker, Adrian Lamo, Manning said "let's just say 'someone' I know intimately well, has been penetrating US classified networks," and transferring the data "to a crazy white-haired Aussie who can't seem to stay in one country very long," an apparent reference to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who remains holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in a bid to avoid extradition to the United States.

Manning told Lamo the motive was to expose the "truth."

"I want people to see the truth... because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public," Manning said, according to Lamo, who turned over the online chats to the authorities.

Manning was first detained in May 2010 for leaking US military files -- including video of a helicopter gunship attack -- and classified State Department cables.

Later, Manning admitted to downloading some 700,000 sensitive military and diplomatic files and handing classified documents over to WikiLeaks.

Manning -- who has been serving time in solitary confinement -- is now eligible for release in May.

Assange last week said he would agree to be extradited to the United States if Obama granted clemency to Manning, jailed for leaking documents.

"Ms Manning is the longest serving whistleblower in the history of the United States. Her 35-year sentence for disclosing information that served the public interest and never caused harm to the United States was always excessive, and we're delighted that justice is being served in the form of this commutation," Manning's lawyers said in a statement.
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday he has been questioned by the country's ethics watchdog in an unprecedented probe into a Bahamian holiday he took with the Aga Khan. The investigation into the vacation over the New Year's holiday could hurt Trudeau, who came to power in 2015 promising accountability and transparency in government. Trudeau, more popular than any recent prime minister, has taken a hit with the electorate amid allegations he broke official rules by taking a private helicopter ride to Bell Island, a Bahamas resort owned by the Aga Khan. Ministers must clear travel on private planes ahead of time with Mary Dawson, the federal conflict of interest and ethics commissioner. Trudeau admits he did not do so and Dawson is now determining whether the trip contravened the Conflict of Interest Act. "It was a private vacation with a personal friend," Trudeau told a televised news conference in Fredericton, New Brunswick. "I am answering questions that the ethics commissioner has for us on that." Trudeau did not elaborate on the discussion with Dawson. If the ethics commissioner rules against him, Trudeau could face a small fine or a written slap on the wrists. Trudeau has said he has known the Aga Khan, Prince Shah Karim Al Husseini, since childhood. The Aga Khan, the title held by the leader of the Ismaili branch of Shi'ite Islam, was a pallbearer at the funeral of Justin's father, former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Trudeau is currently on a cross-country tour, an apparent bid to reconnect with voters amid negative headlines about the vacation as well as his Liberal Party's fund raising activities. Trudeau though is in no immediate danger since the next election is not until October 2019 and both main opposition parties lack permanent leaders. A poll released on Tuesday by Nanos Research showed that Trudeau has fallen to a 12-month low when it came to whom voters preferred as prime minister. Even so, he gathered 46.7 percent support, well ahead of his closest rival, interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose, who had 18.8 percent. The last Liberal government, ousted in 2006, was tarnished by a sponsorship scandal involving corruption and misdirection of funds to supporters in Quebec. (Reporting by Leah Schnurr and David Ljunggren; Editing by Alan Crosby)
Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., testifies on Capitol Hill on Jan. 11. (Photo: Cliff Owen/AP)

Donald Trumps feud with Rep. John Lewis entered its fourth day Tuesday when the president-elect fired off still more tweets ripping Rep. John Lewis for skipping his inauguration.

Lewis said last Friday that Trumps inauguration was the first one he would miss since being elected to Congress in the 1980s. But Trump disputed that claim, pointing to Lewis absence from George W. Bushs inauguration in 2001.

John Lewis said about my inauguration, It will be the first one that Ive missed. WRONG (or lie)! Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. He boycotted Bush 43 also because he thought it would be hypocritical to attend Bushs swearing-in.he doesnt believe Bush is the true elected president. Sound familiar! WP

John Lewis said about my inauguration, "It will be the first one that I've missed." WRONG (or lie)! He boycotted Bush 43 also because he  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2017

"thought it would be hypocritical to attend Bush's swearing-in.he doesn't believe Bush is the true elected president." Sound familiar! WP  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2017

By WP, the president-elect was apparently referring to the Washington Post, which reported on Jan. 21, 2001, that Lewis was among a group of Congressional Black Caucus members whod decided to boycott the first inauguration of George W. Bush, who entered office after a contentious Supreme Court decision over the Florida recount.

According to the Post: John Lewis, for instance, spent the day in his Atlanta district. He thought it would be hypocritical to attend Bushs swearing-in because he doesnt believe Bush is the true elected president.

Lewis has been the subject of Trumps ire since a Friday Meet the Press interview, in which Lewis also said he does not consider Trump to be a legitimate president. That sparked a Saturday morning Twitter storm that carried on into that evening.

Story continues

Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2017

mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk  no action or results. Sad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2017

Congressman John Lewis should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities of the U.S. I can use all the help I can get!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2017

But Trumps attacks on Lewis, a civil rights icon  on a holiday weekend commemorating the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.  did not go over well with Lewis Democratic colleagues in Congress. Within days, the small group of Democratic lawmakers whod planned to boycott the inauguration had ballooned to more than 40, with many of them citing Trumps comments about Lewis as the deciding factor.

In an apparent attempt to ease tensions caused by his clash with Lewis, Trump met with Martin Luther King III in New York on Monday to discuss voting rights.

A spokesperson for Lewis did not respond to an immediate request for comment about the latest Trump social media barbs. However, a Lewis representative confirmed to CBS News that the Georgia lawmaker had also skipped the Bush inauguration.

His absence at that time was also a form of dissent, Lewis communications director, Brenda Jones, told CBS. He did not believe the outcome of the election, including the controversies around the results in Florida, and the unprecedented intervention of the U.S. Supreme Court, reflected a free, fair and open democratic process.

Read more from Yahoo News:
New York (AFP) - President-elect Donald Trump praised Martin Luther King Jr as a "great man" and met with his eldest son on the US holiday honoring the slain civil rights icon, amid a brewing spat with one of King's close collaborators, John Lewis.

The meeting -- just days before Trump takes office swearing -- appeared to be an effort by the Republican to reach out to the black community amid his public stand-off with Lewis, a high-profile lawmaker who has questioned the legitimacy of the US presidential election and vowed to boycott the inauguration.

"Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for," Trump tweeted prior to the meeting. "Honor him for being the great man that he was!"

Martin Luther King III deemed his Trump Tower meeting with the president-elect "constructive."

"He said that he is going to represent Americans," King III said. "He's said that over and over again. We will continue to evaluate that."

"I believe that's his intent -- I believe we have to consistently engage with pressure, public pressure."

- 'The heat of emotion' -

In an interview on Friday, Lewis had cited what he dubbed Russian interference in the November 8 election as his reason to pass on the inauguration for the first time since he joined Congress in 1987.

"I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president," the Georgia lawmakers told NBC's "Meet the Press" talk show.

On Saturday, Trump hit back at Lewis -- one of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders along with King who helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, when King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.

"Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results," Trump said.

Story continues

"All talk, talk, talk -- no action or results. Sad!"

When asked about the spat, King III -- possibly trying to soothe tensions -- said that "things get said on both sides in the heat of emotion."

He did however defend Lewis: "Absolutely I would say John Lewis has demonstrated that he is action."

Lewis -- who was beaten while leading the Alabama civil rights march known as "Bloody Sunday" -- is the most prominent of more than two dozen House Democrats now vowing to boycott Friday's inauguration ceremony.

- Voting rights -

King III said he and the president-elect had touched on voting rights during their meeting, an issue that is known to disproportionately affect minority voters.

African-Americans have mainly been loyal Democratic voters for decades, and party officials believe that Republican governors are aiming to limit their turnout by creating controversial laws requiring voters to first show photo ID cards.

"The seminal right of the modern civil rights movement was the right to vote," King's son said. "My father fought so diligently for it."

"It is very clear that the system is not working at its maximum."

Barack Obama, along with First Lady Michelle, celebrated his last Martin Luther King Day as president by helping students paint a mural featuring the civil rights icon and butterflies.
Washington (AFP) - President-elect Donald Trump Tuesday trumpeted a trio of major company announcements pledging additional investments in the United States as proof his America-first stance on the economy is already producing results.

Wal-Mart Stores, General Motors as well as Bayer and Monsanto, which are in the process of merging, unveiled plans for job creations, new stores, research and assembly plants.

"Thank you to General Motors and Walmart for starting the big jobs push back into the US!" Trump tweeted in response.

Since November, the incoming president has used the bully pulpit of his impending presidency to attack major companies, accusing defense contractors of overcharging for planes and threatening manufacturers with stiff import duties if they sell foreign-made goods on the US market.

In succession, business leaders appear to have answered Trump's call, pledging new US investments and domestic job creation.

- Wal-Mart Stores -

The mega retailer announced Tuesday it would invest $6.8 billion in the United States -- opening, expanding or relocating 59 Walmart and Sam's Club locations and creating 10,000 jobs in stores and online sales.

The company also pledged to spend $250 billion on products made, grown, assembled or sourced in the United States.

Shares in the company were up 2.3 percent toward 1900 GMT.

- General Motors -

The US auto giant said it would invest an additional $1 billion inside the United States on top of $2.6 billion already announced last year and would create 5,000 jobs in the coming years.

The announced move included 1,500 "retained" positions tied to investments in new vehicle and advanced technologies as well as 450 jobs returned from Mexico.

GM's statement came a week after a business-as-usual message from GM CEO Mary Barra, who told reporters at the Detroit Auto Show that the company would press ahead with plans to manufacture the latest version of its GMC Terrain SUV in Mexico.

Story continues

Trump this month singled out GM for criticism on Twitter, threatening the company with import duties for selling a Mexican-made version of the Chevrolet Cruze on the US market. About two percent of all Cruze cars sold in the US are Mexican-made, according to GM.

The company's share price had risen 0.2 percent in New York toward 1900 GMT.

- Bayer-Monsanto -

The German chemicals and pharmaceutical giant Bayer and the US agribusiness firm Monsanto, which Bayer is in the process of acquiring, announced about $8 billion in investment in agricultural research in the United States.

The announcement followed last week's meeting between Trump, Bayer CEO Werner Baumann and Monsanto chief Hugh Grant, which a Bayer spokesman described as "productive."

A Trump spokesman said the investments were coming "because the president-elect's focus on creating better business climate here in the United States, which has already increased consumer and small-business confidence since the election."

The companies, however, did not confirm Trump's statement that they would create at least 3,000 "new US high-tech jobs" or that they would commit to retaining the company's "9,000 plus US workforce."

In New York, Monsanto's shares had gained 0.5 percent by 1900 GMT.
Washington (AFP) - Since winning the presidency, Donald Trump has exploited Twitter to make administrative announcements, weigh in on foreign policy -- and hurl barbs at anyone who crosses him.

With 19.8 million followers, the president-elect has granted some interviews to traditional media outlets, but has leaned heavily on the online platform as a powerful way to self-promote, attack and distract.

During his presidential transition, he has picked fights on Twitter with China, Mexico, Lockheed Martin, Toyota, the media, President Barack Obama, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Meryl Streep and the cast of "Hamilton," among others.

Here are some of Trump's most controversial tweets since his November 8 election victory:

- On voting -

"In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally." (November 27, 2016)

-- Hillary Clinton eventually won the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes. Experts and elected officials on both sides of the political aisle have dismissed claims of large-scale vote fraud.

- On Cuba -

"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." (November 28, 2016)

-- Trump's threat to end the US thaw with Cuba launched by Obama sparked speculation about the future of US policy toward the communist-ruled island.

- On flag-burning -

"Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!" (November 29, 2016)

-- The president-elect's proposal incited backlash from much of political Washington, as burning an American flag is constitutionally permissible.

- On Taiwan -

"The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency. Thank you!" (December 2, 2016)

-- The real estate mogul infuriated Beijing after breaking with decades of US diplomatic precedent by speaking with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-Wen.

Story continues

- On Obama -

"Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks. Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!" (December 28, 2016)

-- Obama at one point suggested that he may have won a third term were he not constitutionally barred from doing so.

- On Israel -

"We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (U.N.)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!" (December 28, 2016)

- Trump was taking aim at the Obama administration after Washington enabled passage of the first UN resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy by not using its veto and instead abstaining.

- On Russia -

"Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!" (December 30, 2016)

-- In a message quickly retweeted by Russia's embassy in Washington, Trump praised Vladimir Putin for refraining from expelling Americans in response to US punitive measures over alleged Russian interference in the election.

- On Toyota -

"Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax." (January 5, 2017)

-- That attack on the world's largest automaker caused its shares, and those of other Japanese auto companies, to slump.

- On Meryl Streep -

"Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn't know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a Hillary flunky who lost big." (January 9, 2017)

-- Trump was settling scores after Streep berated him for his divisive rhetoric.

- On US intelligence -

"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?" (January 11, 2017)

-- A week before entering the White House, Trump blamed the intelligence community for an incendiary but unsubstantiated report on his alleged Moscow ties.
New York (AFP) - His daughter Ivanka may be Donald Trump's favorite child but the president-elect apparently doesn't know her Twitter handle, mistaking her for a British woman from the seaside town of Brighton.

On Monday night, the Republican retweeted praise for his daughter from a Twitter user during a CNN profile of the incoming first daughter and wife of White House advisor in waiting Jared Kushner.

But instead of using the 35-year-old businesswoman's @IvankaTrump handle, the Twitter user wrote @Ivanka -- the account of Ivanka Majic -- whose own account subsequently lit up with thousands of messages.

The New York billionaire, a prolific user of the social media site with more than 20 million Twitter followers, saw his post retweeted more than 6,600 times and liked more than 35,000 times.

Majic, who once worked for Britain's opposition Labour Party and is now employed by the local council, decided to use her newfound prominence to hit back.

"And you're a man with great responsibilities. May I suggest more care on Twitter and more time learning about #climatechange," she replied to the president-elect in a message retweeted more than 3,360 times.

The former reality TV star, who has pledged to abandon the Paris climate deal, has yet to delete his tweet or publicly admit his mistake.

On Monday night, his daughter seemed oblivious to the mixup, tweeting a photograph of herself dressed up saying "bright lights, big city #datenight."

Majic said her identity was frequently mistaken during the US election campaign.

"Ivanka is an incredibly boring and popular Slavic girl's name. The other one I get confused with is an Hungarian concrete company called Ivanka concrete," the BBC quoted her as saying.

"I'm someone who has used Twitter since 2007. A new thing comes along and you create a username never thinking that one day Ivanka Trump's dad will be president."

Trump's daughter, a businesswoman and entrepreneur whom lawyers say is stepping down as vice president at the Trump Organization, is moving to Washington with her husband and the couple's three young children.

While no formal job title has been announced, she is expected to take on some hostessing duties and champion causes in a role more frequently associated with a first lady than a first daughter.
President-elect Donald Trump mistakenly tweeted at a woman named Ivanka in Britain, instead of his own daughter in New York.

The former reality TV star was posting a shout-out Monday night to his eldest daughter, but instead listed the handle of Ivanka Majic, a digital consultant in Brighton. Ivanka Trump had been the subject of a CNN special.

Read: Meryl Streep Blasts Trump in Golden Globes Speech, Calls Her Overrated

Majic responded Tuesday with a dig at the president-elect, saying, And youre a man with great responsibilities. May I suggest more care on Twitter more time learning about #climatechange.

The British woman told CNN that she woke up to thousands of Twitter messages about Trumps misguided posting.

The interesting thing about my being dragged into a Twitter conversation with Trump is that my politics are very different than his, she said.

Trump had been quoting another Twitter users praise of his daughter. Massachusetts chiropractor Lawrence Goodstein had written @Ivanka Trump is great, a woman with real character and class.

Read: Food Fight: Protesters Stage 'Cough-In' at Jean-Georges Restaurant in Trump Protest

Donald Trump retweeted the post, apparently not realizing the tag doesnt belong to his daughter. Hers is @IvankaTrump.

The real estate moguls post was shared more than 5,000 times and generated more than 8,000 replies.

Goodstein has since made his account private.

Neither Trump has responded on their respective Twitter accounts.

Watch: Trump Says Poll Calling Him 'The Most Unpopular Incoming President' Is Rigged

Related Articles:
WESTMINSTER, Calif. (AP) -- The week after Donald Trump was elected president, Dr. Mai-Phuong Nguyen and two dozen other Vietnamese-Americans active in liberal causes gathered in a circle of folding chairs, consoling one another about an America almost beyond comprehension.

Now, days before Trump takes the oath of office, Nguyen sits in a restaurant booth in Orange County's neon-lit Little Saigon and studies perhaps the most confounding face of the divide exposed by the election  her father's.

"All I know is, if a man makes $100 million he is really something," Son Van Nguyen, 76, says of Trump.

Here in a county transformed by waves of newcomers, the elder Nguyen  a government translator airlifted from South Vietnam with his family in 1975 as Communist forces pressed in on the capital  built a new life as a record-setting life insurance salesman, watching people strive and struggle.

"And I know a lot of people out there sit there and wait for welfare," he says, explaining his hopes that Trump will rein in such spending and create jobs.

"But he is trying to prevent other people from coming in and enjoying some of the same things you came here for, Dad," says his daughter, a 47-year-old physician who pushed for health care reform and fears Trump will take away the medical coverage it extended to millions of Americans. "If he does wrong, are you going to support him?"

Their disagreement is a reminder that for Orange County, just as for the rest of the country, there has never been a moment quite like this one.

When Hillary Clinton won this county of 3.2 million in November, it marked the first time the OC had backed a Democrat for president since Franklin Roosevelt. Best known for Disneyland, and long a hothouse of conservatism in a blue state, it was the largest county in the country to flip.

The shift was expected eventually. Orange County's citrus groves turned to tract housing decades back to welcome a mostly white influx from Los Angeles and Midwestern states. Today, though, Santa Ana's quinceanera shops reflect a county that is a third Latino. One in five Orange Countians is Asian.

Story continues

The hopes and anxieties stirred by Trump's inauguration spotlight even more complicated tensions.

Most Vietnamese traditionally voted for Republicans, viewed as opponents of communism. But many of their adult children, also refugees, see Trump as rejecting American ideals and people like them.

Local Republicans, who once embraced the John Birch Society and recently erected a statue of Ronald Reagan in the park where he launched two White House bids, long espoused a muscular conservatism. Most voted for Trump, but not without soul-searching.

At Jimmy Camp's house, a "No Trump" sign made by Camp's son still hangs in the window. Heading out to feed his family's goat and potbellied pig, Camp recalls his start in Republican politics three decades ago  knocking on doors for candidates to earn cash.

Camp played guitar in a rock band then and embraced platforms calling for government to stay out of people's lives. He'd always loved the outdoors in a county that stretches from the ocean to the Santa Ana Mountains. After meeting county native Richard Nixon, he read up on the disgraced president's often forgotten chartering of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Camp became one of the state's busiest Republican political consultants. Then, last summer he emailed fellow Republicans, renouncing his party membership because of his disgust with Trump.

"If you go through and look at everything Jesus said in the Bible, this guy is opposite of it," says Camp, 52, a pastor's son.

Camp, who has friends from Iran and Egypt, cringes at a president who would castigate Muslims as supposedly tied to terrorists, though he doubts Trump will fulfill his most extreme rhetoric.

"I hope he doesn't drive us off a cliff," Camp says. "I hope that we survive the next four years. I think we will."

Others voice confidence in Trump.

Gloria Pruyne says her family had reservations about Trump's morality early on. But the conservative activist ended up knocking on more than 500 doors to get out the vote. Now Pruyne, 78, says she wants Trump to install a conservative Supreme Court justice, revoke an Affordable Care Act she blames for a $500 increase in her family's monthly insurance bill, and back Israel.

"We're looking forward to a radical change with this president," she says.

With the inauguration approaching, Ron Brindle has no plans to remove the 5-foot-square portrait of Trump from his oil well fronting a main road in Huntington Beach. Brindle bought this land for his tree nursery business more than 40 years ago. Today, it is surrounded by tract homes, many owned by Asian families.

"Now I don't have anything against any of them, but what happened to the country?" Brindle says.

The first thing Trump should do, he says, is close the border so Americans no longer have to foot the bill to care for foreigners. But Brindle also hopes that Trump will reach out to skeptics.

Steven Mai is ready to listen. Mai, a 42-year-old registered Republican, rejected Trump for criticizing the Muslim parents of a slain American soldier.

But Trump will be his president, Mai says.

Still, if Trump really wants to lead, he should come to places like Orange County, says Mai's wife, Tammy Tran. He could work in a sandwich shop for a few hours, or see what it's like to care for an elderly person. Maybe then, the couple say, Trump will understand his responsibility to the many Americas.

"I just hope he's going to be the president that my parents were thinking," Mai says. "If he can be a good president, then we all benefit."

___

Follow Geller on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AdGeller
By David Ingram

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A house on a leafy New York City street where U.S. President-elect Donald Trump lived as a toddler is being auctioned off by a fellow real estate investor who bought it just last month.

An auction firm was accepting sealed bids through 4 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Tuesday for the five-bedroom, Tudor-style home in the borough of Queens where Trump lived until age 4.

The winner of the auction would not immediately be known because the seller plans to consider the bids for as long as a few days, Misha Haghani, a principal at Paramount Realty USA, told Reuters in an email.

Trump, whose official residence will be the White House once he is sworn in as president on Friday, has said that he would like to own his old home.

Shown a photograph of it in September while on "The Tonight Show," Trump told host Jimmy Fallon: "Oh, that's sad to look at that. I want to buy it. I want to buy it."

Representatives for Trump could not immediately be reached on Tuesday.

Paramount Realty USA markets the property as Trump's childhood home and as a chance to own a piece of history. Built around 1940 by Trump's father, the real estate magnate Fred Trump, the house has a five-car driveway, a fireplace, a sun room and a paneled study.

Real estate investor Michael Davis purchased the house in December for $1.39 million, according to property records. He did so sight-unseen, without even driving by the house, the New York Post reported.

Haghani declined to speculate on a possible winning price. Offers needed to be accompanied by a deposit of 10 percent.

(Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Scott Malone)
PARIS (Reuters) - Criticism of Europe by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump only serves to reinforce European solidarity, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said on Tuesday. Trump said German Chancellor Angela Merkel had made a "catastrophic mistake" with her open door policy on migration, according to an interview published on Sunday by German newspaper Bild. "The more he (Trump) makes this sort of statement, the more Europeans close ranks," Sapin told reporters, adding that such criticism was unacceptable. "The attack on the Chancellor is not an argument we can accept as Frenchmen or as Europeans." Asked whether Europe would have to react if the United States decided to slap a 35 percent tax on imports, Sapin said: "We will all have time to see whether there's a difference between the content of a tweet and the laws that will be passed." Trump was quoted as telling Bild he would impose a 35 percent levy on German-made cars imported to the U.S. market, a plan that drew sharp rebukes from Berlin and hit automakers' shares. "I would tell BMW that if you are building a factory in Mexico and plan to sell cars to the USA, without a 35 percent tax, then you can forget that," Trump said in remarks translated into German. (Reporting by Michel Rose; Writing By Richard Balmforth; editing by John Stonestreet)
The inauguration is just days away and President-elect Donald Trump will soon assume the role of commander-in-chief. Already, Trump has proposed substantial changes to both foreign and domestic policy, including an update to the federal tax code.

If his proposals are accepted, tax brackets would be streamlined from seven to just three: 12, 25 and 33 percent. The federal estate tax would disappear, along with the 3.8 percent Medicare surtax on investment income and the alternative minimum tax. Other tax changes include a cap on itemized deductions and an increase in the amount of the standard deduction.

An analysis of Trump's tax plan conducted by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center found that overall, taxes would decrease by an average of $2,940. While these measures could improve your bottom line in terms of lower taxes, the bigger question to consider is how they could impact your retirement.

[See: 10 Tips to Boost Your IRA Balance.]

Changing tax brackets could mute the benefits of tax-advantaged plans. Traditionally, contributing to tax-advantaged plans has been the logical choice for workers who want to maximize the tax-deferred growth potential of their investments, but they may lose some of their luster if the tax brackets are reshuffled.

"If someone finds themselves in a lower tax bracket after Trump's tax reform, saving in tax-advantaged accounts becomes less beneficial because of the smaller deduction," says Daniel White, founder of Daniel A. White & Associates in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania.

"If an investor in the 39.6 percent tax bracket is maximizing his tax-advantaged accounts, he would get less of a tax benefit by moving into the 33 percent bracket," White says.

George Elias, a certified public account with Vivid Tax Advisory Services in Des Moines, Iowa, says investors should consider their income and personal preferences when determining how to approach saving in an employer's plan or individual retirement account.

Story continues

"If you're a high wage earner, then I would do both," Elias says. "If your employer offers matching contributions, then you need to invest to take advantage of the company match."

Jimmy Lee, CEO of Las Vegas-based Wealth Consulting Group, says investors need to keep the long view in focus.

"While income and capital gains taxes may become lower, taking advantage of tax deferral and deductions can be valuable long-term strategies," Lee says.

Tax deferral is particularly important over longer periods of time as tax rates evolve.

Roth investments may become more appropriate for some investors. Mark Jaeger, director of tax development at TaxAct, says some savers may have more incentive going forward to choose a Roth IRA or 401(k) versus a traditional IRA or 401(k), based on how valuable each proves to be from a tax perspective.

"It's always unknown what tax rates will look like in future years. If tax rates decline in 20 years, those who paid tax on their contributions now won't have benefited from that decision," Jaeger says.

If tax rates increase, however the choice to pay today will have been a smart one.

Lower pre-retirement tax rates make saving in a Roth IRA or 401(k) more attractive for many taxpayers, says Robert Westley, a certified financial planner and associate wealth advisor at New York-based Northern Trust.

"The income tax deduction generated by traditional IRA or 401(k) contributions produces less value in a low tax rate environment, especially given that the deferred income will likely be recognized at a higher future tax rate," Westley says.

[See: 10 Reasons to Save for Retirement in a Roth IRA.]

Westley says investors who anticipate being in a higher tax bracket in the future may want to consider partial Roth conversions to lock in lower tax rates on some of their pre-tax retirement savings.

Joseph Roseman, managing partner of O'Dell, Winkfield, Roseman and Shipp in Charlotte, North Carolina, offers an example to illustrate how important it is for investors to consider all the numbers before pulling the trigger.

"Let's say you have a married couple with $50,000 of Social Security income and $50,000 of IRA income," Roseman says. "In 2016, if they had used the standard deduction and exclusion, they would owe $7,945 in federal income tax."

Using the $30,000 standard deduction Trump has proposed, their tax bill would go down to $6,925, a 12 percent reduction.

"Now assume that same couple has $50,000 of Social Security income, $25,000 of IRA income and $25,000 of Roth IRA income. By contributing to the Roth during their working years, they would have foregone some tax deductions but with this income mix, their federal tax bill would be $1,290," Roseman says.

That's 436 percent less they'd pay in taxes.

The end of the Medicare surtax could be a boon for wealthier investors. Trump's proposal to repeal the 3.8 surtax on investment income could pay off for investors in one of two ways, says Jeffrey Fosselman, a certified financial planner and senior wealth advisor at Relative Value Partners in Northbrook, Illinois.

"By not paying the tax, that amount can be reinvested," Fosselman says. "If viewed as part of the overall return, the reduction of taxes paid on investment earnings means higher returns."

Fosselman says repeal of the tax could also influence the approach investors take in shaping their portfolios. Investors may opt to take advantage of investment opportunities that generate more income, which are generally a more reliable source of return than capital appreciation.

Rebekah Barsch, vice president of planning for Northwestern Mutual, says wealthy investors could get more mileage out of their current investment structure under Trump's plan.

"Currently, wealthier investors may choose to invest in certain places, such as permanent life insurance, retirement accounts, and nonqualified annuities, in part because they avoid the surtax," she says.

Barsch says these types of vehicles will continue to be a critical part of a comprehensive plan if Trump's tax proposals are approved but going forward, investors would get more bang for their buck if the repeal of the surtax puts more dollars in their pocket.

Regardless of your net worth or the size of your portfolio, planning is key, Roseman says.

"If Trump's plan does go through there are going to be a tremendous amount of planning opportunities available," Roseman says.

[See: 7 Things That Happened When Donald Trump Met With Tech Leaders.]

He advises investors to start preparing for potential tax changes, with an eye on what could happen in future years under the next administration as they put together their retirement savings plans.

Rebecca Lake is a freelance Investing & Retirement reporter at U.S. News & World Report. She's been reporting on personal finance, investing and small business for nearly a decade and her work has been featured on The Huffington Post, Business Insider, CBS News and Investopedia. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter or email her at rlake0836@gmail.com.
By Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) - The gunman who murdered 30 Britons on a Tunisian beach in 2015 had been able to walk nearly two miles on his killing spree before being shot dead by security forces, inquests into the deaths heard on Monday. Evidence critical of local authorities' response and of tour operator TUI is expected to form part of the inquiry, a lawyer said. The inquests, being held collectively at the Royal Courts of Justice, are expected to last around six weeks. They will examine whether changes to security arrangements and travel advice from both the British government and TUI were sufficient in the light of another attack in the capital Tunis three months earlier. The beach shooting in June 2015, in which eight foreign nationals also died, took place in the resort in Sousse, 140 km (87 miles) south of Tunis. Islamic State claimed responsibility. The British victims had booked their trips through Thomson Holidays, which is owned by TUI Group. In a pre-inquest hearing, the lawyer representing families of 20 of the victims said TUI had been in effect "hiding" warnings against travel to Tunisia. Lawyer Samantha Leek, Counsel to the Inquests, said "the evidence is generally critical of TUI Group." TUI said in a statement it is "taking a full and active role in the inquests into the deaths." "The safety of our customers is of paramount importance to us," it added. "Like others, we want to understand the specific circumstances that led to this terrible incident." VIRTUAL MAP The court saw a virtual map which led viewers along the reconstructed the route of the gunman, with London's Metropolitan Police calculating that he had travelled 1.8 miles (2.9 km) between being dropped off by accomplices and being shot dead. The British government is also facing questions over its travel advice in the lead-up to the attack. Senior Foreign Office official Jane Marriott said Tunisia was rated as having a "high" risk even before the earlier Tunis attack and travel advice had been adjusted the following day to say that "further attacks are possible". However, she said it had been determined by government officials in the subsequent days that the criteria for advising against travel to Tunisia had not been fulfilled. The gunman, Seifeddine Rezgui, was shot dead by police and Tunisian authorities have conducted their own investigation. Leek said a summary of the Tunisian report, which criticised local security forces' response, would feature in the inquests. (Editing by Stephen Addison)
Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish prosecutors Tuesday demanded up to 142 years in prison for the leader of the country's main pro-Kurdish party, in a case that has intensified concerns over freedom of expression.

Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-leader Selahattin Demirtas was detained in November on charges of links to Kurdish militants.

The charismatic Demirtas -- who stood against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2014 elections -- was detained along with another nine HDP lawmakers and his female co-leader Figen Yuksekdag.

Prosecutors in the Kurdish-majority southeastern city of Diyarbakir in the same indictment asked that Yuksekdag serves up to 83 years in jail, the state-run Anadolu news agency added.

The MPs are charged with links with and membership of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged an armed insurrection against the Turkish state since 1984.

But Demirtas, as well as the other MPs, has denied having any links to the PKK and denounced the case as political.

- 'Controversial constitution' -

The Kurdish leader -- one of the few politicians to come close to rivalling the rhetorical skills of the Turkish leader -- says he is being punished for daring to oppose Erdogan's drive for a presidential system under a new constitution.

Demirtas last week from behind bars slammed parliamentary debates for a new constitution, saying the arrest of the 11 HDP lawmakers "makes the debate and the vote controversial from the very start."

Prosecutors accuse Demirtas of running a political front of the PKK. The charges he is facing range from "running a terrorist organisation", "disseminating propaganda" for Kurdish militants to "inciting hatred and enmity", according to Anadolu.

They are also holding the HDP responsible for the October 2014 street protests led by pro-Kurdish demonstrators against Turkey's policy on Syria. The spiral of violence claimed at least 31 lives.

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Demirtas is currently being held at a prison in Edirne, in northwest Turkey, far from the southeastern heartland of the Kurdish movement.

The government had pursued a strategy of peace talks with the PKK but clashes flared in 2015 after the collapse of a two-and-a-half year ceasefire.

The PKK is designated as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies. More than three decades of fighting are estimated to have claimed over 40,000 lives.

According to the HDP, over 50 pro-Kurdish mayors have also been detained, including prominent Mardin mayor Ahmet Turk, who was taken in November.

The detentions came after Turkey defeated a failed July 15 coup aimed at bringing down Erdogan's government and blamed on US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen.

But critics complain the crackdown goes well beyond the alleged coup plotters and accuse the authorities of using the state of emergency imposed in the wake of the putsch to muzzle all opposition, not merely the suspects themselves.

Demirtas, a human rights lawyer, has emerged as a key political opposition actor dubbed the "Kurdish Obama", leading the HDP to an unprecedented political breakthrough in June 2015 parliamentary polls, weakening the standing of Erdogan's party.

He also attracted votes from secular Turks, who opposed Erdogan's rule. Detractors however said he failed to distance himself from the PKK.
The Hague (AFP) - Turkey snubbed a hearing Tuesday at a UN court seeking to resolve a standoff over the post-coup detention of one of its judges which has paralysed an appeals case.

There were only empty chairs at the place set for Ankara at the UN's Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) which is pondering how to resolve the dilemma posed by the continued detention of Turkish judge Aydin Sefa Akay.

Akay, arrested last year in a crackdown after the attempted coup in Turkey, is part of a five-judge bench hearing the appeal of former Rwandan minister Augustin Ngirabatware, who was sentenced to three decades in jail for his role in the 1994 genocide in the African nation.

Akay was one of 41,000 people arrested in the aftermath of the failed July 15 coup attempt to unseat Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

His detention has now frozen Ngirabatware's case and in a rare moment in court Tuesday both the Rwandan's lawyer and prosecutors were in agreement.

"Today I ask you to take the first step and issue an order for the release of judge Akay without further delay," defence lawyer Peter Robinson told presiding judge Theodor Meron.

Robinson added the demand to free Akay should set a deadline of "48 hours."

"We can only concur with Mr Robinson and his request," said UN prosecutor Michelle Jarvis, stressing "a way forward must be found."

Earlier, the MICT heard notices were sent to Turkey's embassies in Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania -- where Ngirabatware is currently behind bars -- and in The Hague.

Neither attempt to deliver the MICT documentation was successful with the documents marked "Return to Sender", the court heard.

Ngirabatware was sentenced in 2012 to 35 years in jail for his role in the Rwandan genocide in which some 800,000 people were killed.

The term was cut to 30 years on appeal in 2014, but he is now appealing the two rulings.

Ngirabatware has asked judges to release him pending a resolution to Akay's absence, but both prosecutors and Tanzania are opposing the request.

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In Turkey, Akay has denied any link to the organisation of Fetullah Gulen, the US-based preacher blamed by Ankara for the putsch attempt.

According to Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu, prosecutors accuse Akay of being a key figure in a masonic lodge tied to Gulen.

Meron told lawyers he would issue his ruling "as soon as possible".
Istanbul (AFP) - Istanbul resident Ali Haydar Demir knew something was wrong when he heard a noise at midnight in his apartment block on 911 Street in the far-flung Istanbul district of Esenyurt.

"Yesterday night I heard a noise and then I got out -- I thought someone was stuck in the elevator, then I saw the police in the corridor," he said

"They asked me to go inside."

Demir was witnessing the start of the raid by dozens of Turkish police to capture alive Abdulgadir Masharipov, the suspected Uzbek jihadist accused of massacring 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Eve.

Unbeknown to Demir and other residents of the block, they had been living next door to the most wanted terror suspect in Turkey, a man who according to the authorities is a trained killer who learned his trade in Afghanistan.

The suspect had apparently slipped into the night following the attack on the glamorous Reina nightclub on the Bosphorus during New Year's night, losing himself in Istanbul's myriad of outlying districts and successfully eluding police for 17 days

"I was afraid, I still cannot believe it," said Sezen Aras, another neighbour.

- 'Totally unsafe' -

"It is like a nightmare, this man was living under the same roof and we didn't know it."

The apartment block in the district of Esenyurt, well away from the business and historical centre of the city, was surprisingly comfortable and well equipped.

Three women and an Iraqi man were also detained in the raid on the apartment.

Proud of capturing the suspect alive, police were happy to let reporters roam around the apartment, with some even doing pieces to camera inside the flat itself.

Yet the police raid -- which reportedly took just 20 minutes -- turned the apartment upside down.

The door of apartment number 36 where the suspect had lived was smashed in with the lock completely broken.

The doors of cupboards and drawers had been flung open, with clothes and other objects thrown haphazardly on the floor.

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Some of the objects offered tantalising glimpses into the daily lives of the suspected militants -- a can of sweetcorn, kitchen utensils, dishes, a half eaten loaf of bread.

There were at least two copies of the Muslim holy book the Koran, exercise books and money in various currencies.

In an exercise book, verses from the Koran had been carefully written out.

Handwritten notes could also be seen including one in English that said: "Do whatever you want. I will not care anymore and won't help anymore."

Beds with sheets and pillows were left presumably as they were when the police entered.

As the neighbours tried to return to normality, the suspect was still being interrogated by Istanbul police.

"After I knew who he was, I felt totally unsafe, but today I feel safe. Not yesterday, no, but today we are safe," said Demir.
Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish police were questioning Tuesday the suspected jihadist who slaughtered 39 people on New Year's night at an Istanbul nightclub, after capturing him in a raid on a residential area of the city after a long manhunt.

The alleged assailant, named as Abdulgadir Masharipov, was found along with his four-year-old son in an apartment in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul after a massive police operation, state-run TRT television reported. Four other suspects were detained, including three women.

The attacker had been on the run for 17 days, after slipping into the night following the attack on the glamorous Reina nightclub on the Bosphorus.

Reports had previously suggested he never left the Turkish metropolis, despite a tightening of borders in a bid to stop him escaping, triggering fears that a dangerous killer was on the loose in the city.

The Islamic State (IS) group took responsibility for the bloodbath, the first time it has ever openly claimed a major attack in Turkey.

It had previously been blamed for several strikes in Turkey this year, including the triple suicide bombings at Istanbul airport in June.

The suspect was caught in an operation jointly carried out by the Turkish police and the spy agency MIT, Turkish TV said. A 1,000 strong police squad was set up to ensure Masharipov's arrest.

Turkish media published a picture of the detained man with blood on his face and T-shirt, his neck gripped by a policeman.

Television images showed him being roughly led away, his head bent low.

He was given an obligatory health check before being taken to Istanbul's police headquarters for questioning.

Images of the suspected attacker released by police during the manhunt were taken from a chilling silent video he purportedly took on Istanbul's Taksim Square with a selfie stick, before carrying out the carnage.

- 'Tracked for 3 days' -

There had been confusion over the identity of the attacker in the wake of the massacre, with reports initially suggesting a Kyrgyz national and then a Uighur from China.

Story continues

But reports on January 8 said intelligence services and anti-terror police in Istanbul had identified him as a 34-year-old Uzbek who was part of a Central Asian IS cell.

The state run Anadolu news agency identified the detained man as Abdulgadir Masharipov, while the Dogan news agency said he used the code name of Ebu Muhammed Horasani within IS.

These are the same names given in the January 8 reports.

The suspect was living in an apartment rented by a Kyrgyz in Istanbul who was also detained, TRT reported.

Anadolu said as well as Masharipov and the Kyrgyz, three women were detained from Egypt, Senegal and Somalia.

Capturing the suspect alive will be seen as a major victory for the Turkish security forces and he may be able to shed light on the existence of other IS cells in the city.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu wrote on Twitter that "in the name of the nation" he thanked the police and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu for the capture.

NTV television said the attacker was captured at a quarter past midnight (2115 GMT). The police had spotted his location three days earlier, but preferred to track him to identify his contacts.

The son is under protection, the reports said.

- 'Bloody start to 2017' -

Turkish media reports had said that the gunman was a well-trained killer who had fought for IS in Syria and had gained weapons expertise there.

The investigation had also focused on the central Turkish city of Konya where the attacker was reported to have lived for several weeks after returning from Syria before moving to Istanbul.

At least 35 people had been detained in the investigation before Masharipov's arrest, according to Anadolu.

Of the 39 killed in the attack on the glamorous nightclub, 27 were foreigners including citizens from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq and Morocco who had been hoping to celebrate a special New Year.

The attack, just 75 minutes into 2017, rocked Turkey which had already been shaken by a string of attacks in 2016 blamed on jihadists and Kurdish militants that left hundreds dead.

Turkey had been accused by its Western allies of not doing enough to halt the rise of IS but the charges are denied by the Turkish authorities, who note the group has been listed as a terror organisation in the country since 2013.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Chicago-based drone operator has agreed to pay $200,000 to settle allegations it illegally flew unmanned aircraft in congested airspace there and over New York City, federal officials said on Tuesday.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had proposed fining SkyPan International Inc $1.9 million in October 2015. Under the settlement, SkyPan will pay a further $150,000 if it violates FAA rules over the next year, the FAA said in a statement.

SkyPan, which said its hundreds of commercial clients include large real estate developers, said it was pleased to have resolved the issue, but that it was neither admitting nor contesting the allegations.

The company said in a statement that it has never had an accident, and that the flights took place two years before the FAA's first rule for commercial drone operations went into effect in August 2016.

According to the FAA, SkyPan operated drone flights to conduct aerial photography in New York and Chicago between March 2012 and December 2014 using aircraft lacking the required two-way radio, transponder, and altitude-reporting equipment.

The company will work with the FAA to release three public service announcements in the next 12 months that encourage drone operators to learn and follow U.S. rules, the FAA said.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Ukraine filed a lawsuit at the United Nations' highest court demanding that Russia immediately halt its support for pro-Moscow separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry accused Russia of "acts of terrorism and discrimination in the course of its unlawful aggression" in the filing to the International Court of Justice, according to a ministry statement issued on Monday evening. Russia has repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine. In Moscow, its foreign ministry said Russia would use all available means of legal defence against the suit. The filing itself has no direct consequences, though a finding by the court in Ukraine's favour could be enforceable in some national courts, theoretically triggering legal steps to freeze or seize Russian assets. The Hague-based court had no immediate comment. Kiev is also challenging Moscow's actions on its territory at the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights, while Ukrainian energy firms Ukrnafta and Stabil have asked the U.N.'s Permanent Court of Arbitration to compensate them for investments lost when Russia seized the Crimean peninsula. Russia's foreign ministry said it had studied Ukraine's claims but that Kiev had not shown interest in dialogue with Moscow. It added that it had sought answers from Ukraine about how the rights of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in Ukraine were observed but that Ukraine had declined to discuss the issue in detail. Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, and fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine the following month between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government forces, a conflict in which close to 10,000 people have been killed. In Monday's filing, Ukraine accused Russia of violating the Terrorism Financing Convention "by supplying weapons and other forms of assistance to illegal armed groups operating on Ukrainian territory". Among the separatists' alleged crimes, the filing cited the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014, the bombardment of residential areas in Mariupol and Kramatorsk, and the destruction of a civilian passenger bus near Volnovakha. (Reporting By Anthony Deutsch and Alexander Winning; Editing by John Stonestreet)
By Neha Wadekar Katy Migiro MOGADISHU/NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Somalia risks slipping back into famine, the United Nations said on Tuesday, as worsening drought has left millions of people without food, water or healthcare in a country crippled by decades of war. Five million Somalis, or more than four out of 10 residents, do not have enough to eat because of poor rains and fighting between the Islamist militant group al Shabaab and Somalia's African Union-backed government. Famine last struck pockets of Somalia in 2011, killing 260,000 people. It was caused by drought, conflict and a ban on food aid in territory held by al Shabaab. "The humanitarian situation remains grim for millions of Somalis," the U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, Peter de Clercq, said in a statement. "We are faced with a slight but steady increase in the number of people in need, and most recently with a significant risk of further deterioration to famine." Both of Somalia's 2016 rainy seasons were below average and the April to June 2017 Gu rains are predicted to be poor, the U.S.-based Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) said. "Urgent action to ramp up assistance provision and ensure adequate humanitarian access is needed to address rising levels of food insecurity and mitigate the potential for large-scale loss of life," it said. In the south, the regions of Bay and Bakool are most worrying, as poor households have had little to no harvest, own few livestock and rely on wage labor which declines quickly during severe droughts, it said. Half of those who died in 2011 lost their lives before famine was officially declared, a situation that must not be repeated, de Clercq said. Governments typically declare famines when situations grow dire, using a classification system developed by the U.N. However, while official declarations of famine may encourage awareness and foreign aid, some governments are reluctant to do so because of the negative image. Many indicators like those seen in Somalia in 2011, such as rising food prices and falling livestock prices, have reappeared, according to FEWSNET. As crops fail and animals die, people move into towns or across the border to Ethiopia, de Clercq told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in the U.N. compound near Mogadishu's airport. "They think that is where they're going to find water," he said. "Mistakenly, because that is not necessarily true." Hunger is particularly acute among Somalia's 1.1 million extremely poor people who already are displaced internally, forced by conflict and drought to flee multiple times. Some 320,000 children under age 5 are acutely malnourished, and 50,000 of them are so severely malnourished they risk dying without emergency intervention. De Clercq made an appeal for $864 million to provide emergency aid to 3.9 million people. "Early action is the only way to demonstrate that we have learned the lessons from the past to avert another catastrophe," he said. The crisis will be a major test for the new government in Somalia, which is in the process of electing a president. The government last week announced an inter-agency National Drought Relief Committee to coordinate a response to the drought, which de Clercq called encouraging. Delivering aid in Somalia is difficult due to violence, kidnapping and corruption. In 2010, a U.N. panel of experts said up to half of food aid to Somalia was diverted to corrupt contractors, al Shabaab and local staff. (Reporting by Katy Migiro and Neha Wadekar @katymigiro; Editing by Katie Nguyen and Ellen Wulfhorst. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, trafficking, property rights and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories.)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States imposed sanctions on Bosnian Serb nationalist leader Milorad Dodik on Tuesday for actively obstructing efforts to implement the 1995 Dayton Accords that ended the more than three-year war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dodik is the president of Republika Srpska, the autonomous Bosnian Serb half of the country established by the agreements. Once praised as a democratic reformer, Dodik oversaw the holding of a referendum in September on celebrating The Day of Republika Srpska on January 9 in defiance of a Constitutional Court ruling banning the vote for discriminating against non-Serbs. U.S. officials condemned the vote as breaching the rule of law and an attempt to undermine the peace accords. "Milorad Dodik has defied the Constitutional Court of BiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina), violated the rule of law and poses a significant risk of obstructing the implementation of the Dayton accords," U.S. Ambassador Maureen Cormack said in a video message on the U.S. Embassy Twitter account. The United States and the European Union opposed the referendum. The vote was praised by Russia, with which Dodik advocates closer ties. Dodik has called for independence for Republika Srpska, questioned the legitimacy of the judiciary, threatened to hold a referendum on the status of the court system as well as withdraw Republika Srpska soldiers from the country's unified military. The sanctions imposed by the Office of Foreign Asset Control, part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, enable U.S. authorities to block access by Dodik to any of his property or assets that are under U.S. jurisdiction. The sanctions came several weeks after Dodik said he had been invited to Fridays swearing-in of President-elect Donald Trump, but was refused a diplomatic visa by the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo. As it turned out, the invitation was to a private ball sponsored by religious and conservative groups. He said he would seek a regular U.S. visa. The imposition of the sanctions have nothing to do with the visa request, said a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, adding that the invitation to the ball was extended to Dodik by a congressman who he did not identity. They (the sanctions) are part and parcel of a result of Dodiks call for secession, his defiance of the constitutional court and (his) threats to withdraw the Republika Srpska members of the armed forces from the military, the U.S. official added. (Writing by Jonathan Landay; Additional reporting by David Alexander,Arshad Mohammad and Maja Zuvela; Editing by Eric Walsh and Andrew Hay)
BELGRADE (Reuters) - The United States urged Belgrade and Pristina on Tuesday to avoid "dangerous rhetoric" after Kosovo denied entry to a train painted in the Serbian national colors with "Kosovo is Serbia" emblazoned on its side. Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci has accused Serbia of planning to seize a slice of northern Kosovo using the "Crimea model," a reference to the Russian annexation of the peninsula. His Serbian counterpart Tomislav Nikolic has said Pristina showed it wanted war by deploying special police at the border to block the train. The train was supposed to travel to ethnic Serbian enclaves in Kosovo. Kosovo, backed by the U.S. and major west European states, declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Belgrade considers it part of its territory and supports a Serb minority there. "Kosovo is a sovereign, independent country and we respect the right of Kosovo to manage who and what crosses its borders," the U.S. embassy in Pristina said in a statement. "We urge all sides to avoid dangerous rhetoric and continue to work for the normalization of relations." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday tensions were sharply rising in the Balkans and the European Union must help de-escalate the situation there. NATO air strikes on Serbia forced it to withdraw its troops in 1999 after killing about 10,000 ethnic Albanian civilians there. NATO still has around 5,000 troops stationed in Kosovo to keep the fragile peace. Nikolic said after meeting the U.S. ambassador to Belgrade on Tuesday that U.S. politics had caused "trouble" in the region and expressed hoped the new Trump administration would be more supportive of Serbia's policies. Relations between Belgrade and Pristina came under renewed strain on Jan. 4 when former Kosovo prime minister Ramush Haradinaj was arrested in France on a warrant from Serbia, which accuses him of war crimes. Kosovo Albanians make up more than 90 percent of Kosovo's 1.8 million population. Northern Kosovo is home to a Serb minority of around 40,000 to 50,000 people who do not consider Pristina as their capital. Normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia is key condition for both countries to progress toward membership in the European Union both governments are aiming for. (Reporting by Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - A former Libyan Islamist commander, who says he suffered years of torture by Muammar Gaddafi's henchmen after British and U.S. spies handed him over to Libya, was given permission on Tuesday to sue the British government and its former foreign secretary. Abdel Hakim Belhadj, a rebel leader who helped topple Gaddafi in 2011 and is now a politician, says he and his pregnant wife Fatima were abducted by U.S. CIA agents in Thailand in 2004 and then illegally transferred to Tripoli with the help of British spies. Britain's Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed an appeal by the government to stop him taking legal action, paving the way for Belhadj and his wife to seek damages against former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, the domestic and foreign spy agencies MI5 and MI6, a senior former intelligence chief and relevant government departments. However, Belhadj has said he would drop the case if he was given a token payment of 1 pound ($1.21) and an apology from all the parties involved. "We hope that the defendants in this action now see fit to apologize to our clients and acknowledge the wrongs done, so that they may turn the page on this wretched chapter of their lives and move on," said lawyer Sapna Malik from Leigh Day, the London law firm representing Belhadj. Belhadj says he was originally detained in China, before being transferred to Malaysia and then moved to a CIA "black site" in Thailand. He was handed over to CIA agents, acting on a tip-off from MI6, and flown via the British island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to Tripoli, because at the time Britain and the United States were keen to build relations with Gaddafi. As a long-standing enemy of the former Libyan leader, he was imprisoned and tortured until his release in 2010 while his wife was also mistreated during her four-month incarceration. Leigh Day said documents found after Gaddafi's fall showed British complicity in his case. Straw, who was foreign secretary at the time in the government of Tony Blair, said he had always acted in line with British and international law. "I was never in any way complicit in the unlawful rendition or detention of anyone by other states," he said in a statement. (Editing by Stephen Addison)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  A report issued Tuesday by the U.N. stabilization mission in Haiti rebukes local authorities for a losing battle against vigilante violence and displaying passivity or even tolerating mobs taking the law into their own hands.

The human rights section of the U.N. mission, known by its French acronym Minustah, said there has been only one conviction in a lynching case out of 483 incidents and 59 arrests reported between 2012 and 2015.

Frederic Gouin, coordinator of a legal analysis unit in the U.N. mission, told The Associated Press that researchers found that "inaction is merely a result of lack of will more than lack of resources or capacity."

The report calls on Haiti's justice ministry and judiciary to clearly instruct police, prosecutors and judges on their obligation to protect victims of lynching and take on cases instead of looking the other way.

"A lot could be achieved through very simple means," Gouin said.

The findings and various recommendations have been submitted to Haitian Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles, but his office has not made any comment. Haitian National Police spokesman Garry Desrosiers told AP he could not speak about the report because he had not read it yet.

Vigilante attacks in Haiti have long been seen as a response over a dysfunctional justice system that all but ignores those living outside the crowded capital of Port-au-Prince.

But the new research suggests that lynching is mainly an urban phenomenon in Haiti. Some 70 percent of all reported lynching deaths between 2009 and 2015 occurred in the densely populated West department which includes Port-au-Prince.

Vigilante justice accounts for 11 percent of killings in Haiti, where homicide rates have long been far below the rates of many other countries in the hemisphere. Since 2009, there has been a slight increase in lynching deaths, with 7.5 per month in 2009 to 8.1 per month in 2015. There was a peak of 10 per month in the first half of 2014.

Story continues

Nicole Phillips, a human rights lawyer with the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, said lynchings and other crimes will continue to go unsolved until the government prioritizes improvements to the justice system. She said pervasive corruption must be rooted out.

"Haitians must also understand how to enforce their legal and human rights within the justice system, rather than reverting to their own form of justice," she said.

Citizens interviewed by the AP often appear indifferent to or approving of vigilante justice, arguing that the absence of a fair and efficient legal system gives people no choice but to take the law into their own hands.

The U.N. report says a precise breakdown of killing methods in 80 per cent of the reported lynching cases remains unknown since that level of detail is missing in most police reports. But stoning, machete attacks and decapitations are reported by witnesses and AP journalists in Haiti have gone to the scenes of numerous lynchings over the years.

The large majority of Haitian lynching victims are male theft suspects. Twenty-five percent of women targeted for vigilante violence are suspected of being witches, according to the U.N. report.

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David McFadden on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dmcfadd
By Magdalena Mis LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The United Nations rebuked South Sudan on Monday for failing to pursue justice after grave human rights abuses -- including killings and gang rapes -- were committed during an explosion of violence in the capital Juba in July. Forces loyal to South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar engaged in five days of street battles with anti-aircraft guns, attack helicopters and tanks. The U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the U.N. Human Rights Office said it documented 217 cases of rape, including gang rape, committed by the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) and other armed groups from July 8 to 25. The South Sudan government spokesman was not immediately available for comment. "The fighting that erupted in July 2016 was a serious setback for peace in South Sudan and showed just how volatile the situation in the country is, with civilians living under the risk of mass atrocities," Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement. "In the absence of any semblance of justice and accountability for the violations perpetrated  including possible war crimes  such unbridled outbursts of violence could quickly escalate (and) civilians will continue to suffer immensely. "Concrete steps to halt this downward spiral must be urgently taken, beginning with justice and accountability." Political rivalry between Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and his former deputy Machar, a Nuer, led to civil war in 2013 that has often followed ethnic lines. The pair signed a shaky peace deal in 2015, but fighting has continued. According to the U.N., nearly 1.4 million South Sudanese have fled to other countries and another 1.8 million have been displaced inside the country. In its report on Monday, the U.N. said July abuses were targeting civilians along ethnic lines and women and children were subjected to extreme violence. On one occasion women and girls were ordered to cook for soldiers when their friends or family members were raped. The U.N. said most cases of extreme violence were committed by SPLA soldiers, police officers and members of the National Security Services (NSS). According to one testimony, ethnic Nuer men and women appeared to have been particularly targeted. It called on South Sudan to support the creation and operation of a hybrid court to be set up with responsibilities divided between the African Union and South Sudan, and that all victims of abuses get justice. (Reporting by Magdalena Mis @magdalenamis1; Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Calls for Israel to annex parts or all of the Palestinian West Bank risk destroying prospects for peace, the UN envoy for the Middle East warned Tuesday.

Some Israeli ministers have called for an annexation of land earmarked to be part of a future Palestinian state and US President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, has voiced support for such a move.

UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov delivered the warning to the Security Council, which met for the first time since the adoption of a contentious resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlements.

"In the aftermath of the vote, emotions on the ground have been heightened," he said.

"Calls have been made for the annexation of parts of or the whole of Area C," which constitutes about 60 percent of the West Bank.

"Such divisive positions risk destroying the prospects for peace."

Mladenov called on "all stakeholders" to avoid any unilateral action that would "prejudge a negotiated final status solution."

The resolution criticizing Israel's settlements policy was adopted after the United States refused to resort to a veto to block the measure, instead abstaining and allowing it to pass by a vote of 14-0.

At the Paris conference, some 70 countries affirmed their support for a two-state solution that would see a state of Palestine co-existing alongside Israel.

Israel and the Palestinians remain far apart on the peace process, with attention now turning to whether Trump will move to shore up Israel's refusal to halt settlements.

Under the resolution adopted last month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will report to the council every three months on whether Israel is in violation of the UN demand to stop expanding Jewish outposts.

Trump has promised to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in what would be a break from the majority of countries that does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Under the Oslo peace accords, the status of Jerusalem, including whether East Jerusalem will be the capital of a Palestinian state, is to be agreed in negotiations.
Correction appended Jan. 18, 2016

Hong Kong migrants may have become numerous in the suburbs of Vancouver, but there is a part of Hong Kong that is forever Canada.

To find it, you need to climb the lush uplands of Hong Kong Islands eastern tip to Sai Wan War Cemetery. The remains of 283 Canadian servicemen are buried here, their role in the World War II defense of Hong Kong little understood, or even known, by the multitudes inhabiting the residential blocks and industrial buildings of the waterfront below.

At about this time 75 years ago  in January 1942  1,689 of their comrades who had survived the Battle of Hong Kong were being marched by victorious Japanese forces to the North Point prisoner of war camp, some 8 km from where the cemetery is located today. Another 264 Canadian soldiers were to die in Japanese captivity.

Nothing remains of the camp, and no memorial or plaque has been erected on the site, which is presently occupied by part of the Kings Road playground. That means that those commemorating the fallen Canadians in the 18-day Battle for Hong Kong focus their devotions almost exclusively at Sai Wan  the site of pilgrimage by surviving veterans and their families, as well as by Prime Ministers coming to pay respects, the most recent being Justin Trudeau, who visited last September as part of his trip to China.

The crowd was particularly numerous on Dec. 4, 2016  virtually 75 years to the day that a ravaged Hong Kong capitulated to the Japanese on Christmas Day 1941. This is part of our Canadian heritage, a woman told her young child as they entered the cemetery.

During the battle, a combination of troops from Britain, Canada, other parts of the British Empire, as well as local Hong Kong soldiers, fought tooth and nail to defend the colony from Japanese troops moving southward from the Chinese mainland, parts of which had already fallen in the ongoing Second Sino-Japanese War.

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It was here, on Dec. 8, 1941, that Canadian troops experienced our countrys first battle in World War II, Jeff Nankivell, the Canadian consul general in Hong Kong and Macau, said at the Dec. 4 gathering. The ultimate sacrifices made by Canadian troops, he added, helped to build the unique and strong bond between Canada and Hong Kong.

Among the over 14,000 Allied soldiers trying to fend off the invaders were two battalions from Canada, the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada, totaling 1,975 men. Many of them were, at that time, deemed unfit for combat because of their lack of training. Despite that and many other disadvantages, they still managed to put up a stiff resistance during the battle, and caused considerable Japanese casualties.

At least four surviving war veterans were present at the ceremony. One of them was Peter Choi, a Hongkonger who saw active combat during the battle. He said hes attended every years commemoration ceremony since the war ended.

There wasnt much fear to speak of, he recounted his wartime memories to reporters at the ceremony. One either lives or dies in battle.

Another Chinese-Canadian veteran at the ceremony, Tommy Wong, saw action not in Hong Kong, but in nearby Burma and India as the war raged on. Recruited as Japanese forces advanced through Southeast Asia, he became part of a clandestine British unit dropped into Burma to assist local resistance efforts in fallen areas.

The chances of coming back [were] very slim, he recalls.

Its like their ANZAC Day

Though few in Hong Kong speak today of the citys Canadian defenders, the Battle of Hong Kong is far from forgotten in Canada. For one thing, Canada suffered hefty losses in Hong Kong. Almost 30% of the contingent did not live to return to Canada when peace came in 1945.

As Canadian historian Galen Perras explains to TIME via email, Hong Kong was the sole Canadian army effort in the Pacific for a considerable time during the war.

Canadas emphasis also has to do with its own national identity, according to Kwong Chi-man, a Hong Kong historian focusing on East Asia and military history.

Its like their ANZAC Day in a sense, he tells TIME, referring to Australia and New Zealands commemoration of their defeat in the Battle of Gallipoli during World War I. He adds that Canadas misadventure was part of the making of a Canadian identity separate from the British.

In total, over 2,000 people from Allied nations died trying to protect an outpost that, according to Winston Churchill in January that year, had not the slightest chance of being retained if war with Japan broke out. Seen in this light, the Canadians, and other defenders, were doomed from the start and Churchills motives have been scrutinized ever since.

Some suggest that the deployment of the Canadians was meant as a gesture to inspire confidence in the Churchills allies that the U.K. was capable of meeting its imperial obligations and wouldnt cede territory without a fight. Others believe the Canadians were there as a deterrent, to prevent the Japanese from striking. They add that a Japanese attack, were it to materialize, wasnt expected till much later, allowing time for the untrained Canadians to be brought up to speed.

The view that Canadian soldiers were essentially tricked into their graves in Hong Kong was given prominence in the Canadian documentary Savage Christmas, part of the controversial 1992 series The Valour and the Horror, which examined the countrys World War II involvement.

Obviously, in hindsight we know [the move] was wrong, Tony Banham, a Hong Kong historian who has written extensively about the battle and its aftermath, tells TIME by email. But had forecasts of Japanese hesitation to invade Southeast Asia been right, then the battle readiness of these battalions would not have been a major factor  they would have been there for show.

Ottawa, it must be said, was a very willing partner in committing nearly 2,000 men to East Asia. In his November 1941 diary entries, the then Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King wrote about the deployment thusly: Defense against aggression anywhere [is] defense of any country enjoying freedom today, and for Canada to have troops in the Orient, fighting the battle of freedom, marks a new stage in our history.

Inactivity [of Canadian troops deployed overseas] had become a political problem in Canada by 1941, remarks historian Perras, noting that, prior to Hong Kong, most Canadian servicemen had simply been on garrison duty.

Whatever reason for the Canadian deployment, one thing is certain: the ranks of veterans and survivors from the Battle and the war are growing thin. As the veteran Wong tells TIME after the ceremony at Sai Wan, it is important for him to be there on key anniversaries, to honor his compatriots and their sacrifice.

Were not getting any younger, he says.

 With reporting by Helen Regan / Hong Kong

Correction: The original version of this article stated that the Canadian defenders of Hong Kong were conscripted. They were not.
Vilnius (AFP) - The United States and Baltic NATO allies Estonia and Lithuania signed military deals on Tuesday as President-elect Donald Trump's pro-Moscow stance stokes uncertainty about future commitments.

Fellow Baltic state Latvia has also inked a similar agreement defining the status of hundreds of US troops that are to be deployed this year to deter a more militarily aggressive Russia on NATO's vulnerable eastern flank.

These pacts also come after Washington launched a separate mission last week that will see an armoured brigade of some 3,500 soldiers and heavy equipment sent to Poland, the Baltic states and nearby NATO allies Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary.

The US-lead NATO has been increasing its military presence along Europe's borders with Russia ever since Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

The Kremlin denies it has any territorial ambitions and accuses NATO of trying to encircle Russia.

But Moscow's deployment of nuclear-capable Iskander missiles into its already heavily militarised Kaliningrad exclave last year and frequent military drills in the Baltic region have rattled nearby NATO states.

The defence accords, which controversially limit the jurisdiction of local courts over US military personnel, still need to be ratified by the respective national parliaments.

"It's in our interest to have US forces here, and we must have clarity over their status," Lithuanian Defence Minister Raimundas Karoblis told AFP as he concluded the so-called "status of forces" agreement with US Ambassador Anne Hall in Vilnius.

Estonia's Defence Minister Margus Tsahkna echoed the remarks, saying the accord "supports the presence of US units in Estonia and strengthens our security."

Karoblis added that Lithuania, the largest and southernmost of the three Baltic states, will host "up to 800 US troops" at a time this year.

- Trip wire -

With a combined population of six million, the three formerly Soviet-ruled Baltic nations have warily watched Trump question the US committment to guarantee the security of NATO allies.

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A day after Trump declared in an interview that NATO was "obsolete", Karoblis said Lithuania was "open to discuss" his suggestion to boost the alliance's role in fighting terror.

He insisted Trump's words had "no direct link with today's agreement".

"Trump's comments and his general unpredictability have raised fears that they might encourage Russian adventurism, but there is also confidence that Trump's advisors and Lithuania's friends in Congress will ensure that support for the Baltics will not be undermined," Vilnius University analyst Kestutis Girnius told AFP.

Last year, NATO decided to deploy four multinational battalions to Poland and the Baltic states to serve as a trip wire that would automatically involve NATO allies in the event of any attack by Russia.

Some 1,200 troops will join a German-led NATO battalion in Lithuania later this year.

Over 100 Dutch personnel and four F-16 fighter are currently deployed to a NATO air policing mission guarding Baltic skies.

Lithuania has announced plans to build a fence on the border with the heavily militarised Kaliningrad, in a bid to ward off potential hybrid warfare threats which could see unmarked military personnel cross into NATO territory.

Vilnius also increased its defence budget by a third this year and pledged to meet NATO's two-percent-of-GDP funding target in 2018.
Washington (AFP) - The United States placed sanctions Monday on Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik after he led a campaign to celebrate a Serbian-focused holiday in defiance of the Bosnia and Herzegovina constitutional court.

Dodik, president of the Bosnian Serb-run entity Republika Srpska, championed the effort for Serbs to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their Republic Day on January 9, a date tied to the fragile nation's brutal 1990s war and a sensitive issue for Muslims.

Bosnia's constitutional court ruled that the holiday was illegal for discriminating against non-Serbs and canceled the referendum, but Dodik pressed ahead regardless.

The US Treasury, in announcing the sanctions, said Dodik's actions obstructed the 1995 Dayton Accords for peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"By obstructing the Dayton Accords, Milorad Dodik poses a significant threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina," said John Smith, acting director of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

The sanctions ban Americans from doing business with Dodik and freeze any assets he has under US jurisdiction.

The Republic Day commemorates the proclamation of a "Republic of Serb people" in Bosnia that took place three months before the inter-ethnic 1992-1995 conflict erupted, eventually claiming 100,000 lives.

An overwhelming majority of Bosnian Serb voters in September supported Dodik's referendum Dodik to continue to hold the holiday

The holiday however causes deep anguish among survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of some 8,000 Muslim males by Bosnian Serb forces, Europe's worst atrocity since World War II.

The Dayton peace agreement that ended Bosnia's war split the country into two semi-independent entities, the Republik Srpska and a Muslim-Croat Federation, linked by a weak federal government.
London (AFP) - Antonio Valencia will stay at Manchester United until 2018 after the Premier League club triggered a one-year extension clause in his contract.

Valencia has established himself as Jose Mourinho's first-choice right-back and has now been rewarded with an extended stay at United.

The 31-year-old is a key figure at Old Trafford, making 271 appearances, scoring 21 goals and winning six trophies since signing from Wigan in 2009.

A statement from the club read: "Manchester United have confirmed a clause has been triggered to extend Antonio Valencia's contract by one year, keeping the experienced Ecuadorian at Old Trafford until at least June 2018."

Valencia has made 23 appearances for United this term under Mourinho, who attempted to take him to Real Madrid during his time in Spain.

"I tried to sign Antonio a number of years ago, when I was at Madrid," Mourinho told MUTV earlier this season.

"Even though he was not playing right-back at the time, I thought he could be phenomenal in that position.

"As it was, United told me 'no chance!'. I am not surprised by his form this season."
By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican demanded on Tuesday that the leaders of the Knights of Malta, a worldwide Catholic chivalric and charity group, cooperate with an inquiry into alleged irregularities ordered by Pope Francis. In the latest salvo of a battle of wills between the heads of two of the world's oldest institutions, a Vatican statement also rejected what it said was an attempt by the Rome-based Knights to discredit members of a papal commission of inquiry. Both sides have been locked in a bitter dispute since one of the order's top knights, Grand Chancellor Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, was sacked on Dec. 6 in the chivalric equivalent of a boardroom showdown - ostensibly because he allowed the use of condoms in a medical project for the poor. The all-male hierarchy of the group, whose top leaders are not clerics but take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, have defied the pope, refusing to cooperate with the investigation of the sacking or recognise the inquiry's legitimacy. "The Holy See counts on the complete cooperation of all in this sensitive stage," the statement said, adding that it "rejects ... any attempt to discredit (commission) members." That was a clear rebuttal of statements and letters by the Knights' top official, Grand Master Matthew Festing. He has denounced the papal commission as intervention in the order's sovereign affairs, accused members having a conflict of interest, and has set up his own internal commission. In a confidential letter sent to top members on Jan. 14 and seen by Reuters, Festing said the five-member papal commission was "clearly unfit to address the situation objectively". "There are serious accusations of a conflict of interest for at least three of the members who have been proved to be linked to a fund in Geneva," Festing says, without giving details. SOVEREIGN ENTITY The order, formed in the 11th century to provide protection and medical care for pilgrims to the Holy Land, has the status of a sovereign entity. It maintains diplomatic relations with over 100 states and the European Union and permanent observer status at the United Nations. It has about 120,000 members. Festing, 67, a Briton, fired von Boeselager, accusing him of hiding the fact that he allowed the use of condoms when he ran Malteser International, the order's humanitarian aid agency. Von Boeselager said his sacking was illegitimate and appealed to the pope. The Vatican statement appeared to reject the order's claim of total sovereignty. It said that after he receives the commission's report this month, the pope will make "the most fitting decision" not only for the order but for the whole Church. The German's supporters say the condom issue was excuse by Festing and Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, an arch-conservative who has criticised the pope on other issues, to increase their power. 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. Von Boeselager said in a statement he shut down two projects in the developing world when he discovered condoms were being distributed but kept a third running for a while because closing it would have abruptly ended all basic medical services to poor people. Francis has said he 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, especially the poor. (Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
Vice President Joe Biden Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, Barack Obamas pick for the Democratic tickets vice presidential candidate, and his wife, Jill, right, greet supporters as they depart their home, Aug. 23, 2008, in Greenville, Del., to join Obama for a rally in Illinois. (Photo: Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP)

On Jan. 20, Joe Biden officially hands over the vice president's office, a capstone on a career that has spanned decades in electoral politics.

Among other things, his tenure in the White House has seen him strike a clear friendship with President Obama, who picked the then-Delaware senator as running mate after securing the 2008 Democratic nomination.

Here's a look back at the past eight years of Vice President Biden. (Colin Campbell/Yahoo News)

See more of our inauguration coverage here.

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See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr.
Vietnam is courting high-tech Japanese investment and wants Tokyo to become its top investor, its premier said Tuesday during a visit by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Japan is the second largest foreign investor in communist Vietnam, a manufacturing hub in southeast Asia seeking to expand exports from apparel and agriculture to high-value good like electronics and automobiles.

"Vietnam wants Japan to become the top investor in Vietnam," Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Tuesday at a business forum co-hosted by Abe and attended by company tycoons from both sides.

Vietnam has become a fierce competitor to regional neighbours like Thailand, Malaysia, China and Taiwan in tech manufacturing.

Electronic giants like Panasonic, Samsung, Foxconn and Intel have all made significant investments, taking advantage of Vietnam's comparatively cheap but increasingly well-educated and youthful workforce.

Ties between Tokyo and Hanoi have warmed in recent years, and the world's number three economy has invested heavily in Vietnam as growth back home has been dragged down by a greying and shrinking population.

The Asian allies have also cosied up in the face of separate disputes with regional powerhouse China over disputed territory in regional contested waters.

Japanese firms are currently involved in more than 3,000 projects worth roughly $42 billion in Vietnam, mostly in the manufacturing sector. It is the leading investor in Vietnam after South Korea.

Tokyo is also looking for new markets to sell major construction projects to.

Abe called on Vietnam to "continue supporting Japanese enterprises (and) listening to experiences from Japanese companies in high-tech areas".

He said earlier that investments would focus on "projects to upgrade high quality infrastructure".

The leaders did not outline specific areas of investment, but officials said earlier that Japan was interested in high-speed railway projects and airport infrastructure.

Story continues

Earlier during Abe's two-day trip, officials said Japan's Mitsubishi is investing in a thermal power plant in Vietnam's central Ha Tinh province.

Members of Vietnam's business community welcomed the push toward high-tech at the meeting, which was attended by several Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi, Canon and Fukuyama Transporting.

"(It) will surely contribute to improving the quality of life in Vietnam," Nguyen Hoang, CEO of Vietnam's N&G Investment, told AFP.

Vietnam, an authoritarian one-party state, has become a hot spot for private investment in recent years, especially in manufacturing and consumer sectors.

Foreign investment shot up nine percent last year compared to the year before, hitting a record $15.8 billion.

Though growth has remained relatively strong in recent years, its GDP rose 6.2 percent last year, down from 2015 and falling shy of its growth target of between 6.7 and 7.00 percent.

Abe's visited Philippines, Australia and Indonesia on his six-day tour of Asia-Pacific before his final stop in Vietnam.

He said Monday that Japan would provide six new patrol vessels to Vietnam as he called for maritime security in Asia.
HANOI, Vietnam (AP)  Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Tuesday urged Japan to invest more in the Southeast Asian country to become its top foreign investor.

Speaking at a conference of business leaders from both countries also attended by visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Phuc said Vietnam would like to see Japan invest more in infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing and services.

"At this meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, we wish that Japan would be the largest (foreign) investor to Vietnam, not other countries," Phuc said.

South Korea is Vietnam's largest foreign investor with total investments of $50 billion, followed by Japan with $42 billion.

Phuc said the Vietnamese people and businesses have high levels of trust for Japanese businesses, adding that Abe, on his third visit to Vietnam as prime minister, is a close friend of Vietnamese people.

Abe told the conference that after talks with Phuc on Monday, the countries had agreed to expand trade and investment, and improve the investment environment.

"Currently, ASEAN is the center for growth in the world and Vietnam is part of that center," Abe said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

He said more than 1,600 Japanese companies are operating in Vietnam, urged Phuc and the Vietnamese government to continue to support them.

Abe, accompanied by executives from 76 Japanese companies, was wrapping up a four-nation tour to push Japan's trade and security engagements in the region amid rising China's dominance in Asia.

He previously visited the Philippines, Australia and Indonesia.

On Monday, Abe pledged to provide Vietnam with new patrol vessels to improve its maritime law-enforcement capabilities. Japan has already provided Vietnam with six used patrol boats.

Vietnam and Japan both have separate maritime disputes with China  with Vietnam in the South China Sea and Japan in the East China Sea.
Martin Luther King Jr., the Baptist minister, activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner who became Americas best-known civil rights movement leader in the 1950s and 60s, left behind four children who became activists in their own right. On the federal holiday celebrating the life of their father, President-elect Donald Trump met with the eldest among them, Martin Luther King III.

The eldest son and second oldest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III walked into Trump Tower in Manhattan Monday afternoon to discuss voting, bringing more people into the system, the legacy of Dr. King and how we can continue to pursue that under the Trump administration, Trumps soon-to-be White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told the Today Show.

King told the press the meeting with Trump had been "constructive," and he noted that he disagreed with the president-elect's characterization of civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis as "all talk... no action."

Lewis "demonstrated that he is action," King said.

The civil rights icons first son has followed in his fathers footsteps, presiding over the Atlanta-based Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil rights organization his father founded, which under his direction launched a successful campaign to change the Georgia state flag, which had previously featured a Confederate cross.

More recently, the 59-year-old MLK III led a rally in Ferguson, Missouri, following the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, a black man who was unarmed at the time, by white police officer Darren Wilson.

The Kings eldest child, Yolanda, died in May 2007 of congestive heart failure after years as an actor, playwright and motivational speaker.

Dexter Scott King, 55, took over his mothers Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta as chairman in the late 80s, while the youngest of the Kings, Bernice, a reverend, serves as its chief executive officer.

Story continues

The siblings havent been without rivalry, however, as a feud over the King Centers direction and ownership led Martin and Bernice to sue Dexter in 2008. The second and youngest children accused the third child of improperly funneling money from the estate of their mother, who died in 2006, into a company he controlled, the Estate of Martin Luther King Jr. Inc., and alleged that that he misapplied or wasted the company's assets and kept the companys finances secret from his siblings, according to a 2008 report from the Los Angeles Times.

The three remaining siblings estate battles didnt end with that lawsuits settlement in 2009. Just last August, the Kings finally ended a years-long legal fight over the ownership of their fathers Nobel Peace Prize and his traveling Bible.

Related Articles
President Obama will fail to keep one of his most high-profile promises  closing the detention facility for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba  the White House acknowledged on Tuesday.

At this point, I dont anticipate that we will succeed in that goal of closing the prison, but its not for a lack of trying, press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his final media briefing.

The only reason it didnt happen is because of the politics that members of Congress of both parties, frankly, played with this issue, Earnest said with just two full days left in Obamas term.

The outgoing president had made a top priority of closing the facility, opened under his predecessor in 2002, at the dawn of the modern war on terrorism. Obama contended that it served as a terrorism-recruiting tool and later seized on the argument that keeping the facility open for a diminished population of prisoners was a waste of taxpayer dollars.

To overcome extremism, we must also be vigilant in upholding the values our troops defend  because there is no force in the world more powerful than the example of America, Obama told a joint meeting of Congress in February 2009. That is why I have ordered the closing of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, and will seek swift and certain justice for captured terrorists  because living our values doesnt make us weaker, it makes us safer and it makes us stronger.

But lawmakers blocked his proposals to shift the prisoners to prison facilities on U.S. soil and have criticized his efforts to transfer detainees overseas to countries willing to harbor them under close supervision.

In the latest transfer, 10 prisoners were shipped to Oman for what that country called a temporary stay. Just 45 detainees remain at the naval base, down from 242 when Obama took office.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest (Photo: Yuri Gripas/Reuters)

Ironically, it was a liberal Democrat who dealt the first blow to Obamas promise.

In May 2009, Democratic House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey stripped $80 million that Obama had requested to close the prison from an emergency funding bill. While I dont mind defending a concrete program, Im not much interested in wasting my energy defending a theoretical program, Obey said at the time. So when they have a plan, theyre welcome to come back and talk to us about it.

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Republican hardliners (with not just a few Democrats going along) seized on the issue to try to make Obama look weak on national security. The Obama administration provided all the ammo Republicans needed with its clumsy and ill-fated plan to transfer a handful of forlorn Chinese Uighur prisoners to a Northern Virginia suburb, touching off a full-blown NIMBY (not in my backyard) rebellion in Congress.

The Obama team members seriously underestimated how difficult a task they had assigned to themselves. There was kind of this naivete that somehow, if the president said were going to close Guantanamo, and we have a plan to close Guantanamo, that ultimately that would happen, recalled former CIA Director Leon Panetta.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Outgoing White House press secretary Josh Earnest tore into President-elect Donald Trumps pick for health and human services secretary, Georgia Rep. Tom Price, amid a report that the Republican congressman bought stock in a medical company, then introduced legislation that would have directly benefited the company.

Given the incoming administrations priority that is placed on draining the swamp, I think they have a unique obligation to explain exactly what happened, Earnest told reporters at his final press briefing Tuesday.

Because the facts of the report dont appear to be quite complicated. You have a member of Congress buying stock in a company and then, within a week, sponsoring legislation that would benefit that company and its stock price, only to see that legislation followed shortly thereafter by a political donation from that company to the campaign of that member of Congress in question.

On Monday, CNN reported reported that Price bought between $1,001 and $15,000 worth of shares in medical device maker Zimmer Biomet last year before introducing legislation that could have shielded the company by delaying regulations on spending on joint replacements for Medicare patients. The companys political action committee subsequently contributed to Prices reelection campaign.

The report prompted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to call for an investigation of Price.

If he knew about it, it could very well be a violation of the law, Schumer told CNN. This is a very narrow, specific company that dealt with implants  hip and knee  and the legislation specifically affects implants. He puts it in a week after he buys the stock? That cries out for an investigation.

Rep. Tom Price arrives at a meeting of House Republicans in Washington, D.C., June 2016. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

A representative for Price told CNN that the stock was purchased by a broker without Prices knowledge.

Schumer didnt necessarily buy that explanation.

Its kind of strange that this broker would pick this stock totally independently of him introducing legislation thats so narrow and specific to this company, Schumer said.

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Earnest didnt either.

This doesnt seem like a complicated scheme, he said. This seems like exactly the kind of financial entanglement thats left a lot of people feeling alienated from Washington, D.C., thats left a lot of people questioning the motives of members of Congress. Was he sponsoring that legislation because of his own personal motive, his own personal financial interest? Was he sponsoring that legislation because he knew it would likely lead to a political contribution? Or was he sponsoring that bill because he thought it was good policy?

On Wednesday, Price is scheduled to appear at a confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, where hell undoubtedly face similar questions from Senate Democrats.

This is why Congress has a responsibility to offer advice and consent for the presidents Cabinet nominations, Earnest said. And I suspect this is an issue that is going to receive careful scrutiny.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest (Photo: Yuri Gripas/Reuters)

In December, after Price was announced as Trumps pick, the Wall Street Journal reported that Price had traded more than $300,000 in shares of health-related companies in the past four years.

On Tuesday, Time magazine reported that in 2016 Price invested as much as $90,000 in six other pharmaceutical companies shortly before leading a legislative and public relations effort that benefited those specific companies.

Price spokesman Phil Blando told Time that the lawmakers trades were conducted via a broker-directed account without his input or knowledge and that Price only knew of the trades after the fact.

Last week, Price announced that he would divest himself from 43 companies  including Zimmer Biomet  within 90 days of his confirmation.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Following their leaders example of never backing down, Donald Trumps spokesmen Monday doubled down on criticism of Rep. John Lewis, who questioned the legitimacy of the president-elects election. The effect: Lewis books jumped to the top of Amazons bestsellers list.

For his part, Lewis set aside his prepared Martin Luther King Day remarks, a direct response to Trumps criticism, Monday, instead exhorting his Miami audience, Never, ever hate. The way of love is a better way. The way of peace is a better way.

Lewis, a Georgia Democrat, stirred the wrath of the incoming administration in an interview with NBCs Meet the Press, pointing to Russian interference as a reason to question whether Trump had been elected legitimately, especially since Democrat Hillary Clinton outpolled him by almost 3 million popular votes.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded Russia hacked the emails of the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. The stolen emails were then turned over to WikiLeaks for publication but the intelligence assessment contained no conclusions on whether Russian machinations actually turned the tide of the election.

The controversy sent several of Lewis books to the top of Amazons Top 20 bestseller list, with his "March" at No. 1 and his autobiography "Walking With the Wind" at No. 2  both selling out. March rose to the top spot from No. 451 while Walking With the Wind had been languishing at No. 8,701. A third Lewis book also was listed as sold out, Across That Bridge, which was at No. 116 on Amazon.

None of Trump's books is in the top 100 on Amazon.

The spat brought plaudits from other speakers at the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project breakfast where Lewis spoke.

We throw the word courage around these days very lightly, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told the gathering. You are sitting in the presence of a true American hero. Lewis was beaten during the march on the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on what became known as Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965. He suffered a skull fracture.

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Rubio said he doesnt agree with Lewis assessment on whether Trump was legitimately elected, but also would have hoped Trump would have handled the situation differently.

Trump canceled a planned visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, citing a scheduling conflict. Some of the museums exhibits on Martin Luther King feature Lewis. He did meet with Martin Luther King III at Trump Tower on Monday.

King rejected Trump's characterization of Lewis as "all talk... no action."

Lewis "demonstrated that he is action," King told reporters.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence told Fox & Friends Monday he respects the role Lewis played in the civil rights struggle and in promoting voting rights, but is disappointed that he would make the statement he made. For someone of Lewis stature to lend credibility to baseless assertions of those who question the legitimacy of this election is deeply disappointing. I hope he reconsiders.

Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer criticized Lewis on NBCs Today, saying theres no evidence the Russian hacking had any real impact on the election process.

There was no tampering with anything, Spicer said. And to see somebody of John Lewis stature, and iconic nature, who has worked so hard to enfranchise people and talk about getting people involved in our voting systems and getting and talking about the integrity of our voting system, to them go out when the candidate of his choice doesnt win, and try to talk about the deligitimization of the election is frankly disappointing.

Trump himself was silent on the issue Monday after unleashing that weekend tweetstorm criticizing Lewis as "all talk." Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., has had enough of the tweeting.

I would hope that the president-elect would today pick up the phone, put down the Twitter stuff, and just give John Lewis a call. He is indeed a hero, Cummings told MSNBCs Morning Joe.

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President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn-in in three days, and the peaceful transfer of power is set to take place amid incredible partisan rancor. A growing number of Democrats are announcing theyre skipping Fridays inauguration, with civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis going so far as to call Trump illegitimate. Trump has since launched a Twitter tirade against Lewis and, amid the furor, canceled a planned trip to the African American History Museum in Washington on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Trump is particularly sensitive to attacks on his legitimacy in the wake of Russias attempts to meddle in the outcome of the election. But notable too is the attack itself, representing not only a breach of decorum around the celebration, but also threat to the very underpinnings of American democracy. Failure to accept Trump as the next president not only puts Democrats further in a hole with the voters who swung to Trump, but also makes their legitimate criticism of his policies easier for Republicans to ignore.

Trump, meanwhile, continues to chart a course separate from his Cabinet picks and the rest of his party, as he criticized NATO as obsolete and promised insurance for everybody in separate interviews published this weekend. It remains to be seen whether Trumps comments will be overridden by his Cabinet nominees assurances to Capitol Hill Republicansa stunning question in its own rightor whether his will win the day as the will of a president usually does. Either way, its going to be a wild ride.

Trumps promises to Drain the Swamp arent holding up. Trumps low-key inauguration. And five ways America changed during Obamas presidency

Here are your must reads:

Must Reads

Heres a Look at How Swampy Trumps Appointments Are

Trumps slogan seems like just talk [TIME]

Trumps Cabinet Pick Invested in Company, Then Introduced a Bill to Help It

HHS pick under scrutiny [CNN]

Story continues

Donald Trump Warns on House Republican Tax Plan

President-elect criticizes border-adjustment measure, which would tax imports and exempt exports, as too complicated [Wall Street Journal]

For Trump, Three Decades of Chasing Deals in Russia

Despite claims he never sought business there [New York Times]

Americans Will Get the Trump They Elected as President

He isnt changing [Associated Press]

Surprisingly, Trump Inauguration Shapes Up to be a Relatively Low-Key Affair

Few fireworks and modest crowds expected [Washington Post]

Big Money Names Behind Trump Inaugural Start to Come Out

Drain the [McClatchy]

Sound Off

Were going to have insurance for everybody. There was a philosophy in some circles that if you cant pay for it, you dont get it. Thats not going to happen with us.  Donald Trump sounding very un-Republican to the Washington Post on his Obamacare replacement plan

Number one it was obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago.  Donald Trump in a joint interview with the Times of London and Bild, breaking with his Cabinet selections praise for the alliance

Bits and Bites

5 Ways America Changed During Obamas Presidency [TIME]

Trump tries to calm tensions after Lewis squabble [Associated Press]

Amid plagiarism scandal, Monica Crowley to forgo post in Trump White House [Washington Times]

The Oath: 35 words that make a President [CNN]

Obamas Secret to Surviving the White House Years: Books [New York Times]

Trump vows insurance for everybody in Obamacare replacement plan [Washington Post]

Outgoing CIA Chief Doubts Donald Trumps Understanding of Russia Threat [Associated Press]
President-elect Donald Trump hasnt been shy about sharing his views about the world, in general, and Europe, in particular. He was criticized during the presidential campaign for questioning the value of NATO, praising the U.K.s decision to leave the EU, and linking terrorist attacks to the million or so asylum-seekers who have arrived in Europe since 2015. Trumps supporters and political analysts attributed those comments to campaign-season rhetoric, and said he would pivot on these and other issues before the general election. But with less than a week before the inauguration at which hell be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, Trump gave a joint interview to The Times (of London) and Bild, the mass-circulation German tabloid, during which he described NATO as obsolete, called the EU basically a vehicle for Germany, and said other countries would follow the U.K.s lead and leave the bloc.

Recommended: Here Is When Each Generation Begins and Ends, According to Facts

Trumps remarks about the Atlantic alliance dont quite amount to the rejection of the group, nor did he suggest the U.S. might abrogate its treaty obligations to its NATO partners as he appeared to last July. Indeed, when asked by the two publications if the U.S. would guarantee Europes defense in the future, as it has since the end of World War II, Trump responded: Yeah, I feel very strongly toward Europe  very strongly toward Europe, yes. But that came after he called NATO obsolete, and noted that only five of its 22 membersthe U.S., Greece, Estonia, Poland, and the U.K.were spending their share on defense, which under NATOs guidelines constitutes 2 percent of GDP.

Trumps remarks appear to conflict with those of James Mattis, the retired Marine Corps general who is his nominee for defense secretary, who said last week during his confirmation hearing that if NATO didnt exist today, wed have to create it. Mattis accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to break up NATOand its that possibility that many European officials fear, as well. Russias invasion and annexation of Ukraines Crimean peninsula in 2014, its continued support of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine, speculation that it has territorial designs over the Baltic states and Scandinavian countries, and its support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have all led to the belief that Russian interests are at odds with Western interests. Traditionally, it was the U.S. that was the bulwark against possible Russian aggression in Europeand European leaders fear Trump will not keep that commitment. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Trumps remarks caused astonishment and excitement, not just in Brussels, where both the EU and NATO have their headquarters. NATO, he said, had heard the comments with concern. He added: This is in contradiction with what [Mattis] said in his hearing in Washington only some days ago and we have to see what will be the consequences for American policy.

Recommended: Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'Letter From Birmingham Jail'

Trumps past remarks about Russia havent elicited much confidence, either. Hes suggested hed recognize Russias annexation of Crimea, praised Putin as a strong leader, and appeared for a time to take Russias word that it didnt interfere in the U.S. election though the intelligence agencies that hell soon be running have repeatedly said the opposite. He appeared to suggest in his latest interview that hed be open to lifting sanctions against Russia in exchange for some good deals.

For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, thats part of it, he said. But you do have sanctions and Russias hurting very badly right now because of sanctions, but I think something can happen that a lot of people are gonna benefit.

Then theres the future of the EU.

The political establishment in Europe and the U.K. are still reeling from last summers vote by Britons to leave the EU. Although the nature of the U.K.s future relationship with the bloc is unclear, and the source of much political debate, the economic impact, so far, has been far from the catastrophe that was predicted before the vote. Trump was an early supporter of Brexitand his interview this week with the Times was given to Michael Gove, the U.K. lawmaker who was a lead campaigner for the Leave movement. He doubled down on his earlier comments in his interview.

People dont want to have other people coming in and destroying their country, he said. Adding later: People, countries want their own identity and the U.K. wanted its own identity but, I do believe this, if they hadnt been forced to take in all of the refugees, so many, with all the problems that it, you know, entails, I think that you wouldnt have a Brexit. It probably could have worked out but, this was the final straw, this was the final straw that broke the camels back.

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I think people want, people want their own identity, so if you ask me, others, I believe others will leave.

Trump appears to be conflating thelongstanding opposition to immigration among some U.K. voters to increased immigration to its refugee policy. The U.K. pledged to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees last year, far fewer than other major European nationsthough the fate of that commitment is unclear.

Trump also said in the interview that he doesnt care one way or the other whether the EU is a single entity or several countries. U.S. administrations of both parties have promoted European unity for decadesthough there have areas of disagreement.

Personally, I dont think it [a stronger EU versus stronger nation states] matters much for the United States, Trump said. I never thought it mattered. Look, the EU was formed, partially, to beat the United States on trade, OK? So, I dont really care whether its separate or together, to me it doesnt matter.

Those comments, in particular, appear to have rankled in Europe, where support for EU membership is high in most member states, even if theres resentment toward some EU policies. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said: The best response is European unity. Speaking in Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel said, We Europeans have our fate in our own hands.

Merkel came in for special mention in Trumps interview. He criticized the German chancellors open-door policy for Syrian refugees, calling it a one very catastrophic mistake. He also described the refugees who are fleeing more than five years of civil war as illegals. He elaborated on those comments about Merkel, who is facing re-election this year and opposition after several terrorist attacks in the country.

I think it was a big mistake for Germany, he said of the policy. And  I think we should have built safe zones in Syria.  Would have been a lot less expensive than the trauma that Germanys going through now.

John Kerry, the U.S. secretary of state, criticized the remarks: I thought frankly it was inappropriate for a president elect of the United States to be stepping into the politics of other countries in a quite direct manner, he said on CNN. He will have to speak to that, as of Friday he is responsible for that relationship.

But of all the comments Trump made in his interview to the Times and Bild, its his remarks about trade that are most likely to upset Germany and others in Europe. When asked about BMWs plans to open a facility in Mexico in 2019, Trump responded: I would tell them, dont waste their time and moneyunless they want to sell to other countries, thats fineif they want to open in Mexico  but I would tell BMW if they think theyre gonna build a plant in Mexico and sell cars into the U.S. without a 35 per cent tax, its not gonna happen, its not gonna happen.  They can build cars for the U.S., but theyll be paying a 35 percent tax on every car that comes into the country. The remarks caused shares in BMW and other German carmakers to fall.

The EU is the U.S.s largest trading partner, and as such German officials would be likely to retaliate against a 35-percent tax on the automaker. Sigmar Gabriel, Germanys deputy chancellor and minister for the economy, told Bild in a separate interview that BMWs largest factory was already in the U.S.

The U.S. car industry would have a bad awakening if all the supply parts that arent being built in the U.S. were to suddenly come with a 35 percent tariff, he said. I believe it would make the U.S. car industry weaker, worse, and above all more expensive.

When asked about Trumps remarks that trade between the two countries was unfair because you go down Fifth Avenue, [and] everybody has a Mercedes-Benz, [but] how many Chevrolets do you see in Germany? Gabriel responded that U.S. automakers should build better cars.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
President Barack Obama had his audience in tears on Thursday when he surprised his Vice President and brother Joe Biden by awarding him the nations highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, something the three presidents before him reserved for Pope John Paul II, President Ronald Reagan and General Colin Powell.

Obama described Biden as the best Vice President Americas ever had and said that selecting Biden as his running mate was the best possible choice, not just for me but for the American people. In an interview that aired the same day, Biden told NBCs Andrea Mitchell of their special relationshipI dont like him, I love him, he saidand recalled that the President had even offered him personal financial help as his family dealt with the illness and subsequent death of Beau Biden.

Its no secret that the Obama-Biden friendship (and the ones between the First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden and the Obamas daughters and Bidens granddaughters) is a rare one, though they are certainly not the only President and Vice President to share a bond that goes beyond professional obligation.

See the Obama-Biden friendship in photos

A look back at the history of those friendships illustrates just how hard they are to pull off. So, as the two prepare to vacate the White House with Donald Trumps inauguration on Friday, historians say there are solid reasons why few Executive Branch pairs have enjoyed such a tight relationshipand why its not something the U.S. is likely to see again soon.

Strangers in the White House



One reason why early VPs werent often buddies with Presidents is that, in the earliest days of the republic, the Vice President was whoever came in second for President, which meant that the two men had necessarily been rivals. And for more than a century after that problem was solved by the 12th Amendment in 1804until Franklin Delano Roosevelt made it clear that he wanted Henry Wallace to be his running mate in 1940presidents generally didnt pick their running mates. The party did. In some cases, they didnt even know them before party leaders announced the decision.

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When the party chose the Vice President, then the chances of you finding a life-long buddy were much less, says Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian.

So it was even more impressive that Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th U.S. President, and his Vice President William A. Wheeler, who didnt know each other before getting paired together on the Republican ticket, literally had sing-alongs on Sunday evenings. According to Nan Card, the curator of manuscripts at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Wheeler would bring over the hymnals, Secretary of Interior Carl Christian Schurz would play the piano, and the Secretary of the Treasury John Sherman and his older brother General William T. Sherman would join in the singing with their wives and the President. The Hayes family took Wheeler under their wing, as he was a recent widower. In fact, in 1878, Wheeler fueled rumor mills when he took First Lady Lucy Hayes and her daughter Fanny on a wild and joyous fishing outing in the Adirondacks.

Another tight foursome could be found among William McKinley and First Lady Ida McKinley and Garret Hobart and his wife Jennie. Whenever the President had to travel, Jennie came to Idas side. The President trusted the Vice President so much that he gave Hobart, a wealthy corporate lawyer, a portion of his presidential salary to invest, according to Christopher Kenney, Education Director of the William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum and author of The McKinley Years: The Life and Times of our 25th President. When Hobart died suddenly of a heart attack on Nov. 21, 1899, it was not only a great loss for the country, but a great personal loss for the McKinleys.

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter

Friends With Benefits

But, despite the system of selecting a Vice President, even in the 19th century it was clear that friendship in the White House could be mutually beneficial for President and Vice President alike.

Take, for example, President Andrew Jackson and his Vice President Martin Van Buren, who would exercise together by going on horseback rides in and around Washington. They first became friends when Van Buren was Secretary of State during Jacksons first term, thanks to scandalous rumors circulating in Washington about the promiscuity of Peggy Eaton, the wife of Secretary of War John Eaton. Jackson saw the rumors as a slander campaign against his administration, and those who believed them as his enemies. So Van Buren, a widower, made a point of being seen paying court to Mrs. Eaton, a gesture the President appreciated. Given the disorganized state of national political parties at the time, Jackson wielded unusual influence over the running-mate decisionand in his second term replaced Vice President John C. Calhoun with his friend Van Buren.

The political history of the United States, for the last thirty years, dates from the moment when the soft hand of Mr. Van Buren touched Mrs. Eatons knocker, James Parton wrote in his 1860 biography of Jackson.

During Jacksons second term, he leaned heavily on Van Buren for advice on political and economic crises. For example, he wrote that he did not wish to make a decision about extending the charter of the Bank of the United States without knowing his Vice Presidents full views on the subject. In turn, Jackson supported Van Burens successful 1836 run for the presidency, once describing him as one of the most pleasant men to do business with I ever saw and noting that in him the people will find a true friend and safe depository of their rights and liberty.

Jackson had other close personal friends, but no other political associate whom he trusted so thoroughly and relied on so completely, says Daniel Feller, director of The Papers of Andrew Jackson and a professor of history at the University of Tennessee. Jackson didnt make a move without consulting him.

(Not every such friendship worked out so well, however: James Polks Vice President George Dallas cast the deciding vote to approve new, lower tariffs, in order to further Polks agenda, even though his home state was against the move. That might have killed his career in Pennsylvania, says John Holtzapple, director of the James K. Polk Home.)

A Changing Role

As the power of the presidency increased after World War II, so did the sense that the Vice President had to be up to speedbut that still didnt mean the two men had to get along. Hubert Humphrey, who was Vice President under Lyndon B. Johnson, famously described the unrewarding burden of the vice presidency to TIME in 1969, as like being naked in the middle of a blizzard with no one to even offer you a match to keep you warm.

Humphrey and Johnson had been friendly in the U.S. Senate, according to Robert A. Caros Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson III, but in the Executive Branch, LBJ was known for excluding Humphrey from meetings, sending him abroad on short notice and with chaperones, and keeping him sitting outside the Oval Office waiting.

Johnson treated his beagle better than Humphrey, says Paul Light, an expert on the presidency at NYU Wagner, who notes that Presidents have sometimes seen VPs as competition. Theyre looking at the person who could be sleeping in their bed, as he puts it, which doesnt exactly form a basis for cordial and enduring relationships. Some historians say Johnson may have treated Humphrey like that because he himself had felt useless during his own term as a Vice President. (The need to assert the Presidents vitality can backfire in other ways too: Woodrow Wilsons Vice President lost access to the President after Wilson suffered a stroke in 1919a move that some historians argue doomed the League of Nations in the lead-up to World War II.)

But when Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976, he couldnt afford to freeze out his Vice-President, Walter Mondale. Carter was a peanut farmer whose only experience in politics was in Georgia state office and one term as Governor, whereas Mondale had 12 years representing Minnesota in the U.S. Senate under his belt. I needed a lot of help, I never had served in Washington before, Carter said in a conversation with his partner-in-crime and Richard Moe, Mondales former Chief of Staff while he was vice president, at a tribute to Mondales life and legacy on Oct. 20, 2015. He was almost like another president. Thats what I always wanted.

So Carter is credited with flipping the vice-presidency from a national insurance policy to a position for someone who would try to help the President succeed by serving as a loyal adviser and troubleshooter. Carter moved the VPs office into the West Wing, recognizing that proximity to the commander-in-chief means power, says Joel K. Goldstein, the preeminent scholar on the vice presidency and professor of law at Saint Louis University School of Law.

And whom did Carter and Mondale consult for advice on how to orchestrate that flip? None other than Hubert Humphrey.

A New Era

Since the age of Carter, that crucial Executive Branch relationship has been seen as a source of great political and personal perksthough the potential has not always been realized the way it was during the Obama administration.

For example, Ronald Reagan did follow Carters precedent in treating his Vice President George H.W. Bush like a partner. But tension between the First Lady and the Second Lady meant that the private relationship between the two couples could only go so far, as Jon Meacham writes in Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush:

There were cultural differences: East Coast vs. West Coast, old WASP society vs. Hollywood In the Reagan Hollywood universe there could be only one leading couple. In the Washington of 1981-1989, Ronald and Nancy were the stars, and the supporting actors, George and Barbara Bush, were to stay deep in the background. Ever vigilant and prone to worrying, Nancy wanted to make certain that the Bushes knew their place.

And, though Bill Clinton and Al Gore started out as buddies and got along famously during the 1992 campaign on their cross-country bus trip nicknamed Bill and Als Excellent Adventure, Gore later distanced himself from Clinton after the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

So what does that mean for the incoming President and Vice President?

So far, journalists following their relationship report that it seems as professional as the relationship between George W. Bush and Dick Cheney was, with Trump trusting Mike Pence, who has more political experience, to run certain things. For example, he turned over management of his transition effort to Pence. But their temperaments are night and dayand whether their professional attitudes blossom into friendship remains to be seen.
Millions of Americans spend every day preoccupied with whether they can make a better life for themselves than their parents did, and whether they can pass on that opportunity to their children. They are concerned that you can no longer accomplish these goals in America simply through hard work and perseverance. They see social mobility waning, inequality soaring, wages only now starting to accelerate after 15 years of dormancy. And they fear entry into a workplace of the future that looks disconnected and powerless.

Conservatives tell a coherent story in reaction, even if its a non sequitur  government regulations and government taxes sap the initiative from job creators. So does the left, if you seek out their views  corporate greed and power captures too much of the gains of productive work. The muddle has come from those in the political center, dumbfounded about how to combat forces they helped set in motion. And they havent gotten any better at it since Trumps election shattered their world.

Related: The White House Plan to Cushion the Blow When Robots Take Your Job

Last week, the Aspen Institutes Future of Work Initiative issued a report called Toward a New Capitalism, identifying challenges facing the American workplace and specific steps to fix it. You cant place yourself much closer to the political center than with the team that produced this document. With financial support from nine foundations, Apple and asset management giant BlackRock, the co-chairs included center-left Senator Mark Warner, center-right former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, George W. Bushs Domestic Policy Council director John Bridgeland and his immediate predecessor, Bruce Reed, former head of the Democratic Leadership Council. It doesnt get more mainstream and technocratic.

To their credit, the authors wrestle with a legitimate problem: the broken social contract between workers and employers. Corporate America, obsessed with short-term growth, squeezes its labor force to help achieve it.

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Modern businesses, when not outsourcing jobs abroad, have stepped up reliance on independent contractors who arent employees, and therefore not entitled to most benefits. Lawrence Katz and Alan Krueger estimate that nearly all the net employment in the Obama era came from so-called alternative work arrangements like freelance or temporary work. According to the report, these trends lead to lower wages, reduced benefits, a lower labor share of national income, stagnant economic growth and living standards, workforce disinvestment and more reliance on government safety nets. The failure to shore up democratic capitalism, the report concludes, poses grave dangers to democracy and capitalism alike.

Related: Trump Is Wrong When It Comes to Saving American Jobs

With that wind-up, you might expect a radical break with the status quo, something that could really ensure broadly shared prosperity for everyone who participates in the economy. You wouldnt expect 13 different types of tax breaks, which I counted in the solutions chapter of the document.

This includes a wide variety of business tax cuts for worker education and training, a typical obsession of centrist types who implicitly blame workers for not having the right skills to compete in the global economy. In this case, the recommendations effectively bribe companies to finance these programs. Other tax breaks encourage employee stock ownership and wage increases. Workers would get a few of these tax benefits directly, but most would be funneled through their employers.

The conceit here is that the tax code offers too many incentives for physical investment capital rather than human capital. But the recommendation is not to roll back those investment capital giveaways, but to slash business taxes further in a bank shot to benefit workers. The only result is drastically reduced corporate tax revenues, and less money available for social insurance. Later in the document, the authors recommend an overhaul of the tax code to lower rates and broaden the base, but virtually all the tax cuts preceding it would tighten that base through targeted tax breaks. Its all carrots to businesses, and nearly no sticks.

Related: It's Not the Skills Gap  Why So Many Jobs Are Going Unfilled

Its in reacting to the so-called on-demand economy that the technocratic center reveals itself. As Ive written before, the mode of survival for the Ubers of the world lies in harvesting giant government subsidies to make their sketchy business models work. In the name of helping workers, the Aspen Institute report goes right along with that.

The authors recommend that unemployment insurance offices should maintain an updated directory of on-demand, app-based jobs, effectively becoming a publicly funded headhunter service for private companies seeking desperate labor. They even suggest states should be allowed to experiment with using a portion of unemployment funds to buy equipment to lend out to beneficiaries. So public money  perhaps even taken out of unemployment insurance checks, though thats not clear  would go to buying used Chromebooks that the recently unemployed could borrow to get on Taskrabbit or Lyft.

I dont recall unemployment programs ever lending workers power tools, or a bus pass or any other equipment they might need to land a job. But government should spare no expense in funneling the unemployed into the very contract-labor positions the reports authors spent an entire paper identifying as contributing to the decline of the American workplace?

Related: Why 2017 Should Be a Very Good Year for Finding a New Job

The real goal here appears to be to kick people off public assistance. If evidence shows on-demand platforms lower barriers to employment, then work requirements should be applied to certain safety net programs as appropriate, the report recommends. This would force people into contingent labor arrangements to keep their benefits. On-demand companies wouldnt benefit more from these recommendations if they wrote them on their own.

There are a few nice ideas in the report, from boosting worker representation on the job (not through unions, which are barely mentioned, but worker councils) to encouraging long-term investment to exploring portable benefits that freelance or temp workers can use (though only with state-level pilot programs). But the reliance on tax breaks and the special dispensation for on-demand work lets the slip show. The cure for an atomized workplace is further atomization, fragmenting collective worker power. The only way for workers to achieve success is through bribing employers and hoping the crumbs fall from the C-suites into their hands.

If thats the considered response from the establishment center to our economic problems, its no surprise that populism is on the rise. Ideas like bolstering unions or breaking up concentrated markets sit far outside the centrist range of conception. Theyre so far removed from the experience of workers that they cant imagine how to use policy tools to truly empower them. Democrats must break away from these managerial-class solutions if they want to deliver for anyone but the powerful.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Los Angeles (AFP) - The widow of Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen was formally charged Tuesday with a terror-related offense and obstruction of justice in connection with the attack.

The two-count indictment states that Noor Salman, who was arrested Monday in northern California, aided and abetted her husband's attempt to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, namely the Islamic State group.

The 30-year-old is also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly misleading local police in Florida and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on information relating to the attack.

Forty-nine people died in Mateen's assault on the Pulse gay nightclub on June 12, the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. The gunman was killed in a shootout with police and during the attack called dispatchers to pledge allegiance to IS.

Salman, who had a four-year-old son with Mateen, made an initial appearance in federal court in Oakland, California, on Tuesday and had the charges read out to her.

She faces up to life in prison if found guilty.

Given that it was unclear if she had an attorney in California, another hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, a spokesman for the US Attorney's office told AFP.

He said Salman, who moved to the San Francisco area to live with family after the attack, was provisionally represented by a federal public defender on Tuesday.

Her case is expected to be transferred to Florida.

The young woman said little during Tuesday's hearing but her uncle, Al Salman, defended her outside the courtroom, telling reporters she knew nothing of the attack and had suffered domestic abuse.

"I know she's innocent, 100 percent," Salman said, adding that her main concern was her child. "She's innocent, simple person. She will not hurt a fly."

Media reports have said that Salman may have had prior knowledge of her husband's plan to carry out the massacre, as she had accompanied him on at least one trip to the nightclub and on one occasion went with him to buy ammunition.

The indictment -- which was returned in Florida on January 12 -- asks that Salman's assets, including $30,500, be forfeited.

She was taken into custody early Monday in Rodeo, a community about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco. Her uncle said her son is now being cared for by his maternal grandmother.
Five days before President Obama commuted Chelsea Mannings prison sentence, WikiLeaks tweeted that the groups editor in chief Julian Assange would agree to be extradited to the U.S. if Manning was given clemency.

Obamas decision means Manning will be released in May instead of in 2045, when her sentence was originally due to end, the New York Times reports. She leaked hundreds of thousands of military and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks, for which she was convicted in 2013

If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case, WikiLeaks tweeted on Thursday. Assange has been in the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012, and if extradited to the U.S., would likely be prosecuted for his involvement in the publication of millions of leaked, secret documents. (He also faces Swedish allegations of rape and sexual assault.)

If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case https://t.co/MZU30SlfGK  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 12, 2017

Edward Snowden also threw his support behind clemency for Manning, tweeting on Wednesday, 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.

Commenting on Snowden and Mannings pleas for clemency on Friday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest contrasted the two cases. Chelsea Manning is somebody who went through the military criminal justice process, was exposed to due process, was found guilty, was sentenced for her crimes, and she acknowledged wrongdoing, he said, according to the Times. Mr. Snowden fled into the arms of an adversary, and has sought refuge in a country that most recently made a concerted effort to undermine confidence in our democracy.

WikiLeaks had not yet tweeted in response to the news as of late Tuesday afternoon.
By Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Billionaire Wilbur Ross, chosen by Donald Trump to help implement the president-elect's trade agenda, earned his fortune in part by running businesses that have offshored thousands of U.S. jobs, according to Labor Department data attained by Reuters.

As a high-stakes investor a decade ago, Ross specialized in turning around troubled manufacturing companies at a time when the U.S. economy was losing more than 100,000 jobs yearly due to global trade. A Senate confirmation hearing on his nomination to become commerce secretary is set for Wednesday.

Supporters say Ross saved thousands of U.S. jobs by rescuing firms from failure. Data attained by Reuters through a Freedom of Information Act request shows that rescue effort came at a price: textile, finance and auto-parts companies controlled by the private-equity titan eliminated about 2,700 U.S. positions since 2004 because they shipped production to other countries, according to a Labor Department program that assists workers who lose their jobs due to global trade. [For a graphic click http://tmsnrt.rs/2iYIJWa]

The figures, which have not previously been disclosed, amount to a small fraction of the U.S. economy, which sees employment fluctuate by the tens of thousands of jobs each month. But Ross's track record clashes with Trump's promise to protect American workers from the ravages of global trade.

Recently, Trump claimed credit for saving 800 jobs at a Carrier Corp. factory in Indiana, even touring the plant to shake hands with employees. He has targeted Ford Motor Co <F.N> and other automakers to keep hundreds of jobs inside the U.S. borders.

That disconnect could draw attention at his hearing, one of many scheduled this week for Cabinet nominees ahead of Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration.

"He is not the man to be protecting American workers when he's shipping this stuff overseas himself," said Don Coy, who lost his job at the end of 2016 when a company Ross created - International Automotive Components Group - closed a factory in Canton, Ohio and shifted production of rubber floor mats to Mexico, eliminating the final 16 jobs in a factory that once employed 450 workers.

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Ross resigned from the IAC board of directors in November 2014 and was named chairman emeritus.

Ross did not respond to several requests for comment. His offshoring activities are not unusual in an era when globalization has lowered international trade barriers. Auto-parts maker Delphi Corp., for example, has offshored 11,700 U.S. jobs since 2004, while textile makers have offshored at least 17,000 jobs since then, the Labor Department said.

As IAC shuttered its Canton plant in the final months of 2016, Ross argued on behalf of Trump that free-trade agreements hurt the United States.

"When Ford offshores new production facilities to Mexico, that both boosts the Mexican economy and reduces investment in this country," he wrote in September in a Washington Post opinion piece penned with Peter Navarro, another Trump economic adviser who has been tapped to direct a White House trade council.

In a bid to reverse offshoring, Trump has threatened to impose "a big border tax" on automakers that choose to build cars in Mexico rather than the United States and has talked of resetting free-trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

A Trump transition spokesperson said personnel decisions at Ross's auto-parts and textile companies were driven by the need to put operations near customers and keep U.S. plants competitive, echoing arguments made by other auto industry executives who face pressure from Trump.

"Few people have done as much to defend American jobs and negotiate good deals for American workers as Wilbur Ross," said the spokesperson, who asked not to be named.

The offshoring figures for Ross's companies came from the Labor Department's Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, which provides retraining benefits to some workers who lose their jobs due to outsourcing or cheap imports. The program does not cover everybody who is hurt by global trade: service-sector workers were not eligible until 2009, and those who don't apply for the program don't show up in its records.

Only 1.6 million factory workers qualified for TAA benefits between 2001 and 2010, a time when the United States shed 6 million manufacturing jobs.

Despite Trump's campaign rhetoric about countries like Mexico and China taking U.S. jobs, the TAA figures show globalization has claimed fewer jobs in recent years. The program covered roughly 80,000 workers last year, down from about 340,000 in 2009. [For a graphic, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2iYGJgR]

CUTTING JOBS TO SAVE OTHERS

Ross amassed a fortune, estimated by Forbes magazine at $2.5 billion, by buying up companies in struggling industries and returning them to profitability. Labor leaders such as United Steelworkers president Leo Gerard have said that Ross over the years saved thousands of manufacturing jobs.

In one case, Ross bought two struggling North Carolina fabric makers out of bankruptcy to create International Textile Group (ITG) in 2004, as textile import quotas were being phased out. Between 2005 and 2011, the company laid off 1,268 U.S. workers as it set up operations in Mexico, China and Nicaragua, TAA records show. ITG CEO Ken Kunenberger told Reuters that those job reductions were primarily due to competition from cheap imports.

ITG now operates six U.S. plants, down from nine in 2007, according to its annual reports. Ross sold the company in October for an undisclosed sum.

Ross also created International Automotive Components Group in 2007 to buy up auto-parts makers around the world as the industry struggled with overcapacity and slowing sales. TAA filings show IAC eliminated 853 U.S. jobs because it shifted work from the United States to Mexico.

"We tried every trick in the book to get them to stay but they just weren't interested," said Tim Scott, who served on the city council in Carlisle, Pennsylvania when IAC decided to close its plant there in 2009, shifting work to Mexico and Tennessee.

An IAC spokesperson said the company has expanded in Mexico to be near the automakers that buy its parts, a common business strategy in the sector.

IAC has expanded its workforce in Mexico and Canada by 42 percent to 8,500 since 2008, and by 10 percent in the United States to 11,000 over the same period, spokesman David Ladd said.

In another venture, Ross combined several mortgage lenders into Homeward Residential Holdings Inc. in 2007, just as the housing market was collapsing.

Homeward laid off 596 employees in Florida and Texas and shifted their work to India in 2012, according to TAA filings. That was a sizeable portion of the company's global workforce, which it pegged at 2,800 a few months after the layoffs were announced.

Ross sold Homeward in October 2012 for $750 million, which delivered a further return on top of $900 million in profits the company had already generated.

"Homeward has been profitable in each year of its existence," he said in a press release.

(Additional reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Edward Tobin)
Most people change jobs several times throughout their career. But every time you job hop, it gets a little bit more difficult to save for retirement. At each new job there might be a waiting period to join the 401(k) plan or to qualify for a 401(k) match. And when you leave a job, the 401(k) plan's vesting schedule or other plan rules might limit your ability to keep employer contributions to your retirement account. A recent Government Accountability Office survey of 80 401(k) plans found that some groups of employees, including short-term, part-time and young workers, are often excluded from the company 401(k) plan or denied company contributions. Here's who might not be eligible to save in a 401(k) plan or keep an employer match and how much it's costing them in lost retirement savings.

[Read: How to Avoid 401(k) Fees and Penalties.]

Workers with less than a year of service. You may not be able to save in a 401(k) plan with your first paycheck at a new job. The GAO found that 50 of the 80 401(k) plans it surveyed have a waiting period before new employees are eligible to contribute money, often requiring up to a year of service. A 30-year-old worker earning a salary of $52,152 in 2016 who faces a one-year delay in 401(k) eligibility and misses out on a 3 percent 401(k) match during that period would have $81,055 less money in savings at retirement, according to GAO calculations, which assume the worker would otherwise have saved 5 percent of his or her salary.

Saving elsewhere until you are eligible for the 401(k) plan can help to make up for the lost savings. "You want to avoid lifestyle creep, so even if you are not allowed to start deferring a percentage of your salary right away to your 401(k), you want to start saving somewhere," says Rianka Dorsainvil, a certified financial planner and president of the financial planning firm Your Greatest Contribution. "If you do not have an emergency fund established yet, this would be the first place to start saving. You want to save at least six months of fixed living expenses. If you have your emergency fund funded, then, depending on your income level, contributions to a traditional or Roth IRA may make sense."

New employees often need to wait even longer to qualify for a 401(k) match. Requiring one year of service before employees can receive a 401(k) match is common, the GAO found. Some employers require one year of service before workers can begin saving in the 401(k) plan, and then a second year of job tenure before that worker qualifies for employer contributions. "If you can prefill out the paperwork for your company to automatically start deferring your salary to your 401(k) after the waiting period is over, do it," Dorsainvil says. "If not, set a reminder on your calendar, maybe 11 months from now, to remind you to request the paperwork from your HR department."

[Read: 5 Little-Known 401(k) Plan Perks.]

Young people under age 21. 401(k) plan sponsors are allowed to require workers to be at least age 21 to join the plan. A young worker who does not save in a 401(k) plan or receive a 3 percent employer matching contribution from age 18 to 20 could have $134,456 less in savings by retirement at age 67, largely due to the lost compound interest, according to GAO calculations. "Because minimum-age policies can prevent young workers from saving for retirement in their workplace 401(k) plan early in their careers, they miss the opportunity to accrue compound interest and grow their initial contributions over the remaining decades of their working life," according to the GAO report.

Part-time employees. 401(k) plans are allowed to exclude employees who work less than 1,000 hours per year, which is about 19 hours per week over a full year of employment. The GAO found that 20 of the 80 plans surveyed require employees to work a certain number of hours to participate in the 401(k) plan.

Midyear job changers. Some employers match employee 401(k) contributions every pay period or quarterly, but others delay matching contributions and make a deposit only once per year. Delayed employer contributions mean the money spends less time in your account growing on your behalf. Some 401(k) plans also have last day policies that require 401(k) participants to be employed on the last day of the year in order to receive an employer contribution for that year. If a worker leaves in the middle of the year, or even the middle of December, he or she would not get to keep the employer match for that year. The GAO estimates that a 30-year-old employee who misses out on a 3 percent employer contribution in the year he changes jobs due to a last day policy would have $29,297 less upon retirement at age 67.

[Read: 5 New 401(k) and IRA Rules for 2017.]

Workers with less than three (or even six) years of service. You don't get to keep the employer 401(k) contributions to your account until you are vested in the plan. In some cases employees can't keep any of the 401(k) match until they spend a specific number of years on the job, such as three years. If a worker leaves two different jobs after two years, at ages 20 and 40, and each 401(k) plan requires three years for vesting, the employer contributions forfeited could be worth $81,743 at retirement, according to GAO calculations. "If you are considering a position with a new company, do a cost-benefit analysis to see what you would be giving up in dollar terms from your current 401(k) employer contributions, and compare this to the various benefits of your new position," says Clint McCalla, a certified financial planner and founder of the Wealth Planning Company of Texas. "If you don't have the option of delaying your start with the new company, it could very well be a better long-term decision to move to a new employer now if what you are losing in vested employer contributions is made up for in other ways such as higher salary, higher bonus, better health care coverage, a 401(k) plan with immediate vesting of employer contributions, higher levels of employer 401(k) contributions, work/life balance or long-term career opportunities."

Other employers have gradual vesting schedules in which workers can keep a percentage of the 401(k) match based on their years of service, but they might not get to take all of it with them when they leave the job until they have up to six years of job tenure. While you always get to keep your own contributions to the retirement account, employer contributions that aren't vested are forfeited if you leave the job or are laid off. The plan can then keep that money to use for expenses. "If you are a month away from your 401(k) plan vesting percentage increasing from 20 percent to 40 percent with that potentially being a difference of tens of thousands of dollars to your benefit, it could make sense to stay with your current employer through that date if possible," McCalla says. "You would need to weigh those employer contributions against the benefits of the position you are considering with the new company."

Emily Brandon is the author of "Pensionless: The 10-Step Solution for a Stress-Free Retirement."
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP)  Rescue workers chipped away part of the chimney on a vacant house to rescue an 8-year-old Florida girl who got stuck inside.

Clearwater Fire and Rescue assistant Chief John Klinefelter says it took crews about 35 minutes to rescue the child on Monday evening. He says Isabella Cooke only had a bruised knee and didn't need to be taken to the hospital.

The Tampa Bay Times (http://bit.ly/2jv5WT6 ) reports the girl climbed onto the roof by shimmying up a pole at the back of the home and sliding to the bottom of the chimney. The child lives next door to the vacant home.

Klinefelter says the chimney didn't have the usual opening at the bottom inside the home.
The third of six sunken Spanish ships that were lost in a hurricane in 1559 has been discovered off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.

In the summer of 2016, the wreck of the ship, dubbed the Emanuel Point III, was found resting under the sand 7 feet (2 meters) below the ocean surface in Pensacola Bay. Archaeologists have found the ship's hull, ballast rocks and ceramic artifacts in the wreckage. The ship was part of a failed colonization attempt by Spain that took place just 60 years after Christopher Columbus first sailed across the Atlantic.

"The shipwrecks themselves are giving us insights into these amazing machines they were developing for these voyages that were never really happening before," marine archaeologist Greg Cook, of the University of West Florida, told Live Science. [Images: See the Lost Luna Shipwreck and Artifacts]

A failed colony

The recently discovered ship was part of a fleet that was led by Don Tristan de Luna, a conquistador who attempted to be the first European to establish a permanent colony in North America. The Spanish fleet launched from Vera Cruz, Mexico, Cook said, with 12 ships carrying a total of 1,500 would-be colonists onboard. It landed in Pensacola Bay on Aug. 15, 1559. On Sept. 19, a hurricane struck. The colonists lost seven ships and many of their supplies, which were being stored onboard.

"It went from being a pretty well-prepared expedition, 24 hours later, to being a survival camp," Cook said.

A nervous fish hovers at the wreck of a Spanish shipwreck discovered in summer 2016. University of Western Florida

Some colonists died in the hurricane. The rest tried to push inland, but they lasted only until 1561 before abandoning the settlement. After the disaster, the king of Spain gave up on colonizing the land around the Gulf of Mexico and decided to focus on the East Coast instead, Cook said. St. Augustine, Florida, which was founded four years later in 1565, would go on to achieve the title of the first permanent North American settlement.

The first lost ship in the de Luna fleet, the Emanuel Point I, was found in 1992, and the second, dubbed the Emanuel Point II, was discovered in 2007. In 2015, a local historian noticed pottery shards at a construction site in a residential neighborhood abutting the bay. University of West Florida archaeologists found that the shards were Spanish artifacts dating to the 16th century. The shards were the first terrestrial evidence of the colonists' temporary home, known as the Luna settlement.

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New find

As part of a research grant to study the Emanuel Point II wreck and look for more ships, Cook and his colleagues conducted a survey, which was colloquially called "mowing the lawn," between the site of the Luna settlement and the two known shipwrecks. During the survey, marine archaeologists went back and forth in straight lines with a magnetometer, which detects magnetic anomalies from metal on the seafloor. In the summer of 2016, the researchers found roughly 100 magnetic anomalies, Cook said, including one in a sandy-bottomed spot in about 7 feet (2 m) of water. The Emanuel Point I and Point II shipwrecks are in about 12 feet (4 m) of water. All of the wrecks are named after a nearby peninsula, since the original ship names aren't known.

"We thought this would be a good opportunity for students to learn how to do searches," Cook said. The bay is full of metal garbage, he said, from old fishing traps to dumped cars and even discarded pizza ovens, so the team wasn't expecting a blockbuster find.

"Nine times out of 10, it can be some wire rope from a barge, or a fish trap or crab trap," Cook said.

But within a few minutes of diving, the student archaeologists reported that their probes were hitting rock under the sand. They excavated by hand to find large cobbles  the same sort used as ballast in 16th-century ships. Soon, they turned up ceramic artifacts as well.

Artifacts of life

That wasn't enough evidence to prove that they had found a shipwreck, though, Cook said. Ships often dumped ballast if they had to take on more cargo, and those piles of rock can mimic the look of a wreck. The team applied to the state of Florida for permission to do a more intensive exploration with dredges.

"It wasn't until we could dig through and see that we had intact hull timbers that we were willing to say we had a wreck," Cook said. [Shipwrecks Gallery: Secrets of the Deep]

The excavation turned up the ship's frame, outer hull planking and more artifacts, including fragments of olive jars, which were used to carry food, wine and other supplies.

Of the seven ships that were destroyed by the 1559 hurricane, six went down in the bay and one was grounded on shore, Cook said. That means that three more wrecks from the de Luna expedition remain to be found. The artifacts onboard tell archaeologists more about the day-to-day life on these expeditions than leaders like de Luna would ever think to include in their letters, Cook said. For example, on the Emanuel Point II, the team discovered an ivory manicure set deep in a ballast pile, complete with toothpick and ear scoop, he said. The set, which looked a bit like a Swiss army knife, even had a whistle on it that still worked after 450 years, Cook said. It probably belonged to one of the major officers in the fleet, perhaps even to de Luna himself.

"When that was lost, I'm sure it really ruined someone's day," Cook said.

The team members have covered the initial, excavated portions of the Emanuel Point III with sand to preserve the wood. They're currently finishing documenting the Emanuel Point II and will likely return to study the third shipwreck in more detail next summer, Cook said. They also plan to keep surveying for more lost de Luna ships.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
On Tuesday, Xi Jinping becomes the first Chinese leader to address the World Economic Forum in the swish Swiss Alpine resort of Davos. The thrust of his speech will be inclusive globalization, Chinese officials have revealed, in a none-too-subtle reply to the neo-protectionism advocated by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, whose inauguration takes place in three days.

To recap, thats the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) standing before 3,000 of the richest and most influential capitalists on earth to preach global free trade and combating climate change to the incoming leader of worlds largest economy, whose insular campaign focused on import tariffs, withdrawing America from trade blocs like NAFTA and burning more coal.

But there is a subtler irony about Xis appearance: Chinas record on free trade is actually pretty poor. Large sections of the Chinese economy are closed off to foreign trade, its leviathan state-owned enterprises (SOEs) enjoy such preferential treatment to render competition meaningless, and intellectual property theft is rife among Chinese firms. Moreover, the landscape for foreign investment is deteriorating, with larger subsidies for SOEs and draconian national-security rules, like last Novembers cybersecurity law, throwing up additional barriers for foreign firms. And all the while China demands  and largely gets  unfettered access into other nations markets.

Read More: Despite His Tough Talk on Trade Donald Trump Still Has Lots of Face at This Chinese Factory

I am all in favor of an adjustment of the U.S.-China economic platform, says Derek Scissors, chief economist of data-analytics firm China Beige Book International. I dont think they are a good economic partner, he says of China.

All this has contributed to the swell of support for Trump, who has repeatedly accused China of being a currency manipulator and employing predatory trade practices. His campaign was predicated on the, albeit specious, claim that the U.S-China trade deficit  $367 billion in 2015, though falling  is costing America jobs. While few economists agree with this assessment, nor that lower GDP directly spurs higher unemployment, its undeniable that the ubernationalist Chinese leadership isnt playing very fair.

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Of course, Chinas economy has its own problems. Exports shrank 6.1% to $209.4 billion in December compared with the same month the year before, according to customs data posted Friday  the eighth consecutive monthly fall. Trade in general is suffering, with combined imports and exports contracting 6.8% last year. If you look at inventories, you look at new orders, you look at cash flow, we see clear evidence that China will not sustain [its current] performance, says Scissors.

But more pressing for China is its balance of payment woes. A lot of money is leaving the country, and although China can weather considerable gross capital outflow because it has by far the worlds biggest trade surplus, once you start eating into that trade surplus then real dangers crop up.

Read More: Why America Would Lose a Trade War With China

If Trump targets Chinas exports to the United States, these policies might also harm U.S. allies in the region, who export components to China that are incorporated into products that China then exports to the United States, says Professor M. Taylor Fravel, a political scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. None of the U.S. allies would support a U.S.-China trade war.

Nevertheless, Trumps trade team is stacked with China hawks, including Peter Navarro, an economics professor and author of Death by China, and Robert Lighthizer, a deputy trade representative during the Reagan Administration and another advocate of tariffs on U.S. imports. The real estate mogul has also irked China by repeatedly questioning Taiwans status and challenging its building of artificial islands in the South China Sea.

Trumps rise couldnt come at a worse time for Xi, with 2017 heralding the 19th five-yearly National Congress of the CCP. During this seminal political meeting more than half of the Politburo Standing Committee  the nations apex political body  is expected to be replaced. The next generation of leaders will be anointed and the partys ideological direction redefined. An internecine trade war with the U.S. would be a black mark for Xi just when he needs to be squeaky clean to assert his authority to the maximum.

Read More: How Trump Could Start a Trade War in His First 100 Days

The trade issue is most pressing for Xi, because Chinas economy will slow down, and also the global economy is also in a bad shape, says Professor Zhu Feng, an international-relations expert at Nanjing University. If both powers get into a trade war it will disrupt the markets on either side.

To avoid that, Xi can start by reforming some of the unfair practices in the Chinese economy, giving foreign firms a more level playing field. He can also encourage Chinese investment in the U.S. that brings about the kind of low-skilled manufacturing jobs that Trump vowed to bring home. Trump supporters may be misguided in thinking that curbing free trade will solve all their problems, but their concerns are still very real. Xi can safeguard his countrys economy, thereby his own political ambitions, by making China a better country with which to do business.
On Tuesday, Xi Jinping, president of China and leader of the Chinese Communist Party, addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos. It was the first time a Chinese leader had ever done such a thing, but Xi made up for years of lost headlines by coming out as a champion  and perhaps even the champion  of global trade and the current international economic order.

Xi was heralded by the global elite for presenting himself as the anti-Trump. Eurasia Groups Ian Bremmer called it a success on all counts on Twitter, later adding, You know capitalism is in trouble when Chinas the leading free-trade nation in the world. #Davos.

Dr. Nariman Behravesh, IHS Markits top economist, said, President Xi gave a very rigorous and articulate defence of globalization. And Carl Bildt, former Swedish prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, tweeted, There is a vacuum when it comes to global economic leadership, and Xi Jinping is clearly aiming to fill it. With some success. #wef17.

In many ways, it continues a theme that has emerged since the election of Donald Trump. Chinese state media has warned the neophyte leader to uphold, not weaken, the existing international order. Still, the irony is rich, and not just because China has chafed at constraints in the world order for decades. Xi, however, as if anticipating such criticism, said in his speech, China will foster an enabling and orderly environment for investment. We will expand market access for foreign investors, build high-standard pilot free trade zones, strengthen protection of property rights, and level the playing field to make Chinas market more transparent and better regulated.

When it comes to trade, foreign businesses in China face all kinds of restrictive policies, a lack of market access, and obligatory joint-ventures and technology sharing with Chinese firms. The United States and Europe have taken China to task inside the WTO scads of times for dumping cheap goods and competing unfairly. In many ways, the export powerhouse is a protectionist powerhouse.

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Still, it may be the only game in town, unless Trump actually does become good for globalization. That was the line taken by Anthony Scaramucci, a Trump advisor who claims he sold his asset management business today, three days before inauguration, and the only one of the Trump team in Davos.

He explained that an America First economic policy could be good for the rest of the world: Wage growth at home, he said, is gonna be good for the world because purchasing power will filter back out of Americas borders and foster global growth. (Its not really clear how tearing up trade pacts and threatening trade wars, as Trump and his team vow to do, would do anything other than massacre American buying power, but whatever. Also, though Xi said in his speech No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war, Scaramucci is confident the United States would win a trade war with China.)

In a lot of ways, Scaramucci said, the president-elect represents a hope for globalism. Which he does, in the same sense that, Xi Jinping represents a hope for multicultural internationalism.

Scaramucci also found time in Davos to meet with Kirill Dmitriev, chief of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which the United States sanctioned in 2015. And he gave an interview to TASS, Russias state-run news agency, in which he said that Western sanctions against Russia were ineffective because of Russian culture. I think the Russians would eat snow if they had to. And so for me the sanctions probably galvanized the nation with the nations president.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded, saying, Russians prefer to eat not snow, but very tasty delicacies made in Russia, of which we have more and more thanks to sanctions.

At least, in a topsy-turvy world where Xi Jinping is the savior of globalization and China will vigorously foster an external environment of opening-up for common development while the U.S. president-elect slams NATO and Europe, there are still somethings on which you can rely: The Kremlin flak staying on message.

Update, Jan. 17 2017, 2:34 pm ET: This piece has been updated with quotes from Xi Jinpings speech.

Photo credit: LAURENT GILLIERON/AFP/Getty Images
- Despite the valiant attempts of Alex Thomson to reel him in, Frenchman Armel Le Cleac'h appears headed for victory in the Vendee Globe solo round the world race with 600 nautical miles to go. Thomson, in his Hugo Boss, has been shaving down his rival's lead in recent days and Sunday set a 24-hour speed record for distance covered in a single hulled yacht in 24 hours, skimming across 536.81 nautical miles of ocean at an average speed of 22.36 knots. But Le Cleac'h has steadied his Banque Populaire VIII and held a lead of 74.9 nautical miles as both raced towards the French coast, which they expect to hit Thursday.

AFP
PARIS (Reuters) - A youth slapped former prime minister Manuel Valls when he was on an election tour in France's Brittany region on Tuesday and was wrestled to the ground by a security guard, video showed. Valls, 54, was walking past a group of people in the town of Lamballe after coming out of its municipal offices. He appeared to first shake hands with the youth before the latter shouted: "This is Bretagne!" and reached out to slap the ex-premier. As Valls recoiled, a security guard seized the youth in a choke-hold, pushed him back against a fence and then forced him to the ground, a video aired by local newspaper Le Telegramme showed. Police said later the 18-year-old man was in custody. There is an extreme right-wing local political group in Brittany, a region in France's far northwest, but it was unclear if the detained man was politically motivated, a local prosecutor said. Valls, a Socialist who is running in the Left's primaries on Sunday to be a candidate for president, did not appear to have been hurt in the incident. He continued shaking hands, telling the crowd, "it's nothing," another video showed. Valls told local reporters later: "I have never been afraid to have contact with the French people. Democracy can never mean violence." (Additional reporting by Chine Labbe; writing by Richard Balmforth and Bate Felix; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Paris (AFP) - Paris men's fashion week starts Wednesday without two of its perennial star brands but with Colombian designer Haider Ackermann joining the big league with two hotly anticipated shows.

Ackermann will put his own bohemian line on the catwalk Wednesday night and follow it up two days later with his debut show for the Italian luxury brand Berluti.

The 45-year-old Paris-based creator is the latest in a long line of stellar designers to have passed through the doors of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, following the likes of Dries Van Noten and Martin Margiela.

Berluti, which is best known for its $1,000-plus shoes, launched its own menswear line in 2011, five years after being bought by the French luxury goods and fashion group LVMH.

But while all eyes will be on Ackermann, Paris mainstays Yves Saint Laurent and Carven will be notable by their absence.

While Carven have suspended their men's line, the reasons for Yves Saint Laurent's absence are more mysterious.

Its new Belgian-born designer Anthony Vaccarello made a typically sexy splash with his first women's collection in September, having taken over from Hedi Slimane, who held last year's menswear show in his adopted home of Los Angeles.

But Yves Saint Laurent were not forthcoming on why there would be no autumn-winter Paris show this year. "We have no reason to give you," a spokeswoman told AFP.

With decades-old fashion show conventions in flux over the last few years, the trend for mixed shows with men and women sashaying down the runway together seems to be getting stronger.

Having emerged last year in Paris and become more marked in the men's shows in London and Milan earlier this month, Paul Smith, Julien David and Kenzo will present collections in Paris for both genders at the same time.

Within the fashion world this mixing of men's and women's shows has been dubbed "co-ed" -- a play on the "coeducational" term used for mixed schools.

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For the most part, however, this does not mean that the clothes being presented are unisex, although the queen of British punk style Vivienne Westwood has urged couples to share their wardrobes.

The 75-year-old icon said sharing clothes was as much about saving the planet and money as daring men to wear dresses.

"You've seen women for 100 years in trousers but it's all switched around equally now," Westwood told AFP after her London show.
Photo: Twitter

Passersby in a small English town were ready to phone police after they saw what appeared to be the dead body of a woman floating down a river.

It happened in the River Medway in Maidstone, Kent. A local man, 21-year-old Tom Maybury, told the Mirror: Some people out for a ramble saw her first and were about to dial 999 for the Murder Squad. She was floating face-up between a moored boat and the river bank and looked for all the world like a body.

Look what I found in Maidstone river ????@Kent_Online @Kent_999s pic.twitter.com/uiyCM0zLlB  D D D D Dazie Daz (@Djdaziedaz) January 15, 2017

Maybury suspects the doll was the work of pranksters after a cheap laugh.

This is not the first time a false alarm of this nature has rattled both police and residents. In Southampton, England, in 2011 a large police operation including a helicopter and armed officers was sparked after reported sightings of a live white tiger in a field. It turned out to be a stuffed animal.

In another case, a resident in Corwall, England, phoned police when they thought they saw a crocodile in their backyard. Police discovered it was toy crocodile.

Caller has bravely approached the beast. Turns out its an inflatable toy crocodile. Experts from Dartmoor Zoo stood down. #Relieved  DevonCornwall Police (@DC_Police) October 15, 2014

Canadian police were called to a house in Toronto last year responding to reports of a man with a gun. They found instead a cardboard cut out of Arnold Schwarzenegger from the Terminator films holding a gun.

Toronto police tweeted: UPDATE  PERSON W A GUN Grange Ave and Augusta Ave police on scene have located a Terminator cutout holding a gun. #IllBeBack #1366882 ^cb.

UPDATE  PERSON W A GUN

Grange Ave and Augusta Ave police on scene have located a Terminator cutout holding a gun. #IllBeBack #1366882 ^cb  Toronto Police OPS (@TPSOperations) August 4, 2016

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Im going to the Womens March on Washington, and here are 5 reasons #WhyIMarch

Next Friday, Ill be packing up my car with picket signs and heading south to D.C. where nearly 200,000 women and other human rights activists will be gathering for the Womens March on Washington on Saturday, January 21st.

A historical event meant to send a message to the incoming Trump administration that the rights of the marginalized cannot be ignored, the Womens March on Washington (which welcomes men, too) is expected to be the largest post-inauguration march in history.

So why am I spending my weekend driving over 400 miles down the coast to march for several hours in the freezing cold?

Because I cant afford not to, because my life, my liberty, and my pursuit of happiness and equality depends on it.

It started as a Facebook page launched in the hours following Donald Trumps election in November, and since then, the Womens March on Washington has grown into a national  even global  movement. It not only challenges the new administration, but rejects the administrations dangerous and hateful rhetoric that began during the election and has continued into the new year.

The event is meant to be a remarkable display of solidarity, both in protest of a divisive president and  as the marchs mission statement describes  for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families  recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country.

While a major cornerstone of this movement is the protection of womens rights, the Womens March, despite its name, is not all about female equality. The wholly inclusive march, which continues to get bigger every day, is a joint effort between dozens of partner advocacy groups and resistance movements, including those fighting for civil rights, LGBTQIA rights, workers rights, immigrant rights, and environmental protection.

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In just a few short days, hundreds of thousands of activists, politicians, celebrities, and everyday people will descend on Washington, D.C. to make their voices unequivocally heard, and I am proud to say I will be one of them.

A photo posted by Women's March (@womensmarch) on Jan 16, 2017 at 10:09am PST

Heres why:

1. To show solidarity for all women.

The Womens March on Washington has opened up a contentious but vital conversation about race and feminism  one that, as a white, middle class woman, makes me feel guilty, uncomfortable, and ashamed. Novembers election results sent shockwaves through our country, and white women like me cried out, sobbed, and started truly fearing for our future in a new way.

But so many other marginalized groups  minorities and people of color, people with diverse religious faiths, the LGBTQIA community, people with disabilities, Native people  have spent most of their lives in fear of hate, violence, and discrimination.

Because women of every color, religion, economic status, health, and background deserve equal rights, and because Ive spent too much time focusing on my own equality, Im marching on Washington to show solidarity for all women.

2. To protect my body and my health.

Why we march. Who inspires YOU to stand with us on January 21st? Comment below! #WMWArt: @kimothyjoy A photo posted by Women's March (@womensmarch) on Jan 7, 2017 at 4:52pm PST

Donald Trump hasnt even taken office yet, but Republicans are already hard at work dismantling our countrys healthcare system. The incoming president and his party has made it clear that they want to defund Planned Parenthood, a vital and at times life-saving womens healthcare organization (that DOES NOT use its federal funding for abortion services, I might add). They also want to rollback reproductive rights by repealing Roe v. Wade.

Because I, and every American, deserves access to affordable healthcare, Im marching on Washington to make it known that I refuse to let my health became a political pawn. And because I, as a woman, refuse to watch 5,000 women a year die from illegal abortions, Im marching in D.C. to protect the rights and the lives of women who should be the only ones in control of their own bodies and choices.

3. To stand up for sexual assault victims and against those who commit violence against women.

As a victim of sexual assault, this past election cycle was traumatic for me. Watching a man who brags about sexually assaulting women be elected into the highest office in the nation not only appalled and disgusted me, but terrified me to my core.

Because I refuse to let rape culture be the norm, because I reject the normalization of sexual assault and violence against women, Im marching on Washington on behalf of myself and the millions of other survivors who deserve to be protected.

4. To help build a better future for myself and my family.

Like if you agree! #WMWArt: @kimothyjoy A photo posted by Women's March (@womensmarch) on Jan 11, 2017 at 3:41pm PST

Im almost 27, and while that sometimes makes me feel ancient, the truth is that my life is just beginning. Is this what I want it to look like? Is this what I want my 7-year-old nieces life or my 11-year-old nephews future to look like?

Because I want to live in a world where I dont have to fear threats of sexual violence, where I have access to healthcare, where I am guaranteed equal pay, and because I want my niece to have all of these opportunities and I want my nephew to support them, Im marching on D.C. with thousands of other sisters, mothers, and aunts who refuse to let the future look like the past.

5. To show, without a doubt, that womens rights are human rights and human rights are womens rights.

Who's your #WomensMarchWednesday? Alexandra Kilburn (@kilburnstudio) made this #WMWArt inspired by Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American lawmaker in U.S. history. A photo posted by Women's March (@womensmarch) on Jan 11, 2017 at 11:22am PST

This is perhaps the simplest and most obvious reason: Im joining the Womens March on Washington because, once and for all, its time we make it clear that women are humans. No matter what we look like, how old we are, where were from, who we love, or who we pray to, we deserve equality.

Im marching because I care about the future of my country, and because I demand to have a say in what that future looks like.

Comment if you agree! THE RISE OF THE WOMAN = THE RISE OF THE NATION. Thanks to @thisisdynasty for sharing this dope collage. #WomensMarch #WMWArt A photo posted by Women's March (@womensmarch) on Jan 10, 2017 at 7:50am PST

Will you be in Washington D.C. or one of the over 280 sister marches being held across the country on January 21st? Make sure you share #WhyIMarch on Twitter, and go to the Womens March website to donate to the cause. If you arent able to attend, check out some ways to make sure your voice is still heard.
China's clampdown on app stores came just after Apple removed the New York Times from its China app store, stating that it was in violation of local regulations (AFP Photo/Don Emmert) (AFP/File)

Shanghai (AFP) - App stores in China must register with the state from Monday, a government statement said, as China tightens its control over the internet.

App stores are "not strict" when they examine and approve apps, the China Cyberspace Administration, the country's internet watchdog, said in a statement.

Lax standards have led to the "frequent appearance of apps that spread illegal information, encroach on users' rights and contain security hazards," it added in the statement issued last week.

China's ruling Communist party oversees a vast censorship apparatus designed to censor online content deemed politically sensitive, while blocking some Western websites and the services of internet giants including Facebook, Twitter and Google.

It passed a controversial cybersecurity bill in November, tightening restrictions on online freedom of speech and imposing new rules on online service providers.

The clampdown on app stores came just after Apple removed the New York Times from its China app store, stating that it was in violation of local regulations.

In the absence of Google Play, which is blocked, China is home to a variety of different Android app stores, though the landscape is mostly dominated by internet giants Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba.

The first two companies control nearly half the Android app stores run in the country as of the third quarter of last year, according to a report from consulting firm Analysys.

Internet legal expert You Yunting of DeBund Law Offices told AFP the move "definitely has a political agenda", but as Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent were already managed by the internet watchdog, the impact "won't be too big".
By Lisa Maria Garza DALLAS (Reuters) - Facebook Inc chief executive Mark Zuckerberg took the witness stand in Dallas federal court on Tuesday and denied an allegation by a rival company that the virtual-reality technology of Facebook's Oculus unit was stolen. Zuckerberg, the founder of one of the world's largest companies, faced hours of tough, public questioning about where Oculus obtained its ideas and how much he knew about the startup when Facebook bought it for $2 billion. A jury is hearing evidence in a civil lawsuit brought by videogame publisher ZeniMax Media Inc against Oculus in 2014, in the middle of the Facebook-Oculus deal. ZeniMax said that Oculus unlawfully used its intellectual property to develop the virtual-reality system that includes the Rift headset. During one heated exchange with ZeniMax lawyer Tony Sammi, Zuckerberg told a jury in the crowded courtroom that the technology was not even fully formed when Facebook bought it. "Improving on that technology doesn't make it yours," Sammi countered. "If you steal my bike, paint it and put a bell on it, does that make it your bike?" Zuckerberg, wearing a dark suit and striped tie rather than his typical T-shirt and jeans, answered, "no," but then added: "The idea that Oculus technology is based on someone else's is just wrong." The 32-year-old Facebook founder has spoken about virtual reality as an important part of the company's future business, especially as the technology becomes less expensive and its uses clearer. The Oculus acquisition was more expensive than the $2 billion price tag indicated, Zuckerberg said in court, describing $700 million spent to retain employees and $300 million in payouts for reaching milestones. Oculus originally wanted $4 billion, he said. Sammi questioned whether Facebook knew what it was doing when it made the acquisition. Zuckerberg said the Oculus deal was done over a weekend in 2014, which Sammi said did not show sufficient due diligence. Zuckerberg said, though, in later testimony that Facebook researched Oculus for months. At the time, Zuckerberg testified, he was not aware of any theft claims against Oculus. "It's pretty common when you announce a big deal that people just come out of the woodwork and claim they own some part of the deal," Zuckerberg said. On the stand, he also gave details about Facebook's $22 billion purchase of messaging service WhatsApp in 2014. While the deal was in progress, another company he did not identify made a last-minute bid that was higher, Zuckerberg said, but WhatsApp declined because of its good relationship with Facebook. The Oculus lawsuit, in the sixth day of a jury trial, relates in part to programmer John Carmack. Well-known for helping to conceive games such as "Quake" and "Doom," Carmack worked for id Software LLC before that company was acquired by ZeniMax. He is now the chief technology officer at Oculus. Zuckerberg denied that Carmack has unfairly used computer code from his previous position. "There is no shared code in what we do," he said. Zuckerberg said he has been interested in virtual reality since he was a student, but thought it was decades away from happening before he encountered Oculus. He told jurors how he used virtual reality to capture his daughter's first steps, so her grandparents could experience it later. "We want to get closer to this kind of perfect representation, so you can capture a moment you had," he said. The case is ZeniMax Media Inc et al v. Oculus VR Inc et al, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, No. 3:14-cv-1849. (Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza in Dallas; Writing by David Ingram; editing by Grant McCool)
The much-hyped Lily drone is officially dead in the water after the company realized it wouldnt be able to actually produce the autonomous flying camera that it had promised buyers for over a year, but the legal battle over how the whole thing shook out is just getting started. In a lawsuit filed in California alleges that the startup was doomed from the beginning, and continued to mislead customers for months, while at the same time using footage from its competitors hardware in an attempt to show its non-existent drones magical capabilities.

Don't Miss: Autonomous Lily drone cancelled after $34 million in pre-orders

As Recode reports, the lawsuit was filed by the San Francisco District Attorneys office, and has been in the works since long before Lily publicly declared failure. The primary issue with how Lily rose to viral fame  while raking in over $30 million in pre-orders  is that the Lily drone never really existed to begin with.

In emails that were released as part of the lawsuit, Lily CEO Antoine Balaresque openly mulled the idea of lying to Lily customers by claiming that the footage shot in the promotional video was actually from a Lily drone. I am worried that a lens geek could study our images up close and detect the unique GoPro lens footprint. But I am just speculating here: I dont know much about lenses but I think we should be extremely careful if we decide to lie publicly, he wrote.

In reality, the footage shown in the extremely popular Lily video was shot using a DJI drone and a GoPro camera. The company claimed that the footage was shot on a Lily prototype, but the suit also alleges that it simply wouldnt have been possible since Lily Robotics did not have a single Lily Camera prototype that had all the features advertised.

But despite the inevitable court battle that lies ahead, it seems that Lily did do something right; The company reportedly has every cent from the customer pre-orders on hand and ready to refund to each and every buyer. The cash was held in cold storage, according to Recodes source, meaning that if you were one of the many who dropped hundreds of dollars on a drone that never existed, at least youll get a check in the mail.

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Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
The iPhone 8 is rumored to have an OLED display , a first for Apples iPhone. But OLED screens have been in use for quite a few years, with Samsung being the most prominent smartphone maker to use such displays in its top smartphones. However, as weve said before, the iPhone is still the only phone that matters when it comes to setting new mobile trends. And a new report seems to further reinforce that idea, as it looks like iPhone 8 rumors were enough to convince some Apple competitors out there to bulk up on OLED supply.

Don't Miss: You can buy a handgun that looks like an iPhone, and cops are worried

According to Digitimess sources, some of Apples China-based rivals are worried that the iPhone maker will eat up all the available OLED display, and they have rushed to secure production capacity for small- and mid-sized OLED panels. The sources expect the increased OLED demand to cause shortages.

Samsung is going to be Apples main OLED display supplier this year, reports said, but even Samsung wont be able to meet Apples demand in the future.

Apple is rumored to launch three new iPhones this year, including the iPhone 8 with an OLED display and two iPhone 7s versions that will have LCD screens.

The same unnamed sources said that LCD display demand will remain tight this year, as display size of mainstream smartphone models is moving from 5-inch to 5.5/5.7-inch screens.

The report also notes that other key components might face shortages this year, aside for displays, including memory products and optical sensing devices. The reason is similar, strong demand from China-based smartphone makers.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
LONDON (Reuters) - Tech giant Apple is set to raise the prices of its apps in Britain by around 25 percent after the steep drop in sterling following Britain's vote to leave the European Union. Apps which currently cost British consumers 0.79 pounds ($0.97) will cost 0.99 pounds following the hike, which is set to take place over the next seven days. U.S. consumers pay $0.99 for the same apps. The move follows similar price rises in Apple hardware in September and October last year. While the pound trades at around $1.23, British sales tax is included in Apple's price lists. Turkey and India will also see price rises after drops in the lira and the rupee respectively. "Price tiers on the App Store are set internationally on the basis of several factors, including currency exchange rates, business practices, taxes, and the cost of doing business," Apple said in a statement. (Reporting by Alistair Smout, editing by Louise Heavens)
From a borderless display and latest-gen components to a new AI assistant, Samsung's upcoming flagship smartphone is stirring up all kinds of rumors.

The most recent rumor suggests that the phone will start shipping on April 15, according to ETNews.

Meanwhile a promotional video for AMOLED screens posted online by Samsung Display features a never-before-seen smartphone with a borderless display that covers the device's front face almost entirely. This could be some kind of prototype for the upcoming Galaxy S8. After all, Samsung could be keen to release a device similar in style to the Xiaomi Mi Mix, designed by Philippe Starck, which has a 6.4-inch virtually borderless display covering more than 90% of the phone's front surface.

A borderless design could make for an increase in screen size. In fact, Samsung could load its Galaxy S8 with a curved 6-inch screen while maintaining the form factor of the current Galaxy S7 edge. A borderless display could also mean ditching the home and navigation buttons previously located just under the screen. A leak of what are purported to be renders of the handset suggest that it would come in two sizes, with one a Galaxy S8 Plus, notes GSMArena.

Speaking of screens, the Galaxy S8 is expected to be the firm's first model to come with technology comparable to Apple's Force Touch or Huawei's Press Touch, varying touchscreen functionality in relation to how hard users press the display.

Another major new feature expected in the Galaxy S8 is an artificial-intelligence-powered assistant called Bixby, based on the technology behind the Viv virtual assistant, which can respond to questions formulated in natural language. It could shape up to be a tough competitor for Google Assistant, Alexa (Amazon) and Cortana (Microsoft).

As for components, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is likely to come loaded with cutting-edge tech, including a latest-gen processor like the Snapdragon 835 (principally for the USA) or the Exynos 8895 (for the rest of the world), matched with 6 GB of RAM. As yet, it's not clear whether the phone will get iris scanning technology, a dual camera, or whether Samsung could ditch the mini-jack in favor of a USB Type-C port.

While Samsung often launches phones in the lead up to the Mobile World Congress, held in Barcelona, Spain and this year running February 27 to March 2, the latest leaks suggest it may in fact be unveiled later at a standalone event in April. It's likely to go on sale shortly afterward and will no doubt play a key role in boosting the South Korean tech firm's image in the smartphone market after last year's exploding Note 7 fiasco.
WASHINGTON  The Russian hacks of the Democratic National Committee might have gone unnoticed if one of the two attacking groups hadn't made so much "noise," a security expert told the ShmooCon hacker conference here yesterday (Jan. 15).

Credit: Scott E. Read/Shutterstock

Credit: Scott E. Read/Shutterstock

Because that group, dubbed Fancy Bear or APT 28, was so sloppy, it was caught within a few weeks, said Toni Gidwani, director of research operations at Arlingon, Virginia, cybersecurity firm ThreatConnect. The subsequent investigation led to the discovery of a year-old, continuing penetration of the DNC's servers by a rival Russian group, called Cozy Bear or APT 29, that had previously gone undetected.

The self-identified Romanian hacktivist who called himself Guccifer 2.0, who took responsibility for the DNC attacks, was simply a rushed attempt by Fancy Bear to deflect suspicion from both groups, Gidwani said.

Yet because what appears to have been an overall Russian attempt to influence the U.S. presidential election apparently succeeded, and because both Russian groups are still actively competing with one another, she said, we can expect such large-scale Russian cyberattacks upon American targets to only continue.

MORE: The Worst Data Breaches of All Time

Fancy Bear is thought to be run by the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service. It has conducted rather brutal cyberattacks upon a French TV station, the German parliament and even the White House.

Cozy Bear is thought to be run by either the SVR, Russia's foreign intelligence service, or the FSB, its domestic intelligence service. It has attacked the Pentagon as well as diplomatic and governmental institutions in many countries, but its methods are quiet and stealthy and focus on information gathering.

Yet neither group seemed to be aware that the other had also penetrated the DNC's servers.

"That may seem absurd to Western intelligence agencies," Gidwani said, "but the Russians have a competitive dynamic within their own intelligence community."

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Unlike the U.S.'s various intelligence agencies, which generally try to avoid getting in each other's way, she said, Russia's intelligence agencies are rivals, frequently go after the same targets and rarely inform each other of their activities.

Both Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear were said to be innocent by Guccifer 2.0, the mysterious blogger who set a WordPress website and a Twitter account in the week after the news of the DNC breach broke in June 2016. He said he was a Romanian trying to spread the truth about government corruption, borrowing the online name of a real Romanian hacktivist.

Guccifer 2.0 reached out to several U.S. news outlets in June to declare his guilt in the DNC attacks, but even those journalists suspected a Russian plot when Guccifer was found to speak poor Romanian.

ThreatConnect went further  it linked the registration credentials of Guccifer 2.0's website to previous espionage campaigns conducted by Fancy Bear.

"The more Guccifer 2.0 talked about the breach, the less plausible he sounded," Gidwani said. "At this point, we assumed the point of the Cozy and Fancy intrusions was espionage."

Subsequent developments changed that assessment. Guccifer 2.0 urged American journalists to examine documents posted on a website, DCLeaks, that had been set up in April 2016 and claimed to be the work of American hacktivists determined to reveal the truth about U.S. military officials and Democratic Party operatives. It was quickly linked to Fancy Bear.

In late July 2016, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was found to have been hacked, apparently by Fancy Bear. Some of its documents were sent to Western media by Guccifer 2.0.

Meanwhile, many of the documents from both of the breaches ended up on WikiLeaks, embarrassing Democratic Party operatives and then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. At the same time, ThreatConnect found evidence of Fancy Bear spear-phishing campaigns against top Democrats.

By this point, Gidwani said, the ThreatConnect team realized that the Russians, or at least the Fancy Bear group, weren't interested in merely espionage. Instead, the overall scheme appeared to be "an active attempt to interfere with the U.S presidential election, similar to attacks on the Ukrainian elections in 2014."

"The aim was to damage individual politicians with embarrassing data," Gidwani said. "The Russians were trying to throw sand in the gears of the electoral process and undermine faith in the U.S. government and leadership."

Furthermore, she said, Fancy Bear's blunt, personal attacks upon its targets crossed a line that other espionage groups had previously stayed short of.

"There's a nastiness to this that we haven't seen in previous state-backed attacks," Gidwani said. "Dumping large amounts of personal data was deemed acceptable."

But despite the mistakes Fancy Bear made, the overall Russian aims were apparently successful, Gidwani said. And because these methods worked, we cannot expect that Russian cyberattacks upon American institutions will stop.

"How'd they do it? Breaching and leaking," she concluded. "Will they continue? Absolutely."

See also : 33 Simple Ways to Prevent Hackers From Ruining Your Life
Airbus Group envisions Vahana as an electric-powered vehicle that carries individual passengers or cargo, and takes off and lands vertically. (MTSI Photo)

Airbus Group says its on track to test its prototype self-piloted flying car by the end of the year, and those tests may well take place in Oregon.

The European consortiums CEO, Tom Enders, talked up the vision for Airbus Urban Air Mobility division today at the DLD tech conference in Munich. The plan would let passengers use smartphone apps to book rides in electric-powered, vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicles.

One hundred years ago, urban transport went underground. Now we have the technological wherewithal to go above ground, Reuters quoted Enders as saying. We are in an experimentation phase. We take this development very seriously.

Airbus has been pursuing its flying-taxi initiative since last year. One concept, known as Vahana, involves developing a new type of vehicle known as Vahana for individual passenger and cargo transport.

Last November, Airbus A3 development lab in Silicon Valley struck a deal with Modern Technology Solutions and SOAR Oregon to identify and resolve technical issues related to Vahana and conduct a flight demonstration at a SOAR Oregon test range.

Another concept, called CityAirbus, would adapt helicopter-style vehicles to carry multiple passengers. Airbus says passengers would book their rides using an app, head for the nearest helipad and climb aboard. CityAirbus planners project that the shared flight should cost about as much as a taxi ride for each passenger.

The scheme was flight-tested at last years Sundance Film Festival in Utah, with Airbus and Uber teaming up to provide on-demand helicopter rides. Uber has been experimenting with a similar service called UberChopper.

Enders said new paradigms for electric-powered aerial transportation could reduce urban pollution and congestion, and reduce the need for new infrastructure. With flying, you dont need to pour billions into concrete bridges and roads, Reuters quoted him as saying.

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Airbus Group is investing in Urban Air Mobility to take advantage of todays rapid advances in artificial intelligence and autonomous control, Enders said. If we ignore these developments, we will be pushed out of important segments of the business, he said.

In 2015, a NASA study determined that flying air taxis could become as cheap as taking an Uber ride, and cost a third as much in some urban settings.

More from GeekWire:
Jenna Coleman (Credit: PBS Masterpiece)

Warning: This post contains spoilers from the premiere episode of Victoria.

Kings and queens may seem like mythic figures out of storybooks, but they were real, living, breathing people. In PBSs new drama Victoria, which premiered last night, the titular queen is just 18 years old when she ascends to the throne of the United Kingdom.

The truth is, she was a young girl who suddenly became one of the most powerful people on the planet. But are other aspects of the story told in Masterpieces Victoria all fact, too? For instance, what was her relationship with Lord Melbourne? Did she accuse lady-in-waiting Flora Hastings of being pregnant out of wedlock? And whats the deal with the rats?

We fell into the Wikipedia rabbit role, so you dont have to. Heres whats fact, fiction, or just a bit fudged in Victoria.

Fudged: Victorias relationship with Lord Melbourne

Jenna Coleman and Rufus Sewell (Credit: PBS Masterpiece)

In the show, Victoria (Jenna Coleman) clearly has a crush on her prime minister, played by the dashing and handsome Rufus Sewell. Author Daisy Goodwin, who created the show, told the Radio Times, Melbourne is a worldly, funny, elegant aristocrat in his 50s with a tragic, romantic past. Victoria was besotted.

In real life, the nature of their relationship is debated. Historians have noted that Melbourne was 59 and enormously fat when Victoria became queen. And in her diary, on Christmas Day 1839, she wrote, I was very glad Lord Melbourne was there, the one whom I look up to as a father. But people really did call her Mrs. Melbourne, and their closeness was gossiped about in London society.

Still, the shows historical adviser, A.N. Wilson, said, Of course, they did not have a physical relationship, and marriage would have been out of the question. But they did love one another.

Related: Your 2017 Winter TV Preview of New and Returning Shows

Fact: Victoria destroyed Flora Hastingss reputation with unfounded pregnancy accusation

Alice Orr-Ewing, Catherine Flemming, and Paul Rhys (Credit: PBS Masterpiece)

The lady in waiting to Victorias mother gets a raw deal in the show. Gossip starts to circulate that Floras (Alice Orr-Ewing) expanding belly is due to an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, the result of an affair with the hated Sir John Conroy (Paul Rhys).

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Victoria did in fact force Flora to undergo an examination by her physician. And Flora did, in fact, turn out not to be pregnant  but to have a cancerous tumor growing inside her. And she did die from it.

The only bit that was fudged in the show is the timing. The Flora Hastings scandal took place a year after Victorias coronation. But public opinion of Victoria did tumble because of the incident.

Fiction: Rats did not invade Buckingham Palace

In a memorable scene, Victorias birthday is ruined when rats overrun the cake. She freaks out, and her uncle, the Duke of Cumberland (Peter Firth), and Sir John Conroy plot to use those hysterics as a way of declaring the queen insane and installing a regency. But Matthew Dennison, author of Queen Victoria: A Life of Contradictions, called the rat invasion foolish and psychologically facile. And James Delingpole wrote in The Spectator, There was almost certainly never a moment in young Queen Victorias life when she was frightened into hysteria by vermin suddenly materialising on a giant cake, thus causing onlookers to speculate that she might have inherited the Madness of George III.

Fiction: The Duke of Cumberland plotted against his niece

The Duke wants to use the rat episode to become co-regent and rule in Victorias place. But in real life, the duke left for Hanover almost immediately after Victoria became queen and stayed there for six years.

Fudged: Marianne Skerrett, the queens dresser

Nell Hudson, Jenna Coleman, and Eve Myles (Credit: PBS Masterpiece)

In the premiere, a young woman named Miss Skerrett (Nell Hudson) comes to Buckingham Palace to work as an assistant dresser to the queen. Shes a working class girl with a shady past.

In reality, Marianne Skerrett was Queen Victorias dresser for 25 years and became one of her closest confidantes. And the real dresser came with impeccable credentials as the well-educated daughter of an army officer.

Victoria airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on PBS.
The city of Lakeland is discussing a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries.

Lakeland city commission to vote on marijuana moratorium

Lawmakers, Health Dept. must set regulations for Amendment 2

Local governments issuing moratoriums on dispensaries until regulations are set

Doctors watching research, waiting for rules before they get into medical marijuana

RELATED: Florida Office of Compassionate Use

PREVIOUS STORY: Lawyer John Morgan: Amendment 2 will reduce drug use

City officials said the idea is to review the issue, not to abolish, the measure put in place by voters with Amendment 2.

Lakeland city commissioners said they are waiting on the state legislature and Department of Health to clarify all of the rules regarding medical marijuana usage.

Today, commissioners will vote on enacting a 90-day moratorium.

Several Florida cities are dealing with the same issue and putting moratoriums in place. Manatee and Hillsborough counties have created a six-month moratorium.

Lakeland has been under a temporary ban on medical marijuana dispensaries opening since December. At that time, city lawmakers said they wanted to wait to open any dispensaries until they have specific guidelines from the state.

Comprehensive regulations from the state are due on July 1.

In the meantime, Lakeland city officials will have to decide how to treat the dispensaries and where they'll be allowed to be in the city.

There will be time for public comments at today's commission meeting at 9 a.m.
Beachside bliss, capital chic and heritage hospitality join together to offer independent leisure and business travelers a trilogy of exceptional stays in some of Southeast Asia's most inspiring and dynamic destinations.

Right on cue for the high season in Thailand, AKARYN Hotel Group is building on the success of its 'instagenic' and increasingly popular portfolio of hotels and resorts to offer guests three distinctive new hospitality experiences.

akyra Beach Club Phuket and Aleenta Phuket Resort & Spa

This December the akyra Beach Club Phuket has welcomed guests to a sophisticated new oceanside destination on spectacular Natai beach in Phang-Nga province, just 20 minutes from Phuket International Airport. Situated on Thailand's sunset facing shore with inspirational Andaman seascape views, the resort is but a stroll along the beach from its well established elegant sister property, Aleenta Phuket Resort & Spa, and complements the barefoot luxury offerings next door. The hip, chilled-out experience is enhanced by a menu of top notch comfort cuisine and top shelf beverages, with live DJs, music and performances adding to the good vibrations.

Though each resort is distinctive in its own right, Aleenta Phuket and akyra Beach Club Phuket combine to offer guests an unrivalled leisure and dining destination while also retaining the charm of a secluded beachside enclave. The location feels a world away from the well-trodden beaches of Phuket and sits comfortably between multi-million dollar private homes and local fishing communities.

Custom designed to lift the spirit and calm the soul, The akyra Beach Club Phuket boasts 59 luxurious rooms and stylish stand-alone villas with generous living spaces, branded amenities and a profusion high-end inclusions. Leading edge resort facilities include a beach spa and fully equipped gym and the resort's integrated beach club offers guests a choice of refined waterfront dining options as they recline in cushioned cabanas or laze on luxury loungers surrounding an enticing beachfront pool. The venue also hosts exceptional daytime and evening events, romantic weddings, regular theme parties and a sensational Sunday Brunch that's set to set a new benchmark for foodies, mates escaping to paradise and beach believers.

"In many ways the atmosphere is akin to the coolest summer festival by the beach. It's just a different kind of playground," says AHG founder and managing director Anchalika Kijkanakorn. "The vision is less about unabashed hedonism, more about the epicurean lifestyle which features in all our resorts. Good food, good tunes, good vibes with extraordinary people enjoying the good things in life  and looking fabulous while doing it. That's what we are all about."

akyra Thonglor Bangkok

Also launched December 2016, akyra Thonglor Bangkok in the vibrant city. The second urban property in the akyra brand offers a chic metropolitan retreat through a full refurbishment programme that will quietly start this month to transform the former hotel into a unique address in the heart of urban, edgy, contemporary Bangkok  the sought after Thonglor neighbourhood.

akyra Thonglor Bangkok boasts spacious rooms and suites that provide a true sense of "living in the city", enhanced by a full line-up of top class facilities and services including a pool bar with sparkling city views, a plush executive lounge, a choice of bright, airy meeting and function spaces, an enticing restaurant and a fully equipped fitness centre that's open 24/7. The hotel also offers seamless access to an inimitable collection of exclusive shops and boutiques, plus a choice of outstanding bars and restaurants that are unique to the area, much-coveted and must-try.

"Thonglor is my favourite part of Bangkok. I live in the neighbourhood and there is a good reason why those in the know choose to spend most of their leisure and business time there," explains Ms. Kijkanakorn. "Thonglor is exciting, arty, cutting edge, full of design inspiration and art galleries. It's also local in the sense that even though many expats live there, it's the long term residents that choose Thonglor for the unique sense of belonging and diverse, always happening feel."

President by AKARYN  Vientiane, Laos

Last but by no means least, AKARYN Hotel Group's first foray beyond Thai borders is also opening to host guests during the coming peak tourist season. Nestled in a gentle curve of the Mekong River in Vientiane Laos, President by AKARYN transports travelers into the heart of a timeless, gracious and often overlooked city. Formerly known as the 'Walled City of Sandalwood', Vientiane is as serene as its name suggests, where peace and quiet pervades, aromas of freshly- baked French bread and freshly-brewed coffee mingle with aromatic noodles, and echoes of the past whisper from colonial mansions on tree-lined avenues.

Rather than refer to the property as the group's first hotel in Laos, the team at AKARYN prefer to describe it as Laos' first hotel. An aura of timeless style and elegance pervades each of the 32 guest rooms and suites with an individual butler to be called upon whenever guests need assistance.

"The hotel's location and the design are peerless with a prime position on the city's first thoroughfare, Setthathirath Road, with Parliament House and Haw Phra Kaew, the temple of the Emerald Buddha, as neighbours. President by AKARYN will become the landmark of Vientiane. A place where diplomats come to meet and deals are done. A place where travellers, not tourists, travel back in time and experience the past and future of Laos' Golden Age."

The President by AKARYN has also been selected by the United Nations-led ASIA Geographical Indication (GI) programme as its main partner. In line with its sustainable approach to business growth and destination development, AKARYN Hotel Group will give back to local communities through sustainable sources of local income to promote sustainable living and tourism.

Dedicated to offering discerning travellers highly stylised experiences, AKARYN Hotel Group manages an exclusive collection of boutique resort brands across Southeast Asia including akyra, Aleenta and Akaryn. Each brand exemplifies its own unique personality and lifestyle while continuing to deliver on the group"s mission to support innovation, conservation, community, and responsible hospitality.
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Donald Trump has offered views on U.S. relations with Asia that could indicate radical shifts in long-standing policy toward the region. From opposing free trade agreements to confronting China and questioning Japan-South Korea alliances, he appears set to be charting a course far different from previous administrations.

Yet, in other areas, including North Korea, India and Pakistan, Trump appears ready to carry forward well-established U.S. policy. As Trump prepares to be sworn-in as president on Friday, here is a look at some of the stand-

out issues and how developments might play out:

TRADE

Trump says he plans to scrap the 12-nation trade pact known as the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, or TPP. The pact was the centerpiece of the Obama administrations outreach policy to Americas Asian partners known as the pivot, which also involves a greater military commitment to the region.

Obama said the TPP would allow the U.S. to impose higher labor, environmental and human-

rights standards, as well as give U.S. businesses access to some of the fastest-growing economies. The deal would have slashed 18,000 taxes that other countries impose on American goods and services, but Congress failed to act amid skepticism from both Republicans and Democrats.

Trumps opposition to free-trade agreements has fueled fears of protectionism and puts him at odds not only with U.S. trading partners but also with many in the Republican Party. Killing the TPP may open the way for other regional free-trade initiatives, including those pushed by rival China.

With the U.S. withdrawing from TPP, Japan will have to redesign its external economic policy, said Harukata Takenaka, politics professor at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. Other options may not be easy, Takenaka said.

CHINA

Trump raised China in speech after speech during his campaign, at times accusing the country of ripping America off in trade and threatening a 45 percent tariff on all Chinese imports.

Things turned far more serious after his election win when he took a phone call from the president of self-governing Taiwan, upending four decades of diplomatic protocol barring such direct contacts. Critics accused him of ignoring the one-China policy, long considered unassailable in China-U.S. relations, to which Trump responded by questioning why the U.S. should be bound by such an arrangement without economic incentives.

He again touched on the issue in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Friday, saying everything is under negotiation, including one China. While the Chinese governments response was muted, the official China Daily newspaper said he was playing with fire.

Trump has also criticized the Chinese militarys island-building program in the South China Sea, and accused it of blocking U.S. imports through high taxes and manipulating its currency to the detriment of American exports.

ALLIANCES WITH JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA

Trump raised eyebrows during the campaign when he appeared to question the inviolability of long-

standing U.S. military alliances with Japan and South Korea, seen as bulwarks against North Koreas military threats and Chinas push for regional dominance. The two were included in a list of countries that Trump said he would be respectfully asking [] to pay more for the tremendous security we provide them.

During the campaign, Trump suggested Japan and South Korea should obtain nuclear weapons so the U.S. would no longer be burdened with the costs of defending them, a disquieting notion in many Asian capitals. But after Trumps election win, Japans Shinzo Abe became the first foreign leader to meet with him, sitting down in Trump Tower with the business mogul and his daughter, Ivanka.

Japan is concerned about how spill-over from China-U.S. conflicts might affect its economy and foreign relations, possibly compelling it to play a larger role in regional security, said Harukata Takenaka, politics professor at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. Trump measures would be the top priority for Prime Minister Abe this year. The biggest question is that Trump is unpredictable, he said.

NORTH KOREAS NUCLEAR THREAT

Trumps approach to North Korea probably offers the least divergence from previous administrations, but he faces stark choices on countering North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns missile threat. After Kim, announced in his annual New Years address that the country had reached the final stages of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile, Trump responded by Twitter: North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It wont happen!

Trump has not said how his approach to the North might differ from Barack Obamas, although his campaigns position paper talked of more modern destroyers to counter the ballistic missile threat from Iran and North Korea. That would appear to indicate continued support for deploying the advanced Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, anti-missile system in South Korea, despite Chinese and Russian objections. Trump appears to be a firm believer that North Korea could be reined-in if only its sole significant ally China would tighten the screws.

INDIA AND PAKISTAN

During the campaign, Trump was largely positive toward both India and Pakistan, even while he piled negative rhetoric on China and other nations. However, his threat to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. has raised accusations of Islamophobia.

In the days after his win, Trump appeared to follow in the well-trodden path of seeking a balance between the nuclear rivals  albeit in his unorthodox style. A phone call between Trump and Pakistans prime minister was remarkable mainly for the effusive praise he reportedly lavished on the struggling state. Pakistan is a U.S. ally in the battle against Islamic extremism but is also close to U.S. rival in Asia, China. In its readout of that call, Pakistan said Trump described the country as amazing and expressed a desire to visit  something President Barack Obama did not do.

Indias national security adviser followed the Pakistan exchange with a low-key visit to Washington to meet with a senior Trump aide in a sign of New Delhis desire to forge close ties with the incoming U.S. administration. Christopher Bodeen, Beijing, AP
Following a campaign for voter registration, the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP) announced yesterday that there were 25,238 new requests for registration in 2016. During the previous year, 4,117 registered voters were scrapped from the books due to death, judicial rulings and other reasons. By the end of 2016, the total number of registered singular voters was 307,020 and the number of collective electors reached 858. Comparing with the number of singular electors registered by the end of 2015, there was a 7.3 percent increase, representing around 21,000 more people.

University of Macau makes offers to 59 top-scoring students

The University of Macau (UM) has completed its Principals Recommended Admission Scheme process for students for the 2017/18 academic year. A total of 450 outstanding applicants were registered, up 10 percent from last year. Of these, almost 400 have confirmed their acceptance of offers from UM. Among them, 59 are ranked first in their respective secondary schools. The university describes these students as top-scoring and outstanding pupils. UM noted in a statement published yesterday that all students admitted through the scheme will receive scholarships as well as special guidance and training from the deans and professors in their faculties. The statement also claimed that many of the students excel in areas beyond academia and have won awards at various local and international competitions.

Foreign reserves up 2.8 percent

The Monetary Authority of Macao announced yesterday that its preliminary estimate of the regions foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP155.7 billion (about USD19.5 billion) at the end of December 2016. According to a statement released by the authority, the reserves increased by about 2.8 percent from the revised value of MOP151.4 billion for the previous month. The MSARs foreign exchange reserves at the end of December represented around 12 times the currency in circulation, as was the case for most of 2016 with the exception of November, when they were equivalent to just 11 times the currency in circulation. Meanwhile, the trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the MOP rose 1.67 points month-to-month and 2.91 points year-on-year to 110.2 in December. This implies that, overall, the exchange rate of the MOP increased against the currencies of the Macaus major trading partners.

Consultant views air quality index inaccurate

Lam U Tou, a member of a community service advisory board, is concerned that Macaus air quality monitoring stations are unable to report a valid measure of Macaus air quality. The region currently has five of these stations. Lam believes that the location of each station is far from representative of Macaus air quality, because all of them are distanced from densely populated areas. He further believes that Macaus air quality has seen an impact from Mainland China. A report by the Stand News says that mainland authorities have ordered mainland air quality app designers to maintain Chinas air quality AQI value at below 500 for PM2.5 measures.

Black Box Theatre to be built

Leong Hio Meng, current vice-president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), advised that the city will build a Black Box Theatre next to the Macao Cultural Center (CCM), according to a report by Macao Daily News. It will be situated between Sands Macao casino and CCM. Leong revealed that a plot of land had already been set aside for the theatre back in 1999, when CCM was put into operation. A preliminary design of the theatre has already been approved by local public works departments. The construction is expected to start next year. The theatre is planned to seat more than 300.
Cambodia has informed the United States that it is canceling an annual joint military exercise this year, even though planning for the event had already begun, officials from both countries said yesterday.

Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Chhum Socheath said the Angkor Sentinel exercise had to be postponed because Cambodian forces would be unable to fully participate as a result of two important events: local elections in June and a six-month campaign to eradicate drug-related crime.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Jay Raman confirmed in an e-mail that the exercises for 2017 and 2018 have been canceled. He said military exchanges and training programs are not affected. After the local elections in June, Cambodia will hold a general election in 2018 in which long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen is expected to face a strong challenge.

Some analysts tied the cancellation more closely to Chinas influence in the region, which they believe will be exercised more vigorously after Donald Trump becomes U.S. president. Trumps rhetoric on China has been unfriendly, and he has suggested that the U.S. may reduce its involvement in the region. AP
The Sands China Care Ambassador program sent a group of over 70 volunteers to Seac Pai Van public housing in Coloane Sunday morning, where they spent time with local independently living elderly for an annual spring-cleaning activity.

This year is the eighth in a row the Care Ambassadors are assisting the regions elderly who live alone to prepare for the Chinese New Year with an annual spring-clean.

The volunteers paid a visit to 50 households  double that of the previous year  taking cleaning supplies along with them so they could sweep, mop and vacuum the homes.

According to Sands Chinas press release, the Care Ambassadors also brought Chinese New Year gift packs for the residents, which contain useful staples like oil, grain and noodles, and a hygiene kit recently put together by Sands China team members. Each hygiene kit includes soap, shampoo, conditioner, a toothbrush and toothpaste.

Mandarin Oriental announces CNY festivities

Mandarin Oriental is celebrating the auspicious Year of the Rooster with a range of traditional Chinese gourmet foods and festivities.

From January 21 to February 12, the resorts dedicated culinary team at the hotels signature Vida Rica Restaurant will serve up a delectable selection of festive dishes.

Vida Rica Bar will serve Afternoon FANtasy during Chinese New Year  available from January 28 to February 5.

Mandarin Oriental Cake Shop will offer a range of festive hampers and homemade delicacies. Meanwhile, The Spa at the resort will offer wellness hampers packed with Five Elements Signature Treatment oils for balanced well-being.

From January 28 to February 28, complimentary 20-minute foot reflexology will also be offered to guests who book any of the two-hour Mandarin Oriental Signature Spa Therapies.

The Lunar New Year will be ushered in at the hotel with firecrackers and the traditional Chinese lion dance procession from 11 a.m. on January 28.
The trial of the former Public Prosecutions Office (MP) Prosecutor-General, Ho Chio Meng, resumed yesterday in a session exclusively devoted to hearing the witness Chan Ka Fai, former chief of the Group of General Administration of the MP.

In a hearing lasting all day, a range of topics were addressed with the witness revealing, among other things, some accounts juggling procedures, as well as quotation changes and resorting to fake invoicing at the MP.

Chan was questioned by the prosecution about the specific case of a trip to Denmark for the Magistrates Annual Meeting made by Ho in 2005 together with other family and MP members, which resulted in a hefty bill of over MOP500,000.

In reference to the document, Chan replied that since, at the time, the MPs budget for that kind of activity only had a remaining balance of about MOP280,000 We paid that amount that was about half of the bill and decided to move the remaining to the next year [2006]. For the remainder of the payment, this was done in six installments since it was quite a high amount.

In order to justify those installments and, as Chan mentioned, since we cant count an activity that already occurred in the past, we had to come up with some activities [which were in fact never done] in order to ask the travel agency for six separate invoices.

Questioned by the prosecutors as to who knew about these schemes and who was the author of the plan, Chan could not answer explicitly but remarked, I dont know if the Chief [of the Office of the Prosecutor General] told the Prosecutor [General] but he and all the staff from the office knew about it.

Besides the accounting irregularities admitted by Chan, the witness also explained, after being questioned by the prosecution, that there were no original receipts or invoices that could prove those trip-related costs and expenses so we just had to trust [in them], Chan concluded.

This, however, was not the only irregularity regarding the accounts of the MP, as in several occasions during yesterdays hearing, Chan was asked to explain the many erasures, alterations and amendments to proposals, quotations and invoices, most of which were related to works, services or acquisitions to companies owned by Wong Kuok Wai.

Chan acknowledged that this was common practice within the services, stating that such amendments were, in almost all cases, suggested by the former Chief of Office of the Prosecutor General, Lai Kin Ian, most of times by the use of yellow sticky-notes that were added to the documents, sometimes with comments and or indications from several people. Chan decoded the various handwriting in the court session.

Chan also confirmed in the court session that companies run and owned by Wong would get a 5 percent (or 10 in some cases) commission on the intermediary jobs between the MP and other companies, although he mentioned that he never really paid attention or confirmed [if the percentage was correct in any of the deals].

Such deals were said to be verbal agreements with no documents to substantiate them.

Although he considered that in some occasions the procedure taken was not a correct one or fair, Chan mentioned that it was more a matter of convenience and trust.

Questioned if he thought the procedure to be inadequate, Chan admitted to have considered it to be so and even questioned Lai about it. However, Lai always replied in anger to such questioning which led Chan to question less and just follow orders.

Referring to both the Teachers Resting Room and the Cheoc Van accommodation villa, Chan said they were considered very secret places, saying that he never entered them and had received direct orders from Lai to never go there without his authorization which was to be requested in advance.

Responsible for the assets of the MP, Chan also revealed that he was aware of the sauna installed in the room of the 16th floor through the invoices but such facilities were never listed in the inventory of the MP, which Chan was required to update and send to the Finance Services Bureau (DSF).

Although the effort of the prosecution during the session was aimed to connect the actions and internal procedures with Ho, it was in fact Lai who was pointed to in most of Chans responses. In reference to some cases, Chan mentioned that I can construe that such orders should come from Ho Chio Meng but Im not certain of that, I can only infer.

The trial will resume tomorrow in order to hear more witnesses listed by the prosecution.
A 45-year-old male from Bangladesh has been arrested for faking reports to the police, the Judiciary Police (PJ) said at a press conference yesterday.

The suspect, known as Gaurab, claims to be an engineer at a telecommunication engineering company.

According to the police, several airlines and hotels in Macau reported receiving emails informing them of an impending terrorist threat in Macau in August and October last year.

The emails were all sent from the same email account, according to the PJ.

Those emails claimed that three male Filipinos said to be involved in drug and criminal activities were planning a terrorist attack on Macau.

The PJ, after receiving the reports, initiated investigations. Soon after, the three men were found and taken for interrogation.

During the investigations, the PJ found no signs of the men attempting to organize a terror attack.

The PJ subsequently identified Gaurab as the email sender, and he was arrested by the police at the Macau International Airport when he tried to enter the territory last Saturday. He admitted to knowing all three men and to setting them up. .

He later confessed to making false accusations about the three men to draw the attention of the local police authority and trigger investigations against them.

The identities of the three men were not disclosed by the PJ. Moreover, the reasons that motivated Gaurabs actions are still under investigation.

In a non-related case, a local minor was found to have lit a fire for fun, the PJ reported at yesterdays conference.

Last Thursday evening, the police received reports of an iron bottle that had been set on fire. Police began investigating residents who lived around the building.

A minor who lived on the building admitted to police that he was the one to trigger the alarm.

The underage resident said that he had set on fire plastic tape surrounding an iron bottle. Upon doing this, he returned home.

The person who later reported the incident to police turned out to be the minors mother, who was not told of the event by the child because he was scared to do so.

HK man arrested after escaping the territory

A Hong Kong male (43), surnamed Leong, was arrested last Saturday when entering Macau, the police reported yesterday. Leong was involved in a drug manufacturing case in Macau back in July 2011. That year, local police uncovered a drug factory based in Macau, resulting in the detention of three people. At the time, police identified Leong, based on his previous employment by the factory ringleader. Leong immediately fled Macau and remains in Hong Kong. Police are still investigating his involvement in the drug case, but so far Leong has refused to answer any questions.
Zhuhai Jinwan Airport (ZUH) aims to establish itself as a hub for business jets and implement a pilot training facility  ambitious goals for the smallest of the Pearl River Deltas five airports all competing fiercely in the same market.

In the first half of 2016, 2.73 million passengers and 13,160 tonnes of cargo passed through ZUH  both year-over-year increases of 18 percent. In the same period, the airport added 15 new routes and now serves 39 cities on the mainland. A total of 21 airlines fly in and out of the airport which has no international routes as of yet.

ZUH is famous for hosting the mainlands only international aerospace trade shows endorsed by the central government. Held annually in November, it includes flying acrobatics, life-size product displays, trade negotiations and technological exchanges, attracting a wide variety of Chinese military and civilian aircrafts as well as American, Russian and European planes.

According to the airports website, ZUH will expand and improve its network on the mainland. With 24 million people living and working within a one-hour radius of the airport and more than 200 million regular flyers on a daily basis in the mainland, ZUH intends to tap into this vast potential market for a target traffic of 12 million passengers by 2020.

However, flyers have many travel options: the airports in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Macau all offer more flights, including international destinations. Hong Kong and Guangzhou alone each handle roughly 60 million passengers a year.

Thus, ZUH is exploring ways to complement its mighty neighbours in addition to competing with them. It is currently negotiating a permit for the overflow of international business jets and helicopters coming in and out of Hong Kong International Airport, just 20 minutes away by helicopter. Setting up a civil airline pilot flight training facility has also been proposed; it would be only the second of its kind in China.

Zhuhai Jinwan Airport, formerly Zhuhai Sansao Airport, opened June 1995 in Sanzao township, 37 kilometres from the city centre of Zhuhai and 33 kilometers from Macau. Originally a military airport built by the Japanese during their occupation in World War II, it is situated 55 kilometers from Zhongshan and 85 km from Jiangmen, two strategic cities during the war.

With an annual capacity of 12 million passengers and 600,000 tonnes of freight, it is designed to handle 100,000 take-offs and landings a year.

This is a much larger airport than what Beijings civil aviation regulator had originally approved, authorizing the city to build a smaller regional airport in an area already well served by major airports in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau. Conflict over disregard for these instructions and the substantial debt the city incurred as a result contributed to Liang Guangda stepping down as mayor in 1995.

In its early years, ZUH lost money, operating at a fraction of its capacity. With no international flights, it was at a disadvantage compared to the other four airports in the region, all of which offered (and still do) a far wider range of domestic and international destinations. An additional handicap is ZUHs distance from the city centre. Guangzhou Baiyun (White Cloud) International Airport, one of the mainlands three major airports, is only 45 minutes ride away for Zhuhai residents and offers flights all over China and around the world.

The Zhuhai government turned to Hong Kong International Airport to turn things around. In August 2006, the two announced the establishment of a joint venture, the Zhuhai-Hong Kong Airport Management Company  Hong Kong holding 55 percent and Zhuhai 45 percent  with a registered capital of RMB360 million. The company paid a franchise fee for the exclusive right to manage and operate ZUH for 20 years.

In 2008, two years after the partnership, the airport broke even for the first time. That year, it handled 1.1 million passengers and 11,140 tonnes of cargo  increases of 7.8 per cent and 3.7 per cent, respectively, from 2007.

Formation of the Zhuhai-Hong Kong Airport Management Company proved a wise decision. Passenger volume doubled from 2 million in 2012 to 4.07 million in 2015. There were 39,600 takeoffs and landings, an increase of 9.6 percent from 2014, with an average of 118 flights a day to 42 cities across the mainland. Cargo shipment reached 25,800 tonnes, an increase of 16.7 percent. Both passenger and cargo traffic were record numbers. The target for 2016 is to exceed 5 million passengers.

ZUH is served by 21 airlines including Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Sichuan Airlines with flights to cities all over China, including Urumqi in the far west and Harbin in the far north. As of 2015 year end, there were 8 flights a day to Beijing, 12 to Shanghai and 35 to Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chongqing, Chengdu and Xiamen.

This growth is a result of the rapid development of Chinas domestic and international tourism markets as well as the Pearl River Deltas economic growth. Many tourists choose to enjoy Macau via Zhuhai to save money, crossing the border by day for gambling, shopping and leisure and staying in Zhuhai hotels by night.

Zhuhai, a city of 1.63 million, is also developing rapidly. Its per capita income, RMB120,000, is one of the highest in China. Additionally, it is a resort city where people from all over the mainland buy holiday apartments. In 2015, the city posted a GDP of RMB202 billion yuan, a 10 percent increase from 2014. With 31.2 million domestic visitors, up 8 percent, and 4.71 million international visitors, up 2.3 percent, tourism revenue was RMB21.79 billion and USD962 million, respectively.

Zhuhais yacht industry has an annual output of more than RMB2 billion and increasingly caters to the domestic market with its growing number of wealthy Chinese. The city boasts a Club Med on Dongao Island and offers a wide range of water sports. Zhuhais government plans to transform the city into a major international yachting center.

All this traffic from vacationers, tourists and yachters  domestic and international alike  contributes to the airports expanding market base.

Since opening, ZUH has always operated well below its design capacity. A 66,000-square-metre air show center next to the airport stands empty most of the year and could house up to 50 business jets. Even 2015s record-high passenger and cargo traffic is less than 50 percent of capacity.

Airport management is always looking for ways to utilize this spare capacity. One idea, developed in consultation with the Zhuhai-Hong Kong Airport Management Company, is to receive Hong Kongs overflow of international business jets. Hong Kong International Airport handles more than 1,100 commercial flights daily. With fewer than 70 parking slots for business jets and even fewer landing slots, finding space for the private jets based there is often difficult, not to mention jet traffic in and out. With this new proposal, aircrafts would be able to land and offload passengers in Zhuhai instead of waiting hours for undesirable slots in Hong Kong. With the proper customs facilities in place, a 20-minute helicopter route then could be set up between Zhuhai and Hong Kongs Central district.

ZUH has already submitted this proposal to the regulatory authorities in Beijing. While the cost of landing and parking in Zhuhai is cheaper than in Hong Kong, there is a compensation and administration fee of $3,800 every time a non-mainland-Chinese aircraft crosses its airspace. The Asian aviation industry is lobbying for this fee to be scrapped in order to make the new proposal more attractive.

Another proposal is to use the airport as a civil airline pilot flight training facility for Pegasus Flight Academy (China). This Sino-foreign joint venture would involve an investment of $80 million. The Asian Development Assistance Board and the Sino-Foreign Aviation Education Associates Ltd of Hong Kong are currently in negotiations with the Zhuhai Aviation Industrial Park, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), local aviation authorities and Chinese and foreign investors.

The academy would initially matriculate 120 students and grow to 400 over five years. Captain John Bent, former manager of the Cathay Pacific/Dragonair Flight School in Hong Kong, is slated to be Director of Strategic Training.

Currently, the mainlands only pilot-training facility is located in Guanghan, Sichuan. The school graduates 800 civil airline pilots a year with similar numbers trained at flight schools in Australia, Canada and the United States licensed by CAAC. With industry estimates pegging the demand for new pilots at around 2,000 a year, the growth of Chinas aviation sector is the fastest in the world. Nian-Le, Macao Magazine/MDT
A group led by Hong Kong billionaire tycoon Li Ka-shings infrastructure business said yesterday it is buying Australian energy company Duet in a multibillion dollar deal.

Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Ltd. and Lis property and power utility companies are proposing to buy Duet Group for 3 Australian dollars a share, in an acquisition worth AUD7.4 billion (USD5.5 billion).

The investment still needs approval from Australian regulators and Duet shareholders, who will also get a special dividend of 3 Australian cents, according to a separate news release from Duet. That makes the terms of the deal slightly more attractive than the initial offer announced in December. Duet said its board is recommending shareholders give their approval.

The deal signifies Lis undiminished interest in Australian investments even after being dealt a setback last year when the government blocked a $10 billion joint offer with Chinese state-owned State Grid for a Sydney electric grid lease. That deal was rejected on national security grounds.

The Cheung Kong consortium said in a statement that the acquisition is consistent with its strategies of investing in energy infrastructure opportunities around the world and embracing new growth opportunities through diversification.

Duet operates gas and energy networks in Melbourne, a 1,600-kilometer gas pipeline in Western Australia and generates power from landfills in the U.S. and Europe.

Cheung Kong Infrastructure already owns significant energy businesses in Australia, as well as utilities in Britain and New Zealand and parking lots in Canada. AP
Gaming analysts are confident that Japans recently approved integrated resorts bill will present both a popular and profitable venture to investors. However, these analysts note that many complications must be dealt with before the first resorts open, and Japanese homegrown brands will likely command a majority share.

The Integrated Resort Promotions Bill, which was passed in Japans lower parliamentary house late last year, is expected to lead to the creation of a market worth around USD40 billion annually according to analysts at CLSA. This figure outstrips the annual gross gaming revenue recorded last year for Macau, which stood at just under USD28 million (MOP223.2 billion).

Though numerous legislative obstacles stand in the way of the bills implementation, proponents expect it to help revive Japans sluggish economy by doubling the number of foreign tourists, lifting the figure to approximately 40 million each year.

According to Global Market Advisors managing partner Steve Gallaway, this is unlikely to diminish the number of mainland tourists who typically visit Macau. Though there will be some Chinese tourists who visit Japan as a result of this new sector, Gallaway predicts that the success of the Japanese opportunity is primarily dependent on the local population and influx of [general] tourism.

While I dont expect the Chinese VIP player to be a significant part of proponents business plans for success, the Chinese will travel to Japan. [] However, this will be an additional outlet where the Chinese will gamble and will grow the overall Chinese gambling pie rather than cannibalize existing locations, said Gallaway, adding that South Korea was the only jurisdiction that might be impacted by Japans foray into gaming.

If foreign backers agree with Gallaways analysis, they might be eyeing the opportunity to invest in Japans first integrated resorts. Indeed, Spectrum Gaming Asia CEO Paul Bromberg believes that almost every gaming company looking to expand will be considering Japan.

Bromberg implied that the uncertainty over the number of licenses for integrated resorts may also make competition fierce, especially given the potential for a minor company to make its name in the country, as Sheldon Adelson did in Macau for Las Vegas Sands.

Nevertheless, Bromberg warned of major hurdles that still lie in the path of potential investors, namely the number of licenses, the authority given to industry regulators, and whether a Japanese company will need to own a majority stake in the resorts.

Wells Fargo Securities analysts suggested that foreign investors could own as little as one-fifth in Japans integrated resorts. DB
JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded its assessment of the Indonesian stock market, reversing an earlier bearish call that prompted Jakarta to stop doing business with the U.S. bank.

The banks analysts raised their tactical view of Indonesian equities one level to neutral in a report dated yesterday, saying volatility in emerging-market bonds following Donald Trumps U.S. election victory in November should now subside. The upgrade came two weeks after Indonesias government cut business ties with JPMorgan, citing a two-notch equities downgrade by the bank in November.

Our tactical downgrade two months ago was driven by the risk of Indonesia underperforming the Asia Pacific ex Japan and EM indices as investors de-risked, analysts led by Adrian Mowat said. Redemption and bond volatility risks have now played out, in our view.

Indonesia welcomed the banks new assessment. The neutral recommendation is more in line with fundamentals, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution told reporters in Jakarta yesterday. The finance ministry had earlier said it would stop using JPMorgan as a primary dealer and an underwriter for sovereign bonds.

JPMorgan said in an e-mail that its research views are independent and yesterdays report, like previous ones, is no different.

Foreign investors sold a net USD2.8 billion of Indonesian stocks and bonds last quarter as emerging-market assets retreated following Trumps victory. That drove the rupiah lower, forcing policy makers to intervene to stabilize the currency.

Last week, Indonesia widened its campaign against negative research by ordering all primary dealers in Indonesian bonds to maintain relations with the government based on professionalism, integrity and avoiding conflicts of interest. Firms that fail to comply with the rule, which took effect on Dec. 30, risk losing their dealership licenses, the government said.

Global banks that are primary dealers in Indonesias bonds include Standard Chartered Plc, HSBC Holdings Plc, Deutsche Bank AG and Citigroup Inc. Chanyaporn Chanjaroen, Bloomberg
Oman said it accepted 10 inmates from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay ahead of President Barack Obama leaving office, part of his efforts to shrink the facility he promised to close.

There was no immediate word from the U.S. Defense Department about the transfer.

Omans Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run Oman News Agency that it had accepted the prisoners at Obamas request. It did not name the prisoners.

Omani and U.S. military officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

The sultanate of Oman, on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, previously accepted 10 Guantanamo prisoners from Yemen in January 2016. Oman also took another six in June 2015. Meanwhile, Omans neighbor Saudi Arabia took four prisoners on Jan. 5 and the United Arab Emirates took 15 prisoners in the largest-single transfer during Obamas administration on Aug. 15.

Oman, ruled by Sultan Qaboos bin Said since 1970, has served as an interlocutor between the West and Iran. It also has negotiated a number of prisoner releases in recent years for Western countries.

Yemen, the Arab worlds poorest country, remains in the grips of a civil war and a Saudi-led military offensive against the rebels  making returning Guantanamo inmates there impossible.

Days earlier, authorities said 19 of the remaining 55 prisoners at the U.S. military base in Cuba were cleared for release and could be freed in the final days of Obamas presidency.

It was part of an effort by Obama to shrink the prison since he couldnt close it.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said during his campaign that he not only wants to keep Guantanamo open but load it up with some bad dudes.

The U.S. began using its military base on southeast Cubas isolated, rocky coast to hold prisoners captured during the Afghanistan invasion, bringing the first planeload on Jan. 11, 2002, and reaching a peak 18 months later of nearly 680.

There were 242 prisoners when Obama took office in 2009, pledging to close what became a source of international criticism over the mistreatment of detainees and the notion of holding people indefinitely, most without charge.

Obama was unable to close Guantanamo because of Congressional opposition to holding any of the men in the United States. That ultimately became a ban on transferring them to U.S. soil for any reason, including trial, making the failure to close the detention center part of his legacy.

The majority of Guantanamo prisoners released have been sent to Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Jessica Gresko, Washington, AP
Responding to remarks by Donald Trump, Chinas Foreign Ministry yesterday said the countrys one-China principle regarding Taiwan is not negotiable and any attempt to reconsider the issue would be self-defeating.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters that anyone attempting to use Taiwans status in a negotiation would be smashing their feet by lifting a rock.

Not everything in the world can be bargained or traded off, Hua told reporters at a daily briefing.

Whoever attempts to harm the one-China principle out of any motive or uses the principle as a bargaining chip will definitely be facing broad and strong opposition from the Chinese government and people, as well as the international community, Hua said.

Trump told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Friday that everything is under negotiation, including one China. It was the latest sign that Trump could shake up the U.S.-China relationship, particularly regarding Taiwan, which China considers a core national interest.

The one-China principle holds that Taiwan is part of China and the Communist government in Beijing is Chinas sole legitimate government.

The U.S. acknowledged that stance when it formalized diplomatic relations with Beijing in 1979, but continues to maintain robust unofficial ties with Taiwan. Washington also provides weaponry to the self-governing island democracy to help it guard against Chinas threat to use force to end their division dating from a civil war in 1949.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to upend that status quo since winning the November election.

Also yesterday, the Chinese nationalist tabloid Global Times published an editorial blasting Trumps strategy and saying China would have a strong response to any reconsideration of Washingtons long-standing one-China policy.

In the past, Trump infuriated us, but now we find him risible, said the tabloid, which is published by the Peoples Daily, the ruling Communist Partys newspaper. With a skyrocketing ascent in his political life, he has been stunningly confident in his ostensible knowledge of the job, though he speaks like a rookie.

The English-language China Daily ran an editorial accusing Trump of playing with fire.

If Trump is determined to use this gambit on taking office, a period of fierce, damaging interactions will be unavoidable, as Beijing will have no choice but to take off the gloves, the newspaper said.

China was already angered by Trumps Dec. 2 phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing- wen, the first time an American president or president-elect has publicly spoken to Taiwans leader in nearly four decades. Beijing considers any reference to a separate Taiwanese head of state to be a grave insult.

Trump then said in a television interview that he didnt feel bound by a one-China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.

Yesterday, Reince Priebus, Trumps incoming chief of staff, said that there are no plans to change the one-China policy.

But certainly that policy is on the table if China doesnt also come to the table and work with us on trade, work with us on the South China Sea and whats happening there, Priebus said on ABCs This Week.

After attacking China repeatedly during his campaign, Trump has continued to disparage China on his Twitter account over its military buildup in disputed areas of the South China Sea, its alleged currency manipulation to put American companies at a disadvantage, and what he says are its inadequate efforts to curb North Koreas nuclear program. He has also announced that a new White House trade council will be led by economist Peter Navarro, a sharp critic of Chinese economic policy who wrote a book titled Death By China.

Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he would not label China a currency manipulator as soon as he takes office, though he repeated his contention that China is manipulating its currency, the yuan.

So far, Beijing has reiterated its refusal to negotiate on Taiwan and has pushed for positive cooperation with the U.S., though state-run media have printed several strongly worded editorials attacking Trump.

Chinese political observers said Sunday that they expect Beijings response to change once Trump is inaugurated next week.

Trump has not taken office yet, so he is an ordinary person now, said Shen Dingli, a professor of international relations at Fudan University. Therefore, theres no need for China to take his remarks seriously or further respond to what he said. Nomaan Merchant, Beijing, AP
Prosecutors are seeking a warrant to arrest Samsung Groups Jay Y. Lee for allegations including bribery and embezzlement, a stunning turn for the scion of South Koreas richest family groomed for decades to take over the company from his father.

Lee, 48, the de facto head of the Samsung Group and vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., is accused of participating in payments that Samsung made to a close friend of South Korean President Park Geun-hye in exchange for government support in the companys succession planning. A court will still have to determine whether to approve the warrant, which was announced by prosecutors in a briefing yesterday. A hearing is scheduled for tomorrow.

A special prosecution team was established in December to investigate whether Samsung and other chaebol business groups contributed money to Choi Soon-sil, the Park confidant, in exchange for political favors. President Park has been already impeached and her powers suspended. Samsung shares, which have been near record highs, fell 2.1 percent to 1,833,000 won at the close in Seoul.

We believe that there was an illegal request made by Samsung in facilitating the process of business succession, Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the prosecutors office, said in the briefing. The arrest warrant would let prosecutors continue their probe while Lee is detained. Formal charges and an indictment would follow. The total amount of bribes, including promised funds and money embezzled is alleged to be about 43 billion won (USD36 million), Lee said.

Samsung denied the company provided financial aid in return for any favors. We cant accept the prosecutors argument that we made illegal requests associated with the merger and management succession, Samsung Group said in a statement. We believe the court will make a wise decision.

The investigation jeopardizes Lees ability to take over Samsung Group and risks further destabilizing the leadership of South Koreas largest company. His father, Chairman Lee Kun-hee, has been hospitalized since suffering a heart attack in 2014. Samsung is now facing its second crisis in a matter of months, after it was forced to pull the Note 7 smartphone off the market last year because the device was catching fire. Jungah Lee, Hooyeon Kim, Bloomberg
The Philippines has filed a low-key diplomatic protest with China after a U.S. think tank reported that Beijing appears to have installed anti- aircraft and anti-missile weapons on its man-made islands in the strategically vital South China Sea, the countrys top diplomat said yesterday.

Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay said the diplomatic communication was issued after the report came out last month.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies report said anti-aircraft guns and weapons systems designed to guard against missile attacks appear to have been placed on all seven of Chinas newly created islands.

Yasay told CNN Philippines that Manila had responded, but did so quietly.

We have taken action on that, we have issued a note verbale, he said, referring to a diplomatic communication that is issued in the third person and is not signed. It is considered less formal than a letter of protest.

He did not say when it was issued, adding it was a matter that he did not want to discuss.

I just want to assure the Filipino people that when we take action at engaging China in this dispute, we do not want to take such aggressive, provocative action that will not solve the problem, he said. We cannot engage China in a war.

Nevertheless, he said, when there are reports about the build-up of weapon systems in the area, during our watch we made sure that the interests and rights of the Philippines are properly protected.

Beijing says the artificial islands are intended to boost maritime safety in the region while downplaying their military utility. They also buttress Chinas claim to ownership of practically the entire South China Sea.

Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei also claim territory in the waterway, through which an estimated USD5 trillion in global trade passes each year.

After China took control of disputed Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and blocked Filipinos from the rich fishing area, then President Benigno Aquino III brought his countrys territorial disputes with Beijing to international arbitration. China ignored the Philippine case and refused to recognize the outcome, which was heavily in favor of the Philippines.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who succeeded Aquino in June, has taken steps to mend the strained relations with China. He also has taken an antagonistic stance toward outgoing President Barack Obamas administration after the U.S. leader criticized his deadly crackdown on drugs.

In the interview yesterday, Yasay said Duterte is expected to visit Russia sometime in May, and has been invited to both Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putins hometown.

Several agreements may be signed during the visit, including a defense cooperation pact, he added. Teresa Cerojano, Manila, AP
A grizzly bear attacked and injured two men who were recreating in the Shoshone National Forest in northwestern Wyoming. Wyoming Game and Fish says the men were injured Saturday while they off a forest trail searching for antlers shed by deer and elk. One man was flown to the hospital by helicopter while the other was taken by ambulance. State officials declined to release information on the men's conditions on Monday. The men were able to call 911 from near the scene of the attack and other people in the area were able to get them to the trailhead, where they met search and rescue teams. Officials say it appears the men surprised the bear.
Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates topped 7% for the first time in more than two decades this week. Get more info on that and more recent business news here.
TWIN FALLS  Does Mother Nature have another storm in her bag of tricks?

While some are still digging out from the latest round of winter weather, another Pacific storm will bring significant snow, rain and ice to the Magic Valley through Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

The weather service office in Pocatello issued a winter storm warning in effect from 3 p.m. Wednesday to 9 p.m. Thursday for Burley, Rupert, Heyburn, Malad City, Oakley, Rockland, Richfield, Shoshone, Carey and Sweetzer Summit.

The weather service in Boise has issued a warning for western Magic Valley from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Thursday.

Snow in the valleys could turn to rain and freezing rain overnight, making travel difficult. Up to eight inches of snow is expected to accumulate.

Winds will be 10 to 15 mph in most areas, but 15 to 30 mph in the Jerome area.

While a headache for drivers, this winter has been particularly difficult for schools as the number of snow days incurred grew with every storm.

Eva Craner, spokeswoman for Twin Falls School District, says the district monitors weather conditions closely.

Throughout the winter, we keep a really close eye on the weather, Craner said. When there is a storm warning, we reach out to the city and the bus company to make sure everybody is seeing the same information.

So far this winter, Twin Falls schools have closed three days. Cassia County schools have closed 4 days, and Jerome 5 days. Some snow days were due to hazardous road conditions; others were due to broken water pipes and fire suppression systems.

Jon Caton, public works director for Twin Falls, said the city is ready for another storm.

We are looking at the full range of possibilities, Caton said. Were going to go ahead and use a pre-storm application of our salt-brine mix on critical areas, like the Canyon Springs grade, which can be treacherous.

The city is in a better position to weather this storm than the last, he said, because storm drains throughout town have been located and cleared.

When the snow comes, were just going to have to pile it as we have been doing, Caton said.

The city has not needed to dip into its emergency funds, but if storms continue that might be a possibility.

To date, he said, we have spent more money than all last winter.
BLISS  Just a few miles out of town, someone shot a bull elk out of season and left it to die a slow death in a frozen field.

Hes laying there suffering, theres no doubt, Doug Razee said as the elk, bleeding from a wound behind its front shoulder, shifted its head.

Razee spotted the dying elk about three miles north of Bliss, in a field beside Clover Creek Road, on Friday morning and called the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to report it.

Blood spatters in the snow led back to a small haystack across the road, and senior conservation officer Jeff Days investigation later that day concluded the elk was shot, probably on Thursday evening. Fish and Game asks that anyone with information on the illegal killing call the agencys Jerome office at 208-324-4359.

Some of them you solve, and some of them you dont. Thats just the nature of it, Day said Tuesday. A senseless act of vandalism, really.

Unlawful take of an elk in closed season, he said, is a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, three years hunting license revocation, a $750 civil penalty and court costs.

Razee, a wolf hunter with a long, grizzled beard, stayed on the scene Friday after calling in what hed found. Minutes later, a Fish and Game truck stopped, but its driver wasnt an officer. Instead, it was Ross Winton, a regional nongame wildlife biologist, pausing to focus his binoculars on a raptor while conducting an eagle count with wildlife technician Amaia Demaray and a reporter.

The wound was too well placed to suggest a goring by another bull, Winton told Razee as the elk in the field struggled to its feet.

Thats a money-kill shot right there  right behind his shoulder, he said.

Winton didnt have a gun to end the elks suffering. So he placed calls to colleagues and continued on his eagle-survey route. When he finished and returned, the animal had died and birds had begun pulling tufts of its hair.

Notified that Fish and Games Jerome office had gotten the landowners permission to enter the field, Winton and Demaray traced the blood trail, photographed the dead elk, examined it and flipped it over to reveal the bloody wound, where emerging bone fragments suggested a bullets exit.

No, definitely not a goring, Winton said on the phone to a district conservation officer.

Hanging up, he fingered the broken points of the elks antlers. Man, he has had a rough life.

Day took over when he arrived, calling the district officer to clear his plan for ensuring the meat wouldnt go to waste. Hed give the carcass to nearby dairy workers with the expertise to process it and families who could use it.

Its a lot of work sometimes to process one of these things, Day said. He didnt want to spend five hours gutting it, and the job needed to be done immediately. Ive been a game warden for 29 years, and Ive did hundreds of animals that werent mine.

Day and Winton discussed possible motivations for the shooting, then Day summed up his view: There are a few people who just like to kill things for the fun of it.

On Tuesday, Day told the rest of the story.

A nearby dairyman brought a front-end loader to move a snow berm and pick up the carcass, and the dairy workers salvaged the whole animal. Later Friday, Day returned with heavy netting and wrapped the 14-bale haystack to keep elk out.

That area north of Bliss sees a lot of elk every winter, but Day figured theyre probably a little more hungry than usual because the snow is deep and packed.
GOODING  A Gooding man charged with shooting and killing his son-in-law now faces a felony first-degree murder charge.

A preliminary hearing on the amended charge against 62-year-old Jimmie E. ONeal Sr. is set for 9 a.m. Wednesday in front of Judge Casey Robinson, but the case is likely to be delayed to give ONeals new attorney, Brad Calbo, a chance to review the case, Gooding County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Pember said Monday.

Police say ONeal shot his son-in-law, 34-year-old Steven Lawrence, with a .38 special handgun during a Dec. 28 argument at Lawrences house. Lawrence was taken to North Canyon Medical Center, where he died from his wound.

Initially, prosecutors said the shooting was willful, unlawful, deliberate, and with malice aforethought, but without premeditation, and ONeal was charged with second-degree murder.

But in reviewing the case, the prosecutors office determined the crime warranted a first-degree murder charge.

Our job is to charge things properly, Pender said. (ONeal) is innocent till proven guilty, but the facts do constitute first-degree murder.

ONeal told police Lawrence was abusive to his daughter. The two men had been arguing through a locked door when ONeal forced his way into Lawrences bedroom, court documents said. ONeal told police his gun went off accidentally after Lawrence pointed a gun at him first.

No gun was found in the bedroom where the shooting happened, Pember said. The gun that ONeal claimed Lawrence was holding, was in a pawn shop.

ONeal is in custody in Gooding County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond.

Pember is not seeking the death penalty, he said. If found guilty, ONeal could get 10 years to life imprisonment.
RUPERT  A 45-year-old Rupert man has been sentenced to probation for lighting the threshold of his bedridden neighbors apartment on fire.

Joshua Vance Bethke will serve 50 months of supervised probation for second-degree arson. He was also ordered to receive mental health treatment. Bethke pleaded guilty to arson Jan. 9 and prosecutors dismissed a charge of malicious injury to property and dropped his first-degree arson charge to second-degree.

If he fails probation, Bethke could spend three to eight years in prison.

Police were called to C Street Manor May 28 where they found significant charring at the bottom of an apartment door. The carpet under the door was burned along with vinyl flooring inside the apartment and a draft stopper.

Bethke lived across the hall from the apartment.

Two men, who were at the apartment visiting their aunt, said Bethke was standing in the hall making comments that did not make sense to them and laughing.

They later said they smelled smoke and found the fire at the front door, which they stomped out.

The men said one corner of oxygen-in-use sign had been torn off and taped across the peep hole in the door.

When police questioned Bethke, he said he had just had a diabetic episode and did not remember much.

Police found a partially burned piece of purple cardboard stuck to the carpeting outside the door that appeared to have been used to start the fire. They also found a purple Swiffer Wet Jet box behind Bethkes couch and the piece used to light the fire matched a missing flap on the box.
BOISE  Idaho plans to hire a new director of Information Security to help oversee cybersecurity at state agencies and address vulnerabilities to hacking or attacks.

The creation of the new position, which would be part of the governors office, stems from the recommendations of the Cybersecurity Task Force and is one of 10 cybersecurity-related measures Gov. C.L. Butch Otter promulgated by executive order Monday.

Among other points in the order, Otter is also ordering state agencies to implement a new cybersecurity framework, and he is directing executive branch agencies to submit employee cybersecurity and training plans to the new director of Information Security. The Department of Administration is being directed to create a state cybersecurity website and to facilitate annual testing of the states systems.

This is trying to get some uniformity, said Lt. Gov. Brad Little, who headed the task force and who had experience in cybersecurity from his previous work in banking.

The task force was created in July 2015 and included state agency directors and specialists from the private sector.

In summer 2016, a hacker breached the Idaho Department of Fish and Games data and accessed peoples personal information as part of a hack hitting people in several other states as well, prompting Fish and Game to suspend online sales of hunting and fishing licenses.

I appreciate the diligence and hard work of the members of the task force in addressing this critical and urgent issue, Otter said in a statement. We learned this past year, firsthand, just how real the threat of cyberattacks is when the Department of Fish and Games licensing vendor was hacked. Having a comprehensive plan to protect the personal information of our citizens must be a top priority.

Lawmakers need to approve the funding for the new director position. Little said they hope to fund and fill it this year.

Some of the larger state agencies, such as the departments of Health and Welfare, Labor, and Transportation, do their IT and cybersecurity work in-house. Ones that receive large amounts of federal dollars, Little said, have to comply with certain requirements  Health and Welfare for example, he said, has to do seven cyber-audits a year.

Smaller agencies often either leave the work to the Department of Administration or contract it to outside vendors. Fish and Games licensing site, for example, is run by a company based in Texas.

Its a mixed bag, Little said.

Little said ensuring cybersecurity is a more important part of state government than ever, both as more government data is stored online and as hacking proliferates. People need to be confident, he said, that when they perform transactions with the state online their personal information will be safe.

This is us assuring them that their privacy and their data will be secured, he said.
As Rome burned there were politicians who cared more about enforcing etiquette laws. Putting the fire out was secondary. I cite this as we enter a full week of the trials of state Rep. Heather Scott. The Representative from Northern Idaho is being censured (not in a literal government sense) for speaking what could well be the truth about how women advance legislatively. The colleague filing the complaint is alleged to have had an affair with a man with a powerful legislative position. In one of my earliest columns for this newspaper I went to bat for the alleged adulterers because I dont believe our Founding Fathers wanted government in our bedrooms. I should, though, point out I dont condone sin and I especially dont condone hypocrisy.

Complainant Christie Perry told a columnist at the Spokesman-Review her counterpart is also dangerous because Heather Scott carries a gun. Goodness! This is Idaho. Who doesnt carry a gun? The columnist from Washington State pointed out Perry also packs heat and owns a gun shop. This is the GOPs best effort? Perry also whined Scott gives colleagues dirty looks when passing them at the Capitol. Wow! Dirty looks are right there alongside sedition, right? One of our local legislators from Twin Falls also was quoted about the need for decorum and Kumbaya sessions. Do you really believe a country that sent Donald Trump to the White House is looking for people in government to debate over tea and crumpets? This is a country where people are filled with rage. It may not be pretty, but its an accurate response to the current way government is conducted. Last week a national columnist (a writer who opposed Trump from the right) described the President-Elect as a disruptor. The writer acknowledged its what a vast swath of Americans want. Heather Scott is a reflection of the public mood at the state level.

Some Republican leaders are trying to tell me people like Scott and Rep. Ron Nate from Eastern Idaho arent real Republicans. How do you define a Republican? In Reagans time (and most Republicans speak Reagan like Democrats talk JFK) a Republican was for smaller government, traditional values (embodied in constitutional ideas) and stable families. How does Scott violate these legs of the stool?

From what I can see she isnt for sale. There were Republican leaders who supported her liberal opponent last November. Her constituents had a different approach and overwhelmingly ratified Scotts re-election. Are they going to be disenfranchised because she has pulled back the curtain and allowed the public to see a darker side of Idaho politics? Were certainly seeing it now after she has had all of her committee assignments revoked. This is a warning for other grass roots legislators being sent in ever larger numbers to Boise by voters willing to shake up the business of government. Does it come from people who fear the loss of power or perhaps theyve got handlers in the donor class who want the revolution thwarted? George Will once said weve got too many politicians who believe their public office is their private property. These are the politicians who mouth all the right words, but the needs of the donor class come first. The donors dont give you satchels of cash because youre pretty. They want something in return. Leadership tells the newcomers to take a seat in the corner and if you keep mum you too can get some toys from the treasure chest. Is this what the GOP elites mean when they tell me how to spot a real Republican?

I was flattered when I was asked to participate in last summers state GOP convention. A lot of great work was conducted and the pep rally aspects cant be undersold. However, when it came time to fill many seats in party roles most of the delegates had no background on the various candidates. A fellow on the floor told me delegates had been emailed details earlier in the morning. We were meeting in a big old barn in Nampa and internet service was woeful. A great many delegates simply asked party elders who we were supposed to vote for and this allowed the mandarins to drive the choices. Ive since found many of my fellow delegates are willing to share their disappointment with me privately about how business is often conducted. I say privately because most fear speaking publicly. At local party meetings the committeemen and women have seats facing forward. In a room behind them the local mandarins have a wide view if anyone goes off the farm. Im reminded of the story of Soviet troops attempting to retreat from battle with the Germans. Stalin had his own men shot by a line stationed in the rear. It didnt matter a retreat sometimes was the best strategic decision. The party leader didnt approve.

There are things worse than Republican leaders. We call them Democrats. The liberals are salivating over a possible Scott denouement in their favor. They fear her even more than Republicans. Judging by the online comments Im reading, the leftists care about injustice only when it happens to someone on their protected list of victims. Scott should qualify as a woman but conservatives arent viewed as human beings by the left. In the Marxist worldview shes getting her comeuppance and the circumstances are irrelevant. This has been the culture of the Democrat Party since the Clinton era of the 1990s. The ends justify the means. No matter how sordid the motives of Scotts enemies, her departure from the political scene strengthens Leftys hand. It should also tell us there really is just a one party scene in Boise (and in most state capitals and Washington, D.C.) and its the Establishment Party.

Scott is faced with the same malady afflicting Donald Trump. She threatens the elected who profit from their offices and she threatens the bureaucrats whove long been feeding from the public trough. The government workers back the growth of government and even Republicans have recognized the benefits of expansion. You get to go home and brag about how you got into a scrum on the floor and secured money for a new community center/dairy research facility/ballfield and if you send them back for another term theyll bring back more of the tax dollars they confiscated from you in the first place. Although, they had to cycle it through the bureaucracy and you may get a dime back for every dollar you lost. But, hey, the bureaucrats wrote checks to campaigns with your money. Theyve become just as important to perpetuating a permanent political class as have the big businesses greasing the slides. As I listened to the governors State of the State address it became apparent downsizing government isnt much of a goal anymore. This is what Heather Scott and her growing army of allies are looking to stop. This is why the powerful have decided it was time to strike. The tanks have rolled into Prague, to make a historical analogy. As the story unfolds well learn if Idahos Prague Spring is finished or if the heavy-handed power mongers have miscalculated.
A company led by Ayala Corp. and an Austrian group is set to start motorcycle production in the Philippines this month, after securing incentives from the government.

The Board of Investments said it approved the application of KTM Asia Motorcycle Manufacturing Inc. as a new participant under Classification III (motorcycle) of the new Motor Vehicle Development Program.

KTM Asia, a partnership between Ayala Corp. and Austria-based KTM AG, picked the Philippines as its Southeast Asian hub.

With the Philippines positioned as the Southeast Asian hub for KTM, it is poised to boost its export capacity to address the rising demand among motorcycle enthusiasts in the region and nearby countries like China, said Trade undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo.

Rodolfo said global brand KTMs decision to venture into and target the domestic market would further intensify healthy competition with the already established brands from Japan and China, thus providing more brand options for local consumers.

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KTM is the biggest European motorcycle manufacturer with a 9.6-percent market share across Europe. It is owned Cross Industries AG and India-based Bajaj Auto Limited. In 2015, it sold over 180,000 units with revenues exceeding 1 billion euros.

The Philippine unit will invest P290.6 million in assembly operations and another P114.17 million in parts manufacturing.

Commercial operations will begin this month of January 2017 from its assembly plant inside Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc., another Ayala Corp. subsidiary in North Science Avenue in Binan, Laguna, BoI said in a statement.

KTM Asia aims to assemble four motorcycle models with an initial capacity of 10,000 units annually that will double to 20,000 units when fully operational.

It plans to sell 3,000 to 5,000 units yearly for the domestic market while the rest is for export to China, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Rodolfo said the local motorcycle segment was one of the fastest growing sub-sectors of the automotive industry in the region, beating the downward trend experienced in other countries. And the good news is, theres still room for growth in the coming years, he said.

The Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association was expecting to surpass the 1 million mark in sales in 2016.

Industry figures showed that from January to June 2016, a total of 544,699 motorcycle units were sold, up 42 percent from850,509 units sold in 2015.

MDPPA expressed optimism that domestic sales could hit up to 2.5 million units by 2020 and the Philippines could even reach or top Thailand as the biggest seller of motorcycles next only to regional powerhouse Indonesia.

The Motorcycle Industry Roadmap envisions an industry with the potential to expand manufacturing and sales operations in the country due to the affinity of the Filipinos with motorcycle usage.

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THE Supreme Court directed on Tuesday the Judicial and Bar Council to comment on the petition seeking the restoration of the full voting right of the House of Representatives in the council.

During its en banc session, SC gave the JBC, the constitutionally mandated office that accepts, screens, and nominates appointments in the judiciary and the Office of the Ombudsman, 10 days to answer the petition filed by House Justice Committee Chair and Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali who pleaded that instead of the Senate and the House of Representatives sharing their one vote on a six-month rotation basis, each chamber of Congress should be given the right to vote separately during JBC deliberations.

In 2012, the high court reduced the voting representation of the Senate and the House in the JBC from two to one vote shared by whoever is designated by the two chambers of Congress.

This ruling reduced the number of JBC members from eight to seven members, which is now being challenged by the petition filed by Umali.

Aside from the JBC, also ordered to file their comment on the petition were the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Office of the Solicitor General.

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Under the present composition of the JBC, Congress is denied full representation. When it is the turn of the Senate to sit in the Council, the House of Representatives is denied representation. Conversely, when it is the turn of the House of Representatives to sit therein, the Senate is the one denied of its right to represent Congress, Umali stressed.

Citing an example, Umali said his vote was not counted during the deliberations of the JBC last Dec. 2 and 9 for the two vacancies with the retirement of Justices Jose Portugal Perez and Arturo D. Brion.

During the two deliberations, the petitioner noted that only the vote of Senator Richard Gordon was counted because of the current six-month rotation in Congress membership in the JBC.

On top of reducing Congress two votes to only one vote, the JBC had also adopted a half-voting system for the legislatives representatives or a 0.5 vote each.

In case where each was given a half-vote, the rights of both the House of Representatives and the Senate are diluted. In case of the six months rotation, there is periodic denial or deprivation of such right, contrary to the purpose of the Constitution. Only when both the House of Representatives and the Senate are given an equal vote of one each, is there a full recognition of their independent right of representation, Umali stressed.

The lawmaker asked that the JBC be directed to revert back to its prior representational arrangement where two representatives from Congress are recognized and allowed to vote to ensure full and proper representation and voting by both members from the Senate and the House of Representatives, and thereafter to recognize, accept and count the votes cast by the petitioner Umali in all proceedings of the JBC.

The JBC, concurrently chaired by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno, is composed of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre as ex-officio member, Umali and Gordon as members of Congress on term-sharing basis.

The regular members are retired SC Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez, who heads the Executive Committee; lawyer Jose Mejia, representing the academe; lawyer Milagros Fernan-Cayosa, representing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines; and retired Judge Toribio Ilao, representing the private sector.

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THE latest kerfuffle over President Rodrigo Dutertes comments about martial law exposed once again the weakness of his communications team.

After the President told the Davao Chamber of Commerce and Industries Saturday night that if he were to declare martial law, nobody could stop himnot even the Supreme CourtCommunications Secretary Martin Andanar immediately sprang into action, blasting the media for misreporting Mr. Dutertes remarks.

The President has categorically said no to martial law. He even made a pronouncement saying that martial law did not improve the lives of Filipinos. We therefore decry the latest misreporting that the President will declare martial law simply if he wants to or that no one can stop the President from declaring martial law, Andanar said in a statement.

Such headlines sow panic and confusion to many. We consider this kind of reportage as the height of journalistic irresponsibility, he added.

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Andanar said Duterte was clear in saying he would only declare martial law under the premise that the country has deteriorated into an utter state of rebellion and lawlessnesseven though video recordings of his speech said neither invasion nor rebellion would be his reason for putting the country under military rule.

Instead of providing clarity, Andanars knee-jerk reaction was to attack the media. This attempt to deflect criticism of his boss was all the more foolish, because video evidence clearly showed there was no misreporting.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines called Andanar out in an open letter, commiserating with him over having to spin the Presidents words every time he utters something inappropriate.

The group also took the Communications secretary to task for the utterly dishonest tack of blaming the media for accurately reporting the Presidents remarks.

The NUJP pointed out that contrary to Andanars claim that the President would only declare martial law if an utter state of rebellion and lawlessness existed, Duterte specifically said Saturday night it would not be about invasion or rebellion, but about saving the country from the drug peril.

Ranged against the facts and the video evidence of Mr. Dutertes remarks, Andanars attack on the media was just lazy and dishonest.

It is not media that sow panic and confusion when they accurately quote Mr. Duterte, it is Mr. Duterte himself who does so.

When Andanar and his colleagues in the Duterte Cabinet suggest that we not take the Presidents words literally, but apply creative imagination to his statements, they have left the realm of journalism and accurate reporting and entered the world of propaganda and spin.

But Andanar and company ought to rememberthats their job, not ours.

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Internationally acclaimed Filipino director Lav Diaz and ABS-CBN Chief Content Officer Charo Santos both received nominations at this years Asian Film Festival for Ang Babaeng Humayo (The Woman Who Left).

Diaz is nominated in the Best Director category competing with Na Hong-jin (South Korea), Koji Fukada (Japan), Derek Tsang (China), and Feng Xiaogang (China), while Santos is nominated for Best Actress and pitted against Son Ye-Jin (South Korea), Fan Bingbing (China), Haru Kuroki (Japan), and Kara Wai (China).The film is also nominated for best screenplay.

Charo Santos Concio with acclaimed director Lav Diaz

The Asian Film Awards is presented annually by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society to recognize the excellence of the film professionals in the film industries of Asian cinemas.

Last year was a remarkable year for Philippines Cinema especially after the Cinema One Originals and Sine Olivia Pilipinas-produced film won the Golden Lion award at the 73rd Venice Film Festival. It made history as the first Filipino film to win the prestigious award at the worlds oldest film festival.

Ang Babaeng Humayo tells the story of Horacia (Charo Santos), a woman seeking revenge after being imprisoned for decades for a crime she didnt commit.

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The 11th Asian Film Awards will be held on March 21 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

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Its long been known that the Chinese government hires people to support the government with fabricated posts on social media. In China these people are known as the 50c party, so called because the posters were rumored to be paid 50 cents (5 jiao or about $.08) to write the posts. The precise nature and extent of the 50c party has heretofore been unknown. But in an amazing new paper, Gary King, Jennifer Pan and Margaret Roberts (KPR) uncover a lot of new information using statistical sleuthing and some unusual and controversial real world sleuthing.

KPRs data-lever is an archive of leaked emails from the Propaganda Office of Zhanggong. The archive included many 50c posters who were sending links and screenshots of their posts to the central office as evidence of their good work. Using these posts, KPR are able to trace the posters though many social media accounts and discover who the posters are and what they are posting about. Both pieces of information reveal surprises.

First, the posters are government workers paid on salary not, as the 50c phrase suggests, piece-rate workers. Second, and more importantly, it has long been assumed that propaganda posts would support the government with praise or criticize critics of the government. Not so. In fact, propaganda posts actively steer away from controversial issues. Instead, the effort appears to be to distract (especially to distract the people from organizing collective action; thus distraction campaigns peak around times and places where collective action like marches and protests might become focal). KPR write:

Distraction is a clever and useful strategy in information control in that an argument in almost any human discussion is rarely an effective way to put an end to an opposing argument. Letting an argument die, or changing the subject, usually works much better than picking an argument and getting someones back up

Debate is about appealing to an individuals reason; debate is thus implicitly individualistic, respectful of rights and epistemically egalitarian. (As I argued earlier, respect for the truth is tied to individualism because any person may have truth and reason on their side.) Authoritarians dont care about these things and so they lie and distract with impunity and without shame. In this case, the distraction is done subtly.

From the initial archive, KPR are able to create a statistical picture of 50c posters. In one of the most remarkable parts of the paper they use this picture to identify many other plausible 50c posters not in the original archive. Then KPR test their identification with a kind of academic catfishessentially they trick the 50c posters into self-identifying. Its at this point that KPRs paper begins to read more like the description of a CIA op than a standard academic paper.

We began by creating a large number of pseudonymous social media accounts. This required many research assistants and volunteers, having a presence on the ground in China at many locations across the country, among many other logistically challenging complications. We conducted the survey via direct messaging on Sina Weibo, which enables private communication from one account to another. With IRB permission, we do not identify ourselves as researchers and instead pose, like our respondents, as ordinary citizens.

Using their own fake accounts, KPR directly message people they think are 50c posters with a message along the lines of:

I saw your comment, its really inspiring, I want to ask, do you have any public opinion guidance management, or online commenting experience?

The question is phrased in a positive way and it uses the official term public opinion guidance rather than the 50c term which has a negative connotation. Amazingly, 59% of the people KPR identify as 50c posters answer yes, essentially outing themselves.

Now, one might wonder whether such a question has evidentiary value but KPR do a clever validation exercise. First, they ask the same question to people from the original leaked archive, people whom KPR know are actual 50c posters. Second, they ask the same question of people who are very unlikely to be 50c posters. The result is that 57% of the known 50c posters answer the question, yes. Almost exactly the same percentage (59%) as in the predicted 50c sample. At the same time, only 19% of the posters known not to be 50c answer yes (that doesnt mean that 19% are 50c but rather that 19% is a measure of the noise created by asking the question in a subtle way). Whats important is that the large 40 point difference gives good statistical grounds for validating the predicted 50c sample.

Using this kind of analysis and careful, documented, extrapolation, KPR:

find a massive government effort, where every year the 50c party writes approximately 448 million social media posts nationwide. About 52.7% of these posts appear on government sites. The remaining 212 million posts are inserted into the stream of approximately 80 billion total posts on commercial social media sites, all in real time. If these estimates are correct, a large proportion of government web site comments, and about one of every 178 social media posts on commercial sites, are fabricated by the government. The posts are not randomly distributed but, as we show in Figure 2, are highly focused and directed, all with specific intent and content.

As if this werent enough, an early version of KPRs paper leaked and when the Chinese government responded, KPR became part of the story that they had meant to observe. The governments response is now in turn used in this paper to verify some of KPRs arguments. Very meta.

It took courage to write this paper. I do not think any of the authors will be traveling to China any time soon.
I strongly favor NATO and I dont think you can trust the Russians with just about anything, or for that matter make much of a deal with them. Im with Mitt Romney on all of this, as Ive been saying for years.

That said, I feel some of the recent discussions on Trumps pronouncements have been a bit kontextlos. I would suggest this wee bit of background history:

1. Not too long ago, Germany did have a national leader, Gerhard Schroder, who in essence ended up as a paid agent of Vladimir Putin. After leaving office, he has spent much of the rest of his career working for Gazprom. Try on this bit for size:

Mr Schroeder was Germanys Social Democrat leader from 1998 until 2005. He is a personal friend of Vladimir Putin and once described the Russian President as a flawless democrat. He joined the board of the Russian energy giant Gazprom after losing Germanys 2005 election and has defended Russias response to the crisis in Ukraine on several occasions.

In other words, Germany had its own Trump long before the United States did. You could call Schroder the Ur-Trump, albeit with a different socioeconomic pose.

2. It was Schroder who made the decision to take Germany off nuclear power and also to make the country energy-dependent on Russia:

As Chancellor, Gerhard Schroder was a strong advocate of the Nord Stream pipeline project, which aims to supply Russian gas directly to Germany, thereby bypassing transit countries. The agreement to build the pipeline was signed two weeks before the German parliamentary election. On 24 October 2005, just a few weeks before Schroder stepped down as Chancellor, the German government guaranteed to cover 1 billion euros of the Nord Stream project cost, should Gazprom default on a loanSoon after stepping down as chancellor, Schroder accepted Gazproms nomination for the post of the head of the shareholders committee of Nord Stream AG, raising questions about a potential conflict of interest.

Russia now provides 35% of Germanys oil imports and 39% of the natural gas imports.

I say NATO as an instrument for opposing Russia (not its only purpose, however) mostly ended with the Russian gas deal, because Putin can turn off the spigot any time he wants. Germany, the major European power, can no longer stand up to Russia in a pinch and it cannot do so because of the corruption of one of its major leaders. (Merkel I believe would not have done the same, but it is hard for her to undo this unfortunate situation, though I applaud the toughness she has shown, which at times has been considerable.) Furthermore, earlier U.S. presidents, most of all Bush, didnt have the stones or the means to do anything about this.

If youre looking for icing on the cake, try this:

3. Germans today are some of the most anti-American people in Europe, and that doesnt help the Atlantic alliance either. Its not uncommon for German citizens to suggest they dont see much difference between Putin and the United States (NYT), or even may be pro-Putin, and I mean that pre-Trump. So when Trump equates Putin and Merkel, German citizens have been equating American presidents with Putin for a good while now. Thats not an excuse or rationale for Trumps behavior, but it is worth keeping in mind when thinking about how to reboot the alliance moving forward.

I dont at all favor what Trump is saying, or how many Republicans dont seem to be complaining, but NATO has been on the ropes for some time now. On the Russia issue, Trumpismus is far more advanced in Germany than here in the United States. The sorry truth is that some of what Trump is saying is true, though his current rhetoric probably will end up making it worse.
The death toll of the Yemeni war has reached 10,000 according to the UN, which pointed out that the figure underscores the need to resolve the situation.

The Houthi uprising began in the northern part of the country at the end of 2014 before gaining momentum in January 2015. The crisis escalated with the intervention of the Saudi-led coalition, in March 2015, to reinstate President Hadi as the legitimate president of the country.

The UN stressed that Yemens political elites have a responsibility to shield people from further harm, protect their countrys future and commit to a peaceful settlement.

Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the current political stalemate is causing death and destruction every day and it can only be ended through a ceasefire and holding consultation to develop a comprehensive agreement.

Reaching an agreement to end the hostilities has proven difficult because the Houthi Movement and its allies are refusing to be disarmed and surrender their weapons without a comprehensive agreement that entails a joint transitional government contrary to the demands of the pro-Hadi government.

Latest clashes between the Houthi Movement and the pro-Hadi forces in the Shabwah governorate, southern Yemen, have left 34 people dead and 16 others injured.
Turkish security authorities Monday announced the arrest of the alleged attacker of Reina nightclub in Istanbul on the New Year eve.

The suspect identified as Abdulkadir Masharipov; an Uzbek national was pinned down in a house in senyurt district of Istanbul, just 25 miles from where the attack took place, The Guardian reports.

Another man, a Kyrgyz national, and three women were also pinned down in the raid.

Images of a man with bruises and blood on his face and shirt claimed to be of Masharipov went viral on social media.

The suspect and the four other arrestees have been transferred to Istanbul police headquarters for interrogation.

Turkeys foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu hailed the arrest.

In the name of our nation, I thank primarily our minister, Suleyman Soylu, our police and intelligence organizations who captured Reina assailant, he wrote in a tweet

Masharipov was identified as the main suspect of the attack from CCTV footage.

Thirty-nine people were killed and seventy people have been injured in the nightclub massacre, claimed by the Islamic State group.

The victims were from several nationalities including Moroccan, Israeli, Tunisian, and Saudi.

It is reported that the suspect, following the attack, initially hid in a safe house and was later joined by his wife and children before they ran away to another place.

Police identified his whereabouts several days ago but waited to monitor his movement and his contacts before the raid, report say.
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.
Spanish Security authorities announced Friday the arrest of a Moroccan man with Dutch citizenship for alleged membership with Islamic State group (IS).

The arrest occurred in the Spanish city of Figueres, North-Eastern Catalonia, the Moroccan news agency MAP reports citing the Spanish interior ministry.

The arrest was made possible thanks to coordination between Spain and the Netherlands, and cooperation with intelligence services of several other countries, the interior ministry further noted.

The man is suspected to be member of the terrorist group by Dutch authorities who have also issued an international arrest warrant against him.

The coordination between services was fluid over the past days after it turned out that the suspect returned to Spain after a sojourn in Turkey; a transit-road into Syria, the interior ministry noted.

Investigations are still ongoing to determine his level of radicalism, his connections in Europe, his mission as well as his objectives since his return to Spain.

Spanish security forces also on Friday netted two IS sympathizers of Moroccan nationality in the Spanish occupied enclave of Ceuta. The men had gone through a long radicalization process and were poised to stage attacks in the city, Spanish La Guardia civil said.

Investigators discovered at their residences semi-automatic guns, ammunitions, swords and knives, report say.

Up to 181 terrorist suspects have been arrested since 2015 in Spain.
Four security forces lost their lives Saturday as a result of a reckless handling of a dynamite explosive near one of the tunnels connecting the towns of Cheffa in Blida governorate and El-Hamdania in Medea.

Four other security forces were injured in the blast, local media El Khabar reports.

The incident took place during drilling and expansion works of the North-South highway, the local media further said.

The security forces were tasked to protect the workers. Reports say there could be further casualties as it is feared that the explosion might have caused landslide.

Similar incident occurred last year in May near the Makrounate tunnel, east of Blida. The Blast killed one person and wounded eight others.
The Council of the European Union last week extended the mandate of the EUs foreign mission EUCAP Sahel Mali for two years, until 14 January 2019. The Council also allocated a budget of 29.7 million to the mission for the period running from 15 January 2017 to 14 January 2018, the Council announced in a press release.

The EUCAP Sahel Mali civilian mission assists and advises Malis internal security forces as they implement the reform in the security sector laid down by the government.

It provides training and strategic advice to the Malian police, gendarmerie and national guard, and to relevant ministries, in order to support the security sector reform, the press release said.

The mission is part of the EUs comprehensive approach to security and development in the Sahel, which aims to support the Malian state in ensuring constitutional and democratic order, establishing the conditions for lasting peace and maintaining authority throughout the entire territory.

There are two other CSDP missions underway in the region: EUTM Mali, which contributes to the restructuring and reorganization of the Malian Armed Forces through training and advice, and EUCAP Sahel Niger, which supports the fight against organized crime and terrorism in Niger.

EUCAP Sahel Mali, headed by German Albrecht Conze, was launched on 15 April 2014.
Azerbaijan, Switzerland mull prospects of intl transport corridors

Azerbaijan and Switzerland have discussed transportation of Swiss cargos via the international North-South and South-West transport corridors.The issue was discussed during the bilateral meeting in Zurich between Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Javid Gurbanov and President of InterRail Holding AG Hans Reinhard, the press service of Azerbaijan Railways said in a message Jan. 9, Trend reports.The prospects of cooperation with Swiss partners were also discussed during the meeting.During the meeting, Javid Gurbanov said that thanks to the support of Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev Azerbaijan actively participates in the implementation of international transport corridors and important steps aimed at increasing the countrys transit potential are taken.Our main goal is to attract transit cargos by using Azerbaijans favorable geographical location for freight traffic via the routes from Central Asia to Europe passing through the countrys territory and vice versa, said Gurbanov.All opportunities have been mobilized in order to attract cargo traffic for these routes, he added.Gurbanov also highlighted the close ties with Switzerlands Stadler Rail Group. Currently, double-decker electric trains manufactured by the company run on the Baku-Sumgait route. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan Railways ordered 30 sleeping-type cars from Stadler for trains, which will run on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars route in the future.Hans Reinhard, for his part, noted that they are very interested in commissioning of the North-South transportation corridor. Reinhard also spoke about the importance of strategic cooperation with Azerbaijan Railways CJSC in this field.InterRail Holding AG is a part of TransInvest Group  the international transportation and logistics group based in Switzerland. TransInvest Holding operates in 34 countries with the help of 111 private companies, including in Russia, countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia.InterRail Holding AG is one of the leading companies in the field of services on transportation via railway in Europe and Eurasia.The company has offices and subsidiaries in Belarus, China, Germany, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
The News in Brief

Energy Minister Says No Deal Yet on Gas Transit Terms with Gazprom



Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze, who met with Russias Gazprom Export executives on December 23, said that talks will continue, as no deal has yet been reached on the transit terms of Russian gas.



Our position is very simple; even if we agree to their terms and move to monetization [of the gas transit fee from Russian exports to Armenia via Georgia], the country should get the profits equal to the amount of the natural gas received [currently], Kaladze said on January 6.



Speaking on the matter on January 9, Economy Minister Giorgi Gakharia stated that the countrys major goal [in the negotiations] is to have an objectively-set price and an affordable energy.



No agreement was made during Kaladzes working meeting with Gazprom Export executives on December 23, ten days after the previous meeting in Vienna.



The meetings are part of the annual negotiations with Gazprom Export to renew the gas transit agreement. Gazprom executives insist on monetization of the gas transit fee from Russian exports to Armenia via Georgia, which is unacceptable for the Georgian side.



Georgia rejected the terms offered by Gazprom last year, and following lengthy negotiations an agreement was signed in April, under which Georgia will maintain the existing transit terms of 10% of gas transported through Georgia. (Civil.ge)







Full steam ahead for renewables in Georgia



EBRD, EU and TBC Bank joining forces



TBC Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) are joining forces to support the expansion of renewable sources of energy in Georgia.



The institutions are providing a financial package of US$ 14.3 million (equivalent to approximately 13.5 million) to Rustavi Group LLC for the construction of a medium-size hydropower plant (HPP) in northern Georgia. The EBRD is supporting the project with a US$ 5.6 million loan and TBC Bank is contributing US$ 8.7 million. Meanwhile, the EU is backing this transaction through a risk-sharing facility based on a guarantee mechanism that makes it possible to increase the amount of financing beyond the amounts that would be available without a guarantee of this kind.



The Lukhuni 2 HPP will have an installed capacity of 17.2 MW and an expected annual generation of 86.3 GWh. During the summer period the power plant, operating on the Lukhuni River, will be eligible to export electricity to Turkey. In winter it will play a key role in providing electricity to northern Georgia. The power plant construction will benefit the citizens of Georgia by reinforcing energy security in the country and increasing competitiveness in the energy market.



In addition to generating energy, the investment is expected to boost the development of the Racha region through the creation of new jobs. The project is in line with the strategic priorities of both the EBRD and the government of Georgia to develop renewable energy generation and infrastructure.



The EBRD financing and the EU's support for the investment will allow Rustavi Group to implement EU standards during the construction of the HPP and to introduce more efficient and quality-oriented management practices, creating a benchmark for the industry.



Georgia signed an Association Agreement with the EU in 2014, which formed the basis of a reform agenda as well as the creation of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). The establishment of the DCFTA will create new trade opportunities and bring economic benefits to Georgia by offering businesses access to the EU single market  the largest in the world.



The EBRD and EU are cooperating on DCFTA-related activities in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. For example, they are providing small and medium-sized enterprises with access to finance, including direct lending as well as loans through local partner banks, but also with know-how to grow businesses. The financing is complemented by policy dialogue aimed at improving the business and investment climate in the three countries.



The EU is the largest donor providing grant resources to EBRD projects that directly benefit people across the three countries. The EUs support for the hydropower project is part of these DCFTA activities and benefits from funding under the EU4Business initiative.



The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Georgia. Since the start of its operations in the country, the Bank has invested over 2.73 billion in 195 projects in the financial, corporate, infrastructure and energy sectors, with 91 per cent of those investments in the private sector. (EBRD)






via @harrisalexc

As the November election results came in and tears rolled down her face, Carrie Feit couldnt stop thinking about her nieces.

Unlike her own 6-year-old daughter, Feits 12- and 14-year-old nieces were old enough to ask their mother about what they heard Donald Trump say on television. They wanted to know about the leaked Access Hollywood tape, of crude groping language infamy.

My sister had to wake up the next day and tell her daughters that he won, Feit said. That we elected him, that he won, that this country was OK with all that.

Feit, 42, turned her anger into action. Two days after Trumps upset victory over Hillary Clinton, Feit was area captain for the Miami-Dade County section of the Womens March on Washington, a catch-all demonstration for a slew of liberal causes planned for Saturday, the day after Trumps inauguration. Its expected to draw some 200,000 people from across the country.

I thought about my nieces and all little girls that we want to empower, Feit said. The idea that they and other girls would think they did not deserve as much respect as anyone else pained me to the core.

A robust contingent of Florida women is headed to the march any way they can. One bus from Miami-Dade  a nearly 20-hour ride away  sold out weeks before the trip. For those who cant make it to D.C., a simultaneous local rally is planned at Bayfront Park.

More here.

Photo credit: Patrick Farrell, Miami Herald staff
The Sierra Club asked the Florida Supreme Court Tuesday to block a $811 million rate hike by Florida Power & Light over the next four years, arguing that regulators violated state law when they failed to determine if a billion-dollar expansion of gas-powered power plants are needed.

The Florida Public Service Commission in November unanimously approved a settlement agreement reached by FPL and various consumer groups to raise utility bills by $400 million beginning in January, to be followed by $411 million in rate hikes in the next three years.

The Florida chapter of the Sierra Club and AARP opposed the settlement, arguing that if the utility giant stopped fighting the expansion of rooftop solar and other alternative forms of energy, its customers would save money and FPL could wean 70 percent of its fleet from its dependence on climate-change-inducing fossil fuels. AARP argues that the company should not be guaranteed excessive profits at the expense of customers. The commission did not address any of the opponents concerns and instead touted the agreement as good for the customers and good for FPL. The settlement ... produces rates that are fair just and reasonable and in the public interest, said PSC Chair Julie Brown. She commended FPL for smart, prudent decisions that have led to the lowest rates in the state. But the lawsuit claims that the PSC failed the principle goal of its oversight of electric utilities: determining if the rate increases are the most prudent, least-cost option facing FPL and ruling out other low-cost options, such as solar or energy efficiency. FPL relies on gas for 70 percent of its electricity generation and Sierra Club and other environmental groups argue that the company has tried to suppress conservation and competition from rooftop solar because it makes a profit off of building new plants, but can't profit off conservation or competition. FPL responded with a statement that "Sierra Club is an extreme group that takes extreme positions,'' but did not address concerns about its excessive reliance on fossil fuels and attempts to suppress conservation.
@PatriciaMazzei

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio confirmed Monday that he won't try to bring back the special immigration status for Cubans that President Barack Obama eliminated last week in a surprise move.

"Wet foot/dry foot -- and the Cuban Adjustment Act in general -- was in danger," Rubio told reporters in Miami. Obama's reestablishing of diplomatic relations with Cuba undermined "the very essence and the purpose of the law, its justification."

"There's been well-documented abuses of the program," added the Florida Republican, who had filed legislation to tighten federal benefits for recent Cuban arrivals. "In my view, the Cuban Adjustment Act was going to be changed one way or another."

He even predicted there would be enough votes in Congress to repeal the law altogether.

The Cuban Adjustment Act still stands, but Obama's actions Thursday effectively gutted it, making it much more difficult for Cubans to remain legally in the U.S. and qualify under the act's protections.

While he won't ask President-elect Donald Trump to bring back the wet-foot/dry-foot policy, Rubio reiterated he'll push to reinstate the Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program that gave refuse to Cuban medical professionals forced to work abroad who defected to the U.S. In a statement Thursday, Rubio said he spoke to Vice President-elect Mike Pence about the issue.

Now that Cubans who arrive undocumented in the U.S. must request political asylum to try to remain in the country, Rubio said he hoped their asylum claims would be given a full hearing.

"I don't want to see stories about people who came that way," with legitimate claims of oppression, he added, "and were sent back to Cuba."
via @KyraGurney

Before U.S. Rep. John Lewis took the stage in a Miami school auditorium Tuesday, local Pastor Carl Johnson led the assembled students in a prayer. He thanked God for Lewis' civil rights work and also addressed a more recent struggle: Lewis' back-and-forth with President-elect Donald Trump.

"Thank you for allowing him to speak his conviction to President-elect Donald Trump," Johnson prayed.

But when Lewis took the stage, he did not mention his feud with Trump, which was sparked when the civil-rights legend and Democratic congressman from Georgia said in a pre-taped "Meet the Press" interview Friday that he did not see Trump as a legitimate president. Trump responded Saturday, Tweeting that Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk  no action or results. Sad!

Lewis did, however, tell the students assembled at iTech @ Thomas A. Edison Educational Center, a magnet high school in Little Haiti, about the excitement he felt eight years ago when President Barack Obama was inaugurated. Lewis said he cried that day, bittersweet tears for the people who never lived to see an African-American president.

"I was crying for our mothers and our fathers, our grandmothers and our grandfathers," Lewis said as the students cheered. "I was crying for those little girls that were killed in the church in Birmingham. I was crying for Dr. King and many others...people that didn't live to see that day."

Lewis shared stories from the civil-rights movement with the students, including the famous march in Selma, Alabama, during which he suffered a skill fracture. He also encouraged the students, who are part of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring and scholarship program founded by U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, to stay away from gun violence and to stand up for what they believe is right.

"As young men, you have an obligation, a mission and a mandate, you have a legacy to uphold," he said.

After the speech, Lewis took a few questions from reporters, but refused to address the feud with Trump. He did confirm that he had also skipped Bush's inauguration in 2001, despite saying on "Meet the Press" that Trump's would be the first inaugural he'd boycott.

"We didn't attend it like so many other members of Congress did," Lewis said.

--KYRA GURNEY
Coming soon

Red Cross blood drives  The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to give blood to help ensure a readily available blood supply for emergencies. Donors of all blood types are needed. To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767. Donors are encouraged to make appointments and complete the RapidPass online health history questionnaire at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass to help reduce wait times.

MISSOULA: Wednesday, Jan. 18  St. Paul Lutheran Church, 202 Brooks St. Fellowship Hall. All presenting donors will be entered to win a free Red Cross T-shirt.

Monday, Jan. 23  The Loose Caboose, South Reserve St., is celebrating Cup of Kindness day by providing a free beverage ($3.50 value) to all participating donors.

Tuesday, Jan. 24  Good Food Store, 1600 S. Third St. W. Each donor will receive a coupon for a free smoothie at the Good Food Store Cafe!

Tuesday, Jan. 24  The Missoula Public Library, 301 E, Main St. All donors will be entered to win a free library book bag stuffed full of books and goodies from the Missoula Public Library.

Thursday, Jan. 26  United States Forest Service. The Bloodmobile will be outside of USFS at Fort Missoula. All presenting donors will be entered to win a free T-shirt.

Saturday, Jan. 28  Natural Grocers 2530 S. Third St. W. Start the year out healthy! All participating donors will be treated to healthy snacks and receive free health information!

Monday, Jan. 30 and Wednesday, Feb. 1  PEAK Health and Wellness. Join the team at the PEAK at their downtown location on Monday, or their Blue Mountain facility on Wednesday, and receive a coupon for a free drink at their Juice Bar!

Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1  The Bicycle Hanger on Brooks Street. Visit the Bicycle Hanger as their awesome team works to knock out the need. All participating donors will be entered to win a Be Awesome t-shirt.

Red Willow Center  For more information on the following classes at the learning center, 825 W. Kent, call 406-721-0033 or visit redwillowlearning.org:

Ongoing classes include "Yoga for Wellness" at noon Mondays, $12 or $40 for four weeks; "Mindfulness Meditation" at 12:10 p.m. Tuesdays, $12 or $40 for four weeks; "Yoga Beyond Cancer" at 4 p.m. Tuesdays, $40 for four weeks; "Yoga for Wellness" at 10 a.m. Wednesdays, $12 or $40 for four weeks; "Yoga for Chronic Pain" at 5 p.m. Wednesdays, $40 for four weeks plus $50 for prerequisite screening' "Meditation for Veterans" at 1:15 p.m. Thursdays at Missoula Vet Center, 910 Brooks, free.

Ongoing programs

AA and Al-Anon  For the latest Alcoholics Anonymous meetings list, visit aa-montana.org or call the Missoula hotline at 406-543-0011. For more information on Al-Anon and Alateen, which are 12-step recovery programs for relatives and friends whose lives have been affected by alcoholism, visit mt.al-anon.alateen.org.

Acupuncture for cancer caregivers  Missoula Community Acupuncture, located in the Radio Central Building, 127 E Main St., Suite 314, offers free acupuncture treatments for friends, family, nurses, doctors or anyone who takes care of cancer patients 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays. No appointment is necessary. For more information, call Michael Peluso at 406-926-1611.

Adult Asperger's support group  An open meeting for those with Asperger's as well as their family and friends is held 6-7:30 p.m. every Thursday at the University Center, Room 215, on campus. Contact Monique Casbeer at 406-721-3947 or Cindy Bacon Janego at cjanego@communitymed.org for more information.

Alzheimers support  Meets the second Wednesday of each month at noon at the Summit Independent Living conference room, 700 S.W. Higgins Ave. Another group meets the fourth Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Missoula Senior Center, 705 S. Higgins Ave. For more information, contact Jackie Johnson at 406-549-3433 or jackiej45@yahoo.com.

Alzheimers caregivers support group  Meets the fourth Monday at 6:30 p.m. of each month at the Missoula Senior Center, 705 S. Higgins Ave. For more information, call Jackie Johnson at 406-549-3433.

Arthritis programs  The Montana Arthritis Program offers physical activity and self-management education programs, such as the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program, Walk with Ease and Stanfords Chronic Disease Self-Management Program. Classes are available in several communities including Florence, Hamilton, Kalispell, Libby, Missoula, Plains and Polson. To find a class or for more information, visit dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/arthritis.

Bereavement support groups  Frontier Hospice offers open door meetings 6-7 p.m. Thursdays at the following locations: The Springs at Whitefish on the first Thursday; Rising Mountains Assisted Living Community in Bigfork on the third Thursday; and Frontier Hospice in Kalispell on the second and fourth Thursdays. Call 406-755-4923 for more information.

Breast cancer support group  Meets the first and third Wednesday of the month from 11 a.m. to noon at the Montana Cancer Center, St. Patrick Hospital Broadway Building, second floor. Call 406-329-5656.

Cancer Center support group  Meets noon-1:30 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Montana Cancer Center, 500 W. Broadway. For more information, call Bonnie at 406-240-0996.

Cancer Resource Guide  The online guide covers resources including support groups, treatment centers, camps and retreats, in Missoula, Mineral and Ravalli counties. It is available at cancerresourcesMT.org.

Cancer support group  A support group for anyone affected by cancer meets noon-1 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays at the Polson United Methodist Church, 301 16th Ave. For more information, call Tammy at 406-883-7284 or 406-824-2868.

Celebrate Recovery  The Christian-based 12-step recovery program meets 6-9:30 p.m. every Friday at Christian Assembly Foursquare Church, 1001 Cleveland St. Dinner is available from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and child care is provided for ages birth to 11. For more information, call 406-721-6884 or email cafc@4bible.com.

Cheerful Heart  Lake County cancer patients in treatment can receive a massage and help with hair and skin problems, free of charge, from local therapists and cosmetologists. Other non-medical services include transportation to treatment and doctor appointments, running errands, yard work and meal preparation. Appointments may be scheduled by calling 406-883-3070.

Colorectal Cancer Support Group  Meets 1-2 p.m. the third Friday of every month through March 20, Community Cancer Care Conference Room, 2827 Fort Missoula Road.

"Coping, Education & Support for Women with All Cancer Types"  The support group for women in all stages of cancer treatment or survivorship will be held noon-1:30 p.m. the second Monday of every month through March 14, 2016, at the Community Cancer Care Conference Room, 2837 Fort Missoula Road. For more information, call Deb Rivey at 327-3912, Terri Paxinos at 406-327-3957 or Kimberly Hardwick at 406-327-3906.

Diabetes program  At 6:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month, there will be a short presentation on a topic related to the management of Type 1 diabetes at the YMCA, 3000 S. Russell St. It will be followed by the option for socializing in the foyer or being active together at the Y. A fee of $5 per person will be collected at the door for those choosing to use the facility. Designed for ages 14 and older, children are welcome but must be accompanied by a parent/caregiver.

Double Trouble in Recovery  The 12-step program for people with mental health and addiction issues meets 3-4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Winds of Change Recovery Mall, 2685 Palmer St., No. C (second floor). Coffee is provided. For more information, call Veronica at 406-721-2038.

Epilepsy support group  Meets the first Monday of the month from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Summit Independent Living Center, 700 S.W. Higgins Ave., Suite 101. Patients, friends, family and caregivers welcome. Call Debbie at 406-721-0707 for more information.

Free health exams  Women ages 30 to 64 who meet necessary income guidelines and either have no health insurance or have insurance that will not pay for breast and cervical health exams can receive free exams through Partnership Health Centers Montana Cancer Screening Program. Call 406-258-4162 for more information.

Gentle yoga class  The Missoula Senior Citizen Center, 705 S. Higgins Ave., offers a class that focuses on balance training, back strength and core conditioning through gentle yoga matwork every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 9 a.m. Fee is $4 per class. All ages welcome. For more information, call 406-543-7154.

Health Insurance Assistance Service  Montana cancer patients can call the American Cancer Societys 24-hour toll-free number to be connected to a health insurance specialist to ask about coverage and insurance programs specific to the state. The number is 800-227-2345.

Mens cancer support group  Open to men in all phases of testing, treatment and followup, the group meets the fourth Tuesday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Montana Cancer Center, 500 W. Broadway. It is facilitated by Gary Weisbrich and Tom King. Call 406-329-5628 or email gary.weisbrich@providence.org for more information.

Narcotics Anonymous  Meets at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Alano Club, 8 Third Ave. W., Polson. Call 406-883-4135.

National Alliance on Mental Illness  NAMI Missoula meets every Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon in the lower level (behind the cafeteria) of the Providence Center. It is open to anyone affected by mental illness or interested in learning more about the group. The NAMI Connection group for adults living with mental illness meets 1:30-3 p.m. Thursdays at the NAMI offices, 202 Brooks St., Room 210. Call 406-880-1013 with questions.

NAMI Family Support Group  National Alliance on Mental Illness Missoula meets Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 202 Brooks St., in Room 210. The peer-led support for adult family members, caregivers and loved ones of individuals with mental illness is free. For more information, call 406-880-1013 or email namimissoula@gmail.com.

My No-Nonsense Nutrition Program  A seven-week webinar course to improve your nutrition and fitness. Faith-based approach to better health. Free initial consult with Judy Gilman, registered nurse, diabetes and wellness educator. mynononsensenutrition.com or 406-546-7819.

Overeaters Anonymous  Local meetings include 7 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. Saturday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 202 Brooks St. A meeting for newcomers is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday followed by a "Back to Basics" meeting at 7 p.m. at St. Paul's. Everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively is welcome. There are no dues, weigh-ins or lectures. For more meeting information, visit oa.org.

SAA  For the latest Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting list visit saa-recovery.org, call the Missoula hotline at 406-241-4005 or email MissoulaBetterway@yahoo.com. SAA is a 12-step fellowship of men and women who share experience, strength and hope for the purpose of finding freedom from addictive sexual behavior and helping others recover from sex addiction.

S-Anon  Local meetings are held weekly for this recovery program for people affected by another persons sexual behavior. Visit sanonmontana.org or call 406-544-1271 to learn more.

Stroke and Brain Injury Support Group  Meets the second Thursday of each month from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Providence Center, 902 N. Orange St., in the dining area on the fourth floor. For details, call 406-329-5784.

Tai Chi for Arthritis  Class offered 9:15 a.m. Mondays at the Missoula Senior Citizens Center, 705 S. Higgins Ave. $4 per class. All ages welcome.

Tai Chi Chih  Classes are offered at the following locations: Missoula Senior Citizens Center, 705 S. Higgins Ave., 9:15 a.m. Wednesdays, $4 per class; PEAK Health & Wellness Center, 5000 Blue Mountain Road, 11 a.m. Tuesdays, call 251-3344; and The Womens Club, 2105 Bow St., 9 a.m. Fridays, call 406-728-4410.

TOPS  Take Off Pounds Sensibly, an affordable, nonprofit, weight-loss support and wellness organization, meets at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the First Christian Church, 2701 S. Russell St. Another TOPS meeting is 6:30 p.m. Monday at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 2512 Sunset Lane. For additional meetings, go to tops.org, click on "Find a Meeting" and enter your ZIP code or call 800-932-8677.
HELENA  New aquatic invasive species detection and containment program recommendations would cost more than $5.1 million annually and include mandatory inspection of out-of-state watercraft at double the number of inspection stations.

The state of Montana's Mussel Response Team testified before the Joint Committee on Long Range Planning Monday, telling lawmakers that vital changes in recreation are necessary after the first detection of invasive aquatic mussel larvae last year.

Were now facing something that might change the future of our state, that we never wanted to have here, Dept. of Natural Resources and Conservation Director John Tubbs told the committee.

Larvae from either quagga or zebra mussels were confirmed in Tiber Reservoir last year  the first detection in the Northwest. Suspected samples were also discovered in Canyon Ferry Reservoir, upstream in the Missouri River, and in the Milk River.

Bryce Christiaens, chair of the Montana Invasive Species Advisory Council, said invasive mussels, unlike native species, attach to hard surfaces and then reproduce at high rates. Adult mussels attached to recreational boats or other infrastructure can live up to five days out of water and several weeks in high humidity, he said. Larvae can also be transported in ballast water or live wells.

Once established, invasive mussels clog infrastructure, creating both economic and ecological impacts as evidenced by significant infestations in the Midwest, Great Lakes and Colorado River Basin. Control efforts nationwide exceed $1 billion, Christiaens told the committee, although there are no measures proven to eradicate them.

The governor-created rapid response team convened last December, temporarily halting boating on the two reservoirs as it developed response measures. On Monday, the committee heard those recommendations.

Montana is now considered a source state for invasive mussels, DNRC incident commander Matt Wolcott testified, bringing concerns from neighboring states and provinces. Protocols must change to ensure mussels are not transported from known detection areas to prevent transfer west of the Continental Divide. The Columbia River Basin is the last major basin in the U.S. considered mussel-free.

***

The first recommendation calls for construction of two watercraft decontamination stations on Tiber and two on Canyon Ferry. Decontamination would be mandatory when leaving infested waters, and rules may call for special events such as fishing tournaments to provide additional stations.

These decontamination stations immediately address the threat at Tiber and Canyon Ferry. We take those very seriously, Randy Arnold, incident commander for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, told the committee.

Under the proposal, the number of watercraft inspection stations would double from 17 last year to 34. Increased hours and days of operation are also recommended.

Out-of-state watercraft would face mandatory inspection prior to launching in the state as a means of preventing new mussel introductions.

Thatll be a considerable effort and a lot of personnel and resources, Arnold testified. Documents put the inspection programs expansion at more than $5.8 million over the next two years.

The recommendations also call for expanded water sampling and increased testing capacity. Last years larvae detections came during routine sampling that takes place on more than 180 bodies of water with about 610 samples. That would increase to testing at 206 bodies of water and 1,500 samples.

The final recommendation encourages prioritizing collaborations, data management and research while increasing education and outreach about invasive mussels.

The rapid response team considered many options and focused on the best containment practices that would have the least economic impact to communities dependent on Tiber and Canyon Ferry, Arnold said. While technical changes will help combat the threat of invasive mussels and other invasive species, recreationists must understand the problems and take them seriously.

Its a change in culture and a change in the way we recreate in Montana, he said.

***

While some lawmakers Monday expressed frustration that more was not done to prevent an infestation, the committee applauded the rapid response team.

Its a major disappointment and Im devastated that we have them at all  I wish wed done more, said Rep. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka. We are where we are and were going to have to dig down and get some additional money.

The total estimated cost for the recommendations is more than $10.2 million over the next biennium. Where that funding would come from is uncertain, although Tubbs testified that he expects half could come from federal sources. Legislators have also brought ideas for funding and several bills are being drafted, he said.
BILLINGS  Donald Trump becomes president of the United States on Friday and Helena native Mark Fisher plans to be there.

Fisher is bringing a camera, a heavy coat and quite possibly a stopper, which will play a part in Fishers photos essay about draining the swamp, a play on Trumps promise to upend DC politics.

Were going to support a change in the government, Fisher told The Gazette. Were going to help drain the swamp.

Fisher scored tickets to the inauguration through U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont. Fisher moved to Florida a few years back. Hell be meeting up with his daughter, Amy, who is traveling from Helena.

Amy scored the tickets, Fisher said. Once a staffer for former Republican Montana Sen. Conrad Burns, Amy still has a few connections, which she called upon.

Members of the House and Senate collectively distribute about 250,000 tickets. Daines told The Gazette in December that ticket interest among Montanans was pretty strong. Montanas lone Congressman Ryan Zinke, reported the same. Zinke could be leading the Department of Interior on inauguration day, having been confirmed by the Senate earlier in the week.

Democrat Jon Tester, Montanas senior senator, still had tickets Friday when he was visiting Billings. Tester offered his wifes seat to one woman who said she was traveling to DC, not for the inauguration, but for the womens march the following day in protest of Trumps presidency.

The seat was 16 rows up from the swearing in, said Tester, who will be at Trump's swearing in, but will skip the parade, at which he said nearly froze to death in 2008.

Daines was the easy source for last-minute tickets in 2013. He offered tickets within plain viewing distance to one Billings family who contacted him one week before President Barack Obamas second inauguration.

Initial estimates put the inauguration attendance a 600,000 to 800,000 people, roughly the same size as Obamas second inauguration. Obamas first was a record setting 1.8 million. The Washington, D.C., Transportation and Tourism Department, which has posted crowd estimates in the past, hasnt this year.

Joining Fisher on the West Lawn of the Capital will be 11 teens from 4-H groups in Montana. Chaperone Chris Skorupa said 4-H has its own lodging for attendees in D.C. and is will cover most of the costs for students, who will spend the entire week leading up to inauguration in the capital. Each teen will have to pay $1,500.

The Gazette will be posting photos and tweets from the 4-H crew throughout the week.

Really, tell me how many times have you heard of a 4-H delegation of kids going to the inauguration, Skorupa said. I dont know if its happened before.

Theres a full slate of things to do for the 4-H crew, Skorupa said. Daines has invited the group and all Montana visitors to an open house for Montana visitors the day before the inauguration. Stellas diner and bakery in Billings is shipping sweet rolls baked fresh for the occasion.

The Montana State Society hosts a bipartisan Best of the West Inaugural Ball the Saturday after the inauguration. Tickets are $100.
More than a year after being indicted on federal charges accusing him of defrauding the Montana appliance and electronics chain Vanns Inc., the trial of former CEO George Leslie Manlove is scheduled to start Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Missoula.

In December 2015, prosecutors filed more than 200 federal charges against Manlove and Paul Lyn Nisbet, a fellow former executive of the now-defunct Vanns, which closed in 2013 after declaring bankruptcy.

The charges against the men included allegations they created shell companies and had Vanns lease property from them without board approval. Manlove also allegedly used company funds to pay for tuition, vacations and gifts for himself and family members.

In October, Nisbet  the former chief financial officer of Vanns  pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy under an agreement with prosecutors. He was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Nisbet, 47, has been serving his prison sentence at a facility in Oregon, but was recently moved to the Missoula County jail as he is expected to testify in Manloves trial.

Manlove is also charged with three counts of tax fraud for allegedly misrepresenting income in his 2009-2011 income tax returns and not paying almost $50,000 in taxes. His trial has been delayed several times. In September, a federal judge rescheduled it from October to January after Manloves attorney requested another yearlong delay. Manlove has been free on supervised release pending the start of his trial.

Jury selection from a 31-person pool is set to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dana Christensen. The judge has not set a number of days for the trial to last, only ordering that trial will not be held on Friday.

Founded as a single Missoula store in 1961, Vanns Inc. grew to include include four retail locations across Montana, an online store and two sister companies, The ON Store in Southgate Mall and BigSkyCountry.com. A civil lawsuit filed against the two former executives was settled for $7.3 million in 2014.
A man who was out on supervised release after punching and strangling his girlfriend in the fall of 2015 was sentenced to prison last week, just weeks after a search of his home found guns and illegal drugs.

Gage Daniel Stroop, 22, was arrested in October 2015 after police were called to his girlfriend's home on the 300 block of Front Street early in the morning. Gage also punched a neighbor who tried to intervene, and threw a pumpkin at both women as they fled.

In September, Stroop pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault, as well as a misdemeanor assault on the neighbor and criminal mischief for breaking his girlfriends phone. The pleas were entered without any agreements from prosecutors, meaning District Court Judge Robert Dusty Deschamps had free rein in how to sentence to Stroop on Friday.

Stroop had been on supervised release until sentencing after using a bond company to post the $40,000 bail in his case, but was arrested in early January after a search of his house.

Justin Bradley, an officer with the Department of Corrections intensive supervision program, said he was told by Stroops probation officer that he was kicked out of treatment for using cocaine, marijuana and alcohol. Bradley went to Stroops home Jan. 4 and in his room found several guns and a duffel bag containing a pound of marijuana, as well as cocaine, mushrooms, LSD and other illegal drugs, according to court documents.

Stroop has a prior felony drug possession conviction from Lake County for which he received a deferred sentence. Bradley indicated in court that a petition to revoke that sentence has been filed, with a recommendation for an additional five years in prison.

Jennifer Clark, assistant chief deputy county attorney, said the new drug and weapon possession allegations were still being investigated and would lead to additional charges, either in federal court or through her office. In the assault case, she asked Deschamps to send Stroop to prison for 20 years, with 15 of those years suspended.

I think the sentence should be severe, Clark said, adding that Stroops victim had extensive injuries.

Stroops attorney John Smith argued for a lighter sentence that would allow his client to enter treatment programs through the Department of Corrections. Simply sending him to prison at such a young age, he said, would punish him, but I also think it would make him a convict.

Smith said the new allegations of drug use and possession were addict behavior, adding Stroop had first used methamphetamine at the age of 13.

Deschamps said he had worked with bazillions of addicts and that the money also recovered from a safe in Stroops house indicated a person dealing drugs, not a desperate user. Without the new allegations, he said he might have been willing to send Stroop to treatment programs instead of prison, but in the interest of public safety sided with Clarks request.
Missoula is in the middle of its coldest winter in almost 40 years, as well as its snowiest winter ever so far.

With an average temperature of 14.6 degrees since Dec. 1, the last six weeks rank third behind the winter of 1978-79 and 1948-49 for the coldest winters on record.

National Weather Service senior meteorologist Bob Nester said that to date, Missoulas leading in snow levels.

Its the most snow weve had through Jan. 14, ever, he said.

Thats 38.6 inches so far, with the 1996-97 winter recording a total of 59.5.

All these numbers are from what the National Weather Service tracks as the meteorological winter, from Dec. 1 through the end of February.

The 1948-49 winter holds the top, or bottom, spot with an average temperature of 10.8 degrees, while 1978-79 falls in just a half degree warmer at 11.2 degrees.

Both of those winters, Nester said, had longer cold snaps than 2016-17s.

The winter of 1948-49 had 15 days where the low was under -10 degrees, while 1978-79 had 11 days.

This year only has six such days so far.

Those two (winters) were a lot colder and kinda brutally cold, Nester said. Through today were number three.

The record-breaking cold isnt just in Missoula either  the weather service ranked this winter as second coldest in Kalispell so far, and third in Butte. For comparison, Salmon, Idaho, is having its coldest winter ever this year with an average high of 9.7 degrees.

There is a predicted warm front this week, with wind that should blow cold air out of the valley, although the weather service forecasts that the system will bring precipitation in the form of rain if its warm enough.

Due to the Missoula Valleys air inversion, the city may not feel much warmer, but down in the Bitterroot Valley and up in Kalispell, Nester said it could reach the mid-40s by Wednesday.

One day might seem like summer, he said. As long as were stuck in this inversion, Missoula looks like well be below normal, well below normal.

That average late-January temperature peaks in the mid-30s and dips to the upper teens. Nester said their predictions show highs in the 20s at best through the rest of this month.

***

The record cold prompted the Union Gospel Mission to expand its hours of service, now open from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. due to the extreme cold, according to an email from community outreach coordinator April Seat.

Theyll keep the doors open when its 11 degrees or colder at night.

The Poverello Centers weather policy, which allows almost anyone into the shelter to sleep if it is  or feels  20 degrees or colder, has been in almost constant effect for 2017. Only a handful of days didnt apply.

The slight increase in temperatures puts some Montanans at risk for flooding, as heavy ice on rivers and streams may break apart, causing ice jams.

Montana experiences the highest number of reported ice jams in the continental U.S., Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Director John Tubbs said in a press release. Flooding can happen in any community and it can happen quickly.

The most common ice-jam months are January, February and March, with most flooding occurring in March, according to the release.

Aside from ice jams, precipitation can pool in areas where storm drains or ditches are clogged with snow and ice, or in low-lying areas, also causing flooding.

The DNRC recommended people living near a river or stream make sure they keep extra drinking water, as floods can compromise water systems. They're also advised to shovel snow away from homes and buildings; purchase flood insurance and have a flood evacuation plan.
A member of the Grant Creek neighborhood leadership council sent an email to fellow homeowners on Monday saying that a mountain lion had killed a 35-pound dog in the backyard of a Prospect Drive home Sunday night, near the school bus turnaround.

According to Bert Lindler, game wardens from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks killed two young lions in Grant Creek on Monday as a result.

"The dog's body has been left where the lion stashed it near Grant Creek in hopes that the lion will return to find it and feed its young," Lindler said. "Fish, Wildlife and Parks will make another attempt to track and tree the adult lion tonight."

Jamie Jonkel, a wildlife management specialist with FWP, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment on Monday.

Lindler, in the email to homeowners in the Grant Creek neighborhood, said it would "be best if we stayed off our trails along Grant Creek this afternoon."

"All homeowners should keep their dogs inside or close by in the meantime," he said.

It is not uncommon for FWP specialists to kill mountain lions  also known as cougars  in urban areas after they attack dogs in Missoula. In August 2015, a mountain lion suspected of eating a dog in the Marshall Grade Road area was killed in the Rattlesnake.

Lindler did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
Demolition of the historic Missoula Mercantile building to make way for a new downtown hotel should continue as planned, according to an opinion issued Tuesday by Missoula County District Court Judge Robert "Dusty" Deschamps.

A Bozeman developer plans on demolishing most of the historic building, except for the pharmacy portion, to build a $35 million, five-story hotel with ground-floor retail space. A crew from Home ReSource is expected to very soon begin a six- to eight-week process of salvaging materials from the building, deconstructing it in the process.

The building underwent asbestos removal as the first phases of a plan to develop the site, while preserving part of the pharmacy building.

The city council's decision to allow the development "best served the multiple goals and objectives outlined in City planning documents," Deschamps wrote.

"The city council recognized the importance of historic preservation, both in the abstract and as articulated in the growth policy and DMP (Downtown Master Plan), and balanced it with the need to maintain a robust and active downtown economy."

Andy Holloran, the developer who is leading the effort to build the hotel, said it has been a challenging process since he first unveiled the plans in March.

"Our initial feeling isn't one that's filled with a sense of victory," he said. "It's more what we hope is a final step in a long, challenging, thoughtful process. We very much look forward to moving the project forward and seeing this important corner revitalized."

Last spring, the city's Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) voted unanimously to deny the demolition permit, saying the developer had not met a number of criteria. The decision was appealed to the city council, which then granted a partial demolition permit as long as the pharmacy portion was saved.

A local preservation group, Preserve Historic Missoula, filed an appeal late last year challenging the Missoula City Council's decision to reverse the HPC's decision, calling it "arbitrary and capricious."

One of the main sticking points was how many potential buyers have backed out of buying the Mercantile because the costs of rehabbing it were too high.

Preserve Historic Missoula and the Historic Preservation Commission found that the owner had not made a good faith effort to find a purchaser interested in preserving or renovating the existing building.

The owner of the building, JP Williamson of Octagon Partners, argued in a legal brief that "more than 20 prospective buyers looked at acquiring and renovating the building, however it proved too costly for those prospective buyers to acquire the land, renovate, abate and incur architectural and engineering fees and other related costs."

The city council agreed with Williamson, and Deschamps wrote that there was significant credible evidence to support the building owner's argument.

"(Preserve Historic Missoula) have failed to show that it was made without evidence or was arbitrary and capricious," Deschamps wrote.

The Merc was constructed in stages starting in the 1870s, and Deschamps noted that it was the most important regional shopping center well into the 1960s. However, he noted that its "rustic origin is at once a source of its historic significance as well as the root of its current fate because it is not a particularly well-built or attractive building, making it difficult and expensive to utilize."

Deschamps wrote that, contrary to Preserve Historic Missoula's claims, the city council did not abuse its discretion when it overturned the HPC's denial of a demolition permit.

"Like several members of the City Council, this Court has a personal sense of sadness and loss about the destruction of the building that is such an important piece of Western Montana and Missoula history," Deschamps wrote. "But the issue before the court is not an emotional or a political one. It is not even a factual dispute  it is a purely legal issue."

Dan Hall, a local historian and a member of Preserve Historic Missoula, issued a press release on the group's behalf.

"The members of Preserve Historic Missoula and all those supporting the appeal to preserve the historic Mercantile building are profoundly disappointed in Judge Deschamps' ruling to permit the demolition of Missoula's most iconic commercial building," Hall wrote. "We have appreciated this opportunity to express our concerns through the judicial system and its thoughtful consideration."

Hall wrote that PHM has maintained that the deconstruction permit process for the Merc was flawed. In particular, they believe that the process followed by the city council did not comply with the Historic Preservation Ordinance. They have requested that the law be clarified. Hall said nearly 4,700 people signed their petition affirming that the Merc is worth saving.

Hall said the PHM members haven't considered whether they will appeal Deschamps' decision.

He did, however, note that the Merc continues to be a symbol for progress in the heart of downtown.

"This entire process sets a new standard for the future of historic preservation in our city and our Downtown Historic District  to acknowledge our heritage, or sadly, to replace it."

Hall said PHM's goal is to be a resource for all the parties involved and to find a community-based architectural solution that respects the Mercantile and represents something all Missoulians can be proud of.

One thing that Hall and Holloran both said was that this process has shown that historic preservation and successful downtown development are not mutually exclusive.

"I hope this shows that development and preservation can work together," Holloran said. "We did work to redesign the project many times in conjunction with public input and with the City Council. We are committed to saving the pharmacy building. We are committed to salvaging as much of the material as physically possible."

Holloran said any material that can be repurposed will be donated to Home ReSource. The new hotel will include a "Missoula Mews," an indoor public alleyway that will feature historic items.

"We very much want to continue to work with the community in seeing our great downtown continue to thrive," Holloran said.

He said he's heard from a lot of business owners who are excited about the prospect of more shoppers and diners.
I was pleasantly surprised last week when I went check my inbox and found a response email from Sen. Jon Tester.

It was sent as a response to a letter of concern I had sent to his office over the nomination of Scott Pruitt as director of the Environmental Protections Agency by President-elect Donald Trump.

The response outlined Testers role in the confirmation process of presidential cabinet members, his experience with climate change as a farmer, and closed by asking me to reach out on any other concerns. While it was obvious that this was an automated message, I was ecstatic to receive it because it meant that enough people had expressed concern over Scott Pruitts nomination that the senators office decided they needed to publicize their stance.

Climate change is one of the most terrifying issues facing our state right now, and while we have a long way to go to solve the climate crisis, we have made a lot of meaningful progress. There are many incredible groups in our community working their tails off to make sure our air and water are protected from irresponsible stewardship, providing a brighter future for Montanans to come.

In this time of extreme uncertainty in our nation, we must make sure that these projects do not lose momentum and Tester has the power to ensure that our EPA will promote these projects rather than deflate their funding.

Environmental protection and climate action are important to me, but if there are other Cabinet positions that you are worried about right now, I urge all Montanans to speak up and reach out to your elected officials. Make sure that Senator Tester knows what is important to you by submitting a comment card to his website. Give democracy a hand. Your senator is listening.

Emma Patrash,

Missoula
The need for Planned Parenthood is undeniable. Planned Parenthood health centers provide cancer screenings, pregnancy testing and birth control to 2.5 million patients annually. In Montana, about 14,000 patients choose Planned Parenthood as a health care provider. I stand with Planned Parenthood as a patient fortunate to receive annual exams from Helena and Missoula health centers.

While almost half of Donald Trump supporters dont wish to see Planned Parenthood defunded, and America is seeing a 30-year low of unintended pregnancies, Speaker Paul Ryan has vowed to lessen access to health care by defunding Planned Parenthood. Attacks to defund Planned Parenthood are attacks on access to basic health care.

Since Nov. 8, Planned Parenthood has seen a 900 percent increase of IUD appointments. Women are seeking long-term birth control options out of fear that under new administration, they may lose access to birth control through the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and the defunding of Planned Parenthood.

Thank you, Sen. Jon Tester, for standing with Planned Parenthood.

Sen. Steve Daines and Congressman Ryan Zinke, I urge you to be on the right side of history, not just the right side of the aisle  stand with me and the 14,000 Montanans who need reproductive care.

Allie Hay,

Helena
United States health care is currently at a tipping point. If Obamacare is to be repealed, it should be replaced by Improved and Expanded Medicare for All.

Health care should not be dependent on the free market, income, race, gender, political party or any other status of the human condition. Health care costs should not force anyone into bankruptcy because of serious illness. The quality of health insurance should not determine whether people live or die. Health care should not be designed to make huge profits for multi-billion-dollar insurance companies, drug companies, hospitals and medical equipment suppliers.

Health care is not a commodity to be bought and sold. The purpose of any sane health care system is to keep people well, not to make stockholders wealthier.

Our current system is costly, bureaucratic, wasteful and inefficient, ranking 37th in the world. Economist Gerald Friedman, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, has done mountains of research on Medicare for All and concludes that Expanded and Improved Medicare for All would save $592 billion annually in health care costs, reduce drug costs by $116 billion, and create savings enough to cover all 44 million uninsured and underinsured citizens.

H.R. 676 even provides $51 billion for transition costs of displaced insurance and health care workers. H.R. 676 already exists as Rep. John Conyers' legislative bill, designated Expanded and Improved Medicare for All, in the House of Representatives.

It is time for Congress to act on H.R. 676. We must join together. The enactment of H.R. 676 is straightforward. We must get to work, get involved, speak out, take action and make it happen. Join the national movement called Our Revolution to get it done. Remember, if you do not speak out against injustice, you are on the side of the opposition.

Richard A. Damon,

Bozeman
BILLINGS  A partial closure of an aging coal-fired power plant serving customers across the Pacific Northwest could come earlier than planned depending on the actions of its co-owner and Montana lawmakers, according to documents released Tuesday by Washington state regulators.

The documents submitted by Puget Sound Energy detail its plan to retire two of Colstrip's four generating units.

The 2,100-megawatt facility is one of the largest coal-fired plants in the West. It's seen as increasingly uneconomical to operate because of competition from cheaper power sources and mounting pollution control costs.

Puget Sound has a 50 percent share of Colstrip Units 1 and 2, which were built in the 1970s. The utility reached an agreement last year with environmentalists that requires their closure by July 2022.

Puget Sound representatives warned that could happen sooner, given that co-owner Talen Energy wants to exit its role as Colstrip's day-to-day operator by mid-2018.

The ownership group is seeking a third party to take over as operator, with initial bids due in February, said Ronald Roberts, director of thermal resources for Puget Sound.

"Our intent right now it to operate through July 1, 2022," Roberts said. "A lot of the caveats that are out there are outside our control."

Talen spokesman Todd Martin declined comment.

Talen also operates Units 3 and 4 at Colstrip, which were built in the 1980s and are co-owned by Puget Sound, Talen, Northwestern Energy, PacificCorp, Portland General Electric and Avista. There are no plans to close those more efficient units.

Puget Sound suggested an early closure for the two older units also could be prompted by pending measures before the Montana Legislature, including an increase in the wholesale energy tax rate.

Roberts said the tax increase could make Units 1 and 2 less economical than power from other sources.

The measure by Montana Rep. Jim Keane, D-Butte, would double the tax from .015 to .030 cent per kilowatt hour on electricity generated by power plants that is put on transmission lines.

Half the money collected would go into the state's general fund and the other half would go into a new account for grants and loans to help communities where a power plant is closing.

Keane said Puget Sound could seek an early closure of the power plant but would need the approval of the investment firm Riverstone Holdings LLC, which bought Colstrip co-owner Talen Energy last year. Keane said he hopes the private company will be more receptive to operating the plant as long as possible.

"I think you have to take the threat seriously, but at the same time they can't close the plant down without the cooperation of both owners," Keane said.

Other bills pending in Montana would require Puget Sound and Talen to submit a decommissioning and remediation plan to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and a measure appropriating $130,000 to allow the state to intervene in Puget Sound's rate case in Washington state.

Volz reported from Helena.
HELENA  The state needs to try to keep Colstrip units open as long as possible, and start planning for how to transition its economy and workers when jobs there are lost, Rep. Jim Keane told a legislative committee on Monday.

The Butte Democrat introduced two bills to the House Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee that he said would move Montana in that direction. Both measures are part of a five-bill package drafted by the Energy and Telecommunications Interim Committee over the summer.

House Bill 21 would establish a temporary task force to determine what rights workers have to keep their pensions and other benefits if their employer goes bankrupt, and what role the state should play in ensuring that protection.

House Bill 22 asks for state funding that would allow Montana to make its case to the Washington utility commission during upcoming rate hearings that will decide the future of Colstrip, as well as some additional funding to research what alternative energy Montana might sell to its neighbor.

Its about protecting Colstrip first, but the State of Montana even above that, Keane said.

***

A consent decree filed in U.S. District Court last July included terms to shut down two of four units at the Colstrip plant, which sends coal-generated power throughout the Pacific Northwest. The decree was the conclusion of a 2013 lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club and Montana Environmental Information Center. The two older Colstrip units to be shut down are both owned by out-of-state companies: Washingtons Puget Sound Energy and Pennsylvanias Talen Energy, which was bought by a private equity firm late last year.

The owners have said they would prefer to keep the units in operation up to the 2022 shutdown deadline, but could close sooner. Montana legislators traveled to Washington state three times over the last two years, hoping to convince state lawmakers there to require Puget Sound Energy to keep the units operating as long as possible.

Frankly, they talked real nice to us, they treated us real good, then they hung us, Keane said. Thats what happened. We got absolutely nothing promised us.

In large part, he said, thats why he is carrying HB 22. A Washington utility commission slated to hold rate hearings will decide how long to operate the Colstrip units and how much money should be set aside to cover decommissioning and remediation costs.

The bill would give $100,000, divided between the attorney general and governors offices, to intervene in those discussions and make the best case for Montana. Another $30,000 would fund a study of other energy options Montana might sell to Washington along the same lines so rates do not balloon here and some jobs might be salvaged.

He noted that the power generated at Colstrip keeps rates in Montana low so that a variety of industries can afford to do business here.

Were talking broad brushstrokes that could devastate communities all across Montana if we dont stand up for ourselves, Keane said.

***

Just as HB 22 seeks to protect the state economy as a whole, Keane said HB 21 would work to protect workers affected by the Colstrip closures. It would allocate $20,000 to a task force to study what benefits Colstrip workers have been promised and determine what can be done to keep them whole, whether or not that involves the state at all.

When previous corporate giants have shuttered, such as Montana Power Company or Patriot Coal, employees lost all or some of the value of their pensions or other retirement benefits. In some cases, employees sued to get the full value back  but ultimately some of the winnings went to cover court costs.

No one spoke in opposition to either bill.

Numerous groups stood in support of the two bills, including associations representing city and county governments, economic development groups, environmental organizations, an oil-and-gas county coalition, a tribal coalition and leaders from Colstrip.

John Metropolous, a Helena lawyer representing Talen Energy, spoke as an informational witness.

We have no reason to oppose helping workers protecting what they deserve, he said.

Rep. Derek Skees, R-Kalispell, and Rep. Adam Rosendale, R- Billings, asked repeated questions of Keane and supporters about why government should be involved at all, whether the tone of the discussion was only hastening Colstrips closure and about the cost of the bills.

Is it the position of cities and towns of Montana that if a company that came to Montana to do business that once theyre here ... if they shut down, dont worry, taxpayers would foot the bill? Skees asked Kelly Lynch of the Montana League of Cities and Towns about HB 21.

I dont read the bill the same way you do, she replied. It puts together a task force to look at what those options are and leave that up to the city working with the company or the state working with the company what to do about that.

Later Rosendale asked about HB 22: Is it the taxpayers money?

Yes, said Keane and Bob Gilbert, a lobbyist who represents the City of Colstrip and Rosebud County. But they argued that is not necessarily a bad thing.

This bill makes sense, Gilbert said. These (companies) have paid hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes. So lets pretend just for a minute were spending a little portion of their money.Were not spending my tax money or your tax money. Were taking a portion of their own tax money to use against them to make sure justice is served.

Keane said the numerous questions about the task force bill proved his point that one is needed.

Thats what this bill is about, he said. Were studying with $20,000 where these peoples answers lie, to get the questions answered (that were) brought up in the committee hearing.
HELENA  A bill to allow statewide and legislative candidates to use surplus funds from a past election in their next campaign for office drew opposition from the commissioner of political practices, who said incumbents would have an unfair advantage.

Candidates are required to dispose of any campaign funds 120 days after filing a closing campaign report. Typically, any remaining funds are put in a constituency account to cover a legislators expenses, donated to a nonprofit or to the candidates political party. Under House Bill 199, carried by Dave Fern, D-Whitefish, candidates would be allowed to use the money for their successive campaign as long as they run for the same office in the same district.

During the House State Administration Committee hearing on Tuesday, Commissioner Jonathan Motl said it would be impossible to track contributions and monitor limits when a lump sump is being transferred from a past campaign.

Its an issue technically called circumvention, Motl said. You dont know where that money came from in the group of contributors. You dont know where that limit should be applied.

Motl said he was also hesitant to see the legislative body amend a piece of law from a citizen initiative, which set up the states modern day contribution limits.

But Fern said an incumbent inevitably has some sort of advantage, and this law would help legislators with a modest income who might face a wealthy challenger. Fern said the committee had his blessing if they knew how to transfer surplus funds with names of contributors attached.

He also said he hoped to have a member of the committee sponsor an amendment that would set limits on what can be carried over. The limit would discourage legislators from raising funds for two election cycles at once.

Im going to strongly suggest that one of you take me up on an amendment, Fern said. Not to make it appear to be a slush fund where you purposely one time around get all the bucks you can so you dont have to raise money again.

Fern suggested a $500 cap for house members and $1,000 for the senate, but said hes open to the committee adjusting the limit.

The law would still prohibit candidates from donating the money to another political campaign or using it for their own benefit. They are also not eligible to use the surplus to run for a difference office or in another district. Fern said candidates wouldnt be able to touch the money until after the legislative session adjourns and they file a declaration for nomination. If the candidate withdraws, the money would be disposed in accordance with current law.

I strongly support the options we now have to deal with excess funds, Fern said. I think having constituency funds or giving to charity or the party is terrific. This is one additional option you could have.

The committee also heard two other bills regarding campaign finances. House Bill 186 would allow a candidate in an unaffiliated party to get on the ballot without a signature requirement.

Carried by Forrest Mandeville, R-Columbus, the bill would change the definition of an independent candidate to an unaffiliated candidate. As of now, if a person doesnt declare as a Republican, Democrat or Libertarian, they have to file as an independent candidate. But someone might want to run with an affiliated party, such as the Green Party.

They could be tied to other parties, parties that dont have valid status in Montana. They could be a truly unaffiliated person, he said. This renaming would make it clearer where candidates truly are.

If a person wants to run as an independent candidate, the law requires them to obtain signatures. The number of signatures must be 5 percent or more of the total vote cast for the successful candidate for the same office in the last general election. The second change proposed by Mandeville would allow truly unaffiliated candidates to get on the ballot without signatures. The candidate would still have to acquire signatures if they wanted to run with an affiliation such as the Green Party.

For the most part, we declare publicly when we run for office, he said. We shouldnt be forcing people to choose a party if they dont identify with that party just to get on the ballot.

Mandeville said he expected the committee to be concerned that an overwhelming number of candidates would run for office. He said a majority of people are deterred because running a campaign is difficult and legislators put their lives on hold to come to Helena for the session.

House Bill 50, carried by Wendy McKamey, R-Great Falls, is a cleanup bill to require the candidate finance report to require a date on all campaign contributions. The form legislators use doesnt require a date for individual contributors, even though the law requires a date. McKamey said the commissioner of political practices office has to evaluate all reports and correct them with legislators. Several campaign complaints are filed each year, mostly because legislators dont realize they are in violation.

McKamey said the bill would ensure transparency and consistency. Montana is the only state that doesnt require a date for individual contribution on the candidate finance form.
The work in Butte-Silver Bow to prevent suicide continues, though the effort can be fatiguing and demoralizing. Despite tremendous community toil and collaboration, suicide continues. Seven adult males in Butte-Silver Bow have died since Oct. 5  one in October, four in December (two on Christmas day), and two thus far in January.

Suicide is not an issue unique to Butte. Since 2000, the rate of suicide has increased by 28 percent in the United States at a cost to the country of $44 billion annually (an amount calculated by combined lifetime medical and work loss).

Alarmingly, in 2016, Montana ranked No. 1 in the country for suicide rate, almost double the U.S. rate (Montana is at 23.80 suicides per 100,000 in population, compared to the U.S. rate of 12.93).

Very alarming is the fact that Butte-Silver Bow has one of the highest suicide rates in Montana  a county with a horrifying suicide problem in a state with a horrifying suicide problem. The 2016 Montana Suicide Mortality Review Team Report features a chart with age-adjusted suicide rates in Montana per 100,000 in population from 1995 through 2014. Montanas rate during that time was 16.4, compared to a Butte-Silver Bow rate of 20.6.

The Butte-Silver Bow Suicide Prevention Committee, formed three years ago, has evolved into what were now calling the Community Action Team. The mission of this coalition is to build a healthy community, with a vision focused on collaboration. Core values include using evidence-based approaches to prevent suicide, and to be pioneering. Indeed, several entities throughout the state have looked to Butte-Silver Bow on how we have worked on suicide prevention.

And yet, here we are. Seven men dead by suicide since early October.

Our committee began in early 2014 when kids in Butte-Silver Bow started dying by suicide. The states suicide prevention coordinator, Karl Rosston, told us back then that we were no different from any other community, prompted into action by fear. Rosston also cautioned us. Montana, he said, has had a high suicide rate for decades  dont expect that to change overnight.

In a recent email to a newspaper editor, I explained the lessons our committee has taken in over the past three years. What we have learned, I said, is that the vast majority of all suicides are linked to mental illness, most often depression and anxiety. The good news is that depression and anxiety are highly treatable. We need to continue to work very hard on the stigma surrounding the seeking of mental health treatment. In these parts, stigma is huge. Oftentimes, there are other contributing factors, such as alcohol or drug abuse. Research is always ongoing  studies are under way nationally to see if there is a correlation even to altitude. Isolation seems to be a thread, that those who are dying dont seem to see an alternative. Impulse is often in play.

Weve learned that depression is highly treatable, with the combination of drugs and therapy being the best approach. The very good news is that the Affordable Care Act has allowed people to obtain health insurance  the most recent insurance enrollment survey conducted annually by the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance found that 92.6 percent of Montanans had health coverage as of May 2016, an uninsured rate of 7.4 percent. Thats down from an uninsured rate of 20 percent in 2013. This means that most people with depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses have access to care. (In a recent discussion with U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., several Butte healthcare professionals relayed what they believe will happen with the repeal of the ACA  among other travesties, more people will die by suicide.)

In the midst of uncertainty at the federal policy level, work at the local level continues. The Community Action Team, comprised of more than 60 individuals, believes that if Butte becomes a healthier community, our suicide rate will decline. We are now at work on piloting a web-based system that we believe will smooth referrals between professionals and agencies, including referrals between school-based and community-based systems. We are also working on consistently getting kids to school, with knowledge that kids who graduate high school have a shot in life.

And were working on trauma, especially trauma sustained in early childhood  trauma such as being abused or watching your parent be abused. Were learning what trauma means to children as they grow into adulthood, and what those traumas mean to a community. Were trying to learn why some children can face trauma and be resilient, and other children cant.

Which may lead us to enhanced knowledge about why some adults can face trauma with resilience, while others cant.

On behalf of the Community Action Team, I dedicate the teams work occurring in 2017 to the seven Butte men whove died by suicide since early October.

Well be thinking about all of you every step of the way.
HELENA  Nearly every state in the country has banned the use of cellphones while driving to some extent, but not Montana. In fact, one legislator wants to take the state even further in the opposite direction.

On Tuesday, Rep. Jeremy Trebas, R-Great Falls, introduced a bill that would prohibit local governments from creating cellphone or texting bans. The measure would nullify ordinances enacted in numerous Montana cities, including Billings, Missoula, Great Falls and Helena.

I know unbanning an activity that is dangerous makes people uncomfortable, Trebas said. I understand that being distracted while driving is dangerous. We are picking one small area of distracted driving and saying its the worst form.

His main argument was that research has not yet shown bans to be effective in reducing collision rates, although he admitted distracted driving does increase the likelihood of a wreck and the bans have been shown to reduce cellphone use while driving.

The Montana League of Cities and Towns, State Farm Insurance, Montana Medical Association and public health experts opposed the bill. They argued bans are effective in reducing the dangerous behavior. Cities also argued that the bill would infringe on their right to local control and residents should be able to make decisions about their own communities without state interference.

Were talking about local authority and local control, Ed Bartlett, a lobbyist for Billings, said. We do believe it has had an impact.

Studies completed since the first ban in 2001 have generally concluded bans have no effect on crash rates, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health, National Safety Council, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Some of those researchers have cautioned the available crash and insurance data might not accurately reflect the true incident rates because nothing at a wreck scene confirms whether a driver was using a phone and people are unlikely to offer up that information freely to police or insurance adjusters, especially if its illegal activity. Some studies using insurance data focus on low-speed, low-severity crashes, where researchers say changes in crash rates from distracted driving should be easiest to spot.

The first laws targeted phone calls made while driving. More recent laws focus on texting while driving. The research is clear that using cellphones, whether to make a call or to text, impairs drivers ability to pay attention. For instance, federal statistics show texting makes a driver 23 times more likely to crash. Research also shows that bans decrease the number of people who use their phones while driving and how frequently drivers do so.

So far, studies have not shown bans to decrease the number of crashes caused by drivers distracted by cellphones.

"Drivers are distracted by a lot of things," said Russ Rader from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "The research we've done suggests that when they're not on the phone, they do other distracting things. Things like talking to passengers, scolding the kids at the wrong time, eating, drinking coffee. Singling out one very visible distraction and banning it doesn't address the whole problem. Even though you may get a substantial number of drivers to put down their phones, it doesn't seem to affect crash risk."

Thats why, Trebas said, Montana should stop cities from creating bans.

Bad drivers are still going to be bad drivers, he said. We have to find a way to talk to them to change their behavior besides telling them not to do it.

He suggested public and behavioral health experts should take the lead and find effective ways to communicate the safety hazards of distracted driving.

Assistant City Attorney for Great Falls Joseph Cik presented an alternative reason for the inconclusive studies: Cities are still learning which types of penalties are most effective, especially as drivers cellphone habits have changed in recent years.

Recently, the city of Great Falls saw a dramatic increase in the number of tickets handed out in violation of our cellphone ordinance. More than 1,200 tickets a year (in 2016), almost triple the speeding violations handed out, he said.

The fines first approved in 2012 did not seem to be working to deter the behavior. Cik said officers were sometimes told by drivers it was just the cost of doing business, implying they would not stop. As a result, the city council decided in November to change the penalties, increasing the fines and adding community service, loss of plates and loss of license as possibilities for subsequent offenses. Cik said Trebas was the only person to testify against the changes.

While it may be understandable that a statewide ban might be unreasonable given that Montana is a vastly rural state, cities like Great Falls, Billings and Bozeman should be able to regulate their public safety needs, Cik said.

Great Falls Commissioner Bill Bronson said that cellphone bans are a more exact tool to combat this particular form of distracted driving. As written, current careless driving laws leave room for offenders to argue their cellphone use wasnt distracting and because the offense affects insurance rates drivers are more likely to fight it in court. He compared cellphone bans to drunk driving laws, noting they do not stop the behavior entirely but send a clear message.

Its OK to have a social drink once in a while. Its not OK to drink and drive, he said. We have very strong laws against drinking and driving. Do people still drink and drive? Absolutely. Have we been able to stop them from drinking and driving? Obviously, we have not. But we still hold that to be inappropriate behavior and we punish it.

Rep. Laurie Bishop, D-Livingston, echoed public health experts and worried that reversing bans would actually encourage more distracted driving, especially among teens who might see it as proof that texting and driving is not actually risky.

Several Republican members of the committee asked Great Falls representatives pointed questions about how much money the city makes in fines from their cellphone ban. Cik said he did not have the figures on hand and they would not capture the new fine structure, which he hoped will be better at reducing usage.

Frankly, were hoping our revenue is less under the new ordinance than it was before, he said. The idea is to deter people from this specific type of activity, not just cite them and fine them.

No action was taken on the bill Tuesday.
HELENA  A proposal to create a long-term funding source for infrastructure projects introduced Tuesday is, by and large, not a new proposal, nor are the potential snags unknown.

Senate Bill 88 would divert some interest earned from the Coal Severance Tax Trust fund into a new Build Montana sub-trust, a proposal pitched by Gov. Steve Bullock in his recent re-election campaign. It would take an estimated five years for the fund to accrue a $50 million principal, the trigger to allow interest to pay for infrastructure projects. The strategy was first used in 1996 to establish the Treasure State Endowment Program, which pays for some local water, sewer and bridge projects. The fund diversion to build that program ended last year. In essence, the bill introduced this session would redirect the same money that had been used to build that program to establish a new one for other types of infrastructure projects.

This is the first of several steps forward to create an infrastructure program for the long term, the bills sponsor, Sen. Jon Sesso, D-Butte, told the Senate Finance and Claims Committee. As we all know, the current needs are not going to be met, with or without bonding. We need to establish as a Legislature another fund for us to use to fulfill those needs throughout the state, be they water, sewer, roads, school projects or the like. There are many projects and simply not enough money.

In recent years, several bills to fund infrastructure projects failed to pass the Legislature or were vetoed by Bullock, including a Republican bill similar to Sessos proposal. State leaders disagreed on which types of projects should be priorities, what source of funding should be used and whether the state should go into debt to pay for them.

Those same debates remain this session as legislators consider a slew of proposals to fund projects immediately as well as identify ongoing funding to reduce the states backlog of unmet need in future years. The introduction of SB 88 marked the start of those discussions.

Chairman Sen. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, said the Finance and Claims Committee would wait to vote on SB 88 until other infrastructure proposals have been heard. That way, he said legislators can better discuss how to put the pieces together without overlooking any particular type of project.

Dan Villa, the governors budget director, said he supported SB 88, but warned against busting the trust by capping the permanent fund as some Republicans had previously proposed.

You will find significant opposition from this administration, he said.

Villa also cautioned that diverting coal trust revenues as described in SB 88 will have ripple effects in the state budget, such as slowing growth of or shrinking the permanent trust. Other bills have proposed the same kind of diversion for other uses that will contribute to the big picture he urged legislators to consider.

The Montana Infrastructure Coalition also supports the bill. The group of cities, counties, contractors, economic developers and others formed after the 2015 failure to pass any infrastructure funding billings.

Our sole concern would be the immediate availability of funds, Executive Director Darryl James said, acknowledging other bills might support projects more quickly.

No one spoke in opposition to the bill.
A seven-person coroners jury on Tuesday unanimously cleared a Butte police officer of any criminal action relating to last Junes shooting death of armed Iraq war veteran Peter Grandpre during a gun battle in his Clark Street home.

The jury arrived at its decision after 40 minutes of deliberation following four hours of sworn testimony from Lt. John OBrien, who shot Grandpre, Butte police Sgt. Chad Kriskovich, Montana Crime Lab experts and Montana Department of Justice criminal investigators.

Montana law requires a coroners inquest for any death involving police to determine whether officers acted legally, unless a coroners inquest is a judicial inquiry, not a criminal investigation.

Questioning was done by Butte-Silver Bow deputy county attorney Ann Shea, and the inquest was led by Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Coroner Gerald Thomas in place of local coroner Lee LaBreche, who recused himself due to his close working relationship with Butte police.

The inquest began with a recording of the 911 call placed by Grandpres wife, Brook Grandpre, requesting assistance at 1:50 a.m. on June 16. Brook said in the recording that her husband was drunk, throwing objects around the house and was armed.

Hes got a knife, he has two guns, she told the told 911 dispatcher, he has a house full of them.

Brooks told the dispatcher she wasnt afraid for her safety or the safety or her two kids upstairs, but was worried of what might happen should she and the children leave.

Im afraid that if we leave he will basically let the cops shoot him, she said.

Grandpre could be heard yelling in the background of the call, which Shea shut off after Grandpre was shot.

They killed my husband, Brook repeatedly screamed.

OBrien, a veteran police officer, testified that he was dispatched on a domestic disturbance involving a man with two guns, a woman and kids. He said domestic disturbances involving firearms are some of the most dangerous calls to which officers respond, and that he followed proper procedure, including parking down the street to avoid aggravating the situation and turning on his body camera.

OBrien arrived alone to the house, with four other officers on the way. He said he saw both the husband and wife through the window, and that Grandpre was turning the house lights off, which police training suggests means a suspect is barricading.

He doesnt want us to be able to see inside the house, OBrien testified.

The lieutenants testimony matched his body cam footage, which Shea played for the jury.

OBrien said he drew his sidearm when he saw Grandpre walk by the window with a rifle, and advanced on the house when Grandpre turned off the porchlight. The officer testified that he planned to take cover to the right of the door.

The video, filmed from OBriens chest rig, showed Grandpre opening the door while looking away into the interior of the house, which he then moved into, unaware of OBrien. OBrien raised his sidearm at Grandpre, who was wearing a military-style tactical vest and was in the living room, and told him several times to get on the ground. Grandpre pulled a pistol from a holster and raised it at the officer.

OBrien and investigators said it is unclear who fired first, but the first exchange of rounds brought Grandpre to the ground while OBrien took cover to the right of the door. Slowed footage from OBriens body camera later showed bullets striking the reinforced steel doorframe next to OBrien. Another volley of shots was fired, and then OBrien advanced into the houses threshold.

Body camera footage from Kriskovich showed the sergeant move up behind his lieutenant at this point, and the pair then advanced into the house. Kriskovich said when he entered the house that Grandpre was slumped against the couch and was still trying to raise his pistol.

OBrien swept the pistol from a prone Grandpres left hand with his foot before disarming the man of a second pistol, a knife and a hatchet, handcuffing him and beginning first aid.

The lieutenants footage ended with OBrien and a screaming Brook trying to stem Grandpres bleeding and resuscitate him as paramedics arrived.

Why is he wearing a tac vest? OBrien asked Brook.

Because hes a vet and has PTSD, Brook said.

Grandpre was taken by paramedics to nearby St. James Healthcare where he was pronounced dead at 2:32 a.m., the cause of death blood loss.

Nikki Mourtzinos, deputy medical examiner of the state crime lab, testified that she performed Grandpres autopsy, finding two gunshot wounds to his left leg, two to his chest, one to his abdomen and one to his hand, which passed through.

Anthony Poppler, state criminal investigator, testified that Grandpres tactical vest should have come standard with a bulletproof plate in the front and back, but that the front plate had been removed.

I dont know if it was a mistake or it was intentionally done that way, he said.

Poppler said investigators found thousands of rounds of ammunition in the home, as well as 11 additional firearms and supplies to manufacture suppressors.

State criminal investigator John Sullivan testified that Grandpre fired seven rounds and OBrien six based on the number of missing bullets in each of their loaded pistol magazines and body camera footage.

Lynette Lancon, state forensics examiner, testified that five casings matching OBriens pistol and seven matching Grandpres were recovered.

Five bullets matching OBriens pistol were recovered from Grandpres body, and the sixth ricocheted into the kitchen. Five of Grandpres bullets were recovered from the wall near the door frame, and Sullivan said the remaining two likely passed through the door way but were unrecoverable.

After the verdict was delivered Shea thanked the jurors and officials for their time.

This isnt an easy job, she said.
Butte businessman Ron Ueland is joining other local investors to build a $15 million facility that will produce a variety of malts for a craft brewing industry that is booming in Montana and beyond.

Their venture, Montana Craft Malt, is looking for a site in or near Butte to build their plant, which will use only Montana-grown barley to make specialty malts.

The plant will be able to produce 10,000 tons of malt per year, more than twice the amount used now by craft brewers in Montana. Thats why it will be marketed outside of the state as well, Ueland said Tuesday morning.

Ueland said it is too early to name other local investors, but they hope to announce a site for the plant in the coming month and be operational by next year. It would employ 10 to 15 people.

He said Montana has arguably the best growing environment in the world for barley  sophisticated growers, strong logistics infrastructure and plenty of water.

Craft brewers have this need for diversity which they are not getting with the macro-malters, he said. On the other hand, you have these good farmers out here with the talent to grow this sophisticated barley.

They are looking for these types of opportunities. Montana agriculture is looking for them, and then with my seed genetics background, I said, This can be done and we have a nirvana. Everything lined up.

Ueland is a consultant for Butte-based Northern Seed LLC, which provides seeds, seed treatments and services to growers.

The malt plant will be designed to produce smaller batches of malt for craft brewers, allowing for flexibility and versatility absent with large-batch, production-centered approaches used by macro-malters.

Ueland said the Montana Connections business park and tax-increment financing district just west of Butte are being strongly considered as a site for the plant.

They also are identifying a select group of craft brewers to partner with going forward that includes at least one in Butte and others in Montana.

The beer industry as a whole is down slightly, but sales in the craft segment of the market have been growing for the past 10 years and were up nearly 13 percent in 2015, according to the Brewers Association.

Jennifer OBrien, the marketing leader for Montana Craft Malt, said the growth was initially seen as a flash in the pan, but the trends have held up.

If you walk down the aisles of any grocery store you will see that craft brew is really starting to take up shelf space, she said.

The growth has led to demands for high-quality, specialized malts in order to deliver sugars for fermentation and provide additional flavor for each beer variety.

OBrien said craft brewers prefer not to buy from commodity markets where ingredients are not widely differentiated and their origins are unknown.

They want to buy diverse varieties locally so they can differentiate their product without paying import taxes or high shipping costs, she said.

It is a completely different experience than what is offered with macro-brewers, she said. Its about flavor and heritage and experience and ambiance that comes with the craft product.

Brandon DeShaw, who is leading engineering and operational aspects of the project, said buying local is a genuine trend.

Its getting to know your local brewer and wanting to buy food that is grown locally, he said. If I can buy beer that is grown locally or is Montana beer, I will do it.

The investors used marketing data from the Montana Department of Commerce and surveyed numerous craft brewers to validate the opportunity.

They plan to partner with Northern Seed and a barley lab at Montana State University under the direction of Jamie Sherman to identify and test base malts and specialty malts.

The Montana Grain Growers Association welcomed the news.

Specialized malts for the growing craft brewing industry, made from our members high-quality barley, will be a fascinating addition to Montanas ag community, said Lola Raska, the groups executive vice president.

Ueland said the venture will help meet malt needs in Montana and nationwide, which is why the plant will be able to produce twice as much as the market inside the state uses now.

It will add value to Montana grains before they are shipped out of state, he said, helping growers, craft brewers and the local economy. The plant will create construction and operations jobs, bring people to Butte to do business and use local utilities and supplies, he said.

Kristen Rosa, administer of Butte-Silver Bows industrial taxing district, said county officials are hopeful the Montana Connections business park is chosen as the location for the plant.

The district board just committed to extend a road and utilities such as electric and gas to a central area of the park, which will be needed once the National Guard relocates its Butte operations there in 2022.

Those utilities would be extended quickly if the malt plant is located there, she said.

Whatever the site is, Ueland said its possible a ground-breaking ceremony could be held this spring, with the first batches of malt possible by the spring of 2018.
Flash back to the year 2000. George W. Bush became president of the United States with the help of Florida Governor 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 fifty 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 reeducation 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 November 3, 2020 as a date to look forward to.
HELENA  The House Business and Labor Committee on Tuesday voted down and tabled a bill that would have raised Montanas minimum wage to $10.10 an hour after a robust hearing the day before.

House Bill 169, by Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-Helena, would have increased the minimum wage in January 2018 and applied a cost-of living increase the following year. Montanas minimum wage is $8.15.

The Department of Labor and Industry supported the bill Monday, saying it would help the state retain workers. Other supporters included human rights groups.

The most vocal opponents were those who represented restaurant owners, as well as other small businesses, as well as the Montana Chamber of Commerce and Americans for Prosperity-Montana. They argued its not governments role to dictate what employers do, and that the bump would force some businesses to shut down.

After the 11-8 vote, Dunwell said she was disappointed but glad to have a discussion about the minimum wage.

Im not happy, but it is what it is, she said. She plans to introduce a study bill to look at what a living wage is in the state, and said as long as she is re-elected she will continue to look at legislation to increase the minimum wage.

Im not going to turn my back on the voiceless," she said.

Dunwell said she understands the challenges of restaurant owners and recognizes that Montana is a diverse state and the needs of a small cafe owner in Fairview arent the same as a major chain retailer such as Walmart in Missoula.

It looks different from corner to corner, she said. We have rural, urban. Our challenge is to make it work for everyone.

Rep. Moffie Funk, D-Helena, said that she voted for the increase because it supports jobs and living wages. Rep. Willis Curdy, D-Missoula, who also voted for the bill, said he used to own a bar and restaurant in Missoula.

Ive been through that whole business and I fully understand, he said. (but) workforce is a major issue in the state. Its a big deal. We look at a place like Seattle that has gone up to a $15-an-hour minimum wage and the place is booming.

He said workers compare Montana and Seattle and choose Seattle because the pay is better.

If you were them, where would you go? Are you going to hang around or are you going to move?

Rep. Mark Noland, R-Bigfork, voted against the bill, saying its the role of the marketplace, not government, to set wages.

We need to minimize our government, let the market restrict and promote, he said. That has worked in every society that was successful and is successful.

He said a trade-off of living in the state is lower pay.

They want to live in Montana because of what we offer, and there are some things attached to that, and that is not a good wage. Sorry.
BILLINGS  Donald Trump becomes president of the United States on Friday and Helena native Mark Fisher plans to be there.

Fisher is bringing a camera, a heavy coat and quite possibly a stopper, which will play a part in Fishers photos essay about draining the swamp, a play on Trumps promise to upend DC politics.

Were going to support a change in the government, Fisher told The Billings Gazette. Were going to help drain the swamp.

Fisher scored tickets to the inauguration through U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont. Fisher moved to Florida a few years back. Hell be meeting up with his daughter, Amy, who is traveling from Helena.

Amy scored the tickets, Fisher said. Once a staffer for former Republican Montana Sen. Conrad Burns, Amy still has a few connections, which she called upon.

Members of the House and Senate collectively distribute about 250,000 tickets. Daines told The Gazette in December that ticket interest among Montanans was pretty strong. Montanas lone Congressman Ryan Zinke, reported the same. Zinke could be leading the Department of Interior on inauguration day, having been confirmed by the Senate earlier in the week.

Democrat Jon Tester, Montanas senior senator, still had tickets Friday when he was visiting Billings. Tester offered his wifes seat to one woman who said she was traveling to DC, not for the inauguration, but for the womens march the following day in protest of Trumps presidency.

The seat was 16 rows up from the swearing in, said Tester, who will be at Trump's swearing in, but will skip the parade, at which he said nearly froze to death in 2008.

Daines was the easy source for last-minute tickets in 2013. He offered tickets within plain viewing distance to one Billings family who contacted him one week before President Barack Obamas second inauguration.

Initial estimates put the inauguration attendance a 600,000 to 800,000 people, roughly the same size as Obamas second inauguration. Obamas first was a record setting 1.8 million. The Washington, D.C., Transportation and Tourism Department, which has posted crowd estimates in the past, hasnt this year.

Joining Fisher on the West Lawn of the Capital will be 11 teens from 4-H groups in Montana. Chaperone Chris Skorupa said 4-H has its own lodging for attendees in D.C. and is will cover most of the costs for students, who will spend the entire week leading up to inauguration in the capital. Each teen will have to pay $1,500.

Really, tell me how many times have you heard of a 4-H delegation of kids going to the inauguration, Skorupa said. I dont know if its happened before.

Theres a full slate of things to do for the 4-H crew, Skorupa said. Daines has invited the group and all Montana visitors to an open house for Montana visitors the day before the inauguration. Stellas diner and bakery in Billings is shipping sweet rolls baked fresh for the occasion.

The Montana State Society hosts a bipartisan Best of the West Inaugural Ball the Saturday after the inauguration. Tickets are $100.
The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors announces a vacancy for the Muscatine County Zoning Board of Adjustment. The opening is for a five-year term beginning March 31, 2017 and ending March 31, 2022.

Duties are established by Article XVI of Muscatine County Zoning Ordinance and include hearing and deciding appeals from any review, order, requirements, decision or determination made by the Zoning Administrative Officer in the enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance. Personal tours of the sites under consideration are made by the Board of Adjustment.

In order to achieve gender balance in accordance with Section 69.16A, Code of Iowa, Muscatine County is seeking and will give preferential consideration to female applicants who meet the necessary qualifications for the vacancy.

Application forms are available in the Zoning Office, 3610 Park Avenue West, the Muscatine County Administration Office, 414 E. Third Street, Suite 101, Muscatine, Iowa 52761-4142 and on the County website, www.co.muscatine.ia.us under How Do IVolunteer Opportunities.

Completed applications should be returned to the Muscatine County Administration Office or emailed to nschreiber@co.muscatine.ia.us by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15, 2017.

For more information on the responsibilities of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, please call the Zoning Office at (563) 263-0482.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  A 22-year-old Muscatine man will face felony drug charges after he was allegedly found in possession of more than 1/2 pound of marijuana.

Miguel Aguilar will face one count of possession of a controlled substance, a class D felony, on count of drug tax stamp violation, a class D felony, and one count of possession of a controlled substance, a serious misdemeanor, according to online court records.

Aguilar was the passenger in a vehicle stopped for expired registration on Jan. 8 when he was found in possession of 242.6 grams, or more than 1/2 pund of a substance smelling like marijuana, according to the criminal complaint.

A preliminary hearing has been set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18.

Emily Wenger of the Muscatine Journal
WAPELLO, Iowa - An investigation into possibly requiring Louisa County employees to live in the county could develop following a call by supervisor Brad Quigley during the Louisa County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday.

Quigley indicated he raised the issue because he felt the countys employees should help pay for the local taxes.

It used to be if you worked for Louisa County you lived in Louisa County. It should be mandatory they live in the county, he told fellow supervisors Randy Griffin and Chris Ball.

Quigley did not identify any specific employees, but supervisor Randy Griffin, a former secondary roads employee for Louisa County, pointed out current county engineer Larry Roehl was just the latest in county engineers with a history of living outside the county.

I dont think weve had a county engineer living in Louisa County since John Pasch, he said.

Pasch retired in December 1993.

Griffin, Ball and county auditor Sandi Elliott all pointed out it could also make it difficult to hire professional people if they were required to either be or become Louisa County residents.

Quigley however said Louisa County offered competitive wages and needed to find ways to increase the countys population, which would improve the business climate and also help schools with declining enrollments.

I think there is an opportunity, he said.

The other officials said several individuals who had been hired as deputy sheriffs over the past several months had moved to the county, but were uncertain if a blanket requirement would increase those numbers or reduce the pool of applicants for some positions.

Its a matter of getting the qualified people for the job, Griffin said.

This is something we have to look at, Quigley said.

Quigley also requested the supervisors investigate why it was taking so long to get computers and other equipment installed and running in law enforcement squad cars and other emergency units.

According to Quigley, the mobile units were acquired through funding provided by the Louisa County E911 Board, but the program has stalled.

I dont hear that it is moving forward, he told the rest of the board.

Griffin suggested Quigley talk with Stacy Griffin, who is the county representative on the E911 board to learn why the program has not been moving forward. He also suggested Quigley could talk with technology director Chuck Borschel.

Borschel is the secretary for the E911 Board and has been doing most of the installation and other work on the mobile units.

In other action, the supervisors met with representatives from the county libraries to review library use over the past year and the possibility of increased funding for fiscal year 2018.

Llewann Bryant, Keck Memorial Library, Wapello; Amanda Grimm, Columbus Junction Public Library, Columbus Junction; and Amie Herrick, Mellinger Memorial Library, Morning Sun all updated the supervisors on the services provided by their libraries.

Karen Koppe, Letts Public Library, was unable to attend.

Katie Hammond, Louisa County Conservation Board (LCCB) Executive Director, also updated the board on recent and upcoming activities with the LCCB.

In final action, the board approved several routine applications from Windstream Communications to authorize work involving equipment and wiring installation on several county roads.

The supervisors also reviewed a proposed letter from the Littleton Memorial group requesting support for increased signage along state and county highways for the memorial site in Toolesboro.
LETTS, Iowa  Louisa-Muscatine High School and Junior High students played games and won rewards in an assembly that promotes good behavior Tuesday morning.

The assembly, which is organized by the district's Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Committee, is held once a quarter. In addition to getting a chance to win prizes, students also participated in a rock, paper, scissors and trash ball contests, in which students from different classrooms and grades competed with each other.

"It's basically just to reward the kids for doing what's on our Falcon Cards, which is being respectful, acting responsibly and influencing others to do the same. So they get Falcon cards, they put them in a big bin, today we draw them for prizes," said Kelley Emke of the district's Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Committee.

Emke said the assembly "makes school fun again."

"There's always that side of getting in trouble in school." she said. "And we want them to also be rewarded when they do the right thing."

Students get Falcon Cards for behaving positively, having a good GPA and or meeting their reading goals.

"Those simple, normal things that we expect kids to do, we want them to know that we notice when they're doing the right thing," she said.

The Falcon cards go in a bin and winners are picked at random.

"We have a lot of business in the area that help us and give us free [stuff]," Emke said, adding that students can win gift cards from Yacky Shack or free pizza. Students can also win water bottles and t-shirts and there's always one big prize  this quarter it was a smart watch. Emke said students participate in selecting the rewards and help with fundraisers.

And the Falcon Card system has made a positive difference in the atmosphere at school.

"I think there is a big change in our kids, they definitely recognize and want the Falcon Cards ," she said, adding that Junior high students are particularly enthusiastic about collecting Falcon Cards.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Max Collins has killed hundreds of people over the past four decades.

And now, they are not sending him to prison, they are giving him an award for it.

The Muscatine author is being given a lifetime achievement award for his role as a fictional murderer, a maestro of mystery novels, at the 71st annual Edgar Awards. Collins will be named a 2017 Grand Master at the Edgar Awards Banquet, which will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on Thursday, April 27.

MWA's Grand Master Award represents the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing and was established to acknowledge important contributions to this genre, as well as for a body of work that is both significant and of consistent high quality. Collins, the author of such classics as Road to Perdition, certainly fits both categories.

And the Muscatine-based writer is definitely honored to be receiving the accolades.

The Mystery Writers of America is the primary professional group of mystery and suspense writers, and getting its lifetime achievement award, the Grand Master "Edgar," is about as good as it gets, Collins said. The list of Grand Masters includes many of my personal favorites, Mickey Spillane, Rex Stout, Agatha Christie, Alfred Hitchcock, and Erle Stanley Gardner, among many others. Its a thrill to be in their presence. The award comes at a time when I've battled my way back from some nasty health issues, so it feels like really, really, good medicine. And, yes, it's something I've dreamed of receiving, though didn't know if I ever would.

But how does it feel to be at that point in his career when hes receiving a lifetime achievement award?

It's a mixed bag, Collins said. I've received several others, notably the Eye from the Private Eye Writers of America, and it's nice to see your body of work recognized, but sobering knowing that nobody gets this kind of honor until their third act.

His first two acts have been pretty impressive, and his debut was at a young age.

I decided to be a writer in junior high and began submitting novels soon after, Collins said. I went to the University of Iowa Writers Workshop and sold two novels while I was there, Bait Money and Blood Money. I never looked back.

Collins taught briefly, a part-time position at Muscatine Community College, and admits to never having a full time job except for freelance writing.

That was made possible in part because I landed the Dick Tracy strip, which gave me a nice income for 15 years, by which time my novel-writing career was established, Collins said. I stayed afloat by not being afraid to try different kinds of storytelling. I've done comic books, comic strips, novels, short stories, non-fiction books, trading cards, movie scripts, TV scripts, jigsaw puzzles and video games.

His willingness to take on any challenge while remaining true to his own style is one of the reasons Collins work has been recognized.

I took on a lot of movie and TV novels, and put my name on them when others said I should hide behind a pseudonym, Collilns said. I felt using my own byline kept me honest, and it built an audience because many of my media projects were high-profile, movies like Saving Private Ryan and American Gangster, and TV properties like CSI and Criminal Minds -- Matt (Clemens) worked on the latter two with me. I am proud to be a professional writer.

Looking back on his career, of what is he most proud?

Probably just having a career -- being able to make a living at fiction writing without a day job, which I've been doing since 1977, he said. Career highs include landing the writing of the Dick Tracy strip back in '77; winning the PWA Shamus Best Novel, True Detective, in 1984; directing and writing five independent features, with Mommy airing on Lifetime; and having my graphic novel, Road to Perdition made into an Academy Award-winning film with Tom Hanks. I'm also proud of what my wife (Barbara Collins) and I have achieved with our humorous Antiques mystery series.

What kind of advice would he give to aspiring mystery writers?

It's a steady learning process, he said. There are writing schools, and I attended the best at the Writers Workshop in Iowa City. And there are seminars, and I've taught my share. But writing is chiefly self-taught. It comes from reading analytically, learning to edit your own work, and staying at it. I don't think I've ever made any quantum leaps in my writing, but I've gotten incrementally better all along the way. I'm much better now than I was when I first published ... but I wasn't bad then.

What has he most enjoyed about the process?

Oddly, collaboration has been one of my biggest joys, Collins said. I say `oddly because writing is largely solitary. But I loved making films, most of them with my terrific collaborator Phil Dingeldein, and the whole collaborative experience, from movie set through editing, was the best. I also enjoy collaborating with my wife Barb on the Antiques novels -- that's special, being able to co-author works with your spouse and stay happily married. Matt Clemens and I also have collaborated on a score of books, and I'm collaborating posthumously with Mickey Spillane, completing his unfinished manuscripts. Making new Mike Hammer novels happen is a delight to the 13-year-old me, who travels with me everywhere.

Collins is hardly resting on his laurels, lifetime achievement-wise or otherwise. Hes has a number of deadly projects on his bullseye for the coming years. And even though hes spent the last year in and out of hospitals for medical issues, hes raring to get back at it with a clean bill of health.

I lost time with those hospital stays, and recovery time, so work has piled up, Collins said. I have entries coming up in a number of my series  Antiques, Mike Hammer, Quarry and Caleb York (the latter a western). Matt and I have a big political thriller coming out in April, Executive Order. I will be doing a new Nate Heller, and last year's Heller, Better Dead, will be out in paperback in March. The biggest project this year is a non-fiction book about Eliot Ness and Al Capone -- a dual bio.

(Also) Quad City area folks may be interested to know that my full-length prose novel of `Road To Perdition has been published by Brash Books. I was forced to cut that book almost in half by DreamWorks when the movie was released -- they wanted nothing in the novel that wasn't in the movie, even though I had created these characters and this storyline in the original graphic novel. It's gratifying that it's finally available. You can request it at the local book stores or find it online.

But in the immediate future, hes going to enjoy taking home this special award.

It's in New York the evening of April 27, a big banquet with many of my peers, Collins said. I will give a speech -- a short one, if Barb has anything to say about it. I receive an Edgar to display at home, and will prominently list the awards among achievements in future bios. That's about it -- and it's plenty.

For more information on the award and Max, see http://www.maxallancollins.com/blog/.
COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa - A petition asking the Columbus School Board to change the schools prom night from April 1 to April 15 was presented to the board Monday.

Board member Joy Lekwa said she was approached by the petitioners earlier to present the document, which was signed by around 50 students, parents and community members.

She said members of the group would have been at the boards meeting to make the presentation themselves, but were worried that under board meeting rules, they would not have been allowed to make the actual presentation until next month.

According to the document, the petitioners reported the April 1 date would conflict with the Winfield-Mt. Union Prom, which would leave many students from both schools without a date.

The petitioners also pointed out a graded choir event was scheduled for April 1 and that could create a conflict for choir members who are upper class members and more likely to attend the prom.

April 1st is simply much too early and leaves students with limited dress selections and cold weather, the petitioners wrote, adding the local hairstylist would also be out of state on the April 1 weekend.

With prom being pushed back, there will be more time to fundraise for after-prom and prepare for the dance, the petitioners continued, explaining their choice for the event would be April 15.

Board members did not discuss the petition, although school officials indicated they would discuss the issue.

In other action, Superintendent Gary Benda provided a short financial update to the school board. Benda said Iowa Governor Terry Branstad had reported a $110 million shortfall in his next budget proposal would need to be covered by selected cuts, which would exclude education.

Although Benda said that was welcomed news, he pointed out the shortfall would mean significantly less money available to education agencies, such as area education agencies, which provide services to local school districts.

Benda pointed the finger at property tax reform legislation approved in 2013 for the shortfall. He said without the legislation, which generated increased rollbacks and limited revaluations for commercial, agricultural and residential classes of property, the state could have collected almost $300 million in additional revenue.

Now were cutting $110 million, he said.

Benda also reported he was continuing to investigate LED lighting, HVAC controls and other possible measures to reduce the schools high energy bills. He asked the board if it wanted to continue the investigation or stop.

Board member Wayne Finke said he was still unsure what steps were needed and suggested contacting Alliant Energy to request an energy audit.

We know our energy cost is high, but we dont know why, he said, explaining the energy company would likely conduct the audit for no cost.

Benda said he would contact the company, but was unsure how long the audit would take to complete, leaving the school in limbo in the meantime.

Board president Sandy Martin indicated she would contact individual board members to determine if they wished to move forward with any cost-saving options or wait.

In final action, the board:

 Received a request to approve a Spanish 4 class trip to Chicago on March 15;

 Accepted a $7,599 bid from CDW Government, Chicago, for a new computer backup appliance;

 Agreed to reschedule its February and April meeting dates to February 15 and April 13 to accommodate a school holiday and state budget deadline.
MUSCATINE, Iowa - The Muscatine City Council will conduct a public meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 19) in the City Hall Council Chambers to present information on the Mississippi Drive Corridor Project. A public question/comment session will be held after the presentation of a brief project overview.
ALEDO, Ill.  James L. Waite, 86, of Aledo, formerly of New Boston, Illinois, died Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, at Aledo Health and Rehab Center. Services will be 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, at Fippinger Funeral Home, Aledo. Burial is in New Boston Cemetery. Visitation is one hour prior to the funeral at Fippinger Funeral Home, Aledo, where memorials may be left to New Boston Cemetery Association. Online condolences can be made at fippingerfuneralhome.com.

Jim was born Feb. 25, 1930, to Charles and Lorraine Goodnaugh Waite.

He graduated from New Boston High School. He married Opal C. Frankenberry on May 26, 1957, in New Boston. She died Nov. 18, 2009.

James was employed at the former Curtis Royal Blue Foodstore in New Boston, retiring in 1992.

He enjoyed reading the Bible and was an avid coin collector, and enjoyed bowling in his early days.

Survivors include a sister, Violet Woolsey, of San Antonio, Texas; two nieces, Wanda (Kenneth) Whitmire and Vonda Skull, of Fort Madison, Iowa; and several great-nieces and nephews.

His parents, wife, and sister, Buelah, preceded him in death.
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 []
Mombasa County governor Ali Hassan Joho has claimed that the Jubilee government is planning to plant illegal guns in his house.

According to Joho, he rejected State security because Jubilee allegedly planned to use a new set of bodyguards to spy on him.

I have rejected the State bodyguards because I had reliable information Jubilee was planning to plant illegal guns in my residence and spy on me using such officers. I would rather protect myself than allow these people to stay around me, claimed Joho.

The governor who has since moved from his house in Nyali was speaking during a mass voter registration awareness rally outside the Mombasa County Assembly.

Joho further accused local leaders of betrayal saying his problems with the Jubilee administration were caused by such people.

Its true some local leaders are behind our current conflict with the Government after claiming that we have guns. They have betrayed us, he said.

Joho also claimed Jubilee was funding a mass voter transfer at the Coast in a bid to disrupt the voting patterns.
Mombasa woman representative Mishi Mboko on Monday issued a rallying cry to women across the country to withhold sex from men who have not registered as voters.

Mishi was speaking at the Jomo Kenyatta showground at Mkomani in Mombasa where she issued cheques to women and youth self-help groups. She said sex is a powerful weapon to make reluctant men rush to register as voters in the exercise that began yesterday.

Mishis husband will however, be spared of the conjugal boycott as he has already registered as a voter said Mishi.

Women, this is the strategy you should adopt. It is the best. Deny them sex until they show you their voters card, she said.

On party politics, the MP said NASA stood the best chance to beat President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto at the August 8 polls.

On Joho, she said the government was strengthening and popularising the governor by harassing him.
According to Business Insider, there are some ridiculous laws on the books in states across the U.S. Here are just a few:

- Its a misdemeanor in Iowa to try to pass off margarine as real butter.

- In Minnesota, any game in which participants attempt to capture a greased or oiled pig is illegal.

- As of 1973, its illegal to carry away or collect seaweed at night in New Hampshire.

- In Florida, theres no dwarf-tossing allowed.

- If a frog dies during a frog-jumping contest in California, it cant be eaten.

You may think some of the new California laws for 2017 fit in the same category as these ridiculous laws.

Lets focus on a few of the new laws in real estate and how they affect you:

- Disclosing the death of an occupant  the seller or the sellers agent is not required to disclose the death of an occupant in a home if it occurred more than three years ago.

How this affects you: not significantly as this was more of a clarification of existing law.

- Environmental hazards booklet delivery extended to landlords  the landlord and broker need provide the environmental hazards booklet to all residential and commercial leases over one year.

How this affects you: provided a landlord or broker has no material knowledge of environmental hazards, providing this booklet to a tenant ensures you were informed as required.

- FHA condo regulations of owner occupancy percentage lowered  a buyer of a condo in a condo project who is securing an FHA loan can now purchase in a project where only 35 percent of the units were owner occupied, which is down from 50 percent.

How this affects you: more condo projects could be opened up to buyers using an FHA loan.

- Creation of junior accessory dwelling units within an existing dwellingin addition to second units or granny units (which are now called Accessory Dwelling Units or ADUs, which is another new law) you can now create another unit within the main dwelling of 500 square feet or less.

How this affects you: this could be good news for both homeowners and renters as it may create more available homes to rent.

- Landlord/tenant bedbugs disclosurea landlord cannot rent or even show a unit he knows has bedbugs, but he does not have to inspect a unit if he has no knowledge of bed bugs.

How this affects you: This is good; bed bugs are gross.

- Landlord/tenant commercial leasing disclosures of a CASp reportcommercial leases require a landlord to state if the building was inspected by a Certified Access Specialist (CASp) regarding Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines and if it has, provide a copy of report to tenant.

How this affects you: as a landlord this could have substantial financial implications as when a report is issued there must be a plan to implement the recommendations. Additionally, a prospective tenant could rescind the lease after reviewing report.

- Landlord/tenant unlawful detainer reportingno public access to unlawful detainer records permitted unless the plaintiff/landlord prevails within 60 days of filing.

How this affects you: as a tenant, if you were given an unwarranted eviction notice (unlawful detainer) and the landlord did not win in court this will not show on your records.

- Landlord/tenant water submetersrequires submeters be installed on all new multifamily residential units or mixed commercial and multifamily units, and requires landlords bill residents of these new units for the water they use.

How this affects you: as a developer, it will add to the construction costs; but tenants will get a more accurate representation of their use.
As I turned the cranks on my bike to spin up old Lawley Toll Road, I thought, I shouldve gone to a yoga class instead of trying to do two long ride days in a row in the beginning of January. If youre anything like me, you go, go, go instead of taking a step back to think what does by mind and body need to keep moving forward. Lucky for both of us, we are launching a new Hatha Yoga class in February.

Hatha Yoga is best described as a series of gentle, basic yoga poses coupled with some beginning breathing and meditation practices. Basically its the perfect antidote when your body is tired from riding your bike too much, chasing the kids around the house too much, or simply living too much! Additionally, when your mind is tired from daily stresses, yoga offers a welcome escape.

We are so fortunate to partner with Hatha Yoga instructor Jill Naimer. Naimer is an extraordinary instructor who has been teaching yoga for the last two decades throughout Canada and the US. Most recently, after moving to California in 2004, she began teaching at Pope Valley School, Pilates Calistoga, and the St. Helena Recreation Center. Throughout her teaching, she has completed numerous trainings; most recently working with Yoga One in Santa Rosa. Outside of Yoga, Naimer has a family homestead that she and her husband have been developing over the last 13 years. They produce vegetables and olive oil, which they have been fortunate to sell to their surrounding community.

Hatha Yoga is set for Feb. 7 through March 16 at 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. at the Calistoga Community Center, 1307 Washington St.. The class is offered two days a week, Tuesday and Thursday, the cost is $120 for the six week session, which means youre only paying $10 per class! We are asking that you sign up ahead of time, you can do so online or by calling our office at 942-3838.

Sign up here: https://apm.activecommunities.com/calistogarecreation/Activity_Search
Soroptimist St. Helena Sunrise is hosting bingo on Friday, Jan. 20, at the Native Sons Hall, 1313 Spring St., St. Helena. Doors open at 6 p.m. and games start at 7 p.m. Cost is $25 for nine games. Hot dogs, chili and beverages will be available for purchase. Proceeds will benefit UpValley Family Centers and Soroptimist awards.
Hundreds of Napans spent the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday responding to the civil rights leaders call for community service by doing such things as planting trees and picking up litter.

They had plenty of choices. The MLK Monday Coalition  a group of more than 100 local nonprofit groups, faith groups, government agencies and officials, businesses and service groups invited people to participate in more than 20 activities culminating with an evening interfaith service.

This is what community is about, coalition co-chairman Rabbi Lee Bycel said as he stood amid the hustle-and-bustle in St. John the Baptist Catholic Church parish hall at 10:30 a.m.

People young and old worked at various tables. Some wrote letters to soldiers, others made tote bags out of T-shirts for food bank clients.

Rick Norwood and his wife, Darlene, sat at a table making love cards to honor Kings call for compassion. People are supposed to keep passing on cards that urge anonymous acts of kindness. Norwood decorated one of his cards with a cartoony picture of a smiling cat.

Just passing on kindness and maybe a laugh or two, he said. Spread some joy and happiness around in these times.

Upstairs, Omar Salem and Maya Shweiky led a discussion on Islam attended by more than 50 people. Salem said before the talk that he wanted to move beyond the distorted soundbites in the media.

Salem, a Muslim, moved to Napa at age 11 and is a Napa police officer.

Im very much a part of the city of Napa, told the audience.

He talked about Muslims who have been visible parts of the American experience, such as Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali. He and Shweiky answered questions from members of the audience, some of whom said they know very little about the religion.

Jim Moser met with about 25 other people at the Napa Valley Vine Trail near Vallejo Street to pick up litter along the trail and nearby Napa Valley Wine Train tracks. Mid-morning temperatures below 50 degrees didnt stop them, though Moser wore a knit beanie.

I always try to volunteer when I have time, Moser said. I use the bike path a lot. I thought it was my duty to help clean it up.

Across town, a few dozen people planted 33 trees along the new Vine Trail segment between Trower and Wine County avenues, mostly red oaks.

Mike Costanzo walked along the trail with a shovel as the event wrapped up. He and his wife often ride a 20-mile roundtrip along the trail between their Yountville home and Napa.

Im a big believer in the value of the Vine Trail, he said. I wanted to do something besides just enjoy it.

Fabio Maia, service and missions coordinator at Pacific Union College in Angwin, said 40 students from the college were taking part in the King day activities. He wants students to become involved in the Napa County community.

They are willing to make a difference, Maia said.

Bycel said many communities have a King Day interfaith service where 150 people might come together and sing. Thats nice to do, but Napas goal is to tap into Kings legacy and have people from different backgrounds come together to really make a difference.

About 300 people signed up for events, but probably 400 to 500 participated, Bycel said.

Theres something so powerful in this, said Bycel, who was joined by Jeni Olsen, county Supervisor Brad Wagenknecht and Jim Tomlinson as event co-chairmen.

A day on, not a day off,  thats been the national motto since Congress in 1994 designated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a day for service. President Barack Obama in a proclamation urged Americans this year to participate in appropriate civic, community and service projects. The federal holiday honoring King became law in 1983.

The local Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration began Sunday with a free screening of the movie Selma. The ending interfaith service on Monday was to feature Amelia Ceja as keynote speaker. The local vintner won the 2016 Dolores Huerta Farmworker Justice Award.
I have started this letter several times but have stopped short of finishing it feeling I am being super sensitive to what I see as a non-stop flow of vitriol flowing out of the Napa Valley Register, in both the A and C sections.

All the day-old Associated Press pap, which you regurgitate and call "news" most people have already read and at the same time read more even-handed reporting of the same info from other sources. Play to your strengths -- local news, politics and sports.

This brings me to the main reason for this letter. I, like a preponderance of my friends, are fed up to the point of nausea by the non-stop flow of sniveling, whiney, ultraliberal crybaby bleating about the election of Donald Trump to POTUS. Your guest editorials, letters to the editor and most of your cartoons all carry the same theme: "The Sky is falling, the Sky is falling." Chicken Little would be proud to know he has so many devoted disciples running in circles wringing their hands and blubbering uncontrollably seeking their "safe rooms," teddy bears and hot chocolate.

The man hasn't even been sworn in yet, and when he is, we will have a president, not a dictator, such as many of us believe President Obama has been ("I have a pen and a phone," screw you Congress). A president with a Congress and Supreme Court to assure the rule of law, based on the constitution, not liberal interpretation.

Perhaps you and your acolytes are concerned Trump will govern by Executive Order, a la Obama. Where was the hue and cry then? You choose what goes in the editorials, you could choose to be evenhanded, but you don't. Yes, I know there is no law that requires you to be even-handed with your readers, except maybe the law of common decency.

As to the Letters, that, too, is your, or a surrogate acting with your guidance, choice of what is printed. Why else, as you recently did, include a letter from some malcontent in Ketchikan, Alaska who probably has been spending much too much time outdoors playing with the caribou and frost-bitten his frontal lobe, in a limited space that most people expect local input?

I have a theory about that. Rather than expose yourself to challenge by putting your true feelings in print and signing your name to them, it is much easier to simply pick and choose columnists, and letters that reflect your feeling but let them take the heat like our poor addle-pated friend from Ketchikan who apparently wanders around in a perpetual whiteout.

I can only imagine the uproar if the losers when Obama was elected had reacted the same way as we are seeing now. The mobs would have taken to the streets with pitchforks and flaming oil soaked sticks to seek out the "bigots, race baiters, neo-Nazis, red-necks", xenophobes, and Islamaphobes, you know, the 55 million Hillary disparaged, to teach them the error of their ways. Of course in this county they would have probably armed themselves, with cork screws, tike torches and really sharp Chardonnay bottle screwcaps.

That wonderful four horse parlay we have in Congress -- Pelosi, Boxer, Feinstein, and Waters -- who remind me of the four hags straight out of Macbeth ("Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble"), and Harry Reid, as the adders fork or tongue of dog, would all have been apoplectic.

Furthermore, there is a generally accepted feeling Napa is preponderantly Democratic, but it is not so. There may be more registered Democrats than Republicans, but there are a tremendous number of folks here who are "conservative-Independents." By your skewing of your editorials, letters, and opinion pieces, you are ignoring this significant group or Napans.

But enough. I believe I have made my point. You have every right to oversee the content of your employer's newspaper as you see fit and within the parameters you have been given. I, on the other hand, have every right to either subscribe or not. Since 1973, I have chosen to subscribe. With the arrival of 2017, I am choosing to cancel that subscription. Please make that happen. I expect a refund on any portion of my subscription that is unused. I expect it, but just in the same vein as I expected balanced reporting and editorializing, I have a hunch the odds are the same.

Charles Kampton

Napa
Tuesday, Jan. 10

0827 -- A caller requested traffic control because there was heavy traffic at Main Street and Deer Park Road, due to the rock slide that closed Silverado Trail.

1317 -- Report of surface flooding at Main/Adams.

1354 -- Police helped a Napa County roads crew with a driver who had disobeyed the road closure on Silverado Trail and driven through the rock slide area.

1430 -- Report of a black car parked for a month in an empty lot on Hollis Lane.

1432 -- Police took a grand theft report at a south St. Helena hotel.

1534 -- Barricades were requested to close off Spring Mountain Road due to downed trees.

1608 -- A manhole cover was spraying water at McCullagh Park on Crinella Drive. Public Works said this is normal during heavy storms.

1629 -- An elderly man tripped and fell in a parking lot on Oak Avenue.

1646 -- Report of a rock slide blocking the northbound lane of Silverado Trail south of Pope Street. A county roads crew cleaned it up.

1712 -- Report of a tree down across the sidewalk on Sylvaner Avenue.

1723 -- Report of a house flooding on Main Street. Half the house was flooding with a few inches of water.

1804 -- A transformer blew out on Church Street.

1822 -- Report of a manhole cover coming out of its place near Madrona Avenue and Spring Mountain Road.

Wednesday, Jan. 11

0010 -- Report of sewage/water backing up into a yard toward a house on Mitchell Drive.

0711 -- Police removed the barricades and opened Deer Park Road between Highway 29 and Silverado Trail.

0729 -- A tree limb from a redwood tree fell onto a patio covering on La Cuesta Court. The house was not damaged.

0842 -- With Deer Park Road open and Silverado Trail still closed due to the rock slide, traffic was backing up on Deer Park Road to turn onto southbound Highway 29. A caller said lots of cars were turning right onto northbound 29, then making U-turns to go back south.

0909 -- Report of 30 gallons of gas spilling from a malfunctioning pump that wouldnt shut off. Police and fire personnel responded to the Main Street gas station.

1039 -- Report of two friendly beige dogs running loose on Fir Hill Drive.

1118 -- Report of a suspicious man acting strangely inside a Main Street store. He was trying on dog collars as belts, but said he didnt have a dog. He was asked to leave but refused. When an employee from a neighboring business asked him again to leave, he complied. Police checked the area.

1143 -- Police were notified of a child custody issue.

1303 -- Police cited a car parked in a red zone at Spring Street and Money Way.

1337 -- Report of a woman yelling at Lewis Station Park.

1544 -- A resident said property had been stolen while in an Uber cab in San Francisco. Police provided a phone number for the San Francisco Police Department.

1716 -- A caller asked police to put barricades at the corner of Crane and Sulphur Springs to warn drivers of flooding. The caller said cars were hitting the water at 35 mph.

1749 -- Three mailboxes were left open on Meadowcreek Circle, with mail on the ground.

Thursday, Jan. 12

0111 -- Report of loud music on Peppertree Circle. The caller said it had been occurred for several nights straight.

0617 -- Non-injury accident at Hunt/Main.

0902 -- A caller requested extra patrol on Hudson Avenue due to cars speeding at 45-50 mph.

0917 -- Glass and part of a bumper were left in the roadway at Hunt/Main.

0930 -- Report of a possibly homeless woman ranting loudly at a bus stop on Hunt Avenue.

1047 -- A caller requested extra patrol on Meadowcreek Circle after mail was found on the ground yesterday. The caller said lots of unfamiliar people had been in the area lately.

1656 -- A black wallet was reported lost.

1831 -- A beige wallet was reported lost.

2010 -- Report of someone making threats.

2205 -- The fire department responded to Pope Street to help lift an elderly woman whod fallen over. She was not hurt.

2347 -- Medical aid for a possible heart attack victim on Hunt Avenue.

Friday, Jan. 13

0243 -- Following a traffic stop at Main/Sulphur Springs, police arrested a 24-year-old Napa woman on suspicion of DUI.

0708 -- Report of a reckless driver passing on the left and right and speeding through red lights near Main/Vintage.

0921 -- A small brown dog was running loose on Spring Mountain Road.

1254 -- Medical aid for a woman feeling ill on Pope Street.

1541 -- A Del Rio Court resident had previously reported that someone had made fraudulent charges on her debit card. She had just received a package from one of those fraudulent purchases.

1645 -- A woman reported receiving harassing phone calls.

1738 -- Non-injury hit-and-run in a Hunt Avenue parking lot.

Saturday, Jan. 14

0914 -- Medical aid on Pope Street.

0915 -- Report of a large, fluffy, white and brown dog running loose near Pope/Starr. It resisted capture, but in the afternoon it was seen going to the front yard of a house on Starr Avenue. The resident confirmed the dog lives there.

0939 -- Report of a reckless driver passing illegally at about 80 mph on Highway 29 near Bale Lane.

1140 -- A resident said someone had fraudulently opened a Verizon account in their name, with charges of over $2,500.

1317 -- Report of a reckless driver passing in the center lane of Highway 29 near Whitehall Lane.

1404 -- A Main Street pharmacy reported that someone had called in a fraudulent prescription. Police arrested a 30-year-old San Leandro man on suspicion of drug possession, burglary, obtaining drugs with a false prescription, obstructing police officers, and for an outstanding warrant from Contra Costa County. A 30-year-old El Sobrante man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy, obstruction and being an accessory to a felony.

1429 -- A child reportedly almost got hit by a car on Crane Avenue. The caller said there was an ongoing problem with cars speeding in the area.

1629 -- A Pratt Avenue resident reported that lots of cars were heading toward Silverado Trail, despite the road being closed.

1656 -- Report of a possible drunk driver on Highway 29 near Big Tree Road.

1722 -- Report of a woman sitting outside a Hunt Avenue store with a newborn baby for about two hours. The caller was concerned because it was cold outside.

1947 -- Report of a pickup blocking a driveway on Spring Street. Its owner was contacted and immediately moved it.

2149 -- Medical aid for a woman in extreme pain on Main Street.

2255 -- Report of a dog barking nonstop on Starr Avenue, possibly because it was cold outside.

Sunday, Jan. 15

0018 -- Following a traffic stop at Main Street and Deer Park Road, police arrested a 49-year-old St. Helena woman on suspicion of DUI and possession of false registration.

0021 -- An officer saw a driver run into a parked car and graze a pole on Main Street. The 33-year-old St. Helena woman was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

0940 -- A person tripped and fell in a Main Street parking lot, causing a nosebleed.

1012 -- Report of cars driving recklessly and going through the barricades on Silverado Trail at Pope Street.

1427 -- Report of a possible drunk driver in the elm tunnel.

2005 -- Report of a drunk man refusing to leave a Hunt Avenue property. Police arrested the 56-year-old St. Helena man on suspicion of public intoxication.

Monday, Jan. 16

0101 -- Following a traffic stop at Main/El Bonita, police arrested a 44-year-old Napa man on suspicion of DUI.

1216 -- Someone left graffiti in front of a Main Street store.

1612 -- Report of a three-car accident on Main Street.

1840 -- A caller said his white terrier was clipped by a silver Honda minivan on Valley View Street. The dog disappeared onto Spring Street, and the owner wanted police to be on the lookout for it.

2224 -- Medical aid on Vineyard Avenue.
The St. Helena school board has chosen Lisa Pelosi, a parent whos spent 12 years volunteering at all four schools, to fill a vacant seat on the board.

Trustees voted 4-0 on Jan. 11 to appoint Pelosi, who was one of three applicants for the seat previously held by Alex Shantz, who resigned in November. Pelosi was sworn in at the districts regular meeting last Thursday.

Unless voters collect enough signatures to force a special election, Pelosi will serve the remainder of Shantz term, which expires in 2018.

The board interviewed all three applicants: Pelosi, Alexandra Boeving Allen and Jeanmarie Wolf. Trustees highly praised all three candidates and encouraged them to stay involved in the schools whether they were appointed or not.

This is a really hard vote, said Trustee Jeannie Kerr.

Trustee Maria Haug initially said she would prefer Allen, but she went along with the other three trustees after they indicated their support for Pelosi. The final vote was unanimous.

In choosing Pelosi, trustees cited her experience with the district and her warmth, enthusiasm and approachability.

Trustee Jeff Conwell said he liked Pelosis statement about doing whats best for all students.

You have to make the best decision for all, he said. It might not be the best decision for your own child or for a friend of yours child.

Pelosi has served on the Measure B and C bond oversight committee, the parent groups at RLS Middle School and St. Helena High School, and the districts budget committee. She has volunteered for the Give Big! Fundraising campaign, the St. Helena Public Schools Foundation and St. Helena High School Drama.

I believe that my varied experience has allowed me to view and understand public education from different perspectives, coupled with above-average knowledge, she told the board. I have worked for years to support our students and schools, with the intention of keeping our school community strong.

Pelosi said her interests as a boardmember will include technology in the classroom, consistent communication between parents and the district, and community engagement in the schools, especially among Latinos. She said one of the districts strengths is that students like their schools.

Tony Rabin, who serves on the high school parent group, said Pelosi is a go-to person parents rely on for accurate information about whats happening in the schools. Shes also set up meetings between parents and administrators to discuss academic issues, he said. He praised the leadership abilities shes shown as co-president of the high school parent group.

She really gets people motivated and enthusiastic about doing things, he said.

Erin Przybylinski, another parent, praised Pelosis energy, commitment and authentic collaborative spirit to get the job done.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised Georgias ongoing reform efforts on Tuesday (17 January 2017) in talks with the State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Victor Dolidze, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Dondua. The ministers met with the Secretary General before participating in a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission.

During the NATO-Georgia Commission, Allies also welcomed Georgias progress in implementing key reforms, and its conduct of parliamentary elections last October. They further praised Georgias major contributions to NATO operations, including the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. The Commission also discussed the implementation of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, launched in 2014 to help Georgia improve its defence capabilities and move towards NATO membership. Several ambassadors highlighted the important work done by the Joint Training and Evaluation Centre, which hosted a NATO-Georgia exercise for the first time in November 2016.

Georgia also briefed the Commission on the security situation in and around the Black Sea. The Secretary General highlighted that, in response to new challenges, NATO is increasing its presence in the Black Sea region with several Allies set to contribute forces and capabilities.
(Natural News) Theres no worse karma than betraying your fellow human beings, including children and babies, so that they take the wrong medicines and eat the wrong foods that cause sickness, cell disorder, central nervous system maladies and even death, all in the name of power, control and money. That is why the following 10 Big Food and Bad Medicine shills deserve nothing more than the Science Ass-Hat Award for being the ultimate hucksters, liars, losers and science scammers on the planet.

These insidious hacks know exactly what theyre doing when they regurgitate chemical industry lies, sell the public on eating GMOs and trusting in dangerous chemotherapy, inject carcinogenic vaccines, kill healthy babies that are still in the womb, and worst of all, act like theyre actually worth something in this world. Their outright arrogance and immoral, utterly unethical-to-the-core characters simply cant be measured on any kind of scale, but we can rank them and give them the medal of dishonor they so self-righteously deserve. (RELATED: Find real news about science at Scientific.news, and read the truth about medicine at Medicine.news)

Starting from the top and working our way down to the bottom of the sellout barrel, here come the top performing science-sellout posers and clowns of the year:

#1. Bill Nye: the science fraud guy

What a total sellout goon this freak of nature has become. He went from totally questioning everything about GMOs to saying he was literally in love with them after visiting Monsanto headquarters where he tried on several shades of brown lipstick and learned how to pray to the most evil company on the planet  now owned by Bayer, a behemoth that not only manufactures bad medicine and chemical pesticides for agriculture, but also controls a large portion of the worlds seeds, hoping to create a monopoly and turn them all into genetic mutations. Thanks Bill Nye, you science fraud guy, for selling out like the shill you are. We know now exactly what films, books and videos to never show the kids in school.

#2. Neil DeGrasse Tyson: the mascot of the fraudulent scientific industrial complex

Yes, we know, you like his narration of space exploration and intellectual star talk, but its all been undermined and ruined by his complete and utter ignorance of GMOs, while acting like hes an expert about anything that leaps from his mouth. Tysons mostly successful career recently took a nose dive and his public persona jumped off a steep cliff when the for-profit science industry found a new shill and mascot to spit out their usual jargon and propaganda about genetically modified food (GMOs). Tyson must be broke and in need of some quick cash, as he has taken to spewing out lies about biotechnology being the same as traditional cross-breeding thats been occurring for thousands of years.

By the way, Neil, scientists have not been in laboratories splicing the genes of toxic pesticides into Americas most popular crop seeds for millennia (only for the past 30 years). Stick to your star talk and quit pushing cancer food on the masses for quick cash. GMOs are not safe and do not occur naturally. The irony is that so many celebrities today are uneducated about the foods we eat, so for endorsements, they model the worst of all habits and sell innocent people their own slow, miserable death. Tysons ramped-up promotion of GMO foods is suspect, to say the least, considering he is comparing GM corn and soy that contain carcinogens to seedless watermelons and long-stem roses.

#3. Senator Richard Pan: Californias mercury joker

The Eli Lilly shill, a.k.a. the Mercury Joker has cornered the market on chemical-based child abuse in California. What easier way is there to make a fortune as an unethical doctor than to force-vaccinate millions of children, including black boys who, according to the lead CDC scientist, Dr. William Thompson, are more susceptible to getting autism from mercury injections, and then pretending to treat them with other dangerous drugs their whole lives?

Pan is a huckster and propagandist who takes big money from big pharma for his political campaigns, while promoting dangerous chemical medicine and laws to jab it all into humans, including infants and pregnant women. Thanks Joker, youve won third place in the science shill Ass-Hat competition of 2016.

#4. David H. Gorski, a.k.a. Orac: the psycho-blogger

This internet clown abuses people online, especially anyone who questions vaccines or chemotherapy. He takes breaks from surgery and runs to his computer like a little rat, typing thousands of words, blogs, replies and rants on medical message boards, all while his patients lie on operating tables waiting for him to finish sewing them up. Do his patients even really have cancer?

Gorski has been reported to the FBI for suspicious activity, and features some of the worst reviews from patients you will ever read. He may be the most arrogant doctor alive today whos  somehow  still practicing medicine. He may have been named as a co-conspirator by Dr. Farid Fata, who worked under the same institution umbrella of Karmanos Cancer Care in Detroit. Fata is serving 45 years in federal prison for dosing patients to death with high doses of chemotherapy, even when they didnt have cancer. Fata is next on the list of top science Ass-Hats of the year.

Dr. Orac, the mentally deranged surgeon, cyber bully and surgical quack, is now linked to a skeptics kingpin (James Randi  amateur magician) and pervert caught on tape soliciting sex from a young man, according to sources.

#5. Dr. Farid Fata: the most insidious and evil cancer doctor ever

This story is so insane youd think its a horror movie theme instead of real life. On July 10th, 2015, Detroit area oncologist Farid Fata, M.D., was sentenced to only 45 years in prison for administering chemotherapy to healthy patients, some of whom died, and for defrauding Medicare and private insurance companies out of more than $30 million. The freak pleaded guilty to 13 counts of healthcare fraud, two counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy involving kickbacks. He even injected his dying patients during their last few days of life with more of his massively intense European Protocol mixture of intravenously-fed chemo drugs.

Heres the rub: Fata operated from multiple locations in and around Detroit, where one of his cohorts (who has since denied knowing him) may have been named as a co-conspirator. Orac the psycho-blogger has been reported to the FBI. If you are aware of any misconduct or misdiagnoses by one David H. Gorski, surgical oncologist at Karmanos, be sure to report it!

#6. Bill Gates  master of the Zika virus hoax

No, Bill Gates is not just a computer whiz who wants the best technology for the world. Gates is a globalist who wants to get rid of billions of people in the next two decades using vaccines and GMOs as weapons of mass destruction. Pretending to be a philanthropist who cares about third world countries, Gates is actually one of many rich white dudes whose ultimate goal is to sterilize minorities and wipe them off the face of the earth with cancer-causing, genetically mutated corn and soy. If you are not aware that toxic vaccines and GMOs are bio-weapons of the 21st century, start doing some homework. Watch out for a fake Zika vaccine that might come out soon! Thats why Bill Gates ranks in at number 6 in the science-shill Ass-Hat awards of 2016.

#7. Kevin Folta: the ultimate Monsanto shill

If Folta had his way, hed have the whole country believing that hes just an honest horticulture scientist and academic at the University of Florida who cares about people, food and farming. This clown poses on talk radio as a geek who interviews himself, asking himself Monsanto-fed questions and answering using scripted lines to promote everything GMO as safe and beneficial, so that he can take his shill vacations in Hawaii paid for by Monsanto. Folta uses organic words like sustainability when talking about dangerous chemical-based pesticides.

Just like Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Folta wants Americans to believe that GMOs are just another step in traditional breeding. The US Right to Know Group exposed Folta for the shill he really is when they dredged up FOIA paperwork and emails showing discussions with Monsanto reps about how he would say anything they wanted him to say. Thats why the sad, geeky Folta is ranked number 7 for the Ass-Hat science shill awards of 2016.

#8. Robert Santella: the demonic, psycho abortion doctor

Yes, there are doctors in America who love killing children and babies. This freak got caught on video in a rant that went viral and got him fired. Coming in at number 8 for the ultimate Science Ass-Hat of the Year award is psycho abortion doctor Santella, who may be still be killing babies at a new, different institution. Beware!

#9. Dr. Julie Gerberding: former CDC director and current Merck shill

This evil nut-job was a key conspirator in covering up the vaccine-autism link that was later completely exposed by Dr. William Thompson, head CDC scientist, who had already alerted Gerberding to the evil data manipulation going on at the CDC. Now, she heads up Mercks evil vaccine marketing and promotions division. Congratulations Gerberding, youre ranked number 9 in the science shilling Ass-Hat competition of 2016.

#10. Jon Entine: the ultimate GMO apologist, corporate propagandist and alleged violent wife-beater

A former favorite GMO propagandist for Forbes.com, this chemical-pesticide huckster and charlatan dragged his now ex-wife and teenaged daughter through courts for years while he allegedly abused them time and time again, actually choking his wife in front of the daughter. Entine shills for Monsanto and Syngenta, publishing false information in mainstream publications to con Americans into eating cancer food. Entine also won the Corrupt Journalist Award for being a low-life scoundrel and pushing multiple corporate lies at Forbes.com.

Also, 2016 was such a special year for science Ass-Hats, that a bonus ass-clown award goes out, at number 11, to Paul Offit, the science muppet! This clown and vaccine-pushing puppet invented and patented the most dangerous vaccine known to mankind: RotaTeq, the rotavirus vaccine. Chock full of neurotoxins that cause autism, the rotavirus vaccine was invented by the same man who pretends to care about autistic children. Imagine the arrogance and hypocrisy. The only reason Offit cares about autistic children is because they serve as more cash in his bank account, as the CDC has put Offits toxic vaccine on its schedule of mandatory vaccinations for children. Unbelievable. That is why Offit the Muppet is number 11 on the 2016 science Ass-Hat of the Year award list.

Congratulations you sellout hucksters. You all deserve exactly whats coming your way: bad karma.

Sources for this article include:

TruthWiki.org

TruthWiki.org

NaturalNews.com

UnmaskingOrac.Blogspot.co.za

NaturalNews.com

TruthWiki.org

TruthWiki.org

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Participants in the Ancient Legacies: Egypt tour, a college-credit-applicable program from Southern Illinois University Carbondale also open for non-credit-seeking travelers, pose in front of the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx at Giza. (Photo provided)

Ancient Legacies study trips planned to Egypt, Greece

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Nothing makes a trip to Egypt complete like participating in a mummification ritual. Or, for those who prefer Greece, building a sundial on the beach to better understand ancient astronomy.

Robert Hahn, professor of philosophy at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, has guided more than 1,200 people to sites in Greece and Egypt via Ancient Legacies, the intellectual travel adventure tour and college-credit-ready study trip he launched 35 years ago. Building sundials and model pyramids, reconstructing the trial of Socrates, and participating in a mummification ritual (minus the actual mummification) are all part of the experience.

Media Advisory

Robert Hahn is available for interview, including television or radio interview, to discuss the Ancient Legacies educational tour opportunities. The media may also attend an information session on Feb. 2. Hahn is best reached at hahnrprof@gmail.com or hahnr@siu.edu.

Students may participate in the Ancient Legacies tours for college credit, but some participants prefer to join the tours just for fun or to accompany a college-credit seeking friend or family member.

Hahn, along with other Ancient Legacies faculty, will present an information session that will give prospective participants an idea of the ancient wonders included in the tour, as well as information about cost, tuition and college credit options, travel requirements, deposits, accommodations, full itinerary and everything else a prospective student or community-member traveler needs to know. The session is 5-6 p.m. on Feb. 2 in the Student Center, Ohio Room (second floor).

The Egypt trip is May 16-27 and the itinerary includes sites in Cairo and Giza, Luxor, Aswan and a Nile River cruise. The trip to Greece is May 28-June 10, and includes visits to Athens, Delphi, the islands Samos and Kos and sites on the west coast of Turkey, including a day exploring the Mediterranean Sea on a private yacht.

Hahn notes that faculty-led hands-on learning activities included in the tour enhance travelers appreciation of the ancient sites they are visiting. Building pyramids out of sugar cubes to test construction theories, for example, encourages a visitor to appreciate not just the timeless beauty of the Great Pyramids, but also to have more respect for the ancient architects achievement, he said.

These are not simply lectures, Hahn said. They are led by a team of faculty who also direct hands-on activities to provide learning in a fun format. In Greece, the group recreates the trial of Socrates in an ancient site to see how democracy and the jury system began. In Egypt, they carve their own limestone tablets to learn how tomb painting was achieved.
Simon Institute recognizes students

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Two students who work with Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute are receiving the Mike Lawrence Scholarship and the institutes Directors Award.

Octavia Franklin, a December 2016 graduate in business management from Chicago, received the Mike Lawrence Scholarship, while Lucas Taylor, a senior in accountancy from Springfield, received the 2016 Directors Award.

Franklin became involved with the institute after being accepted to the Womens Civic Institute, an institute collaboration with the universitys Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism, in January 2015. She then became a student employee at the institute and was active in helping to coordinate institute events.

The award honors Lawrence, who retired as institute director in November 2008. The veteran newsman, press secretary and political analyst joined the institute in 1997 as associate director, and became the director in 2004 following the death of founder and former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon. Recipients are outstanding students who are involved in institute programs, initiatives and other volunteer opportunities, and who have demonstrated positive leadership qualities. There is a preference that recipients are African American.

Taylor, has worked as a student employee with the institute since January 2015 and has supported numerous programs. Taylor spent summer 2014 as an intern in the Illinois state treasurers office and the following summer as a legislative intern focusing on health policy for then-U.S. Sen. Mark Kirks office in Washington, D.C. Taylor will graduate from SIU Carbondale in May 2017.

David Yepsen, the institutes former director who retired in October 2016, originated the Directors Award. Yepsen joined the institute in 2009 after a 34-year career as a political writer, editor and columnist for the Des Moines Register. In 2016, through the generosity of private donors, Herb and Carolyn Donow, an endowment was established to continue the award and honor Yepsen. The newly renamed David Yepsen Directors Award formalizes one of his first initiatives.

Keeping with the legacy of our founder, Sen. Paul Simon, each director leaves a mark on the institute and our work becomes part of each of their legacies as well, Jak Tichenor, interim director, said. Its fitting that both Mike and David are honored in ways that directly recognize our students and help them excel.

Contributions to the Mike Lawrence Scholarship and David Yepsen Directors Award can be made online at www.paulsimoninstitute.org, or by sending a check to the institute at 1231 Lincoln Drive, Mailcode 4429, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901. More information on the scholarship or award is available by contacting Delio Calzolari, associate director, at 618/453-4009, or by email at delio@siu.edu.
Her association as the brand ambassador was announced on Tuesday via a statement.

"It is an honour and a privilege to become an IWC brand ambassador and represent the brand in India and around the world. I admire IWC for its uniqueness and creative storytelling, which have characterized the brand throughout its history," Sonam said.

IWC Regional Brand Director Luc Rochereau said Sonam "is a powerhouse performer and a thorough professional".

"Her scintillating charm and elegance resonate with our brand philosophy, and we have found the perfect partner in her," Rochereau added.

To begin the partnership, Sonam will be present at the 27th Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva in 2017, alongside other prestigious guests and IWC brand ambassadors from across the world.

The daughter of veteran actor Anil Kapoor, Sonam is known as much for her fashion sense as her acting skills. She is credited for films like "Aisha", "I hate Luv Stories", "Raanjhanaa" and "Neerja".

--IANS sug/rb/bg

( 194 Words)

2017-01-17-17:20:10 (IANS)
Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor on Tuesday launched his autobiography, titled "Khullam Khulla - Rishi Kapoor Uncensored", here in the presence of his wife Neetu Singh and daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni. The event, which took place at The Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi, was attended by veteran actress Nafisa Ali, Rishi's son-in-law Bharat Sahni, comedian Papa CJ and Union Minister Babul Supriyo, who paid a tribute to the "Bobby" actor by singing his famous song "Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karenge". In his autobiography, Rishi has revealed some of the unknown aspects of his life, right from his and his late father Raj Kapoor's affairs with co-stars to his belief on father-son relationships, and his passion for acting. Rishi has co-authored the book with Meena Iyer. "The most difficult part while writing this autobiography was to remain honest, and me and Meena had very verticals. So, we had to choose as we had to reflect on cinema, family, career etc. She assembled it all part by part and we took it forward. We took three and a half years to write this book," Rishi said at the launch, where he had a conversation with actor Suhel Seth. Talking about his wife, Rishi said: "I guess she (Neetu) has lost weight. People normally tell me that you don't feed your wife. No, but I must tell you that Neetu and writer Meenu have coped up with a very impatient man." "Neetu has been with me since last 37 years. Meena has been there since last three and a half years. I really marvel the way they have coped with it." During the launch while sharing some insights about the book, Rishi revealed some of his past incidents right from when he had an awkward encounter with one of his past girlfriends, to sleeping drunk next to his father and his conversation with late filmmaker Manmohan Desai regarding 1977 film "Amar Akhbar and Anthony". --IANS sas/vgu/ ( 330 Words) 2017-01-18-00:32:07 (IANS)
Welcoming the Election Commission of India's move of allotting the Samajwadi Party symbol 'cycle' to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's faction, party state president Naresh Uttam on Monday says that the development is the victory of truth and the people of the state. "This is the victory of the truth and people of Uttar Pradesh. We welcome the decision of Election Commission," Uttam told ANI. Further commenting on Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, he said that the former has always believed in democracy and respects the Constitution of India, adding that with his blessing Akhilesh Yadav will fight the upcoming assembly election and once again will become the chief minister of the state. Earlier today, the Election Commission entitled Akhilesh Yadav the Samajwadi Party 'cycle' symbol, giving a major shot in the arm for the Akhilesh camp ahead of the assembly polls. "The Commission hereby announces that the group led by Akhilesh Yadav is the Samajwadi Party and is entitled to use its name and its reserved symbol 'Bicycle' for the purposes of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968," the order read. Reacting to the development, Akhilesh's aid and uncle Ram Gopal Yadav applauded the Election Commission for handing out a just and fair order. "I would like to laud the Election Commission for giving a just order and the Commission will also be blessed by the people of Uttar Pradesh. I would like to congratulate all the Samajwadi Party workers and ask them to work and make Akhilesh the Chief Minister again," he told the media here. Responding to a poser about the possible 'Mahaghatbandhan' ahead of assembly polls, Ramgopal said, "I am hopeful that Mahaghatbandhan will take place, but the final decision rests with Akhilesh." There have been various attempts to hold parleys within the Akhilesh and Mulayam camp, but the meet has always remained inconclusive. According to sources, Mulayam told Akhilesh to step down from the post saying that he would remain to be the party's face for Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. But, Akhilesh refused the offer saying that he would pass on the baton once the elections are over. Elections will be held in seven phases in Uttar Pradesh starting February 11, and nominations for the first phase begin on January 17. Votes will be counted on March 11. (ANI)
Desperate to recapture their lover's attention, envious adults are more likely to splash out on flashy, designer goods, claims study. Researcher Xun (Irene) Huang, PhD, and team conducted a series of five different experiments, and the results revealed that feelings of jealousy increase the desire for eye-catching products--such as a bright colored coat instead of a dull-colored one, or a T-shirt with a big logo design versus a low-key design. A summary of their findings is available online in the Journal of Consumer Psychology. "We believe that this effect is not just restricted to jealousy in romantic relationships," says Huang, a professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. "Children can be jealous of a sibling's relationship with their parents, or workers might be jealous of a colleague's close relationship with a supervisor." The researchers also found that the desire for eye-grabbing products disappeared when there was little chance that the product would be noticed by others in public. Participants who were experiencing feelings of jealously in one experiment were more likely to buy a noticeable gold lamp for their office, a public place. But if they were buying a lamp for their bedroom, interest in a gold lamp versus a plain grey one was equal. The researchers were surprised to discover that the desire to recapture someone's attention with eye-catching products even outweighed the risk of public embarrassment. In one experiment, participants were asked to imagine that they had been invited to a party. One group had been invited to a costume party organized by friends, and the other group had been invited to a formal welcoming party for new staff members at their company. Then they were asked to choose whether they'd prefer to wear an ordinary pair of sunglasses to the party or a unique and eye-catching pair. The researchers found that participants who were experiencing feelings of jealously opted to wear the eye-catching sunglasses to both types of parties, even though they could garner negative attention for this at a formal work party. These findings also have implications for marketing, Huang says. Print advertisements and in-store displays can capture situations in which jealously is at play, which could motivate consumers to buy products that will attract someone's attention. Television commercials that promote attention-grabbing products might also be effective during sit-coms in which jealously is a common theme. (ANI)
Police opened nine rounds of fire in the air to quell two clashing groups near Kuruvinatham here last night. According to police, two youths of Kuruvinatham had an altercation with few persons belonging to Periyar Nagar on the night of Mattupongal. They informed the people of Kuruvinatham who came to attack those from Periyar Nagar. The timely intervention of the police prevented a clash and police pickets have been posted in Periyar nagar. Meanwhile, two persons belonging to Kuruvinatham came by Periyar nagar and they were reportedly abused by the people there. The two informed this to the Kuruvinatham villagers who intruded into Periyar nagar with weapons and attacked the people last night . Five houses, a place of worship and two motorcycles were damaged in the attack. The people of Periyar Nagar attacked those from Kuruvinatham in retaliation resulting in a clash between the two groups. Bahour police intervened and tried to prevent the clashing mob. However, they pelted stones at the police party injuring Bahour Sub-Inspector Vijayakumar. Following this, police opened nine rounds of fire in the air and people ran away. Several of them from both the sides were injured. Senior Superintendent of Police Rajiv Ranjan, SPs Deivasigamani and Rahim among others visited the area. Heavy police pickets have been posted to prevent any untoward incidents.UNI PAB CS 1006 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1110629.Xml
A highly tense situation is prevailing in Alanganallur in this district since this morning after the police forcibly evicted and detained 240 persons, including three women for staging a 21-hour-long dharna, demanding to lift the ban on Jallikattu (bull taming) events. A group of youths, including students were staging a dharna in Alanganallur since yesterday. The agitators continued their dharna till 0600 hours this morning. They spent overnight on open ground. Senior police officials asked the agitators to disperse immediately as it was an unlawful assembly. Since the youths failed to withdraw their stir, police swung into action, forcibly evicted them into police vans and detained them in marriage halls at Sholavandan and Vadipatti. Irate over the police action, more than 2,000 men and women resorted to road-roko agitation at Alanganallur to condemn the police action and demanded immediate release of all the arrested persons. Madurai Superintendent of Police Vijayendra S.Bidari, who rushed to Alanganallur held talks with the agitators. He said the youths were taken into preventive custody only and all of them will be released later in the day. He said the police were extending full support to the people for the past few days and demanded public cooperation to maintain law and order. But, however, the agitators refuse to accept Bidari's request and said they will continue their protest till the release of arrested persons. Members of various political parties, including DMK MLA P.Moorthy also joined the protest. In the meantime, a section of agitators allegedly hurled water packets on AIADMK MLA K.Manickam, representing Sholavandam assembly constituency in Madurai, when he came to Alanganallur to express solidarity with the agitating people. The agitators shouted slogans against him and asked him to go back. A large number of police personnel were deployed in Alanganallur to prevent any untoward incidents. Meanwhile, reports reaching here said similar protests condemning the police action and demanding immediate release of detained persons were being held in various parts of the State. UNI GSM CS 1032 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1110643.Xml
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneeselvam,today led the State in paying rich tributes to AIADMK Founder and late Chief Minister Bharat Ratna MGR on the occasion of his birth centenary here today. The Tamil Nadu government has declared a holiday today tomark his birth centenary, who was hailed as 'Makkal Thilagam''Ponmana Chelvan' and 'Puratchi Thalaivar' (Revolutionary leader). Mr Panneerselvam, accompanied by party MLAs and Ministers,garlanded the statue of MGR at the Dr MGR Medical University campus in Guindy and also paid floral tributes to a decorated portrait of the late leader. A special postage stamp was also released on the occasion. At the Party Headquarters at Avvai Shanmugam Salai, AIADMKGeneral Secretary V K Sasikala garlanded the statue of the Party Founder and released the MGR birth centenary specialsouvenir, the first copy of which was received by Party Presidium Chairman E Madhusudhanan. MORE UNI GV CS 1148 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1110730.Xml
M/s Aeonian Investments Company Limited a NonBanking Finanace company (NBFC)has surrendered the Certificate ofRegistration granted to them by the Reserve Bank of India. The Reserve Bank of India, in exercise of powers conferred on itunder Section 45-IA (6) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, hastherefore cancelled their Certificate of Registration.As such, the above companies cannot transact the business of aNon-Banking Financial Institution, as defined in clause (a) ofSection 45-I of the RBI Act, 1934.UNI JS SM1141 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-1110723.Xml
As many as 14 students of the Dr.Ambedkar government law college were arrested when they attempted to picket the Rajnivas to press their demands. They were demanding the immediate release of the students who were arrested by police at Aranganallur in Tamil Nadu yesterday when they fought in support of Jallikattu. Earlier, the students taken out a procession to the Rajnivas from the Bharathi park.They were prevented by the police reaching Rajnivas and were arrested. Meanwhile, volunteers of the different Tamil organizations held a demonstration near the Kamaraj statue junction on the issue. The agitators shouted slogans in support of Jallikattu and demanded the release of those arrested at Aranganallur. They also burnt photographs of AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Puducherry Lt.Governor Kiran Bedi.UNI PAB CS 1303 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1110832.Xml
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav today took full control of the party after yesterday's Election Commission of India (ECI) verdict, with disclosing that the party will go for pre-poll alliance and an announcement would be made within two days time. Interacting with media, here at his official residence, Akhilesh said that the alliance would be announced in Lucknow in two days time. He also ruled out his visit to New Delhi over the alliance talks with Congress and other parties. This was the first time Akhilesh has said about the alliance in the media. However, he ruled out any differences with his father Mulayamm Singh Yadav over the fight to claim the party." Netaji mere pita hain, ye to nahi badal sakta hai. Ye ladai zaroori thi, per ye mere liye khushi ki baat nahi hai. Wo mera pita hain. Hamari aur unki list 90 percent to comman thi.( Netajee is my father and it cannot be changed. We had a fight over the party and it was not a happy thing for me. He is my father and the candidates list of both the faction were 90 per cent common)". Expressing that there is very less time left for the campaigning, he said that lot of things have to be done in a very less time to go before the people." Samay bahut kam hai, haime ab logon ke beech jana hai," he stated. "Ab badi zimmedari hai,ab hamara saara dhyaan dobara sarkaar banane par hai( I have been entrusted with a big responsibility and my full focus on retaining the power)," he said: Akhilesh Yadav Akhilesh Yadav also interacts with Samajwadi Party workers at his official residence, 5 Kalidas Marg and appealed to them to go to their respective constituencies to ensure victory of the party candidates. UP Minister Rajendra Choudhury, a staunch supporter of Akhilesh, also said that the people of UP wholly support Akhilesh Yadav and he will be the CM again. Yesterday, after ECI gave its verdict in his favour, Akhilesh and his wife Dimple immediately rushed to meet Mulayam at his residence and it was reported that they sought blessings from the SP patriarch for becoming the CM in the state for the second time. Akhilesh is also likely to release the candidates list and poll manifesto within a couple of days time.UNI MB ADG 1301 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1110772.Xml
A local court has sentenced one person to imprisonment for two years and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on him on the charge of molesting a six-year-old in a running train last year. According to prosecution, Tamil Nadu's Namakkal-resident (39) molested the victim who hails from Indore while she was sleeping in lower berth of the Ahilya Nagri Express on the intervening night of May 14-15, 2016. Her father immediately caught the accused and handed him over to the Railway Police Force. The court delivered the verdict yesterday.UNI XC-PS CJ ADG 1352 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-1110942.Xml
Uttar Pradesh police has registered an First Information Report (FIR) against , All-India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi for violating the election Model Code of Conduct(MCC) for pasting posters in religious and other places. Police today said that along with Owaisi, the party candidate Talat Khan,contesting from Saharanpur city, was also named in the FIR. Police said that posters of AIMIM were pasted on the walls on the walls of the power corporation property, religious places and private shops which led the police to file a complaint against them. Police have registered a case under section 171H of IPC (illegal payments in connection with an election). Owaisi was always under the scanner of the present Samajwadi Party government in UP and police had foiled all effort in the past by the AIMIM to hold any rally of the party president in the state.UNI MB CJ ADG 1320 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1110739.Xml
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar todaycame down heavily against the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre for nottaking state governments into confidence and running the governmentin a autocratic manner thereby weakening the federal structure ofthe country. Speaking at the 'meet-the-press' programme organised by PressClub of Bengaluru, he said the relation between (opposition ruled)State governments and the centre was weakening during the past threeyears and blamed Mr Modi for this situation. ''Though our Prime Minister has said that he would practice'cooperative federalism' we do not understand what he meant by thatwhen we see his actions. He has actually disbanded federalism byignoring the opinion, experiences and views of the Stategovernments,'' he alleged. Mr Sarkar pointed out the failure of the centre to hold meetingsof Development Council of India and National Industrial Councilwhich were platform where state and centre interact to solveproblems faced by the States. ''Gradually federalism will take a hit and there will be avacuum,'' he feared. When asked whether BJP will make inroads into Tripura, like itdid in Arunachal Pradesh, the Chief Minister alleged thatthe BJP was using money, muscle and media power to weaken otherparties. But he had full confidence in the people of Tripura thatsuch thing will not happen in his state after 2018 Assembly election. Mr Sarkar rejected allegations by West Bengal Chief Minister MamataBanerjee that he was involved in some chit fund scams and washarassing TMC leaders in his state. ''Absolutely false. Just to saveher skin from scams like Sarada, Narada and other scams she is makingsuch allegations. This is a political narrowness. Please do not tryto implicate me in such things,'' he said. He also said that on the Tripura High Court scrapping appointment of10,000 teachers, the state government had appealed against theverdict in the Supreme Court. The appointments were made onseniority basis and no corruption was involved. He said there was unemployment in Tripura, but no state was freefrom it. ''Everyweek I hold Cabinet meeting twice and making maximumdecisions to fill all vacant posts in all departments,'' he said. Mr Sarkar expressed confidence that the 'third force' will getits due in the country which will see gradual sidelining of both theBJP and Congress by the people. ''The third alternative will bedriven by the people, like the poor, artisans, farmers, teachers,workers and intelligentia. It may take time but it will becomereality one day, he added. To a question, Mr Sarkar was non-commmital on the merger of CPI (M)with CPI. However, there was a thinking of all Left parties comingtogether and CPI too had changed in its thinking.UNI RS CNR CS 1330 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0284-1110872.Xml
Leading industry body of Karnataka, BangaloreChamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC), today commended the UnionGovernment for the announcement of GST rollout effective from July 1,2017, ending the anxiety of the industry with regard to an uncertain timeline. BCIC in a release here said with the consensus from majority ofthe States and ironing out of certain contentious issues raised byGST Council, it is now certain that the NDA Government is all set torollout GST Law. Except for petrol and excise levies, the Goods and Services Taxwill completely subsume all taxes and replace the complex andconfusing layers of central and state levies to create a commonmarket across India for the first time. BCIC President Thyagu Valliappa said thatwith the GST to become a reality, the Union Government shouldclear all the loops as far the integration of the Law as far aspan-India was concerned so that it would allow seamlessimplementation of the new law. One of the major spinoff of GST is that since taxation was amajor heartburn with both Domestic and Overseas investors, theimplementation of a single taxation policy will foster biggerinvestments flows into India. The Chamber feels that the decision to defer GST to July 2017 ispractical. This gives India Inc. the much needed clarity and someadditional time for preparation for this huge reform and also theGovernment gets time to finalise rate slabs for various goods andservices. UNI CNR RS CS 1337 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0284-1110891.Xml
Former army chief General (Retd.) J. J. Singh on Tuesday hit back at Captain Amarinder Singh and said that the Punjab Congress chief has no right to judge a person who has been decorated in every rank. "He has no authority to judge me. I've been decorated in every rank. I think he has no idea, he should read my autobiography. And then he will know what I am talking about," he said. General (Retd.) Singh, who is the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP candidate for the Punjab Assembly polls, dubbed Captain Amarinder as a 'gumshuda' leader and said his political career is going to end very soon. "A Captain is a Captain and a General is a General, how can he compete and compare with me? I am using the strategy which he cannot match. If he can match, let him come on the ground. l challenge him to come and walk with me," he added. He further said that the Congress leader would lose from both Patiala and Lambi in the assembly polls. "He will get tired. I am working 18 hours a day; he cannot even work more than six hours a day. He needs rest...My roots are here and he says I have nothing to do with Patiala. I think he knows nothing," he said. The former army chief's outburst against the Congress leader came after he described him as an average General. "He was a year junior to me and I know he was a lacklustre and an average General," he said. Assembly elections in the state will be held on February 4, where the people of Punjab will contest the election for 117 legislative seats. (ANI)
India's capital has become a gas chamber. The air quality index is always red throughout the year, people breathing poisonous gas and suffering from pulmonary problems, a leading scientist said today. The situation is even worse for the marginal section of the society comprising among others auto-rickshaw drivers, rickshaw pullers,street vendors, who live on road to do business for their living and are thrown to open to the poisonous gas. Speaking on the launch of breathe-free helpline Dr Sundeep Salvi, member of steering committee of Air Pollution of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said that those who do business on roads have the maximum exposure to polluted air and were at high risk. He said one-day exposure to the air in the Capital is equal to smoking 25 cigarettes. Government has maintained a silence on the distress of this marginal society. Providing free pollution masks and installation of air purifiers equidistant from each other on the streets could be the immediate rescue which the government can provide to the marginal society as they neither have money nor resources to reach these products and are miserably left in the streets to die, Dr Salvi told UNI. Migration from the neighbouring states for employment, changing life style and lack of efficient public transport has made the national capital one of the most polluted cities of the world. Initiatives by the government like Odd-even plan, reducing Metro and Delhi Transport Corporation fares, online cab services and others have totally failed to curb the air pollution, experts feel. National capital also has a disadvantage from its geographical location where the winds blowing from the north brings smoke from the crop burning while from the south- the dusty air of Thar desert, Dr Salvi informed.Fifty per cent of patients in Delhi who visit the doctor complain of respiratory disorders. Studies conducted by health experts shows that pollution also leads to depression, asthma, obesity and is even harmful for the fetus resulting in retarded growth. Air purifiers and face mask are among the several new anti-pollution preventive products and their sale has exponentially increased. The sale of these products had increased to 50 per cent during the last three months and the price of mask varies from Rs 500 to 2000 while that of air purifiers starts from Rs 10,000. Unfortunately no private organisation under the flagship of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has taken this task to provide free pollution mask to the needy, Dr Salvi told UNI. Its high time that the government and private sector should think about the distressed on roads and provide alternatives to fight pollution and policies to regularise the use to personal vehicles and industrial pollution. These ideas can't expand the universe but can provide better quality of air to breathe, the experts feel.UNI PS RP1850 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1111438.Xml
Even as most elections in the Hindi heartland lead to debate about the significance of the so-called 'minority vote bank', the Congress party in Manipur and Uttarakhand is willing to play up 'soft Hindutva' card in the ensuing polls.Significantly, in the coming polls even minority Christian voters too would have high stakes in some key states. Sources said the Congress high command has given its nod to Manipur unit and especially Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh to play 'soft Hindutva' card to retain Congress "traditional stronghold over Hindu Meiteis" at a time when the BJP is making an all out effort to make penetration into the interiors in the Northeast.The ruling Congress in Manipur has a strong Meitei leader in the form of incumbent Chief Minister Ibobi Singh, who has lately only polarised Meitei voters in his favour by "bifurcating" the hill districts -- known as strong citadels of Nagas. Manipur has substantial Naga tribal people, most of them Christians, who are largely perceived to be soft toward the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi chiefly because of the "progress" being made in the Naga peace talks between the Central Government and the militant group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM). Besides a possible political solution to the long pending Naga insurgency issue, sources said BJP has also tied up with Naga People's Front eyeing the Naga voters.More UNI DEVN AE SNU 1815 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0445-1111415.Xml
In a tough message to Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asserted that Islamabad must walk away from terror if it wants to have dialogue with New Delhi. In his inaugural address to the second Raisina Dialogue, Mr Modi said India has always cherished dialogues and discussions, but he said, "those in our neighbours and support terror and violence stand isolated". The Prime Minister said it was his vision for cordial relations with neighbours that had led him to invite leaders of all SAARC neighbours, including Pakistan, for his swearing-in. Mr Modi hoped that relations with countries like the United States under new dispensation in Washington will be strengthened further. "In my conversation with President elect Donald Trump, we agreed to keep building on gains in our strategic partnership," Mr Modi said, adding the engagement between India and the US in last two-and-half years have also yielded immense dividends. Similarly, the Prime Minister hoped the engagement with countries like Russia and Japan was also fruitful.Proposing the vote of thanks, Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar said India wants peace but it should not be the peace of graveyard.UNI DEVN AE SNU 1856 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0445-1111604.Xml
Speaking to newsmen here, he said that about Rs 3000 crore to Rs3500 crore is needed and project report has been prepared for thepurpose. After obtaining Cabinet approval World Bank will beapproached for the assistance.

He said that out of total 412 Degree Colleges in the State only42 colleges have full time Principals and steps will be taken tofill vacant posts by next academic year.

Mr Rayareddy said that the Dr Ambedkar Business School ofEconomics built on 44 acres of land in Bangalore University premiseswill be ready for inauguration by April.

He said that out of 9000 lecturer posts there were 3000vacancies. This year, 2,150 lecturers were appointed and steps will betaken to fill the remaining shortly. The Minister said that out of more than one lakh foreign studentsstudying in the country more than 32,000 are in Karnataka.UNI MSP CS 1842

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0284-1111550.Xml
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday in his address at the second Raisina Dialogue said that USA and India will be keep on building the relationship further in regard to the strategic partnership and also pointed out that Russia is an abiding friend and the partnership between the old allies has deepened. "In my conversation with President elect Donald Trump, we agreed to keep building on these gains in our strategic partnership and Russia is an abiding friend. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and I have held long talks on the challenges that confront the world today. Our partnership in defence has deepened. The emphasis on energy and trade have shown results," he said. Prime Minister Modi also highlighted the relations between India and China, saying that it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences. "In the management of our relationship and for peace and progress, we need to show sensitivity and respect for our core concerns. I see the development of India and China as an unprecedented opportunity, for our two countries and for the whole world," he added. Prime Minister Modi told the 69 nations participating in the flagship geo-political conference "Raisina Dialogue" that reforms would not be enough "unless it transforms economy and society". He said for his government, this means a "path of international engagement" -- focussed on "restoring bridges, shaping relationships, making India human resource to be reckoned with". More than 250 representatives of 65 nations are participating in the second Raisina Dialogue. With a theme of "New Normal: Multi-lateralism with Multi-Polarity", the meet is focussing on deliberate on strategic issues including new challenges and cyber security.(ANI)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who is in Switzerland to attend World Economic Form meetings, held a meeting with Microsoft Chief Executive Office Satya Nadella. A government press release here today said during the meeting, the Chief Minister explained the various technological initiatives that are being implemented in Andhra Pradesh. He also spoke at length on the technology that AP is using for real time governance. Mr Naidu told him that he is keen on increasing the digital transactions which is at 30 per cent now to 70 per cent by March this year. Mr Nadella offered to collaborate with the state in the areas of e governance and cyber security.Speaking to the Chief Minister, Mr Nadella suggested that Andhra Pradesh should nurture hybrid cloud technology and that it will be a great leap in technology for India and Andhra Pradesh in particular. The Microsoft has recently acquired LinkedIn and it is working closely with the Singapore government.Skill profile of the population, professionals etc are also digitized said the Microsoft CEO and added that the same be replicated in Andhra Pradesh also.Mr Nadella and the Chief Minister agreed to make significant progress in hybrid cloud technology by next meeting at Davos, that is within a year.Later, the CM held one to one meeting with Mr Nadella.UNI DP PY 2027 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1111845.Xml
Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Praful Patel today said that the party was ready to form a secular alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. ''Today I received a call from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yaday saying that he would like to have alliance with us. We have a sitting MLA in UP also. He asked us to be a part of grand secular alliance and I said that you can announce that NCP will go along with SP. ...We are agreeable for a grand alliancewith SP and whoever other parties they bring in,'' he told UNI. He said the party was not concerned whether the Congress would have alliance with SP or not. ''Leader of the alliance in UP is SP. I have to talk to the leader of the alliance. Not with others, whoever they are. We have not heard of any final alliance. But I can announce that because he himself called me while I was in Goa. I told him that we would be happy to go for a secular alliance with the SP,'' he said. Mr Patel also said NCP president Sharad Pawar would be holding a meeting with Akhilesh Yadav, wherein number of seats and other nitty-gritties of the alliance would be discussed, he added.UNI AKM SS SB 2104 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-1111813.Xml
Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel today said that the party will field its candidates on more than 20 constituencies for February 4 assembly election in Goa. Addressing a press conference at a hotel near the city, he said, ''We had mentioned two months back that we are ready to fight alone and we will be fighting on large number of seats...The exact number of seats to be contested by the party would be announced tomorrow but the number of seats would be approximately20 and above.'' ''In the past few days whatever developments have taken place show that the Congress party would like to go it alone. In this situation, NCP has decided that we will be fighting on our own and we would put a large number of candidates. Our process of finalising candidates is going on and by tonight we should behaving final list of candidates. Many established workers and leaders of the NCP are already in the fray. Some have already filed nominations. We will certainly be filing more number of nominations today and tomorrow.'' Stating that it would be an interesting election in Goa given a number of parties in the fray, the NCP leader said the party would be an important factor post elections and it endevours to form a good government in the state. ''Goa has never seen so many multi-cornered fight. That is why it would be important thing for us to see. But NCP has always been for secular alliance and secular forces coming together,'' he said. Mr Patel said besides him, NCP president Sharad Pawar, NCP leader Tariq Anwar would be visiting Goa for campaigning for the party candidates. UNI AKM SS SB 2111 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-1111841.Xml
According to a press release here today, Train No 01005 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Madgaon special train will leave from LTT at 1655 hours on Janaury 25 and reach Madgaon at 0400 hrs on next day.

Train 01084 Madgaon-Nagpur special will leave from Madgaon at 1040 hrs on Janaury 26 and reach Nagpur at 1245 hrs on next day.

Train 01083 Nagpur-Madgaon special will leave from Nagpur at 1350 hrs on January 26 and reach Madgaon at 1445 hrs on next day.

Train 01046 Madgaon-Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus special will leave from Madgaon at 1630 hrs on January 27 and reach Mumbai CST at 0615 hrs on next day.

Train 01013 LTT-Karmali special will leave from LTT at 0110 hrs on January 29 and reach Karmali at 1100 hrs the same day.

Train 01014 Karmali-LTT special will leave from Karmali at 1400 hrs on January 29 and reach LTT at 2355 hrs the same day, the release added.UNI AKM SS SB 2113

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Police arrested Rohith Vemula's mother and a few students as protest rocked University of Hyderabad on Tuesday on the first death anniversary of the Dalit research scholar. Students staging demonstration in New Delhi were also detained by the police. Radhika Vemula was arrested late in the evening soon after she addressed protesting students outside the main gate of the university as she was denied entry into the campus. Tension prevailed at the main gate as police took Radhika and a few students into custody amid strong protest by dozens of pro-Rohith students. During her speech, Radhika said she was facing a threat to her life from the central government. She alleged that during the last one year she and her other family members were harassed on false charges that they are not Dalits. Earlier, police arrested scores of protestors as they tried to defy the ban orders and enter the campus to pay tributes to Rohith and take part in a meeting. Activists of the Aam Admi Party (AAP), Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), Osmania University Joint Action Committee and other student groups were among those who gathered at the main gate. Police erected barricades to stop outsiders from entering the campus. Vijay Kumar, one of the friends of Rohith, said the police were trying to suppress a peaceful gathering. The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, an umbrella grouping of student bodies demanding justice for Rohith, was holding a meeting in the campus to mark 'shahdath din' (martyrdom day). The organisers invited Jaan Mohammed, brother of Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh over rumours of beef eating, Fathima Nafees, mother of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, suspended student and Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association leader Rahul Sonpimple. The university had made it clear that there was no permission to hold any programme on the campus. However, defying the orders, a group of students gathered at 'Velivada' (Dalit ghetto) on the campus. Holding pictures of Rohith and placards, they raised slogans demanding the arrest of Vice Chancellor P. Appa Rao and justice for Rohith. Rohith Vemula, a PhD student, committed suicide by hanging himself in a hostel room on the campus in 2016 after alleged caste-based discrimination, triggering protests across India. He resorted to the extreme step during a protest along with four other Dalit students over their suspension by the university following a clash with ABVP leader. The Joint Action Committee is also seeking a legislation named after Rohith to curb caste-based discrimination on campuses. About 250-300 students staging a demonstration to mark his death anniversary were detained when they blocked the crucial Janpath road in Connaught Place area of New Delhi. Following a protest call from JNU Students' Union, around 1,000 students from the JNU, Delhi University, and the Jamia Milia Islamia, among other universities, took out a rally from Mandi House, intending to go to Ministry of Human Resource Department (MHRD), only to be faced with elaborate barricading at Janpath. The police corralled the students at the red light near Janpath Metro Station and ferried them in three buses to Parliament Street Police Station. --IANS ms/lok/dg ( 543 Words) 2017-01-17-22:14:07 (IANS)
Hours after principal opposition party Congress accused Narendra Modi government of compromising "national security" by collaborating with a UK-based tainted note printing firm De La Rue, the Finance Ministry today clarified that no fresh contract has been given to the said company during the last three years. In a statement the ministry said, "The said company had been supplying bank note paper till 2010. Further as per the decision taken in 2013, the company was permitted to supply a security feature for bank notes till December 2015." Since then "No fresh contract has been given to this company by the government during the last three years," it said. "The Security Clearance for this company has been withheld by the Ministry of Finance and hence no fresh orders have been placed with the said company since 2014," the statement added. Further, it also added that while the company has applied for setting up a factory in India but the government has not taken any action on their application. Earlier in the day, former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal alleged the government of working closely with the firm. Last year too, Mr Chandy had raised the same issue.UNI ASH PY 2332 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0094-1111978.Xml
Two policemen of Nehru Market were caught on camera on Sunday 'looting' apparels (jackets) of street vendors at Panama Chowk here.

A video shot by some passersby, went viral on social media thus forcing senior police officials to take prompt action against erring cops.

Policemen during an anti-encroachment drive launched against the street vendors selling clothes on carts at unauthorized spots, committed an unauthorised act, which invited criticism from all corners on social media.

"Action has been taken and both the cops have been placed under suspension while enquiry has been initiated against them,'' a senior police official said.

The suspended cops were identified as ASI Lal Chand Attri and constable Aijaz Ali.UNI VBH PY SB 2309

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Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained on Monday that all information on preliminary agreements on a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump is incorrect, Efe news reported.

Peskov emphasized that Putin and Trump have not addressed the possibility of a future meeting and there are no preparations in progress on this matter.

The spokesman pointed out that the Russian embassy in Washington has only communicated with the Trump team for protocol reasons.

A British newspaper reported that an early meeting between Putin and Trump will be held in Reykjavik, Iceland.

As for Trump's proposal to end sanctions against Russia in exchange for a new cut of the nuclear arsenals, Peskov stressed that Moscow would not take any initiative until Trump's inauguration.

--IANS vgu/

( 157 Words)

2017-01-17-05:54:07 (IANS)
Ghani's allegations came during a phone call with the Pakistani army chief, who telephoned the Afghan president on Sunday evening to condemn recent attacks in the country.

A presidential palace press release stated that "Perpetrators who planned the attack are living in Pakistan and they conduct their activities there freely and no action so far had been taken against them. The government of Afghanistan is firmly committed to avenge those who perpetrated the attacks."

The press release also stated that General Bajwa has assured Ghani that past mistakes would not be repeated by Pakistan.

Meanwhile, quoting General Bajwa on twitter, a Pakistani army spokesman said that the former told Ghani that all militant hideouts and training camps have been eliminated in Pakistan and now it is the up to Afghans to take action against the terrorists on its soil.

Pakistan has always been blamed for harboring the Taliban group who is waging war against the government in Kabul.

The latest accusations follow attacks in Kabul, Kandahar and Helmand which killed nearly 60 people, including five UAE diplomats.

Taliban claimed attacks in Kabul and Helmand, however, denied involvement in the Kandahar attack. (ANI)
The five suspects were captured by the security forces during a two-day combing operation in Rakhine that started on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The suspects have confessed to their part in the armed attacks in Ngakhura and Kyikanpyin villages in October 2016. They admitted giving monetary aid to and recruiting new members for a terrorist group.

Three border outposts in Maungdaw came under violent attack by armed men on October 9, in which nine policemen and five soldiers were killed.

A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been in place in Maungdaw since October 10.

Following the incident, the government formed a 13-member investigation commission, led by Vice President U. Myint Swe, to probe into the background of the attack.

They are expected to formally report to the President by January 31.

The commission released an interim report on January 4, that said the armed attacks were carried out by Havid Tuhar-led Aqa Mul Mujahidin linked with Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) operating in the region.

--IANS in/

( 198 Words)

2017-01-17-09:28:07 (IANS)
At least five people, including foreigners, were killed and 15 were wounded early on Monday, when a gunman opened fire at a nightclub in Mexico's Playa del Carmen resort during the BPM electronic music festival.Quintana Roo State Attorney General Miguel Angel Pech said a Canadian, an Italian and a Mexican were among the dead, while the U.S. embassy in Mexico said authorities had confirmed the death of an American. The nationality of the other victim was still unclear.Pech had earlier said a second Canadian and a Colombian had been killed in the attack. One of the dead died in the stampede to leave the club, he added.The gunman escaped and was still at large, Pech said, adding that the incident was not being investigated as an act of terrorism.The Canadian government confirmed one citizen had died and said it was investigating reports of the death of a second.Pech said the armed man entered the Blue Parrot nightclub around 3 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Monday, during the closing events of the festival. An attempt to stop him sparked a gunfight that drew in security staff.The shooting spells a major blow for Mexico's tourism industry, which has been one of the few bright spots in the economy, thanks to a weak peso exchange rate.Tourists are generally shielded from the drug violence that has ripped Mexico apart over the last decade, killing well over 100,000 people since 2007.Pech said seven of the 15 injured were still in the hospital. One was in grave condition, the state government said in a statement. Four people were arrested on suspicion of involvement.Two BPM security workers were among the dead, Pech said, but in a statement, festival authorities said three of their security team had been killed. BPM blamed a lone individual for the shooting.Quintana Roo and the surrounding Yucatan peninsula have traditionally been less violent than other parts of Mexico, with relatively few murders.However, with many foreign tourists and a vibrant night life scene, there has long been an important local drug market in and around Playa Del Carmen, which is just south of the popular resort of Cancun.REGIONAL CHAOSThe organizer of an electronic music event near Playa Del Carmen told Reuters that armed men who claimed to be part of a drug cartel turned up recently at one of his parties, demanding access to sell drugs.The event's security team decided to let them enter so as to avoid conflict, the organizer said, adding that cells from all the major Mexican cartels were now operating in Quintana Roo, a wealthy region full of tourists.The organizer said the situation in Quintana Roo deteriorated after the political party controlling the state government was forced out in local elections last year, a shift that can spark violence as criminal groups struggle to realign allegiances with the incoming politicians."They're all fighting for control of the region," said the organizer, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals. "This is an aggression toward any promoter of electronic music in Mexico. It's a wound for the entire community."He added that he thought BPM would have to end, and feared for his own events in the region.PANIC ON THE STREETSVideos purportedly shot at the scene shown on television and social media show dancers ducking for cover and running out on the streets to safety."This is a very, very sad situation. Tryna get my head around it still. Thoughts and condolences to all affected," Scottish DJ Jackmaster, who was performing at BPM, said on social network Twitter.The BPM festival, which was entering its 10th year, has grown to be one of the world's biggest electronic music events, with top DJs flying in every January to play the clubs of Playa del Carmen along Mexico's Caribbean coast.In recent years, a growing number of DJs and fans of electronic music have flocked to the beautiful, balmy region to escape the frigid European and North American wintersREUTERS CJ RAI1030 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1110634.Xml
The European Parliament elects a new speaker today in an unusually hotly contested vote that could strengthen eurosceptic forces at a time when the EU faces British moves to leave and questions about its future role.A divisive campaign and the end of the 'grand coalition' of the main parties is also likely to hamper the assembly, delaying lawmaking - another boon for anti-EU parties who portray the union as rigid and bureaucratic. Other sensitive matters facing the assembly include immigration and banking.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.Unlike past appointments which were agreed in advance by the main parties, he faces a real challenger in socialist Gianni Pittella, 58, who is bidding to succeed Martin Schulz, also of the centre-left. Last-minute manoeuvres could yet propel to victory candidates from smaller groups.Seven of the eight political groups of the legislature have fielded candidates, the exception being the United Kingdom Independence Party's (UKIP) grouping.DEAL MAKINGThe speaker chairs debates in the European Parliament, which embraces deputies from the 28 states. He or she can play a key role in brokering agreements with the executive, the European Commission and national governments.Britain is expected to formally notify Brussels in March of its intention to leave the EU following the results of a June referendum. The negotiations that follow seem likely to raise some tensions not only between the EU and Britain but within the EU itself, as well as within Britain.Breaking from a decade-long convention whereby the socialists and the conservatives take turns to hold the high-profile job, Pittella has vowed to stimulate genuine debate and dispel the idea that all main parties in the parliament are part of a reform-shy establishment.But his bid may turn into a boost to eurosceptics, who could play an unprecedented king-maker role in the uncertain vote.Tajani may need the support of lawmakers from Marine Le Pen's far-right grouping or those of UKIP to be elected.If Tajani wins, the conservatives would hold all three EU top jobs. 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 said that if Pittella does not win in the Parliament, they will push for a reshuffle of the key posts . REUTERS AKC 0617 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1110580.Xml
The deep-sea search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has ended without any trace being found of the plane that vanished in 2014 with 239 people on board, the three countries involved in the search said in a statement on Tuesday."Despite every effort using the best science available ... the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," Malaysian, Australian and Chinese authorities said in the statementReuters CJ GC1226 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1110766.Xml
The head of South Korea's giant Samsung Group faces a long day in court on Wednesday as a judge decides whether he should be arrested for bribery in a corruption scandal that has engulfed President Park Geun-hye's administration.Investigators questioned Jay Y. Lee for 22 hours last week as a suspect in the scandal which led to parliament impeaching Park in December and throwing the country into crisis.Park, 64, remains in office but has been stripped of her powers while the Constitutional Court decides whether to make her the country's first democratically elected leader to be forced from office.She is likely to undergo "face-to-face" questioning by early next month, the special prosecutor's spokesman said.The prosecutor's office has accused Lee, 48, of paying bribes totalling 43 billion won ($36.55 million) to organisations linked to Choi Soon-sil, a friend of the president who is at the centre of the scandal, to secure the 2015 merger of two affiliates and cement his control of the family business.Lee, who has denied wrongdoing, is also accused of embezzlement and perjury. Lee's lawyer could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.Seoul Central District Court will hold the hearing to decide on his arrest warrant. A court official told Reuters that Lee and his lawyer would attend the hearing.A spokesman for the special prosecutor's team said Lee would then be held in detention until the court had made its ruling."A judge's examination of a suspect normally finishes in 30 minutes at the earliest, but can take longer than two hours for complicated matters, which is likely to be the case," the court official said."Then, after the examination, the judge goes back to his office to review records and evidence and deliberate arguments of the prosecution's side and the suspect's side," said the official, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter."A final decision is more likely to be made at dawn on Thursday, as there are tons of records, evidence and lots of things to review."WORRIES ABOUT THE ECONOMYThere is a long history in South Korea of convicted bosses of family-run conglomerates, known as "chaebol", being released or having their sentences suspended, raising doubts among investors seeking tighter corporate governance.Business lobby groups worry that arresting Lee could undermine confidence in the economy, Asia's fourth-largest, but public anger persists over the influence-peddling scandal, with protests each weekend drawing hundreds of thousands of demonstrators demanding Park's immediate resignation.Lee can apply for bail or appeal if the court grants the arrest warrant.Kim Kwang-sam, a former prosecutor who is currently in private practice, said public emotion weighs heavily when making decisions in such high-profile cases."The case is big and there is still enormous anger toward the Choi Soon-sil scandal, so it can be difficult for the court to release Lee on appeal," Kim said.Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the special prosecutor, said Park would be questioned by early February."I cannot comment specifically on the timing of a face-to-face investigation of the president, but I believe it will need to happen by no later than early February," he told reporters."The president has said she would submit to face-to-face questioning, but if she refuses to comply there is no realistic way to force it."Choi, the president's long-time friend without any government title, is in jail on trial for abuse of power, attempted fraud and bribery. She has denied wrongdoing.She has also been accused of meddling in state affairs using her personal connections, even, according to media, of exerting her influence to choose a new, unpopular police uniform which bleached in the wash.Reuters CJ GC1228 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1110785.Xml
Women being banned from hanging out at bars and bistros, being told to wear fully covered clothes, being forbidden from mixing with men; such a scene is very easily acceptable in a place like Saudi Arabia where the Sharia law, which is quite clear on the role of the woman in Islam, governs the way of life. But when similar scenes are witnessed in a neighbourhood of Paris, the city known for its romanticism, fashion, food, art and culture, surely it is a sign of worry. In Sevran, a commune located just 16.2 km (10.1 miles) from the French capital, women going in a bar is equivalent to breaking a taboo. Sevran is part of the district of Seine-Saint-Denis, an area inhabited by over 600,000 Muslims, out of 1.4 million people. Already in 2011, a report by the highly respected political scientist and expert on Islam, Gilles Kepel, "Banlieue de la Republique" ("Suburb of the Republic"), showed that Seine-Saint-Denis, as well as other suburbs, were becoming parallel Islamic societies, increasingly cut off from the rest of French society. And a recent video by France 24 clearly shows how women rights activists are trying to fight this plight and trying to raise an alarm of the creeping gender segregation. Wearing button-hole cameras, two female volunteers of La Brigade des Meres (the mother's brigade)- an anti-radicalisation group, Nadia Remadna and Aziza Sayah, entered a cafe in the suburb and a male customer tells them "It is best to wait outside. There are men in here... In this cafe, there is no diversity." "In this cafe, there is no mixing. We are in Sevran, not Paris. Here there is a different mentality. It is like back home," said another male customer. In another suburb of Lyon a women tells the journalist, " we wear baggy clothes, trousers, no skirts, no obvious make-up, red-lipstick is out of question. We erase ourself. Try to be most discreet." When asked why, she says, "because we are scared." Apparently, scared of being targeted by Muslim men in the neighborhood. But some women have decided to fight back by organising regular marches in such affected place, saying that their intention is not to disrespect religious sentiments but promote more camaraderie among the different sects of the society. This fast-spreading Islamisation, which the elite and politicians still stay ignorant to, is taking over many such suburbs in Western and European countries. Many analysts have said that this Islamisation has been fuelled and strengthened by Qatar's heavy investments - particularly in mosques - in France during the past five years. These investments currently stand at around USD 22 billion. Investments in mosques are how Qatar is apparently spreading Wahhabism - a particularly radical form of Islam - around the world. Considering the subservient role of women in Sharia law, it is only a natural development that those French suburbs that have become Islamised and where Sharia is held in high regard, now resemble Saudi Arabia.(ANI)
Islamist militant group Boko Haram has said it was behind Monday's twin suicide bombing at a university in north eastern Nigeria which killed two people.A video featuring an audio recording purporting to be leader Abubakar Shekau was posted on social media late yesterday. Reuters was unable to verify if the voice was indeed his."The bomb that exploded on Monday morning, it's our brothers responsible for it," the recording said.A professor at the University of Maiduguri and a child were killed and 17 people wounded in a twin suicide bombing, officials said on the day of the attack.The group has stepped up attacks in the past few weeks as the end of the rainy season facilitates movements in the bush. Maiduguri is the provincial capital of northeast Nigeria's Borno state and the epicentre of Boko Haram's seven-year armed attempt to create a regional Islamic caliphate.Boko Haram's insurgency has killed about 15,000 people and displaced more than 2 million. In early 2015, the group controlled an area the size of Belgium but has been pushed out from most of territory by the Nigerian military with help from neighbouring countries.The group split in two last year, with one faction led by Shekau from the Sambisa forest and the other, allied to Islamic State and led by Abu Musab al-Barnawi, based in the Lake Chad region.REUTERS PS AS1536 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1111082.Xml
Thailand's junta chief said today he would begin amending the country's draft constitution after the new king requested changes to provisions relating to royal powers.The military-backed constitution is a vital part of the ruling junta's plans to hold a general election at the end of this year to return Thailand to democratic rule following a 2014 coup.Political observers say the amendments requested by the king will likely delay the polls to mid-2018.King Maha Vajiralongkorn's office last week requested changes to the draft constitution, which Thais overwhelmingly approved in a 2016 referendum, to allow the king to avoid appointing a regent when traveling abroad, among other changes.The intervention is rare for a sitting Thai monarch, who are granted limited formal powers but wield significant political influence.Parliament on Friday voted overwhelmingly to make amendments to the constitution as suggested by the king, who ascended the throne on Dec. 1 following the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej."I have drafted a letter to ask for the return of the constitution so that it can be improved and amended. The process will take one month," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who is also junta chief, told reporters.Prayuth said a committee of 11 legal experts would be assembled to amend the charter.The prime minister has said that only provisions related to royal powers would be changed and matters related to government and civil liberties would be left untouched.The draft constitution will be re-sent to King Vajiralongkorn for endorsement after it has been amended, lawmakers said.The king will have three months to approve the revised draft."Once the constitution is endorsed, election and political party laws can take up to eight months to be passed. Elections will take place five months after those laws are passed," Somchai Sawangkarn, a member of parliament, told Reuters."Overall, the process could take a maximum of 17 months." REUTERS PS AS1538 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1111145.Xml
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today that the deployment of NATO troops in Baltic countries was a bad idea.Russia has long complained that the United States and its allies have encroached into eastern Europe and threatened Russia's national security.REUTERS VS AN1429 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0440-1110974.Xml
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has hit back at suggestions by some French presidential candidates that Riyadh funds Islamist extremism in France and that bilateral ties between the two allies should be reviewed.With less than four months before France's elections, the favourites - conservative Francois Fillon and far-right National Front Marine Le Pen - have both stepped up anti-Gulf rhetoric in recent weeks.Both say Paris should review ties with Saudi Arabia and Qatar and suggest it has an unhealthy relationship with countries they say propagate a radical Islamist ideology in France."I can't comment on what's said during an election campaign, but I know there is a misperception of Saudi Arabia," Adel al-Jubeir told reporters late yesterday. "People say Saudi Arabia is extremism. Saudi Arabia is intolerance. Saudi Arabia is funding radical institutions and I always say it's not true."The debate in France has been stoked by a spate of Islamist militant attacks over the last two years, which prompted calls for a stricter control of foreign financing of mosques.It also touches the core French principle of secularism in public life that aims to separate religion from state affairs.Former conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy and current Socialist President Francois Hollande both aligned themselves with Gulf Arab Sunni states and adopted a hawkish attitude to their main Shi'ite rival Iran.That stance has brought criticism at home, with certain lawmakers saying Paris is thinking short-term, picking Sunnis over Shi'ites in the region and ignoring Gulf influence domestically."When people say the Saudis are funding this, I say show me. Nobody has anything to show, but the image has stuck and becomes a reality," Jubeir said.A French parliamentary report on mosque financing concluded in July that overseas financing was "marginal".According to the Saudi Embassy, the kingdom has financed eight mosques around the country, at a cost of about 3.7 million euros, and paid salaries for 14 imams."They (extremists) want Mecca and Medina. For people to think that we would be funding a mindset whose objective is to kill us, you'd have to assume we were either naive or not very smart," he said.Jubeir said critical French politicians would be better off looking at the strong trade, political and security ties between the countries and assess positively Riyadh's management of oil markets and financial investments to help global economic growth."I would imagine things should be the other way round and that they would want stronger French-Saudi ties," he said.REUTERS VS AS1744 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0440-1111336.Xml
According to the Daily Times, the hunting party was unharmed in the ambush but three guards were injured in Musakhel, Balochistan.

"A case has been registered against 25 people," District Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Yasir said.

The police claim that the villagers turned violent after they were prevented from meeting the visiting royal to seek donations to build a mosque.

A Qatari official present during the incident confirmed the attack by a large group of men on a convoy of hunters that included a royal family member.

"Qatari hunters apply and pay for government hunting permits and donate to local communities and wildlife conservation. Unfortunately there have been attacks led by armed groups," the official said.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the Houbara Bustard as a vulnerable species with a global population ranging from 50,000 to 100,000. It has almost vanished on the Arabian Peninsula. (ANI)
Israeli troops today shot dead a Palestinian who had tried to stab a soldier at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank, a military spokeswoman said."Responding to the imminent threat, forces fired towards the attacker, resulting in his death," she said in a statement.Thirty-seven Israelis and two visiting Americans have been killed in a wave of Palestinian street attacks that began in October 2015.At least 233 Palestinians have been killed in violence in Israel, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the same period. Israel says that at least 159 of them were assailants while others died during clashes and protests, blaming the violence on incitement by the Palestinian leadership.The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, denies that allegation, and says assailants have acted out of frustration over Israeli occupation of land sought by Palestinians in peace talks that have stalled since 2014. REUTERS PY RK2201 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1111937.Xml
A vote in parliament over Britain's final Brexit deal will be binding, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May said today, but she stressed that the country would be withdrawing from the European Union regardless of the outcome."You can regard it as binding," the spokeswoman said when asked about the vote announced earlier in the day by May, which will come at the end of a negotiating period with the EU.Asked what a 'No' vote by lawmakers would mean she said "We will be leaving the EU."Asked whether a 'No' vote would mean Britain would then be relying upon World Trade Organisation terms, she said "Either way, we will very clearly be leaving the EU." REUTERS PY PR2212 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1111947.Xml
Police stand outside the nightclub where a shooting occurred during the BPM electronic music festival, in Playa del Carmen, in Quintana Roo, Mexico, on Jan. 16, 2017. At least five people were killed and another 15 injured early Monday after one or more assailants opened fire on a nightclub in Mexico's famed Caribbean resort of Playa del Carmen. (Xinhua/Str)

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and another 15 injured early Monday after one or more assailants opened fire on a nightclub in Mexico's famed Caribbean resort of Playa del Carmen.

The Blue Parrot nightclub is one of the best-known nightspots in Playa, a popular beach destination located just 45 minutes south of Cancun. The nightclub was filled with revelers celebrating the closing party of electronic dance music festival BPM.

The general attorney's office of Quintana Roo state, home to both resorts, said on Monday the shooting was reported at 2:28 a.m. local time (08:28 GMT).

The victims included a woman and four men, at least two of them were members of the club's security team, the office said in a brief statement posted on its Facebook page.

Those injured were taken to area hospitals, one in serious condition.

Police have arrested four men suspected of taking part in the attack.

Earlier, festival organizer BPM said via Twitter that "it is with great sadness to share that police have confirmed reports of a lone shooter outside the Blue Parrot nightclub."
ISTANBUL, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Istanbul police on Monday night captured the gunman who launched a shooting spree at a nightclub in the city on New Year's Day, killing 39 people, local media reported.

The gunman, who has been on the run for 17 days, was caught unharmed at the apartment of a friend in the district of Esenyurt in a police operation, the Hurriyet daily said.

NTV said the friend, a Kyrgyz citizen, and three women were detained along with the gunman, the daily said.

Police have identified the gunman as Abdulgadir Masharipov, a Uzbek national, who resisted during the police operation and was found with his 4-year-old son, NTV said.

Masharipov will undergo a medical examination before being handed over to the counterterrorism unit for investigation, the reports said.

The militant stormed into Reina nightclub in central Istanbul soon after the New Year was in, shot dead 39 and wounded 69 others in a 7-minute fire, and managed to escape to his apartment and run away with his son, according to press reports.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the mass shooting, while Turkish police have detained a total of 35 suspects in operations across the country, media reports said.

Mete Yarar, a security analyst, hailed Masharipov's capture as a big success.

"So the police would be able to reveal all the motives behind the Reina attack as well as all his connections," he told CNNTurk.
LONDON, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Britain's second biggest city, Birmingham, was named Monday as the most entrepreneurial city outside of London.

Figures released by the entrepreneur campaign organisation, StartUp Britain, said 17,473 new businesses were registered in the capital city of the Midlands during 2016, a 25 percent increase over 2015.

Across Britain the figures reveal that in what was the EU referendum year, almost 658,000 businesses started in 2016, setting a new record.

StartUp Britain compiles its chart based on analysis of start-up data from the official registers at Britain's Companies House.

It is the fourth year in a row that Birmingham has topped the chart for the most new business start-ups among all over provincial cities in Britain.

The figures show that the number of new businesses launched in Birmingham is almost double the number started in the northern England city of Manchester.

The 9,416 start-ups put Manchester in second place, ahead of Glasgow which was third with 7,845 new businesses registered.

Data, analysed by the Center for Entrepreneurs (CFE), shows that business formation reached another record high in 2016. The center's figures Monday show 657,790 new businesses were started across Britain in 2016. The previous year also set a new record with 608,110 start-ups, and in 2014 there were 581,173.

CFE director Matt Smith said: "The figures show the continued dominance of the UK's major cities in generating the country's entrepreneurial dynamism."

According to Smith, the combined authorities of London lead with 205,325 businesses registered last year, followed by Birmingham (17,473), Manchester (9,416), Glasgow (7,845) and Leeds (7,645). Edinburgh, Bristol, Liverpool and Brighton also rank among the top 20.

Smith said the half million new businesses registered across Britain show that entrepreneurship continues to reach all corners of the country.

The success in Birmingham was welcomed by Neil Rami, CEO of the city's inward investment agency.

He said:"The city's young, talented workforce, newly developed infrastructure, and range of incubator and accelerator programs, has fostered a strong ecosystem that fuels a culture of innovation."

Steve Hollis from Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "These figures are testament to Birmingham's entrepreneurial spirit and its ability to attract, foster and grow early-stage businesses."
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Monday welcomed the first anniversary of the achievement of "Implementation Day" under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which marked a significant milestone in the historic agreement related to Iran nuclear issue.

"The agreement underscores the importance of diplomacy in ensuring that Iran's nuclear program remains exclusively peaceful, while also promoting peace and security in the region," said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The JCPOA, known commonly as the Iran deal or Iran nuclear deal, is an international agreement on the nuclear program of Iran reached in Vienna on July 14 2015 between Iran, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council-China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States-plus Germany), and the European Union.

"The United Nations welcomes the reaffirmation by all sides of their strong commitment to the continued full and effective implementation of the JCPOA, including in the meeting of the Joint Commission held in Vienna on January 10, 2017, and encourages all Member States to support its implementation in its entirety," said Haq.

"It is of the utmost importance that the JCPOA works in the interest of all its participants, including by delivering tangible benefits to the Iranian people," he said.

The United Nations will continue to support the implementation of the JCPOA, in accordance with resolution 2231 (2015) and other relevant decisions of the Security Council, said Haq.

Under the agreement, Iran agreed to eliminate its stockpile of medium-enriched uranium, cut its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98 percent, and reduce by about two-thirds the number of its gas centrifuges for 13 years. For the next 15 years, Iran will only enrich uranium up to 3.67 percent.

The 15-nation Security Council endorsed the JCPOA on July 20, 2015 in resolution 2231, calling it a "culmination of diplomatic efforts" by the E3+3 -- which includes Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- and Iran.
Tian Zhen, president of the Association for Educational Exchange between China and Serbia, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the China-Serbia Youth Photography Festival in Belgrade, Serbia, Jan. 16, 2017. The first China-Serbia Youth Photography Festival was launched here on Monday. (Xinhua/Wang Huijuan)

BELGRADE, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The first Sino-Serbia Youth Photography Festival was launched here on Monday.

The festival features photo exhibitions and selected documentary movies from young people in both China and Serbia.

Organized by Association for Educational Exchange between China and Serbia, the festival will last until February 3.

At the opening ceremony of the festival, Tian Zhen, the association president, said he hoped the event would enable more Serbian people know about modern China and what Chinese young photographers are working on.
SYDNEY, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Consumer confidence in Australia has dropped according to latest polls released by ANZ-Roy Morgan on Tuesday.

The figures show a 0.7 drop to 119.3 due to negative feeling of consumers about their own personal finances this year, but general confidence levels remained high.

"At current levels, confidence looks quite robust and continues to suggest a positive outlook for spending," ANZ senior economist Jo Masters said in a note.

While household views about their finances dropped significantly by 4.8 percent, their outlook on their future finances went up slightly.

This aligned with the surveyed households consensus that the next 12 months will be economically flat, but their confidence in the broader five year outlook rose a tick by 0.6 percent.

The main risk identified for consumer confidence is the upcoming jobs figures for Australia in December, set to be released on Thursday.

"We are expecting decent job growth in December, but confidence remains vulnerable to a weaker than expected report," Masters said.
PARIS, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) "does not need external advice to tell it what it has to do," French President Francois Hollande said Monday.

Hollande made the remarks in response to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's comments on topics such as the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in an interview with The Times of London and German newspaper Bild published Monday.

"Europe will always be ready to pursue trans-Atlantic cooperation, but it will base its decisions on its interests and values," Hollande said at a ceremony for outgoing U.S. Ambassador to France Jane Hartley.

Hollande also said NATO "will be obsolete only when threats have also become obsolete."

In the interview, Trump said the future of the EU is "very tough" and a Brexit would not have happened if people had not been forced to take in refugees.

Trump also said NATO was "obsolete because it was not taking care of terror," and he complained that various members of the bloc were not paying their dues, which was "very unfair to the United States."
SYDNEY, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- An Australian woman has had emergency surgery after she was "ripped to pieces" by a kangaroo.

Debbie Urquhart, 54, was jogging near her home in Templestowe, 16 km northwest of Melbourne, when a two-meter tall kangaroo attacked her.

Urquhart, a personal trainer, said the kangaroo repeatedly kicked her on the right side of her body, ripped her clothes and "threw her around."

Urquhart said she played dead in order to stop the attack and was able to escape when the kangaroo ran away, running 500 meters home screaming and covered in blood.

Her husband covered her in towels and rushed her to the emergency department of the nearby Austin Hospital.

"He ripped me to pieces," Urquhart told News Limited on Tuesday.

"He just kept on kicking into me and I was trying to crawl away.

"He left me for a bit and I thought he was going to come back and kill me."

Though she luckily avoided any broken bones or a need for plastic surgery, Urquhart received a total of 35 stitches in her right arm and buttocks.

Urquhart said she would never forget the attack.

"Every time I close my eyes its pretty vivid, it's horrible," she said.

"If he had got to my stomach, I could have been killed."

Despite the attack, the personal trainer said she would get back to work on Tuesday afternoon.

"I walked again yesterday afternoon as soon as I got back home from hospital," she said.

However, she said she would not run near the track where the attack happened again and that residents of the area should be wary of kangaroo attacks.
YANGON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Five terror suspects involved in last year's fatal armed attacks on police and soldiers in northern Myanmar have been arrested, the Myanmar News Agency reported Tuesday.

The five suspects were captured when security forces carried out a clearance operation in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state over the last two days.

They confessed that they took part in armed attacks in Ngakhura and Kyikanpyin villages last October, giving monetary aid to and recruiting new members for a terrorist group.

Three border outposts in Maungdaw, Rakhine were under violent attack by armed men on Oct. 9, in which nine policemen and five soldiers were killed.

A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been imposed in Maungdaw since Oct. 10.

Following the incident, the government formed a 13-member investigation commission, led by Vice President U Myint Swe, to probe into the background of the Oct. 9 violent attack.

The commission members visited Maungdaw in December and January for two rounds of field trip, inspecting the attacked villages and security camps.

Tasked to formally report to the president by Jan. 31, the commission released an interim report on Jan. 4, exposing that the armed attacks in Maungdaw were conducted by Havid Tuhar-led Aqa Mul Mujahidin linked with Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) operating in the region.
CARACAS, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday met with visiting Secretary General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Mohammed Barkindo to discuss global oil market.

"I am very pleased that we are ... ready to defend the historic agreement reached in November. There is much left to be done to continue to strengthen OPEC and its new alliances," said Maduro.

OPEC members and other oil producers agreed at a Nov. 30 meeting to reduce production by 1.2 million barrels of crude per day. Non-OPEC Russia has reduced output by 300,000 barrels.

Barkindo thanked Maduro for his efforts to secure the key agreement.

"Today I want to thank you for all you have done for us in achieving the agreements made possible in 2016," said Barkindo.

Maduro on Sunday said he will be proposing further steps to bolster crude prices and stabilize the global energy market, and called for a meeting of oil producers in the first quarter of 2017.
TOKYO, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo shares ended the morning session lower on Tuesday, with the Nikkei index briefly plunged to its lowest intraday level in five weeks ahead of British Prime Minister Theresa May's speech on Britain's plans to exit the European Union due later in the day.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average declined 113.67 points, or 0.60 percent, from Monday to 18,981.57.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange fell 10.82 points, or 0.71 percent, to 1,519.82.

Decliners were led by food, real estate and bank issues.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- With U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to take office this week, the future relations between the United States and Latin America remain highly uncertain, according to Brazilian analysts.

Last week, Trump held his first full-fledged press conference since July, during which he talked about policy plans after his inauguration on Friday.

"What surprised me is that Trump's vision of international economic relations belongs to the 18th or 19th centuries," said Mauricio Santoro, a professor of international relations at the State University of Rio de Janeiro.

"To believe you can only enrich yourself at the cost of your neighbor is a folly that ignores centuries of empirical evidence and the own path of the U.S.," he added.

In Santoro's opinion, Trump made it clear during his campaign that his vision for Latin America "begins and ends with Mexico."

Santoro believes the U.S. president-elect will focus more on domestic affairs, not on the international arena.

The main U.S. concerns about Latin American countries will still be issues like the fight against drug trafficking and migration, said Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of international relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation.

Gunther Rudizit, a professor of international relations at the Rio Branco Integrated Faculties, believes Trump is "unpredictable."

"Nobody knows what he will do," Rudizit said.

Referring to the thawing relations between the United States and Cuba, Rudizit said that Trump should favor outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to suspend the "wet foot, dry foot" policy, since Trump "seeks at all costs to halt illegal migration."

Obama announced last week that the United States is ending a longstanding policy that granted residency to Cubans who arrived in the United States without visas, an important step to normalize relations with Cuba.
SYDNEY, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Queensland branch of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has been put on alert by auditors Tuesday over the use of credit cards.

Firm SRJ Walker Wayland Operating's Jason Croston raised questions in a report about the 700,000 Australian dollars of the branch's credit card expenses with little evidence to suggest the full amount was used for legitimate business purposes.

"We are unable to obtain sufficient appropriate evidence to verify that the credit card expenses that have been included as business expenses in the union's annual financial statements have been incurred solely for business purposes," Croston said.

The findings came just days after two government ministers, Sussan Ley and Mathias Cormann were caught up in parliamentary entitlements scandals, compelling Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to call for a crackdown and overhaul the system.

The Federal oppositions call for an independent commission against corruption which would oversee unions, political corruption and the banking sector.
URUMQI, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region plans to build more bilingual kindergartens in its rural areas to promote three-year bilingual pre-school education for an extra 560,000 children.

According to the regional education department, 4,387 bilingual kindergartens will be built or expanded in 2017 across the region, 3,223 of which will be added in southern Xinjiang.

More government funds will be earmarked to recruit and encourage more bilingual teachers and local officials to teach in those kindergartens, the department said.

China offers nine years of free and compulsory education, but in Xinjiang, kindergarten and senior high school are also free.

Xinjiang added 2,500 new bilingual kindergartens in rural areas from 2011 to 2015, bringing the region's pre-school education penetration rate to 77 percent, or 480,000 pre-schoolers, according to official figures.

With central government funds, Xinjiang plans to offer three years of bilingual pre-school education instead of the current two years in the region's rural areas during the 2016-2020 period.
SYDNEY, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Canadian investment juggernaut British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCIMC) is set to join the bidding on Australia's New South Wales (NSW) energy provider, Endeavour Energy.

The Australian Financial Review (AFR) reported on Tuesday that BCIMC has joined forces with Australian based Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, in a bidding consortium advised by the Macquarie Capital.

According to Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB), bidders were told late last year that no single foreign investor would be able to buy more than half the 50.4 percent of the available stake in the energy company. And almost half of the money must come from Australian domiciled investors.

The rules also strictly enforce that at least three senior managers of the company must be Australian citizens with required security clearances.

NSW's advisers, Deutsche Bank and United Bank of Switzerland, received formal expressions of interest on Monday, and are calling for first round bids in mid-February.

Endeavour Energy is the NSW's third largest electricity supplier, with assets worth roughly 6 billion Australian dollars (4.49 billion U.S. dollars), and services over 1 million consumers.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The government of Rio Grande do Norte state, in northeastern Brazil, asked on Monday the National Security Force to help regain control of the Alcacuz State Penitentiary, where 26 inmates were killed in a riot during the weekend.

According to news site G1, the state government requested the Justice Ministry to dispatch a National Security Force team to assist local police in controlling the situation in the prison in the city of Nisa Floresta. The government also requested a helicopter to support security missions.

In fact, the local government already has National Security Force troops, but they are not stationed in the prison.

The prison riot started on Saturday and lasted until Sunday. Reports say it was the result of a war between two drug gangs, Primer Comando de la Capital (PCC) and Crime Syndicate.

State Public Security Secretary Wallber Virgolino said all the 26 inmates killed were members of the Crime Syndicate gang. Several of them were beheaded.

The leaders of the riot were transferred to another prison. The riot was the most violent one that has ever occurred in Rio Grande do Norte state.

It was the latest of a series of prison riots that have hit Brazil since the beginning of the year, killing over 100 men.

The government says the riots are not related to the previous ones, although several rioters are from the PCC, a drug gang based in Sao Paulo which has in recent years expanded its operations to all over Brazil.
CHANGSHA/GUANGZHOU, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- More human H7N9 avian flu cases have been reported in central China's Hunan Province and the southern province of Guangdong this year, authorities said Tuesday.

According to the Hunan provincial disease control and prevention center,a total of eight cases have been reported in the past 16 days, including three deaths.

A new case was reported in Hunan on Monday. The patient, a 36-year-old woman from Hengyang City, is in critical condition and receiving medical treatment. She had contact with poultry before falling ill.

Another 11 H7N9 cases have been reported in Guangdong, with two deaths.

H7N9 is a bird flu strain first reported to have infected humans in March 2013 in China. It is most likely to strike in winter and spring.
BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's environmental authorities will punish two enterprises in Shanxi Province for excessive discharge of pollutant, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection Tuesday.

The ministry's online monitoring system detected that two coking plants affiliated with Shanxi Coking Group and Shanxi Sanwei respectively, have discharged excessive air pollutants since the beginning of the year.

Following heavy air pollution alerts in 14 cities, including Shijiazhuang in Hebei, Linfen in Shanxi, Heze in Shandong and Hebi in Henan, the ministry sent inspection groups to the cities, toughening scrutiny on polluters.

Inspectors found that six production lines of Shanxi Coking Group failed to install or operate desulfurization and denitration facilities.

The ministry has ordered the provincial environmental protection authorities to investigate those enterprises and publicize the punishment. Those who tampered or falsified monitoring data will be taken into custody, according to the ministry.

Inspectors also found that some enterprises failed to take effective measures following alerts, or their measures were impracticable, and that small and scattered factories in Hebei had illegal emission of smoke and dust.

Smog hit parts of northern and central China starting Sunday. The smog, which engulfed Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan and Shaanxi, is expected to last until a cold front comes to the rescue around Thursday, according to the National Meteorological Center.

People in affected regions were asked to take precautions and choose public transport services to cut emission and mitigate against pollution.

Severe smog triggered red alerts in more than 20 cities at the beginning of 2017. When authorities issue red alerts, certain manufacturers are required to cut production and heavily polluting vehicles are banned from roads.

China has a four-tier color-coded warning system for severe weather, with red the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
HANGZHOU/ZHENGZHOU, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Quandian village has been in the wig business for over a century. It started out by trading needles, combs and forks for hair clippings, and peddling long, straight hair to German merchants.

The village in Xuchang County, central China's Henan Province, has been a beneficiary of globalization and is home to Rebecca Hair Products, China's largest wig maker.

"We have 11 wholly-owned companies in Africa, Britain, Brazil and Cambodia, covering a complete industry chain from R&D, manufacturing and marketing to exportation," said Zheng Wenqing, general manager of Rebecca.

DIVIDENDS OF GLOBALIZATION

The local residents were among the first in China to feel the benefits of globalization.

Yang Ge, 46, lived an itinerant life seeking jobs, before settling down as a worker for Rebecca in 1995. She is now a manager, lives a decent life and owns four houses.

"Many local residents had their life changed thanks to the burgeoning wig industry," Yang said.

More than 95 percent of Rebecca's workers are locally employed, while 95 percent of the company's revenue of 200 million U.S. dollars last year came from exports to the United States as well as Africa and Europe.

In Xuchang city, more than 50 hair companies, with annual exports of over 5 million U.S. dollars, bring in a yearly income of one billion U.S. dollars. Exports by local wig companies account for half the hair product exports in China, the world's top hair product manufacturer and exporter.

Globalization became a hot concept at the start of the 21st century, when Thomas Friedman, author of "The World Is Flat," highlighted that globalization had broken geographical boundaries and created a flat global market.

Open markets not only generated tremendous opportunities, but also led to a corporate "survival of the fittest," a scenario true of China's wig industry.

LOSING ADVANTAGES

Behind the good performance, Rebecca has seen its exports shrink in recent years, dropping by 25 percent in 2016.

Sluggish overseas market demand since the 2008 financial crisis and overcapacity led to a slump in profits for domestic wig producers, according to Wang Xixiang, executive secretary of the China Hair Products Association.

"About one-third of hair companies have closed, while some bigger ones are filing for bankruptcy protection," Wang told Xinhua.

Zhang Baoming saw the underlying risks. He said that the wholesale price of hair strips surged from 10 yuan (1.45 U.S.dollars) per kilo in 1993 to over 400 yuan a decade later. But last year, exports of his company fell 12 percent year on year.

The double-edged sword of globalization has made China the world's factory, but also brought issues of poor quality, product homogeneity and increased competition.

Lower levels of the supply chain are moving out of China as its demographic dividend is nearly over, while a decline in incomes and job opportunities has led to rising of populism and advocacy of de-globalization across the world.

Such issues plague economists and are expected to hit headlines at the 47th World Economic Forum in Davos, with Chinese President Xi Jinping in attendance.

"Lack of core competence, poor risk control and failure to cater to changing customer needs amid a softening economy have led to the plights of many enterprises," said Zhu Wei, president of Sanpower's Subsidiary Funtalk Telecommunications, at a roundtable to celebrate the 15th anniversary of China's accession to the WTO, earlier last December.

NEED FOR CHANGE

But challenges can be turned into opportunities.

Puyuan, only 12.5 kilometers away from Wuzhen, is the biggest knitwear center in China. Low-cost products prospered in the town and its neighboring regions in the 1990s, but freight growth soon fell from 7 percent to only 1 percent as the global economy cooled.

Puyuan recently regained its reputation, fueled by inspirations from world-class designers.

Italian designer Gian Pietro Muraro, 70, worked with Versace, Yohji Yamamoto and many other major fashion names before discovering Puyuan three years ago.

"I was surprised at Puyuan's strong manufacturing capability. They can produce the new designs in a very short period," Muraro told Xinhua.

Muraro set up a studio committed to original designs in Puyuan, hoping to put local knitwear on the global fashion podium.

Iconic Italian knitwear brand Missoni has decided to put the production line of all its Asian orders here. The future looks bright for Puyuan.

"China's capability in high-end garment manufacturing is second only to Italy," said French designer Stanislssia Kein. "The design here is simple and very popular in Europe."

Though globalization is facing increasing challenges in the future, it will continue to create opportunites for China and countries throughout the world, said Zhao Ping, researcher with China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Academy.

Related:

Spotlight: FTAAP to serve as role model for globalization

BEIJING, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- As Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Switzerland for an annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, the China-backed Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) is in the limelight amid rising protectionism in the region and a gloomy forecast of global trade in 2017.

A manifestation of China's steadfast effort to promote globalization, the FTAAP has been envisioned as a major instrument for realizing Asia-Pacific economic integration and is expected to serve as a role model for globalization by injecting vitality into the world economy and rekindling enthusiasm for free trade. Full story

Commentary: Time to launch globalization 2.0

BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- With Britons voting to leave the European Union and Donald Trump elected as the next U.S. president, a rising tide of protectionism seems to be sweeping the West.
BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- China's 2016 economic performance showed itself to be solid enough to tackle a series of dynamic reforms in 2017, maintaining its role as an engine of global growth, two leading Argentinian experts has said.

Structural reforms were set in motion last year, as part of China's new Five Year Plan, which will ultimately "improve the welfare" of the Chinese people, Nadia Radulovich and Maria Cecilia Peralta, co-founders of Argentine consulting group Asia Viewers, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Peralta said China's economy "showed solid growth, with a growth rate of 6.7 percent in the first three quarters of 2016."

The consultants said they expect fourth-quarter results, to be announced soon, will show a similar performance, with a current account surplus and enormous foreign reserves.

Achieving the target growth rate of 6.5 percent to 7 percent "will surely entail very dynamic adjustments in various policies" designed "to balance aggregate domestic demand with external demand, and to adapt the aggregate supply in a global context marked by uncertainty, including doubts about the direction to be taken by the United States," said Peralta.

Over the next few years, Radulovich suggested, China should center its policies on the "process of industrial reconversion, investing in innovation to further that process, and the restructuring of state companies."

Investment in infrastructure will be a focal point as the trend towards urbanization picks up.

Cities with great infrastructure works, under the concept of green and technological cities, will be the premise of this new urbanization, which is expected to have a marked impact on the real economy, said the consultants.

Foreign direct investment and the inflow of capital will be another focus for the Chinese government, not just due to competitiveness, but also due to the monetary stability needed for the internationalization of the country's currency, they said.

Without doubt, 2017 will be a year of great economic challenges for China, as the country works to boost the productivity and efficiency of its companies, to improve social well-being and employment in accordance with the Five Year Plan, said the consultants.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China contributed 1.2 percent to global economic growth in 2016, in contrast to the United States, which contributed a scant 0.3 percent, and Europe, 0.2 percent.
SYDNEY, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 has been called off, in a joint statement made by Australian, Malaysian and Chinese governments on Tuesday.

For the past two years, authorities have combed a 120,000 square km patch of the Indian Ocean to no avail, with no sign of the plane yet to be found.

"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modeling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," the statement said.

"The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness."

The Malaysian Airlines flight went off the grid in March 2014, with 239 passengers on board heading for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.

The governments did not make the decision lightly, but were unable to find any credible evidence that a continued search would generate a successful outcome.

"Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft," the statement said.

"We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located," it said.
VANCOUVER, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Canadian province of British Columbia (B.C.) has been fighting against a deadly drug overdose crisis that killed about 800 people in 2016, according to local authorities.

Statistics from the province's coroner service showed that from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, 2016, 755 people died due to illegal drug overdoses.

That number is expected to climb to around 800 for the full year.

The fatal crisis will probably get worse, B.C.'s Provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall told Xinhua earlier this week.

Kendall said more efforts are needed in the province to warn recreational drug users against using illegal drugs, and to help habitual users get into drug treatment programs and away from street dealers.

The reality of the overdose crisis has become painfully obvious, former Vancouver Park Board Commissioner Sarah Blyth told Xinhua.

Blyth has helped to set up an emergency medic tent in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, the most populous city in the province, to cope with the rash of overdoses.

"We're seeing 100 to 300 people per day coming in, multiple times, using different types of drugs," Blyth said, adding that the majority were males.

Blyth's tent now has financial support from the local health authority, which opened five temporary safe injection sites in the region in recent months to protect users from overdoses.

As part of its response to the crisis, the province of B.C. has been providing naloxone kits, which are injections that can be administered by anyone to counteract the fatal symptoms of a fentanyl overdose.

More help is still needed from the provincial and federal governments to improve drug treatment programs, said Vancouver City Councillor Kerry Jang.
ASADABAD, Afghanistan, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan security forces on Tuesday launched a wide-scale operation in a remote district, the latest in a campaign against insurgency and its supply lines, according to a military statement.

"A joint military operation codenamed Tofan-62 was launched in Wata Pur District, (eastern) Kunar province early Tuesday morning," said the statement released by army's 201 Corps Selab based in the region.

The statement added that the joint operation by the army, police and intelligence agency personnel started in Shingam village and will cover all unclear pockets of the district in the province, bordering Pakistan.

The raid was aimed at improving security for the locals and ensuring rule of law and good governance in the district, according to the statement.

"The operation will continue until the district is cleared of militants' presence. The militants' bunkers and strongholds will be targeted and the achievements of the raid will be shared with the media soon," the statement noted.

The mountainous Kunar and neighboring Nuristan provinces have been the scene of heavy clashes between Taliban militants and security forces over the past couple of months.

The Taliban has been on rampage since the beginning of 2015 when the Afghan security forces assumed the full responsibility of security from the U.S. and NATO forces.
MOSCOW, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Russia conducted on Monday a successful test launch of a silo-based Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Plesetsk launch site, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

"The simulated warhead hit a designated target at a firing range on the Kamchatka peninsula with high precision," the ministry said in a press release.

The test launch was intended to confirm combat capabilities and reliability of Topol-M ICBMs, the ministry said.

The Topol-M single-warhead ICBM has a maximum range of about 11,000 kilometers and can carry a nuclear warhead with a yield of up to 550 kilotons.

The missile can be deployed on both silo-based and mobile land-based launch platforms.
SYDNEY, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has gone on the offensive on Tuesday afternoon, telling a radio host in Brisbane, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is not dead yet.

This comes after Labor Federal Opposition leader Bill Shorten claimed that although there might be strategic and economic benefits to the trade deal, it is "dead" due to the incoming Donald Trump administration.

"The result's over, the verdict's in. The TPP is dead in the water," Shorten told a gathering at a Sydney business, early Tuesday.

But Turnbull told ABC Radio that he had discussed the TPP with Mr. Trump.

The prime minister said key Republicans in the U.S. Congress are supportive of the TPP.

"Mr. Shorten is going back, he's not yesterday's man...he's last century's man -- He wants to go back to protectionism."Turnbull said, adding "what we've done is deliver strong economic growth and jobs by opening up those big markets."

When asked if the TPP could continue without U.S. support, Shorten made clear the agreement would then be significantly altered.

"We need trade which includes America in terms of the regional architecture. If Mr. Turnbull has another plan, put it on the table." Shorten said.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to pull out of the trade pact on his first day of office, on Jan. 20, 2017.
SHIJIAZHUANG, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The destruction of Japanese abandoned chemical weapons (ACWs) in Shijiazhuang, capital of northern China's Hebei Province, was concluded Friday, sources with the operation said.

According to an official on the Chinese side, a total of 2,576 ACWs were destroyed in the city and its surrounding areas since the disposal was initiated in December 2012.

"The destruction work was carried out in a safe, orderly and smooth manner, basically eliminating the threats and hazards posed by the Japanese ACWs to local people's lives, property and the ecological environment," the official said.

The official said that Japanese ACWs were one of the grave crimes committed by Japanese militarists during Japan's war of aggression against China, and that they were still potentially dangerous.

He said that China urged Japan to speed up the destruction of the rest of its ACWs in China on the precondition of ensuring personnel and environmental safety.

Japan abandoned at least 2 million tonnes of chemical weapons at 40 sites in 15 Chinese provinces at the end of World War II, most of them in the three northeast provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning.
BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- An elderly woman suffered a heart attack at Beijing South Railway Station after realizing her ID card was missing. She was quickly transferred to a clinic in the station where she was treated by two doctors.

Meanwhile, staff members in the station prepared a temporary ID card for her, and the woman soon safely boarded a train headed home.

Similar cases involving groups such as the elderly and the disabled are reported almost every day during China's annual holiday travel frenzy.

The hectic 40-day travel period surrounding the Chinese lunar new year, or Spring Festival, is known as "chunyun." This year's lunar new year falls on Jan. 28, and the chunyun travel rush stretches from Jan. 13 to Feb. 21.

Chunyun is a major test for railway authorities. Every year, China's railway system transports hundreds of millions of passengers, most of whom are traveling home to meet family and friends.

Statistics show that up to 356 million trips are expected to be made via rail over the 40-day period this year.

Among the most pressing challenges for the nation's railway system is accommodating special groups including the elderly, children, the sick, the disabled and pregnant women.

JOURNEY OF LOVE

Before this year's chunyun began, the station in Beijing updated its medical service, which offers free basic examinations and provides first-aid treatment as well as regular medicine, to make trips more convenient for passengers with physical challenges.

These passengers can make a phone reservation to be picked up by a team upon arrival at the station, according to Zhang Runqiu, who leads the station's service desk for passengers with special needs.

Zhang said when a passenger's train is about to depart, the station communicates with the train crew to ensure the passenger receives special care during the trip.

Zhang has witnessed the station's transformation into one of the largest railway stations in Asia and the starting point of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway since she started working at Beijing South Railway Station in 1999.

"My position here has given me the opportunity to serve many, many people and to experience China's cultural presence and the warmth of our spring festival," Zhang said.

But, she admits, helping those in need comes with sacrifices.

"My six-year-old daughter often calls me and asks, 'Mom, what time will you be home today?'" she said.

The upgraded services in the station have been welcomed by passengers.

"The service provided by China's railway system has become more and more personalized," a pregnant woman with the surname Wang told Xinhua on Friday as she prepared to travel to eastern China's Shandong Province

Facilities and services to help passengers in need are now commonplace in stations across the nation.

Jiang Liping, a mother of two, was another beneficiary. Shortly after she entered Qingdao station in Shandong with her children on Saturday, the trio were treated by staff to a VIP room reserved for passengers with special needs.

"It did not occur to me that I would be helped upon entering the station and could wait for the train in such a good environment," Jiang said.

Assistance from station employees is especially important for passengers with disabilities.

Tian Hua, a worker in Taiyuan Railway Station in north China's Shanxi Province, said she and her colleagues helped 35 visually impaired students board trains on Thursday.

Support for people in need continues on board the train.

Hou Jin, a railway worker in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said people who are physically challenged will be identified and special attention will be given to them during the trip.

In addition to railway workers, there are volunteers nationwide who spend their vacations helping people during the travel rush.

Ma Yumeng, a first-year student at Beijing City University and a volunteer at the Beijing South Railway Station, is one of the them.

Ma said she felt rewarded for her work when she received a heartfelt thank you from an elderly man in a wheelchair after she assisted him onto a train.

Ma stands at the service desk from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day she is on duty, offering help whenever there is a call.

"It was challenging at first, but now I do not feel tired anymore," she said.
Local women pose with guns in Qushtapa district of Jauzjan province, Afghanistan, Jan. 5, 2017. (Xinhua/Mohammad Jan Aria)

SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- "The Taliban's barbaric acts and the brutalities committed by the Islamic State (IS) have compelled me to fight back," Badam Gul, 40, told Xinhua, while toting an assault rifle.

Both Taliban fighters and militants loyal to the IS, according to villagers and local officials, have committed indiscriminate crimes including killing and torching houses in parts of the Qushtapa district of the northern Jawzjan province.

Jawzjan province, with Shiberghan as its capital, has been the scene of increasing insurgency over the past couple of years.

With an AK-47 assault rifle slung over her shoulder and dressed in local attire, Gul recounted her experiences of the Taliban and the IS rebels torching scores of houses and murdering dozens of people both young and old in Jarmgar village, in the Qushtapa district, just three weeks ago.

"Daesh (IS) rebels have brutally invaded us, they have indiscriminately killed dozens of villagers including elderly people and youngsters and didn't even spare the children," Gul exclaimed, adding that such barbaric acts have forced regular men and women, like herself, to take up arms and fight back against the onslaught in the Qushtapa district.

The heinous crimes committed by the militants have been corroborated by Jawzjan's deputy police chief, Abdul Hafiz Khashi, who confirmed that the armed insurgents had set several houses on fire in the Qushtapa district.

"Daesh insurgents have vandalized Jarmgar village and committed other odious crimes including killing innocent people and burning houses," Khashi told Xinhua recently.

"The inhumane and barbaric crimes committed by Daesh and Taliban rebels have seen more than 100 women take up arms and resist the onslaught in the Qushtapa district," said Khashi.

Expressing his support of the women standing up to the insurgency, Khashi said the government would back the villagers, including the women, to defend their villages against the attackers.

A local woman poses with a gun in Qushtapa district of Jauzjan province, Afghanistan, Jan. 5, 2017. (Xinhua/Mohammad Jan Aria)

Cases of women taking up arms against militants has rarely been reported in Afghanistan, and this is the first time that a group of women in significant numbers in Jawzjan province have fought back against the notorious renegades.

Commandant Kaftar was the first female fighter who resisted the Taliban onslaught during the outfit's rule which ended in 2001. Reza Gul, a mother, was the second, and killed 25 Taliban insurgents in a seven-hour gun battle to exact revenge on the militants who killed her son in the western Farah province in 2014.

However, the gunslinging women who are seeking government support to resist the anti-government factions have warned that overlooking their demands would only pave the way for the militants to commit more crimes.

"We are looking for the government to support us and to equip us as soon as possible, otherwise the Daesh rebels will occupy more areas and kill more innocent people," another armed lady, Malaeka warned.

Militants loyal to the IS, have also torched more than 60 residential houses in the Kot district in the eastern Nangarhar province over the past few days.

Malaeka who claims to be the commander of this "all-female uprising" in the Qushtapa district stated, "My sole objective is to see the absolute elimination of Daesh and like-minded groups in my village, my country and the world."
TBILISI, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Georgia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Chinese energy company on cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Georgian government said Tuesday in a statement.

Under the MoU, Georgia mulls over selling 75 percent of the shares of its Poti Free Industrial Zone to CEFC China Energy Company Limited (CEFC China), the statement said without unveiling any detail of the planned selling.

Close to Poti Sea Port off the eastern Black Sea coast and covering 3 million square meters, the Poti Free Industrial Zone is Georgia's first free industrial zone.

CEFC China will bring the best of China's practice in developing industrial zones and attract investment in the future development of the Poti free Industrial Zone, according to the statement.

The MoU signed by Georgian Economy Minister Giorgi Gakharia and representatives of CEFC China on Monday aims to tap the potential of the Belt and Road Initiative through joint initiatives.

The Georgian economy minister said the MoU is the "first step" of his country's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, adding that "with the MoU we will manage to attract other Chinese companies."

The Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative proposed by China in 2013 to bring together countries in Asia, Europe and even Africa via overland and maritime networks.
By Matt Walsh

CANBERRA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Australian-led underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been suspended indefinitely, the Australian, Malaysian and Chinese governments said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

Despite almost three years of scouring the Southern Indian Ocean for the missing Boeing 777 jetliner, no new evidence was found in the official 120,000-square kilometer search zone.

In a statement released by Malaysian Minister of Transport Sri Liow Tiong Lai, Australian Minister for Transport Darren Chester, and Chinese Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng, the underwater search would be suspended indefinitely in light of no new evidence of the airplane's whereabouts.

"Today the last search vessel has left the underwater search area. Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has not been located in the 120,000-square kilometer underwater search area in the southern Indian Ocean," the statement said.

"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft.

"Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended."

The ministers expressed their unreserved condolence to the families of the missing passengers and crew who have been waiting for almost three years for closure.

"Today's announcement is significant for our three countries, but more importantly for the family and friends of those on board the aircraft," the statement read.

"We again take this opportunity to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives and acknowledge the enormous loss felt by their loved ones."

The joint statement also said the decision to indefinitely suspend the search was not "taken lightly," and that the three governments had considered all scientific research and study into the possible location of the missing aircraft in making the decision.

"Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft," the statement said.

"We have been overwhelmed by the commitment and dedication shown by the hundreds of people involved in the search, which has been an unprecedented challenge.

"Their tireless work has continued to improve our knowledge of the search area and has been critical in our efforts to locate the aircraft. We would like to reiterate our utmost appreciation to the many nations that have provided expertise and assistance since the early days of this unfortunate tragedy."

Last year, the three governments agreed that if no new evidence came from the official search zone, the search would be called off "indefinitely."

In concluding the statement, the ministers said they "remain hopeful" that new information "will come to light" and that at some point in the future "the aircraft will be located."

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was a scheduled passenger flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 passengers and crew on board.
TIANJIN, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China is planning to develop a prototype of an exascale computer, considered the next frontier of supercomputers, by the end of 2017, according to a developer Tuesday.

"A complete computing system of the exascale supercomputer and its applications can only be expected in 2020, and will be 200 times more powerful than the country's first petaflop computer Tianhe-1, recognized as the world's fastest in 2010," said Zhang Ting, application engineer with the Tianjin-based National Supercomputer Center, when attending the sixth session of the 16th Tianjin Municipal People's Congress Tuesday.

Exascale computers are capable of at least 1 quintillion (a billion billion) calculations per second.

Zhang said that using the exascale computer for cloud computing and big data applications, China could spur ahead with many key innovation and high-tech programs.

In June 2016, China revealed its fastest new supercomputer -- the Sunway TaihuLight -- with a peak performance of 124.5 petaflops, the world's first system to exceed 100 petaflops.

China has been steadily building its supercomputing capacity, and independently developed all key technology including microprocessors.

Zhang said the next-generation exascale computer will not only lead in calculation speed, but also in data transmission efficiency.
PHNOM PENH, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's construction sector had attracted a total investment of 8.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, a 156-percent rise year-on-year, according to an official report released on Tuesday.

Issued by the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, the report said that the ministry provided licenses to 2,636 construction projects last year, up 14 percent from 2,305 projects in a year earlier.

Top investors in the country's construction and real estate are China, South Korea and Japan.

The report added that 1,002 construction and home design companies are operating in the kingdom.

Huy Nara, director general of the ministry's construction department, said the construction industry has employed about 200,000 workers.

"Unskilled workers can earn between 120 and 200 U.S. dollars per month, while skilled workers get between 300 and 450 U.S. dollars, and engineers and architects make between 350 and 2,500 U.S. dollars," he said at the ministry's annual conference on Tuesday.
By Peter Mertz

DENVER, the United States, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Wet, slushy streets and scattered snowfall met several thousands of people marching in the 2017 Martin Luther King Jr. Parade Monday, while activists of all stripes surprisingly stayed away.

"We thought we'd see the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) today but they were just fair weather haters," said Josh McFarlane, 21, a Metropolitan State University political science major.

Local media earlier reported that the notorious KKK, America's oldest hate group founded in the South after the Civil War in 1865, would interfere with the rally, along with members of Black Lives Matter, who disrupted last year's gathering of 30,000.

"Extremists avoided us this year," an event organizer told Xinhua, adding that the only disruption was when Republican U.S. house representative Mike Coffman spoke.

A bevy of local politicians, both Democratic and Republican, addressed the crowd to speak words of praise for the slain African-American civil rights leader, who was assassinated in 1968.

Coffman, an entrenched Colorado Republican, who opposes President Barack Obama's controversial Affordable Care Act (ACA), triggered heckling from the audience when he stepped up to the microphone.

The chant of "no repeal" grew so loud that Coffman's words were lost in the wind, as he failed to acknowledge or address his intention to dismantle Obama's health care initiative.

Martin Luther King parades are traditionally filled with Democrats who honor the civil rights leader, but event organizers said there were many more Republicans present this year.

Monday's 30th annual MLK parade featured U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, a well-liked Republican who also opposes Obamacare, but was met with polite applause by the crowd.

"Coffman still hasn't figured it out," heckler Tina James said. "Obamacare is vital to so many of us, and (U.S. President-elect Donald) Trump's anti-Obamacare rhetoric is ridiculous, unattainable, and unrealistic."

Coffman didn't respond to the interruptions during his short, two-minute speech, but two days before the Republican Congressman was forced to sneak out the backdoor of an event he organized due to Obamacare repeal backlash.

Hundreds of protesters on Saturday, angry about the proposed dismantling of Obamacare, confronted Coffman at the Aurora Public Library for a "town hall" meeting that the Republican had promoted.

"He fled through a back door of a building," Kathryn Penn said.

"Coward," Carol Eastes, an activist who joined Monday's 30th annual MLK parade, called Coffman.

Anti-Coffman sentiments surfaced after he co-authored a Denver Post op-ed article on Friday urging the full and immediate repeal of Obama's ACA.

However, about 419,000 Coloradans have gained health care coverage since the enactment of the law, and many could lose their insurance if it is repealed.

"I am potentially going to lose my health insurance," Berthie Ruoff told NBC News. "I have a preexisting condition."

One of Obamacare's signature features is the elimination of medical preexisting conditions that affect millions of Americans who need health care.

Trump said recently, despite repeated campaign rhetoric calling for the complete repeal of the ACA, that he would retain preexisting condition exemption.

But Coffman offered no such hope.

"I've had breast cancer," Ruoff said. "What's going to happen to me? My spouse who had health insurance passed away. What do I do? You know, what am I supposed to do?"
ANKARA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- 20 Islamic State (IS) terrorists were killed and 116 targets belonging to IS were hit by Turkish army in Al-Bab of northern Syria in last 24 hours, Turkish General Staff stated on Tuesday.

According to the Turkish army, 106 positions belonging to the terrorists have been shelled, destroying defense positions, shelters and command facilities, as well as weapons and vehicles.

A total of 10 airstrikes have been carried out near Al-Bab in Northern Syria, destroying 1 building, 2 snipping posts and 2 mortar manufacturing plants and other targets belonging to the terrorist organization.

A total of 2941 improvised explosive devices and 43 mines have been destroyed since the beginning of the operation, the military added

The Turkish Armed Forces launched the Euphrates Shield Operation last August 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 (PKK).
ISTANBUL, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The gunman who was captured overnight after 17 days on the run has admitted to a shooting spree he launched on a popular nightclub in Istanbul on New Year's Day, killing 39 people, the governor said Tuesday.

The attacker, previously identified as Abdulgadir Masharipov, a Uzbek national, was netted late Monday in an apartment in Istanbul's district of Esenyurt, press reports said.

Governor Vasip Sahin told reporters that some 197,000 U.S. dollars were found on him, and two drones, two weapons and other materials were seized as well in the operation.

An Iraqi man and three women from different countries in Africa were detained along with the gunman, the governor said.
MOSCOW, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Moscow considered it appropriate to invite representatives of the new U.S. administration under Donald Trump to the upcoming intra-Syria talks in Kazakhstan's Astana, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday at his annual press conference.

He hoped that the administration would accept the invitation to attend the talks aimed to faciliate a political settlement of the Middle East country.
BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China aims to more than triple the scale of its big data industry by 2020 in a bid to foster new economic drivers, according to a government plan released Tuesday.

The country's big data industry should increase its annual sales to 1 trillion yuan (145 billion U.S. dollars) by 2020 from an estimated 280 billion yuan in 2015, said the plan released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

The government is targeting a compound annual growth rate of around 30 percent for the industry's sales in 2016-2020, according to the plan.

It also set goals to create 10 world-leading big data companies by 2020 and establish 10-15 experimental zones to speed up the industry's development.

Efforts to promote big data application and make traditional industries smarter can add new momentum to China's economic transformation, the MIIT said.

The past few years have seen rapid expansion of China's information industry, laying a solid foundation for big data development in the future, it said.

China is one of the world's biggest data producers, with over 700 million Internet users and 1.3 billion mobile phone users -- more than any other country on both measures.

The country's information industry saw sales reach 17.1 trillion yuan in 2015, double the level in 2010, according to the MIIT.
BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's first cargo spacecraft will leave the factory, according to the website of China's manned space mission.

A review meeting was convened last Thursday, during which officials and experts unanimously concluded that the Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft had met all the requirements to leave the factory.

The take-off weight of Tianzhou-1 is 13 tonnes and it can ship material of up to six tonnes.

The spacecraft, which is scheduled to be launched in April from the southern province of Hainan, will dock with the Tiangong-2 space lab and refuel it.

It will be a crucial step for China in building a space station by 2020, as cargo spacecraft are required to ship necessities for astronauts aboard the space station.
PHNOM PENH, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has cancelled routine joint military exercises with the United States for the next two years, a defense spokesman confirmed on Tuesday.

"Cambodia has cancelled the Angkor Sentinel exercise with the United States in 2017 and 2018 because we will be busy with elections and anti-drug campaign," Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat told Xinhua.

He added that armed forces are needed to protect security and public order during the commune election in June 2017 and the national election in July 2018.

Also, the forces are required to join with national police in the six-month anti-drug campaign which started at the beginning of this month, he said.

Angkor Sentinel is an annual bilateral exercise between Cambodian and U.S. military personnel. It had been conducted seven times since 2010.
SEOUL, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Territorial and historical disputes between South Korea and Japan exacerbated after a girl statue symbolizing teenage South Korean victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery was erected last month outside a Japanese consulate.

Seoul's foreign ministry spokesman said Tuesday that it was deplorable for the Japanese government to lay unjust claims once again to the country's easternmost islets of Dokdo, called Takeshima in Japan.

The spokesman urged Japan to stop any groundless claims to the Dokdo, which he said is South Korea's indigenous territory. South Korea restored sovereignty to the rocky outcroppings after liberating from the 1910-45 Japanese colonization.

The comments came after Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said putting up any "comfort women" statue in the islets cannot be accepted because Takeshima belongs to his country.

A group of South Korea's Gyeonggi provincial assembly members said Monday that a fundraising campaign will be conducted to build another girl statue in Dokdo islets.

Japan recalled last week its ambassador to South Korea in Seoul and its consul general in South Korea's southern port city of Busan after South Korean civic group activists installed a bronze, life-size statue of a teenage girl near the Japanese consulate in Busan in December.

The statue of the seated girl, dressed in traditional Korean costume, represents the "comfort women" victims, who were forced into sex enslavement for the Japanese military brothels before and during World War Two.

The first statue of a girl was erected in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul in December 2011.
BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to work with relevant parties to ensure a continuous, comprehensive and effective implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iran nuclear issue, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here on Tuesday.

The first anniversary of JCPOA implementation fell on Monday.Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a routine press briefing that China has made great efforts to settle the Iran nuclear issue.

The JCPOA, known commonly as the Iran deal or Iran nuclear deal, is an international agreement reached in Vienna on July 14, 2015 between Iran, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States -- plus Germany), and the European Union.

The deal is a successful example of international efforts to solve hot-spot issues through political and diplomatic means, Hua said, noting the JCPOA had been implemented smoothly in the past year and contributed to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime as well as peace and stability in the Middle East.

The JCPOA is an agreement officially recognized by the United Nations Security Council, stressed Hua, calling on all sides to continue to earnestly fulfill their obligations. Enditem
Members of the Libyan National Army (LNA) hold a position during fighting against jihadists in Qanfudah, on the southern outskirts of Benghazi, on January 14, 2017. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

TUNIS, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- It must be "a year of decision and breakthrough" in 2017, said Martin Kobler, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), in an exclusive interview with Xinhua on Monday.

I appealed to the political will of everybody now to come together to form strong institutions in security, political and economic," said Kobler while addressing his "clear messages" to all parts concerned in Libya.

He explained the political breakthrough means that the government of national accord should be endorsed by the House of Representatives of Libya who delayed or canceled several times the vote for the government backed by UN.

The Parliament should also pass the constitution amendment and Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) must be part of constitution, he added.

Kobler admitted that there is a lack of a political will to implement the LPA signed in December 2015 in Morocco, brokered by UN.

The international community wished that LPA, as a framework, could bring stability and help to combat a growing Islamic State presence in Libya.

"There was the true will to implement it. Now we have seen that this political will is not everywhere," regretted Kobler.

He promised to continue his efforts to bring "those who resist in the temptation of the Libyan Political Agreement" on board.

"East, West and South must be on board. All the important actors, security actors must be on board."

Kobler affirmed that Libya was "left alone with the revolution" after 2011 when "there was intervention and there was no follow up."

He called on the international community to stay united and, as partners, to accompany Libya's political process and to respect its sovereignty and decisions, but not to interfere.

"All the stakeholders must work for the benefit of the Libyan people to improve their lives and to provide basic services like health, electricity and others."

Over the terrorism which remains a major danger to Libya and the neighbor countries, Kobler warned that though the business model of the Islamic State (IS) to occupy territories was ended the IS did not disappear but divided into small cells in many parts of the country and probably planned sleeping cells terrorism attacks.

He urged that fight against terrorism has to go on with international cohesion and "it is only by international cooperation to eliminate it," but the major burden is on the Libyans.

"I'm always applicating the formation of a united Libyan army responsible for the whole country to provide security for the citizens but also counter terrorist violence," said Kobler.
COLOMBO, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations promised on Tuesday to provide relief to thousands of Sri Lankan people affected by a severe drought.

Top-level UN officials, including UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Una McCauley, the World Food Programme's (WFP) Representative and Country Director for Sri Lanka Brenda Barton and Chief Technical Advisor at FAO Emelda Berejena, called on Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to discuss issues pertaining to the drought and the relief organization.

The UN top officials thanked the president for establishing a Task Force to monitor and supervise the drought relief and assured that they would take every step to bring this impending calamity to the notice of the international community and seek their assistance.

The UN officials said one of the main problems of the drought would be the drinking water shortage, which would lead to health issues in the long run.

They also sought to find an adequate number of bowsers to supply water to drought-affected areas.

Over 17 districts across the island nation have been hit by the prevailing drought which officials said is the worst in four decades.

Sri Lanka's Disaster Management has warned that more people would be affected by the drought in the coming three weeks due to less rains.
A rebel fighter carries his weapons on the outskirts of the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, Syria January 15, 2017. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

ANKARA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- 20 Islamic State (IS) terrorists were killed and 116 targets belonging to IS were hit by Turkish army in Al-Bab of northern Syria in last 24 hours, Turkish General Staff stated on Tuesday.

According to the Turkish army, 106 positions belonging to the terrorists have been shelled, destroying defense positions, shelters and command facilities, as well as weapons and vehicles.

A total of 10 airstrikes have been carried out near Al-Bab in Northern Syria, destroying 1 building, 2 snipping posts and 2 mortar manufacturing plants and other targets belonging to the terrorist organization.

A total of 2941 improvised explosive devices and 43 mines have been destroyed since the beginning of the operation, the military added

The Turkish Armed Forces launched the Euphrates Shield Operation last August 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 (PKK).
KIGALI, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda has imposed a temporary ban on all imported poultry products from Uganda and European countries due to the outbreak of the deadly Avian Influenza (bird flu).

Bird flu, or Avian Influenza, is an infectious type of influenza that spreads among birds. In rare cases, it can affect humans, according to medical scientists.

Uganda has confirmed the outbreak of Avian Flu in wild terns and domestic birds which has led to mass deaths of wild birds on the shores of Lake Victoria in the country.

"The species so far hit by the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, are migratory white-winged black terns as well as domestic ducks and chickens," Uganda Ministry of Agriculture confirmed in a statement released on Sunday, warning of an imminent "catastrophe."

The Avian Influenza outbreak has also been reported in dozens of countries across Europe including Hungry, Germany, France, Denmark, Czech Republic, Croatia, Romania and the United Kingdom.

"We call upon all Rwandan business operators importing all poultry products from Uganda and Europe to cease with immediate effect. The disease is of great concern to our poultry industry and to humans," said Geraldine Mukeshimana, Rwanda ministry of agriculture and animal resources in a statement released Tuesday.

She urged the public to report any cases of mass deaths of birds both domestic and wild to any nearest government authority.

The ministry said that poultry farmers must keep domestic birds indoors to avoid them interacting with wild birds adding that people must stay away from wild birds that are found dead, but instead report the cases.

It further stresses the need for poultry producers in ensuring essential biosecurity measures and standard hygiene precautions as well as early detection, immediate reporting and rapid response.

Rwanda imports tons of poultry products from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas.

The country produced over 16,000 tonnes of poultry meat and 6,973 tonnes of eggs per annum as of 2014 statistics from the Rwanda Agriculture Board.
BUJUMBURA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Burundian First Vice-President Gaston Sindimwo Monday evening announced the pullout of Burundian troops serving in the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) over failure by the AU to pay Burundian troops.

"If our (Burundian) troops are not paid while other troops from Uganda or Kenya are regularly paid, how can a serious government accept that?" Sindimwo told a press conference.

"If the African Union has failed to pay Burundian troops serving in the AMISOM, we will withdraw them from Somalia, and we will also withdraw their equipment," he said.

Sindimwo was referring to a letter from the office of Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza that recommended the Ministry of External Relations and International Cooperation to get in touch with the AU Commission and inform it about the violation of the memorandum of understanding linking the AU to Burundi.

The east African country's foreign ministry was recommended to inform the AU of an "imminent pullout and immediate return" of Burundian troops and equipment from Somalia.

In his message to the nation at the New Year's Day, Burundian President said that the Burundian government is going to sue the African Union (AU) over unpaid salaries for Burundian troops serving in the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

Since 2007, Burundi has sent six battalions, comprising of over 5,000 troops into Somalia to restore security in that country where Al-Shabaab terrorists are active.

Following the outbreak of Burundi's crisis in April 2015 with Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza bidding and winning a controversial third term, some army and police officers were sent to lead peacekeeping missions in Somalia and the Central African Republic, but were refused for their alleged involvement in violent repression during demonstrations against Nkurunziza's third term bid.
YINCHUAN, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed when a truck crashed into residential buildings in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on Tuesday, local authorities said.

The accident happened around noon when a truck loaded with sand went out of control and crashed into some roadside houses in Haiyuan County, according to the county publicity department.

The driver was killed instantly and four residents died after receiving emergency treatment.

A road surveillance video showed that at least three homes had collapsed in the collision.

Further investigation is underway.
KABUL, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- About 37 Taliban militants have been killed as the Afghan security forces carried out military operations elsewhere within the last 24 hours, said the Defense Ministry on Tuesday.

"Afghan National Defense and Security Forces conducted offensives in order to protect lives and properties of people in countryside within the last 24 hours. As a result, 37 insurgents were killed, 14 wounded and three suspects were arrested," the ministry said in a statement.

Among the killed were eight key members of Taliban in southern Helmand province, according to the statement.

The security forces also destroyed four insurgents' strong hideouts and defused six landmines recently planted by the militants, it said.

However, the statement did not disclose if there were any casualties on the side of security forces.

The Taliban militants, who has been waging an insurgency since its regime was toppled in late 2001, have yet to make comments.
ISTANBUL, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The gunman who was captured overnight after 17 days on the run has admitted to a shooting spree he launched against a popular nightclub in Istanbul on New Year's Day, killing 39 people, the governor aid Tuesday.

"He admitted that he conducted the attack," Governor Vasip Sahin told reporters. "It is clear the attack was conducted on behalf of IS."

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the mass shooting at Reina nightclub in central Istanbul, in which the militant fired at crowds ringing in New Year for a period of seven minutes, killing 39, the majority being foreigners, and wounding 69 others.

The attacker, previously identified as Abdulgadir Masharipov, a Uzbek national, was netted late Monday in an apartment in Istanbul's district of Esenyurt, press reports said.

Sahin said some 197,000 U.S. dollars were found on Masharipov, who the governor said is also known as Ebu Muhammed Horasani, and two drones, two weapons and other materials were seized as well in the operation.

An Iraqi man and three women from different countries in Africa were detained along with the gunman, the governor noted.

Masharipov was born in Uzbekistan in 1983, knows four languages and was trained in Afghanistan, Sahin said.

"He is a very well trained terrorist," the governor added.

In the mass manhunt for the gunman, who managed to escape following the shooting attack, 2,000 police officers took part in operations in Istanbul, Hatay, Izmir and Konya, and a total of 50 people were detained in 162 places for their suspected roles in the attack, Sahin said.

He noted that police have examined 7,200 hours of camera records in the investigation.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus on Monday indicated the role of a secret service in Reina attack.

"It appears the Reina attack was not just a terrorist organization's act, but there was also an intelligence organization involved," he was quoted as saying by the Hurriyet daily. "It was an extremely planned and organized act."
HANOI, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam and the Philippines have reached a trade agreement on extending Vietnam's rice exports to the Philippines during 2017-2018 period, according to Vietnam's Ministry of Trade and Industry on Tuesday.

Under the agreement, Vietnam will provide 1.5 million tons of rice for the Philippines each year till the end of 2018. The first bidding round of rice exports will happen in January, 2017.

According to the ministry, in the context that Vietnamese rice is facing fierce competition from its traditional competitors like Thailand, India as well as emerging ones including Pakistan, Cambodia, and Myanmar, the agreement will help ensure Vietnam's position among the world's top rice exporters.

In 2016, Vietnam exported an estimated 4.88 million tons of rice, earning some 2.2 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 25.8 percent in volume and 21.2 percent in value, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday was aghast at a Japanese hotel placing a book in its rooms, which denied that the Nanjing Massacre and the forced recruitment of "comfort women" ever happened.

According to reports, the APA hotel chain put a copy of "The Real History of Japan" by Seiji Fuji, the pen name of the hotel CEO, in all its rooms. The book has also been put on sale in the hotel lobby.

"We are aware of the reports," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

Hua told the daily press conference that it is discouraging that despite the international community acknowledging the serious crimes against humanity committed by the Japanese during World War II, there are still forces in Japan attempting to deny or distort the truth.

"The truth of what happened will not be changed by passing of time nor will the facts disappear because of deliberate ignorance," Hua said.

She urged the Japanese government to face up and reflect on the country's past aggressions, ensure its population are exposed to a true telling of history, and for it to regain trust from its Asian neighbors and the international community through concrete action.
ABU DHABI, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's Belt and Road initiative may boost green energy development along the New Silk Road, said comments from ongoing 10th edition of the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) here on Tuesday.

The CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber and the Chairman of the green energy company Masdar told Xinhua the WFES congress and exhibition China's Belt and Road policy "is one of the main pillars in the development for future energies.

They said the initiative closes gaps by building bridges between regions, which is essential to spur international cooperation to increase the use of renewable energy like wind, solar or hydro energy."

Dr. Al-Jaber also said that the Belt and Road initiative puts the WFES host country United Arab Emirates (UAE) into the "center of gravity in relation to the rise of renewable energy along the New Silk Road."

UAE Minister of Energy Al-Mazrouei said Monday at the WFES that UAE aims to increase the share of clean energy in the total energy mix to 50 percent by 2050 from a mere one percent nowadays.

Ninety-nine percent of the UAE's domestic energy needs is as of today based on natural gas.

At the China Day held at the WFES on Monday, Dr. Adnan Z. Amin, Director General of the Abu Dhabi-based supranational International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), said that the iniative is focused on financing new infrastructure projects along the New Silk Road and the global shift towards clean energy offers tremendous transnational opportunities for both large or medium and small firms.

As an example for intra-regional cooperation, Wang Zhongying, the Director of China National Renewable Energy Center in Beijing, presented the ongoing construction of solar and water power projects between China and Pakistan in line with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

China's energy conglomerate Zonergy is currently completing the construction of the world's largest solar park, the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in Bahwalpur, Punjab.

Vincent Lau, Overseas Sales Director at Aikosolar from Foshan City, Guangdong Province, which exhibits for the first time at the WFES, said "we see the initiative indeed as a catalyst because most countries along the Belt and Road enjoy long sunny periods compared to other countries."

He added that taking the WFES host country UAE for example, the Gulf state enjoys six to eight hours intense sunshine per day on average which provides an immense opportunity for marketing or solar cells here and beyond.

Dubai's Emirates Airlines said Tuesday in an e-mailed statement it has introduced new sustainable blankets made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles and is now available in economy class on all long-haul Emirates flights.
Photo taken on Jan. 11, 2017 shows CCECC President Yuan Li (right) at the gift-presenting moment during the day of agreement signing. (Xinhua)

DJIBOUTI, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- 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 last week 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 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.
NAKURU, Kenya, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Adverse social attitudes, financial constraint and violence are hampering Kenyan women from seeking a political position in election, despite legislative designs to empower them, a woman right campaigner said.

Kenyans will be voting in August in a process that allows them to elect the president, governors, senators, members of Parliament, woman representatives and members of the county assembly.

The position of woman representative does not attract male contestants since it is specifically designed for women, while other seats are open for both genders.

Despite such designs, it remains a challenging process for the vying women, according to Angela Ngoizi, Programme Officer of the Women and Governance programme at the FIDA-Kenya, a federation of women lawyers.

The patriarchal system in Kenyan's societies is a challenge to women due to its creation of perception among the people that politics is a reserve for men.

"Most Kenyan societies are still struggling with the fact that women can be leaders in this day and age," she told Xinhua in an interview, adding that financing their campaigns equally comes as a struggle.

Ngoizi said women are marginalized economically and tend to have less financial resources than their male counterparts.

"Campaigns in Kenya require financial muscle to ensure success both from the point of party primaries up until campaigns," she said.

Procedurally, all but independent candidates are subjected to nominations undertaken by the respective political parties prior to the general election where they face off with opponents from other parties.

However, at this point Ngoizi said women face another challenge: unfair party nomination.

"In some instances party officials do not carry out fair nomination processes and give party tickets to those (men) with more money to contribute to the party. Women candidates thus get locked out of elective politics at this point," she said.

At the same time political violence, both physical and emotional, affects women's participation in active elective politics, Ngoizi observed.

In the 2013 general election, only 16 women were elected out of the 290 parliamentary seats open for either male or female contestation.

No woman was voted in as a governor or senator after 18 women had been nominated into the Senate with one representing the youth and another, persons with disabilities.

Eliminating these obstacles and encouraging women's participation in the political process would take steady efforts from all stakeholders including society, family and political parties, she observes.

Ngoizi said continuous civic education is important to changing the society's attitude towards women.

"Additionally, more and more women need to be encouraged to vie for elective seats so that over time, the concept of women in leadership is accepted," Ngoizi said

Although she advised women to use low-cost avenues for campaigns such as television, radio and social media, the officer identifies private institutions as a source of financial support that could bail them out of campaign financing hurdles.

Family support is also significant to female aspirants' success, she said,

Ngoizi also said called for continuous lobbying on political parties to ensure that women enjoy political equality on the party level, while acknowledging the existing legislative framework's role of safeguarding women's political participation.

"The Constitution safeguards the rights of women to participate in elections, Electoral Code of Conduct also stipulates the conduct of parties as well as their responsibilities towards women aspirants," said Ngoizi.
BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to enhance intellectual property right (IPR) cooperation with other countries, but opposes accusations and abuse of IPR to exercise trade protectionism, according to a senior official Tuesday.

Gan Shaoning, deputy director of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), said at a press conference that since the reform and opening-up, China had established a complete and internationally-recognized legal system for IPR protection with Chinese characteristics.

He said it incorporated both administrative and judicial protection, and that the system was something that had taken developed countries hundreds of years to achieve.

According to media reports, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has applied for many trademarks in China, and Gan said that this showed that China's IPR system complied with international standards.

The official acknowledged that there were some problems in IPR protection as China was a developing country with a short history of IPR.

"Exercising strict IPR protection is not only a demand for the country to attract foreign investment, open up to the outside world, and pursue innovation-driven development, but also an essential requirement for upgrading economic and social development," Gan told reporters.

"We are willing to enhance IPR cooperation and share our experiences of development with our counterparts across the world," Gan said. "At the same time, we oppose unfounded accusations and abuse of IPR to exercise trade protectionism."

Showcasing China's breakthroughs in international cooperation last year, Gan said that China had held the High-level Conference on Intellectual Property for Countries Along the "Belt and Road" and released a joint initiative on IPR cooperation concerning such countries.

The official vowed to strengthen the protection and use of IPR and encourage innovation.

Gan said that the central government had allocated a fund of 1.4 billion yuan (202.8 million U.S. dollars) to local sites of patent operation and had helped the establishment of more than 1,700 IPR enterprises.

In 2015 the number of patent applications filed by Chinese for inventions reached 1.1 million, the fifth consecutive year for China to top the world's patent application list, according to Gong Yalin, an official with SIPO.

"However, problems exist, including lack of core patents and unreasonable layout of patents," Gong said.

"China will increase compensation for cases of malicious infringement and crack down on infringement on IPR through revised and improved laws and regulations," Gan said.

Gan said a guideline, issued by the State Council earlier this month, specified the goals and major tasks for the development of IPR during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020).

The plan said China would improve IPR rules and regulations in newly-emerged fields, including Internet Plus, e-commerce and big data.

It stated that China's invention patents would increase from 6.3 per 10,000 people in 2015 to 12 per 10,000 in 2020.

Intellectual property royalties earned abroad will rise from 4.44 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to 10 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, according to the plan.

The plan also put forward seven major areas for improving IPR, including the legal system, IPR protection, quality and benefits, industrial upgrading, and international cooperation and exchanges.
BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China will build more welfare facilities to provide care services for juveniles in need, including "left behind" children, the top economic planner said on Tuesday.

The term "left-behind" describes rural children whose parents are away from home, usually working in the cities, left in the care of grandparents, other relatives or neighbors.

China has 9 million left-behind children, mostly in underdeveloped central and western regions, according to a government census conducted last year.

In the next five years, more child care facilities will be established in areas with populations over 500,000, according to the 2016-2020 plan on improving social welfare released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The plan said these welfare facilities will provide temporary guardianship for "left behind" children and children in trouble.
A woman picks French beans for the export market at the Kabaa irrigation scheme in Machakos County, Kenya, Sept. 13, 2013. (Xinhua/Allan Muturi)

NAKURU, Kenya, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Samwel Kamundai has found an innovative way to buffer against hunger, malnutrition and poverty and it involves intensive crop diversification in his three acre farm.

The small-scale farmer in Kenya's Nakuru county had until 2013 been practicing monocropping that later proved risky and unsustainable in the light of climatic stresses and declining soil fertility.

He grew only maize in his farm but thanks to encouragement from extension workers, Kamundai diversified into other crops like legumes and fresh produce.

"Growing maize alone is risky since a farmer can lose an entire harvest to diseases and pests. There is need therefore to explore other crops that can act as a buffer against hunger during the dry spell," Kamundai told Xinhua during a recent interview.

His farm is currently an embodiment of multiple benefits than crop diversification can unleash to smallholders.

Kamundai has been growing vegetables, legumes, potatoes and indigenous fruits in his farm.

Likewise, he has also ventured into bee keeping and rearing of rabbits whose meat sells like hot cake in the local market.

The middle aged farmer who recently retired from public service practices drip irrigation to buffer against crop failure during the dry spell.

He disclosed that growing a variety of crops has not only guaranteed his family food security but has as well boosted his income.

"Since venturing into intercropping, am relieved from the stress of inadequate food supply and declining revenues," said Kamundai. He also practices crop rotation that adds nutrients to the soils.

On a normal day, Kamundai hosts many farmers from neighboring villages who visit his farm to learn about the benefits of crop diversification.

"It is my wish to see other farmers progress in their agricultural activities. Visiting my farm gives them a first hand experience of what it means to diversify farming and I do discourage them against monocropping or depending heavily on one single crop," Kamundai said.

"I am happy to educate other farmers on how to practice intercropping that comes with many benefits," Kamundai remarked adding that he intends to be a national champion for crop diversification.

At the same time, Kamundai urged the ministry of agriculture to deploy additional extension officers to train smallholder farmers on how to practice intercropping.

Large scale adoption of crop diversification could help tackle hunger and malnutrition affecting millions of Kenyan rural dwellers.

Kamundai and his peers have been able to produce enough staples for household consumption and sale thanks to inter-cropping.

Government statistics indicate that an estimated 2 million Kenyans are facing starvation occasioned by the current dry spell.

Experts agreed the east African nation must adopt innovative farming methods that can withstand climate vagaries to cushion the population against hunger.

Kamundai said the government ought to ensure agricultural extension officers visit farmers in the villages to educate them on proper farming practices as this would lift burdens of food insecurity, hunger and poverty from households.

"It is good to have farmers learning from each other but I believe there would be more impact if agricultural officers visited farmers in their farms regularly to educate them on what needs to be done and monitor their progress," he said.

Worrying is that the impacts of the drought are affecting areas formerly zoned as high food producers particularly in the eastern region.

The warning reinforces an alert given by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in December 2016 of the expected drought that would devastate people with hunger.

But Kenya is not the only country on a hunger alert. Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Somalia are also on list of countries to face the ravages of drought likely to influence migration of people and their animals to food and water-sufficient areas, which sometimes spark conflicts.




Iraqi forces prepare to expel IS militants from the last remaining neighbourhoods between government-held territory and the Tigris river in Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 16, 2017. Iraqi security forces on Monday continued heavy fighting against Islamic State (IS) militants and freed more neighborhoods from the extremist militants in the eastern side of the city of Mosul, the Iraqi military said. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)

MOSUL, Iraq, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi government forces advanced further Tuesday in Mosul amid fierce clashes with Islamic State (IS) militant group, as the troops are nearly recapturing the whole eastern bank of the city, a military statement said.

The commandos of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) advanced in the early morning in the eastern front and managed to retake control of Nineveh al-Sharqiya and Bab-Shams, as well as nearby area of Souq al-Ghanam after driving out IS militants, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah from the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement.

In the afternoon, the elite CTS troops, backed by international aircraft, also freed Nu'maniya and Uttshana after defeating IS militants, Yarallah said, adding that the troops started to storm the adjacent al-Jazair neighborhood.

The CTS special forces, backed by army helicopter gunships, made another advance when they recaptured Muhandseen and raised the Iraqi flag over some of its buildings after heavy street-to-street clashes with the extremist militants, Yarallah added.

In the northern front, the army soldiers freed a military base and the nearby huge al-Kindi facility at the edge of the recently-freed Kindi neighborhood, Yarallah said.

According to the military officers, the Iraqi forces have recaptured more than 90 percent of eastern bank of the Tigris River which bisects Mosul. Once they recapture the whole eastern side they will begin a new phase of the anti-IS major offensive in the western bank of the city.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Iraq (OCHA) said in recent report that the military operations in Mosul have pushed more than 148,000 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.

On Dec. 29, the CTS commandos, army troops and federal police launched the second phase of a major offensive to free the eastern bank of Mosul.

Last month, battles in Mosul slowed down as extremist militants used civilians as human shields, resorted to suicide car bombs and made mortar and sniper attacks in stiff resistance.

On Oct. 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi 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.
BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- A public education campaign will guard the elderly against telecom and Internet fraud, China National Committee on Aging said on Tuesday.

These kinds of fraud have become increasingly widespread, jeopardizing senior citizens' property, and threatening their sense of security and social stability, according to a statement issued by the Committee.

The campaign, lasting till the end of May, will inform the elderly on the means of fraud that are frequently employed by swindlers, methods of detecting fraud, and measures should be taken to recover or reduce losses after the fact.
Liu Yunshan (L), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, visits film artist Yu Lan in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 17, 2017. Liu Yunshan has paid visits to prominent cultural workers ahead of China's Lunar New Year and extended festival greetings to them.(Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese leader Liu Yunshan has paid visits to prominent cultural workers ahead of China's Lunar New Year and extended festival greetings to them.

On behalf of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee, Liu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, on Monday and Tuesday visited historian Dai Yi, journalist Luo Kaifu, film artist Yu Lan and oil painter Zhan Jianjun.

During his visits, Liu called on cultural workers to consolidate confidence in their cultural ideals and values.

Cultural workers should promote traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture by enhancing creativity and producing quality works, said Liu.

Liu Qibao, head of the publicity department of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the activity.

The Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, falls on Jan. 28 this year.
JAKARTA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- A shallow quake with a magnitude of 5.6 jolted Aceh province in western Indonesia Tuesday evening, but was not potential for tsunami, the meteorology and geophysics agency reported here.

The quake rocked at 18:48 p.m. Jakarta time (1148 GMT) with epicenter at 234 km northwest Sabang town and depth at 10 km under sea bed, an official of the agency told Xinhua by phone.

A total of 103 people were killed after a strong under-earth quake rocked Aceh province located in northern tip of Sumatra Island last December.

Indonesia is prone to quake as it sits on a vulnerable quake-hit zone called "the Pacific Ring of Fire."
SHANGHAI, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- As soon as President Xi Jinping landed in Switzerland on Sunday, the Swiss Tourism Bureau extended a warm welcome on its official Chinese microblog account, accompanied by a picture of the splendid Alpine landscape.

With over 270,000 followers, the account shares useful travel tips and photographs of the European country almost every day.

According to predictions by China's largest online travel agency Ctrip, 50 percent more Chinese tourists will visit Switzerland during the Spring Festival over the same period of 2016.

The tourism bureau of Lucerne, a city in central Switzerland, has chosen the romantic Chinese name "Liusen" as its official promotion name. The Chinese character "liu" refers to colored glaze and "sen" means forest.

Besides the rise in Chinese tourists to Switzerland, Swiss companies are also expanding rapidly in China.

ABB Group, a Switzerland-headquartered global technology company, delivered its 50,000th robot manufactured in China at December's China International Industry Fair.

Intellectual technology is key to the company's global expansion, according to Gu Chunyuan, chairman of ABB China. Gu said ABB recently decided to build a robot application center in the southwestern municipality of Chongqing.

In the meantime, biotech firm Roche's third global strategic center, after Basel and San Francisco, is taking shape in Shanghai.

Over 330 researchers in Roche's China office have applied for over 160 patent applications, the company said, adding it is expanding cooperation with China's local governments to improve the affordability of Chinese health care.

Switzerland was the first country on the European continent to sign a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with China, which entered into force on July 1, 2014. Investment and M&A activities between the two countries have been gaining momentum ever since.

"The China-Switzerland relations have become a model of friendship and cooperation between countries that are different in social system, development stage and size," President Xi said during talks with Swiss President Doris Leuthard on Monday.
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Tuesday that China has not only benefited from economic globalization, but also contributed to it.

China's development is an opportunity for the world, Xi said in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 47th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Rapid growth in China has been a sustained, powerful engine for global economic stability and expansion, while the inter-connected development of China and a large number of other countries has made the world economy more balanced, said the Chinese president.

The world's second largest economy's remarkable achievement in poverty reduction has contributed to more inclusive global growth, and the country's continuous progress in reform and opening-up has lent much momentum to an open world economy, he said.
KHARTOUM, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) on Tuesday welcomed the decision of U.S. President Barack Obama on easing sanctions on Sudan, describing the move as as an "important step."

"The announcement of President Obama on the easing of the sanctions on Sudan is an important step that should provide the basis for the government of Sudan to move forward with political reforms and to contribute to peace in the region," said a press release by the EU delegation to Sudan Tuesday.

According to the press release , the EU would continue its dialogue with the government of Sudan toward further progress and urge all parties to speed up engagement on the AUHIP (African Union High-Level Implementation Panel) roadmap framework.

"The EU has supported the roadmap in the past and will continue to do so," the statement said.

On Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama issued a decision canceling two executive orders imposing economic sanctions on Sudan.

The U.S. has been imposing sanctions on Sudan since 1997 and putting it on its list of countries sponsoring terrorism since 1993.

Since then, Washington has been renewing its sanctions on Sudan due to the continuing war in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan regions besides a number of outstanding issues with South Sudan, including the disputed oil-rich area of Abyei.
ABUJA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian Air Force said it had carried out operations to strike the new hideout of terror group Boko Haram in the country's northeast region, denying the terrorists the opportunity to regroup for more attacks.

Nigerian Air Force spokesman Ayodele Famuyiwa said in a statement that air troops had successfully destroyed the new camp of Boko Haram situated about 1 nautical mile south of Tumbum Rego in northern Borno.

In coordinated day and night operations, a helicopter gunship and fighter jets were deployed for the onslaught, Famuyiwa said in the statement released late Monday.

Boko Haram has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 2.3 million other since their insurgency started in 2009.

However, Nigeria has made considerable gain on the Boko Haram front, with its security forces having dislodged the Boko Haram fighters from the Sambisa Forest, their last enclave in the country.

The Nigerian military is currently intensifying aerial and ground patrol in the country's northeast, extending its offensive mission around the Green Belt Region near Niger and Chad.
MOMBASA, Kenya, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's hoteliers on Tuesday dismissed latest travel advisory issued by the United States over terror threats in the country's tourist resort region.

Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterer said the advisory issued by Washington on Jan. 13 is unjustified, citing the reduction of terrorist attacks in the region.

Speaking to Xinhua in Mombasa, the association's Coast branch executive officer Sam Ikwaye urged traditional source markets, including Britain and France, to ignore the advisory.

"The U.S. has the responsibility to protect its citizens but it's unfair to issue an advisory without citing valid grounds. We read mischief in the latest move by the U.S.," Ikwaye said.

In its revised advisory, the United States warned its citizens against visiting Kenya's Coast and Northeastern region, citing terror attack threats by Al-Shabaab and high crime rates.

The U.S. State Department specifically urged U.S. citizens to avoid traveling near Kenya's border with Somalia, including all of Lamu County, which in the past has been a major tourist destination.

The advisory cited Mandera, Wajir and Garissa, Tana River and Lamu counties among those that U.S. citizens should avoid.

The East African nation's coastal towns are the backbone of the country's thriving tourism industry, which has been hit by the fear of terror attacks and the kidnapping of foreigners by Somali pirates from resorts near the border with Somalia.

The tourism sector has suffered a decline in the number of tourists arriving since September 2011 when the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab carried out kidnappings of tourists and the Spanish volunteers.

Chief Executive Officer at Heritage Hotels Mohamed Hersi said the media should report objectively and stop misleading foreign countries that rely on press reports to issue advisory.

In a contrasting comment, French ambassador to Kenya Antoine Sivan recently termed Mombasa a safe haven, saying the security of the coastal city has significantly improved over the years.
YINCHUAN, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese real estate group was in court on Tuesday accused of stealing 1 billion yuan (147 million U.S. dollar) from nearly 10,000 clients from 17 provincial regions.

Xinglin Group was set up in 2009. Between February 2013 and September 2014 it had opened 2,300 real estate offices across the country, the Intermediate People's Court of Yinchuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, was told.

The companies' executives stand accused of using deposits paid by their clients to cover operational business expenses or to pay for personal items, the court heard.

By August 2014, due to financial difficulties, the group filed for bankruptcy, resulting in huge losses for the clients. Tens of thousands of victims were left without their deposits or their homes.

The open trial is expected to last four days.
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's development will continue to offer opportunities to business communities in other countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Tuesday.

In the coming five years, China is expected to import 8 trillion U.S. dollars of goods, attract 600 billion dollars of foreign investment, and make 750 billion dollars of outbound investment, Xi said in a keynote speech at the opening session of the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s annual meeting in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.

He added that Chinese tourists will make 700 million overseas visits.

China will keep its door wide open and not close it, Xi said, stressing that an open door allows both other countries to access the Chinese market and China itself to integrate with the world.

The president voiced hope that other countries will also keep their door open to Chinese investors and keep the playing field level for China.

Xi arrived in Switzerland Sunday for a four-day state visit and the WEF annual meeting.

It is the first state visit to the Alpine country by a Chinese president in the 21st century, and also the first time that a Chinese president attended the meeting, a gathering of 3,000 government, business and civil society leaders this year to shape global, regional and industry agendas together.
SINGAPORE, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Singapore looks forward to promoting business partnerships and collaborations with Indonesia as 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, said Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) Lim Hng Kiang on Tuesday.

Speaking at the "Indonesia- Singapore Business Partnerships 50 years and Beyond", Lim highlighted that bilateral ties have "grown from strength to strength", with robust economic ties being a trademark of the relationship.

In terms of bilateral trade, Singapore was Indonesia's third largest trading partner and Indonesia was Singapore's fourth largest trading partner in 2015.

Lim also noted that Singapore is Indonesia's largest foreign investor, with Singaporean companies investing almost 7.1 billion U.S. dollars in Indonesia for the first nine months of 2016, double that of the same period in 2015.

The minister encouraged Singapore's companies to actively look out for economic opportunities in Indonesia, including those beyond Jakarta.

He added that the Kendal Industrial Park near Semarang exemplified how commercial collaboration between companies from both countries can help promote industrial growth and attract greater infrastructure development to the Central Java region.

"Indonesia's focus on developing new infrastructure and improving existing ones creates opportunities for Singapore companies with relevant expertise in the utilities, communications, energy and transportation sectors," said Lim.

Lim added that "As Indonesia's middle class grows, Singapore companies can find opportunities in service sectors such as tourism, healthcare and education."

Abdurrahman Mohammad Fachir, Indonesia's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, who spoke at the same event, praised the enduring and growing partnership between the neighbors and urged both countries not to forget that "regional stability" is a very important asset, according to local media reports.

More than 250 businessmen and officials participated in the business seminar organized by the Singapore Manufacturing Federation and the Indonesian embassy in Singapore.
ANKARA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Tuesday that snap elections are not on the government's agenda, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

On comments that Turkey could opt for early elections, Yildirim stressed general elections will be held in 2019 as planned, describing rumors "as efforts to create concerns about Turkey's stability."

The constitutional amendments will be taken to referendum once approved, which will take place in early April, he said.

Turkish Parliament on Sunday concluded the first round of voting on all 18 articles of the constitutional amendment package which shifts from the current parliamentary system to an executive presidential system.

The second round of voting on constitutional reform package is expected to be held on Jan. 18.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) aims to approve all 18 articles by Jan. 21.

The prime minister said he expects "no surprise" in the second round of parliamentary voting on constitutional amendments and the package will be approved.

"Following the approval of the parliament, we will explain the new articles to our citizens (during the referendum period) and then we will continue on our way," Yildirim said.

The constitutional amendment package will grant excessive powers to the president while abolishing the position of the prime minister.
WINDHOEK, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Police in Namibia said Monday that road crashes killed 722 people in 2016, as compared to 2015 when 716 died.

Police deputy inspector general Major General James Tjivikua revealed this in Windhoek when he spoke during the official opening of a course for traffic officer as well as an advance computer course.

The course is being attended by 187 officers from the Namibian Police officers and Windhoek City Police.

The four-month course are meant to prepare the officers on how to educate drivers as well as enforce road safety rules.

According to Tjivikua, these crashes are a major concern to the nation because those who are dying are future doctors, police officers, leaders and entrepreneurs.

He also said the issue of accidents in Namibia should be addressed without delay by all concerned Namibians.

The Motor Vehicle Fund of Namibia said so far this year, 24 people had died in 129 crashes that left 239 others injured.
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China plans to host a Belt and Road forum for international cooperation in Beijing this May to brainstorm on interconnected development, President Xi Jinping said here on Tuesday.

The upcoming forum will explore ways to address regional and global economic problems, generate fresh energy for interconnected development, and ensure that the Belt and Road Initiative delivers greater benefits to people of the countries involved, Xi said in a keynote speech at the opening session of the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s annual meeting in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.

The Chinese president put forward the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

Since then, more than 100 countries and international organizations have given their warm responses to the initiative, and over 40 countries and organizations have signed cooperation agreements with China.

Xi arrived in Switzerland on Sunday for a four-day state visit and the WEF annual meeting.

It is the first state visit to the Alpine country by a Chinese president in the 21st century, and also the first time that a Chinese president attended the meeting, a gathering of 3,000 government, business and civil society leaders this year to shape global, regional and industry agendas together.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attends his annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 17, 2017. Moscow considered it appropriate to invite representatives of the new U.S. administration under Donald Trump to the upcoming intra-Syria talks in Kazakhstan's Astana, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday at his annual press conference. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

MOSCOW, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Moscow is willing to cooperate with the new U.S. administration under Donald Trump in seeking solutions to their shared problems and fighting common threats, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.

At his annual press conference, Lavrov reiterated Moscow's readiness to work with Washington "in a business-like manner" and "on the basis of equality and respect of mutual interests."

Trump, who will take the oath of office on Friday, has said that he was eager to concentrate on the fundamental interests of the United States in security, which Lavrov said coincided in many ways with the guidelines of Moscow's foreign policy proclaimed by President Vladimir Putin.

"When we hear that in foreign policy the main thing for Donald Trump is the struggle against terrorism, we can only cheer it," said the diplomat.

Again he criticized the outgoing administration under Barack Obama for failing to keep its anti-terror promise and attempting to introduce double standards in the war-torn Syria.

Moscow considered it appropriate to invite representatives of the new U.S. administration to the upcoming intra-Syria talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, Lavrov said, adding that he hoped the new administration would accept the invitation.

"This will be the first official contact between Russia and the Trump administration," he said.

Commenting on Trump's recent proposal of lifting sanctions imposed on Russia in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal with Moscow, Lavrov said Moscow supported the necessity of nuclear disarmament, but "the issue was much broader than the reduction of nuclear arsenals."

One of the priority tasks of restoring Russia-U.S. relations was returning to dialogue on strategic stability, said Lavrov.
SINGAPORE, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin visited Singapore Tuesday to co-chair the 10th Bilateral Consultations between the Singapore and Chinese Foreign Ministries with Singapore's Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Chee Wee Kiong.

The two sides discussed boosting bilateral cooperation as well as the connectivity between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China.

Chee and Liu reviewed the longstanding and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries. They noted that high-level exchanges were maintained between the two sides in 2016 including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's meetings with President Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou and Premier Li Keqiang at the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, according to the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

They reviewed the good progress of the three government-to-government projects between the two sides, including the latest Chongqing Connectivity Initiative. Chee and Liu also discussed upcoming bilateral exchanges, including the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation to be held next month, and the China-Singapore Forum on Leadership this year.

Chee expressed Singapore's support for the Belt and Road Initiative, calling it a new area of collaboration which would further build upon Singapore and China's substantive bilateral ties.

The officials also discussed strengthening relations and connectivity between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including synergies between the Master Plan for ASEAN Connectivity 2025 and the Belt and Road Initiative.

To implement the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation in 2017, they requested Singapore Tourism Board and China National Tourist Administration to collaborate and discuss concrete plans to promote tourism between ASEAN and China.

Started in 1996, the Consultations are a useful platform for the two Foreign Ministries to discuss bilateral cooperation, ASEAN-China cooperation and exchange views on key regional and global developments.
ZHENGZHOU, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Henan Province on Monday lifted a ban just two days after a directive expanded the existing firecracker ban to cover all towns during Spring Festival.

The province, like many others in northern China, has experienced bad air quality this winter, and an environmental pollution office was established to help address the issue.

According to an emergency notice released by the office on Saturday, firecrackers should be banned in all cities, counties, townships and villages across the province.

Meanwhile, government officials who failed to implement the ban were threatened with punishments.

The notice split opinion online.

Some people supported the ban, applauding the government's resolution while others thought the ban was too tough and saw no reason why firecrackers should be banned in rural areas.

Fireworks and firecracker dealers also launched an online petition, calling for the government to consider what they stood to lose.

"We hope the government can give us more time to response to the decision," they said in the petition.

A survey initiated by sina.com showed that 25 percent of respondents supported the ban, 47 percent objected it while 26.4 percent thought it would be too difficult to implement such a strict ban.

Officials with Henan Provincial Environmental Protection Department said the government moved to lift the ban as it was decided that it would conflict with Chinese traditions.

Chinese have set off firecrackers during Spring Festival, or the Lunar New Year, for centuries. It is believed the noise will drive away bad spirits and bring good luck.

While emissions from heavy industries, coal-fired boilers, cars, and the burning of biofuels are considered the main causes of rising smog in northern China, intensive periods of fireworks can cause pollutant density to shoot up in a short time.
LONDON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Britain will leave the European single market, restrict access to the country by EU citizens and end the jurisdiction in Britain of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), Prime Minister Theresa May said Tuesday in her toughest ever speech.

Laying out a 12-point plan that amounts to a hard Brexit, May made it clear she wants a future relationship that is beneficial for both Britain and the EU's 27 member states.

May said she wants Britain to remain as a "best friend and neighbor" to Europe, but also reach out to the rest of the world as a global trading nation, to countries such as China, Brazil and the Gulf States.

On the critical question of the European single market, May said as a priority, Britain will pursue a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement with the European Union.

"What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the Single Market," May said.

European leaders have said membership means accepting the "four freedoms" of goods, capital, services and people.

And being out of the EU but a member of the single market would mean complying with the EU's rules and regulations that implement those freedoms, without having a vote on what those rules and regulations are.

May added it was why both sides in the referendum campaign made it clear that a vote to leave the EU would be a vote to leave the single market.

"So we do not seek membership of the single market. Instead we seek the greatest possible access to it through a new, comprehensive, bold and ambitious free trade agreement," she said.

"I also want tariff-free trade with Europe and cross-border trade there to be as frictionless as possible."

"Not partial membership of the EU, associate membership, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out," she said.

"And my job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do," she said.

May also confirmed that both the House of Commons and the House of Lords will vote on the final Brexit deal with Europe.

Saying Britain was leaving the European Union, but not leaving Europe, May said she was seeking a new and equal partnership between an independent, self-governing Britain and friends and allies in the EU.

"We want to get out into the wider world, to trade and do business all around the globe. Countries including China, Brazil, and the Gulf States have already expressed their interest in striking trade deals with us," she said.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said Britain is at the front of the queue line for a trade deal with the United States, the world's biggest economy, she said.

May also said Brexit also meant Britain taking control of its own affairs.

"We will take back control of our laws and bring an end to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Britain," she said.

In a message to the rest of Europe, May said many fear Britain's departure might herald the beginning of a greater unraveling of the EU.

"Let me be clear: I do not want that to happen. It would not be in the best interests of Britain. It remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's national interest that the EU should succeed," May said.

"While I know Britain might at times have been seen as an awkward member state, the European Union has struggled to deal with the diversity of its member countries and their interests. It bends towards uniformity, not flexibility," she added.
HAIKOU, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The southern Chinese island province of Hainan has banned the processing and sale of coral and giant clam in a bid to protect the marine ecosystem.

A regulation on the species' protection came into effect this month in Hainan.

Hainan Provincial Department for Industry and Commerce said Tuesday that 160 processors and 829 sellers in the province have withdrawn from the business.

Local industry and commerce authorities have begun to inspect various markets across the province.

"We have requested e-commerce sites like Taobao to remove giant clam sellers," said Feng Xuri, an official with Qionghai municipal department for industry and commerce.

Feng said he hoped that online marketplaces could help stop the sale of giant clam, shell turtle, red coral and conch.

Li Shibing, an official with Tanmen industrial zone in Qionghai, said all processors in the zone have been shut down.

The provincial department for industry and commerce said it would continue to launch regular market inspections to make sure the business is fully stopped.
British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at EU Summit at its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Dec. 15, 2016. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)

LONDON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Britain will leave the European single market, restrict access to the country by EU citizens and end the jurisdiction in Britain of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), Prime Minister Theresa May said Tuesday in her toughest ever speech.

Laying out a 12-point plan that amounts to a hard Brexit, May made it clear she wants a future relationship that is beneficial for both Britain and the EU's 27 member states.

May said she wants Britain to remain as a "best friend and neighbor" to Europe, but also reach out to the rest of the world as a global trading nation, to countries such as China, Brazil and the Gulf States.

On the critical question of the European single market, May said as a priority, Britain will pursue a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement with the European Union.

"What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the Single Market," May said.

European leaders have said membership means accepting the "four freedoms" of goods, capital, services and people.

And being out of the EU but a member of the single market would mean complying with the EU's rules and regulations that implement those freedoms, without having a vote on what those rules and regulations are.

May added it was why both sides in the referendum campaign made it clear that a vote to leave the EU would be a vote to leave the single market.

"So we do not seek membership of the single market. Instead we seek the greatest possible access to it through a new, comprehensive, bold and ambitious free trade agreement," she said.

"I also want tariff-free trade with Europe and cross-border trade there to be as frictionless as possible."

"Not partial membership of the EU, associate membership, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out," she said.

"And my job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do," she said.

May also confirmed that both the House of Commons and the House of Lords will vote on the final Brexit deal with Europe.

Saying Britain was leaving the European Union, but not leaving Europe, May said she was seeking a new and equal partnership between an independent, self-governing Britain and friends and allies in the EU.

"We want to get out into the wider world, to trade and do business all around the globe. Countries including China, Brazil, and the Gulf States have already expressed their interest in striking trade deals with us," she said.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said Britain is at the front of the queue line for a trade deal with the United States, the world's biggest economy, she said.

May also said Brexit also meant Britain taking control of its own affairs.

"We will take back control of our laws and bring an end to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Britain," she said.

In a message to the rest of Europe, May said many fear Britain's departure might herald the beginning of a greater unraveling of the EU.

"Let me be clear: I do not want that to happen. It would not be in the best interests of Britain. It remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's national interest that the EU should succeed," May said.

"While I know Britain might at times have been seen as an awkward member state, the European Union has struggled to deal with the diversity of its member countries and their interests. It bends towards uniformity, not flexibility," she added.
MACAO, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Macao's twin panda brothers are healthy enough to receive public visitors on a regular basis, and people in Macao can watch those cute pandas during the Spring Festival holiday, the special administrative region's civil affairs authorities said on Tuesday.

Macao's Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau said the nearly seven-month-old brothers and their parents will meet the public in Macao Giant Panda Pavilion to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.

The pavilion will open from Jan. 27 , the even of the Lunar New Year, to Feb. 6, the tenth day of the first month of the Lunar New Year.

According to the panda care team, the twins weigh 11.8 kilograms and 10.3 kilograms respectively, with their behavior and motion response all at normal level to meet the public regularly.

A female panda Xinxin has given birth to a pair of male twin cubs on June 26, 2016. The cubs were named Jianjian and Kangkang by the SAR government from over 1,700 names recommended by Macao citizens. In Chinese Jian Kang means "being healthy".

Xinxin and a male panda named Kaikai were chosen from Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China's Sichuan Province as a gift of the central government to Macao SAR.
RAMALLAH, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned Tuesday that moving the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem "is more than a provocative action threatening the peace process."

Abbas told reporters while chairing the Palestinian government's weekly meeting in Ramallah, "We told U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that we hope he won't agree to moving his country's embassy to Jerusalem."

"We told President Trump that Israel, from its perspective, believes Jerusalem is its everlasting city, which is totally wrong and illegal," said Abbas, warning, "this move would dismantle the peace process."

Abbas added, "We hope to resume our peace negotiations supported by implementing global resolutions, mainly the last United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 and the outcome of the Paris Peace Conference."

Palestinian borders, Abbas stressed, "are the 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as our capital. Other than that, they can do what they want, however before this fact is acknowledged, moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem is a provocative step."

Trump's aides had stated earlier this week that moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem "is a big priority for President Trump."

However, Palestinians are exerting effort through their contacts with the international community, mainly with Russia, to stop the move of the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to take office as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, 2017.
SOFIA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The outgoing Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev said here on Tuesday that 2017 would be crucial for the European Union (EU), and the EU should build its capacity to be a global player.

"After the shock of Brexit and the election of Donald Trump for President of the United States, 2017 is crucial for the EU," Plevneliev said while addressing an annual conference.

Germany, France and probably Italy would hold elections decisive for the future, Plevneliev said.

In 2017, the EU should prepare itself for new shocks, he said.

"Trump is a symbol of the global rise of nationalism, he does not believe in the European integration. Unfortunately, I believe that he does not understand it," Plevneliev said.

The United States was a guarantor of the security of the EU, Plevneliev said. In this way, the EU has prospered and become an economic giant, he added.

"The withdrawal of the unconditional U.S. commitment and guarantees, combined with the rise of European populists and nationalists, will further destabilize the EU," the Bulgarian president said.

"The weakness of the EU is an invitation for more provocations, for more crises," Plevneliev said.

There comes a time for change in the EU, he said.

The EU must show character, unite as a family, build its capacity to be a global economic, geopolitical player, which could ensure the security in Europe and worldwide, Plevneliev said.

"So far, the EU has been a soft power. This will certainly change," Plevneliev said. A new wave of EU integration would inevitably come, he added.
MELBOURNE, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- A record fifth set battle on the outside courts capped off an already astonishing opening round of the Australian Open on Tuesday as the men's top seeds continue their quest for glory.

Croatian Ivo Karlovic is feeling aches and pains in his knee and back after smashing a record 75 aces in the five hour and 15 minute clash that culminated in a 157-minute fifth set battle against Argentine world No. 68 Horacio Zeballos where no point had a rally beyond three hits.

Karlovic dug deep from two sets down in the historic 6-7 (5), 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 22-20 win to make it the longest match (number of games) in the tie break era at the Australian Open.

"It was real difficult match," the world No. 21 told reporters, admitting he didn't want the match to end so they could beat the 11 hour and five minutes set by John Isner and Nicholas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010.

"It was also difficult mentally because I was down 2-0, I had to also fight against him and against my own head. So it was definitely really difficult."

Plans however went more to script for the Australian Open's top seeds with Novak Djokovic's title defence on track after downing Spain's Fernando Verdasco in an at times tough straight sets (6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-2) on Tuesday night.

"I think from one perspective it was good that I got to have the very tough first-round match, because it made me prepare better and kind of approach this match and the tournament with the right intensity right from the blocks, right from the first point," the world No. 2 told reporters.

"He's a quality player, a former top 10. He beat Nadal in first round last year here. He's a big match, big-time player."

World No. 9 Rafael Nadal also took to court, dispatching Germany's Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in just over two hours as his comeback from injury continues.

The humble Spaniard told reporters the first round is never easy given there are more nerves, but the way he's playing "all the key points" is very important.

"I didn't play against an easy opponent, the way he plays is not a conventional game," Nadal told reporters.

"He changed the rhythm of the point, changing with a slice, then he hit a winner, then he play a little bit slower ball - it's not easy to read his game.

"So (I) just am happy the way I played."

In the women's draw, American superstar Serena Williams is one to watch in the later rounds after cruising to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Switzerland's Belinda Benic who "is not disappointed" with how she played.

"I knew that I played good, but obviously it's not enough against Serena," Benic told reporters.

"It's not enough to play just, like, not bad, so you really have to bring the best."

Round two kicks off on Wednesday, with China's Peng Shuai, Duan Yingying and 20th seed Zhang Shuai all featuring against tough opponents.

Peng faces Canada's Eugenie Bouchard - former world No. 5, currently ranked 47 - on Hisense Arena late Wednesday while Duan will be on court first up against former world top 20, currently ranked No. 88, Varvara Lapchenko from the United States.

Zhang won't take any chances in a repeat of her China Open round two clash against American Alison Riske after the "very tough game" ended on a tiebreak.
KAMPALA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan military has said hundreds of former Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) rebel group M23 fighters are still held at a military camp in the western part of the country.

Deputy army spokesperson Henry Obbo said in a statement late on Monday that the defeated fighters who fled to Uganda in 2013 are at Bihanga military training camp in Ibanda district.

He dismissed reports that the former rebels have been crossing back to eastern DRC.

The M23 rebels fled into western Uganda in November 2013 after they were defeated by the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade in the eastern Kivu province.

The M23 rebellion forced thousands of Congolese to flee into western Uganda.
KHARTOUM, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday signed in Khartoum a Comprehensive Friendship and Cooperation Agreement between the two countries.

The two presidents on Tuesday co-chaired joint talks session between the two sides at the Presidential Palace in Khartoum.

The two presidents also witnessed the signing of four cooperation agreements between the two countries in fields of energy, justice, higher education and investment.

"The friendship and cooperation agreement between the two countries constitutes a legal framework for the actually standing cooperation between the two sides in a manner that contributes to enhance it, develop it and push it toward a wider horizon," said al-Bashir when addressing the joint talks session.

"We are glad to express our welcome for the Belarusian companies and businessmen to invest in Sudan and make use of the promising opportunities. We reiterate our directives for the concerned authorities in Sudan to provide all necessary facilitations and special privileges for Belarus," he noted.

He further pointed to the standing cooperation between Sudan and Belarus in military and security fields, particularly between the Belarus' State Military Industrial Committee and Sudan's Military Industry Corporation.

Lukashenko, for his part, said that "there is a standing political and economic cooperation between our two countries. There will be a strategic relationship between us."

He added that "my country seeks to help Sudan in agriculture, energy, technology, education and health."

The Belarusian president arrived in Khartoum on Monday in an official two-day visit to Sudan.

On the sidelines of Lukashenko's visit, a forum for the businessmen from the two countries was held to discuss opportunities of investment and economic cooperation.
MOSCOW, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Russia and China, with their relationship at its best ever, have been one of the key factors in maintaining world stability, something the two countries will continue to uphold, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.

"Bilateral strategic cooperation and a comprehensive partnership, as well as working together on regional and global affairs, are on the rise," Lavrov told his annual press conference in Moscow.

During the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China in June 2016, a number of documents were signed between the two sides covering various fields from economic cooperation to joint work in global security, which the Russian top diplomat said shows "how much attention leaders of Russia and China pay to international issues."

Regarding the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue, Lavrov said both Russia and China have promoted initiatives aimed at resuming negotiations to avoid the region becoming home to a "constant accumulation of threats."

Given how determined the international community is to deny Pyongyang's claims of being a nuclear power, Lavrov said that Russia and China have worked to stop the peninsula from deteriorating into a "disproportionate build-up of armaments" there.

"Russian and Chinese positions are absolutely identical. We try to convince all the other participants in the so-called six-party talks to assume the same approach," he added.

Russia and China also traditionally shared the same positions on issues including the Syrian crisis, Iraq, Libya and Yemen, Lavrov said, adding that this shows full coordination between Moscow and Beijing.

Besides at the United Nations, Russia and China also play an "important and active role" in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS bloc, particularly in promoting anti-terrorist campaigns, he added.
Laborers work at a car factory March 22, 2016 in Huanghua City, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Mou Yu)

BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- China's 2016 economic performance showed itself to be solid enough to tackle a series of dynamic reforms in 2017, maintaining its role as an engine of global growth, two leading Argentinian experts has said.

Structural reforms were set in motion last year, as part of China's new Five Year Plan, which will ultimately "improve the welfare" of the Chinese people, Nadia Radulovich and Maria Cecilia Peralta, co-founders of Argentine consulting group Asia Viewers, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Peralta said China's economy "showed solid growth, with a growth rate of 6.7 percent in the first three quarters of 2016."

The consultants said they expect fourth-quarter results, to be announced soon, will show a similar performance, with a current account surplus and enormous foreign reserves.

Achieving the target growth rate of 6.5 percent to 7 percent "will surely entail very dynamic adjustments in various policies" designed "to balance aggregate domestic demand with external demand, and to adapt the aggregate supply in a global context marked by uncertainty, including doubts about the direction to be taken by the United States," said Peralta.

A boat sails in the Port of Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 3, 2016. (Xinhua/Wang Jianmin)

Over the next few years, Radulovich suggested, China should center its policies on the "process of industrial reconversion, investing in innovation to further that process, and the restructuring of state companies."

Investment in infrastructure will be a focal point as the trend towards urbanization picks up.

Cities with great infrastructure works, under the concept of green and technological cities, will be the premise of this new urbanization, which is expected to have a marked impact on the real economy, said the consultants.

Foreign direct investment and the inflow of capital will be another focus for the Chinese government, not just due to competitiveness, but also due to the monetary stability needed for the internationalization of the country's currency, they said.

Without doubt, 2017 will be a year of great economic challenges for China, as the country works to boost the productivity and efficiency of its companies, to improve social well-being and employment in accordance with the Five Year Plan, said the consultants.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China contributed 1.2 percent to global economic growth in 2016, in contrast to the United States, which contributed a scant 0.3 percent, and Europe, 0.2 percent.
by Xinhua Writer Chen Shilei

BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may feel let down after his just-concluded Asia-Pacific trip.

Amid a lackluster domestic economy and uncertainties over U.S. policy on the region, Abe carefully selected four Pacific Rim nations -- the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam -- as his destinations. His motives were clear: to incite them to raise the South China Sea issue again, and seek a leading role in the region as "America's first Pacific President" Barack Obama is stepping down.

However, Abe will probably feel disappointed. For starters, the South China Sea issue targeting China has not been revisited as Abe expected.

In the Philippines, Abe intentionally raised the so-called arbitral award in a case filed by the former Philippine government against China over maritime territorial disputes. But President Rodrigo Duterte made no direct mention of the disputes.

In Vietnam, Abe promised to offer new patrol vessels to help the country enhance its maritime law enforcement capability. But Vietnam has vowed to manage maritime differences with China and jointly safeguard the peace and stability of the South China Sea.

The pledge was made in a joint communique issued by China and Vietnam during the recent official visit to China by Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee.

Meanwhile, Abe is also seeking these countries' support to prompt U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to maintain Washington's commitment to the region.

During the trip, Abe was still making last-ditch efforts to save the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), the centerpiece of Obama's "pivot to Asia" policy. The free trade deal includes 12 Pacific Rim countries but excludes China.

However, whether Washington will continue its Asia-Pacific policy is not Tokyo's call. Trump has said he plans to scrap the TPP, making the trade deal largely obsolete.

More and more countries are turning to the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), which was launched at the 2014 Beijing summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) with a roadmap and made substantial progress after a collective study on the FTAAP was approved at the 2016 APEC summit in Lima.

By encompassing all 21 APEC economies through trade liberalization, the FTAAP, once established, will become the world's largest free trade zone, covering 57 percent of the global economy and nearly half of world trade.

Furthermore, cooperation between Japan and the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) cannot hinder the mutually beneficial collaboration and dialogue between ASEAN and China.

Over the past 25 years, China and ASEAN have further strengthened their strategic dialogue, enhanced mutual political trust, and deepened practical cooperation in various fields including trade and economy, interconnectivity and security.

Now, China is ASEAN's largest trade partner and ASEAN is China's third largest partner. Bilateral trade rose to 472.16 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 with an annual growth rate of 18.5 percent since 1991. Annual trade is expected to reach 1 trillion dollars by 2020.

It is welcome that Japan, despite its sluggish economy, makes its due contribution to help spur less-developed economies in the region. But any form of economic cooperation should not be conducted at the cost of regional peace and stability.

It is advisable that Japan stop fishing for trouble in the Asia-Pacific, abandon its zero-sum mentality and embrace win-win cooperation for the benefit of the region and the world at large, with itself included.
HAVANA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua)-- Cuba and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation in law enforcement and national security, the Cuban government said Tuesday.

The two countries agreed to increase coordination to prevent and confront terrorist acts, to fight drug trafficking and money laundering, cyber crimes, among others.

Havana and Washington restored diplomatic relations in July 2015 after 54 years of political enmity. In the past few weeks the two countries have signed several cooperation agreements.

Restoring ties with Cuba is seen as a crucial part of outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama's legacy in foreign policy. However, the warming ties between the two countries are facing an uncertain future as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly said that he would reverse the policy unless Havana makes political concessions.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump gestures during a news conference in New York, the United States, on Jan. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Gary Hershorn)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- With U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to take office this week, the future relations between the United States and Latin America remain highly uncertain, according to Brazilian analysts.

Last week, Trump held his first full-fledged press conference since July, during which he talked about policy plans after his inauguration on Friday.

"What surprised me is that Trump's vision of international economic relations belongs to the 18th or 19th centuries," said Mauricio Santoro, a professor of international relations at the State University of Rio de Janeiro.

"To believe you can only enrich yourself at the cost of your neighbor is a folly that ignores centuries of empirical evidence and the own path of the U.S.," he added.

In Santoro's opinion, Trump made it clear during his campaign that his vision for Latin America "begins and ends with Mexico."

People take part in a demonstration against the visit of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, on August 31, 2016.(Xinhua/Str)

Santoro believes the U.S. president-elect will focus more on domestic affairs, not on the international arena.

The main U.S. concerns about Latin American countries will still be issues like the fight against drug trafficking and migration, said Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of international relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation.

Gunther Rudizit, a professor of international relations at the Rio Branco Integrated Faculties, believes Trump is "unpredictable."

"Nobody knows what he will do," Rudizit said.

Referring to the thawing relations between the United States and Cuba, Rudizit said that Trump should favor outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to suspend the "wet foot, dry foot" policy, since Trump "seeks at all costs to halt illegal migration."

Obama announced last week that the United States is ending a longstanding policy that granted residency to Cubans who arrived in the United States without visas, an important step to normalize relations with Cuba.
JUBA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan has accepted to join an operation led by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to combat wildlife crimes, an official said Tuesday.

Khamis Adieng Ding, spokesperson of South Sudan's Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, said the operation dubbed "Thunder Beat" would see security agencies carry out joint searches in checkpoints and areas suspected of being used to hide animal products.

Ding said the campaign between Jan. 30 and Feb. 19 seeks to clamp down on ivory trafficking, illegal possession of wild animals and smuggling of forest products such as timbers.

"Because of the prevailing situation and lack of facilities, we are going to do the operation in Jubek state. We will cover all the checkpoints, the airport and some suspected markets, institutions and houses once we acquire search warrants," Ding told Xinhua in Juba.

Ding said lack of tourism infrastructure, poaching and ongoing civil war had hampered development of the tourism industry in the war-torn African country.

Ding also welcomed China's decision to end commercial trade in ivory products by the end of 2017 and urged other countries to follow China.

South Sudan has the world's second largest animal migration and is considered a good place for ecotourism, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

South Sudan is also known for its vast swamp region of the Sudd, known as one of the largest wetlands in the world hosting about 400 species of birds.

However, tourism industry made up only 1.8 percent of South Sudan's GDP, WTTC said in 2013.
TEHRAN, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Syria signed five cooperation agreements on Tuesday to boost bilateral relations in various areas, Tasnim news agency reported.

The documents were signed during a ceremony attended by Iranian First Vice-President Es'haq Jahangiri and the visiting Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis.

According to the agreements, the two countries will cooperate in agriculture, mining as well as oil and gas sectors.

The Syrian government also awarded a license to an Iranian mobile phone network operator to work in the Arab country, the report said.

Iran is a major regional ally of the Syrian government and has supported it a number of ways to survive against the wave of violence and disturbance in the Arab state in the past years.
HARARE, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- World Bank teams are currently visiting Zimbabwe to offer technical assistance towards the country's economic recovery program.

The mission, running from Jan. 16-27, is being carried out by three WB teams who will offer technical assistance in areas like improving business climate for the private sector, development of modern public investment planning and poverty monitoring and evaluation.

The WB is administering ZIMREF, a trust fund that has received pledges and financial commitments of 40.4 million U.S. dollars from the European Union, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Britain and the World Bank's State and Peace Building Fund since being set up in 2015.

Ending in 2019, the ZIMREF aims to support the strengthening of Zimbabwe's systems for reconstruction and development with a focus on stabilization and reform, reconstruction, development and poverty alleviation.

The WB has restricted its support towards Zimbabwe to trust funds and technical assistance since 2000 when the country started defaulting on loan repayments to the global lender and other multilateral creditors.

Zimbabwe cleared a 15-year debt amounting to 108 million dollars to the IMF last year, and is yet to clear 1.7-billion-dollar arrears to the WB and the African Development Bank.
TEHRAN, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Senior Iranian and Russian security officials discussed the latest political, security, and military developments in Syria, Press TV reported on Tuesday.

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani and his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev discussed the latest developments in telephone conversation.

Both officials underlined the need for constant consultations between Tehran and Moscow in order to advance with political initiatives for the resolution of the Syrian conflict, the report said.

They stressed joint cooperation against terrorism in Syria, particularly against al-Nusra Front and the Islamic States militants and their full elimination.

Iran and Syria are two major regional allies of the Syrian government in its struggle against the armed rebels in the Arab states.

The consultation between the Iranian and Russian officials comes amid the efforts for the peace talks in the Kazakh capital city of Astana, which aims to end nearly six-year Syrian conflict.
Syrian Kurdish women attend a rally denoucing that Kursdish reprensantatives were not invited to take part in the upcoming Astana peace talks, on January 16, 2017, in the northeastern city of Qamishli. (AFP/Xinhua)

ANKARA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has been in talks with Syrian opposition group in order to convince them to participate in the Syrian peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana on Jan. 23, a Turkish official told Xinhua.

The meetings with some of the representatives of opposition groups in Ankara took place last week, according to the official, who added that Ankara is also attempting to convince rebels to extend the fragile ceasefire in Syria brokered by Russian and Turkish mediation.

Officials from Turkey, Russia and Iran will meet prior to the Astana talks, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday.

Cavusoglu added that guarantors are working on a document regarding the ceasefire, whereas Ankara and Moscow are working on a document to impose sanctions in case of truce violation.

The minister blamed regime forces and its allies for ongoing ceasefire violations.

He said that they are still in discussions regarding participants in the Astana meeting and Kazakhstan will eventually send invites for the peace talks.

A nationwide ceasefire began in Syria on December 30, 2016, to pave the way for new peace talks on Syria.

Russia and Turkey serve as guarantors of the ceasefire deal, paving the way for negotiations between the Syrian regime and rebels.

Turkish officials exerted tremendous efforts to save the ceasefire declared toward the end of 2016, as it was on the brink of collapsing due to the military operations by the Syrian regime and its allies in Wadi Barada, a rebel-held area near the Syrian capital.

Syrian opposition groups complained of the airstrikes in the provinces of Hama and Idlib, and a regime advance toward Damascus's Eastern Ghouta suburb.

In talks in Ankara last week, Turkey convinced some of the opposition groups who had previously declared they were not participating in the upcoming political peace talks citing government violation of the truce, according to the Turkish official, who asked to remain anonymous.

The ceasefire is still a fragile one with outbreaks of violence in Wadi Barada, Damascus's main source of water. Apparently, the Syrian regime and Hezbollah reportedly attacked a town in Wadi Barada with rocket fire.

Iranian officials informed their Turkish counterparts that Tehran " is sticking to the ceasefire, but rebels want to seize the Wadi Barada dam and the regime ally regional struggle is all about that," another Turkish official told Xinhua.

Turkey supports the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a combination of Sunni Arab and Turkmen forces such as Nour al-Din al-Zinki, Sultan Murad and the Mutassim Brigade.

Turkey and Russia established centers in Moscow and Ankara to monitor the ceasefire in Syria as well as to evaluate violation claims. Two guarantors have already processed truce violation complaints in these centers, said he official.

Turkish and Russian delegations met in Moscow last week to discuss the upcoming Astana talks, a Turkish diplomat told Xinhua.

On Jan. 14, the main Syrian opposition umbrella group which participated in previous peace talks in Geneva, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), stated their "readiness to support the military delegation to be established by the opposition to attend the talks" in the Kazakh capital.

The group also said the Astana talks "pave the way for the political talks" scheduled on Feb. 8 in Geneva.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Belgian King Philippe in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Belgian King Philippe here on Tuesday, expressing support to the European integration process and opposition to trade protectionism.

"China always firmly supports the process of European integration and stands ready to accelerate the building of China-Europe partnerships for peace, growth, reform and civilization," Xi said in the meeting with King Philippe on the sidelines of the 2017 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

Xi proposed that China and Europe jointly oppose trade protectionism and safeguard a fair and free global trade and investment system.

China expects Belgium to play a more active role in enhancing China-Europe ties, he said.

Hailing Belgium as one of the EU countries with the closest ties with China, Xi said he and King Philippe have made reciprocal visits in 2014 and 2015, with all consensus they reached being implemented in an all-round way.

Xi spoke highly of Belgian government's adherence to the one-China policy, its respect for China's core interests and major concerns and its concrete actions to safeguard the political foundation of the bilateral friendship.

China is willing to work together with Belgium to enhance political mutual trust and ensure the bilateral ties to advance in the right direction, said Xi.

The Chinese president urged the two countries to deepen practical cooperation in areas such as high-end manufacturing, biomedicine, modern services and sustainable development, adding that the two sides should also consolidate people-to-people exchanges.

For his part, King Philippe hailed China as a great country, thanked China for attaching great importance to Belgium's status as the "heart of Europe" and described the bilateral cooperation as an example for China-Europe cooperation.

Noting that Belgium and China hold similar views on many major international issues, King Philippe said Belgium will work together with China to further advance the European integration process and safeguard world peace and development.

The Chinese president arrived in Switzerland on Sunday. Xi is the first Chinese head of state to attend the Davos meeting.
A demining expert from the Iraqi army searches for booby-trapped buildings in eastern Mosul on January 16, 2017, during an ongoing military operation against Islamic State (IS) group jihadists. (AFP/Xinhua)

MOSUL, Iraq, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi government forces advanced further Tuesday in Mosul amid fierce clashes with Islamic State (IS) militant group, as the troops are nearly recapturing the whole eastern bank of the city, a military statement said.

The commandos of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) advanced in the early morning in the eastern front and managed to retake control of Nineveh al-Sharqiya and Bab-Shams, as well as nearby area of Souq al-Ghanam after driving out IS militants, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah from the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement.

In the afternoon, the elite CTS troops, backed by international aircraft, also freed Nu'maniya and Uttshana after defeating IS militants, Yarallah said, adding that the troops started to storm the adjacent al-Jazair neighborhood.

The CTS special forces, backed by army helicopter gunships, made another advance when they recaptured Muhandseen and raised the Iraqi flag over some of its buildings after heavy street-to-street clashes with the extremist militants, Yarallah added.

In the northern front, the army soldiers freed a military base and the nearby huge al-Kindi facility at the edge of the recently-freed Kindi neighborhood, Yarallah said.

According to the military officers, the Iraqi forces have recaptured more than 90 percent of eastern bank of the Tigris River which bisects Mosul. Once they recapture the whole eastern side they will begin a new phase of the anti-IS major offensive in the western bank of the city.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Iraq (OCHA) said in recent report that the military operations in Mosul have pushed more than 148,000 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.

On Dec. 29, the CTS commandos, army troops and federal police launched the second phase of a major offensive to free the eastern bank of Mosul.

Last month, battles in Mosul slowed down as extremist militants used civilians as human shields, resorted to suicide car bombs and made mortar and sniper attacks in stiff resistance.

On Oct. 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi 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.
SINGAPORE, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met with New Zealand's new Prime Minister Bill English in Singapore on Tuesday, according to Lee's Facebook update.

Lee said this was his first meeting with PM English since he took over from John Key. Lee stressed that Singapore and New Zealand are old friends, saying he is confident that strong ties between the two countries will deepen further under PM English's leadership.

"Looking forward to doing more with New Zealand," added Lee.

PM English and his delegation were flying home and in transit for a few hours in Singapore, after they had just visited several European countries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening plenary of the 2017 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping grabbed global elites in Davos on Tuesday with an unusually straightforward keynote address on global issues at the World Economic Forum.

Speaking on globalization, trade protectionism, climate change, development and China's economy, the Chinese president stroke a deep chord with business and political leaders at the annual gathering.

Here is a recap of some of the quotes that drew hearty applause from the crowd:

1. GLOBALIZATION

We should strike a balance between efficiency and equity to ensure that different countries, different social strata and different groups of people all share in the benefits of economic globalization. The people of all countries expect nothing less from us, and this is our unshirkable responsibility as leaders of our times.

2. TRADE PROTECTIONISM

Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. While wind and rain may be kept outside, that dark room will also block light and air. No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war.

3.CLIMATE CHANGE

The Paris Agreement is a hard-won achievement which is in keeping with the underlying trend of global development. All signatories should stick to it instead of walking away from it as this is a responsibility we must assume for future generations.

4. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

It is important to protect the environment while pursuing economic and social progress so as to achieve harmony between man and nature and between man and society. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development should be implemented to realize balanced development across the world.

5. CHINA

We are not jealous of others' success; and we will not complain about others who have benefited so much from the great opportunities presented by China's development. We will open our arms to the people of other countries and welcome them aboard the express train of China's development.
LUSAKA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Workers at a Zambian government-run railway firm were on Tuesday locked out over dispute concerning improved working conditions.

The over 150 workers of Zambia Railways were not allowed to enter the company premises at the company offices in central Zambia's Kabwe town after a deadlock on improved working conditions.

The workers are demanding a salary increment of 500 Zambian kwacha (about 50 U.S. dollars) across the board, a move opposed by management.

A union official told 5FM radio that negotiations have reached a deadlock after management refused to succumb to the demands by the workers.

Tutwa Ngulube, a ruling party lawmaker for Kabwe constituency, also confirmed that the workers were shocked to find out that the gates at the firm were locked when they reported for work, a move that resulted in the workers protesting.

The lawmaker, who condemned the move, added that it was unfortunate that management decided to lock its workers outside for lawfully demanding better conditions of service.

The lawmaker has since threatened to sue the railway firm on behalf of the workers if it continued with its dictatorial tendencies.

"Zambia Railways Limited in Kabwe this morning has locked its workers outside for lawfully demanding better conditions of service. The company has lost in its profits as a result of alleged company mismanagement. We will sue on their behalf and compel management to negotiate," he said on his Facebook page.

The lawmaker later told other local media that management agreed to open up the gates after a meeting with union representatives.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held his annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

MOSCOW, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Moscow is willing to cooperate with the new U.S. administration under Donald Trump in seeking solutions to their shared problems and fighting common threats, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.

At his annual press conference, Lavrov reiterated Moscow's readiness to work with Washington "in a business-like manner" and "on the basis of equality and respect of mutual interests."

Trump, who will take the oath of office on Friday, has said that he was eager to concentrate on the fundamental interests of the United States in security, which Lavrov said coincided in many ways with the guidelines of Moscow's foreign policy proclaimed by President Vladimir Putin.

"When we hear that in foreign policy the main thing for Donald Trump is the struggle against terrorism, we can only cheer it," said the diplomat.

Again he criticized the outgoing administration under Barack Obama for failing to keep its anti-terror promise and attempting to introduce double standards in the war-torn Syria.

Moscow considered it appropriate to invite representatives of the new U.S. administration to the upcoming intra-Syria talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, Lavrov said, adding that he hoped the new administration would accept the invitation.

"This will be the first official contact between Russia and the Trump administration," he said.

Commenting on Trump's recent proposal of lifting sanctions imposed on Russia in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal with Moscow, Lavrov said Moscow supported the necessity of nuclear disarmament, but "the issue was much broader than the reduction of nuclear arsenals."

One of the priority tasks of restoring Russia-U.S. relations was returning to dialogue on strategic stability, said Lavrov.
Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Xiong Bo addresses the opening ceremony of a Spring Festival concert in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Jan. 17, 2017. Artists from the Huaxia Ancient Music Orchestra of China's Henan Museum performed traditional dances and music here Tuesday night to celebrate upcoming Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Sovannara)

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Artists from the Huaxia Ancient Music Orchestra of China's Henan Museum performed traditional dances and music here Tuesday night to celebrate upcoming Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival.

Held at the Chenla Theater, the two-and-a-half-hour show, presided over by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Xiong Bo, attracted about 600 spectators.

Namhong said the concert had importantly contributed to enhancing cultural relations and people-to-people contact between the two countries.

"In Cambodia, most Cambodian people as well as overseas Chinese celebrate the Spring Festival," he said, adding that the Cambodian people usually observed New Year three times a year, namely Universal New Year, Chinese New Year, and Cambodian New Year in April.

The deputy prime minister said he had noted that the Chinese Spring Festival had been celebrated broadly around the world, including in France and the United States.

Xiong said that Henan province is the cradle of ancient China's Huaxia civilization and more than 20 dynasties chose their capitals to be located in Henan.

He said the Huaxia Ancient Music Orchestra of Henan Museum is the living fossil of Chinese ancient music.

The ambassador said the concert had not only entertained the audience, but also provided an opportunity for them to learn about Chinese ancient music and dances.

At the event, Cambodian artists also performed their traditional music and songs.

The concert has received strong admiration from viewers.

Tep Savry, the senior student at the Royal University of Fine Arts, said it was the first time that she had watched Chinese arts performance and praised China for having preserved its ancient culture well.

"It was an amazing performance that featured Chinese culture in old times," she told Xinhua after the show. "Previously, I used to see Chinese ancient dances and music through movies only, but now, I see them with my own eyes."

"All artists are very talented and they have performed well," she said.

Another spectator said he had never seen such a wonderful performance before.

"The concert brings closer cultural relations between the two countries and encourages Cambodian people to study Chinese language so that they can learn more about Chinese culture," said high-school student Lim Hong Sreng.
LAGOS, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian police have intensified a massive joint operation backed by other security agencies in the southwest state of Ogun to rescue eight people kidnapped at the Nigerian Turkish International College (NTIC).

Unknown gunmen last on Friday invaded the Isheri, Ogun campus of NTIC and abducted the eight people.

The victims were two Junior Secondary School (JSS) students, one Senior Secondary School (SSS) student, three Nigerian workers and two Turkish staff.

They were abducted at about 9:30 p.m. local time on Friday, when the kidnappers dug through the fence and entered through a back door.

Kayode Aderanti, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone 2, in a statement made available to Xinhua on Tuesday assured that the eight persons would soon be released.

The police chief, who was at the school on Saturday with other senior police, met with the parents and school authority.

He assured that those kidnapped would soon be rescued; there are operatives in search of the kidnapped students and staff.

Aderanti added that more security agents, including soldiers, had been deployed to the area.
BRUSSELS, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- NATO on Tuesday welcomed Georgia's ongoing reform efforts in preparation for the country's membership in the security organization at a NATO-Georgia Commission meeting.

NATO allies agreed at the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Georgia would become a NATO member, provided the country met all the necessary requirements.

NATO allies praised Georgia's major contributions to NATO operations, including the mission in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Georgia briefed the commission on the security situation in and around the Black Sea.

They also talked about the implementation of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, launched in 2014 to help Georgia improve its defense capabilities and move towards NATO membership.

After meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili in December 2016, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg pledged continued support to Georgia, as the country pursues reforms which move it closer to joining the military alliance.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for joint efforts by China and the United States in building a long-term, stable and cooperative relationship to meet the interests of both countries and the world.

Xi made the remarks when meeting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in Davos, Switzerland.

Xi asked Biden to convey his good wishes to U.S. President Barack Obama.

He spoke positively of Biden's contributions to promoting China-U.S. relations as well as the mutual understanding and friendship between peoples of the two countries.

Bilateral ties have experienced ups and downs but generally kept moving forward since the two countries established diplomatic relations 38 years ago, said Xi.

China-U.S. relations have been developing in the right direction and have achieved positive outcomes with the joint efforts of the two sides, especially since he and Obama reached consensus on building a new type of major country relationship between the two countries over three years ago, Xi said.

The stock of bilateral trade and mutual investment as well as personnel exchanges have hit a record high, he said.

Biden congratulated Xi on his important and wonderful speech delivered at the opening session of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting.

He conveyed Obama's cordial greetings to President Xi and thanked Xi for his positive efforts in advancing U.S.-China ties.

Marking U.S.-China relations as a very important bilateral relationship, Biden said the growth and prosperity of the United States and China are both of crucial importance to the world in the 21st century.

The United States hopes that the two nations could continue to deepen mutual trust and expand cooperation, said Biden.
LISBON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi ambassador to Portugal, Saad Mohammed Ridha, has paid 40,000 euros (42,800 U.S. dollars) in compensation to the Portuguese family whose son was seriously injured by the ambassador's twin sons in last August, according to Portuguese Lusa News Agency on Tuesday.

The Iraqi ambassador also paid 12,000 euros for treatment expenses for the then 15-year-old Ruben Cavaco.

Ridha reached an out-of-court compensation agreement on Friday with the family of Cavaco, the teenager left in a coma following an assault by the diplomat's 17-year-old sons Haider and Ridha Ali.

However, the criminal process will continue autonomously on behalf of the Portuguese Public Prosecutor's Office, and the diplomat's twin sons will be taken to court if their diplomatic immunity is lifted.

According to Cavaco's lawyer, Santana Maia Leonardo, the case was closed for the family after the extrajudicial agreement was reached, but he did not reveal the amount paid to the family on Friday.

Haider and Ridha Ali were accused of attacking Cavaco on Aug. 17 last year in the town of Ponte de Sor, about 180 kms northeast of Lisbon. He was left in a coma for five days at a hospital in Lisbon and was discharged in early September after treatment.

The twin brothers were at first detained by police but soon freed after discovering they were Ridha's sons, as they have diplomatic immunity from prosecution.

Portugal's foreign ministry has twice asked Iraq to lift diplomatic immunity from the ambassador's sons, however, the Iraqi authorities requested Portugal provide further legal details relating to the investigation.
NICOSIA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's new territorial claims in Cyprus are not actually reflected in a map on territorial adjustments submitted by the Turkish Cypriot side in the reunification negotiations concerning the eastern Mediterranean island, a Cypriot government spokesman said Tuesday.

Erdogan caused a stir among United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU) and governments involved in efforts to solve the long-standing Cyprus problem when he said that if Greek Cypriots wanted the return of an occupied city they would have to surrender additional territory elsewhere.

"If Greek Cypriots want to return to Famagusta, they have to link Kokkina with Morphou and give this area to the Turkish Cypriots," Erdogan said.

Kokkina is a tiny Turkish Cypriot military enclave on the northwestern coast of Cyprus, and Morphou is a city about 30 km to the east that was occupied by Turkey's troops who landed in Cyprus in 1974, in response to a coup by the military rulers of Greece at the time.

Linking Kokkina and Morphou would mean creating a 15-km corridor along the northwestern coast of the island which is inhabited by Greek Cypriots and lies within the territory controlled by the Cypriot government.

Cypriot government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said Erdogan's claim on this region was not reflected on a map Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci tabled at the negotiations in Geneva less than 24 hours before Erdogan's statements.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades also tabled a map reflecting the Greek Cypriots' claims on territory.

Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus occupied in 1974, which has been fenced off since then and turned into a ghost town, after its 50,000 inhabitants fled the city.

Technocrats from the two Cypriot communities, the EU and the UN, and also Greece, Turkey and Britain, which have guarantee rights under treaties dating back to 1960, are scheduled to meet on Wednesday in the Swiss mountain resort of Mont Peleren for three days of talks in a bid to hammer out new security arrangements for Cyprus.

A breakthrough in their negotiations will open the way to a final deal, again bringing together the two Cypriot communities under a federal state.
AMMAN, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Tuesday that Jordan will continue to be at the forefront in fighting terrorism, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

The minister made the remarks at a meeting with British Member of Parliament Fabian Hamilton.

They looked into efforts to fight terrorism at all fronts, as Safadi called for measures to stop the Israeli provocations that undermine peacemaking efforts.

He then stressed Jordan's continued role in protecting the holy sites in Jerusalem.

The two sides also looked into developments in the Middle East, discussing means to revive efforts to resume peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis leading to the creation of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.

On Syria, they underscored the need for a political solution to restore the stability and the unity of the country.

Hamilton confirmed support for Jordan, which is facing pressure due to hosting a large number of Syrian refugees.

Safadi also met with United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed Tuesday and discussed efforts to address the situation in Yemen.
TBILISI, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- A 25-day intermediate mountain military exercise was launched in the military educational facility of Sachkhere in northern Georgia on Tuesday, according to the Georgian Defense Ministry.

The exercise conducts within the frames of NATO Partnership for Peace Program, said the Georgian Defense Ministry in a statement.

Together with the Georgian military, the servicemen from NATO member and partner countries including France, Lithuania and Armenia will take part in it.

According to the Ministry, the exercise was planned in two phases. At the first stage the servicemen will improve the skills of shooting from service guns across the mountain terrain at Orfolo firing ground. During the second phase, they will leave for Gudauri where they have to move in snow with skis, to arrange snow shelters, to search and evacuate the people affected by avalanche.

The Sachkhere military educational facility was founded in 2004. In 2010 the facility was granted the status of NATO educational and training center within the frame of "Partnership for Peace."
RAMALLAH, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian young man was killed Tuesday after Israeli soldiers stationed at the city of Tulkarem opened fire at him at an Israeli army barrier near the northern West Bank, medical sources said.

The sources said that the identity of the young man wasn't immediately known, adding that his body is still held by the Israeli army force at the Israeli army barrier.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army said in a press statement that the Palestinian tried to stab one of the soldiers stationed at the barrier, adding that the other soldiers immediately opened fire and killed him.

No injuries were reported among the soldiers.

On Monday night, a Palestinian teenager was shot dead during clashes between Palestinian youngsters and Israeli soldiers near the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

Since October 2015, a wave of violent tension has been going on between Israel and the Palestinians.

Official figures said that 351 Palestinians, one Jordanian and 46 Israelis had been killed so far in the conflict since then.
LUSAKA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government said on Tuesday that plans were underway to introduce the use of drones to deliver medicines to remote parts of the country.

Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said the government was currently exploring ways of introducing drone technology to speed up the delivery of essential medicines and kits to rural areas.

Zambia, he said, wanted to join other African countries such as Tanzania and Rwanda that have already adopted the use of drone technology in drug supply, according to state-run news agency, the Zambia News and Information Service (ZANIS).

The program will be supported by the National Center for Global Health and Medicine of Japan which will launch a program of using state-of-the art drones manufactured in Japan to deliver medical supplies to rural Zambia.

Test flights are scheduled to be carried out in April this year while fully-fledged operations are expected to commence before the end of this year.
LISBON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Portugal has gained political stability and the economy is growing, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Tuesday, adding that the country would see a more robust and sustainable economy this year.

"Contrary to what some feared, in 2016, Portugal saw political stability, social peace, a reduction in the deficit, and progressive consolidation of the banking system," Rebelo de Sousa said after receiving the country's diplomatic corps at the National Palace of Queluz in Sintra, around 13km from Lisbon.

During the ceremony, Rebelo de Sousa pointed out that the country's social and economic conditions were "fundamental to ensure respect for the commitments taken on in the eurozone framework," adding it was also necessary to "restore unity" and "internal cohesion."

He also said that he had gone on state visits to several European capitals to "deepen ties."

He added that Portugal would continue to be a country in favor of cohesion and solidarity. A cohesive Europe "will have the capacity to respond with efficiency to current challenges," which include boosting growth, creating jobs, solving the refugee crisis, and fighting terrorism, he said.

The Portugal's GDP grew by 1.6 percent in the third quarter of 2016.
ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China Engineering Corporation (CEC) has signed an agreement with Yekatit Pulp and Paper on Tuesday to construct the biggest Pulp and Paper Mill in Ethiopia.

Yekatit Pulp and Paper, a sister company of Yekatit Paper Converting Plc, a pioneer in the Ethiopian paper industry since 1997, has planned to set up the biggest mill in the east African country with an investment budget of over 1.9 billion birr (over 80 million U.S. dollars).

The Chinese construction giant, CEC, has signed a turnkey agreement to complete and handover the project, which will rest on 50,000 square meters of land, within 18 months of period.

China Engineering Corporation has been found to have the required technological, organizational and financial capabilities to plan and execute this massive industrial project successfully as compared to global bidders participated in the bid process, according to Yonas Alemu, Yekatit Pulp and Paper Project Director.

Upon completion, the project will be the biggest Pulp and Paper Mill in the country, not only in its production capacity but also in its engineering and operational design features as well as in its technology, as it deploys the latest state of the art technology in the pulp and paper projects in recent history.

According to Yonas, the project, which is expected to start operation by mid-2019, would create 9,000 direct and indirect job opportunities.

Alemu Sime, State Minister of industry, also lauded the project, indicating that the project would help the east African country by substituting paper and pulp products which otherwise would be imported.

The planned export operation is expected to generate over 10 million dollars annually from export of final products and will help to save an estimated 15.7 million dollars annually.

The mill, once operational, will produce and convert over 70,000 tons of industrial packaging paper boxes as well as 15,000 tons of tissue paper pulp to produce and convert toilet papers, table napkins and kitchen towels to be marketed both in the local market and export a huge volume of its capacity.

Wen Chaohui, CEC General Manager, signing the agreement on Tuesday, said that his company will try its best to finalize the project successfully and on time.

Yekatit pulp and paper has also signed turnkey technology consultancy agreement with C2C Paper Projects LLC, an Indian company to undertake the supervision of the project engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning works on behalf of the project promoters and its sponsors.
by Mahmoud Fouly, Abdel-Maguid Kamal

CAIRO, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian government is currently facing pressure after a top court has nullified a deal to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, said Egyptian political experts.

On Monday, the Supreme Administrative Court issued a verdict that nullifies the transfer of the two Red Sea islands, Tiran and Sanafir, to Saudi Arabia. The verdict is final and cannot be appealed according to legal experts.

"It is settled in the court's conscience that the sovereignty of Egypt over the two islands is incontestable," said the court ruling, warning that "It is prohibited for all authorities, or even the Egyptian people themselves, by order of the constitution, to hold any agreement or take any measures that lead to giving up the two islands."

The verdict was received by cheers of victory of the lawyers who challenged the deal through official documents and maps, as well as a lot of Egyptians who protested it.

The court rejected the Egyptian government's appeal against a previous similar court ruling and said the government did not provide documents proving the islands belonged to the kingdom.

"The Egyptian government was put under pressure of the public opinion after the ruling that made a lot of Egyptians happy," said Saeed al-Lawindi, researcher of international relations at Cairo-based Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

He added that the government seems persistent on the deal but it remained silent after the court order not to provoke the public.

In April, during a rare visit of Saudi King Salman, Egypt's government signed an agreement to place both islands under Saudi Arabian sovereignty, saying they had always belonged to the oil-rich Gulf state and that Egypt had been merely administering them on behalf of the kingdom since the 1950s.

The deal prompted outcry and provoked protests of many Egyptians, but Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi insisted in a televised speech back then that it was time for Egypt to return the two islands to their rightful owner.

"The verdict put an end to the re-demarcation deal between Egypt and Saudi Arabia and the parliament can no longer discuss it. The ruling also shows that the Egyptian people are by no means willing to give up the two islands," Lawindi told Xinhua.

The court ruling came a couple of weeks after the government sent the deal to the parliament for discussion, hoping for its ratification as the majority of lawmakers belong to "Egypt's Support" pro-government bloc.

"The verdict also put the parliament in a critical situation, although the deal now is at the hands of the parliament and the Egyptian political leadership," said Mokhtar Ghubashi, deputy chief of the Arab Center for Political Studies.

The expert continued that the court order put an end to the Egyptian domestic debate over the sovereignty of the two islands, noting the parliament does not have mechanisms to stop the court ruling.

The pressure faced by the Egyptian government seems double-pronged. On the one hand, the court ruling puts the government face to face with the public opinion that seems displeased with the deal. On the other hand, it adds tense to the relations between Cairo and Riyadh, which have recently been blemished by their different positions on the Syrian crisis.

"I believe there would be some kind of political compromise between all parties after the court order, as the government is committed to abide by the ruling and the parliament can no longer discuss the deal," said Tarek Fahmy, a political science professor at Cairo University.

Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia, excluding Qatar, supported Sisi's leadership with billions of U.S. dollars and tons of oil supplies following the military removal of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 and the consequent crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood group.

However, tense appeared on the horizon after Cairo clearly expressed support for the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, a position that was lamented by Riyadh, which started in October 2016 to halt its oil shipments to the most populous Arab country.

"I hope the verdict does not further affect the Egyptian-Saudi ties. Calm is the best option for both sides and tension is in favor of neither, particularly at such a critical time the region is going through," the professor told Xinhua.
HELSINKI, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Finland on Tuesday published a new review of security situation in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia, and said it would not change the current policy of processing asylum applications.

According to the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), the biggest change occurs in the Iraqi city of Mosul, where the Iraqi army and its allies have launched a joint offensive to recapture the city from the Islamic State since autumn 2016.

Migri said no negative decisions were made and no asylum seekers were returned to Mosul.

There has not been any significant changes in the overall situation in Afghanistan and Somalia since spring 2016, said Migri.

Migri said the Administrative Court of Helsinki ruled that asylum seekers could not be returned to some provinces of Afghanistan, and it asked the court to reassess the cases.

Concerning southern and central areas of Somalia, the court asked Migri to closely monitor the situation and review possibility for asylum seekers to return.

More than 32,500 asylum seekers arrived in Finland during the refugee crisis in 2015. A total of 5,657 persons had applied for asylum in the country in 2016.

By October last year, Migri said there were still some 22,000 asylum seekers waiting for decisions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping called the World Economic Forum (WEF) the "weathervane" of global economy during a meeting with WEF founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab here on Tuesday.

The WEF gathers thousands of government, business and civil society leaders in the Swiss ski resort of Davos at the beginning of every year to shape global, regional and industry agendas. This year's meeting, which takes place from Tuesday to Friday, is themed "Responsive and Responsible Leadership."

"The theme sticks to the current global situation and identifies the key to getting out of troubles," Xi said, adding that, since the establishment of the WEF, its status and influence has been rising day by day as it upholds the spirit of innovation, maintains its vitality and pushes for discussion on common global issues.

Noting that cooperation between China and the WEF has become increasingly substantial and fruitful, the president stressed that "we must send positive signals together and boost confidence in the process of economic globalization."

Formerly known as the European Management Forum, the WEF was founded by Schwab in 1971 and it started focusing on global issues in 1987. Since 1979, China has been sending delegations to the forum, which claims to be committed to "improving the state of the world."

"The prospect of cooperation should be rosy," Xi said, pointing out that China has hosted "Summer Davos" meetings for 10 years, more and more Chinese enterprises are gaining WEF membership, and Chinese elements are becoming increasingly prominent at Davos.

Hailing Xi's keynote speech as a highlight in the WEF history, Schwab said that Xi's "thought-provoking" speech will chart the course of global economy and that the WEF is willing to further strengthen its partnership with China.

Earlier on Tuesday, Xi, the first Chinese president to attend the Davos forum, addressed the opening plenary of the 2017 annual meeting, and his speech immediately made headlines worldwide. As Schwab said before Xi's speech, "In a world marked by great uncertainty and volatility, the world is looking to China."

After their meeting, Xi and Schwab witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between China's National Reform and Development Commission and the WEF.

Xi arrived in Switzerland on Sunday for a state visit and the Davos meeting. In his first overseas trip in 2017, he will also travel to Lausanne and Geneva to visit the International Olympic Committee, the World Health Organization and the UN Office at Geneva.
Yemeni pro-government forces patrol during clashes against Shiite rebels in Yemen's western Dhubab district, about 30 kms (20 miles) north of the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, on January 11, 2017. (AFP/Xinhua)

ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni counter-terrorism forces arrested on Tuesday a leader of the Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) group suspected of recruiting suicide assailants in the southern port city of Aden.

A statement released by the counter-terrorism unit in Aden said that "a mid-level commander" of IS was captured during a "surprise anti-terror operation conducted in Aden's neighborhood of Enma."

The captured suspect had been using social media accounts in recruiting young people from local mosques into IS group as suicide bombers, the statement said.

"The suspect confessed to recruiting more than 25 young people as suicide bombers, nearly five of them have since launched attacks against locations in Aden," the statement added.

A military official told Xinhua that the security forces and other military units tightened security measures around state facilities and deployed many patrols to track the remaining 20 would-be suicide attackers in Aden.

The counter-terrorism unit released the suspect's personal picture on Facebook without mentioning his full name.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government.

Aden witnessed several well-planned assassinations and armed attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shiite Houthi rebels out from the strategic city in July 2015.

However, the newly-trained anti-terrorism troops supported by United Arab Emirates (UAE) armored vehicles made substantial achievements in recent weeks, disabling several explosive material factories used by terrorists to manufacture car bombs in Aden.

In addition, several commanders of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch were captured in the successful raids conducted by the UAE-backed Yemeni forces in Aden and neighboring provinces.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known locally as "Ansar al-Sharia," emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks against Yemen's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

Security in Yemen has deteriorated since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Over 10,000 people have been killed in ground battles and airstrikes since then, many of them civilians.
BEIRUT, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese Hezbollah group said on Tuesday that its militants found an Israeli spy drone that crashed a day earlier in southern Lebanon.

"The aircraft that crashed on the border with Palestine has been transported to a safe location for inspection," the Hezbollah media department said in a statement.

Israel conducted extensive contacts with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Monday after the drone went missing, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Media reports said the drone disappeared while hovering over southern Lebanon. Search operations were carried out afterwards in Naqoura and Alma al-Shaab.
DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The government of Tanzania said on Tuesday eight Tanzanians being held by authorities in Malawi were not spies but they were activists opposed to uranium extraction.

Augustine Mahiga, the east African nation's Minister for Foreign Affairs, East Africa, Regional and International Cooperation, refuted reports by Malawian media that the Tanzanians were spies.

"The government has established that the eight Tanzanians being held in Malawi are employees of a German- based non-governmental organisation which advocates for a stop in the extraction and use of uranium," the minister told Xinhua on phone.

Mahiga said the Tanzanians travelled to Malawi to seek more information on Uranium mining and its effects.

"So far we have established that they are anti-uranium activists who went to Malawi to seek more information on the uranium issue and the Malawian government has understood us, but maybe the authorities in Malawi want to ascertain themselves by going through documents of the Tanzanians," he said.

Mahiga said the Tanzanian ambassador in Malawi requested to see them in prison and he was granted the chance but he has not sent any feedback.

He said the German NGO was behind the sponsorship of their tour.

The eight Tanzanians were arrested in December last year in the border district of Karonga after they reportedly tried to enter a uranium mine in Malawi. It was later reported that they were taken to court.

Reports of their arrest were reported by Malawian media suggesting that the eight were spies sent by the Tanzanian government to investigate if the country "is developing nuclear weapons from uranium at Kayerekera mine site in Karonga District".

The Malawian media quoted anonymous security sources saying some of those arrested had "suspicious" devices, including a "heavy camera".

The reports also suggested that "the Tanzanian government is frustrated with Malawi's position of being unshaken with the issue of Lake Nyasa border dispute between the two southern African neighbouring countries.

Malawian police were quoted as saying the Tanzanians did not give satisfying answers when asked them what they wanted at the mine.

This was the second time Tanzanians were arrested for trying to visit the mine in Malawi, recently, according to Malawian media report, a group of university students from Tanzania under the Moravian Church were also blocked from visiting the mine site, which is currently closed.
ABUJA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari said he received with deep sadness and regret the news of the accidental bombing of a refugee camp in the northeastern state of Borno by the Nigerian military on Tuesday.

Buhari, who noted the military was engaged in the final phase of mopping up Boko Haram terrorists in the country's northeast region, pleaded for calm and pledged federal help for the Borno State government in attending to "this regrettable operational mistake."

A Nigerian fighter jet misfired into a refugee camp at Rann Internally Displaced People's camp in Kala Balge area of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, killing two soldiers and a number of civilians, the Nigerian Army said.

The civilian victims, whose exact number could not be confirmed yet, included aid workers of the International Committee of Red Cross and the Medicines Sans Frontiers, said Lucky Irabor, commander of army operations in Borno State.

He said the incident occurred after an intelligence report was received that Boko Haram terrorists were regrouping in the area.

Two humanitarian workers and two soldiers were among the wounded victims, the army commander said, describing the incident as "disturbing."

The military has already sent a helicopter to evacuate the wounded persons, while the Borno State government has also ordered free treatment of the victims in all government hospitals.

Terror group Boko Haram has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 2.3 million other since their insurgency started in 2009.

However, Nigeria has made a considerable gain on the Boko Haram front, with its security forces operating in the restive region dislodging the Boko Haram fighters from the Sambisa Forest, their last enclave in the country.

Last weekend, air troops in coordinated day and night operations, using a helicopter gunship and fighter jets, had successfully destroyed the new camp of Boko Haram situated about 1 nautical mile south of Tumbum Rego in northern Borno, denying the terrorists the opportunity to regroup for more attacks.

In a statement late Monday, the Nigerian military said it was intensifying aerial and ground patrol in the country's northeast, extending its offensive mission around the Green Belt Region near Niger and Chad.
ACCRA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- King Mohammed VI of Morocco will pay an official visit to Ghana from Wednesday, the Flagstaff House said in a statement on Tuesday.

The visit is aimed at deepening the existing cordial relations between Ghana and Morocco as well as present an opportunity to define new areas of co-operation that will serve the mutual interests of the two countries, said the statement signed by Eugene Arhin, Acting Communications Director at the presidency.

President Nana Akufo-Addo will on Friday hold bilateral talks with the Moroccan King before hosting him to an official lunch at the Flagstaff House, the seat of government.

King Mohammed will thereafter depart for Morocco.

Ghana and Morocco share a historic bond dating back to the early 1950s when the country's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, played a pioneering role with his Moroccan counterpart to free the continent of colonialist influence.
RIGA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Member states must strengthen their resolve to defend the idea of the European Union (EU) because the future of Europe will not be decided in London or Washington, Luxembourg's Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Jean Asselborn said during his visit here on Tuesday.

The agenda of Asselborn's visit included meetings with Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics and Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis.

Asselborn believed that the future of the EU must not hinge on who becomes the next U.S. president or British prime minister.

Europe must go on. This is a peace project. And "we have to do everything we can, as Brexit is not the only challenge," said the visiting minister. Such challenges also exist within the bloc, Asselborn added.

The foreign ministers of Luxembourg and Latvia agreed on the importance of NATO for European and transatlantic security, dismissing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's remarks about the alliance as an obsolete organization.

"I do not believe that it is in the U.S.'s interests to weaken NATO," Asselborn said.

During the meeting with Luxembourg's minister, Kucinskis underlined the importance of boosting allied presence in the Baltic states and Poland.

Speaking of Latvia's bilateral relations with Luxembourg, Kucinskis noted an untapped potential for economic exchange.

The Latvian prime minister believed the two countries should step up cooperation on information and communication technologies as both of them consider themselves to be strong in this field.
VILNIUS, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian and United States officials signed an agreement on Tuesday on the status of U.S. forces deployed on Lithuanian territory.

The document defines in detail the status of U.S. forces deployed on the Lithuanian soil and is the first of its kind between Lithuania and the United States, said the Lithuanian defense ministry.

Lithuanian defense minister Raimundas Karoblis, who signed the agreement, described it as an "historic day for U.S. and Lithuanian strategic partnership".

"We are interested in having a permanent presence of U.S. forces and equipment in Lithuania," Karoblis said.

The agreement on the status of U.S. forces in Lithuania comes more than two years since the first U.S. forces arrived in Lithuania. Since early 2014, rotational U.S. forces have been attending joint military trainings in Lithuania.

Two weeks ago, Lithuanian defense authorities confirmed reports that U.S. special operations forces had been deployed in the country.

Lithuania is a small Baltic state with a population of less than three million.
BEIRUT, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's President Michel Aoun said on Tuesday the international and regional crises, mainly the Syrian refugee crisis, have worsened Lebanon's economic recovery situation.

"Lebanon has offered more than it has to its Syrian and Palestinian brothers. Nevertheless, we are bearing the brunt of hosting a huge number of refugees amounting to half of our population," Aoun told the diplomatic groups who paid a protocol visit to the presidential palace.

He called on the groups to persuade their countries to share the burden and reinisisted the need for the refugees to return their home countries.

Lebanon hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees, according to government estimates, while the United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) says the number is 1.1 million.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening plenary of the 2017 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for joint efforts to chart the course of economic globalization and forge new models of global growth, cooperation, governance and development.

Xi made the remarks while addressing the opening plenary of the 2017 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). He is the first Chinese head of state to attend the Davos meetings in Switzerland.

Amid a rising tide of global concerns for protectionism, anti-globalization sentiment and other economic and political issues, Xi's presence with Chinese wisdom and experiences at Davos bears tremendous historic significance, said WEF founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab.

GUIDING GLOBAL ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE

In his keynote speech, Xi stressed the importance of adapting to and guiding economic globalization and delivering its benefits to all.

Blaming economic globalization for the world's problems is inconsistent with reality and unhelpful to solving the problems, Xi said, underlining the need to act pro-actively and manage economic globalization appropriately, so as to release its positive impact and rebalance its process.

Xi called on all countries to follow the general trend, proceed from their respective national conditions, and embark on the right pathway of integrating into economic globalization with the right pace.

He stressed the need to strike a balance between efficiency and equity to ensure that different countries, different social strata and different groups of people all share the benefits of economic globalization.

"President Xi's remarks objectively elaborated the role of globalization in the entire process of human history and suggested that its role should be viewed dialectically," said Zhang Yuyan, director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"Trade protectionism, populism and nationalism can quell public dissatisfaction for the time being, but in the long run, they will harm the overall interests of all," Zhang said.

Analyzing the root causes of the sluggish global economy, Xi pointed to a lack of robust driving forces for global growth, inadequate global economic governance, and uneven global development.

He stressed the importance of developing a dynamic innovation-driven growth model, a model of open and win-win cooperation featuring a well-coordinated and inter-connected approach, and a model of fair and equitable governance in keeping with the trend of the times, and a balanced, equitable and inclusive development model.

Citing the contributing role his country -- the world's second largest economy -- has played in economic globalization, Xi said China's rapid growth has been a sustained, powerful engine for global economic stability and expansion, and the inter-connected development of China and a large number of other countries has made the world economy more balanced.

China's remarkable achievement in poverty reduction has contributed to more inclusive global growth, and its continuous progress in reform and opening-up has lent much momentum to an open world economy, he added.

CHINA'S COMMITMENT TO GLOBAL GROWTH

Xi pledged that China's development will continue to offer opportunities to business communities in other countries.

In the coming five years, China is expected to import 8 trillion U.S. dollars of goods, attract 600 billion dollars of foreign investment, and make 750 billion dollars of outbound investment, said the president, adding that Chinese tourists will make 700 million overseas visits.

China will keep its door wide open, Xi said, voicing hope that other countries will also keep their door open to Chinese investors and keep the playing field level for them.

"China has been a locomotive of growth, especially for the emerging world, but really for the whole world," said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS, a consulting firm. "More positive perspective of China is an accurate one."

On the progress of the Belt and Road Initiative, Xi told the audience that China's circle of friends along the Belt and Road is growing bigger, and Chinese investment in the countries along the routes has surpassed 50 billion dollars in the past three years.

Over 100 countries and international organizations have given warm responses and support to the initiative, and more than 40 have signed cooperation agreements with China, said the Chinese president, who put forward the initiative in 2013.

Meanwhile, Chinese companies have launched a number of major projects in the countries along the routes, spurring the economic development of these countries and creating many local jobs, Xi noted.

The Belt and Road Initiative, envisioned as an infrastructure and trade network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes, originated in China, but it has delivered benefits well beyond its borders, he said.

China plans to host a Belt and Road forum for international cooperation in Beijing this May to brainstorm on interconnected development, the president announced.

The upcoming forum will explore ways to address regional and global economic problems, generate fresh energy for interconnected development, and ensure that the Belt and Road Initiative delivers greater benefits to the people of the countries involved, Xi said.

Xi arrived in Switzerland on Sunday for a four-day state visit and the WEF annual meeting, which is themed "Responsive and Responsible Leadership" this year and expected to draw together about 50 heads of state and 1,700 political, business, academic and media leaders from across the world.

In his first overseas trip in 2017, Xi will also travel to Lausanne and Geneva to visit the International Olympic Committee, the World Health Organization and the UN Office at Geneva.

Related:

Jointly Shoulder Responsibility of Our Times, Promote Global Growth

Keynote Speech by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the Peoples Republic of China

At the Opening Session

Of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017

Davos, 17 January 2017

President Doris Leuthard and Mr. Roland Hausin,

Heads of State and Government, Deputy Heads of State and Your Spouses,

Heads of International Organizations,

Dr. Klaus Schwab and Mrs. Hilde Schwab,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

Im delighted to come to beautiful Davos. Though just a small town in the Alps, Davos is an important window for taking the pulse of the global economy. People from around the world come here to exchange ideas and insights, which broaden their vision. This makes the WEF annual meeting a cost-effective brainstorming event, which I would call Schwab economics.
by Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, Jan. 17 (Xinhua)-- Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Greek leaders on Tuesday called from Athens for stronger cooperation among European countries to collectively and effectively face the common challenges of the economic and refugee crises.

Mattarella started on Tuesday a two-day official visit to Athens aiming to deepen bilateral ties and discuss regional challenges upon an invitation by Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

Greece and Italy share common ideals for the future of Europe and Greek people are ready to cooperate with Italy on the common challenges to jointly protect the future of the European Union and its cohesion, Pavlopoulos said, welcoming the Italian leader at the presidential mansion.

"Ancient Greece and Rome marched together to build a civilization, upon which rests the entire western civilization today. Rest assured that we will defend this civilization together, with all our strength," Pavlopoulos said, according to an emailed press statement.

On his part, Mattarella also stressed that bilateral cooperation is based on history, shared values and a shared vision of the future.

"We share a common view of the EU, of the challenges and problems. Both countries believe that the EU should focus on economic growth and boosting employment, in particular for young people," the Italian president said.

"Today we stand as member states of the EU and euro zone, as countries of the south Europe, facing common challenges, the challenge of the economic crisis and the refugee crisis. Therefore, our collaboration, as well as cooperation between all European countries across the Mediterranean, is crucial for the creation of a better Europe," Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said when welcoming the Italian leader at his office a few hours later.

Speaking on camera at the start of their meeting, Mattarella underscored the need of more support by the EU in efforts made by Italy and Greece to tackle the refugee crisis.

"Greece and Italy have respected the timeless duty to welcome and provide hospitality as an indication of civilization, offering aid to thousands of women, men and children... Europe should commit more," Mattarellas said.

"Europe must offer more assistance to Greece and Italy, because the refugee and migrant issue does not concern only Italy and Greece, but the entire Europe," the Italian president said.

Mattarella expressed hope that in March this year on the occasion of the 60 years of the signing of the Treaty of Rome which established the European Economic Community, EU member states will " rekindle the sense of solidarity, which should govern the EU and its peoples."
PRETORIA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- South Africa and her northern neighbor Zimbabwe met on Tuesday in Pretoria and engaged on how to include the small and medium size traders into the mainstream of the two countries' economy, region and Africa.

The meeting was attended by the South African government officials and Zimbabwean counterparts, civil society, informal traders and members of the diplomatic corps.

Zimbabwean economy's 94.5 percent are informal traders while South Africa acknowledged the significant contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

South African Minister of Small Business Development Lindiwe Zulu said they want the informal traders to grow and be big business with government's support.

She said, "Life is engaging in dialogue trying to find solutions faced by human beings. We want our regional economic trade to grow and intra Africa trade. Informal traders are making massive contributions to the GDP and well being of families they provide alternative source of livelihood."

Zulu said the informal traders faced challenges like the failure to access funding and delays at border posts. Informal traders require training in financial management, health management and business accounting.

Zulu said some cross border traders face unfair impounding of their goods. She said while bilateral agreements exist between many African countries, there is none that focus on small businesses.

The South African Minister said some monopoly big companies are driving the small companies out of business through unfair practices and said government must protect them. She also encouraged citizens to buy local to support small businesses.

Zimbabwean Ambassador to South Africa Isaac Moyo said most African small businesses have similar challenges which needs a region and a continent to address it. He said the Zimbabwean government is committed to working with other countries to uplift the small traders and make their operations better.

Moyo said there is acceptance at the continental level that the small business have to be at the agenda. Ambassador Moyo said his government is serious about the sector which is evident by the creation of the Ministry responsible for that.

South Africa has been engaging Zimbabwe for some time and will soon be meeting other neighboring countries.

Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations (ZCIEA) secretary general Wisborn Malaya said governments should consult small traders before making policies.

He criticized the Zimbabwean government by imposing the law which prohibits the importation of certain goods outside the country. The law was passed last year by the Zimbabwean government to protect their local industries.
KIEV, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko in Davos, Switzerland, opened a new chapter in relations between China and Ukraine, local experts said on Tuesday.

Viktor Kiktenko, the head of Ukrainian Association of Sinologists, told Xinhua in an interview that the meeting between the two leaders, which took place ahead of the opening session of the 47th World Economic Forum, signaled that the two countries stand ready to deepen their traditional friendship and cement political trust.

"Over the past several years, after the shift of power in Ukraine, many experts have repeatedly stated that it is very important for the Sino-Ukrainian relations to revive the political dialogue at the highest level. That's why this meeting is vitally important in terms of political decisions," Kiktenko said.

The talks,at which the two leaders have agreed to strengthen exchanges between governments, could lay a solid groundwork for the high-level visits between the states, the expert added.

"I believe this meeting is a preparation for the next, more important step -- for an official visit. Most likely, it will be a visit of Ukrainian president to China. I personally and many Ukrainian experts hope that such visit would take place this year," Kiktenko said.

The expert has also underscored the importance of the meeting for strengthening economic partnership between China and Ukraine.

"It is important not only for politics but also for business. Holding the meeting between the two leaders at the highest level would be a signal for the business community that the Ukrainian-Chinese business relations should further develop, should receive a new impetus," he emphasized.

Commenting on Poroshenko's remarks that Ukraine is willing to actively participate in One Belt and One Road Initiative aiming to fully tap cooperation potential with China, Kiktenko highly welcomed the intention.

"It is only the first step, but it is highly remarkable that Ukraine joins this initiative. Yet, a long road lies ahead to fully unlock the complementary advantages of the both economies under this initiative," he said.

Kiktenko was echoed by another Ukrainian international relations expert Denis Necheporuk, who noted that the talks between Xi and Poroshenko have mapped out the direction of further economic cooperation between the two countries.

"We hope that serious negotiations between the two countries will be carried out in 2017-2018 on the intensification of their investment and economic processes," said Necheporuk, who is the head of the non-government organization "Union of Ukraine-China Friendship and Cooperation".

He also praised China's stance on the settling the Ukrainian crisis based on the traditional principles of non-interference and resolution of the disputes through dialogue and negotiations.

"This meeting showed that China plays a constructive and diplomatic role in the settlement. Stressing the need for a peaceful resolution of international issues, the authorities of the People's Republic of China are cementing the position of China as a responsible global leader," Necheporuk emphasized.
RIYADH, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday the arrest of a fugitive wanted for various terrorist acts in Qatif region in the Eastern Province, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The ministry warned the public of aiding other fugitives in the Saudi terror list, asking them to report any related information for reward.

Hussain Mohamed Al Faraj was arrested for several terrorist charges, including shooting at innocent individuals at public places in association with other fugitives.

Saudi terror list includes extremists who are followers of Sunni terrorist groups, such as al-Qaida and Islamic State (IS) militant group, and Saudi Shiites active in certain areas populated with minority Shiite community, including Qatif, who are usually involved in rioting, vandalisms and direct attacks against police personnel.
File photo taken on Nov. 14, 2012 shows a nurse checks the blood glucose of a senior citizen during a free clinic service for diabetes in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- People in China diagnosed with diabetes in middle age lost an average nine years of life, according to a new study published Tuesday.

The study, which appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), said that inadequate treatment, particularly in rural areas, was mainly to blame for that loss.

The prevalence of diabetes in China has quadrupled in the past decades, with an estimated 100 million adults now affected -- more than any other country worldwide, but the full eventual effect on mortality is unknown.

In the new study, researchers from the University of Oxford and Peking University examined the association of diabetes with mortality in 500,000 adults from 10 areas scattered throughout China, including five from rural areas and five from urban.

Participants were recruited between 2004 and 2008 and followed up until 2014 for cause-specific mortality.

At the start of the study, six percent had diabetes, including four percent from rural areas and eight percent from urban.

Three percent of these patients was previously diagnosed while another three percent was detected by screening.

The researchers found that people with diabetes had twice the risk of dying during the follow-up period in comparison with other study participants, and that these risks were higher in rural than in urban areas.

The study showed that diabetes raised the risk of dying from a wide range of conditions, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, liver disease, infection, and cancers of the liver, pancreas and breast.

And the risk of dying from inadequately treated acute complications of diabetes such as diabetic coma was four times as great in rural as in urban areas. Even in urban areas, it was much higher than in Western populations.

The researchers also estimated that the 25-year probability of death would be 69 percent among those diagnosed with diabetes at age 50 compared with 38 percent among otherwise similar individuals without diabetes, corresponding to a loss of about nine years of life -- 10 years in rural areas and eight years in urban areas.

"As the prevalence of diabetes in young adults increases and the adult population grows, the annual number of deaths related to diabetes is likely to continue to increase, unless there is substantial improvement in prevention and management," the researchers wrote.

Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), described in an accompanying editorial this study as "the first reliable evidence of the specific diseases and complications that account for mortality among Chinese individuals with diabetes."

The pattern of excess mortality revealed in this study points to "significant weaknesses in the clinical management of diabetes, especially in rural areas, and in the effectiveness of population-wide interventions aimed at prevention," the WHO chief said.

But Chan also noted that China has undertaken major reforms of its health system in the last 10 years, improving primary health care and training large numbers of family physicians.

"The quality of precise measurement reported by the study provides confidence that Chinese authorities will continue to move the country's health reforms in the right direction, with results that also improve the prevention and control of diabetes," she said.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault addresses a press conference after the Middle East Peace Conference in Paris, capital of France on Jan. 15, 2017. France on Sunday held an international meeting to seek ways to revive the stranded Middle East peace negotiations and to push for the implementation of a two-state solution to restore security in the region after decades of conflict. (Xinhua/Chen Yichen)

by Osama Radi, Emad Drimly

GAZA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian analysts said the outcomes of this week's peace conference held in Paris for one day weren't new, but it reactivated the Palestinian cause and promoted it to be on the international agendas as it had been abandoned for many years.

During years of the so-called "Arab Spring," besides an escalation of the conflicts in the region, the analysts believe that Paris peace conference "was an important station, which reiterated the international position towards the two-state solution, ending the Israeli occupation and establishing the Palestinian state.

Around 70 countries representatives attend the peace conference on Sunday, including five major world organizations -- the European Union, the United Nations, the Arab League, and two other African and Islamic organizations.

Following the ministerial meeting held in Paris on June 3, 2016, the participants met in Paris on Sunday and issues a joint declaration, reaffirming that a negotiated solution for two states of Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, is the only way to achieve enduring peace.

It said that the participants emphasized the importance for the parties to restart their commitment to this solution.

Holding Paris peace conference coincided with an ongoing wave of violence in the Palestinian territories that broke out in October, 2015. According to Palestinian official figures, around 340 Palestinians and about 45 Israelis were killed and hundreds injured.

Officially, the Palestinian leadership welcomed the declaration of the peace conference, while Israel rejected it and declared that it won't be abided by any outcomes of the conference.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to visit Paris within the coming few weeks and will meet the French leaders to debate the coming steps after Paris conference.

Abbas was supposed to be in Paris on the same day when the conference was held, but it was postponed for technical reasons.

Hani el-Masri, a West Bank think-tank member, told Xinhua that Abbas' visit to Paris "would be essential only in case the declaration of Paris peace conference would be presented to the UN Security Council to gain a vote, but now because Abbas wasn't there, the Security Council would be only briefed on the declaration."

"Postponing Abbas' visit to Paris for several weeks is related to a French attempt to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attend a three-way meeting in Paris, which will include Abbas and French President Francois Hollande," said el-Masri.

He stressed that the Palestinians urgently need, more than ever before, to look for an alternative track instead of the bilateral negotiations before the collapse of the two-state solution.

Samir Awadd, the political science professor at Beit Zeit University in the West Bank, told Xinhua that holding the peace conference in Paris and its final declaration, which stressed the two-state solution, "achieved Palestinian gains and renewed the international support to end the conflict with Israel."

"Although Paris peace conference hasn't made any tangible progress on the ground to resolve the Palestinian cause, but it is considered an important cumulative step that put the general outlines for a solution following several years of deadlock in the peace process."

However, some experts expressed their disappointments over the outcomes of the Paris conference.

Muhanad Abdul Hamid, a West Bank political analyst, told Xinhua that the substance of the peace conference outcomes "represented despair to the Palestinians, because the conference had so far failed to internationalize the conflict after so many years of failure in the peace negotiations."

"The conference is pushing the bilateral Israeli-Palestinian negotiations," said Abdul Hamid, adding "but the same mechanism of peace talks has been going on for 25 years."

He stressed that the bilateral talks between the two sides had always failed, adding that getting back to the bilateral talks "is a pure response to the Israeli demand, where Israel has clearly declared that it is against any international partnership."
ACCRA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Crude oil production from Ghana's Jubilee Field declined by 40 percent, said the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) in a report released here late Monday.

The report, titled "The Public Interest and Accountability Committee Semi-Annual Report on Management of Petroleum Revenues from the Period January to June, 2016", said oil production fell from 19.08 million barrels in mid-year 2015 to 11.44 million barrels over the same period in 2016.

The PIAC attributed the decline in production to scheduled shutdown of the Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) for routine maintenance and a faulty turret bearing which led to the suspension of oil production for up to 50 days.

The report said revenues from the petroleum sector during the first half of 2016 amounted to 126.41 million U.S. dollars, translating to a 55 percent reduction in revenues.

This compares with total petroleum receipts of 274.47 million dollars during the same period.
BANJUL, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Gambian President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency on Tuesday after he refused to step down following an election defeat in December.

The president declared the 90-day state of emergency on state television, saying it will take effect immediately.

In the announcement, Jammeh blamed foreign interference "in the internal affairs of The Gambia" following the electoral crisis.

Jammeh lost the presidential election in December to businessman Adama Barrow. He conceded defeat the following day, but made a U-turn about a week later.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called on Jammeh, who came to power in 1994, to respect the election results and cede power to president-elect Barrow, who is currently in Senegal.

The 15-nation regional bloc has urged Barrow to stay in Senegal until a scheduled inauguration on Thursday, warning that it could resort to military force if diplomacy fails to tackle the crisis in Gambia.
LAGOS, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 52 people lost their lives and 120 others injured in a bombing by the Nigerian Air Force on a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the northeast city of Rann in Borno State.

In a statement made available to Xinhua, Medicine San Frontiers,(MSF), one of the humanitarian aid group said this large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable.

The statement quoted Jean-Clement Cabrol, MSF Director of Operations as saying that the safety of civilians must be respected.

"We are urgently calling on all parties to ensure the facilitation of medical evacuations by air or road for survivors who are in need of emergency care," he added.

The statement said the organization's medical teams are currently providing first aid to wounded patients in its facility in Rann, adding that other MSF medical and surgical teams in the region are also preparing to treat evacuated patients.

In the same vein, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has described as unfortunate and highly regrettable the accidental bombing of an IDPs camp in Rann, Borno state on Tuesday.

Spokesperson for the Airforce Ayodele Famuyiwa said the NAF is saddened by the accidental air strike by its fighter jet at Rann in Kala Balge area of Borno State in which some innocent lives were lost.

Meanwhile, the Borno government has ordered all hospitals and health agency to standby to provide emergency medical response to victims of Rann attack by Nigeria's Air Force jet.

The army's fighter jet had misfired during an operation in Kala Balge, killing civilians and humanitarian aid workers.
Bill Thomas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of New York Phiharmonic, speaks at a press conference for "Happy Chinese New Year: Fantastic Art China" In New York, Jan. 16, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

NEW YORK, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The top of the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan, New York, will shine in red and gold on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27 in a salute to the Chinese Lunar New Year that starts on Jan. 28.

Chinese Consul General Zhang Qiyue, and John B. Kessler, president and chief operating officer of the Empire State Realty Trust, will launch the lighting ceremony on Jan. 26, announced Shirley Young, chair of the U.S.-China Cultural Institute and co-organizer of the "Happy Chinese New Year: Fantastic Art China," at a news briefing held at China's Consulate General in New York.

The Empire State Building will be lit in red and gold at sunset on Jan. 26-27 and change every 60 seconds until the next morning, adding a touch of Chinese Festival color to the New York skyline.

The lights show ushers in a series of China-related cultural events, co-hosted by the China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) and the U.S.-China Cultural Institute, to mark the Year of Rooster, in which the auspicious connotation of light and hope is infused.

"The series of cross-cultural events will serve as a handy window for Chinese and American people to appreciate and better understand each other's culture and traditions," Young said.

Wow-worthy Chinese New Year Fireworks designed by CAFA will begin at 8:30 p.m. (0130 GMT on Jan. 27) over the Hudson River on Jan. 26.

Divided into four thematic and emotional chapters -- "Wintertime," "A Hundred Birds," "Spring Returns" and "Phoenix," the fireworks display integrates the traditional Chinese philosophy which is the harmonious development of nature, objects, and civilization, with the flow of natural seasons and the images of "A Hundred Birds" and "Phoenix."

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra will hold its Chinese New Year Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 31 (0030 GMT, on Feb. 1) at the David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, drawing to a close for the nine days' celebration.

Meanwhile, four themed exhibitions will go on display in New York Institute of Interior Design (Jan. 23-29) and the Metropolitan Pavilion (Jan. 26-29), including "Abstract Art in Dialogue," "Image of the Mind: Contemporary Chinese Art Exhibition," "Cross-Cultural Dialogue: China-America Young Artists Exhibition" and "Cross-Cultural Dialogue: China-America Art Students Exhibition."

New York state has added the Spring Festival to the list of public holidays since 2014.
NAKURU, Kenya, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Until late 2016, the number of Kenyans facing starvation according to the government were 1.3 million.

But the number based on audit by ministry of devolution under which management of drought emergencies that directly relate to distribution of food falls, is to exceed 2 million should there be no urgent implementation of workable solutions.

It is the drought; the lack of rain causing depression on farming that farmers had nothing or little to harvest because there was no water to sustain crops or harvest.

Generally, Kenya received depressed rainfall between October and December 2016 whose impacts were failed crops and deterioration of foliage and pasture for livestock, putting the country at the risk of food insecurity, shows the Kenya Meteorological Department weather review for the three month season.

The low rains were preceded by months of heavy rains which destroyed crops and deaths from collapsing buildings.

While the Ministry of Water and Irrigation says progress is being made in constructing dams to cushion the population from long dry spells, some farmers in the Rift Valley region are already enjoying the benefits of a steady supply of water courtesy of their own initiative.

Paul Njoroge is the secretary of Kibepingo Community Water Project whose accomplishment is the construction of the Kibepingo dam in Njoro area in Nakuru County, Rift Valley region.

The dam completed last year benefits more than 4,000 farmers who would previously withhold their farming activities until the rain comes.

"We are happy not to talk about lack of water at the moment. In the previous years it was terrible. Most people suffered in hunger," said Njoroge on Monday.

Communities in the area had struggled with prolonged period of dry spell which had adverse impacts on their crop and livestock production, he says. But the people had a choice to make to change their lives.

A hundred people from the four villages accessing water from the dam came together in 2013 and with consultation with the area communities wrote a proposal for construction of the dam and soliciting funds.

They managed to draw technical and financial support from the National Water Conservation and Pipeline Corporation, a state agency with an overall role of implementing water infrastructure in the county.

They also received a financial boost from the County Government of Nakuru. The dam draws water from Subuku River which drains into Njoro River, an estuary of Lake Nakuru.

The water has been piped from the dam and farmers can draw it from the adjacent taps and troughs for livestock drinking, home and farm use. Njoroge said farmers can now collect the water to irrigate their farms any time of the year.

"Majority of the farmers around here grow tomatoes, cabbages, kales, potatoes, beans, maize and wheat for sale. Others are dairy farmers, so this water is a big breakthrough for us," said Njoroge.

He said community members should be more proactive in solving their problems since they are familiar with them instead of waiting for other institutions to take the initiative.

The 100 members, Njoroge included have also been trained on climate change, water harvesting and proper farming practices by Ministry of Agriculture. "We urge farmers not to farm along the river banks as this dries up rivers," advised Njoroge.

"We also urge them to plant trees in plenty as they are agents of fighting against climate change. Drought is a nightmare. Children get affected because when crops fail parents have nothing to sell to send them to school."

According to media reports, by Jan.17, ten schools had been closed in Baringo,one of the counties in the Rift Valley region affected with the drought with more than 100 others likely to follow should the population fail to receive food relief.

In pastoralist communities in the Northern, North Eastern and Rift Valley parts of the country where lack of food, water and pasture for livestock has been more pronounced, local leaders report of school going children moving with the animals to better places, abandoning studies.

Last December, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) alerted Kenya of a looming hunger this year due to a prolonged dry spell.

While Kenyans wait for the rains in March or April, the devastation is already severe for the millions of the households lacking food to eat or adequate clean water to drink.
BELGRADE, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China and Serbia on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in agriculture.

The MOU was signed in the Serbian capital Belgrade by visiting Chinese Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu and his Serbian counterpart Branislav Nedimovic.

China and Serbia will enhance cooperation in agricultural investment and technological development, especially in the areas of meat processing and vegetable and fruit processing, Han told reporters after the signing.

"Regarding trade of agricultural products, we welcome the imports of safe and quality products from Serbia, which not only gives Chinese customers more choices, but also benefits Serbian farmers," he said.

The MOU serves as the starting point of bilateral cooperation in agriculture, Han said, while urging the two sides to enhance cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative and the "16+1" cooperation mechanism.

The "16+1" refers to China and the 16 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.

Nedimovic said the MOU was set to bring Chinese investment into Serbia and such cooperation was vital to the country's food processing industry.
DUBLIN, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Ireland on Tuesday welcomed the "greater clarity" on Britain's proposed approach to the Brexit negotiation process.

In a decisive speech that sets a course for a clean break with the European Union, British Prime Minister Theresa May promised to quit the EU single market and seek a free trade agreement with the European Union (EU).

The 12-point blueprint has been dubbed a "hard Brexit".

May has "made clear that she wishes to secure the closest possible future economic relationship for Britain with the EU, a goal that Ireland shares," the Irish government said in a statement.

"For Ireland, the priorities for the negotiation process that lies ahead are unchanged: our economic and trading arrangements, the Northern Ireland peace process including border issues, the common travel area, and the future of the EU," the statement said.

"She made clear that her priorities include maintaining the common travel area and avoiding a return to a hard border with Northern Ireland, both of which are welcome," it said.

The Irish government said its preparation is extensive, adding that important organizational changes have been implemented in government departments and agencies, with additional resources provided in key areas.

Meanwhile, the Irish government said an extensive program of engagement with all other EU governments and the EU institutions, including the Commission's Brexit Negotiations Task Force, is under way.

The statement said the Irish prime minister and and ministers will continue to meet and engage with their EU counterparts over coming weeks to emphasize Ireland's concerns and to ensure that they are fully reflected in the EU position once negotiations commence.

"The government is under no illusion about the nature and scale of the Brexit challenge. But it is ready," it added.

The statement said economic opportunities for Ireland will be pursued vigorously and that engagement with other member states and EU institutions will intensify.
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday delivered a keynote speech at the 2017 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum and made a strong case for advancing globalization and rejecting protectionism.

Here's how worldwide elites react to the 50-minute address, which is titled "Jointly Shoulder Responsibility of Our Times, Promote Global Growth."

Jennifer Morgan, Executive Director of Greenpeace International

Given the current volatility of global politics, President Xi Jinping's address not only helped calm nerves but boosted global confidence. Xi's reference to climate change highlights China's evolving calculus towards taking action on the issue. Now more than ever, the world needs to follow committed powers like China to safeguard and enhance the hard-fought international climate regime.

Zhang Yuyan, director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

President Xi's remarks objectively elaborated the role of globalization in the entire process of human history and suggested that its role should be viewed dialectically. Trade protectionism, populism and nationalism can quell public dissatisfaction for the time being, but in the long run, they will harm the overall interests of all.

Catherine Fiankan-Bokongka, vice president of the UN Correspondents Association and chief editor of Swiss magazine Klvin Mag

China has been a defender of the world's multilateral trading system all the time. Last year, the G20 summit was held in Hangzhou, and China injected new vitality into world's innovation-oriented economy. Xi's speech not only showed China's determination to continue its way of development, but also offered solutions to the world's and regional economic problems.

Shu Yinbiao, chairman of State Grid Corporation of China

At a time when the economic outlook is uncertain and the recovery is weak, President Xi Jinping's speech not only pointed out the difficulties and problems of the global economy, offering China's plan, but also expressed confidence in the long-term sustainable growth of China's economy as well. This sent a strong signal to the international community that China's economy is able to maintain long-term, stable and sustainable development.

Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS

China has been a locomotive of growth, especially for the emerging world, but really for the whole world. A more positive perspective of China is an accurate one.

Hans-Paul Buerkner, chairman of Boston Consulting Group

President Xi emphasized the importance of continued globalization, growth and equity, which impressed me the most.

Khalid Al Rumaihi, chief executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board

President Xi's insistence to deepen globalization, to strengthen economic growth, and his warning against isolationism are extremely comforting and a strong endorsement.

Vincent A. Forlenza, CEO and President of BD

I thought it was a very positive, realistic and open speech.

Ian Bremmer, president of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, on Twitter

Davos reaction to Xi speech: Success on all counts. Miles away from any official Chinese speech before.

Swiss daily newspaper Tribune de Geneve

Xi's remarks were "thinly veiled," as he reminded the U.S. future president that "no one will emerge as a winner in a trade war."
DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), on Tuesday lashed out at opposition parties for misleading the public on food situation in the east African country.

Humphrey Polepole, CCM Ideology and Publicity Secretary, said politicians and traders claimed Tanzania was facing food shortage in order to attain cheap political mileage.

He told a news conference in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam that opposition parties were creating food shortage to help them achieve their political interests.

Polepole appealed to the public to ignore false and misleading information given by leaders of opposition political parties on food situation.

He urged the public to support the government on its endeavours aimed at improving social services and boosting economic growth.

"Politics should be done in a proper manner that would not compromise peace, unity and harmony in the county," said Polepole.

On Monday, Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said Tanzania was not facing any food shortage and urged Tanzanians to ignore rumours of famine.

"The government is the only authority to release reports on food shortage. Reports that Tanzania is facing food shortage are completely false," said the PM in the political capital Dodoma.

Majaliwa made the statement following reports in local media, opposition parties and religious organisations claiming that Tanzania was facing food shortage.

"Last year the country had food surplus to the tune of 3 million tonnes, a situation that made Members of Parliament and traders to request the government to give permits for selling the surplus food abroad," said Majaliwa.

He said the government released the permits and 1.5 million tonnes were exported abroad and the remaining 1.5 million tonnes were reserved for use in the country.

Charles Tizeba, the Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, told a news conference in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam that preliminary food production conducted in July 2016 showed that the country had 123 percent food surplus.

Tizeba said 11 regions out of 26 regions had enough food reserves, 12 regions had relatively enough food and only two regions were facing pockets of food shortage.
KHARTOUM, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector on Tuesday claimed it repulsed an attack by Sudanese army in Blue Nile State.

"Forces of the SPLM/northern sector in Blue Nile repulsed an attack by the government forces against an external point at Al-Rum area in the state," Arno Taloudy, the spokesman of the SPLM/northern sector, said in a statement.

He explained that one of the movement's soldiers was injured during the attack, without giving any statistics about loss among the government forces.

"The attack came few hours after the government declared extension of cease-fire for six months," he said.

In March 2016, Sudan's Council of Ministers decided to extend the cease-fire for six more months at all conflict zones in Sudan.

The Sudanese army could not be immediately reached for comment on the rebels' claim.

The Sudanese government has been fighting the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector at South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since 2011.

It has also been battling a group of armed movements in the Darfur region since 2003.

So far, 10 rounds of peace talks between the Sudanese government and the SPLM/northern sector in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa have failed to end the conflict in the two areas.
HELSINKI, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Continued cutbacks in university funding have caused a brain drain from Finland, with natural sciences and liberal arts particularly affected.

Finnish universities, traditionally relying on public budgeting, have become financially independent organizations that have to procure private funding to complement the governmental fiscal allocation since 2010.

In the new situation, the universities had to reduce staff. Actual dismissals have amounted to 976 persons so far, but with voluntary exits, the number is 1720, according to information collected by staffer unions.

Jaakko Hameen-Anttila, a professor of Arabic studies who moved to Britain, has become the face of the wave of "academic refugees." He voluntarily gave up his position in Helsinki and switched to Edinburgh, Scotland.

Interviewed by newspaper Helsingin Sanomat last week, he said the cutback of public financing was an ideological choice by right wing governments.

Young researchers increasingly choose opportunities abroad for better pay and more secure funding.

Jukka Westermark, one of the leading cancer researchers in Finland, said on national broadcaster Yle that only ten percent of applicants get public funding for research projects via the Academy of Finland.

"Researchers who have gone temporarily abroad often do not come back. Here they would have to compete for funding, while abroad a certain future is often promised," Westermark said.

Whole researcher teams have left, often for Sweden or Norway. For example in medicine field, where younger talents join projects started by senior researchers, with reduced funding, the choice has been either to dissolve the groups or to go abroad.

Responding to the criticism, Anita Lehikoinen, the highest civil servant at the Ministry of Education, said on Yle that Finnish universities should feature bigger units that could be more attractive.

Petri Koikkalainen, chairman of the Union of Finnish University Researchers and Teachers, dismissed the view that private financing could replace the vacuum created by the decline of public funding. "Finland has no tradition of direct corporate funding to universities," he told Xinhua.

Elli Heikkila, research director at the Finnish Institute for Migration in Turku, said to Xinhua that the "forced migration" of academics is in sharp contrast against the backdrop of the reputation of Finland as a education-friendly country.

The bigger picture of Finnish emigration resembles the academic scene. While the overall balance of immigration is positive on account of the influx of asylum seekers, the figures comprising Finnish citizens are negative, Heikkila said. A total of 9,628 Finnish citizens moved abroad in 2015 and 7,332 moved back.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Former Brazil international midfielder Jadson is considering offers from several Brazilian clubs after rescinding his contract with China's Tianjin Quanjian, the player's agent said on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old parted ways with Tianjin Quanjian late on Monday after telling club officials of his desire to return to his homeland.

Jadson's agent Marcelo Robalinho said the former Corinthians playmaker was yet to reach an agreement with another club.

"I don't know if he has a preference," Robalinho told ESPN Brasil. "What I can say is that he is giving up the chance to make a lot of money so that he can come back to Brazil."

"We are looking to sign a contract of at least three years, maybe four or five years, if the club agrees."

Jadson helped Tianjin Quanjian earn promotion to the Chinese Super League after joining the club from Corinthians in December 2015.
TEHRAN, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday his country is opposed to the participation of the United States in the imminent peace talks about Syria, Tasnim news agency reported.

"We have not invited the United States ... and we are opposed to the U.S. presence" in Kazakhstan next week, the minister was quoted as saying.

The remarks came after Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov exchanged views on the Syrian peace talks in a phone call on Monday, the report said.

Following the intense diplomatic effort by Russia, Turkey and Iran, Syrian government and the opposition groups reached an agreement on a ceasefire earlier this month.

Later, it was announced that a new round of peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition groups will be resumed in Astana of Kazakhstan on January 23.

Russia and Turkey have invited the United States to join the talks.
STRASBOURG, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Antonio Tajani of the European People's Party Group promised "total availability" to all political groups in an acceptance speech in Strasbourg after being elected President of the European Parliament on Tuesday evening.

"Allow me to thank all of you, those who voted for me and those who voted for my friend Gianni Pittella in this last round," Tajani declared in his first speech from the head of the hemicycle, just minutes after the results were announced. "And I would like to thank all of those who voted for other candidates from other political groups."

"As I said today, I will be the President of all I will respect all members of Parliament and all groups," the new head of the European Parliament insisted after his victory.

Tajani led the first three rounds of voting, but was not able to secure the absolute majority necessary to win earlier in the day.

After the grueling contest, he emerged victorious after defeating Gianni Pittella, leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, in a final fourth voting round, by 351 votes to 282.

A founder of the Forza Italia party, Tajani is former European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, and has a reputation for strong commitment to business and deep personal ethics.

At the end of his work at the European Commission, Tajani refused the so-called "golden handshake," a three-year 468,000-euro(about 501,000 U.S. dollars) payout to former Commissioners intended to help them transition out of the public sector.

Tajani takes over the Presidency in a difficult time for European politics, with ongoing economic and migrant crises, internal and external security concerns, Brexit, and the ever-present threat of terrorism looming over the continent.

Critics on the left-wing of the hemicycle have accused President Tajani of being a supporter of failed austerity politics, with S&D Vice-President Udo Bullmann claiming in a press release last week that the Italian's election would lead to "three more years of disastrous neo-liberal economic policies."

For his part, Antonio Tajani promised to represent all interests, addressing his colleagues before the first round of voting in English, French, and his native Italian.

He also dedicated his victory to the victims of the recent earthquake that struck central Italy last October, many of whom are still in difficult conditions as a predicted cold snap descends on Europe this week: "I think we should express our solidarity to all of them, as well as we should express our solidarity to all the victims of terrorism. And those who are suffering at the moment. Those who are homeless and those that are unemployed."

President Tajani closed on a note of cooperation: "I think this is a common feeling which we all share. And I think this is the message Strasbourg should share with all our citizens."

He replaces outgoing Socialist President Martin Schulz, whom he thanked for the work he did during his mandate, and will serve a renewable 2.5-year term.

Tajani takes office immediately and, in his first duties, will oversee the election of 14 Vice-Presidents and five Quaestors on Wednesday.
BANJUL, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Gambian President Yaya Jammeh declared on Tuesday a state of public emergency in the country. The move came ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Adama Barrow, who is due to be sworn in January 19.

The West African country has been in a political crisis since December 9 when Jammeh, who lost the December 1 presidential elections and conceded defeat, changed his mind and refused to hand power over to Barrow.

Jammeh said on Tuesday section 34 of the Gambian Constitution allows him to declare the state of emergency to prevent the current crisis from leading "to breakdown of law and order".

"Under this state of public emergency, civil liberties are to be fully respected while all citizens and residents in The Gambia are banned from any acts of disobedience to the laws of The Gambia, and of incitement to violence and acts intended to disturb public order and peace," he said in a televised speech Tuesday evening.

"The security forces are hereby instructed to maintain absolute law and order throughout the country," he told the Gambians.

This came after Jammeh failed to annual the December election results and stop the inauguration of Barrow through the courts.

However, Jammeh said his declaration is necessitated by external interferences in the country's internal affairs, the fleeing of the electoral commission chief and lack of judges to preside over his election petition.

He added that the declaration is also to "prevent a constitutional crisis and power vacuum pending the determination of the petitions at the Supreme Court and the application for an injunction against swearing in Adama Barrow or anybody as president of the Islamic Republic of the Gambia, until the Supreme Court decides on the December 1, 2016 Presidential Election results".

Following the announcement, the National Assembly where Jammeh's ruling party enjoys overwhelming majority, passed a resolution to approve the declaration.

Yet, the declaration came at a time when many ministers from Jammeh's cabinet resigned. Five cabinet ministers were reported to have resigned on Tuesday, bringing a total of 8 resignations so far.
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations has received an invitation for the upcoming Astana peace talks on Syria and has designated a team to attend the meeting, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said Tuesday.

Haq said the office of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has received an invitation to Astana. "The Special Envoy has designated a team led by his Deputy, Ramzy E. Ramzy, and his political director, Robert Dann, to represent the UN at the meeting," he added.

A ceasefire agreement was reached between the Syrian government and oppositions at the end of last year after intense diplomatic efforts by Russia, Turkey and other countries. The new round of peace talks in Astana of Kazakhstan was scheduled on January 23.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on December 31 to welcome efforts by Russia and Turkey to end violence in Syria and start a political process.

The council viewed the peace talks in Astana "as an important part of the Syrian-led political process and an important step ahead of the resumption of negotiations," the resolution said.
File photo taken on Jan. 13, 2016 shows White House Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes speaks during a press briefing at the Foreign Press Center in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Jiao Min)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- A top aide to U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday reiterated the stance of the current administration that the One-China policy is "not negotiable," slamming any effort to reopen the issue as "dangerous."

"It's not negotiable in the sense that our entire relationship with China is founded upon the One-China policy. That was a basis for the Shanghai Communique and the reestablishment of diplomatic relations," Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security advisor, said at a briefing in Washington.

Rhodes called the One-China policy "an agreement we reached with the biggest country in the world" and "the framework under which we do everything."

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Friday, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said that the One-China policy is up for negotiation and that he is not fully committed to it.

In response to Trump's remarks, China's foreign ministry said on Saturday that the One-China policy is the political foundation of bilateral ties and "is non-negotiable."

At Tuesday's briefing, Rhodes warned the upcoming U.S. administration against seeking a new approach to the issue, calling such potential move "dangerous" and "destabilizing".

"It's dangerous. The risk of escalation in the Taiwan Strait is just a flashpoint the world does not need right now. The United States certainly doesn't," Rhodes said.

The senior foreign policy aide to Obama added that he does not see any benefit to the U.S. in changing the long-standing policy.

"China is not going to negotiate anything, so I am not sure what is accomplished by pursuing an approach where you seek to reopen it," he said. "Getting into the space of something like Taiwan just risks destabilizing that relationship without any potential benefit that I can foresee."
DAMASCUS, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian delegation to the upcoming negotiations in Astana consists of 10 diplomats, parliamentarians, and military personnel, headed by the Syrian permanent representative to the UN, pro-government al-Watan newspaper reported on its website late Tuesday.

Bashar Jaafari will head the government delegation, which includes the Foreign Minister Advisor Ahmad Arnus, Syria's ambassador to Moscow Riad Haddad, and Ahmad Kuzbari, a Syrian parliamentarian.

Three Syrian officers are also in the delegation, the paper said.

The negotiations schedule has been identified by only two topics: the first is an inclusive nationwide ceasefire between the rebel delegation and the Syrian one, and the second topic is "searching for the principles of the political solution."

This comes days after most rebel groups had agreed to attend the negotiations with Syrian government representatives in Astana later this month.

Conferring in Ankara on Sunday, nine rebel groups agreed to take part in the Jan. 23 meeting in Astana, which was the result of a recent Turkish-Russian agreement.

The most prominent rebel group to attend is the Jaish al-Islam, or the Islam Army, the main rebel power controlling key areas east of the capital Damascus.

However, six other rebel groups have rejected to take part, mainly those based in the northwestern province of Idlib, namely Ahrar al-Sham, Suqur al-Sham, Failaq Rahman, Jaish Idlib and others.

Each rebel faction will send representatives, reports said, adding that the names have already been handed over to the Turkish side, which will be coordinating with the Russians.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's crude steel production totaled 30.2 million tons in 2016, down 9.2 percent from 2015, the Brazilian Steel Institute announced on Tuesday.

Production of laminated steel amounted to 20.9 million tons, which represents a 7.7 percent fall from 2015.

Foreign trade involving steel also fell last year. Imports of steel were down 41.4 percent from 2015, totaling 1.9 million tons. Exports of steel, on the other hand, had only a light fall, totaling 13.4 million tons, down 2.1 percent from 2015.

Consumption of steel products, which is measured by adding domestic production and imports and subtracting exports, totaled 18.2 million tons in 2016, down 14.4 percent from 2015.

According to the Institute, the reduction can be seen as a reflection of the poor national economic performance last year, especially in the industrial sector.

Marco Polo de Melo, executive president of the Brazilian Steel Institute, told governmental news agency, Agencia Brasil, that the steel sector is going through an unheard of crisis.

"2016 had the worst crisis the steel industry faced in all its history. Even 2008, when there was a global crisis, was not so bad," he told Agencia Brasil.

According to Polo, in addition to the recession which is plaguing Brazilian economy in general, the main clients of the steel industry, namely the automotive, machinery and construction sectors, have been facing poor results.
By Jeremy Hawkins

STRASBOURG, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- As Antonio Tajani takes over the role of President of the European Parliament following his election on Tuesday, filling the office vacated by Martin Schulz, the Italian conservative will be seeking to assure his colleagues and European citizens that he will usher new energy into the institution.

"Change" was the watchword during the Presidential election campaign, with nearly all six candidates for the post making a claim to bringing change to the institution and to Europe. For many, this was code for the end of what has been known as "The Grand Coalition," a power-sharing agreement between the two largest political groups, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats Group (S&D), and the European People's Party Group (EPP), that has held sway over the hemicycle since 2014.

Ostensibly a power-sharing agreement between the two parties, the Grand Coalition has faced accusations of going beyond the orchestration of a Presidency for the European Parliament alternating between the EPP and S&D, extending into back room power dealing on a variety of issues. Critics have accused outgoing President Martin Schulz, formerly head of S&D, with using the coalition to broker agreements behind closed doors, gaining visibility and autonomy for the Parliament, but at the expense of transparency and democratic principles.

When Socialist Schulz announced in November that he would not stand for reelection, choosing instead to return to national politics in his native Germany, the coalition should have led to S&D supporting an EPP choice for the Presidency. Instead, in December, the leader of S&D, Gianni Pittella (Italy), simultaneously announced his candidacy and the end of the Grand Coalition.

"We will never again have a grand coalition," Pittella declared in his Tuesday morning presentation of candidacy just prior to the first round of voting, "we will never have a privileged agreement."

It seems that Mr. Pittella's hopes have been dashed two-fold, not only losing his bid for the presidency, but also as a new coalition has formed in the vacuum left by the old one, this time without the socialists.

The news broke with a surprise announcement on Tuesday morning, just before the candidates addressed their colleagues, when President Schulz informed the hemicycle that Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), had withdrawn his candidacy that had been confirmed just the evening prior. Applause broke out among the right wing ranks of the chamber.

Between the Monday evening sitting and Tuesday morning's vote, EPP and ALDE had negotiated a new, supposedly pro-European coalition, inviting other groups to join.

"This is a first important step in the construction of a pro-European coalition to reform and strengthen our union, which is absolutely necessary," explained Guy Verhofstadt, former Prime Minister of Belgium and European Parliamentary representative on Brexit, in a Tuesday morning press release from the ALDE group.

The coalition agreement purports to address a wide range of issues to help save the Europe against multiple threats trying to "destroy" the Union, with Manfred Weber (Germany), EPP President, characterizing the agreement as "content-based" and "positive" on pro-European policies.

Crucially, however, ALDE's press release indicates that as part of the agreement, both groups would back the EPP candidate for President, explaining Guy Verhofstadt's last minute withdrawal from the race, as well as what eventually became President Tajani's decisive win.

If Verhofstadt appeared sheepish in the moment when President Schulz announced the ALDE leader's decision to quit the race, it may be due to his reputation for speaking frankly - and loudly - in favor of a transparent, accountable, and fully democratic European Parliament and European Union, which appears contradictory to the closed-door deal making with which such a coalition is associated.

This new coalition may prove more difficult to manage, though, for President Tajani, a former European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship. The conservative politician with reputation for strong commitments to the business sector, once a spokesperson for controversial and eventually convicted Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has made attempts to show personal integrity and ethics. Notably, he refused the so-called "Golden Handshake" at the end of his time at the European Commission by refusing the 468,000-euro(about 501,000 U.S. dollars), three-year transitional allowance normally given to outgoing Commissioners.

Displays of personal integrity will not be enough, however, to easily win parliamentary votes without the support of the second largest political group in the Parliament, S&D, unless more political groups join the EPP-ALDE coalition. Likewise, accusations of back-room dealing are likely to continue from both the hard right and hard left political groups, calling into question Tajani's commitment to transparency.

The President's close ties to former European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, under fierce criticism for conflicts of interest since taking a high-ranking position in 2016 with investment bank Goldman Sachs, could lead to more skepticism about Tajani's claims to want to represent all Europeans as President of the European Parliament.

Populist leaders and Euroskeptic politicians are likely to use President Tajani's election and the new EPP-ALDE as fodder for renewed attacks on the credibility of the Parliament and other European Union institutions. With another last minute deal clinching the presidential elections, the question does come to bear: is this Brussels politics as usual? It will be up to President Tajani and his coalition colleagues to demonstrate that this partnership can, despite appearances, still lead to a freer and fairer Europe.
ROME, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 45 people were arrested in an anti-mafia operation carried out in Naples on Tuesday, the Italian police said.

The operation targeted two clans of the local Camorra mob leading the cocaine traffic in some central districts of the city, according to prosecutors of the Anti-Mafia District Directorate (DDA) in Naples.

Several children were involved in the illegal business of the gangs, which used them to wrap drug doses, and have them delivered at the clients' homes, chief prosecutor Giovanni Colangelo told a press conference.

"Some of the children were not even 10 years old," DDA prosecutor Filippo Beatrice explained.

All of the minors involved in the trafficking were under the age of 14, and as such were not indictable, the authorities added.

Those arrested were variously charged with mafia association, drug trafficking, extortion, and illegal possession of weapons. All the latter charges were aggravated by mafia methods.

Overall, the 45 arrests carried out on Tuesday involved members of the Elia clan; in the same operation, another 17 arrest warrants were issued by the DDA against the Amato-Pagano family. The two Camorra clans were allegedly confronting each other in order to extend their control on drug dealing over the northern districts of Naples.

Some weapons were seized in the operation, which was carried out by Italy's military police force Carabinieri.
By Zhang Maorong, researcher with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations; cartoon drawing by Liao Tingting

Chinese President Xi Jinping started his four-day state visit to the Swiss Confederation on January 15. During the trip, he will attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in 2017, visit the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG), the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee.

Xis trip is the opening of Beijing's diplomatic visits for 2017, which is of great significance to guide Chinas diplomacy for this year. It has attracted much global attention.

It is the first state visit to Switzerland by a Chinese president in the 21st century. It is Beijngs major diplomatic event in Europe and the whole world. It is of great significance to deepen China-Swiss innovative strategic partnership and promote cooperation between China and Europe.

And meanwhile, President Xi will become the first head of state to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. He will elaborate Beijings proposal on the global economic situation, put forward Beijings program and convey its confidence on global economic governance.

Xi will deliver a keynote speech on establishing a community of shared destiny for mankind at the Palace of Nations, and set a direction for the future of the world from perspectives of history and philosophy. Xi is also the first top Chinese leader to visit the World Health Organization and International Olympic Committee, which is of extraordinary significance. The Chinese Presidents ongoing state visit to Switzerland is characterized by a number of firsts. Xis first overseas trip in 2017 will add a new chapter to China's diplomacy.

(The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Panview or CCTV.com.)

(Source:CCTV.com)
A worker hangs red lanterns on Dongchang East Road in Liaocheng, east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 17, 2017. Streets in Liaocheng have been decorated with red lanterns to greet the Spring Festival, or the Chinese traditional lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 28 this year. (Xinhua/Zhao Yuguo)
Foreign students and a local resident(C) present Spring Festival couplets at a local community in Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 17, 2017. The activity was organized to bring warm greetings to the foreign students for the upcoming Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Hu Chenhuan)
CWU not pleased with TATT extension to CWC

CWU Secretary General, Joseph Remy, says this decision definitely flies in the face of logic and conveys to the CWU that (TATT) is lacking of testicular fortitude to take action against CWC, as contemplated by the conditionalitys outlined in the approval notice dated March 25, 2015. Remy then quoted from section D of the approval notice, which stated that CWC shall ensure the complete divestment of the 49 percent shareholding in TSTT within the time frame stipulated by the Authority, namely one year of the date of communication of this reconsidered decision, or such extended date as may be approved by the Authority in writing, such extension to not exceed a maximum of six months. Remy added that TATT went on to stipulate at D. (iii) that (it) shall take all steps as are available to it under the law in the event of any breach of these conditions by the Applicants or CWC, their agents or representatives. In 2014 CWC began the acquisition process of Columbus Communications, parent body of Flow, a direct competitor to TSTT in the telecommunications market.

Within 12 months of the approval date of February 2015, with a provision for a 6 months extension, CWC was to have divested of its TSTT shares.

In a statement issued on December 29, 2016 Remy denounced the fact that it wasnt until CWU went public in August 2016; 18 months after the concession was granted, that CWC still had not disposed of its TSTT shares as mandated, that TATT then gave a further extension to CWC.

TATT then gave CWC until December 31, 2016 to dispose of the shareholding, failing which the TATT would use the powers enshrined in the Act to act in the best interest of the country. All this time, Cable and Wireless continued to benefit from dividends from both companies, Remy said last month.

Now, three weeks later, Remy has issued a statement expressing the unions disappointment in TATTs aforementioned decision to grant yet another extension to CWC.

The CWU is totally opposed to this latest extension that was cowardly granted to CWC, Remy declared.

We recall CWC boasting about its grand acquisition and its joy in having the opportunity to sell off its 49 percent shareholding in TSTT, which it considered a backward Company and one with a stubborn Union. Why then are they so hell bent on retaining their 49 percent shareholding and in the process, benefit from Dividends from TSTT, the same TSTT that they say was a disaster? Hence the unions demand on Friday (January 13) that TATT invoke the provisions as set out in its communication of March 12, 2015 and March 26, 2016 and in the process, reject the application by Columbus Communications for a change of Control of its concession. Remy made it clear the union was tired of our independent national institutions pandering to foreign multi-nationals who do not have any interest whatsoever in the development of TT.
Top cop responds to Ramdeens letter

Two Mondays ago, letters of termination (via forced retirement from the TT Police Service) were issued to Snr Supts Simbonath Rajkumar and John Trimm.

The letters invited both officers to make representation as to why they should not be forced to retire from the service.

Both officers were given until yesterday to provide their response to the Acting Commissioner.

Last Thursday, attorney Gerald Ramdeen who is representing the interests of both senior officers sent a letter to Commissioner Williams describing his decision as unlawful, procedurally unfair, unconstitutional and in breach of the Police Act and the Constitution.

In his response, the Commissioner is said to have indicated that he is preparing a detailed response to Ramdeens letter and said response would be delivered to him (Ramdeen) sometime yesterday.

In the meantime, sources said, Williams is understood to have informed Ramdeen that he was extending the deadline given to the officers to provide reasons why they should not be retired from the Police Service at the insistence of the Office of the Commissioner of Police.

Contacted for comment, attorney Ramdeen yesterday declined saying he is awaiting the Commissioners response before deciding on his next move. Last week Monday, Williams met with President of the Police Social Welfare Association (PSWA) Inspector Michael Seales indicating his decision to retire some First Division officers who he believe are inefficient and non-functional.

After this meeting, both Trimm and Rajkumar were summoned to a meeting with the Commissioner where they were handed the letters.

Yesterday, both Rajkumar and Trimm were at their respective offices at the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) and Eastern Division, carrying out their responsibilities as head of their respective units.
Bourg Mulatresse man shot dead

According to reports, at about 2.30 pm, Anthony Sammy was at Sammy Lane Bourg Mulatresse in company with a female friend when three men, one armed with a gun, burst through the front door and shot Sammy several times.

He ran a short distance away where he collapsed and died.

Officers of the North Eastern Division Task Force, as well as homicide officers, went to the scene and carried out enquiries.

Officers later searched Sammys apartment and allegedly found a quantity of marijuana.

Police believe that Sammys death was linked to drugs.

His killing pushed the murder toll to 20 for the year thus far compared with the same period last year when there were 26 murders and 24 for 2014.

Yesterday Homicide officers told Newsday that additional manpower has been added to the Homicide Bureau to speed up murder investigations.
Man in court for stealing dishwashing liquid

Yesterday he appeared before Magistrate Kerianne Byer in the San Fernando Magistrates Court, charged with stealing four gallons of dishwashing liquid from CamQuip ICS Limited in Plaisance Park, St Margarets Village, Claxton Bay.

Sooknanan pleaded not guilty to the charge and made an application for bail. The court police prosecutor, Sgt Krishna Bedasie, objected, saying that he (Sooknanan) had chalked up 18 convictions for petty criminal offences, as well as for possession of marijuana. Sooknanan, the prosecutor submitted, has nine similar cases pending in the criminal justice system. In making his plea, Sooknanan complained to the magistrate that he had been kicked in the ribs by security guards and he needed medical attention.

He also told Byer that he lived nine houses away from the St Margarets Police Station.

Byer granted him $20,000 bail.

PC Kaveeta Ramjattan laid the charge.

In the same court, Anthony Stoute pleaded guilty to stealing a bottle of White Oak and a bottle of Black and White Scotch Whisky, a block of cheese and a rack of pork ribs from a residents home at Plaisance Park, St Margarets.

He pleaded guilty to the charge laid by Corporal Brian Singh.

Byer ordered that Stoute attend drug treatment clinics at Presentation College, San Fernando and he is to reappear before her on February 13.
12 months hard labour for marijuana

He had 17 silver packets containing the drug, the court was told. The officers, at the time, were conducting a road block exercise in the area. He was one of two priority offenders appearing before a magistrate in the Couva court yesterday.

The other offender, also 23, who had in his possession 26 silver packets of marijuana was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison with hard labour. A 19 year-old first offender, who the court heard had one small packet of marijuana in his possession, was ordered by the magistrate to do community service. The exercise on Friday was led by Sgt Thompson of the Couva Police Station.
CAL, RBC sign agreement for enhanced rewards credit card

In addition to the existing rewards programme, RBC says the new premium credit card will offer both retail and business clients premium benefits such as insurance coverage while they travel, concierge services and other reward earning opportunities that will allow clients to redeem faster.

New and existing holders of the RBC Caribbean Airlines credit card can look forward to additional features and services in early 2017 that will complement enhancements to CALs Frequent Flyer Programme. RBC also said its clients will continue to have access to all benefits as part of the Caribbean Miles Programme.

Watch out for exciting changes to our RBC Caribbean Airlines credit card in 2017. This is all part of an agreement extension between State-owned Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) and RBC, signed last Thursday (January 12). RBC yesterday (Friday) said this agreement marks a significant milestone in the decade-long relationship between two strong, well-established brands in the Caribbean: RBC which has operated in the Caribbean for more than 100 years and CAL, which has been recognised for the sixth consecutive year as the Caribbeans Leading Airline at the Annual World Travel Awards. CALs Acting CEO, Captain Jagmohan Singh said as the airline celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, it is delighted to once again partner with RBC to deliver value to our customers.
Carib signs with NUGFW

At the same time, Caribbean Development Company Limited (CDC) and the NUGFW agreed to grant a six percent wage increase to the companys weekly and monthly paid workers for 2016 to 2019.

Addressing journalists at the signing ceremony at the CDC headquarters in Champs Fleurs, company officials said the CDC had also agreed to withdraw an appeal against an Industrial Court judgement on behalf of workers for the period 2013 to 2016 and had resolved the matter at a sixteen percent increase.

Ian MacDonald, Chief Executive Officer of both companies, said CBL had decided to honour an Industrial Court judgement which had awarded the monthly paid workers a thirteen percent wage increase for the period 2011 to 2015 and the two sides had agreed to settle at thirteen percent for the weekly paid workers, the agreements accounting for outstanding as well as future contracts.

Christopher Streete, First Deputy President General of the NUGFW, said the union and the workers were happy with the settlements and both sides had committed themselves to show mutual respect.

He said no dispute would remain unresolved as long as the parties showed mutual respect and had the commitment and the will to settle it, although he admitted that in a negotiation neither party would get all that they wanted.

MacDonald said the companies decided to withdraw the appeal because they wanted to forge a partnership with the union but declined to say how much the settlement would cost the companies.

He said the companies expected to be able to pay backpay by the end of the month. In response to a question he acknowledged that the economy was difficult and admitted that the companies were being affected by it but declined to say to what extent sales was being affected though he said that because of the challenging economic conditions it was important for the company to forge a partnership with its workers and the union.

Asked how much the settlement would affect the bottom line of the companies, MacDonald said the companies were more concerned with having an engaged and unified workforce that with the impact on its bottom line.

He added that the companies were confident of the future especially now that it had a sound relationship with its employees.
Bmobile to host exposition

Rakesh Goswami, TSTTs Executive Vice President Strategic Alliance, Enterprise & Tobago Operations, said The telecommunications industry is constantly evolving at rapid speeds and all users - operators, consumers and the business sector - are faced with daily challenges. As the only local, full-service telecommunications services provider, we have recognised and embraced the importance of our pivotal enabling role in a demanding digital society.

Our Connect @ bmobile Technology Conference and Exposition is a new experience which provides a rich exchange of ideas and solutions with multiple industry leaders from across the world, all focused on how an investment in technology will stimulate innovation, increase collaboration and drive growth, productivity and economic transformation towards national prosperity. The conference will feature Senior Technical Director, Product Innovation and Big Data Expert from AT&T, Learie Hercules, who will help attendees discover how to use Advanced Analytics like any Fortune 500 compan
Duke not fit to run for THA elections, Rowley declares

Rowley, addressing supporters at the Cyd Gray Stadium, Roxborough, Tobago, referred to political leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP), Watson Duke, who is accused of rape.

The PDP is one of three political parties challenging the ruling PNM for control of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) in next Mondays election. Rowley issued a stern warning to Tobagonians who are supporting the PDP in the election.

Any or all of you in Tobago who will vote for one of us, a Tobagonian, who is on a rape charge, you is somebody to watch, he stressed, adding that those people will have to justify their actions.

Duke, president of the Public Services Association (PSA), is on five charges relating to an allegation of rape and indecent assault made by a young woman last year.

On Sunday, Rowley devoted much of his address to Dukes suitability as a candidate in the THA election. He said the fact that Duke has been charged disqualifies him from getting a vote in Tobago as a person who want to represent you. And, if you dont see that, then clearly you are subscribing to principles unknown to Tobagonians, he said. Rowley again warned Tobagonians.

I am saying to you here in Roxborough where Watson is running for a seat, you have a responsibility to subscribe to the higher standards of Tobago decency and to say to Watson Duke, No thanks. He said if Duke is convicted on the charges, it will
Leftist MP Habib El Malki of the USFP party was elected Monday Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament amid fears that such a decision may further complicate the stalling formation of a coalition government by Abdelilah Benkirane, Secretary General of the Islamist PJD party.

Benkirane was appointed Head of Government by King Mohammed VI after his party came in first in the October 7 general elections with 125 seats, but his talks with other parties to form a coalition government have so far been fruitless.

Malki, 71 year-old, was elected by MPs from opposition parties with 197 votes in favor, while 137 blank votes were submitted by the 125 PJD lawmakers and their leftist PPS party ally, which holds 12 seats in Parliament. The 47 MPs of the conservative PI party abstained from the vote and 7 other votes were declared invalid.

The USFP candidate received the votes of lawmakers from the liberal parties: the PAM, RNI and the UC.

The election of the House of Representatives Speaker before the formation of the governmental coalition risks further complicating negotiations between Benkirane and other political party leaders. The election of the Parliament Speaker was speeded up in view of the need to adopt texts relating to Moroccos bid to join the African Union.

Over the next two days, the House of Representatives will forge ahead with the election of the deputy speakers and heads of parliamentary committees.

PJD leader and coordinator at the House of Representatives, Saad Eddine EL Othmani, described the blank vote as reflective of the partys willingness to overcome the current deadlock. That is to say, the PJD seeks not to take stands against the USFP candidate leaving the door open for a potential coalition with other parties.

EL Othmani told his partys news portal that the PJD has decided to submit a blank vote in order to enable the smooth election of the Lower House Speaker in order to clear the way for Moroccos return to the African Union. By casting a blank vote and not appointing a candidate, the PJD avoided a situation by which its electoral victory would appear as pointless.

Morocco is in an unprecendented political deadlock after Benkirane broke off talks to form a new government with two main coalition partners three months after the countrys elections.

Two Royal Advisors , Abdellatif Mennouni and Omar Kabbaj, met with Benkirane at the end of December and expressed to him the concern of the Sovereign regarding the delay in forming the new government. Soon after that, the PJD said that the PI will not be part of the next government in a bid to overcome the deadlock and forge ahead with negotiations.

After five years in government, the PJD won 125 seats in Octobers election followed by its archrival the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) with 102 seats, while the conservative PI won 46 seats.

The fragmentation of Moroccos political landscape makes no party able to win an outright majority. To secure the majority of seats needed to form a coalition government, the PJD has at least to enter into a coalition with 4 parties, a task that may put the PJD on a rocky road to negotiate the distribution of ministerial portfolios and compromise on their partys policy to bring it in tandem with its partners in the future government.

With 12 parties represented in the lower house, the Moroccan stalemate indicates how too many parties can spoil politics giving way to incoherent governmental coalitions involving odd bedfellows including Islamists, former communists and conservatives as was the case with the previous government.
Managers of Moroccos Renault factories in Tangier and Casablanca voiced satisfaction at the steady growth of their exports, which target 73 destinations.

CEO of Renaults Morocco group, Mark Nassef said in a press conference that the French car manufacturer exported 303.892 cars made in Morocco in 2016 compared to 256.537 cars in 2015.

He noted that 252,981 of the exported cars were made in Renaults giant factory in Tangier while 50,911 were manufactured in Casablanca.

These vehicles have been exported to Europe, mainly France, Spain and Germany as well as to Turkey and other markets in Asia, Africa and South America. The group will increase production in 2017, Nassef said.

Speaking on the same occasion, Eric Basset, marketing manager at Renault Morocco said the car market in Morocco is expanding with 160,000 cars sold in 2016. He said Renault are taking the lions share with about 61,000 cars.
Tunisia received Monday two American speedy vessels that will help in the fight against illegal migration and terrorism.

The North African country, despite a successful democratic transition, is facing terrorism threats coming mainly from neighboring unstable Libya.

The two vessels are part of a military deal signed in 2012. Under the deal, Tunisia is to get six warships from the US administration. According to AFP, Tunisia has already received two vessels, while the remaining two will be delivered in one-year time.

American assistance, including financial assistance, has enabled Tunisia to make these acquisitions, a Tunisian official speaking under condition of anonymity told AFP.

US ambassador to Tunisia who was attending the vessels reception ceremony noted that the vessels only represent an aspect of the military cooperation between the US and the North African country.

Washington and several other western capitals have been supporting Tunisia in its fight against terrorism, mainly in securing its 500 km-border with Libya.

The North African country was rocked in 2015 by three terror attacks perpetrated by Islamic State group (IS) militants, reportedly trained in Libya.

Tunisia is on high alert over the looming return of the countrys foreign fighters as IS is losing ground in Syria and Iraq.

In 2015, Washington designated Tunisia a Major Non-NATO Ally, paving the way for the country to receive military support from NATO.
Democratic leaders in Congress defending Obamacare. Photo: Zach Gibson/AFP/Getty Images

The Republican campaign to discredit the Affordable Care Act is a catastrophic success. Republicans have denounced the law for shortcomings that their own plans would all exacerbate, and have taken advantage of widespread confusion about what the law does and whom it benefits  a posture that works only as long as Republicans can avoid responsibility for the status quo. Democrats have the chance to defend and safeguard Obamacares successes if they leverage this Republican vulnerability. In fact, they have four chances.

The next phase of the fight over American health care will be confusing. It will unfold over numerous votes and many months (or, more likely, years). But every strategy involves using the GOPs political weakness against it with the goal of getting the best possible outcome for the people helped by Obamacare.

1. Defeat repeal and delay. Republicans have a two-step plan. First, they will vote to defund Obamacare through a budget-reconciliation bill that cant be filibustered. Then their replacement plan will be voted on later.

The repeal vote is the easiest step in the Republican plan, but its still not very easy. Republicans will repeal the law and delay the effects of the repeal for a long period (the most current reporting suggests three years). A vote to repeal Obamacare without clarity about its replacement will threaten massive chaos in the health-care market. Not only will millions of Americans lose their access to medical care but, even worse (from a Republican perspective), doctors, hospitals, and insurers will face the risk of massive losses. Several Republicans have threatened to oppose a bill that repeals Obamacare without simultaneously replacing it, and the party can only afford to lose two votes.

Last week, Senate Republicans started bleeding votes, as some half-dozen of their members indicated deep reservations about repeal-and-delay. GOP leaders yanked them back into line on a procedural vote by promising that the deadline for the real repeal vote could be extended. But there remains a real chance the repeal strategy could collapse at step one.

2. Negotiate for minimal changes. Republicans hope that defunding Obamacare on a delay will pressure Democrats into giving them cover for the kinds of unpopular changes Republicans want to make to the system  which means letting insurers sell skimpy plans, with lower subsidies, creating sky-high premiums and deductibles that leave medical coverage far less affordable to people who are either poor or sick. The expiration of the phase-out will be a cliff. Trump has said that he thinks he can force at least eight Democrats, which is the number his party needs to write a new health-care bill, to support his plan by convincing voters to blame them if Obamacare ends.

But this is preposterous. Voters always hold the governing party accountable for bad outcomes. Remember, many of the people who would lose their care voted for Trump and expect him to protect or even strengthen their insurance. Assuming repeal-and-delay passes, Democrats should treat it as if the Republican government has set off a time bomb that would blow up its majority.

Of course, expiration of Obamacare without any plan to replace it would create a humanitarian catastrophe as well. So if Republicans want to agree to some package of small fixes that preserves the laws main accomplishments, Democrats might take such a deal. Then, basically, Obamacare will have been rebranded as Trumpcare. A handful of hard-core anti-government ideologues on the right would howl. But, given that vanishingly few Republicans have any idea what Obamacare does, they could easily be convinced that Trumpcare is amazing, even if it is 95 percent the same as Obamacare.

3. Push for extension. Assuming steps one and two fail, and no deal can be struck, at some point, the deadline for Obamacare extension will approach, perhaps at the end of 2019. Republicans will not want to head into the 2020 elections having presided over a catastrophic failure, with news coverage of suffering, death, and failing hospitals and insurers. Trump would have broken his promise to replace Obamacare with a terrific alternative that takes care of everybody. Lobbyists for insurers, doctors, and hospitals will exert overwhelming pressure to simply extend Obamacares deadline, which could be done by the same majority vote that repealed the law. The extensions would continue until Trump leaves office.

4. Repeal the repeal. If all the above steps fail, there is one final recourse. Assume Obamacare is repealed and no replacement emerges. (Or perhaps the replacement is a handful of hoary Republican measures, like Health Savings Accounts, that do little or nothing to cover people who cant afford insurance.) Either way, Democrats will have a clear path forward to undoing whatever Republicans do to their system. The disaster of repeal-without-replace could easily be broad enough to power the kind of anti-incumbent wave that produced the last Democratic majority, in 2006 and 2008. Possibly, Democrats will have to wait longer than until 2020 to regain their control of government.

But the legislative dynamic will have changed for good. Its important to recall that the filibuster is the reason health-care reform was out of reach for decades. Democrats could have passed health-care reform under Bill Clinton, or possibly earlier, if not for the Senates 60-vote requirement. They finally overcame that threshold in 2009 by mustering 60 Senate votes. Republicans might defund their bill with 50 votes, but they wont have 60 votes to eliminate the insurance regulations it created. That means Democrats can pass reform again with only 50 Senate votes. That opportunity will come. And if Trumps government screws up badly enough, it will probably arrive sooner rather than later.
Not amused. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Last week, we learned that intelligence officials alerted the president-elect to the existence of an unverified research report, assembled by an exBritish spy, which claimed that Donald Trumps campaign had been in close contact with the Russian government through much of 2016  and that the Kremlin possessed compromising information about him.

Then, thanks to BuzzFeed, we learned that the alleged compromising information included a video tape of Trump doing something involving sex workers, urine, and a bed the Obamas once slept in.

Its not clear who leaked word of these salacious allegations. The dossier that BuzzFeed published had been commissioned by Trumps opponents during the 2016 campaign, and had been circulating among journalists and political operatives  as well as intelligence officials  for months. It is possible that CNN would have needed an intelligence-community source to report that our spy agencies had briefed Trump on the dossier. But the list of people who could have sent the documents themselves to BuzzFeed extends well into the private sector.

Nonetheless, Donald Trump decided to pin the blame on the intelligence agencies he will soon rely upon  and in the most incendiary possible terms.

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

These remarks did not endear the president-elect to outgoing CIA director John Brennan.

And in an interview with Fox News Sunday, Brennan did not mince words when assessing the incoming presidents command of geopolitics.

I dont think he has a full understanding of Russian capabilities and the actions they are taking on the world, the CIA director said. Mr. Trump has to understand that absolving Russia is a road that he needs to be very, very careful about moving down.

Brennan also decried Trumps assumption that the intelligence community was leaking or releasing this information, arguing that it had been circulating for many months, and thus, was already out there.

Trump responded by observing that several bad things happened in the world while Brennan was running the CIA  and that this (somehow) amounted to evidence that Brennan was the mystery leaker.

.@FoxNews "Outgoing CIA Chief, John Brennan, blasts Pres-Elect Trump on Russia threat. Does not fully understand." Oh really, couldn't do...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2017

much worse - just look at Syria (red line), Crimea, Ukraine and the build-up of Russian nukes. Not good! Was this the leaker of Fake News?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2017

The CIA director then turned his indignation up to 11, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Tell the families of those 117 CIA officers who are forever memorialized on our wall of honor that their loved ones who gave their lives were akin to Nazis, Brennan said, referring to Trumps days-old tweet. Tell the CIA officers who are serving in harms way right now and their families who are worried about them that they are akin to Nazi Germany. I found that to be very repugnant, and I will forever stand up for the integrity and patriotism of my officers who have done much over the years to sacrifice for their fellow citizens.

This is all remarkable for a number of reasons. Most obviously, the outgoing CIA director and incoming president are publicly describing each other as repugnant and incompetent, on the one hand, and ineffectual and Nazi-esque, on the other. While Trump wont need to rely on Brennan in the coming years, hell presumably need to rely on some of the old directors loyalists. That Trump is choosing to further heighten tensions with the CIA, days before he takes office, seems inauspicious  both for his relationship with the intelligence community, and for the prospects of the next commander-in-chief responding rationally to attacks on his ego.

But Trump isnt the only one who made some curious remarks during this exchange. Brennan claims that the information in the dossier was already out there, and so theres no reason to suspect the intelligence community was involved in its publication. But as Marcy Wheeler notes, the last report in the dossier is dated December 13, 2016  many months after the FBI first got wind of the documents. Which is to say: The iteration of the dossier that leaked was a newly updated one, a fact that shrinks the pool of people who could have leaked it.

Further, in his interview with the Journal, Brennan claimed that he hasnt even read the dossier. Which is odd, if true, for reasons Wheeler aptly summarizes:

I mean, sure, youre conducting one of the most sensitive briefings of recent history. The briefers here are all principals  along with Brennan and Clapper, Admiral Mike Rogers and Jim Comey. And you dont even read the stuff that goes into it? You dont review the underlying dossier that, you claim, youre briefing just so Trump knows what the Russians have on him? That may well be true.



But if it is, it suggests a very deliberately cultivated plausible deniability, one that the decision to have Comey brief the dossier to Trump by himself only adds to. Most charitably, Brennan cultivated such deniability only to ensure he can claim that the CIA is not engaging in domestic politics (and that may well be enough).

Whatever Brennans intentions, the whole situation is deeply weird. So weird, you almost have to wonder whether were living in Nazi Germany  if youre the incoming leader of the free world, anyway.
Amazingly enough, a former Speaker of the House wants a Republican Congress to deny itself any independent source of information on debts and deficits. Photo: Kevin Hagen/Getty Images

As the Trump era approaches, one of the great imponderables is how well the Trump administration will get along with a Republican-controlled Congress.

The latest signs are not good for a smoothly operating GOP trifecta government. To say that Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump, and Tom Price, Trumps Health and Human Services appointee, are not on the same page about how to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act is a massive understatement. Looking beyond the Obamacare thicket, everybodys plans on Capitol Hill for 2017 involve major reforms of corporate and individual taxes and also quite possibly undertaking a version of entitlement reform that would functionally wipe out the whole Great Society legacy of anti-poverty programs. Though no one knows exactly where Trump will come out on these broader budget goals, its no secret that the agenda his campaign suggests are about 180 degrees away from the debt-and-deficit-shrinking rhetoric so many congressional Republicans have deployed so often in the recent past.

Yes, there are ample grounds for the cynical observation that congressional Republicans only care about budget deficits when a Democrat is in the White House. But there is no question that conservatives really do want to pursue the decimation of liberal spending programs as an end in itself, and will agitate the air about debt and deficits to increase the pressure to do so, even if its opposed by a Republican administration. So how can the new Trump regime avoid this conflict early in its tenure?

Trumps friend and adviser Newt Gingrich has a solution: Change the score by abolishing the only independent scorekeeper, the Congressional Budget Office.

Congressional Republicans are about to be confronted with the first great choice of the Trump era, and it will be interesting to see if they can apply the lessons of the November 8th victory and the countrys desire for real change.



The Congressional Budget Office is simply incompatible with the Trump era. President-elect Trump won as an entrepreneurial change agent who would drain the swamp, get Washington under control, take charge of the bureaucracies, and get things done in an entrepreneurial, common sense way. The Congressional Budget Office is the opposite of these commitments. It is a left-wing, corrupt, bureaucratic defender of big government and liberalism.

That is how Gingrich describes the Republican-controlled congressional budget arm. And there is every reason to suspect the problem he (and other Trump allies) perceives with CBO has nothing to do with liberalism and everything to do with inconvenient budget math. CBO may have painted a big bulls-eye on itself with a December report about options for reducing the budget deficit that defied the Trump claim that its possible to slash high-end taxes and boost defense spending while not doing anything to offend Republican or swing voters. As one MarketWatch columnist put it:

The good news is that the green eye-shades and number-crunchers at the Congressional Budget Office have just produced a fantastic checklist for a massive, Texas-Chainsaw-Massacre-style attack on all that waste and padding and featherbedding in the entire U.S. federal budget. The bad news? Donald Trumps budget math still doesnt add up. Not even close.

Thus, the CBO is providing a bright-yellow-line guide for Tea Partystyle fiscal hawks centered in the House Freedom Caucus to throw a monkey wrench into Trumps plans. As Gingrich accurately says, the quickest way to put the monkey wrench back into the toolbox is to abolish the CBO, leaving Trumps Office of Management and Budget as the sole official arbiter of spending, revenue, deficit, and debt estimates. As budget expert Stan Collender notes, this would represent a staggering abdication of congressional independence:

This would be an extraordinary step backwards. Until CBO was created, Congress had no independent and reliable source of information to use when voting on anything. The committee that proposed the legislation typically had an interest in making the numbers as positive as possible so the estimates were often as tainted as they could be. In other cases, Congress had no choice but to rely on the Office of Management and Budget  the presidents agency for the analysis  something that representatives and senators found unacceptable more than 4 decades ago.

It is indeed extraordinary that a former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is advocating this step. But it is highly consistent with Trumps more general effort to delegitimize any sources of public information that he or his hirelings do not control. And for precisely that reason, theres a good chance that Gingrich really is speaking for the 45th president in demanding unilateral budget disarmament by Congress.

And if theres any doubt about the inconvenience CBOs honesty represents for the GOP at this moment, it was probably resolved today when the agency reported that the repeal of Obamacare as it was enacted by Republicans in 2015s dry run bill (vetoed by Obama) would result in 32 million people losing health insurance and would double the price of insurance premiums within a decade. Thats news Republicans at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue just dont want to hear.
Just a few more days  Photo: Adam Berry/Getty Images

Russian president Vladimir Putin says allegations that Donald Trump may have met with prostitutes and done some unhygienic things in a Russian hotel suite are utter nonsense.

People who order fakes of the type now circulating against the U.S. president-elect, who concoct them and use them in a political battle, are worse than prostitutes because they dont have any moral boundaries at all, Putin fired off on Russian state television Tuesday. It highlights a significant degree of degradation of political elites in the West, including in the United States.

Putin also pointed the finger at the Obama administration for trying to undermine Trump, and for fomenting doubt about the legitimacy of the U.S. election results  which is, incidentally, the exact same thing the U.S. intelligence community has accused Russia of doing. Putin had additional reasons, beyond Americas moral turpitude, for why those claims made in that leaked memo arent likely be true.

When Trump came to Moscow, he was not a political figure, we were not even aware of his political ambitions, Putin said, likely referring to Trumps 2013 visit for the Miss Universe contest, even though Trump had flirted with a presidential run in 2012 and some other times before that. Does somebody think that our secret services are chasing every American billionaire? Of course not. It is utter nonsense.

The Russia leader also questioned whether it was believable that Trump would have hired sex workers. [He is] someone who has been involved with beauty contests for many years and has met the most beautiful women in the world, Putin explained. I find it hard to believe that he rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world.

But, Putin added, I doubt Trump took that bait.
The Price of doing business. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Georgia Congressman Tom Price is proving that when it comes to flouting conflicts of interest, he and Donald Trump have a lot in common. Trumps nominee for health secretary reportedly invested thousands of dollars in a medical-device company last year and then, less than a week later, introduced legislation to benefit it. Later, the companys PAC donated to Price, CNN reports.

The company is Zimmer Biomet, a leading producer of hip- and knee-replacements. In March of 2016, Price bought between $1,001 to $15,000 worth of stock in the Indiana-based company, according to CNN. Then, before the month was over, he introduced the HIP Act, which would have delayed changes sure to affect the bottom line of Zimmer Biomet.

It clearly has the appearance of using your influence as a congressman to your financial benefit, Larry Noble of Campaign Legal Center told CNN. If he believed in the bill, he should not have purchased the stock.

Appearances only got worse as 2016 went on and Zimmer Biomets PAC cut Price a check for $1,000.

The Trump transition team defended Price on Monday evening. Spokesman Phillip Blando told the New York Times that a broker bought the stock and Price had no knowledge or input. Blando also issued a statement saying Any effort to connect the introduction of bipartisan legislation by Dr Price to any campaign contribution is demonstrably false.

Nevertheless, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for an investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics into whether Price might have violated a law that bars members of Congress from engaging in insider trading.

OCE needs to conduct an immediate, thorough investigation into Rep. Price's potential violations of the STOCK Act before nom moves forward. https://t.co/RDnc6t839X  Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 17, 2017

This isn't just a couple of questionable trades, but rather a pattern of Rep Price trading stock & using his office to benefit those cos. https://t.co/LlQbqGqAls  Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 17, 2017

This post has been updated to include responses from the Trump transition and Senator Schumer.
Trumps working on something amazing, so lets just tear up this old legislation. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Over the weekend, Donald Trump revealed that he has an Obamacare replacement plan that will provide insurance for everybody. He assured the Washington Post that his health-care plan is definitely not imaginary; he claims its nearly finished, but it wont be unveiled until his Health and Human Services secretary is confirmed.

That suggests Representative Tom Price is integral to this plan, but it appears the opposite may be true. A senior transition official tells CNN that Price is being kept out of discussions about Trumps strategy to ensure Americans are beautifully covered. Trumps team doesnt want senators to question Price about the plan during his hearing before the Senate Health Committee on Wednesday, and he cant reveal what he doesnt know.

Price actually released his own detailed health-care-reform plan two years ago, but he doesnt want to talk about that during his confirmation hearing either. The Georgia congressman reportedly wants to avoid the appearance that hes encouraging lawmakers to get behind his proposal.

Also, his plan likely bears no resemblance to the president-elects  though its hard to say, since Trump has only revealed a few vague, impossible aspects of the plan. For instance, as Politico notes, Prices plan does not attempt to provide universal coverage, though that appears to be a feature of Trumps proposal.

Instead of getting into specifics about how Republicans plan to prevent millions from losing their insurance coverage, Price would like to focus on his readiness to shift from making policy to implementing it as a Cabinet official. But according to Senator Al Franken, they plan to discuss a meatier subject:
Andy Puzder. Photo: DANIEL ACKER/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Its been a rough day for Donald Trumps appointees. On Monday, Monica Crowley said she will not take a communications job at the National Security Council amid a plagiarism scandal. Then a CNN report claimed Georgia Congressman Tom Price invested in a medical-device company shortly before introducing legislation that would benefit it.



Now, another CNN report says that Andy Puzder, CEO of the company that owns Hardees and Carls Jr., is having second thoughts about becoming Labor secretary. He may be bailing, said a Republican source close to the Trump transition team. He is not into the pounding he is taking, and the paperwork.

CNN reports that a Trump transition spokesperson initially declined to comment, then pointed to this tweet as a rebuttal:

I am looking forward to my hearing.  Andy Puzder (@AndyPuzder) January 16, 2017

Puzder has come under fire from labor advocates, who note that he opposes many workplace regulations intended to protect fast-food employees. CKE Restaurants, parent company of Hardees and Carls Jr., has paid millions to settle class-action lawsuits claiming that the company cheated workers. Hes also talked about replacing fast-food workers with robots as a way to deal with the rising minimum wage.

It would be hard to pick someone who is more anti-labor than this guy for the Labor Department, Paul Secunda, director of the Labor and Employment Law Program at Marquette University, told ThinkProgress.

Democrats and labor groups have launched an aggressive campaign against Puzder. Last week there were protests against Puzder outside fast-food restaurants in more than a dozen cities nationwide, and several Democratic lawmakers have spoken out against his nomination.

Mr. Puzder has spent his career rigging the system against American workers by opposing the overtime rule, opposing the minimum wage, and underpaying his own workers, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. His nomination as labor secretary is proof positive that the incoming administration wont keep its promises to working people.

Puzders nomination has also brought personal issues to light. In their 1989 divorce proceedings, Puzders ex-wife, Lisa Fierstein, accused him of domestic assault on at least three occasions. Puzder denied the allegations and Fierstein told New York that she impulsively filed for divorce and was counseled to file allegations that I regretted and subsequently withdrew over 30 years ago. But last week Politico reported that Fierstein appeared in disguise on an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show as a victim of domestic violence.

Puzders required ethics and financial disclosures have yet to be released by the Office of Government Ethics. His confirmation hearing was delayed for a second time this week, and the date has yet to be set.

Still, other sources told CNN that they dont expect Puzder to withdraw. One Republican said top transition officials are urging Puzder to stay on despite the controversy, explaining, Trump loves it and wants the fight.
Photo: Andrew Brookes/Getty Images/Cultura RF

Checking the unknown box under the family-health-history section of medical forms never bothered Brad Garland  until he had kids.

I didnt have any interest in knowing my birth parents, said Garland, who was adopted from Korea at 5 months old. But when he passed on this question mark of a medical history, he began to worry there might be something lurking in his genes he needed to warn his two kids about.

Garland, an accountant in Huntsville, Alabama, discovered there was a prominent genetic-research lab in his own backyard: the nonprofit HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. Not only that, they were having a $99 special on genetic health screenings, Garland said. So as a Christmas gift, he asked for a screening test.

While Garland was hungry for answers, he remained pragmatic about the limitations of testing. Youre not going to find out everything, but you may find something that you can make changes to prevent, he said. I always want to know the most information possible to make the best decision.

Bioethicist Thomas May is the senior scientist on HudsonAlphas ethics and genomics program. In a recent article in the American Journal of Bioethics, May argued that adopted people experience health disparities because of their lack of access to genetic relatives health history, and suggests gene sequencing as an effective  and increasingly affordable  solution.

What we are most concerned about is that for some people, rare but life-threatening diseases can be prevented with early screening, May said in an interview. Theres a health gap for this population that we can mitigate.

But critics caution against being overly optimistic about the practical applications of genetic sequencing. Might only a very small proportion of adoptees receive useful results? What about false positives or inconclusive results? What about all the diseases we cant test for or which have no prevention or cure?

Mark Rothstein, the founding director of the University of Louisvilles Institute for Bioethics, Health Policy, and Law, worries about the psychological distress he feels is inherent in genetic screening. Whole-genome sequencing often yields ambiguous results, or atypical findings known as variants of unknown significance. Rothstein says these findings have no clinical utility, and may needlessly upset patients.

For some people, screening may be a source of great relief, lead them to timely medical care, or even alert them to the need for life planning, Rothstein said. On the other hand, it might confirm their greatest fears, lead them on unproductive diagnostic odysseys, or give them new reasons to worry.

In general, there are a limited number of conditions where family health history has an impact. May contends that the potential utility of family-health history lies in its lifesaving role indicating a risk that  precisely because it is rare  would be otherwise unlikely to be identified. In the case of colon and breast cancers, for instance, knowing you are genetically predisposed can trigger earlier, more frequent screenings.

While a small number of false positives might occur, May is more concerned about false assurance: If someone gets tested for the breast cancer gene and doesnt have it, for example, they think their risk of breast cancer is zero  but genes only account for a portion of breast cancer risk.

How doctors approach the gaps in adoptees health history varies widely. Some physicians assume adopted persons have everything, whereas others assume these family histories are unimportant if the adopted person is young and healthy, Richard Lee, a University of Minnesota psychology professor specializing in international adoption, wrote in a commentary responding to Mays paper. But the latter approach, he argued, was the more problematic of the two: These paternalistic reassurances neither allay anxieties, nor give adopted persons access to specialized testing unless current symptoms are present. As such, health disparities that could have been prevented with genomic screening may emerge. He agreed that preventive interventions such as genomic screening would go far to assuage the anxiety many adopted individuals experience at medical appointments.

Lack of medical history is of particular significance in international adoptions, where records are often closed, inaccurate, or even falsified. This is something May has personal experience with. In the journal Pediatrics last year, May wrote about being given virtually no information on his daughters health during the adoption process: [W]e were provided with little more than a photograph, and a vague statement that the child appears healthy, as the medical portion of our information packet (the rest of the packet focused on personality, temperament, and behavioral traits). Indeed, we have no information about illnesses that run in her biological family from either side. This experience further motivated Mays research.

But while its one thing for an adoptee to decide to undergo genetic screening as an adult, the genetic screening of children either before or after adoption is an ethical minefield. Rothstein says genetic screening is only ethical if it is done for the childs benefit, and pre-adoption genetic screening for risk assessment is ethically questionable because it treats children as commodities.

May says that until we fully understand all the risks and benefits, his research will focus only on adults. Its a decision individuals need to make for themselves, he said. As for his daughter, hes waiting for her to decide for herself whether she wants to pursue genetic screening down the road.

Yet another issue is who should be responsible for covering the cost of genetic testing and counseling. Some insurance companies will cover the cost of genetic screening if it is deemed medically necessary by a physician, but policies vary. And while the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) makes it illegal for insurance companies to use genetic information against their customers, it places the burden on the individual to demonstrate wrongdoing. Therefore, many people are understandably wary about going through their insurance to get screened.

And the acts protections are limited: GINA does not apply to companies with fewer than 15 employees, nor does it cover people in the military or those receiving health benefits through the Veterans Health Administration or Indian Health Service. GINA also does not protect against genetic discrimination in life, disability, or long-term-care insurance decisions. Adopted persons are already considered a population risk in those cases; genetic information may further penalize them.

Despite these issues, many adoptees see a twofold benefit to genetic screening: Not only does it give them a fuller picture of their health, it does so without forcing them track down their biological families, a step that many may wish to avoid.

May says that in one of his focus groups, a woman expressed interest in obtaining health history information to help her make reproductive decisions. She knew who her birth family was, but wasnt ready to reach out and contact them yet, May said. Her need for health information shouldnt push her into connecting with her birth family before she was ready. Genomic screening is a way to bypass this.

As for Garland, he also pursued testing for purely medical reasons: I wasnt trying to find any long-lost third cousins, I just wanted to know more about my health risks. Garland says he was tested for the handful of gene markers implicated in various types of cancer, and was told he was not a carrier. He even began approaching local adoption agencies to share his genetic-screening experience and advocate for fellow adoptees to get tested.

I strongly encourage anyone  especially people who were adopted  to get screened, Garland said. Its another tool that gives you more information to make better decisions.
At the beginning of January, a student named Nathan from the Frederick County public-school system in Maryland tweeted at the schools account asking for classes to be cancelled the next day. Actually, what Nathan asked was for the school to be closed tammarow PLEASE. To which Katie Nash, the woman charged with running the Twitter account, replied, but then how would you learn to spell tomorrow? :)

It was a gentle burn and one Nash felt was appropriate for her role as Web Experience Coordinator. (The kids wound up having school, but with a two-hour start delay.) We had received feedback from some students in a focus group that our tweeting was a bit flat, they were looking for some more engagement, Nash told WHAG. They were looking for us to tweet back at them and I really took that to heart. Except the school system had a different idea about what constituted more engagement. Nash was asked to delete the tweet and fired the next week, despite the fact that Nathan really didnt seem much worse for wear.

i didn't take it like personaly  Nathan (@linganoreRocket) January 6, 2017

Better luck tammarow.


Lisa Szarkowski, Imran Amed, and Claudia Martinuzzi. Photo: LOUIS VUITTON/BFA.COM - CARL TIMPONE

This all seems so far away from our glossy world of fashion, admitted Imran Amed, the founder and CEO of Business of Fashion, as he opened a panel on the ongoing crisis in Syria at Louis Vuittons Fifth Avenue headquarters Thursday night. Considering the building is located not far from the Trump Tower media circus, he noted that it was hard not to be distracted by what he called the latest tweet or rowdy press conference. Still, Amed and the two other speakers  UNICEFs Lisa Szarkowski and LVs Claudia Martinuzzi  were quick to remind the audience of fashion-industry and media types that there is more going on in the world than just the plight were facing in our own backyards.



In response to the crisis, Louis Vuitton, which has an ongoing relationship with UNICEF, created a campaign last week called #MakeAPromise, wherein $200 of the proceeds from each sale of its special-edition pendant and necklace designs went to the charity, which is working to help an estimated 2.2 million refugee children. Martinuzzi  who was part of a company delegation that visited Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon last year  talked about the educational training children there are receiving on how to resist and cope with violence. Having fled Syria doesnt mean that youre necessarily safe, she pointed out. Szarkowski added that refugees have settled as close as New Jersey and are in need of help. Her advice to the industry? Hire refugees. Seek them out, befriend them.

For those looking for other ways to help, the speakers suggested donating directly to UNICEFs work in Syria or providing coats and blankets to the charity Embrace Relief, which has drop-off locations in New York, D.C., and the Midwest. And UNICEF is always looking for volunteers to get involved, whether thats by acting as a buddy to a refugee child or holding fundraisers. As Szarkowski put it, These kids  are the ones who have to come back and help rebuild their country. If we dont invest in them, then thats not going to be a resource in the future.
A protester outside Trump Tower on November 9. Photo: Barcroft Media/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

If you cant make it down to D.C. for the 200,000-person-strong Womens March on Washington, theres a New York counterpart on the same day, among other protests.

January 19, 6 p.m., Trump International Hotel

A protest outside Trump International Hotel* planned by Michael Moore, Mark Ruffalo, and Alec Baldwin is scheduled for 6 p.m. the night before the inauguration. Per the New York Daily News, Mayor de Blasio, Rosie Perez, and the Reverend Al Sharpton are reportedly expected to attend as well.

January 20, 5 p.m., Foley Square

Should you want to protest on Inauguration Day itself, the Democratic Socialists of America, Socialist Alternative, and other groups are organizing a January 20 march  NYC Stand Against Trump  that starts at 5 p.m. in Foley Square and will continue to the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street.

January 21, 11 a.m., Dag Hammarskjold Plaza

The January 21 NYC Womens March will be kicking off at 11 a.m. at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (47th Street between First and Second avenues). The march route will go down Second Avenue to 42nd Street, where it will turn west and continue to Fifth Avenue, then up to Trump Tower at 56th Street. Over 75,000 people are expected to attend.

If youre planning on taking part in any or all of the above protests, the Cut has created an extensive preparation guide for the Womens March on Washington that may prove helpful.

And, as always, dont forget your sign.



Update: A previous version of this post incorrectly stated that the protest would be taking place at Trump Tower.
Throughout her eight years as First Lady, Michelle Obama has supported and influenced the fashion industry with an authority that will only grow after she leaves the White House. She wore standby classics by the likes of Ralph Lauren and Jason Wu, plus a slew of colorful designer gowns (see these dresses by Gucci, Versace, and Vera Wang). But her fashion choices never felt more relatable than when she stepped out wearing a go-to label for fashion-conscious working women: J.Crew.

Much of her J.Crew wardrobe appeared at childrens events or in casual settings  in the form of cardigans (so many cardigans!) and coats. But FLOTUS also used the labels more affordable items as statement accessories at formal events  like her green gloves at President Barack Obamas first inauguration, and a bold bejeweled belt at the second.

In honor of the First Ladys birthday, click ahead to see (almost) every single time she wore J.Crew.
President Barack Obama leads a group of kids to the swing set. Photo: Pool/Getty Images

On Monday, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama got a chance to watch kids at a family shelter in Southwest Washington, D.C., play on a swing set that once belonged to their daughters, Sasha and Malia. The small event was the result of the president and First Ladys recent donation of the swing set to the Jobs Have Priority Naylor Road Family Shelter as part of their move out of the White House, the Washington Post reported. Now kids at the shelter will be able to swing and climb on a giant play set that comes with a plaque reading, Malia & Sashas Castle.



The Obamas surprised Malia and Sasha with the play set when they first moved to Washington in an effort to make things feel more like home. (And, in case you needed a reminder of how quickly time flies, note that Malia and Sasha were only 10 and 7 when they moved into the White House.) According to a New York Times blog post about the play sets installment in 2009, the castle sat near the White House pool and horseshoe pit (who knew?) and included three swings, a separate tire swing and a tree house. The Obamas also had a picnic table next to the play area with plates inscribed with the names of the 44 presidents.



The wooden Rainbow play set was first offered to Donald Trumps son, Barron, but the family declined since he and Melania Trump arent moving to the White House right away, CNN reported. But not to worry! Judging from photos of Mondays reveal, it looks like a new generation of kids are more than happy to swing away on the same wooden set that occupied 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And hey, with all that play time, theyre going to get pretty familiar with Malia and Sashas names  if they werent already.


1820s1830s: Abortifacient herbs and fungi such as savin, pennyroyal, and ergot often kill the women who use them. So states begin to pass poison-control measures, the countrys first abortion-regulation statutes.

1821: Connecticut passes the first statutory abortion regulation in the U.S., banning the use of poison to induce abortions after quickening. The punishment is a life sentence.

1840s: Abortionist Madame Restell makes a fortune and scandalizes New York society, advertising her abortifacients in newspapers.

1857: The new American Medical Association begins a campaign to criminalize abortion  partly an effort to put midwives and homeopaths out of business.

1869: The Catholic Church condemns abortion at any stage of pregnancy.

1873: Congress passes the Comstock Law, which bans information about and distribution of contraceptives. Twenty-four states subsequently pass similar laws regulating the sale and use of contraceptives.

1880s: Almost all states have laws criminalizing abortion.

1880s: Abortionists tools at the Museum of Contraception and Abortion in Vienna  one tool dating as early as the 1880s.

1916: Margaret Sanger is arrested for opening the countrys first birth-control clinic in Brooklyn, the precursor to Planned Parenthood.

1930: Abortion is the official cause of death for 2,700 women, nearly one-fifth of all maternal deaths that year.

1951: Sanger enlists scientist Gregory Pincus to develop a magic pill, which will become the first oral contraceptive.

1950s: Women in East Germany use the violently vibrating washing machine the Schallwascher to end unwanted pregnancies by placing it on their stomachs.

1960: The FDA approves its first oral contraceptive, Enovid.

1962: Nearly 1,600 women are admitted to Harlem Hospital Center for incomplete abortions.

1964: Geraldine Santoro dies in a Connecticut motel after a botched abortion. This harrowing photo is published by Ms. magazine in April 1973 and becomes a symbol of the pro-choice movement.

1965: The Supreme Court rules that an 1879 law criminalizing contraception violates a married couples right to privacy, laying the groundwork for Roe v. Wade.

1967: Colorado is the first state to liberalize its laws, allowing abortion in cases of rape, incest, fetal defects, or for mental-health reasons.

1968: A Los Angeles hospital admits 701 women with septic abortions this year, approximately one admission for every 14 deliveries.

1969: The underground Chicago collective Jane performs 12,000 safe abortions between 1969 and 1973.

1970: Hawaii is the first state to legalize abortion. New York repeals its law criminalizing abortion soon after.

1971: The Supreme Court agrees to hear the case of Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe) against Henry Wade, the Dallas D.A. who enforced a Texas law banning abortion except in cases of life endangerment.

1972: In the year before Roe v. Wade is decided, an estimated 130,000 women have illegal or self-induced abortions. Over 100,000 women travel to New York City for an abortion, 50,000 of them traveling more than 500 miles.

1973: In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court grants women the right to terminate pregnancies under the 14th Amendment with Roe v. Wade.



1976: Congress passes the Hyde Amendment, barring the use of Medicaid and other federal funding for abortions.

1982: Pennsylvania passes the Abortion Control Act, which imposes a 24-hour waiting period, requires married women to inform their husbands, and mandates parental consent for minors.

1984: A clinic and two doctors offices in Pensacola, Florida, are bombed by abortion opponents.

1992: Planned Parenthood v. Casey affirms the core ruling of Roe v. Wade but also upholds much of the Abortion Control Act. States will be allowed to restrict abortion access short of imposing an undue burden.

1993: Dr. David Gunn is shot and killed by a protester outside his clinic in Pensacola, the first known killing of an abortion provider in the U.S.

1994: In May, in the wake of Dr. Gunns murder, Congress passes the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE), which makes it a federal crime to block access to reproductive health care.

1994: In July, Dr. John Bayard Britton and a clinic volunteer are shot and killed outside a Pensacola clinic. In December, two are killed and five are wounded during a shooting rampage at two Massachusetts abortion clinics.

1998: In January, a nail bomb explodes outside a clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, killing a guard and maiming a nurse. Later that year, James C. Kopp shoots Dr. Barnett Slepian, a Buffalo abortion doctor, through his kitchen window.

2000: In June, the Nebraska statute banning partial-birth abortion is ruled unconstitutional because it doesnt make an exemption for preserving the life of the mother, invalidating 29 other state laws.

2000: In September, the FDA approves the abortion pill mifepristone (RU-486) after a decade-long campaign by activists and health-care providers.

2003: Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe), who says she regrets her role in the landmark court case, files a motion with a U.S. District Court in Dallas to overturn Roe v. Wade.

2007: The Supreme Court effectively reverses its 2000 ruling on partial-birth abortion, upholding a 2003 federal law banning the procedure.

2009: Dr. George Tiller, one of few providers of late-term abortions, is shot and killed while attending church in Kansas.

2015: In March, 33-year-old Indiana woman Purvi Patel is sentenced to 20 years after self-aborting with medication she ordered online. In December, 31-year-old Tennessee woman Anna Yocca is charged with first-degree attempted murder for trying to self-abort with a coat hanger.

2015: In June, the Dutch pro-choice group Women on Waves sends a drone carrying packages of abortion pills on its maiden flight from Germany to Poland, where abortion is severely restricted. The official number of abortions performed in Poland, a country of 38 million, is only about 750 per year, but Women on Waves says the real number is closer to 240,000.

2015: In November, Robert L. Dear Jr. opens fire at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, killing three and wounding nine. A self-described warrior for the babies, he is later found mentally incompetent and unfit to stand trial.

2016: States have enacted 1,074 abortion restrictions since Roe v. Wade, more than a quarter of them since 2010.
Photo: Lew Robertson/Getty Images

It wasnt long ago that we were all singing the praises of turmerics apparent magical healing powers (and sprinkling the golden-yellow spice on just about everything we eat and drink). But now, a major study has found that theres no evidence that turmerics main chemical component  curcumin  actually has any medicinal properties.

As Nature reports, there have already been thousands of research papers and more than 120 clinical trials on curcumin, even though the chemical never ended up in a drug. A new review in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry sorted through the muddled research and found that, once and for all, theres no evidence that curcumin has any therapeutic benefits.

Lead study author Michael Walters, a medicinal chemist at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, told Nature, Curcumin is a cautionary tale. Thats because curcumin has led to false drug screens  which means, it shows activity that could hint it should be used in a drug, when in reality it doesnt really do much. It has therefore been proposed to treat a variety of disorders, from erectile dysfunction to cancer, but never resulted in any treatments.

This all may stem from the fact that researchers arent always aware of what molecule they are studying, co-author Guido Pauli, a natural-product researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago, told Nature. Turmeric has a bunch of different compounds besides curcumin, so research could potentially be seeing promising biological effects in a different molecule instead of curcumin.

Bill Zeucher, a chemical biologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Nature, It may very well be the case that curcumin or turmeric extracts do have beneficial effects, but getting to the bottom of that is complex and might be impossible.
oh good another post for people to prematurely discourse about how disney is being awful when they haven't made any decisions yet

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I mean Disney has a history of being awful and hw has a pattern so...

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they haven't done anything wrong in regards to this particular movie yet and the amount of premature complaining has been really over the top though.

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I finally got over it & watched CTHD2. Natasha was ok in it, Harry Shum Jr. is one of the worst actors I've seen in my life, porn included. The movie was worth it for Michelle and Donnie though <3

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Give us Emma Stone!

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Creating a change.org petition as we speak!!!!!!!!11

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she's the most versatile actress of our generation and the generations to come

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yes!! we need her to add much diversity to mulan!!11

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IT'S WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT

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i like her

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I need them to revise that casting call what they are doing to Shang is an aberration.

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Ooooo former law student. I'm always so curious to hear why people make a drastic change in career paths.

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for australians/people from the UK its done a lot more because law is an undergraduate program. so you literally go into "law school" right after high school and you don't have to do a test like the LSAT or anything like that either. so it's easier/more common to go right into it without necessarily being sure. whereas in canada and the us you have to do a 4 year undergraduate degree AND write the LSAT so its a bit more of a "ok i'm doing this for real" experience.



TLDR; garbage

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Not just in Australia and the UK tbh! I cant speak for the rest of Latin America but in Panama there is no such thing as an undergraduate; you go straight into Law School (and Med School, for that matter) for 5-6 years.

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Ugggh so jealous. The fact that undergrad is a prerequisite to the career you actually want is such a scam.

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yeah in Brasil you go straight to law school as well. or med. any career actually.

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Like the other user said, not sure if it's in all of Latin America, but here in Mexico you go to Law and Med School after high school. Undergraduate degrees aren't a thing here.

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Like the other latin-americans have said, in Colombia is the same, after high school you can apply to any career, med school or law school, that undergraduate thing is not a thing here and I think in almost all latin-american countries is the same, I know the same happens in Chile and Peru.

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Is it Emma Stone?

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No offense to her but can we get someone whose not 50% white in these kind of roles for once

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Ia

I don't know how to word it. But when they announced they were making this movie that their pick would be half white. It seems to be the trend

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Ngl

I thought this too. Almost very role for someone who is non-white ends up being mixed race or light skinned

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mte

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esp for a famous folk heroine

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It definitely does give off a "But Not too Ethnic" vibe. It would also be nice if she were Asian American. I find it to be such a questionable trend that Hollywood is often more willing to hire and other foreign-born POC actors (i.e. Black British) over POC American actors. I wish that was confronted more.

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I remember watching a show talking about this in the fashion industry . A black British man said white Americans felt more comfortable around foreign POC because of their accents sounded something like what they felt another white person would sound like , and they felt threatened by AA. I hope that made sense , I remember seeing this maybe 5 years ago

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I find it to be such a questionable trend that Hollywood is often more willing to hire and other foreign-born POC actors (i.e. Black British) over POC American actors. I wish that was confronted more.



Uh, I think this is not confroted more because it's just not true tbh.

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I mean... it sends a specific message. I would say "get that money/exposure" but it's always at the expense of someone else so the powers that be that can still get their eurocentric lead.

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Mte. That's why I didn't want Chloe Bennett either.

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mte. hollywood always picks Asians with the most western features or half white

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It's like that thread the other day about Steve Harvey badmouthing Asian men. One of the posters was telling people that they weren't helping by posting the same tired pictures of Godfrey or Daniel Henney (half white) because it was the Asian men with the most western features: square jaws, double-lids etc

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THIS. It's crazy how studio heads, producers, and casting directors seemingly go out of their way to cast biracial or ethnically ambiguous women when a role calls for an Asian or Black woman. And don't get me started on the lack of dark skin representation among Latinas in the media. If you're darker than a paper bag and Latina, you get to play Black on TV and in movies.

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ia, i don't understand why they do that shit. like casting a german-tibetan-nepali actress as skye's *chinese* mom in agents of shield

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Agreed. Not to say she isn't Chinese enough, of course, but it's incredibly lazy on the casting to not be able to find a non-mixed actress for the role.

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mte i was so worried a happa person would be cast and what do you know...

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i knew they'd do this (if she's actually cast) also can we get an asian-AMERICAN idk why they will only cast foreign asian talent theyre plenty of actors here that would love to be in movies i'm sure



Edited at 2017-01-17 07:25 pm (UTC)

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Ita if there's an Asian on a show or in a movie, they're almost always eurasian



We know why

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Aw, I like the way she looks

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Your icon  wish it wasn't over wah

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She looked gorgeous in that photo so I googled her and well, she is quite plain.



I just have a thing for asian girls in ancient chinese costumes.

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bye, she looks more pretty in basically every other pic than she does in this still.

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we have to agree to disagree here.

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What a fucking creepy thing to say

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oookay

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lol of course ONTD would jump on me for this. Never change.

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i haven't seen the CTHD sequel, but its cool if they're looking to cast someone mostly unknown

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can we have Eddie Peng as Li Shang pls?

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I don't even think Shang is in the movie tho :(



Edited at 2017-01-17 03:38 pm (UTC)

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i would love some hardcore b.c. beef. they were legit savage maybe ceaser and brutus. i would love some hardcore b.c. beef. they were legit savage maybe ceaser and brutus.

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Omg this gave me so much second hand embarrassment lol

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he did it on purpose so its less embarrassing ... ish

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its part of a skit, this video is very funny

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What?!! I didn't even know this was a show? I love the Bette Davis vs Joan Crawford feud. Was it good?



Oh it hasn't aired yet.. then why the fuck are they talking about season 2 already?



Edited at 2017-01-17 05:39 pm (UTC)

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ryan murphy must be filming 10 shows at a friggin' time, it seems like they're announced after a season is done filming

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It's going to be anthology series so they're definitely going to pursue more than one season.

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I've never heard of this show but it sounds interesting. I like reading about historic feuds.

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I always assumed Taylor was mad over John mayer and the dancer thing was less of an issue. I dislike them both for different reasons tho so a whole season would be too much.

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My whole beef with her reasoning for it is that this was the album that she "realized" that no one can steal your man away. He chooses to leave. And I think she even made a half asses apology to Camila Belle.

However, she didn't give that same autonomy to her dancers. They were "stolen" from her. Messing with her business and her coin... that's just something that she can't forgive!

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Camilla's never receiced an apology from taylor, not even a half assed one lol

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sei shonagon vs lady murasaki if he's gonna go historical but he did say no more woman vs woman



Edited at 2017-01-17 05:43 pm (UTC)

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He does " Whites only" tho ....

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I took a Japanese history class in college and had to read the Pillow Book. It was amazing.

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Genji was such a fucking creep i wanted to go back in time and protect murasaki

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I never really found their feud all that exciting or interesting tbh. At least compared to other feuds anyways.

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yeeees frank vs scum of the earth woody allen pls



(he asked mia if she wanted him to get his 'friends' to break woody's legs when he and mia separated bc woody was having her watched iirc. sadly she declined)

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Please. Their fued is pathetic.

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nothing wrong with woman vs. woman feuds if he rounds the characters out imo. i think the historical thing could be fun too given he chooses the right topics

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i would love that but then he'd have to drag in billie lourde's dad and now's not really the time. or possibly ever considering how much ryan like's billie.

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Gore Vidal vs Truman Capote for season 2!

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why tho... this was such a one sided "fude" I feel like there wouldn't even be a story there.



Give me a Paris/Lindsay 2005 season. That's what we really want.

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Paris vs. Lindsay/Nicole/Nancy Grace/Haylie Duff/50 Cent

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Will they live up to dat iconic "Firecrotch" scenario tho?

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I need a them to do the real life scene where you could hear Paris screaming 'Tell Firecrotch she's not WELLCOOOOME!' from behind a fence at a party.

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They should cast Adam Pally as Brandon Davis TBH, like, omg now I NEED to have all the firecrotch moments recreated tbH

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Taylor vs. Katy wouldn't even fill an episode



I'm looking forward to this show way too much, I'm doomed

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yay yaa gyasi!

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Have you read her book? It's definitely at the top of my list of "books to get". It's seems soooooo good.

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yes i have! it's outstanding. definitely my fav book to come out last year

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god michael chabon fucking sucks



zadie smith is mediocre.



i'm reading hanya yanagihara's a little life rn and im waiting to finish by the time the next book post comes around so i can drag this awful homophobic badly written trash

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can I hear a few of your thoughts on a little life, if you don't mind? Everyone I know who has read that book loves it, but I'm torn between wanting to read it because it's such a popular book, and being wary of it.

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MTE! I'm reading it right now, the only reason i'm still reading is because of how much I like the writing, I'm curious on why you think it's badly written trash?

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hi, i'm sorry for the late reply. i still haven't finished it but got to the second part of the book which goes into jude's past. for the obvious thing, i think it's really poorly written. clunky sentence construction, attempts to sound poetic but failing. it really needed a better editor



i have some thoughts about the post-identity thing hanya is going for in this book. it's really not done in a positive way and the deliberate unmooring of history is pissing me off. like history is purposefully bracketed off (no chronological markers via reference to historical or cultural landmarks) so that it becomes a psychological drama. in a way, it is successful because you are genuinely moved in many ways but also deeply frustrating as any social factors which determine the behavior of the characters does not come into play. this is especially frustrating when it comes to same-sex sexual and romantic relationships.



you should read and find out what you think of it. im repulsed so far

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That book was so badly written omg thank you

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wuuuuuut. i love zadie but swing time was not good

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i didn't like NW either

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i started NW over the summer but i forgot about it when i went back to school. hopefully she hasn't lost her fiction touch forever :/

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Of the Fiction nominees, I've read Chabon and Patchett's novels.



Commonwealth is a lovely book, of the two I'd vote for it. Moonglow had its charms, but he's done better.

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I've only ever read Bel Canto by Patchett, I thought it was awful and overrated

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I need to thank the ONTDer who recommended Crosstalk by Connie Willis in one of these book posts. I forgot who it was but THANK YOU! It works as spec-fic AND as a rom-com, it's so delightful. I'm going to read everything by Connie Willis now

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speculative fiction

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That was me! (I think) please read her oxford time travel series



Edited at 2017-01-18 01:36 am (UTC)

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I'm reading Hillbilly Elegy and it's really my fault for not paying attention to the subtitle, which says it's a memoir, but I assumed it was going to be more of a sociocultural study or something along the lines of God's Harvard and so it's kind of a letdown.



Edited at 2017-01-17 06:45 pm (UTC)

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try White Trash instead

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maybe later, i have to finish this book for a book club meetup. grumble.

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I had the same experience, I'm halfway through it and I don't know if I want to finish

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I'm about to start it, though I'm looking forward to reading it

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I love Zadie Smith but did not like Swing Time at all tbh.

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I haven't started Hidden Figures either. :/

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I haven't started Big Little Lies either. It's on the holds shelf at my library but I haven't picked it up yet. the hold does expire tomorrow so I have to get my ass in gear.

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that's my book month pick too! i've started it & i think it's gonna be a quick read bc i'm flying thru a lot of the chapters quickly.

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I started Hidden Figures twice, but for some reason I'm having trouble finishing it. Its the same with another book I picked up that was recommended on here.



I'm trying to figure out if its because I just got a Kindle and I'm used to having the physical book in my hand and that helps motivate me more. I get too distracted on the Kindle with other apps and don't feel like I'm making much progress.

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my libraries copies of Hidden Figures are all checked too! I'm like 5th on the que for the request list. I'll just have to bite the bullet and buy it on amazon. The thing about non fiction for me is that I have to read something interesting or read about someone who i find interesting. i'm pretty selfish when i venture out of fiction.

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I want so much to be a non-fiction reader because I love accumulating information and reading about different people's life experiences, but I can't even get into books about people and topics I love, so I've half-given up on it.

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I wonder if that Chabon book is good.



Still bitter a lot of people don't know about Summerland.

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i still have to read white teeth by zadie.



i bought go set a watchman, but i want to reread to kill a mockingbird first. i read TKAMB ten years ago, so i could do with some refreshing.

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The fiction shortlist seems really...random. Arguably talented writers, but it seems like they were chosen based on name recognition.

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based on that sentence of his autobiography i wouldn't read that book. It reads like the author thinks he really something special.

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LMFAO that sounds like a tweet from @guyinyourmfa

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He cannot be serious. I guess I'll skip that one!

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I am loving your posts about it on goodreads

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i'm finally on time for a book post. wonder of wonders. I'm about 3/4 the way through of The Shining and the more I read the more I dislike the movie. There is so much in the book that's left out of the movie for no good reason!

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when i read that Stephen thought it was the worst adaption of his books i was confused but now i get.

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I read the book and then tried to watch the movie, and I didn't bother finishing it. It doesn't even seem like the same story. Movie Jack is a freakin psychopath, you get the impression that he doesn't give a fuck about his family from the first scene...

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I gotta read that! I want to make it one of my winter themed books lol

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Um. Excuse u. The Shining movie was about Kubrick saying he helped fake the moon landing...or about Native American genocide...or about the Holocaust..or about the Greek myth of the Minotaur, or any other crazy idea you can pull out of your ass.

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has anyone read Dark Money? that seems interesting

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Las Vegas conjures up images of casinos and a hedonistic lifestyle, but the city has now been making the headlines for different reasons, in that it now boasts of powering its public facilities solely from renewable energy.

The citys clean energy mission was accomplished in December last year, through an agreement with the state investor owned utility NV Energy, where solar power will be supplied via a now operational plant from nearby Boulder City.

Coupled with power provided from NV Energy, every public building, park, traffic light, and streetlight will be served by renewable energy.

This makes Las Vegas the first large municipality in the United States to achieve such a high volume of green power, producing a carbon footprint, the city government says, that is the same as what is was back in 1950.

Las Vegas efforts date back to 2006, when the then Mayor Oscar B. Goodman signed the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Two years later, targets were set by the City Council to increase the levels of renewable energy production, and reduce gas emissions via their Sustainable Energy Strategy. Since that agreement eleven years ago, the city government has invested in several renewable energy projects, and has now devoted $70 million to the cause.

Alongside the Boulder City solar park, a three-megawatt solar plant at the citys Water Pollution Control Facility now provides power for extensive wastewater treatment. A total of 40 buildings in the city - from community centres to fire stations and parks - have approximately three megawatts of net-metered solar covered parking.

Looking to the future, in October this year, Las Vegas will receive two megawatts of hydropower from the Hoover Dam. According to city government statistics, the reversion to renewables has paid off economically, as energy costs have been reduced from a peak of $15 million in 2008 to less than $10 million last year.

A spokesperson for the Las Vegas administration said: It is very significant for the city of Las Vegas, a long-time leader in sustainability, Las Vegas is the first city of its size in the United States to rely on 100 percent renewable energy.

Las Vegas is a prime example of what can be achieved, from our alternative fuelled fleets to our solar power generation. We believe that this will prompt other major cities to do the same. Related: Where Will Oil Prices Go This Year?

Marlene Motyka, Renewables Energy Leader, Deloitte LLP, is not in full agreement that this will be the case, she reflected: Its hard to say if one city making an announcement will prompt other cities, but its clear that more cities and states are looking to utilize more renewables. Its driven by environmental and economic reasons.

Deliottes Renewable Energy Outlook 2017 study revealed that, due to the falling costs of wind and solar, the American consumer now feels more confident to make use of energy choices. Local energy procurement is now increasingly in mode, with many municipalities taking advantage of community choice aggregation (CCA) policies as community solar becomes increasingly popular.

There is evidence, Motyka explained, that the model being used by the Las Vegas city government is being replicated in the private sector. As several casinos in the city recently came together and paid to get out of their power supply contracts, ironically with NV Energy, as they plan to purchase and produce electricity from renewables. This strategy is being largely driven by business reasons, with the companies that use their conference space being increasingly demanding about responsible energy usage.

While both Nevada and California have a high amount of economical electricity available from solar sources. Not everyone is convinced over the assertions from Las Vegas that public buildings are now running entirely on renewable energy.

Chris Warren, from the Washington based Institute for Energy Research (IER), exclaimed: Las Vegas is not powered solely by renewable energy. In fact, it is largely powered by natural gas. The Las Vegas city government is claiming that they're powering their buildings with 100 percent renewables, which is an entirely different claim. And even that claim he found to be suspect, arguing that In many cases when companies or towns claim to be powered by renewables, they're buying Renewable Energy Credits, not actually running on wind or solar. He added: As long as you're using power from the grid, you can't pick and choose what sources your electricity comes from.

The institute believes that it is just not feasible that any major city can run itself on renewable energy, as most of the electricity in the United States comes from coal, natural gas, and nuclear power. Furthermore, the intermittent and unreliable nature of wind and solar power make the claim increasingly unrealistic. Related: The Drug Cartels Are Taking Advantage Of Mexicos Gas Protests

Coal, natural gas and nuclear power are considered to be much more dependable form of power, and the IER alludes to the subsidies that are commanded by renewable energy, whether it's federal subsidies, state mandates, or regulations targeting other sources. Government largesse can't make up for the fact that wind and solar are expensive, inherently unreliable, and can't be used to meet our everyday energy needs. Warren concluded.

Other cities in the United States also have the vision to be reliant on renewable energy, including Burlington, Georgetown, and Aspen. San Diego is also looking to be 100 percent powered from renewable sources, which would eclipse Las Vegas as the largest municipality in the country to power itself in this way. Its a target that they wish to achieve by 2035, in what was a response to the Paris Accord, and a clear display of commitment to reduce carbon emissions, which they believe will create jobs in the city.

Other major cities like San Francisco and New York intend to have more of their electricity supplied like renewables, but havent committed to a 100 percent capacity from them. Only time will tell if city government ideals on renewables are met, or whether the change of administration to the less renewable energy friendly Trump administration, will have any effect.

By Peter Taberner for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
With the U.S. dollar being dealt a most solid dose of the whoop-bang-wallops (WBWs), crude prices cannot help but be propelled higher today. The great British pound on track for its best day since 2008, as the promise of a parliamentary vote on Brexit has sent it on a madcap rally. A super-strong pound (ergo, a weaker dollar) is lifting crude - although the fun and games for crude kick off in the coming days, with monthly IEA and OPEC reports, and the weekly EIA report. Before that, hark, here are five things to consider in oil markets today.

1) The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) for China has published its latest five-year plan, in which it outlines its expectations for domestic oil production. It projects it at ~4 million barrels per day in 2020 - similar to where it is today, and down 7 percent from its previous estimate. Wood Mackenzie is even more pessimistic than this, projecting oil output will drop to 3.6mn bpd over the next four years.

Natural gas production, however, is expected to rise by almost two-thirds on its prior estimate - up to 220 Bcm by 2020 - as state-run oil and gas companies continue to stymie their investment into oil, and pivot their efforts towards natural gas. Shale gas output is projected at 30 bcm - some 14 percent of this total.

CNPC is expected to further cut spending on exploration and engineering this year by 20 percent. Break-evens for onshore oil fields are pegged at around $50/bbl.

(Click to enlarge)



2) We spoke recently about how China's National Energy Administration (NEA) has outlined a plan to invest $361 billion into renewables by 2020. Worldwide spending on clean energy last year was at $287.5 billion, down 18 percent on 2015's record high.

China's spending on renewables actually tumbled 26 percent, but still accounted for 31 percent of global investment last year as it came in at $87.8 billion. The U.S. accounted for $58.6 billion of the total. Worldwide spending dropped in part because technological advances and competition have dramatically reduced the cost of solar panels and wind turbines. This year is tentatively projected to be in line with last year's investment.

(Click to enlarge)



3) According to internal documents, PdVSA expects Venezuelan oil production to remain near 23-year lows this year, coming in close to last year's average production level of 2.5 million bpd. (To put this number in context, OPEC secondary sources peg November production at 2.1 million bpd, direct communications peg it at 2.3 million bpd).

PdVSA projects that Venezuelan crude exports to India are going to drop to 360,000 bpd this year, down 16 percent versus last year's levels (hark, in line with our ClipperData below). This highlights the potential for further financial stress from PdVSA, as not only is India a key destination for its crude, but India also pays in cash - something PdVSA desperately needs. Related: Saudis, Kuwait, Algeria Cut More Than Pledged To OPEC

A projected increase in exports to China this year indicates PdVSA's need to meet its obligations to the oil-for-debt program, which has been in place with China for a decade, and amounts to more than $50 billion.

(Click to enlarge)



4) PdVSA imports light crude and naphtha to act as a diluent for its heavy Orinoco crude. It expects to face a shortage of 28,000 bpd of naphtha in the coming year, given spending constraints. In an effort to counter this, it has a longer-term plan to adjust its refineries to produce more naphtha. In the meantime, it will have to accept a depleted volume. Related: China Leads Unprecedented Drop In Asian Crude Production

As our ClipperData illustrate below, the U.S. consistently exports naphtha to Venezuela and Curacao. Volumes have already dropped nearly 17 percent in 2016 to 50,000 bpd, as PdVSA struggles to raise enough cash to meet its obligations.

(Click to enlarge)



5) Finally, today's stat of the day comes from Saudi Aramco's CEO. Asim Nassir said on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos today that $25 trillion would need to be invested in new oil capacity over the next 25 years to keep up with rising oil demand. Despite a global push towards renewables (as we've spoken about already today), a material shift away from crude will take decades to come to fruition.

By Matt Smith

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Amid the ongoing struggle over oil control between the Iraqi Kurds and the Iraqi central government in Baghdad, the Iraqi central authorities have halted exports of oil from Kirkuk via the states marketing authority, SOMOagreeing to let the oil all go to the Kurds.

Crude exports had only been resumed in September after the two sides reached a revenue-sharing agreement to jointly export crude from the giant Kirkuk field, with the intention of splitting the oil between Baghdad and Erbil.

Instead, the oil produced in Kirkuk will now be transferred to refineries in Kurdistan, according to Kurdish news agencies.

The export and sale of oil produced in Kirkuk has been a complicated issue between Baghdad and the Iraqi Kurds. This oil is produced by the Iraqi federal government in northern Iraq, but exported via a pipeline system owned by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). At the height of the squabble, Baghdad was considering attempting to bypass the Kurdish pipeline and trucking the Kirkuk oil to Iran.

The September agreement came after five months of haggling, and only after a change in regime at the Iraqi Oil Ministry.

It remains unclear why Baghdad has now agreed to send all the Kirkuk oil via the Kurdish pipeline to Kurdistan to be refined, and Kurdish news agencies have offered no additional details of this deal.

The move comes as a surprise as Baghdad has long insisted that only SOMO could market Iraqi crude, while the Kurds have continually accused Baghdad of reneging on an earlier revenue-sharing agreement. The September deal for a 50/50 split had appeased both sides for the first time in almost half a year. Related: GreaseBook: Reporting Oil Production Just Became Much Easier

The OPEC output cut deal reached on the 30th of November is cause for concern as far as the Iraqi Kurds are concerned. While Iraq has the majority of its production from the oil-rich south to rely on, the Kurds will have a much harder time cutting from their smaller share while still feeding the budget of the KRG.

Shortly after the OPEC deal was announced on 30 November, the Wall Street Journal cited a leaked document purportedly showing that SOMO had plans to increase shipments by 390,000 barrels per day in January.

Since the deal was implemented, analysts have questioned Iraqs ability to cut output in line with its commitments, in part due to contractual obligations to supermajor international oil companies, and in part due to the difficulties of striking an agreement with the Kurds.

In late December, Iraqi Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaibi reportedly stated that the KRG would take part in the OPEC cutsbut the Kurds have strongly denied this.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has already accused the KRG of exporting more crude oil than the 550,000 b/d permitted under the federal budget for 2017, which was passed on December 7, 2016. Related: The Rebound Is Here: Megaprojects Back On The Table

Producing around 12 percent of Iraqs total oil output. Kirkuks oil production in October 2016 amounted to 614,071 bpd, of which 49,388 barrels per day were produced by Iraqs North Oil Company. In line with Iraqs commitment to the OPEC deal, Kirkuk would possibly have to cut around 25,000 barrels per day. Its a small sum in the wider scheme of things, but for Kirkuk, which is desperate to pay for security against the Islamic State and struggles to pay workers and oil companies, any cut is hard to handle.

At the end of the day, Baghdad does not have enough influence to force the Kurds to cut production, and cutting in Kirkuk is complicated. There is a possibility that by shifting the Kirkuk production to the Kurds, Baghdad will avoid the need to have Kirkuk cutif OPEC were to consider this Kurdish oil beyond the central governments control.

In 2013, the Kurds built their own oil pipeline to Turkey and began exporting oil via Turkey without Baghdad's approvalessentially bypassing the central government and depriving it of those revenues.

With this in mind, its unlikely the Kurds will help Baghdad with any cuts, but what just happened in Kirkuk could be a trade-off for a new deal.

By Damir Kaletovic for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
OPEC will present its Monthly Oil Market Report on the 18th of January, at a time when OPEC and non-OPEC members are making their first production cuts in line with the 30th of November dealthe first cut deal in eight years. Four days later, on the 22nd of January, a committee of the worlds largest producers will meet in Vienna to hash out how to monitor compliance with the deal and make sure no one is cheating.

In the meantime, the world is watching closely and hanging onto every statement about production cuts.

So far, this is where we stand:

Saudi Arabia: Leading By Example

The Saudis are responsible for about 40 percent of the total pledged cuts, so this is the key arena to watchand its also where the market will respond most vociferously to new numbers.

Saudi Arabian Energy Minister, Khalid Al-Falih, late last week confirmed that the country had reduced oil production to less than 10 million barrels a day. This is lower than the pledged amount of 10.05 million barrels. For now, this brings Saudi output to its lowest in 22 months.

The Saudis are keen to show that they are listening to the market, and they are also hoping to lead by example and get other OPEC and non-OPEC members to follow suit. The Kingdom said that it is planning even deeper cuts in February.

The Saudis produce medium and heavy crude, and in order to both take the sting out of cuts in terms of revenue and simultaneously help balance the market, the Kingdom will cut production of its heavy crude, which is less profitable thanks to the spread between light and heavy crude widening significantly over the past couple of years. This is how Saudi Arabia has handled it historically.

Iraq: Where Cuts Get Complicated

Home to the second largest oil reserves, things are more complicated for Iraq, which has obligations to supermajor international oil companies, and renegade producers in the form of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which may or may not play along with the cuts.

As part of the 30 November deal, Iraq pledged to cut 210,000 barrels a day to 4.35 million barrels a day starting in January. So far, Iraqi officials say the country has reduced production by 160,000 barrels per day, but there are no details on where these production cuts have been made, not to mention that its tough to verify, because based on export figures, there appears to have been no reduction at all.

For February, Bloomberg notes, Iraq is on track to ship 3.64 million barrels per day of crude from its southern Basra ports. Thats more than it exported in December, when crude exports averaged 3.51 million barrels per day, representing a record high even then. Indeed, none of Iraqs big producersincluding Exxon, Shell, and BPhave reported any significant reduction in production, and if theyre not cutting then it is unclear where the cuts are coming from, because more than any other country, Iraqs oil is in the hands of international supermajors.

The market shouldnt be looking to Iraq to follow Saudi Arabias lead, exactly. The Saudis control their oil production fully, so it is easier for them to implement production cuts.

While the Kurds may cause a bit of a problem in terms of cuts, the bigger problem lies with the bigger share of Iraqi oil; that is, with the international oil companies, with whom Iraq has contractual commitments in the big oilfields in the countrys south. Those contracts require the Iraqi government to compensate the oil companies when production is curtailed for reasons that are beyond the control of the driller, according to Reuters.

Iran: Exports Set To Fall Despite OPEC Exemption

Iran isnt cutting because OPEC exempted it from the deal, allowing it instead to increase production by 90,000 barrels per day as Tehran strives to reach its pre-sanction output levels of 4 million barrels per day. Related: Canadas Oil Industry Goes On The Offensive

Its hard to get detailed information on production out of Iran because it does not publish monthly data on condensate and crude exports, but private sources have told news agencies that Iranian condensate exports are actually set to fall 17 percent in January, hitting a five-month low. Loadings of condensate in January are set to reach about 385,000 barrels per day (bpd), down from an estimated 462,000 bpd in December.

Russia: On Track For Production Cuts

Russia says it has begun cutting as well, in line with its commitment to reduce output by 300,000 barrels per day. According to Moscow, oil output was reduced in the first 10 days of January by an even larger amount than had been plannedbut again, details are sparse. And we also have to consider that Russia was using its November oil productionthe highest in 30 years at 11.21 million barrels per day on averageas its baseline when it made the output cut deal with OPEC.

United States: The Shale Recovery Continues

The United States shale producers, while not part of the production cut agreement, should be considered in this equation. Last week, data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed a 176,000-barrel-per-day increase in U.S. production from the previous week. This was the biggest increase since May 2015.

It would seem logical that U.S. shale producers would take full advantage of the pending market rebalance, but that is not exactly whats happening. The U.S. shale rebound started before the OPEC deal; in fact, it started when no one even believed that the OPEC deal was feasible. The deal, though, should boost this further.

While the EIA anticipates that U.S. production for December 2017 could reach 9.22 million barrels a day by December, an increase of 320,000 barrels per day for the year, this could quickly start to look like a conservative forecast.

Cuts in other Countries:

 Kuwait

Oil Minister Essam Al-Marzouk said that Kuwait has cut 133,000 barrels a day of oil output and is producing 2.7 million barrels a day. Promised cuts were 131,000 barrels per day.

 UAE

The United Arab Emirates will reduce output by 139,000 barrels a day.

 Venezuela

In December, Venezuelan Oil Minister Eulogio Del Pino said the country would cut 95,000 barrels per day of oil production in the New Year under the OPEC deal. On the 16th of January however, President Maduro claimed that he would soon be circulating details of a new plan to stabilize oil prices, refusing to elaborate any further.



 Algeria

Algerian Energy Minister Boutarfa has confirmed that Algeria has started cutting and will reduce its output in January by 60,000 barrels a day.

 Ecuador

Ecuador agreed to limit production to 522,000 barrels per day, with its compliance largely coming in the form of reduced enhanced recovery at its mature fields to allow production to decline naturally.

 Angola

Angola has its oil production set at 1.673 million barrels as a maximum, according to state-run Sonangol. This means Angola is cutting around 87,000 barrels per day off a reference basket of 1.751, which caps production at 1.673 million barrels per day for the next six months.

Nigeria and Libya: where production is set to rise

Angolas loss is Nigerias gain going forward. The two have been vying for the top African oil producer slot, which Nigeria had lost to stoppages resulting from Niger Delta militancy. Its now getting that somewhat under control, but Angolas cuts will likely seal the deal for Nigeria, which is exempt from the OPEC deal. Related: Five Energy Predictions For 2017

After experiencing a loss of 700,000 barrels per day of production due to militant attacks on the Nigerian oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta in November, Nigeria managed to increase output by nearly 300,000 barrels per day, bringing production up to 1.8 million barrels per day according to OPEC direct communication figures.

For Libya, the saving grace of its oil production has been the retaking of key oil installations by the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by General Haftar. The freeing of these export terminals has allowed exports to resume, along with production.

Libyas production is now close to 700,000 barrels per day, and is eyeing 900,000 barrels per day within the next few months, but the target is 1 million barrels per day by the end of this year.

The real oil output cut report card wont come until after a mechanism for monitoring is put in place later this month. At the 22 January meeting in Vienna, chaired by Kuwait, major OPEC and non-OPEC producers will decide what the acceptable level of compliance will be. They will also start discussing whether the deal will be extended beyond June with a final decision expected in Vienna on the 25th of May.

By Damir Kaletovic for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Nigerias Vice-President has warned that the countrys oil wont be nearly as valuable within a

couple of decades, as its top clients work towards alternative means of power.

America has stopped buying oil from us. All the countries of Asia that buy oil from us are building alternative means of power, China and Japan are developing electric cars. In fact, Japan has more charging stations than petrol stations. Solar power is getting cheaper, Nigeria Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo told reporters during a visit to the restive Niger Delta, the countrys main oil-producing region.

In another 20 to 30 years, our oil wont be as precious as it is today and that is reality, Osinbajo said. We must be smart and act intelligently and fast.

Osinbajo, accompanied by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Emanuel Ibe Kachikwu, on Monday visited the Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta state. They were received in Delta State by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. This visit is a part of Osinbajos peace tour across oil producing communities in the Niger Delta.

The Vice-President is trying to engage in talks on how to solve issues affecting the region. These visits are part of the ongoing efforts of the Buhari administration to find a lasting solution to the Niger Delta crisis, which cut Nigerias oil output in half in 2016.



Related: Oil Prices Slide As Saudis See No Need Of Extending OPEC Deal

But Osinbajos message was about far more than just taming the militancy in the Niger Delta and securing the countrys oil installations. The Vice-President warned Nigerians that the country could face challenges in the future if it continued to depend on oil for income, adding that countries who buy oil from Nigeria are now devising alternative means of power such as solar and wind energy.

Elaborating, Osinbajo said that the oil-rich Niger Delta would have to work to balance the Niger Deltas unique environmental challenges with recognition as a special economic and development zone.

This means the federal government, state government, National Assembly, NDDC, civil societies representing Niger Delta must sit together and develop a plan for rapid development. The state should devote a substantial portion of its budget to this special project, Osinbajo said.

By Damir Kaletovic for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
By Reagan Knopp

Note from the Editor: On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation creating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This is the text of the speech President Reagan gave at that bill signing.

Mrs. King, members of the King family, distinguished Members of the Congress, ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, Im very pleased to welcome you to the White House, the home that belongs to all of us, the American people.

When I was thinking of the contributions to our country of the man that were honoring today, a passage attributed to the American poet John Greenleaf Whittier comes to mind. Each crisis brings its word and deed. In America, in the fifties and sixties, one of the important crises we faced was racial discrimination. The man whose words and deeds in that crisis stirred our nation to the very depths of its soul was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King was born in 1929 in an America where, because of the color of their skin, nearly 1 in 10 lived lives that were separate and unequal. Most black Americans were taught in segregated schools. Across the country, too many could find only poor jobs, toiling for low wages. They were refused entry into hotels and restaurants, made to use separate facilities. In a nation that proclaimed liberty and justice for all, too many black Americans were living with neither.

In one city, a rule required all blacks to sit in the rear of public buses. But in 1955, when a brave woman named Rosa Parks was told to move to the back of the bus, she said, No. A young minister in a local Baptist church, Martin Luther King, then organized a boycott of the bus companya boycott that stunned the country. Within 6 months the courts had ruled the segregation of public transportation unconstitutional.

Dr. King had awakened something strong and true, a sense that true justice must be colorblind, and that among white and black Americans, as he put it, Their destiny is tied up with our destiny, and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom; we cannot walk alone.

In the years after the bus boycott, Dr. King made equality of rights his lifes work. Across the country, he organized boycotts, rallies, and marches. Often he was beaten, imprisoned, but he never stopped teaching nonviolence. Work with the faith, he told his followers, that unearned suffering is redemptive. In 1964 Dr. King became the youngest man in history to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Dr. Kings work brought him to this city often. And in one sweltering August day in 1963, he addressed a quarter of a million people at the Lincoln Memorial. If American history grows from two centuries to twenty, his words that day will never be forgotten. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

In 1968 Martin Luther King was gunned down by a brutal assassin, his life cut short at the age of 39. But those 39 short years had changed America forever. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had guaranteed all Americans equal use of public accommodations, equal access to programs financed by Federal funds, and the right to compete for employment on the sole basis of individual merit. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 had made certain that from then on black Americans would get to vote. But most important, there was not just a change of law; there was a change of heart. The conscience of America had been touched. Across the land, people had begun to treat each other not as blacks and whites, but as fellow Americans.

And since Dr. Kings death, his father, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr., and his wife, Coretta King, have eloquently and forcefully carried on his work. Also his family have joined in that cause.

Now our nation has decided to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by setting aside a day each year to remember him and the just cause he stood for. Weve made historic strides since Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus. As a democratic people, we can take pride in the knowledge that we Americans recognized a grave injustice and took action to correct it. And we should remember that in far too many countries, people like Dr. King never have the opportunity to speak out at all.

But traces of bigotry still mar America. So, each year on Martin Luther King Day, let us not only recall Dr. King, but rededicate ourselves to the Commandments he believed in and sought to live every day: Thou shall love thy God with all thy heart, and thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. And I just have to believe that all of usif all of us, young and old, Republicans and Democrats, do all we can to live up to those Commandments, then we will see the day when Dr. Kings dream comes true, and in his words, All of Gods children will be able to sing with new meaning,  land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.'

Thank you, God bless you, and I will sign it.

Mrs. King. Thank you, Mr. President, Vice President Bush, Majority Leader Baker and the distinguished congressional and senatorial delegations, and other representatives whove gathered here, and friends.

All right-thinking people, all right-thinking Americans are joined in spirit with us this day as the highest recognition which this nation gives is bestowed upon Martin Luther King, Jr., one who also was the recipient of the highest recognition which the world bestows, the Nobel Peace Prize.

In his own lifes example, he symbolized what was right about America, what was noblest and best, what human beings have pursued since the beginning of history. He loved unconditionally. He was in constant pursuit of truth, and when he discovered it, he embraced it. His nonviolent campaigns brought about redemption, reconciliation, and justice. He taught us that only peaceful means can bring about peaceful ends, that our goal was to create the love community.

America is a more democratic nation, a more just nation, a more peaceful nation because Martin Luther King, Jr., became her preeminent nonviolent commander.

Martin Luther King, Jr., and his spirit live within all of us. Thank God for the blessing of his life and his leadership and his commitment. What manner of man was this? May we make ourselves worthy to carry on his dream and create the love community. Thank you.
Nawaz Shrif reacched Zurich

ZURICH: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Switzerland on Monday to participate in the 47th World Economic Forum's annual meeting, aimed at fostering greater social inclusion and human development.



Accompanied by Begum Kulsoom Nawaz and Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, the prime minister was received at the Zurich International Airport by Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Mission to Geneva Tehmina Janjua and senior Swiss officials.



Nawaz is on the special invitation of the WEF's Executive Chairman Professor Klaus Schwab to pursue his dynamic economic agenda aimed at turning around the national economy. The premier will be presenting Pakistan's case of economic success and the ideal business and investment opportunities, besides attracting foreign direct investment.



He will be extensively utilising the visit to further Pakistan's economic and business interests by inviting leading firms to invest in Pakistan. The theme for this year's meeting is 'Responsive and Responsible Leadership', which would focus on four critical leadership challenges for 2017, including revitalising the global economy, reforming capitalism and preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.



Around 3,000 leaders from the governments, business community and civil society will gather at the 47th World Economic Forum annual meeting from January 17-20 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. The participants include one-third from outside Europe and North America, while one-third representing the society outside of business and government.



The prime minister reportedly has a full agenda at Davos, including a number of bilateral meetings with heads of states and governments, as well as with business leaders.



He will also have a meeting with WEF Chairman Prof Klaus Schwab. Bilateral meetings are expected with the prime ministers of Sweden, Norway and Sri Lanka, besides a meeting with Queen Maxima of The Netherlands. He will meet the new United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Swiss President Ms Doris Leuthard.



The Foreign Office in a statement said the premier would address a large group of about 60 top business leaders on "Investing in Pakistan: The New Reality".



He would have a roundtable meeting, in which he would share with a select group of business leaders the significant economic changes taking place in Pakistan and the immense investment and trade opportunities opening up in the country. The annual meeting will be opened by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will be accompanied by the largest delegation of Chinese officials since the country first participated in the annual meeting in 1979.



More than half of the programme's 400 sessions will address strategies for fostering greater social inclusion and human development. The chief executive officers (CEOs) of more than 1,000 companies will participate in the forum. The forum that began in 1971 has consistently argued for an inclusive and sustainable approach to managing the world's transformation, even as it has become increasingly interconnected and more complex.



The co-chairs taking a principal role in shaping the discussion at the annual meeting are Bank of America Chairman Brian Thomas Moynihan, documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Save the Children International (United Kingdom) CEO Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Royal Philips (Netherlands) CEO and President Frans van Houten and Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO and President Meg Whitman.



Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rahman Khan will also speak at the forum. Minister of State for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar will speak on 'raising life expectancy and expectations'.



In addition to being the most comprehensive meeting of ministerial delegations in the world, with over 70 countries - including all G20 members - participating, this year's meeting will include the participation of new UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, along with heads of key international organisations.
PM is not liable to any court under Article 66: PM counsel

ISLAMABAD: Claiming the privilege, counsel for Prime Minister (PM) contended before the top court that the PM's speech in Parliament could be adjudicated under Article 66, which says the parliament's proceedings could not be challenged in any court of law.



During the course of the hearing of the Panamagate case, which resumed on Monday before a five-judge larger bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, counsel Makhdoom Ali Khan argued that the PM's speech was devoid of lies, discrepancies or misstatements.



However, he contended, if the contradiction found, even then the PM was not liable to any court under Article 66 (privileges of members).



Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed that Article 62 was also part of the constitution just as Article 66 was. Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that on one hand, there was an admission to the contents of speech, while on the other hand, the PM sought immunity, contrary to what he said in the same speech that he does not need any immunity.



Justice Khosa remarked that the case in hand was different as it was not about liability; rather the statement relied upon supporting documents. The matter wasn't not only about speech, but also concerned the properties in London, he observed. The PM's counsel Makhdoom said that prior to disqualification of any member, a declaration from the competent court of law is required, adding SC did not have jurisdiction to hold an inquiry in the matter.



Makhdoom further argued that in all previous cases, the disqualification of parliamentarians was done after the evidences were recorded. During the course of the hearing, Makhdoom cited multiple cases of fake degrees and argued that whoever was disqualified was by appropriate court. He also mentioned the disqualification of former PM Yousaf Raza Gilani, which came out of a contempt case for not complying the court's order regarding letter to Swiss Bank, and argued that he was disqualified after the evidence and prior declaration.



To this, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed remarked that there was a dual nationality case in which there was no prior declaration of court. Responding to this, the PM's counsel Makhdoom said that Article 63 (1) was nebulous in connection with dual nationality, adding members were disqualified on the admission of their dual nationality and the court had examined each case and passed judgment. However, the court cannot disqualify on mere statements.



Justice Azmat observed that the cases being cited were self-evident that the top court had the jurisdiction to take up the disqualification matter, adding that apparently, the court has jurisdiction even in the absence of admission.



To this, Makhdoom said the purpose of citation was not to challenge the jurisdiction 'for the time being' adding submission is in the context that speech made by PM, disqualification under Article 62 does not support. He argued that the scope of inquiry will be difficult.



Justice Khosa observed that over a period of time, Article 62 had evolved because there is no definite provision and no set pattern. The court has interpreted the 62 and 63 on the basis of each case, he observed. Makhdoom said that this court would interpret them in the light of wisdom, adding if we see precedent to precedent in each case, a full determination was made by the court of competent authority.



In the rental power case, he said, the Lahore High Court had observed that declaration of the court was necessary. The court, however, had given observations against then prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf but he was not disqualified.



He referred to Sher Afghan Niyazi reference against Imran Khan regarding his disqualification on the Sita White case and argued that Imran Khan had said before the Election Commission that the provisions of Article 62 and the corresponding provisions apply to a person prior to his election and the nomination papers of former president Rafeeq Tarar were rejected on the basis of his speeches against judiciary. In that case the court had accepted the appeal saying that if it were to accept press clippings, number of members would stand de-seated.
The mathematical (and other) thoughts of a (now retired) math teacher,




As Nick Clegg points out



Mr Clegg accused Brexit supporters of believing in a fantasy world of trade deals with far-flung countries, which could never replace the EUs single market.



And he recounted a conversation with Joe Biden, the outgoing US Vice-President, to underline what the US will demand as the price of an agreement with Britain.



The former Liberal Democrat leader said: He said to me very unsentimentally  in that folksy way he does  We are not going to sign anything that the chicken farmers of Delaware dont like!.



Now, the chicken farmers of Delaware wash their chicken flesh with some sort of chlorine.



Its bleached  bloody horrible stuff  which is not allowed in the EU, the EU has decided, through various laws.



You tell me, but I suspect the good shoppers of Waitrose and Sainsburys and others might be a little bit shocked if, suddenly, they are having to eat this slightly white, chlorine-washed American chicken flesh.



Mr Clegg added, sarcastically: And thats the great triumph of the new US-UK trade agreement.



At present the EU uses a so-called farm-to-fork approach, requiring steps all along the production chain to ensure the food ultimately sold is safe. The Independent speculates that any deal to allow US meat to be sold in Britain after inferior safety measures would be likely to provoke uproar from farmers and consumers. Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership as evidence that these deals come at a cost As Nick Clegg points out in this article , the free-for-all nature of the US economy could lead to a different standard applying to the goods we import into this country from Trump's America:At present the EU uses a so-called farm-to-fork approach, requiring steps all along the production chain to ensure the food ultimately sold is safe. The Independent speculates that any deal to allow US meat to be sold in Britain after inferior safety measures would be likely to provoke uproar from farmers and consumers.

Any deal with the USA could be as controversial as TTIP with equal threats to the integrity of the NHS, food and environmental safety, banking regulations, privacy and the undermining of democracy by enabling big corporations to dictate policy to government.





As ever the devil is in the detail. Those who are embracing Trump's offer should think again.

Brexiteers who are clinging to Trump's promise of a quick trade deal with the UK as justification for the mess they have got us into, may live to regret their early enthusiasm. These things are not as straightforward as they seem. We have the
Earlier this fall, a group of about 250 civic and cultural leaders gathered to pay tribute to Teresa Heinz Kerry on the occasion of her handing over the chairmanship of The Heinz Endowments to her sons. From creating Riverlife, to championing causes from the environment to social equity to the Cultural District among many others, the mark that Mrs. Heinz Kerry has left on Pittsburgh is indelible.

As she took the stage, with her granddaughter running around nearby, she described her long relationship with the city she came to know as a newlywed who came to the U.S. from Mozambique. She learned to be an American through Pittsburgh and Pittsburghersof all stationsand though she has lived away from the city for many years, shes remained one of the leading forces and advocates of the citys dramatic progress.

And now, her three sons will begin their alternating tenure at the helm of the Heinz Endowments, beginning with Andre, who has been working closely with Mayor Bill Peduto to raise the citys ambitions for a sustainable future.

When his first company went bankrupt in 1875 amid a national financial collapse, Henry John Heinz kept a ledger of moral obligationsthe debts he owed. That morality would guide his future. His second company, the long-iconic H.J Heinz Company, was unusual not only in its tremendous business success but also in its groundbreaking institution of enlightened labor practices.

From that template, generations of the Heinz Family have led the company and Pittsburgh, creating institutions in the city too numerous to mention. And now the great-great-grandsons of Henry John HeinzJohn, Andre and Christake their place helping to steer a great city into the future. Pittsburgh is fortunate, indeed, to have their efforts, and we wish them well.

Risking everything: The Carnegie Hero Fund Awards

Of all of Andrew Carnegies farflung philanthropies, the Carnegie Hero Fund was his favorite. The awards and a financial grant have been bestowed for 112 years on civilians in the U.S. and Canada who have risked their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.

One example of this years 72 awardees is Michael Manley Sr. of Wilmington, Delaware. He died saving Andrew Short, 17, from drowning at Virginia Beach. While swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, Short was caught by a current that took him farther from shore and kept him from returning in the rough surf. From the beach, Manley, 43, swam out to Short, calming him and instructing him how to return to shore. Short followed his instructions and safely returned to the beach, where he collapsed. Manley, however, began to struggle. Firefighters and police attempted to rescue him, but conditions were too rough, and Manleys body later washed ashore.

Find descriptions for each of this years awardees online at: carnegiehero.org/awardees.

A new SPARK: FedEx gives $5 million to Carnegie Science Center

The Carnegie Science Centers SPARK! Campaign to dramatically build its offerings to young people has received a huge boost with an eight-year $5 million gift from FedEx. For FedEx and Pittsburgh-based FedEx Ground, making the campaigns largest corporate contribution aims to encourage kids from diverse backgrounds to explore science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fieldssomething that companies across the region will need in the coming years.

Already the regions most-visited museum with more than 500,000 annual visitors, the Science Center will more than double its educational space, including the expansion of its acclaimed STEM programs and the addition of a Science Pavilion, which will house the suite of FedEx STEM Learning 7Labs as well as a Special Exhibitions Gallery for large-scale changing exhibitions; a laser digital giant-screen theater; and outdoor learning spaces on the riverfront.
This blog will focus on political images I have found all around the Internet, though I will intersperse some commentary and quotes that I find interesting.
This website is intended for U.S. visitors only.
Fake news is a problem, but superficial news, or superficial analysis of news reports is a problem, too. For example, Fred Dicker, a columnist for the New York Post and the paper's state editor, tweeted this today: "A study? Just look at Upstate: Study shows Americans flock to states with less burdensome taxes."

Then he linked to this study, which is from United Van Lines, which does an annual movers' survey, showing (according to moving companies) the top inbound states and top outbound states. How well the data from the moving companies corresponds with, say, Census data is one question. But it is an interesting survey.

The top inbound state for 2016 was South Dakota, overtaking Oregon, which held the top spot for the previous three years, according to the moving survey. South Dakota has the 16th lowest state and local tax burden, out of 50 states plus the District of Columbia, according to this WalletHub survey. How accurate is the WalletHub survey? I don't know. It was the first one I found to compare overall tax burdens among all the states. But that is another issue that has to be considered when making the sort of sweeping statement that Dicker does. For example, some well-known organizations compare tax burdens by state specifically for retirees  like this one from Kiplinger's.

If you look at the Kiplinger's map, you'll notice that Vermont and Oregon are listed among the 10 least friendly to retirees on taxes. But Vermont is No. 2 on the movers' list of most popular states to move into, and Oregon is No. 3. So, obviously, taxes may be a factor, but they're not the only factor for people who are moving from one state to another.

In a general sense, there is some truth to Dicker's assertion, judging from the tax burden rankings on WalletHub. If you find the tax burden rankings for the top 10 "inbound" states on the movers' survey, most of them are in the top half for lightest tax burdens. The average ranking is 16. If you do the same for the top 10 "outbound" states, you get an average tax burden ranking of 38.

So, it does appear that tax burden is a factor, especially in determining which states are most popular to move out of. It appears to be less of a factor in determining which states are the most popular to move into. Of the top 10 "inbound" states, only one  Nevada  is also in the top 10 for lightest overall tax burden. Vermont, the No. 2 "inbound" state on the movers' survey, has only the 27th lightest tax burden, according to WalletHub.

The point is, like most things, it's complicated. New York City, which has a bunch of extra taxes just for city residents, in a state that is already highly taxed, has been adding hundreds of thousands of residents. The city's population has risen 4.5 percent since 2010, according to the Census Bureau, and now stands at more than 8.5 million, an all-time high. The city's rate of population increase over that time beats Alaska's (just under 4 percent), and Alaska has the lowest tax burden of all states, according to WalletHub.
SARATOGA  A Corinth man was arrested early Monday for allegedly hitting his daughter's ex-boyfriend with a tire iron when he violated an order of protection, police said.

Michael H. Smith, 61, was charged with second-degree assault, a felony, and misdemeanor criminal possession of a weapon in connection with an incident Saturday night on Broad Street in the town of Saratoga, according to State Police.

The victim, Michael A. Whelan, 27, of Rock City Falls, suffered head, arm and leg injuries in the altercation with Smith, which occurred when Whelan allegedly had contact with Smith's daughter in violation of an order of protection, officials said. He was not seriously hurt.

Whelan was charged with second-degree criminal contempt, a misdemeanor, for allegedly violating the order of protection, and two misdemeanor charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance for possession of unspecified narcotics, records show.

Snith was arraigned in Saratoga Town Court and released on his own recognizance. Whelan was released on cash bail.
FORT EDWARD  One of three men accused of running a busy drug ring from a Hudson Falls restaurant pleaded guilty to a felony charge Friday as prosecutors revealed they are hoping to seize two buildings believed to have been purchased with proceeds from drug crimes.

Cody J. Olden, 29, of Hudson Falls, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a felony, in connection with a May 18 cocaine sale in Hudson Falls. Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan sentenced him to 3 years in state prison to be followed by 2 years on parole and directed he make $200 restitution for the money that police used to buy cocaine from him.

He was scheduled to stand trial later this month. McKeighan agreed to recommend he be allowed to participate in the state's shock incarceration program for nonviolent offenders, which could result in his early release if he completes a bootcamp-like program.

Olden was part of a trio that police believe was selling heroin, cocaine and marijuana from Chef Jeff's Pizza on John Street, leading to a 10-month investigation and Sept. 30 arrests of the restaurant proprietors and Olden. Olden had faced two felony drug sale charges, and the other will be dismissed as part of a plea deal.

Also charged were Alfonso E. "Fons" Santana, 41, and his brother Michael P. Santana, 36, both of whom live at the John Street properties where the drug sales are alleged to have taken place. Michael Santana is accused of selling drugs from one of the John Street locations, while Alfonso Santana faces felony drug possession and conspiracy charges.

Both have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting further court proceedings before McKeighan.

Olden did not specify during his guilty plea where the drug sale took place. His lawyer, Lucas Mihuta, did not return a call for comment Monday.

Washington County First Assistant District Attorney Christian Morris said Olden's plea deal did not include a requirement he cooperate against the Santanas.

He said cooperation of co-defendants in drug cases sometimes muddles the case.

"We have a strong case and we decided we didn't need his cooperation," Morris said.

Prosecutors are seeking to seize both 55 John St. and 55-1/2 John St. in the case, Morris said, as well as $23,000 in cash that was found by police during the investigation. The restaurant is located at 55 John St., and after a brief closure, re-opened in October. A home owned by Michael Santana is at 55-1/2 John St.

Authorities can seize money, property, vehicles and any other valuables they can show were purchased with proceeds of crime.

The arrest wasnt Alfonso Fons Santanas first drug-related arrest in the region. He was also arrested in 2013 when police searched the home next to the restaurant where he lived and seized more than a pound of marijuana and nearly $22,000 in cash, police said. Santana pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal possession of marijuana and agreed to forfeit the cash, court records show.
HUDSON FALLS  Two of three suspects in a burglary and assault last fall at a group home for people with mental illness pleaded guilty Friday to felony charges.

Tyler J. Yell, 23, and Nicholas M. Cox, 20, pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary for the October incident at a group home on Maple Street. Police said a woman who was with them "lured" the male victim from his home, and then as the two men attacked him he ran back in and they followed him. No serious injuries were reported.

The woman who authorities said got the victim to come out of the home was identified as Alyson M. Kio, 18, of Hudson Falls. Police said she knew him, but the motive for the attack was unclear. Charges are still pending against Kio.

The home is operated by the Warren-Washington Mental Health Association.

Yell agreed to a plea deal that will include a 60-day sentence in Washington County Jail and 5 years on probation, and is free pending sentencing Feb. 17 by Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan.

Cox is being held in Washington County Jail, pending sentencing Feb. 17. It was unclear what his sentence recommendation was.
CAMBRIDGE  The Varak Park complex, a business park in the middle of the village, has been sold to a group of investors from Pennsylvania for $400,000.

Our goal is to build on what is already there, said Benjamin Long, a partner in 17 Mile Real Estate of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, which is already working on future plans. We want to build on the past and look to the future.

Varak Park is a 5-acre site that was once the home of the largest seed company in the world.

The Cambridge Industrial Corp. sold the park, which includes nine buildings and a 60,000-gallon water tower. The site is at 9 and 15 W. Main St.

Bo Andersson, president and chairman of the board of Flomatic Corp. in Glens Falls, was one of five people who founded Varak Park shortly after Rice Seed Co. closed. He said last year the time had come to sell the park, which by then he owned with his two sons.

Long and Mark Roscioli are the principal owners of 17 Mile, which was founded in 2008 and has focused on property development in the Philadelphia area. Long has more than 25 years of professional experience, and like Roscioli, has been involved in telecom site investment and management.

Long said one of the things that drew him to Varak Park was the telecommunications antenna on its water tower.

That is a very stable asset, he said. We look for properties with a telecom connection, and thats what caught our attention. Then we fell in love with the property and what the folks there are doing.

Tenants in the park now include a gym, a laundromat, small manufacturers, offices and artists studios.

Its great that someone is investing in Varak Park, said village Mayor Carman Bogle. It is important that we keep moving forward in the village.

The site, which has more than 50,000 feet of space altogether, now has more than 30 tenants, doing a wide variety of business.

We love what they are doing there, Long said. We have dipped our toe in the community, and we have been talking with people who are interested in creating jobs.

The park already has one new tenant. The new owners have given space to a robotics team from Cambridge High School, which is assembling its competition robot there.

Who knows, maybe we will produce an award-winning robot here, said Long.

Long said he has spoken with Bogle, who has been pushing for space for an after-school program. The initial site fell through.

OnTheMark property management will oversee the park for 17 Mile.
FORT ANN  Two months before village elections, Fort Ann has no candidate registered to run for the mayors office or one of the two trustee seats.

In September, Richard Foran, who was first elected mayor in 1973, announced he would not be seeking another term. He said he wanted to make the announcement early so those interested in running could make plans.

Monday, local funeral home director Bruce Mason, who has been on the Village Board for more than a decade, said he would not be seeking another term.

As far as I know, right now there is no interest in either position, and we need to let people know that, Mason said, noting that those interested in serving on the board or as mayor should go to the village office to get a petition.

Local village elections are scheduled for March 21.

I have been doing this for a lot of years now, and its time to step down, Mason said.

Foran, 77, who still works as vice president at St. Ann Transportation, said in September he felt it was time to step down as well. Foran is one of the longest-serving mayors in the state.

The decisions by Mason and Foran leave one member returning after the election. Roy Steves has one year remaining on his term.

This is a tough situation for the village, Mason said. We really need some people to step up for these positions.
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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.
He made the revelation in an interview with the media on the sidelines of an economic meeting with some investors from Morocco in Accra.

I raised that question because of the macro instability weve experienced over this period and just to say that to be able to have macro stability and to be able to be able to hold the currency, we as a government are going to subject ourselves to such an act and this act will then enjoin us to function within certain parameters which will not derail the economy, he said.

The process for the law is expected to start with the 2017 budget presentation in March.

However Ken Ofori Atta believes government should be able to stabilize fundamental economic issues by the end of year.

Well the budget will have to be approved by the first quarter of this year and then subsequent to that we will begin to write those Acts and hopefully by the end of the year we should get those laws in force, he stressed.

During his campaign ahead of the December polls, President Nana Akufo-Addo bemoaned the nations huge debt portfolio.

This he said made it difficult for small scale industries to receive funding from commercial banks.

The NPP in its 2016 manifesto also indicated that, Fiscal policy implementation, as it stands now, lacks three basic elements; absence of a transparent institutional arrangement for providing quality fiscal information to the public, absence of a mechanism for ensuring accountability in implementing optimal fiscal policies to guarantee the stability of the system, and the absence of an institution to ensure the credibility of fiscal projections provided by the Government.
The environmental group said the British bank had broken its own guidelines which ban supporting palm oil companies involved in unsustainable practices as it was part of syndicates that had arranged $16.3 billion of loans since 2012.

"HSBC claims it's a respectable bank with responsible policies on deforestation. But somehow these fine words get forgotten when it's time to sign the contracts," said Annisa Rahmawati, senior forest campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

The bank said it did not knowingly provide services to directly support palm oil companies that do not comply with their policies on deforestation.

Vast tracts of Indonesian jungle have been cleared in recent years to make way for plantations to feed insatiable global demand for the edible vegetable oil, which is a key ingredient in goods from shampoo to biscuits.

This has led to the destruction of the habitats of endangered animals such as orangutans. Burning land to make way for plantations also causes huge forest fires that burn out of control most years and shroud the region in toxic haze.

Greenpeace, which analysed corporate financial data and company reports and statements, listed six firms it said received financial services from HSBC and whose palm oil operations had been accused of unsustainable practices.

The report said the companies were accused of activities including land seizures from local people, forest fires, abuse of workers and operating without legal permits.

HSBC said customer confidentiality meant it could not comment on specific companies.

But the bank added it had no interest in financing customers involved in illegal operations, land clearance by burning, the conversion of high-value conservation areas, child or forced labour or the violation of local communities' rights.

"We are not aware of any current instances where customers are alleged to be operating outside our policy and where we have not taken, or are not taking, appropriate action," the bank said in a statement.

The companies mentioned in the report as having received financial services from the bank were: Bumitama Agri; Goodhope Asia Holdings; IOI Group; Noble Group; Posco Daewoo; and Salim Group.

Noble referred requests for comment to its sustainability information document, which said its plantation arm was a member of the industry's Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and it followed RSPO procedures.
She walks into the open area to see a white man, probably English, smile at her with tobacco stained teeth. Mary knows, but she is not sure she can do what is being asked of her, what has been asked so many times before.

Her madam puts her hands in this oyinbos cold hands and gestures towards the room. But Mary is tired, so she pulls her hand away and shakes her head... NO.

Mary is a sex worker, and NO is not a part of that line of work. So her madam smiles and holds her hand again, but Mary pulls it back.

The next time her madams hand comes up, it is a clenched fist that lands on Marys face. Then her torso, and her face again. She screams and tries to deflect the blows, but her tiny arms only flail as she falls to the ground.

She hears footsteps, running, other workers come to see what is happening, but they stand there, no-one tries to help her.

She tries to call out someones name but she cannot hear her own voice. She wills herself to stand, raise her arms, do something, anything but nothing is happening.

By the time her madam regains her senses, and her temper dies down, Mary is dead, a lifeless heap of flesh and bones on the cold floor.

However interesting it may seem, the story of the Nigerian sex worker does not begin here.

Our very creative grandparents first called the sex worker Ashewo in the 1930s but it doesnt start there either.

There is a reason why prostitution is called the worlds oldest profession.

The sex worker is as old, perhaps older, than Nigeria herself but when the colonial government first tried to ban prostitutes in 1916 - they were not just around, they were everywhere.

The European expatriates and young professionals of old Lagos had a massive appetite for Nigerian women, and the sex workers were willing to satisfy it, so they hung at every point they could find them - on street corners, in front of office buildings, cinemas, clubs, chain stores especially on Lagos Island.

When Mary Efoghere died, the reaction from the public was one of pain, disgust and anger; naturally, the government stepped in.

By 1946, the ashewos of Lagos were an endangered species.

Then, in 1960, the English dusted their bags and left.Nigeria became an independent country.

A new generation saw an opportunity to pick up where their mentors left the hustle. The conditions were right, so the Nigerian sex worker rose again.

This time, their clients were different. Nigeria was a different country, more people could now afford to pay for a few minutes of mekwe. These sex workers realised that instead of chasing them around, they had to create places where those clients could find them.

In the following years, brothels sprung up all over Nigeria.

Weird MC sang about Allen Avenue in 1996, but she was 16 years late to the party.

In many ways, Ikeja was the unofficial national headquarters of sex workers at the time, but the street corners that they loved were all over the country. They were the places where the girls stood at night, waiting patiently, hoping for the best.

But more often than not, conversations went like this.

*cars drives into dimly lit street*

Baby, come over and check me out. I go do you well."

How much?

700 naira

No, its too expensive. Collect 400 naira.

Comot here. Bastard. Na your mama dem go carry for 400 naira.

This one is old and rude. Lets check young meat in front

*car drives away*

Because dark street corners are not for everyone and politicians like to have sex too, a new, higher level of sex workers emerged.

They werethe call girlsorescorts - undergraduates and exotic women who went the extra mile to look better than their mates on the street.

Their millionaire suitors, known as aristos were wealthy and much older men who lived in high-brow areas like Ikoyi and 1004 apartments. They were men who could afford the luxury lifestyle the girls desired.

Lets take a step back.

When the 70s welcomed the street hookers, they quickly filled up every space they could find.

The escort was an upgrade, the guarantee that if they could become the object of the right persons desires, they could live the good life.

A lot of things were happening at this time; the military was killing the economy and oil prices were falling, so more women were trying to make a living any way they could.

The problem was, there could only be so many hookers in one place; so the most daring of the madams looked at their contacts in Europe, and decided it was time to expand the business.

Going into 1990, the number of girls that travelled from Nigeria to Italy for a life of prostitution ran into the thousands. As of today, a dazzling 80% of women that travel from Nigeria to Italy through Libya end up as sex workers in Europe.

But that is another story. Ours continues in Nigeria.

The age of the aristo continued late into the early 2000s.

In the eyes of the hooker, there were only two classes of Nigerians; on one hand, there was the upper-class people who could afford aristos. On the other, you had the regular folk who, because food is more important than 10 minutes of happiness, could only afford the brothels or night warriors of Allen Avenue.

Then, one night,if you believe the stories, Abacha died at the hands of a prostitute.

With democracy came freedom and a new class of people. They were young and comfortable, professionals, entertainers and internet fraudsters  people with just enough newly-made wealth to enjoy few luxuries.

They wanted to taste the things that escorts could do to a man, and the money was there, but it was not enough to compete with Alhaji for his Unilag babe.

A new class of sex worker fondly called olosho emerged to serve that need. She is very similar to the aristo, usually educated to some level with an ability to almost blend into whatever location she finds herself in.

The olosho is never a call away from anybody.

The average guy is too proud to walk past Allen Avenue to pick up a girl, and for him, a brothel is not an option, but this hooker knows that if she lures your attention for long enough, you will realise that your next few minutes of pleasure are just a short conversation away.

And just like that, she discovered how to solve the problem of her clients insecurities and shyness; by following them everywhere, and hiding in plain sight.

You are friends with more oloshos than you know.

In the following years, a new invention slowly became a part of our daily lives. Its name? The internet. When Facebook became a big deal in the late 2000s, Nigerians flocked there, buoyed by their smartphones and data plans, and the sex worker followed.

For her, It was like opening a branch on the internet; all she had to do was create a vague profile with a pseudonym and a few pictures that could get blood rushing to a mans head.

Soon enough, she would begin to receive messages.

"Hey pretty. I think you look really good. Would you like to hang out? I can show you a really good time"

08065678321

Simple and straight-forward, right?

No.

A lot of the girls had friends and family that used Facebook; there was the chance that someone could always stumble on their profile and see things. So when Badoo came through, they knew they had to move.

Badoo has never pretended to be something it is not. It is an app for meeting members of the opposite sex and the sex workers understood that from the onset. When they joined the site and shared pictures of body parts begging to be set free, the business was on the rise again.

But a lot of this was happening.

"Hey beautiful. How are you?

No Reply.

"You look like an angel, let me give you a place in the stars"

No Reply.

Hey, you look like you have a nice package, let me unwrap it for you

No Reply.

Badoo makes it very easy to discover new people, so the hookers found that they were getting too messages from guys trying to sweet-talk them into having sex for free. Tinder showed up later, a fancier version of Badoo with fewer options, but the case was the same.

So they gave us the phrase that is an invitation and a disclaimer at the same damn time.

'Hookup(s) Only'

What this means is simple; you can send messages until the end of the internet age, but unless youre ready to pay for nacks, your efforts will fade away like smoke.

Swipe left, and right on your favourite dating app and its there; generic hooker name, breasts bursting out of bra, rear end in the air and, 'hookup(s) only'.

Your favorite Instagram model is a call girl.

Have you ever wondered why Instagram is full of models who have never seen a runway or had a professional photoshoot?

Since social media and chatting became a thing, hookers have relied a lot on pictures. Instagram launched to give them a system that was built around pictures for the most part. I really dont know what we were expecting.

The hookers joined the app in numbers and putmodel/PR expert on their profiles. The idea was, and still is simple; upload as many pictures of yourself in posh locations looking as sexually inviting as possible and soon, the right people will want a taste of what they see.

Typically, in very little time, a lot of us followed them.

A certain Instagram barbie even has more followers than some full-time musicians.

Men are scum.

While you followed her just to enjoy free shows, its actually going down in the DMs of the Instagram hooker. Her pretend-like-you-actually-have-money lifestyle tends to attract big fish, the kind of people who can pay for sex in obscene amounts of naira and dollars.

Business boomed. But there was always going to be a new frontier, and in due time, it came.

If there is a hierarchy of users on Snapchat, it will be something like this.

Entertainers Snapchat Hoes  Normal People, like you and I.

Instead of just pictures, Snapchat invited the hooker to share short videos, and she embraced the opportunity with open legs. Nobody, not even Davido, posts snaps like a Snapchat hoe.

Every day brings a new hotel room, a new car, vacation or party, a new opportunity to show you the only thing that matters; her body.

Her videos are like teasers; you open your Snapchat to see a new story and tap on it.

The text across the screen says "Bored as fuck" but this aunty is grinding all over the place.

She makes a face at the camera and winks. The snap ends.

The next snap loads, shes in the same place but theres music playing as she rolls her eyes.

It takes you some time to notice that her bra strap has disappeared into thin air.

By the fourth snap, the progression is almost complete. Shes singing along but you can only notice the blouse that is clinging on to her breasts for dear life.

A little peek of lace panties here, a peek of the outline of her body, small bum-bum, just enough to have you wishing for the real thing.

While the rest of Nigeria tries to fully understand Snapchat, she handles it like a professional. Even in the face of threats to her survival, the Nigerian sex worker has successfully evolved over time to match the needs of her clients and the reality of the times she lives in.

From Allen Avenue to 10-second videos, she has followed you everywhere, because of one simple fact; men have always wanted to have sex.
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In a statement, the police said that Christopher came to India on a business visa two years ago and continued to stay in India illegally. In the past few months, he came to the city from Goa a couple of times to sell cocaine to customers here.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) M. Sanjeev Patil said the quantity of cocaine seized from Christopher was the highest seized by the city police so far.

He said the investigation is still ongoing andthe city police will find local persons allegedly associated with Christoper.
The new Member of Parliament for Kwabre East, Francisca Oteng-Mensah who affirmed this incident said the financial pressure mounted on MPs by their constituents is unbearable.

Francisca Oteng-Mensah told Accra-based Joy FM that "even though I have not started receiving salary, I have started paying fees [and] I have started paying hospital bills and a whole lot."

For many Ghanaians their MPs earn enough money to ensure they (constituents) benefit from the income. An MP in Ghana currently earns GH 7,200 monthly, which is well above what many ordinary Ghanaians earn.

READ ALSO:
The vehicle, which was donated to the Southern Command of the Ghana Army by the Bank of Ghana, was meant to be used for operational activities.

Adeti is currently the Chief of Staff at the General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces at Burma Camp.

A publication by the DAILY GUIDE newspaper brought the issue to light which led to then Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Maj Gen RK Opoku Adusei ordering for further probing into the matter.

The investigative report revealed that Adeti had engaged in certain illegalities with regards to the said car.

Adetis successor, Brig M. Whajah first blew the whistle on the alleged vehicle theft after being told by the Bank of Ghana that a vehicle had been donated to the Army, upon sending a request to the bank for support.

The pick-up van  with registration number GN 4240-15  was then traced at the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), only to be uncovered that Adeti had taken the vehicle without informing his superiors. The vehicle was later found in his garage.

The investigations therefore revealed that the Major General had engaged in certain foul plays, with regards to him keeping the vehicle.
Yakubu who travelled to Libya in search of greener pastures returned home only to allegedly stab his fiancee and also threaten to kill the victims mother for swindling him.

READ ALSO: Police officer in car selling syndicate declared wanted

He narrated that both daughter and mother had defrauded him to the tune of GHC 20,000 by making him believe they were building a house for him whiles in Libya.

According to Rainbow radio, the suspect while away in Libya, discussed with the fiancee that he wanted to build a house back in Ghana so he settles down when he gets back home.

READ ALSO: Police Commander in car selling syndicate reassigned

The victim then informed Yakubu that, she and the mother had already bought a land and asked Yakubu to send the money so they start building the house.

However, the victim and the mother failed to construct the house and allegedly squandered the money.
READ ALSO: Kumasi residents warned to stay indoors

According to Ultimate FMs Isaac Bediako Justice, the victim is reportedly receiving treatment at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

He said that about 400 mourners passed out due to excessive alcohol intake at the funeral grounds.

Many of them have so far resuscitated while others are still receiving treatment at the hospital, he added.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday joined a huge crowd of mourners, who thronged the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi to bid farewell to the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Kobi Serwaah Ampem II.

READ ALSO: Nana Afia Kobi to be buried with gold ornaments

He was accompanied by his Ministers-designate and some Members of Parliament (MPs).
The court adjourned the case due to the failure of the witnesses for the Narcotic Control Board to appear in court. The house is part of a number of properties owned by the Nayele ordered by the High Court to be confiscated after her arrest for carrying cocaine out of the country.

According to the mother of Nayele, the said property which is located at East Legon belonged to her and not her daughter [Nayele].

The 33-year-old Nayele who pleaded guilty to carrying 12 kilos of cocaine to the United Kingdom and was sentenced by the Isleworth Crown Court in London in January 2015 is serving an eight years, eight months jail term.

The sentence was discounted because of her early guilty plea.

During the trial the prosecutors said the cocaine carried by Nayele had a purity of 78% and a street value of 1.872 million Pounds.
This is a date released by the Electoral Commission of Ghana.

The Commission will be accepting nominations from prospective candidates for the Election at the Regional Offices of the Commission from Friday 20th January to Thursday 26th, January 2017 from 8:00am to 12:00 noon and 2:00pm to 4:00pm on each day.

They also said that the Commission is yet to determine the venue within the regional capitals where voting will be held.

The Commission said nomination forms will be made available to interested candidates from Tuesday, 17th January 2017, to Thursday, 19th January 2017.

Requirements for nomination

To be eligible for election to the Council of State a prospective candidate must;

Be a citizen of Ghana

Be of sound mind

Be a registered voter

Be a resident or hail from the region which he /she seeks to represent.

A person shall not be qualified to be elected as a regional representative to the Council of State if;

He/ She has been adjudged or otherwise declared bankrupt under any law in force in Ghana and has not been discharged.

He/ She has been convicted for high crime under the Constitution, or high treason, or for an offence involving the security of the State, fraud, dishonesty, or moral turpitude; or for any other offence punishable by death or by a sentence of not less than ten years.

READ ALSO: NPP woman arrested for pouring soup on NDC woman

He/ She has been found by the report of a Commission, or a Committee of Inquiry to be incompetent to hold public office, or is a person in respect of whom a Commission or a Committee of Inquiry has found out that, while being in public office, he acquired assets unlawfully, or defrauded the State, or misused his office, or acted in a manner prejudicial to the interest of the State, and the findings have not been set aside on appeal, or judicial review.
The president-elect announced the death of his seven year old son, Habib Barrow, on Facebook with a photo of Islamic clerics standing in front of a covered coffin.

READ ALSO: NPP woman arrested for pouring soup on NDC woman

he added.

The news of the death of his son would inevitably cause great pain for Mr Barrow especially because he was not in the country at the moment the incident happened and not present for the funeral which followed a day later.

Adama Barrow is currently in neighbouring Senegal where President Macky Sall has agreed to shelter him until his on Thursday January 19.
This was after a feud between the victim and Elizabeth Elijah, popularly known as Bose (the perpetrator).

READ ALSO: Police officers arrested for robbing miners

According to the Daily Graphic, Hawa narrated that she had gone to fetch water when the incident occurred at Abossey Okai Zongo Junction in Accra to fetch water.

Hawa said they both exchanged insults and as the confrontation got nasty Elizabeth lifted the soup that was on fire and poured the contents on her.

READ ALSO: Nana Afia Kobi to be buried with gold ornaments

Hawa expressed shock that all those present at the time looked unconcerned.

The police who confirmed this said she (Elizabeth) is in the cells and we are still in the process of preparing her for court, the source said.
The president of the group, Nii Ayifio Tetteh said that appointing natives as MCE or DCEs had been the trend since late President Mills administration.

President Nana Akufo-Addo has pledged to make the position of MMDCEs electable by 2018.

This, he said, was to strengthen the local governance system and offer Ghanaians the opportunity to choose who they preferred to represent their interest as Chief Executive in the Assembly.

He has since asked all MMDCEs to vacate their post with immediate effect.

But ahead of the elections, the president of the Ga-Dangme Youth said he has picked up signals which indicate that some non-Ga-Dangmes were lobbying for the positions.

He said the group will not agree to that as development in the Greater Accra Region could only be achieved if Ga-Dangmes are given those positions.

We have helped Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and he is now the first gentleman of the land. Whatever he told us he is going to do, we are going to find out if he will stand by his words. If he keeps his words, we are going to vote for him again. But if he disappoints Ga-Dangmes, we are going to vote him out of power, we want someone who can push the Ga Dangme agenda for us...now its time to elect MMDCEs...we are pleading with Nana Addo Dankwa and his authoritative medium that we dont want any non-Ga Dangme like an Akan, Voltarian, Northerner, who is not a Ga-Dangme to be appointed as a MCE or DCE on Ga-Dangme land. If not so, we are going to organise a demonstration," he told Accra-based Joy FM.
According to him, "We will no longer countenance the brigandry of Nana Akufo-Addos Invincible Forces."

Read more:Angry suspected NPP youth besiege government institutions

Some of the supporters of the NPP have attacked statutory institutions including the National Health Insurance Scheme, women under School Feeding Program, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), the passport office in Accra, toll booths across the country.

The NPP youth also broke into rooms of occupants at the Kwame Nkrumah Flats at Laterbiokoshie.

The police have been helpless, having tried to bring the situation under the control.

But Anyidoho in an interview on Accra-based Class FM said, the "banditry of the Invincible Forces shall not be countenanced any longer."

He added that, "Everybody knows how closely they are associated with Nana Akufo-Addo; they worked with him closely in opposition, they have not hidden the fact that he is their boss and we are pleading with Nana Akufo-Addo that when he was opposition leader he took no oath on any NPP platform to ensure that there is peace, theres harmony and there is internal decorum and decency within the NPP.
Speaking on Asempa FMs Eko Sii Sen show on Monday, Mr Freddy Blay said that he did not lobby for the job because he was confident he was going to be chosen by the Council of Elders of the party for the position.

Of course traditionally, when there is a vacant seat people contest to occupy it. I was hoping to be made the Speaker of Parliament, but I never spoke to the President about it. I wish I had it but I couldnt have made noise about my wish. Im currently serving as the Acting National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), but if theres any place that the President wants me to serve which will not affect my job in the party, I will gladly take it up, he said.

Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye was sworn-in as the new Speaker of Parliament on January 7, 2017.

His named was proposed by the Majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) after which he was approved by MPs.

Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye has assured that he will be fair in his dealings with all members of Parliament to enable them to contribute effectively to proceedings on the floor of the house.
At the resumed hearing of the matter against Total Nigeria Limited at the Federal High Court, Lagos, counsel to the Federal Government, Professor Fabian Ajogwu, SAN informed the court of the pending application, which was the motion for amendment of the originating processes.

The Court agreed that the Plaintiff was entitled to up to a maximum of three amendments.

The Court then granted the order for amendment with costs and adjourned the matter to March 23, 2017 for trial.

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Similarly, in the suit against Chevron Nigeria Limited and another, the plaintiffs Counsel informed the Court of the pending applications and prayed the Court for a date for hearing of the applications.

The Court adjourned the matter to March 23, 2017 for hearing of pending applications.

It would be recalled that the Federal Government of Nigeria had instituted actions in court against some International Oil Companies (IOCs) to recover lost revenues arising from undeclared and under-declared crude oil shipments.
In truth, it has been our reality for a while, but in 2016, few people could boast of a steady stream of income that put money in the bank. Those with money in the bank faced all sorts of difficulties in converting their account balances into cash, as those with cash watched it become worthless in the palms of their hands and their wallets.

From this perspective, it is little wonder that lotteries of all kinds became insanely popular in the last year. A common sight around the country is small crowds of young men with sheets of paper in hand, plotting the permutations that would bring them some free cash to fortify their finances.

For the businesses, it is a welcome development. A jelly-like exchange rate has shut their customers' eyes to foreign options. They may be making money off millions of Nigerians by selling statistics and probability but at least, the money is staying within this system. It is Nigerian money and it will remain in Nigeria.

A major player in the Nigerian lottery space thinks otherwise.

According to Niyi Adekunle, managing director and Chief Executive Officer of Lotgrand, Nigeria's lottery firms lose about 25 billion naira to foreign firms on a yearly basis.

How exactly does this happen?

Adekunle, whose company operates the Grand Lotto Yellow Terminal and promotes lotteries in Nigeria with its Machine Number Series, says the firms spend the money on acquiring, deploying and maintaining the software and hardware systems needed to run lotteries all over Nigeria.

As he explained in Lagos, "Payment for the acquisition of software licences and support services constitute 20 and 40 percent of our annual technology budget spends respectively".

"I see more players in the industry spending huge on instant game inventory management systems, lottery gaming systems, retail point-of-sale technology, mobile apps, USSD platform, data and communications links and internet platforms", he added.

Translation: Nigerian lottery firms will lose money to foreign technology in 2017, and it may be way more than 25 billion.

Amidst an emerging tech scene and the success of our technology firms in 2016, it seems absurd that there are no indigenous solutions to this problem. However, the facts point to reasons why this is the case: the growth of Nigerian tech in 2016 was buoyed by the rise of fintech above anything else.

The spotlight that fell on the technology ecosystem was beamed particularly on the individuals and firms building systems that made the transfer and use of money easier for Nigerians; innovations that did not solve the problem of the lottery firms.

However, there is a case for their perceived reluctance to build the solutions that will ensure this money stays within our shores.

According to Folarin Okunola, ICT expert and Tech Guy at Pulse Nigeria, "I don't think the ecosystem is at that point yet. Look at it: How many mainstream lottery companies are there in Nigeria? Will it be profitable long-term (or short-term even) for anyone to develop the enterprise software these companies need? Are these companies willing to pay for the software/hardware they need? Our tech ecosystem is just not at that point yet. There are bigger pain points to attack."

And it is true.

A major scourge that Nigerian technology firms face is the unwillingness of indigenous firms to pay good value for the solutions that they provide.

In many ways, it is a problem that all businesses in that space suffer; their work is perceived as creative above all else, so they are approached as artisans doing a trade and offered as much remuneration as their patrons believe they deserve.

Regardless, it would appear that the lottery firms have a case, however small. The local lottery market is immense, with a market base that stretches across the entire country. In the last year, a particular lottery firm paid a 500 million bonus to a single winner.

Looking forward into the new year, they have their sights on even further expansion. A good number of lottery firms are looking to explore even more technology-based initiatives to grow their businesses.

Perhaps, the most notable of them is USSD, which opens lotteries up to new users and makes it easier for inconsistent users to avail themselves of the platforms on a more frequent basis.

Adekunle challenged indigenous IT players to focus their innovations on the lottery industry and compete for a big chunk of the market share so that the local economy can reap from the hyper growth of the lottery industry.

It is with a view to this growth that players in the Nigerian lottery space believe that local tech companies should open their eyes to the possibilities that the industry presents.

Adekunle has implored indigenous technology firms to pay more attention to creating solutions for the lottery industry and make an effort to compete with the foreign firms for a bite of the market. This, he believes, will ensure that a lot more of the money stays within the local economy.

However, when one considers the true state of this local economy as well as how dependent the lottery industry is on the average person's ability to spare some cash, a lot of these predictions seem increasingly bloated.
The duo wish to continue their vacation in Dubai after visiting Thailand and China in recent weeks. The couple arrived the Chinese city after spending a couple of days in Thailand, where they visited Phi Phi Islands and Kathu ATV Adventure.

The pair who were the only passengers seen on the Emirate First Class to Dubai, decided to make it a moment by dancing to Big Seans "Bounce Back".

AKA excitedly shared the video via his Twitter page, with caption,
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!
Head of CNN Nigeria/West Africa, Stephanie Busari hosted the sixth D2D masterclass session.

Busari advised the D2D finalists to be determined and never let anyone or anything quench their fire. She emphasised that the finalists should never let their disadvantages and lacks get the best of them.
The deceased, who was a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was reportedly killed at about 5 am on Tuesday, January 17, 2017, by suspected hired assassins, Daily Post reports.

ALSO READ: Man who murdered Yoruba leader in Kano sentenced to death

Sources revealed to Daily Post that the culprits stormed the home of the deceased at Akugbe Street by Water Resources in Uvwie Local Government Area, Effurun, locked him up for several hours before he was brutally murdered.

Daily Post reports that one of the sources also disclosed that the culprits murdered Pa Omadeli and fled the residence before family relatives realised what had happened.

According to the reports, the deceased had been an active voice in Ugborodo community and had reportedly protested over alleged misappropriation of massive oil royalties which accrued to the community from Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL and the yet to be released N3.2billion Coastal Ugborodo Development Fund which has been a subject of crisis in the area.

Confirming the incident, the Secretary of Ugborodo Community Development, Femi Uwawah, quoted the deceaseds wife as saying, her hubby was either suffocated to death or injected with a chemical but, We cannot confirm that until the autopsy comes out.

ALSO READ: Benue PDP youth leader murdered by unknown assassins

When contacted concerning the incident, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Zanna Mohammed, said that the police were yet to be informed of the incident.
According to Okonta Kingsley, the convener of Ika Anti-Cult Group, who posted the story on his Facebook wall, the old cultist and his gang had been responsible for terrorizing, robbery, rape and sundry crimes in the community.

Kingsley narrated that the cultists have been causing havoc in Ikaland for a long time, forcing the youths to come together and fight them before they were apprehended.

Posting on his wall, Kingsley wrote:

No room for the wicked; Ika Anti-Cult is out for you.
Daily Post reports that the plans of the kidnappers were thwarted after police officers chased them down following the kidnap of the victim, on Monday, January 16, 2017.

ALSO READ: Police kill two kidnappers in gun battle

The spokesman for the state police command, Femi Joseph told reporters that, immediately the command received the information about the monarchs wifes abduction, a team of policemen went after the kidnappers in conjunction with the local hunters.

"The men were said to have later abandoned her in a bush. However, police still engaged the kidnappers in an exchange of fire which led to the death of one of them. The others escaped with bullet injuries."
Punch reports that the couple who lived behind the Anglican Church at Owode-Ijako, in the Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state, got into a family squabble in the night of Friday, January 13, 2017, leading to a fight during which Oguntade strangled his wife, threw her body out of the window and fled the scene.

The community development association Chairman of the area, Iskilu Kareem, was said to have reported the case to the police after residents discovered the body the following day.

Kareem explained that he had received a telephone call from a member of the vigilance group in the area that the husband and wife were engaged in a scuffle, adding that before he got to their house, the husband had strangled his wife, threw the body outside through a window and ran away.

Confirming the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said:

The Divisional Police Officer, Sango Police Division, , a Superintendent of Police, later led detectives to the scene and took the corpse to the Ifo General Hospitals mortuary, after which a manhunt was launched for the suspect.

ASP Oyeyemi added that police efforts paid off the following day when the suspect was apprehended and taken into custody.

The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, has directed that the suspect be transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Paul Manya, disclosed this when he briefed newsmen on the out come of Mondays state executive council meeting in Kaduna.

Manya said the gesture was in continuation of the long standing relationship between the state government and the university in the provision of services to people in the area.

We have been working very closely with the teaching hospital and based on this long standing relationship, ABU requested for support to enable it begin clinical services at the old site of the hospital in Tudun Wada, Zaria, the commissioner said.

He said the council reviewed the request and agreed to support ABU to recruit staff.

According to him, it is believed that the gesture will bring relief to people living around the area.

He said the decision would also decongest the patient population at the main hospital in Shika Area.

Since the old site will now be dealing with health care services, the ABUTH at Shika will concentrate on tertiary health care.

With this decongestion, people will find it easier to access health care at ABUTH Shika and it is also a way of strengthening the partnership between the state government and the hospital, he said.

Manya said the government was also strengthening similar relationship between it and other tertiary health institutions in the state.

He identified some beneficiaries as the National Eye Centre, National Ear Care Centre, and the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital.

The commissioner pledged the governments continued support for medical institutions and also reviewed the progress made by the College of Midwifery, Tudun Wada with respect to its accreditation status.

You will recall that when the institution was established four years ago it didnt have any accreditation.

But soon after the accreditation was obtained in 2014, we worked hard to ensure that the students admitted graduate and completed their course of study.

He said the council was happy that 187 students had been indexed by the Nursing and Midwifery council.

Manya further said that 80 students would also sit for the final examination in March with another batch due in September.

This is encouraging for both the students and the parents. It means that if we are able to graduate these 80 students, they will be injected into the system to support maternal health care in the state."

He expressed the hope that the council would seek additional accreditation between March and July.
Army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja that the cash reward for information followed the spate of suicide bombings in the North East, particularly in Maiduguri and Madagali which was assuming a disturbing proportion.

Consequently, the Nigerian Army is offering a reward of the sum of N500,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of a suicide bomber, the guide to the suicide bomber, or discovery of the transit house or factory of the suicide bombers.

The offer by the Nigerian Army is to further encourage law abiding citizens to actively join the war against terrorists and our collective security, he said.

Usman said anyone with information could reach the following officers: Theatre Commander, Operations LAFIYA DOLE, Maiduguri- 09064823221 and General Officer Commanding 7 Division Maiduguri- 09078599985.

The others are: Commander, 7 Division Garrison Maiduguri-08022375305, Commander, 28 Brigade, Mubi-08065504576 and Commander, 26 Brigade, Gwoza-+234 809 721 1700 (WhatsApp).

Also, they could reach Director, Army Public Relations, Abuja-07080217992 and Commander, 7 Division Military Intelligence Brigade Maiduguri-09021668444.

Usman reassured that all information received would be treated with utmost confidentiality and acted upon with despatch.

While we appreciate the cooperation of the members of the general public so far, there is the need to be more vigilant and security conscious to save lives and apprehend Boko Haram terrorists and their sponsors.
On Monday, January 16, 2017, the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) was hit with bombs during the early hours.

According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the twin bombs ripped apart the UNIMAID junior staff mosque near Gate 1.

Suicide bombers also struck Gate 5 of the university in what was a coordinated attack.

Early reports say as many as five persons lost their lives while 17 are lying critically injured in hospital.

Among the deceased was a Professor of Veterinary medicine, Aliyu Mani.

The unfortunate incident is yet another sad reminder that terrorist sect, Boko Haram, hasn't gone away.

ALSO READ:

Hours later, Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The bomb that happened this morning, its my people. Dont deceive people that its a mosque. How would you build a mosque and do ungodly things in it? Shekau posed in a recording.

He continued by mocking President Muhammadu Buhari; dismissing the official government position that the terrorists have been defeated.

We are not angry with Nigeria. You didnt kill anyone in Sambisa. We are praying that we dont change; Koran is our teacher; this is the message we are sending to you. Are you [Buhari] as powerful as God?

You should know its Shekau talking and Im alive and its we that did it, even if King Pharaoh repents, we will not accept it. We carried out the University of Maiduguri Bomb at the mosque.

We did it because they are mixing Islam with democracy. We carried out the attack in the morning and I am speaking to you this evening here in Maiduguri and you will see more of these attacks.

The nerve of the man!

If our memory is any good, Shekau has been 'killed' nine times already by Nigerian troops; but then he keeps coming back like the bad coin he is.

We have to get rid of Shekau or his body doubles and we have to be fast about this mission.

Killing Shekau is significant for a few reasons:

a) Sometimes, it's good to chop off the head to disperse the body.

There's the likelihood that if we do not decapitate Shekau, our supposed victory against Boko Haram will remain a pyrrhic one and the insurgents will keep recruiting more gullible persons.

b) Boko Haram's war against Nigeria is as much propaganda as it is physical, brutal warfare.

For each time Shekau puts up his videos, he scores a propaganda victory against the Nigerian army and the Nigerian people.

We've to stop him from making those videos by apprehending him and ending his life in the most brutal way imaginable.

c) We can't claim to have won the war against Boko Haram without killing Shekau and everyone in the terrorists' chain of command.

Each leader of all the Boko Haram factions known to mankind, should be summarily executed.

It was music to the ears to have seized Sambisa Forest--a swathe of dense vegetation occupying some 60,000sqkm--from the deranged terrorists.

But it's time to go one better.

Dear President Buhari, command the troops to do everything humanly possible to track this lunatic and have him fried on a stake.

For each time Shekau laughs in our faces in this manner after a suicide bombing, our war against terror takes several steps backwards.

Shekau's videos are a fatal blow to our efforts to rid Nigeria of terrorists, wherever they may be.

We want Shekau's head on a platter. Nothing else will do.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Fani-Kayode and a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman, on a 17-count charge of laundering N4.6 billion.

They were charge along with Yusuf Danjuma, a former National Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and ex-Chairman of Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Also charged is a company, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Ltd., which is said to belong to Danjuma.

They had all pleaded not guilty to the 17-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful retention of crime proceeds and money laundering.

At the resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday, the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, concluded his examination in chief for the first prosecution witness Idowu Olusegun is a media consultant, under the name and style of Paste Posters Company Ltd.

Olusegun began his testimony on Oct. 21, 2016, and had informed the court how sums of monies were paid to him in cash for the printing of posters and flyers by the office of the Director of the PDP Campaign Organisation.

Invited into the witness box on Tuesday, the witness informed the court that receipts were issued for monies paid to him for printing jobs.

The prosecutor then requested for exhibit P4 and P5 (cash receipts) from the court and gave same to the witness, and requested to know how much was paid to him by the office of the Director, PDP Campaign Organisation.

The witness told the court that he received payments in the sum six million naira and and N24 million, adding that all payments were made in physical cash to him.

After his testimony, Oyedepo told the court that he was done with his questions for Olusegun.

The court then asked if there were cross examinations for the witness.

At this point, counsel to the second accused, Mr Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), told the court that in light of pending applications before the court which mainly were jurisdictional in nature, the provisions of Section 295 of the Constitution ought to be considered.

According to him, the stage is ripe to request for hearing of his pending application dated Nov. 11, 2016, seeking severance of the criminal charge of the accused.

Owonikoko said that this was brought pursuant to the provisions of sections 45 (1), and 49 (1) of the Federal High Court Act, as well as the provisions of Sections 209 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

He said he was concerned with the joint trial of the first and second accused as well as the choice of Lagos as venue in a matter which he said had nothing to do with Lagos.

He argued that since the court had acknowledged the existence of pending applications, it would amount to an anticipatory refusal by the court, of the application of the second defendant.

Owonikoko also said that this was particularly so because he had made a clear case that fair hearing could not be achieved in a joint trial between the first and second accused.

He noted that it was so tedious for his client to come from Abuja to Lagos on every adjourned date and spend not less than three days in Lagos, especially with all accounts frozen.

Citing the authority of Bamaiyi vs State, he stressed the need to hear his application to severe the trial of the defendants, adding that where same is refused, then it will become a proper subject for reference to the appellate court.

He, therefore, urged the court to adjourn the case for hearing and determination of pending applications.

On his part, counsel to the first accused, Mr Norrisson Quakers (SAN), aligned himself with the submissions of Owonikoko, and urged the court to first hear applications touching on jurisdiction before proceeding.

According to Quakers, my own application is even weightier as it challenges the jurisdiction of the court, and the law is trite that once such issues are raised, it must be determined one way or the other.

He argued that owing to the nature of his application, he could not commence cross examination of the witness until the legal issues raised were determined.

Quakers said that to cross examine the witness would mean submitting to jurisdiction which from all indication was in issue; he urged that a date be issued for hearing of all pending applications.

Counsel to the third accused, Mr S.I Ameh (SAN), also aligned himself with the submissions of his brothers silk.

In response, the prosecutor objected to the prayers of defence counsel, stressing that he was taken aback.

He argued that all applications could be taken together and the court afterwards defers its ruling.

Oyedepo also argued that the accused had submitted to the jurisdiction of the court having pleaded to the charges.

He said it was a clear case of volenti non fit injuria (voluntary assumption of risk), and urged the court to make progress.

After listening to counsel, Justice Muslim Hassan, adjourned the case till Jan. 18 for ruling.

In the charge, the accused were alleged to have committed the offences between January and March 2015.

In counts one to seven, they were alleged to have unlawfully retained over N3.8 billion which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act of stealing and corruption.

In counts eight to 14, the accused were alleged to have unlawfully used over N970 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of an unlawful act of corruption.

Meanwhile in counts 15 to17 Fani-Kayode and one Olubode Oke who is said to be at large, were alleged to have made cash payments of about N30 million in excess of the amount allowed by law without going through a financial institution.

Besides, Fani-Kayode was alleged to have made payments to Paste Poster Co (PPC) of No 125 Lewis St., Lagos, in excess of amounts allowed by law.
The affected workers have been identified as the workers of International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), the Medicines Sans Frontiers and some civilians in Kala Balge in Borno during an operation.

Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, disclosed this during a press briefing on Tuesday in Maiduguri.

This morning, we received a report about the gathering of Boko Haram terrorists around Kala Balge area of Maiduguri.

I coordinated and I directed that the air component of the operation should go and address the problem.

Unfortunately, the strike was conducted but it turned out that other civilians were somewhere around the area and they were affected.

So far, it is a little bit disturbing; death has occurred. There are casualties; there were deaths and injuries but on the actual number of casualties, we would get back to you later.

I am yet to get the number of casualties of civilians killed, but two soldiers were also affected.

Some humanitarian staff of Medicines Sans Frontiers and some staff of International Committee of Red Cross(ICRC) were also affected.
The commands Spokesman, Mr Bala Elekana, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Tuesday.

He said that although sufficient security personnel had been deployed to hunt for the killers of the persons, the police still required the help of the public.

We have put in place measures that will pave way for the arrest and prosecution of all those involved in the senseless killings, but the residents should complement the effort of the command.

The residents should come forward with intelligent information that will aid the command to apprehend all those involved in the act, Elekana said.
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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 ...

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that another member of BBOG, Hajia Aisha Yusuf, some Air Force Commanding Officers in the North East operation and selected reporters from local and foreign media participated in the exercise,

The team, who were carried in two Beechcraft 350 surveillance aircraft, departed the Yola Air Force Base at about 2.30 p.m.

NAN correspondent, who was among the team, reports that the aircraft flying at about15,000 feet altitude entered the Sambisa general area, 35 minutes after departure.

The search sorties in the forest, which lasted for over an hour, took the team to Camp Zairo, hitherto the stronghold of the Boko Haram, captured by the home troop on Dec. 22, as well as other key spots in the forest.

Sambisa forest is said to cover 60,000 square kilometres which is about 18 times the size of Lagos and 85 per cent of Borno State land surface.

With the aid of sophisticated inbuilt surveillance camera in the aircraft, the team were shown the video images of burnt vehicles and camps of the Boko Haram insurgents particularly Camp Zairo.

The burnt areas according to the Commanding Officers were consequent of attacks carried out by air strike and ground troops of the military.

The images of the tracks of the insurgents as well as the locations of the ground troops of the military who have occupied the forest were also shown to the team.

NAN reports that one of the surveillance aircraft discovered skeletal movement of some sort in the forest.

The aircraft, thereafter, proceeded to Airforce Base Maiduguri, the headquarters of 105 Composite group for surveillance report and refuelling.

Upon arrival at Maiduguri Airforce Base at about 4.30 p.m. and after the surveillance briefing on the skeletal movement, an Alpha fighter jet flown by only a pilot unaccompanied was deployed into the forest.

The team later left Maiduguri for Yola .
The Air Officer Commanding, Tactical Air Command, Air Vice Marshal Nurudeen Balogun, made this known on Monday in Yola, Adamawa, while briefing the Federal Government team and representatives of Bring Our Girls Back (BBOG) on tour of the North-East.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and his Defence counterpart, Mansur Dan- Alli, led the team.

Nurudeen said that over N2 billion was used for Jet A1 fuel for aircrafts, excluding the cost of maintenance and consumables during the period.

Giving update on significant operations conducted within the period, he said that crackdown on the insurgents was organised by the Theatre Command, which commenced on April 25, 2016 and lasted for 23 days.

A total of 348 sorties were generated by the air component for the operation that led to the capture of Alargano, the supposedly spiritual headquarters of Boko Haram.

The intensity of the operation of crackdown forced some breakaway groups of the Boko Haram insurgents to move towards the far North.

The Multi-national Joint Task Force initiated Operation Gama Aiki and very important location, Malamfatori, was captured on Sept. 27, 2016, he said.

He said that Operation Forest Storm was also organised by the headquarters of the Nigerian Air Force, which aimed at identifying Boko Haram targets at Sambisa with a view to degrading the capacity of the insurgents.

The commanding officer disclosed that a seven-day operation between Oct. 22 and Oct. 28, with 55 missions, was a precursor for the Operation Rescue Finale that was going on in the region.

According to him, the Operation Rescue Finale which commenced Nov. 1, 2016, was instrumental to the Dec. 22, 2016 fall of Camp Zairo, the major stronghold of Boko Hram.

In his contribution, the Air Component Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Air Commodore Charles Owoh, said that during the operation, the Air Force carried out medical outreach programmes in military hospitals at Balori and Bama.
Sen. Abdullahi Gumel, the Chairman, Senate Committee on States and Local Government Administration, told newsmen at the projects sites that oversight of Bakassi projects became necessary following allegations of negligence.

He said the committees were on ground to inspect projects carried out by the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) of the Federal Government and to see the efforts made by the state government in that regard.

He said the Border Communities Development Agency is an intervention agency and having spent about N300 million here, I am impressed with what we have seen on ground.

The communities have primary health care centre, border community markets, outpost, schools, water projects and new roads.

So, the impression created that our brothers and sisters displaced from Bakassi are abandoned is not true, you have all seen as much too.

The Federal Government is working and in line with the change mantra, we are going to do more in this area.

Gumel gave the assurance that the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, would continue to play its part by way of oversight, enactment of laws and improved funding to ameliorate the sufferings of people living in border communities.

Similarly, Mr Nasiru Daura, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Special Duties, commended the BCDA for executing the projects in spite of the agencys poor funding.

He said this is my first time in the Bakassi area and I am really impressed with governments presence, especially with regards to the roads from Calabar.

He, however, urged the Agency to deliver standard facilities that would stand the test of time, adding that any attempt to compromise quality would not be accepted by the legislature.

We are impressed with the projects we have seen; there are a few challenges which I think are mainly due to paucity of funds.

We have made our observations known with regard to some technicalities in the projects executed particularly concerning the security out-post the Agency is constructing for the Immigration Service, the Nigerian Army, Customs service and the Police.

The contractor needs to do a good job because what we have seen on ground falls short of the required standard.

If you compare it to other projects within the same environment, the work is poorly done.

With the amount of money we were told would be spent there, 20 per cent of which had already been disbursed, there was huge room for improvement.

The contractor and the inspecting agency have to take note of that to ensure that standard is what has been specified by the engineers, Daura said.

He also urged the Federal Government and other stakeholders not to relent in their efforts to cater for border communities.

The Executive Secretary of BCDA, Mr Numoipre Wills, said the Agency had within its limited budget executed projects in Bakassi as part of Federal Governments determination to reach out to Bakassi people.

He said the Bakassi Local Government in Cross River has different border communities which have difficulties accessing healthcare, power, education, water and other social amenities.

Wills listed some of the projects executed in Bakassi to include the construction of international border market in Ikang, a healthcare centre with quarters for doctors and a school, both situated in Ifiang-Ayong.

Two projects have also been completed and are ready for inauguration, while some are yet to be completed.

The two projects that have been completed are old projects while the uncompleted projects are from the 2016 budget.

So far, some of the contractors are not doing well, while some have performed considerably well.

On the estimate for the projects so far, the executive secretary said the security post cost about N27 million, while the healthcare centre cost about N33 million.
He said the days of crude oil as Nigeria's major source of revenue are numbered.

"We must be smart and act intelligently and fast," he said.

The vice president stated this on Monday, January 16, in when he visited Gbaramatu kingdom in Delta State as part of his peace mission to the Niger Delta region.

After meeting behind closed doors with leaders of Gbaramatu at the palace of the Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom, Oboro Gbaraun II Aketekpe, Osinbajo while speaking to a large crowd told the people that the future of the oil industry is full of enormous challenges.

He said: "In another 20 to 30 years, our oil wont be as precious as it is today and that is reality? America has stopped buying oil from us. All the countries of Asia that buy oil from us are building alternative means of power, China and Japan are developing electric cars. In fact, Japan has more charging stations than petrol stations. Solar power is getting cheaper.

"The Niger Delta of today is one where aside environmental degradation, between 1998 and 2015, over 20,000 persons have died from fire incidents arising from breaching of the pipelines.

"To prepare for a great future for the Gbaramatu kingdom, three things must happen: we must recognise the unique environmental challenges the Niger Delta is facing, we must also recognise that the Niger Delta is a special economic zone for this nation so we must treat it as a special development zone."

According to him, this means that the federal and state governments as well as the National Assembly, NDDC and civil societies representing Niger Delta must come together on a round table and map out a strategy for rapid development.

"There is no excuse for not planning together. The federal government cannot solve the problem of Niger Delta. It is impossible for the FG to do it alone. The state should devote a substantial portion of its budget to this special project," the Vice President said.

ALSO READ: Osinbajo wants you to stop hailing your corrupt 'brothers'

He added that the critical areas the federal government is bothered about is infrastructure, disclosing that in the 2017 budget, "we have provided for the commencement of the LagosCalabar rail way which will go through Delta."

"We are working with the Chinese on this project. When I leave here we will visit the site of the Maritime University. The president has directed the ministry of petroleum to work quick to see to the realisation of all of the objectives of implementing this crucial educational institution.

"Establishing this university has passed the second reading in the National Assembly and I know we have the commitment of the members of the national assembly to fast track this bill so that the maritime school will be completed as soon as possible."

Osinbajo explained that the maritime university which is expected to start fully in September this year and other government projects cannot become functional without enough revenue which is being frustrated by militants and pipeline vandals.

"If there is no revenue, we are deceiving ourselves. There must be revenue and it can only come when there is peace. There should be commitment to peace," he stated.
This was disclosed via a statement released by his office on Tuesday. The statement reads in part:

At the forum the Vice President would lead a discussion on Business in Nigeria, where ministers from the Federal Cabinet who are members of the Nigerian delegation would also feature.

The yearly forum which draws together governmental and business leaders around the world to discuss economic issues and review developments, is normally composed of such panel discussions, country/continent-specific themes and other subjects.

Besides, the session on Business in Nigeria, the Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo, will feature in a number of other discussions alongside world leaders including presidents and prime ministers.

For instance, he will be discussing on the theme Building Africa with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Mr. Hailemariam Dessalegn, among others. The Vice President would also feature on a panel discussion on Terrorism.
A report by Vanguard revealed that some unknown persons set fire on a crude oil pipeline belonging to the Niger Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, at Ughelli, Delta state.

The development has reportedly sparked fears of attacks by suspected oil rebels.

It was reported that the pipeline was seen raging with fire at about 4:30p.m on Tuesday, January 17, 2017 sending huge balls of flame into the atmosphere.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Tuesday, the president condoled with families of the dead.

He pledged the Federal Government help for the state government in attending to this regrettable operational mistake.

Buhari, who pleaded for calm, prayed God to grant repose to the souls of the dead.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria Army has said that a fighter jet misfired and shot some humanitarian aid workers of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), recording casualties.

The Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, said the victims were possibly aid workers and civilians.

Irabor said that the accident happened at Kala Balge Area of Borno.

So far, it is a little bit disturbing; death has occurred. There are casualties; there are deaths and injuries, Irabor said.

But on the actual number of casualties, we will get back to you later. I am yet to get the number of casualties of civilians killed, but two soldiers were also affected, he added.

The shots reportedly hit the Medicines Sans Frontiers and some civilians.

This morning, we received a report about the gathering of Boko Haram terrorists around Kala Balge area of Maiduguri.

I coordinated and I directed that the air component of the operation should go and address the problem.

Unfortunately, the strike was conducted but it turned out that other civilians were somewhere around the area and they were affected.

He said some humanitarian staff of Medicines Sans Frontiers and some staff of International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) were also affected.
The TV series which marks his comeback to the small screen will feature him alongside his "Vuga" and "Silent Night" co-actor, Segun Arinze.

ALSO READ: undefined

The untitled series marks Nouah's first major TV series in 24 years. His last small screen appearance was in the 1993 "Fortunes," which featured him as Jeff Akin Thomas.

The 1993 series which ran for two years on The Nigerian Television Authority also starred Regina Askia, Liz Benson, Pat Attah, Lai Ashadele, Dolly Unachukwu among others.

Imoh Umoren, the director behind Lemon Green" (2009), "Have A Nice Day" (2013). "Hard Times," "Secondary" and "The Happyness Limited" is helming the upcoming action thriller, which will mark Nouah's return.

ALSO READ: undefined

Nouah, Imoren and Arinze took to Instagram to share different hilarious videos of them on the set of the untitled production.

Nouah's latest movie is "76," a historical drama which stars him as a young officer from the Middle Belt, who gets into a romantic relationship with an O-level student from the South-eastern region.

Nouah's character in the movie already earned him the best actor award at the 2016 Africa International Film Festival Globe Awards and a 2017 AMVCA best actor nomination.
I thank God that he has been able to put that fear in public officials when they handle public finances. For that, I give kudos to President Buhari, Luke said according to Premium Times.

If he continues this way and does a few other things, I think he will be assured of my vote for a second term. Mr. President should put it (the anti-corruption war) side by side with economic recovery. He is the president of my country, and he is anointed by God to run this country, so I give him my support," he added.
Fayose also said that he wouldnt join the government in being dishonest with Nigerians.

He made the comments on Monday, January 16, while speaking to journalists in Ado Ekiti.

I do not want to be seen as an opposition figure, but a man who tells Nigerians the truth. You can place my predictions, comments and warnings side by side with happenings in the country and you would know I tell the truth and I do not mince words, Fayose said.

Look at the Boko Haram issue. The Federal Government first said they have technically defeated the group, later they brought a flag to The Presidency saying Boko Haram has been utterly defeated, but look at what we are witnessing now. In as much as they are making some efforts, they are not telling us the truth.

I cant join them to lie. I say the truth and stand by it. Over 1000 people have been killed in Southern Kaduna, but what are they telling Nigerians? It is a pity that the military has been drafted into the lying game.

They too are no longer saying the truth. If you look at the video clips sent from Southern Kaduna before the military clamped down on sending such videos out, you will know that we are having a terrible situation on hand.

Hunger is unprecedented in the land. The economy is down and people are hiding under the guise of fighting corruption to hunt opposition figures. A government that cannot make any impression in the first two years, I am afraid, may not be able to make any at all, he added.
According to Leadership newspaper, Dickson said if not for anything, the Muhammadu Buhari administration should respect Jonathan for his contribution to the country in the area of peace, stability and smooth transition.

The Governor was said to have stated this at the weekend during a session with some media executives.

He said the way the former president's family is being harassed is sending a wrong signal about Buhari's anti-corruption crusade.

Over 20 policemen had on January 4 ransacked the former First Lady's Abuja home located along Igbeti Rock Street, Maitama.

ALSO READ: Jonathan denies receiving oil deal kickbacks

It was reported that the armed policemen, who arrived at the house in three Hilux vans and a Toyota Hiace bus, forced themselves into the building.
According to a Daddy Yo, a twitter user, this is especially true for Nigerian women, who, instead of coming out to declare interest in men they're dying for, they do shakara and play hard to get.

"Nigerian girls love shakara. Even when they are helplessly in love with you, they still front and play hard to get," he begins in a tweet posted on November 6, 2016.

"They'll hardly come out to say the words I Love You. This is probably [because] of the reactions Nigerian guys give when girls try to toast them."

Daddy Yo then explains in ten steps how Nigerian women have cleverly been declaring their interest in men, without actually declaring their interest. [You gotta respek Nigerian women for their coding skills]

1. How Nigerian girls flirt

They call you 'Ode' [fool] but"this is not an insult," he writes, "its actually a Nigerian girls way of flirting with you"

ALSO READ:Guys reveal crazy things ladies do that push them away

2. How they ask if you are single

If she says "'I dont want your girlfriend to come and break my head o.' This is just her way of asking if you have a girlfriend."

3. How to know they want to visit you

According to Daddy Yo, When a Nigerian girl says "'Is there light in your house?' [it] means they want to come over to your house and hang out, but theyre looking for an excuse."

4. Their romantic words

The term 'Big head' is top on the list of their most romantic words. "Sometimes, instead of calling you Ode, theyll use big head as a term of endearment."

ALSO READ:Here are 7 overrated traits you look for in relationships

5. How they say they miss you

"You cant even call somebody." This one is a direct code for saying they miss having you around.

Another way to do this is by saying "you just forgot about me."

6. Queens of reverse psychology

If a Naija babe says "'go away jare', if you know whats good for you, better stay. Nigerian girls are the queens of reverse psychology"

7. Asking for a date

Naija babes will ask "wont you come and take me out?'' Daddy Yo tweets.

According to him that's their "way of saying, when are we going on a date?"

8. How to know she cares about you

Have you eaten? If a Nigerian girl asks you if you have eaten, best know she really cares about you.

9. How to know she really likes you

Ultimately, if she says "I hate you... then shes head over heels in love with you." the twitter user adds.

10. When she wants to have sex...

Another user, Mista Sola, adds that when a Naija babe wants to have sex with you she'll stylishly tell you by saying, "you ehhhnnn... you nor dey try o..."

According to him, this means "knacks [sex] is available..." and you have to "hurry while offer lasts."
Olokoba told newsmen on Tuesday in Ilorin that the grant would help to advance research in the study of Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD, also known as heart burn).

According to him, the research will be conducted with a team of scholars across departments of medicine from Nigerian University Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres.

The scientist clinched the grant following the submission of a proposal entitled Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease in Nigeria: A Population-Based Study.

According to Olokoba, the research is necessary because the prevalence of GERD in Africa is not clearly known.

He explained that the continent was conspicuously missing in the global map of GERD, which was known to affect between 10 and 20 per cent of the population in western countries.

Olokoba, also the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Kwara State General Hospital, Ilorin, described GERD as the clinical condition that develops when gastric contents find their way into the oesophagus.
The students in separate interviews with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka on Tuesday, described the situation as unacceptable, saying it had made life even more unbearable for them especially with the country's ongoing economic recession.

Mr Uchenna Ngwu of the department of Political Sociology said that life had become more unbearable and challenging for students as they spent their feeding money to buy kerosene at N400 per litre to cook their food.

Students are the worst hit because they cook their food with stove that is powered with kerosene.

Government should urgently intervene to ensure that the price of kerosene returns to normal before students start dying of hunger as result of lack of kerosene to cook with.

Relevant government agencies should ensure kerosene marketers who sell the product above government price and their filling stations are sealed to serve as deterrent to others, he said.

Miss Chidera Chime of the Department of Health Education urged government to put measures in place to alleviate the current hardship in the country due to the economic recession that had doubled the prices of goods in the market.

Because of high cost of kerosene which I cannot afford to buy, I now resort to buying cooked food outside.

Where I am feeling it much now is that I am being forced take my bathe with cold water which I am not used to.

I am pleading to government to do something urgent to ensure that kerosene marketers sell the product at government official price considering the hardship Nigerians, especially students are going through, she said.

Miss Peace Pius of the Department of Nursing Science said it had not been easy for her to buy kerosene at N400 per litre.

I hardly eat outside; I like to cook for myself because if I eat outside I dont feel satisfied.

The two litres I bought on Monday was N800 and I feel bad while paying that money to the station attendant.

Government should not be allowing marketers of petroleum products in this country to be holding Nigerians to ransom by selling at whatever prices they like, she said.
"I booked Dave Sucre in June 2016 for my wedding in January 2017. I booked the full bridal package which includes traditional wedding makeup by Dave (this I was informed included all day touch ups by Dave) and white wedding makeup which includes a second look for my second outfit, makeup for my mum and all day touch ups. In August 2016, I was in Nigeria and had a makeup trial booked with Dave. I turned up at the scheduled time and found he was not there and someone else had to do a makeup look for me. If only I knew then how this man was.

"On the day of my traditional wedding (Thursday 5th January), I got a car to bring Dave and his staff over. When he arrived, he complained about being down with malaria and an upset stomach and this and that. I got someone to bring him food and just told him to take it easy as he was really playing the sick role. He rushed my makeup and I didnt like how it came out at all and then he left immediately, before I even joined the ceremony. I even encouraged him to go home and rest and sent him home with my driver so that he would feel better by Saturday.

"As soon as I got outside, my makeup was pouring down my face. Literally pouring. The makeup had no staying power whatsoever and it was clearly not professional standard at all. My friends rushed to get the girl Dave had left behind and she said there was nothing she could do and they should just dab it. Eventually, another makeup artist I had booked to do my sisters makeup helped me out.

"My white wedding was the following Saturday. On Friday (the day after my traditional), Dave insisted I pay him the balance of the money to ensure he would show up the next day. I sent the money. By 7am the morning of my wedding, Dave had not arrived and I had not heard from him. I called his number and someone casually and unapologetically told me that Dave would not be coming as he had taken ill and had been rushed and admitted to a hospital. I was so shocked, I thought they were joking. They hadnt even bothered to call me to cancel, just left me waiting the morning of my wedding.

"After my wedding, I was discussing with a friend about how I needed to get a refund from Dave because he had cancelled as he had been admitted to hospital. She asked me what I was talking about, saying that Dave had been in Ghana since Friday doing someones makeup for the Inaugural ball. He was on her Snapchat and she even posted a photo on Instagram tagging him as her makeup artist. You can imagine what it felt like hearing that. Baring in mind that this wicked man and his team had not bothered once to call me between the Saturday of my wedding and Monday 9th. I had to be the one calling them asking where my money was. AND STILL they were maintaining the lie that he was in hospital.

"Dave Sucre came to my traditional wedding laying the groundwork for his future lie about being ill. He did horrible makeup for me and left immediately. He made me pay him in full on Friday knowing he would not show up on Saturday. Then he didnt even have the decency to call me to cancel on the morning of my wedding so Id have some time to make other plans, he waited until I called to find out why he hadnt arrived before informing me he wont be coming. And I even called this man a couple of days before my wedding to confirm everything was okay and if there was anything he needed. These people are terrible.

"Im sending this for any bride thinking of booking Dave Sucre. DONT. He is wicked. What he did to me was wicked and I would not wish that on anyone. People deserve to know the kind of shop hes running before they fall victim too. And apparently this man has done this same thing to another bride recently.

"I was very lucky I had booked someone to do my sisters makeup and once again, she 'nickkiwaks' saved me from what would have been a disaster and would have ruined my wedding day. @DaveSucre, I want a FULL refund not that ridiculous sum you sent me. And please no one should book these people ever again! They are terrible crooks who will probably take your money and deliver no service. It is clear he has no morals and prefers to chase big names rather than honour contracts that have been established with him".
Going by the current happenings in the life of the former real estate agent, Barrow might be forced to take a bold action on Jammeh even if he hands over power on Thursday, January 1, 2017.

Here are the reasons Barrow might find it difficult to forgive Jammeh, who is unwilling to handover after being defeated in December 2016 at the polls.

I. Barrow had to leave The Gambia for Senegal in other to remain safe and claim his mandate after ECOWAS leaders decided to talk to Jammeh to handover.

II. Barrow could not protect his eight-year-old son, Habibu Barrow from a dog that bit and eventually claimed his life
This representing a 200 per cent increase in deaths over the previous year, according to a report on Tuesday.

The nets caught a total of 748 marine animals, including 90 from protected species, in 2015-2016,

According to the report from the New South Wales department of primary industries the animals tangled in the nets, only 133 were from the target species of shark.

The nets also caught nearly 150 sharks from non-target species, the majority of which died.

Eighty-six per cent of the animals caught by the nets were from threatened, protected or non-target species, according to the report.

The controversial shark net programme, first introduced in 1937, covers 56 beaches off Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and Ballina.

The nets cover only part of each beach and are designed to deter sharks from creating territories.

Government officials and supporters of the programme defend the nets, however, saying there has been only one fatal shark attack on a netted beach since the programme started.

According to Tuesdays report, 117 sharks sightings were reported in 2015-2016, mostly in Sydney, down from 139 the previous year.
Government spokesman Lambert Mende told AFP the Congolese army was fighting two battalions installed in Ishasha village "who were supposed to be in Uganda under the responsibility of that country's authorities".

Ugandan defence spokesman Major Henry Obbo said in a statement that the rebels were still at the Bihanga army camp some 320 kilometres (190 miles) west of the capital "where they have been since 2013."

Congo's resource-rich eastern provinces have suffered years of brutal conflict, with neighbouring states backing rebel groups in a civil war against Kinshasa's authority, and roaming armed militia triggering the mass flight of terrorised civilians.

In 2012 former members of a Tutsi militia who had integrated in the Congolese army mutinied, claiming that a peace deal signed on March 23, 2009 had not been respected.

The M23 rebels wreaked havoc in the east, even managing to briefly seize the regional capital Goma.

After its November 2013 defeat at the hands of Congolese and UN forces, M23 agreed to a plan to disarm, demobilise and reintegrate its soldiers into DRC civilian life.

But the return of the former rebels has stalled, with fewer than 200 of the 1,900 sheltering in Uganda and only 13 out of hundreds left in Rwanda coming back.

During the civil war Congolese authorities denounced Rwanda and Uganda for allowing the rebel groups to use their territory as staging grounds for attacks.

More recently, they have blamed the states for "bad faith" for allowing "criminals to circulate freely" instead of extraditing them to stand trial in DR Congo.

"We sympathise with DRC on issues of belligerents but they should not use M23 rebels in Uganda (when they) should be concentrating on their country", Uganda's Foreign Minister Henry Okello Oryem told AFP Sunday.
The shooting was said to have occurred on Monday afternoon during the Martin Luther KingJr Day celebrations.

Shots rang out while hundreds of people had gathered at Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Park after the annual parade, Dailymail UK reports.

The report said the victims were between 11 and 30 years old and included five children.

As at Monday night, one of the victims, a 20-year-old man, was said to be in a critical condition while five were stable.
The best site I know for information about Rhone wines is DrinkRhone.com by John Livingstone-Learmonth, who has written several of my long-time favorite books on both the Northern and Southern Rhone. Use of the site requires paying a fee of about $25 a year, but I get my money's worth many times over. https://drinkrhone.com/My go-to source for information on Piedmont wines is Kerin O'Keefe, author of the excellent book, Barolo and Barbaresco: The King and Queen of Italian Wine. Kerin also critiques Italian wines for Wine Enthusiast. I find Wine Enthusiast reviews for nearly all wine areas to be particularly reliable. Google winemag for WE reviews.Chris Kissack, an English physician, has a good grasp of French wines, particuarly those from the Loire Valley and Bordeaux. His wine site also requires a fee. : http://www.thewinedoctor.com/ Jacqueline Friedrich's book on Wines and Foods of the Loire Valley is a favorite of mine. She also runs an interesting, albeit a bit unusual, wine site:

Why I Blog

If you read this blog fairly regularly, you've probably figured out that it's mainly a diary of the wines I drink every night with dinner. You're invited to share them vicariously with me, if you wish. Artisan Wine on a Budget is admittedly an act of self indulgence. My wines and my views about those wines are ultimately not all that important to anyone but me. The act of writing helps me understand and appreciate the wines on a different level, and I enjoy that. I should make it clear that I am not ranking nor recommending these wines. They are not necessarily the best wines nor the best values. They are simply the wines I enjoy for the reasons that I state. Although I have been tasting and enjoying wines for about 30 years, that doesn't qualify me for any special expertise or critical judgment. In fact, it may have locked me into certain biases that you have probably already discovered. The product of my self indulgence, however, is an ever-growing collection of tasting notes, which I trust will be useful. As a wine lover, I spend a good part of my life searching for tasting notes on wines--those I haven't tasted and those I have. I want to compare notes with others who enjoy wine. When I agree with the taster, whoever it may be, I gloat; when I disagree, I move on to find someone who has tastes closer to my own.


"We now control the district of Abu Sneib" in the southwest of the city, said a commanding officer in the army headed by Haftar, who backs the parliament in the country's east.

"Our forces now completely surround the Qanfuda area" nearby, the same source said.

The source said 52 troops had died in fighting since January 1 in and around Benghazi.

But jihadists still control the central districts of Al-Saberi and Souq al-Hout.

These jihadist groups include the Revolutionary Shura Council of Benghazi, an alliance of Islamist militias that includes the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Al-Sharia.

Benghazi was the cradle of the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

Libya has since fallen into chaos, with a UN-backed unity government failing to assert its authority over the country.
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
After seeing an 8 percent decline in passengers for the month of December, the Quad-City International Airport ended the full year down 2 percent, airport officials said Tuesday.

Bruce Carter, aviation director, said the monthly decline came as airlines reduced their seat capacity by 15 percent. He said the reductions were in smaller planes or decreased flight frequency.

In December, the airport enplaned a total of 25,977 passengers, which was down from 28,315 a year ago. For the year, the airport enplaned 359,752 passengers, which compared to 367,048 a year ago.

Total passengers, which include enplanements and deplanements, also fell 8 percent and 2 percent for the month and the year, respectively. Total passengers for 2016 were 717,486, which compared to 730,292 for 2015. The statistics were reported to the Rock Island County Metropolitan Airport Authority at its meeting Tuesday.

Even with a year-end 2 percent decline, Carter said, "We're holding our own. The shining star is we're only down 2 percent for the year."

He said other regional airports are seeing steeper declines.

But the passenger decline, particularly the December results, caused Commissioner Jim Jannes to share his concerns.

"I don't understand how we can decline 8 percent (in December)," he said. "I can't fathom why, but it's something we have to address."

Carter said ticket pricing and "a lot of people driving to Chicago" to fly out are some of the factors. The 15 percent decline in capacity, he said, "is out of our control."

In addition, the significant snowstorm in early December caused six departures to Chicago to be canceled, impacting passenger numbers for the month.

Jannes said the passenger decline is "something we must address in our strategic planning meeting."

That meeting has not yet been scheduled.

Both Carter and Angela Burch, the airport's finance manager, said that despite the 8 percent enplanement decline, other revenue areas did not follow suit. Parking lot revenues, rental car fees and concessions still were up last month.

"I feel fortunate we have a low-fare carrier and three other carriers," Carter said after the meeting. "We've got to work with the existing carriers and not lose any more frequency."

Among the carriers, he said, American Eagle/Envoy was the only one to post an increase for December and the year. He attributed the growth to the Dallas-Fort Worth service.

He said the airline switched to using two 76-seat planes a day to Dallas/Fort Worth out of the Quad-Cities vs. three 44-seat planes, a net increase in capacity.
One of only two known Quad-City survivors of Pearl Harbor died Monday.

Alvis "Al" Taylor was 93.

For many years, the Davenport veteran declined to speak of his memories of Dec. 7, 1941. Late in life, however, he shared many details, especially with his family.

"He remembers every minute of that day  from the time he woke until he passed out from exhaustion," his son, Brian Taylor, said in a 2014 interview. "He'll take it with him."

The senior Taylor was a frequent fixture at local veteran-related events and was thoroughly honored by the public and by his fellow veterans. In fact, it was members of Vietnam Veterans Chapter 299 that paid the way for Taylor and Eldon Baxter, now the last known living Pearl Harbor survivor, to travel to Hawaii in 2013 for memorial ceremonies at the USS Arizona Memorial.

He was hesitant to make the trip to the place that haunted his memories for seven decades.

About two months before his first return to "The Pearl" in 2013, Taylor disclosed his reservations. He and Baxter met for a photo and interviews at the American Legion in Davenport, and Taylor told me he was nervous  afraid his emotions would get the best of him  even after 72 years.

On the day the Japanese attacked the U.S. Navy fleet at Pearl Harbor, Taylor was an Army man. He was in charge of the fleet of ambulances that transported hundreds of wounded sailors to island hospitals. After suffering a stroke in 2002, Taylor suddenly found himself able to talk about that day.

"It's not easy now," he acknowledged that October day at the Legion, his speech marred by stroke. Tears rose in his eyes as he explained: "So many dead sailors. That's why I have such a hard time going back."

As he spoke, Taylor continuously clutched the arm and hand of Baxter, who was seated next to him.

I later asked him whether the trip had been as hard as he feared. His answer: "Harder."

When the war ended, Taylor served at a naval port in New York, where he supervised the discharge of war dead from ships. Some ships carried the remains of thousands of dead soldiers, and every casket had to be inspected. This meant every casket had to be opened before the remains were assigned escorts and transported home or to national cemeteries for burial.

His wife, Sharon Taylor, explained the routine: "When the ships came in, there were two buglers  one on shore and one in the hold (of the ship)  and they would play taps one note apart. When they were short a bugler one day, they found out that Al plays, and they went to him. Very reluctantly, Al went in the hold and played."

His chin quivering with emotion, Taylor added, "I cried through the whole thing."

Just prior to the anniversary of Pearl Harbor in 2014, Brian Taylor told about the time his dad's memories  and the pain that came with them  came tumbling out.

"It was shocking," he said. "After he told it, I understood why he kept it to himself. The first time I saw my dad in tears and turmoil was that day. There was some terrifying stuff  tugging on bodies and their skin falling off."

The younger Taylor had seen pictures and video footage of the attack, but he realized after hearing his father's story what the images failed to capture.

"You can see the pictures, but you can't smell it and taste it," he said. "My dad can still smell that smell and taste that taste 73 years later. I sat there stunned and silent for the better part of an hour. Afterwards, we both were stunned  him from remembering and me from realizing what he'd done.

"The things he told me  you don't forget that. It's your dad, with tears rolling down his face."

He added: "He's a hero to our family. He's a hero for me. But you call him a hero, and he says, 'No. The heroes are all dead. They died that day.'"

Rest in peace, finally, Al Taylor.
Food pantries in Rock Island County do a better job giving to those in need than their counterparts in Scott County, where the population is tremendously underserved, River Bend Foodbank executive director Mike Miller says.

The Davenport-based food bank, which distributes food to hunger agencies throughout a 22-county bistate area, keeps track of food provided annually to those in need. The most recent data available is from 2015.

Data for 2016 will be released Thursday as part of the food banks 35th anniversary, and Miller said the 2016 data shows the same discrepancy between the two counties.

The food banks data shows a much larger gap in getting food to those in need in Scott County versus Rock Island County. Rock Island meets 64 percent of the need, but Scott meets only 27 percent of the need, according to data.

We havent ended hunger in Rock Island County, but were more than halfway there, Miller said. In Scott County, the unmet need is larger than in any of the other counties we serve. Right now, were trying to work with food pantries to try to close that gap in Scott County.

Enough pantries?

Miller offered two reasons he thinks the discrepancy exists. For one, he said, there are not enough pantries to cover Scott County, which is the third most populous county in Iowa.

He also thinks the traditional model of an emergency food pantry that hands out about three days worth of food once a month  the model used by many local pantries  is not sufficient. The food bank provides a list of area pantries on its website.

I eat more than three days a month, Miller said.

He added that he appreciates the cooperation of church groups and other agencies that run the pantries.

We cannot do what were doing without all those folks, Miller said. At the same time, we should figure out how to expand our distribution channels to meet the entire need. Giving someone three days worth of food and say, Good luck, the rest of the month is not going to end hunger.

Anne Wachal, whose organization, Churches United of the Quad-City Area, runs the largest network of food pantries in Scott and Rock Island counties, disagreed there arent enough of them around.

There are plenty of emergency food pantries all over the greater Quad-City area, she said. If a person is hungry, there is a pantry for them to go to. There is a hot meal site for them to go to.

Wachal, saying she was surprised at the discrepancy, thinks the underserved population mostly lives in rural areas, not the metro area.

Bettendorf, for instance, which has a population of 35,500, is served by two Churches United food pantries that basically divide the town in half. The one at St. James Lutheran Church, 1705 Oak St., covers the town west of 18th Street, and the one at the Bettendorf Community Center, 2204 Grant St., covers the town east of 18th.

According to Churches Uniteds rules, clients are supposed to go to the pantry in their geographic area. When they arrive, theyre supposed to provide a drivers license or state ID and something to show proof of address, such as a utility bill.

Clients are supposed to visit their food pantries no more than once a month, and at each visit, volunteers supply them with three days to a week worth of food depending on the family size.

Wachal said her organization doesnt have the resources to supply food on a more frequent basis, but she wonders if that is even the right thing to do.

Should I be going to a food pantry weekly just because I can? she asked, adding, Were not a convenience store.

In an emergency

Wachal said the emergency pantry model was set up help people in a pinch get over the hump or supplement monthly SNAP benefits with food at no cost.

There are exceptions to the once-a-month rule, she said, citing examples such as a client experiencing job loss or other emergency situation.

No family, Wachal insists, has ever been turned away from a Churches United food pantry.

Dianna Taylor showed up at the Bettendorf Community Centers pantry Friday morning with her 4-month-old daughter but no address to show where she lived. She said that days earlier she had to leave Ottumwa, Iowa, and brought her daughter and two sons back to Bettendorf to stay with her mother.

The pantry coordinator, Barb Emerson, didnt hesitate to wheel up a shopping cart and begin filling it with cereal, bread, milk, canned goods and other items.

I left in a hurry, Taylor told the volunteers as they were filling the cart. I grabbed what I absolutely needed.

Taylor tried to calm her fussy baby, telling her how beautiful she is, while volunteers wheeled the full cart to the door. They even threw in a few childrens books.

Just getting a little bit of help, said Taylor, who was a stay-at-home mother in Ottumwa but didnt want to elaborate on the situation that caused her to leave. Ive been put in a little bit of a bind, but I got to do whats best for the kids.

No child should go to bed hungry, said Emerson, who is going on her 13th year coordinating the pantry at Bettendorf Community Center.

Emerson said if someone shows up who does not live in the pantrys geographic area, the client will be served and volunteers will direct the person where to go the next time. Every client fills out the Emergency Food Assistance Program, or TEFAP, card.

We never send someone home with nothing, unless they were here yesterday, Emerson said. Even in those cases, heres enough to get by. At the very least, heres some bread, peanut butter and jelly, a box of cereal and milk. We try to make sure theres enough to go around.

Emersons pantry serves 100 families a month.

No reason to go hungry

Sherl Manning of Davenport, who doesnt have a car, uses the bus to get to her pantry at St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2363 W. 3rd St., once a month. Its an easy commute, she said.

There is no reason anybody in the Quad-Cities should go hungry, she said. There is always some place you can go to get food.

Manning thinks pride keeps some from going to food pantries. She had to swallow hers years ago.

Manning served time in prison on a third-degree theft conviction in Scott County. Coming out, she relied on the care of local agencies, including food and clothing pantries.

Now the 53-year-old wants to study to become a medical assistant and still drops in to her local food pantry once a month to stock up on bread and sweets for her grandchildren.

Its really heartwarming, Manning said of the food outreach in her community.

Someone in need in the Quad-Cities can eat every day, said Betsy Vanausdeln, direct services coordinator at Churches United. In addition to food pantries, she cited many meal sites offering breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Theres a hot meal every single day, Vanausdeln said. So theres always another source.

Vanausdeln took over the role of supervising Churches Uniteds food pantries from Wachal, who has gone on to become the agencys executive director.

When Wachal joined the organization in 1999, it had 18 pantries. It opened seven new ones to meet the growing need in the area, including the need for bilingual pantries and those that can be open in the evenings and on weekends.

Churches United will reopen a food pantry in the Watertown neighborhood of East Moline soon. The organization also is opening a food pantry with one of the local colleges that, Vanausdeln said, will meet a growing need among college students and military veterans.

Its not ideal, Wachal said. But the whole reason we planned pantries that way is, first and foremost, to make sure all moral and just issues are reaching people in need.  What would Jesus say? Serve those underserved. Thats who we are.
The Baku Court of Grave Crimesin the capital city of Azerbaijanhas completed the trial of NIDA civic movement member Elgiz Gahraman.

January 17, 2017, 11:49 Azerbaijan opposition member sentenced to long prison term

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 17, ARTSAKHPRESS: In his final statement, the defendant pleaded not guilty, according to APA news agency of Azerbaijan.

Subsequently, the court passed its verdict, and sentenced the opposition activist to five and a half years in prison.

Gahraman was charged with illegal drug possession, trafficking, and consumption.
Here's the afternoon forecast from the National Weather Service. There wil be areas of drizzle and fog before 1 p.m. Skies will cloudy with a high near 37 degrees. Tonight will be cloudy then gradually becoming partly cloudy with a low around 27 degree. Enjoy the remainder of your day.

 The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that Illinois 84 in Colona is closed at the Green River because an ice jam is causing water to cover the roadway.

Last man to walk on moon dies

Astronaut Gene Cernan traced his only child's initials in the dust of the lunar surface. Then he climbed into the lunar module for the ride home, becoming the last person to walk on the moon. It was a moment that defined the Apollo 17 commander in both the public eye and his own.

"Those steps up that ladder, they were tough to make," Cernan recalled in a 2007 oral history. "I didn't want to go up. I wanted to stay a while."

His family said his devotion to lunar exploration never waned, even in the final year of his life. Cernan died Monday at age 82 at a Houston hospital following ongoing heath issues. Read more.

Vilsack takes job with dairy industry after leaving USDA

Former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is taking a job at the U.S. Dairy Export Council.

The group is a nonprofit that promotes dairy products. Vilsack will help "develop a long-term vision for building sales and consumer trust in U.S. dairy."

Vilsack is entering the private sector after decades in public service. Before he was appointed agriculture secretary in 2009, he was Iowa's governor for eight years. He also served in the Iowa state senate and as mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

He was also on Democrat Hillary Clinton's vice presidential short list. She chose Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine instead.

Vilsack was President Barack Obama's longest-serving Cabinet secretary. He left that position Friday, a week before Donald Trump takes office.

Genesis offers free flu clinic Saturday

Thought about getting a flu shot a few months ago, but never did? It's not too late.

Genesis Medical Center hospitals have been experiencing increased seasonal influenza activity the past couple weeks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also is warning that the flu season may be more severe this year than in 2016.

To help limit the spread of flu, Genesis will hold a free flu-shot clinic for adults at iHeart Media from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Saturday. IHeart Media is located at 3535 East Kimberly Road, Davenport.

The Genesis Flu-Free Quad-Cities program has already vaccinated more than 30,000 individuals since fall, including nearly 9,000 school students who took advantage of free vaccinations in their schools.

As tax season approaches, so do scammers

Last summer, Cindy Hockenberry decided she'd had it with threatening phone calls claiming she was behind on her taxes.

"One day  I'm not kidding you  I got called three times," she said.

Sometimes the calls were automated. But once, when she got a call from a live person, Hockenberry  who happens to be the director of education and research at the National Association of Tax Professionals  decided to play along.

The caller told her she owed over $5,000 in back taxes. "He was pretty convincing," Hockenberry recalls. ""He was saying the right things ... using the right tax lingo."

"Then I said to him, 'Do you realize that it's not lawful to impersonate an IRS employee?' ... He came back and said, 'Well, do you realize it's unlawful not to pay your taxes?' I said, 'Yes, as a matter of fact, I do  which is why I know for a fact I have paid all my taxes.'"

There was a pause, she said. Then the caller cursed at her and hung up.

Hockenberry's story is just one example of how brazen tax scammers can be. In roughly the last three years, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the body that oversees the IRS, has received more than 1.8 million reports of calls from people impersonating IRS employees, and almost 10,000 victims have lost a total of nearly $50 million. Tax-related email phishing and malware incidents shot up 400 percent in the 2016 tax season, according to the IRS.

Recent schemes include calls threatening arrest for an overdue, fictitious "federal student tax," emails with fake tax bills attached and IRS impersonators demanding payment via gift cards or prepaid cards.

Portland, Oregon-based CPA Joe Seifert says even tax preparers receive emails from scammers, asking for the usernames and passwords that let them access special IRS online tools.

Criminals pose as state tax officials to make a buck, too. For example, the Kansas Department of Revenue has received complaints about calls from employee impersonators, according to a department spokesperson. Scammers are also issuing letters and emails under the state's name.

As tax season approaches, people will likely see more scams, the Federal Trade Commission warns. There's little to prevent a criminal from picking up the phone or sending a bogus email, but there are four things you can do when these fishy communications arrive:

1. Know how the IRS initiates contact. "The IRS should never, ever be contacting you by email, ever. They should never ever be contacting you by phone. They should only be contacting you via letter," Seifert says.

2. Report creepy messages. You can forward shady tax-related emails to phishing@irs.gov and report suspicious phone calls to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Federal Trade Commission. Collecting these reports recently helped the Department of Justice indict dozens of people in an alleged international call-center fraud scheme.

3. Verify issues with the IRS or your state tax authority. Question out-of-the-blue communications about alleged tax balances. If you owe back taxes , or think you might, call your tax professional, the IRS or the state tax department directly, Seifert says. A new online tool at IRS.gov also lets you look up unpaid taxes, penalties and interest.

4. Never pay over the phone. Even if you owe, the IRS never asks for credit, debit, prepaid card or bank information via phone, email, text or social media.

If someone does, "Just hang up on them," Seifert says.
Julia Olson reflects on her time as Miss South Dakota

HOT SPRINGS  The Star recently visited with Miss South Dakota, Julia Olson, about midway through her reign as Miss South Dakota. Heres what she had to say:

Q. Whats been the most exciting thing youve experienced so far during your reign as Miss SD?

A. There have been so many exciting moments throughout my reign as Miss South Dakota, its hard to name just one!

The night my name was announced as the 70th Miss SD was a hard night to top. It was a culmination of a lot of work, the support of so many amazing mentors, family members, and friends, and ultimately the grace of God allowing me this experience.

Since that night, Ive gotten to see and do so many things here in South Dakota, and around the country.

Our entire Miss America class met in Washington, D.C. for Miss America Orientation in July, then in August I got to go cheer on our Miss SD Outstanding Teen, Hunter Widvey, at Miss Americas Outstanding Teen. Finally in September, the Superbowl of pageants took place  Miss America 2017. It would take too many pages to even begin to describe all I learned and experienced in those two weeks. Although I didnt end up with the Miss America crown, I made some lifelong best friends, and had the opportunity to experience something that very few women get to. It was truly humbling.

Q. Whats been the most challenging thing  maybe something you didnt expect  youve experienced?

A. One challenge Ive experienced is with scheduling.

There are weeks where Im flying all over the state, and then days where I have nothing on my schedule. Ive had to learn to be proactive and productive despite the irregularity of my schedule. Ive had to become more intrinsically motivated - talk about a lifelong skill!

What keeps me motivated is knowing that the clock is ticking on my time as Miss SD.

I was given this one year to impact as many lives as possible, and I dont want to look back and wish I had done more. I also realize that Im representing 16 other great women who couldve easily been Miss SD 2016. Its my job to make them proud to have me as the representative of our class!

Q. Whats been the most surprising aspect of being Miss SD 2016?

A. The most surprising, and humbling part of holding the title of Miss SD is that when I have that crown and sash on, Im thought of as a celebrity, especially to the younger kiddos.

Ive had teachers forward me notes written by students saying the highlight of their year was having me visit their classroom. Its amazing the platform that a sparkly crown gives a titleholder!

Being a positive role-model is even more important when you realize how much influence the crown gives you.

Q. Your Worth It platform what have you accomplished to further this?

A. My platform, Worth It, developed throughout my time student teaching.

I found that my students who struggled academically, were typically the students who were struggling socially or emotionally. These students compared themselves to their peers who may have been performing better, and ultimately lost a sense of self-worth.

All this was occurring in the first grade. And one quick look around in our communities, or even within ourselves and its easy to see the grave consequences of not feeling valued as we continue to grow older.

I decided that as a teacher I could change this for my own students, but as Miss SD, I could make an impact statewide. So Ive set out with a simple, but powerful message based on Max Lucados childrens book, You Are Special.

Despite our differences, we all have something to offer. We all are here for a reason.

In a more tangible sense, Im also working on a birthday gift project for children/adolescents from low-income families who maybe dont have the opportunity to be celebrated on their birthday.

My birthday has always been a special day for me, and probably for many of you, but not all children get to be recognized on their special day. I want them to feel Worth It.

So, from February 24th-March 24th (my golden birthday!), I will be setting up donation sites for families to bring in birthday gifts for children in need across the state.

Q. What have you learned  about yourself, about the world in general, whatever  since becoming Miss SD?

A. Ive learned so much in the last six months as Miss SD.

As cliche as it sounds, Ive learned that I have to be the change that I want to see in the world. The passions and desires I have in my heart were put there for a reason, and it is my job to act on that.

On the flip side, Ive learned that I have to take things one day at a time, and give myself time to rest. As much as I want to be an extrovert, Im really not. I need alone time to recharge if I want to have the energy and drive that it will take to do all of the things that I want to accomplish.

And finally, Ive realized even more the value of family - my immediate family, and my pageant family. So many people have influenced my year thus far and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for those people. I wouldnt be here without them.

Q. Anything else you want to share with readers?

A. I want to say thank you to all of the folks in Hot Springs who have been a part of my journey - in big or small ways.

I hope that you understand how important the Miss South Dakota Organization is in the lives of young women, like myself, and I hope you feel the impact you are making on the local titleholders, past and present.

I am so grateful for the scholarship dollars Ive been given, and the opportunities to travel (in my awesome Hills Edge Auto car), but the most important - most life changing - part of this journey is the growth Ive experienced personally, and the opportunities Ive been given to impact the lives of children in South Dakota.

Thank you for being a part of that!
When I ran for Senate, I ran on the promise to do everything I could to repeal and replace the unworkable Affordable Care Act (ACA) and mitigate the damaging effects it was having on South Dakota families, health care providers and small businesses. After two years and a Republican entering the White House eager to work with us, the 115th Congress has finally begun the process of repealing and replacing the ill-advised law.

The Senate took the first steps recently by passing a repeal resolution, a necessary component that will allow us to repeal the law later this year by a simple majority vote. Meanwhile, the Senate continues to work on a replacement that is affordable, market-driven and truly centered around the patient. These are the fundamental principles that Obamacare has failed to deliver to the American people.

As the repeal timeline is established, there will be a transition period before its replacement is fully implemented. We recognize the need to protect healthcare benefits during this transition. There is agreement that continuation of coverage is an important part of any replacement plan. We anticipate that there will be many options made available for health care design and coverages through this replacement legislation. However, all will include a guaranteed renewal of coverage, portability of coverage and children remaining on their families plans until the age of 26.

Since the partisan law was enacted seven years ago, Americans have been painfully aware of its shortcomings. Supporters of the law promised that premiums would go down. Instead, they continue to skyrocket, increasing 37 percent in South Dakota this year alone. Supporters also promised that those who liked their coverage could keep it, yet since the ACA was enacted nearly 5 million Americans lost the health care plans they enjoyed.

Americans are also left with fewer health care options when seeking coverage. Because insurers are losing so much money on Obamacare, many have left the marketplace altogether. Over half of the Obamacare co-ops have already failed. South Dakota is one of nine states which have only two health care providers offering insurance plans on the exchange. Five more states have only one provider in their state, a dramatic decrease from the pre-Obamacare era.

Countless South Dakotans have contacted my office to share their problems with Obamacare. One father of three from Rapid City wrote me recently to explain that his familys premium was rising 357 percent for 2017. I do not know what my next year will bring, he wrote, but I do know that I will likely be unable to afford my premiums or my needed health care.

Another gentleman, from Sioux Falls, is facing a 47 percent increase in his premium this year, on top of an increase in copays and the deductible. A South Dakota veteran also wrote asking Congress to provide Obamacare relief to small business owners after seeing his premium more than double from $800 a month to more than $1,600 between 2014 and 2016. Hard-working, middle-class South Dakotans are falling through the cracks, he pleaded. I couldnt agree more.

Since the law was being debated in 2009, I have warned that Obamacare is unaffordable and unsustainable, and that it would eventually crumble under its own weight. That is what we are seeing today, and that is why the 115th Congress acted swiftly to begin the process to repeal it. As we continue the march toward repeal, we will also work on a replacement that is truly affordable, patient-centered and market-based.
Scores of students at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day collecting food and donations at local grocery stores in honor of the celebrated civil rights activist.

This marks the seventh year that several student groups on campus have banded together to volunteer for the holiday food drive. It's just one example of the community activism that Mines President Heather Wilson says she and faculty try to encourage among the student body.

Our students are going on to lives of meaning and purpose, and they are given gifts, and we encourage them to use those gifts in the service of others, Wilson said. Thats what leaders do, and our goal is to create leaders in engineering and science.

Done in partnership with Feeding South Dakota, the food drive lasted from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Volunteers worked on their day off from school to collect donations at the Prairie Market, Fresh Start, Neighborhood Market, Save-A-Lot, both Rapid City Safeway locations, both Wal-Mart locations, and all Rapid City Family Thrift locations.

The following student organizations participated in the food drive: the SD Mines Rotaract Club, Circle K International, National Society of Black Engineers, Delta Sigma Phi, Triangle, Student Association Senate, Lambda Chi Alpha, Society of Physics Students, Hardrocker Dance Team, Future Health Science Professionals Club, Biomedical Engineering Society and LEAP.

Last year we took in about 2,000 pounds of food, which is about an F-150 truck, I think, Wilson said.

Monday night, Wilson reported 2,900 pounds, or a 45 percent increase from 2016.

Volunteers also garnered $650 in donations last year. This year's cash donation figure won't be available until today.
A new conflict-of-interest policy for the Rapid City government that will be considered by the city council tonight includes provisions outlining the need to disclose all financial interests annually, but also contains a secrecy clause for officials seeking an opinion from the city attorney about possible conflicts.

The conflict-of-interest policy is a direct response to changes to state law adopted by the 2016 South Dakota Legislature, according to the city attorneys agenda item summary. Those changes require recipients of state grants to adopt and enforce a conflict-of-interest policy. The city receives several million dollars per year in state funding or in federal funding funneled through the state, the summary said.

The policy states that a conflict of interest may exist when an official or an immediate family member has a personal or financial interest clearly separate from that of the general public on a matter facing the official.

It covers officials who are elected or appointed to city boards, committees, commissions and positions within city government and states, Such conflicts of interest may be financial or personal, direct or indirect, and the existence of a conflict of interest is dependent upon the unique facts of a particular situation.

The policy says it is not intended to be stricter than the state law, and it also allows for several exceptions.

Generally, state law provides that an official may not have a personal financial interest in any city transaction for the purchase of labor or services, materials or supplies, or real or personal property that belongs to the City, the policy says.

An exception to this general rule may apply if the transaction is reasonable and just, if the contract is made without fraud or deceit, and if the official discloses the conflict and recuses himself/herself from participation in the decision for which there is a conflict of interest.

Exceptions include:

 A contract for $5,000 or less;

 A contract awarded by competitive bidding procedures if more than one competitive bid is submitted or, if only one competitive bid is submitted, the procedures in the relevant state law have been followed;

 A contract for professional services;

 A contract awarded off the state contract list at the established price or less;

 A contract that does not require competitive bidding when there is no other source of supplies or services, and when the total of any such contracts does not exceed $50,000 for a public improvement, or $25,000 for a contract for supplies or services; or

 A contract with an entity for which competitive bidding is not required unless the majority of the governing body are members or stockholders who collectively have a controlling interest, or any governing board official is an officer or manager of that entity.

If a conflict exists

If a conflict exists, the official must disclose it before the board or governing body considers the matter. That official must then either refrain from discussion or participate from the audience as a member of the public.

If a conflict exists and a member does not disclose it, the official may be disqualified from participating in the matter upon two-thirds vote of the body on which the official serves.

The body voting to disqualify the official must make a specific finding of the disqualifying conflict of interest, and an official disqualified in this manner may not participate in the official discussion, any executive session, or any vote on the matter, the policy states.

Secret opinions from city attorney

If an official has a question as to whether a conflict exists, he or she may seek an opinion from city attorney Joel Landeen on the matter. The opinion will not be made public unless a majority of those on the city council or whatever board or committee the official serves on votes to make it public.

If any official desires assistance to determine if that official, or another official, has a disqualifying conflict of interest, the official may request an advisory opinion from the City Attorneys Office, the policy states.

Such opinion shall be made available to all members of the city council, or the board, committee, or commission about which the opinion is provided, but shall not be available for public inspection unless a majority of the members of the city council or the board, committee, or commission to which the opinion is provided votes to make such opinion public.

The city council will vote on this resolution tonight at its regular meeting at 6:30 at the City/School Administration Building.
Three people were arrested Sunday after Rapid City police said they had stolen merchandise from a department store and led law enforcement on a vehicle chase.

Rapid City residents Brittany Junta, 27; Jocelyn Beareagle, 35; and Jeremiah Poorbear, 31, were arrested on various charges, including felony theft.

Police said they were called to Kohls, at 737 Disk Drive, around 2:40 p.m. after the suspects had driven off in an SUV with unpaid goods worth more than $1,000. The vehicle headed north and did not stop until a state highway trooper used spike strips near the Haines Avenue-Elk Creek Road intersection.

Junta faces eluding as well as drug charges after a substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine was found in her purse, police said.
Andy Katz/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images(WASHINGTON)  Donald Trumps choice to lead the Department of Education, Betsy DeVos, has the nations teachers unions preparing to re-enter battle over public education systems, a little over a year after a bipartisan education reform deal was reached on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).



DeVos, a wealthy Republican donor and activist, has been a long-time champion for school choice in her home state of Michigan, where she's advocated in favor of vouchers and the expansion the state's charter schools.



While DeVos' admirers revere her as an effective disrupter who has put her own money into supporting school choice policies, her critics tie her to the checkered track record of Michigan's charter schools and see her advocacy for vouchers as a threat to public education.



DeVos' background, coupled with the president-elects campaign proposal to redirect $20 billion in federal dollars back to the states for use in voucher programs, has set the stage for a battle over the nations education system.



Who Is Betsy DeVos?



DeVos has been involved in the promotion school choice policies for several decades in her home state of Michigan.



She is is married to Dick DeVos, son of billionaire Amway co-founder Richard DeVos. Together, the couple has used their wealth to influence the education debate in Michigan. They have both been active in state politics. DeVos spent several years as chairwoman of the state Republican Party, while her husband ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2006.



In 2000, the DeVoses led a campaign to amend the state constitution to allow school vouchers in the state. The proposal ultimately failed.



Since that time, DeVos has put her focus primarily on promoting and expanding charter schools and is considered one of the architects of Detroit's charter school system.



She has helped to found several education-related organizations to promote increasing school choice policies, including the Alliance for School Choice, the Great Lakes Education Project and the American Federation for Children (AFC).



What Her Critics Say



Public education advocates and teachers unions paint a bleak picture of the charter school system in Michigan that DeVos has taken a leading role to promote. Many view her support for vouchers, which allow government education funds to follow each individual student to the public or private school of their parents choice, as a threat to public education.



The president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, has labeled DeVos "the most anti-public education nominee" in the history of the Department of Education and contends that DeVos ultimately wants to replace public education with a private system.



"Shes enemy number one to children and to having a viable public education system there to help all kids," said Weingarten. "She doesnt want kids to have more options, she wants no public school options. She just wants a private system."



The National Education Association, another leading teachers union, similarly accuses DeVos of "undermin[ing] public education."



"She has consistently pushed a corporate agenda to privatize, de-professionalize and impose cookie-cutter solutions to public education," NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia said in a statement.



Weingarten points to statistics of the state of charter schools in Michigan to make the case that DeVos has made things worse, rather than better, in Michigan education. She raises particular alarm at the high number of for-profit charter school operators as limiting transparency and accountability in the charter system.



"80 percent of the charters in Michigan are for-profit; its called the 'Wild Wild West' for a reason," Weingartern said. Seventy-five percent of all schools in the state perform better than the states charter schools."



According to a Detroit Free Press investigation of Michigan's charter schools published in 2014, "38 percent of charter schools that received state academic rankings during the 2012-13 school year fell below the 25th percentile [while] only 23 percent of traditional public schools fell below the 25th percentile."



Though Weingarten said the AFT supports effective charter schools as one part of the overall public education system, she said the high number of for-profit operators coupled with a a lack of transparency  a situation which she blamed on DeVos  have been a negative formula for Michigan's at-risk students. Weingarten specifically blames DeVos for killing a proposal for a school oversight commission that would have been run by the Detroit mayor's office.



"She fought for no accountability," Weingartern said in a speech at the National Press Club last week. "No accountability, even in cases like the Detroit charter schools that closed just days after the deadline to get state funding, leaving students scrambling to find a new school, but the charter operators still profiting."



What Her Supporters Say



Supporters of DeVos paint a far different picture of her record and the state of charter schools in Michigan. They accuse DeVos' critics of skewing data to argue that charter schools are under-performing traditional schools Michigan.



Gary G. Naeyaert, the Executive Director of the Michigan-based Great Lakes Education Project that was founded and bankrolled by Betsy and Dick DeVos, said that "while its true that 38 percent of charters fall into the bottom 25 percent, he also points out that "85 percent of Detroit Public Schools fall into the bottom 25 percent.



Matt Frendewey of the American Federation for Children, an organization that DeVos chaired until recently, takes issue with the criticism that DeVos has opposed accountability in Detroit's charter schools.



"The only thing that she opposed was this un-elected, mayoral-appointed commission that was designed to essentially bolster the schools that had been failing at the expense of charter schools," Frendewey said. "The whole reason school choice came about was because students were trapped in a failing system. Its all about holding the system accountable."



Jeanne Allen, the chairman and CEO of the Center for Education Reform, believes DeVos is the "right person" to tackle the "morass called the Department of Education" and said DeVos opposed to the oversight commission because it would have put control of the charters back under the control of the district from it was established as an alternative.



"She, as one of a group of advocates, said to the governor, 'This is insane. Why would we actually give control of charter schools back to the districts for which they were created to allow parents an option," Allen said. "And the governor told me, 'That's not what they told me was happening, thanks for clarifying.' When you have the political weight of Betsy DeVos, that's what you're able to do."



A New Education War?



If DeVos' past is any indication of her future as the potential head of the Department of Education, her leadership is almost sure to reignite a fierce debate on education.



It's a fight that Weingarten believes would be counterproductive so soon after Republicans and Democrats came together back in December 2015 to agree to the terms of ESSA  bipartisan legislation that she said had "no losers" and replaced the widely unpopular No Child Left Behind legislation.



"Really, reigniting these wars after we came to this consensus and solved programs?" she asked. "This was supposed to be the time to really roll up our sleeves and get this done, now that the policy piece was done."



But on the other side of the debate, Allen said the education wars never really ended and she welcomes DeVos to lead the fight in favor of opening up more public and private school options in education.



"Weve been fighting education wars for years. It doesnt matter how tepid we are, any suggestion of changing the status quo emits screams and howls from the traditional establishment," Allen said. "If we cant be controversial ... in debate about how to help our kids then we should be out of business."



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 17, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: He drew the attention on the decisions adopted by the UN Security Council over the conflict, stating that the conflict must be settled without the use of force and with clarification of the final status of Nagorno Karabakh.

This is enshrined in the documents prepared by the OSCE Minsk Group through the Co-Chairs, it is enshrined in numerous statements adopted by the Presidents of the co-chairing countries, Russia, France and US, as well as in the statements and documents adopted by the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The peaceful settlement of the disputes is enshrined there with no ambiguous meaning, the Russian FM said.

He considered alarming the bloody events that took place in April, 2016. Russia played a decisive role in stopping the bloodshed. We have agreed with President Sargsyan and President Aliyev at the meeting in Vienna, then Russian President Putin reached an agreement with them in June in Petersburg that taking into account the mutual accusations it is necessary to install a mechanism for investigating the incidents, to increase the number of OSCE observers in the line of contact. The necessity of investigation of incidents was also emphasized in 2011 during the meeting of the Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in Astrakhan. Unfortunately, such simple thing, the investigation of incidents and increase of number of observers cannot be implemented since there is no consensus yet, Lavrov said.
ECHR orders Russia to compensate U.S. nationals for ban on adoption

MOSCOW, January 17 (RAPSI)  The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Russia violated rights of U.S. nationals by banning them from adoption of Russian children, the courts documents read on Tuesday.

The adoption ban is justified by the deaths of Russian-born children adopted by American parents, according to Russian lawmakers.

The law prohibiting U.S. nationals to adopt Russian-born children is named after Dima Yakovlev, a boy who died after his adoptive father Michael Harrison left him locked in a sweltering car. Harrison was later acquitted of involuntary manslaughter.

The law was signed by President Vladimir Putin in late 2012 and came into force in January 2013.

After the law was enacted, proceedings were halted for the American parents who were trying to adopt a child a, regardless of how far into adoption process they were. Among prospective adoptive children most suffered from serious illnesses and conditions, including Down syndrome, development disorder and other illnesses.

In most cases, applicants from the United States were considered by Russian authorities as suitable adopters, according to the ECHR records. They were given a right to visit children and spend several days with them at orphanages to formally re-affirm their decision on adoption. According to some applicants, close bonds were established between children and their prospective adopters.

The ECHR ruled that Russian authorities violated rights of the American parents. Specifically, they violated Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights (right to family life) through unlawful and disproportionate interference with family lives of the applicants. In addition, Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) was also violated as applicants were targeted on the grounds of their nationality.

The court awarded the applicants 75,000 jointly in damages plus attorney's fees amounting to $14,600.

The courts judge Dmitry Dedov expressed partially concurring opinion regarding this case. He noted that ban on adoption imposed by Russia is politically motivated and from ethical standpoint the applicants and children deserve sympathy as victims of conflict between Russia and the United States. However, according to Dedov, the reason he joined other judges in this case is because the court has found a purely technical violation of the Convention, and the amount of compensation awarded is symbolic in comparison with the courts normal practice.

Although Dedov agrees with the courts decision because Articles 8 and 14 were indeed technically violated, he emphasized that he disagrees with the courts motivation, noting that Article 8 does not guarantee the right to found a family or adopt a child. He also expressed agreement with measures taken by Russian authorities to curb mass international adoption of Russian children, saying that it looked like a very well-organized business. Dedov added that national courts hold ultimate power to grant adoption rights and that it is necessary to limit inter-country adoption because of the risk of losing the childs ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic background.
Russian arrested in Cyprus escapes from police on his way to court

MOSCOW, January 17 (RAPSI)  Russian citizen Artur Kuznetsov (Garibyan) who was earlier arrested in Cyprus on the request of Russian authorities escaped from police while being transferred to a court in Nikosia, RIA Novosti reports on Tuesday.

In Russia Kuznetsov was sentenced to two years in prison for drug-related crimes.

Kuznetsov was arrested in the Larnaca International Airport on Monday. He was being transferred to a court in a police wagon but he managed to escape when his handcuffs were taken off by police officers. He reached his co-conspirator waiting for Kuznetsov on motorcycle and drove away.

Cypriot police began internal investigation regarding potential leak of information on where and when Kuznestov was being transferred to. Local media received photos of the fugitive.
ICJ receives Ukraines suit against Russia on alleged breach of conventions

MOSCOW, January 17 (RAPSI) - The International Court of Justice (ICJ) confirmed that it had received Ukraines lawsuit over alleged violation of two international conventions by Russia, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday.

Ukraine claims that Russia violated the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Earlier, Ukraine accused Russia of breaching the Treaty on Friendship and the UN maritime United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

According to the lawsuit, since 2014 Russia has increased its interference in Ukraines affairs to hazardous levels by financing terrorist acts and violating rights of millions of Ukrainian nationals. Ukraine insists that Russia violated fundamental principles of international law.

Russia's foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that Ukraine pursues political interests applying to the ICJ. Russia has made all reasonable efforts to get the gist of claims but faced Ukraine's reluctance to conduct a meaningful dialogue, the statement reads.

In April 2014, the Ukrainian authorities began a military operation in Donbas against the local residents who objected to the coup. According to the UNs latest data, over 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

Ukrainian officials and some Western states have repeatedly accused Russia of interfering in Ukraines domestic issues.

Moscow has repeatedly claimed that it has had absolutely no part in the events in southeastern Ukraine and does not supply the self-defense forces with military equipment and ammunition; that it is not a party to the domestic Ukrainian conflict and is interested in Ukraine overcoming the political and economic crisis.
As Donald J. Trump prepares to move into the White House, a former home of the president elect's hits the market.

The house where Trump lived for the first four years of his life will be auctioned off Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. by Paramount Realty USA, a firm that specializes high-profile auctions.

The Tudor-style home in Queens features 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, arched doorways, hardwood floors, a cozy living room with a fireplace and a library.

"It's unique, and it has intangible value that goes beyond just the physical real estate," said Misha Haghani, the principal of Paramount told the New York Times. "The value of Trump's name, the value of the president-elect living there as a child, an infant, that value is impossible to define."

Paramount bought the home last year for just under $1.4 million, in preparation for the auction, nearly double the price it sold for in 2008.
In recent days, the White House had signaled that Mr. Obama was seriously considering granting Ms. Mannings commutation application, in contrast to a pardon application submitted on behalf of the other large-scale leaker of the era, Edward J. Snowden, the former intelligence contractor who disclosed archives of top secret surveillance files and is living as a fugitive in Russia.

Asked about the two clemency applications on Friday, the White House spokesman, Joshua Earnest, discussed the pretty stark difference between Ms. Mannings case for mercy with Mr. Snowdens. While their offenses were similar, he said, there were some important differences.

Chelsea Manning is somebody who went through the military criminal justice process, was exposed to due process, was found guilty, was sentenced for her crimes, and she acknowledged wrongdoing, he said. Mr. Snowden fled into the arms of an adversary, and has sought refuge in a country that most recently made a concerted effort to undermine confidence in our democracy.

He also noted that while the documents Ms. Manning provided to WikiLeaks were damaging to national security, the ones Mr. Snowden disclosed were far more serious and far more dangerous. (None of the documents Ms. Manning disclosed were classified above the merely secret level.)

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Ms. Manning was still known as Bradley Manning when she deployed with her unit to Iraq in late 2009. There, she worked as a low-level intelligence analyst helping her unit assess insurgent activity in the area it was patrolling, a role that gave her access to a classified computer network.

The files she copied also included about 250,000 diplomatic cables from American embassies around the world showing sensitive deals and conversations, dossiers detailing intelligence assessments of Guantanamo detainees held without trial, and a video of an American helicopter attack in Baghdad in two Reuters journalists were killed, among others.

She decided to make all these files public, as she wrote at the time , in the hope that they would incite worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms. WikiLeaks disclosed them  working with traditional news organizations including The New York Times  bringing notoriety to the group and its founder, Julian Assange.

The disclosures set off a frantic scramble as Obama administration officials sought to minimize any potential harm, including getting to safety some foreigners in dangerous countries who were identified as having helped American troops or diplomats. Prosecutors, however, presented no evidence that anyone was killed because of the leaks.

At her court-martial, Ms. Manning confessed in detail to her actions and apologized, saying she did not intend to put anyone at risk and noting that she was dealing with a lot of issues at the time she made her decision.

Testimony at the trial showed that she had been in a mental and emotional crisis as she came to grips, amid the stress of a war zone, with the fact that she was not merely gay but had gender dysphoria. She had been behaving erratically, including angry outbursts and lapsing into catatonia midsentence. At one point she had emailed a photograph of herself in a womans wig to her supervisor.

Prosecutors said that by making secret material available for publication on the internet, anyone  including Al Qaeda  could read it. And they accused Ms. Manning of treason, charging her with multiple counts of the Espionage Act as well as with aiding the enemy, a potential capital offense, although they said they would not seek her execution.

Got a confidential news tip? The New York Times would like to hear from readers who want to share messages and materials with our journalists.

Ms. Manning confessed and pleaded guilty to a lesser version of those charges without any deal to cap her sentence. But prosecutors pressed forward with a trial and won convictions on the more serious versions of those charges; a military judge acquitted her of aiding the enemy.

In her commutation application, Ms. Manning said she had not imagined that she would be sentenced to the extreme term of 35 years, a term for which there was no historical precedent. (There have only been a handful of leak cases, and most sentence are in the range of one to three years.)

I take full and complete responsibility for my decision to disclose these materials to the public, she wrote. I have never made any excuses for what I did. I pleaded guilty without the protection of a plea agreement because I believed the military justice system would understand my motivation for the disclosure and sentence me fairly. I was wrong.

After her sentencing, Ms. Manning announced that she was transgender and changed her name to Chelsea.

The military, under pressure from a lawsuit filed on her behalf by Chase Strangio of the American Civil Liberties Union, has permitted her to partly transition to life as a woman, including giving her cross-sex hormones and letting her wear female undergarments and light cosmetics.

But it has not let her grow her hair longer than male military standards, citing security risks, and Ms. Manning said she had yet to be permitted to see a surgeon about the possibility of sex reassignment surgery.

Until recently the military discharged transgender soldiers. In June, Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter changed that policy and said it would instead provide treatment for them, eventually including such surgery if doctors said it was necessary.

But President-elect Donald J. Trump mocked that change as excessively politically correct, raising the possibility that he will rescind it.

Even if he does, Ms. Manning will soon no longer be subject to the militarys control.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is against the possibility of well-known blogger Alexander Lapshin being extradited from Belarus to Azerbaijan.

January 17, 2017, 14:19 Russia FM is against Belarus extraditing Lapshin to Azerbaijan, for visiting Artsakh

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 17, ARTSAKHPRESS: We are against criminalizing journalists or individuals visiting a territory, Lavrov said at Tuesdays press conference, as he reflected on Lapshin being detained in Belarus, reported the NEWSru.co.il news agency. We are against the extradition of Russian Federation citizens.

We have a union state with Belarus, and which envisions to coordinate the common visa and migration areas as well as to prepare single lists for persona non grata and grata, and to run a single extradition policy.

The Russian FM also recalled that Russian diplomats conducted a consultation with Lapshin.

On December 15, 2016, Alexander Lapshin was detained in the Belarus capital city of Minsk, and based on Azerbaijans international search and extradition request, due to his visiting Nagorno-Karabakh.

The media report that the Belarusian authorities plan to extradite the well-known blogger to Azerbaijan.
Patna (India): At least 26 people died and several went missing while a boat capsized in Ganga river in Eastern Indian state Bihar on Saturday evening.

According to the reports, the vessel was carrying around 40 people.

A senior official of Bihar state government said that, rescue team still scouring the waters.

The non-motorised wooden boat, packed with more passengers returning from a kite festival, was capsized in Ganga river near Patna, the capital city of the Eastern Indian state.

The Bihar government official said that, the exact number of missing people could not be ascertained due to absence of the passengers list.

Following the tragic incident, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team, Bihar police and local people were engaged in rescue operation.

NDRF DG RK Pachnanda said, three NDRF teams are at the spot and rescue operations underway.

Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered a high level probe into the incident.

The Bihar government has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next kin of the victims.

On the other hand, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief of the incident and announced Rs 2 lakh to the next kin of death.

More than 100 people had lost their lives in 2012 in the north eastern Indian state Assam when a boat sank in the Brahmaputra River during a storm.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Armenia has been included in UNs 2017 Honour Roll for having paid its regular UN budget assessments in full and on time, Armenias Ministry of Foreign Affairs told.

January 17, 2017, 16:12 Armenia in UNs 2017 Honour Roll

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 17, ARTSAKHPRESS: The government of Armenia has made a payment totaling to $15.338.00 as a regular assessment to the UN budget for 2017.

The Honour Roll features all those countries that have paid their regular UN budget assessments in full within the first 30 working days of the current year.

As of 10 January 2017 only 9 out of 193 UN member states are included in the Honour Roll.

Earlier Panorama.am reported that those countries are Angola, Armenia, Benin, Dominican Republic, Hungary, Liberia, Senegal, South Sudan and Ukraine.

Another 17 State Members have made partial payments, the statement of the UN Spokesman read.
Guwahati, January 17 : Karang, an island of North Eastern Indian state Manipur, has become the first cashless island of the country.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had announced it under the digital India programme.

The Deputy Commissioner of Bishnupur district said that, the island of Loktak lake, the largest freshwater lake in North East India, has fulfilled the all necessary criteria to become cashless economy.

The DC of Bishnupur district said that, the campaign for cashless economy in the island was held on January 9-12 and people of the island had extended their support in the campaign.

"During the campaign, two organizations had extended their support on cashless transactions. Apart from the two organizations, the people of the island also extended their support," the top administration official said.

"So far over 400 beneficiaries, 16 merchants have registered themselves on cashless transactions. We will provide them a card swipe machine within two weeks," the DC said.

After demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed the people of the nation to use cashless transactions and make a cashless society.

Following the PM's appeal, the Assam government had already announced to use cashless transactions in all government transactions.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati : With over 1.11 lakh cases still pending in various police stations in Assam.

According to the reports, a total of 1,12,468 cases were not disposed off in 2015 and around 1.05 lakh new cases were registered in 2016 in various police stations across the state.

Out of total 2.17 lakh cases, the Assam police had disposed off at around 1.06 lakh ceses.

A top official of Assam police said that, in last year the investigating officers had been able to submit the charge sheet of around 50,000 cases before the court.

With lack of non-sufficient officials, we have faced problems of disposed off the cases,aA the top police official said.

According to the Assam home department report, over 8,000 posts in Assam police are still lying vacant.

Meanwhile the Assam DGP Mukesh Sahai said that, the vacant posts in Assam police will be filled up shortly and the Assam police has taken appropriate measures regarding it.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav

Kathmandu, Nepal: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Ayodhee Prasad Yadav has lambasted the leaders of the political parties for making differing statements regarding the local body elections.

Some leaders of the political parties has have still been saying that polls should be held in March April and some others in May-June but the possibilities of holding local polls in March-April have now ended, CEC Yadav said while speaking at an interaction at Reporters Club on Tuesday.

Early date to hold the local elections would be possible in the last week of May only if the required laws are enacted by mid-Magh, CEC Yadav said urging the leaders not to make any false statements regarding the elections. Necessary preparation for the elections is required than the statements regarding the elections, CEC Yadav said.

CEC Yadav also made clear that the local elections would not be possible to hold in single phase. The local elections will be held in phase wise, he said without elaborating about the number of phases to accomplish the local level elections.

The Election Commission of Nepal is ready not only to hold local level elections but also for the provincial and federal Parliament together if the parties forged a political agreement for the same.
This article was originally published at Stratfor.com

The divide between domestic politics and geopolitics can be a hard one to bridge. Partisan politics and pageantry can get in the way of a country's underlying geopolitical imperatives, driving policies that undermine or contradict them outright. The tension between national and international politics is on full display as the United States prepares to inaugurate Donald Trump as its 45th president. Throughout Trump's campaign and subsequent transition, voters, commentators and observers in the United States and beyond have scrambled to square his proposed policies with the geopolitical constraints they will encounter. Many of Trump's campaign pledges centered on retooling the United States' trade partnerships, for instance by renegotiating NAFTA or scrapping the Trans-Pacific Partnership pact. The United States' trade ties with China have been the object of Trump's most vehement criticisms; the president-elect has even proposed a 45 percent tariff on all Chinese goods to correct the apparent disparity in the bilateral relationship.

Although Trump is unlikely to follow through with such a drastic measure, he is nonetheless poised to take a much harder line on trade with China. The next four years will almost certainly bring more investigations into China's export and domestic policies and more aggressive interpretations of World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations and U.S. law over Beijing's practices. But China and the United States are on diverging paths. While the United States is turning its focus inward, Beijing is trying to exert its influence as a global leader. In fact, on Jan. 17, President Xi Jinping became the first Chinese leader to address the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. To achieve its desired results with China, the Trump administration will have to pry into and challenge Beijing's own economic policies.

Taking a More Aggressive Approach

In a 2010 testimony before a congressional commission, Robert Lighthizer, Trump's pick for U.S. trade representative, outlined broad criticisms of the U.S. trade relationship with China . Lighthizer disparaged China's export practices as well as the United States' response, calling for a "significantly more aggressive approach" to Beijing. As trade representative, Lighthizer will have the opportunity to redress the deficiencies he identified in Washington's policies. Under his guidance, the United States will more actively enforce existing trade rules and regulations to crack down on China's dumping activities, impose countervailing tariffs on the country's exports and investigate its efforts to circumvent country of origin provisions. (Washington launched a probe in November to investigate whether Beijing was skirting duties and anti-dumping regulations by sending steel to Vietnam for minimal processing before exporting it to the United States.) The Trump administration may empower U.S. institutions to more easily conduct investigations into Beijing's trade practices, increasing their oversight and budgetary allowances. In addition, it will likely continue to refuse China market economy status under WTO rules, thereby facilitating anti-dumping cases against the country. But these measures would merely represent a continuation of President Barack Obama's policies.

Beyond the tools that the United States is already using to counter Beijing, many of the alternative mechanisms that Lighthizer has proposed are legally untested and may prove ineffective. Lighthizer has argued that China's political system and economic policies are at odds with those of the WTO and that the United States must adapt its interpretation of WTO rules accordingly. To that end, the Trump administration could make the case that Beijing's attempts to manage the yuan's value are a type of export subsidy, something the WTO prohibits, or a countervailing duty subject to U.S. law. Trump may name China a currency manipulator -- as he has threatened to do on his first day in office -- to support such a claim. Doing so, however, would entail changing the U.S. Treasury's criteria for currency manipulation since China's interventions over the past two years have been focused on strengthening the yuan and not weakening it, as Trump has alleged. And even if the currency manipulation charge stuck, Beijing would probably continue with its interventions anyway; after all, the yuan could drop by 20 percent if left to its own devices, threatening China's domestic stability.

Other efforts to turn existing WTO policy against China would likely be similarly limited. The organization lacks clear mechanisms to govern some of Beijing's trade practices, including the support of national champions or the application of special taxes on specific firms, such as Apple Inc. Though Washington could try to challenge Beijing's use of a value-added tax export rebate, which Trump has alleged is tantamount to an export subsidy, it would likely meet stiff resistance from other members of the organization. The practice, currently permitted under WTO rules, is commonplace among U.S. allies. And should Trump try to increase tariffs on China unilaterally without going through the WTO dispute mechanism, he would risk retaliation from Beijing or, for that matter, other trade partners affected by such a decision. (Furthermore, WTO rules restrict the use of some of the most powerful unilateral trade enforcement mechanisms, such as Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, that Trump could invoke to justify a tariff hike.)

Retreading Familiar Territory

Each of these more aggressive approaches to the U.S.-China trade relationship would require Washington to insert itself into Beijing's domestic policies, familiar territory for the United States. Before China joined the WTO in 2001, Japan was the bugbear of U.S. trade policy. After World War II, the United States saw Japan as an indispensable ally in the Cold War, a capitalist country that could counter the spread of communism in the Asia-Pacific region. To support Japan's economic growth and secure its military partnership, the United States allowed the country preferential access to U.S. consumer markets. Tokyo did not reciprocate, however, and maintained its protectionist policies.

By the 1980s, Japan's economy had become as advanced as that of the United States. Japanese products, moreover, had grown more competitive in the U.S. market for high-end manufactured goods such as automobiles and electronics, sectors the United States had once dominated . In fact, toward the end of the Cold War , polls suggested that the American public saw Japan's economic might as a greater threat than the Soviet Union's military power. The United States adapted its trade policy toward Japan accordingly, challenging Japan's protectionist policies, currency management and economic model -- just as Trump proposes to do with China. As deputy trade representative, Lighthizer oversaw several key bilateral negotiations to resolve trade disputes between Washington and Tokyo, most notably in the steel sector.

Today, the United States has much the same problems with China that it did with Japan three decades ago, but with some important differences. For one thing, the United States' most fervent trade disagreements with Japan took place before the creation of the WTO and its relatively strong bilateral trade dispute mechanism. Tokyo's favored means of dispute resolution -- voluntary caps on its exports to the United States -- have since been banned. For another, the United States' relationship with Japan is dramatically different from its relationship with China. Unlike Tokyo, which owed its economic vitality and physical security to Washington, Beijing has no such ties binding it to the United States. Consequently, the Trump administration will have a harder time imposing its will on Beijing.

Beijing's Struggle

More important, China is the midst of its most difficult economic transition since the Chinese Economic Miracle began in the 1970s. For decades, investment in critical infrastructure such as ports, electrical grids and roads has fueled the country's economic growth, enabling China to take advantage of its relatively cheap labor pool and export a wide array of goods. But that model has run its course: China's economic growth has fallen below 7 percent according to official reports, and its exports declined for the second year in a row in 2016. Investment in domestic infrastructure is no longer generating the growth that it once did, leaving the country's leaders to navigate a bumpy and treacherous road toward a stable economic growth based on consumption.





It is difficult to overstate the magnitude of China's structural shifts and the challenges that they bring. Years of sustained investment have left many of China's heavy industries -- chief among them its steel industry -- suffering from chronic overcapacity, while incentive structures keep even unprofitable companies in operation. Herein lies the problem for the Trump administration. Despite Washington's continued calls to stop dumping steel on U.S. markets, and Beijing's desire to do so, the Chinese government lacks the power to shut down its excess steel capacity. Local officials throughout China pressure companies to stay in business, concerned more with maintaining tax and employment levels in their jurisdictions than with heeding Beijing's directives. Though President Xi Jinping has tried to clear the way for much-needed reforms to China's state-owned enterprises through a concerted anti-corruption campaign , his efforts have yet to achieve much success. What's more, his attempts to consolidate power have left little room for alternative solutions to the country's economic problems.

No matter what steps the Trump administration takes to challenge China's economic and political system, Beijing's focus will remain on its own fragile rebalancing. So far, the Chinese government has undertaken economic reform at its own pace, regardless of foreign pressure. In future trade negotiations with the United States, China will try to stay within the confines of the WTO framework and preserve the status quo. Under the circumstances, Trump may have to resort to or threaten to use more rigorous interpretations of U.S. law and WTO regulations to see a noticeable change in Chinese policy, notwithstanding the risks of retaliation.

Over the next four years, trade will become the focus of the United States' relationship with China -- a relationship that will likely come under renewed strain as the next administration re-evaluates various aspects of Washington's policy toward Beijing. In the meantime, the countless countries and companies that hang in the balance will hold their breath and wait for clarity on the future of one of the world's most important trade relationships.
[Posted below is an article from The Daily Star weekend Magazine and the text of a press release by girlsnotbrides.org & relevant links ]

Star Weekend / The Daily Star, January 13, 2017

The Debatable Draft Law

by Elita Karim

Very recently, a law drafted by the Ministry for Women and Childrens Affairs stated that if a 16-year-old female gets married with the consent of her parents or the court for justified reasons or under special circumstances, she would not be considered underage or a minor. However, the authorities do not define what they mean by special circumstances.

A girl is said to have reached adulthood at the age of 18 a an age when she is said to be free to decide for her self, choose her suitor (if she feels she needs one) and in a nutshell, be responsible for her own thoughts and activities. Hence, the age of 18 is also said to be legal for a young female to choose a partner and marry a which is the generally accepted law. However, to add to it all, doctors and health specialists also say that at the age of 18, not only is the female mind old enough to make decisions of her own, but also the female body is strong enough to conceive and ultimately deliver off springs.

Not to be mistaken, the marriageable age of girls still remains at 18, however with parental consent this can be lowered to 16. Despite a torrent of criticism, the government plans to move with this strategy.

"The cleaning lady who works in our building, married off her 12-year-old daughter a couple of years ago," says 28-year-old Tahira Tasnim, a research analyst in Uttara. "Today, her daughter is 14 years old and a mother of a two-year-old baby girl. Moreover, she was soon divorced from her husband (who also happens to be her first cousin) and now is a single mother without any formal or informal education, nor a job to support the baby." A common scenario in many parts of the country even today, marrying of the minor girl child for reasons like lack of security and finance is almost a daily occurrence.

A female at the age of 16 is by definition a child and child marriage is clearly a major violation of human rights, whether its done with consent of the childs parents or not. In the last many decades, Bangladesh has significantly developed in areas of female education, employment and to an extent, also in the field of property distribution amongst brothers and sisters in a family. Compared to some of the countries in the Sub Continent, female infanticide has greatly reduced in Bangladesh, thanks to the awareness created by the government. Allowing a child of 16 to marry under special circumstances would push the country back a few decades.

Today, a middle class family in Bangladesh comprehends the need to contribute equally by both partners irrespective of their genders a financial, household and taking care of the children. "Dhaka is probably one of the most expensive cities in the world," says Dr Mirfath Chowdhury, a 35-year-old dentist. "Expenses increase by the week, especially if you have children to take care of. To add to it all, the traffic has worsened in the last few years, hence slowing down the work pace as well. Under these conditions, if the female in a family quits earning, the family will face major difficulties financially. Itas only because that both the husband and wife work together to earn, that they are able to make ends meet and probably save a little bit of money as well!"

Clearly, the working women (both outside and inside their homes) have been contributing enormously to the economic development of Bangladesh. The women today are working to eliminate poverty a a top reason behind the existence of such archaic ideas of marrying off children in the first place.

As it is, cases of child marriages are increasing every day in Bangladesh. One wonders how the Kazi or the appointed official who registers marriage ceremonies, ignores the age-factor and in some cases, goes to the extent of ignoring fake identity documents prepared by family members a stating the girl to be a non-minor a just to get her married off. The confirmation of this draft law will only make the existing issues worse, and in turn, provide a legal platform to perform these unlawful actions.

When girls marry as children, the impact on their health and that of their family is severe. Complications in pregnancy and childbirth are among the leading causes of death in girls aged 15 to 19 in low- and middle-income countries; 90 per cent of adolescent pregnancies take place within the context of marriage. Where girls survive childbirth, they are at increased risk of injury and other complications: 65 per cent of all cases of obstetric fistula, for example, occur in girls under the age of 18. Their children, too, are more vulnerable. Deaths among babies in their first few weeks of life are 50 per cent higher among those born to mothers under 20 years of age than among those born to mothers in their 20s. Likewise, the risk of birth defects, as well as developmental delays and long-term disabilities related to low birth weight, are also higher for mothers under 20. Bangladesh has made impressive progress in improving maternal and child health over the past decade, but this progress will be hindered if the proposal to reduce the age of marriage goes forward.

a An excerpt of an open letter to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh a Kofi Annan, Chair of The Elders [2014], warns of the dangers of lowering the minimum age of marriage for girls, their communities and the whole country. (girlsnotbrides.org)

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girlsnotbrides.org

Press Release: Do not allow child marriage in "special cases", urges Girls Not Brides Bangladesh

11 January 2017

In a letter to her parents 3 years ago, a 16 year-old girl from Bangladesh wrote, aChild marriage not only breaks an adolescent girlas dreams, but also blocks her intelligence and potentiality. It cripples a girl physically and mentally. Dear mother and father, do you want to see your beloved daughter in such situation?a

In the coming weeks, the Bangladeshi Parliament will consider the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2016 which includes a special provision allowing marriage, with parental consent and judicial consent, for girls under 18 in aspecial casesa or for athe greater good of the adolescenta. It defines no minimum age of marriage, and does not define aspecial casesa or the agreater gooda, leaving the exception open to potential abuse. Statements by the Prime Minister indicate that this provision would be used in aspecial casesa, such as aaccidentala or aillegala pregnancy, or where a marriage would protect a girlas ahonoura. Bangladeshas minimum age of marriage is currently18 with no exceptions. If the provision is included in the final act it would mark a step backwards for a country which has made significant strides towards ending child marriage over recent years. Bangladesh has the highest child marriage in South Asia a 52% of girls are married under the age of 18.

aThe progress Bangladesh has made to address child marriage is impressive, and reflects a real commitment from the highest levels of the Government. Now is not the time to regress. In 2014, thousands of girls from schools across Bangladesh wrote open letters to their parents passionately declaring their right to stay in school and out of child marriage. These children need to be listened to. Marriage before 18 does not ensure a pregnant girlas safety. In reality it exposes her to the risk of sexual, physical and psychological violence. Complications during pregnancy and childbirth is the second leading causes of death in girls aged 15-19 in low- and middle-income countries. Protection for girls who are pregnant should come in the form of medical and healthcare services. Girls should also be able to continue their education, with the provision of child care if necessary, and support from their families and communities.a Said Girls Not Brides, Executive Director, Lakshmi Sundaram.

aThe provision to allow child marriage under any circumstances is alarming and of great concern to both civil society organisations who work with girls affected by child marriage and early pregnancy, and more importantly, to the girls themselves. We have worked with thousands of girls who have been pulled out of education, married off early, bear the scars of early pregnancy, and forced to marry their abusers. This is simply unacceptable. Especially at a time when neighbouring South Asian countries are taking steps to amend their legislative frameworks to prohibit exceptions to the minimum age of 18. Bangladesh made a commitment to protect Bangladeshas daughters from marriage before 18 in 2014 when we signed the Kathmandu Call for Action to End Child Marriage in South Asia. Bangladeshas Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, also committed to ending child marriage at the 2014 Girl Summit, hosted by the UK. We must honour these commitments by removing the special provision and by taking positive steps towards finalising the draft National Plan of Action on child marriage.a Said a spokesperson from Girls Not Brides Bangladesh.

Civil society organisations in Bangladesh have planned a rally on Wednesday 18 January, BDT 3pm at the Central Shahid Minar, to protest against the inclusion of this special provision. It is expected that a large number of social activists, doctors, lawyers, cultural activists, teachers, youth, girls and parents will take part in the rally.

For interviews with Lakshmi Sundaram please contact Maryam Mohsin, Communications Officer, Girls Not Brides: media@GirlsNotBrides.org / +44 7436 095435

For more information: Bangladesh and the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2016: A recap

About Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage

Girls Not Brides is a global partnership of more than 650 civil society organisations from over 85 countries united by a commitment to work in partnership to end child marriage and enable girls to fulfil their potential. In consultation with more than 150 members, partners and experts, Girls Not Brides created a common Theory of Change, which outlines the range of approaches needed to end child marriage.

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[SEE ALSO:

Bangladesh has the highest rate of marriage involving girls under 15 in the world, according to a UNICEF Study [PDF].
[Posted below are articles in defence of the Kashmiri actress Zaira Wasim who has come under pressure from fundamentalists and has had to needlessly apologize for the success of a film she has acted in]

The Citizen

"Im Not Proud Of What I Am Doing": Have Fundamentalists Caged Dangal Girl Zaira Wasim?

by Seema Mustafa

Monday, January 16,2017

NEW DELHI: aI feel very loved, its not about fame, its about love.a These were the happy words from a young pretty Kashmiri girl, Zaira Wasim, flushed with the success of her maiden movie Dangal. These words were followed just a few days later with, aForgive me, I am just sixteena I want to apologize to all those people who I have unintentionally hurt. People have been hurt by who I meet.a

Zaira whose twitter page indicates the excitement that followed her success now carries a long apology to those who have clearly protested about her meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. Waseem, and her parents who live in Kashmir, met Mufti who embraced the young girls success as indeed a CM should.

Clearly this meeting was followed by a volume of protest, sufficient to scare the parents and the young actor, into issuing an aapologya and a promise not to meet politicians. Zaira also made it clear that while she was being projected as a role model for Kashmiris she awant to make it very clear that I do not want anyone to follow in my footsteps or even consider me as a role model. Iam not proud of what I am doing and I want everyone, expecially the youth to know that there are real role models out there whether they be in this time or our history.a

aTo even consider me as a role model would be disgracing them, and their disgrace would be Our Disgracea said the long tweet that has had responses, also from Kashmiris asking if she had been threatened by anyone. Zaira Wasim removed the tweet shortly after.

This reflects the tragedy that is Kashmir today. Where in the absence of dialogue, young people with their own aspirations are being caught by an uncompromising state on the one side and fundamentalism on the other. Both the state and the fundamentalists, for instance, have ensured that there is not a single functioning movie hall in Srinagar; the first citing security reasons, and the second evoking their version of Islam.

Zaira for whom Dangal was a dream of opportunity responded to the adulation initially with a big smile, and Yayy thank youas on the social media. A 16 year old she kept her head on her shoulders when asked in an interview whether she was a role model, by saying at that time, that she was sure that the young people who regarded her as such had their own potential and would do even better than her. She has had to change this, under pressure, to maintaining in this social media apology that her achievement is a adisgrace.a

This smacks of the fundamentalism that is using the anger and protests in Kashmir against violations of rights and justice, to grow. Hardliners are flexing their muscles, and bringing pressure on not just the young people but their more vulnerable parents and families to conform to what is now being spread at different levels as Islam. Young artists, musicians, even journalists with independent views are feeling the pressure and several confided that the environment by the political impasse is being exploited by fundamentalist hardliners.

Unfortunately the environment is such today---as many have been writing and warning of to a deaf New Delhi---that young girls like Zaira, or like an all womans band earlier are brought under tremendous pressure laced with open threats. The public apology has in fact ensured that the 16 year old goes under cover, and is not able to follow her talent under pressure from those who insist that the creative arts constitute a adisgracea. Unfortunately so vitiated is the environment that while many agreed with this writer, no one was willing to speak on the record. Not even the editor of a state newspaper who was amongst the first to report the news, insisting that he had no idea as he was in Jammu.

A careful persual of her tweets do not reveal overt threats, but there is a tweet from Zaira Wasim on January 10 maintaining that both her Facebook and Twitter accounts had been hacked. There is some commiseration in the responses. Clearly the pressure has been felt off the social media, with women in Kashmir facing considerable oppression in an increasingly oppressed system. Unfortunately, despite reports of women suffering from increased domestic violence, and severe depression CM Mufti has not even bothered to deal with even these basic issues by meeting the shortfall of doctors and medicines. Suicidal tendencies in women have been recorded by the few groups that do work in the Valley with women, but the government response remains that of indifference.,

Zaira Wasim, too young to know how to cope with this pressure from a Valley where the fundamentalists are clearly gaining control, has issued this public apology that is heart rending. In the past the young all girl musical group had to disband the minute it was noticed, with the young girls allowed no room to sing their hearts out.

A young rapper who tried to bring his talent into other parts of India was named in a sedition case for singing little more than aI am a rebela in Bangalore and returned to Kashmir facing the pressure from right wing forces, just as Zaira Wasim and other young girls in Kashmir have had to give up their aspirations and their talent under pressure from local right wingers. The only difference being that both pressure groups are from two different communities working in tandem though, to ensure that the democratic space is shrunk beyond recognition in the name of anationalisma and aazadia, both doused in a heavy dose of (different) religions.

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scroll.in - 17 January 2017

Trolling of actress Zaira Wasim reminds young Kashmiris of the limits of their social freedoms

by Rayan Naqash

The online abuse of the Dangal star exposes the Valleys sexism and conservatism, teenagers complain.

The abuse began a few months ago, soon after images began to appear on Facebook of 16-year-old Kashmiri actor Zaira Wasim with her hair trimmed, as she prepared for a role as a young wrestler in the Aamir Khan starrer Dangal. Internet trolls in the conservative Kashmir valley, where Islamic militants in the early 1990s forced cinema halls to shut, questioned the teenageras moral character for acting in a hit film.

The trolling grew stronger on late Saturday evening, after pictures were released of the teenaged actress meeting with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who described her as a aKashmiri role modela .

aCursed girla , declared one Instagram user from the Valley. Added another, aPayi se tratha a may you get hit by lightning.

Hoping to calm down the abusers, Wasim on Monday posted a public aconfession/apologya , as she described it, on Facebook, copying a screenshot to Instagram. a...I want everyone, especially the young, to know that there are real role models out there whether they be in this time or history.a she wrote. aTo even consider me as a role model would be disgracing them and their disgrace would be our disgrace.a

However, this only fuelled the controversy, as her message was picked up by news websites and television channels.

Within hours, Wasim deleted her post and issued another message asking the media not to ablow this out of proportiona . She wrote: aRegarding my last post, I have no idea why this has become such a big issue. I just wanted to make sure that I did not hurt anyoneas feelings and all of a sudden it has been turned into national news.a Shortly after, this message was deleted, too.

A stark reminder

The controversy has left teenagers in the Valley disconcerted. To many, it has been a saddening reminder of the social constraints under which they operate a something that is quite contrary to the message on the film in which Wasim has acted, which celebrates the efforts of two girls in tradition-bound Haryana to become world-class wrestlers.

aI didnat watch the movie but I know she didnat do anything wrong,a said Shayan Nazir, a friend of Wasimas, who appeared for his 12th Standard exams last year. aShe did not do anything vulgar or wrong.a

He added: aWhat is bad if someone wants to do something, why canat you do something? Why canat you have the freedom?a

A 17-year-old Srinagar, who requested anonymity for fear of inviting abuse upon herself, said that Wasim had nothing to apologise for since she had not done anything wrong. aWhatever she did was of her own choice and was in her control and I donat think she was pressurised to do anything,a this teenager said.

A Class 12 student named Suha Ismail also said that while there was no need for Wasim to have expressed contrition, she quite understood her gesture. aIf I had been in her place I too would have done the same because we all understand the societal pressures when a girl decides to choose any unconventional career,a she said.

Ismail added: aItas weird how people are thanking her for posting the apology as if they were waiting for it. I think it is time to separate politics from everything because this becomes a reason why we always remain afraid to take any bold decisions.a

A precedent

To many young Kashmiris, the abuse heaped upon Wasim is a reminder of the campaign in 2013 against a girl band named Pragash. The three Class 10 students a vocalist-guitarist Noma Nazir, drummer Farah Deeba and guitarist Aneeka Khalid a had to disband their group after a string of online abuse and eventually a fatwa issued against them by the stateas grand mufti. While the girls apologised, no action was taken against their abusers.

Play

aThey showed their talent but then stopped making videos because of the threats they received from Kashmiri people and especially Ulemasa or religious scholars, said the 17-year-old Srinagar resident. aI think Zaira Wasim must be going through the same situation and this is why she is trying to say all this.a

Two years later, in 2015, Kashmiri schoolgirls chosen to tour India as part of the armyas Operation Sadbhavna were targeted by trolls after the release of photos their meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee. Even then, the character of the girls was questioned.

aGirls are soft targets,a complained a 23-year-old female engineering student. aIn the past men, too, have worked in Bollywood but they have never been made targets.a

Added 23-year-old student Adam Khaleef: aI think itas as unfair as it can get. Had it been a Kashmiri boy, they would have praised him and turned him into another Qazi Tauqeera a who won the prime-time reality show Fame Gurukul in 2005.

o o

[ SEE ALSO:

http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/dangal-girl-zaira-wasim-apology-post-she-is-not-a-role-model-4476883/ ]
Armenian Sunday School named after Mesrop Mashtots opened its doors in Madrid, Hayern Aysor Armenian news website reported.

January 17, 2017, 17:45 Armenian school opened in Madrid

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 17, ARTSAKHPRESS: According to the source, Armenian children living in Spain will have the opportunity to preserve the Armenian language and learn about Armenian culture and history.

As the Schools teachers mentioned, the key goal is to teach Armenian children of Spain the Armenian language so that they dont forget their roots, as well as Armenian language and literature.

The School will also offer Armenian music and painting lessons, as well as Armenian dance lessons, history courses and lessons on the history of the Armenian Church.

The young and devoted teachers introduced the schoolchildren and their parents to the main provisions and principles of the School and assured that they would do everything possible to make the lessons interesting and effective. The Schools administration will also hold various events, meetings, gatherings and field trips.

The Armenia Home Cultural Union of Madrid expresses its special gratitude to the RA Ministry of Diaspora for providing books and textbooks and contributing to activities aimed at preserving the Armenian identity abroad.

The Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Kingdom of Spain and the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church of Madrid, have made a great contribution to the establishment of the school.

The source details that thirteen Armenian children have already attended their first lesson.
Two Lompoc-area churches have teamed with the Santa Maria-Lompoc branch of the NAACP for three events this week to commemorate the 50th annive
The MQFF (Melbourne Queer Film Festival) has been telling engaging and important LGBTIQ stories since its inception, and in its latest year, Program Manager Spiro Economopoulos will revisit what sparked queer cinema; more after the bump.

Announcing the first eight films in the 2017 MQFF program, Economopoulos said: Theres so much to be excited about; a stand out program of international award winning features, another Australian Centrepiece this year, Pulse, from an MQFF alumni, and Im particularly excited about our queer classics, including the 21st anniversary screening of the trailblazing lesbian indie comedy, The Watermelon Woman.

Certain to be one of the most talked about films of the festival, Tomcat shocked audiences at the Berlin International Film Festival where it took out Teddy Award for Best Film last year.

In A Date for Mad Mary, Seana Kerslake gives the performance of the festival as Mad Mary McArdle, a young woman who returns to her small Irish town after a prison stint. Back home everyone has moved on especially her best friend whos getting married and Mary is her maid-of-honour. Mary is determined to find a date to prove shes not the total lost cause everyone thinks she is in this feisty and crowd-pleasing comedy.

Past and present is also explored in Lazy Eye, a sensual love story about unfinished business when a Los Angeles graphic designer reconnects with an ex-lover he hasnt seen or heard from in 15 years. Passions reignite and hidden secrets are revealed over a weekend away, where they must decide whether or not they have a future together.

MQFF 2017 Centrepiece is the Melbourne premiere of Pulse the independently funded debut feature. The film mixes sexuality and teen angst with an undercurrent of sci-fi, Pulse is a bold fantasy that follows a gay disabled teen who undergoes a mysterious procedure that gives him the body of a young able-bodied woman in order to pursue his love object. This continues the Festivals long-standing commitment to championing Australian film.

Rousing documentary Out Run follows Bemz Benedito, leader of of the world's only LGBTIQ political party Ladlad, who dreams of being the first transgender woman in the Philippine Congress. But in a deeply Catholic nation, rallying for LGBTIQ representation in the halls of Congress is not an easy feat. Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four has screened to acclaim on the international film festival circuit.

During the Satanic Panic witch-hunt era four Latina lesbians were wrongfully convicted of sexually assaulting two little girls. Twenty years on they fight against homophobia and prosecutorial fervor in their struggle for exoneration. In this riveting and powerful documentary, filmmaker Deborah S. Esquenazi takes on the role of investigator along with attorneys at the Innocence Project, helping these women on their long road to justice.

Finally, and screening as part of MQFFs Bring it Back program of newly restored classics of LGBTIQ cinema is The Watermelon Woman. Video shop assistant and fledgling filmmaker Cheryl (played by director Cheryl Dunye), is exploring the life and work of her favourite mammy of 30s and 40s Hollywood cinema, identified only as The Watermelon Woman. Her research and a new romance with seductive customer, Diana (Guinevere Turner, Go Fish), push her to live out the very ideas shes exploring. Part love story, part reinvention of African American film history, The Watermelon Woman is a classic of New Queer Cinema. The work of emerging filmmakers and a commitment to gender diverse story telling continues to be a focus for MQFF.

Tickets are on sale now. Full program launches 16th February, the festival pops off March 27th. Stay tuned to Screen Anarchy for more on NQFF as it develops.
The Southern District of Florida blog was started in 2005 by David Oscar Markus , who is a criminal trial and appellate lawyer in Miami, Florida. He frequently practices in federal courts around the country, including his hometown, the Southern District of Florida and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a former law clerk to then-Chief Judge of the District, Edward B. Davis.
The changes will have the effect of excluding many viable intending candidates interested in contesting the limited number of provincial and open seats in parliament.

Mr Gamato must be able to explain his advice to the National Executive Council that provided the inspiration for these major proposed changes to election laws, he said.

Mr Basil has also questioned the role of electoral commissioner Patilus Gamato in independently overseeing the success of the elections.

PAPUA New Guineas deputy opposition leader Sam Basil has said he is gravely concerned at government action to delay and change conditions around this years national elections due in May.

Unless a future parliament has the numbers to reverse such limiting provisions, PNG can no longer call itself a vibrant democracy.

Mr Basil said PNGs electoral calendar must not be politically engineered to undermine the constitutional guarantee of free and fair general elections.

He cautioned citizens to be wary of the proposed amendments to election laws that will have the effect of influencing the rights and choices of voters and the outcome of the elections.

Mr Basil is strongly urging Papua New Guineans to get involved and understand the importance of parliamentary processes.

Parliament is the arm of government that enacts the laws that the people must live with, therefore we must all ensure that all MPs are voting to support laws for the greater good, he said.

Mr Basil told reporters that the majority of government MPs have been given sweeteners to vote for the passage of bills that they dont understand or care about.

Those government MPs are only interested in their own cut of already depleted public funds and not the broader implications of the laws they vote to enact and amend, he said.

I want to say that the rampant abuse and mismanagement of public funds by the ONeill-Dion government has had the effect of bankrupting PNG.

Therefore, we can see the impact of this shameful negligence now on our constitutional offices, government departments and agencies that are failing to carry out their lawful duties.

The main problem is the ONeill government has recklessly spent public funds that should have been managed and allocated to cater for the States operations and expenses.

Instead, the ONeill regime has paid for their own excessive lifestyles first before worrying about the development and future of our great nation.
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We, in this case, being the Australian High Commission.

This sounds like a great initiative, Bronte wrote to me in an email. Its something that wed be interested, in principle, in supporting in some way.

Last October, Bronte was also expressing encouragement about what was the forthcoming publication of Rashmii Amoah Bells landmark collection of PNG womens writing, My Walk to Equality, much mentioned in these columns of late.

But if I ever do meet her  and I hope to on a forthcoming visit to PNG  I think Ill like her. Ive found Bronte positive, helpful and a person who clearly has Papua New Guinean interests at heart.

I HAVE never met Bronte Moules who is our (that is Australias) deputy high commissioner in Papua New Guinea  an important post in the PNG-Australia relationship.

Bronte added the mandatory rider in all these exchanges that the challenge as always is for us to identify a suitable possible funding option.

Were not able to provide any guarantees at this stage, but we are looking into possible options.

Fair enough, thats as good as it gets at these early stages of seeking to source funds even for knock-down good ideas like this one.

Knock-down good because My Walk to Equality is a project that strongly pitches both Australian policy and that of the United Nations.

Australia claims a steadfast and ongoing commitment to be at the forefront of efforts to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

While the UN reckons that the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women is central to the mandate of UNDP and intrinsic to its development approach.

So its pretty clear that the first ever collection of PNG womens writing, in which the authors were asked to address these high-minded global ideals in the PNG context, was targeting the right goals.

There were a lot of challenges for Rashmii, Phil Fitzpatrick and me in getting this book published  but the biggest of all was raising funds so it could be printed and distributed in sufficient quantity create some impact.

I put it to Roy Trivedy, the UNDPs head honcho in PNG, that, given his organisations fine words on the matter, he might come to the party. But no.

Unfortunately we are not able to assist as it is the last quarter of our financial year, quoth Roy. Really sorry.

And when I tweeted, A surprise tonight. @UNDP unable to assist distribute first ever book of women's writing from #PNG on theme of women's equality. Stunned!, Roy rejoindered, That's inaccurate. We are happy 2 distribute but not able 2 fund publication.

But you cant distribute a hard copy book no one can afford to print. So that brought an end to that little exchange.

Meanwhile, back at the High Commission, the Australians were being more positive and asked me to submit a detailed proposal for funding.

Three days later Bronte got my five page submission including information on audience and partners, how we would obtain contributions from writers, publisher, distribution plan, project team, promotional strategy and a full project budget for a targeted 2,000 copies to be distributed free of charge throughout PNG.

Thats about $40,000 worth of books.

A full funding proposal covering these elements will help us work out whether the project is something we could support through our funding mechanisms, said Bronte.

Late in November, I heard from Bronte again, this time sounding more hesitant: Weve been looking thoroughly into possible funding options and unfortunately the most obvious options did not prove viable.... However we have one more option we could explore.

By early December a discussion with me on potential options was sought  the organisation, UN Women, was mentioned - and a bit later a conversation ensued which made it sound like the project was back on track.

But since then three things have happened - silence, Christmas and more silence.

Meanwhile other discussions with a private foundation have gone nowhere and the book has been published but there are no funds to print it and get it to the Papua New Guinean readers who would most benefit from its wisdom.

Our own fund-raising has been sufficient to print 100 copies which will mainly feature at the book launches, which we are also funding, in Port Moresby and Brisbane to market the book and recognise the writers.

So we are left with a great initiative which, as of today, seems to have no place to go.

Of course, if youre in a position to buy the book, you can order it online at Amazon. Just follow this link via Pukpuk Publications which will see royalties ploughed back into PNG writing.

Some organisations have said theyll purchase multiple copies and distribute them amongst their employees and contacts, which is a terrific idea. Perhaps your organisation could do the same.

Meanwhile, we remain hopeful that a major funder will appear from the many organisations weve been in touch with and that My Walk to Equality will set out on that long march to places where it may do some good.
The idea was born out of a text message conversation between two friends.

Fifty-five people, one bus and a major rally in Washington one day after President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

A group of Auburn-area residents will head to the nation's capital Saturday for the Women's March on Washington. The rally will be one of several held around the country, including an event in Seneca Falls.

The organizers of the national Women's March on Washington supports a series of "unity principles" ranging from ending violence and reproductive rights to civil rights and environmental justice.

Locally, the bus trip to the Washington rally was organized by Auburn City Councilor Debby McCormick and Sandra Shutter. They were having a conversation about a week after the election and decided to create an event listing on Facebook to see if they could get enough people to sign up.

"We did  and we filled the bus," McCormick said in a phone interview Monday.

A RallyBus page was set up for the Auburn group to pay for the trip to Washington. The participants each paid $210 for their bus ticket.

The bus is scheduled to depart Auburn at 12:37 a.m. and arrive at about 8:30 a.m. in Washington. The day's events will begin with a 10 a.m. rally. The rally concludes at 1:15 p.m. The march will begin soon after.

The 55 participants, McCormick believes, are all women. She knew some of them before the bus trip was organized. She didn't know other members of the traveling party, but has since either met them or talked to them online.

"I think they were shocked by the election," she said. "That really stunned a lot of people. It scared us that women's rights could take a step backward instead of forward."

There are other reasons why people joined, McCormick said. There's concern about the future of health care if the Affordable Care Act is repealed. Others joined the trip because they want to get involved.

"It's not an easy thing to do," she said. "Demonstrating in Washington, I think, signifies we mean business."

The Washington event will be one of 386 so-called "sister marches" held throughout the world. Similar marches will be held in Ithaca, Seneca Falls and Syracuse.

According to the Women's March on Washington website, an estimated 735,070 people will participate in the U.S. and international sister marches.
 "How the states can show the way: Participating in criminal justice reform, the states have saved over a billion dollars" | Main | SCOTUS to confront implication for immigration statute of Johnson vagueness ruling 

Anyone hoping Prez Obama would go out of office this week with a huge clemency bang will likely be disappointed to see this new Washington Post report headlined "Obama to commute hundreds of federal drug sentences in final grants of clemency." I have been assuming Obama would make news with a few hundred more grants, but I know some advocates were hoping there would be perhaps thousands of commutations as Obama heads for the Oval Office exit. Here instead is what we can expect after seemingly a whole lot of work by a whole lot of lawyers and DOJ officials:

Justice Department officials have completed their review of more than 16,000 clemency petitions filed by federal prisoners over the past two years and sent their last recommendations to President Obama, who is set to grant hundreds more commutations to nonviolent drug offenders during his final days in office.

Everyone has killed themselves here to get the final recommendations to the president, Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates said in an interview. We were in overdrive. We were determined to live up to our commitment. It was 24-7 over the Christmas break. U.S. Pardon Attorney Robert A. Zauzmer has not taken a day off since Yates brought him on in February 2016 to sift through the backlog of thousands of petitions. From her home in Atlanta, Yates said she reviewed hundreds of petitions during the holidays.

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, Justice officials worry that his administration will dismantle Obamas clemency initiative, which has resulted in the early release of 1,176 drug offenders who were sentenced under the severe mandatory minimum laws passed in the 1980s and 1990s during the nations war on drugs. More than 400 were serving life sentences. Yates said Obama will grant a significant number of commutations this week, but would not specify a number. Several people close to the process said it will be several hundred.

Those officials also fear that the next attorney general may undo new criminal justice policies. Then-Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. put in place a policy three years ago to reserve the most severe drug-offense penalties for high-level or violent drug traffickers  and no longer charge low-level, nonviolent drug offenders with crimes that impose severe mandatory minimum sentences. Justice Department data indicate that prosecutors are now focusing on more-serious drug cases, and there have been fewer charges that carry mandatory sentences.

Neither Trump nor his attorney general-nominee, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), has said what actions might be taken on drug charging policy or clemency, but during his campaign, Trump criticized Obamas initiative to grant commutations. Some of these people are bad dudes, he said. And these are people who are out, theyre walking the streets. Sleep tight, folks....

At several points during the past two years, it appeared that Obamas clemency initiative might have been derailed, partly by a lack of resources but also by a cumbersome review process. After Holder and then-Deputy Attorney General James Cole began the effort in the spring of 2014, thousands of inmates applied. To help them with their petitions, outside lawyers formed an organization called Clemency Project 2014, which includes Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Bar Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

About 4,000 volunteer lawyers signed up to help in what has become one of the largest pro bono efforts in the history of the legal profession in the United States. Once the lawyers submitted the petitions, the U.S. pardon attorney made recommendations to the deputy attorney general, who reviewed the cases and sent them to the White House counsel, who also reviewed them before choosing which ones went to Obama.

When Yates arrived at Justice in the spring of 2015, the clemency program was overwhelmed and bogged down. Advocates criticized the inefficient process and urged the Obama administration to pick up the pace for the inmates waiting for relief from unfair sentences. There wasnt an apparatus set up, Yates said. When I arrived, they were doing the best they could . . . but we didnt really have a playbook.

Early last year, more than 9,000 clemency petitions were pending, and the pardon attorney at the time was so frustrated that she quit. Yates brought on Zauzmer, a longtime federal prosecutor, who prioritized applications so that Justice lawyers could focus on inmates who met the criteria: Inmates had to have served at least 10 years; had no significant criminal history; no connection to gangs, cartels or organized crime; and probably would have received a substantially lower sentence if convicted today.

These are big decisions that youre making, Yates said, alluding to the public-safety risks and the need to provide a sophisticated analysis to the president. If its to let someone out of prison early, earlier than what their original sentence was, youve got to be careful about those decisions, she said. Theres lots of people whose current offense or conviction is a nonviolent drug offense . . . but you have to look at their past as well and at their criminal history. You have to look at their conduct [in prison].

Not all inmates who have been granted clemency will be released immediately or even in a number of months. Last summer, the Obama administration began granting clemency to some inmates by reducing their sentences; in some cases, they will remain in prison for years. At the end of August, Yates announced that she would review and give Obama a recommendation on every petition from a drug offender that was still in the departments possession at that time  about 6,195 petitions. She did that, and included several hundred petitions received through Sept. 15, after her cutoff date. She also reviewed petitions that came in as late as Nov. 30 from drug offenders serving life sentences. By last Friday, the final number of petitions reviewed was 16,776. Sally deserves a lot of credit, Holder said in an interview. She set this goal of looking at every drug-clemency petition, and they accomplished that.
Cayuga County's federal and local representatives lauded Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration Monday for a commitment to invest more than $2 million for drinking water system improvements.

The state provided $150,000 for studies to determine how to best treat water contaminated by blue-green algae toxins. An additional $2 million has been committed to the city of Auburn and town of Owasco for the improvements identified in the studies.

Cuomo: Auburn, Owasco get $2 million for drinking water system upgrades The city of Auburn and town of Owasco will receive more than $2 million to upgrade drinking 

The treatment strategies, according to the governor's office, could include intake pipe extensions, ozone oxidation and powdered activated carbon.

Owasco Lake supplies drinking water for nearly 50,000 Cayuga County residents, including those living in Auburn and Owasco.

U.S. Rep. John Katko, whose district includes all of Cayuga County, said the funding will allow Auburn and Owasco to maintain safe drinking water for residents.

"I have repeatedly raised this issue with state officials, and I'm glad to see them responding to the needs of Cayuga County citizens," Katko, R-Camillus, said in a statement. "I will continue to stay engaged on this vital issue."

Katko added, "Owasco Lake's troubles, along with a host of other examples around the country, point to the need to improve our water infrastructure. I have advocated for robust funding for the primary federal grant programs that support water infrastructure, and will continue to pursue every opportunity to ensure access to clean water for our region, and the nation as a whole."

Blue-green algae in Owasco Lake has been a problem for years, but it became a more pressing issue last fall when tests showed detectable levels of algal toxins in Auburn and Owasco's drinking water supplies.

Lake to lab: Researchers test toxin treatment methods on Owasco Lake water With snow and ice on the brain, harmful algal blooms seem a distant problem for a warmer time.

While the toxins were below health advisory levels set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, local officials urged the state to provide support and help improve the lake's water quality.

Auburn Mayor Michael Quill said the funding announced by Cuomo Monday "assures the men, women and children of central New York that toxins will be eliminated and clean drinking water will be available to everyone across the region."

"Thanks to these water system upgrades, residents will be protected from pollutants and have access to clean, quality drinking water throughout central New York," he said.

Owasco Supervisor Ed Wagner also praised Cuomo for the additional funding.

"The safety and health of the residents of Owasco is our utmost priority and through the governor's leadership, we now have the support needed to complete studies that will pinpoint the best treatment plan and upgrade our water systems as soon as possible," Wagner said.

The investment is new funding for Auburn and Owasco. The state repeatedly touted a $600,000 grant for Owasco Lake watershed projects that was finally released last fall. However, the funding was initially announced in 2015 and included in the 2015-16 state budget.
 UCLA Prison Law & Policy Program launches Prison Law JD, a new listserv for connecting new folks to prisoners' rights lawyers. | Main | After reviewing tens of thousands of requests, Obama Administration reportedly finds a few hundred more prisoners worthy of clemency 

January 16, 2017

"How the states can show the way: Participating in criminal justice reform, the states have saved over a billion dollars"

The title of this post is the headline given to this new Washington Times commentary authored by Marc Levin. Here is how it gets started:

While the nation is still waiting to see if Congress will take up criminal justice reform, states have been quietly getting the job done. A new Urban Institute report shows that states participating in the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) have saved over a billion dollars thus far through smart reforms to sentencing laws, pretrial practices, and prison release policies. Moreover, this has enhanced public safety. Its a direction deserving of praise on both sides of the aisle. Reforms curb prison growth and relieve unsustainable costs for the states, while giving states the opportunity to reinvest funds into programs that will reduce crime and reoffending, such as community behavioral health treatment, and services for victims. And they have reinvested, at least $450 million so far. Guided by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Pew Charitable Trusts, JRI catalyzes change in both process and policy through intensive technical support to bipartisan groups of key criminal justice players. Where states typically address criminal penalties on ad hoc basis, JRI brings together a task force of judges, prosecutors, victims advocates, and other stakeholders to analyze data about the states prison population and use it as the basis to collaboratively develop a comprehensive plan that will cut growth and reduce reoffending. The policy reforms embrace accountability for both offenders and the justice system, better distinguishing between those who must be incarcerated due to the danger they pose to society and those who can be rehabilitated in the community. Here in Texas, success with this type of criminal justice reform was part of what prompted broad investment in JRI. Texas reforms have yielded an incredible $3 billion in savings and averted costs over almost 10 years, providing opportunities to reinvest hundreds of millions of dollars into treatment and diversion programs. Among the most successful interventions that Texas expanded in its 2007 justice reinvestment plan were drug courts, which led to lower re-arrest rates and reincarceration rates while costing the state a fraction of the amount Texas spends on incarceration. Alongside declines in imprisonment we see a decline in crime rate. From 2010 to 2015 in the 10 states with the largest imprisonment declines, the crime rate fell an average of 14.4 percent, compared with 8.1 percent in the 10 states with the biggest growth in imprisonment. For example, the FBI index crime rate in South Carolina is now 15.7 percent lower than when the states justice reinvestment plan was adopted in 2010. Similarly, Texas crime rate has fallen 30 percent since its 2007 justice reinvestment plan.

January 16, 2017 at 11:09 PM | Permalink

Comments

The claim that crime is going down is lawyer denier fraud. The Obama Justice Department has sabotaged the gold standard measurement of crime, so it is now worthless, the Household Crime Victimization Survey.

Crime has exploded on line, and the murder rate is going up in 20 major cities. People are screaming for more police and prosecutors, so that all savings are being transferred to big cities lawyer rent seekers, and their agents, and away from rural prisons. As usual, black crime victims are taking the brunt of this dumping of highly toxic criminals into their streets.

Posted by: David Behar | Jan 18, 2017 9:18:39 AM

Post a comment
 Some notable local death penalty headlines from two very different localities | Main | Prez Obama issues clemency to 273 more individuals (209 commutation and 64 pardons) and Chelsea Manning among those getting a commuted sentence 

This New York Times editorial, headlined "Mr. Obama, Pick Up Your Pardon Pen," properly laments the fact that Prez Obama has used his clemency power much more for commutations than for pardons, and it even takes some astute shots at the Prez for how his has gone about his commutations. Here is some of the criticism:

For more than four decades, Sala Udin lived under the shadow of a federal firearms conviction, the result of a search by the Kentucky police who found an unloaded shotgun in the trunk of his car in 1970.

Mr. Udin, who had been a Freedom Rider during the civil rights era, carried the gun for protection as he drove around the South. After eight months in prison, he lived an exemplary life, serving on the Pittsburgh City Council and playing a role in the citys redevelopment. But when President Obama visited Pittsburgh in 2009, Mr. Udin wasnt allowed to meet him: His criminal record prevented such an encounter.

Last month, Mr. Obama issued Mr. Udin a pardon  one of just 148 pardons the president has granted during his two terms in office. It is an abysmally low number for a president who has stressed his commitment to second chances and the importance of helping convicted people re-enter society.

The White House has been trumpeting Mr. Obamas use of his clemency power in the last two years, especially his nearly 1,200 commutations of prison sentences, more than the last several presidents combined. Most of these inmates were serving outrageously long terms, including life without parole, for nonviolent drug crimes. Commuting those sentences is meaningful progress, even if Mr. Obama could and should have started much earlier and released thousands more deserving people.

But when it comes to the other type of executive clemency  pardons  Mr. Obama hasnt been an improvement over his predecessors. Unlike a commutation, which shortens or ends a prison sentence, a pardon is an act of forgiveness granted to someone who has completed a sentence. Pardons remove the stigma of conviction and restore the right to hold office, to vote, to obtain certain business licenses and to own a gun  all activities that can be denied those with criminal records.

The reluctance to grant pardons makes even less sense than a reluctance to give out commutations, since the sentences have already been served and there is no public safety concern. In both cases, the trouble rests with the people acting as the gatekeepers of mercy. The clemency process is run out of the Justice Department, where career prosecutors have little interest in reversing the work of their colleagues. Its a recipe for intransigence, dysfunction and injustice on a mass scale....

There is a better way. In both liberal and conservative states, from Delaware and Connecticut to Nebraska and Georgia, the pardon process is more predictable and transparent. Some states require independent boards to make pardon recommendations to the governor; others hold regularly scheduled public hearings. All take the executives job of granting mercy seriously, which makes those grants both more fair and more common.

On Mr. Obamas first Inauguration Day, in 2009, President George W. Bush gave him a good piece of advice: Pick a pardon policy and stick with it. Perhaps President-elect Donald Trump will learn from Mr. Obamas failure to heed that wisdom.
Jan. 18, 1937

(No Jan. 17, 1937 paper)

Pupils in the Department of Agriculture at Moravia High School, despite a dry season and high prices for feed, found project work during the past year very profitable. More than $1,500 was earned by the pupils.

Carlton Conklin lead the class with a return of $2.22 per hour spent on his cabbage project. He had a total profit of $101 on one acre. Charles Phoenix was next with an income of $1.95 an hour spent on his poultry project. His total profit was $298. Donald Harnett lead the potato growers with a profit of $68 on one-half acre. Only one project showed a loss and that was a project in peas for canning.

Jan. 17, 1962

Miss Esther Gallant, a senior at Cato-Meridian Central School and sponsored by the Fulton Lodge of Elks, has been awarded second place for girls in a state youth leadership contest conducted by the New York State Elks Association. A total of 6,200 high school students participated.

Miss Gallant will receive an award of a $200 Savings Bond and a plaque at the Statler-Hilton Hotel during the state convention in Buffalo May 18.

Jan. 17, 2007

The Port Byron Hotel is preparing for rebirth in a village poised for revitalization. The hotel's owner Gary Cole opened bids for work on the historic structure this week. He hopes to reopen the building as a restaurant, bar and inn this August. A $229,000 Restore NY grant and a $50,000 Main Street Program matching grant are behind the estimated $329,000 renovation that's been two years in the making.

With the help of Thoma Consultants, Cortland, the village has earned a total of about $465,000 in grant money over the last two years. The grants for feasibility studies, building improvements and farmers market seed money are all linked to revitalization.

Jan. 17, 2012

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer visited Auburn's Nucor Steel today to call for the reinstatement of a rule that all military vehicles and equipment be made 100 percent domestically. The senator said the purchase of steel and other raw materials from Korea, Japan, India and China to build military equipment has worsened the domestic jobs market and puts national security at risk.

At the height of the military maneuvers in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Department of Defense slackened the rule, citing high demand for products, requiring that only a portion of the work be done in the U.S. for the product to qualify as domestically produced.
This week, Bay Area groups have planned a slew of demonstrations that vary from fundraisers to protests to simple showings of solidarity surrounding Friday's inauguration of President Trump. The largest of them is likely to be the San Francisco Women's March on Saturday the 21st, one in a series of so-called Sister Marches affiliated with the central Women's March on Washington.

"We hope this will be among the biggest marches outside DC," organizer Martha Shaughnessy tells SFist, "and one that shows what a new movement looks like: Women and allies from all backgrounds together to show we stand with and for each other."

Indeed, Shaughnessey and others local organizers are planning for a San Francisco turnout that could be as high as 60,000 participants. Their intersectional event begins with a rally at 3 p.m. at City Hall and continues with a march beginning at 5 p.m. from City Hall to the Embarcadero.

In anticipation, Women's March Bay Area, who are also planning marches in Oakland and San Jose, are offering two nonviolence trainings for march participants and march-designated "Peace Ambassadors" as well as training for anyone who would like to help out as an official volunteer. Meanwhile, they've released the below video:

For those who can't wait to get out their picket signs, there's an inauguration protest on Friday planned for UN Plaza at 5 p.m. Other actions on Friday include "Bridge Together," a sort of "Hands Across America" but for the Golden Gate Bridge. According to the organizers, "3,000 participants will be allowed on the bridge itself" based on the permitting they've acquired, and members of that group need to get on the bridge perhaps as early as 8:30 a.m. "until all have gathered," which they anticipate will be by 10 a.m. to noon.

There are some less grueling events to be found, of course, including fundraisers that sound like actual fun, which some might argue is a somewhat revolutionary act in these times. One at El Rio on Friday is called Stand Up Fight Back, a "Benefit FOR Planned Parenthood and AGAINST Racism, Misogyny, Homophobia and Xenophobia." That's, you guessed it, a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood, with all bar proceeds going to that organization from 4 to 6 p.m. and a portion of door proceeds given to Planned Parenthood thereafter.

The night before, on Thursday, Rickshaw Stop is hosting a Love Trumps Hate party whose proceeds go to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Earthjustice, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and La Raza Centro Legal. The loose music tie-in for that event? The '90s music they'll spin is appropriate because a Clinton was in the White House at the time. The memories.

Previously: Post-Inauguration Women's March In San Francisco Announces Speakers, Performers


After two years of renovation and restoration, The Curran theater on Geary Street comes back to life this month with an inaugural production of the Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home. This will be just the first of many, edgier full-scale theater productions, some direct from Broadway, that producer and theater owner Carole Shorenstein Hays will be bringing to the refurbished venue, which she calls a "second family home," along with business partners who are also her family  her husband Dr. Jeffrey Hays, and son Wally, 29, and Gracie, 26. Curran Live, as the independent organization is now called, is set to bring the acclaimed play Eclipsed in its West Coast premiere in March, as well as Simon McBurney immersive, experimental, audio-enhanced one-man show The Encounter, in April, with more shows yet to be announced.

In lieu of a season subscription, which isn't yet in the cards, they've launched the Curran Club, to which every ticket purchaser for Fun Home will receive a free one-year charter membership. The club will include ticket discounts and special events, as well as other perks.

Constructed in 1922 by Homer Curran and designed by architect Alfred Henry Jacobs, the theater has a rich history that includes being used as a primary location for the 1950 Oscar-winning film All About Eve. This week, the public can get an in-depth 45-minute tour of the theater's new front-of-house spaces before the Fun Home opening, as well as the interior guts of the place not usually open to the public, courtesy of a new app-enabled audio tour from Detour. The tour features narration from theater greats who know its stage well, including James Earl Jones, Carol Channing, Tommy Tune, Kristin Chenoweth, and Patti LuPone, and it takes you backstage to learn about historic moments with Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, and more. The theater will be open for Detour touring, via free reservation, during specific time slots on Wednesday, January 18, and Thursday, January 19, from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and multiple slots are still available.

Fun fact: Unlike the next door Geary Theater that belongs to ACT, the Curran suffered minimal damage during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, closing for just a few days due to a leak in the ceiling caused by a toppled water tank. It went on to continue hosting a long run of Les Miserables, which was followed by a five-year run of Phantom of the Opera in the 1990's, the longest run of the show anywhere outside New York.

Those who remember The Curran from its most recent decades as an SHN house  where recent shows have included Jersey Boys, Next to Normal, and Peter and the Starcatcher  will find some of its insides recognizable in that the seating has all remained in place, with replaced cushions and upholstery (but no increase in legroom). Also, the grand 95-year-old, 224-light chandelier was fully restored by the very same family-run company in the Bayview that originally built it, Phoenix Day  a process that required 2,500 man hours and included the cleaning or replacing of 1,300 pounds of Australian crystal.

Some things that won't be recognizable include the grand carved ceiling, which required weeks of cleaning thanks to decades worth of accumulated residue from cigarette smoke  Curran rep Jaron Caldwell says that workmen coming down off the scaffolding during that process said they could smell the smoke as they scraped. Also intact, but freshly cleaned, are two murals by Arthur Frank Mathews.

And brand new to the theater's basement level are two huge, brand new bathrooms that required the removal of 1,700 tons of dirt to be added  with 17 stalls plus urinals in the men's room, and 19 stalls in the women's room, plus additional single-stall restrooms on an upper level. (As the Chronicle noted in December, when a pre-opening event for a screening of Fences occurred, this means no more having to dart across the street to Jack in the Box, which some Curran theatergoers will remember well, given how tiny the restrooms were pre-renovation.)

Getting a drink at intermission will also be much easier, with bars on every level with lounges at the front end of the building, including in space on a first mezzanine level, decorated with a theater-themed mural by New York artist Steve Powers, that previously housed only offices. Each bar will have a slightly different theme in terms of its offerings as well, with an array of Sonoma wines featured at one of the upper level bars.

Check out our photos of the space, and look for tickets to upcoming shows here. Fun Home opens on January 26.

Related: Curran Theatre Breaks Off From SHN, Will Produce Its Own Edgier Shows In 2016

The Curran has been an occasional advertiser on SFist and the Gothamist network, as have other theaters. This is not a sponsored post, and was not dictated by the Curran.
The former army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, jailed for seven years already and serving a 35-year sentence set to end in 2045, will be free in just five months on May 17. The New York Times reports that President Obama has commuted much of Manning's sentence, which was the longest ever imposed for a conviction relating to leaks.

Manning was deployed to Iraq as a low-level intelligence analyst in 2009. Through access to a classified computer network, she copied military incident logs that showed Iraqi civilian deaths were higher than official estimates and exposed abuses of detainees held by the Iraqi military. Manning's leaks, disclosed by Julian Assange's Wikileaks, brought that organization and Assange to prominence. Court-martialed, Manning claimed she was acting under duress, suffering from mental illness. She was accused of treason but plead guilty to a lesser version of charges under the Espionage Act, and after her sentencing, she disclosed that she had also been coming to terms with her gender identity as a transgender woman, asking that she be referred to as Chelsea going forward rather than Bradley, her birth name.

In the years after her trial, Manning has become a symbol for both the rights of trans prisoners, and a hero of the greater trans community, who often find themselves at odds with the government in their daily lives.

In November, Manning, who is held at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, pleaded with the president, citing her difficult predicament. "The bottom-line is this: I need help and I am still not getting it," Manning told NPR through an intermediary, after she had been forced into solitary confinement following multiple suicide attempts. Manning has had limited support while incarcerated at a male military facility: She is permitted hormone therapy, but her transition is partial, and she has so far not been allowed to groom or present herself as female. In September, it was reported through her ACLU attorney that Manning had been granted permission from military medical staff to receive gender confirmation surgery, though that has not yet taken place.

In an application for the commutation of her sentence, Manning wrote that she takes "full and complete responsibility for my decision to disclose these materials to the public... I have never made any excuses for what I did. I pleaded guilty without the protection of a plea agreement because I believed the military justice system would understand my motivation for the disclosure and sentence me fairly. I was wrong.

Evan Greer, campaign director for internet freedom advocacy organization Fight for the Future and ardent Manning advocate, issued a statement saying, "Chelseas release is massive victory for free speech, human rights, and democracy. As someone who has become friends with Chelsea over the last year, but has never had a chance to see her face... Im so excited for the world to get to know her as the compassionate, intelligent, and kind person who she is."

The internet has already been asking what this might mean for another major leaker of the era, Edward Snowden, but the situation there is different since Snowden has not actually been in the country to face any charges. White House Press Secretary Joshua Earnest drew a stark contrast between Manning and Snowden. Chelsea Manning is somebody who went through the military criminal justice process, was exposed to due process, was found guilty, was sentenced for her crimes, and she acknowledged wrongdoing, he said. Mr. Snowden fled into the arms of an adversary, and has sought refuge in a country that most recently made a concerted effort to undermine confidence in our democracy.

As a result of Manning's commutation, pundits have posited that no similar move is likely toward Snowden. However, Snowden himself celebrated the decision, for which he has advocated:

In five more months, you will be free. Thank you for what you did for everyone, Chelsea. Stay strong a while longer! https://t.co/PaLvJDvDbl  Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 17, 2017

Other reactions, such as those from Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, House Speaker Paul Ryan, and journalist Judith Miller, have not been favorable:

Wikileaks, another advocate for Manning's release, claimed earlier this month that if Obama freed Manning, then Julian Assange, currently in London at the Embassy of Ecuador, would allow himself to be extradited to the US.

If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case https://t.co/MZU30SlfGK  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 12, 2017

Well? Your move, Julian.

Previously: Chelsea Manning Sentenced To Solitary Confinement Over Suicide Attempt
A website that claims to represent a San Francisco-based company called Demand Protest supposedly paying "operatives" as much as $2,500 a month "on top of standard per-event pay of $50/hr" for their work as hired protesters is making the alt-right rounds today on forums like 4chan and 8chan, as well websites like Breitbart, Infowars, and the Washington Times.

Demand Protest, which purports to be a group of "strategists mobilizing millennials across the globe with seeded audiences and desirable messages" has some on the far-right downright giddy, presented with what they perceive as evidence confirming their conspiracy-minded suspicions that, say, Trump protesters are simply paid shills rather than legitimately concerned citizens and Black Lives Matter activists are in it for the money rather than, you know, the racial justice.

But even Infowars had to couch its report on Demand Protest with skepticism, as the website and "company" appear to be a false flag operation. Although Demand Protest has a working phone number with a San Francisco 415 area code, SFist has tried several times and failed to find any way to speak to an actual human person at the number  you can attempt to key in any extension number, and it simply says "not found" and hangs up on you.

While the site claims that "Demand Protest is the largest private grassroots support organization in the United States," Demand Protest is not a registered LLC in the state of California. Finally, while Demand Protest claims it has worked with 15 partners on 17 causes during 48 campaigns boasting 1817 operatives, those figures are suspicious considering that Demand Protest was first created on December 2nd. That's some very fast work in less than two months, and the timeline is also thrown into question by a "testimonial" quote purportedly from a campaign chair for an "unnamed 2016 presidential campaign." That statement touts the "momentous changes as a result of our first two campaigns," which is odd considering that the 2016 presidential campaign was over and done by the time Demand Protest created its web domain.

The Washington Times cites job ads from Demand Protest running in 20 cities on backpage.com. "We pay people already politically motivated to fight for the things they believe," those read. "You were going to take action anyways, why not do so with us! We are currently seeking operatives to help send a strong message at upcoming inauguration protests." A reverse image search of the supposed logo for this, the "largest private grassroots support organization in the US," shows that the image of a fist is little more than generic clipart.

While to me, Demand Protest looks like an obvious sham organization created for the purpose of dismissing real, grassroots protesters for liberal causes as potentially paid operatives, far-right sites like truthfeed see it differently. They speculate that Demand Protest could be linked to Democratic donor and activist George Soros. It's "hard to tell if they are associated with Soros but considering all of the violent protest movements are Soros funded, #BlackLivesMatter and #Occupy, it is a safe bet that Soros is also funding this radical leftist group." Very hard to tell indeed. (Also, just to make sure no one's confused here, Soros has nothing to do with Black Lives Matter, though the alt-right has seized on the fact that a grantmaking group he once founded did give some money to groups engaging in Ferguson-related protests and activities.)

More likely Demand Protest could be linked to someone like fake news wunderkind James O'Keefe, the guy behind the 2009 "pimp" hoax involving Acorn and the 2015 hoax videos about Planned Parenthood harvesting fetus organs, and who the HuffPo reports was recently caught by activists on the left attempting to bribe them with large sums of money to incite a riot or "shut down a bridge" during Trump's inauguration.

Donald Trump himself has suggested, without basis, that protesters are paid to agitate against him in an appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes, perhaps because he read something to that effect on the aforementioned far-right websites. Here Politifact offers one salient example: A fake news story during the presidential campaign in which a protester supposedly claimed he was paid $3,500 to agitate at a Trump rally. That was entirely discredited when a Facebook fake-news writer came forward to confess that he'd written the story himself, inventing it from whole cloth. Paul Horner, a man who has convinced people he's the graffiti artist Banksy, told the Washington Post "[Trump's] followers dont fact-check anything  theyll post everything, believe anything." With reference to onetime Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, Horner added that, "His campaign manager posted my story about a protester getting paid $3,500 as fact. Like, I made that up. I posted a fake ad on Craigslist."

Related: SF Women's March Expects 60K Turnout As More Inauguration-Related Demonstrations Planned
Former state Sen. Michael Nozzolio will be recognized at Auburn Community Hospital's annual gala Saturday.

The gala will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Emerson Park Pavilion in Owasco. Tickets cost $125. The proceeds will be used to construct an imaging suite that will offer interventional radiology, enhanced pain management services and other new radiology services, according to a news release.

Elizabeth Koenig, the gala chair, praised Nozzolio for his support of the hospital. As a state legislator representing parts of Auburn and Cayuga County, he secured more than $6 million in state funding for the hospital, Koenig said.

For more information about tickets to the gala, contact Bridget Dautrich at (315) 255-7350 or bdautrich@auburnhospital.org.
SIOUX CITY  Travel in Siouxland returned to normal Tuesday as city, county and state crews wrapped up a marathon job of treating slick roads.

Street crews in Sioux City had been working since Thursday to prepare for the ice storm and worked around the clock since freezing rain and ice began to fall late Sunday, street superintendent Ed Pickens said.

"To have the streets in this good of shape by morning is quite a feat," Pickens said early Tuesday morning.

Monday's efforts to keep the streets safe were aided by the lack of traffic. Sioux City residents stayed home, allowing street crews to do their jobs without too much traffic to work around.

As another round of freezing rain fell Monday afternoon, Sioux City schools and many other districts throughout the tri-state region announced classes would start late on Tuesday. Some other districts cancelled classes for the day.

Once the rain stopped late Monday, roads began to ice over, but workers continued to apply salt and sand. Wind helped to dry streets in some areas.

Pickens said it helped that the storm didn't pack quite the punch that forecasts had called for.

"We've been lucky the storm wasn't quite as bad as they had said it would be," he said.

Warming temperatures also helped the thawing. Clouds moved out of the area Tuesday, and sunshine returned.

Alex Ferguson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, said the high Tuesday in Sioux City was 36. Temperatures are expected to reach the 40s throughout the rest of the week.

"As the week goes on, we're going to thaw out pretty quickly," Ferguson said.

Ferguson said the storm tracked a little bit more to the southeast, helping Siouxland avoid the higher ice accumulations originally predicted. Temperatures also remained a degree or two warmer, preventing much of Monday's rain from turning to ice.

"One degree can make a big difference," Ferguson said.

Across Siouxland, other roads continue to clear in the wake of the rain and ice on Monday and early Tuesday.

Iowa State Patrol spokesman John Farley said highways were generally clear by 6 a.m. Tuesday, and troopers had taken no accident reports.

Iowa Highway 141 between Mapleton and Ute was closed for a time Monday, but was reopened by the afternoon. It was 100 percent open Tuesday, Farley said.

He said the days of warnings leading up to the storm helped area residents and drivers take necessary precautions. Either they stayed home or, if they did get out on the highways, drove cautiously.

"The general public and their driving habits were superb yesterday," Farley said.

In Sioux City, bus and transit services resumed Tuesday morning after being shut down by the icy conditions Monday.

As they worked around the clock to keep the streets in good shape, city crews went through 250-300 tons of a salt/sand mix, a high total because of the ice, Pickens said.

There is plenty of material stockpiled for the rest of the winter, however, Pickens said.

"We're OK. We've had a fairly mild winter," he said.

Pickens said he wasn't sure yet how much overtime street employees accumulated because many employees have just turned in their time cards. It will be a high total because workers came in on the weekend, and Monday was scheduled to be a day off because of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.

Sioux City received .21 of an inch of rain Monday, he said. The weather service does not keep ice amounts but Ferguson said it appeared that Siouxland ice totals were at about .10 of an inch and a little higher in some areas, based on reports.

Ferguson said the next chance for precipitation comes Friday evening. Because of the warmer temperatures, it's likely that that precipitation will be rain, he said.
LE MARS, Iowa | A fire late Monday destroyed a building and equipment belonging to a Le Mars construction company.

Firefighters responded to a call at 6:22 p.m. at 17379 Marble Ave. just east of Le Mars that a building belonging to Timmins Construction was on fire. Le Mars fire chief David Schipper said the approximately 80-foot-by-40-foot building and an attached double garage were engulfed when firefighters arrived.

Tankers from Oyens and Remsen were called in to shuttle water to the site, Schipper said, and 35 firefighters spent five hours extinguishing the fire. Firefighters remained at the scene until about 7:30 Tuesday morning.

Schipper said the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, and damage was estimated at more than $500,000. Several vehicles, construction equipment, tools and supplies also were destroyed.

The owner, Larry Timmins, was not home when the fire started, Schipper said, and the fire had probably been burning for some time before a neighbor saw the flames and called 911.

Earlier Monday, Le Mars firefighters responded to a fire at 2:46 a.m. at a trailer home at 39 Oak St.

Schipper said improperly disposed cigarettes caused a fire in the bathroom. The bathroom was gutted, and the trailer had heavy smoke damage but is not a total loss, Schipper said.

The fire displaced the home's six residents, five of whom were home at the time of the fire. They are being aided by the Red Cross.
HINTON, Iowa | A threatening email claiming to be tied to the Islamic State group was sent to the Hinton school administration Monday.

"We received an email later on last night that indicated somebody was going to bring a gun and a bomb to school today," Superintendent Peter Stuerman said Tuesday. The email was signed by the "ISISGang," he said.

Stuerman said the school's emergency plan was implemented and law enforcement was contacted. They searched the building and didn't find the threat to be valid.

Due to icy roads, Hinton cancelled schools on Monday and Tuesday so no classes were being held at the time of the threat.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the email was believed to be from Germany, Stuerman said. The FBI said the source is known to have made similar empty threats to other schools in the United States.

Parents were notified by the school's automatic notification system Tuesday, and they will also be updated on the situation Wednesday, he said.

The investigation is ongoing.
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Last week, after a dossier of unsubstantiated claims about Donald Trump was published online, the president-elect went on the offensive, calling the allegations -- conveyed to him and President Obama in intelligence briefings -- "fake news" and "nonsense."



The memos, authored by a former British spy hired by Democratic operatives, included allegations that Russia had compromising information Trump, which have not been substantiated. But the intelligence community said they felt obligated to brief policymakers on the matter.



Trump, who has repeatedly assailed the media as "dishonest," appeared to apply the fake news moniker not only to the dossier, but other reports on the matter which did not refer to the specific allegations.



"I read the information outside of that meeting. It's all fake news. It's phony stuff. It didn't happen," he said.



But Trump is no stranger to pushing untruths untruths or unsubstantiated claims. Here are some examples:



Obama Birtherism Theory

For years, Trump perpetuated the myth that President Obama was not born in the United States, often using tweets to push the claim, starting in 2011.

Made in America? @BarackObama called his 'birthplace' Hawaii "here in Asia." http://t.co/dQka2PIr  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 18, 2011

Despite the president releasing his long-form birth certificate in 2001, Trump only conceded at a September 2016 news conference used to promote his new D.C. hotel that Obama was born in the United States.



President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period, Trump said. Now we all want to get back to making America strong and great again.



Born in Hawaii in 1961, Obama released his short-form birth certificate from the Hawaii Department of Health in 2008. He released his long-form birth certificate in 2011, saying he "believed the distraction over his birth certificate wasnt good for the country."

But that didn't stop Trump from continuing to cast doubt, based on U.S. law that only a "natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."

Let's take a closer look at that birth certificate. @BarackObama was described in 2003 as being "born in Kenya." http://t.co/vfqJesJL  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2012

Always remember, I was the one who got Obama to release his birth certificate, or whatever that was! Hilary couldn't, McCain couldn't.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2014

Attention all hackers: You are hacking everything else so please hack Obama's college records (destroyed?) and check "place of birth"  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2014

Claims of Serious Voter Fraud in 2016 Election

Even after he won the election, Trump continued to insist that voter fraud occurred -- that he would have won the popular vote if not for "millions of people who voted illegally," but provided no evidence to support the claim.

In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016

Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 3 million ballots.



In December, Vice President-elect Mike Pence, defended Trump, citing a Pew study as the source for the "millions" who allegedly voted illegally.



But the Pew study's primary author, David Becker, tweeted in response to references to his research: "As primary author of the report the Trump camp cited today, I can confirm the report made no findings re: voter fraud. We found millions of out of date registration records due to people moving or dying, but found no evidence that voter fraud resulted. Voter lists are much more accurate now than when we issued that study in 2012, thanks to the 20 states sharing data through @ericstates_info."

In another tweet, Trump named Virginia, New Hampshire and California as three states with "serious voter fraud." There is no evidence to back up the claim, and it's unclear why those states were singled out.

Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California - so why isn't the media reporting on this? Serious bias - big problem!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2016

ABC News reached out to election officials in all 50 states shortly before Election Day and not one had any evidence or reason to believe that widespread voter fraud has or would occur in their states.



Obama Founded ISIS



At an August rally in Florida, Trump told supporters that President Obama is the "founder of ISIS."



"ISIS is honoring President Obama," he said. "He is the founder of ISIS. He founded ISIS. And I would say the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton."



He pulled back on those comments two days later, saying they were "sarcasm."



The terrorist group can trace its history back to 2000 in Iraq. The group become known as ISIL in June 2014 with its founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declaring it had established an Islamic "caliphate" in Iraq and Syria.



9/11 Celebrations



During the campaign, then-Republican contender Trump claimed residents of Jersey City, N.J., celebrated the World Trade Center attacks, telling ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that "there were people that were cheering on the other side of New Jersey where you have large Arab population."



"They were cheering as the World Trade Center came down," he added. "I know it might be not politically correct for you to talk about it, but there were people cheering as that building came down -- as those buildings came down, and that tells you something. It was well covered at the time."



At a campaign event the next day, he doubled down on that assertion.



"Lo and behold I start getting phone calls in my office by the hundreds, that they were there and they saw this take place on the internet," Trump said in Ohio.



At the time, several of Trump's fellow GOP candidates, including Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, condemned Trump's remarks. Trump continued to stand by the assertion for weeks, even though no media outlet uncovered any reports from the time, nor did Trumps campaign provide any evidence to confirm that thousands and thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrated the Sept. 11 attacks.



ABC News checked all footage from the time of the attacks and the weeks after, finding no such claims or basis for the claims.



Ted Cruz's Dad Allegedly Involved in the JFK Assassination



In May, Trump latched on to an unsubstantiated claim in a National Enquirer report that Sen. Ted Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, was caught on camera with Lee Harvey Oswald, President Kennedy's killer, just three months before the assassin.



On "Fox and Friends," Trump seized on the claim, saying, "I mean, what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death, before the shooting? ... It's horrible."



In an interview with ABC News Tom Llamas, Rafael Cruz lashed out at his sons then-GOP rival.



"That's typical of Donald Trump -- just attack and make all kinds of innuendo and attacks with no substance, the elder Cruz said.



But Trump stood by his unsubstantiated claim, citing only the National Enquirer article as his evidence.



"All I did was refer to it. Im just referring to an article that appeared. It has nothing to do with me," he said on Good Morning America. "The National Enquirer gave you John Edwards. It gave you O.J. Simpson. It gave you many, many things. I mean, you cant knock the National Enquirer. Its brought many things to light."



U.S. Intelligence Community Leaked Dossier

Trump has suggested the intelligence community was involved in leaking the unverified dossier that include salacious allegations about Trump and his connections to Russia.

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

He also tweeted Friday, "Probably...released by "Intelligence" even knowing there is no proof, and never will be."



Trump pointed the finger at outgoing-CIA Director John Brennan in response to an interview Brennan gave to Fox News.



"Oh really, couldn't do much worse - just look at Syria (red line), Crimea, Ukraine and the build-up of Russian nukes. Not good! Was this the leaker of Fake News?" Trump tweeted in response to Brennan's assessment that Trump did not have a "full appreciation" of the threat of Russia.



In his interview on "Fox News Sunday," Brennan said that "there is no basis for Mr. Trump to point fingers at the intelligence community for leaking information that was already available publicly."



Director of National Intelligence James Clapper also said in a statement released last week that he believes the leaks did not come from the intelligence community.



"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 statement read.



Clapper said the document was created by a private security company and "widely circulated in recent months among the media, members of Congress and Congressional staff even before the IC became aware of it."

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says highlights of his proposed state budget will include free state tuition for middle-class students, money for water quality and an expanded child care tax credit.

The Democrat was expected to release his sweeping spending plan Tuesday.

Lawmakers will spend the next several weeks pouring over the $150 billion-plus budget before making their own recommendations. Cuomo and the Legislature hope to approve the budget before April 1, the start of a new state fiscal year.

While lawmakers and lobbyists eagerly awaited the fine print, Cuomo highlighted the highest profile proposals. They included his plan to make tuition at state colleges and universities free for students from families making $125,000 or less; $2 billion for pipes and water quality and an expanded child care tax credit.

"We want to make sure we have the ability to pay for these things," said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx.

Cuomo's administration briefed lawmakers privately on the budget Tuesday before planning to release it publicly later in the day.

Good-government groups and advocates criticized the closed-door approach to the budget, which lays out how tax dollars are spent on education, roads, health care and other state functions.

"The governor is hiding how he wants to spend tax dollars  that's totally unacceptable," said Zephyr Teachout, a Fordham University law professor who ran against Cuomo in the 2014 Democratic primary for governor. Teachout was at the Capitol on Tuesday to urge lawmakers and Cuomo to pass tighter campaign finance and government ethics rules.
SIOUX CITY | One never knows when the moment that inspires us to pursue our chosen career might happen.

For new U.S. Magistrate Judge Kelly Mahoney, that first moment was inside a high school classroom in her home town in Anthony, Kansas.

She remembers a discussion in which her English teacher discussed how lawyers think and talk.

"She said, 'Kelly, you have that kind of mind,'" Mahoney said.

Growing up in a family of funeral directors, there were no lawyers in Mahoney's family tree. But something about what her teacher had said planted a seed in Mahoney's mind, and her parents had always encouraged her to chase her interests, even if it wasn't in the funeral business.

"I was raised in a family that said you can do whatever you want if you work hard," she said.

That hard work paid off with her appointment in August to fill Sioux City's federal magistrate judge position in the Northern District of Iowa. She succeeds Chief Magistrate Judge CJ Williams, who transferred to Cedar Rapids to replace former Chief Magistrate Judge Jon Scoles, who retired in December.

Mahoney began her Sioux City duties on Jan. 3.

She settled on a law career while a history major at Kansas State University.

"I really loved college and I loved learning," she said. "With law, there's so many different things you can do with it."

She graduated from Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas, in 2002. An internship in the district attorney's office in Wichita, Kansas, had piqued her interest in being a prosecutor.

"As a prosecutor, being able to help victims, uphold the law, that particularly was appealing," she said.

After two years in the district attorney's office, Mahoney worked in private practice in Boone, Iowa, where she practiced both civil and criminal law. She later joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa in Des Moines, where she spent 12 years before her appointment to the bench.

Unlike her inspiration for a law career, she doesn't remember when she began thinking about the possibility of becoming a judge.

"In the back of your mind in law school you think about all your options and gee, I might be able to be a judge," she said. "Getting to serve as a judge is a way to be a bigger part of the justice system. It's just a great opportunity to get to be a part of that process."

It's that chance to play a bigger role that has Mahoney excited. Magistrate judges handle many pretrial motions in civil cases and conduct initial appearances, arraignments and other pretrial hearings of defendants facing criminal charges.

In criminal cases, the magistrate judge is often the first contact a defendant has in the federal system, and Mahoney said it's important to her to make sure it's a favorable first impression.

"I hope to make it less confusing, less scary," she said. "I try to talk to them in words they understand, as a person."

That shouldn't be hard, given her years of experience in criminal law. Mahoney also looks forward to expanding her knowledge of civil law.

"I loved working in criminal law, but I always enjoyed learning new things. I'm excited to get to do that again," Mahoney said. "I think it's important to push your boundaries and keep learning new things."

Speaking of new, Mahoney becomes the first female federal judge to be seated in Sioux City and just the second to serve in Iowa's Northern District. It's an achievement that Mahoney takes pride in.

"There is no perfect judge. I think it's important to have different types of judges, whether you're male or female, everybody brings a different background," she said.

Mahoney never had the occasion to appear in court in Sioux City prior to her appointment, so she's begun learning about her new home. Her biography includes a long list of volunteer activities, and she looks forward to adding some more to that list.

"I'm very excited about joining the community and being a part of it," she said.
SIOUX CITY | The trial for a man accused of killing his estranged wife has been continued in order to give the defense more time to prepare its case.

Rogelio Morales had been scheduled to stand trial Jan. 24 in Woodbury County District Court for first-degree murder. On Friday, District Judge Jeffrey Poulson ordered the continuation. A new trial date has yet to be set.

Morales' attorney, Mike Williams, had requested the continuation to receive more time to complete depositions of witnesses. Williams also said in his motion for continuance the trial needed to be delayed because an expert defense witness had a medical issue.

The case was delayed last fall after Morales' previous attorney withdrew from the case, resulting in Williams' appointment to represent Morales.

Morales, 29, of Hubbard, Nebraska, is charged with the April 19, 2015, death of Margarita Morales, 21, of South Sioux City.

According to court documents, Morales told investigators he was talking to his wife in his car in the 2200 block of Floyd Boulevard when he became upset after she told him she no longer wanted to be in a relationship with him and had been seeing another man. Morales told police that he blacked out and that the next thing he remembered was that his wife was not breathing, court documents said.
A Moravia man was arrested after choking a medical technician on the way to the hospital for injuries he suffered at a bar early Sunday morning, the New York State Police reported Tuesday.

Troopers charged 48-year-old Christopher J. Davis with second-degree assault, a felony, and criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, a misdemeanor.

The investigation has been handled by state troopers stationed in Homer. Authorities said troopers were called to Cortland Regional Medical Center on a report that an emergency medical technician from Moravia was attacked.

Investigators said that the EMT was on an ambulance called at around 1 a.m. Sunday to the Betty Blue in Moravia to respond to a customer, Davis, who suffered a head injury while at the bar. Troopers could not say how he was injured.

Troopers said Davis became combative in the town of Homer en route to Cortland Regional Medical Center, choking the EMT.

The EMT was treated for throat injuries at the Cortland medical center and was released. Davis, meanwhile, was arrested upon his own release from the hospital several hours later, according to state police.

Davis, arraigned in Town of Homer Court, was remanded to Cortland County Jail in lieu of $2,500 cash bail, $5,000 bond.
The Nats may still be in power  but yesterday in Glen Innes it was the people who owned the streets. Hundreds of protestors waving banners with Stop the Evictions and chanting Stop the War on the Poor!! marched through the suburb to protest the eviction notice served on Niki Rauti, who is being forced to leave her state home of over 30 years. Two marches, one coming from Tamaki Road and the other leaving from outside the library on Line Road, converged outside Nikis Taniwha Street home to lend their support and express their anger at the dismantling of state housing under National. Unions, local residents and housing groups were among those united in opposition to the relocation plan.Shouts of shame!!! went upas Niki apologised for not being on the protest for fear they would change the locks on her house in her absence.Speakers emphasised this was just the beginning; some protestors remained to occupy the property, and a telephone contact list was established to summon support at short notice should any attempt be made to physically remove Niki from her home.In October the Tamaki Regeneration Company (TRC) handed Niki a 90-day eviction notice to leave her two-bedroom home. The TRC, a housing development company jointly owned by the Government and Auckland Council, has targeted 2800 state houses to be replaced with new homes over the next 15 years. The government says the move will help ease the housing crisis, but the Tamaki Housing Group argues that the land is being given to developers who are land banking on empty homes while homelessness increases. It says many of the new homes are being sold for over $800,000 and that house prices in the area have increased from $400,000 to $960,000 since the redevelopment began.The whole scheme smacks of the social cleansing that is happening throughout Auckland, as rising house prices and spiralling rents edge working class families out of their communities to make way for the wealthy. Its also symptomatic of an ever increasing social divide, in everything from wages to education. Just two days ago, Oxfam released research showing the richest 1 per cent of Kiwis have 20 per cent of the wealth in New Zealand, with 90 per cent of the population owning less than half of the country's wealth. Meanwhile ordinary Kiwis  from the elderly and vulnerable like Niki to nurses, teachers and retail workers  are struggling to survive on benefits and low wages that are eaten up by rocketing rents.The march may have been focused on No 14 Taniwha Street, but its importance goes far beyond the situation in Tamaki. Its about working people, ordinary Kiwi families drawing a line in the sand and saying enough. The housing crisis wont be solved by shifting people like Niki from prime real estate and sowing insecurity and instability among established communities. What is needed is a massive state house building programme combined with a minimum wage that is a living wage. Unions Auckland Housing Committee Chair Joe Carolan commented after the march: "We need rent controls and decent, healthy affordable accommodation for workers. The main way we can control rents is to flood the market with 100,000 new state houses. We also need an empty house tax of $3,000 a week, to force the owners of Auckland's 33,000 ghost houses to immediately help shelter our people living in cars, garages or the streets."A sign outside Nikis home reading This is a community not a Monopoly board really summed up what 2017 is shaping up to be about:. People before profit.Bring it on.
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
Rose Ann Sivak, 60, of Lexington Park, MD passed away January 14, 2017 at her home surrounded by her loving family. She was born on September 27, 1956 in Leonardtown, MD to Mary Lucille Trossbach Sivak of Lexington Park, MD and the late John Sivak.



Rose was a lifelong resident of St. Mary's County. She was employed as a dedicated Librarian for over 43 years at Lexington Park Library. She was an avid reader and enjoyed being with her friends at the library. She always volunteered to work the library booth at the County Fair. She also enjoyed farming, pouring through seed catalogues each spring looking for a new vegetable to grow to offer on the farm stand and at the farmer's market. She was a member of the Knights of Columbus Auxiliary, Ridge and enjoyed working the fried chicken dinners. However, her family was her greatest love and she loved to spend her time with them. She will be forever missed.



In addition to her beloved mother, Rose is also survived by her siblings: Mary L. Garrison (Joe) of Lexington Park, MD, Agnes Winans (Charlie) of Wichita, KS, Alan Sivak Lexington Park, MD, and Bruce Sivak (Jenny) of Lexington, Park, MD; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family. In addition to her father, she is also preceded in death by her brother, Charles D. Sivak.



Family will receive friends on Sunday, January 22, 2017 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., with prayers recited at 4:00 p.m., at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church, 47950 Mattapany Road, St. Mary's City, MD 20686. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Reverend Scott Woods on Monday, January 23, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow in St. James Catholic Cemetery, Lexington Park, MD.



Serving as pallbearers will be Sarah Garrison, Hillary Garrison, Erica Garrison, Amanda Sivak, Gabby Sivak, Gail Sivak, Katie Sivak and Kimberly Winans. Memorial contributions to be St. Michael's Catholic School, P.O. Box 259, Ridge, MD 20680 and Hospice of St. Mary's , P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.
Count Fort Lauderdale among a growing list of Florida cities taking a wait and see approach on medical marijuana.

Fort Lauderdale Vice Mayor Dean Trantalis said the city has imposed a 180-day moratorium on the cultivation, processing, dispensing and sale of the drug within city limits. The moratorium, Trantalis said, is intended to give city planners time to draft zoning regulations.

The city staff will look at such issues as where dispensaries should be allowed to operate, whether there should be a limit on how many can exist and whether there should be restrictions on how close they can be to each other, Trantalis writes in his January newsletter. The city will also undertake an analysis to determine the potential impact on crime, city services, the value of surrounding property, traffic congestion and other aspects of health, safety and welfare.

In last Novembers general election, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the state constitution allowing for the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The amendment was approved by 76 percent of registered voters in Broward County.

Doctors will now be permitted to prescribe marijuana to patients suffering from debilitating conditions. In his newsletter, Trantalis lists conditions such as cancer, ALS and post-traumatic stress disorder as qualifying ailments for a marijuana prescription.

Floridas Office of Compassionate Use has until Oct. 3 to implement the amendment. Christian Bax, Office of Compassionate Use Director, told the Associated Press patients must have an established 90-day relationship with their doctor before a marijuana prescription is written.

We hope to have our rules in place before any requirements are imposed by the Legislature or state health department, Trantalis writes. Many of us remember too well how the state limited local governments ability to deal with the massive expansion of short-term vacation rentals and the massive problems with noise, parking and trash faced by neighboring residents.
Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.




Luanda (Angola) January 13, 2017 (SPS) - Angolan Minister of War Veterans, Mr. Candido Pereira dos Santos, has reiterated his country's firm support to the just struggle of the Saharawi people.

The Angolan official reaffirmed, on the sidelines of a meeting Friday with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Angola, Bah Sheikh, the unwavering position of his country in support of the Saharawi people's struggle for self-determination and independence.

The meeting dealt with developments related to the Sahrawi issue, particularly the African Summit and the serious challenges targeting the African Union.

The two officials also touched on the historical ties between the two movements and ways of developing them. (SPS)

062/090/TRA
An Australian jockey has pleaded guilty to reckless riding after appearing to veer into horses during a race that was eventually won by a horse ridden by his girlfriend.

Thoroughbred Racing South Australia (TRSA) can confirm that an investigation is underway into an incident that occurred at Morphettville Parks on Saturday (January 14) in Race 8 (MAC: Stop Drug Driving Handicap, 1,250 metres). The race was won by Murti, ridden by Anna Jordsjo -- reportedly Cartwright's long-time girlfriend.

Following the race, TRSA Stewards charged jockey Josh Cartwright under AR137(a) for reckless riding for directing his horse Senior Council at an acute angle with the intention of making contact with runners to his outside. Offences/breaches of this rule are considered serious.

Cartwright pleaded guilty to the charge and was stood down from all riding activity with immediate effect. Stewards adjourned the matter on penalty for further consideration.

This matter is being further investigated by Stewards. It is anticipated a decision regarding the penalty may be made this week.

The full Stewards Report can be accessed here.

(with files from TRSA)
Equine Guelph has announced the official launch of thehorseportal.ca  a new easily-accessible online learning format for the equine industry.

From the Rockies to the eastern islands, the portal will bring together horsepeople like never before to stay current on best health and welfare practices. The new program, which has resulted from an innovative industry partnership, provides horsepeople with short, practical online training to stay up to date with the latest information on equine care.

For any person responsible for a horse, it is essential to learn the national standards. Each day, new scientific knowledge emerges on how to better care for horses and deal with emerging issues. It is everyone's responsibility to stay current on best health and welfare practices and industry standards.

The inaugural short courses are 'Equine Welfare - Canada's Code' and 'Equine Biosecurity - Canada's standard.' They will be offered March 6 - 24 and April 10 - 28, respectively.

"Through The Horse Portal, grooms and trainers can access common sense, practical training that can be used on a daily basis," says Gayle Ecker, director of Equine Guelph. "Equine Guelph looks forward to partnering with the equine industry across the nation to bring Canadians together from racing and non-racing to learn about equine welfare and care as a community. Thank you to Standardbred Canada for supporting us on this important industry initiative."

From racing to performance to the backyard pony, this portal was developed to cater to and benefit all segments of the equine industry. Equine Guelph has partnered with 10 English-speaking provincial equestrian federations across Canada to offer their members equine training and education through The Horse Portal.

This project is funded in part through Growing Forward 2 (GF2), a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. The Agricultural Adaptation Council assists in the delivery of GF2 in Ontario. Other partners include: Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, Equestrian Canada, Farm & Food Care Ontario, Greenhawk, Omega Alpha Equine, Ontario Equestrian Federation, Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Standardbred Canada. Participating Federations include: Alberta Equestrian Federation, Equine Association of Yukon, Horse Council British Columbia, Island Horse Council, Manitoba Horse Council, New Brunswick Equestrian Association, Newfoundland and Labrador Equestrian Association, Nova Scotia Equestrian Federation, Ontario Equestrian Federation and Saskatchewan Horse Federation. The national training partner is Equestrian Canada.

For more information on The Horse Portal, go to thehorseportal.ca.

(Equine Guelph)
James Ty Case III, a longtime Delaware horseman who overcame numerous personal difficulties, passed away at age 60 on January 13 after a courageous lifetime battle to live, with his wife Holly, at his side.

A native of Dover, Del., his lifetime passion was harness racing. He raced ponies as a boy and after graduating from high school in 1973, he began training and driving Standardbreds in his father Jim Cases High Hope Stable. At the time he worked alongside his friend, George Teague, in the stable, whom he credits with teaching him ways to develop young horses. One of Tys favourite horses was High Hope Leslie, who held the Dover Downs track record for older pacing mares which stood for seven years.

In his teens, Ty developed diabetes which in his late 30s began to take its toll. He had kidney failure and went on dialysis. In 1993, he had a kidney/pancreas transplant and within three months went back to training and driving horses. In 1995, while in the hospital for a partial foot amputation, he suddenly went completely blind and never regained any sight. He next had a quadruple heart bypass in 1997 and in 2012, he had six strokes and underwent a successful intracranial indict bypass on his brain.

After meeting Holly Holden at the Delaware State Fair, they began dating, but her family moved away to Virginia. The distance became too much, and they went on to marry others. But 32 years later, the reconnected and married in 2005. They build their home, Second Chance, and joined friends in numerous horse partnerships and were lucky to have a number of outstanding racehorses. Their most recent is the Indiana-bred champion trotter Bluebird Reverend, and Artrageous. Even though Ty could not see, he often attended races at Dover Downs ad Harrington Raceway with his wife and guide dog at his side. He visualized how races were playing out as he listened to announcers and race fractions.

After blindness, Ty became a switchboard operator at Dover Air Force Base, working for the Delaware Division of Visually Impaired. He was voted the Delaware Outstanding Employee of the Year by his co-workers. From a pool of 6,000 nationwide candidates competing for the Peter J. Salmon Award for the National Employee of the Year, he was the ultimate winner of this prestigious honour presented to him in New Orleans at the National conference.

Two months before his death, Ty still rode a van daily from Dover upstate to Newcastle, Del. where he continued to work for the Del. Division of Visually Impaired.

An inspiration to all that knew him, no matter for the disabilities and obstacles, he would not give up. Overcoming his terrible handicaps, Ty learned to use the computer for talking software, research things on the internet, prepare Excel spreadsheets and help his wife with her business. He would laugh and tell people he was the autopsy that lived.

Ty Case is survived by his loving wife, Holly; daughter, Leslie DiPietro (Tony); son, James T.Case IV, JT (Kris); stepsons, Rick Carrol land Michael Carroll (Brittney); and five grandchildren. He is also survived by his mother, Janet Brown, his brother, Todd Case (Lisa), and his beloved guide dog, Max.

Tys last request would be for people to consider being organ donors. Two of his friends, Pamela Benton of Seaford, Del. and Lisa Berry of Wyoming, Del., had volunteered and were tested to be living organ donors for his failing kidney, but his body gave out before a transplant could take place.

To celebrate this extraordinary mans life, a Gathering of Friends and Family will be held at Pippin Funeral Home, 119 W. Camden-Wyoming Ave, Wyoming, Del. on Thursday, Jan 19, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Ty Case.

(Dover Downs)
HIT: To the multiple events in Auburn that marked the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend.

Community celebrates diversity and creativity at Auburn Public Theater AUBURN  There was a full house Monday night at Auburn Public Theater as dozens of people ca

MLK Day was established to honor the great civil rights leader and his message of peacefully standing up for equal rights, but for too many people, it's just a day off from school and work. Events like the citywide Martin Luther King celebration held Sunday night at Westminster Presbyterian Church, the MLK cultural music jam Monday at Auburn Public Theater and the "In the Footsteps of Martin" panel discussion at Osteria Salina restaurant help ensure the meaning of this holiday is promoted in the Cayuga County area.

Out of events like these comes needed conversation and understanding about matters of race and unity. Thanks to everyone who helped organize and took part in these programs.

MISS: To a stabbing case in the city of Auburn.

Auburn police charged a city resident Sunday with second-degree assault following a fight in the area of Barber Street. Police said the victim was hospitalized and required surgery for the wound to his abdomen, although his injuries did not appear to be life threatening.

HIT: To the 4-H Produced in New York Food Contest, which had another successful run Saturday at the Fingerlakes Mall in Aurelius.

This yearly event challenges children in Cayuga and Seneca counties to prepare and present foods using products that were produced in this state. This year about 40 students took part in the competition.

This event is a terrific opportunity for local youth to develop some culinary and presentations skills, conduct research and have fun while doing it. It's also a great way to showcase the wide variety of "Made in New York" products that is out there.
It's Election season and our editor's mailbox is overflowing. Who do your neighbors support? Read about it here.
Everyone who cherishes having clean healthy water in their lives needs to pay attention to the need for action regarding the status of Owasco Lake. Between now and mid-February 2017, Governor Cuomo needs to hear from those who feels cyanotoxins in our water supply is a grave problem. I believe that would be everyone who drinks or uses water and has a measurable pulse. The cynotoxins are produced by blue green algae. Blue green algae blooms are more prevalent lately for Owasco Lake and they are detrimental to the health of those who come in contact with the toxins they produce.

The governor needs to hear that immediate funding is needed to study the entire problem and address the problem on a broad scale. One level on that scale is for the state to provide funding for improvements to the water treatment plants of both Auburn and Owasco. There are methods for reducing or eliminating the toxins that reach the water treatment facilities. Those methods are needed now to prevent the toxins from coming out in our tap water and elsewhere. The methods need funding by the state.

Another consideration that's absolutely needed to address the water quality issue is for the state or the state's Department of Environmental Conservation to create and implement a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Owasco Lake. Owasco Lake is listed as an impaired body of water. That in itself should cause the state to create and implement a TDML.

If you feel you are in agreement with this letter cut it out of the paper, sign your name to it in support of its message, then mail it to the governor's office. He needs to hear from all of us who want to Save Owasco Lake Now

His address is: The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York State, NYS State Capitol Building, Albany 12224.

Also feel free to call his office on this subject and tell him you want Owasco Lake to be valued for what it always has been  a crown jewel of the Finger Lakes, not an impaired toxic tainted body of water. His phone number is (518) 474-8390. Give his office a call. Tell him water from Owasco Lake with toxins in it is unacceptable for any reason. This issue needs addressing NOW.

You can also go on the web and address the governor there at www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form.

David Schlegel

Auburn
While Cathie Groesbeck was raising her two sons in North Carolina, she dreamed of a life as a chef. Shed been baking since she was a little girl, and cooking was always a source of joy.

But Groesbeck married young and promptly moved with her husband to North Carolina for his work. Then, she raised her two sons.

In 2004, at age 40, her dream came true when she began studying culinary arts at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina.

And two and a half years ago, after several jobs in the food and hospitality industry, Groesbeck started her own business, The Gifted Kitchen, through which she does personal catering, grocery shopping, meal planning and cooking classes.

In August, Groesbeck, who was raised in Castle Rock, and her husband, Bruce, moved back to Longview. She brought her business with her. Groesbeck, 53, said shes searched the area for services like hers but hasnt found any, so she considers herself something of a local pioneer.

I thought I wanted to branch out, she said of starting her own business. Im such a creative person. I just had this dream come into my mind. I wanted to share my passion with people.

Its a delicious life.

In North Carolina, her clients favored her mini barbeque meatloaves with garlic mashed potatoes. For her birthday party on Sunday, she cooked an Italian spread with pasta and bruschetta, and her husband, a corporate travel planner who works from home, baked her and her twin sister a German chocolate cake. She bakes anything you can dream up  cakes, cookies, muffins, rolls.

Within her business, Groesbeck does most everything involving cooking. She hosts cooking classes for adults and children (including one-on-one sessions), meal plans and grocery shops for clients, and caters private events.

As a personal chef, she generally charges $25 per hour plus groceries. For an additional fee, she can open up her home to clients who want to entertain guests.

She said shell soon host cooking classes with a local chiropractic business and its clients, and may start lunchtime cooking demonstrations with companies. Shes also working on securing her cottage food permit through the state Department of Agriculture so that shell be able to sell the baked goods she makes in her home.

While she loves German chocolate cake and anything with salsa and cheese on it, shes also passionate about cooking healthy.

I love teaching, and if I can do it to benefit the community, then thats beautiful, Groesbeck said of teaching people to cook healthy.

By hosting private lessons, she said she can zero in on what a client is most interested in learning, whether that be a recipe, a type of cuisine or a cooking skill.

Its a wonderful thing about this business: its open to your creativity, she said.
In the lobby of Toledo High School, a flat screen TV is mounted beneath a welcome sign.

Welcome to Toledo High. One of Washingtons great high schools, the sign reads.

On the TV, images of cracks, leaks, stains and other problems at the school rotate through on a slideshow.

In an attempt to have the building live up to the motto in its entry, the district will ask Toledos voters to approve a $14.2 million bond on Feb. 14 in order to address major structural issues at the high school, along with some band-aid fixes at the elementary and middle school levels.

Toledos high school was constructed in 1975, and since then the building has not received any significant structural upgrades, according to Superintendent Chris Rust.

Seismically, it is below current code, Rust said. In terms of electrical and plumbing infrastructure, its from 1975.

In 1975, what was popular wasnt always practical, Rust said.

When you look at it, it looks like a brick building, Rust said. It has 5/8ths of an inch of near brick all over it. So it looks beautiful.

But the seals on that brick overlay are failing, allowing water to seep into the building and causing the cinder blocks underneath to spall (flake) and leak water into the interior.

Much of the building was prefabricated and trucked in from a facility near Puyallup, according to Rust. Wall panels were craned into place and sealed together. Now, the seals on those panels are beginning to fail as well.

We did a pre-disaster mitigation study, Rust said. What they told us is that in the event of a significant seismic event, Youre going to have problems. 

The interior walls of the high school are demountable partitions, which, like those at a hotel conference center, allow for reconfiguration and resizing of rooms.

But they dont do much for soundproofing.

Ive asked kids, If theres one thing the community can do to improve your learning experience at Toledo High School what would it be? Rust said.

The answer has been a plea for permanent walls, so that students cant be distracted by the noise of neighboring classes.

Its not that theyre being too loud, this is ordinary, Rust said.

While the needs might seem obvious to some, Rust worries about recent history. Toledo voters shot down a $23.5 million bond in the fall of 2014 that aimed to solve some of the same problems.

The 30-year bond, which would have been the largest in the districts history, failed with only 38 percent of voters supporting it.

The bond on the 2017 February ballot is about $7 million less. But Rust anticipates an additional $8.5 million in state matching funds, bringing the total pot to a little over $22 million.

This new bond would still be the largest ever for the district. And it would mean a levy rate of about $2.38 per $1,000 of assessed value, costing the owner of a $150,000 home $357 annually.

The majority of the funds  about $20 million  would be spent on the high school. The rest would be split between smaller upgrades at the middle school and elementary school, which were last upgraded about 20 years ago.

While Rust was not superintendent when the previous bond failed (he assumed his role in the fall of 2015), he has taken responsibility for getting the work done and addressing the problems of the previous bond request.

It went down in flames, Rust said. When we took a look at it again, we asked the community what happened. What are we missing?

In an online forum conducted in the wake of the 2014 failure, the district asked community members what went wrong. Top-rated comments all say the same thing: a lack of information.

It was not clear to the community what was included in the bond and why those things cost so much, one anonymous comment read.

No one had a voice on the design, decisions or reasoning, said another.

Rust still has some work to do: He recently discovered that the school district in 2015 promised voters that a new $1.1 million maintenance and operations levy would pay for the roof at Toledo Middle School.

I didnt know that was a promise that we made, Rust said. So I have to try to figure out how to do that without bond dollars. My motto on stuff like this is: we make promises, we keep promises.

Those interested in learning more are invited to attend a district Bond Information Night beginning at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23 in the Toledo High School library, located at 116 Ramsey Way, Toledo.
tech2 News Staff

Apple is all set to launch its tenth year anniversary edition of the iPhone come September. Now even though there are still over two quarters to go before the big Apple event, speculations about the iPhone 8 have already started. So far, we know that the Apple iPhone 8 could have an all glass design, it may not have any buttons, it may have a curved display, there could be three models, and more.

One of the major speculations is around the display. It seems like Apple will most likely eschew the LCD display for an OLED one. Considering Samsung has been releasing OLED display sporting phones for a few generations now, it seems like Apple will finally make the jump to this display technology. We reached out to analysts at Counterpoint Research for some insight into this.

"While OLED has long been in the market, Apple did not adopt it due to its limited availability as the company would require large volumes for its iPhones. Introducing OLED would also reduce the overall profitability due to higher cost of display. It is expected that only one of the three new iPhones will be sporting a curved OLED due to its limited availability," said Shobhit Srivastava, research associate, mobile devices and ecosystems at Counterpoint Research.

(Also Read: What the Apple iPhone 8 needs in 2017 to stay at the top of the smartphone game)

The Apple iPhone 7/7 Plus were not very different in terms of looks from their predecessors. If you take aside the dual camera module on the 7 Plus, there was just internal iterative updates on the succeeding generation of the iPhone. Srivastava tells us that Apple has preferred to go with mainstream technologies for its smartphones.

"Having a strong customer base the company is less pressured from the consumers to deliver on latest technologies. Healthy competition and continuous innovation from its rivals do push the company to go further and this being the 10th year anniversary for Apples iPhone, it is going to be special, and hence the expected three iPhone launch and extended specification list," said Srivastava.

Considering Google has already released the Daydream VR platform and the Tim Cook's interest in augmented reality, it would point to the fact that Apple should release an AR capable iPhone 8. But Counterpoint Research seems to think otherwise.

"The upcoming version of iPhone is not expected to have AR capabilities as it [AR] is still not mainstream and the lack of applications contribute further to that. Apple will concentrate on improving its virtual assistant Siri and we expect the company to open Siri for third party consumer devices in 2017 to compete with rivals Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa," said Srivastava.

The iPhone's passed the ten-year mark, which is quite long for any electronic device in terms of shelf life. The design of the iPhone has not changed in the past three iterations and while many do not have issues with it, it is getting a bit stale coming from a trendsetter. So would the iPhone 8 have a radical design language?

"Although the iPhone has completed ten years, the device has gone through significant changes over the years. iPhone has already been a hero product for the company as it accounts for the largest share in its revenue and will continue to do so for the company," assured Srivastava.
tech2 News Staff

The brainchild of Elon Musk, the Hyperloop concept was announced by the Tesla CEO, back in 2013. Heralded as the broadband of transportation, it is proposed to be one of the fastest way to travel. Passengers would be strapped inside a car-sized capsule which would hurtle through a large vaccum tube to up to 1,200kmph reaching destinations faster than an airplane.

The company had announced an open competition in May 2016 called the Hyperloop One Global Challenge which attracted 2,600 teams pitching ideas and their region to construct a hyperloop.

According to the latest development, Hyperloop One has finalised the Global Challenge finalists. The final 35 selected teams will present at three showcases across the globe - 28 February in New Delhi, 6 April in Washington, DC and 27 April in London. Judges will then narrow the 35 to half a dozen or so. The showcase events will also have government leaders so they can understand the possibilities of the hyperloop and what it could do for their region. Hyperloop One will finalise regions by taking feedback from government along with quality of the entry.

According to a list posted by Hyperloop One, the proposed routes for India include Bengaluru-Trivandrum, Chennai-Bengaluru, Mumbai-Chennai, Mumbai-Delhi and something called Port Connector.

Of course for this to actually happen, it requires efforts from the government, investors, business leaders and others to get on board.

Back in November a teaser video was uploaded on YouTube which showcased the travel times between Dubai and several other cities. The travel time to Abu Dhabi in the UAE is 12 minutes. It is a 27 minute trip to Muscat in Oman, 23 minutes to Doha in Qatar and 48 minutes to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. This clearly meant that routes from Dubai will definitely be a reality.

The good news though is that India is one of the selected regions for the trial run. Last month Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (not Hyperloop One), another company and system developed based on the vision of Elon Musk, had sent out a proposal to the transport minister, Nitin Gadkari in December. The proposal included a route from Pune to Mumbai with a travel time of just 9 minutes.
tech2 News Staff

A series of steps taken by Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg has led to speculation that Zuckerberg may be preparing to run for the US President in a future election. Public communication by Zuckerberg on his Facebook profile, the choice of his yearly challenge for 2017, and restructuring of Facebook stock all seem to indicate that Zuckerberg is taking the necessary steps to one day become the POTUS.

An SEC filing by Facebook last year has a clause that allows Zuckerberg to retain majority control of Facebook operations if he were to join official service. The new terms ensured that if Facebook is no longer lead by Zuckerberg, the founder of the company, Facebook would also no longer be controlled by him.

A series of "sunset trigger" conditions were laid out, where Zuckerberg would have reduced control over Facebook operations if he were to resign from the company. The one important exception was that Zuckerberg could serve the government, and that absence would not be considered as a trigger for handing over the control. Zuckerberg can now continue to control Facebook even if hypothetically he is the US president.

The language used in the SEC filing is, "During the course of these negotiations, the Special Committee and Mr Zuckerberg engaged in sustained negotiations with respect the terms of the Reclassification. Among other matters, the Special Committee negotiated to include the four new automatic "sunset" triggers described in Proposal 7D, to reduce the length of the "sunset" transition period proposed originally by Mr Zuckerberg for several of the "sunset triggers" described in Proposal 7D and to reduce the scope of certain exceptions to the "sunset" trigger for voluntary leaves of absence or a resignation as an Approved Executive Officer by Mr. Zuckerberg, as a result of which Mr Zuckerberg can avoid triggering an automatic "sunset" only if he takes a voluntary leave of absence or resigns in connection with government service or office, subject to certain terms and conditions. The Special Committee made clear to Mr Zuckerberg that it would not negotiate further with respect to these terms and that they were essential to their being able to recommend the Reclassification. Mr Zuckerberg agreed to the Special Committee's proposals."

Zuckerberg was raised as a Jew, but became an atheist till 25 December last year, when Zuckerberg posted holiday greetings on Facebook. Zuckerberg said that he was celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah. One of the responses to the post was a question, "But Aren't You Atheist?" Zuckerberg replied that he has made a return to religion, and that there was a time when he questioned things, but now believes that religion was an important part of life.

Being religious is considered one of the pre requisites of being the US president, or holding any major position in the US government. About 10 people attended the funeral of Thomas Paine, one of the founding fathers of the United States, because of his public ridicule of Christianity in particular, and institutionalised religion in general. Here is the response from Zuckerberg to the question:

Mark Zuckerberg challenges himself every year. In 2016, Zuckerberg built an AI for his home using using the same tools as Facebook developers, and ran 365 miles in a year. These challenges are in addition to running Facebook. Zuckerberg's challenge for 2017 is the biggest indication yet that Zuckerberg is laying the groundwork for a presidential bid. Zuckerberg wants to meet people from every state in the United States.

There are about 30 states left, considering the states that Zuckerberg has already visited. The challenge is apparently to understand the increase in divisiveness because of the information age. Meeting people from all over the United States will help Zuckerberg run his philanthropic organisation, Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative better, will help run Facebook better, and could perhaps help run even the United States better.

The stars align in even more ways. Mark Zuckerberg was born on 14 May, 1984. By 2020, when the next US presidential election is scheduled to take place, Zuckerberg will be 36 years old. The minimum age for a person in the US to assume the position of a President or Vice President is 35 years. 2020 is the earliest election in which Zuckerberg can run for the president of the United States.

Wired connected the dots and reported that Zuckerberg is behaving exactly the way a presidential candidate would. The article notes that a successful run would mean too much power to influence people in the information age, focused on one person. Vanity Fair has spoken to people close to Zuckerberg, and several of them have indicated that "He wants to be emperor." The article notes that Zuckerberg may run for president in the 2024 election, and not the 2020 election.

Those close to Zuckerberg say he is interested in increasing his power and influence. Zuckerberg has pledged to give away most of his wealth. The aims of the Chan Zuckerberg initiative are lofty. Zuckerberg will be donating over 3 billion US dollars over the course of the next decade, in an effort to completely eradicate diseases. The plan is to make the world free of ailments by the time the next generation grows up. Zuckerberg's approach to social change is slightly different from most philanthropic initiatives, where Zuckerberg plans to throw technology and engineering at the problem to help people solve it.

Being the president of the United States may actually be a step down for Zuckerberg. He is already running one of the largest technology companies in the world, and the social network touches a quarter of the known world. Getting into politics may not actually increase his power or influence, more than what it already is. However, having an engineer and a technologist as the US president has a number of advantages. Zuckerberg can help the country navigate through the massive changes in the job environment anticipated over the next decade because of the advent of artificial intelligence. The emerging technologies are expected to replace millions of jobs and affect the livelihood of these workers. The White House has already taken steps bracing for the transformation.

The surprise victory of Donald Trump in the 2016 US Presidential Election showed that the democratic process could put a political outsider in the seat of power. Trump also has business interests, and will continue to do so during his term as the President. Trump might as well have paved the way for Zuckerberg, but the fallout from the elections could allow Zuckerberg to stand for election, but not necessarily in the United States.

Silicon Valley is not a friend of Trump, and a referendum has been called in 2019 for California to exit the Union. The movement is called the Yes California Independence Campaign that uses the #Calexit hashtag. If California becomes an independent nation, it would probably need to vote on a president.
tech2 News Staff

The United States has allowed an Indian-American private company known as Moon Express to launch a mission to the moon in 2017. The mission is a surveying and pathfinding mission that will be the initial stages of the plans by Moon Express to establish mining operations on the Moon. The mission was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the White House, the State Department, Nasa, and other government agencies.

Co-founder & CEO, Bob Richards says "The Moon Express 2017 mission approval is a landmark decision by the U.S. government and a pathfinder for private sector commercial missions beyond the Earths orbit. We are now free to set sail as explorers to Earths eighth continent, the Moon, seeking new knowledge and resources to expand Earths economic sphere for the benefit of all humanity."

Co-founder and chairman, Naveen Jain says "The sky is not the limit for Moon Express  it is the launchpad. This breakthrough ruling is another giant leap for humanity. Space travel is our only path forward to ensure our survival and create a limitless future for our children. In the immediate future, we envision bringing precious resources, metals, and Moon rocks back to Earth."

(Also Read: The details of Elon Musk and SpaceX plans to colonise Mars)

This is the first time that a private company has received permission to launch a mission to the Moon, in accordance with the international outer space treaty. All previous commercial operations have so far been restricted to Earth orbit. Moon Express will make the earliest bid for the Google Lunar XPrize on board an Electron Rocket by Rocket Lab. Later in the year, two private Lunar spacecraft will also attempt to land on the moon. Hakuto Labs from Japan and India's own Team Indus will rideshare on an Isro PSLV rocket.

Moon Express has another innovative business model for Lunar missions. Moon Express wants to charge US $3 million per kilo for sending human remains to the moon. The company then wants to bring precious minerals, moon rocks and metals back to Earth, and sell them for a profit.
tech2 News Staff

Even as it loses ground in Mosul, the Islamic State (IS) gets ever more creative. Latest reports suggest that IS has started employing drones for gathering intelligence as well as dropping explosives like grenades and small warheads on troops and equipment.

Speaking to defense news website Defense One, US officials state that theyre seeing IS drones at the rate of at least one a day these past few months. Not only is IS relying on off-the-shelf consumer drones, its also building larger drones in its drone factories. The US has, in fact, made it a point to target and destroy these factories when possible.

#Iraq Federal Police Units shot down 3 #ISIS UAVs that were dropped "grenade & mortars" on forces in Al-Wahda SE #Mosul. pic.twitter.com/rh2kYihGi0  Iraqi Day (@iraqi_day) January 4, 2017

Iraqi troops are also quite used to seeing the drones now, apparently; they shoot them down with their assault rifles and have been quite successful so far.

Most of the drones appear to be small quadcopters with a relatively low payload. A usual explosive might be a hand-grenade or rifle grenades. At least one drone has been spotted carrying the explosive warhead from a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) unit as well. The damage from these units is small, but an RPG warhead is capable of destroying a tank from the top. The grenades can also cause extensive damage to equipment.

Defense One reports that the drones havent been very successful so far. Their short range and weight limits their deadliness and they are quite easy to shoot down. Larger drones, used for surveillance, might indeed pose a greater threat because of the information they can relay.

U.S. Military officials are not happy with the idea of shooting down drones, however. Firing bullets into the air isnt ideal under any circumstances. That said, drone jammers and other such equipment arent always at hand, especially with the Iraqi troops.
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Telecom major Vodafone today announced the launch of its Vodafone SuperNet 4G service in Punjab. The service was launched by sporting legend Milkha Singh here.

Starting with Chandigarh today, the Punjab capital, the SuperNet 4G will shortly be rolled out across major towns and cities of the state by March 2017, Vodafone India Operations Director Arvind Vohra said on the occasion.

He said the SuperNet 4G will enable customers to access internet via mobile with speeds across a range of smart devices including Mi-Fi and dongles.

Vodafone 4G services can be readily accessed from 4G enabled handsets offered by leading smartphone manufacturers and available across the country, he said.

The Vodafone's SuperNet 4G launch in Punjab follows the successful rollout of services in Kerala, Karnataka, Kolkata, Delhi and NCR, Mumbai, Haryana, UP (east), Gujarat, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Assam and North East, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and UP (west) circles, he said.

With launches planned in several other prominent locations across the country, Vodafone SuperNet 4G coverage will be available in 2,400 towns by March 2017. The 17 Circles where Vodafone is offering 4G service, contribute over 90 per cent of Vodafone India's data revenues, it was informed on the occasion.

Vohra said out of a network of 10,000 plus Vodafone exclusive stores in the country, more than 220 are in Punjab.

With aggressive plans being offered by different operators these days, Vohra told reporters, "We believe tariff will never be a long term differentiator. Long term differentiator will be really superior customer experience, consistently superior customer relevant propositions, which is where Vodafone SuperNet 4G comes. Having said that, we have also come out with lot of exciting offers on the 4G launch".

To a question, Vohra said, "We are consistently investing in our networks to make sure that we come out with superior customer experience..today's 4G launch is also a step in that direction. It is not just about a 4G launch, but it is about bringing a complete repertoire of 4G propositions that the customers can leverage."

Speaking on the occasion, Rajat Avasthi, business head Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, Vodafone India, said, "Punjab is a key market for Vodafone India and as a committed telecom service provider, our almost 5.2 million customers have a lot to look forward to. To cater to the growing volumes of customer usage increasing need for speed, the company invested over Rs 2250 crore in the state till date to expand, modernise and build a more technology and energy efficient network".

"Beginning with Chandigarh and Mohali, we will soon expand our Vodafone SuperNet 4G services across the entire state of Punjab in a phased manner," he said.

"With SuperNet 4G, customers will experience a significant enhancement in their mobile internet experience with faster download/upload of videos and music, seamless video chats and will also enjoy greater ease in using their favourite apps, Avasthi said.

"Vodafone s customers in Punjab have a bonanza of special benefits to enjoy the SuperNet 4G experience seamlessly. These include free upgrade to 4G for customers along with high-speed 4G SIM, 2GB data free with every 4G SIM upgrade. Besides, two hour free 4G services daily for 30 days, to all prepaid customers with 4G handset and 4G Sim, array of data packs and 4G international roaming in 35 plus countries with many more countries to be launched in the near future."

PTI
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By Asheeta Regidi

The Supreme Court of India has sought a response from WhatsApp and the Centre regarding the protection of WhatsApp user data. This notice was issued in an appeal against the Delhi High Court judgment last year in Karmanya Singh Sareen vs Union of India, against WhatsApps sharing of user data with Facebook.

The Delhi High Court had granted limited relief to the petitioners in the previous petition. It ruled that the data of users who deleted their WhatsApp profiles must also be deleted from WhatsApp servers, and that no user data prior to 29 September 2016, could be shared by WhatsApp.

The current petition reportedly argues that even existing and future users are entitled to the same level of privacy. The petition argues that an artificial distinction is being created between users who continue to use WhatsApp after September 2016, and those who do not. Reports also state that the petition has asked WhatsApp to be classified as a public utility service, and privacy requirements similar to those imposed on TSPs by Trai be imposed on it (Note: the original petition is as yet unavailable).

What is a public utility service?

Indian laws do not define a public utility service except for limited purposes, such as under the Legal Services Authority Act or under the Industrial Disputes Act. Generally, it refers to any service or business that is consumed by a large number of people. For example, under the Legal Services Authority Act, 1987, a public utility service refers to a limited list of services such as transport services, postal and telephone services, power supply, medical services, etc. The Central and State governments have the power to add more services to the list. Since these services are essential, and used by a significant number of people, these are subject to detailed regulation under Indian laws.

While the internet and internet-related services are traditionally not considered a public utility service, it is being argued that these ought to be included. As such, so far dedicated laws on services like WhatsApp are missing.

Privacy obligations imposed on TSPs by Trai

In the case of public communication services like those provided by TSPs, the licenses issued by Trai impose obligations on them to safeguard privacy. Breach of any of these terms can result in the license of the TSPs being suspended or terminated.

For example, clause 39.2 of the Unified Access Service License, and Clause 42.2 of the Cellular Mobile Telephone Service License, provide that the licensees must take all necessary steps to safeguard privacy and confidentiality of the third parties (the users). In addition, the TSPs cannot divulge such information unless it is necessary for providing the service to the third party. The TSPs must also ensure that no unauthorised interception of the communication takes place.

Trai may impose similar privacy obligations on OTTs

The TSPs have over 1,074 million users in India. WhatsApp, in comparison, has only over 70 million users in India. Due to the significantly lower numbers, putting WhatsApp as a public utility service on par with the TSP services may not be fair.

However, despite this, WhatsApp still has control over the personal data of over 70 million Indians. The personal data of these 70 million Indians, and millions of others, has almost no safeguards under Indian laws, and no recourse for their protection. Whether by WhatsApp, Facebook, or any of the numerous such companies collecting Indians personal data, these are only subject to a bare minimum regulation under Indian laws. As seen in the Delhi High Court judgment, in the absence of adequate laws, there isnt much that can be done protect user privacy in the courts. This is definitely a public concern.

It is for this reason perhaps, Trai in its Consultation Paper on Over-the-Top Services like WhatsApp, had noted that OTTs need to have privacy obligations similar to those imposed on TSPs. The paper also comments on the increasing risk to individual privacy on account of the Big Data activities of such companies.

Why the Delhi HC judgement didnt have much effect

Indian privacy laws contain almost no safeguards for the data in the possession of such companies. Indias privacy law is contained in Section 43A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the rules issued thereunder. This, however, applies only to sensitive personal data, such as name, financial information, etc. With regard to the range of data in possession of companies like WhatsApp, such as private messages, conversations, videos, etc., there is no protection.

The result of this is that there is no adequate recourse for concerned users under the law. Additionally, the right to privacy is also not a guaranteed fundamental right, as the issue is currently pending before a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court in KS Puttaswamy vs Union of India.

Further, in the absence of laws, the main instrument governing user privacy is WhatsApps Terms and Conditions, which are subject to change at any time. This is why much as WhatsApps move was an about-turn on its privacy promises, the move was legal under Indian laws.

This was the reason why the Delhi High Court could not take much action, and granted such limited relief. While India failed to prevent WhatsApps move, UK and Germany, and thereafter the EU, succeeded in getting WhatsApp to pause sharing data with Facebook. The reason for this is not only the detailed privacy laws but also due to the establishment of dedicated privacy watchdogs like UKs Information Commissioners Office.

Recognise the urgency for privacy laws

In the absence of proper laws, and since the fundamental right to privacy is still in question, the Supreme Court may just reach the same conclusion as the Delhi High Court on these issues. However, there is no question that the privacy of millions of Indians is at stake due to the lack of laws. The risk is not limited to WhatsApp but exists in any and every company that collects data from Indians. This is a public concern that has remained unaddressed for far too long. It is hoped that the Supreme Court will recognise this, and direct immediate measures to safeguard privacy.

The author is a lawyer with a specialisation in cyber laws and has co-authored books on the subject.
tech2 News Staff

It looks there's more than just the Xiaomi Mi 6 (or its three variants) coming in the near future from the Chinese consumer electronics company. In the latest leak spotted benchmarking site Geekbench, details of a Xiaomi Mix Evo have emerged.

The Xiaomi Mix Evo is expected to come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset along with 4GB RAM. According to the leaked screenshot, the phone will come with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box. That is all that is known about the device.

Thanks to the 'Mix' in the nomenclature, it would be safe to assume that this would be a high end variant of the bezel-less Xiaomi Mi Mix. There are no other details about this phone out yet.

News around the Xiaomi Mi 6 is heating up though. Just earlier today we learned that the Mi 6 will be in two storage variants - one with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage and the other with 6GB RAM and 256GB storage.
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SARASOTA  A special guest will appear at the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee on Wednesday, Jan. 25, when the Federation hosts former Israeli U.N. ambassador Ron Prosor.

The event at Temple Emanuel will feature Prosor discussing the U.N., U.S.-Israeli relations and Israel. The former ambassador, who served in his position from 2011 to 2015 following his tenure as Israel's ambassador to the U.K., was also Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the Second Lebanon war.

Prosor has made numerous appearances to television news channels including the BBC, CNN and MSNBC, and has had guest editorials featured in several major publications such as The Jerusalem Post, Ha'aretz, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

In a press release, JFSM executive director Howard Tevlowitz said of Prosor: "Given the behavior of the United Nations and the recent spike in anti-Semitism, his experience at the U.N. and his understanding of foreign policy offers audiences a unique vantage point for understanding global politics and economic affairs."

The event starts at 7 p.m. Temple Emanuel is located at 151 McIntosh Road in Sarasota. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at jfedsrq.org/events or by calling 1-866-465-3995. All bags will be checked at the door and pre-registration is strongly recommended. Please bring photo ID.

Please reserve the spaces at the temple for handicapped parking. Overflow parking with shuttle service will be available on the Federation campus, 580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota.
Inaction against Harinakundu OC alleged

Jhenaidah Correspondent :

Father of a son allegedly deprived off judgment from the police brought allegation of inaction in an abduction and murder of his four- year boy Jubayer of Sabek Nityanandapur village of Harinakundu upazila in Jhenaidah.

The allegation against the officer in charge of the police station was disclosed in a press conference at Jhenaidah Press Club on Monday noon.

Madhu Sarder of the village in his written complaint said, some local miscreants following the rivalry in the village had killed his four year son Jubayer on November 3 last year.

The body was recovered from a pond in the village on November 6. He went to the police station on the day and requested the police to entry a case there. But the police denied of receiving any case in the issue. Later he filed a case with the cognigence court in the locality against 11 named persons. The court ordered the officer in charge of the police station to receive the case as complaint.

Since then the OC has been creating pressure on the petitioner of the case Madhu Sarder and other family members to withdraw the case. The OC has threatened Madhu Sarder to kill him in "crossfire", he alleged.

As he went to the police station to file general diary about threatening him for life, the policed once again had denied of receiving the same, he alleged.

Madhu Sarder said, the accused in the case have been moving public where the police witnesses their movement. Madhu Sarder demanded impartial inquiry to the murder incident and transfer the case from the office of the officer in charge of Harinakundu ensuring justice.

Harinakundu police station OC Mahtab Uddin when contacted for his comments denied of allegation brought by Madhu Sarder in the press conference saying they have arrested two of the accused in the murder case and trying to nab the remaining through drives.




CNG- run auto-rickshaws back to Dhaka-Sylhet Highway

S A Shofiee, Sylhet :

Despite the government's ban, battery-run easy-bikes, CNG run auto-rickshaws, have started running again on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway in the country that causes frequent road accidents. Due to plying of such vehicles on the important highways, movement of long-haul transports is being hampered seriously as well as the commuters are facing immense sufferings during their travelling, sources said. It is to be mentioned that, the AL government imposed a ban on plying of three wheelers on country's highways on August 1 in 2015 in a bid to reduce road accidents.

Though plying of three wheelers on the highways had been reduced slightly for few days after imposition of the ban, the unauthorized vehicles returned to the highways within short time due to lack of proper initiative by the authorities concerned in this regard. Consequently, the trend of accidents is not reducing at all.

Due to lax vigilance of highway police, the unauthorized vehicles including battery run easy-bikes, CNG run auto-rickshaws have started to ply on the country's 22 highways again that causes frequent accidents and severe suffering to the commuters.

During a recent visit to different highways including Dhaka-Sylhet this correspondent found that three wheelers including CNG driven auto-rickshaws, battery run easy-bikes, were running on highways randomly besides long-haul buses and other transports.

While talking some auto-rickshaw drivers said they don't get necessary passengers in the local roads. This is why they go to the highway after managing traffic police in exchange of bribe.

There is a complaint that such vehicles are plying on the highways after managing some traffic police. They pay Tk 300 to Tk 500 to police per month, even the money is paid on weekly based. As a result, the highways have become death traps again and accidents are occurring frequently.

Salim Ahmed Folik, President of Bus Owners Association in Sylhet District said, huge traffic congestion is created on the highways everyday for plying of such unauthorized vehicles. Buses and trucks cannot run on the highways in normal speed.

Most of the time drivers become reckless to cover time and meet to tragic accidents.

He further said they held several meetings with the government demanding stop of such vehicles on the highways, but to no effect. To reduce traffic congestion and frequent accidents on the highways, the government should take stern position against such illegal vehicles, he suggested.

Replying a question, a traffic sergeant seeking anonymity told that, a large portion of the people in the country are involved with such transports.

Such vehicles are only source of income for many families. Without creation of alternative way of employment for such people, it is not possible to stop plying of the CNG and three wheelers on the highway completely. The step doubtlessly will be caused of rising unemployment problems in the country, he opined.




Mosharraf for more incentives to investors in EPZ





Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain stressed the need for providing more incentives, including tax holiday, to the investors in 100 economic zones across the country.

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina set up Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and took initiatives to uphold Bangladesh as a developed country.

Now the construction works are going on in these economic zones", the minister said. He was addressing as chief guest a seminar on 'Attraction to Invest in Economic Zones' at Hotel Radisson Blue Chittagong on Sunday as Chief Guest.

The minister said the government also has a plan to offer a separate economic zone for Chinese investors.

"Many Chinese and Japanese investors are showing interests to set up automobiles, garments, electronics and consumer goods industries in Bangladesh", he added.He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reduced 25 percent land value in these economic zones to attract the foreign investors.

Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority Chairman Paban Chowdhury presided over the seminar while Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Ruhul Amin, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mahbubul Alam, Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Shamsul Arefin, experts and businessmen, among others, addressed it.


5 wastes dumping stations installed

CCC Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin offering Munajat after inaugurating five Secondary Transfer Station (STS) for dumping the household wastes in the city on Monday.





Chittagong mayor AJM Nasir Uddin on Monday laid the foundation stones of five Secondary Transfer Stations (STS) of dumping wastes and filths in the city.

The STS are being set up under 'Urban Public and Environmental Health Sector Development Project' of the Ministry of Local Government.

The mayor inaugurated five STS at Air Port Road, FIDC, Sagarika, Port Connecting Roads and West Madarbari area out of 12 STS at a cost of Tk 16 crore financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Speaking at a gathering held at Number 14 Ghat of South Patenga, the mayor said the City Corporation is carrying out door to door waste collection and removal project despite its high cost.

Acting Chief Executive Officer of Chittagong City Corporation Mohammad Abul Hossain presided over the function while Joint Secretary and Deputy Director of the project Uttam Kumar Sarkar, Superintend Engineer Abu Saleh, Executive Engineer Ashim Barua, General secretary of the local unit of Awami League Nurul Alam, CCC councilors Saleh Ahmed Chowdhury, Joynal Abedin, Shafiul Alam, Shahanur Begum, former ward councilor Abdul Barek, among others, were present on the occasion.


NATO concerned about Trump 'obsolete' remark: Germany

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz (not pictured) address media at the 23rd OSCE Ministerial Council organized by Germany\'s OSCE Chairmanship in Hamburg, Germany .

Reuters, Brussels :

Germany's Foreign Minister said on Monday that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's comments that NATO was obsolete had aroused concern across the 28-member alliance.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, speaking after a meeting with alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, said Trump's remarks contradicted views expressed by designated Defense Secretary James Mattis. He spoke also of "amazement".

"I've spoken today not only with EU foreign ministers but NATO foreign ministers as well and can report that the signals are that there's been no easing of tensions," Steinmeier told reporters when asked about Trump's interview with Bild newspaper and the Times of London.

"Obviously the comments from President-elect Trump, that he views NATO as obsolete, were viewed with anxiety," he said.

Trump, who is due to be sworn in as president on Friday, said NATO was obsolete because it had not defended against terrorist attacks.

He said also he had always had "great respect" for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but criticized her 2015 decision to allow in a wave of a million migrants as a "catastrophic mistake" that opened the door to terrorist attacks.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said it was "inappropriate" for Trump to weigh directly into the politics of another country by his remarks.

"He will have to speak to that, as of Friday he is responsible for that relationship."

NATO has been seen since the 1950s as the keystone of western European defenses, extending its zone of activity in the post-Cold War period to the borders of Russia - much to Russia's chagrin. The alliance's founding treaty commits members to consider an attack on any one state as an attack on all.

A Kremlin spokesman said he agreed with Trump that NATO, characterized by Russian officials as a hostile remnant of the Cold War, was obsolete.

Germany's transatlantic coordinator, Juergen Hardt, told Reuters he did not expect Congress to allow Washington to give up its leadership role in NATO.

He said key U.S. lawmakers, including Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, had told him several weeks ago they expected Washington to remain a reliable partner in the 28-nation bloc, and he did not expect Trump to reverse the deployment of 4,000 U.S. troops to Poland.

Norbert Roettgen, head of Germany's foreign affairs committee, said Germany should fight to restore Western unity.

"Europe is not able to replace the security role of the United States so there is a lot at stake - the very foundations of liberal order internationally and European security. And for that we should fight because it is our very existential interest," Roettgen told Reuters.

Trump repeated criticism of NATO members that fail to meet spend at least 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense.

Germany is working to gradually boost its military spending, Defence Ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff told a news conference. Merkel in November said she could not promise the NATO target would be met "in the near future."




Trump pick for NSC post Crowley to step down

Reuters, Washington :

Monica Crowley, the foreign policy adviser tapped for a White House job under President-elect Donald Trump, will relinquish the post, a transition official told Reuters on Monday.

Crowley had been chosen to serve as senior director of strategic communications at the National Security Council. Her appointment had been shadowed by reports of plagiarism in news outlets including CNN and Politico.

"After much reflection I have decided to remain in New York to pursue other opportunities and will not be taking a position in the incoming administration," she said in a statement quoted by the Washington Times.

"I greatly appreciate being asked to be part of President-elect Trump's team and I will continue to enthusiastically support him and his agenda for American renewal."

A CNN review found this month that Crowley plagiarized thousands of words of her 2000 dissertation for her Columbia University Ph.D.

In addition, Politico reported that it found more than a dozen examples of plagiarism in Crowley's Ph.D. dissertation.

She had been hired to work for Trump's national security adviser, retired General Michael Flynn, who said in a statement quoted by The Times that he will miss the opportunity to have Crowley on his team.




BAPARD asked to contribute more for poverty alleviation



Bangabandhu Academy for Poverty Alleviation and Rural Development (BAPARD) has been directed to formulate its specific goals for poverty alleviation and improvement of living standard of the people in the south-western part.

The directive came when LGRD and Cooperatives Minster Khandker Mosharraf Hossain was presiding over the 1st meeting of board governors of BAPARD, Gopalganj held on Monday at the conference room of Local Government Division.

"BAPARD will conduct research programmes and qualitative trainings to create more skilled manpower," he said.

State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Md Mashiur Rahman Ranga, Local Government Division Secretary Abdul Malek, Rural Development and Cooperatives Division Secretary Dr Prashanta Kumar Roy, BAPARD Acting Director General Ananda Chandra Biswas, board members and officials, among others, joined the meeting.

Mosharraf asked all concerned of the academy to devise work-plan to take ahead the institution as it can contribute to the betterment of the country.

He underscored the need for creating more skilled and trained manpower to make Bangladesh a middle income country by 2021 and developed one by 2041.

In 2012, the old BRDB Training Academy started its new journey as BAPARD.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of the academy on November 16, 2011.
Jennifer Lawrence in disguise, filming her new movie Red Sparrow





Actor Jennifer Lawrence is back at work. New images of her filming her new spy thriller Red Sparrow in Hungary have surfaced online.

The actor left New York for Budapest as shooting started for the film, which is being helmed by her Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence, reports dailymail.co.uk.

In the movie, Jennifer plays a Russian spy who tries to seduce a rookie CIA operative.

She was spotted wearing a brunette wig under a black fur hat and was seen discussing something with the director.

The Oscar-winning star was seen sitting in the back of a black SUV as she discussed the upcoming shot. Her costume included a below-the-knee black skirt and knee-high black boots and a cropped black leather jacket.

Red Sparrow also stars Joel Edgerton and Jeremy Irons.
UN`s agenda in 2017

Lyndal Rowlands :

UN member states hope to reach agreement on a diverse range of global issues in 2017, from managing the world's oceans to banning killer robots to stopping tuberculosis, one of the world's deadliest diseases.

In recent years the UN has tackled big issues including ebola, the global migration crisis, financing for development and climate change, with varying degrees of success.

Many pressing environmental, humanitarian and development issues continue to fill the UN's agenda - even as incoming President of the United States has argued that things will be different at the UN after his inauguration on 20 January.

Trump has suggested that the UN "is just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time." However UN discussions have led the 71 year old organisation with 193 member states to create more than 560 international treaties.

Oceans and life below water: One of the biggest meetings on the UN's agenda this year is focused on the oceans or more specifically Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.

"The United Nations has the opportunity to drive profound change for the oceans in 2017," Elizabeth Wilson, director, international ocean policy at the Pew Charitable Trusts told IPS.

In recent years the UN has tackled big issues including ebola, the global migration crisis, financing for development and climate change, with varying degrees of success.

"This event will provide UN member states an opportunity to assess progress on ocean conservation, make new commitments, and create meaningful partnerships," she said.

The meeting - which will take place in New York from 5 to 9 June - is considered to be of global importance for many reasons. For example, according to a 2016 World Economic Forum report, there will be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans by the year 2050. Declining fish stocks will effect the more than two billion people worldwide who rely on fish as a source of protein. The UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation also estimates that 200 million people worldwide rely on fishing or related activities for their livelihoods, the vast majority of whom live in developing countries.

Another important related issue on the UN's agenda in 2017 will be working towards creating a treaty to protect the high seas, the areas of the global oceans, which fall beyond any country's sea borders, said Wilson.

Tuberculosis: The UN General Assembly has only ever convened special high-level meetings on two global health threats, HIV/AIDS and antimicrobial resistance. However in 2018, the General Assembly will meet to discuss Tuberculosis.

Although the decision to convene the special meeting has been welcomed, it will not come soon enough for the nearly two million people who will likely die of tuberculosis in 2017.

"The tuberculosis burden is much higher than we expected and the measures to be taken must be much more focused and serious than before," Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership told IPS.

A series of global meetings will be held in 2017, in preparation for the 2018 meeting however, said Ditiu who also noted that these global meetings should not be seen as a silver bullet.

Although tuberculosis is treatable, the emergence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in recent years is a major cause for concern. Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is just one example of antimicrobial resistance - a serious health problem which world leaders addressed at the UN General Assembly in 2016.

Banning nuclear weapons and killer robots: Possibly the most ambitious item on the UN's agenda in 2017 will be an attempt to create an international treaty for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

The first session of the UN conference to negotiate a legally-binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination will take place in New York from 27 to 31 March.

The treaty will be a more ambitious iteration of the already existing Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

However proponents of total abolition of nuclear weapons will face an even more challenging political context in 2017, with US President-elect Donald Trump appearing to have unpredictable views on nuclear weapons potentially at odds with the existing non-proliferation treaty which bans new countries from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Another, more contemporary issue on the UN's agenda in 2017 will be killer robots. UN member states have agreed to begin talks to ban killer robots this year. According to the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots the talks will "(bring) the world another step closer towards a prohibition on the weapons." A similar agreement back in 1995, led to government agreeing to pre-emptively ban lasers that would permanently blind, according to the campaign.



(Lyndal Rowlands is the United Nations Bureau Chief at IPS - Inter Press Service. Before becoming a UN correspondent in 2014 she worked as a researcher, writer and evaluator in the international development sector. She lives in East Harlem via Dili, Timor-Leste and Melbourne, Australia).
Nine killed in road accidents

Staff Reporter :

At least nine people were killed in separate road accidents in Gazipur, Dhaka city, Savar and Natore on Tuesday.

About 20 people were also injured in the accidents. They were admitted in different hospitals near the incident places for treatment.

Of the deceased six were identified, but three others could not be identified till the filling of this report at 9pm on Tuesday night.

In Gazipur, five persons including a woman were killed and 10 others injured in an accident on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway at Sripur.

Of the deceased, the woman was identified only as Sharmin, 29. The injured were taken to local hospitals.

Mawna Highway Police Officer-in-Charge Hafizur Rahman said that a truck was parked beside the highway in Jainabazar area when a Sherpur bound bus hit the truck from behind around 11:00am.In Dhaka, a man and his nephew were killed when a truck hit their motorcycle in Dholaipar area under Shyampur thana. The deceased were identified as Md Alamgir Bhuiya, 40, son of Abdul Kuddus Bhuiyan, and his nephew Md Abdur Rahim, 10, son of Khokon Bhuiyan.

Sub-inspector Bachchu Miah, in charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital police camp, said the truck hit the motorcycle in the area around 11:30pm on Monday, leaving the duo injured.

They were rushed to DMCH, but the physicians declared them dead early Tuesday.

In Savar, a member of police was crushed under a bus on Dhaka-Aricha Highway near Aminbazar, on the outskirts of the capital, early Tuesday.

The deceased was identified as Sabur Miah, 50, a havildar of Rajarbagh Police Lines.

Officer-in-Charge of Savar Police Station SM Kamruzzaman said the bus struck Sabur when he was performing his duty in the area around 12:00am, leaving him critically injured. He was taken to Enam Medical College Hospital where physicians declared him dead.

The body was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

In Natore, a rickshaw-van puller was killed when a truck rammed into his van in Moukhara area on the Ahamadpur-Gurudaspur Road in Baraigram upazila on Tuesday morning. The deceased was identified as Sahadat Hossain, 15, son of Sahinur Rahman, a resident of village Kalakantonagar under Gurudaspur upazila of the district.

Police said that the accident occurred when a speedy truck hit the fruit-laden van in the area at about 9:00am, leaving the van-puller dead on the spot.
SC secured speedy trial of 7-murder case: CJ

Staff Reporter :

The Chief Justice (CJ) Surendra Kumar Sinha on Tuesday said in a statement that some historical decisions of the Judiciary during the crisis moments of the country were delightful. With this, the Judiciary is playing important role to consolidate the democracy in the country.

The CJ also said that the Judiciary did not interfere in the State's two other organs' internal matter crossing its limit. So we hope, the other organs would not interfere in the Judiciary. Every organ should act according to the Constitution of the country.

The statement has been issued on the Supreme Court website on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of taking over charge of the Chief Justice by Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha. He took the responsibility on January 17 in 2015 as the 21st Chief Justice of the country.

The CJ said that an offender cannot get impunity for his offence. Some RAB officers committed crimes of killing seven persons with the attitude of getting impunity, which shocked the entire nation. The Supreme Court interfered in the matter and secured speedy trial. The confidence of the people in the Judiciary increased with the quickest disposal of the sensational case.

He said that opacity of conventional law was the main reason for backlog of cases. The number of cases is increasing due to faulty and outdated laws. The lower courts or the High Court, both are stricken with the weight of cases, he said.

In the statement, the Chief Justice said also, continuous reform of laws is essential for speedy trial. At this point, 'The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908', 'The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1998', 'The Evidence Act, 1872', 'The Transfer of Property Act, 1882', 'The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881' are outdated as those are more than a hundred years old laws. He said in the statement that 'Land Survey Tribunal', 'State Acquisition and Tenancy Act, 1950', 'Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000', 'Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004', and 'Money Loan Court Act, 2003' are faulty. The number of cases is rising day by day due to weakness of those laws.

The statement said that officials of the every department of every organ of the state have separate service rules. The nature of work of the lower court judges is fully different from the others. Independent trial proceedings by the lower court judges may be disrupted if there is any opportunity of interference by the executive to discipline judges. This is why we hope the government will publish a Gazette Notification on the rules determining the guidelines of lower court judges as soon as possible though they have disagreements. The CJ said that role of media is like the clear light of the day to eradicate the inconsistencies from the society and building a society. Journalists can play an important role to ensure the independence of the Judiciary. So good relations between the Judiciary and the media is essential.
Hawkers defy DSCC directives

Open business on city pavements before evening: Demand rehab first

Hundreds of hawkers from different parts of the city joined the rally on Tuesday in front of the Jatiya Press Club to press home their 10-pt demand including hawkers rehabilitation first before eviction them from the streets.

Reza Mahmud :

The street vendors on Tuesday sat for business again before evening defying the ban of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).

The hawkers were seen sat in pavements at Gulistan, Motijheel, Paltan and Baitul Mukarram areas during office times in the midst of ongoing eviction drive launched on Sunday.

On spot visit, it was found that the street vendors took the pavements at noon to sale their goods. They set up their temporary wooden platforms to display their goods in Gulistan, Motijheel and adjacent areas from 1:00pm. Police remained present in these areas but it did not bothered the hawkers to set up their shops. Even, police refrained from taking action against such illegal occupation.

When contacted, the DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon told The New Nation that no one could allow to sit in pavements in office time. Our team is active in every areas. We must take action if anyone try to violate the decision.

Earlier in the morning, the hawkers brought out a procession in front of the National Press Club to protest the DSCC's ongoing eviction drive to clear the footpath from illegal occupation. They also warned the DSCC Mayor of 'dire consequences' from the rally if they are evicted from footpath business. Hawkers also demanded a rehabilitation policy for them from the rally. "Eviction before rehabilitation is an inhuman act. It triggers anger among the hawkers," said Abul Hossain, the convener of Hawkers Samannoy Parishad, a platform for street vendors.

Several hundred hawkers from different parts of the city joined the rally to press home their 10-point demands, including formation of a hawker rehabilitation policy before evicting them from the streets and pavements.

The hawker leaders said they are ready to provide all-out cooperation to the authorities to this end.

Meanwhile, the shop-owners of different markets in Gulistan and adjacent areas expressed doubt over the sustainability of the eviction programme saying the hawkers may take streets again with the help of influential people.

"Many influential persons are involved behind toll collection from the footpaths. This caused apprehension that how long the eviction drive continue," said one of shop owners in Bangabandhu Avenue. He, however, welcomed the ongoing drive and said it was badly needed to run our business.

The passengers, pedestrians and vehicle staffs using those streets also expressed their happiness on the eviction drive.

Mayor Sayeed Khokon on Monday said the DSCC's eviction drive to keep the footpaths in Gulistan, Motijheel and adjoining areas free from street vendors during office hours will continue.

On January 11, a decision was taken not to allow any hawker to sit those areas in office times for the smooth movement of vehicles and pedestrians. The decision said the hawkers could sale their goods after the office time from evening.


Strong EC a must: Sujan

Entire electoral system ruined by DC polls

Staff Reporter :

Sushasoner Joynno Nagarik [Sujan] on Tuesday said that the entire electoral system had been ruined by introducing District Council (DC) election.

"The District Council will not be effective in the way the election was held. We, however, like to take it positively. But it needs a powerful Election Commission to achieve confidence of the people," Secretary of Sujan Dr Badiul Alam Mazundar said.

He was addressing a press conference titled: 'District council Election scenario and analyzing information of newly-elected chairmen', held at Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the city's Segun Bagicha. The key-note paper was placed by central coordinator of Sujan Dilip Kumar Sarkar.

"The electoral members of the local government's organ [District Council] are not acceptable by any means, as these electoral members have been elected in different tiers of the Local Administration getting votes from general voters. They are not elected to further elect representatives of another administrative body," Dilip Kumar Sarkar said.

"We earlier had welcomed the maiden District Council election, although its members are supposed to be elected by the electoral members instead of direct voting by the general people. But we were disheartened seeing various incidents since election schedule announcement to voting day," he said in the key-note paper.

As per the existing law, the district council election is to be held in a non-political manner. But the ruling Awami League published names of its party nominees for the polls. On the other hand, the major opposition political parties did not participate in the election, and for that reason, there was no competition as well enthusiasm.

Rather, the electoral fight took place between the Awami League nominated and rebel candidates of the same party. The party high ups apparently did not create any pressure on the rebels for withdrawal. In 21 District Councils, the 'chairmen' candidates have been elected without any voting. Not only that, the incidents of electoral code violation were numerous.

Defying instruction of Speaker, a number of lawmakers went to their constituencies to work for their candidates. Several lawmakers also campaigned giving lucrative offers to people, such as TR, food for work programme and money. But no legal action was taken against them till the date. The buying of votes in exchange of money or gift was very common across the country.

The Sujan also disclosed some findings over district council polls at the press conference. Of the elected chairmen, 6.77 % could not cross SSC level. About 13.55% chairmen passed HSC and 57.62% obtained graduation degree.

Besides, out of total elected chairmen, three are farmers, 38 businessmen, 5 job-holders, 4 lawyers and five in other professions. Criminal cases, including murder, were filed earlier against fifteen chairmen.

Assets of two chairmen are more than Tk five crore and seven get wealth of Tk 1-5 crore, according to Sujan.


Gas price hike to be suicidal for local industry

Kazi Zahidul Hasan :

President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Abdul Matlub Ahmad on Tuesday urged the government to come out with a long-term sustainable solution over energy price fixation to safeguard competitiveness of local industries.

He said, increases of electricity and gas prices in regular interval have posed a big threat to the survival of local industries because the move by the government pushed up cost of production significantly harming their competitiveness in the global arena.

"Against the backdrop, a new gas price hike would be suicidal for the domestic industry," warned Abdul Matlub Ahmad.

He came up with the warning while talking to The New Nation in an exclusive interview.

The FBCCI President said the government is going to hike gas prices without taking consideration into its disastrous impact on industrial sector. "We have already conveyed our concern... But it is going to hike gas price overriding opposition from the business community".

"Surging gas and electricity prices has already made the manufacturing sector too expensive and it is not in a position to bear the burden of addition cost arising from energy price hike," he added.

Opposing a fresh gas price hike, Abdul Matlub Ahmad said, "The government seems to be pursuing a 'faulty' energy policy and for which it is requiring hike in electricity and gas tariffs frequently".

"We need a long-term sustainable energy policy to keep low production cost in industries. Only such a policy can help local industries to survive and maintain their competitiveness in global field. It can also help attract more local and foreign investment," he noted.

Abdul Matlub Ahmad urged the government to refrain from a fresh gas tariff hike and maintain the current rates for industrial and commercial use considering prevailing conditions of domestic industrial sector.

"Otherwise, it will create an unfavourable business and investment climate making our businesses and production difficult to operate," he said.

The FBCCI President also stressed the need for increasing efficiency of the state-owned gas and power distribution companies to ensure sustainable development of the country's energy sector.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) earlier announced new gas tariffs for both household and industrial consumers (a hike over 100 per cent) and it was supposed to roll out at any time this month (January).

The move of the country's energy regulator has already created public outcry.
Staff Reporter :Members of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) on Tuesday expressed their utter frustration over the continuous harassment of businessmen by field level tax officials.They raised the issue at a seminar held at Mohakhali RAOWA Club in the city.Expressing utter frustration and anger over the alleged harassment by the Tax officials, FBCCI President Abdul Matlub Ahmad said, "The business community wants a tax-friendly environment from the Revenue Board as they want to pay tax.But, the National Board of Revenue has apparently failed to ensure such an environment as businessmen are facing harassments by the Tax officials. Harassment in the name of VAT collection is unacceptable. They cannot do this in the name of achieving the revenue target."Matlub Ahmad said the business community wants the VAT law to come into force on July 1, 2017.He, however, demanded fixing the rate of VAT at 7 percent instead of 15 percent. He hoped the new online VAT project of NBR will stop harassment of tax-payers. The FBCCI President urged NBR to provide the businessmen with ECR machines free of cost.Addressing the seminar, NBR Chairman M. Nozibur Rahman said that the Revenue Board will launch feedback email services in its three departments to stop harassment of businessmen and all other tax-payers.The three departments are income tax, value added tax (VAT) and excise."The tax-payers will get all remedies by informing the authorities about harassment by tax officers or any other problem through emails," he added.The email IDs are: [email protected] The NBR is proceeding towards digitalization, Nozibur Rahman said, adding that all business establishments would have to install ECR machines.Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate (North) organised the seminar on VAT and supplementary tax laws of 2012.NBR members Barrister Jahangir Hossain and Sultan Mahmud, VAT Intelligence Department Director General Khandaker Aminur Rahman and FBCCI Director Abul Kashem Khan addressed the seminar, among others.
D uring the past three years, it seems as if time has slowed down. I know thats not scientifically possible, but still something has change...
Most species of leeches dont eat blood and of the ones that do, not too many feed on humans. It was hard to find these facts reassuring during our trip last summer to Thailand and Sri Lanka, which brought us into close contact with leeches. We repeatedly found members of the small minority of bloodsucking leeches that DO target humans attached to our skin.

These relatives of earthworms can eat five times their weight in blood, and yet you dont even feel them feeding on you because they have a chemical in their saliva that acts as an anesthetic. They also have an anticoagulant that keeps the blood flowing rather than clotting. So, they can eat their fill without causing you any distress  not counting the psychological shock that occurs when you see the blood on your body or on your clothes.

Leeches live on every continent but Antarctica  and there are marine leeches in the waters around that southern world of ice. Another indication of how widespread they are is linguistic in nature. Leeches and humans have lived together for so long that almost every language in the world has a word for leech.

Terrestrial leeches appeared in a novel by Amy Tan, and scientists who study them were impressed and grateful enough to name a new species after her: Chtonobdella tanae. Another leech researcher named an individual leech Grandma Moses. It was one of two specimens discovered of the giant Amazon leech, previously thought to be extinct, that can grow to 18 inches and live for 20 years. And yes, it feeds on blood.

There are many ways to prevent leeches from feeding on you. We made use of a common one  leech socks  which are worn over regular socks and inside the shoes. They come up to the knee and, because leeches cant penetrate them, they prevent leeches on the ground from reaching your skin without a long climb. However, they do nothing to prevent leeches on leaves from attaching to you as you brush against them in the forest.

The best advice is to tuck in your shirt, avoid leaning on anything in the forest and keep moving when in any damp shady spots favored by leeches, only stopping in dry, sunny spots. Tobacco leaves soaked in water can be used to make a spray that deters leeches. If a leech does attach to you, applying salt to it will cause it to drop off quickly, which is far better than pulling it off since that causes a lot of bleeding which is difficult to stop.

Though bloodletting with leeches as a medical practice has long been out of favor, leeches are occasionally used after surgeries that reattach severed appendages or involve grafting. Excessive blood can collect in the area, causing the death of the surgically repaired tissue. Having a series of leeches feed on the area for several days until the bodys own circulation network has been re-established lowers that risk.

Sometimes, even bloodsuckers get to be the good guys.
PHOENIX -- Saying students are being taught hatred at public expenses, a Flagstaff Republican lawmaker is proposing new limits on what and how schools, colleges and universities can teach.

Rep. Bob Thorpe said a 2010 law that targeted "ethnic studies'' courses at some public schools does not go far enough with its prohibition on teaching anything that promotes resentment toward another race. He wants to expand that list to include gender, religion, political affiliation and social class.

And Thorpe wants a ban on not just classes but any events or activities that "negatively target specific nationalities or countries.''

But it does not stop there. HB 2120 would extend the new restrictions to community colleges and universities, not just in terms of what's taught in the classroom but also any event or activity. And it gives the attorney general the unilateral power to withhold up to 10 percent of state aid if he or she determines a college or university is in violation.

Thorpe said Thursday his bill is aimed specifically at things like a "privilege walk'' exercise sponsored by the University of Arizona and a course entitled "Whiteness and Race Theory'' at Arizona State University.

The former is described in UA literature as helping participants "recognized the privileges that they have been granted and to learn about the backgrounds of their peers.''

Among the exercises is telling students to step up if they meet certain criteria, like having more than 50 books in a home, going to a private school or having inherited money. Conversely, those who were raised in a single-parent household, had to rely on public transportation or were ashamed of their clothes while growing up take a step back for each.

Participants are supposed to notice where they are in relation to others.

The ASU class is described online as teaching "postcolonialist, psychoanalytic, deconstructionist, feminist, new historicist'' schools of thought.

Among the required books is "The Everyday Language of White Racism,'' described on Google's web site as providing "an incisive analysis of everyday language to reveal the underlying racist stereotypes that continue to circulate in American culture.''

Thorpe said he sees those and similar classes as a step backwards.

"The gains that were made in the 1960s are now being eroded,'' he said. "We're now finding ways to divide people and put wedges between people.''

Take that privilege walk exercise.

"Somebody is being classified as being less of an individual based upon their social classification, a classification being placed upon them, the ZIP code they grew up in, whether their parents were successful in business or not,'' Thorpe said.

"I'm not saying in my bill these classes cannot occur,'' he continued. "What I'm saying is taxpayers should not have to pay for them.''

His legislation, however, has no such distinction: State aid would be at risk whether or not public dollars are involved.

Thorpe insisted he's not trying to block classes that discuss differences. So, for example, he said it would be fair to teach the different political philosophies of political parties and their adherents.

"The conversation is perfectly acceptable,'' Thorpe said. "What I don't want is somebody to be treated negatively and poorly because, for example, they are a Green Party member or they're a Democrat or they're a Republican.''

And he said this does not mean ignoring historical facts, like slavery, genocide and discrimination, that could make those whose were -- or are -- affected angry at those who were the oppressors.

"Let's just ensure that they're accurately discussed, Thorpe said. More to the point, he said it comes down to limiting the discussion to the historic facts.

"If you then look at an individual whose ancestors, because of their race, for example, they are linked to people that did something 100 or 200 years ago, that person who's living today has little or no association with what happened 200 years ago,'' he said. "So let's not have a wedge issue and cause that person to be vilified when they absolutely had nothing to do with some event that happened in the past.''

But Thorpe was less clear about what would be acceptable in teaching about more current instances of discrimination, such as the fact that studies have shown minority motorists are more likely to be stopped than Anglos.

"This is Draft No. 1,'' he said, saying he is sure there will be revisions.

The provisions about disparaging specific countries is a direct result of what Thorpe said are campus movements specifically targeting Israel. He said, though, that is not meant to prohibit a discussion of specific policies like decisions by the Israeli government to build housing for Jewish settlers on land that had previously been owned and occupied for centuries by Palestinians.

His proposal comes even as that original 2010 law is in legal limbo following a lawsuit challenging it by supporters of the Mexican American Studies program at Tucson Unified School District.

That case is awaiting trial after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2015 there is evidence the statute was enacted for discriminatory reasons. Judge Jed Rakoff, writing for the majority, said it appears the law improperly and illegally interferes with the rights of students to get information.

Heidi Vega, spokeswoman for the Arizona School Boards Association, said her organization believes these standards for public schoolsshould be set not by the legislature but locally elected school boards. But Thorpe said he crafted the measure because local school boards and the Board of Regents are not addressing the issue.

UA spokesman Chris Sigurdson said the "privilege walk'' is an optional activity, saying the optional materials have been in use for more than 20 years. He said it is "not part of any formal curriculum'' at the school.

He referred questions about the legislation itself to the regents. Spokeswoman Sarah Harper said her board has not had a chance to review what Thorpe has proposed.

A spokesman for Arizona State University declined to comment.

Thorpe acknowledged that what he wants raises interesting questions if someone with controversial views is invited to a university campus, especially if it involves the expenditure of public dollars. That might block an appearance by the president-elect, who has publicly made derogatory comments about Mexicans and Muslims.

"I don't know yet at this point,'' he said. "And certainly I don't agree with those kinds of statements.''
If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs.
Arguing that oil companies have done irreparable damage to our homeland, our wetlands, our coast and the Atchafalaya Basin, Atchafalaya Basinkeeper and the Louisiana Crawfish Producers Association-West released a policy statement Monday on the proposed Bayou Bridge Pipeline, which would run 163 miles between Calcasieu and St. James parishes and traverse a portion of the Atchafalaya Basin:

Oil companies have done irreparable damage to our homeland, our wetlands, our coast and the Atchafalaya Basin in flagrant violation of state and federal environmental laws. These companies can very clearly afford to do things by the book, yet, because of lack enforcement of our environmental laws we are paying the bitter consequences, and so will many generations to come.

We ask the state of Louisiana and Louisianas Congressional Delegation to support the Corp of Engineers enforcement and permitting obligations, and to provide the resources needed for them to do their job. The Corps do not have a single person to review permits for compliance and regulatory, nor do they have a boat for monitoring- For God sake, give them a boat!

Louisiana should not be asking for billions of dollars to repair the damages done by the oil industry to our coast until the industry can be properly regulated. It is this lack of regulation which has created the situation we have today.

Real and valuable jobs are those which we have lost, and will continue to lose, as a consequence of greed-generated illegal activities in wetlands, coupled with a lack of enforcement of our environmental laws.

Before granting any permits which will use an existing right-of-way (corridor), we ask the Corps of Engineers to:

1. Conduct a thorough analysis of all existing violations already on the proposed right-of-way.

2. Conduct an EIS to determine the effects that those violations, such as illegal dams and spoil banks, are having into the wetlands, including to navigation on waters of the U.S., fisheries, the ecology and aesthetics of the wetlands.

3. Conduct a study on the economic consequences that these violations are having on the fisheries, ecotourism and any other industry affected by them.

4. Put the right-of-way out of commission until it is brought back into compliance. Make violators accountable by mandating that they correct the problems which they created.

Before granting a permit to Bayou Bridge to build a new pipeline in the Atchafalaya Basin we want the Corps of Engineers to:

1. Review all existing pipeline permits by Energy Transfers and/or any of their subsidiaries.

[We know that Energy Transfer also owns Florida Gas, responsible for building the Florida pipeline across the Atchafalaya Basin, one of the most damaging pipelines ever built.]

2. Identify all lack of compliance issues related to those permits.

3. Make Energy Transfer bring those right-of-ways back into compliance, and fix all damages done to wetlands as a consequence of any and all violations.

LDEQ should base any decisions regarding this permit on facts and data resulting from all Corps investigations and their EIS.
The Louisiana Republican Party finally filed its appeal last week with the U.S. Supreme Court for a challenge to the ban on unlimited donations to political parties.

A three-judge D.C. District Court decided against the state GOP last year, holding that traditional party activities may benefit federal candidates.

While super-PACs may receive unrestricted funds to do independent activities, political parties are severely limited in their participation by funding restrictions, said lead counsel James Bopp Jr. Fairness and the First Amendment require that political parties be liberated from the soft money restrictions on their independent activities so they can effectively participate in our political system by resuming their traditional voter-mobilization activities.
As January reaches its midpoint, Gov. John Bel Edwards hasnt decided who he might support in the Legislatures upcoming special elections in north and south Louisiana.

Its possible that the governor, a Democrat, could potentially avoid the races for these legislative seats altogether, especially since all of them are located in districts that lean conservative.

Edwards made a small handful of endorsements last year, helping Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome get elected but falling short on his other nods for the U.S. Senate, Congress and Public Service Commission.

Now there are three special elections slated for March 25 to fill seats in the House of Representatives.

Candidates have already signed up for the House District 8 race in the Bossier City region, where newly-seated Congressman Mike Johnson vacated the post, and for the House District 92 contest in the Kenner area, which was prompted by the election of former Rep. Tom Willmott to the City Council there.

The race in the Acadiana-based House District 42 will be open to qualifiers beginning next week, from Jan. 25-27. It was made vacant when Jack Montoucet was appointed as the new wildlife and fisheries secretary by Edwards.

Runoffs in all of these special elections, as needed, are scheduled for April 29.

The legislative seats will remain vacant during the Legislatures next special session, which the governor is expected to call for mid-February.

The governor has said that the special session will be needed to help address a $313 million deficit plaguing the current fiscal year.

This years regular session will convene on April 10, which means new lawmakers elected via special elections may miss a few weeks of the action if runoffs are needed.

The regular session is expected to host discussions on tax reform and a contentious budget debate for the 2017-2018 fiscal year.
The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.
Activists in Flagstaff say they fear the repercussions of a bill proposed by Representative Bob Thorpe that aims to prohibit courses, classes, events and activities from promoting division, resentment or social justice toward a race, gender, religion, political affiliation, social class or other class of people.

Retired NAU political science adjunct professor Harriet Young said the bill shows a lack of understanding by Thorpe about the function of a university.

It means we would have to eliminate departments that try to find room for something other than white Christian men in the curriculum, Young said. This is totally misunderstanding the role of a university and education. This is an abysmal failure to understand what higher education is about.

Lori Poloni-Staudinger, the founder and executive director of Together We Will Northern Arizona, said if the bill were to pass, it would all but prohibit teachers and professors from discussing topics like Martin Luther King Jr. or the womens suffrage movement.

Discussions on social justice should be something we are striving for at all levels in the classroom, Poloni-Staudinger said. This would make it illegal.

Poloni-Staudinger said it would be impossible for teachers to discuss the significance of many historical events without the context of social justice, and said it prevents students from being able to think critically about historical or current events.

I think hes infringing on free speech by saying it cant be discussed, Poloni-Staudinger said. It would be impossible to teach a womens studies class without discussing gender injustice.

She said she did not think there would be a clear way for teachers to separate their class discussion from simply facts and historical events from any issues involving social justice that may come up in the discussion. She said a teacher could say as an indisputable fact that Black people were once required to use a different water fountain, but said without the context of racial injustice, teachers could not discuss why.

Poloni-Staudinger said after she and others she knew contacted Thorpe about the bill, he made his Twitter account private and did not respond to their inquiries.

Thorpe did not return a request for comment, but his Twitter account remained private Monday evening.

He refused to engage with citizens and thats not how a democracy works, she said.

Regardless of if the bill passes, Poloni-Staudinger said the proposal was worrisome.

It sends a really horrible signal that the people who are representing us are trying to put forth something like this, she said.
CARBONDALE  This Saturdays Neighborhood Alliance Meeting is intended to give Carbondale residents a comprehensive picture of whats going on in the city, organizers say.

The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at First United Methodist Church, located at 214 W. Main St. It is open to homeowners and renters alike, said Sarah Heyer of the Neighborhood Action Group, which organizes the event each year.

This years topics of discussion include the financial aspects of home-buying, along with a preview of the upcoming Homebuyer Education Seminar, which will take place Feb. 18.

Attendees will hear reports from various neighborhoods and about a dozen city-wide community organizations, such as Carbondale Community Arts, the Carbondale Parks District and the local branch of the NAACP.

Its a way for people to find out whats going on in all the neighborhoods of the city and what different organizations are doing to make Carbondale a better place to live, said Neighborhood Action Group member Sandy Litecky.

A panel of city officials  including Mayor John Mike Henry, Police Chief Jeff Grubbs, and Building and Neighborhood Supervisor John Lenzini  will take questions and discuss whats new in Carbondale.

We talk about whats happening in town  what good things are happening and what things need attention, Heyer said.

City Council candidates will be introduced at noon for an informal meet-and-greet soup potluck luncheon. No one is required to bring anything, but people can contribute bread, crackers or cookies if they wish, Heyer said.

The idea is to bring together people from all over town to reinforce the idea of building community at the neighborhood level, she said.

Registration for the event begins at 9:30 a.m.
MARION  Florence Taylor Barner smiles and accepts the hand of another judge as she secures her spot as the first Haitian-American judge for Broward County in Florida.

This was one of the many images that Carrie Acklin, an instructor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and substance abuse clinician at Centerstone of Illinois, introduced during her keynote speech during Marion's 30th annual Martin Luther King Day celebration.

Acklin said she was honored to speak at the celebration  sponsored by the Boyton Street Community Center and held at the Pavilion.

"I have been invited to speak at several multicultural events, but to be selected as the keynote speaker for this year's City of Marion Martin Luther King Jr. celebration day is one of the highest honors I have received," she said.

Acklin noted the event's theme: To take a stand against injustices by speaking out about them.

"The theme 'Take a stand! You have a right not to remain silent' is very powerful," she said. "It not only encompasses the work that was done by Dr. King, but also reminds us that there is still work to be done."

The day's event, held on the federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, featured various quotes, songs, and an interpretive dance in celebration of the life of the civil rights leader and his vision to end social injustice.

Acklin said in order to achieve justice for all, one must first put an end to enculturation, which refers to the adaptation of characteristics and norms of a culture or group, which she said acts as a barrier to King's vision.

"Enculturation is when we as a society can normalize institutional racism, racial discrimination, racial profiling, hate crimes, police brutality, and privilege," she said.

"What I have learned over the years is that it is easier to speak up and advocate for people who hold the same cards as you and it becomes more difficult to speak up and advocate for those who do not hold these same cards."

An end to social injustice would mean an end to silence, and promoting further action into resolving issues of inequality, Acklin said.

"As a community we can work together to not only speak up on social injustice issues, but to go further to take action to advocate support, and stand behind those whose voices have been silenced by society so that they can be heard," she said.

As the celebration came to a close, John Holst, a reverend at Zion United Church of Christ in Marion, and Marion Mayor Bob Butler announced and distributed community service awards to Carmen Allen-Adeoye, Joe Marshall, Lillian Thompson, and Bill Rucker for their work in the community.

"They are dedicated people who have given up time from themselves to help," Marion Mayor Bob Butler said.
SPRINGFIELD  The first bill introduced in the Illinois Senate during the new session of the General Assembly that began Wednesday is reserved for a long-awaited overhaul of the way the state funds public schools.

But a plan hasnt been unveiled yet because a commission that Gov. Bruce Rauner convened this summer is still working out specifics.

With the commissions Feb. 1 deadline roughly two weeks away, a draft report issued last week shows there are several items on which lawmakers of both parties and both legislative chambers have yet to reach a consensus. Among those issues is how to define what constitutes adequate funding for each school district across the state.

Despite the remaining work, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are hopeful that an overhaul of Illinois education funding formula can be part of a grand bargain on the state budget and other issues.

A bipartisan package of bills that includes tax increases, spending cuts, new casino licenses and a host of other issues has been introduced in the Senate, and committee hearings are expected to begin as soon as next week on some portions. The effort has the backing of both Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont.

The most important piece of that package, to me, is school funding reform, state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said Monday.

Manar, whos been working on the issue since arriving in the Senate in 2013, said the commission has brought lawmakers from both parties and both legislative chambers together with Rauner administration officials for a productive conversation.

I dont think weve unearthed an easier way to accomplish school funding reform in Illinois, he said. I think its as difficult today as it ever has been since we started this conversation.

Previous reform efforts have faltered due to the political difficulties of passing legislation that would either shift money from wealthier school districts to poorer ones or result in a large increase in state spending. The issue often breaks down along both partisan and regional lines.

Given those challenges, tying school funding to the larger discussion of a budget compromise could be essential to passing legislation, said state Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, whos been a leader for his caucus on the issue.

If ever there was a time to address it, the time would be now in the context of us coming together in a bipartisan manner on all these other host of issues, Barickman said. This ones so difficult in any normal context that I think its critical to incorporate into this larger effort.

The overall goal of funding reform is to direct more state money to school districts with the greatest need while also accounting for each districts individual characteristics, such as the number of special education students and students from low-income households.

Illinois current system, which relies heavily on local property taxes, is among the worst in the nation at providing equitable funding for wealthy and poor school districts.

Manar and Barickman are both optimistic that the Senate can find a bipartisan approach to solving that problem.
Carolyn S. Boehle, 81 of Flagstaff passed away peacefully in her sleep January 12, 2017. She was born January 30, 1935 in Charleston, West Virginia, to Martin and Lillian Miles Coffey.

She moved to Flagstaff in 1962 where she was a nurse at FMC and private offices in town. She taught Nursing at Coconino High School and was instrumental in creating medical internships for her students, many of whom still work in the Flagstaff medical field.

Carolyn made a huge impact in the community with her mentoring and volunteer work. She attended San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church, formerly St. Pius X Catholic Church; taught Religious Education, sang in the choir, and was a Cursillista. She also served as director of Sweet Adelines Choir, was a Board Member at Coconino Federal Credit Union, loved to quilt, loved her dogs and was a huge Arizona Diamondbacks fan.

She will be remembered for her quilts and Christmas stockings made for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and her challenging and mischievous puzzles hiding Christmas gifts.

Carolyn was loved by many and will be greatly missed.

Preceded in death by spouse Jack Boehle. Survived by 4 children Cathy (Steve) Allen, Steve (Lisa) Boehle, Mark Boehle, Marianne (Jim) Cook, 9 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren

Family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be sent to St. Vincent de Paul.

Funeral Mass Wednesday, January 18th at 11:00 a.m., with Rosary prior at 10:00 a.m. at San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church, 1600 E. Route 66 Flagstaff. Interment at Calvary Cemetery with a luncheon to follow interment at Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel basement.

Memories can condolences can be shared in online guestbook at www.norvelowensmortuary.com
Intoxicated man punches officer

An intoxicated man punched a police officer outside of a downtown bar, leading the officer to punch the man several times before he was arrested Saturday night. According to the police report, a man was causing a disturbance after being asked to leave Collins Irish Pub & Grill. The officer escorted him away and when the officer tried to arrest the man he attempted to run. The officer grabbed the man's shirt and as he did the man turned around and punched the officer in the head.

The officer then punched the man several times. Fighting continued until employees from Collins as well as several other officers who arrived on scene helped subdue the man and place him in handcuffs.

Eric McGregor, 34, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. He was booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility.

Man strikes medical employees

An intoxicated man struck and attempted to kick two emergency room staff at Flagstaff Medical Center early Saturday morning. According to the police report, a Flagstaff police officer first encountered the man earlier in the night at Jimmy John's when he threatened an employee with a knife and refused to leave the establishment. The man was extremely intoxicated at the time and fell twice, hitting his head the second time, which initially prompted the call for medics.

At the hospital, the man struck a Guardian Medical employee on the back with a closed fist, then attempted to kick the employee. He also tried to kick a nurse in the face while she attempted to attend to him.

Joey Dupuis, 56, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault and disorderly conduct and booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility.

Charged with DUI

 Marilyn Holston, 59, of the 5300 block of Velvet Valley Lane in Flagstaff was arrested on Sunday at 4:40 p.m. on suspicion of extreme DUI.

 Christopher Garcia, 33, of the 800 block of West Forest Meadows Street in Flagstaff was arrested Saturday at 12:13 a.m. on suspicion of aggravated DUI and driving on a suspended license.

 Kristen Barnett, 29, of the 2700 block of East Miller Drive in Flagstaff was arrested Monday at 12:30 a.m. on suspicion of DUI.

City and county residents who want to report a crime but wish to remain anonymous may call Silent Witness at 774-6111 or (877) 29-CRIME. Rewards of up to $2,000 are given for information that leads to an arrest.
In times when there is relative social, global and economic stability, oil price forecasts tend to be reasonably accurate because they are driven by mainly population and economic growth. But stable times so far this decade have been the exception rather than the rule. There are now simply too many variables that are uncertain to place much confidence in forecasts of crude oil prices, especially forecasts based on OPEC-negotiated production cuts.

What will be the effect of the gradual disintegration of the European Union? Will China and other Asian economies be able to achieve higher levels of economic growth? Will the economic policies of President Trump be able to achieve 3 percednt economic growth? Will terrorists be able to interrupt the flow and production of oil? Will OPEC production cuts stick? Will cyber warfare cause economic disruptions? Will there be a black swan event that catches everyone off guard? The list of uncertainties could go on but it is sufficient to say that uncertain times lead to more volatility, which leads to wider ranges in crude oil price forecasts.

Michael Lynch, a recognized energy analyst, has put oil price forecasting in perspective. Anyone who has been in the business of predicting oil markets should be pretty humble, because weve all gotten it wrong many times, sometimes spectacularly. That has been especially true in recent years when prices have swung from a high of $141 a barrel to a low of $27. The latest forecast by the Energy Information Administration estimates that crude oil will average $52 a barrel with the near-term range being $34 to $71, reflecting continued volatility, while Bank of America is more bullish based lower investments over the past few years and a healthy increase in demand growth.

Outside of possibly the United States, there are no signs that demand will increase much, so price will be driven by supply. If the price of crude does start to rise further as a result of the OPEC cuts actually taking hold, U.S. and Canadian shale oil producers will have a strong incentive to drill in fields that were abandoned when the price got below $40 a barrel. The number of drilling rigs has increased as the price of crude has risen to current levels.

Increased domestic production is good for the economy and helps offset reductions elsewhere. How big those reductions, if they actually occur, will be is anybodys guess. OPEC members have a history of cheating and, with the exception of Saudi Arabia, will almost certainly cheat again if they can. But, that is a big if.

Global production estimates are subject to a number of uncertainties that will affect prices through the year. Venezuela, an economic basket case, has seen its production decline and there is no evidence that it can reverse that decline. Iraqs production has been increasing but its production faces risks from ISIS attacks. Nigeria and Libya both face uncertainties due to militant activities.

With the lifting of sanctions, Irans oil production has increased from 2.8 million barrels a day to 3.8 million. Although Russia has agreed to reduce its production to support higher prices, more production, not less, is as a way of injecting more money into the economy.

On balance the outlook for increases in global production is not encouraging and the 1.2 million-barrel-a-day decrease negotiated by OPEC is probably on the high side. That combined with a strong dollar, which depresses the price of oil, suggests that a big increase in crude prices is not likely unless the market is hit with a black swan surprise.
South Carolina lawmakers favoring an increase in the gasoline tax as a way to fund road and bridge repairs can point to another source of support.

There may not be a better time for states to increase gas taxes to help pay for infrastructure improvements, Michael Hicks, an economist at Ball State University in Indiana, states in a new policy brief, Gasoline Taxes: Some History and Analysis Introduction.

Hicks points out the cost of driving 100 miles is now half what it was in the 1930s and, according to generally accepted economic models, an increase in gasoline taxes of five cents will have no appreciable impact on key measures of employment or gross domestic product.

If there is a long-term need to increase gasoline taxes to pay for infrastructure maintenance and construction, the current low prices, increasing fuel efficiency and long-term decline in real tax revenues suggest this is a good time to enact such an increase, said Hicks, director of Ball States Center for Business and Economic Research. A final, but critical point, is that higher tax rates are not necessarily viewed negatively by businesses and residents. Higher taxes deployed to purchase more or better-quality public services positively affect economic outcomes.

South Carolina is one of 12 states considering a gas tax hike this year. Drivers in nine other states saw an increase as 2017 began.

In our state, lawmakers have public and business support for raising money for infrastructure, with most plans for sustainable sources of revenue including a gas tax increase. Legislators worry more about the negative reaction from constituents and business if further efforts to make improvements stall.

Proposals would phase in an increase in the state's gas tax  now the nation's third lowest at 16 cents per gallon  to 26 cents or 28 cents per gallon.

A House proposal would increase the tax by 2 cents annually for five years, plus raise the state's $300 sales tax cap on vehicles to $500, while a Senate plan would boost it by 4 cents annually for three years.

Among key arguments in favor of the increase is: About a third revenues from the gas tax come from those traveling through the state.

But obstacles remain.

Senators led by Tom Davis of Beaufort County are adamant that reforms in S.C. Department of Transportation governance must come before more new money is funneled to DOT. Davis pledges to fight any funding plan unless lawmakers make changes at DOT.

He and others have the backing of Gov. Nikki Haley, who wants DOT changes and a cut in state income taxes in exchange for her support of a higher gas tax.

Haley in 2016 did go along with more than $4 billion in roadwork financed through borrowing and redirecting existing fees and vehicle sales taxes. But, as The Associated Press reports, that didn't come close to the $1.5 billion annually over several decades the DOT has said it needs to bring the nation's fourth-largest highway system to good condition.

Lawmakers believe they have taken reform steps by giving the governor input on picking DOT commissioners, but Haley and Davis are among those wanting the governor to take control of the highway department by putting it directly under the chief executive.

The issue is about control in a state long dominated by a strong Legislature  but we share lawmakers concerns about a DOT controlled by the executive branch.

Road and bridge repairs should not be held hostage in the debate over DOT governance and/or proposals to cut income and business taxes.

What happens with the gas tax and a road plan this year may come to down to a change at the top. If Gov. Nikki Haley, as expected, is approved as soon-to-be President Donald Trumps ambassador to the United Nations, Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster will become governor. And while he has not signaled a stand on the matter, there is belief that he will be open to advancing a roads plan.

Count us among those urging him to make that his position for the good of South Carolina.
A blog for students in my introductory classes in government, and any interested passersby. You'll find news items and random stories that illustrate any of the topics we cover in class. Special attention will be paid to the constitutional issues associated with contemporary issues and disputes. Feel free to send me stories you find important. Please note that due to spam, I'm limiting the ability of people to comment on these pages. My apologies.
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By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan imported 917,600 tons of grain from Russia in the second half of 2016, Russia's Federal Center for evaluation of safety and quality of grain and products of its processing declared on January 16.

The share of Azerbaijan in Russias overall index of the grain exports amounted to 3.8 percent, thereby making Azerbaijan the fifth in the list of Russian grain importers.

In general, Russia exported 20.8 million tons of grains during the last six months of 2016. A total of 16.32 million tons of them made up the export of wheat.

Most products were exported to Turkey  3.61 million tons (15 percent of total grains exports). Next positions were taken by Egypt (3.44 million tons/14.3 percent), Bangladesh (1.63 million tons/6.8 percent) and Iran (1,08 million tons/4.5 percent).

The State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan reported that the country produced 2.84 million tons of grain in January-November 2016, which made up 1.97 percent more than the indicator of the same period in 2015. An average of 29.5 hundredweight were collected per hectare.

In general, Azerbaijan satisfies its demand for grains by 70-80 percent through domestic production. The remaining demand is met through imports, mainly from Russia and Kazakhstan.

Russia remains one of Azerbaijans main foreign trade partners. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia totaled $739.8 million in January-May 2016, according to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee.

Some 170 agreements, with 50 being in the sphere of economy have been so far concluded between the two countries.
By Nigar Abbasova

Crude oil prices moved in volatile territory in early Tuesday trading amid mixed signals from the market.

World oil prices reacted to mixed signals from Saudi Arabia on strict adherence to its reduction pledges, a report forecasting an increase in U.S. output, as well as skepticism that oversupply would be curbed.

Brent futures stood at $55.67 per barrel, 19 cents down, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures were trading at $52.39 recording an increase of 2 cents, Reuters reported. The price of a barrel of Azeri Light crude oil decreased $0.14 to stand at $55.93.

The market received a strong support from the top crude exporter and de-facto leader of OPEC, Saudi Arabia, which is expected to shoulder the bulk of supply reductions.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said that the Kingdom would adhere to its pledges, expressing confidence that OPEC's plan to prop up prices would work. He added that he was encouraged by signs of commitments by other participants since the 6-month deal came into effect.

However, his comments were not assessed as a totally positive as he said producers are unlikely to extend the agreement beyond six months.

Supportive comments also came from OPEC Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo, who was in Caracas for a meeting with President Nicolas Maduro. Barkindo forecasted that stability would return to oil markets this year, expressing his optimism that full and timely implementation of the historic decision will improve the situation tremendously.

Also, Irans Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh evaluated the situation in oil market as positive, saying the era of expensive oil has reached.

I am sure that OPEC and non-OPEC states would commit to oil cut. The physical effect of the deal would increase oil price more by clearing the glut in markets, Irans state-run IRIB TV quoted the minister as saying.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has increased the forecast for the average oil price for 2017 by $0.6 to $51.2 per barrel, according to IMFs updated World Economic Outlook.

Despite a reportedly high level of compliance crude prices have fallen almost 5 percent since their early January peaks, increasing skepticism among traders. Investors are still doubtful that OPEC and its allies can trim output enough to push up prices, while the question, which remains is will the agreement be enough to give a respite to the market.

On the other side, expectations of rising oil output in the United States also restricts price gains. U.S. oil output is now at 8.95 million bpd, up from less than 8.5 million bpd in June last year and generally at levels in 2014. Goldman Sachs said it expects year-on-year U.S. oil production to rise by 235,000 bpd in 2017.
By Azernews

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan and Czech Republic voiced commitment to strengthening and expanding the partnership, as the officials and entrepreneurs of the two countries met in Baku.

The capital city hosted an Azerbaijan-Czech Business Forum on January 17, where a large delegation including about 170 Czech businessmen, engaged in agriculture, food industry, finance, insurance, energy, logistics, construction, law, petrochemistry, mechanical engineering, glass production and other sectors of the economy, and led by Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Jan Mladek took part.

Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev, addressing the event, highlighted the country's interest in expanding the export of non-oil products to the Czech Republic.

Mustafayev noted that an analysis has been held in order to determine the list of goods that Azerbaijan can export to the Czech market.

First of all, it is a variety of agricultural products, including nuts, tea, fruits and vegetables, cotton, wine and others, he clarified.

Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic, said the minister, can also develop cooperation in the industrial, transportation, tourism, finance and other spheres.

Czech Republic, a reliable partner for Azerbaijan in several fields, mainly imports Azerbaijani oil, while industrial equipment and consumer goods are exported to Azerbaijan. Currently, the two countries intend to focus on non-oil sector.

Speaking on the activities of Czech entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan, the minister said that the total amount of their investment in the economy amounted to $1.3 billion so far.

Another 1.8 billion euros were granted by Czech banks for the implementation of various projects in Azerbaijan. In addition, Czech companies as contractors involved in various projects in Azerbaijan, totaling $ 16 billion, added Mustafayev.

The Czech Republic ranks the 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.

Mladek, in turn, began his speech praising stable economic relations established between the two states.

Azerbaijan is a strategic supplier of oil to the Czech Republic and today these supplies provide about a third of the needs of the Czech Republic, Mladek said, adding that the country is interested in implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor project, aiming to deliver gas from Azerbaijan to Europe.

Today most of the gas supplied to the Czech Republic, comes from Russia via Ukraine, reminded the minister, mentioning that the prospects of supplies on this route are not clear.



"So the Czech Republic is interested in securing new supply sources - from Azerbaijan, in the future from Iran and other Caspian states," he stressed.

On Azerbaijani-Czech economic relations, the minister noted cooperation develops between the two countries in non-oil field. Mladek said his country is interested in developing ties with Azerbaijan in relevant field.

He said that Czech companies have great opportunities in the field of agriculture and food production, as well as education, science, power industry, medicine, and environmental protection.

"There is a large potential for development of cooperation in the tourism sector. For several years Azerbaijani tourists actively visit Czech Republic. Moreover, there are a lot of opportunities to attract Czech tourists to Azerbaijan," he emphasized.

The minister further stressed that the two countries signed a number of agreements on strategic partnership, where the Czech Republic supports not only the development of bilateral cooperation, but also the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the European Union and is interested in strengthening the "Eastern Partnership" program.

Mladek also noted that the Czech Republic supports Azerbaijan's intention to join the WTO and is ready to provide full support to Baku in this respect.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic amounted to $316 million in January-November 2016, and $214.4 million of which accounted for the export of Azerbaijani goods to the Czech Republic, according to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee.
By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan`s Defense Ministry has announced that the level of combat training of the armys mortar units located on the frontline is being checked.

The mortar detachments using 120 mm self-propelled systems CARDOM carry out tasks on the destruction of simulated light armored vehicles, living force, firing positions and imaginary enemy targets, which are located behind the natural obstacles in the mountain-forest and steppe areas.

Military personnel performs standards for the forming-up of the units in the order of battle, detecting and determining the targets, selecting the place for firing, repositioning and special training.

The countrys armed forces regularly conduct military exercises since Azerbaijan remains in a state of war with Armenia, as Armenian forces occupy a 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions.

The Azerbaijani Army, which today is considered the most modern army in the Caucasus, consists of Air Force and Air Defense Forces, the Navy, and the Land Forces.

Today, Azerbaijani Army is one of the most powerful, highly disciplined armies in the world and the leading in the region, which is equipped with modern military machinery.

The skills and combat readiness of the Azerbaijani Army are growing year by year. The army building process in Azerbaijan is progressing as well. Azerbaijan leaves behind many CIS and regional countries to take its place among the first 70 strongest militaries of the world, according to the U.S.-based Global Firepower survey center.
Remembering Humphrey Bogart: January 14: Snapshots in History

On January 14 and beyond, take a moment to remember the life and acting career of Humphrey Bogart (Born: December 25, 1899, New York City, New York; Died: January 14, 1957, Los Angeles, California). In June 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Humphrey Bogart as the top male actor of all time in the history of American cinema.

Bogarts scholastic record was undistinguished so he joined the United States Navy in spring 1918. Following World War One, he worked as a shipper, sold bonds and joined the Naval Reserve. Bogart got introduced to show business through a school friends fathers connections. He tried screenwriting, directing and producing but did not shine in these endeavours. However, he found his niche in stage acting, appearing in some 17 Broadway productions between 1922 and 1935. Bogart began acting in films in 1928. With the onset of the Great Depression, Bogarts stage acting decreased so he turned more to film work but still had frequent periods of unemployment between 1930 and 1935.

Bogart starred in The Petrified Forest both on stage and on-screen in 1935-1936 but things began to look up for Humphrey Bogart as he landed major roles in the film noir productions High Sierra (1941) (with the screenplay written by his good friend John Huston) and The Maltese Falcon (1941) (directed by John Huston in his directorial debut). In 1942, Bogart starred for the first time in a romantic leading role in Casablanca (directed by Michael Curtiz), playing American expatriate nightclub owner Rick Blaine (for which he was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role but lost).



Bogart met his fourth (and final) wife Lauren Bacall when they acted together in To Have and Have Not in 1944 (directed by Howard Hawks). Bacall and Bogart also collaborated on the following film noir productions: The Big Sleep (1946) (directed by Howard Hawks), Dark Passage (1947) (directed by Delmer Daves) and Key Largo (1948) (directed by John Huston). Bogart also collaborated with director John Huston and his father actor Walter Huston on The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) for which John Huston won two Oscars (best directing and best writing  adapted screenplay) and Walter Huston won an Oscar for best supporting actor. Bogart won his only Oscar  for best actor  in The African Queen (1951) (directed by John Huston) in which he starred opposite Katharine Hepburn.

Humphrey Bogart also acted in The Caine Mutiny (1954) (for which he was nominated for best actor but lost to Marlon Brando), Sabrina (1954), The Barefoot Contessa (1954), Were No Angels (1955), The Left Hand of God (1955), The Desperate Hours (1955), and finally, The Harder They Fall (1956). As a result of heavy smoking and drinking, Bogart developed cancer of the esophagus but did not seek treatment until it was too late to arrest the progress of the disease; he died in January 1957. Consider the following book titles for borrowing from Toronto Public Library collections:

Follow Bogarts life and his breakthrough into the A-list acting parts in his early 40s in the early 1940s. See how his playing of bad guys and tough guys in acting roles contrasted with his privileged upbringing. Author Raymond Chandler was pleased with Bogarts casting in The Big Sleep and made the telling comment that Bogart can be tough without a gun. Bogarts rise to the top in the acting world was tempered by his poor health and ultimate death in 1957 from cancer.

Also available in Large Print format.

Contrast the public persona of Humphrey Bogart the actor with his personal demons and doubts, his upper-class background with playing mavericks and tough guys, and his ultimate success in acting with his distrust of celebrity and stardom.







Humphrey Bogart became a father later in life. His son, author Stephen Humphrey Bogart, took a look back at Humphrey Bogart the actor and the father in an attempt to dispel the anger towards the father that he lost when he was only eight years old.

Consider watching the following DVD documentary about Humphrey Bogart:







Join actor Peter Graves and A&Es Biography series for a documentary look at the life and career of Humphrey Bogart.

Consider the following Humphrey Bogart movies in DVD format for borrowing from Toronto Public Library collections:

The African Queen

Angels with dirty faces

Beat the devil

The big sleep

The Caine mutiny

Call it murder

Casablanca

Dark victory

In a lonely place

Key Largo

The Maltese falcon

The "petrified forest"

Sabrina

To have and have not

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre



Take a look at the Official Humphrey Bogart website with a message from Bogarts son Stephen Humphrey Bogart.
Saudi Arabia is expected to see a decline in growth to 0.4 per cent in 2017, compared with a growth of 1.4 per cent in 2016, an IMF report said. The kingdom is expected to grow at 2.3 per cent in 2018.



The Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan region is also expected to see a fall in growth this year compared to last year, according to the latest IMF report.



The IMF January 2017 World Economic Outlook forecasts a growth of 3.1 per cent this year for the region, compared with 3.8 per cent in 2016. The region is expected to see a growth of 3.5 per cent in 2018.



Questioned at a press conference what are the reasons behind cutting the 2017 forecast for Saudi Arabia even as the expected rise in oil prices provide room for government spending, an IMF official said Saudi Arabia relies on oil revenues for a very sizable fraction of its exports and its government revenues, and, hence, the impact of lower oil prices on the economy is very strong. And thre has been, in 2016, a very sharp slowdown in growth. The kingdom had growth just of 1.4 percent.



The forecast for 2017 depends, of course, on the behaviour of both the oil part of the economy and the non-oil part of the economy, the official said.



"As in regard to the oil part of the economy, we have the impact of the agreement between major producers which is an agreement to curtail to some extent oil supply, and hence less oil production is going to mean less output from the oil sector even if prices are a little bit higher," the official said.



With regard to the non-oil economy, Saudi Arabia is embarking on a very ambitious structural reform programme, but also a very sizeable fiscal consolidation because of the decline in oil revenues. So there is a big adjustment in spending downwards. There is an adjustment in taxes upwards, and as a result the non-oil growth is not going to be as buoyant as it was during period of strong oil prices, she said.



"Clearly, a bit higher oil prices help on the revenue front, but there is a lot of ground to be made in order to close the fiscal deficit that has opened with the decline in oil prices." - TradeArabia News Service
Discussions are under way on expanding Bahrains biggest commercial port in the next decade to meet an influx in demand for services, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.



To read further, please visit GDNonline.






The UAE elevators market is projected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of eight per cent till 2021, said a report.



Growing disposable income and the booming construction market coupled with favourable government initiatives is set to drive the demand for elevators and escalators over the next four years, according to TechSci Research, a leading global management consulting firm.



With increasing urbanisation, a surge in construction of high-rise buildings, a booming real estate sector and growing investments by public as well as private entities for the improvement of infrastructure are expected to drive the demand for elevators and escalators in the UAE during the period, it stated.



By 2015, the passenger elevator segment dominated the UAE elevators market, followed by freight elevators, said TechSci in its report entitled "UAE Elevators & Escalators Market, By Type of Carriage, By Type of Machinery, By Type of Door, By End Use, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2011 - 2021.'



The report evaluates the future growth potential of the UAE elevator and escalators market and provides statistics and information on market size, structure and future market growth.



According to TechSci, an increasing number of high-rise buildings is driving the demand for passenger elevators across different end-user segments including residential, commercial, industrial and government institutions.



Major companies operating in the UAE elevators market include ETA Melco, Kone Middle East, Otis, Schindler and ThyssenKrupp, among others.



"In order to increase focus on infrastructure and urban development, the Government of UAE has taken an initiative to expand the metro lines, and the construction for the same is going on across the country," remarked Karan Chechi, the research director with TechSci Research.



"For instance, Dubai Metro Green Line will be extended in which 11 new metro stations will be added to the route. Moreover, Alstom, Acciona and Gulermak signed a contract with Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) to design and build the extension of Dubai's Red Metro Line," he noted.



"This extension will be completed by 2020 and it will add 12 stations to the Red Line, which currently has 29 stations. All these developments in the country are expected to generate a huge demand for elevators and escalators in the country during the forecast period," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy, and sustainable technologies, has signed a research collaboration agreement with Korea University to develop energy-efficient desalination technologies in the UAE.



The research project aims to confirm the viability of large-scale production of desalinated water from a plant fully powered by renewable energy.



It also aims to demonstrate the potential of using promising innovative desalination technologies to reduce the energy footprint of desalination in the UAE.



Under the deal, a consortium of South Korean companies will build a pilot desalination plant in Abu Dhabi to facilitate the research to be conducted by both universities.



An agreement was signed by Prof Seungkwan Hong, the research director of Korea University along with Kim Byung-Soo, the president of Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement (KAIA), Masdar CEO Mohammed Al Ramahi and Dr Behjat Al Yousuf, the interim provost, Masdar Institute in the presence of Yoo Seung-young, Korean deputy director of Water Resources Policy Bureau, on the sidelines of the ongoing World Future Energy Summit (WFES).



The summit is being organized as part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2017 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC).



Dr Al Yousuf said: "For the past many decades desalination has been crucial for meeting the growing freshwater needs of the UAE. Going forward, however, we also recognize that it is also crucial for the UAE to reduce its energy consumption and carbon footprint to attain greater sustainability."



"Renewable energy-powered and energy-efficient desalination is a win-win that will enable us to do both, and we are hopeful that this collaborative research agreement with the Korea University and the KAIA will help validate the technologies needed to make low-carbon desalination a reality," he noted.



Byung-Soo said the Korean R&D project on SWRO desalination in collaboration with UAE was expected to strengthen itsresilience to resolve global water shortage in response to climate change.



"We also hope that the innovative technologies obtained through this research will make Korea and UAE more competitive in the global desalination market," he noted.



According to the agreement, a collaborative research program will evaluate the performance of the desalination pilot plant. Additionally, it will foster the collaboration with Korea University to develop, test and demonstrate novel pretreatment technologies with high potential for energy-efficient operation.



Dr. Hassan Arafat, Professor of Water and Environmental Engineering at Masdar Institute, will be the principal investigator of the research project, while the research team at Korea University will be led by Professor Seungkwan .K. Hong.



Dr Arafat has experience in developing desalination technologies and systems, with particular focus on sustainable, low-energy technologies.



The research program will comprise specific tasks for both Masdar Institute and Korea University. Masdar Institute will conduct chemical analysis of water streams to support the development of pre-treatment technology developed at Korea University, said the statement from the company.



Masdar Institute will also support Korea University in their evaluation of the performance of the Korean pilot desalination plant installed in Abu Dhabi, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the French electricity company (Electricite de France) to enhance further co-operation and facilitate exchanging of expertise in areas of mutual interest.



It supports Dewas efforts to build strategic partnerships that employ regional and international capabilities to drive sustainable development, tackle climate change, and enhance energy efficiency, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the managing director and chief executive of Dewa, after signing the agreement with Antoine Cahuzac, senior executive vice president of Renewable Energies at EDF during the World Future Energy Summit 2017 (WFES).



The signing took place at Dewas stand in the presence of Michel Miraillet, ambassador of France to the UAE.



As per the deal, Dewa and EDF will work together in research and development (R&D) in energy system integration, energy storage, renewable energy, distributed energy resources, demand response, energy resilience, disaster recovery, electric vehicle charging stations, and laboratory infrastructure development.



"Establishing a strategic partnership with a leading organisation such as EDF, which has a proven track record of achievements in electricity and R&D, supports Dewas commitment to adopting the latest technological innovations and benefiting from international best practices," remarked Al Tayer.



"We strive to enhance co-operation in R&D, and exchange expertise in areas of mutual interest. This will contribute to innovating analytical methodologies, and improving tools to develop innovative solutions to increase energy efficiency and further promote renewable energy use," he stated.



Cahuzac said the French power group will focus on major R&D topics besides promoting smart grid development, and renewable resources integration.



"This is key for the low carbon future of Dubai. We are convinced that this MoU is the first step towards a long-lasting and significant cooperation between EDF and Dewa," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
A big majority of millennials in the GCC are increasingly concerned about the effects of global warming on the climate and its damaging impact in the future, a new study said.



Global warming is seen as a problem for almost all respondents (92 per cent), who also think that the environment is under a bigger threat today than 20 years ago (92 per cent), according to the survey conducted by global research firm YouGov.



The survey aimed to better understand how they perceive the connection between the climate and the job market, and above all to better identify their expectations regarding the stakeholders who are shaping todays world, which they will inherit tomorrow.



Even with the majority of respondents sharing the opinion that global warming is an important issue and 64 per cent believing a solution can be found, fighting against global warming is not the first future priority for many with just 6 per cent considering it a top priority and only 20 per cent regarding the fight against global warming as one of their top three priorities for the future.



It is encouraging to see that 9 out 10 millennials in the GCC are concerned about the environment and they remain cautiously optimistic that solutions could still be found to counter the issues. YouGovs managing director Kailash Nagdev said.



The young are leading the way by making cautious choices in terms of career paths and companies they work for, that could help them work on some of these solutions.



About 77 per cent of respondents believe that a commitment to green growth and the implementation of measures to reduce greenhouse gases will improve the economic and job situation in the GCC, with most agreeing that it is possible to combine material progress and environmental protection (81 per cent).



More than half of respondents (52 per cent) believe that their education has prepared them sufficiently to face tomorrow's challenges, particularly challenges concerning global warming. 8 in 10 believe that global warming will change the nature of existing jobs (new skills, new partnerships, etc.) and 64 per cent believe that Global warming will destroy existing jobs.



Nearly 56 per cent of respondents indicated that contributing to the fight against global warming is one of their career goals and a factor in their choice of job or profession. Wage/level of income is the most important criteria when considering an employment opportunity for almost one quarter (24 per cent), however the employer's commitment to the protection of the environment and fight against global warming is the most important criteria for only 7 per cent of respondents.



When it comes to who exactly young people of the GCC trust to help solve the global warming problem 87 per cent trust Scientists and experts, 82 per cent trust Schools and universities, 77 per cent trust NGOs and other charitable/humanitarian organizations and 74 per cent trust their government to protect the environment. Conversely only 50 per cent of respondents trust the businesses and to step up and help in protecting the environment.



The above combined with lack of trust in the companies signals that organisations willing that genuinely care about the environment would be the brand of choice for employment and purchasing decisions for the millennial work force, said Nagdev. - TradeArabia News Service
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with Prime Hospital, ProVita International Medical Center and International Modern Hospital.



The three MoUs are part of the authoritys strategy to partner with the private sector to provide the public with the best medical services possible.



Humaid Al Qatami, chairman of the board and director general of the DHA signed the MoU with Dr Kishan Pakkal, CEO of International Modern Hospital, Dr Jamil Ahmad managing director of Prime Healthcare Group and Micheal Davis, chief executive officer, ProVita International Medical Center.



Al Qatami said that providing the best care for the public is a joint responsibility for both the public and private sector, which is why the authority strives to partner with the private sector to better serve patients effectively and efficiently, while maintain high quality standards.



The MoU aims to facilitate the transfer of patients who need long term care and depend of ventilatorsbetween the DHA and the hospitals and medical centers who signed the MoU.



The hospital officials said they are looking forward to collaborating with the DHA believing that together they can provide quality health services that can achieve a happier and healthier society.  TradeArabia News Service
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.
Toyota Motor Corporation has agreed to collaborate with Masdar, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), Air Liquide, and Toyota distributor Al-Futtaim Motors in a joint research programme to explore the potential of hydrogen energy use in the UAE for the creation of a sustainable, low-carbon society.



As part of the programme, Toyota will begin driving and refuelling demonstration tests of the Mirai fuel cell vehicle (FCV) in the UAE from May 2017.



The agreement was announced January 16 at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), which was held in Abu Dhabi.



The programme partners will jointly research on key issues involving the establishment of a hydrogen-based society, including hydrogen production, logistics, scalability, and business feasibility, said a statement.



The research is expected to take place in part at Masdar Institute, an Abu Dhabi-based independent graduate research university, which has been part of the discussions on the scope of hydrogen research, it said.



Utilising a hydrogen station that is to be built in May 2017, Toyota will conduct a complete range of driving and refueling tests under extreme heat, dust, and other conditions unique to the local environment. Toyota will also provide short-term leases to the UAE government institutions and opinion leaders so as to promote better understanding of FCVs and hydrogen-based societies.



The UAE has vast potential for the expansion of hydrogen production. The country has excess capacity at hydrogen production facilities located at oil refineries, and the ability to produce hydrogen as a byproduct at caustic soda and other factories, not to mention the production potential from mega solar power stations, said Takeshi Uchiyamada, chairman of the Toyota Motor Corporation Board of Directors, who gave a speech at the Abu Dhabi Global Action Day at ADSW.



As the government continues to promote new initiatives and pursues the creation of a hydrogen-based society, the UAE is able to emerge as the world leader of next-generation clean energies, Uchiyamada added.



As a major oil-producing nation, the UAE has been dependent on oil as its primary industry. The government is currently promoting a new national agenda called the UAE Vision 2021, which prioritizes air quality improvement, expansion of the use of clean energies, and to make the nation a world leader in infrastructure quality. This collaborative research program will explore the potential for hydrogen usage in Masdar City - a low carbon neighbourhood in Abu Dhabi, which is built on the principles of sustainable design and stands as a commercially-viable "green print" for future urban development across the Middle Eastern region.



Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said: Toyota is among the most innovative companies in the world, with an outstanding track record of pioneering commercially-viable clean technologies for the automotive industry. Masdar is thrilled to be part of this exciting and important initiative with Toyota, ADNOC, Air Liquide, Masdar Institute and Al-Futtaim Motors, which aims to unlock the enormous potential of hydrogen energy use in the UAE. Hydrogen can make an important contribution towards the UAE's target for a 50 per cent low carbon energy mix by 2050.



Toyota has also announced the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 in 2015, to help to contribute to the realisation of sustainable societies. The company is taking various initiatives to accomplish the various outlined challenges, which include reducing CO2 emissions from new cars by 90% (compared with 2010 levels) among others. Toyota is currently selling the hydrogen-fuelled zero emissions Mirai FCV that only emits water in Japan, the United States and Europe. TradeArabia News Service




ABB has shipped the first batch of nine electrical houses (E-Houses) to enable reliable power supply to an offshore oilfield in the UAE.



The 98m E-Houses will supply reliable power to the Satah al-Razboot (SARB) offshore oilfield.



The $80 million order  ABBs largest E-House project to date - was awarded by Hyundai Engineering & Construction, a major engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPC) contractor for the project, and was booked in 2014.



Power will be supplied to the facility, 200 km northwest of Abu Dhabi, by five gas turbine generators connected to the ABB modularized E-Houses. A modular E-House is a prefabricated, walk-in outdoor enclosure comprising low- and medium-voltage switchgear, as well as auxiliary equipment.



This solution  effectively a substation  reduces on-site installation and maintenance work, a particular benefit in remote areas.



The transportability of ABBs modular E-Houses makes them easy and cost-effective to install and relocate, said Tarak Mehta, president of Electrification Products division.



Our innovative solution will help strengthen the reliability of power supplies to this facility. The creation of the new Electrification Products division allows us to better meet our customers demands with combined low and medium-voltage solutions. This is a great example how we add value to our customers. We can offer a range of packaged solutions to drive our customers productivity, Mehta said.



The nine modularised E-Houses provide total space of 4000 sq m for electrical equipment with the main substation being 98 m long and only split into two units for shipment. The modular E-House units are equipped with low- and medium-voltage switchgear, as well as motor control centres, variable-frequency drives and an electrical control monitoring system (ECMS).



The SARB offshore oilfield is being developed by Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (Adma-Opco), a major producer of oil and gas from the emirates offshore areas. Work on the field involves the construction of two artificial islands to facilitate drilling works for the extraction of crude oil.



ABB is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport and infrastructure globally.-TradeArabia News Service


Bahrains Spectrum Strategy Coordination Committee approved the national plan for frequencies at a meeting held recently.



The meeting was chaired by Mohamed Ali AlQaed, chief executive of Information and eGovernment Authority, and attended by committee members representing 10 governmental entities.



During the meeting, the chairman praised last year's achievements and highlighted the need of developing the telecommunications sector, increasing Bahrain's ranking in ICT international indicators, as well as enhancing the utilisation of the advanced technology, which will reflect positively on investments in line with Bahrain's Vision 2030.



Responding to the decree issued in May 2016 by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister for adopting the recommendations of the Fourth National Telecommunications Plan, the committee approved the National Plan for Frequencies. The plan was prepared by a sub-committee and based on the outputs of the World Radio Conference 2015.



This plan focuses on the international regulations, optimal use of the spectrum and the requirements of various sectors, including entities specialized in national security. The plan stresses on developing the Directorate of Wireless Licensing, Frequency & Monitoring, utilising the frequencies effectively to meet current and future needs of all users, attracting investments to the kingdom, developing the ICT sector as well as meeting the international requirements.



The committee also agreed on adopting the technical part of the fixed links prepared by the Directorate of Wireless Licensing, Frequency and Monitoring, adding new frequency bands for fixed services which support the private and commercial communications network infrastructure. This will contribute in increasing the capacity to fit requirements of launching the latest global communication systems in Bahrain, it felt.



The committee also adopted the 2.6 GHz frequency band allocation plan, and technical specifications that provides a smooth use of the fourth and fifth generation mobile services technologies (LTE), without technical issues.



The committee discussed its upcoming plan, along with the process of implementing the decisions, and achieving greater milestones in the field of spectrum planning.



The committee comprises 10 governmental entities, representing the Information & eGovernment Authority, Ministry of Interior, National Security Agency, Bahrain Defence Force, Ministry of Transportation & Telecommunications, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Ministry of Information Affairs, and the National Guard.  TradeArabia News Service






IBM announced that it broke the US patent record with 8,088 patents granted to its inventors in 2016, marking the 24th consecutive year of innovation leadership.



IBMs 2016 patent output covers a diverse range of inventions in artificial intelligence and cognitive computing, cognitive health, cloud, cybersecurity and other strategic growth areas for the company.



IBM inventors were granted more than 22 patents per day in 2016, enabling the company to become the first to surpass 8,000 patents in a single year. IBM researchers, engineers, and designers generated more than 2,700 patents for inventions related to AI, cognitive computing and cloud computing.



Leading the world in innovation for 24 years in a row is a result of IBMs unmatched commitment to innovation and R&D - reflected in this years new US patent record, breaking the 8,000 barrier for the first time, said Ginni Rometty, IBMs chairman, president and CEO.

We are deeply proud of our inventors unique contributions to discovery, science and technology that are driving progress across business and society and opening the new era of cognitive business.



In the Middle East and Africa, IBM inventors contributed 42 patents to IBM's record breaking US patent total of over 8,000 patents in 2016.



More than 8,500 IBM inventors residing in 47 states and territories and 47 countries are responsible for IBMs record-setting 2016 patent tally.



The top 10 list of 2016 US patent recipients includes:

1. IBM 8,088; 2. Samsung Electronics 5,518; 3. Canon 3,665; 4. Qualcomm 2,897;

5. Google 2,835; 6. Intel 2,784; 7. LG Electronics 2,428; 8. Microsoft 2,398; 9. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. 2,288; and 10. Sony 2,181. (Data provided by IFI Claims Patent Services)



In the area of cognitive computing and artificial intelligence, IBM inventors patented more than 1,100 inventions that help machines learn, reason, and efficiently process diverse data types while interacting with people in natural and familiar ways.



IBM inventors were awarded patents on innovations that will help advance cognitive healthcare. IBM inventors also patented more than 1,600 inventions that can help advance the field of cloud computing. - TradeArabia News Service




Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) received a high-level delegation from India at the World Future Energy Summit 2017 (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, UAE, noting the importance of enhancing cooperation in the energy sector.



Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dewa met the delegation headed by Piyush Goyal, the Indian Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines during Dewas participation at WFES.



Al Tayer discussed the UAEs diversification of energy, and Dewas strategic clean and renewable energy projects to support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. The strategy launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, shapes the future of energy over the next 30 years, achieving a balance between sustainable development and preserving the environment.



Al Tayer outlined Dewas work to support the UAE Vision 2021 to transform the UAE into one of the best and most sustainable countries in the world by 2021 by launching pioneering clean and renewable energy, and water desalination projects.



Al Tayer highlighted the latest developments of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is the largest single-site solar energy project in the world, based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. The solar park will produce 5,000MW by 2030 with a total investment of Dh50 billion ($13.6 billion). It will reduce 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.



Al Tayer also showed the guests a model of Dewas new head office, which will be located in the Cultural Village, in the Al Jadaf area of Dubai. Dewas new headquarters is called Al Sheraa (Arabic for sail), and is set to be the tallest, largest and smartest Net Zero Energy government building in the world.



Goyal commended Dewa on its development of electricity and water in Dubai and the UAE, and expressed admiration for Dewas services that have placed it at a leading position globally. He urged for further collaboration between the UAE and India in renewable and clean energy projects, building on the strategic relationship between both countries.  TradeArabia News Service
UK-based investment firm Quercus Assets Selection, said that its subsidiary, Quercus Renewable Energy Fund, has completed the sale of its stake in ForVEI, a joint venture comprising three firms in the renewable sector.



The announcement was made at the ongoing World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, UE.



ForVEI, which comprises Quercus Renewable Energy, VEI Capital, Foresight Solar VCT and Adenium Solar Energy, operates in the private equity as well as in the infrastructure and energy sectors in Italy.

Quercus initially invested 8 million ($8.48 million) in ForVEI in 2011, and at the time of its disposal late in December 2016, owned a stake close to 10 per cent in the joint venture. The sale generated an IRR of higher than 9 per cent for Quercus and it represents the first disposal by the Quercus Renewable Energy Fund (QRE), which was launched in 2010.



The funds raised from the sale will result in a dividend distribution to investors in the first quarter of this year. The QRE fund seeks to exit investments within a 5-7-year investment period and it is intended that the fund will liquidate by the end of 2018.



Diego Biasi, co-founder and CEO of Quercus: The ForVEI vehicle has been a very good and stable investment for Quercus and we are delighted to exit with an attractive IRR. The Italian renewable energy sector operates against the backdrop of a stable regulatory environment.



However, as relative early entrants into the market, when the regulatory environment was less predictable, the Quercus investment approach managed to invest effectively and with a clear set of long term objectives in mind. The QRE portfolio has been optimised over the years and is set to meet investors' long term expectations.



The disposal of ForVEI follows recent news of the 150 million first close of a series of three renewable infrastructure funds that are seeking to raise a combined 500 million by December 2018. The three new funds are targeting an annual dividend yield of 6 per cent, distributed semi-annually and an IRR above 11 per cent. These funds will place Quercus among the top three renewable energy infrastructure funds in Europe.



The Company also announced in December the distribution of its first special dividend, equating to approximately 20 per cent, from its Italian Solar Fund, and a new bond issue amounting to approximately 125 million at a coupon rate close to 3 per cent with an expiration date of 20 years. The Company is now looking further afield for investors and investment opportunities as it looks to roll out its investment strategy in new jurisdictions.  TradeArabia News Service
The UAE today announced a landmark new $50 million fund for renewable energy projects in Caribbean island countries.



Launched by Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, the UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund represents one of the largest single investment in the region's clean energy sector, as well as a significant deepening of bilateral relationships between the UAE and Caribbean countries.



Grant funding is provided by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs managing the initiative and Masdar, Abu Dhabis renewable energy company, leading implementation.



The announcement, which brings UAE development assistance for renewable energy to almost $1 billion since 2013, was made on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, as part of the annual General Assembly meeting of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).



We are honoured to open this new chapter in the growing relationship with Caribbean countries, said Al Hashimy. The two oceans between us are not the barrier they once were, and we are bringing fresh eyes and enthusiasm to each others markets and aspirations. Were especially pleased to join forces under the UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund, which can simultaneously drive achievement of the Paris climate agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.



Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, director general, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), reflected: The renewable energy sector stimulates economic growth and employment, it underscores innovation and it capitalises on resources  all leading pillars in improving day-to-day living standards. ADFDs steady and unwavering vision is to underpin developing countries in achieving their goals by forging new partnerships and funding multiple key sectors; notably, the renewable energy sector  the main catalyst for sustainable long-term growth."



He added: In the Caribbean island countries, securing a stable and efficient supply of energy is a pivotal policy of each nations growth strategy. ADFD is proud to have partnered with Masdar and share its expertise to support the Caribbean nations as they unlock their underutilised wind and solar potential to drive energy security, job creation and socio-economic development.



The new fund will seek to conclude project agreements with several countries per year. Designed for flexibility, it can support renewable energy projects both as a minority or full financier, as well as engage with both the public and private sectors. With Masdar as the technical lead, all sources of renewable energy can be considered, including solar, wind, geothermal and waste-to-energy.



Recent projects, implemented by Masdar, include eight solar plants in rural Mauritania, which power about 39,000 homes and save 27,850 tonnes of carbon emissions per year, and the provision of 6.5 megawatts (MW) of capacity across 11 Pacific Islands, enabling the saving of 3.2 million litres of diesel fuel annually. - TradeArabia News Service
Tickets for two of the regions biggest wedding and lifestyle events - Bride Dubai and Bride Abu Dhabi  are now officially on sale.



Marking the 20th anniversary since conception, Bride Abu Dhabi will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from January 25 to 28 and Bride Dubai will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from February 15 to 18.



The events will be bigger and better than ever before this year. Showcasing over 250 exhibitors collectively, this years show will present all bridal needs from fashion dresses, wedding planners, home and accessories, Arabic fashion, jewellery, destinations, hair and beauty, and wedding preparations.



Bride Dubai and Abu Dhabi will offer the perfect showcase of the latest bridal and fashion trends tailored around the modern bride as a one-stop-shop for everything wedding and lifestyle related, a statement said.



For both events, the tickets available will include Standard Tickets to limited availability VIP tickets. The tickets purchased will offer guests and brides-to-be the opportunity to explore an ultimate fashionable and indulgent day out, with access to world renowned celebrity designer fashion shows as well as a range of top line experiences including luxury goodie bags, priority access to beauty treatments, seating at the fashion show mainstage, beauty demonstrations, complimentary vouchers, meet and greets and VIP Lounge Access depending on the ticket category as listed further below.



The Bride Wedding Awards (Bride Dubai) and Arabic Fashion Awards (Bride Abu Dhabi) will also take centre stage in 2017. The Bride Wedding Awards will be a celebration of the past and present exhibitors of Bride, voted for and chosen by the industrys experts and customers. The awards will reveal the very best the Bride Wedding Industry has to offer, with categories covering the key aspects of wedding planning.

With prices starting at Dh20, visitors can get all details from the Bride website: www.thebrideshow.com.  TradeArabia News Service


'Do-it-yourself' trip planning seemed to be the most preferred choice for most travellers in 2016, especially millennial travelers, and is expected to continue in 2017 with an estimated 38 per cent rise in the use of DIY trip plans.



The majority of DIY trip plans in 2016 came from countries like the US, China and India. These countries are also predicted to be heading the leader-board for DIY plans in the coming year.



According to the data of TripHobo users, an average of 62 per cent travellers chose to plan a DIY trip whereas an average of 23 per cent travellers chose to customize the plans created by other travellers on TripHobo. About 14 per cent of the travellers chose the conventional readymade packages.



This DIY trend shows that fewer holidaymakers are opting for readymade travel packages as compared to previous years. Longer trips were planned with more care compared to the shorter ones, as evidenced by the much higher number of revisions made to itineraries of longer durations.



France and Italy remained the top destinations for travel last year, while new entrees were added to the list of most visited countries including Japan and Russia, which received more travellers compared to previous years.



While luxury vacations are gaining immense popularity, the trend observed in 2016, was striking. Travellers ditched the conventional hotel stay and preferred to book homestays and B&Bs instead. This is evident from the 31 per cent increase in Bed and Breakfast bookings as compared to previous years. Among hotels, three-star was the most preferred choice over luxury hotels with 62 per cent choosing a three-star accommodation.



Predictions for 2017



Looking at the data, it is estimated that DIY trip plans will see a 38 per cent rise in 2017. In terms of destinations, 36 per cent travellers are predicted to choose offbeat places and experiences over conventional holiday destinations. The popularity of short trips continues to rise with a predicted growth rate of almost 50 per cent. A third of the travelers are anticipated to opt for a solo trip. Fewer than a sixth of the travelers are expected to plan an off-season trip to avoid crowd and surcharges. Homestays will continue to dominate accommodation choices with a growth of 14 per cent.



Hot Destinations for 2017



European destinations like Reykjavik, Salzburg, Cork, Copenhagen and Ibiza are expected to receive a larger influx of tourists in early 2017. Asian destinations like Leh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands might also garner a lot of tourist interest. Off-beat places like Mongolia and Bucharest are anticipated to see more crowds than usual whereas the popular destinations like Naples and Lisbon will continue to see more crowds. - TradeArabia News Service


Emirates airline has unveiled plans to open up its lounges in Dubai to lower-tier frequent flyer members, said a report.



The moves comes as part of efforts to boost revenues after the airline reported a 75 percent drop in half-year profit in November, said a Reuters report in Emirates Business.



According to the new plan, the lowest of four membership categories, can pay $100 to access the airline's Dubai business lounge and $200 for the first class lounge.



Moreover, Skywards members can now pay for access for non-member travel companions and upgrade from business to first class lounges, it said.



Will Horton, senior analyst at CAPA - Centre for Aviation, said there could be higher profit on lounge entrance fees than tickets given that it is rare for guests to consume food and beverages worth more than the fee.



Emirates, trying to counter the impact of overcapacity in the market and tighter corporate travel budgets, is looking at other additional revenue sources, including fees on bags. The airline also introduced fees for advanced seat selection for economy passengers in October.



Emirates also plans to introduce premium economy, a class between economy and business, by 2018, the report said.


Retaj Hotels & Hospitality has signed an agreement to manage a new four-star hotel in Doha, Qatar, located in Rawdat Al Khail area.



The new 84-key hotel will be equipped with all the facilities and amenities to ensure the comfort of guests residing in Doha or travelling to Qatar for business or leisure and will also feature a restaurant, coffee shop, meeting room and a gym.



The signing of the management contract was attended by Dr. Mohammed Bin Johar Al-Mohammad, vice chairman and managing director of Retaj Group; Nesf Bin Mohamed Al Boenein and Mohammed Bin Bakhit Al Marri, board members of Retaj Group; Ahmed Al-Hajjaji, CEO of Retaj Real Estate; and the owner of the hotel Saad bin Abdullah al-Kubaisi, who is also the owner of Rawdat Al Khail real estate company.



The signing ceremony took place at Retaj Al Rayyan Hotel in Dafna and was attended by Retaj Management team.



During his speech Dr. Johar welcomed all the guests and expressed his happiness for signing the new contract, stressing that this step is the embodiment of Retaj Hotels expansion vision at the local, regional and international level.



He has also mentioned that Retaj Hotels & Hospitality will continue its expansion plans, adopting a modern conservative hospitality concept and will sign new contracts in the near future to manage hotels in a number of countries in the region.



The Retaj Hotels & Hospitality portfolio includes eight hotels - four in Doha, two in Turkey, one in Moroni and one in Saudi Arabia - in addition to four new hotels to open soon in Doha: Retaj Inn Marina Residence, Retaj Al Nasr, Retaj Inn Msheireb and Vichy Celestins Spa & Hotel by Retaj. The group will also open Retaj Al Salam in Djibouti. - TradeArabia News Service
Qatar Airways has extended its popular Travel Festival until midnight of January 18, with exceptional discounts continuing for people travelling together, special companion fares and kids fly free offers.

The extended promotional period covers flights on board the airlines Worlds Best Business Class and Economy Class, on flights across its global network of more than 150 places until December 15.

Exceptional deals can be found on flights to London from Bahrain at BD226 per person, Paris from BD176 per person, and Phuket BD189 per person. World-travellers are encouraged to visit qatarairways.com or contact their nearest Qatar Airways sales agent to book, said a statement.

Qatar Airways has partnered with AccorHotels and leading payments technology company Visa, to give passengers discounts on accommodation as part of the festival. Travellers who book with AccorHotels at AccorHotels.com will receive exclusive offers on accommodation. Visa cardholders can also avail up to 15 per cent further off flights at the time of booking.

Qatar Airways chief commercial officer Dr Hugh Dunleavy, said: Im really excited to be able to extend our best-ever Travel Festival by an additional two days. The Travel Festival has, as expected, been very popular and so far we have given away more than 200 Golden Tickets and 500 prizes through our social media channels. This extension encourages our travellers to seize the opportunity on exceptional deals to incredible destinations across our global network. With the Qatar Airways Travel Festival the world can take advantage of further discounts from our main partners AccorHotels and Visa and have a chance to win further great prizes.

This years online Golden Ticket offer has again created a hive of activity on Qatar Airways social media channels where travellers could uncover clues to access further discounts and even claim $0 fare tickets to dream destinations. Thousands of customers from across the globe have eagerly searched for the magic travel dates, with over 200 zero-fare golden tickets being found so far.

Qatar Airways Holidays is also providing an extension to its fantastic deals on hotels and accommodation across a number of the airlines 150 destinations. Double Qmiles can also be earned on flights booked by Privilege Club members.

Passengers taking advantage of Qatar Airways extended Travel Festival are encouraged to turn two holidays into one by planning a stopover in Doha, with a new transit visa scheme offering visitors a free transit visa for up to 96 hours on your way to or from your final destination. Combine a quick visit to Doha, with its historic sites and five-star shopping and resorts, with a dream holiday  only available to Qatar Airways passengers. Visit Qatar Airways at http://www.qatarairways.com/us/en/qatar-transit-visa.page for more information.  TradeArabia News Service
In his freshman year of college, it seems Zurich has everything going for him; he has the respect of his teachers and university administration, the love and devotion of a wonderful girlfriend, and hes been selected for admission to a prestigious black fraternity on campus. But as Zurich embarks on the Hell Week of pledging his fraternity, the harsh trials of entry into brotherhood begin to test the limits of his self-worth. As the intensifying abuse begins to become untenable, Zurich struggles to honor the fraternitys code of silence, and the scaffolding of his life outside the frat begins to dismantle.
Five Natrona County High School teenagers volunteered to lead the marchers down Center Street. As the weak sunlight glinted from their silver helmets, they held their rifles tightly against the white sashes on their chests and forward marched.

Behind the honor guard, about a hundred people followed waving signs that said Love and Equality for All or We Believe in the Dream.

They came to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr./Equality Day in Casper, a day in honor of the Baptist preacher who galvanized a generation of young people to fight for racial equality. Today, civil unrest still exists in the streets of the U.S. Protests against police shootings and a divisive presidential election have stirred up fear and anger across the country.

More than ever, people need to remember Martin Luther King Jr., many marchers said.

In Casper on Monday, there was a friendly walk, hymns and donations, followed by speeches about progress and peace at the First United Methodist Church downtown.

R.C. Johnson sat drinking cocoa in the churchs atrium, as hymns popular during the civil rights movement tumbled down the stairs from the sanctuary. A friends daughter, 12-year-old Meeshla Bovee, sat beside her.

Its a day of recognition, a day of remembrance, but its also a day of sadness, Johnson said. Because we take two steps forward, three steps back. We dont seem to be able to get off this treadmill.

There is more to the history of King than most people know, she said. But then there is more to the history of African Americans, like herself, than most people know, she added.

Johnson met the man behind the I Have a Dream speech when she was a young woman, she said. She shook his hand. Years later she met his wife, Coretta King, at a speech in Philadelphia after King was shot.

She and her friends, inspired by the civil rights movement and fueled by Kings words, sat in the front of buses until they were kicked off. They agitated and resisted the oppression and segregation in her hometown of Hampton, Virginia.

We would make it our business to go to the white-only water fountains, and these poor little ladies were chasing us all over the store, trying to make us stop, she said. But to us, we had no fear.

She laughs when she remembers it, and 12-year-old Meeshla laughs with her.

It was an exciting time to be young and brave in the face of inequality, Johnson remembered.

You know when youre young, you dont care, she said. You dont have that sense of fear. You just go at it, because to you, its a game.

She sees the same passion in young people today, and has optimism and hope. Its always been the youth that make movements, she said.

But just it was back then, there is not enough dialogue between the different races today, and many seem to deny the struggle faced by the black community, she said.

When the kids say Black Lives Matter, inevitably someone argues Dont all lives matter? she said.

They miss the message, Johnson said.

It highlights the power of Kings success that he was able to inspire so many, said James Simmons, president of the Casper chapter of the NAACP.

The preacher had something otherworldly about him, a gift of God, Simmons said.

It was inspired by a power that was greater than the level that we are on he said. Thats what made him so effective.

Until then, white people had assumed they were superior based on their skin color, and black people has assumed they were inferior for that reason.

What Martin Luther King Jr. did was introduce us to ourselves, Simmons said. We know we are not inferior.

It may seem less important in a state where most residents are white to celebrate or study Kings legacy, but Simmons doesnt think so.

Ive been in Wyoming over 45 years now, and Im still struggling to say what can I do to make our community better, what can I do to make it safer, he said. I know the dangers, the attitudes that are right outside that door, towards people who look like me, towards the gay and lesbian community and poor whites.

The answer lies in community and understanding, he said.

Mondays march was a collaborative effort, with groups like ServeWyoming, the Casper NAACP, Food for Thought, Casper AmeriCorps, the First United Methodist Church and the City of Casper.

Former mayor Daniel Sandoval gave a speech titled The Courage of Peace calling for a continual fight for dignity and human rights.

Its always about moving forward, said Johnson, the woman who once met King.

Sometimes it takes more than one lifetime, one generation, or one man to change things. As King once pointed out, Moses didnt make it to the Promised Land, she said. His people did.
CHEYENNE  The Senate Judiciary Committee and Committee of the Whole have recommended passage of a proposed new law dealing with how the public can access police body camera and vehicle camera footage.

Senate File 32 would classify both body camera and vehicle camera footage under the umbrella term peace officer recordings.

Under the bill as amended, the custodian of those recordings may allow inspection: by the person who is the subject of a recording; if the recording involves an incident of deadly force or serious bodily injury; in response to a complaint against law enforcement, and the custodian of the recording determines inspection is not contrary to public interest; and in the interest of public safety.

Additionally, the custodian of the recording would be required to provide that data to law enforcement or public agencies for the purpose of conducting official business or pursuant to a court order.

The amended bill did not draw objections from the Wyoming Press Association, the American Civil Liberties Union or law enforcement.

Jim Angell, executive director of the Wyoming Press Association, and Sabrina King, the policy director of the ACLU of Wyoming, said Monday their respective organizations support the bill as amended.

Byron Oedekoven, the director of the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, said the bill provides opportunities for disclosure and clarification concerning the recordings.

Lawmakers have been working on police camera legislation for months.

State law does not address how recordings should be handled as a public record, and therefore some law enforcement agencies around the state have been reluctant to use body cameras until legislation dealing with that topic is in place.

Oedekoven said previously body cameras are more of an asset for officers, as they record incidents as they actually happen.

Other concerns have been raised about protecting public privacy, which the legislation attempts to address.

For example, body cameras would record everyday conversations officers have with private citizens, raising the question of whether that data should be available for anyone to review.

Initially, the Legislatures Task Force on Digital Information Privacy came up with the proposed law, and it was approved by the Joint Judiciary Interim Committee in November.

The original version of the bill would have prohibited review of camera recordings except by court order, but that prompted concerns over establishing a more specific process by which recordings could be accessed.

If passed twice more by the full Senate, it will go on to the House of Representatives.
Women could be barred from receiving abortions after about 20 weeks and could face felony charges for allowing lab tests to be performed on an aborted fetus or embryo under a bill proposed in the Wyoming Legislature.

A second bill intended to allow verification of abortion reports filed with the state would weaken patient privacy protections.

Current law requires doctors to report every abortion they perform to Wyoming health officials but states that no information should be recorded that could disclose the identity of the individual participating in an abortion.

House Bill 132 strikes that language and instead requires doctors to report a medical record number for the patient on the form to enable matching the report to the pregnant womans medical records.

Rep. Scott Clem, R-Gillette, said that step is necessary to verify whether the abortion reported actually occurred but that only law enforcement could connect a report to an individual.

Completed forms are currently available only to public health officials. The bill would change that to exclusively allow law enforcement and regulators access to the forms. The forms would continue to be held by the state health department, which would be required to issue an annual report on abortion statistics in Wyoming.

Change to viability

The first measure, House Bill 116, would roll back the time during which women can receive abortions in Wyoming by about two months, depending on how current statute is interpreted.

Abortions are allowed in Wyoming until viability, which is defined as the point at which a fetus is able to live by natural or life-supportive systems outside the womb.

Fetuses have generally been found to be viable outside of the womb at between 24-28 weeks. However, a recent study found that some premature babies have survived as early as 22 weeks.

House Bill 116 would redefine viability as the point at which an embryo or fetus is able to feel pain.

That date is similarly debated but is understood to be closer to 20 weeks.

Rep. Cheri Steinmetz, who sponsored the bill, said that she believes the point of fetal pain and the ability for a fetus to live outside the womb are within two weeks of one another, between 20 and 22 weeks.

My research points to them being very close and getting closer daily, Steinmetz said in an email.

There is a two-week difference between the two primary ways of measuring when a woman becomes pregnant, making precise discussion of week-based abortion restrictions difficult to parse.

However, the entire question of when abortions are allowed in Wyoming is complicated by a qualifying phrase in the existing statute.

Viability under both current law and the proposed fetal pain amendment is defined as according to appropriate medical judgment.

But that phrase is not explained in Wyoming statute.

The Wyoming Medical Society does not take a position on abortion, but executive director Sheila Bush said the group was opposed to unnecessary government intrusion into the physician-patient relationship.

There are currently only two medical providers in Wyoming that offer abortions, according to Women for Women Wyoming. Those two providers, both in Jackson, would not appear to be affected by change in the viability definition because they provide abortion services through only 12 weeks following a womans last period, the group states.

The second part of Steinmetzs bill would make it a felony for anyone to donate or sell tissue or cells from an aborted embryo or fetus for any form of experimentation.

Current law bars such a sale or transfer of tissue from a live or viable aborted fetus, but Steinmetzs amendment would extend the law to include any aborted embryo or fetus.

Steinmetz said this provision would not bar women who miscarry to have chromosomal testing performed on the remains of their pregnancy because a miscarriage is not considered an abortion under existing law.

I am simply expanding protections to any aborted child or any tissues or cells from an aborted child, Steinmetz said.

Aborted embryos and fetuses can be used in embryonic stem cell research on diseases like Alzheimers, Parkinsons, diabetes, heart disease and kidney failure. Proponents of strict restrictions on abortion generally oppose this form of research but often support stem cell research that uses non-embryonic cells.

Fetal tissue research, which is generally less controversial, has been performed since about the 1930s. The polio vaccine was developed based on the study of fetal tissue.

New reporting requirements

The second bill would change the reporting requirements for doctors who perform abortions in Wyoming.

Since 1977, doctors performing abortions in the state have been required to file a form with the Wyoming Department of Health.

That form includes:

The age of the patient;

The type of procedure performed or prescription provided;

Any complications;

A summary of the patients previous pregnancies, abortions and live births;

The size of the aborted embryo or fetus;

What kind of facility the abortion was performed in.

House Bill 132 would additionally require the form include a unique medical record identifying number to enable matching the report to the pregnant womans medical records.

The form could still not include a name, address or Social Security or drivers license number or information, other than the medical record number, that could identify the patient.

But much of the bill focuses on penalizing doctors who fail to submit the form.

Current statute requires doctors to submit the form within 20 days of the abortion but does not list consequences for not submitting the forms. A spokesman for the Wyoming Department of Health called current reporting minimal and said the department generally receives about five forms per year.

If a doctor does not submit the form within 50 days of performing an abortion, the bill would impose fines of $1,000 per 30-day period until the form is submitted.

Intentionally failing to file the form correctly would become a misdemeanor crime.

Wyoming currently has reporting requirements pertaining to the practice of medicine, and specific procedures, Bush, of the medical society, said in a statement.

WMS members are diligent in ensuring compliance with these requirements and uncertain as to the need for this legislation.

Clem, the sponsor, said the goal was to make it possible for the reporting requirements to be enforced so that accurate statistics can be obtained for abortions in Wyoming.

Theres no teeth in the statute, he said.

Clem said that for the reporting requirement to be enforced, a medical record number for the patient needs to be attached to the form.

What the medical identification number does is (show) its a person... its an actual patient, a woman who chose to have the procedure, Clem said.

Existing law allows only public health officials or doctors to access the forms once they are submitted. If the bill passes, only attorneys general and district attorneys would be allowed access to the forms.

But Clem emphasized that the bill was meant to ensure patient privacy and that the only person who could connect the medical record number listed on the form with the patient would be an attorney general or district attorney. Even then, authorities would have to go through a process to figure out whom the record number belonged to.

The attorney general isnt going to be able to look at a number and go, Thats so-and-so, Clem said.

Clem said that nationally there have been cases of abortion clinics selling fetal remains and that it was important to obtain accurate information about abortions occurring in Wyoming to ensure that did not happen in the state.

The goal was just to ensure we have accurate numbers, Clem said. The second thing is to ensure the privacy of women.

Were looking for statistics. Were not looking to out a woman. Were not looking to cause any more harm than was already caused when, for whatever reason, an abortion was performed.

The state board of medicine would also be able to inspect the forms to investigate doctors for misconduct.

The Wyoming Department of Health would also be required to file an annual report providing abortion statistics in the state and would be tasked with ensuring no identifying information would be released in these reports.

Both bills were referred to Legislatures Labor, Health and Social Services Committee on Monday.

Similar bills related to both fetal pain and abortion reporting requirements have been brought up unsuccessfully at the Legislature in past years.
CHEYENNE  Ten lawmakers are sponsoring a bill that offers early retirement to state and University of Wyoming employees as state leaders look to save money in the face of a large budget shortfall.

Nearly 2,000 employees would qualify for early retirement under Senate File 95. Workers would qualify based on a formula that considers their age and years of service, said Sen. Curt Meier, R-LaGrange, the legislations primary sponsor.

There are just under 8,000 employees who work for the state of Wyoming. At the University of Wyoming, there are 3,000 employees.

Lawmakers are grappling with an estimated $400 million shortfall in the current two-year, $3 billion budget cycle. Gov. Matt Mead made $250 million in cuts last summer, leaving the Wyoming Legislature with about $150 million to either cut or use savings to fill.

I dont want to give people pink slips, Meier said. If we need to make some reductions, we should give the executive (branch) some options.

SF95 would go into effect immediately if it becomes law. Employees could notify their superiors and the Wyoming Retirement System they want to leave as soon as April 1. People can retire through June 30, 2019.

The measure will cost the state up front, but over the long term, money would be saved, Meier said.

The state would have to pay out unused vacation and sick time. Employees age 61 and older would be given a bonus of three months of their salaries. And the state would make monthly payments of 20 percent of an employees salary until age 62 for some state and UW employees. The state would make monthly health insurance payments until a retiree is 65.

In the fiscal year that begins June 1, the state would have to pay out an estimated $41 million to retirees. Over the following two years, Wyoming would have to pay $34.4 million.

But since there will be fewer salaries to pay, the nonpartisan legislative staff has estimated $56 million in savings for the year beginning June 1. Nearly $108 million will be saved over the following two years.

SF95 was filed and made public Monday. The Wyoming Public Employees Association, a group that represents state employees, hasnt yet taken a position on the new legislation, said Betty Jo Beardsley, the groups executive director.

UW Vice President Chris Boswell noted the school is put together an early retirement program for faculty, as an effort to save money. Professors have until Feb. 1 to submit applications to leave.

Well be interested to see how this might dovetail with existing UW early separation incentives underway right now, he said.

The bill allows agencies to rehire new people to make up for a loss of retired employees. The number of employees an agency can hire is based on its size.

The idea, Meier said, is to obtain new labor for lower wages. Although if employees take early retirement, they are eligible to be rehired, but not in the same position that they held before they left. For instance, a professor at UW could be hired back in another position, such as an administrator, he said.

The cost to hire new people has been factored in the Legislation.

Meier said SF95 is based on a similar law enacted in the 1990s, when the state experienced a steep decline in energy revenue. But the 1990s law did not take into consideration new hires.

If you look at (SF95) you do actually save money, he said. That was one of the problems with the bill in the 90s, it didnt have a provision to not hire some of the people back. At the end of the day, in about three years, most people were hired back and it cost the state money.

Meier said a lot of institutional knowledge will be lost if longtime employees leave state employment.

The negative thing is were going to have a brain drain, Meier said.

In addition to Meier, sponsors include Sens. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, Stepan Pappas, R-Cheyenne and Drew Perkins, R-Casper, and Reps. Bill Haley, R-Centennial, Hans Hunt, R-Newcastle, Mark Jennings, R-Sheridan, David Miller, R-Riverton, Cheri Steinmetz, R-Lingle, and Dan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne.
Facing a massive shortfall in school funding, lawmakers learned Monday about the complex web that supports and pays for public education in Wyoming and the decades of legal wrangling that spun it into existence.

Mike ODonnell, who represented Wyoming a decade ago in the last of a string of landmark court cases, spent an hour walking through what exactly constitutes that web and what lawmakers can  and cant  do to trim schools budgets.

Lawmakers say its the critical question of this Legislative session. Education funding faces a shortfall of $400 million a year in the next budget cycle, and ODonnell, who works as a special counsel for school funding, warned that schools will be flat broke in the near future if the crisis isnt addressed.

The web is a roughly $1.5 billion budget, around the size of the general fund that covers much of Wyomings government. It pays for teachers, buses, activities and more in 48 districts statewide. And because of a downturn in the energy economy, the web is sagging.

There are painful discussions of how to raise revenues that we just have never had to do in the state of Wyoming, ODonnell said.

Rep. David Northrup, a Powell Republican and the chair of the House education committee, said last week that he wanted ODonnell to address legislators so they knew what parts of the web could be snipped. Because of the Campbell County court decisions, education in Wyoming is a fundamental right protected in the state constitution, just like freedom of speech and the right to bear arms, ODonnell explained. The courts ruled that the Legislature had a duty to make education adequate and equitable for every student, from Jackson to Cheyenne.

Evidence-based model

After the Supreme Court made that judgment, the Legislature created what is known as the evidence-based model, which guarantees districts a certain amount of money. Every five years, in a process known as recalibration, the model is examined by consultants, who make funding recommendations to legislators, who in turn have for years decided to give schools more money than what is dictated by the model.

The Legislature is over-funding education by about $35 million, ODonnell said. Some legislators have wondered about stripping away that money, which Sen. Hank Coe has compared to ornaments atop the Christmas tree that is the evidence-based model. That option was brought up again Monday by several lawmakers.

ODonnell said that yes, there was room to cut back to what the consultants called for. For instance, class sizes in Wyoming are typically smaller than what was recommended  and thus would be constitutionally acceptable  in the last recalibration. A bill introduced by Northrup on Monday would move class sizes closer to what the consultants advised.

The Legislature can save money by getting rid of those ornaments, ODonnell acknowledged. But touching one part of the web, even outer edges, can send tremors through the entire structure, he warned.

Its my strong recommendation to you that you have empirical support for what youre doing, ODonnell told lawmakers.

On top of over-funding, the Legislature must examine at least three other categories, he said: assumptions made in the model, such as salaries and class sizes; current revenues; and adding revenues, like increasing sales tax or re-instituting several repealed property tax mills.

Beyond acknowledging that all options must be on the table, lawmakers in the past have expressed zero interest in raising taxes. That feeling was consistent Monday: ODonnell briefly mentioned the repealed mills and then moved on.

Those categories were mentioned broadly in an education subcommittee report released two weeks ago that detailed specific steps, like halving funding for school activities and tapping into savings accounts, that could be taken to address the crisis.

ODonnell pointed out that the main education savings account has effectively been drained in order to fund the next two years of education. Educations piggy bank, as Northrup has called it, had more than $550 million in it.

Well be flat broke if we dont take care of this crisis this session, ODonnell warned.

ODonnell said that when the evidence-based model was designed more than a decade ago, the Legislature was told by consultants the model would double student performance.

As a whole, the state said, Were going to invest dramatically in education in this state on the representation that its going to double student performance and thats where we want to go, ODonnell said. If we look back now over 12 years and try to determine, have we doubled student performance? It is with regret that I say that we have not.

Sen. Chris Rothfuss objected, saying schools have been improving and that scores have gone up. A recent national survey, Quality Counts, by Education Week ranked Wyoming as having the seventh highest quality education in the country.

I have no idea how you can possibly double performance, Rothfuss said.

ODonnell said yes, Wyoming has improved, but he argued that it was because the national average has been falling while Wyoming has held steady. He said that if given the current financial situation, it be time for some self reflection.

I raise this not as any criticism of any part of the system, he said, but to suggest to you as a Legislature that this may be a reason for you to pause and again reconsider, What are the the goals of our school finance system?
The Trump administrations first Cabinet meeting should be an interesting affair. On issue after issue  Russia, the border wall, the Iran nuclear deal, climate change, torture, NATO  President-elect Donald Trumps nominees have diverged from his stated positions. So whose views will prevail? Could Trumps secretaries help save Trump from himself  and the country from Trump? Will they offer a sobering dose of reality therapy for the reality TV president?

There are strong arguments for either outcome. I am tending ever so cautiously  clinging perhaps  to the optimistic one.

The official position of the Trump transition is no. At the end of the day, each one of them is going to pursue a Trump agenda and a Trump vision, incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters Thursday.

Spicer dismissed the nominees divergence from Trump at their confirmation hearings as answers when theyre being asked their personal views here and there. Wait. A personal view is if you prefer opera to hip-hop. The nominees testimony reflects their policy positions and assessments, in some cases deeply held convictions at the core of future responsibilities.

So it is a significant expression of policy  not a personal view  when Defense Secretary nominee James Mattis says about Russia and Vladimir Putin, Im all for engagement, but we also have to recognize reality and what Russia is up to. And theres a decreasing number of areas where we can engage cooperatively and an increasing number of areas where were going to have to confront Russia.

Or when CIA Director nominee Mike Pompeo, similarly, says, Russia has reasserted itself aggressively, invading and occupying Ukraine, threatening Europe and doing nothing to aid in the destruction and defeat of ISIS.

Contrast that with Trump, throughout the course of the campaign and as recently as the day before: 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 himself, in an early morning tweet Friday, purported to be just fine with his team of dissidents. I want them to be themselves and express their own thoughts, not mine! he wrote. Right. Everyone whos watched Trump over the last stretch knows how well he deals with what he perceives as challenges to his authority.

The argument for Trump being tempered, to some extent, by some of his Cabinet (overall, certainly, this is no moderate bunch), is a bet on a combination of Trumps intellectual laziness and susceptibility to manipulation by deference and flattery.

Trump has few deeply held policy views and seems disinclined, to put it mildly, to put in the work needed to prepare for the presidency, no less inhabit the office. He has never suffered the ordinary politicians political embarrassment over accusations of flip-flopping.

As a result, he is attached to many of these stances by the thinnest of filaments. He arrived at them by gut, not intensive study. He is more inclined to delegate than to delve into a briefing book. So when approached in the right way, with deference rather than disdain, by a person he considers an ally rather than an enemy, he is susceptible to convincing. Thus Trump, who had proclaimed that torture works, told The New York Times, after meeting with Mattis, that he was surprised and impressed by the retired Marine generals rejection of waterboarding, even as he noted, Im not saying it changed my mind.

The strongest argument against this sunny outlook has to do with others in Trumps orbit, and closer to its center. For every Mattis and Pompeo, for every John Kelly (the retired Marine general tapped to head the Department of Homeland Security, who testified that a border wall with Mexico in and of itself will not do the job) and even Rex Tillerson (the former Exxon Mobil CEO nominated to be secretary of state, who testified that the risk of climate change does exist) there will be, in the West Wing, a Stephen Bannon as chief strategist and senior counselor and Michael Flynn as national security adviser. Their records suggest they will inflame Trumps worst instincts, not restrain them.

Bannon and Flynn have been politically closer to Trump longer; they will be physically closer to him at the White House. Trump could continue to be swayed by the last person whispering in his ear. Or the stature, knowledge and experience at bureaucratic maneuvering of some Cabinet secretaries could, at least at times, avert bad decisions. How all this plays out will shape the course of the Trump presidency.
Gov.

s newly unveiled state budget

, while offering ways to avoid what he believes would otherwise be Californias first deficit in more than three years.





Heres an overview of some of the most important proposals outlined by Brown in the budget he presented to the Legislature on Tuesday.





Legislative Democrats are balking at the governors budget plan to cancel the 2013 law that earmarked money for UC and CSU students from families with incomes of up to $156,000 a year. Browns budget would only keep giving money to the 37,000 students who received awards for the current academic year. The savings, which wont be realized until those students graduate, is pegged at $115 million a year.





Browns plan continues to assume more people enroll in Medi-Cal, the healthcare program that provides coverage for those with low incomes. Medi-Cal has been expanded in recent years with money provided by the federal

, though the programs fate is uncertain with new Republican leadership in Washington.





Medi-Cal spending would total $102.6 billion in the coming year, most of that coming from the federal government. Thats $1.8 billion more in state general fund dollars than this year.





Advocates for the poor were disappointed that Browns budget didnt do more to boost the $2.9 billion in monthly cash grants for some of Californias most needy, though thats a slight increase from the current year and includes a modest cost-of-living increase. The budget estimates 1.3 million people receive supplemental security payments.





The proposed spending plan assumes more taxpayer money to help pay the retirement promises made to state government workers. That includes $5.3 billion in payments to the California Public Employees Retirement System  mandated after the agency lowered its investment profit assumptions  and $2.8 billion in payments to the California State Teachers Retirement Fund.




Its not a news flash to say that not everybody supported the election of Donald J. Trump as president.

So Jared McKinley and Katy Gierlach of just launched Meow Magazine have invited a handful of Tucson organizations to try to help those people digest, wrap their brains around and generally cope with the incoming administration.

And what better timing than the day Trump is set to put his hand on the Bible to utter these words:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

At 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20  inauguration day  The Civic Engagement Dance Party kicks off at 191 Toole, 191 E. Toole Ave., with a volunteer fair. At 8 p.m., the live music and dance party featuring Tucson rapper Jaca Zulu and Silverfox will perform while DJ Butta Fly spins dance music.

Kitty Katt, Zaira Livier, Adiba Segal and Najima Jamilah are hosting the event, which is being promoted as a positive way to digest the upcoming political changeover.

I really want to become more active in the community. This is a great opportunity to see what organizations are looking to collaborate in improving life in different aspects, Zulu said in a Facebook message Sunday. Im hoping that is the point of focus for the evening. Plus, I love dance parties.

Organizers want to encourage folks who voted against and feel strongly opposed to Donald Trump to become more civically engaged rather than cynically jaded. So theyve invited a handful of Tucson organizations that could use that civic engagement to positive ends including ACLU Arizona, No More Deaths, Black Lives Matter, Sky Island Alliance, YWCA, Planned Parenthood, SAAF, Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, Community Food Bank, Iskashitaa Refugee Network, AZ Satanic Temple, Sierra Club Borderlands and AIDS Ribbon Tucson. More groups may be announced by Fridays event.

Not that Fridays event wont be without a dose of Donald dissing and pinata bashing. In addition to a volunteer fair, live music and the dance party, folks can take a swing at a Trump pinata.

Admission is $4 at the door. Visit rialtotheatre.com for more details. Proceeds from the admissions and a raffle benefit No More Deaths  No Mas Muertes.

Trumps inauguration starts at noon Washington, D.C., time  10 a.m. here.
Craft beer continues to expand its already sizable footprint in Tucson with four breweries slated to open in 2017.

While one, Copper Mine Brewing Co. at 3455 S. Palo Verde Road, is new to the scene, the other three have been working toward launching for several years now.

BlackRock Brewers, Button Brew House and Harbottle Brewing all signed leases on locations at the tail end of 2016, taking the next big step on the way to production.

Heres what we know:

1664 S. Research Loop

When the owners of BlackRock Brewers finish the build-out on their 3,700 square feet of space at 1664 S. Research Loop, they will have the distinction of being the only brewery on Tucsons east side, where proper zoning is difficult to find and even harder to secure.

Tony Williams and Chuck Boyer started their journey to open a brewery nearly five years ago, taking on Gene Sandoval as brewmaster and as a third partner along the way.

Tucsons craft beer boom was just getting started at that point. Now the city is slated to have more than 20 by the end of 2017.

Williams shows no fear as BlackRock aims for a March opening date.

Tucson still has plenty of room, Williams said. They have like, 45 in San Diego and they are doing fine there.

Williams said they chose the bigger space because they will be the only game on the east side, where locals generally flock to BZs Pizza on Broadway or Arizona Beer House on North Kolb to get their fix.

BlackRock will run on a 3-barrel system. The taproom will feature six taps, sporting four flagships, one seasonal and a foreign exchange beer imported from Dragoon, 1912 or any one of the other breweries in town, Williams said.

That is the fun thing about craft beer, he said. We collaborate, work together. At the end of the day, if one of us succeeds, we all succeed.

6800 N. Camino Martin

After three years on the hunt, Todd and Erika Button have finally found a forever home for their aptly named Button Brew House.

The couple signed a lease for a space at 6800 N. Camino Martin in December. It is right around the corner from Catalina Brewing Company, sparking the potential for a brand new brewing district on Tucsons northwest side.

For Todd, who left a 20-year career in the printing business to enter into the brewing industry, this next step is a big deal.

To me it feels like a dream, Todd said. The space is a little more than 3,000 square feet.

He added It is one of the scariest things that Ive ever done in my life. I am really excited about it, but the other side of me is just terrified.

The Buttons have already put a down-payment on a 10-barrel system. Todd Button said the quality of the beer will be his primary focus.

We want to make good, world-class beers, he said. I want to make sure we do it the right way. Quality is important. We dont want off-flavors.

The Buttons hope to be brewing my mid-May.

We are putting everything on the line to do this, but we also believe in it, Todd said.

3820 S. Palo Verde Road

When the owners of Harbottle started their journey to open a brewery in Tucson, they were known by a completely different moniker: Flux Brewing.

Then came the roadblocks in the trademark process. A brewery in Maine had a product with a similar name, as did a winery in California.

Owners Michael Figueira, Andy Shlicker and Sam Kroack came to agreements with both businesses, but we eventually made the decision that if we couldnt trademark it, we would have no potential for growth outside the market.

Thus Flux became Harbottle, named for Figueiras distant relative, John Harbottle, a British naval captain who, as the story goes, helped King Kamehameha assert his claim to the thrown.

The brewery is moving into the old home of Mexico in Season, a vegan Mexican restaurant that was open for a short time at 3820 S. Palo Verde Road.

Once we looked at it, we knew it was the right fit, Figueira said. The location is just shy of 4,000 square feet, with good visibility from the street in a high traffic area.

It was perfect, he added.

Harbottle, which will run a 7-barrel system purchased from McFate Brewing in Scottsdale, opens down the street from several breweries, including Green Feet Brewing, 1055 Brewing and Nimbus, all of which are on East 44th Street. Copper Mine Brewing, mentioned earlier in the story, can be found between 44th and Harbottle.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some January 17 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages.
A Tucson woman involved in an adoption scam involving a Boston couple was sentenced Tuesday to 100 days in jail and four years probation.

Pima County Superior Court Judge Casey McGinley told Karla Vargas that after reviewing the case Friday he was prepared to sentence her to prison for a financial crime he said was both unusual and emotionally harmful.

However, McGinley told the 35-year-old woman he reconsidered because she has had a tragic life, and also because the victims in the case asked that she be spared prison.

He warned her to be careful going forward, to stop lying and "using other people's good will against them."

If she ends up back in his courtroom, "you will have used up all of everyone's good graces."

Cindy Cantrell, a journalist, and her husband, Jack McHugh, a contractor, first connected with Vargas in July 2015 through California-based Adoption Network Law Center.

Vargas, who has had 12 children and a long history of child-welfare issues, kept the births a secret and then tried to get money after the babies were born while pretending to still be pregnant. She admitted to a Tucson police detective that she didnt want to give up the twins she was carrying and kept it quiet to get money.

Vargas and her sister, Lucianna Lopez, set them up from the beginning, police records say, by telling them Lopez was Vargas landlord and exaggerating by $100 per month the amount of the rent due.
Ducey's office says he will fly to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday and attend Friday's ceremony.

The Republican governor didn't outright support Trump until he locked up the GOP nomination in advance of last summer's Republican convention. He did say that no matter what he would support the Republican nominee over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the election.

Ducey returns to the state on Saturday.
Star reporter Zack Rosenblatt is previewing Arizonas recruits in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 1 national signing day. All ratings according to Scout.com.

Name: Rhedi Short.

Position: Safety.

Height: 6-1.

Weight: 175 pounds.

Hometown (high school): Los Angeles (Cathedral).

Rating: Three stars, No. 50 safety, No. 8 West, No. 4 California.

Other offers: UCLA, Oregon, Penn State, Washington, Colorado.

2016 stats: 47 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 12 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles.

Who he is: A former UCLA commit, Short flipped to the Wildcats not long after visiting Arizonas campus in the fall. Hes expressed some interest in Illinois since, but visited the UA campus over the weekend.

How he fits: Short is one of four safeties in Arizonas 2017 class, and the Wildcats return a bunch of safeties with experience from last year  namely, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Tristan Cooper and Isaiah Hayes. Playing time will be hard to come by, though Arizona is desperate for defensive depth.

He said it: The biggest thing is, I was most comfortable there (at Arizona). So when I was up there, and I was talking to everybody, it just felt like home.  Short
Oh, I dont know. They had cops piling out of unmarked cars and beating people. They hit residents, forced some out of their houses... Peter said. ...we saw some guy trying to drive his car, and the cops stopped him and, leaning in his window, he said, Listen, you goddamn mother fucker, get this fucking car out of here. And then... Howard was saying. He was a guy just trying to get home,

Everything. We saw all kinds of stuff, Peter said, blinking. His blue eyes were swollen.

We went to check out the streets of Old Town. After they cleared the Park the cops forced a lot of kids into Clark Street, Howard said. His eyes were swollen small.

Waiting for you guys. Christ, I was beginning to think youd been sent to jail.

What are you doing here? Peter asked. His face was utterly worn out. You should be in bed, he told Harvey.

Not to guys who look the way you look, Harvey said. And he realized then that their eyes were swollen from tear gas.

You know, a simple good evening or a how the hell are you, would probably suffice, Howard said.

It was almost two in the morning. Their faces were white as chalk, but Harvey instantly saw that something was wrong with their eyes. He got to his feet, and waited for them. Howard came first; his body bulging with equipment, Peter just behind, and behind him came Duane, a bundle of nerves. They moved feebly, utterly worn out. Peter and Howard were bareheaded. Duane was holding a helmet.

Well, well, he said to them. The wanderers.

Harvey was looking commiseratingly at Cheryl, who was gathering up her tings, about to leave. He looked up and saw the figures in the doorway. They came in slowly, like old men.

I implored the readers to remember this is a conversation, not a term paper.

The Midwestern editor , Adrian Hall , has appointed Peter to head four teams of reporters and photographers to cover the street violence. When these chapters begin, Pater has been out late. He has been attacked, chased, tear-gassed and is entirely worn out. Harvey Stone is trying to mentor Peter, a shy ambitious man who remains very uncertain of his footing there.

The action takes place in the early hours of the morning. There are two characters, Harvey Stone , a man in his sixties, theSenio Deputy Managing Editor of Epoch, the Great American Magazine , and Peter fielding , a young reporter who has been with there only seven months. Peter has already gotten two national exclusives about the illegal bombing of North Vietnam, and the building of the U.S. spy plane, the SR-71, which was built off the books, its cost disguised as engine overhauls at the Wright-Patterson air base.

I wanted to forward to the readers of the site a bit of two chapters from my novel, Virtues Fool. The novel takes place during the Democratic Convention, notorious for its police violence.

Duane cut in. He was in his own neighborhood. He was indignant.

So what happened? Harvey said.

Well Peter started.

The cop cut him off, Howard said. The cop said, Listen, you son of a bitch or something, didnt you hear me the first time? and he smacked the guys door with his night stick...

What? Harvey was stunned.

...leaving a sizable dent, Peter added.

Youre kidding!

It was quite a night.

Yeah, but the cop damaged his car? The cop? said Harvey.

Theyre real pricks, Howard said.

They have to be crazy, Harvey said. Doing that in Old Town? They have to be nuts.

They were turning on everybody, Howard said.

Goddamn, I should have watched the damn TV.

They had tear gas trucks, Howard said. No one had a chance.

But they really beat these people? Harvey asked.

Anybody they could catch, they beat up, Peter said.

Or roughed them up. Howard said.

It was awful, Duane said. They were shoving people in doorways and pounding them. He indicated Howard and Peter with admiration. You should have seen these guys, he said to Harvey.

Im looking at them now. All I see two walking wrecks. Three counting you. Go home, Harvey said.

Im going to haul my takes back, and then Im going home, Howard said.

While Howard was going back, Harvey turned to Peter and said, I really thought youd been arrested. The last of the group got in here an ago. They had a stomach full of it.

Ill bet.

You want anything? Duane? Peter? Howard said. He was heading towards the bar.

No, thank you, said Duane. Im going home.

You know a beer would be good, Howard said. You want one? Peter?

Is there one?

In the cooler, Harvey said.

You want one? Howard said to Harvey.

No, hell, Ive spiked my coffee. Im fine. Im steadily improving in fact.

Duane? Howard said. Duane hesitated then said, No. Im heading home.

Howard pried off the tops and returned with cold, dripping bottles, their fine silver collars looking elegant against the green glass.

Oh, boy, Peter said, sinking into a seat, if sitting down was a positive pleasure.

Yeah, they looked bad, Harvey said. Especially Macklin. He got gassed really bad. Barnaby too.

Howard turned to Peer. What are you going to do?

What do you mean? Do about what?

Like now.

I have to get a new notebook, Peter told them.

You can do something for me, Harvey said.

They looked up.

You can go home. Get some sleep. Both of you. I mean, tomorrow is another day, and all that shit.

You mean you want us to be in here tomorrow? Howard said in mock surprise.

Only if you feel like it, Harvey said. Howard grinned.

Yeah, tomorrow night all the goblins will be out, Peter said. 

Walpurnischnicht, Harvey said.

Who? said Howard.

Nothing. Goethe, Harvey said.

Well, Im leaving you guys, Good night, Duane said. He was over by the door.

Listen, thanks a lot, Peter said. I mean it. You were terrific help.

Take it slow, said Howard, Duane said good night and left. Howard and Peter and Harvey talked a bit, then Howard said, Well, I guess Im going to go to bed too.

Ill be back soon, Peter told him, meaning their hotel.

What a night? So youll be okay? Howard asked Peter.

Im not going to stay long, Peter said.

Harvey, take it easy.

You too. Get some rest.

Peter sat, his eyes still swollen. He was holding his beer. Then he suddenly said, He alone wins freedom and something, who earns them anew each day. Who said that?

He only earns his freedom and existence who daily conquers them anew, Harvey said. Faust. He was pleased with himself.

Yeah, thats right, Peter said. Faust, right? I know another word too: Walpurnischnicht or something.

Harvey smiled. Walpurgis Night. Its a Dutch or German name for the night of 30th of April - the eve of the feast day of Saint Walpurga. Its meant to honor some 8th-century abbess. Harvey said. Do you like Faust?

I do, but I read it in college.

Oh, its wonderful, said Harvey with verve. Its one of the great love stories of the world. Gretchen is a sweet creature. The abandonment and betrayal of Gretchen by Faust is one of the greatest things ever written.

What was that again?

What was what?

He only learns what?

Earns. He only earns his freedom...

Oh. Earns.

his freedom and existence who daily conquers them anew. Its from the First Act, I think. Im not sure. Christ, thats whats wrong with this business. You dont get chance enough to read stuff that matters. What did Pound say? Literature is news that stays news. Thats pretty good.

Thats damn good.

So you read Goethe, huh? Harvey said.

A long time ago. Five years.

I still read him. I like to read his conversations with Eckermann, Harvey said.

At this, a fresh admiration entered Peters eyes.

Harvey admired readers; he felt mankind could be classified into those who felt an obligation to learn what had been thought and done by the great, in contrast to those whose interests didnt go much beyond themselves.

The full use of the minds faculties, in the direction of excellence? Harvey said. He gazed fondly at Peter. Im glad youre in one piece, he said. He lit a cigarette, propelling the smoke from his mouth in a blue, acrid thinning cloud.

Tonight really took something out of them. They looked winded. Even Edie.

She a tough one, isnt she?

She got big balls - the original Iron Maiden, Harvey said. You know she knows a lot about military history. You should hear her on grant or Lee.

Someone was telling me that.

Shes a hot ticket.

Peter drank his beer. Whenever I saw her she was cool as hell.

Well, shes got a lot of self-command.

Pause.

Peter was thinking, rubbing his eye with the back of his small hand. He blinked. Then he said, What was odd was how the temper of the cops varied from street to street. Some were hostile and edgy, others were vicious. A few were kind and civil. Others acted as if theyd kill you if they could do it without getting caught. There was no telling, in other words. Going up to each new group was nerve-wracking.

Yeah, but this is just up your street,, Harvey said.

My street? Peter looked surprised.

I thought you liked to test yourself.

Listen, Peter said earnestly. I ran like hell. Howard and I got trapped between these two ranks of cops, both advancing on us. First, the front rank charged, and we wheeled and ran towards the second, and they saw us and charged, and we turned and ran in a panic toward the front rank. We were yelling that we were press, and went up to an officer and showed our credentials, and he said, Okay, as if he hadnt a care in the world. I was certain they were going to leave us for dead.

Shit, Id run too, Harvey said.

But you feel ashamed at running. You feel contempt for yourself. You can say what you like, but you feel like a goddamn coward when you retreat, Peter said.

You are damn lucky. You werent hired to have your head broken. This is not an equal contest of wills.

Running makes me despise myself, Peter said.

You cant fight them, Harvey said. They would beat you senseless, and then theyll slam you in jail. Whats the good in that?

I dont like being a victim, Peter said. I was a human punching bag growing up. No, thank you, Peter said bitterly.

A bad parent?

Peter simply shook his head.

Harvey didnt think it wise to probe. Harvey saw that Peters shyness testified to some deep, inner damage.

Sometimes it takes a lot of guts to absorb punishment, Harvey said.

Peter was silent.

Its hard to accept suffering with grace and patience. Dont you think? Harvey said.

I guess so, Peter said.

Remember when youre out there, it wont help us if you get your skull cracked. Youll help the public more by reporting it.

Pause.

Anyway, said Harvey, I heard you did a good job tonight.

Peters wasted, odd face was puzzled.

Who? Peter said.

You; who do you think?

Me?

Yeah. I dont see anybody else sitting there?

Peter laughed. It was always alarming to discover that he was an object of study, being talked about and observed by others.

They were very complimentary.

Why, whatd they say? Peter was uncomfortable.

Nothing. Just that you were, in the thick of things, pumping new life into the group. They were impressed, most of them.

I was just there, Peter said. If Id had the moral courage, I would have left. But they stayed, so I stayed. But he liked knowing he was admired.

Watching Peters swollen eyes, Harvey thought that Peter was one of those people who think that everybody else had a stronger character than he does because he cant see what they suffer. All he knows are his own mental arguments, and he doesnt think of how hed overcome them; hes only embarrassed by the fact that the mental battles occurred at all.

Theyre good people, arent they? Harvey said, tilting his mouth to the match to light up. Blue clouds rose.

The teams?

Yes.

Theyre the best, Peters uncertain manner instantly changed to warm enthusiasm.

I thought youd like them.

Oh, theyre terrific! And theyre really professional. Roger, Edie, Howard...Howard really knows what hes doing out there...I get so tired of seeing that tight, little black ass outrunning me.

Howards a good guy. Hes Muhammad Alis photographer, you know.

I know. We went to his house.

Whose house?

Alis.

Alis house? So did you meet him?

He wasnt home.

He wasnt there?

No.

Oh, thats too bad.

No, its okay. Im a Joe Frazier fan, anyway.

Well, Joe Fraziers a great fighter.

Pause.

Yeah, but thats too bad, Harvey said, referring to Alis absence.

Peter sighed and looked around. I gather Adrian isnt here.

You gather correctly. I sent him home, Harvey said. Actually you ought to go home too. Ive got some sorting to do. Contact sheets.

Contact sheets? I thought we had people who did that?

We dont have enough of them.

I can help.

Go home.

Im just tired; Im not helpless.

Harvey was moved. It was sincere. You deserve to relax.

So do you, Peter said.

Oh, hell; then just sit and talk to me, Harvey said.

Chapter 43

Peter was saying, I think that one has to ask what do these people create? What do they originate?

Are you asking that of the politicians or the kids? Harvey said.

Peter colored. Hed been criticizing the protestors. Then he said with passion, Listen, I agree with the anti-war people. I do. I hate any leader whose power gives him the right to turn bright, talented young men into cannon fodder.

But just because I hate and oppose the war doesnt stamp my existence as valid.

There was a pause.

I detest the war, Harvey said. I see it as a total waste. To me, its a masterpiece of ignorant willfulness and stupidity. It will haunt America to the end of its days. Youll see.

Harvey sipped his bourbon from his cup. He had already mashed his cigarette in the ashtray.

I still dont understand why we got involved in Vietnam? Peter said wearily, his face lost in thought.

Harvey knitted his brows, For a long time, America has pursued a policy of liberal hegemony.

Whats that?

There are two countries that want to rule the world.

The USSR and America.

Thats right. The USSAR and America. We know all about Russias defects, but we dont see American defects very clearly.

What defects? What do you mean?

American defects. The idea of American being exceptional is poured over inspecting American heads by the ladleful.

I see that, Peter said.

It is our habit to think of ourselves as the miracle of history. It isnt the Jews who are the Chosen People, its us. See, America wants to dominate the entire globe. That is our foreign policy.

Thats too ambitious? Pete asked.

Harvey was unfazed. Think of the Monroe Doctrine; think the annexation if Texas, the war with Mexico, the Samish-American War which gave us Cuba Guam, the Philippines. Of course, we had a war against its inhabitants. Then we acquired Hawaii. Am I making sense?

Peter nodded.

We dont oppress the people we conquer. We dont use secret police and gulags. We dont murder unless we have to. Think of Cuba and the Philippines or Vietnam, for that matter. What American wants to do is to spread democracy far and wide. This means spreading U.S. business interests far and wide. To do that, we replace the leaders of a country with our own.

America has a mania for expansion, just like the Greeks. Our policy makers assume that every region in the world needs American security, and it follows that the U.S. security umbrella has to be extended to every country that wants protection.

Of course, establishing democracy means toppling regimes and doing nation-building. The British were experts that this. That is why FDR. Roosevelt, hated the British Empire. The empire rested on the subjugation of native peoples who were to enrich Britain while the brutish never did a goddamn thing to raise their subjects standard of living.

Harvey paused, his tired face bleak. In Vietnam, we are trying to do what the British did, and it wont work. First of all we are a country of black ad white men meddling in a nation of yellow men. We are Christians meddling n a country of Buddhists. In any case, America, like the British, thinks it is an instrument of God or History, and our motives are so pure, we can steal without feeling guilty.

We forget that we are all political orders are under judgments. The whole fabric of America is under judgment too.

Im not sure what that means? Peter asked

It means that all empires are mortal. Think of the Hittites; think of the Babylonian, the Egyptian, Greek and Roman Empires. ,They were all mighty yet they all died. Why? Because the processes of time produces a relentless sifting and testing of anything they achieved. Over time, a seamy side of a political order begins to emerge. Over time, the faultiness of a system begins to come clear. He took s big drag on his cigarette What we really need these days is a deeper kind of self-questioning, but no one is doing it, not in America these days.

Harvey stared gloomily into space. Then, he brightened. Anyway, lets talk about something else.

*********

Harvey drew on his cigarette, cheeks sucking in. A blue cloud turned end over end toward the ceiling. How about a beer? Harvey said to break the tension.

I dont mind getting it, Peter said, taken by surprise.

Harvey was already on his feet. Sit still. What kind to you want?

Budweiser or Schlitz. Otherwise, anything in a bottle would be fine. Harvey walked across the floor to the cooler, bent down, took a dripping bottle with a silver collar out of the cooler, pried off the cap, and listened as the compressed gas escaped with a long hiss. The ice had melted in the cooler, but the beer was still ice cold.

How about a Heineken?

Perfect.

He stopped and picked up a bottle of bourbon from the bar and came back, carrying both.

Im really enjoying this, Peter said.

Well, good, Harvey said. I am too. And he was.

Its fun to sit and talk. I usually dont get to talk to anyone like this.

I have a question for you. Im curious,. How well do you get along with the staff? Are you making friends?

Well, lets put it this way...

I mean, do you like them. I guess thats what Im asking.

Me liking them isnt the point, said Peter. Its comes down to them liking me.

Are you saying they dont like you?

Peters face hardened. I dont know what to think. They know a lot, Ill give them that. They acquire facts the way a cat attracts fleas. They break their necks trying to be up to date, but if I try to talk to them, the way I am talking to you, all I get is the blase shrug or patronizing silence. Peters small eyes flashed. He drank deeply from his bottle.

Because you intimidate them, Harvey said. He liked this young man, and it was time for him to know the score - the effect he was having on people.

Peter looked startled. What? What do you mean?

It never occurred to you?

Intimidate them? Intimidate them with what? Peter a bit scornful.

You dont believe it?

It is ridiculous. Peter spat.

Harvey sat and watched him, smoking and taking a sip from his cup. Let me tell you a story. Do you mind? Itll only take a minute.

No, please do, Peter said with a trace of dread.

Its not a long story at all. I just wondered if any one had ever told you how Adrian introduced you to the senior staff in New York. He saw he had Peters attention.

So youve never heard this?

No.

Well, then let me go ahead. You see, I was at one of these big meeting of the brass up on the 29th floor, in the conference room. All News people, Text Department guys, and head editors like Steve Gelmen, Phil Kunhardt, and John Frook were there, and they were discussing your story, the one about the illegal bombing. Someone asked who you were. They asked about your background and your short stories, and Adrian stood up and said, Peter Fielding is a super-dooper hot shit dude. He came out with it, right there in front of the whole group, Harvey said.

Peter felt a sudden flush of pride. Sounds a bit like a cartoon. Super-dooper.

But Harvey could see he was pleased.

Remember, this is a group, Harvey said. He was unscrewing the top off the whiskey bottle that lay in his lap. He poured some into his cup. Then he replaced the bottle on the floor. He looked again at Peter and leaned back.

I read somewhere that the child who gets more attention than the other kids is instantly resented because any group is obsessed with distributive justice What a clumsy way to put it. I means that no one is supposed to get more attention than anyone else. Some people here, at the magazine, who have been here a long time, feel you have gotten more notice than your fair share.

Peter looked incredulous, then colored with anger. Tough.

What?

Tough, Peter said.

Harvey looked askance. Tough?

Listen, I earned that attention, Peter said. Or my work earned it. I worked hard on that piece. I didnt ask for any anybodys help.

Harvey saw Peter was riled. Why dont you calm down? he said gently. Peter colored. Youre all sulfur, you know that? All touchy and flammable, Harvey said. Peter kept quiet. Harvey began again, My point is that I know what you feel. All right? Youve told me. What Im trying to tell you is how they feel. Are you with me?

I dont care, Peter said.

Of course, you care. You care a lot. We all care. Dont we? Of course, everyone cares. Why? Do you think youre the only one? I care. Roger cares. Howard and, Edie they care.

Im sorry. I didnt mean to be rude.

A pause, then, You are different. Ill give you that, Harvey said, not looking at him.

Why am I different?

Why? Because you have an outlook of your own. Because you want to see and experience things for yourself, form your own conclusions. Well, many of the staff dont share your zeal. See, by their working here - I mean the bulk of the staff now - by their working here, they have access to all kinds of opportunities. They have expensive lunches at famous places. They have dinners with movie stars. This is a very self-selected group, marked by collective immodesty. They assume they are important because if Epoch is writing about something, then the whole world must be reading about it. They have the vanity to think the world is fascinated by them and their doings. Im not talking about the really first-rate people we have, like Roger and Edie. Im excepting them. Im talking about the bulk of the people here.

Peter kept his silence. He didnt like the reference to Roger. Roger was addicted to his sense of being the cleverest man in the room.

All of us, we sometimes think of worse of human nature than it deserves. We talk of classes, our backgrounds, our jobs, but we forget that no one is simply and absolutely any one thing. Not the cops or the protestors, not the staff - all people have different sides. Even a murderer has different aspects. And yes, many the staff is mediocre, but that doesnt make them weak.

Peter, puzzled, stared at him.

Nothing is stronger than mediocrity, Harvey explained. Dont ever be confused about that.

Peter didnt answer.

Harvey sent him an assessing look. See, you bring to this job integrity, sincerity, a sense of what? A sense of dedicated purpose that a lot of these people dont share. In fact, you act at times as if performing your job is like performing some kind of religious commitment.

You make me sound like a horses ass. Peter grumbled.

Youre not an ass. All Im saying is that they arent going to share your fervor or whatever. They admire their status, their checkbooks, and to some extent each other. And thats it. Except you think theyre a race of fools, and you get bitter, and you hold them up to scrutiny and judgment. The problem is, they know it.

But I like so many of them, Peter protested. I like Howard, I like Gomel, I like Barnaby, I like Roger, which was stretching it a bit. The people on the teams are the best.

Im just saying a judging people is dangerous.

A long pause.

I just want to have integrity, Peter exclaimed. He was thinking of Jackie. Any sexual affair with Jackie would completely undermine his efforts to have that quality.

You do have integrity, Harvey replied.

Well, its all I want, Peter said tensely. I just want to do my job. I just want to produce exclusives.

You will produce exclusives. All Im saying is, why not enjoy it more? Why not lower your defenses, and get to know other staffers? Maybe youll find you have more in common with them than you think?

Peter was silent, listening, tiny eyes down, embarrassed by his own outburst.

Just ease up a bit, Harvey told him. Now, go home.
Help India!

New Delhi : The Election Commission on Monday recognised the faction led by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as the Samajwadi Party and allotted it the cycle symbol, dealing Akhileshs father and party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav a huge blow.

The Commission decided in favour of the Akhilesh-led faction after hearing both parties through their lawyers for several hours on January 13.

Support TwoCircles



It noted that while the Akhilesh faction submitted individual affidavits of the members of the legislature and organisational wings in support of his claim of the majority support, the Mulayam faction failed to provide any such affidavit despite repeated calls by the poll panel.

The Election Commission, in a letter dated January 4, had asked both factions to file affidavits in support of their claims, which it reiterated on January 10.

The Akhilesh faction claimed the support of  and backed it with individual affidavits  205 (out of 228) MLAs, 56 (out of 68) MLCs, 15 (out of 24) MPs, 28 (out of 46) national executive members and 4,400 (out of 5,731) national convention delegates.

On the other hand, Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav, with his reply dated January 9, 2017, did not file any affidavit (except his own affidavit) of any Member of Parliament or state legislature or of any delegate, the EC noted in its order.

Nor did he (Mulayam Singh) make claim of any support among the aforesaid category of members for his group, in spite of the fact that he had been specifically directed to file all such affidavits in support of his claim, it added.

The EC said a mere look at the figures given above would suffice to conclude that Akhilesh Yadav enjoys overwhelming majority support, both among legislators and organisational wing of the party.

As a logical consequence of the above finding and applying the test of majority support approved by the Supreme Court in the case of Sadiq Ali (supra)  the Commission hereby holds that the group led by Shri Akhilesh Yadav is the Samajwadi Party and is entitled to use its name and its reserved symbol bicycle for the purposes of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, the EC observed.

The decision comes less than a month before the staggered Uttar Pradesh assembly election starts on February 11.

Ram Gopal Yadav, a close confidant of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, had also pointed out to the Commission that no meeting of the partys national executive had been held since June 25, 2014, which was a significant violation of the partys constitution.

According to the party constitutions Section 15(10), the meeting of the national executive is required to be called by the party President at least once in two months.

He further submitted that as per Section 20 of the party constitution, the seven-member central parliamentary board is the authority to select candidates for elections to the state legislature and Parliament.

However, for the current election to the state Legislative Assembly, party President Mulayam Singh Yadav declared the candidates without convening the meeting of the parliamentary board even once, in violation of the party constitution.

He said that it was in the above background that the applicant called the special national convention on January 1, 2017.

As the national President did not attend the convention, the national Vice President chaired the convention as per the provisions of the party constitution, Ram Gopal Yadav submitted to the poll panel.

The Election Commission announcement triggered wild celebrations by Akhilesh supporters in Lucknow, where the Chief Minister immediately headed to the house of his father and party founder Mulayam Singh.

A beaming Ram Gopal Yadav, who led his factions fight at the EC, urged the people of Uttar Pradesh to vote Akhilesh Yadav back to power in the coming election.

This is a just decision, he told the media. The Election Commission will get the blessings of crores of people of Uttar Pradesh.

The Samajwadi Party formally split on January 1 when Ram Gopal Yadav, as the partys General Secretary, called the national convention of the party where Akhilesh Yadav was declared the party chief in place of his father Mulayam Singh.

Subsequently, both factions then petitioned the Election Commission to allot it the cycle symbol.

Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has lost the support of the majority in the party, had been desperate to hold on to the symbol which he picked long ago.
Help India!

New Delhi : BSPs expelled Sahibabad MLA Amar Pal Sharma, who joined the Congress on Tuesday, claimed he was ousted from the party because he had declined to pay Rs 8 crore to party supremo Mayawati for the party ticket in the upcoming polls.

Talking to media persons at the Congress office here, he told Mayawati, through her close confidante Nasimuddin Siddiqui, sent a note that the money be sent immediately so that she could decide the ticket at the earliest. He bargained with Siddiqui who lowered it to Rs 5 crore but this amount too was beyond his limit and he refused to pay.

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The expulsion was the outcome of my denial, said Sharma, stressing that the allegation of hobnobbing with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJ).

Sharma was expelled from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Monday for anti-party activities.

In a statement, BSPs Ghaziabad district chief Prem Chand Bharti said Sharma was in league with the BJP and planning to sabotage the partys chances during the coming assembly elections.

It also accused him of meeting BJP leaders on January 15 when the entire party was celebrating Mayawatis birthday.
Help India!

New Delhi : About 250-300 students, staging a demonstration here commemorating the death anniversary of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, were on Tuesday detained when they blocked the crucial Janpath road in Connaught Place area of New Delhi, police said.

Following a protest call from JNU Students Union, around 1,000 students from the JNU, Delhi University, and the Jamia Milia Islamia, among other universities, took out a rally from Mandi House, intending to go to Ministry of Human Resource Department (MHRD), only to be faced with elaborate barricading at Janpath.

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The police corralled the students at the red light near Janpath Metro Station and ferried them in three buses to Parliament Street Police Station.

Rohith Vemula, a PhD scholar at Hyderabad University, committed suicide on this day last year. In his suicide letter, he accused the university administration of persecution and discrimination on the basis of caste.

Earlier in 2016, his fellowship was stopped as a disciplinary action following a dispute between him and ABVP members over the screening of a documentary Muzaffarnagar Abhi Baaki Hai.

He was a member of Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) which held a screening of the documentary at the university campus. The ABVP members reportedly disrupted the screening and called it anti-Hindu.

The protesting students on Tuesday were demanding an enquiry into the suicide and termed it an institutional murder. They also demanded registering of cases against university Vice Chancellor P. Appa Rao for neglecting his duty and doing nothing to defuse tensions.
Following the grand tradition of Eleanor Roosevelt and paving the way for Michelle Obama, when Hillary Clinton became First Lady of the United States twenty-four years ago, she was eager to have her voice heard in the White House and pitch ideas for how to run the country. One of her ideas was to kick journalists out of the White House, which everyone in the White House was onboard with since it meant more secrecy surrounding their dealings, but the journalists kicked off and got all mad, so Bill Clinton and his administration decided not to go ahead with it and let the journalists in anyway.

Now, President-elect Donald Trump is dusting the cobwebs off Hillarys proposal in the hopes of instigating this during his own Presidency, which begins on Friday, given how much he hates reporters publishing the things he says and does for everyone to see.

Turns out this nasty woman has some Trump-approved ideas

The Bill Clinton administration even decided against keeping the media room securely separate from the rest of the West Wing, but Trump is certainly hoping to change that. He and his team are having serious discussions about whether or not to go through with this plan, which was proposed back in 1993 by the opponent he just beat to the Oval Office.

Trump will not be shutting out the press completely, he just doesnt want them snooping around the White House.

Press conferences will instead be held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door, which just so happens to be the same substitute that Hillary Clinton suggested in the nineties, back when it was known as the Old Executive Office Building.

Trump might succeed where Hillary failed

Whereas this failed under Clinton when the journalists reacted poorly to the news and it was eventually called off, Trumps penchant for showing up the media and his rival Clinton might be the motivation he needs to pull this off.

Sean Spicer, the White House Press Secretary (starting on Friday), stresses that no decision has been made yet regarding whether to give journalists the boot from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. However, he did say that there has been some discussion about how to do it, which shows they are in the stages of loving the idea and looking for a practical way to put it into action.

George Stephanopoulos (whose name you might remember from Friends) was Bill Clintons press secretary at the time of Hillarys proposal of the same thing in 1993, and he gives some insight into the standoff in his 1993 memoir All Too Human. He saw Hillary as a problem and spilled the beans that the ulterior motive behind her plan was to reopen the indoor pool that used to be in the White House before Nixon made this the press room. Trumps hatred for reporters suggests that his reasoning is simply to get them out of the White House, and an indoor pool might just be a nice perk on top of that.

Jeff Mason, President of the White House Correspondents Association, has organised to sit down with Spicer to discuss this proposition.

Mason is staunchly against it. He says that he and his colleague object strenuously to the possibility of Trump and his team protecting themselves from the scrutiny of an on-site White House press corps. Depending on how peaceful the proceedings are, this could get heated.
Democrats are unhappy about Donald Trumps victory, to say the least. They find comfort in evidence that Russia rigged the election and Hillary Clinton shouldve won, but there is also blatant evidence that Clinton rigged the primaries in her favour in order to secure the nomination over the arguably more popular Bernie Sanders, meaning that her name shouldnt have even been on the ballot in the first place.

Hillarys team rigged the Democratic primary

WikiLeaks revealed that Democratic Party leaders secretly preferred Clinton, and they ignored the primary votes, which wouldve made it fair, and instead nominated her before it even took place.

Sanders didnt stand a chance. The voting process was all for show so that Sanders supporters would accept Hillary as their nominee. Sanders isnt innocent, however, since he knew about all this and played along with it, probably because they were giving him a hefty payout.

When Hillarys leaked emails came out, the Democrats distracted their supporters by attacking Trump, but the content of the emails (which despite initially denying it, the Democrats have admitted are genuine) is very telling. They show that debate questions were secretly leaked to Hillary before a primary debate so she could prepare herself better than her opponents.

The Democratic Party superdelegate system

That scary word superdelegate is essentially what George Orwell was describing when he wrote, All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. It means some votes are more important than others.

If youre a member of the public who watches debates and makes informed decisions, your opinion doesnt matter nearly as much as the guy who gives a lot of money to the Democrats. These powerful benefactors and lobbyists pulling the strings spent a lot of money currying favour for Clinton, the evidence being that the second she got what she wanted with no more favours to sell, Clintons so-called charities mysteriously vanished.

Money manipulation

Rich Hillary Clinton and her rich Democratic Party bought her everything. They paid off their media friends for more exposure and promotion. They told Joe Biden he was too poor to run, giving Hillary one less opponent, and they sabotaged Martin OMalleys fundraising, which led to his raising pocket change for his campaign.

All this mafia-like intimidation gave Hillary an advantage worth millions, meanwhile publicly outspoken against the influence of money in politics.

Bending the law

Clintons methods were legally iffy. The email scandal technically shouldve been the end of Hillarys Presidential candidacy, because it was proven she had broken the law. Since Obama was a big supporter of Hillary and wanted to see her get the nomination, his Justice Department cunningly took a really long time with the investigation until it was so far into the race that it was like, Oh well, I guess were stuck with her now, criminal or not.

During the scandal, the Democrats moaned about Clinton being sabotaged, but that sabotage was merely the truth coming to light.

This was an admission that their candidate could only win the election if incriminating facts about her were kept under wraps. Special exceptions were made in the law to allow Hillary the nomination, so it wasnt legit.

The Democrats changing the electorate

The media were making fun of Trump during his campaign by saying he could only win if Ronald Reagans electorate was still in place, since his strategy was outdated and the electorate has since been upgraded for todays PC America. However, this electorate allows certain immigrants to vote, and Hillary slyly used this in the debates by focusing heavily on immigration to secure their votes. Sanders wouldve had a higher percentage of votes if Clinton hadnt given herself this sly boost.
Ivanka Majic once posted on Twitter that she had found fame at last, but she has now found more fame than she needs after Donald Trump tweeted the wrong person. As everyone knows Trump loves Twitter and the fact that he is accessible on social media might have swung him a few voters in the presidential campaign. We can call his mistake just something that happens, but is that OK at presidential level?

Ivanka Majic shares a first name with Ivanka Trump

Ivanka Majic shares the same first name as ivanka trump, but there the similarities end. In her life, it is doubtful that this particular Ivanka ever expected to get a tweet from the president-elect of the United States of America, as the Guardian says she is "believed to be employed as a researcher at the Brighton and Hove City Council." This Ivanka was not looking at lofty mainstream media on her doorstep, but that could happen - a far cry from a recent tweet she posted.

Trump's tweet to the wrong user did not originate with him

It was all a very simple mistake to make - if you are an average Joe hanging out on Twitter, but it could have been a very serious mistake. The Trump tweet copied to a family member - or not - did not contain anything top secret or dear to the heart of a POTUS - but it does show that direct contact with the people, without a press office to mediate what he has to say, that mistakes could happen. These mistakes could be potentially embarrassing for the US government.

It all happened when Lawrence Goodstein, a Twitter user in Seekonk in Massachusetts posted a praise tweet.

In the tweet, he copied it to Ivanka. This was where the trouble all started, because instead of @IvankaTrump, he put in @Ivanka - a totally different person. When Trump replied and said "Ivanka Trump is great, a woman with real character and class," it also went to the now-famous Ivanka, who now finds herself the centre of a Twitter and media storm.

Trump's account on twitter has millions of followers

The Telegraph tells us that Trump has reached the 20 million followers mark. This is a huge amount of people who could potentially get the incorrect information from POTUS. Then there are the random people who just type in "Trump" and come across his tweets.

CNET reported that Trump wants to keep his @realDonald Twitter account.

He won't be tweeting as POTUS they said. CNET cited the Times, who quoted Donald Trump as saying "It's working." and "... the tweeting, I thought I'd do less of it, but I'm covered so dishonestly by the press, so dishonestly, that I can put out Twitter -- and it's not 140, it's now 280 -- I can go bing bing bing . . . and they put it on and as soon as I tweet it out." Too right they do, and the press is rushing to tweet this presidential-elect error with glee.

As CNET wrote - "Bing, Bing, Bing. That's all it takes to show the world your shake and bake." Well, shake this one Donald Trump. You have left yourself open to ridicule this time - hopefully, the next mistake won't embarrass the entire country.
Ever since the day Donald Trump announced his campaign for president, he's had issues dealing with the media and the press. As Trump prepares to head into the White House in less than a week, he could be making drastic changes when it comes with dealing with reporters.

Trump and the press

When Donald Trump referred to illegal immigrants from Mexico as "rapists" and "murderers," the media quickly criticized him over his controversial remarks. In the months that would follow, the press continued to hammer the billionaire real estate mogul on a variety of issues.

Due to this, Trump created an anti-press agenda around his campaign, often calling journalists "terrible" and the most "dishonest" people he's ever seen. The anger around the news media increased, with many Trump supporters refusing to believe anything the press reported, regardless of the evidence to backup their claims. As reported by The Hill on January 15, Trump is exploring taking his hatred for the press to the next level.

Trump may kick reporters out of the White House https://t.co/WCn8LHnyxN pic.twitter.com/AZLyUhwcOi  The Hill (@thehill) January 15, 2017

While speaking to Esquire, incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that "no decision" had been reached, but that "there has been some discussion" about removing the press corps from the actual White House.

The Trump Transition team have discussed relocating the press corps to the White House Conference Center, which is located next door.

Exclusive: The Trump administration may evict the press from the White House: https://t.co/2hgtvjXKoC via @peterjboyer pic.twitter.com/qkYUjTgcT6  Esquire (@esquire) January 15, 2017

According to Sean Spicer, the reason the transition team is giving for the possible move is that they believe there will just be too many reporters looking to cover Donald Trump.

"Is a room that has 49 seats adequate?" Spicer asked, before adding, "We had that press conference the other day, we had thousands of requests.

Press problems

Another senior advisor spoke to Esquire, and didn't hold his views on the press, referring to them as "the opposition party." "I want 'em out of the building," the offical said, while stating, "We are taking back the press room." During last week's press conference, Donald Trump openly clashed with CNN's Jim Acosta, refusing to allow him to ask a question, while calling the network "fake news." The former host of "The Apprentice" will be sworn into office on Friday on Inauguration Day, and only time will tell how he handles the media and press moving forward.
On Friday, January 20, large groups of protesters are planning to sabotage the inauguration of Donald Trump with large scale and potentially illegal disruptions, according to reports by several media outlets ranging from Fox News to The Daily Caller.

The primary organizer of the protests is a left-wing group known as DisruptJ20, who is using social media to recruit demonstrators for a "bold mobilization" against the inauguration of soon-to-be President Donald Trump. Some of the disruptions planned by the group include a "gay dance party" outside the Maryland home of Mike Pence, as well as several "human blockades" intended to prevent Trump supporters from accessing and witnessing the inauguration.

Fox News obtains undercover recording

On Friday, Fox News released a secret audio recording of a female member of #DisruptJ20 vowing that the group will "do everything we can to try and stop people from being able to access the inauguration."

In the audio recording, captured by Trevor Loudon of the Capital Research Center, the female anarchist vaguely but alarmingly describes the group's intentions when they gather outside the home of Mike Pence in Chevy Chase, Maryland. "We're going to send him off with a bang," warns the protester. She then says the group will crash the Inaugural Ball the following day.

While some may consider a gay dance party a harmless and light-hearted gesture of political and personal expression, multiple sources have revealed that some of the other disruptions planned by #DisruptJ20 protesters are unlawful and destructive.

Alex Pfeiffer of The Daily Caller reported on Saturday that he has been informed by a source with intimate knowledge of the group's plans that "the protests will likely include property destruction."

Spokesperson confirms plans

Fox News reports that the protesters are also planning an unlawful demonstration at 10:00 a.m. on January 20 originating from Logan Square.

These plans, as well as the plan to send Vice President-elect Pence "off with a bang"-- whatever that may mean -- have been confirmed by a #DisruptJ20 spokeswoman, who told Fox News that the group wants to "set a tone" for the next few years.
Energy companies from Abu Dhabi will be working with Toyota to showcase its newest hydrogen-powered vehicle for use in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The companies involved include Adnoc, Masdar, Al Futtaim Motors, and Air Liquide (an industrial hydrogen provider). If successful, they plan to roll out more hydrogen-fueled cars to help the UAE lower emissions and meet the targets set by the climate accord.

They are also constructing a refilling station that can charge the fuel cells, which begins in May. Once completed, Toyotas Mirai (pronounced Me-Rye) will undergo tests for safety and driving issues.

In the U.S., there are about 1,000 Mirai (all in California) with an MSRP of $35,000, which is substantially cheaper than Teslas government-subsidized electric vehicles.

Concomitantly, the Masdar Institute will study the viability of creating an all-hydrogen society and cost-effective hydrogen production. Government agencies can obtain short-term leases to the new vehicles to understand how fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) work. In 2016, mechanical testing of the Mirai was undertaken in the UAE and a demo refueling station was built at Al Futtaim in Al Badia.

Zero-emissions vehicles

An FCV provides power when the compressed hydrogen gas reacts with oxygen from the air, which generates electricity to power the engine.

Unlike electric vehicles, the FCVs fill up just like regular cars and arent weighed down by heavy lithium batteries. Right now the 2016 Mirai gets 502 kilometers (312 miles) per fill-up. Thats substantially farther than even the most robust electric vehicle (EV). The Mirai gets 66 mpg with an annual fuel cost of $1,250.

Compared to traditional gasoline-powered cars, the Mirai is classified as a zero-emissions vehicle.

The Emirates may seem like an unlikely place to test a hydrogen-powered vehicle given its oil and natural gas reserves. But after ratifying the Paris Climate Agreement, they were committed to lowering greenhouse-gas emissions that hasten climate change. Vehicles in the UAE produce 22 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions.

Toyota has company

Carmaker Hyundai will also be debuting its next generation of hydrogen-powered cars at the Winter Olympics in February 2018. Hyundai hopes to show off its second generation of hydrogen cars to the press in attendance. Hyundai was also the first car company to mass-produce hydrogen-powered automobiles.

Hydrogen will also be showcased at the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo, Japan. The Olympic village, which houses the training facilities, will run entirely on hydrogen power. The governor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Yoichi Masuzoe, has already allocated $350 million to subsidize building hydrogen fueling stations and fuel cell cars prior to the Olympics.

Electric Vehicles Emit More Pollutants Than Fossil Fuel-Burning Cars, Says Study https://t.co/aeTDiishSZ via @dailycaller  MWAG (@Charlielincs) October 4, 2016

Elon Musk: hydrogen critic

Elon Musk, Teslas CEO and EV maker, has a problem with hydrogen-powered cars: he doesnt think theyre clean enough even though they only emit water upon combustion. Musk said the collection of hydrogen to power these new cars comes from natural gas, while only four percent comes from water. With advancements in fracking unlocking natural gas across the world, accessing hydrogen has become even more cost-effective.

And recent studies show that e-vehicles arent as clean as most people think. One study showed that non-exhaust emissions from brakes, tires, and roadways are higher than exhaust emissions in gasoline-powered vehicles.

And EVs get their power mostly from fossil-fuel powered plants, hardly a clean endeavor. But that hasnt stopped the Obama administration from favoring the EV industry over hydrogen, the latter his predecessor was actively pursuing.
Obamacare is a hot button issue between Donald Trump and Barack Obama today and if you really look into what is happening it would almost be comical if this wasn't such a national tragedy. The Democrats and Republicans are at the ready with their views, with one party wanting this health insurance dismantled and the other wanting it to live on and thrive.

It's good... it's bad

Starting with day one of his presidency, Donald Trump and his team are expected to start pulling apart Obamacare, according to The Washington Times. The backlash from Democrats, like Nancy Pelosi is brutal.

She is calling Trump's plan for the dismantling of Obamacare, "cowardice.

But Nancy, there is a very big problem today. " As the New York Times reports, "Sorry we don't take Obamacare" is a phrase repeated too often for the people who purchased that "affordable insurance."

Affordable insurance that's useless?

Obama has made the claim that this insurance is affordable and in some cases it is affordable, but also useless. One case in point is a woman who has a payment of $46 a month for one of the many insurances offered today. She has a choice of other insurance plans, but after that plan of $46 a month they jump to about $300 a month. This is a cost she cannot afford.

Not covered

Thrilled that she found a plan she can afford, she no longer worried about how her declining health might one day put her in the poor house.

If she had a relapse of her life-threatening disease, she is now covered under insurance... or she thought.

Within a month of signing up for this insurance, the major hospitals in the area where she had been a patient in the past sent out form letters stating they are not accepting this particular insurance. The letter from the first hospital concerned her and when the second hospital sent the letter she got worried, because these two hospitals were the only major hospitals near her home.

Obamacare has major flaws

After calling the insurance clearing house that handles all the insurance plans, she got nowhere. The woman on the other end of the phone took a good 30 minutes checking the hospitals in the area and the different plans they take. From there she checked the prices of the plans. The end result... her insurance offered for a $46 co-pay was the only one she could swing on her budget.

Costly

To be able to gain access to the major hospitals in the area, she would need to spend about $300 a month or more, which would take over one third of her Social Security Disability check each month. So she is left stuck with an insurance that she will be able to see her primary care doctor with, along with a co-pay of $20 per visit. She wasn't left with any options if she did suffer another bout of her life-threatening illness.

Even insurance agent can't afford it!

To add some more insight into how bad this "affordable insurance" has become, the insurance agent who helped this woman try and find another plan confided to this woman that she did not have insurance herself. "I know this sounds ridiculous because I work all day finding insurance plans for other people, but I can't afford Obamacare myself."

The agent said she opted to pay the penalty each year so she would have enough money to keep a roof over her kid's heads.

She sees a country doctor who offers a sliding scale that is income based for his fee. If a major health emergency should arise, the agent, just like the woman who called her, can't be denied medical help.

Hospitals will be left holding the bill!

This means both these women would end up owing a hospital in the are mega money if either one needed to be hospitalized. Money they could never pay back, leaving the hospital without getting payment. Are they alone.. oh, no. This is where the "affordable care" has brought the country to today!

The premiums have gone sky-high, out of the average person's reach. Many of the healthcare providers, such as hospitals, are not taking many of the plans that are offered as "affordable" to the consumers.
The speech of #President-elect Donald #Trump demonstrated the importance of ethics, compliance and a framework required to safeguard against potential Conflict of Interest, which are major elements of any #compliance program.

What did everyone say about Conflict of Interests?

Under Title 18 Section 208 federal executive branch employees are barred from participating in matters where they have financial interests. The buck does not stop here as 18 U.S.C. Section 202 specifically states "Except as otherwise provided in such sections, the terms officer and employee in sections 203, 205, 207 through 209, and 218 of this title shall not include the President, the Vice President, a Member of Congress, or a Federal judge".

The law was developed with an objective that the President and Vice President should be free from a legal constraint in order to carry out their constitutional duties.

However, #trump has realized the true impact of Conflict of Interest which In essence means a conflict is a state of being where one's interest supersedes their other interest of preference. Not only this Conflict of Interest creates an environment of toxicities and can lead to more serious violations with a corrosion of judgment creating serious, including potentially criminal, offenses. The key element in his speech achieves something that the compliance professionals across the companies are trying to achieve; that is the culture of ethics over the culture of rules and regulations called the compliance.

The #president-elect has gone ahead and morally done what is correct in the world of compliance that is to do ethically correct first.

The challenge

The key concerns that were raised are that on the #Trump empire since it is spread over geographies and has foreign stakeholders, which would also have foreign governments. The challenge can potentially be caused by the Emoluments Clause, which says that no person holding any office shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.

This topic has plagued another topic of discussion that is, the Emoluments Clause is a part of Article I which in essence governs the Legislative branch. However, the President of the USA is covered under Article II, the executive branch, and both the branches are independent of each other.

However, the #Trump administration has identified a solution for this as well; he has not only shifted the empire in the hands of his sons Don and Eric but also announced that the profits would be donated to benefit the common American.

Trump's law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius has developed a framework to overcome Conflict of Interests while passing a reference of Nelson Rockefeller who served as the 41st Vice President of the United States (197477) under President Gerald Ford, who was a tycoon in his own right and had a empire of his own and no one bothered much about pricking the bubble then, so why now?

The law firm further mentions that the framework would be developed such that all the deals will be vetted by an ethics officer and #Trump. The law firms are pretty proficient at creating "Ethical screen" (another name for the Chinese wall) which is used to wall the lawyer out of a case, by keeping him in the same law firm, while simultaneously being able to take up the party as a client or the case.

In theory, the president-elect would come to know about the deals only through the media/news channel, which is very smart move since most of the reports would hawk on the news even if any of the #Trump towers would place an extra slab of brick. Furthermore, what interested me is the setup of a corporate compliance department, which sends out a strong message to not only the public sector but also the private sector of the importance of compliance.

Irrespective of whatever has been said and done, the #president-elect had three aces in his pocket with which he trumped his critics.
"The Bachelor" Nick Viall filmed his final rose ceremony back in November but fans won't get watch the finale until March 13. Until then, rumors continue to circulate about Nick's final pick and the status of their relationship, one that Reality Steve states is "not good." To add to the drama, a new report reveals that Nick has been in touch with his former "Bachelor in Paradise" co-star, Amanda Stanton since he returned from filming the finale in Finland.

Fans will recall that Nick made a beeline for Amanda before Josh Murray arrived in "Paradise" last summer.

Amanda admitted that she was interested in Nick and they seemed to hit it off during the date. Although she ultimately got engaged to Josh on the "Bachelor in Paradise" season finale, they split last month, leaving Amanda single and ready to mingle.

Spoilers reveal that Nick Viall got engaged at the final rose ceremony, but the rumored texts to Amanda may indicate that they have already split or are simply staying together until the "After the Final Rose" special airs in March.

Nick reconnects with Amanda

According to Life & Style's sources, Nick started texting Amanda after she broke off her engagement to Josh last month and reached out to say "hello"  perhaps in an effort to rekindle their romance that was halted by Josh on "Bachelor in Paradise" or just to offer his friendship after her breakup.

He texted Amanda once news broke of her breakup, Life & Style's source states. He wanted to reach out and say, Hey, but thats not what a happily engaged guy should be doing!"

This isn't the first time that Nick has contacted single-mom Amanda Stanton off-camera. Last summer, Reality Steve revealed in his blog that Nick contacted Amanda one month before taping for "Paradise" started.

Weeks later, they had their first date on the show while cameras were rolling and all seemed to be going well until Josh Murray joined the cast.

Is Nick's engagement on or off?

After the whole Amanda/Josh/Nick triangle started to make headlines, Amanda took to her blog and told her readers that Nick contacted her before "Paradise" to talk about Jen Saviano, someone he wanted to get to know better on the show.

He eventually dumped Saviano and left the show single, but the recent report about Nick texting Amanda after he handed out his final rose will undoubtedly get fans talking  are they in contact because they are friends, has Nick split from his final pick, or is Life & Style's text story just unconfirmed gossip?

Reality Steve states in a recent blog post that Nick is still engaged to his final pick but he has heard rumors that their relationship is "not good," he is confident that they will show up at the "After the Final Rose" special as a couple.

For now, the Amanda texting story sounds like a bit of gossip, but we'll see how things play out after the "Bachelor" season finale airs on March 13.
On Wednesday afternoon, Donald Trump held his first press conference since being elected president, and had a lot to say about the recent alleged Russian blackmailing story reported by CNN and Buzzfeed. After the press conference came to a close, top Celebrities gave their thoughts on Twitter.

Trump backlash

CNN broke an exclusive story Tuesday night that claimed Russia had planned to blackmail Donald Trump after obtaining private information about the president-elect. Buzzfeed took their reporting even further, which alleged that the Kremlin had personal information about Trump's private sexual habits.

As expected, Trump and his transition team quickly dismissed the allegations, as the billionaire real estate mogul lashed out on Twitter on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, referring to the report as "fake news." When Trump arrived at his press conference at Trump Tower, he continued his denial of the report, hitting back at CNN and Buzzfeed in the process. In response, various celebrities took to their Twitter accounts on January 11 to give their thoughts.

It's like watching a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 11, 2017

Goodness, that was a train wreck.  Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 11, 2017

"It's like watching a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.," author Stephen King wrote on his Twitter account.

In a follow-up tweet, King wrote of the press conference, "Goodness, that was a train wreck." Actor George Takei, a vocal critic of Donald Trump, roasted the president-elect and took aim at the alleged "golden shower" story released by Buzzfeed. "Trump says the report is fake news and a witch hunt," Takei wrote, before adding, 'Just ask his buddy, Bladder-mir."

Trump says the report is fake news and a witch hunt. Just ask his buddy, Bladder-mir.  George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) January 11, 2017

Director Judd Apatow also chimed in, first targeting Donald Trump for refusing to take a press conference question from CNN, while labeling them "fake news." "So all of his surrogates have been fake?" Apatow asked.

In a second post on the issue, Apatow focused on Trump appearing to blame the intelligence community for leaking the original report to CNN, asking, "So Trump thinks our intelligence community is filled with genocidal murderers?"

So all of his surrogates have been fake? https://t.co/TOHcjxmvef  Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) January 11, 2017

So Trump thinks our intelligence community is filled with genocidal murderers? https://t.co/puVPZqoIeH  Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) January 11, 2017

Celebrity anger

While many comments were made with humor, one celebrity wasn't laughing at what he saw during the press conference.

Director Rob Reiner has been a critic or Donald Trump for sometime, and expressed his frustration with the mainstream media for not going after the former host of "The Apprentice."

MSM-UTTER FAILURE! Ask one pointed Q then pin him down on answer. 3 part Q's allow him to obfuscate. Didn't answer DT/Putin collision issue!  Rob Reiner (@robreiner) January 11, 2017

"MSM-UTTER FAILURE! Ask one pointed Q then pin him down on answer. 3 part Q's allow him to obfuscate," Reiner wrote on Twitter, before noting, "Didn't answer DT/Putin collision issue!" As Trump continues his war of words with the media and Hollywood, it doesn't look like his celebrity critics will be keeping quiet anytime soon.
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright have been dating for about two years, but are they on the verge of an engagement? While the "Vanderpump Rules" star is staying mum on any potential plans to wed, he was recently spotted at a jewelry store in Hollywood, California, which has led many to wonder if he is planning for a Valentine's Day proposal.

After sharing a photo of himself and Kyle Chan at his jewelry store, Cartwright re-tweeted the photo, and many commented on the post with questions about what he had bought. Others were more direct and asked if it was an engagement ring that he was shopping for.

Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright began dating one another in early 2015 after his relationship with Carmen Dickman came to an end months prior. Since then, the couple has been living together in Los Angeles and working together at SUR Restaurant, where "Vanderpump Rules" is filmed.

Jax Taylor was once against marriage completely

Not long ago, Taylor was seen expressing his disinterest in tying the knot. As fans of "Vanderpump Rules" may recall, Taylor and Cartwright were seen discussing the idea of marriage and children during an episode of season four last year, and at the time, Taylor was against the idea of getting married. Now, however, he seems to have had a change of heart.

Although Jax Taylor hasn't officially confirmed that he is on board with the idea of marriage, he recently participated in an interview with The Daily Dish on Bravo, and admitted that he is at least open to considering the possibility.

"As time progresses, I'm starting to open my mind about it a little bit more because I do love her and that's something she wants," he explained to the outlet at the end of last year. As for Cartwright, who hails from Kentucky, she said during last year's episode that she hopes to one day get married and start a family.

To see more of Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright and their co-stars, tune in to new episodes of "Vanderpump Rules" this and every Monday night at 9 p.m. on Bravo TV.
Last weekend was the 74th Golden Globes. The highlight of the night came when award-winning actress Meryl Streep used her acceptance speech to criticize Donald Trump, which didn't go over well with the president-elect.

Hamill trolls Trump

No one saw it coming, but Meryl Streep spoke calmly as she picked apart Donald Trump and what his election means for the future of the United States. As expected, critics of Trump praised Streep, but those who support the billionaire real estate went after the actress. The following morning, Trump lashed out on Twitter, ranting that Streep was "one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood" who was nothing more than a "Hillary flunky." Trump was also triggered by the fact that Streep referenced when the president-elect appeared to mock a disabled reporter during his campaign, something he continues to deny.

In response, actor Mark Hamill trolled Trump by reading the Streep insult in his "Joker" voice, as reported on January 14.

Mark Hamill is well known for playing Luke Skywalker in the "Star Wars" films, but for comic book fans, he is also known as the voice of "The Joker" in "Batman: The Animated Series." As he has done in the past, Hamill sent out an audio clip, where he uses the voice of Batman's most famous enemy to depict Trump's tweet, this time focusing on his attack on Meryl Streep. The reaction following the Hamill audio joke came in typical partisan fashion. While liberals found the clip humorous, conservatives and Trump supporters appeared to write it off as another "Hollywood" attack on the former host of "The Apprentice."

Am I the ONLY one man enough to confront this #OverratedFlunkyLoser without resorting to an ad hominem assault? https://t.co/ac2j2KGryn pic.twitter.com/iH1XnPgOzm  Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) January 14, 2017

Moving forward

Despite the growing backlash against him, Donald Trump is just a week away from heading to Washington, D.C.

and being sworn in as the next President of the United States. The opposition to Trump has become so heated that over 100,000 protesters are expected to be in and around the nation's capital to voice their opposition to the incoming administration. While Mark Hamill might be the voice of "The Joker," to those who are against Trump, next week will be no laughing matter.
The Bachelor kicked off its 21st season showcasing numerous beautiful women vying for the attention of Nick Viall. After several rejections in past seasons of "The Bachelor" and "Bachelor in Paradise," Nick is still looking for love, and the women on the show seem to be smitten. Spoilers now reveal the top four gals near the finish line, and who Nick proposes to on bended knee.

Final four ladies revealed on Nick Vialls 'Bachelor' season

Although Nick Viall is the hated/loved contestant on "The Bachelor," most people are cheering him on in his quest for love.

The first couple of episodes of the show highlight Nick as a real gentleman, making instant connections with several of the women. It is no secret that the villain on this season is one Miss Corinne Olympios of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. On a group date, Ms. Olympios removed her top and placed Nicks hands on her breasts while everyone looked on. She is not a favorite of the other gals but seems to make it to the top four. The other girls predicted to make it to the end are Rachel Lindsay, Raven Gates, and Vanessa Grimaldi.

Final ladies eliminated to reveal possible fiance for 'Bachelor' Nick Viall

According to recent spoilers by Reality Steve, the first of the four women to go home on Nick Vialls season of the Bachelor is Corinne Olympios, followed by Rachel Lindsay.

She was one of the First African-American women to get the first impression rose and also become one of the finalists. Ms. Lindsay, Raven Gates, and Vanessa Grimaldi go to Finland for their overnight stays, with Raven and Vanessa remaining as the final two. Ultimately, the winner of the final rose is revealed to be Ms. Vanessa Grimaldi.

Reality Steve has doubts about whether the engaged couple is a match made in heaven, although viewers will be happy to know that "The Bachelor" will have a happy ending. Follow the show and the adventures of Nick Viall to see if his journey leads him down the aisle with his new love, or if his career will be his top priority. It will be interesting to see if the predictions are correct, or if there will be a sudden twist to shock all of Bachelor nation.
VIENTIANE - China has agreed to purchase 20,000 metric tons of organic rice a year from Laos, Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told local authorities in the southern Champassak province.

Laos will need to deliver 20,000 tons of genuine organic rice to China and the shipment must not contain non-organic rice, Thongloun was quoted by the state-run Vientiane Times on Sunday.

About 4,000 tons of sticky rice and non-glutinous rice had already been delivered to China following an earlier agreement to export 8,000 tons of Lao rice to China. China has approved an increase from 8,000 tons to 20,000 tons, said the newspaper.

The exported rice to China is being grown in Savannakhet province and Champassak province's Khong district. According to Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in October, only the IDP Rice Mill in Savannakhet province was able to produce quality rice meeting the standard required by Chinese buyers.

There are many rice mills in Laos but their product is of low quality. Based on a nationwide survey, only the IDP Rice Mill has been able to meet the Chinese standards.

China's Xuanye (Lao) Co Ltd was approved by China's National Development and Reform Commission to be sole exporter of Lao rice to China with quota of 8,000 tons.

More than 778,000 hectares of wet season rice and over 126,600 hectares of dry season rice are grown annually in Laos. However, about 226,000 hectares of rice fields in flatland areas are totally dependent on rainfall because irrigation channels have not yet been built in those areas.

Since 2000, Laos has exported over 300,000 tons of rice annually to Vietnam, Thailand, China and other countries.

Laos is expected to produce about 5 million tons of rice by 2020 to ensure food security in the country. In the 2015-2016 fiscal year, Laos' rice production reached 4.12 million tons and is predicted to increase to 4.35 million tons in the 2016-2017 fiscal year.
Gongs and drums reverberate as a boat carrying the groom arrives at the dock at Youbu ancient town in Lanxi city, East China's Zhejiang province on Jan 15, 2017. The groom must go first to his bride's home and escort her to the wedding. [Photo/VCG]
A man walks at the main entrance of the congress center where the World Economic Forum takes place in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan 18, 2016. [Photo/IC]

This week, policymakers, business leaders and top academics are gathering for the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. At this year's meeting, under the umbrella of "responsive and responsible leadership", participants will debate rising income inequality, economic anxiety, growing protectionism and the increasing opposition to globalization and the openness that has been a major engine of growth in the past decades, but which has also left large groups of people behind. The meeting takes place against a backdrop of elevated economic uncertainty fueled by policy incertitude in the wake of political changes in 2016 and this year's elections in Germany, France, and other countries, the economies of which together account for some 30 percent of global GDP.

In its recent Global Economic Prospects 2017, the World Bank estimates that global growth slowed in 2016 to a post-crisis low of 2.3 percent, as global trade stalled, investment slowed, and policy uncertainty spiked. A moderate recovery is projected for 2017, with global growth forecast to increase to 2.7 percent, mainly driven by emerging markets and developing economies, in particular the large commodity exporters such as Russia and Brazil.

China, with a projected growth rate of 6.5 percent for 2017, is set to remain one of the engines of global growth in 2017. Although its growth is projected to further moderate 6.3 percent in 2018-19, reflecting soft external demand, uncertainty about global trade prospects, and slower private investment. Macroeconomic policies are expected to continue supporting activity to help smooth the adjustment of output in overcapacity sectors. Policy support is likely to come increasingly from the fiscal side, as government action to reduce the risks of rising leverage take hold. Rebalancing from industry to services, and from investment to consumption, is expected to moderate, as the continued fiscal stimulus supports industry and the lower wage growth of recent months is being reflected in slower consumption growth.

Global growth may yet surprise on the upside, especially if a fiscal stimulus in the United States were to ensue, but downside risks associated with policy uncertainty, protectionist pressures, and the risk of financial market disruptions dominate global prospects.

Policy uncertainty could further slow investment. Investment growth in emerging markets and developing economies has slowed sharply since 2010. This slowdown has been most pronounced in the largest emerging markets and commodity-exporting countries, but has now spread to the majority of these economies. Slowing investment growth reflects a range of obstacles holding back investment: terms-of-trade shocks, slowing foreign direct investment inflows, private debt burdens and rising political risk. Sluggish investment today sets back future growth by slowing capital accumulation and productivity growth. Therefore, the cyclical and structural policies to boost investment growth agreed at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, last year remain highly relevant today.

Rising protectionist sentiments could undermine the growth in tradean engine of growth in the past that has been sputtering in recent years. Global trade growth in 2016 recorded its weakest performance since the global financial crisis. The structural forces at work are of concern, and they include a slower pace of global value chain integration and increasing trade liberalization headwinds. Maturing global value chains also contributed to lower trade generated for each increase in global GDP. This trend, which had already been observed prior to the global financial crisis, has intensified in recent years. Among major advanced economies, the slowdown in global value chain participation is particularly visible in the United States and Japan. Among the emerging markets and developing economies, China's more mature domestic intermediate production has also contributed in lowering trade intensity of growth. At the same time, most emerging markets and developing economies still have large untapped potential to move up the value chain, by shifting to more complex and higher domestic value-added products, but only if the global trade environment allows for it.

New trade restrictions reached a post-crisis high in 2016. In an environment of weak global trade, stagnant real income gains in major advanced economies, and marked currency movements between major reserve currencies, protectionism has been slowly rising. For example, in 2016, G20 countries have taken more trade-restrictive measures than trade-facilitating ones. Anti-dumping measures, countervailing duties, and safeguards have been the most commonly used instruments in advanced economies, while emerging markets and developing economies have used a broader set of restrictive measures, including import tariffs and export taxes. Without violating current agreements, World Trade Organization members could triple import tariffs, which would lead to a 10 percent drop in world trade, and large welfare losses for the world. Undoing existing trade agreements amid increased protectionism would greatly exacerbate those welfare losses.

Davos is an opportunity to discuss how to turn the tide that is rising against globalization and trade, and China, which is represented at the highest levels of government, can play an important role. China has not only been a major beneficiary of openness and globalization in the past three decades, but in recent years has played a leading role in international trade and development, and a growing role in the global institutions that underpin these. There is much that countries themselves can do to ensure that gains from trade are better shared, and to strengthen support for openness and tradeincluding improving social safety nets, more investment in people, and active labor market policies that help those working in declining industries to move to more productive occupations. At this point in time, more is needed. Perhaps most important is strong leadership to sustain the international economic system that has benefited the world so much in the past, and to adapt it to current needs and realities. China is among the few countries that is in a position to provide such leadership in today's world.

The author is the World Bank country director for China.
The Election Commission's recognition to the Akhilesh Yadav faction as the Samajwadi Party and allotting 'cycle' symbol to it will have an impact on Uttar Pradesh assembly polls and might force both the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party to redraw their poll strategy.

Both the parties had been banking heavily on the internal feud in the first family of the state with Mayawati projecting her party as the only force to take on the saffron brigade in the face of a weakened Samajwadi Party.

The BJP on its part was seeking to capitalise by promising development and law and order.

Akhilesh-led SP is likely to seal its alliance with the Congress later this week, a deal that would pitchfork the combine as the main contender against the resurgent BJP in the coming elections in UP.

The SP and the Congress together will seek to offer a stronger and cleaner alternative to the Muslim electorate which will be looking for a party that could defeat the BJP as the hustings.

Muslim voters, who account for nearly 20 per cent of Uttar Pradesh's population, can make or mar the electoral prospects of key political parties vying for the top slot in the high stake elections.

While divided Muslim votes translate to gains for the BJP, a consolidation will change the poll arithmetic as minorities play a crucial role in at least 125 of 403 constituencies.

Muslims are known to go with a party or alliance that stands the best chance to defeat the BJP and Akhilesh-led SP and Congress together could provide them this option.

This would also mean that the extent of Muslim support to the BSP will not be up to its expectations to see its candidates through.

Working on this equation, Mayawati gave tickets to Muslims in as many as 97 constituencies, but her old record of allying with the BJP for power in UP often returns to haunt her.

As ruling SP grappled with internal feud, BSP supremo Mayawati sought to fish in troubled waters, seeking to drive a wedge in the SP camp to wean away the crucial Muslim vote bank.

Muslims are considered the traditional vote bank of the ruling Samajwadi Party and the concern over SP family feud has been voiced by several top clerics including, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid and Maulana Salman Nadvi of Lucknow-based Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama.

These leaders gave a blunt message to Mulayam Singh Yadav that their votes would end up with the BSP if the internecine war in his party did not end.

To project herself as the true saviour of the minorities, Mayawati has been continuously linking the SP and the BJP, often claiming that there was a "tacit understanding" between the two and asking voters to be wary of their "closeness".

The BJP has also been quoting lack of development and misgovernance of successive governments and promising people to make Uttar Pradesh as 'Uttam Pradesh' if voted to power.

Political analysts said a section of Yadavs and Muslims might still go with party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav but a majority of them will move towards the Akhilesh group as they look at him as a new hope in the state.

The 43-year-old chief minister has already proved his mettle at governance in the past five years and shown that development was the buzz word for him.

They say that armed with the EC order, Akhilesh will now be better placed to steer the party to a cleaner new image which will go down well with the people especially the young electorate.

Analysts also said the EC order might be a setback to some extent to the BJP and the BSP, which were banking on the family feud in the SP to give them an edge.

The BSP had expected Muslims to leave the SP and join its core votebank of Dalits to give it the requisite numerical advantage to bring it back to power.

But, the latest development could drive the BSP supremo to think of a fresh strategy, especially in the communally sensitive western UP -- where she anticipates a keen contest with BJP -- which goes to polls in the first two phases.

BSP insiders said the party was contemplating reassessing its strategy vis-a-vis Muslim vote bank which has strongly been siding with the SP post Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid issue.

Sources said Mayawati had directed her deputy Naseemuddin Siddiqui and his son Afzal to step up the BSP campaign in western UP to mobilize Muslim voters and showcase the party that can halt the saffron surge.

Naseemuddin had met Shia cleric and convener of Majlis-e-Ulema-e Hind, an outfit of Muslim ulemas, Kalbe Jawad on Monday soon after the EC order.

They said Mayawati was of the firm view that wooing Muslims and galvanizing them with her core Dalit vote bank could drum up a formidable alliance to take on the BJP, which will stand to gain in the event of Muslim votes getting split between the SP and the BSP.

Analysts say a Bihar-like 'maha-gathbandhan' in UP could keep the Muslim flock together.

The BJP too seems to be redrawing its strategy by roping in as many Muslim voters as possible by showing itself as the primary opponent of SP.

The saffron party expects to gain those Muslim voters who have become disenchanted with the SP, especially after Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013, in which over 60 people were killed and around 50,000 rendered homeless.

Some sections of Muslims are also unhappy with the SP government which has no so far fulfilled its promise to ensure 18 per cent quota for them despite the fact that reservation is not on basis of religion.

The Congress too is making frantic efforts to regain its lost moorings in the state and has appointed Ghulam Nabi Azad as its state incharge hoping to attract a huge chunk of Muslim votes.

Muslims, who constitute a fifth of the state's population of nearly 200 crore, are yet to open their cards as to which way they will go, though the community is the cynosure of all eyes in the political circles.

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Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc receives his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in Hanoi__Photo: VNA

,

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe have reached high consensus on major orientations and specific measures to push forward the comprehensive, practical and effective development of the bilateral extensive strategic partnership.During their talks in Hanoi on January 16, Phuc hailed his guest as the first foreign high-ranking leader to visit Vietnam this year and reiterated Vietnams consistent policy of considering Japan its leading and long-term partner.The two PMs agreed to continue strengthening political trust via maintaining high-level visits and meetings, and increasing the efficiency of dialogue mechanisms.They committed to closely working together for the upcoming Vietnam visit by the Japanese Emperor and Empress. The Japanese PM wished to welcome his Vietnamese counterpart to Japan this summer and promised to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting in Vietnams central city of Da Nang later this year.The host and guest consented to enhance practical collaboration in national defense-security, including bomb and mine clearance and improvement of law enforcement at sea.Economically, the two sides reached consensus on boosting economic connectivity via promotion of trade, investment promotion, official development assistance (ODA) and cooperation in supplementary fields such as agriculture and labor.PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked Japan to continue providing Vietnam with ODA in the near future, with a focus on infrastructure building, human resources training and climate change response.Abe, for his part, committed an additional ODA amount of USD 1.05 billion for Vietnam in the 2016 fiscal year in the fields of maritime security, climate change response, water drainage and waste treatment.Japan is ready to boost hi-tech application and investment by raising capital from state-owned enterprises and personnel training while facilitating Vietnamese tourist arrivals in Japan and cultural exchanges, he said.Both sides vowed to realize Vietnams industrialization strategy within the framework of the Vietnam-Japan cooperation through 2020 with a vision toward 2030 and the sixth stage of the Japan-Vietnam joint initiative to improve Vietnams business climate, as well as continue major infrastructure projects such as the north-south highway in Vietnam.The two leaders also agreed to boost bilateral ties across hi-tech agriculture, high-quality human resources training and cooperation between localities, as well as increase the number of Vietnamese trainees to Japan.PM Abe announced that Japan will allow the import of Vietnams red-fleshed dragon fruit and PM Phuc also declared that Vietnam will license the import of Japans pear fruit.Regarding regional and global issues of shared concern, the two PMs vowed mutual support at regional and global forums such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the United Nations.The Japanese leader affirmed that he will work to help Vietnam successfully host the APEC Year 2017.The two PMs underscored the importance of ensuring peace, security, maritime and aviation safety and freedom in the East Sea, urging parties concerned to refrain from actions that cause tension and militarization resulting in changing the status quo in the waters, promote the settlement of disputes by peaceful means. The sides should fully respect diplomatic and legal processes, not to use force or threat to use force, seriously abide by international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), towards promptly reaching a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).Following the talks, the two PMs witnessed the signing of agreements between ministries, agencies and businesses.
HA NOI  Several commercial banks have in the early days of 2017 posted positive business performance for 2016, with profits much higher than the previous year.

The Bank for Foreign Trade of Viet Nam (Vietcombank) was the first bank to report pre-tax profit in 2016, which hit a record high of VN8.2 trillion (US$362 million). Its profit surged by 23.4 per cent against 2015 and also exceeded the banks target for the year by 2.7 per cent.

In 2016, Vietcombank mobilised nearly VN600 trillion from its depositors, up 19.4 per cent from the previous year, while lending an estimated VN470 trillion, up 18.9 per cent.

Vietcombank chairman Nghiem Xuan Thanh said in 2016 the bank brought its rate of non-performing loans (NPLs) to 1.44 per cent, down four basis points compared with the end of 2015.

The banks capital adequacy ratio, which measures its capital to its risk, was 10.29 per cent, higher than the minimum of 9 per cent set by the State Bank of Viet Nam.

On solid ground in 2016, Vietcombank has targeted a pre-profit figure of VN9.2 trillion in 2017, 12 per cent higher than last year.

The bank also expects its total assets to rise by 11 per cent in 2017, while it has forecast that its credit growth and capital mobilisation will be 18 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively. The bank aims to keep its NPLs under 1.5 per cent.

The Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) also reported a high profit of VN8.25 trillion in 2016, 4 per cent higher than the plan set by the banks general meeting of shareholders.

Nguyen Van Thang, Vietinbank chairman, said that as of December 31, 2016, the banks total merged assets were estimated at VN947 trillion, up 22 per cent from the previous year; while total mobilised capital reached VN862 trillion, up 21 per cent.

Also in 2016, the banks total outstanding loans posted VN720 trillion, a year-on-year rise of 18 per cent, fulfilling the set target. Credit structure witnessed positive transfer with credit for prioritised industries growing 22.4 per cent, higher than the common credit growth of the whole system.

By the end of 2016, the bank continued to effectively manage the quality of assets with bad debt ratio of less than 1 per cent.

Le uc Tho, general director of Vietinbank, said in 2017, the bank set a target of a 15-17 per cent rise in total assets and an 18 per cent increase in outstanding credit. In addition, it strives to control the quality of debts, manage the bad debt ratio and ensure profit growth to achieve or exceed the years plan set by the general meeting of shareholders.

The Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV) also estimated a pre-tax profit of VN7.5 trillion in 2016, a rise of 7 per cent against the previous year despite its deduction for the risk provision fund being quite high. In the first nine months of 2016, BIDV spared nearly VN7 trillion for the fund, jumping 80 per cent year-on-year.

Positive results of BIDV in 2016 came from optimistic credit growth. Its total loans reached over VN935 trillion, in which VN758 trillion was offered to economic institutions and individuals, up 17.85 per cent compared with 2015, while its deposits totalled VN939 trillion, up 20.45 per cent. The bank could control its bad debt ratio to 1.47 per cent of total outstanding loans over the past year.

Meanwhile, many other banks also surpassed their 2016 pre-tax profit targets, such as ACB, VPBank, Techcombank and VIB. - VNS
HA NOI  The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) has issued a new circular to prepare for the application of BASEL II standards in the domestic banking system.

Under Circular 41/2016/TT-NHNN issued recently, commercial banks must maintain a capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of at least 8 per cent from January 1, 2020.

The new circular will replace Circular 13/2010/TT-NHNN that currently regulates minimum CAR of at least 9 per cent for banks.

However, according to the central bank, commercial banks that are capable of implementing the new regulation earlier than the above date can register to apply earlier.

The central banks move is aimed to prepare for the application of BASEL II standards in the domestic banking system. Under BASEL II standards, minimum CAR is required at 8 per cent.

According to a recent report from the National Financial Supervisory Commission (NFSC), minimum CAR of the entire banking system this year is estimated at 11.3 per cent.

However, experts estimate that when the BASEL II is applied, the current CAR at banks would reduce sharply due to an increase in the amount of their risky assets.

The NFSC also reported that a pilot application of BASEL II at 10 banks showed that the CAR at the banks will reduce sharply compared with the current situation. Taking the four State-owned banks of Vietcombank, BIDV, Vietinbank and Agribank for example, their current CAR stands at nearly 9 per cent, but it reduces to less than 8 per cent when applying BASEL II standards.

Viet Nam currently applies Basel I for the banking industry. However, the central bank has selected the 10 largest and most prestigious domestic commercial banks to apply in a pilot phase the BASEL II standards.

The banks, which will pilot capital and risk management methods according to Basel II standards, is due to complete the pilot run by 2018 and the Basel II application will be then deployed at other commercial banks in the country.

Basel II is a new, higher level for Vietnamese banks in accordance with Basel Accords standards set by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. The application is flexible to different countries but the overall spirit is tighter regulations on banking operations.

Industry insiders said the Basel II application in Viet Nam would be a challenge for local banks; however, it is a must as it is believed to be the best solution to make Vietnamese banks healthier.

Le Trung Kien, deputy director of the SBVs Department for Banking Operation Safety Policies, said banks would face challenges in human resources and finance when the Basel II is applied, however, applying Basel IIs standards is a key task listed in the programme on credit institution restructuring.

Besides this, Kien said, "it is essential for local banks to apply Basel II when Viet Nam integrates with the global economy, as most of other regional banks have, so far, applied Basel II or even Basel III." - VNS
HA NOI  Painter Thanh Chuong has completed 60 paintings of roosters to celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Rooster. Using different materials, such as lacquer, oil on canvas and watercolours, Chuong uses the roosters to reflect society and his own philosophy of life.

The paintings will be displayed at the Domino Art Fair, an annual event on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, scheduled to take place at Ha Noi Creative City, 1 Luong Yen Street from January 20 to 25, and at the HCM City Fine Arts Museum from February 22 to 27.

The art fair will gather more than 300 art works by about 160 Vietnamese and foreign artists. Chuong is the biggest exhibitor.

This year, the art fair will bring together prominent art critics and researchers like Nguyen Quan and Pham Long, and leading art advisors and curators such as Tran Huy Oanh, Thanh Chuong, Trinh Tuan, Le Thiet Cuong and Le Kinh Tai in an art advisory panel.

Domino Art Fair is aimed at bringing art closer to the community. There are open areas for artists to interact with the audience. There will also be a private area for art collectors.

There will be roundtables and activities to promote Vietnamese artists at the two events in Ha Noi and HCM City. Painter Chuong will have a meeting with his fans in Ha Noi to introduce his 60 rooster paintings. Those who come to the event in HCM City will be able to meet with artist Tai to talk about animals and human beings in fine arts.

Another new feature of the Domino Art Fair is an interactive art education scheme called School Day, which includes a series of workshops where school children play and learn how to make creative art works from famous artists.

The art fair is organised by the RealArt organisation, founded in 2014 by artist Trinh Minh Tien. RealArt is an independent art organisation aimed at supporting contemporary art in Viet Nam and bringing it closer to the public in order to develop a robust and transparent domestic art market for Vietnamese people. RealArt has organised fairs around the country and connected well-established artists with new talents.

For a long time, Viet Nams art market has been struggling with various problems, such as the lack of connection with local audiences or counterfeit painting incidents which cause enormous confusion for art lovers and art buyers, said Tien. Within that context, our RealArt organisations attempt is to organise healthy and transparent art fairs to win back public confidence and bring arts closer to the art lovers.

This year, RealArt will experiment with some new features for a so-called secondary market for art. A booth dedicated to RealArts regular customers/collectors who want to re-sell the works they bought will be erected at the art fair.

RealArt plans a series of art fairs to develop a national art fair brand for Viet Nam, which can compete with other regional reputed art fair brands like the Singapore Affordable Art Fair, Hong Kong Art Basel and Singapore Art Stage.  VNS
Chinese student Tsz Ham "Kevin" Tai (above right), who will lead the Culver Military Academy Black Horse Troop in the Presidential Inaugural Parade on Friday, practices with the troop on Sunday in Culver, Indiana. Provided to China Daily

Chinese student Tsz Ham (Kevin) Tai will be leading the Culver Military Academy Black Horse Troop as squadron commander, riding in the upcoming Presidential Inaugural Parade on Friday.

"We very much look forward to it," said Tai.

Tai will be leading the 56-member mounted unit riding with 24 members of the Culver Girls Academy Equestriennes. This will be the 17th inaugural parade for the Black Horse Troop and the eighth for the equestriennes.

"We are very excited to be participating in the presidential inaugural parade," Antonio Giraldi, chief international officer at Culver, told China Daily in an email. "We are very proud this year to have Kevin as our squadron commander and parade leader."

"A lot of people like me chose Culver because of an interest in joining its cavalry to do something really cool like this," Tai added.

Born in Neijiang, Sichuan province and raised in Shanghai, Tai moved to Chicago with his mom at the age of 10. In 2013, he joined Culver Military Academy in Indiana, where he got started with equitation.

"I watched our black horse troop join the inaugural ceremony in 2014, I was so impressed I applied to the squadron," he said.

With intense interest and hard work  an average of 2 hours practice a day  after three years, Tai stood out, becoming the squadron commander after several rounds of selection.

After receiving the formal invitation to join the inauguration ceremony, the troop started to prepare at the end of September.

Sacrificing nights and weekends to get prepared, the cavalrymen also put much effort into conditioning the horses to get used to crowds and commotion and not get startled.

Tsz Ham "Kevin" Tai practices with the Culver Military Academy Black Horse Troop on Sunday in Culver, Indiana. Provided to China Daily

"There are many kinds of noises in DC, such as sirens and motorcycles, which are rarely heard by the horses on our campus," Tai said.

"So we added background noise by playing CDs of noises during our practices."

"We also used smoke machines during practice because we know there is smoke on the streets of DC," he added.

And coming up behind them in the parade will be a marching band, so to make sure the horses would not get spooked by the music, the school's marching band was invited to play during practice.

"I remember the first time we practiced with the band in October, all of the horses went crazy hearing the big sound, when I looked back, I saw seven or eight boys had been thrown from their horses. It was kind of funny," said Tai.

Tai said all sorts of unexpected things happened during practice. "But overall, we are doing great now," he added.

The troop will set out for DC early Wednesday. "Since we started training, we have sacrificed so much time of our own, so we hope our effort could be paid by making our best performance in the important day," said Tai.

In the parade squadron, 10 other senior students from China ride beside Tai.

Located on Lake Maxinkuckee in Culver, Indiana, Culver Academies is a boarding prep school known for using a military model to educate its cadets in practical leadership and responsible citizenship.

Annually, the school has an enrollment of 814 students representing more than 36 states and 22 countries. Approximately 20 percent of the students are international.

The 2017 Inaugural Parade will mark the 104th anniversary of the Black Horse Troop's first ride down Pennsylvania Avenue. The mounted unit served as the official escort for Vice-President Thomas Marshall during Woodrow Wilson's inaugural parades in 1913 and 1917. (Marshall was the former governor of Indiana, as is Vice-President-elect Mike Pence.

The parade will be televised live.

xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com
Viet Nams biggest, most important traditional festival, Tet (Lunar New Year Festival), is a time of renewal, a time to welcome Spring, a time to thank Gods and ancestors and pray for their blessings. Special dishes are made to offer the Gods before they are shared by family and friends.

In that spirit, Foodwise shares with you some stories about a few delicious Tet dishes cooked in the countrys three regions.

There are nine traditional dishes made in the north of the country, but one that can be considered the very soul of Vietnamese Tet is the banh chung (square cake).

This special cake carries the fragrance and sweetness of glutinous rice, the buttery taste of green bean, the meaty flavour of pork and light hotness of peppercorns.

For thousands of years, this cake has always been present on the ancestral altar of every family in the north.

The legend is that the 6th Hung King, who wanted someone to succeed him, told princes that he would abdicate it to whoever brings the most special things to worship Heaven and Earth before the Lunar New Year.

Most of the princes searched high and low, in the mountains and the seas, looking for special offerings, but the 18th prince, Lang Lieu, stayed put. A deity informed him that there is nothing more valuable than rice, because it is the food that feeds the people. The deity advised the prince to use glutinous rice to make square and round cakes to represent Heaven and Earth, and wrap it with a leaf and a dumpling, representing the mother and father giving birth to a child.

When the cakes were offered to the king, he was so pleased that gave up his throne to Lieu and named the square cake banh chung and the round cake banh day.

Since then, these cakes have been indispensable on the worship tray as generation after generation of Vietnamese people offer their thanks to Heaven and Earth. The two cakes are also prominent among the many things on the tray when worshipping the Hung Kings death anniversary on the 10th day of the third lunar month.

Ly Thi Oanh, 80, of Nam inh Provinces Truc Ninh Village, recalled that in the past, all families, rich and poor, cooked the cake to welcome Tet.

Though my family was very poor, my mother spent money on buying glutinous rice and green beans to make the cake because the village elders always said we can face hunger all year round, but not on the three days of Tet.

Oanh said shes never forgotten the days when her six brothers and sisters joined their mother in wrapping the banh chung. I can still remember the delicious and nutty taste of the cake although it was cooked without a piece of meat.

She said she feels sorry for todays youth, particularly those in urban areas, because they have very few opportunities these days to wrap and cook banh chung on their own, instead of buying it from markets.

Other favourites

The other eight Tet dishes typical to the north of the country are: dua hanh (pickled welsh onion), gio lua (lean pork paste), gio thu (pigs head paste), thit ong (pork meat cut into pieces cooked with fish sauce and peppers until it is well stewed and then let it cool and freeze it on the refrigerator), nem ran (fried spring roll), canh mang (dried bamboo shoots soup) ,canh bong (pigs dried skin soup), ga luoc (boiled chicken) and che kho (soft green bean) cake.

MasterChef judge Pham Tuan Hai, a Ha Noi native, said dua hanh was a dish that adds to the Tet cheer. The light sourness and spiciness of the onion not only adds flavour, it also helps digest a heavy meal, he said.

Nem ran, once only cooked for Tet parties, are now so popular that they can be had everyday or every weekend.

Hai said he is particularly fund of the fried rolls made by his grandmother because of its aromatic crispy cover, tasty and delicious filling, and lightly salty, sour, sweet and peppery dipping sauce.

He also said a Tet offering tray should never lack a boiled rooster, because it is believed that offering this dish to Heaven and Earth on the New Year Day will ensure an auspicious start and bring in an abundance of happiness.

Dipping a piece of the yellow chicken covered with thin strips of lemon leaves in a sauce of salt, pepper, chili and lemon juice is one of the most enjoyable, characteristic Tet experiences, Hai said.

The che kho (soft green-bean) cake is another popular Tet dish in the north, particularly among Hanoians, Hai said.

The ingredients of che kho are simple, green beans, white sesame and sugar, but they come together to create an irresistible taste and texture  cool and so soft that it melts quickly in the mouth.  VNS
UTAH, United States  The Sundance Film Festival opens in Utah on Thursday, promising to set the agenda for independent cinema and starting the 2018 Oscars buzz a month before this years statuettes are awarded.

The annual gathering, founded in 1985 by iconic screen outlaw Robert Redford, turns the lens on 118 independent features, as Hollywood descends on the ski resort of Park City for the 33rd edition.

"From the passion and chaos of creativity, independent filmmakers make decisions to harness that energy, break new ground and tell their stories," Redford, 80, said in a statement.

"This years festival reflects every step of that journey and shows how art can engage, provoke and connect people all over the world."

Kicking off in 1985 as a counterweight to the dominance of major Hollywood studios, Sundance nurtures new talent and provides a showcase for filmmakers working outside the studio system.

In 2016, it drew 46,600 attendees, generating US$143.3 million for Utah and supporting 1,400 local jobs, according to organisers.

Highlights this year include the usual spread of drama, thriller, horror and comedy movies and one truly undefinable work called Manifesto, in which Cate Blanchett plays 13 different characters reciting famous art manifestos.

David Lowerys A Ghost Story, starring recent Golden Globe winner Casey Affleck and double Oscar nominee Rooney Mara, should turn heads while John Turturro and Edie Falco are also sure to be draws in comedy Landline.

Sundance also features documentaries and, for the first time, is shining a light on a specific theme -- climate change -- with 14 films and virtual reality projects in its The New Climate slate.

Among the films attracting the most pre-festival attention is An Inconvenient Sequel, a follow-up to vice-president Al Gores watershed environmental documentary An Inconvenient Truth (2006).

Directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, the movie follows Gore as he continues his campaign to build a more sustainable future for the planet.

"The films in this years festival show the human sides of issues, people and places we dont often see," said festival director John Cooper.

"Independent filmmakers, with their fearless, bold perspectives, are challenging us to witness our worlds whole story. These artists, armed with their films, will lead us into the future."  AFP
HCM CITY  The well-known girl band T-Ara of South Korea will perform at a music festival in HCM City tonight (January 17).

The bands six members will sing for 20 minutes at the V-Live Year End Party 2016 at the 7th Military Zone Gymnasium.

The concert will feature seven members of NCT 127, one of Koreas most popular boy bands, and Vietnamese boy band Monstar and young pop stars Noo Phuoc Thinh and Toc Tien.

Young movie actors such as Chi Pu and Truong Quynh have also been invited to join the event.

The T-Ara band debuted in 2009 after spending three years of training with its producer, Core Contents Media.

Their first single called Lies left a very strong impression on audiences in Korea and other Asian countries. It later released Absolute First Album and spawned several hits including TTL (Time to Love), Bo Peep Bo Peep and I Go Crazy Because of You.

In 2011, T-Ara signed a US$4.3 million contract with J-Rock, a management company, for their Japanese debut.

One of their featured albums, Sugar Free, was released in 2012 before the bands Asian promotional tour in Korea, Malaysia, Japan and Viet Nam.

At the only performance set for Viet Nam in 2013, the group performed its hits Time to Love, Roly Poly and Day by Day.

The V-Live Year End Party 2016 aims to bring Viet Nam and Korea together through music, according to Park Don Jin, a member of the concerts organising board.

The event is expected to attract dozens of Korean and Vietnamese artists.

It will take place at 8pm tonight at 7th Military Zone Gymnasium, 202 Hoang Van Thu Street, Tan Binh District. More than 13,000 people are expected to join the event.  VNS
HA NOI  Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc called for governmental co-operation and active citizen roles in researching and creating conditions for partnerships with Canada in three fields: development co-operation, education-training, and trade and investment.

He made the statement at a discussion titled Meet in Canada jointly hosted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Canadian Embassy in Viet Nam and Ha Nois Peoples Committee in Ha Noi yesterday.

Nearly 200 representatives of ministries, sectors, localities, APEC business communities, Canadian enterprises and non-governmental organisations in Viet Nam joined the meeting.

The relationship between Viet Nam and Canada stands in front of a historic opportunity, Deputy Minister Ngoc said.

Viet Nam attaches significant importance to promoting partnership with Canada. The brightest point in the two countries relationship is trade and investment collaboration, he added.

Viet Nam is Canadas largest trade partner in ASEAN region. Bilateral trade co-operation reached US$4.6 billion in 2015, almost six times higher than the 2010 figure.

In the first nine months of last year, trade reached $3.4 billion. The two nations aim to gain $10 billion in the next ten years.

According to ang Xuan Quang, deputy head of Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in 40 years of co-operation, Canadian investment into Viet Nam has reached $5.1 billion, with a focus on industry, medicine and real estate.

He believes Canadian businesses have advantages in investment in Viet Nam, as the two countries have the firm foundation of a bilateral relationship and comprehensive partnership.

Canada has a competitive advantage in meeting Vietnamese demand, especially in agricultural mechanic manufacturing, pharmacy, telecommunications, bio-technology, education and training, he said.

Delivering a speech at the discussion, Chairman of Ha Nois Peoples Committee Nguyen uc Chung said that Canada is one of 72 countries and territories investing in Ha Noi with 23 projects worth $ 7.7 million of total registered capital.

Ha Noi continues to regard Canada as an extremely important partner and wants to call for investment in hi-tech agriculture, finance, education-training, medical sector, commercial service, renewable energy, urban infrastructure development and tourism, he said.

The local authorities commit to creating the best conditions for Canadian investors and overseas Vietnamese to have a stable and beneficial business climate. We will continue to maintain frequent dialogues and strengthen investment promotion with the Canadian business community, he said.

Kate Reekie, head of Development Co-operation of Canadian Embassy in Viet Nam said that Canada has given Viet Nam CA$20 million ($15.2 million) of support per year for bilateral programmes involved in economic growth and democratic government.

Canada is working with Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Ha Tinh provinces in banking investment, post-secondary education, legislative development.

In particular, Canada attaches importance to agriculture--linking agriculture with market and ensure tradable commodities, she said.

Canadas future orientations in assisting Viet Nam focus on adaptation to climate change, gender equality, and helping the country to achieve sustainable development goals.

Participants agreed that despite remarkable achievements, the bilateral relationship has yet to meet the requirements and wishes of the two sides.

Ping Kitnikone, Canadian Ambassador to Viet Nam said that Vietnamese localities should boost their efforts to attract Canadian investors, especially in industrial production, hi-tech agriculture, tourism. She wants Vietnamese localities to create robust mechanisms, open and transparent policies and thriving human resource training to meet the demands of Canadian investors.  VNS
HA NOI  Net houses cover a vast hillside in Phuc Xuan Hamlet of Soc Son District where thousands of plants are being grown. Each plant is marked with its name and a number.

Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, owner of the field, fertilises golden camellia plants grown there. She has spent several years preserving and developing the rare herbal species.

The 5ha field is divided into different zones on which 60 herbal plants are being preserved and five others developed. The golden camellia dominate, covering 4ha.

Golden camellia is a precious herbal plant. Boiling the flowers and leaves in water and drinking it is believed to help adjust body fat and blood sugar, as well as detoxifying livers and kidneys.

But since the golden camellias were discovered in the forests of Viet Nams northern mountainous areas, they have been overexploited due to their health benefits, and as a result have gotten rarer.

People hunted it down to sell to Chinese traders, Tuyen said. They went into the forests, cut down the trees and sold the seedlings.

The plant would have become extinct if it werent preserved properly, so I travelled to many places to search, purchase them and bring the seedlings back here for breeding, she said.

Her efforts paid off as there are currently 12,000 golden camellia plants of 22 types growing in her field.

Apart from golden camellias, Tuyen is preserving dozens of other herbal species, such as ardisia silvestris that is believed to cure abdominal pain and stomach diseases, and Japanese honeysuckle that helps reduce body heat, detoxify and prevent allergies.

There are some 196 types of herbal tea around the world. Ive got 22 of the 26 types that are grown in Viet Nam, Tuyen said.

The field is a source of safe herbal material for pharmaceutical companies, a source of sustainable income for growers and an example of environmental protection. All the plants are grown using organic methods.

Organic fertilisers are more expensive than inorganic ones, but they have better quality and are safe for both producers and consumers, Tuyen said.

She processed some of the plants into domestic and export products such as herbal tea, oil, hot herbal packs and herbal cosmetics. Based on the tea drinking habit of Asians, Tuyen learned to combine the plants with tea and produced eight types of herbal tea.

At first Tuyen struggled with growing the herbal field since the traditional farming techniques did not comply with the safe production process. Traditional farmers wanted quick crops, were impatient and always worried about finding outlets for their products.

However, her passion and determination to preserve and develop herbal plants charmed local residents and persuaded them to collaborate. From the original 5ha herbal field in Bac Son Commune, Tuyen developed two other herbal zones in the Xuan Giang Commune (5ha) and Trung Gia Commune (3ha), increasing the total area of her herbal production to 13ha.

To date, all three of her production zones have been certified as having a sustainable, organic pharmaceutical production model that meets the criteria of safe soil, safe water sources and safe fertilisers certified by the Vietnamese Good Agriculture Practice (VietGAP).

In Bac Son Commune, she rents lands and hires local farmers to take care of the plants, while in Xuan Giang Commune she collaborates with local cooperatives, she said.

On the other hand, farmers in the Trung Gia Commune collaborate with one another to help grow her plants, she added.

Trinh Hong Phong, the farmer wh rents Tuyen 5ha of his land, said that his familys livelihood has improved greatly in the last year since the rental fee is a dozen times higher than his sales from growing tea and cassava in previous years.

His family members also earn VN5 million per month from guarding and taking care of the herbal plants, he said.

Hoang Chi Dung, chief of the districts economic division, said that the collaboration model in which enterprises contribute capital and production technology while farmers contribute land and labour is highly efficient.

For example, the golden camellias only yield crops every five to six years, but farmers can grow other herbal flowers, generating billions of ong in revenue per ha per year, he said.

Growing herbal plants is a new direction for enterprises and farmers to expand cultivation areas and improve their lives, he added.  VNS
HA NOI  A workshop which kicked off on Tuesday for the Danish-Vietnamese Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) project promises new opportunities for schools, companies and workers.

The workshop, co-hosted by Viet Nams Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the Danish Ministry of Education, launches the two-year project that is piloting dual vocational education and training at four TVET schools, including two in Ha Noi and two in HCM City.

The schools include the Ha Noi Industrial Vocational College, the North-Eastern Vocational College of Technology, Agriculture and Forestry, the Southern Technology and Agro-Forestry Vocational College and the HCM City Vocational College.

The project aims to enhance co-operation between authorities, TVET schools and enterprises in the furniture and graphic design sectors, addressing gaps related to skills and competencies of TVET school graduates and determining what is required by enterprises and the labour market in Viet Nam.

By building links between line ministries in Viet Nam and Denmark and by integrating vocational institutions and businesses as key partners, we have created a new and promising way to cooperate, Charlotte Laursen, ambassador of Denmark to Viet Nam, said.

We prioritise graphic design and furniture as they are key sectors in the Vietnamese economy, measured by employment and export value, and hope this two-year project will successfully contribute with new ideas, which can benefit all involved  people, institutions, companies and ministries, she said.

The Danish Embassy is part of the projects steering committee, which also includes Viet Nams MoLISA and Ministry of Education and Training and Denmarks Ministry of Children, Education and Gender Equality and Ministry of Higher Education and Science.

To implement the TVET project, local occupational skill councils will be set up and include representatives from companies, schools and local authorities.

The councils will lay out the skill requirements of companies, provide input for curricula development, develop models to organise practice placements for TVET students and work on recruitment and preparation of companies to engage in training of TVET students at the workplace.  VNS
HA NOI  Vu Van Vien, director of the citys Transport Department, said the second BRT (bus rapid transit) would begin operations this year if it received early approval from the Peoples Committee.

The second BRT will link Kim Ma St. with Hoa Lac High-Tech Zone, a route that is used extensively by State officials, students and workers.

According to Vu Van Vien, statistics revealed there were some 20,000 people travelling daily along the route.

Only 24 out of the total 34 imported buses are used for the first BRT, which was put into operation on January 1, while the journey of the second BRT is the same in the inner city. So all six waiting stations of the first BRT will be used for the second BRT and 1-3 new stations will be supplemented for a complete route, Vien said.

Furthermore, he said at the last stop in the Hoa Lac High-Tech Zone, the zones management board has proposed spending money to build a waiting station to serve the last passengers.

Vien said when the second BRT arrives at Thang Long Boulevard, it will run on the common lane.

At a recent meeting of the Ha Noi Transport Services Corporation (Transerco), Nguyen The Hung deputy chairman of Ha Noi City Peoples Committee, affirmed the city authorities had received the Transport Departments plan on the second BRT.

The city authorities must make sure they make a decision soon on investing in the second BRT on the basis of lessons learned from operating the first BRT, Kim Ma-Yen Nghia, he said.

The first priority of the BRT is to be on time. For urban transport, reducing congestion requires developing forms of public transport, which are mainly buses, sky and subway trams. During the test run, the Department of Transportation will receive opinions of the public and experts, aimed at correcting shortcomings in BRT use," director Vu Van Vien said.

Data from Transerco showed that the number of passengers choosing to travel by BRT is on the rise.  VNS
BINH THUAN  The Binh Thuan Peoples Court announced that it would give Huynh Van Nen a compensation of VN10 billion (US$444,400) for jailing him for 17 years on two wrong murder convictions.

The compensation was declared on Tuesday at a press conference held by the court. Nguyen Thi Hiep Hoa, deputy chief judge of the provincial peoples court, said that during their seventh negotiation, on January 12, Nen asked for a compensation of VN11 billion ($488,800). The court proposed a lower figure of VN10 billion, to which Nen finally agreed.

The court said it faced several obstacles arriving at the figure as the countrys laws on compensation were not detailed enough. For instance, the rules did not specify the amount of compensation for someone wrongfully convicted for two crimes like Nen was, nor for other losses such as prestige, honour, and spiritual damage.

At the press conference, Bien Van Hoan, chief judge of the provincial peoples court, apologised to Nen for being unjustly investigated, prosecuted and sentenced. The mistakes made were serious, he said.

Nen was arrested on May 17, 1998, for killing Le Thi Bong, a woman from Ham Tan District, on April 23 the same year. During investigations, the police indicted Nen for killing another woman, Duong Thi My, on March 19, 1993.

In 2000, the provincial peoples court sentenced Nen to life imprisonment for murdering Bong and condemned him to six years in jail for killing My. Nine relatives of Nen were also sentenced for their alleged involvement in Mys murder.

However, several years later, law enforcement agencies found evidence that showed Nen was not the killer.

In the past several years, many lawyers have offered free legal consultancy and defence to Nen, and demanded that police officers and the prosecutors office clarify all the issues related to the case.

Nen is the only man in Viet Nam to have been wrongfully convicted of two murders.  VNS
HA NOI  Nearly VN7.7 trillion (about US$340.7 million) of French governmental development assistance will be poured into the ongoing Nhon-Ha Noi Station Urban Railway.

A signing ceremony Tuesday morning celebrated the official contract between the Ha Noi Urban Railway Project Management Unit (PMU) and French contractors.

Accordingly, the money, which covers all taxes and fees, will be used to design, supply and install the railway system with an engine, depot facilities and management systems for stations, signals, communications and electricity.

Head of the Ha Noi Urban Railway PMU, Nguyen Cao Minh, said contract will help speed up the project as well as solve the projects critical path method, namely tunnels and stations.

Minh said that the bidding plan for Package 6, as the project is known, was carried out in accordance with existing Vietnamese laws and donor regulations.

The bidding and evaluation were closely and orderly implemented by investors, consultancy agencies, donors and relevant agencies. The joint-name contractors were evaluated to meet requirements of investors, he said.

According to Minh, the contractors Alstom Transport S.A-Colar Rail S.A-Thales Communications & Security S.A.S are leading French companies with experience and capacity in urban railway building. In addition, they are eligible to donors requirements that devices must have originated from France.

"Upon completion of Package 6, along with other packages of the project, Ha Noi will have a completely new public transport mode with advanced standards that meet travel demands along the East-West corridor from the periphery to the center of the city, Minh said, adding that the project will improve the capacity of public passenger transport and gradually build a civilised and modern capital.

French Secretary of State for Transport Alain Vidalies--who visited Ha Noi for the ceremony--called the signing an important milestone between the two countries, especially in the transport development strategy.

Ha Noi Peoples Committee Chairman, Nguyen uc Chung, also stressed the importance of the project to the city, saying that its completion will help ease transport pressure and improve the citys congestion.

"This project is not only important to Ha Noi but also will be a symbol of the co-operation between the two countries," Chung said.

Chung requested the PMU and contractors to accelerate construction to complete the project on schedule, and he proposed the peoples committee of ong a, Ba inh and Hoan Kiem districts to accelerate site clearance to implement the project properly and ensure absolute safety for workers.

A representative of the contractors committed to carry out the project with quality, with specialised trains designed and manufactured to meet the expectations of people in the capital city.

The Nhon-Ha Noi Station Urban Railway is a part of the Ha Noi Pilot Light Metro Line Project. It will run 12.5km along the National Highway 32 from Nhon in Bac Tu Liem District to Ho Tung Mau-Cau Giay-Kim Ma-Nui Truc-Cat Linh-Tran Quy Cap-Ha Noi Station. The railway will include 8.5 km elevated through eight stations and 4 km underground through four stations and a depot in Nhon. It has nine main packages including five construction and installation packages and four packages on facility systems.  VNS
HA NOI  One thing that never fails to accompany the coming of Tet holidays is the repetitive drone of dire warnings about the risks of alcohol consumption.

Another thing that always seems to happen is that these dire warnings fall on deaf ears.

Early last week, a 39-year-old man living in Ha Nois Tay Ho District was admitted to the Poison Control Centre (PCC) of the Bach Mai Hospital in a critical condition.

His condition was suspected to be a result of excessive drinking. Two days earlier, the patient had exhibited signs of fatigue and later fell into a deep coma, with dilated pupils.

His relatives thought hed suffered a stroke and rushed him to the Ha Noi Heart Hospital, but he was transferred later to the PCC following a methanol poisoning diagnosis.

A month earlier, the centre had received another man, 47, from Ha Nois Thach That District, with hazy vision, headaches and severely impaired cognitive functions following intensive binge drinking for three to four days, and years of alcoholism.

Test results showed that the methanol level in his blood had reached 300mg/100ml.

The doctors tried their best, administering detoxification drugs and using a pacemaker, but the main died.

Doctors and experts say a distinction must be made between methanol in spurious liquor, versus ethanol in legally produced liquor.

Legal alcoholic drinks are made with ethanol, and are quite safe to consume in moderation.

However, in Viet Nam, it is not always easy to differentiate between fake and genuine liquor, because fakes of famous brands are immensely profitable, and in widespread use despite the risk of toxic substances being used in place of ethanol. Experts say that methanol  the simplest form of alcohol that can only be used legally for industrial purposes, for example, as antifreeze and fuel  is most often used in place ethanol in fake liquor, although its use for human consumption is expressly prohibited.

Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the PCC, said that in the lead up to important holidays or celebrations, especially the New Year and Lunar New Year, at least one victim of alcohol poisoning is admitted to the centre every day. The rate is two to three times higher than normal during the holidays, he said.

On rush days, doctors have to handle four to five emergencies related to alcohol poisoning.

According to the Ministry of Health, the previous Lunar New Year holiday witnessed some 2,000 cases of alcohol poisoning.

Alcohol hits the central nervous system directly, thus, nearly all the victims displayed the same set of symptoms.

However, methanol poisoning also leads to uncontrollable vomiting, lack of response to vocal calls, shaking or pinching, inability to sit up straight  and in more extreme cases like the patient above, deep coma.

Dr Tran Hung of the PCC said it was difficult to know whether someone was suffering from alcoholic poisoning or just being drunk.

Family members of those poisoned typically think that their relatives are just tired from drinking and that some rest will return them to normal. However, if the patient is suffering from alcohol poisoning, the intoxication will result in hypoglycaemia - a precipitous drop in blood sugar/glucose  followed by unconsciousness, and each passing moment makes full recovery less likely.

Nguyen also expressed deep concern over the fact that alcohol consumers are getting progressively younger.

As far as I know, the large majority of drinkers used to be adults, middle-aged, but drinking liquor is now widely prevalent among young adults, including undergraduates, he said.

Medically speaking, Nguyen said, liquor acts like sleeping pills thanks to its muscle relaxant and sedative properties.

Of course, this soporific effect will be particularly dangerous if the drinkers have to drive, or even stay outside.

If the alcohol concentration in blood reaches 50 mcg/dcl, the ability of the drinker to make judgement calls is negatively affected, motor skills are impaired, five senses dulled, speech slurred.

Nguyen also said that excessive consumption of alcohol is often accompanied by aggressiveness.

With slowed down mental processes, physical injuries are bound to ensue, in addition to digestive disorders, said Hoang Bui Hai, Head of the Department of Emergency and Intensive care, under the Ha Noi Medical University Hospital. He said social drinking can easily turn into full-blown alcohol abuse.

Dubious liquor

The number of alcohol poisoning cases is on the rise due to a pronounced upswing in peoples alcohol consumption, especially of dubious quality, experts say.

Nguyen Hung Long, Deputy Director of the Viet Nam Food Administration under the Ministry of Health, said that the production and selling of fake liquor made with methanol is quite common.

In addition the trend of consuming homemade ruou ngam (rice wine) is also on the rise. This liquor comes with many medicinal properties when made with fruits and herbs or infused with snakes, seahorses, monitor lizards and other creatures.

However, people take the anything goes approach a bit too far, and take word of mouth propaganda too seriously, resulting in haphazard use of random plants and animals and insects found in the forests without knowledge of their properties. The results can be tragic, sometimes.

With demand for alcoholic drinks soaring during the Tet holidays, the market surveillance departments are ill-equipped to inspect all the shops and stores in a city, and the fake products are increasingly difficult to spot.

Officials have called on consumers to be more aware and very careful in buying liquor, sticking to prestigious brands of clear origins with genuine anti-counterfeit tags and labels.

Box 1:

Drinking limits

According to the General Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, the body can only metabolise beer and alcohol in little amounts  10 grams of alcohol, equivalent to a small glass of wine or cup of beer  in one hour.

Consuming beyond this level can cause toxins in alcoholic drinks to accumulate in the liver, poisoning the whole body.

In addition, excessive drinking is the direct cause of at least 30 types of cancer, and the risk of cancer grows exponentially with every additional glass of beer or liquor.

Dr Nguyen Trung Nguyen of the Poison Control Centre, Bach Mai Hospital, recommends absolute abstention from alcoholic drinks. Consuming starchy carbohydrate-rich food and fruits could mitigate some of the impacts of social drinking.

Box 2:

Liquor facts

According to Dr Tran Quoc Bao from the General Department of Preventive Medicine, Vietnamese citizens consumed a total of 3.4 billion litres of beer and 70 million litres of hard liquor last year.

The consumption of another 200 million litres of homemade liquor of dubious origins poses elevated health risks, he said.

Alarmingly, an adult male consumes some 27.4 litres of pure alcohol every year.

Nguyen Phuong Nam, a representative of World Health Organisation in Viet Nam, said Viet Nam currently ranks second in Southeast Asia, 10th in Asia, and 29th in the world in alcohol consumption.

44.2 per cent of drinkers consume at a dangerous to health level. 45 per cent drinkers drive within two hours after alcohol consumption.  VNS
Leading up to the weekends potential ice storm, the Nebraska Forest Service (NFS) would like to remind Nebraskans to exercise caution when surveying neighborhood damage or assessing impacts to their trees. Homeowners should never attempt to clean up or remove storm-damaged trees near power lines. Always contact local power companies to report the location of the damage.

Accumulations between one-quarter and one-half inch can cause small branches to break, whereas anything greater can cause limbs, power lines and poles to all come down, said NFS Community Forestry Specialist, Amy Seiler.

When inspecting a tree for damage, Seiler adds, it is tempting for homeowners to take on the entire job themselvesoften overlooking hazards that are not always obvious to the untrained eye.

Regardless of the species, ice can increase the weight of branches 30 times or more. This additional weight loads branches with tension and if not relieved correctly, limbs can unpredictably spring back into saw operators or bystanders.

After initial storm damage is cleared, homeowners should look for lateral cracks in branches and vertical cracks in the trunk says Seiler. If cracks are found, a certified arborist should be contacted. The NFS recommends certified arborists because of their expertise in the management of damaged treesespecially large and potentially hazardous trees. Certified arborists also help shield homeowners from scams that are likely to follow any severe weather event.

Certified arborists and other reputable companies will have personal and property damage insurance and coverage for workers compensation, said Seiler. They almost never solicit work door-to-door. But if they do, do not be afraid to request proof of the companys certification and insurance.

Utilities are also urging customers to not take matters into their own hands if the storm does materialize.

We are monitoring the weather situation closely and have extra crews ready to be dispatched, said Jason Kuiper of the Omaha Public Power District. Ice storms like the one forecast for our area can be problematic for power lines, but we are ready to react should there be outages.
ISTANBUL - Turkish police on Monday captured the suspected jihadist who slaughtered 39 people on New Years night at an Istanbul nightclub, detaining him in a raid on a residential area of the city after a long manhunt.

The alleged assailant was found along with his four-year-old son in an apartment in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul after a massive police operation, state-run TRT television reported.

The attacker had been on the run for over two weeks, after slipping into the night following the attack on the glamorous Reina nightclub on the Bosphorus.

Reports had previously suggested he never left the Turkish metropolis, despite a tightening of borders in a bid to stop him escaping, triggering fears that a dangerous killer was on the loose in the city.

The Islamic State (IS) group took responsibility for the bloodbath, the first time it has ever openly claimed a major attack in Turkey.

It had previously been blamed for several strikes including triple suicide bombings at Istanbul airport in June.

The suspect was caught in an operation jointly carried out by the Turkish police and the spy agency MIT, Turkish TV said.

Turkish media published a picture of the detained man with blood on his face and T-shirt, his neck gripped by a policeman.

Television images showed him being roughly led away, his head bent low.

mkTracked for 3 days

There had been confusion over the identity of the attacker in the wake of the massacre, with reports initially suggesting a Kyrgyz national and then a Uighur from China.

But reports on January 8 said intelligence services and anti-terror police in Istanbul had identified him as a 34-year-old Uzbek who was part of a Central Asian IS cell.

The state run Anadolu news agency identified the detained man as Abdulgadir Masharipov, while the Dogan news agency said he used the code name of Ebu Muhammed Horasani within IS. These are the same names given in the January 8 reports.

The suspect was living in an apartment rented by a Kyrgyz in Istanbul who was also detained, TRT reported. Anadolu said a total of five people were detained in the operation, including three women.

Anadolu added the suspected attacker had been brought to the Istanbul police headquarters for questioning. It said other raids took place on IS targets in the city, without giving further details.

NTV television said the attacker was captured at a quarter past midnight local time. The police had spotted his location three days earlier, but preferred to track him to identify his contacts.

The son is under protection, the reports said.

Turkish media reports had said that the gunman was a well-trained killer who had fought for IS in Syria and had gained weapons expertise there.

The investigation had also focused on the central Turkish city of Konya where the attacker was reported to have lived for several weeks after returning from Syria before moving to Istanbul.

At least 35 people have been detained before the latest raid in connection with the attack, according to Anadolu.

Of the 39 killed in the attack on the glamorous nightclub, 27 were foreigners including citizens from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq and Morocco who had been hoping to celebrate a special New Year.

The attack, just 75 minutes into 2017, rocked Turkey which had already been shaken by a string of attacks in 2016 blamed on jihadists and Kurdish militants that left hundreds dead.

Turkey had been accused by its Western allies of not doing enough to halt the rise of IS but the charges are denied by the Turkish authorities, who note the group has been listed as a terror organisation in the country since 2013. - AFP
BRUSSELS - EU heavyweights Germany and France led a sharp European response to US President-elect Donald Trump Monday after he branded NATO "obsolete" and said more countries would leave the EU after Britain.

In a hard-hitting interview with two European newspapers, Trump unleashed a volley of verbal attacks on Europe and criticised German Chancellor Angela Merkels "catastrophic" decision to open Germanys borders to Syrian refugees.

With fears growing in Europe over Trumps commitment to the transatlantic alliance and signs he will pivot towards Russia, Merkel warned that the continent now had to take responsibility for itself.

"We Europeans have our fate in our own hands," Merkel told reporters in Berlin when asked about Trumps criticisms, adding that she will work towards getting the EU to strengthen the economy and fight terrorism.

French President Francois Hollandes response to Trumps intervention was more blunt, insisting that the European Union "has no need for outside advice" on its affairs.

Astonishment and agitation

Trumps latest remarks have in particular caused further consternation among eastern European NATO countries nervous about Moscow, following Russias integration of Crimea and involvement in Ukraine.

"I said a long time ago that NATO had problems," Trump told The Times of London and Bild, Germanys biggest-selling daily, on Friday.

"Number one, it was obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago," he said, referring to its Cold War, post-World War II origins. "Number two, the countries arent paying what theyre supposed to pay."

On the campaign trail, Trump said he would think twice about helping NATO allies if the United States was not "reasonably reimbursed" for the costs of defending them -- a common source of friction in the US-led 28-nation alliance.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Europe was stunned by Trumps remarks on NATO, just five days ahead of the billionaire businessmans inauguration as president.

"The interview statements of the American president-elect... caused, indeed here in Brussels, astonishment and agitation," Steinmeier said as he went from a meeting with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg to talks with EU counterparts.

Stoltenberg was "absolutely confident" in Trumps commitment to NATO, the alliance chiefs spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said.

Criticism of Trumps comments also came from Washington.

Outgoing US Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that the president-elect had been wrong to criticise "courageous" German leader Merkel.

Catastrophic mistakes

Trump however further extended a hand to Russia, which has been hit by a string of sanctions under Obamas outgoing administration over its involvement in Ukraine, the Syrian war and for suspected cyber attacks to influence the US election.

"Lets see if we can make some good deals with Russia," Trump said, suggesting in vague terms a deal in which nuclear arsenals would be reduced and sanctions against Moscow eased.

In another comment that alarmed the Europeans, Trump refused to say that he trusted Merkel more than Russian President Vladimir Putin, for whom the next US president has often expressed admiration.

"Well, I start off trusting both - but lets see how long that lasts. It may not last long at all," he said.

Trump also directly criticised Merkel for letting Germany admit undocumented migrants, insinuating that this posed a security risk following a wave of Islamic State jihadist attacks in Europe.

"I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals, you know taking all of the people from wherever they come from," Trump said, adding he had "great respect" for the chancellor.

Trump went on to threaten punitive 35 per cent tariffs on German carmakers like BMW if they build cars in Mexico and not the United States.

Brexit a great thing

In other remarks, Trump said Brexit "is going to end up as a great thing", and he backed a trade deal with post-EU Britain which would be "good for both sides".

"Were gonna work very hard to get it done quickly and done properly," said Trump, confirming he will meet British Prime Minister Theresa May soon after his inauguration on Friday.

The British pound took a hit Monday after Britain said it might undercut the EU economically if it cannot obtain both single market access and immigration controls, with British media warning of a so-called "hard Brexit".

"Other countries will leave" the EU in future, Trump predicted, largely due to the pressure the bloc was put under following a surge in arrivals of migrants and refugees fleeing war in Syria and elsewhere. Mogherini however said it was "absolutely clear" that Britain could not start any trade talks with the United States until it leaves the bloc. - AFP
BELFAST - Northern Ireland will hold snap elections on March 2 in a bid to resolve its worst political crisis in years after the power-sharing executive collapsed on Monday.

Britains Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire announced the provinces assembly would dissolve on January 26 and urged its feuding parties to mend fences and keep devolved government going in Belfast.

The elections were triggered as a Monday deadline passed for Catholic socialists Sinn Fein to nominate a new deputy first minister to the executive to replace Martin McGuinness.

"No one should underestimate the challenge faced to the political institutions here in Northern Ireland and what is at stake," Brokenshire said in Belfast.

"I would strongly encourage the political parties to conduct this election with a view to the future of Northern Ireland and re-establishing a partnership government at the earliest opportunity."

If, after the elections, the largest Protestant British Unionist and Catholic Irish nationalist parties cannot agree to form a new executive, the province could end up being governed from London.

Energy scheme behind crisis

McGuinness resigned in protest over a botched green heating scheme, following weeks of tensions with the Protestant, conservative Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

The scheme was instigated by First Minister Arlene Foster, leader of the DUP, when she was economy minister.

She repeatedly refused to step aside temporarily to allow an investigation into a scheme which could cost Northern Ireland taxpayers up to 490 million (US$590 million).

McGuinness quit last week, accusing Foster of "deep-seated arrogance".

Foster said Monday that with the challenges of Brexit, a new US president and the volatile global economy, Northern Ireland needed stable government more than ever.

"NI does not need nor does its people want an election," she said.

Sinn Fein "have forced an election that risks Northern Irelands future and its stability, and suits nobody apart from themselves."

Sinn Fein warned they would not return to the executive without the DUP shifting ground.

"Today we have called time on the arrogance of the DUP... because we could no longer accept how these institutions were being treated with contempt," assembly member Conor Murphy, backed by his colleagues, told reporters.

"There will be no return to these institutions... unless there is fundamental change to the approach of the DUP and how they do power-sharing."

Stalemate could linger

Northern Irelands power-sharing executive and assembly were formed under the 1998 Belfast Agreement that effectively ended three decades of political violence in Northern Ireland.

The sectarian voting patterns that have always characterised elections in the provinces deeply divided society could remain intact in the next vote, bringing little prospect of an end to the political stalemate.

If the two biggest parties are returned as expected but the deadlock remains, then a second election could be called if there is failure to form an executive within three weeks of the vote.

The other option would be that Northern Ireland reverts to being governed from London.

The last period of direct rule ended in 2007.

In last years Brexit referendum, 56 percent of Northern Ireland voters favoured staying in the European Union compared to the UK-wide result of 52 per cent choosing to leave.

The DUP was the only one of Northern Irelands main four political parties that called for the UK to leave the bloc.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has said she plans to launch the EU exit procedure by the end of March.

Brokenshire insisted that the snap elections would not have an impact on the timing of Britain launching the Article 50 departure process.

May spoke to Foster and McGuinness on Monday to stress the importance of finding a way forward, particularly to make sure Northern Ireland has a voice in the Article 50 process, the prime ministers spokeswoman said. - AFP
Last astronaut

on moon dies

HOUSTON (AP)  Former astronaut Gene Cernan, the last person to walk on the moon, died on Monday, his family said. He was 82.

Cernan was with relatives when he died at a Houston hospital following ongoing heath issues, a family spokeswoman said.

Cernan was commander of NASAs Apollo 17 mission and on his third space flight when he set foot on the lunar surface. On Dec. 14, 1972, he became the last of only a dozen men to walk on the moon  and he traced his only childs initials in the dust before climbing the ladder of the lunar module the last time.

Mexican resort shooting kills 5

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP)  Gunfire broke out in a crowded beachfront nightclub throbbing with electronic music before dawn Monday, causing five deaths and setting off a bloody stampede by screaming concertgoers at an international festival in this Caribbean resort.

At least one person died in the crush to escape and some of the 15 people wounded or injured were hurt in the rush out, authorities said.

The shooting erupted when security personnel tried to stop a man from entering the Blue Parrot club with a gun. Three of those killed were part of the security detail at the 10-day BPM electronic music festival. The gunman apparently fled.

Istanbul nightclub attacker captured

ISTANBUL (AP)  A gunman suspected of killing 39 people during a New Years attack on an Istanbul nightclub has been caught, Turkish media reports said early today.

The suspect was captured in a special operations police raid on a house in Istanbul, private NTV television reported. The broadcaster said he had been staying in the house belonging to a friend from Kyrgyzstan.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the nightclub massacre.

GM to announce

$1 billion update

DETROIT (AP)  General Motors will announce a $1 billion investment in its factories that will create or keep around 1,000 jobs, a person briefed on the matter said Monday.

The Detroit automaker will make the announcement today. The investment is part of the normal process of equipping factories to build new models, and its been planned for months, the person told The Associated Press. Multiple factories will get part of the money.

The announcement comes after President-elect Donald Trump has attacked GM and other automakers for building vehicles in Mexico and shipping them to the U.S.

FBI arrests widow of Orlando killer

WASHINGTON (AP)  The wife of the Orlando nightclub shooter has been arrested by the FBI in connection with the attack, authorities said Monday.

Noor Salman was taken into custody Monday in the San Francisco Bay area and faces charges in Florida including of aiding and abetting terrorism and obstruction of justice.

Noor Salman moved to California after her husband, Omar Mateen, was killed in a shootout with SWAT team members during the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

FBI agents repeatedly questioned Salman in the aftermath of the shooting about whether she had advance knowledge of her husbands plans.

Salman told The New York Times she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but was unaware of everything regarding his intent to shoot up the club.
WATERLOO -- Authorities are seeking to revoke parole for a Waterloo man who was convicted of fatally punching a woman in 2008.

The move comes after Shean Henry Holmes, 28, was allegedly found in his grandmother's home wearing her clothing and jewelry in December. Holmes was arrested for third-degree burglary in the matter.

Earlier this month, corrections officials filed a parole complaint alleging that in addition to the burglary, Holmes had a string of violations beginning in November and including losing his job, testing positive for alcohol, missing appointments and testing positive for marijuana following an incident where he told police people were trying to kill him.

The root of Holmes's legal problems began in December 2008 when he and others confronted a man in a convenience store parking lot. During the incident, Holmes allegedly reached into an idling car the man had entered and punched Jasmine Mills, who was behind the wheel.

Mills, 18, later died of head injuries, and Holmes pleaded to involuntary manslaughter and first-degree burglary charges in connection with the attack and was sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.

He was initially released from prison in May 2014.

On Dec. 30, 2016, Waterloo police were called to Holmes's grandmother's home after she found her side screen door broken and the door forced open. Officers found Holmes inside wearing her clothing as well as three gold bracelets and a watch of hers, according to court records.

Police found jewelry cases in the house had been opened, and her underwear drawer had been gone through, court records indicated. Records state that Holmes had called his grandmother earlier in the day asking to obtain vehicle keys and was told she would get the keys for him, but he shouldn't enter the house.
UPDATE: Fayette County Sheriff Marty Fisher saidthat due to an overwhelming response by the public, the Fayette County Sheriffs Office received information of a residence that Bryleigh Nicole Rose may be staying at in Oelwein. That information was turned over to the Oelwein Police Department and on Tuesday, she was located at the residence in Oelwein by the Oelwein Police Department and was released to her parents.

Sheriff Fisher would like to thank the public for their quick response and assistance with locating this juvenile.

EARLIER STORY

WESTGATE -- The Fayette County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in finding a missing teen.

Bryleigh Nicole Rose, 16, of Westgate, has missing since Sunday evening. She left her home that evening and was last seen in the Oelwein area with a Federico J. Luna, also known as Rico Arrogang, who cannot be located either.

She was wearing a black sweatshirt and black/tan jogging pants The investigation showed that she may be traveling to Chicago with Lina in an unknown vehicle.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Rose is asked to contact the Fayette County Sheriff's office at (563) 422-6067, Ext 0.
WATERLOO  Allen College has received the largest donor gift in the history of the nursing and health sciences education institution.

UnityPoint Health-Waterloo and Allen College officials say the estate of Edward W. Jesse Jr., a Jesup-area farmer, is donating $3.1 million. The gift will create an endowed fund to provide scholarships for Allen College students.

The gift goes toward the Allen College initiatives portion of the For Allen For You capital campaign that is raising $19.8 million for three projects at UnityPoint Health-Waterloo. To date, $11 million has been raised or pledged toward the overall campaign.

In addition to scholarships, Allen College initiatives include securing and renovating buildings for expanding programs.

Jesse died in 2013 at the age of 78. He was a longtime farmer in Black Hawk and Buchanan counties and lifelong member of Zion Lutheran Church. Jesse also donated land in Jesup in 2008 for UnityPoints Jesup Clinic. His gifts to Allen total nearly $3.26 million.

Jesses nephew, Brad Jesse, is also an area farmer. He said Ed Jesses sister, Margaret Brust, graduated from Allen College and his father, Edward Jesse Sr., also gave generously to Allen. A niece, Jean (Woods) Russell, and grandniece, Alissa (Fehl) Barron, also graduated from Allen College.

We are fortunate to have friends of Allen like Ed Jesse and his family, said Pam Delagardelle, president and CEO UnityPoint Health-Waterloo. This extremely generous gift will help many area students be able to afford their dream of entering the health-care field and to begin important and satisfying careers  many of them right here in the Cedar Valley. It will also aid Allen College in its efforts to increase enrollment at a time when nursing shortages remain a concern all across Iowa and the nation.

The Edward W. Jesse Estate Endowed Scholarship will be presented annually to students based on financial need, personal qualifications and signs of academic success. A preference may be given to applicants who graduated from Black Hawk County or Buchanan County high schools. Further information will be available on the Allen College website at www.AllenCollege.edu.
Students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will have a little extra time to return to school on ice-covered roads.

UNL canceled classes for Tuesday, citing road conditions following a holiday weekend ice storm.

No word yet on whether Lincoln Public Schools will open on time or at all on Tuesday. Students were already scheduled to be off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday.

Travel remains hazardous in parts of Iowa and Nebraska as the ice storm moves north and east through the states.

Authorities said most roads that were treated in anticipation of sleet or freezing rain are safe for cautious navigation. But untreated sidewalks, parking lots, streets and rural roads could be treacherous.

The Norris Public Power District says 486 of their customers are without power.

Air travel is problematic as well. More than 20 Monday departures were canceled at Omaha's Eppley Airfield and five at Des Moines International Airport.

Two flights scheduled to leave early Monday from the Lincoln Airport were canceled and one flying to Minneapolis delayed. An incoming flight from Chicago scheduled to land at 10:45 a.m. was canceled.

Lincoln police have responded to 15 wrecks since midnight. According to Nebraska 511, most main streets in Lincoln are considered partially covered.

Twenty-seven people have been treated at CHI St. Elizabeth for injuries after falling on ice from Sunday afternoon to late Monday morning. The emergency departments at Bryan East and Bryan West have seen 15 injuries related to the slick conditions from about 7 to 10:30 a.m.

Lincoln resident Glenn Harms said he and a couple of friends are helping people deice their driveways if needed. He'd done about 10 driveways by 10:30 a.m.

"We're just asking them to cover the cost of the ice melt, if they can," he said. "If they can't, we'll still help out."

Reach Harms at 402-875-1202.

Lincoln Public Works will continue to work through Tuesday morning spreading granular salt, pre-wet with anti-ice brine on all emergency snow routes, arterial streets, bus and school routes. Twenty vehicles remain deployed, they said.

Main arterial streets remain in good condition and arterial streets and bus/school routes are in fair condition. Non-treated residential streets are covered in ice and extremely slick -- drivers should use the utmost caution when they must travel on residential streets, city spokesman Jon Taylor said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Josh Boustead said more rain is expected Monday, but the temperature in most spots is hovering above the freezing mark.

Still, the ice storm warning stands through 3 a.m. Tuesday. The weather service said it's likely the area will see a tenth of an inch or less of ice accumulation Monday with steady temperatures around 32 degrees.

In Hastings, National Weather Service meteorologist Angela Pfannkuch said freezing rain is continuing to fall. Closer to the state line, people are reporting a sleet and snow mixture. Pfannkuch said there's been reports of ice accumulation up to three quarters of an inch just south of the state line.

"This is the first notable ice event we've had since 2006," she said. "The one in 2006 was a lot worse. There was a lot more ice. We've been lucky with this one where the winds are just about 10 miles per hour."

Pfannkuch said precipitation will continue to diminish throughout the day, but there's a chance of wet roads refreezing as temperatures drop into the teens and mid-20s Monday night.

Jefferson County Emergency Manager John McKee said nearly the entire town of Fairbury was without power overnight. Most outages have been restored with smaller, scattered communities without power Monday afternoon.

McKee said there's been some small fender benders, but no major wrecks. Most of his concerns are with fallen trees and limbs.

"I'm working on one of my trees that's almost shredded," he said. "My neighbor was out there earlier, he heard a crack, pop and then a tree hit his roof. We've seen as much as half an inch of ice or more."
OELWEIN  The Iowa Department of Education will bring an information tour on the first draft of a state plan for meeting requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act to Oelwein Wednesday.

The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. in the high school library, 315 Eighth Ave. SE. People can join the meeting by video conference at https://aea1.zoom.us/j/787907128.

Another meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday in rooms A, B and C of Area Education Agency 267s Marshalltown office, 909 S. 12th St. People can join by video conference at https://zoom.us/j/7123352047.

Feedback on the plan is being sought in meetings around the state. The ESSA is the latest reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It replaces the No Child Left Behind Act.

In addition, there is an online feedback survey, which is open through Feb. 15. Feedback also can be submitted via email at ESSA@iowa.gov or by mail at Iowa Department of Education, Attn: Deputy Director David Tilly/ESSA Feedback, Grimes State Office Building, 400 E. 14th St., Des Moines, IA 50319-0146.

Comments will be considered in a revised draft of Iowas ESSA plan, which is expected in May.
ST. ANSGAR  The St. Ansgar City Council has entered into a three-way agreement with St. Ansgar Schools and the St. Ansgar Historic School Project Inc. regarding the former elementary school property.

The city of St. Ansgar has access to $125,000 in restricted school funds earmarked for the demolition of the school. Those funds will be made available if the St. Ansgar Historic School Project fails to repurpose the school into a community center and teaching space, as project members have proposed.

The funds will be available from the school until Oct. 1, 2019, to see if the project will continue as a viable organization in St. Ansgar.

A demolition estimate has been secured from Popps Excavating until the Oct. 1, 2019, deadline, as well as inspection and an asbestos abatement.

The school will be sold for $100, as decided by a Dec. 21 school board meeting. Board members voted 4-2 to accept the proposal made by the Historic School Project, provided the intergovernmental agreements could be put into place.

The School Project is not permitted to incur liens or mortgages on the property while the agreements are in place.

I would feel better if we were to have an agreement with other people involved, so the city doesnt get stuck with it and possibly more costs, Councilman Paul Groth said at a recent meeting, where the agreement was approved 4-1. They have a firm bid for tearing down thats good through 2019, only we dont know if in two years there will be a DNR grant available.

The Department of Natural Resources grant would possibly provide funding toward the asbestos removal at the time of demolition.

If the grant was needed for demolition, it would be necessary for the Historic School Project to deed the property to the city.

The city would take possession of the property anyway, should it become derelict, councilwoman Myrna Jorgensen said. So there is not much difference here. The school would need the same 28E agreement partnership if they were keeping it and applying for the grants for demolitions themselves.

Estimates for asbestos removal are between $50,000 and $100,000.

I think the community has pretty well spoken that they are hoping the project will be successful and are hoping for the best, Jorgensen said. They dont want to see the property wasted.
CEDAR FALLS  City Council member Dave Wieland is seeing red over the citys denial of a pink storefront for a Main Street Parkade business.

He is upset with the citys rejection of Krista Dolashs proposal to have a pink storefront for her organic beauty and skin care product business, Root, at 116 Main St. He asked council members to change that position Monday night but received no support.

The council denied the request last spring. A different proposal by the buildings owner  for a gray storefront with pink accents  was endorsed by the citys Planning and Zoning Commission and approved by the council Monday night. Wieland voted against that proposal.

Im very dissatisfied with how weve treated this entrepreneurial spirit trying to get into our community, Wieland said.

This is her brand, Wielend said of Dolashs request. Its like telling John Deere, You cant have green and yellow.  Its arbitrary and capricious, he said, and costing the city a business.

Wieland made his comments after Dolash wrote a letter to Mayor Jim Brown and council members Friday indicating she plans to leave downtown Cedar Falls. She is opening a store on downtown Iowa Citys pedestrian mall, where her pink storefront was allowed.

In June, the City Council, upholding a recommendation of the city staff, Community Main Streets design review board and the Planning and Zoning Commission, voted 5-2 against allowing Dolash to paint the storefront in solid pink, which Dolash said is part of her business brand. Council members Wieland and Nick Taiber supported her request then.

Dolash indicated willingness to work on a compromise but was unsuccessful.

Last week the Cedar Falls Planning and Zoning Commission approved a proposal by building owner Mimi Rice to renovate and restore two spaces at 116-118 Main St., which includes the Root storefront. The space at 118 Main would be occupied by Wilbo, a burger, brat and beer restaurant. Rice recently received a $75,000 Main Street Iowa Challenge Grant for the work.

Rice said both storefronts would have a gray base color with accents. Rice told Dolash she could have her signature pink as storefront trim.

Dolash wrote Mayor Brown and council members that Root did not approve the plan, nor do we like it. While she understands she does not own the building, this design still reflects onto my business.

Once our lease is up and we have recouped some of the money we poured into making that place shine for Main Street, I will be taking my business elsewhere, Dolash said. I love our Cedar Falls customers and they love having us here, but the politics surrounding Community Main Street and the volunteers on your Design Committee are terrible. ... It breaks my heart and hurts my business to leave Cedar Falls Main Street, but it is obvious to me that our branding is not welcome here.

Main Street officials have said the design review committee, made up of architects and historic design experts, followed a decade-old review process in concluding Dolashs request should be denied. Wieland suggested that process be put under the Planning and Zoning Commissions jurisdiction instead of Community Main Street. Brown indicated he and city staff also have been reviewing that process.

Dolash started Root out of her Janesville home in 2013 and has a production operation and small retail space on Bremer Avenue in Waverly.
WATERLOO  The weather continued to play havoc with morning commutes and school schedules Tuesday.

With most school districts going from delayed to canceled around 7 a.m., law enforcement officers handled cars sliding off roadways.

A three-vehicle crash on Broadway Street in Waterloo during the morning commute did not cause any injuries, but police were warning drivers to use continued caution.

Other accidents did not cause any serious injuries.

Waterloo Schools Supt. Jane Lindaman said the decision to close schools Tuesday rather than delay classes came early.

We had several people out and about from both districts (Waterloo and Cedar Falls), and Andy (Pattee, Cedar Falls superintendent) and I visited again.

We noticed roads were again frozen this morning with a decent layer of ice. We looked at predicted temperatures throughout the day and determined it would likely be early afternoon before we could get students to school safely, she said.

Hopefully, much of that ice will melt in coming days. It will be partly sunny today with a high around 40 degrees, and temperatures are expected to climb into the 40s each day through the weekend. There is a chance of light showers each day Thursday through Sunday.
Heath care costs

Gary Wurtz

ELK RUN HEIGHTS  As a Republican, I support collective bargaining. I was a union member and union steward and saw the benefits of collective bargaining and unions. However, its time for the Democrats and public unions to understand the state cannot afford to keep picking up the ever-growing costs of providing health care with the employee costs not being adjusted proportionately as compared to the taxpayers.

Workers now see ever-rising health care costs changing every year, with more passed on to them by employers, taking more money from their paychecks. Retirees are seeing little to no COLA from Social Security with their costs rising.

To ask them to see more tax dollars taken from them so the state has money to cover rising public employee health care costs without their contributions rising at the same rate as others is unfair and unsustainable, and yes, the taxpayers deserve a voice at the table on this.

Its time for the Democrats and union leadership to quit misrepresenting this issue and provide honest leadership about health care costs. If they want to direct their anger on this they can look to their party who passed the Affordable Care Act without understanding its impact.

Labor secretary

Thomas Schneider

INDEPENDENCE  Donald Trump has nominated Andrew Puzder to be secretary of labor. This is a poor choice for the working-class people. This threatens to leave working people more vulnerable to abusive employers.

He opposes raising the minimum wage and says workers dont need overtime and should be happy with a sense of accomplishment.

Wind farm

Cheryl Hannah WATERLOO  There are so many positives to building a wind farm in Black Hawk County. It is clean energy, sustainable, cost effective, a domestic source of energy, creates jobs, will generate county and school taxes, and uses a small amount of land as each one only takes three-fourths of an acre.

As an environmentalist, I am concerned for the impact on people, animals and the earth. There has been no links to human health effects, and the impact on animals such as birds and bats is minimal. There is relatively little impact on the environment compared to conventional power plants, and it uses virtually no water unlike other sources of utility-scale energy. Iowa already is a huge supplier of wind energy.

It is the future. We should be progressive and move forward now on what will likely be inevitable in the future. What a boon for Black Hawk County.

Obamacare

Donna Davis CEDAR FALLS  Questions to ask in replacing Obamacare: How many millions of Americans will lose coverage? Include those that needed and got a subsidy to reduce their premium. Will people older than 55 pay higher health premiums for the same coverage? Will the new plan let insurers charge women higher premiums than men while offering them less coverage? What other services are likely to be cut?

Will the new plan let insurers reinstate annual or lifetime limits on coverage? What will happen to the more than 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions? How much more will those with costly illnesses or injuries have to pay in out-of-pocket costs?
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 16, 2017 | 04:43 PM | PADUCAH, KY





Josh Franklin, the line technician for Jackson Purchase Energy who was injured January 6, died Monday afternoon.Friends and family members used social media to inform area churches and others who had been praying for him that Franklin died about 12:30 pm at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville.Franklin's family had posted on Saturday that consultations with two neurologists confirmed that his brain was injured due to depleted oxygen after the accident, and he was not likely to regain more than the minimal brain function he currently had. Family members then decided they would pull the ventilator on Monday.In a statement issued Monday afternoon, Dennis Cannon, President and CEO of JPEC, said, There are simply no words to adequately convey the profound sadness of our cooperative family. Our hearts ache for Josh and his family. We pray that they experience the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, as they endure this most difficult of times."Our focus remains on Joshs wife Christa, their two children and all of Joshs family and friends as we begin the long process of saying goodbye to him, Cannon says.Jackson Purchase Energy reminded the community that two fundraisers have been established in close coordination with his family. They are the Joshua Franklin Beneficiary Account established at Regions Bank, and donations can be made at any Regions Bank location. The secondary method is the Injured Lineman Josh Franklin page on the Go Fund Me internet site - https://www.gofundme.com/injured-lineman-josh-franklin.Franklin lived in Paducah with his wife, Christa and their two young children.Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time. JPEC's statement said arrangements will be announced by the family.

On the Net:
WAHOO  Wahoo police officers have stopped using body cameras because the city can't afford to comply with new state policies, city officials said, but some other departments in the area are continuing the practice.

The City Council voted in December to stop using the cameras after the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice passed the statewide polices in October, at the behest of the Legislature.

Among the new requirements are training for officers and those who handle the recordings and storage of video and audio recordings for at least 90 days.

Wahoo Police Chief Ken Jackson told the Lincoln Journal Star that his small department couldn't afford the requirements. His officers have used the cameras for seven years, Jackson said, but not nearly as much as the new rules require.

"If you have confidence in your officers, that they'll report accurately what happens, that's what you do. You stop," Jackson said. "The real cost is in the manipulation of the downloading, the storing, the retractions if it is released, and the destruction."

The cost for Wahoo could have reached more than $15,000, he said.

Before the council voted, Jackson said, members reviewed the city's insurance policy and discovered there would be no additional liability or concerns if Wahoo police were to stop using the cameras.

Other departments have decided to continue using the cameras.

In Lincoln, Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister said his department changed storage procedures and staffers have received additional training.

Crete Police Chief Steve Hensel said his officers have been retrained.

"There will be added expenses managing the data. However, I believe the value of the recordings exceeds those costs," Hensel said.
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The Board of Venice Architecture Biennale has announced that Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara have been named as Curators of the 16th International Architecture Exhibition in 2018.

Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, co-founders of Grafton Architects, work and live in Dublin, where they graduated from the School of Architecture of University College. The famous team founded Grafton Architects in 1977 and the studio is famous for their University Buildings across the world including Universita Luigi Bocconi, School of Economics in Milan, Italy, University Campus UTEC Lima, Peru, Universite Toulouse, School of Economics in Toulouse, France 1 Capitole, Kingston University London Town House, London.

The firm were represented at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2002 and won the Silver Lion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2012, where they presented their Project for the UTEC University campus in Lima, Peru, together with the work of Paula Mendes da Rocha; they were represented at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2016 under the title ''The Physics of Culture''.

Farrell and McNamara have designed and built several schools and architectural works for institutions and universities, mostly in Ireland, including the Dunshaughlin Civic Offices; the Parson's Building, Trinity College, Dublin; the Government Department of Finance for the Office of Public Works in Dublin; a new building for the Universita Bocconi in Milan, Italy.

They have won many international competitions including the project of the School of Economics of the University of Toulouse; Kingston University Town House; Institute Mines Telecom campus in Saclay, Paris; together with Shaffrey Associates, they have won the new city Library for Dublin competition and have been selected to design a new faculty building for the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in Holborn, London.

The firm has been the recipient of the Architectural Association of Ireland's awards many times; in the year 2008, it won the World Building of the Year Award for the design of the new building for the Universita Bocconi in Milan; finalist for the Sterling Prize for the University of Limerick Medical School and Student Accommodation; in 2016 UTEC University in Lima, Peru won the inaugural RIBA International Award. They won the Jane Drew Award in 2015 and Irish Design Institute Presidents Award in 2016.

Both partners began teaching at the University College of Dublin in 1976, and are currently full Professors of architecture at the Accademia di Mendrisio and Adjunct Professors in UCD. They held the Kenzo Tange Chair at GSD Harvard in 2010 and the Louis Kahn Chair at Yale in 2011. They have taught and lectured widely throughout Europe and in the United States.



The architects have been jury members for many prestigious architectural awards such as the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2008, the Mies Van Der Rohe Prize in 2011 and the RIBA Award in 2012.

''The Exhibition curated by Alejandro Aravena offered visitors a critical overview of the worldwide evolution of architecture and underlined how important it is that a qualified demand on the part of individuals and communities be met by an equally effective response, thereby confirming that architecture is one of civil societys instruments for organizing the space in which it lives and works,'' said President Paolo Baratta.

''Along these lines, Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara will continue to address the same theme but from the point of view of the quality of the public and private space, of urban space, of the territory and of the landscape as the main ends of architecture. The curators, who are well-known for the refinement of their work, are also known for their intense didactic activity and their ability to involve and fascinate new generations,'' he added.

The 16th International Architecture Exhibition will be inaugurated on Saturday, May 26 and will conclude on Sunday, November 25, 2018. Alejandro Aravena, pritzker-winning architect and founder of Elemental, was the curator of Venice Architecture Biennale 2016.

Top image: Courtesy of Grafton Architects

> via Venice Architecture Biennale












































TUCSON, AZ, January 17, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Millions of people worldwide get sick each year from improperly handled food and contaminated water. In fact, one of the most pressing concerns among international travelers is the risk of contracting a foodborne illness when dining abroad. Now, they can rely on Cocina Verify (cocinaverify.com), an innovative new company that provides tourists and business travelers with reliable information about which restaurants outside of the U.S. are concerned with - and properly trained in - food safety protocols.



Restaurants featured on Cocina Verify have voluntarily chosen to have their water tested, all their employees trained in food safety, and their restaurants inspected, guided by U.S. FDA and California food safety code standards, working in concert with local regulations. This information helps consumers make more informed decisions about which restaurants to visit during their travels and which to avoid.



Cocina Verify's certified food safety experts follow a three-step process to determine whether restaurants are following US food safety standards. They:

- Test the restaurant's water to determine whether it's safe to drink

- Train the restaurant's employees about proper food safety protocols using the certified ServSafe food safety program

- Audit the restaurant, using US-based inspectors, to ensure the restaurant is following US food safety standards.



Once the restaurant passes the water testing and inspection, and their staff completes ServSafe food safety training, they'll be spotlighted on the Cocina Verify website.



The company, which just launched, will initially focus on Latin America, spotlighting restaurants in Panama, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Belize. Geographies will expand from there, including plans to bring the program to Southeast Asia in the near future.



"I traveled to Peru often, and repeatedly got sick from the food and water that I consumed there. In seven trips, I became sick five times. After my third foodborne illness episode, I realized there had to be a better way for tourists to find restaurants that are concerned about - and trained in - food safety protocols, to help us decide which ones we should patronize and which we should avoid," said Allan Daly, CEO and Founder of Cocina Verify. "No guide existed, so I created Cocina Verify to help enhance consumers' confidence and experiences when dining abroad."



Cocina Verify differs from customer review sites like TripAdvisor or Yelp. Instead of peer reviews, the trainings, inspections and verification comes solely from Cocina Verify's team of experienced, certified food safety professionals.



"Food safety isn't about perfection - it's about risk reduction," Daly explained. "Our mission is to increase consumers' trust and confidence in their dining experiences abroad. While we can't guarantee that guests won't get sick at verified restaurants, it's about risk reduction, and making educated decisions based on which restaurants have passed stringent food safety requirements."



In the United States, Canada, Western Europe, and Australia, governments have regulatory policies and enforcement programs in place to greatly reduce the risk of foodborne illness to the public. In many other countries, these regulations - and adequate enforcement of the regulations - don't meet these high standards.



Cocina Verify is the first company that inspects, trains and verifies independent restaurants outside of the US, guided by the US FDA Food Code and California Food Code in concert with local regulations to ensure that these restaurants are meeting United States FDA food safety standards. While there are several companies that conduct audit and inspection programs for large resort chains, there is nothing like Cocina Verify in the marketplace.



The website is free for consumers to use, and restaurants are searchable by geography. The responsive webpage means consumers can search restaurants on their computer, tablet or phone, making it convenient and accessible while traveling.



Restaurants pay for the inspections, water testing and training, but it's not a "rubber stamp" that they become verified simply by paying a fee. They must pass the water test, inspection and employee training before they are featured on the Cocina Verify website.



Cocina Verify aims to be a partner in food safety for restaurants abroad, as well as a trusted resource for consumers.



Cocina Verify is a third-party restaurant training and inspection program that helps international restaurants implement U.S. food safety procedures and inspections, so that international travelers can dine out with an increased level of trust and confidence. For more information, visit www.cocinaverify.com.



# # #
ACCRA, GHANA, January 17, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- This will be the second edition of the conference after the first edition was initiated and hosted by Wikimedia South Africa (WMZA). It was first held in Johannesburg South Africa from June 20th - 22nd 2014. In attendance were some 38 participants drawn from twelve African countries, Europe Asia and the Americas.



Wiki Indaba this year promises to be bigger and better, it will include a high powered delegation from the Wikimedia Foundation led by the Executive Director Katherine Maher and a representation of Wikimedians from over 19 countries spanning 3 continents which include Africa, Europe and North America.The conference is mainly sponsored by the Wikimedia Foundation and locally organised by a local host, Open Foundation West Africa.



The theme for this year's conference is "Building sustainable Wikimedia communities for the benefit of Africa" The conference will involve a three day training session which will primarily focus on building sustainable communities through training and capacity building, sharing experiences, workshops and presentations. These will be interlaced with series of side and social events such as an Akwaaba Night which will be a networking event for selected delegates and members of the open community in Ghana. This event will also be used to celebrate Ghanaian music and dance as well as indigenous delicacies.



About the WIkimedia Foundation (WMF)

The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that supports Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, and the other Wikimedia free knowledge sites. Wikipedia consists of nearly 40 million articles across hundreds of languages. Every month, roughly 80,000 active volunteer editors contribute to Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.

https://wikimediafoundation.org/



About Open Foundation West Africa (OFWA)

Open Foundation West Africa (OFWA) is a non-profit organization that seeks to extend the reach and activities of Open Movements like Wikipedia, Creative Commons, Mozilla, Open Street Maps and their likes in West Africa and beyond. This is done through community activation, open education and educational programmes, digitization of archives to preserve culture and heritage items for educational purposes and promote contents about the West African Sub-region and beyond.

https://openfoundationwestafrica.org/



# # #
Jan 17, 2017 | By Benedict

Over the last decade, Chinese 3D printing and 3D scanning company Shining 3D has made a huge mark on the Asian market with its metal and plastic 3D printers, as well as its EinScan 3D scanning equipment and range of 3D-related services. The company recently debuted its latest 3D scanner, the EinScan-Pro+, at CES 2017. The success of Shining 3D is, of course, no accident: behind every successful company is strong leadership, and Shining 3D CEO and co-founder Li Tao has helped to steer the Chinese company in the right direction since its formation in 2004. As vice-chairman of the China 3D Printing Technology Industry Alliance and chairman of the Zhejiang 3D Printing Technology Alliance, Li has near-unparalleled experience in the 3D printing industry, and 3Ders was therefore delighted when the CEO agreed to answer a few of our questions about his company, the state of the 3D printing industry, and what the future holds for all things 3D

Shining 3D CEO Li Tao

3Ders: For readers unfamiliar with your company, could you tell us what Shining 3D is all about?

Li: Shining 3D has been focused on 3D technology for 12 years. Since December 2004, we have developed both 3D scanning and 3D printing technology, and now have more than 600 team members, of which one third are R&D staff. We believe that 3D technology will help innovation and customization on a large scale, so we dedicate ourselves to providing 3D scanning and 3D printing products to help more people benefit from the new technology.

3Ders: What has been the secret to the companys success?

Li: As a high-tech company, the first important thing is the technology itself. Weve been investing more than 20% of our revenue into R&D for the last four years, and our patents and copyrights have been increasing in number, especially over the last two years. We now have more than 150 patents and copyrights. Secondly, high-tech does not mean inaccessible: we work on making the 3D technology easy to use and affordable, helping more users benefit from our 3D scanning and 3D printing products. We believe that, by doing this, you create more value for people and gain more support from them.

3Ders: 2016 saw new 3D printers introduced from companies like HP, Carbon, and Nano Dimension. As an important 3D printing company yourself, do you think the industry is in a better place now than it was a year ago?

Li: Yes, for sure. Thats why so many good companies are joining the industry. Weve seen more and more creative users making interesting products with 3D printers, and the application of 3D printing is expanding to direct manufacturing instead of just prototyping.

3Ders: How would you describe the state of the 3D printing industry in China?

Li: China is an important and fast-growing market for 3D printing, which is causing almost all brands from the 3D printing and 3D scanning industry to come to China. The government also encourages local scientific institutes and companies to develop technology and applications for 3D printing. This helps innovation in Chinese manufacturing, but also makes the Chinese market seem too crowded with heavy competition. The good thing, however, is that all local companies with unique technology grow faster year by year. At same time, the purchase power is shifting from education and government toward more and more industrial users, which are a big part of Chinas economy and probably the biggest in the world currently.

3Ders: Shining 3D produces several kinds of 3D printer, including FFF, SLA, and even metal SLM and SLS printers. Do you foresee these technologies growing at a similar pace, or do you think some 3D printing processes will become more important than others?

Li: We all know that 3D printing technology has many types, and that each one has its specific application area. Our sales increased last year on every type of 3D printer. We cannot say which one is superior to the other, but in terms of revenue increase rate, the two fastest-growing categories are FFF printers for education and metal printers for industry. China has more than 41,000 schools and nearly 3,000 universities and colleges, many of which are starting to use FFF 3D printers for education purposes. Since these schools connect many families and industrial companies, this is a big potential market for 3D printer sales. Regarding metal printing: since its an important direct manufacturing tool, China has a huge customer base for its application.

Shining 3D produces 3D scanning products for the dental industry

3Ders: Shining 3D produces 3D printing, 3D scanning, and even 3D laser engraving equipment. These 3D technologies are all connected, but do you foresee ways in which they could better be integrated with one another?

Li: We believe that 3D scanning and 3D printing will become well connected in more and more applications. This kind of integration will increase the efficiency and possibility of mass customization. We have many customers who have adopted such crossover processes for earphones, dental products, orthopedic products etc.

3Ders: How would you evaluate the current state of the 3D scanning industry?

Li: The 3D scanning industry is growing pretty fast. It used to be a non-contact metrology tool for reverse engineering and inspection, but now 3D printing and VR have opened a wider gate for 3D scanning applications. We all know that designing a high quality 3D model can take a long time, even for a professional 3D designer. 3D scanning is now widely used as 3D digitizing tool to get high quality 3D data from real objects, creating high-quality 3D content for printing or virtual display. A well-scanned 3D model can therefore help a 3D designer a great deal.

3Ders: Shining 3D has produced 3D scanners optimized for use in dental applications. Will you be targeting any other specific fields in the future, or will you favor versatility over specificity?

Li: Shining 3D started with 3D scanning technology in 2004 for the purpose of customized products. We then developed high-accuracy 3D scanners for non-contact metrology. After 2010 we started to optimize the 3D scanner for the digital design and manufacturing of dental products etc. In 2015 we released the EinScan, which is designed to help more people get access to high-quality 3D scanning technology in an easy and affordable manner. As we sell 3D scanners for more applications, we do see more requirements for specific 3D digitizers: thats why we also make OEM 3D scanners for our business partners in many specific applications. I believe that, in the future, 3D scanning technology will be developed in specific ways for individual fields. 3D scanning will be integrated into application-specific software, and the hardware itself will become as common as digital cameras are today.

Shining 3D's new EinScan-Pro+ 3D scanner

3Ders: Shining 3D launched the new EinScan-Pro+ at CES 2017. Could you tell us a little bit about that product? How does it compare to the EinScan-Pro?

Li: EinScan Pro+ is a new member of our EinScan product family. EinScan S is targeted at the education market to help more users get familiar with 3D scanning technology, and can create high resolution 3D content for 3D printers. It can also be used as a training tool for learning a 3D design software. EinScan Pro is a multi-functional 3D scanner designed to meet many professional-level requirements of 3D scanning. It can deliver either handheld 3D scanning or industrial-quality 3D scanning capabilities to engineers and designers. EinScan Pro+ improves upon the handheld 3D scanning capabilities of the EinScan Pro. We have equipped the Pro+ with our new patented technology to provide high efficiency together with high resolution in handheld HD scanning mode, which we believe will be loved by users who prefer handheld scanning.

Posted in Interviews

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Mohammed Hanif in the New York Times:

The army chief of Pakistan recently confirmed the death sentence of Saad Aziz, a business-school graduate and restaurant manager who was convicted of killing my friend Sabeen Mahmud. Sabeen, who was 40 then, ran The Second Floor in Karachi, a cafe where many writers and artists, including me, got their first break. It was also a hub for activists advocating controversial, often lost, causes. She was shot dead on April 24, 2015, minutes after a talk she had organized about the disappearance of Baloch activists, allegedly at the hand of Pakistans military intelligence agencies.

Chances are that after the requisite technical appeals to higher courts and a plea for mercy to the president of Pakistan, Aziz will hang. There are even stronger chances that well never know for sure why he killed Sabeen.

Aziz was sentenced to death by a military court last May. The media werent allowed to cover the trial. There is no detailed judgment. Well never get to hear what Aziz may have said in his defense or about his motives.

Was he a lone killer, or acting on someones behalf? Was Sabeen killed for taking a stand against the Pakistani Taliban and their supporters in the mainstream? For defying the powerful military establishment? Because she insisted on drawing red hearts on walls around the city to mark Valentines Day?

More here.
Politico article attacks DeVos for donations to the FIRE, a group fighting for civil liberties on college campuses

Betsy DeVos may be in some hot water over $10,000 she gave to an organization that defends free speech and civil liberties.President-elect Trump's U.S. Secretary of Education nominee, alongside her billionaire family, gives tens of millions each year to various nonprofits and conservative research organizations. She donated $5,000 in both 2012 and 2013 to the Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, or FIRE.A controversial article from Politico criticized DeVos for her support of FIRE, given the group's role in a lawsuit involving a case of alleged sexual misconduct.The nominee faces opposition from Democratic senators who worry DeVos may bethe article stated.FIRE - a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit - would not comment on the controversy surrounding DeVos' donations. The organization does not defend or support lax sexual assault standards, FIRE Executive Director Robert Shibley told Carolina Journal.FIRE defends against violations of constitutional rights on college campuses. The group is funding a lawsuit in which a former University of Virginia law student was punished for alleged sexual misconduct under an unlawful "preponderance of evidence standard" laid down in 2011 by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights.In criminal prosecutions, to convict a defendant a jury must be convinced "beyond a reasonable doubt" - a much tougher standard to meet than the preponderance of evidence.The OCR mandate allows university administrators to use the lowest standard of evidence when dealing with cases of sexual assault, Shibley said.Shibley stated.FIRE's goal is to defend good policy not upheld by the OCR's preponderance standard.When a government agency issues a mandate without going through the legislative process, that agency must provide notice of the regulation, and give opportunity for all concerned parties to comment, according to the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946.OCR's preponderance mandate, issued via a "dear colleague letter," ignored those requirements, Shibley said.The legal system is far more effective in convicting and punishing sexual offenders, he said.College investigations often neglect building access records and security camera footage, and accused students aren't protected under Miranda rights, he added.Still, many don't recognize the mandate's flaws and view the standard as an effective way to fight campus sexual assault.Shibley said.Such views are incorrect, asThe Trump administration should reform all policies wrongly mandated by the OCR, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5th District, told CJ."Under the Obama administration, the Office for Civil Rights has used so-called guidance and other executive actions to unilaterally impose its own political agenda on classrooms and campuses," said Foxx, who chairs the House education and workforce committee.she concluded.As for DeVos and her involvement in the suit, the $10,000 donation in question is nominal when compared to the philanthropist's total giving record.The DeVos dynasty is worth $5.1 billion, and it has given a total of $1.33 billion to various causes, including conservative political candidates, PACs, super PACs, research think tanks, and nonprofits.One analysis of the family's 2013 IRS records shows donation totals of $90 million, with 48 percent funneled to education, 27 percent to health and community services, 13 percent to churches and faith organizations, and 12 percent to the arts. That total of donations increased to roughly $94 million in 2014, and $104 million in 2015.Forbes in 2015 ranked the family 24th out of America's top 50 philanthropists.
Willem Marx at Harper's Magazine:

I was flown across the Atlantic to meet my new employers. In downtown Washington, I was surprised by the ubiquity of fresh-faced young men, their blue short-sleeved buttondowns tucked neatly into khakis. Lincoln Group had its headquarters above an Indian grocery on K Street; a small placard in the buildings foyer read: VISITORS TO LINCOLN GROUP/ IRAQEX, 10TH FLOOR, SHOULD BE ANNOUNCED IN ADVANCE. On the tenth floor, electricians wired lights in some rooms while in others suited men conferenced behind glass walls. The companys head of human resources, who had only just been hired herself, told me with a weary smile that things had been crazy lately.

Paige Craig popped in to see me as I filled out work papers in a tiny waiting room. Shaking my hand with a mighty grip, he uttered something to the effect of welcome aboard. He was very well built, with short, tidy hair and the tight khaki trousers and shirt of a military man. As he strode away, he seemed purposeful. Bailey, by contrast, was baby-faced and slight, his sandy-brown hair cut in a Bill Gates bob. In his comer office, we chatted about Oxford. He had studied economics and management at Lincoln College. When I asked whether his college had inspired the companys new name, he shrugged. Partly, he said cryptically. He did say that Lincoln Group was rapidly expanding and that it offered incredible opportunities for bright young people like me: stock options were available to employees after just three months, and I might consider staying on after the summer. Christian Bailey hadnt yet been to Iraq himself. Although he had planned numerous trips, he said, something always came up that kept him in D.C.

more here.
Paula Span in The New York Times:

Judith Katherine Dunning had been waiting anxiously for California to adopt legislation that would make it legal for her to end her life. The cancer in her brain was progressing despite several rounds of treatment. At 68, she spent most of her day asleep and needed an aide to help with basic tasks. More centrally, Ms. Dunning  who, poignantly, had worked as an oral historian in Berkeley, Calif.  was losing her ability to speak. Even before the End of Life Option Act became law, in October 2015, she had recorded a video expressing her desire to hasten her death. The video, she hoped, would make her wishes clear, in case there were any doubts later on. She felt she had completed all the important tasks of her life, recalled her physician, Dr. Michael Rabow, director of the symptom management service at the University of California, San Francisco. When she could no longer communicate, life was no longer worth living.

In recent months, this option has become available to a growing number of Americans. Last June, aid-in-dying legislation took effect in California, the most populous state. In November, Colorado voters approved a ballot measure by nearly a two-thirds majority. The District of Columbia Council has passed a similar law, and the mayor quietly signed it last month. Aid in dying was already legal in Washington, Vermont, Montana and Oregon. So even if the District of Columbias law is blocked, as a prominent Republican representative has threatened to do, the country has arrived at a remarkable moment: Close to 20 percent of Americans live in jurisdictions where adults can legally end their lives if they are terminally ill and meet eligibility requirements. The laws, all based on the Death With Dignity Act Oregon adopted in 1997, allow physicians to write prescriptions for lethal drugs when patients qualify. The somewhat complicated procedure involves two oral requests and a written one, extensive discussions, and approval by two physicians. Patients must have the mental capacity to make medical decisions.

More here.
Jeremy Bernstein in Inference Review:

Enrico Fermi came to Harvard to give the Loeb Lectures in the fall of 1953. I was eager to meet him. I admired his work, of course, but I also thought there might be a distant family connection between us. My aunt had given me the impression that after Fermis arrival in the United States in 1939, she and members of the Fermi family had become the best of friends. When I ran into Fermi in the hallway of the Harvard physics building, I mentioned my aunt. Fermi gave me a chilly stare, and, without saying a word, walked away. Some years later, I described this encounter to someone who knew Fermi very well. He was not surprised.

During his visit, Fermi was persuaded to give an informal talk to a journal club formed under the guidance of Roy Glauber. Then a young assistant professor, Glauber would later win a Nobel Prize. He had gotten to know Fermi at Los Alamos during the war. I had hoped that Fermi would discuss the meson experiments being conducted at the University of Chicago. His talk went no further than describing an elementary problem in quantum theory. Most of us could have given the same lecture. With the exception of Paul Martin, we remained silent. Martin was the most brilliant of the graduate students; he objected to the approximations Fermi had made. Fermi gave a second lecture. Martin was still not satisfied. And a third. At that point, Martin gave up. Fermi would have continued until he had beaten Martin into submission.

Non simpatico.

The Pope of Physics is an account of Fermis life and times. Gino Segre and his wife, Bettina Hoerlin, have written their account from the inside out; they knew a good many people who knew Fermi. Hoerlins father, Herman Hoerlin, worked with Fermi at Los Alamos, and Segres uncle, Emilio Segre, had been one of Fermis original collaborators in Rome. Both Segre and Hoerlin could regard Fermi as a familiar presence.

More here.
Ready to act up? Here are a few outlets for your frustration this week.

If you have a tip on a protest, demonstration, or related event happening in the Bay Area, email edit at 7x7 dot com with the subject line DEMOCRACY.





Bridge Together, Golden Gate Bridge

Friday, Jan. 20, 2017; 10am to noon

Bay Area progressives have registered by the thousands and are shopping for purple ponchos (purple because it's the color for anti-bullying; ponchos because it's expected to rain) to wear this Friday, Inauguration Day, as they stand in "a human bridge of togetherness" along the entire span of the GGB.

The peaceful demonstration and performance art piece is put on by organizers Lisa Sato-Wheaton and David Morris, of the Sausalito-based production studio SatoriTeller, who promise there will be no negative protesting and no obstruction of traffic. At approximately 11:30am, those gathered will raise up long swaths of purple fabric, a "symbolic visualization that unity and love are our greatest strengths against hate." Families and children are welcome, and you should come expecting a crowd: The group has more than 25,000 Facebook members and 4,000 people have registered to attend.

// Bridge Together, Golden Gate Bridge, bridge.beyondtherectangle.org, facebook.com/groups. You may also make a donation at crowdrise.com.





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Screening of You've Been Trumped Too, San Francisco



Friday, Jan. 20, 2017; noon to 1:30pm

If you're looking to participate but prefer to stay out of the rain, movie buffs will appreciate this screening presented by the San Francisco Green Film Festival as part of its First 100 Days series"the film-lover's guide to taking environmental action in the first 100 days of the new White House administration."

You've Been Trumped Too follows the ongoing saga of a Scottish family whose home water supply was cut off (and, five years later, has yet to be restored) during construction of Donald Trump's now infamous golf course. // Free with RSVP; Ninth Street Independent Film Center, 145 9th St. (SoMa), greenfilmfest.org/first100days





Answer Coalition's Protest Against Trump, San Francisco



Friday, Jan. 20, 2017; 5 to 7pm

If you didn't make it to the Golden Gate Bridge (or if you just can't protest enough), head to Civic Center right around happy hour for a demonstration hosted by ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), which was founded just after 9/11. Go if you want to stand up against mass deportations, climate change denial, and reversals of human rights. // UN Plaza, 355 McAllister St. (Civic Center), answercoalition.org









Tip Liberally: A Fundraiser to Protect Our Civil Liberties, San Francisco

Friday, January 20th, 2017; 6-9pm

After a long hard Inauguration Day, you're going to need a drink. Join your fellow protesters at Soda Popinski for a boozy fundraiser to benefit the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). "Buy a drink served by one of our guest bartenders and participate in an awesome raffle. All tips collected from 6 to 9pm and raffle sales go towards supporting the ACLU. This is only the beginning, so let's come together and fight for what we believe in." // Soda Popinksi, 1548 California St. (Nob Hill), facebook.com





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Bang the Pots, Raise a Din (Anywhere)

Friday, Jan. 20, 2017; 6 to 6:05pm

Want to make some truly homegrown noise? In the Latin American tradition of Cacerolazo, organizer Helen Vozenilek is encouraging neighbors to raise a din at 6pm on the night of the inauguration simply by stepping outside their doors, wherever they may be, and banging on pots and pans in protest. The small action ensures that everyone, even if they are unable to march, can "show vocal opposition to Donald Trump and the incoming administration."

Vozenilek is distributing flyers in English, Spanish, and Chinese. // #Bangthepots, facebook.com





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The Blue Ball, Treasure Island

Friday, Jan. 20, 2017; 6 to 6:05pm

The painfully named Blue Ball aims to relieve your Inauguration Day suffering with lots of drinks and a silly photobooth. "Conceived in love and rage by a group of Bay Area friends in the wake of the election," the party promises food, DJs, and an opportunity to support organizations that will be targeted by the incoming administration, including Planned Parenthood, the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, the Environmental Defense Fund, and more. Wear blue. // $85; Home on Treasure Island, Avenue D and 12th St., theblueball.org





Women's March Bay Area (and Worldwide)

Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017; times vary by city

"The Women's March is a national movement to unify and empower everyone who stands for human rights, civil liberties, and social justice for all." What began as one march on Washington has inspired women's marches in 386 cities worldwide (and counting), with nearly three-quarters of a million marchers (and counting!) registered online, according to MoveOn.org. This is big. Historic. You won't want to miss out.

San Francisco : In the city, the day will kick off with an afternoon rally at Civic Center, followed by a candlelight march down Market Street to Justin Herman Plaza. The nonpartisan, all-volunteer event will include plenty of speakers (Pulitzer Prizewinner Katherine Ellison;, Chinese painter Hung Liu; District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim, etc.) and music (Micah Tron, Hip Hop for Change, etc.). For Marinites, the Golden Gate Ferry has added evening roundtrip service on a high-speed catamaran for 450 passengers. // 3pm rally at Civic Center; 5-8pm candlelight march to Justin Herman Plaza (Embarcadero). For updates, register at womensmarchbayarea.org/san-francisco-march; facebook.com.

Oakland : The Town is also expecting about 25,000 marchers to gather at Madison Park Saturday morning; a march is planned up Oak Street to Grand Avenue along Lake Merritt and to Frank Ogawa Plaza. Speakers and music are TBD. // 10am to 3pm beginning at Madison Park;for more details and updates, register at womensmarchbayarea.org/oakland-march; facebook.com.



San Jose : A smaller but nonetheless mighty rally is also planned for this South Bay hub, beginning at City Hall with a short march (less than a mile) to Cesar Chavez Plaza. // 10am to 3pm beginning at San Jose City Hall; for more details and updates, register atwomensmarchbayarea.org/san-jose-march; facebook.com.





Resist Trump - #OccupyInauguration, Oakland

Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017; 10am to 3pm

Organized by the Berkeley-based group Socialist Alternative, this is a #OccupyInauguration rally that will join the Women's March in Oakland. Look for the Resist Trump banner (same as above). // 10am to 3pm beginning at Madison Park (Oakland), facebook.com/events





Let's Do This: Women's March After-Party, San Francisco



Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017; 9pm to 3am

Keep the community vibes going into the wee hours and dance against injustice at this after-party hosted by The Great Northern and Angels of bAss, benefiting Planned Parenthood and the SF-based Women's Community Clinic. Expect a lineup of lady DJs, free drinks (for advance ticket purchasers) till 10:30pm, and hours and hours to sweat out your frustration on the dance floor. // Ages 21+; suggested donation $10-$30, tickets at ticketfly.com; The Great Northern, 119 Utah St. (Mission), facebook.com





Freedom Fest 2017, San Francisco



Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017; 2 to 8pm

Because everything is better with brunch, head to Natoma Cabana on Sunday morning for Freedom Cakes (a fancy name for pancakes), music and dancing, and talks about taking local action by smart, local people: Amanda Reiman of Drug Policy Alliance will discuss the future of legal cannabis; The Festival Lawyer will teach you about your rights; Jonathan Brossard will talk about how to protect yourself online; and more. // Admission is free with a suggested $10 donation to benefit the ACLU of Northern California; 90 Natoma St. (SoMa), eventbrite.com, facebook.com





EVERY PROTESTER NEEDS A GREAT PROTEST POSTER. CHOOSE FROM SEVERAL FABULOUS ORIGINAL DESIGNS BY SF-BASED HELLO!LUCKY, OR CHECK OUT THE OFFERING FROM CREDO MOBILE.





A protest poster design by Hello!Lucky, downloadable for free with a suggested donation to the Women's March.





One of several downloadable poster designs from Credo Mobile, an SF-based company that has donated over $80 million to progressive causes since 1985.





Have an event to add? Email us at edit@7x7.com with the subject line DEMOCRACY.


Who knew that pinsfrom $3 thrift-store finds to the diamond-encrusted heirloom varietycould say so much, intrigue so many, and make such an impact upon modern American history? Madeleine Albright, that's who.

Previous Next Albright wore the monkeys on a visit to Moscow while meeting with President Putin. In her memoir, she says "he saw no evil" and denied human rights violations occurred. By Iradj Moini, 2000. Previous Next This pin reflects the glass ceiling in Albright's ideal condition: shattered. It was most recently seen at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. By Vivian Shimoyama, 1992. Previous Next When jewelers were invited to create pins for Secretary Albright, designer Gijs Bakker sent Liberty (1997). The clocks are arranged so both wearer and others can read the clock simultaneously. (All images courtesy of John Bigelow Taylor for Legion of Honor.) Previous Next During her tenure, Secretary Albright supported a diplomatic initiative to ensure much-coveted stones were traded legitimately. Panther by Cartier, circa 2003. Previous Next In 1996, planes carrying Cuban-American fliers were shot down. At a press event, the Secretary wore the Blue Bird with its head pointing down to mourn the victims. By Anton Lachmann, circa 1880. Previous Next Albright wore the Serpent to meet with Iraqi officials in fall '94. It was her way of sending a message after being called an "unparalleled serpent" in the Iraqi press. Designer unknown, circa 1860. Previous Next Worn by Albright in 1997 during her oath of office as the first female U.S. Secretary of State. The patriotic Secretary of State Diamond Eagle was made circa 1890, designer unknown. Previous Next David Yurman created this American flag pin in support of families affected by 9/11. Previous Next The Read My Pins exhibit at the Legion, which showcases more than 200 pins from Albright's personal collection, ends on Sunday, January 29.





Jewelry lovers and Albright super fans will come to understand the power of pins with purpose after a whirl through this Legion of Honor exhibit displaying some of the more statement-making brooches worn by Albright during her service as U.S. Ambassador to the UN (19931997) and as the first female Secretary of State (19972001).





Albright is well known to have communicated in meetings with diplomats and world leaders through her brooches: A bumblebee pin meant Watch out, I might sting!, while a dove indicated a desire for peace. The more subtle the brooch, the more it and its placement were subject to scrutiny and speculation about Albright's mood du jour.





Truth be told, it was a snake pin that got the ball rolling on Albright's diplomatic signature. After criticizing Saddam Hussein in 1994, the Iraqi poet-in-residence famously referred to her as "an unparalleled serpent." Soon after, the UN Ambassador met with Iraqi officials and, wouldn't you know it, was sporting a very chic gold viper on her lapel. (Don't tread on her, indeed.)





The nonlinear exhibit isfun, fascinating, and educational at once. More than 200 pins are grouped by categorythere are flowers and lions, stars and stripes, the Old West, and even hearts and jazzand coupled with photographs and words on the historical context. Look out for the Glass Ceiling pin that Albright wore the night Hillary Clinton became the first woman to accept the nomination for President of the United States.





Pin ya later // Ends Sunday Jan. 29, 2017; Legion of Honor, 100 34th Ave (Sea Cliff), legionofhonor.famsf.org
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Early in the afternoon on Jan. 20, Donald J. Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States after taking the oath of office on the west lawn of the Capitol in Washington. Keeping with tradition, Vice President-elect Mike Pence will be sworn in first  followed by the president-elect  by the chief justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts Jr. The schedule of events surrounding what will be the countrys 58th inauguration ceremony actually begins a day earlier with a wreath-laying ceremony on Jan. 19 at Arlington National Cemetery in nearby Virginia.

Throughout much of the festivities, the woman standing by Trumps side will be his third wife, Melania. As yet, Washington insiders have only been able to speculate as to how the former model might handle her new position in the limelight. But if history has taught us anything, its that the first lady can be a key player in setting the tone for the national office. Jacqueline Kennedy, of course, became a major style icon. And Abigail Adams, wife of second president John Adams, was so politically involved that she was actually referred to as Mrs. President rather than her unofficial title of Lady Adams.
Contact: Attila Nemecz

Attila Nemecz Attila.Nemecz@beaufortccc.edu

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AnastasiaDate recommends the top 6 most breathtaking places in Serbia that are a must-visit for romantics.

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June Atkinson's Cathedral Stands

Sincer her November defeat to upstart Mark Johnson, former Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson has been employing a sympathetic media establishment to voice her disappointment at the outcome of the election, reflect on the circumstances that led to her defeat, defend her record, and prophesy the downfall of North Carolina's public schools.Most recently, Atkinson joined the News and Observer's Ned Barnett to bash North Carolina's booming school choice movement. Perhaps the most amusing charge is that the purpose of the school choice movement is "to make people lose confidence" in public schools. Atkinson continued, "It takes decades to build a cathedral, but it takes a short time to destroy the cathedral." Perhaps it is worth asking whether we should be building "cathedrals" in the first place, particularly on the taxpayers' dime.Indeed, enrollment figures suggest that Atkinson's worries about a school choice takeover are overblown. The district school market share has dropped by only five percentage points between 2006 and 2016. Today, around 83 percent of North Carolina's school-age children are enrolled in a district school, down from 88 percent a decade ago.While certain school choice sectors are booming and district school enrollment has slowed in comparison, the "cathedral" remains unharmed.Between 2006 and 2016, North Carolina's school-aged population grew by 12 percent or over 180,000 school-aged children. District schools added nearly 69,000 students during this period, a five percent increase. On the other hand, public charter school membership increased by 204 percent (+54,000 or so children) thanks to legislation that addressed robust parental demand by removing the 100-school cap and making greater allowances for enrollment growth at existing schools. Still, charter school membership represents only around five percent of district school membership.At the same time, the estimated home school population rose by 84 percent (+54,000 or so children). Interestingly, much of the growth in homeschooling has been organic. Legislative changes to the definition of homeschooling, which made allowances for cooperative instruction, may have helped. But easier access to instructional materials, higher quality online education, availability of cooperative enterprises, and the waning of long-held preconceptions about homeschooling surely played the biggest roles.Overall enrollment growth in private schools has been modest. Between 2006 and 2016, the private school population increased by just under 5,000 students, a five percent bump, amidst a recovery from enrollment declines during the Great Recession. Part of that increase may be due to the Opportunity Scholarship and Disability Grant programs, which direct state-funded scholarships to eligible low-income and special needs children whose families prefer that they attend private schools. As funding increases and eligibility expands, so will the number of families who choose to send their children to participating private schools. Indeed, liberals worry that the growing popularity of the Opportunity Scholarship and Disabilities Grant programs will attract more parents (and funding) from the district system and have dedicated considerable resources to attacking private schools who enroll voucher students.Throughout Atkinson's tenure as superintendent, tens of thousands of families turned to home, charter and private schools. They have done so - not because of coercion, ignorance, bigotry, or a desire to undermine the "common good" - but out of an earnest desire to ensure that the educational, social, and physical needs of their children are addressed. More importantly, they have done so largely without malice toward the district system or families who choose, or more likely are compelled, to patronize it. Those of us who champion those choices feel the same way.But I suppose it is easier to blame some shadowy school choice conspiracy for slow but steady the outmigration of children from district schools. It's much harder to take responsibility for helping to create the conditions that have allowed choice to thrive. Perhaps as State Superintendent, Atkinson should have spent more time considering the factors leading to parental dissatisfaction and departure and addressed those, rather than simply bemoaning the existence of systems that have neither the resources nor infrastructure to genuinely compete with the district "cathedrals" she so vociferously defends.
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When she was finally diagnosed with ADHD  after more than three decades of wondering what was wrong with her  Janel Dillard, of Clinton, Maryland, did what countless others before her have done: She threw herself into research. She watched online videos, read newspaper articles, and scoured the Internet for information on the neuroscience of ADHD and how she could best treat it. But from the moment she started her research, she said, she noticed something troubling: I dont often see people who look like me.

Janel, 36, is African American, and she grapples with an uncomfortable truth: The face of ADHD in the U.S. is not black or brown, it is white  both in terms of the patients being diagnosed and the clinicians evaluating and treating them.

Battling ADHD stigma in the BIPOC community is nothing new, but evidence shows that people of color  black and Latino in particular  are much less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, even though they show symptoms at the same rate as white people. And if they are diagnosed, they arent as likely to receive treatment  even though many studies show that it can dramatically help kids and adults manage symptoms.

ADHD is not a privileged disability, said Paul Morgan, Ph.D., professor of education and director of the Center for Educational Disparities Research, at Pennsylvania State University. We dont want a situation where ADHD is a condition for wealthy white families. We want to be helping children who have disabilities, regardless of their race or ethnicity. But what were finding is consistent evidence that white and English-speaking children are more likely to be identified  and thats an inequity.

The reasons for these disparities are complex, experts say, and correcting them will involve a multi-pronged approach that will most likely take decades  if not longer  to fully implement. But the ramifications of ignoring the problem are more severe. Properly diagnosed and treated ADHD can change the arc of a persons life, helping her manage everything from schoolwork to relationships to career  critical areas where people of color often face already-strong disadvantages. Undiagnosed ADHD, on the other hand  particularly its high association with risky behavior, drug use, and mood disorder  can be deadly.

[Take This Test: Could You Have ADHD?]

The Case for Underdiagnosis

The question of under- or overdiagnosis of ADHD has long been up for debate, particularly since diagnoses started spiking in the 1990s. CDC data from 2011 to 2013 puts the rate of ADHD in childhood at 9.5 percent  a number that is sustained by white children, who are diagnosed at a rate (11.5 percent) that is significantly higher than that of their African American and Latino counterparts (8.9 and 6.3 percent, respectively). Critics and skeptics suggest that white children are being overdiagnosed (and overtreated) for ADHD, but the data may indicate otherwise.

Morgan conducted a well-regarded 2013 study that looked at more than 17,000 U.S. children. By the time the studys subjects reached eighth grade, African American children were 69 percent less likely  and Latino children 50 percent less likely  to receive an ADHD diagnosis than their white counterparts. A follow-up study, in 2014, found that the disparity actually started earlier: Before they even entered kindergarten, African American children were 70 percent less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than white children. Children whose primary language was something other than English  a group that includes many Latino children  were similarly underdiagnosed.

A study that came out last year may make the case for underdiagnosis most decisively. Published in September 2016 in Pediatrics, it found that black children in the sample population showed symptoms of ADHD at a significantly higher rate than white children, but were diagnosed much less often.

And the health disparities dont stop at diagnosis. The 2016 study found that, once diagnosed, children of color were much less likely to take ADHD medication. Just 36 percent of black kids and 30 percent of Latino kids who had been diagnosed with ADHD were taking medication, compared to 65 percent of white children. The 2013 study found similar results.

Claims of overdiagnosis werent supported by the data, researchers said. In the 2016 study, white children who didnt show ADHD symptoms werent significantly more likely to be taking medication than similarly symptomless black or Latino peers. White children in general were not significantly more likely to be taking medication, said Tumaini Coker, M.D., an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and the author of the 2016 study. That really suggests to us that the disparities we see were more likely from the underdiagnosis and undertreatment of African American and Latino children  rather than the overdiagnosis and overtreatment of white children.

Inequities in health care  particularly mental health care  arent new. In 2002, the Institute of Medicine released a report entitled Unequal Treatment, which found similar racial and ethnic disparities across the entire healthcare spectrum.

Regardless of the condition you picked, you found disparities at every level of care, said Natalie Cort, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and teacher at William James College.

Undiagnosed physical conditions, like heart disease or diabetes, indisputably increase the risk of death, Cort said. But disparities in mental health care can have more subtle  but no less serious  consequences. Mental health professionals misdiagnosis of minorities directly and indirectly contributes to racial and ethnic minorities being disproportionately represented in the criminal and juvenile justice system, she said. She calls it the misdiagnosis-to-prison pipeline.

[Get This Free Download: 9 Conditions Often Linked to ADHD]

Missing the diagnosis is really just the start of the pipeline, she said. When teachers see ADHD behaviors  particularly those involving impulse control  without attributing them to a neurological cause, they often interpret them as defiance. Kids who are viewed as defiant or violent are labeled, said Cort  even if theyre not accurately labeled with ADHD.

Hes going to be labeled as a bad kid who is going to get suspended, and probably going to get expelled, she said. And being suspended once or twice is highly associated with becoming involved in the juvenile justice system. Studies have estimated that up to 40 percent of inmates in the U.S. have ADHD  a rate that dwarfs that of the general population.

Not every person who has ADHD but hasnt been diagnosed winds up in prison. But untreated ADHD has far-reaching effects  on self-esteem, social functioning, career progress, and overall happiness. Janel, who wasnt diagnosed with inattentive ADHD until her mid-30s, can attest to that.

Looking back, she recalls having symptoms her entire life, but says that, without a diagnosis, she spent most of her childhood wondering what could possibly be going on. She couldnt keep anything neat, no matter how hard she tried, and was constantly scolded for the trail of things she left in her wake. Even though she did her homework, she seemed to leave it at home instead of turning it in. In school, detention was a frequent punishment for talking in class, but Janel felt she couldnt stop herself. It got really out of hand, she said.

Her parents were frustrated  with her messy room, her inconsistent grades, the constant calls from school. They sat and watched me do homework  helped me do homework, she said. And now theyre getting called because I havent been turning in homework? It was difficult for them to understand.

Despite all the calls, however, the school never suggested Janel be evaluated for ADHD  and no matter how often her parents tried to get her on track, Janel continued to struggle. There was a lot of hiding, she said. It felt like there was something wrong with me.

After she reached adulthood, little had changed. A promotion at work came with a slew of new responsibilities, and Janel felt herself crumbling under the pressure  not paying her bills, getting pulled over several times for the same broken taillight, leaving wet laundry in the washing machine for three days at a time. It just started to feel like everything was falling apart, she said. She needed help, and even though she wasnt sure where to look, she decided to start with a therapist. I basically went in and told her I felt like a failure as an adult.

Her therapist suggested she see a psychiatrist to discuss the possibility of ADHD. She was at first reluctant, but eventually agreed. Once she got the diagnosis, she was relieved  at first. But that relief was soon tinged with anger and regret. Why couldnt I have known sooner? she asked.

Diagnostic Biases

In many missed diagnoses, like Janels, theres evidence that racial bias plays a role  particularly on the part of clinicians, who often rely on what are called implicit biases when evaluating a childs behavior.

As providers  like most Americans  we carry implicit biases, said Cort. Implicit bias is the result of a lifetime of classical conditioning, she said. If you present two stimuli simultaneously, and you do it repeatedly, your brain  which wants to be efficient  will make an association [subconsciously] that when one stimulus is presented, the other one should come next.

A 1988 study of more than 300 psychiatrists found that, when presented with patients showing identical symptoms, they overwhelmingly diagnosed black men with severe conditions, like schizophrenia, while diagnosing white men with milder conditions, like mood disorder.

Those psychiatrists were probably all lovely people, Cort said. But theyve also been exposed to the idea that, when they see black men portrayed on television, its usually in reference to some violent actionsomething negative. On some level, they think of black men as suspicious and dangerous and paranoid. That bias was impacting how they were reading the very same symptoms.

Studies show that implicit biases in white Americans are at about the same level as they were in the 1950s  and that theyre still affecting how clinicians diagnose and treat patients.

There is reporting that says health practitioners are more responsive to white and English-speaking families, said Morgan. Minority families have reported that practitioners can be dismissive of their concerns for their child, or less likely to solicit developmental concerns. When doctors dont ask the right questions  or rely on unfair stereotypes when interpreting behaviormany kids with ADHD dont get the diagnoses they deserve, he said.

Community Stigma

Bias on the part of practitioners plays a pivotal role in missed diagnoses, but it isnt the only factor. Some of the disparity comes from the patients, in the form of community stigma about mental health or mistrust of the medical system.

Mental problems are considered taboo in some communities, Janel said. Her family mostly viewed her situation as a lack of willpower, particularly in light of the difficult history of African Americans in the U.S. When my father was young, he went to segregated schools, she said. Previous generations had it worse, and no one went to find a therapist  they just dealt with it and moved on.

Plus, the issues that she struggled with the most  keeping track of homework, keeping her room clean, talking out of turn  werent seen by her family as problems that warranted professional help. Thats something I just needed to figure out and get done, she said.

Coker, who is black, and has twin sons diagnosed with ADHD, said theres also a perception in some communities that ADHD is a label thats put on a child as a form of racism or bias  which can lead to parents rejecting the diagnosis or refusing to accept treatment. Its hard to treat something that you think is just put on your child because of the color of [his or her] skin. And its hard to get family involved in the strategies youre using to deal with your symptoms.

Janels older brother, for one, was upset when she shared her diagnosis, telling her, Theyre just going to pump you full of drugs. She would be zoned out, he said, under the influence of medications that have horrible side effects and health consequences.

His reaction isnt uncommon  and it may not be unwarranted. Though stimulants have been proven safe over the long term, theyre not the only medication used to treat ADHD  and the other options arent always as benign. Studies have shown that children of color, including those with ADHD, are more likely than their white counterparts to be prescribed strong antipsych0tics  even though the side effects can be severe and dangerous.

If youre seeing little black children or little Latino boys and girls as being potentially dangerous and violent, and you have a drug that can help manage some of that behavior, then you might reach for that drug, said Cort. Even though you know that antipsych0tics take years off your life.

All in all, minority communities may have a right to be suspicious of the medical establishment, Cort said. The history is replete with minorities being deliberately harmed by researchers the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, in which African American men were intentionally infected with and denied treatment for syphilis, is perhaps the most notorious example. The cultural mistrust is based on really, really egregious historical wrongs in the field  and that makes it hard for people to approach the field.

The Frog Pond Effect

Years of formal and informal segregation, redlining, and other discriminatory practices have led to vast disparities in the U.S. school system  disparities that, again, hit children of color the hardest.

Children who are racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to be exposed to poverty, Morgan said. Wealthier schools have access to better resources  meaning the achievement level is generally higher than it is at poorer, under-resourced schools. This plays into something called the frog pond effect, which influences the likelihood that a child will be identified for special education services.

There are two factors to the frog pond effect, Morgan said. One is the childs own behaviors or academic achievement  how he or she is doing in a classroom individually. But another is the context in which the child is being evaluated. That means that in a school dominated by high-achieving kids, a child with behavior or attention problems will stick out like a sore thumb. But in poorer schools  those that are overcrowded, understaffed, and underperforming  a similarly struggling child wouldnt be as noticeable. In other words, Morgan said, where the child is attending school matters when it comes to ADHD diagnosis  even though, in a perfect world, it shouldnt.

From a clinical standpoint, it should be irrelevant, he said. The disability criteria is set at the state and the federal level, and those are the benchmarks which should be considered  not how your school is doing. But it plays a part anyway, he said  and children at poorer schools pay the price.

Insurance also plays a role. Children of color are more likely to have public insurance, Coker said, which can make getting an ADHD diagnosis harder.

If youre dealing with Medicaid, you may need to use a community mental health center, she said. That waiting list is really long  it could be months before you even get assessed. Behavioral therapy is hard to access under Medicaid, too, meaning that, even if these families get a diagnosis, the only treatment they may be offered is medication. Not every family is going to agree to medication right away, she said. Its one thing to give the diagnosis and the offer of medication, but another to give a diagnosis and to offer resources to help the family understand what [ADHD] is and why its happening. If you make a diagnosis and you cant help, thats an issue.

The good news, according to Morgan, is that we have ways to help children with ADHD. We dont want it to be the case that only some kids are getting those treatments. Correcting the disparity will require schools, doctors, and communities to work together. (See Fixing the System in the sidebar for potential solutions.)

No proposed solution can make a dent in the problem if the doctor-patient relationship  or the teacher-parent relationship  lacks trust, Cort said. After hundreds of years of racialized history, trust wont come overnight, but it can be improved by diversifying the educational and medical communities, which remain overwhelmingly white. A 2016 report by the Department of Education found that only 18 percent of U.S. teachers are people of color, while nearly 90 percent of mental health professionals are non-Hispanic white.

William James College, in Newton, Massachusetts, where Cort teaches, is leading the charge toward diversifying the mental health field by pioneering programs focusing on the mental health of those of Latino or African descent. Cort herself is the director of the Black Mental Health Graduate Academy, a mentorship program that aims to develop a group of black clinicians who can be present and powerful in the field, she said.

Its really hard to push back against implicit bias if you dont actually have something to challenge it, she said. We need more people of color in the field  by our presence, we challenge bias.

Janel agrees. Shes had her ADHD diagnosis for just over a year, but in that time, most real-life people with ADHD that shes come across have been young white boys. When there are women, theyre not usually of color, she said. More people of color are needed to raise awareness of what ADHD is and dispel some of the stereotypes about it. It might look a little bit different, when you put it in the context of gender or culture, [but] people of color are affected just as much.

[Read This Next: Your Complete ADHD / ADD Diagnosis Guide]

Fixing the System

When it comes to changing the racial disparities in ADHD diagnosis and treatment, Being an optimist is necessary and practical, said Natalie Cort, Ph.D. We all have to be part of this process, but it can happen. Experts highlight several key strategies for doctors, teachers, and communities to use in their fight for ADHD equity:

Education and outreach. Doctors have had success with clinic-to-community partnerships, said Paul Morgan, Ph.D., in which doctors educate stakeholders in the community about ADHD symptoms and the benefits of treatment. Education can include courses in managing ADHD, discussion groups, or distribution of doctor-vetted information in libraries, gyms, or other central locations. Making sure that results from ADHD studies are disseminated and minority families are able to access them is critical to addressing ADHDs disparity, he said.

Push back against stigma. Most people, unless theyre directly affected by [ADHD], dont understand it, said Janel, an African American woman whose ADHD wasnt diagnosed until her mid-30s. In her experience, making ADHD personal can go a long way toward combating stigma. Once she shared her diagnosis with her skeptical parents, they were hugely supportive  even making efforts to educate themselves about ADHD using online videos. Janels brother came around from his anti-medication stance, once he saw how her non-stimulant helped her.

Dismantle bias. Tackling implicit bias is a complex problem, since people who see themselves as tolerant often bristle at the suggestion that they hold racial biases. But implicit bias does not mean youre racist, Cort stressed. It doesnt mean youre a bad person  it just means this is what youve been exposed to. Accepting that everyone has unconscious biases  and recognizing how they may affect decisions  can help clinicians and teachers treat children of color in a more equitable way. The more aware you are of it, the more you have control over the ability to mitigate it, she said. Formal bias training can be critical.

Use better diagnostic tools. Structured diagnostic tools can also help combat bias, by making the diagnostic process less susceptible to each doctors unique (and possibly biased) interpretation of symptoms. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has a great toolkit online for pediatricians to make the diagnosis and to think about treatment, said Tumaini Coker, M.D.

Have more invested doctors. Asking the right questions is the most powerful tool clinicians have at their disposal  regardless of the race or ethnicity of the patient. Its one thing to ask how school is going and be satisfied when parents say, Fine, Coker said. Its another to get into the nitty-gritty of what fine means, she said. It may mean that theyre in detention, or that theyre failing, or that theyre getting As, but we dont know if we dont ask the difficult questions.

ADHD & Latinos: Unique Challenges

Justine Larson, M.D., is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Community Clinic, Inc (CCI), in Maryland, which serves a large Latino population. ADDitude interviewed Larson about the challenges of diagnosing ADHD in these communities.

ADDitude: How do language barriers affect doctor-patient interactions?

Dr. Larson: Theres a huge shortage of psychiatrists nationally, and thats even truer when youre trying to find somebody who speaks Spanish. Some patients really want to see somebody whos from their own culture. Sometimes I see kids who have communication difficulties even within the family.

A: Do cultural barriers exist?

Larson: A lot of Latino parents are less likely to see behavior as something that you would see your doctor about. Its more of a discipline problem.

There are cultural differences in terms of the patient-provider relationship. In some Latino cultures, there is a more authoritarian relationship with the doctor. So when Im trying to solicit opinions, people might not be used to that, or might not be comfortable with it. They might be expecting me to tell them what to do; I think its more empowering to have a dialogue.

Among Latino patients, because of that authoritarian relationship, some people will agree and say yes to things  but inwardly, theyre not comfortable with it. They might not necessarily tell me, because they feel like they have to say yes. Then they might not keep up with treatment.

A: What unique concerns exist for immigrant children?

Larson: There is a lot of trauma and adversity in the population  either interpersonal violence or loss of parents or other people in their lives. It can definitely play a role: Trauma can impact attention; anxiety and mood disorder can impact behavior. In little kids, its hard to tell the difference  they might not have the ability to express whats going on.

A: Whats happening in schools that increases this disparity?

Larson: There are cultural differences in terms of school involvement. I see families where the parents dont know the names of the teachers  or cant talk to the teachers because they dont speak Spanish. Theres less communication with the school about whats going on, or what the school could be doing to help.

A: What needs to be done?

Larson: I encourage people to tell me what they think, and I say, Its OK if you dont agree. If they dont take the medicine, instead of giving up, talk to them about what may be going on  and, over time, build trust.

It would be great if there were more Spanish-speaking psychiatrists. Theres also a move to educate pediatricians and increase their ability to diagnose and treat ADHD. That will improve access to care and decrease stigma.

There are also parent advocates and community health workers. If we use them more  people who are part of the community, who speak the language  they can help people navigate the system and become more comfortable with it. That would be really helpful.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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A new email notification system rolls out this month for the Air Forces Disability Evaluation System that will enhance customer service and increase overall transparency in the Physical Evaluation Board process.Instead of Airmen calling their Physical Evaluation Board liaison officer or the Air Force Personnel Center, they will get automatic email notifications when their case progresses through the DES process.We have heard from our service members that this is a source of frustration for them, said Guy Palumbo, the Air Force Physical Disability division chief. In response to that, we have improved the process to better serve those who use it.There are four main phases under DES: the Medical Evaluation Board, the Physical Evaluation Board, the transition and the reintegration. The email notification process begins when the Airmans disability case is submitted to AFPC Physical Disability Operations.The notification emails, sent through myPers to each Airman processing through the DES, further explain each particular step in the PEB process.Were excited to be able to provide this service, said Gene Dwiggins, the Disability Operations branch chief. We are committed to ensuring our Airmen and their families receive the support they deserve during their service and when they separate.For more information about Air Force personnel programs, visit myPers . Individuals who do not have a myPers account can request one by following the instructions on the Air Force Retiree Services website
Deployed brother, sister reunite after 10 years apart

U.S. service members ordinarily have to say goodbye to family as they head out for deployments, but one deployment brought a brother and sister together after 10 years of separation.



Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mary Jane Palumbo and her brother, Army Staff Sgt. Quincy Mora, were able to meet outside a military air terminal in Southwest Asia for a couple of hours as he forward deployed closer to the fight.



Both brother and sister are currently deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.



Palumbo, a 134th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron aviation resource manager, last saw her brother when he was on his way home from his first tour in Iraq. She was vacationing in Hawaii when he stopped for a layover en route to their hometown of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.



Palumbo and Mora, an AH-64 Apache mechanic deployed from Fort Lewis, Washington, were born and raised in the Federated States of Micronesia along with their nine other brothers and sisters.



The family was big, but they were close, according to Palumbo. They all lived in one house with her grandmother growing up, and although there were separate rooms for the adults, the children would spread out in the living room with sheets and blankets at night.



For most Americans when youre 18, youre an adult, you move out, she said. For us it doesnt matter. We can still live together even if you are married with kids; we still are really close.



Growing up in such a close family added to the difficulty of leaving for basic training, but Palumbo said she wanted to test herself and see if she could succeed in the military.



That is why she joined the Army directly after high school.



Although it was hard to leave her family, she said it was an exciting new experience. It wasnt until she decided to start a family of her own that she knew she had to make a change.



I had my oldest son and I didnt really want to move around that much with the baby so that is why I got out [of the active duty military], Palumbo said. Then I moved to Vermont and thats when I joined the Vermont Air National Guard.



The ANG gave Palumbo the stability she felt she needed to raise a family and the kind of support structure she had growing up in Pohnpei.



The Guard, they take care of you and your family, she said.



Even though she decided to plant new roots in Vermont, Palumbo said keeping in touch with her extended family is important to her.



That is why she called up her brother last summer to make plans to meet for Christmas. Unfortunately, he was tasked to deploy.



It was not until November 2015, when Palumbo herself was tasked for deployment that she realized this set of unlikely circumstances was destined to reunite brother and sister after 10 years apart.
The university vigorously supports the right of its faculty members and students to freely express their opinions in the course of academic debate and discussion. In this vein, we recognize Professor Ciccariello-Maher's tweets as protected speech.

Violence is a cleansing force. It frees the native from his inferiority complex and from his despair and inaction; it makes him fearless and restores his self-respect.

When Drexel University political science professor George Ciccariello-Maher tweeted "All I want for Christmas is white genocide" on Christmas Eve, he handed the Philadelphia school an opportunity to play an integral role in our national intellectual dialogue. Drexel could have helped to clarify an important academic freedom issue and, in doing so, earned a reputation for upholding standards.Instead, the university is showing itself to be just one more academic dinosaur, joined at the hip to modern academia's failing radicalism and afraid of its own faculty.When the inevitable firestorm of disapproval from the first tweet arose, Ciccariello-Maher doubled down with a second tweet: "To clarify: when the whites were massacred during the Haitian Revolution, that was a good thing indeed."Initially, Drexel's leadership seemed appalled, declaring But the possibility that university officials would take the lead nationally in dealing with radicalized professors ended with a second statement Drexel suggests that protecting academic freedom is the main justification for letting Ciccariello-Maher escape serious punishment. A secondary justification, offered by the professor, is that the tweets are not really a call for white genocide, but sarcasm toward a paranoid strain of right-wing thought that fears potential ethnic cleansing of European Americans.White genocide, Ciccariello-Maher claims, only exists as a fearful fantasy in the fevered swamps inhabited by white nationalists . And therefore, since his sarcasm was directed at political extremists fearing imaginary bogeymen, it was really not beyond the pale of decency and morality. But his explanation is clearly disingenuous, for his second tweet refers to an actual white genocide that occurred in Haiti in 1804-not a hypothetical invention.In that light, his excuse appears to be nothing more than an embellishment concocted to avoid punishment. Or perhaps he believed it offered a rhetorical "sweet spot" from which he could simultaneously elevate his reputation among academia's growing radical anti-white contingent and avoid any blowback from the reasonable majority in the rest of society.At any rate, this was not an isolated incident for Ciccariello-Maher, who has long demonstrated a fascination with the subject in his scholarship. For example, in his article "' So Much the Worse for Whites': Dialectics of the Haitian Revolution ," he rejects one revolutionary leader's moderation (Toussaint L'Overture) for the more extreme actions of another (Jean-Jacques Dessalines). In doing so, as Blake Neff explained in this Daily Caller article,Nor is that article the only indication that Ciccariello-Maher's interest in white genocide is neither incidental nor comedic. His curriculum vitae reveals that the French-Caribbean anti-colonialist writer Frantz Fanon is a key influence on his scholarship. This is hardly irrelevant: Fanon aggressively promoted anti-white violence. One of his most famous quotations is:Black Panther leader Eldridge Cleaver, who fled the country in 1968 to avoid prosecution for wounding two Oakland police officers in an ambush, wrote that "every brother on a rooftop can quote Fanon." Cleaver was referring to black rioters taking to rooftops to shoot police.And white genocide is not a thing of the past. Ethnic cleansing of whites occurs today in much of Africa -perhaps not always as official policy but with governments looking the other way.In light of the real-world situation, influences such as Fanon, and scholarship such as "'So Much the Worse for Whites,'" Ciccariello-Maher's claim that his tweets were sarcastic and benign falls apart. Academia's increasing anti-white sentiment is starting to resemble anti-Semitic rhetoric that percolated through Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. And Ciccariello-Maher obviously identifies with and panders to those who voice animosity toward whites.Without Ciccariello-Maher's sarcasm defense, academic freedom protection for his tweets rests on a less stable foundation. There is a long tradition in such cases of questioning the professor's "fitness" to teach, with a considerable record of academic freedom legal cases to provide guidance. Calling for genocide of an entire race would certainly raise the question whether Ciccariello-Maher should be in a position of influence with young people.Ciccariello-Maher's tweets are an example of "extramural" commentary, which deals with issues beyond the campus; such commentary has broad-but not infinite-academic freedom protection. His tweets may also be classified as an attack on a broad grouping of people. Several recent high-profile cases involving this type of extramural comment, though not directly relevant to the Drexel controversy, may help to provide clarity.The University of Illinois's conflict with Steven Salaita's offensive tweets about Jews , for which the University of Illinois rescinded his job offer, is one.However, Ciccariello-Maher is a tenured assistant professor who has worked at Drexel for years. Salaita, on the other hand, was not fully through the school's hiring process; therefore academic freedom was not yet applicable.Another related case is that of outspoken Holocaust denier Arthur Butz at Northwestern. Many at his school and elsewhere have called for his removal. Northwestern rejected that course of action, citing Butz's academic right to espouse unpopular opinions. A key reason for protecting Butz's bogus scholarship is that he is an electrical engineering professor who scrupulously refrains from discussing his historical theories in class.Ciccariello-Maher, on the other hand, is a political science professor; it would appear that, given his extremist perspective and lack of intellectual restraint, he is quite likely to bring his opinions into the classroom.More important in regards to Ciccariello-Maher's tweets are two cases that occurred in the early 1990s at the City University of New York. The first was Levin v. Harleston in 1991, in which professor Michael Levin publicly noted that average white IQs were much higher than those of blacks. The second was Jeffries v. Harleston in 1993; professor Leonard Jeffries gave a speech in which he described whites in demeaning ways, calling them "ice people" and suggesting they were intrinsically "egotistic, individualistic, and exploitative." Both taught humanities, so there was some concern that their controversial opinions could make their way into their teaching.Levin won his case; an important factor was that his theories on IQ were supported by an overwhelming preponderance of empirical evidence. Jeffries, on the other hand, was essentially spouting pure conjecture; the court decided against him and he was given minor punishments (although not fired).Jeffries v. Harleston most closely resembles the situation at Drexel, with one small but important difference. That is, Jeffries made unfactual and unscholarly claims, whereas Ciccariello-Maher prescribed a disturbing course of action. Still, it appears that Drexel has at least as strong a case for punishing Ciccariello-Maher as CUNY had with Jeffries, and possibly stronger.If Drexel were to act against Ciccariello-Maher, Ciccariello-Maher would likely sue. That would not necessarily be bad for Drexel; although there would initially be legal fees and perhaps a settlement, it would position Drexel as a common sense university that does not permit unfit individuals to teach. Not pursuing disciplinary action, or even termination, against Ciccariello-Maher may result in a drop in donations from angry alumni, whereas showing that the university maintains high standards could bring in more students and gifts.More important for academia as a whole, a court case would help clarify a lack of fitness in this particular situation; hopefully, it would build upon Jeffries v. Harleston and give schools a powerful tool for dealing with professors who lack the judgment to be educators.For the fitness question is the basis for an extremely important standard. Academia greatly influences the nation's intellectual and political life, deciding which ideas to teach to new generations of leaders, educators, and professionals. And individual academics are central to forming the consensus of ideas by participating in curricular and personnel decisions; their opinions matter.If Ciccariello-Maher does not define a lack of fitness, then who does? Would a professor who tweeted "All I want for Christmas is black (or Jewish) genocide" receive such blanket protection by Drexel or any other university? Would somebody in another position of influence-a member of the media, a politician, or a corporate leader-receive a pass for such a statement?It appears, sadly, that the Drexel administration is unable to grasp that academic freedom is not infinite license, and that it has a right-and responsibility-to demand appropriate conduct from the faculty. A great opportunity lost.
The U.S. Air Force is sitting at a nexus in which the world is becoming increasingly dangerous and complex, and our nation is asking us to do things that keep us busier now than ever before, yet we have fewer people now than at any point in our historyjust over a third of what we had in the 1950s!



To meet these challenges, American military leaders and members must become more willing to question the status quo, speak out, and accept that smart risk taking is inseparable from effective leadership in such a dynamic environment. Air University (AU) strives in every waywith its faculty and staff, education programs, labs, and infrastructureto produce the innovative and outspoken Airmen needed to meet the security challenges of today and the future.



Innovation and calculated risk taking are the Air Forces birthright. We can trace our lineage directly back to the Wright brothers when they brought together inspiration, education, innovation and perspiration to build a flying machine that blasted the world asunder, changing the course of human history forever. AUs headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, is situated on the very ground where these two brothers opened Americas first civilian flying school. Today, AU continues to emulate their inventive spirit, while also taking cues from several exemplar Airmen whose innovativeness, risk taking and outspokenness in their times were crucial to meeting our nations emerging challenges.



One such Airman is former General of the Air Force Henry Hap Arnold, who brought courage, vision and the importance of networking to create a mighty Air Force from the humble collection of Wright flyers that he had flown in 1911, with the Wrights as his instructors. He immediately became an instructor for other military flyers at the Signal Corps aviation school, underscoring the important role that teaching has always had in an Airmans development. Soon, he ascended to positions in which he cooperated with civilian industry and research institutions to build the forces and infrastructure that would later dominate the skies over Europe and the Pacific during World War II.



Arnold had a talent for understanding and articulating the crucial systemic connections between numerous organizations and fields, providing visionary statements  as revealed in numerous historic written documents preserved here at Maxwell AFB  that are as relevant today as when he first penned them. Above all, however, he had the ability to find and promote talent, mentoring and placing the best future leaders in the key developmental positions they needed to grow into the vanguard of a force that would fly, fight, and win against Americas adversaries.



In 1918, Gen. William Billy Mitchell orchestrated the first large-scale coalition air operation in support of the St. Mihiel Offensive. It validated much of his thinking on airpower employment. In the 1920s, Mitchell was an outspoken advocate for the offensive capabilities of airpower in war. He developed concepts for aerial attacks against ships that eventually spurred the U.S. Navy to develop its carrier-aviation capabilities that would prove decisive in the Pacific theater during WWII. While often controversial, Mitchell was courageous in capturing, sharing and even testing his cutting-edge concepts for air operations. He put himself and his reputation on the line time and again to push the critical innovations he envisioned in detail before others could even imagine the potential of airpower. One of his most revolutionary innovations  one that is clearly evident today  is our independent Air Force.



During WWII, Army Air Forces Lt. Col. James Jimmy Doolittle developed the ideas and plan for Americas first offensive strike against the Japanese homeland in April 1942, just four months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. A daredevil pilot in his youth, Doolittle matured as a test pilot and innovator through personal courage, perseverance, a tremendous level of curiosity and dedication to education, culminating with his earning a doctorate in aeronautical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1923. Doolittle matched courage with calculation, achieving many significant advances in aviation techniques and technology during the interwar years.



When an imaginative submariner, Navy Capt. Francis Low, asked Arnold if long-range bombers could possibly be flown from U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, the chief of the Army Air Forces knew exactly who to call. It wasnt a crazy idea. On the contrary, it was brilliant  and it was exactly the kind of military option that President Franklin Roosevelt desperately needed in the wake of Pearl Harbor and numerous subsequent U.S. reverses in the Pacific. Still, Arnold knew that only one Airman had the intellectual agility to figure out how this might be effected and the energy and perseverance to bring the idea to reality, and that was Doolittle.



The daring Doolittle Raid caught the Japanese completely by surprise and gave the Allies their first taste of victory. It also caused the Japanese people to begin questioning their own military leaders assurance of invincibility. This was because prior to Doolittles success, everyone who knew anything about airpower simply concluded it could not be done!



So, what can we learn from these giants of Air Force history? First, they recognized that what had worked in the past was no longer sufficient to meet current needs. They also understood that things would only get worse unless they took positive action immediately.



They cultivated technical expertise and professional instinct to gain a deep understanding of the potential of airpower, and then harnessed their personal and professional networks to build support for and test their ideas. If the officials they needed to approve their ideas were not open-minded enough to give serious consideration to their innovations, they found other ways to overcome the inevitable bureaucratic barriers to progress. These pioneers understood that an acceptance of personal risk  whether it be physical, professional or social, with the latter often requiring the most personal courage  was necessary to generate the capabilities, processes, techniques, and ultimately the changes in culture that new strategic realities required.



At AU, our most significant challenge is providing the education and connections that will help todays Airmen adapt to challenge and change in our own times, with the specific purpose of protecting our nation and our friends with the strongest and most capable Air Force this world has ever seen. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein has offered his full support as we transform our organizations, methods and infrastructure to adapt to contemporary and emerging challenges. Were enhancing our in-residence and distance-learning offerings and creating environments for enhanced personal and virtual collaboration. All of these will help our Airmen, sister-service, civilian and coalition partners master their subjects, explore new ideas together and reach their full potential as continually connected lifelong learners and innovators. In addition, they can always turn back to their alma mater for assistance and insight as they rise up to assume the mantle of responsibility formerly held by the very Airmen who created the legacy we seek to preserve.



This is a journey, not a destination. AU will have to continually adapt. In the last year, we have taken steps to make our professional military education more relevant for the problems of the day. We have changed our curriculum, so that it is helping our students understand the geopolitical environment, understand humanity and understand technology. It will make our Airmen better problem-solvers, better strategic thinkers and better critical thinkers as they solve the very challenging and complex problems that face our Air Force, our U.S. military, and our nation.



America was built by people who questioned the status quo and believed that there was always a better way. Simply by leveraging the incredible wealth of our lands and oceans, and the even more incredible richness of our diverse national melting pot of ideas and culture, they understood they could create the innovations to change and even amaze the entire world. In this critically important inflection point in air, space, and cyberspace history, we must capitalize on these unique strengths. AU is committed to training professional Airmen so they can grow and become the Mitchells, Doolittles and Arnolds of tomorrow. They are taking our courses, thinking and writing about the problems that have bedeviled them in their operations, and ultimately solving those problems. They are our faculty members, returning to the operational force with a wealth of professional knowledge that has been refined by the immersive leadership laboratory of teaching. And they are in our labs, engineering and testing the technologies that will take us to even greater heights in the future. AU is at the forefront of innovation, preparing today for tomorrows Air Force  and were only getting started.
Reservist journeys from first sergeant to flight nurse

After 22-years of service, most people start thinking about retirement well, not everyone.



In a somewhat unusual move, 1st Lt. Julia Lesage, a former first sergeant, decided after more than two decades in the Air Force to hang up her stripes and pursue a commission to become a flight nurse.



The former first sergeant with both the 315th Operations Support Squadron and 317th Airlift Squadron, credits mentorship from her past commanders for helping her to reach her goals.



I never dreamed it would be possible this late in my career, said Lesage. I have had great commanders who really pushed me to finish my bachelors degree and to apply to be a flight nurse. They were all very supportive.



After finding out she was not over the age limit, she decided to apply for a position as a flight nurse. It was not easy, but on the day I graduated, I had my diploma ready and turned in my package, she said.



Lesage laughingly said that her commissioning package was initially turned down because she had more than 18-years of service. I was very persistent and didnt give up, she said with a smirk. Once they realized what I had to offer, I was accepted.



The application process for a direct commission to become a flight nurse was just under two years for her. It was a struggle. But, I absolutely love flying and I am so glad I stuck with it, she said.



The 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron is also excited about the experience Lesage brings to the table, said Maj. Patrick Kennedy, chief of standardization and evaluation for the 315 AES. She is doing extremely well, he said. She is self-confidant and an excellent communicator.



He also added that her prior enlisted background makes her a very well rounded nurse.



Lesage has also become a mentor for others wishing to apply for a commission or to become a flight nurse.



People mentored me, and I just want to pass that along. If we keep that chain going, it makes for a much stronger force, she said. Everyone who tells me they are thinking about going to nursing school, I immediately try to help them. Its a long process, but completely worth it!



Asking, what advice she has for others thinking about seeking a commission, she stressed the importance of finding a mentor. Dont let anyone tell you no and get with someone who knows what resources are out there, she said. Use your first sergeant or commander, or they can always call me.


Pope Airmen, 82nd Airborne Division train for deployments

The 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group and 82nd Airborne Division conducted a deployment readiness exercise at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 6-11.



The exercise was designed to test Air Force and Army outload processes in order to get the 82nd ABN out the door in the event the Global Response Force is called into action.



Col. Kelly Holbert, the 43rd AMOG commander, said that unlike other exercises, which are designed to train paratroopers or aircrews, the DRE is designed to test the 43rd AMOG processes.



Normally, the primary purpose of the exercise is to support somebody else, Holbert said. This exercise is purpose-built to exercise and evaluate our outbound processes. Its about getting cargo and personnel prepped and ready, getting the paperwork right, getting the load plans right and making sure were doing things safely and on a timeline specifically to meet our global response force commitments.



Focused on the outload process, aircraft participation in the exercise was mostly notional, with two C-17 Globemaster IIIs from Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, filling the role. The outload portion, however, was played as realistically as possible, said Lt. Col. Christopher Kiser, the 43rd Operations Support Squadron commander.



We asked the Army to act as if the aircraft were actually here on the ramp, Kiser said. Bring the loads into the checkpoint. All the paperwork has to be correct. The load plans have to be correct. They have to pass our joint inspection and our Joint Airdrop Inspection. And they have to get all the way to the ready line to be called up like theyre going onto an actual aircraft. We did that so we could make sure we are testing every single process just like the aircraft are here.



Air Force joint airdrop inspectors from the 43rd OSS and 43rd Air Mobility Squadron worked with their Army partners to ensure that cargo was properly rigged to be safely dropped from Air Force aircraft according to both Army and Air Force standards.



Its Army equipment, but its going on Air Force aircraft, said Staff Sgt. Kyle Herzog, a 43rd OSS joint airdrop inspector. We both have different rules, so we have to make sure theyre all complied with and that theyre going to work together safely.



Inspectors check over every pallet and vehicle going on an aircraft to make sure that the load meets weight requirements, is secured correctly and is using the right kind of parachutes. At every step, from when its first processed at the Heavy Drop Rigging Facility by Army riggers, to the point its physically secured to the cargo deck of the aircraft, an Air Force inspector or loadmaster is checking it.



Thats because the consequences of getting a load wrong can be disastrous.



If we find a big problem when we get out to the jet, youre talking about scratching loads and stopping missions, said Staff Sgt. Casey Jackson, a 43rd OSS joint airdrop inspector. Lets say it passes all that, and it actually gets dropped. Youre talking about hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in equipment burning into the ground. It can be a tedious job, but it keeps you on your toes.



Once the loads are inspected, they are sent on to the arrival/departure airfield control group where they are inspected again and are loaded onto material handling equipment to be sent onto the flightline. They are then loaded onto Air Force aircraft where, once again, they are checked by the loadmasters.



Transloading, inspecting and transporting the equipment to the flightline falls to the aerial porters of the 43rd Air Mobility Squadron. There are about 220 porters in the 43rd AMS, making it the largest flight in the 387-member squadron.



Senior Airman Joshua Slagel, 43rd AMS joint Inspector, said the DRE is demanding.



"We have about 39 JIs working during this DRE, he said. Were working 24-hour missions, and its been very high tempo.



With the short-notice deadlines that come with supporting the GRF, the 43rd AMS commander, Lt. Col. Paul Bryant, said they need every Airman to be on their game.



Our people are under quite a few time constraints, Bryant said. We have sequences that are planned and part of the entire GRF mission that have been formulated, and we adhere to those sequences. They work 12-hour shifts, and they will work those shifts until we get that initial echelon off the ground and on its way to the next location. So our Airmen work pretty hard, but we can do it. Everyone knows their job, and we get the mission done.



Bryant said the process of getting cargo and passengers ready to fly is a joint effort, and the key to success is a close, long-term working relationship with the Army.



We are working as a joint team to ensure during the inspection process all the way through the loading of cargo and passengers that we are doing it right not just as an Air Force team, but as a joint team, he said.



Kiser said that relationship doesnt stop at the end of the exercise.



We work jointly every day, he said. After this exercise is over and these aircraft leave, were still working with the Army on a daily basis to make these processes better. Its constant. It never stops.



Army Maj. Travis Stellfox, 82nd ABN, is responsible for managing parachute operations for the 82nd ABN. He said, a good relationship with the 43rd AMOG is not only convenient, but vital.



Realistically, in my job, I couldnt do anything without the 43rd AMOG, he said. We work very closely together. Without them, theres no planes here, and without planes, there are no parachute operations. Interoperability is very important. Were in constant contact with someone from the Air Force, and its important that we keep it that way.



Holbert said, he and his Airmen embrace that close cooperation and that they are aware of the sheer importance of their role in the GRF mission. He said his Airmen are up to the task.



The GRF would be incapable of getting anywhere without the outload support from our AMOG Airmen, he said. Its an extensive process to get personnel and equipment processed, equipped, out to the aircraft, loaded and launched, and you simply cannot do that without the expertise that is found here. The ability for the Army to have global reach is absolutely facilitated by the Airmen here.



We are the first and key piece to getting that mission airborne, he added.
(This feature is part of the "" series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story.)When Capt. David was a child, his father would take him out to the flightline at Canon Air Force Base, New Mexico, and sit him in the cockpit of an F-111 Aardvark.Looking up at his dad, David would say, One day, Im going to be a pilot.Fast forward a couple of decades later, I guess I kept my word, he said, standing in the 79th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, where he serves as an F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter pilot.The road has been a long one for David, who first enlisted in the Air Force in 2004. Following in his fathers footsteps, he became an F-16 avionics specialist.Its always been my dream to be a pilot, its all Ive ever wanted to do, David said. I just took a different route than most people do.That route included going to school while working as a maintainer, through a deployment to Balad Airfield, Iraq, and temporary duties where he was often gone for three weeks out of every month.I have the best wife in the world, he said. She was stubborn for me when I didnt want to do it, she was always there pushing me, telling me that I could, telling me its going to be worth it. 'All the hard work, the sweat, the tears, one day it will all pay off and youre going to be where you want to be.David achieved his goal when he was accepted for Officer Training School and was subsequently selected for pilot training and the F-16 slot. He now flies the same airframe he was once a maintainer for.Theres always a giant support system behind anyone who gets to this point, David said.He gives the credit to his wife, children, and supervisors throughout his Air Force career, along with a little timing, luck and a lot of hard work.After years of training, David was sent to his first operational assignment as a pilot, where he headed back out to the flightline as a pilot rather than a maintainer.Having that maintenance and operations background provides that extra piece to make the cogs fit a little bit better, he said. Theyre not really all that different, to be honest. We all want the same thing, we all want to do the same thing, were all fighting in the same direction.The skills David learned as a maintainer give him increased credibility as a pilot.The guys knowledge of the airplane, is beyond some of our more seasoned pilots because hes had his hands in some places we dont even know exist inside an F-16, said Maj. Joseph, the 79th EFS director of operations.This deployment to Bagram Airfield will also be Davids first as a pilot.I always wanted to be the tip-of-the-spear kind of guy, the last link in the chain before taking care of bad guys, he said. The most rewarding part has been coming out here and being effective.When hes not deployed, David follows in his fathers footsteps again, bringing his children to the flightline at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.Seeing that pure joy and pride in their faces when I have them come out to the jet and I taxi up and hop out. There is no better feeling in the world, then seeing my kids faces light up, he said.Every generation of Davids family has served in the military since the Civil War. He is now the first member of his family to commission.Ill probably be in the Air Force until they tell me to stop coming to work, whether Im flying jets or not. Its where I want to be, David said.(Editor's note: Last names were removed due to safety and security reasons.)
Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel on Tuesday reached Gujarat after spending six months away from his home state as per the Gujarat High Courts order.

The 23-year-old leader, who had shifted base in Udaipur after high court order, left for Gujarat along with his supporters in four vehicles and reached the Gujarat border without incident, SP Udaipur Rajendra Prasad said.

A local SHO and some policemen were deployed to make sure he leaves peacefully in the morning today, he said.

Meanwhile, supporters of Hardik Patel got into a tussle with officials at Kherwada Khandri Obri toll plaza. Hardiks caravan started reaching the toll plaza around 10:30 am in the morning. Before the central part of the caravan carrying Hardik reached the plaza, a set of 15-20 vehicles of supporters reached the plaza.

On the directions of toll manager Rajesh Mishra and JP Mishra, the employees asked for toll collection from the vehicle drivers. This agitated the supporters and the atmosphere heated up.

Toll plaza manager took support of SHO Ratan Singh and ASI Mahendra Singh tried to pacify the supporters but to no avail. In the interim, the main caravan carrying Hardik reached the plaza. Hardiks colleague Ashok Patel immediately reached the plaza and took control over the situation. He said that they did not want to go against law and would be paying the toll fees as a lumpsum for all vehicles. Post this, the vehicles were counted and the payments made.
The Indo-US diplomatic crisis that erupted in 2013 with the arrest of woman diplomat Devyani Khobragade was not only a low point in ties but both sides learnt very important lessons from it, a top official of the outgoing Obama administration has said.

The diplomatic crisis that unfolded within weeks of my coming in, surely was a test for both countries. I think, not only it was a low point but more importantly it was a learning moment for both countries. We drew very very important lessons on both sides from that, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal told PTI.

Sharing some of these lessons, Biswal said first lesson learnt was that one cannot allow for or afford for complacency to creep in to a relationship, which is as important for the US-India relationship.

It requires constant attention to issues large and small. Two, you cant allow small issues to fester or go unattended. Three, you have to operate in each other countries in a way that is consistent with and in accordance with the legal and regulatory acts of that country, she said.

Khobragade, a 1999-batch IFS officer was arrested on December 12, 2013, in the US when she was Indias Deputy Consul-General in New York on visa fraud charges and for allegedly providing false declarations in a visa application for her maid. She later was released on a USD 250,000 bond. She left the US after getting full diplomatic immunity.

The incident had triggered a diplomatic row between the US and India.

What we are trying to do is to make sure that we are in compliance and two that if a problem arises that we act quickly to engage our counterparts and work through to resolve. Because when those communication streams breakdown and when we are not acting aggressively to manage these issues thats when you leave room for the crisis to escalate and to take on different order of magnitude, Biswal noted.
Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday framed charges against Indrani Mukerjea, her husband Peter Mukerjea and former husband Sanjeev Khanna in Sheena Bora murder case.

The court charged Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, and Indranis ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna with murder and criminal conspiracy.

Arguments for and against framing of charges were heard by the court of Judge HS Majahan. All the three accused pleaded not guilty and the trial in the case will begin from February 1.

All the three accused were charged under IPC sections 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 364 (kidnapping), 302 (murder), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 203 (giving false information in respect of an offence) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).

Additionally, Indrani and Sanjeev were charged under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) for plotting to kill her son and Sheenas brother Mikhail Bora.

Mikhail had earlier alleged that Indrani had spiked his drink on the same day when Sheena was killed.

The sections pertaining to forgery and Section 328 on causing grievous injury using poison were dropped by the court.

The complex web of lies and deceit came to light after police arrested Shyamvar Rai, the driver of INX Media co-founder Indrani on August 21, 2015, for illegal possession of a weapon.

The accused trio pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the matter was posted for next hearing on February 1 when the trial will start.

Special Public Prosecutor in the case, eminent criminal lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, said the minimum punishment in this case is life imprisonment and the next procedure for the prosecution would be to prove its charges against the accused.

Indrani and her ex-husband Khanna were arrested in August 2015 along with her former driver Shyamvar Rai, while Indranis present husband Peter Mukerjea was nabbed in November that year.

Indrani Mukerjea is accused of strangling Sheena in April 2012, inside a car just outside Mumbai, with help from her ex-husband and driver.

The half-burnt body was found in 2015 from the forests near Mumbai.

Days later in August that year, Indrani Mukerjea was arrested.

The lawyers of both Indrani and Peter Mukherjea have argued that none of the charges can be proved by the CBI.

Sheena was Indranis daughter from her first marriage. She also has a son Mikhail, who also accuse Indrani of trying to poison him during a visit to Mumbai.

Since her marriage with Peter, Indrani had introduced Sheena as her sister to everyone.

Both Indrani and Peter were said to be against Sheenas affair with Rahul, Peters son from an earlier marriage, and is believed to be the motive for the murder.
Chinas recent installation of weapons on artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea was very troubling, the Philippines defence minister said on Tuesday, after Manila quietly protested against Beijings activities.

The Philippine foreign ministry sent a note verbale to the Chinese embassy last month after confirming a report from the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies about Chinas arms buildup in the Spratlys.

The actions of China in militarising those disputed features are very troubling, Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement.

They do not square with the Chinese governments rhetoric that its purpose is peaceful and friendly. Lorenzana took a stronger line than Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, who refrained on Tuesday from criticising China, but said the issue had to be handled carefully and the public should know we are not sleeping on the job.

When something happens that can pose us some kind of threats to our sovereignty rights we issue a note verbale so we can talk about it and make sure it is properly addressed, he told ANC television.

With billions of dollars of potential Chinese trade and investment at stake, the Philippines has a difficult balancing act in upholding its sovereignty claims while staying on the better terms President Rodrigo Duterte has established with historic rival China.
Candidates have been asked to open a separate bank account and maintain details about the expenditure incurred by them while contesting election.

With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election just round the corner the State Election Commission (SEC) and Income Tax department are planning to keep a close watch on the money spent by candidates during polls. After the Modi government had announced the demonetisation campaign the Income Tax has been keeping close vigil on bank deposits and also has asked banks to report about suspicious transactions. Since huge cash is being distributed during polls the SEC and Income Tax department are taking steps to curb the flow of black money.

Often there have been complaints about candidates luring people by offering money and asking them to vote for their party. Every candidate is permitted to spend up to Rs 5 lakh which excludes party expenses. Moreover, they have been instructed to open a separate bank account and maintain details about the expenditure incurred by them while contesting election. The polling for 227 wards in Mumbai will be conducted in a single phase on February 21 and the results will be declared on February 23

BD Bishnoi, Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai reportedly confirmed that a separate team of IT officials has been formed to keep a tab on spendings of candidates and the party workers in their respective BMC wards.

Mumbaikars have welcomed the initiative taken by the State Election Commission and Income Tax department to monitor the money spent by candidates during the civic body polls.

As we know that candidates try to solicit votes by offering cash to voters such type of initiative will check the flow of money during election. People are already fed up of rising corruption in the country and they want development, said Ramesh Adne, a Borivali resident.

The government may have taken the right step to ban Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes to curb black money and corruption. However we also need more reforms in election and candidates should be made accountable. We need to follow transparency in governance, said Rohit Vyas an accountant working with a financial firm in Andheri.

The State Election Commission is also coordinating with the I-T department on the surveillance task. It would finalise the size of I-T team required in Mumbai and in other regions of Maharashtra, said J S Saharia, State Election Commissioner.

Banks have been asked to report about any suspicious transactions pertaining to lumpsum money being debited or credited within a short span of time. Such type of information must be reported to Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), SEC, Income Tax department, Superintendent of Police and District Collector. Political parties and candidates will have to file a consolidated banking transaction report to the poll officials within a month after election.
Speaking at the inauguration of the second Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that in May 2014, the people of India had ushered in a new normal by voting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power in a landslide.

My fellow Indians spoke in one voice to entrust my government with the mandate of change, the PM said.

Stressing that the world needs India to rise as much as India needs the world, Modi said our desire to change the country has an indivisible link with the external world.

For multiple reasons, and at multiple levels world is growing through profound changes. Non-state actors are significant contributors to the spread of challenges we face, the PM asserted in a reference to Pakistan-based terrorism affecting India.

He said that a thriving, well connected and integrated neighbourhood was the dream he wished to realise.

I had also travelled to Lahore, but India cannot walk the path of peace alone, Modi said hinting at Pakistans unwillingness to respond to his overtures for peace.

My vision for our neighbourhood led me to invite leaders of all SAARC neighbours including Pakistan for my swearing in. But Pakistan must walk away from the path of terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India, the PM said.

The 66-year-old PM said that countries must show respect for each others core concerns for the relationship to be managed properly. In this regard, he said he had engaged with US President-elect Donald Trump and agreed to keep on building the gains made in the Indo-US strategic partnership.

On Russia, which some people feel has moved away from India due to its increasing closeness with the United States, Modi said Russia is an abiding friend. President Putin and I have held long conversations.

Stressing that the world was a multi-polar place today, far removed from its bi-polar nature of the Cold War times, Modi said people of India need to guard against any inclination that promotes exclusion, specially in Asia, which also has many power centres.
This is fascinating because it's really a replay of what the media did with Kennedy's book BEFORE it was published.

Pharma's minions in the press have to discredit President-elect Trump's Vaccine Safety panel BEFORE they ever get started. They have to line up EVERYONE in the medical community against the idea of a panel on vaccine safety. They have to tie Kennedy and Trump to Wakefield, the doctor who was found guilty of fraud. These people are "anti-vaccine" and dangerous. They believe in a wild conspiracy theory.

They also have to warn us about how all the science is in, and anyone who raises questions will cause parents not to vaccinate and children will die. Anti-vaxxers are responsible for disease outbreaks.

STORY AFTER STORY AFTER STORY ARE DOING EXACTLY THAT ON GOOGLE NEWS. Newsday is especially sloppy here since twice they claim that Kennedy's focus is on the MMR and mercury.

This kind of coverage will only work on people who don't understand the scope of this issue and how much fraud and corruption is out there. I actually think the crimes perpetrated on our children are so vast and involve so many different players that if I didn't know better, I'd say we're all crazy. As one news editor told me years ago, "You're talking about a conspiracy involving the medical community, the government and the vaccine makers. There is just too much oversight for that to ever happen."

Someone should explain how come every major media outlet in the country has the exact same spin on Trump's appointment.

Donald Trump and the anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorists

(THE TITLE TELLS US KENNEDY IS BOTH ANTI-VACCINE AND A BELIEVER IN CONSPIRACIES.)

By Laurie Garrett,

(SAY THAT CHILDREN COULD DIE.)

Things are getting down and dirty now. And millions of lives are at stake. I cannot possibly state strongly enough how dangerous it is that President-elect Donald Trump has embraced the notion that vaccination is the cause of autism.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2017 - As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on Friday, the Senate will vet his nominees to run the EPA and other departments important to agriculture.

EPA pick Scott Pruitt, the attorney general of Oklahoma, will have his confirmation hearing on Wednesday before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The Senate also will hold hearings for Trumps pick to run the Interior Department, Rep. Ryan Zinke, as well as the billionaire tapped to lead administration trade policy, Commerce nominee Wilbur Ross.

Farmers and ranchers, meanwhile, continue to wait for Trump to nominate his secretary of agriculture. Trump spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters Friday morning that a nominee would be named some time soon. On Fox News Sunday, Vice President-elect Mike Pence didnt address the USDA vacancy directly but said Trump would probably finish making all his cabinet nominations by Friday.

On Friday morning, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced via a blog post an email to staff that he was leaving office a week early. Michael Scuse, the undersecretary for farm and foreign agricultural services, is now serving as acting secretary.

Even if Vilsacks successor is announced this week, given the time it takes for paperwork and the Senate confirmation process USDA will be without a full-time nominee for some time.

Trump will be sworn in at noon Friday as the 45th president.

Pruitt is likely to receive the tough questioning from Democrats on climate change and on his actions as state attorney general. Reports this weekend by the Environmental Working Group and the New York Times on his Oklahoma record highlighted his refusal to pursue his predecessors federal lawsuit against the poultry industry over pollution in a northeastern Oklahoma river.

I suspect there will be some very forceful questioning, Environment and Public Works Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said of Pruitts hearing. I expect him to do very well.

Pruitt has already won over at least one Democrat, Joe Manchin of West Virginia. After a meeting with Pruitt, Manchin issued a statement saying he has the right experience for the position and look forward to his confirmation process.

Meanwhile, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said she had a solid discussion with Pruitt on a true all-of-the-above energy strategy. They also addressed the unrealistic waters of the United States rule, she said.

A coalition of conservative groups last week wrote a defense of Pruitt, saying he had been a stalwart defender against federal intrusion into state and individual rights.

Zinke, the Interior nominee, will have his confirmation hearing on Tuesday afternoon before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Zinke also is a critical piece of Trumps pledge to ramp up fossil fuel production because of the departments vast land holdings as well as because of the Fish and Wildlife Service, which enforces the Endangered Species Act.

Opposition to Zinke has been muted in part because he has generally resisted turning federal lands over to states and local governments, a position that has won him plaudits from wildlife conservationists. Hes also considered an avid outdoorsman.

Trade will be an issue as Trumps nominee for Commerce, billionaire Wilbur Ross, goes before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, also on Wednesday. Trump transition spokesman have said that Ross will take the lead in implementing Trumps trade policy, which will include an emphasis on taking enforcement actions against China and renegotiating the North American Free-Trade Agreement.

Ross is expected to be questioned about NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership at the hearing.

Trumps Energy nominee, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and his pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., also have confirmation hearings on Wednesday.

Heres a list of agriculture- or rural-related events scheduled for this week in Washington and elsewhere:

Monday, Jan. 16

Federal holiday.

Tuesday, Jan. 17

2:15 p.m. - Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee holds confirmation hearing for Ryan Zinke to be secretary of the interior, 366 Dirksen.

Wednesday, Jan. 18

10 a.m. - Senate Environment and Public Works Committee holds confirmation hearing for Scott Pruitt to be EPA administrator, 406 Dirksen. 406 Dirksen.

10 a.m. - Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee holds confirmation hearing for Wilbur Ross to be secretary of commerce, G50 Dirksen.

10 a.m. - Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee holds confirmation hearing for Tom Price to be secretary of health and human services, 430 Dirksen.

Thursday, Jan. 19

9 a.m. - Senate Energy and Natural Resources holds confirmation hearing for Rick Perry to be secretary of energy, 366 Dirksen.

Trump speaks at the Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration, Lincoln Memorial.

Friday, Jan. 20

Noon - Donald J. Trump is sworn in as president of the United States.

#30

For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com
France, Burkina Faso enter agreement for the Development and Structuring of the Soybean Sector

The Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources for Burkina Faso, represented by Mr. Jacob OUEDRAOGO, Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources,

AGROPOL, the interprofessional association responsible for international cooperation and development in the French vegetable oils and proteins sector, represented by its President, Mr. Gerard Tubery,

and FONDATION AVRIL, recognized as a public utility and represented by its President, Mr. Philippe TILLOUS-BORDE,

have announced their signature of an agreement on developing and structuring the soybean sector in Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso's Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources has ranked development of the soybean sector as one of its national priorities. The aim is to be able to respond to growing nutritional needs on the national market for vegetable oils and proteins to be used for human foods and animal feeds. This plan is also intended to drive the sustainable economic development of the country, which can be achieved by adapting its agriculture to numerous challenges, and notably:

 Producing healthy and sustainable foods;

 Improving the income of producers in the context of family farming;

 Contributing to the development of sustainable, small-scale and agri-industrial activities in different regions;

 Promoting practices that are environmentally-friendly.

This protocol forms part of a global ambition to achieve an annual production of 100,000 metric tons of soybean grain in Burkina Faso. This is based on the following strategic areas:

 Promoting the soybean cultivation by improving productivity and yields through structuring of the sector and an increase in local production;

 Fostering the emergence of one or more leaders in soybean processing, which will drive growth throughout the sector through contractual arrangements and the purchase of increasing production volumes;

 Helping to improve the structure soybean producer organizations in order to ensure economic independence and the emergence of their representativeness;

 Setting up an association to group all economic actors in the sector in order to develop an upstream-downstream contractual framework, and to design a development strategy and associated action plans for the sector;

 Fostering the creation of a development fund to cover the costs of action programs and a soybean guarantee fund designed to assist industrial and marketing structures in the sector in obtaining seasonal credits.

Minister Jacob OUEDRAOGO expressed his satisfaction to see his country benefit from the expertise of the French vegetable oils and proteins sector as well as the will of the government of Burkina Faso to play its part to involve financing institutions, public utility organizations such as FONDATION AVRIL and international organizations able to accompany the development of this strategic sector. "Only one hand would not be enough to pick up the flour; in other words, sustainable development cannot be achieved alone," he said.

About AGROPOL and FONDATION AVRIL:

AGROPOL is an association made up of French oilseed and protein crop producers (FOP), their interprofessional organization (Terres Univia), the technical center for the sector (Terres Inovia),

Avril Group, CIRAD, ITERG, the French Association of Oilseed Growers (ANAMSO) and the French Seed Association (UFS).

Founded in 1982, AGROPOL supports the emergence and development in southern countries of oilseed and protein sectors, based on efficient family farming within an interprofessional consultative framework.

Through its ability to mobilize the expertise of its members and networks, AGROPOL has been carrying out missions focused on production, processing and sectoral organization for more than 30 years.

Convinced of the validity of an agricultural development approach based on dynamic and sustainable family farming, organized into different sectors, the FAO signed a partnership agreement with AGROPOL in 2012, designed to share experience in the French oilseed sector.

Since 2010, AGROPOL has been working in Burkina Faso in close collaboration with producers, their organizations and the country's public and private development agencies involved in this sector.

FONDATION AVRIL is recognized as a public utility. In France, its mission is to foster the development of rural areas and to promote healthy and sustainable foods for all. In Africa, it aims to improve the resilience of family farming by integrating the effects of global warming.

At the end of 2016, FONDATION AVRIL signed a scientific partnership agreement with CIRAD concerning West Africa, the aim being to develop varietal selections and cropping systems that will be more resilient under environmental constraints such as mineral deficiencies and water stresses in dry and sub-humid regions. In Burkina Faso, the objective of this partnership, working with INERA (Environmental Institute for Agricultural Research), is to breed and exploit the diversity of cowpea and sorghum varieties.

FONDATION AVRIL's commitment focuses on two main challenges:

 The food independence of Africa, to which development and structuring of the soybean sector in Burkina Faso will contribute by helping to meet the protein needs of its populations;

 Controlling the impacts of global warming, which the signatories will support through the development of agroecological agricultural production facilitated by the cultivation of soybean, a legume which benefits from the important property of fixing nitrogen in the soil.

www.fondationavril.org




Backers of local option taxing authority for local governments said Monday theyre joining with the Montana Infrastructure Coalition to push for a bill in Helena.

Members of Authorize Community Transformation, formed by the Billings Chamber of Commerce, said that they want to present a united front to lawmakers on the local option authority.

The proposal would expand the definition of the resort tax, lifting the population cap to allow larger cities the option to levy a sales tax on some goods to pay for certain projects.

Were both working toward the same goals of passing the local option (authority), said Dan Brooks, the Billings Chambers government affairs manager.

The Montana Infrastructure Coalition represents local governments and other groups seeking money to upgrade aging roads, bridges, water and sewer systems and other public works.

Darryl James, the groups director, said Monday the coalition has been discussing the issue for more than a year. The group agreed to incorporate a piece from the chamber allowing cities to earmark money generated from the tax for specific projects, he said.

The bill also includes a mandatory sunset for the tax, which would be no more than 4 percent, and a mandate for property tax relief, James said. It would also grant cities only the authority to ask voters for the tax, he added.

Theres no question that raising taxes at any time is not an attractive discussion. For the Legislature were not asking them to raise taxes on anybody. Were asking them to allow local (communities) to have that discussion on their own, James said.

Brooks and James said the group has not found a sponsor but is meeting with senators in both parties. They declined to identify specific lawmakers.

Rep. Frank Garner, R-Kalispell, will sponsor one of the coalitions proposals to raise the states gas tax to pay for public works projects. Another measure in the coalitions package would increase bonding authority within the states coal tax trust fund for public projects.

Two years ago, the chamber also identified local option tax authority as its top priority but failed to find a sponsor for any legislation. The issue has come up in Helena many times over the years but failed to gain much traction, largely opposed by rural lawmakers.

The Montana Infrastructure Coalition was in Billings last week, touting a new report stating the costs for motorists and others of crumbling infrastructure.
After being ordered to pay more than $2.7 million to police officers in back pay, wages and other costs, the city of Billings has filed an appeal to the Montana Supreme Court.

The city's appeal, filed Monday, said there are inconsistencies in how the court determined damages in the case. The city is asking the Supreme Court to instruct Park County District Court Judge Brenda Gilbert to dismiss the case.

If not a dismissal, the city at least wants the court to examine the amount awarded in the case.

The lawsuit was filed in 2009 by retired officer Ernie Watters. Watters' original claim was that Billings underpaid its officers in wages, overtime and retirement contributions. The city did this by determining longevity pay off the base pay of a first-year officer, rather than off the salaries of individual officers, according to Watters' lawsuit.

The argument later focused on whether the city should have determined longevity based on the number of completed years by a police officer or total years of service. So, if an officer was in his 11th year of service, the longevity pay would be paid based on the 10 years he had completed.

This was the agreement made between the city and the Billings police union, the Montana Public Employees Association, according to the city's appeal.

Union representatives who negotiated the contracts of the officers between 2003 and 2009 agree with the city's position in the lawsuit. The union is not a party in the suit, according to the city's appeal.

The judgement in the case also allowed Watters and his fellow officers to collect wages going back eight years because the court viewed the underpayment as a breach of contract. Instead, the city wants the officers to be able to reach back only two to three years, based off the Montana Wage Protection Act, according to the appeal.

The court also calculated damages based off of underpayment of retirement contributions, which are paid into the Montana Retirement System by both the city and the state. The city should not have to pay damages for this money since it would be paying for a portion that should be paid by the state and because the money goes into the retirement system, not straight to the officers, according to the appeal.

Since the first filing, at least 37 officers joined the suit. In the city's appeal, it argues Gilbert should have excluded some of those officers.

The city also disagrees with the 110 percent penalty calculated by the court.

"They city did not refuse to pay longevity," according to the appeal. "At worst, it didn't pay at the level the plaintiffs claim is appropriate, an innocent mistake."

The law firm Bishop and Heenan as well as attorney Lawrence Anderson are representing Watters in the lawsuit. They must respond to the city's appeal by Feb. 15.

Billings hired the law firm of Moulton Bellingham and attorney James Goetz to represent it in the appeal.

The City Council voted to appeal the lawsuit in September.

Ernie Watters is married to U.S. District Judge Susan Watters, who was a Yellowstone County District Judge at the time the lawsuit was filed.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 62F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 62F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Confirmation proceedings for Interior secretary nominee Ryan Zinke begin Tuesday morning with the Montana congressman saying he will partner with local governments, repair national parks and allow federal employees to champion public views.

Zinke, a Republican, outlined three goals in his opening statement to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. His first was to restore trust by working with, rather than against, local communities and states.

I fully recognize that there is distrust, anger and even hatred against some federal management policies, Zinke said in opening remarks released Tuesday morning. Being a listening advocate rather than a deaf adversary is a good start.

Prioritizing the estimated $12.5 billion in backlogged maintenance at U.S. national parks was the second goal Zinke cited. He said President-elect Donald Trump is committed to a jobs and infrastructure bill, which Zinke said should include national parks. He asked senators to help make national parks a priority.

Finally, Zinke said he would ensure that Department of Interior employees working directly with the public were empowered to give a voice to those with whom they worked. Those employees at the ground level should have the flexibly to make decisions, he said.

Much of what Zinke said reflected his objectives in the U.S. House, including a stronger federal commitment to national parks and more input from local governments, states and tribes on how neighboring federal lands should be managed. The latter objective has drawn criticism from Democrats who say such input gives non-federal governments too much say in public management.

Earlier in the month, Zinke drew fire from Democrats for voting for a House rule critics say would make it easier to transfer federal lands to states, tribes and local governments.

Montana U.S. Sens. Democrat Jon Tester and Republican Steve Daines will together introduce Zinke at the beginning of the hearing.

Both Daines, who is also a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee member, and Tester met with Zinke privately ahead of the confirmation.

If confirmed, Zinke would be Montanas first presidential cabinet member. Donald Trump nominated Zinke for the post in mid-December.

Zinkes opening statement follows:

Congressman Ryan Zinke

Before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

January 17, 2017

"Thank you Madam Chairman, Ranking Member Cantwell, and members of the Committee. Thank you also Montana Senators Tester and Daines for your kind remarks, leadership, and continued service on behalf of the Treasure State and our great nation. It is an honor to appear before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Before I begin my remarks, I would like to recognize the members of my family who have joined me today. My wife, Lolita, who is a member of President-elects National Hispanic Advisory Council; my daughter, Jennifer, and her husband, Jack; and my two granddaughters, Matilda and Charlotte. I told my daughter two things: Dont join the Navy and dont marry a Navy SEAL. I am proud to say that she ignored my advice, was a Navy diver and married a Navy SEAL. I am very proud of her. My sons Wolfgang and Konrad have returned to school and I hope are studying today.

As a son of a plumber and a kid who grew up in a small timber and railroad town next to Glacier National Park in Montana, I am humbled to be before you as the President-elects designee for Secretary of the Interior. I am also humbled because of the great responsibility the position holds to be the steward of majestic public lands, the champion of our great Indian nations, and the manager and voice of our diverse wildlife.

Upfront, I am an unapologetic admirer of Teddy Roosevelt and believe he had it right when he placed under federal protection millions of acres of federal lands and set aside much of it as national forests. Today, much of those lands provide Americans the opportunity to hike, fish, camp, recreate and enjoy the great outdoors. It was on those lands that my father taught me to fish and hunt and the Boy Scouts taught me the principles of environmental stewardship and the importance of public access. It is also these lands that many communities, like the town I grew up in, rely on to harvest timber, mine, and to provide our nation with energy. Without question, our public lands are Americas treasure and are rich in diversity. I fully recognize and appreciate that there are lands that deserve special recognition and are better managed under the John Muir model of wilderness, where man is more of an observer than an active participant. I also recognize that the preponderance of our federal holdings are better suited to be managed under the Pinchot model of multiple use using best practices, sustainable policies and objective science.

During the recent centennial of our National Park Service, I found myself at the ceremony at Yellowstone National Park, our first National Park established by Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. As I enjoyed the celebration under the famous Roosevelt arch, I could not help but notice the words etched in the stone at the top of the arch For the benefit and enjoyment of the people. And, on the side of the right pillar was a plaque with the words Created by Act of Congress. I thought, What a perfect symbol of what our land policy in a nation as great as ours should be."

The lesson here is this: It takes both sides to create an arch that serves a higher purpose and that higher purpose is best achieved through the approval and consent of Congress. In a nutshell, that is my commitment to you. If confirmed, I will work with each of you to ensure the use of our public lands reflects higher purpose so that our childrens children can look back and say, We did it right.

I have met with almost every member of the committee and understand that each state is different, and you have different priorities and issues. I am confident we can work together to get the job done.

When asked about what my goals might be, I would say there are three immediate tasks.

The first is to restore trust by working with rather than against local communities and states. I fully recognize that there is distrust, anger, and even hatred against some federal management policies. Being a listening advocate rather than a deaf adversary is a good start.

Second is to prioritize the estimated $12.5 billion in backlog of maintenance and repair in our national parks. The President elect is committed to a jobs and infrastructure bill, and I am going to need your help in making sure that bill includes shoring up our nation's treasures.

And third, to ensure the professionals on the front line, our rangers and field managers, have the right tools, right resources, and flexibility to make the right decisions that give a voice to the people they serve.

As a former Montana state senator and current Congressman, I have learned a lot since I was a SEAL in the deserts of Iraq. To accomplish my mission as secretary of Interior, I know that I am going to need your help, confidence, and perhaps even prayers. I look forward to answering your questions and, if confirmed, representing the interests of our great nation and giving a voice to all Americans, to include our great Indian nations, on how we manage and sustain our public lands and treasures they contain.

Madam Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear before the Committee today, and I look forward to your questions."
ISIS Used Assyrian Church As a Shooting Range

In Qaraqosh, mortar shells stockpiled next to a house. ( Aid to the Church in Need/Jaco Klamer) "I don't understand how people can harm each other so much," sighs security guard Louis Petrus. Today, Louis has returned to his hometown for the first time: the Christian city of Qaraqosh, near Mosul, which he had to flee on 6 August 2014, when IS occupied the city. "Look at my house: it is damaged, most of my furniture has been stolen and my household effects are broken. Other inhabitants of Qaraqosh had prepared me for what I would find in the city. I had heard stories and seen pictures of the destruction caused by the jihadists. Now that I am seeing the city with my own eyes, I do not know what to feel. The IS terrorists have destroyed a lot of my possessions, but I am still quite well off, considering the damage that I can see in my neighbours' houses: many houses have been burned or even completely destroyed. I have been blessed." Hidden treasures Today, the 72-year-old Catholic priest Fr. Sharbil Eeso has come to the liberated city of Qaraqosh, which he was forced to leave on 17 August 2014 for the third and final time. It is chaos in the seminary and the associated office: in search of hidden treasures, the occupiers have brought down ceilings. Statues have been destroyed, paperwork has been overturned. "We are not allowed to clear up the mess yet," he says, while he shakes off the dust from his recently recovered priestly headwear. "First, the damage needs to be assessed carefully and documented thoroughly, and that can only start when the city is safe. Last week, a jihadist emerged from the tunnel system which IS has built underneath the city. The red brigade of the army immediately shot and killed him: the boy was about thirteen years old." Safety The jihadists enthusiastically used the churches in Qaraqosh, even wrote battle instructions on the walls. The St. George's Church Syrian Catholic was rebranded a bomb factory, which was, up until the hasty retreat of IS, in full use. Hundreds of bombs and grenades, in all shapes and sizes, are lying there, waiting to be fired. In addition to that, the church has 'received' deadly recipes, which, if used in the right proportions, can turn the chemicals stashed in the church into catastrophic explosives. "Despite all the damage, I have hope for the future," says Father Sharbil, laughing. "If our security is guaranteed, Christians can continue to live in Iraq. European Christians could do their best to keep us safe. I want to return to Qaraqosh when there is electricity and water again, although I think that safety is the main condition for returning. Louis Petrus also firmly intends to return to Qaraqosh: "I don't want to leave Iraq, unless all the inhabitants stay away and leave. But if two or three families return to Qaraqosh, I will too. This is my country. As soon as it is safe in the city and we receive permission to live here again, I want to rebuild my life in Qaraqosh. This is my place, I shall remain here until I die." Border corrections The Assyrian Member of Parliament Yacoob G. Yaco travels to liberated territory almost on a daily basis, to stay informed on the progress at the front and the security situation in the liberated territory. He also encourages the volunteers of the Assyrian Army: the NPU. Today, he talks to General Faris Abderlahad Yacub (54), who coordinates the tasks of the volunteer army in the Nineveh plain. Both have lost their confidence in the Kurdish Peshmerga, because they abandoned them when IS invaded their cities and villages. That is why they are convinced of the importance of a security army and a Christian oasis in the Nineveh plain. As one of the five permanent Christian members of the Kurdish parliament, Yacoob represents the Iraqi Christian community. "There is a lot of unrest among Iraqi Christians," he tells us. "The Kurds support Iraq in their battle against IS and the recapture of Mosul and the surrounding cities and villages. The inhabitants appreciate that, but many of the Christians suspect the Iraqi government of giving the Kurds land in return. The Kurds dig deep canals and build high fences that, according to them, are meant to stop IS. In the meantime, the Kurds and the Iraqi government deny being promised territory for support and they assure the Christians that no deals were made about the land. But the canals and fences are not built on Kurdish land, but on the Nineveh plain. Many Christians suspect that this border is not temporary, but the start of a permanent border correction." Secret passageways "We really want to return to Qaraqosh, with our children," says the mayor of Qaraqosh, Nisan Karromi (59), who visited the city again on 23 October, while the battle around the city was not yet decided. Today, Nisan visits his office and concludes that the jihadists had no respect for his profession: his nametag lies on the ground, damaged, and almost the whole inventory of his study has been trashed. He expects that "it will be a long time before all damages will be repaired." "Some of the townspeople lost everything because of IS invasion, others have had their house burnt and some are even less fortunate, even though everyone had to leave this city for over two years. We not only have to reconstruct and rebuild this city, but we also have to compensate the people for the damages they have suffered. Now the Iraqi government is in crisis, the international community will have to help make Iraq habitable again." "Before we can start picking up the pieces, the damage will have to be carefully recorded", explains the mayor. "Besides, we cannot start to rebuild, because the security service suspects that there are still IS warriors in the passageways beneath the city. Not every house has been searched yet for the presence of those secret passageways. Recently two Asian-looking jihadists were signalled in Qaraqosh, but they disappeared before we were able to arrest them." In the meantime, Manal Matti visits the blackened church of the Immaculate Conception. She is surprised by the mannequins that are spread out across the church grounds, shot through with bullets. "The jihadists used the church as a shooting range and the mannequins as targets," she tells us, horrified. "The mannequins are completely riddled!" Manal Matti used to run a beauty salon, just steps away from the church. She ponders: "I do not know when I will ever be able to see the inhabitants of Qaraqosh coming again to my beauty salon." Aid to the Church in Need has been supporting the Christians in Iraq since 2014 with more than $28 million in aid for emergency relief projects, education, food and the livelihoods of displaced persons.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. probably didnt envision Bollywood-inspired belly dancers or an Okinawa Celebration Dance culminating the weekend honoring the life and work of Americas most famous civil rights figure.

But those dances, choral and band performances from Billings Central Catholic High School, and political and religious speeches were front and center Monday evening at the NOVA Center for the Performing Arts, where the Black Heritage Foundation held a community celebration honoring King as well as local leaders.

Keynoter Denis Pitman, a Yellowstone County commissioner, told the crowd that the MLK weekend has become one of service, not just celebrations and parties. Its getting out and doing things.

Gesturing to the young musicians seated near the lectern, Pitman urged the crowd, which numbered about 100, not to walk out of here and say, That was nice. Wheres the cookies? and then return to your same routine.

He gave the audience a homework assignment: In the next 24 hours, tell somebody that you love them.

It seems like a simple thing, but we have grown so stingy with those three little words, he said. We figure people already know it, but say those words. Somebody needs to hear those words coming from your lips. Say it, and dont expect anything in return. Thats my dream, that you  like Saint Paul  will see God in the people you encounter, and that youll let them know they are loved.

With a nod toward Bollywood, Bindi belly dancers Cari Lindau and Ryan Bermes helped widen the celebration to the Asian continent, as did Junko Thiessen, who offered a pair of Okinawa celebration dances.

The Black Heritage Foundation recognized three longtime members  Pinkey Scott, Ruth Curtis and Paul Reeder  as well as Mayor Tom Hanel, with plaques.

Hanel remembered growing up singing Jesus Loves the Little Children and wondered aloud why its not sung much today.

That song speaks of all the children of the world, no matter their color or background, Hanel said. Why do those lessons escape us adults?

Hanel also wondered how King might view the civil rights struggle if he were alive today.

I think hed look down and be somewhat ashamed, Hanel said. What happened?

Still, Hanel said, Hundreds of thousands of people across the country are gathered like we are tonight to remember Martin Luther King Jr.  what he stood for, the truth he spoke and how he changed the world.

The Rev. Melvin Terry, president of the Black Heritage Foundation, called for both unity and understanding.

Blood courses the same red through all our veins, he said.

However, ancient conflicts and new hatred spread daily in both word and deed. Were besieged by violence, both random and organized, and we must examine our own lives for harmful or destructive behavior.

Terrys encouragement was for attendees to preach our oneness while affirming our differences.

Celebrate our diversity, he said, for it is our of diversity that hope comes from.
Turkey Removed Assyrian Sculpture From Public Square

The Assyrian Lamassu sculpture in front of the Diyarbakir Local Council was removed on January 8. Diyarbakir (AINA) -- Turkish authorities removed an Assyrian sculpture from a public square on January 8. The sculpture, an Assyrian winged bull known as a Lamassu, was in front of the local council building in Diyarbakir. No explanation has been provided by the Turkish government.

Diyarbakir is home to many Assyrians and is 55 miles north of Mardin and Tur Abdin, the historically Assyrian cities in Turkey.

The sculpture was erected by the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which has many Assyrian members and a strong presence in Diyarbakir. It was removed after Turkey placed unelected government loyalists in charge of the municipality, under the emergency decree issued after the failed military coup in July 2015, which gave sweeping powers to the government.

Since the failed coup, Turkey has engaged in a severe crackdown on Kurds in the area, imposing curfews and removing dozens of Kurdish mayors. On November 16, 2016 it removed the only Assyrian mayor in Turkey (AINA 2016-11-17).

Erol Dora, an Assyrian member of the Turkish Parliament from HDP, raised the issue of the sculpture in parliament. He asked the interior minister why the sculpture was removed and what has become of it. No response to his inquiry has been made.
Rapidly expanding Ethiopian Airlines is set to add even more cargo capacity to African trade lanes with the launch of services to seven new destinations in the first five months of the year.

The Addis Ababa hubbed airline announced this morning that between January and June it will launch new services to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe), Antananarivo (Madagascar), Conakry (Guinea), Oslo (Norway), Chengdu (China), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Singapore.

The airline, which will open a new cargo hub in April, aims to offer services to 120 international destinations by 2025. With these new additions it will offer flights to 98 cities with its fleet of Boeing 777, Airbus A350, B787 and Bombardier Q-400 aircraft.

Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Tewolde GebreMariam said: Africas share of the Global Aviation is the smallest which is only around 3%. As the largest airline group in the continent, we are highly concerned on the low base of air connectivity in the continent.

Looking beyond the current economic slowdown especially in the oil export dependent economies of Africa, we firmly believe that the continent will become the magnet for foreign direct investment, trade and tourism, which are the engines of air travel growth and in turn efficient air connectivity also drives socio-economic development and we are happy to contribute our share in the 21st Century African Transformation.

African carriers currently have weaker cargo load factors than any other region.

In November, IATA statistics showed that cargo load factors declined year on year for the 19th consecutive month to reach 25.3%  the lowest level of any region monitored by the airline organisation.

The reason for the decline in load factors is capacity additions rather than weak demand. In November African carriers recorded a 10.9% improvement in freight tonne km demand terms compared with 2015 levels, but this was outstripped by a 26.9% increase in capacity.

Click on the chart below to access an interactive or here to view the ACN data hub



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The 2017 effort to enforce Montanas seat belt law met a swift end.

Just 24 hours after emergency medical experts, traffic safety professionals and relatives of crash victims crowded a hearing to appeal for regular enforcement, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted down the seat belt bill, and then tabled it. The bill is probably dead for the session, as similar proposals have died in virtually every biennial session in recent memory.

The Friday vote against seat belt enforcement fell along party lines with the four Democrats on Judiciary in favor: Sens. Margie MacDonald and Jen Gross of Billings, Mary Sheehy Moe of Great Falls and Diane Sands of Missoula. Voting against the bill were the seven Republican committee members, including Senate President Scott Sales and Jedediah Hinkle, both of Bozeman, and Nels Swandal of Wilsall.

The partisan divide is disappointing. Not all Montana Republicans have always been against seat belt enforcement. Years ago, a Republican primary seat belt bill sponsored by then-Sen. Dave Lewis survived committee, but died on the Senate floor with members of both parties supporting and opposing it.

In the hearing for Senate Bill 9 on Thursday, one opponent asked when are we going to stop putting victimless people in jail?

In fact, there is no possibility of jail for violating Montanas seat belt law. The penalty in law now is a $20 fine and no possibility of points against the drivers license. Senate Bill 9 wouldnt change that penalty.

The only effect of SB9 would be to allow Montana law enforcement officers to stop a vehicle for a seat-belt violation. Present law says a seat belt violation isnt cause for a traffic stop  unless the driver is also committing some other violation.

States that have changed their seat belt laws to enforce them like other traffic laws have seen increased rates of seat belt use, according to numerous studies. Seat belt use in Montana is lower than the national average while our rate of deaths per miles traveled is the second highest among the 50 states.

Research indicates that regular seat belt enforcement would save, on average, 14 lives a year in Montana, and reduce many injuries. Studies show that 77 percent of Montanans buckle up, but the unbelted minority of 23 percent accounts for the majority of highway fatalities.

Those deaths and serious injuries affect our state in loss of productive years of life, in Medicare and Medicaid trauma care and rehabilitation costs, public death and disability benefits and higher auto insurance premiums.

In 2016, 99 unbelted motorists died in crashes, compared with 46 who were using seat belts, according to preliminary statistics from the Montana Highway Patrol. Seat belts wont prevent all crash injuries and deaths, but they are highly effective at preventing injuries in the most common type of fatal crash in Montana: the single-vehicle rollover with the victims ejected or partially ejected.

The legislative majority, once again, has failed to move forward with this common-sense safety measure. Despite the legal loophole, Montanans who understand that seat belts save lives must remain committed to buckling up on every trip and persuading their loved ones to click it, too.
January 12, 2017

Although political events in the Arab world, especially the Arab Spring, have served as inspiration for numerous locally-produced films, few of them make it to regional film festivals.

In November, the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) excluded director Tamer El Said's film "In the Last Days of the City" for murky reasons, and the following month, the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) pulled out of a screening of Egyptian director Ahmed Roshdy's animated film "The Unknown Sweet Potato Seller," even excluding it from the Muhr short film competition.

The DIFF's statement on the film's removal read: The Dubai International Film Festival and the cast and crew of 'The Unknown Sweet Potato Seller'  regret to inform you that they have been unable to screen the film due to unforeseen circumstances. The festival did not reveal what circumstances that prompted the film's removal from the festival were.

Roshdy posted on Facebook that the crew and cast were informed of the cancellation only 24 hours before the screening was to take place. He wrote that the film had been approved in November for screening and that it was not excluded for any flaws in its submission to the DIFF.

I did this movie, and I know well the consequences it will have, he wrote. Sources close to Roshdy told Al-Monitor that he was referring to the political consequences arising from the film's story and content.

"The Unknown Sweet Potato Seller," featuring Egyptian actors Khaled Abol Naga and Tara Emad, tells the story of a young man named Khaled who is trying to uncover the circumstances of the murder of a child who sold potatoes in Tahrir Square during the January 25 Revolution.

The story is said to be based on that of a child named Omar Salah, who sold potatoes in the vicinity of the US Embassy in central Cairo.

On Feb. 14, 2013, the Egyptian army issued a statement claiming responsibility for the killing of Salah by mistake during demonstrations marking the second anniversary of the January 25 Revolution.

The story is one of the few stories about the Egyptian armed forces involvement in the murder of civilians since January 2011 and until today," a source close to Roshdy told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. "Roshdys choice of Omar Salahs story stirred the sensitivity of film festivals toward this movie, especially Arab film festivals such as the DIFF, given the close relationship between the UAE and the Egyptian regime, headed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, one of the former leaders of the Egyptian armed forces who served as defense minister when Omar Salah was killed.

On Oct. 26, just before the DIFFs exclusion of Roshdy's film, the CIFF issued its decision to exclude El Said's "In the Last Days of the City."

The film is about a young director named Khaled who is struggling to make a film that captures the grandeur of Cairo and the dreams of its citizens. Khaled is also dealing with some personal problems, facing eviction from his apartment and a girlfriend who wants to leave Egypt. The film sheds light on the negative political, social and economic phenomena taking place in Egypt before the January 25 Revolution.

CIFF artistic director Youssef Cherif Rizkallah said in an Oct. 25 video posted to Facebook that the CIFF excluded the film since it had already been screened at a large number of international festivals, including those in Berlin, London, Chicago and Montreal. The CIFF was forced to exclude the film since its screening would suggest that CIFF was chosen last after a long list of international festivals, Rizkallah said.

The filmmakers tried repeatedly to convince the CIFF to renounce its decision, but to no avail. In a Nov. 12 press statement, the filmmakers accused the CIFF of adopting double standards since many films that the CIFF was to screen had also been shown at numerous international film festivals.

The filmmakers stressed that the producers and crew abided by the CIFF's terms and conditions, and that the film had not previously been screened at any Arab festival. They wrote that the exclusion from the CIFF ruined the films chances of participating in any Arab film festival in 2016.

Movie critic Tarek El Shennawi couldn't rule out a possible role by the Egyptian state in the exclusion of the film from the CIFF, an organization supervised by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. We are living in a state of restriction of freedoms," he told Al-Monitor.

Shennawi added, "The movies and artists associated with the events of Jan. 25 are the most affected by this situation. I do not mean that there is a systematic hostility shown by the regime toward the January 25 Revolution and the related and ensuing works of art, but I mean that some members of the current regime hate the January 25 Revolution and refuse to let any piece of art representing it or related to it to be under the public spotlight.

He continued, I do not expect movies like 'The Unknown Sweet Potato Seller' and 'In the Last Days of the City' to be offered the right opportunities to be screened in cinemas for normal audiences outside the scope of festivals in light of the monopoly by a network of producers and distributors over cinema theaters. I think this network probably has influence on Egyptian film festivals and some Arab film festivals.

Art critic Nader Adli told Al-Monitor, The CIFF probably excluded 'In the Last Days of the City' under pressure from the General Directorate for the Censorship of Artistic Works  which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and headed by Khaled Abdul Jalil, the adviser to the minister of culture for cultural and cinematic production  rejecting large segments of the films content. Adli said that the CIFF should not have responded to pressure.

In the era of President Hosni Mubarak, Abdul Jalil served as president of the National Centre for Cinema, and he kept his position after the revolution despite many objections, as one of the remnants of the Mubarak regime.

Film critic and "Life in Cinema" blogger Amir al-Omari described him as a being close to the policies committee of the National Party and to Gamal Mubarak, son of the former president.

Several prominent young filmmakers called for Abdul Jalils departure, most notably young filmmaker Al-Zamakhshari Abdullah, but he remained in office and was promoted to the post of adviser to the minister of culture and head of the General Directorate for the Censorship of Artistic Works.

The CIFF is giving Egyptian cinematographic works a hard time, thus pushing young Egyptian filmmakers to prefer participating in other Arab and international film festivals, Adli said. I believe special circumstances have led to the DIFFs decision to pull out 'The Unknown Sweet Potato Seller' from screening. We must wait for the disclosure of more details, especially since the festivals administration and the filmmakers announced the exclusion of the film in a joint statement, which suggests that a compromise was reached.

A general state of resentment toward the state bodies supervision over the festival seems to prevail, especially among artists. Renowned actor Hussein Fahmy, a former UN goodwill ambassador to Egypt and former president of the CIFF, pointed out on the sidelines of a Jan. 10 seminar organized by Egyptian newspaper al-Masry al-Youm that he is ready to preside over the festival again if its administration disassociates itself from the Ministry of Culture and moves away from bureaucracy.

It seems that some Arab film festivals are turning their backs on the many films that were inspired by the January 25 Revolution. Will this phenomenon spread to include all of the Arab Spring revolutions?
January 17, 2017

Mahyaddin spent the final hours of 2016 in solitude, deciding whether to spare the life of a man on death row for killing his only son, Pouya. Five years ago, Pouya was knifed to death by 17-year-old Hemin Oraminejad in a brawl over petty issues in the western Iranian city of Sanandaj. The Supreme Court rejected Oraminejad's appeal earlier last year and upheld the ruling, which was death by hanging with the consent of the victim's family under the retribution law known as "qisas." Oraminejad, now 22, was repentant and had asked for forgiveness from the family of his victim.

As the execution scheduled for Jan. 1 drew near, Simin Chaichi was in a state of anxiety. The 60-year-old poet was leading a campaign to save the killers life by persuading the victims family to forgive Oraminejad, which under Iranian law meant that he would avoid the gruesome execution chamber. It was one of many such grass-roots campaigns in Iran that have sprung up in recent years to prevent executions. In 2015, at least 262 people on death row for murder were spared thanks to campaigns organized by citizens, according to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights.

"I think violence fuels more violence," Chaichi told Al-Monitor via telephone from Sanandaj. "That is why I believe these kind of grass-roots campaigns are important," he added.

Despite the efforts of campaigners across Iran to halt executions of convicted murderers under the retribution law, the Islamic Republic continues to use the death penalty extensively. On Dec. 19, 2016, it joined 39 other countries in voting against a UN General Assembly resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

"Let's be clear, we are not asking for those who committed murder to be freed," Chaichi said, adding, "Once a family exercises its right to forgive, then it is up to the government to apply the law and keep a murderer behind bars.

In the city of Sanandaj alone, campaigners numbering over 2,000 managed to convince seven families to opt for forgiveness over the noose last year, according to Chaichi  a testimony to the power and influence of these grass-roots activists. Last August, a mother whose son was killed spared the murderer at the last minute and removed the noose from his neck. We were under tremendous pressure, and scores of people were coming to our house asking for [our] forgiveness, her husband, Aba Ahmadi  the victims father  told Al-Monitor via telephone. I think the campaign was effective in convincing us, and we dont regret our decision to forgive our sons killer.

Energized by this victory, Chaichi and hundreds of other concerned citizens of Sanandaj set about trying to persuade Pouyas family to forgive their son's killer. They focused on Mahyaddin, who is in his late 40s and is a dervish and follower of the Kasnazan Sufi order, a branch of the mystical dimension of Islam.

The campaigners, led by five individuals, stayed in regular contact with Mahyaddins local spiritual leader, the "pir" (elder).

Pouya's mother  and his grandfather, who was also a dervish from the same Sufi order  were against the execution, but the ultimate decision rested with the father, who was still reeling from the loss of his only son. A group of whirling dervishes even visited from the main base of the Kasnazan Sufi order in Iraqs Kurdistan region to try to persuade the grieving father to forgive his sons murderer. The pressure on Mahyaddin was intense.

Under pressure from the campaigners, Mahyaddin spent the last day of 2016 in a place of worship for Sufis, known as a Takia, as around 2,000 people gathered in a mosque nearby. He refused to see any of the campaigners and was adamant that the execution would go ahead.

"My heart was sinking with anxiety; we were all holding our breath waiting for Mahyaddin's decision," said Chaichi, still tearful in recalling that night. What made Chaichi and others fearful was that Mahyaddin had shown no sign that he would forgive the prisoner. But they stayed hopeful, as they knew miracles could happen seconds before executions.

As Mahyaddin arrived in the central prison of Sanandaj before dawn on Jan. 1, accompanied by his spiritual leader, the guards prepared Oraminejad for execution. Terrified and repentant, Oraminejad, in a blue prison uniform, made his last plea, but to no avail.

Even the prison guards and the judge overseeing the execution pleaded with Mahyaddin to pardon the young man. But Mahyaddin was resolute. In the execution room, he placed the noose around Oraminejad's neck as the convict said his last prayer.

At that moment, the pir, who spoke to Al-Monitor but refused to be quoted, reminded Mahyaddin of the graveness of the act he was about to perform. It was only then that Mahyaddin paused and quietly removed the noose. According to Chaichi, when the family of the murderer offered to sell their house in order to pay the blood money, which was close to $100,000, Mahyaddin simply responded, "I don't want any money. I did not forgive him for money."

The following day, around 2,000 people, many carrying red roses, went to the main cemetery in Sanandaj where Pouya is buried, paying tribute to the young man who had lost his life in a senseless incident. "Had you had Hemin [Oraminejad] executed, you would have been sitting at home on your own a bitter man," Chaichi said she whispered in Mahyaddin's ear as he stood by his son's grave. She told him, "Look at the smiles you have put on these people's faces. They are celebrating your son's life."
January 17, 2017

Its too early to assess whether the scandal dubbed Noni-Gate  a police investigation of a deal discussed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Arnon (Noni) Mozes, the publisher of the mass circulation daily Yedioth Ahronoth  will result in an indictment of one of these two gentlemen, or both. One cannot rule out the possibility that Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit will accept their version of events  that negotiations over a deal in which Mozes would tone down Yedioths hostile coverage of Netanyahu and in return, Netanyahu would help prevent the distribution of the free Yedioth rival Israel Hayom were only designed to entrap each other. Mandelblit, who, like Elyakim Rubinstein, went from being Cabinet secretary to being appointed attorney general, could also follow in the footsteps of his predecessor in a similar past affair. Rubenstein had dismissed a case of suspected corruption against Netanyahu in the year 2000 involving gifts and suspected bribery by a contractor named Avner Amedi.

Back then, Rubinstein cited evidentiary difficulties in explaining his decision at the time not to prosecute Netanyahu, despite recommendations to the contrary by police and then-State Attorney Edna Arbel. Nonetheless, Rubinstein, who was subsequently named to the Supreme Court, shared with the public the grim picture that had unfolded before his eyes in the case. He expressed his hope that the citizens of the state would not let their politicians scheme against the public interest. Since then, the number of such grim pictures painting the Netanyahu familys extravagant lifestyle at the expense of taxpayers keeps growing, and Rubinsteins hopes are increasingly evaporating.

Israeli politicians are vigorously scheming on the backs of the public, virtually unhindered. The consumers of the free pro-Netanyahu daily Israel Hayom, the most popular paper in the country, read that Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu are victims of the leftist media. Theres no need for any expertise in reading between the lines of this paper funded by Netanyahus sponsor, American gambling tycoon Sheldon Adelson, in order to understand that Netanyahus talking points are delivered daily on its pages. On the other hand, the rival daily Yedioth Ahronoth and its affiliated Ynet news website used to portray themselves as unbiased media outlets guided by nonpartisan editing considerations.

From taped conversations between Mozes and Netanyahu, it seems that Yedioth, too, schemed against hundreds of thousands of its readers. A petition seeking approval of a 200 million shekel ($52 million) class-action lawsuit against Yedioth Ahronoth, submitted Jan. 15 to a court in the town of Lod, argues that representation of the paper and the Ynet website as unbiased journalistic products was a falsehood. The petitioners argued that the paper was for years guided by economic and personal considerations of the shareholders  considerations that significantly impacted the content the paper sold its readers.

An investigative 2015 report in the daily Haaretz rounds out this tableau of crony capitalism with another case, involving the popular Walla website, whose owner Shaul Elovitch has been treating the Netanyahu family to flattering stories and photos in return for promotion of his business interests.

And lets not forget Eliezer Fishman, the former publisher of the financial daily Globes who turned the paper into a tool of his failing business empire, and even one-time tycoon Nochi Dankner, who bought the daily Maariv in order to wipe out the financial daily The Marker that dared to challenge his pyramid. And if all of the above is not enough, the prime minister and his yes man, coalition whip Knesset member David Bitan, are in the throes of efforts to eliminate the public broadcasting corporation in order to turn it into an obedient, ineffectual media outlet.

Small wonder that public trust in the media is at an all-time low. The Israel Democracy Institute found that trust in the media was lower than the trust in almost every institution examined in its annual survey, including the Knesset and the Chief Rabbinate, which are also not very popular. In 2016, trust in the media was at its lowest level since the IDI started gauging public sentiment 13 years ago. The institutes report, issued Dec. 19, indicates that only one-quarter (24%) of the public expressed faith or great faith in the media (compared with 36% the year before). Only 12% of right-wing voters and 34% of centrist voters trust the media (compared with 52% of left-wing voters). Among the Arab public, only one in five has any confidence in the media (compared with 26% of the Jewish public).

In tandem with the domestic collapse of the medias status and the extent of its influence on the public, the prestige of the Israeli media has been declining abroad. Israels ranking in the 2016 Freedom House Press Freedom Index dropped to partly free. The drop was explained by the growing economic threat posed by the free Israel Hayom newspaper to all the other newspapers, and the intrusion of paid content by private firms and government offices into news content. In this respect, the organization singled out Ynet.

Mandelblit may end up being persuaded that the Netanyahu-Mozes back-scratching deal  You keep me in power, Ill keep your paper afloat  does not verge on the criminal. Perhaps, like his predecessor Rubinstein, he will decide to let the public judge the sorry mess. Either way, Joe Public learned an important lesson in reading comprehension from this affair. He learned to read between the lines and to differentiate between court newspapers, tycoon newspapers and plain newspapers. Israeli democracy places a heavy burden on the journalists working for the latter kind, which cannot be overstated. They have to convince the citizens of their country that not all newspapers lead their readers astray or sell them the royal (Netanyahu) family. And just as important  that not all politicians (as Netanyahu is accused of) place orders with businessmen (sorry, with friends) for cigars, champagne and suits.
January 17, 2017

After a grueling two-week manhunt, Turkish police have captured the prime suspect in the mass shooting at an Istanbul nightclub on New Years Eve, officials announced on Tuesday.

Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin named the man as Abdulgadir Masharipov, 33, who is said to have been born in Uzbekistan and received training in Afghanistan.

Masharipov confessed to killing 39 revelers at the Reina club, said Sahin, adding that it was clear the man had acted on behalf of the Islamic State. The jihadi group had claimed responsibility a day after the bloodbath, saying it was revenge for Turkeys ongoing military campaign against IS in Syria.

The governor told a news conference that Masharipov was thought to have entered Turkey illegally through its eastern borders, though he did not specify which of Turkeys eastern neighbors  Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iraq and Iran  the man had likely traveled from. The mass circulation daily Hurriyet pointed to Iran.

Uzbek authorities told the semi-official Anatolian news agency that Mashapirov was a member of an unnamed terrorist organization in Afghanistan and that he was wanted in Uzbekistan. His fingerprints matched those found at the scene.

Several Turkish media outlets initially claimed the mans four-year-old son was with him and that he had been taken into police custody as well, but those reports turned out to be false. The pro-government Sabah said a Kyrgyz man and three women, said to be from Egypt, Senegal and Somalia, were also detained in the raid in Istanbuls Esenyurt district, a well-known center for IS recruiting and drug trafficking before authorities began cracking down.

The suspect, who is said to have changed addresses multiple times after the attack, was believed to have spent around three days at the Esenyurt location where he was taken into custody.

Photographs taken during the operation showed police with their boots on the suspects head. Another picture of the alleged shooter showed him in a bloodied gray T-shirt. He had a cut above his eyebrow and a black eye. Sahin said police had seized two pistols, SIM cards and $197,000 in cash in the raid.

The governors description sets the suspect apart from other IS operatives who have carried out high-profile terror attacks elsewhere in Europe. Typically, most spend time in the jihadis caliphate in Syria, where they train and hatch their plots. The shooter clearly had help and a lot of cash to carry around, said Aaron Stein, a senior resident fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington. The Euro attackers only had a few thousand euros, he told Al-Monitor. Hurriyet said the man was married and had a daughter as well. His wife was detained last week in a raid in Maltepe, another Istanbul suburb on the Asian side. Its a very, very odd story, Stein noted.

IS has been blamed for at least half a dozen attacks on civilian targets in Turkey since it began letting the US-led coalition use the Incirlik Air Base to strike IS inside Syria a year and a half ago.

Members of the public may rightly be wondering whether Masharipov will reveal any links to the United States during his ongoing interrogation at the Istanbul police headquarters. Within hours of the massacre, pro-government outlets began spinning the well-worn conspiracies that the attack was all part of the United States long-running plans to weaken and destroy Turkey. Alper Tan, the editor-in-chief of the pro-government A Haber news channel, took a further swipe at the United States today, saying, America is an immoral colonial empire that thrives on penetrating, controlling or creating terrorist organizations, on sowing death, blood, fear, chaos and uncertainty on a global scale.
January 17, 2017

Lebanese President Michel Aoun marked his first foreign policy success during his visit to Saudi Arabia Jan. 10. He broke the ice in the ties between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, which have been tense for over a year due to the repercussions of the Saudi-Iranian tug-of-war on Lebanon.

The rhetoric of Saudi Arabia and its Lebanese March 14 coalition allies in the past few years emphasized that the Lebanese state had been hijacked by Hezbollah, which was violating Lebanons sovereignty with its military intervention in Syria and its meddling in Arab and Gulf affairs, especially in Yemen and Bahrain. As a result, in March 2016, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) put Hezbollah on its terrorist list.

But Hezbollah denied these accusations and accused the kingdom of supporting and funding jihadi groups in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. The party also blamed Saudi Arabia for the spread of Wahhabi thought in the Muslim world and condemned its war in Yemen and military intervention in Bahrain, as well as its support for the armed opposition in Syria to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime. On Dec. 3, 2013, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah accused Saudi Arabia of plotting the bombing of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut Nov. 19.

Also, Saudi Arabia had frozen the military aid grant for Lebanese security services in February 2016, after the Lebanese government failed to condemn the attacks carried out by Iranian protesters against Saudi diplomatic delegations in Iran.

For that reason, Aouns visit to Riyadh was considered an important step to restore the historical warm ties between the two countries. A large ministerial convoy accompanied Aoun in his first official visit abroad since his election on Oct. 31, 2016, and it received remarkable Saudi attention.

Before the Saudi invitation, Aoun had received invitations from Egypt and Iran, but he prioritized Saudi Arabia in his first foreign visit, due to the kingdoms influence on Lebanon and the Muslim and Arab region. Besides, he wanted to mend ties between Beirut and Riyadh following the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah over Bahrain and Yemen, and the frozen $4 billion Saudi grant to the armament of the Lebanese army and security forces.

During the Syrian tutelage in Lebanon (1990-2005), the Lebanese president paid his first foreign visit to Damascus. But after the Syrian crisis erupted in 2011, Damascus no longer enjoys the same influence it did on Lebanon, and any president would hesitate to pay his first visit to Syria.

To regain its influence in Lebanon, the kingdom approved of Future Movement head Saad Hariris nomination of Aoun as president to end the presidential stalemate  although Aoun and Hariri are strange bedfellows politically and Aoun has good relations with the Future Movements enemy, Hezbollah.

Saudi Arabia also sent a special envoy, Emir of Mecca Khaled Al-Faisal, on Nov. 21, to congratulate Aoun on his presidency and invited him to visit.

Aoun had prolonged one-on-one talks with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud and said in Riyadh Jan. 10, The historical relations between the Saudi and Lebanese people will persist. He asserted Lebanons desire to strengthen cooperation ties with the kingdom in several fields, mainly in countering terrorism.

Salman underlined during the meeting that Lebanon is irreplaceable." He said, "The relations between the two countries are historical, and we want to preserve and develop them. He reiterated his immense trust in Aoun and noted, You will lead Lebanon to safety and stability despite the current challenges.

Salman added, The kingdom does not meddle with Lebanons affairs, which concern the Lebanese people only. He called on Saudi officials to look into the security, economic, military and touristic issues that Aoun brought up. He also told them to visit their Lebanese counterparts and urged Saudi citizens who love Lebanon to fly to it.

With his visit to Saudi Arabia and then Qatar on Jan. 11, Aoun sought to normalize Gulf-Lebanese relations, encourage Gulf tourists and investors to return to Lebanon, and increase economic ties with the Gulf countries to improve the deteriorating economic situation.

The visit was also important for Saudi Arabia to regain influence in Lebanon and reduce Irans power in the country.

The kingdom gave a warm welcome to Aoun and agreed to hold bilateral talks regarding the frozen Saudi grant to the Lebanese army and other bilateral cooperation affairs.

Perhaps Saudi Arabia referred Aouns demands to its officials because it does not want to hand Lebanon quick approval on a silver platter. The kingdom might have a set of conditions and tests for Aoun and the Lebanese government to make sure that Aoun and Hezbollah are distant and that the president can implement sovereign and independent policies far from the Iranian-Syrian influence.

Some pro-Saudi analysts believe that the first test for Aoun and his government will entail overseeing the nominations of pivotal positions in the state and security apparatus and looking out for the influence of Hezbollah and its allies on these nominations.

Aoun told Al Jazeera Jan. 11, The misunderstanding with Gulf states has been cleared and the issue of aid to the Lebanese army  including the Saudi grant  was discussed  and the concerned Saudi ministers are currently reviewing the case. However, the issue of military aid has yet to be resolved, as France is also involved, since Paris is the supplier of arms.

Aoun further noted that his visit to the kingdom did not irritate his allies (Hezbollah). He clarified that Hezbollah is involved in the regional conflicts and has become part of the international and regional crises whose solution is beyond Lebanons capacity. After all, the United States, Russia, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia are also involved in these conflicts. He added that the Lebanese state cannot oppose Hezbollah, as the party represents a significant category of the Lebanese people. Aoun asserted, We are trying to distance Hezbollahs intervention in Syria from the Lebanese domestic situation.

Head of Hezbollahs Political Council Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed said from Tehran that Aouns visit was a normal and regular one since Lebanon is a member of the Arab League.

A source close to Hezbollah told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the party trusts Aoun and his ability to strike a balance between improving Gulf-Lebanese relations and maintaining his alliance with the party. The source said that Aoun considers Hezbollahs weapons as resistance weapons directed against the Israeli enemy and describes Hezbollahs involvement in Syria as a pre-emptive operation to protect Lebanon from the potential arrival of terrorist groups.

It is worth noting that Aoun said in his inaugural speech in October, We shall prevent, deter, counter and even eliminate terrorism.

Despite its conflict with Saudi Arabia over regional and sectarian issues, Hezbollah acknowledges the importance of the kingdom and its politico-religious influence in Lebanon, as well as its economic role in terms of tourists, investors and aid to the country. For that reason, the Shiite party welcomes implicitly the restoring of the ties with Riyadh, but it will be cautious of any Saudi attempt to create a rift between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement led by Aoun.

For his part, Aoun may try to balance between his alliance with Hezbollah and its regional patrons and his rapprochement with Gulf states, as he understands the local and regional equations.
January 17, 2017

Inside the apartment turned beauty center, a student lay on a pink stretcher as Nariman Hood stood over her, holding a small wooden stick to the girls face. Dozens of other students circled around the stretcher.

Hood tested her students, asking, What skin type is this? The students took turns answering, as she explained which products are for each skin type.

Many of the skin- and hair-care products Hood uses are only found in Syria. After class, she told her students that another batch of products would be coming soon for those who wanted to order them.

Hood, a middle-aged Syrian beauty specialist, lives in Egypts 6th of October City in the greater Cairo area. She has been interested in hair-styling, makeup and other beauty work since she was a young girl growing up in Damascus. What was first a skill learned out of necessity became a passion that she has been pursuing for more than 30 years.

Sponsored since 2014 by WATAN, a local nongovernmental organization, Hood has been passing on her knowledge and skills to other Syrian women in Cairo. The initiative began with the intention of helping [women] find work opportunities. The idea was to teach [them] a dignified profession that could become a source of income for them in Egypt, Hood told Al-Monitor.

According to data from the UN agency for refugees, UNHCR, women account for 49.3% of the total 116,000 registered Syrian refugees in Egypt.

Hood said that various general hardships in Egypt have been especially troubling for Syrian women, many of whom fled war in dire economic conditions and have faced harassment from people and authorities since coming to Egypt. She emphasized that many of the women targeted through her initiative are widowed, divorced or the sole breadwinners in their families.

Maha, a student of Hoods who asked Al-Monitor not to use her last name, gave an example of how Syrian women are sometimes made to feel especially vulnerable. She spoke of rumors that Syrian women are less expensive to marry and can be brokered to Egyptian men in Gizas Al-Hosary Mosque. Such stories, of course, can affect a womans self-esteem.

[This project] has cured a lot of girls from cases of depression, Hood said, explaining that the spirit of the classes has broken the previous daily routines of many of her students. It brought back affinity among people after the war made people more reserved. The classes brought a spirit of love back [to the girls].

In each lesson, the girls usually apply what they have learned on each other so that, by the end of the entire workshop, each girl leaves with a new hairstyle, color or cut, in addition to her newly acquired skills.

When the project first began, each course lasted about 15 hours and covered the basics of haircutting. Despite the limited resources, Hood noted the difference these classes have made in the daily lives of the women, whose ages range from 17 to 50.

Shell begin to be more optimistic, to have her own allowance, depend on herself and her self-image will improve, Hood said.

Having experienced the move to Egypt herself four years ago, Hood said she understands how it feels having to rely on charities. She explained how one of her students told her recently, Just the other day they were passing out bags of food, and instead of going and waiting in line I stayed home and worked on a client and made the money I needed to buy this food.

Every round of courses accommodates about 50 women, who Hood and other administrators from WATAN choose to sponsor after a series of interviews assessing the womens needs. Yet funding sources are always changing, and often they are only willing to fund the very basics.

I hope that there can be a continuation in sponsorship and that we can develop [this project], Hood said. There are so many girls who still need this.

She added, It is a profession that will help them wherever they are.  There are doctors in Europe now, and they cant find jobs because their degrees arent recognized. Yes, degrees are important, but it is the skills that can really be depended on.

Once in a while, Hood gives seminars in which old and new graduates come together to refresh and update their knowledge. In her last seminar, Hood called some of them up to get haircuts, as the students discussed layering and such details as how to make hair look thicker or more vibrant.

Recently, a few Egyptian women have also signed up for her classes.

This integration has made me very happy, she said. We began with Syrians and found there were Egyptian women who were interested as well, and they sign up with the same idea  that this could open up a door to some income and independence for them.

Many of the graduates sitting in the room had either managed to open their own salons, started working in Egyptian salons or serve clients in their homes, depending on each of their circumstances, Hood said.

Maha said when she first heard that Hood was teaching these classes, she thought she had to come take them. I felt I would be lucky to get a chance to work with Madame Nariman, because I had already heard about her from Syria.

In Damascus, Hood gave similar classes in a beauty academy called Mamoun International Corporation, which Maha was familiar with. In Cairo, Hood tells her students that she wishes she could teach them in Syria.

When we go back, we can reunite there and I can continue giving classes at Al-Mamoun, she said. Ill send a message on the WhatsApp group telling you girls that whoever is still interested can come.
January 15, 2017

Through a state of emergency decree issued Jan. 10, the Turkish government transferred some critical powers of the chief of the General Staff to the civilian minister of defense. Although the move passed without much debate, its importance cannot be disregarded. The powers transferred constitute the nerve endings of the military tutelage that ruled over Turkey for many years. The decree concentrates military power in a single civilian office.

The previously all-powerful chief of the general staff will no longer appoint branch commanders, decide on the number of generals and admirals, set the time, location and agenda of the Supreme Military Council, or determine promotions for senior staff. These new arrangements are not the only steps taken after the July 15 coup attempt aimed at bringing the military under civilian political authority. In the immediate aftermath of the failed coup, gendarmerie were removed from the jurisdiction of the army command, and top force commanders of the army, navy and air force were detached from the chief of the general staff and put under the defense minister. Military staff colleges and military high schools were closed, and the army, navy and air force academies that train cadets to be officers were consolidated into a new, civilian-run university.

These radical moves, upending firmly established military structure and ideology, are not only in response to the failed coup but are also designed to forgo the possibility of another such attempt. The ruling AKP has been nibbling at the autonomous, audit-free role of the military since 2004. This time the target is the command mechanism and the purpose is to diffuse the concentration of military power and ensure civilian control of the army. This, however, is only one element of the AKP's strategy, the other being the unprecedented purges.

On Dec. 6 Defense Minister Fikri Isik announced, Up to today 5,574 Turkish Armed Forces [TSK] personnel have been discharged and 989 have been suspended. The total has since risen to 6,000 discharged. Since July 15, 42% of admirals and generals have been discharged, decreasing their number from 358 to 206. Some 16,000 military cadets have been dismissed from military schools. The dismissal of 248 pilots from the air force and the resulting personnel deficiency is but one example of how the militarys missions are in peril.

Turkey's military has sustained heavy blows to its image and reputation and is now being punished. Its traditional functions are being challenged. When it comes to the political role of the TSK, the question that needs to be asked is did the traditional function of the armed forces  endowed through the legacy of an empire, a military republic and oversight of the country's politics  end with July 15?

It may seem paradoxical to answer this question with an outright yes based solely on the military's current appearance and perceived dynamics. Although the blow to the military has been hard and deep, its tradition of interventionism is at least as strong and deep. No one can deny that between the demilitarization process that began in 2003 and the measures adopted after July 15, civilian-military relations in Turkey are shifting to civilian values. This is, however, all relative.

One has to remember that six months ago, a group in the military attempted a coup in a country negotiating accession to the European Union. That group was not limited to officers affiliated with the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen. There were other officers waiting in the wings. Many observers believe that had the Gulenist officers succeeded with their coup, many others would have joined them.

Ilker Basbug, retired chief of the general staff, has spoken of three key groups in the military. On CNN Turk, he said, The key group that planned and commanded the July 15 uprising was the [Gulen] movement. The second group is made up of those who did not carry out their assignments in it, those who hesitated. The third group, although they are not part of the [Gulen] movement, would have liked to have benefited from it.

Retired military prosecutor Ahmet Zeki Ucok, who first exposed the Gulenists in the army and who had issued warnings about a potential coup attempt, made an interesting and damning comment: If they had captured the president on July 15, the command echelon would have legitimized the coup by declaring that it had been conducted by the chain of command.

What risks should be of future concern? The first area is political trends in the military today. What are the fault lines? If one takes into account the ability of the Gulenists to infiltrate the TSK and its clandestine structures, it would not be far-fetched to say that they remain the major group in the TSK today. Ucok, in his recent book, claims that the Gulenists, with 50,000-60,000 adherents, constitute one-third of military personnel. Not to be forgotten are the 3,000 officers still under investigation and 20,000 people dismissed from the TSK and military academies who know how to handle a gun.

The second group in the TSK is the one nearer to the Kemalist-nationalist line of thought. They emphasize restructuring the TSK, being alert to the Gulenist threat and struggling against separatist pressures they see as originating from the West, especially the United States. In this regard, they are aligned with the AKP. They support the AKP on the Kurdish issue and in dealing with the West, and also believe that Turkey is in the midst of a second independence war. They think terrorist acts in Turkey are controlled by a single source (which they refer to as "the Mastermind") and that the United States was behind the July 15 coup attempt. For them, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan represents the unity of the state and society.

The third major group consists of the legalist officers who subscribe to the institutional role of the TSK. Although they are not politically active, they are most concerned about the TSK and the country's future.

Naturally, where there are so many divergences and alliances, there will be politics as well. Relations between these groups are a serious risk element. All one has to do is look at the time before July 15 in recalling the plots and counterplots in the military that shook the institution to its roots.

The second area of concern is the relationship between conservative politicians and nationalist-Kemalist officers who are currently in what appears to be a strong alliance that will determine the course of the country. Can they maintain their alliance?

Stability, a balanced and sustained foreign policy and an institutionalized democratic order may actually end the militarys political function. If the opposite happens, however, with the gates that July 15 opened, the TSKs traditional instincts might create risks. Instability, polarization and foreign policy crises may well lead to domestic upheavals and provoke the military to try to resume its political role. That could be fatal for Turkey.
Polaris is pulling the plug on its Victory Motorcycles operations just two months after officially launching a new plant in north Alabama.

The Minnesota powersports leader announced last week it will immediately begin liquidating inventory, but will continue to supply parts for 10 years and provide service and warranty coverage to Victory dealers and owners.

Scott Wine, CEO and chairman of Polaris, said it was "an incredibly difficult decision for me, my team and the Polaris Board of Directors."

"Over the past 18 years, we have invested not only resources, but our hearts and souls, into forging the Victory Motorcycles brand, and we are exceptionally proud of what our team has accomplished," he said.

The brand has struggled to establish market share or be profitable despite the production of nearly 60 Victory models and more than two dozen industry awards. Wine said the company will focus on the Indian Motorcycle and Slingshot brands moving forward.

No other business units will be affected.

Polaris hosted a grand opening for its new 910,000-square-foot Alabama factory in early November. The facility handles assembly, metal fabrication, welding, chassis and body painting and injection molding for the Polaris Ranger off-road vehicles and Slingshot Moto-Roadster.

Polaris, which has more than 400 employees in Huntsville-annexed Limestone County, said it remains committed to Huntsville and Spirit Lake, Iowa, where the Indian Motorcycle is built.

More details about the shutdown will be available Jan. 24 during the company's fourth-quarter and full-year 2016 earnings report.
HIDDEN FIGURES, Octavia Spencer, as Dorothy Vaughan, 2016. ph Hopper Stone / TM & copyright (c) 20th

HIDDEN FIGURES, Octavia Spencer, 2016. ph Hopper Stone / TM & copyright (c) 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. / courtesy Everett Collection

((c)20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection)

More than 140 girls from Birmingham City Schools will get a private screening of the film "Hidden Figures, according to the mayor's office.

Twenty ninth-grade students from each of the city's seven high schools will be selected to attend the screening in late January.

"We approached the school system with the idea to host this screening as a way to grow interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) classes and jobs," Birmingham Mayor William Bell stated in a press release. "They were immediately excited and ready to help coordinate.

"Our hope is for the young women to have a memorable day watching the movie and hearing from women currently working in science, technology and math careers," he said. "This is the first of many targeted mentoring programs that we will bring online this year. Our goal is to engage, educate, and empower each student in the City by offering opportunities like this."

"Hidden Figures" tells the largely untold story of the African-American women who played a key role in the U.S. space program in the racially turbulent 1960s and were the brains behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. These women are: NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson (portrayed by Taraji P. Henson), computer scientist Dorothy Vaughan (played by Alabama native Octavia Spencer) and engineer Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae).

Area colleges and local tech firms are being asked to provide mentoring opportunities and long-term guidance to female students in pursuing these careers. Students interested in participating should contact their principal, according to the mayor's office.
Amid a storm of partisanship and controversy surrounding many of his cabinet appointments, President-elect Donald Trumps nomination of Ryan Zinke to become the secretary of the Interior has been met with applause in some unlikely corners of the conservation community.

There are good reasons for this: Zinke comes from a community in Montana, where I live, whose economy depends to a large extent on public lands, thanks to its proximity to Glacier National Park. He opposes the seizure of federal public lands by states and supports expanding the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a program that finances the acquisition of new public parks.

Of course, we all should be glad that the department will likely be led by someone who values our national heritage, but thats a pretty low bar to cross.

If all the Department of Interior had to do is protect iconic places like Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Canyon National Parks, it wouldnt take much to manage. The department does much more, so the challenges that await Zinke are much more difficult.

Interior is also oversees other public lands that are eligible for oil and gas development  often, the same sought-after destinations for hunting, fishing, and camping. Outfitters, tourism businesses, and others in the outdoor industry rely on the opportunities those lands provide for their customers.

Conflicts over how to use public lands are familiar to people who live in places like Moab, Utah, where Interior has made difficult decisions about balancing the outdoor economy with traditional resource extraction. Their solution has been planning reforms that put the oil and recreation industries on equal footing.

There is nothing wrong with developing resources on public lands, but there is a problem when politicians try to pick winners and losers in the marketplace.

As a candidate for Congress, Zinke took $345,136 from the oil and gas industry and called for expanded and expedited drilling on lands that belong to all Americans. That raises serious doubts about whether he will continue reforms that maintain a level playing field for everyone who uses public lands, particularly amid vocal demands to roll them back from oil companies.

The real test for the next secretary of the Interior will be whether ensuring lands that are open to multiple uses are managed in a way that is truly fair to everyone. The Secretary cannot be afraid to tell the oil companies that backed his political career, no.

Zinke has said that he grew up in the backyard of Glacier National Park. Right next to that backyard is the Badger Two-Medicine area, where Interior recently cancelled public lands oil and gas leases in response to calls from the Blackfeet people, who consider it to be part of their creation story. How Zinke responds to those kinds of calls will be the true measure of his success as Secretary of the Interior.
Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. memorial in Mobile, Ala., on Tuesday July 15, 2014.

Alabama Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan, shown here at a memorial service for former Alabama Sen. Jeremiah Denton in 2014, expects a large and enthusiastic crowd of Alabama Republicans at Friday's inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. (Sharon Steinmann/ssteinmann@al.com)

(Sharon Steinmann)

Alabama Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan said a large contingent from the state party will be in Washington, D.C., for Friday's inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Lathan said the state GOP did more than help deliver an expected Trump landslide in Alabama. She said the party sent more than 100 volunteers to campaign in swing states Florida and Ohio in October. She said they knocked on more than 10,000 doors in a week.

"We didn't just stay in Alabama, we went outside our comfort zone," Lathan said. "Then you add Sen. Jeff Sessions into the mix, and needless to say, people from Alabama are quite excited."

Sessions was the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump and is the President-elect's nominee for attorney general.

"The Republicans going to the inauguration feel a great deal of ownership because we stepped up and we helped big-time," Lathan said.

Lathan was flying to Washington today. Part of her week will be devoted to Republican National Committee business.

She is one of three Alabama members on the 168-person committee. The other two are Vicki Drummond of Jasper and Paul Reynolds of Shelby County.

Lathan said the RNC on Thursday will elect Ronna Romney McDaniel of Michigan as chair of the RNC, replacing Reince Priebus, who will be Trump's chief of staff. McDaniel is Mitt Romney's niece.

Trump had announced his support for McDaniel for the chairmanship last month.

"Ronna was very hands-on in the election and worked with her counties to help deliver Michigan," Lathan said.

Trump's surprise win in Michigan, as well as surprise wins in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, helped carry him to the upset win over Hillary Clinton.

Lathan said she looked forward to seeing the Talladega College band march in the inaugural parade.

Lathan said she met with Talladega College President Billy Hawkins after his announcement that the historically black college would accept the invitation to participate in the inauguration, despite some opposition.

Lathan said the state GOP contributed to

to cover the expenses for the Marching Tornadoes.
The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved giving a developer up to $3.3 million in incentives to bring a new Publix grocery store to the southwest corner of Lakeshore Parkway and Shannon-Wenonah Road in Oxmoor Valley.

The incentives will involve the return of a percentage of actual sales tax revenue collected at the Publix store for up to seven years, according to the project agreement. The first five installments will be equal to the lesser of $500,000 or 50 percent of the actual sales tax revenue generated to the city from the Publix.

The last two installments will be equal to the lesser of $400,000 or 40 percent of the actual sales tax revenue generated to the city from the store.

Developer MAB American Management LLC of Charlotte, N.C. is under contract to purchase the property to accommodate a 45,600-square-foot Publix grocery store, a 22,400 square foot shopping center and a 1.1 acre outparcel for retail space.

According to the project agreement, the estimated capital expenditure is approximately $18 million.

John Argo, of MAB American Management, said the sales tax rebate allows them to recoup some of the money spent on site preparation, road improvements and installation of utilities.

This allows the developer to provide affordable rent to Publix and other retailers, he said.

The Publix is expected to hire 260 employees, and the store is estimated to generate $27.4 million in annual sales. This will include $1.1 million in sales tax revenues to the city.

Argo said as many as 14 retailers, such as a hair salon, fast casual restaurants and a fitness, are expected to locate in the shopping center.

The nearest Publix is about five miles away on Green Springs Highway in Homewood.

City Councilman Jay Roberson represents District 7 where the new Publix is coming. He helped recruit the grocery store.

In a previous interview, he said the project would help fix an existing "food desert," meaning residents of that area don't have convenient access to fresh foods. He says his district doesn't have a single grocery store.

"To have an opportunity to live within a mile of their grocery store, families [in District 7] have not had that opportunity, and now we have a top of the line grocer coming in," Roberson said. "This will be a crown jewel and an asset to all of the families that live in southwest Birmingham."

During Tuesday's meeting, Councilor Lashunda Scales said she supports Publix coming to District 7, but she doesn't think her district, District 1, gets the same consideration when it comes to new developments. "Folks are being overlooked," she said.

"I have no understanding how you can have ... interstate accessibility, and you can't get a decent grocery store," she said, of her district. She said the only grocery store in District 1 of east Birmingham is a Save-A-Lot.

Lisa Cooper, of the Mayor's Office for Economic Development, said the incentives are part of the reason Publix is locating in southwest Birmingham, and the Publix will help attract other retailers to the development.

She said incentives are often offered to bring grocery stores to areas in the city considered food deserts, including the Publix in downtown Birmingham.

MAB American is also developing the Midtown Mobile Publix project and has recently developed a Publix project in Rainbow City.

Publix has more than 60 stores in Alabama as well as several new stores slated to open, including in downtown Birmingham. Another Publix opened last month in Vestavia Hills.

Argo said construction on the Oxmoor Valley shopping center is expected to begin this fall.

Publix has yet to confirm the new store as it likely won't open until 2018.

Updated at 12:05 p.m. with comments from developer John Argo.
While admitting to federal assault charges Tuesday, a Billings woman said she blacked out from drinking and has no memory of driving away from a 2014 party on the Crow Reservation after hitting a tree and another partygoer who was walking home.

The victim woke up later in the morning at the side of the road with a broken knee, broken arm, torn ligaments and tendons, multiple cuts and road rash, a federal prosecutor said.

Emergency medical responders took the victim first to the hospital at Crow Agency and then to St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings.

The victim, identified as S.A.B., suffered injuries consistent with having been struck by a vehicle and that the injuries created a substantial risk of death and resulted in protracted loss or impairment of body functions, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek.

Sasha Frances Not Afraid, 25, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious injury during a hearing in Billings before U.S. District Judge Susan Watters.

A jury trial was set to begin Tuesday, but Not Afraid pleaded guilty instead. There was no plea agreement.

The assault happened May 31, 2014, near Dunmore. Suek said partygoers told investigators they saw Not Afraid, who was very drunk, drive away from the party in a Dodge Caravan shortly after the victim had left the party to walk home.

One of the partygoers attempted to stop Not Afraid from driving by trying to grab the keys, Suek said. But the person gave up when Not Afraid bit him and put the vehicle into reverse, she said.

Not Afraid hit a tree, shattering the windows on the left side of the vehicle, before speeding down the road where the victim was later found, Suek said.

Not Afraid returned to the party driving the minivan in the early morning hours, before the victim was found on the side of the road, Suek said.

There was more damage on the front of the vehicle, specifically the windshield, than had been there before Not Afraid drove away, the prosecutor continued. Partygoers confronted Not Afraid about the damage.

Partygoers told Not Afraid the next morning that she had driven way from the party and had hit a tree, Suek said. Not Afraid also told investigators that she didnt learn until a day or so later that she also had run over someone.

During Tuesdays hearing, Assistant Federal Defender Dave Merchant said, She does not recall operating the vehicle. Not Afraid, he said, believes she passed out and woke up on a couch and was then confronted by other partygoers.

Two of the governments six witnesses are Not Afraids friends and she had no reason to disagree with them, Merchant said.

The prosecutions evidence included not only witnesses at the party but also physical evidence of skid marks, a downed fence on the side of the road, car parts, broken glass and genetic analysis.

Genetic DNA analysis of hair recovered from the windshield and from the victim, Not Afraid and partygoers excluded everyone except the victim as the source of hair in the windshield, Suek said.

Not Afraid faces a maximum 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Watters set sentencing for May 3. Not Afraid remains in custody.
As Standing Rock protests come to an end, Native Americans still face discrimination and racism across the Dakotas.

Standing Rock Indian Reservation, United States  Early last month, more than 2,000 veterans gathered at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota in a show of solidarity with protesters camped there, who opposed the proposed Dakota Access pipeline. The veterans were drawn by pictures and video of fire hoses, police dogs, and rubber bullets being used against protesters.

For many people following the story, these images evoked ones from the civil rights movement in the 1960s; but for some activists and Native residents of the Dakotas, this comparison is all too real.

We are the Mississippi of the North, Native American activist Winona LaDuke told reporters at the camp. Welcome to the Deep North. Its not just about the pipeline. Civil society could use a little help out here.

IN PICTURES: Standing Rock water protectors dig in for the winter

After the Army Corps of Engineers refused to grant a permit for the disputed section of the pipeline, most of the protesters went home, along with the media that followed them. But part of the protest camp remains, together with what many Natives describe as the Deep North conditions of life in the Dakotas: deeply ingrained prejudice and a history of unequal treatment.

Ive been to the South, said Brandon Mauai, a Native American deacon with the Episcopal church at Standing Rock, and I could feel how my black friends were still discriminated against there. In the North, its flip-flopped: Blacks are more accepted here, and Natives are discriminated against.





The Dakotas, of course, never had any legal separation between races as the pre-civil rights South did. But many Natives nevertheless describe persistent discrimination.

Driving while Indian, for example, refers to what many people perceive as the police practice of treating Native drivers differently from whites.

Its been my experience that [The Morton County Sheriffs Department] [racially] profiles, said John Floberg, a priest who has lived at Standing Rock for 25 years.

They set up patrols on the highway at key times when they know Native traffic is moving on the reservation, profiling for drunk driving, driving without a licence or without insurance.

Many Natives cannot remember meeting a Native American highway patrol. With so much need for Native American police officers on the reservation, most Natives interested in law enforcement prefer to work there than for the Morton County Sheriffs Department or the Highway Patrol.

I dont think anyone would work for them, said Lynn Colombe, a member of the Lakota tribe who lives on the Rosebud reservation on the South Dakota side of the border. Why would you be the only Native there?

The Morton County Sheriffs Department stated that Morton County does not collect data on the ethnicity of its employees and therefore could not confirm if there were any Native Americans employed as police officers.

READ MORE: The grandma feeding the North Dakota pipeline protest

Differences in treatment

There are few statistics on race and traffic stops in the Dakotas, but one study in Arizona showed that Native Americans were more likely to be stopped by the highway patrol than whites, and 3.5 times more likely to be searched if they were stopped.

Differences between white and Native interactions with the police go beyond the highways.





In South Dakota, Natives make up 8.5 percent of the population but 60 percent of the caseload of the federal court; in North Dakota, they make up a quarter of the caseload and about 5 percent of the population.

Nationally, Native American men are incarcerated at four times the rate of white men, and Native American women at six times the rate of white women.

Two cases brought by the American Civil Liberties Union in the past decade have pointed to different treatment of Native children in the Dakotas.

In one, Native children in Winner, South Dakota, were found to be suspended and expelled from school in far greater numbers than their non-Native peers. While about one third of the elementary grade students were Native American, only one or two Natives remained in the senior class, the majority of the rest having been expelled.

The school district maintained that Native children were suspended and expelled only as a result of discipline problems, but agreed to make more than 20 changes in how they dealt with this population. In the past five years, more Native students have graduated than in the past 30 years combined, according to the ACLU.

READ MORE: Tensions high in South Dakota after alleged assault on Native students

In another case, also in South Dakota, the Rapid City Department of Social Services was found to have removed Native children from their parents at a rate 11 times higher than that of non-Natives.

In addition, the process by which parents could contest the actions of the Department of Social Services was, a sham, according to Stephen Pevar, an ACLU lawyer who worked on the case. Native parents were not given a copy of the petition against them, allowed to testify, appointed an attorney, or allowed to cross examine DSS workers.

The state won 100 percent of its cases between 2010 and 2014, removing a total of 823 Native children from their parents.

A district court decision found that the state had violated seven federal rights of Native children, parents and tribes and required the DSS to make a number of changes in how it dealt with Native families.

Mistrust and condescension, rooted in history

Beyond institutional disparities, many Natives describe being treated with mistrust and condescension when they leave the reservation and come to town.

Lynn Colombe grew up on the Rosebud Reservation but spent much of her life in Tucson, Arizona.

My two little girls never knew what colour they were in Tucson, she said, but living here, they do.

The ways that anti-Native sentiment expresses itself can be subtle. You might be [at a shop], said Colombe, and the person ahead of you is non-Indian, and the store employee will be chatting them up, and the minute you get there, they dont even say hello. Its a manner: always talking down to you, like youre stupid, as if you dont even know how to make change.

When we go [to some retail shops], Brandon Mauai said, were always pulled aside to have our items checked with the receipt, while non-Natives just walk by.

Another Lakota from Standing Rock recalled that at the Fourth of July parade in Mandan, near Bismarck, people on the floats handed out candy to the crowd  but seemed to skip his own family. My kids said, Dad, why arent we getting any candy?' he said.

This long-standing tension has roots in a violent history.

Standing Rock reservation was established at the end of the 19th-century wars between the Sioux tribes and the US Army.

Its current boundaries date from 1889, when Congress reduced and divided the Great Sioux Reservation. At that time, the reservation covered most of South Dakota, but was split into six separate reservations in an effort to make way for white homesteaders and conform the Indian to white mans ways by forcing the traditionally nomadic people to become farmers.

The ensuing crisis culminated in the the US Armys killing of the Sioux spiritual leader Sitting Bull and, two weeks later, 300 more Sioux, in the infamous massacre at Wounded Knee. It was not an unpopular action.

WATCH: Pipeline standoff at Standing Rock (35:45)

The US Army had fought the plains tribes for decades. When General Custer was killed at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, the US was celebrating its centennial; timing of the news helped make Custer a martyr and the Sioux a particularly hated villain.

In response to news of the Wounded Knee massacre, the Saturday Pioneer, a newspaper from Aberdeen, South Dakota, published an editorial declaring: The Pioneer has before declared that our only safety depends upon the total extirmination [sic] of the Indians. Having wronged them for centuries we had better, in order to protect our civilisation, follow it up by one more wrong and wipe these untamed and untamable creatures from the face of the earth.

OPINION: How media did and did not report on Standing Rock

The author was Pioneer editor L Frank Baum (who would go on to write the beloved Oz books), and he was expressing a mainstream opinion.

Theres no reason to think these extreme attitudes are still common  in fact, during the protests, people who made overtly racist statements on social media sometimes lost their jobs as a result. But race relations have never been smooth, and the Standing Rock protests renewed long-simmering tensions.

After the Army Corps decision, the Facebook page of conservative radio station KYFR exploded with angry comments. Congrats now get out of our state you filthy animals. The standing rock tribe might as well leave too no true North Dakotans will ever be attending their casino or resort again 

First taste of winter and they scurry like rats to the casino for shelter 

The camp at Standing Rock remains, with protesters living in temporary camps on the edge of the reservation, saying they are prepared to stay until the the pipeline company leaves.

The history of this place helps to show why, for many of the Lakota protesters, the camp is not just a response to a pipeline proposal but to the experience of feeling like a second-class citizen.

Its way long past overdue, said Joe Mancillas, 76, at a meeting at the camp. Its about dignity.
Supporters say the constitutional reform will bring stability, but critics believe it may lead to a one-man rule.

Last December, Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) unveiled a raft of constitutional amendments that aim to fundamentally change the way Turkey is governed.

The controversial draft constitution, dubbed the Turkish-style presidency, is seeking to replace the current parliamentary system with a presidential one paving the way for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has held power for the past 13 years, first as prime minister and since 2014 as president, to become the sole executive authority in the country.

Whats in the proposed constitutional amendments: The prime ministers office and the cabinet will be abolished

The president will become the head of the executive branch and will be allowed to issue decrees

The president will be allowed to retain ties to a political party

The presidential and parliamentary polls will take place simultaneously, every five years

The parliament will lose its right to interpellation

The president will have criminal liability

The president will have broad authority over the high council of judges and prosecutors

The proposed constitution, which is currently being debated in parliament, foresees the creation of vice presidents and the abolition of the office of the prime minister.

If the amendments are accepted, first by parliament and then in a referendum, there would no longer be a formal cabinet answerable to parliament. The president will have the power to appoint and fire ministers.

The president would be elected for a five-year term and be allowed to serve as the leader of a political party.

Parliamentary elections would be held every five years  not four as now  and on the same day as presidential polls.

The Turkish government says the proposed constitutional amendments will bring the strong leadership needed to prevent a return of the fragile coalition governments of the past.

There will only be strong leaderships now, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters last week.

Parliament  is being strengthened, while the presidency, in charge of the executive branch, is being restructured to end conflicts between branches.

But critics say the proposed changes are actually aimed at weakening the parliament while creating a political system without checks and balances, which may eventually bring Turkey under a one-man rule.

Weakening checks and balances

The system of checks and balances guarantees that each of the three branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial) can limit the powers of the others and make sure no one branch becomes too powerful.

According to the proposal, presidential and parliamentary elections are going to be simultaneous and the president is allowed to act as the leader of a political party, Bertil Emrah Oder, a constitutional law professor from Istanbuls Koc University, told Al Jazeera.

In the Turkish political party system this means that the presidential candidate will be able to decide who is going to run on his or her partys ticket in the parliamentary elections, she said. This will result in the president controlling the parliament and its agenda  leading to the deterioration [of the system of checks].

Similarly, Levent Korkut, a law professor for Istanbuls Medipol University, said that the proposed constitutional amendments are designed in a way that could weaken the system.

Of course it is impossible to say that the proposal is getting rid of the system of checks and balances completely, he said. But it is also impossible to say that [the system of checks] is as strong in the draft proposal as it would be in a classic parliamentary system or an American-style executive presidency, since it allows the president to also act as the leader of a political party

For example in the US, we see that the leader and the presidential candidate of a party are two different individuals and they can follow different agendas, he said.This allows them to check on and object to each others actions.

The proposed system does not allow this, practically resulting in the president taking control of both the executive and the legislative branches.

But Mehmet Ucum, the principal judicial consultant to President Erdogan, told Al Jazeera that the experts concerns about the system of checks are completely unfounded.

In our proposal, the system of checks and balances is stronger than it is the current parliamentary system, he said.

In the current system, if the executive branch, the government, has the majority in the parliament, it can pass any law without facing any resistance  the separation between the executive and legislative branches is stronger in the proposed system.

Any attempt to form an institutional control over the people's will is against democracy. by Mehmet Ucum, judicial consultant to the president

Ucum acknowledged that under the proposed system, if the presidents party takes the majority in the parliament, which is a likely outcome since the presidential and parliamentary polls will take place on the same day, the executive and legislative branches would come closer together.

Yet, he said, such a scenario would still be the reflection of the peoples will.

Can such a scenario be politically abused? Certainly. But if that turns out to be the case, the problem could be solved by going back to the people, calling for a new election. Any attempt to form an institutional control over the peoples will is against democracy.

Experts also pointed out that the proposed amendments abolish the parliaments right to interpellation and any other kind of practical audit power it has over the executive branch.

Interpellation is the formal right of a parliament to submit questions to the government asking it to explain an act or policy, thus allowing the parliament to supervise the governments activities. In a parliamentary system this procedure may lead to a confidence vote or a change of government.

By abolishing the right to interpellation, the constitutional draft is making it practically impossible for the parliament to take any constructive action about the actions of the president, Korkut, who is the founder of the Association of Civil Society Development Centre, told Al Jazeera.

Ucum, on the other hand, said that the right to interpellation is not necessary and would not be suitable in a system where the executive authority is directly elected by the people.

In the system we are proposing, the executive authority, the president, is elected directly by the people, he said. So, it would not be acceptable for the parliament to file an interpellation motion about the actions and decisions of someone who takes his authority directly from the people.

Also, in the proposed draft, the president has criminal liability and the parliament still has the right to start an impeachment inquiry about him and his deputies if necessary, he added.





Under the proposed draft, impeachment proceedings against the president can be started by the signatures of 301 deputies in the proposed 600-seat parliament. Following this, the parliament is able to set up a commission of inquiry by secret ballot of 360 deputies.

If the inquiry commission decides to send the president to the Supreme Court to face trial, the president could only be tried after another secret ballot of 400 deputies.

This system makes it practically impossible for the parliament to impeach and unseat the president, Korkut said. To be able to take action against the president and his ministers, the parliament needs a two thirds majority, and this is practically impossible if the majority in the parliament and the president are from the same party.

Executive control over the judiciary

Oder, who is the dean of Koc Universitys Law Faculty, pointed out that the draft constitution may have a damaging affect on the independence of the judiciary in Turkey.

The draft constitution assigns broad authority to the president over the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors, she said. This council is responsible for the autonomy of the judiciary  and in a system where a politically partial president is influential over the appointment of the members of the council, alongside the parliament and the minister of justice, it is possible to predict that the council will end up having an ideological and political composition.





Ucum, President Erdogans key judicial adviser, on the other hand, told Al Jazeera that he is confident the constitutional amendments will make the Turkish judiciary completely independent.

Our proposal is making the judiciary more powerful, he said. We are the ones who are proposing to add an impartiality clause about the judiciary in to the constitution.

Under our proposal, elected officials will be responsible for appointing the members of the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors instead of un-elected officials.





Ucum said that while categorically supporting the concept of the separation of powers, he believed that every single branch of the government should be subject to the peoples will.

Thats why we believe the members of the judiciary should also be appointed by elected individuals, he said.  If the members of judiciary are appointed by the military, we would end up in a military fascism and if those members are appointed by bureaucrats, we would end up in a bureaucratic oligarchy.

Next step: Referendum

The Turkish parliament started to vote on the proposed constitutional amendments earlier this month.

The governments draft constitution has so far received support from the parliaments smallest opposition party, the MHP, but not from the main opposition party CHP or the pro-Kurdish HDP.

The draft needs to get at least 330 votes in the parliament to be put to a referendum. The AKP and MHP have enough votes between them to pass the draft without seeking the help of other parties in the parliament.

Once the draft is approved by parliament, the amendments will be put to a public referendum, possibly in March or April. With these amendments we are strengthening the ordinary citizens relationship with the state, said Ucum.

These amendments are just the beginning of a long reform process. After passing these amendments we will pass political and technical adjustment laws. There is going to be a concentration of power in the executive branch, but every other branch of the government is going to become stronger within itself.
One of the greatest mysteries of aviation will remain a mystery after search for the wreckage has been called off.

The deep-sea search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has ended without any trace being found of the plane that vanished in 2014 with 239 people on board.

The location of flight MH370 has been one of the worlds greatest aviation mysteries since the plane disappeared en route to Beijing from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.
We will remember 2016 not only for the return of populism throughout the West, but also for the blindness of those who could not see the difference between right-wing and leftist populism.

This distinction is vital, and overlooking it further contributes to the degradation of a public discourse that is already in trouble. The rise of both kinds of populism is the result of the long-term failure of neo-liberal policies, as many already know, but it is also a necessary dimension of democratic politics as the political philosopher Chantal Mouffe explains.

But to understand why so many people in the worlds advanced democracies have turned to both far-right and leftist populism, it is necessary to understand how harmful for traditional parties and voting habits throughout the West has been the moralisation of politics, which took place in the second part of the 20th century.

The problem with compromise

With the victory of the free world over communism, the universalisation of liberal democracy, and the globalisation of trade agreements, traditional parties began to believe that partisan conflicts could be overcome through compromise. Democratic elections became all about establishing a discourse beyond sovereignty and opposition, left and right.





But arent these necessary components of a healthy democratic society? Societal debates arise not simply because we are conflictual beings with diverse values, traditions and beliefs but also because we are suspicious of the possibility of universal rational compromises. The problem with these compromises, as we are now experiencing in the European Union, is that the deliberations they embody are always framed; that is, they do not involve real choices among alternatives.

Anthony Giddens third-way political theory in the 1990s was among the first to represent this modern frame, as its implementation through Tony Blairs New Labour policies demonstrated. The British scholar explained that the goal of his idea was to create one-nation politics where there is no authority without democracy.

This is framed democracy, where the submission of laws to the consensus at the centre is the only democratic, that is, acceptable, outcome of politics. This framing claimed that it overcame traditional oppositional politics, but instead it substituted moral categories  good and evil, right and wrong  for the language of competing political ideas, giving rise to the moralisation of politics.

As the third way embraced neo-liberalism and hid the language of debate behind curtains of political correctness, it not only obstructed democratic channels of expression for diverse political stances, but also delegitimised them. This moralising vocabulary, together with the third-way imperative of bipartisan consensus, has led to further shrinking of the difference between the parties of the left and the right and, as choices disappeared, popular interest in politics withered.

As a consequence of framed democracies, populism has become the only productive form to take into account the demands of the people and to promote collective participation. by

According to Mouffe and her fellow political philosopher Ernesto Laclau, whose investigations of populism have now become central among political scientists, if democracy wants to preserve its superiority among other political systems, it must return to the people.

And this is what populism does. It is a way of constructing the political on the basis of interpellating the underdog to mobilise against the existing status quo. It brings together different demands in opposition to a common enemy. Laclau and Mouffe do not consider populism an ideology but rather a political form capable of articulating identities, interests, and needs that have been delegitimised by centre-right and centre-left parties.

Contrary to other political analysts, Laclau and Mouffe do not believe that this strategy as it is applied by populist politicians is designed exclusively to obtain power; it is also a necessary effort to overcome the lack of alternatives embodied by the traditional parties of the past decades.

Right and left populism

As a consequence of framed democracies, populism has become the only productive form to take into account the demands of the people and to promote collective participation. But just as there was once a substantial difference between right and left-wing policies, there is also a difference between rightist and leftist populism.

Although both apply the same principle  bringing together a crowd around a political idea in order to shape an us against a them  the concepts used to define these groups are radically different. This is also evident in the emotions each side uses to mobilise voters: fear of the foreigner on the right and hope for a better future on the left. The former is rooted in hatred and indifference, and the latter in justice and equality.

The right-wing populism of Donald Trump and Nigel Farage, expressed in their Make America Great Again and Leave campaigns, restricts the national identity of the people, excluding immigrants, refugees, and any Other definable as foreign to a sentimental ideal.





Although exclusion is also present in the left-wing populism of Bernie Sanders and Pablo Iglesias, they do not exclude categories of people but rather those sectors of the establishment in the service of neo-liberal global corporations.

For Sanders, this meant breaking up the big banks and, for Iglesias, defeating the Spanish caste which includes the two major political parties, the right-wing Peoples Party and the Spanish Socialist Workers Party. These parties, like the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States as well as the Tories and Labour in the UK, have also lost much of their popular support through their acceptance of the demands of financial capitalism.

The problem today goes deeper than the victory of the right-wing populism of Trump and Farage, though the xenophobic nature of their regimes are profoundly troubling. The failure of left-wing populism leaves democracy in an even more desperate state.

Sanders did not manage to win the primaries, an exercise in corporate governance designed to defang populist ideas. And Iglesiass Podemos, which now governs in a number of regions and cities, has proved unable to bring substantial social changes  such as the basic universal income  to the level of national politics.

Yet it is right-wing populism, now elected to positions of power, that is not compatible with a pluralist conception of democracy in the 21st century. The left-wing populism of Sanders and Iglesias represents the only chance that the parties of the framed democracies have to defeat the populist monster they have unleashed.

Santiago Zabala is ICREA research professor of philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Connecting President-elect Donald Trumps calls to either ban all Muslims from entering the United States, subject them to an ideological litmus test prior to entering, or have them register their whereabouts once in the country is one simple truth: the desire to see all Muslims as conspiratorial.

It is an idea that remains at the centre of political discourse defining Muslims in the US and Mr Trumps policy prescriptions represent its clearest articulation.





The conspiratorial Muslim means that all Muslims have the propensity to undermine and threaten. While only some Muslims may be deemed as immediate threats, all Muslims are latent threats. Residing within each is some potential to commit conspiracy. Each and every Muslim is a Manchurian Candidate. Their embedded religion has the potential to trigger a subversive act at any time.

This desire to define Muslims globally as conspiratorial has its roots in the policies of various colonial powers in the 19th century. These attitudes, too, were the by-product of perceived security threats and fear.

A history of suspicion

When Anglo-Indian civilian William W Hunter (1840-1900) wrote in 1871 his famous work The Indian Musalmans: Are They Bound in Conscience to Rebel Against the Queen?, British concern over a chronic Muslim conspiracy in India was at an all time high. Writing in the aftermath of the 1857 rebellion, bouts of jihad on the Northwest Frontier, and the Wahhabi Trials of the 1860s, Hunters work encapsulated fears and discussions of potential Muslim conspiracy meant to undermine British political and security interests in its colonial treasure.

Hunter concluded that while many Indian Muslims were peaceable, others were fanatical disciples of Wahhabism and would seek to spread the Truth  at whatever expense of the blood of the Infidel, and at whatever sacrifice of their own lives. The threat, according to Hunter, was not Muslims in India, but the prospect of a foreign-born Wahhabism infiltrating India, affecting Muslims religious proclivities there and swaying their political allegiances against the British Crown.

Further east, the multi-lingual scholar and Dutch civil servant Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje (1857-1936) would reach a similar conclusion, cautioning that Javanese Muslims ties to strands of Islam percolating in Arabia could threaten colonial rule in the East Indies. Most Muslims in the Dutch colony were peaceable, but those travelling to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage and connecting with their countrymen who took up residence in Arabia would especially warrant oversight.





The ideas of Hunter and Hurgronje helped contribute to growing imperial concern over Muslim behaviours worldwide. The global Muslim communitys engagement with the dual entrepots of Mecca and Istanbul  one a site of religious attraction and inspiration, the other, of political power  became a cause for alarm and scrutiny.

The annual pilgrimage was viewed as a centripetal exchange of potentially subversive ideas that could populate the colonial periphery; increased contact with the Ottoman Sultan and his court in Istanbul abetted fears of a spreading pan-Islamic threat.

Multiple imperial powers were now on the lookout for a global Muslim actor susceptible or beholden to religious proclivities that could threaten their interests and security. The conspiratorial Muslim was born.

The return of the conspiratorial Muslim

As the war on terror drags on and the West increasingly sees its own countries attacked, the resultant violence has necessitated a rekindling of the idea of the conspiratorial Muslim. Simply defining Muslims with the stereotypes of the Orient or dividing them into categories of good and bad, which dominated much of 20th-century Western attitudes towards Muslims, will no longer suffice.

First articulated by imperial powers believing a foreign Muslim threat could undermine homeland security in their colonies, the idea of the conspiratorial Muslim has come to the fore once again. The perceived threat of Muslim infringement on the Western way of life, as seen in reactions to attacks in Paris, Brussels, San Bernadino and Orlando, has driven this labelling and implicated all Muslims, at home and abroad, as potentially conspiratorial. No matter that the attacks were carried out by a deranged few.

The belief that Muslims are more populous in Western societies than they actually are and the fear over ISIL weaponising refugees to attack European Union countries all contribute to a rising climate of fear that Muslims maintain the potential to undermine societal norms and values and threaten stability in Western societies.

OPINION: The myth of the moderate Muslim

What underpins this conspiratorial thinking about Muslims, but is rarely admitted, is the belief that they dont belong in the US or the West, but are rather culturally and racially displaced from some other natural and intended habitat. They belong and believe elsewhere.

Therefore, there must be some other religious or civilisational axis summoning their allegiance. With an allegiance supposedly lying elsewhere, they are thus exposed to the charge of conspiracy, with their expanding populous and weaponised bodies.

There are differences between the construction of the conspiratorial Muslim as originally conceived by the likes of Hunter and Hurgronje and its re-emergence today. While the idea once simply applied to those Muslims swayed by the foreign strand of Wahhabi Islam or the entreaties of foreign places, like Mecca and Istanbul, todays conspiratorial Muslim knows no such geographic or theological restrictions. The foreignness residing at the heart of potential conspiracy is Islam and thus pertains to all Muslims, not just a select few.

It may very well become commonplace in the coming months and years to lay all the blame at Mr Trumps doorstep for his role in bringing the conspiratorial Muslim to life. But Mr Trump is only the clearest, most outspoken, and candid voice giving it expression.

The idea of the conspiratorial Muslim itself long preceded him. It is the outcome of a staggering array of policies and cultural practices, kept alive by a general complex of power, surveillance, entrapment, and Islamophobic think-tanks that have perpetuated, peddled, and promoted its narration.

There is a system in place premised upon the idea that Muslims are conspiratorial. While a great many Muslims may not feel the full force of its power, they all remain in its sights. Hunter and Hurgronjes caveat that many Muslims are peaceable is now little consolation. We now live in an age where all Muslims are deemed conspiratorial.

Kevin Schwartz is a research fellow at the Library of Congress. He was previously a visiting professor at the United States Naval Academy.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Theresa May announces plans for a clean break from EU bloc and promises that politicians will vote on final Brexit deal.

Britain will leave the European Unions single market but will seek greatest possible access to it as it exits the bloc, Theresa May has announced.

In a highly anticipated speech, the UK prime minister said on Tuesday that it was necessary to make a clean break and not opt for anything that leaves us half-in, half-out because that would mean not leaving the EU at all.

The UK will not hold on to bits of membership, nor seek associate or partial membership of the bloc, she said announcing her plans, but promised that the countrys parliament would get to vote on a final deal on Britains exit from the EU, or Brexit.

I can confirm today that the government will put the final deal that is agreed between the UK and the EU to a vote in both houses of parliament before it comes into force, May said.

The country would seek a phased process for leaving the EU after two years of formal negotiations to avoid a disruptive cliff edge for businesses, she said, adding that she would start the procedures by the end of March.

REACTION TO THERESA MAYS SPEECH: Nicola Sturgeon, Scotlands first minister: The UK government cannot be allowed to take us out of the EU and the single market, regardless of the impact on our economy, jobs, living standards and our reputation as an open, tolerant country, without Scotland having the ability to choose between that and a different future. With her comments today, the prime minister has only succeeded in making that choice more likely. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German foreign minister: We too want the best, closest and most trusting relationship and wish for constructive negotiations with this goal. But our line is, and remains: the negotiations can begin only when Great Britain has given official notification of its desire to leave. Tomas Prouza, Czech secretary of state for EU affairs: UKs plan seems a bit ambitious  trade as free as possible, full control on immigration  where is the give for all the take? Carl Bildt, former Swedish foreign minister and prime minister: Theresa Mays speech indicates that UK is seeking something slightly less than the Ukraine DCFTA [Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement] agreement with the EU. A retreat from Europe. Irish government: She made clear that her priorities include maintaining the common travel area and avoiding a return to a hard border with Northern Ireland, both of which are welcome. Angela Smith, British opposition Labour member of parliament: Theresa Mays speech in one sentence: I want to have my cake and eat it.

It is in no ones interests for there to be a cliff edge for business or a threat to stability as we change our existing relationship to a new partnership with the EU, May said.

By this, I do not mean that we will seek some form of unlimited transitional status in which we find ourselves stuck for ever in some kind of permanent political purgatory.

May also said the UK would seek a new and equal partnership with Europe.

We seek a new and equal partnership between an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU, she said.

May said that the UK would guarantee the rights of EU citizens who were already living in Britain and the rights of the British nationals in other member states.

However, she added: Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe.

Gabriel Siles-Brugge, a lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick, told Al Jazeera that Mays plans for the new deal with the EU were highly unrealistic.

Whats particularly interesting is that she has talked about some sort of new membership [of] the customs union which involves not having to accept the common commercial policy and not having to accept the common external tariffs, he said.

Basically Britain would have some sort of an arrangement whereby it participates in the customs union but in a sense not be bound by all of its rules.

I think that is a very unlikely arrangement.

There was a thinly veiled threat in Mays remarks suggesting that punitive action was not good for either the EU or Britain.

A majority of British voters decided to leave the EU in a referendum in June last year.

May also used her speech to appeal for reconciliation between the 48 percent of those who wanted to stay in the EU and the pro-Brexit 52 percent.

But the gap between remainers and leavers appears as wide as ever.





In a statement, Andrew Blick, a lecturer in politics and contemporary history at Kings College London, said the speech makes the break look less clean than we are being encouraged to believe  From a constitutional perspective, this negotiation is being treated as largely about trade.

In fact, it will have immense consequences for the legal and political system of the United Kingdom.

Possible tax breaks

Philip Hammond, the treasury chief, has suggested Britain would consider offering a break on corporation taxes if necessary, to encourage investment.

Jeremy Corbyn, UK opposition leader, said May appeared to be warning that she was ready to turn the UK into a low-corporate taxation, bargain-basement economy off the shores of Europe if the EU did not give her everything she wanted.

She makes out this is a negotiating threat to the 27 EU countries, but its actually a threat to the British peoples jobs, services and living standards, Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party, said.

The British pound rallied after Mays speech. The currency was recovering from steep losses earlier in the week, trading 2.2 percent higher at $1.2309.

On Monday, it was as low as $1.20, a near 31-year low.
Members of the Free Syrian Army denounced a visit by a former rebel commander to Russia.

Just days before Syria talks start in Kazakhstans capital, Astana, former Free Syrian Army (FSA) commander Mustafa al-Sheikh visited Moscow and met Russian officials.

Sheikh, a former general in the Syrian army, was the highest-ranking officer to defect from the Assad regime forces in late 2011 and was head of FSAs supreme military council.

Over the weekend, FSA members denounced the visit by Sheikh, saying it was not coordinated with them.

[His visit] caused a lot of anger within the FSA because he took an individual decision and this decision does not represent the FSA, FSA officer Hassan Hamada told Al Jazeera.

READ MORE: Free Syrian Army decimated by desertions

[His by Hassan

caused a lot of anger within the FSA because he took an individual decision and this decision does not represent the FSA.]

On January 10, Russias foreign ministry announced that Sheikh and a group of Syrian opposition figures had met Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov to discuss the situation in Syria. Sheikh, who left the FSA in 2013, praised Russias role in Syria in a subsequent press conference broadcast live by Russia Today on January 13.

The intervention of Russia is different from the intervention of the rest of parties involved [that] have other agendas. Russia is a great nation and doesnt need to occupy Syria, said Sheikh during the conference, claiming that he was part of a delegation of Syrian military officers and politicians to discuss ending the war in Syria.

Aleppo became safe haven. I personally hope that [Russia] enters, in the same way it did Aleppo, all other regions [in Syria], he added.

Sheikhs visit came amid negotiations in Ankara between rebel groups, including the FSA, on participation in the Russia-led talks in Astana, and accusations against the Assad regime of breaking the ceasefire.

His statements caused a social media storm, with many accusing him of treason and others suggesting a military trial against him.

READ MORE: Syrias Civil War Explained

Osama Abu Zeid, legal adviser to the FSA, said the FSA rejected what Sheikh said during the news conference and that it caused anger among Syrian revolutionaries because his statements were offensive.

In 2013, Sheikh left the FSA and applied for asylum in Sweden.

During the press conference in Moscow, Sheikh claimed that he was not representing any faction, but that he stood for the will of the Syrian people. In a January 16 post on his personal account on Facebook, Sheikh wrote that he was part of a group of military officers working on a project to save Syria. The project was presented to Russia, which he believed supported the interest of the Syrian people.

Since Russias direct military intervention started in September 2015, the Russian military has attacked positions of various FSA factions across Syria, as Moscow claimed it was fighting only terrorist groups.

A day before the December 30 ceasefire took effect, the Russian defence ministry published a list of Syrian armed opposition groups which it deemed moderate; the list included FSA factions, as well as Ahrar al-Sham.

After five days of negotiations in Ankara, the FSA, along with other groups of the armed Syrian opposition, announced on Monday that they will participate in the Astana talks, scheduled to begin on January 23.

Mohammad Alloush, head of the political wing of Jaish al-Islam, is to lead the delegation, which will sit on the negotiations table with Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

Another round of negotiations is expected to take place in Geneva in February.
Finance, foreign affairs, trade and the environment ministers quit Jammehs government as end of his term looms.

The Gambias ministers for finance, foreign affairs, trade and the environment have resigned from President Yahya Jammehs government, according to ministry sources and state television.

The resignations were announced on Tuesday less than a day after the countrys Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle pulled out of a case filed by Jammeh seeking to stop the inauguration of President-elect Adama Barrow.

Fagbenle said late on Monday that he could not hear the new case, dealing a blow to Jammehs efforts to halt the inauguration of Barrow, who remains in Senegal.

Inside Story: Can a showdown be averted in Gambia?

The inauguration is scheduled for Thursday, when Barrow is expected to return from Senegal.

Given that the injunction affects me in my capacity as the chief justice, I will recuse myself from hearing it, he said.

The motion therefore waits for the constitution of the Supreme Court or allow the judges to arrive in The Gambia.

Edward Gomez, a lawyer for Jammehs party, conceded that it was certainly not possible under these circumstances to have an injunction barring Barrow from being sworn in.

On Tuesday, Moroccos Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar and a top secret service official arrived in The Gambian capital Banjul to hold talks with Jammeh, Al Jazeeras Nicolas Haque reported from neighbouring Senegal.

There have been talks of a possible asylum or exile for Jammeh to an African country, in exchange for him stepping down.

Political turmoil

The small West African country has been plunged into political turmoil since Jammeh disputed Barrows December election victory and refused to cede power.

Jammeh has lodged a challenge to the election result with The Gambias Supreme Court and last week filed a fresh injunction to prevent the chief justice from swearing Barrow into office.

Last week the Supreme Court said Jammehs challenge to the election result could not be heard for several months as it did not have a full bench, and the extra judges needed to hear the case were not available.





The Gambia relies on foreign judges, notably from Nigeria, to staff its courts due to a lack of its own trained professionals.

With tensions running high, Jammeh said on Sunday that he had spoken to Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and was adamant he would not budge until the Supreme Court had heard his challenge to the poll result.

The so-called deadline of January 19, 2017, is not cast in stone and all parties shall await the outcome of the Supreme Court, he said on state television.

Leaders of neighbouring countries and the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, have repeatedly called on the long-serving strongman to leave office peacefully, so far to no avail.

As well as Sirleaf, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Ghanas President John Mahama, who left office 10 days ago, have appealed to Jammeh to step down twice in person, without success, most recently on Friday.

Barrow was the surprise guest at a Bamako summit over the weekend, where he was welcomed as a head of state and introduced to several world leaders.

On Sunday, a personal tragedy struck his family when his eight-year-old son Habibou died after being bitten by dogs, according to a family source.

The prospect of military intervention in The Gambia has even been floated in recent days, following declarations by the United Nations and African Union that boots on the ground could get the green light without a rapid resolution of the crisis.

The head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel said on Friday that ECOWAS would ask the Security Council to approve the deployment of troops to The Gambia if Jammeh continues to refuse to leave office.

On Friday, it was reported that the Nigerian military issued a memo to prepare 800 soldiers for a possible deployment in Gambia. There have also been reports that the Nigerian military has sought training and logistical support from British advisers before any military intervention.

Before his inauguration on Thursday, Barrows special adviser Mai Fatty read a statement on his behalf in Dakar, urging Gambians to exercise restraint, observe the rule of law and not to respond to provocation.
Political crisis deepens as president refuses to step down following defeat in last months presidential election.

The Gambias President Yahya Jammeh has declared a state of emergency, just two days before he is supposed to cede power after losing elections last month.

In a national TV address, Jammeh said on Tuesday the measure was necessary because of the unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign interference in a December 1 presidential vote, which he lost to opposition leader Adama Barrow.

Jammeh also cited external interference in the internal affairs of The Gambia and the unwarranted hostile atmosphere threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country.





The state of emergency, which is supposed to last 90 days, bans acts of disobedience and acts intended to disturb public order.

A former coup leader who has ruled the small West African country since 1994, Jammeh initially conceded defeat but a week later contested the polls results stating irregularities.

Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, is scheduled to take office on January 19.

He insists his inauguration will proceed as planned.

The decision to declare a state of emergency was taken by the national parliament, but the only people who are sitting in parliament are the members of Jammehs political party, Al Jazeeras Nicolas Haque, reporting from neighbouring Senegals capital, Dakar, said.

Haque said the declaration of the state of emergency raised concerns about freedom of speech and arbitrary arrests in the country, as well as the potential implementation of a curfew and the closure of borders.

The Gambia, as of right now, is effectively on lockdown, Haque said.

What is clear is that the state of emergency is supposed to last 90 days, which entails that Jammeh wants to stay in power beyond Thursdays inauguration.

INSIDE STORY: Can a showdown be averted in The Gambia?

Jammeh is refusing to step down despite international pressure and a threat by other West African nations of a military intervention.

He has lodged a challenge to the election result with The Gambias Supreme Court and last week filed a fresh injunction to prevent the chief justice from swearing Barrow into office.

Last week, the Supreme Court said Jammehs challenge to the election result could not be heard for several months as it did not have a full bench, and the extra judges needed to hear the case were not available.

The Gambia relies on foreign judges, notably from Nigeria, to staff its courts owing to a lack of its own trained professionals.

Leaders of neighbouring countries and the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, have repeatedly called on the long-serving rule to leave office peacefully, so far to no avail.

Military and diplomatic sources in Abuja say they are not overthrowing Jammeh, Al Jazeeras Ahmed Idris, reporting from the Nigerian capital, said, but are enforcing the mandate of ECOWAS and the African Union, as well as ensuring that the choice of the Gambian people is realised at the end of Jammehs term.

Theres been a lot of diplomatic and military activity and preparations ahead of the deadline given to Jammeh to leave office.

The announcement of the state of emergency came hours after The Gambias ministers for finance, foreign affairs, trade and the environment resigned from Jammehs government.
Court accepts NPD pursues unconstitutional goals, but says xenophobic outfit is too weak to endanger democracy.

Germanys highest court has rejected a bid to ban the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD), ruling that the xenophobic party poses no threat to democracy due to its dwindling influence.

Judges at the Federal Constitutional Court accepted on Tuesday that the NPD, which is frequently accused of having neo-Nazi links and a racist agenda, pursues unconstitutional goals.

Yet, Andreas Vosskuhle, the courts chief justice, said the partys questionable ideology was not enough to merit a ban, adding that a party would need to be actively working to abolish Germanys free and democratic order.





There is no concrete evidence carrying weight at present to make it appear possible that their actions will lead to success, Vosskuhle said.

He cited the partys political irrelevance, pointing out that it has only a single seat in the European Parliament and that the NPDs election results have in recent years been on a low level.

The head of the World Jewish Congress voiced disappointment at the verdict and warned that the party should not be underestimated.

We must never forget how little time it took Hitler and his party to destroy German democracy, to murder six million Jews and to plunge the entire European continent into mayhem, Ronald S Lauder said in a statement.

The situation today may be different, but there is absolutely no reason to be complacent. Germany must continue to combat the neo-Nazi movement vigorously.

The German parliaments upper house had applied for the ban at the end of 2013.

THE LISTENING POST: German media  Reporting the rise of the right (8:51)

Heiko Maas, the countrys justice minister, said the government respected the verdict, but warned against complacency.

No ban alone would get rid of xenophobia and racism, he said in a statement.

Societys struggle against far-right extremism isnt something others can do for us.

Malu Dreyer, governor of Rhineland-Palatinate state and a member of the upper house, said officials would now focus on finding ways to prevent the NPD from receiving taxpayer funds in the future.

Fully back in business

The NPD celebrated the verdict on Facebook saying it was now fully back in business.

It was the second attempt to ban the NPD.

In 2003, the court rejected a previous application because paid government informants within the group were partially responsible for evidence against it.

Only two parties have been outlawed in West Germany and reunited Germany  the neo-Nazi Socialist Reich Party in 1952 and the German Communist Party in 1956.
Governor of Istanbul says Abdulgadir Masharipov, who was captured on Monday, admitted to killing 39 on New Years Eve.

Istanbuls governor has said a New Years Eve nightclub attack that killed 39 people was carried out on behalf of ISIL and that the suspect, an Uzbekistan national, has confessed.

Vasip Sahin told a new conference on Tuesday it was clear that this was carried out in the name of Daesh, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, also known as ISIS.

Sahin said that Abdulgadir Masharipov, who was arrested on Monday, was believed to have entered Turkey in January 2016, and that he had trained in Afghanistan.

The governor said Masharipovs fingerprints matched those of the attacker.

READ MORE: Turkey has identified Reina nightclub attacker  FM

Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters in Ankara that Masharipov was being questioned by police and expressed hope that the interrogation would unveil the forces behind the attack.

Masharipov was caught late on Monday in a police raid on an apartment in the Esenyurt district, which is on Istanbuls European side.

Photographs from the raid, widely published in the Turkish media, showed a bruised, black-haired man in a gray, bloodied shirt being held by his neck. NTV television said he resisted arrest.

Turkish media initially reported the killer was captured with his four-year-old son, but the governor said the child was not present during the police raid.

Police confiscated $197,000, two weapons and ammunition clips at the apartment.

The state-run Anadolu Agency said a man from Kyrgyzstan and three women  from Somalia, Senegal and Egypt  were also detained in the raid, while Masharipovs son was taken into protective custody.

READ MORE: Inside Istanbuls Reina nightclub after the attack

Anadolu said police carried out raids on members of a suspected Uzbek ISIL cell in five Istanbul neighbourhoods and detained several people.

Authorities have been hunting the attacker for more than two weeks, after the bloodbath on the glitzy Reina nightclub on the shores of the Bosphorus.

Hundreds of people had gathered there to celebrate the end of a tumultuous 2016 only to become the first victims of 2017.

Using a long-barreled rifle, the gunman shot a police officer and a civilian outside the club, before storming the premises.

Most of those killed in the attack were foreign nationals, mainly from the Middle East.
Russia to defend itself against charges it illegally annexed Crimea in suit seeking damages for shelling of civilians.

Ukraine has filed a lawsuit at the UNs top court accusing Russia of sponsoring terrorism and illicitly funding separatist rebel groups  charges Russia denies.

Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, and fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine the following month between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government forces, a conflict in which nearly 10,000 people have been killed.

In the case announced on Tuesday by the International Court of Justice, Ukraine accused Russia of intervening militarily in Ukraine, financing acts of terrorism and violating the human rights of millions of Ukraines citizens.





Ukraine further alleged that the takeover of Crimea brazenly defied the UN Charter, seizing a part of Ukraines sovereign territory by military force.

Russia has repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine.

In Moscow, its foreign ministry was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying that Russia would use all available means of legal defence against the suit.

The filing itself has no direct consequences, though a finding by the court in Ukraines favour could be enforceable in some national courts, theoretically triggering legal steps to freeze or seize Russian assets.

Ukraine also asked the court to order full reparation for the shelling of civilians in certain towns in eastern Ukraine and for the July 2014 downing of flight MH17.

READ MORE: Life in the shadows of the Crimea blockade

In September last year, investigators said that the Malaysian airliner shot down in eastern Ukraine had been hit by a missile launched from an area controlled by Russia-backed rebels.

The findings challenged Russias suggestion that the flight, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was brought down by the Ukrainian military.

All 298 people on board, most of them Dutch citizens, were killed.

No date was immediately announced for hearings in the lawsuit, which is likely to take many months to complete.
Structural problems with the Hardin High School pool moved the state high school swimming meet to Great Falls this year.

While the pool is still open to normal use, Hardin Public Schools Superintendent Dennis Gerke said that they decided to opt out of the heavy use from a state tourney.

The pool was built in 1985 and replaced an older outdoor municipal pool. An architect evaluation was conducted on the pool "because we have severe corrosion in some areas," Gerke said.

After years of wear and tear, as well as chemical use in the pool, moisture has leached into the concrete slabs that encase the structure, Gerke said. The evaluation was conducted in October.

Gerke said the concrete deck and supporting structures need to be replaced on the pool, but the district isn't sure where the money will come from yet.

"We didn't talk about the cost, but of course you're looking probably around a million bucks to get it fixed," he said.

The school district hosts local swim meets, including one for children, Gerke said. The pool also gets regular use from community members as far away as Crow Agency.

The city pays a little into the pool operation, Mayor Jack Lane said, but the school district pays for most of the staffing and maintenance, Gerke said.

This was supposed to serve both city residents and the school district, Lane said of the pools construction.

School officials will meet in the future to determine how the pool will be repaired. Reaching out to the community isn't off the table, he said.

But the cancellation of the state meet was a blow to city, as attendees would have boosted the local economy. Gerke said he hopes plans will come together for a future swim meet.

"That would have been a lot of income for our community," he said.

Lane said the city will try to help fund the pool repairs alongside the school district, but the towns finances are tight. Support infrastructure for the Hardin Generating Station, which lies within Hardins tax increment finance district, was financed with bonds that are now in default.

The Montana High School Association has scheduled the state swim tournament for Feb. 10-11.
Supreme Court says dissident, who helped topple Gaddafi, can sue ex-foreign secretary Jack Straw and MI6 officials.

Britains Supreme Court has rejected a government attempt to stop a former Libyan rebel commander from suing UK officials for their alleged role in his kidnap and rendition.

The decision on Tuesday paves the way for Abdul Hakim Belhadj to take legal action against the then-UK foreign secretary, Jack Straw, and officials from Britains Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6.

The countrys top judges unanimously dismissed the government claim of sovereign immunity and cited Englands medieval constitutional document, the Magna Carta, in their judgement.

No free man shall be taken, or imprisoned, or dispossessed, of his  liberties  or be outlawed, or exiled, or in anyway destroyed, the cited text read.

Belhadj says he and his family were kidnapped in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur in 2004 by CIA agents and then transferred to a black site in Thailands Bangkok before being transferred to Libya, then ruled by Muammar Gaddafi.

UK-Libya rapprochement

Britains MI6 is believed to have been involved in the kidnapping and provided the intelligence necessary for the operation to take place.

The incident occurred during a rapprochement between Western states and Libya, which had until then been considered a pariah state by the US and the UK.

Belhadj, who was accused by Gaddafi of being involved in armed groups, spent several years in a Libyan prison before he was freed as part of an amnesty deal in 2010.

Belhadj took up arms the following year as part of a popular uprising, backed by Western powers, that overthrew Gaddafi in 2011.

Information about the British role in Belhadjs kidnapping came to light when Gaddafis intelligence service offices were ransacked by the rebels.

Q&A: Top NTC commander Abdel Hakim Belhadj

Responding to the judgement, Straw said the accusations of his involvement were yet to be proven in court.

This judgment is about some important points of law, related to how far it is possible to bring into a court process in the UK actions of sovereign states abroad, he said.

However, at no stage so far have the merits of the applicants case been tested before any court. That can only happen when the trial of the action itself takes place.

Straw said that as foreign secretary I acted at all times in a manner which was fully consistent with my legal duties, and with national and international law.

I was never in any way complicit in the unlawful rendition or detention of anyone by other states.

Symbolic compensation

Belhadj, who is now a politician, has offered to drop the case for symbolic compensation of one pound ($1.20) and a formal apology from the British government.

The government bought years of delay by wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds on this appeal, when a simple apology would have closed the case, said Cori Crider, a lawyer for Reprieve, an advocacy group that represents victims of the US rendition programme.

Theresa May [the UK prime minister] should apologise to this family, draw a line in the sand against torture, and restore British honour once and for all.

Hundreds of people suspected by the US government of being involved in terrorism were kidnapped and imprisoned in black sites across the world, in a programme commonly known as extraordinary rendition.

Targets would be kidnapped by intelligence officers and taken to sites in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia, among others.

On several occasions, the US is known to have kidnapped people who have later been proven innocent.

In 2007, the Canadian government paid $10m in compensation to its citizen, Maher Arar, to settle a legal suit over its involvement in his rendition to Syria by US agents.

An Italian court issued an extradition order for 23 CIA officers in 2012 for their alleged role in the kidnapping of an Egyptian imam in Milan.
Golden Dawn politician and his far-right supporters threaten staff for plans to offer classes to refugee children.

Dozens of far-right supporters led by a member of Greeces parliament have stormed a school in the capital, Athens, threatening staff over plans to provide classes to refugee children, according to Greek officials.

Yiannis Lagos, an MP with the Golden Dawn far-right outfit, and other party members hurled abuse and acted with aggressive behaviour towards teachers at the state-run elementary school in Perama, Greeces education ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Todays acts by the Golden Dawn members  will not affect the operation of the school for the refugee children, said Yiannis Pantis, the ministrys general secretary.





Instances of violence and racism have no place in a school environment.

Golden Dawn, an anti-immigrant party, is the third biggest political player in Greece, a country still struggling after more than six years of deepening recession.

The party has taken advantage of a protest vote against domestic political failures and internationally imposed austerity, polling just 0.3 percent in 2009 to winning almost seven percent in the countrys last general election in 2015.

Many of its MPs, including Lagos, and other party members are facing trial on charges that Golden Dawn is run as a criminal organisation.

They have now been freed after the expiration of an 18-month imprisonment period without trial.

Punches, abuse

The Golden Dawn members entered the school during a meeting between local officials, teachers and parents who were scheduled to discuss plans to offer after school classes to 25 refugee children who live in a nearby camp.

After storming the school, the Golden Dawn members threatened those attending the meeting and punched some teachers and parents, according to Greek media reports.

Witnesses also alleged that police stood outside the school, but failed to act to prevent the attack.

Todays attack by Golden Dawn against parents and teachers in Perama, led by indicted MP Lagos, is a provocation for the entire Greek society, Takis Giannopoulos, a member of the Greek activist group Anti-Nazi Zone, told Al Jazeera.

Golden Dawn denies education to 25 children who escaped war.

This fascism cannot be tolerated.

The attack was also condemned by several Greek political parties.

An estimated 62,000 refugees and migrants are currently stranded in Greece following a wave of border closures across Europe after a controversial agreement between the European Union and Turkey in March 2016.
Military says jet accidentally bombed refugee camp in Borno, killing  according to MSF  at least 50 and wounding 120.

Nigerias military says a fighter jet has mistakenly bombed a refugee camp in the countrys northeast, killing dozens of people and wounding scores more, according to aid workers.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at about 9am local time (08:00 GMT) in Rann, in the far north of Borno state, the epicentre of Boko Harams armed campaign, as humanitarian workers distributed food to civilians.

Nigerias air force said a fighter jet was on a mission against Boko Haram fighters when it accidentally struck the camp and killed an unknown number of refugees and aid workers.





But in a statement, aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said the strike had killed at least 50 people and wounded 120.

MSF and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were operating at the camp when it was hit.

The ICRC said via Twitter that six of the dead and 12 of the wounded were working for the Nigeria Red Cross.

A senior military source in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, told AFP news agency the casualties were huge, adding: A fighter jet hit the wrong target.

Probe launched

Nigerian military commander, Lucky Irabor said the accidental bombardment killed some civilians and wounded aid workers, including some Nigerians working for MSF and ICRC.

He said two soldiers were wounded, but he did not have a final toll.

Irabor said he ordered the mission going on geographic coordinates for an alleged gathering of Boko Haram fighters. It was too early to say if a tactical error was made, he said.

INSIDE STORY: Has Boko Haram been defeated? (24:59)

The general, who is the theatre commander for anti-Boko Haram operations in northeast Nigeria, said the air force would not deliberately target civilians, but there will be an investigation.

Senior military officials say an investigation will be launched to find out exactly what happened, if there was any mistake on the part of the pilot or those conducting the operation, Al Jazeeras Ahmed Idris, reporting from Nigerias capital, Abuja, said.

France-based MSF said its workers were trying to provide emergency first aid at its facility in the camp and were stabilising patients to evacuate the wounded from the scene.

Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients. We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following the event, it added.

INTERACTIVE MAP: Boko Haram attacks

Manji Cheto, a security analyst, told Al Jazeera that despite recent improvements in the fight against Boko Haram, the latest incident reaffirms the fact that Nigeria still has so much way to go in terms of boosting the intelligence capacity of its security forces in dealing with this.

The timing is rather unfortunate as well because this is coming on the back of the government actually facing a lot of criticism for doing too little for the internally displaced camps.

The war between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government has killed more than 20,000 people in the past six years. Some two million have also been forced to flee their homes, many of whom have moved to camps because it has been too dangerous to return home.

The air strike came amid an offensive against the armed group by Nigerias military over the last few weeks.

President Muhammadu Buhari said last month a key camp in the groups Sambisa Forest base in Borno state had fallen.
In the first event of its kind, Palestinians in the Chilean capital Santiago participated in a week of events this month, aimed at raising awareness and rallying Palestinians across Latin America.

The weeklong project, led by UK-based Palestinian activist Ziad el-Aloul, involved a delegation of journalists and more than 60 community leaders from across the South American continent, as well as members of the Palestinian collective.

Chile is home to the largest Palestinian minority outside the Middle East, which numbers approximately half a million. Palestinians make up about 2.5 percent of the coastal countrys 17 million population, and constitute a main element of the state with their hands in major banks, real estate, stock market and the agriculture sectors.

Chile was among the first countries to recognise Palestine as an independent, free and sovereign state in 2011.

Al Jazeera spoke with el-Aloul to find out more about the purpose of such a mission.

READ MORE: Chile: Palestinians gather to forge unified diaspora

In Chile, they have a saying: Three things one would definitely find in every city and village: a priest, a policeman and a Palestinian.

Al Jazeera: What are the activities that took place in this week of events?

Ziad el-Aloul: We had a group of journalists who attended a week, mainly centred on awareness, of seminars and workshops. Many of these events were cultural and celebrated the heritage of Palestine; we had exhibitions on the Nakba, Palestinian villages and traditional products.

There were also lectures, and sessions with politicians to discuss how we can unify the Palestinians in Latin America. We met Francisco Chahuan, who is a Palestinian candidate for the Chilean presidency in the next elections. About 60 delegates from 14 different Latin American nations also attended the week of events.

It was mainly about reviving Palestinian identity and reinforce the feeling of attachment to the homeland for Chilean Palestinians.

Al Jazeera: What are you hoping to get out of this trip?

El-Aloul: In Latin America, despite the fact that 99 percent of the Palestinians hail from the same towns in Palestine  Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour  the same families in for example Lima and Santiago do not know each other. That is why we decided to rally these people and unite them under the umbrella of a Palestinian conference.

We aim to work on holding an annual Palestinian conference in Latin America, which will give people a chance to meet and strengthen the community. The next conference will be held in October.

We also want to create a parliamentary group for Palestinian politicians in Latin America to act as a lobbying tool. This group could create political pressure, with their links to northern America and Europe, in the United Nations and so on. These politicians will unite under one umbrella and they will work for Palestine. It will be a group for 300-400 parliamentarians across the continent.

We aim to reach every single Palestinian in the community. We want everyone and their families to focus on their identity and know their homeland  connect with their roots. Most Chileans do not speak Arabic, but if you walk through the streets, you will realise what it means to be attached to your homeland. Palestinians here breathe and live Palestine. They have strong connections, even though they migrated more than a 100 years ago. There are Palestinian restaurants and coffee shops, you see the flag everywhere and stickers of the flag on cars, shops, and so on.

We are also working on getting the Chilean parliament to join the campaign calling for Britain to apologise for the Balfour Declaration on the 100th anniversary of the document in next October.

OPINION: Palestine present more than ever in Latin American politics

Al Jazeera: How influential are Palestinians in Chile? Do you think they could have an impact?

El-Aloul: Ten percent of the Chilean parliament members are of Palestinian descent. They have been here since the 1870s and they worked in the most essential sectors, such as agriculture. They are a part of the countrys history and development. Palestinians own about six banks out of the 10 major ones in Chile.





And when you ask them where they are from, they say that they are Palestinian with pride and fearlessness. When they say Arab in Chile, they mean Palestinian, because there are very insignificant minorities of other Arabs. They are respected here and are a central element of the state.

In Chile, they have a saying: Three things one would definitely find in every city and village: a priest, a policeman and a Palestinian.

Al Jazeera: What was the biggest achievement of this trip?

El-Aloul: These Palestinians have not been active since the 1980s. So this activism is in itself an achievement. Deciding to have a Palestine conference, for which the date has been set in October, and also deciding to have a parliamentary group that would act as a lobby are both big accomplishments.

This group will ultimately be part of the international campaign to pressure the UK to apologise for the crime that it committed [against Palestinians] such as the Balfour Declaration.

We also discussed ways about how this group can put pressure on international governments to end the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip.
Theresa May to signal hard Brexit that will see full break from EU as Britain prepares to leave single market.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to say on Tuesday that she favours a clean break from the European Union, dismissing a half-in, half-out Brexit deal with Brussels.

In a highly anticipated speech, May is likely to give further signals that Britain is heading to what analysts call a hard Brexit.

That direction will be cheered by those who want to leave the European Union, but it will dismay those who fear the impact on Britains economy.

Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out, the prime minister is due to say, according to an extract of her speech circulated in advance to the media by Downing Street.

We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave.

The speech is to be delivered at Lancaster House, a central London mansion that is a showcase for diplomatic functions and major announcements.

It will be dissected for every detail about Mays Brexit strategy, after months of uncertainty.

OPINION: Theresa Mays Brexit gambit

May has repeated a Brexit means Brexit mantra  on one occasion replaced that with a call for a red, white and blue Brexit  while claiming that outlining the governments aims in any detail would give Brussels the upper hand in negotiations.

But recent indicators suggest Britain is heading towards a full break from the EU which entails leaving the single market in order to have full control over immigration.

Downing Street has repeatedly said it wants to secure the best deal for the British economy while allowing for cuts to immigration.

But the EU has been clear that single market access is dependent on allowing the free movement of people.

Sterling falls

The prospect of a hard Brexit has hit sterling.

In early trading on Monday, the British currency plunged to $1.1986, its lowest level since Octobers flash crash that had sent it to a 31-year low of $1.1841. It clawed back some of its losses by early afternoon, to $1.2047.

Philip Hammond, Britains finance minister, adopted a tough line on Sunday, warning that Britain might undercut the EU economically in order to remain competitive if it faces EU tariffs.

Hammond said that he wanted Britain to remain a recognisably European-style economy with European-style taxation systems, European-style regulation systems.

London, though, would have to change course if we are forced, in order to regain competitiveness, he told Germanys Welt am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday.





In recent weeks, May raised the possibility of a transitional deal with Brussels to ease Britains departure from the bloc, a position supported by Bank of England governor Mark Carney.

Britains post-EU prospects were given a verbal boost on Sunday by US President-elect Donald Trump, who said he favoured a quick trade deal with the UK.

But a fast-track bilateral deal with Washington will be difficult in practical terms.

Under EU rules Britain cannot sign trade deals with third party states until it is formally outside the bloc, a position which does not change despite the UK voting to leave.

A two-year negotiating period is foreseen in EU legislation for any country choosing to leave the 28-member bloc, a process which starts by triggering Article 50 of the EUs Lisbon Treaty.

May has promised to formally launch Brexit talks by the end of March and the EUs chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said there should be an agreement in place before the European Parliament elections in 2019.

But even if the prime ministers plan as outlined on Tuesday wins widespread support, legal challenges could still scupper her Brexit timetable.

Britains Supreme Court is due to rule later this month on whether May must seek parliamentary approval before triggering Article 50, which could delay the start of Brexit negotiations.
About 10 years ago , in November 2006, Al Jazeera English was launched. To mark that anniversary, weve created REWIND, which updates some of the channels most memorable and award-winning documentaries of the past decade. We find out what happened to some of the characters in those films and ask how the stories have developed in the years since our cameras left.

In 2011, the worst drought in 60 years threw some 13 million people across the Horn of Africa into crisis. In Somalia, ravaged by two decades of conflict, the consequences were disastrous. Hundreds of thousands starved to death, many of them children.

In the midst of this human catastrophe Fault Lines travelled to Mogadishu to meet refugees who had fled to the most war-ravaged city in the world to escape an even worse fate, and the aid and medical workers struggling to help them.

Fault Lines sought to discover whether aid in this region had become politicised and whether Washingtons preoccupation with terrorism in the Horn of Africa had contributed to the deadly consequences of this disaster.

Nisar Majid, a food security expert and co-author of Famine in Somalia, talks to REWIND about the fallout of the famine and the current situation in Somalia. As aid agencies are warning that five million people in Somalia are again facing acute food shortages due to drought, have lessons been learned?

The situation remains extremely complicated. You still have al-Shabab controlling large parts of southern Somalia and you still have an atmosphere, a difficult operating environment where counterterrorism legislation and the threat of legal action is in place. And where theres a very kind of risk-averse international community who are worried about legal threats, reputational threats by their resources being diverted into the wrong hands  The situation remains very complicated and the political issues always take precedence in the end and it depends on how those dynamics play out.
Claudia Diaz doesnt remember immigrating to the U.S. when she was 3 years old, but her family was only allowed to stay through the wet foot, dry foot policy.

On Thursday, when Diaz learned President Barack Obama ended the policy, which provided Cubans a fast track to citizenship, she felt sad that her aunts and uncles still in Cuba now had fewer options and opportunities to come to the U.S. But then Diaz realized Cubans held a special privilege, she said, which changed her perspective on the matter.

Cubans had this policy when other immigrants are striving just as hard, the 20-year-old UF political science junior said.

Obama announced the policys repeal Thursday, effective immediately, according to the Associated Press. The policy, created in 1995 by former President Bill Clinton, allowed Cubans who reached U.S. soil automatic exile and an expedited residency process.

Because Obama used administrative rule to end the policy, it could be overturned when President-elect Donald Trump takes office. If they had stayed in Cuba, by age 11 Diaz and her brother would have been sent to work camps, their parents would say.

Her parents would do anything for their children to avoid that. Diazs grandfather took his own life after battling with schizophrenia caused by his constant worry over the Cuban government.

This proved to be the final push for Diazs mother to move her family to the U.S. by plane in 2000.

(My family) sold everything, Diaz said.

Diaz said she believes Cubans are no longer coming to America as political refugees  they now just want to make a better life for themselves, which isnt different from other immigrants.

I think the political-asylum seekers had already fled at this point, she said.

Lillian Guerra, a UF Cuban and Caribbean history professor, wrote in an email that U.S.s policy of treating Cubans differently than other Latin Americans fleeing dictatorships was hypocritical.

The revoked policy will cause Cubans upset with the government to take action rather than flee the country, she said.

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I am deeply convinced that the only way Cubans can change Cuba is by taking the power of protest into their own hands  not by escaping to Miami, she said.

@paigexfry

pfry@alligator.org
Lamar Miller never had children of his own, but while he taught at UF for 13 years, he viewed his graduate students as his own.

He was very caring and thought very highly of his students, said Tim Townsend, a UF engineering sciences professor. He was always looking for their best interest.

Miller, a retired UF environmental engineering professor, helped to revive the universitys environmental engineering program in the 1980s, Townsend said. He died in his sleep at Oak Hammock at UF, UFs retirement community, on Jan. 1.

He was 81.

Miller retired in 1996, according to UFs engineering department website. While at the university, Miller was known for being an exceptional professor, said Joseph Delfino, another retired UF environmental engineering professor.

The first time Delfino saw his future friend, Miller was moving into the next-door house with his wife, Juanita Spears. The two quickly became friends and were colleagues at UF for about 15 years.

They were ideal neighbors, very pleasant, always accommodating, Delfino said. We took care of them, they took care of us.

Before coming to UF in 1983, Miller helped write regulations controlling pollutants at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., Delfino said.

Kirk Hatfield, UFs Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment director, said he remembers Millers cut-the-nonsense-and-get-things-done attitude when they did research together.

He was a very friendly, very warm guy, very Southern-gentleman type, Hatfield said.

Townsend was Millers graduate student in 1988, he said. After Miller retired, he recommended for Townsend to replace him, Delfino said.

Townsend remembers the high expectations Miller had for his students, but he knew he was learning from an expert.

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He was a strict instructor, but also someone who was most concerned about us learning the material, said Townsend. His students are still out there all over the United States, still practicing the lessons they learned from him.

@taveljimena

jtavel@alligator.org

Lamar Miller
Though she only spoke to Roselle Derequito a few times, Jonessa Cortes, 22, wept when she talked about the little memories they shared.

Even though I could count those memories on my hand, they meant so much to me, said Cortes, who graduated from UF in August 2016.

Members of UFs chapter of the alpha Kappa Delta Phi sorority held a vigil Friday night to honor the life of their sister Derequito, a UF alumna and Red Cross volunteer who died Jan. 4 after battling neurological problems for about two years. About 50 people attended the vigil on Turlington Plaza to hear stories from those who knew Derequito.

LED candles placed on a table formed the number 41, the number embroidered on Derequitos sorority jacket. The crowd had a moment of silence and signed cards for Derequitos family.

Eleyn Fangonilo, president of aKDPhi, talked about how Derequito was her ate, a Tagalog word meaning big sister. Fangonilo, a 21-year-old UF applied physiology and kinesiology senior, said she met her figurative sister during her freshman year through the Filipino Student Association.

I hope (the vigil is) cathartic, and I hope we can just take time to honor her, Fangonilo said.

Havi Tran, who organized the vigil, said she wanted to provide a space for those impacted by Derequito to grieve, even if some people never met her.

Even though people didnt have a personal tie to her, she is someone who made an impact on this community being an influence in other peoples lives, the 21-year-old said.

Candice Luc, a 20-year-old UF civil engineering junior, said knowing Derequito was an aKDPhi sister connected her to the UF alumna.

Im here to support my sister and to celebrate her life, even if I didnt know her, even if I didnt have special memories with her, Luc said. Were bonded because were all sisters.

@romyellenbogen

rellenbogen@alligator.org

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Kim Le, an 18-year-old biology freshman, signs a condolences card at the vigil for UF alumna Roselle Derequito on Turlington Plaza on Friday evening. About 50 students showed up to the vigil to honor the life of Derequito, which included the sharing of personal stories and a moment of silence.
Some University Police officers will see a 1.5 percent pay increase for the next three years, starting this month. On Friday, the UF Board of Trustees ratified the contract between UF and the Police Benevolent Association, which represents police officers in Florida. Officers and sergeants will see

the salary increase in January 2017, 2018 and 2019. The agreement also allows for a 2 percent merit pay increase, which is unavailable to officers under disciplinary action. The new three-year contract creates more opportunities for officers to take courses at accredited universities and online. For officers to become sergeants, they need a bachelors degree, but hectic work schedules make it diffi

cult to take traditional classes, said UPD Sgt. Timothy Peck. The deal allows the department to stay competitive with other nearby police units, Peck said. Our biggest issue is being competitive with other law enforcement agencies here locally and elsewhere, so that we can attract qualified candidates and also keep qualified officers, he said.

The board also approved of the Florida Clinical Practice Association, Inc buying into the UF Health South Central, LLC, company, which includes Shands teaching hospitals and clinics, after South Central bought assets in Marion County on Dec. 29. The association paid $8 million for partnership with the company, half of the $16 million UF Health South Central paid for the properties, buildings and equipment in Marion County, UF spokesperson Janine Sikes said. David Guzick, the president of

UF Health, said the purchase will help expand its programs in Marion. A cardiology program opened Jan. 4, and orthopedic and radiology practices will open later. Guzick said the investment in these areas will help doctors with the clinical practice continue research and provide education. We also have a responsibility, and its part of our mission to serve our communities, Guzick said.

@romyellenbogen

rellenbogen@alligator.org
Efforts to halt the implementation of federal rules on venting and flaring methane on public land failed Monday in a federal court in Casper.

Opponents of the Bureau of Land Managements new flaring rule hoped the court would grant a preliminary injunction, which would keep the regulations from going into effect Tuesday.

The judges decision applies to multiple requests for a preliminary injunction, from Wyoming, North Dakota and industry groups.

Those groups each argued that the BLM overstepped its authority by developing the rules, which among other things require companies to increase inspections and use new technologies to reduce leaks of methane gas.

Air quality issues, they argue, are addressed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

However, advocates on environmental causes, like the Environmental Defense Fund, say the BLM did have a reason to enforce greater measures against wasted gas, as stewards of public resources. The reduction in emissions that impact air quality is a collateral bonus, they said.

BLMs standards will help prevent the waste of valuable natural gas, and that will increase money that can be used for schools and important infrastructure while simultaneously helping to protect the health of communities living in close proximity to oil and gas development, said Peter Zalzal, lead attorney for EDF.

The Western Energy Alliance, which brought the first lawsuit against the rule in November, will continue to fight the rule in the courts, its president said in a statement Monday.

While were disappointed that we didnt convince the judge to stay the rule at this time, we remain confident that when he considers the full merits of the case he will agree this rule is unlawful federal overreach, said Kathleen Sgamma, Alliance president.

The group maintains that air quality and emissions standards should be governed by states and the EPA.

Though a setback for opponents, Monday's ruling may ultimately not matter. The flaring rule has been mentioned by congressional leaders as one of many recent regulations they intend to repeal.
Underneath the yellow-rose-covered hat topped with two large white feathers, Jessika Cooney is a shy 18-year-old who plays the flute and watches anime with her identical twin sister, Sara.

Jessika, a UF psychology freshman, was dressed as Doll from the manga Black Butler. Wearing a short highlighter-orange wig, Sara was Princess Tutu, from the anime of that name.

The twins partcipated in SwampCon, a two-day, on-campus gathering of anime, video game and tabletop game fans who take on new personas as a way to detach from reality with thousands of their peers.

Youre able to be yourself without fear, said Derek Delago, the SwampCon main event coordinator. Its an escape.

On Saturday and Sunday, more than 3,000 people from around Florida gathered for SwampCons sixth year and the first convention held in the newly renovated Reitz Union. The event, hosted by Gator Anime, engulfed the entire building and included a rave, drag show, costume contest and live-action role-playing battles, he said.

Delago, 22, wore a spiked silver wig and black jumpsuit, representing Guzma, the villain from the Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon video games. Even though Delago graduated from UF in Fall, he said he helped coordinate the convention as he applied to graduate schools.

I love this stuff, and I wouldnt miss it for the world, he said.

To put on the convention, which cost more than $7,000, about 80 staff members and volunteers worked more than five months in advance, Delago said.

In addition to fundraising, money was supplied through allocations from UFs Student Activities and Involvement and Student Government. The event was free to the public, he said.

While some bought costumes, other participants created their outfits from scratch.

Lacey, who asked that her last name not be used, stayed up until 4 a.m. Sunday putting the final touches on her Saber Alter costume, a servant character from the anime Fate/stay night. While wearing a black, armored dress, she carried a sword with a glowing-red design.

As a graphic designer, Lacey, said she uses cosplay for a creative outlet and a break from her day-to-day life.

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Were all fairly normal people, she said.

@paigexfry

pfry@alligator.org

Lacey, who asked that her last name not be used, poses for a portrait on Sunday. Lacey dressed as Saber Alter, a character from the anime Fate/stay night.
A Gainesville woman bit two bouncers at Fat Daddys on Monday, Gainesville Police said.

Desiree Alexandra Estrada

At about 1:10 a.m., Desiree Alexandra Estrada, 25, forced herself into the Midtown bar, located at 1702 W. University Ave., but bouncers denied her entrance, according to a police report. When one bouncer tried to escort Estrada out, she scratched and bit him on his right arm.

She punched a bouncer in the face before another bouncer intervened, and then she bit the other bouncers forearm, according to the report.

Estrada said she is currently a student in UFs English Language Institute.

After her arrest, she told police she wasnt drunk, according to the report. She also told police her father was a lawyer in Miami.

Estrada was previously arrested on charges of trespassing and simple battery at Fat Daddys on April 8, 2016 after biting two bouncers, according to the report.

Police asked her not to return to the bar, according to the report.

One of the bouncers, Bernard Nicholas Lascola, said Estrada began assaulting him after he tried to escort her out of the bar.

She had done this before, I heard, he said. She bit another one of our bouncers, but he didnt press charges or anything.

Estrada was arrested on charges of simple battery, resisting arrest and trespassing. Authorities took her to Alachua County Jail, where she was released Monday morning on her own recognizance.

Ill take full responsibility, she said. I couldnt control myself, unfortunately.

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@merylkornfield

mkornfield@alligator.org
Fresh off a 14-hour ight from South Korea, where they were once held captive, two puppies found a new home in Gainesville on Monday.

Bernard and Louie, two 3- to 4-month-old Jindo mix puppies, were rescued  along with about 200 other dogs  from a meat farm in Wonju, South Korea, primed to become someone elses next meal. On Monday, huddled together in a cage wearing pink sweaters, the dogs seemed at ease in their new environment.

The Humane Society International liberated the dogs in December, and they had been kept in a temporary Korean shelter until they could be approved and transported to parts of the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom, said Chrissy Sedgley, the director of operations for the Alachua County Humane Society.

Were really happy that theyre here because it brings awareness for not only these dogs, but all the dogs in our program, Sedgley said.

Six Florida shelters that are part of the Humane Society of the United States Emergency Placement Partner program took in dogs.

It would be very unusual for us to take in animals that are international, said Margot DeConna, the director of development for the Alachua County Humane Society. Since it was just a small number  just two animals  we did agree to take in two dogs, but normally our mission is much more locally focused.

This is the sixth dog meat farm rescue the Humane Society International has organized in the past year, DeConna said. She said the Alachua County Humane Society has worked with the Humane Society of the United States on three different rescue operations in the past two years.

She said those rescues focused on dog fighting rings and puppy mills. Sedgley said today the puppies will be examined by the humane societys vet, microchipped, neutered and then put up for adoption.

Despite not knowing their behavior, watching Bernard and Louie sit calmly, wagging their tails, Sedgley said she didnt think it would take too long until they could be put up for adoption.

We werent sure what kind of experiences theyve had before coming to us, she said. But these guys seem really well socialized and easy going, so I dont think itll be long until they find a home.

@Mary_Lou_W

mwatkinson@alligator.org

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Chrissy Sedgley, the director of operations at the Alachua County Humane Society, and Margot DeConna, the director of development, hold Bernard and Louie, 3- to 4-month-old jindo mixes inside the examination rooms at the shelter on Jan 16. DeConna said, originally, she thought the two dogs might need time to be socialized before being adopted, but after seeing them, DeConna said the dogs might get adopted sooner. I think theyre going to be highly, highly adoptable, she said.
The student-body president of Santa Fe High School will meet with the president of the United States this March.

Sydney Honeycutt, 17, was selected by U.S. Senate Youth Program to be one of two student delegates from Florida and one of 100 students nationwide to spend the first week of March in the District of Columbia and meet the president, a supreme court justice and multiple U.S. senators.

I had no idea that I was going to be able to have this opportunity, so I was shocked, Honeycutt said.

Honeycutt said although she wasnt eligible to vote in November, she was happy when Trump won, and she wouldve voted for him if she were old enough.

Im just excited to introduce myself, to just say hello, she said. Not many people can say they met the president.

Last year, Nii Soja Torto, a Duke University freshman and graduate of Eastside High School, was selected to be one of Floridas delegates.

The program itself is really rooted in exposing us to public service, the 18-year-old said. I would honestly call it a transformative experience.

Torto said if he could give Honeycutt any advice for the upcoming experience, it would be to keep a detailed journal.

I really just advise her to take it all in, and even though its going by so fast, to take it slow and really reflect by writing journal entries about everything she did that day, he said.

@molly_vossler

mvossler@alligator.org

Sydney Honeycutt

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Martin Luther King Jr., the 1963 March on Washington, I have a dream: Were all familiar with the story. Every third Monday in January, we observe and honor the man who fought racism and paved the way for civil rights  at least, this is what most can say about him. Its not a bad description, by any means. Its quite beautiful, actually. The thing is, that tweet-length description of Kings legacy is incomplete. Grossly incomplete. King wasnt simply this saintly  gure weve come to martyrize: the Santa Claus-i cation of King, as renowned social-justice activist Cornel West describes. Close your eyes for a minute and conjure your image of King. Youll likely imagine that August day when King stood before hundreds of thousands of people and told the world about his dream: one of the greatest moments in our countrys history,

a moment were all familiar with. But think to yourself, how much do you know of King after that speech? The man lived for another four and a half years. Why dont we know more about that time? How is it we know so little about one of the most revered  gures in American history? Everyone praises the 1963 King, the I-have-a-dream King. Yet we forget the 1967 King, the King who vehemently opposed the Vietnam War, got right under President Lyndon Johnsons skin for going too far, called his country the greatest purveyor of violence in the world, organized a Poor Peoples Campaign to eradicate poverty (refusing to stop with his spotlight in 1963 and 1964) and braved attacks and smear from not only conservatives, but even the liberals of the day.

The New York Times editorial response to Kings April 1967 anti-Vietnam sermon read, Dr. King makes too facile a connection between the speeding up of the war in Vietnam and the slowing down of the war against poverty. Lyndon Johnson reportedly responded with, What is that goddamned n----- preacher doing to me? We gave him Civil Rights we gave him Voting Rights we gave him the War on Poverty. What more does he want? The FBI would reportedly keep watch over King and wire-tap his hotel rooms after the "I-have-a-dream" speech, among other reasons, up until Kings assassination in April 1968. King isnt a hero because he had a dream in 1963. He wasnt a dreamer; he was a

doer. King saw that injustice remained in 1967, when so many others felt complacent. Racism, war and poverty were not distinct issues for King; they were all threats to the human spirit, threats that were not bigger than any of us, but rather within our power to end. King viewed justice (for all people, all around the world) as a reality, not a liberal dream. And he lived and died to make that so-called dream a tangible reality to be fought for and achieved. That is Kings legacy. Not a dream, but a struggle, a conversation, a  ght he started and one hed expect us to  nish. Next April will mark 50 years since his death. Are you satis ed with how weve honored his legacy? Im not. And if you arent either, then dont just dream for better days: Make them. Thats how, in my view, you honor King.

David Hoffman is an Alligator copy editor and former opinions editor.
On January 17, President Xi Jinping attended the opening session of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017 in Davos and delivered a keynote speech. In his speech, President Xi announced Chinas plan to host the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in May this year, which aims to discuss ways to boost cooperation, build cooperation platforms and share cooperation outcomes. The forum will also explore ways to address problems facing global and regional economy, create fresh energy for pursuing inter-connected development and make the Belt and Road initiative deliver greater benefits to people of countries involved.

(Source: Peoples Daily)
SDX Energy set to acquire Circle Oils Egypt and Morocco assets

A non-binding heads of terms agreement has been signed, and it gives SDX 30 days exclusivity to finalise a deal.

Circle Oils AIM quoted shares were suspended in June amid financial turmoil and its investors were warned a number of times through the second half of 2016 that there would be little or no value left for equity holders.

Whilst Circles debt problems have long been publicised the groups asset base appears to have remained attractive to Egypt based consolidator SDX Energy.

"We have made clear our firm intentions to create shareholder value by growing SDX into a profitable mid-tier E&P company, said SDX chief executive Paul Welch.

Circle's assets present an attractive opportunity to add material production and reserves at an attractive price.

Welch added: We remain excited about the near term activities from our existing portfolio, including the near term South Disouq exploration well, and look forward to keeping our shareholders appraised of all developments."

The proposed Circle Oil acquisition is subject to due diligence, SDX completing an equity funding, and other customary conditions.

SDX told investors that there can be no guarantee that the either an acquisition or equity fundraising will proceed.

Operationally, the group said it is entering into an exciting period with drilling slated at the high impact South Disouq exploration project in early 2017, and workover programmes due to further enhance the groups existing production activities.

SDX Energy may be poised for its best ever year

In November, a quarterly results statement provided further evidence that the Egypt focussed petroleum firm has weathered the worst of the storm.

Thanks to a quality asset base comprising low-cost production it has been able to keep tight grip on its operations and, crucially, being debt free kept the group away from the perils that befell Egypt peers such as Petroceltic and Circle Oil in 2016.

We couldnt control oil prices but we could control costs, chief executive Paul Welch told Proactive Investors.

We could keep costs down, at less than US$10 a barrel, and so that meant even in the low, low price environment seen in February we were still cash-flow positive at asset level.

Welch added: We were cashflow positive, we didnt have any debt. We were much stronger into this downturn than perhaps some other companies were.

At the moment the financials are a bit of a distraction for investors who are more readily anticipating new of upcoming drilling in the South Disouq exploration project which is located in an exciting area of the Nile Delta.

South Disouq is located at the southern fringe of whats known as the Abu Madi-Baltim, a trend that is already host to major gas projects  estimated to have 6.3 trillion feet of gas and a 100mln barrels of liquids.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the primary target here is gas, indeed the concession is presently estimated to contain some 1.3 trillion cubic feet of resource potential. New seismic work, which is still being interpreted, has however unearthed an unexpected blue sky opportunity.

This years 3D seismic indicates deeper exploration prospects which, significantly, could hold oil rather than gas.

It adds a new dimension to South Disouq, and is suspected to be the reason the project has suddenly got the attention of high-calibre operators that are now interested in taking a stake in the project.

SDX has 55% of South Disouq, its share of drilling costs are already carried by its partner, and according to chief executive Paul Welch a second farm-out wasnt part of the plan  nonetheless, the names that have been enquiring causes some pause for thought.

Weve been approached by some very serious companies, Welch added.

www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk
JACKSON, Wyo.  A potential settlement between Teton County and a property owner would mean fence poles too close to the Snake River would be removed by next summer.

The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that the settlement would end a long fight between the county and Owl Creek Retreat LLC. Owl Creek put up a fence in 2014 to keep trespassers off its property, but the county said the fence was placed in river and wetlands areas.

Owl Creek removed the horizontal part of the fence last fall but argued that the poles didn't violate county regulations.

Teton County Deputy Attorney Erin Weisman said the settlement calls for the removal of most of the posts but would allow one to be kept every 50 feet. County commissioners will consider the settlement on Tuesday.
On January 17, President Xi Jinping attended the opening session of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017 in Davos and delivered a keynote speech. In his speech, President Xi stressed that blaming economic globalization for the world's problems is inconsistent with reality and unhelpful to solving the problems. He emphasized the need to adapt to and guide economic globalization, cushion its negative impact, and deliver its benefits to all countries and all nations; the need to act pro-actively and manage economic globalization as appropriate so as to release its positive impact and rebalance the process of economic globalization; the need to follow the general trend, proceed from our respective national conditions and embark on the right pathway of integrating into economic globalization with the right pace; and the need to strike a balance between efficiency and equity to ensure that different countries, different social strata and different groups of people all share in the benefits of economic globalization.



(Source: Peoples Daily)
Ambrotypes Collection Inventory The American Antiquarian Society's photograph collection includes approximately one hundred and fifty ambrotypes. Ambrotypes became popular in the mid-1850s, and were much less expensive to produce than daguerreotypesAmbrotypes became popular in the mid-1850s, and were much less expensive to produce than daguerreotypes. The low-contrast images are sometimes difficult to distinguish from cased tintypes, unless the black background material is damaged.

Audubon's Birds of America: An AAS Illustrated Inventory This resource provides access to the color plates inside lithographer Julius Biens rare edition of Audubons Birds of America, published in 1860 in New York. The Bien volume was produced entirely in America, unlike the famous 1838 engraved edition, which was printed in Scotland and England by W.H. Lizars and Robert Havell. Begun seven years after the death of John James Audubon, the Bien set was intended to provide a more affordable edition of the Birds of America, appropriate for educational institutions.

Charles Peirce Collection Illustrated Box List Satirical prints published in London during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries were presented in various ways for a growing consumer audience. This illustrated inventory consists of 65 British and American satirical prints published between 1796 and 1807. Well-known British caricaturists James Gillray (1757-1815), Isaac Cruickshank (1756-1811) and Charles Williams (active 1797-1830), are well represented with colored social satires.

Daguerreotypes Collection Inventory The American Antiquarian Society's photograph collection includes nearly 230 daguerreotypes. Daguerreotypes, the first commercial form of photography, appeared in America around the year 1839. These were produced by first sensitizing a polished silvered copper plate with iodine vapor, and then exposing the plate to light.

David Claypoole Johnston Family Illustrated Box List David Claypoole Johnston (1799-1865) is a noted cartoonist and humorist, who also worked in watercolor, charcoal and oil. The David Claypoole Johnston Family Box List consists of 28 boxes of material dating from 1799 through the early twentieth century, and spans two generations.The collection consists of approximately 50 watercolors, two states of three of his most famous cartoons (including colored proofs, engravings and watercolors), pencil, pen, ink and wash drawings, and working pieces.

Drawings Collection Inventory The American Antiquarian Societys drawings collection consists of over 550 drawings in graphite, pen, ink and wash, chalk, watercolor and charcoal ranging in size from items used as bookmarks to large landscapes intended for display in the home; there are also over a dozen sketchbooks. The collection ranges from the late 1700s to the early twentieth century, with the bulk dating from the mid-nineteenth century. For the most part, the works in this collection are by amateurs, not professional artists, and they are representative of similar collections stashed away in local historical societies and other libraries.

European Political Print Collection Inventory This fully illustrated inventory of over 200 graphic arts items dating from 1720 to 1843 represents a traditionally out of scope area of the Societys major collections, but it remains a rich resource for those studying the cultural capital of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. While the advent of American caricatures and cartoons is found with Paul Revere, William Charles and the comic popularity of David Claypoole Johnston, this collection traces the source of such artists to the Transatlantic world. Titled the European Political Print Collection, the pieces are of British, French, German and Dutch origin, and feature content in various languages. Some of the prints are hand-colored and others have text or poems beneath referencing the visual material; the processes represented are mezzotint, aquatint, engraving and etching.

Farber Gravestone Collection The Farber Gravestone Collection is an unusual resource containing over 13,500 images documenting the sculpture on more than 9,000 gravestones, most of which were made prior to 1800, in the Northeastern part of the United States. The late Daniel Farber of Worcester, Massachusetts, and his wife, Jessie Lie Farber, were responsible for the largest portion of the collection. This online version of the Farber Gravestone Collection is sponsored by AAS. The website and online image database have been created by David Rumsey and Cartography Associates.

Hawaiian Engravings Collection Inventory One of the unusual portions of the Hawaiian Collection is an assortment of more than thirty engravings produced by students at the Lahainaluna School on the island of Maui. A mission press was introduced at this institution about 1828 and was used to provide male students with instructions in the skills of engraving and printing. No complete inventory of Lahainaluna engravings has been made, but the number reported in various locations exceeds 100. A checklist made by George T. Lecker in 1927 records thirty-three maps and fifty-seven sketches of houses and landscapes, only one of which is of a non-Hawaiian subject. A view of the town common of Holden, Massachusetts, circa 1840, as sketched from memory by Edward Bailey, a teacher at the school and a native of Holden, is included in the collection.

Images of Worcester This collection of 180 glass plate negatives document the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, as it looked from about 1905 to 1910. Included here are views of more than thirty city churches, buildings associated with Memorial Hospital, bucolic views of nearby Lake Quinsigamond, and bustling street sceens of downtown Worcester. A handful of images document the April, 1910 visit of President William Howard Taft to the city. Many of these negatives were likely used to print photographic postcards, which Wohlbruck was producing at this time.

Isaiah Thomas Broadside Ballads Project With over 800 images and 300 mini-essays, this site offers a unique and comprehensive view of the broadsides that Isaiah Thomas (1749-1831) collected in early nineteenth-century Boston. Each broadside includes a brief explanation of its content by Kate Van Winkle Keller.

McLoughlin Bros. Catalogues, Price Lists, and Order Forms Inventory The catalogs, prices lists, and order forms from the McLoughlin Bros. Collection are available as pdf files. Digital copies have been made since each item is extremely fragile.

Painted Portraits, Miniatures and Sculpted Portrait Busts This inventory illustrates over 160 of the Society's painted portraits, miniatures and sculpted portrait busts. Use the thumbnail gallery with reduced-sized images to browse the collection.

Paul Revere Collection Inventory Paul Revere. The name evokes much for historians, silver collectors, art historians and printmakers. Among his other trades were dentistry, ventures into an iron and brass foundry, innovator of rolled copper and, of course, ardent patriot. While Revere (1735-1818) is most famously known for his legendary midnight ride as well as his three-dimensional wares, his prints and works on paper remain some of the most iconic images of the late eighteenth-century. The Society's collection contains separately published prints, currency, receipts and bookplates, illustrations and plates, and political pieces. The inventory provides are titles, sheet and plate sizes, approximate dates, subject-tags, links to bibliographic records and detailed descriptions as well as images for both viewing and downloading. To keyword search or browse across the collection, we have also provided a searchable PDF of the entire inventory as well as a thumbnail gallery with reduced-sized images.

Personal Photographs of Theodore C. Wohlbruck This collection contains 164 glass plate negatives taken by the photographer Theodore C. Wohlbruck (18791936). It includes images of the Wohlbruck family, the construction of their home in Worcester, Mass., and their travels.

Photographs 17th and 18th Century Structures in Massachusetts Harriette Merrifield Forbes (1856-1951) was a Worcester author and historian. From 1887 to 1945, she photographed seventeenth and eighteenth century structures throughout central and eastern Massachusetts. Her images, preserved as 853 negatives (mostly glass plate negatives), have been digitized and cataloged as part of a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.

Photographs of North American Indians, 1850-1900: An AAS Illustrated Inventory This illustrated inventory highlights a small collection of nineteenth-century photographs Indigenous peoples of North America. The collection was compiled as a resource decades ago, long before the creation of the Societys online catalog, and represents just a fraction of the resources documenting Indigenous people in AAS collections.

Photographs of the New England Fair by B.T. Hill: An AAS Illustrated Inventory The American Antiquarian Society contains a collection of glass plate negatives taken by Benjamin Thomas Hill (1863-1927), at the Worcester County Agricultural Society's fairgrounds in the early decades of the twentieth century. The photographs depict the fairgrounds behind Norton Company in the citys Greendale neighborhood. The fairgrounds were lost about 1947 when Norton Company bought the land and expanded its business.

Photographs of Tuskegee Institute: An AAS Illustrated Inventory The American Antiquarian Society holds a small collection of fifty-six photographs depicting life in and around Tuskegee Institute, in Tuskegee, Alabama, ca. 1890-1915, taken by an unknown photographer. The campus, now known as Tuskegee University, of the school is depicted here during the tenure of the schools first president Booker T. Washington. Here, African-American students, both male and female, are seen in the various schools on campus learning practical skills including nursing, dairy, sewing, teaching, farming (cotton and sugar cane), mattress making, blacksmithing, printing and laundering. The collection also includes group portraits of students and teachers. There are also images of the other buildings on and near the school's campus, including former slave quarters and a plantation house.

Printed Ribbon Badges: An AAS Illustrated Inventory The American Antiquarian Society collects printed materials of all kinds, including ephemera such as printed ribbon badges. The Societys collection of printed ribbons featured in this illustrated inventory includes over 170 badges ranging in date from 1824 to 1900 and includes ribbons worn to welcome Lafayette during his 1825-26 visit to the United States, mourning badges sold during the funeral of John Quincy Adams, and celebratory ribbons worn during the dedication of the Bunker Hill Monument. In the nineteenth century, ribbon badges were engraved, lithographed, or run through relief letterpress presses. Some printers, after seeing the profitability of printing on silk and other fabrics, soon specialized in the trade and hired skilled artists like Peter Maverick to create the visual images that characterize many of the earliest examples.

Reclaiming Heritage: Digitizing Early Nipmuc Histories from Colonial Documents This online exhibition effectively creates a digital archive of several Algonquian-language printed books and pamphlets, or wussukwhonk as they are called in the Nipmuc language, chosen for the value they add to current language reclamation work taking place in Nipmuc country. The manuscript collections featured here include town records, land deeds, and account books from English settlements established on Nipmuc homelands in the southern part of the area now referred to as Worcester County.

Silhouettes: An AAS Illustrated Inventory The American Antiquarian Society collection of portraits contains 209 silhouettes. Silhouettes are profile portraits made of paper that became popular in the mid-eighteenth century in Europe. Generally the profile of the sitter is cut out of white paper and the resulting shape is then mounted on glossy black paper or black fabric. These portraits became very popular in the United States during the early nineteenth century. Itinerant silhouette cutters traveled up and down the eastern seaboard advertising in American newspapers and making likenesses of a wide variety of citizens from all walks of life. Within the collection are traditional silhouette cuttings on black paper, hollow-cut silhouettes with black paper or fabric underneath, and painted silhouettes. Some have been partially cut, allowing for ink and watercolor detailing to be added.

The Letters of Abigail Adams: An AAS Illustrated Inventory The American Antiquarian Society (AAS) holds a collection of over 200 letters written by Abigail Adams. The letters in this collection are addressed almost exclusively to Abigails sister Mary and Marys daughter, Lucy Cranch Greenleaf (1767-1846). The text of many letters has been unavailable online until now. This illustrated inventory also marks the first time digital images of these letters have appeared online.

Tintype Collection Inventory The American Antiquarian Society's photograph collection includes over two hundred tintypes. Tintypes, also known as ferrotypes or melainotypes, were produced from the mid-1850s until as late as the mid-1930s. They were less expensive and more durable than either daguerreotypes or ambrotypes, and quickly became the most popular form of early photography. The image consists of a collodion positive fixed to a thin plate of varnished iron. The name "tintype" is derived from the tin shears used to cut the image from a larger sheet.
On Sunday, January 15, top diplomats from as many as 70 nations, led by the departing United States secretary of state, John Kerry, gathered in Paris to express once again their sick obsession with the creation of a Palestinian State at the expense of Israel.

With all the recent catastrophic challenges facing the Middle East, Europe, and the world, such as brutal wars of massive death and destruction, terrorism, and an ever-deepening refugee crisis, the international community has accepted the invitation of French President Francois Hollande to come together again to hammer out what despite all logic, they seem to think is the most monumental challenge facing the world today: the two-state solution. Sadly, the Obama administration, with Kerrys anti-Israel speech and failure to veto an anti-Israeli UN Security Council Resolution, seems to have made a decision to spend its last few weeks galvanizing the international community to isolate and scapegoat the Jewish State and the only democracy in the Middle East.

History teaches us that after evil entities and ideologies finish with the Jews, they then go after everyone else. The establishment of a Palestinian state or even the total destruction of the only Jewish State will not stop the Islamist Jihadi cancer from spreading throughout Europe and the world. This enemy opposes the whole civilized world while Western nations foolishly focus on appeasing it in regard to pressuring Israel to sacrifice its security.

The international community must wake up soon and acknowledge the truth that a religious war is in progress between Radical Islam and the civilized, democratic, and free Western world, which includes Israel. Israel has been in the forefront of the war on Jihadist terror because it is a Western, democratic, nation located in the barbaric, primitive, Islamist neighborhood where Radical Islam originated.

For many years, Israel, has been trying to explain to Western nations, including the U.S., France, and other European Countries, that the root of the Israeli-Arab Palestinian conflict is extreme Muslim indoctrination to jihad, violence, and hatred against them. However, the West seems to dismiss this argument as an excuse and insists that the roots and the causes of the anti-Israel terrorism and violence have been Israels own actions and policies. These actions include the so-called occupation of Palestinian lands by Israel, the Jewish settlements, poverty, and a sense of humiliation and hopelessness among the Palestinians. But much worse, they have irrationally convinced themselves that the root cause of the anti-West and anti-European hatred and terrorism by European-born Muslims is the Palestinian-Israel conflict, and that solving the conflict by pressuring Israel for concessions will bring peace to Europe, the West, and the world.

However, the international community should know by now that throwing Israel under the bus through condemnations, product labeling, boycotting, and divestment will not save it from Radical Islam. Associating with, sympathizing with, and granting concessions to other radical Islamist players such as Iran, Assads Syria, Hamas, Hizballah, and the Palestinian Authority, only reassures Islamists that Europe and the world is not serious about defeating Muslim terror and eventually can be weakened and defeated by it.

Otherwise, how do you explain the fact that since the attacks in France in January two years ago, where French-born Muslims killed dozens of people in different locations, the French government has been single-mindedly using its diplomatic efforts to advance the Palestinian cause by punishing and isolating the Jewish State, instead of uniting a world effort to advance the cause of defeating the Islamists and their sympathizers?

How do you explain the fact that the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution 14 to 0 to condemn Israeli settlement activity of building homes, schools, and kindergartens in their own historical ancestral land they have lived in for thousands of years while refusing to pass one resolution against the genocide of Yazidis, Christians, and fellow Muslim in Syria and Iraq? How do you explain the disgraceful scene following Obamas betrayal of Israel, where members of the council clapped and cheered during the same week that Aleppo community in Syria was massacred by the Syrian army, Iran, Hizballah, and the Russians?

How do you explain that not one righteous democratic, civilized nation, including the U.S., Britain, France, or Spain, voted against the resolution, which called the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, and the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem Palestinian occupied territories despite the well-known historical fact that Jerusalem was in all of history only the capital of the Jewish state? How do you explain that countries such as Senegal, Venezuela, and Malaysia, who have no connection to the property dispute in the Middle East, felt so passionate about the issue to sponsor the resolution, despite their own dark history of tyranny and oppression of their own people?

How do you explain that New Zealand decided to sponsor the resolution that pronounced settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 to be illegal despite their own history as a colonialist state founded on the theft of the indigenous Maori land and slaughter of their population to build their own new settlements?

How do you explain the Obama administration betraying its closest ally in the Middle East for the sake of the Palestinians Arabs, after abandoning the Iraqi Sunnis when it ordered the withdrawal of all American soldiers from Iraq leading to the creation of ISIS? The same administration that took no action against Assad when he used chemical weapons against his own Sunni rebels in Syria.

How do you explain that a few days after the resolution, John Kerry harshly called the democratically elected Israeli government the most right-wing in the countrys history and said it is driven by an extremist settler agenda while saying nothing about the fact that the Palestinian presidents term expired in 2009 and since then he has cancelled many elections and tightened his corrupt grip on power by purging his rivals and suffocating freedoms?

For the Palestinians and other jihadists, the motivation for their actions is very clear. They are engaging in an end of days clash between the Muslim world characterized by tyranny, martyrdom, Sharia law, and the Quran, and the Western world of individual liberties, freedoms, equality, the rule of law, and value for life.

The American voters understood this clash and the fallacy of Obamas obsession with appeasing Islamist enemies and undermining and betraying its greatest ally in the Middle East by rejecting his foreign policy legacy and voting for Trump. How much more bloodshed is necessary for Europe and the United Nations to understand that even if the West would stop supporting Israel and condemn and boycott it daily, there would still not be peace with radical Islam but just an invitation to more terror?

We can hope that the Paris Conference was the last hurrah of a hypocritical anti-Semitic world. After January 20, the Palestinian leaders, France, Europe, and the United Nations will face a new American president who has expressed nothing but support for Israel and nominated an ambassador to Israel who understands the dangers of a Palestinian state, the importance of Jewish settlements to Israeli security, and supports moving the American embassy to Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish state.

Shoula Romano Horing , born and raised in Israel. Her blog: www.shoularomanohoring.com
Seventy-six-year-old Congressman John Lewis once did something so heroic, so noble, that it helped to change the course of a nation for the better. The Georgia Democrat was beaten up savagely by white Southern racists in 1965, and everyone appreciates very much his personal sacrifice to advance civil rights.

But what has this radical leftist blowhard done for America lately?

Like the civil rights movement he served, he has become corrupt and destructive. He is a hateful old man who lies about his political adversaries and spews ugliness.

At what point does this man, who has been dining out on his good deeds for more than a half-century, have to account for the truly awful, anti-American things he has done?

To be clear, Lewis is revered by Americans of all political stripes, and rightly so, because, among other things, he helped to run the Mississippi Summer Project for voter registration back in 1964, when Democrats believed that electoral fraud was real and dangerous. The following year, as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), he helped to lead hundreds of protesters in a historic voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama's state capital.

On March 7, 1965, a day that became known as Bloody Sunday, 150 Alabama state troopers stopped the march on the Edmund Pettus Bridge as the activists were leaving Selma. They were ordered to disperse.

According to an account in the National Archives:

One minute and five seconds after a two-minute warning was announced, the troops advanced, wielding clubs, bullwhips, and tear gas. John Lewis, who suffered a skull fracture, was one of fifty-eight people treated for injuries at the local hospital.

Lewis has suffered mightily because of his good deeds.

There is no question that Lewis circa 1965 deserves to be honored for taking a stand against oppression and furthering certain aspects of the civil rights agenda in the 1960s. Lewis was brutally beaten (by Democrats)  reportedly almost to death  for his courageous activism, and he deserves recognition.

And he has been getting recognition and praise for what he did for a half-century. President Obama honored him in 2011 by awarding him the nation's highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom.

Obama said at the time:

[T]ime and again, he faced down death so that all of us could share equally in the joys of life. It's why all these years later, he is known as the conscience of the United States Congress, still speaking his mind on issues of justice and equality. And generations from now, when parents teach their children what is meant by courage, the story of John Lewis will come to mind  an American who knew that change could not wait for some other person or some other time, whose life is a lesson in the fierce urgency of now.

Lewis has received more than 50 honorary degrees from institutions of higher learning across the fruited plain, including Harvard University, Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Duke University, and Morehouse College.

In addition to the Medal of Freedom. he has received:

... the Lincoln Medal from the historic Ford's Theatre, the Golden Plate Award given by the Academy of Excellence, the Preservation Hero award given by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Capital Award of the National Council of La Raza, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Non-Violent Peace Prize, the President's Medal of Georgetown University, the NAACP Spingarn Medal, the National Education Association Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Award, and the only John F. Kennedy "Profile in Courage Award" for Lifetime Achievement ever granted by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

Lewis is co-author of the #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel memoir trilogy MARCH. The books in the series have been showered with literary honors from the American Library Association and other organizations. The trilogy was described as one of the best books of 2013 by publications including USA Today, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and Publishers Weekly.

A Roll Call magazine article reposted on Lewis's congressional website explains:

The MARCH series is used in schools across the country to teach the Civil Rights Movement to the next generation of young activists, and has been selected as a First-Year common reading text at colleges and universities such as Michigan State University, Georgia State University, Marquette University, University of Utah, Henderson State University, University of Illinois Springfield, Washburn University, and many others.

And there's more.

Lewis has a ship that will be named after him. It will be the first in an entire class of U.S. Navy ships named after him.

"As the first of its class, the future USNS John Lewis will play a vital role in the mission of our Navy and Marine Corps while also forging a new path in fleet replenishment," Navy secretary Ray Mabus announced a year ago.

"Naming this ship after John Lewis is a fitting tribute to a man who has, from his youth, been at the forefront of progressive social and human rights movements in the U.S., directly shaping both the past and future of our nation," Mabus said.

And there many other important honors and accolades the congressman has received over the years that space here does not allow.

But when Donald Trump defended himself against Lewis's claim that Trump is "illegitimate," the left and its friends in the mainstream media lost their minds, attacking the incoming president and his supporters vigorously for daring to fight back by criticizing the lawmaker's record.

Without disparaging Lewis, Tucker Carlson said Monday on Fox News Channel that Lewis "is the one out of 435 congressmen you're not allowed to attack."

Carlson is right. We should resist the temptation to deify our elected leaders. Lewis's performance in office should be fair game.

And there is so much to criticize.

In his years in Congress, Lewis has done little for the district in southeast Atlanta he represents. Dr. Tina Trent, a former liberal Democrat activist who lived in that district for a long time, explains why she is not impressed by Lewis.

As somebody who spent almost two decades in John Lewis' district trying to fix the problems of crime, poverty, and family disintegration created entirely by Lewis' politics and his political party, I speak with authority when I say that Donald Trump is completely correct when he accuses John Lewis of being all talk, no action. But, I'd go farther than Trump. Nearly every time John Lewis has "acted" legislatively, life for the poorest in his district has grown more dangerous, destabilized, and tragic. While John Lewis spent the last 50 years growing rich and influential by repeating the same speech about being beat up on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in 1965, the people living in the crime-ridden parts of his district have spent the 50 years since then being subjected daily to violent crimes and threats of crime at least as bad and frequently far worse than what Lewis experienced, day after day, week after week, year after year  decade after decade, unabated. There are no federal monuments to the crime victims of John Lewis' district. These victims are barely acknowledged by Lewis himself.

For all his years in Congress, Lewis has "opposed every piece of criminal justice or welfare reform legislation that would make the people of his district safer, more self-reliant, and more prosperous," Trent writes.

The robustly self-righteous lawmaker is now in the media spotlight because he refuses to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump, who becomes president Friday. He pigheadedly insists that Trump is not "a legitimate president" based on the flimsy, unproven theory that, in his words, "the Russians participated in helping this man get elected" at the expense of Democrat Hillary Clinton.

In light of all this, Lewis's slight of Trump and his embrace of the trendy myth, risen from the fever swamps of the left, of all-powerful Russian electoral interference are so insignificant in the vast catalog of horrors that is his career in activism and electoral politics that they are barely worth mentioning.

Lewis has spent decades trying to undermine America and siding with its enemies, as Discover the Networks has documented.

In the 1960s and '70s, he worked with members of the Socialist Workers Party and a Communist Party USA (CPUSA) front group called the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

In 1989, the Sandinista-led Communist government of Nicaragua renounced a ceasefire agreement with the U.S.-backed Contra rebels, the House of Representatives voted 379 to 29 for a resolution deploring the Nicaraguan action. Lewis was one of the 29 Democrats who voted nay.

In 1989, he was a founding member of the Institute for Southern Studies, a North Carolina-based spinoff of the seditious Marxist think-tank known as the Institute for Policy Studies.

In 2003, he wrote an op-ed for the CPUSA paper People's Weekly World, titled "An Open letter to my Colleagues in Congress: Remembering the Legacy of Martin Luther King." In 2015, Massachusetts CPUSA leader Gary Dotterman called Lewis "my hero, my comrade, my inspiration and my friend."

In 2007, he was an honored guest at the national conference of the Democratic Socialists of America, a Marxist group. He provided an introduction to Bernie Sanders.

In 2009, when the House voted 345 to 75 to defund the criminal, corrupt Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), Lewis voted to continue feeding taxpayer funds to the now defunct group.

Lewis supports amnesty for illegal aliens and opposes securing the border. In 2011, he told a rally, "We all live in the same house[.]  If any one of us is illegal, then we all are illegal. There is no illegal human being."

In 2014, after thousands of mostly unaccompanied Central American minors crossed the southern border illegally, Lewis cheered them on. "We are all connected. We can't just build a wall or a fence and say no more. This is America. Our doors are open."

Republicans who don't agree with Lewis are routinely smeared as black-hating racists.

In 2008, Lewis accused presidential running mates John McCain and Sarah Palin of "sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse." For good measure, he threw in a reference to pro-segregation Alabama Gov. George Wallace (a Democrat), implying that McCain and Palin were, like Wallace, creating:

... the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights. Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on [a] Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama.

In 2010, Lewis and other black Democrat lawmakers falsely claimed that conservative Tea Party activists shouted the "N-word" at them at an anti-Obamacare protest on the steps of Capitol Hill. "It surprised me that people are so mean and we can't engage in a civil dialogue and debate," he said at the time.

At the Democratic National Convention in 2012, Lewis accused Republicans of trying to restore Jim Crow-like segregation in the country.

In January 2016, he hurled the George Wallace smear at Donald Trump.

I've been around a while, and Trump reminds me so much of a lot of the things that George Wallace said and did[.]  Sometimes I feel like I am reliving part of my past. I heard it so much growing up in the South[.]  I heard it so much during the days of the civil rights movement. As a people, I just think we could do much better.

This is not an exhaustive list.

America should give Lewis, on the whole a terrible person, a medal for his civic-minded contributions of long ago and wish him well in his retirement.

Oh, wait  we did that already. Over and over and over again.

Matthew Vadum (personal website) is senior vice president at Capital Research Center, a think-tank in Washington, D.C., and editor-in-chief of its new Bombthrowers blog. He is also an investigative reporter and author of the ACORN/Obama expose Subversion Inc.: How Obama's ACORN Red Shirts are Still Terrorizing and Ripping Off American Taxpayers. Follow him on Twitter. E-mail him at matthewvadum [at] gmail.com.
The back and forth of the NSA Directors unauthorized meeting with Donald Trump, and the deceptive intelligence dossier on Trumps supposed romp in a Moscow hotel room has spawned the notion at The Conservative Treehouse of a closing act of a shadow war within the intelligence community led by the white hats in the DoD intel apparatus. There are certainly white hats in every government agency, and the intel community is no exception. But Sundance wildly overestimates the white hats effect outside of a few select leaders. He even goes so far as to promote a thesis that the DoD itself has seceded from the political elites. Yes, a shadow war is ongoing, but we are in no way near to the closing act, and Sundances conclusions do not reflect the reality of the depth of elite power broker penetration in our agencies, even DoD.

As Bill Gertz notes, leftist academics in the intelligence agencies at the national level are a reflection of the demise of American universities. For many, a major in political science coupled with leftist ideology has been the ticket for important positions in the national security apparatus. It also contributes to flawed, PC strategies emanating from an establishment steeped in credentialism over critical thinking. This is no different in the DoD intelligence community.

In the wake of the 9-11 attacks, universities capitalized on the need for national security professionals and promptly developed programs spun off of the basic poli-sci curriculum. For whatever reason, it filled young beta men and womyns skulls with the idea of being some sort of future George C. Marshall or William Wild Bill Donovan, except without the business, scientific, or organizational skills needed to fight a war. The term Cold Warrior became a pejorative. The not so veiled meaning is a Neanderthal brute, who applies force indiscriminately and is incapable of flexibility and adjusting operations on the fly. But the supreme irony is that instead of learning lessons of the past to stand on the shoulders of the previous generation of warriors, the military and civilians in DoD were the primary purveyors of material denigrating the accomplishments of warfighters.

For example, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has roughly 16,000 military, government civilian, and contractor personnel. This overwhelming number of people supposedly performing combat support duties for the war effort (along with other agencies), some still found the time to provide:

 Questionable assessments to make a case for Obamas disastrous Fast and Furious operation.

 Some gathered information and produce intelligence over a couple of decades enabling the Clintons uranium deals with the Russians.

 And finally, lefty true believers or those cowed by authority allowed classified material to jump from secure systems to Hillarys unsecured server.

Of course there are many fine people in the agency, but in a sign that things have gone off track, then director Lt. Gen. Flynn instituted a program to get the talent where it was needed  at the combatant commands. His effort to move people outside the DC swamp and to the major HQs met with weeping and gnashing of teeth. In my opinion, Flynns operational approach, which of necessity, would lessen the institutions presence in DC, was one of the reasons he was pushed out of the job.

But like any entrenched agency in the Beltway, the business end of things is what really matters for military intelligence types. Contractors abound in DoD further reinforcing the capital cronyism of war. Things have so gotten out of hand that clashes between CIA funded and DoD sponsored rebel groups in Syria appear to be the standard modus operandi in an already complex fight. No doubt John McCain and the Gang of Eight are happy that they are semi-successful business developers in order to keep our veterans and other operators fully employed.

But wait, theres more. The left has its own shadow network involved in keeping defense contractors stock prices stable. Lets not forget Hillarys consigliere Sid Blumenthal, who prior to the attack in Benghazi, was shilling for The Osprey Group to go into Libya and offer some assistance to turn the chaos into something resembling ordered mayhem. Chaos, by the way, caused directly by Hillary and her bosss feckless national security policies. At any rate, if Sundance thinks the institution of DoD is rebelling against the power elite he needs to pick up a copy of Defense News.

It would be one thing if these deep state schemes were strictly on the part of some fringe group of slimy analysts and their civilian overseers, but this is not the IRS. Defense and civilian intelligence assets are stateside and deployed to combat zones under flag officer leadership. If we are to believe the mantra that the War on Terror will be won by this same intelligence cabal, then the logical conclusion is that commanders and operations officers are a bunch of reactive, malleable non-leaders who sit up high in the command post and receive intelligence via academic roundtables and make grand pronouncements aboutsomething. Sadly, this has been the case in all too many instances.

Look at it this way. The 50 or so intelligence analysts at CENTCOM who came forward to say the intelligence on ISIS was cooked are part of a large combatant command with a robust intelligence and operational staff. CENTCOM also has a military general officer as the J-2 and of course, it has a commanding general. That it was so bad even two senior analysts in the J-2 directorate wrote to the DoD Inspector General speaks volumes about the military leaderships fealty to Obama.

So, the flag officers now forming part of Trumps national security staff are a good start, but only a start. The closing act of this shadow war may not come for years having to overcome the closed loop economy otherwise known as DC, of which DoD is a big part. With Trumps election we have every reason to be optimistic, but we must also be realistic about the depth of the swamp not only in the US, but in our commands around the world. And looking at the situation through rose colored glasses doesnt help. Just ask Hillary and the Democrats.

John Smith is the pen name of a former U.S. intelligence officer.
As Inauguration Day approaches, the leftist media, the Democrats, and the moonbats that make up the nation's academic class are well and truly melting, as surely as the wicked witch of the Wizard of Oz melted when Dorothy tossed some water on her. So thoroughly, deeply convinced of their own superiority in all things political, legal, cultural, gender, and all branches of learning that they have created their own parallel universe in which Trump could not possibly have won, everyone loves Obama and Obamacare, the economy is booming, unemployment is low, humans are destroying the planet with global warming, global cooling, climate change, and/or bad weather, and Hillary was a shoo-in to win the 2016 election. They actually believed, without a shred of actual evidence, that Hillary Clinton was qualified to be President even though her record is one of incompetence, poor judgment, corruption and failure. They have been bamboozled for so long that they have lost the ability to see reality. They want no part of it because in their parallel universe these things cannot possibly be true.

As Carl Sagan wrote in 1995, in The Demon-haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark:

One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If weve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. Were no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. Its simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that weve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.

So completely captured by the bamboozle, once-reputable news outlets eagerly publish fake news if they think it will hurt Trump. The same news organizations have, for ten years, refused to publish anything, even the obvious truth, that might reflect poorly on Obama. That is how the bamboozle works.

Take the climate change devotees. There is no "97% scientific consensus" that humans are causing catastrophic climate change. That is a lie. Science is not decided by consensus. It is based on provable scientific method, not computer models. But confront a believer with some facts and they immediately launch into ad hominem attacks having nothing whatever to do with the topic. So committed to their false belief in this global hoax, they will attack the simplest valid scientific fact if it is contrary to their beloved faith in man-caused destruction of the planet. They will not cite science but will accuse the "denier" of some crude variation of stupidity. Anthropogenic Global Warming is the charlatan that has captured them. So felled by this belief is new Senator Kamala Harris that she cluelessly grilled CIA cabinet pick Mike Pompeo about his grasp and commitment to that particular bamboozle! He politely replied that he respected all laws passed to protect the environment but that his job was in a different realm. California Republicans hoped Harris would be a tad less dim than Barbara Boxer; she is not.

Elizabeth Warren, the not-native-American senator from MA, relentlessly badgered Dr. Ben Carson, HUD cabinet nominee and one of the finest men on the planet, about using HUD money that might benefit Trump even one dollar since his business is "housing development." She would not stop. She embarrassed herself. She has not a clue how a businessman like Trump makes money. And Obama appointed her to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau!

Most of these people in Congress have degrees from prestigious universities. We mortals have for too long been seduced by their supposed brilliance. Those degrees are meaningless for the most part. Among the younger Democrat members they are just proof of their wiling indoctrination by the Left. These folks are in shock at the election results because not only do they believe they are smarter than the rest of us, they had ultimate faith in their powers of persuasion, especially those lefty journalists. They are stunned that the public did not vote the way they instructed them to vote.

Some members of Congress, however, are very, very smart. When you hear Ted Cruz, Mike Pompeo, Mike Lee or Tom Cotton speak about the law and the Constitution, no one can deny that those other people, the Al Frankens and Elizabeth Warrens of Congress, have no business being there, deciding what the rest of us can and cannot do, drive, eat, drink, own, say or think, etc.

Trump's cabinet picks are smart indeed, much smarter, for the most part, than their Democrat interrogators. Sessions, Pompeo, Tillerson, Mattis, Carson! Class acts, each one of them. But the Democrats in the House and the Senate, the ones who sit on those committees and cast aspersions on the fine people Trump has chosen simply because Trump chose them, should be ashamed of themselves. The number of Democrats who have vowed not to work with Trump or acknowledge his legitimacy is growing: Maxine Waters, John Lewis, Schumer (unless Trump moves left), Barbara Lee, Luis Guiterrez, Katherine Clark, Earl Blumenauer, Raul Grijalva, Jared Huffman. Childish, intolerant, un-democratic sore losers all. Republicans, no matter how distressed by Obama's re-election, never came close to this form of gross rejectionism.

Progressivism took root in the early years of the last century and was thoroughly embraced by Woodrow Wilson, an actual racist. After the disaster that was WWI, wiser heads prevailed but the seed of Wilson's intolerance has never been eradicated. The current American Left has been similarly bamboozled for several generations now. The radicals of the 1960s became tenured professors and from that moment on dictated who could and would teach universitystudents for the next fifty years. Howard Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States, has done more to harm this nation and its young people than Putin could ever do. Zinn's and his acolyites' conviction that the United States was and is a force for evil is de rigueur on every high school and college campus in the country. Its tenets have become a matter of faith since it was published in 1980. The book was and is the ultimate bamboozle.

May the Trump administration bring about enough quick and drastic change for the better that the fury of the left will be mollified. Those of us on the right are simply relieved that the eight-year nightmare of the purposeful crippling of our country is over.
Its kind of touching that there is at least one person left who believes that CNN practices objective journalism. The fact that he draws a paycheck from the network may have something to do with his opinion, but I suspect that it is utterly sincere, which is much, much worse.

Brian Stelter, the 31-year-old host of CNNs Reliable Sources, a weekly show devoted to the media, is oblivious to reality outside the blue bubble, in which he has apparently lived his entire life. (His work experience following graduation as a communications major at Towson University is limited to the New York Times and CNN.) How else could he utter a statement that would spark gales of laughter from a large majority of Americans, if polling on the approval ratings of journalists? Watch as he fills some airtime for his employer, talking to Carol Costello (transcript below):

Transcript via Grabien:

COSTELLO: Even if the White House press can stay in the west wing, journalists are concerned about transparency with the incoming White House. As Washington Post columnist Margaret Sullivan wrote, quote, Journalists are in the fight for their lives. And theyre going to have to be better than ever before, just to do their jobs. CNN senior media correspondent and host of Reliable sources, Brian Stelter joins us with more on this. So, do you believe Sean Spicer?

STELTER: So, that is the big debate among the White House Correspondents Association now. I spoke with both, Spicer and the other side, the head of the association last night, Jeff Mason. These two man had a two hour-long meeting yesterday. Because this Esquire story started all this over the weekend, and that Esquire story saying that the press could be evicted from the White House altogether. Sean Spicer saying no, thats not true, but as he confirmed there at the interview this morning, hes thinking about moving the briefings to a bigger room, more spacious room where there could be more journalists. Two things about that that stand out. Number one, theres nothing like the briefing room in the West Wing; 49 seats, room for some more people in the back, steps from the Oval Office. Theres something special about that in the access and the symbolism it all represents. Number two, the Trump administration is going to try to bring in more friendly voices to these briefings, try to stack the room with clearly pro-Trump journalists as opposed to objective journalists like people here at CNN, and that can be troubling. And then the broader issue here Carol, is theres a concern about a slippery slope. This is what White House correspondents are saying privately. Theyre worried that, OK, today its about moving the briefing room, but next year it might be moving the workspace out of the West Wing. You know, CNN has that tiny booth in the basement of the West Wing 

COSTELLO: Yeah.

STELTER:  where the pool used to be, where we can work during the day. Fox and all the other news outlets have that as well. So the concern is right now, its about the briefings but could there be a slippery slope here where Spicer and Trump try to take away more access over time.

COSTELLO: Clearly the president-elect wants to stay on his message.

STELTER: And keep journalists on their back and seem to be in control.

COSTELLO: And hes not shy about speaking out about things he doesnt like, as he did with SNL again.

STELTER: I waited all day Sunday wondering if he was going to weigh in on Saturday Night Live. He said, NBC news is bad but Snl is the worst of NBC, always a complete hit job, really bad television. Here is what the TV critic in chief may not have liked.

[clip starts]

BALDWIN (as Trump): Thank you for coming. I would like to start by answering the question thats on everybodys mind. Yes, this is real life. This is really happening. (Laughter) On January 20th, I, Donald J. Trump, will become the 45th president of the United States. And then two months later, Mike Pence will become the 46th.

SPICER: What Saturday Night Live did last night was disappointing. It was not funny. It was mean spirited. Its gone from being a show you could sit back and get a good laugh out of to being, frankly, bad television.

[clip ends]

STELTER: A lot of folks worry about trump and his aides not respecting dissent, not being able to handle criticism. The silver lining of his tweets, hes about to hit 20 million followers on Twitter, is that we always know what the president-elect is thinking.

COSTELLO: Thats true. In that Saturday Night Live skit, my senior producer who is a brilliant producer, did you notice on Alec Baldwins lapel, instead of the American flag it had the Russian flag?

STELTER: I did not notice that. I had not seen that.

COSTELLO: Thats hard core, right? I wish I had thought of that earlier, then we could have zoomed into it. Thats not the American flag.

STELTER: I bet the president-elect noticed.

COSTELO: I bet he did too. Well see if he tweets about that. Brian Stelter, many thanks.
Donald Trump has yet to be inaugurated, he has yet to make any specific proposals for legislation, has yet to issue any executive orders, and has yet to even comment on many of the cultural issues that divide America.

That lack of specificity has played directly into the hands of his opponents on the left. Into the void, the left has substituted mass hysteria about what Trump might do rather than reasoned argument against the positions he took during the campaign.

As a political tactic, generating mass hysteria against an opponent has been wildly successful in history. The two largest purveyors of mass hysteria  Nazi Germany and Communist Russia  used the ploy to convince large majorities of their populations of a clear and present danger in society, be it the Jews or "counterrevolutionaries." In this, they were ably aided by a captive media, where the state controlled all information disseminated to the public.

The left in America doesn't have that luxury  at least, not officially. But there is little doubt that their attempts to massively exaggerate the danger of a Trump presidency to certain minority groups has found a mainstream media compliant, even eager in their efforts to conciously aid in spreading propaganda, hyperbole, even lies in the cause of opposing Trump.

How is the left's campaign to convince large numbers of people that their freedoms, even their lives are in danger going?

Not bad at all.

Huffington Post asked 14 women who never participated in a demonstration before why they were going to take part in the Women's March on Washington later this week. Here are some of the answers:

Im attending the march with my partner because Im gay, scared and I want to be a part of history. The day after the election, three young white men came up to her and started yelling Trump! I went to a few of the protests in New York City and posted about it on Facebook, and I got horrible backlash, mostly from men I dont know. Ive also had extended family comment on some of my political posts. One went on a rant cursing all over my page. But Im not going to make myself small to make others feel comfortable. I actually have been to a march before, but not really by choice. When I was 15, I attended a Christian high school that was very pro-life and I did the March for Life. I was really afraid of hell and I had some sense that I was queer, so I was absolutely terrified. I went to the march because I felt like God would love me if I did. I remember holding up a big sign with all these photoshopped images of dead fetuses. It was traumatic.

What is this young, gay woman so scared of? During the campaign, a gay Republican wrote on op-ed in the gay publication The Blade and put it simply:

The fact is that any honest look at Trumps record and views on gay rights shows that most of the attacks by gay Democrats on his views are simply incorrect.

In fact, the attacks on Trump's record on gay rights are dishonest. Trump has been a social liberal most of his life, although he has trimmed some of those views to satisfy culturally conservative Republican voters. He has been a passionate supporter of anti-discrimination laws against gays since 2000 and became the first GOP nominee to acknowledge the LGBT community in his acceptance speech. He has come out strongly against violence directed at gays. Again, what does this woman have to fear from a Trump presidency?

Im going to take the bus in for the day. So far, Im going alone, but Im trying to convince my mother and some friends to come with me. Either way, I feel like I have to march because Im frightened. Im black. Im Muslim. I dont wear the hijab, but I think a lot about why my reaction would be if I saw someone else being harassed. Im a protector and I worry about how defensive I would get. Im very excited not only for this first march, but to be part of a movement. Im not just a woman. Im black. Im Muslim. I represent a lot of different groups and to me, this is about sending a message about civil rights on a broader scale.

There has been some highly publicized incidents of morons making idiots of themselves by harassing or even attacking Muslims  just as there have been morons making idiots of themselves attacking Trump supporters. We don't see mass hysteria among Trump supporters because the media really don't care if they're attacked or harassed. But Trump's election has clearly generated strong feelings against one's political opponents, and the press have been willing partners in promoting the hate.

Sidney: I feel like its my obligation to support my wife and to be a man who stands up for women in these times. Were taking alarming steps back in the fight for womens rights and equality. I dont want our side to falter. We need to stand up against belligerent cynicism and misguided machismo.

What legal "steps back" for women have there been under Trump? None, of course, because he hasn't even taken office yet. But there has been a constant babble for the last several years that has implied that all men are rapists, or could be rapists, and any expression of masculinity threatens women. This is an example of what could happen under a Trump presidency  that is, if Trump is as evil and misogynistic as the left says he is.

I am a 38-year-old mother of four and I will be flying to D.C. for the march with my sister, mother and niece. This election has brought out a fierceness in me that I didnt know I had, mostly because of my children and my health. My kids are biracial (Korean and white) and are being raised in a small, mostly Republican farm community. My daughter has come home from school telling me that the kids there were afraid for her that Trump would send her back to where she came from. That really jarred me. Im also a breast cancer survivor. A lot of the women in my family are breast cancer survivors. Weve always made it a point to get together and do breast cancer walks, but we have never done anything political. This feels big. I fear the day when [Republicans] do away with the Affordable Care Act, and my preexisting condition makes me ineligible for insurance.

Another example of someone getting hysterical over absolutely nothing. It is very likely that the Obamacare requirement that insurance companies cover people with pre-existing conditions will remain in any replacement legislation. Few Republicans have come out in favor of repealing that requirement. But the left has ginned up fear and terror among sick people that they will all lose their insurance when Obamacare is repealed.

Mass hysteria is a kind of delusion that fits well with people who consider themselves "victims." This virulent form of Trump hate is easy to promote, given that so many Americans are comfortable with the "victim" label and can't imagine life without it. But the reality is, even if you're a Trump-hater like me, a reasonable person would give the new president a chance to prove his detractors right or wrong.

Unfortunately, reason left the building in November.
A recent article in the Miami Herald reports that if Obamacare is repealed, the Miami area will be one of the most highly impacted in the country due to the high number of enrollees there. The article mentions five congressional districts and, true to the Herald's reliably liberal slant, tries to make it look as though the three Republicans who are opposed to Obamacare are hurting their districts while the two Democrats are championing their federally insured voters.

Four paragraphs into the article, my antennae were twitching, sensing related, possibly pertinent data from an earlier source. A quick Google search proved the antennae still reliable, finding numerous articles describing Miami as the epicenter of Medicare fraud. In fact, the problem is so extensive that Miami has the distinction of being the site of America's first and largest federal Medicare Fraud Strike Force. That information just naturally elicits a deepening suspicion of a correlation between such widespread corruption and the high utilization of Obamacare.

Admittedly, the two programs are substantially different, but they are also similar in the most important way: they are federally mandated and heavily federally regulated. It requires no special genius to conclude that criminal specialists in defrauding one federal health program just might be the same criminals to devise the means to criminally defraud another federal health program that in its infancy has far less policing oversight than an older, more established, and better regulated program like Medicare. With even investigators at the Government Accountability Office admitting that Obamacare is susceptible to fraud through fictitious enrollments, such high utilization of Obamacare in the same areas where Medicare fraud is most prevalent begins to whiff of something more than coincidence. One has to wonder just how many of those high numbers of Miami area enrollees exist only on paper.

That, folks, is another good reason for getting the feds out of the health insurance business.
Gov. Doug Burgum met with legislative leadership late Monday to outline his executive budget proposals, which call for about $160 million less in general fund ongoing spending than the previous governor proposed last month.

Burgums budget proposal was released via press release late Monday.

The new governors budget proposal contains $13.3 billion, of which $4.62 billion is ongoing general fund spending. This is down from the roughly $13.475 billion proposed by former Gov. Jack Dalrymple, of which $4.78 billion was in general fund dollars.

Gov. Dalrymples budget was a good starting point. Unfortunately, revenues continue to fall short of projections, Burgum said in the release. My budget proposal reflects this reality while prioritizing K-12 education and support for our states most vulnerable citizens.

A nearly $1.4 billion budget shortfall required two rounds of budget cuts last year.

Burgums budget calls for a $100 million ending fund balance for the biennium ending June 30, 2019.

The governor is proposing about $100 million in further cuts to state agencies than Dalrymple did. His budget calls for the elimination of 633 full-time positions, up from the 583 proposed by his predecessor.

Burgum is calling for a $300 million transfer from the states Tax Relief Fund to replenish the Budget Stabilization Fund. The rainy day fund was largely depleted during the budget cuts of the past year.

The budget proposal cuts a proposed 1 percent state employee pay raise in the second year of the 2017-19 biennium as well as a 1 percent increase for K-12 education funding in the bienniums second year. Inflationary increases for Medicaid providers would be nixed that year as well.

It was very high-level stuff. We did find out where he was at, House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, said. I call it a good start.

He said leadership will need to study Burgums proposals further, acknowledging Burgum has had a short period of time to develop his ideas.

Carlson said the Legislature and Burgum are in agreement as to the importance of maintaining K-12 funding. However, there are likely to be differences as to where needed deeper cuts are to come from to further reduce the budget.

I think theres some really good things in there, Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, said.

Wardner said the Legislature and Burgum are on the same page when it comes to how oil prices and production are factored into the budget.

For oil and gas production in 2017-19, Burgum stuck with the recent legislative forecast that calls for a $48 per barrel oil price for North Dakota crude, down from the $51 to $53 per barrel range used in Dalrymples proposal. Both sides also agree that oil production will bottom out and hold at about 900,000 barrels per day for the next two years.

The prices being used are what officials commonly refer to as North Dakota prices; crude from the state typically sells at a discount of several dollars from the price of West Texas Intermediate, a U.S. benchmark for oil prices.

House Minority Leader Corey Mock, D-Grand Forks, said getting a few more specifics was helpful. However, he said itll be interesting to learn more on how many decisions are being made on fiscal grounds versus philosophical grounds.

Theres quite a few things that jump out, Mock said of the budget proposal.

One item of particular concern was a proposal to have state employees pay 5 percent of their health insurance premiums, which he called an extraordinary step for public employees compared to private business practices.

Mock said state employees in general have really sacrificed a lot of pay raises over the years to enjoy a strong benefits package. He said a concern would be any potentially negative impact of attracting quality state employees if such a policy were enacted.

He said overall a conservative budget will need to be crafted in a way that allows all North Dakota families to benefit long-term while not balancing the budget on their backs.
It would be challenging in the extreme to find a more telling example of major media corruption than the treatment of President-Elect Trumps MLK Day meeting with Martin Luther King III, the slain civil rights leaders son, a significant leadership figure in his own right in the black community.

As any even casual student of American media corruption knows, omitting the favorable, or limiting its coverage, is as effective in the service of personal destruction as featuring the negative. Americas solidly leftist corporate media ran true to form on MLK Day, Monday, January 16, 2017, almost completely ignoring the president-elects apparently amicable and positive meeting with MLK III.

The medias near total blackout of the president-elects meeting on MLK Day with Kings eldest son  the mere fact of which would have been favorable to the president-elect  is reminiscent of the identical silent treatment accorded Trumps enormously popular campaign speech at Gettysburg.

As reported by Daily Telegraph of January 16, 2017, Martin Luther Kings eldest son called his meeting with the president-elect constructive and, in conciliatory fashion, attributed Lewiss words and the president-elects characteristically feisty response to the reality that in the heat of emotion a lot of things get said on both sides.

Reporters tried to prod the annoyingly uncooperative King into criticizing the president-elect or the president-elects comments about Lewis, but they got nowhere.

The meeting was obviously a triumph for the president-elect, showing at once his respect for Martin Luther King, Jr.; his desire for American unity; and his ability to favorably impress an important contemporary black leader.

But for all one might learn about it from major American medias coverage, that meeting never took place.

In the early evening, EST, Monday, January 16, 2017, I reviewed the websites of CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, the Washington Post and the New York Times. Here are my unsurprising findings about major American medias January 16, 2016 treatment of Trumps meeting with King.

CNN: No mention at all. Both lead articles about the president-elect, of course, were negative.

CBS: No mention at all. Again, all the many articles on the president-elect featured at the home page were negative, most highly so.

ABC: The websites January 16, 2017 lead article, complete with dramatic, eye-catching photo, was Trumps attack on Representative John Lewis spotlights tenuous relationship with African Americans. But  wonder of wonders  buried three smaller headlines below that lead article is the headline Martin Luther King III calls meeting with Trump constructive.

Assuming that a reader chanced on that small headline, clicking on it brought up no article describing the meeting or quoting Kings favorable comments about it. Thus, ABC gave the meeting a headline but no actual reporting of it or of what the key participant said about it.

Washington Post: No mention at all.

New York Times: The Times website headlined with As Trump era arrives, a sense of uncertainty grips the world. Again, three articles deep below the headline, and in much smaller typeface, is an article titled Kings son meets Trump amid tension over Lewis feud. Clicking on that negative teaser brought up an article with the neutral headline, With blacks alarmed by his tone Trump meets with Martin Luther King III. Buried in the intensely negative editorial commentary that ran through the article were a couple of Kings obviously conciliatory comments.

So there you have it.

Of Americas three self-designated TV custodians of important, reliable, non-fake news, two  CBS and NBC  altogether ignored President-Elect Trumps apparently positive meeting with Martin Luther King III on the national holiday honoring Kings father. The third, ABC, deigned to give the meeting a headline (well below its lead article) but no actual article, and no quotation or report of Kings amicable words about it  and, of course, no report of Mr. Kings dogged refusal to take reporters bait and criticize the president-elect.

On the print media front, Americas two self-designated premier newspapers equaled the performance of their electronic comrades: the Washington Post censored the meeting completely  to WaPo, like CBS and NBC, the president-elects meeting with Mr. King was an unevent. It did not happen. The New York Times was generous, giving the meeting a third-from-the-top, small-typeface headline that led into an article dripping contempt and oozing negative commentary and opinion.

Thus, a single day, an important newsworthy event in the life of the American political news cycle in dawning era of soon-to-be President Donald Trump, is consigned to the Memory Hole. None of this comes as a surprise to any close observer of the American political scene circa 2017. But occasional reviews like this are still useful.

They serve as a reminder that any thought that major American media might accord President-Elect Trump so much as quasi-even-handed coverage for even a short period is the triumph of hope over experience. The same media that was openly, unapologetically committed to destroying Trumps candidacy is even more intensely committed to destroying his presidency.

The Trump administration should remain as open and transparent as the security of the nation allows  but that openness and transparency can be achieved only by expanding the organizations and individuals with access to, and therefore an informational basis for, honestly reporting the news. It cannot be achieved, as in the past, by according undeserved favored access to a corrupt establishment media that has elevated to fine art the distortion and, where necessary, concealment of major news stories.

CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, WaPo, and the NYT have all earned good seats in the apparently soon to be larger White House press room  near the distant entrances, far from the podium, behind the pillars, out of shouting distance.
An unexpected comedy is playing itself out as a new administration is about to take office. Clueless and self-absorbed Beltway foreign policy insiders who publicly spoke out against Donald Trumps candidacy now huff and puff about the dangers of blacklisting, and the Washington Post gives them space to remind us of how essential their wisdom is to the functioning of the republic. Or something. David Nakamura writes:

They are some of the biggest names in the Republican national security firmament, veterans of past GOP administrations who say, if called upon by President-elect Donald Trump, they stand ready to serve their country again. But their phones arent ringing. Their entreaties to Trump Tower in New York have mostly gone unanswered. In Trump world, these establishment all-stars say they are PNG  personae non gratae. Their transgression was signing one or both of two public Never Trump letters during the campaign, declaring they would not vote for Trump and calling his candidacy a danger to the nation.

Call me a cynic, but I suspect that they all thought Trump had no chance to win, so taking a brave stance against him might help gain favor in the Rodham administration. And now, having demonstrated their poor judgment in relying on polls and the media, and having insulted Trump, we are now supposed to believe that their talents are essential to the national welfare?

Before he won, the conversation was, We really would love for you to change your mind and join us,  Peter Feaver, a National Security Council special adviser under President George W. Bush, said of informal talks with Trump aides. Feaver, who signed both letters, added that, Since he won . . . the conversation is, There likely will be a blacklist of people who signed the letters who wont themselves be eligible for a post. 

Blacklist is a loaded term, to say the least. It conjures up helpless victims unjustly excluded from work opportunities. Oddly enough, the term hardly ever shows up in mainstream media accounts of the problems non-leftists in Hollywood face in getting career opportunities.

I dont know what Peter Feavers role was as an adviser to the G.W. Bush administration, but if he offers the opportunity for Trump to duplicate those successes, it seems quite reasonable to overlook his offers of help. How many Americans want to duplicate the foreign policy record of that presidency? I am dead certain that Donald Trump doesnt.

I am reminded of the ancient joke explaining the Yiddish word chutzpah by stating that it is exemplified by a child murdering his parents and asking for mercy from the court as an orphan.

Do these people really think they are this indispensable?

If so, that level of delusion disqualifies them from any further responsibilities in government office.
Foreign policy experts who signed letters indicating that Trump is not qualified to be president are finding that now that Trump has won the election, they are having trouble getting hired by Mr. Trump to work in his administration.

They are some of the biggest names in the Republican national security firmament, veterans of past GOP administrations who say, if called upon by President-elect Donald Trump, they stand ready to serve their country again.

Not just names in the firmament. The biggest names in the firmament!

But their phones aren't ringing. Their entreaties to Trump Tower in New York have mostly gone unanswered. In Trump world, these establishment all-stars say they are "PNG"  personae non gratae. Their transgression was signing one or both of two public "Never Trump" letters during the campaign, declaring they would not vote for Trump and calling his candidacy a danger to the nation. The letters were explicit in their denunciations of Trump's professed support for torture of terrorism suspects, his pledge to build a wall along the border with Mexico, his anti-Muslim rhetoric and his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

We need better interrogation (not "torture") of terrorists, we need a wall, and we need to stop Muslim immigration. Only the Putin criticism is warranted, so these guys are more off base than the man they are criticizing.

Some of the "Never Trump" letters signers fear they are at the bottom of the pecking order, below those who expressed verbal opposition to Trump's campaign but did not sign either of the letters. Eliot Cohen, a State Department counselor during the Bush administration who had helped organize the War on the Rocks letter [said] "Believe me  my phone is not ringing,".... [NeverTrump] Mary Beth Long, who served as assistant secretary of defense in the Bush administration, said her inquiries to the Trump transition team to get clarity on some of his foreign policy positions have gone unanswered. She said that she has spoken with retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, Trump's designee for national security adviser, whom she knows from the Pentagon, but that she isn't expecting a job. "If I were asked to sign a letter like that again, I would be much more careful about the verbiage that related to the candidate himself," she said.

Astute readers may know I was never a big supporter of Donald Trump. But neither did I sign a letter saying he was unqualified to be president, and then after the election go begging hat in hand to Mr. Trump for a job. I have to agree with the Trump people on this one  declaring him in writing to be unqualified to be president, and then expecting a job after the election because you view yourself as indispensable by virtue of your history in the "Bushie" foreign policy establishment, brings hypocrisy to a whole new level.

Trump has hired at least one NeverTrump, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, for U.N. ambassador, but that was probably more because she had the right kind of skin color and body parts that would bring "diversity" to his cabinet and less because of her foreign policy experience dealing with Georgia and North Carolina. For all the rest, they'll have to continue sitting in their cubicles at "think-tanks" writing monographs about new paradigms of poverty management in rigidly politically monolithic but economically porous third-world rat holes.

Ed Straker is the senior writer at NewsMachete.com.
Who would have believed this? Suddenly, President Obama wants to protect borders and enforce immigration laws.

What happened? Did #44 have an end-of-presidency conversion to the rule of law?

We are just starting to live with the change implemented by the Obama administration. It's a whole new game for people coming from the island.

This is from the Augusta Chronicle:

Not anymore. A refugee can make it to Miami Beach and continue to North Dakota if he likes, but he still is subject to being kicked out. Obama said in a White House statement that Cuban migrants now will be treated the same way we treat migrants from other countries. Really? Like the migrants who practically cartwheel across our porous border with Mexico every day? The difference is, Cuban refugees face certain political persecution upon their return to Cuba.

This is amazing.

Over the last few years, the Obama administration has watched thousands of people walk over the border without penalty. We were told that it was in our humane tradition to take people looking for a new opportunity or running away from cartel violence in Central America.

I guess not sending them back to Guatemala is humane, but people from Cuba should go back. Really, Mr. President?

My sense is that this is a cheap shot against Cuban-Americans, who put Donald Trump over the top in Florida.

President Obama's embrace of the Castro dictatorship did not go over well, and Cuban-Americans decided to vote GOP!

Where are the humanitarians? Or Black Lives Matter, in light of all of these black Cubans who will be sent back to the Castro regime?

In fact, prominent Afro-Cuban dissident Dr. Elias Biscet was recently arrested for calling for changes in the island's one-party system. Where is civil rights icon Representative John Lewis when we need him most?

Two years ago, we were told that a change was needed because our policy had not worked. Since then, more and more Cubans are coming. How is our new policy working? It is not  because we are subsidizing the Castro regime rather than standing with the Cuban people.

President Trump needs to take a hard look at this Cuba deal and demand change on the island. We are not calling for another round of "si se puede" speeches or "hope and change." We are talking about the kind of change that recognizes that the Castro regime is the reason these Cubans want to get out.

Cubans won't come once we give them a political and economic reason to stay on the island.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
Obama has added Rush Limbaugh and "some commentators on Fox News" to the list of those responsible for his failure as a president.

On the January 13, 2017 NBC Dateline, Obama told Lester Holt, also known as Candy Crowley Holt for his impersonation of Ms. Crowley during the presidential debate:

The ability of Republican leaders to rile up their base, helped along by folks like Rush Limbaugh and some commentators on Fox News, I think created an environment in which Republican voters would punish Republicans for cooperating with me.

In ObamaWorld, Putin is responsible for Hillary's loss, otherwise known as the rejection of Obama's third term and agenda. In ObamaWorld, if Limbaugh and "some commentators on Fox News" (presumably Sean Hannity), had only praised Obama and not reported on Obama's shortcomings, then the Republicans would have "cooperated" with Obama. Limbaugh and Hannity are responsible for Republicans not doing whatever Obama wanted.

Obama failed to say he did whatever he wanted by using executive orders and agency regulations. For example, he termed the Iran nuclear deal an "agreement" instead of a treaty, thereby bypassing the two-thirds Senate vote to approve as required by the Constitution. This was a major policy decision that allows Iran to continue its nuclear program, with a short unverified hiatus, that puts the burden on President Trump and his successors and Israel to deal with a nuclear Iran. Obama unilaterally gave Iran, the principal sponsor and supporter of Islamist terrorist, 150 billion dollars that Iran can use for further terrorism.

Obama is trying to match Bill Clinton for Clinton-speak. To Obama, when Republicans refrained from doing whatever Obama wanted, that means that Republicans did not cooperate with him. The Republicans would have gone along with Obama if only Limbaugh and Hannity had kept quiet.

A rational observer listening to Obama would conclude that Obama is either lying or delusional. He lies because he is working on cleaning up his legacy. The premise of his statements is that his agenda was good for our country, therefore the Republicans would have supported his agenda but for Limbaugh and Hannity. This feeds into the beliefs of his base.

Thus, Hillary would have won but for Putin, and Obama would have been successful but for Limbaugh and Hannity. It is never the fault of Obama.

In addition to lying, Obama believes that his way is the only correct way. If you disagree with him, then you must have been influenced by Limbaugh and Hannity, who should not have criticized Obama. This view is an implicit attack on the First Amendment, which protects our right to disagree and criticize the government and the right of a free press to criticize the president.

Obama is essentially saying that Limbaugh and Hannity should not criticize him because he knows what is best for our country. This is the mentality of a totalitarian.
In a 2014 BBC interview promoting her movie The Butler, Oprah Winfrey did not hold back when asked about racism. "Older people, who were born and bred and marinated in it, that prejudice and racism, they just have to die," she said.

Winfrey was talking about old white people, but for the last five decades it has been old black race merchants like Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) who have been passing on prejudice to younger generations.

In this short YouTube video posted in July, Lewis recaps his days as chairman of the Student NonViolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to a group of Black Lives Matter activists.

Using a bullhorn, Lewis urges the BLM activists to "change America...you can do it...organize...never give in[.]" In the last 30 seconds, after pumping up the crowd, the Janus-faced Lewis tells them to "never hate"  not because it is wrong or sinful or evil, but because "it is too big a burden to bear." (Especially when a video surfaces of four black adults torturing a mentally disabled teen shouting, "F--- Trump," "f--- white people," eh, John?)

Lewis's public and racist swipe at President-Elect Donald Trump this past Sunday isn't the first time he's tried to delegitimize the opposition. Lewis falsely accused Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin of "sowing seeds of hatred and division" at their rallies in 2008, even invoking the name of George Wallace to shore up his attack.

In 2010, he ratcheted up the hatred by alleging that Tea Party protesters shouted racial epithets and spat on him during an anti-Obamacare rally. The late Andrew Breitbart offered to pay $100,000 to anyone with proof the racial incidents occurred. At a time and place where nearly everyone had a phone in his hand (I was there), not one video surfaced of Lewis's spit-riddled face.

Lewis's Alinskyite tactics have ties to the civil rights movement itself. The roots of the movement beginning in the 1930s are rotten with communist influence. According to Discover the Networks , there is ample evidence that CPUSA members infiltrated SNCC . Seventy-six-year-old Lewis himself wrote for communist periodicals, fronted for communist groups, received awards from socialist organizations, and has supported socialist candidates.

The aging former SNCC leader is still "marinating" in his hatred of white America. After P.E. Trump responded to Lewis with tweets calling out the congressman's "all talk and no action" record when it comes to fixing the mess in the inner cities, Lewis's pals in the mainstream media came to his defense, whining about Lewis's iconic status as a civil rights "hero" fifty-two years ago! Isn't that Trump's point?

Lewis's socialist solutions and anti-white vitriol hardly make him a hero unless chaining "his people" to poor schools, fatherless homes, and generations of government dependency is heroic.

As Oprah suggested, maybe the only way we will achieve real racial progress in this country is for the "born and bred" racist "icons" like Lewis to pass away.
AnTuTu, the maker of one of the most widely used benchmarks in the mobile world, has released its official rankings for the top ten performers in 2016 in a number of categories. In the overall smartphone category, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus won with average scores in excess of 170,000. These are the only iOS devices in the overall top ten as the OnePlus 3T is leading the Android charge boasting an average score of approximately 163,000. Aside from sharing a processor with the fourth-placed LeEco Le Pro 3, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821-packing powerhouse is surprisingly tailed by a couple of contemporaries that are one processor revision behind. The next Snapdragon 821 device we see on the chart is the Xiaomi Mi 5S which placed fifth. Surprisingly, the larger variant of that phone was beaten out by the only Android device on the list that lacks a Snapdragon 800-series processor, the ASUS ZenFone 3 fueled by the Snapdragon 625. The ZTE Axon 7 rounds out the chart, while the Google Pixel and the Pixel XL are nowhere to be found.

On the Android-exclusive side of things, we see the same rankings from the overall chart, but with the addition of the Google Pixel and the Pixel XL at the bottom, right on the ZTE Axon 7s tail. The ranking places the OnePlus 3T at the top, followed by the LeEco Le Pro 3. The Snapdragon 820 makes a stand on the charts with the Moto Z and the OnePlus 3 but stands down for the Xiaomi Mi 5S powered by the Snapdragon 821. The Snapdragon 625-packing ASUS ZenFone 3 actually beats out the Xiaomi Mi 5S Plus, then the Snapdragon 820 appears once more in the ZTE Axon 7 before the charts give way to the Google Pixel and the Pixel XL. Of the two, the Pixel XL performed better.

2016 was a surprising year in the world of Android performances, as phones boasting the Snapdragon 821 processors occasionally fell behind their 820-based counterparts, not to mention the presence of a phone powered by the mid-range Snapdragon 625 on the list of best overall performers. On the iOS side of things, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus ruled alongside the latest iPad Pro. As for custom skins, theyre mostly absent from the charts with the exception of LeEcos Le Pro 3 and Xiaomis two devices.
Two new images just surfaced, and theyre suggesting that both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus will ship with an S Pen stylus. If you take a look at the two provided images in the gallery down below, youll get to see Galaxy S8s and Galaxy S8 Plus alleged cases. Now, there are a number of cutouts on the cases that leaked, but the most interesting one is probably at the very bottom of each case, which seems to suggest that Samsung is planning to ship their new flagships with an S Pen stylus.

Previous rumors already suggested that the Galaxy S8 Plus could ship with an S Pen, so this is not the first time were seeing such info, but it is the first time that were seeing an actual case of the device with a cutout for the S Pen, thats for sure. In addition to the S Pen cutout, you also get to see the camera cutout, along with cutouts for the charging cable and the LED flash. The LED flash will be placed above the phones main camera it seems, and it is possible that the company plans to include the infrared sensors next to the LED flash as well, but well see. Based on these two images, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus will look identical in terms of the design, and the only difference will be in their size. Whats also interesting here, is the fact that the physical keys are placed on the left-hand side of each case, both the power / lock key and the volume rocker buttons as well.

These cases do not exactly confirm anything, but they sure are indicating that previous rumors were spot on. Does this mean that Samsung plans to ditch the Galaxy Note brand, are they not going to launch the Galaxy Note 8? Well, it is possible, lets not jump to conclusions, though. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are rumored to sport 5.7-inch and 6.2-inch displays, respectively, though were wondering how accurate that info is, Samsung is almost certainly planning to release at least on smaller Galaxy S8 handset with a 5.5-inch display, or even a smaller panel. The company will utilize both the Exynos 8890 and Snapdragon 835 SoCs, if rumors are to be believed, though only one SoC will be included per device, of course, and their availability will depend on your region. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are rumored to arrive in either March or April, at least according to rumored info.
Lenovo bought Motorola back in 2014, and the company thought that they could revive the Motorola brand and have it thrive under the Lenovo umbrella. After all, they were able to do it with IBM, when they acquired them in 2005. Of course, Lenovo has had IBM under their belts a whole lot longer than Motorola has been, but it appears that Lenovo isnt able to replicate the IBM success. Lenovos CEO told Motorolas employees after the deal closed, that they would be a dominant company, in a few years. But here we are two years later and the company has slashed 2,000 jobs, and has actually fallen in market share, all the way down to number eight.

Lenovos CEO, Yang Yuanqing stated that they underestimated the differences of the culture and the business model. Yang has said in other interviews that the integration with Motorola did not go according to plan. But other employees (both current and former) of Lenovo, say that was just the tip of the iceberg. Lenovo seemingly lacked a clear vision on how to leverage the Motorola brand. Shortly after the deal was finalized in 2014, Lenovo pushed Motorolas smartphones into China. Which wasnt a great idea, in hindsight. This is because Lenovo was already a popular brand in China, not to mention the fact that China is one of the most saturated markets in the mobile industry right now. So Motorolas offerings simply flopped, and never really gained any ground.

Meanwhile, in the US, Lenovo increased their spending on advertising. However, shortly thereafter, the company decided to slash advertising and product development, which has affected their brand and the devices that they are putting out. Now, Lenovo has increased advertising for both the Lenovo and Motorola brands, in fact advertising for Motorola increased by 30% in 2016. Its still a bit too soon to see how much the extra advertising cash has helped Motorola, but it really cant hurt them.

Advertisement

Lenovo has learned some valuable lessons with the purchase of Motorola. Its something they likely wont do again any time soon, and if they do, they will know what to do and what not to do, to have a successful acquisition.
A member of legislative leadership, in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, is aiming to ban protesters from wearing masks.

House Bill 1304 prime sponsor Rep. Al Carlson, R-Fargo, said the purpose of bills such as his are to give law enforcement clear direction on handling of protests.

Thats not a peaceful protest, Carlson said of protesters wearing masks during demonstrations. It might be legal in Baghdad but not in Bismarck.

HB1304 would bar people from wearing a mask or hood that covers part or all of the face when in a public area, such as a road or highway. It would also ban use of coverings for a persons face while at a demonstration or rally on private property without written permission.

Throughout the months of protests, some of the opponents of the four-state, $3.8 billion pipeline have worn masks to shield their identities whether at construction sites or around the Bismarck-Mandan area.

A number of exemptions are included in HB1304 for masks and coverings. These include for religious purposes, for theatrical productions, sporting events, parades, civil defense drills and protection from severe weather.

A violation under HB1304 would result in a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of one years imprisonment, a $3,000 fine or both.

Carlson said he believes there would be strong support among fellow lawmakers for the anti-mask law.

Such laws date back to the late 19th century and early 20th century, when a number of states, particularly in the South, passed anti-mask legislation in response to the Ku Klux Klan.

Jennifer Cook, policy director for ACLU of North Dakota, said the organization opposes HB1304 on First Amendment grounds.

The fact that they have exemptions shows a speech restriction based on content, Cook said. Its also concerning that this bill is directed to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Wearing a mask during a protest, thats not a criminal activity.

She also questioned how enforcement of such a measure would work, adding that it could lead to instances of racial profiling by law enforcement.

Cook also said a number of protesters, for example, may be allowed at times to use face masks for various reasons, which might include protection against blowing dust on windy days.
The Nokia 6 was officially announced for China earlier this month as the first Nokia-branded smartphone manufactured by HMD Global. Two variants of the same device have now been spotted in the GFXBench database boasting the same overall hardware specifications as the unit thats about to be launched in China later this week. They carry model numbers TA-1000 and TA-1003, and the latter is rumored to be the global variant of Nokias upcoming Android phone.

Both the TA-1000 and the TA-1003 have been certified by Bluetooth SIG roughly one week ago, and now the same devices have been dug out of the GFXBench database. According to the spec sheet listed on the benchmarking website, both variants of the Nokia 6 sport a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 CPU clocked at 1.4GHz per core, the Adreno 505 graphics chip, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage, most of which should be available to users. Furthermore, Nokias upcoming phone boasts a 16-megapixel main camera with autofocus, face detection, and a flash, as well as an 8-megapixel front-facing sensor for selfie enthusiasts. Although this bit of detail goes unmentioned by GFXBench, the Nokia 6 draws energy from a generous 4,000mAh battery. Other features worth mentioning include a microSD card slot supporting up to 128GB of external memory, a set of dual stereo speakers coupled with Dual Smart Amplifiers (TFA9891), support for 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, and dual-band Wi-Fi b/g/n. Last but not least, the Nokia 6 is running Android 7.0 Marshmallow out of the box. More specifically, the phone ships with a Nougat-based Android HMD Edition OS which seems to be the companys proprietary version of Android 7.0. This OS version is said to accommodate a user interface based on CyanogenMod 14.

The Nokia 6 is distributed in China exclusively through JD.com, priced at 1,699 yuans, which translates to around $250. At the moment, there are no official details regarding the smartphones release outside of China, but seeing how the alleged global variant carrying the model number TA-1003 has been certified by Bluetooth SIG and given the smartphones recent guest appearance on GFXBench, its possible that the Nokia 6 will eventually launch in more territories.
During a New Delhi event organized by Qualcomm Technologies earlier today, the US chipmaker announced an investment of $8.5 million into its ongoing research and development programs in the country. The company said it will expand the scope and scale of its existing Innovation Lab in Bangalore, and will also build a new one in Hyderabad. Furthermore, Qualcomm announced that a part of its investment will be used to fund the second installment of the Qualcomm Design in India Challenge (QDIC) after the inaugural edition of the program had reportedly received a massive response from around 400 innovators in the country. Todays event was attended by Indias Union minister for Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad, along with John Han, Qualcomms Senior Vice President and General Manager of Licensing. Jim Cathey, the companys President for Asia Pacific and India also appeared in New Delhi for the announcement.

The American chipmaker used this opportunity to distribute $300,000 in prize money to three winners of the inaugural QDIC project. The three startups that won $100,000 each are Carnot Technologies, iFuture Robotics, and Uncanny Vision. While Carnot makes an eponymous IoT device that aims to prevent automobile theft, iFuture makes industrial robots that can operate autonomously in known environments, thereby reducing labor costs. As for Uncanny Vision, the company developed an intelligent surveillance camera that is said to have the ability to use deep learning technologies to effectively monitor any scene. According to Qualcomm, the second edition of the project will fund startups that are looking to innovate in the areas of rural technology, biometric devices, payment terminals, agricultural technologies, medical tech, and smart infrastructure.

According to the rules of the competition, all participating companies used Qualcomm Snapdragon chips to power their innovations. Since the program was announced back in 2015, the US chipmaker shortlisted ten different companies and awarded $10,000 of seed money to each to bring their ideas to fruition. Additionally, the San Diego-based tech giant also provided these innovators with engineering support at its aforementioned Bangalore-based R&D hub. The winners were then chosen by a jury that included technologists, entrepreneurs, government officials, and Qualcomms executives. More information about the second edition of QDIC can be found at the source link below.
AT&T is currently facing criticism as the wireless carrier is denying refunds to DIRECTV NOW customers who arent satisfied with the companys new streaming service. A significant number of unhappy consumers recently took to social media and AT&Ts forums to voice their concerns about a service that isnt performing as advertised and cannot be refunded. According to latest reports, the second largest mobile service provider in the United States is telling customers DIRECTV NOW refunds are not offered by the company. AT&T declined to comment on its no-refund policy, but a spokesperson from the company told TechCrunch no new technology is perfect and some technical issues are to be expected, adding that DIRECTV NOW has mostly been positively received by users.

In addition to subscribers, AT&T is reportedly denying refunds to people whove canceled the service during their week-long trial period. The issue is more prominent due to the fact that the Dallas-based telecom giant is advertising DIRECTV NOW as a service that can be canceled at any point which some customers believe implies an existence of a refund policy. Most people complaining about the service online are experiencing a number of technical issues which are preventing them from reliably streaming content. Some customers even found a way to circumvent the companys no-refund policy by filing complaints with the Federal Communications Commission. According to several sources on Twitter, that process takes around three weeks and is a reliable way to get a refund for those who arent satisfied with DIRECTV NOW.

AT&T is apparently aware of most performance issues plaguing its new streaming service as the company recently sent a survey to its subscribers asking them to detail bugs and glitches theyre experiencing. Regardless, some users are dissatisfied because unlike competing products, DIRECTV NOW didnt launch as a beta service which naturally lowers peoples tolerance levels for technical problems. Crashes, freezing issues, and constant buffering are among the most common complaints about DIRECTV NOW that can be found online. It remains to be seen how long will AT&T take to fix these problems but for the time being, consumers looking for a refund seemingly have no other choice but to get it through the FCC.
The arrest warrant requested for Samsung Groups Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee will be decided tomorrow, two days after the Korean special prosecutors office decided to lay out official charges against the heir to the Seoul-based conglomerate. Lee spent almost a day in questioning last week as authorities were considering charging him with bribery in a corruption case thats been developing in the Far Easter country for the last several months. The Supreme Prosecutors Office decided to bring out charges against Samsung Groups Vice Chairman yesterday, alleging that he paid $36.55 million in bribes to several companies and nonprofits linked to one Choi Soon-sil, a power broker close to President Park. Lee was also accused of embezzlement, as well as perjuring himself during a parliamentary hearing in December.

Samsungs executive and his lawyers are now scheduled to attend a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday. Lee has previously denied all allegations against him, though he reportedly admitted to some wrongdoing during his latest visit to the special prosecutors office on Thursday. Authorities told Reuters that Samsung Groups Vice Chairman will be in detention until his arrest warrant is decided. Hearings such as the one Lee is scheduled to attend tomorrow usually last around a day at most, so more information will likely follow by Thursday. Lee is currently unreachable and hasnt commented on the matter.

The South Korean President also isnt likely to survive this scandal unscathed as the parliament already started her impeachment process back in December. Park is still officially in office and is waiting to see whether the Constitutional Court will overrule that decision and leave her in power, which doesnt seem likely to happen. The special prosecutors office is planning to interrogate her next month. President Parks confidante Choi is already in prison, facing accusations of bribery, attempted fraud, and power abuse. Like Lee, she also denied all charges. Given the high-profile nature of this case, authorities will likely want to tread carefully and cover all their bases, which is why the investigation into this corruption scandal is expected to continue for some time now.
Samsung Group pleaded with the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday over an arrest warrant requested for Jay Y. Lee, the Vice Chairman of the South Korean conglomerate. According to Yonhap, some business circles in the country also supported Lee whos currently facing charges of bribery, perjury, and embezzlement. The Seoul-based court will decide whether to arrest Lee tomorrow. Following the arrest warrant request made by the High Prosecutors Office on Monday, Samsung issued a statement detailing how the company cannot accept bribery charges laid out against Lee, adding that its executive was forced to offer money while he was liaising with the South Korean state pension fund in 2015. The fund in question was a major shareholder of Cheil Industries which merged with Samsung C&T a year and a half ago. Additionally, Samsungs Monday statement denied any connection between Lees alleged bribes and the 2015 merger.

Lee is accused of paying $36.3 million in bribes to several organizations connected to Choi Soon-sil, a close associate of President Park. Choi allegedly used her connections to convince the Korean state pension fund to vote for the merger of Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T, both of which were already owned by Samsung Group in 2015. Even though the Seoul-based conglomerate is denying any wrongdoing, its also asking that Lee stands trial without dentition seeing how hes already banned from leaving the country. The companys representatives said that theres a low possibility of any destruction of evidence as authorities have already raided Samsungs offices on three occasions in recent months. Overall, the firm believes theres no reason for Lee to stand trial in detention.

The Seoul Central District Court will decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for Lee on Wednesday. The hearing thats scheduled to take place before that is expected to last several hours. An identical warrant was already issued for Choi whos currently in prison awaiting trial for numerous charges including bribery and attempted fraud. President Parks fate is still uncertain as shes scheduled to be interrogated in February while also waiting for a decision from the Constitutional Court thats currently reviewing an impeachment request for her.
Supporters of a bill that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in North Dakota say theyre encouraged by what they call the establishment of a firm foundation and growing interest in their cause since identical legislation was defeated two years ago.

For the fourth time in five sessions, legislation adding protections for the states gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population in state law has been introduced.

House Bill 1386 would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace, housing and government services. Current state law prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability and marital status.

Rep. Joshua Boschee, D-Fargo, is the states first openly gay lawmaker and said the bill is virtually identical to what passed the Senate in 2015 but later died in the House. He said it also provides exemptions for religious organizations and social clubs.

With so many new legislators, it gives an opportunity to see where people stand, Boschee said. Its clearly not just a Democrats or Republicans issue.

Many businesses already have such policies, according to Boschee, who said not having a statewide policy may deter some businesses from coming to the state.

He said, in order to move the needle on the matter, personal stories and reported instances of discrimination must be shared to prove the bill is necessary.

Christopher Dodson, executive director of the North Dakota Catholic Conference, said he hadnt yet had the chance to study HB1386.

If the bill hasnt changed, then our position hasnt changed, said Dodson, adding that he didnt believe the appetite among lawmakers for passage of such a bill would be any stronger than it was in 2015.

During the 2015 session, Dodson testified on the LGBT bill, saying it was replete with infringements upon conscience, religious liberty and the right to engage in commerce and social service with sacrificing sincerely held beliefs.

An objection among religious organizations has been that it creates a special class in state law and opens the door to litigation against businesses that refuse service to gay and lesbian couples due to their religious beliefs.

House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, echoed Dodsons comments.

Im not supporting that particular bill, said Carlson, who described the 2015 bill as poorly written and one that carves out special privileges for the LGBT community.

Kevin Tengesdal, a gay rights activist in Bismarck, said he was pleased to hear the debate on LGBT rights will return.

With so many anti-LGBT bills going on across the nation, its good to get this one out there, Tengesdal said.

Similar legislation failed in 2009, 2013 and 2015. Last session, the LGBT bill narrowly passed the Senate 25-22 but died in the House by a 35-56 vote.

Tengesdal said, since then, supporters have stepped up and tried to organize during the interim. He said educational efforts have been ongoing as well.

I personally believe there is stronger groundwork formed ahead of time, Tengesdal said.

Gov. Doug Burgum said he hasnt reviewed the bill yet but in the past hes supported efforts to eliminate discrimination.

On principle I believe that all North Dakotans ought to be treated equally, Burgum said.

Burgum said other states have wrestled with the issue, balancing equality and not infringing on religious rights. He said other states have successfully found the right balance so hopefully lawmakers can find the right way to get a bill to his desk.

Rep. Thomas Beadle, R-Fargo, said the state of North Dakota, and the nations, demographics, are changing and becoming more open to LGBT rights.

In 2004, more than 73 percent of North Dakota voters passed a constitutional measure defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

I think its something thats inevitably going to pass, Beadle said. Im hoping we can make some progress as to where the vote was from last time.

Jennifer Cook, policy director for ACLU of North Dakota, agreed.

We want the conversation to continue. We havent gotten anywhere in this country without rigorous debate," said Cook, adding that the religious exemptions appeared to be adequate and that members of the LGBT community should be able to live without fear of discrimination.

A hearing hasnt yet been set for HB1386.
A four-year-long effort to reshape North Dakotas mental health services may be shipwrecked in the shallows at the Legislature.

Money is tight.

Theres institutional resistance.

And theres stigma attached.

The effort began in the 2013 session, when the Legislature ordered a study. This was completed in July 2014. The 2015 session sent the project to an interim committee to craft bills that would be presented this year.

The early going has been rough.

Last week, the state Senate rejected the idea of removing the North Dakota State Hospital from the constitution, one of the proposals advanced by the interim committee. Closing the hospital would have required a public vote; if passed, it would have cleared the way for a system of regional mental health centers.

The proposal got only three votes  but it was a bipartisan vote, two Democrats and one Republican voted in favor of the idea.

Changes in certification and licensure for mental health professionals ran into trouble last week, too. Governing boards pushed back against changes the interim committee had recommended.

Legislators may move ahead with one portion of the plan, renaming mental health. Occurrences of the phrase in state law would be replaced with the phrase behavioral health.

Thats aimed at the stigma associated with mental health, said Sen. Judy Lee, R- West Fargo, who chairs the Senate Human Services Committee. She presided over the interim study committee as well.

Lee said she plans to concentrate on what she called workforce issues in mental health. The field is quite turfy, she said. There are a lot of silos. We need some skywalks between the silos.

She said professionals with certification in specific fields should be able to work in other fields with proper training and supervision  but perhaps without another certificate.

This would increase the number of professionals that would be available to provide services at specific locations.

Both Lee and Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, said the state urgently needs to provide services in a more accessible way. This would include teleconferencing for therapy sessions, both suggested.

Mathern is the Legislatures most vocal advocate for sweeping change. A former counselor, he served on the interim committee studying the issue. He was the most vocal backer of closing the state hospital.

Refusing to do it sets back care, he said.

Its an illusion, he said. The illusion is that since we have the state hospital, we have addressed the problem. It lets us believe we care.

Lees approach is more incremental. She voted against closing the state hospital, and shes pushing for funding of adolescent treatment facilities and more beds for crisis cases.

Even these small steps may be in danger because of funding cuts.

Human service programs take about a third of the money allocated from the state general fund, about the same amount spent on public schools. The general fund is built mostly on taxes paid directly by North Dakota citizens and businesses. When money from other funds, especially federal funds, is added, spending on human services surpasses spending on public education.

Behavioral health is an important part of the human service budget, about 6.6 percent, according to testimony given the House Appropriations Committee last week. Rosalie Etherington, who is superintendent of the state hospital and chief clinics officer for the Department of Human Services, said the states eight human services centers served about 37,000 clients in 2016. That number is about 5 percent of the states population.

In an interview, Etherington said the department hopes to expand services especially in under-served areas and in response to emergencies, such as the opioid crisis. Other priorities are expanding the workforce and creating more training opportunities.

As for the bigger question, whether the work of the past four years will result in more and better delivery of services, Etherington said: Its likely too early to tell.
A 24-year-old Bismarck man seeking to order two French bull dog puppies was bilked out of $1,200 Monday evening when he sent a money gram to the company to receive them.

The person he spoke to had him order the dogs through a company known as mugrifrenchbulldogpups.net.

The company later contacted the victim saying they needed more money because they were unable to fly them in with regular air service and wanted to send the animals through Sky-Pet, instead. The victim researched and found that Sky-Pet was a fraudulent company.

Officer Pat Renz, of the Bismarck Police Department, urges people to use local dealers when ordering animals and to obtain references if ordering from a long distance.
A used vehicle was provided for a couple who wrecked their car north of Bismarck on Wednesday and whose fifth child, Natalie Elaine, was delivered just minutes later in the back of an ambulance.

None were injured that night six miles north of Bismarck, but their Ford Expedition was totaled.

Jeana and Joe Lockwood can transport their clan of seven in a suitable vehicle now, thanks to the generosity of Roland and Lorraine Ketterling. They exchanged the 2000 Dodge Caravan's title Monday night at the Ketterling's north Bismarck home.

The Ketterlings said they wanted to donate the 2000 Dodge Caravan after they read about the Lockwood family's plight.

"We had this van that we weren't using as much as we thought. It's been setting here. When we heard about their story, we thought 'that's a good family to give it to.' We're happy it can go to a good family that can use it," said Lorraine Ketterling.

The Ketterlings, retired farmers who have lived in Bismarck 29 years, said they intended to donate the vehicle to someone who needed it. They offered the vehicle for free, but Joe Lockwood insisted on paying them $100 to thank them for the kind gesture and said it is what he can do for now.

"This is much better than what we have," Joe Lockwood said. "We are very grateful someone would think of us. It's a great help right now until I can get the financing worked out and get the insurance claim through."

"It's not much, but if it works for them, it's great," said Roland Ketterling. "Some people have more problems."

Joe and Jeana Lockwood said everyone is doing fine but adjusting to the natural chaos that comes with a new baby in a household.
Nearly 53 years after Martin Luther King Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership of nonviolent efforts to secure civil rights for Americans, those rights still stir controversy.

The United States has made progress. The segregation of restaurants, motels, buses and public schools that King marched against is now illegal. The Civil Rights Act can be used to protect Americans from discrimination that still rears its ugly head.

For example, on Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice and the city of Chicago announced a court-enforced agreement to reform the citys police policies and practices. A yearlong Justice Department civil rights investigation found that the police department has violated the constitutional rights of residents for years, permitting racial bias against blacks, using excessive force and killing people who didn't pose a threat, according to the Associated Press.

On Thursday, the U.S. DOJ and the city of Baltimore approved an agreement to improve policing. An investigation of the Baltimore Police Department was prompted by years of complaints that exploded in violence after the April 2015 death of Freddie Gray, a black man who was fatally injured while in police custody.

Civil rights concerns hit close to home for Montanans, where complaints of discrimination, threats and slurs against minority groups have increased substantially since Donald Trumps election on Nov. 8.

The majority of complaints are centered in Whitefish, which is the part-time home of Richard Spencer, a rising star among white supremacists who prefer to call themselves the alt-right.

The neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer had asked its followers to troll storm Whitefish residents whom it identified as Jewish. The website posted photos and contact information on these Montanans.

Andrew Anglin, who runs The Daily Stormer, last month called for an armed march in Whitefish on Mondy, then last week posted that the march was postponed. Anglin named the event the James Earl Ray Extravaganza, referring to the prison escapee who was convicted of shooting King to death in 1968 in Memphis, Tenn.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, Attorney General Tim Fox and our entire congressional delegation  Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines and Rep. Ryan Zinke  have condemned the threats and intimidation directed at our Jewish neighbors and their friends.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama designated three new national monuments that were significant locations in the 1960s civil rights movement. The designation raises questions about how these monuments in Alabama and South Carolina will be funded when the National Park Service doesnt have enough money to take care of long-established parks and monuments. But Americans really do need to remember what happened in those turbulent years.

These new national monuments provide a place for reflection on how far weve come and how far we still have to go to achieve true equality for all, said Stephanie K. Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The civil rights movement was, as Meeks said, a seminal turning point in American history. Protection of civil rights remains integral to our ongoing quest to form a more perfect union.

-- The Billings (Mont.) Gazette
(ANSA) - Athens, January 17 - Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Tuesday said that economic growth and employment should be at the top of the European Union's agenda during a two-day trip to Greece.

"We are convinced that the European Union should give primary importance to economic growth and employment, especially for the young", the president said in Athens on the first day of his visit.

He also expressed the hope that the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, on March 25, will provide an occasion "to relaunch integration" as well as promote "real, authentic and effective European solidarity".

The president said solidarity was necessary on all fronts, including immigration, adding that "it is not a problem for Greece and Italy but for all of Europe because our coasts are the European Union's shores".

Mattarella said Italy and Greece are partners within the European Union with joint strategic interests and "the same vision for the present and for the future".

He also spoke about NATO as an "organization of extraordinary importance for peace and stability".


(ANSA) - Rome, January 17 - Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi on Tuesday said Rome is a difficult city to govern but is already showing signs of change, in a TV interview on channel La7.

"I wouldn't define (governing Rome) a burden, but rather an honour. Of course, it's a difficult city, there are many responsibilities; we knew about them before we ran for office and we're ready to take them up as we've already been doing," she said.

"The city is changing, but when you build you have to make a hole, dig, build the foundation. The workers are at work building solid foundations".

Raggi said the city's administrative "car" has come out of the Capital Mafia case "in pieces" and must be rebuilt.

"Therefore, all of us together are taking up the effort of rebuilding the car. When it's rebuilt, we can start driving," she said, adding that a person can be judged competent "only if they're in a car that's ready to go".

She said that in the 5-Star Movement (M5S) in Rome, her party, "there aren't divisions, but there is debate".

Asked about the popularity of M5S Turin Mayor Chiara Appendino, who came top in a recent mayor's poll while Raggi came second last, Raggi said: "Everyone has to run the city they have. There hasn't been a 'Savoy Mafia' to compare with Capital Mafia".

She also said that if she were informed of coming under investigation in an ongoing appointments probe, "I will read (the notification) and weigh what to do".


(ANSA) - Rome, January 17 - Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said Tuesday that he told British Prime Minister Theresa May last month that the government "defends the national interest, defending the presence of Italians in Great Britain" over Brexit. Speaking as May announced the UK would "abandon" the EU and "build a global UK", Alfano said "the United Kingdom is set to leave the Union but not Europe, there are European forums that must make us stay united on security matters." Alfano was briefing a joint session of the House and Senate foreign affairs committees on the foreign ministry's policy programme.

May said: "at this time we are abandoning Europe and planning a biannual summit of the Commonwealth. We will build a truly global Great Britain".


ROME - The alleged New Year's Eve attacker arrested last night, a citizen of Uzbekistan identified as Abdulkadir Masharipov, has confessed to carrying out the attack on a nightclub after his arrest last night in Istanbul, the city's prefect has said. He said the suspect's digital prints perfectly match those of the attacker who killed 39 people at the Reina nightclub.

The man was arrested in an apartment in the Esenyurt district, on the outskirts of the European side of the Turkish city.

Five other people were arrested with him, including at least three women, all alleged jihadists. Masharipov is believed to have hidden in the apartment, allegedly an ISIS hiding place, for the past three days. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, defining it as a punishment against Turkey.

Weapons and 197,000 dollars were found inside the apartment.

Police also seized two guns with chargers, an air gun, a drone and some sim cards. The prefect told a press conference that the suspect was trained in Afghanistan and is fluent in four languages.

Masharipov, 28, according to media reports published a few days after the attack, is believed to be a member of an ISIS Asian cell and has support in Konya, in central Anatolia, from a group of Uzbekistan nationals tied to the so-called Islamic State terror organization.
ATHENS - Over 500,000 migrants have died at sea in 2016. In 2015, about one million people crossed the Mediterranean, including 800,000 who went to Greece. Last year, the flow decreased (''only'' 360,000) but 181,000 arrived in Italy. These record numbers highlight that the theme of immigration and the need for an equal reallocation in Europe will be central to the talks Italian President Sergio Mattarella will have today in Greece.

The president will be in Athens for an official two-day visit: he will find a country deeply affected by austerity measures, managed by the Troika (EU-IMF-ECB) and with the risk of early elections suggested by Alexis Tripras. The Greek premier, after deciding a sort of emergency end-of-year bonus payment for pensioners is now facing the Troika that is threatening not to pay instalments as part of bailout plan.

Mattarella's trip to Athens will be meaningful as the country has strong similarities to Italy. It is inevitable that the harm caused by harsh austerity measures will be at the center of talks with Greek President Prokops Pavlopoulos and with Tsipras.

Mattarella, who is very sensitive to the issue and concerned by isolationist tendencies in some EU countries will visit a refugee camp. In Greece, the situation of flows has improved significantly since 2015. The agreement between the EU and Turkey is holding and the closure of the Balkan route has brought migrants to once again choose Italy as an entryway into the EU.

But the problem of reallocations must be confronted: the process continues slowly and the situation in camps - both in Italy and Greece - is increasingly worrying.

Out of the 160,000 people who needed to be reallocated from Italian and Greek camps, only 5,290 - according to the most recent UNHCR data - have been moved. Most were in Greece (4,134) and just 1,156 in Italy, or just 3% of the total amid Brussels' inaction.
PARIS - French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday met at the Elysee Palace with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. During the meeting, the French president pledged ''the unfailing commitment of France to the asylum right'' and assured his ''determination to honor together the engagements taken to help world populations that are victims of persecution, war and terrorism''.

In particular, continued the president, Paris means ''to respect the effort worth 200 million euros for the 2016-2018 period, in favor of refugees, for the agencies of the United Nations and countries near Syria that are more exposed, in particular Lebanon''.

In Paris, the pair discussed the international and European response to guarantee obligations in terms of how to welcome and manage inflows in the most effective ways.

Hollande - said the Elysee - has ''confirmed that France respects its role in the realization of European objectives of division and reallocation of refugees, in the spirit of responsibility and solidarity that has marked Europe since the start of the crisis''.

The situation in Africa was mentioned, among other things, in particular in the region of Lake Chad, as well as in Central Africa and Sudan. Both ''insisted on the need to give more means to the development of the most vulnerable countries and asked for the full mobilization of European tools''. (ANSAmed).


Morocco plastic bag ban reaches six months 7,000 tonnes incinerated and 19 tonnes blocked at border

(ANSAmed) - RABAT, JANUARY 17 - Moroccan Industry Minister Moulay Hafid Elalamy on Tuesday said initial results of a plastic bag ban that began six months ago are "encouraging", citing 2.76 million dirhams in fines (about 200,000 euros) collected from 139 companies and individuals who violated the ban, revealed during a series of 1,536 inspections.



Nearly 7,000 tonnes of plastic bags have ended up in incinerators, 19 tonnes have been stopped at the border, and 135 tonnes of non-conforming plastic bags have been seized.



Law 76/15 went into effect last July and makes it illegal to produce, import, export, sell or use plastic bags, which in Moroccan Darija Arabic are called "mika".(ANSAmed).




PALERMO - A team of psychologists and cultural mediators from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have provided assistance to a woman and three men from Ethiopia and Eritrea who were the only four migrants to survive a boat sinking that killed about 180 people on January 13 off the coast of Libya.



The migrants arrived in Trapani on Monday evening aboard the Norwegian commercial vessel Siem Pilot, which was carrying 34 other people rescued during another operation as well as four dead bodies.



The survivors said their boat had about 195 people aboard when both of its engines broke and it began to take on water before sinking entirely.



One of the survivors said they were in the sea for more than 11 hours before help arrived.



Andrea Ciocca, who coordinates the MSF emergency psychological team in Trapani, said when his team arrived at the port, the migrants they assisted "were in shock from the horrible experience they had survived".



"One man lost his wife in the shipwreck, without even being able to recover her body," Ciocca said.



"The hundreds of stories that we've heard in recent months during psychological assistance upon arrival at port are ones of desperation, of shattered families and lives, but we'll never get used to this enormous suffering," he said.



Already 219 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean since the start of 2017.



In 2016, thus far the most lethal year in the central Mediterranean, more than 5,000 died at sea.
Istanbul: alleged New Year attacker confesses after arrest Trained in Afghanistan, he knows 4 languages. Drone in apartment

(ANSAmed) - ROME, JANUARY 17 - The alleged New Year's Eve attacker arrested last night, a citizen of Uzbekistan identified as Abdulkadir Masharipov, has confessed to carrying out the attack on a nightclub after his arrest last night in Istanbul, the city's prefect has said. He said the suspect's digital prints perfectly match those of the attacker who killed 39 people at the Reina nightclub.



The man was arrested in an apartment in the Esenyurt district, on the outskirts of the European side of the Turkish city.



Five other people were arrested with him, including at least three women, all alleged jihadists. Masharipov is believed to have hidden in the apartment, allegedly an ISIS hiding place, for the past three days. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, defining it as a punishment against Turkey.



Weapons and 197,000 dollars were found inside the apartment.



Police also seized two guns with chargers, an air gun, a drone and some sim cards. The prefect told a press conference that the suspect was trained in Afghanistan and is fluent in four languages.



Masharipov, 28, according to media reports published a few days after the attack, is believed to be a member of an ISIS Asian cell and has support in Konya, in central Anatolia, from a group of Uzbekistan nationals tied to the so-called Islamic State terror organization. (ANSAmed).




GENEVA - Over 200 refugees and migrants have died in the Mediterranean since the start of the year while they were trying to reach Europe by sea, but their number could double, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday in Geneva. The organization said it is verifying reports on 200 additional deaths, in particular after a shipwreck Saturday in the waters between Libya and Italy.

From January 1 until January 15 in 2017 - IOM said in a statement - 2,876 migrants and refugees reached Europe by sea, mostly arriving in Greece and Italy, compared to the 23,664 reported in the first 14 days of 2016. IOM said that 219 deaths were reported, a low estimate according to IOM's project for missing migrants. The organization is probing information reported during the weekend that could add at least 200 victims.

IOM's Rome office - quoted in the statement - spoke about staff members who had the opportunity of talking to four survivors from Saturday's shipwreck off Libya.

There were a reported 180 migrants on board and only a few survivors and eight bodies were found in search operations.
Council of Europe urges Slovenia against asylum law Commissioner Muiznieks says new rules against human rights

(ANSAmed) - LJUBLJANA, JANUARY 17 - The Council of Europe has invited the Slovenian parliament to vote against a new law on foreigners that would allow for immediate deportation of irregular migrants as well as pushing potential asylum seekers out of the country in the event of a new massive migratory wave like the one seen in recent months.



Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks said the bill goes against the European Convention for Human Rights and the Refugee Convention.



"The proposed changes won't have any effect except to transfer the weight of (migrant) reception to nearby countries, sending a negative signal to them as well," Muiznieks said, making it understood that the other countries on the Balkan route could follow Slovenia's example.



He expressed his concerns in a letter to the president of the Slovenian parliament, Milan Brglez, inviting all members of parliament to reject the proposed law.



On Monday in response to criticism from international organisations, Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar said his country couldn't handle another mass wave of migrants.



"Alongside refugee rights, we also have to defend our citizens' right to security," Cerar said.



He said next week parliament could modify some of the more restrictive parts of the proposed law regarding the rejection of asylum seekers.(ANSAmed).




Iran says Astana talks prelude to definitive solution Rohani says only Syria should decide its destiny

(ANSAmed) - TEHRAN, JANUARY 17 - A Syrian peace summit scheduled for January 23 in Astana "can be considered a prelude to a definitive solution of the crisis underway in the country", said Iranian President Hassan Rohani on Tuesday during a press conference on the first anniversary of the country's nuclear deal.



Rohani said now "efforts must be focused on protecting the ceasefire" while also recognising that the ceasefire was agreed upon by the Syrian government and a number of opposition groups but excludes ISIS and al-Nusra.



Regarding the future of the Syrian government, Rohani said "only Syria should decide its destiny".



He said Syria needs to "open the way to peace, security and free elections" and that the Syrian crisis must be resolved by diplomatic means and negotiations.



On Monday, Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis arrived in Tehran for a series of meetings with Iranian leaders. (ANSAmed).




Migrants: Hollande meets Grandi, commitment for refugees French president, 200 million euros for UN agencies and Lebanon

(ANSAmed) - PARIS, JANUARY 17 - French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday met at the Elysee Palace with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. During the meeting, the French president pledged ''the unfailing commitment of France to the asylum right'' and assured his ''determination to honor together the engagements taken to help world populations that are victims of persecution, war and terrorism''.



In particular, continued the president, Paris means ''to respect the effort worth 200 million euros for the 2016-2018 period, in favor of refugees, for the agencies of the United Nations and countries near Syria that are more exposed, in particular Lebanon''.



In Paris, the pair discussed the international and European response to guarantee obligations in terms of how to welcome and manage inflows in the most effective ways.



Hollande - said the Elysee - has ''confirmed that France respects its role in the realization of European objectives of division and reallocation of refugees, in the spirit of responsibility and solidarity that has marked Europe since the start of the crisis''.



The situation in Africa was mentioned, among other things, in particular in the region of Lake Chad, as well as in Central Africa and Sudan. Both ''insisted on the need to give more means to the development of the most vulnerable countries and asked for the full mobilization of European tools''. (ANSAmed).




Police say a Grand Forks woman shot by her adult son before he took his own life has died of her injuries. Authorities say 53-year-old Jennifer Harrison died at Altru Hospital days after she was found in her home with multiple gunshot wounds to her torso and head. According to officials, 21-year-old Tyler Harrison shot his mother Wednesday at the home they shared in Grand Forks. Police say he turned the gun on himself and was found dead in their driveway. Officials say the shooting was domestic-related, but that their investigation is continuing.


The ACT Airlines aircraft, operating under the MyCargo brand, came down among homes to the west of the airport following a flight from Hong Kong.

All four crew were killed and at least 31 people on the ground were believed to have died in the crash.

Image from CNN
Two years ago, Etihad acquired the fixed-wing training centre of Horizon International Flight Academy at Al Ain and launched the Etihad Flight College.

And, in just a few weeks time, the brand new Emirates Flight Training Academy will open at Al Maktoum International Airport.

Both airlines are expanding and need pilots urgently  as many as 500 in the next year alone for Emirates.

Middle East airlines as a whole need an incredible 6,000 pilots a year to meet expansion plans, according to the most recent Boeing pilot and technician forecast. Thats why the leading carriers are keen to expand their existing training centres as well as putting students through established flight schools in the west.

The Emirates Flight Training Academy and Etihad Flight College are state-of-the-art, world class training facilities. Both are taking delivery of new aircraft and both are using the latest Embraer Phenom 100E business aircraft for jet training.

Etihad Flight Academy took delivery of the first of four Phenom 100E jets earlier this year  the aircraft making a 10-day, 12,500-mile ferry flight from the Brazilian manufacturers HQ at Sao Jose dos Campos.

Our flight college is a world-class training facility producing a constant stream of well-trained, highly skilled pilots  the majority of whom are Emirati  for the growing operations of Etihad Airways, said Philip Chandler, Etihad Flight Colleges general manager.

The Phenom 100E is an exciting new asset for Etihad Flight College. The airline-grade technology, performance and reliability make it an ideal initial training aircraft to prepare our students for line operations.

The Phenom 100E will be used to teach students on the multi-crew pilot licence (MPL) course that Etihad prefers. The MPL is an innovative competency-based approach to flying training that concentrates on training pilots for airline employment. Other aircraft in the Etihad training fleet include 10 Cessna 172SP Skyhawks, six Diamond DA42NGs and two Extra 300 aerobatic aircraft for upset recovery training.

Over at the nearly finished Emirates Flight Training Academy, it is effectively a private airport with its own air traffic control tower, fire service, hangar and apron for 30 aircraft and a runway capable of handling hundreds of movements daily.

Emirates has no fewer than 27 new aircraft on order, a mix of Cirrus SR22 single-engine piston aircraft for ab-initio flight training, and the very latest Embraer Phenom 100EV.

The 100EV was officially launched at last Julys EAA AirVenture show in the USA and Emirates upgraded its previous 100E order. It has a new avionics suite with the Prodigy Touch flight deck, based on the Garmin G3000, and modified Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F1-E engines, offering more speed with superior hot-and-high performance, which is perfect for training at Dubais desert airport.

We selected the Phenom 100 because we considered it to be the entry-level jet that will offer trainees unmatched systems integration and ease of operation, a high utilisation design, low operating costs, airliner-grade performance and docile flying characteristics, said Adel Al Redha, Emirates executive vice president and chief operations officer.

Our cadets will benefit from next generation technology, speed and thrust for their training missions in the Phenom 100 EV.

Emirates has also partnered with Boeing to collaborate on a comprehensive training curriculum and software infrastructure. Under the agreement, the academy will receive an integrated software system, based on the Peters software system acquired by Boeing, for managing cadet learning and training flight operations, and an enhanced curriculum customised for Emirates.

Cadets will learn with highly interactive digital content delivered in purpose-designed classrooms and on personal tablets.

Our programme is designed to produce career-ready pilots, explained Captain Alan Stealey, principal, Emirates Flight Training Academy. Exceeding regulatory requirements, the curriculum will, for instance, see cadets complete at least 1,100 hours of ground and 315 hours of flight training using a competency-focused approach.

Emirates designed the academy to promote advancements in four key areas of pilot training:

 interactive learning for theoretical subjects in classrooms;

 practical learning in the most capable training aircraft;

 practical learning in advanced flight simulators; and

 airline-focused line-oriented flight training.

Captain Stealey continued: When fully operational, the academy will be able to accommodate more than 600 students at a time.

Of course, Middle East carriers will be taking pilots from other training facilities, too. Oman Air, for example, has tied up with Egnatia Aviation Training Academy, the largest flight-training organisation in Greece, and one of the biggest in Europe. They have created an airline-oriented pilot training course complying with both Oman Air and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) requirements. Captain Mark Davies has been appointed as head of training.

Davies has more than 25 years international experience in the industry, holding similar roles at Oxford Air Training School, Western Australian Aviation College and recently as the head of training for the Qatar Aeronautical College. He said: Im delighted to have joined Egnatia and welcome the opportunity to share in their growing success. Ive worked closely with them for a number of years now and have witnessed first-hand their commitment to the delivery of quality flight-training in what is a very demanding market sector.

Earlier this year, Airways Aviation  now established at its new global HQ at London Oxford Airport in the UK  launched the Kuwaiti Cadet EASA frozen airline transport pilot licence (fATPL) programme with Kuwait Airways. The first class started in February at Airways Aviations flying base in Spain. Airways Aviation is an ambitious company following a different model to other training organisations. It holds aviation foundation courses local to students  including in Baghdad, Beirut, Dubai and Kuwait  then offers flight training in either Europe or Australia. Airways boss, Iain Cooper, says it allows students to discover if they really want, and have the aptitude and mental skills, to become an airline pilot.

CTC Aviation is another UK-headquartered flight training organisation with Middle East connections. It recently opened the latest window for applications for its CTC Wings multi-crew pilot licence (MPL) in partnership with Qatar Airways.

The programme takes aspiring pilots with little or no flying experience directly to the first officers seat of Qatars Airbus A320 aircraft within two years.

So far, there have been 34 graduates through the CTC-Qatar scheme since it started in 2012.

It consists of six months of theoretical knowledge work in the classroom, followed by five months of core skills flight training at CTC Aviations Crew Training Centre in either Hamilton, New Zealand or Phoenix, USA. Pilots then return to the UK for further training on A320 full-flight simulators at CTC Aviations Crew Training Centre in Southampton, before completing the course with A320 aircraft base and line training with the airline.

A world leader in flight simulators, CAE has expanded its training contract with Turkish Airlines. The agreement covers initial type-rating training, cross-qualification training and initial synthetic flight instructor/type-rating instructor courses. The programmes cover all of the airlines aircraft fleet, including A320, A330/340, Boeing 777 and Boeing 737NG.

The training will be delivered across CAEs training centres in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Copenhagen, London Gatwick, Madrid, Rome and Stockholm.

We are delighted to further expand our relationship with CAE to support our growing training need, said Captain Sedat Sekerci, SVP flight training of Turkish Airlines. We are confident that CAEs complete range of training programmes will provide a substantial added value to our crews professional competences.

Ayla Aviation, based at King Hussein International Airport, Aqaba, Jordan, recently started its Global 4 EASA programme offering an EASA (Europe) air transport pilots licence (ATPL).

Ayla is approved by both the Jordan Civil Aviation Authority and EASA and has trained more than 800 pilots since it started in 2006, many now working for Middle East airlines.

Ayla recently launched another interesting initiative  A week at Ayla  to allow newcomers to experience the world of aviation. Participants will spend time in the maintenance department, the operations department, back seat in an instructional flight, fly the simulator, and enjoy other activities with our staff and cadets at our location in Aqaba, said a company spokesperson.

The world needs plenty of pilots over the next 20 years with the Middle East taking a large share thanks to the ambitious expansion plans of its carriers. All the signs are that the worlds pilot training industry is gearing up well to meet that demand.


YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. During an annual press conference Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in response to a provocative question of an Azerbaijani reporter, said the implementation of military operations in Nagorno Karabakh is not Azerbaijans internal affair, reports Armenpress.

The Azerbaijani reporter asked the FM whether Russia will intervene in Azerbaijans internal affairs if the Azerbaijani side launches military operations in Nagorno Karabakh. This statement is a cold shower for the Azerbaijani society. The response to a question over blogger Lapshin was also very clear.

The Russian FM made a statement sobering Azerbaijan where he recalled that the conflict settlement has several options which were adopted by the UN at the hottest time of the conflict. Lavrov said the decisions define that the conflict must be settled without the use of force and with clarification of the final status of Nagorno Karabakh.

This is enshrined in the documents prepared by the OSCE Minsk Group through the Co-Chairs, it is enshrined in numerous statements adopted by the Presidents of the co-chairing countries, Russia, France and US, as well as in the statements and documents adopted by the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The peaceful settlement of the disputes is enshrined there with no ambiguous meaning, the Russian FM said.

He considered alarming the bloody events that took place in April, 2016. Russia played a decisive role in stopping the bloodshed. We have agreed with President Sargsyan and President Aliyev at the meeting in Vienna, then Russian President Putin reached an agreement with them in June in Petersburg that taking into account the mutual accusations it is necessary to install a mechanism for investigating the incidents, to increase the number of OSCE observers in the line of contact. The necessity of investigation of incidents was also emphasized in 2011 during the meeting of the Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in Astrakhan. Unfortunately, such simple thing, the investigation of incidents and increase of number of observers, cannot be implemented since there is no consensus yet, Lavrov said.

During the press conference Lavrov also talked about the situation of Russian-Israeli blogger Aleksandr Lapshin who is arrested in Belarus. In the past years Lapshin visited the Nagorno Karabakh Republic for several times for which he was appeared in Azerbaijans list of unwanted people. Official Baku demands from the Belarussian leadership Lapshins extradition.

We oppose the criminalization of any individuals or reporters visit to any location of any region. We also oppose the extradition of arrested Russian citizens in any country to third countries. We have contacted Mr. Lapshin through the consul. We know that he is also an Israeli citizen and Israeli diplomats have also contacted him. We will take every measures to settle this situation by fully respecting the rights of the Russian citizen, Lavrov said, adding they maintain contact with Lapshin.
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Aamir sent out a statement, supporting his on-screen daughter, on social media account.

Mumbai: After the humongous furore that had taken over social media platforms after 16-year-old Kashmiri actress met up with Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Aamir Khan has come out in support of her.

Aamir sent out a statement, batting for his on-screen daughter.

The actress had been so overwhelmed by the anger and umbrage that she ended up writing an open letter. She had profusely apologised for hurting generic sentiments and even downplayed her much acclaimed performance, calling herself not worthy of being a role model.

The actress ended up deleting the post ultimately, though she did get a lot of support, after she shared her apology letter.

Omar Abdullah, one of Mufti's staunchest critics, came out in support of the young girl, calling the hatred coming her way unwarranted.

Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit also came out in support of Zaira, who'll next be seen in Aamir Khan's 'Secret Superstar'.

Geeta Phogat, whom Zaira portrayed in Nitesh Tiwari's 'Dangal,' came out in support of the youngster.

"I just want to say that Zaira shouldn't apologise. She didn't do anything wrong. Just like we have made our country proud by winning medals, she has done the same thing by playing my younger version in the movie. She did a lot of hard work for that role and she played it really well.

"I've met her so many times during shoot; she is a very simple girl... I want to say to her family that don't be afraid about anything and just don't worry. We all are with them. The entire country stands with them. She equally deserves like us and we all respect her from the bottom of our hearts," Geeta said.

Her sister Babita herself was quite vocal about her support of Zaira.

"Dhaakad ladkiyon ka role kiya hai usne toh usko darne or sharminda hone ki koi zarurat nahi hai," Babita remarked, sharply.

Babita also went on to emphasise on the support that Zaira has across the nation, saying, "We also reached here by facing many hardships; want to tell Zaira Wasim she shouldn't be scared. The nation is with her."
Ajay was last seen in his self-starring directorial, 'Shivaay'.

Shamshad, had threatened to jump into a well in Nawalgarh town of Jhunjhunu district on January 11.

Mumbai: Ajay Devgn has promised to meet a fan, who had threatened to kill himself if a meeting with the actor was not fixed.

On January 11, the youth, identified as Shamshad, had threatened to jump into a well in Nawalgarh town of Jhunjhunu district.

He wanted the district administration to set up a meeting with Devgan, SHO Nawalgarh police station Nawal Kishore Meena told PTI.

"Shamshad, I will soon be shooting in Jodhpur. Will see to it that we meet there," tweeted Devgan from his twitter handle today.

Devgan later thanked Jaipur police for cooperation through another tweet in which he was provided Jhunjhunu police contact numbers.

Meena said that they tough time convincing Shamshad that the meeting will happen.
Shivani Gond, 17, and Tejasweeta Pradhan, 18, will be honoured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Darjeeling: Two Indian schoolgirls will be awarded national bravery awards next week for helping police bust a cross-border human trafficking racket, leading to the arrest of suspects in the cases of missing girls from both India and Nepal.

Shivani Gond, 17, and Tejasweeta Pradhan, 18, will be honoured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "showing exemplary courage" when acting as decoys to gain the trust of the traffickers, allowing police catch them red-handed.

The girls, both from the hill district of Darjeeling in West Bengal, befriended the traffickers on Facebook in May 2016.

They then spent days communicating with them by telephone, convincing the traffickers that they were willing to run away from home before leading them to the police.

Government data showed a 52.8 percent increase in the number of minor girls "procured" and a 35.4 percent increase in the number of girls sold in 2015 compared to the previous year.

West Bengal is among the top three states where traffickers lure young girls from poor families with the promise of good jobs, instead forcing them into the sex trade or into domestic servitude, campaigners say.

Traffickers also targeted the two schoolgirls Gond and Pradhan, but were unaware that they were part of an operation jointly organised by police and non-profit organisation Mankind in Action for Rural Growth.

"When we spoke to them, they very openly told us that we would be required to meet the sexual needs of our guests," Gond said.

"They asked to see our photographs, to make sure we were pretty girls. I was a little scared but we did everything they asked us to because we had to gain their trust."

The National Bravery Awards are given to around 25 children between the ages of 6 and 18 every year.

The recipients, selected from across India, are given a medal, certificate and a cash prize. They also receive financial assistance to complete their schooling.

While children have won awards for foiling robberies, fighting off armed intruders, rescuing people from drowning, saving lives in a stampede and putting out fires, this is the first time one has been given in a human trafficking case.

Many parents do not give consent for their children to be involved in anti-trafficking operations.

"I also hesitated, but then realised that it was our only shot to get the traffickers," said Kamlesh Rai, Pradhan's mother and a school teacher.

The police got their first breakthrough with the arrest of a woman who had travelled to New Jalpaiguri to pick up the girls.

Her arrest led police to a missing girl from Nepal as well as a trafficking gang and a sought-after suspect in New Delhi.
He continues to be in prison for not paying a penalty amount of around Rs 1.29 crore (7,11,562 Saudi Riyals).

A man from Bihar has been languishing in a jail in Saudi Arabia for over 15 years as his family is unable to pay a punishment sum of over Rs 1 crore. (Representational image)

New Delhi: A man from Bihar has been languishing in a jail in Saudi Arabia for over 15 years, and his family, unable to pay a punishment sum of over Rs 1 crore to secure his release, has now approached External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for help.

Mohammed Irfan, 42, was arrested for allegedly committing theft of medicines from a local government warehouse in Jeddah in January 2000 and has been in jail since then, according to a December 21, 2016 correspondence between the Ministry of External Affairs and National Commission for Minorities (NCM) member Praveen Davar.

Irfan was arrested for allegedly violating two Saudi rights -- public and private.

While Irfan, who hails from Bihar's Piplawan village, has served imprisonment of 18 months under public right, he continues to be in prison for not fulfilling private right, under which he is required to pay a penalty amount of around Rs 1.29 crore (7,11,562 Saudi Riyals).

According to a public court in Jeddah, Irfan must pay the amount to the Saudi Health Ministry for allegedly stealing medicines from the warehouse of its medical supply department, where he used to work as an air-conditioner technician.

Irfan is accused of selling the medicines to Mansoor Ali Hakeem, a Bangladeshi national, and transmitting cost of the medicines.

Given the prevalent rules/laws of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, no one can exempt/waive or commute punishment awarded under private right except the affected party, the correspondence from the office of Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said.

The matter was taken up several times with the Saudi authorities concerned in the past, but no positive reply has been received till now in this regard, it said.

Irfan's father Shakeel Ahmed and his brother Istekhar visited Jeddah during February-March, last year to enquire about the case and to meet him, the documents said.

Istekhar, who is said to have shifted with the family to Phulwari Shareef village now from Piplawan, though told that it was not him or his father but his cousin who had met Irfan.

"We are poor people. We can't afford to travel to Saudi Arabia. It's not me or my father, but a cousin who had gone to see him," Istekhar said on phone.

A tutor by profession, Istekhar said the family had in the past approached several authorities including the Prime Minister's Office and the External Affairs Ministry for help when Pranab Mukherjee, now President, was the External Affairs Minister.

"We sold our land and house to see my brother is released. A person who promised us help, took money but did not help us. We now urge (Sushma) Swaraj ji to help my brother return. My parents have turned old now, waiting to see their son. We earnestly request the minister to help us," he urged.

Istekhar also alleged that his brother was framed by a Mumbai-based firm which had hired him in 1996 to work in the Gulf country.

Irfan wanted to return home in the year he was arrested, but his employer was against it, he claimed.

He charged the employer with forcibly making Irfan work two years beyond the agreement and also paying less than what was assured.

Meanwhile, Davar has urged individuals and NGOs to extend monetary help to the family to secure Irfan's release.
Earlier, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had presented a list of 38 names to son Akhilesh Yadav, which did not include Shivpal.

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, whose faction in the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Monday won the right to use the cycle symbol for the state elections, met his father Mulayam Singh Yadav in Lucknow.

According to reports, Akhilesh met his father twice in the last 12 hours following the Election Commission (EC) verdict, and the search for a compromise is still on.

While the UP CM said that he sought Netajis blessing after the EC ruled in his favour, reports said that there were discussions between the two regarding the candidate list for the UP elections.

Mulayam Singh Yadav is said to have presented 38 names to his son, which he said cannot be overlooked. Significantly, Mulayam cousin and confidante Shivpal Yadavs name was absent from this list.

However, later in the evening, Mulayam reversed his position and demanded that Shivpal be included in the list.

However, his son, Aditya Yadav, who is in his mid-20s, is present, along with several ministers seen as Mulayam loyalists and disliked by Akhilesh Yadav.

In December, Mulayam Singh Yadav, still in charge of the party in and its symbol, had declared his own list for the February polls. This list excluded many leaders close to Akhilesh, which prompted the UP CM to release his own list of candidates the next day.

In the weeks that followed, father and son fought a bitter battle at the EC to claim the right to use the SP symbol. Akhilesh won this battle on Monday evening, with the electoral body announcing that it had granted him the symbol as he had 205 out of 229 SP MLAs on his side. The EC also stated that Akhileshs faction was the real Samajwadi Party, leaving Mulayam out in the cold.

If fresh talks fail, however, the SP patriarch has another option  a regional party, the Lok Dal, has offered him their election symbol to use.

Meanwhile, Mulayam's estranged cousin Ramgopal Yadav filed a caveat in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, stating that the court should not pass any order on the matter without hearing the Akhilesh Yadav faction.
A Special CBI court has charged Indrani and Peter with murder and criminal conspiracy.

New Delhi: Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukherjea on Tuesday stated that she wanted a divorce from her husband and co-accused Peter Mukerjea.

Indrani sought permission from the trial court to file a divorce case against her husband.

The judge however told Indrani that there was no need to take permission from the court.

A special Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) court earlier on Tuesday framed charges of murder and criminal conspiracy against Indrani Mukerjea, Peter Mukerjea and ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna in the Sheena Bora murder case.

The trial in the case will begin on February 1 at the special CBI court.

The CBI court had earlier set January 17 as the date for framing charges against the three accused.

Mikhail had earlier alleged that Indrani had spiked his drink on the same day when Sheena was killed.

Indrani, former media baron Peter and Sanjeev were present in the court on Tuesday. They were sitting separately in the dock and were later seen chatting with their lawyers outside the court.

The CBI had on December 19 started arguments on framing of charges in the sensational Sheena Bora case, saying it was her relationship with Rahul, Peter's son from earlier marriage, that led to her murder.

Sheena was murdered on April 24, 2012, and her body was burnt and disposed of at a forest in Raigad district on the next day, according to the prosecution. Indrani was arrested in connection with the case in August 2015.

Apart from Indrani, Peter, Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyamvar Rai were also arrested in the case.

Rai had earlier turned approver in the case and disclosed to CBI how the crime was committed by the accused.

The alleged murder of Sheena Bora came to light in 2015 when a former driver employed by the Mukerjeas confessed to the police for allegedly assisting Indrani in committing the crime.

Peter Mukerjea's lawyer had accused the CBI of pursuing an agenda against the former to malign his image. During the argument, Peter's lawyer said charges under sections 307, 328, 420, 468, 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) were not made out as there was no material with prosecution. Also, Peter was charged with 120 (b) stating conspiracy of the crime even when he was not in the country when the crime was committed.

The lawyer also said the charge of IPC 420 offence cannot be substantiated as the mention of the property for which the cheating was done and who cheated, both were not mentioned.

"The will made by Indrani about a flat made on 15.09.2004 giving a flat to Sheena is also not conclusive about the ownership of the flat as it was owned by A1( Indrani) and A4 ( Peter) both and it was never transferred/sold to Sheena ... This was 'probably' mentioned in charge sheet to bring forgery aspect against me. But why would I forge my own signature?" said Peter.

He also held false the allegation levelled against him of being in Goa and knowing about the communication taking place regarding the email password of Sheena.
Speaking at the inauguration of the second Raisina Dialogue, Modi also slammed Pakistan for failing to reciprocate his overtures of peace.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at the inauguration of the second Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi. (Photo: ANI Twitter)

New Delhi: India alone cannot walk the path of peace with Pakistan and the neighbouring country must walk away from terrorism if it wants bilateral dialogue to resume, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, amid continued chill in Indo-Pak ties.

Referring to ties with China, the Prime Minister said it was not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences but both sides should show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day-long Raisina Dialogue, India's flagship geo-political conference which is being attended by top foreign and security experts from across the world.

On ties with Pakistan, Modi said the path of peace has to be Pakistan's journey as well and that India's stand in delinking terrorism from religion, and rejecting artificial distinction between good and bad terrorism, are now a global talking point.

"My vision for our neighbourhood puts premium on peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia. That vision had led me to invite leaders of all SAARC nations, including Pakistan, for my swearing in.

"For this vision, I had also travelled to Lahore. But, India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan's journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India," he said.

In a veiled reference to Pakistan, he said those "in our neighbourhood who support violence, perpetrate hatred, and export terror stand isolated and ignored."

In his address, Modi gave a run down of India's foreign policy priorities, security interests in the Indian Ocean and bilateral engagement with neighbouring countries, Gulf nations and major powers including the US, China and Russia.

On Sino-India ties, he said both the countries have an unprecedented economic opportunities and that they can compliment each other in their march forward.

"I see the rise of India & China as an unprecedented economic opportunity for our two countries, and for the whole world. At the same time, it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences.

"In the management of our relationship, and for the peace and progress in the region, both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests," he said.

Referring to India's ties with the US, he said a certain amount of speed, substance and strength to the entire spectrum of economic, commercial and security engagements has been brought to the relationship through sustained engagement.

"Over the past two-and-half years, we have given a strong momentum to our engagement with US, Russia, Japan and other major global powers," he said, delving on India's external engagement and geo-strategic interests.

Modi said India's economic and political rise represents a regional and global opportunity of great significance.

Talking about ties with the US, Modi also referred to his conversation with President-elect Donald Trump and said "we agreed to keep building on these gains in our strategic partnership."

He said instability, violence, conflict, extremism, exclusion and trans-national threats continue to proliferate indangerous directions.

"And, non-state actors are significant contributors to thespread of such challenges. Institutions and architectures built for a different world, by a different world, seem outdated. Posing a barrier to effective multilateralism," he said.

The Prime Minister said India's maritime interests are strategic and significant and that the primary responsibility for peace, prosperity and security in the Indian Ocean rests with those who live in the region.

"Ours is not an exclusive approach. And, we aim to bring countries together on the basis of respect for international law. We believe that respecting Freedom of Navigation and adhering to international norms is essential for peace and economic growth in the larger and inter-linked marine geography of the Indo-Pacific," he said without naming any country.

Delving on geo-political developments, he said the sharpest trajectory of change is happening in Asia but at the same time added that rising ambition and festering rivalries are generating visible stress points.

"The steady increase in military power, resources and wealth in the Asia-Pacific has raised the stakes for its security. Therefore, the security architecture in the region must be open, transparent, balanced and inclusive," he said.

Modi said his government has redefined, in a short span of time, and "despite uncertainty and conflict", partnerships with Gulf and West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Iran.

"We have not just focused on altering the angles of perception. We have also changed the reality of our ties. This has helped us protect and promote our security interests, nurture strong economic and energy ties and advance the material and social welfare of around 8 million Indians," he said.

The Prime Minister said India was pursuing its transformation in "unsettled times" and talked about sluggish growth and economic volatility.

"For multiple reasons and at multiple levels, the world is going through profound changes. Globally connected societies, digital opportunities, technology shifts, knowledge boom and innovation are leading the march of humanity.

"But, sluggish growth and economic volatility are also a sobering fact. Physical borders may be less relevant in this age of bits and bytes. But, walls within nations, a sentiment against trade and migration, and rising parochial and protectionist attitudes across the globe are also a stark statistic," he said.
Kejriwal said that entire Punjab in voice is accusing Mr Majithia of selling drugs in the state.

Chandigarh: AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday that AAP would form the next government in Punjab and claimed that state Cabinet minister Bikram Majithia, who is accused of his links with drug dealers, would be put in jail before April 15.

Taking to media at the Chandigarh Press Club, Mr Kejriwal said that entire Punjab in voice is accusing Mr Majithia of selling drugs in the state. Mr Majithias name has figured in many drug-related cases, he said, adding that he was never interrogated by the police. He was named kingpin of the drug trade in Punjab by accused Jagdish Bhola and Jagjit Singh Chahal arrested in connection with a synthetic drug racket. Mr Kejriwal said the AAP government would not allow chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and members of his Cabinet, facing corruption charges, to go scot-free. We will constitute a special investigating team to probe the ill-gotten wealth of the Badal family and recover every single pie looted from Punjab, he said, adding that food supply minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon and agriculture minister Tota Singh, who were allegedly involved in food and pesticide scam, would also be brought to book. The AAP government would also take steps to investigate Swiss accounts of state Congress chief Capt. Amarinder Singh, he said. He said Mr Singh has backstabbed the people of Punjab by helping Badals.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi claimed on Tuesday that communal incidents have sinificantly declined since PM Modi-led NDA government came to power.

New Delhi: In the run up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections Union minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi claimed on Tuesday that communal incidents have sinificantly declined since Narendra Modi-led NDA government came to power. Hailing the Modi government for creating an atmosphere wherein minorities are becoming a part of the countrys development process, the minister asserted that the constitutional rights of minorities are absolutely safe and secure in the country, and said that no one could weaken them.

The BJP also mocked the proposed poll tie-up between the Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the RLD as an alliance between princes to save family rule, and claimed that it punctures Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs developmental claims and underlines his desperation.

Addressing the inaugural session of the annual conference of state minority commissions, Mr Naqvi also asked political parties to remain alert and work for minority empowerment as he asserted that their accountability will be tested every six months when elections take place in some part of the country or the other. He said the Modi governments empowerment without appeasement policy has created an atmosphere where minorities are also becoming part of the development process.

Harmony is password of development. It should not be let hacked. The forces which are trying to hurt harmony, those should be isolated. We need to strengthen the unity of the country, he said.

To buttress his point on the decline in communal incidents, the minister said the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) received 2,638 complaints in 2013-14. During the next fiscal, the number of complaints came down to 1,995. The commission received 1,974 complaints in 2015-16, and till December 31, 2016, has obtained 1,288 grievances. Most of these complaints were related to individual disputes.
Outgoing US envoy says world needs Indias leadership to fight terror.

New Delhi: A day after China came out strongly against the US government on the issue of Indias NSG membership bid, outgoing US envoy to New Delhi, Richard Verma, exuded confidence on Tuesday that the incoming Donald Trump administration would be able to overcome the Chinese hurdle, even as he said the Obama administration has recently delivered a very tough message to Pakistan, asking it to dismantle safe havens of terrorist groups Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Haqqani network operating from its soil.

Saying that India faces a daunting challenge from these Pakistan-based terror groups, and hailing New Delhis efforts to deal with the menace, the envoy said the world needs Indias leadership in countering terrorism. Mr Verma, who demits office ahead of US President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration on Friday, said the US also told the Pakistani leadership to come down hard on perpetrators of cross-border terrorism, including in Afghanistan.

Asked about what exactly the Obama administration told Pakistan recently regarding Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Haqqani network, Mr Verma was quoted by news agencies as saying at an event, We have taken a very tough line on these terrorist groups operating from Pakistani soil. He said the message to the Pakistani leadership has been a very tough and concerted one, adding that Islamabad has been told to eliminate the safe havens of the terrorist groups, shut down their cross border activities and take action against the perpetrators of terror.

Talking about the threat of terror that India was facing, he said, On the western front, India faces a daunting challenge of terrorist groups operating from inside Pakistan. Some of these groups, including LeT and the Haqqani network, and JeM also, targeted the US and Afghan security forces in Afghanistan. He said the US continued to press Pakistan at the highest level to take effective action against these groups and cited the extension of terrorist designation to two more LeT leaders, adding, The US-India partnership stands as a global example of what is possible.

On Indias NSG membership bid, he said that President Barack Obama, secretary of state John Kerry and a lot of other people had worked in pushing Indias membership to the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group and that the US will continue to work on it. China had said on Monday that the admission of non-NPT signatories in the NSG could not be a farewell gift for countries to give to each other. The Chinese reaction had come after the US asserted that Beijing was an outlier in the efforts to make India a member of the elite nuclear club.

This is something we will keep working on together. There is a lot of support for Indias membership as we said we strongly support Indias accession in the NSG. These things are complicated, they take time, they are multilateral. We will have to continue to work with those countries, including China, which may have some concerns, Mr Verma said.
Both parties hint at a maha gathbandhan against the BJP in UP.

New Delhi: The maha gathbandhan or grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh is all set to take shape with the Congress taking the first step on Tuesday to claim that it has decided to tie up with the Samajwadi Party and that the formation of the alliance would be announced in a couple of days.

In Lucknow, state chief minister and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav echoed the sentiment, saying the decision on an alliance with the Congress would be taken in a day or two.

Speaking to the media in Delhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, AICC general secretary in-charge of UP, said that he was confident that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress chief ministerial face in UP, Shiela Dikshit, bowed out of the race in favour of the alliance and for the greater good.

I would like to gracefully withdraw. We cant have two chief ministerial candidates, Ms Dikshit said on Tuesday.

Following Mr Yadavs victory in getting the party symbol, bicycle, and the alliance with the Congress now turning into a reality, the BJP played the dynasty card and called it an alliance between two princes (Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav).

Coming together of the SP and the Congress shows the desperation of Akhilesh Yadav, who smells defeat Akhilesh along Rahul Gandhi and RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary are coming together to promote their family rule, BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

The RLD is waiting in the wings to join the grand alliance.

The SP is expected to offer to nearly 135 seats to all its allies, which include other smaller outfits.

Of the 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress might be able to get around 100, while the RLD could be offered nearly 25. Chief ministers uncle and close aide Ram Gopal Yadav and Ghulam Nabi Azad are holding parleys over seat sharing.

The grand alliance this time around marks a new chapter in Indian politics as it will be the next generation of leaders who will be taking on the BJP and the BSP.

While Akhilesh Yadav would lead the charge, he would be flanked by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and RLD leader Jayant Chowdhury. Akhilesh Yadavs wife Dimple and Rahul Gandhis sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would share the platform.

This formidable combination has spooked the saffronites, who are now pointing fingers at the BJP high command for its failure to project a credible face as the chief ministerial candidate.
The victims said, they did not come forward when they were assaulted out of the fear of safety of their family and their own lives.

New Delhi: Alleged paedophile Sunil Rastogi, who was apprehended on charges of sexually assaulting multiple minor girls, reportedly took the girls to rooms on rooftops, and threatened to throw them off the roof in case they did not comply.

Three minor victims allegedly assaulted by Rastogi, told Delhi Police that he asked them to change into new clothes in front of him or be thrown off the roof, The Hindustan Times reported.

The victims who were minor when they were assaulted, said, they did not come forward at the time out of the fear of safety of their family and their own lives.

An investigator speaking to The Hindustan Times, explained, Rastogi always chose locations that were less frequented by people. He mostly picked abandoned houses, old buildings, under-construction houses and that too in New Ashok Nagar.

When he did not find such locations, he took the girls to buildings where bachelors, mostly students, resided. Since he operated during the afternoon, none of the residents used to be around and he would escape each time, he added.

The recent cases are not alien for this history-sheeter. A police source reported, "An FIR under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) was registered against him for raping a minor in 2016 and he was jailed. He, however, got bail six months later. On the next date of hearing, Rastogi did not go to the court and went underground. He was subsequently declared an offender."

Rastogi was apprehended after two complaints were made by minor victims. On December 13, 2016, a minor from New Ashok Nagar in East Delhi and on January 12, two minors approached the police to lodge complaints of sexual assault.

We got three similar cases and when we connected the dots we found that it was the same man who assaulted the three girls. The investigation was then carried out and the man, who we had been looking for, was identified, a police officer added.

Rastogi is currently in a 14-day judicial custody.
Shivpal Yadav has made it clear that he will not contest elections under Akhilesh Yadavs leadership.

Lucknow: UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, after winning the battle in the Election Commission and gaining control over the party and its symbol, is now trying to build bridges with his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, whom he had deposed from the post of party president on January 1.

This could mean that Mulayam Singh Yadav seeks about 40 seats for his supporters who had been shown the door by the chief minister as the family war escalated, especially the ministers who had been sacked for supporting the senior Yadavs.

However, truce is still a considerable distance away in the Yadav clan.

Shivpal Yadav has made it clear that he will not contest elections under Akhilesh Yadavs leadership, and neither will he hold any post in the party. Relations between Shivpal Yadav and the CM have been particularly strained since the past few months.

With Shivpal Yadav out of the picture, his son Aditya Yadav may be given the party ticket to fight from his fathers traditional seat, Jaswantnagar.

The chief minister, who visited his father late on Monday night and again on Tuesday, said that he had his fathers blessings. Both sides refused to confirm whether Mulayam Singh Yadavs candidates would be accommodated in the final list.

The chief minister, however, told reporters that Netaji ka chehra, mera kaam, Samajwadi Party ki yehi pehchaan will be the new slogan of the Samajwadi Party.

A victory which sees my father being upset cannot be a matter of joy for me, but this was necessary. I was confident of getting our symbol. He is my father and the relationship will never change. He will continue to be our mentor and patron and we will form the next government in UP, Mr Yadav said.

Even as he claimed that all was well in the party, Ram Gopal Yadav filed a caveat in the Supreme Court that Akhilesh should be heard in case any petition challenging the ECs order on the party symbol is filed.

Sources, however, said that Mulayam Singh Yadav is unlikely to challenge the EC verdict. Netaji is a politician and will fight his battles politically. Right now, there is no indication of challenging the EC verdict, said an aide of the Samajwadi patriarch. The EC on Monday ruled that Akhilesh Yadav was the rightful president of the Samajwadi Party and restored the party symbol (bicycle) to him.

Akhilesh Yadav, determined to send out a message to party cadres that he has his fathers blessings, has asked workers not to raise slogans against anyone and that all party posters must carry Mulayam Singh Yadavs photograph. Reply to a question, Akhilesh Yadav said that an alliance with the Congress was on the cards and that the modalities would be worked out in a day or two. We will make the announcement in Lucknow. Today I am going to finalize our list of candidates, he said.
The BJP announced candidates for 64 of the 70 Assembly seats in the state.

New Delhi: Raging infighting in the Congress has put the party on the backfoot in Uttarakhand, and at this juncture its advantage BJP.

The fight between state chief minister Harish Rawat and state unit president Kishore Upadhyaya is likely to derail the party further in the state which votes on February 14.

Following its own Assam precedent, the Congress high command yet again threw its weight behind the chief minister, claiming that he remained the partys tallest leader in the state.

In Assam, despite the writing on the wall and falling popularity of the then chief minister, Tarun Gogoi, the Congress high command had refused to go for a change of guard.

While the BJP announced candidates for 64 of the 70 Assembly seats in the state on Monday, the Congress has not yet been able to come out with its list. Elections in the state are to be held on February 14.

In a span of one year, 11 of 34 Congress MLAs have switched over to the BJP. The 11 Congress rebels made it to the BJPs first list of candidates, including former state Congress chief Yashpal Arya and his son Sanjeev Arya.

Resentment against chief minister Rawat has been brewing in the state unit for long. Mr Rawats style of functioning was being questioned and dissidents have accused him of running the party in an autocratic manner. The Congress in Uttarakhand has become Harish Rawat Congress, a senior Congress functionary alleged.

Defection of Congress leaders is going to hit the party hard.

Rajputs and Brahmins are the predominant voters in the hilly areas of Kumaon and Garhwal, while the Tarai region has a sizeable minority and dalit population. With Yashpal Arya (of Tarai region) switching over to the BJP, the Congress now lacks a credible dalit face.

As for the Brahmin face in Garhwal, state Congress chief Kishore Upadhayay is engaged in a turf war with the chief minister.

A sabotage cannot be ruled out, the Congress functionary said.

Congress could do well in the Rajput-dominated Kumaon as the chief minister belongs to the Rajput community. The party is expected to fare poorly in both Garwal and Tarai region. Trouble between the chief minister and the state Congress chief erupted immediately after the former won the trust vote in June 2016. It was alleged that the chief minister scuttled Mr Upadhayays chance of getting nominated to the Rajya Sabha and pushed forward his close associate Pradeep Tamta.

There have been several attempts by the party high command to sort out differences between the two.
Parents of Aparajit from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh were helpless yet determined to save their daughter.

Jabalpur: Several cases of birth defects have been reported in the past few years from India among which children suffering from skin disorders and conditions that gave them a wolf like appearance are still struggling for treatment. Now another such shocking incident has been reported where the child had a disorder that almost caused her death.

Aparajit Lodhi was born in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh with a rare congenital disease called Macroglossia which means the baby girl had an unusually large tongue. The situation was grave since the tongue was swelling so big that it could choke Aparajit to death.

The parents were terrified and helpless but at the same time determined to save the child as they werent able to do much despite seeing her in pain and hungry. Aparajit was kept alive on breathing apparatus for four days, as doctors came to the rescue.

The tongue was found to have a big tumour which took the doctors two hours to remove as the girl was finally able to swallow after the operation successfully reduced her tongue size. They said that she wasnt able to swallow anything inside the womb as well because of this condition.

The mother Mini Lodhi was relieved and excited to finally be able to nurse her child after four days spent worrying for her. She was happy to experience the bliss of motherhood thanks to the successful surgery.
Women representative Mishi Mboko said that it would help reluctant men to vote

When it comes to elections, there are many countries that implement measures that will make the people take active part in it. However Kenya has gone a step further to make people vote; Women representative Mishi Mboko has told women to take a unique step to force their men to make voting cards before the elections.

According to a news report, Mishi has urged all women to not let men have sex with them if they do not make their voting cards. The measure has come to encourage men to make their voting cards before the elections which take place on August 8. The representative said that sex was a powerful weapon to make reluctant men get their voting IDs. Interestingly, the rule doesnt apply to the Mishis husband as he has already got his voting card made for the election.

The urgency to get voting cards done came after Mishi believed that the National Super Alliance stood the best chance to beat Jubilee Alliance, the party currently governing Kenya.
Others who were present in the building escaped unhurt, but the couple was killed in the wall collapse, police said.

An elderly couple was killed when the wall of a 100-year-old building collapsed early this morning in Delhis Chandni Mahal area. (Photo: PTI/Representational)

New Delhi: An elderly couple was killed when the wall of a 100-year-old building collapsed early this morning in Chandni Mahal area, police said.

Others who were present in the building escaped unhurt but Rajesh Gupta, 60, and Uma Gupta, 55, were killed in the wall collapse, they said.

The incident occurred around 6.35 am and seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot, an official from Delhi Fire Services said.

The couple had been living in the area for the last 30 years along with their children, Karan and Isha. They were also present in the house when the incident occurred and had a narrow escape.

Uma got up to fill water in the morning around 5 am but since there was no supply, she went off to sleep again and later the wall collapsed, they said.

Uma and Rajesh were rushed to LNJP Hospital but they were declared brought dead.

The fire officials had a tough time cleaning debris since the lanes leading to the house were narrow.
The student claims that deportation would pose a threat to his life.

New Delhi: Hearing a plea of Yemini student against his deportation, the Delhi HC issued a notice the Centre seeking its response. The student claims that deportation would pose a threat to his life.

The single judge bench of Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva issued notice to the ministry of home affairs and sought its reply on the students plea by January 30 after additional solicitor general Sanjay Jain gave an oral assurance that no action would be taken without first informing the court and the petitioner.

Mr Jain, assisted by Central government counsel Rajesh Gogna, told the court that the petitioners application for extension of his visa is under consideration and any decision that is taken will be communicated to the court and the petitioner before the next date of hearing on January 30.

The petitioner, who claims to be a Sunni Arab, has said he had a valid visa till October 31, 2016, and under the garb of extending it, he has been kept at the detention centre at Lampur Sewa Sadan in the capital.

No reason was ever given to the petitioner for his impending deportation or his detention, the plea filed through advocate Gunjan Singh said.

The Yemeni national has said he arrived in India in 2013 for studies and has done a post-graduate course in commerce from Pune University.

His lawyer told the court that the petitioner has been given refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and should not be deported.

According to the petitioner, the Sunni Arab community is targeted by Houthi rebels and other non-state actors such as al-Qaeda and the government there.
Saffron allies will seal the seat arrangement deal by January 21, says Shelar after Monday meeting.

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday finally began discussions on the seat-sharing arrangements for the forthcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election.

On Monday, the parties merely exchanged their list of demands, even as BJPs city chief said after the meeting that the seat-sharing pact between them would be sealed by January 21.

Only primary discussion took place today. A few issues need to be discussed at a higher level. Chief minister Devendra Fadanvis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will discuss soon in this regards, said Sena leader Anil Desai after the meeting. BJP Mumbai chief meanwhile briefed the media after the meeting that negotiations will be finalised till January 21.

Education minister Vinod Tawde, housing minister Prakash Mehta and BJP Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar participated from the BJPs side, while member of Parliament from Rajya Sabha Anil Desai, member of legislative council Anil Parab and senior leader Ravindra Mirlekar represented the Sena.

Earlier, the BJP had demanded 105 seats informally where Sena was ready with not more than 95 seats. In the 2012 BMC polls, BJP had contested 63 seats and Shiv Sena had fought 135, where Ramdas Athavales RPI which was in alliance with the saffron parties had received 35 seats. This time, the BJP is demanding more seats, as the party is upbeat after the 2014 general and assembly elections. The BJP has also demanded sharing of city mayor ship for half the term but Sena opposed it vehemently.

The saffron allies have been taking pot shots at each other even as cadres from both the parties are asking their leaderships to go solo. Internal surveys of both parties project more than 100 seats, but leadership from both sides do not want to ruffle any feathers. Last week, Mr Fadnavis had cleared his stand on an alliance with the Sena. We want an alliance to prevent Congress-NCP from coming back to power. We have differences with Sena but there are certain issues that we shares, Mr Fadnavis had said. State finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has also cleared BJPs stand on an alliance. Though our cadre wants to go alone, we are talking with Sena for well-being of the city. he said.
Warning Mr Nirupam, Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament from Sena, Anil Desai cited provisions in the Election Commissions code of conduct.

Mumbai: Congress has decided to mock Shiv Senas new slogan Did You Know? in a poster campaign.

Sanjay Nirupam, Congress Mumbai chief, claimed his party would come up with posters asking did you know about the corruption in BMC? and did you know a penguin died in Byculla Zoo? Meanwhile, Sena has claimed it would go to the Election Commission and file a complaint against Congress if facts are distorted.

Mr Nirupam said, Its time for Shiv Sena to answer many questions regarding corruption in city. We will display the posters in city, asking did you know a penguin died, did you know Marathi schools are closing down and did you know corruption of `9 thousand crores has taken place in the BMC?

The Shiv Sena, which has recently launched the first phase of its poll campaign in the city, put up posters on various subjects across the city to inform citizens about the work done by the Sena-led BMC in last five years. Among some of the things that are highlighted are how constructing work of a dam took place in fastest time possible and how BMC schools are linked with video-conferencing facility. As this campaign is catching speed, opposition parties have started countering it.

Warning Mr Nirupam, Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament from Sena, Anil Desai cited provisions in the Election Commissions code of conduct. The EC code clearly states that no party is allowed to distort information or sling mud against a rival party. If Congress put information that is not verified, we will lodge complaint in EC. We had gone to the EC against the NCP which tried the same thing.
Indrani, Peter Mukerjea charged with murder, both plead not guilty in court.

Mumbai: Clearing the decks for commencement of trial, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Tuesday framed murder and criminal conspiracy charges against Indrani Mukerjea, her husband Peter Mukerjea and former husband Sanjeev Khanna in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora.

The CBI will be relying on six key pieces of evidence in the murder case. The evidence include calls between Indrani and Peter; Peters son Rahuls statement that he had dropped Sheena with Indrani near Linking Road, Bandra when Khanna was also present; Indranis former driver Shyamwar Rais confessional statement on how Khanna and her had planned to kill Mekhail, her son from her first marriage; and how Sheena was strangulated.

Meanwhile, the trio pleaded not guilty on Tuesday and said they would face trial. Judge H.S. Mahajan said the trial would begin on February 1. Also, Indrani and Khanna were charged under Indian Penal Code sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) for plotting to kill Mekhail.

Indrani, Peter and Khanna were brought to court around 12.15 pm and court proceedings in connection with their case started at around 12.30 pm. Special CBI judge H.S. Mahajan read out the charges against the accused and after some time called all the three in the witness box and explained to them the charges that the court had framed against them.

Rai had turned approver in this case and the prosecution will examine him as a witness to prove charges against the rest of the accused and hence he was not brought before the court and charges were not framed against him.

Six Key Evidences

Rais statement: Amongst other things the prosecution is relying on is the confessional statement of Rai who has turned approver and his statement recorded under section 164 of CrPC could be used as evidence against the accused. In his statement Rai has explained how he and Indrani allegedly went for a reccee in April 2012 to find a suitable place to destroy Sheena and Mekhails bodies and after selecting an appropriate spot, Indrani called Peter, informing him about the same. He has also claimed that Indrani had given sedatives to Sheena and later Sanjeev held Sheenas hair while Indrani strangulated her. Rai said he was holding Sheenas mouth while sitting at drivers seat so that she could not shout, but she bit his finger and he removed his hand.

Call logs: Though Peter was in London at the time of murder, the prosecution is relying on call logs between Indrani and Peter to show the latter was part of conspiracy to kill Sheena and was being updated about everything. Although the CBI does not have intercepted conversation between Indrani and Peter, its case is that the timing of calls between them shows how Peter was involved.

Kajal Sharmas statement: Indranis secretary Kajal Sharma made a statement on how on she had taught Rai to use Skype, on her bosss instructions, so that Indrani could give directions to him even if she was not in the city. Sharma has also told the CBI that on Indranis directions she copied Sheenas signature and imitated it on Sheenas resignation letter, which was sent to Metro One where she was working. Sharma has also stated that, as per Indranis instructions, she created a false e-mail account of Sheena. According to the CBI, Indrani used to send emails to Sheenas friends and relatives posing as her to make them believe Sheena was alive after she was killed. Indrani also sent some messages from Sheenas cell phone to Rahul to make him believe that had severed her ties with him. Rahul was engaged to Sheena and hence he was frantically searching for her.

Rahul statement: Rahul, in his statement, has said that on the date of incident he had dropped Sheena at Bandra with Indrani who was standing with Khanna at that time. This was the last time she was seen alive and this puts the burden of proof on the accused to show whether or not she departed from their company safe and sound. Rahul was told by Peter that Sheena left for the US, but the former said it was not possible because her passport was with him.

The hotels record: The prosecution is relying on the records of Hill Top Hotel, where, according to the CBI, Khanna had stayed after coming from Kolkata. A room was booked for Khanna here for a day and that too when Sheena was murdered.

Scientific evidence: The prosecution has also collected scientific evidence to prove that the remains of body found in district Raigad was Sheenas and other such evidence including DNA to show that Sheenas body was carried in a car before it was dumped and set on fire.

The Sheena Bora Murder Case:
Obama was seen as Africa's prodigal son who would understand the continent in a way white presidents never could.

Accra: It was always going to be hard for outgoing US President Barack Obama to live up to expectations in Africa.

Born to a Kenyan father who once herded goats, the first black US president was seen as Africa's prodigal son who would understand the continent in a way white presidents never could.

Nelson Mandela said Obama's historic victory was proof everyone should "dare to dream" and Africans gave the new president a hero's welcome.

Six months after taking office in 2009, Obama travelled to Ghana to lay the foundations for future policies that emphasised responsibility and trade.

"Africa's future is up to Africans," he said in a speech in the country's capital of Accra.

"Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions," he added, referring to the countless leaders who cling to power and enrich themselves in countries where poverty is rampant.

The speech electrified the crowd but the thrill wore off. The trip was his last visit to Africa in his first term.

He took a different approach in his second term, launching his signature Africa initiative in 2013 after a visit to Robben Island, the apartheid-era prison outside Cape Town that held Mandela for more than 20 years.

His Power Africa programme to double access to power in sub-Saharan Africa was designed to bring governments and the private sector together.

"That's a big part of his legacy, to change that perception that Africa is not the dark continent, it is rising and there is opportunity there," US-Africa specialist Scott Firsing told AFP.

"Obama changed aid to trade," added Firsing, from the University of North Carolina.

Growing terror threat

Obama, who has said that one of his greatest achievements in office was "taking out" Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, also took the fight against rising Islamist extremism to Africa.

He ordered an expanded military presence against al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in Mali, Boko Haram in Nigeria and the Shabaab in Somalia.

Drone bases were set up in Niger, which borders both Mali and Nigeria, and northern Cameroon, while there were targeted strikes in Somalia.

"Frankly the US military didn't have much cause to focus on Africa, but now, unfortunately, there is cause to be there," said the former head of US Africa Command, retired general Carter Ham.

The breakdown in Libya following the death of strongman Moamer Kadhafi in 2011 saw weapons and radicalised fighters spread across Africa.

"There clearly was a follow-on effect that was detrimental," said Ham, who led the initial military intervention against Kadhafi.

Tackling the threat was a priority for Obama, he said, adding: "I think he was genuinely concerned for stability and security in Africa.

"If left unaddressed it was only a matter of time before those organisations would fulfil their stated intention of attacking the West."

Shabaab gunmen confirmed those fears in 2013 when they killed at least 67 people at Nairobi's Westgate mall, a favourite shopping destination for Westerners.

Transcendental awareness

Obama's tenure has by no means been perfect.

His administration faced heavy criticism for supporting countries such as Ethiopia with poor human rights records.

Sometimes he misjudged the mood. Senegal cheered in 2013 when its president Macky Sall rebuffed Obama for hitting out at discrimination against gays.

And detractors say Power Africa is also falling short of its goals.

Obama is generally seen as having advanced US interests in Africa and deepened relationships, not least by continuing his predecessors' flagship projects.

George W. Bush's President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is credited with having given life-saving treatment to millions of people.

Bill Clinton's African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has boosted trade with sub-Saharan Africa.

Bur arguably Obama's most enduring legacy is his example.

"Having a leader like him has an important psychological effect on Africans," said Mzukisi Qobo, associate professor of politics at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.

"Despite his weaknesses and shortcomings, there is a sense of pride in seeing someone like Obama.

"He seemed to have a more transcendental awareness of the challenges of the world rather than looking at it through a white Western lens."

In Accra in 2009, Obama declared he had "the blood of Africa" within him.

Last month, Ghanaians remembered his words when president John Dramani Mahama lost an election to opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo.

The vote was hotly contested but generally peaceful. Mahama conceded and the transition was smooth, just as in Nigeria, when Muhammadu Buhari beat incumbent Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

"I remember Obama's famous speech 'we don't need strongmen'," said 28-year-old Daniel Apau Ofori as he celebrated outside Akufo-Addo's house.

"It had an impact. This has been the most free and fair election."
Kareena and I love the sound of it and we love its meaning, says Saif Ali Khan

Mumbai: Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan have been the power couple of Bollywood for the longest time and when they had their baby boy, the nation joined them in their celebrations.

However, when they revealed his name to be Taimur, not too many were pleased in a country thats validated its sudden right extremist demeanours.

For the uninitiated, Taimur was a Turco-Mongol conqueror, famed for his barbaric, genocidal and anarchical expansion across south east Asia.

Twitter had erupted taking misplaced offence, though there had been support coming in towards the couples right to choice as well.

However, Saif Ali Khan has finally chosen to break his silence on the much discussed issue.

In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, the actor opened up on the issue, saying, "Social media just makes it clear what everybody is thinking in a sense. There is a lot of anonymity from the side of the people who are doing the talking so they feel free to say whatever they like, and sometimes they get very nasty...And that's fine. It doesn't mean that twenty, thirty or forty years ago people weren't thinking similar things but maybe they did not have an outlet then.

"As far as I am concerned, stars are privileged and our country is actually still very balanced," he adds expressing gratitude for the support that he and Kareena have received in recent weeks.

"People talk about the country becoming right-wing and fascist, and we have all these fears...but the fact of the matter is that if you view the kind of unnecessary drama over Taimur, there were a lot of voices...I felt I didn't have to say anything because a lot of people had spoken wisely and liberally. Voices that kind of vindicated my decision and made me feel that it's absolutely fine (to have the freedom to name his child as he wished to), he added.

Saif, whos gearing up for the release of his Vishal Bhardwaj helmed highly anticipated film, Rangoon, spoke in support of the liberal minds who spoke in support of him, saying, "Yes, there were some people who raised some objections but obviously just to look at medieval history and to make value judgments is, I think, ridiculous, and a lot of people have said that on my behalf. I feel quite confident that we don't live in a right-wing society. As yet. India is still liberal and people are still open minded.

He also revealed how they came to name the adorable baby.

"My wife and I love the sound of it and we love its meaning. I am aware of the heritage of the Turkish rulerhe was Timur, my son is Taimur, an ancient Persian name that means iron, he admitted.
The CEO of Nestle Pakistan has said that Pakistan is poised to enter a hot zone of economic activity with double-digit growth.

Karachi: The words on these pages over the past few days have well captured the despair many of us feel at witnessing the slowly sinking ship that is our democracy, our human rights, our freedom of speech, our very belief that humanity is united by a basic sense of decency.

But if you follow Ahsan Iqbal on Twitter, youre probably in a much cheerier mood. From his perspective, Pakistan is rising. This year has started on a particularly high note: on the Economists January 6 ranking of the fastest growing economies, Pakistan was the highest-ranked Muslim-majority country. The CEO of Nestle Pakistan has said that Pakistan is poised to enter a hot zone of economic activity with double-digit growth. The year 2017 will see Pakistan break free from its categorisation as a frontier market and romp ahead as an emerging economy as per MSCI indexing, which will no doubt attract more investors. The Nikkei Asian Review has given Nawaz Sharif top marks and predicted hell win the 2018 elections thanks to his administrations orchestration of an economic turnaround and the CPEC windfall.

How does one reconcile the growing anguish of many Pakistanis with the buoyant projections of the countrys outlook on its planning ministers Twitter feed? During a recent prize acceptance speech, British novelist Zadie Smith discussed optimism and despair, and reminded us that in this world there is only incremental progress. Only the wilfully blind can ignore that the history of human existence is simultaneously the history of pain: of brutality, murder, mass extinction, every form of venality and cyclical horror. No land is free of it; no people are without their bloodstain; no tribe entirely innocent. But there is still this redeeming matter of incremental progress.

Smith also warned that those with apocalyptic perspectives might miss incremental changes and fall into despair.

Perhaps thats the issue  too many liberals and champions of democracy are giving in to their apocalyptic perspectives and failing to suitably revel in the incremental progress?

Sadly, I think not. The problem is not one of perspective, but of precariousness. Pakistanis are despairing because they no longer know the rules  and more importantly, the values and priorities  of the country in which they live. And this sense of precariousness, and the uncertainty and fear it produces, is a direct consequence of the states confusion about its vision for Pakistan.

A Pakistan in which sectarian militant groups are defended by the interior minister and social media activists disappeared is not an unfamiliar place.

How could we forget the 1980s so soon? Such events align perfectly with an entrenched belief that Pakistan is under existential threat from its neighbours and the worlds great powers, and that only a securitised state can protect the nations sovereignty and territorial integrity. In this context, anyone that threatens the power and control of the securitised state  whether it be external actors with Cold Start doctrines or no-name Facebook users who question security policies  is the enemy. This paradigm is consistent and familiar.

But Pakistan cannot both be rising and existentially threatened. These world views do not and cannot align. The states dilemma is that it cannot reconcile the disconnect, nor can it wilfully induce cognitive dissonance among the public. And while this disconnect endures, Pakistanis will remain on uncertain footing, fearful of falling, and that too on unfamiliar ground.

A country cannot simultaneously experience prosperity (reflected in the rise of a middle class, improving socio-economic indicators, inward investment and greater connectivity with the world) and peril (which demands authoritarianism, surveillance and repression).

The past few days are a good illustration of why the contradiction must be resolved. Each good news story about Pakistans economic prospects and positive outlook is undermined by a negative news headline about persistent militancy and widespread human rights violations. International allies, investors, and the diaspora community may rejoice at the former, but they dont like the latter. Even our all-weather friend China has called for tighter border controls with Pakistan (at the same time that its putting up the cash for mega projects aimed at facilitating the movement of goods and energy supplies across that border).

Our powers that be should not be greedy at the expense of Pakistans institutions and social fabric. They cannot have their cake and eat it too. They cannot have both complete power and prosperity. They cannot live by the fallacy that Pakistan is both rising and falling at every moment. They must choose between optimism and despair as they craft their vision for the country, and know that their choice will be reflected in the daily experience of its citizens. My vote is for optimism, and the open, democratic, progressive and prosperous Pakistan that it entails.

By arrangement with Dawn
The relationship in practice between the ruling party at the Centre and its branches in the states is another.

The late B.P. Koirala, Nepals first democratically elected Prime Minister, who held office for 18 months before King Mahendra had him deposed and imprisoned, once told me that Indias Constitution was nothing more than the Government of India Act of 1935 embellished with Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles. He meant that in some aspects, Indias governance has not changed radically since the British Raj.

One could go beyond that to suggest that one-person-one-vote democracy is seriously flawed, specially in a country whose barely literate masses treat elected leaders like hereditary monarchs or deities, as Tamil Nadus love affair with the late J. Jayalalithaa clearly demonstrates. Thomas Babington Macaulay, the historian who gave India its education system, was convinced the supreme authority in a state could not be entrusted to the majority of citizens told by the head, in other words, to the poorest and most ignorant part of society. But, of course, that is exactly why populist politicians want democracy, Indian style. It enables them to appeal to the instinctive urges of societys lowest common denominator. Despite the Supreme Courts order on caste, there is no denying the truth of Bal Thackerays observation that in India people dont cast their vote, they vote their caste. Its the same with religion, ensuring that the worlds largest democracy cleverly camouflages populist authoritarianism in democratic trappings.

Koiralas stricture came to mind on December 28 when Narendra Modi promulgated an ordinance to sanctify demonetisation. It was only a fortnight after Parliaments Winter Session had ended so that the opportunity to subject the ban on certain notes to democratic scrutiny was avoided. Earlier, the government had refused the Oppositions clamorous demand to discuss demonetisation in Parliament. So, although a sweeping measure with far-reaching effects from which we are still suffering was announced and implemented on November 8, there was no proper debate on it even by the time it became law more than seven weeks later through the backdoor tactic of an ordinance. Koirala would have split his sides laughing, for Section 42 of the 1935 Act empowered the Viceroy to issue ordinances while the Central legislature was in recess.

I must hasten to add this was not the first instance of government by ordinance. Nor is Mr Modi the only perpetrator. Indira Gandhi was even more blatant in 1969 when she promulgated an ordinance nationalising 14 major banks only two days before Parliament was due to convene. Its a wonder the Supreme Court did not comment on such shortcuts earlier but a seven-judge bench did announce in a landmark judgment this month that the Constitution did not sanction a lapsed ordinance being promulgated again. It held that such an ordinance would remain valid only if its continuation was manifestly in the public interest or if it were physically impossible to replace it with an enactment.

This is not the only instance of our supposedly republican regime clinging tenaciously to a viceregal privilege. Article 356 of the Constitution, which authorises the Centre to dismiss a state government, is also derived from the same colonial legislation Indians rejected and Koirala condemned. Dr B.R. Ambedkar, chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, did not think Article 356 would ever be used. Asked about its likely abuse, he replied: I share the sentiments that such articles will never be called into operation and they would remain a dead letter. If at all they are brought into operation, I hope the President, who is endowed with these powers, will take proper precautions before actually suspending the administration of the provinces. I hope the first thing he will do would be to issue a mere warning to a province that has erred, that things were not happening in the way in which they were intended to happen in the Constitution. If that warning fails, the second thing for him to do will be to order an election allowing the people of the province to settle matters by themselves. It is only when these two remedies fail that he would resort to this article.

Not many would say his advice has been heeded. The imposition of Presidents Rule has varied over the decades. Its use  49 times between 1970 and 1980  highlighted the polarised political atmosphere in which Article 356 became a political tool. The use  or misuse  of the clause dropped significantly following the Supreme Courts landmark judgment in the case that a Karnataka chief minister, S.R. Bommai, who felt he had been unfairly dismissed, brought before the court in 1994. The judges stipulated circumspection along the lines Ambedkar had suggested. Presidents Rule was imposed five times between 2011 and 2016, including three times by the BJP after coming to power in 2014.

There are many other ways of interfering with the democratic equilibrium. The Planning Commission was one such, being an extra-constitutional centre of authority. The relationship in practice between the ruling party at the Centre and its branches in the states is another. The self-seeking subservience of Indians who praise every action of a prime/chief minister in hopes of reward is probably the worst enemy of the democratic spirit. We see every day the truth of Senator Adlai Stevenson IIIs belief that the United States has a democratic government whereas India can claim at the most only representative government. Its not a question of the system of governance; its the software. Indias medieval psychology will transform any system into elective authoritarianism until education teaches people to reject Hegels stricture, possibly inspired by India, The East knew and to the present day knows only that One is Free In a democracy everyone has to be free and equal. No one is worshipped as God or King.
Claims about Putin helping Trump defeat Hillary are passe even if true.

What would the world be like had Khrushchev been assassinated instead of Kennedy? Chances are, as the wag said, Onassis would not have married Khrushchevs widow.

There are counterfactual possibilities we all conjure from history. Some stick to the hard reality. For better or worse, Donald Trump is the reality. Hillary Clinton stands relegated to the counterfactual corner. This is not to say if there were a doomsday war tomorrow Clinton would not have set it off. Between the two, one has been teasing China, and the other ribbed Vladimir Putin with threats to impose no-fly zones over Syrias rubble.

There is in all this the third view as always. Noam Chomsky, who sees all American Presidents in his lifetime as invariably harmful, finds Kennedy to have been the most dangerous resident of the White House. Chomskys views offer evidence of how the liberal world of power and glory, to borrow from Kennedys Camelot, rests on a primeval, destructive instinct. Will Trump usher in peace and prosperity for America or drag it over the precipice from where Kennedy had fortuitously pulled it back?

Claims about Putin helping Trump defeat Hillary are passe even if true. Sanctimonious American journalists, nudged by the deep state are scarcely even handed the truth. And the truth here is that Putin may or may not have had a preferred candidate in the US polls, but Iran, yes that very reviled entity, deftly airbrushed Jimmy Carter from the 1980 race. Ronald Reagans Iran-Contra deal flowed from that favour.

Claims that the Russians have details of the President-elects sexual romps to blackmail him are equally overcooked. Imagine global capitalisms fate sealed by Russian sex workers. Should we weigh in with the CIA as worthier of our trust against someone who proved the pundits wrong? As for his locker-room fantasies, how do they compare with the sexual profligacy of Messrs Bill Clinton and JFK among other possible White House worthies?

Unlike the other two, however, if Trump explicitly wants to build bridges with Moscow in a world crammed with disaster-tipped weapons, why should anyone, barring the deep state, resent it? If Trump has rattled the American state to the core, it should be less disagreeable than the deep state rattling the world at will.

As for hacking, who doesnt do it? Ask Angela Merkel the victim, or Edward Snowden the former US insider, about the deep states intrusive capabilities. Or lean on Salvador Allendes memory to recall a less invisible method of hacking to negate a peoples will.

Theres another form of hacking that delivers foolproof verdicts of the hackers choice. Lets call it the Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed way. Without their ample help, Hindutva Nazis would not swamp India. Every terror attack in India they applaud adds swagger to the Hindutva stride while undermining the voters resolve to change the narrative. If Putin can change electoral fortunes of foreign countries, so does the man who drove a truck into a packed promenade in Nice and spurred the rise of Marine Le Pen in France.

So everyone picks someone elses teams and candidates in these days of globalisation.

Why dont American journalists and Senate committees, instead of spewing venom on Putins alleged support for Trump, open the aperture to the larger truth? It was Iran, possibly with Israel, that manipulated the American peoples will in 1980.

Hashemi Rafsanjani, who passed away this month, was the speaker of the Iranian majlis during the American hostage crisis, triggered by the seizure of the US embassy in Tehran. As a close aide of Ayatollah Khomeini, Rafsanjani shepherded the crisis to a controlled and profitable climax for his country. In other words, the affable, white-turbaned cleric from the saffron-rich city of Bahraman took away the election from the peanut farmer of Georgia. Within minutes of Reagans inauguration, Iran released the American hostages. Carter blamed his loss on his failure to bring the hostages home. The quid pro quo saw Reagan lavishing Iran with arms from Israel, money from which was siphoned to support the Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

Iran and Israel had their calculations to back Reagan. Iran knew Reagan would be more severe than Carters failed commando mission to free the hostages. Also, as a cluster of oil traders, the Republicans would be amenable to end the Palestine-Israel stalemate. Israel, which usually prefers Democrats, saw the risk of having a second-term Carter, unfettered in forcing his choice for Palestine. Israel was right. Carter went on to describe Israeli occupation of Palestine as apartheid. Theres a view that American Israel Public Affairs Committee runs the American media, something that Putin must envy, and Trump may finally profit from. For that, however, he must first shift the US embassy to Jerusalem.

By arrangement with Dawn
Noor Salman was taken into custody and is facing charges in Florida, including obstruction of justice.

Washington: The wife of the Orlando nightclub shooter, who was extensively questioned by federal agents in the days after the massacre, was arrested Monday by the FBI in connection with the attack, authorities said.

Noor Salman was taken into custody in the San Francisco Bay Area and is facing charges in Florida, including obstruction of justice. She will make her initial court appearance Tuesday morning in Oakland, according to a Twitter post from the United States attorney's office.

After her husband, Omar Mateen, was killed in a shootout with SWAT team members during the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Salman, 30, moved back to California, where she had grown up.

FBI agents repeatedly questioned Salman in the aftermath of the shooting about whether she had advance knowledge of her husband's plans. Salman told The New York Times in an interview published last fall that she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but that she was "unaware of everything" regarding his intent to shoot up the club. She also said he had physically abused her.

"Noor Salman had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night," her attorney, Linda Moreno, said in a statement.

"Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands. We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonours the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person," Moreno said.

Mateen was the only shooter, and by the time a three-hour standoff with law enforcement had ended, 49 patrons were killed and another 53 people required hospitalization.

Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a 911 call to emergency officials during the standoff. He also made a series of Facebook posts and searches before and during the attack.

Salman grew up in Rodeo, a small Bay Area community northeast of San Francisco. The FBI in San Francisco said she was arrested there on Monday, though jail records where she is being held say she was arrested about 30 miles away in Dublin.

She wed Mateen in 2011 after the two met online. They lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the time of the shooting. Last month, Salman filed a petition in a California court to change the name of the son she had with Mateen.

"We said from the beginning, we were going to look at every aspect of this, of every aspect of this shooter's life to determine not just why did he take these actions but who else knew about them? Was anyone else involved?" Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in an MSNBC interview on Monday.

The Times first reported on the arrest.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina said in a statement that Salman was facing accusations of obstruction of justice and "aiding and abetting by providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization."

"Nothing can erase the pain we all feel about the senseless and brutal murders of 49 of our neighbours, friends, family members and loved ones," Mina said. "But today, there is some relief in knowing that someone will be held accountable for that horrific crime."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said he hoped the arrest "provides some comfort to the families who are mourning their loved ones," he added.
pope Francis also urged believers to spend more time talking to their family.

Pope Francis demands for every possible measure to be taken to protect young refugees. (Photo: AFP)

Guidonia, (Italy): Pope Francis admitted on Sunday to sometimes having darkness cloud his own faith while warning against Christian parrots who pay lip service to the church without acting on its values.

At certain times, I have also encountered moments of darkness in my faith and that faith decreased a lot, but with a little bit of time we rediscover it, the Pointiff told parishioners after saying mass in a village near Rome.

Some days we cant see faith, everything is in darkness.

Yesterday, for example, I christened 13 children in areas devastated by earthquakes and there was a father who had lost his wife, and we ask ourselves if this man can have faith.

We understand that there is darkness, we must respect this darkness of the soul. We dont study to get faith, we receive it like a gift.

Francis also urged believers to spend more time talking to their family. If I say Im Catholic and every Sunday I go to mass but then I dont talk to my parents, I dont help my grandparents, the poor, I dont visit the sick, then theres no point, said Francis.

In that way, were nothing but a Christian parrot: words, words, words.

On Sunday, the Pope demanded that every possible measure be taken to protect young refugees as he marked the churchs World Day of Migrants a day after the latest Mediterranean migrant shipwreck.

Italys coast guard said only four people survived the sinking of a migrant ship off Libyas coast on Saturday.

An estimated 100 people were aboard and only eight bodies have been recovered. The Pope recalled that the theme of this year's migrant day message concerned the vulnerability of young migrants, our young brothers whom often flee home alone and face so many dangers. He said: We must adopt every possible measure to guarantee young migrants protection and defense, as well as integration.
Saudi said that Washington and Riyadh shared the same objectives on Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, terrorism and energy issues.

Paris: US ally Saudi Arabia is "optimistic" about Donald Trump's impending presidency, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Monday, hailing Trump's stern line on arch-Saudi rival Iran and promise to defeat the ISIS.

"When we look at the Trump administration's view as articulated wanting to restore America's role in the world we welcome this," Jubeir told a group of reporters during a visit to Paris.

"Wanting to defeat ISIS: absolutely. Wanting to contain Iran and prevent it from causing mischief through its negative policies in the region: absolutely, we have been calling for this for years," he said.

"Our interests align," he said, declaring that Washington and Riyadh also shared the same objectives on Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, terrorism and "energy issues".

"We look forward to working with them (Trump's team) in all the areas that are of interest or concern to both of us," he said.
Frances top diplomat Jean-Marc Ayrault said that the best response to Trumps comments was the unity of Europeans.

Brussels: Angela Merkel led a sharp European response to US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday after he branded the Nato alliance obsolete and criticised the German Chancellors open-door refugee policy.

In a hard-hitting interview with two European newspapers, Trump unleashed a volley of verbal attacks on Europe hailing Britains decision to leave the European Union and saying more countries were going to quit the bloc.

We Europeans have our fate in our own hands, Merkel told reporters in Berlin when asked about Trumps criticisms adding that she will work towards getting the EU to strengthen the economy and fight terrorism. Germanys foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that Europe was stunned by Trumps remarks on Nato just five days ahead of the billionaire businessmans inauguration as President.

The interview statements of the American President-elect... caused, indeed here in Brussels, astonishment and agitation, Steinmeier said as he went from a meeting with Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg to talks with EU counterparts.

Frances top diplomat Jean-Marc Ayrault said that the best response to Trumps comments was the unity of Europeans.

Trumps latest remarks have in particular caused further consternation among eastern European Nato countries nervous about Moscow following Russias annexation of Crimea and involvement in Ukraine. I said a long time ago that Nato had problems, Trump told The Times of London and Bild on Friday.
Brokered by Russia and Turkey, the meeting is set for the Kazakh capital. For rebel leader, the aim is to end the "crimes" of the Syrian government. Assad is "optimistic". For Lavrov, this is an opportunity to extend ceasefire and involve rebel field commanders in "the political process".

Astana (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Syrian rebel groups have confirmed that they will attend peace talks with the government in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 23 January.

A leader of Jaysh al-Islam, Mohammed Alloush, said he would head the rebel delegation and aim to end the "crimes" of the government and its allies.

"All the rebel groups are going. Everyone has agreed," Mr Alloush added, one of the top rebel leaders.

Similarly, Ahmad al-Othman from the Sultan Murad faction said that "the rebel groups have decided to go to the talks".

For Alloush, "Astana is a process to end the bloodletting by the regime and its allies. We want to end this series of crimes.

In May of last year, he quit as the chief negotiator for the High Negotiations Committee, saying the Geneva talks had been "a waste of time" and accusing the government of intransigence.

An official in the Free Syrian Army, which includes Western-backed groups, said that "The factions will go and the first thing they will discuss will be the matter of the ceasefire and the violations by the regime.

For his part, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said earlier this month that he was "optimistic" about the talks and would be "ready for reconciliation with (rebels) on the condition that they lay down their arms.

Peace talks are set to start Monday of next week (23 January) in Astana, brokered by Russia and Turkey.

The two were also instrumental in securing Syrias current fragile national truce, which came into effect at midnight on 30 December.

Nonetheless, the latter continues to be violated. On Sunday, at least nine civilians were killed by government shelling of a rebel-held village, this according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

One major hot spot is Wadi Barada, north-west of Damascus, which supplies the city with its water. Several rebel groups wanted to boycott the talks because of the government's offensive in this area.

Complicating matters, it is still unclear whether the United States will be present.

For Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the peace talks are aimed at extending the nation-wide ceasefire. At the same time, Russias top diplomat noted that the talks would also provide an opportunity to involve rebel field commanders in "the political process" to end the bloodshed in Syria.

This excludes however the Islamic State group and its rival, the Fateh al-Sham Front (previously known as al-Nusra Front.

Syrias crisis began in March 2011 after people took to the streets to protest against the Assad regime. This eventually morphed into a regional war with Jihadi infiltration.

After almost six years, more than 300,000 people have been killed and 11 million displaced, creating the worst humanitarian disaster since the Second World War.
The Boeing 777 of Malaysia Airlines disappeared on 8 March 2014 with 239 people on board. Relative of missing passenger slams the decision, says I think there are still something we don't know."

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews)  Government officials from Australia, Malaysia and China have decided with sadness to suspend the search of the Malaysian airliner that disappeared on 8 March 2014.

"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology, as well as modeling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," the joint statement said. The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness."

In July last year, Australia, China and Malaysia agreed that if the aircraft was not located by the time 120,000 square kilometers (46,000 square miles) had been covered, the search would be suspended.

Countries such as Malaysia, China, Australia, USA, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, the Philippines and others took part in the search, providing advanced equipment and professional advice on the matter.

Several experts had often suggested other larger areas. Were not searching for a needle in a haystack, said Air Marshal Mark Binskin, Australias deputy defence chief. Were still trying to define where the haystack is.

The plane carried 227 passengers and a crew of 12 whose fate remains a mystery.

Voice370, a support group for family members of those aboard the flight, released a statement expressing their disappointment.

"Commercial planes cannot just be allowed to disappear without a trace," the statement said.

"Stopping at this stage is nothing short of irresponsible, and betrays a shocking lack of faith in the data, tools and recommendations of an array of official experts assembled by the authorities themselves."

"They said they are quite sure that they are searching the right place, but it seems that they are wrong," noted Steve Wang, whose mother was on board the flight.

"I think it is their responsibility, he added, not only for the 239 passengers on the plane, or for the next of kin like us, but also they have to give an answer to the whole world ... what really happened to MH370." Ultimately, We just want them to give us more information. I think there are still something, we don't know."

At 12:41 a.m. local time on 8 March 2014, MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport for Beijing. It changed course an hour later.

Most of the passengers and crew were from China (153) and Malaysia, but individuals and families from 14 different countries were also on board the missing flight.

Grandparents, a newly graduated engineer, a young couple and a two-year-old boy were among the hundreds of people on board MH370 when it vanished.

Terrorism has not been excluded as possible cause for the planes disappearance. A few days after the incident Malaysian intelligence identified one of two men who went on board with stolen (Austrian and Italian) passports.

At the end of June 2015, pieces of a plane washed up on the island of Reunion. They were later taken to France to see if they came from MH370.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak had said that the two-metre long debris came from Boeing 777, the same as MH370.

The disappearance of flight MH370 remains one of the greatest mysteries in modern aviation history.
by Santosh Digal

Oxfam releases its report on inequality. It shows India below China and Pakistan. Overall, 1 per cent of the population owns 58 per cent of the wealth. There is no welfare state, and no health insurance for the poor. Corporate debts have been forgone, but nothing has been done in education.

New Delhi (AsiaNews)  Indias Catholic Church has to raise speak out against inequality, some Catholic leaders told AsiaNews, following the latest international report on development that puts India behind countries like China and Pakistan.

For John Dayal, former president of the Catholic Union of India, "government policies are exacerbating the marginalisation of tribal communities. The Church must awaken the conscience of the nation and tell the truth to the powerful. But it is not fully doing this.

According to a report on inequality released yesterday by Oxfam, a global confederation of NGOs against poverty and social injustice, 1 per cent of India's population owns 58 per cent of all the country's wealth. This makes India a society that is far more divided than its Asian neighbours.

Recent reports have put India lower than China and Pakistan in a comprehensive development index, with the insecurity of the working class among the worst, said the Catholic activist, who is a member of the National Integration Council of India.

With respect to welfare, "India has no social security, and absolutely no medical and health insurance for the poor, Dayal noted. This means that about two thirds of the population risk death by disease for want of treatment even though India is emerging as one of a major centre for medical tourism for those who can afford it."

According to the Oxfam report, 57 Indian billionaires possess as much wealth as the poorest 70 per cent who struggle to survive.

Worldwide, eight men across the world are as wealthy as the poorest 50 per cent of the worlds population.

A mere 500 people will bequeath wealth worth US$ 2.1 trillion  more than the current gross domestic product of India  to their heirs over the next 20 years.

"Thinking of development as GDP numbers is misleading and dishonest, said Valson Thampu. It is a sophisticated sham for it has no reference to the development-empowerment of citizens.

For Thampu, who is a former principal of St Stephen's College, Delhi, the foremost emphasis in development should be on education. Individuals and societies cannot be developed meaningfully except through education."

Activist Jugal Kishore Ranjit believes that the inequality "is the consequence of Brahminism, which is based on the caste system and capitalism.

Brahminism supports capitalism and vice versa. Property accumulation extracts blood from the common man. Companies profit from public money, but keep profits to themselves." Positive change can come only if "individuals and companies decide to redistribute the profits among the poor."

India, noted Fr Ajaya Kumar Singh, director of the Odisha Forum for Social Action, " declared itself to be a socialist and democratic country, but today crony capitalism reigns supreme.

For him, Rich companies should take proper social responsibility. Instead, What happened recently with demonetisation* shows that India is a land for the business people.

About 1,400 billion rupees (US$ 20.6 billion) in corporate debts were erased, but nothing has been done for social welfare and education. "

* India's recent demonetisation refers to the removal of legal tender from its 500 and 1,000 rupee banknotes.
by Mathias Hariyadi

General Karnavian warns against infiltration of MUI. Edicts and declarations are "manipulated" to promote a violent and radical ideology. Among the recent cases, the attempt to block the re-election of the governor of Jakarta because "Christian." MUI President denies the charges.

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  Indonesias police chief, Gen. Tito Karnavian, is warning of possible "infiltration" and "manipulations" in the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the work of extremist movements and radical Islamic political groups.

These formations want to ignite divisions, confrontations and violence in the country, taking advantage of edicts and fatwa issued by MUI leaders. In an attempt to defuse tensions, the appeal to the ulema TO move "cautiously" and "pay attention" in ruling on political, social, religious and current events that can trigger divisions in society.

These are the warnings of Gen. Karnavian given in a public seminar at the police academy in South Jakarta today; the meeting was also attended by leading MUI personalities, to discuss major issues with top police officials.

According the head of the police force, the MUI is "manipulated" by groups that exploit the ulema to achieve their goals on the political and social level. This includes an attempt to block the re-election of the governor of Jakarta, because he is "Christian."

The alarm bell is part of a wider context of dissatisfaction and growing discontent on the part of institutions and moderate Muslim majority of the country against the (controversial) radical figures, that promote hatred and division between faiths and ethnicities. This includes groups that foment intolerance against native ethnic Chinese and the political and institutional leaders who are not Muslims.

Among the many examples of the recent period the affair that involved the governor of Jakarta, Basuki Purnama Tjahaja "Ahok", who ended up on trial for an alleged case of blasphemy. And again, the attack against a local official in Bantul, forced to transfer because targeted by an Islamic extremist wing because of his Catholic faith in a Muslim majority area. And, in recent days, the protest organized by Dayak natives of West Kalimantan, which prevented the landing of a radical Islamic leader for a conference (close to MUI).

The head of the Indonesian police precise this is not a personal opinion, but rather a "shared feeling" of public opinion, based on the events of recent months. According to Gen. Karnavian is an ongoing attempt to "reduce the role and prestige and moderate mainstream Islam", which is accompanied by the gradual escalation of a vision of Islam that "does not respond to the dictates of the national spirit: unity in diversity".

The Presudent of the Ulema Council Kiai Hajj Maruf Amin, who attended the meeting has responded claiming that the movement's leaders have never spread statements to behaved in a way to foment clashes and violence in society.

In recent years, the authorities in Indonesia  the most populous Muslim nation in the world  have given in on several occasions to MUI pressures. The latter acts as the countrys moral watchdog. In Aceh, a province governed by Sharia, women cannot wear tight pants or miniskirts. In March 2011, MUI lashed out against flag-raising "because Muhammad never did it". On previous occasions, it launched anathemas against the popular social network Facebook because of its amorality, but also against yoga, smoking and voting rights, especially for women
Istanbul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Turkish police have arrested the main suspect for the massacre carried out in the Reina night club on December 31 in Istanbuls European quarter, which killed 39 people (27 foreigners) and wounded some 70 others. The detention of Abdulkadir Masharipov, of Uzbek origin and already identified in recent days by investigators as a wanted man, took place at the end of a massive manhunt.

Following the arrest, the police released a picture showing the suspects face massacred with bruises, wounds and blood stains on the shirt (pictured).



The man was identified and arrested in the Esenyurt district on the outskirts of Istanbul, along with his four year old son and five other people, all foreign: These include three women and a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, who hosted the bomber in the days following the massacre.



All those arrested - from Kyrgyzstan, Somalia, Egypt and Senegal - have ties with the Islamic State (IS). The jihadist group claimed responsibility for the attack on Reina, stating that it is a response to the Turkish military involvement in Syria.



Several times, in the hours following the attack, rumors had circulated about the identification of the author of the massacre, later quashed for lack of concrete evidence. Local sources said that he hid for several days in the house where he was found and arrested in the European periphery of the Turkish metropolis. The apartment is an Islamic State hideout and even the three persons detained along with Abdulkadir Masharipov are believed to be jihadist militants.



Hurriyet newspaper writes that Masharipov reportedly arrived in Istanbul from the province of Konya on December 15. He came to Turkey together with his family at the beginning of last year and assumed the nom de guerre of Ebu Muhammed Horasani. The Turkish newspaper adds that an Uzbek Daesh cell [Arabic acronym for the Islamic State] in Konya provided support to the attacker.



The arrest of the Uzbek jihadist came after a massive manhunt lasting more than two weeks and which had already led to several arrests. The fear was that the bomber could flee the country, finding refuge in one of the territories between Iraq and Syria controlled by the Islamic State.



The day after the arrest, the Turkish authorities expressed their satisfaction and relief, although there is still one basic problem: How to provide security to its citizens, affected by the numerous attacks that have bloodied. In a message on social media Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus confirmed that "our war on terror and the forces behind it will continue until the end."



Last year, Turkey experienced a series of bloody attacks, which began on February 17 with the assault on a military convoy in Ankara. On March 13, 37 people died in a suicide attack by Kurdish militiamen in the capital. Again, on June 28 a bomb attack - perhaps at the hands of the Islamic State  on Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul killed 41 people. On August 20, a bomb attack on a wedding party in Gaziantep, left at least 30 victims. Finally, the attack of Kurdish militiamen in a police convoy outside the stadium of Besiktas, in Istanbul, on 10 December last year, which caused 44 deaths.
by Nirmala Carvalho

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The next national meeting of young Indian Catholics will be held in Mangalore January 18 to 22. This is the 10th edition of the National Youth Convention (NYC), and for the first time the youth event will be held in the Indian state of Karnataka.



According to organizers, the event will have record numbers. It is estimated that more than 3 thousand youth leaders will come from all over the country and at least 10 thousand are expected for the great march for peace, the event that will close the Convention.



The event is held every three years, with the aim of gathering young leaders, directors of social programs and the animators from the 171 dioceses in India. The theme of this edition is "Touched by Jesus; Walking on his way". Card. Baselios Cleemis, president of the Indian Bishops' Conference (CBCI), Card. George Allencherry, major archbishop of Ernakulam, and Card. Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai and president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) will inaugurate the event.



Presenting the logo, Msgr. Aloysius Paul D'Souza, Bishop of Mangalore, explained the objectives of the event: "Addressing the issues of development of the children, their leadership in the socio-political environment and the promotion through the media." Another purpose, the bishop added, "is to develop the awareness of environmental preservation and the importance in contributing to national integrity through workshops, discussions, motivational dialogue and cultural exchanges."



The meeting has been a year in preparation. The NYC Cross, the "Youth Cross" has been brought on a pilgrimage through the streets of Karnataka, touching various stages. Starting in April from the Archdiocese of Bangalore, the cross has traveled 2 thousand kilometers. It is the symbolic representation of Christ's love for humanity and has been traveling across India since 1995, since it was erected in Ernakulam, Kerala, on the occasion of the third edition of the youth convention.
Zuo Chunhe, deputy director of the Culture and News Bureau in Shijiazhuang, called Mao "a devil." He was found guilty of "wrong remarks" and violation of Party discipline. No one is allowed to study the critical aspects of history of Mao and the Party.

Shijiazhuang (AsiaNews) - The official censors in Hebei province have dismissed a senior Party member, guilty of criticizing the Great Helmsman Mao Zedong and despising the cult of his personality.



Zuo Chunhe (see photo), deputy director of the Culture and News Bureau of Shijiazhuang, dared to post a comment on Weibo (Chinese Twitter), on Mao Zedong calling him "a devil", branding the annual commemorations for the birthday of the Chinese leader, held around December 26, as "the world's largest cult activity".



Yesterday the same office issued a statement in which it says it has fired Zuo Chunhe for posting wrong remarks and for a serious violation of political discipline.

Under Deng Xiaoping the Chinese Communist Party line determined that the Great Helmsman  who raised China to the world stage - has made "30%" errors. But no one is allowed to study Maos ascent to power, his management at the time of the Long March (in which he gradually eliminated his opponents), during the Great Leap Forward (which resulted in the starvation of at least 35 million Chinese), or during the cultural Revolution (which brought the country to civil war).

On the other hand, there are many members of the "left" of the party who exalt him criticizing the sliding of China to the savage capitalism that we see today.

Earlier this month, Deng Xiaochao, a Chinese professor, was fired for criticizing Mao's birthday celebrations.
Oversharing Couples Hiding Relationship Problems

Trending News: Why Couples Who Overshare On Social Media Are Hiding Insecurities

Long Story Short

Couples seek validation about their relationship by constantly posting pictures and comments about each other.

Long Story

We all know those couples on social media  starry-eyed selfies, heart emojis all over the place, and constant updates about how in love they are.

But they could be far from blissfully happy away from those public displays of digital affection, according to one relationship expert. Sexologist Nikki Goldstein says that such couples overshare as way to compensate for insecurities or cracks within their relationships  and are seeking reassurance from their social media friends and followers.

Often it's the people who post the most who are seeking validation for their relationship from other people on social media, she told Daily Mail Australia. The likes and comments can be so validating that when someone is really struggling, that's where they get their up from - not the person making the gesture, but what other people will say about it.

Of course, putting up a social pretence to mask a rocky relationship is nothing new. Only now it's out there for you 3000+ followers to see and share.

People taking photos and posting straight onto Instagram with a slew of stomach-churning hashtags could also mean trouble, as theyre likely more concerned with watching the comments and likes roll in than they are with living in the moment with their partner.

RELATED: Instagram Rules For Couples

You see people who will focus so much on taking a relfie  a relationship selfie  and getting the right filter and hashtags that theyre missing the moment, she says. I think, why dont you take a photo because its a nice memory and a moment you want to look back to?

Couples are taking these photos, straight away putting them online and then watching the likes and comments instead of being with their partners.

Hashtags or comments that include terms of endearment such as my boy or my girl  or even more hideously, my bae  suggest something deeper too, suggesting insecurity and good old-fashioned possessiveness.

It looks like it's a real big statement to say hey look ladies, look guys, this chick's mine, this guy's mine, Nikki says. Why not post a photo because it's a happy moment or a funny photo or because it shows real happiness?

Instead there are a lot of people out there who want to flaunt to their friends and the world that this person is mine.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Do you use social media as a way of hiding problems with your partner?

Drop This Fact

One study found that excessive time on Facebook can be linked with negative relationship outcomes, such a cheating and break-ups. A definite "unlike" for that.
Kid Tries, Fails To Steal Chicken Nugget From Friend At Gunpoint

Trending News: A Kid Tried To Steal His Friend's Chicken Nugget At Gunpoint

Long Story Short

A kid pulled a handgun on his friend to steal her chicken nugget but failed.

Long Story

Most Americans would rather flee from McDonalds than fight over it, yet, according to the NYPD, two Harlem children almost engaged in a gunfight over a chicken nugget on January 3. The incident started when a twelve-year-old boy demanded a nugget from his friend as they sat at the local McDonalds. After she refused, he followed her to a nearby subway station and pulled a handgun on her, repeating the demand.

Somehow, she blocked the gun, boarded her train, and ignored him. The NYPD has yet to find the gun, which may be a replica.

The nugget incident would be far from the first time that McDonalds has inspired a fight. On May 20, 2016, two employees in South Carolina began a brawl over making apple pies, which customers caught on video. On July 12, a dissatisfied customer pelted bewildered employees with fast food. On September 6, one employee in Florida assaulted another after an argument.

Competitors such as Burger King and Wendys have had their own fights...

... including with each other.

The 4 for $4 Meal: a trayful of mouth-filling glory. pic.twitter.com/JjDOFZVXuP  Wendy's (@Wendys) January 20, 2016

5 for $4, because 5 is better than 4. pic.twitter.com/BZe8JFbKjm  Burger King (@BurgerKing) January 21, 2016

The boys potential access to a handgun touches on another American controversy: gun control. Handguns have led to the deaths of minors across the country. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that accidental discharges of firearms killed seventy-four minors in 2014. A review by the Associated Press and USA Today, however, put the death toll for that year at 113, almost ten a month.

A 2015 study by The Washington Post assessed, Roughly once a week this year, on average, a small child has found a gun, pointed it at himself or someone else, and pulled the trigger. That twelve-year-old put not only his friend with the nugget at risk but also himself.

Considering that Americans inhabit a country where some policemen shoot children with toy weapons by accident, the McDonalds boy is pretty lucky even if he never got his nugget. For now, though, he has to deal with the consequences in a family court, likely worse than a timeout.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

How are kids getting their hands on guns?

Drop This Fact

There are more guns in the United States than people living there.
New Bill Would Protect Drivers If They Hit Standing Rock Protesters

Trending News: New Bill Basically Makes It Legal For Drivers To Hit Protesters

Long Story Short

A new proposed bill in North Dakota would protect drivers from legal consequences if they accidentally hit pedestrians who are blocking traffic, and is clearly aimed in response to the protesters at Standing Rock.

Long Story

The Standing Rock protests continue to raise controversy and a new proposed bill to address the issue of protesters blocking the roads is only likely to stir things up even more.

Rallies near the Dakota Access Pipeline around the Standing Rock Indian Reservation have disrupted Highway 1806 as thousands protest the pipeline going under the Missouri river which will disrupt burial grounds and sacred cultural sites.

Republican state representative Keith Kempenich believes that drivers shouldnt face legal consequences if they accidentally hit or even kill protesters who are blocking traffic.

Kempenich is quoted by the Minnesota Star Tribune saying: If you stay off the roadway, this would never be an issue. Those motorists are going about the lawful, legal exercise of their right to drive down the road Those people didnt ask to be in this," he told the Minnesota Star Tribune.

This bill puts the onus on somebody whos made a conscious decision to put themselves in harms way. You can protest all you want, but you cant protest up on a roadway. Its dangerous for everybody.

However, understandably, the proposed bill has met with some backlash from people who fear it is effectively legalizing killing protesters.

While Kempenich has stressed that the bill wouldnt mean carte blanche for drivers who want to intentionally run people down, it could prove hard to determine intent and is an uncompromising stance.

The proposal follows swiftly after suggestions from North Dakota lawmakers that it should be a crime for adults to wear masks. It is not yet scheduled for a hearing and is a long way from coming to fruition, but for now its likely to escalate tensions further.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Is Keith Kempenichs bill basically legalizing murder?

Drop This Fact

The Standing Rock protests have cost North Dakota law enforcement an estimated $22 million so far.
A lot has happened since my last blog post more than seven months ago. In the fall I made several trips - in October to Wyoming for the annual meeting of ...

3 years ago
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By Phil McManus, Proefessor of Urban and Environmental Geography: Head of School of Geosciences, University of Sydney

What is it that pushes some riders to break the rules on the use of the whip in Thoroughbred horse racing in Australia?

The prospect of coming second  or even last  may have something to do with it, if our teams study of recorded official whip rule breaches is anything to go by.

In the study, published today in the open access journal Animals, our team analysed the official Stewards Reports and Race Diaries in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

In 2013 alone, there were 56,456 starts in 5,604 races at 785 race meetings on 122 different tracks.

A breach of the whip rules, as defined by the Australian Rules of Racing in place at the time, was reported in 348 starts and of these, 37 included a second breach.

Not all the race rules were breached, so whats interesting is to look at the breakdown of what breaches occurred, and when during the races.

Of the 139 riders who were responsible for the 348 starts with breaches, 51.08% were repeat offenders  riders who had more than one whip rule breach recorded in 2013. Overall, fines represented about 2.29% of the total prize money won by the horses involved.

Race placing

The data reveal that there was a significantly higher frequency of recorded breaches by riders of horses that finished first, second or third. This suggests a desire to win may motivate whip rule breaches and potentially affect race and betting outcomes.

The next highest percentage was seen in horses that ran last, which seems to suggest that the desire to not come last may also lead riders into a breach of the whip use.

The data show there was a significantly higher frequency of recorded breaches of the rules of racing at metropolitan than at country or provincial locations.

Despite hosting 67.34% of starts, country tracks recorded only 57.47% of starts with a breach or breaches. Conversely, metropolitan tracks hosted 14.53% of starts and yet recorded 22.13% of starts with a breach or breaches.

This discrepancy may reflect the desire to win may be particularly high at the more prestigious city race tracks, but also may bring into question the quality of surveillance in the non-metropolitan locations.

Horse racing without whips

So what is the future for the use of the whip in Thoroughbred horse racing in Australia?

Late last year Harness Racing Australia established a precedent by becoming the first racing authority in the world to walk away from using a whip to steer or encourage horses to race.

Racing Australia CEO Barry OFarrell faces unprecedented challenges in balancing the growing demand for horse welfare with the needs of punters and industry tradition.

In 2015, O'Farrells predecessor, Peter McGauran, famously told the ABCs Catalyst he believed the whip does not inflict pain on a horse and if there was any aspect of cruelty to it he would have no part of it.

A year later, Ray Murrihy, the outgoing chief steward in NSW, conceded that whip use in the future looks dubious. He added:

If we dont pay due regard to welfare matters, it will be at our peril. If we dont do it ourselves, the next time well be sitting in the back seat, not the drivers seat.

And 2017 began with leading racing commentator, Steve Moran, declaring that a ban on the whip in Thoroughbred racing was inevitable and offering sage advice to punters, jockeys and trainers on how to prepare themselves for the transition.

He concluded his opinion piece by proposing that:

[] the safety of the rider is the only genuinely, critical argument for retaining the whip in racing.

His most recent commentary proposes a step-wise progression to whip use for safety purposes only.

This is surely a tipping point. RSPCA Australia has repeatedly agreed with this position and calls for the introduction of hands-and-heels racing where whips are no longer used for performance but may be carried for safety purposes where proven necessary.

Racing and welfare

Clearly the whip issue is not going away. The integrity of racing, most notably the assurance for punters that the rules are being observed, has to be balanced by the need to show increasing regard for the welfare of horses.

These issues are reflected in the rules of racing in Australia, rules that the industry promotes as a means of both safeguarding horse welfare, and ensuring that:

The rider of every horse shall take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure that his horse is given full opportunity to win or to obtain the best possible place in the field.

Of course, the effectiveness of any rule is reflected in how well it is policed.

Our study raises a number of questions that need to be answered, including whether the number of breaches recorded by stewards aligns with the actual number of whip rule breaches at all of these locations, and what steward- and surveillance-related factors might affect whether a breach is recorded or not.

It is also concerning from a regulatory point of view that a small number of types of whip breach predominated in 2013, with no breaches recorded for 15 of the 24 whip rules.

Our study shows that more than half of all first breaches recorded occurred prior to the 100m mark and involved two whip rules: whip use that raises arm above jockeys shoulder height; and forehand whip use on more than five occasions prior to the 100m mark.

It is worth noting there have been some changes to the whip rules since 2013, not least to the latter rule in that both forehand and backhand whips strikes are now counted.

Also, under the rules that were current during our study, jockeys were allowed to whip at their discretion after the 100m mark, which is when horses are generally fatigued and, arguably, need more protection from the rules. This remains the case in the latest set of rules, introduced on January 1 this year. These seem rather difficult to interpret in that:

the whip shall not be used on more than 5 occasions save and except where there have only been minor infractions and the totality of the whip use over the whole race is less than permitted under [other rules] and also having regard to the circumstances of the race including distance and context of the race, such as a staying race or a rider endeavouring to encourage his mount to improve.

Our report recommends that racing compliance data be analysed annually to inform the evidence base for policy, education and regulatory change, and ensure the welfare of racehorses and racing integrity.

So, the onus is now on the Thoroughbred racing industry to either invest yet more in surveillance or, following the lead of Harness Racing Australia, revisit the rules.

Horse welfare advocates will be watching OFarrells leadership on the whip issue closely and hoping that his next step provides the industry with a whip-free future.

If the integrity of racing can be assured without the use of whips, as proposed by Harness Racing Australia, the RSPCA and Steve Moran (among others), then OFarrell can make the administration of Thoroughbred racing more efficient by not having to police complex whip rules.

That would be a big step forward for efficiency and for animal welfare.

Phil McManus has received competitive grant funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) through their Discovery Project scheme. He is a member of the Australian Greens.

Professor Paul McGreevy is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science and a life member of the RSPCA NSW. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council for research into the welfare of racing Thoroughbreds. He consults to the RSPCA Australia.

Originally published in The Conversation.
I have submitted my application for a 189 visa (after previously been working the past 3 years on a 457), and applied while I was home in the states for Christmas. I was unaware applying offshore does not grant you bridging visa rights like onshore does, and my employer is expecting me to come back to work. Is there any means for me to be able to do this? Can I come back to Australia and apply for a bridging visa E or something of the like? Thank you for your help!!
Yes, most applications are taking the full 12 to 15 months to process. No use in paying for and completing a medical/police check before submitting your application, when you're just going to have to do them all over again a year later. A good rule is to wait at least 4 months, as some applications are even taking 16 to 17 months to process...Id say even waiting 5-6 months won't hurt. I wouldn't wait until last minute either, as you'll just end up stressing yourself.



I completed by first police check 10 months after applying, and medical 11 months after applying.
Heres a round-up of all the action from the 2017 Detroit motor show.

Above all, the 2017 North American International Auto Show was as long on hope and aspiration as it was short of important new metal that customers can actually buy. The Big Three had, by historical standards, an almost catatonic show. And if Ford, General Motors and (Fiat) Chrysler cant get behind Motor City in its hour of need, one wonders who can? Or will.

Some of the concepts were close to reality, like the Audi Q8 and Infiniti QX50. Meanwhile, others like the Volkswagen ID Buzz Microbus are somewhat further away. But all the talk in the press conferences and private conversations were of cars one could not yet buy  of technological, legislative and infrastructure breakthroughs still to occur.

Not that the world of the yet-to-happen cannot be as fascinating as an artfully assembled confection of metal, oil, rubber and plastic that you can touch, sit in and, one day at least, drive. And its all getting nearer as companies grow tired of waiting for governments to build the infrastructure required to support our increasingly autonomous, and largely electrical, future and take up the challenge themselves.

Imagine a car that will automatically slow down at corners, bring itself to a near halt before executing a 90-degree turn, and one that can detect an unresponsive driver, stop the car and call the emergency services; its called the revised Mercedes S-class and its set to go on sale internationally in June.

Another near reality that became clear in Detroit is what more than one manufacturer described as the uncoupling of hardware and software. So cars as physical propositions should continue their current seven-year renewal cycles, but the technology they contain will know no such constraints. Not long from now, youll be able to download new software to your car or install an entirely new operating system, just as you do today with your smartphone.

Was it a good show? It was certainly interesting, albeit more for what was said than what was shown, but Detroit and those who consider motor shows to be part of the annual automotive furniture cannot afford to presume such events are unalienable and will endure without adapting to the rapidly changing world.

As significant as those who did show up were those who did not, including all the pure luxury brands and all the traditional supercar constructors too. Even Porsche found better things to do with its dollars than spend them on a stand in the Cobo Hall in the dead of a Michigan winter.

Within five years, cars will start to be sold without steering wheels, heralding the biggest change to personal mobility since Henry Ford came up with the moving production line over 100 years ago and put the world on wheels. The change is coming and inevitable; whether shows like this can survive it or be left to obsolescence remains to be seen.

2017 Detroit motor show image gallery
Around 10 crore cars set to be recalled after Takata reveals potentially lethal problems with its airbag's detonator systems.

Around 10 crore (100 million) cars from at least 13 manufacturers are set to be recalled internationally after airbag supplier Takata conceded that it had hidden evidence of potentially lethal issues with its detonator system.

Last week Takata agreed to pay US$ 1 billion (Rs 6,800 crore) in penalties - made up of a US$ 25 million fine, US$ 125 million compensation for people injured or killed by the airbags and US$ 850 million to carmakers that used them.

At least 12 deaths and 180 injuries have been attributed to the faults. The potential fault was first raised in 2006, when Takata officials conceded that some of its airbag inflators expanded with too much force and sprayed metal shrapnel into cars. However, the full extent of the issue is only now coming to light.

"For more than a decade, Takata repeatedly and systematically falsified critical test data related to the safety of its products, putting profits and production schedules ahead of safety," said Andrew Weissmann, head of the US Justice Department's fraud section. Around 4.2 crore (42 million) cars are believed to be affected in the US, with the rest spread around the world.

Honda has the most vehicles affected, while other brands to have used Takata airbags include Acura, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge, Ferrari, Fisker, Ford, GMC, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury,

Mitsubishi, Nissan, Pontiac, Ram, Saab, Saturn, Scion, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota and Volkswagen. Individual manufacturers will contact owners of affected vehicles to have the fault rectified free of charge.

The issue is more significant in some regions of the world than others, because humid conditions are believed to be the most significant factor in triggering the airbag deployment explosive inadvertently. In the US, government officials have urged owners of affected cars not to turn off their airbag systems, if they have the option, reasoning that unintended deployment of the airbag is rare, and that it is better that it is triggered in the event of an accident.

The 10 biggest recalls by manufacturer

These are believed to be the largest recalls by manufacturer, although global recall data is inconsistently collated and recall numbers by component suppliers arent widely collated. However, US safety authorities have indicated the Takata recall will be the biggest triggered by a supplier in automotive history.

Top 10 biggest recalls Automaker Units recalled Year Issue Ford 21 million 1980 Parking issue Ford 14.9 million 1999-2009 Cruise control switch fires Toyota 9 million 2010 Sudden acceleration issue Volkswagen 8.5 million 2016 Emission scandal Ford 7.9 million 1996 Ignition switch fire issue Toyota 7.4 million 2012 Electric window issue General Motors 6.7 million 1971 Sudden acceleration issue General Motors 5.8 million 1981 Rear suspension bolt issue General Motors 5.8 million 2014 Ignition switch issue Honda 5.4 million 2014 Airbag issue

Jim Holder (Autocar UK)
SUV

The prototype has reached an advanced phase of the testing process, which means that it is using the production-specification parts. The said components have been refined over years of testing, which came after several other years in research and development, along with computer-aided design.Evidently, BMW is not the only automaker that does this, but we made a quick recap of the process to explain just how complicated it is to design an automobile these days.As you can observe, the body of the X7 is covered up in camouflage, but BMW has left a few bits without any vinyl. You can spot the roof rails on the new X7, as well as the caps of the side mirrors and a part of its panoramic glass roof. The A-pillars are also uncovered, and they do not hide any surprises.The front end of the new X7 is using more camouflage than it would need, but this only happens to deceive the eyes and keep its design under wraps for as long as possible. The same can be said for the front bumper, which is also slightly modified to hide its real shapes. The lights are also under wraps, also to keep their inner graphics concealed from view.In spite of all that camouflage, BMWs X7 will be revealed sometime this year, and it will arrive in showrooms in 2018. In the months that will come, we expect our spy photographers to show more of this prototype, but this will happen in time, so do not hope to see the X7 undisguised all at once.BMW will manufacture the X7 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It is based on the OKL architecture , which will make it as light as the ongoing X5, despite the fact that it will be a full-size SUV . The Bavarian brand has never been present in that part of thesegment, but it looks like it has a strong contender.
January 15, 2017

NICOSIA, Cyprus  Whenever I go to Cyprus, I like to go to Paphos Gate, a gap in the massive Venetian walls that encapsulates the islands condition. On the one side, the flags of Cyprus and Greece flutter in the wind above an old concrete pillbox that looks as if it were built for a World War II film. On the other side are the flagpoles of Turkey and Turkish Cyprus, but their flags are rigid  they are made of metal. They stand behind a fence topped with barbed wire and in front of a Turkish army pillbox.

In between these symbols of hostility, cars and pedestrians pass through the gate. Yes, Cyprus has been divided into two armed camps since the Turkish invasion of 1974 but, like the traffic through Paphos Gate, life goes on.

While walking to the gate Jan. 13, I met an old journalist friend who has lived in Cyprus for years. Nothings changed, he told me with a bemused shrug of his shoulders.

But when I got to the gate, I saw things had changed. The pillboxes are empty. In the 1980s, I used to see Turkish Cypriot soldiers walking along the Venetian wall behind the fence. There would be Greek Cypriot troops watching them from the pillbox opposite and, at a fork in the road just inside the gate, Swedish UN troops watching both sides.

On Jan. 13, there was no soldier of any color to be seen.

But my friend was right in that the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders had just finished four days of negotiations in Geneva and had not reached a settlement.

The two sides agreed to set up a working group to thrash out their differences on security and the Treaty of Guarantee  a 1960 independence agreement that allows for Turkey, Greece and Britain to intervene unilaterally on the island if they think the status quo has been jeopardized.

The group will begin meeting Jan. 18.

For the first time, the two leaders  Nikos Anastasiades of Greek Cyprus, whose government is the only one recognized by the world, and Mustafa Akinci of Turkish Cyprus, whose breakaway state is recognized only by Turkey  exchanged maps on the boundaries of the constituent states of the envisaged Federation of Cyprus.

Since the 1974 invasion, Turkish Cypriots, who are roughly 25% of the population, have enjoyed 36% of the island. By the newly drawn maps, Anastasiades would cut this to 28.2% and Akinci would reduce it to 29.2%. In other words, the two sides are within 1% of agreement on territory.

Anastasiades rightly called this a milestone.

Another first at Geneva was that Greek Cypriots found themselves across the negotiating table from Turkey. Greek Cypriots have always said that Turkey calls the shots in north Cyprus, as it defends and finances the Turkish Cypriot administration.

But Anastasiades sitting across the table from Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was not enough to reach a deal. A fact that is little appreciated among Greek Cypriots is that Ankara cannot push Turkish Cypriots to go further than they want to go. If Akinci were to accuse Ankara of selling out Turkish Cypriots, that would create serious problems for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at home.

They dont want a solution, said the Turkish Cypriot technician who connected me for a satellite broadcast with France 24 TV after the Geneva conference ended. Everybody wants what they want, he said.

On the other side of the Green Line, as the demarcation line is known, Christos Agathokleous kindly offered me a lift in his car.

Turkey is doing a big extortion against us, he said of Geneva. He was pessimistic about a solution. Its not Turkish Cypriots fault. Turkey is using them.

Skepticism about reunification is widely shared in Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot academic Mete Hatay says that through his work for Peace Research Institute Oslo he has observed that most people want a settlement but just dont see how it can happen. The Cyprus conflict is a pretty comfortable one, and in this cold peace, people just arent hurting enough to make the necessary compromises.

The hardest nut to crack in the negotiations is the issue of security. From December 1963 through the Turkish invasion of 1974, a lot of people were kidnapped and murdered or massacred by fanatics on both sides. A rough rule of thumb is that until the invasion, the Turkish Cypriots suffered most of the atrocities. During the invasion, the Greek Cypriots got the worst of it.

The upshot is that today Greek Cypriots do not feel secure with 30,000 Turkish troops on the island. And Turkish Cypriots will not feel secure under a government dominated by the Greek Cypriot majority. What is security for one side is a threat to the other.

Turkish Cypriots are not scared of all Greek Cypriots, just some Greek Cypriots, said Simon Bahceli, a former journalist who now runs a cafe in Turkish Nicosia. And the one thing the Greek Cypriot fanatics fear is the Turkish army.

Bahceli referred to the occasional incidents of Greek Cypriots throwing stones at Turkish Cypriot cars that cross the Green Line, and beating up Turkish Cypriots. He told Al-Monitor, The [Greek Cypriot] government condemns these attacks, but they never find the attackers and prosecute them. And its easy to find people in Cyprus.

He added, Nobody is ever brought to justice, and that does worry Turkish Cypriots.

I read these quotes to George Koumoullis, a Greek Cypriot economist and columnist for the Cyprus Mail newspaper.

Im ashamed to say this is true, he said over lunch in a restaurant in Greek Nicosias Ledra Street. Koumoullis said the thugs who attack Turkish Cypriots belong to the establishment, and the establishment wants to make sure that nobody is prosecuted.

Another person interviewed in Ledra Street, Andri Petridou, agreed that such incidents worked against a settlement, but said there were fanatics on the Turkish side as well.

If both sides are to go further [toward a settlement], we have to punish the fanatics, she said.

On the final day of the Geneva talks, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said the main stumbling block was Turkeys insistence on keeping troops on the island and the right to intervene, as conferred by the Treaty of Guarantee.

Polls have shown the Turkish Cypriots want such protection. In the last week of 2016, the Turkish Cypriot newspaper Dialogue published a survey that found 89% of Turkish Cypriots would like a number of Turkish soldiers to remain after a settlement, and the same percentage supports the Treaty of Guarantee.

Koumoullis thought that if the two sides could agree on, say, 10,000 Turkish troops remaining after a settlement for 10 years, that Greek Cypriots would accept that in a referendum. But, he stressed, there would have to be a cast-iron guarantee that at the end of 10 years, the troops would be withdrawn because Greek Cypriots do not trust Turkey.

Petridou said she would vote for such a settlement, and the popular vote is key. In 2004, the Turkish Cypriots voted heavily in favor of the Annan Plan settlement, but Greek Cypriots rejected it.

Hubert Faustmann, a professor of politics at the University of Nicosia (on the Greek side), thought Koumoullis idea was feasible, but he had one reservation. He told Al-Monitor, I very much doubt that you can give such a cast-iron guarantee because who is going to kick Turkey out?

It is this kind of problem that the working group that starts Jan. 18 will have to resolve.
The first of 37 defendants in a 2013 fraternity hazing death of a Baruch College student in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains to go on trial pleaded guilty Tuesday in Monroe County Court of Common Pleas in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.Ka-Wing Yuen, 25, of Brooklyn, N.Y., pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to hinder apprehension by evidence tampering, a third degree felony, and conspiracy to commit hazing, a misdemeanor. Three other felony charges were dropped.Read more at NBC Asian America
As we noted at the time, the Kia Stinger is the quickest, most luxurious, and fastest model ever offered by the South Korean brand. Evidently, it is expected to become the most expensive Kia ever sold, but we do not have pricing yet, so that is just speculation.The Stinger brings a new direction to the Korean carmaker, and this could be the start of a dedicated division that will make performance-oriented vehicles. Some of you might remember that Hyundai launched a rear-wheel-drive model called Genesis a few years ago. Fans of German cars mocked it, but it was successful enough to lead to the establishment of a new premium brand named Genesis.Meanwhile, Hyundai has also founded a performance division, which is called Hyundai N , and it even has a development center at the Nurburgring.The latter completes Hyundais European Development Unit, which is located in Russelsheim, Germany, the same place where Opel has its headquarters. The performance division from Hyundai has its name inspired by the city of Namyang, which hosts its main development center. Kia is the sister brand of Hyundai , as you already know by now, and it always gets to share things with its elder sibling. The performance models from Hyundai N might not be exclusive to Hyundai, as it was initially believed. Those products could end up in Kia showrooms, where they might get sold as performance versions from the brand.Thanks to the new Stinger GT, Kia has a halo car to inspire its future creations and bring people in showrooms. It might lead to increased sales as well, but it could become the start of a small revolution for this brand, which could launch a similar division to Hyundais Genesis, but with a different focus. Instead of selling luxury models, Kia could get the sporty part of premium cars, and it could even use the Stinger name for the future products.Kia and Hyundai have yet to announce plans like the one we described above, but we would not be astonished to see a performance division from Kia within the next five years. It all relies on the results of the Stinger GT.
The Dakar Rally is one of the most difficult car races to participate in and poses a great challenge to both car and driver. In the recent 2017 Dakar Rally, the first electric car ever to participate and finish in the race was Acciona's 100% EcoPowered, driven by crewmates Ariel Jaton and Tito Rolon.

As reported by Auto Blog, the car finished in 57th place but electric car enthusiasts celebrate the finish as a resounding victory for all EV cars. Through rain, sand, and mud, the race ran through Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay and one-fourth of the number of participants were unable to finish.

This was the third time that Acciona participated in the Dakar Rally which was considered as the sustainability challenge by the company's research and development team. By finishing the race, Acciona has proven that electric cars can thrive in the roughest road environment using zero-emission powered batteries.

The Acciona is powered exclusively by a 250-kW electric motor that produces 590 pound-feet of torque. It has six battery sections, each capable to be charged independently for shorter mileage and to provide power 150 KWh of energy.

The Acciona team was clearly elated by the victory. "The odyssey is over," said Acciona driver Ariel Jaton. "This year's Dakar was very tough, with some very intense stages complicated by the weather, and the altitude in Bolivia. It was the most grueling race in South America, so we are thrilled to have reached the finish line, particularly in an electric car."

The 100% EcoPowered car is produced by Acciona, a Spanish company that particularly developed this electric car to participate and finish the race and prove that electric cars can perform as good as conventionally powered cars. The car indeed finished the race without emitting a single molecule of carbon dioxide. Acciona now holds the record of producing the first electric car to finish the Dakar Rally.
After nearly three years of work searching the ocean floor with deep-sea submersibles for Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, a Boeing 777 that went missing with 239 people on board in March 2014, officials on Tuesday said they are suspending the effort. Today the last search vessel has left the underwater search area, said a joint statement from the governments of Australia, China and Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has not been located in the 120,000-square-kilometer [46,000-square-mile] underwater search area in the southern Indian Ocean. Debris from the jet has been found off the southern coast of Africa, but the mystery of why the jet crashed remains unsolved.

Officials said the search already has cost $150 million, and the crews have no credible evidence to help extend the search area. The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness, the joint statement read. We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located. Some relatives of those missing protested the end of the search, according to The Wall Street Journal. Commercial planes cannot just be allowed to disappear without a trace, said Voice 370, a group representing relatives of those lost. In our view, extending the search to the new area defined by the experts is an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interest of aviation safety. The group said officials last year had identified a 9,653-square-mile zone north of the area already searched as the most likely site for locating the wreckage of the plane.
17 January 2017 12:44 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Armenian Armed Forces have once again resorted to a provocation at the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry reported on January 17.

The Armenian side started firing the Azerbaijani army positions located at the state border in the territory of Azerbaijans Tovuz region on Tuesday morning.

The Armenian army opened fire from a Bumblebee portable flamethrower, said the ministry. The Azerbaijani side did not suffer any losses.

The Defense Ministry once again declared that if the Armenian side will continue to carry out such provocations in the future, Azerbaijan's retaliatory strike will be more shattering.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

---

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17 January 2017 15:55 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan and Czech Republic voiced commitment to strengthening and expanding the partnership, as the officials and entrepreneurs of the two countries met in Baku.

The capital city hosted an Azerbaijan-Czech Business Forum on January 17, where a large delegation including about 170 Czech businessmen, engaged in agriculture, food industry, finance, insurance, energy, logistics, construction, law, petrochemistry, mechanical engineering, glass production and other sectors of the economy, and led by Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Jan Mladek took part.

Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev, addressing the event, highlighted the country's interest in expanding the export of non-oil products to the Czech Republic.

Mustafayev noted that an analysis has been held in order to determine the list of goods that Azerbaijan can export to the Czech market.

First of all, it is a variety of agricultural products, including nuts, tea, fruits and vegetables, cotton, wine and others, he clarified.

The minister noted that the Czech companies may invest in industrial and agricultural parks created in Azerbaijan, as well as take advantage of Azerbaijan's transit opportunities.

He also hailed broad opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in pharmaceutical, tourism and agricultural fields.

Czech Republic, a reliable partner for Azerbaijan in several fields, mainly imports Azerbaijani oil, while industrial equipment and consumer goods are exported to Azerbaijan. Currently, the two countries intend to focus on non-oil sector.

Speaking on the activities of Czech entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan, the minister said that the total amount of their investment in the economy amounted to $1.3 billion so far.

Another 1.8 billion euros were granted by Czech banks for the implementation of various projects in Azerbaijan. In addition, Czech companies as contractors involved in various projects in Azerbaijan, totaling $ 16 billion, added Mustafayev.

The Czech Republic ranks the 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.

Mladek, in turn, began his speech praising stable economic relations established between the two states.

Azerbaijan is a strategic supplier of oil to the Czech Republic and today these supplies provide about a third of the needs of the Czech Republic, Mladek said, adding that the country is interested in implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor project, aiming to deliver gas from Azerbaijan to Europe.

Today most of the gas supplied to the Czech Republic, comes from Russia via Ukraine, reminded the minister, mentioning that the prospects of supplies on this route are not clear.



"So the Czech Republic is interested in securing new supply sources - from Azerbaijan, in the future from Iran and other Caspian states," he stressed.

On Azerbaijani-Czech economic relations, the minister noted cooperation develops between the two countries in non-oil field. Mladek said his country is interested in developing ties with Azerbaijan in relevant field.

He said that Czech companies have great opportunities in the field of agriculture and food production, as well as education, science, power industry, medicine, and environmental protection.

"There is a large potential for development of cooperation in the tourism sector. For several years Azerbaijani tourists actively visit Czech Republic. Moreover, there are a lot of opportunities to attract Czech tourists to Azerbaijan," he emphasized.

The minister further stressed that the two countries signed a number of agreements on strategic partnership, where the Czech Republic supports not only the development of bilateral cooperation, but also the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the European Union and is interested in strengthening the "Eastern Partnership" program.

Mladek also noted that the Czech Republic supports Azerbaijan's intention to join the WTO and is ready to provide full support to Baku in this respect.

The Intergovernmental Committee between the two countries will hold its 4th meeting on January 18.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic amounted to $316 million in January-November 2016, and $214.4 million of which accounted for the export of Azerbaijani goods to the Czech Republic, according to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee.

--

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17 January 2017 17:29 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

Bangladesh, one of the fastest-growing economies in 2016, aims to expand its cooperation and intensify economic ties with Azerbaijan.

The newly-appointed ambassador of Bangladesh to Baku, Allama Siddiki, told Trend that the two countries enjoy solid relations, mentioning that there is a necessity to increase economic and political cooperation.

Siddiki is sure that the countries can establish strong cooperation in such spheres as supply of pharmaceuticals, textile production, and shoes to Azerbaijan.

Noting that sheep breeding and ceramic industry is well developed in Bangladesh, Siddiki voiced his countrys readiness to share its experience in these spheres.

The ambassador said that Dhaka is also interested in transport projects passing through the territory of Azerbaijan (North-South and East-West routes).

The projects will link a number of countries, facilitating trade between them. Bangladesh wants to join the projects as they may be advantageous for us, he added.

Besides, tourism is also deemed to be among the most perspective directions of bilateral cooperation, according to the envoy.

Azerbaijan with its unique culture and history may serve as one of the most interesting destinations for tourists from Bangladesh. We will work in this direction to increase number of tourists and attract them to Azerbaijan, as the country possesses much to offer, he noted.

The envoy further added that Bangladesh supports Azerbaijans territorial integrity and wishes the peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

We also support Azerbaijans position on this issue within the OSCE and the UN, noted the ambassador.

Bangladesh recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on December 30, 1991, while diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on February 26, 1992.

--

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17 January 2017 18:11 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

The Islamic Development Bank has shown interest in transport corridors passing through the territory of Azerbaijan.

IDB Regional Director for the CIS Hisham Marouf said that the financial institution is interested in participation in regional projects implemented by Azerbaijan Railways.

Marouf, talking to Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Javid Gurbanov in Baku, said that the development of cooperation with Azerbaijan is a priority area for the Bank.

Gurbanov, in turn, spoke about reforms pursued in the railway sector of the country, as well as implementation of international and regional projects and challenges ahead.

He said that one of the main objectives of the country in mid-term perspective is turning of the country into regional logistics hub.

Besides, he also gave an insight into measures taken to implement globally important North-South project.

The North-South transportation corridor is meant to connect Northern Europe to South-East Asia and has a strategic importance for the region. It will serve as a link connecting the railways of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia.

Azerbaijan became an IDB member in 1992. Main spheres of IDB interest in Azerbaijan is energy, irrigation, road building and agriculture.

--

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17 January 2017 10:50 (UTC+04:00)

The 21st European Cartoon Contest will be held with the title of "The Soul" ( "Heart") by the European Cartoon Center in Belgium, Kryoshautem.

In general, 2159 cartoons of 778 artists from 81 countries have been included in the competition.

The international jury of cartoon professionals will meet in Kruishoutem on January 27, 2017.

The inauguration and prize-giving ceremony will take place on Saturday April 8, 2017.

The exhibition will run from 9th of April till 2nd of July 2017.

--

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 Politicos Misleading Poll on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | Main | UKMW Prompts Correction to SKY News Claim on US View of Settlements 

January 16, 2017

If Hamas Assaults a Journalist, Does it Even Make the News?



On. Jan. 12, 2017, Hamas, the U.S.-designated terror group that rules the Gaza Strip, assaulted an Agence France-Press (AFP) photographer and detainedat gunpointan Associated Press journalist. Western media outlets largely ignored the violence against members of the press.

The unidentified photographer and journalist were covering a protest in which thousands? of Palestinians took to the streetsto protest chronic power cuts in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip,? the AP reported (In Rare Demonstration, Thousands Protest Power Cuts in Gaza,? Jan. 12, 2017).

Hamas blocked journalists attempting to cover the event and the AP journalist was briefly detained at gunpoint until he handed over his mobile phones to plainclothes security men.?

The Foreign Press Association, which represents international media, reported that an AFP photographer was severely beaten in the head by Hamas members after he refused to hand over his camera.

Iyad Bozom, a Hamas spokesperson, denied that that the assault happened and that a journalist had been detained at gunpoint.

In its statement on the incident, the FPA said it condemns this violent behavior in the strongest terms, and finds it especially shocking in light of verbal promises we have received from the Hamas officials to respect the freedom of the press. We hope that Hamas will properly investigate this incident and provide an explanation and apology for this unacceptable behavior by their forces.?

As CAMERA has frequently noted, Hamas is a violent terror groupand similar to its rival Fatah that rules the West Bankit has a long history of lying and intimidating and manipulating press outlets.

What is shocking isnt that Hamasin a despicable actattacked members of the press, but how little press coverage the assault received. The AP, for instance, expended three sentences on this incident. Curiously, in their report on the protests, The New York Times failed to mention the attack (With Electricity in Short Supply, 10,000 Protest in Gaza, Defying Hamas,? Jan. 13, 2017).

Other major U.S. news outlets, such as The Washington Post, USA Today and The Baltimore Sun, failed to provide their own reports on either the protests or the assault on the journalists. The Post, for example, merely carried an AP dispatch and only online. Its hard to fathom a similar lack of coverage had Israeli officials assaulted a journalist or thousands of people protested in Israel.



In fact, back in February 2016during a period of extreme tension in Israel and frequent Palestinian terrorist attacksIsraeli border police briefly detained two Washington Post correspondents for 30 minutes for questioning. Israeli authorities later apologized and said the incident was an unfortunate misunderstanding.? Both The Washington Post (Israel briefly detains two Post journalists, calls it an unfortunate misunderstanding,? February 16) and The New York Times (Israeli Officers Briefly Detain Two Journalists,? February 16) provided readers with detailed reports on the incident. Indeed, its particularly astonishing that The Washington Post and The New York Times failed to cover the assault given what they have deemed to be newsworthy in the not-so-recent past. The New York Times previously devoted an entire articleboth in print and onlineto the Israeli Prime Ministers dog biting someone at a dinner party (Netanyahus Dog Sinks Teeth Into Guests,? Dec. 12, 2015). And as CAMERA has noted, in September 2016, The Washington Post ran a lengthy piece on Chinese tourists purportedly being overcharged at an Israeli restaurant.

Posted by SD at January 16, 2017 04:21 PM

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17 January 2017 14:31 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that there are a number of solutions with regard to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement, including the solutions on the ceasefire.

He made remarks while addressing a press conference on Russias 2016 diplomacy.

Demands to liberate the occupied territories  using peaceful means and subsequently determining Nagorno-Karabakhs status  have always been on the negotiation table, said Lavrov.

He noted that Russia played a decisive role in ending the bloodshed in April 2016 on the contact line between the Armenian and Azerbaijani troops.

The Russian foreign minister added that there is no consensus in the OSCE on investigation of the incidents on the contact line of the troops.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

---

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17 January 2017 10:11 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

A reception was hosted on behalf of Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab for leaders who participated in the World Economic Forum more than 10 times.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the reception.

President Ilham Aliyev met with Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab.

Last year Klaus Schwab presented a badge of Davos club of honorary members to President Ilham Aliyev, marking his tenth participation in the World Economic Forum.

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17 January 2017 10:05 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today met with global managing partner of McKinsey Dominic Barton in Davos.

Dominic Barton recalled with pleasure his visit to Baku. He hailed the development processes and economic reforms in Azerbaijan, Azertac reported.

During the conversation, they noted that Baku office of McKinsey has recently been launched, adding that the company has contributed to nearly 20 projects including the preparation of Strategic road maps for the national economy and main economic sectors.

The sides expressed their confidence that relations between Azerbaijan and McKinsey will further develop, and exchanged views over cooperation prospects.

--

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17 January 2017 12:59 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

The Autonomous Republic of Adjara is interested in developing tourism ties with Azerbaijan, said head of Adjara Department of Tourism and Resorts Sulkhan Ghlonti as he met with Azerbaijani Consul General in Batumi Rashad Ismayilov.

The sides discussed how to develop economic, political and tourism relations between Azerbaijan and Adjara, Azertac reported.

They also exchanged their views over further promotion of Azerbaijans tourism potential at the global level, as well as organization of touristic trips to the country.

Ismayilov highlighted the presidential decree on Simplification of procedures for issuing e-visas and establishment of ASAN Visa system.

Touching upon the cultural ties between the two countries, the Azerbaijani Consul General said a premiere of Ali and Nino film in Georgian language was held in Tbilisi and Batumi.

Adjara, especially Batumi, is the destination of choice for most Georgians  and many others  in search of summer fun, with a real party atmosphere in August.

Though Adjaras beaches are mostly stony, the semitropical climate is beautiful and the scenery gorgeous, with lush hills rising behind the coast, and peaks topping 3000m inland.

Georgia saw a rise in number of travelers, especially Azerbaijanis, visiting the country in 2016. A total of 1,523,075 Azerbaijani citizens traveled to Georgia last year, Azertac reported citing the Georgian National Tourism Administration.

The number of Georgian citizens visiting Azerbaijan is also big. In 2015, the country welcomed 571,648 tourists from Georgia.

--

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17 January 2017 11:57 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Newly appointed Azerbaijani Ambassador to Georgia Dursun Hasanov has handed a copy of his credentials to Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze.

The ambassador vowed he will spare no efforts to contribute to developing relations between the two countries and nations, Azertac reported.

Janelidze wished Dursun Hasanov success in his activities, and expressed confidence that the bilateral relations will continue to develop.

The two discussed the dynamic development of friendly relations between the two countries and nations, which have historic roots, and implementation of energy, transport and tourism projects, as well as other issues of mutual interest.

They stressed the necessity of expanding regional projects, and noted the significance of developing political, economic and humanitarian relations in the trilateral format of Georgia-Turkey-Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and Georgia are successfully cooperating in the political, economic, scientific, technical, and cultural spheres. The two countries are connected by several important regional projects, including the Baku-Supsa, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipelines, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas line and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.

Azerbaijan is also one of the most significant trading partners of Georgia.

The country exports to Georgia oil and petroleum products, natural gas, plastic wares, waste foodstuff, furniture and building constructions, while Georgian exports to Azerbaijan include cement, locomotives and other railway vehicles, mineral and chemical fertilizers, mineral waters, strong drinks, glass and glass wares, and pharmaceuticals.

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17 January 2017 13:02 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held several meetings in Davos, where he will attend the World Economic Forum scheduled for January 17-20.

President Aliyev met with President of Europe Selling & Market Operations at Procter & Gamble Gary A. Coombe.

They noted that the ongoing development processes in Azerbaijan pave the way for attraction of investment and tourists to the country. The sides hailed good relations between Procter & Gamble and Azerbaijan.

Coombe said the company is considering a number of projects in terms of expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan.

Later, President Aliyev met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway Borge Brende.

President Aliyev also met with Chief Executive Officer of Suez Environnement Company Jean-Louis Chaussade in Davos.

--

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17 January 2017 16:21 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The Nuclear Research Centre will submit its final report by late January to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the issue of licenses for the purchase and maintenance of isotopes needed to run the sterilization installation.

The company told Trend that three licenses are required for the use of isotopes. The first one, for their purchase and maintenance, has already been received. The Nuclear Research Centre plans to receive the two other licenses, for import and transportation, until the end of the month.

During this period, the Centre will have to report to the IAEA about getting licenses and about where it will purchase isotopes. After that, in the next three months, the isotopes will be produced and transported to the country.

The work on construction of the sterilization unit was carried out by the Hungarian Institute of Isotopes, which did the final test work on the run of the installation.

The sterilization unit as well as the laboratories and all the necessary utilities are ready for operation," said the Nuclear Research Centre.

The sterilization unit is located in the village of Gobu, 20 km from Baku, in an area owned by the Nuclear Research Centre.

After launching of the installation, different items will be exposed to radiation with gamma rays, and the period of their use will be increased. Sterilization by way of gamma radiation destroys microbes, which in turn will increase the shelf life of agricultural products.

There is an international list of products that can be subjected to radiation at harmless doses. The list includes wheat, dried fruit, spices, meat and meat products, wine, potatoes, and other agricultural goods.

Sterilization plants operate in all developed countries, increasing the shelf life of many products.

---

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17 January 2017 17:22 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The Azerbaijani delegation informed the OSCE Permanent Council that they dont support the draft decision on extension of the mandate of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

The delegation made this statement on December 31, 2016, during the special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on the issue of extension of mandate of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

Azerbaijan on a number of occasions drew attention of the Permanent Council that the activities of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, in particular in politico-military dimension, have been source of deep concern for Azerbaijan, said the Azerbaijani delegation.

We have underlined that OSCE assistance provided to Armenia through its field mission, in particular in politico-military dimension, in no circumstances should be utilized in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan or serve to consolidation of the occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan by Armenia. We have also underlined that that our support to the activities of this field mission will depend on prevention of misuse of assistance provided or capacity acquired by the host country against legitimate security concerns of Azerbaijan, said the statement.

In this context, we wish to recall that OSCE field missions both in Armenia and Azerbaijan were established in late 1990s on the basis of understanding that their activities would not cover issues related to the ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, since these issues are dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference, noted the Azerbaijani delegation. It was due to this understanding that former OSCE field mission in Azerbaijan had not engaged in any single activity related to alleviating of numerous consequences of the conflict, including in the humanitarian field.

It has become source of serious concern that over the past years the Office in Yerevan has been drawn into the demining-related activity, which is clearly a post-conflict rehabilitation measure, noted the delegation.

As it is clearly evident from responses we received from the Office in Yerevan, activities in this particular field are directly related to ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Within this programmatic activity, the Office extends support to Armenias Center for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise (CHDE) allegedly in settlements on the border with the Republic of Azerbaijan, which were mined by the Republic of Armenia in the course of its military operations against Azerbaijan, said the statement.

The Republic of Azerbaijan conveyed its principled position to the Chairmanship and the Secretariat that Offices demining-related programmatic activities needs to excluded from its activities and underlined that making necessary adjustments to the planned activities of the Office for the next year would be an important step towards securing collective support of all OSCE participating states for activities of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, according to the statement.

We proceed from a strong understanding that all OSCE field missions should be common assets for all OSCE participating states and as such they should act in accordance with body of the OSCE principles, commitments and agreed mandates and by no means should harm legitimate interests of other participating states through their activities, said the delegation.

It is of profound regret that intensive consultations with the current German and incoming Austrian Chairmanships did not produce a result that would accommodate the concerns of the Azerbaijani side, according to the statement.

As a way out of the current situation we agreed to the proposal of the current and incoming Chairmanships that they would to issue a joint political guidance for the OSCE field mission in Yerevan, instructing it to terminate its de-mining related activities. Since OSCE field operations and institutions are operating on unified budget based on contributions from all participating states, their activities should be transparent to participating states. The would-be guidance to the Office in Yerevan will affect the programmatic activity of the Office and it is important for all participating states to be aware of its content. This would ensure transparency and accountability and would prevent re-occurrence of this undesirable situation in the future, noted the delegation.

Proceeding from this understanding, the delegation of Azerbaijan requested that the Chairmanships directive should be distributed among all participating states with proper reference number, according to the statement.

Unfortunately, after long discussions it became clear that the Chairmanship is hesitating to distribute such guidance among participating states. Pressure and open blackmailing of the Republic of Armenia, which engaged in hostage-taking and threatened the operation of other filed missions and adoption of a decision on 2016 revised budget, makes it impossible to reach a solution to the situation, added the delegation.

Under these circumstances, the Azerbaijani delegation is left with no other option but to refrain from supporting the draft decision on extension of the mandate of the OSCE Office in Yerevan as it stands, said the statement.

--

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17 January 2017 12:38 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

Crude oil prices moved in volatile territory in early Tuesday trading amid mixed signals from the market.

World oil prices reacted to mixed signals from Saudi Arabia on strict adherence to its reduction pledges, a report forecasting an increase in U.S. output, as well as skepticism that oversupply would be curbed.

Brent futures stood at $55.67 per barrel, 19 cents down, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures were trading at $52.39 recording an increase of 2 cents, Reuters reported. The price of a barrel of Azeri Light crude oil decreased $0.14 to stand at $55.93.

The market received a strong support from the top crude exporter and de-facto leader of OPEC, Saudi Arabia, which is expected to shoulder the bulk of supply reductions.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said that the Kingdom would adhere to its pledges, expressing confidence that OPEC's plan to prop up prices would work. He added that he was encouraged by signs of commitments by other participants since the 6-month deal came into effect.

However, his comments were not assessed as a totally positive as he said producers are unlikely to extend the agreement beyond six months.

Supportive comments also came from OPEC Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo, who was in Caracas for a meeting with President Nicolas Maduro. Barkindo forecasted that stability would return to oil markets this year, expressing his optimism that full and timely implementation of the historic decision will improve the situation tremendously.

Also, Irans Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh evaluated the situation in oil market as positive, saying the era of expensive oil has reached.

I am sure that OPEC and non-OPEC states would commit to oil cut. The physical effect of the deal would increase oil price more by clearing the glut in markets, Irans state-run IRIB TV quoted the minister as saying.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has increased the forecast for the average oil price for 2017 by $0.6 to $51.2 per barrel, according to IMFs updated World Economic Outlook.

Despite a reportedly high level of compliance crude prices have fallen almost 5 percent since their early January peaks, increasing skepticism among traders. Investors are still doubtful that OPEC and its allies can trim output enough to push up prices, while the question, which remains is will the agreement be enough to give a respite to the market.

On the other side, expectations of rising oil output in the United States also restricts price gains. U.S. oil output is now at 8.95 million bpd, up from less than 8.5 million bpd in June last year and generally at levels in 2014. Goldman Sachs said it expects year-on-year U.S. oil production to rise by 235,000 bpd in 2017.

--

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17 January 2017 15:30 (UTC+04:00)

BY trend

Oil demand will continue to grow at a slower pace in the future, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol said on January 17.

He made the remarks during the Strategic Update: The future of energy session held as part of the World Economic Forum which kicked off in Davos.

Talking about the impact of the electric car production on the global oil demand, Birol noted that there will be increasingly more electric cars in the future, but cars are one of the drivers of oil demand growth.

The other divers are trucks, planes, ships and petrochemical industry which will continue to push the oil demand growth. Oil demand growth may be slower in the future than in the past, but it will continue to grow in its slower pace, he added.

Further, the IEA executive director said that the installed capacity coming from renewables was higher than than other types of energy in 2016, which showed that renewables are not a romantic western song anymore.

It is a business, it is happening and people make money of that, he added.

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Reina nightclub attacker Abdulgadir Masharipov, who killed 39 people in nightclub attack in Istanbul on New Year's Eve, was captured by Turkish security forces late Monday, Daily Sabah reported.

The Uzbek attacker was caught in his Kyrgyz friend's house in Esenyurt district of Istanbul.

The Daesh terrorist is now being transferred to Istanbul Police Headquarters.

An attacker killed at least 39 people, including a police officer, in a gun attack on Reina, a popular night club in Istanbul, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu announced on Jan. 1.

Sixty-nine people were also wounded in the attack that was carried out before 1:30 a.m.

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17 January 2017 13:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The European Union (EU) hopes to contribute in the UN-backed negotiation process on Syria through making proposals which may be considered at the upcoming talks in Geneva on February, Interfax reports.

"We are working together with the UN over the political section of the efforts aimed at putting an end to the conflict in Syria," said Frederica Mogherini on Monday after the EU Council at the level of foreign ministers at a press conference in Brussels. "We talked about all of this with the ministers (Foreign Affairs of EU - IF). We talked about the initiative of the European Union, and I told them about my intention to organize a conference on the future of Syria in Brussels together with the UN."

She pointed out that the preferred date for the meeting, to be held in tandem with the United Nations, would be in April 2017, and it will have a double purpose. On the one hand, to analyze the implementation of the donor commitments made at the London Conference in 2016, on the other hand, it is a political conference.

"We hope that in a few months after the resumption of the UN-backed Geneva peace talks on Syria, it could be a moment for the international community to turn the page and start the reconstruction of Syria on the basis of the UN Security Council resolution, said the head of European diplomacy.

She added that all this is planned to carry out in cooperation with the UN and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

Mogerini noted that foreign ministers came to the complete unity of views on the actions on Syria at the EU council meeting. The reason why the EU took the initiative on the future of Syria is its non-participation in the armed conflict as one of the parties, she explained.

"We do not have our own political priorities for Syria. On the contrary, our interest is linked to the resolution of the UN Security Council. It is based on the approach from the point of view of international law, international consensus. We want to see Syria united and at peace, having a society in which all citizens, no matter what their origin, religion, ethnicity, are respected equally, Mogherini said.

The aim of the EU is to fulfill a UN Security Council resolution, to build Syria in which all Syrians feel at home, both who live there now and those who will come back, to ensure that the country which is capable of cooperation and peace with its neighbors will develop, explained the the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. This, in her view, motivates the EU's intention to mediate and to act for the sake of regional powers, especially the Arab countries, to be ready to turn the page of the Syrian conflict.

"The military sector does not concern us. We were not the military players and this increases our credibility for all Syrian citizens. We have not been involved in military actions. We are looking for a political solution. We provide our support. But it is clear that reconciliation and recovery can be achieved only through a political transition process," said Mogherini.

--

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17 January 2017 14:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Refusal of an agreement on Iran's nuclear program could potentially lead to conflict and undermine the security of the Middle East region and around the world, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said.

The agreement on Iran's nuclear program is running, said Kerry, whose powers expire in a few days, in an interview with CNN on Monday.

He said that since the deal enacted into law Tehran has reduced the number of centrifuges used to enrich uranium from 19,000 to 5,000 kg. The total amount of enriched uranium available in Iran reduced to 12,000 kg to only 300 kg. "They respect the agreement," he added.

"I think, to say that we can abandon this agreement means asking for the possibility of confrontation and conflict," said Kerry. The agreement "made the region and the world more secure, since it limited the ability of the country (Iran) to acquire nuclear weapons."

During the election campaign, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he believes that the nuclear agreement with Iran signed by Obama administration is a disgrace to the United States and the worst deal ever negotiated, and in case of his election as a head of the White House he will reconsider it.

The U.S. and international community decided on only "very bad choices" of a nuclear-armed Iran or a conflict in the Middle East before the deal was made.

"To be clear, to be crystal clear, terminating that agreement now would leave us with those same bad choices," Kerry stated.

The negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue began in 2004, after Western nations have accused Tehran of developing a "secret military nuclear program." Since 2006, negotiations with Iran were led by the "six" of international mediators (the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany). A number of resolutions were adopted requiring Iran to stop enriching uranium with nuclear proliferation purposes. These resolutions were progressively accompanied by restrictive measures to persuade Iran to comply. In 2006-2010 the United Nations, the United States and the European Union implemented several packages of sanctions against Iran.

The final joint comprehensive plan of action on the Iranian nuclear program was agreed in Vienna on July 14, 2015. Iran has undertaken not to produce weapons-grade plutonium for 15 years, keep no more than 300 kg of enriched uranium to 3.67 percent, to convert nuclear facilities and use them exclusively for peaceful purposes.

--

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17 January 2017 14:58 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's team would consider an invitation for peace talks on Syria in Astana, when it officially comes.

"Trump Administration will consider the invitation to negotiations in Astana after its official receipt, and will not participate in any negotiations until the formation of the clear U.S. vision on the resolution of Syrian crisis," RIA Novosti reported quoted a source close to Trump administration as saying.

The meeting will be held in the Kazakh capital on 23 January 2017 and the next round of talks in Geneva under the auspices of the UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on 8 February 2017. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev supported the initiative and announced his countrys readiness to provide a platform for such negotiations in Astana.

Last Saturday Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Russia and Turkey have decided to invite the United States for talks on Syria in Astana. The presidents of Russia and Turkey agreed to continue the process of peace talks with the conflicting Syrian parties on a new site earlier. According to the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, the meeting could complement to the process of Geneva talks.

--

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17 January 2017 15:43 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov set a goal for 2017 to produce 1.6 million tons of wheat, Turkmen government reported in a message.

Turkmenistan began to cultivate wheat in the years of the countrys independence, and it has been exporting the surplus of the harvest since 2011.

In 2015, over 1,406 million tons of grain was cultivated in Turkmenistan. In 2016, 1.6 million tons of bread-grain was harvested in the country.

Agriculture in Turkmenistan is a significant sector of the economy which contributes 12.7 percent of the GDP and employs 48.2 percent of the workforce.

The planted area covers 760,000 hectares.

The state provides full support to agricultural industry workers, which is expressed in large investments to technical re-equipment and modernization of the entire production infrastructure of agriculture, the development of chemical industry, and providing farmers with mineral fertilizers. Modern tractors, combines, seeders, other machinery and equipment are purchased for agro-industrial complex (AIC) needs.

A good incentive to improve the productivity of farmers interest in the cultivation of increasingly high yields lies in a systematic increase of prices for wheat, soft loans provided for farmers' associations, tenants, entrepreneurs for the purchase of agricultural machinery, and financing of other expenses.

Due to the course on comprehensive agrarian reform, the huge potential of this sector is being realized.
17 January 2017 16:58 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The Russian foreign minister believes the wars and conflicts worldwide can be ended through use of force.

The end of the war in Syria and in other countries of the region can be primarily achieved by using force, RIA Novosti quoted Sergei Lavrov as saying.

"To end the war, to secure the rights of not only Christians, but also Muslims and other people who have lived all their life in Syria and in other countries of the region, may be ensured, firstly, by using force, because terrorism should be beaten ruthlessly and entirely. It is what we exactly do, we help the Syrian army and the militia, which together with the Syrian army are involved in the fight against terrorism," Lavrov said at a press conference, referring to the aid provided by Russia to the Syrian army and the opposition allied to her.

Lavrov also recalled that in 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin, while speaking at the UN, stated that there is a need to create a broad, "single and universal" anti-terrorist front, but the call was not heard.

Lavrov was addressing his annual press conference on January 17.

Armed conflict continues in Syria since March 2011. Government troops are confronted by militants of different armed groups. Russia has begun airstrikes on terrorist facilities in Syria since 30 September 2015. The Russian military involvement follows an official request from President Bashar Assad to President Vladimir Putin.

--

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17 January 2017 17:10 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Ankara hopes that Trumps administration will take into account Turkeys scrupulous attitude towards the Syrian conflict and the struggle with Fethullah Gulens (FETO) movement.

Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmush said in an interview with TV channel A Haber that with Donald Trumps coming to the White House there will be a change that will affect the relations between Washington and Ankara, Anadolu agency reports on Monday.

"The U.S., in particular, will have to make changes in its Middle East policy and to stop supporting terrorists PYD (PKK offshoot in Syria). In other words, Washington should realize that the PYD is not the way to achieve U.S. goals in the region," said Kurtulmush.

With regards to extradition of the leader of the terrorist flow Gulen (FETO) from the U.S. to Turkey. he stressed that the US has to make a choice between the leader of FETO and Turkey, with its well-established democracy.

Unfortunately, Gulen has been living in the United States for many years. The fact that FETO leader still continues to operate his criminal network affects the relations between Turkey and the United States in a negative way, said Kurtulmush.

He believes that most likely, the new U.S. administration will make a decision in favor of relations between the countries. They will probably extradite Gulen or detain him in order to prevent the damage that it can cause for Turkey.

Kurtulmush also commented on Obama administration officials claim that the representatives of PYD should participate in talks on Syria in Astana.

"Turkey's position on this issue is clear and concrete. Terrorists of IG, PYD or "Dzhebhat en-Nusra" should not participate in the talks on Syria, whether in Astana, Geneva or any other place," said Deputy Prime Minister.

He thinks that only the Assad regime supporters and the Syrian moderate opposition may be at the negotiating table.

Ankara hopes that Trumps administration will take into account Turkey's sensitivity when it comes to Syrian issue, as it is important to advance the negotiations.

FETO leader Fetullah Gulen has lived in Pennsylvania since 1999. In the July 15 coup attempt that he planned, a military junta tried to depose the democratically elected president and government in Turkey and impose martial law. The attempt was prevented by troops loyal to the government, along with police units and millions of Turkish citizens in favor of democracy. In total, 246 people, mostly civilians, were killed while over 2,000 were injured.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a three-month state of emergency in the country on July 20 in accordance with Article 120 of the Constitution for the early elimination of all factors of a terrorist organization, which committed a coup attempt. On October 3, it was decided to extend the state of emergency for other 90 days.

--

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17 January 2017 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Tourism in Azerbaijan has a thousand-year tradition. To make sure it is enough to remember the Great Silk Road, which contributed to not only commercial, but also cultural exchange. Of course, a special surge of interest in the country located on the Caspian Sea shore arose during the era of hydrocarbon resources.

Significant socio-economic reforms put Baku as a business center on a par with European cities in terms of hotel standards and the development of tourist infrastructure in general. The architecture of Baku combines modern European city and the historical spirit of the old town, which attract thousands of tourists.

Situated on the Great Silk Road, and divided partially between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, Azerbaijan blended the best from both cultures, forming its own unique rich culture, thats why its people are neither totally Eastern, nor totally Western.

The number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan in 2016 increased by almost 11 percent compared to 2015. During the first nine months of 2016 Azerbaijan welcomed 1.71 million tourists.

And this is possible thanks to the effective measures that covered creation of tourism infrastructure, cancellation of license, switch to the simplified visa regime, and issuance of "ASAN visa". Moreover, a draft law "On Tourism", which has sent to the Parliament will be discussed in the spring session of the structure, expecting to bring more benefits to this prospering sector.

Last year, 35 hotels were built in our country, while 25 are under construction. In general, there are more than 500 hotels in Azerbaijan.

Muzaffar Agakarimov, the adviser of the Chairman of Azerbaijani Tourism Association believes that Azerbaijan is able to welcome millions of tourists every year, but notes a need for certain programs, routes and services to reach the goal.

Emphasizing a plenty of opportunities enabling to gain earn successes in this sphere, the expert stressed that it is just necessary to properly use them.



"This year Baku will host the Islamic Solidarity Games and Formula 1 competitions. In addition the country's regions and the capital will hold international and local events," he said.

The majority of tourists coming to Azerbaijan, according to Agakarimov, are from Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan and Arab countries. "In the future, we expect that the number of tourists from Belarus will also increase. However, we should not stop on it and should attract tourists from Asian countries.

For example, Indonesia, with 240-million-population and the most populous Muslim-majority, also show interest to Azerbaijan," he said. "Azerbaijan also should be interested in attracting tourists from multi-million-population countries such as Japan and South Korea and prepare appropriate programs. Alongside with this we should not forget about European countries and must achieve their growth. Baltic countries are also among them. We should not forget that during the Soviet period many tourists from these countries visited Azerbaijan for therapeutic purposes."

The expert also spoke about the development of a favorite mode of many tourists worldwide -- rail tourism.

"We must widely use rail tourism opportunities in such directions as Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey for access to Europe, Azerbaijan-Iran in south direction and Azerbaijan-Russia in northern direction. The capacity of airplanes and buses are not so lot, while rail tourism satisfies both people and cheaper," he said.

It is also possible to use the potential of Caspian Sea and develop ship tourism. "This will contribute not only to the influx to Azerbaijan, but also Central Asia through the Caspian Sea," he explained.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
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More Ice, Floods, High Winds for Oregon, Coast Range, Portland, Beaches

Published 01/16/2017 at 6:23 PM PDT - Published 01/16/2017 at 6:35 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Oregon Coast)  Things will simply be getting worse before they get better, with the great thaw delayed once again for the inland valley and the Oregon coast range, and a slew of warnings and advisories for heavy winds and flooding for the beaches.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Portland has issued freezing rain advisories for the Oregon coast range, the entire length of the Willamette Valley and for Portland, all running through 2 p.m. on Tuesday  except for Portland, where the advisory expires at 6 p.m.

High wind warnings have been issued for the Oregon coast range and the beach towns from now through Wednesday at 4 p.m. Winds for the Oregon coast towns are expected at around 35 mph to 45 mph, while beaches and headlands could get gusts up to 70 mph.

Flood watches are in effect for all of northwest Oregon, including Portland, the coast and the passes through at least Wednesday night, as heavy rains coming to those areas will combine with melting snow.

Oregon coast range passes are reportedly particularly bad Monday, and they're expected to get worse before they get better. Freezing rains kick in later tonight there and in Portland, but in the coast range this is expected to switch over to heavy rains and higher temps much earlier than the metro area. The passes should be driveable by 2 p.m. while Portland will likely still be dealing with icy streets in the late afternoon.

The big thaw reportedly starts for Portland by later Tuesday night and through the midnight hours, but earlier for areas south of town and in the coast range.

For the Oregon coast, the high wind warning is in effect from noon Tuesday to 10 a.m. Wednesday, the NWS said.

Winds may be strong enough to produce isolated power outages, the NWS said.

For the Oregon coast range (highways such as US18, 26 and 20) and Portland, the NWS temps will remain near or below freezing tonight and through tomorrow afternoon.

Meanwhile, a very moist Pacific frontal system will spread rain across the region Tuesday morning, increasing Tuesday afternoon and evening, the NWS said.

This could last several hours, the NWS said.

The routes to the Oregon coast will likely see gusts as high as 55 mph on Tuesday but much less on Wednesday. Rain of up to two inches both days is possible, some of which will be freezing rain on Tuesday. Temps will quickly climb after Tuesday morning, however, getting up to lows in the low 40's. Nighttime lows begin dropping after Wednesday again, making it to down around 30 degrees on Thursday where some snow looks likely once more.

On the beaches, there will be plenty to see, with large waves in the high teens and 20-foot range through the week, along with the heavy winds and rain. All the snow melt in the coast range along with heavier rains will make some rivers reach over flood stage along towns like Tillamook, Nehalem and Wheeler.

The good news is that the coast will be much more accessible by Tuesday evening. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours See Oregon Coast Weather. See Oregon Coast Traffic Conditions



















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President-elect Donald Trump said in a weekend interview that he is nearing completion of a plan to replace President Barack Obama's signature health-care law with the goal of "insurance for everybody," while also vowing to force drug companies to negotiate directly with the government on prices in Medicare and Medicaid.

Trump declined to reveal specifics in the telephone interview late Saturday with The Washington Post, but any proposals from the incoming president would almost certainly dominate the Republican effort to overhaul federal health policy as he prepares to work with his party's congressional majorities.

Trump's plan is likely to face questions from the right, following years of GOP opposition to further expansion of government involvement in the health-care system, and from those on the left, who see his ideas as disruptive to changes brought by the Affordable Care Act that have extended coverage to tens of millions of Americans.

In addition to his replacement plan for the ACA, also known as Obamacare, Trump said he will target pharmaceutical companies over drug prices and demand that they negotiate directly with Medicaid and Medicare.

"They're politically protected but not anymore," he said of pharmaceutical companies.

The objectives of broadening access to insurance and lowering health-care costs have always been in conflict, and it remains unclear how the plan that the incoming administration is designing - or ones that will emerge on Capitol Hill - will address that tension.

In general, congressional GOP plans to replace Obamacare have tended to try to constrain costs by reducing government requirements, such as the medical services that must be provided under health plans sold through the law's marketplaces and through state's Medicaid programs. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and other Republicans have been talking lately about providing "universal access" to health insurance, instead of universal insurance coverage.

Trump said he expects Republicans in Congress to move quickly and in unison in the coming weeks on other priorities as well, including enacting sweeping tax cuts and beginning the building of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump warned Republicans that if the party splinters or slows his agenda, he is ready to use the power of the presidency - and Twitter - to usher his legislation to passage.

"The Congress can't get cold feet because the people will not let that happen," Trump said during the interview with The Post.

Trump said his plan for replacing most aspects of Obama's health-care law is all but finished. Although he was coy about its details - "lower numbers, much lower deductibles" - he said he is ready to unveil it alongside Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

"It's very much formulated down to the final strokes. We haven't put it in quite yet but we're going to be doing it soon," Trump said. He noted that he is waiting for his nominee for secretary of health and human services, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., to be confirmed. That confirmation rests with the Senate Finance Committee, which has not yet scheduled a hearing.

Trump's declaration that his replacement plan is ready comes after many Republicans - moderates and conservatives - expressed anxiety last week about the party's lack of a formal proposal as they held votes on repealing the law.

Once made public, Trump said he is confident his plan could get enough votes to pass in both chambers but he declined to discuss how he would court wary Democrats.

So far, Republicans have used budget reconciliation - where only a majority is needed - on the initial steps to repeal the health law. Removing or replacing other parts of the law will likely require 60 votes to overcome Democratic filibusters. Republicans control the Senate 52 to 48.

"I think we will get approval. I won't tell you how, but we will get approval. You see what's happened in the House in recent weeks," Trump said, referencing his tweet during a House Republican move to gut their independent ethics office, which along with widespread constituent outrage was cited by some members as a reason the gambit failed.

As he has developed a replacement package, Trump said he has paid attention to critics who say that repealing Obamacare would put coverage at risk for more than 20 million Americans covered under the law's insurance exchanges and Medicaid expansion.

"We're going to have insurance for everybody," Trump said. "There was a philosophy in some circles that if you can't pay for it, you don't get it. That's not going to happen with us."

People covered under the law "can expect to have great health care. It will be in a much simplified form. Much less expensive and much better."

For conservative Republicans dubious about his pledge to ensure coverage for millions, Trump pointed to several interviews he did during the campaign where he promised to "not have people dying on the street."

"It's not going to be their plan," he said of people covered under the current law. "It'll be another plan. But they'll be beautifully covered. I don't want single-payer. What I do want is to be able to take care of people," he said Saturday.

Trump did not say how his program overlaps with the comprehensive plan authored by House Republicans. Earlier this year, Price suggested that a Trump presidency would advance the House GOP's health-care agenda.

When asked in the interview whether he intends to cut benefits for Medicare as part of his plan, Trump said "no," a position that was reiterated Sunday on ABC by Reince Priebus, Trump's incoming chief of staff. He did not elaborate on that view or how it would affect his proposal. He expressed that view throughout the campaign.

Timing could be difficult as Trump puts an emphasis on speed. Obama's law took more than 14 months of debate and hundreds of hearings. To urge the Congress on, Trump will attend a congressional Republican retreat in Philadelphia later this month.

Moving ahead, Trump said lowering drug prices is central to lowering health costs nationally - and will make it a priority for him as he uses his bully pulpit to shape policy.

When asked how exactly he would force drug manufacturers to comply, Trump said part of his approach would be public pressure "just like on the airplane," a nod to his tweets about Boeing's F-35 fighter jet, which Trump said was too costly.

Trump waved away the suggestion that such activity could lead to market volatility. "Stock drops and America goes up," he said. "I don't care. I want to do it right or not at all."He added that drug companies "should produce" more products in the United States.

On his plan for new tax cuts, Trump said "We're getting very close" to putting together legislation. His advisers and Ryan met last week and have been working from his campaign's plan and from congressional proposals to slash current rates.

"It'll probably be 15 to 20 percent for corporations. For individuals, probably lower. Great middle-class tax cuts," Trump said.

On corporate tax rates, "We may negotiate a little, but we want to bring them down and get as close to 15 percent as we can so we can see a mushrooming of jobs moving back."

Trump said he would not relent on his push for increasing taxes on U.S. companies that manufacture abroad - and insisted that the upcoming tax cuts should be enough reason for companies to produce within the United States.

"If companies think they're going to make their cars or other products overseas and sell them back into the United States, they're going to pay a 35 percent tax," he said.

Briefly touching on immigration, Trump said that building a border wall and curbing illegal immigration remains at the top of his to-do list and he is spending significant time looking at ways to begin various projects, both with Congress and through executive action. But he did not disclose what was to come on those fronts.

(c) 2017, The Washington Post
One of president-elect Donald Trump's biggest supporters is taking it upon himself and his group of bikers to make sure the inauguration event goes smoothly, promising to form a "wall of meat" to guard against any protestors.

Chris Cox is founder of the pro-Trump organization "Bikers for Trump," and is expecting more than 5,000 bikers from his group to be in attendance at the inauguration.

On Sunday, Cox spoke with news show "Fox & Friends" and said that should there be any rowdy protesters in attendance, his group will be there to back up security.

"In the event that we are needed, we certainly will form a wall of meat," Cox told the show.

"What does that mean?" interrupted co-host Abby Huntsman. "What does that mean, 'A wall of meat'?"

"We'll be shoulder-to-shoulder with our brothers and we'll be toe-to-toe with anyone that is going to break through any police barriers, that's going to be assaulting women, spitting on them, throwing things at them," Cox explained. "We are anticipating a peaceful transition of power."

The group obtained a permit and will hold what is likely to be the largest pro-Trump rally put on by a private organization during the same time as the inauguration, the Washington Post reported. The rally will have speakers and musical performances, as well as a ceremony to honor veterans.

Bikers for Trump was featured in a New York Times video piece, covering its participation in the Republican National Convention in July.

Cox told the New York Times his group has boasted as many as 200,000 members since its start supporting Trump back in October 2015.
An audit released Jan. 12 shows Nashville (Tenn.) General Hospital did not accurately track and review its finances during fiscal year 2016, according to The Tennessean.

Nashville General CFO Geoff Blomeley told The Tennessean that many of the shortcomings, including failing to consistently reconcile accounts, review financial activity and monitor transactions, were partially attributable to changes he put into place. He said management lost sight of its annual accounting practices after he instructed them to generate monthly reports and placed more focus on managing cash.

Mr. Blomeley made the changes due to the hospital's financial troubles. With expected collections from insurance companies falling $6 million short, the Metropolitan Hospital Authority, which operates Nashville General, voted in December to request $16 million in emergency funding from the Metro Council, the legislative authority of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville.

Due to the auditors' findings, Mr. Blomeley told The Tennessean the hospital is going to "get back to the basics," focusing more on annual accounting practices.

Although Nashville General is struggling, the audit revealed its finances improved in FY 2016. The hospital ended FY 2016 with a loss of $7.5 million, compared to a loss of $14.9 million the year prior, according to the report.

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A recent breach affected two subcontractors of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware, according to The News Journal.

The breached subcontractors were Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Summit Reinsurance Services and Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based BCS Financial.

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware Director of Privacy and Information Management Karen Kane said the breach affected 16 current and former Highmark self-insured customers and 19,000 of their members.

"I would like to ensure Delaware consumers that the Department of Insurance takes this matter seriously and is currently investigating how this occurred," Delaware Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro said in a statement. "I have directed my staff to closely monitor the situation as it develops. Many Delawareans have received mailed correspondence from Summit Reinsurance explaining the breach. Unfortunately, we fear that many may have misinterpreted or inadvertently discarded the letter as some form of sales ad."
The anti-vaccine views expressed by Daniel Neides, MD, medical director and COO of the Cleveland Clinic's Wellness Institute do not align with the health system in any way, CEO Toby Cosgrove, MD, wrote in a statement Friday.

"Vaccinations are a key component to preventing disease and maintaining a healthy society. There is no debating that; the research is clear," Dr. Cosgrove wrote. "To say otherwise is irresponsible and runs counter to Cleveland Clinic's commitment to evidence-based medicine."

Dr. Cosgrove stood by the mission of Cleveland Clinic's Wellness Institute, which aims to help patients make healthy life choices and aid in prevention of disease. Although the institute does use some alternative approaches, such as acupuncture, yoga and Chinese herbal medicine, these are only intended to supplement medical care, Dr. Cosgrove wrote.

While the health system continues to invest in scientific medical research, part of that involves evaluating how traditional approaches to medicine can be complemented with alternative approaches to health. "It's important to understand that wellness interventions and alternative therapies never replace evidence-based medicine," he wrote.

"Cleveland Clinic is the first major academic medical center to embrace many of these alternative strategies," Dr. Cosgrove concluded. "We believe that doing so is justified by the magnitude of the disease challenge."

Read the full statement here.

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West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Rennova Health has completed its acquisition of Scott County Hospital in Oneida, Tenn., which closed July 1.

Here are three things to know about the deal.

1. Rennova acquired the hospital's assets out of bankruptcy for $600,000 in cash, plus the repayment of approximately $400,000 of debt secured by the foregoing land and buildings, according to a news release.

2. The 25-bed Scott County Hospital features a 24/7 emergency department, operating rooms and a laboratory that provides various ancillary diagnostic services. Rennova's purchase includes a 52,000 -square-foot hospital building and a 6,300-square-foot professional building, the release states.

3. Rennova said it expects to open the hospital, in part, in the second quarter of 2017 and for the hospital to be fully operational by the third quarter of 2017.
A 33-year-old woman has been charged with a felony after police say she took a physician's white coat and used it to escape police custody at UMC Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, Texas, according to a KEYE news report.

Police arrested Deeanna Gibbs Jan. 14 after finding a syringe containing heroin and plastic baggies containing suspected heroin residue in her purse. Police took Ms. Gibbs to the Travis County jail. She was then sent to UMC Brackenridge Hospital to have an infected cut on her fingers examined, according to the report.

While waiting to be discharged from the hospital, police said Ms. Gibbs repeatedly pleaded with officers to let her use the restroom. About five minutes after being given permission to use the restroom, a nurse told officers Ms. Gibbs was no longer in the restroom.

Officers looked for Ms. Gibbs in the hospital for about an hour before concluding the search. A few hours later, an officer found Ms. Gibbs in downtown Austin wearing a physician's coat inscribed "Austin Radiological Association, Andrew R. M.D.," according to the report.

Ms. Gibbs was arrested and charged with escape from custody, a third-degree felony.

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Eighteen years ago, a woman posing as a nurse kidnapped a newborn girl from a Florida hospital.

After almost two decades of searching, police finally located the missing girl living with her kidnapper  who the girl assumed was her mother  under a different name in South Carolina, reports The Washington Post.

In 1998, a 16-year-old Shanara Mobley handed her newborn daughter Kamiyah to a woman in scrubs who said the baby needed to be checked for a fever at UF Health Jacksonville  at the time known as University Medical Center. The family called 911 shortly after Kamiyah was taken and the hospital went on lock down. Authorities stopped buses and trains and informed the local airport of a missing baby, but Kamiyah was not found.

The kidnapping made national headlines and sparked exhaustive search efforts among authorities, as well as several appearances on "America's Most Wanted." The Mobley family sued the hospital, earning a settlement that prompted many hospitals across central Florida to tighten security measures for newborns, reported the Orlando Sentinel in 2000.

In 2016, several tips led police to Walterboro, S.C., where they found an 18-year-old woman who had the same birthday as Kamiyah and fake identification papers. A DNA test on Friday confirmed the young woman was in fact Kamiyah Mobley.

Kamiyah "had an inkling, beginning probably a couple months ago, that she may have been involved in this in some way," said Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams, according to the report.

She had been living with Gloria Williams, who was arrested Friday for charges of kidnapping and interference with custody. Kamiyah was reunited with her biological parents on Saturday, reports CNN.



More articles on news and analysis:
Airport Shooting Florida Mental Illness

In this Jan. 9, 2017, file photo, Esteban Santiago is taken from the Broward County main jail as he is transported to the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Just weeks before a gunman opened fire at Fort Lauderdale's airport, he walked into an FBI office in Alaska telling authorities the government was controlling his mind and that he was having terroristic thoughts. Authorities say such walk-ins are a daily occurrence around the country. Assessing whether the people are reporting a credible threat or whether they need medical help is extremely difficult and drains already-stretched law enforcement resources.

(Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida -- The man suspected of fatally shooting five people and wounding six others at a Florida airport told investigators initially he was under government mind control and then claimed to be inspired by Islamic State websites and chatrooms, authorities said at a hearing Tuesday.

FBI Agent Michael Ferlazzo also confirmed that the 9mm Walther handgun used in the Jan. 6 shooting rampage at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the same weapon Anchorage, Alaska, police seized and later returned to 26-year-old Esteban Santiago last year.

Ferlazzo testified at a bond hearing that Santiago mentioned after the shooting that his mind was under some kind of government control. Later in the interview he claimed to have been inspired by Islamic State-related chatrooms and websites, although it is not clear if the FBI has been able to corroborate any terror-related claims.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana Snow set a Jan. 30 arraignment hearing for Santiago to enter a formal plea. Snow ordered Santiago kept in custody as a risk of flight and a danger to the community, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Del Toro said was clear from his actions at the airport.

"He has admitted to all of the facts with respect to the terrible and tragic events of Jan. 6," Del Toro said. "These were vulnerable victims who he shot down methodically."

Santiago could get the death penalty if convicted of federal airport violence and firearms charges that resulted in death. His public defender, Robert Berube, said Santiago would not contest the pretrial detention order.

"Mr. Santiago is prepared to remain in custody," Berube said.

Investigators say Santiago legally brought a gun box containing his weapon and ammunition as checked luggage for his flight, then retrieved it at the Florida airport and went into a bathroom. After loading the gun, authorities say he came out firing randomly and then laid down on the floor after using all 15 bullets in two clips.

Much of the hearing focused on Ferlazzo's testimony about what Santiago said after the shooting and what records from Alaska reveal about him.

Ferlazzo said Santiago, an Iraq war veteran who was a member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard, visited a gun range late last year before booking the one-way ticket from Alaska to Fort Lauderdale. It was previously reported that Santiago visited the FBI office in Anchorage last year complaining about hearing voices and supposed CIA mind control, which led to Anchorage police temporarily seizing his gun and Santiago's brief stay in a mental hospital.

At the Alaska Psychiatric Institute, Ferlazzo said, records show Santiago was given anti-anxiety medications but no prescriptions for drugs that would treat serious mental conditions such as schizophrenia. He was released after a five-day stay with no restrictions that might prevent him from possessing a gun, and his weapon was returned by police.

"He was deemed to be stable," the agent testified.

In the post-shooting interviews, Santiago at first repeated claims that he did it because of government mind control but later told investigators he had been visiting chatrooms and internet sites frequented by the Islamic State terror group or those inspired by it.

"It was a group of like-minded individuals who were all planning attacks," Ferlazzo said.

The FBI is examining Santiago's computers and other devices as well as those of family members, but so far agents have not confirmed any terrorism ties.

Other evidence collected so far includes video from 20 different airport camera angles that show the entire shooting episode, Ferlazzo testified. In addition, the roughly six-hour interview in which Santiago supposedly confessed was audio and video recorded.
Last week, Tampa-based Bonati Spine Institute opened a location in Las Vegas, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal report.

Las Vegas Heals CEO Doug Geinzer called the opening a "milestone" for Las Vegas' medical tourism industry. Alfred Bonati, MD, founded Bonati Spine Institute and opened the new location at an event that included around 200 people.

Dr. Bonati plans to train surgeons at the Florida location and send them to work at the Las Vegas location, as he won't pursue a Nevada medical license.

Dr. Bonati developed a minimally invasive spine treatment performed at his outpatient surgery centers. However, according to the report, the Florida Department of Health website lists 21 actions against Dr. Bonati.
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Michele Shirlow, Food NI with judges Georgina Campbell, Charles Campion, Professor Una McMahon-Beattie and Joris Minne, and Susie Brown from Tourism NI.

The shortlist for the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink Awards has been announced.

The judging panel, made up of highly respected food writers, critics and hospitality experts, were overwhelmed with the level of entries for the inaugural year of the awards, celebrating the achievements of the Year of Food and Drink in 2016.

Charles Campion, Georgina Campbell, Joris Minne and Professor Una-McMahon Beattie met at Hillsborough Castle on Monday January 16 to deliberate the entries.

Winners will be announced at the awards evening on Thursday February 2 at the Culloden Estate & Spa, during a black tie evening and five course banquet.

Shortlist: NI Year of Food and Drink Awards

Best Food Story

Food Heartland Forums, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council

Wild About Food, Mid & East Antrim Borough Council in partnership with Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council

Launch of Belfast Mets Linen Lounge, Yard & Scullery Restaurants, of Belfast Mets Linen Lounge, Yard & Scullery Restaurants

The Walled Garden at Helen's Bay

Slemish Market Supper Club

The story of the Lough Neagh Eel, Lough Neagh Fishermens co-operative society

Best NI Food Event of Festival

Speciality Food Fair, Moira

Comber Earlies Food Festival, Ards & North Down Borough Council

Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend 2016, Ulster Farmers Union

Tesco Taste Festival 2016, Tesco Northern Ireland

Legenderry Food Festival, Derry City & Strabane District Council

Armagh Festival of Food & Cider, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council

Best NI Local Market

Naturally North Coast & Glens

Campus Food Markets, QUB

St. Georges Market, Belfast, Belfast City Council

Inns Market, Newtownbreda

Causeway Speciality Market Coleraine, Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council

Comber Farmers Market, Comber Regeneration Community Partnership

Food Innovation

Himalayan Salt Ages Beef, Hannan Meats

The Kitchen, Henderson Group

Food Heartland Initiative, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council

Smoked Lough Neagh Eel, Lough Neagh Fishermens co-operative society

Local Quail Production, Ballinteer Farm Quail

Crispy Vegetable Bakes, Mash Direct

Growing for the Future

Journey to Market Programme, Causeway Glens & Coast Borough Council

Food Heartland Initiative, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council

Foodovation Centre, NWRC

Roots to Market

Food Heartland Initiative, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council

Getting the branding right to market our product, Cavanagh Free Range Eggs Ltd

Causeway Coast & Glens Food Network, Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council

NI Export Drive, Indie Fude

Best NI Tours and Trails

Ballycastle Food Tour, North Coast Walking Tours

Belfast Food Tour, Taste & Tour NI Ltd.

Tayto Tours, Tayto NI Ltd.

Cycle Sperrins, Far and Wild

Woodland and Whiskey Tour, Ards and North Down Borough Council

'Catch and Sea' in collaboration with The Causeway Lass and Babushka, The Harbour Portrush, Causeway Coast Foodie Tours

Best Marketing Achievement

Launching the SPAR enjoy local meat range, Henderson Wholesale

Fermanagh Restaurant Week, Fermanagh Lakeland Tourism

Launch of Belfast Mets Linen Lounge, Yard & Scullery Restaurants, of Belfast Mets Linen Lounge, Yard & Scullery Restaurants

Developing a Multi-Million Pound Meat Supply Business with Lidl Across Europe, Eurostock Food Group

Tayto Taste of Home, Tayto NI Ltd.

Eel-Eat, Lough Neagh Partnership

TICKETS

Tickets (75 + VAT) and tables of 10 (750 + VAT) can be purchased by contacting Jackie ONeill at the Belfast Telegraph on 028 9026 4127 or via j.oneill@belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
Abellio said the announcement fulfils its long-standing objective of finding a suitable partner to run Greater Anglia in a joint venture

Abellio is to sell 40% of its Greater Anglia rail franchise to Japanese company Mitsui, saying the joint venture will lead to "significant improvements" for passengers.

The biggest rail union said the move showed that Britain's rail network is up "constantly up for grabs", making a "mockery" of the Government's franchising process.

Abellio said the announcement fulfils its objective of finding a suitable partner to run Greater Anglia in a 60:40 joint venture.

A statement said: "Abellio and Mitsui have a proven track record of working together, having first entered into a joint venture to bid for the West Midlands rail franchise in 2016, along with East Japan Railway Company.

"Following this process, Abellio felt that Mitsui would be the best partner to help it deliver its ambitious programme to transform the Greater Anglia franchise."

Abellio won the Greater Anglia franchise again last August, having first operated it from February 2012.

Dominic Booth, managing director of Abellio, said: "We are delighted to have reached agreement with Mitsui, fulfilling our long-standing objective of running the franchise as a 60:40 joint venture.

"With the introduction of Mitsui's knowledge and experience, we look forward to delivering significant improvements for Greater Anglia's customers, including through the introduction of a brand new fleet."

Mick Cash, leader of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: " Following on from the National Express sale of the c2c franchise to Trenitalia, this latest sell-off by Abellio of a chunk of the Greater Anglia franchise to Mitsui shows that the Britain's rail network is up constantly for grabs, making a mockery of the very expensive Department for Transport franchising process.

"The checks and balances for both passengers and the taxpayer, which the DfT claims are enshrined in its multimillion-pound franchising programme, are clearly lacking when the winning bidder can simply walk away, share out its responsibilities and choose its replacement whenever it sees fit."

Transport Salaried Staffs' Association general secretary Manuel Cortes said: "Theresa May is supposed to be talking clean breaks with Europe today. Ditching a little bit of Dutch ownership of the Greater Anglia rail franchise is hardly a clean break and is just opening the door for someone else to make a quick buck from our passengers and taxpayers.

"The Japanese are here because there is money to be made out of our rail industry.

"The clean break British rail passengers need is to take back control of our train operating companies so that profits made here are invested in lowering fares and developing rail infrastructure here."
A Co Down chef has gone from washing dishes in a restaurant to owning his own venue - paying tribute to Van Morrison in the process.

Richard McCracken's career had humble beginnings behind the scenes at acclaimed Co Down restaurant Balloo House.

But now he's opened Cyprus Avenue in Ballyhackamore in east Belfast - named after the street made famous in Van Morrison's song.

It completed its first fortnight of trading on Friday, and now employs 25 people.

Richard said he hopes the restaurant will become part of the community.

"It's a neighbourhood eaterie and I want something which anyone can pop into whether its for a meal or a coffee," he said.

"We've quite an eclectic menu as well."

And he said he owes much of his success to Danny Millar, after striking up a friendship with the Balloo House chef and co-owner while working as a dishwasher.

He says Danny persuaded him to learn to cook and arranged for him to train as a chef under Michelin-starred Scottish chef Tom Kitchin. Richard then went on to work in a Paris restaurant for Michelin star chef Helene Darroze.

He returned to work in the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland, before finally coming home to Northern Ireland two years ago.

Richard started working again with his former boss Danny Millar before making the decision to open his first restaurant.

Mr McCracken said: "It's hard to get chefs especially in rural areas - it would have been a lot easier for Danny to have said 'come back and work with me', but he told me to stick it out - he's been very supportive throughout everything."

And he says he's happy with the choice of name for his first restaurant. "To me Cyprus Avenue isn't just about the song - there's so much more to it than that.

"Even through all that happened during the Troubles in east Belfast, Cyprus Avenue is a tree-lined sanctuary in the middle of east Belfast.

"It's also where Van Morrison took the leap of faith to start writing music - to me it's a beautiful, tranquil place.

"It's always been my dream to run my own restaurant so it just seemed to fit well."

He says the menu at Cyprus Avenue reflects his range of experience. "Cooking in France is very different, but our menu is very simple - it's very different from where I have trained but it's still got some influences from where I've been before. I've a black rice dish ,which is spelt cooked with squid ink. It's the garnish for the hake and squid from Portavogie - and inspired by Helene's signature black rice dish."
Residents of border counties in Northern Ireland and the Republic held a day of action in October to highlight what they stand to lose in Brexit

As the only UK region with a land border to a remaining EU member state, Northern Ireland faces unique and complex challenges during Article 50 negotiations.

We expect to learn soon whether the crown prerogative entitles the government to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, and formally begin the process of the UKs disengagement from the European Union (EU) without the need for explicit prior authorisation from Parliament.

The issue is currently the subject of an appeal by the government to the Supreme Court, against a previous High Court judgment which decided that the crown prerogative did not in itself authorise the government to invoke Article 50.

If prior parliamentary approval is needed, which would likely be in the form of an Act of Parliament, this creates an opportunity for those opposed to Brexit in the Houses of Commons and Lords to try and block or delay triggering Article 50. Ultimately, however, it is likely that at most this would just delay the governments timetable of invoking Article 50 by the end of March.

Once notice has been served under Article 50, there is a two-year period in which the UK must negotiate the terms of its exit from the EU, failing which the UK automatically ceases to be an EU member state.

The only exception is if the UK and all other 27 EU member states agree to extend the deadline, which is unlikely in practice.

Unless there is a trade deal otherwise agreed, once it becomes a third country and ceases to be an EU member state, the UK will begin trading with EU countries on the basis of the terms laid down by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

This would lead to the imposition of tariffs, at levels to be determined by the UK, on imports from all other countries, including from the Republic.

Under WTO rules, the UK could not agree a lower set of tariffs with just some countries, such as the EU states  it would have to adopt a single set of tariffs that applied to all imports into the UK, regardless of their country of origin.

In the same way, under WTO rules, tariffs would be imposed on exports from the UK to EU countries, including to the Republic. Currently, the percentage tariffs imposed by the EU range from low single digits to over 30% for certain agricultural products.

If the UK becomes a third country, there will need to be some form of customs and immigration controls between Northern Ireland and the Republic. The UK and Republic could not between them agree a relaxation of such controls, because the EU (rather than individual EU countries) has jurisdiction over external customs issues and principles of free movement.

But it would in principle be possible for the EU and UK to agree that such controls are waived. However, negotiations with the EU over the terms of the UKs exit and the shape of its future trading relationship with the EU will take the form of an immense exercise in horse-trading.

This means balancing the parties respective positions on a range of issues, including from free movement of persons, to agriculture and fisheries, to access to the EU market for UK financial services and cars.

In these complicated negotiations, real efforts will need to be taken by a range of interested parties to ensure attention is paid to the specific circumstances and needs of Northern Ireland and its interactions with the Republic.

If recent political developments leave Northern Ireland without a devolved administration during this crucial period, the task of making its voice heard amid a cacophony of competing interests is certainly more difficult.
Premium

Margaret Canning Opinion Conservatives have gone back to traditional territory with a mini-budget that just might cost the party the next election

Many of the measures in Kwasi Kwartengs first big statement as Chancellor had been trailed in advance  changes to stamp duty, the cancellation of both the rise in National Insurance and the rise in corporation tax, and bringing forward a cut in the basic rate of income tax to 19 pence.
Emily Watson has said that filming raunchy scenes in her new BBC1 drama was "empowering" because casting directors had stopped asking her to play sexual women.

The 50-year-old plays a middle-aged scientist whose life spirals out of control when she embarks on a passionate affair with a stranger in the drama, Apple Tree Yard.

She said that sexuality in women over 40 is not usually acknowledged on screen.

Watson told Radio Times magazine that she and her co-star, her friend Ben Chaplin, planned every detail of a steamy scene - set in a crypt below the House of Commons.

"We've known each other a long time, and we didn't want to fumble about, waiting for someone to shout 'Cut!', which usually happens," she said.

"We plotted and planned every detail. We wanted it to be realistic - what would it be like in that situation, in a cupboard with a complete stranger? Which was great."

Watson said that it was refreshing to play the part as the industry tends to fixate on sexuality in the roles for younger actors.

"I'd never laughed so much and it felt... empowering! How great to be playing a woman who's my age, and sexual, complicated, grown up, aware that female sexuality is a very powerful thing at this age," she told the magazine.

"It's a very different thing from being a sexualised being in your 20s - it's a vibrant, creative, powerful thing, which isn't necessarily about having affairs but just part of who you are.

"As you grow older, you really feel that this isn't culturally acceptable or acknowledged in storytelling."

She added: "Someone once said to me that I'm a character actress who gets laid, and I've certainly done a lot of playful sexual creatures, but it got less and less as time went by, then stopped! And suddenly here I am, in every available doorway!"

Her comments come after the actress told The Sunday Telegraph that producers asked to film the sex scene in the crypt under the House of Commons - but were turned down.

"We were banished. Because as it turns out you can blow up James Bond on Westminster Bridge but no sex, please!", she told the newspaper.

The mother-of-two said she was glad that she was based in the UK instead of Hollywood.

She added: "I don't think I could have lived with the scrutiny. I feel like here I'm an actress and there I would have been a product."
Former Miss Staten Island fulfills dream at Disney University

Katlyn Cohen, the reigning Miss Staten Island

(JGMV.com)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Great Kills native Katlyn Cohen, Miss Staten Island 2015, is fulfilling her lifelong dream.

The former beauty queen has been asked to participate in the Disney College Program, where she'll be enrolled in classes at Disney University while serving an internship in entertainment.

"I've been dreaming about doing this program since I was 11 years old and I can't believe my dreams of working for the Walt Disney Company are finally coming true," says Katlyn.

She adds: "I will also be videotaping my entire journey on my YouTube channel if anyone is interested in following my adventures!"

The bright, brunette beauty says she is incredibly excited about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and is grateful for the love and support the Miss Staten Island Board, her family and friends have shown.

Katlyn was named Miss Staten Island at only 18 years of age and on her very first try at any pageant competition.



For her talent performance she delivered a dramatic contemporary monologue from the beloved play "Our Town," by Thornton Wilder, having performed it earlier as part of her senior project.



Katlyn, the daughter of Jen and Eric Cohen, chose a hot topic for her pageant platform: "Stop the Texts and Stop the Wrecks."

To say the former Miss Staten Island looks with enthusiasm toward her trip to the Sunshine State, would be somewhat of an understatement.

Before she ventures down south, however, the College of Staten Island co-ed will be feted by her pageant family and friends at a "Good Luck Dinner" Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Perkin's Restaurant on Amboy Road in Eltingville.

All are invited to attend. Note: There's no entrance fee. Guests are responsible for dinner.

"We are always proud and happy when one of our title holders advances in her dreams," said Jim Smith, pageant executive director.

All pageant princesses and former contestants are encouraged to attend.

Carmine DeBetta is handling details. Kindly RSVP to Carmine via email at cdebett@aol.com.
The new series of Call The Midwife had to be rewritten after Miranda Hart pulled out, its creator has said.

The actress, 44, who played loveable midwife Camilla "Chummy" Browne, announced last year that she would not return to the period drama despite suggestions from producers that she would.

Now, Call The Midwife's creator and writer Heidi Thomas has told Radio Times magazine that she had written Hart into the sixth series, which airs later this month, but that she withdrew at "relatively short notice".

"We were thrilled when Miranda approached us, and I storylined the series for her, but at relatively short notice she had to withdraw," Thomas said.

Asked how much notice she was given, Thomas said: "I can't say, but it was short. We were hopeful right up to the end that we could make it work, but we couldn't.

"I just rewrote the series without Miranda in it, which was sad because we would have loved having her in it. She is part of the Call The Midwife family. But (this time) it wasn't meant to be. "

Hart, who quit the show during series four because of work commitments, said that she could not return because she could not make the schedule work.

The new instalment of the BBC1 drama, originally based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, is set in 1962 and tackles the issue of female genital mutilation.

Thomas said that she ensured that a small detail, which the broadcaster wanted to remove on the grounds of taste and decency, remained on-screen.

Asked if she should have represented the issue more critically, she said: "We are a medical drama, not a moral drama. We are not judging this woman."

But she added: "There is one small medical detail on screen which the BBC did question, in terms of taste and decency. And we said very firmly if you erase that small visual moment, it is underplaying the horror and the pain of the situation."

While movies based on other period dramas such as Downton Abbey are said to be in the works, Thomas said she was not interested in a big-screen spin-off, saying: "It has never been discussed."

She said that she had received "expressions of interest from very senior actresses" to appear in the TV drama because of its strong roles for women.

And she added of the secret to the show's success: "Gradual, persistent change. In some long-running shows there is a pressure to keep characters going on and on with new stories, but that does not replicate life. My mantra is, 'We are not a soap. We are a medical drama'."
British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech on the government's plans for Brexit at Lancaster House in London (AFP/Getty Images)

Theresa May has outlined her plans for Britain's exit from the European Union.

The Prime Minister gave her long-awaited address in London on Tuesday saying that she does not want an outcome that leaves the UK "half-in, half-out" of the European Union.

Mrs May announced that the final Brexit deal reached between the UK and European Union will be put to a vote of both Houses of Parliament.

Among the 12 objectives Mrs May set out, the Prime Minister said maintaining the common travel area between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland was a priority during the negotiations.

Mrs May said that "no-one wants to return to the borders of the past".

The Prime Minister said: "We cannot forget that, as we leave, the United Kingdom will share a land border with the EU, and maintaining that common travel area with the Republic of Ireland will be an important priority for the UK in the talks ahead.

"There has been a common travel area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland for many years.

"Indeed, it was formed before either of our two countries were members of the European Union. And the family ties and bonds of affection that unite our two countries mean that there will always be a special relationship between us.

"So we will work to deliver a practical solution that allows the maintenance of the common travel area with the Republic, while protecting the integrity of the United Kingdom's immigration system.

"Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past, so we will make it a priority to deliver a practical solution as soon as we can."

Mrs May also urged Northern Ireland's politicians to work together to reestablish the government "as soon as possible" after it was plunged into crisis.

Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire previously said the Assembly crisis would have no impact on the timing of the Government's decision to trigger Article 50, the mechanism signalling the start of negotiations on exiting the EU.

The Secretary of State also said representatives from the Executive will still be invited to attend meetings of the London Joint Ministerial Council on Brexit.

Listing her key objectives Mrs May said: "These are the objectives we have set:

"Certainty wherever possible. Control of our own laws. Strengthening the United Kingdom.

"Maintaining the common travel area with Ireland. Control of immigration. Rights for EU nationals in Britain and British nationals in the EU. Enhancing rights for workers.

"Free trade with European markets. New trade agreements with other countries. A leading role in science and innovation. Co-operation on crime, terrorism and foreign affairs. And a phased approach, delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit."

And she added: "This is the framework of a deal which will herald a new partnership between the UK and the EU. It is a comprehensive and carefully considered plan that focuses on the ends, not just the means, with its eyes fixed firmly on the future and on the kind of country we will be once we leave."

Prime Minister's Brexit key address as it happened

We shaped them (future generations) a brighter future they will know we built them a better Britain

The prize towards which we work - let us not do it for ourselves but for those who follow, for the county's children and grandchildren too.

Overwhelming majority of people no matter how they voted want us to get on with it

Any EU member states seeking a punitive Brexit deal with the UK that that would be "an act of calamitous self-harm", adding that "no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain"

It's not my job to fill column inches with daily updates but to get the right deal for Britain

This is not a game - it's a crucial and sensitive negotiation

We believe a phased process of implementation will be in the interests of Britain, the EU institutions and member states.

We will continue to work closely with our European allies in foreign and defence policy even as we leave the EU itself

We will welcome agreement to continue to collaborate with our European partners on major science, research and technology initiatives.

It is time for Britain to get out into the world and rediscover its role as a great, global, trading nation.

The days of Britain making vast contributions to the EU every year will end

Brexit cannot mean membership of the single market

Not only will the government protect the rights of workers set out in European legislation, we will build on them.

We want to guarantee rights of EU citizens living in Britain and rights of British nationals in other member states, as early as we can

Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe

We will deliver a practical solution that allows the maintenance of the Common Travel Area with the Republic of Ireland

A stronger Britain demands that we strengthen the precious union between the four nations of the United Kingdom

I hope the main parties in Northern Ireland will will work together to reestablish a partnership government as soon as possible

Second objective: Leaving the European Union will mean that our laws will be made in Westminster, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast

First objective: We will provide certainty wherever we can

We do not want to turn the clock back to the days when Europe was less peaceful and less able to trade freely

We are leaving the European Union but we are not leaving Europe

Brexit was no attempt to do harm to the EU itself or any of its member states

Our vote no rejection of the values we share with EU'

There is a lesson in Brexit for the EU itself

The blunt truth is there was not enough flexibility on enough important matters for the majority of British voters

The result of the referendum was not a decision to turn inward and retreat from the world

We are a country that has always looked beyond Europe to the wider world

This government has a plan for Brexit

I want this United Kingdom to emerge from this period of change more united and outward looking

I want us to be a truly global Britain

UK voted to leave with their eyes open
Prime Minister Theresa May speaking at Lancaster House in London where she outlined her plans for Brexit. Pic Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA Wire

The UK will negotiate a new customs union deal for with the EU but will leave the single market, the Prime Minister has revealed.

And Theresa May reiterated that nobody wants to return to the borders of the past between Northern Ireland and the Republic following Brexit.

But business groups say it is alarming that theUK Governments concerns regarding immigration outweigh their need to retain membership of the EU single market and customs union.

Mrs May says she wants to negotiate a new form of customs union. Concerns have already been raised that leaving the union would have a "disruptive" and "unique threat" to cross-border trade here.

Countries within the customs union, which are not part of the EU or single market, include Turkey.

Mrs May said that her plans for Brexit cannot allow continued membership of the single market, which would require free movement of people and accepting the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

She said that she wanted to remain part of a customs agreement with the remaining 27 EU states, but said she had an "open mind" over whether this would be through associate membership of the customs union or through some other arrangement.

Mrs May said she hoped to retain freedom for financial services across borders - something which could be significant for back and middle office jobs in Belfast.

She said remaining in the single market would mean "to all intents and purposes" not leaving the EU.

"As a priority we will pursue a bold and ambitious free trade agreement with the EU."

Mrs May said the UK would seek the "greatest possible access" to the single market through a "new, comprehensive, bold and ambitious free trade agreement".

The deal could take in elements of single market arrangements in areas such as the automotive industry or financial services, she said.

"An important part of the new strategic partnership we seek with the EU will be the pursuit of the greatest possible access to the single market on a fully reciprocal basis through a comprehensive free trade agreement," she said.

REACTION

John McGrane, director general of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, said while some of the content of what Mrs May said raises some concern, it is helpful that at least now the waiting is over and we have a good sense of what the UK negotiating position will be.

It is clear from this statement that the UK Governments concerns regarding immigration outweigh their need to retain membership of the EU single market and customs union. This will be alarming for businesses operating in both the UK and Ireland, many of whom rely on the bilateral trade between our two countries for the over 400,000 jobs they sustain.

Given Irelands greater dependence on UK trade than any other EU country, we feel it is only right that the EU understands the importance of this relationship for both islands and accommodates the special trading relationship between us. This includes maintaining the Common Travel Area limiting border control on the island of Ireland.

Ann McGregor, chief executive of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said:

"Businesses have been dealing with a lot of uncertainty in the past six months and they will therefore welcome some guidance on the type of Brexit the UK is seeking.

"The Prime Minister has said her plans for Brexit cannot allow the UK to remain in the European single market but that she will work to get an ambitious free trade agreement with the EU. Negotiating agreements can take years and it would therefore be good to hear what is planned in the interim to allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between the UK and EU.

"The single market has had a positive impact on how our members do business nationally and internationally so outside of it their ability to trade successfully must be maintained in any new deal.

"We welcome her commitment to maintaining the common travel area with the Republic and making it a priority to deliver a practical solution as quickly as possible to the question of the land border with the Irish State.

"The Prime Minister says she also wants a customs agreement with the EU which could mean partial membership of the customs union. However, NI Chamber believes that this must come without costly customs checks and administrative costs for businesses which would pose a threat to Irish cross-border trade."

And Glyn Roberts, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association, said:

"It is very clear the Prime Minister has decided on a hard Brexit by indicating the UK is leaving both the EU single market and customs union. This is clearly not good news for Northern Ireland, nor the border with the Republic, despite vague assurances around no return to the borders of the past.

What should happen is that governments in Dublin, Belfast and London must ensure that Brexit does not result in the hardening of the border and that no barriers whatsoever are placed on trade or workers from across the EU.

EU nationals currently working in Northern Ireland make a huge contribution to our local retail, hospitality and food sectors and it is good news that the PM has given assurance that they will still be welcome here whatever Brexit may bring and we repeat our call that they should not be used as a bargaining chip in the negotiations.

Disentangling the UK from the EU is going to be both time consuming and tricky and we need to ensure that we leave on the best possible terms with our European partners.

Northern Ireland needs some degree of special status in its relationship with the EU and we call upon the NIO to produce a draft model of what that will look like, which could form the basis of negotiations.

Whatever new relationship is made with the EU it must reflect Northern Irelands unique circumstances. A post-Brexit Northern Ireland needs to be a self-confident, outward looking innovative region, which is the very best place in the UK and Ireland to locate or start a business."
She was forcing a smile nearly 10 years ago in the background of the ground-breaking and iconic photograph of Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams as they signalled the birth of their power-sharing Executive. However yesterday, Arlene Foster was the stony-faced woman in the big picture as she acknowledged the death knell for the DUP-Sinn Fein partnership at Stormont.

There were no smiles, no honeyed words of optimism about the possibility of an early return to any semblance of co-operation from the other half of the Stormont double act, Sinn Fein, who did exactly what they said they'd do yesterday - as they effectively brought the Executive to its knees. On a surreal day, where it was often business as unusual in the Assembly chamber with soon-to-be former ministers answering questions from their opponents, the reality was that no one had any idea when power-sharing, which went up in smoke because of too much lucrative profit-sharing in a flawed green energy scheme, could or would, ever be re-kindled.

Bookies were laughing off requests from the early morning for odds about what might unfold in the normally unpredictable environment in Parliament Buildings yesterday.

The only surprise was that there were no surprises as the Stormont runners and riders held on as the clock galloped relentlessly to the 5pm deadline for Secretary of State James Brokenshire to call a new race to a new Assembly.

During the day there were cloud-cuckoo-land calls and expressions of hope from Downing Street that Sinn Fein and the DUP might find an 11th-hour agreement to their long-running disagreements.

But where a decade ago there may have been positive noises coming from Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams at Stormont, yesterday there was only poison in the east Belfast air.

Yes, the place has moved on from the unseemly days of 2001 when rival politicians kicked lumps out of each other in the great hall as David Trimble was returned as First Minister.

However yesterday, no one from the DUP or Sinn Fein was pulling any punches as the blame game over the Assembly's demise was played out in front of the TV cameras. All 14 of them.

News crews had taken up every vantage point in every corner of the great hall which hadn't seen a media frenzy anything quite like it in years.

Outside, the hardest job of the day fell to the guides on the Belfast bus tours who had to try to give visitors an overview of the current political crisis and explain why there were so many satellite trucks beaming pictures around the world. On Prince of Wales Avenue, where parking is normally discouraged, 150 cars stretched almost as far as the Upper Newtownards Road.

Their journalist owners who had waited patiently for something, anything, to happen were rewarded at seven minutes to midday as Arlene Foster led her DUP faithful down the steps for the high noon showdown in the chamber.

It wasn't just the MLAs who walked purposefully behind their besieged leader.

The DUP's heavy-hitters like Nigel Dodds, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Ian Paisley left aside their Westminster MP duties to support Mrs Foster.

Dressed conservatively in a grey jacket and black dress, with no sign of her trademark Union flag scarf, the Fermanagh woman who knew her time as First Minister was almost up, strode to the cameras and said it was "deeply regrettable" that the Assembly would be dissolved in the next couple of days.

Referring to the heating scandal she said: "We all want, and I particularly want, to resolve the Renewable Heat Incentive issue so that we can get back to the issues that really matter to the people of Northern Ireland like fixing our health service."

Her implication that RHI wasn't something that really concerned people here surprised a number of commentators.

But Mrs Foster was on a roll and she added: "The only way to get to the bottom of what really happened is to have a full, frank, open and transparent inquiry and cost controls which would solve the RHI difficulties, not an election."

Mrs Foster said the electorate didn't want or need an election and she accused Sinn Fein of triggering the poll because they didn't like the outcome of last May's vote.

"They have forced an election that risks Northern Ireland's future and stability and which suits nobody apart from themselves," she said. Naomi Long led her Alliance Party MLAs into the chamber without speaking to the media.

But just a minute before the Assembly members were due to meet, Ulster Unionist leader Michael Nesbitt said: "It's referendum time. You can have more of the same or you can have change. We are for change."

Sinn Fein MLAs made their way individually into the chamber and journalists wondered where Martin McGuinness was.

It quickly became clear that Mr McGuinness, who sent shock waves through Stormont last week when he resigned as Deputy First Minister after Arlene Foster refused to stand aside, had entered the house away from the glare of the cameras.

One man who didn't hide away was the DUP's now suspended MLA Jonathan Bell, although he still managed to look like the loneliest man at Stormont as he walked to the chamber. He had a fixed grin for the photographers but no comment for reporters about his verbal clashes with Mrs Foster or about speculation that he might be standing as an Ulster Unionist in the election.

Inside the chamber, the still frail Martin McGuinness appeared despondent and stared straight ahead as the futile process of re-nominating the First and Deputy First Minsters got under way. He didn't say a word.

Mrs Foster's demeanour was almost identical and neither she nor her former Sinn Fein ally directly opposite exchanged as much as a glance.

The anticipated choreography of the renomination of Arlene Foster by Lord Morrow and the refusal of Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill to re-nominate "her friend" Martin McGuinness was completed in just over five minutes.

The former IRA man from Derry didn't hang about afterwards, though there was a hug from Naomi Long and a handshake from her predecessor as Alliance leader, David Ford.

It felt like a farewell of sorts and with Mrs O'Neill and several other Sinn Fein colleagues by his side, Mr McGuinness disappeared through the great hall with the gait of a man who may have reluctantly reached the end of his political road. He stopped briefly to greet a veteran journalist from Dublin with a simple hello, nothing more.

Mr McGuinness is expected to announce within the next few days if he will fight the Foyle seat in the election or if he will devote his energies instead to restoring his health and not the Executive.

Yesterday, with the low-key nominations procedure over, Stormont was treated to the bizarre spectacle of watching the death throes of the power-sharing process. Economy Minister Simon Hamilton outlined plans to a committee for cutting the costs of the RHI scheme and Mrs O'Neill talked about her health brief.

During a debate on the bedroom tax, Communities Minister Paul Givan erroneously referred to yesterday being "the last day of the sitting of this Assembly" only to be corrected by the Speaker Robin Newton who confirmed that the place could limp on for a day or two.

Mr Newton himself faced a no confidence motion from Sinn Fein but the DUP vetoed that with a petition of concern.

Yet all the while at Stormont the elephant in the room was the election, and James Brokenshire finally held a news conference to confirm the date of what is expected to be a bitter poll as Thursday, March 2.

He said no one should underestimate the challenge faced to the political institutions and what was at stake, but he stressed that the Government would do what they could to help all the parties to re-establish a partnership Government.

Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy, who's been tipped as a possible successor to Mr McGuinness, told reporters that there would be no return to the institutions unless there was equality, respect and an end to the corruption of - and within - the institutions.

"There can be no return unless there's fundamental change to the approach of the DUP and how they view power-sharing and how they exercise their ministerial authority within their departments," he said.

And so at the end of yet another fraught day on The Hill, it was Stormont RIP.

It is hard to see that power-sharing will for the foreseeable future be anything other than resting in pieces.
Yesterday we arrived at Yuan Yang late, barely got to see the sunset. Today we are spending the whole day in the area, seeing the terraced rice fields from different scenic spots.

1. Watching sunrise at Duo Yi Shu.

2. Watching sunrise at Duo Yi Shu.

3. Watching sunrise at Duo Yi Shu.

4. After watching sunrise, on our way back to the hotel we ran into a family of buffaloes grazing for breakfast.

5. At our hotel.

6. Terraced rice fields from a viewing deck at our hotel.

7. Terraced rice fields from roadside.

8. Terraced rice fields from roadside.

9. Terraced rice fields from roadside.

10. Terraced rice fields at Ba Da.

11. Terraced rice fields at Ba Da.

12. Terraced rice fields at Ba Da.

We ate lunch at a Nong2 Jia1 Le4, which means "have fun in farmers' home". There are no menus in rural Yunnan restaurants. You order in the kitchen by looking at what ingredients they have, and tell them what you want to eat. Since there is no menu, there is no price either. You pay whatever they ask after the meal. For the most part, the bills had been very reasonable. There were a couple of surprises but we paid anyway.

13. Place where we had lunch.

14. We could see the neighbors house from our rooftop seating.

15.

16. Fried Tofu.

17.

18.

19.

The meal cost 197 RMB (~$29), it was quite reasonable.

20. Terraced rice fields from roadside.

21. Watching sunset from roadside.

22. Watching sunset from roadside.

23. Dinner at hotel.

24. Dinner at hotel. I swear the local chicken tasted so much better than store bought chicken.

(To be continued)
Northern Ireland is heading for an election after the power-sharing executive imploded over an eco-boiler scandal. Here are the answers to some key questions on how the next weeks and months are likely to play out in Stormont's latest political drama.

Q. What happens now?

A. While the ruling executive has gone up in smoke, the Assembly is set to limp on for a number of days pending the required Westminster and Royal rubber stamps for dissolving it. Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire is expected to make a statement to the House of Commons and the Queen will need to approve an Order of Council. Once those requirements are fulfilled the Assembly will be dissolved and the election campaign will be up and running.

Q. Will the election be like other Assembly polls?

A. Sort of. The campaign will be of similar length to past elections. What resources the parties will be able to throw at it is another matter. One crucial difference is the electorate is returning 90 MLAs this time round, not 108. The reduction of the Assembly was due to be implemented at the next scheduled election - in 2021 - but recent events have fast-tracked that reform timetable.

Q. What if the DUP and Sinn Fein are returned as the largest parties?

A. Barring a seismic redrawing of the electoral landscape, the pre-eminent parties of unionism and nationalism should retain their right to lead a power-sharing government. Whether they will take part in such an administration is another matter entirely. A bitter election campaign will do little to resolve the myriad disputes between the DUP and Sinn Fein.

Q. How long have they got to sort it?

A. After the election, the new Assembly needs to meet within one week. A new executive needs to be in place a further two weeks on from that. If the leading parties decline to nominate first and deputy first ministers within that time-frame, legislation dictates that Mr Brokenshire calls yet another election.

Q. Another election. Are you serious?

A. While the law as it stands requires another poll, it is debatable whether the UK Government would opt for a step that would surely test the electorate's patience to breaking point. In those circumstances, it is likely devolution would be suspended and Northern Ireland would return to direct rule by Westminster.

Q. Would suspending the institutions be straightforward for the Government?

A. Not really. The Secretary of State used to have powers to suspend the institutions - a step that was not uncommon during the early years of the peace process. Those powers were removed under the terms of the 2006 St Andrews Agreement. The Government would then need to pass emergency legislation at Westminster.

Q. If there was a suspension, what would happen then?

A. A return to direct rule would provide some breathing space for a more substantive talks process to address the issues of contention. How long it would take to strike yet another deal is anyone's guess.
Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire has said he is only considering the restoration of devolution following March's Assembly election.

Mr Brokenshire was speaking in the House of Commons in the wake of his decision to call an election for March 2 in the wake of Martin McGuinness's resignation and his party's refusal to renominate a deputy First Minister.

The Assembly continues on to January 25 and will dissolve the following day. Mr Brokenshire said this was to allow urgent business to be conducted.

He urged Northern Ireland political parties to conduct the subsequent campaign with respect and in a way that does "not simply exacerbate tensions and division."

The Conservative minister said he was involved in ongoing talks with the parties and was in "close contact" with the Irish Government and the Prime Minister had been fully informed.

He said: "Regrettably, and despite all our collective efforts, it has not proved possible to find an agreed way forward in the time available.

"This election is about the future of Northern Ireland and its political institutions. Not just the Assembly but all of the arrangements that have been put in place to reflect relationships throughout these islands.

"That is why it will be vital for the campaign to be conducted respectfully and in ways that do not simply exacerbate tensions and division.

"Once the campaign is over we need to be in a position to re-establish strong and stable devolved government in Northern Ireland.

"And let me be very clear.

"I am not contemplating any outcome other than the re-establishment of strong and stable devolved government. For all the reasons I set out in my statement last week, devolution remains this Governments strongly preferred option for Northern Ireland."

He added: "Northern Ireland has come so far and we cannot allow the gains that have been made to be derailed.

"So yes we have an election. But once this election is over we need to be in a position to continue building a Northern Ireland that works for everyone.

"That is the responsibility on all of us and we all need to rise to that challenge.

"While Assembly proceedings are continuing Sinn Fein MLAs are not taking their seats in the chamber, although their ministers will continue to work right up to the election."
The whistleblower at the centre of the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal has said she takes no joy in the collapse of Stormont. (AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach)

The whistleblower at the centre of the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal has said she takes no joy in the collapse of Stormont.

And she revealed she had spoken to business owners with concerns about the environment  but who were making so much money from the RHI it made no financial sense for them to turn off the heat.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, was the first person to sound alarm bells about the botched energy scheme and continued seeking change over several years.

Im very concerned about the state of Northern Ireland and the instability this has caused. I wouldnt want this situation all, the whistleblower said.

I dont want my children growing up in the Northern Ireland I grew up in.

She first held a meeting with three civil servants in Arlene Fosters department, and said they immediately dismissed her claim that businesses would burn up as many wood pellets as possible to profit from RHI.

Her emails to the then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) are currently being studied by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and PwC, the consultants hired to investigate the running of RHI.

The woman said that she never intended playing a part in removing Mrs Foster from office or to contribute to a new Assembly election being called.

I am the least political person you will ever find. Ive learned more about politics in the last three months than I had in my entire life, she said.

She said that three members of the PAC had visited her and she found them very professional.

However, she added she would not be appearing before the PAC despite their personal requests that she do so.

I sought legal advice and was told that if I go before the PAC, some politicians will seek to discredit me because they represent people who have gained from the RHI, she explained.

She recalled the meeting in October 2013 when she told the department about the misuse of RHI.

I was told: People would never do that. Those words have always stayed with me, she said.

She was the first person to raise concerns about RHI, the 1.1bn cost of which led to the collapse of Stormont.

She said she pleaded with Mrs Fosters department, saying businesses would put radiators on the outside of their buildings, such were the generous grants on offer under the scheme.

The suggestion of wanton waste was immediately dismissed by senior civil servants in Mrs Fosters department, she added.

The October 2013 meeting came after she emailed the department, and personally emailed Mrs Foster, who was then the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, as well as another person tasked with introducing the scheme.

She said the meeting left her deeply frustrated.

Particularly as the only action taken was to invite her to make a submission to a public consultation paper on the domestic part of RHI.

The womans claims that she contacted Mrs Foster and DETI, and had a meeting with DETI staff, is backed up by an email trail currently being studied by the PAC and PwC.

They were friendly but they werent helpful at all, the whistleblower said.

In August 2013 she had contacted Steven Agnew MLA, the Green Party leader, to alert him to the problem.

He put a written question at the Assembly to Mrs Foster about RHI, and her answer was received after the whistleblowers meeting with officials from her department.

The written response from Arlene Foster to his question was that, given the high cost of wood boilers, people would do everything they can to be as efficient as possible, the whistleblower said.

Mrs Foster later became First Minister, leaving the running of RHI to Jonathan Bell, the Economy Minister.

He says Mrs Foster aggressively dismissed his concerns about RHI during a stormy meeting in January 2016, a claim Mrs Foster denies.

The whistleblower recalled that Mrs Foster said the RHI scheme was undersubscribed when it was under her departments watch and was oversubscribed under Mr Bells watch.

I think thats irrelevant. It took time for word to get out about money that could be earned under the RHI, she said.

She first became aware of RHI after setting up her own company to promote cost savings through energy efficiency.

Everywhere she went in Northern Ireland, she said, businesses would tell her that they were not interested in energy efficiency because they were trying to burn up as much energy as possible through RHI, which was offering 1.60 returns for every 1 of wood pellets burned.

She said she again wrote to DETI in 2014 and 2015, warning officials about the problems with RHI.

By 2014, all of the people she had met had moved on to other parts of the Civil Service and nothing was done, she said.

What surprised me was I believe that my emails were being seen by whoever was in charge of the division at that time.

It wasnt like (the emails) were being ignored.

They were being responded to, (the staff) just werent doing anything about it, she said.

Her deepest frustration came in 2015 when she visited a town in Mid Ulster.

A hotel manager there explained to her that he was concerned about the environment but was making too much money under RHI to stop burning wood pellets around the clock.

The hotel had the windows open and was blasting heat on a warm day, she said.

She visited another business in the same town.

All the windows were open and the staff were sweating.

The manager complained to her that the landlord was benefiting from RHI and wouldnt switch off the radiators.

I could wear a string vest in here some days, its so hot, he told her.

Thats very bad for their health also, living like that, she pointed out.

The woman said it was madness that RHI was giving such large grants for wood pellet boilers, which were competing against her business of trying to convince people to save money by being more energy efficient.

Even by cutting the energy bill of hotels and care homes by 30%, I still couldnt compete, she added.

I decided that all our business would likely be in the rest of the UK.

The woman asked not to be named because she feared being identified as a tout by one of the more than 2,000 businesses now profiting under the botched scheme.

Im sure you are aware of the reality of life in Northern Ireland, she said.

She also did not want to be seen to be trying to dismantle RHI for her own business reasons. I actually think biomass is a good idea, the RHI was just badly implemented, she said.

The Department for the Economy said it was aware of a request for comment and would issue a response in time.
James Brokenshire says the future of powersharing in Northern Ireland is at stake

The Northern Ireland Secretary has said the gains of the past must not be derailed.

James Brokenshire called for a respectful election campaign and warned the future of Stormont powersharing was at stake.

He was forced to announce a poll on Monday after Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness resigned as deputy first minister in a feud with coalition partners the Democratic Unionists over a massively overspending eco-boiler scheme.

Mr Brokenshire said: "Northern Ireland has come so far and we cannot allow the gains that have been made to be derailed.

"So, yes, we have an election. But once this election is over we need to be in a position to continue building a Northern Ireland that works for everyone."

The former first minister at Stormont, Arlene Foster, had predicted the contest would be "brutal".

But Mr Brokenshire warned a divisive election could exacerbate tensions ahead of efforts to rebuild a coalition government.

"Once the campaign is over we need to be in a position to re-establish strong and stable devolved government in Northern Ireland."

There are fears that a polarised campaign will make a rapprochement between the DUP and Sinn Fein even less likely.

This raises the spectre of a return to direct rule from London if a new administration cannot be formed within the required three weeks on the other side of the March 2 poll.

Over the past decade Northern Ireland has enjoyed the longest run of unbroken devolved government since before the demise of the old Stormont Parliament in 1972.

Mr Brokenshire noted: "It has not always been easy, with more than a few bumps in the road but, with strong leadership, issues that might once have brought the institutions down have been resolved through dialogue."

The country will go to the polls to elect a reduced 90 Stormont Assembly members just 10 months after the last vote.

The move was triggered by the fracturing of a powersharing deal between Sinn Fein and the DUP.

Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness quit last week, citing irreconcilable differences with the DUP.

The deadline for Sinn Fein to renominate to the vacant post before an election had to be called passed on Monday evening.

Mr McGuinness's resignation was precipitated by the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scandal - a botched green energy scheme overseen by DUP ministers set to cost Stormont 490 million.

But that row has also reignited a range of other vexed disputes dividing the coalition.

Labour has said maintaining the Northern Ireland Assembly should be the number one priority as the party warned against a return to direct rule.

Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Dave Anderson said imposing direct control of the country from Westminster will serve no-one.

He urged Northern Ireland politicians to stand up and be counted amid the ongoing political crisis.
The DUP never agreed to an Irish language act at St Andrews, according to its MLA Edwin Poots.

Signed by the DUP, Sinn Fein and the British and Irish Governments in 2006, the St Andrews Agreement pledged "Government would introduce an Irish Language Act reflecting on the experience of Wales and Ireland and work with the incoming Executive to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language".

However, in an interview with Stephen Nolan, Mr Poots said that was inserted as part of a "side deal" between Gerry Adams and the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

He said the party had honoured "everything they agreed to do" at the negotiations, describing the insertion of the clause as a "dishonourable act" by Tony Blair.

"We have never at any point indicated a desire to bring in an Irish language act.

"We have honoured what we said we would do."

He added: "The government referred to here is the British Government. Any gripe Sinn Fein has, it is with the British Government.

"The DUP negotiated the St Andrews agreement - we never agreed to an Irish language act.

"We have done what we said we would do. We have done nothing dishonourable.

"The DUP is too strong. Sinn Fein want a weaker brand of unionism to deal with and we have no problem facing up to that.

Reacting, Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy said the comments indicated "the problem of doing business with the DUP" and they had been "hitting their heads against a brick wall for a long time".

"This shows it is not about money, it's about an antipathy toward a language. If it wasn't then the DUP would have disowned Gregory Campbell long ago.

"People what to see rights protected.

"It was in St Andrews agreement and therefore up to the parties to introduce it."

Later DUP MLA Nelson McCausland claimed an Irish language act would "break the bank of Northern Ireland".

The 2006 St Andrews Agreement states in Annex B that: "The Government will introduce an Irish Language Act reflecting on the experience of Wales and Ireland and work with the incoming Executive to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language."
A retired British soldier, charged in connection with a 1974 shooting in Northern Ireland, has been unable to provide medical evidence to a court that would allow him to go on a cruise while on bail.

Dennis Hutchings, 75, failed to provide a court in Armagh, Northern Ireland, with a medical report to support his application to have bail conditions varied so he can go on holiday with his wife in February ahead of a preliminary hearing into the case against him.

The court is concerned if he goes on the holiday Hutchings, who is in ill health, will not be well enough to attend his hearing in March.

However, the district judge has agreed to allow Hutchings' legal team two more weeks to provide a medical report before he makes a final decision.

The court was previously told Hutchings's health was deteriorating and he wanted a chance to go on a cruise with his wife.

He is accused of the attempted murder of a man with learning difficulties over 40 years ago.

John Pat Cunningham, 27, was shot dead by an Army patrol in June 1974.

Hutchings, from New Road, Cawsand, Torpoint in Cornwall, is also facing a charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to Mr Cunningham. He is due to attend a preliminary investigation in Northern Ireland in March.

A defence lawyer recently asked Armagh Magistrates' Court to amend Hutchings' bail conditions to permit him to go on the holiday in a few weeks time.

The lawyer said the defendant's health was deteriorating and "the window to take that much desired cruise with his wife is closing".

District Judge Harry McKibbon said during the previous hearing if he could be sure the cruise would not affect the defendant's health to attend committal then he would be "very sympathetic" to amending bail.

At that time he adjourned the case for one week for a medical report to be produced.

However, on Tuesday Hutchings's lawyer told the court he had not yet been able to obtain the medical evidence required.

He said: "Regrettably we have been unable to produce the medical evidence that the court would like to consider. We were unable to get all our ducks in a row. We would like to bring it before your worship as soon as we get that evidence.

"Our intention as soon as we get the medical evidence is to provide it to the Crown and we would hope there's no objection."

The judge agreed to allow a further two weeks for medical evidence.

At an earlier hearing a solicitor for Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said there were concerns Hutchings posed a flight risk and that if he went on the cruise it could delay committal proceedings which are due to take place on March 20.

Hutchings was not in court on Tuesday for the hearing. He was excused from attending due to his ill health.
Its finally happening: Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trumps pick to lead the U.S. Department of Education, is set to testify before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee at her confirmation hearing Tuesday.

In the past, confirmation hearings for an education secretary have typically been bipartisan love fests . But thats not going to be the case this time around.

DeVos background as a voucher supporter who has never worked in a government, in a school district, or attended or sent her kids to public school has generated big backlash from educators and civil rights groups . In fact, 38 groups who dont always see eye-to-eye on K-12 issuesincluding Democrats for Education Reform and the teachers unionssent a letter Tuesday to Senate education committee leaders expressing big concerns about DeVos background and support for vouchers.

UPDATE: Check out DeVos opening statement here . Shell emphasize her connection to public schools, including the fact that shes the daughter of a public school teacher. I will be a strong advocate for great public schools, she plans to say.

At the same time, Republicansincluding former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and former first lady Barbara Bush have embraced DeVos as someone who can train a set of fresh eyes on K-12 policy. And shell be introduced by former Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., who has worked with DeVos on school choice, according to the Washington Examiner .

Weve already seen the impact of all that controversy on the process. DeVos hearing was actually supposed to have been held on Jan. 11, but was postponed to Jan. 17 . Lawmakers cited the Senate schedule in explaining the delay, but other sources said the fact that the Office of Government Ethics hasnt cleared DeVos paperwork also contributed.

Dont expect the ethics issue to go away. DeVosa billionaire and GOP mega-donormay be asked about the fact that she left off of her disclosure documents a $125,000 donation to an anti-collective bargaining organization. (The transition team told the Washington Post that it was just an oversight and that shell update her form .)

The hearing is to start at 5 p.m., and you can watch a live webcast of it here . So what should you be watching for?

How will DeVos handle pre-K-12 issues beyond school choice?

DeVos work expanding charters in Michigana state that doesnt have a whole lot of charter oversight is almost certain to come up. But we dont know much about her views on a range of other key issues, like accountability, teacher quality, education spending, and testing, not to mention civil rights issues. Those things could easily dominate the departments work over DeVos first year in office, as the agency works to set the course for implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Expect serious questions from Democratspossibly including Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the panelon how DeVos views the role of the office for civil rights, in part because civil rights organizations have raised serious concerns about DeVos record on LGBTQ rights and more .

Senators may even check to see if DeVos understands the offices function, said Jamie Fasteau, a former aide to Murray and to former Rep. George Miller, D-Calif.

Does [she] understand what the office of civil rights does, even if theres a disagreement of about what that agency is doing going forward? said Fasteau, who is now the director of education policy at the Emerson Collective. These are very basic questions that I have no idea how she is going to answer.

What does DeVos say about higher education and the department itself?

Trump said on the campaign trail that he wants to get rid of the Education Department, or maybe cut it way, way down. He may have backed off that since winning the White House, by naming DeVos as his education secretary. But shell almost certainly be asked about how she sees the agencys scope and role.

Whats more, the federal government is a bigger player in financing higher educationthrough student loans and Pell Grantsthan K-12 education. No one knows much about how DeVos sees that area of policy.

DeVos will need to give lawmakers a sense of her overall philosophy on the department and postsecondary policy, but she doesnt have to prove that shes mastered every last one of the in-the-weeds policy details, said James Bergeron, the president of the National Council on Higher Education Resources, and a former aide to Republicans on the House education committee.

I think theres plenty of room for the incoming secretary to learn about the issues that the department will have to address, he said. You just want to make sure she has a basic understanding of the departments operations and a basic philosophy for managing the agency.

Does DeVos distance herself from Trump on any issues impacting kids, like immigration and vaccines?

A bunch of Trumps nominees to head up other agencies havent been shy about their differences with the president-elect, especially on national security issues . DeVos wont have much power over, say, intelligence, but she will have to implement some laws and rules that could fly in the face of Trumps campaign rhetoric.

For instance, Fasteau suggested DeVos could be asked whether she will uphold a Supreme Court decision, Plyler v. Doe, that guarantees undocumented immigrant children access to public schools.

Or she could be asked how she feels about Trumps statements during a GOP debate suggesting that hes open to the idea that vaccines may cause health problems, such as autism . (This wasnt just a campaign trail thing. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a vaccine skeptic, met with Trump recently to discuss the issue . )

And of course, DeVos could be asked whether, as secretary, she would speak out against instances of bullying of Muslim students, Latino students, and other minorities that some say have been on the rise since Trump was elected.

I would be shocked if the quote unquote Trump effect doesnt come up, Bergeron said. He said he could see committee Democrats repeating offensive comments Trump has made on the campaign trail and asking DeVos, What she would say to young children who overheard them? That could put DeVos in a tough position, he said.

How do moderate and rural Republicans respond to DeVos?

Trumps big campaign proposal on K-12 was for a $20 billion voucher program. But its hard to imagine some of the rural Republican moderates on the committeelike Sens. Susan Collins of Maine or Lisa Murkowski of Alaskabeing too enthusiastic about that proposal. Its tough to make private school vouchers work for rural schools. (We wrote more about Trumps proposals and rural schools here. )

If youre Susan Collins or Lisa Murkowski, you cant go home and say I know we took away Title I, but you have a voucher program, so youre all set, Fasteau said, referring to the main program for educating disadvantaged kids, which some Republicans have said they want to allow to flow to private schools.

Bergeron, though, noted that expanded school choice can mean more than just vouchers, and so moderate Republicans and others could ask DeVos how her agenda would make room for magnet schools and other forms of choice.

How do liberal lions, including possible presidential contenders, respond to DeVos?

The Senate education committees roster includes some liberal superheroes who may run against Trump in 2020, like Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, former presidential contender Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Chris Murphy of Connecticut. Theyll want to get their vehement opposition to DeVos on the record, and maybe even score some YouTube-worthy moments.

And, since teachers unions and civil rights groups oppose her nomination, theres no reason to hold back.

For some of these Dems, its safe to go home and say, Here are the list of ways I went after DeVos, Fasteau said. But DeVos lack of a record on a number of K-12 issues is actually going to make their job tougher, Fasteau said. Youre trying to suss through a lack of things. Its easier to go after somebody when you know more about their principles.

Democrats may also note that lawmakers only get one round of questions, not two as they did at U.S. Secretary John B. King Jr.'s confirmation hearing last year.

How often do we hear the word ethics or the phrase conflict of interest?

Democrats are almost certain to ask about any potential conflicts of interests they find in DeVos financial disclosure forms. And theyll bring up the more than $5 million in fines and late fees that All Children Matte r, a political action committee DeVos once chaired and that has now been shuttered, owes the state of Ohio. (DeVos team has said the fines were politically motivated.)

Want more? Both halves of Politics K-12 were on Facebook Live Tuesday talking about the hearing. And last week, I chatted with American Public Media about DeVosyou can listen to that here.

Also, check out the stories weve written about DeVos background as a school choice advocate and Republican donor, including her donations to many of the lawmakers who will consider her confirmation . And read about her work in Michigan . Plus, take a look at some of the key questions that she could be asked.

Dont forget to follow us on Twitter during the hearing @PoliticsK12. And be sure to check out the Thomas B. Fordham Institutes confirmation bingo card here.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
Labour has said maintaining the Northern Ireland Assembly should be the number one priority as the party warned against a return to direct rule.

Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Dave Anderson said imposing direct control of the country from Westminster will serve no-one.

He urged Northern Ireland politicians to stand up and be counted amid the ongoing political crisis.

His calls were echoed by Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire, who told MPs this would serve the best interests of the people in Northern Ireland.

Speaking during an urgent statement in the Commons on the situation in Northern Ireland, Mr Anderson said: "All parties need to look at what they can do to prevent the present impasse generating into total collapse.

"Let me be very clear. We need to avoid, if at all possible, a return to direct rule.

"We need Northern Ireland politicians to stand up and be counted, recognise their responsibility and accept that the vehicle for addressing their concerns and needs of their communities is the assembly and its executive.

"The need for continuing with the assembly should be the number one priority for them, and all of us in Westminster.

"The imposition of direct rule will serve no-one."

Mr Brokenshire was forced to announce a snap election on Monday a week after Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness resigned as deputy first minister, in a feud with coalition partners the Democratic Unionists over an overspending eco-boiler scheme.

Mr Anderson added: "A political vacuum should be avoided at all costs.

"So I say this to the secretary of state today - you must make sure that you are not only willing to fill that vacuum, but you must work with all parties to try and seek a way forward, so we avoid the nightmare scenario of six weeks of increasingly bitter campaigning which leaves us in the same place as where it started, with no solution in place to heal the huge divide, and to bring together those elected to represent all the people of Northern Ireland.

"I realise the tension of an election dominates people's minds and the news agenda may well be focused on other issues.

"But I would suggest for the sake of all us on these islands, we highlight the critical importance of maintaining devolved and functioning government in Northern Ireland."

Mr Anderson told the Commons he wanted to see peace and prosperity continue in the country, and avoid "a divided Northern Ireland that turns on itself, as we've seen so often and so sadly in the past".

The shadow Northern Ireland secretary also warned about the need for a functioning government in Northern Ireland in the midst of Brexit negotiations, to ensure the country has its say.

In reply, Mr Brokenshire said: "I don't think anybody should prejudge this outcome of this election and therefore I think it is right that we are absolutely focused on seeking to get the right outcome, which is absolutely the continuation of devolved government in Northern Ireland.

"That is what I think is in the absolute best interests of the people of Northern Ireland, that allows things to move forward.

"We must all work collectively to that end, and approach this in a positive way as to what we can achieve."

The Northern Ireland Secretary also said he was keen to ensure dialogue continued between the different parties right up to polling day.

Laurence Robertson, the Conservative chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee, said the Government should prepare for the possibility that the election could return a similar political situation to what there is now.

He said: "Does the Secretary of State therefore agree with me and indeed the proposal made by the shadow secretary of state that the coming weeks should perhaps be used to explore all possibilities because none of us do want to see a return to direct rule.

"But the worry is that we are holding elections, as the Secretary of State is indeed required to do, and the possibility, the strong possibility, must be that those elections deliver the parties back to Stormont in roughly the same numbers as they are now.

"So what is indeed the likelihood of making progress under the present arrangements?

"Surely we should use the coming weeks to put in place a plan B where we can continue with some form of devolved government and not bring powers back to this House because direct rule is not a satisfactory way of running Northern Ireland."

Mr Brokenshire agreed that the "key issue is the maintenance of devolved government in Northern Ireland".

He said: "You are right also, I think, to see how we ensure that we use the time available to us that communication lines, that dialogue remains open during an election period however difficult that may appear.

"But equally knowing that the issues that have been highlighted in terms of trust and confidence in the institutions, the ability for parties to be able to work together in that shared governance arrangement will still need to be resolved, and therefore I think it is with that sense of how we can use this time to bring people together that must be at the forefront of our minds."

In the Lords, Labour former Northern Ireland secretary Lord Hain warned the situation was very serious and there could be an "unravelling of the consensus so painfully established over decades of negotiation" if progress was not made on key issues.

Northern Ireland minister Lord Dunlop said the Government was very alive to the seriousness of the situation due to a breakdown in the relationship between the two main governing parties.

He said "lines of communication" must be maintained so that in the weeks ahead "we can create the conditions in which we stand the best chance of putting together the fully functioning executive".

Independent crossbencher Baroness O'Loan asked if ministers were aware of the "deep distrust and dysfunction" which had marked politics in recent years.

She said since the last election, the Assembly had not been functioning and managed to pass only one Act, leaving schools and the health service in a "parlous state".

Lord Dunlop said he recognised the tensions that existed but on many occasions in the past when the parties had faced seemingly "insuperable challenges" they had overcome them and found a way forward.

"That is what the people of Northern Ireland now expect," he said.

"It is for their political leaders to show leadership and to work through the many difficult issues that have to be worked through."
Crisis-hit surgery Bannview Medical Practice was thrown back into turmoil last night as the contractor expected to take the reins pulled out.

Plans to save the Portadown practice, which is currently functioning without a single GP, were announced earlier this month, but once again the future for more than 5,000 patients is unclear.

"People are now getting worried again, and rightly so," said patients' campaigner Tony Hendron, who has been registered at the surgery for 40 years.

"We finally felt reassured a couple of weeks ago, but we're back to square one. We're getting a Third World health service here, with doctors only offering emergency appointments. We've got old people, people with conditions, and people who simply need to see their doctors without feeling like they're being a burden, getting extremely anxious.

"The board has left it much too late to sort this out and now we've got a disaster on our hands, with patients not knowing where to turn next.

"I fully intend to keep the pressure up on this, because the problem needs to be sorted out - and quickly."

Bannview has been plagued with pressures since the summer, when a single doctor was left to care for 5,200 patients - two years after problems originally came to light.

After the doctor's resignation last month, a full-blown crisis emerged, with the practice relying on locums to care for patients at an estimated cost of 500 per day. And while the contractor lined up to take the reins in March was expected to put a stop to all that, the problems are now back on the table.

Health Minister Michelle O'Neill said: "This is extremely disappointing news and I have asked for an urgent meeting with the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) to ensure that patients continue to receive safe and high quality healthcare.

"The HSCB will continue to manage the practice in the interim period until a new contractor is appointed.

"No decision has been made to close the practice and the HSCB will be writing to all patients to advise them of the current arrangements."

Dr Tom Black, chair of British Medical Association's General Practitioners Committee said: "This is obviously extremely concerning news that the contractor secured for Bannview will now not be taking over the practice.

"As we have said before, the situation in Bannview is happening all over Northern Ireland and will get worse unless immediate action is taken."
Angela McGowan said businesses are seeking the freest possible trade between the UK and EU

More than half of Northern Ireland's exports went to the EU last year, economic data said.

The trade was worth 3 billion, according to Revenue and Customs.

Northern Ireland director of the CBI Angela McGowan said businesses were seeking the freest possible trade between the UK and EU.

"However, ruling out membership of the single market has reduced options for maintaining barrier-free and tariff-free trading relationship between the UK and the EU.

"Given the importance of the EU to NI exports, the significance of leaving the single market is an important issue for the local economy.

"While local businesses want to make a success of Brexit, there are undoubtedly concerns about falling back on damaging World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules."

The business lobby group welcomed the Prime Minister's commitment to maintaining the "family ties and bonds of affection between the UK and the Republic of Ireland" and the Common Travel Area.

Ms McGowan added: "Close co-operation and partnership between the two countries will be essential if the Northern Ireland economy is to succeed."
Committee was told that on a daily basis there were 326,000 border crossings in the north west

Any restrictions on the free movement of people across the border after the UK leaves the EU will spell disaster for the entire north west region, an influential Westminster committee has been told.

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee was in Londonderry, where it heard there would be a gloomy future for the north west, at least in the short to medium term, if a 'hard' border was introduced.

The committee was told that on a daily basis there were 326,000 border crossings in the north west and many of those were by people living in Donegal and working in Derry or Strabane, and vice versa.

Michael Gallagher, strategy manager with Derry and Strabane District Council, outlined that free movement across the border is vital, especially in the health sector. In Derry, a shortage of nurses and doctors made the ability to recruit and employ non-UK residents "essential", Mr Gallagher said.

"We need to be able to recruit specialists from anywhere in the world," he added.

He pointed to a number of projects within the Western Trust that offer services to people living in Donegal, including the radiotherapy unit and the cardiac intervention service.

Micheal Tunney, head of enterprise and economic development for Donegal County Council, painted a similar picture of the potential dangers if a hard border existed between Derry and Donegal.

He said that while it was hard to quantify exactly how many people cross the border for work he knew of at least one large employer in Donegal where "60% of the cars in the car park had Northern Ireland registrations".

He also said many trade businesses such as kitchen fitters would "do half their work in Derry and half in Donegal".

Mr Gallagher said any barrier to free movement of goods from one region to the other would "impact enormously" on businesses who would be deterred.

Committee member and DUP East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell asked Mr Gallagher to explain to the other MPs present, who might be unfamiliar with the region, what the difficulties could be if a hard border was introduced.

Mr Campbell said: "There is a 320 mile border around Northern Ireland and 50 miles in this area. If there were going to be changes, what do you see as the difficulties of a hard border?"

Mr Gallagher replied: "There are between 40 and 50 crossing in this area alone and within five miles of Derry there are around 12 or 13. It is difficult to see how you could police that."
A Tory former minister has accused the director of public prosecutions in Northern Ireland of trying to "muzzle" Parliament.

Sir Gerald Howarth used parliamentary privilege to accuse Barra McGrory of "supporting" Sinn Fein.

He suggested a notice issued to the media warning against questioning the impartiality of prosecutors amounted to an attempt to "question the right of this House to support those soldiers who sought to bring about peace in Northern Ireland".

Speaking during a statement from Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire on the political crisis in the country, Sir Gerald said: "To the extent that you have a locus in this matter, may I make a really fervent plea to you that you should protect the interests of former British soldiers currently being charged by the Sinn Fein-supporting director of public prosecutions in Northern Ireland with murder for an offence which took place over 40 years ago.

"Are you aware that it appears that the director of public prosecutions issued a notice to newsdesks not for publication, we would advise that if you publish an article which alleges lack of impartiality on the part of the director or any other prosecutor that the appropriate legal action would be taken and we will make use of this correspondence in that regard and in relation of claims for aggravated and exemplary damages.

"Is this not an attempt to muzzle Parliament and, indeed, to question the right of this House to support those soldiers who sought to bring about peace in Northern Ireland?"

Mr Brokenshire said: "I will not comment on any individual decisions and, indeed, justice is devolved in Northern Ireland but also it is independent and has its own processes that remain in place in an independent way.

"I hear very clearly the very general and very firm point that you make in relation to balance within the overall system and that is something that I am very keen to address."

Last December, it was announced two former soldiers are to be prosecuted for allegedly murdering Official IRA commander Joe McCann in Northern Ireland.

The McCann case is thought to be the second military prosecution involving Northern Ireland since the 1990s.

Another former soldier, Dennis Hutchings, who is in his 70s and from Cornwall, was charged with attempted murder in 2015 in connection with the shooting of John-Pat Cunningham, 27, who had learning difficulties, in Co Tyrone in 1974.

In 1999 Paratrooper Lee Clegg was cleared of the murder of a Belfast teenager.

Files on the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings by soldiers in Londonderry are with prosecutors.

A Public Prosecution Service spokeswoman said: "The Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland is wholly independent of all political parties and the political system. As such, we would never seek to influence political debate on any subject in any way.

"Equally, we must take all appropriate steps to ensure that our decision-making processes are protected from political influence from any source.

"This is necessary both to safeguard the integrity of prosecutorial decision-making within the wider criminal justice system and to ensure that PPS staff are able to carry out difficult but important functions strictly in accordance with applicable law and the Code for Prosecutors.

"We are aware of Mr Howarth's political viewpoint in relation to the prosecution of cases involving soldiers, which is not enshrined in law in the UK.

"The Public Prosecution Service only applies the law as it currently stands in Northern Ireland and does so without fear, favour or prejudice."
He is charged with three separate cash robberies on a chip shop in Larne between January and April last year.

An alleged robber threatened to shoot a police sergeant in the head and tried to choke himself with his underpants in custody, the High Court heard today.

Jamie McCombe also warned officers detaining him that he could get access to guns, it was claimed.

Details emerged as the 20-year-old from Craigyhill in Larne, Co Antrim mounted a fresh bid to be released on bail.

He is charged with three separate cash robberies on a chip shop in his hometown between January and April last year.

McCombe also faces counts of carrying a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to commit robbery and possession of cannabis.

He was previously released on bail to live at an address outside Larne, but was arrested again for another alleged offence of handling a stolen fragrance set earlier this month.

The accused is now further charged with criminal damage to two detention cells at Coleraine PSNI custody suite, assaulting a police officer and threatening to kill him and his family.

Opposing bail, Crown lawyer Natalie Pinkerton claimed: "He threatened to shoot him in the back of the head."

Mr Justice Colton was told McCombe defecated in his cell, smeared it over the walls, and told officers he knew where other weapons are kept.

"There's a very real risk that if released he may carry out these threats," Ms Pinkerton argued.

Defence counsel claimed his client's behaviour in the cells on January 7 was due to mental health issues.

"At one stage he had been given his underwear back and he made an attempt to choke himself," the barrister said.

"The defendant had complained about his treatment by police when he was in custody, in his own words he felt like he was being treated like a dog.

"He was covered in his own urine and faeces, he was in a bad state mentally and he tried to choke himself."

Adjourning the bail hearing, Mr Justice Colton stressed the need for support mechanisms to reduce any risk of re-offending.

He added: "If I was forced to make a ruling today I would refuse the application."
British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech on the government's plans for Brexit at Lancaster House in London (AFP/Getty Images)

Nowhere will be more damaged by Theresa May's Brexit plan than Northern Ireland, the SDLP have said.

Prime Minister Theresa May outlined her plans for Britain's exit from the EU in a speech on Tuesday saying that she does not want an outcome that leaves the UK "half-in, half-out" of the European Union.

Among the 12 objectives Mrs May set out, the Prime Minister said maintaining the common travel area between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland was a "priority" during the negotiations.

She said "no-one wants to return to the borders of the past".

Mrs May said she wanted to negotiate a new form of customs union.

The European Customs Union currently allows paperwork and tariff free trade between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

If the deal can't be reached it could lead to custom checks at the Irish border.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the exit from the single market and the customs union will mean "economic devastation".

He said: "Nowhere will be more damaged by this vision than Northern Ireland."

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Mr Eastwood continued: The idea that the unelected, unrepresentative British House of Lords would receive a vote on the terms of Brexit but that the devolved regions won't, is an act of democratic vandalism.

Theresa May talked about 'self-determination' in her speech. She would do well to finally wake up to the reality that Northern Ireland determined that our economic and political interests are best served in Europe. That is why the SDLP are campaigning for special status.

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In her speech the British Prime Minister gives assurances on free travel but gives no assurances and exceptions on trade.

It is important that the full consequences of this are understood - no free trade and customs across the island means a hard Brexit in Ireland. It means a hard border.

If the British Government can negotiate special arrangements on the common travel area, they can negotiate special arrangements for trade and customs.

He added: "Brexit is too serious to allow their inaction to go on any longer.

Reacting Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said it would mean a "hard Brexit for Ireland".

Mr Adams said: "The decision to leave the single market and the customs union sets Britain on course for a hard Brexit. The economic and political implications of this for the people of this island are significant.

The British Prime Minister provided no new information about Britains approach to the North in respect of Brexit; no willingness to look at a special designated status for the North within the EU; no real role for the devolved governments in the negotiations; and old rhetoric on the future of the Common Travel Area."

Mr Adams added: Her remarks on the future of the Common Travel Area contained no new detail.

As she has said before Ms May set the future of the border and any arrangements with the island of Ireland in the context of Britains determination to control immigration and defend its borders.

It is difficult to see how this can be accomplished without significant changes to the current border arrangements.

The British Prime Minister also said that the electorate voted with their eyes open to leave the European Union. She ignores the fact that voters in the north did not. They voted to remain."

Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry heavily criticised the plans to leave the European single market calling it a "catastrophe" for Northern Ireland.

Dr Farry said it was vital special arrangements were put in place for Northern Ireland.

Todays speech is the most reckless and self-defeating plan from a UK Prime Minister in decades. While at long last, the UK Government have indicated their preferred direction of travel, many of those objectives are either unrealistic or destructive.

We have a Government now openly opting to reduce the potential of its economy. The notion of a global Britain is a contradiction in terms, especially in the context of separating the existing integrated economy offered by the EU and our nearest and largest trading partner, plus erecting barriers to the movement of people.

Often there is a false argument made there is a choice between the UK optimising its trading within the EU and opening up new trade agreements with other parts of the world. As the recent Canadian-EU trade agreement shows, both are mutually compatible.

While the implications of this roadmap will be severe for the UK as whole, they will be catastrophic for Northern Ireland. In particular, any departure from the customs union and the single market will necessitate a formal border either across the island of Ireland or down the Irish Sea. Barriers will be erected in terms of either the east-west or north-south relationships which are recognised and empowered under the Good Friday Agreement. There will be far-reaching political and constitutional implications."

The Ulster Unionist party said for Northern Ireland's sake Theresa May "must get Brexit negotiations right".

UUP MEP Jim Nicholson said: "In negotiating our departure from the Single Market, the Prime Minister needs to ensure that we will not fall victim to punitive tariffs. As it stands, the default tariffs of agricultural products into the EU are huge.

"For example WTO tariffs on UK exports would equate to 47% on milk, 40% on cheese and 40% on lamb. Given that a large chunk of Northern Irelands agricultural produce is exported and the cross-border nature of supply chains, the sector locally could be decimated if it faces these tariffs.

Similarly a bespoke customs agreement needs to be reached to allow goods to move freely across the border. We do not want to go back to the days of lorries queuing up on either side of the border due to customs checks.

Sources I have spoken to in Brussels are aware that the border will be the biggest challenge for both the EU and the UK in these negotiations.

This is just the outline of the Prime Ministers initial negotiating position. We still have some way to go.

For Northern Irelands sake, we have to get this right. If we dont, we will have the most to lose.

The DUP said that leaving the single market will help the United Kingdom "become stronger".

East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson said: "The Prime Minister recognises that Britain is already a strong economy which can exist beyond the borders of EU outside the single market.

"We are a growing global trading nation and should continue to be so. Her statement will give the business community more certainty and we welcome her clarity on the Government's Brexit plans.

"I further welcome that the Prime Minister has set out her plan for an ambitious Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, whilst here in Northern Ireland we will also maintain the Common Travel Area with the Republic. It must be pointed out we are leaving the European Union not the Europe.

"Sinn Fein and others complain that her statement will mean a hard border, however they now have no input as a result of bringing Assembly down. "
A paramedic with over 30 years experience broke down in court on Tuesday as he described finding a glassy-eyed baby girl lying on a settee and realising she was not breathing.

The rapid response paramedic said the look on the youngster's young face, was known as "porcelain doll", adding "it was a glazed look of a child not breathing".

The medic was giving evidence at the Craigavon Crown Court trial of west Belfast man Christopher O'Neill who denies murdering his three-month-old baby daughter, Caragh Walsh nearly four years ago.

The 26-year-old from Belfast's Whiterock Road, denies the murder of his infant daughter who died on February 7, 2014, two days after being rushed to hospital from her Glasveigh Park home in Twinbrook.

Prosecution QC Toby Hedworth told the court, sitting in Armagh, that baby Caragh had been left alone in her father's care, but within half an hour or so, a distressed sounding O'Neill was making a 999 call for help because she had stopped breath.

The prosecution barrister said that O'Neill later claimed he had lifted the 14-week-old toddler and shook her, but that subsequent investigations revealed that the infant not only suffered brain injury, but also had a number of fractured limbs and bruises.

They were not consistent with limited shaking, but were more akin to swinging by the arms and legs and with impacts on the child's head.

Mr Hedworth told the jury of 10 men and two women that was the reason O'Neill was before the court because it was the prosecution case he must have caused the injures, and by doing so, even if only momentary, he must have intended to cause really serious harm.

"Perhaps he had snapped because she was crying and he could not get her to settle, only he knows that," said the lawyer who added later that it was not his case, nor was it suggested that O'Neill intended to kill his baby daughter, but that being unable to quieten her, he "must have lost self-control and that he caused those catalogue of injuries".
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he welcomed the clarity in the UK Prime Minister's landmark speech laying out Britain's plans for leaving the European Union

Enda Kenny is being told to step up Ireland's response to Brexit amid warnings Theresa May's blueprint will reimpose a hard border on the island.

The Taoiseach said he welcomed the clarity in the Prime Minister's landmark speech laying out Britain's plans for leaving the European Union (EU), adding that Europe will now have to respond.

In the Dublin parliament, the Dail, Opposition leader Micheal Martin told him Ireland should not be welcoming what he described as "negative clarity".

"Britain is speaking softly but behaving and acting differently," said Mr Martin, whose Fianna Fail party props up Mr Kenny's Fine Gael-led minority administration.

"I get a real sense we are heading down a very difficult road and hence the need for Ireland to argue robustly now to protect our interests, our jobs and companies."

Mr Martin said Mrs May's Brexit speech was disappointing and contained very little about Irish concerns.

"There is no mention of any special status from Northern Ireland, for example," he said. "In fact, it is going in the opposite direction."

Sinn Fein say Mrs May's plan will create a new hard border along the 310-mile frontier that separates Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but which is virtually invisible since the peace process.

John O'Dowd, the party's Brexit spokesman, accused the Tory leader of ignoring the 56% majority of people in Northern Ireland who backed remaining within the EU.

"Exiting the single market and customs union would create a hard border on the island of Ireland and soft words from Theresa May mean nothing," he said.

Mr O'Dowd has also urged Mr Kenny to step up efforts towards a special EU status for Northern Ireland after Brexit.

Moments after the Prime Minister's landmark speech, Ireland signalled it will "vigorously pursue" businesses and EU agencies to move to Dublin.

"The Government notes that the British approach is now firmly that of a country which will have left the EU but which seeks to negotiate a new, close relationship with it," a government spokesman said.

"While this will inevitably be seen by many as a 'hard exit', the analysis across government has covered all possible models for the future UK relationship with the EU."

The Irish government said it is "very aware of the potential economic opportunities that may arise for Ireland" from Mrs May's planned hard Brexit.

This included shifting investment, business and job creation as well as luring EU agencies currently located in London - including the European Medicines Board and the European Banking Authority.

Dublin's junior finance minister Eoghan Murphy has already predicted a wave of UK-based financial services companies will announce full or partial relocations to the Irish capital over the coming months.

Ireland said its priorities as one of the 27 EU countries in the Brexit negotiations remain its economic and trading arrangements, the peace process and border issues as well as the common travel area.

"In her speech, Prime Minister May highlighted the specific and historic relationship between Britain and Ireland," the government spokesman said.

"In this context, she made clear that her priorities include maintaining the common travel area and avoiding a return to a hard border with Northern Ireland, both of which are welcome.

"The alignment between our concerns regarding the economy and trade, and the UK objective of the UK to have a close, and friction-free, economic and trading relationship with the EU, including with Ireland is also very important."

Mr Kenny is to meet Mrs May in Dublin later this month.
Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness quit last week citing irreconcilable differences with the DUP

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.

The US government has urged a quick resumption of powersharing in Northern Ireland.

Restored democratic institutions and engaged citizens can take the country forward, the State Department said, following the calling of fresh elections.

There are fears a divisive campaign will make a rapprochement even less likely, raising the spectre of a return to direct rule if a new administration cannot be formed within the required three weeks on the other side of the March 2 poll.

The US statement said: "The United States remains committed to supporting a more peaceful and prosperous Northern Ireland.

"To this end, we urge all political parties to focus on quickly finding a way forward to the resumption of stable devolved governance.

"We also encourage civil society leaders to continue their vital work building a better, shared future.

"Restored devolved democratic institutions and an engaged, constructive citizenry can best take Northern Ireland forward."

The Ulster Unionists have referred Northern Ireland's botched eco-energy scheme which precipitated the crisis to the police.

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) threatens to cost the taxpayer up to 490 million over the next 20 years.

Some boilers are producing profits of more than 80% for users, the Stormont assembly was told.

MLA Steve Aiken said: "I have written to the Chief Constable of the PSNI (George Hamilton) on foot of assertions made by the Minister for the Economy at yesterday's emergency economy committee meeting."

Northern Ireland will now go to the polls just ten months after the last assembly vote.

Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness quit last week citing irreconcilable differences with the DUP.

The deadline for Sinn Fein to renominate to the vacant post before an election had to be called passed on Monday evening.

Republicans have accused the DUP of alleged corruption, although that is unproven.

Sinn Fein did not show up at Stormont for a debate on the RHI.

Democratic Unionist assembly member Emma Little Pengelly hit back at her party's critics.

"I am not corrupt and I am not arrogant. I honestly know that my colleagues are not arrogant and corrupt either," she said.

"I got into politics to serve the people, to be an advocate and to deliver for the people of South Belfast and Northern Ireland."

Claire Hanna from the nationalist SDLP said there had been an "alphabet soup" of scandal.

"We need to start getting answers and we need people to understand that this assembly is more than a racket and a farce."

MLA Stephen Farry said the civil service was being politicised.

He said an inquiry should examine the design of the RHI, how whistleblowers were treated and delays in taking remedial action.

"RHI has struck a chord with people because it relates to the struggles they face and can recognise incompetence at least."

Nichola Mallon, of the SDLP, said the RHI had cost the taxpayer 32 million since a whistleblower contacted the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in January last year.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland statement confirmed it had received Mr Aiken's letter and was considering the contents.
A view from an abandoned border guard hut on the northern side of the Irish border

Keeping the common travel area between the UK and Republic of Ireland will be a priority in EU divorce talks, Prime Minister Theresa May has said.

Mrs May used a keynote address on Britain's Brexit strategy to stress any deal on the sensitive border issue would have to respect the "integrity" of the UK's immigration system.

The Prime Minister said: "We cannot forget that, as we leave, the United Kingdom will share a land border with the EU, and maintaining that common travel area with the Republic of Ireland will be an important priority for the UK in the talks ahead.

"There has been a common travel area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland for many years.

"Indeed, it was formed before either of our two countries were members of the European Union. And the family ties and bonds of affection that unite our two countries mean that there will always be a special relationship between us.

"So we will work to deliver a practical solution that allows the maintenance of the common travel area with the Republic, while protecting the integrity of the United Kingdom's immigration system.

"Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past, so we will make it a priority to deliver a practical solution as soon as we can."

Responding to the speech, the Irish government said its key objectives were securing trade and preserving the peace process, which included border issues.

"For Ireland, the priorities for the negotiation process that lies ahead are unchanged: our economic and trading arrangements, the Northern Ireland peace process, including border issues, the common travel area, and the future of the European Union.

"The Government notes that the British approach is now firmly that of a country which will have left the EU but which seeks to negotiate a new, close relationship with it. While this will inevitably be seen by many as a "hard exit", the analysis across government has covered all possible models for the future UK relationship with the EU.

"The Government is acutely aware of the potential risks and challenges for the Irish economy and will remain fully engaged on this aspect as the negotiations proceed.

"The Government is under no illusion about the nature and scale of the Brexit challenge. But it is ready," a statement by the Irish government said.
How the Fresnel optic would look at Belfasts Titanic Quarter

An historic lighthouse optic from Donegal could become part of a major new Belfast art installation.

At 130 years old and weighing 10 tonnes, the Mew Island Lighthouse Optic is one of the largest of its kind ever constructed.

Planning permission is being sought for the optic to be located in Titanic Quarter, as an art piece paying tribute to Belfast's maritime history.

The optic was moved from Tory Island in Donegal to the lighthouse on Mew Island in 1924, which is one of only 29 known lighthouses worldwide installed with a hyper-radical Fresnel lens.

The Titanic Foundation and the Commissioners of Irish Lights are aiming to house the optic in the Titanic Quarter to help the public engage with the marine heritage of Belfast.

The lens will be housed in a transparent structure, located on the Titanic Walkway, which is to be constructed as a pedestrian route linking up with Alexandra dock.

According to the planning application, the optic will be installed in such a way that it will be able to rotate.

Mew Island lighthouse, on the Copeland Islands in the Irish Sea, is one of the tallest lighthouses in Ireland.

It served as an important aid to navigation at the southern entrance to Belfast Lough, built at a time when Belfast was one of the most important ports in the world.

The optic was removed two years ago when the lighthouse was modernised.

The new art piece is expected to be completed this summer.
Theresa May and Enda Kenny have called for the snap election in Northern Ireland to be conducted in a 'respectful' manner

Theresa May and Enda Kenny have urged a "respectful" election campaign in Northern Ireland after a snap poll was triggered by the collapse of the power-sharing executive.

Both leaders spoke by telephone after Secretary of State James Brokenshire confirmed the region will go to the ballot box on March 2 amid a deepening political crisis.

The Taoiseach's spokesman said the pair discussed the bitter fall-out and regretted that the DUP and Sinn Fein had been unable to reach agreement.

"They both expressed the hope that the election campaign would be respectful, noting that following the election the Northern Ireland parties would once again have to engage on the various challenges they face," he said.

"The Taoiseach and Prime Minister repeated their desire to see the institutions established under the Good Friday Agreement operating effectively, and in particular to have a fully-functioning Executive in place as soon as possible."

Speculation has been mounting of a rancorous election campaign in the weeks ahead given the widening divergence between the two main parties at Stormont.

If a new power-sharing administration cannot be formed after the March elections, the region faces the prospect of yet another election or even direct rule being reimposed from Westminster.

Mrs May and Mr Kenny also spoke about the Prime Minister's much-anticipated speech to be delivered on Tuesday, which is expected to set out Britain's Brexit plan.

The Taoiseach reiterated a number of key concerns for Ireland during the conversation, focusing on economic and trading relationships, the common travel area and the peace process, including concerns about the border.
Next customer details were accessed by Edward Mullen, an internet hacker from Glasgow.

A Co Londonderry man has been jailed for his part in a 1m Next directory scam.

Matthew Corry, from Drumahoe, was part of a criminal gang that used and sold on details of hacked accounts belonging to hundreds of the retail giant's customers.

The 28-year-old was jailed for 15 months at Leicester Crown Court.

Customer details were accessed by Edward Mullen, an internet hacker from Glasgow.

The gang obtained thousands of pounds of goods before they were caught.

A prosecutor told the court that the scam involved the sourcing of login details for legitimate mail order accounts from websites on the 'dark web'.

Details belonging to 280 accounts were sold on to other fraudsters, via closed Facebook groups, for between 25 and 80.

They were accompanied by instructions on how to commit the fraud to obtain goods and avoid detection by concealing their internet IP address.

The amount of available credit on those accounts was almost 1m, although the value of the transactions attempted was 239,681, and the actual amount of goods fraudulently obtained was 64,000.

The fraudsters would collect the items rather than having them delivered, often using bogus proof of identity documents, such as forged utility bills.

The court was told the details were not leaked or stolen from the Next organisation.

The comapny's security system was not infiltrated, the details were obtained by internet banking fraud and other internet fraud.

Two women and one other man were among the gang members who pleaded guilty to conspiring together to defraud Next between October 2015 and April 2016.

Corry set up a Facebook group called Super Fun Happy Land, which the defendants used.

The prosecutor told the court: "Those who successfully used the hijacked accounts were encouraged to post photographs of their spoils on the Facebook group to advertise and promote the fraud.

"In November last year Next became aware of the Facebook group and carried out their own investigation, before handing details to the police."

The court heard that some became involved to get Christmas presents as they struggled financially.

Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Dean QC said: "What lies behind this crime is extremely simple to state; it's greed.

"All of you saw an opportunity to make easy and, you thought, risk-free money - at the expense of Next Plc."
The claimants say UK authorities were involved in their unlawful detention and mistreatment when they were arrested as suspected insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq

Former foreign secretary Jack Straw faces legal action brought by a Libyan dissident and his wife who allege the UK participated in their abduction and rendition to Tripoli more than a decade ago.

The action follows a victory for the couple at the UK's highest court.

He is named as one of the defendants in an action brought by Abdel Hakim Belhaj and his wife Fatima Boudchar, who say they were tortured after their kidnap during the days of Colonel Gaddafi's regime.

Mr Straw, who denies complicity in any "unlawful rendition or detention", issued a statement on Tuesday after the Supreme Court rejected a Government bid to block the couple's claim, which can now go to trial.

He said: " This judgment is about some important points of law, related to how far it is possible to bring into a court process in the UK actions of sovereign states abroad."

He pointed out that "at no stage so far have the merits" of the case "been tested before any court".

Mr Straw added: " That can only happen when the trial of the action itself takes place.

"I repeat what I said in the House of Commons in December 2013, that as foreign secretary I acted at all times in a manner which was fully consistent with my legal duties, and with national and international law.

"I was never in any way complicit in the unlawful rendition or detention of anyone by other states. "

In their claim, Mr Belhaj and his wife also name Sir Mark Allen, MI6's counter-terrorism chief at the time they were snatched in 2004.

The action is also against the Home Office and Foreign Office.

Liability is denied.

The couple have offered to settle for a token 1 from each defendant and an apology and an admission of liability for what they suffered.

International human rights group Reprieve and the Belhaj family say the abduction involved a joint MI6-CIA operation following the 2004 "deal in the desert" in which the government of Tony Blair re-opened diplomatic links with Gaddafi.

According to Reprieve, part of the deal involved the illegal kidnapping and flying of Libyan dissidents to Tripoli.

Government lawyers had argued through the courts that the Belhaj claims should be barred under state immunity and the foreign "act of state" doctrine, which prohibits the courts of one country sitting in judgment on the acts of the government of another one within its own territory.

The High Court agreed with the Government's stance and ruled that the claims should be struck out.

However, the Court of Appeal reversed the High Court ruling in October 2014.

It said the act of state doctrine might not apply to alleged breaches of international law or human rights obligations, even in cases where the court would be required to conduct an investigation into the validity of the conduct of a foreign state.

The appeal judges said there was a "compelling public interest" in allegations of unlawful rendition and "particularly grave violations of international law and human rights" being investigated by the English courts.

Now seven Supreme Court justices have upheld that decision.

Lord Mance, announcing the Supreme Court's findings, said that "state immunity is no bar to the claims", and the defendants had not "on the assumed facts shown any entitlement to rely on the doctrine of foreign act of state".

He said: "The appeals are dismissed and the cases may proceed to trial."

Sapna Malik, of law firm Leigh Day which is representing Mr Belhaj, said: "The Supreme Court today has delivered an emphatic judgment upholding the rule of law, particularly in the face of breaches of rights recognised as fundamental by English statute and common law, in which British defendants are alleged to have been complicit."

UK Government lawyers had argued that the compensation claim could not be heard in a British court because it would damage relations with the US.

The argument was dismissed by the seven justices - court president Lord Neuberger, sitting with Lady Hale and Lords Mance, Clarke, Wilson, Sumption and Hughes.

Reprieve said the Government has already settled a related claim out of court by paying compensation to another family who were rendered to Libya in the same "deal in the desert" conspiracy weeks after Mr Belhaj and Mrs Boudchar.

The human rights group said cases came to light after the fall of Tripoli and Gaddafi's regime in 2011, when faxes from MI6's then counter-terrorism director Sir Mark Allen describing the rendition flights were found in Libya's intelligence headquarters.

Lord Mance described in the lead Supreme Court ruling how Mr Belhaj, a Libyan national and opponent of Gaddafi, and his then-pregnant Moroccan wife had attempted - probably under other names - to take a commercial flight from Beijing to London.

I nstead, "for whatever reason", they were deported by the Chinese authorities to Kuala Lumpur where they were detained.

The judge said: "MI6 is alleged to have become aware of their detention and on March 1 2004 to have sent the Libyan intelligence services a facsimile reporting their whereabouts.

"This is said to have led to a plan being developed to render them against their will to Libya.

"Thereafter, they allege, they were unlawfully detained first by Malaysian officials in Kuala Lumpur and then by Thai officials and United States agents in Bangkok, before being put on board a US airplane which took them to Libya.

"There they were further detained, in the case of Mrs Boudchar until 21 June 2004, in the case of Mr Belhaj until 23 March 2010."

The judge said: "They allege that they suffered mistreatment amounting to torture at the hands of US agents in Bangkok and in the airplane and at the hands of Libyan officials in Libya."

The couple are accusing the UK of being involved in "arranging, assisting and encouraging their unlawful rendition".

The judge said they were relying on a letter dated March 18 2004, claimed to have been written by Sir Mark, "allegedly a senior official of the Secret Intelligence Service ("SIS"), to Mr Moussa Koussa, head of the Libyan External Security Organisation".

"The letter congratulated Mr Moussa Koussa 'on the safe arrival of (Mr Belhaj)'," said the judge.

"It said that 'This was the least we could do for you and for Libya to demonstrate the remarkable relationship we have built over recent years'.

"It indicated that British intelligence had led to Mr Belhaj's transfer to Libya, although the British services 'did not pay for the air cargo'.

The judge said: "Mr Belhaj and Mrs Boudchar further allege that the United Kingdom 'conspired in, assisted and acquiesced in torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, batteries and assaults inflicted upon (them) by the US and Libyan authorities."

The judge stressed the allegations were based on an alleged awareness "of the risks of torture of detainees in United States or Libyan hands".

It was also pleaded that "the renditions took place as part of a co-ordinated strategy designed to secure diplomatic and intelligence advantages from Colonel Gaddafi".

The judge said Mr Straw and Sir Mark Allen had said the Official Secrets Act made it impossible for them "to advance any positive case in response to the allegations against them".

The Foreign Office and Home Office said: "It is the position of Her Majesty's Government that it would be damaging to the public interest for them to plead to such allegations."

Lord Mance said the seriousness of the Belhaj allegations of "apparently arbitrary rendition accompanied by severe mistreatment" ruled out the judiciary being required by the "act of state" doctrine to abstain from hearing their case.

English law had set limits to the doctrine, said the judge, and English law recognised the existence of fundamental rights going back to the Magna Carta, which stated that: "no free-man shall be taken, or imprisoned, or dispossessed" of his liberties " excepting by the legal judgment of his peers, or by the laws of the land".

Further, torture "has long been regarded as abhorrent by English law".

The judge said: "Sovereign states who without justification and without permitting access to justice detain or mistreat individuals in the course or in relation to their conduct of foreign relations or affairs have sovereign immunity in foreign domestic courts.

"But I see no reason why English law should refrain from scrutinising their conduct in the course of adjudicating upon claims against other parties involved who enjoy no such immunity there, where the alleged conduct involves almost indefinite detention, combined with deprivation of any form of access to justice and, for good measure, torture or persistent ill-treatment of an individual."

Reprieve lawyer Cori Crider said the ruling was particularly significant given US president-elect Donald Trump's comments on the campaign trail about bringing back waterboarding "and a hell of a lot worse".

She said: "In 72 hours, a would-be torturer will take the reins of Earth's most powerful security state. So this case isn't 'just' about history - the stakes couldn't be higher.

"We enter the Trump era with not a soul held to account for Britain's past role in rendition. No official has condemned Trump's torture boasts. Our intelligence agencies may well be pressured to help America torture again."

Mr Belhaj said he was "gratified" that there would be a trial..

He said: "Years ago I asked the British government to apologise for what it had done.

"I have always said I was prepared to forgive but that first Britain needed to accept that to abduct me and my wife and send us to Gaddafi is, and always was, wrong.

"The Government refused this basic plea for justice. So I am gratified that we will have a trial.

"I continue to hope justice will one day be done - not just for my family, but in the name of everyone wrongly kidnapped in the war on terror."

His wife, Fatima, described the fear she had experienced that she would lose her unborn child following the abduction.

She said: "We have waited so long for this result that in the meantime I had four more children.

"I was five months pregnant with my first son, Abdurahim, when the CIA took us.

"After the terror of the abduction and the CIA prison he was born weighing only four pounds.

"Every time a new life joins our family I remember how afraid I was to lose him.

"I want a better world for my kids, a world where this kind of thing does not happen.

"And I will fight until I see it or until officials admit that what was done to me was wrong."

Martha Spurrier, director of Liberty, accused the Government of dragging Mr Belhaj and his wife "through years of needless litigation after suffering the most unimaginable abuse".

Ms Spurrier said: "It is seven years since David Cameron promised a full judge-led inquiry into our country's involvement in torture and rendition, and still cover-up and impunity persist.

"Now that President Trump has one foot in the Oval Office, it's more urgent than ever that our country sends a clear message that there can be no compromise on torture.

"The British public deserve the truth - and torture victims deserve justice."
Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster speaking before an Assembly Plenary Session at Stormont in Belfast

The UK Government has said it is not contemplating a return to direct rule in Northern Ireland after announcing a snap election in response to the collapse of Stormont's ruling executive.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire said his "absolute intent" was ensuring the survival of devolution amid a bitter row between former lead coalition partners Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionists.

There are fears a divisive election campaign will make a rapprochement even less likely, raising the spectre of a return to direct rule if a new administration cannot be formed within the required three weeks on the other side of the March 2 poll.

Acknowledging there was a tight timeframe to reach an accord, Mr Brokenshire insisted maintaining devolution was in the best interests of Northern Ireland.

"I am not contemplating anything other than devolved government - that is what I want to see here," he said.

He stressed the importance of continued dialogue between the feuding parties, even through the election campaign.

"I am concerned about the impact of a divisive election campaign," he said. "I do want to see an executive back in place fully functioning at the earliest opportunity."

Northern Ireland will now go to the polls just ten months after the last Assembly vote.

Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness quit last week citing irreconcilable differences with the DUP.

The deadline for Sinn Fein to renominate to the vacant post before an election had to be called passed on Monday evening.

Mr McGuinness's resignation was precipitated by the renewable heat incentive (RHI) scandal - a botched green energy scheme overseen by DUP ministers set to cost Stormont 490 million - but that row has also reignited a range of other vexed disputes dividing the coalition.

Sinn Fein MLA Michelle O'Neill told the Assembly her party would only return to government if there was "real and meaningful change".

"The DUP have treated these institutions and sections of the community with contempt and arrogance," she said.

Mr McGuinness's decision to walk away automatically removed DUP leader Arlene Foster from her position as first minister - as executive structures dictate one cannot govern without the other.

On Monday, the DUP renominated Mrs Foster to the post. That was rendered meaningless by Sinn Fein's subsequent refusal to renominate its own incumbent at the head of the executive.

Mrs Foster, who developed the ill-fated RHI scheme when economy minister, claimed the electorate did not want or need an election and accused Sinn Fein of triggering it because they did not like the outcome of last May's vote.

"They have forced an election that risks Northern Ireland's future and stability, and which suits nobody but themselves," she said.

Theresa May phoned Mrs Foster and Mr McGuinness early on Monday in a last-ditch effort to prevent the collapse of the devolved administration. But her intervention was to no avail.

The Stormont Assembly will limp on until it is formally dissolved next week, when the election campaign will begin in earnest.

In other developments on another day of drama at Stormont:

:: Rebel former DUP economy minister Jonathan Bell, already suspended by the party for speaking out on the RHI furore, used Assembly privilege to claim two DUP special advisers thwarted his attempts to rein in the scheme's costs because of their "extensive interests in the poultry industry". The DUP branded the claims "outrageous, untrue and unfounded mud-slinging".

:: Sinn Fein refused to table a planned motion of no confidence in DUP Assembly Speaker Robin Newton after his party used a contentious voting mechanism - a petition of concern - to ensure the motion fell.

:: DUP Communities minister Paul Givan secured Assembly approval for a housing benefit payment scheme that he previously claimed was under threat as a result of the Stormont crisis.
The state of Alabama plans to intervene in the Montgomery County school system over both academic and financial concerns, the Associated Press reported.

The move, recently announced by the state superintendent, was not a surprise, and some local school board members told the Associated Press that they welcomed the states action.

Montgomery County Board of Education President Robert Porterfield told the news agency that state intervention could bring additional resources to the district.

State Superintendent of Education Michael Sentance said he was concerned that too many of the schools in the Montgomery school system were lagging.

Its my personal belief that a capital city school system should be a shining example of what public education should be in the state, Sentance said when making the announcement. It should be a model.

Its unclear what form the state intervention would take in the approximately 30,000-student district.

The local school board will have 21 days to respond after receiving notice from the state, the AP said. It can also submit a proposal on how it plans to address the state boards concerns over finances and academics.

The state board of education will vote next month on whether to go ahead with the intervention.
People take part in a vigil after the attack on an Istanbul nightclub which left 39 people dead

Police have caught the alleged gunman who killed 39 people during an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul during new year celebrations, according to Turkish media reports.

The private Dogan news agency and other media say the suspect was caught in Istanbul's district of Esenyurt in a police operation late on Monday.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility, saying the attack was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria.

The suspect was caught in a special operations police raid on a house in a housing complex in Istanbul's Esenyurt district, private NTV television said. The report said he had been staying in the house belonging to a Kyrgyz friend.

The man identified as the suspect had been on the run since the attack.

Hurriyet newspaper and other media have identified the suspect as Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national.

The suspect was to undergo medical checks before being taken to a police headquarters for questioning, the paper said in its online edition.

Dogan news agency published an image showing a bruised, black-haired man in a grey, bloodied shirt being held by his neck. Private NTV television said he had resisted arrest.

AP
The man is the second Moroccan to be arrested by Spanish police in as many days on suspicion of terror-related offences

A Moroccan has been arrested in the Canary Islands on suspicion of praising terrorism by promoting armed Islamic groups on the internet.

Spain's Interior Ministry said the 30-year-old was detained in the city of Las Palmas on Gran Canaria on Tuesday.

He is alleged to have used a popular social media network to spread propaganda for the teachings and armed actions of extremist groups such as Syria's Fatah al-Sham Front, which is considered to be linked to al Qaida.

The man is the second Moroccan to be arrested in as many days in connection with terror-related offences.

The ministry said Spanish police have arrested 182 suspected jihadi activists since Spain raised its national security alert to one step below maximum following attacks in France and elsewhere in 2015.

AP
Vladimir Putin said that the people who ordered the Trump dossier are "worse than prostitutes"

Russian president Vladimir Putin has accused the outgoing US administration of trying to undermine Donald Trump by spreading fake allegations and said those who are doing it are "worse than prostitutes".

The statement reflected the Kremlin's boiling anger at President Barack Obama's administration, which declined to comment on Mr Putin's accusation.

Asked about an unsubstantiated dossier outlining unverified claims that Mr Trump engaged in sexual activities with prostitutes at a Moscow hotel, Mr Putin dismissed it as "fake" and "nonsense" and said it was part of efforts by Mr Obama's administration to "undermine the legitimacy of the president-elect" despite his "convincing" victory.

Mr Trump earlier rejected the sexual allegations as "fake news" and "phony stuff".

Mr Putin's broadside at the White House reveals a culmination of tensions between Moscow and Washington, which have built up over the Ukrainian crisis, the Syrian war and the allegations of Russian meddling in the US election.

"People who order such fakes against the US president-elect, fabricate them and use them in political struggle are worse than prostitutes," he said.

"They have no moral restrictions whatsoever, and it highlights a significant degree of degradation of political elites in the West, including in the United States."

He spoke in Moscow during a news conference following talks with the president of Moldova.

The Russian leader ridiculed the authors of the Trump dossier for alleging that Russian spy agencies were collecting compromising material on Mr Trump when he visited Moscow in 2013 for the Miss Universe pageant.

"He wasn't a politician, we didn't even know about his political ambitions," Mr Putin said.

"Do they think that our special services are hunting for every US billionaire?"

Mr Putin also sarcastically suggested that Mr Trump, who met the world's most beautiful women at the pageant, had a better choice for female companionship than Moscow prostitutes, even though Mr Putin claimed "they are also the best in the world".

He said Mr Trump's foes are ready to go as far as to "stage a Maidan in Washington to prevent Trump from entering office", in reference to the alleged US role in organising protests in the main square of the Ukrainian capital, the Maidan, which forced the nation's Russia-friendly president from power in 2014.

"People who are doing that are inflicting a colossal damage to the interests of the United States," Mr Putin said.

He also charged that those spreading allegations against Mr Trump want to "bind the president-elect hand and foot to prevent him from fulfilling his election promises".

"How can you do anything to improve US-Russian relations when they launch such canards as hackers' interference in the election?" he said.

Mr Putin voiced hope that "common sense will prevail" and Russia and the United States will be able to normalise their relations once Mr Trump takes office on Friday.

He said he does not know Mr Trump and has no interests in defending him.

"I don't know Mr Trump. I have never met him and I don't know what he will do on the international arena," Mr Putin said.

"I have no reason whatsoever to assail him, criticise him for something, or defend him."

At a separate news conference on Tuesday, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow hopes for better relations with the United States based on respect for mutual interests once Mr Trump takes office, in contrast with the "messianic" approach of the outgoing US administration that he said has ravaged ties.

Mr Lavrov said Russia and the United States can reach common ground on nuclear arms control and other issues if each country proceeds from its national interests and shows respect for the other side.

He voiced hope that Mr Trump's team will consist of pragmatic people "who will not engage in moralising and will try to understand the interests of their partners just as they clearly uphold their own interests".

Mr Lavrov denounced the foreign policies of the outgoing Obama administration and its allies as "messianic" attempts to enforce Western values on the rest of the world, which has led to instability and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere.

He said Moscow is inviting representatives of the incoming US administration to attend talks on Syria in Kazakhstan on Monday, discussions brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

He voiced hope that Russian and US experts could start discussions on fighting terrorism in Syria during that meeting.

Asked to comment on Mr Trump's recent remarks in which he indicated he could end sanctions imposed on Russia in the aftermath of its 2014 annexation of Crimea in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal, Mr Lavrov said Russia was ready to sit down for nuclear arms talks with the US.

He noted he did not see Mr Trump's words as an offer to cut arms in exchange for cancelling the sanctions, rather as an expression of readiness to look at reviewing the sanctions while engaging in negotiations on arms control, among other issues.

Mr Lavrov added that, along with nuclear arsenals, the agenda for such negotiations should include new hypersonic weapons, missile defence, the weaponisation of space and other issues.

Like Mr Putin, Mr Lavrov rejected allegations of Russian meddling in the US election as "absurdities" and "fakes" intended to hurt Mr Trump.

He said US intelligence agencies have failed to produce any evidence to back those claims, adding that officials who engaged in the effort "deserve to be fired, as they receive their salaries for nothing".

Mr Lavrov described the allegations of Russian election meddling in the US vote as the final "spasms of those who realise that their time is coming to an end".

"The time of foreign policy demagogues is over, and, feeling hurt, they fabricate all kinds of fakes," he said.

"First, officials leak fakes to the media, then media start spinning them and, finally, officials comment on them as facts."

Mr Lavrov also denounced a dossier on Mr Trump compiled by a former British spy as a "rude provocation", contemptuously referring to its author as a "runaway swindler from MI6" without citing his name.

In a reflection of the bad blood between Mr Obama's administration and the Kremlin, Mr Lavrov accused US officials of making repeated attempts to recruit Russian diplomats in the United States as spies, including a deputy chief of mission.

He called the attempts "cynical" and "unprecedented".

AP
Pope Francis waves to the faithful during the noon prayer he delivered overlooking St Peter's Square (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis has said there is no point in people going to church if they do not follow the teachings of the Bible in their daily lives.

The head of the Catholic church took a stand against what he termed Christian parrots, who talk a lot about their religion but dont do good deeds.

If I say I am Catholic and go to mass, but then dont speak with my parents, help my grandparents or the poor, go and see those who are sick, this does not prove my faith, theres no point, he told young residents of Guidonia, a village near Rome.

Those who do this are nothing but Christian parrots  words, words, words, said the Pope, according to Italian newspaper La Stampa.

Christian faith is expressed with three things: words, the heart, and the hands.

Canon law requires Catholics to go to church on Sundays and other holy days of obligation and to abstain from work or other business that would inhibit their worship on those days.

During his conversation with the parishioners, Pope Francis also said it could be difficult to forgive people when they have hurt you, or even, in some cases, committed crimes against you.

Its difficult, I knew an old woman who was strong, bright, whose husband used to hit her. You should always forgive but sometimes to forget is difficult, he said, according to La Stampa and a more detailed report on the website Famiglia Cristiana.

When youre at war with someone, your heart is wounded by hate and hostility, and those wounds can hurt, but you need to forgive them and not go to that person to forgive them like an enemy.

Forgiveness needs to be given with the heart, even if you dont say it out loud, by treating that person as if nothing had happened.

Pope Francis, 80, was born in Buenos Aires and succeeded Pope Benedict XVI following his resignation in spring 2013. His full name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

He also spoke of the darkness that sometimes clouds his own belief.

Some days you cant see faith, and all is black, he said, referring to the challenges faced by people in earthquake-stricken areas of Italy.

I, too, have at times experienced moments of darkness in my faith, and my faith diminished a lot, but then, after a short time, I found it again.
Crews have finally completed their deep-sea search of a desolate stretch of the Indian Ocean without finding a single trace of the plane (Rob Griffith/AP)

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has ended after the countries involved in the expensive and vast deep-sea hunt decided not to open another phase.

Late last year, as ships with high-tech search equipment covered the last strips of the 120,000-square kilometre (46,000-square mile) search zone, experts concluded they should have been searching a smaller area immediately to the north.

However, by then, 160 million US dollars (130 million) had already been spent by Malaysia, Australia and China, who had agreed over the summer not to search elsewhere without pinpoint evidence.

The transport ministers of those countries reiterated that decision on Tuesday in a joint communique issued by the Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre in Australia that announced the search for Flight 370 - and the 239 people aboard the aircraft - had been suspended.

"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly-skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," said the agency, which helped lead the hunt for the Boeing 777 in remote waters west of Australia.

"Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended. The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness."

Relatives of those lost on the plane, which vanished during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 2014, responded largely with outrage.

A support group, Voice 370, issued a statement saying that extending the search is "an inescapable duty owed to the flying public".

Without understanding what happened to the plane, there is a "good chance that this could happen in the future", said KS Narendran, a member of the group.

However, last year Australia, Malaysia and China - which have each helped fund the search - agreed that the hunt would be suspended once the search zone was exhausted unless new evidence emerges that pinpoints the plane's specific location.

Since no technology currently exists that can tell investigators exactly where the plane is, that means the most expensive, complex search in aviation history is over, barring a change of heart from the three countries.

There is the possibility that a private donor could offer to bankroll a new search, or that Malaysia will kick in fresh funds.

However, no one has stepped up yet, raising the bleak possibility that the world's greatest aviation mystery may never be solved.

For the families of the aircraft's 227 passengers and 12 crew members, that is a particularly bitter prospect given the recent acknowledgment by officials that they had been looking for the plane in the wrong place all along.

In December, the transport bureau announced that a review of the data used to estimate where the plane crashed, coupled with new information on ocean currents, strongly suggested that the plane hit the water in an area directly north of the search zone.

Officials investigating the plane's disappearance recommended that search crews head north to a new 25,000-square-kilometre (9,700-square-mile) area identified in a recent analysis as where the plane most likely crashed.

However, Australia's government rejected that recommendation, saying the results of the experts' analysis were not precise enough to justify continuing the hunt.

"Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft," the transport ministers of the three countries involved said in their statement.

The lack of resolution has caused agony for family members of the flight's passengers, who have begged officials to continue the hunt for their loved ones.

"The whole series of events since the plane disappeared has been nothing but frustrating," said Grace Nathan, a Malaysian whose mother was on board Flight 370.

"It continues to be frustrating and we just hope they will continue to search. They've already searched 120,000 square kilometres. What is another 25,000?"

Investigators have been stymied again and again in their efforts to find the aircraft.

Hopes were repeatedly raised and smashed by false leads: Underwater signals wrongly thought to be emanating from the plane's black boxes, possible debris fields that turned out to be sea trash, oil slicks that contained no jet fuel, a large object detected on the sea floor that was just an old shipwreck.

In the absence of solid leads, investigators relied largely on an analysis of transmissions between the plane and a satellite to narrow down where in the world the jet ended up - a technique never previously used to find an aircraft.

Based on the transmissions, they narrowed down the possible crash zone to a vast arc of ocean slicing across the Southern Hemisphere.

Even then, the search zone was enormous and located in one of the most remote patches of water on earth - 1,800 kilometres (1,100 miles) off Australia's west coast.

Much of the seabed had never even been mapped.

For years, search crews painstakingly combed the search area in several ships, largely pinning their hopes on towfish, small vessels equipped with sonar that sent information back to the boats in real-time.

The ships slowly dragged the towfish through the ocean just above the seabed, hoping the equipment would detect some trace of the plane.

Unmanned submarines were used to examine areas of rougher terrain and objects of interest picked up by sonar that required a closer look.

The search zone shifted multiple times as investigators refined their analysis, all to no avail.

Some began to question whether the plane had gone down in the Southern Hemisphere at all.

Then, in July 2015, came the first proof that the plane was indeed in the Indian Ocean: A wing flap from the aircraft was found on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar.

Since then, more than 20 objects either confirmed or believed to be from the plane have washed ashore on beaches throughout the Indian Ocean.

However, while the debris proved the plane went down in the Indian Ocean, the location of the main underwater wreckage - and its crucial black box data recorders - remains stubbornly elusive.

If the plane is never found, the reasons for its disappearance and crash will probably never be known, although Malaysia has said the plane's erratic movements after take-off were consistent with deliberate actions.

The sister of the pilot, Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, criticised authorities for ending the search without settling the mystery, saying her brother will not be absolved of suspicions he deliberately crashed the plane.

"How can they end the search like that? There will be finger-pointing again," Sakinab Shah said.

The transport ministers praised the efforts of the search crews and said the search had presented an "unprecedented challenge".

"Today's announcement is significant for our three countries, but more importantly for the family and friends of those on board the aircraft.

"We again take this opportunity to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives and acknowledge the enormous loss felt by their loved ones," the ministers wrote.

"We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located."

AP
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said "the operations that are constantly delayed are of no benefit for the well-being of these two countries' people"

Turkey's president has criticised delays in the US-led coalition's fight against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, as the extremists pressed ahead with an offensive against Syrian government forces.

Speaking in Ankara on Tuesday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said "the operations that are constantly delayed are of no benefit for the well-being of these two countries' people".

He spoke after the capture of an Uzbekistan national who authorities say trained in Afghanistan and carried out a deadly New Year's nightclub attack in Istanbul.

Turkey is a partner in the US-led coalition against IS, which claimed the attack.

The extremist group said it was a reprisal for Turkey's campaign to dislodge the militants from the northern Syrian town of al-Bab.

Turkey, which for years supported the Syrian opposition drive to oust President Bashar Assad, has recalibrated its priorities towards fighting Islamic State militants and thwarting Kurdish aspirations for autonomous rule along Syria's border with Turkey.

Turkish troops rolled over the border in August to help Syrian opposition forces battle IS and halt the advance of US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, who are also fighting the extremists.

However, nearly two months into the assault on al-Bab, one of Islamic State's last major strongholds in northern Syria, Turkey has become bogged down in the fighting, which has driven a wedge between Ankara and Washington.

Turkish officials say Washington has not done enough to support Turkey's operations in al-Bab and has forced Ankara to reach out to Russia for aerial support.

Meanwhile, in Syria's eastern city of Deir el-Zour, fighting between Syrian government forces and Islamic State militants continued for the fourth day on Tuesday.

IS fighters launched a new offensive to try and capture government-controlled parts of the contested city, also attacking a nearby military air base from several fronts.

On Monday, the group made substantial gains near the air base, cutting the government-controlled pocket in half and further tightening the two-year-old siege on parts of the city.

The extremist group, which controls most of Deir el-Zour province, has kept the provincial capital under siege since 2014. The new multi-pronged assault that began on Saturday is its most intense attack on government areas in a year.

Government forces have withstood the encirclement thanks to air-dropped humanitarian assistance and weapons and ammunition flown into the airport.

Remaining residents have reported malnourishment and starvation amid severe shortages of food, water and fuel.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 122 people have been killed in and around the city, including 27 civilians.

That number could not be independently verified.

AP
On May 18, 2011, in a historic visit to Dublin Castle, the Queen, in a magnanimous show of respect for the Irish language, addressed the gathering with: "A Uachtarain agus a chairde."

Five days later, on May 23, in College Green, US President Barack Obama, in addressing thousands of citizens of the state, courteously paid due regard to our native tongue when he said: "Is feidir linn".

It was a pity, but not surprising, that, in 2014, Gregory Campbell MLA aligned himself, not with the considered, all-embracing sentiments of the Queen and President Obama and civilised society generally, but with the bile and bitterness of those who have fomented an anti-Irish agenda over the past number of decades by referring to the Irish language as "toilet paper".

Indeed, the former First Minister and DUP leader, Peter Robinson, disparagingly called the Irish language "Leprechaun speak".

Despite world admiration and acknowledgement of the achievements of Ireland's Protestant artistic, cultural and literary traditions - which gave us, among many others, Berkeley, Swift, Yeats, Tone and the first President of Ireland, Dr Douglas Hyde - it appears the philistines of unionism are still unwilling or unable to cross the tribal divide.

This fine Protestant tradition should not be allowed to be defined by culturally impotent and ignorant unionism.

TOM COOPER

Dublin
It's entirely befitting that Stormont is ending not with a bang but a whimper. The lights were still burning in Parliament Buildings last night as MLAs continued squabbling after darkness fell.

There was no big dramatic finale to the events that have brought devolution to its knees. The Assembly will limp on for another eight days until it is finally put out of its misery.

And if neither it nor the Executive are restored, who cares? Once we railed against direct rule by indifferent English overlords. It was accepted wisdom that our own politicians, from whichever side of the divide, would do a far better job.

Who could say that now? Both unionists, with their tradition of devotion to Stormont, and nationalists with their history of distrust, today stand united in disgust with how things have worked out.

While the future of Stormont's institutions is debated to death by the political and media establishment, most ordinary people couldn't give two hoots.

Cancer waiting lists are at an all-time high. Every health trust has missed its target.

The queues and chaos in our A&E departments means that people are terrified of suddenly falling sick.

The predicted post-peace economic boom never happened. It was mostly call centre and other low-wage jobs that came. The average household here has 14,645 to save or spend - 3,000 behind the UK national average.

Read More

Belfast may look a lot better to visitors nowadays, but it's a tale of two cities. Beyond the fancy bars and restaurants with their 80 a head tasting menus, families are struggling to survive.

Such hope abounded when the institutions were set up in 1998. What has followed since the Good Friday Agreement hasn't been an anti-climax, it's been an outright embarrassment.

Yes, Stormont has delivered.

For reputed paramilitary bosses like Dee Stitt on their 35,000 a year jobs courtesy of the Social Investment Fund. For MLAs, special advisers, and the long list of other hangers-on.

And for the middle-class consultants, lobbyists, and other 'civil society' creatures with their inflated egos and pay packets who for some reason are elevated to almost sacred status here.

But for the average person in Ballymurphy or Ballybeen, with neither paramilitary nor political connections, Stormont has delivered nothing.

The great and the good berate the London and Dublin Governments for taking their eye off the ball. Do you know what? They don't care and, from their viewpoint, why should they?

They're too engrossed with Brexit and their own problems. So long as the war is over and we're not acting in any way destabilising their day-to-day existence, they will leave us to fester in our own mess.

Expect Sinn Fein and the DUP to get down and dirty during the election campaign despite the fact that, just six weeks ago, they were insisting everything was hunky-dory between them in a joint love letter published in local newspapers. This election certainly won't be boring with potential high-profile casualties such as Education Minister Peter Weir, Justice Minister Claire Sugden and Assembly Speaker Robin Newton.

People Before Profit's Eamonn McCann and the Greens' Clare Bailey will also be fighting for their political lives.

The SDLP is in serious trouble in several constituencies with Alex Attwood, Richie McPhillips and Nichola Mallon under threat. It's almost impossible to see the Lazarus-like Attwood, who has survived so many near-electoral death experiences, coming through this one.

There is immense pressure on Colum Eastwood's young shoulders to perform strongly during the campaign and not let his vulnerable colleagues down.

Every point he makes about how the SDLP took a tough line with the DUP, while the Shinners cosied up in bed with it, is correct. But Sinn Fein's trump card is that it brought down the Executive.

The March 2 election occurs just a day after the anniversary of the start of the 1981 hunger strike. Sinn Fein is guaranteed to use that in what will be an exceedingly emotional campaign.

It's already posting photos on social media of Gerry Adams and Alex Maskey standing up to riot police during a past confrontation between the security forces and nationalist residents.

That's a tad disingenuous given that nowadays the Shinners in Ardoyne are constructively helping the PSNI get controversial marches through.

But, hey ho, anything goes in an election campaign.

Martin McGuinness will be deciding whether or not to run again.

He has never been more popular in the broad nationalist community.

A very frail and unwell former Deputy First Minister would be a powerful visual image for Sinn Fein. But he may well decide that he needs to fight his illness away from the public spotlight.

Of all our political leaders, Arlene Foster is undoubtedly under the greatest strain in this election. So could an East Belfast 2012 moment be repeated with Mrs Foster punished by an angry local electorate and losing her seat?

Until now she has been loved in Fermanagh and South Tyrone and there is as yet no sign that has changed. She will surely be allocated a heftier chunk of the constituency than her running-mate to ensure plain sailing.

And the Ulster Unionists lack a popular heavy-hitter - such as a local, high-profile Orangeman - with whom to challenge her.

Since the 'cash for ash' scandal broke, Mrs Foster has engaged in an act of self-combustion with one woeful decision after another.

During the election campaign expect to see a more humble Foster with photos flooding the mainstream and social media of her out and about meeting the grassroots.

The party will work hard to keep her away from any awkward voices she may encounter. The DUP leader being heckled by ordinary unionists is an image they will want to avoid at all costs.

The UUP has some strong local candidates like Jo-Anne Dobson and Doug Beattie, widely regarded as decent, hardworking politicians never troubled by any scandal allegations.

But the party as a whole needs to come over as less middle-class, and more grassroots unionist, if it's to take advantage of the DUP's shambles.

In this election, I suspect that the televised leadership debates will be far more important than before. Mrs Foster will be grateful that the TUV's status as a minor party will mean Jim Allister's absence.

Yet she will not be looking forward to facing Mike Nesbitt or Naomi Long who are both, in different ways, first-class performers. But, most of all, the DUP needs to put to bed the 'cash for ash' story.

The party is currently on the ropes. Any more revelations would almost certainly guarantee an unprecedented pummelling from the public.
The religion of Islam is widely misunderstood. It has become a familiar topic on the news, connected to terrorism, violence, and human rights abuses. Often, this is the only exposure that Americans have to this vast and complex belief system. We see the word Muslim, and we associate it with war.

Like the adherents of all of the worlds major religions, the very human practitioners of Islam are not always the perfect embodiment of its virtues. Affected by political currents, manmade cultural traditions, and misinterpretations of their own holy text, a small number of those who claim Islam as their religion do commit vile acts in its name.

But they are wrong. The true nature of Islam is one of peace and compassion.

It is more vital than ever that we demythologize Islam, and that we become informed of what our Muslim neighbors really believe. The mysterious is the frightening, and what we fear, we fight.

This is one cultural fight that needs to end. Knowledge is what will help heal the current divisions between the Western and Muslim worlds, so lets take a look at a few ways in which Islam is more compassionate than youve been led to believe.

"Terrorist groups like Isis recruit young, naive troops who have little knowledge of Islam..."

Islam Values Life and Liberty

Surah 49:13 of the Quranthe holy text of Islamreads, If anyone kills a person, it is as if he kills all mankind, while if anyone saves a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind.

Terrorist groups like Isis recruit young, naive troops who have little knowledge of Islam, and warp the teachings of the Quran to support their violent endeavors. Theirs is not a holy war; but a political crusade.

A commonly misinterpreted surah is 9:5, which reads, And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer let them go on their way.

At first glance, this may seem to advocate religiously-motivated killing, but when we look at the historical context, we find that this surah is speaking of a very specific instance in which assassination attempts were being made on the Prophet Muhammad as he was mediating a truce between Jewish and pagan clans.

The Quran surah 2:256, in fact, commands that there is to be no coercion in matters of religion.

Doesnt quite sound like the Muslim narrative weve establish today, does it?

Islam Teaches Kindness, Not Retribution

Within Islam, stories are told about the Prophet Muhammad, the man who was given the Quran through divine intervention, and disseminated its wisdom to all humankind. Many of these stories include a moral or lesson on the art of kindness and self-control. The Prophets life is taken as the ultimate example of moral behavior.

One such story is The Rubbish Thrower, and speaks of an old woman who, maddened by Muhammads peaceful demeanor, regularly collected and threw garbage upon him, hoping to finally get the prophet to become angry at her.

Unfortunately for her, Muhammad never became upset with her, and said nothing when she showered him with garbage.

But day, however, the old woman became sick. When Muhammad heard of this, he immediately rushed to her home to inquire about her health and offered her aid in an act of sincere kindness.

In that moment, the woman felt very guilty for being so cruel, and apologized, her heart utterly changed. She was forgiven, and became a Muslim.

Most of the worlds religions have drifted from the example of their founders, and Islam is no different. Humans can be fallible, angry, and violent creatures, but Islam promotes the oppositekindness, charity, and humility.

Islam Teaches Charity

There are several different categories of charity in Islam, with the most important being zakatobligatory charityand sadaqavoluntary charity.

Zakat is a set amount of wealth that must be given to the poor and needy. Sadaq can be given to anyone, and its forms include advice, good cheer, and general help.

The Prophet Muhammad made the importance of charity quite clear.

A charity is due for every joint in each person on every day the sun comes up: to act justly between two people is a charity; to help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is a charity; a good word is a charity; and removing a harmful thing from the road is a charity.

He went on to illustrate some of the forms charity can take, saying that, Your smile for your brother is a charity. Your removal of stones, thorns or bones from the paths of people is a charity. Your guidance of a person who is lost is a charity.

Charity, great and small, is looked on as both admirable, and a necessity, in the life of a Muslim. Muhammad goes on to caution Muslims against the dangers of greed and injustice, saying that ones injustice will turn into darkness on the Day of Judgement.

The charity of Islam, if followed as it is written, has the power to unite communities, both within Islam and outside of it.

A Religion of Peace

The word Islam, is derived from the word for peace, in Arabic, and was revealed to mankind with the intention of teaching the infinite compassion and mercy of God. Muslims are called to live moral lives that are marked by respect for life, kindness, and charity.

When we delve into the actual ideas of Islam, we can see that it truly lives up to its name, and that we have nothing to fear from its teachings. The mercy of the Almighty is one of the most overarching themes in the Quranno one who deeply reads this holy text could come away with thoughts of war and violence.

The more we learn, the more we, as Americans, can begin to see the Muslim community not as a threat, not as them, but as ushuman beings who mean us well, and arent so different as we may have thought.

Wesley Baines is a graduate student at Regent University's School of Divinity, and a freelance writer working in the fields of spirituality, self-help, and religion. He is also a former editor at Beliefnet.com. You can catch more of his work at www.wesleybaines.com.
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by Jemelleh Coes

Every holiday season, I celebrate the year with my sorority sisters, a group of professional women of color. The conversation often turns to the topic of education, including our observations about how education can empower, and at the same time marginalize, oppress and discriminate.

We find ourselves returning to this topic because my sisters and I were all Black girls raised in the American public school system. Because we have become educators, nurses, lawyers, business owners and dedicated professionals, many acknowledge our successes, and say weve made it because of our education. What they often do not see is that many of us have achieved our career goals in spite of our nations public education systems rather than because of them. (Note: Pushout by Monique Morris does an excellent job of detailing the dangers of this phenomenon.)

My daughters name is Gabby. Shes three, a true threenager-- inquisitive, funny, opinionated, loquacious, creative. I often wonder how attending public school will affect her self-esteem, her intellectual and emotional well-being, and her safety. She already has questions and well-formulated demands about her appearance, noting that girls should have long, straight and European-like hair. She is bombarded by messages about gender roles, and she attempts to actualize her own gender within those parameters. Girls clean up the house, and boys go to work, she reminds me. I worry that as she enters public school, often away from my watchful parental surveillance, she will be exposed to even more specific parameters and possibly negative stereotypes of what Black girls are supposed to do and be.

My anxieties are deeply rooted in my experiences as a school teacher. I have intimate knowledge about how the education system may not act in her best interest. At three, she has yet to experience the wide range of road bumps and brick walls that she will have to navigate and negotiate. But, as an educator, I know the power of educators. I believe that if they are conscientious and intentional about their interaction, most will do right by Gabby and the other Black girls--girls who still trust teachers to care for and nurture them.

Here is what I need her educators to know:

Black girls are gifted. They are worthy, intelligent and capable of greatness (like all students). However, sometimes their giftedness is overlooked until it is too late. Too often we educators miss critical opportunities to help them develop their talents.

Black girls are leaders. Their leadership abilities are often stifled because those abilities are falsely categorized as anger, aggression, rebellion, sassiness and/or bossiness. Instead, educators should recognize their skills and help them channel their abilities in productive and beneficial ways.

Black girls need to see and study other Black women regularly. If a parent asks when you will provide instruction about Black women, and your first thought is February (Black History Month) or March (Womens History Month), you have missed the point! Black girls need to know that they are not regulated to two of the ten school months, and that Black women have made some of the most important contributions to our world throughout history. The recently released film Hidden Figures is a perfect example of this. Integrate Black women and girls throughout your curriculum.

Educators need a thorough understanding of American history coupled with specific attention to Black history in order to help Black girls foster a critical understanding of their history, present or future. Do not shy away from the ugliness; theyll know that you are being dishonest or short-sighted. Help them think through the truth so that they may become agents of change, develop compassion for others, and learn to advocate for themselves.

Black girls want to understand the world beyond the one that is in front of them. They are interested in exploring many different opportunities. Show them unforeseen possibilities, support them in creating new ones, and help them prepare a path to achieve their goals. Make sure they know that Black girls do science, technology, engineering, and math very well. Show them that Black women are scholars, world-changers, community builders and leaders.

Black girls are resilient. NOTE: Resiliency is a last resort, not a starting place. Start with love, attention, and care, and if a given situation demands resiliency, they will exercise it. In fact,

they are created from it. They do not need practice using it. Resiliency comes at a price, and constantly having to tap into it takes a toll physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Sometimes educators unintentionally ignore, forget or dismiss the needs or concerns of Black girls by overlooking the fact that many Black girls are expected to thrive in spaces where they see few and/or negative representations of themselves, where they regularly combat angry Black woman stereotypes; where they embrace the responsibility of community-care by postponing attention to self-care; where they persistently aspire to higher expectations than the ones others have placed on them; and where they are cast off into the margins when they should be front and center.

Dear Educator, please SEE MY DAUGHTER. Do not look past her. Do not look through her. Look at her. Teach her. Challenge her. Learn with her. Remind her that she is more than enough. Be honest with her. If you do, she will learn that you are a trusted part of her community, and she will know that you carry that lauded responsibility each time she enters your classroom.

Jemelleh Coes is the 2014 Georgia State Teacher of the Year, and she is on the Board of Directors for the National Network of State Teachers of the Year. She currently serves as a supervising instructor for teacher candidates in the middle grades program at the University of Georgia, Athens.
By Amber Stark 99

Bowling Green State University alumni journalists are usually in the habit of covering the news, but recently, when the Press Club of Cleveland inducted its 2016 Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame class, they made the news.

Elizabeth (Kimes) McIntyre 89, Michael McIntyre 87 and Eva Parziale 82 were three of seven inductees at the ceremony in Westlake on Nov. 10.

Today, Elizabeth McIntyre is publisher and editor at Crain's Cleveland Business, Michael McIntyre is a columnist with The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer and host/producer of WCPN's Sound of Ideas, and Parziale is regional director in the East region for the Associated Press.

I was stunned to learn I had been considered for induction into the Press Club of Cleveland Hall of Fame, Parziale said. Its a tremendous honor for me to be included among the greats in the news business in Ohio. I am also grateful for the recognition because it gives me a chance to thank and honor the many mentors and journalism colleagues who inspired and encouraged me through the years. I can categorically say I would not be here without them.

Elizabeth McIntyre also was surprised and honored when she learned about the induction.

I was shocked, but also thrilled, she said. It means the world to me that my husband and I are being inducted together.

Michael McIntrye, who earned a bachelors of journalism in 1987, echoed those feelings.

Its a huge honor to be inducted along with my wife, whose career and work ethic I respect so much, he said. Especially in this age, when fair journalism is under attack and fake news is on the rise, I appreciate the recognition of journalists like Eva Parziale and Elizabeth and me who are dedicated to informing the public in a transparent and accountable way.

McIntyre started at The (Lorain) Morning Journal and moved quickly to The Plain Dealer where he has been for 26 years.

Ive had the opportunity to cover all kinds of news and do all kinds of writing, from the weekly column on standup comedy to long-form takeouts in the Sunday Magazine to a regular metro column, he said. Six years ago, I took over The Sound of Ideas, a daily public affairs radio talk show on the Cleveland NPR member station, WCPN. It makes life busy, but I love the variety.

After graduating in 1989, Elizabeth McIntyre worked at The Morning Journal, where she met Michael, for about a year before starting a 20-year career with The Plain Dealer. She chose BGSU because its journalism program had a good reputation and it seemed like a good fit.

My four years at BGSU were phenomenal, she said. I learned so much. I made lifelong friends.

She still gets together with her former roommates every month.

I was very active and involved on campus, she said, adding that she had a theater minor. I think thats key to having a great experience.

Parziale, who received her bachelors in journalism in 1982, also recalled her wonderful experience at BGSU, which included being named the Outstanding Graduate in her class.

The professors and instructors were top-notch  from Jim Gordon to Emil Dansker," she said. "Bob Bortel was the best adviser the BG News could have had: smart, supportive and so nice to everyone. My fellow students  before, during my time there, and after  were inspirational. Many went on to stellar careers in newspapers and public relations.

All three inductees fondly remember their time at the BG News.

I got ink in my blood while working as an editor at the BG News," Parziale said. "That experience, along with a series of co-ops off-campus, went a long way toward preparing me for a career in news.

Since graduating from BGSU, she has spent three decades with the AP as a reporter, editor, bureau chief and director in eight cities.

Michael McIntyre originally chose BGSU because he was interested in teaching, and the University had a good reputation in that area.

But a BG News editor came to my freshman English class and put out a call for reporters, he said. I went and found an instant home.

My experience was awesome because the paper gave us a chance to learn by doing. It was an apprenticeship with interesting classes thrown in.

Elizabeth McIntyre returned to journalism in 2014 after a four-year stint in public relations.

When I look back to 1989 when we werent even paginating pages, we were still cutting and pasting, technology has just transformed journalism, she said. I never could have imagined where we would be today from where I was when I graduated.

Ive very grateful for everything that BGSU gave me. It really gave me a foundation for a career  a successful career  and I will always be grateful for that.
As a second-year 5th grade English Language Arts and Social Studies teacher at Cypress Springs Elementary in Ruston, Louisiana, I know I owe much of my current classroom success to Louisianas Believe and Prepare program for providing the support and yearlong residency training that prepared me to be the teacher I am today.

I entered the residency program in the summer of 2014 as a pioneer of the program. I was a single mom with a two-year-old son, and I was apprehensive because I knew the amount of time and dedication it would require. The decision to participate in the program has been one of the best of my college career.

Over the course of the yearlong residency, the mentor teachers, my fellow residents, and I became a team who grew together. The residency program gave me the full-immersion experience that I needed to be successful. Through co-teaching with my mentor teacher, I learned how to establish classroom procedures. I experienced the first day of school and the last and all that comes between: field trips, holidays, award ceremonies, class parties. I learned professionalism, planning, instruction, and assessment, and I improved my ability to collaborate with my students families and my colleagues.

Before I even graduated, I had multiple job offers and over 1,000 clinical hours. I was so prepared that it felt great to be in my own classroom. Being hired at my residency school provided a smooth transition into my teaching career with the same support system of mentors surrounding me. As a first year teacher, I scored highly effective on my teaching evaluation.

I am grateful that Lincoln Parish and Louisiana Tech University chose to invest in me.

I am grateful that Louisianas Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has ensured that all future teachers will have an experience like mine beginning fall 2018.

And, most importantly, I am grateful to have the opportunity to pay the investment forward to my students--Louisianas future--and in the coming years thousands of Louisianas new teachers will be able to as well.

Shavonda Washington

Teacher, Cypress Springs Elementary

Lincoln Parish, Louisiana




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 17, 2017 Contact: Ted Zukoski, Earthjustice, (303) 641-3149, tzukoski@earthjustice.org

Nathaniel Shoaff, Sierra Club, (415) 977-5610, nathaniel.shoaff@sierraclub.org

Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians, (303) 437-7663, jnichols@wildearthguardians.org

Michael Saul, Center for Biological Diversity, (303) 915-8308, msaul@biologicaldiversity.org

Kevin Dowling, Western Organization of Resource Councils, (406) 252-9672, kdowling@worc.org

Amber Reimondo, Grand Canyon Trust, (307) 389-9499, areimondo@grandcanyontrust.org Groups Move to Defend Pause in Federal Coal Leasing Against Lawsuit by Utah Counties Current Coal-leasing System Shortchanges Taxpayers, Threatens Air, Water, Climate SALT LAKE CITY Conservation groups filed a motion in U.S. District Court late Friday to defend a pause in the outdated federal coal-leasing program against a legal challenge by two Utah counties. The pause was put in place by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to allow the federal Bureau of Land Management time to review outdated policies for managing billions of tons of federal coal without locking federal lands into decades more of coal mining. The antiquated federal coal-leasing program is long overdue for review, and BLM shouldn't be racing ahead with more leasing before they ensure that our air, water and climate are protected and that taxpayers are getting a fair deal for the coal they own, said Ted Zukoski, an attorney with Earthjustice representing the coalition of intervenors. We're intervening to oppose the counties' lease-first and think-later approach. Two Utah counties and a county association sued the Interior Department and the BLM in November. The suit alleged that the pause  which halted Alton Coal's bid to expand its Coal Hollow Mine, in Kane County, onto a 640-acre tract of federal land near the Garfield County border  violated the law. If these county governments get their way, thousands of acres of Utah public lands will be put at risk, said Lindsay Beebe, Organizing Representative for the Sierra Club's Utah Beyond Coal campaign. This mine is located only twelve miles southwest of Bryce Canyon National Park and 25 miles northeast of Zion National Park. The federal coal leasing program puts our public lands, our outdoor recreation economy, our health and our climate in jeopardy. Wind and solar are now cost-competitive with coal in many states. It's time for Utah leaders to accept that reality and get serious about supporting workers who are being impacted by our transition to a clean energy economy. Interior Secretary Jewell halted some leasing of federal lands for coal mining in January 2016 pending a final report on the coal-leasing program, which determines how 570 million publicly owned acres are leased to coal companies for exploration and mining. The Interior Department's preliminary analysis for that report, released last Wednesday, calls for major changes to the federal coal program, which has not been significantly updated since 1979. The BLM's review follows reports by the Interior Department's inspector general and the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office that found most federal coal lease auctions involve only one bidder, and that taxpayers weren't always getting the returns they deserve from coal sales. Last week, BLM sold the Greens Hollow coal lease in Utah for 41 cents per ton, meaning federal taxpayers gave up 16,000 pounds of coal for less than the price of a large latte at Starbucks, said WildEarth Guardians Climate and Energy Program Director Jeremy Nichols. That's not a fair return; that's a subsidy for burning dirty coal. The final review of the federal coal program will also study how federal coal leasing contributes to climate change. Combustion of coal mined on federal land is responsible for roughly 10 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, the key driver in human-caused climate change. We cannot meet our climate goals  which are critical to avoid the most catastrophic climate change impacts  while still leasing vast quantities of public coal, said Center for Biological Diversity Senior Attorney Michael Saul. We're intervening because the coal programmatic review and leasing pause aren't just legally required  they're vitally necessary. Over 80 percent of the federal coal applied for under paused leases is in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. Mining operations often occur at the expense of agricultural producers. I live downstream from two large coal mines that degrade the quality of water I use to irrigate my crops, said Mark Fix, a rancher near Miles City, Mont., and a member of the Western Organization of Resource Councils. The coal companies are way behind cleaning up after themselves, and we need the leasing pause so we can take a timeout to fix the problems caused by coal companies before there's more damage. Across the nation, domestic coal production is down from 1.2 billion short tons in 2008 to under 750 million in 2016. The decline is due to market forces, including increased competition from other energy sources, like natural gas. Demand for coal is plummeting because there are cheaper alternatives, said Grand Canyon Trust Energy Program Director Amber Reimondo. A big reason for taking a break from leasing public coal reserves is to figure out how to truly help the people the coal market is deserting, not by propping up dying coal companies by selling them cheap public coal, but by directly helping coal-dependent communities to weather the changing energy market.
For Immediate Release, January 17, 2017 Contact: Randi Spivak, (310) 779-4894, rspivak@biologicaldiversity.org Senate Considers Nomination of Ryan Zinke for Secretary of Interior Nomination Is Disaster for America's Public Lands, Endangered Species, Climate WASHINGTON The Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee today begins a nomination hearing on President-elect Trump's selection of Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) as the next secretary of the Interior. As secretary Zinke would oversee the nation's more than 1,500 endangered species, hundreds of millions of acres of public land, including national parks, high deserts and national wildlife refuges. The Center for Biological Diversity sent a letter of opposition to members of the committee in advance of today's hearing. The incoming Interior secretary will decide the fate of several high-profile Obama administration environmental decisions, including the moratorium on most new federal coal leases and protection of imperiled species like the greater sage grouse. During his short time in Congress, Rep. Zinke has earned a 3 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters. When given the opportunity, he has voted consistently against protecting America's public lands, waters and native wildlife while prioritizing the narrow, short-term interests of corporate and extractive industries. Zinke's brief political career has been substantially devoted to attacking endangered species and the Endangered Species Act, said Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center. He led efforts to strip federal protections for endangered wolves, sage grouse and other wildlife, voted to exempt massive agribusiness and water developers from Endangered Species Act rules, and opposed efforts to crack down on the international black market ivory trade. In 2012 Zinke signed the extremist Montana Constitutional Governance Pledge promising to legally and administratively oppose the multitude of bureaucracies that have sprung up to enforce the unlawful seizure of our native land and its resources including, but not limited to: the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Park Service, the various bureaus of Wildlife and Fisheries, etc., and restore the rightful powers over the land to the State and private ownership. If Rep. Zinke is confirmed he would be in charge of the very agencies that this pledge promises to eviscerate, said Suckling. During confirmation hearings the Senate needs to thoroughly question Zinke on his stated intentions to hand over federal authority to the state and private interests. Zinke has voted for the cynically named Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015, one of several schemes to turn control of public land over to industry-dominated panels. It was widely opposed by conservationists, sportsmen, businesses and even some timber companies for dispensing with environmental laws and public involvement in order to ramp up unsustainable logging levels. The coal, oil and gas industries have heavily funded Zinke's congressional campaigns. Since 2011 he has taken $312,536 from oil and gas industries. He has changed his public position on climate change and now says that it is not proven science. He also introduced legislation to overturn President Obama's moratorium on the federal coal program that contributes significantly to U.S. emissions. Zinke champions turning control of public lands over to states and private interests to greatly increase logging, livestock grazing, mining and oil and gas drilling while significantly reducing environmental protections and public input, Suckling said. Under such a scheme, the federal government, taxpayers and wildlife would bear the costs through nominal retention of land title. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
It can be tough to be a vegetarian. You have to work harder than everyone else to make sure youre getting all the nutrients your body needs. So, when its time to take a
Detroit Teachers Settle Case Over Poor Building Conditions

This week, the Detroit Public School Teachers' Union agreed to settle one of the two cases it has brought against the school district and state because of the school system's many failures. The parties were able to come to a compromise regarding claims over the poor building conditions. The settlement agreement provides for a new process to ensure that building repairs get completed in a timely fashion, and appoints an oversight committee to enforce the agreement.

The condition of some Detroit schools are so appalling that this litigation was actually necessary. Teachers complained not just about overcrowding and low pay, but also about the literal conditions of the buildings. Classrooms had mold, vermin, and were actually crumbling. While the Detroit schools are facing a funding crisis, the teachers are dismayed about the conditions that the children are subjected to. So much so that early last year, they organized a walk out that shut down nearly 90 percent of district's schools for one day.

The Right to Read

The other lawsuit being maintained by the Detroit Teachers' Union asserts that the students are being denied their constitutional right to an education. The lawsuit alleges that in five Detroit schools, there are classrooms with no teachers, and no textbooks. That children are essentially warehoused for seven hours a day, and that classrooms often don't have heating or cooling and can range from excessively hot to freezing cold.

The Constitutional Right to an Education

Technically, the United States Constitution does not guarantee the right to an education. However, the Fourteenth Amendment does provide that when public education is provided, state and local entities cannot discriminate. The right to read case being brought by the Detroit teachers alleges that the state of Michigan, which actual took control of the Detroit public schools due to a funding crisis the district faced some years back, has discriminated in the education provided to the school kids in the failing Detroit schools.

The case is still in the early stages of litigation. However, it will be interesting to see whether the state will be held liable for a local government's failure, while the state controlled that part of the local government.

Related Resources:
In a move to further lower the cost to communicate and increase digital and social connectivity in South Africa, Vodacom announces the launch of Facebook Flex. This is the first of many products to launch under the Vodacom Siyakha platform. Facebook Flex will give customers on the Vodacom network an opportunity to connect with friends and family using the basic version of Facebook for free.

Once signed up to the service, Vodacom customers can update their Facebook status and comment on posts without using data. Should users wish to view pictures or videos, they can easily switch from the free version to data mode to access the full Facebook service.

According to the company, Facebook Flex is the first of many products to launch under the Vodacom Siyakha platform, which will offer free (zero-rated) and lower priced products and services to the emerging prepaid segment of Vodacoms customer base. This includes a range of the company's insurance products, free health content from the TV series Hello Doctor as well as Vodacoms infotainment platform Video Play.

For example, for 99c Siyakha customers can view the latest music content and the best local soapies. In terms of access to other free content, Siyakha will house Vodacoms existing educational portals and careers and jobs websites.

Bridging the digital divide

Nyimpini Mabunda, chief officer: consumer business unit, says that Vodacoms Siyakha initiative is an important part of Vodacoms effort to ensure digital inclusion for all its customers. Network operators like ourselves have a role to play in reducing the digital divide, particularly between those in urban and rural areas. In all our efforts we are mindful of the immense pressures that consumers face which are largely associated with the cost to communicate. The popularity and the extensive use of social media services such as Facebook as a means of communication has made it a necessity rather than a luxury.

The introduction of this platform is another way in which we will seek to deliver greater value to our customers, particularly the prepaid market. By driving a segmented customer approach, we will be able to better cater for and develop more personalised and needs-based products and services for all of our customers, adds Nyimpini.

To use Facebook Flex customers can log on to Facebook.com or dial *111*32#.
It has been exposed in a battle of toothpastes that when it comes to protecting your pearly whites Aquafresh Complete Care is not necessarily better than other brands, as suggested in an advert.

The Advertising Standards Authority ordered it to withdraw unsubstantiated claims made in an ad campaign and on packaging, which claimed it offered 24-hour sugar acid protection.

Colgate-Palmolive launched the complaint against Aquafresh.

"Get around the clock defence against everyday sugars with new Aquafresh Complete Care" and "eight key benefits with 24-hour sugar acid protection" - with imagery of a super hero fighting off sugary food in Aquafresh's TV ad, a billboard campaign and Aquafresh packaging - formed part of the complaint.

Aquafresh is a standard fluoride toothpaste. Aquafresh has - like many others on the market - no extra ingredients that would offer such protection, said Colgate-Palmolive.

Aquafresh conceded its product contained no unique ingredients but said its ads did not assert superior protection. The ASA found that Aquafresh had overstated the effects of its product with unsubstantiated claims.
Despite much hype and 'this is the year of mobile' predictions, the local market still hasn't quite reached its potential in terms of using mobile as a transacting tool.

For a country with near-100% mobile penetration, South Africa has often lagged less sophisticated African peers in the use of mobile as a transacting tool. The overwhelming majority of transactions are still being conducted with cash and cards.

However, a confluence of trends and a maturing consumer market that is far more confident in its use of technology is bringing sweeping changes to the way South Africans bank, buy and engage with brands.

Amidst all this change, four signs are emerging that the future economy is built on mobile, namely:

Sign 1  Payments

Globally, major brands such as Apple, Google and PayPal are driving the uptake of mobile payment technology. While these brands are yet to make any significant inroads into the South African market, we are not without our own mobile payment innovations. Already we have seen homegrown innovations such as SnapScan make huge inroads into the consumer market; with global mega-brand WeChat building its own payment tech on top of SnapScan, we expect to see mobile payments entrenched in the day-to-day purchasing behaviour of South African consumers.

Locally, uptake of mobile and digital payments has been strong, but there remains great scope for growth. A 2015 FinScope survey found that only 13.7 million  or 37%  of South African adults use digital payments monthly. This figure is expected to increase dramatically as more affordable smartphones enter the market and government policy to increase connectivity for all citizens gains ground.

Sign 2  mCommerce

According to research by Coupofy, a US coupons and deals site, mobile commerce is growing 300% faster than e-commerce. In fact, sales during the 2015 holiday season in the US showed a 45% increase in mobile traffic and a massive 82% increase in sales revenue. With the continued convergence of the physical and online worlds, the mobile phone will become the primary online commerce tool as consumers seek information about products, compare prices, request recommendations from social connections and transact  all via their smartphones.

New trends toward social shopping, where products on social media sites such as Instagram and Pinterest can easily be bought using a Buy button, also position mobile well: more than 80% of social media traffic comes from mobile.

Most tellingly, however, is that major US shopping holidays have made their way to South Africa, as can be evidenced by the recent nationwide shopping frenzy end-November. And with data from the American holiday showing record-breaking mobile shopping numbers, South African retailers need to stand up and notice. Many have already utilised the plug-and-play mobile transacting suite offered by wiBlox, which enables them to build transacting features such as loyalty, rewards, coupons and more into their existing mobile apps to increase customer loyalty and engagement.

Sign 3  Personalisation

According to futurist and marketing expert Brian Solis, experiences will soon become more important to a companys success than products. As wearables and other connected devices that form part of the Internet of Things continue to stream into the market, savvy brands will have access to unprecedented volumes of customer data. Using this data effectively to deliver personalised customer experiences will enable companies to build true loyalty with customers.

By tracking customer behaviour, brands are able to introduce the right value-add offerings at the right time, all enabled by mobile. Brands such as Discovery Vitality are doing an excellent job at this already: by using behavioural analytics linked to individual customer profiles, Vitality issues rewards to its members mobile phones. Thanks to the wiCode platform, the rewards can be redeemed at the point-of-sale of select Vitalitys retail and hospitality partners.

Expect to see more brands across various industries making a play to maintain relevance in a challenging market by offering customers tailor-made products and experiences at the most appropriate time in the buying cycle, enabled by mobile.

Sign 4  mBanking

Ever since mPesa made international waves for its extraordinary success in Kenya (and subsequent rollout to other African markets), mobile money has been heralded as the next great African technology trend. In South Africa, where close to 30% of the population remains unbanked, mobile money often offers the easiest and most accessible entry point to the banking system.

A study conducted by Gallup found that more than half of all adults in sub-Saharan Africa make at least one long-distance payment every month, valued at $760bn per year. Currently most of these payments are done in cash, which is costly to the consumer and to the financial services providers. Mobile remittance payments are more cost-effective than cash-based ones and, as new low-cost smartphones continue to enter the local market, its not unrealistic to expect mobile remittances to overtake cash-based ones in the near future. Already, data is supporting this: mobile remittance transactions grew by 50% in 2015 according to a recent study, outpacing the growth of in-store remittances (27% in 2015).

With the wiCode platform, money transfer providers are able to access more than 20,000 till lanes across South Africa. Enabling mobile money at the retail point-of-sale has never been easier.
Eskom has been accused of deliberately distorting facts about the cost of renewable power purchases.

The power utility issued a statement last week in which it claimed renewable energy was causing "a net loss" to the economy. "For the first six months of 2015, Eskom purchased 2 terawatt hours [TWh] of wind and solar PV [photovoltaic power]," Eskom said in the statement.

"The CSIR [Council for Scientific and Industrial Research] calculated a total financial benefit of R8.2bn. This was offset against the R4.3bn renewable energy tariff cost, resulting in a net economic benefit of just under R4bn."

But things changed thereafter, according to Eskom.

"From January to December 2016, Eskom purchased 6 TWh of renewable energy from solar PV and wind," it stated.

"Using the same methodology, Eskom calculated the financial benefits, which amounted to R3.2bn. This was offset against the renewable energy tariff cost of R12.2bn, resulting in a net loss of R9bn to the economy."

But Cape Town-based environmental and climate change organisation Project 90 by 2030 said Eskom's assertions were wrong. Richard Halsey, a member of its policy and research team, said Eskom had arrived at the net-loss figure of R9bn using a CSIR methodology that showed the economic benefit of renewables in the first six months of 2015 to be almost R4bn. Eskom had applied the methodology incorrectly, he said. "In early 2015, the power system was constrained; hence diesel was used in open-cycle gas turbines to prevent load shedding.

"The CSIR methodology was specifically designed to measure the immediate fuel-saving effect of renewables in such circumstances," he said.

"In 2016 there were no power system constraints, and in fact, as per its media statement, 'Eskom currently has surplus capacity until 2021', the CSIR methodology used in 2015 was not appropriate for use in the different circumstances of 2016, and it is misleading to extend the financial figure to something other than its intended purpose.

"It is easy to see that renewable energy is now the cheapest source of new-build electricity and getting cheaper, while coal is becoming more expensive financially, socially, and environmentally."

Eskom has been supporting nuclear energy power, arguing that renewables are unreliable, erratic and expensive.

The South African Renewable Energy Council said last week Eskom was "opportunistic in its attempt to mislead and deceive the public, to serve its bid for nuclear power".

Source: Business Day
$3M Settlement for Man Paralyzed at AirMaxx Trampoline Park

In life, like in business, sometimes the most rewarding things, involve the most risk. Unfortunately for thrill seekers, there are some pretty serious consequences. In 2015, a 39-year-old Minnesota man was at an AirMaxx trampoline park with his son and wound up paralyzed from the neck down due to jump and fall. The facility had a foam pit that the man jumped into; but he landed on his neck, severing his spinal cord.

Despite having signed a waiver of liability prior to starting to jump around, the man's attorneys alleged gross negligence, which generally cannot be waived. The trampoline park and plaintiff recently settled the man's injury case for $3 million during mediation.

Big Settlement From Big Injuries

When someone is permanently injured in a disabling way, no financial award may adequately compensate the loss. For the plaintiff in this case, while $3 million is a lot of money, he is now paralyzed from the neck down. Much of the $3 million will be needed for future health care costs, and to adapt to a completely changed way of life. At 39 years old, he still has a significant life expectancy ahead of him, and likely will be unable to work.

Trampolines are dangerous and can lead to big liability because of the risk of big injuries. An older case that made headlines for the large $14.7 million settlement was the 2012 case of an adult injured twenty years before, while in middle school, as a result of trampoline accident at school. Similarly, the plaintiff there was paralyzed as a result of the trampoline accident, which justifies the multi-million dollar settlement amount.

Catastrophic Injuries

When a person suffers a catastrophic, life changing injury, seeking legal counsel from a qualified injury attorney is likely advisable. If the injury is the result of another's negligence, or worse, an intentional act, you may be able to bring a legal action. Even if you are partly to blame, depending on whether your state follows contributory or comparative negligence rules, you may still be able to recover.

Related Resources:
First National Bank (FNB) and RMB have been recognised as the Best Forex Provider in South Africa at the 17th annual World's Best FX Provider for 2017 hosted by Global Finance Magazine. FNB and RMB represent the foreign exchange and cross-border payments offerings of FirstRand through a combined Foreign Exchange Product House (FXPH) which offers integrated solutions. FNB was also awarded as best Forex provider in Botswana.

The awards measure transactional volumes, market share, scope of global coverage, customer service, competitive pricing and innovative technologies. The winners were selected from 93 countries and seven global regions, looking into the best banks for corporate currency hedging, the best online FX platforms and the best providers of FX research.

Anthony Grant, CEO of FNB Foreign Exchange says the award recognises their collective effort to offer the best foreign exchange products and services to a wide range of customers, from individuals to corporates and financial institutions.

Foreign Exchange and cross-border payments are provided by the product house through FNB for individuals, commercial and business entities while RMB focuses on corporate and institutional clients. Over the years we have made sizeable investments in our infrastructure to ensure we offer a seamless and holistic foreign exchange service that is accessible to clients across convenient digital platforms.

The two brands have foreign exchange dealing rooms in nine Africans countries and between June 2015 and June 2016 over 1.7 million forex transactions were recorded. The use of digital platforms continues to play a central role as clients have access to innovative tools such as the FNB Online Banking Enterprise and a web-based dealing tool known as Accelerate.
The EU says the link between imports from the bloc and "alleged disturbances" in the South African chicken market is not clearly established - especially in relation to two years of drought in SA. South African chicken producers and the Food and Allied Workers Union have criticised the Department of Trade and Industry, saying it is doing nothing while thousands of workers are losing their jobs, mainly because of EU imports.

But the EU says there "appears to have been no real consideration" of the jump in local feed costs in 2016, which make up to 75% of the cost of raising a chicken. "Alleged inefficiencies" may also hamper the competitiveness of South African producers, it says.

Massimo De Luca, head of trade and economics at the delegation of the EU to SA, says: "There can be little doubt that the cost of chicken in SA has been negatively impacted by the recent drought."

He also says other factors, such as the "quality of imported chicken", might also play a role.

On December 15, SA imposed a provisional safeguard duty of 13.9% on chicken imported from the EU. This affects all imports of frozen bone-in portions of chicken imported from any producer or importer from any EU country. De Luca says the duty is on top of antidumping duties already imposed on poultry imports from the Netherlands, Germany, and Britain. The department says the duty will "provide an opportunity to find a mutually agreed solution with the EU".

The EU says it will be in force until 3 July 2017.

Garth Strachan, the department's deputy director-general of the industrial development division, says the department has assembled a team of experts to assess the depth of the crisis. He also says a meeting between various government departments, business and labour will be convened to discuss this.

Import duty and antidumping measures

In 2013, the import duty on a number of poultry products from countries including Brazil and the US was increased significantly - to 82% for whole birds; 31% for carcasses; 12% for boneless cuts; and 37% for bone-in portions. But these duties are not applicable to EU imports as SA has a preferential trade agreement with the bloc.

In 2015, however, antidumping measures ranging from 3.86% to 73.33% were imposed on frozen bone-in pieces from Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK.

The EU says there has been an investigation by SA's International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) into the "alleged dumping" of EU chicken since 2013. "The EU position will be presented to Itac," De Luca says.

In October 2016, an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) came into force between the EU and the Southern African Development Community, providing for "better market access for agricultural products."

"Against this background, new trade defence measures that limit market access to the other party's market are to be subject to discussions in a special trade and development committee to be convened under the EPA agreement," De Luca says.

Brining practices

"In the same vein, it appears that the impact of SA's poultry industry brining practices on consumer choice has not been thoroughly assessed," he says. The issue of brining touches a nerve in SA's poultry industry. This is the practice of injecting salty and often spicy water into chicken, which the industry says makes it more succulent.

SA is accused of injecting up to 40% of brine into chicken products. Critics say this means consumers are paying for salty water rather than chicken.

New regulations impose a cap of 15% brine on individually quick-frozen portions and 10% on whole birds. Some countries, such as Brazil, ban brining entirely. Others limit it to 8% of a chicken's weight.

Source: Business Day
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has sanctioned investigations into officers who were on the scene during a fatal shooting of an officer in Katlehong in Gauteng.

A video, which has gone viral on social media, shows the fatal shooting of Constable Tshepo Tladi, 35, during an armed robbery at Twala Section, Katlehong North on Thursday, 12 January 2017.

The surveillance footage shows Tladi shooting a rifle at robbers before standing up in his colleagues line of fire, then collapsing after being shot in the back of the head.

The Acting National Commissioner of the SAPS, Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane, on Tuesday sanctioned both misconduct and criminal investigations into the incident.

The investigations, which will be done in collaboration with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), will focus on the members who were on the scene to ensure that those responsible for the fatal shooting are dealt with accordingly.

An internal investigation is also underway with a view to instituting disciplinary action against any member or members found to have committed an offence or contravened SAPS regulations.

Should there be evidence to prove that police members tampered with the scene or that there was any type of a cover-up, Lieutenant General Phahlane said there will certainly be judicial consequences.

Lieutenant General Phahlane added that the police were extremely disturbed by the video footage.

The insensitivity of the media in circulating a traumatic video of this nature is conspired sensational journalism and unfortunate.

That the late members family has been subjected to the trauma of witnessing his death through viral video footage is regrettable and we extend our deepest condolences to them. We will ensure that justice prevails, he said.
In an era of innovation, everyone has an opportunity to disrupt the market, but few will succeed. This is according to Henning du Preez, disruptive innovation evangelist and speaker at the recent Customer Centricity Forum 2016. The Johannesburg event was hosted by Genesys, a provider of omnichannel customer experience and contact centre solutions.

Du Preez said 52% of Fortune 500 companies had disappeared over the past 15 years, while disruptive and innovative companies such as Uber and Airbnb were thriving. New disruptors have the potential to move from idea to a $1 billion valuation in just a few years.

Key principles of innovation

What drives this rapid growth is innovating exceptional value for customers, he noted. Innovation is about perceived value: the market has to be enthusiastic about it. But most of the products designed today arent wanted. To succeed, innovation must meet the inventors and the markets perception of value and make it a must have product."

To assess and affect the adoptability of any innovation, innovators have to focus on two key principles, according to du Preez: Innovation can only create value if it can diminish a limitation, he said. Innovation alone is not sufficient, however. The market must also adopt new rules in order to realise the full value of the innovation.

An example of this was the invention of buckets or containers to carry water, he said. In themselves, the features of the bucket were sound, but the fact that they freed people to move further away from fresh water sources made the innovation remarkable. On the other hand, Material Requirements Planning (MRP) software which should have proved revolutionary took 15 years to deliver value, because the companies implementing it did not change their operations to fully benefit from the potential.

Innovators should not ask What problem am I solving? but rather What limitation am I ending? and at the same time, change the market rules.

Enhancing customer experience

Also speaking at the event, Deon Scheepers, Genesys senior manager of operations, Africa, noted that digital innovation has to be harnessed to drive the customer experience. Gartner predicted that 89% of companies expected to compete on the basis of customer experience by this year, he said.

And the pace of change is picking up. Digital capability enables disruption, and now we find ourselves entering the fourth industrial revolution.

Scheepers pointed to the cloud, augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and chatbots as transforming the customer experience and, with it, contact centre operations. As companies pivot their operations around a new customer-centric model, digital technologies will prove the enabler, he said.
South African Airways (SAA) has appointed aviation consultants Seabury to advise its board on the restructuring process being undertaken by the airline. Seabury started work on Monday, advising the board on growing revenue and on a long-term business plan.

NJR ZA via Wikimedia Commons

SAA's confirmation of the appointment on Sunday means there are two consultants working at the airline at the same time. Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown recently announced Bain & Co SA had been paid R12.1m to develop the corporate plan for the merger of SAA, SA Express, and Mango. It is expected to conclude its brief by the end of January.

Seabury was appointed following a confined bidding process and would report to the board and the CEO, SAA spokesman Tlali Tlali said. He said the advisory team was set up "to look into SAA's funding requirements and to find lasting solutions or proposals for the airline's liquidity challenges. The proposals will be accompanied by an implementation plan with specific milestones and timelines."

He said the terms of reference for the two consulting companies were different.

According to a proposal seen by Business Day, SAA mooted the appointment of a chief restructuring officer, who would establish an executive committee to advise on the long-term plan. SAA said on Sunday that the chief restructuring officer was a consultant from Seabury and there was no executive committee.

Anger over pace of transformation at airline

The ANC Women's League is angry at the pace of transformation at the airline. The league called for a parliamentary inquiry into "alleged internal and external forces" at SAA, saying it would push for state-owned enterprises to procure only from companies that were more than 50%-owned by black women.

SAA board chairwoman Dudu Myeni raised similar concerns in a letter she wrote to the parliamentary portfolio committee last October.

Myeni cited Bain & Co as among the consultants that received "wasteful" payments from previous boards and executive administrations. The women's league said Bain & Co was the largest consultancy in SAA, receiving a R208.9m handshake after selling the airline's fleet "under the guise of turning the airline around 15 years ago".

The newly appointed SAA board is expected to present a turnaround strategy to Parliament in February.

The three airlines face possible rationalisation, with the Treasury and Department of Public Enterprises considering whether a new holding company should be created or if the airlines could be merged.

Performance of SAA linked to historical decisions according to Myeni

"The performance of SAA in the 2014-15 financial year is inextricably linked to the historical performance of the airline of at least the past 18 years," Myeni said in her letter. "The past three boards of directors and management teams of SAA have continued to be constrained by these historical decisions, whose impact continues to permeate the operations of SAA to date."

"Mismanagement" included that of former CEO Coleman Andrews, who Myeni said was a founding member of Bain Capital and had appointed Bain & Co as a consultant to SAA. Andrews is no longer part of Bain & Co.

DA deputy finance spokesman Alf Lees said on Monday that the party would ask that information on the Seabury contract be presented to the parliamentary portfolio committee on finance.

Myeni insists that she acted in the best interests of the company

Meanwhile, Myeni faces allegations that she misled then public enterprises minister Malusi Gigaba in 2013 on the board's intention to lease 10 aircraft. The Mail & Guardian reported on Friday that the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission had found Myeni contravened two sections of the Companies Act because of an alleged failure to provide evidence of a board resolution to lease two aircraft.

ENSafrica director George van Niekerk, representing Myeni, said on Friday a letter had been written to the commission seeking clarity on the findings and as a first step to challenging them, saying Myeni denied willfully misleading Gigaba. "She insists that she always acted in good faith, for a proper purpose, and in the best interests of the company," he said.

The Treasury said on Monday that the appointment of a restructuring officer followed a requirement by lenders of some reassuring process, given the airline's financial position.

"It is a management function within SAA responsible for reviewing the revised long-term turnaround strategy, which the board will submit to National Treasury in June 2017.

"It will continuously be advising SAA on the restructuring and the turnaround strategy," the Treasury said.

It noted that Bain Capital and Bain & Co were separate companies, and Andrews was no longer associated with Bain & Co, which shared no governance or financial structure, or employees, with Bain Capital.

Source: Business Day
The burning Ford Kuga issue is not only a PR nightmare but a demonstration of how badly social media is handled in South Africa.

And I am expecting to have my hands full this year showing local companies how to avoid committing brand suicide through ill-conceived PR and especially mishandled social media management.

The notion that all publicity is good publicity has been proved wrong in the past week as Ford SA PR and social media is seriously damaging its brand.

The past few months has shown Ford facing a firestorm consumer backlash over an alarming number its Ford Kuga models bursting into flame.

Fords PR response has been pitiful and typical of so many car manufacturers who respond to crises by just sitting back and hoping it will all go away. But, Fords PR obfuscation, denials and lame media statements are just part of their problem.

Right now Ford SA is continuing to advertise on social media with, for example, Facebook posts promoting their products.

Trouble is that the vast majority of comments to those posts are from disgruntled Ford owners - not only those worried about their Kugas bursting into flame but a host of other complaints.

Of course, social media is a great platform for any brand to encourage complaints so that these can be solved. But, Ford is getting it all wrong.

It is insane to do this via advertising that completely ignores the Kuga crisis as though it belongs on some other planet.

Ford also makes the monumental mistake of responding to these complaints by posting requests along the lines of: Sorry to hear you are having a problem, please inbox us with your contact details so we can help find a solution.

Frankly, that is precisely how not to use social media. In this case they are having to ask this question hundreds of times and there is no way they are going to be able to contact all those people quickly enough.

In addition, more and more brands are using this please inbox us your contact details ploy as a way of giving some sort of assurance to all those who read it, that they showing concern and are prepared to do something about it.

Unfortunately far too many companies actually dont respond when customers do send them their contact details. Or take far too long to get back to them.

Brands that are serious about using social media to their advantage need to get used to the fact that they need to continue the conversation on social media for all to see.

Because it is not only the complainant who wants to get some sort of action but every other customer and potential customer looking at the comments section.

Social media is one of the best customer service tools around, but when it is not done properly, as Ford is demonstrating, it can be extremely dangerous.

The sad part of marketing in South Africa is that too many companies believe that they are handling their social media accounts properly when in fact all they are doing is adding fuel to fires.

Outsourcing social media management is one of the most dangerous of all practices. Keeping it in-house but not empowering social media staff is almost just as bad.

Strangely enough, it is a very simple process when it is done right.

When it isnt, it's hell on earth. As Ford is finding with the resale value of Kuga models dropping like lead bricks. Time will tell what it does to new vehicle sales.

Just a couple of hours is all it takes for me to show the way. Give me a call.




Out of Home (OOH) is in the midst of a revolution that is changing how it is planned, bought and its interaction with people. Mixing all of these ingredients together moves OOH into an unseen and largely untested realm. Posterscope's international and local experts explore how many of our pre-existing rules, recommendations and benchmarks will be re-examined in 2017.

Attendees will have access to networks with international and local OOH experts. An open panel discussion will allow those in attendance to ask their burning questions, which will encourage open debate around the hot topics in OOH arena. To really get to grips with where the future of OOH is heading, this is a conference not to be missed. The conference will be taking place in Sandton, Johannesburg on 16 February. The early bird cost per ticket is R800 per person (incl. meals, refreshment and rooftop networking after party).

A bit about the speakers:

Nic Halas, Head of Futures for Posterscope UK, will unpack some global OOH Trends that will inform where we are likely to be heading. Nic has extensive experience across media agencies, media owner and telecommunications, with business strategy at his core and a passion for consumer understanding and analytics. He uses this experience to influence commercial approach and results by either leading global communication strategies, forging new data and product partnerships or creating collaborative synergies across our media partners. Nic strives to develop new solutions to business problems and will impart his global knowledge, giving attendees a look into the future.

Bruce Burgess, Group Managing Director for Posterscope Sub-Saharan Africa, has been a OOH specialist for eight years, building up experience across a range of major and minor brands across several countries in Africa. Pioneering and driving Posterscopes evolution into an OOH specialist agency, for the digital economy is his mandate. Attendees can look forward to him discussing how mobile and location are coming together to give us powerful consumer and ROI data for OOH and giving his thoughts on creativity in OOH and the potential of dynamic digital content.

Graham Deneys, Group Strategy Director for Carat SA & SSA, is responsible for the overall strategic output at Carat. Working with core teams across all accounts to ensure consistency and structured strategic and creative delivery. Grahams responsibilities include the creation and implementation of pan-African strategy for key clients from the SSA hub based in South Africa. Graham will be giving a view on the strategic relevance of OOH in an increasingly digital world.

The Future Defining Themes of OOH Conference is an open invite event for all media and marketing experts in sub-Saharan Africa.

Join Posterscope as they unlock the endless power of location data and its power to discover what people think, feel and do Out of Home.

Please contact: moc.sigeaustned@sesom.ylleK for more details.




From the page to the stage

Every year, Top 500 - South Africa's Best Managed Companies profiles the top five companies

in 100 business sectors. Together making up the economy's lauded Top 500, these heavyweight companies have an annual combined turnover of over R3.5 trillion and comprise the vanguard of corporate South Africa.

The Top 500 publication sits in the top drawer of local and international CEOs' desks and

is frequently referenced to inform their business decisions, investments and partnerships worth billions, in both the private and public sector. Companies qualify for inclusion in its pages based on research methodology designed by the Topco Research Department and the University of Cape Town's Development Policy Research Unit.The 2016 performance of more than 2,000 companies was researched and quantified for the latest edition, published ahead of the new year.

Now, for the first time, qualifying leading companies in Top 500's 100 business sectors will be able to step out of its pages and vie for grand honours at the inaugural Top 500 Awards, taking place in Johannesburg this year.

This new annual black-tie event will see an elite inner circle of companies named as the best of the Top - admirals at the helm of the economy. The hundreds of distinguished individuals in attendance to salute their success will include a host of governmental leaders, CEOs and magnates, celebrities and industry analysts.

Who will be crowned South Africa's Best Managed Company?

The Top 500 Awards will distill the latest publication's 100 sectors into 14 broader categories, while also introducing three standalone awards: CEO of the Year; Lifetime Achievement Award and, for one top company, the supreme award for South Africa's Best Managed Company of the Year. This accolade will conclude the evening's roll-call of honour, which will comprise:

Resources Award



Basic Industries Award



General Industrials Award



Consumer Goods Award



Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals Award



Retail Award



Hospitality Award



Media Award



Business Support Services Award



Transport Award



Financial Services Award



ICT Award



Governmental Award



Diversified Holdings Award



CEO of the Year Award



Lifetime Achievement Award



South Africa's Best Managed Company Award

A small suite of select partnership and sponsorship opportunities still remain, for companies wishing to share the limelight at the highly anticipated Top 500 Awards. For more information, contact az.oc.ocpot@sdrawde.euqilegna or call 0860 009 590.




Carmaker Ford had to be threatened with an ultimatum to make it take action - "Either you sort out your combusting Kuga SUVs or we will".

The ultimatum, given by the National Consumer Commission last week, yesterday led to Ford announcing the recall of 4556 Ford Kuga 1.6s made between 2012 and 2014.

The recall was announced after a meeting on Friday between senior Ford executives and National Consumer Commission lawyers. The Ford executives "pleaded" for more time but to no avail.

The carmaker had been given until 28 February 2017 to resolve the problem but a sudden increase in the number of fires prompted the commission to order Ford to announce the recall yesterday, 16 January.

Yesterday Ford SA chief executive Jeffery Nemeth was at pains to claim that customer safety was the company's top priority.

But, in an interview with The Times, he said none of the company's executives would lose his job because of the debacle.

The company maintains that the Kuga fires were caused by a coolant system fault exacerbated by South Africa's hot climate.

Investigations have revealed that the fires were caused by overheating, which led to cylinder heads cracking and oil leaking.

Recalled vehicles will be subjected to a software update and a check on the cylinder head, he said.

The compulsory safety recall is being made only after 48 of the family SUVs burst into flames since December 2015. Eleven fires occurred this month.

Johannesburg businessman Reshall Jimmy was killed when his Kuga caught fire while he was on holiday in the Wilderness, Western Cape, in December 2015.

"One incident is one too many," said National Consumer Commission member Ebrahim Mohamed, "and this issue has dragged on for too long."

"No brand is above the law. The commission has concerns for the users of the Kuga and the various life-threatening incidents.

"A product that poses risks to consumers doesn't have a place in our market place."

Ford's Nemeth said that although the investigation of the Jimmy fire had not been concluded, Ford believed that it was a unique case and not caused by an engine fire.

A commission source told The Times that the commission had ordered Ford to recall the Kugas last week but the company's executives had "pleaded" for more time.

"They cited the chaos it would cause if they had to do it last week. The commission said 'fine', but it had to be announced today [yesterday].

"The ultimatum was 'If you don't, we will," the source said.

Mohamed said the National Consumer Commission decided last week that if Ford did not issue a recall then it would.

"Ford must come up with a strategy to deal with the problem and provide bi-weekly updates," he said.

"This is a critical safety matter and we will be monitoring it closely.

"People must know that this recall is not the end of the matter. The commission can still conduct further investigations and can rope in other government bodies."

Nemeth said: "We don't take this lightly. The investigation will look at a number of issues around the cooling system and why warning lights and systems were not responding as they should.

"We have investigated every case that was brought to us and have taken 15 engines from the affected cars for examination in the US and in Europe."

He said the company would evaluate the information obtained from the examinations and use it to design and build robust systems that would prevent more such fires. Nemeth said: "People whose cars burnt must go to their insurance companies. It is an insurance matter.

"We will interact with the victims and the insurance companies - and we hope they will buy another Ford."
Brand South Africa is telling the world that the country is open for business through a global campaign on CNN, coinciding with the World Economic Forum taking place at Davos, Switzerland, this week.

The new multi-platform advertising and sponsorship campaign shows the benefits of South Africa as an attractive investment destination, taking advantage of CNNs unrivalled reach amongst business decision makers, investors, opinion leaders and business travellers via TV and digital.

At the heart of the campaign is Brand South Africas sponsorship of a Made in South Africa digital content hub on CNNMoney, going live the week after Davos. As an exclusive sponsor Brand South Africa branding will be visually aligned with CNNMoneys editorial multi-media content. The digital campaign will be targeted using CNN Audience Insight Measurement (AIM) to reach key business audiences in Africa, BRICs nations and Europe.

On TV, CNN is the exclusive international news network to carry Brand South Africas Inspiring New Ways brand spot, airing between January and April 2017. In addition, fact files produced by CNN International Commercials branded content studio Create will run during commercial time on CNN International, outlining South Africas positive investment story.

CNNs business credentials  both from an audience and content perspective  were a key factor in Brand South Africa turning to us as the partner for this campaign, said Cathy Ibal, VP, Advertising Sales, CNN International Commercial. South Africa has an important investment story to tell and we are delighted to be the platform to do this through a creative mix of TV, digital, branded content and sponsored editorial underpinned by smart use of data.

Brand South Africas CEO, Kingsley Makhubela adds, Brand South Africa chose CNN International as its global media partner to ensure that the message of South Africa as a globally competitive nation brand that inspires new ways reaches its target audience in identified markets. Brand South Africa is pleased to be working with CNN International and its global marketing team.
Liberal Politics from the Heart of Bluegrass Country
Econet Media is betting heavily on e-sports, the latest phenomenon in online gaming. The online video activity is gaining popularity across the world, attracting millions of viewers. Lately, broadcasters have sought ways to enter the lucrative market.

FIA on Econet

Econet Media has secured an online channel from ESL, a company that organises e-sports tournaments. The channel is available on Econet Media's Kwese app and showcases video games competitions.

The popularity of e-sports has surged in recent years on improved internet access. Econet Media is a subsidiary of Econet Group, founded by businessman Strive Masiyiwa.

There was an opportunity for Kwese to own the e-sports space in sub-Saharan Africa, Econet Media CEO Joseph Hundah said. It planned to make the ESL channel available on its pay-TV platform when it launched in a number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

"E-sports is a big part of our strategy," said Hundah. While the sport is still in its early stages, with no formal body, Hundah said that would change as it garnered more interest from investors. "This is a new revolution in sports," said Hundah.

"There are people that are spending time watching video games competitions. There are even commentators for these games. It is quite fascinating," said Hundah.

The players and viewers are sometimes based in different countries. Econet Media does not have plans to develop its own games, but it will host tournaments to promote e-sports on its platform.

In SA, where the online gaming market is estimated to be valued at R3bn, companies such as Telkom, Kagiso and MWeb have hosted and sponsored online video games. In November 2016, Kagiso Media, through e-sports platform Mega8, hosted its first tournament in a bid to grow and further legitimise the industry.

Kagiso Media chief innovation officer, Vincent Maher, said the tournament was a success and attracted 7,000 viewers. With more tournaments expected to be held in 2017, "brand interest is at an all-time high and there are going to be lots of new sponsors entering the space", Maher said.

A report by US-based Super Data Research released in July 2016 predicts e-sports viewership will reach 303-million by 2019 from an expected 214million by the end of 2016. The report says e-sports is becoming more mainstream and that has attracted traditional media channels such as ESPN.

Broadcasters now have e-sports programmes on their platforms. "There is a growing interest in advertising to the coveted millennial male demographic on a medium they know well," the report says.

Source: Business Day.
FRANKFURT: Social media giant Facebook announced on Sunday that it will introduce new measures to combat fake news in Germany, as Europe's largest economy and most populous nation enters an election year.

"It's important to us that the reports and news posted on Facebook are reliable," a blog post on the Silicon Valley firm's German website read.

German politicians have warned that populist parties and foreign nations could use fake news to try and influence parliamentary elections slated for September or October.

Facebook's new German initiative targets "unambiguously wrong reports" being shared on the social media platform.

The firm said it would offer a simpler reporting process for users to flag suspected fake news, display warnings next to statements identified as false by independent fact-checking organisations, and cut off advertising revenue to fake news sites presenting themselves as real news organisations.

Stories flagged with a fake news warning will not be eligible to be converted into an ad seen by other users or "promoted" into other users' feeds for a fee.

"We think that independent and transparent fact-checking can be a powerful instrument for journalism," Facebook said.

Nonprofit investigative journalism organisation Correctiv will be the first fact-checking partner in Germany, the firm added, saying that they are "confident" of adding other news organisations in future.

Facebook's latest measures come just days after it announced the creation of a "Journalism Project" aimed at boosting the credibility of the information it circulates.

Source: AFP
Last week a software platform used by 1,000 cannabis businesses crashed. The CEO of MJ Freeway says the outage was caused by an "unprecedented, malicious attack."

From Fortune:

An MJ Freeway spokesperson told the Globe last week that the attack was specifically targeted at MJ Freeway, which is based in Denver. The company reports that it has received no ransom demands, suggesting that the attack could have been personally or politically motivated.

MJ Freeway, which serves more than 1,000 clients, is one of the most prominent startups providing technical infrastructure for the booming legal marijuana industry. In a 2015 Bloomberg profile, the company's services were described as something like SAP or Oracle for weed, with features like automatic sales reports, staff scheduling, and crop data tracking.
Sports psychologist, Jannie Botha, has been appointed as Oxigen Communications newest brand ambassador. The new partnership will have an impact on Oxigen's national and regional communication campaigns, as Botha will lend his expertise in new business development and strategy. The sponsorship deal will see a strengthening in the company's long-term commitment to providing cost effective and innovative marketing support to South African firms.

Botha has previously worked with individual sportsmen, companies such as ABSA, Old Mutual and Sanlam, and universities across the country.
According to the survey of 145 chief executives, editors and digital leaders across 24 countries, 70% believe their position will be strengthened by consumers desire for trusted and accurate news.

Most respondents see the rise of fake news as a chance for quality journalism to stand out but some also fear that the damage to peoples trust could turn people away from news altogether.

Just 17% of respondents said they believed fake news would weaken the position of news media, 8% believed it would make no difference and 5% didnt know.

The report, Journalism, Media and Technology Trends and Predictions 2017, also predicts an explosion in the number of fact-checking services in the months ahead, with Facebook and Google already investing in them. Just this week Facebook announced it has boosted its efforts to combat the spread of fake news by allowing users in Germany to flag stories they believe to be untrue.

Its not just social media platforms that are monitoring fake news. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has set up a new team dedicated to fact-checking news frequently shared on social media.
When Amicus Commercial Finance surveyed 504 small business decision makers in the UK they discovered that the relationship between them and traditional lenders is often strained. In fact, nearly half (47%) said that advice given to them by their bank had had a negative impact on their business and 16% said they were in a worse position having accepted such advice.

Almost a third (30%) of small businesses refused to describe their bank as helpful, 46% said they could not describe their bank as flexible, and 40% said the service they had received in the past was not good.

The research shows a worrying trend of business advice from mainstream banks been rejected or taken on board with negative consequences for small businesses, said John Wilde, managing director of Amicus Commercial Finance. There is a growing divide between the level of business service and the flexibility required by business owners and the advice being offered by mainstream banks.

Having to deal with call centers rather than face-to-face human interaction was the biggest pain point for small businesses when doing business with their bank. Nearly a quarter (22%) said they were time consuming, 17% found them frustrating and 10% complicated.

As working capital and cashflow are by their very nature dynamic, most traditional mainstream systems have failed to keep pace over the last few years, said Wilde.
Of 1700+ known acts of global power-grid sabotages, affecting some 5,000,000 people, 879 were caused by squirrels; between 0 and 1 were caused by Russia, and another 1 was caused by the USA (Stuxnet).



The data was presented in a Shmoocon talk last week by Cris "SpaceRogue" Thomas, who looked at 35 years' worth of power-grid disruption and concluded that Ted Koppel knows shit-all about cybersecurity, despite having written a (hysterical) book about it.

Thomas runs a project called Cybersquirrel1, which tracks power-outages caused by critters (as well as the rare, rare instances in which they are caused by infowar operatives).

To "counteract the ludicrousness of cyberwar claims by people at high levels in government and industry," Thomas said, he launched CyberSquirrel1. Inspired by a presentation at Thotcon by Josh Corman (now the director for Cyber Statecraft at the Atlantic Council) and Jericho of Attrition.org, SpaceRogue started CyberSquirrel1 initially as a Twitter feed on March 19, 2013. The account simply "collected from a Google alert for news," he said. But it soon evolved into a much larger data gathering effort, collecting from search engines and other Web sources to populate a spreadsheet. Jericho joined in to enhance the data set the next year, adding more details and eventsbut even so, Thomas noted that he was only catching a fraction. Squirrels are not the only "actors" tracked by CyberSquirrel1birds, snakes, raccoons, rats, and martens factor in among the top animal threats that have been captured by the project's spreadsheet. Jellyfish have even gotten into the act, shutting down a nuclear power plant in 2013. CyberSquirrel1's data so far has tracked "over 1,700 outages, affecting nearly 5 million people," Thomas noted. "If you consolidated them into one location, it would basically take out the power for the San Francisco metropolitan area for two months." Shockingly, there have even been eight deaths attributed since the tracking began to follow animal attacks on infrastructuresix caused by squirrels downing power lines that struck people on the ground.

CyberSquirrel1 project shows fuzzy-tailed intruders cause more damage than "cyber" does.

[Sean Gallagher/Ars Technica]


President Obama commuted whistleblower Chelsea Manning's remaining prison sentence. She will go free on May 17 of this year as opposed to 2045, the duration of her full sentence. From the New York Times:





The commutation also relieved the Department of Defense of the difficult responsibility of her incarceration as she pushes for treatment for her gender dysphoria  including sex reassignment surgery  that the military has no experience providing.





In recent days, the White House had signaled that Mr. Obama was seriously considering granting Ms. Manning's commutation application, in contrast to a pardon application submitted on behalf of the other large-scale leaker of the era, Edward J. Snowden, the former intelligence contractor who disclosed archives of top secret surveillance files and is living as a fugitive in Russia.





Asked about the two clemency applications on Friday, the White House spokesman, Joshua Earnest, discussed the "pretty stark difference" between Ms. Manning's case for mercy with Mr. Snowden's. While their offenses were similar, he said, there were "some important differences."





"Chelsea Manning is somebody who went through the military criminal justice process, was exposed to due process, was found guilty, was sentenced for her crimes, and she acknowledged wrongdoing," he said. "Mr. Snowden fled into the arms of an adversary, and has sought refuge in a country that most recently made a concerted effort to undermine confidence in our democracy."
Serbian police: You are not allowed to feed the refugees!

17. 1. 2017

cas cteni 2 minuty





I have just come back from Serbia, says Czech activist Eva Zahradnickova. We were in Horgos. This is the place where people live in shelters made of rags. We talked to UNHCR people there. They told us that women and children have been moved to a brick building in Subotica, which is however closed so there is no access to the refugees. The men were left behind in the fields, in the shelters made of rags. At the moment, there are about twenty of them there. The UNCHR people gave them blankets and gloves. They told me they were not allowed to feed them. We brought food, but within a few minutes Serbian police arrive and a policeman started shouting at us that it is illegal to help refugees and that he can arrest us. After a debate lasting several minutes he told me that it was possible that the food we were about to give the refugees is poisoned so he is in fact protecting them from us.

We went on to Kelebia. Again the men over there survive only in rag shelters. During the they they congregate under the roof of a bistro where they are allowed to sit or to charge their mobiles. This is where we met a group of volunteers from Germany who bring food to them. All the refugees are waiting to be given a number. On weekdays, Hungary accepts 10 refugees per day. They take women and children. Men must wait. This is how fathers are separated from their families.

Men in Kelebia told us that before dawn the police gave and brutally kicked them for some time. When I asked why they did so, a refugee answered: "Because they can."

Watch this shocking interview with Eva Zahradnickova, "Inhuman and degrading treatment of refugees of Greece" HERE































Pictures by Zdenek Sterbak

There are stories like this in the Czech Republic every day that never make it to the outside world because of a lack of translation. You can support us and help reveal what's happening in Central Europe today. Please make a contribution today on www.paypal.com and send your donation to redakce@blisty.cz. We fully rely on crowdfunding in our work. Thank you.

0
A minority lead for a Minnesota House committee recently closed a meeting by reading the grand opening of Charles Dicken's Tale of Two Cities:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity . . .

The contrast between belief and incredulity certainly struck us as we read this passage in J. Patrick Coolican's article for the Strib, Legislature's GOP majorities push hard early on:

The first few weeks of a legislative session often are sleepy affairs: lots of ceremony, feel-good receptions and meet-and-greets, introductions and informational hearings. Not this year. A number of factors combined to create a flurry of early activity . . . Ive never seen anything like it, said Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Vernon Center, who has been at the Capitol since 2003. Rosen, who leaves on a two-week trip to Myanmar this week, said the Senates rush to pass its health care bill last week was not related to her travel plans. Lawmakers were eager to get it done so that Senate and House negotiators could work out differences for final passage by the end of the month, which is the deadline for Minnesotans to sign up for health insurance. Still, Rosens absence is notable because it shows how thin the GOPs one-seat majority really is. With just one member gone, the Senate conceivably could come to a halt, with Republicans lacking the numbers to move any legislation opposed by the DFL.

Of course her private travel plans have nothing to do with the alacrity last week, nor should we begrudged her mission to Burma. After all, the woman sacrificed her Greater Minnesota member housing voucher when she built that mighty house on the river in the wilds of the Dakota County suburbs for those times she's forced to leave her small rented home outside Vernon Center in order to serve the people of Minnesota.

Nonetheless, her absence may slow the machinery of power in St. Paul, thus dashing the hopes of the ink-stained wretches in the newsroom of the Crookston Times, who opined on Monday in Compromise in St. Paul:

Compromise in St. Paul The last time Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton had to work with a Republican-controlled Minnesota Legislature, we had to suffer through a brief government shutdown, as Dayton and the Republicans refused to work together to get anything meaningful accomplished. Dayton said the other day he fears it could happen again, now that Republicans again control both the Minnesota Senate and House. But it doesn't have to, especially not with meaningful legislation like health insurance relief, a bonding bill, and tax bill that, according to last year's numbers, would give Crookston an additional $116,000 or so in Local Government Aid. If Dayton and the Republicans approach each other with reasonable expectations and a willingness to give instead of just take, things could get done. But forgive us if we're less than hopeful that the governor and legislative leaders will work together for the benefit of Minnesotans who elected them.

Were we the least bit cynical, we'd suggest that in the absence of the bread of LGA, the good citizens of Crookston might eat cake, but far be it from Bluestem to even imply such a thing.

Photo: A still from the classic Tale of Two Cities.

Please donate! If you enjoy Bluestem's take on the news--and our investigative blogging--please consider throwing some spare change into our paypal account during our January contribution drive. Bluestem relies on reader contributions to continue publishing.

If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 33166 770th Ave, Ortonville, MN 56278) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.
A building council in Vancouver, BC commercial building are reportedly refusing to allow one of the building owners to lease to Moby Dick's Restaurant, a fish-and-chips franchise, in part because of its name. According to a lawsuit, the building council claims that "that the word 'Dick' in Moby Dick was an offensive term" and "also claimed a Moby Dick sign would hurt the value of neighboring properties, and that the restaurant would bring increased litter and violate city laws on odor." From Courthouse News Service:



"It was clear by the end of August 2016 that the Strata intended to refuse any signage proposals belonging to Moby Dick which resembled its traditional trademark and brand," the complaint states. "Instead, the Strata demanded that Moby Dick adopt a signage that was 'minimalist' both in color and design. As such, the Strata wrongfully denied Moby Dick's use of its logo, brand name, and goodwill recognition at the commercial property."





Mengfa seeks declaratory judgment and damages for interference with business relations.
This is the first of three You Are Not So Smart episodes about the "backfire effect." In it, I interview a team of neuroscientists who put people in a brain scanner and then challenged their beliefs, some political and some not, with counter-evidence and then compared which brain regions lit up for which beliefs. The crazy takeaway was that for political beliefs, but not for others, people seemed to react as if their very bodies were being threatened by the challenging evidence.

We don't treat all of our beliefs the same.

If you learn that the Great Wall of China isn't the only man-made object visible from space, and that, in fact, it's actually very difficult to see the Wall compared to other landmarks, you update your model of reality without much fuss. Some misconceptions we give up readily, replacing them with better information when alerted to our ignorance.

For others constructs though, for your most cherished beliefs about things like climate change or vaccines or Republicans, instead of changing your mind in the face of challenging evidence or compelling counterarguments, you resist. Not only do you fight belief change for some things and not others, but if you successfully deflect such attacks, your challenged beliefs then grow stronger.

The research shows that when a strong-yet-erroneous belief is challenged, yes, you might experience some temporary weakening of your convictions, some softening of your certainty, but most people rebound and not only reassert their original belief at its original strength, but go beyond that and dig in their heels, deepening their resolve over the long run.

Psychologists call this the backfire effect, and this episode is the first of three shows exploring this well-documented and much-studied psychological phenomenon, one that you've likely encountered quite a bit lately.

In this episode, we explore its neurological underpinning as two neuroscientists at the University of Southern California's Brain and Creativity Institute explain how their latest research sheds new light on how the brain reacts when its deepest beliefs are challenged.

By placing subjects in an MRI machine and then asking them to consider counterarguments to their strongly held political beliefs, Jonas Kaplan's and Sarah Gimbel's research, conducted along with neuroscientist Sam Harris, revealed that when people were presented with evidence that alerted them to the possibility that their political beliefs might be incorrect, they reacted with the same brain regions that would come online if they were responding to a physical threat.

"The response in the brain that we see is very similar to what would happen if, say, you were walking through the forest and came across a bear," explains Gimbel in the episode. "Your brain would have this automatic fight-or-flight [response]and your body prepares to protect itself."

According to the researchers, some values are apparently so crucial to your identity, that the brain treats a threat to those ideas as if they were a threat to your very existence.

"Remember that the brain's first and primary job is to protect ourselves," explains Kaplan in the show. "The brain is basically a big, complicated, sophisticated machine for self-protection, and that extends beyond our physical self, to our psychological self. Once these things become part of our psychological self, I think they are then afforded all the same protections that the brain gives to the body."

How does the brain take something that is previously neutral and transmutate it into a value that it then protects as if it were flesh and bone? How do neutral, empirical facts about temperature and carbon emissions become politicized? How does an ideological stance on immigration reform become blended with personal identity? We explore those questions and more on this episode of the You Are Not So Smart Podcast.

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The Brain and Creativity Institute

Neural correlates of maintaining one's political beliefs in the face of counterevidence.

Wikipedia's list of common misconceptions

The Backfire Effect
Representatives from over 20 Sittwe-based CSOs have attended this meeting.

There are three reasons for holding the meeting for peace-related civil society organizations. The first reason is the emergence of genuine peace in Burmas peace process. Other reasons are to build a democratic federal union and raise the role of CSOs from Arakan State since CSOs are involved in the peace process in other states and regions, Khaing Kaung San, coordinator of the Peace Working Committee, said to Narinjara News.

The attendees of the meeting will select nine township-representative committee members, five patrons, and five trainees who will attend the peace process training course and hold training courses for other trainees.

Im happy to see the CSOs who are working for the development of the Arakan society, which has been declining on all sides, in this time where we are marching on the path to democracy. The Arakan State will reach its golden era one day if they (the CSOs) carry out the truth with genuine good-will, said Pachi Shin Hla, chairman of Artists Association.

The Arakan Women Networks chairperson Daw Nyo Aye, who attended the meeting, also said the CSOs in the Arakan State do not receive much recognition due to lack of cooperation between each other and they will receive more recognition and have the same voice if they can do more cooperation.

The meeting for peace-related CSOs is held today because there is no peace yet. Unity needs to be built in order to have peace. Each organization needs to respect each other in order to build unity, said Khaing Sann Aung from the 88 Generation Arakan Social Development Group.

Representatives of ethnic Khami and Mro national organizations have also attended the meeting.

We cant accept people calling us, the Khami people, as Khamwee. We want them to only call us Khami. Since our people have been allowed to attend the meetings, people have started to know us as Khami. We are happy that the Arakan people have begun to greet us more warmly than before, Khaing Kyi Hla, a Khami woman from Khami Forces Foundation, said to Narinjara News.

Township-representative committee members have been selected in 16 townships for the Peace Working Committee except in Sittwe Township. All Arakan Civil Society Organizations Forum will be held in Sittwe on 24 and 25 January and seven representatives from each township will be invited to the forum.

Translated by Thida Linn
January 11s visit was Ms Lees first-ever tour of Mon State. During her visit, Ms Lee and her team met with officials from the Correctional Department, discussing the conditions of the department and prisoners. She also observed the inmates sleeping quarters.

She asked whether torture had been committed against the prisoners at the [quarry] production camp. She also questioned how the prison camp manage the staff and prisoners and how the prisoners are provided health assistance, said an official of the prison.

UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee and her team (Photo: MNA)

The official added that Ms. Lees query as to the charges that would occur if prisoners were tortured was answered with a statement that the prisoners were not discriminated against when they labored, and if theyre tortured, the case could be reported and the respective charge could be administered if the case was apparent.

Along with Ms. Lee, Daw Linn Mar Lar Kyaw, Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs Department, U Aye Win, [UN] National Information Officer, U Han Soe Taung of UN Local Security Assistance, and U Ye Min Myat of General Administration Ministry Headquarters  International Department, visited the camp.

Ms. Lee was also lectured by an official from the prison camp that the prisoners at Production Camp of Correctional Department are prisoners who are facing prison sentences with penal labor.

With her delegation, Ms. Lee also visited the Wutgyi quarry and observed the business operation there, according to Global New Light of Myanmar.
Unbelievably Bizarre Eating Addictions That People Have Pulse oi-Syeda Farah

There are many things that are edible and sometimes, people may also like gorging on non-edible items!! No we are not talking of pregnant women and their cravings here.

People love inventing and exploring new food items and recipes. Some of these foods can be a shocker, as they could be no where related to being termed a "FOOD". Here, we are sharing the list of unbelievably bizarre eating addictions that people have.

Also Read: Bizarre Wedding Rituals Around The World

These are the stuff that one cannot even imagine of eating! So, check out the list of things that these people love to eat and we bet, you would be shocked and disgusted after knowing of this list that people crave to eat. Read on to know more.

Dry Wall Eating A Detroit woman named Nicole is addicted to eating dry wall scrapings for more than 7 years now! She started by eating chalk and licked walls, as she feels dry walls taste better! Yeah, sounds strange, but this woman loves licking the walls of her house and the walls of her neighbourhood!!

Image Courtesy Eating Plastic Bag This 23-year-old guy named Robert is addicted to eating plastic bags. He claims that blue plastic bags are more tastier than any other bags. He apparently hunts for bags in the neighbourhood and eats them. He is currently in plans of quitting this weird habit before he would get hitched!

Image Courtesy Eating Clay Mask This 40-year-old woman, Natasha, is from Rialto, California. She has apparently consumed over half a ton of clay powder that is used for facial massages. This bizarre eating habit is going on since 7 years! She eats this to satisfy her cravings for the taste of rocks and earth!

Image Courtesy Eating Tyres This 19-year-old girl named Allison has a weird habit of eating the rubber shavings! She has developed this weird eating addiction since 6 years and has chewed down on rubber car tyres as her favourite time pass!

Image Courtesy Eating Tapes! This woman named Andrea is from Marietta in Georgia. She is so addicted to this bizarre cello tape eating habit that she nibbles on at least 6000 feet of tape every month! She developed this weird habit 9 years ago and it has only worsened since then.

Image Courtesy Eating Deodorant!! This can be one of the most bizarre eating habits that a person can develop! This teenager named Nicole is only 19 years and she loves eating sticks of deodorant! Since her childhood, she has been eating at least half a stick of deodorant every day! She confessed that her addiction leaves her with a dry mouth and stomach cramps and hence she settles down by spraying some deodorant on her tongue!

Image Courtesy

Do you know anybody who has any such weird eating habit? Then, do share the story with us in the comment section below!

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We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Ever wonder what your furry best friend does all day while you're away? The Wicked Ball: Interactive Dog Toy will keep them entertained until you come home, and it's only $39.99 as part READ THE REST
J. L. BELL is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. He is particularly interested in the experiences of children in 1765-75. He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults. He was consultant for an episode of History Detectives, and contributed to a display at Minute Man National Historic Park.
The Chairman of the Board of Botswanan Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), Victor Jakopo Senye has reiterated the urgent need for Botswana to formulate a business facilitation law.

He says the law will ensure that governments regulatory framework, as far as it affects business, is put up in a speedy fashion. Senye says the law is critical if Botswana is to remain relevant in the competitive global landscape. Writing in the 2015/16 financial year report, Senye warns that Botswana is increasingly experiencing stiff competition from other countries for foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as export market share for local products.

We must be mindful that we are increasingly losing ground to some of the emerging economies and this is a significant concern. We therefore need to realise as a country that we are in competition with other countries and that a conducive business environment is no longer a nice-to-have but rather a priority, says Senye. In fact, the World Investment Report 2016 shows that FDI flows into Africa fell to $54 billion in 2015, a decrease of 7 percent from the previous year with the top five FDI recipient economies being Angola, Egypt, Mozambique, Morocco and Ghana.





BITC Chief Executive Letsebe Sejoe buttresses the point by showing that their targeted investment promotion efforts in the year under review resulted in a total capital investment of P3.12 billion. Of this value, FDI companies contributed P1.4 billion while domestic investments made P1.25bn and business expansions added P377.05 million to realise a total employment of 1, 703 jobs.

At 58 percent the financial services sector was the largest contributor to the investment realised alongside other sectors such as Mining, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Property, Tourism and Transport and logistics. Sejoe says the companies that invested were from South Africa, India, Canada, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and China.

Senye also spells a haunting message that Botswana can unfortunately no longer rely on its competitive advantage of being a beacon of democracy in Africa, as many countries have realised that without democracy, it is nearly impossible to compete effectively in the global space and hence this has become a priority for the majority.

Our competitors are going through these democratisation processes and equally looking at how to improve the way they do business, he says. The report however shows an increase in the value of exports at P2bn as a result of companies benefiting from the assistance BITC offers in securing new export markets in the region and abroad. Sejoe says the export value was contributed by 44 BITC client companies exporting 36 product lines.

He adds that markets penetrated by the local products during the period include Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia, Hong Kong and the European Union. Senye says in addition to a business facilitation law Botswana must strengthen the One Stop Shop concept and provide supporting legislation to render it effective. During the year under review BITCs Business Facilitation Services Centre realised an increase in the demand for facilitation services compared to authorisations processed in the previous year. Sejoe says this signifies the difficult business environment that companies experience when they proceed on their own.

And to mitigate this, BITCs advocacy for a conducive business environment continued through increased strategic stakeholder engagement including the signing of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with five (5) Government Departments to streamline various Government authorisations including the acquisition of manufacturing and industrial licenses for BITC assisted investors.
Wynton Jr Senwelo has managed to make a name for himself as one of the most sought after drummers in Botswana, at just the young age of 23. He has shared the stage with the likes of Shanti Lo, Women of Jazz, Joel Keitumele and Tshegofatso Kwadiba, to mention a few.

However, his success did not just fall on his lap. It has taken a lot of commitment, hard work and dedication to perfect his craft. Senwelo recalls that his love for drums started when he was still growing up. I fell in love with drums after I watched music videos of Phil Collins which my parents also watched. Then came the phase of being exposed to punk rock from the cartoons of that time but it was the movie, Drumline which made me realise that I wanted to learn how to play drums, he explains. Luckily for him, he got the chance to meet Phillip Modise who took him under his wings and taught him how to not only play drums but also read music. He also introduced him to other musicians who helped him hone his talent and skills.

Senwelos big break came when Socca Moruakgomo needed a drummer and as luck would have it, the young drummer was available to play. After that gig, many doors opened for him as more artists asked him to play for them. To date, he has been a drummer for The Metrophones, has played in Swaziland and has even travelled to Europe. Unfortunately he has had to quit being the drummer for The Metrophones because his schedule became too hectic due to the back-to-back gigs and had pressing school commitments. Senwelo is a pilot in training at the Major Blue Aviation College. I have no choice but to juggle my music career with my studies as I love both. When the time comes, it will be very difficult to choose between the two, he says.





Despite his acclaim at such a young age, Senwelo says he doesnt let himself get big headed. He says his role model, South African drummer, Joshua JStar Zacheus warned him and he heeded the advice. In the year 2017, his hope is to start giving back to the community by availing himself so that he is able to teach other people who are interested in learning the drums without any costs. I was taught to play drums for free, so I feel that I should do the same. I also want people, especially youth, to benefit from my skill, expertise and experience, he says. Senwelo also hopes to land more gigs with hip hop artists in the country, as it is a genre he would like to explore.
Entertainment / Music

by youtube

A Zimbabwe HipHop group C-Four has released via YouTube a sizzling music video for the song "Abany' Abantu".The group was formed in 2011 at Ihlathi High School in the City of Kings, Bulawayo.Abany' Abantu is arguable one of the best music videos by artists from the City of Kings in 2016.C-Four group members are Mendoz_Da_Mystic, Tawaz_Da_Alpha, Slick Raigne and K'Dollar Wil_fred.In 2016 the group also released their full album Orthodox The track 'Abany' Abantu' is also available for free download on Beats98.com.
News / Africa

by Staff reporter

President Jacob Zuma's son Edward has read former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela the riot act, saying she "should either become a full-time politician or just shut up".According to News24.com , it appears as though Madonsela's comments on her preferred candidate to succeed his father have riled the president's eldest son."It is either she decides to be a politician full time or just shut up," a livid Zuma said, responding to Madonsela's statements made during a Cape Town Press Club function on Monday.During the event Madonsela, who left office of the Public Protector in October and was currently on a fellowship at Harvard University, was asked if she would consider becoming the next president."I am neither qualified to be president nor interested in that job," she said.Madonsela went on to say that South Africa deserved a good president.'Insult' to Nkosazana Dlamini-ZumaShe said she hoped that the next president would be one that built a united South Africa."Should he be a male, should she be a female...I would love it to be a female but I would hate to have a female that is a proxy, because that would be worse than having a man," Madonsela said.An irate Zuma said: "She is rude. She would love to see a female South African president but it should not be a proxy, clearly she is insulting uNkosazana [Dlamini-Zuma]."Zuma said he was offended by Madonsela's remarks."She was addressing a white dominated gathering in Cape Town, she is a proxy herself."He said it was well known that Dlamini-Zuma was the preferred female candidate to succeed Zuma. If Dlamini-Zuma, who had the support of the ANC Women's League, were to succeed in her candidacy, she would likely go head-to-head with Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa for the top position. However, the party has yet to officially open the succession debate.Current Public Protector 'undermined'"My interest is the ANC, clearly the female candidate is known, it is Nkosazana, we all know that. Obviously if she says she does not want a president who is a proxy, she is referring to her, whose proxy is Nkosazana?"He questioned the CX report that Madonsela touched on during the briefing."That investigation is still in the office of the Public Protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane. She is basically undermining Busisiwe, the current Public Protector."Zuma wondered who Madonsela was trying to impress.Madonsela could not be reached for comment after repeated attempts.




HYDERABAD (PTI): Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said the synergy between private industry and the state-owned Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) will help the country in enhancing exports of defence products.



"The partnership between DRDO and industries is transforming our country into a global defence manufacturing hub. This synergy has provided the much needed thrust for exporting defence products globally," Parrikar said after visiting DRDO s Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Missile Complex during his visit to the city.



"We are taking necessary initiatives in this direction and I am sure that our state-of-the-art Missiles and Weapon systems will garner the much needed interest in the global markets and generate foreign exchange," a release quoting the Defence Minister said.



Parrikar visited the integration centre at Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and reviewed ongoing missile technologies and related programmes. He congratulated all DRDO scientists for the recent successful missions.



The Minister complimented the scientists at Missile Complex for indigenising various technology products and strengthening the defence industrial base in the country.



"There is lot of knowledge and infrastructure base with the DRDO and the same needs to be tapped by the MSME and private industries, which in turn will lead towards the establishment of a self-reliant defence industrial ecosystem in our country," said Parrikar.



"Today, the industries are significantly contributing in the realisation of various defence products with the know-how provided by the DRDO and few of them have even graduated as lead integrators," he further said.



Parrikar admired the initiatives taken by the DRDO in signing MoUs with various Universities in diversified research areas and these initiatives need to be further strengthened by frequent interactions for realisation of futuristic technological products.



S Christopher, Chairman DRDO along with Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Director General, Missiles and Strategic Systems briefed the Defence Minister on various technological developments.


Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/01/2017 (2117 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The City of Brandon has stepped up with some seed money to help the efforts of a local leadership group aiming to attract a multimillion-dollar soybean processing plant to the region.

A $25,000 funding commitment to the Westman Opportunities Leadership Group was announced Monday.

Attracting a major ag processing facility would produce real benefits for southwest Manitoba which ultimately benefits Brandon, given our long-standing role as a service centre for the region, stated Sandy Trudel, Brandons director of economic development.A strategic approach like the one being developed by the Westman Opportunities Leadership Group brings together the regions strengths, knowledge and passion, increasing the likelihood of success.

WOLG, which is a volunteer group made up of regional farm, business and civic leaders, was formed in late 2016. The funds will allow the group to continue on with a detailed assessment process to confirm there is a viable opportunity to construct and operate a soybean processing plant in Westman.

Its a fairly lengthy and broad assessment process thats needed to be done to deal with all of the elements, said Ray Redfern, chair of the leadership group. Everything from the amount of available food stock  meaning how many soybeans are likely to be available for it  and then assessment of infrastructure required, and those components would all be part of the due diligence.

Redfern said the citys contribution adds significant weight and momentum to their efforts.

The rapid and widespread adoption of soybeans as a crop across Manitoba means the timing is right to look at processing soybeans here in Manitoba to supply global markets, Redfern said.Today Manitoba imports significant amounts of soybean meal. A plant has the potential to reduce feed ration costs and boost the local hog industry.This is an added benefit to the anticipated financial gains that farmers would receive from having a local market for their soybeans.

The local group would not own or operate the plant, but is looking to entice a world-class organization to build in the region. Redfern said they hope this area is chosen before other jurisdictions.

If it goes somewhere else or in the U.S. somewhere nearby, then that would prevent any opportunity for us to experience that success ourselves, he said. Their goal is to put the data all together to bring a compelling case for Westman.

It is estimated soybean acreage in Western Canada  where there are currently no large-scale soybean crushing facilities  could quadruple over the next decade.

While the growth of Canadian soybean production from 2004 to 2014 has doubled, Manitoba experienced a six-fold increase, previously accounting for 1.1 per cent of the countrys soybean in 2004 and 15 per cent a decade later.

 jaustin@brandonsun.com, with files from Ian Froese

 Twitter: @jillianaustin
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/01/2017 (2117 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The increased enforcement of night hunting last year resulted in more criminal charges and property seizures, the province announced yesterday.

In 2016, Manitoba conservation officers laid 49 night hunting and dangerous hunting charges that will be prosecuted in the legal system, and they seized 14 vehicles and 44 long-barrel rifles.

These totals are a large increase from 2015, when 25 night hunting and zero night hunting charges were pursued through the courts. Only five vehicles were confiscated that year.

Reports of incidences of night hunting and dangerous hunting have increased, along with public complaints of hunting on private land without permission and hunting from the road, Sustainable Development Minister Cathy Cox said. Our enforcement efforts, including blitzes, air surveillance and decoy operations, have also increased as we aim to protect the safety of the public, increase vulnerable wildlife populations and educate Manitobans of the dangers of unsafe hunting.

The minister reiterated the practice of spotlighting  pointing artificial light in the eyes of big game at night to stop them in their tracks  is illegal from a numbered provincial road and any vehicle. Night hunting is permitted for indigenous hunters on Crown lands or private lands where they received permission.

She pointed out the governments commitment to combat dangerous hunting included an October enforcement blitz in eastern Manitoba. Eight hunters and four vehicles, as well as various weapons and hunting equipment, were taken in an effort to stop illegal moose hunting.

Manitoba conservation officers received 245 reports of night hunting or dangerous hunting in 2016, a further 164 reports of hunting on private land without permission and nine reports of hunting in a conservation closure area.

In 2016, the public complaint phone line, Turn in Poachers, received 142 calls.

Tips from the public and the work of conservation officers are essential to a continued crackdown of prohibited hunting practices, Cox said.

She announced a public awareness campaign and formal consultations with interested parties, discussing what can be done to ensure public safety, will be launched in early 2017. Heightened enforcement efforts will continue.

In the fall, a 24-year-old man from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation was fatally shot when he was wounded by a gunshot fired from a member of his hunting party.

 The Brandon Sun
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/01/2017 (2117 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NEEPAWA  Premier Brian Pallister marked the start of this weeks tour through Westman by celebrating the careers of two recently retired colleagues on Monday  Stuart Briese and Leanne Rowat.

While he said it was an honour to receive the recognition, Briese shyly clarified prior to Mondays presentation that hes not much of a public speaker and is more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy, unaccustomed to public attention.

True to character, the former Ste. Rose (2007-11) and Agassiz (2011-16) MLA tried to position himself near the edge of a group picture at the Neepawa Royal Canadian Legion on Monday afternoon, until a collection of Progressive Conservative MLAs encouraged him to take centre stage.

Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun Premier Brian Pallister speaks during a gathering to honour retired Agassiz Progressive Conservative MLA Stuart Briese in Neepawa on Monday afternoon.

Hes well worth the attention, Pallister encouraged the afternoons supportive audience. After several minutes of tearing into the previous Manitoba NDP government, Pallister noted that Brieses legacy would carry forward, despite his having retired from politics last year after two terms.

Eileen Clarke carries the Progressive Conservative torch forward in the riding of Agassiz, at least in part thanks to the goodwill among constituents that her predecessor helped build, Pallister described.

Other politicians, running in the ridings of Swan River, Dauphin and the Interlake, received mentorship from Briese in the lead-up to last years election, at the behest of Pallister who believed the outgoing MLA to have set a positive example he wanted to see others follow as it relates to community engagement.

With the help of Briese, Rick Wowchuk secured the NDP stronghold of Swan River, Brad Michaleski won over the NDP stronghold of Dauphin and Derek Johnson became the first Tory MLA posted to Interlake.

Its not enough to keep winning the same riding by more, it really isnt, Pallister shared with Mondays crowd. Youve got to win your neighbours riding, too; to help your neighbour do that.

Mingling with supporters prior to Mondays presentation, Wowchuk affirmed that Brieses guidance played an important role in his getting elected.

He never steered me wrong, Wowchuk said. Hes a great guy to work with.

Rough around the edges and with a heart made of gold, Wowchuk said that the key advice he got from Briese was that he should listen to the people within his constituency, and to represent them as strongly as he could in Winnipeg.

These pieces of advice sound obvious, but Briese pumps it up to another level by remembering most peoples names, their connection to their community and an interesting tidbit or two about pretty well everyone, Wowchuk said.

Briese played a prominent role in last years Manitoban change in government, Wowchuk said, pointing to the number of MLAs who showed up for Mondays event  more than a dozen  as evidence that he is well-respected among his peers.

From Neepawa, Pallister joined a team of elected officials in travelling west to Shoal Lake Community Hall, where a gala evening was held to mark the career of retired Minnedosa (2003-11) and the restructured constituency of Riding Mountain (2011-16) MLA Leanne Rowat.

During her 13 years as an opposition MLA, Rowat put forward legislation that ensured universal hearing screening for newborns and improved grandparent access to grandchildren in cases where theres a family breakdown.

She also put in motion the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day and the Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month. These were no easy tasks given the rarity of bills presented by opposition members getting through.

Her efforts took serious dedication, Pallister said of the exemplary politician.

Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun Retired MLA Stuart Briese sparks a laugh from Premier Brian Pallister in Neepawa on Monday.

All rural MLAs have challenges of travel and distance, but for Leanne that was a particular challenge because she was a young mom, he said. Leanne didnt complain about it.

From Shoal Lake, Pallister planned to carry on to Brandon, where hell speak at Manitoba Ag Days today before heading back to Winnipeg, with a stop in Portage la Prairie for a community meeting.

During a scrum with media between Mondays events, Pallister said that this weeks tour of Westman is in keeping with his goal of ensuring constituents from across the province recognize that they are a priority of the Manitoba PCs.

Theres a prevalent belief among rural Manitobans that the provinces elected officials have Winnipeg-centred tunnel vision, with the balance of the province falling by the wayside. While Pallister said that he understands where this might come from, in that the majority of the population lives in Winnipeg, it also creates a sense of isolation; Of being forgotten, taken for granted by people outside of Winnipeg.

Affirming that this is not the case, Pallister also pointed to the pre-budget consultations that saw more than 20,000 people from throughout the province weigh in with their visions for the future of Manitoba.

Pallister said that he, and other elected officials, plan on reaching throughout Manitoba as frequently as possible to gather public feedback.

Taking the issue of spotlighting as an example  the unsafe act of people hunting at night, by spotlight  Pallister noted that hell get very different insight from people in rural Manitoba than in Winnipeg, where spotlighting is unlikely to occur.

As for Mondays recognition of Briese and Rowat, Pallister noted that its just another means of getting out into area communities in a positive light, and not just for government announcements. I think its important to recognize the behaviour you like to see in people, he said. Maybe youll see more of it in others.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/01/2017 (2117 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Since Waywayseecappo First Nation and Park West School Division joined forces in an educational partnership six years ago, literacy levels have made a dramatic increase.

According to the division, before partnering in November 2010 only three per cent of Waywayseecappo First Nation students Grades 1 to 4 were succeeding at grade level. That number jumped dramatically over the following years, reaching 47 per cent as of June 2016.

One of the reasons we partnered was to benefit our children  and the students feel the benefits that theyve received, Waywayseecappo First Nation Chief Murray Clearsky said. Theyre getting a better quality education, and theyre enjoying the education and schooling a hell of a lot more than they used to.

Courtesy Waywayseecappo First Nation Since Waywayseecappo First Nation and Park West School Division joined forces in an educational partnership six years ago, literacy levels have made a dramatic increase.

Waywayseecappo First Nation is located in western Manitoba with an on-reserve population of 1,800 people, with approximately 500 students in junior kindergarten to Grade 12. The partnership with Park West School Division, which has 15 schools and 2,100 students in southwestern Manitoba, was to improve the educational outcomes for all students.

One part of that was receiving much needed additional funding, Clearsky said.

The extra funding covers the needs of our students  we always had a shortfall (before the partnership), Clearsky said.

The collaboration allows Waywayseecappo educators to maintain input in the curriculum, which may contribute to its success.

We get the benefits of being funded at the same level as the public school system, we share resources and understandings with our partner, while retaining our autonomy and local control over what is the best for our children, said Colleen Clearsky, director at Waywayseecappo Education.

A decrease in class sizes was also a benefit, said Clearsky.

There used to be 30 to 32 kids per class, now today with the partnership its anywhere from 15 to 20 students per class with an (educational assistant), Clearsky said. (Teachers) spend more time with the kids  teaching the kids.

While the gains in literacy are an improvement, Clearsky said he would like to see gains and improvements continue.

Were learning as we go as well, Clearsky said.

 edebooy@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @erindebooy
News / National

by Staff reporter

Outgoing Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku says President Robert Mugabe has the final say on who becomes the new chief justice.He clarified the current debate on the appointment of his successor while speaking during the official opening of the 2017 legal year at Mashonganyika Building in Harare.Chief justice Chidyausiku who was appointed in July 2001 replacing Justice Anthony Gubbay, is going on retirement at the end of next month (February) when he reaches the mandatory age of 70.The official opening of a new legal year is important in the judicial calendar which allows the chief justice an opportunity to review key developments of the previous year.Chief Justice Chidyausiku highlighted some of the achievements achieved during his tenure that included maintaining the independence of the judiciary, upholding the constitution and the rule of law, separating the administration of the courts from the government and improving gender equality in the judiciary sector.He applauded the promulgation of the Judiciary Services Act in 2006, which helped set up an efficient administration system that monitored the performance of lower courts and brought about infrastructural development as 30 new Magistrate courts were constructed and others refurbished throughout the country.He applauded development partners Danida, treasury and the Department of Public Works for supporting infrastructural development in the justice delivery sector.Justice Chidyausiku, however, bemoaned lack of funding as a hindrance in their quest to improve justice delivery in the country.He urged his successor to utilise available resources and cultivate fruitful relationships with funding partners.
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Three Brandon men  all with separate outstanding warrants for their arrest for charges such as sexual assault, aggravated assault and sexual exploitation  were located and arrested on Saturday, police say.

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News / National

by Staff reporter

WAR veterans have challenged Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo to a public debate over a number of issues, chief among them the acrimonious Zanu-PF succession issue and runaway corruption by government officials.Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association spokesperson, Douglas Mahiya, told a Press briefing yesterday that Moyo should accept a public debate with the former freedom fighters' chairperson, Christopher Mutsvangwa.Moyo, a leading light in the G40 faction said to be fighting hard to stop Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa's bid to take over from the ailing President Robert Mugabe, has accused war veterans of pushing a factional agenda and trying to prop up the VP."After that debate, he will never talk about the succession issue again. We want him here so that our chairman can tell him the truth," he said.The war veterans claimed Moyo last year tried to influence change in the defence forces."This is a man, who last year, tried to get army commanders fired and failed. There is nothing that is good from him," Mahiya said without elaborating."We want to talk about this corruption that is in full swing in government. We want to talk about this Zimdef (Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund) issue and all cases of corruption. We are appealing to the State broadcaster, ZBC, to host us or private players to fund this debate."Moyo is facing trial for allegedly misappropriating over $400 000 of Zimdef funds and Mahiya said he should have his day in court rather than seek protection "from his friends" at the Constitutional Court.He, however, did not mention any name of Moyo's "friends".Mahiya said war veterans also regarded the succession issue as a fait accompli given Mnangagwa is already VP and have thrown their weight behind him.Mutsvangwa and his executive have remained defiant that they are Zanu-PF members despite their expulsion late last year.Moyo was, however, unavailable for a comment, as his mobile phone went unanswered.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/01/2017 (2117 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ROLAND  Genetically enhanced crops help farmers, consumers and the environment.

Ive been a farmer for more than 40 years and have grown genetically enhanced (GE) crops since 1996. We grow corn, soybeans and canola, all of which are GE, and other crops that are not. Ive seen many benefits as a result of this technology through the years.

I dont consider the crops I grow to be ready-to-eat food, such as apples, carrots or potatoes. My crops are more like ingredients to make food products such as margarine, flour and feed for livestock. But it all ends up at the supermarket one way or another.

Government regulators and scientists have questioned the safety of GE crops from the beginning. As a result, these crops have undergone testing far beyond that required for other new varieties. As many as 2,000 studies have been published on GE crop safety. The results say the GE crops now grown are as safe as any others  and perhaps even safer.

In addition, several studies show GE crops reduce food prices. Thats a direct result of the higher farm yields. GE crops help give North American consumers the safest, highest-quality and most affordable food in the world.

Farmers have always been stewards of the land, wisely using the tools available to them.

The adoption of higher-yielding GE crops has allowed great parts of the world to remain as wildlife habitat rather than being farmed.

In addition, in a world facing a growing shortfall in farm production because of urban sprawl, higher yields are increasingly important. Every day, cities swallow up some of the most productive soils in the world. Every day, the worlds population increases.

So farmers must produce more food on fewer acres, and thats not something we can do on our own. We need the help of plant-breeding companies to increase crop production.

The discovery of the herbicide glyphosate and glyphosate-tolerant crops changed agriculture. These allowed farmers to control perennial weeds in crops instead of depending on summer-fallowing, which requires that no crop be produced on land for an entire year.

Also, the new technology allows farmers to leave post-harvest crop stubble undisturbed, and this allows for more moisture retention and reduced soil erosion due to wind and water. And less fuel is used on the farm because of the reduced soil tillage.

Insects have always been a threat to our crops and our livelihood. A naturally occurring gene (Bt) introduced to the corn we grow gives the crop genetic resistance to the European corn borer.

We once used insecticides to kill the borer, but these also killed beneficial insects such as ladybugs. No longer. Bt is pest-specific  it kills only the corn borer. No insecticide is applied, and thats another trip across the field saved.

We strive to leave our land with the same or increased production capability compared with when we started farming. Carbon sequestering in farm soils through no-till and reduced tillage practices results in a reduction of greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.

So what, besides better prices, is in all these technological advancements for the consumer?

Societys buying habits now lean toward being environmentally friendly and sustainable. GE crops lean the same way. Why? GE crops lead to better air and water quality due to reduced erosion and reduced tillage. This technology means fewer pesticides applied and less fossil fuel consumption, resulting in lower greenhouse gases. Crops are produced with less nitrogen and less water. Beneficial insects are protected.

It turns out whats good for me as a farmer is also good for you the consumer  and the land we all live on. And thats a win-win-win situation.

 Bob Bartley and his family farm near Roland and grow genetically enhanced corn, canola and soybeans. His column was also recently published by the Winnipeg Free Press.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/01/2017 (2117 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

We would like to develop those relationships with industry, and Im not very happy with the lawsuit, and as chief of Birdtail, he should have talked to us  at least talked to us, and the communities that are affecting in our traditional territory. Were quite capable of rejecting this pipeline or were quite capable of working with the company.

 Birdtail Sioux Chief Ken Chalmers

The head of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs seems to have developed a tin ear when it comes to listening to the will of his organizations member communities.

At least when it comes to Manitobas Dakota First Nations.

Last week, at the direction of Grand Chief Derek Nepinak, the AMC filed an appeal to challenge the Enbridge Line 3 replacement projects approval. The project, which was given the green light late last year by the Trudeau government, would replace a 40-year-old pipeline that ships crude oil from Alberta, through western Manitoba and down into the United States. The improvement would roughly double the lines present capacity to 760,000 barrels per day  about 9.5 per cent of the national daily crude oil production.

Nepinak declared in a press release that the increased daily capacity would make it less likely that Canada would meet its Paris climate change commitments. He also suggested that the environment and the local watershed would be at greater risk from spills.

The grand chiefs comments follow months of protests at the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota where Dakota Access LLC was initially approved to build a pipeline across the Missouri River, which is the source of water for the reservation.

Enbridge is a financial contributor to the controversial Dakota Access pipeline, but has not been directly involved in its construction.

Here in Canada, however, Enbridges record is somewhat different when it comes to pipeline construction, having gone out of its way to work with First Nations in every province, including the non-treaty Dakota First Nations in Manitoba.

While that relationship has not always gone smoothly, Enbridge has a much better track record on this side of the border.

Perhaps Nepinak was expecting the Dakota to merely fall in line with the AMCs official position. But that would contradict the Dakota penchant for making independent decisions, which the Dakota people have proven many times over in recent decades. Chief Chalmers suggests that no one from the AMC bothered to consult the Dakota, the very First Nations that would be directly impacted by the Enbridge project.

At the very least, it would have been good form to speak with the two or three Dakota bands that are AMC members first. According to the AMC website, Birdtail and Dakota Tipi near Portage la Prairie are the only two non-treaty Dakota First Nations members, though we note that Canupawakpa decided to renew its AMC membership last June after having left the organization in 2009.

How this spat between the AMC and the Dakota will play out remains to be seen. But clearly aboriginal leadership remains split over the economics of the oil industry in Manitoba.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/01/2017 (2117 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

And here we go again

Again the same judge gives the same thing  house arrest. And this is serious this time. This is terrorism  and you give him house arrest? You have to just wake up and get these kids off the streets.

What has become of the Hippocratic oath?

Am I out of line with todays idea of progress or do others agree with me that values are being turned upside down? I read, with disgust, in The Sun on Jan. 11 that the Winnipeg RHA has doubled the number of doctors working to meet patient demand in Manitoba for medically assisted dying! This at a time when many people are unable to secure a family doctor to care for themselves and their families. Have we reached such a pitiful state that it is more important for doctors to help those who wish to die, rather than those who wish to live? Although I believe the Hippocratic oath has been modified, the first instruction to doctors used to be first, do no harm.

Questions for Dr. Scott

To Dr. Scott Blyth: Let me ask you  do you pay every employee in your medical practice, even the janitors, more than $15 per hour? If you owned a fast food restaurant, would you like to pay a 16-year-old $15 per hour? Do you think you can make money with a high volume with small profit margin business paying teenagers $15 per hour? Good luck.

Driving these city streets are dangerous

How can anyone feel that the citys response to snow clearing has been acceptable? The streets are dangerous! Come on, city council, wake up!

Hope the BDS doesnt meet these demands

If the Brandon School Division board gives in to the unreasonable and selfish demands of Mr. Alexandre and his sons special French education, I think it tells us a great deal about their trustees and their abilities to differentiate between what is reasonable and fair, and what are just the demands of a selfish parent. If they give in to Mr. Alexandres demands, and say yes, I would ask that the Brandon Sun show how each trustee voted on this issue so we will know which trustees to elect at the next election! I am sure if this parents demands were approved by a spineless school divisions board, the next thing would be for him to demand that his sons teachers were educated in France and not Canada!

cigarettes, marijuana have health implications

Regarding the letter to the editor by Shawn Larway. In it he states, It is truly ignorant and quite closed-minded to say marijuana is anything like cigarettes. Ignorance is in the eye of those who ignore the health ramifications, when individuals become addicted to using marijuana as in non-medical purposes. Research has determined that many in such a state will progress and continue to the higher level of drug abuse.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Police in Botswana have launched a manhunt for 15 Zimbabwean fugitives who escaped from a prison in Francistown on Saturday after destroying the prison fence with manhole cover, News24.com reported.Three of the 18 inmates that escaped during lunchtime at Gerald Estates Centre for Illegal Immigrants have since been captured while the rest are still on the run, according to the Gerald Estate police commander, Edward Leposo.Leposo told News24 that Botswana police, soldiers and intelligence officers have since been deployed in and around Francistown, including the country's borders."We are on the trails of many prisoners so far. What I can assure members of the public is that we will certainly arrest the fugitives," said Leposo.Botswana police have since arrested Sixelo and Molimbeli Moyo who were on remand awaiting trial for murder offences. The duo were the first to be arrested on Sunday at Masingwaneng village, a few kilometres outside Francistown. Another escapee, Mthukuzisi Sibanda, who was awaiting trial on charges of illegally possessing ivory, was also arrested on Sunday at Tati Siding village near FrancistownLeposo named the other escapees as Brilliant Thembisani, Edwin Ncube, Lindisiwe Molome, Thulani Thabani, Samodimo Moloitsi, Givemore Mutoloba, Mosa Wills, Rowland Moyo, Charlotte Ndlovu, Bruce Masuku, Chakalani Barati.Three of the escapees are Botswana nationals while the rest are Zimbabweans. Leposo said most of the escapees were remand prisoners who were facing murder and robbery charges and fears were high that the jail breakers could have skipped the border into neighbouring Zimbabwe.Zimbabwean police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said Zimbabwean authorities were waiting for official communication from Botswana police."We are always on standby to enforce the law but we have to follow protocol when dealing with matters of this nature," said Charamba.
More than half of Northern Ireland's exports went to the EU last year, economic data said.

The trade was worth 3 billion, according to Revenue and Customs.

Northern Ireland director of the CBI Angela McGowan said businesses were seeking the freest possible trade between the UK and EU.

"However, ruling out membership of the single market has reduced options for maintaining barrier-free and tariff-free trading relationship between the UK and the EU.

"Given the importance of the EU to NI exports, the significance of leaving the single market is an important issue for the local economy.

"While local businesses want to make a success of Brexit, there are undoubtedly concerns about falling back on damaging World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules."

The business lobby group welcomed the British Prime Minister's commitment to maintaining the "family ties and bonds of affection between the UK and the Republic of Ireland" and the Common Travel Area.

Ms McGowan added: "Close co-operation and partnership between the two countries will be essential if the Northern Ireland economy is to succeed."
News / National

by Staff reporter

A SELF-confessed fake prophet was punished by the court after he admitted to planting man-made goblins under a city woman's bed to appear as if she was into witchcraft practices.Itai Mubayiwa, who calls himself Madzibaba Peter, was ordered to perform 210 hours of unpaid work after he admitted to charges of indicating wizards and witchcraft.Magistrate Gedion Ruvetsa had initially slapped him with a six-month jail term before wholly suspending the sentence on condition that Mubayiwa performs the community service at Hopley Clinic.Although he could not tell the court why he committed the offence, Mubayiwa begged for leniency from the court saying he was a bread winner."I realise about US$3 to US$4 per day. I am the bread winner in our family. I beg that you don't give me custodial sentence," he said.Circumstances leading to his arrest are that on August 31 last year at around mid-morning Stanley Chiweshe, Shelter Kwaramba-Chiweshe and Paul Chiweshe engaged Mubayiwa and his friend Chamunorwa Rusenza, to wrongfully indicate Magnacater Chiweshe a witch.Rusenza was convicted of the same charges and was ordered to perform 105 hours of community service after admitting to the offence.On September 1 last year Mubayiwa and Rusenza went to Mupedzanhamo in Mbare where they bought a man-made baboon head object and another item that looked like a horn.The horn contained some blood.They planned to buy the baboon head and the horn from Mbare and plant it in Magnacater's bedroom.An arrangement was made in which the 'sangoma' was to visit the Chiweshe's house under the pretext of extending condolences to Magnacater's husband who had lost a relative.They also arranged that Rusenza and Mubayiwa would introduce themselves as friends to the late relative.Upon arrival at Chiweshe's place of residence Rusenza and Mubayiwa extended their condolences and asked to hold a prayer.After being permitted Rusenza and Mubayiwa told Magnacater's husband that there was need to cleanse the house since there were some goblins which were in the house.Rusenza told Magnacater's husband that the goblins belonged to his wife and they were responsible for the death of his relative.Magnacater was in Israel by the time Rusenza and his 'workmate' visited her place of residence.The 43-year-old woman was told of what had happened upon her return into the country.Irked by what she had heard, she then took the matter to the police leading to Rusenza and Mubaiwa's arrest.
General Motors will today announce a huge investment in its factories that will create or keep around 1,000 jobs.

A company source told The Associated Press that the US$1bn investment is part of the normal process of equipping factories to build new models, and it has been planned for months.

The source said that multiple factories will see investment, but GM does not plan to say where the new jobs will go.

The company plans to use the announcement to underline both the blue-collar and white-collar US jobs it has created in recent years, the source said.

President-elect Donald Trump has attacked GM and other carmakers for building vehicles in Mexico and shipping them to the US.

Earlier this month, Mr Trump threatened on Twitter to tax GM for importing the compact Chevrolet Cruze.

While GM builds hatchback Cruzes in Mexico, most Cruze sales are sedans built in the US, in Ohio.

On the eve of the Detroit motor show press day last week, GM chief executive Mary Barra said the company has no plans to change where it produces small cars due to Mr Trump's threats.

She said the car business has long lead times for where it produces vehicles, with decisions made two to four years ahead.

Ms Barra, who is part of a Trump economic advisory group, said it is too early to talk about a possible tariff.

She said the company has more in common with Mr Trump's goals on trade and jobs than differences.
Brexit is the biggest threat to the farming sector in half a century, according to the Irish Farmers Association.

President Joe Healy says with 40% of food exports going to the UK, no other member state is as exposed in the negotiations.

He has stressed that politicians in Dublin and Brussels cannot ignore the ongoing impact of the sterling devaluation, and direct aid for the farmers and sectors affected must be on the agenda.

Mr Healy says the impact of Brexit is already being felt across the country.

"Farmers have taken most of the pain resulting from the weakness of sterling," he continued.

"Beef farmers took a hit of 150m last year from this alone and mushroom growers saw their margins wiped out.

"These losses are a direct result of a political decision outside farmers control and cannot be tolerated."

Healy stressed that politicians in Dublin and Brussels cannot ignore the ongoing impact of the sterling devaluation. In his view, direct aid for the farmers and sectors affected by Brexit must be on the agenda.

He said: "Agriculture and food cannot become a battleground between Brussels and London. There are too many farm livelihoods and jobs at stake.

"Politics cannot be allowed override our fundamental economic interests."

The IFA expects the Government to use the strong relationship they have with both EU and UK leaders to influence a constructive approach to these difficult negotiations.

Healy also warned against a reduction in the Common Agriculture Programme (CAP) budget due to Brexit.

His comments come as British Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed today that her nation would leave the Single Market, setting a course for a "hard" Brexit.
Enterprise Ireland has approved the third phase of its Technology Transfer Strengthening Initiative (TTSI) which serves to bolster the capability within the knowledge transfer system in Ireland.

This phase of the programme will see 34.5m invested over five years to further embed the transfer of knowledge from within the public research system to industry in Ireland and vice versa.
Rolls-Royce has agreed to pay 671 million to British, US and Brazilian authorities to settle bribery and corruption claims.

The engine maker said it has in principle reached a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the US Department of Justice (DoJ), and a leniency agreement with Brazil's Ministerio Publico Federal (MPF).

The agreements relate to bribery and corruption scandals involving intermediaries in overseas markets such as Indonesia and China.

The company first passed information to the SFO in 2012 after facing "allegations of malpractice" in the two countries, after which the fraud squad launched a formal investigation.

Officials for the firm said at the time its own investigations had found "matters of concern" in additional overseas markets.

Rolls-Royce said the sums were "voluntary agreements" which result in the suspension of a prosecution, provided the company fulfils certain requirements, including the payment of a financial penalty.

The firm has agreed to make payments to the DoJ totalling 169 million US dollars (140 million) and to the MPF totalling 25.6 million US dollars (21.2 million).

Under the terms of the DPA with the SFO, Rolls-Royce will pay 497 million plus interest over five years, plus a payment in respect of the SFO's costs.

Rolls-Royce will pay 293 million in the first year of all three agreements.

The firm said it has co-operated fully with the authorities and will continue to do so.

Rolls-Royce will report full-year results in February, when it will update the market on the implications of the settlements to the balance sheet.

The firm said early indications show that the group has had a "good finish" to the year with both profit and, in particular, cash expected to come in ahead of expectations.

In a statement, the SFO confirmed the agreement had been reached in principle with the company and said approval would be sought at a public hearing scheduled for 10am at the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, anti-corruption group Transparency International UK executive director Robert Barrington said news of the agreements "should send shivers down the spines of corrupt companies and individuals".

He said: "In order to serve as a proper deterrent for companies who think it is acceptable to do business with bribery, those involved with or who sanctioned bribery must be prosecuted individually."
Health Ministers from over 35 OECD countries meet in Paris today to discuss issues including how to tackle ineffective spending.

Irish Health Minister Simon Harris said that he will be engaging with colleagues on ways of reducing the cost of new drugs.
The HSE has issued a public health warning this evening about a potentially deadly designer drug which may be in circulation in Cork city, writes Eoin English.

It said the synthetic drug, U-47700, may be in circulation, may be in white powder form and may be sold as cocaine.

The warning comes as gardai continue their investigations into the suspected drugs-related death of a 16-year-old boy in the Deermount area of the city on Monday morning.

Michael Cornacchia: Died of a suspected drugs overdose.

The HSE has advised people against taking illegal drugs, but said if people decide to take illicit substances, they should be aware that there is no quality control on these substances.

"We are aware that substances sold as cocaine may in fact contain other substances such as synthetic opioids," a spokesman said.

"There is no way of telling what is in a powder or pill just by looking at it. It may look like the drug you want to purchase but it may well be something else."

It urged anyone with concerns around drug use to contact the confidential HSE Drugs & Alcohol Helpline at freephone 1800 459 459 or email helpline@hse.ie

Information can also be accessed at www.drugs.ie
The Social Democrats are urging the Government to stop Nama selling Irish property to so-called 'vulture funds'.

The party said that the agency needs to take on a new direction of resolving the housing crisis in the country.

Joint leader Roisin Shortall said the change must happen now.

"The remit should have been changed a couple of years ago, but there is still property there," she said.

"There are still sites, there are still housing units within Nama and we need to say: "Let's put an end to the flogging off of Irish assets to vulture funds'.

"That has caused major problems in this country.

"We need to stop that now, change the remit and see how Nama can contribute to solving the major housing crisis that we have."
News / National

by Staff reporter

CONTROVERSIAL political activist Acie Lumumba's claim to be in a relationship with Lerato Hlongwani, daughter to South African business tycoon, Fana Hlongwane, has been met with heated denial by the latter.Lumumba last Thursday revealed to H-Metro that he was in love with Lerato and was ready to settle but she described the claim as "lies! False information.""Please , I am not dating Acie Lumumba ! Never have and Never will. He is, and in this case I guess it's safe to say, was my friend," fumed Lerato who said she is "very hurt and upset" by the story.The controversial activist made the sensational claims moments after a Harare magistrate ruled that he be given back his passport but Lerato insists they were only friends and Lumumba's claims have dragged her family name into unnecessary shame.Lumumba's passport was being held at the Harare Magistrates' Clerk of Court as part of his bail condition in a matter in which he is being charged with undermining the authority of the President and soon after he got his passport he volunteered information about Lerato claiming she is his girlfriend.After the interview, he went on to shower H-Metro with pictures of him and Lerato as proof that they were an item."I am now free to travel. I have been handed back my passport."My lover had been worried on whether I would travel to South Africa to see her."I have found love in another beautiful woman . . . Lerato Fana the daughter of South African businessman Fana Hlongwane," he said.However, a clearly agitated Lerato made it very clear to H-Metro that Lumumba's claims are not only false but embarrassing to her and her family.She insisted that the only relationship she had with Lumumba was friendship and suggested that even that friendship was over after the political activist, popular for leaking an indecent tape, claimed to be her lover.
Update 10.18am: A suspect arrested last night has confessed to carrying out the attack an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Eve which killed 39 people, according to Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin.

Mr Sahin also said the mans fingerprints matched those of the attacker.

Officials said today that the susepct is an Uzbekistan national who trained in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters in Ankara that the man was being questioned by police and expressed hope that the interrogation would unveil the "forces" behind the attack, which was claimed by the so-called Islamic State group.

"The vile terrorist who attacked the place of entertainment on New Year's Eve and led to the loss of so many lives has been captured," Mr Yildirim said.

He added: "What is important is for the suspect to be captured and for the forces behind it to be revealed."

The premier refused to give further details on the arrest or the investigation, saying authorities would provide specifics "in time".

Mr Sahin said the attack suspect is an Uzbekistan national who trained in Afghanistan. He is believed to have entered Turkey in January 2016.

The suspect, according to Mr Sahin, is a well-educated terrorist who speaks four languages and had clearly carried out the attack in the name of IS.

The statements come hours after police began questioning the suspect, who was identified in Turkish media reports as Abdulgadir Masharipov and was caught in a police operation at a luxury residential complex in Istanbul.

The state-run Anadolu Agency said a man from Kyrgyzstan and three women - from Somalia, Senegal and Egypt - were also detained in the raid, while the gunman's four-year-old son was taken into protective custody.

IS has claimed responsibility for the nightclub massacre, saying the attack in the early hours of January 1 was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria. The man identified as the suspect had been on the run since the attack.

Anadolu said police have also carried out raids on members of a suspected Uzbek IS cell in five Istanbul neighbourhoods, and detained several people.

Authorities had set up a 1,000-strong force to capture the gunman, Anadolu said.

Earlier:

The gunman suspected of killing 39 people during a New Year's attack on an Istanbul nightclub has been caught in a police operation, according to Turkish media reports.

The suspect was captured in a special operations police raid on a house in Istanbul's Esenyurt district, private NTV television reported.

The broadcaster said he had been staying in the house belonging to a friend from Kyrgyzstan.

The so-called 'Islamic State' group has claimed responsibility for the nightclub massacre, saying the attack in the first hours of January 1 was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria.

The man identified as the suspect had been on the run since the attack.

Hurriyet newspaper and other media have identified the gunman as Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbekistan national.

The suspect was to undergo medical checks before being taken to police headquarters for questioning, the paper said.

Dogan news agency published what it said was the first image of the attacker.

It showed a bruised, black-haired man in a grey, bloodied shirt being held by his neck. NTV said the gunman had resisted arrest.

The broadcaster reported that the alleged gunman's Kyrgyz friend and three other people also were detained. His four-year-old child, who was with him at the home, was taken into protective custody.

Hurriyet said the alleged gunman's wife and one-year old daughter were caught in a police operation on January 12.

Police established his whereabouts four or five days ago, but delayed the raid so they could monitor his movements and contacts, NTV reported.

The television channel also broadcast footage showing plain-clothed police taking away a man in a white top and sweat pants, forcing his head down.

The station said the images showed the gunman's Kyrgyz friend being taken to a police vehicle.

The state-run Anadolu Agency also reported the arrest and identified the gunman, only with a slightly different spelling of his first name, Abdulgadir.

It said a Kyrgyz man and three women were detained with him

Anadolu said the suspects were being taken to Istanbul's main police headquarters for questioning, and police were carrying out raids on other suspected 'Islamic State' group cells.

Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu posted a Twitter message thanking the interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, police and intelligence organisations "who caught the Reina attacker in the name of the people".

Earlier, Turkish deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus said the Reina nightclub attack had been carried out professionally with the help of an intelligence organisation, a claim he had made in the first days after the attack.

He did not name the organisation suspected of being involved.

Hundreds of people were gathered at the Reina nightclub to celebrate the end of a tumultuous 2016 only to become the first victims of 2017. The gunman shot a police officer and a civilian outside the club, then stormed the premises.

Most of the dead in the attack on the upmarket club were foreign nationals, from the Middle East. The gunman had reportedly left Reina in a taxi.
A Nigerian Air Force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists has mistakenly bombed a refugee camp, killing more than 100 refugees and wounding aid workers, a state official said.

The Borno state government official is helping to co-ordinate the evacuation of the wounded.
Police investigating the disappearance of a woman who went missing more than a year ago have discovered a body.

Victoria Cherry, aged 44, from Fulwood, Lancashire, was last seen in October 2015.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said officers had found a body after searching a property in Bolton on Monday.

A 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder.

The spokesman said: "Today, Monday 16 January 2017, officers investigating the disappearance of Victoria Cherry, 44, of Fulwood, Lancashire, who had not been seen since October 2015, searched a property on Toronto Street, Bolton.

"Following the search, a 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and after further enquiries, officers found a body at the address.

"Formal identification has not yet taken place but officers believe it is the body of Victoria Cherry."

Detective Chief Inspector Terry Crompton of GMP's Serious Crime Division, said: "We are continuing to support Victoria's family as they deal with this devastating news.

"The arrested man remains in custody but I'm urging anyone with any information that would help our enquiries to get in touch.

"If you have information about Victoria's whereabouts since her disappearance in 2015 or if you hold any information about the events leading up to our discovery, please contact us as a matter of urgency."

Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 4711 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
A third of people recently diagnosed with asthma do not actually have the condition, research suggests.

Some people may be misdiagnosed with asthma while others may just have asthma that is no longer active, a new study found.

Experts led by a team at University of Ottawa carried out detailed breathing tests on 613 patients from 10 Canadian cities. All had been diagnosed with asthma in the past five years and every patient underwent a consultation with a lung specialist.

The findings showed that 33% of patients did not have active asthma. More than 90% were able to stop their asthma medications and remained safely off medication for a year.

Dr Shawn Aaron, lead author and respirologist at the Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa, said: "It's impossible to say how many of these patients were originally misdiagnosed with asthma, and how many have asthma that is no longer active.

"What we do know is that they were all able to stop taking medication that they didn't need - medication that is expensive and can have side effects."

Overall, eight out of 10 patients who did not have asthma had been taking medication for it, while 35% took it every day.

The most common form of asthma medication is an inhaler but some people also need to take tablets. Side-effects of some of the medication, such as steroids, include high blood pressure, stomach upsets and lower resistance to infection.

The study also found that of those patients originally diagnosed with asthma, almost half (49%) had not undergone the required airflow tests, known as spirometry, to ensure the diagnosis was correct.

Instead, doctors had used their own observations and the patient's description of their symptoms to make a diagnosis.

Spirometry measures how much air you can breathe out in one forced breath.

Those patients found not to have asthma most often had other conditions instead. These included allergies or heartburn, while 28% had nothing wrong with them at all. Some 2% had serious conditions such as high blood pressure or heart disease.

Dr Aaron said: "Doctors wouldn't diagnose diabetes without checking blood sugar levels, or a broken bone without ordering an X-ray.

"But for some reason, many doctors are not ordering the spirometry tests that can definitely diagnose asthma.

"It wasn't a surprise to most patients when we told them they didn't have asthma.

"Some knew all along that their puffer wasn't working, while others were concerned that they might have something more serious. Thankfully, the majority of the conditions were mild and easily treated."

The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
The widow of the Orlando nightclub gunman has been charged with helping her husband in the months leading up to the massacre that left 49 people dead.

Noor Salman, 30, is due in federal court in Oakland on Tuesday, following her arrest a day earlier on the Florida charges.

The two-count indictment accuses her of knowingly aiding and abetting her husband, Omar Mateen, in providing material support and resources to the Islamic State group between April and June of last year.

It also says she knowingly misled police and the FBI after the June 12 attack at the Pulse nightclub.

The charging document does not give additional details on Salman's actions.

Salman is from the San Francisco Bay Area and in the aftermath of the Orlando attack that also left her husband dead she returned there with their son, whose name she has since sought to change.

She was repeatedly questioned by FBI investigators over whether she had any knowledge of her husband's plans.

Her lawyer Linda Moreno said after her arrest that she "had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night".

Salman told The New York Times in an interview published in November that she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but was "unaware of everything" regarding his intent to shoot up the club.

Salman also said he had physically abused her, which her lawyer reiterated on Monday.

"Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands," Ms Moreno said.

"We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonours the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person."

The San Francisco office of the FBI said Salman was taken into custody in Rodeo, which is the small Bay Area community where she grew up and where her family lives.

Jail records, however, say she was arrested about 30 miles away in Dublin. The reason for the discrepancy was not clear.

US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in an interview with MSNBC that "from the beginning, we were going to look at every aspect of this, of every aspect of this shooter's life to determine not just why did he take these actions - but who else knew about them? Was anyone else involved?"

Salman met Mateen online and the two married in 2011.

They lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the time of the shooting.

Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a 911 call during the three-hour standoff that ended in his death.

Forty-nine patrons were killed and another 53 were taken to hospital.

"Nothing can erase the pain we all feel about the senseless and brutal murders of 49 of our neighbours, friends, family members and loved ones," Orlando Police Chief John Mina said on Monday.

"But today, there is some relief in knowing that someone will be held accountable for that horrific crime."

AP
The government has only just managed to reach an agreement that could see resumption in supply of paracetamol...
News / National

by Lulu Brenda Harris

A Bulawayo Member of Parliament had to intervene in a case where a headmistress at Mahatshula Primary School was reportedly turning away children for non payment of fees to the dismay of the parents.Schools opened last week Tuesday but children whose fees was not yet paid were turned away promoting the parents to seek the intervention of Bulawayo Metropolitan MP Jasmine Toffa.The school fee at Mahatshula is $61 per term.The parents who are residents at Mahatshula held a meeting with Toffa telling her headmistress of the council run, a J Mambayo was refusing to listen to their pleas.Their children were consequently turned away despite government policy that no child should be turned away for non-payment of fees.This prompted Toffa to to call the headmistress who told she was busy with some funeral arrangements, of which afterwards she would be at a meeting."The following day she made excuses again. I met parents as the MP who asked me to talk to the school authorities on their behalf because their children were deprived of an education."They asked me what they should do as they were unemployed and could not yet make payments plans as they had no steady income," the legislator said in an interview with Radio Dialogue.The legislator noted that it was shocking that the parents seemed terrified of the headmistress."Some of the parents were told in front of their children not to bring them to school. Imagine the psychological effect on the children."Their child rights and the constitution is infringed. We are not saying don't pay fees, it is their duty to pay but we are asking schools to be flexible," she said.Toffa said in the absence of the headmistress, she then met with the school's deputy head who was unable to respond to her."The following day, I went to the school around 7.45 am and I witnessed the parents walking out with their children. I once again asked to see the Headmistress, she was not in. I called her on the phone and told her I was with some of the parents. She disputed that children were turned away and said there was no such thing, indicating that the parents could have left on their own."The headmistress then told me to tell the deputy head to deal with the issue. Although that sounded wrong I discussed with the deputy head. Eventually the deputy head took down names of the children who were out indicating payment plans had to be made," Toffa said.During break time, the legislator said the deputy head went to classes checking the class registers and told those who were present to pass message that those who were absent should come back to school."One parent said he had two children and had paid the city council and made a part payment so he was trying to negotiate so that his children could attend classes. But the headmistress laughed at his face and told him to return once he had the full fees," she claimed.The affected parents also concurred with the legislator, saying their failure to pay fees was unintentional."We are unable to pay fees on time but we will pay eventually. The school has to understand our situation, not all of us are able but we shall pay," said one woman who refused to be named in fear of her child being victimised.Toffa stressed it was wrong to turn away children but schools should come with means to make parents pay."The issue is not the children, it is the parents. Schools should either try to engage debt collectors or think of ways to make parents pay."Some of these parents are unemployed and most are vendors who said they cannot commit to a flat figure per month but are able to pay whatever they raise. The parents asked the school to be flexible and accept whatever they had," she said.The legislator was due for a meeting with the headmistress to discuss a way forward that would work on both the schools and children's favour.Toffa is an MP for Bulawayo representing MDC under proportional representation.
BUDAPEST: The US embassy in Hungary said on Thursday that comments in the Hungarian right-wing press that two local...
News / National

by Al Jazeera

President Robert Mugabe still rules Zimbabwe at age 92, making him the world's oldest sitting president.And while his party, the Zanu-PF, is in strife over who will come after him, the state media's dilemma is how to report the succession battles - with talking about Mugabe's succession being an editorial red line.State-owned news outlets such as The Herald newspaper and the Zimbabwean Broadcasting Corporation remain loyal to Mugabe, but even they are backing one faction in the Zanu-PF - albeit indirectly - by attacking the other.Mugabe's message is clear: the media has no place in Zimbabwe's political future.But with ripples from last year's anti-government protests still in the air and instability at an all-time high, the silenced social media campaigns and wary journalists make for a concerning overview of the coverage surrounding Mugabe's succession.An example of the uncomfortable relationship betwen the media and the government occurred in December 2016, when President Mugabe was seen struggling to leave the podium after a speech."When the minister [of information] was asked about the president's health, he became very hostile; he asked the reporter who had sent him to ask those questions. This explains the kind of relationship that we have with the minister of information. They suspect that the private media is pushing a foreign agenda against the president," says Kholani Nyathi, editor at privately owned paper The Standard.But what does this mean for Mugabe's successor and how does this affect the Zimbabwean media story in the long term?Contributors: Kholani Nyathi, editor, The Standard; Caesar Zvayi, editor, The Herald; Fadzayi Mahere, advocate; Munyaradzi Dodo, online activist, @OPENPARLYZW.
Swedish fast fashion giant H&M has failed in a bid to cut its wages bill at the expense of workers after the Fair Work Commission dismissed its enterprise agreement.

The application was thrown out on the basis that it failed to satisfy the so called better off over test or BOOT and would have left some workers worse off than if they were paid under the award, particularly staff rostered on weeknight and weekend shifts.

H&M's attempt to side-step costly penalty rates suggests major corporations believe they can get away with paying less than the award rates in Australia, according to Retail and Fast Food Workers Union spokesman Josh Cullinan.

"I think this reveals Australia is seen as a soft touch for retail and fast food workers," Mr Cullinan said.
More than half of Australia's young adults have done unpaid work as part of an internship or a job trial, raising questions about the need for greater regulation of unpaid work to prevent exploitation, a landmark national study has found.

The study of 3800 people aged 18 to 29 from across the country is the first to investigate the prevalence of unpaid work in Australia and suggests it is becoming a pervasive norm in an increasingly competitive labour market.

Unpaid work experience now extends beyond traditional student placements in medicine, nursing and teaching to all areas across the workforce, including law, finance, creative arts, retail and hospitality.

The study findings have been released as the federal government prepares to introduce 120,000 internship placements over four years from this year as part of its Youth Jobs PaTH youth employment program. The University of Sydney is also planning to make work experience compulsory for all undergraduate students from next year.
There has been a constant ripple of disquiet against the West Basin development surfacing in The Canberra Times and covering a broad spectrum of concerns. Derek Wrigley (Letters, October 19, 2016) noted the need to retain soft green areas, Penny Moyes ( (Letters, January 9) highlighted the need for community involvement, Alan Robertson (Letters, December 31) noted the cost extravagance and his fears the government will proceed with piecemeal sales while the Times Editorial (January 12) bundled it into the basket of developments 'Destroying Canberra to save it?'

The proposed West Basin development has nothing to redeem it other than giving a windfall to developers and a lakeside housing estate for the rich. The public  locals and visitors have everything to lose  vistas, part of the lake bed, a treed green space, an open recreation area and a great deal of tax payer money as the ACT government juggles the servicing costs.

A digitally enhanced view of what Commonwealth Avenue may look like if West Basin's redevelopment goes ahead. Credit:Unknown

West Basin has been a sorry saga since it emerged from the Griffin Legacy in 2004. During its infamous history its shortcomings were recognised by Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories and their report of 2007 advised that the damaging amendment (61) be disallowed yet only one politician, Greens leader Dr Bob Brown, had the gumption to formally oppose it but he was outgunned by the politicians of the major parties.

Once anchored into the National Capital Plan, the West Basin development has been nurtured by the National Capital Authority and ACT politicians, lavishing it with nauseating jargon such as "city making", "introducing vibrancy and liveliness", "reflecting Griffin legacy" and "extending Griffin's grid to the lake" while in truth the Griffin parkland legacy will be obliterated.
Many Sydneysiders of a certain age will remember where they were when they heard the news of the Granville train disaster on January 18 four decades ago. No one will feel this anniversary more acutely than the survivors, the families of the dead and injured and the people who responded at the scene of the accident. Eighty-three people died and another 213 were injured when a road bridge collapsed on top of a commuter train which derailed near Granville train station.

Forty years on, the NSW government is preparing to apologise to the victims of the disaster when Parliament resumes. The transport minister Andrew Constance has talked about the importance of recognising the lifelong effect on the people whose lives changed irrevocably that day in 1977.

A security guard attempts to stop photographs of the buckled span on the Skytrain viaduct in Sydney's north-west. Credit:Janie Barrett

An inquiry pointed to ageing rail infrastructure and a shameful lack of investment in maintenance. It is no disrespect to the survivors and the bereaved, but rather, a way of respecting their struggle and seeking to avoid such a calamity being repeated, to consider on this sad anniversary, the work in progress on the Sydney Metro North West project .

That state transport bureaucrats might cut safety corners because they are determined to have it finished on time and on budget by the next state election defies common sense and decency but alas, not the imagination. It is the shocking impression created by correspondence brought to light under Freedom of Information provisions by the Herald's transport reporter Matt O'Sullivan.
Incoming Health Minister Greg Hunt says he wants to establish a better relationship with the nation's GPs amid the ongoing conflict over the government's decision to maintain a freeze on the Medicare rebate.

Named by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Wednesday to replace resigned minister Sussan Ley, Mr Hunt declined to discuss his thoughts on the freeze, which has angered doctors by capping the amount they are reimbursed.

But one of Mr Hunt's first conversations, in a telephone call made within 10 minutes of Mr Turnbull's announcement, was with Australian Medical Association head Michael Gannon, who told him GPs often felt "undervalued" in Australia.

"I want to re-establish that value - their role, their importance, their trust in the community," Mr Hunt said. "I do again want to repeat that for GPs, I want to be their health minister."
And it's not just the political elite Australians distrust. Sixty per cent believe that "experts in this country don't understand the lives of people like me", according to the survey. It's a sign that Trump's America and the wave of resentment he rode to the White House may be closer to home than we think, experts say. "We should be concerned," said Carol Johnson, Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of Adelaide. "If there's anything we can learn from Trump's victory and from Brexit, it's that these forces can emerge far more quickly than mainstream politicians and commentators expect."

While previous surveys have shown some dissatisfaction with traditional politics, these latest findings come at a time of declining primary votes for both Australia's major parties, she said. "While there has been distrust before, these are very high figures," Professor Johnson said. "I think they are a sign that in economic policy in particular the major parties need to think about whether they have been adequately addressing the concerns of voters."

Globally, 69 per cent believed the economy was rigged to favour the elite, 57 per cent of people believed their country was in decline and 43 per cent believed their lives would be worse than their parents', the Ipsos survey found. Ipsos Social Research Institute director David Elliott said recent political events had galvanised populist forces across the globe. "There is growing discontent and with things like Brexit and Trump, people holding similar views feel more confident to speak out about it," Ipsos Social Research Institute director David Elliott said. "[In Australia] the increase of support for Pauline Hanson and her party in the previous election certainly supports that."

While Australia was on par with, or very close to, the global average for most of the survey's questions, Australians emerged as more likely than most to support closing the door on globalisation. More than 30 per cent of Australians see foreign business and trade as a threat, compared with 26 per cent globally, while 37 per cent believed we should protect ourselves from the world, compared with 31 per cent globally. Mr Elliott said Australian political discourse had focused heavily on immigration and refugees in recent years, often linking these issues with terrorism. "As we get more fearful of what might be coming to our shores, I think it's a natural reaction for people to want to huddle in and close the doors to the outside world," he said.

Professor Johnson said the major parties would find these results "very concerning". "Especially the Liberal Party, given that Malcolm Turnbull is a very strong supporter of globalisation and free trade," she said. "Both parties will be very worried that this anti-globalisation sentiment will encourage parties like One Nation, who have such a strong anti-globalisation stand." Professor Johnson said these sentiments were "fertile ground for the growth of right-wing populism", which often tried to tie the belief that elites haven't been pursuing the economic interests of ordinary workers to the idea that immigrants are getting more than their fair share.

However, she pointed out that it was not clear how respondents had interpreted the survey's questions and anti-elite, anti-establishment discontent could include people with either left-wing or right-wing political views. One bright spot in the survey found Australians were slightly less pessimistic than most people around the world. While half of Australian respondents believed their country was in decline, this was below the global average of 57 per cent and significantly lower than in countries such as the US (60 per cent), Spain (69 per cent) and South Africa (77 per cent). Similarly, 38 per cent of Australians said they felt their generation would have a worse life than their parents' generation, compared with 43 per cent globally and 47 per cent in the US.
Nine directors of the scandal-plagued NSW RSL have been formally accused of working against the interests of members by engaging in a cover-up over the alleged rorting of expenses by former president Don Rowe.

The NSW leadership group has also been internally charged by the national RSL with bringing the organisation into disrepute after a number of embarrassing stories by Fairfax Media and the ABC exposed the alleged financial mismanagement at the century-old institution.

The national RSL has ordered their state counterparts to explain their actions or face being swept aside through a no-confidence motion - an unprecedented move in the RSL's 100-year history.

An official "charge sheet" obtained by Fairfax Media was sent to nine of 11 current members of the NSW state council on Tuesday, just 24 hours after the national RSL received a second report from forensic auditors at KordaMentha.
Embattled Tigerair deserves a "spanking" for its handling of Bali flight cancellations, according to a disgruntled customer missing work as a result of delays.

Other travellers hit out at the airline for a lack of communication and vowed never to fly the low-cost carrier again.

Peter Corbett and dozens of other former Tigerair passengers filed through Brisbane Airport on Tuesday morning after a replacement Virgin Australia flight was organised to bring customers back home.

Instead of a direct flight home to Adelaide, they faced hours-long waits in Brisbane after arriving from Denpasar on a plane with a capacity of about 170.
A woman who escaped from a Gold Coast prison on New Year's Eve is back in jail.

Kristy Jones, 34, walked out of the Numinbah Women's Prison where she was being held on remand on charges of drug supply and burglary.

Kristy Jones fled the Numinbah Correctional Centre on New Year's Eve.

Southport Magistrates Court heard Jones had hitch-hiked away from the prison after making her escape.

She spent more than two weeks on the run before being arrested at a Coomera Waters residence on Monday.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Harare's Metropolitan talk radio station Capitalk100.4FM is set for its debut live broadcast starting today from 6am to 10am.The first live broadcast will be a business breakfast show called Start Up Capital and will be hosted by Farai Gwaze.Speaking to H-Metro, the station's manager Napoleon Nyanhi said:"We are starting our live broadcasts by launching the business breakfast show which will be four hours long and also other slots will have such durations."For now it's the breakfast show only then in the coming days we will be introducing other slots that means from tomorrow (today), from 6 am to 10 am it's the live morning show then we switch to the music signal."Nyanhi also said the prime time slots will be mostly concentrated on talk and there will be new voices in terms of on air personalities."We are a talk radio and 70 percent of the content will be talk and 30 percent music. The breakfast show will be mostly on business and you will get to hear one or two songs in each hour, and the rest will be discussions."There will be one or two familiar voices but the rest will be new to the airwaves and we expect to be all systems go in terms of live broadcasting before the end of the first quarter of this year," he added.The station is still under construction and is located in Chisipite.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will be seeking assurances the new Queensland Rail timetable is up to scratch when she meets with Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe on Wednesday.

Ms Palaszczuk again hit out at QR's "appalling" failure to notify the government about the driver shortage but continued to stand by Mr Hinchliffe even as she insisted on a personal briefing about the new timetable.

Queensland Rail released its new timetable on Monday. Credit:Robert Shakespeare

"I want to be reassured and I want to sit down with the minister and the acting CEO (of QR) because I need an assurance this rail timetable is going to work," she told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

When asked why Mr Hinchliffe continued to have her support when other people had been sacked over the fiasco, Ms Palaszczuk said it was because she wanted him to "fix this up".
Queensland business confidence has jumped to its highest level in seven years, with business owners feeling positive about the year ahead.

But the survey was not all good news, with the Queensland government's approval rating not budging, remaining on -18, the second lowest rating for any state or territory government.

Queensland government gets second lowest rating in nation in new Sensis survey. Credit:Glenn Hunt

That result, from the latest Sensis Business Index, was met with a mixed reaction from Labor and the LNP as the state heads into an election year.

The report shows Queensland small and medium business confidence rose four points to +43 this quarter, sitting at its highest level since March 2010, and rising for the third quarter in a row.
It's not a stretch to say Amazon's arrival in Australia  doors open in September  is one of the biggest things to happen to local retailing. Executives have been quoted stating it plans to "destroy the retail environment in Australia".

Its intentions to shake up supermarkets, streamline logistics operations and, presumably, propensity to buy market share by undercutting the incumbents gives it a real advantage in an already competitive market.

Pascale Helyar-Moray whose business sells customisable jewelry is worried about Amazon's expansion. Credit:Jade Warne

But what does all this mean for smaller businesses? According to Pascale Helyar-Moray, founder of online business StyleRocks, which sells customisable jewellery, if you sell commoditised products like socks, jocks and handkerchiefs, you may be in big trouble.

"Any business that sells a product that is easy to buy online should be very, very worried, Amazon has its logistics down like nobody else, because of its clout and size. It can leverage that to smooth out distribution process and get really good rates," she explains.
Police investigating a series of alleged burglaries in Melbourne's CBD over the past year have made an arrest.

Investigators charged 29-year-old Lalor man Daniel Bowd with 113 offences relating to burglary and theft.

His lawyer told the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday his client was a methamphetamine user.

Mr Bowd, who did not appear in court, was remanded until February 17.

Police will allege a number of shops in Melbourne's CBD were broken into in the past year.
A man has been shot in a car park in Melbourne's north on Tuesday night.

Police were called to the scene near the intersection of Mahoney's and Sydney Road in Campbellfield at about 9.30pm.

Victoria Police spokesman Leading Senior Constable Adam West said a man was found with serious injuries and was taken to hospital.

"Offenders fled the scene in an unknown direction and investigations are ongoing," he said.

Anyone who may have witnessed the shooting is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
"I was signalling for help every time I tried the next bra on but I was being avoided like the plague, I'm assuming because my kids wouldn't stop crying," she wrote. "I finally gave up and left the change room with two very upset children. I did the walk of shame out of the dressing room and everyone gave me that look, you know that judgmental look ... "Being judged like I was today gave me such anxiety." Adding injury to insult, her daughter fell over and cut open a knee en route to the car, where mum and kids alike found consolation in a bag of M&Ms. More than 700 comments followed as others shared their own stories.

Mum shaming Credit:Facebook Perhaps the greatest test of compassion is in caring for the shamed individual... "We have all been here! And we have done the shame-walk to the car," one woman said. "Totally know the feeling," said another, describing her ADHD son's tantrum as she walked through a pharmacy. "I just wanted to get his meds, get milk and leave but made it totally horrible ... an old man checking out talking to the older women watching as my kid kicked me, knocking things, just something he can't control when he has had a full day and is overstimulated.

"He looked at me and said 'I really hope you're done, cause this world is ruined with kids like yours.'" The woman went home and cried. And she is not alone. In the journal article It goes with the territory, two British scientists in 2002 explored maternal guilt as an idea so ingrained in modern Western culture as to be inescapable. In the 2010 follow-on, Mothering, guilt and shame, American sociologist Jean-Anne Sutherland noted the modern model of motherhood, sometimes called 'the new momism', asked women to give fully of themselves at all times, physically, emotionally, psychologically and intellectually, a model of "near impossible standards".

Being a 'good' mother was key to representation of a 'moral self', and as any member of a society must attempt conformity with its definition of moral behaviour, the model was a source of stress that resulted in guilt and shame. It noted significant links between depression and guilt, while shame related to a 'host of indices to psychopathology'. Dr Sutherland wrote that it was important to explore the social contexts spurring on guilt, and the important difference between guilt and shame. Australian psychologist and researcher Koa Whittingham, author of book Becoming Mum, explains this difference in terms of evolutionary theory. Guilt was a part of our moral, care-giving system - unpleasant to experience, but important as it discouraged us from harming others and prompted us to repair any harms that we had done.

"Guilt is focused on regretting how we acted or failed to act," she said. For business, mothers' guilt is a gold mine begging for exploitation, with so many examples of companies charging ridiculous prices for products addressing this emotional hole that ABC consumer affairs show The Checkout features a dedicated "Guilty Mum" segment. Jokes aside, guilt can be a "useful moral alert system for a mother, prompting her to be the best mother she can be and to repair any damage done when she does make a mistake," Dr Whittingham said. Shame, however, was "simply toxic", focused on perceptions that we were unworthy, unattractive, disliked by other people or likely to be rejected.

Shame was all about social threat and when thus threatened we tended to react in one of three ways: escape and hide, act submissive towards the shamer, or fight back. The Facebook discussions above illustrate this, with mothers describing choices ranging from the 'walk of shame' to the car, and going home to cry in private, to more defiant actions. "I have a four-year-old and I get 'the look' when she has the occasional meltdown in a store. I just say 'WHAT?' to people, or give them the look right back and let her finish," said one. Another parent, tired of people rubbernecking rudely as her tired toddlers grizzled at a checkout aisle, said loudly to those around her, "Take a picture everyone... welcome to life with twins." But Dr Whittingham said flight, fight and submission all had their own consequences.

Those escaping seldom sought help, hiding challenges to escape social rejection and internalising the threat - an approach associated with depression, stress and anxiety. Psychologist Ravi Chandra in Psychology Today said that the "horrible, pernicious, shapeshifting emotion" was "implicated in suicide and violence". "Pronouncing someone, or oneself, as unworthy or unacceptable, separating from the experience of belonging  these are probably the worst punishments possible for social animals," he wrote. "We see evidence for this in the synonym 'mortified'. When someone is shamed, they are closest to death and tragedy, from the French mort." But people fighting back, Dr Whittingam said, risked unknowingly contributing to a culture of shame and threat by potentially suggesting problems with others' approaches and shaming them in turn.
Gerard was wearing a baseball cap very similar to this at the time he went missing. It has never been found. Credit:WA Police "Since then the Special Crime Squad has been working through the review recommendations and opened up new lines of inquiry which police hope will lead to a breakthrough," Acting Inspector Munday said. "Several new persons of interest have also been identified. "Whilst police have spoken to almost 1200 witnesses during this investigation, we believe there are others with information who have not yet come forward for their own reasons. "We ask those people to re-consider their position given the passage of time and potential changes in allegiances and circumstances.

"Ask yourselves 'what if it was my child, or grandchild?'. Think of the Ross family and help them get the answers they deserve." Gerard's mother Cyrese also released a statement on Tuesday. "Over the last nineteen years since Gerard's murder, we as a family have made several appeals to the public in the hope that someone can provide information that will lead to his killer being brought to justice," the statement read. "Gerard would have turned 31 last November and has sadly missed out on so much of life. As his brother and sisters grow up and make lives for themselves, Gerard has been denied this opportunity. He will never experience the joy in sharing his love, creative talent and sense of humour with his niece or when starting his own family. "His promising life, hopes and dreams have tragically been taken from him. The lives of those he met, his friends and family will never be the same without him and will forever miss him.

"We make this appeal on behalf of Gerard and ask you to provide any information, no matter how small or insignificant. Please come forward as it can make the difference to Gerard's life and give him the justice he deserves." A $100,000 reward offered by the State Government in 1998 for information about Gerard's murder still remains. Police have conducted more than 8500 "investigative actions" as part of the investigation and collected almost 5000 items of physical material. Gerard lived with his family in the Pilbara town of Newman and in October 1997 they had travelled to Rockingham for a holiday. On Tuesday, police also asked people to come forward if they had any knowledge of a "Yankees" baseball cap Gerard was wearing at the time he went missing.
London: Last week, the WikiLeaks Twitter account, widely believed to be run by Julian Assange, tweeted: "If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ [Department of Justice] case".

On Tuesday, US President Barack Obama commuted most of the remaining prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the army intelligence analyst who leaked a vast collection of sensitive military and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks.

WikiLeaks has been campaigning for this result intensely, before and especially since hints emerged that Mr Obama may use the traditional pardoning powers of an outgoing president on Manning's behalf.

Manning will now be freed on May 17, rather than in 2045.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

The lawyer of Pastor Patrick Mugadza who prophesied that President Robert Mugabe will die on October 17 2017 has said his client got the message from God and the police will have to prove that God did not tell him.Mugadza has been arrested following his prophesy Mugabe's death and is detained.His lawyer, Gift Mtisi, told the international media that he was relaying a "message from God. Police would have to prove that God didn't say it".Mugabe has on numerous occasions been predicted as would died this or that year but he had remained alive much to his mocking of the ill wish by the said prophets against him jokingly saying Jesus has died once and resurrected once but himself has died many time and resurrected many times as well.Another Nigerian Prophet last year said Mugabe will not go beyond 2017 indicating that after Mugabe's death the nation will flourish with economic boom.Mtisi said his client had initially been charged with undermining the authority of the president, then "criminal nuisance" and finally "insulting people of a certain race or religion".
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A primary school which was criticised by regulators for not dealing with racism and bullying has temporarily replaced its headteacher.

The Meadows Primary School in Bitton, South Gloucestershire, was put into special measures by Ofsted last week after a two-day inspection in November.

It means the school must now become an academy and leave local authority control, according to Government regulations.

Headteacher Fran Harding is now absent from school, but South Gloucestershire Council said it could not say if she had been suspended or left the school.

Mrs Harding took over the reins from Sue Hadden in 2008, and had previously spent a decade as a deputy headteacher at Court de Wick School in North Somerset.

In her place, Helen Porter, deputy headteacher at nearby Kings' Forest Primary school in Kingswood, has taken over as acting head.

She will report to Ross Newman, the current headteacher at Kings' Forest  who will now become executive headteacher of both schools.

Kings' Forest was rated Good by Ofsted in December, and had been approached by the council to provide interim leadership support.

They are expected to be in post until half-term.

In a letter to Meadows' parents on Monday, the new leaders wrote: "We know that the majority of parents and children are happy with the school and were surprised by the recent inspection outcome.

"During this period of change I will be working in the role of executive headteacher and my time will be split between The Meadows and Kings' Forest.

"As of today [January 16] Miss Porter will be based mainly at the Meadows as acting headteacher in Mrs Harding's absence."

He also wrote to parents of Kings' Forest, and added: "It is common practice within schools that when a school needs support it is provided by another local school with the capacity to do so.

"I would like to assure you all that Kings' Forest is and will remain my number one priority and that providing support for the Meadows will not in any ways have a negative impact on our school."

He said it was "morally right" to take over at the Meadows, and that the support will be until half-term, for now.

A meeting has been called for parents next Monday, January 23, to explain the report and answer questions about the future of the Meadows.

Ofsted inspectors said the school did not tackle racism or bullying swiftly enough, and that girls told inspectors they felt "marginalised".

Staff also had little confidence in the senior leaders, according to the report, and the headteacher and governors were failing to provide effective leadership.

A spokesman for the council said: "Both Ross and Helen are highly experienced, capable leaders and will support staff and governors as we implement the recommendations made by Ofsted."

Both schools did not respond to requests for a comment.
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Victoria Park Primary School has been named the best state-funded primary school in Bristol and the surrounding areas, according to a new guide.

The Primary Real Schools Guide 2017, compiled by Trinity Mirror's data unit, aims to give a more comprehensive picture than the Government's performance tables.

It takes into account 36 different data sets, which include SATs results, progress, pupil-teacher ratio and absence rates.

The full data has now been made available and will allow parents to compare different schools, find a primary school's Ofsted report and links to contact details.

Now in its fourth year, the guide aims to paint a full picture of a school in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset or Bath.

This year's results put Victoria Park Primary School on top as the best school in the local area.

In second place is Fair Furlong Primary School, while third is Mangotsfield CofE VC Primary School.

Here are the top 10 in Bristol region:
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Its a multimedia Medea!

A Greek tragedy re-imagined as a Latin-disco variety show will soon cha-cha into a Fort Greene television studio for a production to be filmed, edited, and broadcast live for audiences across the globe. La Medea, running from Jan. 2022 at Bric Arts Media, mashes up the violent Euripides play about a scorned barbarian princess with a pop dance show, and its fiery narrative is intensified by the genre-bending format, said the creator.

I wanted to tell this in different ways, in different colors, in different genres so we have this kaleidoscope portrait of Medea, said Yara Travieso, the shows writer, director, and choreographer. At the time I was digging into the play, I was obsessing over Italian disco-pop stars who are known for performing on these very gaudy, dramatic television shows. And I thought, This is it  pairing these two makes so much sense because a television musical is so over-the-top and it translates the spectacle of the play so well.

The show follows Medea, a princess whose position in Greek society is threatened when her husband leaves her for another woman. She seeks violent revenge, then escapes to Athens to start a new life. The drama unfolds in a variety of styles, including dance, music, talk show, and telenovela  and will rope in the live studio audience to serve as a Greek chorus, commenting on the characters moral dilemmas and progressing the plot. The audiences role is crucial to the production, said Travieso.

The live audience helps create this world with us as the film extras, she said. They help color the world and help push the narrative with their actions.

Audience members will also be asked to join a ballroom scene and slow-dance in the background. The shows camera operators and musicians also become characters, peppering the space and providing behind-the-scenes glimpses at the productions inner workings, according to Travieso.

And those watching from home can also join the action. The show will be live-streamed on the Dance Films Association website, where Internet viewers can ask questions via an online forum. Producers will select relevant questions and use an earpiece to feed them to performers during a talk show segment. The task is an exciting challenge that lets anyone ask Medea a question and contribute to the show, said Travieso.

Were not sure what well get, maybe no one will ask questions, said Travieso. But I think that option of anyone, no matter where they are, being able to interact and contribute to the script is powerful.

La Medea at Bric Arts Media [647 Fulton St. between Rockwell and Ashland places, (212) 3523101, www.brica rtsme dia.org ]. Jan. 2021 at 8 pm; Jan. 22 at 2 pm and 7 pm. $20.

Reach reporter Caroline Spivack at cspiv ack@c ngloc al.com or by calling (718) 2602523. Follow her on Twitter @carolinespivack.
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Talk about bailing out a boat!

The ferry that shuttles shoppers and their flat-pack furniture from the Red Hook Ikea to Manhattan is staying afloat despite its owners threats to raise the gangway for good, after another boat company bought the business last week.

New York Water Taxis honchos claimed theyd have to scuttle their enterprise if the city didnt award them the contract to run its new five-borough ferry service last year, warning they couldnt compete with a government-funded rival in Red Hook.

They still didnt get the gig, but on Thursday they sold the entire operation to New York Cruise Lines  which runs the Circle Line sightseeing cruises  and both companies say the Erie Basin route will now keep chugging along.

We are especially pleased to be continuing with the Ikea ferry service, said Water Taxi bigwig Peter Ebright.

New York Water Taxi has been carrying Red Hookers and lovers of stylish-yet-affordable Scandinavian furniture across the river on its yellow-and-black checkered crafts since the store opened in 2008.

It is free on weekends and $5 per trip Monday through Friday  unless you have an Ikea receipt for $10 or more (the price of a colorful bath mat or two plates of Swedish meatballs), and then it is free.

And the new owner isnt rocking the boat  those rates will stay the same, according to a Circle Line spokeswoman.

The city ultimately tapped out-of-state outfit Hornblower Cruises and Events to run its new ferry service  which will roll out with new stops in Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Red Hook, and Brooklyn Bridge Park this summer, with trips costing the same as a subway fare.

Officials had planned on putting the Hook stop somewhere near the Water Taxis one on the neighborhoods southern shore, but ultimately agreed to put it in the Atlantic Basin at the Cruise Terminal  closer to Carroll Gardens  after residents demanded the berth be walking distance from more local homes.

The city has touted the new routes as a complement to other transit services on the East River, but Water Taxi isnt the only company that capsized in the face of the competition  former East River ferry operator Billybey also sold off its fleet last year after failing to score the coveted contract.
Opinion / Columnist

EditorI seem to have finally got the correct spelling of Matebeleland as seen on this heading.I always read and listen to discussions about what is referred to as Gukurahundi in these two regions of Mathebeleland and the Midlands. What I normally wonder about is whether those that refer to this act of genocide really know or understand what happened. Mnangwaga for example tries hard to exonerate himself from this act of genocide in these two regions. There is also a number of people that want never to be recognised as perpetrators of the genocide. Interestingly there are those that belong to what they call Gunda Nleya Brigade, really!!Let me put it in very simple English as I love to make sure anyone reading my articles does not look for a dictionary or is completely put off by big meaningless words. Gukurahundi happened in other places of Zimbabwe where ZANU-PF was eliminating all other parties as a fore runner to the genocide of the two regions, The Midlands and Matebeleland. ZANU-PF was then tasting the world reaction to its systematic killing. Many people suffered in these regions, this was before they introduced dissidents taking advantage of those few ZIPRA combatants who had not come to Assembly Points and only needed convincing than training a whole brigade for the operation when other units existed.The biggest let down in the ZIPRA ranks was the loss of Alfred Nikita Mangena and the demotion of Ambrose Mtiniri who together would never have allowed ZIPRA forces to be so humiliated. The enemy won at the death of Nikita and demotion of Ambrose who were both painted with every failure or selling out Selouis Scouts could ever have managed achieving in any fighting force. So much lies were peddled in ZIPRA leading to the extreme hatrage of Nikita's command. The Smith regime strategy had worked through some of ZIPRA's most respected commanders some alive today. Nikita died and Ambrose demoted, does Ambrose still do those things he was accused of, one wonders. What ZIPRA was left with was a disconnection between the high command and the fighting force which will appear else where in a well researched book.The ZIPRA commanders lost that vital touch with the troops and ZANU-PF, ZANLA, all army intelligence services, police, the CIO and every little thing associated with ZANU-PF in which ever way started killing ZIPRA forces one by one as early as the Gulurahundi period taking place in other regions was starting. The former ZIPRA commanders had no idea what was going on or had lost interest in their troops which Nikita and Ambrose could never have done. Leading these massacres were a number of prominent former ZANLA forces and the CIO led at the time by Emmerson Mnangagwa. The murders were so systematic and well planned. The former ZIPRA combatants disbanded and those serving in the ZImbabwe National Army(ZNA) had lost a voice of representation, Nikita was dead and Ambrose side lined completely walking the streets like a nobody.Some of the worst murders committed on ZIPRA forces were by late Colonel Flint Magama, Late Major Gunda(died Brigadier), late Major Mutumbi and a number of Army officers like Colonel Kajese supported by a host of junior officers. ZIPRA cadres would be detained at Army detention barracks and would be taken out for what would be termed "Indications", then a situation report(sitrep) would be released to say deserted during "Indications" or killed himself during indications or killed himself while in detention. Then there was the torture chambers at Stops Camp that consumed a lot of ZIPRA cadres whose bodies were disposed of in stock feed bags. Did Mnangwaga not know all that? There were torture chambers through out the country that were used to eliminate former ZIPRA cadres. Some cadres tried to escape to South Africa and were caught and deported straight into the hands of their murderers. In some instances the torture, like in Stops Camp was by fire to the back of the person and slowly would the person be cooked till they died. The mine shafts everywhere in the country contain these soldiers who survived the Rhodesian forces to be roasted by Mugabe forces. Mnangagwa does not know yet he led a security agent that occupied all ZAPU/ZIPRA propeties where torture and killings were conducted.While others celebrated the death of Nikita those that knew him well realised that the future would be tough and leaderless. Once Nikita died the disconnection between command and soldiers started which some very senior people in PF-ZAPU and ZIPRA worked so hard to see happening for their salaries to be doubled by the enemy for a job well done. Nikita died and immediately the vacuum was felt. If one would ask how many former ZIPRA cadres were killed from those of former ZIPRA command today, the excuse would be records were destroyed. One wonders whether humans who could have researched also died yet not some people had achieved their missions.ZIPRA cadres were eliminated slowly but painfully. Their parents celebrated for a very short time the return of these gallant fighters whom within a short time disappeared. I remember visiting some of the ZIPRA's high command elements in their offices before some were arrested and leaving extremely disappointed, realising that it was now time for each man for himself that which I knew would not have happened had Alfred been alive, it was very clear then that nobody cared what ever happened to the next person.CIO and all security services in Zimbabwe including those in the army worked day and night eliminating as much as possible all former ZIPRA combatants disbanded and those still in the Army. Then a decision was reached that all former ZIPRA army officers and troops be deployed in Mozambique to fight the Renamo. The commissioned officers would be stripped of their ranks and deployed in the front line to be completely eliminated by Renamo. ZIPRA cadres displayed unparalleled fighting skills. Their commanders who were former ZANLA forces failed spectacularly in the field of fighting ending up asking those same officers who were meant to die to take over command hence the fight in Mozambique was fought and won by former ZIPRA forces. Commanders like Colonel Gumbo made their names out of former ZIPRA cadres fighting successes. All the while these fighters had no one representing them, Nikita was gone and Ambrose walking the streets until by chance picked up by some very unlikely individual ending up a Lt Colonel, what a shame.ZANU-PF now realised that ZIPRA was extremely weak with no commanders at all and shamelessly moved in a Brigade to commit genocide. The figure of 20000 talked about or referred to is less than a third of the actual number of people that were actually killed during that dark period. It is so sad that so many people having been killed before and during the all out genocide only a small number is highlighted, 20 000 for both regions. In my experience and view over 250000 people were murdered in cold blood. It should be realised that the figure of 20 000 was recorded during the time when people were not free to travel, when fear ruled every ones heart hence such a low estimate. ZANU-PF cannot be allowed to kill so many people and only a handful is highlighted.The secessionists display the ZANU-PF hate political agenda which resulted in genocide as seen in the early 1980s to date. If these people are allowed their agenda without any form of referendum, as they want to wrap every one in their agenda, it will be a repeat of the formation of a hate group as ZANU was formed in the 1960s. Zimbabweans should be wise not to be led by these opportunists groups bent on gain than anything else as ZANU was born in those dark years. The result of forming a hate group like ZANU is the ceaseless and senseless murders committed willy nil as Mugabe and his mafia group pleases. How many people have so far been killed by the secessionists, ZANU-PF and its military wing ZANLA, yet some people want a new hate group to be formed or has been formed called Mthwakazi, lacking inclusiveness and purely based on extreme hate.
Opinion / Columnist

WASHINGTON - President Robert Mugabe's succession has now turned bloody, amid reports from some faction members opposed to vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa's imminent ascendancy to power, that First Lady, Grace Mugabe, is being reportedly targeted for elimination.It is coming to light that backers of the first lady, had allegedly wanted her to be voted into the presidium last year as one of the country's two vice presidents during the ruling party's 16th National People's Conference in Masvingo, but failed due to lack of strategy. The G40 faction, is believed to be working round the political clock, to make a last ditch effort to have Grace succeeding Mugabe through the backdoor of re-introducing gender balance into the presidium.Sources to Spotlight Zimbabwe, in this exclusive story we are awaiting more details and official comment before publication by the end of this week, said elements in Zanu PF who are enemies to Grace, now want her "out of the way" because: "She is the single biggest impediment to Mugabe's succession and transition of power in the party."Grace has also previously openly accused the army and some senior service chiefs of involvement in the attempted bombing of their diary farm business, Alpha Omega in Mazowe, Mashonaland Central, adding she was unfazed while accusing plotters of wanting to kill her.In 2014, the first lady dared Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Commander, General Constantino Chiwenga, to shoot her for coming out guns blazing against former VP Joice Mujuru, whom she was accusing of plotting to topple Mugabe by assassination with the aide of her sympathisers in the military."I am not scared. I will talk about it. I even said Chiwenga should shoot me. They want to kill me," said Grace a few months before Zanu PF's controversial elective congress to choose new leaders of the party and country.
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...
Campus News

UB Art Galleries present two videos in Screen Projects initiative

Artist Lilly McElroy defends her square in her 2004 video The Square (After Robert Lopardo). The video is currently on view in the Center for the Arts. Image courtesy of the artist

By RACHEL ADAMS

The UB Art Galleries Screen Projects public art video initiative continues in the spring semester with two videos on view in the Center for the Arts.

The Square (After Roberto Lopardo), a 2004 video by artist Lilly McElroy, is on view now through Feb. 5; on Feb. 6, Come Back to Jamaica, artist Andrea Chungs 2009 video, will open and run through March 12. Both video installations are located outside the second floor gallery of the UB Art Gallery in the hallway across from the elevator.

The Arizona-born McElroy plays with moments of fear, anxiety and excitement within much of her work. In The Square (After Roberto Lopardo), she defends her territory within a chalk outline of a square in downtown Chicago.

The camera filming the artist is not hidden from passersby. People on the street see the camera and McElroy, and as they get closer, the outline of the square. While some walk by and avoid connecting with the artist, others engage in her game, either by complying with her body and avoiding the square or testing her and trying to enter into her so-called personal space.

At one point, another woman enters the square and helps McElroy defend the space.

I like it when artists can maintain a sense of play and experimentation over a long career, and allow themselves to make mistakes, McElroy has said.

While this work is primarily conceptual, there is most certainly a sense of play, as the artist addresses the idea of protecting personal space literally.
The last 60 years have seen some monumental changes come to pass in the construction industry, but 2017 also marks 60 years of continuous service from SIG Insulation, the UKs specialist distributor of insulation.

Founded in 1957 by Ernest Adsetts as Sheffield Insulation, the company operated from a single site and a converted ice-cream van, but grew rapidly in the coming decades.

Over the years SIG expanded into a wider group, becoming a leading distributor of specialist building products throughout Europe and provides everything from flooring to roofing products. However, insulation remains at the heart of its offering, and the company now has more than 30 specialist insulation branches from Inverness to Plymouth.

These many years of experience in working with insulation provide the company with a unique insight into the selection and specification of an exceptional range of products. Nearly 1,200 staff are on hand to meet its customers needs, with 2,400 distinct structural insulants being distributed to more than 10,000 customers in 2015 alone.

Speaking on the diamond anniversary, David Hope, sales and marketing director at SIG Distribution, said: Its a great honour to celebrate 60 years of trading for SIG Insulation. A number of elements have contributed to our longevity, including our loyal customers and the hard work of our staff over the decades.

As one of the largest employers in the Yorkshire region, and with many more staff throughout the UK, were proud to have provided a rewarding place for so many people to work for so many years. Some employees have served the company for more than 40 years so far, and Id like to thank each of them personally.

Mr Hope concluded: We also believe that its the duty of large companies to give back to their communities, and SIG Insulation is no different, supporting charities and initiatives including The Childrens Hospital Charity Sheffield, Macmillan and Race for Life. This is something that well continue to do as the company expands further, and SIG look forward to the next 60 years.
Where Andy Kim, Bob Healey stand on abortion, inflation and more

The USA TODAY Network New Jersey asked Andy Kim and Bob Healey where they stand on key issues in the midterms. Here's what they said.
Opinion / Letters

Dear Bulawayo MusiciansThis is not an open letter to all Bulawayo artists, but as I work on my new 2017 Sinazo project, i was thinking, and thinking hard. I feel I need to empty all my 2016 thoughts and enter 2017 fresh ngimsulwa, without any nagging thoughts jostling each other in my mind, each aggressively competing and seeking the attention of my limited thinking capacity. They say sharing is caring. Well,,, this is rather more of a selfish chance to allow myself to think aloud in the presence of any willing Bulawayo musician, in a willing buyer willing seller' principle. Phela ukwanda kwaliwa ngabathakathi. i will start by saying that i am personally proud of 2016.It is in 2016 when I tried virtually everything I felt my body was physically or mentally capable of doing. I applied for one of the top civil service jobs in England, I landed an interview and failed it (Guess what! that was one of the greatest success of 2016 for I nearly became a manager of one of the biggest companies in the world-sakudlala- a so near yet so far kind of situation). I also wrote and published a novel (google Igazi Labafo). I wrote several newspaper articles. Wrote an important history book. Did another Master Degree etc etc (ukubala yikwenza nje).Because I am a typical Jack of all trades (but master of 9), many of my comrades would anticipate my highlight of the year to have been either revolved around some academic achievement, political orientation or religious undertakings. But hell no! It was on the music scene! Of course izimanga ziyenzeka, but it was in the music industry where I learnt a number of life experiences, (isifundo ongeke wasikhohlwa- education for life) including the truthfulness of what Henry Ford once said, "Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." (I wish you were really listening). I learnt that quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort- combined effort. It is through hard work and sometimes painful effort, "by grim energy and resolute courage", that we move on to better things. But of course, we need a little help from our friends. As the Beatles once sang,"What would you think if I sang out of tune, Would you stand up and walk out on me?Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song and I'll try not to sing out of key.Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends"If you are a musician and you cannot learn a lesson from these lyrics from the foremost and most influential act of the rock era, then your mind will never be awakened by anything. This help from your friends is not the typical help gotten by a blind street beggar shouting "tinokumbira wo rubatsiro, -siqela ungedo) kind. No! It's a typical God help those who help themselves' scenario. (NOTE! This is not a Biblical verse as many always think). The phrase is just a popular motto that emphasizes the importance of self-initiative and agency.Before I continue with my story, I would like to highlight the fact that I am not a full time musician (neither am I a full time to anything though). But I love Music and two years ago I ventured into it solely to nurse my musical passion. With Sinazo, I released an album entitled Township Makokoba, with the hit track Kalanga Child, a song which like alcohol, its either you love it or you don't. I wasn't successful according to a conventional definition of success. But according to my own definition, I was very successful. I mean VERY. Here is why. For me, success is not supposed to be measured in material possession, because if you invest in material possessions you are investing in something that is not in you or part of you. You are investing in something that is detached from your soul and body. For example if you invest in a kombi, it could unfortunately involve itself in an accident and be a write off, but one who invested in a degree, for example, will never lose that attachment to it. The later has invested in THEMSELVES unlike the one who invested in a kombi.So, the point is that happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul and the road that you're on (Democritus). Being successful means that you're working hard, playing hard and walking your walk every day. You can only live your dream by working hard towards it. That's living your dream. That's success. That was my success with Kalanga Child. Living my dream. This may sound to some as a justification of financial or material failure, but hell no! Our album is on itunes and sell a track almost every day, especially in Botswana and the UK and Australia. So that's beside the point. Because that's not my definition of success. I see success as not the key to happiness but happiness as the key to success and everything falls into place with less stress. If you love what you are doing, you won't be successful one day- you are already successful. So keep on keeping on brother or sister. I may sound too philosophical but philosophy is actually defined as a theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for behaviour. And your philosophy of life is not determined by others. If you find your philosophy of life being determined by others then it's not yours. It's their philosophy of life and you are a prisoner to other people's philosophy of life. Therefore you need to release yourself from that Guantanamo Bay philosophy. Lets convert that to music. Whose music type (not genre) are you pursuing? Yours?- then aluta continua. Jay Z? Then you need to change slightly so that you at least own your music rather than let Jay Z do own your' music. But here is the catch, you cannot do it on your own. Reason? We are not as clever as we think. Injobo enhle ngethungelwa ebandla.Nanku umzekeliso la. Once upon a time there were two weavers who promised an emperor a new suit of clothes that they say is invisible to those who are unfit for their positions, stupid, or incompetent? When the Emperor paraded before his subjects in his new clothes, no one dared to say that they didn't see any suit of clothes on him for fear that they will be seen as "unfit for their positions, stupid, or incompetent"? Finally, a child cries out, "But he isn't wearing anything at all!" That's what happens to you when you compose a song, write it, sing it, record it, mix it and master it on your own. How can you be the driver, conductor, the passenger and the bus itself?A friend of mine told me that since December 2016, he has been a regular radio listener and amazingly Kalanga Child- Sinazo Ft Dj Dsh has played each time he is tuned in, be it Skyz Metro, Star Fm or something else. I am happy there because people are dancing to a song i composed. Thats the whole point maan! Nevertheless, when I decided that recording music was going to be part of my life, I was in constant consultation with several artists, young and old. I would like to take this opportunity to confess that I was both dismissed and encouraged in equal measure. Those who did dismiss me are not that important to me in particular because i have learnt to always protect my enthusiasm from the negativity of others. IMPORTANT!I am quite certain that people would not be dancing to our track Kalanga Child would it not have been for Vusa Mkhaya Ndlovu with some motivational words "Go for it I will feature in some tracks", Dumisani Ramadu Moyo's nurturing support "When you struggle with mixing let me know", Lyle Khamal-Bosch's ever-present promise "Together we can make", little Lorin Sibanda's loyalty "I am in", Mbo Mahocs, the undercover promoter who told everyone she bumped onto about Kalanga Child hit and her words "I am with you khuluza" (she would say to me), that British SDA Pastor who had Kalanga Child first ever released in church during a Christening ceremony before it played anywhere else, Skyz Metro Fm the guys who took us beyond the sky, Kudakwashe Takundwa's Urban Culxure Magazine the online magazine that adjudged Kalanga Child to be number one song in Bulawayo at some point, not forgetting that stranger from Botswana who called in Radio Botswana and told the dj to go hunt for a track called Kalanga Child.All these individuals and institutions save as proof that success is almost totally dependent upon combined drive and persistence, and also that extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning. To the Bulawayo musicians who I heard, dislike and shun working with others because they are either unknown or a waste of space, I say unto you, working together a team is important as it apply individual perspectives, experience, and skills to solve complex problems, creating new solutions and ideas that may be beyond the scope of any one individual. As well as benefiting and enhancing your individual performance too. Together you stand, divided you fall. It's simple as that. There is a Kalanga saying that goes "tjolila ntondo nlidzo ndiwo ntukunu". I am out!Yours SincerelyTish Malaba Ncube(Director and producer at Savanna Pathfinder LTD (trading as Glenn Recordz Inc.)
The prospect of a Bridgwater Bay lagoon being constructed in the sea near Burnham-On-Sea has been welcomed.

It comes after plans for a 1.3bn tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay to generate power were last week backed by a government-commissioned review.

Former Energy Minister Charles Hendrys independent report into the technologys viability said it would make a strong contribution to the UKs energy supply and would bring significant economic opportunity.

There are hopes of developing a network of larger lagoons around the UKs coastline, including one in Bridgwater Bay in the Bristol Chanel off Burnham-On-Sea, harnessing power from the ebb and flow of the tides.

Cllr David Hall, Deputy Leader at Somerset County Council, has welcomed the findings in the review as a significant step forward.

He added: A key part of our vision for Somerset is to be at the heart of discussions about solar power and tidal lagoons to make sure Somerset is in the vanguard of developments.

This review is extremely positive and is another step forward to delivering our decarbonisation commitments.

The report concludes that tidal lagoons can play a cost effective role in the UKs energy mix and there is considerable value in a small (less than 500 MW) pathfinder project. I conclude that tidal lagoons would help deliver security of supply; they would assist in delivering decarbonisation commitments; and they would bring real and substantial opportunities for the UK supply chain.

MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, the Conservative member for Bridgwater and West Somerset, agreed that a favourable assessment of the 1.3bn Swansea project by Mr Hendry has now greatly increased the chances of a similar, major scheme going ahead on the Somerset side of the Channel.

The MP said: This report really puts some flesh on the bones of the idea and makes it quite clear that a tidal barrage is feasible, affordable and desirable.

Charles Hendry is a well-respected figure. He also supported Hinkley Point C and enjoyed the confidence of both management and unions involved in that project, so the Government should be listening to what he says.

We know the conditions in Bridgwater Bay are ideal for tidal power generation so really the only issues to be settled are the strike price and the issuing of licences to build on the sea bed by the Crown Estate.

Inevitably, I think, we are going to run into opposition from the RSPB but the potential loss of habitat would, I am sure, be far less than would be experienced from a tidal barrage.

And when it comes to balancing out all the issues, from the needs of wildlife to the nations requirements for clean, reliable long-term energy generation I still believe there will be far more positives than negatives when the case for the Bridgwater Bay project is examined closely.

The Bristol Channel experiences the second-highest tidal range in the world and has been earmarked for some form of tidal power generation since the 1950s.

The UK government still needs to agree on a deal and a marine licence would also need to be approved.
If India wants to be globally competitive and become more self-sufficient, it should send a positive message to global investors that it is open for business. While seeding the environment for domestic competitors by increasing demand (expand insurance); the Union should have provisions that incentivise overall manufacturing and investment - including lowest possible tariffs on raw material & components, promotion of research & development, skill development, greater health expenditure or better insurance coverage, low regulatory costs, assurance of predictable policy. This will benefit the cause of Make in India rather than raising custom duty (increase that is eventually passed on to the patients).
At present, demonetisation has created unfavourable environment for the auto industry on the whole. The auto industry is pinning hope on the upcoming union 2017 as it will uplift consumer sentiment and infuse positive environment for auto industry including the electric vehicles.
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The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh, former promoters of Ranbaxy Laboratories, to abide by their previous undertaking and ensure the penalty that the Singapore Tribunal had awarded in favour of Daiichi remained secured, pending the ongoing proceedings before the court.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will play fundamental role in the success of an organisation's strategy but stringent ethical standards are also needed to ensure the success of the new technology, a report by today said.

The report said organisations that have already deployed or have plans to deploy AI technologies expect to see a 39 per cent increase on an average in their revenues by 2020, alongside a 37 per cent reduction in costs.

Also, in India and China are much more likely to state that they are ahead of industry competitors when it comes to AI use, followed by Germany, the US, the UK, France, it added.

About 76 per cent respondents cited AI as fundamental to the success of their organisation's strategy, and 64 per cent said future growth of the company is dependent on large-scale AI adoption.

The report also highlighted the ethical and job related concerns with 62 per cent respondents saying stringent ethical standards are needed to ensure the success of AI.

"However, most respondents seem optimistic about redeploying displaced employees with higher value work. The majority, 85 per cent, plan to train employees about the benefits and use of AI," the report said.

About 80 per cent of replacing roles with AI technologies are expected to retrain or redeploy displaced employees, it added.

The leading industries that plan to retain and retrain their workers are: fast-moving consumer goods (94 per cent); aerospace and automotive (87 per cent); energy, oil and gas (80 per cent); and pharmaceutical and life sciences (78 per cent).

The research revealed that AI will also lead greater investment in workforces, specifically for countries like China (95 per cent), France (90 per cent), Germany (89 per cent), the UK (82 per cent), and the US (76 per cent).

The report titled 'Amplifying Human Potential: Towards Purposeful Artificial Intelligence' was commissioned by and conducted by independent research agency Vanson Bourne.

It polled 1,600 senior business decision makers at large organisations across seven markets.

AI adoption is on the rise and is excited to see the investments in AI that businesses are gradually making to derive meaningful and creative change, Infosys President and Head of Americas Sandeep Dadlani said.

"As an industry therefore, we must take necessary steps to ensure AI is developed morally and ethically across every part of society and that employees are actively engaged and provided with the necessary training to be central to this journey," he added.
French auto major Renaults India market is the companys fastest-growing turf in the world with sales increasing 145.6% in 2016, chiefly on the back of the Kwid.
Flipkart-owned said it had not received any official complaint from either ICICI Bank or the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) before the bank arbitrarily blocked all transactions made through the app starting Friday.

In a statement on Sunday, ICICI Bank had alleged that it had blocked all Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions made through due to security concerns and that the app was indulging in restrictive practices.

On Monday Sameer Nigam, chief executive officer of PhonePe, hit back alleging the bank had never voiced its concerns, despite the service being in use for over two months. Our UPI payments integration has been live on Flipkart, Myntra and a couple of smaller merchant websites since October 2016. So, ICICI had more than two months to inform YES Bank, NPCI or us, if they felt our solutions did not meet the UPI guidelines, Nigam wrote in an open letter. Either they felt our integration was okay until now, or they felt we were being restrictive but decided to sit on this fact till now, for reasons known only to them.

PhonePe, which claims to have followed all of the security guidelines laid out by NPCI for a UPI-enabled app, says the block by ICICI Bank since Friday has led to over 20,000 failed transactions amounting to more than Rs 5 crore in value. Moreover, the companys attempts to get a response have fallen on deaf ears.

No one is telling us what the exact issues are, yet ICICI Bank claims the block will stay until the concerns are resolved, added Nigam.

This is not the first time a bank has restricted its customers to utilise the service of new-age payment services by blocking transactions. Paytm, the countrys largest digital wallet which has over 150 million users, was blocked by Indias largest public sector bank State Bank of India, where customers could no longer recharge their wallets using Internet banking features.

Were just here to build really cool digital payment solutions which will solve consumer payment problems, and work with the banking system of the country to further the cause of making digital payments widely accepted in India. For now, it is my sincere hope that ICICI Bank will reverse this block and work towards find a lasting solution, Nigam wrote in tasking ICICI to unblock its platform.

NPCI built the UPI platform to allow seamless transactions on smartphones from any two bank accounts, be it between individuals or an individual with a merchant or vice versa.
Reports that an American woman visiting the country died after being infected by a super bug are making the Indian authorities sit up. Since the case is being linked to developing resistance to all antibiotics, the Centre is in talks with state governments to go tough on any misuse of such drugs.

Drugs Controller General of India G N Singh told Business Standard that an advisory is being issued to all state drug controllers asking them to crack the whip on arbitrary sale of . The state controllers would help ensure that no chemist in India sells without a valid prescription, Singh said.

Even the least powerful can prove fatal if taken more than the prescribed dosage, according to the DCGI. Misuse of antibiotics can also lead to antimicrobial resistance, he said while explaining why preventing people from taking unnecessary doses of antibiotics is essential.

Even though antibiotics are not supposed to be sold without a prescription even now, chemists have been found flouting this norm. The effort is to stop the practice.

However, Bejon Misra from the Partnership for Safe Medicine India is of the opinion that regulation per se will not help. State regulators have to be proactive in making sure that these norms are adhered to by conducting periodic inspections.

A representative with a state regulator pointed out that a chemists licence can be suspended if hes caught selling without a prescription.

The government needs to begin audit of prescriptions to ensure that doctors do not prescribe antibiotics unnecessarily, according to Misra.

As for sending advisories to state regulators, the step is being seen as a corrective treatment by some like Anajan Bose, Secretary General, Nathealth. In effect, it should ensure that only qualified and competent doctors recommend antibiotics.

In the case of the woman who died after the super bug infection, she had travelled to India and developed a bone infection after breaking her femur and had been subsequently hospitalised in India a number of times over a two-year period.




Healthcare technology startup has raised about Rs 360 crore ($55 million) in Series D round led by existing investors Tencent. The round also saw three new foreign investors including ru-Net based in Russia, Japanese based RSI Fund and New York-headquartered Thrive Capital joining in.

With this, the Bengaluru-based company has raised about $179 million in total. Practo, which had recently launched its first health insurance product, will utilise the funds to expand its offerings further in the health insurance segment, said Shashank ND, chief executive officer and co-founder, . "This round will help us continue our geographic expansion. 2017 will be the year our integrated healthcare platform comes to life and we will partner with various service providers to build solutions with Practo," he added.
In March 2012, Sanjay and Sunita Ambhore, parents of Aniket Ambhore, 19, a first-year electrical engineering student at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B), received a letter informing them that their sonadmitted on a scheduled caste (SC) quotahad failed two courses.
Hundreds of people in Tamil Nadu took to the streets on Tuesday against the arrest of those who protested in favour of .

On Monday, thousands of youths who started their protest in Alanganallur in Madurai district against a Supreme court ban on the bull-taming sport, were taken into custody by the police on Tuesday as the protest extended overnight.

The police housed the protesters -- including both men and women, who had assembled in the town well known for conducting -- in nearby wedding halls.

Angered by these arrests, villagers came out on the streets of Alanganallur.

In Jallikattu, a bull vaulter is expected to hang on to the bull's hump for a stipulated distance or hold on to the hump for a minimum of three jumps made by the bull.

The sport is traditionally held as part of the four-day Pongal festival.

The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned the conduct of in Tamil Nadu.

The court also held that bulls cannot be used as performing animals either for Jallikattu events or for bullock-cart races in the Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country.

Ever since the ban order, people have been demanding that the central government take necessary legal steps to allow conduct of the sport.
A Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Tuesday charged Indrani Mukerjea, her husband Peter Mukerjea and her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna with murder and criminal conspiracy in New Delhi. Trial in Special CBI Court will begin from February 1, wherein, the convicts will be sentenced, according to reports.
Oil marketing companies (OMC) are set to miss their target yet again due to lack of supply of the green fuel from sugar mills.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPI) can now breathe easy with the Income Tax (I-T) Department on Tuesday putting in abeyance its controversial circular on taxing India-dedicated funds.

Experts said clarity was necessary on the issue at the earliest so that FPIs were certain. They expect the to amend the law in the Budget to put an end to the controversy.

The circular, in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs), had spooked the markets when it was issued last month.

It also gave rise to fears of retrospective taxation as the principal amendment to the Income Tax Act on indirect transfers was such in nature.

These provisions were first introduced in 2012, with retrospective effect, after the government failed in levying a tax on the British telecom giant Vodafone Group Plcs purchase of Hutchison Whampoas India telecommunications business.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the capital markets division of the have received a number of representations from various FPIs, venture capital funds and other stakeholders, expressing concern that the circular does not address the issue of possible multiple taxation of the same income.

Representations made by the stakeholders are currently under consideration and examination. Pending a decision in the matter, the operation of the above-mentioned circular is kept in abeyance for the time being, CBDT said in a notification.

The circular gave rise to fears that there would be triple taxation on the activities of the India-focussed funds overseas. The circular implied that India-dedicated funds would be taxed if they sell shares overseas.

Besides, overseas individual investor of the fund would also be taxed in India and would not get any tax credit in his home country. The direct taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA) also does not come to the rescue of investors.

The tax arises when Indian assets of the funds constitute 50 per cent of the total asset value of funds globally or Rs 10 crore. However, those having less than five per cent of fund shares would be exempted from the tax.

The circular would have put at risk particularly the 181 publicly traded funds whose India exposure is more than half of total assets. They have almost $39 billion under management, Andy Mukherjee wrote in Bloomberg.

Amit Maheshwari, managing partner, Ashok Maheshwary and Associates, said the circular had caused a lot of anxiety among FPIs and the investors. A quick closure to this controversy is required, keeping in mind the practical difficulties and business realities of fund structures, he said.

According to sources, the government might confine the applicability of the circular to private equity and the mergers and acquisitions space, thereby exempting the activity in the listed space and offshore derivative instruments.

After a representation by FPIs, the capital markets division under the department of economic affairs had raised the matter with the revenue department, seeking a quick clarification on the matter.

At least one of the big four accounting and consulting firms and four large Indian offshore fund players were part of the representation. According to sources, this move by the government to put the circular under abeyance was intended to soothe the nerves of FPIs for the time being.

This will bring a lot of cheer to FPIs. They were concerned about the fallout of the circular in terms of tax provisioning as well as past liability. All those concerns have at least temporarily been put to rest. Specific amendment to the tax law, exempting foreign investors investing directly or indirectly in FPIs will put this issue to rest forever, said Suresh Swamy, partner, PwC.

The move shows that the Centre was concerned about foreign investors, said U R Bhat, managing director, Dalton Capital Advisors. It couldnt have come at a better time as emerging markets are no longer attractive destinations for overseas funds. The change was bound to happen as you cannot expect a tax regime that would triple tax FPIs.

Nirmal Jain, founder and chairman, IIFL, said, The circular was not practical, more so if the government intends to attract FPI flows. This would be a positive move for markets in the near- to medium-term but FPIs will look for the Budget to provide more clarity.
Prime Minister today said Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to have a dialogue with India. On India's relations with China, the PM said it wasn't "unnatural" for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences, but called upon Beijing to show sensitivity and respect for New Delhi's core concerns and interests.
The government is considering allowing 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) through automatic route in single brand retail to attract a larger number of global players in the sector.

According to sources, there is a proposal to allow 100 per cent in single brand retail sector "through automatic route" with certain conditions.

Currently, up to 49 per cent is permitted under the automatic route but beyond that limit, government's nod is required. Foreign investment is allowed subject to certain conditions, which require products to be of a 'single brand' only and to be sold under the same brand globally.

Furthermore, in respect of proposals involving beyond 51 per cent, it is mandatory to source 30 per cent of the value of goods purchased from India, preferably MSMEs.

The issue to ease the FDI policy in the sector is under discussion between the ministries of finance and commerce and industry.

"The move assumes significance as the government wants to provide easy policy for both domestic and foreign investors. Single brand retail trading sector has huge potential to attract FDI," said the source.

The government last year tweaked the mandatory local sourcing norm. It decided to give exemption to foreign firms coming in with state-of-the-art technology from the mandatory local sourcing norms for up to three years.

For the first time in February 2006, the government allowed 51 per cent FDI in the segment.

During 2006-07 to 2014-15, the sector attracted $135 million of foreign direct investment.

Continuing with its relaxation drive, the government is also mulling a proposal to increase FDI cap in print media to 49 per cent under the automatic route.

Currently, FDI up to 26 per cent is permitted through government approval route.

During 2015-16, FDI into the country increased by 29 per cent to $40 billion, up from $30.93 billion in the previous fiscal.

Foreign investments are considered crucial for India, which needs around $1 trillion for overhauling its infrastructure sector such as ports, airports and highways to boost growth.

Foreign investments will help improve the country's balance of payments situation and strengthen the rupee value against other global currencies, especially the US dollar.
One of the most interesting questions in Indian macroeconomics today is: how are we faring since late 2016? In this article, I seek to analyse data on tax revenues and obtain some clues about the performance of the economy.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi here today signed MoUs with NBCC (India) Limited, HSCC (India) Limited and with HITES HLL Life Care Ltd to expand infrastructure and other facilities. The signing ceremony was presided over by Shri J P Nadda, Honble Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Shri Venkaiah Naidu, Honble Union Minister for Urban Development, Urban Poverty Alleviation, and Information & Broadcasting. AIIMS signed an MOU worth ? 4441 crores with NBCC (India) Limited, ? 2500 crores with HSCC (India) Limited and ? 729 crores with HITES HLL Life Care Ltd, a cumulative net worth of ? 7670.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri J P Nadda said that this is one of the most historic days for AIIMS as this is the largest ever health sector investment commitments made by Government in a public health project at one event. The past two years have witnessed a historic growth in the form of infrastructure & other facilities, Shri Nadda said. The Health Minister assured that the Government is committed to ensuring that the new AIIMS will meet the same standards of service as AIIMS, New Delhi. No effort will be spared to make them the very best, he added. Shri Nadda stated that AIIMS has created a benchmark in the field of healthcare not only at the national level but internationally also. It has a great testimony and we must try to replicate it in the new AIIMS, he added. He noted that the new Institutes will be AIIMS and not AIIMS-like. Innovation for cost effective and affordable healthcare is the need of the day. To take up all these challenge AIIMS needs strengthening and expansion of its facilities. Which we are committed to provide, Shri Nadda said.

Speaking at the ceremony, Shri Venkaiah Naidu said that that in line with the vision of the Prime Minister, we should reform, perform and transform and this initiative reflects that. Shri Naidu further stated that this initiative is going to change the face of AIIMS. The profession of doctors is a very noble task and AIIMS has contributed significantly in providing quality healthcare. The expansion plans of the Government would not only improve medical education but will also provide greater access to world class facilities to the citizens, Shri Naidu added. He further said that we should have such premier institute in every state of the country and India is well on its way to becoming a medical hub in the world.

The agreement with NBCC for redevelopment envisages construction of 3060 residential apartments at Ayur Vigyan Nagar campus and 868 apartments at West Ansari Nagar Campus by construction of 3060. The total augmentation of 3928 units would take the total available residential units of AIIMS to 4505. The detailed proposal identifying the housing requirements/type design/project rollout schedule has been firmed up after wide consultations and deliberations by a broad based committee of faculty and consensus was arrived at in a meeting Chaired by the Director, AIIMS in presence of Heads of Departments, Faculty Association, the Officers Union, the Nursing Union and the Karmachari Union .

The agreement with HLL Infra Tech Services Limited (HITES) is for procurement of all types of Medical Equipment and Services including Medical Gas distribution system, CSSD, Modular Operation Theatres for National Cancer Institute, AIIMS, Jhajjar, Haryana. Similarly, HSCC has been selected as a project management consultant for the design, tendering, supervision of engineering components and for equipment procurement and allied infrastructure works for the proposed National Cardiovascular Institute, (NCVI) at the AIIMS second campus at Jhajjar.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu and Shri J P Nadda also gave away the AIIMS Leadership Excellence awards at the function.

Also present at the function were Prof M.C.Misra, Director AIIMS, Prof Balram Airon, Dean (Academic) & Chief of the CTVS Centre, Prof Rath, Head, National Cancer Institute, Shri Srinivas, Deputy Director (Administration), AIIMS, Shri A.K.Mittal, CMD, NBCC Shri Gyanesh Pandey, Chairman, HSCC, Shri Sathu, CEO, HITES along with senior officers of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare along with faculty and students of AIIMS.
Minister of Railways Unveils Mission 41k Roundtable Discussion with External Stakeholders on Energy Initiatives of Indian Railways

Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu unveiled Mission 41k during the Roundtable Discussion with External Stakeholders on Energy Initiatives of Indian Railways. Shri Suresh Prabhu said that Ministry of Railways has come up with Mission 41k to save Rs. 41000 crore in the next decade in Railways energy costs. To implement this comprehensive strategy with the participation of various stakeholders, we shall take advantage of regulatory frameworks, look at new technologies. He said that this is an opportunity to relook at everything and determine an ideal baseline. All electrification works done in the last decade would be doubled and this would change the energy mix of Indian Railways. Indian Railways has set a target of 1000 MW of solar power and 200 MW of wind energy. Shri Prabhu also informed that around 15  16 Roundtable Conferences with Stakeholders are in the pipeline on various initiatives of Indian Railways. He said that a Round Table discussion is planned on Data Analytics. Indian Railways generates massive amounts of data and has a huge captive audience. Ability to optimally utilise these will generate additional revenue for the Indian Railways. Chairman Railway Board, Shri AK Mital said that a target of moving 45% of the freight traffic can be achieved only when it can move freight in a cost efficient manner. This has led to Railways competing with road sector. At present 70% traffic runs on electric traction. In next 6 -7 years target has been set to run 90% of the traffic on electric traction. By procuring electricity through open access, the cost of electricity procurement comes down drastically which contributes 25% of the working expenses. He also said that Ministry of Railways has launched Mission Raftaar to increase the average speed of movement by 5 kmph every year. Another important Mission for Indian Railways is the establishment of High hp Locomotive manufacturing plants at Madhepura and Marhaura. Member Traction Shri AK Kapoor said that Railways have about 50 % tracks electrified as of now which greatly contributes in keeping the energy bill low & reducing the carbon footprint. Ministry of Railways want to take electrification to 90% in next few years through our Mission Electrification with an aim to reduce dependence on imported fuel, change energy mix, and rationalize the cost of energy for Railways. As part of this, it has embarked upon electrification of additional 24,000 Rkm, i.e., about 90% of Railway BG routes in next 5 years by taking the present rate of electrification from 2000 Rkm to 4000 Rkm in next 2 years. To achieve this, Ministry of Railways have planned to incorporate EPC Mode of Contracts for Railway Electrification Projects, Mechanise the execution through Self Propelled Wiring Trains etc. This will increase the mobility, reduce energy bill to improve viability of Railways and also reduce carbon footprint. Ministry of Railways wish to develop partnership, improve our delivery of electrification projects by having suggestions from industry.

The Roundtable Discussion was attended by members and senior officials from the Railway Board and representatives from various Government and Private agencies in the field of energy, International Experts and Industry Associations.

Background:

Indias economy has seen unprecedented growth during the last decade with average growth of 78% per annum in last few years. With economic growth, the passenger and freight traffic on the Indian Railways is expected to grow from 3,635 billion passenger kilometres and 961 billion tonne kilometres respectively in 2005 to 19,427 billion passenger kilometres and 6,677 billion tonne kilometres respectively by 2030 i.e., an increase of more than 6 folds.

Rail as a mode of transport needs to enhance its capacity. The saturation of capacity of the Indian Railways on the Golden Quadrilateral has weighed heavily on the mind of Indian policymakers while taking the decision to construct dedicated freight corridors (Dedicated Freight Corridor). The construction of these Dedicated Freight Corridors would enable the Indian Railways to meet the growing demand for freight transport and induce a modal shift of freight traffic from road to rail. Since both corridors are to have more energy efficient locos powered by electric traction, the completion of Dedicated Freight Corridor project would lead to higher operational efficiency, resulting in substantial energy saving and significant reduction of GHG emissions.

Energy is a vital input for production and growth. Considering universal energy access and energy security as one of the fundamental development goals for the country, Government of India (GoI) has undertaken a two pronged approach  energy efficiency and Reduction in cost of energy. India has a definite plan for progressing more towards use of cleaner energy and factor in energy efficiency in its usage. Railways are taking number of steps to reduce energy consumption by using various energy-efficient technologies.

Although, rail as a mode of transport has less specific energy consumption than road for passenger and freight movement, the share of the road sector in Indian transport has witnessed a steady rise at the cost of the rail sector.

Speed of railway traffic has been increasing gradually, however for ensuring sustained efforts in the direction of substantial increase in the speed of freight and passenger traffic, and time bound delivery, Ministry of Railways have launched Mission Raftaar. To achieve the objectives of higher speed under Mission Raftaar, Ministry of Railways are also manufacturing energy efficient high horsepower electric locomotives and Electric Multiple Units at our plants in Madhepura, Kancharapara and Diesel locomotives factory at Marhaura. These locomotives shall be manufactured in India under the Make in India program of the government. Looking at the future needs of this fast growing nation, it has been decided to upgrade speed potential on some routes to 160 kmph. For this, 2x25 kV Electrification system shall be implemented.

Railway has plans to change its energy mix and shall be using Green Energy. Railway is going to install solar and wind plants for using green energy on its system. To change energy mix towards Green energy in a phased manner, Ministry of Railways plan to set up 1000 MW solar and about 200 MW wind plants.

Development of new technologies shall provide opportunities for new innovations by entrepreneurs and local industries shall support the governments Stand up India program. This discussion will help the Indian Railways to explore new energy-efficient technologies and develop a roadmap for sustainable future growth.

For taking forward these deliberation, this roundtable discussion has been organised in the field of Railway Electrification, Energy Management, Fuel Efficiency and Electric & Diesel Traction. These discussions will help Indian Railways meet its goal to serve people in a more effective and efficient manner.
Shri Radha Mohan Singh to lead a delegation to Germany for participation in the Global forum for Food & Agriculture and G-20 agriculture ministers meeting

Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh to lead a five member delegation to Germany for participation in the Global Forum for Food & Agriculture from 19-21 January,2017 and G-20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting on 22nd January,2017 in Berlin, Germany. Shri Singh will depart for Berlin, Germany in the late night of 18th January

The Global Forum for Food and Agriculture is an International Conference organized by Germany during 19-21, January 2017 in Berlin on the subject Agriculture and Water  Key to Feeding the World which is to be attended by Agriculture Ministers of 65 countries. G-20 Agriculture Ministers meeting, scheduled for January 22, 2017 would focus on the theme of Agriculture & Water - Digitalization in the Agriculture Sector and bring together Ministers from the worlds twenty biggest economies to discuss the way ahead for the global agricultural sector.

During the visit, the Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister will address the participants of the 9th Berlin Agriculture Ministers Conference under the aegis of GFFA as well as the G-20 Agriculture Ministers meeting. The Minister will also deliver the inaugural address at the Expert Panel convened as part of the GFFA meeting, apart from bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other countries including Germany, Mexico and Lithuania.

During the visit, Shri Singh will highlight Indias initiatives in the areas of Agriculture and Water including such flagship programme as Soil Health Card scheme and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for improving soil fertility and water use efficiency to achieve more crop per drop in a focused manner and extending the coverage of precision irrigation Har Khet Ko Pani. The Minister will also showcase Indias initiatives in the use of digital technology for the benefit of our farmers including the e-NAM scheme, the Kisan Call Centre, digital payment initiatives and other measures to bridge the digital divide in Indias rural and agricultural sectors.

SS
States cant dilute Real Estate Act; Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu warns of public outcry Ministry of HUPA rules out any amendments to RERA; plot size of 500 sq.mt not to be changed Implementation of RERA discussed with States; Most of the States to notify rules soon Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu today urged the States and Union Territories to rise to the occasion and implement the Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act ,2016 from the first of May this year, as proposed in the Act. He addressed a meeting of Chief Secretaries and senior officials of States and UTs convened by the Ministry of HUPA to discuss implementation of the Real Estate Act. Shri Venkaiah Naidu said  Real Estate Act is one of the most consumer friendly laws passed by the Parliament and States have no power to dilute its provisions. This law, which was widely welcomed and appreciated benefits both the buyers and sellers of real estate properties besides enhancing the credibility of the sector. There is lot of hope and expectation from this act by all the stakeholders. There are some media reports that some States have diluted some provisions of the Act in the Rules notified by them. States dont have such powers and I hope such reports are not true. Today, I want to make it clear that any compromise with the spirit of the Act will have serious implications including public outcry. Whoever does so will have to face the public outcry. I expect the States and UTs to rise to the occasion and ensure implementation of the Act from May this year as proposed in the Act by taking necessary measures in time.

Later, various aspects of the Real Estate Act were discussed in detail. Responding to the views and suggestions made, Dr. Nandita Chatterjee, Secretary(HUPA) clarified that no amendments to the Act would be considered at this stage since full implementation of the Act would begin only in May this year when Real Estate Regulatory Authorities and Appellate Tribunals would become functional.

Dr. Chatterjee also clarified that the minimum plot size of 500 sq.mt proposed in the Act for registration of projects with Regulatory Authorities was arrived at after several rounds of discussions by the Parliamentary Committees and in the Parliament and it cant be altered now. She said that the cut off date for the ongoing projects that have not received completion certificates for including under the purview of the Real Estate Act would be May first this year, from when the full Act comes into effect.

Regarding other issues raised by the States, the Ministry officials stated that necessary clarity for the purpose of implementation of the Act can be given in the Rules to be notified by the States/UTs, without violating the spirit of the Act. These include stilt parking to be used as garage.

Responding to the issue of excluding balconies from the definition of carpet area, it was explained that it posed no problems as costing could be accordingly informed to the buyers. Interim Regulatory Authorities have been proposed in the Act so that they could put in place necessary institutional mechanisms for full fledged Regulatory Authorities could become functional from the first of May this year, it was explained.

The Ministry has agreed to come out with a template for Website to be made operational for disclosure of a range of information about the projects as mandated under the Act. Any expenditure incurred by the promoters on development of land could be included as part of the cost of land, States were told.

During the review, it revealed that Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry would notify the Real Estate Rules next month.

Punjab and Uttarakhand have informed that the needful would be done after the elections to the State Assemblies.

Real Estate Rules have so far been notified for Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chandigarh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nager Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep.

AAR/KM
Days before assumes Presidency in the US, outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday said he hoped achievements of the Obama administration in engaging with the world will not be reversed.

Kerry said the US has today become the strongest economy of the world by far, adding that there are some emerging economies as well but the US is doing very well.

Speaking at a session during the WEF Annual Meeting, he said the Obama administration did very well in all aspects, in engaging with and reaching out to countries, including in ties with China.

According to Kerry, even on South China Sea, the US took a very strong position of non-interference and in letting the concerned parties resolve the issue between them.

Even with Russia, the administration sought to reach out and communicate, he noted.

Asked if these achievements can be reversed under Trump, Kerry said, "I won't think so".

Noting that the US has been more engaged than ever before in its history, Kerry said, "I don't believe Iran agreement will be reversed, because friends and allies will all keep it".

He also talked about Vietnam and the increased engagement the Obama administration had with the country.

Asserting that global trade was good for the world and the US and no barriers should be applied, he said 85 per cent of the job losses in the US are down to being replaced by technology, not because of trade.

We are on the cusp of a new generation of aids free children being born in Africa because the US pushed ahead with the programmes along with Gates Foundation and various other NGOs, he added.

Trump would be sworn in as the US President on January 20.

Kerry said the US has to solve its problems in a way that does not create more barriers or undo opportunities.

The new administration will start with the benefit of a strong economy and the sound diplomacy of the last 8 years, he said, adding that the global community has to create a new Marshall Plan in order to help the young people living in failing states.
Hyundai Motor Co and affiliate Kia Motors said they will spend $3.1 billion in the US in the next five years, joining other vehicle manufacturers in announcing investment plans amid threats from President-elect Donald Trump of higher levies on auto imports from Mexico. The planned US investment by South Koreas two largest automakers is about 50 per cent more than the $2.1 billion they spent in the previous five-year period, Hyundai Motor President Chung Jin-haeng told reporters in Seoul on Tuesday. The group is considering building a new factory in the US and may produce ...
The Kremlin denied that an agreement was reached on a meeting between the Russian President and the United States President-elect on neutral ground.

Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained on Monday that all information on preliminary agreements on a meeting between Vladimir Putin and is incorrect, Efe news reported.

Peskov emphasised that Putin and Trump have not addressed the possibility of a future meeting and there are no preparations in progress on this matter.

The spokesman pointed out that the Russian embassy in Washington has only communicated with the Trump team for protocol reasons.

A British newspaper reported that an early meeting between Putin and Trump will be held in Reykjavik, Iceland.

As for Trump's proposal to end sanctions against Russia in exchange for a new cut of the nuclear arsenals, Peskov stressed that Moscow would not take any initiative until Trump's inauguration.
Author Monica Crowley, the US President-elect Donald Trump's pick for a top national security communications role, has decided against taking the position after allegations that she plagiarised large sections of her 2012 book.

"After much reflection, I have decided to remain in New York to pursue other opportunities and will not be taking a position in the incoming administration," Crowley, on Monday told The Washington Times.

"I greatly appreciate being asked to be part of President-elect Trump's team and I will continue to enthusiastically support him and his agenda for American renewal."

She was to have worked as senior director of strategic communications for the National Security Council(NSC) Adviser under Michael T. Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general.

According to a CNN report last week, the review of Crowley's June 2012 book, What The (Bleep) Just Happened, found upwards of 50 examples of plagiarism from numerous sources including copying with minor changes of news articles, other columnists, think tanks and Wikipedia.

The New York Times bestseller contains no notes or bibliography.

Crowley is also a syndicated radio host, columnist and, until recently, a Fox News contributor.

"The NSC will miss the opportunity to have Monica Crowley as part of our team. We wish her all the best in her future," Flynn said in a statement.

Crowley is the second official announced by the transition team to decide not to go to the White House, following Jason Miller, who was to be the communications director, The New York Times said.
President-elect Donald Trump may be dominating headlines in the build up to his forthcoming inauguration. But another world leader is also taking main stage. President Xi Jinping joins the global elite in attending the World Economic Forum at  the first time a Chinese head of state has attended.
A year and a half after the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) alleged Volkswagen had installed software to circumvent emissions standards, the company has plead guilty to three criminal felony counts. (VW) will pay $4.3 billion in criminal and civil penalties, and six executives and employees have been indicted.
Benchmark indices pared opening gains to turn negative as IMF cut Indias GDP forecast to 6.6% from the previous 7.6%. The sentiment was also affected as dual-control issue was resolved in the GST Council meet yesterday and all agreed on July 1 as its date of implementation.
The National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) on Tuesday issued a financial conduct framework which is expected to contribute directly in making the futures market transparent and less vulnerable to manipulation.

The exchange guidelines clarify the definition of persons acting in concert and the rules for clubbing of open positions. These guidelines will help prevent circumvention of the stipulated position limit norms by clients/members, the exchange said in a statement.

Further to several enhancement measures to strengthen risk management and surveillance framework, these guidelines are also designed to curb 'benami' account trading in commodity futures markets, it added.

The exchange monitoring and surveillance system will take note of attempts which may appear to compromise the market integrity and any violation will attract stringent penal action, as outlined by the regulator, will be taken on violation of position limits, it added.

The new set of principles is a defining initiative for the financial market and is backed by extensive research and consultations with market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India, it said.

India is in the midst of a structural transformation to clean up the economy and remove the scourge of black money and benami transactions. We are pleased to be able to deliver a set of guidelines that reinforces our commitment to ensure an orderly functioning of the now and in the future and support the underpinning of the exchange to farmers and hedgers, managing director and chief executive officer Samir Shah said.

The new guidelines will help futures market participants to have a clear understanding of what constitutes 'acting in concert'. Through a series of well-regarded initiatives and its world-class risk management and surveillance system, remains committed to protecting investor interest, Shah said.

The transparent framework will help members to establish internal processes to ensure strict monitoring of client position limits and enhance the exchange's ability to comply with obligations under PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act).

The exchange believes that these measures, combined with its ongoing commitment to the physical market and to new services delivered in collaboration with its market partners, will ensure the exchange continues to grow and thrive as the preferred platform for trading in agricultural futures, it said.
The initial gains, thanks to a breakthrough on the dual control of Goods and Services Tax (GST) between Centre and the state governments, faded in the afternoon trade with the benchmark indices slipping in red zone.
Here are a few trading ideas from Chandan Taparia of Anand Rathi for Tuesdays session:

: The stock has been sustaining above its 200 DMA & 50 DMA and holding the support from last eight trading sessions. It is gradually moving higher from last the three weeks and making higher lows from and if follow up buying continues in the stock a fresh rally towards 355 and higher levels cannot be ruled out. Thus recommending to buy the stock with the stop loss oflevels for the upside target of
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh will lead a five member Indian delegation to Germany for participation in the Global Forum for Food & Agriculture from 19-21 January and G-20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting on January 22 in Berlin.

Singh will depart for Berlin on Wednesday night.

During the visit, he will address the participants of the 9th Berlin Agriculture Ministers' Conference under the aegis of GFFA as well as the G-20 Agriculture Ministers meeting.

The Minister will also deliver the inaugural address at the Expert Panel convened as part of the GFFA meeting, apart from bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other countries including Germany, Mexico and Lithuania.

Singh will highlight India's initiatives in the areas of Agriculture and Water including such flagship programme as Soil Health Card scheme and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for improving soil fertility and water use efficiency to achieve 'more crop per drop' in a focused manner and extending the coverage of precision irrigation 'Har Khet Ko Pani.

He will also showcase India's initiatives in the use of digital technology for the benefit of our farmers including the e-NAM scheme, the Kisan Call Centre, digital payment initiatives and other measures to bridge the digital divide in India's rural and agricultural sectors.

The Global Forum for Food and Agriculture is an International Conference organized by Germany on the subject "Agriculture and Water - Key to Feeding the World" which is to be attended by Agriculture Ministers of 65 countries.

G-20 Agriculture Ministers meeting, scheduled for January 22, would focus on the theme of "Agriculture & Water - Digitalization in the Agriculture Sector" and bring together Ministers from the world's twenty biggest economies to discuss the way ahead for the global agricultural sector.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Averring that the selection of the candidate for the post of CBI director must be done on basis of merit, seniority and experience, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said officers who have a background of CBI or vigilance should be given preference.

Kharge who is also a part of three-member committee formed for electing the new CBI chief told ANI, "The law says that selection must be made according merit, experience and seniority. Our issue is people who have worked for the CBI, vigilance, Lokayukta should be given preference."

Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the three-member committee met yesterday to zero in on the next CBI chief. The panel also comprises the Chief Justice of India J S Khehar.

As nearly 49 Indian Police Service officers are in the fray, Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Verma (1979 batch) is said to be the frontrunner, his batchmate and ITBP Director General Krishna Chaudhary is also in the running.

With Government pushing for Verma's name, according to reports, a difference in opinion has been formed with Congress citing inexperience as the reason for former's appointment for the coveted post. This might trigger another confrontation between the government and the opposition.

The Supreme Court in its ruling directed the government to appoint the CBI director by January 16.

The Supreme Court gave its order while hearing a petition last month challenging the appointment of Gujarat-cadre Rakesh Asthana as the interim CBI chief.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ending all speculations, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday said that his party would enter into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls under the leadership of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Azad further said the details about the same will be decided in the coming days.

Azad's statement came as his party colleague Sheila Dikshit stated that she would withdraw as the chief ministerial candidate if her party enters into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the high-stakes polls.

Dikshit told ANI there cannot be two chief ministerial faces in case of an alliance in the politically crucial state.

"Talks are on and the SP-Congress alliance will benefit Uttar Pradesh. I will do what the party high command decides," she added.

Earlier on Monday, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav said he was hopeful his party will forge an alliance with the Congress for the polls.

Ramgopal, however, said the final decision regarding forging an alliance with the Congress will be taken by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

"It is Akhilesh Yadav who will decide on the alliance, but I am hopeful it will happen," he said.

In a major setback to Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Election Commission yesterday recognised the faction led by Akhilesh as the Samajwadi Party and allotted it the 'cycle' symbol.

Meanwhile, the poll process for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will begin today with notification for the first phase of voting scheduled on February 11.

73 constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh will vote in this phase.

The filing of nominations for these constituencies will start today and the last date for the same will be January 24.

The withdrawal of candidature could be done till January 27 and polling will be on February 11.

The districts going to polls in the first phase are Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj.

Uttar Pradesh will have seven-phase polling between February 11 and March 8.

The term of the present government will end on May 27.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday will hear a plea against the ban on the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF).

The IRF, which is headed by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, earlier moved a petition seeking directions against the ban imposed on it by the central government.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva asked ASG Sanjay Jain to produce the relevant records/materials which were relied upon by the Centre with regard to the ban.

On November 15, the central government had banned the IRF for five years after declaring it as an "unlawful association" under the anti-terror laws, and the Investigation Agency (NIA) followed up with raids on its premises in Mumbai on November 19.

According to the Home Ministry, Naik has allegedly made many provocative speeches and had engaged in terror propaganda.

The Maharashtra Police have also registered criminal cases against Naik for his alleged involvement in radicalisation of youths and luring them into terror activities, officials said.

He came under the scanner of the security agencies after Bangladeshi newspaper 'Daily Star' reported that one of the perpetrators of the July 1,2016 terror attack in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, ran propaganda on Facebook in 2015 quoting Naik.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Droom, an online automobile transactional marketplace, released its annual progress report for calendar year 2016.

The report compared the key metrics from 2016 with the corresponding data from 2015 the company has achieved over the past one year.

The company significantly outperformed all industry benchmark growth numbers, for example, new vehicles grew 9 percent Y/Y and used vehicles grew 15 percent Y/Y and Droom outperformed the overall market by 66 times for new vehicles and 40 times for used vehicles.

At the same time, the country's e-Commerce sector grew by 40 percent Y/Y in 2016 and Droom grew 15 times faster than the overall e-Commerce industry at the same time. With this kind of spectacular growth and strong fundamental, Droom has risen to be the 5th largest e-Commerce company in India in terms of GMV and first e-Commerce company in terms of growth.

Commenting on the performance, Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder and CEO, Droom, said, "In a year that saw several ups and downs, Droom's continued growth on an exponential curve is fascinating to say the least. Reporting a growth rate 15 times higher than that managed by the overall e-commerce industry and raising a landmark Series B investment from renowned investors such as Lightbox, BEENEXT and Digital Garage is a testament of how robust the company fundamentally is. We aim to build upon this strong showing and continue driving massive growth for our platform through our value-driven, consumer-centric offerings."

Orders placed through the platform grew by 507 percent, from 8,232 units in 2015 to 49,974 units by the end of 2016. The transacted GMV on the platform also grew by 533 percent, soaring from INR 155 crore in 2015 to INR 1,000 crore in 2016. The overall traffic on Droom also grew by 307 percent year-on-year, increasing from 12.5 million page visits in 2015 to almost 51 million in 2016 which makes Droom the third largest Facebook community in the e-commerce industry.

Droom also launched the unique applications in 2016 such as Orange Book Value in 2016, which again has been immensely popular amongst consumers and has generated more than 94 million pricing queries and about 4 million in traffic till date.

Droom is expected to touch net annual revenues to the tune of INR 60-75 crore by March 2017 with an annualized GMV in the range of INR 2,500-3,000 crore. The company is targeting annualised GMV of INR 4500-5000 crore and net annual revenues of INR 125-150 crore by December 2017.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Industry leaders in the development and delivery of networking and mobility Ericsson and Cisco Systems have announced to transform and virtualize Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA)'s networks for VHA to better prepare for new emerging services and to evolve its core network to increase the level of agility and programmability from network slicing.

Through simplification of its network and infrastructure, VHA will benefit from having the tools to become more agile, innovative and more pro-active in the way services are brought to market, ultimately resulting in improved customer engagement experience alongside reductions in opex and capex spend.

The deal represents the first major collaboration between Ericsson and Cisco on Telecom Cloud infrastructure.

"Ericsson and Cisco are our existing providers of core and routing functions making them good partners to move into a virtualized environment. This transformation allows us to introduce new applications to drive innovation and improve customer services and user experience. The new infrastructure opens the door to new business models and markets, such as Internet of Things for Vodafone we are excited about the future prospects this partnership offers," said Chief Officer VHA, Kevin Millroy.

"This major transformation deal clearly demonstrates Ericsson's global end-to-end transformation and operations capabilities as a trusted transformation partner. As the first collaboration between Ericsson and Cisco on Telecom Cloud infrastructure, it also shows how our global partnership is speeding digital transformation for customers across industries," said Head of Region North America, Rima Qureshi who is also responsible for the strategic partnership with Cisco at Ericsson.

"As the Prime Integrator, Ericsson is taking responsibility for integration of the Ericsson and Cisco, not only building the infrastructure, but ensuring the delivery of an end-to-end operational system," added Qureshi.

The joint architecture solution comprises of Ericsson Hyperscale Datacenter System and software components such as Ericsson Cloud Execution Environment, Ericsson Cloud Manager, Cloud SDN controller; together with Cisco WAN Automation Engine, Cisco Network Services Orchestrator (NSO), Cisco IP Network VNFs including IOS XR 9000v and Cloud Services Router 1000v, amongst others.

The partnership of the two countries will offer customers the best of routing, data center, networking, cloud, mobility, management and control, and global services capabilities.

The next-generation strategic partnership will drive growth, accelerate innovation, and speed digital transformation demanded by customers across industries.

To date, over 250 active customer engagements have now started to turn into won deals. More than 60 deals, spread around the world, are in IP (routing and transport) and services. The companies announced deals with three Italy, Vodafone Portugal, Aster Dominican Republic and Cable and Wireless in Caribbean in 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The department of Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Finance released a press statement on Tuesday and came clear on the allegations of 'compromising national interest by collaborating with a tainted UK-based Note Printing Company'.

"No fresh contract has been given to this company by the Government during the last three years. The Security Clearance for this company has been withheld by the Ministry of Finance and hence no fresh orders have been placed with the said company since 2014. The company has applied for setting up a factory in India. No action has been taken on their application," the statement said.

The said company had been supplying bank note paper till 2010. Further as per the decision taken in 2013, the company was permitted to supply a security feature for bank notes till December 2015.

Earlier in the day, the Congress had charged the Government with compromising with national interest by shortlisting a tainted UK-based Note Printing Company for printing of plastic notes in India.

"A tainted UK-based note printing company De La Rue has been shortlisted for printing of plastic notes in India despite it being blacklisted. It shows complicity at the highest level," former Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy had told reporters at AICC headquarters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India's leading travel meta player, ixigo has launched an all new version of its already popular Flights app. Available on both android and iOS, the app is packed with a host of new features, developed keeping in mind the convenience of flight travelers. The idea is to give more power to air travelers, by simplifying the booking and post booking processes. With ixigo, one can compare and book flights from across 100+ travel websites including MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Cleartrip, Musafir, Jet Airways, Spicejet, etc.

The various features of the ixigo Flights app cater to a user's entire travel cycle, helping them at every step of the way, even after a booking has been made. To begin with, when a user enters a date of travel during flight search, they will be presented with their very own smart 'Holiday Calendar' which highlights upcoming long weekends and festivals and also lets one know of the upcoming dates with lowest fares. What's more is that if a user subscribes to the instant 'Fare Alerts' feature, they will be prompted as soon as the fare for their preferred flight sector drops, making sure they book at the cheapest price.

It doesn't stop at ixigo helping users book the cheapest flight. Thanks to the 'Flight Tracking' feature, post booking, the app keeps a traveler updated about the status of the flight. The user will receive prompts in case of flight delays, cancellations etc. With the 'Auto Web Check-in' feature, users are also informed when the web check-in for their flight opens. Not just that, no matter what airline a user is travelling with, they can now web check-in directly through the app. It will only take a few seconds as ixigo prefills all the traveler details for them.

Apart from this, users can also take full advantage of other awesome features such as a dedicated 'Help Center' that not only answers all their frequently asked questions, but also allows users to add flight trips. By doing so they get access to a host of information regarding a specific trip, such as airline contact details, booking partner's help desk, baggage information, etc. Users can also browse from over five lakh hotels around the world and book via the same app.

"ixigo is now the largest travel meta player in the country. We are also leading from the front in product innovation, making sure we solve all the pain points that a flight traveler may face in the course of their entire travel cycle. We are already getting a great response from our users towards the new app, with a 35 percent increase in our users Net Promoter Score," said ixigo co-founder and CTO, Rajnish Kumar.

With the ixigo Trains App having recently been named the top 'Made in India' app for 2016 by Google, the new version of the Flights App also seems to be on the path to becoming every Indian flight traveler's most loved app.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress on Tuesday said it looks forward to a grand alliance in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh between the political parties working in the interest of the poor and farmers to defeat the forces favouring the rich and industrialists.

Congress leader P.L. Punia said there have been positive results post the grand alliance in Bihar.

"All political parties working in the interest of the poor and farmers joined hands in Bihar. The same is required in Uttar Pradesh as well because the forces favouring the rich and industrialists have grabbed power so far by creating confusion in the minds of the voters," he told ANI.

Punia, however, said the top brass of the Congress and Samajwadi Party can better answer as to when the grand alliance will take place in the politically crucial state.

"Talks and discussions in this regard have been going on since long. I think that a final call in this regard would come to the fore in the next two days as leaders of both the Congress and Samajwadi Party have given indications on the same," he said.

Punia's assertion came a day after Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav said he was hopeful his party will forge an alliance with the Congress for the high-stakes assembly polls.

Ramgopal, however, said the final decision regarding forging an alliance with the Congress will be taken by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

"It is Akhilesh Yadav who will decide on the alliance, but I am hopeful it will happen," he said.

In a major setback to Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Election Commission yesterday recognised the faction led by Akhilesh as the Samajwadi Party and allotted it the 'cycle' symbol.

Meanwhile, the poll process for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will begin today with notification for the first phase of voting scheduled on February 11.

73 constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh will vote in this phase.

The filing of nominations for these constituencies will start today and the last date for the same will be January 24.

The withdrawal of candidature could be done till January 27 and polling will be on February 11.

The districts going to polls in the first phase are Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj.

Uttar Pradesh will have seven-phase polling between February 11 and March 8.

The term of the present government will end on May 27.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Balochistan activist Naila Baloch on Tuesday slammed the protesters of Dangal star Zania Wasim ,who had to issue a public apology via her Facebook account, after her meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti triggered criticism, saying that harassing girls is 'anti democratic'.

"Harassing girls is anti- democratic and if they have some problem then they should make their own movie instead of stopping somebody to speak. There are democratic ways to give replies as well," she said.

Baloch called the whole incident as unfortunate and blamed Pakistan for the episode.

"This is unfortunate just because she is a girl and a Kashmiri, she is being threatened. This is a criminal act and against the basic human rights. Pakistan and their agencies is the root cause of the fashion of violence in the region. Even they have spread terror factories across the world," Baloch told ANI here.

She asserted that women should be respected and Zaira must be promoted to speak her heart out.

In a surprising move, Zaira, issued a shocking public apology letter for hurting the sentiments of people via her Facebook and Twitter account, however, the reasons of the her actions remain unclear and speculations are rife.

"I know that many people have been offended and displeased by my recent actions or by the people I have recently met. I want to apologise to all those people who I've unintentionally hurt and want them to know that I understand their sentiments, especially considering what has happened (in Kashmir) over the past six months," she wrote in her letter.

Wasim also appealed to the people to understand that sometime certain circumstances evolve which cannot be controlled by anyone and added 'whatever' she did was a not a deliberate decision.

"I am being projected as a role model for Kashmiri youth. I want to make it very clear that I do not want anyone to follow in my footsteps or even consider me a role model. I'm not proud of what I'm doing and I want everyone, especially the youth to know, that there are real role models out there whether they be in this time or in our history," she said.

However, the reason for the apology letter is not very clear, but it is speculated that Wasim, who posted this note after being trolled on social media for meeting the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister a couple of days ago and allegedly calling her as a part of her film's success.

Wasim's post resulted in an outburst of reactions and speculations ranging from whether her account had been hacked, or whether she had received threats for meeting the Chief Minister.

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The Government of India, the Government of Nagaland and the World Bank have signed a massive 48 million dollars credit agreement for the 'Nagaland Health Project,' which aims to improve health services across the state.

The agreement for the project was signed by Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India; L. Watikala, Principal Director, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Nagaland; and Genevieve Connors, Program Leader and Acting Country Director, World Bank India, on behalf of the World Bank.

Credit for the project, which was approved on December 19, 2016, is from the International Development Association (IDA) - the World Bank's concessionary lending arm - with a maturity of 25 years, including a 5-year grace period.

The total cost of the project, according to the World Bank is 60 million dollars, with the IDA providing 48 million dollars, and the borrower i.e. the Government of India committing the remaining 12 million dollars.

The multimillion dollar health project aims to empower village health committees to deliver better health service delivery across the state and strengthen existing health systems and public health facilities. This will include capacity-building and results-based financing for village health committees, who are responsible for local health services, to improve services as well as enhance the knowledge and awareness of their communities.

The project will also invest in improving health services in 177 facilities, including through water and sanitation and off-grid electricity backup. The project aims to strengthen statewide health system components, including information, procurement and supply chain management, and human resource management systems.

The objectives of the project are to improve health services and increase their utilization by communities in targeted locations in Nagaland. Communities in targeted locations will benefit from project activities at the community and health facility levels while the population of the state as a whole will benefit from improvements in higher-level facilities as well as system-wide investments. The project will directly benefit about 600,000 people. It will support and complement existing systems and mechanisms involving communities under the Health Mission.

The closing date of Nagaland health Project is March 31st, 2023.

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The External Affairs Ministry (MEA) has said that the Indian Embassy in Bahrain has taken-up the issue of non-payment of salary to Indian workers at high level with the country and authorities there have expressed regret at the incident and have assured that safety and wellbeing of all workers, including Indian nationals, remains their first priority.

"M/s G. P. Zachariadis Overseas Ltd., a construction company which employs nearly 1500 Indian workers has been faced with severe financial hardship. This has resulted in non-payment of salary/dues to workers employed by the company. On 3rd January 2017, nearly 350 workers at a site went on strike due to non-payment of salary for nearly two months. After intervention of the Mission in association with the Labour Ministry, the company paid the pending salaries on 4th January 2017," said MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

He said the company again failed to pay the next salary, which was due on January 12, 2017 and the embassy had immediately taken up the matter with the Ministry of Labour, which had called the company management for a joint meeting on the same day.

Swarup said that nearly 200 workers of the company started a protest on January 15, due to non-payment of their salary and during the protest, one of the workers Narayanan Pitchai, an Indian national, fainted.

"He was taken to hospital, where he was declared brought dead," Swarup said.

Swarup said the police authorities have confirmed to the embassy that since it was a peaceful protest, no police action was taken against them.

"Several workers on protest have also conveyed to the embassy officials that no action was taken by police authorities on the protestors," he added.

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Allying all fears regarding Indian security concerns in Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean, Sri Lankan military leader-turned-politician Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka on Tuesday sent a strong message that Indian security and geopolitics cannot be jeopardized, endorsing India as a regional power and potential super power.

"When it comes to the security issues, obviously India is the regional power in this Area. Indian security concerns and sentiments cannot be jeopardised. Sri Lanka has really understood that. So when Sri Lanka deals with other countries you have ensure that you don't put India into embarrassing situation," he told ANI.

Fonseka, who played an instrumental role in bringing down the LTTE, promoted India's role in the geo-politics around Indian Ocean and asserted that other powerful countries must realize that India is very concerned about its security.

"India is any way a regional power and potential super power. So rest of the powerful countries in the world, when they want to move around in this area, must understand that India is very concerned about its security," he added.

Fonseka criticised the way Hambantota project has been handled and dubbed that concerned projects have not been beneficial to the country because of the rampant corruption and called it as a crisis.

"Hambantota is a peculiar situation. Our country has become indebted to China very badly over those projects. Those projects have not been beneficial to the country because there have been lot of corruption.

People dealing with China from our side were not doing a very sincere job. Lot of money have been played out. As it is it became a crisis for us," he said.

Highlighting the diplomatic relations with other countries, Fonseka said, "Our intention is to remain friends with everybody. We are a small country we had historical relationship with most of the countries. Large countries must understand our situation. Things will be all right as it goes on."

Being optimistic on the future course of relationship between India and Sri Lanka, Fonseka added that political understanding is there between the two nations, interests are being respected by both countries.

"We have realised that at (in) no way we can disturb the geopolitical interest. I don't see any that there be any problem in future between these two countries," he added.

Fonseka arrive in India on Tuesday for a two-day visit to brainstorm on global issues in the second Raisina Dialogue which is underway in New Delhi.

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After her recent social media activity, replacing all Instagram posts with a tidy "Alaikum salam", Lindsay Lohan is now being given welcoming words and well wishes on the Internet by some members of the Muslim faith.

Over the weekend, many speculated that the 30-year-old actress was converting to Islam.

One Twitter user recently welcomed Lohan, tweeting, "So proud about Lindsay Lohan for her new life with great wishes. Welcome To Islam #Lindsay Lohan."

"Im so happy that lindsay lohan found Islam. may Allah guide her and bless her," one young woman tweeted.

Another posted, "I heard that Lindsay Lohan converted to Islam? If its true, alhamdulillah. God has shown her the right path to now follow."

The 'Parent Trap' star, however, has not revealed if she is in fact converting to the faith.

Earlier, she dropped hints about converting to Islam, with being vocal about her interest in the religion and also shifted to Dubai last year.

Lohan also recently rang in the New Year in the Middle East, choosing to vacation in Dubai over the holidays.

There were previously rumors that Lohan might be converting back in 2015 when she was photographed holding a copy of the Quran while doing community service in Brooklyn.

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Highlighting the changes taking place in Sri Lanka between the majority and Tamils, Field Marshal turned politician Sarath Fonseka on Tuesday said that there are no grouses with the majority community in the northern Sri Lanka regarding the 13th amendment.

"We have given that message to the majority community in the south also. There are no grouses with the majority community with the people in the north now. We didn't want to make the same mistakes," Fonseka told ANI in an exclusive interview.

Fonseka asserted that the present government is considering all aspects to go ahead with the 13th amendment taking care of the legal and political issues.

"There are few legal and political issues to a certain extent. Of course we are determined that everybody in the country is given due place, equal place," he said.

Expressing hope that the current change in the social perspective Fonseka said, "We have mentally conditioned the country to live together. They understand that there must be reconciliation as one nation.

But political devolution and so things are being discussed. Legal issues are there changing Constitution, referendums and various things are being considered. Hopefully things will fall in line."

13th amendment promises to devolve powers to northern and eastern regions of Sri Lanka which are dominated by Tamilians (a minority community in Sri Lanka). The region lacks autonomy in administration and is controlled by Central Sinhalese (majority community) government.

13th amendment was product of a pact signed between Rajiv Gandhi ( then Indian Prime Minister) and J. R. Jayawardene (then Sri Lankan President) in 1987.

According to this pact, LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam) - an extremist separatist group were to surrender their arms in exchange for peace and autonomy in the region. The pact also promised the equality for Tamilians, while shedding their second class citizen status.

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The convoy of a member from the Qatari Royal Family, who was on an expedition to hunt the Houbara Bustard, a rare bird whose meat is prized by Arab sheikhs, was attacked by a group of villagers with guns and knives.

According to the Daily Times, the hunting party was unharmed in the ambush but three guards were injured in Musakhel, Balochistan.

"A case has been registered against 25 people," District Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Yasir said.

The police claim that the villagers turned violent after they were prevented from meeting the visiting royal to seek donations to build a mosque.

A Qatari official present during the incident confirmed the attack by a large group of men on a convoy of hunters that included a royal family member.

"Qatari hunters apply and pay for government hunting permits and donate to local communities and wildlife conservation. Unfortunately there have been attacks led by armed groups," the official said.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the Houbara Bustard as a vulnerable species with a global population ranging from 50,000 to 100,000. It has almost vanished on the Arabian Peninsula.

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Women being banned from hanging out at bars and bistros, being told to wear fully covered clothes, being forbidden from mixing with men; such a scene is very easily acceptable in a place like Saudi Arabia where the Sharia law, which is quite clear on the role of the woman in Islam, governs the way of life.

But when similar scenes are witnessed in a neighbourhood of Paris, the city known for its romanticism, fashion, food, art and culture, surely it is a sign of worry.

In Sevran, a commune located just 16.2 km (10.1 miles) from the French capital, women going in a bar is equivalent to breaking a taboo.

Sevran is part of the district of Seine-Saint-Denis, an area inhabited by over 600,000 Muslims, out of 1.4 million people. Already in 2011, a report by the highly respected political scientist and expert on Islam, Gilles Kepel, "Banlieue de la Republique" ("Suburb of the Republic"), showed that Seine-Saint-Denis, as well as other suburbs, were becoming parallel Islamic societies, increasingly cut off from the rest of French society.

And a recent video by France 24 clearly shows how women rights activists are trying to fight this plight and trying to raise an alarm of the creeping gender segregation.

Wearing button-hole cameras, two female volunteers of La Brigade des Meres (the mother's brigade)- an anti-radicalisation group, Nadia Remadna and Aziza Sayah, entered a cafe in the suburb and a male customer tells them "It is best to wait outside. There are men in here... In this cafe, there is no diversity."

"In this cafe, there is no mixing. We are in Sevran, not Paris. Here there is a different mentality. It is like back home," said another male customer.

In another suburb of Lyon a women tells the journalist, " we wear baggy clothes, trousers, no skirts, no obvious make-up, red-lipstick is out of question. We erase ourself. Try to be most discreet." When asked why, she says, "because we are scared." Apparently, scared of being targeted by Muslim men in the neighborhood.

But some women have decided to fight back by organising regular marches in such affected place, saying that their intention is not to disrespect religious sentiments but promote more camaraderie among the different sects of the society.

This fast-spreading Islamisation, which the elite and politicians still stay ignorant to, is taking over many such suburbs in Western and European countries.

Many analysts have said that this Islamisation has been fuelled and strengthened by Qatar's heavy investments - particularly in mosques - in France during the past five years. These investments currently stand at around USD 22 billion.

Investments in mosques are how Qatar is apparently spreading Wahhabism - a particularly radical form of Islam - around the .

Considering the subservient role of women in Sharia law, it is only a natural development that those French suburbs that have become Islamised and where Sharia is held in high regard, now resemble Saudi Arabia.

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The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, will visit Jharkhand and West Bengal from January 18 to 20 2017.

The President will inaugurate the centenary Year Celebrations of Jhalda Satyabhama Vidyapith at Jhalda, Purulia On January 18, 2017. On the same day, he will also inaugurate the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of the Netaji Research Bureau and unveil the restored Wanderer Car used by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 'Mahanishkraman' in January 1941 at Kolkata. On January 19, 2017, the President will inaugurate the 28th Dantan Gramin Mela-2017 at Dantan, Paschim Medinipur. He will also attend the 35th Anniversary celebrations of Aajkaal at Kolkata on the same day.

On January 20, 2017, the President will inaugurate the Bengal Global Business Summit-2017. On the same day, he will inaugurate the Bicentenary Celebrations of the Hindu School. The President will also inaugurate the Bicentenary Celebrations of Presidency University at Kolkata before returning to Delhi.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday alleged that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's 'hand of God' comment is nothing but a communal appeal to seek votes ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections, and hence, violates the moral code of conduct (MCC).

"This is the Congress party's brand new communal agenda and Rahul Gandhi is flouting the moral code of conduct. The statement given by Rahul Gandhi is made to spread communalism during election time and Election Commission should take stringent action," Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

Naqvi alleged that Congress has been a history-sheeter party and this has been their traditional way of working.

"The Election Commission (EC) has said that they have taken it very seriously and that they'll take necessary steps," he added.

Naqvi also quirked the upcoming Samajwadi-Congress alliance ahead of the Uttar Pradesh election.

"As we have heard about the alliance, then common minimum program of the coalition would be corruption, misgovernance and communalism," he said.

Last Friday, BJP had filed a complaint with the poll panel against the Gandhi for hurting religious sentiments, by co-relating the symbol of Congress with religious gods such as Shiv, Guru Nanak, Buddha, Islam and Mahavir.

In a complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer, the BJP had alleged that Gandhi, during a Jan Vedna Sammelan convention, held in Delhi, had violated the provisions of Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, Model Code of Conduct and guidelines issued by the Supreme Court.

During the convention, Gandhi had said that he saw the Congress symbol - an open palm - in the photos of gods belonging to various religions.

"I was told that the Congress party was around 100 years old. But one day, when I was going through some photos, I saw the Congress symbol in a photo of Shivji," Gandhi said.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday said that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's statement of co-relating the symbol of Congress with religious gods such as Shiv, Guru Nanak, Buddha, Islam and Mahavir, draws Election Commission's attention as he is violating the code of conduct.

"In the recent Supreme Court judgement, no religious figures can be used for the political purposes, here he (Rahul Gandhi) has blatantly misused the column," BJP leader S. Prakash told ANI.

Prakash said the party symbol is not allowed in to the poling both but the 'hand' will always be with the voters, so when they enter the polling both their hands will be visible and which is a violation of code of conduct.

The BJP leader said on these two things, there symbol can be challenged in the Election Commission.

"Let the Election Commission respond to the complaint file by the BJP.

The BJP last Friday filed a complaint with the poll panel against the Congress vice-president for hurting religious sentiments, by co-relating the symbol of Congress with religious gods such as Shiv, Guru Nanak, Buddha, Islam and Mahavir.

In a complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer, the BJP has alleged that Rahul, during a Jan Vedna Sammelan convention, held in Delhi, violated the provisions of Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, Model Code of Conduct and guidelines issued by the Supreme Court.

"The entire tone and tenor of Rahul Gandhi, while passing the remarks, was to incite the religious feelings of the people, by co-relating the symbol of Indian Congress with religious god of different religion. Rahul Gandhi made a serious attempt to take advantage of religious sentiments of people in favour of Indian Congress," the complaint read.

It further said that Rahul Gandhi's statements were aimed to put 'false and baseless' notions in the minds of people that Shiv, Guru Nanak, Budha, Islam and Mahavir's pictures are symbolising the Congress symbol.

During the convention, on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi said that he saw the Congress symbol - an open palm - in the photos of gods belonging to various religions.

"I was told that the Congress party was around 100 years old. But one day, when I was going through some photos, I saw the Congress symbol in a photo of Shivji," Rahul said.

"I thought that was very strange. So I looked at some other photos. And I saw a photo of Guru Nanak ji and the Congress symbol was there too," Rahul said, adding that he also saw the Congress symbol in the photos of Buddha and Mahavir.

He then went on to say that, "I then asked Karan Singh ji (Congress leader): Why is the Congress symbol visible in every religion like Islam, Hinduism, Judaism?" Rahul said.

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Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel is likely to appear before the Standing Committee on Finance on Wednesday.

The committee, headed by former union minister and senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily, has called Patel to brief the panel about government's demonetisation drive.

The secretaries of finance ministry will also appear and brief about demonetisation and its impact.

Patel has been summoned, days after the United Forum of Reserve Bank Officers and employees wrote a letter to the RBI governor alleging that the image of the central bank has been dented beyond repair post the government's demonetisation move.

Raising objection to the government "impinging on RBI autonomy" the employee unions of the central bank also asked Patel to take action against the "unwarranted interference".

"We request the Governor of the RBI, its highest functionary and protector of its autonomy and prestige, to do the needful urgently to do away with this unwarranted interference from the Finance Ministry and assure the staff accordingly as the staff feels humiliated," the letter said.

The finance ministry, however, clarified that the government fully respects the independence and autonomy of the RBI.

In a statement, the ministry said that consultations between the Centre and the RBI are undertaken on various matters of public importance, wherever such consultation is mandated by law or has evolved as a practice.

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Chief Election Commissioner Dr. Nasim Zaidi along with Election Commissioners A.K. Joti and O.P. Rawat will visit Uttarakhand on Wednesday to review the poll preparedness of the state in the forthcoming assembly elections.

During their two day visit, the Election Commission officials will meet with District Magistrates (DMs), Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) and other officers of the enforcement agencies.

The officials will also meet representatives of various political parties.

Uttarakhand will have single phase polling for all 70 seats on February 15 for which notification will be issued on January 20.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has left for Switzerland to attend the Economic Forum (WEF)'s Annual Meeting at Davos.

The meeting will be held from 17 to 20 January, 2017.

The Prime Minister will hold a number of bilateral meetings with heads of states and governments, as well as with business leaders.

Among others, Sharif will also meet the new United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, as well as Swiss President Doris Leuthard at Davos.

Sharif will also address a large group of about 60 top business leaders on "Investing in Pakistan: The New Reality".

The Prime Minister will also have a meeting with a group of business leaders, where he will share the dramatic economic changes taking place in Pakistan and the immense investment and trade opportunities that are opening up in the country.

Sharif's participation in the event would help project Pakistan as a prime destination for business, investment, and trade.

A record 3,000 participants will attend the WEF Annual Meeting 2017.

The theme for the 2017 WEF Annual Meeting is "Responsive and Responsible Leadership".

The Economic Forum annual meeting provides an unparalleled platform to discuss wide ranging economic and political issues.

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The Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi Government will on Tuesday file their replies in the Delhi High Court in connection with the Delhi Assembly Secretary Prasanna Kumar Suryadevara deputation controversy case.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had both to amicably resolve the issue of continuation of deputation of Suryadevara, within 10 days.

The court issued notice to the Centre, the bureaucrat and the Delhi Government and sought their replies.

Suryadevara, originally an officer of Newsreader-cum- Translator (Telugu) cadre, was appointed to the post of Delhi Assembly Secretary last July for a year.

However, Prasar Bharati expressed inability to extend the deputation and asked the Delhi Government to repatriate him, saying it was in dire need of experienced professionals.

Then Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung had issued an order to repatriate Suryadevara, after which Speaker Delhi assembly Ram Niwas Goel had approached the Delhi High Court and filed the writ petition.

Goel, in his plea, also challenged the memorandums issued by AIR to Suryadevara directing him to join his parent organisation immediately, failing which he would be treated to be on "unauthorised absence".

The bureaucrat, who has served in the office of the Lok Sabha Speaker for five years and that of the Rajya Sabha Chairman for over six years, was appointed to the post of Delhi Assembly Secretary in July 2015 for a year, on expiry of which AIR had directed him to return.

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Punjab Congress Chief Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said no deal had been made with Navjot Singh Sidhu before he decided to join the party.

"No there is no deal behind Sidhu's joining. He himself said his father was in the Congress and that it is his 'ghar wapsi'," Amarinder Singh told media here.

He also claimed that this will be his last election and that he would defeat Parkash Singh Badal in his home seat of Lambi.

Reacting to former army chief and Shiromani Akali Dal's Patiala candidate, General J.J. Singh's comment on their respective ranks while in the armed forces, Amarinder Singh said, "He was a year junior to me and I know, he was a lacklustre and an average general."

On the Satluj Yamuna Link Canal (SYL) canal issue, Singh said that not even a drop of water will enter Haryana. 'Mere Punjab ka ek boondh paani bhi nahi jaayega," he said.

The Congress leadership in Delhi on Monday cleared Singh's name for the seat after his request to contest the polls from the Lambi seat, a traditional stronghold of the Akali Dal's first family in Muktsar district.

Punjab will vote on February 4 and the counting will take place on March 11.

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With just a year left for the assembly election in Left-ruled Tripura, two tribal-based political parties, Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) have declared the formation of a new forum under the banner of 'All Tripura Indigenous Regional Parties Forum (ATIRPF)' to step up their activities and push their demands.

ATIRPF would organise "Delhi Abhiyan" and called for a strike in the state both in coming month to press their demands to the central government opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

ATIRPF on February 8 called for a strike in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) area and a six-hour-long sit-in-demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on February 21 press their demand to the central government.

"The CPIM has commented against us terming our forum as unholy, we protest against it. If the minority microscopic tribal gets united for their development what is illegal in it, why do they hate this unity? If the CPIM dreams that they shall be in power always that is wrong. They should have been welcomed the unitedly fight for the rights of the weak rural tribal section ," people but they have condemned it. We are very sorry and protest against this," said Bijoy Hrangkhawl, senior member of the newly formed ATIRPF and former MLA.

Meantime, the Tripura unit of the BJP has welcomed the newly formed ATIRPF which basically is a union of non-left tribal parties in the opposition.

Central observer and state in-charge of BJP Sunil Deodhar said: "CPIM had win in election as two tribal parties fought separately. Now they getting together in the long term are uniting of the anti-CPIM forces for us. However, if it is also their view or not we do not know, but from this angle this is good for us. Now if they have any confusion and when it is felt necessity we shall discuss it with them. But we shall not allow the anit-Left forces to get divided.

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Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav on Tuesday confirmed that the party will lock itself in a pre-poll alliance with the Congress Party, hours after Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad conveyed the same.

When asked about possibility of an alliance with the Congress, Ram Gopal told ANI, "We will talk, alliance will take place."

Earlier today, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that his party would enter into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls under the leadership of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Azad further said the details about the same will be decided in the coming days.

Azad's statement came as his party colleague Sheila Dikshit stated that she would withdraw as the chief ministerial candidate if her party enters into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the high-stakes polls.

Dikshit told ANI there cannot be two chief ministerial faces in case of an alliance in the politically crucial state.

"Talks are on and the SP-Congress alliance will benefit Uttar Pradesh. I will do what the party high command decides," she added.

In a major setback to Mulayam, the Election Commission yesterday recognised the faction led by Akhilesh as the Samajwadi Party and allotted it the 'cycle' symbol.

Meanwhile, the poll process for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will begin today with notification for the first phase of voting scheduled on February 11.

Seventy three constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh will vote in this phase.

The filing of nominations for these constituencies will start today and the last date for the same will be January 24.

The withdrawal of candidature could be done till January 27 and polling will be on February 11.

The districts going to polls in the first phase are Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj.

Uttar Pradesh will have seven-phase polling between February 11 and March 8.

The term of the present government will end on May 27.

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With the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) heading steadily towards a possible alliance ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday asserted that the entire development reeked of sheer desperation especially on the part of the grand old party.

Speaking to ANI here, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain stated that the Congress is already 'doomed', and a coalition with a weaker party like the Samajwadi Party, is not going to benefit them either.

"Two weak parties can never make a strong unit, especially when the popular tide is with BJP this time. Any party or any coalition whatsoever cannot daunt the popularity BJP has garnered in UP this time. Whenever the election takes place, five years of the failure of Akhilesh Yadav's rule, that he has tried to cloud in his family disputes, would be exposed. People have seen for themselves the vandalism, crime and zero development by SP," he said.

He further remarked, that the Congress had to take Sheila Dikshit from Delhi to Uttar Pradesh as their candidate first, and now with their plans of uniting with SP shows their own lack of trust amongst their party.

"Congress is now in shambles; therefore fighting individually already seems as a lost cause for them," Hussain added.

Earlier today, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad stated that his party would enter into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls under the leadership of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Azad's statement came as his party colleague Sheila Dikshit stated that she would withdraw as the chief ministerial candidate if her party enters into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the high-stakes polls.

Dikshit told ANI there cannot be two chief ministerial faces in case of an alliance in the politically crucial state.

"Talks are on and the SP-Congress alliance will benefit Uttar Pradesh. I will do what the party high command decides," she added.

Earlier on Monday, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav said he was hopeful his party will forge an alliance with the Congress for the polls.

Ramgopal, however, said the final decision regarding forging an alliance with the Congress will be taken by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

"It is Akhilesh Yadav who will decide on the alliance, but I am hopeful it will happen," he said.

Uttar Pradesh will have seven-phase polling between February 11 and March 8. The term of the present government will end on May 27.

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Dangal actor Zaira Wasim, who recently issued an apology on her Facebook page after being allegedly trolled for meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has found support in the Government.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting M Venkaiah Naidu Naidu on Tuesday slammed the 'double standards' of 'pseudo liberals' and assured that the whole nation supports her.

"The whole Zaira Wasim episode shows how pseudo liberals react to different situations and adopt double standards. These pseudo liberals are always violent, but on these matters they are silent," Naidu told the reporters here at an IIMC event.

"Zaira is a 16-year old girl, who came from Jammu and Kashmir, acted in a popular movie and then went to meet the chief minister of her state. What's wrong in that?" he added.

While emphasising that the nation should stand by her side, Naidu said, "We are happy that children from JK are coming forward and are showcasing their talent. This young girl (Zaira) has shown the path for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. One should really feel proud and appreciate her, rather than trying to be verbally violent," he added.

Zaira, who portrayed the young Geeta Phogat in the recently released movie 'Dangal', issued an apology for 'offending' and 'unintentionally hurting' people after she met the J&K chief minister and was subsequently trolled on Twitter. She later deleted her post.

Since then, many celebrities including Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, who essayed the role of Zaira's father in the movie, and political leaders, like Omar Abdullah, have come out in her support.

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Casting aside the Opposition parties' assertion that the Centre is trying to sway the impending assembly elections in its favour by advancing the Budget Session, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday wondered as to why the opposition was so "jittery" about it, since it is being done for the welfare of the people.

"Don't they want budget, don't they want development of the country. The budget is regular, its annual, it is not state specific, it is for the entire country. Social security and security are very much needed for the country. Why are so jittery, that's my question to the opposition,' Naidu told media here.

Naidu further said the Opposition is rattled as they have sensed that they will not be able win the elections and that is why they are creating hurdles for the Centre to present the Budget earlier.

"The opposition is rattled because they are losing. The other day the language used some of the opposition parties against the Prime Minister, you may have seen how the public have reacted to that and now they have realised that they are losing election, they are trying to find some alibis," he added.

Several opposition parties, including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the DMK and the JD (U), have been against the early presentation of budget as it would give "unfair advantage to the government" and "will misuse the budget presentation".

"It is clear that the government will misuse the budget presentation and try to allure the voters just before polls," Congress leader Anand Sharma told ANI.

"This gives unfair advantage to the government. It will influence the voters. It is clear that the government will misuse the budget presentation and the President's Address to both the houses of parliament which is customary to make announcements, popular schemes, and also try to allure the voters," he added.

The Opposition parties had earlier on Thursday approached the Election Commission demanding that the Budget be postponed to a date beyond March 8.

It contends that holding the Budget before the Assembly polls will allow the BJP to woo voters through various schemes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress leader Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday said she will withdraw as the chief ministerial candidate if her party enters into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the high-stakes Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

Dikshit told ANI there cannot be two chief ministerial faces in case of an alliance in the politically crucial state.

"Talks are on and the SP-Congress alliance will benefit Uttar Pradesh. I will do what the party high command decides," she added.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader P.L. Punia said that there has been positive results post the grand alliance in Bihar, thereby hinting that the grand old party may join hands with the Samajwadi Party.

"All political parties working in the interest of the poor and farmers joined hands in Bihar. The same is required in Uttar Pradesh as well because the forces favouring the rich and industrialists have grabbed power so far by creating confusion in the minds of the voters," he told ANI.

Punia, however, said the top brass of the Congress and Samajwadi Party can better answer as to when the grand alliance will take place in the politically crucial state.

"Talks and discussions in this regard have been going on since long. I think that a final call in this regard would come to the fore in the next two days as leaders of both the Congress and Samajwadi Party have given indications on the same," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav said he was hopeful his party will forge an alliance with the Congress for the high-stakes assembly polls.

Ramgopal, however, said the final decision regarding forging an alliance with the Congress will be taken by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

"It is Akhilesh Yadav who will decide on the alliance, but I am hopeful it will happen," he said.

In a major setback to Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Election Commission yesterday recognised the faction led by Akhilesh as the Samajwadi Party and allotted it the 'cycle' symbol.

Meanwhile, the poll process for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will begin today with notification for the first phase of voting scheduled on February 11.

73 constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh will vote in this phase.

The filing of nominations for these constituencies will start today and the last date for the same will be January 24.

The withdrawal of candidature could be done till January 27 and polling will be on February 11.

The districts going to polls in the first phase are Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj.

Uttar Pradesh will have seven-phase polling between February 11 and March 8.

The term of the present government will end on May 27.

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Among the many B-town celebs who have come out in support of 'Dangal' girl Zaira Wasim, who issued a lengthy apology for 'hurting' people's sentiments, is none other than her onscreen father Aamir Khan.

The 51-year-old today issued statement that begins, "I have read Zaira's statement, and I can understand and imagine what lead her to make that statement."

"Zaira, I want you to know that we are all with you," Aamir assured the 16-year-old star who played young Geeta Phogat in the movie.

"You certainly are a role model for me! May god bless you," he added before appealing to everyone to "leave her alone".

Zaira recently issued an out-of-the-blue apology through her Facebook and Twitter accounts for 'unintentionally hurting' those who were 'offended' by her 'recent actions or by the people she recently met'.

Later, she issued another note clarifying that the she had not been forced into apologising and requested everyone not to blow the matter out of proportion.

Though the reason for her apology is not very clear, it is, however, being speculated that Zaira posted this note after being trolled for meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti a couple of days ago and purportedly crediting her for her film's success.

Meanwhile, many celebs including Anupam Kher, Sonu Nigam, Javed Akhtar, have also taken to their social media handles to lend support to the young actress.

Olympian wrestler Geeta Phogat, during an interview with ANI, also came out in support of Zaira, asserting that the Kashmiri starlet must learn to ignore those trying to bring her down and continue to remain focused in her work.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
'Dangal' girl Zaira Wasim seems to be going places. She recently met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. Her role as Geeta Phogat in the movie has drawn international attention.

However, instead of celebrating her win, the 16-year-old from Kashmir issued a shocking public apology for hurting the sentiments of people via her Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The reason of her actions remains unclear but it is being speculated that Wasim posted this apology letter on the social media after being trolled for meeting Chief Minister Mufti a couple of days ago and allegedly saying she was a part of her film's success.

People of Kashmir seem disappointed as according to them, a young talent of the valley was being discouraged from testing herself in the field of acting.

"If any sort of talent is emerging from Kashmir, we Kashmiris give our negative reviews and comments, which is very unfortunate. In spite of encouraging our talent we discourage them. Earlier also such incidents have taken place in Kashmir. Zaira Wasim performed brilliantly in Dangal, but we started making allegations. She can be an inspiration for other young people. Unemployment is a big issue in Kashmir, and she has helped in opening another window," a local resident said.

Shairyad, a local resident, said, "Every individual has a different talent. If somebody is trying to display their talent, never discourage them. Always try to support and appreciate their confidence. In the similar manner, when people can support engineers or doctors, they should encourage the youth to showcase their talent in the acting as well. There are people who compose music and songs. So, this is an inbuilt talent in the people of Kashmir."

Speaking about women empowerment, Zaira Wasim questioned the current situation of society. She asked, "Why can't we just educate them?" She also said that she has dreamt of building a society safe for girls to live in and where they would be happy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
August 22, 2022, Monday

Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai said that there will be pro and anti-beliefs and arguments on noted personalities, but it must ...
Asian Oilfield Services rose 3.12% to Rs 134 at 11:21 IST on BSE after the company said it received award of contract from Oil India for an estimated value of Rs 142.86 crore.

The announcement was made during trading hours today, 17 January 2017.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was down 48.77 points, or 0.18%, to 27,239.40.

On the BSE, so far 1.66 lakh shares were traded in the counter, compared with average daily volumes of 1.48 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 137.50 and a low of Rs 130.50 so far during the day.

The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 138.90 on 6 January 2017. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 27.90 on 12 February 2016. The stock had outperformed the market over the past 30 days till 16 January 2017, rising 9.71% compared with the 3.01% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 81.49% as against Sensex's 2.72% decline.

The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 22.32 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

Asian Oilfield Services has received letter of award of contract from Oil India for 2D Seismic Data Acquisition in Manipur (Area-1) from the unappraised areas of North East India for an estimated contract value of Rs 142.86 crore. The company has acknowledged the receipt of this letter of award and has initiated the acceptance and execution of the same.

On a consolidated basis, Asian Oilfield Services reported net loss of Rs 11.12 crore in Q2 September 2016 as against net profit of Rs 4.09 crore in Q2 September 2015. Net sales declined 94.72% to Rs 3.09 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015.

Asian Oilfield Services is engaged in providing geophysical, drilling and well services to customers across the Indian sub-continent.

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Under ESOS

IDFC Bank announced that the Allotment and Share Transfer Committee of the Bank met on 17 January 2017 and allotted 686,720 fully paid up equity shares of Rs. 10 each to the employees in terms of IDFC Bank Employee Stock Option Scheme 2015 (IDFC Bank ESOS-2015) and pursuant to the resolution passed by the shareholders of the Bank at their meeting held on July 27, 2016. Further, IDFC Bank ESOS-2015 is in compliance with the SEBI (Share Based Employee Benefits) Regulations 2014. The total money realized by exercise of the aforesaid options is Rs. 34,088,894.

Post the aforesaid allotment, the Equity Share Capital of the Bank now stands at 3,396,569,645 equity shares of Rs. 10 each, aggregating to Rs. 33,965,696,450.

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Trading for the day started on a positive note as key benchmark indices edged higher in early trade after reports of a significant breakthrough on Goods & Services Tax (GST) front between the Centre and the states preparing ground for the rollout of the biggest tax reform from 1 July 2017. At 9:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 58.81 points or 0.22% at 27,346.98. The Nifty 50 index was up 21.35 points or 0.25% at 8,434.15. Domestic bourses continued to consolidate their recent gains.

The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.31%. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.38%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On the BSE, 1,060 shares rose and 345 shares declined. A total of 61 shares were unchanged.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reportedly said that in a significant breakthrough on Goods & Services Tax (GST) front, the Centre and the states reached a consensus on the contentious dual control issue preparing ground for the rollout of the biggest tax reform from 1 July 2017. The Centre would assess 50% of the assessees under Rs 1.5 crore annual turnover and the states the other 50%. As much as 90% of the assessees with less than Rs 1.5 crore annual turnover will come under the states and the balance 10% under the Centre, report added.

According to Jaitley, the whole process of preparing the draft laws and deciding the rate slabs will need time until March, which makes 1 July rollout a more realistic deadline than earlier 1 April.

Overseas, Asian stocks were mixed as US financial markets remained closed yesterday, 16 January 2017, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day crimping market activity.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will address speech on Brexit today, 17 January 2017. Investors will scrutinise May's speech for clues to whether she plans to prioritise immigration controls in a "hard Brexit" that some say could hurt UK's economy.

Back home, ITC (up 1.09%), SBI (up 0.84%) and NTPC (up 0.76%) were amongst the major gainers from the Sensex pack.

TCS rose 0.93% after the company announced a partnership with Aurus, Inc., a global leader in innovative payments technology, to deliver payment solutions for retailers using TCS OmniStore, a first of its kind unified store commerce platform. The omnichannel payment solution facilitates transactions across channels and delivers unmatched convenience and security to both end consumers and retailers.

Through this partnership with Aurus, retailers using TCS OmniStore will be able to easily process multiple payments across channels. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

HCL Technologies gained 0.49%. The company after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017, issued a clarification to the stock exchanges on a law suit filed against HCL America Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. CultureSphere Inc., a California based corporation, has made certain claims and allegations against HCL America Inc and has filed a suit against HCL America Inc in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

While the matter is sub-judice and the company will respect the legal outcome, the company, in the interest of its stakeholders, would like to clarify that the allegations in the lawsuit are totally baseless, and there have been no agreements written or unwritten between the parties, HCL Technologies said. The company added that it will defend its position accordingly.

Infosys rose 0.44% after the company announced its internal carbon price at $10.5 per ton of CO2e, at an event organized by the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) in Zurich. A significant milestone for Infosys, the price will be applicable for a period of two years and will represent the cost of decarbonizing 1 ton of CO2e.

Infosys has been working towards building a clean energy future and has been on track to meet its commitment of becoming carbon neutral in 2018. In addition, Infosys has also committed to reduce its per-capita electricity consumption by 50% from the 2008 level and use 100% renewable power for electricity by 2018. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

Reliance Industries (RIL) dropped 1.49% after announcing Q3 results. On a consolidated basis, the company's net profit rose 3.6% to Rs 7506 crore on 16.1% increase in turnover to Rs 84189 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015. Profit before depreciation, interest, and taxes (PBDIT) increased by 3.9% to Rs 14215 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015.

Profit before tax increased by 3.7% to Rs 10213 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015. Cash Profit increased by 2.3% to Rs 10586 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017. The result is as per Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS).

Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) rose 0.25% after the company said that it received in-principle approval for merger of Petronet CCK (PCCKL) with itself. PCCKL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BPCL. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

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Key benchmark indices extended losses and hit fresh intraday low in early afternoon trade, however, losses were small. At 12:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 76.24 points or 0.28% at 27,211.93. The Nifty 50 index was down 25.70 points or 0.31% at 8,387.10.

Trading was restricted within a tight range around the flat line so far. Early gains supported by reports of a significant breakthrough on Goods & Services Tax front between the Centre and the states amid mixed Asian cues, soon faded and key indices slipped into the red.

The BSE Mid-Cap index was down 0.06%. The decline in this index was lower than Sensex's drop in percentage terms. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.28%, outperforming the Sensex.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive. On the BSE, 1,222 shares rose and 1,197 shares declined. A total of 156 shares were unchanged.

Index heavyweight ITC rose 0.74% to Rs 250.65 on reports a foreign brokerage reiterated 'buy' call on the stock with a target price of Rs 290 a share after cigarette price hike. According to reports, ITC increased rates of two of its mid-market cigarettes by up to 15% in late December 2016.

Telecom stocks were mixed. Reliance Communications (RCom) (down 0.79%) and Idea Cellular (down 1.14%) declined. Bharti Airtel (up 0.09%) and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) (up 0.17%) gained.

Shares of Bharti Infratel fell 0.63%. Bharti Infratel is a provider of tower and related infrastructure and is a unit of Bharti Airtel.

Cement stocks were also mixed. ACC (down 0.97%) and Ambuja Cements (down 0.77%) declined. Shree Cement (up 1.6%) and UltraTech Cement (up 1.34%) gained.

Grasim Industries declined 0.12%. Grasim has exposure to the cement sector through its holding in UltraTech Cement.

Ester Industries rose 1.2% after the company announced its plans to invest Rs 50 crore to set up a research and development (R&D) and innovation complex at Gurgaon. This centre proposes to house 40 scientists/engineers who will be responsible for researching and developing breakthrough innovations, Ester Industries said. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

The company has also recently filed a new patent under PCT for a master batch to produce specialised polyester yarn, Ester Industries said. With this latest filing, the total patent tally becomes nine. The master batch is for a cationic dyeable yarn which offers value advantages both from a quality and cost perspective, the company said. The product offers deeper and darker colours at a far more competitive price, it said. This product has already been approved by some Indian entities and is believed to enjoy strong potential in China and Taiwan, it added.

Asian Oilfield Services rose 2.78% after the company said that it has received letter of award of contract from Oil India for 2D Seismic Data Acquisition in Manipur (Area-1) from the unappraised areas of North East India for an estimated contract value of Rs 142.86 crore.

The company has acknowledged the receipt of this letter of award and has initiated the acceptance and execution of the same. The announcement was made during trading hours today, 17 January 2017.

Crompton Greaves rose 0.31% after the company said that it has won a significant order of $105 million or around Rs 720 crore from PT PLN, the state-owned electricity company of Indonesia. The announcement was made during trading hours today, 17 January 2017.

The order encompasses manufacture and installation of power transformers ranging from 30 MVA, 70/20kV to 500 MVA, 500/150kv. CG's power transformers will be installed across PT PLN's transmission network, spread over multiple substations and power plants in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and the Papua islands of the Indonesian archipelago.

Shriram EPC rose 2.08% after the company said that a meeting of the board of directors is scheduled on 19 January 2017, to consider the issuance of shares in lieu of the working capital term loan to the corporate debt restructuring (CDR) lenders based on reconciliation with the bankers. The board will also consider issuance of shares upto Rs 35 crore to a private limited company on preferential basis. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reportedly said that in a significant breakthrough on Goods & Services Tax (GST) front, the Centre and the states reached a consensus on the contentious dual control issue preparing ground for the rollout of the biggest tax reform from 1 July 2017.

The Centre would assess 50% of the assessees under Rs 1.5 crore annual turnover and the states the other 50%. As much as 90% of the assessees with less than Rs 1.5 crore annual turnover will come under the states and the balance 10% under the Centre, report added. According to Jaitley, the whole process of preparing the draft laws and deciding the rate slabs will need time until March, which makes 1 July rollout a more realistic deadline than earlier 1 April.

Overseas, Asian stocks were mixed as US financial markets remained closed yesterday, 16 January 2017, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day crimping market activity.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will address speech on Brexit today, 17 January 2017. Investors will scrutinise May's speech for clues to whether she plans to prioritise immigration controls in a "hard Brexit" that some say could hurt UK's economy.

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Moody's Investors Service is maintaining its stable outlook on the global airline industry, reflecting the rating agency's expectations of declining but still-strong operating margins relative to the sector's historical levels.

Moody's projects the aggregate operating margin of rated airlines to approach 9% in 2017 and about 8% in 2018, from a projected 10.8% in 2016. This trend reflects declines in operating profit of the rated airlines of about 11% in 2017 and about 12% in 2018, widening from a projected 1.2% contraction in 2016. These rates of change fall within Moody's -20% to 20% range for a stable outlook.

"US carriers will still have the industry's highest operating margins, despite being on track to drop by about 20% over the next 12 to 18 months due to modestly higher fuel and increases in labor costs under new union contracts agreed to in 2016 at major airlines," says Moody's Vice President -- Senior Credit Officer Jonathan Root. "A mature domestic market, a more rational industry structure and modest exposure to weaker foreign currencies will help US carriers maintain that position."

Legacy carriers in Europe and in increasingly competitive developing markets, on the other hand, face greater challenges to grow their operating margins.

"Low-cost, low-fare carriers will advance their expansion across Europe and in long-haul, sustaining pressure on legacy operators," explains Root. "It will be much the same across Asia as well."

Passenger demand will continue to trend upwards, albeit slowly, supported by modest but steady global economic growth and increasing air travel in the developing world.

Aggregate capacity growth, however, will outstrip growth in aggregate demand by about half a percentage point due to the still relatively low cost of fuel, availability of older aircraft coming off leases and growth of low-cost carriers.

Capacity growth across geographic regions will vary, with the US growing in the low single digits, Europe in the mid-single digits, and, according to IATA, developing markets like Asia and the Middle East growing about 7.5% and 10.0%, respectively. Unrated airlines will lead capacity growth in Latin America in 2017, while rated carriers, LATAM Airlines Group S. A. (B1 stable) and Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S. A. (Caa3 negative), will slow capacity growth in 2017 as they continue to restructure operationally.

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Key benchmark indices languished in the negative terrain in mid-afternoon trade as lower opening of European stocks dampened sentiment. At 14:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 82.31 points or 0.3% at 27,205.86. The Nifty 50 index was down 25.80 points or 0.31% at 8,387. Profit booking emerged after last week's solid surge in indices.

Trading was restricted within a tight range around the flat line so far. Early gains supported by reports of a significant breakthrough on Goods & Services Tax front between the Centre and the states amid mixed Asian cues, soon faded and key indices slipped into the red. Indices later languished in the negative terrain sighting lower European stocks.

The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.03%. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.34%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was negative. On the BSE, 1,327 shares declined and 1,283 shares rose. A total of 169 shares were unchanged.

Most FMCG stocks gained on renewed buying. Tata Global Beverages (up 0.04%), Britannia Industries (up 0.97%), Jyothy Laboratories (up 0.92%), Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care (up 0.06%), Hindustan Unilever (HUL) (up 1.67%), GlaxoSmithkline Consumer Healthcare (up 0.81%), Godrej Consumer Products (up 0.76%), and Bajaj Corp (up 0.29%) gained. Nestle India (down 0.27%), Marico (down 0.89%), Dabur India (down 0.36%), and Colgate Palmolive India (down 0.61%) declined.

Shares of power generation and power distribution companies edged lower on profit booking after recent gains. Torrent Power (down 0.65%), GVK Power & Infrastructure (down 0.17%), NHPC (down 1.82%), Adani Power (down 0.28%), Power Grid Corporation of India (down 1.48%), and Reliance Power (down 1.47%) declined. NTPC (up 0.7%) and Reliance Infrastructure (up 0.1%) gained.

Meanwhile, there are expectations of sops for the power sector in the upcoming Budget 2017-18. The upcoming Budget may reportedly extend the 80 IA tax holiday, provide further impetus to renewable energy, particularly hydro projects, offer clarity on the applicability of GST, lower the cess on coal and possibly reduce corporate tax rates.

Tata Power Company (Tata Power) declined 0.19%. The company announced that its total generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources stands at 3,133 megawatts (MW), making it the largest renewable energy company in India. Taking a step further towards building a greener portfolio last year, the company revised its share of non-fossil fuel based capacity up to 35-40% by 2025.

The company is also in the process of implementing nearly 500 MW of renewable power projects at various locations. The announcement was made during market hours today, 17 January 2017.

Shares of state run coal mining major Coal India shed 1.88% to Rs 307.80. The stock hit high of Rs 315.25 and low of Rs 306.70 in intraday trade.

Cadila Healthcare rose 0.46% after the company announced that they have finalized an agreement with Kowa Company, Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. and Nissan Chemical Industries, to settle all outstanding patent litigation related to Livalo (pitavastatin calcium) tablets.

Under the terms of the agreement, Kowa and Nissan grants Zydus a license to market Zydus' generic version of Livalo beginning on 2 May 2023, or earlier under certain circumstances. Other terms of the settlement were not disclosed. The announcement was made during trading hours today, 17 January 2017.

K.P. Energy rose 4.04% after the company said that its board will meet on 28 January 2017, to consider bonus issue of shares. The announcement was made during trading hours today, 17 January 2017.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reportedly said that in a significant breakthrough on Goods & Services Tax (GST) front, the Centre and the states reached a consensus on the contentious dual control issue preparing ground for the rollout of the biggest tax reform from 1 July 2017.

The Centre would assess 50% of the assessees under Rs 1.5 crore annual turnover and the states the other 50%. As much as 90% of the assessees with less than Rs 1.5 crore annual turnover will come under the states and the balance 10% under the Centre, report added. According to Jaitley, the whole process of preparing the draft laws and deciding the rate slabs will need time until March, which makes 1 July rollout a more realistic deadline than earlier 1 April.

Overseas, European stocks edged lower ahead of British Prime Minister Theresa May's speech on Brexit today, 17 January 2017. Investors will scrutinise May's speech for clues to whether she plans to prioritise immigration controls in a "hard Brexit" that some say could hurt UK's economy.

Asian stocks were mixed as US financial markets remained closed yesterday, 16 January 2017, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day crimping market activity.

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Held on 17 January 2017

Creative Merchants announced that the Board of Directors in their Board Meeting held on 17 January 2017, have considered and resolved the following:

1. Shifting of Registered office from the State of Punjab to the State of Gujarat.

2. Approved Draft Notice of Postal Ballot for following business:

a) Shifting of Registered office from the State of Punjab to the State of Gujarat.

b) Confirmation of Appointment of Statutory Auditor under section 139(8) of Companies Act 2013.

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On a consolidated basis, Reliance Industries (RIL) net profit rose 3.6% to Rs 7506 crore on 16.1% increase in turnover to Rs 84189 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015. Profit before depreciation, interest, and taxes (PBDIT) increased by 3.9% to Rs 14215 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015. Profit Before Tax increased by 3.7% to Rs 10213 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015. Cash Profit increased by 2.3% to Rs 10586 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017. The result is as per Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS).

Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) said that it received in-principle approval for merger of Petronet CCK (PCCKL) with itself. PCCKL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BPCL. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

TCS announced a partnership with Aurus, Inc., a global leader in innovative payments technology, to deliver payment solutions for retailers using TCS OmniStore, a first of its kind unified store commerce platform. The omnichannel payment solution facilitates transactions across channels and delivers unmatched convenience and security to both end consumers and retailers. Through this partnership with Aurus, retailers using TCS OmniStore will be able to easily process multiple payments across channels. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

HCL Technologies after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017, issued a clarification to the stock exchanges on a law suit filed against HCL America Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. CultureSphere Inc., a California based corporation, has made certain claims and allegations against HCL America Inc and has filed a suit against HCL America Inc in Santa Clara County Superior Court. While the matter is sub-judice and the company will respect the legal outcome, the company, in the interest of its stakeholders, would like to clarify that the allegations in the lawsuit are totally baseless, and there have been no agreements written or unwritten between the parties, HCL Technologies said. The company added that it will defend its position accordingly.

Infosys announced its internal carbon price at $10.5 per ton of CO2e, at an event organized by the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) in Zurich. A significant milestone for Infosys, the price will be applicable for a period of two years and will represent the cost of decarbonizing 1 ton of CO2e. Infosys has been working towards building a clean energy future and has been on track to meet its commitment of becoming carbon neutral in 2018. In addition, Infosys has also committed to reduce its per-capita electricity consumption by 50% from the 2008 level and use 100% renewable power for electricity by 2018. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

Tata Global Beverages said that its board accorded an in principle approval for divesting its stake in its joint venture, Zhejiang Tata Tea Extraction Company, at an estimated enterprise value of Rs 33 crore, subject to necessary approvals. The transaction will also be subject to completion of negotiations, definitive agreements and satisfaction of conditions precedent. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

TeamLease Services said it signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% shares in Keystone Business Solutions, a company incorporated under Companies Act, 1956 through its wholly owned subsidiary, TeamLease Staffing Services. The proposed acquisition does not fall within related party transaction and the promoters of the company have no interest in the entity proposed to be acquired. The consideration involved in the transaction is Rs 8.2 crore payable in cash. Keystone Business Solutions was incorporated on 25 June 2009 which offers IT staffing solutions. It operates through its registered office situated in Bangalore, India. The indicative time period for completion of the acquisition is on or before 31 January 2017. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

Shriram EPC said it will hold a board meeting on 19 January 2017 for considering the issuance of shares in lieu of the working capital term loan to the corporate debt restructuring (CDR) lenders based on reconciliation with the bankers and considering & approving the issuance of shares upto Rs 35 crore to a private limited company, on preferential basis. Consequent to this, the board would also consider increasing the authorised share capital of the company. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

Delta Corp said it was issued a licence for operations of a casino in Gangtok, Sikkim, under the Sikkim Casino (Control &Tax) Act, 2002. The company is fully ready to commence its casino operations and will do so immediately. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

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Reliance Industries fell 1.65% to Rs 1,059.20 at 9:37 IST on BSE after consolidated net profit rose 3.6% to Rs 7506 crore on 16.1% increase in turnover to Rs 84189 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015.

The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017. The result is as per Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS).

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 73.25 points, or 0.27%, to 27,361.42.

On the BSE, so far 99,000 shares were traded in the counter, compared with average daily volumes of 1.90 lakh shares in the past two weeks. The stock had hit a high of Rs 1,074.70 and a low of Rs 1,055.10 so far during the day.

The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 1,128.90 on 26 September 2016. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 888.50 on 12 February 2016.

On a consolidated basis, Reliance Industries' (RIL) profit before depreciation, interest, and taxes (PBDIT) increased by 3.9% to Rs 14215 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015. Profit before tax increased by 3.7% to Rs 10213 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015. Cash profit increased by 2.3% to Rs 10586 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015.

Increase in revenue is primarily on account of increase in prices of refining and petrochemical products led by 13% increase in Brent crude prices. Turnover was also boosted by robust growth in retail business.

Other income rose 12.13% to Rs 2736 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015, primarily due to higher profit on sale of investments partially offset by lower interest income.

Revenue from the refining and marketing segment increased by 7.5% to Rs 61693 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015. Segment EBIT fell 4.3% to Rs 6194 crore ($912 million) in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015 on account of lower volumes and decline in GRMs.

On a standalone basis, GRM for Q3 December 2016 stood at $10.80 a bbl as against $11.5 a bbl in Q3 December 2015. RIL's GRM outperformed Singapore complex margins by $ 4.1 a bbl. RIL Jamnagar refineries processed 17.8 MMT in Q3 December 2016, marginally lower over Q2 September 2016. As at the end of the quarter, RIL operated 1,151 petroleum retail outlets in the country.

Outstanding debt as on 31 December 2016 was Rs 194381 crore ($28.6 billion) compared to Rs 180388 crore as on 31 March 2016.

Cash and cash equivalents as on 31 December 2016 were at Rs 76339 crore ($11.2 billion) compared to Rs 89966 crore as on 31 March 2016. These were in bank deposits, mutual funds, CDs and Government Bonds and other marketable securities.

Reliance Industries (RIL) is India's largest private sector company. RIL's activities span hydrocarbon exploration and production, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals, retail and telecommunications.

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Implementation of RERA discussed with States; Most of the States to notify rules soon

Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu urged the States and Union Territories to rise to the occasion and implement the Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act 2016 from the first of May this year, as proposed in the Act. He addressed a meeting of Chief Secretaries and senior officials of States and UTs convened by the Ministry of HUPA to discuss implementation of the Real Estate Act.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu said Real Estate Act is one of the most consumer friendly laws passed by the Parliament and States have no power to dilute its provisions. This law, which was widely welcomed and appreciated benefits both the buyers and sellers of real estate properties besides enhancing the credibility of the sector. There is lot of hope and expectation from this act by all the stakeholders. There are some media reports that some States have diluted some provisions of the Act in the Rules notified by them. States don't have such powers and I hope such reports are not true. Today, I want to make it clear that any compromise with the spirit of the Act will have serious implications including public outcry. Whoever does so will have to face the public outcry. I expect the States and UTs to rise to the occasion and ensure implementation of the Act from May this year as proposed in the Act by taking necessary measures in time.

Later, various aspects of the Real Estate Act were discussed in detail. Responding to the views and suggestions made, Dr.Nandita Chatterjee, Secretary(HUPA) clarified that no amendments to the Act would be considered at this stage since full implementation of the Act would begin only in May this year when Real Estate Regulatory Authorities and Appellate Tribunals would become functional.

Dr. Chatterjee also clarified that the minimum plot size of 500 sq.mt proposed in the Act for registration of projects with Regulatory Authorities was arrived at after several rounds of discussions by the Parliamentary Committees and in the Parliament and it can't be altered now. She said that the cut off date for the ongoing projects that have not received completion certificates for including under the purview of the Real Estate Act would be May first this year, from when the full Act comes into effect.

Regarding other issues raised by the States, the Ministry officials stated that necessary clarity for the purpose of implementation of the Act can be given in the Rules to be notified by the States/UTs, without violating the spirit of the Act. These include stilt parking to be used as garage.

Responding to the issue of excluding balconies from the definition of carpet area, it was explained that it posed no problems as costing could be accordingly informed to the buyers. Interim Regulatory Authorities have been proposed in the Act so that they could put in place necessary institutional mechanisms for full fledged Regulatory Authorities could become functional from the first of May this year, it was explained.

The Ministry has agreed to come out with a template for Website to be made operational for disclosure of a range of information about the projects as mandated under the Act. Any expenditure incurred by the promoters on development of land could be included as part of the cost of land, States were told.

During the review, it revealed that Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry would notify the Real Estate Rules next month.

Punjab and Uttarakhand have informed that the needful would be done after the elections to the State Assemblies.

Real Estate Rules have so far been notified for Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chandigarh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nager Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep.

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Early gains withered away as key benchmark indices trimmed initial gains and traded with tiny gains in morning trade. At 10:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 4.65 points or 0.02% at 27,292.82. The Nifty 50 index was up 3.50 points or 0.04% at 8,416.30.

After opening higher and adding on to initial gains supported by reports of a significant breakthrough on Goods & Services Tax front between the Centre and the states, key indices trimmed gains in morning trade.

Buying momentum continued in mid-cap and small-cap counters. The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.44%. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.59%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On the BSE, 1,313 shares rose and 666 shares declined. A total of 97 shares were unchanged.

IT stocks advanced in firm market. Tech Mahindra (up 1.53%), Oracle Financial Services Software (up 0.92%) and Wipro (up 0.79%) edged higher.

TCS rose 1.26% after the company announced a partnership with Aurus, Inc., a global leader in innovative payments technology, to deliver payment solutions for retailers using TCS OmniStore, a first of its kind unified store commerce platform. The omnichannel payment solution facilitates transactions across channels and delivers unmatched convenience and security to both end consumers and retailers.

Through this partnership with Aurus, retailers using TCS OmniStore will be able to easily process multiple payments across channels. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

HCL Technologies gained 0.82%. The company after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017, issued a clarification to the stock exchanges on a law suit filed against HCL America Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. CultureSphere Inc., a California based corporation, has made certain claims and allegations against HCL America Inc and has filed a suit against HCL America Inc in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

While the matter is sub-judice and the company will respect the legal outcome, the company, in the interest of its stakeholders, would like to clarify that the allegations in the lawsuit are totally baseless, and there have been no agreements written or unwritten between the parties, HCL Technologies said. The company added that it will defend its position accordingly.

Infosys rose 0.83% after the company announced its internal carbon price at $10.5 per ton of CO2e, at an event organized by the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) in Zurich. A significant milestone for Infosys, the price will be applicable for a period of two years and will represent the cost of decarbonizing 1 ton of CO2e.

Infosys has been working towards building a clean energy future and has been on track to meet its commitment of becoming carbon neutral in 2018. In addition, Infosys has also committed to reduce its per-capita electricity consumption by 50% from the 2008 level and use 100% renewable power for electricity by 2018. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 16 January 2017.

Most realty stocks rose on reports the government is looking to provide higher tax incentives on home loans to boost demand and prop up the faltering realty sector that has been further hit by demonetisation in the upcoming Budget 2017-18. DLF (up 1.23%), Sobha (up 0.7%), Unitech (up 0.66%), Godrej Properties (up 1.12%), and Oberoi Realty (up 1.7%) and Indiabulls Real Estate (up 0.57%) edged higher. D B Realty (down 0.87%) and Housing Development & Infrastructure (HDIL) (down 0.39%) declined.

Meanwhile, the real estate industry reportedly has high expectation from the upcoming budget 2016-17. Stakeholders are reportedly demanding that central government gives relaxation in income tax rate, provide clarity on GST, raise house rent allowance (HRA) deduction and announce policies to standardize construction materials in order to uplift the real estate industry. Realtors' apex body National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) demanded infrastructure status to housing.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reportedly said that in a significant breakthrough on Goods & Services Tax (GST) front, the Centre and the states reached a consensus on the contentious dual control issue preparing ground for the rollout of the biggest tax reform from 1 July 2017. The Centre would assess 50% of the assessees under Rs 1.5 crore annual turnover and the states the other 50%. As much as 90% of the assessees with less than Rs 1.5 crore annual turnover will come under the states and the balance 10% under the Centre, report added.

According to Jaitley, the whole process of preparing the draft laws and deciding the rate slabs will need time until March, which makes 1 July rollout a more realistic deadline than earlier 1 April.

Overseas, Asian stocks were mixed as US financial markets remained closed yesterday, 16 January 2017, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day crimping market activity.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will address speech on Brexit today, 17 January 2017. Investors will scrutinise May's speech for clues to whether she plans to prioritise immigration controls in a "hard Brexit" that some say could hurt UK's economy.

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World Sufi Music Festival 'Jahan-e-Khusrau', founded by filmmaker-poet Muzaffar Ali is back with its 13th edition after a two year hiatus and will commence on March 24.

The three day festival was formally launched on Tuesday at The Lodhi at a press conference with Karan Singh, Chairman Rumi Foundation, Muzaffar Ali, Secretary and Executive Director Rumi Foundation and Dinaz Madhukar, Senior Vice President DLF Luxury Retail & Hospitality.

The festival is held under the aegis of Rumi Foundation.

"The gap of two was basically... it was a natural realisation of the people you need support of the people for the festival, " Ali told IANS here.

"Sufi saints knew the true value of an egalitarian, inclusive world lead by a seamless love for the Lord. It's a message most relevant in today's world full of angst and strife. I am glad we can once again remember these Sufi saints and their enlightened view of life," he added.

The forthcoming festival is dedicated to Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar, patron saint of the Punjab and the Pir of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.

Indian artistes like Daler Mehndi, Satinder Sartaj, Sukhwinder Singh and Sonam Kalra amongst others will be here to perform alonwith artistes hailing from different countries including Pakistan.

"We are trying to get Pakistani artistes too for the festival. Let's see," Ali said.

The sufi music festival is being held in association with the Delhi Government and the Union Tourism and Culture Ministries, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and other sponsors.

The countries that have participated in the festival in the past include US, Canada, Germany, Italy, Morocco, Sudan, Egypt, Tunisia, Iran, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lawyers for two lower-level detainees from the wartime prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, are urgently asking a court to send them home before Trump takes office, specially after 10 such prisoners were released, media reports said.

Lawyers for the two men, who are on the transfer list but are set to be left behind, are trying to get their clients out through federal court orders on Monday, while President-elect Donald Trump has called for a halt to any more transfers, New York Times reported.

Though all these detainees were from a list of those approved for transfer, many after about 15 years of detention without trial, they remained stranded because they come from unstable countries.

Sufyian Barhoumi, hailing from Algeria and a Moroccan named Abdul Latif Nasir, both belong to countries that are deemed fit for repatriations.

Both were added to the transfer list last year by a parole-like board, but Secretary of Defense, Ashton B. Carter did not sign off on a repatriation arrangement for them by the deadline.

On Friday, however, lawyers for the two men filed an "emergency motion" before two judges in the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing that the judges should order their release without any delay, lest their clients be imprisoned for at least another four years "because of administrative delays in filing paperwork".

While Barhoumi's judge has ordered the government to respond to the motion by Tuesday, Nasir's judge has not yet responded to the motion.

If the Obama administration's Justice Department decides not to fight the requests and one or both judges do issue a transfer order, it will raise the question of whether the executive branch may carry out such a transfer without telling Congress and waiting 30 days first - by which time the Trump administration will have taken over.

--IANS

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A six-year-old boy was sodomised by three persons who worked in a yoga ashram here, police said, adding one accused has been arrested.

Police said the incident came to light on Saturday evening when a local person, who visited the ashram, found the boy crying.

"When he asked the boy why he was crying, the victim told him that he was sodomised by three persons identified as Mangal, Chandan and Amarjeet, who worked in the ashram at I.P. Estate," said a senior police officer.

The local person informed the Swami (in charge) of the ashram who had adopted the child three years ago from an orphanage.

The accused offered a chocolate to the boy and took him to a room in the absence of Swami. They also threatened the victim to kill him and the Swami if he disclosed the crime to anyone, the officer said.

The medical examination confirmed the sexual assault.

"Amarjeet was arrested on Monday evening, while two of his associates, Chandan and Mangal, are still on the run," the officer said.

--IANS

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A man was shot dead and another received bullet injury in his arm in a violent clash between villagers and police on Tuesday evening in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district as an ongoing protest against a proposed power grid project in the area intensified.

A number of policemen also sustained injuries during the clash in the district's Bhangar-II block.

Following the violence, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee assured the villagers that no land acquisition would be done without their consent and the proposed project would be relocated, if needed.

South 24 Parganas' Bhangar, known for its history of political violence, is on the boil since last week over "forced" acquisition of 16 acres of farmland -- spread over the villages of Khamarait, Machhi Bhanga, Tona and Padmapukur -- by the state government for the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL).

The area flared up when angry protestors fought a pitched battle with police when the latter tried to enter Padmapukur.

In the face of fierce resistance, police beat a retreat.

The injured protestor was rescued by the villagers and later taken to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The confrontation escalated on Tuesday afternoon when a huge police force, accompanied by a battalion of the Rapid Action Force, tried to enter the village.

Stones were pelted at the police vans from all directions injuring several police personnel.

The villagers torched a police van while two other police vehicles were pushed into a pond, police said.

In a tweet later, Banerjee said: "No land will be acquired if people don't want to give away land. Proposed power grid will be relocated, if required."

Food Procurement and Horticulture Minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah, who is also the local legislator, said he would have a word with Banerjee about the demand of the villagers. Mollah, who could not enter the spot, claimed "outsiders have entered the villages" .

"The CPI-ML Red Star and other Naxalite groups have been organising the protestors for quite some time. The CPI-M and the Congress are also behind the disturbances.

"I'll have a word with the Chief Minister about people's demand in Bhangar. I am against taking land from people forcefuly without proper compensation packages," he said.

"Outsiders have entered the village and they are misguiding the villagers. They were conducting meetings in these villages for a long time," he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, nearly 10,000 protestors gathered with sticks and rods and put up road blockades at various points using tree trunks to protest against alleged torture by police on Monday night.

The armed villagers surrounded the police personnel posted near the under-construction power grid and demanded that they leave the village. Police carried out a baton charge and fired teargas shells at the agitators to take control of the area.

The agitators also accused the RAF and the police of terrorising the villagers and breaking into their houses in the darkness of the night.

"The RAF and police are beating us mercilessly. They are trying to terrorise us. Even the women and children are not being spared. We will not tolerate this," said a resident of Machhi Bhanga village.

The anti-acquisition agitators demanded thatPower Minister Sovandeb Chatterjee should come to Bhangar and announce cancellation of the project.

"The government is saying the plan to build a power grid in our village has been dropped, but then why is the construction work still on? The Power Minister has to come here and announce cancellation," an agitator said.

However, on Tuesday afternoon, Chatterjee claimed he has already ordered a halt to the power grid work while also accusing "outsiders" of fuelling the violence.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India-Marxist State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra held Banerjee responsible for the disturbances. "The Chief Minister is solely responsible for the violence. She should consider whether she now has the moral right to continue in office".

--IANS

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Even as SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav is believed to be mulling his next move subsequent to the Election Commission (EC) declaring his son and UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as the party President, the latter has already called on his father twice since Monday evening.

Mulayam Singh was beaten on Monday in a battle of supremacy in the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) by his son, as the EC recognised Akhilesh Yadav as the National President of the party and allotted the party symbol of cycle to his faction.

Since the EC humbling, Mulayam Singh is said to be pondering his next move.

While there is no official word on the strategy in the mind of the 77-year-old patriarch, sources on Tuesday said the veteran politician has yet not made up his mind on whether to sit quiet or take the battle ahead by contesting against the Akhilesh camp in the state assembly election.

Aware that any such move could dent his credentials as well as the party's prospects in the election, Akhilesh met his father twice in a span of 12 hours, apparently to pacify him and ensure that he does not pit himself against the official party candidates.

The Samajwadi Party has forged an alliance with the Congress and any contest posed by Mulayam could have an adverse impact on its prospects.

Informed sources said that Mulayam, during both meetings, heard out his son but remained belligerent on the developments, thus making room for speculation that he could eventually throw his hat in the electoral ring.

It is, however, more or less confirmed that the Mulayam faction will not approach the court over the issue.

The former UP Chief Minister has also reportedly handed over a list of some four dozen party leaders loyal to him, whom he wants to be given tickets for the assembly seats of their choice. This is likely to become a bone of contention between father and son.
Baidu, China's largest internet search provider, on Tuesday announced the appointment of Qi Lu, Microsoft's former global executive vice president, as its President and Chief Operating Officer.

Lu, an expert in artificial intelligence, will be in charge of products, technology, sales, marketing and operations of one of the main Chinese internet firms, a company statement said.

He will work with the team headed by Baidu Chairman and Group CEO Robin Li, Efe news reported.

The new president of Baidu has over 40 patents registered in the US and has held various directors' posts in Yahoo and Microsoft.

"To achieve our goals, especially in artificial intelligence, which is a key strategic focus for the next decade, we will need to continue attracting the best global talent," said Li, calling Lu an authority on artificial intelligence.

Lu said he was excited to be part of Baidu's visionary artificial intelligence strategy.

--IANS

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Claiming that Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's correlating the party symbol 'hand' with religious figures was violative of the poll code of conduct, the BJP on Tuesday moved the EC seeking 'seizure' of the election symbol of Congress.

Ahead of the assembly polls to five states, including high-stake Uttar Pradesh, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation filed a complaint against Gandhi for his remarks made at the Congress' 'Jan Vedna Sammelan' in Delhi on January 11.

The delegation to the Election Commission (EC) was led by union ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Prakash Javadekar, while party's National General Secretary Arun Singh, among others, accompanied them.

"Rahul Gandhi's remarks are nothing but a conspiracy to communally vitiate the polls. By relating the party symbol with religious figures, he wants to tell the people that by voting for the Congress, they will vote for their religion," Naqvi told the media.

"This is nothing but seeking vote in the name of religion. This is not only a corrupt practice but also a gross violation of the model code of conduct. So, we have demanded strong action in this matter. The Congress symbol should be seized," he said.

Describing the Congress as a 'history-sheeter' in communal politics, Naqvi also took a jibe over the Congress entering into an alliance with the ruling Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

"Now that the Congress has aligned with the Samajwadi Party, their common minimum programme will be based on communalism, corruption and misgovernance," added Naqvi.

--IANS

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Canada will finally deport a former Tamil Tiger who raised funds for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Manickavasagam Suresh was sent by the LTTE to Canada in 1990 to serve as the coordinator of the World Tamil Movement to raise funds from the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora.

Canada's federal court has upheld his deportation because he was a member of a terrorist organisation which Ottawa had banned. The court held that he was complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Tamil Tigers ran notorious fund-raising operations in Canada in the 1990s, with the World Tamil Movement serving as their front. Their fund-raising operations sometimes amounted to extortion.

Suresh was arrested in 1995 and ordered to be deported to Sri Lanka. But his deportation was stopped by the Canadian Supreme Court on the grounds that he faced torture on his return to Sri Lanka.

But in 2008 when Canada banned the LTTE as a terrorist organisation, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada ordered his deportation in 2015 on the grounds that he was inadmissible in Canada because his membership of a terrorist organisation.

He appealed in the federal court of appeal against his deportation. But the court has now upheld the decision of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada to deport him to Sri Lanka.

Suresh will be the first high-profile former Tamil Tiger to return to Sri Lanka since the end of the ethnic conflict in 2009.

Canada is home to the largest Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora.

--IANS

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Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhemin will likely meet the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday.

The meet comes amid the thawing ties between the two countries after Duterte made an overture to China over the South China Sea dispute.

"Yes, he (Liu) is likely to meet the President (Duterte)," a Chinese government official told IANS.

Liu's visit comes after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Manila.

Manila and Beijing were locked in a bitter dispute over the South China Sea issue until Duterte took power last year and made an overture to China to settle the matter amicably.

He also visited China and met Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He also threatened the US -- a long-time ally -- of snapping military ties with it.

A year after China invaded Scarborough Shoal in 2012, Manila filed a case against Beijing at an international tribunal, challenging the latter's claims over the energy-rich South China Sea.

Last year, the court ruled in favour of the Philippines, rejecting Beijing's claims. China termed the ruling "legal."

--IANS

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The Congress party on Tuesday said it will contest the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in alliance with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party.

"The Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told media persons.

Azad said the nitty-gritty of the alliance, particularly seat sharing, was being worked out.

He declined to comment on the possibility of forming a Bihar-style Grand Alliance.

--IANS

and/rn

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The class X and XII examinations of students of the will be held between March 16 and April 21, an official said.

While the official schedule and time table is yet to be released, officials confirmed that the Election Commission has approved the dates, which were earlier deferred due to the state assembly polls.

The High School (Class X) examinations will go on for 15 days while the class XII (Intermediate) exams will be spread out in 25 days, the official informed IANS.

Chairman of the UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, Amarnath Verma said that details like timings etc. are being worked out and will be announced soon.

Generally these exams are held between February and March but this year due to the assembly polls had to be shifted to mid-March and would conclude in April. In fact, the Board had announced on December 8 last year the schedule of the examinations from February 16 to March 20 but the poll panel had put brakes on it and asked to defer it.

Nearly 26.24 lakh students are to appear for intermediate exam while 34.4 lakh students will take the high school exam. The total number of students appearing for the exam has however dwindled from previous years and has this year fallen short by 63,882.

The exams have been marred in the past by charges of mass copying and the Board this time is making arrangements to ensure minimum copying, an official said while informing that 31 districts have been declared 'sensitive' this time. These include Sambhal, Hardoi, Shahjahanpur, Moradabad, Gonda, Agra, Aligarh, Haters, Etah, Mainpuri, Firozabad, Azamgarh, Sultanpur, Bhadohi, Allahabad, Kanpur among others.
Not everyone can afford creations by top fashion designers. So, designers must come up with affordable lines as well, says Manish Malhotra, who has draped the global creme de la creme and is one of the most celebrated names in the Indian fashion world.

Malhotra, who has an eponymous label which he launched 11 years ago, says that for more people to be able to wear and buy creations by designers, it is important to create a line which is "a little more reachable".

"For more people to be able to buy... And if designers want to expand their business, they must come up with a line which is affordable, which is a little more reachable. That is the future," Malhotra, who was here to launch his virtual reality (VR) fashion show in collaboration with Etihad Airways, told IANS in an exclusive interview.

The 50-year-old says he too is considering the idea and says that it will happen "soon".

Talking about VR fashion shows as a platform, Malhotra says that it could "definitely" be "something for the future".

"VR is for people who are not there at a fashion week or at the show to not only view the show but to feel that they are a part of it. It could be a very good step for a designer or for a fashion house to send it to their esteemed clients and for them to feel that they were a part of it," Malhotra added.

In this UAE city, it is the abayas -- the loose over-garment, essentially a robe-like dress, worn by women -- that caught Malhotra's fancy here. He said he would like to pursue designing the garment seriously and give it a more innovative twist.

"I would really like to take designing abayas seriously, although I have designed them in the past. I'd like to design them more innovatively. They look beautiful and trendy now.

"They are keeping the culture here intact and yet getting so modern with fashion... That is fascinating. I love it when tradition and culture are intact and respected, and yet there is a new innovation to it," said Malhotra, who has designed ensembles for celebrities like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Reese Witherspoon.

With Banarasi weaves and Chanderi being fabrics highly promoted by the fashion industry in India, Malhotra says that he would like to promote quality cotton more with the summer season approaching.

"I would like to promote quality woven cotton, and try to make them more luxurious and softer. We are approaching summer and we would really like to work on it," he said.

Although Banarasi weaves have been heavily promoted in numerous fashion shows across India, there have been reports recently that Banarasi weavers have been commiting suicide, going jobless due to shortage of work -- a complete contrast to what is being portrayed.

"This goes to show the disparity between what is shown and what is there. There are a lot of designers who make a lot of noise about Banarasi weaves... Something that becomes a fad and doesn't have depth. I was recently there in December, meeting up the weavers and churning out more work.

"In fact, I am going to Varanasi again now... I think that it is very important to give them a lot more work and get a lot more fabric (from there)," Malhotra said, and urged designers to not just talk about providing work for the weavers, but to act upon their words.

(The writer's trip to Abu Dhabi was sponsored by Etihad Airways. Kishori Sud can be contacted atkishori.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Republic of Estonia on Tuesday launched an E-residency programme in India that will enable anyone sitting in the country to establish an Estonian company online within a day and administer it remotely.

E-residency is a transnational digital identity available to anyone in the world interested in administering a location-independent business online.

The programme has been launched in India in partnership with The AntiAlias -- a digital and creative studio specialising in user interface and user experience design and digital marketing. The programme is available to all businesses, start ups or freelancer based in the country.

"E-residency would be especially beneficial for companies which already have a base in Europe, but could save them time and money thanks to Estonia's business-friendly bureaucracy and tax environment", the Estonian government said in a statement.

The programme will also allow E-residents to manage accounting records and declare Estonian taxes online, digitally sign and transmit documents and contracts, have access to international payment service providers and conduct e-banking and remote money transfer, all this from India.

According to Shivam Sood, Co-Founder of AntiAlias, this is "a great opportunity for all entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes to have a global presence for their business."

--IANS

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Eugene A. Cernan, the commander of the Apollo 17 lunar-landing mission in 1972 and the last man to walk on the moon, died in Houston. He was 82.

His death was announced by NASA. His family confirmed the news in a statement, saying that the retired US Navy captain died on Monday following "ongoing health issues", reported CNN on Tuesday.

Cernan earned several distinctions in his 13 years with NASA. He was the second American to walk in space and one of three men to have flown twice to the moon.

But he's best remembered as commander of Apollo 17, the last mission to the moon in December of 1972.

Up until his death he was passionate about space exploration and hoped America's leaders would not let him remain the last man to walk on the moon, his family said.

In his last conversation with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Cernan spoke of his "lingering desire" to inspire America's youth to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics "and to dare to dream and explore," Nasa said.

"Gene's footprints remain on the moon, and his achievements are imprinted in our hearts and memories," Bolden said.

Cernan was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 14, 1934. He was one of 14 astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963 for the Apollo programme, created to send humans to the moon.

Cernan also participated in Gemini missions, NASA's second human spaceflight programme, developed to support subsequent Apollo missions.

On his first space flight, Cernan became the second American to walk in space during the Gemini IX mission in 1966, led by command pilot Thomas Stafford.

On his second sojourn in May 1969, he was pilot of Apollo 10's lunar module, the first comprehensive lunar-orbital qualification and verification flight test of an Apollo lunar module.

He made his third space flight as spacecraft commander of Apollo 17, the last scheduled manned mission to the moon, in December 1972.

The 1972 last mission to the moon established several firsts for manned spaceflight including: longest manned lunar landing flight (301 hours 51 minutes); longest lunar surface extravehicular activities (22 hours 6 minutes); largest lunar sample return (an estimated 115 kg (249 lbs.); and longest time in lunar orbit (147 hours 48 minutes).

Cernan retired from the Navy after 20 years in 1976 and ended his NASA career. He went into private business and served as television commentator for early fights of the space shuttle.

Cernan is survived by his wife, Jan Nanna Cernan, three daughters and nine grandchildren.

--IANS

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Leading media house Jagran Prakashan welcomes any move by the government to raise the foreign equity limit in print media to 49 per cent, but said in the given scenario, the industry does not need any additional capital from overseas, its CFO R.K. Agarwal has said.

He also told BTVi in an interview that the group proposes to go through buyback of shares for Jagran Prakashan and an initial public offer for its radio business by March this year.

"As far as the Industry goes, I do not think that it's (foreign equity in print media) going to change the landscape of the industry much. Till the media industry is adequately funded, it is not going to be commercially viable," Agarwal said.

"I do not see any player player who is not going for expansion plans for the want of capital. Yes it is going to improve valuations of the print media companies -- and that is for sure," the CFO added.

As regards buy-back of equity, he said: "It is already in proces. Tt should be completed by March 15 in case we get all statutory approvals. This is for the year, next year we will see. Jagran Prakashan continues to believe in it's policy of distributing surplus to shareholders."

The group has also filed a draft red herring prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for an initial public offer for its radio arm. "We are targeting to hit the market before March 31 that is for sure," he said, adding it depended on statutory approvals.

Agarwal also spoke of the impact of demonetisation on Jagran Prakashan.

"As far as margins are concerned Jagran is quiet competent to adjust itself to ground realities. If revenues were down, Jagran can adjust it's cost structure to give more or less same margins. So, on margin front I am not worried," he said.

"Yes, for top line growth, demonetisation has really badly impacted the third quarter, but still we would report some growth, maybe around 3-4 per cent. The last quarter is looking better at the back of elections," he added.

"But the total impact of demonetisation -- it is anybody's guess. Once some more time passes, one can really estimate what has happened."

--IANS

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French President Francois Hollande has that the European Union (EU) "does not need external advice" to tell it what it has to do, a media report said on Tuesday.

Hollande's remarks came on Monday in response to US President-elect Donald Trump's comments on topics such as the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

"Europe will always be ready to pursue trans-Atlantic cooperation, but it will base its decisions on its interests and values," Hollande said at a ceremony for outgoing US Ambassador to France Jane Hartley, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hollande also said that the NATO "will be obsolete only when threats have also become obsolete."

In the interview with The Times of London and German newspaper Bild published on Monday, Trump said the future of the EU is "very tough" and a Brexit would not have happened if people had not been forced to take in refugees.

Trump also said NATO was "obsolete because it was not taking care of terror," and he complained that various members of the bloc were not paying their dues, which was "very unfair to the US".

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the relations between India and US are witnessing expansion across the spectrum.

"With the United States, our actions have brought speed, substance and strength to the entire spectrum of economic, business, commercial, and security engagement," said Modi in his inaugural address at the second edition of the "Raisina Dialogue", India's flagship geo-political conference.

"In my conversation with President-elect Donald Trump, we agreed to keep building on these gains in our strategic partnership."

On January 20, Donald Trump will be sworn-in as the 45th President of the US.

--IANS

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The Delhi High Court on Tuesday deferred the hearing of a plea filed by NRI televangelist Zakir Naik challenging the government decision to ban his NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF).

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva posted the case for January 23. The court asked the central government to present the records relating to the imposition of the ban.

The court was hearing Naik's plea challenging the November 2016 notification of the Home Ministry that imposed an immediate ban on IRF for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The IRF told the court that the notification did not give sufficient reasons and materials for taking such a step and that the ban was imposed without giving any showcause notice.

--IANS

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Come January 20, one person besides US President-elect Donald Trump, who would don a new role, is his daughter Ivanka Trump, who is poised to play a crucial role in her father's administration.

Ivanka Trump has already stepped down from her post at the Trump Organisation, a media report said. She and her family have moved to DC's Kalorama district, the same neighbourhood that hosts the Obamas and Jeff Bezos.

Ivanka would fulfill traditional duties of presidential wives, while First Lady Melania Trump continues to live in New York City with her son Barron as he completes the school year.

The 35-year-old businesswoman officially announced her intent to move to Washington, DC with her husband Jared Kushner and their three kids as her father becomes President.

"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," Ivanka wrote on Facebook. "My husband, Jared, and I will be moving with our family to Washington, D.C., where Jared will serve as Senior Advisor to the President. I plan to take time to settle our three young children into their new home and schools."

The New York Times has already crowned her the most influential first daughter since Alice Roosevelt Longworth. And with Kushner being called the "president in-law," the two are set to become the most powerful couple in Washington.

With Ivanka poised to become one of the most influential -- and powerful -- first daughters in the US history, CNN quoted those closest to her describing her as smart, independent-minded and relentless.

The special report aired mere days before the inauguration, further said that like few others in the incoming president's orbit, Ivanka has her father's ear and his trust.

"She... has a great way of being able to, you know, talk to him," Ivanka's brother Don Jr. said in an interview with CNN. "He trusts her."

What Trump values most in his daughter, Eric Trump said, comes down to one word: "Loyalty."

So, although she may not have a formal position in the Trump administration and even may not be working in the White House, she is quietly laying the groundwork for an effort that could make her perhaps the best-connected policy advocate in Washington, Star Tribune reported.

Making it clear that she wanted to push for policies benefiting women and girls, she recently sought the advice of a group of female executives and media stars in New York City.

The transition aides have reached out to congressional staff on child care policies, an area she urged Trump to prioritise.

In a Facebook post detailing her next moves, Ivanka Trump thanked people who reached out on such issues and added that she was determining the "most impactful and appropriate ways for me to serve our country."

Meanwhile, dozens of protesters gathered outside Ivanka Trump's New York City home on Monday during a 'Help Ivanka Move' demonstration ahead of her move to Washington, DC.

Anti-Trump activists brought cardboard boxes representing what they wanted the future First Daughter to bring as she and husband Jared Kushner relocate close to the White House, where Jared will work as a senior adviser, Daily Mail reported.

Protesters urged Ivanka not to forget about Planned Parenthood, civil rights and climate change. One demonstrators had written on a sign: 'Dear Ivanka, please don't forget to pack human decency.'

Ivanka meanwhile seemed focused on enjoying a night out with her husband. She tweeted a photo of herself in Trump Tower Monday night, captioning it: 'Bright lights, big city' with the hashtag #datenight.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Announcing her decision to enter politics, late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa's niece J. Deepa on Tuesday said she wasn't sure whether she will join the AIADMK or float a new party.

Speaking to the media here, Deepa said there were two views on her political journey. "I need time to decide. Have to discuss with people. We have to get everybody's views."

Deepa said she would announce her next course of action on February 24, the birthday of her aunt Jayalalithaa, who died on December 5.

A graduate in English literature with a Masters in International Journalism at Cardiff University, Deepa also said she does not accept anybody other than AIADMK party founder, the late M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), and Jayalalithaa as her leader.

Deepa thanked her supporters and said she was not after Jayalaltihaaa's property.

A large crowd of AIADMK supporters gathered near Deepa's house shouting slogan in her favour. Banners in her support have come up all over the state.

The AIADMK said Deepa had made no attempt to join the AIADMK.

"Deepa has not made any attempt to joint the AIADMK all these days. The party has a procedure to become a member. Anybody can apply to become a member but the party's General Secretary decides whether an applicant can be admitted or not," party spokesman Avadi Kumar told IANS.

"If Deepa comes with a demand, then it may be an issue," Kumar added.

The AIADMK has two kinds of membership enrolment process - offline and online.

"Anybody can become a member by registering online. But such a member is not eligible to stand for election for party posts," Kumar said.

He said the party had temporarily stopped issuing new membership cards after Jayalalithaa's death.

He said with V.K. Sasikala becoming the General Secretary, the process of enrolling new members would soon resume.

He declined to comment on Deepa's admission, saying a decision would be taken by Sasikala.

"Anybody can float a new political party. But capturing power in the state by a third political party other than the AIADMK or DMK is not possible in Tamil Nadu," Kumar added.

Political analyst Sumanth Raman urged Deepa to float a new party.

"If she intends to enter politics, then I don't understand why she is delaying her next course of action. She has only one option... floating a new party," Raman told IANS.

Raman felt Sasikala would veto Deepa's entry into AIADMK.

"Why would Sasikala allow the creation of another power centre within the party?"

Ramu Manivannan, a professor of Political Science at the University of Madras, also told IANS that Deepa in the AIADMK would prove a visible challenger to Sasikala.

"If Deepa is admitted, there are possibilities of a power struggle between Deepa and Sasikala, a mini version of the Janaki Ramachandran vs Jayalalithaa fight that followed MGR's death," he said.

After MGR died in December 1987, the AIADMK split into two, with one faction supporting his widow Janaki and another Jayalalithaa. The party's two leaves symbol was frozen by the Election Commission.

Later, the two factions merged as Janaki realised that the party cadres and mass support lay with Jayalalithaa.

--IANS

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Actress Jennifer Lawrence is back at work in Hungary filming her new spy thriller "Red Sparrow".

The actress left New York for Budapest as shooting started for the film, which is being helmed by her "Hunger Games" director Francis Lawrence, reports dailymail.co.uk.

In the movie, Jennifer plays a Russian spy trying to seduce a rookie CIA operative.

She was spotted wearing a brunette wig under a black fur hat and was seen discussing something with the director.

The Oscar-winning actress was seen sitting in the back of a black SUV as she discussed the upcoming shoot. Her costume included a below-the-knee black skirt and knee-high black boots and a cropped black leather jacket.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kajal Aggarwal, who had previously worked with Tamil superstar Vijay in films such as "Thuppakki" and "Jilla", is all set to team up with him for the third time. She is really excited about the collaboration.

"2017 is going to be an exciting year. I have a (Tamil) film with Ajith, and I'm working with Vijay again. I have also teamed up with director Teja, who launched me, after a decade," Kajal, who is basking in the success of Telugu actioner "Khaidi No 150", told IANS.

She is thrilled about the success of "Khaidi No 150", which grossed over Rs 100 crore in just five days since its worldwide release.

"I didn't want to miss an opportunity to work with Chiranjeevi, and I'm glad it paid off. I couldn't have wished for a better start to the year," she said.

Asked about the experience of matching steps with the 61-year-old, who is known for his dancing prowess, Kajal added: "It was so much fun. The 'Ammudu let's do kummudu' song is a hit, and it was truly my 'Kajra re' moment to share the screen with both Chiranjeevi and his son Ram Charan."

"Khaidi No 150" marked her first-time collaboration with Chiranjeevi, who returned to face the arc lights after a decade.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Brazilian driver Felipe Massa has announced he will race again for Williams this year, just weeks after retiring from Formula One.

The 35-year-old has agreed to partner Canadian teenager Lance Stroll in 2017 after Valtteri Bottas' move to Mercedes, Williams announced on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.

"I always intended to race somewhere in 2017, but Williams is a team close to my heart and I have respect for everything it is trying to achieve," Massa said.

"Valtteri has a great opportunity, given the turn of events over the winter, and I wish him all the best at Mercedes. I certainly have not lost any of my enthusiasm for racing and I'm extremely motivated to be coming back to drive the FW40."

Valtteri's switch follows the shock retirement of Nico Rosberg in November, just days after he beat Lewis Hamilton to the world title.

After starting his Formula 1 career with Sauber, Massa spent eight years with Ferrari before joining Williams in 2014.

A veteran of 250 Grand Prix events, Massa has had 41 podium finishes and 11 victories.

Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams said: "Felipe has always been a much-loved member of the Williams family, and having the opportunity to work with him again is something we all look forward to.

"He was always going to race somewhere in 2017, as he has not lost that competitive spirit, and it was important that we had a strong replacement in order for us to let Valtteri go.

"Felipe re-joining us provides stability, experience and talent to help lead us forward. He is a great asset for us."

--IANS

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US President-elect Donald Trump does not make India-born CEO Satya Nadella nervous, and he is confident about the tech giant's place as a job creator.

"We're a US-based company that operates worldwide and our predominant employment is in the United States," Indian-American Nadella told CNNTech at the Digital Life Design tech conference in Munich on Monday.

"We've already created a tremendous amount of high-paying jobs in the US."

employs over 1,13,000 people worldwide, more than 64,000 of whom are in the US, mainly in Washington state, according to the company.

But Nadella said Trump's ascent to become the President has not changed the roadmap much for .

"If anything, we'll double down on what we've always done, which is be a US company that operates in the United States very responsibly, but also being a multinational company that contributes into every country that we work in."

In the wake of Trump's win in the November 8 election, are eager to play up the number of Americans they employ, CNN reported.

like Amazon have made very public announcements about the jobs they expect to add, with messaging that seems to be in direct response to the real-estate magnate's win.

Last month, the President-elect met with Nadella and 12 other technology titans in a bid to heal rifts and get them on board with his programme of creating more jobs and increasing investments in the US.

Trump, who had slammed the technology sector during his campaign for exporting jobs and manufacturing overseas, hailed them as an "amazing group of people", and promised them, "I am here to help you folks do well".
Trapani (Italy), Jan 17 (IANS/AKI) Thirty-eight migrants reached the western Sicilian port of Trapani on Tuesday after they were rescued from a shipwreck in the Mediterranean in which they claim nearly 200 people perished.

The migrants docked in Trapani aboard the private Norwegian rescue vessel Siem Pilot. A team of psychologists was on board the ship to counsel the migrants. Their nationalities were not stated.

Up to 180 migrants may have died in the shipwreck off Libya on Saturday, after spending several hours in the water in freezing conditions, according to the United Nations.

"We spend the night listening to the testimonies of survivors. Some 180 people are said to have drowned after frigid hours in the open sea," tweeted UN refugee agency UNHCR spokeswoman Carlotta Sami.

The migrant crossings show no sign of slowing down on the Mediterranean route despite freezing winter weather.

A total 2,876 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea this year till January 15, arriving mostly in Greece and Italy, the International Organisation for Migration said on Monday.

The arrivals compared with 23,664 through the first 14 days of January, 2016, IOM said.

There were an estimated 219 deaths from 1-15 January, against 91 during the first two weeks of 2015, IOM said.

The January toll to date is set to rise to at least 420 people if the alleged fatalities from Saturday's shipwreck off Libya and the deaths of 21 migrants including women and children reported missing off the Moroccan coast on Friday are confirmed, said IOM.

--IANS/AKI

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to divide the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' of India through demonetisation.

"We condemn the Prime Minister's statement, wherein he had said that post-demonetisation, the poor are enjoying a sound sleep while the rich are running around to buy sleeping pills. This is unexpected from a Prime Minister, as he was trying to divide the nation amongst the haves and the have-nots," Sangma told journalists here.

"It is uncalled for, unseen and unheard, and it is dangerous and unprecedented," he stated.

Sangma also accused that Modi had 'indirectly' helped the 'enemies of the nation' in regularising fake currency notes.

"Whether these banks had the wherewithal and were equipped to segregate the fake notes from the genuine ones during taking deposits of the demonetised currency notes?" the Chief Minister said.

"What I am trying to say is that with the amount of money that has been deposited, it means that Modiji has facilitated these fake notes, which were in circulation, into the banking system and regularised them," Sangma explained.

"These fake notes are of the enemies of the nation. Indirectly, he (Modi) has helped the enemies of the nation by legalising them through the demonetisation process," he added.

--IANS

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The Secretary-General of NATO was confident that the President-elect of the United States would remain committed to the Alliance after taking office, despite his recent criticism of the organisation.

On Sunday, Trump said in an interview with a German daily that NATO is "obsolete" and accused Chancellor Angela Merkel of committing a "catastrophic mistake" with her refugee policy to allow nearly 890,000 refugees into the country in 2015.

Spokesperson Oana Lungescu said that NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg was "absolutely sure that the next US administration (under Trump) would remain committed to NATO", Efe news reports.

In the interview, Trump said that he considered the 28-member Atlantic Alliance to be "very important", but he noted that it was designed decades ago and has not concerned itself specifically with fighting terrorism.

He also said that many members of the alliance do not invest the required percentage of their GDPs in defence.

"The countries aren't paying their fair share so we're supposed to protect countries," Trump said in the interview. "There's five countries that are paying what they're supposed to. Five. It's not much," adding that this was "unfair" to the US.Trump is due to take office on January 20.
Nepal has extended an invitation to new Indian Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat to visit the country in February, a Nepal Army spokesperson here said.

A cabinet meeting recently approved issuance of an invitation for the new Indian Army chief to Nepal which would possibly the first foreign visit by Gen Rawat after assuming office on December 31.

Nepal Army spokesperson Brig Gen Tara Bahadur Karki said the proposed visit of Gen Rawat has been approved recently and the itinerary of his visit would be made public soon.

The visit will come at a time when Nepal and China are holding their first-ever military exercise in Nepal.

The proposed military drill between Nepal and China, with the aim of counter-terrorism and disaster management, has raised eyebrows in strategic circle in New Delhi due to traditionally close military and strategic ties between Nepal and India.

During the visit, as per established practice, Gen. Rawat will be conferred with the rank of honorary General of the Nepal Army by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

A special function will be organised at the President's Office for the function where Gen Rawat, a Gurkha Regiment officer of the Indian Army, will be honoured for his "commendable military prowess and immeasurable contribution to fostering India's long standing and friendly ties with Nepal".

Nepal and India have a long-established tradition of conferring the rank of honorary General on each other's army chiefs.

During his visit, Gen. Rawat will hold meetings with his counterpart, Gen. Rajendra Chhetri, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Defence Minister Bal Krishna Khand, among others.

--IANS

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Following the arrest of one of its senior leaders by the Indian Army's Sikh Regiment, the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) on Tuesday questioned the government's seriousness over the ongoing Naga Framework Agreement.

The NSCN-IM -- which inked an agreement with the central government to end the six-decade-long conflict in 2015 -- also accused New Delhi of undermining the talks, especially when it is expecting a final solution.

"The NSCN--IM seriously takes note on the arrest of our senior leader Z.D. Bob, steering executive member, on the morning of January 16, 2017, when he was returning home along with his family members, including children and in-laws," said a statement issued by the NSCN-IM.

The NSCN-IM said that there is a need for the Indian Government to control its armed forces, make them behave and adhere to the agreed ceasefire ground rules.

Seeking the release of the arrested leader, the NSCN-IM said: "Long-awaited peaceful solutions should not be relegated to the back-burner due to such unmindful actions of Indian armed forces. Equally it is viewed as potential threat to peaceful environment between India and Nagas that in any eventuality the government should be held responsible for."

--IANS

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One more person died of swine flu in Hyderabad, taking the toll to nine since August 2016, a health official said.

A woman from th old city of Hyderabad, admitted to hospital a few days ago, died at the government-run Gandhi Hospital here.

This is the second death due to swine flu in 10 days.

Gandhi Hospital Superintendent Venkateshwar Reddy said four more persons with suspected symptoms of swine flu were undergoing treatment.

According to health officials, a total of 2,956 samples were tested from August 1, 2016 to January 16, 2017. Of these, 142 samples were found positive.

On Monday alone, 46 cases were tested and six out of them were found positive.

Doctors said people should take all precautions since the winter season might continue for another month.

The health department has advised people to approach the hospital at the first symptoms of swine flu like high fever, sneezing, cough and body ache.

It asked hospitals to isolate people having symptoms of swine flu and send their samples to the Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) here.

If patients are unwilling to get admitted to private hospitals, they have been asked to shift them to Gandhi Hospital, which is the nodal centre for swine flu for the entire state.

Officials said sufficient stock of medicines was available at all teaching hospitals, and district and area hospitals.

--IANS

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Actor James McAvoy, who will soon be seen in M. Night Shyamalan's directorial "Split", has described it as a privilege to work with a director with a distinct attitude and approach to storytelling.

"Split" will release in India on February 24.

"He's brave and bold for bucking the trend that says, in order to tell a good story, you must spend $200 million. Instead, he's clearing away all the interference so he can tell a real quality story," McAvoy said in a statement given by the makers of the film.

"It's a privilege to work with a director who has that attitude and approach when it comes to storytelling," he added.

"Split" also features actors Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley and Jessica Sula.

The thriller has been produced by Shyamalan, Jason Blum and Marc Bienstock.

During his time at New York University, Shyamalan took courses in which the subject of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) was discussed, and over the years, the filmmaker has remained fascinated by theories surrounding the diagnosis. With "Split", he takes that interest forward.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
About 250-300 students, staging a demonstration here to mark the first death anniversary of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, were on Tuesday detained when they blocked the crucial Janpath road in Connaught Place area of New Delhi, police said.

Following a protest call from JNU Students' Union, around 1,000 students from the JNU, Delhi University, and the Jamia Milia Islamia, among other universities, took out a rally from Mandi House, intending to go to Ministry of Human Resource Department (MHRD), only to be faced with elaborate barricading at Janpath.

The police corralled the students at the red light near Janpath Metro Station and ferried them in three buses to Parliament Street Police Station.

Rohith Vemula, a PhD scholar at Hyderabad University, committed suicide on this day last year. In his suicide letter, he accused the university administration of persecution and discrimination on the basis of caste.

Earlier in 2016, his fellowship was stopped as a disciplinary action following a dispute between him and ABVP members over the screening of a documentary 'Muzaffarnagar Abhi Baaki Hai'.

He was a member of Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) which held a screening of the documentary at the university campus. The ABVP members reportedly disrupted the screening and called it anti-Hindu.

The protesting students on Tuesday were demanding an enquiry into the suicide and termed it as an 'institutional murder'. They also demanded registering of cases against university Vice-Chancellor P Appa Rao for neglecting his duty and doing nothing to defuse tensions.

Scores of students were also arrested in Hyderabad when, defying ban orders, they tried to enter the University of Hyderabad campus to pay tribute to Rohith and take part in a meeting.
Police arrested Rohith Vemula's mother and a few students as protest rocked University of Hyderabad on Tuesday on the first death anniversary of the Dalit research scholar. Students staging demonstration in New Delhi were also detained by the police.

Radhika Vemula was arrested late in the evening soon after she addressed protesting students outside the main gate of the university as she was denied entry into the campus.

Tension prevailed at the main gate as police took Radhika and a few students into custody amid strong protest by dozens of pro-Rohith students.

During her speech, Radhika said she was facing a threat to her life from the central government. She alleged that during the last one year she and her other family members were harassed on false charges that they are not Dalits.

Earlier, police arrested scores of protestors as they tried to defy the ban orders and enter the campus to pay tributes to Rohith and take part in a meeting.

Activists of the Aam Admi Party (AAP), Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), Osmania University Joint Action Committee and other student groups were among those who gathered at the main gate.

Police erected barricades to stop outsiders from entering the campus.

Vijay Kumar, one of the friends of Rohith, said the police were trying to suppress a peaceful gathering.

The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, an umbrella grouping of student bodies demanding justice for Rohith, was holding a meeting in the campus to mark 'shahdath din' (martyrdom day).

The organisers invited Jaan Mohammed, brother of Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh over rumours of beef eating, Fathima Nafees, mother of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, suspended student and Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association leader Rahul Sonpimple.

The university had made it clear that there was no permission to hold any programme on the campus. However, defying the orders, a group of students gathered at 'Velivada' (Dalit ghetto) on the campus.

Holding pictures of Rohith and placards, they raised slogans demanding the arrest of Vice Chancellor P. Appa Rao and justice for Rohith.

Rohith Vemula, a PhD student, committed suicide by hanging himself in a hostel room on the campus in 2016 after alleged caste-based discrimination, triggering protests across India.

He resorted to the extreme step during a protest along with four other Dalit students over their suspension by the university following a clash with ABVP leader.

The Joint Action Committee is also seeking a legislation named after Rohith to curb caste-based discrimination on campuses.

About 250-300 students staging a demonstration to mark his death anniversary were detained when they blocked the crucial Janpath road in Connaught Place area of New Delhi.

Following a protest call from JNU Students' Union, around 1,000 students from the JNU, Delhi University, and the Jamia Milia Islamia, among other universities, took out a rally from Mandi House, intending to go to Ministry of Human Resource Department (MHRD), only to be faced with elaborate barricading at Janpath.

The police corralled the students at the red light near Janpath Metro Station and ferried them in three buses to Parliament Street Police Station.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Washington is "initiating a new arms race" by deploying large-scale troops to Europe, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

The US military build-up in Europe has "a powerful potential for destroying the entire architecture of European security ... threatening to trigger long-term destructive consequences in the Euro-Atlantic region," Zakharova said on Monday.

Washington is trying to impose a confrontational model of relations reminiscent of the Cold War, she added.

According to her, earlier this month the US transferred to Poland an armored brigade, consisting of about 4,000 troops and 2,500 combat hardware units.

Starting in January, 300 US marines will be deployed to a Norwegian base. In late March, a US air brigade is expected to be deployed to Germany, and a battalion tactical group will be deployed to Poland in April.
South Korean prosecutors independently investigating a corruption scandal involving impeached President Park Geun-hye will interrogate her in February, an official said on Tuesday.

Lee Kyu-chul, spokesman of the independent counsel team, said a face-to-face interrogation of Park could be conducted as late as the beginning of February, Xinhua news agency reported.

The prosecutors for the first time set the timing of investigation of Park, indicating its probe into the presidential scandal is getting to the point.

It remains to be seen whether Park would accept a formal request for interrogation, which the counsel team has yet to make.

Park had agreed to be quizzed by prosecutors before the launch of the probe, but she later rejected any face-to-face interrogation.

The impeached leader has been identified as a criminal accomplice to her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, who has been detained for meddling in state affairs behind the scenes and extorting money from conglomerates.

The independent counsel on Monday requested an arrest warrant for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong for multiple counts, including bribery.

Lee is accused of bribing Choi and her daughter in return for getting support from the national pension fund in the 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates to create a de-facto holding company.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Special CBI Court on Tuesday started the trial in the sensational Sheena Bora murder case by framing charges against her mother Indrani Mukerjea, and her two step-fathers - former media tycoon Peter Mukerjea and Kolkata-based businessman Sanjeev Khanna.

The trio has been charged with the murder, kidnapping, abetment to murder, hatching a conspiracy and other charges, of the 24-year-old Sheena, a former executive with Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd, on April 24, 2012.

The accused trio pleaded "not guilty" to the charges, and the matter was posted for next hearing on February 1 when the trial will start.

Special Public Prosecutor in the case, eminent criminal lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, said the minimum punishment in this case is life imprisonment and the next procedure for the prosecution would be to prove its charges against the accused.

Indrani and her ex-husband Khanna were arrested in August 2015 along with her former driver Shyamvar Rai, while Indrani's present husband Peter Mukerjea was nabbed in November that year.

The Mukerjea couple and Khanna have remained in police and CBI custody since their arrests.

In June 2016, Rai turned an approver in the case in return for a pardon by the CBI Special Court.

Later, he was understood to have provided valuable information pertaining to the grisly killing of Sheena to the CBI, which took over the probe from Mumbai Police in end-2015.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
About 250-300 students, staging a demonstration here commemorating the death anniversary of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, were on Tuesday detained when they blocked the crucial Janpath road in Connaught Place area of New Delhi, police said.

Following a protest call from JNU Students' Union, around 1,000 students from the JNU, Delhi University, and the Jamia Milia Islamia, among other universities, took out a rally from Mandi House, intending to go to Ministry of Human Resource Department (MHRD), only to be faced with elaborate barricading at Janpath.

The police corralled the students at the red light near Janpath Metro Station and ferried them in three buses to Parliament Street Police Station.

Rohith Vemula, a PhD scholar at Hyderabad University, committed suicide on this day last year. In his suicide letter, he accused the university administration of persecution and discrimination on the basis of caste.

Earlier in 2016, his fellowship was stopped as a disciplinary action following a dispute between him and ABVP members over the screening of a documentary 'Muzaffarnagar Abhi Baaki Hai'.

He was a member of Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) which held a screening of the documentary at the university campus. The ABVP members reportedly disrupted the screening and called it anti-Hindu.

The protesting students on Tuesday were demanding an enquiry into the suicide and termed it an 'institutional murder'. They also demanded registering of cases against university Vice Chancellor P. Appa Rao for neglecting his duty and doing nothing to defuse tensions.

--Ians

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Caspian tigers who met a grim end in the middle of the 20th century may roam again in Central Asia thanks to a subspecies that is nearly identical, genetically, to the extinct big cats, say researchers.

Some of the largest cats that ever lived -- up to 10 feet long and weighing more than 300 pounds -- Caspian tigers, until the mid-1960s, ranged from modern-day Turkey through much of Central Asia, including Iran and Iraq, to northwestern China.

"The territory of the Caspian tiger was vast. When they disappeared, the number of nations that hosted tiger populations was reduced by more than half," said Professor James Gibbs, conservation biologist and Director, Roosevelt Wild Life Station, at the College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse, New York.

The researchers say introducing tigers in a couple of locations in Kazakhstan won't make a widespread difference immediately but it would be an important first step.

"The idea of tiger reintroduction in Central Asia using the Amur tiger from the Russian Far East as an 'analog' species has been discussed for nearly 10 years," said Mikhail Paltsyn, an ESF doctoral candidate.

The team analysed scientific literature that revealed Caspian tigers once lived in an area about 800,000 to 900,000 square kms in size, mostly within isolated patches of riparian ecosystems (land along rivers or streams).

Generally, two or three tigers occupied an area that covered about 100 square kms.

The team identified about 7,000 square kms of suitable habitat.

Population models for animals that tigers typically prey on -- wild boar, Bukhara deer and roe deer -- suggest the area could support a population of between 64 and 98 tigers within 50 years if 40 to 55 tigers are introduced.

The Amur tiger is apparently the only subspecies that has significantly increased in number in the last 65 years.

Scientists estimate some 520 to 540 still live in the wild. Moving some of them from the Russian Far East to the Ili river delta could be enough to eventually establish a wild population in 50 years, and would not harm the Russian population, noted the study published in the journal Biological Conservation.

Tiger reintroduction has support from the Kazakhstan government and local communities because of potential economic benefit from wildlife tourism, small-business growth and employment opportunities at Ili-Balkhash Nature Reserve.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A woman called Ivanka from Brighton, UK, has found herself mistakenly identified as US President-elect Donald Trump's daughter on Twitter.

On Monday night, Trump took to Twitter to take a swipe at CNN ahead of the channel's profile of his daughter Ivanka, Mirror.co.uk reported.

"Considering it is CNN, can't imagine it will be great!" he wrote sarcastically.

He then retweeted some praise for Ivanka from a follower who said: "Ivanka Trump is great, a woman with real character and class."

But the follower had inadvertently tagged the profile of a woman called Ivanka from Brighton instead of Trump's daughter.

Ivanka Majic appears to work for Brighton and Hove Council in Adult Social Care, Mirror.co.uk reported.

Trump's message has been retweeted almost 4,000 times.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With Donald Trump set to be inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, will his presidency alter India-US-Australia trilateral relations?

It is an indisputable fact that the US is a vital strategic ally for Australia. The depth of the collaboration between the two Pacific-rim countries can be seen in various spheres like foreign policy and national security. Australian defence policy is basically driven by the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Alliance (ANZUS). The ties between the two English-speaking democracies have been so strong that Australia is often derided as the Deputy Sheriff of the US in the region.

All this could undergo a drastic makeover once Trump takes the presidency of undoubtedly the most powerful country on our planet. If the US significantly downgrades the alliance with Canberra, there is a likelihood that Australia could move over to seek similar ties with its largest trading partner, China.

If this happens, India's burgeoning diplomatic and trade ties with Australia could also come under severe strain. In a worst-case scenario, there is a possibility that a Trump presidency can negatively impact the supply of uranium by Australia to India. Similarly, various multilateral dialogues involving Australia, India and the US could also be scrapped or downgraded.

It would be relevant to mention here that the upswing in the Indo-Australian bilateral ties can be traced to the early 2000s when policymakers looking to maintain US dominance in Asia started considering India as a potential counter-weight to China.

If the leaked US diplomatic cables (published by WikiLeaks) are to be believed, the US cajoled Prime Minister John Howard to change Australia's hard stance on India. The push came after President George Bush and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee signed what is known as the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) agreement in 2004.

In March 2006, Howard signed six bilateral agreements in India, including a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation.

Foreign affairs experts believe that if pushed too hard by the US, Australia is likely to take a serious look at strengthening its relations with the Asian powerhouse China. There is already pressure from the Australian business community on Canberra to move away from the US-centric foreign, defence and trade policies.

Dhruva Jaishankar, a Fellow for Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution India Centre in New Delhi, recently commented: "...there is an evident tension between Australia's strategic establishment (largely confined to a bubble in Canberra) and the business community. For some, China's importance as a trade partner and immigration trends point to a recalibration of its international relations away from the United States and the West, and there are certainly some such pressures from Australian business."

These tensions would have exacerbated in the recent months as the President-elect unveiled his vision to "Make America Great Again".

The concerns over Donald Trump's threat to scarp the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal and the ANZUS continue to occupy a significant space in the public dialogue Down Under.

Trump's foreign policy can bury the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD) which was started as an informal strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia and India in 2007. It could also have a negative impact on the high-level trilateral dialogue between India, Japan and Australia.

The allies are definitely experiencing pangs of uncertainty about the global outlook Trump may have during the initial stage of his presidency.

In a video released after winning the contentious elections, Trump had expressed his intention to withdraw the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

"On trade, I am going to issue our notification of intent to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a potential disaster for our country," Trump had said. "Instead, we will negotiate fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back on to American shores."

Australian mandarins may have developed the jitters after Stephen Moore, Trump's senior economic adviser, dropped a bombshell when he told the BBC that dramatic tax cuts are the "single most important thing for our country right now". Australian business analysts are worried that such tax cuts would plunge the Australian economy into a crisis.

(Rekha Bhattacharjee is a veteran journalist based in Sydney. The views expressed are personal. She can be contacted at vijay@hotkey.net.au)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two persons were arrested in Bihar's Kishanganj district for smuggling of two Tokay Gecko lizards, highly in demand in international market for their supposed medicinal purposes, police said on Tuesday.

A joint team of state, railway and forest officials arrested the accused from Kishanganj railway station on Monday night when they were waiting to deliver the two lizards, a rare species.

"Both arrested men are from Assam and arrived in Kishanganj by train, and revealed during interrogation that they have been asked to deliver the two lizards to a local man in lieu of Rs 5 lakh," Sashastra Seema Bal officer Kumar Sundaram said.

He said the two lizards were handed over to district forest department.

According to forest officials, Tokay Geckos are found in the forest hills of north eastern states in India but catching them is a difficult task.

Hundreds of people are active in the northeastern states of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Assam to catch and trade these species of lizards, mostly to China, Indonesia, Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries for their purported medicinal qualities.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The President of Iran said his country would not accept a renegotiation of its nuclear agreement even if the President-elect of the United States demands one.

Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday said at a press conference here that renegotiating the deal with Donald Trump's incoming administration was out of the question, Efe news reports.

"We cannot reverse a deal whose signature required years of negotiations, article by article and word for word," Rouhani said.

He added that he believed Trump's critical views on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would not have much impact because it was not a bilateral agreement between Iran and the USA, but rather a multilateral one between several parties.

Trump has repeatedly lambasted the deal, while his appointee to lead the State Department, Rex Tillerson, said last week that the deal needed to undergo a "full review."

This stance heavily contradicts the views of the plan's other signatories, such as Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, who along with the US make up the P5+1 group.

The deal, signed in July 2015, led to a lifting of sanctions on the Asian country in exchange for limitations to its nuclear program.

Rouhani said that the lifting of sanctions "has proven Iran's success in the nuclear deal," citing the removal of sanctions against the oil, gas and transportation industries.

The Iranian leader described the JCPOA as a "political victory" for his country.

"We have told the world that Iranophobia was wrong, that Iran mustn't be feared, that Iran seeks peace for the region and that Iran doesn't deserve to be seen as a threat to international peace and security," Rouhani said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan was all praise for his "Kaabil" co-star Yami Gautam and said it was an enriching experience for him to work with her.

"She is not only a great actor but as a human being, she has the abundance of innocence and courage to be vulnerable," he said during an interaction with the media on "Kaabil" on Tuesday.

"As an actor, it is important to have the courage to be vulnerable because only then you can express your emotions," Hrithik said.

"She also agrees with the kind of thoughts I have for the characters and took it further. I am really honoured for the opportunity to work with an actor like her," he said.

"I believe she is going to go a long way. Maybe after 3-4 years, I will be saying I worked with her," the handsome actor complimented the "Sanam Re" actress.

"Kaabil" is a love story between two blind persons, played by Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautam, which turns into a revenge drama after a terrible tragedy which strikes their life.

Speaking of the chemistry, the 43-year-old Hrithik: "On the set, we are only the characters. We are so much respectful to each other that seep into our characters as well. While working we connected beautifully."

Directed by Sanjay Gupta, "Kaabil" is set to release on January 25, clashing with another big release, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Raees".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The editorial, Dangerous rhetoric (January 17), points out the governments intolerance of the criticism and suggestions of Opposition parties. The editorial is relevant because the economy is not registering inclusive growth as envisaged. Demonetisation and the subsequently inadequate and slow process of remonetisation have caused irreparable loss to the economy. People from all walks of life are still enduring the pain of demonetisation.
On Tuesday, some Punjab-based journalists tweeted that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Punjab unit chief Vijay Kumar Sampla had quit. Sampla, also a junior minister in the Narendra Modi government, was supposedly upset with the partys ticket distribution in the state and said that his wish was not honoured for one particular seat. Sampla was soon at BJP President Amit Shahs home in New Delhi and denied that he had offered to quit as the Punjab unit chief. However, all through the past week news had kept trickling in that all was not well among the senior party leadership over ticket allotment for Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Two senior leaders, who feel a sense of ownership for BJP units in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, had arguments with the partys top leadership after finding that some of their recommendations on ticket distribution were not taken into account.
Last week the Rs 2,500-crore HT Medias Hindustan Times shut down seven of its editions, including Kolkata, Bhopal and Ranchi. This is in addition to letting go of dozens of people and shutting down the business bureau of its flagship brand. Many newspapers are cutting print runs, reducing pages, holding recruitments and cutting non-essential expenditure.
If you are planning to buy a second-hand vehicle, heres a tip: Transfer the old policy in your name or buy a new one immediately. This is the first step you should take to ensure that the vehicle is covered. This can be done even if the vehicle is not transferred in your name. All you need is a proof  receipt from the regional transport office (RTO)  that your application for transfer of registration certificate is in process.
The process of filing nomination papers for the first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh (UP) for the 2017 assembly elections started on Tuesday.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav won the war for the Samajwadi Partys poll symbol, the bicycle after the Election Commission settled the dispute in his favour, rejecting the claims of party patriarch Mulayam Singh.
With his 180 days exile ending, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convenor will mark his return to Gujarat on Tuesday by addressing a rally in Himmatnagar.



The Patidar community members have organised a huge welcome with over 500 cars cavalcade at Ratanpur on the border of Patel's home state, while he will address a rally in Himmatnagar in the afternoon.
The Bharatiya Janata Party will rely on dynasts and turncoats in Uttarakhand, and on its Hindutva champions, legislators who had been booked for their alleged role in Muzaffarnagar communal riots of 2013, in Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP today announced 64 candidates in the 70-member Uttarakhand assembly, and 149 candidates for the seats going to polls in phase 1 and 2 of UP assembly polls.
In a development that may have deep ramifications on the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the Election Commission (EC) on Monday recognised the faction led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as the Samajwadi Party and allotted it the 'cycle' symbol.

Leaders like Lalu Prasad and Mamata Banerjee, who have expressed sympathy and support from Akhilesh Yadav in the family feud, expressed satisfied with the development, the Congress spoke of a possible alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP)-- a sentiment reciprocated by a vocal Samajwadi Party MP.

The EC decided in favour of the Akhilesh-led faction after hearing both parties through their lawyers for several hours on January 13.

"The Commission hereby holds that the group led by Shri Akhilesh Yadav is the Samajwadi Party and is entitled to use its name and its reserved symbol 'cycle'," it said.

Soon after the EC pronounced its verdict, Akhilesh went to meet father Mulayam Singh at his residence and sought his blessings. It was not known exactly what transpired in the father-son meeting.

The EC noted that while the Akhilesh faction submitted individual affidavits of the members of the legislature and organisational wings in support of its claim of the majority support, the Mulayam faction failed to provide any such affidavit despite repeated calls.

The Akhilesh faction claimed the support of -- and backed it with individual affidavits -- 205 (out of 228) MLAs, 56 (out of 68) MLCs, 15 (out of 24) MPs, 28 (out of 46) executive members and 4,400 (out of 5,731) convention delegates.

"On the other hand, Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav, with his reply dated January 9, 2017, did not file any affidavit (except his own affidavit) of any Member of Parliament or state legislature or of any delegate," the EC noted in its order.

"Nor did he (Mulayam Singh) make claim of any support among the aforesaid category of members for his group, in spite of the fact that he had been specifically directed to file all such affidavits in support of his claim," it added.

The EC said "a mere look at the figures given above" would suffice to conclude that "Akhilesh Yadav enjoys overwhelming majority support, both among legislators and organisational wing of the party".

In a related development, Congress's UP Chief Ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit said that she will step down if asked to.

"If I am asked to step down then I will do it... there can't be two chief ministerial candidates," Dikshit told reporters.

The Congress sentiment was reciprocated by Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Aggarwal who said that he supports his party forming an alliance with the Congress in the upcoming assembly elections.

Speaking to news channel Times Now, Aggarwal said: "This (alliance) is to be decided by the Chief Minister and I also support it."

Reacting to the development, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad advised SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav to bless his son and mend the broken bonds.

Advising both Mulayam and Akhilesh not to fight, he said that it's very important for them to unite to stop the "communal forces".

Banerjee congratulated Akhilesh Yadav, saying he "deserved" the Samajwadi Party's bicycle symbol.

"Congratulations @yadavakhilesh for getting SP symbol. You deserve it," the Trinamool Congress supremo tweeted.

The EC announcement triggered wild celebrations by Akhilesh supporters in Lucknow.

A beaming Ram Gopal Yadav, who led his faction's fight at the EC, told reporters: "This is a just decision. The Election Commission will get the blessings of crores of people of Uttar Pradesh."

The Samajwadi Party formally split on January 1 when Ram Gopal Yadav, as the party's General Secretary, called the convention of the party where Akhilesh Yadav was declared the party chief in place of his father Mulayam Singh.

Subsequently, both factions then petitioned the Election Commission to allot it the party symbol.
Congress party's chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday said that she will withdraw from CM candidature, if asked to.



Her statements come just when Congress leader and UP incharge, Ghulam Nabi Azad announced that Congress and SP will fight together in UP.



"Talks are on about SP-Congress alliance, it will benefit UP. I will do what high command decides,' Sheila Dikshit said.



"If I am asked to step down then I will do it... there can't be two chief ministerial candidates," Dikshit added.



Congress Party on Monday had said that they will not back off from forming an alliance with the SP if it reaps benefit for the people of Uttar Pradesh.



After Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was allotted the 'Bicycle' symbol by the Election Commission on Monday, Congress leader Sheila Dikshit congratulated him. It is good that the Election Commission has taken a decision on the issue," she said.



Nominations for the first phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh start in few days, but the Samajwadi Party is yet to finalise candidates.

Elections will be held in seven phases in Uttar Pradesh starting February 11, and nominations for the first phase begin on January 17. Votes will be counted on March 11.
Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly on Tuesday termed as "illegal" the latest session of the House that began on Tuesday, drawing censure from Speaker Ram Niwas Goel.

Gupta said by not inviting the new Lt Governor Anil Baijal to address the "first session of the year", the government has "violated and misused" rules. To which, Goel reprimanded Gupta for "dragging" the new LG who is "good and gentle".

The BJP MLA also questioned the intent of the government in stretching the fourth session of the Assembly over six segments. "It is contradictory that you are conducting monsoon session in winter," he said.

However, both Goel and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia rejected Gupta's charges.

This is the sixth segment of the ongoing fourth session of the Assembly.

During the fifth segment, in November last year, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had levelled allegations of corruption against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sisodia said the fact that the session was staggered was "indicative of a progressive House" that responds to people's grievances and does not meet to waste time.

"Inviting the LG would have been a violation as it is not a new session in a new calender year but a continuation of an ongoing one. I want to warn you against dragging the name of LG based on a misleading claims.

"We have a new LG who is a gentle and a good person and you have ended up dragging him also. This is an attempt to stall governance in Delhi," Goel said.

Earlier, the Speaker refused to give permission for a discussion on the "behaviour" of former LG Najeeb Jung.

The House began with obituary references to "people who had lost their lives due to the Union government's decision to withdraw Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes from circulation, recent rail accidents and boat tragedy in Patna".

Even in its last sitting, the members had paid a similar homage. Gupta and BJP MLA Jagdish Pradhan had walked out protesting against it.

Meanwhile, two minute silence was also observed in memory of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, former member of the Delhi Metropolitan Council Kulanand Bhartiya and former member of the Delhi Legislative Asssembly Hari Kishan.
A railway rake containing 2,281 Metric Tonne of High Speed Diesel (HSD) has been dispatched from Numaligarh Refinery Limited's Marketing Terminal in Siliguri to Parbatipur Depot of Bangladesh Petroleum.

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 in Bangladesh, a NRL press release said today.

Earlier, India and Bangladesh had entered into a new era of petroleum trade with a goodwill train flagged off by the Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on 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 a joint initiative for construction of a 131 km long pipeline, with a capacity of one Million Metric Ton Per Annum (MMTPA), from Siliguri to Parbatipur.

Prior to the construction of the pipeline, the rail rake mode of transportation of products from Siliguri to Parbatipur was an effective mode of transport with minimum loss and pollution, it said.

This interim supply would also help in developing business relation with Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, the release added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two activists of ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) were killed as their motor bike rammed against a stationary oil tanker at Aannlabanka Chowk on the Paradip-Daitary Expressway, about 10 KM from here, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Khageswar Swain (25) and Ajay Swain (42), natives of Despur village under Derabish police station jurisdiction.

Both of them died on the spot.

The victims after attending a rally in Kendrapara town for the filing of nomination papers for Zilla Parishad polls, were returning home when the accident took place, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two Darjeeling high schools girls, who acted as trafficking decoys leading to busting of a cross-border flesh trade ring and an 8-year-old Arunachal girl, who lost her life while rescuing friends in a river, are among those chosen for the National Bravery Award this year.

For displaying extraordinary valour, Tarh Peeju has been conferred the coveted Bharat Award posthumously while Tejasweeta Pradhan (18) and Shivani Gond (17) from West Bengal have been selected for the prestigious Geeta Chopra Award.

Tejasweeta and Shivani, both volunteers with a rights NGO, first befriended on Facebook a minor girl who had gone missing from Nepal, and who ultimately turned out to be a conduit in the trafficking ring.

"Since class 8 I have been a volunteer of Students Against Trafficking Club (SATC), run under MARG, an NGO which works for curbing trafficking. The NGO received a request to trace the missing girl and they wanted me to be part of a plan to bust the flesh trade racket. I and my parents were hesitant in the beginning, but we both decided to be onboard, as it was for a larger cause," Tejasweeta told reporters.

Shivani's brother Vishal Gond, who works for MARG (Mankind in Action for Rural Growth) said, "She agreed to be part of the plan to bust the ring, as worked out by the police and CBI and we (NGO) assisted them."



"As part of the plan, a fake account was created and we befriended the missing girl, who turned out to be a conduit in the trafficking ring. We then pretended to be Nepalese girls, seeking employment, and we were asked to meet the ring members at a hotel, somewhere on the Indo-Nepal border," Shivani said.

"Though there were police officials around, disguised in civilian clothes, we both were scared and terribly frightened. We were even shivering, as they took about four hours to arrive. Our back up plan was that if things went wrong, we would just run for our lives. But, we somehow did not lose our strength," Tejasweeta said.

"The ring was ultimately busted and the mastermind was arrested from Delhi last year. We are proud of the two girls. Society should not look at girls as a burden but as gifts. At least in Darjeeling, daughters are always welcomed on their birth," Tejasweeta's mother Kamlesh Rai Pradhan said.

Peeju, who died while rescuing two other children when they were swept away by the current in the Pachin River in Arunachal Pradesh, is among the four awardees to have been conferred the honour posthumously.

The Sanjay Chopra Award has been conferred on 18-year-old Sumit Mamgain of Uttarakhand for displaying outstanding bravery in fighting a leopard to save his cousin's life.

25 children -- 12 girls and 13 boys -- have been selected for the prestigious award, which they will receive from the Prime Minister on January 23 and thereafter participate in the Republic Day parade, officials said.

(REOPENS DEL22)



Among the posthumously awarded children include Payal Devi of Jammu and Kashmir, who lost her life when she jumped into 17-20 ft deep water in Ramban during the flash floods in the Valley to save three students, but all of them were washed away.

Besides, three children have been chosen for the Bapu Gaidhani Award. Roluahpuii (13) and H Lalhriatpuii (13), both hailing from Mizoram have been conferred this award posthumously. The third awardee is Tushar Verma (15) from Chhattisgarh.

In the general bravery award category, two Delhi siblings have also made their mark. Akshita Sharma (16) and Akshit Sharma (13) fearlessly confronted two miscreants, who had broken into their house, and helped capture one of them.

Praful Sharma, who hails from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh has been chosen for his prompt action and sense of duty that averted a major accident.

The incident occurred on December 13, 2015 when children of a school were on an educational tour and while returning from Dharamasala, they had a halt at Shiv Dwala.

"Some of the children had alighted from the bus. Later, one student started fiddling with the bus, in which the gear got shifted and the bus started moving in the rear direction. The student who had done so, jumped out of the bus and other children were panicking. I was sitting in the last row and so went to the front of the bus and applied the brake," Praful said.

Asked, how he learned to put a brake, he said, "I have seen my father doing it."



The President and several other dignitaries will host receptions in the honour of the chosen children.

The selection was made by high-powered committee comprising representatives of various ministries, departments, NGOs, as well as office-bearers of Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW).

Instituted in 1957, the awards are given annually to about 25 children for "meritorious acts of bravery against all odds."



In 1987-88, ICCW instituted the Bharat Award for an exceptionally outstanding meritorious and gallant deed. Geeta Chopra Award and Sanjay Chopra awards were instituted in 1978 memory of the teen siblings who were kidnapped and murdered in New Delhi, in what became known as the infamous 'Ranga Billa Case'.

The National Bravery Awardees receive a medal, certificate and cash.

"Since the inception of the scheme in 1957, the ICCW has given awards to 945 brave children -- 669 boys and 276 girls," officials said.
Three Muslim United Liberation



Tigers of Assam (MULTA) militants were apprehended by security forces in Assam's Kokrajhar district.

Acting on specific information, a joint team of the Army and Police launched an operation in Nayekgaon area of the district last night and apprehended the trio who were moving about in a suspicious manner, the Defence spokesman said here today.

The three apprehended have been identified as Zehrul Islam, Javed Ali and Ajit Ali, all residents of neighbouring Bongaigaon district.

The security forces also recovered seven rifles from the militants who were allegedly involved in extortion and arms dealing activities, the spokesman added.

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Thirty more countries have applied for joining the China-sponsored Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank in which India is the second largest shareholder, the Foreign Ministry here said today.

Apart from 57 founding members, 30 more countries have applied to join the Beijing-based bank, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters while highlighting the bank's achievements on its first year of operations.

"As an initiator China is very pleased to see the progress made by the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in the past year," she said, adding that the bank has emerged as an efficient and professional institution.

The AIIB was officially established late last year with 57 founding members and with authorised capital of USD 100 billion.

China is the largest shareholder with 26.6 per cent voting shares. India is the second largest shareholder with 7.5 per cent followed by Russia 5.93 per cent and Germany with 4.5 per cent.

The interest shown by more countries to join AIIB is a demonstration of high recognition of the international community in the efficiency and prospects of the bank, Chunying said.

The US and Japan, however, stayed away from joining the bank while Germany and most of the European countries joined it.

"China has committed to the multilateral procedures, rules on the one hand and push for standardisation of operations. On the other hand, we have advanced AIIB to be based on the real needs of the developing countries in Asia and improve its professional capacity to jointly promote the connectivity and make positive contribution to the global and regional property," she said.

Last June, the bank approved its first four loans, totalling USD 509 million to fund power, housing and transportation projects in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

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At least 600,000 people in Sri Lanka have been hit by the worst drought since 2006 in nearly 13 of the 25 districts, disaster management officials said today.

"They are hit by shortages of drinking water and damage to crop," Pradeep Kodippily, spokesman for the disaster management centre, said.

Most irrigation tanks in the island have run dry, the Irrigation Department said.

According to the Water authorities, restrictions have to be placed on the drinking water supplies.

The hydro powered electricity capability has also been affected.

The governmenthas requested that all air conditioners be set at 26 degrees in view of the electricity supply being affected by the drought.

The Meteorological Department said a temporary reprieve to the dry weather may happenfrom January20 with some showers expected to fall.

Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's office said that UN agencies - Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) - called on him yesterday to assure international assistance to extend drought relief.

Sirisena on Friday appointed a special task force with the participation of all related institutions to make preparations to face the severe drought prevailing in the country.

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Amid reports that Reliance Defence, Shapoorji Pallonji Group and the UK's Liberty House Group have shown interest in buying ABG Shipyard, the debt-ridden company today said it is in discussions with various firms which may be prospective investor.

"The company is in discussion with various parties which may be prospective investor. The discussions with them are at a very preliminary stage, only non-disclosure agreement has been entered with few of them," ABG Shipyard informed the BSE.

ABG Shipyard was replying in response to the clarifications sought from the bourses on a item which said that "ABG Shipyard gets three suitors, lenders want it out of debt recast. Reliance Defence, Shapoorji Pallonji Group and the UK's Liberty House have shown preliminary interest"



"The company has not received any expression of interest/concrete proposal from their side," ABG Shipyard further informed the bourses.

ABG Shipyard had earlier said that its board has decided to divest its subsidiary Western India Shipyard Ltd and will invite bids from prospective investors.

Incorporated in 1985, ABG Shipyard is the flagship company of ABG group with interests in shipping and cement sectors and manufactures ships and rigs across two facilities in Gujarat at Dahej and Surat.

It is one of the three private shipyards in India approved by the Indian Navy to build various types of naval vessels and has built 23 vessels for Indian defence sector.

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Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh will be on a four-day visit to Germany to participate in the 'Global Forum on Food and Agriculture' and also the G-20 agriculture ministers' meeting.

Singh will depart for Berlin tomorrow night and will first attend the 'Global Forum for Food and Agriculture' organised by the German government from January 19-21, an official statement said.

The forum will discuss on the subject 'Agriculture and Water - Key to Feeding the World' and is attended by agriculture ministers of 65 countries.

On the last day of his visit, Singh will attend the G-20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting, which will focus on the theme of 'Agriculture and Water- Digitalisation in the Agriculture Sector' and bring together ministers from the world's twenty biggest economies to discuss the way ahead for the global agricultural sector.

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The man suspected of fatally shooting five people and wounding six others at a Florida airport told investigators initially he was under government mind control and then claimed to be inspired by Islamic State websites and chatrooms, authorities said at a hearing today.

FBI Agent Michael Ferlazzo also confirmed that the 9mm Walther handgun used in the January 6 shooting rampage at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the same weapon Anchorage, Alaska, police seized and later returned to 26-year-old Esteban Santiago last year.

Ferlazzo testified at a bond hearing that Santiago mentioned after the shooting that his mind was under some kind of government control. Later in the interview he claimed to have been inspired by Islamic State-related chatrooms and websites, although it is not clear if the FBI has been able to corroborate any terror-related claims.

US Magistrate Judge Lurana Snow set a January 30 arraignment hearing for Santiago to enter a formal plea. Snow ordered Santiago kept in custody as a risk of flight and a danger to the community, which Assistant US Attorney Rick Del Toro said was clear from his actions at the airport.

"He has admitted to all of the facts with respect to the terrible and tragic events of January 6," Del Toro said. "These were vulnerable victims who he shot down methodically."



Santiago could get the death penalty if convicted of federal airport violence and firearms charges that resulted in death. His public defender, Robert Berube, said Santiago would not contest the pretrial detention order. "Mr Santiago is prepared to remain in custody," Berube said.

Investigators say Santiago legally brought a gun box containing his weapon and ammunition as checked luggage for his flight, then retrieved it at the Florida airport and went into a bathroom. After loading the gun, authorities say he came out firing randomly and then laid down on the floor after using all 15 bullets in two clips.

Much of the hearing focused on Ferlazzo's testimony about what Santiago said after the shooting and what records from Alaska reveal about him.

Ferlazzo said Santiago, an Iraq war veteran who was a member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard, visited a gun range late last year before booking the one-way ticket from Alaska to Fort Lauderdale. It was previously reported that Santiago visited the FBI office in Anchorage last year complaining about hearing voices and supposed CIA mind control, which led to Anchorage police temporarily seizing his gun and Santiago's brief stay in a mental hospital.

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The Central Information Commission on Tuesday directed the Central Board of Secondary Examination to allow inspection of class 10th and 12th school records of Union Minister Smriti Irani, rejecting CBSE's contention that it constituted "personal information".

The office of Union Minister of Textiles and the Holy Child Auxilium School, Delhi, from where she claimed to have passed out, have also been directed by the Commission to provide the roll number or reference number of Smriti Zubin Irani to CBSE, Ajmer, which possesses the records for the years 1991 and 1993 "to facilitate search from huge records which is yet to be digitised."



The Commission rejected the argument that the information was "personal information" and thus cannot be disclosed.

"The Commission directs the respondent authority, the CBSE, to facilitate inspection of relevant records and provide certified copies of documents selected by the appellant free of cost, except personal details in admit card and mark sheet, within 60 days from the date of receipt of this order," Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said in his order.

Acharyulu was recently divested of the charge of HRD ministry but retained by Chief Information Commission R K Mathur barely few days after he ordered inspection of BA records of Delhi University pertaining to 1978, the year in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi passed out.

Rejecting CBSE's argument that it was a personal information, Acharyulu said it is not correct to say that once a student passes an examination and qualifies to secure a certificate or degree, information about result will be his personal information.

"Disclosure of the details of a particular candidate contained in the degree or certificate register cannot cause any unwarranted invasion of privacy of the certificate holder," he said.

The Information Commissioner said if admit card contains personal information like address, contact number and email id, it is the personal information of the candidate and need not be given.

"The CPIO has not put forward any material or justification to say that such disclosure of academic qualification-related information shall cause unwarranted invasion of privacy of Smriti Irani in this case," he said.

Acharyulu said even in marks sheet, if any such information is incorporated, it could be denied.

"But result or contents of certificate, division acquired, year and number along with father's name cannot be treated as personal or third party information," he said.

Acharyulu said the academic institutions while awarding such academic qualification certificate for class 10th and 12th are discharging their statutory duties and registering the qualification details.

He said when a public representative declares his educational qualifications, the voter has a right to check up that declaration.

"Smriti Zubin Irani being an elected MP and holding the Constitutional office of the Union Minister, is a public authority under RTI act. Under the RPA, 1951 she must have fulfilled her statutory responsibility to submit an affidavit declaring educational status. The information to be furnished under a statute cannot be claimed to be given in fiduciary capacity," the Information Commissioner said.

In an exhaustive order, Acharyulu said if it is proved that elected public representative has given wrong information about their education, financial status and crimes, in the affidavits, it would invalidate the election which has observed by Supreme Court bench comprising of Justice Anil Dave and Justice L Nageshwar Rao.

"The RTI Act has provided right to access which is similar and supplementary to the voter's right to information about certificates and degrees of the contestants upheld by the Supreme Court and the Parliament in 2002," he said.

The Information Commissioner rejected the contention of that the information is yet to be digitised and they will have to divert resources to dig out information form voluminous records.

"The excuse of the practical difficulty in searching from huge volume of records for the year 1991 and 1993 to furnish the information sought...Is not valid. The PIO cannot make RTI applicant to wait until the digitization of 1991 records. They have to adhere to 30 days timeline as per RTI Act to provide information sought," he said.
A residential flat in Dubai, his ancestral Moti Bagh palace property in Patiala and gold jewellery and diamonds, were among assets worth Rs 48.29 crores declared today by Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh.

However, the value of assets declared by the 74-year-old former Punjab chief minister dropped by over 40 per cent as compared to that declared during 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Amarinder is pitted against former army chief General J J Singh from Patiala (urban) seat. He will also contest against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi seat.

He had declared total assets worth Rs 86.33 crores including that of his wife former union minister Preneet Kaur when he had successfully contested from Amritsar Lok Sabha seat during 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

In his affidavit filed before the Returning Officer in Patiala today, Amarinder declared his movable and immovable assets including assets of his wife worth Rs 6.09 crore and Rs 42.20 crore respectively.

Among immovable assets, Amarinder declared the market value of palatial new Moti Bagh palace spread over total 43.41 lakh square feet in Patiala at Rs 35 crore.

The former Lok Sabha MP also declared a residential flat in Dubai 'Goldcreet Views Jit' UAE at Rs 96 lakh which was bought in year 2008. During last declaration also in 2014, the market value of this flat was declared at Rs 96 lakh.

Among other immovable assets, Amarinder declared farm house at Shimla worth Rs 2.06 crore while he declared agricultural land at Haridwar, Kharar (Punjab), Himachal Pradesh.

Among movable assets, Amarinder as 'Karta' of Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) has declared Toyota Fortuner vehicle worth Rs 12.17 lakh while his wife is riding Toyota Innova worth Rs 4.05 lakh.

Amarinder owned gold jewellery studded with stones and diamonds (1,946 grams) worth Rs 32.86 lakh while his wife has gold jewellery and diamond (701 grams) worth Rs 35.70 lakh, as per the affidavit.

Amarinder has cash in hand of Rs 90,000 while his bank deposits were Rs 32.85 lakh while his spouse's bank deposits were worth Rs 1.58 crore.

He has also shown personal loan as a Karta worth Rs 1.43 crore while his investments in shares and bonds were at Rs 47.59 lakh.

The scion of erstwhile royal state of Patiala has shown his liabilities at Rs 7.54 lakh and as Karta of HUF at Rs 34.53 lakh.

He declared himself as politician in the affidavit with four cases pending in different courts. He declared his income to the tune of Rs 14.94 lakh for 2015-16.

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An Amazon worker has been fired after allegedly putting a note in a parcel for a Jewish mother in the UK that read "Greetings from Uncle Adolf".

The customer found the note in a package of toys for her niece.

The woman's friend Liran Meydat, was quoted by metro.Co.Uk as saying that, "When she told us about the note she was shaking -- she's a very gentle and humble lady. She does a lot for charity -- both Jewish and non-Jewish -- and helps all members of the community, that is why she took it very badly."



Liran said his friend "freaked out" when she discovered the note, which made an apparent reference to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, as she opened the parcel on December 22.

The note was found within the Amazon packaging but not within the product, leading Liran to believe it was placed in there by a member of Amazon staff.

Within 20 minutes of reporting the incident to the police, Liran claims officers attended and took the toy, packaging and note away for forensic testing.

"The Met took it very seriously, we're very happy about how they've handled it," Liran was quoted as saying.

An Amazon spokesman was quoted as saying, "We take this incident seriously and have apologised to the customer. We have investigated the matter and dismissed the individual involved."



A Metropolitan Police spokesman said, "Police were called to an address in NW1 at 19:21 hrs on 22 December 2016 to reports of an offence of malicious communications. This is being treated as a hate crime. No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue.

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Actor Andrew Garfield says for his role in "Silence" he wanted to get rid of the feeling of "self-glory".

In the Martin Scorsese-directed film the actor plays a Catholic missionary who, along with a fellow priest played by Adam Driver, sets out to Japan in search of their missing mentor (Liam Neeson), reported Female First.

"With 'Silence', there was longing. I wanted my ego to get beaten up. I wanted to get past this idea of self-glory, that limited perspective on life and what's meaningful.

"It was a wonderful journey to go on because it's the pulverisation of the ego and the cracking open of the small self to reveal the deeper self inside and to truly inhabit the world in a more mature way. I hope that some of that rubbed off," Garfield said.

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The National Green Tribunal today faced a piquant situation, prompting it to seek an answer to whether holding of religious and cultural events like the controversial cultural extravaganza organised last year by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living (AOL) can be prohibited by bringing it under the umbrella of the environment laws.

The NGT sought responses from the Centre and AAP government, as a supporter of the AoL event challenged the jurisdiction of the tribunal to decide the issue of damage to the floodplains of Yamuna caused by the holding of three-day cultural festival in March last year.

The move came days after the green panel directed an expert committee to quantify tentative cost of rejuvenating Yamuna riverbed, damaged due to the festival. The seven-member principal committee had said the AoL's World Culture Festival had "completely destroyed" the riverbed.

After some reluctance, a bench headed by NGT chief Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notices to AAP government, Delhi Development Authority, Art of Living (AoL) Foundation and Yamuna activist Manoj Misra while seeking their replies on whether it had the "scope and power" to decide the issue.

The plea moved by Prajanya Chowdhry, Anil Kapoor and Anand Mathur said cultural and religious rights form part of "Right To Live With Dignity" as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution and therefore cannot be banned or stopped.

Advocate Anirudh Sharma, who appeared for them, said the Constitution allowed individuals to hold events like World Culture Festival and participate and any restriction would deny them such rights.

The petitioners said the NGT, in its present composition, lacked jurisdiction to decide issues of fundamental rights and their width, scope and interpretation.

The petitioners, quoting several Articles of the Constitution, contended it was their right to organise and participate in events like Kumbh, Chhath and events like World Culture Festival subject to reasonable restriction and environmental concerns.

"It is most respectfully submitted that power and authority to interpret provisions of the Constitution only rests with Supreme Court or various High Courts. It is submitted that National Green Tribunal Act 2010 does not empower this tribunal with the writ jurisdiction power of the High Courts and thus NGT is not competent to interpret the Constitution read along with any other law in operation," the plea said.

Referring to the inspection report of the expert



committee on the impact of AOL's festival, the petition said the panel nowhere suggested that the pollution of Yamuna was due to religious or cultural interference.

"Hence, while ensuring that all events which are conducted on the river bed are conducted in the most eco- friendly manner, it also has to be considered that citizens of India are bestowed with cultural and religious rights and the balance between the two has to be ensured and none can be effaced...

"The same is also in public interest as cultural, traditional and religious beliefs help in preservation of rivers and environment rather than damaging it. Hence, the same is also part of environmental concern and management and poses legal and substantial questions with respect to environmental concern and management," it said.

The plea claimed that successful conduct of the festival had brought Yamuna "back into limelight without causing any ostensible pollution to the river".

"From ancient times all major cultural and religious events in various parts of India have had deep connection to the rivers and particularly unquestionably sacred rivers like Ganga and Yamuna which also includes Kumbh, Magh Mela have not been responsible as the dominant or primary source of pollution in rivers," it said.

It claimed the primary source of pollution in rivers was industrialisation, "Western lifestyle and dependency on machines".
Proactively From the Sea; an agent of change leveraging the littoral best practices for a paradigm breaking six-sigma best business case to synergize a consistent design in the global commons, rightsizing the core values supporting our mission statement via the 5-vector model through cultural diversity.
Father of 8-year-old Arunachal girl Tarh Peej, who has been conferred the National Bravery Award posthumously, today said former chief minister of the state Kalikho Pul had "promised" to dedicate a bridge after his daughter, but "nothing has happened" after his death.

"I am very proud of my daughter, who sacrificed her life as she saved two children while they were drowning in Pachin river last May.

"The then chief minister Kalikho Pul had visited our home and announced that my daughter would be immortalised by building a new bridge over the river and naming it after her. But, since his death, nothing has happened," Tarh Kama claimed.

Kama was interacting with reporters at the press conference held here on the National Bravery Award by the Indian Council of Child Welfare (ICCW), where the awardees were also present. The awards would be formally given by the Prime Minister on January 23.

Holding a portrait of his late daughter, he made an impassioned plea to the state government to "fulfill the promise" made by Pul.

Peeju, who died while rescuing two of her friends when they were swept away by the current in the Pachin River in Arunachal Pradesh, is among the four awardees to have been conferred the honour posthumously. She received the coveted 'Bharat Award'.

In 1987-88, ICCW instituted the 'Bharat Award' for an exceptionally outstanding, meritorious and gallant deed.

In August, Pul allegedly committed suicide, less than a month after the Supreme Court unseated him and reinstated his rival Nabam Tuki as the chief minister of the state, ending Pul's brief tenure as a chief minister.

"A few months after the death of my daughter, Pul also died," he said, while alleging, "the new government has not done anything in this regard."



Kama, who has two sons and another daughter, further claimed, "An ex gratia of Rs 7 lakh was to be given, which we haven't received. Free education up to graduation level was promised to one of my children, but no progress in that regard either.

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Asian Oilfield Services Ltd today said it has bagged a Rs 143-crore contract from state-owned Oil India Ltd (OIL) for shooting 2D seismic data in Manipur.

The Gurgaon-based firm provides geophysical, drilling and well services like 2D and 3D seismic data acquisition and basic seismic data processing.

"Asian Oilfield Services Ltd has received letter of award of contract from OIL for 2D seismic data acquisition in Manipur (Area-1) from the unappraised areas of North East India for an estimated contract value of Rs 142.86 crore," the company said in a stock exchange filing.

Last month, it had received a Rs 63.75 crore contract from OIL for 2D Seismic Data Acquisition in North Cachar Hills in the North East.

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The deep sea hunt for missing flight has been suspended, the Australian, Malaysian and Chinese governments said on Tuesday.

The Malaysia Airlines aircraft disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 passengers and crew.

The plane "has not been located" in the 120,000 square kilometre (46,000 square mile) search area of the southern Indian Ocean, a statement from the three nations said.

"To date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft. Accordingly, the underwater search for has been suspended.
West Bengal government will lay special emphasis on progress and welfare of girl students and those coming from economically weaker sections of the society, state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said.

"We will give special focus on girl students and those coming from the economically weaker sections (EWS). The government will also look into excellence in education as well as employability of the passing out students," he said at the 10th convocation of St Xavier's College here today.

Chatterjee said, "I will also request all the universities to undertake a review of their curricula and to take steps to meet today's requirements and also to interact with industrial houses."



Referring to St Xavier's, he said that the state government would provide support to it.

The college, he said, would remain affiliated to Calcutta University for some time after St Xavier's University starts functioning from July this year.

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The Supreme Court today rejected Akali Dal leader and former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur's plea for suspension of her conviction in the 2000 murder case of her daughter Harpreet Kaur to enable her contest the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab.

A bench, comprising Justices A K Goel and U U Lalit, refused to entertain the plea of Kaur by brushing aside the submission that she was only convicted on charge of conspiracy and not for murder.

Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Kaur, said the leader had been sentenced for five years by a trial court on the charge of conspiracy but not for murder. Suspension of the sentence will enable her to contest the polls, he contended.

He said the Punjab and Haryana High Court had already stayed the sentence and if the apex court stayed the conviction, then she can contest the polls.

While the sentence was stayed earlier, the high court bench had yesterday dismissed a similar plea by Kaur seeking stay on her conviction in the case.

Kaur's conviction with sentencing of more than two years period makes her ineligible to contest the election as per the Representation of People Act, 1951.

She is out on bail since November 2012 but her appeal against the special CBI court's sentence is still pending in the High Court.

On January 8, 2010, the apex court had directed the Sessions Court to expeditiously decide the case and complete it in six months.

In 2012, she was convicted for offences -- forcible abortion, wrongful confinement, abduction and criminal conspiracy.

The former Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) chief's daughter Harpreet had allegedly married a person against the wishes of her mother. Harpreet was found dead under mysterious circumstances.

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Outgoing US Vice President Joe Biden today met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Davos and they reaffirmed the importance of continuing open dialogue in order to maintain momentum in expanding practical cooperation.

"Both leaders reaffirmed the importance of continuing open dialogue in order to maintain momentum in expanding practical cooperation and constructively managing differences," the White House said here in a brief readout of the meeting.

This was the last meeting between the two leaders before the formal takeover of the US administration by Donald Trump on January 20 when he would be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

During the meeting, Biden commended the significant progress the two countries have made in advancing the US-China bilateral relationship, the White House said.

President Xi is in Davos to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting.

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Bihar government today decided not to renew the licence of Beer, Bottling plants and ENA (Extra Neutral Alcohol) manufacturing units, in the next financial year.

The state cabinet in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar approved a proposal of the Excise and Prohibition department in this regard, Principal Secretary Cabinet Coordination Department Brajesh Mehrotra said.

The cabinet decided not to renew the license of three Beer manufacturing units, 12 Bottling plants and six ENA making establishments in the 2017-18 fiscal.

Six units, manufacturing Ethanol, would continue to function, Mehrotra said adding, if the units whose license would not be renewed in the next fiscal, wish to manufacture non-alcoholic products in their existing establishments, they would be permitted.

The cabinet gave its nod to 32 other agendas of different departments at the meeting today, which was held at Rajgir in Nalanda district, about 100 km from Patna.

The experiment of holding cabinet meetings outside the state capital was started by Nitish Kumar after coming to power in 2005 and today's meeting at the International Convention Centre of Rajgir was fourth of its kind.

The cabinet also decided to hold the Budget session of the state Legislative Assembly and State Legislative Council from February 23 to March 31.

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BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP Nalin Kumar Kateel today warned the CPI-M that the Centre would intervene if BJP workers continued to be physically targeted in left-ruled Kerala and would face retaliation in other parts of the country as well.

"They (CPI-M) will come to know about the strength of the BJP in other parts of the country if they did not stop violence against the BJP workers in Kerala," Kateel said, addressing a meeting of the BJP Kerala state committee here.

Kateel, an MP from Karnataka, also said the Centre would intervene if BJP workers continued to be physically targeted in the state.

He alleged that the CPI(M)-ruled state was now known for political killings while other states in the country focused on development and economic growth.

The meeting, held here, discussed political violence allegedly unleashed by CPI(M) cadres against BJP workers in the state.

Party state president Kummanam Rajasekharan said BJP has emerged as a major force in the state and that was the reason why the party is "continuously targeted by both Congress-led UDF and LDF spearheaded by CPI-M."



He criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for using the platform of state youth festival being held in Kannur for reportedly politically attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"It is a feudal government which is ruling the state. Both the Prime Minister and the BJP are being targeted by those who failed to fight them ideologically.

"BJP has emerged as a major political force in the state. That is why the party is treated as number one enemy by two major political fronts--the LDF and UDF," Rajasekharan said.

BJP's former state presidents O Rajagopal, K V Sreedharan Master, C K Padmanabhan, P S Sreedharan Pillai, P K Krishnadas and V Muraleedharan were also present at the meeting, held as a prelude to the state council meeting tomorrow.

Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu would inaugurate the first state council meeting to be held after Rajasekharan took charge as the party's Kerala unit president.

As many as 1373 representatives would take part in the meeting.

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Brazilian police have cleared several dozen inmates from the roof of a prison where dozens were murdered over the weekend - the latest in a series of deadly cellblock uprisings.

The prisoners had clambered onto the roof of the Alcacuz penitentiary near the northeastern city of Natal.

An AFP video reporter filmed the inmates standing for hours with flags on the partly destroyed red tile roof before police chased them down.

Officers also fired rubber bullets at relatives who had crowded in front of the entrance to the prison, an AFP journalist saw.

A total of 26 prisoners were killed in Alcacuz - many of them beheaded, officials said yesterday - in a violent riot that broke out Saturday night.

The cells were not closed for the night because the bars on them had been ripped off in a previous riot in 2015 and not replaced.

On Sunday, police had stormed the prison and ended the uprising.

It was the third major massacre to hit Brazil's overcrowded jails this month, all of them thought to involve suspected drug gangs.

Officials said two rival gangs clashed in the overcrowded Natal jail.

Separately the state government said prisoners rioted early yesterday morning at another jail in the Raimundo Nonato prison, also in Natal.

No one was hurt or escaped in that riot, which was quelled by police, it said.

Gruesome violence at a prison in the northwestern city of Manaus killed about 60 inmates on January 1. Many prisoners were beheaded and mutilated.

A further 33 died in a riot in Roraima state on January 6.

The Natal massacre which erupted on Saturday raised fears that the wave of violence could spread across the country.

"Authorities are playing a dangerous game by underestimating the scale" of the crisis in the prison system, said Renata Neder, a human rights adviser to Amnesty International in Brazil.

The rights watchdog yesterday called for an independent inquiry into the killings.

President Michel Temer said on Twitter that the federal government stood ready to provide "all assistance necessary" to quell the prison unrest.

At Alcacuz, security forces surrounded the prison after violence broke out but had to wait until first light Sunday to storm the site with armored vehicles, officials said.

Prisoners had cut off the electricity and were said to have firearms.

The prison was built for a maximum of 620 inmates but currently houses 1,083, the state justice department said.

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Online education startup BYJU's today said it has acquired Bengaluru-based Vidyartha, a data-driven platform offering customised learning guidance to students, for an undisclosed amount.

"In line with its 'Personalised learning' focus, this acquisition strengthens BYJU'S efforts to create highly personalised learning experiences for the students using the application," a statement said.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Vidyartha started as a career guidance platform for students, which later started academic profiling of students by partnering with schools.

Now, it offers a full-fledged assessment platform and assesses interests, personality traits, aptitudes and skills of students to form a personalised learning plan (PLP) for them.

"As India's largest ed-tech company, we are constantly innovating to create highly personalised learning products and Vidyartha will supplement our efforts in doing so," BYJU's founder and CEO Byju Raveendran said.

BYJU's offers learning programs for students in classes 4-12 (K-12) and competitive exams like JEE, NEET, CAT, IAS, GRE and GMAT.

Launched in 2015, BYJU's has 3.3 lakh annual paid subscriptions and sees addition of 30,000 students every month. It is backed by investors, including IFC (World Bank Group member), Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) and Sequoia Capital.

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Cambodia has cancelled upcoming military exercises with the United States, the defence ministry said today, denying the decision was made to appease regional ally China, with which it conducted joint drills last month.

American and Cambodian troops had been due to take part in the annual "Angkor Sentinel" joint exercise this summer, which has been held for the past seven years.

But defence officials in Phnom Penh said the exercise had been halted because Cambodian troops were needed to carry out an ongoing drug crimes purge and prepare for upcoming local elections due to be held in June.

"We need forces to maintain security during the local elections in 2017. That's why we are suspending the exercise," Defense Ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat told AFP.

"It is not about Chinese influence," he added. "We have cooperation with both China and US as well as other countries."



Outgoing US President Barack Obama spent much of his eight years in office trying to forge closer alliances in Asia, part of his much-vaunted, but often distracted, pivot to the region.

It is unclear whether his successor Donald Trump will continue the policy.

Cambodia is one of Southeast Asia's staunchest China allies, with Beijing rewarding the government of strongman premier Hun Sen with lucrative business and defence deals.

Last month Cambodia hosted the "Golden Dragon" joint exercise with Chinese troops.

In October, Chinese president Xi Jinping visited Cambodia and promised hundreds of millions of dollars in aid, including military equipment.

In recent years Cambodia has become a thorn in the side for neighbouring nations hoping to present a unified front against China's island-building in contested waters.

The United States has also sparred with Beijing over the issue.

While his policies for Southeast Asia remain unclear, Trump has vowed in various tweets and speeches to take a more muscular approach towards China on trade and regional security.

A spokesperson at the US embassy in Phnom Penh did not respond to requests for comment.

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The Congress today accused the BJP-led NDA government at Centre of "diluting the integrity of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)" and making it vulnerable to corruption due to the demonetisation drive.

"Is the RBI Governor taking the decision or Prime Minister Narendra Modi? The manner in which RBI's Governor is acting poses a threat to the nation," Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said.

Speaking to newsmen after a meeting of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Party (MPCC) chaired by AICC coordinator in-charge Meghalaya Takam Sanjoy, Sangma said, "The integrity of RBI, which is crucial, has been diluted (by Modi)."



Sanjoy announced protest to gherao the RBI office here by Congress on Wednesday as a mark of voicing resentment against the "grossly mishandled" demonetisation move.

"The RBI is becoming more vulnerable to corruption, otherwise why would its officials be arrested?" he asked while referring to the recent arrest of RBI officials for their alleged involvement in conversion of demonetised currency.

Apart from RBI, the leaders commented that institutions like Income Tax department, banks and others will be more corrupted.

Institutions which were insulated earlier have also become vulnerable to corruption due to demonetisation, Sangma alleged, adding, "It is a dangerous thing for the nation as there will be more corruption in the days to come."



"Where is the question of fighting against corruption? The nation will only be in dangerous economic crisis," he asked.

Further accusing the Prime Minister of taking advantage



of the innocence, honesty and simplicity of the people of the nation, the CM said, "Because if we analyse his (Modi) whole rhetoric (then it becomes clear) that this measure (demonetisation) to fight corruption is not correct."



He added that the objective (of demonetisation) was not at all to fight against black money, corruption, terrorism and fake notes in circulation.

The Congress leader said the real question was how much fake money was deposited after November 8, 2016 into the banking system and were the banks equipped with the required wherewithal to segregate the genuine notes from the fake notes.

Sanjoy further said the people of the North East region have been worst hit by the "illogical" decision of the Prime Minister.

"Modi after assuming office of the Prime Minister two and a half year is still thinking that he is the chief minister of Gujarat and also India," the former MP said while also accusing the PM of trying to divide the country.

He claimed only the Congress party could unite the people of the nation, adding it will go to the people of the North East, including Meghalaya, and urge them to have a second thought.

Stating that the economy of the country has slowed down due to demonetisation, he said, "Prior to November 8, 2016, the GDP was anticipated to be at 8 per cent and today it has come down to 6.6 per cent after demonetisation. We are afraid that the GDP will further go down to not less than 5 per cent by end of this month,"



Apart from Meghalaya, nationwide protest will be held at 33 RBI offices across the country.
Chhattisgarh Congress today filed a petition in the high court demanding a SIT probe monitored by the court over alleged fixing of Antagarh bypolls in 2014.

State party president Bhupesh Baghel filed the petition contendingthat a "criminal conspiracy" was hatched and "money exchanged hands" to ensure BJP's victory in the Antagarh assembly byelection, petitioner's lawyer Satish Chandra Verma claimed.

Congress had fielded Manturam Pawar as candidate for bypoll in Antagarh (ST) seat in Kanker district in 2014.

Pawar withdrew his nomination a day ahead of the deadline without informing party leaders as a result of which BJP registered a thumping victory, the petition claimed.

After about a year, an audio tape containing telephonic talks purportedly between Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh's son-in-law Puneet Gupta, Congress leader Ajit Jogi and his son Amit (MLA from Marwahi seat) surfaced in December 2015, pointing at their alleged involvement in "fixing" the bypoll, the petition further claimed.

In the petition, Congress demanded that a fair investigation is needed over the alleged fixing and conspiracy to influence the bypoll so that truth is unveiled.

The party has sought a high level probe after setting up a High Court monitored special investigation team (SIT) as the matter involves high profile people including incumbent and former Chief Ministers and their son-in-law and son, Verma said.

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With a recent World Bank report ranking China 12th in the world in terms of total tax rate, a Chinese official has asserted that the country's macro tax burden was lower than the world average in the past few years.

Lou Jiwei, former finance minister and now head of the National Council for Social Security Fund, said the World Bank's micro methodology differed from common practices in terms of the scope of indicators and choices of data.

Lou said that using the World Bank's method to compare tax burdens among different countries did not make much sense, the state-run Xinhua agency reported.

The report jointly released late last year by the World Bank and accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers records taxes and mandatory contributions that a medium-size company must pay in a given year.

The report said China's total tax rate was 68 per cent in 2016, much higher than the world average of 40.6 per cent.

Lou said when comparing tax burdens among countries, a key figure was the macro tax burden rate, or the ratio of a country's tax revenue tonominal GDP.

In both 2014 and 2015, the macro tax burden in China stood at only around 30 per cent, lower than the world average, Lou said.

The Ministry of Finance said last month that more tax breaks and fewer administrative fees would be extended for businesses this year to lower costs for companies.

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China's militarisation of the South China Sea is "very troubling" and neither peaceful nor friendly, the Philippines' defence secretary said today.

President Rodrigo Duterte has sought to improve his nation's relations with China by adopting a non-confrontational approach over their competing claims in the strategically vital waters.

But, even as other senior government officials sought to downplay China's building of defence installations on artificial islands it has built in the sea, Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana issued a strongly worded statement.

"Notwithstanding the warming of relations between our countries, the Philippine government would be remiss in its duty to protect its national interest if it does not protest, question and seek clarification from China on the presence of weapons in the Spratlys," Lorenzana said in a statement.

"The actions of China in militarising those disputed features are very troubling. They do not square with the Chinese government's rhetoric that its purpose is peaceful and friendly."



Lorenzana released the statement hours before President Duterte was scheduled to meet with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin.

Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay had earlier said the Philippines had quietly sent a diplomatic note to Beijing last month over the reports of Chinese missile installations in the Spratlys, a South China Sea chain.

But he said this was done in a low-key way so as not to anger China.

The US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies released photos in December that it said showed China appeared to have built large anti-aircraft guns and other weapons systems at each of its seven outposts in the Spratlys.

China said after the images were released that the deployment of weapons in the South China Sea had "nothing to do with militarisation", and called the construction of defensive facilities "normal".

China claims most of the South China Sea, even waters and outcrops approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian neighbours.

An international tribunal last year ruled that China's claims over the sea over the sea, through which more than five trillion dollars in global shipping trade passes, had no legal basis.

Even though China is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, on which the case was based, it rejected the ruling.

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A Chinese and a Nepalese have been arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here for allegedly using fake travel documents and passport and illegally exchanging them to fly to each other's destination.

Officials said the incident was reported on January 15 when CISF personnel were alerted by a US-based flier about a passenger trying to fly to New York.

The CISF later found that the passenger exchanged his boarding pass inside a washroom in the terminal area with the other, and based on CCTV footage, they were intercepted and offloaded.

While one passenger got boarding pass to New York, the other got it for Mumbai, based on alleged fake travel documents and passport and later exchanged them, they said as they identified the Chinese national as W Pema and the Nepalese as W Tser.

"The two fliers were handed over to Delhi Police which arrested them. The police and immigration authorities are now probing if the case pertains to a human trafficking racket," an official said.

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CBSE has held in abeyance its circular mandating that selection panels for choosing heads of its affiliated schools will include a person nominated by the CBSE chairperson and a nominee of the state government.

Keeping in view the existing provisions in various state legislations on education, the CBSE circular dated December 21, 2016 has been kept in abeyance, restoring thereby the earlier provision of Affiliation Bye-laws in case of recruitment of the head of the school, the CBSE said in a statement today.

The Delhi government had yesterday asked private schools in the national capital to not follow the CBSE circular on appointment of principals. Board officials, however, said that the circular had been put in abeyance some days ago.

There is no question of collision between CBSE and the Department of Education, the CBSE statement said.

Earlier, following a Governing Body meeting yesterday, the CBSE has issued a circular to all schools as per which the bye-laws regarding recruitment of head of schools have been amended.

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A chairman-and-managing director (CMD) of a "sham" company Borg Energy India Pvt Ltd was arrested from Madurai for allegedly cheating a city-based private firm of over Rs 1 crore, police said.

The Hyderabad Police apprehended the accused Boaz Augustin who allegedly collected crores of rupees from different companies under the pretext of building a solar power project, said an official release today.

On June 23 last year, a complaint was received from K Narsi Reddy, managing director of Sushee Ventures Pvt Ltd located at Banjara Hills stating that Augustin approached them claiming they are largest solar power equipment manufacturing company and have installed over 1000 MW of solar power around the world, said the release.

The accused impressed the complainant and others by claiming that his company was a subsidiary of a US firm which is the largest solar power equipment manufacturing company in the world, it said.

He offered to finance and build a solar power project of 3 MW initially in a debt/equity ratio of 90:10 on payment of 10 per cent of the project cost, it said.

Sushee Ventures Private Limited paid Rs 90 lakhs. However, later the project was hiked to 23 MW after which the accused pressurised to pay Rs 48 lakhs more, said the release.

Under the threat of losing the project, they paid Rs 48 lakhs to the company. However, after receiving a total of Rs 1.38 crore the accused allegedly became non-committal about the project, said the release.

"The accused collected approximately Rs 80-100 crores as upfront advance from various companies and individuals from all over India," police said, adding, there are seven cases registered against the accused in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi.

"When Sushee Ventures made enquiries it came to know that it is a sham company and it had collected crores of rupees," said police.

The company thereafter sought return of the amount paid to the accused's firm and later lodged a complaint with Hyderabad Police.

During the course of investigation, the bank statements of complainant and accused companies, details of directors from the Registrar of the Companies pertaining to the company, call data records of the accused were collected, said police.

Various accounts of the accused to the tune of Rs 2 crore were freezed. With the help of clues on hand, the Cyber Crime sleuths traced the accused from Madurai and arrested him, the release added.

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Congress leader and industrialist Naveen Jindal, an accused in a coal block allocation scam case, was today allowed to extend his travel abroad by three more days for business purposes by a special court.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar, who had earlier permitted Jindal to visit the UK and Switzerland from January 16 to 23 while imposing certain conditions on him, allowed his plea for extension of the relief till January 26.

The plea also sought permission to travel the US which was allowed by the court.

Jindal has been asked to inform the investigating officer and the court about his arrival in India within seven days of his return mentioning the details of places visited by him.

"He shall not tamper with the evidence, nor try to influence any witness in any manner and will not use the permission granted to him contrary to the rules," the court said while imposing conditions.

Jindal was earlier granted bail by the court which had imposed several conditions, including that he will not leave the country without the court's nod.

Apart from Jindal, CBI had chargesheeted ex-minister of state for coal Dasari Narayan Rao, ex-Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, former coal secretary H C Gupta and 11 others in the case of alleged irregularities in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand to Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Private Ltd (GSIPL).

The other individual accused are -- Rajeev Jain, director of Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, Girish Kumar Suneja and Radha Krishna Saraf, GSIPL directors, K Ramakrishna Prasad, MD of Sowbhagya Media Ltd, and chartered accountant Gyan Swaroop Garg. All the accused are at present out on bail.

Besides the nine accused, five firms -- JSPL, Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, Gagan Infraenergy Ltd (formerly known as GSIPL), Sowbhagya Media Ltd and New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd -- are also accused in the case.

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Congress in Kerala today attacked CPI(M)-led LDF government for omitting Mahatma Gandhi's name from a circular urging its staff to observe martyrs day on January 30, the day the father of the nation was assassinated, and said it was an "insult" to the great leader.

Slamming the government, Opposition leader in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala said they were also following the foot steps of Narendra Modi government on "insulting" Gandhi.

"It was surprising to note that the name of Mahatama Gandhi was missing from the government circular urging its employees to observe two minutes silence on the martyrs day on January 30, the day the father of the nation was assassinated" Chennithala said.

He also alleged that there was "ulterior motive" behind this and demanded the government to correct the mistake.

The Congress leader wanted the government to take stern action against those who were responsible for issuing such a circular.

The BJP-led central government had been under attack for replacing the image of Mahatma Gandhi with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the calender and diary of Khadi and Village Industries Commission.

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Terry Olsen of the Olsen Law Firm met with the directors of the Taiwan Logistics Management Association, Taiwan Association of Young Entrepreneurs, and Taiwan Foreign Affairs Ministry at the end of December and early January in Taipei, Taiwan. The meetings focused on the international investment environment of Tennesseealong with its export market.

At the end of trip, Mr. Olsen spoke at the National Taiwan University for the International Business Department & Executive MBA Association regarding President-Elect Trump, trade, and international relations.

As a result of the trip, a possible delegation of three to five entrepreneur representatives may come to Chattanooga and Nashville for one week in April in order to explore the investment, logistics, exports, and business start-up possibilities that Tennessee can offer to Taiwanese entrepreneurs.



Mr. Olsen will be returning to Taiwan sometime in May in order to provide speeches on international start-up investment and business immigration.
The Congress today staged demonstrations across Madhya Pradesh protesting cane charge on their state chief Arun Yadav, which left him injured, and sought punishment for those responsible for the "attack".

At Bhopal, Congressmen stormed into Habibganj Police Station and mounted pressure on police to book their colleague who during a protest yesterday allegedly inflicted a head injury on Yadav who is now undergoing treatment at a private hospital here.

"After entering police station we staged a massive protest," Congress leader Yogendra Singh Chauhan said.

Habibganj City Superintendent of Police (CSP) C M Dwivedi said a Congress delegation has handed over a complaint to us. "We are going through it," he added.

In front of Congress state headquarters - Indira Bhawan, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's effigy was also burnt.

Addressing the protesters, Congress Mahila Morcha (women wing) chief Shobha Oza blasted the state government and said the "attack on Yadav was a move to throttle the voice of the Opposition."



A delegation of senior Congress leaders including former leader of Oppostion Ajay Singh, MLA Sachin Yadav and Bupendra Gupta met Director General of Police (DGP) Rishi Kumar Shukla and handed over a memorandum seeking action against policemen for injuring Yadav.

Congress has launched a state wide protest following the canecharge on Yadav, who among others was yesterday leading a march to Chouhan's residence seeking the resignation of MoS for MSME, Sanjay Pathak over his alleged involvement in Rs 500 crore money laundering case in Katni district.

"Our protest is going to continue," Gupta added.

Yesterday, police cane-charged Congressmen after they allegedly pelted stones on law enforcers when they were allegedly stopped from heading towards the CM house.

Apart from Yadav, NSUI chief Amrita Dhawan and some party workers were injured when police baton-charged them during the protest, which was organised by NSUI, the students wing of Congress.

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Even as BJP is playing hardball with Shiv Sena by setting "transparency" as the main condition for tie-up for BMC polls, the Congress today sought to drive a wedge, saying Sena is in such a "pitiable" condition that it has allowed itself to be labelled as "corrupt" by the ruling party.

The Congress' dig came a day after the ruling allies--BJP and Sena--resumed their seat-sharing talks for the February 21 elections to the 227-ward Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

Sena has been a major alliance partner in the country's richest civic body, which it has been ruling with the BJP for over 22 years.

"Does Sena-BJP think that people are fools?" Congress spokesman Sachin Sawant asked while talking to PTI.

Sharpening its attack on the Sena in run-up to polls, the BJP has been accusing the Uddhav Thackeray-led party of indulging in corruption in the civic body.

BJP MP Kirit Somaiya had even insinuated that top Sena leadership was associated with a mafia raaj in the municipal corporation.

"Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has demanded transparent administration as the agenda for alliance and virtually admitted that there was no transparency in the civic body for the last two decades. Now, the BJP is holding alliance talks with the same party it calls corrupt. There can be no shameful approach than this," Sawant said.

He said Sena is in a "pitiable" position as it is allowing itself to be called corrupt.

"It is in such a poor state that the party (Sena) has to hold the alliance talks with the BJP. People will show them their place in the elections," the Congress leader said.

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Hitting out at the Centre for its "failure" to restore money supply post-demonetisation, the Congress said that it will gherao Reserve Bank of India here and 25 of its offices across the country tomorrow.

The gherao will be lead by senior party leaders, including AICC General Secretaries, CWC Members, PCC Presidents and CLP leaders, a party statement said.

Deputy leader of the party in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma will lead the protest in Delhi, while party's chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala will do the same at the RBI headquarters in Mumbai.

Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) chief N Sanjiva Reddy will lead the protests in Kolkata, while former Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde would do so in Ahmedabad, the statement said.

A decision in the matter was taken by the party at the 'Jan Vedna Sammelan' presided by party Vice President Rahul Gandhi here last week.

In a statement, Surjrwala attacked the government for not lifting the weekly withdrawal restrictions of Rs 24,000.

"70 days have passed. The decision of the Modi government and RBI to not lift the weekly withdrawal restrictions of Rs 24,000 is a treachery with people of India," he said.

He insisted that "failure" to restore money supply has paralysed the economy leading to "massive loss of jobs and closure of businesses on an everyday basis".

The Reserve Bank had yesterday doubled the daily ATM withdrawal limit to Rs 10,000 but retained the weekly ceiling at Rs 24,000 which bankers feel will be gradually relaxed.

The Congress leader also criticised the central bank for not living upto its stature and "merely following the diktats of the Central government like a captive puppet."



"RBI, instead of playing the role of an independent monetary regulator and a key denominator of economic growth, has become a mere post office following the diktats of Modi government like a captive puppet," Surjewala lamented.

Destruction of autonomy and integrity of institutions essential to our democratic fabric has become a sine qua non for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "unitary" style of functioning, he alleged.

Surjewala added that the need of the hour was to ensure complete restoration of money supply, a fixation of responsibility for the "mess" of demonetisation and lifting of restrictions on people to withdraw their hard earned money from their own bank accounts.

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A couple from the district who lost their two children in an accident in 2014 have been awarded a compensation of Rs 13.2 lakh by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) here.

MACT member and District Judge N N Shrimangale, absolving the insurance company of the liability, held that the owner of the offending vehicle was liable to make the payment to the claimants with 12 per cent interest from the date of the claim, filed on April 26, 2014.

The tribunal ordered that the couple be paid Rs 6.60 lakh each for the death of their two children.

The claimants, Sudam Kashinath Pardhi (35) and Sonali Sudam Pardhi (30), informed the tribunal that their two children -- daughter Jyoti and son Sameer (then aged 7 and 5 respectively) -- were playing at an open space next to their house at Katkaripada under Umbarkhand village in Bhiwandi township of Thane on April 19, 2014.

At that time, a tempo came near their house. When the vehicle was being reversed to unload rice bags, it dashed against a wall. As a result, the tempo and the wall fell on the two kids and they were buried alive in the debris.

The claimants' advocate, S Y Tawde, informed MACT that both the deceased were students, and lodged a claim of Rs 10 lakh for each of them against tempo owner Gopal Sitaram Gharat and Reliance General Insurance Company Limited.

The insurance firm's advocate, Alka Phadtare, told the MACT that the vehicle owner fabricated the policy period in the cover note showing it to be from March 22, 2014, to March 21, 2015, while it was actually signed on April 21, 2014.

She said the vehicle owner did this to establish that the policy period was covering the date of the accident.

She also contended that the tempo owner did not produce all documents pertaining to the policy. Also, the vehicle owner did not come in the witness box to face cross-examination by the advocates of the insurance company and the applicants, Phadtare argued.

The applicants' counsel submitted that the future of his clients is ruined with the death of their children. Therefore, he sought compensation which may be sufficient for the applicants to pass their remaining lives.

The judge, in a recent order, observed that the policy filed is fake. Thus, the insurance company is not liable to pay the compensation as the claim of the applicants legally does not stand against it.

While disposing of two separate claims (one for each kid, the judge said the tempo owner is liable to pay Rs 6.6 lakh for each of the child to the applicants.

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Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave has expressed "unhappiness" over Hindi used in official papers "not being upto the mark" from the linguistic point and directed that all such documents should be vetted before being sent to him.

In an office memorandum, dated January 11, the Ministry said that the Minister has directed that all such papers be "invariably" vetted by the Official Language (OL) division before sending it to his office.

"It has been observed that documents being submitted in Hindi to the office of the Minister from various divisions, sections and units of this Ministry are not upto the mark from the linguistic point of view on which the Minister expressed his unhappiness and has directed that all such documents which are neither translated nor typewritten by the OL Division of the Ministry be invariably got vetted by them before submission to his office," the memorandum said.

The memorandum, signed by joint secretary in the Ministry Anil Sant, said that this particular arrangement comes into force with immediate effect.

A top Ministry official told PTI that the Minister wanted the Hindi language in the documents submitted to him to be "flawless".

"When there is no shortcomings in the documents submitted to him in English, then why should there be any such thing when it is in Hindi. The order was issued so that the language is flawless. There is always scope of improvement," the official said on the condition of anonymity.

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Delhi BJP unit today staged a protest near state Assembly and accused the Arvind Kejriwal- led AAP government of "failing to fulfil" its 70 election promises such as providing free Wi-Fi and women's security.

Scores of partymen led by Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari carried out a march from Metcalf House to the state assembly in Civil Lines area of north Delhi.

The protesters, who were raising slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, were stopped by police near Vidhan Sabha.

Tiwari accused the Kejriwal government of "failing to fulfil" its 70 poll promises which it had made to the people of Delhi.

"BJP workers in the districts and Mandals have found that the Kejriwal government has failed to fulfil its 70 election promises including security to women, free water supply, free Wi-Fi, Mohalla clinics and opening of new schools," he said.

Tiwari said that the Kejriwal government has completed two years in office and in these two years, condition of Delhi has "worsened".

Developmental works have been "stalled" due to "low-grade politics" and services like sanitation, education, health, transport and roads have been "adversely" affected, he said.

Other speakers including Leader of House in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, MPs Ramesh Bidhuri and Pravesh Verma also attacked the AAP government on various issues.

"The residents of unauthorised colonies who had voted Kejriwal to power with great hope are now very much disappointed.

"Modi government has given approval for regularising these colonies in principle but the Kejriwal government is not taking further action on it or providing necessary funds to the municipal corporations for the purpose," South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri said.

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The Delhi Assembly today adopted a resolution directing the AAP government to constitute a fact-finding committee to probe the financial condition of 'cash-strapped' civic bodies of EDMC and NDMC.

The move comes against the backdrop of the AAP government accusing the BJP-led municipal corporations of being the "den of corruption" over the frequent strikes by sanitation workers of EDMC and NDMC.

The committee will be headed by the Director of Local Bodies. It will submit its report before the commencement of Budget session, which is expected to be held in the first week of March.

The resolution, moved by AAP MLA Sourabh Bhardwaj, stated that Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has "failed" to pay the salaries of its employees despite having received enhanced funds from the government, and that the residents have a right to know how the civic bodies were utilising their funds.

"This House directs the Delhi government to take all possible steps to look into the finances of the MCDs in accordance with the provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957.

"It also directs the Government of Delhi to ask the Municipal Corporations to inform the steps being taken to improve the latter's financial condition," the resolution stated.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the BJP-led civic bodies had financially "failed" and were "instigating" their employees against the AAP government ahead of the municipal polls.

He said despite the Delhi government giving enhanced funds in comparison to the previous dispensation, the BJP-led municipal corporations were demanding more grants.

Once the Aam Aadmi Party comes to power in all three civic bodies, it will ensure salaries of sanitation workers on time, Sisodia added.

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With AAP government notifying the delimitation of municipal wards, both BJP and Congress units in Delhi today exuded confidence, saying they were prepared to "perform well" in the civic polls irrespective of the fallout of the delimitation exercise.

Senior BJP leader and former South Delhi Mayor Subhash Arya said, "Our corporation has worked in all fields and we will definitely win the polls. As what I have learned so far, size of wards have increased in outer villages, so that will only benefit us, as we have worked in those areas."



"We have used modern techniques for sweeping roads and other sanitation measures. We are quite confident of performing well," he said.

Delhi BJP while welcoming the notification, said the notified ward structures will be "reviewed" by senior party leaders.

"Our protests and initiative forced the Kejriwal government to send the delimitation file to the Lt Governor of Delhi and we welcome the notification of wards," city's BJP unit president Manoj Tiwari said, even as he charged that the AAP government wanted to "delay" municipal elections.

A party statement said that senior leaders will now review the notified wards structure and file "objections and suggestions" wherever necessary.

Ahead of municipal polls in the national capital, Delhi government today notified final delimitation of 272 wards with the composition of wards in each Assembly constituency varying unlike before.

As per the mandate, the municipal polls are required to be completed before April 27.

Delhi Congress too exuded confidence on the prospect of the civic polls.

"The delimitation will not affect the outcome of the civic polls. It will influence all parties equally, so no one will benefit out of it. Our party (Congress) is anyway preparing well and we will perform well.

"People are fed up of the AAP-led Delhi government and BJP-ruled civic bodies, on all fronts. During Sheila Dikshit regime, the corporations were never short of funds, and now the people want to give us a chance," senior Congress leader Mukesh Goel said.

The Leader of Opposition in North Delhi Municipal Corporation also said, "MCD has failed on sanitation issues majorly and has become a hotbed of corruption. These two factors will definitely benefit us."



Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said, "We had pointed out several mistakes in it (delimitation draft) in the past which now have been rectified and our suggestions accepted."



"Now we want that the reservation of wards for women and ST candidates to be decided at the earliest so that preparations for municipal elections could be started. Polls should not be delayed on any pretext."



East Delhi Mayor Satya Sharma said, "We have 34 BJP councillor in east Delhi. And, this time would win more wards.

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Actor Dev Patel says he is working on a screenplay based on Hindu mythology.

The "Lion" actor said he is writing a "hyper-modern" action film which he sees as an "anthem for youth," reported Female First.

"I'm writing a hyper-modern action film, based on 5,000-year-old Hindu mythology, set in a heightened Bombay - an anthem for youth," Patel said.

The 26-year-old actor, who has not studied acting, said he has polished his craft from working with "great directors" and co-stars such as Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, and Nicole Kidman.

"(My co-stars) have a curiosity about life, a sense of humour and emotional reserve. I never went to acting school. Everything I've learned, I've learned from great directors and my co-stars.

"Acting is about honesty. When I began, I was trying to squeeze as much emotion out of roles as I could and get big laughs. Now it's about doing less, cutting away the fat," he said.

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Ajay Devgn has promised to meet a fan, who had threatened to kill himself if a meeting with the actor was not fixed.

On January 11, the youth, identified as Shamshad, had threatened to jump into a well in Nawalgarh town of Jhunjhunu district.

He wanted the district administration to set up a meeting with Devgan, SHO Nawalgarh police station Nawal Kishore Meena told PTI.

"Shamshad, I will soon be shooting in Jodhpur. Will see to it that we meet there," tweeted Devgan from his twitter handle today.

Devgan later thanked Jaipur police for cooperation through another tweet in which he was provided Jhunjhunu police contact numbers.

Meena said that they tough time convincing Shamshad that the meeting will happen.

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Eli Lane unveils the new bridge sign Monday named for his ancestor while Polk County Executive Hoyt Firestone, left; Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland and Mark Grissom, promotions and social media manager for Check Into Cash, hold the ladder Eli Lane and his sister Emily Lane took part in the bridge naming ceremony for their ancestor. Bear Lawson was their fifth generation grandfather. Descendants gather at the bridge over the Ocoee River in Benton Station now named forBear Lawson Polk County Executive Hoyt Firestone speaks to the crowd at Benton Station Monday as Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland waits to make his remarks Previous Next

Polk County renamed the Benton Station Bridge on Monday to honor the man who donated the land to attract a railroad to the county over a century ago.

It's now the Bear Lawson Bridge, to honor William Hinton "Bear" Lawson. Polk County and Cleveland leaders were on hand Monday, along with a large group of Mr. Lawson's descendants for the ceremony. Mr. Lawson lived in the community from Aug. 10, 1842 until his death June 17, 1913.

The Polk County Commission approved a resolution last October that changed the name of the bridge which crosses the Ocoee River in the Benton Station community.

Polk County Executive Hoyt Firestone and Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland were the speakers at the Monday dedication.

Mr. Firestone said the L&N Railroad was seeking a safer, alternate route between Atlanta and Knoxville in the early 1900s. Mr. Lawson donated approximately one mile of right-of-way through his land to keep the railroad route going through Polk County instead of Bradley County. His generosity created the community of Benton Station in 1906.

Mr. Firestone said Mr. Lawson also donated land for Benton Station Baptist Church in 1909.

"Without Bear Lawson we would not have Benton Station," Mr. Firestone said.

Mayor Rowland spoke on behalf of Cleveland business leader Allen Jones. An advocate for preserving local history, Mr. Jones became interested in Bear Lawson while researching his own family history. While no link was found between Mr. Lawson and Mr. Jones' family, Mayor Rowland said Mr. Jones believed Mr. Lawson had never received the recognition due him.

Mr. Jones led an effort to recognize Mr. Lawson's generosity over a century ago, Mayor Rowland said. Mayor Rowland represented Mr. Jones who could not be present Monday. Mayor Rowland said the Tennessee Historical Commission will decide on giving state historical designation to the area.

The highlight of the morning was the unveiling of the Bear Lawson Bridge sign by young Eli Lane, a fifth generation grandson of Bear Lawson.

Members of the Cleveland High School Band were present to play the national anthem.

State Rep. Dan Howell and several Polk County officials were present as well as several generation of Lawson descendants.
The Election Commission's recognition to the Akhilesh Yadav faction as the Samajwadi Party and allotting 'bicycle' symbol to it will have an impact on UP Assembly polls and might force both BSP and BJP to redraw their poll strategy.

Both the parties had been banking heavily on the internal feud in the first family of the state with Mayawati projecting her party as the only force to take on the saffron brigade in the face of a weakened Samajwadi Party.

BJP on its part was seeking to capitalise by promising development and law and order.

Akhilesh-led SP is likely to seal its alliance with the Congress later this week, a deal that would pitchfork the combine as the main contender against the resurgent BJP in the coming elections in UP.

SP and Congress together will seek to offer a stronger and cleaner alternative to the Muslim electorate which will be looking for a party that could defeat BJP as the hustings.

Muslim voters, who account for nearly 20 per cent of Uttar Pradesh's population, can make or mar the electoral prospects of key political parties vying for the top slot in the high stake elections.

While divided Muslim votes translate to gains for BJP, a consolidation will change the poll arithmetic as minorities play a crucial role in at least 125 of 403 constituencies.

Muslims are known to go with a party or alliance that stands the best chance to defeat BJP and Akhilesh-led SP and Congress together could provide them this option.

This would also mean that the extent of Muslim support to BSP will not be up to its expectations to see its candidates through.

Working on this equation, Mayawati gave tickets to Muslims in as many as 97 constituencies, but her old record of allying with BJP for power in UP often returns to haunt her.

As ruling SP grappled with internal feud, BSP supremo



Mayawati sought to fish in troubled waters, seeking to drive a wedge in SP camp to wean away the crucial Muslim vote bank.

Muslims are considered the traditional votebank of the ruling Samajwadi Party and the concern over SP family feud has been voiced by several top clerics including, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid and Maulana Salman Nadvi of Lucknow-based Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama.

These leaders gave a blunt message to Mulayam Singh Yadav that their votes would end up with BSP if the internecine war in his party did not end.

To project herself as the true saviour of the minorities, she has been continuously linking SP and BJP, often claiming that there was a "tacit understanding" between the two and asking voters to be wary of their "closeness".

BJP has also been quoting lack of development and misgovernance of successive governments and promising people to make Uttar Pradesh as 'Uttam Pradesh' if voted to power.

Political analysts said a section of Yadavs and Muslims might still go with party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav but a majority of them will move towards the Akhilesh group as they look at him as a new hope in the state.

The 43-year-old chief minister has already proved his mettle at governance in the past five years and shown that development was the buzz word for him.

They say that armed with the EC order, Akhilesh will now be better placed to steer the party to a cleaner new image which will go down well with the people especially the young electorate.

Analysts also said the EC order might be a setback to some extent to BJP and BSP, which were banking on the family feud in the SP to give them an edge.

BSP had expected Muslims to leave SP and join its core vote bank of Dalits to give it the requisite numerical advantage to bring it back to power.

But, the latest development could drive the BSP supremo to think of a fresh strategy, especially in the communally sensitive western UP - where she anticipates a keen contest with BJP - which goes to polls in the first two phases.
The "end of globalisation" is one of the biggest threats to Asia Pacific's overall economic and political security, while India has a "medium" political risk forecast, says a report.

Specialty risk consultancy Control Risks expects 2017 to be a year of acute uncertainty for corporates and jotted down top five risks for businesses in the Asia Pacific region.

Besides "end of globalisation, at least as Asia Pacific knows it", the other four major risks facing the region include territorial tensions, populism and performance legitimacy, China's regulatory whiplash and the implications of the fragmentation of IS in Iraq and Syria.

The report has assigned a 'medium' political risk to India. The political risk rating evaluates the likelihood of state or non-state political actors negatively affecting business operations in a country.

"The unexpected US election and Brexit referendum results that caught the world by surprise have tipped the balance to make 2017 one of the most difficult years for business' strategic decision making since the end of the Cold War," Control Risks CEO Richard Fenning said.

Regarding the "end of globalisation", the report said "the backlash in Asia Pacific's two biggest markets (Europe and the US) against globalisation is the greatest threat to this region's overall economic and political security over the next decade, never mind the next year".

On territorial issues, the report said tensions in the South China Sea may actually decline, provided China does not seek to flaunt its territorial expansion, but divisions within ASEAN are likely to increase.

"High levels of complexity and uncertainty attached to the key political and security issues for the year mean that boards in Asia Pacific will need to undertake comprehensive reviews of their approaches to risk management," Control Risks CEO in Asia Pacific, Toby Latta said.

The report said while China slowdown and Western protectionism will increasingly 'bite' in Asia, elites in the region will shore up their legitimacy through populism.

"In India, the Modi government will intersperse hard choices with appeals to Hindu nationalism," it said.

Moreover, since China is tightening its regulatory regime, both Chinese and foreign businesses in the country are going to feel "considerable strain" in 2017.

On the implications of the fragmentation of IS in Iraq and Syria for the Asia Pacific, the report said though there is a danger posed by returning of trained Jihadists and a threat posed by re-emergence of base areas in central Sulawesi or Mindanao, Asia's terrorism risk landscape is comparatively more benign.

"... Relative to the havoc caused by terrorism in the Middle East and Europe, Asia's terrorism risk landscape has been considerably more benign - and will continue to remain comparatively so," it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a bid to encourage community participation in cleanliness in Haryana, the second Saturday of every month will be observed as "Samudayik Swachhta Diwas", the state government said today.

It was decided to voluntarily devote an hour on that day for cleanliness in all government offices, educational institutions and other public places.

The active participation of school students would also be ensured under this cleanliness drive, an official said.

The government took the decision in a meeting of Governing Body of Haryana State Swachh Bharat Mission Society held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here.

Khattar directed the officers to make separate toilets for girls in all schools, especially in rural areas.

It was informed that the school Education Department has made a comprehensive plan to construct toilets for girls in all schools depending upon the number of girl students.

The schools have also been told to submit certificate that all the toilets are functional.

From September 30 last year, about 3,000 new toilets have been built in Anganwadis till date. Efforts are being made to provide toilet facility in all Anganwadis in the state.

Eight districts -- Panchkula, Sirsa, Panipat, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra -- have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). Four more districts of Bhiwani, Hisar, Jhajjar and Rewari are likely to achieve ODF status by the end of this month.

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Foreign tourist arrivals in India surged by 13.6 per cent to 10.37 lakh in December on year-on -year basis earning foreign exchange of over Rs 16,800 crore, officials said.

"Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) during the month of December 2016 were 10.37 lakh as compared to 9.13 lakh during the month of December 2015," an official release said today.

The US accounted for the highest share of tourists arrivals, followed by Bangladesh and the UK the last month.

The growth in overseas tourist arrivals in 2016 stood at 10.7 per cent with a total of 88.90 lakh as compared to 80.27 lakh in 2015, it said.

Among the top 15 source countries for December 2016, the share of US was the highest (18.33 per cent), followed by Bangladesh (13.02 per cent), the UK (11.71 per cent), Australia (5.43 per cent), Russia (4.18 per cent), Canada (4.13 per cent) and Malaysia (3.38 per cent).

The share of Germany was 2.80 per cent, while those of China it was 2.53 per cent, Sri Lanka 2.25 per cent, Singapore 2.12 per cent, France 2.01 per cent, Japan 1.79 per cent, Afghanistan 1.38 per cent and Nepal 1.34 per cent.

Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism during December 2016 were Rs 16,805 crore as compared to Rs 14,152 crore in December 2015, registering a growth of 18.7 per cent.

FEEs during 2016 were Rs 1,55,650 crore with a growth of 15.1 per cent as compared to Rs 1,35,193 crore in 2015.

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In a boost to Aam Aadmi Party, Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, former general secretary of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) tonight joined AAP with his supporters in presence of its national Convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Addressing a gathering of Bhaur's supporters at his residence at Banga, 22 kms from Phagwara, Kejriwal welcomed him into party fold and declared his appointment as state's senior vice president of AAP.

Kejriwal promised the state's people to take action against those guilty of desecrating the Sikh holy book- Guru Granth Sahib at various places in Punjab, particularly at Bargari, if elected to power in the February 4 Assembly polls.

He also assured them to rid the state of drug menance.

Bhaur, who had remained SGPC general secretary for sixteen terms as well as its acting president thrice, said he had quit SAD and SGPC because of desecration issue, failure of the ruling Akali Dal to arrest the culprits, killings of two innocent youths in Bargari firing by police and the malaise of family rule.

Kejriwal later addressed rally of AAP candidate from Banga- Harjot Kaur.

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Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency today, just two days before he is supposed to cede power after losing elections last month.

The long-time leader is refusing to step down despite international pressure and the threat by other West African nations of a military intervention.

The 90-day state of emergency, announced on state television, was to begin immediately. It bans all residents and citizens from "any acts of disobedience" or violence and urges security forces to maintain order.

In the announcement, Jammeh also blamed what he called the unprecedented level of foreign involvement in Gambia's election. The National Assembly, in approving the state of emergency, condemned the "unlawful and malicious interference" by the African Union's Peace and Security Council, which has said the continental body will no longer recognise Jammeh as Gambia's legitimate leader as of Thursday.

President-elect Adama Barrow, the man who ousted Jammeh in the December election, is vowing to take power on Thursday despite Jammeh's refusal to leave.

Jammeh says the country must wait for Gambia's supreme court to decide on the ruling party's challenge to the election results, a delay that could take months. The party alleges voting irregularities.

Yesterday, Gambia's chief justice recused himself and said he could not rule on Jammeh's request for an injunction blocking Barrow's inauguration.

Meanwhile, members of Jammeh's cabinet are fleeing.

Gambia's foreign affairs minister, along with the ministers of finance, trade and environment, all have resigned, a political official in Banjul said today. The official spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. The country's information minister earlier went into exile in Senegal.

West Africa's regional bloc has a standby force for possible military intervention if Jammeh doesn't step down when his mandate ends this week. Gambia, a tiny nation of 1.9 million people, is estimated to have an army of just 900 troops.

Jammeh has ruled Gambia for more than 22 years. He initially went on state television to concede his election defeat, only to make a dramatic about-face a week later. He has long been accused by human rights groups of running a government that arbitrarily detains, tortures and even kills opponents.

Barrow is currently in Senegal, and the regional bloc, ECOWAS, has urged Barrow to stay there until Thursday's inauguration for his safety. Yesterday, he was unable to attend the funeral of his 7-year-old son, who had been fatally mauled by a dog a day earlier.

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Germany's highest court today threw out a bid to ban the far-right NPD party, arguing that the xenophobic fringe outfit is too insignificant to spell a real threat to the democratic order.

"The request has been rejected," said Federal Constitutional Court top judge Andreas Vosskuhle about the bid to ban the neo-Nazi party, which has around 6,000 members.

He added that "the NPD pursues anti-constitutional goals, but there is currently no concrete evidence... To suggest that it will succeed."



The case marks the second failed attempt to outlaw the National Democratic Party of Germany, with the latest launched by the Bundesrat upper house of parliament which represents Germany's 16 states.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's government supported the case, although the executive did not formally join the high-stakes legal manoeuvre.

The Bundesrat had launched the challenge in 2013, as the country was reeling in shock over the 2011 discovery of a murderous group calling itself the National Socialist Underground.

Racist killings by the group had prompted Germany to crack down against right-wing extremism.

But since then, the NPD has lost its remaining seats in state parliaments, retaining just one representative, Udo Voigt, in the European Parliament.

It has also lost ground to the anti-euro fringe party AfD, which has morphed into an anti-immigration force railing against the mass arrivals of refugees in 2015.

Polls now credit the NPD with around 1.0 per cent support, compared with 12 to 15 per cent for the right-wing populist AfD (Alternative for Germany).

But the International Auschwitz Committee's vice president Christoph Heubner voiced dismay at the ruling, warning that it could spur extremists across Europe to champion more hate.

"How can it be that those who cheerfully celebrate the Holocaust and provoke new episodes of hatred in many municipalities may remain in the democratic spectrum?" he asked.

"This reality-blind and untimely decision sends a disastrous signal to Europe, where far-right and right-wing populists have found new partnerships and are now trying to transform the fear and insecurity of the population into hatred and aggression," he warned in a statement.

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A minor school girl from Kalahandi, set afire by miscreants last week for resisting against eve-teasing, succumbed to her burn injuries today after a week-long struggle for survival at Ispat General Hospital(IGH) in Rourkela.

Tapaswini Rana, a student of class 10th of TRW School at Madhupur village in Kalahandi district of Odisha was set on fire by two youths, identified as Sana Sahoo and Bulu Das for protesting against eve-teasing in the village.

The miscreants had passed vulgar comments at the girl, who in turn had informed her family. Her mother had cautioned the two youths but the duo, on January 11, took advantage of her being along in the house and set her afire.

She was admitted to a hospital at Burla and later shifted to IGH after her condition deteriorated.

"We have provided Rs 2,000 from Red Cross and a vehicle to transport the girl's body to her village after post-mortem," said Rourkela Additional District Magistrate Monisha Banerjee.

The crime branch of Odisha Police is probing the incident and six people, including the two prime accused, have been arrested in connection with the case.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, who visited the hospital, expressed concern over the death of the minor girl.

"I demand Rs 10 lakh compensation for the victim's family and stringent action against the culprits so that nobody will dare to commit such crime in future," Oram said.

The tribal affairs ministed added that he would also request the central govenrment to make arrangement to provide financial assistance to the victim's family.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A minor school girl from Kalahandi, set afire by miscreants last week for resisting eve-teasing, succumbed to her injuries today after a week-long battle for survival at a hospital in Rourkela.

Tapaswini Rana, a student of class 10th of TRW School at Madhupur village in Kalahandi district of Odisha was set afire by two youths, identified as Sana Sahoo and Bulu Das for protesting against eve-teasing in the village.

The miscreants had passed vulgar comments at the girl, who in turn had informed her family. Her mother had cautioned the two youths but the duo, on January 11, took advantage of her being along in the house and set her afire.

She was admitted to a hospital at Burla and later shifted to Ispat General Hospital (IGH) after her condition deteriorated.

"We have provided Rs 2,000 from Red Cross and a vehicle to transport the girl's body to her village after post-mortem," said Rourkela Additional District Magistrate Monisha Banerjee.

The crime branch of Odisha Police is probing the incident and six people, including the two prime accused, have been arrested in connection with the case.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, who visited the hospital, expressed concern over the death of the minor girl.

"I demand Rs 10 lakh compensation for the victim's family and stringent action against the culprits so that nobody will dare to commit such crime in future," Oram said.

The tribal affairs ministed added that he would also request the central govenrment to make arrangement to provide financial assistance to the victim's family.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A collaborative group of girls in the GPS Middle School has been selected as Best in State for their entry into the Verizon App Innovative Learning contest. The nationwide contest challenged middle and high school students to design mobile app concepts aimed at improving and solving for societal issues in their schools and communities.

Each of the six girls receives a free computer tablet from Verizon, and the school receives $5,000 for their winning submission.

The eighth graders on the team include Priyanka Sud, Annie Thrash, Lainey Maddox, Abby Young, Mo Calhoun, and Jane Porfiri. Their app, Ripple, addresses loneliness associated with mental illness, offering comfort, chat rooms, discussion boards, and a place to track day-to-day moods. Ripple also offers a customizable digital koi fish that app users can feed and name, and with which they can share emotions.

Many apps for mental health are expensive, but we want ours to be free in order to help more people, says the students accompanying essay. The Digital Makers class is taught by Jill Pieritz, chair of the GPS computer science department.

Verizon developed the national contest to encourage students to learn teamwork, creative problem solving, and entrepreneurial skills as the develop app concepts. On the contest website, Verizon says that about half of the winning students are female and that the competition has engaged 3,500 teams from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Government today further hiked the minimum import price on arecanuts to Rs 251 per kg with an aim to safeguard domestic farmers.

"The minimum price for import of areca nuts is enhanced from existing Rs 162 to Rs 251 per kg," Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

The minimum import price was earlier hiked in June 2015 after various stakeholders made representations against increasing imports of arecanuts from neighbouring countries taking advantage of low import duty provided under SAFTA (South Asia Free Trade Agreement).

SAFTA was implemented in 2006 between India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The minimum import price (MIP) is the rate below which no imports are allowed.

Karnataka is the largest producer of arecanut, followed by Kerala and Assam.

As per estimates, the production has been stagnant at around 6.5 lakh tonnes per year.

According to a report, the country imported 67,824 tonnes of arecanut worth USD 159 million during 2015-16 as against 1.10 lakh tonnes worth USD 229.96 million during 2014-15.

In 2015-16, the total production of the commodity stood at 7.02 lakh tonnes as against 7.27 lakh tonnes in the previous fiscal.

While the import crossed 15 per cent of the total production in 2014-15, it stood at 9.66 per cent of total production in 2015-16.

India mainly imports arecanut from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

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Reacting to incidents of discrimination against Somalians living in India, Delhi-based art curator Radha Mahendru and researcher Bani Gill have come up with a semi-fictional graphic novel that raises pressing questions about the refugee crisis.

Titled, "The Horizon Is An Imaginary Line", the book is an illustrated account of a young Somalian woman's encounters as a refugee in India which was released at Khoj International Artists' Association here.

"Khoj has a long practice of community-based work and I approached the refugees living here through them. So, I had this mix of art practice with the global rhetoric of refugee crisis in my mind. After we started researching for the book, I learnt that there are several Somalian refugees living in the area," says Mahendru.

With illustrations by Pia Alize Hazarika, the book includes a series of stories that the authors discovered during their various meetings with refugees in Delhi.

"Through our character Maryam, we reflect on the lived experiences of alienation and marginalization as an 'outsider' on the fringes of an increasingly bordered global. Designed partly as an infographic, the book sets out to dispel myths and assumptions about the refugee crisis and India's ambiguous status within the global refugee regime," says Mahendru.

The project grew from an ongoing engagement of Khoj with the African community living in Khirkee Extension.

Gill, who is pursuing her PhD on migration and has worked extensively with communities, says lack of a strong law creates more problems because most of the people do not know where to go when they face discrimination.

"There are several refugee communities living here but we do not have a refugee law in India which creates problems for many of them since they do not know where to take help from while facing discrimination," says Gill.

The book also contains real-life narratives of Somalians-- Fatima, Koofe and Hafez -- who vividly talk about their sense of alienation in a foreign land.

"Although I came to India when I was 10, I felt like I was on a foreign land. It is difficult especially for women refugees to survive here because of the clothes that we wear and our skin colour," says Fatima.

According to Gill, it was through their narratives and experiences that the semi-fictional character of Maryam emerged.

"At each of these sessions, deeply personal narratives of alienation and limbo came to the fore, as did accounts of struggle and resistance against the status quo of the global refugee regime.

"For many of our collaborators, a lot of whom have grown up in India, speak Hindi fluently and even have access to basic amenities- water, electricity, gas --life is complicated due to their ambiguous legal status," she says.

The stories prompted the authors to engage with graphics which allowed for flexibility in perspective while conveying the emotional struggles of being in a state of limbo.

The book also aims to strike a balance between the statistical data and accounts of personal sufferings.

"There were discussions about the compilation of the data that we collected from ground and experiences of several refugees living in our society. Several disturbing stories which we heard made us think more and more about this crisis," Gill says.

Although, Maryam is a fictional character but she provides a familiar account of being out of her place, in a world that is defined by legal categories, borders and fences, she says.
Haryana police arrested four members of notorious 'Sandeep Gadoli' gang at Rohtak today and recovered weapons and a car from their possession.

Police had received a tip off that four persons were planning to loot people at Nanand Kheri Sadh road in Rohtak, following which they reached the spot and arrested the accused, an official release said here.

The accused have been identified as Dinesh alias Sonu, Monu alias Pop, Ravi Kant alias Pawwa and Deepak alias Deepu, it said.

The police also recovered five pistols, ten cartridges, and a car bearing Haryana number plate.

A case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act at Police Station in Sampla.

"During interrogation, the accused revealed that they were planning to kill Binder Gujjar after the death of the kingpin of their gang, Sandeep Gadoli.

"Binder and Sandeep were enemies. The accused and other accomplices had also killed Manish Gujjar, brother of Binder Gujjar, for revenge," it said.

Cases of murder, kidnapping, extortion and other criminal activities had earlier been registered against the accused Sonu in Bhiwani, Gurugram and Rohtak. The other accused are also wanted in several criminal cases, it added.

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Patel quota leader Hardik Patel today returned to Gujarat after spending six months away from his home state and received a grand welcome from his supporters at Ratanpur on the border with Rajasthan.

The 23-year-old leader, who had shifted base to Udaipur, left for Gujarat along with his supporters in four vehicles and entered the Gujarat border without incident, SP Udaipur Rajendra Prasad earlier told PTI.

Hundreds of Patel community youths welcomed Hardik as he entered his home state through the Ratanpur border this afternoon. He then headed to Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha district to address a rally of Patel community.

Upon his arrival, Hardik vowed to get justice for his community. "I bow down to this land of great leaders and martyrs. I will always fight for my community to give them justice," he said.

Asked about his future strategy, he said, "Strategy is meant to be executed when time comes, I cannot reveal it now."



The firebrand leader, who is facing sedition charges, was released on bail by Gujarat High Court on July 15 last year on the condition that he will stay outside the state for six months, starting July 17. He had been staying at Udaipur in Rajasthan since then.

Commenting on the development, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said his government is ready to hold talks with Hardik and other stakeholders on the issue of reservation.

"We have given him permission to hold the rally (in Himmatnagar). We are always ready to hold talks in a positive atmosphere with all the stakeholders to resolve various issues," Rupani said.

The Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) has described today's rally as "the start of the second round of the Patel quota agitation."



In August 2015, Hardik had addressed a massive rally at GMDC ground demanding inclusion of the community in the OBC category for quota benefits.

After addressing the rally today, Hardik will reach Gandhinagar to seek blessings of former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel. In the evening, he will leave for Pune to take part in 'Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad'.

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Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel today left for Gujarat after spending six months away from his home state as per the Gujarat High Court's order.

The 23-year-old leader, who had shifted base here, left for Gujarat along with his supporters in four vehicles and reached the Gujarat border without incident, SP Udaipur Rajendra Prasad told PTI.

"A local SHO and some policemen were deployed to make sure he leaves peacefully in the morning today," he said.

Patel, who was released from jail in Gujarat after nine months in confinement in July last year, had to stay outside Gujarat for six months as per Gujarat high court direction. He was staying at a former Congress MLA's residence here during this period.

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The introduction of e-stamping has yielded a revenue of over Rs 1,194.67 crore to Haryana government from April 2016 to December 27, 2016, state Revenue Minister Abhimanyu said today.

He said that the first-of-its-kind initiative was introduced to put an end to the usage of security printed stamp papers and eliminate the possibility of frauds related to fake stamp papers.

"The state is able to save more than Rs 20 crore being paid by state government as commission charges and it will not have to maintain a huge inventory of stamp papers in the treasuries," he said.

"By using this system, the citizens can generate the stamp paper using e-GRAS server of Finance Department (egrashry.Nic.In) at their homes by paying stamp fee through internet banking. This application was developed by National Informatics Centre, Haryana with Integrated Finance Management System and Property Registration System," he said in an official release here.

Abhimanyu said that the e-stamp amount goes to the government account immediately after generation of challan.

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Delhi High Court today asked the AAP government and the police to inform it about the action they have taken against pubs and bars serving liquor without any licence near Hauz Khas Village here.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal also asked municipal corporation and the police official concerned to inform whether such pubs and joints are being operated or not.

The court has now fixed the matter for further hearing on February 14 when it will also hear another PIL seeking action against unauthorised constructions in south Delhi's Hauz Khas Village area and its restaurants allegedly operating without necessary licences.

The court's direction today came on a plea by advocate Anuja Kapur, who said that such pubs and bars do not have a no objection certificate (NOC) from the authorities concerned, leading to violation of the law.

The petitioner alleged in her plea that the cops are not seen in that area, because of which several other illegal activities are carried on by the pub owners.

While seeking direction to impose a complete ban on such pubs and bars, the plea alleged that their owners are running those activities in connivance with local police.

She also said in her plea that she had written to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and senior police officials but no action was taken against the violators.

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The Bombay High Court today rapped the Maharashtra government for inordinate delay in deciding whether benefits of a rehabilitation scheme meant for rape and child abuse victims can be given with retrospective effect and said it was obligated to help such victims.

A division bench of Justices R V More and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi was irked when informed by additional public prosecutor Mankhuvar Deshmukh that the state government does not have enough funds to extend the Manodhairya scheme provisions with retrospective effect.

"You (government) are obligated to help these victims. It is your duty to ensure that they (victims) get proper counselling soon after the FIR is lodged and financial help is extended to them. You (government) are not doing charity or doing them any favour by helping them," Justice More said.

Under the scheme, which was introduced in 2014, the state government had decided to pay maximum Rs three lakh to rape victims and those suffering in cases of violence against women.

However, during earlier hearings in a public interest litigation, the high court had suggested the scheme be applied to some deserving cases with retrospective effect.

The government had then said it would take a decision on this soon but till date no decision has been taken.

The high court has posted the petition for further hearing next week.

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The Kerala High Court has restrained blasting operations for removal of rocks for construction of six-lane national highway between Wadakkancherry and Thrissur in the state.

Considering petitions filed by the residents that the blasting operations for constructing NH 47 would cause damage to their houses, Justice K Vinod Chandran directed the authorities to "ensure that no blasting operations are carried out" till the contractor obtains requisite sanctions and permits.

The petitioners had contended that their houses are within 50 metres from the blasting site, which is within the prohibited distance of 100 metres, as prescribed by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, for quarries.

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Lookout Wild Film Festival films will take viewers racing through Alaska, kayaking over waterfalls in Mexico, hiking along the Appalachian Trail, crawling through Aztec ruins, mountain biking through militarized Eastern Europe, and even visiting a homemade island in Canada.

The fifth annual LWFF, an outdoor adventure and conservation themed film festival, will take place Thursday, Jan. 19 to Sunday Jan. 22 at the Memorial Auditorium Walker Community Theater. For full schedule and details, visit www.lookoutfilmfestival.org.

After five years, weve learned what the audience wants and expects at LWFF, said festival Director Andy Johns. They want thrills, they want excitement, but they also want films that tug at their heart strings. Our team has picked a group of films that do it all.

Last years event sold 3,000 tickets and became the first event to ever sell out the newly renovated Walker Theater. This years festival includes 62 films from 21 countries around the globe. The 17 hours of films screening this weekend were selected from the 98 hours of films submitted by filmmakers worldwide.

Notable international selections include China: A Skiers Journey, Sea Gypsies: The Far Side of the Earth, Surviving the Fundy Footpath and PaddleSUP Mission Amazon. Other films range from Throw, one mans story of escaping Baltimore gangs through his yo-yo talent, to Shift the story of First Nations teenagers building bike trails in the Yukon. Films with a local connection include The Story of Lula Lake, The Big Three, Fight Like Nate and Dale Sanders Source to Sea. LWFF is proud to host the premiere of The Story of Lula Lake on Friday night, a short film that chronicles the work preserving one of the most beautiful areas in the Chattanooga area. The Big Three (Sunday) details a trio of bouldering and climbing hot spots in the Tennessee Valley, while Fight Like Nate (Saturday night) tells the story of Chattanoogan Nathan Sexton as he keeps running road races despite his battle with a brain tumor. Finally, Dale Sanders: Source to Sea (Friday) is a film from local filmmakers about an 80-year-old Tennesseeans attempt to be the oldest person to canoe the entire the Mississippi River.



Weve got an incredible mix of stories from filmmakers with so many different perspectives, Mr. Johns said. Saturday night may be the best group of short films weve ever shown.

LWFF 2017 will also feature photo contest winner, backstage yoga sessions with timelapse films, receptions, awards and Q&As with filmmakers. For details and tickets visit www.lookoutfilmfestival.org.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response of the Ministry of Home Affairs on a plea seeking its status report on alleged poor quality food being served along the LoC as claimed by a BSF soldier on social media.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangeeta Dhingra Sehgal also issued notice to Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Assam Rifles seeking their stand on the allegation of poor quality food being given to jawans.

It also directed the BSF to produce before it the investigation report and the steps it has taken with regard to allegations levelled by Tej Bahadur Yadav.

"The steps have already been taken by respondent 2 (BSF) in this regard. However, we would like to see their report. Whatever report you have, place before the court on next date of hearing, February 27," the bench said.

The direction came after advocate Gaurang Kanth, appearing for BSF, informed the court that BSF has already done on the spot inspection after the incident.

"Things are in order. We have found nothing as was alleged by Yadav. However, we are further looking into the issue," Kanth submitted.

The bench, meanwhile, refused to issue any direction with regard to not taking any action against Yadav, as was sought by the petitioner, saying, "Sorry we will not go into it."



The petition was filed by Puran Chand Arya, a former central government employee, in the wake of a video posted on Facebook by Tej Bahadur Yadav, claiming corruption among officers and poor working conditions.
The human chain programme in Bihar, in support of prohibition should be deferred as the people of the state are still in a shock over the boat tragedy that claimed 24 lives on January 14, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said today.

"Nitish Kumar should consider deferring the human chain event on January 21 for promotion of liquor ban in view of the boat tragedy... The people of Bihar are yet to get over the shock.

"Under this circumstance it will be appropriated if the Chief Minister reconsiders going ahead with the human chain event this weekend and hold it after four-five days," he said on the sidelines of 'Janata Durbar' at his official residence here.

The proposed human chain event will be held by Bihar government and create a world record. Interestingly, opposition BJP and LJP have decided to join the programme as an expression of solidarity on the liquor ban issue.

Terming the state government "feeble", Sushil Modi said, it was incumbent on Nitish Kumar to monitor arrangements for the kite festival in Sabarpur diara which was attended by around one lakh people from Patna and nearby areas.

He said Kumar cannot "wash his hands" off the kite festival as the tourism department had issued advertisement carrying his photograph inviting people to attend it and a steamer was used to ferry people from Patna to Sabalpur diara on the other side of the Ganga river that day.

"No advertisement is issued by the Information and Public Relations Department without prior approval of the CMO and hence the Chief Minister cannot escape responsibility for the festival," the senior BJP leader said.

Arrangements should have been made to provide security to the people attending the kite festival but the oversight by Saran district administration resulted in the boat capsize, Sushil Modi claimed.

He also alleged that Kumar failed to monitor the activities of the department alloted to RJD MLAs, including the tourism department headed by RJD's Anita Devi.

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Humans may have stepped into North America about 10,000 years earlier than previously believed, a new study has found.

The earliest settlement date of North America, until now estimated at 14,000 years Before Present (BP) is now estimated at 24,000 BP, at the height of the last ice age or Last Glacial Maximum.

The researchers at University of Montreal (UdeM) in Canada made their discovery using artifacts from the Bluefish Caves, located on the banks of the Bluefish River in northern Yukon near the Alaska border.

The site was excavated by archaeologist Jacques Cinq-Mars between 1977 and 1987. Based on radiocarbon dating of animal bones, the researcher made the bold hypothesis that human settlement in the region dated as far back as 30,000 BP.

In the absence of other sites of similar age, Cinq-Mars' hypothesis remained highly controversial in the scientific community. Moreover, there was no evidence that the presence of horse, mammoth, bison and caribou bones in the Bluefish Caves was due to human activity.

To set the record straight, Lauriane Bourgeon from UdeM examined the about 36,000 bone fragments culled from the site and preserved at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau - an enormous undertaking that took her two years to complete.

Comprehensive analysis of certain pieces at UdeM's Ecomorphology and Paleoanthropology Laboratory showed undeniable traces of human activity in 15 bones.

Around 20 other fragments also showed probable traces of the same type of activity.

"Series of straight, V-shaped lines on the surface of the bones were made by stone tools used to skin animals. These are indisputable cut-marks created by humans," said Ariane Burke, professor at UdeM.

Bourgeon submitted the bones to further radiocarbon dating. The oldest fragment, a horse mandible showing the marks of a stone tool apparently used to remove the tongue, was radiocarbon-dated at 19,650 years, which is equivalent to between 23,000 and 24,000 cal BP (calibrated years Before Present).

"Our discovery confirms previous analyses and demonstrates that this is the earliest known site of human settlement in Canada. It shows that Eastern Beringia was inhabited during the last ice age," said Burke.

Beringia is a vast region stretching from the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories to the Lena River in Russia. According to Burke, studies in population genetics have shown that a group of a few thousand individuals lived in isolation from the rest of the world in Beringia 15,000 to 24,000 years ago.

"Our discovery confirms the 'Beringian standstill (or genetic isolation) hypothesis'. Genetic isolation would have corresponded to geographical isolation," she said.

"During the Last Glacial Maximum, Beringia was isolated from the rest of North America by glaciers and steppes too inhospitable for human occupation to the West," she added.

The study was published in the journal PLoS One.

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Union minister Jitendra Singh today said the Jammu and Kashmir government is keeping an eye on all the developments related to Zaira Wasim, and if needed, security will be provided to the teenage actress.

"...Information we have got from the state government is that they are keeping an eye on the entire episode and whatever necessary step needs to be taken it (state government) will take...And if security is needed, it will provide that security," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function here this evening.

He said the youths of the country who bring laurels through their talent must be appreciated and encouraged.

"Youngsters in any part of the country, and especially in Jammu and Kashmir who have grown under shadow of terrorism, and if the youngsters express their talent it becomes the duty of the society to encourage and appreciate them," he said.

Zaira shot to fame after she played young Geeta Phogat in "Dangal" movie but was trolled online for meeting Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

The 16-year-old first posted an apology for "offending" and "unintentionally hurting" people after her meeting with Mehbooba kicked up a row but later deleted the post. She then posted again, asking everyone not to blow the issue out of proportion but deleted that post too.

On Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Minister of State in the PMO expressed hope BJP would form the government in the state "coalition or no coalition".

"The BJP is ahead of other political parties. BJP is the only party which can fulfill the developmental aspirations of the countrymen," Singh said.

On Punjab elections, he said his party will win as people will join hands with Prime Minister.

Asked to comment on Mehbooba's statement in the legislative council that she will go ahead with the proposal to provide compensation to the next of the kin of those killed in the last year's unrest in the Valley, he expressed hope that the coalition government would follow "Raj Dharama".

"I am hopeful that the coalition government has the maturity to follow Raj Dharam," Singh said.

On the West Pakistan refugees issue, Singh said the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was serious to provide avenues of livelihood to these people.

"For the past 60 to 70 years they have faced injustice and have faced discrimination in terms of jobs and citizenship, they have faced lots of injustice, the present central government is committed to provide avenues of livelihood to them," he said.

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In the politically-sensitive Kendrapara district of Odisha, an IIT alumni has quit his job and lucrative career to fight the rural body polls in Dumuka gram panchayat.

Nihar Ranjan Beura (50), an alumni of IIT Kharagpur has set his goal to transform the life of the villagers.

"I filed nomination papers for member panchayat samity from my native Dumuka gram panchayat today. I have earned money and fame. There is a general perception that people get involved in politics to earn money. But I have pledged to prove it wrong," he said.

Beura did his M Tech in industrial engineering and management from IIT Kharagapur. After having worked in multinational companies in the US, Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands and Denmark, he has now set up a dairy farm in his village from where locals can buy pure milk at a cheaper rate.

"I was born and brought up in Dumuka. Time has come to pay back to my ancestral village. It is everyone's duty to give back to the society which has contributed to one's success," Beura said.

"Despite generous flow of government funds, my village failed to march in the path of progress. If people elect me, I will try my level best to give a facelift to the agrarian economy of the gram panchayat," he said



Villagers, mostly unemployed youths, said for the last two years Beura has been providing career counselling to job-seekers.

"We feel he will serve the village better," an unemployed youth said.

"I have seen poverty and hunger since childhood. I lost my father and elder brother to the 1996 cyclone. My mother brought me up amid much hardship," Beura said, adding, "When I was well-established and drawing a fat salary, I made up mind to go back to my roots and serve my village."



Sushant Kumar Jena, a resident of the village said, "Unless honest and educated people enter politics, the same age-old corrupt system will continue. We elected representatives in the past, but they siphoned off development grants. We hope Beura will bring in a refreshing change.

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Indian-Americans are experiencing unprecedented political success in the US, where the community comprise 1 per cent of the total population and for the first time ever they now also make up 1 per cent of the Congress, a media report said today.

US Congress has 535 voting members: 435 Representatives and 100 Senators. And during last year's elections four of the community members were elected to the Congress, while a fifth member won re-election to a third-term.

Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Kamala Harris were elected to the US Congress last year, and Ami Bera won re-election to a third term.

This represents the largest number of Indian Americans to ever serve in Congressional history, Forbes reported.

Judge Dilip Singh Saund became the first Asian American to be elected to Congress in 1956. Nearly four decades later, Bobby Jindal was elected to the House of Representatives from Louisiana before launching a successful gubernatorial bid in the state.

"Indian Americans are approximately 1 per cent of the US population and for the first time ever they now make up 1 per cent of the US Congress," said MR Rangaswami, the founder of the San Francisco-based nonprofit Indiaspora.

"This doesn't count the scores of Indian-Americans senior staffers serving on Capitol Hill working for dozens of members on both sides of the aisle," he told the magazine.

Beyond the legislative branch, Donald Trump's election to the White House is also proving a boon to some members of the community. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has been tapped to become the first ever Indian-American US Ambassador to the UN while Indiana native Seema Verma has been nominated by the president-elect to run the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Since American immigration laws were liberalised in 1965, Indians traveled to the US in record numbers and the Indian American community has become the wealthiest, most educated diaspora in the country.

While they have dominated the medical, engineering and computer science industries for decades, Indian Americans are only recently experiencing a commensurate level of achievement in public life, according to the report.

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In a goof up, Indian flag was placed upside down on the table during Power Minister Piyush Goyal's visit to an energy summit in Abu Dhabi.

Yesterday, Goyal met his Abu Dhabi counterpart at the World Future Energy Summit 2017, and also addressed the first India-specific session on international renewable energy.

A picture showing Indian flag placed upside down during the meeting of two ministers went viral. The picture was released by photo agencies.

A section of media also reported that the Indian flag was seen upside down during Goyal's meeting with his counterpart in Abu Dhabi.

A member of delegation accompanying Goyal told PTI, "The minister had a bilateral meeting at Abu Dhabi's Four Seasons hotel with the Saudi minister. They had made all the arrangements and the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi has taken up the matter with them."



Sources in New Delhi said that Goyal "did not notice that flag is placed upside down and thus he did not asked to put it in the right manner".

This is not the first instance when Indian flag was in wrong manner, as an inverted flag was seen at an international meet earlier.

The Indian tri-colour was reportedly placed upside down when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2015 at ASEAN summit in Malaysia. Modi noticed it immediately and asked to place the flag in right manner.

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Agro-chemical company Insecticides (India) Ltd has signed an agreement with the farm research body ICAR-IARI to train farmers from sowing to harvesting and help improve crop production.

The company has "signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) through IIL Foundation with ICAR-IARI (the Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi), the government's apex agriculture research body, to train farmers and inculcate the best farming practices among the farming community."



Under the initiative, few village clusters will be selected, and selected farmers from them will be given complete training from sowing to harvesting, the company said in a statement.

The farmers would be trained by the experts from ICAR-IARI and adopt the latest technology available. The complete farming will be done in the supervision of those experts only. The scope will include a variety of crops as per the cropping pattern of the area. This will be a three years agreement.

"This will help the farming community to improve and maximize its output. In India, many farmers still follow subsistence/traditional farming and are not able to fully utilise the resources available to them," Insecticides India MD Rajesh Aggarwal said.

He said it is imperative to help farmers and impart knowledge regarding best agricultural techniques and methods and train them to increase their yield.

Dr K V Prabhu, Joint Director (Research), IARI and Dr JP Sharma, Joint Director (Extension), IARI, were present at the occasion.

Insecticides (India) Ltd, a company listed on both BSE and NSE, had posted a turnover of Rs 988.15 crore in 2015-16.

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Iran will build a mobile phone network and petrol terminal in Syria under deals signed in Tehran today during a visit by Prime Minister Imad Khamis, Iranian media reported.

The five deals include a "licence for a mobile phone operator, the transfer of 5,000 hectares for the creation of a petrol terminal and 5,000 hectares for farmland" in Syria, according to the IRNA agency.

Iran will also have the right to operate phosphate mines in Sharqiya, around 50 kilometres south of the jihadist-held ancient city of Palmyra, and a deal for Iran to invest in an unnamed Syrian port.

Tehran is the chief backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, providing military advisors and coordinating thousands of "volunteer" fighters on the ground, which were considered vital to last month's recapture of the rebel stronghold in Aleppo.

First vice-president, Eshagh Jahangiri, said Khamis's visit marked "a new page for economic activities between the two countries".

"Iran supports the Syrian people and government," he said at a press conference with Khamis.

"The recent victories in Syria are due to the resistance of the people, the Syrian army... And the cooperation on the ground and politically between Iran and Syria."



Khamis, who arrived early Tuesday with a large business delegation, said the two countries were in "the same trench".

He was also due to meet Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, which oversees political and military cooperation with Russia and Syria.

Iran will take part in Syria peace talks alongside Russia and Turkey in the Kazakh capital Astana on January 23 aimed at building on a fragile ceasefire with rebel groups.

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The role of ISI in the recent train disaster in Kanpur was being suspected after Bihar police arrested three people who they claimed were working for the Pakistani intelligence agency to target Indian railways.

The ISI link to the November 20 train disaster, in which 150 people were killed, was being suspected after the interrogation of the trio, police said.

During interrogation, the three arrested persons provided some "positive lead" about the Indore-Patna Express derailment in Kanpur, District Superintendent of Police Jitendra Rana said.

He said ATS and central agencies have been apprised of it for comprehensive investigation.

Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar Patel and Mukesh Yadav were arrested from Adapur police station area and they allegedly confessed to having worked for a Nepalese contact suspected to be connected to ISI to target the railways, Rana told reporters.

The three are "professional criminals" involved in more than a dozen criminal cases.

The three were paid Rs three lakh by a Nepali man Brajesh Giri, who allegedly has connections with Shamsul Hoda of Dubai who has links with ISI, the SP said.

The money was paid to them to plant a bomb on railway tracks at Ghorasan in East Champaran district, bordering Nepal, in October 1 last year, Rana said.

"Fortunately, the bomb was detected with the help of villagers at Ghorasan and defused which prevented the sinister designs of the terror elements," Rana said.

The arrest of the trio came in course of investigation in the murder of two persons of East Champaran district in Nepal on December 28 last year for failing to successfully blast bomb on track in Ghorasan, he said.

Efforts are on to arrest, in this connection, two others identified as Gajendra Sharma and Rakesh Yadav, who are "hiding" in East Champaran, he said.

While three persons were arrested from East Champaran district, three others have been captured earlier at Tailaya in Nepal for targeting railways on behalf of suspected terror elements in India, the SP said.

East Champaran is a district bordering Nepal. Indian Mujahideen chief Yasin Bhatkal was arrested from Raxaul in the district in August 2013.
Week of Jan. 17Stuart Elementary Character Ed Breakfast will be Wednesday. Representatives demonstrating Self Discipline will be honored at the breakfast. For more information contact Richelle Shelton, 423-476-8246, rshelton@clevelandschools.org.Cleveland High School invites you to Open House on Thursday, 5-8 p.m. Students and their families are invited to meet the second term teachers. For more information contact Whitney Harden, 423-478-1113, wharden@clevelandschools.org.E.L. Ross and Yates Primary host the Creative Discovery Museum STEAM Family Night on Thursday, 6-8 p.m. at Ross. Students and their families can visit nine stations themed around Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. One family will win a free museum membership. For more information contact Lisa Earby, 423-479-7274, learby@clevelandschools.org.Cleveland High School Theater hosts the third annual Performance Showcase on Saturday, Jan. 21, 7 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 22, 2:30 p.m. in the Betsy Vines Memorial Theater. The performance showcase includes:One-act play Cheating Death that was recently performed at the State Level Theater Conference, THESCONSamantha Reid's play 2,996 - the winner of Voices, a student written and directed playStudent performances of monologues, scene cuts, and songs from BroadwayConcession will be sold before the ninety-minute show. The performance is free, but donations are always accepted. For more information contact Don Markham, dmarkham@clevelandschools.org.PTO Meetings:Cleveland Middle School - Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.George R. Stuart - Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Israeli forces killed a Palestinian who attempted to stab a soldier at a crossing in the occupied West Bank today, the army said, with no injuries reported among Israelis.

"A short while ago an assailant, armed with a knife, attempted to stab an (Israeli) soldier at a crossing adjacent to Tulkarem," an army statement said.

"Responding to the imminent threat, forces fired towards the attacker, resulting in his death.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Stating that technical prowess of India's unique identification number is "well accepted" the world over, IT Minister on Tuesday asked global chip maker to look at innovations around strengthening payments based on .

"Can you come with an innovation of a chip which can become integral to itself as far as determining verifiable identity is concerned. Aadhaar's technical prowess is now well accepted...The whole world is appreciating that," the Minister told senior executives at a conference here.

He said that a new payment system powered by is on verge of finalisation.

"We are just going to finalise the whole process very soon of an Aadhaar enabled payment where, at a flick of your thumb, you can make payment. Can think of supporting innovation in this field to make this new unique digital platform more flawless," he said.

The Minister said that accounts had been linked to Aadhaar and to mobiles. "...And we started sending out the entire subsidy directly to their bank accounts through mobile and we saved Rs 36,000 crore which used to be pilfered by the middlemen," the Minister said.

Noting that is at a cusp of a digital revolution, Prasad said that initiatives like Make in India, Start-up India, Digital India, and smart cities were working in sync to make the country a technologically empowered society.

"Indians are creating IP, innovating, researching for big companies. Please given them a helping hand so they also innovate for India, create Indian patents, design it for Indian conditions. Maybe you will see evolution of Indian Qualcomm company. That is what Indians are capable of," the Minister said.
Jammu and Kashmir government today said it has submitted a recovery plan to save the endangered Hangul deer from extinction to the central government for approval and funding to the tune of Rs 25.72 crores over a period of five years.

"The department has submitted a Hangul recovery plan to Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for approval and funding involving financial implication to the tune of Rs 2572.80 lakh (25.72 crores) over a period of five years," Forest Minister Lal Singh said in reply to a question of PDP member Vikramaditya Singh in Legislative Council.

He said that the plan provides under component ex-situ conservation, completion of construction and maintenance of conservation breeding centre as well other provisions like veterinarians, research fellows, collection plan training and Red Deer breeding expertise consultancy.

Hangul, also called the Kashmir stag, is the state animal of Jammu and Kashmir.

The forest minister said that a long term Hangul Conservation Action Plan was prepared with the technical assistance from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.

It has been approved and included in the list of species under the Species Recovery Programme being funded through the umbrella scheme 'Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats', he said.

"The action plan was initiated in the year 2008-09. The implementation of the project will give an opportunity for the conservation of this unique species along with the rich biodiversity in the Dachigam national park and other habitats of the Hangul," Singh said.

The minister said that the major concern highlighted in the action plan is the decline in the population of the species and significant decrease in female and fawn ration.

"Such a low population is at a high risk of extinction due to confinement and inbreeding," he said.

He said that the focus of the plan is the recovery of the declining Hangul population from existing endangered status.

"Under this broad aim, the plan includes improving the recruitment in the adult population, restore the shrinking habitat range of species, the action plan aims at four major outcomes for the conservation of the species," he said.

He said that the plan will focus to improve survival rate of the young fawns so as to ensure their recruitment into adult population, reduction of disturbance in the summer habitat range of the species so that the animals can use wider range of habitat, particularly during breeding season.

It also includes the identification and prioritisation of relic habitats based on their ecological status, and suitability and connectivity with the existing habitat of Dachigam national park.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jharkhand Governor Droupadi Murmu today said the state government is working for the development, prosperity and betterment of every section and making efforts for a balanced and inclusive development.

The state government has fulfilled its assurances, Murmu said while addressing the inaugural session of the Budget Session here.

The faith of the people on the state government has increased and the achievements attained by it were the proof, she said adding, the government ensured that the benefits of development touched every section of the society.

She said people's participation was kept as a central point between governance and government so that progress could happen as per their aspirations.

The 'Jan Samvad' and straight talk with the people have raised their faith on the government, Murmu said.

The constructive support of the people to the government has helped in drawing a strong line of development in every sector, she said.

After creation of the government, policies were reviewed, resources were analysed and serious analysis was made on the challenges on the path of development, Murmu said.

The government made necessary changes in earlier policies, framed new and development-oriented policies, making maximum reforms in work and strengthened the mechanism, the Governor said.

Prioritising its work, the government focused on clean and sensitive administration, people's participation, cleanliness, eradication of corruption, smooth traffic, electricity, agriculture, irrigation education, health and women empowerment.

As the state has a vast potential in development, the state government made necessary changes in industrial policy and single window system was introduced and simplified labour laws to prepare a positive environment, she said and added that the result got reflected in Jharkhand finishing at the top for the second consecutive year in labour reforms.

To attract investors, road shows were held through Momentum Jharkhand in the country and abroad and Jharkhand has entered a new industrial era through new policies and decisions, the Governor said.

Reputed industries in the country and abroad have evinced interest to invest in Jharkhand and the state has got investment proposals worth crores of Rupees and MoUs have been done in this regard, Murmu said.

A Global Investor Summit would be held on February 16-17 in Ranchi, she said.

(REOPENS ERG4)



To empower women, the Governor said 33 per cent



reservation was made in the recruitment in police department.

One stop centres at Ranchi, East Singhbhum and Dhanbad have been set up for assistance to exploited women along with five fast track courts to dispose off cases related to witchcraft, she said.

Widows with poor background and who are head of their families would be provided with housing, Murmu said and there was an aim of building a total 11,000 houses under Baba Saheb Ambedkar Housing Scheme this fiscal.

Under the Indira Awas Yozana, 1,02,552 houses were built this fiscal, she said.

The government believed that unless adequate manpower was there in every department, expected speed for development could not be given, she said.

The process of recruitment of a total 8,314 personnel was on, she said adding, a total 600 junior engineers were recruited.

The government has taken a decision to make Ranchi WiFi city and was moving on to become a paperless office in the first phase at four departments, the Governor added.
The DNA sample of Raj Narayan, son of alleged mastermind of the Jawahar Bagh incident, which left 29 persons dead, was today sent for forensic examination, police said.

"The blood and hair sample of Raj Narayan, son of Ram Vriksha, has been sent to forensic lab," SP Crime Rajesh Sonkar said.

M Bansal, CMS of district hospital said that the result may take a few days to arrive as the Lucknow-based forensic lab was the only lab of this kind in the state.

The single-member judicial commission investigating the Jawahar Bagh episode will hold a fresh hearing from 16 to 24 January.

The commission's chief and former Allahabad High Court judge Mirza Imtiaz, and secretary Pramod Kumar Goyal will arrive in Mathura on January 16. The commission has to submit a report in this connection to the Uttar Pradesh government on March 31.

Twenty-nine people - including then SP (City) Mukul Dwivedi and Station House Officer (Farah) Santosh Yadav - were killed during clashes on June 2, 2016 between police and the supporters of cult leader Ram Vriksh Yadav who had encroached upon the 270-acre Jawahar Bagh, a government land.

The police had requested the Additional District Judge Saran Tripathi to drop the proceedings against Ram Vriksha as he was one among those killed in the incident.

The judge, however, had demanded submission of DNA samples to prove Vriksha's death.

"Raj Narayan was finally presented before CJM Kalpana Sharma on Monday and ordered him to undego DNA test," police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Madras High Court has asked people to be vigilant and not sendmoney, give details of debit or credit cards and online accounts and copies of personal documents to strangers.

Justice S Vaidyanathan of the Madurai bench recently dismissed anticipatory bail pleas of A R, Lakshmanan, former Manager of Kumbakonam branch of Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank Limited and V Sankaran, Senior Manager of the same bank, against whom cases were registered by the Crime Branch, Thanjavur, for their involvement in a cheating case.

The case was registered against the two following a complaint from a victim who lost money.

While accepting the submission of Additional Public Prosecutor that the case has been transferred for further investigation to Cyber Crime Branch, the judge observed that people should avoid strangers, who asks for up-front payment via money order, wire transfer, international funds transfer, pre-loaded card or electronic currency.

The case of the prosecution was that by using current account and OD account numbers, fraudulent transactions were done by the two who had knowledge about the complainant's user name and password in respect of his internet banking transaction.

Suspecting the connivance of the bank officials into the alleged transaction, they were called for inquiry by the Thanjavur police.

"The criminals, who indulge in such activities, are generally regarded as Nigerian Scammers", the judge said.

The scammers used to send mass letters, messages and emails with the sole intention to defraud people, who easily fall into their tricks. No money would be disbursed to the victims by the scammers, the judge said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kerala Tourism plans to set up virtual reality kiosks at major airports of the country this year, a key official said today.

Kerala Tourism's Deputy Director Nandakumar K P said the first such kiosk was put up at Indira Gandhi Interntaional Airport at Delhi last month, and another one is the process of being operationalised in Mumbai.

"We plan to have it in most of the big cities this year itself", he told PTI on the sidelines of a business-to-business roadshow here today. "We plan to have it in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai".

Officials said virtual reality kiosk brings to life the backwaters of Kerala and offered a unique experience to its visitors.

A two-minute film watched with a VR headset transports the audience to a Kerala houseboat floating in serene backwaters of the southern state, they said.

Nandakumar said the VR 'experience site', the latest promotional and marketing initiative of Kerala Tourism, has attracted much attention since it went operational in the national capital.

"Those who want to visit (Kerala)..They can have a feel of being in Kerala by seeing the film. Now, we are giving backwater experience. Later, we will have more (add more attractions)", he said.

Nandakumar said Kerala Tourism is currently focusing on adding "more quality" to existing products and enhancing their sustainability rather than increasing their numbers and developing new destinations. "We are planning more promotional and marketing activities", he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Outgoing US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that President-elect Donald Trump had been wrong to criticise "courageous" German leader Angela Merkel, calling his remarks "inappropriate".

Stopping over in London on the closing stages of his final diplomatic tour just four days before Trump is due to take office, Kerry told CNN International yesterday.

Asked about the furore surrounding an interview by Trump with Britain's The Times and Germany's Bild, Kerry defended the European Union, Merkel and Germany's refugee policy.

"I thought, frankly, it was inappropriate for a president-elect of the United States to be stepping in to the politics of other countries in a quite direct manner," Kerry told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

"He'll have to speak for that," Kerry warned. "As of Friday he's responsible for that relationship.

"But I think we have to be very careful about suggesting that one of the strongest leaders in Europe -- and one of the most important in respect of where we are heading -- made one mistake or another."



In his interview, Trump declared NATO "obsolete", praised Britain's decision to quit the European Union and dubbed Merkel's generous policy towards refugees "catastrophic".

Kerry said: "I think she was extremely courageous and I don't think it amounts to that characterisation at all."



Kerry warned that Europe's enemies, including Russia, are trying to divide the West and recalled that President Barack Obama's administration had strongly opposed Brexit.

While in London, Kerry was to have a private farewell dinner with Britain's top diplomat Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and give farewell interviews to media.

Today, he is due to fly to the World Economic Forum in Davos for a final set of discussions with members of the global business and political elite.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) will establish 50 Fabrication Laboratories at various technical colleges in the state to train students to design and manufacture any products using advanced manufacturing machines, a senior official said here today.

KSUM CEO Jayasankar Prasad said 20 such laboratories will start functioning by the end of February this year and work order for another 30 laboratories have been given.

Its installation works will start soon, he said, inaugurating the second leg of the third edition of the FabLab Asia Network conference (FAN3) at Mattancherry.

"KSUM has earmarked Rs 10 crore for the project which will be a fabricating platform enabling students to come forward and develop their ideas in the lab.

The training for teachers at the colleges have been completed and once the installation is completed, students can utilise the facility", a release quoting Prasad said.

The maker culture should benefit the common man and technology should meet with art for achieving the goal.

In the days to come, people can design and manufacture any product using advanced manufacturing machines linked to a computer, he added.

Ted Hung, Director, Fablab, Taipei, made a presentation of Fablab Asia Foundation, a network of 81 Fablabs located in 21 countries in the Asia Pacific region.

The first leg of the conference was held at Mumbai and the second leg at Kochi was hosted by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), Vigyan Ashram and Research Innovation Incubation Design Labs (RiiDL).

Fablabs also serve as a knowledge sharing network that connects a global community of learners, educators, technologists, researchers, makers and innovators.

The FAN3 conference is part of such an exercise. Around 80 international delegates and 200 local makers are participating in this year's conference, the release said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A legislation has been introduced in the Virginia Assembly to declare September 12 as 'Saragarhi Day of Sikh Pride' in recognition of the valour of 21 Sikh warriors who fought against 10,000 Afghan tribesmen in modern day Pakistan in the Battle of Saragarhi this day in 1897.

The battle was fought before the Tirah Campaign on September 12, 1897 between just 21 Sikhs of the 36th Sikhs (now the 4th Battalion of the Sikh Regiment) of British India, defending an army post in the North-West Frontier Province(now Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan) and 10,000 Afghan tribesmen.

Praising the valour shown by these Sikh soldiers, the legislation introduced on January 11 in the Virginia Senate by Bryce Reeves designates September 12 in 2017 and in each succeeding year as 'Saragarhi Day of Sikh Pride in Virginia.'



"It is a proud moment for the Sikhs of the Commonwealth State of Virginia," said Indian-American Puneet Ahluwalia, a leader of the State Republican Party and a member of the Trump's advisory committee on Asian Americans.

He hoped that other states, where Sikhs have a sizeable population like California, and also Congress would introduce similar measures to recognise the valour of the Sikh soldiers.

"This great feat could not have been achieved without the leadership and efforts of Senator Dick Black and Lt Governor Candidate Senator Bryce Reeves. Through many years of their own service and dedication to the country, they have been able to appreciate first hand the contribution, valour and sacrifice of the 21 Sikh Warriors who stood fast in the Battle of Saragarhi," Ahluwalia said.

"At the very core of Sikh values areequality, non- discrimination, standing up for true justice,life of service & dedication, and the protection of the faith of each and every person.Seeing how these core values and beliefs were in line with their own, St Black and Reeves began this initiative to follow through with the recognition of the great Battle of Saragarhi as The Saragarhi Day of Sikh Pride in Virginia," he said.

Meanwhile, Congressman Ami Bera, Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans, applauded the new religious accommodation policy of the US Army announced early this month.

In a significant move to enable all religious minorities in America, including the Sikhs, the US Army issued new regulations on religious liberty to accommodate people who wear beards, turbans or hijabs.

"This is an important step in ensuring that our military can draw on the best and brightest patriots our nation has to offer, no matter what their faith or culture," Bera said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Chattanoogan Hotel announced on Tuesday that it has selected award-winning M&M Productions USA as the exclusive audiovisual partner for events held at the facility.

This new partnership with M&M Productions USA will allow us to offer greater event production options and the latest in audiovisual technology to our meeting and event planners, said Tom Cupo, regional managing director of The Chattanoogan. I am confident M&M Productions extensive equipment inventory and industry reputation for customer service will serve our clients well.



Based in Oak Ridge, M&M Productions USA provides lighting, audio, video production, digital signage, high-definition broadcasting and online streaming services, as well as customized staging, script production, speaker training and event management services. The company has the largest and most up-to-date equipment inventory in the region.



We are proud to partner with downtown Chattanoogas top upscale event venue, M&M Productions USA President and CEO Mike Brown said. Through our world-class technology, events at The Chattanoogan will have access to new lighting, audio and video production options. We look forward to working with The Chattanoogan staff to bring new ideas and help meeting and event planners take their events to the next level.



As part of its partnership with The Chattanoogan, M&M Productions USA has hired a full-time dedicated audiovisual manager. Joel Becker will be located on-site to meet with clients and work with the hotels sales team and event staff. Mr. Becker has more than 15 years of experience in audiovisual event management in the region and will serve as the direct client liaison. Using a customized, turnkey approach, Mr. Becker will work with meeting planners throughout the process, from developing the event concept to managing the program during the event.


Two persons were killed in separate road accidents in Shivpur and Pahariya area here, following which agitated locals blocked the traffic movement for few hours at both the places, police said today.

Satvik Kumar Singh (12), a class VII student, who was returning to home from school was crushed to death by a speeding truck near Shuddhipur crossing in Shivpur police station area here yesterday, they said.

Irked by the incident, local public blocked the traffic movement in Shivpur, which was cleared after the intervention of police.

An FIR has been registered in thecase and police is searching for the absconding truck driver.

In another incident, a 30-year-old man was killed when his motorbike was hit by a speeding bus coming from behind in Pahariya area under Sarnath police station here yesterday, police said.

Locals blocked the Pahariya-Pandeypur route, which was cleared after police assured to take strict action against the driver.

The deceased has been identified as Praveen Kumar Singh, a native of Dharahara village.

The bus has been seized and search for the absconding driver in on, they said, adding an FIR has been registered in the case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man hacked a meat shop owner and a woman to death in broad daylight in Naxalbari area of Jalpaiguri district today following which he was beaten up by a mob and handed over to police.

The man, whose identify is yet to be established, suddenly attacked the owner of the meat shop at his store in Hatidisha locality of Naxalbari and hacked him to death with a sharp-edged weapon, a senior police officer said.

The man then went berserk lunging towards a young woman, who was passing by, and stabbed her repeatedly, police said.

As the woman slumped to the ground, the assailant threatened the crowd which gathered there. But he was overpowered and beaten up, the officer said.

The man was then handed over to the police and later admitted to a hospital in serious condition, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man from Bihar has been languishing in a jail in Saudi Arabia for over 15 years, and his family, unable to pay a punishment sum of over Rs 1 crore to secure his release, has now approached External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for help.

Mohammed Irfan, 42, was arrested for allegedly committing theft of medicines from a local government warehouse in Jeddah in January 2000 and since then he has been in jail, according to a December 21, 2016 correspondence between the Ministry of External Affairs and National Commission for Minorities (NCM) member Praveen Davar.

Irfan was arrested for allegedly violating two Saudi rights -- public and private.

While Irfan, who hails from Bihar's Piplawan village, has served imprisonment of 18 months under public right, he continues to be in prison for not fulfilling private right, under which he is required to pay a penalty amount of around Rs 1.29 crore (7,11,562 Saudi Riyals).

According to a public court in Jeddah, Irfan must pay the amount to the Saudi Health Ministry for allegedly stealing medicines from the warehouse of its medical supply department, where he used to work as an air-conditioner technician.

Irfan is accused of selling the medicines to Mansoor Ali Hakeem, a Bangladeshi national, and transmitting cost of the medicines.

Given the prevalent rules/laws of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, no one can exempt/waive or commute punishment awarded under private right except the affected party, the correspondence from the office of Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said.

The matter was taken up several times with the Saudi authorities concerned in the past, but no positive reply has been received till now in this regard, it said.

Irfan's father Shakeel Ahmed and his brother Istekhar visited Jeddah during February-March, last year to enquire about the case and to meet him, the documents said.

Istekhar, who is said to have shifted with the family to Phulwari Shareef village now from Piplawan, though told PTI that it was not him or his father but his cousin who had met Irfan.

"We are poor people. We can't afford to travel to Saudi



Arabia. It's not me or my father, but a cousin who had gone to see him," Istekhar said on phone.

A tutor by profession, Istekhar said the family had in the past approached several authorities including the Prime Minister's Office and the External Affairs Ministry for help when Pranab Mukherjee, now President, was the External Affairs Minister.

"We sold our land and house to see my brother is released. A person who promised us help, took money but did not help us. We now urge (Sushma) Swaraj ji to help my brother return. My parents have turned old now, waiting to see their son. We earnestly request the minister to help us," he urged.

Istekhar also alleged that his brother was framed by a Mumbai-based firm which had hired him in 1996 to work in the Gulf country.

Irfan wanted to return home in the year he was arrested, but his employer was against it, he claimed.

He charged the employer with forcibly making Irfan work two years beyond the agreement and also paying less than what was assured.

Meanwhile, Davar has urged individuals and NGOs to extend monetary help to the family to secure Irfan's release.
Hit by demonetisation and mounting bad loans, some public sector (PSBs) may skip paying dividend which will have implications for government receipts in the current financial.

Some PSU bankers have already indicated to the Ministry that it may not be possible for them to pay dividend as their profits are likely to remain subdued due to lower credit offtake and rising NPAs, sources said without specifying the names of the .

As a result, they said, it is expected that the revenue from dividend from public sector is likely to be less than Rs 1,000 crore as many banks are going to skip dividend payment this financial year.

Gross NPAs of PSBs rose to Rs 6,30,323 crore at the end of September 30, as against Rs 5,50,346 crore by June, 2016.

According to analysts, normal banking operation was hit for almost two months due to demonetisation leading to decline in income operation of banks. The credit offtake hit a record low of 5.3 per cent following note-ban.

At this point of time, it seems difficult proposition that banks would be able to pay dividend this year when all of them are seeking higher capital, sources said.

In previous financial year, as many as 16 PSBs, including PNB, BoB and Canara Bank, skipped paying dividend in 2015-16, leading to three-fold decline in government receipts to Rs 1,444.6 crore.

Only six state-owned banks including SBI declared dividend, though at a lower rate, for the financial year ended March 2016.

Under the existing guidelines, profit-making banks have to pay a minimum dividend of 20 per cent of their equity or 20 per cent of their post-tax profit, whichever is higher.

The government, which is the majority shareholder in all the public sector banks, witnessed 67 per cent decline in dividend receipt from PSU banks at Rs 1,444.6 crore as against Rs 4,336.22 crore in the previous fiscal.

According to the Ministry data, the highest dividend was paid by SBI to the government at Rs 1,214.6 crore during 2015-16, 22 per cent lower than the previous financial year.

As regards Union Bank of India, the dividend payout was one-third of the previous fiscal at Rs 85 crore. For Oriental Bank of Commerce, it was one-fifth compared to the previous financial year at Rs 12.4 crore despite increase in government holding due to capital infusion.

Those which skipped dividend payments included Allahabad Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Corporation Bank, Punjab National Bank, Dena Bank and Syndicate Bank.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today said his government is setting up a special court to try cases of crimes against women and children while asserting fair investigation was on into the sex racket case involving a 14-year old girl.

"There will be special court for all cases of crimes against women and children," the Chief Minister said after a party meeting here.

This came days after a legislator and other 10 persons were arrested and jailed for their involvement in a sex racket involving a 14-year-old girl here.

Sangma said, "....Wherever the government feels necessary for expeditious administration of justice, will then propose for constitution of a special court to deal with any cases as may be identified," he said.

The chief minister said that the process is already on as such courts are established with the approval of the High Court.

Meghalaya MLA Julius K Dorphang, a founding member of a banned organisation till he surrendered in 2007, was named by the 14-year-old victim as one of the people who violated her on a number of times.

The sex racket came to light last month after an employee of the guest house owned by senior Congress leader and Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh's son was arrested after the victim was rescued near it.

On why the Home Minister was not sacked despite the police registering an FIR filed by women activists against the owners of the guest house, Mukul said, "The whole investigation is on. Please have faith in our own administration of justice. There will be fair investigation."



Commending the role played by the state police in tackling such crimes, the Chief Minister reminded that he had already informed the House about how the police have completed charge-sheeting in all reported crimes against women and children.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mexican authorities investigated today whether a feud over local drug sales was behind a nightclub shooting that killed three foreigners and two Mexicans at a popular beach resort.

Yesterday's shooting at the Blue Parrot club during the BPM electronic music festival rocked Playa del Carmen, a peaceful Caribbean seaside town.

While the resort -- popular among American, Canadian and European tourists -- has been spared from the gang violence plaguing other parts of Mexico, drug dealers regularly approach foreigners to sell them narcotics.

The shooting "could be a case of small-time drug dealers fighting for control" of turf, said Miguel Angel Pech, attorney general of Quintana Roo state.

Pech said the gunman fired five times at a Mexican man at the Blue Parrot club before dawn yesterday.

The victim's bodyguards or people protecting him fired back "to repel the attack", Pech told the Televisa network.

When the shooter fled the club, he hit another person who was also armed and whose gun went off when he fell, hitting other people, Pech said.

A Canadian man and an Italian man, both of whom worked for the BPM electronic music festival, and a Mexican man, died from bullet wounds.

An American woman was trampled to death in a stampede as people fled the club in panic. Fifteen other people were wounded by bullets or hurt in the stampede.

Officials are also investigating whether the shooter showed up to kill the Mexican man, or whether the incident was linked to a dispute over an extortion racket against the club, or the dealers were not allowed to sell drugs inside the club.

Authorities are investigating the background of the Mexican victim, who is originally from the eastern state of Veracruz. His family said he worked for a phone company and that he was related to a Veracruz state government official.

While authorities have surveillance camera footage, it is insufficient to identify the shooter, Pech said.

Authorities had suggested yesterday that the shooting was linked to a personal conflict between two people. Earlier, they reported that the gunfire erupted after the gunman was denied entry at the club.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President-elect Donald Trump's stern warning to American companies for not doing enough to keep jobs in the US does not make Microsoft's India-born CEO Satya Nadella nervous as he is confident about the tech giant's role as a job creator.

"We're a US-based company that operates worldwide and our predominant employment is in the United States," Nadella said on Trump pressing the business world to boost activities on American soil.

"We've already created a tremendous amount of high-paying jobs in the US," he told CNNTech at the DLD tech conference in Munich yesterday.

Microsoft employs more than 113,000 people worldwide, more than 64,000 of whom are in the United States, mainly in Washington state, according to the company.

In the wake of Trump's win, companies are eager to play up the number of Americans they employ, the CNNTech said.

Companies like Amazon have made public announcements about the jobs they expect to add, with messaging that seems to be in direct response to Trump's win.

Amazon recently announced that it plans to create more than 100,000 new full-time jobs in the US in the next 18 months, bringing its total workforce in the country to 280,000.

However, Nadella is confident about Microsoft's place as a job creator and said Trump's ascent has not changed the roadmap much for Microsoft.

"If anything, we'll double down on what we've always done, which is be a US company that operates in the United States very responsibly, but also being a multinational company that contributes into every country that we work in."



Trump has primarily used his Twitter account to go after the automotive and aviation industries. So far, tech has mostly been spared.

Last month, the US President-elect met with Nadella and top execs from Amazon, Tesla, Apple, Facebook and several other large tech companies in New York after months of clashing over creating more jobs and increasing investments in the US.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
JD(S) supremo H D Devegowda today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give equal attention to the plight of the farmers and work out schemes for them just like he was focusing on "Digital India" programme.

The former prime minister said he was not opposed to Digital India programme but equal attention should be paid to farmers who were in distress due to drought and other adverse conditions.

"This is an appropriate and correct time to think about farmers," Gowda said here, adding, "but I'm not opposed to digital India."



Gowda claimed that the recent steps taken by the Modi is not enough, referring to his announcement of 60 days interest rebate to farmers and Rs 6000 financial help to pregnant women.

He said that his son H D Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister of Karnataka had taken steps to waive off farmers loan to the tune of Rs 2,800 crores and announced Rs 10,000 for every newly born girl child in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
International ratings agency Moody's today retained its stable outlook on the global airline industry, as it expects the declining but still-strong operating margins to continue, but warned that rising fuel cost poses headwinds.

Moody's projects the aggregate operating margin of rated airlines to approach 9 per cent in 2017 and about 8 per cent in 2018, from a projected 10.8 per cent in 2016.

"This declining trend reflects declines in operating profit of airlines of about 11 per cent in 2017 and about 12 per cent in 2018, widening from a projected 1.2 per cent contraction in 2016," Moody's said in a note issued from its New York headquarters.

The report also warned that though the outlook remains stable, fuel costs and capacity addition and utilisation will be key to upcoming earnings trend.

But the agency was quick to add that these changes come within its -20 per cent to +20 per cent range for a stable outlook.

"American carriers will still have the industry's highest operating margins, despite being on track to drop by about 20 per cent over the next 12-18 months due to modestly higher fuel and increases in labour costs under new union contracts agreed to in 2016 at major airlines," says Jonathan Root, a vice president and a senior credit officer.

Legacy carriers in Europe and in increasingly competitive developing markets, on the other hand, face greater challenges to grow their operating margins.

"Low-cost, low-fare carriers will advance their expansion across Europe and in long-haul, sustaining pressure on legacy operators," Root said, adding it will be much the same across Asia as well.

Passenger demand will continue to trend upwards, albeit slowly, supported by modest but steady global economic growth and increasing air travel in the developing world.

But aggregate capacity growth will outstrip growth in aggregate demand by about half a percentage point due to the still relatively low cost of fuel, availability of older aircraft coming off leases and growth of low-cost carriers.

Capacity growth across geographic regions will vary, with the US growing in the low single-digits, Europe in the mid-single digits, and, according to Iata, developing markets like Asia and the Middle East growing about 7.5 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively. Unrated airlines will lead capacity growth in Latin America in 2017.

Despite India being the fastest-growing civil aviation market, the report does not have a word on this, so is the case with China, which is the second largest market in the world after the US.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Barring eastern India, most parts of the country will witness either rain or this month due to two western disturbances and a trough, a private weather forecasting agency Skymet has said.

Back to back western disturbances will continue to affect Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand throughout January.

"Therefore, rain and will also continue over the western Himalayas. Models are indicating that few more western disturbances will approach hilly states in the month of February as well," Skymet CEO Jatin Singh said.

Plains of north-west India will also receive good rain from January 24 onward. But isolated rain cannot be ruled out over Rajasthan on January 21 and 22.

An induce cyclonic circulation is expected to form over central Pakistan and adjoining Rajasthan by January 24. This weather system will receive moisture from the Bay of Bengal as well as the Arabian Sea. Simultaneously a trough is expected to form from Haryana to Gujarat.

"Punjab, Haryana, West UP, Delhi, North Rajasthan and northern parts of Madhya Pradesh will receive light to moderate rain/thundershowers from January 24 to 27," Pahlawat said.

A trough is expected to form over south-west Bay of Bengal off Tamil Nadu coast around January 20 and an easterly wave will also become prominent.

This will give rain over Tamil Nadu from January 21. Intermittent rain will continue till January 27 over many parts of TN, south interior Karnataka and Kerala.

Light rain is possible at a few places over Maharashtra on January 26-27 due to the interaction of weather system of north and south.

"So we can say that last 10 days of January are going to be the wettest for most parts of the country, except east India," Singh added.




A free lecture titled, "Everything You Need to Know about Heart Health" will be offered at 6 p.m. on Jan. 25, at Nutrition World, 6201 Lee Highway.



There are 17 risk factors for heart disease. Officials said, "Some of them will surprise you, some youve never even heard about! All are essential to staying alive."



Life Extensions Jeff Thomas, C.N. will be the presenter.



There is reserved seating. RSVP at 423 892-4085.
Omar Tarshan had never visited any of Syria's famous public baths until three weeks ago, when a water shortage in his Damascus neighborhood forced him to look for an alternative place to shower.

Yesterday night, the 25-year-old accountant came with a colleague, Safwat Hariri, to the 1,000-year-old bath house in the old quarter of Damascus the Hammam al-Malik al Zahir where each was given two towels, a loofah and a piece of traditional olive oil soap. Minutes later, they stepped into the bath, enveloped by thick vapor.

The two men share the frustration of many other residents of the Syrian capital, forced to wait in long lines to fill their jerry cans after fighting with rebels in a valley northwest of Damascus cut off the main water line for the city last month.

The more affluent, pay tanker trucks to come and fill up their tanks at home.

"We have no water at home and so I discovered the public bath," said Tarshan, a terry cloth wrapped around his waist.

The bath house, like others in Syria, has its own well and doesn't rely on the public water network.

Since December 22, the fighting in Barada Valley has severely restricted the flow of water to Damascus, piling up more hardship on the city's 5 million people already suffering massive power cuts, rising food prices and general erosion in all services as Syria's brutal conflict is about to enter its seventh year.

President Bashar Assad's government forces fighting for control of the opposition-held Barada Valley say the rebels contaminated the area's Ein al-Fijeh spring with diesel.

The rebels say government airstrikes damaged the water source. As insulated as Damascus has been from the effects of the civil war that has torn much of the country apart, the recent water crisis has dominated the talk in much of the city.

Residents line up in front of public taps with containers in hand; others crowd around huge water tankers parked in residential neighborhoods. Government-owned tanker trucks ferry water around the clock to hospitals.

Prices of bottled waters have doubled, as the fighting-stricken valley Wadi Barada in Arabic is home to some of the country's most famous drinking water companies.

A driver of one of the state-owned tanker trucks filled it up yesterday morning at a public tap in western Damascus, before heading across town to one of the e city's main hospitals.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today came to the defence of 16-year old Kashmiri girl Zaira who featured in Dangal movie and was trolled for meeting J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and wondered why "ultra liberals" are silent on the issue.

"Why did she have to tender an apology for meeting the CM of her own state? Why is everyone silent now? Where are the so called ultra liberals now?" Naidu, who holds the portfolio of Information and Broadcasting, questioned.

Naidu, who is also Urban Development Minister, was addressing a function of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) here.

Asserting that the incident clearly shows the irony of the pseudo liberals who vehemently came out to speak against the growing "intolerance" earlier, Naidu urged the people to stand up by her side.

Zaira, who has featured as a young Geeta Phogat in the recently released Bollywood movie Dangal, was trolled after her picture with Mehbooba emerged which triggered a backlash.

Naidu said it is in fact a great achievement that children from Jammu and Kashmir are coming into the mainstream and are showcasing their talent and inspiring thousands of other youngsters.

"Zaira's episode shows how pseudo liberals react to different situations, adopt different standards. What is wrong committed by this young talented artist from Jammu and Kashimir?" he said.

She has shown the path and one should feel proud and appreciate her than trying to be verbally violent, the minister said.

Commenting on the controversy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi replacing Mahatma Gandhi in the 2017 calendar and diary of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Naidu said "creating unnecessary" issues by certain people has become a routine.

"What is the issue, I don't understand? PM Modi has been promoting Khadi from day one. He is appealing to the people to use khadi and its sales has increased over 30 per cent," he said.

Hitting out at those criticising the issue, he said it is the very same people who have never followed the Father of the Nation. "There was no photo of Gandhi ji for 5 years during the Congress regime but they had no objection at that time," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Opposition National Conference (NC) today staged a walkout from the Assembly alleging that the state government had failed to provide electricity supply to the snow-bound areas of Kashmir.

As soon as the House assembled in the morning, NC MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar stood up and raised the issue which, he said, had "exposed" the government's claims.

"There are several areas in Kashmir which are without electricity for the past 2-3 days. The snowfall has exposed the claims of the government in providing basic facilities to the people of the state," Sagar said.

The NC members demanded a statement from the government to which the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, who also holds the Power portfolio, said that 80 per cent of power supply was available in the Kashmir valley.

Not satisfied with the statement of the Deputy Chief Minister, the NC members staged a walkout from the House.

Later while speaking to the reporters, Sagar reiterated his accusation against the state government.

"The people in Kashmir are reeling under power cut and the government has not been able to provide them electricity. There are several areas which do not have electricity for past several days," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Neighbourhood First' policy has sparked great optimism, but it would like to see concrete steps taken in the form of trade, investment, and road and rail connectivity.

Nepal's Minister of Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahant also emphasised on addressing the "root cause" behind the "limited growth" of SAARC so as to ensure better and effective regional integration.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi sparked great optimism when he articulated the vision of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas (together with all development for all) and his neighbourhood first policy," he said at the Raisina Dialogue 2017.

"We would like to see this vision translate into concrete deliverables in the form of trade, investment, connectivity with highways and railways and (power) transmission infrastructure," he said.

When asked about the joint military exercise between Nepal and China, Mahant downplayed the development saying it's a "small" training.

"People are talking as if we are doing any huge exercise. It's nothing like that. We have so many engagements in India in terms of security cooperation and other things. When small training takes place, it should not (be seen) as if a strange thing is happening," he said, talking to reporters, later on.

He said private players in India should not feel Nepal is still what it was during insurgency days. The situation in the country has changed and it's a different country now, he said.

Highlighting the problems facing South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, he said, "Evolution of SAARC process has been painfully slow to achieve regional integration and we must address the root causes of the problem to materialise the noble intention of regional integration and prosperity."



To address the electricity issues in Nepal, he said his country is working with India on open market access for power grid at bilateral and sub-regional level.

Besides, Mahant said, the two countries are also working in the sub-regional framework of Bangladesh Bhutan India and Nepal (BBIN) initiative to achieve greater cross-border connectivity in vital sector of trade.

He said, Nepal is inspired by the phenomenal progress India is making in fields from science and Technology to economic growth.

"How we can rise with our neighbour's rise is our key interest. We are impressed by some bold initiatives India has taken under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership to ensure digital and financial access to the poor and fight against corruption," Mahant added.

(Reopens DES 77)



Lauding India for its continued support in its "quest" for peace and democracy, Mahant said Nepal is making efforts to accommodate everyone within constitutional framework by addressing their "legitimate" concerns.

Speaking in the same session, ex-Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai said the way the "war on terror" is being conducted, it is destroying extremism neither in his country nor in the region despite massive sacrifices in terms of lives and resources.

He, however, appreciated the role of the international community, including India, for helping rebuild Afghanistan.

Recalling his interaction with President Vladimir Putin, Karzai said he was told that despite Russia's differences with the US, the two countries "could see eye to eye" in Afghanistan.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said the United Nations has not been able to decide on the definition of terrorism for the past two decades.

"The nations that have lived through conventional challenges are still not being able to grapple with problems they cannot fully understand...Over 20 years, the UN has not been able to find definition for terrorism...Something which actually seeks to destroy the architecture of international stability," Akbar said.

He also rued that the problem with the current discourse is that "Islam is being blamed with sins of Muslims".
Nepal, Bangladesh and India should join hands for developing hydropower projects, a senior Nepalese Minister said today, underlining the Himalayan nation's immense potential in the sector.

"Time has come for Nepal, Bangladesh and India to come forward and cooperate in harnessing Nepal's immense hydropower potential," Nepal's Minister for Supplies Deepak Bohara said, inaugurating the 3rd Bangladesh Trade Fair in Bhrikutimandap are of Kathmandu.

He said the government and private sectors of the three countries need to reach an agreement for forging collaboration in developing hydropower projects.

The present volume of Nepalese rupees 5 billion trade between Bangladesh and Nepal should be further increased through more collaboration and cooperation in the areas of trade and commerce, he said.

Economic cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh started mainly after the two countries signed agreements on trade, transit, civil aviation and technical field in 1996, Bohara said.

"There is a need for more cooperation and collaboration between the two South Asian neighbours for the benefit of the people of both the countries," he added.

Foreign department chief of ruling Awami League Party of Bangladesh, Sajjat Haider, said Bangladesh needs hydropower from Nepal to help boost it industrialisation process.

"Nepal and Bangladesh can also cooperate in the area of hydropower and Bangladesh investors are interested in making investment in the field," he said.

"Nepal can benefit a lot if it can use Mongla Sea Port, which is more convenient than the present Calcutta dry port being used by Nepal for international trade," he added.

There is only 23 km distance between landlocked Nepal and Bangladesh and both the countries can benefit if they cooperate in the areas of hydropower, trade, tourism etc, he pointed out.

Jute, garments, food, electronic goods and leather items are mainly displayed in 54 stalls during the five-day trade fair organised by Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Nepalese, 'faking' as a Tibetan to seek refuge in US, and a Tibetan national have been arrested for allegedly carrying fake documents at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here.

Officials said the incident was reported on the intervening night of January 15 and 16 when CISF personnel were alerted by a US-based flier about a passenger trying to fly to New York.

The CISF later found that the passenger allegedly exchanged his boarding pass inside a washroom in the terminal area with the other, and based on CCTV footage, they were intercepted and offloaded.

The man, who was carrying fake travel documents to US was identified as Rajender Gurung, a Nepali national. He was allegedly carrying documents in the name of Pema Wangyal, a Tibetan national who holds USA Travel Documents, said a senior police officer.

The original USA Travel document holder Pema Wangyal was facilitating him, he added.

"Pema Wangyal is a Tibetan national and is living as a refugee in US on valid documents. Wangyal was convinced by Gurung to hand over his documents so that the latter could live as a refugee in the US while Wangyal could get fresh papers prepared after reaching US," said a senior police officer.

The co-accused Pema Wangyal was also apprehended with the swapped boarding pass of a flight from New Delhi to Mumbai. Wangyal was allegedly carrying a fake Nepali citizenship id in the name of Wangdulama Tsering, he said.

On the written complaint of immigration officials, a case has been registered, the officer added.

During interrogation, they revealed that the fake ids of both the persons were prepared by two Nepal-based agents, he said.

The police and immigration authorities are now probing if the case pertains to a human trafficking racket, an official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The car in which had made his 'great escape' from his ancestral home here in 1941, while under house arrest by the then British government, has been restored and will be unveiled by President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday.

The German Wanderer sedan of 1937 make has been restored to its 1941 look by automobile giant Audi and is now in excellent running condition, Krishna Bose, wife of Netaji's nephew Sisir Kumar Bose, told PTI.

"The President will flag off the car on Wednesday which was last driven by my husband Dr Sisir Bose for a shooting of a Japanese news channel in 1978 after it was gifted to Netaji Research Bureau by our family in 1958 and kept for visitors there," the former Lok Sabha MP said.

Krishna Bose said she and other family members had taken ride in the car till 1957.

She said though the car was in a good condition, the family and Netaji Research Bureau wanted to restore it to the 1941 look when Netaji was driven from Kolkata to Gomoh by Sisir Kumar Bose in the month of January.

"Engineers from Audi with the help of our technicians worked tirelessly for the past six months to bring that look in the car and now it will be unveiled for the people on Wednesday," she said.
Nick Cannon came out in defence of his ex-wife Mariah Carey's disastrous New Year's Eve performance, saying despite the glitches she tried to work through it.

The 'America's Got Talent' host, during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, also made some jokes.

"You know me, I'm a conspiracy theorist. I think the government did that! They set her up! That was a distraction!," he joked initially.

"Anyone who knows about performing and having inner-ears, things like that can go wrong on live television... So when there's people in your ear saying things and stuff, I think she got a little flustered."



The musician, who shares twins Moroccan Cannon and Monroe Cannon with Carey, was full of praise for Carey for the way she handled the situation.

"Being the diva that she is, she said, 'I'm just going to walk around and pose for 7 minutes and like Ryan Seacrest said, she can do no wrong. So she worked through it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The on Tuesday denied allegations made by the Congress of engaging a tainted UK-based firm for printing plastic notes, saying no fresh contract has been given to the company during the last three years.

Accusing the government of compromising national interest, the Congress said that a "tainted" UK-based note printing company De La Rue has been shortlisted for printing of plastic notes despite it being blacklisted.

Rejecting reports in this regard, the stated the "said company" had been supplying bank note paper till 2010 and further as per the decision taken in 2013, the company was permitted to supply a security feature for bank notes till December 2015.

"No fresh contract has been given to this company by the Government during the last three years. The Security Clearance for this company has been withheld by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India and hence no fresh orders have been placed with the said company since 2014," it said.

The ministry also said the company has applied for setting up a factory in India, but "no action has been taken on their application".

Earlier in the day while talking to reporters at the AICC headquarters former Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy said: "A tainted UK-based note printing company De La Rue has been shortlisted for printing of plastic notes in India despite it being blacklisted. It shows complicity at the highest level".
There is no proposal to add new buses to the fleet of state-owned agency Delhi Transport Corporation which ferries around 35 lakh passengers every day, the AAP government told the Assembly today.

It also said no new bus has been added to the DTC fleet in the last two years.

In a written reply to a question by Opposition leader Vijender Gupta during the Winter Session of Delhi Assembly, Transport Minister Satyendar Jain said the government has, however, made a plan to run new buses (orange) under the Cluster Scheme in which private players provide buses to DIMTS.

Presently, there is a demand of over 11,000 buses in Delhi and as per plan, DTC and DIMTS have to run 5,500 buses each in the national capital.

DTC currently runs 4,009 buses in the city while Delhi Integrated Multi-Model Transit System (DIMTS) has around 1,500.

"In last two years, no new bus has been added to the fleet of Delhi Transport Corporation," Jain said.

Asked if the government has plan to buy new buses in the near future, the Transport Minister said, "There is no proposal to buy buses. But under the Cluster Scheme, plan is being made to run new buses."



On several occasions, the government has said it has planned augmenting public transport in the national capital.

The city administration may also introduce the third round of odd-even scheme as per graded response notified by the Centre to deal with air pollution.

Under Cluster Scheme, concessionaires provide buses to DIMTS which operates them and they are paid as per kilometres.

Also, the government has decided to redesign 1,397 old bus queue shelters in the capital.

"Existing bus queue shelters are so expensive due to which contractors were incurring a heavy loss. Existing bus shelters are set up at a cost of Rs 15 lakh each.

"We are making a plan to bring down the cost of bus queue shelters. From Wazirpur depot to Dhaula Kuan, all bus queue shelters will be resigned," Jain told the House.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Updated: More Illinois Representatives Are Skipping Trump's Inauguration

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jan 17, 2017 9:33PM

Update: 1/18:

Rep. Jan Schakowsky announced on Wednesday morning that she also will not attend Trump's inauguration on Friday. She will join the Women's March of Washington instead.

I have decided to join the growing group of my colleagues who will boycott this Friday's Inauguration. pic.twitter.com/5HZt70ZFm9  Jan Schakowsky (@janschakowsky) January 18, 2017

Original:

At least two more representatives from the Chicago area will not be attending Donald Trumps swearing-in on Friday.

The offices of Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL 5th District) and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL 3rd District) both confirmed that neither lawmaker will attend the Orange Poxs Trumps inauguration, the Tribune reports.

Among Illinois reps, Quigley and Lipinski join Luis Gutierrez (D-IL 4th District), who was well ahead of the no-show trend when he announced in early December that he would attend scheduled ralliessuch as the potentially historic Womens March on Washingtoninstead.

Lipinski would rather be working in his district and spending time with his wife to watching the inauguration ceremony and attending parties in Washington," his spokesman Isaac Sancken told the paper. Quigley is expected to expound on his choice within a couple of days.



Even though both have either met or spoken with Trump, neither Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner nor Democrat Mayor Rahm Emanual will attend the inauguration either. Im focused on Illinois. I really try to minimize the distractions, Rauner said earlier this month when he publicized his decision. I minimize my time out of state.

More than 50 Democratic legislators have announced their intentions to skip Fridays inauguration, lending further credence to recent polls that suggest Trump will be one of the most unpopular incoming presidents in modern history.

While Democrats have had much to bemoan about Trump in recent weeksfrom his tepid response to Russian interference to his, um, curious celebu-advisersit was PEOTUS denigrating tweets toward civil-rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and the state of his district that prompted boycott to balloon.

Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to......  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2017

mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk - no action or results. Sad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2017

Check out the Tribune's full scoopincluding what appears to be some still-up-in-the-air uncertainty from Reps. Robin Kelly, of Matteson and Jan Schakowskyhere.


He has so far done only romantic films but actor Aditya Roy Kapoor says he is open to experimenting with different genres and would love to do an action film next.

Movie like "Aashiqui 2", "Fitoor" and "Ok Jaanu" have explored his lover boy side but Aditya says it is a mere coincidence.

"It is just a matter of coincidence that those are the only scripts that have appealed to me so far. It is not a conscious decision. I love all kinds of genres. I watch all kinds of movies. I grew up watching a lot of action films. I would love to do an action film. I think it will be great fun," he said in an interview here.

When asked if he is afraid of being stereotyped as a romantic hero, the actor said he is not worried as he is too new in the industry.

"Sure, it can happen that the director sees you in a particular genre and they like your work in that genre they tend to think that you can only do well in that genre...

"But, I am being offered different roles. Actors who have just started off their careers, like me, don't get slotted easily. May be once you've either failed in a couple of genres, they say you're only good in one. But if you have tried it, then they don't slot you."



Aditya also wants to explore his musical side in near future and hopes to cut an album some day.

"Sometimes, I sit with my guitar and start playing... something or the other pops into my head... Basically, I write whatever that comes to my mind.

"I've written a lot of songs but they are lying in my cupboard... I mean to do something about them someday," he said, adding he has been playing guitar for around 8-9 years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Barack Obama has marked the first anniversary of the nuclear deal with Iran by emphasising its "significant and concrete results" and warning against undoing a pact supported by the world's major powers.

In language that seemed clearly directed at incoming president Donald Trump, who is set to take office on Friday, Obama said yesterday "the United States must remember that this agreement was the result of years of work, and represents an agreement between the world's major powers - not simply the United States and Iran."



He said the deal had "achieved significant, concrete results in making the United States and the world a safer place" and "verifiably prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."



Such a diplomatic solution, he added, was "far preferable to an unconstrained Iranian nuclear program or another war in the Middle East."



Trump has often denounced the nuclear deal, and in a Sunday interview with the Times of London and Bild newspaper of Germany he continued his criticism, saying, "I'm not happy with the Iran deal, I think it's one of the worst deals ever made."



But he declined to say whether he intended to "renegotiate" the deal, as he asserted regularly during the presidential campaign.

Obama insisted yesterday that despite US reservations about other actions by Iran - including its support for "violent proxies" and "terrorist groups" - Tehran was "upholding its commitments, demonstrating the success of diplomacy."



Iran, he said, had "reduced its uranium stockpile by 98 per cent and removed two-thirds of its centrifuges."



"There is no question, however, that the challenges we face with Iran would be much worse if Iran were also on the threshold of building a nuclear weapon," Obama said.

Secretary of State John Kerry, who helped negotiate the deal, said the Iran agreement had "resolved a major nuclear threat without firing a shot or sending a single soldier into combat."



"It was endorsed unanimously by the United Nations Security Council and earned the support of more than 100 countries across the globe," he added.

For all of Trump's sharp criticism of Iran and the nuclear deal, the policy he will embrace once in office remains unclear.

One of his top cabinet nominees, retired Marine general James Mattis, said last week that if he is confirmed as defense secretary, he will support the nuclear deal.

"When America gives her word," he told senators during his confirmation hearing, "we have to live up to it and work with our allies."



The pact was signed in July 2015 by Iran and six major powers - the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany - and led to the lifting exactly a year ago of most international sanctions against Iran.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Barack Obama family's move from the White House appears to be underway after a large number of vans carrying his belongings were sighted outside his new eight-bedroom home today, according to a media report.

The images of moving van outside the Obamas' new home in the upscale residential neighbourhood of Kalorama were spotted. The picture also shows boxes on the street, the CBS reported.

The eight-bedroom home is 8,200-square-foot and has nine-and-a-half bathrooms, according to Town and Country, which published pictures of the home's interior.

In his last appearance on '60 Minutes' interview, President Obama said his family will be happy to be out of the White House.

"I mean, the girls, obviously, you know, they are now of an age in which the constraints of Secret Service and bubbles and all that stuff has gotten pretty old. Michelle never fully took to the scrutiny. I mean, she's thrived as a first lady, but it's not her preference," Obama said.

The family will move into the 8,200-square-foot mansion after they return from their Palm Springs, California, vacation.

Though they are only renting it, the home is valued at USD 6.3 million, the report said.

US President-elect Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, are moving into a house just blocks from where Obama and his family will be living, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Nigerian state official says an Air Force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists has mistakenly bombed a refugee camp, killing more than 100 refugees and wounding aid workers.

The Borno state government official is helping to coordinate the evacuation of wounded.

The official spoke on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to reporters.

Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirms the accidental bombardment in northeast Rann, near the border with Cameroon. The general says among the wounded are Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders and the Committee of the Red Cross.

This is believed to be the first time Nigeria's military has admitted to making such a mistake.
A 24-year-old man who was sitting on a dharna at Jantar Mantar for nearly 150 days, allegedly attempted suicide today by consuming poison following which he has been hospitalised, police said.

Dinesh Kumar, from Alawpur in Palwal district of Haryana, tried to kill himself by consuming rat killer around 4.10 PM, police said.

In his suicide note, he wrote he has been sitting in protest at Jantar Mantar for the last 148 days against unfilled vacancies of SSC in 2011.

He said he comes from a very poor family and has been getting false assurances but nothing concrete has happened, they added.

He was shifted to RML Hospital where his condition is said to be stable, police said.

"He has been sitting on dharna since August 23, 2016 under the leadership of one Altaf Hussan against not filling of unfilled vacancy by SSC of 2011. Further investigation is underway," said a senior police officer.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The widow of the Orlando nightclub gunman has been charged with helping her husband in the months leading up to the June massacre that left 49 people dead, according to an indictment unsealed today.

Noor Salman, 30, is due in federal court in Oakland today, following her arrest a day earlier on the Florida charges.

The two-count indictment accuses her of knowingly aiding and abetting her husband, Omar Mateen, in providing material support and resources to the Islamic State group between April and June of last year. It also says she knowingly misled police and the FBI after the June 12, 2016, attack at the Pulse nightclub. The charging document does not give additional details on Salman's actions.

Salman is from the San Francisco Bay Area, and in the aftermath of the Orlando attack that also left her husband dead, she returned here with their son, whose name she has since sought to change. She was repeatedly questioned by FBI investigators over whether she had any knowledge of her husband's plans.

Her attorney Linda Moreno said after her arrest that she "had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night".

Salman told The New York Times in an interview published in November that she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but was "unaware of everything" regarding his intent to shoot up the club. Salman also said he had physically abused her, which her attorney reiterated yesterday.

"Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands," Moreno said. "We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonours the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person."



The San Francisco office of the FBI said Salman was taken into custody yesterday morning in Rodeo, which is the small Bay Area community where she grew up and where her family lives. She is being held about 30 miles away at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Previously, jail records stated that she had been arrested in Dublin. The reason for the discrepancy wasn't clear.

US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in an interview yesterday with MSNBC that "from the beginning, we were going to look at every aspect of this, of every aspect of this shooter's life to determine not just why did he take these actions, but who else knew about them? Was anyone else involved?"



Salman met Mateen online and the two married in 2011.

They lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the time of the shooting.

Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a 911 call during the three-hour standoff that ended in his death. Forty nine patrons were killed and another 53 were hospitalised.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Our universe contains an astonishing two trillion galaxies, ten times more than previously thought, according to a new study published today.

Astronomers have long sought to determine how many galaxies there are in the observable universe, the part of the cosmos where light from distant objects has had time to reach us.

Over the last 20 years, scientists have used images from the Hubble Space Telescope to estimate that the universe we can see contains around 100 to 200 billion galaxies.

Current technology allows us to study just 10 per cent of these galaxies, and the remaining 90 per cent will be only seen once bigger and better telescopes are developed, said researchers led by Christopher Conselice from University of Nottingham in the UK.

Aaron Wilkinson, a PhD student at Nottingham, performed the initial galaxy-counting analysis, which was crucial for establishing the feasibility of the larger-scale study.

Conselice's team then converted pencil beam images of deep space from telescopes around the world, and especially from the Hubble telescope, into 3D maps.

These allowed them to calculate the density of galaxies as well as the volume of one small region of space after another.

This painstaking research enabled the team to establish how many galaxies we have missed - much like an intergalactic archaeological dig, researchers said.

The results of the study are based on the measurements of the number of observed galaxies at different epochs - different instances in time - through the universe's history.

When Conselice and his team, in collaboration with scientists from Leiden University in the Netherlands and the University of Edinburgh, examined how many galaxies there were at a given epoch they found that there were significantly more at earlier times.

It appears that when the universe was only a few billion years old there were ten times as many galaxies in a given volume of space as there are within a similar volume today.

Most of these galaxies were low mass systems with masses similar to those of the satellite galaxies surrounding the Milky Way.

"This is very surprising as we know that, over the 13.7 billion years of cosmic evolution since the Big Bang, galaxies have been growing through star formation and mergers with other galaxies," said Conselice.

"Finding more galaxies in the past implies that significant evolution must have occurred to reduce their number through extensive merging of systems," Conselice said.

"We are missing the vast majority of galaxies because they are very faint and far away. The number of galaxies in the universe is a fundamental question in astronomy, and it boggles the mind that over 90 per cent of the galaxies in the cosmos have yet to be studied," he added.

The research appears in The Astrophysical Journal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a clear message amidst the chill in bilateral ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked Pakistan to walk away from terror if it wants to have dialogue with India.

Outlining his approach for an integrated neighbourhood, Modi said his vision for country's neighbourhood puts premium on peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia.

"But, India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan's journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India," he said while addressing the participants at the government's geo-political flagship initiative "Raisina Dialogue-II".

He also recalled several initiatives taken by him to normalise ties with Pakistan including travelling to Lahore.

There is a deep chill in Indo-Pak ties due to series of cross-border strikes including in Pathankot and Uri by Pakistan-based terror groups.

In an obvious reference to Pakistan, the Prime Minister also asserted that India's belief in delinking terrorism from religion, and rejecting artificial distinctions between good and bad terrorism, are now a global talking point.

"And, those in our neighbourhood who support violence, perpetrate hatred, and export terror stand isolated and ignored"," he said.

Referring to India's ties with China, Modi, at the opening of the three-day Dialogue, said it was not "unnatural" for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences but both sides should show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests.

"I see the development of India and China as an unprecedented opportunity, for our two countries and for the whole world. At the same time, it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences.

"In the management of our relationship, and for peace and progress in the region, both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests," Modi said, adding he and Chinese President Xi Jinping have sought to tap the vast area of commercial and business opportunities in the relationship.

Asserting that the century belongs to Asia, he said the sharpest trajectory of change is happening in the continent and there are large and vibrant pools of progress and prosperity that dot the landscape of this region.

"But, rising ambition and festering rivalries are generating visible stress points. The steady increase in military power, resources and wealth in the Asia-Pacific has raised the stakes for its security.

"Therefore, the security architecture in the region must be open, transparent, balanced and inclusive. And, promote dialogue and predictable behaviour rooted in international norms and respect for sovereignty," he said.

In his address, the Prime Minister gave a run down of India's foreign policy priorities, security interests in the Indian Ocean and bilateral engagement with neighbouring countries, Gulf nations and major powers including the US, China and Russia.

He also emphasised that 'Sab Ka Saath; Sab Ka Vikas' is not just a vision for India but a belief for the whole world.

Nepalese Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, former



Afghan President Hamid Karzai, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and Gowher Rizvi, International Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister of Bangladesh, are among the nearly 250 foreign participants from 65 countries.

On Afghanistan, Modi said despite distance and difficulties in transit, India's partnership assists in reconstruction, by building institutions and capacities.

"Amidst shifting politics, our security engagement has deepened. The completion of Afghanistan's Parliament building and the India-Afghanistan Friendship Dam are two shining examples of our dedication to forge developmental partnership," he said, adding the compelling logic of regional connectivity for peace, progress and prosperity.

In this regard, he cited two examples -the tripartite agreement with Iran and Afghanistan on Chabahar; and India's commitment to bring on line the International North South Transport Corridor.

"However, equally, connectivity in itself cannot override or undermine the sovereignty of other nations. Only by respecting the sovereignty of countries involved, can regional connectivity corridors fulfil their promise and avoid differences and discord," Modi added.

Talking about ties with the US, Modi also referred to his conversation with President-elect Donald Trump and said "we agreed to keep building on these gains in our strategic partnership."



Asserting that instability, violence, conflict, extremism, exclusion and transnational threats continue to proliferate in dangerous directions, he said, "And, non-state actors are significant contributors to the spread of such challenges. Institutions and architectures built for a different world, by a different world, seem outdated. Posing a barrier to effective multilateralism."



The Prime Minister said India's maritime interests are strategic and significant and that the primary responsibility for peace, prosperity and security in the Indian Ocean rests with those who live in the region.

"Ours is not an exclusive approach. And, we aim to bring countries together on the basis of respect for international law. We believe that respecting Freedom of Navigation and adhering to international norms is essential for peace and economic growth in the larger and inter-linked marine geography of the Indo-Pacific," he said without naming any country.

Delving on ties with Gulf and West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Iran, Modi said his government has redefined, in a short span of time, and "despite uncertainty and conflict".

"We have not just focused on altering the angles of perception. We have also changed the reality of our ties. This has helped us protect and promote our security interests, nurture strong economic and energy ties and advance the material and social welfare of around 8 million Indians," he said.

The Prime Minister said India was pursuing its transformation in "unsettled times" as also when the world is going through profound changes.

"But, sluggish growth and economic volatility are also a sobering fact. Physical borders may be less relevant in this age of bits and bytes. But, walls within nations, a sentiment against trade and migration, and rising parochial and protectionist attitudes across the globe are also a stark statistic," he said.

Apart from the US, Modi also talked about India's



engagement with Russia, Japan and other major global powers.

"With them, we not only share a desire to cooperate. We also hold converging views on opportunities and challenges that face us.

"These partnerships are a good fit with India's economic priorities of capital and capacities, commerce and technology, industry and infrastructure, skills and development, and defence and security. With the US, our actions have brought speed, substance and strength to the entire spectrum of economic, business, commercial, and security engagement," he added.

Terming Russia as an "abiding friend", the Prime Minister said their trusted and strategic partnership, especially in the field of defence has deepened."



India also enjoys a truly strategic partnership with Japan whose contours now stretch to all fields of economic activity.

"As a society, we have always favoured needs of many over the want of one. And, preferred partnerships over polarisation. We hold the belief that success of one must propel the growth of many. Our task is cut out. And, our vision is clear. The journey of national rejuvenation begins at home," he asserted.

With "resolute steps at home, and expanding network of reliable friendships abroad, we will grasp the promise of a future that belongs to over a billion Indians. And in this endeavour, you will find in India, a beacon of peace and progress, stability and success, and access and accommodation," Modi said.

(REOPENS DEL 64)



The Prime Minister said the government was spreading the benefits of India's civilisational legacies, including Yoga and Ayurveda, as a global good.

"Transformation, therefore, is not just a domestic focus. It encompasses our global agenda," he said.

Talking about the International Solar Alliance, he said it was an effort to harness the energy of sun to propel human growth.

"A high point of our efforts has been the revival of international interest in the cultural and spiritual products of India's civilisational stream.

"Today, Buddhism, yoga and Ayurveda are recognised as invaluable heritage of humanity as a whole," he said.

On ties with countries of the East Asia Summit grouping and ASEAN, he said both the blocs have helped India enhance commerce, technology, investment, development, and security partnerships in the region.

"It has also advanced our broad strategic interests and stability in the region," he said.

On ties with African countries, Modi said "With our brothers and sisters in Africa, we have further strengthened our ties in the last couple of years. And, built meaningful development partnerships on the solid foundation of decades of traditional friendship and historical ties.

"Today, the footprint of our development partnership stretches all across globe."



Referring to regional connectivity initiatives, Modi said "We appreciate the compelling logic of regional connectivity for peace, progress and prosperity."



At the same time he said connectivity in itself cannot override or undermine the sovereignty of other nations.

"Only by respecting the sovereignty of countries involved, can regional connectivity corridors fulfil their promise and avoid differences and discord," he said.

The Prime Minister further said, "With resolute steps at home, and expanding network of reliable friendships abroad, we will grasp the promise of a future that belongs to over a billion Indians.

"And in this endeavour, you will find in India, my friends,



a beacon of peace and progress, stability and success, and access and accommodation."



Earlier, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup told reporters Raisina Dialogue is part of India's effort - to create platforms for deliberations on geo-political issues of the day.

"Over the last two years, MEA has endeavoured to build a number of such platforms, both with individual countries, such as the India-China Think Tanks Forum and on a broader canvas like the Raisina Dialogue and the Gateway of India dialogue," he said.
India alone cannot walk the path of peace with Pakistan and the neighbouring country must walk away from terrorism if it wants bilateral dialogue to resume, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today, amid continued chill in Indo-Pak ties.

Referring to ties with China, the Prime Minister said it was not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences but both sides should show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of the three- day-long Raisina Dialogue, India's flagship geo-political conference which is being attended by top foreign and security experts from across the world.

On ties with Pakistan, Modi said the path of peace has to be Pakistan's journey as well and that India's stand in delinking terrorism from religion, and rejecting artificial distinction between good and bad terrorism, are now a global talking point.

"My vision for our neighbourhood puts premium on peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia. That vision had led me to invite leaders of all SAARC nations, including Pakistan, for my swearing in.

"For this vision, I had also travelled to Lahore. But, India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan's journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India," he said.

In a veiled reference to Pakistan, he said those "in our neighbourhood who support violence, perpetrate hatred, and export terror stand isolated and ignored."



In his address, Modi gave a run down of India's foreign policy priorities, security interests in the Indian Ocean and bilateral engagement with neighbouring countries, Gulf nations and major powers including the US, China and Russia.

On Sino-India ties, he said both the countries have an unprecedented economic opportunities and that they can compliment each other in their march forward.

"I see the rise of India & China as an unprecedented economic opportunity for our two countries, and for the whole world. At the same time, it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences.

"In the management of our relationship, and for the peace and progress in the region, both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests," he said.

Referring to India's ties with the US, he said a certain amount of speed, substance and strength to the entire spectrum of economic, commercial and security engagements has been brought to the relationship through sustained engagement.

"Over the past two-and-half years, we have given a strong momentum to our engagement with US, Russia, Japan and other major global powers," he said, delving on India's external engagement and geo-strategic interests.

Modi said India's economic and political rise represents a regional and global opportunity of great significance.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The main Palestinian parties today announced a deal to form a national unity government prior to the holding of elections, after three days of reconciliation talks in Moscow.

"We have reached agreement under which, within 48 hours, we will call on (Palestinian leader) Mahmud Abbas to launch consultations on the creation of a government" of national unity, senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad told a press conference, speaking in Arabic.

After the government is formed, the Palestinians would set up a national council, which would include Palestinians in exile, and hold elections.

"Today, the conditions for (such an initiative) are better than ever," said Ahmad.

The non-official talks in Moscow began on Sunday under Russian auspices with the goal of restoring "the unity of the Palestinian people". Representatives came from Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other factions.

Abbas's secular party Fatah and the Islamist Hamas have been at loggerheads since the latter seized Gaza in a near civil war in 2007.

Last year, the Palestinian government postponed the first municipal polls in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in 10 years after the high court ruled they should be held only in the Fatah-run West Bank.

The last time the Palestinians staged elections in which both Hamas and Fatah took part was in 2006.

The Palestinian representatives also met yesterday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and asked him to dissuade incoming US president Donald Trump from carrying out a campaign pledge to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Israel captured east Jerusalem during the 1967 war and later annexed it -- in a move not recognised by the international community -- declaring all of the city its unified capital.

"We sensed understanding on the part of Mr Lavrov," said Ahmad.

Ahmad and Moussa Abu Marzouk of Hamas spoke derisively of the Quartet -- the United States, Russia, the EU and UN -- in its years-long effort to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"The Quartet's work completely failed. It was unable to advance the decisions taken by the international community, including (UN) resolutions," said Ahmad.

"It is imperative to find a new working mechanism for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," he said.

Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, said he no longer wanted to work with the Quartet but instead with countries and organisations on an individual basis.

"Russia can play a substantial role" in the region, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You Can Buy A Cross-Stitch Pattern Of Convicted Illinois Governors

By Stephen Gossett in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 17, 2017 5:23PM



Etsy

Studs Terkel famously called Chicago the most theatrically corrupt city, a characterization that might be extended to the broader state government, given Illinois long history of crooked governors. Thanks to a hilarious new stitch pattern by a local artist, you might add adorably corrupt.

The Convicted Governors of Illinois cross-stitch pattern is the handiwork of Meridith Halsey, an office manager at Datascope Analytics who has been designing patterns since 2014 and selling them on Etsy since 2015.

She got the idea when she was chatting with her husband about the growing popularity of cross-stitch on the DIY commerce siteand their terminally hokey tendencies. The majority of these patterns show couples or families, and the selling point is that the figures can be customized. We thought it would be funny to show the governors, Halsey told Chicagoist by email.

The crowds seem to think so, too. The Illinois Governors pattern is the most-viewed item in my Etsy shop. Halsey said. It logged 332 views in 7 days, while all of her other patterns had 67 views combined, she said.

Along with several beer-related cross-stitch patterns, the great conversation piece Convicted Governors is available for a $5 download. Don't try any chicanery, and happy stitching.
Congress today raised a host of questions over attempts to involve a UK-based "blacklisted" company in printing plastic notes accusing the government of compromising national interest.

"A tainted UK-based note printing company De La Rue has been shortlisted for printing of plastic notes in India despite it being blacklisted. It shows complicity at the highest level," former Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy told reporters at AICC headquarters.

He lamented that though he has made the demand for a probe in a letter to the Prime Minister, he has not even got an acknowledgement.

"The documents clearly show that the company has been working in India as part of the 'Make in India' initiative and has been collaborating with the department of Commerce," Chandy said giving details of the letter.

He wondered as to how a company reportedly blacklisted is able to establish an office in India and work closely with the Union Commerce Department.

He said in 2011, responding to a question in Rajya Sabha regarding security printing, the then Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena had stated that the security clearance was denied to De La Rue after it failed to comply with the specifications stipulated in the contract.

Besides, he said the tagline of the company website "Giving Make in India the currency to Succeed" affirms its participation in the 'Make in India' program.

Chandy said a day before the demonetisation decision was announced by the Prime Minister, India-UK joint Tech summit was kick started in New Delhi.

"This summit had De La Rue as one among the platinum partners," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court today reserved its judgement on the issue of whether to shift controversial RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin from Siwan jail to any prison outside Bihar.

However, a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said the petitioner's request to direct lodging of FIR against Shahabuddin and RJP supremo Lalu Yadav's son and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav, who was purportedly seen in a photograph published in newspapers with one of the two alleged sharp shooters, would be dealt with separately.

Senior advocate Shanti Bhushan, appearing for Siwan-based Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents, argued before the bench that the apex court had the power to transfer an inmate from one jail to another outside the state.

"This petition has been filed to protect the society at large from this unlawful man. It is identical to Pappu Yadav's case," he said.

During the hearing, the apex court observed, "Article 21 has two layers. It is like a two-storeyed building which deals with rights of an accused as well as the rights of the victim. If you will compare which of these two floors would have more rooms, that the court will decide".

Advocate Kislay Pandey, representing Asha Ranjan, the wife of scribe Rajdeo Ranjan who was murdered in Siwan, told the apex court that one more FIR has been lodged against the RJD leader for violation of the jail manual.

"A full-fledged photoshoot was organised inside the jail three-four days ago. One more FIR has been lodged against him for violation of the jail manual," he said.

To this, the bench said, "We don't want to see the another FIR. We will pass an order".

Meanwhile, senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Shahabuddin, told the court that the petitioner has not placed even a single evidence on the allegations against Tej Pratap Yadav.

"People who make allegations without any evidence should face the consequences. People who come to the highest court of the country and make such allegations without any evidence have to take the responsibility," he said.

Shahabuddin's counsel told the bench that transferring the RJD leader to a prison outside the state would violate his fundamental rights.

The Bihar government had earlier told the apex court that it is not "averse" to shifting Shahabuddin from Siwan prison to Tihar Jail here while concurring with CBI's stand which has already agreed to the bench's suggestion that the alleged history sheeter be shifted to Delhi as his continuous presence in Bihar may adversely impact trials in various pending criminal cases against him.

The state government had told the bench that Shahabuddin has been facing trial in 45 cases, including one in Jharkhand.

CBI had filed a status report in the murder case of scribe Rajdeo Ranjan and said it will welcome if the cases were transfered to Delhi.

On October 17 last year, the apex court had granted three months to CBI to conclude probe in the sensational scribe murder case and directed that the six accused, including Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed, cannot seek statutory bail on the ground of non-filing of charge sheet in the matter.

Ranjan, 42, a senior journalist working with a vernacular daily, was shot dead on the evening of July 22 last year in Siwan town.

The apex court, on September 23 last year, had directed CBI to proceed with its investigation in the murder of the journalist and asked Bihar Police to provide protection to the family members of the slain scribe.

Asha, the wife of the deceased scribe, had moved the apex court seeking transfer of the probe and trial in the case to Delhi.
Delhi Police PCR unit is receiving over 600 calls daily from "mysterious 15-digit" phone numbers, and it has now approached Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to trace their origin and suggest ways to deal with the situation.

"A mobile number contains 10 digits while a landline number contains eight digits. But in the last couple of weeks, we have been receving calls from 15-digit numbers. When our officers pick up the calls, there is no response from the other end," said a senior police officer.

In a letter to the Department of Telecom last week, Delhi Police has shared the list of the 15-digit numbers and requested to find out from where these calls are coming and why they are coming to the '100' number.

The PCR unit daily handles around 27,000 calls daily, out of these almost 40 per cent turn out to be blank calls.

The officer said they have been receiving close to 600-700 calls from the 15-digit numbers and it has become a "mystery" for them.

It is suspected that the 15-digit number that flashes when a call comes is the IMEI number of the mobile phone, and it might be happening because people are pressing the '5' or '9' number keys on the cellphone.

"Feature phones can invoke the emergency call by pressing 'Numeric key 5' or 'Numeric key 9' on the phone's keypad. We are suspecting that by pressing '5' or '9' calls goes through to the emergency number 100 even without a SIM.

"It is still not clear but it is felt that this is the reason why the calls from 15-digit numbers are landing in our system," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Markets regulator Sebi today said foreign portfolio investment through participatory notes has plunged to just 8 per cent after it introduced greater disclosure norms.

Over 50 per cent of the foreign portfolio investment into India was routed through participatory notes but now the figure has come down to "just 8 per cent", Sebi Chairman U K Sinha said here today at an event organised by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce.

"There was a feeling among various quarters that the FPI route is being misused by some people of Indian origin through the mechanism of participatory notes or overseas derivative instruments... We have been successful in curbing such misuse in this fiscal year," he said.

The process and eligibility of investment via participatory notes is now exactly the same as it is for any investor coming through the normal FPI route.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) expects that by March, out of six infrastructure investment trusts and two real-estate investment trusts having shown interest, at least one to two each might get listed.

While speaking about ponzi schemes, Sinha said the government is mulling the possibility of introducing a central legislation to regulate all deposit raising firms.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jammu and Kashmir's Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh today said that power supply has been restored in 80 per cent areas of the Kashmir Valley post snowfall.

"Directions were issued to the concerned department to take up restoration work on war-footing and supply has been restored in 80 per cent areas of the Kashmir Valley," the Deputy Chief Minister told the Legislative Assembly here.

He was responding to the concerns raised in this regard by legislators including Mian Altaf Ahmad, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Muhammad Akbar Lone, Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar and others in the Legislative Assembly.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that he recently convened a meeting with the heads of all departments to review the power scenario, civic amenities and other services.

He said Commissioner-Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department has been deputed to the Valley to monitor the situation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said that the proposed Powergrid Corporation sub-station AT Bhangor in South 24 Parganas district might be relocated if the situation warranted.

In a re-tweet, Banerjee said, "No land will be acquired if people don't want to give away land. Proposed power grid will be relocated if required."



Clashes broke out between two factions of the ruling Trinamool Congress at Bhangor today over the project land and police had to intervene to keep the situation under control.

Following the tension which ensued, the state government asked the Powergrid authorities to halt the project progress.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Online healthcare platform Practo today announced it has raised USD 55 million (over Rs 374 crore) series D funding, in a round led by Tencent, with which it aims to further build an integrated platform for the entire healthcare ecosystem and invest further in its international operations.

With this funding three new investors- ru-Net from Russia, RSI Fund (owned by Recruit Holdings) from Japan and Thrive Capital from New York, USA have joined Practo, top company officials said.

They said other existing investors Sequoia Capital, Matrix Partners, Capital G (formerly Google Capital), Altimeter Capital & Sofina also participated.

"We are very happy to get the new investors on board and we are looking forward to continue to build a really innovative health care platform with their help, and taking it to all parts of India, and taking it to more parts around the globe," Practo Founder & CEO Shashank ND told reporters here.

He said "the series D will be largely used to help us build the platform to a greater degree and also we have seen some good initial results from international expansion, and we will continue to focus on that."



With the series D funding, the company has raised a total funding of USD 179 million till now.

Practo is the healthcare platform connecting patients with healthcare providers for all their healthcare needs - from finding the right healthcare provider to online doctor consultation, diagnostic tests, managing health records and even ordering medicines.

It also makes software products that help healthcare providers become more efficient and provide higher quality healthcare to patients.

Practo has focused on primarily markets like India, Brazil, Indonesia, and the Philippines and "that's where are seeing greatest traction," Shashank said. These markets are chosen because the health care is very fragmented in these regions and health insurance penetration is on the lower side.

Noting that Practo's international expansion has been going well, he said "last year we launched Brazil, our first Latin American country and it got of to a good start...Indonesia and Philippines are doing good as well...."



He said "Practo's focus has been on South East Asia and Latin America where the company will continue to focus on, while its enterprise business has been doing good in Middle East with office in Dubai which is also doing well,we will continue to focus on these geographies."



More than 20 per cent of Practo's revenue is from international markets.

The city -based start-up already operates in 15 countries, including Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, across over 50 cities.

Stating the next big area that Practo is going to be would be health insurance, Shashank said "we will be helping consumers with the goal of connecting the insurance players better with the consumers."



"Our next big foray is into health insurance....This year is going to be an important year for Practo from health insurance point of view," he said, noting that the company will soon come out with an announcement in this regard.

"...There is lot of open opportunities in the health insurance space that Practo can focus on. This is all possible because Practo is a neutral platform for health care ecosystem...." he added.

Responding to a question on breaking even and turning profitable, Shashank said, "Our enterprise business has been doing well for us, the revenues are more from enterprise side. We have been doing well on monetisation...."



On IPO plans, he said, "I think with the international expansions taking good shape and substational revenue now being international, it looks like an IPO in international market is how we think going forward, but there is no update on that for now. We are focused on our business for now.

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President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the centenary year celebration of 'Jhalda Satyabhama Vidyapith' in West Bengal's Purulia district tomorrow.

He will reach Jhalda via Ranchi in Jharkhand, an official statement said.

On the same day, he will also inaugurate the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Netaji Research Bureau at Kolkata and unveil the restored 'Wanderer Car' used by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 'Mahanishkraman' (The Great Escape) in January 1941.

On January 19, the President will inaugurate the 28th Dantan Gramin Mela-2017 at Dantan in Paschim Medinipur district. On the same day, he will also attend the 35th anniversary celebrations of a Bengali newspaper 'Aajkaal' at Kolkata.

On the last day of his visit, the President will inaugurate the Bengal Global Business Summit-2017. He will also inaugurate the bicentenary celebrations of the Hindu School as well as the Presidency University at Kolkata before returning to Delhi.

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All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief on Tuesday said the pressure tactic on Kashmiri teen Zaira Wasim, forcing her to tender an apology over a meeting with J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was "unwarranted and uncalled for".

Wasim, who played the younger version of Indian wrestler Geeta Phogat in Aamir Khan's Bollywood blockbuster "Dangal", had on Monday apologised for "offending" and "unintentionally hurting" people after her meeting with Mufti on Saturday.

"Nobody should be pressurised into doing or not doing something, especially a 16-year-old girl. This is completely unwarranted and uncalled for. This pressure worked on her so much that she was forced to apologise for which there was no need at all," Owaisi told PTI.

"At the same time, those people, who are showing sympathy for this little child should introspect where did their sympathy disappear when hundreds of such teenagers lost their eyesight or were partially blinded when they were attacked with pellet guns ? Why these double standards ?" he asked.

He said the incident has brought to light people's lack of confidence in the Jammu and Kashmir government.

"This incident has shown clearly how unpopular the BJP-PDP government is in the Kashmir valley. People have no confidence left on this government," Owaisi said.

Zaira took to social media yesterday and tendered an apology apparently over her meeting with Mufti which drew sharp reactions and trolls from the youth in the valley because of the situation during the last few months.

She also played down her performance in "Dangal", saying she was "not proud of" what she was doing and added that she was not a role model for the youth of Kashmir and does not want anyone to follow in her footsteps.
One of the six inmates who had escaped from Punjab's Nabha jail and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh was arrested along with another person, who is accused of heinous crimes in Punjab, from the city tonight, a senior police officer said.

"Kulpreet Singh Deol alias Neeta (the inmates who had escaped from the Nabha jail) and Sunil Kalra alias Shailla (a dreaded criminal in Punjab) were apprehended from Khajrana area in the city from a residential flat," DIG Harinarayanchari Mishra told PTI.

He said, the duo were arrested after interrogation of some suspected persons in the area. Police also recovered eight mobile phones, laptop and Rs 92,000 cash from them.

Punjab police have been informed of the arrest of the prisoner, the DIG said.

The accused had reached Indore a few days ago and had rented a flat, he said.

Six inmates-- Khalistan Liberation Front chief Harminder Singh Mintoo, Kashmeer Singh, Gurpreet Singh Shekhon, Vicky Gonder, Kulpreet Singh and Amandeep Singh- had escaped from the Nabha jail in November.

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Alibaba in tie-up to fight fakes [Photo/Shanghai Daily]

Alibaba Group said yesterday that it will team up with international brands and local authorities in an alliance to fight counterfeits after its Taobao unit was put back on the US "notorious markets" list last month.

By joining hands with brands, including Louis Vuitton and Samsung, Alibaba said it aims to pool resources to protect intellectual property rights.

Alibaba pledges to leverage its Big Data expertise to help members of the alliance block and bring down sites that infringe copyright.

The alliance also includes police and supervision bureaus in provinces such as Zhejiang, Hunan, Shandong and Henan.

This month, Alibaba launched suits against two merchants in Shenzhen for selling fake Swarovski products on Taobao.
A 12-week-old puppy who swallowed an 20cm kitchen knife is recovering after undergoing life-saving surgery in the UK.

The Staffordshire bull terrier Macie was rushed to the emergency vet after she began choking.

Her owner thought she had eaten a toy but X-rays revealed a knife, with the handle lodged in her intestines and the tip of the blade in her gullet, the BBC reported today.

The vet who carried out the operation to remove it said she was "extremely lucky to survive".

Owner Irene Paisley from Glasgow, had lost her previous Staffie to cancer just two months earlier and feared the worst for Macie.

She said: "Macie was making a squeaking sound - I thought she'd swallowed part of a toy. Then she was sick, but there was no sign of a toy, and she started choking.

"I was terrified. Poor Macie was still choking and, by the time we arrived at the vet's, there was blood coming out of her nose. The loss of our previous dog was still very raw and the thought of losing Macie was devastating."



The puppy underwent immediate emergency surgery to remove the knife while Paisley, her partner and four children waited at home for .

Vet Emily Ronald from leading veterinary charity said: "I've never seen an X-ray like Macie's. She was extremely lucky to survive. Her saving grace was that she swallowed the handle-end first - the blade-end would undoubtedly have pierced her organs, likely causing fatal injuries.

"The morning after surgery, she was bouncing all over the place as if nothing had happened. Macie has been back for frequent check-ups over the past two weeks and we're pleased she's recovering and healing well."



Paisley added: "I couldn't believe it when they said Macie had swallowed a knife. I have no idea where she got hold of it - she could have pinched it out of the dishwasher, but no-one saw what happened. None of us could sleep that night as we knew Macie might not survive."



She added: "Although she's only young, Macie is already a big part of the family. She brings us so much joy and happiness, and means the world to the children.

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In a biting attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin today accused the outgoing US administration of trying to undermine President-elect Donald Trump by spreading fake allegations and said those who are doing it are "worse than prostitutes."



The statement reflected the Kremlin's boiling anger at President Barack Obama's administration, which declined to comment on Putin's accusation.

Asked about an unsubstantiated dossier outlining unverified claims that Trump engaged in sexual activities with prostitutes at a Moscow hotel, Putin dismissed it as "fake" and "nonsense" and said it was part of efforts by Obama's administration to "undermine the legitimacy of the president-elect" despite his "convincing" victory.

Trump earlier rejected the sexual allegations as "fake news" and "phony stuff."



Putin's broadside at the White House reveals a culmination of tensions between Moscow and Washington, which have built up over the Ukrainian crisis, the Syrian war and the allegations of Russian meddling in the US election.

"People who order such fakes against the U.S. president-elect, fabricate them and use them in political struggle are worse than prostitutes," Putin said.

"They have no moral restrictions whatsoever, and it highlights a significant degree of degradation of political elites in the West, including in the United States."



He spoke in Moscow during a conference following talks with the president of Moldova.

The Russian leader ridiculed the authors of the Trump dossier for alleging that Russian spy agencies were collecting compromising material on Trump when he visited Moscow in 2013 for the Miss Universe pageant.

"He wasn't a politician, we didn't even know about his political ambitions," Putin said. "Do they think that our special services are hunting for every US billionaire?"



Putin also sarcastically suggested that Trump, who met the world's most beautiful women at the pageant, had a better choice for female companionship than Moscow prostitutes, even though Putin claimed "they are also the best in the world."



He said Trump's foes are ready to go as far as to "stage a Maidan in Washington to prevent Trump from entering office," in reference to the alleged U.S. Role in organizing protests in the main square of the Ukrainian capital, the Maidan, which forced the nation's Russia-friendly president from power in 2014.

"People who are doing that are inflicting a colossal damage to the interests of the United States," Putin said. Putin also charged that those spreading allegations against Trump want to "bind the president-elect hand and foot to prevent him from fulfilling his election promises." "How can you do anything to improve U.S.-Russian relations when they launch such canards as hackers' interference in the election?" he said.

Putin voiced hope that "common sense will prevail" and Russia and the United States will be able to normalise their relations once Trump takes office on Friday.

He said he doesn't know Trump and has no interests in defending him.

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Global chip maker on Monday announced investment of $8.5 million for expansion of its design initiatives in India, which would primarily include funding its Innovation Labs at Hyderabad and Bangalore.

A portion of the investment earmarked for design initiatives will also be utilised for its Design in India Challenge 2017, a programme that nurtures promising start-ups in the country.

The Design in India Challenge II will support in the areas of Rural technology, Biometric Devices, Payment Terminals, Agri-Technology, Medical Technology and Smart Infrastructure.

"After seeing the response during the 2016 edition of the Design in India challenge, we decided to go ahead with a second year, as well as expanding the number of participants nurtures through this programme from 10 to 16 participants in 2017," Jim Cathey, senior vice-president and president, Asia Pacific & India, Qualcomm Technologies Inc said at a conference.

The San Diego-based maker of mobile phone chips is sharpening its focus on growing mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem in India with R&D and localisation support.

Accordingly, it expects to enable mobile and IoT vendors by providing advanced camera, audio, and RF design support with the launch of a new Innovation Lab at Hyderabad and expansion of current Innovation Lab in Bangalore. Cathey, however, declined to divulge the exact quantum of investment or the hirings for expansion of the innovation labs.

The company today announced that three start-ups  Carnot Technologies, iFuture Robotics and Uncanny Vision  had won the first edition of Qualcomm Design in India Challenge (QDIC) launched in 2015 in association with software body Nasscom.

Over the last 12 months, ten shortlisted were incubated with initial prize money of $10,000 each and engineering support at Qualcomm India's Innovation Lab in Bangalore where they could transform their ideas into prototypes.

In the final round, the were judged by the jury members consisting of industry, Government and Qualcomm executives. In addition, the selected winners were awarded $100,000 each as part of the challenge.
Israel has released a radical Islamic cleric from prison after he completed his nine-month prison term.

Raed Salah heads the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, a group that Israel accuses of inciting Arabs to violence and outlawed in 2015. He was sentenced for "incitement to violence" and "incitement to racism" in a 2007 sermon and walked free today.

Salah has had repeated run-ins with Israel and was previously imprisoned for funneling money to Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza.

His release was marked by confusion, with his lawyer Omar Khamayseh accusing Israeli prison authorities of transferring Salah to unknown locations. He said Israel would be held responsible for anything that happened to Salah.

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Rating agencies have accorded investment grade to the proposed USD 500 million bond raising programme of the country's largest lender SBI.

Moody's has assigned a Baa3 rating to SBI's proposed dollar denominated senior unsecured notes, issued under its USD 10 billion Medium-Term Note (MTN) program.

The drawdown will be carried out from its London branch, and the bonds will be listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, Moody's said in a statement.

Fitch Ratings has also assigned 'BBB-(EXP)' to the debt raising programme that constitutes direct, unconditional, unsubordinated and unsecured obligations of the issuer.

They will at all times rank pari passu among themselves and with all other unsubordinated and unsecured obligations of State Bank of India, it said, adding that the tenor of the issue is expected to be around five years.

S&P Global Ratings assigned 'BBB-' long-term issue rating to the proposed issue of SBI's senior unsecured notes.

The rating on the notes reflects the long-term counterparty credit rating on SBI, S&P said in a statement.

According to Moody's SBI's final Baa3 rating incorporates a one-notch uplift due to its assumption of the bank's very high level of support from the Indian government in a stressed situation.

The assumption of high support is based on a combination of its large size and critical role in India's payment system, representing around 16.3 per cent of system loans and 17.6 per cent of system deposits as of end-March 2016, its nationwide reach, and the government's 60.18 per cent stake in SBI.

SBI last raised funds by issuing dollar denominated bonds worth USD 300 million (about Rs 2,000 crore) in September, 2016. It concluded AT1 Basel III compliant non-convertible, perpetual non call 5 year subordinated, unsecured note or bonds at a coupon 5.5 per cent payable semi-annually under USD 10 billion RegS MTN Programme.

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French auto major Renault expects its sales in India to grow by 8 per cent this year, with the country becoming its eighth-biggest market worldwide riding on the successful entry-level small car Kwid.

Groupe Renault, which saw a record global sales of 31,82,625 units growing by 13.3 per cent in 2016, posted sales growth of 145.6 per cent in India last year.

"In India, Renault kept its position as best-selling European automotive brand, with sales up by 145.6 per cent. Kwid registrations totalled 1,05,745. India rose five places to become the group's eighth-biggest market worldwide," the company said in a statement.

Globally, its sales were on the rise for the fourth year running, the company added.

"In the Africa/Middle-East/India region, Groupe Renault registrations rose by 36.4 per cent, giving a market share of 6.2 per cent (up 1.7 points)," it said.

On the outlook, it said: "At the international level, the Brazilian and Russian markets are expected to become stable. China shall grow by 5 per cent and India by 8 per cent."



"Groupe Renault should continue to reap the benefit of product range renewal in Europe and the strong dynamics on international markets, with Kwid in India, Koleos and Kadjar in China, Kaptur in Russia, QM6 and SM6 in South Korea, and Alaskan plus the SUV range in Latin America," the company said.

In 2017, the global market is expected to grow by 1.5-2 per cent compared with 2016. The European market is also expected to increase by 2 per cent, with a 2 per cent growth also for France, Renault said.

"Groupe Renault, therefore, expects a sustained growth in sales volume and market share in Europe and in the international markets," it added.

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President Pranab Mukherjee's Private Secretary Rajneesh has been appointed as Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce as part of senior-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the government.

As many as 12 officers have been appointed in various ministries. Of these, seven have been appointed as Joint Secretary and the rest as Additional Secretary.

Rajneesh, a 1997-batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been appointed to the new post till October next year, when he completes maximum of seven-year central deputation tenure, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved premature repatriation of IAS officer Umang Narula, Chairman and Managing Director of India Tourism Development Corporation, to his cadre state Jammu and Kashmir.

Those appointed as Additional Secretaries include Madhya Pradesh-cadre IAS officer Anil Kumar Jain, who was working as Adviser in Niti Aayog. He has been appointed Additional Secretary in the same organisation.

Atul Chaturvedi, JS in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, has been made Additional Secretary in the same department. Saraswati Prasad, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, will be Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Steel Ministry, it said.

Santosh A Mathew, who is known for working hard to promote the central government's e-governance programme, has been moved from the Department of Rural Development as Chairperson, National Council for Technical Education.

Satbir Bedi, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Human Resource Development, will be Member Secretary, National Commission for Women.

Senior IAS officers Pradip Kumar Tripathi and V Radha have been appointed as Joint Secretary in DoPT and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation respectively, the order said.

Sanjay Kumar Rakesh and Ajay Tirkey have been appointed as JS in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and the Department of School Education and Literacy respectively.

Rabindra Kumar Karna has been named as Additional Financial Adviser and Joint Secretary in the Defence Ministry.

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Jet engine maker Rolls Royce has agreed to pay 671 million pounds (USD 808 million) to settle bribery and corruption charges brought by authorities in Britain, the US and Brazil.

A UK High Court judge will examine the deferred prosecution agreement during a public hearing on Tuesday. The scandal involved intermediaries in overseas markets including Indonesia and China.

Rolls-Royce said in a statement that the "voluntary agreements" will result in the suspension of prosecution.

But Transparency International's UK executive director Robert Barrington says individuals should be prosecuted so the case serves as a deterrent to bribery.

He says that "whether or not this settlement is in the public interest, the key individuals responsible for corrupt behaviour must not be allowed to evade justice.

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With India being one of the fastest growing smartphone markets, mobile handset maker Samsung India is looking to maintain its strong position, riding on the back of innovative launches, a senior official of the company said here today.

"Double digit growth is there annually in smartphones. India is the second largest market in the world right now and it's a very healthy situation for smartphones. With innovations, it will stay healthy and we are very positive about India," Samsung India Director (Mobile Business) Vishal Kaul said when asked about growth in the mobile category.

"...Last year aggregate market share till November, which is the last report we have, Samsung had a smartphone value share of 46.9 per cent. We are leaders in the market by a huge margin...Last year has been pretty good for us and we have grown on the back of very innovative launches. 'J' series is a series which Indian consumers love.

"Then we have the mid-high 'A' series and on top we have the flagship series. We have feature phones, we have tablets, we have accessories, we have wearable devices," Kaul told reporters here after announcing the launch Samsung India's new smartphone, the Galaxy C9 Pro.

He further said, "the C9 Pro is a new series of devices, which we have launched...And this is the first one we are launching in India. The C9 Pro has a 6 GB RAM, which is a first from Samsung...It is feature packed phone. Priced at Rs 36,900 for consumers, so it is a high-end device, and it will be for a discerning consumer who is looking for a powerhouse of a device."



"Interested customer can pre-book the C9 Pro through select stores and online channels from January 27. The device will be available across all retail channels in the latter half of February 2017," he said.

Asked about 'Make for India' initiative of Samsung, Kaul said, "we have always have had innovations which are specific to India... C9 Pro also carries those Make for India innovations".

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Sandeep Tomar, Rajneesh along with Haryana Hammer's foreign exports helped the team register a came-from-behind win to enter the final of the Pro Wrestling League season two by beating new entrants Jaipur Ninjas 6-3 in the first semifinals here today.

After Magomed Kurbanaliev and Marwa Amri levelled the scores for Haryana, Rajneesh, Sandeep and Sofia Mattsson ensured group stage table toppers, Haryana's smooth entry into the final with a dominating show.

Haryana will clash with winner of the second semifinals between Punjab Royals and Mumbnai Maharathis on Thursday.

Unlike in the group stage, none of the categories were blocked today and all nine bouts were fought, negating any advantage to any of the semifinalists.

Georgia's Jakob Makarashvili gave Jaipur Ninjas an early lead by defeating Sumit Sehrawat 10-0 in the opening bout of the match.

Jakob was clinical against Sumit as he took him down with surprising agility on multiple occasions to deny the Indian wrestler any chance of making a comeback in the bout. Having taken the 4-0 lead after the first round, Jakob went on extending the lead in the second round as well and won it easily in the end in men's 74kg.

Up next was youngest of the Phogat sisters, Ritu of Jaipur against Indu Chaudhary of Haryana Hammers in women's 48kg.

With both sisters Babita and Sangeeta supporting from the sidelines, Ritu did very well to take down Indu thrice in the opening round to surge ahead with a 6-0 lead at the break.

In round two, Indu tried to make a comeback but Ritu denied her any chance. In fact, once it seemed that Indu would gain a couple of points when she could pull down Ritu but the Phogat girl turned things on her rival itself and managed to earn two more points to bag the bout 8-0 and extend Jaipur's lead.

Haryana's foreign imports -- Magomed Kurbanaliev and Marwa Amri -- then proved their dominance on the mat with contrasting victories to help the team level the scores 2-2.

While Magomed of Russia overcame a tough challenge from India's Vinod Kumar Omprakash, who showed some brilliant defensive skills, before prevailing 5-0 in men's 70kg, it was a cake walk for Marwa in women's 58kg against Pooja Dhanda as the Tunisian wrestler pinned the Indian down on several occasions, besides flipping her once to clinch the bout 10-0.

Rajneesh gave Haryana the lead for the first time today after eking out a narrow 8-6 win over Jaipur's Rahul Mann in a closely fought bout in men's 65kg.

In a neck-and-neck battle, Rajneesh managed to always maintain a lead in an encounter that saw fluctuating fortunes. Rajneesh was leading 6-3 at the break but Rahul came back strongly in the second round to reduce the margin. However, Rajneesh held on to his nerves to have the last laugh.

Jaipur's Jenny Fransson, Rio Olympics bronze medallist, claimed the sixth bout of the day to once again tie the scores 3-3.

In a one-sided contest, Sweden's Jenny hardly had to break a sweat against Kiran of Haryana, winning it 8-0 in women's 75kg.

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The logo of the World Economic Forum. [File photo]

Xi Jinping is the first Chinese president to speak at the Davos World Economic Forum. This visit has attracted even greater international media attention than the normally high levels of interest in a trip by China's leader. As the Financial Times chief foreign affairs columnist Gideon Rachman put it, "The big star of this year's forum is certain to be Xi Jinping."

The reason for this is well understood. China's unequivocal support for open economies and globalization is now clearly in contrast to the protectionism embraced by U.S. President-elect Trump and that was manifested on a smaller scale in the U.K. Brexit referendum.

In terms of declared positions on globalisation, a definitive turning point has already been made. Every U.S. president since World War II has at least verbally committed to free trade and globalisation. Trump explicitly broke with this historical U.S. position with threats to impose a 35 percent tariff on Mexico, a 45 percent tariff on China, to impose a U.S. "border tax", to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), by his pressure for U.S. companies not to invest in Mexico despite it being a NAFTA partner and by his clear overall policy statements. In parallel, while the reality of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) was not a move for freer trade - being in reality an anti-China bloc - nevertheless its unilateral abandonment by Trump made the U.S. appear an unreliable negotiating partner.

Whatever happens in the future, there can never again be 100 percent certainty that the U.S. remains committed to globalisation. This fundamental pillar on which the post-World War II global order was built is no longer solid. It is widely understood that of the world's two largest economies, only China remains unequivocally committed to globalisation.

This directly and powerfully affects other countries in addition to China - hence the wide international interest in Xi Jinping's Davos visit. Other countries well understand, both factually and theoretically, the decisive importance of the international trade and globalisation.

Factually, numerous studies demonstrate the positive correlation of an economy's international openness and its development speed. Growing internationalisation by almost all countries was a decisive trend during the long period of relative global international economic stability and growth after World War II - a marked contrast to 1929-39 global economic fragmentation, marked by the infamous U.S. Smoot-Hawley protectionist tariff, which led to the greatest economic crisis in modern history.

Clear theoretical understanding of economic openness's advantages has existed for over two hundred years. The first sentence of the founding work of modern economics, Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations, is, "The greatest improvement in the productive powers of labour have been the effect of the division of labour." But division of labour in a modern economy has reached a point where it is necessarily international in scale. International supply chains, which alone ensure the cost efficiency of modern production, flow from the reality that different countries have different advantages in different parts of production. Attempts to create self-contained national economies necessarily make economies less efficient. Therefore, every strategy of "import substitution" or attempt to create an efficient national self-contained economy necessarily fails.

U.S. protectionism's negative effects, with its inevitable international reciprocal retaliation, would hit even the U.S., the world's largest economy - increasing prices of imported goods for consumers and costs for U.S. producers while restricting export markets. Even for the U.S., three quarters of the world market in economic terms and 95 percent of the world's customers in population terms lie outside its borders. A protectionist U.S. economy cannot match the advantages of orientation to a global economy.

But for Germany, 95 percent of its potential market is outside its borders, for Brazil 97 percent, for Australia 98 percent, for Thailand over 99 percent. Protectionism would be more damaging for them than the U.S. Such countries therefore applaud Xi Jinping's unequivocal defence of globalisation - not because of deference to China, but out of national self-interest because globalisation really is "win-win."

Sometimes in the media there is loose talk of a "rise of protectionism and populism." But this imprecise expression conceals a precise reality. In some European countries, there certainly is an increase in support for protectionist populist parties - for example, in France Marine Le Pen's National Front or the Alternative in Germany. But these are minority parties who are not in power and who in most cases have no realistic prospect whatsoever of forming governments. Only in the Anglo-Saxon economies have protectionist forces actually come to office or been able to determine government policy.

The overwhelming majority of countries, including traditionally firm U.S. allies such as Germany or Australia, have expressed opposition to Trump's protectionist policies. When Germany's Chancellor Merkel recently said, "We see protectionist tendencies," she was naturally discreet enough not to mention the U.S. But most people were well aware that the U.S. was included in the countries she was speaking of. A large majority of other countries listening will strongly agree either publicly or silently with Xi Jinping's clear statements in support of open economies and globalisation at Davos.

Maintaining an internationally open economy is vital not only for governments but for the world's population. Globalisation has brought immense benefits to the majority of the world's people, strongly confirming economic theory. Certainly, socialist countries were most able to take advantage of globalisation's benefits. The world's four fastest growing economies in the last 30 years have been socialist - China, Laos and Vietnam, together with a Cambodia whose economic policies are decisively influenced by China. China experienced the world's most rapid rise in living standards. Eighty-three percent of the people in the world lifted out of internationally defined poverty were in China, and a further 2 percent were in Vietnam - only 15 percent were in capitalist countries.

But while socialist countries made the most efficient use of globalisation, other countries also strongly benefitted. India under Modi has consciously moved closer to China's economic model, and India is now the world's other major rapidly growing economy. Several African countries, basing themselves on globalisation, have achieved growth rates of 6-8 percent a year.

Certainly the political crisis in the Anglo-Saxon countries, which has produced support for the protectionist dead ends, was created by a failure to improve their population's living standards. U.S. median household incomes are lower than 16 years ago, U.S. inequality has soared. In the U.K., real incomes in the last eight years experienced their most prolonged decline for a century. But this was not inherent in globalisation, as demonstrated by the dramatic improvements achieved by most countries, but a result of the specifically neo-liberal paths launched by Reagan and Thatcher. It is for this reason, not globalisation, that a protectionist political dead end has become strongest in the Anglo-Saxon economies.

China's support of globalisation, symbolised in Xi Jinping's Davos visit, corresponds to China's national self-interest. But it also corresponds to the national self-interest of other countries and peoples. Mutual self-interest is the firmest of all foundations for cooperation.

It is for this reason Xi Jinping's visit to Davos has attracted such intense international interest.

John Ross is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/johnross.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
The Congress High Command will intervene in party affairs in Kerala and "take necessary decision" to strengthen it, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said.

Chandy, who discussed party affairs with AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi at New Delhi yesterday, said in a Facebook post that he was satisfied with the meeting.

"I am fully satisfied with my meeting with AICC vice-president. Congress High Command would intervene in party affairs in the state and would take necessary decision to strengthen it," said Chandy, who reportedly had reservations over the recent selection of DCC presidents in the state.

"I also believe that party can function to the expectations of the people," Chandy said.

Apparently due to reservations over certain issues in the party and raw deal given to his supporters while selecting DCC presidents, Chandy had kept away from the party's state political affairs committee meeting held here on January 14.

Before leaving for Delhi, Chandy had said he had some clear views on the issue related to selection of DCC presidents and would convey it to the high command.

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Saudi Arabia, one of the world's most prolific executioners, today carried out its first death sentence of the year, after more than 150 in 2016.

Authorities put Mamdouh al Anzi to death following his conviction for shooting dead another Saudi in a dispute, the interior ministry said.

He was executed in Arar, a city near Iraq.

Beheading with a sword is the most common form of execution in the kingdom.

According to an AFP tally based on official announcements, Saudi Arabia executed 153 locals and foreigners last year under its Islamic legal code, down slightly from the previous year.

Rights group Amnesty International said Saudi Arabia carried out at least 158 death sentences in 2015, coming third after Iran and Pakistan.

Amnesty's figures do not include secretive China.

Rights experts have raised concerns about the fairness of trials in the kingdom but the government says the death penalty is a deterrent.

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State Bank of India today raised USD 500 million through an international bond sale of five- year bonds at coupon of 3.306 per cent per annum and getting oversubscribed three times.

"The pricing offers a spread of 145 bps over the five-year US treasury, which is equivalent to a price of 99.744 per cent yielding 3.306 per cent per annum," SBI said in a note late evening after successfully closing the issue through its London branch.

The order book came in at USD 1.5 billion for an offer of USD 500 million, SBI said, adding the issue has been rated at investment grade by all the three big rating agencies.

The offering which will be listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, will be denominated in US dollars, and will bear fixed interest of 3.25 per cent per annum with interest payable semi-annually in arrears. The bonds will mature on January 24, 2022, the bank said, adding the just concluded bond sale is part of its USD 10-billion medium term note programme under which is has already raised USD 3.5 billion.

"The transaction saw strong interest from investors across geographies with an order book in excess of USD 1.5 billion across 170 accounts, underscoring SBI's strong credit profile and its position as the nation's largest bank," the bank said.

On the successful pricing of the issue, chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya said, "We are pleased to see the robust demand for our transaction and the strong perception of our credit by the international investor community."



"The execution process was swift and ensured a strong momentum to our transaction. The lead managers have provided us with the right pricing strategy to help us achieve our targets for this fund raising exercise," she added.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, HSBC, BNP Paribas, DBS Bank, MUFG and SBI Capital Markets acted as joint lead managers to the issue.

The benchmark issue, under RegS of the US Securities Commission regulations has got investment grade ratings from all the three big three international rating agencies.

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The arduous underwater search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was suspended today, nearly three years after the plane vanished mysteriously over the Indian Ocean with 239 people, including five Indians, angering the grieving families who termed the move "irresponsible."



"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology, as well as modeling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," according to a joint statement issued by Chinese, Australian and Malaysian officials.

The three countries had been leading the massive underwater search for Flight MH370, which disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board.

"Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended. The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness," the statement said.

"The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness," the statement said.

The Boeing 777-200's disappearance remains one of the greatest aviation mysteries in modern history.

Searchers spent millions of dollars scouring tens of thousands of square miles, but so far have yielded little new information about the plane's final moments.

In July last year, Australia, China and Malaysia agreed that if the aircraft was not located by the time 120,000 square kilometres had been covered, the search would be suspended.

There were 14 nationalities represented in the 227 passengers and 12 crew travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The majority - 153 people - were Chinese. There were five Indians and one Indian-origin Canadian on board.

The five Indians, including three from one family, were identified as Chetna Kolekar, 55, Swanand Kolekar, 23, Vinod Kolekar, 59, Chandrika Sharma, 51, and Kranti Shirsatha, 44. An Indo-Canadian, Muktesh Mukherjee, 42, was also on board.

So far only seven of the 20 pieces of recovered debris have been identified as definitely or highly likely to be from the Boeing 777.

A report in November 2016 said the plane probably made a "high and increasing rate of descent" into the Indian Ocean.

But today's joint statement said "no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft" despite numerous studies, but the three countries remained hopeful this would happen in the future.

Reacting to the development, K S Narendran, who lost his wife of 25 years, Chandrika Sharma, said he was "perplexed and disappointed."



Voice370, a family support group, said the search must continue and be extended to include an area of some 25,000 sq km north of the current one, recommended by a report released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau last December.

It was "an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interests of aviation safety".

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The Serbian president lashed out today at the outgoing US administration, expressing hope that President-elect Donald Trump will be more favourable towards Serbia and its Russia-backed claim over Kosovo.

Tomislav Nikolic said in a statement after meeting US Ambassador Kyle Scott that the past US policies "have created much trouble" in the Balkans, referring to American support for Kosovo's independence.

"I hope that with the new (US) administration, that kind of behaviour will stop," Nikolic said.

Serbia, backed by Russia, has sought to maintain influence in Kosovo's north, where most of the country's Serb minority lives. NATO-led troops have controlled Kosovo's territory since a three-month air war in 1999 to stop a bloody Serbian crackdown against ethnic Albanian separatists.

Nikolic spoke after tensions soared over the weekend when a Serbian train, bearing signs reading "Kosovo is Serbia", decorated in the colours of the Serbian flag and Christian Orthodox symbols, was turned back from the border with Kosovo.

Nikolic has accused Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders of "wanting war" and warned that Serbia would defend "every inch" of its territory by sending its troops to the NATO-patrolled region. Kosovo leaders have branded the sending of the Serbian train as a provocation to destabilise Kosovo's statehood, proclaimed in 2008.

"For them, a train decorated in Serbian symbols is a provocation. And they went against it with bombs and long-barrel weapons," Nikolic said in the statement, referring to a special Kosovo police force that inspected the tracks after reports of planted explosives.

"Kosovo is a sovereign, independent country and we respect the right of Kosovo to manage who and what crosses its borders," the US Embassy in Kosovo said in a statement. "We are pleased that there were no confrontations at the border, but the increase of nationalism benefits no one."



Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sided with Serbia today in Moscow, saying "there should be no Albanian law enforcement agencies in northern Kosovo where ethnic Serbs live".

He accused the West of "imposing so-called European values in a new, modernised, post-Christian manner on all peoples in the Balkans".

Nikolic is known for his pro-Russian stands. His comments reflect the general presumption in Serbia that Trump will be more favourable towards the country.

Serbia officially is seeking EU membership, but has lately been sliding towards its traditional Slavic ally Russia. It has strained relations with most of its neighbours, something many analysts believe is the Kremlin's influence.

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Serena Williams began her quest for a 23rd Grand Slam title in style Tuesday, overcoming the threat from Swiss star Belinda Bencic to power into the Australian Open second round.

The American great, who lost the top ranking to Angelique Kerber last year, blitzed the unseeded 19-year-old 6-4, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena in scorching temperatures as she hunts down a seventh Melbourne Park crown.

It sets her up for a clash with Lucie Safarova from the Czech Republic, who saved an incredible nine match points before beating Belgian Yanina Wickmayer in their first round encounter.

"She is a great player, recently rated in the top 10, it really was one of the toughest first round matches I have ever played," Williams said of Bencic.

"I knew I had to be strong."



"Right now I have nothing to lose," added Williams, whose new fiance, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, was watching from the stands.

"Every match I play is for fun. It's self-motivating. I'm just happy to be playing."



Williams, who lost last year's final to Kerber, came into the opening Grand Slam of the year with question marks over her form.

She has barely played since the US Open last September due to injury, and her build-up was set back when she was bundled out of this month's Auckland Classic in the second round.

But any doubts were quickly put to rest as she eased her way into the tournament, showing little emotion as she went about her business.

Both players held serve at the start as they probed for weaknesses, with Williams saving two break points in the third game before recovering to keep it at level pegging.

Bencic, a rising star whose 2016 was marred by injury, was making her work hard but it was the American who got the first break when the Swiss star looped a forehand long.

The advantage was short-lived, with Bencic bouncing straight back as Williams' serve let her down.

- In her groove -



=================



Bencic, 19, is a former world number seven and has form against Williams, stunning her in the 2015 Toronto semi-finals in what remains the biggest win of her career.

But the composed Williams slowly got on top in Melbourne, breaking again in the 10th game as Bencic sent down a string of forehand errors.

The Swiss teen was getting frustrated, throwing her racquet to the ground as Williams broke again early in the second set.

The 35-year-old, in a black and white outfit, was in her groove and despite being broken in the seventh game and sending down a double fault on match point, was in control and eased to the finish line in 79 minutes.

Seeded two, Williams is attempting to break Steffi Graf's Open era-record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, but has her work cut out if she is to go one better than the German great.

She could encounter either in-form Briton Johanna Konta, who won the lead-up Sydney International, or sixth seed Dominika Cibulkova in the quarter-finals.

Melbourne Park has been a happy hunting ground. She claimed her first Australian Open title way back in 2003, beating elder sister Venus in the final.

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A special CBI court today charged Indrani Mukerjea, her husband Peter Mukerjea and former husband Sanjeev Khanna with murdering her daughter Sheena Bora, clearing the decks for commencement of trial in the sensational case from February 1.

Indrani expressed her wish to obtain divorce from Peter to which the judge said it was a matter to be decided between them and the court has nothing to do with it.

All the accused were charged with IPC sections 120(b) (conspiracy), 302 (murder) and other offences, after which judge H S Mahajan fixed February 1 as the date for the trial to commence.

All the three accused pleaded "not guilty" to the charges, which were explained to them individually, being called to the box one by one.

The prosecution case was that Sheena was murdered on April 24, 2012, and her body burnt and disposed of at a forest in nearby Raigad district the next day.

All the three accused were charged under IPC sections 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 364 (kidnapping), 302 (murder), 203 (giving false information in respect of an offence) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).

Additionally, Indrani and Sanjeev were charged under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 120(b) (conspiracy) for plotting to kill her son and Sheena's brother Mikhail Bora.

Mikhail had earlier alleged that Indrani had spiked his drink on the same day when Sheena was killed.

Besides, Indrani was also charged under IPC section 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record).

Indrani was arrested in August 2015. Subsequently, others -- Peter, Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyamver Rai -- were also taken into custody.

Rai later turned approver in the case and disclosed to CBI how the crime was committed by the accused.

All the three accused were present in the court today. They sat separately in the dock and were seen talking to their lawyers outside the court.

CBI, on December 19 had started arguments on framing of charges in the case, saying it was her relationship with Rahul, Peter's son from an earlier marriage, that led to Sheena's murder.

The case, initially investigated by Mumbai police under its then chief Rakesh Maria, was later transferred to the CBI by the Maharashtra government to ensure that the probe was carried out without any prejudice or interference.

The CBI, in its charge sheet filed in November 2015, had



named Indrani, Khanna and Rai as accused in the case.

The agency filed a charge sheet against Peter on February 16 last year for his alleged role in the murder plot.

In October last year, the CBI also filed its second supplementary charge sheet, stating that Indrani kept Peter updated on phone over the selection of the spot for disposal of the body.

The Bombay High Court recently rejected the bail plea of Peter, observing there was prima facie evidence pointing to his involvement in the case.

Indrani, Khanna and Rai were arrested in August 2015 after Rai spilled the beans while he was being interrogated in a case pertaining to illegal possession of arms.

Police exhumed skeletal remains of Sheena from a forest in Raigad district, and later claimed forensic tests confirmed that the DNA samples of the skeletal remains matched those of Indrani and Mikhail Bora.

Right from the day the lid went off it, the case remained a sensational one as a web of deceit, lies and intriguing relationships emerged.

It came to light that Indrani had introduced her daughter and son to people as sister and brother and she was also said to have claimed that Sheena had gone to the US for higher studies, to those who enquired about her.

Peter had then said he believed that deceased was Indrani's sister and not her daughter while Mikhail said Sheena was the daughter and not Indrani's sister.

Maria, who led the initial investigation, was shunted out of the post of the Mumbai Police Commissioner in September 2015 and promoted as Director General of Police Home Guards.

As various theories floated over reasons for Maria's transfer, state Home Department dismissed suggestions that that it had some links with the probe in the Sheena murder case.

Maria was alleged to have taken "unusual interest" in the case and frequently visited Khar police station for questioning the accused, including Indrani.

Maria was alleged to have taken "unusual interest" in the Sheena Bora case and frequently visited Khar police station for questioning the accused, including Indrani.

In June last year, Indrani's former driver Shyamvar Rai was made approver by the CBI into the Sheena murder case after he expressed his intention for the same. He had told the court that he was present when Bora was murdered in 2012.
"Stray dogs have a right to live," was how the Supreme Court reacted sharply today when a submission was made that such canines should be completely destroyed across the country.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and R Banumathi observed that though culling of stray dogs was permissible, there has to be a balance and a proper method for this.

When one of the petitioners told the apex court that he wanted to "totally destroy" stray dogs across India, the bench said "nobody can destroy stray dogs in entirety. They also have a right to live".

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand concurred with the observations of apex court and said that stray dogs have a right to live and there has to be a balance.

The apex court has been hearing a batch of petitions on issues relating to orders passed by various civic bodies on culling of stray dogs which have become a menace, especially in Kerala and Mumbai.

During the hearing, the bench said in Kerala, there were issues of human concern but for this all stray dogs cannot be killed. "A person can die due to dog bite. It is an accident and for that, we cannot say kill all the stray dogs," it said.

The bench was also informed that a panel headed by former Kerala High Court judge Sri Jagan had received around 400 matters related to dog bites and it was working on it. The panel was set up by the apex court to inquire into incidents in which people and even children killed stray dogs and these acts were supported by several vigilante groups in Kerala.

"The panel has received around 400 applications out of which 24 have been settled. The committee is working on it," one of the counsel told the bench, which listed the matter for further hearing on March one.

When an advocate told the court that people have died due to dog bites in Kerala and children were unable to go to school due to this menace, the bench said "just because there are some stray dogs in a field or a school, they cannot be killed".

"They (stray dogs) have to be taken to shelter homes ....If there is no way out, they have to be culled and not killed. But there has to be a method for it," it said.

To this, one of the petitioners said he would construct shelter homes for dogs in his area in Kerala but the apex court asked him to submit a concrete proposal and prepare a road map.

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Outgoing US President Barack Obama made strengthening relations with India a genuine priority and that has resulted in deepening of economic ties between the two countries, the White House has said.

"President Obama did make strengthening our ties with India a genuine priority," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters yesterday at his last conference as the presidential spokesman.

"The president believed that it served our economic interest and national security interest, and that would certainly explain the frequent visits of both Indian Prime Ministers during President Obama's tenure in office to the White House and it would explain President Obama's visits to India as well," he said.

Obama, during his eight years in office, not only became the first US President to visit India twice, but also hosted Indian leaders in the Oval Office a record number of times, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh thrice and his successor Narendra Modi twice in 2015 and 2016.

Obama met Modi as many as eight times since their first meeting at the White House in September 2014.

"Each of those visits was oriented around a discussion about how to deepen our economic ties in a way that has positive benefits for workers in other countries, but also to look for ways that we can work more effectively together to fight extremism and to enhance the security of citizens of both our countries," Earnest said.

"President Obama certainly believes that we have made important progress in deepening and strengthening the relationship between two of the world's largest democracies and is hopeful that progress will continue into the next administration," he said while responding to a question.

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The man believed to have killed 39 people on New Year's night at an Istanbul nightclub has confessed after Turkish police captured him in a massive operation, a local official said today.

"The terrorist confessed his crime," Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin told reporters, identifying the detained man as Abdulgadir Masharipov born in Uzbekistan.

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On Tuesday Jan. 17, China's President Xi Jinping will address the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Surprisingly perhaps, he will be the first paramount Chinese leader to do so. The Davos Forum has always been one of the most significant multilateral discussion forums. The setting, high up in the Swiss Alps, is extremely imposing and adds to the prestige which attracts the leading players in both political and economic fields. Interestingly, though China's President will be attending, the controversial U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will not.

Davos has a well-known place in world literature too. In Nobel Prize-winner Thomas Mann's great novel "The Magic Mountain" the entire action takes place there, in a sanatorium where the characters are all awaiting a cure for their tuberculosis. Into this context Mann puts a great deal of symbolism regarding the ills of Europe at the beginning of the last century. And now, this week, Davos once more becomes a "magic mountain" where wise people meet to seek a cure for the economic ills of a world which is certainly less healthy than we would all wish.

But it is already clear what will be the most serious challenges faced by President Xi in Davos. China has never been very fond of the form of the economic world order assumed in the post-Cold War period, finding it too redolent of American hegemony. But, unexpectedly, it is the U.S.A. herself which appears intent on demolishing the current system, by unilaterally withdrawing from work on the TPP for example. The problem is that the immediate consequence of this sharp reversal of U.S. policy will not be a more balanced and multipolar economic order, but a gaping hole where global economic governance ought to be. As one of the only major powers to have developed a medium-term strategy for building growth and mutually beneficial economic interactions, China will find any such situation particularly disruptive, even if in the long term it is likely to lead to greater Chinese influence.

A case in point is the Paris climate change accord, endorsed by both China and the U.S. after years of tight negotiations with the Obama administration. It is unlikely that President-elect Trump will follow through on all the extreme rhetoric of the campaigning and immediate post-campaigning period. Nevertheless, the fact that since his election he has shown no sign of moderating any of his positions cannot but undermine confidence in prospects for the immediate future; and all economic planning depends to some degree on confidence.

In this context the eyes and ears of the world will certainly be on President Xi: everyone will be looking to China to inspire confidence by providing a source of stability. It will not always be comfortable for China to have so many expectations hanging on her; but in the current situation it would seem inevitable.

All the signs are that the President will speak strongly in favor of what he calls "inclusive globalization." By this he means an expansion of both bilateral and multilateral investment partnerships. As well as Chinese direct investment under the broad umbrella of the "Belt and Road" program, the Chinese leadership would welcome increased foreign investment in China.

This has been a fixed policy of China for several years now, and no aggressive intent will be shown by President Xi in firmly restating it now. Nonetheless, globalization has become a "hot potato" in Western countries. Both Britain's decision to leave the European Union and Trump's election itself can be seen to a large extent as a grassroots rebellion against the insecurities of globalization.

But China's support for the free trade agenda -- which used to be regarded as a paramount concern of the U.S.A. -- has been absolutely consistent since entry into the WTO in 2001, following which China has benefited hugely from her resulting access to international markets. China will have to continue making this case, and persuading other economies not to react to a suddenly uncertain world by retreating into protectionism.

And thus it is good that China's paramount leader will be showing his face at Davos this week. A few days on the "Magic Mountain" will not, of course, provide a cure for the ailing global economy, any more than it could automatically cure tuberculosis a hundred years ago. Nor can China possibly have all the solutions in a little black doctor's bag. But symbolism is also important. Whatever others may do, President Xi's attendance shows that China is prepared to take a hands-on role in global economic management; and the sight of China stepping up to the plate should bolster that confidence which is at the moment so sorely lacking.

Tim Collard is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/timcollard.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
Bihar police today claimed to have unearthed a suspected ISI link to target the railways with arrest of three persons in East Champaran district of the state bordering Nepal and are being interrogated to find out if they had a role in the derailment at Kanpur Dehat in November and elsewhere.

Police claimed the trio had confessed to having worked for a Nepalese contact suspected to be connected to Pakistan's ISI to target the railways.

District Superintendent of Police Jitendra Rana told reporters here that Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar Patel and Mukesh Yadav were arrested from Adapur Police Station area of the district.

The three are "professional criminals" allegedly involved in more than a dozen criminal cases, he said.

During interrogation, police claimed they confessed to having been paid Rs three lakh by a Nepali citizen identified as Brajesh Giri allegedly connected with the ISI for planting a bomb on railway tracks at Ghorasahan in East Champaran district in October 1 last year to cause an accident.

"Fortunately, the bomb was detected with the help of villagers at Ghorasan and defused which prevented the sinister designs of the terror elements," Rana said.

While three persons were arrested from East Champaran district, three others have been nabbed at Tailaya in Nepal for targeting railways on behalf of suspected terror elements in this country, he said.

Efforts are on to arrest in this connection two others identified as Gajendra Sharma and Rakesh Yadav who are "hiding" in East Champaran area, he said.

Rana said the anti-terrorism squad and other security agencies have been informed about the confession made by the three men who are being interrogated for more details to ascertain if the gang had any role in train accidents in Kanpur and elsewhere. 150 people were killed in the derailment of Indore-Patna Express at Kanpur Dehat in November last year.

East Champaran is a district bordering Nepal and Indian Mujahideen chief Yasin Bhatkal was arrested from Raxaul in the district in August 2013.

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Hailing the services of soldiers to the nation, the Telangana government today announced a substantial hike in benefits under different categories to the defence personnel or their dependents.

"We are constituting a special fund for the welfare of soldiers, which is nowhere in any state. This fund will be spent for soldiers and for the welfare of their families," Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced in the state Legislative Assembly.

The Chief Minister and ministers decided to give Rs 25,000 every year, MLAs and MLCs and MPs decided to offer Rs 10,000 for the saink welfare fund.

Government employees expressed their willingness to give their one day salary to the fund, Rao said.

"The policy of getting only one pension, whether it is given by Centre or by state is in vogue. We are providing the facility of giving two pensions to ex-servicemen, who worked as employees of Telangana state government.

"Telangana state government is providing the opportunity of two pensions to wife in case of death of ex-servicemen," he said.

The state government has decided to give more cash award than any other state to the recipients of Param Veer Chakra, Mahaveer Chakra, Veer Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Keerthi Chakra, Sourya Chakra and Sena medals, Rao said.

The government would give to the sons of soil of Telangana, who got Param Veer Chakra award, an amount of Rs 2.25 crore on behalf of state government.

The state government would give Rs 1.25 crore to the sons of soil of Telangana, who are awardees of Mahaveer Chakra, Keerthi Chakra.

For Veer Chakra and Sourya Chakra awardees, the state government would offer Rs 75 lakh. For recipients of Sena Medal, the reward would be Rs 30 lakh.

The state government has decided to give Rs 25 lakh to the awardees of mention in "dispatches gallantry".

It was decided to give Rs 25 lakh to those who got Sarvotham Yudh Seva medal. For Uttam Yudh Seva medal recipients, Rs 20 lakh would be given. The recipients of Yudh Seva medal would get Rs 5 lakh.

The state and district level Sainik Welfare Boards will be strengthened, he said.

Rao also announced various other benefits, including waiving tax on vehicles and exemption from property tax, to the soldiers.

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AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala and Chief Minister O Panneerselvam were at the forefront of the birth centenary celebrations of their party founder, the late M G Ramachandran today.

Sasikala led the celebrations at the party headquarters here where she garlanded a statue of Ramachandran, a former matinee idol who later went on to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and also released a souvenir.

She gave away welfare assistance to many persons.

Sasikala, appointed AIADMK General Secretary following her predecessor the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's demise last month, later visited Ramachandran's Ramavaram residence here, where she was received by the leader's adopted daughter Sudha Vijayakumar and her son.

In the presence of Panneerselvam, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai and others, she unfurled the party flag there and also unveiled a life-sized statue of MGR, as Ramachandran is fondly addressed.

Sasikala later visited a school for speech disabled and hearing impaired children run by MGR's family and gave away hearing aid to children.

Later, she served food and also shared a meal with the children there.

Meanwhile, Panneerselvam paid floral tributes to a portrait of MGR at Guindy with his cabinet colleagues in tow.

At an official function, a postage stamp was also released to mark the birth centenary of MGR.

Director General of Postal Services, India Post, T Murthy released the special postage stamp and Panneerselvam received it.

The Chief Minister and Sasikala had earlier urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release a special postage stamp and commemorative coin in honour of Ramachandran, who is also a Bharat Ratna recipient.

A charismatic superstar, MGR is a legendary name in Tamil cinema. He made a name in state politics after he broke away from the DMK following differences with its chief M Karunanidhi and founded AIADMK in 1972.

Known for his flamboyant acting and songs preaching values and virtues, Ramachandran ruled the state from 1977 till his death in 1987.

His birth centenary was celebrated across the state even as leaders from other parties including DMK Working President M K Stalin, MDMK Leader Vaiko and BJP state President Tamilisai Sounderrajan paid rich tributes to the leader.

(Reopens MDS2),



Meanwhile, a Puducherry report said Senior Congress



leader and PWD Minister A Namassivayam and Welfare Minister M Kandasamy paid floral tributes at the statue MGR on the occasion of his birth centenary.

Secretary of the Puducherry unit of the AIADMK P Purushothaman led a team of party cadres to garland the statue.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had earlier in his message recalled the dedicated services of MGR for the poor.
In keeping with its commitment to the young generation, Tata Steel today announced a scholarship programme titled 'Women-Of-Mettle', a pioneering initiative to encourage gender diversity in the manufacturing industry.

The programme aimed to identify, groom and encourage female engineering talent for a sector that historically has had imbalanced gender representation, a Tata Steel press release said.

Female students in their second year of engineering from select 45+ engineering institutes across India are invited to be a part of this programme.

The interested applicants, post initial stage of profile screening, will undergo a rigorous selection process, which entails working on a technical challenge and the top 30 female students will present their proposed solution to a jury of experts and professionals.

Post evaluation, top 10 winners will be eligible for the scholarship amounting Rs 1 Lakh each, which will be given in the third and fourth year of the course.

The winners also get the opportunity to do a paid internship (3rd year), receive mentorship from the senior leadership of the organisation, sponsorship to participate in technical conferences and a pre-placement job offer.

Rest 20 candidates will be eligible for pre-placement interviews during the final recruitment process.

Speaking on 'Women-Of-Mettle' Scholarship programme Vice-President, HRM, Tata Steel, Suresh Dutt Tripathi said at the Tata Steel, gender diversity is not about ensuring that we have a certain percentage of women working for the organization.

"It is rather about ensuring that we attract the best people into the group, be it men or women, and offer them an equal and fair opportunity to develop their skills and contribute to our growth and success," he said.

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A 25-year-old teacher of a local private school was arrested today in Chatarpur village in neighbouring Wardha district for allegedly molesting a girl student, police said.

The accused has been identified as Gajanan Bhalavi, a probationary teacher with the English medium school.

The parents of the girl, a class IV student, lodged the complaint against him in wee hours today.

Police Inspector N M Pant said, "We have arrested the runaway accused from his hideout in Chatarpur village on a tip off."



Yavatmal SP M. Raj Kumar said after visiting the school they will not spare the accused.

Bhalavi has been booked under sections 354 (A) and 506 of IPC for sexual harassment and punishment for criminal intimidation, respectively and under POSCO Act.

When contacted, school principal Minal Bhisma said, "I have learnt about the incident from the city police only this morning. No parent approached me earlier with such complaint."



School Committee chairman Prakash Nandurkar said the concerned teacher has been suspended and that the school management will firmly stand behind the child.

Earlier in the day, anxious parents and people from different parts of city gathered at the school as the word spread about the incident.

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One in five teens regularly wake up in the night to send or check messages on social media, which makes them three times more likely to feel constantly tired at school than their peers who do not log on at night, a new UK study has warned.

Researchers at Wales Institute for Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD) in the UK also found that girls are much more likely to access their social media accounts during the night than boys.

They warned that this night-time activity could be affecting happiness and wellbeing in the young people.

Over 900 pupils, aged between 12-15 years, were recruited and asked to complete a questionnaire about how often they woke up at night to use social media and times of going to bed and waking.

They were also asked about how happy they were with various aspects of their life including school life, friendships and appearance.

One in five reported 'almost always' waking up to log on, with girls much more likely to access their social media accounts during the night than boys.

Those who woke up to use social media nearly every night, or who did not wake up at a regular time in the morning, were around three times as likely to say they were constantly tired at school compared to their peers who never log on at night or wake up at the same time every day.

Moreover, pupils who said they were always tired at school were, on average, significantly less happy than other young people.

"Our research shows that a small but significant number of children and young people say that they often go to school feeling tired - and these are the same young people who also have the lowest levels of wellbeing," said Sally Power, professor at WISERD.

"One in five young people questioned woke up every night and over one third wake-up at least once a week to check for messages. Use of social media appears to be invading the 'sanctuary' of the bedroom," said Power.

The study findings support growing concerns about young people's night-time use of social media.

However, because of the complex range of possible explanations for tiredness at school, further larger studies will be needed before any firm conclusions can be made about the social causes and consequences of sleep deprivation among today's youth.

The study was published in the Journal of Youth Studies.

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British Prime Minister Theresa May will set out 12 negotiating objectives for Brexit in her much-anticipated speech in London today.

In the most important speech yet on Britain's exit from the European Union (EU), May willstress the country's ambition to reach out beyond Europe to build new trading relationships with countries like India.

"We seek a new and equal partnership - between an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU. Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Unionor anything that leaves us half-in, half-out," she is expected to say during her address at Lancaster House to senior British officials working on Brexit and representatives from around the world.

Indianhigh commissioner to the UK, Y K Sinha,will join other London-based diplomats at the event.

"We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave. The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. My job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do," read further excerpts of her speech.

The approach is being widely characterised as a "hard Brexit", which would take the UK out of the single market and the customs union it shares within the 28-nation economic bloc.

The priorities May will lay out will include control over immigration; removing Britain from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice; securing the rights of EU citizens in Britain; committing to retain workers' rights; building a strong trading relationship with the EU and rest of the world; and making Britain an attractive place for investors and students.

She will tell the remaining 27 EU member states: "We will continue to be reliable partners, willing allies and close friends.

"We want to buy your goods, sell you ours, trade with you as freely as possible, and work with one another to make sure we are all safer, more secure and more prosperous through continued friendship.

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Three traders who were kidnapped by militants on January 10 were released by their captors in the South Garo hills in the wee hours today after their families allegedly paid ransom, a police officer said.

The traders, part of a group of eleven, were kidnapped from near the Telekali Reserve Forest.

Eight others belonging to the group managed to escape after abandoning their vehicle, Superintendent of Police, South Garo Hills, Anand Mishra said.

The three were sighted near the village of Rongrikemgre in the South Garo Hills around 6 am today, Mishra said.

The three traders, who were taken at gun point and later released by the militants, are all from Dalu in West Garo Hills district and have been identified as Tamal Dey (38) of Killapara, Dulan Mahanta (36) also of Killapara and Durgapada Dutta (35) of Chaipani.

All three belonged to the West Garo Hills district.

Their release came after the family members allegedly paid a ransom of Rs 25000 to their captors.

The initial demand by the militantswas rumoured to be about Rs 10 lakhs. The demand was later scaled down, the officer said.

"We received information of their release this morning after they were spotted near Telekali (near the place of kidnapping). Our sources confirmed that an amount of Rs 25000 was paid to the kidnappers," Mishra said.

Police had earlier identified the group behind the kidnapping as cross border criminals who were later helped by the ASAK outfit's commander, Reding T Sangma, who allegedly negotiated the ransom amount on behalf of the kidnappers.

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Caspian tigers - some of the largest cats to ever live - that met a grim end in the middle of the 20th century may roam again in Central Asia, using a subspecies that is nearly identical genetically to them, scientists say.

Until the mid-1960s when they were designated as extinct, Caspian tigers, which reached up to 10 feet long and weighed over 130kg, ranged from modern-day Turkey through much of Central Asia, including Iran and Iraq, to northwestern China.

The reasons for their extermination included poisoning and trapping promoted by bounties paid in the former Soviet Union until the 1930s, said researchers from the College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in New York.

Irrigation projects during the Soviet era destroyed the tugay woodlands - a riparian and coastal ecosystem of trees, shrubs and wetlands - and reed thickets that were critical tiger habitat and the cats' prey disappeared as the riparian habitat vanished.

However, there is a chance that tigers - using a subspecies that is nearly identical, genetically, to the extinct Caspian - could be restored to Central Asia.

The study lays out the options for restoring tigers to Central Asia and identifies a promising site in Kazakhstan that could support a population of nearly 100 tigers within 50 years.

"The territory of the Caspian tiger was vast. When they disappeared, the number of nations that hosted tiger populations was reduced by more than half," said Professor James Gibbs from ESF.

The researchers say introducing tigers in a couple of locations in Kazakhstan won't make a widespread difference immediately but it would be an important first step.

They analysed scientific literature that revealed Caspian tigers once lived in an area about 800,000 to 900,000 square kilometres (km) in size, mostly within isolated patches of riparian ecosystems (land along rivers or streams).

Generally, two or three tigers occupied an area that covered about 100 square km.

Spatial analyses based on remote sensing data indicated that options for Amur tiger introduction are limited in Central Asia.

However, at least two habitat patches are potentially suitable for tiger re-establishment, both in Kazakhstan.

When the researchers considered current land use and the low density of the local human population, they found the most promising site is the Ili River delta and adjacent southern coast of Balkhash Lake.

The team identified about 7,000 square kilometres of suitable habitat. Population models for animals that tigers typically prey on - wild boar, Bukhara deer and roe deer - suggest the area could support a population of between 64 and 98 tigers within 50 years if 40 to 55 tigers are introduced.

The study was published in the journal Biological Conservation.

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Actor Tom Hardy "can't possibly comment" on whether or not he is in the running to become the next James Bond as he thinks it will ruin his chances.

The 39-year-old actor has been largely speculated as a contender to take up the role of the fictional spy when Daniel Craig steps down from the position, reported Digital Spy.

"You know, there's a saying amongst us in the fraternity of acting, and in the fellowship of my peer group, that if you talk about it you're automatically out of the race. So I can't possibly comment on that one! If I mention it, it's gone," Hardy said.

The "Mad Max" star may not be saying too much about where he stands with the franchise, he did say that Christopher Nolan would be a "fantastic" director for the next instalment.

"Chris Nolan, what a fantastic director for a Bond movie. Because Daniel (Craig) is so good, and what (director Sam) Mendes and Barbara (Broccoli, producer) have done has been so impressive, that it would be a very hard re-imagination to follow after.

"I wonder what the next instalment of that franchise would become, and I think when you mention someone like Christopher Nolan, that's a very powerful figure to bring into that world who could bring something new and create something profound - again," he said.

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 Flash

A couple from Beijing is about to start the trip of their lives, flying a Chinese plane 80,000 kilometers around the globe. They plan to take off from northeastern China's Harbin at the end of the month.

The couple, Zhang Xinyu and Liang Hong, will cross five continents, three oceans and 23 countries during their trip. It will be the first trip around the world completed by a Chinese plane. Zhang and Liang's trip is more than twice the distance of the standard around-the-world voyage, 36,787.6 kilometers, the length of the Southern and Northern Tropics, according to the International Air Transport Association. More than 90 percent of the countries they will visit are visa-free for Chinese citizens, including Peru, Chile, Togo, Seychelles, Thailand and Cambodia. Zhang hopes the world will be able to better understand China through their trip.

Since beginning to travel in 1998, the couple has left their footprints in more than 100 countries. They achieved a number of "firsts" as Chinese explorers, including being the first Chinese people to enter the Sacred Cenote in southeastern Mexico by cave diving, and the first to cross South Africa via helium balloon.
Several top industrialists like JSW Group Chairman and Managing Director Sajjan Jindal, Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani and Manipal Global Education Chairman T V Mohandas Pai are scheduled to participate in this year's Bengal Global Summit starting Friday.

Besides, over 350 foreign delegates from countries like Germany, China, Poland and Denmark, apart from Bangladesh Industry Minister Amir Hossain Amu, will be taking part in the two-day meet set to be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Asked whether Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani or any representative from the Tata Group will be present at the summit, a senior official at the state secretariat said it is "very unlikely".

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who will be visiting the city on Thursday to attend a programme of Presidency University, will be participating in the dinner for the delegates scheduled at Eco Park, New Town, the officer added.

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Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar today alleged that his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee dragged his name into the Sharada, Narada and Rose Valley graft cases "just to save her skin" and dismissed it as political "narrowness".

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had alleged that Sarkar and Tripura Social Welfare Minister Bijita Nath were involved with some chit fund groups, but the investigating agency did not initiate any action against them.

"Just to save her skin from Sharada, Narada and Rose Valley cases, she (Banerjee) is saying all these things. I am an open book and a slate. This is political... What should I say narrowness. Please don't try to equate me with Mamata, I am sorry," he said.

On national politics, the Tripura Chief Minister claimed federalism has weakened in the nearly three years of Narendra Modi government at the Centre, especially after the Planning Commission was done away with.

"Weakening of federalism is going to take place gradually. That is a very bad thing. One party show. This is an authoritarian trend. Look at how federalism is being weakened. One such example is disbanding of the Planning Commission," he said at a meet-the-press programme here.

Sarkar said the only alternative to BJP is the third front where the Left and all democratic forcesjoin hands, but the opportune time has not arrived yet.

"What is the alternative to BJP? It is the Left andthe democratic forces. It will not come out of the blue. It shall have to be developed. For now, it is weak. It takes time to be a force to reckon with," he said.

Asked whether a third front is possible to take on BJP in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh election, Sarkar said some sort of adjustment may take place between parties.

On the alleged scam in teachers' recruitment, Sarkar said



that only because the Tripura High Court has questioned the method of recruitment, it is wrong to say his government has indulged in nepotism and corruption.

"The High Court has not mentioned words such as nepotism and corruption, but it only questioned the method of employment. Now, the matter is in the Supreme Court, and hence nothing is final yet. So, I would only say don't be misguided by wrong and false campaign," he said.

"Nepotism in Tripura, that is false. It is a very transparent and very clean government," Sarkar claimed.

Asked about the possibility of BJP winning the elections in Tripura in 2018, especially after forming a government in Arunachal Pradesh, he said, "We have to wait and see the outcome of the next election."



However, BJP should have waited for the next election instead of capturing Arunachal Pradesh in an "unconstitutional way", Sarkar said.

"The way Arunachal was captured, do you support it? This is a very wrong method. Why they should not wait for the next election? Money power, media and muscle power - it is a very bad thing," he said.
As rich and powerful discuss the future of the US and the world under Trump Presidency, his key advisor here today said the President-Elect is in touch with the working class, which "elites" are not.

Anthony Scaramucci, who is part of Donald Trump's Presidential Transition Team, also said Trump wants to re- organise NATO to better reflect the current global political climate.

Besides, he said the US would want to have a "phenomenal relationship" with China.

"Donald Trump is in touch with the working class, while elites are not," he said in an apparent dig at what he termed as "global elite" attending the annual Davos meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Trump will be sworn in as US President on January 20.

"We may not like the way Donald Trump communicates here, but he communicates to a large population.

"Donald Trump loves people -- this is what you want in the US President," Scaramucci said.

In the United States, he said, eight million people have gone from working class to working poor and there is a need to come up with policies to change that.

Scaramucci, a hedge fund manager and Skybridge Capital founder, said the new government will focus on growth and spreading benefits beyond the elites through infrastructure spending, overhauling tax laws and less regulations.

Talking about the financial crisis, he said, "We all got through the crisis... We are all worth at least as much or a little more, but the common person has really struggled".

Days before Trump assumes office, Scaramucci also asserted that the Federal Reserve's independence will be upheld but cautioned policy markers about dollar appreciation.

He said that if things play out the way we would like it to, there would be better-than-expected growth, a simpler tax code, an invigorated middle class and working class, where purchasing power goes up.

The virtuous circle of consumption will take place and growth will solve many of the problems that are on the table, he added.

Referring to Trump's comments about the NATO alliance being "obsolete", Scaramucci said it shows how the world has changed but does not mean that it (NATO) has totally lost relevance and is still working.

"NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) is working but there are things about it that need to change and there are parts of it that are, in the words of Trump, 'obsolete'", he noted.

"We have to think about changing the (NATO) treaty to front face the 21st and 22nd centuries," he added.

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Donald J Trump will be sworn-in as the US President on Friday using two Bibles: the one that President Abraham Lincoln used at his first inauguration, plus his own that dates back to the President-elect's childhood.

US Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath of office to Trump, according to the 58th Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC) which announced more details of swearing-in ceremony.

"In his first inaugural address, President Lincoln appealed to the 'better angels of our nature'," said PIC Chairman Tom Barrack.

"As he takes the same oath of office 156 years later, President-elect Trump is humbled to place his hand on Bibles that hold special meaning both to his family and to our country," he added.

Trump's Bible was presented to him by his mother upon his graduation of Sunday Church Primary School at First Presbyterian Church, Jamaica, New York, on Children's Day, June 12, 1955, a media release said.

The Bible is a revised standard version published by Thomas Nelson and Sons in New York in 1953 and is embossed with his name on the lower portion of the front cover. The inside cover is signed by church officials and is inscribed with his name and the details of when it was presented.

The Lincoln Bible was purchased for the first inauguration of President Lincoln by William Thomas Carroll, Clerk of the Supreme Court.

The Bible is bound in burgundy velvet with a gold-washed white metal rim along the edges of the covers.

It is part of the collections of the Library of Congress and has been used at three inaugurals: 1861, 2009, and 2013.

Outgoing US President Barack Obama had used Lincoln's Bible for his inaugurations in 2009 and 2013.

On the other hand, vice president-elect Mike Pence would take oath using The Reagan Family Bible.

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas will administer the Oath of Office to him on January 20.

"President Reagan placed his faith in a loving God and the goodness of our country. He set out to change a nation and in doing so, he changed the world. In the march of history, Ronald Reagan's time in office was limited, but his legacy inspired a generation and will continue beyond," Pence said.

"It will be humbling to enter office with President Donald Trump, standing next to my family, with my wife Karen holding the same Bible used by President Reagan when he took office," he said.

The Bible that Pence will place his right hand upon was used by Reagan for his gubernatorial and presidential inaugurations. This marks the first time a person other than Reagan has used it at an inauguration.

The Reagan Family Bible has never been out of the possession of the Reagan family or the Reagan Foundation, and is currently on permanent display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California.

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Actress Vidya Balan says her upcoming film "Tumhari Sulu", in which she plays a radio jockey, will bring out her naughty side on-screen.

"I am busy with 'Begum Jaan' and 'Tumhari Sulu', both are completely different films. 'Tumhari Sulu' is a fun film. Sulu is a late night RJ and it will unleash the naughty side of me," Vidya told PTI.

Helmed by Suresh Triveni, the story revolves around a woman named Sulochana, fondly known as Sulu. She lands herself an unexpected job of a fun and feisty RJ and anchors a late night show.

The National Award-winning actress is equally excited about Srijit Mukherji's historical drama "Begum Jaan".

"'Begum Jaan' is a period historical film set in the partition time. It's a very powerful story that I felt compelled to tell," Vidya said.

The film, an adaptation of the 2015 Bengali film "Rajkahini", is scheduled to release in March.

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Two senior were sacked by the government after an extensive evaluation found them "not fit" to continue in the service due to their alleged "non-performance", an action which came after nearly two decades.

Mayank Sheel Chohan, a 1998 batch Union Territory cadre officer and Raj Kumar Dewangan, a 1992 batch Chhattisgarh cadre officer, were given "premature retirement" under the All India Service (Death-Cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules-1958, a Home Ministry official said.

The action came "in the public interest" after an extensive review of the service performance of the two officers, who have completed 15 years of qualifying service.

"Performance review of was conducted to weed out dead wood," the officer said.

A service review is conducted twice on an all-India service officer - first after 15 years and again 25 years of completion of qualifying service.

According to the All India Service (Death-Cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules-1958, "The Central government may, in consultation with the state government concerned and after giving a member of the service at least three months previous notice in writing or three months pay and allowances in lieu of such notice require that member to retire in public interest from service..."



The sacking of senior officers belonging to the Indian Police Service came nearly two decades after similar action taken against two IPS officers, who were then serving in Maharashtra.

There were allegations against Chohan, a Superintendent of Police (SP) rank officer of having disproportionate assets. He was also accused of remaining absent from service without authorisation when he was posted in Arunachal Pradesh.

Dewangana, an Inspector General of Police (IGP) rank officer was facing a departmental enquiry in connection with a 1998 case of loot that took place during his tenure as SP in Janjgir-Champa district of Chhattisgarh.
With nearly all Congress turncoats fielded by the BJP for the February 15 Uttarakhand Assembly polls, resentment prevails among a section of trusted party leaders who have been denied tickets to make room for candidates imported from outside.

There are at least 20 seats where strong ticket contenders have been disappointed giving rise to the possibility that some of them may enter the fray as independents or work to spoil the prospects of the party's official nominees.

While most of the disappointed contenders are yet to disclose their cards, they make no bones about their feeling of being left out.

With Congress turncoat Subodh Uniyal fielded from Narendranagar, BJP's very own Om Gopal Rawat, a former MLA who had consistently nursed the constituency has announced his intention to contest as an independent from the seat.

There is discontent among party leaders in almost all seats from where Congress rebels have been fielded.

Former legislator Asha Nautiyal who was expecting a ticket from Kedarnath is unhappy with Congress turncoat Shailarani Rawat fielded from the seat.

Similarly, former MLA Shailendra Singh Rawat is disappointed over Harak Singh Rawat being fielded from Kotdwar.

Former MLA Suresh Chand Jain is sulking in Roorkee from where Pradip Batra has been declared the party's official nominee.

Jain said he feels cheated and will certainly contest for development of the town.

Some of the party's sitting MLAs have also been denied tickets including Yamkeshwar MLA Vijaya Barthwal and Chaubatakhal MLA and former Pradesh BJP president Tirath Singh Rawat.

While Barthwal has been denied a ticket to field former CM and Pauri MP BC Khanduri's daughter Ritu Khanduri, Tirath was ignored to make room for Congress turncoat Amrita Rawat's husband Satpal Maharaj.

Resentment among BJP leaders ahead of assembly polls doesn't augur well for the party with Congress in a mood to lap up disgruntled BJP elements and field them against erstwhile party rebels.

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Ukraine has filed a case at the UN's top court accusing Russia of sponsoring "terrorism" and demanding Moscow pay damages for the shelling of civilians and the downing of flight MH17, officials said today.

Kiev has asked the International Court of Justice to "declare that the Russian Federation bears international responsibility, by virtue of its sponsorship of terrorism ... for the acts of terrorism committed by its proxies in Ukraine," the court said in a statement.

Ukraine also asked the court to order "full reparation" for the 2014 downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine and "for the shelling of civilians" in certain towns in eastern Ukraine.

"Russia must pay its price for the aggression," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Monday just after Kiev launched the proceedings with the court based in The Hague.

"The Russian Federation has been brutally violating international law for three years," he added in a statement.

"For three years, Russia has been committing the illegal annexation of Crimea, illegal occupation of the east of our country in the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, implementing the policy of elimination and discrimination in Crimea."



The International Court of Justice, the UN's highest court, was founded in 1945 to rule on border and territorial disputes between nations.

Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, accuses its neighbour Russia of triggering unrest by separatist pro-Russian rebels in retaliation for the ousting of Kiev's Moscow-backed president in February 2014.

Fierce fighting flared in eastern Ukraine and Russia annexed Ukraine's southern peninsula of Crimea in March 2014.

There had been hopes the war was winding down after nearly the deaths of nearly 10,000 people after several ceasefire accords.

Poroshenko said the filing of the case at the ICJ had resulted from "a long and meticulous work."



Kiev has asked the tribunal to declare that Moscow has violated its obligations under the Terrorism Financing Convention and an international treaty against racial discrimination.

It urges the tribunal to order Moscow to "immediately and unconditionally cease and desist from all support, including the provision of money, weapons, and training, to illegal armed groups that engage in acts of terrorism in Ukraine."



A Dutch-led international investigation found that Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian-made missile in July 2014 over eastern Ukraine, launched from a field in rebel-held territory.

All 298 on board the routine flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, mostly Dutch citizens, were killed.

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Any attempt by Israel to annex part or all of the West Bank risks destroying prospects for peace with the Palestinians, the UN envoy trying to promote Middle East peace has warned.

Nickolay Mladenov yesterday told the UN Security Council that "divisive" calls for annexations in the 60 per cent of the West Bank exclusively controlled by Israel, known as Area C, have been made following the council's approval of a resolution last month condemning Israel's settlements.

Mladenov stressed that Israel and the Palestinians "must avoid any unilateral action that would prejudge a negotiated final status solution."



Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, said the resolution's adoption "represents a turning point," and Israel "must choose between occupation and peace."



"The will of the council and international community as a whole to stand by the resolution and implement its provisions will be an indicator of whether the two-state solution can be saved or not and whether peace will be possible or not," he said.

The monthly Security Council meeting on the Middle East was the first since the United States, in a stunning rupture with past practice, abstained and allowed the UN's most powerful body to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem as a "flagrant violation" of international law.

The resolution, supported by the 14 other council members, said settlements in lands the Palestinians want to include in their future state have "no legal validity." It demanded a halt to settlement building for the sake of "salvaging the two-state solution."



Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said the resolution has setback the pursuit of peace, and so have the messages from President Barack Obama's administration and Sunday's meeting in Paris where some 70 countries backed an independent Palestinian state and urged revived peace efforts.

Danon said all these actions have only "encouraged the Palestinians to continue down the dangerous path that they have chosen," claiming "their endgame is not to create a state alongside Israel but rather to replace it completely."



The Israeli envoy reiterated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's offer to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jerusalem, Ramallah or even New York "to enter into a real dialogue."



Danon said Israel is hopeful that relations with the United States will change when Donald Trump, who has taken steps that show he plans to side with Israel, becomes president on Friday.

With Trump in the White House, he said, Israel hopes to see the US "return to its policy of rejecting unfair and biased Security Council resolutions and promoting direct and genuine dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians.

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Karnataka government's proposal to expand 'Upper Bhadra Lift Irrigation project' to provide irrigation to Davanagere and Tumkur districts is facing green hurdle as a central panel has sought more details.

Recently, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Union Environment Ministry had examined the state government's proposal and deferred its decision on granting environment clearance (EC) for want of more information.

Originally, the project was designed to lift water from Tunga river to Bhadra reservoirs in two stages to irrigate the parched lands of Chikkamagalur and Chitradurga districts.

The stage-I of the project has got the EC and is underway. However in the stage-II, the state government has proposed expansion to extend irrigation facilities to farmers in Davanagere and Tumkur districts as well. Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd (KNNL) is the implementing agency.

"After detailed deliberations, the EAC recommended that a sub-committee should visit the project site and submit a report on the viability of expansion of Upper Bhadra Lift Irrigation project," a senior government official told PTI.

The central panel has noted that it would take a call on granting EC to the proposed expansion project after taking into account the inputs from the sub-committee, he said.

The EAC also observed that since lifting of water is sizeable, the economic viability of the lift irrigation project should be re-assessed based on the guidelines issued by Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP), Delhi.

"The project's viability should be based on the actual cost of the energy at the consumers point (LIS). The cost of lifting per unit of water (cum) may also be worked out," the EAC has noted.

Besides, the EAC said that the state government has proposed drip irrigation to be adopted for high-density crops like groundnut and its suitability should be re-ascertained.

The panel has also asked the state government to ensure that the land acquired for the project be suitably compensated with the prevailing guidelines and all commitments made during the Public Hearing should be fulfilled.

According to the proposal, the Upper Bhadra lift Irrigation Scheme envisages lifting of 17.40 TMC of water in Stage-I from Tunga river to existing Bhadra reservoir and lifting of 29.90 TMC of water in Stage-II from Bhadra reservoir to tunnel near Ajjampura in Tungabhadra sub-basin of Krishna basin.

After tunnel, through Chitradurga Branch Canal and Tumkur Branch Canal, it is planned to irrigate 2,25,515 ha area by drip irrigation in the districts of Chikkamagalur, Chitradurga, Tumkur and Davanagere.

Out of 29.90 TMC of water, 19.04 TMC of water is earmarked for irrigation and remaining 10.86 TMC is allocated for filling of 367 minor irrigation tanks. The entire water distribution will be automated and controlled by SCADA system. About 787 villages are likely to be benefitted under this project.

The proposed project requires 2,114 ha area land for construction of main canal and delivery chambers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 Flash

As soon as President Xi Jinping landed in Switzerland on Sunday, the Swiss Tourism Bureau extended a warm welcome on its official Chinese microblog account, accompanied by a picture of the splendid Alpine landscape.

With over 270,000 followers, the account shares useful travel tips and photographs of the European country almost every day.

According to predictions by China's largest online travel agency Ctrip, 50 percent more Chinese tourists will visit Switzerland during the Spring Festival over the same period of 2016.

The tourism bureau of Lucerne, a city in central Switzerland, has chosen the romantic Chinese name "Liusen" as its official promotion name. The Chinese character "liu" refers to colored glaze and "sen" means forest.

Besides the rise in Chinese tourists to Switzerland, Swiss companies are also expanding rapidly in China.

ABB Group, a Switzerland-headquartered global technology company, delivered its 50,000th robot manufactured in China at December's China International Industry Fair.

Intellectual technology is key to the company's global expansion, according to Gu Chunyuan, chairman of ABB China. Gu said ABB recently decided to build a robot application center in the southwestern municipality of Chongqing.

In the meantime, biotech firm Roche's third global strategic center, after Basel and San Francisco, is taking shape in Shanghai.

Over 330 researchers in Roche's China office have applied for over 160 patent applications, the company said, adding it is expanding cooperation with China's local governments to improve the affordability of Chinese health care.

Switzerland was the first country on the European continent to sign a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with China, which entered into force on July 1, 2014. Investment and M&A activities between the two countries have been gaining momentum ever since.

"The China-Switzerland relations have become a model of friendship and cooperation between countries that are different in social system, development stage and size," President Xi said during talks with Swiss President Doris Leuthard on Monday.
Terming 2017 as a "dangerous year", former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today said the global economic order will change under US President-elect Donald Trump, even as the US will witness a shift in its policy towards China and Russia.

Calling this two sets of policy departures, Rudd said Trump's focus was normalisation of relations with Russia as well as altering its ties with China.

"The President of the United States has been voted in the office on the basis of normalising relations with Russia and identifying Russia as a strategic long-term partner. This move has turned the US Presidential, foreign and national security policy, which has existed more or less since 1945, on its head. Trump does not see Russia as a long term threat in making America great again," he said.

Rudd was speaking at Raisina Dialogue 2017.

The former Australian PM said, for the first time since 1972, the cornerstone of the US-China policy relationship 'the One China Policy' has been thrown up into the air rather than being taken as a given into the relationship.

He said Trump's comments on China related to One-China Policy, Chinese cyber attacks and its trade have not remained confined to election, but have escalated beyond that.

"President Trump sees this as a bargaining chip with People's Republic of China," he said.

Rudd said the WTO may also see a change in US position considering Trump's nationalist and protectionist agenda.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A special CBI court will pronounce on January 28 its verdict in the murder case of RTI activist Shehla Masood in Bhopal in 2011.

Special CBI judge B K Paloda directed both the CBI and defence to conclude their final arguments by January 25 and announced that judgement in the case will be delivered on January 28.

He also directed CBI to produce the case diary before the court and asked prime accused Zahida Pervez and other accused including Saba Faroqui to be present on January 19 and 20 during the trial.

Shehla was shot dead in broad daylight near her house at Koh-e-Fiza area in Bhopal on August 16, 2011.

Zahida is accused of killing Shehla out of jealousy after the latter's ties with former BJP MLA Dhruvnarayan Singh grew deeper, according to prosecution case.

Zahida with her friend Saba allegedly hired professional shooters to kill Shehla, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc today urged Japan to invest more in the Southeast Asian country to become its top foreign investor.

Speaking at a conference of business leaders from both countries also attended by visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Phuc said Vietnam would like to see Japan invest more in infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing and services.

"At this meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, we wish that Japan would be the largest (foreign) investor to Vietnam, not other countries," Phuc said.

South Korea is Vietnam's largest foreign investor with total investments of USD 50 billion, followed by Japan with USD 42 billion.

Phuc said the Vietnamese people and businesses have high levels of trust for Japanese businesses, adding that Abe, on his third visit to Vietnam as prime minister, is a close friend of Vietnamese people.

Abe told the conference that after talks with Phuc yesterday, the countries had agreed to expand trade and investment, and improve the investment environment.

"Currently, ASEAN is the center for growth in the world and Vietnam is part of that center," Abe said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

He said more than 1,600 Japanese companies are operating in Vietnam, urged Phuc and the Vietnamese government to continue to support them.

Abe, accompanied by executives from 76 Japanese companies, was wrapping up a four-nation tour to push Japan's trade and security engagements in the region amid rising China's dominance in Asia.

He previously visited the Philippines, Australia and Indonesia.

Yesterday, Abe pledged to provide Vietnam with new patrol vessels to improve its maritime law-enforcement capabilities. Japan has already provided Vietnam with six used patrol boats.

Vietnam and Japan both have separate maritime disputes with China with Vietnam in the South China Sea and Japan in the East China Sea.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
German auto giant plans to provide over four lakh new energy cars for the Chinese market by 2020 to address its environmental protection needs, a top official said today.

The number will increase to 1.5 million by 2025, Professor Jochem Heizmann, CEO of Group China, was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency.

The company announced earlier that it would introduce 15 models of new energy vehicles in China in the next three or four years, to address the environmental protection needs of the Chinese market, as well as 10 models worldwide in the next decade.

New energy vehicles sales of the company are expected to reach 2 million to 3 million in 2025, 20 to 25 per cent of its total sales.

China is Volkswagen's largest market.

Group China and its two joint ventures delivered 3.98 million automobiles to the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong in 2016, up 12.2 per cent year on year.
A World Health Organisation report released today has cited India's multiple initiatives on tobacco control, improving access to proprietary medicines, and curbing acid attacks among examples of deploying the law to safeguard health.

The new report from WHO 'Advancing the right to health- the vital role of law' in collaboration with the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), the University of Sydney and Georgetown University in Washington DC describes ways in which law makes a crucial difference for public health.

The report also cited a soda tax in Mexico, salt limits in South Africa, plain tobacco packaging in Australia, national health insurance in Ghana, mandatory motorcycle helmets in Vietnam and health care in the US, as other examples of legal initiatives that have played a vital role in safeguarding and promoting good health around the world.

The report features case studies from around the world on how the law has improved the health and safety of populations, providing a resource for countries to learn from the experience of others.

"After considering the effect of smoking on both smokers and non-smokers, the Court (Supreme Court of India) issued an order prohibiting smoking in public places and requiring federal and state governments to 'take effective steps to ensure [the prohibition of] smoking' in 'auditoriums, hospital buildings, health institutions, educational institutions, libraries and court buildings, and public conveyances including railways".

"The effect of this order was to give constitutional protection against exposure to second-hand smoke in public places in India. In 2003, the Parliament of India passed the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, which prohibits smoking in a 'public place', defined to include the places identified in the order of the Supreme Court. Cases like this illustrate that litigants and public health organizations, can be powerful agents for change," the report said.

The report also talked about how in 2012, India implemented regulations that make television broadcasters and cinema and theatre owners responsible for broadcasting anti-tobacco messages to counteract the depiction of smoking and other forms of tobacco use in films and television programmes.

The report said that in August 2014, Maharashtra became



the first state in India to ban the use of smokeless tobacco in a range of public places, with penalties for those caught chewing or spitting tobacco.

The report said that even in countries where the constitution does not protect the right to health, other constitutional rights may provide indirect protection.

"For example, although there is no right to health in the Indian Constitution, the Supreme Court has interpreted the constitutional right to life (Article 21) to impose a duty on the government to safeguard life, which extends to providing for emergency health care services," it said.

India's Patents Act provides an example of national legislation intended to restrict the practice of incremental patents and India amended its national patent laws in 2005 to bring them into compliance with Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), the report said while citing the example of Novartis AG v Union of India in the Supreme Court.

The report noted that in some countries, the right to food is justiciable, whether through constitutional recognition of the right to food or related human rights, or through framework legislation for food security.

"In a series of orders based on Article 21, the Supreme Court has ordered national and state governments to implement various programmes to ensure food access, including mid-day meal programmes in primary schools, converting the benefits offered under these schemes to legal entitlements, and expanding coverage," the report said.

The report noted laws that promote the safety and equality of women must be consistent with human rights standards, while responding to the specific challenges faced in each country.

Although they may include criminal penalties for domestic violence, "honour killings", and other forms of gender-based abuse, these laws alone will not be sufficient and public health approach to protecting women's health is therefore "interdisciplinary" in nature.

"India's national Ministry of Home Affairs responded to the growing number of acid attacks on women by drafting model rules that classify corrosive acids such as hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid as poisons under India's Poisons Act," the report said.

Elaborating about the move, it said that under the rules, the strength of acids available for retail sale would be reduced, retailers of acids would require a licence, acid sales would be restricted to advancing the right to health, it said.
A woman was arrested on charge of kidnapping a one-year old boy to Delhi from Alipurduar district even as the baby was returned to his mother, police said today.

The accused Chaiti Roy, who is the maternal aunt of the child, was arrested by a Bengal police team from her Delhi home on the basis of complaint by the child's mother, police said.

The mother complained that while she had asked Chaiti to wait with the child near an ATM in Alipurduar, on return after withdrawal of cash she discovered there was no sign of either the child or Chait on December 15.

On inquiry police tracked the child to Chaiti's home in Delhi and finally brought the accused to Alipurduar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Obama administration has recently delivered a "very tough" message to asking it to dismantle safe havens of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e- Mohammed and Haqqani network operating from its soil, outgoing US envoy to New Delhi Richard Verma said on Monday.

Holding that India faces a "daunting challenge" from these Pakistan-based terror groups and hailing New Delhi's efforts to deal with the menace, the envoy said the world needs India's leadership in countering terrorism.

Verma, who demits office ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday, Verma said the US also told the Pakistani leadership to come down hard on perpetrators of cross-border terrorism including in Afghanistan.

Talking about Indo-US cooperation in counter-terror efforts, he said intelligence sharing between the two strategic partners has reached "unprecedented level" which helped Indian secutrity agencies thwart various threats.

Asked about what exactly the Obama administration told recently regarding Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Haqqani network, Verma told an event organised by a think tank, "We have taken a very tough line on these terrorist groups operating from Pakistani soil."



He said the message to the Pakistani leadership has been a "very tough and concerted" one, adding Islamabad has been told to eliminate the safe havens of the terrorist groups, shut down their cross-border activities and take action against the perpetrators of terror.

Talking about threat of terror India was facing, he said, "On the Western front, India faces a daunting challenge of terrorist groups operating from inside . Some of these groups including LeT and Haqqani network, and JeM also targeted the US and Afghan security forces in Afghanistan."



He said the US continued to press Pakistan at the "highest level" to take effective action against these groups and cited extension of terrorist designation to two more LeT leaders.

The envoy said India and the US must expand cooperation further in dealing with terror, radicalisation and violent extremism. "The US-India partnership stands as a global example of what is possible."



He said concrete efforts were needed to understand how young people are being radicalised using digital technology by terror outfits like ISIS and come out with solution to the problem.

Complimenting India for its efforts to contain insurgency in the northeastern states, particularly Mizoram, he said it can be a lesson in dealing with broader challenge of violent extremism in various parts of the globe.

Noting that social media has become a key platform for ISIS to lure young people into terrorism, he said efforts and resources must be mobilised locally and globally in fight against terror and violent extremism. He said ISIS had recruited a around 40,000 people over the last 4 years.
The Delhi High Court today sought the response of the Centre on a Yemeni student's plea that he be not deported to his country as his life is under threat there.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva issued notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs and sought its reply on the student's plea by January 30 after Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain gave an oral assurance that no action would be taken without first informing the court and the petitioner.

Jain, assisted by central government counsel Rajesh Gogna, told the court that the petitioner's application for extension of his visa is under consideration and any decision that is taken will be communicated to the court and the petitioner before the next date of hearing on January 30.

The petitioner, who claims to be a Sunni Arab, has said he had a valid visa till October 31, 2016 and under the garb of extending it, he has been kept at the detention centre at Lampur Sewa Sadan here.

"No reason was ever given to the petitioner for his impending deportation or his detention," the petition filed through advocate Gunjan Singh said.

The Yemeni national has said he arrived in India in 2013 for studies and has done a post-graduate course in commerce from Pune University.

His lawyer told the court that the petitioner has been given 'refugee' status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and should not be deported.

According to the petitioner, the Sunni Arab community is targeted by Houthi rebels and other non-state actors such as al-Aaeda and the government there.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mid-sized private sector lender Yes Bank today claimed to have launched the industry's first customisable savings account which will protect customers from "unwanted charges" levied in current offerings.

"Along with enabling the customer to create an account that suits his or her lifestyle and banking preferences, the customisable savings account will also protect the customer from unwarranted charges by eliminating unnecessary account features," it said in a statement.

Customers can choose from options like debit cards, alternatives to minimum balance requirements, and banking benefits such as ATM usage, digital banking products, branch banking and family grouping, it said.

............................................................. Godrej Interio collaborates with IBM for e-commerce platform



Furniture brand Godrej Interio today said it is collaborating with IBM for its e-commerce platform.

IBM's design-based consulting and e-commerce capabilities will enable Godrej Interio to gain deeper customer insights by evaluating customers' observations, ideas, and insights by their browsing behaviour online and offline and Godrej Interio will use these insights to recommend home decor ideas, the company said in a statement.

"We believe design thinking is an innovative strategy and the most effective way to create a customer centric business model. With IBM's global expertise and local experience in the omni-channel commerce and retail space, we are confident this will give us the edge over competition," Godrej Interio Head - E-commerce and Digital Transformation Shanu Singh said.

.............................................................. 2/3rd Indians online support demonetisation, claims survey



Nearly two-thirds of Indians online support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's move to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, a survey by a domestic consultancy has said.

"66 per cent of Indians online stand with Modi on demonetisation...People surveyed believe that pain will eventually help eradicate black money, fight corruption and reduce corruption," the survey by Nihilent Analytics said.

It, however, did not mention the number of people which were surveyed but said it was designed to listen to people's "articulated expectations as well as unarticulated aspirations".

22 per cent of people were extremely supportive of the mammoth exercise reaching its logical conclusion, while 24 per cent were very supportive.

.............................................................. Edelweiss Tokio Life launches a ULIP, Wealth Ultima



Private insurer Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance today announced the launch of - Wealth Ultima - a market-linked plan.

The ULIP product is a combination of systematic monthly plan (SMP), that helps accumulate wealth, systematic transfer plan (STP) that helps in wealth preservation and systematic withdrawal plan (SWP), which helps in wealth utilisation, the company said in a release issued here.

"With this innovative addition to our bouquet of need-based offerings, Wealth Ultima aims to savour a sense of freedom that is evoked, when one feels that he has chosen the right path of creating wealth," Edelweiss Tokio Life Managing Director and CEO Deepak Mittal said.

Edelweiss Tokio Life is a joint venture between the Edelweiss Group and Tokio Marine Holdings of Japan. .............................................................. Bharti AXA General appoints Sanjeev Srinivasan as CEO, MD



Bharti AXA General Insurance today said it has appointed Sanjeev Srinivasan as CEO and Managing Director.

Srinivasan joined Bharti AXA General Insurance in August 2016 as Chief Commercial and Principal Officer and now takes over the role of CEO and MD.

His main focus will be to drive Bharti AXA's go- to-market strategy of creating a balanced portfolio, driving new distribution tie-ups and creating a customer centric brand to drive profitable growth.

"As the organisation enters the next phase of growth, we are delighted to have Sanjeev onboard. We have built a strong business with a seasoned and experienced team and I am confident that with his rich experience, Srinivasan will spearhead the growth of the company in this phase," Bharti AXA General Insurance Chairman Rakesh Bharti Mittal said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Sujata Rao

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - In 2014, Arnold Kamler, CEO of New Jersey-based Kent International, took a big step: he resumed making bicycles in the United States, 23 years after uprooting production to China. This year, he hopes to sell half a million U.S.-made bikes.

For business and political leaders gathered in the Swiss Alps town of Davos for this year's World Economic Forum, Kamler's experience - part of a process Morgan Stanley once dubbed the "re-industrialisation" of America - is a cause for some anxiety.

If a mix of accelerating automation and trade protectionism is the defining economic climate of the moment, globalisation may well be in decline, and developing nations that failed to capitalise on the past two decades of economic integration - notably those in Africa - may have missed the boat altogether.

It is an issue with profound consequences - for emerging economies that have built their fortunes on exports, and for richer nations that hope a "reshoring" of industrial production will appease disgruntled blue-collar workers at home and re-ignite stagnant wage growth.

Global trade likely grew last year at just 1.7 percent, lagging world economic growth for the first time in 15 years and for only the second time since 1982, according to the World Trade Organisation which expects a further slowdown in 2017.

While there are complex reasons behind the slowdown, it's hard to ignore the rising popularity of trade protectionism and anti-globalisation. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's campaign pledges and plans for "a very large border tax" on firms producing overseas fall into this category.

But perhaps even more influential is businesses' push towards automation, digitisation, robotics and innovations such as 3-D printing that undermine low-wage countries' biggest comparative advantage.

That contributed to the return of 250,000 manufacturing jobs to the United States between 2010 and 2015, according to data from Reshoring Initiative, a group that advises U.S. businesses.

Kamler's state-of-the-art plant, for instance, will soon be able to paint 2,000 bicycles per shift with just 12 workers involved in the painting process.

"Most of those people will be sitting looking at computer screens. The same operation in China would need 60 people," he said.

Automation tends to see jobs return to the countries which develop the technology - carmaker Ford's decision to expand a Michigan plant rather than start one in Mexico is seen as partly motivated by a focus on high-tech electric vehicles.

LAGGARDS

"Reshoring" is bad for emerging economies transformed by the manufacturing-for-export boom and now suffering from its reversal.

But for countries only now getting in on the manufacturing act, things are worse, says Hung Tran, managing director of the Washington DC-based Institute for International Finance (IIF).

"The conclusion to reach is that the business and growth model which worked for many countries, especially in Asia, won't provide the same growth opportunities as before," Tran said.

"That's the big challenge for emerging economies that are only just trying to take off ... it's much harder to do than 20 years ago when all you needed to do was attract investment, produce and export," Tran said.

Laggards include swathes of Africa and also India, the world's fastest growing economy. With a 1.2 billion population, it accounts for just 2 percent of global trade but needs desperately to create jobs for the 10 million youth entering the workplace each year.

The fear is that as low-level factory jobs for unskilled workers become scarcer, workers in these countries, unlike in early birds such as China or Malaysia, will be ill-prepared for the higher-tech manufacturing of the future.

Against that backdrop, India may struggle to meet its goal of raising manufacturing's share of the economy to 25 percent. That share is currently 16 percent, half of China's level.

Others are even worse off - manufacturing comprises 10 percent of Nigeria's economy and 6 percent in Tanzania, according to the World Bank. The picture is mirrored across Africa where the population could double by 2050 to 2.5 billion.

"There is a missed-boat aspect for industrial output especially for Africa," said Marion Amiot at Oxford Economics, whose report on the impact of digitisation concluded that upfront costs of technology and training would pose significant entry barriers for poorer economies.

Not everyone is pessimistic. India for instance may be able to capture the burgeoning trade in services. It and peers such as Indonesia are moving to reform their economies, unlocking faster growth and making exports less important.

LOSERS EVERYWHERE

It could eventually prove a game in which everyone loses.

Take Trump's tirades against Mexico.

U.S. firms have invested more than $200 billion in Mexico, employing over a million people, but are now under pressure to shutter factories producing for U.S. markets.

Yet reshoring may not deliver the kind of benefits Trump and U.S. unions hope for. The new high-tech plants will likely create far fewer jobs than expected.

Second, the loss of manufacturing jobs - and failure to create them in countries with huge populations - may trigger more migration to rich countries, exacerbating the tensions that are fuelling the lurch towards right-wing parties.

Migration patterns already suggest people's movement is increasingly dictated by "push" from poorer areas of the world, rather than by "pull" from richer countries, UBS said in a note.

As former Mexican president Felipe Calderon warned Trump in a tweet: "The more jobs you destroy in Mexico, the more immigrants the American people will have."

(Reporting by Sujata Rao; Editing by Mark Potter)

(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.)
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Washington is "initiating a new arms race" by deploying large-scale troops to Europe, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Monday.

The U.S. military buildup in Europe has "a powerful potential for destroying the entire architecture of European security ... threatening to trigger long-term destructive consequences in the Euro-Atlantic region," she said in an online statement.

Washington is trying to impose a confrontational model of relations reminiscent of the Cold War, Zakharova added.

According to her, the United States transferred to Poland an armored brigade, consisting of about 4,000 troops and 2,500 combat hardware units, earlier this month.

Starting in January, 300 U.S. marines will be deployed to a Norwegian base. In late March, a U.S. air brigade is expected to be deployed to Germany, and a battalion tactical group will be deployed to Poland in April.
LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May set out the principles that will guide her approach to Britain's withdrawal from the European Union in a speech in London on Tuesday.

Below are highlights from her speech:

UK WILL LEAVE EUROPEAN SINGLE MARKET

This agreement should allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and the EU's member states. It should give British companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets, and let European businesses do the same in Britain.

But I want to be clear: What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market. Instead we seek the greatest possible access to it through a new, comprehensive, bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement.

FREE TRADE AGREEMENT MAY TAKE IN ELEMENTS OF SINGLE MARKET ARRANGEMENTS IN SOME AREAS

That Agreement may take in elements of current Single Market arrangements in certain areas - on the export of cars and lorries for example, or the freedom to provide financial services across national borders - as it makes no sense to start again from scratch when Britain and the remaining Member States have adhered to the same rules for so many years.

WILL PURSUE GREATEST POSSIBLE ACCESS TO SINGLE MARKET

An important part of the new partnership ... will be the pursuit of the greatest possible access to the single market on a fully reciprocal basis throuh a comprehensive free trade agreement.

NOT SEEKING PARTIAL OR ASSOCIATE EU MEMBERSHIP

We seek a new and equal partnership between an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU. Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out.

We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave. No. The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union and my job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do.

WILL NO LONGER CONTRIBUTE HUGE SUMS TO EU BUDGET

Because we will no longer be members of the Single Market, we will not be required to contribute huge sums to the EU budget. There may be some specific European programmes in which we might want to participate. If so, and this will be for us to decide, it is reasonable that we should make an appropriate contribution. But the principle is clear: the days of Britain making vast contributions to the European Union every year will end.

PUNITIVE DEAL FOR UK WOULD BE SELF-HARM FOR EUROPE

I must be clear: Britain wants to remain a good friend and neighbour to Europe. Some voices are calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path. That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe and it would not be the act of a friend. Britain would not, indeed we could not accept such an approach.

NO DEAL BETTER THAN BAD DEAL

While I am sure a positive agreement can be reached I am equally clear that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain.

CUSTOMS UNION: SEVERAL OPTIONS, NO PRECONCEIVED POSITION

I know my emphasis on striking trade agreements with countries outside Europe has led to questions about whether Britain seeks to remain a member of the EU's Customs Union. And it is true that full Customs Union membership prevents us from negotiating our own comprehensive trade deals.

Now, I want Britain to be able to negotiate its own trade agreements. But I also want tariff-free trade with Europe and cross-border trade there to be as frictionless as possible.

That means I do not want Britain to be part of the Common Commercial Policy and I do not want us to be bound by the Common External Tariff. These are the elements of the Customs Union that prevent us from striking our own comprehensive trade agreements with other countries. But I do want us to have a customs agreement with the EU.

Whether that means we must reach a completely new customs agreement, become an associate member of the Customs Union in some way, or remain a signatory to some elements of it, I hold no preconceived position. I have an open mind on how we do it.

BREXIT MUST MEAN CONTROL OF NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS

We will always want immigration, especially high-skilled immigration, we will always want immigration from Europe, and we will always welcome individual migrants as friends. But the message from the public before and during the referendum campaign was clear: Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe. And that is what we will deliver.

PHASED APPROACH TO AVOID CLIFF-EDGE EFFECT

It is in no one's interests for there to be a cliff-edge for business or a threat to stability, as we change from our existing relationship to a new partnership with the EU.

By this, I do not mean that we will seek some form of unlimited transitional status, in which we find ourselves stuck forever in some kind of permanent political purgatory. That would not be good for Britain, but nor do I believe it would be good for the EU.

Instead, I want us to have reached an agreement about our future partnership by the time the two-year Article Fifty process has concluded. From that point onwards, we believe a phased process of implementation, in which both Britain and the EU institutions and member states prepare for the new arrangements that will exist between us will be in our mutual self-interest. This will give businesses enough time to plan and prepare for those new arrangements.

I WANT A TRULY GLOBAL BRITAIN

I want this United Kingdom to emerge from this period of change stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than ever before. I want us to be a secure, prosperous, tolerant country, a magnet for international talent and a home to the pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead.

I want us to be a truly global Britain, the best friend and neighbour to our European partners, but a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe too. A country that goes out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike.

INVESTMENT IN ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE

As we continue to bring the deficit down, we will take a balanced approach by investing in our economic infrastructure - because it can transform the growth potential of our economy, and improve the quality of people's lives across the whole country.

EU NATIONALS WILL STILL BE WELCOME

You will still be welcome in this country as we hope our citizens will be in yours.

GUARANTEEING RIGHTS OF EU CITIZENS IN UK, UK CITIZENS IN EU

We want to guarantee the rights of EU citizens who are already living in Britain, and the rights of British nationals in other member states, as early as we can. I have told other EU leaders that we could give people the certainty they want straight away, and reach such a deal now.

EU LAW WILL BE CONVERTED INTO UK LAW TO PROVIDE CERTAINTY

As we repeal the European Communities Act, we will convert the "acquis" - the body of existing EU law - into British law. This will give the country maximum certainty as we leave the EU. The same rules and laws will apply on the day after Brexit as they did before. And it will be for the British Parliament to decide on any changes to that law after full scrutiny and proper Parliamentary debate.

PARLIAMENT WILL BE GIVEN A VOTE ON FINAL BREXIT DEAL

I can confirm today that the Government will put the final deal that is agreed between the UK and the EU to a vote in both Houses of Parliament, before it comes into force.

EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE WILL NO LONGER HAVE JURISDICTION OVER UK

We will take back control of our laws and bring an end to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Britain. Leaving the European Union will mean that our laws will be made in Westminster, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. And those laws will be interpreted by judges not in Luxembourg but in courts across this country.

BREXIT DOES NOT MEAN UK IS TURNING INWARD

The result of the referendum was not a decision to turn inward and retreat from the world, because Britain's history and culture is profoundly internationalist. We are a European country and proud of our shared European heritage. But we are always a country that has looked beyond Europe to the wider world.

COMMON TRAVEL AREA WITH IRELAND AN IMPORTANT PRIORITY

The United Kingdom will share a land border with the EU and maintaining that common travel area with the republic of ireland will an important priority for the UK in the talks ahead.

UK DOES NOT WANT EU TO UNRAVEL

Our decision is not always understood by our friends and allies in Europe, and many fear the beginning of a great unravelling of the EU. But let me be clear. I do not want that to happen. It would not be in the best interest of Britain, it remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's best national interest for the EU to succeed.

UK WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TO KEEP EUROPE SAFE

At a time when together we face a serious threat from our enemies, Britain's unique intelligence capabilities will continue to help to keep people in Europe safe from terrorism.

UK TROOPS IN EASTERN EUROPE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THEIR DUTY

And at a time when there is growing concern about European security, Britain's servicemen and women, based in European countries including Estonia, Poland and Romania, will continue to do their duty.

(Reporting by Sarah Young, Elisabeth O'Leary and Paul Sandle, editing by Estelle Shirbon)

(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 Elzio Barreto and Fiona Lau

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's securities regulator has filed a suit against Standard Chartered Plc, UBS Group AG and four other parties over the 2009 IPO of timber company China Forestry Holdings Co Ltd, according to court documents.

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) is seeking unspecified damages for "market misconduct" over the IPO prospectus of China Forestry filed in November 2009, as well as the company's 2009 annual report, its 2009 annual results and the results for the first six months of 2010, according to the documents filed with Hong Kong's High Court on Jan 16.

The SFC also sued China Forestry itself, the company's two co-founders Li Kwok Cheong and Li Han Chun, and KPMG, which was China Forestry's auditor, the court documents show.

UBS and KPMG declined to comment, while Standard Chartered didn't immediately reply to a request for comment on SFC's suit. China Forestry and its two co-founders couldn't be reached for comment.

SFC declined to comment.

The parties have 14 days to respond to SFC's suit.

Standard Chartered and UBS separately disclosed late last year that the SFC was probing their role as sponsors of unnamed IPOs and that the regulator's actions could result in financial consequences.

China Forestry raised $216 million in the 2009 IPO, but its shares have been suspended since January 2011 and the company is now in liquidation and in the process of getting delisted after the company's auditor said it had found possible accounting irregularities.

(Reporting by Elzio Barreto and Fiona Lau of IFR; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's rough diamond imports fell 4.7 percent in December from a year ago to $1.398 billion, a trade body said on Tuesday, as the scrapping of high value currency notes forced many small polishing units to idle their units.

India is a global diamond polishing hub where 14 out of every 15 rough diamonds in the world are polished.

The country's exports of cut and polished diamonds jumped 22.5 percent in December to $1.478 billion, the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council said in a statement.

"Demand for polished diamonds was good from the U.S. and European market for holiday season," said a Mumbai-based exporter, who declined to be named.

In November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi scrapped 500- and 1,000-rupee banknotes, or 86 percent of the value of cash in circulation, as part of a crackdown on corruption, tax evasion and militant financing.

The move disrupted diamond polishing in the country as small units mainly do business in cash.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Ben Hirschler

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Shire, which sells some of the world's most expensive prescription drugs, believes the U.S. market will continue to recognise the value of its rare disease treatments, despite sabre-rattling on pricing by President-elect Donald Trump.

"I think we are in good position to prove the value of our products but, of course, there will be challenges," Chief Executive Flemming Ornskov said on Tuesday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"Left untreated, these diseases have devastating outcomes, so I think we have a good case to make."

Trump last week accused the pharmaceuticals industry of "getting away with murder" in what they charged the government for medicines and pledged to save billions of dollars by increasing competition.

His comments hit drug stocks and have rattled drug company executives but Ornskov said the nature of rare diseases, affecting very small patient groups, meant there was often no alterative therapy available.

"In many cases, we are either the only one or one of only very few products within a specific category, which puts us in a better position," he said.

Shire's large haemophilia business, which it inherited after buying Baxalta for $32 billion last year, is seeing more competitive pressure, but Ornskov said so far he had "not seen anything dramatic".

The Danish doctor, who has led Shire since 2013, reiterated his target of lifting sales to $20 billion by 2020. "That implies double-digit growth and there are not too many companies around that have that kind of growth trajectory," he said.

Shire aims to pay down debt after buying Baxalta, so the company has put plans for significant acquisitions on pause. But Ornskov said it would still look out for licensing deals and small "tuck-in" acquisitions.

(Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Kirsten Donovan

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - A rise in CEO confidence is driven by a belief that revenues will increase over the next 12 months, despite economic and geopolitical headwinds, a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers said.

PwC's annual survey of 1400 CEOs coincides with the start of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where PwC's Global Chairman Bob Moritz told the Global Markets Forum that the rising cost of compliance and regulation was also a major concern.

Here are excerpts from the conversation:

Question: What do you think is the biggest fear among CEOs, could it be the failure to see a new technology catch them on their blind side?

Answer: The top three are economic uncertainty, so we live in a more fragile, volatile environment. Secondly, increasing cost of compliance and regulation and thirdly, availability to attract the right resources. Technology is seen as an asset if used the right way with the right human skills - creativity and innovation, or a negative - the threat of disruption, cyber, social media implications.

Q: And where are CEOs looking to for growth this year?

A: The CEOs believe they will find growth through more organic activity but will look for M&A for new markets, skills, IP and talent. CEOs were asked what countries they will invest in over the next year and the U.S. was number one...with China being number two. It shows that CEOs will invest over the longer term in countries where underlying trends are sustainable, like the growth of consumer needs, stability and the rule of law, etc.

Q: Your survey showed CEOs feel globalisation has done little to solve income inequality. Did you get a sense of what has gone wrong and is there any motivation to change that situation?

A: There are two major factors that come through - the impact from globalisation and the impact from technology on job displacement. The latter point actually has had a bigger impact on job displacement or creation. So both governments and businesses need to ensure that their countries have the right skills and training for the future workforce and the changes that are coming. The CEO Survey shows that 52 percent of the CEOs are going to hire more this year but they are looking for different skills.

Q: I found it interesting that the UK was one of the countries with the most ambitious hiring plans for the next year. This is something else that doesn't seem to fit in with the Brexit "economic meltdown" scenario portrayed last summer.

A: The concerns around Brexit are more medium- to longer-term. So the UK's confidence is high, due to consumer demand and the implications of FX causing a rise in manufacturing, so over the short-term the confidence of the CEOs in the UK is higher and the willingness of CEOs outside the UK willing to invest in the UK is higher than most would expect."

(This interview was conducted in the Global Markets Forum, a chat room hosted on the Eikon platform. For more information on the forum or to join the conversation, follow this link: https://forms.thomsonreuters.com/communities/)

For detail on the PwC CEO survey:

(Editing by Alexander Smith)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The company admitted to paying officials at state-run energy companies in Kazakhstan, Thailand, Brazil, Azerbaijan, Angola and Iraq more than $35 million in order to win contracts, the Justice Department said.

Among the bribes, Rolls-Royce paid a Brazilian official $1.6 million through a middleman to win numerous oil equipment contracts from Petrobras , U.S. authorities said.

"The behaviour uncovered in the course of the investigations by the (U.K.) Serious Fraud Office and other authorities is completely unacceptable and we apologise unreservedly for it," Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Officer Warren East said in a statement.

The company said it had overhauled its systems, culture, training, governance and ethics strategies had all been overhauled, while cutting dramatically the number of intermediaries it uses.

The settlement included agreements with U.S., U.K. and Brazilian authorities who the company agreed to pay $170 million, 497 million British-pounds ($616 million) and $25.6 million respectively, the Justice Department said.

The case is the third resolution related to Petrobras in the United States following a nearly three-year investigation in Brazil dubbed "Operation Car Wash" into corruption at oil company, which has led to dozens of arrests and political upheaval in the country.

Petrobras did not return a request for comment.

(This version of the story adds dropped word in paragraph 7.)

(Additional reporting by Sarah Young and Kristin Ridley in London; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Lisa Shumaker)

(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.)
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on Monday broke a deadlock over issues of administrative control over assessees and broadly agreed to roll out the from July 1, instead of the earlier deadline of April 1.
 Flash

The Australian-led underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been suspended indefinitely, the Australian, Malaysian and Chinese governments said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

Despite almost three years of scouring the Southern Indian Ocean for the missing Boeing 777 jetliner, no new evidence was found in the official 120,000-square kilometer search zone.

In a statement released by Malaysian Minister of Transport Sri Liow Tiong Lai, Australian Minister for Transport Darren Chester, and Chinese Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng, the underwater search would be suspended indefinitely in light of no new evidence of the airplane's whereabouts.

"Today the last search vessel has left the underwater search area. Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has not been located in the 120,000-square kilometer underwater search area in the southern Indian Ocean," the statement said.

"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft.

"Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended."

The ministers expressed their unreserved condolence to the families of the missing passengers and crew who have been waiting for almost three years for closure.

"Today's announcement is significant for our three countries, but more importantly for the family and friends of those on board the aircraft," the statement read.

"We again take this opportunity to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives and acknowledge the enormous loss felt by their loved ones."

The joint statement also said the decision to indefinitely suspend the search was not "taken lightly," and that the three governments had considered all scientific research and study into the possible location of the missing aircraft in making the decision.

"Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft," the statement said.

"We have been overwhelmed by the commitment and dedication shown by the hundreds of people involved in the search, which has been an unprecedented challenge.

"Their tireless work has continued to improve our knowledge of the search area and has been critical in our efforts to locate the aircraft. We would like to reiterate our utmost appreciation to the many nations that have provided expertise and assistance since the early days of this unfortunate tragedy."

Last year, the three governments agreed that if no new evidence came from the official search zone, the search would be called off "indefinitely."

In concluding the statement, the ministers said they "remain hopeful" that new information "will come to light" and that at some point in the future "the aircraft will be located."

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was a scheduled passenger flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 passengers and crew on board.
Tata Motors today appointed Tata group chief designate N Chandrasekaran as its Chairman with immediate effect.

In a regulatory filing, the company said "the Board of Directors have today appointed Natarajan Chandrasekaran as additional director and Chairman of the board with immediate effect".

The appointment comes within a week of Tata Sons announcing Chandrasekaran as its Executive Chairman, capping two months of a bitter boardroom battle that followed the unceremonious sacking of Cyrus Mistry and letting of bad blood ever since.

Popularly known as Chandra, the 54-year-old will take charge at the helm of USD 103-billion Tata Sons, the main holding company of the salt-to-software conglomerate from February 21. He will be the first non-Parsi chairman of the 150-year old Tata Group.

At Tata Motors, he will have to take the responsibility of turning around the struggling homegrown auto major which is trying to regain lost ground, specially in the passenger vehicles segment.

Chandrasekaran will also have to pay special attention to the Nano. Mistry had alleged that Tata Motors has been unable to shut down the loss making small car due to "emotional reasons" and doing so would also stop the supply of "gliders" to an entity that makes electric cars in which Ratan Tata has a stake.

Mistry had alleged that the Nano product development called for a car below Rs 1 lakh but the cost was always above this.

"This product has consistently lost money, peaking at Rs 1,000 crore," Mistry said in his letter written to Tata Sons board members a day after he was ousted as the Chairman of Indias largest conglomerate.

He further stated, "As there is no line of profitability for the Nano, any turnaround strategy for the company (Tata Motors) requires to shut it down. Emotional reasons alone have kept us away from this crucial decision."

Currently, Tata Motors is focusing on reviving its fortunes in the passenger vehicles segment with its compact hatchback Tiago receiving good response from the market.

The company will launch its premium SUV Hexa tomorrow.


The casino industry in Goa has already taken a beating due to demonetisation causing a major dip in business. And now, its fate hangs in the balance as political parties have made the ban on casinos a major political agenda.

Both Congress and AAP alleged casinos are cheating the state government of Rs 45,000 crore in tax revenues promoting money laundering, drugs and prostitution. According to senior government official, casinos have been operating in Goa for 22 years and at present, there are six off-shore (in water) and around a dozen on-shore (inside five star hotel properties) casinos. Casinos not only attract tourists from across the country, but also contribute around `180-200 crore in revenue. Goa is the only place in India where they are legal, apart from Sikkim and Daman and Diu. AAP, which is running an anti-drugs campaign in Punjab, is promoting 'clean tourism' free from casinos, gambling, drugs and prostitution in Goa.

In a recent rally, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Goa's casinos are cheating the state government of Rs 4,000 crore in tax revenues every year. He also attacked his political opponent alleging that the Congress and the BJP are in cahoots with the casino lobby in tourismoriented states. Kejriwal also said that women were being exploited in the state's casinos and promised to ban the industry, once AAP comes to power in the state.

Even Congress claims they have passed a resolution to close casino industry in Goa and it will also feature in their manifesto. "The state is losing Rs 5,000 crore annually, which ought to have been collected as tax from them. There is corruption involved in allowing casinos to continue. BJP is fully responsible to allow the casino industry to flourish. We will not allow casino business to continue in Goa. It is very dangerous for the state," said AICC secretary Girish Chodankar.





If casinos were to shut down, it would not only affect the Rs 200 revenue generated by it but around 5000-10,000 would become unemployed. A large section of the 3 million tourists who visit the state annually would also be disappointed due to the closure. Casinos industru had seen a dip of 80 per cent during the month of November when demonetisation scheme was announced but the industry has bounced back but still it will take a couple of months to get normal as before. But it is yet to be seen what will happen to moneyspinning industry after the poll result.

"Earlier Goa used to remain closed during off-season but mostly due to casinos tourists visit Goa," said an owner of a leading casino. He said all casinos are regulated by the government and undergoes audit and file their taxes.

"In 22 years, no sex racket or drug dealers has been arrested from casinos. This industry has given employment to over 10,000 locals and gives an opportunity of thousands of tourist to experience casinos without going abroad," he explained.
Joining the debate on Reserve Bank's autonomy, former Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Monday said the special status of the central bank should be preserved.

"RBI is special and that specialness should be retained."

It is better to have complete transparency...It is good idea to change regulation... The autonomy of Reserve Bank is extremely important and whatever is done in future, in my view, should be consistent with that objective," Ahluwalia said in an interview to CNBC-TV18.

"The whole idea of having central bank and also monetary committee is anchored on the notion that an independent central bank professionally run taking long term view of monetary and financial side is something that contributes to people's belief that economy is going to be well run. We cannot afford to lose that," he added.

Earlier, the issue of RBI's autonomy was raised by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and former governors Y V Reddy and Bimal Jalan. RBI union too expressed concerns over dilution of central bank's autonomy over the way demonetisation issue has been handled by the Finance Ministry.

The ministry, however, had said that the government respects the autonomy and independence of the Reserve Bank.

On filling six-seven vacancies on RBI board, he said, "That should be the highest priority. In a way it is the simplest thing to fix. The quality of people we appoint on the board will give the signal, how serious we are about it. It is the easiest thing to correct."

Elaborating further, he said, "RBI is not just another regulator. I think RBI is special because it is not just responsible for monetary policy but it should be actually responsible along with Finance Ministry for overall financial stability."

He was of the view that it would be much better to accord special status to RBI and let it be examined by some Parliamentary Committee in open public hearing.

Asked about any legislation for maintaining autonomy of the RBI, Ahluwalia said, "If you need legislation for that there is nothing wrong in that. I think you should be clear about what do you want. It can be done with or without legislation."
A year ago, lenders to engineering and construction major Gammon India Ltd invoked the Strategic Debt Restructuring (SDR) mechanism. A total of 16 banks, led by ICICI Bank, decided to convert a part of their loan into 63.07 per cent equity. The SDR Scheme, an improved version of the erstwhile Corporate Debt Restructuring, or CDR, mechanism, gives lenders sweeping powers to throw out managements of companies whose assets have turned bad. The bankers, however, could not find a buyer for the entire Gammon India and instead decided to restructure it into three parts - power transmission & distribution (T&D), engineering, procurement & construction (EPC), and the residual business. The Thailand-based GP Group has shown interest in the EPC assets while Ajanma Holdings is keen to buy a stake in the T&D business. The banks are fine with these offers. After all, their 80 per cent exposure is getting transferred to these two companies. Gammon India, too, is relieved, as most of its debt is going away with the EPC business.

Gammon India is among close to two dozen companies where bankers have invoked the SDR Scheme, launched 18 months ago to make the process of debt recovery faster and smoother. The list includes Alok Industries, Usher Agro, Diamond Power, Monnet Ispat, Jaiprakash Power and IVRCL. However, the scheme, like its earlier avatars, has found little success due to its rigid framework, and Gammon India is probably the only case where banks are hopeful of a turn in fortunes. At stake is Rs 1,00,000 crore debt where banks have invoked SDR. So, what went wrong? Several things, say experts.

One, the bankers triggered SDR in a hurry, without proper documentation or forensic audit. "They did not prepare themselves," says a private banker. This is evident in case of Jyoti Structures, a mid-sized company where banks, led by State Bank of India, or SBI, invoked SDR but decided to approach buyers without converting their debt into equity. They thought the buyer would just lap up the company. They were wrong. The deal didn't go ahead due to pricing and other issues. The 18-month SDR period will lapse in February. In the last one year, Jyoti Structures' losses have risen to 40 times its equity.

Experts say the problem starts at the loan documentation stage itself, which is why in many cases where there is no provision for conversion of loan into equity, the bankers are in the process of creating fresh documentation. "We cannot enforce (the change) if the company doesn't agree with the new terms," says K. Wadhwa , General Manager (Stressed Assets), Dena Bank.

Also, banks get 210 days to convert debt into equity. Here, too, the companies obstruct the process of increasing authorised capital, getting board approval, etc. In the ABG Shipyard case, for instance, shareholders rejected the conversion of debt into equity. ABG has now given the task of finding a strategic investor to investment banker Rothschild. The promoters' resistance to taking new investors on board is also a hurdle. In some cases, unsecured creditors try to thwart the process. In the Usher Agro case, two parties bombarded the company with winding-up petitions for recovery of dues. "These winding-up petitions run concurrently with the SDR process. There may be examples where bankers have to resolve these cases before the sale," says a lawyer.

Another issue is confusion due to the lack of a unified law/framework to deal with the problem. Alok Textile, for instance, is precariously placed for recommendation to the Board for Industrial & Financial Reconstruction, or BIFR, as a sick company. If it is admitted into BIFR, the SDR process could be stopped, though a banker in know of the developments says the company's entire net worth has not been eroded, a prerequisite for being admitted as a BIFR case. "They have not sought BIFR protection so far," he says.

The CDR Way?

Expert says the SDR Scheme could go the way of the CDR Scheme and fail to resolve the problem of stressed assets. Under CDR, banks used to accept a moratorium on interest payments and longer period for payment of the principal. Investment banking firm RBSA Advisors said in a recent report that the CDR of 44 firms with a debt of Rs 27,015 crore failed in 2014/15. "Only five firms with a total debt of Rs 1,399 crore managed to exit the CDR successfully," says the report.

Another issue is bankers' limitations as managers of diverse companies. "Do banks have time, energy and experience to turn around a stressed company?" asks a consultant. "Banks have converted debt into equity without any realistic assessment of how sustainable is the debt," says Abizer Diwanji, Head, Financial Services, EY India. The sustainability of debt, in fact, is a major roadblock, as many stressed asset funds want the leverage issue to be sorted out before they go ahead with the deal. SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya says not many buyers are showing interest. "We have seen people back out at the last minute. Some buyers believe there could be hidden liabilities," she says.

In companies under SDR, bankers are actually retaining promoters and appointing concurrent auditors. "The change of management is not very easy in the Indian context," says Saurabh Tripathi, Senior Partner and Director at Boston Consulting India.

Some bankers complain that the RBI's one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work in the real world. "The RBI has given strong frameworks that few companies fit in. As a result, we are not able to do much," says Bhattacharya. Bankers are also reluctant to stray away from the regulations due to fear over inquiries by the Vigilance Department. "The real problem with SDR is that you have to cut a deal and a deal is fundamentally a judgment call. And a judgment call cannot be rule-based, and if it not rule-based, the public sector banks cannot feel safe," says Tripathi of Boston Consulting.

A former colleague of Bhattacharya who handled stressed assets at SBI says every company's problem is different. "If it was easy, the problem would have been solved earlier," says M.G. Vaidyan, a former Deputy Managing Director at SBI.

In many cases, the companies are facing temporary problems due to issues such as weak demand, cheap imports and overcapacity. In such a case, changing the management won't yield results. In many power companies, for example, the plant is ready but electricity boards are not signing power purchase agreements as electricity is available at lower prices on exchanges. "Nobody is thinking about innovative financial structures in terms of how to deal with business cycles," says Diwanji of EY India.

So, what's the solution? "The only way out is to take out all the bad debt from banks and park it in a separate vehicle in which all bank are stakeholders," says Boston Consulting's Tripathi. Arun Tiwari , Chairman and Managing Director, Union Bank of India, is optimistic. "The environment is challenging but I'm sure things will improve once the economy picks up," he says.

However, for the time being, banks are staring at losses. They get 18 months to exit the SDR Scheme. For the earliest cases, the period will start ending in the next six months and banks will have to make mark-to-market provisions for any diminution in the value of equity acquired under the SDR Scheme.

Maybe things will worsen before they improve.~

@anandadhikari


Gina Thompson hadnt heard of bacterial meningitis when her daughter was found dead in a basement bedroom almost 10 years ago.

When Brandi Thompson died, it was a mystery to her family and first responders. Later police and investigators realized she had contracted bacterial meningitis.

Since the Thompson family lost their 21-year old daughter to the disease they have urged people to be vaccinated.

Utah Department of Health statistics indicate 19 people have contracted bacterial meningitis since 2012. Seven died from the disease.

Lisa Perkins, Immunization Program Manager at Bear River Health, said the disease is an infection of the brain and spinal cord and is spread from person to person and can be deadly if its not caught early.

The high risk age group is between 16 and 23. We see it a lot in college students because theyre living in close spaces and theyre sharing food and drinks. It can be spread by coughing, kissing, sharing drinks or lip gloss.

Perkins said the symptoms of meningitis can mirror other conditions as well and that makes early intervention critical.

Sometimes, even if it is detected early, it still can leave some victims with life long problems.

For the 2015-16 school year the meningitis vaccine became a requirement for entering 7th grade. Also, an additional recommendation was made in 2016 for the youth to receive a booster dose at the age of 16.

Utah is one of 12 states that doesnt require it for college students.

Utah health officials say the vaccine is available at local health departments and doctors offices.
Recent evidence shows a gradual increase in Chinese military activity in Central Asia, particularly with Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, although China has for years denied any military interest in the region. In October, PLA and Tajik forces jointly participated in counterterrorism exercises in Tajikistan near the border with Afghanistan, following earlier activity in 2016. Whereas Tajikistan was then silent, this time it publicized the exercises, which aroused a visible anxiety in the Russian media although the Russian government has hitherto been unwilling to comment on this issue. Chinas initiative could imply a major new development in Chinese policy and in Central Asias overall security, with lasting implications for the region.

BACKGROUND: Aside from the recent exercises with Tajikistan, General Fang Fenghui, Chief of Staff of the PLA, also announced plans during a March visit to Kabul to set up an anti-terror regional alliance with Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan reportedly endorsed this proposal.

How can we explain Chinas moves and their implications? Four motives, in particular, to Chinas recent military moves appear to stand out. First, the continuing rise of Chinese power in general, and in particular the aggressively nationalist foreign policy program of Xi Jinpings government, underlies all of Chinas activities. Second, one of the grandest designs of that policy is Chinas Go West policy. Expressed in the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) policy, now renamed the Belt Road Initiative, China has undertaken a vast economic-political project to bind Central and South Asia, including Pakistan, to its geopolitical agenda. Because China is investing hundreds of billions of dollars in the area, it is increasingly concerned about the safety of its investments and geostrategic influence in Central Asia. Analysts tend to agree that these two motives are involved in shaping Chinese policy calculations about Central Asia.

Yet beyond advancing Chinese power and protecting foreign investments, at least two additional factors are evidently at play. At home, the Chinese government remains concerned over the continuing signs of unrest in Xinjiang among the Uyghur population. Coinciding with the exercises in Tajikistan, Beijing has ordered all residents of Xinjiang to surrender their passports in order to maintain social order and prevent people, especially young men, from moving abroad to participate in terrorist movements like ISIS or the Taliban. This move effectively makes Xinjiang residents serfs who are bound to the land, and bespeaks the regimes ongoing failure to deal with its own domestic Muslim issues. It is therefore natural that the regime resorts to ever more repressive means to prevent the insurgency in Xinjiang from further linking up with the enduring violence in Afghanistan and Syria, which has previously seen participation of Uyghurs.

The second motive may be Chinas concerns about Afghanistan and even Russias role there. Recent accounts in the U.S. press show that the Afghan government has made little or no progress in reestablishing control by its own means over the country and that the Taliban is probably advancing, not retreating. Second, on December 2, General John Nicholson, the Commander of U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, publicly accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban; and Russia and Iran of legitimizing the movement. In particular, he accused Moscow of competing with NATO in Afghanistan.

Russia has already admitted publicly its intelligence exchanges with the Taliban, suggesting that Russia on the one hand is pledging its support to NATO and Central Asian states against Taliban-inspired terrorism, and on the other supporting the Taliban against allied interests. Analysts and officials in Beijing, who no doubt are seeing the same evidence, must then question Russias willingness and capability to provide security in Central Asia in defense of Chinese investments there. Clearly Pakistan and Iran are also unreliable despite whatever benefits their closeness to Beijing offers China on other issues. Under the circumstances the temptation to do it yourself and have the PLA defend Chinese interests in these states rather than rely on unreliable local governments becomes much stronger.

IMPLICATIONS: The consequences of what appears to be a creeping Chinese military involvement in Central Asia are many and important. At home it suggests that the Chinese leadership, like many governments before it that cannot deal with internal challenges to its rule, is looking to internationalize its domestic security problems and overcome them by projecting military and other forms of power abroad. Yet for over thirty years it has signally failed to arrest or block the growth of Uyghur unrest and ethno-national or religious sentiment. There is little reason to believe that a more aggressive military policy in Central Asia will offer the government in Beijing a respite from its domestic security dilemmas.

Second, one has to wonder just how much Chinese power is able to induce Iran and even more importantly Pakistan to support China in its strategic interests. If China cannot get Pakistan to stop supporting terrorism throughout the Islamic world despite its huge dependence on China, what does that say about the relationship between China and Pakistan? And the same question can apply with even more force to Iran, which is much less dependent on China for support.

Third, if in fact Moscow is playing a double game in Afghanistan and Central Asia that negatively affects Chinas interests, this would seriously undermine the division of labor between China and Russia regarding Central Asia that analysts have hitherto discerned. China, with Russian acquiescence, had become the leading foreign economic power in the region but has repeatedly stated its disinterest in projecting military power into Central Asia. This supposedly fostered the global alliance of Russia and China and allowed them to cooperate on regional issues in Central Asia without impinging on each others vital interests. If China has now decided, however cautiously, to upend that division of labor, possibly because it cannot rely on Russian policy or for other reasons, can it sustain its relationship of cooperation with Russia in Central Asia? In turn, does the manifestation of Sino-Russian rivalry and tensions in Central Asia affect the larger Sino-Russian relationship? And if so how and where?

Fourth, similar questions affect the Central Asian states. Tajikistan, which has in the past been forced to bow to Chinese pressure for border rectification and investments, may now see its military sovereignty compromised and it may not be the only state in the region to face greater Chinese pressures. How will these states react to assigns of increased Sino-Russian rivalry where they may well be pressed to choose sides?

And fifth, if China is going to try to eclipse Russias security role in Central Asia, how will it react in Central Asia and globally? Given the visibly growing Russian dependence upon China for economic and political support, what happens when signs of Chinese encroachment upon Russian prerogatives start to multiply? Does Moscow want to undertake an agonizing reappraisal of its total foreign and defense polices due to events in Central Asia? And will it continue to try and play its double game there?

It is too early to discern answers to these questions, yet it is not too early to raise them. As regards Russia, Moscow may have reacted to these developments by the announcement of new exercises recently conducted with Tajikistan and of major new arms sales. Exercises and arms sales have been two of the principal instruments by which Moscow has secured support from Tajikistan and its neighbors, even if the arms sales often amount to subsidized exports of Russian weapons. Of course, it is possible that some secret arrangements exist between Beijing and Moscow regarding exercises with Tajikistan and other Central Asian states. But in view of Chinas earlier moves and the well documented signs of friction between Russia and China in Central Asia despite their division of labor, such cooperation is not likely.

CONCLUSIONS: Instead, it seems that China, through these exercises and its earlier calls in 2016 for a security formula for Central and South Asia, is spreading its wings and contemplating a discernible expansion of its power projection capabilities and even responsibilities. That can only occur at the expense of Central Asian states, Russia, and probably India as well. This forces us to ask if Chinas already visible economic pull upon Central Asian states will be supplemented by their military dependence on China, despite their desires to avoid it or at least avoid Chinese efforts to impose such dependence? To be sure, China has established itself in Central Asia for years to come, but would a Chinese move to upgrade its powers and obligations in the region be met with equal and opposing countermoves from other powers who also have important equities and interests there? Given the nature of contemporary international relations, the answer to that question is almost certainly yes. In other words, a new chapter of the contemporary great game in Central Asia is underway. And we as analysts if not participants must get ready for it.

AUTHORS BIO: Stephen Blank is a Senior Fellow with the American Foreign Policy Council.

Image source: static.kremlin.ru, accessed on January 16, 2017
(Davos)  President Xi Jinping emphasized Chinas commitment to an open economy and blasted the resurgence of anti-globalization during his keynote speech Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"We must remain committed to free trade and investment. We must promote trade and investment liberalization," Xi said before a group of global political and business leaders at the annual conclave in the Swiss Alpine resort. "No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war."

Its impossible to attempt to cut off the flow of capital, technology, products and personnel, Xi said. Its also against the historical current to attempt to make the sea of the world economy revert to isolated lakes and creeks.

The gathering comes as globalization faces intensifying headwinds amid rising populism and trade protectionism, underscored by last years Brexit vote in Britain and Donald Trumps election as U.S. president.

Xis appearance at Davos was the first by a top Chinese leader. He took a strong stance in favor of global trade as the world attempts to assess the impact of a more inward-looking, protective U.S. The American president-elect, who will be inaugurated Friday, has vowed to withdraw from the unratified Trans-Pacific Partnership and renegotiate the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement.

It is not true to blame economic globalization for problems that are troubling the world. It wont help resolve the problems, Xi said. "Rather, we should adapt to and guide economic globalization, cushion its negative impacts and deliver its benefits for all countries."

In the past, China was suspicious of globalization and hesitated to join the World Trade Organization before doing so in late 2001, Xi said. But China decided to learn to swim in the sea of world markets, he said. This is our right strategic decision.

In a speech that lasted almost an hour, the Chinese president criticized anti-globalization rhetoric.

"Pursuing protectionism is just like locking one's self in a dark room, Xi said. While wind and rain may be kept outside, so are light and air.

Xi also underscored China's commitment to fighting climate change and emphasized that all signatories should stick to the Paris accord, which Trump favors abandoning.

In the face of the rising uncertainty about Europe and the U.S., the world is looking for clues about what course China plans to chart on economic globalization. Xis speech was seen as a strong gesture that China is taking up the baton to defend globalization.

It's very positive, said Carl Bildt, former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden. I think it's revealing that China is promoting open trade and combating climate change. We are in a volatile world. We hope everyone may refrain from changing populist rhetoric into actions.

Xis speech touched on quite a few of the stakeholders interests, such as the environment, the underprivileged, and the fact that China develops on its own track, said Victor Chu, chairman of First Eastern Investment Group.

It provides impetus for stability in an uncertain and unpredictable atmosphere, said Chu, who is attending the Davos meetings for the 23rd year. So having him here to commit to and cheerlead for economic globalization and commit that China will open inclusively and fairly is very important.

Xi also said Chinas economy grew 6.7% last year, within the targeted range of 6.5%-7%. The worlds second-largest economy has been expanding steadily, although at a slower pace than in recent years. Xi also reaffirmed that China wont purposely devalue its currency to help exports and engage in a currency war.

Chinas economy has been under pressure from mounting debt and excess liquidity, which can fuel bubbles in financial and property markets. This comes at a time of weak internal demand as Beijing is struggling to boost investment and rein in capital outflows. Chinas foreign exchange reserves fell to $3.01 trillion at the end of last year from a record-high $3.8 trillion in 2014 as the central bank sold dollars to keep the yuans value stable. The yuan declined nearly 7% against U.S. dollar last year.

Xi pledged Chinas commitment to economic opening, saying that over the next five years, the country will import $8 trillion of goods and invite $600 billion in foreign investments while making $750 billion in outbound investments. He also emphasized the progress of his signature One Belt, One Road initiative, designed to strengthen Chinas economic ties with countries in Asia and Europe. Chinese companies have invested more than $50 billion yuan in countries involved the initiative, Xi said.

On the same day as Xis speech, Chinas State Council, the cabinet, announced that it would further open sectors including financial services, mining and manufacturing to foreign investments.

Xis attendance at Davos is part of a state visit to Switzerland that began Sunday and ends Wednesday. He has met with Swiss President Doris Leuthard and Swiss business executives in Bern, discussing closer cooperation between the two countries.

During the trip, Xi will also visit the United Nations office at Geneva, the World Health Organization in Geneva and the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.

Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
Dr Makongo Wilson MUSA

Dear Mr. President, the reason I chose to write you an open letter is because Im not too sure posting a mail to the Presidency is still ideal considering your End of Year Speech was leaked to the public several hours before you could even address the nation.

Before I state my main reason for writing you this letter, I want to thank all men and women in the BIR and other departments of the Cameroon forces who have shown great patriotism and respect for human rights in the execution of their difficult job. We will forever remain indebted in gratitude to this category of the Cameroonian armed forces.



Haven stated that, Your Excellency, my real reason for writing you this open letter is to put you on notice that President Trump could end US military support to the BIR in particular and the Government of Cameroon in General because of gross violation of human rights and also because of none respect of the values America stands for which America expects from a foreign military unit receiving funding from American tax payers.



Sir, many shocking videos shot by the BIR have surfaced showing the "BIR" heartlessly torturing, shooting and killing fellow Cameroonians as if they were training with toys in a military drill. As a matter of fact, Sir, the atrocities being committed by your army in the English speaking part of the country where teachers, students, lawyers and protesting populations are being tortured, raped and killed for holding public protests authorized under the constitution are totally outlawed under American law if, America must continue support your fight against BOKO HARAM.



Sir, I thought it would be of great interest for you to know that the LEAHY LAW prohibits the United States from providing equipment and training to a foreign military unit or individual violating human rights with impunity.



As a matter of fact, the LEAHY LAW prohibits the United States from providing equipment and training to a foreign military unit or individual. The "BIR" under your command, have exposed their guilt through video-selfies of acting with impunity for human rights violations such as torture, rape, excessive use of force against unarmed civilians and for engaging in a systematic practice of unlawfully detaining civilians, forced disappearances and extrajudicial killing of protesters with a different political opinion.



The specific violations of the BIR that could have serious implications right up to the Commander in-Chief include the torture of lawyers and students, rape of university students and killing of demonstrators in the English speaking part of the country staging public protests authorized under the Cameroonian constitution.



Sir, if you don't know, pictures and videos evidencing these atrocities have gone viral to a point where these gross violations could have serious implications when Mr. Trump takes office next week because THE LEAHY LAW OBLIGATES THE STATE DEPARTMENT TO VET ANY FOREIGN MILITARY UNIT TO ENSURE IT HAS A CLEAN HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD BEFORE IT CAN RECEIVE U.S. ASSISTANCE. The vetting process covers official history of human rights abuse and independent reporting by authentic, genuine and legitimate NGOs. There is already a lot written by Amnesty International on gross violations of human rights by the BIR in the execution of the war against BOKO HARAM and the Leahy Law constrains the U.S. military from providing any kind of training or material support to foreign units such as the BIR accused of Gross human rights violations.



In 2013, after incorporating the BIR into the annual Silent Warrior exercise, U.S. troops taught the BIR the finer points of urban warfare. This training was meant to enhance the fight against terrorists and not to hunt down unarmed civilians and terrorize public protesters.

In 2015, the Defense Department allocated $15.9 million to the "BIR" to support their fight against Boko Haram and not to terrorize, shoot and kill public protesters.



The values of American armed forces  the most respected force on the face of the planet dont include unlawful breaking and entering into hostels and raping of female students.



The values of American armed forces men dont include summary executions of unarmed peoples protesting within their constitutionally guaranteed rights like the BIR has shown under your command.



The values of American armed forces men dont include the beating, torturing and breaking-entering into lawyers offices and seizing files and wigs without due process of the law. Without doubt the acts and atrocities committed by the "BIR" you command stand in stark contrast with everything America stands for and this could put American lives in danger.



Sir allow me the opportunity to tell you that before accepting to provide support to the BIR the American people (through the State Department) were placing bets on the idea that it would be better to fight terrorists abroad before they ever get a chance to cause untold mayhem like 9/11on American soil. But the gross human rights violations of the BIR could make people turn against America and therefore, defeats the very purpose for which America decided to train and equip the BIR.



As a matter of law and principle, if the State Department concludes that helping the BIR with American tax payers money is no longer in the national economic or security interest of America, the US will momentarily stop all forms of military assistance to Cameroon.

Dear Mr. President, haven delivered the main message of this letter, permit me tell you another truth. I know that your closest collaborators have told you Anglophones are agitating because they want to remove you from power. No Sir. Anyone who gives you this kind of information is simply lying to you and therefore, not fit to serve you, Mr. President. I want you to know that Southern Cameroonians dont want power they want freedom and complete independence from LRC.



Without any grain of doubt, I want you to understand that this position is shared by all the peoples of SC who have felt the pain of discrimination and pangs of marginalization by LRC for 55 years such that they have come to the sad conclusion that the marriage between LRC and Anglophone Cameroon has broken down irretrievably and would never be repaired. As a man of peace, I urge you not to brush this letter aside or try to fight the spirit for SC independence. If you dare Sir, you would be fighting the wrong fight and there will be bloodshed all over the country as Southern Cameroonians have made up their minds to be on their own after 55 years of deprivation and degradation of their peoples by LRC. Sincerely Sir, there is just nothing anyone can do anymore that would stop Anglophone Cameroonians from achieving their ultimate goal of freedom as an independent nation with internationally recognized boundaries demarcated by the UNO in 1961.



My last request therefore, to you Mr. President is to humbly ask you not to make any further attempt to continue fighting for A ONE AND INDIVISIBLE CAMEROON because words alone dont unite people, but the WILL OF THE PEOPLE does. And it is the COLLECTIVE WILL of the people of Anglophone expression to now proclaim their independence granted them by the UNO in 1961. In the HIGHEST INTEREST OF PEACE, I beg you Mr. President to work with Southern Cameroonians to facilitate the reaffirmation and proclamation of the independence of State of Southern Cameroons no matter the degree of difficulty this could present!

Your humble,

Dr. David Makongo (Snr. International Negotiator and Legal Adviser)
| BY Ricki Green |

The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has today said that a report published by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) has delivered further evidence of the significant economic value of advertising.

The WFA report, which included data from developed markets within the European Union (EU), found that in 2014 advertising contributed over 640 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP) of EU economies. The WFA commissioned the research with the support of a range of European ad industry associations (agencies, TV, digital, radio).

A similar report commissioned from Deloitte Access Economics by The Communications Council, showed that advertising benefits to the Australian economy were worth AUD 40 billion in 2014, representing approximately 2.5 per cent of GDP and with 200,000 people reliant on advertising for jobs.

Says Sunita Gloster, CEO, AANA: While the estimate of the multiplier effects of advertising to GDP varies from market to market, because it is impacted by factors such as the structure of the individual economy and the mix of media spend, this latest study again points to the vital role advertising plays in driving local economies. In every case, advertising makes a hugely significant contribution to GDP and stimulates innovation in products and services.

The WFA, of which the AANA is the Australian member, is the only global organisation representing the common interests of marketers. It brings together the biggest markets and marketers worldwide, representing roughly 90% of global marketing communications spend, almost US$ 900 billion annually.

The WFAs Economic Contribution of Advertising in Europe report can be viewed here and via the website www.valueofadvertising.org.
| BY Ricki Green |

Independent digital marketing and communications agency, Deepend, will enter an exciting new phase of development across its creative, tech and design offerings, following the appointment of industry heavyweight, Hamilton Jones (left), to the role of managing director  Sydney.

Having established his first digital and creative agency at the age of 25, Jones brings more than two decades of managerial, technical and consulting experience to the award-winning Deepend team.

His previous roles include management of a range of agencies  from the likes of Dentsu Networks Isobar, to independent creative businesses like TheFARM  as well as leading digital product, content and social strategies for clients including Coca Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Adidas and HSBC.

Jones said he is thrilled to be on board and will continue driving the strategy-first approach that has been pivotal to Deepends 20-year history of success and business evolution.

Says Jones: From what I have seen as both an external observer and now as business lead, at Deepend there is a consistent and strong connection to engineering and creativity in order to deliver amazing work. I love being in an environment where inspired and bright people are as passionate about human- centred design as I am, and Im looking forward to continually evolve our offer and outputs here.

Matt Griffin, founder and chief executive of the Deepend Group, said Jones was a clear choice to head up Deepend, having experience across strategic design, consulting as well as digital implementation.

Says Griffin: Hamilton is not just a leader in the advertising and marketing sector, or a pure-play digital star, he has a brilliant breadth of expertise which aligns perfectly with Deepend, our model and our philosophy.
| BY Lynchy |

New Zealand: NZ Transport Agency, along with Clemenger BBDO Wellington, have launched the first piece in a new chapter for speed, Less Speed, Less Harm.

Says Brigid Alkema, ECD, Clemenger BBDO, Wellington: Until now speed messaging has focussed on the negative impacts of speed. This new chapter highlights a benefit, not a cost, of the speed of a driver.

The new AV piece, directed by Noah Marshall of The Sweet Shop, shows the outcome of a competent driver choosing less speed.

Says Marshall: This is a beautiful script that I believe will make a difference in a very tough area to change peoples minds. No one wants to have any part in a fatal car crash, whether its your fault or not.

The piece builds on the strategy seen in the highly effective Mistakes spot, which also focusses on the behaviour of other drivers.

Says Linda Major, head of social marketing at Clemenger BBDO, Wellington: Previously, speed campaigns have talked about the difference every kilometre added to your speed can make to the impact of a crash, irrespective of the cause. The effectiveness of this has been inarguable. This new chapter builds on the territory, and focuses on the reverse effect: that every kilometre less means less impact, less injury, more life, more families kept together.

Says Rachel Prince, principal advisor at NZTA: Research tells us most New Zealanders dont drive over the speed limit, and support speed enforcement. Unfortunately, theyre a quiet majority. This strategy offers something of value to that position, something new to add to the conversation when loud and dominant voices are defending their right to speed.

Says Alkema: Its an empowering, positive direction with exciting creative potential. Less Speed, Less Harm paves the way to talk about what less harm means, and celebrate more life.

Client: New Zealand Transport Agency

Principal Advisor: Rachel Prince

Principal Scientist: Paul Graham

Agency: Clemenger BBDO/Proximity

Media: OMD

Production Co: The Sweet Shop

Director: Noah Marshall

Executive Producer: Fiona King

Producer: Tony Whyman

DP: Marty Williams

Editor: Tim Mauger

Colour Grade: Pete Ritchie, Blockhead

Music composition: Liquid Studios

Composer: Peter van der Fluit
It's going to be another warm one today with a top of 37 expected across the capital but relish the dry weather while you can as there is wet weather on the cards later this week.
But the centre has been running at capacity since opening last year, an issue reflected by the region's major cancer centre, also running at capacity, and pointing to the need for a major new treatment centre being developed in Belconnen.
"It won't make the festival this year but it has certainly got a long and fruitful life ahead of it. It's certainly got a lot of life left in it.
Put simply, it forbids fires out in the open. Mr Lane explained that you can't light, maintain or use a fire in the open, or undertake any "high risk" activity, which is one that is likely to cause a fire. Obviously people need to take care with these activities on all days, but firefighters declare a total fire ban when they've decided on that particular day it is not possible for them to immediately control and extinguish a fire.
The Southeast Asia-US (SEA-US) Cable System has already been landed in California and next month the installation vessel will arrive in Honolulu after completing its main-lay construction between California and Hawaii.

When completed, the system will deliver an initial design capacity of 20Tbps using 100Gpbs technology from NEC, which is building the cable for a consortium of seven members, including Globe Telecom of the Philippines and Telin of Indonesia.

Completion date is set for the second quarter of 2017  about six months behind the schedule that was announced when the project began in August 2014.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave SEA-US a licence on 12 January and the cable is due to be connected to CoreSites LA2 data centre in Los Angeles by the end of the month. The Hermosa Beach landing station is connected to the data centre over physically diverse dark fibre pairs, said Globe Telecom.

As well as Globe and Telin, investors in SEA-US are GTA of Guam, GTI of California, Hawaiian Telcom, RTI of California and Telins Telkom USA of California.

The 15,000km cable is designed to connect California and Hawaii with Manado in Indonesia, Davao in southern Philippines and Piti in the US territory of Guam.
New York-based Tiger Infrastructure Partners will finance and construct IFC-1, a cable planned to link Ireland and France directly, according to Ireland-France Subsea Cable (IFSC), the projects backers.

The massive growth of Irelands data centre industry and the requirement for resilient telecommunications infrastructure has created the need for a new, direct route to continental Europe, said Michael Cunningham, chairman of IFSC.

Tiger Infrastructure Partners says it is a middle-market private equity firm that invests in growing infrastructure platforms. It targets investments in communications, energy, transportation, and related sectors, mainly in North America and Europe.

The Ziff family, which made its fortune in publishing  put by Forbes at $14.4 billion  is a significant investor in Tiger Infrastructure Partners.

IFC-1 is due to run from Dublin to Paris via a subsea stretch from Cork on the south coast of Ireland to Lannion in Brittany. IFSC was created by telecom entrepreneurs Mike and Doug Cunningham, whose Arctic Fibre project was taken over by Quintillion in 2016.

At the beginning of January another veteran telecoms entrepreneur, Sunil Tagare, announced a project to connect the US and southern France without routing through the UK. That project is named Brexit 1, said Tagare, who was a founder of the Flag Telecom cable now owned by Global Cloud Xchange.

IFSC and Tiger have not given financial details for Tigers backing of the IFC-1 project. We are pleased to be working with IFSC and its experienced leadership team to develop and build this strategic cable between Ireland and France, said Emil Henry, CEO and managing partner of Tiger Infrastructure Partners. The system is scheduled to be ready for service in late 2018, say the companies.

PiPiper is another projected Ireland-France subsea cable scheme, connecting Cork to Nantes. The company applied for planning permission in 2014 from the Irish government to build a cable landing station, but there is no further information about its progress.
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You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
Though much better-looking (to our eyes) than the versions that came before, the Smart Fortwo is hardly the most stylish car that Daimler makes. Not when you put it next to a Mercedes CLS, for example, or an AMG GT.

The thing is that those cars are hardly the most suitable to the densely packed downtown cores of the European capitals where style is defined  places like Milan, Paris, London, and Berlin. So whats an urban-dwelling fashionista to do?



Smart and Brabus have the answer. The two German companies collaborate to offer the Smart Brabus Tailor Made program, which allows customers to customize their city car to their own specific taste. Like this one-of-a-kind showpiece designed by stylist Veronika Heilbrunner.

Characterized by Vogue.com as one of the worlds leading street-style icons, the fashion director of online magazine hey woman! designed this Fortwo in a special shade of Velvet Blue with gold wheels, and a black leather interior with red accents (including her initials stitched into the headrests and the ruby-tinged glass-capped shift knob.

Heilbrunners ride will be displayed at Berlins Appel Design Gallery during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. And while it remains a one-off, the manufacturer is adding her color choices to the customization program. So if you like what you see, you can order yours the same, or in any of the thousands of other combinations Brabus offers.

Photo Gallery
It took BMW almost two years after announcing a mid-cycle facelift for the 3-Series in May of 2015, to bring a similar suite of updates for the related 4-Series family, which comprises the two-door Coupe, five-door Gran Coupe and the hardtop convertible.



Similarly to the 3-Series sedan, Touring and more recently, the Gran Turismo, the updated 4-Series cars that will eventually arrive in North America as 2018MYs, feature mild (aka barely noticeable) design, chassis and engine updates.

The squint and youll miss it exterior revisions over the current 4-Series include the following: new LED headlights, front foglamps and tail lamps, which retain the same shape as before, but now feature graphics similar to the 2012 concept; modified air intakes on the front bumper; different line-specific applications and a redesigned rear apron. Two fresh exterior paint finishes named Snapper Rocks Blue and Sunset Orange along with new 18- and 19-inch alloy wheel designs complete the look.

In an equally subtle manner, the common interior of all three models gets a new steering wheel design, electroplated aluminum and chrome detailing, double stitching on the instrument panel together with three new upholstery colors and three new trim strips.

BMW also updated the infotainment system with a new interface featuring large tile-style control pads that can be rearranged. For those of you who feel jealous of Audis digital cockpit, BMW offers the optional Multifunctional Instrument Display giving drivers the choice of different visualisation options for all displays.

BMW claims to have come up with a stiffer suspension for the 4-Series Coupe and Gran Coupe, delivering sportier handling without any loss of ride comfort, not only on the standard models, but those equipped with the optional M Sport and Adaptive suspensions too. All models get a more communicative steering as well, or so BMW says.

Having already update the 4-Series powertrains in June of 2016, there are no notable changes to the facelifted model, which in Europe, will be offered with an extended lineup of four- and six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines ranging from the entry-level 150PS (148hp) 418d and 184PS (181hp) 420i, up to the 313PS (309hp) 435d and 326PS (322hp) 440i. A total of twelve model variants are available with the option of xDrive, while the 435d comes with the all-wheel drive system as standard.

We dont expect any differentiations to the North American range, details of which should be announced soon.

In regards to the M4 Coupe and Convertible, the 2018MY brings standard adaptive full-LED headlights, the same updated full-LED rear lights as the other 4-Series models, and some styling touches to the interior, include the trim, and the updated infotainment system.

Photo Gallery
Just last week the FBI arrested a Volkswagen executive on vacation in Florida in connection with his role in the whole diesel emissions debacle. And it could arrest more of them  if it gets the chance. So five VW execs may be forced to stay within Germanys borders indefinitely, or else face jail time in the United States.



Following reports of an impending deal being cut between the German automaker and the US Department of Justice, Bloomberg reports that a court in Michigan has indicted a further five executives embroiled in the scandal. Among them are the companys engine chief Heinz-Jakob Neusser, diesel propulsion engineer Richard Dorenkamp, quality management chief Bernd Gottweis, his colleague Juergen Peter, and former Neussers predecessor Jens Hadler.

Bloomberg points out that while US officials could seek help from Interpol to apprehend those charged, Germany does not allow the extradition of its citizens in such cases. In a previous bribery case at electronics giant Siemens AG, all eight of those being pursued in the United States managed to evade arrest by staying in Germany.

Following their lawyers advice and the Siemens precedent, the VW executives could stay safe in their home country. But if they leave  even to other parts of Europe  they could be picked up at the proverbial drop of a hat. German hedge fund manager Florian Homm was arrested in Italy in 2013 on financial fraud charges when he left his home country, and director Roman Polanski was similarly arrested in 2009 (though later released) on decades-old sexual-assault charges after crossing over the border from France (which has similar non-extradition laws to Germany) into Switzerland.

Staying within Germanys borders might in and of itself prove difficult for executives at a industrial multinational like Volkswagen, and could be made even more so by other methods at US officials disposal. Even if convicted in absentia or a warrant remaining on the books indefinitely, however, a settlement with US prosecutors could result in the charges going away without jail time, thereby liberating those indicted to travel abroad freely.

Photo Gallery
Photo: Contributed

Heck of a hunch!

Youre staking out a residence as part of a drug trafficking investigation. You see a Mercedes-Benz SUV, and pull it over for a traffic violation.

The passenger is vigorously rubbing his hands together and reaching into the glove box. On approaching the vehicle, you notice a small glob of lotion on the passengers chin.

Theres a marijuana joint in plain sight.

Youve got a hunch. Some traffickers hide baggies of drugs in their rectum. How do they get the baggies in there? Lotion!

You arrest him and have him placed in a cell with the water turned off so that he cant dispose of the suspected drugs down the toilet.

At the bail hearing the next morning, the defence lawyer is described as anxious to proceed," but the hearing is delayed to the afternoon.

The delay is just enough for nature to overpower the accuseds constriction of his sphincter. At 1 p.m., hes found trying to push 53 feces-covered baggies down a drain in his cell.

The baggies contained heroin, crack-cocaine and fentanyl. Your hunch was right. What an incredible piece of police work.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), a hunch isnt enough to arrest and jail someone in Canada.

We made that call when we entrenched the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms into our constitution back in 1982. The Charter outlines a basic set of civil and political rights and freedoms.

Those rights protect us from the policies and actions of government. The enforcement arm of government, of course, is the police.

We tasked the courts with protecting our rights. It wasnt a job judges asked for. We forced it on them. We gave them powerful legal tools, including the ability to strike down laws that infringe on our rights.

One shining example is the change in the law allowing assisted suicide.

When it comes to protecting our rights and freedoms in relation to police, judges have limited tools to work with.

We didnt give them an independent judicial policing force to follow police officers around, ensuring they respect our rights.

One of the few tools they have is to prevent a prosecutor from relying on illegally obtained evidence (evidence obtained through a breach of a citizens rights).

The tool is not used lightly. When it is, though, it seems like a travesty of justice. In this case, the judge disallowed the use of the 53 baggies of drugs, resulting in the acquittal of a clearly guilty drug trafficker.

Imagine the frustration of the police when that happens.

In the words of one judge of the Supreme Court of Canada:

Frustrating and aggravating as it may seem, the police as respected and admired agents of our country, must respect the Charter rights of all individuals, even those who appear to be the least worthy of respect.

A drug trafficker goes free. Thats horrible.

I trust, though, that police forces in Canada will learn of this decision. The hopeful result will be that each of us will be at even less risk of being arrested and thrown in jail on a hunch, however well meaning the police officer.

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 Royal Canadian Navy Vice-Admiral Mark Norman (left) speaks with Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd

One of the military's highest ranking officers has been swiftly removed from his post with no public explanation.

Vice chief of defence staff Mark Norman was relieved of his military duties by his boss, defence chief Gen. Jonathan Vance, in a letter dated Jan. 13 but made public Monday.

The tersely worded letter did not give a reason for the sudden change of command and a spokesman for Vance did not elaborate, saying only that "for the time being," Norman would not be carrying out the functions of the job.

"At this time, we have no additional information to provide," Lt.-Col. Jason Proulx said in an email.

The defence minister's office also provided no detail.

"I fully support the decision taken by the CDS to relieve the VCDS from the performance of military duty," was all Harjit Sajjan would say in a statement.

The RCMP would not say whether they had Norman under investigation for any reason, noting they never generally confirm or deny who is or isn't under scrutiny.

But Canada's military police said they were not involved.

"We weren't, and we are not, investigating on this case," Maj. Jean-Marc Mercier, a public affairs officer with the military police group said in an interview.

Norman was the head of the Royal Canadian Navy before he became the vice chief of defence staff last summer.

The role is essentially the second-in-command post for the entire military.

Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd  who took over command of the navy from Norman  has now been appointed as interim vice chief.
Photo: Flickr/BC Gov't

By Charles Lammam and Milagros Palacios

With many governments across Canada mired in red ink, B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong's plan to balance the budget this year is a laudable goal.

But there are significant risks on the horizon  a major slowdown in the housing sector, a court-mandated reopening of negotiations with B.C. teachers, and expiration of our softwood lumber agreement with the U.S. to name a few  that could put B.C.'s balanced budget in peril.

With pay and benefits for government employees comprising half of provincial program spending, controlling these costs is essential to prudent fiscal management.

Decades of research has shown that wages and benefits of government employees tend to eclipse those for comparable private-sector workers. This is more than just an economics issue. It's unfair that government workers receive a premium paid for by private-sector workers who receive less for similar positions.

Using Statistics Canada data from 2015, a new Fraser Institute study finds that government employees (federal, provincial and local) receive, on average, 7.4 per cent higher wages than comparable workers in the private sector.

But, wages are just one component of total compensation, which includes pensions, early retirement and job security. As any business-owner or manager will tell you, it's the total cost of compensation that matters rather than the individual components.

First, consider the imbalance on pensions, one of the costliest benefits provided to workers in both sectors. In 2015, nine of 10 government workers in B.C. (87.9 per cent) were covered by a defined benefit pension plan  which guarantees a level of benefits in retirement  compared to just one of 10 workers in the private sector (8.7 per cent).

Government-sector workers in B.C. also retire 2.5 years earlier, on average, than private-sector workers and they are away from their jobs for personal reasons 55 per cent more days per year (12.4 days vs. 8 days in the private sector).

When it comes to job security, another non-wage benefit, government workers have a distinct advantage. In 2015, three per cent of private-sector employment in B.C. experienced job loss  almost eight times higher than the 0.4 per cent of government-sector employment.

Of course, governments need to provide competitive compensation to attract qualified employees, but the fact is wages and benefits in the government sector are out of step with the private sector.

Unfortunately, rather than work toward reducing the gap, de Jong is taking B.C. in the other direction. He recently announced that 310,000 employees of the provincial government will receive an extra pay increase of 0.35 per cent starting next year  on top of a 5.5 per cent wage increase over five years.

As he prepares next month's provincial budget, better control of spending will be key for delivering on his balanced budget commitment.

Charles Lammam and Milagros Palacios are co-authors of the Fraser Institute study Comparing Government and Private Sector Compensation in British Columbia.

 Troy Media
Photo: Instagram

Will he visit  or not?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on a cross-Canada tour, meeting with Canadians in town-hall events as well as in coffee shops and restaurants, "answering your questions and listening to your ideas on how we can build a better Canada."

So far, he's visited small towns in Ontario and is currently making his way through Atlantic Canada. He'll soon sweep through Western Canada.

Read more.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began the East Coast leg of his cross country tour today with a visit to a packed, family-owned Halifax coffee shop, where he was greeted by a happy owner and a handful of protesters.

Inside, Trudeau walked around shaking hands and taking dozens of selfies with customers at the Java Blend Coffee Roasters and Liberal Party supporters.

At one point, he went behind the counter to pose for a photo with shop employees and beaming store owner Jim Dikaios.

Three men stood by the entrance holding signs saying "Do Better Please," "Respect Indigenous Rights" and "Military Support to Saudi Arabia is Murder."

This evening, a large crowd is expected to gather at a town hall in Dartmouth to raise questions with Trudeau about regional issues as he begins the second week of his roving campaign to reconnect with ordinary Canadians.

Mayor Mike Savage tweeted Sunday that the event has been moved to the 3,000-seat Dartmouth Sportsplex arena due to "overwhelming positive response" over the weekend.
Photo: Contributed

A man from Malakwa has been arrested for assault with a weapon following the stabbing of a male relative in his home.

Late last Saturday night, RCMP in Sicamous responded to a 911 call from a residence on Bloomquist Road in Malakwa.

Police arrived on scene to find a 33-year-old male victim who had been stabbed.

Officers arrested a 34-year-old man who was also at the scene.

The victim and suspect were both residents of the home and related to each other, according to Sgt. Murray McNeil, commanding officer of the Sicamous detachment.

"The investigation determined an argument allegedly began inside the residence between the two men which resulted in the victim being stabbed," McNeil said in a press release.

The victim suffered non-life threatening stab wounds to the arm and chest and was released from Salmon Arm Hospital.

"The suspect was also transported to hospital for treatment of minor injuries before he was lodged in cells."

Police have not named the suspect but say he has been released from custody and is expected to appear in court on Feb. 25 in Salmon Arm.
Photo: The Canadian Press Former astronaut Neil Armstrong, left, with fellow ex-astronaut Gene Cernan

Former astronaut Gene Cernan, the last person to walk on the moon who returned to Earth with a message of "peace and hope for all mankind," died on Monday in Texas following ongoing heath issues, his family said. He was 82.

Cernan was surrounded by relatives when he died at a Houston hospital, family spokeswoman Melissa Wren told The Associated Press. His family said his passion for lunar exploration never waned.

"Even at the age of 82, Gene was passionate about sharing his desire to see the continued human exploration of space and encouraged our nation's leaders and young people to not let him remain the last man to walk on the Moon," his family said in a statement released by NASA.

Cernan was commander of NASA's Apollo 17 mission and on his third space flight when set foot on the lunar surface in December 1972. He became the last of only a dozen men to walk on the moon on Dec. 14, 1972  tracing his only child's initials in the dust before climbing the ladder of the lunar module the last time. It was a moment that forever defined him in both the public eye and his own.

"Those steps up that ladder, they were tough to make," Cernan recalled in a 2007 oral history. "I didn't want to go up. I wanted to stay a while."

Cernan called it "perhaps the brightest moment of my life. ... It's like you would want to freeze that moment and take it home with you. But you can't."

Decades later, Cernan tried to ensure he wasn't the last person to walk on the moon, testifying before Congress to push for a return. But as the years went by he realized he wouldn't live to witness someone follow in his footsteps  still visible on the moon more than 40 years later.

"Neil (Armstrong, who died in 2012) and I aren't going to see those next young Americans who walk on the moon. And God help us if they're not Americans," Cernan testified before Congress in 2011. "When I leave this planet, I want to know where we are headed as a nation. That's my big goal."

Cernan died less than six weeks after another American space hero, John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. Their flights weren't the first or last of the Mercury and Apollo eras. Yet to the public they were the bookends of America's space age glory, starting with Godspeed John Glenn and ending with Cernan's footprints on the moon.

On Dec. 11, 1972, Cernan guided the lander, named Challenger, into a lunar valley called Taurus-Littrow, with Harrison "Jack" Schmitt at his side. He recalled the silence after the lunar lander's engine shut down.

"That's where you experience the most quiet moment a human being can experience in his lifetime," Cernan said in 2007. "There's no vibration. There's no noise. The ground quit talking. Your partner is mesmerized. He can't say anything.

"The dust is gone. It's a realization, a reality, all of a sudden you have just landed in another world on another body out there (somewhere in the) universe, and what you are seeing is being seen by human beings  human eyes  for the first time."
Photo: The Canadian Press

A gunman suspected of killing 39 people during a New Year's attack on an Istanbul nightclub has been caught in a police operation, Turkish media reports said early Tuesday.

The suspect was captured in a special operations police raid on a house in Istanbul's Esenyurt district, private NTV television reported. The broadcaster said he had been staying in the house belonging to a friend from Kyrgyzstan.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the nightclub massacre, saying the attack in the first hours of Jan. 1 was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria. The man identified as the suspect had been on the run since the attack.

Hurriyet newspaper and other media have identified the gunman as Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbekistan national.The suspect was to undergo medical checks before being taken to police headquarters for questioning, the paper said in its online edition.

Dogan news agency published what it said was the first image of the attacker. It showed a bruised, black-haired man in a grey, bloodiedshirt being held by his neck. Private NTV television said the gunman had resisted arrest.

NTV reported that the gunman's Kyrgyz friend and three other people also were detained. His 4-year-old child, who was with him at the home, was taken into protective custody.

The television channel said police established the gunman's whereabouts four or five days ago, but delayed the raid so they could monitor his movements and contacts.

The state-run Anadolu Agency also reported the arrest and identified the gunman, only with a slightly different spelling of his first name, Abdulgadir. It said a Kyrgyz man and three women were detained with him

Anadolu said the suspects were being taken to Istanbul's main police headquarters for questioning. Police were carrying out raids on other suspected Islamic State group cells, the news agency said without providing details

Earlier in the day, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said the Reina nightclub attack had been carried out professionally with the help of an intelligence organization, a claim he had made in the first days after the attack. He did not name the organization suspected of being involved.

Hundreds of people were gathered at the swanky Reina nightclub to celebrate the end of a tumultuous 2016 only to become the first victims of 2017. The gunman shot a police officer and a civilian outside the club, then stormed the premises.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The sheer waste of food had been bothering teacher Marijke De Jongh for so long that two years ago she set up a pop-up restaurant to serve perfectly good groceries and meat that were approaching their expiry date.

With her Rekub team, she followed it up with an app that brings thousands of consumers to retail shops were they can buy food closing in on its sell-by date.

Still, the efforts of a small group of conscientious consumers are no match for the masses that still waste food from farm to fork.

The European Court of Auditors on Tuesday chided the European Union's executive branch in a report, "Combating Food Waste," that decried the bloc's lack of effort in reducing the food waste. It estimated the EU wastes 88 million tons of food a year for a population of 510 million.

"The Commission is not combating the food waste effectively," said ECA member Bettina Jakobsen, noting a lack of strategy and inspiration being used to tackle the problem.

The report said more efforts should be made all along the food chain and special precautions should be taken when setting farm policy to make sure that less produce is discarded. An EU study, however, shows about half that waste can still be tied to households, not policy.

The ECA also recommended making food donations easier, since they are still mired in legal and tax issues that sometimes become a disincentive for food producers to give food away. It said with better EU regulations that could be turned around.

At the same time, De Jongh continues to try to make a difference at a local level in Antwerp, northern Belgium. After her pop-up experiment in 2015, she is planning a permanent Rekub eatery now.

"We have to keep this moving and put it on everyone's radar," she said.
Photo: Castanet File Photo

Glenrosa middle school could become a second high school in West Kelowna.

A proposal to that effect is part of a Westside Area Study the board of School District 23 will be asked to forward to the Ministry of Education.

It's part of a long-term facility plan for the Westside initiated back in 2012.

In order to meet growth and enrolment projections, seven options designed to address capacity, reconfigure grades and include a middle entry French Immersion program were reviewed.

The board will be asked to approve a plan where a new middle school would be built on the George Pringle Elementary School site while maintaining George Pringle Elementary, and converting Glenrosa middle school to a high school.

Schools in the city would also be configured to K to Grade 5, Grade 6 to 8, and Grade 9 to 12.

The price tag is expected to be just north of $29 million.

The district's Planning and Facilities committee will review the proposal Wednesday.

If approved, the Westside Area Study would be submitted to the province.
Photo: The Canadian Press General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

General Motors will announce a $1 billion investment in its factories that will create or keep around 1,000 jobs, a person briefed on the matter said Monday.

The Detroit automaker will make the announcement Tuesday morning. The investment is part of the normal process of equipping factories to build new models, and it's been planned for months, the person told The Associated Press. The person didn't want to be identified because the announcement hasn't been made yet.

Multiple factories will get part of the money, but GM does not plan to state where the new jobs will go, according to the person. The company plans to use the announcement to tout both blue-collar and white-collar U.S. jobs it has created in recent years, the person said.

The announcement comes after President-elect Donald Trump has attacked GM and other automakers for building vehicles in Mexico and shipping them to the U.S.

Earlier this month, Trump threatened on Twitter to tax GM for importing the compact Chevrolet Cruze. While GM builds hatchback Cruzes in Mexico, most Cruze sales are Ohio-built sedans.

On the eve of the Detroit auto show press days last week, GM CEO Mary Barra said the company has no plans to change where it produces small cars due to Trump's threats.

Barra said the auto business has long lead times for where it produces vehicles, with decisions made two to four years ahead.

Barra, who is part of a Trump economic advisory group, said it's too early to talk about a possible tariff. She said the company has more in common with Trump's goals on trade and jobs than differences.
Dustin Godfrey

Big beards, long beards, bushy beards and clean-cut beards were all present at the first night of the second annual Okanagan Beard Festival.

And this year, the festival, which runs six nights over the course of weeks, brought 48 entries  an increase over last years numbers.

"A lot of the guys that were here last year came back, brought a lot of friends, good house for the Cannery, lots of excitement, lots of fun," organizer Peter Beauchamp said.

Organizers attribute this years growth to last years success.

"It just carried on through the whole year, people have been asking about the next one since the last one," Beauchamp said.

And among the contestants, theres no shortage of confidence.

"Feeling like I have the most majestic beard of the bunch," contestant Jeremy Shepherd said. "I've had a beard for the better part of 20 years, so, nothing new. It's not my first rodeo."

Others did have reservations, though, when they looked at some of the other beards in the room.

"I placed second last year to that long-bearded fellow ... and his beard hasn't gotten any shorter," a man who goes by Redbeard said. "We're going to have to get creative, I think.

"Something artistic, I think, we've got to go over the top."

The competition is intended to support local businesses  particularly local pubs  and local charity, with proceeds going toward the drug and alcohol recovery program at Discovery House.
Photo: Wildcat Helicopters

UPDATE: 9:25 a.m.

Vernon's winch rescue team on board a BC Air Rescue helicopter winched a snow biker to safety at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday after the man spent the night outside in the Shuswap backcountry.

"He had snowmobiled over a cliff," explained Ian Wilson, vice-president of Wildcat Helicopters. "He was uninjured, but cold from his night out in the snow."

The rescue happened five miles southeast of Sicamous, in the Morton Peak area.

Wilson said the snow biker was airlifted to Silver Star ski hill with two responders.

Vernon and Shuswap search and rescue volunteers spent the night on snowmobiles and snowshoes searching through steep and dangerous terrain for the man.

The machine was damaged in the fall and will likely be airlifted out under contract to the owner.

Original story 8:06 a.m.

A missing snow biker was located by a search team and air lifted out of the Shuswap backcountry by chopper Tuesday morning.

Vernon Search & Rescue joined searchers in the Shuswap looking for the missing male in the Hunter's Range area after a request for mutual aid about 7:30 p.m. Monday.



"Search teams on snowmobile and snowshoes tracked the subject through the night into steep, dangerous terrain," said Trevor Honigman, VSAR spokesperson.

Castanet has been told that a young Vernon man went missing while out snow biking with a group in the Kingfisher-Mara area yesterday.

VSAR's specialized helicopter winch team airlifted the man out of a steep and forested area.
Photo: Google Maps

The Penticton RCMP was called to the A&W on Main Street on Tuesday, for a report of a man cutting himself in the bathroom.

When officers first spoke with the man, he claimed to be removing a sliver. However, when officers searched him, they found a machete, needles and assorted narcotics shoved down his pants, according to Cpl Wrigglesworth.

Wrigglesworth said the man was arrested and released on a promise to appear in court for breaching a probation order.
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Walking into her first physics graduate school class of 24 men and no women besides herself, unconscious barriers to women in science were more evident than ever to Laura McCullough. She decided to use her experience as a female physicist to bring those barriers into the limelight: Recognition could bring about change.

Years later the University of Wisconsin-Stout physics professor culled data, analysis and conclusions from more than 200 sources to produce Women in Physics, a 48-page book in the IOP Concise Physics series published by Morgan and Claypool in April 2016. Focused on trends in English-speaking countries, its packed with factors that affect girls decisions to continue studying science, womens struggles in the physics field, gender progress made in the field and potential improvements for further reducing barriers.

In the U.S., the gender ratio in high school physics classes is almost equal. In college, women earn about 22 percent of physics bachelors degrees, and the numbers dip further for masters and doctorates. The trends are similar in other English-speaking countries.

Sex differences arent a factor in learning physics, she said. The biological factors have been disproven. Its not that women cant do physics or are worse at it; its that we approach it differently than men do.

Research spotlights biases

Many factors in the discrepancy are cultural, McCullough said.

In education, instructors styles of teaching and personal hesitation toward the sciences play a role.

Research suggests that females dislike of science starts as early as elementary school, even age 6 or 7, she said. A lot of early childhood and elementary teachers are afraid of science, and since theyre mostly women, they spread that fear of science to the young girls in their class. They havent had a lot of science. They havent been taught how to teach science, and since theyre not comfortable with it they tend to rely on rote learning instead of an explorative approach to gets kids interested in science.

Hannah Newman, of Cary, Ill., and a packaging major in McCulloughs physics class, remembers a seventh-grade teacher who wasnt comfortable teaching science. She definitely wasnt suited for what she was teaching. No one was really encouraged to do science in that class. 

Newman credits a male high school teacher, however, for encouraging her to pursue an engineering-related career. He said, Youre really good at this. You should stick to it and continue going all four years. I know youll really do well based on what youve done before, she said. No sexism was allowed in his classroom, she said.

Though UW-Stout doesnt offer a physics degree, physics classes are required as part of many majors. Newman is also a board member of UW-Stouts Society of Women Engineers.

Subtle barriers

At the college level, McCullough found, the barriers are more subtle and harder to measure and fix. A student might be the only female in the class. An instructor might not be supportive of female students. Female instructors might be given a less desirable office location or teaching assignment.

One cultural prevailing belief lingers from the 1990s: We still fight the idea that math and science are hard for girls, McCullough said.

We have parents who still believe that they dont need to encourage their daughters to go into math and science because thats not for them. They dont bring them to the science museums or science fairs; they dont get them to camps or after-school programs that encourage the STEM areas. It starts really, really young, unfortunately, so it means we have a lot of work to do.

Family support made a difference for Newman, whose parents and a grandmother recognized her interest and potential. They took her and her cousins to science museums. Her grandma urged her to explore the changing world of science. During a high school orientation event, her dad firmly steered her toward tables promoting science and engineering classes, where she first met the male teacher whom she had for four years of classes.

Tackling implicit bias

From McCulloughs perspective, tapping implicit bias research on peoples unconscious biases is key to breaking down barriers.

It doesnt matter if were a good person or a bad person: We all have these unconscious biases that our upbringing or acculturation has given us, and those biases affect how we interact with people of that population, she said.

Computer tests can measure the level of a persons unconscious biases. Acknowledging and counteracting them is a step toward reducing them: For instance, frequently looking at pictures of women in physics instead of a male in a white lab coat.

I think thats the most useful research for getting more women into physics, to get people to recognize the unconscious biases that they have and how those are going to affect the women who are trying to get into physics, she said.

Leaky pipeline

Those biases are what McCullough calls filters in the leaky pipeline phenomenon  at each stage in education, cultural filters pull some girls and women out of the pipeline until only a few are left at the college level. We leak women out at every stage.

Her book gives examples of filtering:

A little girl waits patiently at a science exhibit for another child to finish. Her brother butts in when he comes over to see it, and she never gets her turn.

A young woman in high school physics is always relegated to be record keeper and never gets a chance to use the equipment.

An assistant professor is placed on every departmental committee in order to have female representation.

A woman makes a suggestion at her weekly research group meeting. Her idea is ignored. Minutes later, a man makes the same suggestion and is applauded.

In the workplace, research shows, women get fewer resources even in work environments that strive for equity.

The leaky pipeline phenomenon also happens to males who pursue female-dominated careers like nursing, she said.

Progress shrinking barriers continues

In the past three decades, McCullough found, most overt sexism has diminished while subtle barriers linger. Progress has been made. For instance, realization has grown for the need to encourage girls in science at young ages.

More biographies featuring women in science are being published. National Science Foundation and other agency funding has increased to empower elementary teachers to teach science. The funding agencies realize that we shouldnt be blocking talent from this field, she said.

At the upper levels, women must be aware of what they might face and find a mentor, adviser or advocate to support them, McCullough said.

Newman stays in touch with her high school mentor. To this day we still email back and forth. Im still the only girl whos taken all four years of engineering classes there, and Ive been gone three years.

As society changes, the issues change. Thirty years ago, women were fighting blatant bias. Now its more microaggressions and implicit bias. We have to keep researching to highlight what needs to be changed, McCullough said.

Women in Physics is available on Amazon and through the IOP Science website at http://iopscience.iop.org/book/978-1-6817-4277-9.
MADISON  The state of our state is strong.

More people were employed in Wisconsin last year than at any point in the history of our great state. Unemployment levels are the lowest in more than 15 years. And the percentage of people working in Wisconsin is one of the highest of any state in the country.

This begs the question, Are the people of Wisconsin better off than we were six years ago? The answer is a resounding yes.

It may seem hard to believe now, but during the four years before we took office, Wisconsin had lost more than 133,000 jobs and the unemployment rate peaked at 9.2 percent.

Today, weve more than recovered the jobs that departed during the recession, wages are up, and more than 50,000 new businesses have been created. In fact, our biggest challenge is not creating jobs, but finding people to fill them. We went from a focus on jobs, jobs, jobs to talking about workforce, workforce, workforce. This is my top priority for 2017 and beyond.

We are working and winning in Wisconsin.

In addition to a growing economy, I am pleased to note that our finances are stable. We finished the fiscal year, yet again, with a surplus. Our rainy day fund is 165 times bigger than it was when we first took office, and Wisconsin has the fourth lowest overall long-term debt obligation of any state in the country.

Getting our finances under control allows us to reduce the burden on the hard-working taxpayers. Since taking office, weve cut taxes by more than $4.7 billion. That means a cumulative income tax reduction of $1,159 for a typical family.

We also cut property taxes. Since December of 2010, the cumulative reduction is $426 for a median-valued home. In the decade before we took office, property taxes went up 27 percent. If that trend had continued, the difference is a savings of $1,700. Thats real money.

Just as I promised when running for re-election, property and income taxes will be lower in 2018 than they were in 2010.

Throughout the past year, I held listening sessions in every county to hear about where citizens would like the state to be in 20 years. Several major issues came out of these listening sessions. Student success, accountable government, and rewarding work were consistent themes. These areas will be the focus of our state budget.

As promised, we will provide a significant increase in funding for public education. We will also help rural schools that have unique challenges such as transportation costs, broadband access and declining enrollment.

College affordability was also a major issue at our listening sessions. Over the past four years, we froze in-state tuition for all undergraduates at University of Wisconsin campuses. Compared to the previous trend, a typical student saves more than $6,300 over four years. We will go even further as we will actually cut tuition. It will be paid for in the state budget and we will add more resources to the UW System.

Access to high speed and reliable internet service is something we hear about repeatedly throughout the state. Thats why I am proposing the state invest $35.5 million more to expand our broadband access grant program and for our efforts to help upgrade technology and train teachers from small and rural school districts. That would bring our total investment to $52 million to help connect everyone in the state.

On transportation, we will provide local governments with the largest increase in transportation aids since the 1990s. They can use these funds to fix roads and bridges and potholes in their communities. We will also provide more money for state highway rehabilitation than ever before.

We can do all of this without a gas tax or vehicle registration fee increase. I will keep the promise I made to the voters in the last election. Whether you agree with me or not, I hope you can respect that I will keep my word. We did not get elected by the people of Wisconsin to raise taxes.

As mentioned, more people are working than ever before in our state. Our schools continue to be some of the best in the country. The UW just went up in another ranking. Our improvement in the tax climate is one of the best in the nation. Health care systems in our state are ranked in the top three in the country. And our farmers continue to grow and produce some of the best food on the planet. Heck, we just won the gold medal for the best cheese in the world.

Lets face it. There is plenty to celebrate in Wisconsin.

The state of our state is strong. Wisconsins future is bright. But were not done yet. There is more work for us to do. Together, we can move Wisconsin forward.
EAU CLAIRE  It was something every kid should try. But for Newlife Xiong, now a senior at Eau Claire Memorial High School, her first sledding outing as a sophomore had devastating consequences.

When we got there I was really excited, it was really cold, and I remember going up and down the hill at least three times, she said. After that, I woke up in the hospital.

Her friends told her she veered left going downhill and hit a tree, ultimately suffering a broken arm, head injury and injured ribs.

Xiong missed an entire quarter of school that year. She already had difficulties focusing in classes and was staying after school to get extra help. She was at risk of falling a grade behind her classmates, but, as she has done with any task thrown at her, Xiong focused only on overcoming the obstacle.

When she returned to school, she adjusted her class schedule and spent extra time after school working with teachers, but did not let that time take away from her responsibilities at home nor her involvement in school activities.

For her constant dedication, Newlife Xiong is Eau Claire Memorial High Schools recipient of the Chippewa Valley Newspapers fourth annual Extra Effort Award.

Overcoming the odds

Xiong spent three weeks of her sophomore year in and out of Mayo Clinic Health System, first in Eau Claire and then in Rochester, Minnesota, where she was transferred for surgery on her left arm. She then returned home to recover.

Because of her injuries, Xiong relied on her mom, dad and siblings for help to move anywhere. She was still woozy from pain medications, and spent a lot of time sleeping. Moving from an active student to a bedridden one, Xiong said she got bored at home quickly.

Her math teacher sent work home with her younger brother, but it was hardly enough. After missing a quarter of the year, she was relieved to finally walk back through Memorials doors.

It was good to catch up with friends, teachers and get back into my classes, Xiong said. It just didnt feel right for me not to be there.

Her counselors were able to modify her schedule to four classes a day instead of seven that year. Since then, she has been working hard to catch up.

Kris Terhark, a Memorial guidance counselor, was impressed by how determined Xiong was to keep up with her schoolwork. Shes still taking classes she missed that year, like Microsoft Office and American Sign Language classes, but has not fallen too far behind her classmates.

Shes even managed to participate in all the clubs and organizations she has been involved in since her freshman year.

Always active

The third oldest in a family of seven kids, Xiong was expected to help around the house. She has devoted many evenings to cooking meals and taking care of her younger siblings.

While that would be enough for most teenage students, Xiong doesnt let her home responsibilities keep her from being active at school. She has participated in the Early Identification Program since middle school. The Department of Public Instruction offers the program to minority and economically-disadvantaged students for academic preparation and guidance. The program also creates scholarship opportunities for students.

Through a similar program at UW-Eau Claire called Upward Bound, which Xiong joined as a freshman, she gets academic and personal counseling, interest and career exploration and study skills training, plus cultural enrichment opportunities. Upward Bound paired her with a mentor to help with school work and college preparation.

These two programs have taught Xiongs what a huge impact volunteering can make on the community. Touring a homeless shelter in Eau Claire with Upward Bound, she was surprised to see how much a small gesture such as providing pillows could do for someone.

It brought new eyes to me to see there are a lot of people willing to help people, even while other people are really greedy and selfish, she said. I never thought about that before. It gives me peace knowing I helped do something to change someones life, or just because they needed help.

Without realizing it, Xiong has been doing that since her freshman year. She joined the Teen Literacy Initiative, an organization that promotes reading in and out of school. Xiong feels reading is important for anyone, at any age.

I love reading, she said. Reading, to me, you can go off to another world, dont have to worry about real life for awhile. And when youre finished you can go on a whole new adventure.

Through TLI, she met Memorials librarian and media specialist, Pam Gardow. In the past four years, the two have become extremely close given all the time Xiong spends in the library.

Gardow said Xiong is a student she can constantly depend on to go above and beyond what is expected. Xiong always volunteers to help, whether it be delivering free books to area homeless shelters or programs like Teen Read Week and Give a Kid a Book.

Shes one of the key students I can turn to and know that if I ask her to get something done, she will follow through, Gardow said. She is a natural, quiet leader.

Gardow expected Xiongs sledding accident to slow her down, but that was never the case. Gardow never heard her complain about using a computer, or carrying a backpack, and remembers Xiong insisting she could carry her own books.

Shes one of those kind of kids that is determined to do everything she can to be successful and overcome difficult odds, Gardow said. She has an indomitable spirit  there is nothing that is going to keep her down.

Looking ahead

Working with Gardow made Xiong consider becoming a librarian, but she has since changed her mind. She has been accepted to UW-Milwaukee, and wants to pursue a degree in either anthropology, Asian studies or religious studies.

Growing up in a Hmong family, Xiong would love to learn more about her own ancestry as well as other cultures.

I have my own culture, so I wonder what other peoples cultures are like and how they differentiate with their culture and balance it with the American culture and others around here, she said.

UW-Milwaukee is a little over a four-hour drive from her home, but Xiong is not intimidated by that. Quite the opposite, shes craving some independence from her family after feeling as though she has depended on them her whole life. Of course, she is grateful for all they have done to get her to this point, but there are some things she wants to do on her own.

If Im far away from them, I have to do things on my own and figure it out, she said. I can always call and ask, but I want to do it myself. I know for sure Im going to panic, but once the panic is over Ill understand it. Thats how I learn.

Her motivation and independence got her through high school, thats for sure. Gardow, who has watched Xiong grow into a determined young adult, knows she wont have a problem being on her own.

When she sees something that needs to be done, whether its a goal in her own life or a task someone has asked her to do, she figures out what she needs to accomplish, does her homework and methodically steps through the process to get there, Gardow said.

Shes going to be successful in whatever she does because she never gives up.

She ... is determined to do everything she can to be successful and overcome difficult odds. She has an indomitable spirit  there is nothing that is going to keep her down. - Pam Gardow, Memorial High School librarian
WASHINGTON  Republicans can argue until their last breath that Trump objectors are sore losers, but isnt more at stake than mere politics?

This phrase has been rendered quaint by such serious issues as: Russian hackers apparently trying to tilt the election toward Donald Trump; the FBIs possibly politically motivated practices; Trumps initial resistance to the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence community; Trumps refusal to release tax records, which might mollify concerns about his relationship with Russia.

These arent partisan issues, or shouldnt be, as evidenced by the Justice Department inspector generals decision to investigate how FBI Director James Comey handled the probe of Hillary Clintons email and private server.

The focus will be on Comeys statement in July that Clinton and her colleagues were extremely careless with classified information but that he wasnt recommending criminal charges  as well as his announcement to Congress just a week and a half before Election Day that, because of new information, he was reopening the investigation.

This fresh look pertained to new emails found on the laptop of Carlos Danger, aka Anthony Weiner (but, really, why the name change?), estranged husband of top Clinton adviser Huma Abedin. The emails subsequently were found to be inconsequential, but if there were any fence-sitters left at that point, at least many of them probably toppled into Trumps camp, from sheer exhaustion if not outright disgust.

Let me help you: Eleven days to go and the man who had said theres nothing to see here suddenly says, Hey, there might be something after all! And no ones supposed to think this affected the election?

How could it not have? Anecdotally, I can report at least a dozen friends who say, That was it for me. But polling, too, suggests a consequential voter shift in the final days of the campaign.

FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silvers polling/analysis group, reported that Clinton had an 81 percent chance of winning in mid-October. About a week after Comeys announcement, that number dropped to 65 percent. This rapid shift didnt occur because people suddenly recognized that Trump is a brilliant foreign policy strategist. Its true that undecided people often return to their party at the last minute, but this may not account for Clintons sudden drop.

While its impossible to prove that Comey had any impact, theres enough reason for dissatisfied Americans to continue to protest the results  even on Inauguration Day. For certain, Comey acted against bureau policy never to interfere politically or discuss investigations so close to an election. If theres any justification, Comey may have felt that the information would be leaked anyway.

Adding suspicion to skepticism, the hacking and release of Democratic National Committee emails also may have affected election results, though, again, its impossible to know how much since, as far as Im aware, we cant read peoples minds (yet). Thus, were left to draw inferences from suppositions from what little else we know.

We do know that our intelligence community concluded that Russia hacked the DNC, and Trump finally accepted this last week. To concede that Russia was behind the hacking (rather than a 400-pound person sitting in a bed somewhere, as Trump at one point theorized) was, presumably, to admit that Russia helped him win. Well, didnt it? Didnt Trump loudly call upon Russia to hack Clintons emails?

For the undecided (or the unpersuadable), lets pose a hypothetical: What if Clinton had publicly asked Russia to hack Trumps records and release his tax returns  and Russia did? Lets say that Trumps number dipped dramatically and he lost.

Do you reckon Republicans would be a tad upset?

The inspector generals investigation into Comeys conduct, as well as Congress investigation into Russias apparent interference in the election, are urgent, overdue, and probably useless. Mostly, Comey is guilty of poor judgment. And Russia is being Russia  a fact best quickly absorbed by the soon-to-be president.

Yes, democracy needs saving and the republics foundation is showing wear. But isnt the crucial question the very one that cant be answered: Did we really elect Donald Trump to be president of the United States?

We may never know precisely who sowed the wind, but to be sure, were all going to reap the whirlwind.

The inspector generals investigation into Comeys conduct, as well as Congress investigation into Russias apparent interference in the election, are urgent, overdue, and probably useless.
home Tech AMD Radeon RX 570 latest news: AMD's next-generation graphics card spotted at Samsung's booth during CES 2017

AMD has been very quiet about their upcoming Radeon RX 500 series graphics cards, but that has not stopped its partners from subtly announcing that they are equipping their newest products with AMD's new GPUs. In fact, the Radeon RX 570 was recently revealed to be featured in Samsung's new Odyssey notebook series at CES 2017.

A Reddit user who saw the Odyssey notebook's specs in the Samsung booth at CES 2017 shared that the Radeon RX 570 is indicated in the notebook's graphics specs section. The notebook will alternatively feature the NVIDIA GTX 1070, which hints that the upcoming AMD chip will possess more or less the same power as its competition.

Aside from this, the listed features of the notebooks include a 4 GB or an 8 GB memory. The gadget will be powered by a seventh-generation Intel Core processor, and it will contain a 64 GB DDR4 memory. The Odyssey notebook will also sport a 17.3-inch full HD display screen.

No new information has been divulged by AMD that may confirm or deny the CES 2017 leak about the AMD Radeon RX 570. However, an AMD representative, according to iTech Post, has confirmed that the AMD Radeon RX 570 chip is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) version of the RX 470. This means that the entire AMD Radeon RX 500 series is an OEM rebrand of its previous 400 series.

This leak during the CES 2017 event is not the first time that a Radeon RX 500 GPU was deliberately or inadvertently revealed by one of AMD's business partners. It was recently reported that an advertisement from Lenovo leaked the existence of the AMD RX 560 M when the graphics card itself has not even been launched yet.

Similar to Samsung's reveal about the AMD Radeon RX 570, the information on Lenovo's Y520 graphics card section showed that the RX 560M will be its next-generation GPU.

These recent revelations have led to widespread speculation that the AMD Radeon RX 500 lineup will finally be unveiled sometime this year.
home Tech NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti release date news: expected to be cheaper than Titan X; to be unveiled at PAX 2017?

NVIDIA graced the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with no news about their upcoming graphics card. Fans got disappointed upon learning that the company will not reveal details of the anticipated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti at the event, leading more rumors on its release date.

Rival company AMD wowed the crowd at the CES 2017 when they unveiled the Vega graphics processor, leaving NVIDIA behind the trend. However, Ubergizmo reported that the company intentionally skipped any graphics processing unit (GPU)-related announcements at the event, suggesting that the anticipated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti may be launched in March.

It was during the CES 2017 when the company announced that GeForce Now, the NVIDIA Spot and the NVIDIA Shield Pro. Enthusiasts believe that the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti will have its own spotlight at a different event.

The slight delay of the GPU's release date has got some fans speculating that it will be finally unveiled at the PAX 2017, which is set on March 10 in Boston. Fudzilla wrote that the GPU has the same 16nm GP102 Pascal features like the Titan X. It is also possible to have compute unified device architecture (CUDA) cores between 2560 and 3584.

Tech analysts believe that NVIDA's PAX announcement may be the perfect time to introduce the anticipated GPU since the event is organized especially for gamers. Sources claim that the company's Authorized Board Partners staff disclosed that the graphics card will be out on shelves from day one of its unveiling.

Other expected features include a 10 GB of decreased double-data rate type five synchronous graphics video random-access memory (GDDR5X VRAM) alongside a memory bandwidth of 400 GB/s and a 320-bit memory bus width. The most-talked-about rumor, however, is the price of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti as it is seen at a $599 price tag a tremendously cheaper than the price of Titan X Pascal at $1,299.

NVIDIA has yet to confirm the release date and specs so everything has to be taken with a grain of salt.
Very simply, this cigar can be considered nothing short of a masterpiece.

Wrapper: Authentic Corojo (Honduras)

Binder: Authentic Corojo (Honduras)

Filler: Authentic Corojo (Honduras)

Country of Origin: Honduras (Las Lomas)

Elegante: 7 x 38

Price: $8.00

Review: Aladino Elegante by JRE Tobacco Company

Brand Appearances on Countdown: 1 (2016)

Coming in at #2 is the Aladino Elegante by JRE Tobacco. JRE Tobacco Company is an operation that was founded by Julio R. Eiroa and his son Justo M. Eiroa. Both Julio and Justo are the father and brother of Christian Eiroa, who is best known for running Camacho Cigars before founding CLE Cigar Company. The Aladino is a cigar blended by Julio Eiroa. It was originally CLE Cigar Company that launched the Aladino and two other blends by Julio  Rancho Luna, and Tatascan. Early in 2016 it was announced that an all new company would now handle the distribution of these three brands  thus JRE Tobacco was born.

The blend consists of tobacco that the Eiroa family is synonymous with  Authentic Corojo grown on the Eiroa family farms in Honduras. While Aladino was originally released in 2015, the blend was changed in 2016 to include a higher priming wrapper. The Aladino is available in 12 sizes, nine of which are under a 50 ring gauge. It was the Elegante  a traditional 7 x 38 lancero that really shined here. The cigar is produced at Julio Eiroas Las Lomas factory in Honduras.

This marks the first entry for JRE Tobacco on the Cigar Coop Cigar of the Year Countdown. It is also the first Honduran puro to land on the 2016s countdown. It is also the fourth lancero on the 2016 Countdown.

This medium strength, medium-bodied cigar is going to deliver an exceptional flavor profile. This is going to deliver notes of natural tobacco, bakers spice, earth, and white pepper. The natural tobacco notes exhibit some caramel and fruit qualities. The lancero format brought out the best of these flavors.

This cigar is going to go down as one of the greatest Honduran puros ever made. Aladino and JRE Tobacco are a brand and a company to keep an eye on. Right now, this is one of the best kept secrets out there  but not for long.

For details of the 2016 Cigar of the Year Countdown, see our 2016 criteria.

Photo Credit: Cigar Coop
British American Tobacco has acquired the remaining 57.8% share of Reynolds American Inc. it does note own. The transaction is valued at approximately 49.4 billion dollars. The acquisition now results in British America Tobacco being the largest tobacco company in the world. The transaction has been approved by the boards of both companies. Assuming shareholders approve the transaction, it is expected to officially close in the third quarter of 2017.

British American Tobacco already owned a 42.2% share of Reynolds American. Back in October, the British American Tobacco had announced its intent to acquire the remaining shares of Reynolds did not own. Reynolds American had rejected the 47 billion dollar offer, but insiders had felt the two tobacco giants were still in negotiations.

British American Tobacco owns the Dunhill brand, a premium cigar line distributed in the U.S. by Scandinavian Tobacco Group. The company also owns cigarette brands Kent, Lucky Strike, and Pall Mall.

Based in Winston Salem, North Carolina; Reynolds American does play in the premium hand-made space, it does own Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, a brand known for Spirit Cigarettes, roll your own products, and some machine-made cigars. Former U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner had recently joining Reynolds American on the board of directors.

In a press release announcing the closing of the transaction, British American Tobacco Chief Executive, Nicandro Durante commented: We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with the Transaction Committee and Board of Reynolds and we look forward to putting the recommended offer to shareholders. We have been shareholders in Reynolds since 2004 and we have benefited from the success of the present management teams strategy, including its acquisition of Lorillard, which we supported with our own investment in 2015. BAT has consistently executed a winning strategy and has a proven track record of delivering strong results and returns for its shareholders while successfully investing for future growth. Our combination with Reynolds will benefit from utilising the best talent from both organisations. It will create a stronger, global tobacco and NGP business with direct access for our products across the most attractive markets in the world. We believe this will drive continued, sustainable profit growth and returns for shareholders long into the future.

It has been agreed that three of the non-British American Tobacco nominated Reynolds directors will join the Board of British American Tobacco at closing.

British American Tobacco says the acquisition gives the company a stronger position in the U.S. market, by which Reynolds was the #2 player.Reynolds group also has production facilities in North Carolina and Tennessee, but most are focused on the cigarette market.

British American Tobacco owns the Dunhill brand, a premium cigar line distributed in the U.S. by Scandinavian Tobacco Group. The company also owns cigarette brands Kent, Lucky Strike, and Pall Mall.

Based in Winston Salem, North Carolina; Reynolds American does play in the premium hand-made space, it does own Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, a brand known for Spirit Cigarettes, roll your own products, and some machine-made cigars. Former U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner had recently joining Reynolds American on the board of directors.

With U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations now targeted at the smaller premium hand-made cigar industry and electronic cigarettes, the creation of a new tobacco giant creates an environment that strengthens big tobacco. With the regulations weakening smaller cigar companies financially, it could make many of these companies potential targets to be acquired by the much larger big tobacco (i.e. cigarette) companies. A merged British American Tobacco-Reynolds American conglomeration strengthens its position to look at the premium hand-made cigar industry as a potential target. This has been seen today as Altria acquired Nat Sherman.
Gavin Cooley and Holly Dieken have been chosen as Hamilton Countys winners of the 2016 Governors Volunteer Stars Awards. They will be honored along with winners from other Tennessee Counties on Feb. 12 at the Ninth Annual Governors Volunteer Stars Awards Program in Franklin.

According to state generated statistics, 1.3 million Tennessee volunteers give more than 149 million hours of service, contributing the equivalent of $3.4 billion to Tennessees economy.

Youth Winner: Gavin Cooley, The Samaritan Center

For over three years, nine-year-old Gavin Cooley has been volunteering at The Samaritan Center. During school breaks you wont find Gavin sitting at home playing video games, but helping out at the center in any way he can. His grandmother brings him to the center, even on her off days, and he works from the time he comes in until the time he leaves.

Through Gavins volunteering, The Samaritan Center is able to generate more money, which in return goes back out into the community to help with items such as school supplies, toys for Christmas, and even monthly food boxes. He outworks the adults in his area. Gavins excitement, initiative, and compassion make him an exemplary volunteer and a valued member of the staff.

He makes sure to let them know when his next break at school is, and that he will be back to help. He truly has a volunteers heart.

Adult Winner: Holly Dieken, Center for Mindful Living

Holly Dieken began volunteering with Center for Mindful Living about two years ago and has been a gift ever since. She serves the Center in many capacities and is always willing to help. Ms. Dieken is not only involved in the day-to-day necessities, but she has been very involved in our outreach events.

Last year when the center had to relocate, she decided to help raise money for the move and organized a moving sale that netted $1,000.

If anything needs to be fixed around the center, you name it, Ms. Dieken can fix it. A natural handy person, she has fixed the Centers dishwasher, hung curtains, and assorted other odd jobs. She contributes her culinary skills to cater meals for board meetings and special workshops.

The Center is a small organization with two part-time employees; Ms. Diekens contribution has meant the difference between success and failure.

Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger said, These generous citizens embody the spirit of giving, selflessly helping fulfill needs that would otherwise go unmet. I am grateful they live in our community.
In the scrum leading up to his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump has seemingly spent a lot of time thinking about the auto industry. He made Fords Mexican plants a major issue on the campaign trail, and in the past month has angrily tweeted at GM and Toyota over their investments south of the border, with one message alone causing the latter to lose over $1 billion in value in five minutes. Whatever your opinion on the man, its safe to say hes not afraid to tell you what he thinks at any given moment  even if it contradicts something hes already said. Trump has billed himself as the pro-business president, but businesses (and economies as a whole) require some kind of stability to thrive. So far, hes delivered the exact opposite.

Most politicians have a consistent record that goes back decades. Trump, a first time office-holder, does not. What he has said on record about the auto industry has been wildly inconsistent, and that has a lot of people worried. Trump was enthusiastically for the 2008-2010 federal bailout of the auto industry, though before he was against it, and before he was both for and against it. In 2008, he sided with President-elect Barack Obama, telling CNBC: You have to save the car industry in this country. General Motors can be great again. Ford can be great again. And Chrysler could be great. Later, he told Fox Business anchor Neil Cavuto: I think the government should stand behind them 100 percent. You cannot lose the auto companies. Theyre great. They make wonderful products. By 2012, the then-reality TV star railed against the bailout several times on Twitter, accusing Obama of bungling the deal:

Obama is a terrible negotiator. He bails out Chrysler and now Chrysler wants to send all Jeep manufacturing to China  and will!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2012

To which Ralph Gilles, chief designer of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles replied:

@realDonaldTrump you are full of shit!  Ralph Gilles (@RalphGilles) November 1, 2012

The frustration is understandable. Just two years after the bailout ended, the industry was already sharply on the rebound. By 2014, the federal government had gotten its back $426 billion investment back from the TARP program (which included the auto bailout), along with an additional $15.35 billion in profit. In 2017, the American auto industry has logged its record-setting seventh straight year of growth, and with 17.53 million cars sold in 2016 alone. Today, the Great Recession seems like a distant memory in Detroit. Even on the campaign trail, Trump was seemingly unable to completely write the bailout off. According to The Washington Post, he told a Michigan crowd in 2015:

You could have let it go, and rebuilt itself, through the free enterprise system.  You could have let it go bankrupt, frankly, and rebuilt itself, and a lot of people felt it should happen. Or you could have done it the way it went. I could have done it either way. Either way would have been acceptable. I think you would have wound up in the same place.

While most auto execs have been more tactful than Gilles, theres palpable concern in the Motor City right now. For nearly two years, Trump has assailed Detroit as both the key to, and a major obstacle of, job creation in America, using the industry as a cudgel to attack the North American Free Trade Agreement.

At best, Trumps statements so far reflect a grossly oversimplified view of the American automotive industry. Its easy to think of it as a monolithic, three-headed beast: Ford, GM, and Fiat Chrysler. But in reality, its made up of numerous multinational manufacturers scattered across the country. In turn, The Big Three have interests all over the world. Forcing American companies to abandon billions in plants, trained workers, and infrastructure could have a devastating effect on the American economy. Its a move that Trump as a businessman has vocally refused to do with his own companies.

I need clarity. I think we all need clarity, FCA chairman Sergio Marchionne told The Detroit Free Press at this years North American International Auto Show. And we are not the only ones that need clarity. If you include suppliers, distributors, dealers, and other ancillary businesses, the auto industry employs millions of Americans, with high concentrations in the midwestern states that went for Trump this election. Times may be good right now, but the last thing these companies, plants, and local economies need is another crisis. Remember: It was less than a decade ago that Detroit seemed on the verge of collapse, and threatened to take the American economy down with it.

On December 4, Trump wrote a number of tweets proposing a 35% tariff on any business that leaves our country, including cars. It was great political theater, and a strong nod to his base. But GM has already committed $5 billion through 2018 for manufacturing in Mexico, including the plant where the all-new GMC Terrain will be built. Fiat Chrysler has recently spent $850 million in Mexico for Jeep Compass production, and Mark Fields, president of Ford, has said that the companys Mexican operation is essential to the company, citing that its been in Mexico for over 90 years.

Still, automakers are hedging their bets against the any scenario. At the Terrain launch, GM CEO Mary Barra outlined the companys recent American investments: We have more than 40 manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and over the last two years alone, we have invested more than $11 billion creating thousands of new jobs in the U.S., as well as recruiting technical talent. Fields said Ford expects  a more favorable U.S. manufacturing business environment under Trump, but affirmed that the company will remain multinational.

Presidents-elect have little power aside from the bully pulpit, and Trump has wielded it more than any in recent history. He seems to take the title literally; many of his tweets are thinly-veiled versions of threats, and theyre only getting more pointed. Take this:

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

Or this:

Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2017

Theres really no way to read this other than: If you do this, I will make sure you regret it. Theres little precedent to this kind of behavior from a president; whats more, both the Chevy and Toyota accusations proved to be factually inaccurate. Thanks to a complex series of laws, Trump can use the power of the presidency to impose some tariffs against entire industries (mind you, not individual companies), but the power is still largely relegated to Congress. Using his platform to manipulate the market against individual corporations is at best unethical, to say nothing of the risks hes taking to make these statements without fact-checking. Worst case scenario, its a troubling preview of, in the words of Sarah Palin, a new era of crony capitalism.

Nonetheless, in the wake of Trumps statements, Ford announced that it canceled plans to build a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico, instead opting to invest $700 million in existing Michigan facilities. While Fields said the move is a vote of confidence in Trump, he made it clear that declining small car sales and shrinking profit margins were the motivating factors behind the decision. FCA reiterated that it will set aside $1 billion to update its Warren and Toledo plants (also projects that stretch back several years), and Trump publicly urged GM to come up with a plan at his recent press conference. After being the target of another Trump tweet, Toyota announced that it would invest $10 billion over the next five years in the U.S. It wont, however, stop its work on a new plant in Apaseo el Grande. Aside from Fords cancellation of its San Luis Potosi plant, in fact, automakers wont be pulling out of Mexico anytime soon. Theres good reason for that.

For the past few decades, automakers have largely focused on small car production in Mexico, which builds 45% of the compacts sold in America. The logic behind the current model has been simple: Keep high-profit vehicle production in the U.S., and low-profit vehicle production in Mexico. Why? Because profits are greater in a plant where workers make $8 to $10 an hour as opposed to the $48-$58 negotiated by the U.A.W. Moving production of say, the Ford Fiesta, back to the U.S. would add thousands to the sticker price, placing it out of reach of the market it appeals to.

In the 23 years since the passage of NAFTA, the American auto industry has invested more and more in Mexico and Canada. Between 2010 through the end of the decade, the Mexican auto industry is expected to double in size. Its currently the seventh largest auto-producing country in the world, with manufacturers from the U.S., Japan, South Korea, and Germany all building cars there. In 2016, roughly 3.8 million Mexican-built cars were imported to the U.S., accounting for roughly 25% of auto sales. Around 2.1 million were imported from Canada. Both pale in comparison to U.S. production, which totaled roughly 12 million vehicles last year.

According to the Center for Automotive Research, moving just Mexican production to the U.S. would add millions of vehicles to a production chain thats already operating at 94% capacity, and bring only 22,000 new jobs to the field  or roughly 20% of jobs created in December 2016 alone, which was considered a sluggish month. For those new jobs, it could potentially cost automakers $4.7 to $6.5 billion just to build new plants. If Mexican imports were choked off altogether, American suppliers would need to find a way to make up $22.5 billion annually.

Then theres Trumps threatened tariff. Currently, the average price for a new car is around $35,000, the highest its ever been. If that median car was hit with the 35% tariff on Mexican-built goods, its price would skyrocket to $47,250. A base-model Mexican-built Terrain (based on 2016 prices) would jump from $24,070 to $32,494. The cheapest car in America, the Mexican-built Nissan Versa S, would jump from $12,855 to $17,354. Nissan, which has been manufacturing in Mexico for over 50 years, and sells over 800,000 Mexican-built cars a year in the U.S., could lose over 25% of its sales overnight. Mazda could lose upwards of 30%.

And theres China. Trumps proposed 45% tariff on goods from China means the imported Buick Envision would jump from a $34,065 base price to $49,394. And China has signaled that it will go tit-for-tat against any newly imposed sanctions. Considering that its the worlds largest auto market, that would also have serious implications for the American auto industry. In an op-ed, Chinas Global Times, an official Communist Party newspaper, declared that in the event of tariffs: A batch of (U.S.) Boeing orders will be replaced by (Europes) Airbus  U.S. auto and iPhone sales in China will suffer a setback, and U.S. soybean and maize imports will be halted. With the risk of a trade war made very real by Trumps aggressive stance on NAFTA, Joshua Meltzer of the Brookings Institute told Fox News: A lot of us are hoping that his overriding need to grow the economy and create jobs will soften and mitigate some of the more harmful actions he could take on the trade front.

Finally, theres the elephant in the room, which is the rise of the machines. Again, The Detroit Free Press:

While just about everyone wants to encourage manufacturing in the U.S., the centers researchers also found that 87% of U.S. manufacturing job losses are due to technology or automation. Those automakers who increase manufacturing employment, even by turning to low-wage countries, also create more high-wage jobs, primarily in the U.S., for engineering, research, product development and software.

Curiously, aside from a pledge to bring jobs back, to former auto industry strongholds, Trump has said nothing about curbing the increase of automation in any field.

As it stands, Trump has presented us with two options: 1) A massive price hike for cars, and economic upheaval as profits evaporate, and automakers are forced to abandon billions of dollars of facilities, workers, and infrastructure, or 2) Automakers attempt to weather the storm, raise prices to reflect new tariffs, and deal with the consequences as most affordable new cars are priced out of the average Americans budget.

On top of all the strife, there are a number of stress cracks already starting to show in the auto market, despite dizzying sales numbers. In 2016, most automakers used aggressive incentives to keep customers happy, and with tried-and-true segments like compact cars and midsize sedans on the decline, companies are scrambling to shift product lines to offer more competitive models. And while gas prices remain low, history has shown us that its unwise to expect them to stay that way forever. Cheap gas, a low-ish unemployment rate (4.7% as of December 2016), and aggressive incentives are all contributing to the foundation that these record-setting sales numbers are built on. But with all-time high prices, sales already cooling, factories slowing production to reflect demand, the industrys strength is beginning to look like a house of cards.

And of course, theres Trumps personally tenuous relationship with the Made in the U.S.A label. In 2005, he wrote a piece for Trump Universitys blog called Outsourcing Creates Jobs in the Long Run, where he argues:

We hear terrible things about outsourcing jobshow sending work outside of our companies is contributing to the demise of American businesses. But in this instance I have to take the unpopular stance that it is not always a terrible thing. I know that doesnt make it any easier for people whose jobs have been outsourced overseas, but if a companys only means of survival is by farming jobs outside its walls, then sometimes its a necessary step. The other option might be to close its doors for good.

More recently, he told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News This Week, They dont even make this stuff here when pressed on why none of his branded products are made in the U.S. And while Trump found traction with the bring jobs back pledge in the Rust Belt, Coal Belt, and other economically depressed areas of the country, his call for a boycott of Macys after its decision to discontinue his clothing line, and his supporters subsequent enthusiasm for the companys recent 10,100 layoffs (more than the saved jobs at the Indiana Carrier plant, and the auto industrys recent pledges combined), seem to suggest that the Trump Administration could actively disrupt the economy for political reasons, regardless of its effect on the livelihood of Americans.

So to echo Sergio Marchionne: We need clarity. The automotive industry has been thriving of late, but Trumps obtuse positions threaten to undermine all the progress that has been made since the Great Recession. And that doesnt just hurt business, it would affect millions of Americans. The president-elect has talked a tough game on the auto industry, but his level of meddling is already unprecedented, and seems completely anathema to the principles of his party. Wed be thrilled to see more job growth in the American automotive sector. But until Trump proves he can walk the walk, we remain skeptical that his posturing will do much good in the short or long term.
In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!
The 1st European Chemistry Partnering will take place on February 16th 2017. For the first time, innovative international chemical start-ups and small to medium-sized chemical companies will meet with established members of the chemical industry, user industries and investors at such a large setting. The core of the Congress is a series of short company presentations (Pitches), as well as accompanying partnering opportunities to facilitate dialog and business discussions on the day of the event.

The one-day 1st European Chemistry Partnering event focusses on young, innovative companies that aim to use their technologies, products and services to participate in existing chemical value-added chains. Topics and trends such as new raw material supply chains, changes in energy demand, sustainability and digitization, all demand a transformation from the Chemical industry. In addition to new substances, processes and chemical apparatus, innovations from Nano or Biotechnology, as well as data processing are all encroaching on the traditional business fields of chemistry.

Dr. Holger Bengs, the event initiator and Managing Director of BCNP Consultants said We conceived the 1st European Chemistry Partnering, together with our partners, because we had identified a desire of the chemical industry for new products and processes in many areas as diverse as nutrition, building, mobility, energy, housing, leisure, clothing and health. Industry representatives and Investors can look forward to a series of short presentations from innovative companies from Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and Germany.

The 1st European Chemistry Partnering is an innovative concept organized jointly by BCNP Consultants and IHK Hessen (Chamber of Commerce and Industry), and is supported by numerous organizations from the Chemical and Biotechnology industries. The lead sponsor is Hessen Trade & Invest.
Employees of Bow Truss coffee shops say many still haven't been paid since Chicago locations were closed last week  and some are now looking to "move on."

Holly Kent-Payne, a former barista at Bow Truss' Logan Square location, said many employees have been sharing job leads and updates via a Facebook group.

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"I think everybody is  trying to move on as quickly as possible, but we're still committed to getting what we're owed from Phil," she said, referring to founder Phil Tadros.

The chain's Chicago locations were closed last week after the business struggled to pay employees, rent and other expenses. Bow Truss employees said they closed stores early Wednesday after many had paychecks bounce.

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On Tuesday, all Chicago locations still appeared to be closed. The company operates 10 Chicago locations and one in Beverly Hills, Calif. Tadros said Tuesday he was working "around the clock to make everyone whole again."

Employees also released a statement Monday about the closures, saying they have experienced "an indescribable outpouring of love and support" from the Chicago coffee community.

They sought donations to tide employees over through a Generosity.com page.

"Since the walk out, Tadros has asked members of the retail and production team to return to work despite the fact that many have still not been paid," the statement said. "He has offered cash on hand and pleaded for faith. He has attempted to claim that he organized the walk out by himself as a 'time out,' and has ignored our calls for him to step down. Because of his response, most of us have given up hope that Bow Truss will ever return. As such, we have diverted our attention toward reclaiming what we can in terms of wages and rights."

The closures come about a month after Marcus Lemonis , the Lake Forest-based host of CNBC's "The Profit" and CEO of Camping World, said 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. Lemonis said he now has "zero interest" in partnering with Tadros.

mgraham@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @megancgraham
Shiftgig, the Chicago-based platform that helps companies including Amazon and Nike hire temporary workers, has raised $20 million in Series C funding, it announced Tuesday.

The company passed the 200-employee mark in December, of which about two-thirds are based in Chicago, CEO and co-founder Eddie Lou  said. He plans to add 100 more this year, mainly in sales, marketing, operations and technology roles. A little more than half of those will be in Chicago.

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In 2016, Shiftgig connected and paid between 14,000 and 15,000 shift workers across the country, Lou said. This year, he expects that number to top 35,000.

The round included returning investors Chicago-based DRW Venture capital and Menlo Park-based GGV Capital. Chicago-based KDWC Capital joined as a new investor. In total, Shiftgig has raised $36 million, Lou said.

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"All of them have a passion and belief that the gig economy is not just consumer-to-consumer," Lou said of Shiftgig's investors, an allusion to popular gig economy companies such as Uber that pay people to provide services to other people. Shiftgig, on the other hand, provides a platform that lets large companies hire people for shift work, such as stocking inventory in a warehouse or supporting caterers at an event.

In 2016, Shiftgig went beyond its roots as a restaurant-staffing platform to expand to new verticals including hospitality, retail, experiential marketing, and warehouse and logistics, Lou said.

He acknowledged that as automation and artificial intelligence technologies advance, some types of shift work may change or be replaced. But Lou said he thinks there will always be hourly workers for whom Shiftgig can provide a platform.

"People will shift into other jobs, either powering the robots or building the robots or doing something," he said.

In December, the company launched Shiftgig Upskilling, a free internal platform that offers videos to teach shift workers new skills. He said some of the current tutorials cover how to use the Shiftgig platform and how to be compliant with safety regulations.

Shiftgig is working on more content tailored to skills different companies want workers to have, Lou said. He declined to provide specific details, as the program is still in beta. Additional skills training should help workers in a changing job market, he said.

aelahi@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @aminamania
Bottles of rye whiskey are prepared for shipment at the Koval Distillery on Jan. 17, 2017, in the southeast Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago. Koval recently purchased the facilities it currently shares with other businesses, and will be able to expand from about 11,000 square feet to more than 45,000 square feet in the next year or so. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) (Erin Hooley, Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

After searching for years for a larger facility in Chicago, Koval Distillery will be staying put in the southeast Ravenswood neighborhood for the foreseeable future, albeit with a larger footprint and grander ambitions.

Koval, the largest craft distiller in Illinois, has bought the building where it's distilled for spirits for years on North Ravenswood Avenue.

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Within the next couple of years, Koval intends to take over the entire facility, expanding from about 11,000 square feet to more than 45,000 square feet and consolidating its two plants  including another Ravenswood distillery  under one roof. The deal closed late last month for more than $4 million, said Sonat Birnecker Hart, Koval president.

The expansion will allow Koval to increase its production  from about 70,000 gallons combined at its two current locations up to the 100,000 gallons allowed under an Illinois craft distiller's license, Hart said. The renovated building likely will include a new tasting room too, she said.

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"I feel like this is a huge step for us and underlines our commitment to staying in Chicago. We feel so happy to report that we've now secured our business in the city and for the next generation," Hart said Tuesday.

The lease for the building's other primary tenant, Urban Accents, which makes spices, will be up in a year and a half, Hart said, at which point the expansion will begin. The building previously belonged to M Brothers Properties, a firm managed by Mario and John Machnicki, according to county property records.

Like Evanston-based Few Spirits, Koval has seen business boom as consumer demand for spirits, and whiskey in particular, continues to grow at home and abroad. Koval exports its spirits to Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Next up, beginning this month, is South Korea, to be followed by Taiwan and China.

In the U.S., sales also are growing at a healthy clip. Led by its whiskey and gin, Koval sales grew to about $495,000 in the 12-month period ending Dec. 25  an increase of about 12.6 percent from the same period a year ago  according to retail data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI, whose figures do not include Costco or liquor stores.

Koval revenue is projected at about $5 million for this year, up from about $1 million some five years ago, Hart said. The company has been profitable for years, she said.

Currently, Koval employs about 40 full- and part-time workers, a number that's going to increase as it continues to grow. Ald. Ameya Pawar, 47th, said Hart has a reputation for advocating progressive policy when it comes to fair pay and treatment of workers.

"I think the Ravenswood industrial corridor is the perfect fit for them. And from a personal perspective, I think Sonat and Koval exemplify that being pro-employee is being pro-business," Pawar said.

Last year, a new state law was enacted allowing those licensed as craft distillers in Illinois to make up to 100,000 gallons of spirits a year, up from the 35,000 gallons a year per license previously allowed. But it also closed a loophole in the law that didn't explicitly prohibit distilleries from holding multiple licenses at different locations as a way to produce more spirits.

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Currently, there are 32 craft distiller's licenses issued in Illinois, according to the state Department of Revenue.

"I'm thrilled they were able to move on and get the expansion going," said Paul Hletko, founder of Few Spirits, who said he considered Hart and her husband, Koval CEO Robert Birnecker, to be friends, not competitors.

Koval could eventually abandon the craft distiller's license, in theory anyway, and produce even more spirits. But that also would mean giving up the tasting room, which is only allowed under the craft distiller's license.

And that's not happening, Hart said.

"There's such a growth in interest in how foods and spirits are made and being able to have a tasting room where you can see it firsthand is indispensable," she said.

Getting to this point has been a long and, at times, frustrating process for Hart and Birnecker, who is Koval's master distiller. They looked all over the city for industrial property that was affordable, but also close enough to well-traveled parts of the city to draw tourists, Hart said. They also needed high ceilings for the distilling equipment.

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Industrial real estate brokers told them they were looking for a "unicorn," though they did come close to buying properties in both Pilsen and Bridgeport, she said. Now they're planning on a bolder presence on Ravenswood Avenue.

Their plan is to someday pass the company on their young sons, ages 8 and 6, named Lion and, appropriately enough, Rye.

gtrotter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GregTrotterTrib
The U.S. shockingly does not guarantee paid leave after the birth of a child, leaving each employer to determine whether to offer anything above the unpaid six weeks required by law. That's in stark contrast to other advanced nations.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development studied paid maternity leave for about 34 OECD countries  advanced nations  and seven other European Union countries. On average across OECD countries, mothers are entitled to 17 weeks of paid maternity leave, according to PolitiFact. The United States is the only country with no national law to provide that benefit.

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Only 13 percent of American women receive any kind of paid leave through their employer, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Yet research links maternity leave to higher employee retention. Google, which was one of the first major companies to offer an extended maternity leave of up to six months, concluded that the rate at which new mothers quit was cut by 50 percent thanks to the improved policy. At my company, Fairygodboss, we've found a direct correlation between women's overall job satisfaction and the amount of maternity leave taken.

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More and more companies are using enhanced paid-leave programs to support gender equality and working parents. In 2016, at least 23 major companies, including Nike, Bank of America, Coca-Cola and Chobani, announced dramatically enhanced programs. (Fairygodboss tracks this information on its site.)

If you are interested in coming up with a solid paid-leave program, here are a few key elements to put in place:

1. It's 100 percent paid

For years, many companies have stopped short of offering their female employees paid leave in the U.S., so women lose their income during the time they take off from work after childbirth.

It's a terrible double-whammy: At a moment when their household expenses increase dramatically, they lose up to a quarter of their annual income.

Even companies with generous paid-leave programs sometimes pro-rate the bonuses or commission plans, which also stacks up to lost income.

It would be generous and competitive to pay parents during leaves. But even some of those new parents without paid leave are having to work from home while they're supposed to be away and caring for children.

As one friend told me: "I checked in regularly and took phone meetings during both my leaves, even while I wasn't paid. That meant I was effectively working for free in order to preserve my job. That just left me feeling taken advantage of."

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2. It's for women, men and adoptive parents, too

I recently spoke with Lorna Hagen, senior vice president, people operations at OnDeck. She refers to her program as "baby-bonding" leave to emphasize that it's not just for women who have given birth; it's a benefit for all parents to adjust to a new family member.

Some of the most notable leave policies announced in 2016, including those at American Express and Etsy, are the same length for men and women. A 2010 research study by the University of Oslo linked fathers taking paternity leave to greater children's performance at school.

In 2015, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg gained national attention for taking two months off after the birth of his daughter. Zuckerberg's leadership in this space should be applauded. If a male CEO can take time off without negatively impacting his company, anyone can.

3. It's at least 12 weeks

New parents lose an average of six months of sleep in the first 24 months of the lives of their children. Sleep deprivation is indeed a form of torture.

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It's also hard to perform well at work, especially while basically having two jobs: one as a professional and one as a parent.

Taking twelve weeks off without the stress of lost income helps parents get the rest they need and adjust to their new role and responsibilities at home.

4. It applies to all employees

Working Lunch Weekdays Get the latest business news headlines, delivered to your inbox midday weekdays. >

In August 2015, Netflix announced a 52-week parental leave policy, applying to women and men. The generous policy applied only to salaried employees  meaning it omitted hourly employees, most of whom worked on the DVD side of the business. Netflix impressively took responsibility for this oversight and by December 2015 had updated its policy to include hourly employees as well.

Ikea's recent announcement of offering up four months paid parental leave to employees regardless of gender was also notable due to the scale at which it will provide paid leave to hourly employees.

5. It comes without any penalties

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At my company, we've observed an interesting phenomenon: Law firms tend to have some of the most generous maternity leave policies available  some as high as 22 weeks paid. Still, their employees don't feel they can take the time off without risking career progress or employment.

As one lawyer reported to us: "People take maternity leave, but I think that people are discouraged from taking the full leave and full paternity leave when they are close to being up for partner."

No one should feel guilty for taking their full leave or have to worry about not advancing because of their rightful time with their new babies. This message needs to come from the very top at companies.

Romy Newman is president and co-founder of Fairygodboss, a job review site for women that also includes information on leave and other issues.
Curry noodles with lemongrass and ginger is one of the dishes chefs at Intro are testing for the dim sum menu. (Jeff Marini)

The next menu at Intro, the Lincoln Park restaurant that welcomes a new guest chef every few months, will be dim sum.

This time, two guests chefs  C.J. Jacobson (executive chef at Ema) and Aaron Martinez (corporate chef at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Intro's parent company), both of whom have done guest stints at Intro in the past  will join permanent Intro chef Stephan Gillanders to create prix-fixe and a-la-carte dim sum menus.

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The trio tested the waters by hosting two nights of dim sum at Intro in December, which quickly sold out. Now Intro is committing to a longer run. The test dishes impressed Lettuce founder and chairman Rich Melman.

"C.J. and Aaron each did three dishes and knocked them out of park," Gillanders said. "And Rich said, 'That's what we're doing next.'"

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The dim sum menu will launch Jan. 26, just before Chicago Restaurant Week begins. Accordingly, the dim-sum tasting menu will conform to Restaurant Week guidelines through Feb. 9, featuring three courses for $44. After Restaurant Week, the menu will consist of six courses (price to be determined).

The end date for the dim sum menu has not been announced.



Don't expect the menu to be heavy on tradition, said Gillanders. Dishes on the trial dim-sum menu included fried chicken bao, king crab soup dumplings and caramel-lacquered short rib.

Intro, 2300 N. Lincoln Park West, 773-868-0002, www.introchicago.com

Phil Vettel is a Tribune critic.

pvettel@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @philvettel






Model Taylor Hill, who hails from Palatine, walks in "The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show" in 2015. (CBS)

That certainly doesn't sound like model behavior.

Model Taylor Hill told The Times of London she ate 3,000 calories per day to prepare for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in November.

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"There's no way you look like that and don't eat. You would die. Victoria's Secret girls are like athletes. We're like Olympians. We're strong," Hill said in Sunday's article.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 20 Models, from left, Jasmine Tookes, Adriana Lima, Lily Donaldson, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Taylor Hill acknowledge applause during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show inside the Grand Palais, in Paris, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. (Francois Mori / AP)

Hill, 20, was born in Palatine and raised in Colorado. She said an agency scout spotted her at a dude ranch when she was 14 and she quickly started modeling couture in Paris.

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Forbes estimated Hill, who became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2015, earned $4 million between June 1, 2015 and June 1, 2016. She was recently introduced as an ambassador for French cosmetics house Lancome.

"They were looking for a new face and my agent, Liz, recommended me," Hill told The Times. "I was already going to Paris for a job, so I went to meet them and they asked me a bunch of questions about who I am and everything and I was, like, 'I don't know. I just love being me. And life!'"

Hill, who lives in New York, visited the Chicago area in 2015 to promote Victoria's Secret and throw out the first pitch at a White Sox game.

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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)
In the early scenes of "The Founder," before the bland-ifying forces of franchising take over the world, the shots of the delectable burger patties sizzling on the grill at the original McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, Calif., look good enough to eat. I state the obvious intent here. In no culinary way do they resemble the burgers we associate with McDonald's today. They're big, for one thing, more Five Guys than Golden Arches. They're emblems, photographed lovingly, of the Way Things Used To Be.

McDonald's today is a lot of things to a lot of people; an omnipresent symbol of global fast-food sameness is one of those things.

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Written by Robert D. Siegel ("The Wrestler," "Big Fan"), directed by John Lee Hancock ("The Blind Side," "Saving Mr. Banks"), this intriguing, skeptical biopic concerns Ray Kroc, widely admired today as a business genius with vision, a ruthless streak and the legal wherewithal to kick the real founders to the curb. The Weinstein Co., distributors of "The Founder," likely walked a fine line with this modestly scaled project: The corporation the movie's about, after all, is infamously litigious. Certain things get fudged in "The Founder," among them Kroc's middle marriage, and director Hancock can't completely resolve the warring strains in what he sees as Kroc's personality. But that's what gives the movie its tension, and it works.

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Michael Keaton has many more colors to play with here than he did in "Birdman." When we first meet Kroc in "The Founder," it's 1954, and Kroc's a milkshake version of Willy Loman, peddling five-spindle multimixers to drive-in restaurants around the Midwest. "Increase supply," he tells his disinterested sales targets, "and demand will follow."

Michael Keaton plays McDonald's executive Ray Kroc in "The Founder," the latest release from Weinstein Co. (Daniel McFadden / Weinstein Co./TNS)

Off Kroc's usual route, the McDonald brothers, gregarious Mac (John Carroll Lynch) and studious Dick (Nick Offerman), enjoy a thriving burger stand going full bore in San Bernardino. Kroc, hip flask in hand and a neglected wife (Laura Dern) back in suburban Chicago, drives west to see what's up. What he finds is tasty efficiency in perpetual motion. The McDonald brothers' specially designed kitchen, with its ketchup and mustard ray guns and automated this and that, delivers the burgers and fries and shakes in a flash. Kroc persuades them to expand, and to take him on as a partner. And "The Founder" becomes a cautionary tale about an idea, and a driven man, desperate to avoid becoming just another Loman on the totem pole of American enterprise.

The casting's excellent. Keaton's well-known, fast-talking charm is put to fresh and urgent use here as Kroc, a striver who has failed at many things in his life. He's just sympathetic enough in the actor's hands to prevent him from becoming a mere archetype of wolfish ambition. Lynch and Offerman really do seem like brothers; I wish screenwriter Siegel had found a wrinkle or two to go with their homey, borderline-saintly characters, but the actors ground every scene in something like reality. Linda Cardellini excels as the future Joan Kroc, making something vital out of a role that, in lesser hands, might've settled for cliched homewrecker status.

Kroc's hunger drives "The Founder" throughout, and at this point in his career, Keaton has learned not to worry about dazzling the audience every second. Hancock is no gritty realist when it comes to biopics, as "The Blind Side" and "Saving Mr. Banks" proved. He's a glider-over more than he is a digger. The storytelling rhythm of "The Founder" (established by the cutting of editor Robert Frazen) favors montages, either full- or half-speed, so that everything starts to feel like part of a montage, rather than a solid scene unto itself. Siegel's writing is pretty sharp, though, and "The Founder" gives anyone who has eaten at a McDonald's a few things to think about. That faint taste of acrimony, the movie's saying, may come from the way Ray Kroc did business.

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

mjphillips@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @phillipstribune

"The Founder"  3 stars

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MPAA rating: PG-13 (for brief strong language)

Running time: 1:55

Opens: Friday

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'Ray & Joan': Arch commentary on the McDonald's empire







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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)
Inmates watch a live stream of Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah in Lake County Jail on Jan. 15, 2017, in Waukegan. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

At first, most inmates at the Lake County Adult Corrections Facility were watching the Packers-Cowboys game.

Only a few had wandered over to another TV, where a performance of "Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah" was being live-streamed from the Auditorium Theatre to the jail in downtown Waukegan on Sunday.

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How was a piece of music premiered in 1742 supposed to compete with the big game?

And yet, one by one, more and more prisoners gathered around a flat-screen TV, drawn there by sounds they never had heard inside these walls: The thunder of a massive chorus, orchestra and jazz band transforming Handel's "Messiah."

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"He's got a strong voice," inmate Tommy Hendrix, 26, said to the group as they watched tenor Rodrick Dixon sing of the coming of Christ.

"A very strong voice."

David Hernandez, 19, watches a live stream of "Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah" with other inmates in Lake County Jail on Jan. 15, 2017, in Waukegan. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

Hendrix and the others knew they were not beholding the full majesty of what was unfolding on the Auditorium stage. The smallish screen, slightly fuzzy images and muted volume level  even after the dial was turned up  made it seem as if the production were being simulcast from much farther than the Auditorium, nearly 50 miles to the south.

Moreover, many of these prisoners were months or years away from getting inside the great theater, or any other.

But something historic was happening here. For the first time since 2006, when the Auditorium began staging "Too Hot to Handel" annually to mark the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the production was being beamed to correctional facilities in Illinois (including Danville and Sumner) and the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.

The longer the music played, the more people left the Packers-Cowboy face-off to check out the sounds.

"It's not bad," said Micah Williams, 28.

"I like classical. I like R&B, country, rock, rap, anything that's very appealing to the ear. This is very different. It's good, once in a while, to have a change."

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Williams' enthusiasm was not universally shared.

"It's all right," said Jorge Torrez, 28. "I prefer more fast-paced music. This is kind of slower."

Though when "Too Hot to Handel" segued from quasi-operatic vocals to jazz-swing instrumentals, Torrez told the group: "This part's better."

A few minutes later, the program booklets arrived, and Mark McCorley, the facility's director of programs, began removing the staples from each one before handing them out.

"Staples can be used as weapons," he explained.

Yet no one was more enthusiastic about this venture than McCorley, who along with prison officials, the Auditorium Theatre and the Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church toiled for three years to make this event happen. Legal issues, production matters, fundraising and uncounted other details had to be addressed (the budget was about $10,000, provided by donations, plus in-kind contributions).

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Why go to all the trouble?

"We really believe in rebuilding the person," McCorley said.

"Faith is a great thing.  We're interested in having the whole person restored. And the 'Messiah' is just perfect."

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McCorley said he sees hope for the prisoners with whom he works, each wearing navy blue prison garb with the words "Lake County Jail" embossed on the backs of their shirts.

"Everyone's going to get out," added McCorley. "The truth is, they're going to be your neighbors."

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Music and the aspirational message of "Messiah," he believes, can help smooth the road back into society.

So the prisoners watched and listened as tenor Dixon sang, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."

Despite all the work that went into making this possible, some artistic limitations were unavoidable.

For starters, the Lake County inmates were able to watch only segments of the performance. A mandatory lockdown meant thatalthough the concert began at 3 p.m., the prisoners couldn't get to the screens until half an hour later. And just before the climactic "Hallelujah" Chorus began, everyone had to return to their cells to make room for the arriving food carts carrying dinner.

Even the "Messiah" couldn't deliver the prisoners from the jail's routine.

Nevertheless, every prisoner I spoke with sounded grateful for what they got.

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"It's nice that we're able to see something like this," said Gregory Rollins, 35.

"We're allowed to have a radio, and I listen to symphonies. Kind of passes the time.

"I was kind of bummed that it started at 3, and we didn't get it all.  It could be louder. But you can kind of feel it. You don't need to hear it."

To Jamaal Anderson, 21, the experience was unforgettable.

"I think it's beautiful," he said. "I'm a rapper myself. I think it's great they're appearing (for) Martin Luther King Day.

"This is gorgeous. It makes me want to get in tune with the world. I'm a young man trying to seek help and refuge.

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"I wish I was in it."

Laurence Miller, 31, said he responded to the music because he used to play drums and violin in church.

"My daughter is 9," he said. "She's going to dance academy. I'd like to take her to the 'Messiah.' "

To Myron Blair, 56, "Messiah" expressed thoughts that needed to be heard in this place.

"We never saw anything like this here," said Blair, who reminisced on seeing Chaka Khan perform at the long-gone Mill Run Theater in Niles.

"This is something new. I keep telling the young guys: You don't have to keep doing the same thing. You can do something new. You can change your life."

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Howard Reich is a Tribune critic.

hreich@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @howardreich

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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)
HAMBURG, Germany  Move over, Berlin. Take a number, Vienna.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra was in town over the weekend, pushing those other bands to the side as it matched its storied musical prowess against the architectural majesty of the Elbphilharmonie, the newest of the world's elite classical music performance halls, already vaunted as a glass-paneled icon of the new Germany.

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The first shall be first.

That was the operative assumption Saturday and Sunday nights, when the CSO under Riccardo Muti became the first symphony orchestra from outside Germany to perform here as part of a gala, three-week inaugural festival at Hamburg's and the nation's latest pride and joy.

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The Elbphilharmonie  nicknamed Elphi  is a spectacular cultural complex that rises, like a beached supertanker sheathed in opalescent glass, 360 feet over the Elbe River, reflecting the 19th-century brick warehouses, shipping cranes and container docks of the $12 billion waterfront development zone of this city of 1.7 million people, Germany's second-largest.

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Just because the musicians of the Chicago Symphony are being showcased in such architectural splendor during their two-week, five-nation tour route doesn't seem to be turning their heads, however.

The same "elegant symphonic juggernaut" (as one member of the German musical press called them), whose supercharged corporate mettle Orchestra Hall audiences often take for granted, was in exemplary form for its sold-out performances here and for the tour kickoff Friday at the equally striking Philharmonie de Paris.

Indeed, the same world-class musical professionalism one heard in Paris' futuristic concert facility marked the CSO's debut at the Elphi, where tickets topped out at $195. The sophisticated Hamburg audience, which hears nothing comparable on a night-to-night basis from its three resident orchestras, registered its approval with standing ovations both nights.

In animated yet superbly focused form, Muti flashed winks at his musicians during each performance. He also wagged a mock-disapproving finger at an audience member for catching the post-concert clamor on her cellphone camera. You can be sure the maestro enjoyed the moment.

You normally think of music as something conjured by musicians inside a concert hall. The Elbphilharmonie is architectural music on the outside, as sturdy and stirring and timeless as another iconic German work of art, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

Its main classical music room, the Grand Hall, is suspended within an 18-story glass-and-steel box perched atop an eight-story reconverted cocoa and coffee warehouse. The contrast between the soaring top and sturdy foundation gives the structure much of its visual dynamism. Crowned with a crested, white-tiled roof meant to resemble undulating waves (think Berlin Philharmonie), the structure also houses a modular, 500-seat chamber hall, rehearsal rooms, a hotel with 244 beds and luxury apartments.

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The new part of the structure is separated from the base by an observation deck affording a panoramic view of the harbor front and the North Sea. The deck is accessible without charge and has attracted more than 600,000 visitors since the complex opened in November, said Tom R. Schulz, the Elbphilharmonie's press chief, during a media tour of the facility.

Chicago's city fathers haven't thought this big since the golden era of Daniel Burnham. But, then, today's civic leaders would think twice about undertaking anything as extravagant. The Elphi came in at roughly $843 million (about $500 million more than originally budgeted), with most of the cost borne by the city. The opening came nearly a decade after construction began, six years following the scheduled completion date.

The biggest question is how successfully the people administering the mega-facility will make the dramatic new culture complex feel relevant to all sectors of the city. The $404 million Paris Philharmonie (which opened in 2015) faces the same challenge.

Acoustically speaking, the Elphi's Great Hall, where no seat is farther than 100 feet from the conductor, struck me as a very fine, if not a great, room for the making and hearing of symphonic music. Its curving beige-and-cream walls are covered with an acoustical honeycomb of pocked plaster paneling that made the sound feel clear, direct and remarkably intimate from the two vantage points I had on Saturday and Sunday. The sound design for the Elbphilharmonie is by the noted Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota.

Colleagues seated elsewhere found the mighty fortes of Muti's Strauss "Don Juan" and Tchaikovsky Fourth Symphony overbearing, even blasty. Principal tuba Gene Pokorny told me he had to contend with odd echoes coming off the semicircular stage enclosure. "The sound is every tuba player's dream," he quipped. "You play a note and, one second later, you hear it again!"

Certainly it's a drier, more focused sound than the more reverberant "surround" acoustics of the Paris hall. There, perhaps prompted by the "wet" acoustics and confidence in his players' ability to adjust instantaneously, Muti lingered lovingly over certain sections of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition." The Ravel orchestration positively glowed, more so than in Hamburg.

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On the other hand, Paul Hindemith's Concert Music for Strings and Brass  composed by a German for the Boston Symphony Orchestra ("You see," Muti told me, "we do play American music!")  sounded like it was made for the more analytical acoustics of the new Hamburg hall.

I also enjoyed how Elgar's "In the South" (Alassio)" sounded there. Although Muti mistook Italianate vigor for British nobility of expression, I welcomed the opportunity to feel light and air between the strands of Elgar's rich scoring.

The Parisian public  a much more casually dressed crowd than their starchier, more conservative German counterparts  got to hear only one of the Verdi opera overtures Muti had prepared as tour encores: the prelude to "I Vespri Siciliani." Hamburg got both "Vespri" and "Nabucco."

These were the best performances of the tour thus far. As if gearing up for his long-awaited return to Milan's La Scala with the CSO this Friday and Saturday, the world's reigning Verdi maestro made the overtures leap from page to players to waiting ears. Muti beamed, clearly enjoying the musicians' and the audience's enjoyment of him. No surprise that the hall erupted in a prolonged roar of delight.

In his brief remarks to the public after each program here, Muti refrained from commenting on the inaugural occasion, confining his remarks to Verdi. Could it have been fallout from when Muti took issue with the production concept of director Pierre Audi's staging of Verdi's "Attila" that Muti conducted at the Metropolital opera in 2010? The production had designs by the same team  the Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron  that designed the Elbphilharmonie.

It was left to other Chicagoans to thank the hosts, though it was only in private.

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"To be the first visiting orchestra to play this spectacular hall is a considerable honor for all of Chicago," Herbert Quelle, the Chicago-based consul general of Germany, told me as he queued up to greet Muti after Saturday's concert. (The maestro dutifully autographed copies of the latest Muti/CSO recording at a table set up in one of the spacious foyers after the Sunday performance.)

At a VIP reception attended by a dozen or so CSO members Saturday, one of the presenters expressed the prevailing hope of cultural Hamburg most succinctly. "Please stay!" he implored the musicians.

If anybody should ever ask me what I would build as the ideal modern facility for symphonic music in Chicago, I would create a structure that combines the architectural grace and harmonious majesty of Hamburg's new hall with the warm, malleable acoustics of the less architecturally inviting Philharmonie de Paris. Right now I'm trying to visualize what a Chicago version of the Elphi would look like overlooking the Chicago River.

The Chicago Symphony road show continued earlier this week with a two-night debut in Aalborg, Denmark. On Wednesday the orchestra was to move on to Milan for its first performances at La Scala since 1981. Thus far the weather  nippy, gray and windy, but far more tolerable than what Chicagoans endure this month  has cooperated beautifully.

With great halls and great acoustics and great audiences like this, the Chicago Symphony musicians may just want to take up the presenters' imperative and remain on the Continent.

John von Rhein is a Tribune critic.

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jvonrhein@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jvonrhein

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Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
New Trier High School grad Elizabeth Whitelaw (left) and Nick Viall on Season 21 of "The Bachelor." (Rick Rowell / ABC)

Spoilers ahead

Some dreams come to an end.

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New Trier High School grad Elizabeth Whitelaw was sent home on Monday's episode of "The Bachelor" after she failed to secure a rose from Nick Viall during the rose ceremony.

"You're gonna do great," Whitelaw told Viall in her exit.

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Whitelaw, a marketing manager who lives in the Dallas area, was one of three women who didn't earn a rose on Monday's episode. She didn't get much screen time this season as she was overshadowed by dramatic contestants like Florida business owner Corinne Olympios, who repeatedly pushed herself on Viall.

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When the cast for Season 21 was revealed, Whitelaw posted a picture on Facebook of her introduction to Viall with the caption "Some dreams do come true." The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign alumnus worked as a hostess and sales associate in Chicago before moving to Texas.

Seventeen women are left to vie for Viall, a Wisconsin native who recently lived in Chicago.

"The Bachelor" airs 7 p.m. Mondays on ABC.

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Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama dance at The Neighborhood Ball at the Convention Center in Washington D.C. after his Inauguration Ceremony on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

President-elect Donald Trump's Twitter-issued command to folks celebrating his swearing-in later this week: "Have fun!"

One way citizens might answer his call to action is by attending an inaugural ball, one of the fancy formal 'dos happening on the eve and night of the inauguration on Friday. If you've got Cinderella levels of longing to get in on the tradition - or you're just wondering what all those penguin suits are doing around town - here's a guide to having an (inaugural) ball:

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Inauguration Day is turning out to be even bigger than expected. January 20th, Washington D.C. Have fun!

What makes a ball "official"?

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Of the dozens of balls and parties happening in Washington, only official balls - that is, those sponsored by the Presidential Inaugural Committee (or PIC) - are guaranteed destinations for the newly sworn-in president and first lady.

Since it opened in 2003, the Washington Convention Center has become the site of the official parties - President Barack Obama held six of his 10 balls there in 2009 and all three of his 2013 soirees. This year, the PIC is sponsoring two balls there and a third at the Building Museum for veterans, service members and first responders. (The PIC raises the money to throw them; this time, Trump's team has $90 million to spend on the inaugural.)

There are dozens of unofficial balls, which are typically held in hotel ballrooms and are often sponsored by state societies, groups that rep their home-state pride in Washington. For example, Texans will be partying at the traditional Black Tie and Boots ball at the Gaylord hotel, where fancy footwear and Stetsons are de rigueur and brisket is on the menu, y'all.

Who gets tickets?

For the official balls, tickets are distributed by the PIC, and they mostly go to donors and supporters. There's an open market for the unofficial balls, and the sponsors sell them to anyone who wants to attend. Tickets range widely in price: $75 will get you into the Asian Pacific American Presidential Inaugural Gala at the Mayflower, or you could pay $10,000 for a VIP table of 10 to attend the Deplorables Inaugural Ball at the Ronald Reagan Building.

What's the dress code?

It's dress to impress. Inaugural balls are still black-tie affairs, despite the trend in recent years among Washington events to adopt a more casual, cocktail-attire edict. The first lady sets the tone, with a gown that's so significant that it will likely wind up on display at the National Museum of American History.

While fashion watchers are waiting this year to see which designer will dress Melania Trump, the selection of a dress for the high-profile affair has always been fraught. One example? Mindful of the economy, Rosalynn Carter re-wore an off-the-rack gown to her husband's 1977 inauguration, only to get side-eyed by critics for looking out of date - and not supporting the fashion industry.

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What's the deal with the dance?

It's a bit like a wedding, where the president and first lady take to the dance floor for some awkward shuffling and G-rated PDA. Some presidents seem to enjoy the ritual (Ronald Reagan had some pretty smooth moves), while others clearly don't (George W. Bush hammily checked his watch seconds into one of his 2001 inaugural dances). The cutting-the-rug tune varies - often, it's a slow jazzy number, and Beyonce famously serenaded the Obamas with Etta James's signature tune, "At Last," in 2009.

But pop stars aren't always the only entertainers: Bill Clinton hopped onstage at one of his 1993 inaugural balls and played saxophone with the band.

So these are pretty swanky affairs, right?

Erm, not exactly. The phrase "cattle call" is often used by ball veterans. For one, you're not exactly partying alongside the first couple, who typically ditch the room after one song and a quick wave. And good luck finding a drink - the lines at the bars are notoriously long. But at least there are posh canapes, right? Don't count on it. Attendees at one of the Obamas' 2013 balls were lucky to score a handful of pretzels and Cheez-Its.

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Beth Shea, along with her husband, Doug, and their son, Cameron, on an Alaska cruise aboard the Disney Wonder. (Shea family)

Thousands of people apply annually to be on the Disney Parks Moms Panel, a hand-picked group of diverse, die-hard Disney fans  not all of them moms  who help others plan Disney vacations by answering questions and offering tips online (www.disneyparksmomspanel.com).

Beth Shea of Vernon Hills is one of a dozen new panelists to come aboard in 2017. Her area of expertise: the Disney Cruise Line.

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A veteran cruiser who's traveled on all four Disney ships, including a honeymoon on the Disney Magic, Shea is especially passionate about encouraging parents of children with special needs to give vacations at sea a try. Her 2-year-old son, who needs a wheelchair to move, has cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

In January, she and her family returned from their third cruise together, a four-night voyage to the Bahamas on the Disney Dream. It marked Beth's 15th Disney cruise  and counting.

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This is an edited version of our conversation.

Q: What advice do you have for parents of children with special needs who want to take a Disney cruise?

A: If you visit Disneycruiseline.com, there's a phone number for Special Services (407-566-3602). They'll be able to tell the Special Services team what accommodations their child might need. For example, my son is unable to eat anything but pureed food. We informed Special Services of that. They tell our dining team, who talks to the chef about what food he or she is able to puree for my son. I also advise guests to really take into consideration which itinerary they choose, because some of the ports of call may not be very close to hospitals in case there's a medical emergency.

Q: As a panelist, how many questions do you answer in a day?

A: Our target goal is between 15 and 20 questions a week.

Q: What are some common things people ask?

A: What should I wear, and am I allowed to bring bottled water aboard? I always say pack a variety  a swimsuit, comfortable clothes for going out on excursions. It's nice to dress a little up for the dinners. For the gentlemen, a collared shirt. For the ladies, slacks or a sundress. On most cruises, there's a pirate night, so always pack your eye patch. And yes, bottled water is allowed onboard, unopened, in its original packaging. It has to fit in your carry-on bag when you board the ship.

Beth Shea, of Vernon Hills, joined the Disney Parks Moms Panel in 2017, beating out thousands of applicants for one of 12 new openings. (Disney Parks Moms Panel)

Q: Have any questions been particularly tough to answer?

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A: Some of the questions regarding specific port adventures take an extra long time. Although we've been on many port adventures, we haven't been on them all. Also, I don't know the family very well. Something we might love  adventure and zip lining  that might be terrifying to someone else. I always guide them back to the port adventures page on the Disney Cruise Line website (disneycruise.disney.go.com/port-adventures).

Q: What advice do you have for rookie Disney cruisers?

A: Start the planning process early. The sooner they book, the more availability in staterooms they'll have. And download the complimentary Disney Cruise Line navigator app onto their smartphone or tablet before leaving home. They'll have access to a schedule containing all of the day's activities, as well as deck plans and restaurant menus. They'll have the ability to message  for free  with other family members sailing with them. And I always tell first-time cruisers to pack a coordinating outfit for the family if they want to get a photo of everyone together on their way to dinner by one of the onboard photographers.

Beth Shea's son gets a visit from Minnie Mouse last summer during an Alaska cruise on the Disney Wonder. (Beth Shea)

Q: If couples want to honeymoon on a Disney cruise, what's a good pick?

A: I'd have to suggest the cruise we went on, the trans-Atlantic. (They took a 14-night trip to Europe aboard the Disney Magic). It was a long voyage, so there were a lot of relaxing days at sea, followed by exploring all of these countries in Europe. It was romantic, exciting. We met another couple who was also on their honeymoon  they were our tablemates  and we've stayed in contact with them.

Side note: The first day when you embark, everyone is going through the safety drill, and you see tons of kids. After that first day, the kids seem to disappear because they're completely immersed in the kids clubs and playing in the pool. And there are adult-only areas of the ship.

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Q: What do you get out of being on the Disney Parks Moms Panel (besides the free family vacation panelists get at Walt Disney World Resort)?

A: I love talking about Disney. I have a passion for planning Disney vacations that started when I was a young girl. I was very fortunate; my parents took me to Disney World each year. I have vivid memories of helping my dad plan Disney vacations, choosing what ride to go on and what restaurant to eat at. To help guests plan their Disney Cruise vacation is an opportunity of a lifetime. I get paid in pixie dust.

lrackl@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lorirackl

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Cam Gigandet ("The Magnificent Seven," "The Twilight Saga" franchise) stars alongside Donald Sutherland and Jeremy Sisto in AT&T Audience Network's latest series, "Ice." In the serialized crime drama, Gigandet's character is thrown into the world of corrupt diamond trading, murder and dubious cartels. For the series, Gigandet, 34, moved his family from their Venice, California, home to Vancouver, B.C., where "Ice" is filmed. "Right now, Vancouver is our only home. It's where our heart is, so to speak." One of the few actors wary of social media, Gigandet says, "I've never been able to fully commit to social media. (It's) hard to find the time with three kids and a job." He occasionally stays in touch with fans via his Twitter feed.

Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?



A. Well, definitely not my couch, or even my house. I love exploring. Drop me in a city I've never been to and I will walk till I drop. So far, Tokyo tops my list.



Q. To someone who was going there for the first time, what would you recommend that they do during their visit?



A. Daikanyama (in Shibuya, Tokyo). Just pick a street and start walking. The questions I always try to answer whenever I am at a new place is, "What would it feel like to live here? How would it feel to experience touristy spots as a local?" So, if I am bored, I have only myself to blame.



Q. What untapped destination should people know about?



A. Yokohama (in Japan). (Go to the) Mooneyes motorcycle show.



Q. What was the first trip you took as a child? And did you love it ... or not so much?



A. The first trip I remember was a road trip from Seattle to Maine. I think I enjoyed it and I commend my parents for having the courage to drive two kids across the country in a minivan. I still vividly remember walking up the path and Mt. Rushmore coming into view. That was over 20 years ago...



Q. What are your five favorite cities?



A. Tokyo, Venice (Calif.), Berlin, London and Amsterdam.



Q. What's the most important thing you've learned from your travels?



A. You can see, feel and experience more by following only your impulse, and not a guide or a tour, or a family member that knows everything.



Q. Have you traveled to a place that stood out so much that you felt compelled to incorporate it into your work?



A. Every single one has affected me in one aspect or another. There is always room to grow as a person, a father and an actor.



Q. Where is the most romantic destination?



A. Well, that's tough. Okay, so even though I don't love hanging out on the beach for hours and hours, I have found that some of the most romantic times with my wife have been on a beach -- a secluded one -- an hour after sunset -- whether it's just a walk from home on Venice Beach or steps from our hotel room in Cabo at the Palmilla Resort or outside the Turtle Bay bungalows on the North Shore of Oahu. The simplicity of two people on the beach when the sun goes down creates memories different than anything else. Sitting in the sand, watching the stars, seeing the ocean and hearing the waves, you quickly realize just how small we really are. To look over and see the one person in this world that you would want by your side is a powerful experience. I'm weird, but thankfully she loves weird.



Q. Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?



A. Vancouver (reminds me of Tacoma, Washington, where I grew up). The rain! (I) effing love it!



Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?



A. Brussels (in Belgium) for the design. I love to be blown away by beauty that someone created from nothing but an idea, whether it's objet d'art, furniture, fashion -- ooh, even lighting.



Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?



A. My Buttons headphones. A thank you goes out to Will I.am! These are hands down the best out there, and I have tried them all.



Q. What would be your dream/fantasy trip?



A. Starting in Norway, begin a road trip stopping in cities for a few days and work our way to the south of France, where we would meet my parents to take the kids. We want our kids to see just how important we are to each other.



Q. What are your favorite restaurants?



A. The Rock Wood Fired Kitchen. (Gigandet's father, Jay, is a co-founder of the franchise.)



Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?



A. I will buy every book and get every guide and then toss them once I get to my hotel, because nothing beats exploring.



(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow "Go Away With..." on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)
Actress/singer Rose Marie is gleeful as director Carl Reiner, right, and Honorary Mayor of Hollywood Johnny Grant, present her with 2,184th star on the famed Hollywood Walk of Fame Oct. 3, 2001, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Marie died Dec. 28, 2017, at age 94. Read more . (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

Robert Gomer, a chemical physicist, taught at the University of Chicago for nearly 50 years while studying the behavior of atoms and molecules on the surfaces of metals.

"He was a distinguished and pioneering scientist in the area of surface physics and chemistry," said Steven Sibener, a colleague in the University of Chicago Department of Chemistry.

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Gomer was also an outspoken opponent of the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In the mid-1960s, he joined three other scientists in writing a classified report concluding that the U.S. should not use nuclear weapons in the Vietnam War, a use Gomer said at the time would be "an immoral folly," according to the university.

Gomer, 92, died of complications of Parkinson's disease at his Hyde Park home Dec. 12, according to his son, Richard.

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He was born in Vienna in 1924, the only child of a dermatologist. By 1938, anti-Semitic regulations in Austria forbade Jewish doctors like his father from practicing, and the decision was made to leave Austria for England. Gomer stayed with English families, first in London and later in Scotland, while his parents went to the United States.

In 1940, Gomer came to the U.S. and lived in New York while he finished high school before going to Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. There he got a bachelor's degree in an accelerated program that got him out of school in time to join the Army during World War II. His son said he served stateside as a radio repairman.

After getting out of the Army, he enrolled in a program at the University of Rochester in New York, getting his doctorate in chemistry in 1949.

His interest in chemistry, his son said, was spurred by two experiences.

His mother's brother was a chemist who developed a simple test to detect the presence of some metals in rocks as well as the presence of lead in fish. The uncle and his wife were sent to a concentration camp but were released at the request of the Brazilian government so he could be sent there and his tests could be used to protect native people from eating contaminated fish.

The other spur for his interest was a chemistry class he sat in on in Vienna that featured regular explosions.

In 1950, he came to the University of Chicago as an instructor in the chemistry department and the James Franck Institute. Gomer wrote once of the university's attractions.

"Chicago offered a sense of belonging and a sense of being a part, however modestly, of a great adventure," wrote Gomer, who taught up to his retirement in 1996.

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He served as director of the James Franck Institute from 1977 to 1983. The institute's website describes it as the premier institute in the U.S. for interdisciplinary research at the intersection of physics, chemistry and materials science.

He was named the Carl W. Eisendrath Distinguished Service Professor in 1984.

"His work on mobility of atoms, surface diffusion, is his most famous work, and it's been very fundamental for studies of chemical reactions," Sibener said.

Sibener said while Gomer didn't work in the chemical or automotive industries, his work had applications in understanding the chemical reactions that underpin such familiar devices as the catalytic converters used to clean up the exhaust of nonelectric cars.

Gomer was also a strong opponent of the proliferation of nuclear weapons. He was a regular contributor to and chaired the editorial board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, a journal founded by Manhattan Project physicists that covers policy issues related to the dangers of nuclear weapons.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

In 1966, Gomer was one of four scientists who wrote a classified report for the Department of Defense about the potential use of nuclear weapons in the Vietnam War. "Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Southeast Asia" concluded that such strikes would be catastrophic for U.S. global interests.

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"He was advising against the use of nuclear weapons, hopefully one of the things that convinced the U.S. military not to use nuclear weapons in Vietnam," his son said.

He called his father's work on metal surfaces at the interface of chemistry and physics his other lasting achievement.

Gomer wrote "Field Emission and Field Ionization (1961)" and edited several scientific journals, including Applied Physics. He also won several awards, including the Bourke Lecturer from the Faraday Society, the Kendall Award in Colloid or Surface Science from the American Chemical Society, the Senior U.S. Scientist Award from the A. von Humboldt Society, and the Davisson-Germer Prize in Surface Physics from the American Physical Society, according to the university.

Gomer also is survived by his wife, Anne; his daughter, Maria Luczkow; and three grandchildren.

Plans are being made for a memorial.

Graydon Megan is a freelance reporter.
WASHINGTON  The list of Democrats snubbing President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration continued to grow Tuesday, with several members of the Illinois delegation among about 60 members of the U.S. House who declared their intentions to be elsewhere at noon Friday.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is also skipping the ceremony, as is Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, although neither politician would say whether their feelings about Trump had anything to do with their decisions.

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Reps. Luis Gutierrez and Mike Quigley of Chicago and Dan Lipinski of Western Springs will all miss the ceremony, aides said.

Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago also does not plan to attend due to his wife's hospitalization, an aide said.

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The country's 58th presidential inauguration promises to be full of pomp, circumstance and protests as the controversial New York real estate mogul takes office. Some of the most recent defections were triggered by Trump's war of words over the weekend with Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a civil rights icon who questioned the legitimacy of a Trump presidency. Lewis said he is not attending the inaugural.

At the daily press briefing Tuesday morning, by which time about 40 House members had declared they'd be no-shows, Trump spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters that "we'd love for every member of Congress to attend, but if they don't, that's some great seats that other folks can hopefully partake in."

"Obviously it's a shame that these folks don't want to be part of the peaceful transfer of power, but it's within their right," Spicer said. "And I think that that frees up some great seats for the millions of people who are excited to see this president come to Washington and bring real change."

The two Democratic U.S. senators from Illinois, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, will attend the inauguration, aides said Tuesday. And all seven of the Republican lawmakers in the Illinois congressional delegation are expected to turn out for an inauguration that shares the theme of Trump's campaign: "Make America Great Again."

Aides to three Democratic House members  Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, Brad Schneider of Deerfield and Cheri Bustos of East Moline  said the lawmakers will be there to see Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence take their oaths. Four other House Democrats from Illinois are undecided about attending.

But Bustos condemned Trump in a statement Tuesday for his behavior and "billionaires-first agenda," and according to a spokesman plans to travel to Chicago after the inauguration to attend Saturday's women-led protest downtown. Kirshnamoorthi also plans to take part in the Chicago march, spokesman Wilson Baldwin said.

Emanuel, who met privately in New York with Trump last month, is a vocal critic of the president-elect's views on immigration and a former chief of staff to President Barack Obama who has made dozens of trips to Washington since taking the mayor's job in 2011.

On Monday, he was in the front row in the audience at the White House to watch his old boss laud the world championship Chicago Cubs team at what was the last official event of the Obama administration. On Tuesday, the mayor attended a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in the capital and was to appear on a panel discussion on summer jobs.

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While in Washington on Tuesday, Emanuel met with Pence. The two served in Congress together during the 2000s in opposite parties. An Emanuel spokesman said the meeting lasted about 15 to20 minutes and described it as "two old colleagues getting together and catching up."

When the mayor's press office was asked Tuesday whether Emanuel's decision to skip the Trump inauguration was a protest against the incoming president, mayoral spokesman Matt McGrath responded with a statement saying, "the mayor spent nearly two decades in Washington, and as a general rule these days he tries to spend as little time as possible in D.C. talking about national politics."

Rauner said Tuesday that he's not going to the inauguration because he's "100 percent focused in Illinois." He is presiding over a historic state budget stalemate and has been consumed by a political power struggle with Democrats who control the General Assembly and who, during last year's election campaign, went to great lengths to tie the governor to Trump.

After Lewis questioned the legitimacy of Trump's presidency, the president-elect fired back in a tweet that Lewis "should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk  no action or results. Sad!"

The exchange between the president-elect and Lewis, whose district includes upscale parts of Atlanta, struck a chord, coming just before the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday Monday.

Rep. Robin Kelly, a Democrat from Matteson who is undecided about going to the inauguration, lashed out at Trump on Twitter on Saturday, saying: "you say 'talk, talk, talk' but all you do is tweet, lie and demean. That's 'bigly' unpresidential."

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Rep. Bill Foster, a Democrat from Naperville, as of last week was planning to attend the swearing-in, but he was in the "undecided" camp Tuesday.

The House is in recess this week.

Gutierrez on Jan. 10 spoke defiantly about Trump from the House floor, saying he would not attend the inauguration but would take part in a large-scale protest march in D.C. a day later. His wife will join him at the event, the Women's March on Washington.

Gutierrez also has heard from Americans in places as distant as Australia who support his decision to boycott, according to spokesman Doug Rivlin.

Quigley, who more recently joined the list of officials who are sitting out the swearing-in, "fully supports the peaceful transfer of power, but has chosen to spend the ... week with those who have elected him," his spokeswoman, Tara Vales, said in a statement.

Lipinski said in a statement he preferred to work in his district and spend time with his wife rather than watch the ceremony in D.C. and attend parties there.

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Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat from Evanston, is hearing from people urging that she sit out Trump's swearing-in, her spokesman, Jeronimo Anaya-Ortiz, said Tuesday. "We've had a big response on social media asking the congresswoman not to attend, and to stand with John Lewis on boycotting the inauguration," he said.

By Tuesday evening, Schakowsky remained undecided on whether she will attend. Also on the fence is Democratic Rep. Danny Davis of Chicago, who will be in D.C. on Friday but "hasn't decided about attending the inauguration," spokesman Ira Cohen said.

Chicago Tribune's Kim Geiger contributed.

kskiba@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @KatherineSkiba
A man shot in the Austin neighborhood over the weekend died Monday, authorities said.

Christopher Johnson Jr., 18, was pronounced dead at 1:35 p.m. Monday at Mount Sinai Hospital after being shot in the 400 block of South Central Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

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Johnson, of the 7300 block of South Michigan Avenue, was shot about 5:05 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.

He was shot twice in the abdomen by someone inside a dark-colored sedan that pulled up to him in the 400 block of South Central, police said. He was taken initially in critical condition to Mount Sinai.

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No one was in custody in the killing.
Surveillance photos, left and center, of a man who robbed a South Loop bank on Aug. 10, 2016. The man also is suspected of robbing three other banks, including, right, a Lakeview East bank the prior week. (Surveillance photos via the FBI)

Bank robberies in the Chicago area were up 34 percent in 2016 over the previous year, according to the FBI.

Last year, there were 193 bank robberies, up from 144 tallied in 2015, but on par with the 192 recorded for 2014, FBI statistics showed. The number of bank robberies has fluctuated over the last decade, with 122 in 2013, down from 212 in 2012. The record high of 284 area robberies occurred in 2006.

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The FBI data showed Tuesdays and Fridays were tied for the days of the week when the most robberies were committed. Historically, most bank robberies nationwide occur on Fridays, possibly so offenders can "gather money for the weekend to fuel their addictions to drugs, alcohol and gambling," said FBI spokesman Garrett Croon.

There's no definitive reason for the increase last year, said Croon, who added that the FBI relies on interviews with robbers after they are arrested to ascertain reasons for the crime.

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In 2016, the FBI saw many serial bank robbers, he said. For example, the bank robber dubbed the "Pinball Bandit"  because of the location and frequency of the robberies, with two happening in one day  was later identified as Nashun Langford, 25. He was suspected of robbing at least six banks before his girlfriend turned him in to authorities and he was charged.

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The FBI declined to say how much money was taken from area banks during the robberies or how much was recovered by law enforcement last year.

Most of the reported bank robberies in 2016  about 93 percent  were described as non-takeover robberies, meaning the robber quietly approached the bank teller and issued a threatening demand for cash, then walked out of the bank without drawing attention from others. About 7 percent were takeover robberies, when one or multiple robbers loudly address the entire bank, ordering customers on the ground and involving weapons in the heist.

The FBI provides training to bank employees on what to do before, during and after a bank robbery, said Croon. An effective deterrent is a highly visible and vigilant staff as most robbers try to be anonymous and avoid employees other than the one at the counter, he said.

"The most effective solution to stopping a bank robber is to be that visible presence," he said. "If you have a set of eyes staring at you, you're going to keep moving."

Typically, about three out of four bank robbery cases are solved, said Croon. Residents are asked for their help in solving bank robberies by calling 312-421-6700. Information about bank robberies and photos of suspects can be found on the FBI's website, BanditTrackerChicago.com.

lvivanco@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lvivanco
Continuing his efforts to overhaul Chicago State University, Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday announced an eight-member advisory board to help guide the future of the embattled public campus.

The announcement, made during a visit to the Far South Side campus, follows Rauner's appointment Friday of four new university trustees, a significant leadership shift that puts the governor's team in control.

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While the advisory group will not have any decision-making authority, it is designed to help the campus reverse troubling trends that have persisted for years, including financial mismanagement, leadership upheaval, a low graduation rate, and a steep decline in student enrollment, said Rauner.

"We had a certain number of board of trustee slots available, but we have a lot of challenges, and we don't want to let months or years go by," Rauner said, explaining the need for an advisory board. "We want to bring the maximum talent, the maximum impact to benefit Chicago State. We don't have a day to lose. We wanted to get good, insightful people who have a personal, deep connection to Chicago State."

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The advisory group includes Michael Amiridis, University of Illinois at Chicago chancellor; Tony Anderson, board chairman of Perspectives Charter Schools; Kish Khemani, an executive at Chicago consulting firm A.T. Kearney; Walter Massey, chancellor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Jim Reynolds, Loop Capital CEO and a former Chicago State board member; and Sam Scott, former CEO of Corn Products International.

Oliver Wyman Consulting and the Civic Consulting Alliance also will be part of the group, Rauner said.

Rauner said Tuesday he has recommended that new trustee Paul Vallas, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, take over as the new chairman of the 7-member board of trustees, though that caught current chairman Marshall Hatch by surprise.

"This is the first time I've heard that there might be a new chairman," Hatch said.

Chicago State's board elected its newest slate of officers at its most recent meeting in December, in accordance with its bylaws that state officers should be elected at the last meeting of the calendar year.

Rauner also appointed to the board of trustees Chicago attorneys Nicholas Gowen and Tiffany Harper, and entrepreneur Kam Buckner. The four new trustees began their terms Monday.

The new board faces many challenges, some of them immediate.

The Higher Learning Commission, the school's accrediting body, is scheduled to visit the campus next week for a comprehensive evaluation. The agency sanctioned Chicago State last summer because of persistent financial troubles, a warning that puts the university's accreditation at risk. The HLC board will determine later this year whether Chicago State has resolved those issues enough to lift the sanction, or if further action is needed.

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Officials also are tasked with addressing plummeting enrollment and a graduation rate that has dropped to 11 percent. Chicago State enrolled only 86 new, full-time freshmen this past fall, and enrollment overall has dropped to 3,600 students, less than half of the student population in 2010.

The board also will consider picking a new president. Former finance chief Cecil B. Lucy has been serving as interim president since September when the university's president resigned after just nine months.

Thomas Calhoun, brought to Chicago State with much fanfare in January 2016, received $600,000 as part of a settlement agreement approved by trustees, a deal Rauner chided and that remains a sore spot for many on campus.

Trustees have said nothing publicly about the reasons behind Calhoun's departure. Asked about it Tuesday, Rauner and Hatch declined to discuss the matter.

"Don't ruin the day," Hatch said.

Rauner, who in the past has lashed out at Chicago State officials for their spending decisions, instead chose to talk about the school's potential and expressed confidence that new board members would be able to quickly turn it around. He said he has encouraged the group to develop strategic and financial plans for the 150-year-old university, which serves a mostly minority population from Chicago.

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"We need this institution to thrive and be successful," Rauner said. "We need to improve the system, change it and make it better."

Vallas, a prominent figure in education and Illinois politics, is expected to be a key figure in the governor's plan. He is Rauner's former political rival, having run against him as the lieutenant governor candidate during Pat Quinn's unsuccessful 2014 re-election bid.

Vallas, who led Chicago Public Schools from 1995 to 2001, said he saw some similarities between the issues at Chicago State and the problems he faced in leading the country's third-largest school district.

"There are some parallels in terms of the university being in a financial crisis, the poor academic performance," Vallas said. "CPS in 1995 had experienced over a decade of declining enrollment. Six years later, they not only had balanced budgets but they had massive budget reserves, and they had 30,000 more students. I'm very optimistic that we can achieve the same type of success."

Vallas also said Rauner's specific directives were to keep Chicago State as an independent university and not fold it into a larger system such as UIC, an idea that has been floated and rumored for years.

"I believe this university has the capacity to grow itself out of its problems," Vallas said. "I'm joining the board with the intent of not only preserving and maintaining Chicago State as an independent university, but also working with the community and the incoming board members to transform it into the dynamic university that the community needs to move forward."

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Still at issue, however, is an 18-month-long state budget stalemate that has cut off regular funding to state public universities. Chicago State, which had depended on the state for about one-third of its budget, has been one of the campuses affected most by the impasse.

"Without resources, the university cannot do its job," Hatch said.

Rauner said he is in constant contact with legislators from both sides of the aisle and has encouraged their efforts to come up with a compromise, but otherwise is trying to keep his distance from the ongoing negotiations.

He made clear, however, that he has little interest in any more temporary measures to allocate state funding. Chicago State has received about $32 million from the state through two stopgap budgets during the past 18 months  less than it received during the last year of full state funding  and there are currently no plans for additional funds for the remainder of the academic year.

"It is essential that we get a balanced budget done," Rauner said. "Not a stopgap spending plan, not an incomplete, short-term, unbalance spending plan."

drhodes@chicagotribune.com

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The new year is starting out as deadly as last year in Chicago, when shootings and homicides reached levels not seen in two decades, according to data gathered by the Tribune.



At least 26 people have been killed in the city so far this year, one more than this time last year, the data show. Last year ended with 783 homicides, the most in the city since 1996.



The year began with a violent New Year's weekend  55 people shot, five of them fatally  but the next weekend saw a sharp drop, two killed and seven wounded.



This past weekend, with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday, saw the level of violence rise again: 39 people shot, 10 of them fatally.



Unlike homicides, the number of people shot in Chicago so far this year is down. At least 143 have been shot, 33 fewer than this time last year, according to Tribune data. Still, shootings in general are up significantly compared with 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.



The past weekend's shootings mainly occurred on the South and West sides, in neighborhoods that bore the brunt of violence last year. Only one person was shot north of Division Street.



The weekend's youngest shooting victim was a 14-year-old girl shot twice in the back on Monday in the South Chicago neighborhood. The oldest was a 60-year-old man left in critical condition after a rifle shooting in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on Sunday.



In addition, two people were shot by police in incidents just 20 hours apart on Sunday.



Just after midnight, an officer fatally shot someone suspected of wounding three people on the West Side. In the evening, an off-duty sergeant exchanged gunfire with someone after an argument on the Northwest Side, wounding the gunman, according to police.
A woman died Tuesday morning after she struck two other cars and crashed into a chain link fence in the Gresham neighborhood on the South Side, Chicago police said.



The woman was driving an SUV west on 83rd Street around 7:15 a.m. when she struck another SUV near Halsted Street, police said. As the other driver got out to look at the damage, the woman fled on 83rd and hit a Cadillac SUV near Morgan Street, police said.



The woman then veered into the fence and had to be removed from her SUV, police said. She was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.



No one else was injured, police said.
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. Bruce Rauner said Tuesday that it's too soon to advocate for a sweeping Senate plan aimed at breaking through a two-year budget stalemate, saying it's not fully "baked."

The Republican governor's comments came as reporters in Chicago asked if he has tried to bring Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan on board with the bipartisan proposal, which includes everything from tax hikes and gambling expansion to term limits on legislative leaders and an overhaul of the state's employee pension system.

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"Well, it's frankly too early to do that on the Senate plan because it's not really baked," Rauner said during an appearance at Chicago State University. "They're negotiating, they're working, its fluid, and it's changing.  This is not done yet."

The governor is right on that front. While much of the Senate package has been put into bill form and is scheduled for hearings later this month, changes are expected. The ideas are a tough sell individually, not to mention when sold as part of a larger package that will require numerous controversial votes.

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Besides, the Senate isn't really looking for the governor's help, nor Madigan's. At least not yet.

The effort, led by Democratic Senate President John Cullerton and Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno, came about after talks between the governor and legislative leaders broke down last month amid a disagreement between Rauner and Madigan on how to proceed. The Senate leadership was looking for a way around the political battle between Rauner and Madigan, which has dominated the discourse in Springfield while universities and social service groups struggle to make ends meet without state funding.

"This is a Senate effort. The Senate president hasn't negotiated with the governor or his staff, nor does he plan to," Cullerton spokesman John Patterson said. "He's been working with leader Radogno to try to come to a bipartisan agreement that can pass the Senate to show that it can be done."

The governor has indicated he's fine being on the outside of the Senate talks, saying Tuesday that he did not want his administration directly involved. Rauner said he simply wants an end to the impasse, which has driven the state's debt to record highs and led to layoffs at some universities and agencies that care for the vulnerable.

"There's really no reason we should keep doing stopgaps and these short-term things and little special piecemeal deals," Rauner said. "Let's get a balanced budget and let's get structural change so that we don't keep in the mess that we've been in."

Rauner has long said he would not sign off on a budget agreement unless it includes parts of his economic and political agenda, which he says will help spur business growth in Illinois. To that end, the Senate plan includes some issues long pushed by Democrats and some backed by Rauner.

To raise more money, the Senate would hike the personal income tax rate from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent, charge a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, add six new casinos and borrow $7 billion to help pay down overdue bills. In exchange, the state would raise the minimum wage to $11 an hour by 2021, new rules would be put in place on how money is doled out to local school districts, employees would see less generous retirement packages, the compensation system for injured workers would be overhauled, property taxes would be temporarily frozen and it would be easier for local governments to consolidate to save money.

Last week, Madigan put forth his own agenda, saying he agrees with Rauner that the state must focus on job growth, though he doesn't agree on how to get there.

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Madigan's proposals includes cutting the corporate income tax rate by at least 50 percent, but applying that rate across the board so that a vast majority of businesses that currently don't pay any income taxes will have to pony up. He also wants to keep on the books a sometimes-controversial tax credit for businesses that create new jobs, ban "any future tax incentives for corporations that ship American jobs out of our country," and expand the earned income tax credit for low-income families. He also resurrected his plan to tax those who earn over $1 million to help fund education and backs a minimum wage increase.

Rauner said he was encouraged by what he characterized as Madigan's change in tune, but vast differences remain between the speaker and the governor, as well as the House and Senate. Both chambers would have to agree on any budget plans before they'd reach Rauner's desk. The division in strategy between the chambers already has raised some doubts.

"My experience has been, all the past budget plans we have passed have been in a bipartisan fashion, with all four caucuses and the governor engaged. Until we do that, based on what I've seen so far, nothing is going to happen," said Rep. Fred Crespo, a Democrat from Hoffman Estates who serves on a House appropriations committee. "We can't divide it this way, it just doesn't work."

The governor is scheduled to unveil his own budget proposal Feb. 15.

mcgarcia@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @moniquegarcia
A series of identity photos taken in 1942 shows Anne Frank who died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in May 1945 at the age of 15. (AFP/Getty Images)

Researchers say a recent Nazi death camp excavation has turned up personal mementos from victims, including a teenager's triangular pendant that closely resembles one that belonged to Anne Frank.

The Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial said in a statement Sunday that Jewish victims' personal belongings, including the pendant, were unearthed at the former Sobibor death camp in Poland along the notorious "Pathway to Heaven" - an area where the victims were forced to shed their clothes and keepsakes on the way to the gas chambers.

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Yad Vashem said archaeologists found a watch, a Star of David necklace and a charm etched with an image of Moses holding the Ten Commandments.

They also found the pendant, a charm engraved with the Hebrew words "Mazal Tov" along with a date, "July 3, 1929," and location, "Frankfurt A.M."

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Using an online deportation database, Yad Vashem said it was able to determine that the charm may have belonged to Karoline Cohn, a Jewish girl with that birth date and home town. Researchers are now trying to determine whether Cohn, who would have been 14 at the time, may have ties to Frank, who was also born in Frankfurt in 1929.

Yad Vashem said the pendants - one belonging to Frank and one believed to have belonged to Cohn - are the only two of that kind known to historians.

"The significance of the research and findings at Sobibor grows with every passing season of excavation," Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist Yoram Haimi said in the statement. "Every time we dig, we reveal another part of the camp, find more personal items, and expand our knowledge about the camp. In spite of attempts by the Nazis and their collaborators to erase traces of their crimes, as well as the effects of forestation and time, we enhance our understanding of the history previously known to us only through survivor testimonies. In this way, we ensure that the memory of the people killed there will never be forgotten.

"This pendant demonstrates once again the importance of archaeological research of former Nazi death camp sites. The moving story of Karoline Cohn is symbolic of the shared fate of the Jews murdered in the camp. It is important to tell the story, so that we never forget."

The Sobibor death camp, which was built in 1942 as part of the Aktion Reinhard program, was hidden outside the nearby village of Sobibor by barbed-wire fences and foliage, according to Yad Vashem.

Jews were transported there by train, and most of them were immediately herded into an area where they were told to remove their clothes and valuables before being forced into the gas chambers.

"The gas chambers were sealed once the maximum potential of victims were inside," according to research on Sobibor from Yad Vashem. "Poisonous gas was then piped in. Within 20-30 minutes, all those inside were dead. Jewish work teams - known as Sonderkommando - removed the bodies, pulled out any gold teeth, and buried the dead."

Some 250,000 Jews are estimated to have been killed at Sobibor.

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The extermination camp was torn down in a 1943 uprising.

Since 2007, the Israel Antiquities Authority, with help from Yad Vashem, has been carrying out excavations at Sobibor.

Archaeologists uncovered a building near the former "Pathway to Heaven" and, in the building's foundation, discovered some of the victims' personal belongings, Yad Vashem said Sunday in the statement.

Researchers believe that the victims may have dropped the items - including the triangular pendant - which fell through the building's floorboards to the ground, where they were buried for decades.

Yad Vashem said research suggests "a possible familial connection between Frank and Cohn," the teenage girl believed to have owned the recently recovered pendant.

According to the statement from Yad Vashem:

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"Dr. Joel Zissenwein, Director of the Deportations Database Project, found that Cohn, born on July 3, 1929, was deported from Frankfurt to Minsk on November 11, 1941. While it is not known if Cohn survived the harsh conditions in the Minsk ghetto, her pendant reached Sobibor sometime between November 1941 and September 1943, when the ghetto was liquidated and the 2,000 Jewish prisoners interned there were deported to the death camp. There, along the path to the gas chambers of Sobibor, the pendant belonging to 14-year-old Karoline Cohn was taken, dropped, and remained buried in the ground for over 70 years."

"These recent findings from the excavations at Sobibor constitute an important contribution to the documentation and commemoration of the Holocaust, and help us to better understand what happened at Sobibor, both in terms of the camp's function and also from the point of view of the victims," Davi Dreifuss, with Yad Vashem's International Institute for Holocaust Research, said in the statement.
Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, seen in May 2015, led the clemency initiative alongside other criminal justice reform efforts. (Evelyn Hockstein / For The Washington Post)

Justice Department officials have completed their review of more than 16,000 clemency petitions filed by federal prisoners over the past two years and sent their last recommendations to President Barack Obama, who is set to grant hundreds more commutations to nonviolent drug offenders during his final days in office.

"Everyone has killed themselves here to get the final recommendations to the president," Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates said in an interview. "We were in overdrive. We were determined to live up to our commitment. It was 24-7 over the Christmas break."

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U.S. Pardon Attorney Robert Zauzmer has not taken a day off since Yates brought him on in February 2016 to sift through the backlog of thousands of petitions. From her home in Atlanta, Yates said she reviewed hundreds of petitions during the holidays.

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, Justice officials worry that his administration will dismantle Obama's clemency initiative, which has resulted in the early release of 1,176 drug offenders who were sentenced under the severe mandatory minimum laws passed in the 1980s and 1990s during the nation's "war on drugs." More than 400 were serving life sentences.

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Yates said Obama will grant "a significant" number of commutations this week but would not specify a number. Several people close to the process said it will be several hundred.

Those officials also fear that the next attorney general may undo new criminal justice policies. Then-Attorney General Eric Holder put in place a policy three years ago to reserve the most severe drug-offense penalties for high-level or violent traffickers - and no longer charge low-level, nonviolent drug offenders with crimes that impose severe mandatory minimum sentences. Justice Department data indicate that prosecutors are now focusing on more-serious drug cases, and there have been fewer charges that carry mandatory sentences.

Neither Trump nor his attorney general nominee, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., has said what actions might be taken on drug-charging policy or clemency, but during his campaign, Trump criticized Obama's initiative to grant commutations.

"Some of these people are bad dudes," he said. "And these are people who are out, they're walking the streets. Sleep tight, folks."

Yates, who has been responsible for the day-to-day running of the 113,000-employee Justice Department, led the clemency initiative alongside other criminal justice change efforts. In November, for instance, she created a semiautonomous "school district" for inmates in federal prison. With its own superintendent, the school district offers programs for literacy, high school diplomas and postsecondary education.

She cited research that shows that inmates participating in correctional education programs are 43 percent less likely to reoffend and return to prison than those who do not participate; the initiative could mean cost savings for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Federal prison costs represent about one-third of the Justice Department's $27 billion annual budget.

Last year, Yates also oversaw the effort to mandate new standards for privately run halfway houses and directed the Bureau of Prisons to work to end its use of private prisons to house federal inmates. It is unclear whether these initiatives will remain in place, especially given that Trump has praised private prisons.

"I do think we can do a lot of privatizations and private prisons. It seems to work a lot better," Trump said last year. Hours after his election victory, the stock prices of the two largest private-prison companies soared.

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Yates pushed hard for sentencing change legislation in Congress, giving speeches and meeting with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The effort had a broad coalition of bipartisan support, including from the NAACP, the conservative Koch brothers, and lawmakers including Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Cory Booker , D-N.J.

But the legislation, which would have reduced federal mandatory minimum sentences for drug and gun crimes, making the reductions retroactive for some inmates, went nowhere because of disagreement among Senate Republicans.

"I am really disappointed," Yates said. "We had this moment in time where we had Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, and all sorts of interest groups. We even had the votes in the Senate but couldn't get it to the floor. "

At several points during the past two years, it appeared that Obama's clemency initiative might have been derailed, partly by a lack of resources but also by a cumbersome review process.

After Holder and then-Deputy Attorney General James Cole began the effort in the spring of 2014, thousands of inmates applied. To help them with their petitions, outside lawyers formed an organization called Clemency Project 2014, which includes Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Bar Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

About 4,000 volunteer lawyers signed up to help in what has become one of the largest pro bono efforts in the history of the legal profession in the United States. Once the lawyers submitted the petitions, the U.S. pardon attorney made recommendations to the deputy attorney general, who reviewed the cases and sent them to the White House counsel, who also reviewed them before choosing which ones went to Obama.

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When Yates arrived at Justice in the spring of 2015, the clemency program was overwhelmed and bogged down. Advocates criticized the inefficient process and urged the Obama administration to pick up the pace for the inmates waiting for relief from unfair sentences.

"There wasn't an apparatus set up," Yates said. "When I arrived, they were doing the best they could . . . but we didn't really have a playbook."

Early last year, more than 9,000 clemency petitions were pending, and the pardon attorney at the time was so frustrated that she quit.

Yates brought on Zauzmer, a longtime federal prosecutor, who prioritized applications so that Justice lawyers could focus on inmates who met the criteria: Inmates had to have served at least 10 years; had no significant criminal history; had no connection to gangs, cartels or organized crime; and probably would have received a "substantially lower sentence" if convicted today.

"These are big decisions that you're making," Yates said, alluding to the public-safety risks and the need to provide a "sophisticated analysis" to the president.

"If it's to let someone out of prison early, earlier than what their original sentence was, you've got to be careful about those decisions," she said. "There's lots of people whose current offense or conviction is a nonviolent drug offense . . . but you have to look at their past as well and at their criminal history. You have to look at their conduct [in prison]."

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Not all inmates who have been granted clemency will be released immediately or even in a number of months. Last summer, the Obama administration began granting clemency to some inmates by reducing their sentences; in some cases, they will remain in prison for years.

At the end of August, Yates announced that she would review and give Obama a recommendation on every petition from a drug offender that was still in the department's possession at that time - about 6,195 petitions. She did that and included several hundred petitions received through Sept. 15, after her cutoff date. She also reviewed petitions that came in as late as Nov. 30 from drug offenders serving life sentences. By last Friday, the final number of petitions reviewed was 16,776.

"Sally deserves a lot of credit," Holder said in an interview. "She set this goal of looking at every drug-clemency petition, and they accomplished that."

The inmates whose names are on those clemency petitions "are in a dark place, and the hope of clemency is the only light they have," said Sharanda Jones, 49, who received a commutation from Obama in December 2015 after serving nearly 17 years of a mandatory life sentence for her first conviction, a nonviolent drug offense.

"Clemency from President Obama literally saved my life," said Jones, who now lives in Dallas near her 25-year-old daughter and 7-month-old granddaughter. "I could never thank him enough for the priceless gift of freedom, but I hope that my actions and the positive way I live my life show him the depths of my gratitude."
President-elect Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York onJan. 13, 2017. (Evan Vucci / AP)

I have this recurring fantasy at the edge of waking up in the morning or while swimming laps at the pool. As with many fantasies and obsessions, it links to forces beyond my control.

President-elect Donald Trump's tweets draw my attention, like passing a wreck on the highway and finding it impossible not to look. There's a certain brilliance to the tweets that makes it difficult not to be drawn in.

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Some tweets feel like a jab  attacking a union leader in Indiana or taunting the cast of "Hamilton," while others are a punch to the gut, such as mixing it up with China and North Korea, or possibly opening the door to restarting the nuclear arms race.

So here's the fantasy: Trump's Twitter account gets hacked.

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The twist is that it's not the typical hack  no one is stealing information or spreading a virus or blasting menacing music with the skull and crossbones to show what a cunning hacker could do to a Twitter account with more than 20 million followers.

It's a hack simultaneously more creative and more subversive.

The fantasy is that he's hacked by a generous spirit, who instead of sowing conflict or retribution, uses the possibilities of those 140 characters to reset the discourse.

Wouldn't our enlightened hacker  channeling Trump, who suggests that he understands social media, "maybe better than anybody, ever"  also recognize the power of an apology, a truce or an invitation to break bread?

The hack begins with hundreds of tweets to the individuals Trump has insulted by name on Twitter.

So imagine @realDonaldTrump tweeting Sen. Elizabeth Warren: "Calling you Pocahontas, very racist, and a lowlife. I was the lowlife. Sad! Let's figure out ways to work together." Or to television's Megyn Kelly "Wish I hadn't called you crazy, sick, dopey and worse. Pathetic. You deserve better." Or following his recent spat with civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, simply, "I'm sorry. Will stop. Done."

The hacker would then move from focusing on individuals to groups, reaching out with words of compassion to millions of women, disabled persons, Mexicans, Muslims and more.

"'If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.'  Dalai Lama"

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The best thing about the fantasy: What could the president-elect say about this subversive work?

Given that Trump takes pride in his tweeting, he'd be reluctant to suggest he'd been hacked. Even more awkward, how does someone about to become president retract a graciously crafted apology?

The fantasy expands, so once the generous tweets are out there (one of the surest ways to get someone's attention are the three words "I am sorry"), our magnanimous hacker taps into tweets exploring the possibilities of accepting and valuing differences, listening and learning, coming together.

"'If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen.'  Ronald Reagan"

"'Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.'  Eleanor Roosevelt"

While it's clear you can say a lot of nasty or boastful things in 140 characters or less, the opposite is true as well.

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"'We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family.'  Pope Francis"

Just imagine millions of people receiving a tweet from @realDonaldTrump on Friday urging them to take to heart:

"'Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.'  Martin Luther King Jr."

And then, although it might be pushing this fantasy too far, maybe, just maybe, the new president will start writing similar tweets of his own.

Steve Reifenberg serves as executive director of the University of Notre Dame's Kellogg Institute for International Studies in the Keough School of Global Affairs, and teaches international development.

Related stories:

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Would an impulsive Trump hit the nuclear button?

Clarence Page: Why I'll grit my teeth and accept Trump as 'legitimate'

Does Donald Trump want single-payer health care?
President-elect Donald Trump looks out at the press during a press conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York on Jan. 11, 2017. (Justin Lane, EPA)

In lamenting President Barack Obama's foreign and military policies, Republicans have frequently offered a concise summary: "Our allies don't trust us, and our enemies don't fear us." They didn't imagine the day would come when the same might be said of a Republican president. But that's the prospect Donald Trump raises.

The latest source of alarm is an interview the president-elect gave to The Times of London and the German newspaper Bild. First he reiterated his unflattering view of the Atlantic alliance. "I took such heat when I said NATO was obsolete," he said. "And then they started saying, 'Trump is right.' " As for the country that poses the main military threat to Europe, he said, "Let's see if we can make some good deals with Russia."

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He dismissed the European Union: "Personally, I don't think it matters much for the United States. ... I don't really care if it's separate or together." He said the British vote to leave the EU was "a great thing." He added vague caveats: "NATO is very important to me," and "I feel very strongly toward Europe."

These remarks didn't go beyond what he said during his presidential bid, when he frequently accused our NATO allies of not paying their fair share, while insisting, "If we can make a great deal for our country and get along with Russia, that would be a tremendous thing." He also said he expected the EU to "break up" over the problem of refugees. But words uttered by an incoming president carry far more weight. His latest pronouncements "caused astonishment and excitement, not just in Brussels," said Germany Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who noted that they contradicted the positions taken by his nominee for defense secretary, James Mattis, in his confirmation hearings.

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NATO, of course, has been the most successful military alliance ever seen, keeping the peace among nations that, before its creation in 1949, were repeatedly drenched in gore. It also has served as a sturdy check on Russian expansionism, while providing a way for Germany to work amicably and productively with countries that once were its enemies. The 28-member EU has advanced parallel purposes by removing trade barriers, establishing a common currency and allowing free travel.

Neither has been without fault. Most NATO countries have fallen short of the commitments they have made on military spending. The EU has often promoted tone-deaf overregulation from its Brussels headquarters, and the flood of refugees in recent years has made its open borders problematic.

But NATO also sent troops to Afghanistan to help the United States after 9/11. The EU has helped dampen the worst elements of nationalism.

If Trump is merely making a calculated attempt to force laggard governments to meet their obligations, more power to him. Brexit and his disparagement of the EU could encourage refugee policies that satisfy popular anxieties. Maybe Trump can devise ways to work with Russia on matters of common concern without reneging on our security commitments.

But no one in Europe should ever be induced to wonder if America is on the side of Europe's free and democratic nations or the menacing, corrupt autocrat in the Kremlin. The military partnerships and economic connections between the United States and Europe deserve a great deal of the credit for the relative peace and prosperity of the postwar era.

Efforts to improve this system of cooperation should always be welcomed. But they should also be careful. As with most structures, renovation is wiser than demolition.

Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.

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Why is a U.S. federal agency killing wildlife?
As the Trump administration shapes its environmental policies, we hope the newcomers to Washington will resolve this paradox: The American taxpayer spends billions of dollars every year for the benefit of wild animals, fish and birds, including some of our most beloved species. So it may come as a surprise that the public also has to pay for the killing of such creatures on a mass scale.

The program operates under an agency called Wildlife Services. It is not part of the Department of the Interior, which has the primary responsibility for conservation programs. It's part of the Department of Agriculture, and its mission is to help farmers and ranchers who have an aversion to predators.

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That animal category includes coyotes, of which the agency killed more than 75,000 in 2013, along with 866 bobcats, 3,700 foxes, 12,186 prairie dogs, 419 black bears and three eagles, using methods such as shooting, poisoning and trapping. In all, it killed more than 4 million animals that year  about 11,000 per day.

Some of the culling is needed  to control nonnative pests such as feral hogs, to eliminate the danger posed by birds at airports, and to stop the spread of rabies. But a lot of the killing is a favor to ranchers, eliminating predators that sometimes feed on unguarded sheep and cattle, and to farmers, rescuing their crops from hungry fowl.

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That leaves Wildlife Services in the position of slaughtering animals that other agencies are trying to help. Wolves, which once ranged throughout the continental United States, were nearly wiped out by hunters and trappers, and it has taken decades to rebuild their numbers in the wild to the roughly 5,500 now in the lower 48 states; Alaska has close to twice that number. But this agency slays hundreds of wolves every year.

A few questions arise: How solid are the claims it uses to justify lethal methods? How effective are they? And does killing predators help or harm the environment? Wiping out wolves may be good for sheep, but it's also good for deer and elk, which in the absence of their natural enemies can wreak havoc on trees and other plants, destroying habitat that other wildlife depend on.

Much of the science on which the agency bases its efforts is 80 years old and reflects outmoded attitudes, according to a New Mexico organization called WildEarth Guardians. Writing in The New York Times, natural scientist Richard Coniff noted that there is only scarce evidence that this approach to predator control serves its stated purpose.

One study found that when coyotes are killed in large numbers, the remaining ones tend to respond by breeding earlier and bearing bigger litters  offsetting the effects of culling. Rob Wielgus, a Washington State University scientist, has done research indicating that when humans kill large predators, the result is not less predation on livestock but more. "Killing older resident (cougars) resulted in a huge influx of teenage male cats," he told Harper's Magazine. "The teenage males are the livestock predators." Similar patterns are seen with bears and wolves.

It's not clear why taxpayers should shoulder much of the expense of protecting ranchers' risky investments. Carter Niemeyer, a retired Wildlife Services agent, told Harper's the problem is that sometimes ranchers "put livestock out there in the backcountry where it's beyond the capability of the owner to protect them."

Often protecting livestock is not the point. Wildlife Services slaughters hundreds of thousands of birds, including mourning doves, sandhill cranes and red-winged blackbirds, so they don't snack on crops farmers grow.

One strand of good news is that in October the agency settled a lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians, agreeing to stop operating in some 6 million acres of Nevada wilderness, and to update the science it uses in making decisions. Other groups have called for more use of nonlethal methods.

For a long time, Wildlife Services' mass killing of predators was the sort of thing to which the public was not likely to object. But in the 21st century, with ever-greater public awareness of environmental issues, the agency likely has to change its ways.

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We hope the Trump administration jump-starts a reduction in this widespread waste of money and wildlife.

Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.

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GOP targets landmark Endangered Species Act for big changes
Rep. John Lewis in 2016 views for the first time images and his arrest record for leading a nonviolent sit-in at segreated lunch counters in Nashville, Tenn., in 1963. Lewis has questioned the legitimacy of Donald Trump's election as president. (Rick Diamond / Getty Images)

If you're going to play the victim, make sure you're really victimized.

That's the lesson that I hope conservative CNN commentator and radio host Ben Ferguson learned after criticizing Rep. John Lewis for describing Donald Trump as an "illegitimate president."

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Ferguson said it was "unprecedented" for the Georgia Democrat and civil rights icon to challenge Trump's legitimacy. "I can't imagine the fallout, the backfire that you would have, if a Republican ever implied that about Barack Obama or Bill Clinton or JFK or anyone else for that matter," Ferguson said.

Ah, how soon we forget.

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"Ben, Ben, Ben, that's exactly what many Republicans did," CNN host Poppy Harlow interrupted, "including the president-elect for years questioning the legitimacy of the first black president."

Indeed, who can forget how Trump began in 2011 to build what later became his political base by promoting the so-called "birther" conspiracy theories, which without evidence  but with more than a whiff of racism  challenged the validity of President Barack Obama's birth certificate and citizenship?

Why did Lewis not see Trump as a "legitimate" president?

"I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected," Lewis told Chuck Todd on NBC's "Meet the Press." "And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton."

No wonder Trump was outraged by Lewis' challenge to his legitimacy. If anything really gets under President-elect Trump's skin, it is a taste of his own medicine.

Now he knows how it feels to have his legitimacy questioned, despite his best efforts to tell us otherwise.

To be fair, intelligence sources say ample evidence shows that Russians, possibly with President Vladimir Putin's blessing, sowed serious mischief by hacking U.S. emails. But, so far, officials assure us that no actual votes were changed.

Without hard evidence to the contrary, I'm ready to grit my teeth and accept Trump as our legitimate president for the sake of national unity, just as I hoped America would unite behind President Obama, whether they voted for him or not.

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I also suspect that Lewis, not being a stupid man by any means, knows Trump is "legitimate," at least in the constitutionally legal sense. But moral legitimacy? That's in the eye of the beholder.

Therefore, I understand the rough justice Lewis' sentiments present to Trump. A lot of hard feelings endure from Trump's relentless challenges to Obama's legitimacy as president. Once again, it appeared, a man of color was being told to walk a longer mile than his predecessors, who all happened to be white.

At least Lewis was more gentlemanly with his message to Trump than D. L. Hughley was. In a profanity-laced rant that quickly went viral Friday on Facebook, the black comedian mocked Trump's meetings and photo ops with black athletes and entertainers, saying, "You'd rather see us run the ball than run the country."

Trump didn't help himself with his Twitter tirade about Lewis during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, no less. "Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district," tweeted Trump, "which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to... mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk - no action or results. Sad!"

What's really sad is Trump's attempt to dismiss Lewis as "all talk, talk, talk," which only reveals the big-bucks developer and reality TV host's ignorance of the landmark civil rights improvements that Lewis helped to bring about at great personal sacrifice.

Lewis' district, which includes most of Atlanta, has some impoverished sections, but it also includes Emory University, Morehouse College and upscale neighborhoods like the famous Buckhead.

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Forty percent of the district's residents have college degrees, according to 2015 Census Bureau figures cited by PolitiFact. That's way ahead of the state average of 28.8 percent and the national average of 29.8 percent.

But the existence of social and economic success in a district represented by a liberal black man apparently doesn't fit in Trump's urban narrative, which seems to have been shaped by 1970s black-exploitation movies.

Trump seldom has let facts get in the way of a good smear job, and he's not about to stop now, even as he is about to become president.

Still, as good Americans, we should support our newly elected president in good faith, even as we criticize his ways  and look ahead to the next election.

Clarence Page, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/pagespage.

cpage@chicagotribune.com

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By Harry Handley

In 2010, China introduced the National Plan for Medium and Long-term Education Reform and Development (2010-2020) to improve Chinese education standards to match international levels. To do so, the government further opened the higher education sector to foreign investment, allowing foreign universities to enter the higher education sector through joint ventures with local partners. Seven years down the line, the increased support, both financial and regulatory, has led to an influx of Sino-foreign joint education programs and institutions.

Enrollment in universities has increased from 15 percent to 40 percent in the last ten years, and is expected to increase by a further 50 percent by the end of the decade. In 2016, 450,000 of those enrolled in higher education studied at one of the increasing number of Sino-foreign joint institutions around China, such as the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), a joint venture between the UKs University of Nottingham and Zhejiangs Wanli Education Group. In recent years, there has been a shift in how Chinese students perceive these joint institutions. Originally, they were seen as an easy route to studying abroad in the West, but now some have earned strong academic reputations in their own rights.

The growing number of high school graduates competing for university places each year make China an attractive target for foreign universities seeking to increase their global presence and revenue stream. However, before entering the market, it is vital to understand the available entry methods as well as the likely challenges that lie ahead.

Entry modes

According to the Catalogue of Industries for Guiding Foreign Investment, entry into the Chinese higher education industry is still restricted. Foreign institutions still require a Chinese partner whose stake and administration comprise over half in the venture. There are three main methods of establishing a Sino-foreign joint institution, with increasing levels of integration and commitment. The three partnerships all require the approval of both the provincial education department and the Ministry of Education before a Chinese-Foreign Cooperative Education License can be issued.

Joint education programs

A joint education program is the least capital intensive and integrated entry method. Simply put, these involve the foreign university providing teaching resources and materials accreditation to the Chinese partner in order to offer a joint course. Examples include the London Business School Masters program offered at Fudan University in Shanghai and the joint MBA offered by Cornell and Tsinghua University in Beijing. Whilst this method may be the quickest and least costly way to enter the Chinese higher education market, it affords the least exposure to the foreign partner.

Joint institutions established without legal person status

Also known as the campus on campus model, foreign universities can establish joint institutions with a local partner without creating a new legal entity. This usually involves the foreign partner attaching their institution to an existing campus of the Chinese university. In this situation, the Chinese partner is responsible for signing all legally binding agreements on the joint institutions behalf. The campus on campus method requires a sizable capital investment, and the legal powers of the foreign university are significantly limited. Therefore, partner choice is especially important.

RELATED: Pre-Investment and Entry Strategy Advisory from Dezan Shira & Associates

Joint institutions with legal entity status

The most integrated and capital intensive entry mode requires establishing a separate legal entity for the joint institution. As a separate legal entity, the new joint venture is able to sign legally binding agreements in its own right; thus, giving the foreign partner more legal power than the other methods. Creating a legal entity also affords the joint institution greater autonomy over its academic content. However, the new entity must have a Chinese president and a Chinese-majority board, restricting the influence of the overseas university. There are currently eight joint institutions with legal entity status in China, including UNNC, the Wenzhou-Kean University, New York University Shanghai and Xian Jiao Tong Liverpool University (XJTLU).

Challenges faced by incumbents

Of course, the education sector will present challenges for new entrants. Learning from the experiences of predecessors may be key to success in this highly regulated market. Aside from integration troubles and cultural issues that may arise, management and senior figures in incumbent joint institutions have also identified a number of other obstacles.

Firstly, the Chinese regulatory environment is often difficult for foreign players to understand. In contradiction to the education reforms laid out in 2010, recent NGO laws introduced in China appear to have tightened local governments grips on the education sector. These laws are vague at best and leave much to the provincial education departments own interpretations. As such, communication and relationship building with these departments is critical. Additionally, transnational universities also have to abide by the regulations set in their home countries, which may sometimes be in conflict with the Chinese regulations.

Secondly, rifts over academic freedom can be hard to bridge. Gao Xiqing, a board member of Duke Kunshan University, described academic freedom as a relative concept. The Chinese government still maintains significant control over taught curriculum and prohibits teaching in areas such as civil rights, civil society and press freedom. This raises the question as to whether foreign universities are tainting their reputation and image as bastions of free inquiry by conforming to the controls and restrictions in China. Willingness to compromise is a key consideration that must be addressed before entering the sector.

Born out of the previous two issues, the final challenge is high faculty turnover. In an interview with AmCham, Madelyn Ross of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center stated that it is often difficult to retain faculty members for over a year. This significantly increases the running costs and hampers the development of the joint institutions reputation.

Considerations and opportunities

In spite of the regulatory difficulties, local governments in China are encouraged by the central government to invest in joint institution projects. For example, in 2014, the Kunshan city government contributed US$200 million for the Duke Kunshan University campus, while Duke University donated US$42 million. Part of the appeal is that the presence of an international university can drastically increase the status of lower-tier Chinese cities. As such, local governments may be willing to invest more in order to stave off competition from other cities. However, money should not be the deciding factor for the entrant.

As with any expansion, there must be a clear end goal, such as increasing research capabilities, to help define the correct entry mode. A clear goal can also help guide the right choice of partner and location. When vetting potential partners, especially in instances where legal responsibility is solely with the Chinese partner, an extensive selection and due diligence process must be conducted.

Cultural clashes are to be expected, but these must be worked out through negotiation. In order for the joint institution to be a success, shared objectives and common ground must be established. Denis Ross, a senior figure at Duke Kunshan University, suggested that new institution should not depend on the reputations of the partner universities, but should instead be treated like a startup.

Overall, the Chinese higher education sector offers a challenging environment for potential foreign entrants. However, if the correct combination of entry mode, partner and location can be found, entering China can be highly advantageous for foreign universities, and set them apart from their competitors both at home and abroad.



About Us Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email china@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight.

China Investment Roadmap: the Education Sector

In this issue of China Briefing, we navigate through Chinas regulatory framework for investment into education, presenting a roadmap for best practices in the industry. We examine the key market information that has driven the industrys growth, analyze the different investment models that are available for foreign companies, and finally discuss the effect that Chinas recently released NGO law will have on foreign investment into education.

An Introduction to Doing Business in China 2016

Doing Business in China 2016 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in China. Compiled by the professionals at Dezan Shira & Associates in June 2016, this comprehensive guide is ideal not only for businesses looking to enter the Chinese market, but also for companies who already have a presence here and want to keep up-to-date with the most recent and relevant policy changes



Establishing & Operating a Business in China 2016

Establishing & Operating a Business in China 2016, produced in collaboration with the experts at Dezan Shira & Associates, explores the establishment procedures and related considerations of the Representative Office (RO), and two types of Limited Liability Companies: the Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprise (WFOE) and the Sino-foreign Joint Venture (JV). The guide also includes issues specific to Hong Kong and Singapore holding companies, and details how foreign investors can close a foreign-invested enterprise smoothly in China.
A revealing description of the Chinese migration to the Americas is written in the book "Traces of the Chinese on this side of the Atlantic," which was presented in Cuba's capital Havana Sunday as part of the activities celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year.

At the Min Chih Tang society of Havana's Chinatown, dozens of people gathered to hear from the voices of the different authors of the new book, exploring peculiarities, characteristics and varied facets of the Chinese migration on this side of the world.

Composed of 13 articles or essays, the book seeks to bring the reader closer to the influence of Chinese migration in Cuba and other countries. In particular, the text highlights the influence of the Chinese community in Mexico, as well as the contributions of Chinese migration in Cuba, introducing the Chinese culture, culinary and music to readers.

"The most important thing about this book is that it offers a rich information of the Chinese presence in Cuba and other countries in the region," and "the support and contributions made by Chinese migration in our continent," Sergio Valdes, one of the authors in the book, told Xinhua.

Not only writers from Cuba, but also prestigious scholars from universities in the United States contributed to the new book.

"This is a very important book because it's a text that addresses an area of studies which was little written about," said Paul De Castro, another author and researcher at the University of California.

"The Chinese presence in Cuba, although it is well known, has hardly been studied in depth so I think it is the beginning of a series of studies about the Chinese influence in Cuba," he said.

Mercedes Crespo, another author, emphasized the different topics the book addresses, which allow readers to learn about the Chinese influence in the economic, social and even political development of the Cuba before the revolutionary triumph of 1959.

The authors agreed that this publication will help Cuban people to understand the outstanding contributions of the Chinese immigrants to the island and could help start new studies on similar topics.

"The importance of this book is to lighten up the interests of Cubans and Chinese descendants for new studies on the influence of Chinese migration to the island and other parts of Latin America," said Valdes.

"Traces of China on this side of the Atlantic" was compiled by Cuban researcher Mitzi Espinosa who had the support of the Min Chih Tang Society of Havana's Chinatown.

Cuba's Jose Marti publishing house edited the book. The book will be available to Cuban readers at the upcoming International Book Fair Cuba 2017.

Also on Sunday, as part of the Spring Festival activities, a Chinese language children's contest was held, with kids demonstrating their language skills.

Since Jan. 13, the Chinese community in Cuba launched activities to celebrate the Spring Festival of the Rooster Year which falls on Jan. 28. Many cultural functions will be organized throughout whole one month in Havana's Chinatown, such as art exhibitions, concerts and traditional Chinese dance shows.

The year 2017 marks the 170th anniversary of the arrival of the first Chinese to Cuba, therefore their descendants, grouped in societies, have prepared multiple activities which will be extended throughout the year.
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The Inventions of Louvre exhibition in Beijing features Egyptian stele. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

The National Museum of China will host an exhibition of the art from the Louvre, it announced on its WeChat channel on Jan 6.

The social-media announcement, which included photos of artworks, was viewed about 80,000 times within a week.

Many left comments declaring anticipation. Some who'd visited the Paris museum hoped to view more of its trove. Some from other parts of the country planned to travel to Beijing for the show, Inventions of Louvre, which opened on Thursday.

The show Inventions of Louvre displays 126 paintings, sculptures and antiquities from the museum's eight curatorial departments and the affiliated National Museum of Eugene Delacroix.

The exhibition reviews the Louvre's evolution from a military fortress to a royal palace and finally to a modern museum that's one of the planet's most popular tourist sites.

It also examines how its assembly of arts and crafts has been built, researched, conserved and toured as the Louvre has expanded.

The exhibition, which runs through the end of March, expects an influx of visitors since it'll coincide with China's Spring Festival holiday from Jan 27 to Feb 2.

The last time Chinese had such a spectacular opportunity to view French art was 2014, when the National Museum hosted a special exhibition to mark 50 years of Sino-French diplomatic relations.

On show were 10 paintings by eight masters on loan from five renowned French museums. The Louvre brought three pieces.

The two-month show drew 93,500 viewers. The National Museum extended its hours so that more people could visit.

The Louvre's historical significance as the residence of royalty is comparable to Beijing's Palace Museum, president-director Jean-Luc Martinez says.

He hopes the exhibition enables the French icon to "walk closer to Chinese audiences, who contributed the second-largest population of its international visitors in 2016".

The 224-year-old institution reported a 15 percent drop in visitors last year because of terrorist threats and a four-day closure following the flooding of the Seine River.

About 70 percent of the 7.3 million guests were from outside France. The top five source countries were the United States, China, Britain, Spain and Italy.

Martinez took over the museum in 2013. His focuses have included making more of the collection accessible and improving visitors' experiences.

Patrons can book tickets online and select entrance times, so they can enter within 30 minutes instead of lining up for hours.

The Louvre offers a Chinese guide map, and more introductory booklets will be translated, he says.

The Louvre also operates a Chinese-language website and a WeChat account.
A girl wears a mask in Beijing. [Photo/China Daily]

A face mask made by the Japanese company Shigematsu Works Co Ltd has been running out of stock on its online outlets, as many Chinese rush to protect themselves from the smog that has shrouded large swathes of northern China during the entire winter.

Shigematsu, a Tokyo-based manufacturer of personal protective equipment including respirators and face shields, saw surging demand for its face masks online since the end of 2016.

It remains uncertain when the next batch will be ready for sale on its official website and on Amazon.

The sudden popularity of the face mask was largely due to a recent blog describing an experiment comparing pollution protection masks used by Chinese customers, in which the Shigematsu outperformed its competing peers in efficiency and comfort.

Some vendors who sell the Shigematsu masks on Taobao platform are taking advantage of the shortage, pricing a single unit at 8,888 yuan ($1,290), or 200 times its original price.

According to the Shanghai-based seller, because there were very few left in stock and the arrival of the next batch remained uncertain, the price was set so high.

The seller said: "The price is high but no one forces anyone to buy it. The market has the say."

Many of the store's other Japanese-made masks, including those worn indoors like Iris, Pitta, Hakugen and Kowa, have also seen a sales boom, while other online sellers of Japanese face masks were also making a good profit from the smog.

However, experts said that many of the masks are simple surgical-type masks that are designed only to prevent problems such as pollen allergies and are not designed to block the tiny airborne smog particles, which can easily penetrate the mask and enter the lungs and have been reportedly linked to premature deaths.

Surgical face masks have almost no filtration efficiency against pollutants, according to Benjamin Cowling, an associate professor of public health at the University of Hong Kong.

According to Xiao Xiao, a 35-year-old Beijing resident, her family members have tried seven brands of face masks, including 3M, Honeywell and Vogmask. She recently turned to Shigematsu after reading about its outstanding performance.

Xiao said she was willing to spend 50 to 200 yuan for each mask, and does not mind someone profiting, as long as it is effective in blocking out the smog.
Chinese train manufacturer wins US metro deal [File photo]

A metro project evaluated at $270 million in the US state of Massachusetts has been awarded to CRRC Corp, a conglomerate formed by the merger of China's top two high-speed rail makers, China North Railway (CNR) and China South Railway (CSR). A total of 134 trains will be purchased for the project, according to a Caixin report on Jan 10.

An insider disclosed that the contract was signed between CRRC and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in December 2016. CRRC is the only qualified provider of metro trains to meet the MBTA's requirements. As a result, the MBTA decided not to solicit additional bids, the insider said, emphasizing that the decision was entirely legal.

China North Railway (CNR) won a contract worth $567 million for the Boston metro in October 2014, necessitating the purchase of 284 trains, according to earlier reports. This marked China's first batch of rail transit equipment to enter the US market.

The 134 new trains will be put into operation in 2023, according to the Boston Globe. Jeffrey Gonneville, CEO of the MBTA, said the vehicles are expected to cut intervals between trains from between four and five minutes to just three. This change will facilitate the transport over 10,000 passengers per hour.
Chinese social media giant Sina Weibo will leverage its platform strengths and connections to promote sustainable development.

At the company's annual gala Monday night, Weibo's Chairman Cao Guowei said that the Twitter-like company would partner with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to promote sustainable development at the start of a public welfare campaign for 2017.

Weibo will allocate resources worth over 20 million yuan (2.90 million U.S. dollars) to support UNDP work to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to Cao.

Social media is playing an increasing role in encouraging public participation in public welfare causes, and Weibo's significant media and celebrity resources and active user interaction can help make SDGs a public topic, according to Patrick Haverman, UNDP deputy country director.

Weibo's official public welfare account became one of the country's first accredited online fund-raising information platforms last year, and is used to motivate influential users to promote public welfare causes using modern methods such as live streaming.

More than 16,000 public-welfare-related topics were mentioned on Weibo in 2016, with about 1,100 celebrities and 8,500 enterprises spreading goodwill messages, attracting about seven million people to donate.

Weibo had about 300 million monthly active users and over 130 million daily active users by the end of September, according to the company's Q3 financial report.
Like most Americans, I ended the election season with a great sense of uneasiness about the future of civil discourse in our democracy  about how we talk to or with one another.

In the general presidential election, the candidates for both major parties brought great strengths and promise to the choice for the American people. I will let others question and debate issues of false news, promises made or broken, relevant experience, or potential for significant change. My concern is what we, as the adult population of America, have modeled and taught our children about how decisions are made in an informed democracy.

We often act as if no one were watching or listening. Words matter. Language matters. Civility matters. The democratic process matters.

So, it does matter who watches and who listens to how we make our democracy work. This nation has been working since 1776 to make this democracy stronger, more inclusive, more authentically representative, more responsive, and more respective of the individual. We are not finished with the project of democracy in this country.

It takes constant work to nurture, protect, and improve the ideals of a free, democratic nation. And much of the work of nurturing, protecting, and improving, is the work we face in preparing young people, the students of America, to take on the mantle of active, informed citizens.

Constant barrage

Our public schools are one of our most important institutions in teaching and socializing students to be able to discuss, civilly and peacefully, and to debate, truthfully and respectfully, the contentious issues they will face as adult citizens. It is not an easy task.

We are a society in which important social and political issues are managed the same way that products are hyped. It is a constant barrage of selling, not informing. Radio and television newscasts have become spectacles of guests talking over each other, interrupting, insultingand being interrupted, contradicted, and corrected by the neutral interviewer.

These are not news programs that deepen the understanding of the public, they are survivor offshoots, in which the strongest voice apparently wins.

An informed vote

This is what teachers have to overcome as they try to teach, not only the process, but the spirit and overall purpose of debate and discussion. If students are to become active members of a democratic society, they must understand the critical role that their voices will contribute. Schools utilize many ways of teaching democracy, including directed practice in group discussions, learning to speak, debate, and make presentations in public, to critically examine issues and claims of fact, and, finally, to make an informed vote. Not surprisingly, voting is held by some as the most important action of the democratic process. This ignores the role of discussion, debate, and the examination of contested issues long before any vote is appropriate. In fact, some scholars of democracy point to the vote as the last step of what should be a deeply informative process. So, what did our students learn from this national campaign season?

The most threatening

Students of any age are not oblivious to the way democracy is practiced in an election season. They watch and listen to the TV, to their families, and to other adults. The question for us is whether we want the next generation of voters, activists, and candidates to follow our lead.

We certainly know that, regardless of party or candidate, none of us are winners if the children in our communities grow into adult citizens with the idea that the loudest, the most threatening, or the most intimidating wins the issue.

As parents, teachers, or community members, we know the current directions in how we debate and decide critical issues in our communities (and our nation) cannot serve as democratic models for our children. How will your behavior teach a different model?

Founded in 1867, the Nebraska State Education Association has nearly 28,000 members. Craig R. Christiansen is the executive director of the Nebraska State Education Association.
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A Chinese real estate group was in court on Tuesday accused of stealing 1 billion yuan (147 million U.S. dollar) from nearly 10,000 clients from 17 provincial regions.

Xinglin Group was set up in 2009. Between February 2013 and September 2014 it had opened 2,300 real estate offices across the country, the Intermediate People's Court of Yinchuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, was told.

The companies' executives stand accused of using deposits paid by their clients to cover operational business expenses or to pay for personal items, the court heard.

By August 2014, due to financial difficulties, the group filed for bankruptcy, resulting in huge losses for the clients. Tens of thousands of victims were left without their deposits or their homes.

The open trial is expected to last four days.
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Several Chinese provinces have set goals for poverty reduction at their local two sessions  meetings of lawmakers and political advisers.

Central Chinas Hunan Province has made poverty alleviation a priority, vowing to lift 1.1 million people, 10 counties and 2,500 villages out of poverty this year.

Its government said it earmarked nearly 6 billion yuan (US$870 million) to help 1.25 million people shake off poverty last year.

Henan Province also plans to lift about 1 million rural residents out of poverty this year and aims to eradicate the problem by 2019. More than 5 million people were below the poverty line at the end of 2014, about 3.5 million of whom have now been lifted out of poverty.

East Chinas Shandong Province is promising to eradicate poverty for about 2.42 million people by 2018. Last year, 1.2 million of its residents were lifted above the poverty line.

Yin Li, governor of Sichuan Province in southwest China, said 1.07 million people were lifted out of poverty last year, and another 1.05 million will be in 2017.

Yunnan Province, Sichuans neighbor to the south, also plans to eradicate poverty for 1 million people this year.

North Chinas Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region said 200,000 people will be helped to shake off poverty this year to join the 210,000 lifted out of poverty last year.

Currently about 590,000 people live in poverty in the region, according to the local government.

China aims to eradicate rural poverty by 2020, lifting its remaining 55 million rural poor above the poverty line of 2,300 yuan in annual income.

Last year, China set a target of lifting a total of 10 million people out of poverty and it has set the same target for 2017.
Hong Kong and Macao deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) should resolutely safeguard national security and the rule of law in the special administrative regions, a senior NPC official said.

Wang Chen, vice chairman and secretary general of the Standing Committee of the NPC, made the remarks Monday at a briefing in south China's Shenzhen, attended by NPC deputies from Hong Kong and Macao.

At the briefing, held by the committee's general office, Wang urged unwaveringly, comprehensively and correctly implementing "one country, two systems" and the basic laws, and ensure the practice of "one country, two systems" always moves in the right direction.

He called on the deputies to stand firm when it comes to "issues of right or wrong and major issues of principle."

He also asked them to continuously help maintain stability and social harmony in the special administrative regions, give full support to their respective chief executives in governing according to law, and bolster economic development and improve people's lives.

Officials from the National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Finance briefed the Hong Kong and Macao deputies on the economic and social progress in 2016.
For the first time ever Jiaxing city in east China's Zhejiang Province has canceled a house expropriation plan after it failed to get sufficient support from homeowners.

Twenty-one homeowners in three run-down condominiums built 40 years ago in Shanqingzha residential community will not be part of the city's upcoming old town renovation, while the other 589 households are busy moving into new homes.

Under the province's 2014 house expropriation rules, homes cannot be requisitioned for public purposes unless at least 90 percent of the homeowners concerned agree.

When the number of proprietors exceeds 100, the proportion must be higher than 90 percent. For the Shanqingzha case, the local government raised the threshold to 95 percent.

The 610 households were divided into six groups on six pieces of land, and collective bargaining with Shanqingzha House Expropriation Service Center started mid-October.

Group number five had 21 households, but was the only group that failed to get sufficient support to complete the transaction. Two families held out for more money, reducing the supporting families to 90.4 percent.

UNEXPECTED CANCELLATION

Shi Kandan, an employee with the expropriation center, said that when the official cancellation reached the two remaining families they were taken aback.

"When I knocked on the door of Miao Meili the second day after the negotiation deadline, she jokingly said she knew we would budge," Shi said. "When I handed out the deactivation notice, she was stunned and disappointed."

Miao and another objecting family, surnamed Shi, each asked for an extra 50,000 yuan in compensation. If either accepted, the move would go through for all 21 households.

"The amount is not much, but we will not make an exception in the compensation negotiation, otherwise it's unfair to others," said Xie Xiaomin, director of the service center.

The 610 households can choose a property swap or money for compensation, and most found the latter more appealing, according to Cai Qi, deputy chief of the service center.

Aside from the present value of the property assessed by an agency chosen by the owners, each household also receives cash compensation including a bonus amounting to 20 percent of the property value, allowances equivalent to the value of a 16-square-meter room and another 30,000-yuan for inking the deal, Cai said.

Bi Hongsheng, who lives in a 61 square meter apartment, would have been compensated 720,000 yuan.

"The compensation is much higher than the selling price of our home," said the 72-year-old, one of the earliest to have signed.

But his dream of having a new home was broken by the two families who opposed the deal.

Bi and other neighbors visited the two families many times to persuade either to agree, but failed.

Miao and Shi initially each asked for an extra of 100,000 yuan before finally asking for 50,000 yuan as the deadline approached, according to Cai Qi.

NAIL HOUSEHOLDS UNWELCOME

Shi Kandan said that most residents were eager to move out of their outdated homes, but added that there was a mentality from those that signed later that they could get more money.

Chinese people use the term "nail houses" for those that refuse to move, as they stick out like nails stuck firm into the ground. Those who sign earlier are known as "sedan-chair carriers" as they make the few nail households all the more important.

With expropriation rules clear to the public, Shi said much of her energy had been used to ensure people that there would be no differential treatment.

"We promised one yardstick for all, but some people still chanced it," Shi said.

Yang Jianhua, a sociologist with the Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences, said that every house expropriation was a test of the rule of law, justice and greed.

Since 2011, the State Council has forbidden the use of violence, menace or any illegal means, such as the severing of water, heating, gas, and electricity supplies, or road blockages by any individual or institution, to force people out of their homes.

Democratic decision-making by proprietors and full disclosure of information according to law are now mandatory.

Yang Jianhua said that the communication and information disclosure were essential to ensuring lawful house expropriations.

A SECOND CHANCE

Along the banks of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, Shanqingzha is one of the oldest residential communities in Jiaxing and was built when state-owned Chinese enterprises provided employees cradle-to-grave benefits.

Named after a floodgate dating back to 990 A.D., the Shanqingzha community is aging fast, with the majority of homes leased or vacant.

Most of the residents are either elderly, working as boatmen, garment makers or silk workers about to retire. Their children, annoyed by the poor conditions of the homes, have moved into new communities elsewhere.

Eager to move out, Bi Hongsheng paid a down payment of 50,000 yuan for a new apartment when negotiations were still ongoing. But with the expropriation canceled he can no longer afford to buy a better home.

Blamed by her neighbors and former colleagues, Miao said that she would change her mind if she had a second chance.

However, Xie Xiaomin said that it is unknown if there would be another opportunity.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech during a welcome ceremony held by all members of the Swiss Federal Council in Bern, Switzerland, Jan. 15, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

President Xi Jinping is making the first visit by a Chinese leader to Switzerland this century but it is his opening speech to the elite World Economic Forum at Davos that is dominating the media spotlight.

The forum is held annually in a resort town in the Swiss Alps and is famous for the world leaders, corporate chiefs, senior bankers and occasional clutch of opportunistic celebrities it attracts. They surge to this highest town in Europe to attend a crystal-ball gazing conference which consists of panel discussions, speeches, one-on-one stage interviews, behind-the-scenes background briefings and backroom dinners and lunches.

This year's Davos starts on January 17 and concludes on January 20, the day of inauguration of a new president of the United States.

The forum is offering a business-as-usual start to the 2017 calendar year and its theme is "Responsive and Responsible Leadership." It is snatching a time of calm after a year of disruption (Brexit, U.S. elections) and before what could be next as the world comes to terms with anti-globalization sentiment, a hard shift to the ideological right, and the re-emergence of varying levels of strong nationalism.

In that context, the pragmatic and unpretentious Switzerland is the perfect place for the gathering of VIP opinion leaders, law-makers and investors to ruminate over how 2017 will play out.

China's President Xi Jinping will open the forum, the first Chinese President to attend in the event's 46-year history. His four-day visit to Switzerland also includes a state visit to the central European republic renown in China for its watches, chocolates, knives and Nespresso.

Xi's talks and meetings in Switzerland reaffirm China's commitment to the practical and effective economic and trade cooperation the two countries share. Their history of mutual support is rooted in Switzerland being one of the first Western countries to establish formal ties with the new China, on 17 January, 1950, and it being the first country to establish an industrial joint venture in China in 1980.

In recent years the countries have established a free trade agreement, allowing exchange of goods and services and mutual investment to flourish, including financial and monetary cooperation. China is Switzerland's largest trade partner in Asia.

Importantly however, China is attracted to the Swiss strengths in innovation, particularly in helping to deal with the Middle Kingdom's environmental challenges. Talks are being held on project collaboration in areas such as green consumption, energy efficiency, renewable energy and low-carbon city development.

Notwithstanding the importance of the Sino-Swiss relationship and its on-going progress, Swiss President Doris Leuthard is firmly convinced of the importance of the stabilizing effect President Xi's visit will have on both Europe and the world.

"It will be a very important visit for the whole of Europe," she said. "As you know we are in a difficult situation ... I think China can use this situation to show its world power status and how it can be a factor of stability," she added.

The "difficult situation" she mentions has been a time of significant upheaval in Europe: the wake of the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU, the pressing plight of Syrian refugee assimilation, widespread terrorism, and Russia's flagrant meddling in geopolitical affairs and territorial conflict.

Political leaders in Western democracies are being challenged and discarded as populations try to reclaim national identities. France is certain to elect a new President and Europe's strongest leader, Angela Merkel, faces a strong battle to stay in power.

Further development of the concept of globalization in which borders are reduced to lines on a map is on hold as steel fences are installed and brick walls are promised to keep out unwanted economic migrants or political refugees.

The resolution of the UK's exit from the European Union appears timed to coincide with the inevitable realignment of European politics and will test the Union's solidarity as a trade and economic entity as much as it will disrupt the UK.

On another stage, in another continent at the same time as the Davos forum unfolds, the United States is preparing to inaugurate its next President, Donald Trump, introducing the world to another unknown element in the teetering global mix.

The new leader of the world's largest economy and beneficiary of a questionably functioning democracy, Mr. Trump has given notice that U.S. politics will be played differently in a global sense and strongly nationalistically in a domestic sense.

China's President Xi Jinping will have delivered the opening address at the Davos forum by the time Donald Trump accedes to power in Washington. And his essence of stability will have had time to sink in.

The increasingly global statesman Xi is expected to register China's perspective on the current state of world order and the imminent challenges to sustaining a globalized economy. It will also be an opportunity for him to introduce the world to China's prevailing economic conditions and prospects for the future.

This will strike a chord with the Davos audience of global movers and shakers who have stood witness to the seismic changes the world has undergone in the past two years as the collective political and economic axis has been jolted.

So Xi's business-as-usual message proposing active efforts to continue to drive economic globalization toward more inclusive development has the potential to assuage their realistic fears.

His theme of proffering a united approach to "reduce uncertainties" by injecting confidence and solidarity into the international business community reflects a leadership position that in these challenging times should earn him a standing ovation. Dr. David

Dr. Maguire has been commentating on China for CRI radio programs for five years. He is a university professor in communications and journalism.
I often say this, and I mean it from the heart: serving as the United States Ambassador to China is the best job I've ever had. It has been the greatest pleasure to work with Chinese and Americans to advance the world's most important bilateral relationship.

But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. The United States just had an election and, with our country's transition to a new administration, the time has come to bid you farewell as the United States Ambassador. When you say "goodbye" in Chinese it means "see you again," and that's how I like to think of this farewell - I'll be seeing you again!

Before my wife Mel and I depart from Beijing for a new chapter in our lives, I would like to share some parting thoughts with you as we start a new phase in our countries' relationship, at a time fraught with global challenges - from economic uncertainty to climate change to terrorism.

Over my 35 years in the United States Senate and especially my time as the United States Ambassador, I've witnessed first-hand China's remarkable transformation and re-emergence on the global stage.

Since Deng Xiaoping launched China's opening up and reform three decades ago, China has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty, becoming the world's second-largest economy. Our economies, in turn, have grown increasingly interconnected, with more than $650 billion in annual bilateral trade.

I've seen China's rise play out in impressive ways. China joined the United States to help lead the world toward an ambitious agreement on climate change in Paris. It played a positive role in the global response to Ebola, working closely with the United States and other partners. China served as the host of the Six Party Talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and can play an equally important role in seeing those talks resumed.

These examples make clear the benefits to China and the world that come from China's engagement and responsible leadership. US policy, decades old and upheld by successive administrations from both parties, has been to welcome the rise of a stable, peaceful and prosperous China. We welcome China as a global leader that assumes its responsibilities within the transparent, rules-based system underpinning the peace and prosperity that the Asia-Pacific region has enjoyed for many decades.

I worked hard as a U.S. Senator to get China into the World Trade Organization because I knew it would be good for China, good for the United States, and good for the entire world. And it was! Looking ahead, we hope China will work closely with the new US administration to continue this process of opening up to the world.

We live in a time of interconnectedness, unlike any other in history. Our countries' relationship, in fact, is a testament to and a direct benefactor of these trends.

And a key part of keeping this going in the right direction will be fostering an encouraging environment for American and foreign companies to invest and do business here - just as Chinese companies can expect to do in the United States.

Strengthening innovation, one of China's top priorities, is another critical factor. That's why we encourage China to continue to open up, which will help enable talent - like that of Jack Ma, Tu Youyou, or Wang Jianlin - to flourish across the globe. Similarly, we hope that China will welcome the constructive role of non-government organizations that help societies drive innovation, contribute to social stability and bring us together to protect the environment.

Another key element will be ensuring that China's peaceful rise is bolstered by regional engagement and creative diplomacy that manages disputes in ways that benefit all, in line with President Xi and President Obama's efforts during their numerous meetings that I've had the privilege to join.

At the end of the day, I can't stress enough the importance for us all to ask honest, constructive, good-faith questions, and to really listen to each other's point of view. As my mentor and former United States Senator from Montana Mike Mansfield once said, "Remember, the other person isn't always wrong, and you're not always right." This is the path to honest dialogue.

While this is a time of transition, and some question the path ahead, I think both of our countries agree on the importance of making this relationship work. That has been true since President Nixon first came to China and met with Chairman Mao in what is called "the week that changed the world." Their work was carried on by President Carter and Deng Xiaoping, who normalized relations between our two countries in 1979. Our leaders have changed, and we've had our ups and downs, but we've never given up our shared goal to create a better future for our kids and grandchildren.

I've seen this commitment first-hand, time and time again. When I first came to China, I promised President Xi that I would visit all of China's provinces - a goal I achieved last October. What I learned along the way is that it doesn't matter if you're American or Chinese, we all basically want the same things in life - a good job, a good education for our children, and a clean, safe environment to live in. That's a big part of the American dream. And it's part of what I've come to learn is the Chinese dream.

With patience, persistence and the positive attitude I've seen in students, everyday people, businesspeople, or government officials throughout this country - from Qufu to Kunming, from Shanghai to Urumqi - I know there is nothing we can't accomplish when we work together. And when we succeed - whether that's working on those many issues on which we agree, or being frank and wisely in managing our differences - the world stands to benefit.

(The author is US ambassador in China. The Chinese edition of this article was published on the People's Daily Thursday.)
Detention Center

The inmate count at the Platte County Detention Facility Tuesday was 74, with 39 from Platte County and 35 from out of county.

Police

Jan. 6

8 p.m.  At the intersection of Fifth Street and 28th Avenue, Paul Rhea, 25, Lincoln, was cited for failure to maintain control, leaving the scene of an accident and no valid registration.

Jan. 7

3:35 p.m.  In the 3000 block of 23rd Street, Angel Ayala, 22, 556 Fifth Ave., was cited for leaving the scene of an accident.

Jan. 9

3:36 p.m.  In the 2100 block of 22nd Avenue, an unknown vehicle struck a parked vehicle owned by Miranda Smith, 2204 21st St., and left the scene.

Jan. 11

9:28 a.m.  In the 1800 block of 23rd Street, Nicholas Regnier, 30, Humphrey, was cited for no valid registration.

1:44 p.m.  At the intersection of 14th Street and 33rd Avenue, Kalie Charron, 21, Central City,was cited for an improper turn.

5:53 p.m.  At the intersection of 18th Avenue and 17th Street, traffic accident. Drivers were Bobbie Aerni, 40, 916 53rd St., Eriberto Belmontes, 23, 2051 22nd Ave., and Christina Maxwell, 44, 1614 17th St.

Jan. 12

9:04 a.m.  At 2865 33rd Ave., Daniel Johnson, 29, homeless, was cited for a protection order violation, resisting arrest and third-degree assault on a police officer.

Jan. 13

8:07 a.m.  Theft at Columbus High School, 220026th St., laptop computer stolen, no loss amount.

11:17 a.m.  Theft at El Mezcal Mexican Restaurant, 1012 E. 23rd St., Suite 300, iPad stolen, no loss amount.

4:13 p.m.  Theft at Hy-Vee, 3012 23rd St., miscellaneous food items stolen, $300 loss.

7:20 p.m.  Criminal mischief at Columbus Community Hospital, 4600 38th St., vehicle damaged, $150 loss.

Sheriff

Jan. 13

8:03 a.m.  Wanted person at the Platte County Courthouse, 2610 14th St., Yoanis Cueto Lastre of Columbus jailed on a Platte County warrant.

10:45 a.m.  Wanted person at the county courthouse, Aaron King of Norfolk turned self in on Platte and Antelope county warrants.

12:42 p.m.  Wanted person at the county courthouse, Patrick Wolfe of Columbus turned self in on a Platte County warrant and cited for possession of drug paraphernalia.

1:52 p.m.  Theft at Platte County Agricultural Park, Jason Lovell of Columbus cited for theft.

4:39 p.m.  Traffic violation at the Ramada Inn on 33rd Avenue, Jasmine Wagner of Columbus cited for an expired registration.

Jan. 14

2:19 a.m.  Traffic violation at 4025 E. 23rd St., Daisy Corona of David City jailed for driving under the influence.

11:02 a.m.  Wanted person at the Platte County Detention Facility, 1125 E. 17th St., Kimberly Ann Mason of Columbus turned self in on a Platte County warrant.

12:59 p.m.  Wanted person at 1471 25th Ave., James Smeal of Columbus jailed on a Nance County warrant.

7:47 p.m.  Traffic violation on U.S. Highway 30 at the Colfax County line, Kateria Harvey of Raymond cited for speeding.

Jan. 15

12:04 a.m.  Criminal mischief at the county jail, Adam Rice-Zacarias of Schuyler cited for criminal mischief.

1:17 a.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of 28th Avenue and 15th Street, McKayla Wolf of Columbus jailed for driving under suspension and cited for a traffic signal violation, possession of marijuana-one ounce or less and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Fire

Jan. 14

8:07 p.m.  In the 100 block of South Road, Heritage House.

10:26 p.m.  In the 100 block of South Road, Heritage House.

Jan. 15

10:29 a.m.  In the 2400 block of 31st Street, medical.

2:41 p.m.  In the 1600 block of 16th Avenue, medical.

3:50 p.m.  In the 1400 block of 34th Avenue, medical.

7:24 p.m.  In the 1900 block of 18th Street, medical.

Jan. 16

4:01 a.m.  In the 3000 block of 39th Avenue, medical.

6:33 a.m.  On Cottonwood Drive, medical.

7:30 a.m.  At Carriage House Estates, medical.
 Flash

South Sudan said on Monday that it welcomed the U.S. lifting of some sanctions on its northern neighbor Sudan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Mawien Makol said in Juba that his government will benefit from a sanction-free Sudan.

"Anything that is good for Sudan is good for us," Makol said.

He also said that recent exchange visits by high profile delegations from the two former civil war foes, have helped build improved relations, with financial arrangement on oil and final work on border demarcation currently underway.

"Of course, financial agreement on oil, final work on border demarcation is critical. We have been doing this (border demarcation) very nice, recently our foreign affairs minister visited Sudan and there is hope that another delegation will go to Khartoum soon," Makol said.
 Flash

The Syrian army forces killed 18 militants with the Islamic State (IS) group in an operation Monday in the countryside of the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, which has been subject to intense attacks by the terror group for three days.

State news agency SANA said a Saudi fighter was among those killed in the ambush that targeted one of the IS positions in the city of Mayadeen in the countryside of Deir al-Zour.

It added that the military forces also destroyed weaponry the IS were using as well as vehicles.

Meanwhile, pro-government al-Watan Online newspaper said the Syrian army on Monday foiled another wave of IS offensive for the third straight day.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition monitor group, said intense battles were raging on Monday between the IS militants and the Syrian forces in Deir al-Zour.

It added that the terror group succeeded to advance in the vicinity of the Deir al-Zour airbase, the only port the government uses in and outside the city, as the IS group has besieged the government-controlled parts of Deir al-Zour since early 2015.

The London-based watchdog group said the Syrian warplanes are heavily engaged in bombing the IS positions to prevent the progress of the group, which apparently aimed at stripping the government of its control over that oil-rich city, where 700,000 civilians are besieged by the terror group.

It added that the IS offensive is the most violent since the terror group attacked areas in Deir al-Zour and besieged government-controlled areas in the city two years ago.

The IS militants have been preparing for this new offensive since early this month, when they brought in tires and crude oil, in what the Observatory said was a preparation to make huge fire during their offensive.

It's worth mentioning that the IS controls large swathes of the Deir al-Zour countryside, and its recent attempt is to storm the besieged government-controlled areas in the city.

Deir al-Zour holds a significance for the IS as an oil-rich area near the Iraqi borders.
 Flash

The gunman who was captured overnight after 17 days on the run has admitted to a shooting spree he launched on a popular nightclub in Istanbul on New Year's Day, killing 39 people, the governor said Tuesday.

Istanbul police on Monday night captured the gunman, who had been on the run for 17 days, was caught unharmed at the apartment of a friend in the district of Esenyurt in a police operation, the Hurriyet daily said.

NTV said the friend, a Kyrgyz citizen, and three women were detained along with the gunman, the daily said.

Police have identified the gunman as Abdulgadir Masharipov, a Uzbek national, who resisted during the police operation and was found with his 4-year-old son, NTV said.

Masharipov will undergo a medical examination before being handed over to the counterterrorism unit for investigation, the reports said.

The militant stormed into Reina nightclub in central Istanbul soon after the New Year was in, shot dead 39 and wounded 69 others in a 7-minute fire, and managed to escape to his apartment and run away with his son, according to press reports.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the mass shooting, while Turkish police have detained a total of 35 suspects in operations across the country, media reports said.

Mete Yarar, a security analyst, hailed Masharipov's capture as a big success.

"So the police would be able to reveal all the motives behind the Reina attack as well as all his connections," he told CNNTurk.
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 Flash

A Japanese whaling ship has allegedly been caught operating illegally in Australian waters.

The Nisshin Maru, a Japanese vessel, was caught in Australian waters between Tasmania and Antarctica with a dead whale on board by a Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) helicopter.

The group released images taken by the helicopter of the vessel with a dead protected minke whale on board and two harpoon ships nearby.

Josh Frydenberg, Australia's Environment Minister, said the Australian government was "deeply disappointed" that Japan had resumed whaling.

In a statement issued on Monday Frydenberg said that Australia was "opposed to all forms of commercial and so-called 'scientific' whaling."

"It is not necessary to kill whales in order to study them," he said.

"We will continue our efforts in the International Whaling Commission to strongly oppose commercial whaling and so-called 'scientific' whaling, uphold the moratorium on commercial whaling, and to promote whale conservation."

Tony Burke, Frydenberg's Opposition counterpart, also issued a statement, criticizing the "slaughter under the guise of scientific research'."

"Japanese whaling ships have been sighted with their harpoons uncovered in the Southern Ocean, where a moratorium on whaling in currently in effect," he said.

"This is happening in areas Australia recognises as being protected."

Jeff Hansen, a member of Sea Shepherd, said that crew on board the Nisshin Maru quickly covered the whale with a tarpaulin once they spotted the helicopter.

"They're hit with an explosive harpoon that goes straight into their body, hooks come out and shrapnel is sent through their body, it's a terrible bloody death... these whales can take up to 30 or 40 minutes to die," Hansen told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

"A soon as the whaling fleet saw that Sea Shepherd on the scene, they were scrambling to cover up their illegal operations, they were covering up their harpoons.

"This is all happening deep in Australia's whale sanctuary off the Antarctic coast."

The incident occurred as Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in Australia to meet with Australia's PM Malcolm Turnbull about the two nations' relationship.

"It shows that even with the Japan Prime Minister on Australian soil, Japan is going about their bloody business ignoring the Australian Federal Court ruling, ignoring the wishes of the International Court of Justice," Hansen said.
COLUMBUS  Supporters of the proposed downtown library/cultural arts center are under the gun to prove they can raise enough private money to support the project without breaking a previous commitment to taxpayers that capped the public contribution at 50 percent.

Our feet are to the fire on the fundraising, Columbus Public Library Director Drew Brookhart said during Monday nights city council meeting.

Council members spent nearly 90 minutes listening to presentations and discussing information and figures related to the project planned for the former Gene Steffy Ford property along 14th Street between 23rd and 24th avenues.

Two numbers in particular stuck out.

The projects total cost moving forward, including building construction, design fees, relocation expenses, equipment and furnishings, is estimated at $15.99 million.

However, only $4.1 million in private funding from donations, grants and a library foundation contribution has been committed to the project thus far.

Brookhart said theres a clear path to $7.77 million, but that still leaves the private fundraising short of the $8 million needed to evenly split the total estimated cost, which doesnt include $370,000 the city paid to buy the former auto dealership property, expenses to raze the old showroom or a security system for the new library.

This shortfall was cause for concern among Mayor Jim Bulkley and some city council members, who are being asked to move forward with a bond issue authorizing up to $8.5 million in debt to finance the project.

Councilmen Rich Jablonski and Dennis Kresha opposed the proposed ballot language because it allows the city to go beyond the original commitment of a 50-50 split, which would be $8 million for a $16 million building.

If we say half is half, thats what mean, said Jablonski, who was also uncomfortable with the idea of moving forward with a bond issue based on anticipated fundraising.

Kresha and Bulkley agreed, saying theyd like to see firmer numbers and better ballot language to ensure the city doesnt end up paying more for the building and encourage public buy-in.

In my mind, were kind of backing into it. Id rather see us go in forward, Bulkley said. I think weve got a great project here that we need to try to move forward and bring to the public.

I dont want to throw water on the project either, but I just feel we should put a little more thought into this before we present it to the public, Kresha added to the discussion.

Council members voted 6-2 to move the bond issue ballot language forward, and they could decide as early as Feb. 6 whether to stick with the $8.5 million figure and set an April 11 date for the public vote.

Private fundraising for the roughly 45,000-square-foot library/cultural arts center started in November 2015, and Columbus residents voted in May to extend the local half-percent sales tax, which would be used to repay bonds issued for the project.

Brookhart told council members the fundraising effort has been hampered by uncertainty to this point  the buildings preferred location moved from the corner of 14th Street and 26th Avenue to its current site and a solid cost estimate was just developed.

He believes support from the city council and a public vote authorizing the bond issue will help the fundraising group secure more private contributions.

Right now weve got a project that I believe the public will support, Brookhart said.

Several council members share that opinion, saying the group needs to back the project, move forward with a bond election and let the public decide whether theyre comfortable with the funding amounts.

If the citizens dont want to pay up to that much, theyll make it very clear that they dont want to, Councilwoman Beth Augustine-Schulte said. I feel comfortable with that number.

Augustine-Schulte also noted that the council can decide later, before it approves the final project, whether the price tag needs to be reduced so the private and public contributions line up.

Councilman John Lohr, who is a private donor to the project, said theres no risk for the city at this point.

Were not going to spend any more than that ($8.5 million), and we could spend less than that if you raise more, he said.

City staff have already worked with Omaha-based Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture and Boyd Jones Construction, the projects design firm and construction manager at-risk, respectively, to shave about $1.6 million from the construction costs.

Some of those cost-saving measures include eliminating the basement, going to a brick facade instead of limestone, changing the flooring and wall finishes and using bleachers instead of a fancier style of seating for the auditorium  although the last modification drew some comments Monday night from those who would prefer not to use less-comfortable bleachers in the 300-seat venue.

Dan Dolezal, an architect with Alley Poyner Macchietto, said the goal was to bring spending to a level the public is more comfortable with while maintaining the communitys vision and creating a quality building that will serve Columbus for years to come.

We really think that aspect is important. Trying to find the right balance to all those three components really provides for a successful project, said Dolezal, who spoke to council members via speaker phone since icy road conditions prevented him from making the trip to Columbus.

The architect described the two-story building as not overly flashy, something that will be contemporary while fitting in with the downtown area.

We feel like weve really listened to the community and provided a building thats really a reflection of them, he said.

The building itself is expected to cost $13.53 million, with additional expenses of $875,000 for equipment and furnishings, $1.19 million for design fees and other smaller costs. It would be built on the north side of 14th Street, with a parking lot to the south, and include an auditorium, art gallery, makerspace, separate childrens, teen and adult spaces and enough square footage to accommodate 20 years of library collection growth.

If the bond issue is approved in April, construction would start around late July or early August and take about 16 months to complete, according to George Schuler, vice president of Boyd Jones Construction.

Phil Lorenzen with D.A. Davidson Companies, the citys bond underwriter, said the city can reasonably comfortably cover an $8.5 million bond issue for the library/cultural arts center and $16 million in bonds for the proposed public safety improvements using revenue from the local half-percent sales tax over a 17-year period.

City Finance Director Anne Kinnison also told the council holding a mail-in election for the library bond issue is a possibility.

An all-mail vote would cost the city about $30,000, compared to $15,000 for a standard election, according to Kinnison, but she said mail-in elections typically have higher participation rates.

Language for the ballot question needs to be approved by the city council and submitted to the county election commissioners office at least 50 days before the election date, which would make the deadline Feb. 20 for an April 11 vote.

Its coming real fast, Kinnison said.
CRRC is the only qualified provider of metro trains to meet the MBTA's requirements. [Photo/Agencies]

A metro project evaluated at $270 million in the US state of Massachusetts has been awarded to CRRC Corp, a conglomerate formed by the merger of China's top two high-speed rail makers, China North Railway (CNR) and China South Railway (CSR). A total of 134 trains will be purchased for the project, according to a Caixin report on Jan 10.

An insider disclosed that the contract was signed between CRRC and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in December 2016. CRRC is the only qualified provider of metro trains to meet the MBTA's requirements. As a result, the MBTA decided not to solicit additional bids, the insider said, emphasizing that the decision was entirely legal.

China North Railway (CNR) won a contract worth $567 million for the Boston metro in October 2014, necessitating the purchase of 284 trains, according to earlier reports. This marked China's first batch of rail transit equipment to enter the US market.

The 134 new trains will be put into operation in 2023, according to the Boston Globe. Jeffrey Gonneville, CEO of the MBTA, said the vehicles are expected to cut intervals between trains from between four and five minutes to just three. This change will facilitate the transport over 10,000 passengers per hour.
COLUMBUS  Shelley Stempek makes a living helping people prepare for the worst  car accidents, fires, health problems, even death.

The local State Farm Insurance agent doesnt get many visits from people on their best days.

I would like to have people see me as a happy person, she joked.

Stempek is a happy person. Shes just tired of hearing about all the bad things happening in the world today.

Thats why she jumped at the chance to be part of The Kindness Revolution when she was contacted by the nonprofit organization last fall.

Automatically I was like, yes, said Stempek, who runs a State Farm office along 33rd Avenue. The insurance companys good neighbor motto likely led to her selection as a kindness ambassador.

I was so glad that they contacted me, she said.

The Kindness Revolution was founded in 2007 by consumer advocate Ed Horrell, who wrote a best-selling book by the same name. Its goal is to promote respect and kindness in the workplace, schools and everyday life through events and by sharing stories of good deeds.

Stempek, who has four school-age children, signed on to be a local community champion for the national initiative because she wants the norm to be helping and caring about each other, not all the negativity she currently sees.

If somethings going to change, its going to start with one person and just spread, she said.

Stempeks main focus right now is on spreading this message of kindness to young children.

She worked with the Columbus Public Schools after-school programs to get Its Cool 2B Kind bracelets to students, who have one to keep and another to hand out when they see someone doing something good.

The kids were so excited about it, said Stempek, who hopes to spread the project beyond the after-school programs and into other districts.

One school, Emerson Elementary, even has a board to display the acts of kindness that happen there.

The Kindness Revolution, which is based in Tennessee and entirely funded by business memberships, also uses social media to spread its message, posting weekly kindness tips and sharing feel-good stories.

The local Facebook page is just getting going, but already includes a post about a stranger paying for a Columbus familys meal.

Stempek wants to see more people sharing those messages, instead of using social media to vent and post negative comments.

Shes working alongside Alisha Schuettler, a local mother who started #projectloveoneanother to promote the same cause, and plans to start other community outreach projects, including something to recognize paramedics, police officers, firefighters and other unsung heroes.

Thats what Im really excited about is what we can do on a community level with it, Stempek said.

Nationally, The Kindness Revolution recognizes students, teachers, employees, volunteers and organizations for their good deeds, community service and values.

In Columbus, Stempek has Pay It Forward and Its Cool 2B Kind wristbands available at her 2457 33rd Ave. office for those who want to help spread the word.

We need the positive, she said.
The Shenzhen Stock Exchange said it would study plans to change the rules on its ChiNext market for small companies, as the startup venue heads for its lowest level since 2015.

The bourse said the move is to better service innovation and entrepreneurship, according to a statement posted on its website on Monday. It didn't provide further details. Among other key tasks for the year, the exchange said it will push ahead with a trial for options on exchange-traded funds, and try to boost risk controls and supervision of the smaller market.

ChiNext, which opened in 2009 and has 580 listed companies, is an attempt by Chinese authorities to create a public venue for small businesses with growth potential. The bourse has suffered recently, falling 3.2 percent this year, and is 53 percent below its all-time high. Guangdong Wens Foodstuffs Group Co, China's top pig breeder, has the largest presence on the ChiNext Price Index, the exchange's benchmark gauge. "Reform of ChiNext will probably focus on attracting more high-tech and innovative companies," said Ken Chen, a Shanghai-based analyst with KGI Securities Co.

Chen said the changes might center on allowing more initial public offerings. China had 635 IPO applications awaiting approval as of Jan 12, while just 78 companies started trading at ChiNext in 2016. The market was an emblem of China's soaring stocks in 2015, with the ChiNext Price Index closing at 3,982.25 on June 3, 2015. While the benchmarks in Shanghai and Shenzhen have also failed to recapture their June 2015 highs, both are about 40 percent lower than their peaks, better than ChiNext.
Stephane Rinderknech, CEO of L'Oreal China, and actress Angelababy show up at a party to launch Maybelline's new global brand statement "Make it happen" in the Chinese market. [Photo provided to China Daily]

One item swept through the Chinese cosmetics industry in 2016 and made every girl scream at the sight of it. The YSL Star Clash Edition lipstick.

Even though the lipstick was not officially launched until late 2016, many consumers could not wait to get one and asked for help from overseas shopping agents. Some customers were willing to pay a 40 percent premium to get one in advance. Local cross-border e-commerce platforms such as ymatou.com realized this golden opportunity and imported the lipstick from Hong Kong.

Many voices claimed that was a very successful marketing campaign launched using the internet, but L'Orealthe group that owns YSLdenied this, explaining that the product had not been launched in China until late October 2016 and that there had not been any such marketing activity.

So, was it purely the charm of the product that won the hearts of customers?

Jean-Paul Agon, chairman and chief executive officer of L'Oreal Group, was very happy to see that the lipstick was so popular among Chinese consumers. Thanks to Star Clash Edition, sales of the YSL series increased by 40 percent during the third fiscal quarter of 2016 globally. The group's sales in emerging markets, including China, was intrigued and increased by 7.1 percent.

This is just one of the success stories that L'Oreal has realized in the booming Chinese market. But more importantly, it is the embodiment of the group's dream of "putting a lipstick in the hands of every Chinese woman" when it entered the market 20 years ago.

L'Oreal made its first step into China in 1997 with four brandsL'Oreal Paris, Maybelline, Lancome and haircare product L'Oreal Professional. The product portfolio has grown significantly in the past two years. A total of 23 brands now make up the portfolio, which includes well-known brands and local ones such as Yue Sai, Mininurse, and MG.

With continuous investment in China, L'Oreal has grown rapidly. Up until now, it has one headquarters, one research and innovation center, three plants, five distribution centers and one academy in the country. The employee head count has reached 7,800.

And the numbers show that the group's investment philosophy was correct. The group's third-quarter fiscal report of 2016 showed that the high-end cosmetics and fragrance sector continued to seize more market share in the Chinese market.

Despite economic ups and downs, L'Oreal has maintained its growth in the past 20 years. China has become the second largest contributor to the group's total revenue in 2015, only next to the US. Figures provided by global market research firm Euromonitor International shows that L'Oreal's two leading color cosmetics brands Maybelline and L'Oreal Paris have grabbed the top two positions in China since 2010.

The rapid expansion of the Chinese beauty industry has provided much room of growth for L'Oreal. As Euromonitor calculated, the retail revenue of Chinese cosmetics industry was 293.7 billion yuan ($42.4 billion) in 2014 but is expected to amount to 423 billion yuan by 2019, with the annual growth rate remaining at 8 percent.

Jean-Paul Agon, chairman and chief executive officer of L'Oreal Group.

The rapid growth of the Chinese cosmetics industry has proved what Stephane Rinderknech, CEO of L'Oreal China, felt about the Chinese market when he first came to the country in 2011.

"I visited Shenyang city. The moment I stepped into this northern city, I was so astonished and amazed by it. There were crowded shops, busy construction going on and the streets were filled with people. But I was told that Shenyang is only the one of the numerous rising second tier cities in China, which made me realize the huge potential and enormous opportunities here in China," he said.

More than a decade ago, Agon believed that one day China would become the No 1 country in terms of economic importance globally and for L'Oreal as well. Agon says he still has this vision.

The reasons for his vision vary from the group's knowledge of the local market, to its research and innovation ability, and to its strong team established here. But to him, the most important thing is the deeply rooted beauty traditions both for women and men in China.

"China today is the beauty capital of the world. The market will continue to increase with the rising spending power of the middle-class and the younger generation," he said.

Statistics provided by global management consulting firm McKinsey show that China's middle-classwho have an average annual personal income of 75,000 yuan to 280,000 yuanwill reach 275 million by 2020.

This means a huge difference in future consumption. As these people tend to have large disposable incomes and prefer personalized products and services, they will put a higher demand on product quality and in turn demonstrate a higher brand loyalty.

As global market consulting firm Bain & Co has already discovered in the past 12 months, the rising middle-class are showing more attention to high-end products such as personal care products.

"I see how beauty changes people's life not only by inspiring Chinese people's desire for beauty with excellent brands, products and services, but also by bringing people confidence, happiness and fulfillment," said Agon.
A salesgirl arranges products at a L'Oreal store at a shopping mall in Nanjing, Jiangsu. [Photo by An Xin/For China Daily]

In spite of the ups and downs of the economy, it seems people's pursuit of beauty remains unchanged.

Even though the country has been undergoing ups and downs in recent years, the Chinese cosmetics industry has managed to maintain a compound average annual growth rate of 8.2 percent between 2011 and 2015, according to global market consultancy Euromonitor International.

With demographic changes, increased consumer spending as a result of higher incomes, a better understanding of cosmetics consumption and multiple sales channels, the momentum is expected to gather, according to Euromonitor, with the compound average annual growth rate expected to reach 6.7 percent between 2016 and 2020. The value of the Chinese cosmetics market can reach 435.2 billion yuan ($62.6 billion) by 2020.

To pave the way for the faster development of the Chinese cosmetics industry, a new policy was introduced by the finance ministry in September 2016 which abolished the consumption tax for ordinary cosmetic products. The tax for high-end cosmetics was reduced from 30 percent to 15 percent.

While the central government is calling for a supply-side reform, people's consumption habits have been changed accordingly. With the rise of the middle class in China and with more disposable incomes, consumers are now showing a preference for luxury products with higher prices.

According to the 2016 third-quarter fiscal report of South Korean brand LG Care, the high-end brands such as Whoo registered a phenomenal 44 percent increase in sales. Sales of YSL and Giorgio Armani under the umbrella of L'Oreal China increased by a significant 40 percent and 50 percent respectively in the third quarter.

This trend will only increase. More consumers are using their smartphones to go online and order items. Many customers are shopping more frequently for cosmetics and skincare products on the internet.

According to Shenzhen-based ASKCI Consulting Co Ltd, the total online sales volume of cosmetics and skincare products reached 182.3 billion yuan in 2015 and is expected to reach 548.2 billion yuan by 2020, with the compound average annual growth rate at 24.6 percent.

Jason Yu, general manager of market research firm Kantar Worldpanel China, said: "Consumers used to buy more skincare products online three years ago, because the price difference between online and offline channels might be as much as 30 percent. But we have noticed consumers are buying more cosmetics products online in 2016. The products which meet the demand of middle-class consumers, such as cosmetics, have shown robust growth."

The shopping spree which accompanies Singles Day on Nov 11 is evidence of this growth. On that day in 2016, the cosmetics online sales reached 21.2 billion yuan, accounting for 12 percent of the total sales volume on the day. Chinese skincare brand Pechoin recorded sales of 107.8 million yuan on Nov 11 last year, up by 200 percent year-on-year and making it the first store to reach 100 million sales on Tmall in 2016.

Although global market players still take up the leading positions in China, domestic brands are rising rapidly.

Sheng Yongming, senior consultant at international research firm Roland Berger in China, said: "As a rising domestic cosmetics brand, Chando focuses on the low-end market and has been expanding rapidly too. KanS meets the demands of office workers while Pechoin has managed to rebuild its brand image."
China's smog has made the anti-pollution mask one of the hottest products recently and many startup companies are eyeing a slice of the hazy cake.

One of the newcomers to the market is the idMask, designed specifically to protect the public from pollution. The mask has a silicon seal to make sure no pollution leaks in from the sidesa defect many existing masks have.

The California-registered company idMask said it aims to come up with a mask that truly showcases the company's entrepreneurial skills.

"There are many anti-pollution masks on the market but not many have a better seal than idMask," said Henry Sung, founder of the company. It has offices in San Francisco, Beijing and Shanghai.

Despite the idMask costing much more than other masks on the market299 yuan ($43) for a mask and 59 yuan for 24 filters, 20 times than a regular 3M mask or a Honeywell onethe company has reported a rise in sales following frequent smogs in the country.

Sung said: "The idMask saw a 500 percent increase in sales from the first pollution season in 2014 to 2015."

Sung did not release the company's sales figures.

Sung said he believes the idMask's outstanding sealing feature will make it stand out in spite of its high price.

"The real benefit is getting a mask that truly seals your face, and idMasks are reusable for years. The lower cost of replacing filters over time makes the price competitive," he said.

Sung started testing the company's first batch of masks in Beijing and Shanghai in the winter of 2014.

The company has recently started selling them on e-commerce platforms, including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's Taobao and Tmall and expanded its offline stores to more than 20 booths in Beijing and Shanghai, after a sales surge.

The company has so far received a few rounds of funding, and is thinking about tapping angel investors soon, said Sung.

He said: "We have some ideas worth exploring and some investors are already interested."

The 31-year-old entrepreneur said he set up the company's first design team in San Francisco in 2013 with an idealistic mission.

"When my grandmother and I returned to my birth city of Beijing in 2013 amid heavy air pollution, we were completely unprepared, and she soon suffered a stroke and a heart attack later on," said Sung.

"I tried looking for suitable masks everywhere, but I couldn't find anything that properly sealed the face against the bad air. That's when I decided to do something in my power and design an anti-pollution mask with a seal."

According to Michael Wester, a blogger with the Beijinger magazine who has been living in Beijing for many years, the mask is effective, but the product could use some debugging.

The silicone seal and adjustable straps give this mask a superior fit and breathing was just natural, but the see-through version is not that good aesthetically, he said.
Twin daughters and their mother enjoy a smog-free holiday in Sanya, Hainan province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

It is a family tradition for 50-year-old Beijing resident Wang Jianying and her family to travel to Sanya in southern China's Hainan province every Spring Festival for the warm and pleasant weather, but this year there is a new factor: heavy smog in the north.

A similar escape is not unique among northern China's residents suffering from the continuous bad air. Trips to places where the air is clean are becoming popular.

Since October, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and neighboring regions have witnessed six major rounds of smog, with the Air Quality Index often surpassing 300, at times 500, to reach the "hazardous" level. This has led to many northern residents taking short-term trips away from home.

The increasing demand has made flight tickets and hotel rooms harder to book than usual, and the trend is still going on.

Wang felt the pressure of buying flight tickets a month before the one-week trip from Beijing to Sanya later in January.

She said: "Prices usually rise two weeks before Spring Festival, but this time the rise has occurred a whole month earlier, with tickets being sold much quicker."

She bought her round-trip ticket at 5,000 yuan ($720) in the middle of December, at almost twice the usual price. By Jan 2, the cheapest round-trip ticket was sold for more than 10,000 yuan.

Coastal cities such as Sanya, Xiamen, Haikou, Zhuhai and Qingdao are among the most popular destinations for people trying to escape the smog during the coming Spring Festival, many of whom come from Beijing and cities in Hebei province such as Shijianzhuang and Handan, according to Ctrip.com International Ltd, China's largest online travel agency.

Ctrip released data showing that hotel reservations for these coastal cities have been steadily rising, with some seeing a 100 percent increase. Cities in northeastern China where snow is abundant, such as Harbin, Shenyang and Baishan, have also become popular with travelers.

Online travel agencies have seen this as a great business opportunity. Ctrip provides hotel rooms with clean air to popular travel destinations, and promotes special "refresh your lungs" travel packages to northeastern China with discounts. Page views for these two promotions rose significantly of late.

Feng Luosu, 24, said she flew to Sanya for a week with her parents in December 2015 to elude the smog, when Beijing was put on red alert, the highest level, for the first time.

"It was not planned," said Feng, "but the smog lingered for so long that I felt my throat was on fire. Then we decided in a day to fly away."

She knows such a temporary escape cannot be a solution to the problem.

"I have to get used to smog as long as I live in Beijing," she said bitterly.

He Fei contributed to this story.
HONG KONG - The year of 2017 will be better than you think, with Asia leading the way, international accounting firm Deloitte said on Monday.

Despite protectionist rhetoric from the United States and gloomy forecasts from the IMF, three factors suggest global growth is about to "surprise on the upside," it said in the first edition of their Voice of Asia series.

Chris Richardson, Deloitte Australia economist, explained that first, the global economy is finally normalizing after a decade of shocks, and a natural healing process is underpinning a more resilient recovery.

Second, world trade is already lifting and the benefits of this are spilling into Asia, and third, Asia's mega-economies of India and China, are increasingly being powered by consumer booms, acting as a stabilizing force in their economies and for the region, he noted.

Deloitte believes the global economy is stabilising. Following a series of shocks that began with the global financial crisis and then, in quick succession, the eurozone debt crisis and the geopolitical shocks in the Middle East, Europe and Asia, the global economy is finally normalizing, it said.

Deloitte predicts that global growth could in fact accelerate in 2017, with leading indicators already pointing to a lift in world trade. Global growth will trigger an upsurge in trade which, in turn, will fuel stronger growth. Asia's major markets of China and India are also powering ahead and growth in most other countries in the region are strengthening, aided by a buoyant US economy.

The accounting firm believes trade is picking up. World trade volumes were damaged by successive crises and shocks in recent years, but leading indicators suggest volumes are ready to lift.

Deloitte highlights that while US President-elect Trump is still largely an unknown quantity, his influence on global trade may be overstated. Indicators point to Asian and global trade strengthening, despite the rise of nationalistic and protectionist voices globally.

Deloitte China economist Xu Sitao said a new and optimistic generation is taking the lead in driving the direction of their economies: one that is technologically savvy, comfortable with the borderless consumerism of the global middle class, and yet imbued with the consumption-smoothing instincts of its parents and grandparents.

The new generation of consumer in Asia will be a stabilizing force in their economies, meaning they are likely to play an anchor role for 2017, regardless of other developments, Xu said.
SHANGHAI - Shanghai Disneyland received close to 6 million visitors in the first seven months of it opening in mid-June, Fan Xiping, chairman of Shanghai Shendi Group, Disney's Chinese partner, said Monday.

Fan, who is also a member of the standing committee of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said 5.6 million people had visited Shanghai Disneyland by Dec 31, 2016.

Eighty percent of the visitors said they were "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with their visits, according to a third party survey.

Meanwhile, Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel reported up to 90 percent occupancy. The first-ever Mandarin production of "The Lion King" was staged over 220 times, making it the most-run Broadway musical in the Chinese mainland.

"Both sides from China and the US are satisfied with the park's performance," Fan said. "We'll work together to improve our operational and service standards, to deliver exceptional service to visitors from all over the world."

Previously, Walt Disney, in its 2016 fiscal year report, said that Shanghai Disneyland received 4 million visitors in its first four months of operation.
BUENOS AIRES - China's 2016 economic performance showed itself to be solid enough to tackle a series of dynamic reforms in 2017, maintaining its role as an engine of global growth, two leading Argentinian experts said.

Structural reforms were set in motion last year, as part of China's new Five Year Plan, which will ultimately "improve the welfare" of the Chinese people, Nadia Radulovich and Maria Cecilia Peralta, co-founders of Argentine consulting group Asia Viewers, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Peralta said China's economy "showed solid growth, with a growth rate of 6.7 percent in the first three quarters of 2016."

The consultants said they expect fourth-quarter results, to be announced soon, will show a similar performance, with a current account surplus and enormous foreign reserves.

Achieving the target growth rate of 6.5 percent to 7 percent "will surely entail very dynamic adjustments in various policies" designed "to balance aggregate domestic demand with external demand, and to adapt the aggregate supply in a global context marked by uncertainty, including doubts about the direction to be taken by the United States," said Peralta.

Over the next few years, Radulovich suggested, China should center its policies on the "process of industrial reconversion, investing in innovation to further that process, and the restructuring of state companies."

Investment in infrastructure will be a focal point as the trend towards urbanization picks up.

Cities with great infrastructure works, under the concept of green and technological cities, will be the premise of this new urbanization, which is expected to have a marked impact on the real economy, said the consultants.

Foreign direct investment and the inflow of capital will be another focus for the Chinese government, not just due to competitiveness, but also due to the monetary stability needed for the internationalization of the country's currency, they said.

Without doubt, 2017 will be a year of great economic challenges for China, as the country works to boost the productivity and efficiency of its companies, to improve social well-being and employment in accordance with the Five Year Plan, said the consultants.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China contributed 1.2 percent to global economic growth in 2016, in contrast to the United States, which contributed a scant 0.3 percent, and Europe, 0.2 percent.
An industry report that highlighted 30 leading Chinese companies who have most successfully established a presence in overseas markets was recently unveiled in Beijing.

BrandZ Top 30 Chinese Global Brand Builders was published by WPP and Kantar Millward Brown in collaboration with Google.

Brands across nine product categories are ranked based on their Brand Power Scores in seven developed markets, including France, Germany, Spain, the UK, the US, Australia and Japan.

Lenovo Group Co Ltd ranks first among the companies as the most powerful Chinese export brand with a Brand Power score of 1,682.

According to the creators of the report, three ingredients comprise Brand Power: Meaningful (meeting functional and emotional needs in relevant ways), Different (being distinctive or trend setting), and Salient (coming easily to mind in a buying situation).

Each brand's Meaningful and Different scores were computed based on Google Survey answers. Salience was computed based on both the survey answers and the brand's indexed search volume.

"China used to have the reputation for being a country for producing mass manufacturing budget products, achieving a huge success in penetrating across the world," said Scott Beaumont, president of Google Greater China. "But it is changing increasingly quickly. These brands are pioneers in breaking through the ceiling and redefining the ways that people think about China and the ways that people think about Chinese brands."

"The brands on the list stand for qualities, innovation and customer service, in a way that would become comprehensible even five or 10 years ago," he said.

"The study shows that the movement of ideas and product leadership has expanded globally, with consumers increasingly looking to China as a potential source for the newest and most innovative products and brands," David Roth, CEO of The Store WPP said. "This is the opportune time for Chinese brands to expand abroad, despite the many obstacles," he added.

According to the report, one challenge facing Chinese brands is that international consumers are generally less aware of and less likely to consider purchasing a Chinese brand than a local or globally recognized one.

The research also shows that the consumers in France, Germany and Spain are more aware of and likely to consider Chinese brands than consumers in Japan, Britain or America.

Let's take a look at the top ten companies listed in the report.

No 10 Hisense, Brand Power score 482
The famous GE clock on the exterior of the General Electric Building is pictured in Midtown Manhattan in New York, on October 18, 2015. [Photo/IC]

US consultancy company Interbrand released the top 100 best global brands for 2016, crowning Apple Inc with the top spot.

The company said on its website that only truly global brands that have successfully transcended geographic and cultural boundaries can be included on the list of Best Global Brands.

Huawei and Lenovo are the only Chinese brands that have earned seats on the list, ranking 72nd and 99th respectively.

Let's take a look at the top 10 best global brands.

No 10 GE
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan enjoy tea and conversation with Swiss President Doris Leuthard and her husband Roland Hausin in a special train on their way to Bern, capital of Switzerland, Jan 15, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

During his visit to Switzerland from Sunday to Wednesday, President Xi Jinping will attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos and deliver a speech at the United Nations main office in Geneva. The Davos meeting, usually attended by China's premier and vice-president, will witness for the first time a keynote address by China's head of state. Xi is expected to explicitly explain his views on the global economic landscape and China's solutions to global problems at the gathering.

Xi's trip, the first state visit by a Chinese leader this year, comes at a time of uncertainties amid rising anti-globalization, protectionism, isolationism and populism even in economies such as the United States and the European Union that have for decades advocated free trade. The election of Donald Trump as US president and the rise of anti-establishment forces in Germany and France, the EU's heartland, do not bode well for the already wobbly global economic growth.

In sharp contrast to the gloomy prospects of the world economy and international relations, Beijing remains committed to globalization. And Xi's presence at the Davos meeting is a reflection of China's determination to press ahead with the multilateral economic system. His presence at Davos also highlights the fact that China is willing and has the capability to set globalization on a more synergistic, inclusive course.

In May, China will hold a high-level international cooperation forum on the Belt and Road Initiative that focuses on global recovery, re-balancing, renovation and reconnection in response to rising concerns over global governance. Proposed in 2013 and unlike traditional globalization backed by tariff reduction, the Belt and Road Initiative (the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road) is aimed at improving connectivity between regions and boosting global growth, through infrastructure construction among other things.

The Belt and Road Initiative, which focuses on Eurasian infrastructure and better land and sea connectivity, is expected to elevate 3 billion more people to the middle class by 2050 and help increase global trade by $2.5 trillion in the next decade.

The initiative has good reasons to achieve its targets, because every $1 increase in infrastructure investment in developing economies can raise their imports by $0.7, half of which comes from developed countries, as Justin Yifu Lin, former vice-president of World Bank, has said. In other words, the West, too, can benefit from the increase in exports as the Belt and Belt Initiative stimulates global infrastructure investment.

Xi's visit to Switzerland will also witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative between China and the World Health Organization in Geneva, giving fresh impetus to the Beijing-proposed project. Cooperative deals with similar focus have been signed between China and the UN, boosting the international support for the initiative's security and long-term development.

For example, the UN resolution on Afghanistan passed two months ago specifically extended the world body's support for the Belt and Road Initiative, and encouraged all member states to take part in it to restore the war-torn country's economy.

That the Belt and Road Initiative is gaining wider support reflects Xi's foresight that it will promote deeper and more balanced regional cooperation, and allow more people, especially in the South, to enjoy the dividends of economic growth. With China remaining a trustworthy engine of global growth, the countries along the initiative's routes can expect better benefits from China's renewed endorsement of globalization.

The author is a professor at Renmin University of China and a senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing.
Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum gestures during an interview last week in Cologny, Switzerland. [Photo/Agencies]

President Xi Jinping's participation at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, "is quite relevant to the theme of the forum, which is 'responsive and responsible leadership'", said Klaus Schwab, the event's founder and executive chairman.

"I foresee that President Xi will show that China will play a positive role in global affairs at the forum," Schwab said in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

In his opening speech at the forum on Tuesday, Xi is expected to share his views on global affairs with world figures in attendance.

"The world is now in transition into a multipolar geopolitical and economic structure, and China now equals the United States in terms of economic power," Schwab said. "China is an emerging superpower, and we expect the country to play an increasingly active role as a responsive and responsible global leader."

The world is already seeing that happen, he said, in catalyzing support for environmental protection through the Paris climate agreement, championing international trade and investment, supporting development and expanding the digital economy.

Schwab said the forum's annual meeting will include many discussions on how China's economy is adjusting to serve consumers, supporting innovation and upgrading its industrial base, as well as the country's global role.

"But participants also want to know more about China, and Chinese leaders," he said. Top Chinese business leaders like e-commerce innovator Jack Ma and real estate mogul Wang Jianlin also will attend.

"And as China becomes better known for its innovative strength, we expect Chinese expertise to play a greater and more visible role in many critical areas, whether in infrastructure development, clean power or the internet of things, to name just a few," said Schwab. The internet of things refers to networking devices, buildings and other objects.

Schwab said the forum also is interested in innovative approaches China has taken in infrastructure finance and trade. These include the New Development Bank established by the BRICS statesBrazil, Russia, India, China and South Africaand the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Belt and Road Initiative and the proposed Asian free-trade agreement called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

He said these moves highlight "the importance that global governance holds for the collective health of our international community" and the importance of "China's willingness to contribute to a fairer, more prosperous and sustainable planet".

Schwab also noted the important economic partnership between China and Europeone-third of China's outbound investment goes to Europe every yearwhich he said benefits both sides.

While political changes have created momentum for protectionism, he said it's still clear that when it comes to economic development, as with all other global challenges, international cooperation is the best way to create the greatest benefit.

"This does not mean that globalization should be allowed to develop without any intervention," Schwab said.

Globalization has created an imbalance between winners and losers within countries, he said. Meanwhile, the forum has argued for more than 20 years that market mechanisms need to be created to ensure greater social inclusion and human development, Schwab said.

"It is my deep desire that at this year's annual meeting, we will be able to advance ideas and solutions that deliver such a new, more human-centric model for growth and development."
Editor's note: The World Economic Forum is held in Davos, Switzerland from Jan 17 to 20. The prospects of the Chinese economy and how it will intertwine with the global economy against the backdrop of increasing uncertainties will be among the topics to be discussed at the forum. We interviewed 18 chief executives from leading multinational companies to share their outlook on China as well as their corporate strategies in 2017.

1. What's your expectation for China's economic growth in 2017? In this regard, what are the major opportunities and challenges for China?

2. How would you align your business strategy with the main themes of China's 13th Five-Year Plan like innovation, upgrading of manufacturing capability, green growth and urbanization?

3. What are your expectations with regard to 2017 revenue and profit of your business in China?

4. What kind of impact will a stronger US dollar and a more flexible renminbi exchange rate have on your business in 2017?

5. Do you plan to increase your investment in China?

Maximilian Foerst, president, Zeiss China.

A1 Even China's economy is undergoing a slowdown; we are looking today at a China growth rate of approximately 6.7 percentstill one of the most dynamic markets worldwide.

We see much progress in the Made in China 2025, and medical reform. This is actually offering us a lot of growth opportunities as Zeiss is primarily active in the areas of healthcare, research, vision care and of manufacturing excellence. These are all sectors of the Chinese economy that are growing above the average.

From an industrial standpoint, the upgrade of the economy relies very much on the upgrade of capabilities in the manufacturing sector. With our partners in China, we focus on supporting industry with tools and solutions that can enable them to continuously increase efficiency and quality.

A2 Zeiss' business scope is very much in line with the set priorities of the 13th Five-Year Plan as we focus on solutions for improved research and technology, healthcare, and manufacturing excellence.

A3 We are planning to maintain the double digital annual growth rate that we have achieved in the past years.

Our sustainable growth momentum and industry dynamics we see here are fueling us with great confidence in the Chinese market prospects.

A4 Zeiss has a very geographically well-balanced business portfolio, meaning that we benefit from natural hedging and the currency fluctuation will only have limited impact on our business.

We manufacture in the euro, US dollar and renminbi areas. Our China organizations are importing goods from US dollar- and euro-dominated areas for sales in China, and also exporting products to the euro and US dollar zone. These flows will offer us a long-term natural hedging.

A5 Yes. With innovation in China being set as a strategic national priority, this is a particular area where investments will accelerate. We will also continue investing in our staff and infrastructure. We will keep hiring personnel, creating jobs and continuously improving our talent development and training efforts.
Sergei Guriev, chief economist at EBRD.

China can greatly bolster global economic growth by advocating globalization and more infrastructure investment, said Sergei Guriev, chief economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Guriev said that ensuring globalization's momentum does not slow and making sure people benefit from it are particularly important.

"Populist leaders have been taking advantage of the dissatisfaction of those who have been left behind in globalization," he said.

Guriev spoke to China Daily ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which will be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping. It is the first time a top Chinese leader has attended the forum. It also has come at a time when China is taking more of a leadership role in reducing free-trade barriers globally, as when Xi attended a forum in November of Asia-Pacific leaders in Peru who vowed to fight protectionism.

Globalization fits well into the idea of the fourth industrial revolution, which seeks to increase productivity by automation and economies of scale, Guriev said.

"Technological progress and globalization are the same phenomenon," he said. "The costs of accessing global markets are falling as costs of transportation, innovation and infrastructure investment decline. On the other hand, in a globalized economy, incentives to innovate are stronger as the winners of the technological race capture larger markets and receive higher returns."

Guriev also said China's push for global growth though such efforts as the Belt and Road Initiative is significant, and fits well with the EBRD's vision of triggering growth through infrastructure investment. The initiative refers to the infrastructure and trade program linking Asia, Europe and other areas, modeled on historical Silk Road routes.

A global lack of funds for infrastructure investment makes China's initiative all the more important, Guriev said.

"In the aftermath of the most recent financial crisis, many countries are burdened with nonperforming loans and sovereign debt, and their budgets have limited space for infrastructure investment," he said.

China became a member of the EBRD in January. The China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the EBRD signed an agreement in June to jointly commit a total of $55 million to upgrade a key section of the motorway connecting Tajikistan with Uzbekistan, which is also one of AIIB's first projects.

Guriev said it is vital to build a solid framework for such projects, in which initial funds committed by multinational development banks like the AIIB and EBRD can attract further private sector capital. He added that the EBRD can contribute important ideas, practices and approaches when investing jointly with the AIIB.

He said that investing in sustainable or green projects is important in attracting long-term investors. "Green is crucial because environmental issues are increasingly at the forefront of people's minds. ... If you don't follow green policy, you may have a problem in 20 years' time, when environmental standards are stricter and nongreen assets may become stranded."
Bernd is 47. He lives in Landquart, an hour from Davos, where global leaders gather every year to set the world development agenda.

I met Bernd on Sunday on a train to Davos for the start of the World Economic Forum. He was taking his wife and daughter for a day's hiking.

Outside the window, golden sunlight shone on the snow-topped mountains as our train meandered through silent fields.

Curious to know what the locals think of the annual Davos meeting, I asked Bernd. He shrugged. He is a mechanical engineer, a family man, and indicated he has no interest in it.

I was disappointed. I wondered how Bernd, who was born in 1971, the same year the Davos forum was launched near his home, could seem so indifferent.

Our conversation took a different turn, however, at the mention of President Xi Jinping and his attendance this year in Davos.

Bernd's eyes lit up.

"China's presence at Davos is important," he told me. "China has increasingly more economic power. There are lots of issues where the world waits for China to take more leadership, including economics, environmental issues and peacekeeping," Bernd said.

I was taken back by Bernd's sudden change of tone, but on second thought it made sense. Bernd is old enough to have noticed China's opening-up in the 1980s, its economic boom since the 1990s, and its journey toward leadership on major global issues.

China and Switzerland have become closer since signing a free-trade pact in 2013, and Bernd now sees many more Chinese faces in his community.

Walking around Davos, I soon discovered Bernd was not alone in his views. From multinationals to small private firms, from nongovernmental organizations to charities, China and Xi's presence at Davos were big talking points.

Global political uncertainties in 2016prompted by the election of Donald Trump as president in the United States and the vote in the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, coupled with a slow recovery since the 2008 financial crisishave led to a search for new sources of growth and certainty and, more importantly, leadership.

At a hotel in Davos I met with Vikas Pota, chief executive of the education charity the Varkey Foundation. He said he thinks China can champion education globally, helping teachers win more respect and resources.

"Education is important to achieving all of the United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals, and China can make a meaningful contribution by making this view heard," he said.

Last month, two Chinese teachers were nominated for the Varkey Foundation's Global Teacher Prize.

At home, Xi has made poverty reduction a priority, vowing by 2020 to lift out of poverty the 70 million people who still live on less than a dollar a day.

China has proved its ability to carry policies through to implementation, and here at Davos, many people want to hear more of what Xi has to say.
Chinese President Xi Jinping started his four-day state visit to the Swiss Confederation on January 15. During the trip, he will attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in 2017, visit the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG), the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee.

Xi's trip is the opening of Beijing's diplomatic visits for 2017, which is of great significance to guide China's diplomacy for this year. It has attracted much global attention.

It is the first state visit to Switzerland by a Chinese president in the 21st century. It is Beijng's major diplomatic event in Europe and the whole world. It is of great significance to deepen China-Swiss innovative strategic partnership and promote cooperation between China and Europe.

And meanwhile, President Xi will become the first head of state to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. He will elaborate Beijing's proposal on the global economic situation, put forward Beijing's program and convey its confidence on global economic governance.

Xi will deliver a keynote speech on establishing a "community of shared destiny for mankind" at the Palace of Nations, and set a direction for the future of the world from perspectives of history and philosophy. Xi is also the first top Chinese leader to visit the World Health Organization and International Olympic Committee, which is of extraordinary significance. The Chinese President's ongoing state visit to Switzerland is characterized by a number of "firsts". Xi's first overseas trip in 2017 will add a new chapter to China's diplomacy.

By Zhang Maorong, researcher with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations; cartoon drawing by Liao Tingting
Chinese President Xi Jinping first proposed building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in 2013. Looking back at 2016, we can see the bid to reinvigorate the ancient trade routes has gained some early achievements in promoting connectivity and new opportunities.

"If we say 2013 was the year of proposal, 2014 was the year of the guideline, 2015 the year of the top-level design, then 2016 was the year of implementing the first landmark projects of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Zhao Lei, a professor at China's Central Party School.

The trains that run between China and Europe are a good example of these early achievements. By June 2016, trains had run nearly 2,000 times between China and Europe, transporting goods with a total import and export value of $17 billion.

Other major projects include Gwadar Port in Pakistan the Qamchiq Tunnel in Uzbekistan, the longest tunnel in Central Asia and part of what will be the 169-kilometer Angren-Pap railway line.

And in October 2016, the contract for the second phase of the China-Laos railway project was signed in the Laos capital Vientiane.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway was held on Jan 21 last year.

The Belt and Road Initiative not only represents China's further opening-up, but also greater regional and intercontinental connectivity.

On Aug 10, 2016, Chinese shipping giant COSCO acquired a 67 percent stake in the port of Piraeus in Greece, which is expected to operate as a European hub for the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and connect it with the Silk Road Economic Belt.

In Africa, the Chinese-built Ethiopia-Djibouti railway has officially opened.

But such infrastructure projects are not the only focus.

"Previously, most of the Belt and Road projects were in areas such as energy and infrastructure. But in 2016, cooperation between China and those countries along the routes has expanded into education, culture, medical care and telecommunications," said Zhao.

If the "hard connection" of the Belt and Road draws countries geographically closer, then the "soft connection" brings people together.

Till now, over 100 countries and international organizations have expressed willingness to actively support and participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, 40 of them have signed cooperation deals with China.

In 2017, a Belt and Road summit will be held to further map out a blueprint for the initiative, explore business opportunities and deepen the alignment of the development strategies of China and other relevant parties.

On June 22 last year, during a speech at the Legislative Chamber of the Uzbek Supreme Assembly in Tashkent, Xi called for building a green, healthy, intelligent and peaceful Silk Road, which laid out the direction of the initiative.

According to Huang Rihan, executive director of the Belt and Road Institute at the Center for China and Globalization, a green Silk Road urges environmental protection and intensive cultivation for sustained development.

A healthy Silk Road means closer and friendly cooperation. An intelligent Silk Road calls for people cultivation and exchanges. A peaceful Silk Road aims at implementing a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept.

While addressing the Uzbek Parliament, Xi invited other countries to attend the 2017 Belt and Road Summit. The summit will not only look back at the fruitful harvest made so far, but also set a new starting point for the future.

"The Belt and Road Initiative is not a flash in the pan, nor is it mere words," said Zhao. "China wants to go deep with the initiative and turn it into real benefits."

"The agreement reached in November by the UN General Assembly to further promote the Belt and Road Initiative worldwide shows that its construction involves not just China, but also countries along the routes and the world at large," said Wang Yiwei, a professor at Renmin University of China.
The Belt and Road Initiative will continue to serve as an effective momentum to boost revenue growth of both foreign and Chinese companies as infrastructure and industrial capacity exportation are accelerating in many countries, said business executives.

"It is important for foreign companies to realize the Belt and Road Initiative will generate new market growth points," said Denis Depoux, senior partner of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.

The infrastructure, service and trade networks of the Silk Road Economic Belt and a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 encompass more than 60 countries and regions in Asia, Europe and Africa and about 4.4 billion people.

A big chunk of the strategy is in infrastructure investments.

"China is increasing the share of Chinese technologies, but there is also a significant share of international technologies," said Depoux. "Chinese companies, primarily State-owned enterprises, cooperate with foreign enterprises in third party countries along the two routes."

Global companies including ABB Group, Schneider Electric, Simens AG, Philips Lighting Holding BV and General Electric have all made plans to form more partnerships with China's power, infrastructure, transportation and energy companies to tap the opportunities created by the Belt and Road Initiative, especially engineering, procurement and construction projects.

"Many of these opportunities come from countries' surging demand for public services, manufacturing and infrastructure projects, especially in fast-growing economies such as Turkey, Poland and Qatar," said Claudio Facchin, president of ABB's power grids division worldwide.

The company provided a 220 kV main substation solution to Sinopec for its EPC project in Atyrau Refinery, Kazakhstan, as well as supplying a 6,000 metric ton per day cement processing line in Saudi Arabia for China National Building Material Corp and 420KV switchgears to China Machinery Engineering Co for Soyo power plant in Angola.

Li Gang, vice-president of the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said that the Belt and Road Initiative, international production capacity cooperation and the development of AIIB are complementary to many countries' economies.
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Once a year, world's leaders and economic tycoons touch down at Davos, a ski resort located at the Swiss Alps, for the World Economic Forum.

Although the economic depression that has spread over the world is unavoidable in most countries, this January, President Xi Jinping will go to the event with China's solutions to pull through the difficulties.

"All countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, must treat each other as equals. We need to help each other achieve sound development as we work to ensure our own development," Xi said in a speech at the G20 delivered last September to the leaders of the 20 biggest economies in the world.

International Monetary Fund statistics show that last year, global GDP growth would reach 3.1 percent, of which China's contribution would be 39 percent, or 1.2 percentage points.

China contributes much to maintaining balance in the world by helping developing countries through strengthening mutual economic and political ties.

For example, today China is the largest trading partner of emerging countries like Russia, Brazil and India.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, China attracted $118 billion foreign direct investment this year, which excludes investment in the financial sector.

Meanwhile, China's full year non-financial outbound direct investment is expected to stand at around 1.12 trillion yuan.

The Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, with more and more countries willing to participate, have also contributed to global welfare.

Belt and Road Initiative

The Belt and Road initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was first promulgated by Xi in 2013. He envisioned a trade and infrastructure network that connects Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes.
President Xi Jinping's participation at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland,"is quite relevant to the theme of the forum, which is 'responsive and responsible leadership'", said Klaus Schwab, the event's founder and executive chairman.

Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum gestures during an interview last week in Cologny, Switzerland. [Photo\Agencies]

"I foresee that President Xi will show that China will play a positive role in global affairs at the forum," Schwab said in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

In his opening speech at the forum on Tuesday, Xi is expected to share his views on global affairs with world figures in attendance.

"The world is now in transition into a multipolar geopolitical and economic structure, and China now equals the United States in terms of economic power," Schwab said. "China is an emerging superpower, and we expect the country to play an increasingly active role as a responsive and responsible global leader."

The world is already seeing that happen, he said, in catalyzing support for environmental protection through the Paris climate agreement, championing international trade and investment, supporting development and expanding the digital economy.

Schwab said the forum's annual meeting will include many discussions on how China's economy is adjusting to serve consumers, supporting innovation and upgrading its industrial base, as well as the country's global role.

"But participants also want to know more about China, and Chinese leaders," he said. Top Chinese business leaders like e-commerce innovator Jack Ma and real estate mogul Wang Jianlin also will attend.

"And as China becomes better known for its innovative strength, we expect Chinese expertise to play a greater and more visible role in many critical areas, whether in infrastructure development, clean power or the internet of things, to name just a few," said Schwab. The internet of things refers to networking devices, buildings and other objects.

Schwab said the forum also is interested in innovative approaches China has taken in infrastructure finance and trade. These include the New Development Bank established by the BRICS states-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africaand the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Belt and Road Initiative and the proposed Asian free-trade agreement called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

He said these moves highlight "the importance that global governance holds for the collective health of our international community" and the importance of "China's willingness to contribute to a fairer, more prosperous and sustainable planet".

Schwab also noted the important economic partnership between China and Europe-one-third of China's outbound investment goes to Europe every year-which he said benefits both sides.

While political changes have created momentum for protectionism, he said it's still clear that when it comes to economic development, as with all other global challenges, international cooperation is the best way to create the greatest benefit.

"This does not mean that globalization should be allowed to develop without any intervention," Schwab said.

Globalization has created an imbalance between winners and losers within countries, he said. Meanwhile, the forum has argued for more than 20 years that market mechanisms need to be created to ensure greater social inclusion and human development, Schwab said.

"It is my deep desire that at this year's annual meeting, we will be able to advance ideas and solutions that deliver such a new, more human-centric model for growth and development."
Examine. Report. Decide. These are a U.S. Senate committees core responsibilities.

Witnesses deliver testimony: cabinet secretaries and agency heads; generals and admirals; CEOs and scientists. In-depth reports are released on topics ranging from cybersecurity to health care. And, by a majority vote of members, legislation advances to the full Senate.

Committee work is not glamorous. On the contrary, it is tedious. Long days are filled with tough issues. Progress can be slow. Patience is a necessity. A willingness to work, endure setbacks, and keep on working is essential.

As a Nebraskan, working hard feels right at home.

Recently, I received my committee assignments for the 115th Congress. Over the next two years, I will continue to serve on the Armed Services Committee; Environment and Public Works Committee; and Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. I will also take up new posts on the Senate Rules Committee and Special Committee on Aging.

Five committees, five opportunities to push Nebraskas priorities in the U.S. Senate. I am exceedingly grateful for each of them.

Over the past four years on the Armed Services Committee, I have worked to successfully secure the replacement of a new runway at Offutt Air Force Base and fully meet the needs of U.S. Strategic Command. Protecting our country is governments greatest responsibility. I am proud to ensure resources for the uniformed men and women who carry out this vital mission in Nebraska.

As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I will continue my efforts to guard and assist our states No. 1 economic engine, agriculture, by fighting burdensome federal regulations. I am especially anxious to target those harming ag producers, such as the Waters of the United States rule, on-farm fuel storage requirements and duplicative pesticide regulations.

Nebraskans know the importance of safe, reliable infrastructure. On the Commerce Committee, I will bring Nebraskas common-sense approach on connecting communities to a new, national level.

On the Rules Committee, I will have a hand in ensuring certain functions of the Senate run smoothly and overseeing the appropriate use of congressional buildings.

As a member of the Special Committee on Aging, I will have a platform to call attention to issues of critical importance for our nations seniors. In the past, this committee has sounded the alarm about abuse of patients in nursing homes and challenges to Medicare. Im looking forward to continuing this critical oversight role.

A word on hearings: much of my work for these committees will take place through them.

A committee hearing should always be a search for the truth. That is why I never give out text of my questions in advance, though many senators often do. Witnesses at these hearings are experts; I trust them to be prepared, and I want to hear their honest reactions to the questions I ask. From them, I gain the insights I need to make informed decisions.

From defense to overregulation, Nebraskans are ready for results. With the new administration, I am ready to deliver. I look forward to continuing to use my committee assignments to achieve results for Nebraskans in the coming year.

Thank you for taking part in our democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.
China can greatly bolster global economic growth by advocating globalization and more infrastructure investment, said Sergei Guriev, chief economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Sergei Guriev. chief economist at EBRD

Guriev said that ensuring globalization's momentum does not slow and making sure people benefit from it are particularly important.

"Populist leaders have been taking advantage of the dissatisfaction of those who have been left behind in globalization," he said.

Guriev spoke to China Daily ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which will be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping. It is the first time a top Chinese leader has attended the forum. It also has come at a time when China is taking more of a leadership role in reducing free-trade barriers globally, as when Xi attended a forum in November of Asia-Pacific leaders in Peru who vowed to fight protectionism.

Globalization fits well into the idea of the fourth industrial revolution, which seeks to increase productivity by automation and economies of scale, Guriev said.

"Technological progress and globalization are the same phenomenon," he said. "The costs of accessing globalmarkets are falling as costs of transportation, innovation and infrastructure investment decline. On the other hand, in a globalized economy, incentives to innovate are stronger as the winners of the technological race capture larger markets and receive higher returns."

Guriev also said China's push for global growth though such efforts as the Belt and Road Initiative is significant, and fits well with the EBRD's vision of triggering growth through infrastructure investment. The initiative refers to the infrastructure and trade program linking Asia, Europe and other areas, modeled on historical Silk Road routes.

A global lack of funds for infrastructure investment makes China's initiative all the more important, Guriev said." In the aftermath of the most recent financial crisis, many countries are burdened with nonperforming loans and sovereign debt, and their budgets have limited space for infrastructure investment," he said.

China became a member of the EBRD in January. The China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the EBRD signed an agreement in June to jointly commit a total of$55 million to upgrade a key section of the motorway connecting Tajikistan withUzbekistan, which is also one of AIIB's first projects.

Guriev said it is vital to build a solid framework for such projects, in which initial funds committed by multinational development banks like the AIIB and EBRD can attract further private sector capital. He added that the EBRD can contribute important ideas, practices and approaches when investing jointly with the AIIB.

He said that investing in sustainable or green projects is important in attracting longterm investors. "Green is crucial because environmental issues are increasingly at the forefront of people's minds.... If you don't follow green policy, you may have a problem in 20 years' time, when environmental standards are stricter and nongreen assets may become stranded."
A TV screen grab shows Chinese President Xi Jinping delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting on Tuesday.

DAVOS, Switzerland - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday stressed the importance of adapting to and guiding economic globalization and delivering its benefits to all.

Xi made the remarks in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 47th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
By An Baijie in Davos and Mo Jingxi in Beijing | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2017-01-17 19:36

President Xi Jinping and Swiss President Doris Leuthard launch the Swiss-Sino year of tourism next to a panda ice sculpture on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 47th annual World Economic Forum in Davos. [Photo/Agencies]

President Xi Jinping called on Tuesday at the Davos World Economic Forum for boosting open economies as a solution to global sluggishness.

Xi's commitment to an open economy and firm opposition to trade protectionism will bring more confidence to the global economy, analysts said.

"Practicing trade protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. It seems to have screened wind and rain, but it also isolates one from sunshine and air," Xi said at the forum in Switzerland, which was attended by political and business leaders.

"Staging a trade war will only hurt both sides," he added.

Mentioning that economic globalization has been criticized by some as the cause of global sluggishness, Xi said it is not globalization that should be blamed, but regional conflicts. He said these have resulted in many problems, including the refugee crisis in the Middle East and North Africa.

"Of course, we also admit that economic globalization is a double-edged sword," Xi said, adding that it is not easy to "make the cake of global economy" bigger at a time when the traditional economic engine is losing power.

China has not only benefited from economic globalization but also contributed to the process, Xi said, adding that China's economy has contributed to more than 30 percent of global growth.

"China will not envy others, nor will it complain if others benefit from China's development," he said.

China's development is an opportunity for the world and the nation welcomes other countries to share its opportunities, Xi said.
President Xi Jinping's speech at the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum earned wide praise from entrepreneurs and scholars.

"Protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. No one would emerge a winner in a trade war," Xi said, adding that there's no point in blaming globalization for economic pitfalls.

It is the first time that a top Chinese leader has attended the annual gathering of global political and corporate leaders. Xi's attendance also has come at a time when China is taking more of a leadership role in reducing free-trade barriers globally, as when the president vowed to fight protectionism at a forum of Asia-Pacific leaders in Peru in November.

Here is a collection of comments from attendees.

Swiss Confederation President Doris Leuthard: Xi gave impressive speech in Davos

After President Xi Jinping's state visit to her country and his opening speech at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, Swiss Confederation President Doris Leuthard said Xi's speech was impressive and encouraging, which once again indicated their shared values.

She also said Xi's visit to her country is a huge success with dozens of agreements signed and trust being boosted.
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After President Xi Jinping's state visit to her country and his opening speech at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, Swiss Confederation President Doris Leuthard said Xi's speech was impressive and encouraging, which once again indicated their shared values.

She also said Xi's visit to her country is a huge success with dozens of agreements signed and trust being boosted.
Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, speaks to the attendees on January 17, 2017, during the opening ceremony of the WEF annual meeting held in Davos, Switzerland. [Photo/Agencies]

Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, commented on President Xi Jinping's address at the opening ceremony of the WEF annual meeting held on Tuesday in Davos, Switzerland.

"We're living in a global, independent world and we cannot recreate artificial borders. Globalization is a win-win situation and we have a common density as humankind," Schwab said. "Your commitment, Mr President, to the innovative, open and inclusive world is crucial."

He acknowledged the "Chinese Dream" initiated by Xi and called for a "Global Dream", a dream of a world that remains innovation, open and fair.

"We cannot go back to old policies and it will be inappropriate for us to use old methods," Schwab said. "As you committed to approach global governance and global cooperation in a new way, we need new ideas here to refresh the new world."
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After listening to President Xi Jinping's opening speech at the annual World Economic Forum on Tuesday Prof Li Daokui from Tsinghua University says Xi has sent a very strong message to advance globalization and help the rest of the world benefit from China's development after China has gained mutual benefits due to openness and reform.

Li also said President Xi gave this message at the right time when Donald Trump is going to move into the White House in a few days and as top Western leaders did not attend this annual forum.
By An Baijie in Davos, Switzerland | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2017-01-18 00:07

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets Belgium King Philippe on the side line of the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 17, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

China and Belgium should make joint efforts to oppose trade protectionism, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday while meeting with Belgium's King Philippe in Switzerland.

Both sides should maintain a fair and free global trade and investment system, Xi said.

The two leaders had a meeting during the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Davos World Economic Forum. Xi made a keynote speech during the open ceremony of the forum. About 3,000 political and business leaders attended the forum.

Xi spoke highly of Belgium's support toward the one-China principle, saying that Belgium has respected China's major concerns and core interests.

China hopes that Belgium could play a more positive role in deepening the China-European relationship, Xi told the King.

The two countries could enhance cooperation in areas including high-end manufacture, biological pharmacy, modern service industry and sustainable development, he said.

The Belgian monarch said that faced by the turmoil of the current global situation, Belgium is willing to make joint efforts with China to safeguard world peace.

Calling China a great nation, King Philippe said that Belgium and China hold similar views on many important global issues. He also expressed gratitude for being deemed by China as being at the heart of Europe.
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Cao Huining

Professor of Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business

"Today President Xi gave a great speech on economic globalization. Globalization is a trend and it has contributed a lot to the world's economic growth. Even if there are many problems, such as being associated with wealth polarization, overall, it benefits the [world] economy a lot and benefits many countries a lot. Xi said China is committed to free trade and an open economy and fighting trade protectionism, which is a good message for the global economy."
IBM's artificial intelligence platform Watson in February will start to assist doctors at a North China general hospital who are offering people diagnosed with cancer a precise treatment.

Tianjin Third Central Hospital has invested 3 million yuan ($434,693) to realize the whole system, which analyze both patient records and worldwide medical literature then create a list of potential treatments ranked in practicability.

"To trawl through amounts of medical data from our patients, Watson will offer treatments that target Chinese patients' cancer-causing genetic mutations specifically in the future," said Wang Fengmei, the hospital's vice president.

"In the meantime, our doctors can learn from each case it examines," she added.

Doctors from the hospital have been trained to use the platform and will give a free trial to 50 patients on Feb 4.

"I think doctors with less experience would benefit the most from this electronic companion in clinical trials. You can consider Watson as a dictionary, a Wikipedia with large, accurate information anytime anywhere," said Dr Wu Chenxuan of the hospital.

"However, Watson will never be the final answer to cancer treatment. There are so many factors need to be concluded such as the patients' emotion, and economic conditions," she added.

The American-born Watson has been transferred into Chinese, and its multidisciplinary team (MDT) platform was run by Ewell Technology, one of Tianjin Third Central Hospital's partners, which has a team to synchronously translate constantly updated information and manage the backstage system.

"So far, the accuracy of translation is above 85 percent, and 5 more percent will be added in the near future," said Jiang Haiying, Regional Sales Director of Ewell.

More Chinese patients are starting to get help from Watson. It was firstly brought into China by Zhejiang Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in December last year and will be used by 19 other hospitals in China soon according to 36kr.com.

"Even though we have no figure to support how Watson will change Chinese oncology so far, we have faith that it will shorten the gap between China and developed countries," said Wang.

The survival rate of cancer patients who live 5 years after treatment in the US is 66 percent, and the rate in China is 30.9 percent. One of the most important reasons lies in the lack of information in the diagnosis section, she believed.
I received a note from Scott, a farmer from Nebraska. It is a straightforward letter, Nebraska like. Ill just show you basically what he wrote:

Congressman Fortenberry,

My health care is $23,000 a year with a $20,000 deductible.

I have $46,000 in property taxes (on a relatively small farm.)

Im paying $24,000 in state and federal taxes.

Corn is $3.09 a bushel.

This. Doesnt. Work.

Do Something!

Soon!

Scott is right. This is unsustainable. Such skyrocketing costs do not work for small business owners, for farmers, for many Americans facing the assault of unsustainable premium increases.

Catherine also wrote to me. She is a retired nurse. Due to preexisting conditions, she could not previously afford health care insurance. Now through subsidies she can. Catherine is also right.

Health care is complicated. To better assess the challenges, we have to segment the problem into digestible pieces. One group of people is being helped due to significant subsidies based upon their income. They are fearful of any change that would disrupt their care. At the same time, another group of people is left twisting in the wind. Although they are working, they do not qualify for Medicaid or subsidies, and their premiums are bigger than their house and car notes combined. They cant make it. No wonder there is so much anger.

Multiple ideas have emerged about restoring a vibrant insurance market that is affordable, competitive, and protective. A first order priority is to ensure no one is left behind. At the same time, those who have the greatest financial pain deserve another system. We will see progress on these fronts in the coming weeks and months.

As all of this policy dynamic unfolds, there is a topic which remains unaddressed. For a certain segment of the population, life expectancy is going down. We spend more on health care than ever before, and yet what are we achieving? In effect, the entire health care debate revolves around financing, drugs, and procedures; thus the entire debate is incomplete. Whether health care policy is run by big government, whether it is run by big business, or whether a new innovative system emerges that rightfully combines the best aspects of certain public subsidy and a truly vibrant market system, the issue is the same: we are still only talking about how to pay for drugs and procedures. Health is much more.

Better health demands a comprehensive concept of wellbeing, one that is more complex than standard medical practice. Wellbeing is nurtured in community. Access to good care, stable relationships, and a high quality of life are all central to this concept. Interestingly, some of the poorest people in America, with limited access to resources and health care, have some of the best health outcomes. This reality rises organically from intact community ecosystems that enable persons the freedom of commitment and interdependency.

This moment of government transition provides a chance to rethink the equation, giving people where they live the security of affordable health care insurance while also nurturing a greater sense of place, purpose, and participation, so that they can actualize community solutions. Im working on a new public policy concept called the Community Savings Account to facilitate and reward social health innovation.

Restoring a properly functioning and affordable health care system  with a renewed focus on understanding the fullness of well being  could create an exceptional outcome at a tough moment. Then both Scott and Catherine win.
BEIJING - Chinese social media giant Sina Weibo will leverage its platform strengths and connections to promote sustainable development.

At the company's annual gala Monday night, Weibo's Chairman Cao Guowei said that the Twitter-like company would partner with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to promote sustainable development at the start of a public welfare campaign for 2017.

Weibo will allocate resources worth over 20 million yuan ($2.90 million) to support UNDP work to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to Cao.

Social media is playing an increasing role in encouraging public participation in public welfare causes, and Weibo's significant media and celebrity resources and active user interaction can help make SDGs a public topic, according to Patrick Haverman, UNDP deputy country director.

Weibo's official public welfare account became one of the country's first accredited online fund-raising information platforms last year, and is used to motivate influential users to promote public welfare causes using modern methods such as live streaming.

More than 16,000 public-welfare-related topics were mentioned on Weibo in 2016, with about 1,100 celebrities and 8,500 enterprises spreading goodwill messages, attracting about seven million people to donate.

Weibo had about 300 million monthly active users and over 130 million daily active users by the end of September, according to the company's Q3 financial report.
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A keeper prepares milk formula for giant panda cub Jianjian in Macao, Jan 11, 2017. Giant pandas Jianjian and Kangkang are twin cubs of Kaikai and Xinxin. The parents were chosen from Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province as a gift of the central government to Macao SAR. The family of four is expected to meet the public together during China's Spring Festival.[Photo/Xinhua]
Philippines praised for independent foreign policy under new president

China has slammed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's act of "sowing discord" during his tour of four Asia-Pacific countries, saying it displayed "an extremely unhealthy mentality".

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the remarks on Monday after The Philippine Star quoted Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as saying he had declined an offer by Abe to provide missiles to the Philippines.

Duterte said in Davao that he told Abe the Philippines does not need missiles in its defense, and that he doesn't want a "Third World War".

Abe, who left the Philippines on Friday, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying in Manila on Thursday that "the issue of the South China Sea is linked directly to regional peace and stability, and is a concern to the entire international community".

Hua dismissed Abe's behavior as showing "ulterior motives".

"As is seen by all, the situation in the South China Sea is becoming increasingly stabilized, and has returned to the right path through negotiations under joint efforts by China and relevant ASEAN countries," Hua said.

"However, the Japanese leader is still sparing no efforts in sowing discord and playing up so-called regional tensions," she added.

Hua praised the Philippines' "independent foreign policy" since Duterte became president.

Abe's tour has also seen him visit Australia and Indonesia, and he is currently in Vietnam.

Lyu Yaodong, a researcher of Japan's foreign policy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Japan intends to play up the South China Sea issue through Abe's visit as well as the assistance it has pledged to the Philippines.

Calling Japan a "damager" of peace in the Asia Pacific region, Lyu said Japan aims to encourage the Philippines to "stir up the South China Sea issue".

Jia Duqiang, a researcher of Southeast Asian studies at the academy, said Japan wants to play up the so-called "China threat" and spur Southeast Asian countries to turn against China.

However, such efforts "will be in vain" as long as Duterte sticks to his pragmatic foreign policy of cooling down the South China Sea situation and developing closer economic and trade ties with China, Jia said.

Since Dutertewho has shown intentions of resolving maritime disputes with Chinavisited China in October, ties between China and the Philippines have recovered significantly from the damage brought by a South China Sea arbitration case the previous Philippine government initiated in 2013.

Hua reiterated on Monday that China will support the Philippines in its role of rotating ASEAN president this year.

Jia said that the Philippines can play an important role in enhancing China-ASEAN cooperation in areas such as pushing forward the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.
Chinese vice premier underlines crackdown on counterfeits

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-01-17 07:44

BEIJING - Vice Premier Wang Yang said Monday that the country should make new headway in the campaign against intellectual property right (IPR) infringement and counterfeit products.



IPR protection can support the country's supply-side structural reform and help create a more competitive environment to attract investors, Wang said at a meeting.



In 2016, Chinese authorities cracked more than 170,000 cases concerning IPR infringement and counterfeit products and arrested nearly 20,000 suspects.



Wang said the campaign's success is helping to create a fertile environment for innovation and entrepreneurship.



In the future, the country should reinforce cooperation among different regions, government departments and countries with a focus on major products, major areas and important links, Wang said.



China should find new ways to track products online, according to the vice premier.



The country will continue to address IPR infringement and fake products exported to countries along the Belt and Road to maintain a good image of made-in-China products, Wang said.



The Belt and Road Initiative, also known as the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was put forward by China in 2013.
NPC deputies in HK, Macao called on to safeguard national security

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-01-17 07:45

SHENZHEN - Hong Kong and Macao deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) should resolutely safeguard national security and the rule of law in the special administrative regions, a senior NPC official said.



Wang Chen, vice chairman and secretary general of the Standing Committee of the NPC, made the remarks Monday at a briefing in south China's Shenzhen, attended by NPC deputies from Hong Kong and Macao.



At the briefing, held by the committee's general office, Wang urged unwaveringly, comprehensively and correctly implementing "one country, two systems" and the basic laws, and ensure the practice of "one country, two systems" always moves in the right direction.



He called on the deputies to stand firm when it comes to "issues of right or wrong and major issues of principle."



He also asked them to continuously help maintain stability and social harmony in the special administrative regions, give full support to their respective chief executives in governing according to law, and bolster economic development and improve people's lives.



Officials from the National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Finance briefed the Hong Kong and Macao deputies on the economic and social progress in 2016.
Beijing unlikely to offer free bus rides on smog days

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-01-17 07:45

BEIJING - A Beijing traffic management official has ruled out offering free bus rides for residents on bad air quality days.



The free ride proposal has been floated for sometime as a way to discourage Beijingers from driving cars -- a contributor to the city's air pollution.



Rong Jun, an official with Beijing Municipal Transportation Commission, told delegates attending the city's annual congressional meeting that the authorities would not roll out such a policy anytime soon.



He said Beijing's public transport system is operating under stress, handling 11 million passengers in a day. Any abrupt change of policy would bring with it great risks and threatens the safety.



Rong also said there was no timetable for congestion fees. The plan is still being studied.



Beijing is a victim of emission-induced air pollution that frequently hits north China. The city is home to 5.7 million vehicles. Restrictions are in place to curb further growth of the figure.



Beijing has invested heavily in subway and urban rail lines. This year there is 600 kilometers of track under construction.
SHENZHEN - Traffic police in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen signed an agreement with Didi Chuxing, the country's largest on-demand mobility (ODM) company, on Monday to ensure the safety of passengers.According to the agreement, Didi will add a new function -- "share with traffic police" -- to its app. The function allows passengers to share their journeys with the city's traffic police.Meanwhile, Didi Chuxing will support police investigations into traffic accidents.Xia Xukun, with the city's traffic police bureau, said that Shenzhen traffic police will also cooperate with Didi and other companies to standardize the industry.The cooperation between the two sides will cover the promotion of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane to encourage car sharing and combat drunk driving, Xia said.China unveiled its nationwide regulations for ODM services in July 2016, granting them legal status. Concerns have been raised over safety and market disorder.The transport authorities in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the four most developed cities in China, separately issued strict regulations for ODM services in October 2016.
Guangdong province's top political advisory body has vowed to further expand exchanges this year with residents of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, as well as overseas Chinese.

Wang Rong, chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said its members should play an active and constructive role in helping such groups start businesses and pursue scientific and technological innovation in the province.

He made his remarks while delivering the opening speech at the fifth session of the 11th CPPCC Guangdong committee, which opened in the provincial capital of Guangzhou on Tuesday.

"To this end, Guangdong's political advisers should also try to help our compatriots and overseas Chinese seek business opportunities and build platforms for doing business in the months to come," said Wang.

He said the advisory body will do more to help residents of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and overseas Chinese, visit Guangdong this year and attend the province's CPPCC conferences and related activities, to learn more about the Chinese mainland's achievements.

Provincial political advisers should do their best to enhance cooperation and exchanges between Guangdong and the rest of the world in the months ahead, Wang added.
Chinese railways ease holiday journey for special needs passengers

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-01-17 15:22

BEIJING - An elderly woman suffered a heart attack at Beijing South Railway Station after realizing her ID card was missing. She was quickly transferred to a clinic in the station where she was treated by two doctors.



Meanwhile, staff members in the station prepared a temporary ID card for her, and the woman soon safely boarded a train headed home.



Similar cases involving groups such as the elderly and the disabled are reported almost every day during China's annual holiday travel frenzy.



The hectic 40-day travel period surrounding the Chinese lunar new year, or Spring Festival, is known as "chunyun." This year's lunar new year falls on Jan. 28, and the chunyun travel rush stretches from Jan. 13 to Feb. 21.



Chunyun is a major test for railway authorities. Every year, China's railway system transports hundreds of millions of passengers, most of whom are traveling home to meet family and friends.

Statistics show that up to 356 million trips are expected to be made via rail over the 40-day period this year.



Among the most pressing challenges for the nation's railway system is accommodating special groups including the elderly, children, the sick, the disabled and pregnant women.



Journey of love



Before this year's chunyun began, the station in Beijing updated its medical service, which offers free basic examinations and provides first-aid treatment as well as regular medicine, to make trips more convenient for passengers with physical challenges.



These passengers can make a phone reservation to be picked up by a team upon arrival at the station, according to Zhang Runqiu, who leads the station's service desk for passengers with special needs.



Zhang said when a passenger's train is about to depart, the station communicates with the train crew to ensure the passenger receives special care during the trip.

Zhang has witnessed the station's transformation into one of the largest railway stations in Asia and the starting point of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway since she started working at Beijing South Railway Station in 1999.



"My position here has given me the opportunity to serve many, many people and to experience China's cultural presence and the warmth of our spring festival," Zhang said.



But, she admits, helping those in need comes with sacrifices.



"My six-year-old daughter often calls me and asks, 'Mom, what time will you be home today?'" she said.



The upgraded services in the station have been welcomed by passengers.



"The service provided by China's railway system has become more and more personalized," a pregnant woman with the surname Wang told Xinhua on Friday as she prepared to travel to eastern China's Shandong Province



Facilities and services to help passengers in need are now commonplace in stations across the nation.



Jiang Liping, a mother of two, was another beneficiary. Shortly after she entered Qingdao station in Shandong with her children on Saturday, the trio were treated by staff to a VIP room reserved for passengers with special needs.



"It did not occur to me that I would be helped upon entering the station and could wait for the train in such a good environment," Jiang said.



Assistance from station employees is especially important for passengers with disabilities.



Tian Hua, a worker in Taiyuan Railway Station in north China's Shanxi Province, said she and her colleagues helped 35 visually impaired students board trains on Thursday.



Support for people in need continues on board the train.



Hou Jin, a railway worker in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said people who are physically challenged will be identified and special attention will be given to them during the trip.



In addition to railway workers, there are volunteers nationwide who spend their vacations helping people during the travel rush.



Ma Yumeng, a first-year student at Beijing City University and a volunteer at the Beijing South Railway Station, is one of the them.



Ma said she felt rewarded for her work when she received a heartfelt thank you from an elderly man in a wheelchair after she assisted him onto a train.



Ma stands at the service desk from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day she is on duty, offering help whenever there is a call.

"It was challenging at first, but now I do not feel tired anymore," she said.
COLUMBUS  Winter Storm Jupiter didn't have an astronomical impact on the Columbus area, but it was certainly an inconvenience.

Freezing rain that started early Sunday afternoon turned local streets and sidewalks into sheets of ice as the slow-moving winter storm made travel treacherous from New Mexico to Wisconsin.

It was so slick in Columbus that two city street department trucks working to treat roads before the morning commute were involved in minor fender-benders early Monday.

The massive ice storm closed schools, shut down businesses and canceled events across the area.

"It's an ice-skating rink out there," Columbus Public Schools Superintendent Troy Loeffelholz said Sunday night after making the decision to cancel Monday classes across the district.

Lakeview Community Schools, Scotus Central Catholic, local Catholic elementary schools and Central Community College all made the same decision as road conditions continued to deteriorate as light rain fell throughout the night before freezing on roads and sidewalks. The temperature hovered just below the freezing mark during the overnight hours.

Major roads that were pretreated with brine held up better against the ice, but side streets quickly became slippery in Columbus.

Loeffelholz was also concerned that district workers wouldn't be able to keep ice off sidewalks and parking lots at the schools, putting students and staff at risk for falls.

"I'd rather err on the side of student safety," Loeffelholz said while noting that the missed day will be made up at the end of the school year.

Lakeview officials made the decision to cancel Tuesday classes around 5 p.m. Monday, just as the storm was wrapping up.

Superintendent Aaron Plas was concerned about refreezing overnight that could make travel dangerous again Tuesday morning.

"It's going to get pretty bad tomorrow from what they're saying," he said after communicating with the National Weather Service and state and county roads officials.

Scotus and Columbus Public also made the decision to cancel Tuesday classes, and Central Community College campuses didn't open until 10 a.m.

An ice storm warning extended until 7 p.m. Monday for Platte County, where around a quarter-inch of ice accumulation was expected.

Barbara Mayes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Valley, said temperatures that got just above the freezing mark Monday limited the storm's impact on the Columbus area.

"That's all it took for it not to be a catastrophe," she said. "Some other areas it did end up being a catastrophe."

Because of the warmer temperatures here, much of the precipitation fell as steady rain throughout Monday, which actually helped melt some of the ice on roadways.

"That was really a double bonus for us," Mayes said. "We got lucky."

Parts of southeast Nebraska weren't as fortunate. More than half an inch of ice accumulation was reported in the Fairbury area.

Columbus also benefited from the light winds, which limited the potential for damage to ice-coated trees and power lines.

A tree limb did fall on a power line around 9:30 a.m. Monday, briefly knocking out electricity for around 430 customers of Loup Public Power District in the Bradshaw Park and Wagner Lakes areas.

Power was restored within 30-45 minutes, according to Neal Suess, the utility's president and CEO.

A second outage caused by an ice-covered tree occurred shortly before 2 p.m., affecting 850-900 customers north and east of Hy-Vee, some for as few as 20 minutes and others for a little over an hour.

The biggest concern for most areas was slick highways, streets and sidewalks.

"Certainly the biggest impact is travel on untreated roadways," said meteorologist Josh Boustead with the weather service's Valley office.

City crews pretreated major roads and intersections Friday and Saturday with a salt brine and salt-sand mix, and were back out at 3 a.m. Monday to hit many of the same areas.

However, rain can wash away the brine over time and the city doesn't have enough material on hand to treat all of the more than 500 lane miles of local streets, so workers focused on the heavily traveled roads.

"You try to do the best you can," said Public Works Director Greg McCaffery, whose crews get help from police officers to identify trouble spots.

Jay Nickolite, the city's street superintendent, said most of the main roads in Columbus were in good shape around 6 p.m. Monday, but untreated residential streets remained slick.

City street crews planned to be out early Tuesday morning with salt, sand and brine to treat roads again after the refreeze expected overnight.

"Hopefully we get some warmer temperatures tomorrow and get everybody melted off," Nickolite said.

Columbus Rescue transported two people to the local hospital on Monday with injuries sustained during slips on the ice, and Columbus Community Hospital reported fewer than 10 emergency room visits over the 24-hour period related to the slick conditions.

The good news is high temperatures are expected to reach the mid-40s for Columbus on Wednesday and Thursday, which should get rid of all this pesky ice.
Li Jun, 55, a police officer in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, has provided public security services along the Guizhou-Guangxi electric railway since 2009. The Nandan police station where Li works supervises the railway line, which runs across the mountainous areas of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Guizhou province. Geographical conditions makes patrolling the area difficult. After work, Li frequently offers help to villagers living along the line, and was even gifted a horse in gratitude in March 2016. Li said the horse makes his work more convenient.[Photo/Xinhua]
A Shanghai legislator has proposed the city adopt a system of road markings similar to Hong Kong's in a bid to cut down on jaywalking.

Yu Guoqiang, a deputy to the Shanghai People's Congress, made the suggestion to the legislative body's ongoing annual session on Tuesday.

"When I was in Hong Kong, I learned from the residents there that since childhood they had a very clear concept of what red lines on the pavement meant," said Yu, who is also chairman of Shanghai Xiaolin Printing Co.

"They said they would never cross the street wherever they saw red lines."

Chen Danyan, another local legislator, said that when deputies carried out an inspection of some of the city's intersections last summer, they found pedestrians and nonmotorized vehicles committed far more traffic violations than motor vehicles did.

She called jaywalkers to be more severely punished, as at present they are only fined 10 yuan ($1.45).
Fireworks recorded good sale during Spring Festival last year at Suntiepu township, Guangshan county, Xinyang city, Henan province. [Photo/IC]

A ban on fireworks in all of Central China's Henan province was withdrawn on Monday, three days after it was first announced.

The ban, issued by the province's environmental protection authority, was intended to help with the "adverse effect of severe air pollution in winter".

In response, a number of firework producers and vendors signed a petition that was posted online on Monday, saying the ban would cause them huge economic losses so close to the start of Lunar New Year celebrations.

Shao Fengshou, an official with Henan's provincial environmental protection department, said that as the ban would affect so many people, it should be implemented incrementally  in major cities and counties at first, before reaching rural areas.

He said it would be better if traders were given plenty of notice so they could prepare well ahead of any ban being introduced, but stressed the negative effect that fireworks have on air pollution.

According to Tao Ye, director of the provincial environmental protection department's air pollution prevention and control section, when fireworks are set off, a large amount of soot is released and PM 2.5 (airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micros in diameter that are hazardous to health) levels can reach 500 micrograms per cubic meter almost instantly.
China and Germany should look to deepen media cooperation and further promote exchanges, officials from both countries said at the Sixth China-Germany Media Dialogue on Tuesday.

Guo Weimin, deputy director of the State Council Information Office, said Chinese media were increasingly utilizing new technologies such as mobile applications and virtual reality, which required an advanced education.

"As social and internet media become more prevalent, media education should keep up with it," Guo said, also noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of China and Germany establishing diplomatic relations.

"The two countries should use this momentum to deepen cooperation in media education, technology, and news quality management, thus allowing media from both countries to promote mutual understanding and report truthfully to their audiences."

Stephan Steinlein, the State Secretary of Germany's Federal Foreign Office, echoed Guo's remarks, saying cooperation in media education could strengthen mutual trust and deepen the two countries' strategic partnership.

Shi Anbin, associate dean of Tsinghua University's School of Journalism and Communication, said this was the first time that media education had featured so prominently at the dialogue, adding that China has the largest media education system in the world, with more than 680 universities offering media-related majors to about 230,000 students per year.

"In the future, journalists will have to be multiplatform, multicultural, and professionally educated," said Shi.

"This requires international cooperation from government agencies, universities and media outlets."

The rise of social media and mobile apps have brought new opportunities for traditional media outlets to engage with their audience more effectively, according to Cui Shixin, the director of the research department at the People's Daily.

China now has about 656 million mobile internet users, accounting for about 92.5 percent of all its netizens, he said, "but many older journalists still lack the necessary know-how to fully utilize new media to create interactive and deep stories".

As a result, Cui called for more classes and media exchanges for journalists to sharpen their new media skills and learn to cooperate with others across platforms, departments and cultures.

Germany faces similar challenges in diversifying the skill sets of traditional media journalists, said Kathrin Konyen, vice-president of the German Association of Journalists.

"A journalist is no longer just a journalist," she said, adding that the two countries could nurture innovative media talent through more exchanges and hands-on experience with cutting edge technologies.
An abundance of leftovers are seen on tables after a wedding banquet in Suichuan county, Jiangxi province, Feb 7, 2016. [Photo/IC]

In a move to rein in extravagance, a city in Southwest China's Guizhou province bans remarried couples from holding wedding banquets.

According to a new rule published by the government of Kaili, remarried couples are banned from holding wedding banquets, while hosting multiple banquets or using different locations for one marriage ceremony are also deemed as violations.

The regulation, which is being tested out, states that civil servants should submit a file to the local discipline inspection authority before holding a wedding banquet and also do so after holding a funeral banquet, reported Guizhou Evening News.

Residents are also required to register with the neighborhood committee before holding a wedding banquet, according to the new regulation.

It also prohibits any form of banquet except those for weddings or funerals.

This is not the first time that authorities have rolled out policies to keep extravagance in check.

Earlier this month, Taiqian county in Central China's Henan province issued a guideline that imposed restrictions on the amount of money people can spend on weddings and funerals.

In late 2012, the CPC released its eight-point regulations on austerity to reduce pomp, ceremony, bureaucracy and other undesirable work practices.
An increasing number of Chinese have turned to wealth management products for their investments over the past 10 years, a report has found.

Between 2005 and 2015, the average yearly wage in China increased 295 percent, yet the proportion of disposable income spent on wealth management products shot up 960 percent in the same period, according to a report jointly published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Tencent's wealth management platform Licaitong, and the Tencent Research Institute.

The ratio of household income derived from wages and business operations has also changed since 2000, it said, with the former's share decreasing as the latter's increased.

This boom in wealth management products reflects China's upgrade of domestic consumption and soaring commodities and house prices, according to the report.

"Income from savings has failed to satisfy Chinese's growing expenditure, so many have turned to wealth management products that can yield more income," it said.

Hao Jian, a consultant with the Chinese human resources website zhaopin.com, said wage increases tends to taper off as GDP growth slows.

"In the long term, it's very possible that Chinese will fail to see a big increase of their household income if they depend solely on wage growth," he said.

Internet-based wealth management products have become increasingly popular since they were first launched in China in 2013.

The size of the market has swelled from 385.3 billion yuan ($56 billion) at launch to 2.6 trillion yuan last year. It is forecast to reach 16.74 trillion yuan by 2020.

More than 11 percent of Chinese are willing to buy internet-based wealth management products, according to the report, which listed them as the fifth most popular type of investment vehicle.

Bank savings still topped the list, however, as the preferred choice of more than 38 percent people surveyed.

Jia Kang, former director of the Ministry of Finance's Research Institute for Fiscal Science, said that the amount of Licaitong users alone had exceeded expectations.

More than 80 million people had signed up as of November 2011, many of whom hadn't used any wealth management products before, he said.

"The number of Licaitong users is still increasing at high speed and will benefit lower- and middle-income Chinese," he added.
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.

The protesters urged Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to raise their plight in his meeting with Abe, who will visit Manila and Davao, Duterte's home city.

Duterte, who visited Japan in October last year, will welcome Abe at the Malacanang presidential palace, where a state banquet is planned, 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 a 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 that supports 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 also criticized previous Philippine administrations, accusing them of ignoring the plight of the Filipino women who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels as sex slaves during World War II.

Gabriela, a women's organization, also warned Duterte not to ditch the "comfort women" issue in favor of economic aid.

"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 alarm over Japan's plan "to return to its aggressive wartime stance".

Dwindling number

Lila Pilipina (League of Filipino Women) has documented 174 "comfort women" who have gone public since the early 1990s. Only 70 of them remain alive, including Bustamante.

Another group, the Malaya Lolas (Free Grandmothers), has documented 90 but the number has since dwindled to 33.

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 so far avoided discussion of the issue in bilateral talks with Japan.

Protester Remedios Dayalino (second right) is joined by fellow "comfort women" at a demonstration in front of the Japanese embassy in Manila.Ted Aljibe / Agence Francepresse

(China Daily 01/13/2017 page12)
Trust in governments, companies and the media plunged last year as ballots from the United States to the United Kingdom to the Philippines rocked political establishments and scandals hit business.

But as the first Chinese president to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Xi Jinping may be reassured to learn that his government was ranked as the most trusted, with a 76 percent rating among those questioned.

The 3,000 business, political and academic leaders meeting in the Swiss Alps this week find themselves increasingly out of step with many voters and populist leaders around the world who distrust elites.
An online network of hospitals is turning the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region into an attractive destination for medical tourists from Central Asia, health officials said.

The system, launched in the summer, allows patients seeking treatment overseas to consult Chinese doctors for free and book other services, such as flights, airport pickups, accommodation and even city tours.

Anar, 37, spent two weeks receiving treatment for migraines and dizziness in her native Almaty, Kazakhstan, before she used the network to connect with the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University in Urumqi. Doctors advised her to travel to China for treatment, which she did in September last year.
A team of academics from the United States is racing to preserve millions of Cuban historical documents before they are lost to the elements and poor storage conditions.

Many of the documents shed light on the slave trade, an integral part of Cuba's colonial history that was intertwined with that of the US.

David Lafevor, a history professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, and his brother Matthew, a geography professor at the University of Alabama, have worked since 2005 to make computer copies of millions of documents moldering in damp storage spaces on the island.

Their latest project is a partnership between the British Library Foundation and Vanderbilt University to capture almost 2 million documents in digital form, a treasure trove stretching back to the mid-16th century of documents about early island life and the slave trade.

Lafevor said no one knows how many documents exist, nor how many have been lost to storms, pirate attacks, war and civil unrest, but the project seeks to preserve as many as possible before more are lost to history.

(China Daily 01/17/2017 page12)
A 30-year old woman travels from Europe to Hainan, the Chinese island of romance. Inspired by the old Li tradition of marriage proposal whereby young Li men sing to conquer Li girls hearts, she starts her quest to find out more about these couples' stories. Her first destination is the annual Third March Festival in Baisha, also called the Love festival.

Besides people wearing traditional Li clothing, she finds modern city life has taken over and Li youngsters are using social media to get in touch.

But then, later in the evening, she meets Xiaopan, a Li woman. The two women appear to have a lot in common, not only their age but also their ambition to get to know the world.

They also share the wish to feel real love. Xiaopan invites Ena to visit the village of her youth in search of what they are both looking for.
A girl visits the ongoing thangka exhibition, Heavenly Tibet, at Beijing's National Art Museum of China. The dozens of paintings on show mostly feature Buddhist thangka produced in recent years. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

An ongoing thangka exhibition at Beijing's National Art Museum of China showcases dozens of paintings from recent years that celebrate contemporary artists' endeavors to enliven the tradition. Lin Qi reports.

Shortly after the 10th Panchen Lama (1938-89) passed away, Shalu Wangdu, 43, started painting a thangka to remember him. The full-time painter in Lhasa once met Panchen at the Shalu Temple in his native Shigatse.

He painted for around 10 minutes a day. "I picked up my brush only when I felt most comfortable. The glory and happiness were always with me (when I painted)," he says.

It took him 11 years to finish the work that portrays the 10th Panchen Lama in the center and two deities below. And it won him a gold prize at the First China Thangka Art Festival in Lhasa in 2014.

The painting is now on show at a thangka exhibition, Heavenly Tibet, at Beijing's National Art Museum of China, which runs through Jan 18. The display includes dozens of paintings produced in recent years that celebrate contemporary artists' efforts to enliven the thangka tradition.

Viewed as an encyclopedia of Tibetan culture, the genre depicts religious subjects, such as Buddhist deities and lamas, and also non-religious themes like history, legends and medical knowledge. They are either painted on cotton or embroidered on silk.

The ongoing exhibition largely features Buddhist thangka. Some are framed using glass and others are mounted on a textile backing, a traditional method so that nomadic Tibetans can roll up the paintings and travel with them.

Thangka is also called a moving shrine to revere Buddhas.

The displayed paintings showcase the characteristics of major thangka schools. And they reveal new developments where painters blend in personal aesthetics, according to Lhapa Tsering, curator from the Tibet Painting Academy in Lhasa.
Chen Fengxian uses high-powered magnifying glass to gaze at his miniature engraving of a small rooster, Jan 11, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

To celebrate the upcoming Year of the Rooster, Chen Fengxian, a miniature engraver from Taiwan, carved an extremely small rooster by 1 millimeter resin material.

The mini animal was put in a ring and can only be seen clearly with a high-powered magnifying glass.
Book cover of A Biz Date with the World. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A book based on China Central Television documentary A Biz Date with the World hit the shelves in China on Jan 12.

The TV production features 30 stories of Chinese people interacting with their business partners in 12 countries around the world.

The book of the same name brought new perspectives to the documentary audience by offering the shooting script and interpretations of the director at the end of each chapter.

Also, the book provides readers with other stories behind the scenes, including more details and follow-ups of the original stories, as well as an introduction to China's economic policies and other background information.

The general director of the documentary, Zhou Yan, says that the documentary focused on ordinary people's life through a personal perspective, while the book provides insight from the video team.

The book was published by China Financial and Economic Publishing House, the first cooperation between the publisher and the television network to make a documentary into a book.

Related:

Chinese classics listed into gaokao test range

500,000 kinds of books displayed at 2017 Beijing Book Fair
Though online variety shows were widely expected to dominate in the Chinese market in 2016, recent research shows that TV variety shows were more prominent last year.

More than 140 variety shows went on air last year through China's satellite TV stations and were broadcast on weekend nights.

In comparison, less than 120 shows were released through internet in 2016, according to a forum in Beijing on Friday organized by Chuanmei Neican, or Media Internal Reference, the biggest TV industry analyst public account on WeChat.

Nine Chinese TV variety shows in 2016 attracted 2 billion viewers or more, among which Running Man topped the list.

Nevertheless, online variety shows are expected to do well this year.

IQiyi, China's major online video platform, plans to produce 37 online variety shows this year, and Tencent, another internet giant, is scheduled to release 29.

Meanwhile, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television released a set of policies in the second half of 2016 to regulate the content of such shows.

Related:

Turning a new page: Writers of online fiction taste fame and fortune

Chinese kung fu and fantasy web fiction becomes hot in US
A colorful rooster "crows" at an art museum near Taikang Road, one of Shanghai's most artistic alleys, Jan 4, 2017. The installation is among over 100 artworks created using paper pulp to greet the lunar New Year. [Photo/VCG]

With 10 days to go before the start of the new lunar New Year, festive rooster-themed products and artwork are everywhere as Chinese get ready to celebrate the Year of the Rooster.

Here is a collection of creative art installations that show how the auspicious zodiac figure inspired artists nationwide to greet the New Year.
An art installation is displayed at Yun Space of Beijing's historical Qianmen area on Jan 14, 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A week-long exhibition on China's national-level intangible cultural heritage (ICH) kicked off on Jan 14 at Yun Space of Beijing's historical Qianmen area.

Initiated by cultural group Yongxin Huayun, the exhibition, along with two forums on its opening day, is intended to show some of the country's national-level intangible cultural heritage (ICH) to the public and help small ICH businesses to grow.

Qianmen area, which is known as a historical tourist attraction, is becoming an incubator of innovatively preserving intangible heritage.
Quanjude Group's gift packages for the Spring Festival. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

With the Spring Festival approaching, the Quanjude Group, which owns the Quanjude, Fengzeyuan, the Sichuan Restaurant, and the Fangshan Restaurant brands, has launched a new series of gift packages targeted at people heading home for the holiday.

The company's 2017 Spring Festival gift packages comprise more than 40 items, including Quanjude Peking roast duck, the Fangshan Restaurant's traditional Beijing royal snacks, Fengzeyuan's renowned wheat foods and the Sichuan Restaurants chili pastes.

Also, the group has also developed specially designed gift packages for supermarkets like Wumart, Carrefour, CSF Market, and online shopping platforms Jd.com and Tmall.com.

Customers can buy the gift packages both online and offline, as well as from the group's outlets. The company's website also provides a delivery service.

Related:

Tse sisters win award for cookbook

Chinese snail noodles exported to United States
Recently the eastern coastal city of Yantai was awarded for being among the most dynamic cities in the Belt and Road and one of China's most beautiful and characteristic tourist destinations in 2016. The honor was given at a Beijing forum on civic achievements in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the improvement of tourism.

Jointly organized by the People's Daily and Global Times, the forum was designed to investigate and evaluate Chinese cities' gains and losses in global competition in 2016, as well as their achievements in attracting investment, improving economic vitality and offering a livable urban environment.

Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province in southwest China, and Kashgar in China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region were also listed as among the most dynamic cities in the Belt and Road. Hangzhou in Zhejiang province and Sanya city in Hainan province were included among China's most beautiful and characteristic tourist destinations in 2016.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and his Swiss counterpart Doris Leuthard meet the press after the two sides signed ten cooperative documents to boost cooperation in Bern, Switzerland, on Jan 16, 2017. [Photo by Xu Jingxing/chinadaily.com.cn]

Western politicians often talk of shared values when seeking to convey the foundations for their partnerships. When they meet Chinese leaders, such an expression is rarely used.

However, Swiss President Doris Leuthard said openness is a "shared value" of China and Switzerland, ahead of President Xi Jinping's four-day state visit to Switzerland that began on Sunday.

And it is with this shared value that the two countries will explore the upgrading of their free trade partnership by further lifting trade barriers and waiving tariffs.

Leuthard's attitude should offer food for thought for those international businesspersons and politicians gathering in the tiny town of Davos to discuss global politics, the world economy and social issues at the 47th World Economic Forum annual meeting on Tuesday.

For years, China has been a focus of attention at the forum: warmly welcomed when the economic situation seems bleak and other countries are soliciting its support, or criticized when the global economy seems to be doing well.

When President Xi delivers his opening address at the annual meeting, the questions posed by the participants will mainly be how will China play a decisive role in solving the pressing challenges the world faces.

During the interviews with leading opinion leaders worldwide in recent days, they have all shown how curious they are about what will be in Xi's portfolio of proposals for reshaping global governance and tackling the rising trend of protectionism and isolationism.

In recent years, especially after Xi became China's top leader, this country has shown an ever stronger desire to engage with the international community and make positive contributions to shape better global governance.

No other country can compete with China in terms of offering new initiatives which are characterized by inclusiveness and openness, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund.

The Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road not only represent China's further opening-up, but also greater regional and intercontinental connectivity. And this connectivity through infrastructure is also increasing the connections between different cultures and bringing people together.

Such a performance sheet is unfolding in contrast to the situation in some major Western countries where forces looking to roll back globalization and advocating exclusion are on the rise.

Western politicians should realize that openness and inclusiveness offer the greatest benefits.

For years, China has benefited from globalization by attracting global human resources, capital, knowledge and technology and in doing so its partners have also benefited.

But the key factor constraining the further development of these partnerships is the difference in ideology that means Western countries still talk of their shared values rather than values that can be shared by all.

President Xi will be elaborating on his proposal that all countries strive to establish a community of common destiny for all humankind during his trip to Switzerland, this is a vision of inclusiveness and openness that China hopes all countries can share.

It is time for countries to realize the real value is in sharing the fruits of development so all can enjoy them.

As Xi wrote in a signed article published ahead of his visit, citing the well-known Swiss poet and Nobel laureate Carl Spitteler, there is no greater happiness than having friends who share the same outlook and destiny.

The author is deputy chief of China Daily European Bureau fujing@chinadaily.com.cn
LI MIN/CHINA DAILY

By curious coincidence the World Economic Forum, which upholds the international benefits of globalization, is taking place at the same time as the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who promotes the domestic benefits of anti-globalization.

Today, it is President Xi Jinping, who wears the mantle of globalization leadership. Addressing the United Nations in 2015, Xi reaffirmed China's commitment to being a reliable partner in bringing about a more peaceful and progressive world through globalization in all forms, stressing common development through economic openness and shared prosperity.

This week, in an appearance of historic significance, President Xi will be China's first head of state to attend the World Economic Forum. Jiang Jianguo, minister of China's State Council Information Office, stated that Xi's mission in Davos is to promote development, cooperation and economic globalization in order to construct "a human community with a 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.

Leadership roles, remarkably, have reversed. For decades, the US was the great promoter of globalism while China was still closed to the outside world. China began changingopening upin the late 1970s, and in recent years, especially after the financial crisis of 2008/09, the US and parts of Europe have experienced such increasingly skewed wealth concentrations that many middle-class working families feel left behind by globalization and want to turn their backs on it.

But while protectionism in the form of tariffs or other disincentives to manufacture abroad can seem to provide or protect domestic jobs (usually mid-level factory jobs), it is at best a short-term fix. Because prices for protected goods must inevitably rise, protectionism is actually like a "tax" that all citizens pay in proportion to their purchases of protected goods. Moreover, the "tax" is regressive in that it skews to those who have lower incomes (whose purchases of protected goods constitute a higher proportion of their disposable incomes). Thus, the many subsidize the few.

On its surface, this tradeoff can seem a rational choice for national policy. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the many subsidizing the few. The problem is that, over time, in an interconnected world, protectionism sub-optimizes economic growth and undermines a country's relative capacity to build national wealth.

Globalization certainly facilitates developing countries whose workers are willing to work for low wages. That's one reason why China has been the biggest beneficiary of globalization. While China has now become less dependent on global tradeas China's economy has grown, workers' wages have risen and domestic markets have expandedChina still champions globalization for its own continuing development. Ideally, this benefits both the developing world and the whole world.

There are, however, serious challenges. Taking the globe as a whole, globalization optimizes economic growth and development. Yet, because humanity is organized as fiercely independent and highly diverse nationsoften divided by ethnicity or religionthe benefits of globalization cannot naturally be allocated evenly by country. While markets are rationally efficient, they also can be unintentionally cruel. National inequalities grow insidiously; festering, they foster instability, even violence. Eventually, no one is immune.

Moreover, multinational corporations and international investors have accreted a huge, disproportionate share of the riches of globalization, the impact of which has widened precariously the world wealth gap between rich and poor. The trajectory could lead to tragedy and it must be altered.

In assuming its share of globalization leadership, China must likewise assume its share of globalization responsibility.

The author is a public intellectual, political/economics commentator, and international corporate strategist.
A Chinese doctor talks with family members of a young patient as he examines him with a Type-b Ultrasonic Diagnostic Instrument at a hospital in Beijing, China, 11 September 2013. [Photo/IC]

A VIDEO CLIP of a doctor at a hospital in Yancheng, East China's Jiangsu province, playing a smartphone card game while supposedly conducting a medical check for a patient went viral on Saturday. The hospital said later that day the doctor had been criticized and fined 2,000 yuan ($300). Beijing News commented on Monday:

Public hospitals are not a business, but a public service. They have a duty to care for patients and they are required to provide considerate medical services.

If patients cannot enjoy good medical services, they will no doubt feel frustrated and outraged, especially if doctors seem to not be fully committed to caring for patients and instead appear to be more interested in playing games on their phones.

Public hospitals are charged with arranging appropriate emergency services, simplifying registration procedures and shortening the waiting times. The doctor who played video games ignored these requirements.

For a patient, it is still difficult to see a doctor. The National Health and Family Planning Commission, which is the executive agency responsible for ensuring the accessibility of health services, should make doctors who ignore patients bear the responsibility for not doing their jobs to the best of their abilities.

If patients have to wait for a long time to see a doctor, the hospital should apologize to patients and provide some financial compensation. By doing so, doctors will be compelled by the hospital management to treat patients with kindness and give them their full attention.
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]

CHINA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LU KANG reiterated on Saturday that the one-China policy is the political foundation of Sino-US ties, and it is "nonnegotiable", after US president-elect Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal on Friday that "Everything is under negotiation including one China." Beijing News commented on Monday:

Few now give Trump the benefit of the doubt with regard to his provocations on the one-China principle.

Apparently as a New York property mogul he believes that everything is business and is negotiable. What he has done in the past two months suggest that he will not be shy of using negotiation tricks in dealing with diplomatic affairs and is very likely to translate them into policies to "cut the best deal" he can for his country. That could involve constant provocations and sit-and-wait games.

Trump is well aware of the importance and sensitivity of the one-China principle, which is exactly why he is seeking to tamper with the cross-Straits issue.

In a breach of the time-honored diplomatic protocol that has been the foundation for diplomatic ties between the two countries, Trump answered a "congratulatory call" from Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen not long after his presidential victory, in the hope that Beijing would make "some concessions" in trade.

Trump has appointed Peter Navarro, a noted China hawk as his new director of trade and industrial policy. His nominee for secretary of state Rex Tillerson has called Beijing's reclamation works on reefs and islets in the South China Sea "illegal".

On the other hand, he has nominated Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, "an old friend of China", to become the next ambassador to China, in an attempt to balance future negotiations with Beijing.

His obsession with "business negotiations" also applies to countries that are even the US' allies. He has implied there could be negotiations if Mexico makes major concessions after threatening to build a war on the US-Mexico borders and have Mexicans pay for it.

Such ploys must be stopped before they cause serious trouble.
The CCTV headquarters is shrouded in heavy smog in the central business district in Beijing, China Dec 7, 2015.[Photo/Xinhua]

The quality of development rather than just the quantity will be given priority by the nation's top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, a spokesperson recently announced.

In the past, both the central and local governments have vowed to reduce the weight given to the growth of gross domestic product in officials' performance evaluations and give more importance to the environmental protection efforts they have made. However, no satisfactory results have been achieved.

For example, some officials in Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan province, were recently appraised as excellent even though the city's environmental protection was assessed as poor. The reason is that in the performance evaluations of Zhengzhou's officials, environmental protection accounts for only 16 percent, while economic development accounts for 50 percent.

And this is not just the case in Zhengzhou, the performance evaluations of officials in other regions are also dominated by the local economic development, and there is no motivation for them to increase their environmental protection efforts, given GDP produces local fiscal revenues and creates jobs.

The recent promulgation of a series of documents increasing the weight of environmental protection efforts in the performance evaluations of local officials means GDP growth will account for about 10 percent of an official's performance evaluation, much smaller than that of resource utilization, and environmental and ecological protection. Such a new index system, if effectively implemented, will fundamentally change the current GDP-dominated performance perspective of local officials.

Past experience, however, shows that difficulties in the push for greener, more sustainable development usually lie in the implementation level. So, whether there will be any substantial effects from the change remains to be seen.

To make officials serious about protecting the local environment, the authorities should further intensify the accountability mechanism and hold zero tolerance toward the falsifying of pollution data. More efforts should also be made to promote public supervision.

--Beijing News
Border police officers conduct an anti-terror drill in Bortala, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, this month. The top legislature passed the country's first anti-terrorism law on Sunday, together with several other laws. ZHANG JIA/XINHUA

News that Turkey has arrested two Chinese nationals of Uygur origin in connection with a mass shooting in a nightclub in Istanbul on New Year's Eve underscores the necessity and urgency for Beijing and Ankara to work more closely together to combat cross-border terrorism.

Identified as members of an unspecified "terrorist organization", the two have been charged with "purchasing unlicensed firearms" and "being accomplices" to the murder of 39 people in the attack for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility.

It would be no surprise if the two Uygurs proved to have links with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. The UN-listed terrorist group, dedicated to the separation of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region from China, has long been responsible for a series of deadly terrorist attacks in and outside China.

Last August, a suicide bombing of the Chinese embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, which killed one person and injured three, was ordered by "Uygur terrorist groups active in Syria" and carried out by a member of ETIM in that country, according to Kyrgyzstan's national security authorities.

There are no official statistics on the number of Chinese Uygurs currently living in Turkey, whose stay there has been cited mainly as a result of linguistic and cultural similarities. Not all of them have crossed the border legally, sometimes even aided by smuggling rings related to terrorist activities.

Terrorism is the common enemy of mankind, and to win the battle against it requires enhanced international cooperation, and in this case between China and Turkey, in such areas as intelligence sharing, evidence collecting, border controls and cutting the terrorists' access to funding sources.

That is partly why China, together with other countries, initiated the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a regional mechanism to target terrorism, separatism and extremism.

Sino-Turkish ties, despite being smooth in recent years, have been marred occasionally by anti-China protests staged in Turkey against what some falsely perceive as the "plight of Uygurs".

In addition, bias, ignorance and lies have combined to continue to lead some people, especially those in the West, to adopt a double standard when addressing terrorism. The United States, for example, has yet to add ETIM to the Department of State's main list of foreign terrorist organizations.

The latest arrests in Turkey may serve as a wake-up call that terrorism is terrorism whatever guise it comes in.
Renowned researchers and professors attend the conference organized by National Academy of Development and Strategy of RUC held in Beijing on Jan 13. [Photo by Song Jingyi/chinadaily.com.cn]

The Trump administration will not be too harsh on China in either economics or politics in the long run, the head of the School of International Studies at Renmin University has predicted.

Professor Jin Canrong shared his views at a recent conference in Beijing organized by a think tank affiliated with the prestigious Renmin University.

Renowned researchers and professors in international relations also attended the conference which was used to launch a collection of articles focusing on Trump's approach to China and China's response tactics.

"Trump's 'America first' foreign policy will shift his attention away from overseas to domestic affairs, leaving more space for China and the US to negotiate on Asian issues," Jin said.

Jin's views were supported by other scholars at the conference including Zuo Xiying, a researcher at the National Academy of Development and Strategy at Renmin University.

"Trump was a businessman, he has virtually no experience in politics, and he seems to have little interest in the South China Sea issue and human rights issue, so bickering over territorial disputes on South China Sea will be less, and that will probably soothe tense nerves between the two countries."

However, in Zuo's opinion, it doesn't mean that the US will turn a blind eye on the South China Sea issue.

"China still faces two challenges; the US's growing military power directly threatens security and increasing possibility of sudden conflicts happening on the frontlines of the South China Sea."

The consensus among many experts at the conference was that the Trump administration will focus more on China-US economic relations.

Lei Da, a researcher at the university's academy, believed China and the US should make concerted efforts more than ever to ascertain the big trends as well as individual difficulties and work towards consensus and solutions to "make globalization great again".

In Lei's opinion, Trump is likely to promote trade protectionism after he takes office in January, in line with his statements during the election campaign. However, he believed that "globalization will not disappear overnight or be rolled back across the board".

"It (globalization) has knit nations into an interlocked and interconnected web of networks with ever greater interdependence and common interests. Therefore, the slowing down of globalization virtually hampers the recovery of the US economy," Lei said.

Trade is the area where China and the US share the most common ground. However, Trump has said he would lump a 45 percent import tax on Chinese goods, which will put more pressure on Chinese enterprises.

"But I don't think he can achieve this," Lei said. "The Congress may not allow him to do it."
A Davos logo is seen before the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 15, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

President Xi Jinpings trip to Davos for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum also offers an opportunity to lift relations with host nation Switzerland to the next level.

In 2013, Premier Li Keqiang visited Switzerland and signed a free trade agreement (FTA), the first between a European country and China. The agreement built on Switzerlands decision to grant China market economy status as early as 2007.

The Sino-Swiss FTA has not encountered major problems since 2013, and both sides are, in fact, looking to expand cooperation. The gradual but steady progress made can demonstrate to the rest of Europe the benefits of opening up to Chinese business without fear of incurring major financial shocks.

Of course, Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, which makes establishing bilateral agreements easier than with EU member states. These are generally constrained by the regulations and bureaucracy which characterize the Brussels-based union.

The EU has thus far declined to give China market economy status, despite 15 years having elapsed since China joined the World Trade Organization. This prevents any of the current 28 members of the EU from signing free trade agreements with Beijing.

Thus, Xis visit is building on an already-existing platform which, although it is independent of Brussels control, has potential brush-on effects with the rest of Europe.

Premier Lis 2013 visit also laid the foundation for cooperation between the two countries in a variety of other areas, including tourism, technology, manufacturing and the environment. President Xi is going to be discussing these with representatives of the Swiss government as both sides look to sign further cooperation agreements.

Positively transforming the global economic system is one of the priorities of Davos this year. Finding new directions for innovative development is also certain to be the subject of discussion with Swiss leaders as well.
US President Barack Obama acknowledges the crowd as he arrives to deliver his farewell address in Chicago, Illinois, US, January 10, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

It started here, and it ends here.

The location for President Obama's farewell address was meticulously selected at McCormick Place in Chicago, which is the largest convention center in North America. In 2012, Obama also came to McCormick Place to give a thank-you speech to his supporters after he was re-elected into White House.

Recent presidential farewell addresses were often delivered from the Oval Office without a live audience. Obama, however, has never been a fan of speaking out of his Oval Office during his presidency. Tuesday afternoon, President Obama boarded Air Force One and returned to his adopted hometown of Chicago for delivering his farewell address to Americans. When he returned to Washington D.C. from Chicago, that will be the last time for him to fly on Air Force One.

A US president delivering a farewell address at the end of the presidency is a tradition that goes back to George Washington. As the first US president, Washington used the occasion to disclose that he would not run for a third term and warned Americans to steer clear of entanglements in Europe, where Britain and France were often at war in those years.

Obama chose Chicago to say goodbye because the city is where his political career started. In 2004, Chicago witnessed Obama came to national prominence as a Senator candidate, and later a presidential candidate and a truly elected US president. The wind city, of course, is where Obama first met his wife and they started their family soon after that.

"Hello, Chicago!" were, unsurprisingly, the first words from Obama Tuesday night when he took the stage and faced the audience of 20,000 at McCormick Place. He then turned to defend his imperiled legacy and evoke an optimistic vision of unity, not division.

ABC News reported that Obama enjoyed 55% approval rate this week, a seven years high, while Trump had 51% disapproval rate. Yes, Obama's approval rating has surged rapidly in recent weeks, but his party's candidate, Hillary Clinton, failed the election and the party's future was gloomy. Democrats thus need an optimistic vision from their outgoing president more than any time in the past eight years.

In his speech, Obama seemed having no intention to attack Donald Trump, but warned his fellow Americans, "The work of democracy has always been hard, contentious and sometimes bloody." "For every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back," he said. "But the long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion, a constant widening of our founding creed to embrace all, and not just some."

Instead, Obama celebrated the inauguration of Trump, "In ten days, the world will witness a hallmark of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power from one freely-elected president to the next," Obama said. "I committed to President-Elect Trump that my administration would ensure the smoothest possible transition, just as President Bush did for me." When chants of "Four more years" erupted from the crowd, Obama responded with a faint smile on face: "We can't do that."

To many Americans, the 2016 election year was the longest and most virulent presidential campaign in living memory. Some of them are looking forward to speculating about who may be lining up for a White House run in 2020. Such a divisive political landscape has made the last months of Obama's presidency more difficult than what he could possibly envision. His confidence and optimism put to a test in the ways he never expected. After two successful runs for the White House, Obama gets used to his campaigning chant, "Yes, we can." Now he realized so many issues cannot be done after his 8-year presidency.

Given Trump's unpredicted personality and zero governance experience, Obama may find himself more closely tied to US political stage in coming months than he loves to be. But he will have no power to stop others who would compare the 44th and 45th presidents. After Trump's inauguration ceremony, I believe Obama will be bright enough not to comment on every issue that comes up. But when he feels something extraordinarily important is at stake, he will say what he needs to say.

In Chicago, Obama will remain popular just like what he was treated this week by locals. Last Saturday, thousands of supporters began lining up at McCormick Place at 6 a.m. to pick up tickets to the farewell speech, showing how much Obama is beloved in his hometown. No matter how much he is loved by his supporters, Obama's presidential legacy will be undone by his successor, Trump, who likes to repeal as much as what Obama has done.

The results may seem sad to Obama's supporters but the tone of Obama's farewell speech was never pessimistic. His optimistic tone and cadence in the speech may reach for the oratorical heights of his best-known addresses, but no one can predict what kind of legacy Obama leaves behind after he moves out of White House and starts his private life as an ordinary citizen.

The author, Dr. Zhong Bu, Associate Professor from College of Communications, Pennsylvania State University.
An undated photo from a social media account of Omar Mateen, who Orlando Police have identified as the suspect in the mass shooting at a gay nighclub in Orlando, Florida, US, June 12, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON  The wife of the Orlando nightclub shooter, who was extensively questioned by federal agents in the days after the massacre, has been arrested by the FBI in connection with the attack, authorities said Monday.

Noor Salman was taken into custody Monday morning in the San Francisco Bay area and is facing charges in Florida including obstruction of justice. A Twitter post from the United States attorney's office in Orlando said Salman will make her initial court appearance Tuesday morning in Oakland, California.

Noor Salman moved to California after her husband, Omar Mateen, was killed in a shootout with SWAT team members during the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

FBI agents repeatedly questioned Salman in the aftermath of the shooting about whether she had advance knowledge of her husband's plans. Salman told The New York Times in an interview published last fall that she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but that she was "unaware of everything" regarding his intent to shoot up the club. She also said he had physically abused her.

"Noor Salman had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night," her attorney, Linda Moreno, said in a statement.

"Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands. We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonors the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person," Moreno said.

Mateen was the only shooter, and by the time a three-hour standoff with law enforcement had ended, 49 patrons were killed and another 53 people required hospitalization.

Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a 911 call to emergency officials during the standoff. He also made a series of Facebook posts and searches before and during the attack.

Salman, who grew up northeast of San Francisco, wed Mateen in 2011 after the two met online. They lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the time of the shooting. Last month, Salman filed a petition in a California court to change the name of the son she had with Mateen.

"We said from the beginning, we were going to look at every aspect of this, of every aspect of this shooter's life to determine not just why did he take these actions  but who else knew about them? Was anyone else involved?" Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in an MSNBC interview on Monday.

The Times first reported on the arrest.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina said in a statement that Salman was facing accusations of obstruction of justice and "aiding and abetting by providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.""Nothing can erase the pain we all feel about the senseless and brutal murders of 49 of our neighbors, friends, family members and loved ones," Mina said. "But today, there is some relief in knowing that someone will be held accountable for that horrific crime."Florida Gov. Rick Scott said he hoped the arrest "provides some comfort to the families who are mourning their loved ones," he added.




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.
Police officers take security measures as Abdulgadir Masharipov the main suspect behind the deadly attack on an Istanbul nightclub during new year's celebrations was captured during a police operation on a residence in Istanbul's Esenyurt district on January 17, 2017 in Turkey. [Photo/IC]

ISTANBUL - Istanbul police on Monday night captured the gunman who launched a shooting spree at a nightclub in the city on New Year's Day, killing 39 people, local media reported.

The gunman, who has been on the run for 17 days, was caught unharmed at the apartment of a friend in the district of Esenyurt in a police operation, the Hurriyet daily said.

NTV said the friend, a Kyrgyz citizen, and three women were detained along with the gunman, the daily said.

Police have identified the gunman as Abdulgadir Masharipov, a Uzbek national, who resisted during the police operation and was found with his 4-year-old son, NTV said.

Masharipov will undergo a medical examination before being handed over to the counterterrorism unit for investigation, the reports said.

The militant stormed into Reina nightclub in central Istanbul soon after the New Year was in, shot dead 39 and wounded 69 others in a 7-minute fire, and managed to escape to his apartment and run away with his son, according to press reports.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the mass shooting, while Turkish police have detained a total of 35 suspects in operations across the country, media reports said.

Mete Yarar, a security analyst, hailed Masharipov's capture as a big success.

"So the police would be able to reveal all the motives behind the Reina attack as well as all his connections," he told CNNTurk.
MOSCOW -- Washington is "initiating a new arms race" by deploying large-scale troops to Europe, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Monday.

The US military buildup in Europe has "a powerful potential for destroying the entire architecture of European security ... threatening to trigger long-term destructive consequences in the Euro-Atlantic region," she said in an online statement.

Washington is trying to impose a confrontational model of relations reminiscent of the Cold War, Zakharova added.

According to her, the United States transferred to Poland an armored brigade, consisting of about 4,000 troops and 2,500 combat hardware units, earlier this month.

Starting in January, 300 US marines will be deployed to a Norwegian base. In late March, a US air brigade is expected to be deployed to Germany, and a battalion tactical group will be deployed to Poland in April.
Police guard the exit of the Blue Parrot nightclub in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Monday, Jan 16, 2017. [Photo/IC]

MEXICO CITY - At least five people, including foreigners, were killed and 15 were wounded early on Monday when a shooter opened fire at a nightclub in Mexico's Playa del Carmen resort during the BPM electronic music festival.

Quintana Roo State Attorney General Miguel Angel Pech said a Canadian, an Italian and a Mexican were among the dead, while the nationality of the other two victims was still unclear. He had earlier said a second Canadian and a Colombian had been killed in the attack. One of the dead died in the stampede to exit the club, he added.

Pech said the shooter escaped and was still at large. He added that the shooting was not being investigated as an act of terrorism.

The Canadian government confirmed that one of its citizens had died and said it was investigating the reports of a second Canadian death.

Pech said the incident began when a person entered the Blue Parrot nightclub armed around 3 am (0800 GMT) on Monday morning, during the closing of the festival. Another person tried to stop the person, sparking a gunfight that drew in security staff.

The shooting represents a major blow to Mexico's tourism industry, which has been one of the few bright spots in the economy thanks to a weak peso exchange rate.

Tourists are generally shielded from the drug violence that has ripped Mexico apart over the last decade, killing well over 100,000 people since 2007.

Pech said 15 people were injured, of whom 7 were still in hospital. The state government said in a statement that one person was in grave condition. Four people were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the incident.

Pech said two of the dead were BPM security workers but the festival said in a statement that three members of their security team were killed. BPM said the shooting was carried out by a lone shooter.

Quintana Roo and the surrounding Yucatan peninsula have traditionally been less violent than other parts of Mexico, with relatively low murder rates. However, with many foreign tourists and a vibrant night life scene, there has long been an important local drug market in and around Playa Del Carmen, which is just south of the popular resort of Cancun.
The file photo from NASA shows US Astronaut Eugene Cernan walks on the surface of Moon during the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. [Photo/Xinhua]

HOUSTON - Former astronaut Gene Cernan, who as the last person to walk on the moon returned to Earth with a message of "peace and hope for all mankind," died on Monday, his family said. He was 82.

Cernan was with his relatives when he died at a Houston hospital following ongoing heath issues, family spokeswoman Melissa Wren told The Associated Press. His family said his devotion to lunar exploration never waned.

"Even at the age of 82, Gene was passionate about sharing his desire to see the continued human exploration of space and encouraged our nation's leaders and young people to not let him remain the last man to walk on the Moon," his family said in a statement released by NASA.

Cernan was commander of NASA's Apollo 17 mission and on his third space flight when he set foot on the lunar surface. On Dec 14, 1972, he became the last of only a dozen men to walk on the moon - and he traced his only child's initials in the dust before climbing the ladder of the lunar module the last time. It was a moment that forever defined him in both the public eye and his own.

"Those steps up that ladder, they were tough to make," Cernan recalled in a 2007 oral history. "I didn't want to go up. I wanted to stay a while."Cernan called it "perhaps the brightest moment of my life. ... It's like you would want to freeze that moment and take it home with you. But you can't." Decades later, Cernan tried to ensure he wasn't the last person to walk on the moon, testifying before Congress to push for a return. But as the years went by he realized he wouldn't live to witness someone follow in his footsteps - still visible on the moon more than 40 years later.

"Neil (Armstrong, who died in 2012) and I aren't going to see those next young Americans who walk on the moon. And God help us if they're not Americans," Cernan testified before Congress in 2011. "When I leave this planet, I want to know where we are headed as a nation. That's my big goal." Cernan died less than six weeks after another American space hero, John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. Their flights weren't the first or last of the Mercury and Apollo eras. Yet to the public they were the bookends of America's space age glory.

On Dec 11, 1972, Cernan guided the lander, named Challenger, into a lunar valley called Taurus-Littrow, with Harrison "Jack" Schmitt at his side. He recalled the silence after the lunar lander's engine shut down.

"That's where you experience the most quiet moment a human being can experience in his lifetime," Cernan said in 2007. "There's no vibration. There's no noise. The ground quit talking. Your partner is mesmerized. He can't say anything.

"The dust is gone. It's a realization, a reality, all of a sudden you have just landed in another world on another body out there (somewhere in the) universe, and what you are seeing is being seen by human beings - human eyes - for the first time." Three days earlier, Cernan, Schmitt and Ronald Evans had blasted off atop a Saturn rocket in the first manned nighttime launch from Kennedy Space Center. Evans remained behind as pilot of the command module that orbited the moon while the other two landed on the moon's surface. Cernan and Schmitt, a geologist, spent more than three days on the moon, including more than 22 hours outside the lander, and collected 249 pounds of lunar samples.

"In that whole three days, I don't think there's anything that became routine," Cernan recalled. "But if I had to focus on one thing ... it was just to look back at the overwhelming and overpowering beauty of this Earth." "To go a quarter of a million miles away into space and have to take time out to sleep and rest ... I wished I could have stayed awake for 75 hours straight. I knew when I left I'd never have a chance to come back." Completing their third moon walk on Dec 14, Schmitt returned to the lunar module and was followed by Cernan.

"We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind," Cernan said.

He later acknowledged that he had grasped for words to leave behind, knowing how the world remembered Neil Armstrong's "giant leap for mankind" on stepping on the moon in 1969.

Before heading home, Cernan said he drew the letters "TDC" - the initials of his then 9-year-old daughter, Teresa Dawn - with his finger on the dusty gray lunar surface. He said he imagined someone in the distant future would find "our lunar rover and our footprints and those initials and say, 'I wonder who was here? Some ancient civilization was here back in the 20th century, and look at the funny marks they made.'" Eugene A. Cernan was born in 1934 in Chicago and graduated from Indiana's Purdue University in 1956 with a degree in electrical engineering. (Armstrong also was a Purdue grad.)He had been a Navy attack pilot and earned a master's degree in aeronautical engineering when NASA selected him in October 1963 as one of 14 members of its third astronaut class.

Cernan had the looks of an astronaut from central casting. "He's your classic sort of handsome debonair flyboy," said space historian Roger Launius, associate director of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

In 1966, he was pilot of Gemini 9, a three-day flight with command pilot Tom Stafford where they used different techniques to rendezvous with a docking adapter that was previously launched. On the flight, Cernan became the second American to walk in space, spending more than two hours outside the Gemini spacecraft.

Cernan would later call the mission, "that spacewalk from hell." "It was very serious," said Launius, the historian. "He lost all kinds of water, his equipment did not work effectively. He overheated. His visor glossed over with water, he could barely see. He barely got back in the spacecraft." Cernan's sweat so much he lost 13 pounds. The space agency was forced to go back to the drawing board.

"That was a really important learning experience," Launius said. "The difficult thing about that is they put an astronaut's life at great risk there. They learned the lesson." With the Apollo program underway, Cernan flew on Apollo 10 in May 1969. It was a dress rehearsal for the lunar landing on the next flight and took Cernan and Stafford, aboard the lunar module Snoopy, to within 9 miles of the moon's surface.

The mission was marked by a glitch when the wrong guidance system was turned on and the lunar module went out of control before Stafford righted it by taking manual control.

Cernan often joked that his job was to paint a white line to the moon that Armstrong and the rest of the Apollo 11 crew could follow. Yet Cernan was one of only three people to voyage twice to the moon - either to its surface or in moon orbit. James Lovell and John Young are the others.

In 1973, Cernan became special assistant to the program manager of the Apollo program at Johnson Space Center in Houston, assisting in planning and development of the US-Soviet Apollo-Soyuz mission. He was senior US negotiator with the Soviets on the test project.

He retired from NASA three years later. He worked for a Houston energy firm, Coral Petroleum, then in 1981 began his own aerospace consulting company. He eventually became chairman of an engineering firm that worked on NASA projects. He also worked as a network television analyst during shuttle flights in the 1980s.

A documentary about his life, "The Last Man on the Moon," was released in 2016.

Teresa was Cernan's only child with his wife Barbara. The couple married in 1961 and divorced 20 years later. In 1987, he married again, to Jan Nanna, and they lived in Houston.

In all, Cernan logged 566 hours and 15 minutes in space, more than 73 hours of them on the moon's surface.

"I can always walk on Main Street again, but I can never return to my Valley of Taurus-Littrow, and that cold fact has left me with a yearning restlessness," he wrote in his 1999 autobiography, also entitled "The Last Man on the Moon." "It was perhaps the brightest moment of my life, and I can't go back," he said. "Enriched by a singular event that is larger than life, I no longer have the luxury of being ordinary." Cernan is survived by his wife, Jan Nanna Cernan, his daughter and son-in-law, Tracy Cernan Woolie and Marion Woolie, step-daughters Kelly Nanna Taff and husband, Michael, and Danielle Nanna Ellis and nine grandchildren.
French President Francois Hollande delivers a speech during a meeting with leaders of international start-ups based in Paris during the "French Tech Ticket" conference in Paris, France, January 16, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

PARIS -- The European Union (EU) "does not need external advice to tell it what it has to do," French President Francois Hollande said Monday.

Hollande made the remarks in response to US President-elect Donald Trump's comments on topics such as the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in an interview with The Times of London and German newspaper Bild published Monday.

"Europe will always be ready to pursue trans-Atlantic cooperation, but it will base its decisions on its interests and values," Hollande said at a ceremony for outgoing US Ambassador to France Jane Hartley.

Hollande also said NATO "will be obsolete only when threats have also become obsolete."

In the interview, Trump said the future of the EU is "very tough" and a Brexit would not have happened if people had not been forced to take in refugees.

Trump also said NATO was "obsolete because it was not taking care of terror," and he complained that various members of the bloc were not paying their dues, which was "very unfair to the United States."
Changes proposed in the waning days of the Obama administration would sharply increase the minimum amounts for a US immigrant investment program that is popular with Chinese investors.

Last week the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, published new proposed rules for the EB-5 immigrant visa. It calls for raising the minimum EB-5 investment amount from $500,000 to $1.35 million in a targeted employment area or high unemployment area. The rule would also increase the minimum investment amount to $1.8 million from $1 million in other areas.

In December the US House of Representatives and Senate passed a continuing resolution that funds the US government until April 28. It included a provision to continue EB-5 with the current minimums.

EB-5 was created to stimulate the US economy through job creation and capital investment. It targets foreign investors who invest at least $500,000 in a project that creates a minimum of 10 jobs in an economically-depressed region. In return the investors receive a two-year visa with a good chance of obtaining permanent residency for them and their families.

Since 2012, the program has brought more than $8.7 billion of foreign direct investment into the US and created 35,150 jobs, according to USCIS estimates.

In 2014, the US issued more than 10,000 of the visas and about 85 percent went to applicants from China.

The USCIS is also suggesting a new method to determine rural, high-unemployment areas in a bid to better target those zones rather than more affluent communities.

Notice of the proposed rule changes comes just days before President Obama leaves the White House and is replaced by President-elect Donald Trump. It's not clear yet how Trump, who often took a harsh tone on immigration in last fall's presidential campaign, will react to the rule changes.

"By providing a much-needed increase in investment levels and by reining in abusive gerrymandering practices, these changes will help restore the program so it creates meaningful jobs in distressed and rural areas as Congress always intended," Senator Pat Leahy, who has been critical of EB-5, said in a statement on Jan 12.

"It will now be up the new administration to see that these improvements are implemented and enforced. It has been reported that President-elect Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have profited from foreign investments made through this government program.

"I will be watching to ensure these tough new rules are not dismantled because they may impact the President-elect's and his son-in-law's business investments," Leahy added.

Kushner Companies, owned by Jared Kushner, has a rental apartment complex in Jersey City, New Jersey, that has taken in $50 million in EB-5 funds, mostly from Chinese investors, according to a Forbes report from last year.

paulwelitzkin@chinadailyusa.com
Flight officer Rayan Gharazeddine looks out of a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion as it flies over the southern Indian Ocean during the search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 March 22, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

SYDNEY - The search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 has been called off, in a joint statement made by Australian, Malaysian and Chinese governments on Tuesday.

For the past two years, authorities have combed a 120,000 square km patch of the Indian Ocean to no avail, with no sign of the plane yet to be found.

"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modeling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," the statement said.

"The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness."

The Malaysian Airlines flight went off the grid in March 2014, with 239 passengers on board heading for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.

The governments did not make the decision lightly, but were unable to find any credible evidence that a continued search would generate a successful outcome.

"Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft," the statement said.

"We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located," it said.

The end of the hunt raises the prospect that the world's greatest aviation mystery may never be solved.
Dublin, the capital of Ireland, is due to launch a group of activities to mark Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rooster, which falls on Jan 28.

The celebrations, which are expected to last two weeks, will start on Jan 27 with Chinese traditional performances, such as dragon dances and drumming at Meeting House Square in the city's Temple Bar district.

On Jan 28, the first day of Chinese New Year, a symphony concert will be presented at University College of Dublin. Under the baton of Ronan O'Reilly, the Royal Irish Academy of Music will join hands with 10-year-old Chinese-Irish pianist Joe OGrady to interpret classical music.

The home of whiskey also will fuel the festive ambience with the alcohol, by offering two Chinese guided tours on Feb 5 and 12 at the Irish Whiskey Museum to tell intoxicating stories about the drink.

According to Tourism Ireland, there will be more than 20 activities over the two weeks. During that time the Mansion House and City Hall in Dublin will be illuminated in red.

Contact the writer at Lijing2009@chinadaily.com.cn
Chinese technology company Kuang-Chi Group has become the latest Chinese firm to tap into British technological expertise, making its first major investment in the UK in a move it described as a vote of confidence in the post-Brexit economy.

Kuang-Chi, a Shenzhen-based conglomerate, announced on Monday it was investing $30 million in Dorset-based Gilo Industries Group, an aerospace technology firm that makes engines for jetpacks and unmanned aeronautical vehicles.

The deal will give the Chinese company a 40 percent stake in the engine manufacturer, with Gilos headquarters and manufacturing facilities remaining in the UK. The funding will come from the Kuang-Chi GCI Fund launched last year to invest $300 million in early to mid-stage global companies.

Ruopeng Liu, chairman of Kuang-Chi, said: The UK has a very attractive atmosphere for innovation with great potential for further growth. This is only the start of Kuang-Chis UK investment plans.

Liu, who has been dubbed Chinas Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla, said that despite some fears surrounding Brexit, innovation is booming in the UK. Kuang-Chi has confidence in the UK market, which has a long history and a good reputation for innovation that will not fade away easily, he said.

Jeffrey Towson, a professor who teaches investment at Peking University, said: "This is a smart post-Brexit deal. Gilo gets better access to the China market and some stability in its funding. Kuang-Chi probably got a better price due to the uncertainty of the economy after Brexit."

The investment is intended to improve and further commercialize Kuang-Chis aviation technology and will help the company expand its business in the Asia-Pacific market and establish relationships with global market leaders across multiple industries.

This week, the company announced its second fund to invest $250m in companies developing technologies in robotics, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and virtual reality, with a strong focus on the UK.

Christopher Bovis, professor of business law at the Business School at the University of Hull, said Kuang-Chis investment in Gilo Industries is an example of a more sophisticated approach, focusing on either intellectual property gains or value chains in disruptive technologies and industrial sectors.

Gilo Industries Group was founded in 2012 and has been called the Disneyland of engineering for its mix of defence, commercial and recreational aviation products.

Gilo Cardozo, founder of Gilo, said: The support from Kuang-Chi is exactly what we need to continue to expand our production capabilities and embrace exciting new manufacturing technologies to help us grow and succeed in the global marketplace.

It is a really clear example of how international organizations look to all areas of Britain for innovation and entrepreneurship and how they can boost regional, national and global industries, he said.
On January 17, President Xi Jinping attended the opening session of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017 at Davos Congress Centre and delivered a keynote speech. In his speech, President Xi stressed the point that China's development is an opportunity for the world; China has not only benefited from economic globalization but also contributed to it. Rapid growth in China has been a sustained, powerful engine for global economic stability and expansion. The inter-connected development of China a large number of other countries has made the world economy more balanced. China's remarkable achievement in poverty reduction has contributed to more inclusive global growth. And China's continuous progress in reform and opening-up has lent much momentum to an open world economy.
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ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Tuesday that snap elections are not on the government's agenda, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

On comments that Turkey could opt for early elections, Yildirim stressed general elections will be held in 2019 as planned, describing rumors "as efforts to create concerns about Turkey's stability."

The constitutional amendments will be taken to referendum once approved, which will take place in early April, he said.

Turkish Parliament on Sunday concluded the first round of voting on all 18 articles of the constitutional amendment package which shifts from the current parliamentary system to an executive presidential system.

The second round of voting on constitutional reform package is expected to be held on Jan 18.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) aims to approve all 18 articles by Jan 21.

The prime minister said he expects "no surprise" in the second round of parliamentary voting on constitutional amendments and the package will be approved.

"Following the approval of the parliament, we will explain the new articles to our citizens (during the referendum period) and then we will continue on our way," Yildirim said.

The constitutional amendment package will grant excessive powers to the president while abolishing the position of the prime minister.
Significant investment in new technologies could help small and medium-sized enterprises along the route of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative boost the GDP of their countries and regions by as much as 7 percent, according to a World Economic Forum report.

A lack of access to global markets is the main impediment to growth for SMEs in the region, which struggle to establish affiliates in foreign markets, have difficulty receiving or processing payments, and face high shipping costs, the study says.

Instead, they should focus on new technologies that improve infrastructure efficiency.

This would help them understand product supply and demand dynamics and quickly adjust production plans, track pricing, predict future price trends based on historical behaviour, and identify and react to new market demands that are not fully satisfied, the WEF report says. IT infrastructure advances and innovative digital capabilities could also significantly lower labour and other direct costs, it adds.

Initiated by President Xi Jinping in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative is aimed at supporting the construction of railways, ports, airports, roads and other infrastructure projects in 60 countries and regions neighbouring China and in other parts of Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Its goal is to boost trade flow and economic growth. China has already invested more than $51 billion and in excess of 100 economies have signed on  with free trade, collaboration agreements or other partnerships  in a project that involves more than 12,000 engineering contracts.

Everything from the planning of services to the execution of supply-chain operations can be improved by providing countries with new IT infrastructure able to manage small and big data for a steady flow of goods across this vast region, said Wolfgang Lehmacher, director of Supply Chain and Transport Industries at the WEF and one of the reports authors. The WEF paper  titled How Technology Can Unlock the Growth Potential along the New Silk Road  concludes that revived trade corridors, if combined with smart technology investments, alongside additional traditional industrial infrastructure, can create exciting economic gains and social benefits for its participants.

Having the right technology in place is the only way that the New Silk Road will define the future of trade between East and West, said Gerry Mattios,an expert principal with Bain & Company, based in Beijing, who contributed to the report.
(Photo : Getty Images) Trump said that the US and Russian nuclear arsenals need to be reduced very substantially.

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US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday told British media that he will offer to end sanctions against Russia if it agrees to a nuclear reduction deal.



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In an interview published on Monday, Trump said that he wants the nuclear weapons arsenals of the United States and Russia, the world's two biggest nuclear powers, to be "reduced very substantially."



"They have sanctions on Russia - let's see if we can make some good deals with Russia. For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, that's part of it," Trump said.



Trump's comments are a u-turn from his Dec. 22 tweet, in which he said that the United States "must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until the world comes to its senses regarding nukes." Around the same period, Russian President Vladimir Putin also called for the strengthening of "strategic nuclear forces."



In his Monday interview, Trump said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was formed to counter the military might of the former USSR, has turned obsolete.



Trump said that NATO has not been dealing effectively with terrorism. He also criticized Russia for its role in the Syrian civil war, saying that was a very bad thing that had resulted in a very bad humanitarian situation.



Russian parliamentarians had varying reactions to Trump's comments on the sanctions imposed on their country.



Konstantin Kosachev, head of Russia's upper house of parliament's international affairs committee, was quoted by the country's media as saying that the annulment of sanctions was not worth making security concessions.



But Russian Senator Oleg Morozov was quoted as saying that Russia would be ready to discuss nuclear cuts, adding that Moscow is in favor of the reduction of nuclear arms.



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(Photo : Getty Images) Duterte has been accused of having fascist dreams.

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Philippine rights advocates and survivors of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, the country's former leader, criticized President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday for his comments that he is considering of declaring martial law to curb what he called the country's run-away drugs problem.



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In a speech to business leaders in his hometown of Davao on Saturday, Duterte warned that if the country's illegal drugs menace morphed into "something really very virulent," he will declare martial law. Duterte also declared that no one, even the country's Supreme Court, would stop him because the country transcends everything, even the limitations.



Loretta Rosales, 77, accused Duterte of harboring fascist dreams. Rosales, a former chairwoman of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, was detained and tortured under the Marcos.



"As a martial law victim and survivor, I detest his martial law threat," Rosales, a leftist politician, said, adding that Duterte finds governance under the rule of law and human rights an obstruction to the advancement of his political agenda.



Rosales also voiced her opinion that Duterte idolizes Marcos and that his admiration is manifesting in his behavior. Alluding to a September statement in which Duterte compared his war on drugs to the Holocaust, Rosales said Duterte is clearly happy to slaughter millions of Filipinos to ensure he wins his war on drugs.



Duterte's violent war on drugs has led to the reported deaths of at least 6,000 people.



According to the Philippine National Police, approximately 2,200 of the reported deaths occurred in encounters with the police. The rest, including the ones carried out by unknown vigilantes, are classified as "deaths under investigation."



Marcos was elected as Philippine President in 1965 and imposed martial law from 1972 to 1981. He was forced to vacate the presidency in 1986.



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(Photo : Getty Images) The Swedish minister wants the issue of European migrant workers resolved.

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Ann Linde, Swedish minister for EU affairs and trade, said on Monday that she was shocked by the uncertainty and xenophobia being experienced by Swedes in the United Kingdom since the 'brexit' referendum.



Linde said that the future of approximately 100,000 Swedish people in Britain, and some 30,000 British people in Sweden, needed to be urgently dealt with.



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"This is one of the very most important issues and we have to solve it in a very constructive way in the first part of the negotiations," Linde said in central London after a meeting with Swedish citizens and ahead of a meeting with David Davis, the Brexit secretary.



Theresa May's British government has said that it is willing to guarantee EU citizens the right to live in the United Kingdom but only if the same is reciprocated by the other 27 member-states of the European Union.



Asked if she could give the same reassurances to British people residing in Sweden, Linde replied that was an EU-wide issue and not something that Sweden could offer unilaterally.



"What I hope is we have a negotiation result where the Swedes who live in Britain can continue to do so and the Brits who stay in Sweden continue to do so," the minister said.



During the meeting at the Scandinavian Kitchen cafe in central London, Swedish citizens told Linde that they are anxious of their future. They also informed her of the xenophobic abuse they have experienced since the referendum.



One woman recounted how her chief executive had been prompted to send an email to all the employees warning them against xenophobia in the workplace after one of her co-workers told her that Britain had voted so that people like her could "get out."



Another citizen said that she felt that she and her fellow Swedes would end up being collateral damage in negotiations.



"What is worrying is that they (Swedes residing in Britain) are giving me evidence that they are not being treated like normal EU members," Linde said, adding that asking Swedish workers to sign specific contracts if they want to continue with new work, is discriminatory under EU laws.



She said that Britain is still an EU member, and that EU law forbids discrimination of any kind.



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(Photo : Getty Images) China on Monday categorically stated to United States that outgoing Obama administration cannot treat NSG membership as a 'farewell gift' for India.

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China on Monday hit back at the United States for signalling out the communist giant in blocking India's membership bid to join the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) last year. It accused that the outgoing Obama administration is treating NSG membership as a "parting gift" for New Delhi.



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"I just want to point out that NSG membership shall not some kind of (a) farewell gift for countries to give to each other," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a press briefing.



Hua refused to reiterate China's official stance on India's NSG bid, saying that Beijing has already made its position clear on non-NPT members wanting to join the elite nuclear group.



Last year, ahead of the NSG's crucial meeting in Seoul, Beijing had categorically stated time and again that it will vote in New Delhi's favor only if it signs the non-proliferation treaty (NPT), which is an international agreement that aims to discourage the spread of nuclear weapons technology across the world.



Obama's Diplomat Rakes up NSG Controversy



The latest NSG controversy started after Obama's top diplomat on Sunday solely blamed China for blocking India's membership bid to join the 48-member nuclear group. Nisha Biswal, who looks into South and Central affairs, summed up Beijing's hindering effort by using the critical word "outlier."



"Clearly there is one outlier that needs to be addressed and that is China," Biswal said to an Indian news agency.



The timing of Biswal's comment is very critical, as it comes barely week before Donald Trump's official coronation on Jan. 20.



Biswal did not name Trump during the interview but specifically said that the new administration now has the responsibility to address China's reservation on India's NSG application.



Meanwhile, China on Monday also took exception to India's repeated criticism on Masood Azhar issue, citing lack of evidence for put technical hold on India's application in UN to blacklist the Pakistani terrorist.



"The (UN's) 1267 Committee needs to base its decision on solid evidence, follow relevant resolutions and rules of procedure and make a decision based on consensus," Hua said.



The nuclear supplier group and Masood Azhar issues have apparently become very thorny issues in the India-China bilateral relationship. New Delhi constantly accuses Beijing that it is meddling in these two issues on the behest of Pakistan, whom India considers its arch-rival.



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(Photo : Getty Images) President Xi Jinping told Swiss business leaders to work against all kinds of trade protectionism and seek mutual benefits instead in an open and free trade between the two sides.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Swiss business leaders in the capital city of Bern on Monday, underscoring the Chinese and Swiss business circles' common interests in maintaining an open and free trade.



According to the Chinese state-run news agency, Xinhua, Xi met with the Swiss business leaders and urged them to work against all kinds of trade protectionism and seek for mutual benefits for the two sides in their economic and trade cooperation.



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Xi was joined by his counterpart, Swiss president Doris Leuthard, during the meeting where he reminded the business groups of the two nations' beneficial economic and trade relations dating back to the establishment of their diplomatic ties 67 years ago.



Generous Returns



Xi pointed out that Swiss entrepreneurs have always been in the forefront in the West's cooperation with China, enabling them to receive generous returns in their business deals.



Known for its business acumen, the Swiss industry leaders have been China's 'excellent' trade and economic partners for decades, Xi said.



The Chinese leader stressed that the two nations' free trade agreement has boosted bilateral trade and cooperation over the years and the signing of new deals between the two sides during his visit has increased more chances for promoting economic investment.



Stable Growth



Xi told the business leaders that he was confident that the world's second largest economy would have a stable growth in the coming years as he briefed them about the current status of China's economy.



Leuthard praised Xi's persistence in promoting bilateral economic and trade relations, saying the Chinese leader took the time off from his busy schedule to meet with the Swiss industry and trade leaders.



Leuthard said that China has been the top trading partner of Switzerland in Asia and she hopes to collaborate with Beijing in the future to boost the two sides' economic cooperation.



Xi is currently on a four-day official state visit to Switzerland that started on Jan. 15, the first visit for a Chinese president in the country in the 21st century. He is expected to attend the annual Davos World Economic Forum, a gathering of global leaders and business elite on Jan. 17.



Xi is the first Chinese head of state to grace the affair where he is expected to deliver the keynote speech at the opening of the meeting.



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Tagstrade protectionism, open and free trade, globalization, President Xi Jinping, Davos World Economic Forum, Switzerland, Swiss business leaders, Swiss President Doris Leuthard, china
(Photo : Getty Images) Police on Monday raided six factories in Tianjin that were manufacturing counterfeit spices and sauces.

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Authorities in China carried out investigations on over 50 factories that are alleged to be selling counterfeit seasoning and sauces. The move comes after six factories in Tianjin were raided by police authorities on Monday for purportedly selling fake sauces.



ECNS reported that the underground business has been booming yearly, with its net worth reaching to almost 100 million yuan ($14.5 million). The factories are believed to have been in operations for nearly a decade.



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They used below-the-market prices to sell their products, thus creating a well-established chain of distributors hence the profit recorded.



"One of the workshops that were raided is alleged to have manufactured vinegar from tap water, pigment, acetin and various additives," according to the Beijing News, noting that the ingredients were found at exposed tubs in a messy building.



Once finished, the products were labeled with known brands such as Maggi, Knorr, and Nestle for marketing.



Meanwhile, Nestle China said that they are aware about the incident and are working on it.



"Our anti-counterfeit team is looking into the matter," Nestle officials said. "Product experts will help law enforcement to identify dubious products."



A statement issued by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) said that they had sent a dispatch team to Tianjin to follow up on the claims.



"We will thoroughly rectify the problem of fake seasoning and present the results to the public in a timely manner," the statement read.



This was a response following growing public criticism that the CFDA was to be held liable for their failure in nabbing the suspects, according to BBC.



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(Photo : Getty Images) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday announced that his country would provide six new patrol boats to Vietnam for enhancing its maritime security.

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Japan will provide six new patrol boats to Vietnam to enhance its maritime security as China continues to boost its control over the South China Sea region. The important announcement was made on Monday during Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to the Southeast Asian country.



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"We will strongly support Vietnam's enhancing its maritime law enforcement capability," Abe said, emphasizing that all the territorial disputes in the South China Sea region must be settled through negotiation and as per the international law.



The value of six coastguard patrol vessels stands at 38.5 billion Yen ($338 million). Tokyo would provide Vietnam financial loan at a concessional rate to pay these money, a Japanese official said. However, no timeline has been set to deliver these coastguard vessels.



It must be noted that Japan had made a similar pledge to give patrol vessels to Hanoi in September last year.



Vietnam was the last leg of Abe's four-nation Asia pacific visit, with Philippines, Australia, and Indonesia being his other stops.



However, Abe's visit to Hanoi assumed more importance as it is one of the few regional allies that is ready to confront China, after Philippines shocked the world last year by revolting against the US under the new President Rodrigo Duterte.



Analysts said that outgoing US Secretary of State John Terry's visit to Vietnam few days ago was also prompted due to the same geo-political concerns.



Abe's visit to Hanoi almost coincided with Vietnam's communist party chief Nguyen Phu Trong's recent visit to Beijing. Trong held an hour-long meeting with Chinese President Xi Jingping on Saturday, releasing an official statement after the meeting that said both nations will mutually settle their territorial differences in the South China Sea.



Apparently, India's visit to sell an surface-to-air missile to the Southeast Asian country was also one of the main talks during Trong's visit to Beijing.



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(Photo : Getty Images) General Motors Co's luxury car division Cadillac Motors is optimistic that its sales in China will continue to grow in double digit in 2017.

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General Motors Co's (GM) luxury car division Cadillac Motors is upbeat about its sales prospect in China for the current year, expecting sales to continue growing at a double digit rate. But luxury carmaker anticipates that the sales would grow at a slower pace than 2016.



"We are expecting another double-digit growth in China. Most likely not in the same range as what we have seen last year (2016) because growth of nearly 50 percent is truly a very exceptional year," Cadillac's China chief, Andreas Schaaf, told Reuters.



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Cadillac had capped up an exceptional year in 2016 in China, with annual sales volume witnessing robust growth after inauguration of its first dedicated factory in the country.



Cadillac, which is still relatively a new brand in the world's largest auto market, has already overtaken Toyota's Lexus in sales. But the American luxury carmaker is still lagging behind Germany's three big luxury brands: BMW, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen's Audi.



Andreas, however, is hopeful about posing a major challenge to the German brands, adding that the brand needs to change its attitude big time to no longer perceive itself as a second-tier label.



He said that "We want to move up to the top three," predicting that China would become Cadillac's biggest market in less than five years.



Last year, China's car market surprisingly shrugged off the economic recession that flattened the country's growth rate. Buoyed by Chinese consumer's appetite for new cars, many big auto companies like Honda, Hyundai, and Volkswagen have announced to expand their production in China.



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(Photo : Getty Images) Shibing.

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The People's Liberation Army (PLA), the armed forces of the Communist Party of China (CPC), is willing to work with other countries to solve security issues and contribute to world peace and mutual development, a senior military officer said on Monday night.



The statement was made by Rear Admiral Guan Youfei, director of the Office for International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission (CMC), before 240 foreign military attaches from over 80 countries who gathered in Beijing for the annual Chinese New Year banquet hosted by China's Ministry of Defense.



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Admiral Guan said the PLA will push forward reforms this year to strengthen its capabilities; increase overall defense and military construction and take a large step toward building "a strong military with Chinese characteristics."



He said peace and development remain the mainstream trend of our time, despite challenges and conflicts in the world.



"We, the militaries, need to answer the call of the time and enhance mutual trust and cooperation," said Admiral Guan. "We also need to cultivate a new type of international relations based on win-win cooperation."



Major General Slawomir Kaluzinski, Deputy Commander and Chief of Training of the Polish Air Force, gave a speech on behalf the attending military attaches and said China is a global power that can achieve breakthroughs in promoting world peace.



He called for joint efforts to promote friendly military-military relations between China and other nations.



In late November 2016, the PLA launched what it termed a "long march of deepening military reform" aimed at giving it professional parity with the United States Armed Forces over the next decades.



PLA said it had undertaken "a fresh start" in the history of the PLA, whose and was committed "to building a strong military has become stronger."



The PLA is manned overwhelmingly by poorly-motivated and poorly-educated conscripts. In contrast, the U.S. armed forces is a professional all-volunteer force that has been in continuous combat since the turn of the century.



One of the more important PLA websites described China as entering "a key stage of transforming itself from a big country into a strong power, which calls for greater courage in advancing military reform."



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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.
We want to be honest with you, there is very little hope.

So wrote Compassion International to its 130,000 sponsors of Indian children this past Friday.

One week after sharing the good news of four nations no longer needing child sponsors due to the passion of millennials, the ministry shared the bad news of another nation that will probably not need child sponsors due to government interference.

A little more than a year after the Indian government told Compassion that it could no longer receive funding from outside the subcontinent, the humanitarian organization will likely be closing its last operations there.

Since we can no longer distribute funds to our field offices, we have just had to notify our India country staff that we must formally close our field offices in India by March 15, Compassion told sponsors by email. Should nothing change, that means an end to our sponsorship program in India in the next 60 days.

Compassion, which has been working in India for more than 48 years, said it has tried everything in the last 10 months to stay afloat. The email listed its efforts, which include:

Seeking the advice of legal experts in both the US and India

Leveraging influential relationships, including US representatives and senators, the former US Secretary of State, the former and current ambassadors to India and the White House Office of Faith-based Affairs, as well as members of Parliament in the United Kingdom

Asking Compassion sponsors to pray and to write Congress (more than 35,000 letters were sent)

Testifying in front of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee

Leveraging personal relationships within the US and India

Compassions 580 Indian-staffed development centers care for more than 145,000 children. Thats only about 8 percent of the 1.9 million children assisted by Compassion worldwide, but also more than any other of the 25 countries where it works.

The Indian government objects to Compassions Christianity, according to the ministrys testimony to US lawmakers. Hindu nationalists have put increasing pressure on Christians in India since the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014. The subcontinent has been steadily moving up Open Doors list of places where its hardest to be a Christian, from No. 28 in 2014 to No. 15 this year, the highest rank it has ever held.

An average of 40 incidents were reported per month, including pastors beaten, churches burned and Christians harassed, stated Open Doors. Of the 64 million Christians in India, approximately 39 million experience direct persecution.

There doesnt appear to be a government plan to pick up Compassions care for Indian children. More than 1 in 3 of Indias 1.2 billion people are children, yet India spends less on health and education than comparable emerging economies.

Of Indias roughly 472 million children, 33 million are child laborers, 80 million are out of school, and 97 million are undernourished, according to a recent petition asking Modis administration to spend more on children.

But while the government may not have a plan in place, that doesnt mean the children will be abandoned entirely, said Compassion spokesperson Becca Bishop.

[The children] may have lost Compassions support, but they havent lost the support of their local church, she said. Those churches, if they have the funds, may still be able to carry out a lot of the services.

World Vision, which sponsors more than 245,000 children in India (about 6 percent of its global total), also partners with local churches, though not exclusively, spokesperson Amy Parodi told CT. So far, World Vision isnt having problems getting foreign funding into the country, she said.

CT covered Compassions cash crunch in December, including how the Indian government squeezed off its foreign funding. With no way to pay for materials or staff, the organization began paring down programs last summer.

Our staff in the India field offices have stretched every last penny beyond what we thought possible to extend the programs for our children, while we in parallel explored alternative delivery methods to provide funds, yet a solution has not been discovered within the needed timeframe, stated Compassions email to donors.

The news comes on the heels of Compassions largest surge of sponsorships, when students attending the 2017 Passion Conference eliminated the list of children waiting for sponsors in four countries.
The Story of the Matthew Bible Contact: Helen Cook, 903-654-0938



DANBURY, Texas, Jan. 17, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- For release in the Spring: the world's first book about this 1537 Reformation bible, the only English bible bought with blood.



"This is the untold story of the Matthew Bible, which formed the basis of the King James Version, though unacknowledged," -- Author Ruth Magnusson Davis.



The Matthew Bible was the work of three men. William Tyndale translated the New Testament and the first half of the Old before he was killed. His friend Myles Coverdale gave us the rest of the scriptures. Then a third man, John Rogers, compiled their work, added Reformation commentaries, and published it all as the Matthew Bible. But then he was burned at the stake by Bloody Queen Mary.



But the Matthew Bible lived on. It formed the basis of King Henry's Great Bible, and from there went into the King James Version. Computer studies have shown that the KJV New Testament is 83% from the Matthew Bible.



"It has been said that new histories are only justified if the subject matter has been neglected or if it has been misrepresented. Both these things are true of the story of the Matthew Bible," Ruth said. And she ought to know. She is a retired lawyer, and a scholar of Reformation history and early modern English language and grammar. She founded the New Matthew Bible Project, and worked for seven years to update the New Testament, which was published in early 2016 as The October Testament. It has been well received and the hardcover has already gone to a second printing.



The Story of the Matthew Bible will be in two editions. One will be a short, popular edition. The other will be longer and more scholarly. The scholarly edition will include in-depth comparisons of the Matthew Bible with later versions. At last, a book about this important bible version!



Ruth answers such questions as: What is the Matthew Bible?



Who translated the Matthew Bible?



Why should we care? Why is this important?



You have finished the New Testament and published it under the name The October Testament. Can you tell us about it?

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home US American Bible Society unveils plan to open $60M exhibit in Philadelphia

The Philadelphia-based American Bible Society has announced its plan to build a $60 million attraction at the Independence Mall that would highlight the influence of the Scriptures to the American way of life.

The Faith & Liberty Discovery Center is scheduled to open in fall 2018, and it is expected to attract 250,000 visitors each year. The center will be located on the first floor of the Wells Fargo Building on 5th and Market Streets, according to the Philly Voice.

Mayor Jim Kenney, who was present during the announcement, said that the center will be "another great tourist attraction" at Independence Mall.

"In the city where William Penn chartered religious freedom, I am excited that the Faith & Liberty Discovery Center will help tell an overlooked story of our history," said Kenney.

American Bible Society President and CEO Roy Peterson said that the facility would fit naturally near the mall because America's founders relied on the values and ideas in the Bible when they crafted the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Kermit Roosevelt, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the great-great-grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, does not agree with Peterson's assertion.

"I'm not sure it's historically accurate to say the founders drew their thoughts from the Bible," said Roosevelt. "I don't think the U.S. Constitution reflects Christian ideals or doctrine. The Bible is not useful to interpret the Constitution," he added.

The American Bible Society, which has the largest collection of Bibles and written Scripture in the world, will feature some of its collection in the exhibit.

He noted that the center's proposed location does not pose any problem with the separation of church and state because the property is not part of Independence National Historical Park.

Local Projects, the company that created the software for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, has been selected to design the Bible center. SaylorGregg, a studio of JacobsWyper Architects of Philadelphia, will be leading the architectural design.

The center will be placed near other notable museums such as the Philadelphia History Museum, the National Constitution Center, the American Philosophical Society Museum, the National Museum of American Jewish History, Independence Hall and the Museum of the American Revolution.
home Faith Atheists triumphant in stopping bible study at Missouri schools

A public school district in Missouri suspended a middle school Bible study program following a complaint lodged by a national atheist group.

Last week, the Joplin School District announced that they have scrapped Bible study activities that were held at different locations in the school district.

The move came after American Humanist Associations (AHA) alleged that a Bible study program led by teachers and outside clergy members was being held at North Middle School.

In December, Monica Miller of AHA's Appignani Humanist Legal Center wrote a nine-page letter to Joplin School District, claiming school employees used treats to lure students into attending the Christian activity, which reportedly took place during school hours on Thursday mornings.

The letter revealed that a concerned parent, who also happens to be an AHA member, informed the association of the Bible studies being purportedly hosted by an NMS teacher and members of a church group. It also highlighted the use of donuts, which were distributed to those who managed to stay until the end of the service.

"As a public school district, Joplin Schools is required to remain neutral on religious matters and cannot play favorites," Miller told The Christina Post, explaining that endorsing a Christian Bible study and luring students into joining the activity with treats such as donuts constitute a violation of the First Amendment.

Even though they suspended the Bible study program, the school district officials maintained that the sessions were student-initiated and that they halted the Bible study because it did not comply with a new district policy on limiting student-led initiatives to those in grades 9 to 12. In a statement sent to News-Leader on Monday, the school district also dispelled claims that the activity was done during school hours and that they forced young scholars to attend, stressing that participation was purely voluntary.
home US Bishop Eddie Long dies from cancer at age 63

Bishop Eddie Long, a pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia, has died at the age of 63 on Sunday. The pastor had succcumbed to an aggressive form of cancer, according to a statement from the church.

Rumors about Long's failing health began circulating after he posted a video showing his dramatic weight loss. Last September, Long had announced that he was going through a "health challenge," but he did not mention anything specific about his illness.

Just weeks before his passing, the bishop told the congregation that the church would start holding just one service.

Long, who had served as a senior pastor at New Birth since 1986, had become a subject of controversy in the past few years.

In 2005, it was reported that he had been named as the biggest beneficiary of the charity he created to help the needy. The compensation to the bishop included a $1.4 million, six-bedroom, nine-bath home on a 20-acre land and more than a million dollars in salary.

In 2010, He had been accused of pressuring four young men into having sexual relationships with him while they were members of his congregation. He reached an out-of-court settlement with his accusers in May 2011. His wife, Vanessa, filed for divorce in 2011, but the couple eventually reconciled.

Long is survived by his wife, his four children and three grandchildren.

"I am confident through my belief in God that my husband is now resting in a better place. Although, his transition leaves a void for those of us who loved him dearly, we can celebrate and be happy for him, knowing he's at peace," his wife said in a statement, according to The Christian Post.

The church stated that a homegoing service in honor of the bishop will be held in the near future.

Hours after the church announced Long's death, his daughter, Taylor, took to Instagram to pay tribute to his father.

"I love you Dad. Thank you for being perfect. I cherish every moment I've shared with you even up to your last breath. I don't blame God for wanting you back, I would too. Everything I do is for you, it's been my honor to be your daughter," his daughter wrote.
home US CAIR calls on Trump to drop Franklin Graham from offering inaugural prayer

The Muslim civil rights group Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called on Donald Trump to remove Franklin Graham from the list of the six clergy members who will offer prayers at the inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20.

In a press release published on Jan. 12, CAIR described Graham as a "notorious Islamophobe" and referred to his previous statements about Islam on Facebook.

"Rev. Graham's ill-informed and extremist views are incompatible with the Constitution and with American values of religious liberty and inclusion," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.

In a 2015 Facebook post, Graham called on the U.S. government to put a stop to all immigration of Muslims to the country.

"Every Muslim that comes into this country has the potential to be radicalised a and they do their killing to honour their religion and Muhammad," he wrote.

CAIR also pointed out that Graham referred to Islam as a "very evil and wicked religion" and suggested that American mosques should be closed.

While Graham had issued harsh statements against Islam, he had also warned people against mocking the religion.

"Muslims are offended when people mock their faith. I disagree with Islam. But just because I disagree, I'm not going to mock them or resort to violence. We need to show respect to people of other races and beliefs. What happened to civility and respect?" Graham said in May 2015, in response to the attack that occurred in Garland during a contest to draw images of Muhammad.

This was not the first time the Muslim civil rights group had attempted to have Graham removed from official Washington functions. In 2010, CAIR had been successful in its efforts to have the evangelist disinvited from The National Day of Prayer at the Pentagon.

Although Graham did not endorse Trump during the campaign period, he had expressed his belief that God had intervened in the election of the business mogul. During the "Thank You" rally in Mobile, Alabama last month, the president-elect credited the evangelist for contributing to his victory.

Graham, who had led a prayer at the 2001 inauguration of George W. Bush, will be joining Samuel Rodriguez, Paula White, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Rabbi Marvin Hier and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson to offer prayers and biblical readings at the event.
home World Church 'deeply distressed' by offense over reading of Quran during cathedral service

The head of the Scottish Episcopal Church has said that he is "deeply distressed" by the offense caused by the reading of the Quran during a service at St. Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow.

Muslim law student Madinah Javed performed the reading at the invitation of the cathedral's provost, Rev. Kelvin Holdsworth. The passages that were read at the service marking the feast of the Epiphany reportedly denied that Jesus was the Son of God.

The reading was criticized by retired Anglican bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, who said that it was inappropriate for the feast of the Epiphany, which celebrates the revelation that Jesus was the Son of God.

The former bishop called on Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to publicly distance the Church of England from the event. The conservative group, Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) UK, also urged Welby to intervene, but a Lambeth Palace spokesman has noted that the Archbishop has no jurisdiction because the cathedral is not a member of the Church of England.

The cathedral reportedly became the target of offensive messages on social media following the incident.

Holdsworth defended the reading, noting that similar events have taken place in the cathedral as well as other churches in the past.

Police Scotland has stated last week that it is investigating the offensive messages directed at the cathedral, according to the Guardian.

David Chillingworth, primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, denounced the abusive messages aimed at the church in a blog post.

"The decisions which have led to the situation in St Mary's Cathedral are a matter for the provost and the cathedral community but the Scottish Episcopal Church is deeply distressed at the widespread offence which has been caused," said Chillingworth, who also serves as the bishop of St. Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane.

"We also deeply regret the widespread abuse which has been received by the cathedral community," he added.

Chillingworth went on to emphasize the church's commitment to interfaith work.

"Our intention will be as a Church to explore how, particularly in the area of worship, this work can be carried forward in ways which will command respect. Our desire is that this should be a worthy expression of the reconciliation to which all Christians are called," he said.
home US Court rules against officer who arrested man reading Bible aloud outside California DMV

A federal appeals court has ruled that a police officer had no probable cause to arrest a preacher who read the Bible out loud outside the office of the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Mark Mackey was arrested in February 2011 when he went to the DMV in Hemet with his pastor, Brett Coronado, and his friend, Edward Florez Jr., to evangelize to those who were waiting for the facility to open, Christian News reported.

Soon after Mackey began reading aloud from the Bible, a security officer asked him to move elsewhere. He continued reading from the scriptures, but he was arrested when California patrol officer Darren Meyer arrived on the scene. Meyer asserted that the men could not "preach to a captive audience."

Another officer arrested Mackey's companions for "impeding an open business."

After the men were released, they filed a lawsuit against Meyer and the California Highway Patrol with the help of the Christian legal organization Advocates for Faith and Freedom.

In response to the lawsuit, Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerbach charged Mackey and Coronado with trespassing for failing to obtain a permit to conduct a "demonstration or gathering in or upon any state buildings or grounds."

In 2013, Mackey and Coronado were declared not guilty after the prosecution failed to prove that the men drew the crowd as opposed to merely speaking in the vicinity of the people who were waiting outside the DMV.

Following his exoneration, Mackey requested that his civil suit against Meyer be resumed. In 2015, District Court Judge Molly Gee ruled in favor of Meyer, who argued that he was entitled to qualified immunity because he had reason to arrest Mackey.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court decision, stating that Meyer was wrong in arresting Mackey.

Meyer asserted that the preaching caused a verbal altercation with people outside the office, but the court found a discrepancy between the officer's claim and the video evidence.

"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," the court noted.

The case was remanded back to the lower court to handle further proceedings.

"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," said Robert Tyler, one of Mackey's attorneys. "Today's decision renews my hope in the justice system," he added.
home World Dutch bishop threatens to take legal action against adult film company for shooting porn in church

The diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands has announced on Thursday that it will be pressing charges against an adult film company for shooting a pornographic scene inside one of its churches.

The scene was shot by adult film producer Paul Visser inside a confessional at St. Joseph's Church in Tilburg. After the film went public, residents sent angry emails to Dutch porn star Kim Holland, who owned the company that produced the film, prompting her to apologize.

"For Peter [Visser], as a non-believer, the church was a very ordinary place," Holland explained, according to Church Militant. "He completely underestimated the reaction from commenters. He knows he should not have done it," she added.

The film, which was reportedly shot about a month ago, has since been removed from Holland's website.

Father Jan van Noorwegen, pastor of St. Joseph's, said that nobody saw anything when the scene was filmed.

"I do not know how they got in. The gate is only open a few hours a day," said the pastor.

"But then there are always people in the church. No one saw anything," he added.

A spokesman for the diocese said that the sex acts in the confessional constitute desecration. A mass of reparation was offered at the church on Sunday, and the building will be reconsecrated and sprinkled with holy water.

Bishop Gerard de Korte, head of the diocese, has met with a lawyer, the auxiliary bishop, and the vicar general on Thursday, but it is not yet clear what charges will be filed against Holland's production company.

Holland also received backlash when it was revealed that her company shot a porn film in Walibi Amusement Park in October. The video reportedly featured a couple secretly having sex on a number of rides including the Crazy River and the Ferris wheel.

A spokesman for the theme park also threatened to take legal action against the adult film company.

St. Joseph's is one of the 18 churches in the city of Tilburg, in the diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch. Over half the population in the city identifies as Catholic, but only 1.9 percent regularly attend mass, who are mostly over the age of 65. Only one percent of the total population in Netherlands are practicing Catholics.
home World Egypt throws out case against mob that attacked elderly Christian woman

Prosecutors in Egypt have dropped the case against a Muslim mob who allegedly attacked a 70-year-old Christian woman and paraded her naked through the streets.

Souad Thabet was attacked by the mob in Minya last May after rumors spread that her son had an affair with a Muslim woman. The attackers also reportedly burned down homes belonging to Christian families.

Thabet's lawyer, Eihab Ramzy, said that the prosecutors cited lack of sufficient evidence for their decision to drop the case.

"It's a calamity," Ramzy told the Associated Press, describing the prosecutor's decision. "The preliminary investigation heard testimonies supporting her account from family members and policemen at the scene," the lawyer added.

In an interview with a U.S.-based Christian TV station, Thabet revealed that she and her family are unable to return to her home to this day because of threats from Muslim extremists. Ramzy noted that local authorities have urged the family to reconcile with the Muslims in the village.

According to the World Watch Monitor, Thabet had reported threats against her before the attack, but the police did not take action. Ramzy said back in May that the authorities ignored the tracts that were distributed in the area, calling for violence against Christians.

He added that copies of the tracts were delivered to the police, but the authorities still refused to collect evidence even after the attacks occurred.

"Attacking a 70-year-old woman, undressing and beating her is a most despicable act. I don't understand how moral people like the Delta villagers have allowed this to happen," he said.

Tarek Nasser, the governor of Minya, denied that Thabet was stripped naked despite statements from multiple security officials confirming that a woman was beaten and insulted while being paraded through the village.

At the time of the attack, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called for the perpetrators to be held accountable and ordered the military to restore the property damaged at no cost to the owners.

Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population. Discrimination against Christians in big cities like Cairo or Alexandria is subtle, but it is more apparent in provinces like Minya, where they are a sizable minority.

"The government is allowing the oppressors to walk free on the streets. This is our village that we were born and raised in ... How can we be the victims and not be able to return to our village and homes?" Thabet told the TV station.
home US Eric Metaxas highlights three discoveries in biblical archaeology in 2016; ancient toilet tops the list

Known Christian author and media personality Eric Metaxas lists what he thinks are the three best biblical archaeological discoveries in 2016, saying that these finds assert that Christian faith is supported by historical facts.

In an article originally published on Breakpoint, the New York Times bestselling author lists what he and his peers at Breakpoint think are the three best finds in biblical archaeology in 2016, saying that these serve as proof that "Our faith is firmly rooted in history, not some 'once upon a time.'"

In coming up with the list, Metaxas drew inspiration from Christianity Today's list of top 10 biblical artifacts that were unearthed last year.

Number three in Metaxas' list are the remnants of a synagogue and a first-century Roman coin bearing the image of Tiberius found by researchers undertaking an excavation of Mary Magdalene's hometown, Magdala.

Metaxas cites New York Times in reporting that according to the person leading the excavation, the finds serve as "circumstantial evidence" that Jesus visited the area and that Magdala was a prosperous town. Metaxas explained that the artifacts are relevant because they provide a glimpse of the life of Mary Magdalene, whom he said many people incorrectly regard as a prostitute, when, in fact, she "provided for Jesus and His disciples 'out of their resources.'"

Placing second is the Pool of Siloam, which is from the Second Temple Period during which Jesus Christ walked the earth. He mentions John 9, which tells the story of Jesus meeting a blind man. "He spat on the ground, made mud, placed it on the man's eyes, and told him to go 'wash in the pool of Siloam,'" Metaxas writes.

He then stresses that the discovery of the said pool is an affirmation of the accuracy of the Gospel, down to the details of times and places, and that it could have only been penned by somebody who had witnessed the events that it describes.

Metaxas ranked the toilet of Tel Lachish first in the list of best biblical archeological finds in 2016. The toilet was found in a room that appears to have been a shrine that was desecrated, most likely when King Hezekiah was implementing religious reforms.

He explained that putting a toilet in a sacred place was the ultimate act of disrespect, adding that Jehu, another reformer, did the same thing to the temple of Ba'al in 2 Kings.

Christianity Today's list of top 10 biblical archaeological finds also include stone tile floor designs of Temple Mount, the Jewish temple built by King Herod; remains from a cemetery at Askelon; a cave that appears to have served as a stone jar factory near Cana, where Jesus and his disciples attended a wedding; and the inside of the tomb of Christ in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, among others.
home Faith Greg Laurie says talking about heaven helps him cope with grief on difficult days

Greg Laurie, a senior pastor at Harvest Christian Fellowship, talked about how he deals with the loss of a son, especially on difficult days such as birthdays, Christmas and Easter. He shared that channeling his grief to helping others overcome theirs and talking about heaven have helped him survive all these years.

In a Facebook post, the evangelist revealed that at first, he was not keen on joining a club of parents who have lost children. Eventually, however, he found it therapeutic to talk about heaven as it allows him to think of where his son currently is and to cry with others as they spoke about their own tragedies. He is thankful to God that he and his wife, Cathe, are given an opportunity to inspire and spark hope in others who are dealing with grief same as theirs.

Laurie wrote, "Despite this pain and tragedy, if we can bring a little hope or a little comfort to someone else, then I am thankful God has allowed us to have some joy despite this tragedy."

Laurie lost his eldest son, Christopher, then 33, in a car accident in Corona, California in July 2008. The young Laurie was on his way to Harvest Christian Fellowship, where he served as art director, in Riverside, California, when his vehicle collided with a California Department of Transportation tractor.

Since the passing of his son, heaven has become a frequent topic in the pastor's sermons and written pieces. He admits, however, that he is more of a student of heaven rather than an expert.

In a blog entry in January 2016, Laurie revealed that he is skeptical whenever somebody claims that he has been to heaven. He emphasized that his beliefs are founded on the only "authoritative source" that he knows of a Jesus Christ.

"I think our belief in heaven should affect us while we live on Earth. Our belief in the afterlife has a lot to say about how we live in the before life, how we live in the here and now. The way we view the by-and-by affects us in the here and now," he wrote.
home US Idaho legislator announces plan to propose bill that classifies abortion as first-degree murder

An Idaho state senator has announced his plan to propose a bill that would classify abortions as first-degree murder.

Under the bill, both the doctor and the woman who obtained an abortion will be charged with first-degree murder, except in cases when the mother's life is at risk.

Sen. Dan Foreman of Moscow said that his bill would not make an exception for cases of incest or rape.

"We are still faced with looking at the death of an innocent child. Why should the child pay for the sins of the person who committed the rape or the incest?" he said.

Other lawmakers have expressed concern about the plan, stating that the government has no authority to decide what a woman should do with her own body.

"From a constitutional standpoint, in the landmark case of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized that the Constitution protects a woman's right to make her own medical decisions, including her decision to have an abortion," Said Sen. Cherie Buckner-Webb.

Buckner-Webb expressed her belief that the proposal will not make it to the Senate floor based on constitutionality, but she expressed her intention to oppose the bill if it reaches that level.

Foreman argued that his proposal is not about telling a woman what to do with her body but about protecting the unborn child.

"I don't want to tell a woman what to do with her body, and neither should the government. But using that same logic, how can a woman tell her unborn child it has to die? Who represents the child?" he said.

Rep. Randy Armstrong, who is strongly against abortion, said that the bill has no chance of passing, adding that not many people are in favor of criminalizing abortion.

The Idaho statutes classify killing of an unborn fetus or embryo as murder, but the prosecution of committing the said offense have been suspended, according to East Idaho News.

A group based in Coeur d'Alene called Abolish Abortion Idaho has launched a petition to remove the prohibition on the prosecution of those involved in abortions.

Other states have sought to charge doctors who perform abortions with murder, but Foreman believes that his measure would be the first effort since the Roe v. Wade ruling to include the mother as well.
home US Kentucky AG refuses to defend 20-week abortion ban against potential legal challenge

Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear has said that he will not defend the law banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy if it is challenged in court.

On Monday, Gov. Matt Bevin signed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which prohibits abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, the period when the unborn baby is believed to be capable of feeling pain.

Beshear said that the 20-week ban is "clearly unconstitutional" and cited other cases in other states where the legislation was struck down in court.

The attorney general drew strong criticism from Bevin who took to Facebook, saying Beshear is not fulfilling his duties.

"Our attorney general apparently is under the impression that he gets to pick and choose when he does his job," Bevin said as reported by WFPL News.

"He has made clear that he's going to pander to liberal donors rather than you the voters. You should be outraged, you should be offended, you should demand and expect better than that," he continued.

Beshear expressed his intention to defend the new law requiring doctors to conduct an ultrasound on the pregnant woman before performing an abortion.

"It is also my duty to defend laws where the constitutionality is questionable and finality is needed. Adhering to these duties is why, after close review, my office will defend the agencies sued over House Bill 2 that seek our representation," he said.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the ultrasound law on Monday, naming Beshear as one of the defendants.

In response to Bevin's criticism, Beshear said that his decision was not political or personal, pointing out that he has chosen to defend the ultrasound bill. He said that the legislation requiring ultrasounds prior to an abortion "may be constitutional," noting one federal appellate court upheld it while another ruled it unconstitutional.

The 20-week abortion ban is in effect in 13 of 15 states that passed it into law. It is currently facing legal challenges in Georgia and Idaho.

When the 20-week ban was passed into law in Ohio last month, abortion advocacy groups have hesitated to challenge it in court, fearing that it could be upheld as constitutional.
home US Lawmaker introduces bill to abolish abortion in Texas

A Texas lawmaker has proposed a bill that would abolish abortion in the state and criminalize those who are involved in the procedure.

Last Wednesday, Rep. Tony Tinderholt filed House Bill 948 or the Abolition of Abortion in Texas Act, which would amend the state code to declare that a child's life begins at the "moment of fertilization."

The legislation would allow abortion practitioners and women who obtain abortions to be charged with murder except in cases when the mother's life is at risk. The bill carries no exceptions for fetal abnormality or rape, The Star-Telegram reported.

Critics have described the bill as the "most extreme measure" in the Legislature this year.

"It takes away a pregnant person's legal rights and could open up to investigation and prosecution of anyone who has a miscarriage or who seeks an abortion," said Heather Busby, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas.

"When politicians criminalize safe medical procedures, they put patients' health and safety at risk. HB948 strips away our constitutional right to abortion," she added.

The proposal came when Republicans in Texas and Tarrant County called for an end to abortion.

Tinderholt said that the bill was proposed in response to the language in the platform of the Republican Party of Texas calling for the abolition of abortion in the state.

"We call upon the Texas legislature to enact legislation stopping the murder of unborn children; and to ignore and refuse to enforce any and all federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, and court rulings, which would deprive an unborn child of the right to life," the text read.

Tinderholt said that he has asked lawmakers from other states to carry similar measures. He plans to introduce another abortion-related bill that addresses state-issued health licenses.

Several abortion-related bills have already been filed in Texas this session. State Rep. Stephanie Klick has recently introduced House Bill 844 or the Dismemberment Abortion Ban, which is aimed at prohibiting abortions in which a fetus is extracted one piece at a time.

Other proposals that were filed deal with issues ranging from health benefit plan coverage for abortions to the waiting period before a physician may perform an abortion.
home Faith Mark Driscoll says spouses should forgive each other's sins

Known American Christian pastor Mark Driscoll of Arizona-based Trinity Church and his wife, Grace, remind couples about the importance of forgiveness in a marriage.

In an article posted on the pastor's website, the Driscolls emphasize that granting someone forgiveness is just as important as asking for it, citing what Jesus had to say about the topic: "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us."

They describe forgiveness as a "gospel issue," pointing out that everyone should emulate the Lord's example. According to the couple, "All sin is ultimately against God," and this means that "no one has been sinned against more than God." However, instead of being resentful, he came down to earth and suffered for men's sins, granting everyone forgiveness.

Just as God responded to men's sins with forgiveness, couples should extend the same to their spouses who have erred "as an act of worship," the Driscolls wrote.

The pastor and his wife also highlighted a few things about forgiveness. One is that the act does not equate to being accepting of the sin that was committed. Forgiving doesn't mean that the wrongdoing committed by the other is being swept under the rug.

Another is that one needs not wait for the transgressor to apologize before granting forgiveness. The Driscolls reiterate that it is a requirement from God and that it has less to do with the offending party being remorseful.

They also caution not to confuse forgiveness with reconciliation, as the former can be achieved in an instant, while the latter is a process that requires the restoration of trust. "It takes one sinner to repent, and one victim to forgive, but it takes both to reconcile," they advise, adding that "the relationship remains continually broken until reconciliation does occur."

Researchers estimate that 40 to 50 percent of marriages in the United States result in divorce.

Nevertheless, the majority of Americans still get into a relationship with a view that it is meant to last, as indicated by 69 percent of participants in a 2016 relationship study conducted by Avvo, an online attorney directory in the United States. Furthermore, more than half or 58 percent still believe in the institution of marriage.
home World Pakistani Senate committee to discuss ways to prevent misuse of blasphemy laws

A Pakistani Senate committee will be debating on how to prevent the country's blasphemy laws from being misused in settling personal grudges or for other ulterior motives.

Senator Farhatullah Babar, a member of the Senate Committee on Human Rights, told Reuters that discussions will be based on the recommendations from a 24-year-old report. He added that the committee is considering a proposal that will require the investigation of a complaint before registering a case to ensure that the law is not being used to settle personal scores, as what critics have claimed.

Babar said that the committee will also discuss whether life imprisonment would be an adequate punishment instead of the death penalty.

The current law prescribes life imprisonment for those who desecrate the Quran while the death penalty is reserved for "defiling" Islam's prophet, Muhammad.

Some religious conservatives expressed their intentions of opposing any changes to the law.

"Make new laws to punish those who abuse blasphemy laws. But no one can even think about changing this law," said Tahir Ashrafi, head of the influential Pakistan Ulema Council of Muslim clerics.

According to statistics from the Center for Research and Security Studies, hundreds of Pakistanis are currently on death row for blasphemy convictions, and at least 65 people have been killed over allegations of blasphemy since 1990.

Asia Bibi, a Christian woman, was one of the Pakistanis who were sentenced to death for insulting Muhammad. Her final appeal was scheduled to be heard last October, but it was canceled after the judge recused himself from the case.

In 2011, Pakistani Governor Salman Taseer was killed by his bodyguard for calling for the reform of the blasphemy law. His assassin, Mumtaz Qadri, has been hailed by Islamic hardliners as a hero, and tens of thousands of his supporters were present at his funeral after he was executed last year.

Last week, 150 activists were arrested while they were rallying in support of the blasphemy laws on the anniversary of the Punjab governor's assassination.

Police have also resisted the hardliners' demand to charge the governor's son, Shaan Taseer, with blasphemy for a Christmas message calling for prayers for those who were indicted under the "inhumane" legislation.

"This government has shown a firmer stance than the government when my father was martyred," said Shaan.
home US Pope Francis assures women they can breastfeed in church, just like the Virgin Mary

Pope Francis made a bold statement while attending a ceremony in Vatican during the weekend: women should feel free to breastfeed their children inside the church.

The pontiff was presiding the baptism of 15 newborn boys and 13 girls at an annual ceremony that paid tribute to the baptism of Jesus when, at one point, he encouraged mothers to feed their babies who were crying out of hunger as the service in the Sistine Chapel was "a little long." To assure the women, the pope even emphasized that the Virgin Mary herself nursed Jesus as a baby.

In many parts of the world, including the United States, breastfeeding in public has always been a subject of debate, with many people still regarding the act as going beyond the bounds of decency. With the head of the Catholic Church himself announcing that there is nothing wrong if women feed their babies even during service, it is hoped that people and institutions will be more accepting of mothers who need to breastfeed in the open.

It was not the first time that the pope publicly supported women nursing in public. Around the same time last year, he reminded mothers who were at a baptism ceremony at the Sistine Chapel not to hesitate in breastfeeding their young ones who might be hungry.

"You mothers give your children milk and even now, if they cry because they are hungry, breastfeed them, don't worry," he said during the homily.

In 2013, the pontiff mentioned, in an interview with Andrea Tornielli of La Stampa, that during a General Audience, which is usually held at St. Peter's Square on Wednesday mornings, he noticed a young mother behind the barrier, soothing a crying infant. He told the mother that the child was probably hungry and that she should feed him. He noted that she appeared to be embarrassed to nurse her baby in public, especially with the pope close by.
home US Prayer warriors and bikers vow to protect Trump on Inauguration Day

Christian prayer warriors and bikers have expressed plans to provide protection for President-elect Donald Trump on inauguration day.

A new group called POTUS Shield gathered at the National Press Club on Thursday to form a "prayer shield" for the incoming administration. Some of its members include Alveda King, Lou Engle, Mark Gonzales, Darrell and Belinda Scott, Cindy and Mike Jacobs, Rick Joyner, and Jennifer LeClaire.

"We're really not looking for Mr. Trump or any human to change America, but we know God can and will do it," King, who is also the director of Civil Rights for the Unborn, told CBN News.

A number of pastors have assembled at the Capitol Hill to pray for Trump's HUD Secretary nominee, Ben Carson, at his Senate hearing.

"We're actually a prayer group. We pray for leaders across our nation a a group of pastors come together to pray for our nation and our leaders, particularly the new administration," said Virginia Beach Pastor Eric Majette.

Meanwhile, the motorcycle group known as Bikers for Trump have vowed to protect the president-elect against protesters on the day of his inauguration. The group's leader, Chris Cox, said that he does not expect any problems at the event, but the bikers will be forming a "wall of meat" in case something happens.

"We're anticipating a celebration here. We don't anticipate any problems. We have a strict code of conduct where we don't condone violence. But again in the event that we're needed, you can certainly count on the Bikers for Trump," Cox told Fox Business.

Bikers for Trump, which was formed about 15 months ago, is one of the several groups that applied for a federal permit for the event. It has been granted permission to be at the John Marshall Park, which is along the Inaugural Parade route on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Cox said that the bikers' rally will begin before Trump goes into the Capitol, and it will end shortly before the parade.

Members of the group have already stood up against anti-Trump protesters during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last July.
home US Radio station pulls pro-life ad following complaints from listeners

A radio station in Washington D.C. stopped running an advertisement from the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) after it reportedly received complaints from its listeners.

The radio advertisement is a part of the $500,000 campaign launched by the SBA List to expose Planned Parenthood as America's largest abortion provider and urge Congress to redirect taxpayer funds from the organization to other qualified healthcare centers that provide more comprehensive care.

"It's a fact: Planned Parenthood is America's largest abortion business, nearly a million abortions in the last three years. Its executives were caught on tape bragging about selling baby body parts," a part of the advertisement stated.

According to the SBA List, WTOP, one of D.C.'s leading news talk radio stations, pulled the advertisement off the air on Thursday after receiving complaints from its listeners.

WTOP Senior Vice President and General Manager Joel Oxley stated in an email to The Christian Post that the radio station requested the SBA List to change one word in the advertisement. The station asked the pro-life group to replace the word "bragging" with "discussing" in order to make the advertisement sound more objective.

Oxley said that the station removed the advertisement from its spot after the SBA List declined to make the changes.

Mallory Quigley, SBA List communications director, confirmed with The Christian Post that the radio station requested the change. However, she noted that those who complained had a problem with the whole advertisement, not just the word "bragging."

"I get that they're uncomfortable with the facts. It is horrific that Planned Parenthood employees were discussing, indeed, bragging, about their role harvesting and selling body parts. That should make all of America uncomfortable with the fact that we're sending them $1.5 million a day in taxpayer dollars," said Quigley.

Planned Parenthood currently receives over half billion taxpayer dollars annually and performs 323,000 abortions each year, according to a report from Breitbart.

The U.S. Senate recently passed a budget resolution bill a the first step in the process to repeal Obamacare and redirect the abortion organization's taxpayer funding.

Many are confident that President-elect Donald Trump would sign such a bill given the promise that he made during the campaign period.
home World Samaritan's Purse sets up new hospital six miles away from Mosul

Humanitarian aid organization Samaritan's Purse has recently opened a field hospital near the Iraqi city of Mosul to treat the soldiers and civilians who are injured in the battle against the Islamic State.

The hospital, which is located just over six miles outside the city limits of Mosul, spans five acres and includes an emergency room, two operating rooms and over 50 beds, according to The Christian Post.

Franklin Graham, the head of Samaritan's Purse, officially dedicated the hospital on Jan. 12. Iraqi government officials and United Nations representatives were also present to witness the opening of the facility.

Lise Grande, U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, said that her office has reached out to several organizations asking for help to provide frontline trauma care, but only Samaritan's Purse answered the call.

The staff at the hospital has already treated dozens of people who were badly injured in the conflict in its first few days of operation.

The hospital is now the closest medical facility to the front lines of the battle between the jihadis and the Iraqi coalition trying to liberate Mosul. Trauma patients previously had to be transported to Erbil, which is one to two hours away from the embattled city.

Dr. Elliott Tenpenny said that the majority of patients at the hospital sustained a variety of injuries, such as shrapnel wounds, gunshot wounds and burns.

"Right now we are just taking the most seriously injured a red and yellow patients is how they are described here. They are the most seriously injured patients that do not have a chance to make it to the next-closest hospital," Tenpenny told The Christian Post.

"We are focusing on them to save the most lives possible. Focusing on the patients that are most critically injured and can't survive the ride. So, we have treated dozens of patients. I think it is right under 100 patients at this point and we have only been open a few days," the doctor continued.

Most of the doctors who work at the hospital only stay for a number of weeks then return home to their ongoing medical jobs. Staff members are required to stay in the area for a minimum of three weeks before they can go home. However, some of the doctors are willing to stay at the hospital for months, according to Tenpenny.
home US Sixty-five percent of Democrats want religious freedom protected even if it violates the law, says poll

President-elect Donald Trump has been a staunch advocate of religious freedom, pledging to support such once if elected. A new poll, however, revealed that even Democrats want their religious freedom protected, with a majority of them indicating that they want to be able to exercise their faith, even if it conflicts with the law.

According to a survey conducted by The Marist Poll and sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, 89 percent of Americans believe that religious freedom should be protected, with 57 percent regarding it as an "immediate priority." The sentiment cuts across political affiliations. While the figure is highest among Republicans, with 66 percent seeing such as an "immediate priority," Democrats and Independents follow closely at 55 percent and 51 percent, respectively.

Interestingly, the majority, or 65 percent of Americans, still believe in upholding religious liberty even if it violates the law. About 74 percent of Republicans stated such, but Democrats and Independents are not too far behind at 60 percent and 63 percent, respectively.

"Majorities of Americans a regardless of party a have embraced religious freedom and have rightly rejected the false notion that it is something negative. They overwhelming support the protection of our first freedom, the free exercise of religion," Supreme Knight Carl Anderson stated in a press release.

The survey, in which 2,729 adults participated, was carried out between Dec. 12 to 19, 2016.

Before the previous year ended, the "religious freedom" provision, otherwise known as the Russel Amendment, after its author Republican Representative Steve Russel of Oklahoma, failed to make it to the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The said provision would have expanded religious exemptions enjoyed by federal contractors and grant recipients.

Many organizations and professionals have long been struggling with following the law against their faith or conscience. Such include pro-life advocates in the medical field who are forced to assist in late-term abortion or sex reassignment procedures, as well as Christian wedding suppliers who are compelled to cater same-sex couples despite their religious reservations.
home US Trump's presidency will fail if he does not aid persecuted Christians, warns Open Doors

The persecution watchdog group Open Doors has urged President-elect Donald Trump to help persecuted Christians, warning that his administration might fail if he does not take the issue into consideration.

Open Doors has recently published its 2017 World Watch List, which documents the 50 worst countries where Christians experience oppression.

"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," said David Curry, CEO of Open Doors USA, according to The Christian Post.

The fact sheet provided by the organization indicated that as many as 1,207 Christians were killed around the globe for their faith from Nov. 1, 2015 to Oct. 31, 2016, which is the reporting period for the 2017 list.

Curry, who met with aides to Trump last Tuesday, said that religious liberty "is the central issue that they're going to have to deal with, whether you're looking at it through the lens of immigration, whether you're looking at it through the lens of terrorism."

"We're hopeful that they take it seriously. If they don't I think we will see this administration fail," Curry stated, as reported by Religion News Service.

Islamic extremism remains to be the most common cause of oppression against Christians, and it has seen a sharp rise in Africa, where more people were killed for their faith than in anywhere else in the world.

At the top of the list is North Korea, which has held its rank for the 15th consecutive year.

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith was one of the public officials who were present at the Washington news conference at which the 2017 World Watch List was unveiled. He has campaigned to push religious persecution against minorities higher on the priority of both Congress and presidential administrations since he won a seat in the House in 1980.

Smith said that he had not spoken with Trump about the issue, but he had given Vice President-elect Mike Pence a copy of a bill he is sponsoring that would strengthen protections for Christians abroad.

The congressman complained that the U.S. government have done little to help the Christians who have fled Mosul in the Nineveh Plain. There have been concerns that Iraqi Christians could become extinct in their ancient homelands if there are no assurances that they will be protected when they return.
home World Vatican McDonald's to provide free meals to Rome's homeless

The newly opened McDonald's near the Vatican has promised to provide the homeless with free meals.

The charity organization Medicina Solidale announced that it is working with the popular fast food chain and the papal almoner's office, which provides aid to the homeless around the Vatican on behalf of the pope, to dole out free meals to the homeless around St. Peter's Basilica.

According to the Catholic Herald, volunteers of the organization will be distributing a specially prepared meal which includes a double cheeseburger, fresh apple slices and a bottle of water.

Lucia Ercoli, director of Medicina Solidale, said that the charity plans to distribute 100 meals a week for 10 consecutive Mondays, starting on Jan. 16. She said that the fast food chain "quickly responded" to the proposal to donate food to the homeless around the Vatican.

"With these meals, we'll make a significant leap in providing so many women and men who live on the street in this neighbourhood the possibility of a meal that will guarantee a suitable intake of proteins and vitamins for them," said Ercoli.

The opening of a McDonald's store near the Vatican generated controversy when some cardinals opposed it last December.

Italian Cardinal Elio Sgreccia said that the proposal to open the branch at a Vatican-owned building was a "controversial, perverse decision."

"It's a commercial decision that ignores the culinary traditions of the Roman restaurant industry," said Sgreccia, the president emeritus of the Vatican's Academy for Life, which leads the church's battles against abortion and euthanasia.

It was revealed last year that the decision to rent part of the building to McDonald's was approved by the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic (APSA), a division of the church that oversees the Vatican's assets. McDonald's is reportedly paying $32,000 a month in rent for the store.

Pope Francis has launched several programs to provide aid to the homeless, including free haircuts by volunteer barbers and the distribution of sleeping bags on winter nights. Many of the homeless are now able to take showers after the pope provided them with bathrooms near St. Peter's Square.
home US Virginia governor issues order requiring state contractors to have anti-discrimination policies

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed an executive order that prohibits the state from giving contracts to entities that do not have anti-discrimination policies regarding sexual orientation or gender identity.

"It is hereby ordered as the policy of the Executive Branch that it will only contract with those who abide by the non-discrimination policies set forward in Executive Order 1 (2014), namely that discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, political affiliation, disability, or veteran status is prohibited," the order stated, as reported by The Christian Post.

The 61st executive order, which was signed at the University of Virginia on Jan. 5, builds upon the first one that McAuliffe issued when he took office in 2014, which banned discrimination against LGBT state employees.

Critics charged that the executive order sanctions religious discrimination against business owners who hold moral objections to homosexuality and transgenderism.

Victoria Cobb, president of the Family Foundation of Virginia, said that the order is an attack on faith and described it as an "unconstitutional act of intimidation and bullying of businesses and charities."

"It is also in direct violation of the Virginia Constitution that states, 'the right to be free from any governmental discrimination upon the basis of religious conviction . . . shall not be abridged,'" Cobb went on to say.

The order applies to new contracts that are valued over $10,000. The measure provides an exception for adoption agencies that refuse to place children for religious reasons with certain people, such as homosexuals.

Equality Virginia Executive Director James Parrish commended McAuliffe for issuing the executive order.

He noted that 89 percent of the Fortune 500 companies already have anti-discrimination policies. He added that 17 out of 18 Fortune 500 companies based in Virginia have protections against discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.

The order came just days after State Del. Bob Marshall introduced a bill that would prohibit people from using restrooms that are meant for use by members of the opposite sex. McAuliffe has vowed to veto Marshall's bill if it reaches his desk.

Marshall also proposed a measure that aims to annul McAuliffe's executive order. He noted that several businesses throughout the country have been punished because of their policies that prohibit them from providing goods and services to events that celebrate homosexuality.
3 Ways Jesus Challenges Authority

I once got into trouble as a 14-year-old for challenging the authority of a teacher.

The school I attended had a junior cadet force. This involved dressing up in army uniform and learning how to parade and handle rather antiquated rifles. One weekend we had to attend a training camp, and at 11.00pm on the Saturday night I was instructed to take my turn on guard at the entrance for an hour's "sentry duty" in the dark.

Rain began to fall  torrentially. So, ignoring what the teacher in charge had told me to do, I abandoned my post, and started to head to my tent. After all, I reasoned to myself, any Soviet invasion of Europe was unlikely to begin with the Red Army attacking a small unit of adolescent schoolboys in rural England.

The teacher was, needless to say, suitably unimpressed  but I will spare you the precise form of words with which he rightly reprimanded me and reasserted his authority.

No-one likes having their authority challenged or subverted. Yet Jesus does just that all the time. Here's how:

(1) Jesus challenges religious authority. In Mark 11v27-33, a group of religious leaders demand to know "by what authority" Jesus has been doing things such as overturning the tables of money-changers in the temple.

Jesus throws back a question of his own to them. Was the ministry of John the Baptist, he asks, a human one  or one with God's backing? The religious elders are trapped, and they know it. If they say it had a heavenly basis, he will ask why they didn't accept it. But if they say it was simply human, they know the listening crowd will turn against them (v31-32). When they decline to answer, Jesus in turns refuse to answer them. Masterful!

Again and again in the gospels, Christ challenges religious authority. And you have to wonder what he would say to many church leaders  including me  today. Have our churches (like the temple) become such "neat and tidy" religious organisations that they are missing the central point of what God's plan for human salvation is all about?

When I visit a church or cathedral, I always look with interest at the literature and displays. Is the information simply about the building  or does it point people clearly to Jesus? Have those in charge remembered what they are there for? Or do they need a reminder  a challenge even  about who is supposed to be central?

(2) Jesus challenges secular authority. A little later on, in Mark 12, we read about Jesus teaching how God's authority can trump even Caesar's (12v17) and that by implication he  Jesus  is greater than even the great Jewish King David (12v35-37). There may be times, therefore, when following Christ results in breaking national law.

It's still a live issue today. Justin Welby spoke recently about how a politician had expressed incredulity to him that anyone could regard what their faith said as somehow more important than what the state decided. The Archbishop told him: "Well, you've got a real problem here, because for me personally my faith is more important than the rule of law, so you've got an extremist sitting in here with you."

(3) Jesus challenges our authority. Ultimately, Jesus' words and actions challenge all of us. The Baptist pastor Geoff Thomas, a professor of historical theology, has commented on this section of Mark's gospel: "The challenge of God's gospel is the challenge of the authority of Jesus Christ, his claim to be God, to be the one who made the universe, to uphold the universe, to judge it and consummate it. That is the Lord's claim. His authority over you as the one who made you, the one who is your Lord, and the one who is your God."

Most of us, like the religious leaders here, would like Jesus to answer all our questions. But more often than not, when we truly encounter Christ, we will find  as they did  that it is he who has challenging questions for us. And no question is more important than that of Jesus' authority. As he puts it earlier in Mark: "Who do you say I am?"

Ruth Bell Graham, Billy Graham's wife, wrote this short verse which helps place our own questions in the context of Christ's unique authority: "I lay my 'Why's' before your throne, in worship kneeling; My heart too numb for any thought, beyond all feeling; But worshipping, can see that I, In knowing you, don't need a Why". Amen.

David Baker is a former daily newspaper journalist now working as an Anglican minister in Sussex, England. The Rough Guide to Discipleship is a fortnightly series. He is on Twitter @David_Baker_A.
Can A Pope Doubt? Francis Speaks Of The 'Moments Of Darkness' In His Faith

Pope Francis has confessed to a "darkness" in his own faith, admitting he sometimes finds it difficult to believe.

In a visit to the village of Guidonia, outside Rome, he spoke of the recent earthquake that struck northern Italy and its effects on people.

"Some days you can't see faith, and all is black," he said..

"I, too, have at times experienced moments of darkness in my faith, and my faith diminished a lot, but then, after a short time, I found it again."

The Holy Father has begun visiting parishes again after a one-year interval during the Year of Jubilee, which ended in December.

He opened up to parishioners and said: "Looking back at some moments my faith diminished to the point that I could not find it and I lived as if I did not have faith."

He added according to the Catholic site Crux: "The ups and downs of life can shake you up at times and cause you to loose a little faith, but with time you may find it again."

Speaking to younger people and children in the village on Sunday he told them there is "no point" in going to church if you don't follow Jesus' teaching.

The pontiff spoke against "Christian parrots" who talk a lot about religion but do not act on it.

"If I say I am Catholic and go to mass, but then don't speak with my parents, help my grandparents or the poor, go and see those who are sick, this does not prove my faith, there's no point," he said in a visit to Guidonia, a village outside Rome.

"Those who do this are nothing but Christian parrots  words, words, words," said the Pope, according to Italian newspaper La Stampa.

"Christian faith is expressed with three things: words, the heart, and the hands."
Christian Pastor Slams Germany's 'Kangaroo Court' Hearings Into Migrant Conversions

Germany is rejecting applications for asylum from Iranian and Afghan converts to Christianity following "kangaroo court" hearings, according to a Berlin pastor.

In a letter to supporters of his ministry sent before Christmas and reported by World Watch Monitor, Rev Gottfried Martens, who has baptised more than 1,000 former Muslims accused the "almost exclusively Muslim translators" in the hearings of deliberately falsely translating the converts' responses to jeopardise their applications.

In a damning indictment of the working of the Ministry for Immigration and Refugees (BAMF), he said: "Almost all congregational members and candidates for baptism are having their hearings scheduled well-nigh simultaneously, and yet the only qualification of those charged with hearing their cases has often added up to no more than a three-week course; many are manifestly clueless about the situation of Christians in Iran and Afghanistan, and worse yet they are utterly clueless concerning questions relating to the Christian faith.

"But all of this does not prevent them from assuming the role of self-appointed experts, whose questions 'unmask' the supposedly deceitful Iranian asylum applicants one after another, even when those hearing the cases don't even know the difference between the Creed and the Our Father."

He said applicants were asked questions such as the names of the two sons in the parable of the Prodigal Son, or what Martin Luther died of.

"In this way Christians who learned the first elements of the Christian faith in their house church in Iran are well and truly hung out to dry," he said. "Many hearings are more like kangaroo courts in which our congregational members and candidates for baptism have absolutely no chance of presenting what is important to them. And then they must repeatedly undergo being mocked and laughed at when they relate how it is important to them that Jesus Christ died for their sins on the Cross."

He also referred to attacks on Christian asylum seekers by radical Muslims, and criticised the Catholic Church and the Protestant EKD Church, which had opposed housing Christian and Muslim refugees separately because doing so might suggest religions could not coexist peacefully.

A spokesman for Christian charity Open Doors in Germany said: "These Christians have either fled from their home countries because of their newfound faith and the persecution they had to face because of it, or have come to believe in Jesus Christ after fleeing to Germany.

"Sending them back to their countries of origin is completely irresponsible in view of the situation for Christian converts in places like Iran or Afghanistan, because it is truly a matter of life and death. Open Doors demands an immediate revision of the policy of the BAMF in view of their dealing with converts."

The UK's treatment of converts to Christianity was similarly criticised in a parliamentary report last June that found investigators lacked religious literacy and used "Bible trivia" questions from crib sheets to assess the genuineness of someone's faith.
Christians Have A Right To Defend The Cross, Says Rowan Williams

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has defended the right of Christians to protest when crosses are removed from public places.

In a new book on the meaning of the cross and resurrection, both in the early Church and in the modern world, Lord Williams of Oystermouth says it is "reasonable" to "get rather indignant" when crosses are removed from certain public places.

The Christian cross is a "sign" of God's love and freedom, he says.

It is a sacrifice that symbolises the forgiveness of sins.

Lord Williams, Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and among the world's top living theologians, says in God with us that for early Christians, encountering a cross in a church would have been like being faced with a picture of an electric chair or guillotine.

"When we go into a Christian place of worship, we expect to see a cross. And when crosses are removed from public places, such as crematoria or hospital chapels, we quite reasonably get rather indignant about it," he writes in the opening chapter, an extract of which is reproduced today by Christian Today.

"But in the world in which Christianity began, a place of worship was the last place you would expect to see a cross. We can only begin to get some sense of what it might have felt like to encounter the symbol of a cross in the first couple of Christian centuries if we imagine coming into a church and being faced with a large picture of an electric chair or perhaps a guillotine," he continues.

"The cross was a sign of suffering, humiliation, disgrace. It was a sign of an all-powerful empire that held life very cheap indeed: a forceful and immediate reminder to everybody that their lives were in the hands of the state. You might well be used to seeing crosses on the outskirts of towns or by the side of the road, but most definitely not in any place of worship."

Later in the book, Dr Williams returns to one of his common themes: the true nature of prayer. He writes that it is easy to fall into a way of thinking of prayer as a sort of 'storming' of heaven, or "a campaign" to pressure God into changing his mind. Instead, he writes, prayer is "most deeply 'allowing God to happen in us'...being in the place where Christ is real".

The new book follows Being Christian and Meeting God in Mark (2014), Meeting God in Paul (2015), and Being Disciples (2016) all published by SPCK.

God with us: The meaning of the cross and resurrection  then and now is published by SPCK on Thursday 19 January.
Franklin Graham's Niece Disagrees With Her Uncle on Trump's Victory Being God's Answer to Christians' Prayers

A lot of Americans don't see eye to eye when it comes to politics, and apparently, even the family of world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham are in the same situation.

Even though Billy's son Franklin Graham did not formally endorse Donald Trump during the last election campaign, he has publicly congratulated and commended the president-elect. He was even hand-picked by Trump himself to read a Bible passage during his inauguration on Jan. 20, according to the Portland Press Herald.

During Trump's "Thank You" tour on Dec. 17, Trump even thanked Franklin Graham for his support during the election campaign. "Having Franklin Graham, who was so instrumental, we won so big, with evangelical Christians," said Trump.

Graham responded by diverting Trump's thanks to God. "I believe it was God," Graham said of Trump's victory, adding that God decided to answer the prayers of concerned Americans.

However, Jerushah Armfield, Billy Graham's granddaughter and Franklin's niece, does not share the same views. She said the Graham family is not a single unit when it comes to their choice of president.

Even though all of them respect one another and most of them voted for Trump, not all of them share Franklin Graham's thoughts on political issues.

Armfield, a writer and a pastor's wife in South Carolina, did not appreciate her uncle's statement saying that Trump's win is God's answer to Christians' prayers. She believes that the statement is bad theology.

"To suggest the president-elect is an ambassador to further the kingdom in the world diminishes not only my Jesus but all he stood for and came to earth to fight against," she said.

What's worse, she said Trump "encouraged racism, sexism and intolerance, exactly what Jesus taught against."

She said her grandfather Billy "understood the love of Jesus that fought for the outliers while the president-elect ostracised them." But the evangelical leaders who supported Trump are not the same way, and prioritised power and influence over principles and character, Armfield added.
'God Can Triumph Over Trump' Says Martin Luther King's Daughter

Martin Luther King's daughter said on Monday that "God can triumph over Trump", but the slain civil rights leader's son struck a conciliatory tone after meeting with the president-elect on the US holiday that honours their father.

The comments by the children of King, who championed racial justice until he was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39, punctuated an imbroglio involving Donald Trump and African-American congressman John Lewis that broke out over the weekend.

The dispute started when Lewis, 76, a contemporary of King's who endured beatings and jail time in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, said in a televised interview that he saw Trump's election as illegitimate because of Russian interference in the campaign. That drew a scornful response from Trump.

Bernice King, King's youngest daughter, told a gathering at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta not to give up hope and "Don't be afraid of who sits in the White House."

"God can triumph over Trump," she said, drawing a standing ovation, one of several times she was interrupted by thunderous applause.

The service at the church where King once preached takes place every year on Martin Luther King Jr Day, a federal holiday honouring his life. This year the holiday fell days before Barack Obama ends his second term as the country's first African-American president. Trump takes the oath of office as his successor on Friday.

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama spent part of their last MLK Day in office helping paint a mural in the "community room" of a Washington shelter, to which they donated a play set used by their daughters when they arrived at the White House in 2009.

Trump, who won only eight per cent of the black vote, offered praise for King in a Twitter post on Monday, a few hours before meeting King's oldest son, Martin Luther King III, at his Trump Tower offices in New York.

"Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for. Honour him for being the great man that he was!" Trump tweeted.

Trump and King III emerged from an elevator together, shaking hands. Trump said goodbye to King, then returned to the elevator without answering questions.

King said they had a constructive meeting to discuss how to improve the US voting system, which King considers broken, but he skirted questions about whether he was offended by Trump's comments on Lewis.

"First of all I think that in the heat of emotion a lot of things get said on both sides. I think at some point I bridge-build. The goal is to bring America together," King told reporters.

Lewis did not mention Trump in a speech in Miami about the civil rights struggle to honour King, who would have turned 88 on Sunday, but he urged young black Americans to consider voting a "sacred" act.

"We all must become participants in the democratic process. When you get old enough to register to vote, go and register and vote," Lewis said in a half-hour address.

Gunfire during Miami holiday festivities wounded eight people ages 11 to 30 at Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Park, police said. Two people were detained and two weapons seized, and the cause of the shooting is under investigation.

Russian meddling

The Trump-Lewis exchange began when Lewis told NBC News in segments of an interview released on Friday that he would not attend Trump's inauguration in part because "I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president".

He referred to the findings of US intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods to try to help Trump, a Republican, defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election.

Trump was withering in his response the following day, saying in tweets that Lewis, a revered figure who risked his life for civil rights, was "All talk, talk, talk  no action or results."

While many Democrats and Republicans said they disagreed with Lewis, they also questioned Trump's decision to denigrate an African-American political leader of Lewis' stature, especially over the Martin Luther King Jr weekend.

Civil rights leaders have also opposed Trump's nominee for US attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who was denied a federal judgeship in 1986 after allegations that he was racist and harboured sympathies toward the Ku Klux Klan, a violent white supremacist organisation.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has received letters from 400 civil rights organisations opposing his confirmation to the country's top law enforcement post, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein has said. Sessions strongly denied that he is a racist during his confirmation hearing in the Senate last week.
'His Glory Is On The Church': Syrians Converting To Christianity Amid Brutal Persecution

As Syria continues to be torn apart by civil conflict and the ongoing war against Islamic State, one church pastor says people are are still coming to faith in Jesus Christ.

"Syria is getting torn apart and evil is all around us. We can touch evil and feel it. It is heavy on our hearts. But we also experience truth of the living Jesus Christ. It is encouraging though to me to see Isaiah 60, which says the light rises up on the church and his glory is on the church," Pastor Edward told the Christian Post.

He recounted the story of a Muslim couple who converted to Christianity when they were given a Bible.

"There was a husband and a wife who wanted to compare the God of the Bible with the God of the Qur'an. The more they studied, the more they came to realise that they wanted to follow the God of the Bible who taught love, kindness and forgiveness," he said.

"I hear stories like this from people who once they read the Bible, would rather follow Jesus."

Pastor Edward also shared stories of Christians who had been killed for their faith by ISIS. One man decided not to hide when extremists came looking for him. "He told his mother Jesus said, 'If you deny me I will deny you.' And he was killed," Edward recalled. "His mother was not even allowed to bury his body."

A doctor friend of the church pastor was killed by jihadis after he chose not to flee so he could help those left behind with their medical needs.

"He could have gone to safety, but he chose to specifically stay to help others," Pastor Edward said. "He was taken by Islamic extremists and on camera, was killed. The video is so shocking and it gives me great pain."

But in the face of intense persecution, Pastor Edward said Syrian Christians are uplifted by the prayers of brothers and sisters around the world.

"It is hard to forgive, especially when our friends and family are killed for seemingly senseless reasons. But because Jesus taught us to forgive our enemies, we do. We find strength in knowing that others around the world are praying for us and thinking of us," he said.

"I want Christians to know that their support and prayers means a lot to us. We can feel your prayers. It strengthens us and lifts us up."

Pastor Edward partners with Open Doors, a persecution watchdog that last week released its annual list of the 50 worst countries in which to live as a Christian. Syria ranked at number 6  a figure that "reflects that the situation is still dire for Christians," Open Doors said.

"Aleppo was home to 400,000 Christians at the start of the civil war  now Open Doors estimates that less than 60,000 Christians remain with families still leaving every day. The few Christians who stay are largely in Christian enclaves; outside these areas they are targets for radical extremists."
In 10 Years, Italy 'Will All Be Muslims Because of Atheism, a Weak Church, and Stupidity,' Archbishop Warns

Is Italy leaving the door open for the rise of Islam? Will there come a time when Rome, the Italian capital where lies the sovereign enclave of the Vaticanthe seat of the Roman Catholic Church and the home of the Popecould find itself surrounded by Muslims?

That might not be farfetched if the fears expressed by a Roman Catholic archbishop could come true.

Monsignor Carlo Liberati, bishop emeritus of Pompeii, warned that the rise of atheism in Europe, along with the acceptance of moral decadence that "goes against God," is triggering the rise of Islam in Italy and other places, the Daily Mail reported.

"In 10 years we will all be Muslims because of our stupidity. Italy and Europe live in a pagan and atheist way, they make laws that go against God and they have traditions that are proper of paganism," Liberati said.

"All of this moral and religious decadence favours Islam," he added.

Statistics seems to bear out the Catholic leader's statements. According to the Daily Mail, there were only around 2,000 Muslims residing in Italy in 1970. Four decades later, the number has grown to two million, partly due to the increased migration of Muslims from the Middle East and Africa over the past few years.

Liberati cited more proof of Christianity's decline in Italy, including diminishing number of seminary students, his assertion that the Church "does not work well" and the fact that Muslim couples "have children and we do not."

"We are in full decline," the archbishop lamented. "Parishes are the only thing still standing. We need a true Christian life. All this paves the way to Islam."

Liberati's statements could dovetail with the ultimate objective of the Islamic State (ISIS) to conquer Rome to fulfill the prophecy of the Islamic prophet Muhammed and to prepare for the return of the Muslim messiah, the Mahdi.

"ISIS thinks that Rome is one of its primary goals and is in its timetable," Robert Spencer, author of The Complete Infidel's Guide to ISIS, told CBN News in 2015.

"It has a timetable where in the 10 years, by the year 2025, it hopes to bring about Armageddon, the final struggle between good and evil or between the Muslims and the non-Muslims," he explained. "And that one of the chief stepping stones to that Armageddon battle is the conquest of Rome, which they think they're going to be able to do with the next five years, by 2020."
Iraq Church Used As Shooting Range By ISIS Jihadis

As Iraqi Christians begin to return to their homes to asses the damage left in the wake of Islamic State, they have found churches desecrated, burned and grafittied.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Qaraqosh, 20 miles from Mosul, is charred, the altar ruined and broken glass litters the floor.

One local Christian, Manal Matti, told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) of seeing mannequins strewn across the church grounds, riddled with bullets.

Militants had used the church as a shooting range.

In 2015, witnesses said churches in Qaraqosh were being used as torture chambers, with detained Christians forced to convert to Islam.

The St George Syrian Catholic church in the town was also taken over by ISIS, who used it as a bomb factory. Statues have been destroyed and entire ceilings pulled down, and instructions for battle are scrawled on the walls. Hundreds of bombs and grenades remain in the building.

Father Sharbil Eeso, priest of the church, was forced to leave Qaraqosh in August 2014 when ISIS overran the town. He recently visited St George's, but though it's now been liberated, the clean-up cannot yet begin.

"We are not allowed to clear up the mess yet," he told ACN. "First, the damage needs to be assessed carefully and documented thoroughly, and that can only start when the city is safe. Last week, a jihadist emerged from the tunnel system which IS has built underneath the city. The red brigade of the army immediately shot and killed him: the boy was about thirteen years old."

But though it will be a long while before Qaraqosh is safe enough for residents to return, Father Sharbil is optimistic that it will once again be a thriving heartland for Iraq's Christians. It was once home to the largest Christian population in the country.

"Despite all the damage, I have hope for the future," he said. "If our security is guaranteed, Christians can continue to live in Iraq. European Christians could do their best to keep us safe. I want to return to Qaraqosh when there is electricity and water again, although I think that safety is the main condition for returning."

Before the Iraq invasion in 2003, there were around 1.3 million Christians in Iraq. Some estimates put the current population at around just 200,000.
ISIS Attack on Istanbul Nightclub Was Targeting 'Christians Celebrating Their Pagan Feast'

The Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the New Year's Day attack at a popular Istanbul nightclub, killing 39 people and wounding several others.

One man wearing a Santa Claus costume mowed down people using an assault rifle and hand grenades, according to The Blaze. He managed to escape law enforcers and remained at large as of Wednesday. Turkish police believe at least eight more individuals were involved in the attack.

The ISIS-linked Aamaq News Agency said the attack was carried out by a "heroic soldier of the caliphate" who wanted to open fire at a place "where Christians were celebrating their pagan feast."

The attack was launched in "revenge for God's religion and in response to the orders" of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the news agency said.

The ISIS hates Turkey, describing the country as "the servant of the cross." Sources said the attack was carried out because Turkish military offensives have been relentless against ISIS forces in Syria and Iraq.

"We let infidel Turkey know that the blood of Muslims that is being shed by its airstrikes and artillery shelling will turn into fire on its territories," an ISIS statement reads.

Meanwhile, Turkish authorities said Wednesday they have identified the gunman involved in the terror attack but did not give his name or provide his nationality, CNN reported.

Authorities have also detained 20 alleged members of ISIS in connection with Sunday morning's attack at the Reina nightclub, state-run news agency Anadolu reported. Eleven women were reportedly among those arrested.

Police revealed that the suspected gunman even took a "selfie video" of himself near the nightclub before the attack.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took to Twitter and condemned the "brutal attack" by ISIS. He also asked for God to "have mercy" on his country.

Many people blame Erdogan for what took place since his government ignored the militants when they emerged in 2014 and 2015 when the Syrian civil war broke out.

Erdogan admitted that he and his government bear some responsibility for the New Year's Day terror attack, according to Voices of America.
Istanbul Nightclub Gunman Arrested - Turkish Officials

The suspected gunman who killed 39 people in a New Year's Eve attack on an Istanbul nightclub has been arrested, Turkish police said on Tuesday.

The suspect has been named as Abdulkadir Masharipov. According to Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin, he was born in 1983 in Uzbekistan and was trained in Afghanistan.

Masharipov was reportedly captured in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul along with four others overnight, just 19 miles from the Reina nighclub where the attack took place.

Among the dead were Turks, along with visitors from India, Canada, Israel, France and other countries. The attacker reportedly shot his way into the nightclub and opened fire with an automatic rifle. He reloaded his weapon several times and shot the wounded as they lay on the ground.

Sahin said on Tuesday that Masharipov had admitted his guilt and his fingerprints matched those at the scene.

"He knew four languages and was well-educated," Sahin told a news conference.

There were strong indications Masharipov entered Turkey illegally through its eastern borders in January 2016 and it was clear the attack was carried out on behalf of Islamic State, Sahin said.

The jihadist group claimed responsibility a day after the mass shooting, saying it was revenge for Turkish military involvement in Syria.

A Quran was found at the hideout where Masharipov was caught.

In the aftermath of the attack, Pope Francis led world religious leaders in condemning the deadly incident.

Speaking to pilgrims and tourists gathered in St Peter's Square for the New Year's Day Angelus, Pope Francis departed from his prepared text to offer prayers for the victims.

He said, "Deeply saddened, I express my closeness to the Turkish people, I pray for the many victims and the injured and for the whole nation in mourning, and I ask the Lord to support all people of good will who courageously roll up their sleeves to face the plague of terrorism and the bloody stain that envelops the world with a shadow of fear and bewilderment."

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby retweeted a Church of Engand prayer for the victims: "Restless with grief and fear, the abandoned turn to you: In every hour of trial, Good Lord, deliver us."

Masharipov was captured with an Iraqi man and three women from Africa, one of them from Egypt.

Two pistols, mobile phone SIM cards, and $197,000 in cash were also seized, Sahin said.

Dogan news agency published a photo of the alleged attacker with a black eye, a cut above his eyebrow and bloodstains on his face and t-shirt. It broadcast footage showing plain-clothes police leading a man in a white sweater to a waiting car.

He was being questioned at Istanbul police headquarters, while other people were detained in raids across the city targeting Uzbek Islamic State cells, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.

The gunman appeared to have repeatedly changed addresses before and after the attack. Remaining in Istanbul, he evaded a 16-day nationwide manhunt that included operations in cities from Izmir on the Aegean coast, to Konya in central Anatolia, and Hatay near the southern border with Syria.

"Five addresses were tracked and operations were carried out against them. He was found at one of the five addresses," Sahin said.

It appeared Masharipov and those seized with him had moved to the Esenyurt address three days ago, he said.

Masharipov had first rented an apartment in Basaksehir, another outlying Istanbul district, before switching addresses a day or two before the attack, the Istanbul governor said.

About 50 people have been detained in raids on 152 addresses since the shooting. Investigators analysed 7,200 hours of camera footage in the search and police received more than 2,000 tip-offs, Sahin said.

'War with terror' will continue

"I congratulate our police who caught the perpetrator of the Ortakoy massacre," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, who is also the government spokesman, said on Twitter.

"Our war with terror and the powers behind it will continue to the end," he said.

NATO member Turkey is part of the US-led coalition against Islamic State and launched an incursion into neighbouring Syria in August to drive the radical Sunni militants, and Kurdish militia fighters, away from its borders.

The jihadist group has been blamed for at least half a dozen attacks on civilian targets in Turkey over the past 18 months. But, other than assassinations, the new year attack was the first it has directly claimed.

Masharipov was caught in an apartment at a housing complex in Esenyurt at around 11 pm (2000 GMT) on Monday.

The shooting in Istanbul's Ortakoy neighbourhood, an upscale district on the Bosphorus shore, followed a year in which Turkey was shaken by a series of attacks by radical Islamist and Kurdish militants and by a failed coup.

President Tayyip Erdogan has said the attack, which targeted a club popular with local celebrities and moneyed foreigners, had been being exploited to try to divide the largely Sunni Muslim nation.

Additional reporting by Reuters
'It's About Making Sure I Do What Jesus Says': Black Bishop Defends Role At Trump Inauguration

A black bishop who will take part in the inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump has defended his role as a calling from God.

Bishop Wayne T. Jackson of Great Faith Ministries International in Detroit conceded that he has been called a "sell out".

But he insisted that he is representing "the teachings of Jesus Christ" when he prays for the new president at the swearing in ceremony on Friday.

"I've been called a sell-out...[but] my job is a job to represent the Bible...and the teachings of Jesus Christ," Jackson said in an interview with TMZ. "It is not about Democrats, not about Republicans  it's about making sure that I do what Jesus says, and that is that we are supposed to love everyone. That is the message that Jesus brought, and my position as a minister, to be asked to pray at the highest ceremony of our country  it gets no higher than that  I do what I do because I'm called to do it."

Jackson added that he was a "target" because he was at the "forefront".

"So...any time you're in the forefront, you're going to be a target, but you have got to make sure that you're convictions - why you're doing it  they are pure," he said.

The bishop concluded: "It's not over for America: America has a great future ahead of it."

In September, Jackson faced criticisms after hosting Trump at his church.

But he wrote on Facebook at the time of his encounter with Trump, which was televised: "This interview is not an endorsement. This is engagement. We have given Hillary Clinton the same opportunity as Donald Trump and she has not yet responded. This is not to put one up above the other but you gotta understand that we are in a race, and there's two people in the race. This is to inform our community of what he will do if elected."
Jill Saward Funeral: Hundreds Gather To Pay Tribute To Lifelong Sex Abuse Campaigner

Hundreds have paid their respect to Jill Saward, the victim of the Ealing vicarage rape and a devout Christian.A funeral service on Tuesday saw around 200 family members and friends celebrate unite in grief at Lichfield Cathedral. The lifelong campaigner against sexual violence died on 5 January after suffering a brain haemorrhage.

She was the first rape victim to waive her right to anonymity after intruders broke into her father's vicarage in west London in 1986 and attacked her. A strong Christian, she devoted herself to campaigning on behalf of victims of sexual violence.

Her husband Gavin Drake, three sons and dozens of others at the funeral wore purple to make a statement against assaults.

In an emotional tribute late on Monday night, Drake wrote on his blog: "I am aching. Jilly and I are Christians and even though I know that she is now with our Lord and Saviour; the pain of her death is very strong."

The journalist added: "I hear the key in the door and my heart lifts - Jill's back. But, of course, she isn't. It is somebody else.

"It will take a long time to come to terms with Jill's death - but the support of family, friends, and even strangers is helping."

Rev Gary Piper, an old family friend of Jill who gave the homily, described 1977, the year she became a Christian as "the most decisive year" in her life.

"It was this commitment which gave her the strength to cope with the traumas which were to come," he told the congregation.

"She went through some very dark times," he said referring to the aftermath of her rape.

"Her courage and strength together with support from those who loved her plus that power from Christ strengthened her and enabled her to pull through."

He concluded his tribute: "She was someone who worked to serve her God and tried to make this world a better place. Not a bad epitaph."

He told Christian Today before the service: "Their faith was put on the line" after the assault.

"It would have been easy for them to have been filled with hatred and bitterness but at no stage did I see that from any of the family."

The congregation also heard a moving tribute from Jill's twin sister Sue. The service was led by the family's local vicar, Rev Peter Hart.

"It will be opportunity to celebrate all the things Jill has done and all people she has helped," he told Christian Today before the service.
South African Pastor Feeds Churchgoers Engine Fluid 'To Demonstrate The Power Of God'

A pastor who allegedly fed churchgoers an engine cleaning fluid has been condemned as "reckless", and follows a string of South African ministers to engage in similarly controversial practices.

Prophet Theo Bongani Maseko of the Breath of Christ Ministries in Daveyton told his congregation to drink the chemical during a recent service, according to South African newspaper The Star.

Photos posted to Facebook appeared to show people being fed the liquid under the caption: "The fullness of Christ is in this bottle. Healing and strange deliverance #Mark16:17 -18."

Maseko told The Star on Monday that the practice was "to demonstrate the power of God".

"When we pray over anything, its poison dies. So it can't harm people. Nothing happened, no one has been to hospital," he reportedly said.

Citing the Bible, he insisted that drinking the liquid had actually "saved, healed and delivered" members of his congregation.

"Jesus spat on the ground and made mud. He took that mud and smeared it on the eyes of a blind man and, instantly, that blindness was healed. Mark 16 v 17-18 says 'in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover'," he said.

However, the controversial practice has been condemned by South Africa's Commission for Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Religious, Cultural and Linguistic Communities.

Chairperson Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said many "lives are at risk" and urged religious leaders to work together to end such "reckless" abuse.

She also called for a review body to monitor church pastors.

In 2015, vigilantes burned the tent used by End Times Disciples Ministriespastor 'Prophet' Penuel Mnguni, a South African church leader who fed his congregation live snakes to test their faith.

Previously his church made headlines after photos were posted of congregants stripping their clothes off during a service and lying down while the pastor stood on them.

Last year, Lethebo Rabalago, a self-proclaimed prophet, shared photos on Facebook that showed him spraying a pesticide called 'Doom' into the faces of his congregation at the Mount Zion General Assembly in the far north of South Africa.

Rabalago told the BBC that he had sprayed the face of a woman who had an eye infection, and she was "just fine because she believed in the power of God".

According to Eyewitness News, the South African Council of Churches has called for an investigation by the country's Human Rights Commission and for the creation of a regulatory body to deal with leaders who behave unethically.

Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana said: "Let's have some kind of pact together, an agreement where we will have a structure that allows certain for standards to be created so that when somebody does something that is out of line, we can go there."
UN's Humanitarian Wing In Crisis As Major Cuts Follow Damning Review

The humanitarian wing of the United Nations is firing 173 staff members amid 10 per cent cuts that amount to at least $20 million this year, following a damning review.

The overhaul comes as part of a process of internal reforms inside the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), after its head, UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien said in November that donors hadn't met growing demands, according to a report by IRIN.

Per Orneus, Sweden's ambassador for humanitarian affairs, told IRIN: "It is unfortunate that OCHA's resources [have] not increased on par with the global humanitarian needs.

"But managed well, this change process can actually bring about a stronger, more effective, and more strategic OCHA."

Sweden is one of OCHA's top donors and increased its funding for 2017, partly in order to finance a new reform unit.

Documents seen by IRIN reveal that OCHA's opening budget figure for 2017 will be $260 million, which is about 10 per cent lower than the spending in 2015 and 2016, and more than $60 million lower than the original 2016 target.

The cuts are happening in parallel to what IRIN calls "extensive internal restructuring" recommended by an external study. A 155-page "functional review", obtained by IRIN, calls for major changes in the department's management, staffing, finances, human resources, priorities, and culture.

A survey by the Boston Consulting Group on organisational culture had already put OCHA at the bottom of 38 comparable non-profits. It accused the organisation of having a dysfunctional culture, adding that "challenges in the other areas of the review have had a negative impact on OCHA staff engagement and satisfaction."

According to IRIN, OCHA is planning to close offices in Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, and Mauritania, and reduce its presence in Colombia, Haiti, Myanmar, Pakistan, and the Philippines. At the same time, it will cut spending on Ethiopia, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, but increase it in Cameroon and Libya. Meanwhile, large offices in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Sudan will be scaled back, and a Central Asia regional office will close. It is reported that some positions in New York and Geneva will also face the axe.

The Boston Consulting Group completed its lengthy "functional review" of OCHA in July 2016. O'Brien commissioned the review shortly after taking office the previous year.

The report highlighted several issues that were deemed to be undermining OCHA's work, including competition between offices in New York and Geneva and between the organisation's leadership.

The report acknowledged OCHA's "inherently complex portfolio", but included scathing criticisms of the way it is run.

"The leadership team does not work well together," it said. "There is entrenched polarisation and a lack of trust among many of OCHA's senior managers, who do not see themselves as part of a single, unified team." It added that shortcomings in the management model "have led to widespread organisational dysfunction."
'We See The Glass Half-Full': Aide To Palestinian President Welcomes Jared Kushner As Peace Envoy

A senior aide to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said he hopes Donald Trump's Jewish son-in-law, Jared Kushner, can help bring about an end to the conflict with Israel.

His spoke out after Kushner was announced as the president-elect's Middle East peace envoy.

"We hope that Mr. Kushner...will be able to do what all of his predecessors have tried to do, and will finally achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians," said Husam Zomlot, Abbas's adviser for strategic affairs. "This is a position that requires a firm commitment to the US's longheld policies," he told the Jerusalem Post (JP).

Zomlot claimed that the appointment demonstrated Trump's commitment to seeking an agreement between the Palestinians and Israel early in his presidency, adding that he was optimistic.

"It's a good sign that President- elect Trump early on appointed one of his closest people, his son-in-law, to take this task," he said. "We don't just see the glass half-empty, but also half-full. We see the commitment by President-elect Trump to intervene as early as possible and spend political capital to resolve this issue."

The comments are surprising because Trump, who will be inaugurated as America's 45th president on Friday, is widely seen as favouring the Israelis. He is controversially considering moving the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the divided city of Jerusalem, a move which critics believe would make a two-state solution practically impossible.

According to a report last night on Israel's Channel 10, Trump will meet with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu in the first week of February.

In an interview with the British MP Michael Gove for The Times, and Germany's Bild newspaper, Trump praised Kushner, who is Ivanka Trump's husband.

"You know what, Jared is such a good kid, and he'll make a deal with Israel that no one else can," Trump said. "He's a natural, he's a great deal, he's a natural  you know what I was talking about, natural  he's a natural deal-maker. Everyone likes him."

Kushner has no previous diplomatic experience. But he is said to have directed Trump's foreign policies throughout the presidential campaign and the current transition with President Obama's administration.

According to the JP, Kushner was the "primary drafter" of Trump's speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in March, which went down well with the audience.

Last month, the Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said: "What we know: he's a really tough, smart guy, and we hope he will bring new energy to our region."

The veteral Middle East diplomat Dennis Ross, who served under the George H. W. Bush, Clinton and Obama administrations told the JP: "He clearly is someone who has a sense of Jewish identity, and he is someone who has a genuine attachment to Israel and understanding of the importance of the US-Israel relationship. People I know who know him describe him as smart, as someone who will clearly learn what he needs to learn, and will approach things thoughtfully, carefully, even analytically. So those would all be descriptors that I would hope would be accurate and emblematic of how he'll approach his responsibilities helping the new president."

Kushner and his wife are Orthodox Jews who converted upon their marriage in 2009.

In his interview published yesterday, Trump declined to comment on whether he would indeed move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. But he reiterated his criticism of the outgoing US administration for refusing to veto a UN resolution last month condemning Israeli settlements that are illegal under international law.

"The Palestinians are given so much  even though it's not legally binding, it's psychologically binding, and it makes it much tougher for me to negotiate," the president-elect said. "You understand that? Because people are giving away chips, they're giving away all these chips."

Kushner has retained a law firm to navigate him through potential legal obstacles in the way of him working for his father-in-law, including a federal anti-nepotism law which states that "a public official may not appoint, employ, promote, advance or advocate for appointment, employment, promotion or advancement, in or to a civilian position in the agency in which he is serving or over which he exercises jurisdiction or control any individual who is a relative of the public official."

His legal counsel, WilmerHale, concluded last month that precedent had been set by Hillary Clinton, who won a court case in the 1990s in her fight to chair a national task force on health care reform for her husband, the then president Bill Clinton. That case found that the law bans appointments to agencies and departments, but not within the White House itself.
We Will Not Pray For Donald Trump By Name Because He Is A 'Trauma Trigger' Says Christian Minister

An Episcopal church in California in the US has stated it will not pray for Donald Trump by name.

This is because the name of Trump is considered to be a "trauma trigger" - and a risk to health and safety.

It is traditional in Anglican churches worldwide to pray for a nation's leaders. Church of England parishes regularly pray for the Queen and Episcopal churches in the US pray for the President and the Government.

"We are in a unique situation in my lifetime where we have a president elect whose name is literally a trauma trigger to some people  particularly women and people who, because of his words and actions, he represents an active danger to health and safety, says Mike Kinman, Rector of All Saints Pasadena in his blog.

He defends the Trump name boycott as justified because his church must be kept as "a place of safety from harm".

He says: "As I have said before, for some it could be as if we demanded a battered woman pray for her abuser by name. It's not that the abuser doesn't need prayer  certainly the opposite  but prayer should never be a trauma-causing act."

In common with other churches, the congregation at All Saints has traditionally prayed for those in positions of authority.

"As Episcopalians, we pray for our leaders. It's one of those things we do," admits Kinman.

And All Saints has usually mentioned these leaders by name.

No more will that be the case.

Kinman goes on: "If you come to All Saints this Sunday, you'll notice that we have removed the proper names from our prayers for those in authority. Whereas before we prayed for 'Barack, our president', we are now praying for 'our president, our president-elect, and all others in authority.' This practice will continue for at least the near future."

He also says: "We pray for our leaders because they are human beings, made in God's image, and beloved by God. We pray for our leaders because leadership is important  because it is a sacred trust, power to be exercised for the common good despite all temptation to the otherwise.

"We pray for our leaders regardless of whether or not we like or agree with them. Our prayers are neither endorsement nor censure. Our prayers ask God to guard and guide, to bring out in our leaders what we hope God brings out in us all  the image of God that dwells in each one of us."

Earlier, The Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, defended prayers for Donald Trump.

The Washington National Cathedral is hosting the Inaugural Prayer Service and the choir of the National Cathedral in Washington is among the performers at the Inauguration.

Curry, raised in a black congregation in the Episcopal Church, said they often prayed for leaders who were often lukewarm or even opposed to black civil rights.

He said: "Underneath the variety of questions and concerns are some basic Christian questions about prayer: when I pray for our leaders, why am I doing so? Should I pray for a leader I disagree with? When I pray what do I think I am accomplishing?"

He asks: "So, should we pray for the President?"

Christians must pray for all who lead in civic order, nationally and internationally.

"I pray for the President in part because Jesus Christ is my Savior and Lord. If Jesus is my Lord and the model and guide for my life, his way must be my way, however difficult. And the way prayer for others is a part of how I follow the way of Jesus," he wrote.

He cited Psalm 72 - which prays that the ancient Israelite king might rule in the ways of God's justice, defending "the cause of the poor," bringing "deliverance to the needy." In addition, 1 Timothy 2:1-2 encourages followers of Jesus to pray earnestly for those in leadership, that they may lead in ways that serve the common good.

Jesus himself said, while dying on the cross, "Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." He was praying for Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Rome who ordered his execution, and for all who were complicit in it, said Curry.
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Houston Congressman Al Green on Monday night said he would not attend the inauguration of president elect Donald Trump in Washington on Friday.

He joined the ranks of more than 40 House Democrats who plan to boycott the swearing in of the nation's 45th president.

"My conscience won't let me be there," Green said during a press conference at his Houston office. "Mr. Trump is going to be the lawfully-elected president, but he won't be legitimate."

That language echoed Georgia Congressman John Lewis, who spurred the notion of an inaugural boycott Friday when he said he'd skip the swearing in of Trump, who he called an "illegitimate" president.

Trump responded with tweets deriding Lewis, an icon of the struggle for civil rights in the 1960s, which drew harsh backlash, including pledges from Congressional Democrats to skip the inauguration.

INAUGURAL PERFORMANCE: Texas dancers to perform at Trump's swearing in

While Lewis cited evidence of Russian intervention in the U.S. election as the main detractor from Trump's legitimacy, Green offered his own two-fold reason: Trump's derisive comments during his presidential campaign, and a collection of voting laws and redistricting practices while Green said render election results "illegitimate."

"You can't benefit from an illegitimate system and be legitimate," Green said.

He pointed to Texas' 2011 voter ID law, against which Green has filed litigation, and to redistricting practice in the City of Pasadena, which a federal judge on Monday dubbed unconstitutional.

Green was the first of Texas' 11 Congressional Democrats to join the boycott. Others told the Chronicle on Monday they were still decided whether to attend. Later on Tuesday, Congressmen Lloyd Doggett of Austin and Joaquin Castro of San Antonio said they also would skip the inauguration.

>>>Click through the gallery to see which members of Congress are bypassing Donald Trump's swearing in.

Lindsay Ellis contributed reporting.
Jan. 2

At 10:22 a.m., Officer C. Barber was dispatched to the Bellaire Police Department lobby regarding a theft of a wallet from a desk drawer occurring about three week earlier on December 9, 2016.

At 3:47 p.m., Officer Guerra was patrolling the 5200 block of Bellaire Blvd and conducted a computer query through City of Bellaire Dispatch on a gray Toyota Camry. City of Bellaire Dispatch advised Officer Guerra the registration showed expired 10/2016. Officer Guerra conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and conducted an interview with the driver. During the interview the driver was found to have a suspended driver's license and no proof of financial responsibility. The driver was taken into custody for driving while license invalid enhanced and taken to the Bellaire Police Department for booking and processing.

At 7:21 p.m., Officers were dispatched to the area of the IH 610 East service road and Fournace Place to a report of an accident involving a Mustang. Officer O'Sullivan observed a Red 2016 Ford Mustang with heavy front drivers side damage and a missing headlight. Officer O'Sullivan executed a traffic stop on the vehicle and contacted the driver. The driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

About 11:45 p.m., three unknown black males exited a white SUV at 5910 West Loop South and opened the unsecure passenger door to the victim's Nissan Sentra and stole the victim's iPhone and payroll check. The suspect vehicle then fled the area and was last seen southbound in the 6000 block of IH 610 West Service Road. Officer Ortega is the reporting Officer for this incident.

At 11:49 p.m., Officer Jenkins observed a vehicle with a paper license tag northbound on the service road in the 5400 block of IH610. Officer Jenkins checked the tag and the return showed the tag was expired as of 02/2016. Officer Jenkins stopped the vehicle and made contact with the driver. A check on the driver showed the driver did not have a valid driver's license and she was unable to show proof of financial responsibility. The driver was arrested for driving while license invalid class B.

Jan. 4

At 9:12 a.m., Officer Lysack was dispatched to the Bellaire PD lobby in reference to an Identity Theft. An unknown suspect obtained the victim's name, date of birth, address, and social security number and applied online for a loan at Speedy Cash.

At 12:40 p.m., Officer H. Lopez was dispatched to the 5300 block of Holly in reference to a burglary of a habitation. The victim stated an unknown person entered her residence sometime between 12-26-2016 and 01-04-2017 and stole copper wiring from the attic as well as copper wiring from the air conditioning condenser units on the exterior of the house.

At 3:22 p.m., Officer Carson was dispatched to the 4600 block of Locust above address in regards to meet with victim of a criminal mischief. The victim advised the back passenger was broken by an unknown suspect(s) using an unknown tool(s).

At 4:09 p.m., Officer Delgado was dispatched to 5420 West Loop South in reference to a burglary of motor vehicle. Upon arrival Officer Delgado made contact with the victim who stated between 4 and 4:05 p.m., an unknown suspect(s) broke out the front driver's side window of his vehicle but did not remove any valuable property. Through investigation, Officer Delgado determined this incident to be criminal mischief.

At 3:28 p.m., Officer Younger was dispatched to the 4600 block of Locust Street in regards to multiple burglarized vehicles. Officer Younger arrived at approximately 3:49 p.m. and made contact with the victims. Officer Younger was assisted by Bellaire Police Officers Manriquez and Carson. Two of the three vehicles were reported as criminal mischief and the third vehicle was reported as a burglary of motor vehicle due to several firearms and firearm accessories being stolen.

At 3:22 p.m., Officer Manriquez was dispatched to the 4600 block of Locust Street to meet with victim of a criminal mischief. The victim advised the front passenger window was broken by an unknown suspect(s) using an unknown tool(s).

At 11:36 p.m., Officer Barrientos was dispatched to a theft in progress at 5130 Bellaire Blvd. Ofc. Barrientos arrived and spoke with an employee who stated a black male wearing a dark colored top and white pants was last seen leaving the store on foot southbound on South Rice. The male was possibly involved in the theft with another black male wearing a black t-shirt, black beanie, and brown boots. The males exited the store with 2 cases of beer and left in a black Dodge pick-up truck, last seen east bound on Bissonnet. During the investigation, the driver and passenger were placed in custody for theft and the third male was placed in custody for public intoxication.

At 1:51 p.m., Officer Trujillo was dispatched to 5002 Bellaire Blvd. in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle. Upon the officer's arrival he spoke to the victim who stated an unknown person broke out the passenger side window of his vehicle and took a bank bag containing cash.

At 2:07 p.m., Officer Younger was dispatched to the Bellaire Police Department in regards to a fail to stop and give information report. Officer Younger arrived at 2:07 p.m. to make contact with the victim. The investigation found the suspect to have in his possession and produce a fraudulent Texas driver's license. A to be warrant for tampering with a government document will be completed for the suspects arrest.

Jan. 5

At 10:15 a.m., Officer H. Lopez was dispatched to the 1300 block of North First Street in reference to a theft. Upon arrival Ofc. Lopez met with the reportee who stated an individual rented out some equipment. It was later determined, through a Texas Department of Public Safety investigation, that the individual who rented out the equipment used fraudulent identification to rent the equipment and the equipment since has not been returned.

At 10:55 p.m., Officer Younger observed a suspicious vehicle parked at Condit Elementary. Officer Younger made contact with the occupant of the vehicle and observed him to be highly intoxicated. Officer Younger initiated an investigation that resulted in the suspect being charged with driving while intoxicated. The suspect was placed into custody and transported to the Bellaire jail to be processed.

Jan. 7

At 4:21 a.m., Officer R. Bellard noticed that the full-length front window was shattered on the business at 4747 Bellaire Blvd. Officer Bellard called for additional units, including reporting Officer C. Barber. Upon further investigation it was determined that a burglary of a building had occurred.

At 9:25 p.m., Officer Guerra was dispatched to the Menchie's Frozen Yogurt at 5122 Bissonnet Street in reference to a theft. The victim stated that two black males entered the store and asked for samples. The victim turned to get a sample when the suspect snatched her phone from the counter and exited the store running south toward Randall's.

Jan. 8

At 3:49 a.m., Officer Bellard was on patrol in the 6300 block of IH 610 South when he observed a white Dodge Durango fail to maintain a single lane and almost strike a curb. Officer Bellard initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and after further investigation the driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated. One of the passengers was also taken into custody for public intoxication.

At 9:39 a.m., Officer Vorhees was dispatched to the 5000 block of Bellaire Boulevard in reference to a criminal mischief. The reportee stated an unknown suspect(s) attempted entry with an unknown object to a locked mailbox damaging the key entry and the exterior of the metal box.

At 2:22 p.m., Officer Delgado was dispatched to the Bellaire Police Department's Lobby in regards to a Criminal Mischief. Upon further investigation it was determined the victim's vehicle was damaged by her son.
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When the Friends of Downtown Friendswood Association was formed in 2015, the group was looking for ways to attract residents to the city's center.

But it had a major challenge.

"Friendswood is a great community, we have beautiful parks and we are constantly growing, but we've never really had a downtown," said Brett Banfield, president of the association, which is working to revitalize that part of town through events and projects.

Motorists passing through the downtown area along Friendswood Drive didn't get a sense of place from the procession of strip malls and fast-food restaurants.

"You could get a sense of old Friendswood from the old structures and oak trees growing over the road, but it didn't feel like a downtown," said Lynn Shigekawa, an association board member. "You would keep driving, thinking it was round the next corner and then the next."

Shigekawa, Banfield and others are working to change that.

"It's a long process," Banfield said.

Part of that process began with a 2,000-square-foot blank concrete wall at 611 N. Friendswood Drive on the Sherwin Williams building across from a museum that is a replica of the home of city founder Frank J. Brown.

"It was a perfect blank canvass," Banfield said.

That wall now pops with 22-by-87-foot mural telling parts of the city's history - its agricultural roots, Quaker settlement and connection and proximity to NASA.

"We work on things to help make downtown Friendswood distinguishable, and murals are a great way to do that," Banfield said. "It's also a great way to interject art into your community. It's something different and hopefully the first of many murals."

Funded in part through a $10,000 public improvement grant from the Houston/Galveston Area Council and partly through public donations, the mural was a joint effort between the association and two other nonprofit groups, Friendswood Fine Arts and the Friendswood Historical Society.

"We wanted to do something that showed off and told a little history of Friendswood," Banfield said. "Since this mural is right across from the Friendswood Historical Museum, we wanted it to be historical in nature."

The collective then had to find an artist who would capture what they had loosely envisioned.

Anat Ronen is a Friendswood-based muralist and self-described "street artist" whose work has graced concrete walls throughout the Houston area.

"A few months back, I was contacted by a few people from Friendswood to create and execute a mural for the city, hopefully the first of many others to come," Ronen said. "Right from the beginning, it was clear they wanted something that represents the city, down to the feel, imagery and texts."

According to Banfield, Ronen spent an hour at the museum, gathered information and went to work.

"We gave her complete artistic license," he said.

Banfield was particularly impressed with how Ronen combined elements of the city's past and future, taking inspiration from the smallest pieces.

"She took a label from an old can from the early 1900s (the city was known for its canneries and in particular, figs), and went with it from there," Banfield said.

"The way I tackle it is that I gather as much information, input and requests from all on board, and then come up with an initial design based on all of that plus my own interpretation," Ronen said of her process. "I then present it to the people on board and even show them the design as a mock-up on photos that I took of the wall. Then starts a process of back and forth feedback, and that eventually narrows down to the one design that is chosen for the wall."

Ronen expanded from the vintage can label to a depiction of the city's original education academy, then a cardinal painted in deep red, an oak, an American flag, a horse and a soaring space shuttle - all encompassing something integral to the present and past of the city, which was incorporated in 1895.

Ronen also included words in the mural that are rooted in the city's Quaker beginnings: faith, family and education.

"Sometimes ideas are very vague, very abstract," Ronen said. "My challenge is to take that and form that thought that idea, into a visual that is simplistic enough for the passerby to understand. My designs typically are simplistic because I believe that in this era, people have very little patience.

"A mural that has too much going on is going to be ignored by many," she said. "The challenge here was to create something that is both informative but also fun to look at and inviting."

The mural, was completed in a few weeks in November and officially introduced to the public on Dec. 7. It follows downtown projects such as last March's Texas Music Fest and a Labor Day Ice Cream Social.

"The location for the mural was important, Shigekawa said.

Along the roughly mile-long stretch on Friendswood Drive that is targeted for revitalization, is Skyview, a side street where the museum is located.

The museum is on Skyview Terrace, a side street off the roughly mile-long stretch on Friendswood Drive that is targeted for revitalization.

"The problem was the majority of people in Friendswood have never been there and noticed or turned off the main road because they're always going somewhere else," Shigekawa said. "This mural gets you to turn left down that street and once you do, you're right at the Brown House. It's kind of a little miracle, it just works. It turned out to be the perfect spot."

Hopefully, said Banfield, the mural adds something tangible to the association's vision for its developing downtown.

"We want to make downtown Friendswood the heart of the city," Banfield said. "Even though we are a city of 40,000, we try to hold onto that small-town feel."

For more information on the Friends of Downtown Friendswood Association, visit its Facebook page.
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For those eagerly awaiting HEB's arrival in the Heights, Jan. 3 brought good news.

The grocery company's request back in December for a 10-foot setback from the road for the planned store at North Shepherd between 23rd and 24th streets, instead of the standard 25-foot variance was approved by the city of Houston last week. HEB has said in previous community meetings that the additional footprint closer to the road will accommodate more parking around the store. The submission in December was the second one HEB made to the city.

Their first conversation with city planners regarding the decreased setback was met with some resistance. City officials said they encouraged the company to design a more urban-friendly store-front that will reflect the desires of the residents in the Heights for walkabilty and bicycle access.

Scott McClelland, president of Houston HEB stores, and other company representatives debuted drawings at a community meeting in early December that were the result of the city suggestions.

The drawings show landscaping along the sidewalk, a green-wall covering the parking garage facade, local art instillations and bike racks on the lobby level of the two-story structure. Most residents at the meeting were in favor of the store and the design, but brought up concerns over increased traffic in the area.

Michael Kramer, assistant director with Planning and Zoning Commission at the city of Houston said Thursday that traffic impact studies and other infrastructure evaluations won't be conducted until the construction plan approval process after HEB petitions the Permit Office.

HEB was vocal in 2016 about plans for a store in the north-Houston neighborhood pending voter approval of alcohol sales in stores. After the November approval - with more than 50 percent in favor - HEB submitted a bid to buy the property where the Fiesta grocery store once stood.
Adriana Kelly, a Junior at Memorial High School, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting.

To earn the award, Kelly raised awareness about the importance of food allergy education by providing resource for parents of children seeking treatment at Texas Children's Hospital. Kelly created a pamphlet that was distributed at Texas Children's 2015 Food Allergy Symposium and is currently being distributed at Texas Children's clinics to all parents of newly diagnosed food-allergic children.

The award recognizes girls in grades 9-12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable community service projects that require a minimum of 80 hours to complete. Less than five percent of Girl Scouts earn the award.

"At the 2015 symposium, I gave a presentation about my allergies and got to meet other food allergic kids who went through some of the same experiences as me," said Kelly. "Through the family-oriented pamphlet, I provided information that I wished my family had known when I was diagnosed with food allergies."

Kelly has dealt with food-allergies her entire life and her brother also has a severe peanut allergy.

Kelly worked more than 140 hours to complete this project. She collaborated with physicians, nurses, child life specialists and social workers at Texas Children's. She led more than 26 volunteers to assemble more than 400 packets.

"This project really helped me get involved in the food allergy community and I learned about various food allergy support groups and events which I plan to attend in the future," said Kelly. "As a patient, I didn't realize how much goes behind the scenes and how hard the hospital teams work and as a result, my experiences have inspired me to consider career choices in the medical industry."

Visit www.girlscouts.org to learn more.
More than half a year after Omar Mateen massacred 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, his widow was arrested in the Bay Area and accused of assisting in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, officials said.

Federal agents raided Noor Zahi Salmans home in Rodeo early Monday, arresting the 30-year-old on charges of aiding and abetting by providing material support to a terrorist organization, and obstruction of justice in connection with the June 12 shooting rampage, the FBI and law enforcement officials in Orlando said.

Federal authorities have been working tirelessly on this case for more than seven months, and we are grateful that they have seen to it that some measure of justice will be served in this act of terror that has affected our community so deeply, Orlando Police Chief John Mina said in a statement.

FBI agents took Salman into custody at her familys four-bedroom home on Donald Drive, where she grew up with her sisters and mother who emigrated from the Palestinian territories.

Salman married Mateen  her second husband  in a small ceremony officiated by a Berkeley imam in Hercules in 2011. The two later had a child and moved to Fort Pierce, Fla., an Atlantic coast town more than 100 miles south of Orlando, where Mateen worked as a private security guard.

The FBI began investigating Mateen in May 2013 after he told co-workers he had family connections to al Qaeda and Hezbollah. Authorities took him off a terrorist watch list in March 2014 after the investigation ended without charges.

In an interview with the New York Times, Salman said that six months after their wedding, she became a target of a flood of physical abuse by her husband.

Noor Salman had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night, her attorney, Linda Moreno, said in a statement Monday. Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands. We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonors the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person.

In the days after the rampage, federal investigators began extensively questioning Salman. She had told investigators that she had driven her husband to the nightclub at some point leading up the attack, and was with him when he bought ammunition two days before the shooting spree, according to several reports citing anonymous senior law enforcement officials.

The woman reportedly told authorities during the interviews that she urged her 29-year-old husband to not commit the massacre.

But around last call at the crowded gay nightclub that was hosting a Latin night, a heavily armed Mateen stormed the building, unleashing a torrent of gunfire that left 49 dead and 53 injured.

Mateen died in a shootout with police after a nearly 3-hour standoff at the club, during which officials said he declared allegiance to the Islamic State.

You have to tell America to stop bombing Syria and Iraq, Mateen said in a 911 call from the nightclub during the shooting spree. They are killing a lot of innocent people. What am I to do here when my people are getting killed over there?

At one point during the standoff, Mateen sent his wife a text message, asking if she had seen the news of the attack, the New York Times reported. When she replied that she had not, Mateen responded in his final message to his wife, I love you babe, Salman told the paper.

President Obama had characterized the attack as an example of homegrown extremism, where an assailant is inspired and radicalized, often by materials found online.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in an interview on MSNBC Monday that investigators are continuing to examine what led to the massacre.

We said from the beginning we were going to look at every aspect of this case, every aspect of this shooters life  to determine not just why did he take these actions, but who else knew about them, was anyone else involved, is there any other accountability that needs to be had here in this case, she said.

The violence shocked many, particularly members of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities around the country and world that were beginning a series of summer of Pride celebrations.

In San Francisco, LGBT community members left memorials for the victims, while others devoted a large part of the summer of Pride celebrations to the victims of the attack.

I hope todays news provides some comfort to the families who are mourning their loved one, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said in a statement.

Attorney Keith Altman, who represents families of some of the victims, said the length of time it took to arrest Salman did not bother him.

If it takes them some time to get it right, get it right, he said. This is high profile and the last thing you want to do is get it wrong.

Salman is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Oakland at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday before the case moves to U.S. District Court in Florida, where the charges will be filed. It was not immediately clear who was given custody of her child.

Those at the Rodeo home where Salman was arrested Monday morning refused to answer reporters questions.

She doesnt want to talk to nobody, an unidentified woman said, referring to Salmans mother, before she closed the door and left the house several hours later.

Neighbor Glauber Franchi, 38, said he heard several cars pull up to the home of Salmans family and car doors slamming about 7:30 a.m., but he didnt see the woman being arrested.

The dogs started barking, Franchi said. I knew something was going on, but it didnt seem like anything major. ... This is a quiet neighborhood, so you usually dont have that many cars.

Franchi and several other neighbors were unaware that Salman was staying at the house. They said they hadnt seen her come or go since the shooting.

Its got to be tough on the mom, Franchi said. Theyre a quiet family. Very private.
On a day set aside to honor the man whose work galvanized the civil rights movement, four people were shot in south Houston along the road that bears his name.

The shooting happened about 6:30 p.m. Monday near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Reed Road during what Houston police characterized as an "impromptu block party" that drew hundreds of people.

Houston police officers were in the area trying to move people off the road and onto the sidewalk when they heard gunfire.

They ran to the scene and found that a man, a woman and a 13-year-old girl were struck by gunfire. The victims were taken to area hospitals.

"Everyone is going to survive," Lt. Larry Crowson, of Houston police, said.

A fourth victim, a woman, ran to a house down the street.

"She went to a place where she felt safe and called the police," Crowson said.

Police have not identified the suspects in the shooting or confirmed a motive. Detectives are questioning possible witnesses, however.

Valerie Fisher, who has attended the neighborhood MLK Day party for several years, said it is meant to honor King's legacy.

"We come out to celebrate the man who did a lot of things for us. This hurts our heart," Fisher said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
Hope and empathy.

Those are words Gene Johnson and his wife, Gail, use often when they talk about their work.

As leaders of the nondenominational Pleasant Hill Church of Deliverance at 312 North Sixth St. in La Porte and another branch of the church, the Divine Connection at 1718 Fry Road in Katy, the Johnsons believe ministries often have the most impact far outside the walls of a church building.

Through their church, the pastor and his wife run an outreach program for low-income youths who live at an apartment complex in a southeast Houston neighborhood plagued by crime and poverty. The Johnsons are raising funds to provide 100 of those youths with a night out at the movies.

But this night out is about more than popcorn and escapism.

"Exit to Freedom" is the story of Randy Harden, a pastor who tells of finding redemption after being incarcerated six times. On Jan. 29, the docudrama will be presented at the City Centre Studio Movie Grill in Houston.

"He (Harden) is a living witness to individuals in the same situation, letting them know there is hope and that you can come out of it," Gene Johnson said.

The Johnsons estimate it will cost at least $3,000 to achieve their goal.

They want to buy hoodies bearing the words "I have a story to tell" for each youth that goes on the outing.

After the Trayvon Martin shooting, the hoodie became a way for some to protest injustice. But the Johnsons want to send a more life-affirming message.

"We want to turn that negative into a positive for these kids," said Gail Johnson, known as "Lady Gail." "We want to take the kids out of their environment, to see something different."

Turning negatives into positives is what the Johnsons say they have been trying to achieve throughout their 19-year ministry.

Working in the streets, neighborhoods, apartment complexes and prisons, as well as in counseling workshops and recovery programs, the Johnsons say they are on a mission to give hope to underserved youths, survivors of sexual or domestic violence and those struggling with addiction.

In addition to leading their congregation, in 2010, the Johnsons turned an abandoned day-care facility that had been destroyed during Hurricane Ike into the High Achievers Learning Center in La Porte, a faith-based early education program. In 2011 High Achievers were recognized as a Texas Rising Star School, exceeding state childcare licensing standards.

The Johnsons partner with community agencies such as the La Porte Police Department, the Cenikor drug-counseling facility, The Bridge Over Troubled Water in Pasadena and Houston's Star of Hope and other nonprofits.

They say they are driven by faith and their personal histories.

Gene Johnson grew up as one of eight siblings raised by a hard-working single mother in an apartment complex in Houston. He speaks openly of his past struggle with alcoholism.

"My mother worked two and three jobs; so I know what can happen when that kid is there and the only thing he has as an example is that environment. And with no guidance, it's easy to get caught up," he said.

Said his wife: "Oftentimes, when people don't have necessities - like shoes - they do things, like sell drugs or steal, because it's human nature to be a part or to be the same."

Her husband tells of a man who was released from prison with a changed perspective. The man earned a degree only to be held back by the stigma of incarceration.

'Getting that second chance'

"The great challenge to a lot of young men who have made that change is in getting that second chance," he said.

Gail Johnson works with victims and survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence, something that has touched her own life. Like her husband, she uses her story to inspire others.

"We really work with along with those who have had those same challenges," she said. "Most of these individuals in these places - whether it's domestic violence, alcoholism and drug abuse - have come from dysfunctional homes."

It's the personal connection that makes the Johnsons work a life-affirming mission.

"This is isn't about sympathy, but empathy and compassion," said Gail Johnson.

She remembers when they first visited the South Houston apartment complex and how her husband didn't want to leave the kids behind.

"He went back, drove around and later told me what a burden it was on him because he too was raised in that environment," she said. "He never forgets that he could have been a statistic."

Because they've overcome their own obstacles, the Johnsons know what hopelessness can feel like. In "Exit to Freedom," Randy Harden tells his story. The Johnsons believe everyone has a story to tell.

"It's about hope, we want to give them hope," Gene Johnson said.

For information on the Johnsons' effort to fund youths to attend the film on Jan. 29, call 281-471-4021 or visit www.stopbythehill.org.
Two Sugar Land residents have new positions on the board of directors of the Special Olympics Texas for 2017.

City of Sugar Land's 1st Assistant City Manager Steve Griffith moves into the vice chair position after spending 2016 as treasurer.
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Two John Cooper School students were chosen to attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump Jan. 18-22.

Senior Grace Reagan and freshman Pablo Flower, along with other high school students across the nation, were selected to participate in the ninth Envision Presidential Inauguration Leadership Summit, provided through Envision Impact Series.

The students will spend five days participating in various leadership programs and listening to renowned guest speakers, including Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Carly Fiorina, Martin O'Malley, Spike Lee, Gen. Colin Powell, Abby Wambach, Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson.

Both students have been involved with the Envision Impact program for many years and have plans to continue pursuing political involvement in the future.

For Reagan, this will be her second presidential inauguration to attend, as she witnessed President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2008.

For this summit, she will focus on "Conflict and Compromise in a Global Age," debating the role the U.S. has in the world.

"I am extremely excited to gain new perspectives and ideas from students all over the country as we debate this heated topic of the upcoming presidency," Reagan wrote in an email.

Summit scholars from across the U.S. will form small-group delegations focusing on national and global solutions to current and future challenges faced by the nation.

The six topics students will choose from are Drones, Clones & Genomes, Curing the Future, Racing Extinction, Imagining Peace, A Smarter Planet and Pathways to Power.

Flower was nominated for the Envision Impact program as a sixth-grade student and said it is important to witness the transition of power from one president to the next.

At the summit, he will focus on "generating solutions" and improving education.

"I will be focusing on debating inequalities in education and building ways to ensure that quality and affordable education is available for all humankind," he wrote in an email.

Visit the website www.johncooper.org for more information about The John Cooper School in The Woodlands.
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An 18-year-old Denver woman was among five people killed early Monday when gunfire broke out at a crowded nightclub in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

The U.S. Embassy confirmed that one of those killed was an American citizen. The Quintana Roo state prosecutor's office identified her as Alejandra Villanueva Ibarra, according to the Associated Press.

Mexican officials said she was crushed when panicked customers tried to escape the shooting that happened during a popular festival, AP said.

HUNTERS ATTACKED: West Texas hunting trip turns into a shootout

Villanueva's brother has set up a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses for the 18-year-old college student who helped take care of her two younger siblings. On Tuesday morning, $4,640 had been pledged toward the $10,000 goal, according toGoFundMe.

One of 15 people wounded in the gunfire was Ignacio Valencia of Houston, according to the Los Angeles Times. Valencia posted on Facebook that he had been shot in both arms but was ok, the paper said.

Officials ruled out terrorism, saying the attack involved a personal dispute. The shooting broke out when security guards tried to stop a man from entering the Blue Parrot club with a gun.

MEXICO VIOLENCE: U.S. diplomat shot in Guadalajara

The four others killed at the club were shot, including three members of the festival's security detail. One was Canadian, Kirk J. Wilson, 49, of Toronto, AP reported. Two were from Mexico and one was from Italy.

Wilson, the Canadian, was a longtime bouncer, working the festival to help its Canadian organizers, AP said. Wilson was married and the father of two children.

The shooting happened on the last day of a 10-day international electronic music festival known as BPM, for Bartenders, Promoters and Musicians, the Times said.
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Constellation Brands, the U.S. company that distributes Corona, Modelo and Pacifico, is still contending with the effects of a Donald Trump election.

According to CNN Money, stock for the company dove by 7 percent one day after Trump's election Nov. 8, 2016. Today it's down even lower, at 10 percent.

Shareholders are concerned Trump's threats to implement a "border tax" and to dissolve NAFTA could spell trouble for the distribution company.

Indirectly, Trump's stance on immigration could put a dent in Constellation's consumers in the U.S. CNN Money reports that Evercore ISI analyst Robert Ottenstein estimates roughly 1.5 to 2 million undocumented immigrants would stop consuming Constellation's products in this country.

RUMOR MILL: No, the Corona founder didn't die leaving his village millions

Trump hasn't specified how he would execute this new measure, but in the past he's said he would apply a "border tax" to products manufactured in Mexico and sold to Americans in the U.S.

"As you know, our imported Mexican brands can only be authentically produced in Mexico and sold in the U.S.," Constellation CEO Robert Sands said. "We wouldn't just totally disrupt the supply chain over the long run if it's not necessary, but we do have quite a bit of flexibility in what we can do."

It's also possible Trump is planning a different type of tariff, a border adjustment tax, according to the financial publication.

IN RESPONSE: Houston beer fans react to news that Anheuser-BuschInBev will be acquiring Karbach

"In theory, a border adjustment tax would try to help U.S. trade by removing tax breaks from companies that import products and giving tax breaks to U.S. companies that ship goods abroad," CNN Money reports. "All of this matters to Constellation because almost 100 percent of its beer portfolio is imported from overseas."

The only beer Constellation owns that is produced in the U.S. is San Diego's Ballast Point.

Sands proposes a possible solution would be curtailing tax expenses by buying more packaging materials from inside the U.S. and increasing the price of Corona.
Eric Gay/STF

AUSTIN -- Attorney General Ken Paxton took one last swipe at the Obama administration Tuesday, joining a throng of states suing the federal government for alleged overreach into the coal industry.

Texas joined 12 states in a lawsuit seeking a review and injunction of the "Stream Protection Rule" which the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation and Enforcement describes as a method to protect streams and wildlife.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
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Via Daily NK: Bird flu outbreak hits North Korea. Presumably it's the same H5N6 strain afflicting South Korea. Excerpt:

An outbreak of avian influenza (AI) has been confirmed in Sunchon, South Pyongan Province. Due to the discovery, Ungok Ranch, which is responsible for producing meat for Kim Jong Un and high-ranking cadres, has reportedly been placed on emergency alert for preventive measures.

Although the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper previously ran a story (on December 29, 2016) about the risks associated with AI and preventative countermeasures, there was no mention of an outbreak within North Korea at the time.

"In mid-December, there was an outbreak of diarrhea among the chickens at a farm village near Sunchon City, South Pyongan Province. After conducting a focused investigation, the Sunchon Veterinary Medical Center declared that the illness was due to AI [known informally as bird flu or avian flu] and initiated a quarantine of the Ungok Farm to prevent the virus spreading, a source in South Pyongan Province told Daily NK on January 5.

The Ungok Ranch occupies a vast tract of land across South Pyongan Province near Anju City and Sunchon City. The farm not only breeds chicken and ducks, but also raises various other types of poultry including pheasant and pigeons, feeding them on special high-quality grasses and weed mixtures. The farm is specially managed by the state to provide high-quality food for Kim Jong Un, his family, and the privileged class in Pyongyang with the objective of improving their longevity and health.

She added, "The Ungok Ranch directly produces food for the Marshal (Kim Jong Un), therefore, the farm executives will face political repercussions if it is confirmed that the virus has spread across the farm. To prevent the spread of AI, the veterinary medical center of the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as the provincial veterinary units have been mobilized to cordon off the farm and are conducting frequent sanitation and sterilization inspections.
During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump promised to enact sensible corporate tax reforms that would do much to promote equity, economic efficiency, and growth. Amazingly, the political climate is such that these proposals have a fair chance of becoming law.

Many of the corporate tax codes present flaws show in the huge sums that U.S. firms hold abroad. Some $2.6 trillion sits overseas because the current U.S. corporate tax rate of 35 percent is a third higheror morethan in other countries. To bring these monies home, Trump has proposed a one-time tax holiday offering corporations a low, 10 percent rate on repatriated earnings. The homeward flow of funds would undoubtedly promote growth. More, it would help directly with public finances. If only half the money returned, the Treasury would receive a $130 billion revenue windfall.

Statutory tax reductions would also end the trend of American firms incorporating abroad, usually by buying a foreign firm. Such inversions let firms skirt laws forcing them to pay high U.S. rates on global earnings, wherever they are accrued. Reform the code, and corporate activity would remain at home.

More fundamentally, the Trump proposals would promote growth by fostering efficient use of corporate resources. Now, a labyrinth of exemptions and tax breaks prompts firms to make decisions based on tax rules rather than on what serves clients or enhances productivity. Because exemptions have less to do with economic logic than with political influence, the economy suffers. A glimpse at the codes distortions can be had by comparing the tax rates that different industries pay. There is no economic reason that the trucking industry should pay an average tax rate verging on 31 percent, while the better-connected software-and-services industry pays at only a 10 percent rate. The metals and mining industry pays at a 7.4 percent rate, while the petroleum and natural-gas industry pays at a negative 2.2 percent rate. Reducing the statutory tax rate would reduce the value of these breaks. Eliminating the exceptions as proposed would erase the distortions altogether.

Ridding the code of special breaks would aid the economy still further by strengthening corporate finances. Because the code gives generous allowances for financing costs, it encourages business to use debt instead of equity financing. The bias toward debt is far higher in the U.S. code than in the tax codes of other economically advanced nations. American firms carry heavier relative debt burdens than do their foreign counterparts. These differences mean little during normal times, but they can become dangerous during hard times, as was apparent during the 2008 financial crisis. When earnings wane, firms that finance with direct-equity investments simply pay out less. Firms that have a lot of debt, however, lack this option. Their obligations remain fixed, allowing an earnings shortfall more readily to threaten bankruptcy. Tax reforms of this kind cant answer for a clear cultural bias toward debt in corporate America, but they can ease the extremes that currently exist.

For all the Trump proposals benefits, they still fall short of what is needed. Simple reductions in statutory rates would require safeguards to prevent individuals from sheltering in corporations what they might otherwise claim as personal income. Inside shelters, these monies could accumulate at lower tax rates until distributed through dividends or capital gains, both of which are also tax-advantaged. The Trump team has so far offered nothing to protect against such maneuvering. More generally, any reduction in the corporate rates would need to address the gap that would open between what corporate structures pay and what individual proprietorships and other organizational structures pay. The current codes high corporate rates have twisted business away from straight corporate structures. Suddenly putting this process into reverse could inadvertently create considerable hardship and inefficiency.

Its doubtful that well get all the corporate tax reform that we need. Still, some progress looks likely. President Obamas 2010 National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform recommended lowering statutory rates and reducing or eliminating loopholes. Disputes over details have scuttled reform legislation time and again. Washington could have overcome past failures with powerful sponsorship, but Obama remained either unwilling or unable to take the risk. Now its up to Trump. Republican congressional leaders have described this as a rare and golden moment for tax reform. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has called Trumps election a historic opportunity to fundamentally overhaul the U.S. tax code. Senator Chuck Schumer, incoming Senate minority leader, is enthusiastic about a deal. If Trump is the dealmaker he claims to be, then corporate tax reform in 2017 should be a slam-dunk.

Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images
Pascal Bruckner is a French writer and philosopher. His article was translated by Alexis Cornel.

Theodore Dalrymple is a contributing editor of City Journal and the author of many books, including Not with a Bang but a Whimper: The Politics and Culture of Decline.

Stephen Eide is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

Gregory Ferenstein is a technology journalist and editor of the Ferenstein Wire, a syndicated service that publishes news about tech, health, education, and society.

Nicole Gelinas is a City Journal contributing editor, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and the author of After the Fall: Saving Capitalism from Wall Streetand Washington.

Philip Hamburger is Professor of Law at Columbia Law School and the author of Is Administrative Law Unlawful?, winner of the 2016 Hayek Book Prize.

Victor Davis Hanson is a contributing editor of City Journal and the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow in Classics and Military History at the Hoover Institution.

Stefan Kanfer, a City Journal contributing editor, is the author, most recently, of The Eskimo Hunts in Miami.

Katherine Kersten, a writer and attorney, is a senior fellow at the Center of the American Experiment.

Steven Malanga is the senior editor of City Journal, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and the author of Shakedown: The Continuing Conspiracy Against the American Taxpayer.

Miguel Monjardino is visiting professor of geopolitics and geostrategy at the Catholic University of Portugal in Lisbon and a foreign-affairs columnist of Expresso.

Henry Olsen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and an elections and political essayist.

Wlady Pleszczynski is editorial director of The American Spectator and editor of AmSpec Online. His work has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal and the Times Literary Supplement.

John Tierney is a contributing editor of City Journal, coauthor of Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Strength, and a contributing science columnist for the New York Times.

Springs Toledo, a native of Boston, is the author of In the Cheap Seats and The Gods of War.

Adam J. White is a contributing editor of City Journal and a research fellow at the Hoover Institution.

Soundings:



Milton Ezrati is a contributing editor at The National Interest. Heather Mac Donald is the Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a contributing editor of City Journal, and the author of The War on Cops. Aaron M. Renn is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal.

Artists:



Cartoonist for the New York Posts Page Six from 1990 to 2013, Sean Delonas is an award-winning painter/illustrator whose work has appeared widely in print and on television and Broadway. Dolly Holmes is a painter and map designer in Petersburg, Virginia. Her map work can be seen at dolmarvadesign.com. Richard B. Levine covers a wide range of photographic material in New York neighborhoods. Alberto Mena is a graphic designer based in New York. Walter Vasconcelos is an illustrator and designer based in Rio de Janeiro. His work has appeared in publications including American Illustration, DPI magazine, and Newgraphic in China.

Editors note: In our Autumn 2016 issue, credits for two pictures were inadvertently reversed. The picture of the ACT UP demonstration from 1988 (p. 22) should have been credited to Lee Snider of The Image Works, while the 1967 photo of the thalidomide children (p. 30) should have been credited to ullstein bild and The Granger Collection, NYC.
BNM anunta concurs pentru postul vacant de expert coordonator (durata determinata) responsabil de control pe teren si din oficiu a sistemelor de plati
Millions of tons of ash stored at a former coal-fired power plant in , Va.,will become increasingly vulnerable to flooding and other coastal risks, according to a report compiled for an environmental group that is seeking to have the ash moved.

The ash, buried as much as 6 feet below mean sea level, is highly vulnerable to coastal hazards, including flooding, storm surge, erosion and sea level rise, says the report from researchers at Western Carolina Universitys Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines. Further, with the changing climate in the coming decades, these hazards are only expected to worsen at the Chesapeake Energy Center site.

The report was commissioned by the Southern Environmental Law Center, which released it Monday. The Charlottesville-based center is representing the Sierra Club in a federal lawsuit against Dominion Virginia Power. The groups want the utility to be ordered to remove the ash to an inland site. A Richmond judge presided over a trial in June and has yet to rule.

The ash is the residue of more than 60 years of coal-burning at the site, a peninsula along the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. The last of the coal boilers there shut down in 2014.

The Sierra Clubs legal case is centered on its contention that arsenic and other toxic substances are leaching from the ash into groundwater and then into the river  a violation, it contends, of the federal Clean Water Act. Dominion has said the claim is without merit.

During the trial, an official of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality testified that state officials hadnt evaluated the effect of sea level rise in assessing Dominions proposal to cap and permanently keep most of the ash on site.

This report clearly spells out those climate change risks, said Seth Heald, chairman of the Sierra Clubs Virginia chapter, in a prepared statement. Its more imperative than ever that Dominion excavate the site.

Dominion has estimated that there are about 3.3 million tons of ash stored at the site, about two-thirds of it in unlined pits. Most of the remainder is in a lined landfill built above a portion of the old pits.

The Western Carolina researchers focused on the 2.1 million tons in the unlined pits and said that as sea levels continue to rise, saltwater will intrude and push fresh groundwater higher. As that occurs, they said, increasingly more coal ash near the surface will interact with groundwater and more contaminants will be released into it.

They predicted that after roughly 1.5 meters of sea level rise, the site will become an island. Some climate researchers have said that rate of sea level rise is possible within the next century.

Without steps to mitigate risks, the researchers said, the steep edges of the ash landfill could experience slope instability issues (i.e., undercutting, collapse) as erosion on the coastline progresses. The report didnt address whether that would pose any danger to public safety. But Robert Young, the director of the Western Carolina program, said in a phone interview, Its hard for me to imagine that a direct structural failure of that site would place someones life at risk.

Young said the likely greater risk would be a rapid, immediate degradation of water quality around the site if more ash is suddenly exposed to the elements.

This is the first time the Western Carolina researchers have studied a coal-ash site, Young said, noting that the program has focused on assessing the vulnerability of infrastructure at coastal national parks, including Assateague Island National Seashore and the Colonial National Historical Park in Virginia.

At the Chesapeake site, he said, the researchers treated the ash as infrastructure and concluded that the hazards to it from water on three sides are only going to get worse, not better.

The question is: How fast is it going to get worse? Young said. Is it going to get worse at an accelerating rate or at a linear rate?

Robert Richardson, a Dominion spokesman, said in an email that engineers have been working to improve the shoreline around the site to protect against rising waters and a 500-year flood. He said the project is scheduled to be completed in 2018.

Richardson said that once the landfill is closed, its protective cover would be inspected regularly, including after storms, to ensure its integrity.

During the June trial, the cost of removing the ash was estimated at $221 million by a Sierra Club witness and $477 million by an excavation contractor who has worked for Dominion.

Moving the ash offsite would result in notably greater impacts associated with transportation and related safety concerns, air emissions, and significant additional costs for our customers, Richardson said. Issues with removing all ash on-site would mean hundreds of thousands of trucks in the area for more than a decade.

Young said that in the long run, however, it could cost Dominion less to remove the ash than to try to shield it: Thats definitely worth thinking about.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Connecticut Supreme Court is taking up the question of whether Bridgeport officials can be sued in connection with a fire at a public housing complex that killed a mother and her three children in 2009.

Tiana Black, her 4-year-old twin daughters and her 5-year-old son died in the early morning fire in their apartment at the P.T. Barnum complex, which is run by the citys Housing Authority. Blacks mother, Twila Williams, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2010, alleging city officials failed to inspect the apartment and there were fire code violations that may have slowed the familys response in fleeing the fire.

Bridgeport Superior Court Judge Mary Sommer dismissed claims in the lawsuit against city officials in 2013. Sommer ruled that the city officials were immune from the lawsuit under state law. One exemption to immunity would be if officials failure to inspect the building was a reckless disregard for health and safety, but the judge said there was no evidence of that.

But the state Appellate Court reversed Sommers decision in 2015, saying it was up to a jury to decide whether officials failure to inspect was reckless.

City officials appealed to the Supreme Court, which is set to hear arguments in the case Thursday.

Williams lawyer, John Bochanis, wrote in a brief to the Supreme Court that the city fire marshal did not inspect the housing complex every year as required by state law. He said smoke detectors in the two-story apartment were not interconnected  meaning when one sounds, they all sound  as required by law.

If the smoke detectors had been interconnected it would have led to earlier notification of a fire or smoke condition, Bochanis wrote.

Authorities said the fire began in the first-floor kitchen at about 1 a.m. when a gas stove burner was left on. Officials also said Black was intoxicated at the time. Investigators said Black and her children died of smoke inhalation while trying to flee.

Bochanis wrote that the smoke detectors on the second floor, where the bedrooms were, were not activated by the smoke detectors on the first floor.

Bochanis and the citys lawyer, Daniel Krish, declined to comment. Williams did not respond to a message seeking comment.

The Appellate Court noted that although the Bridgeport fire marshals office is required to inspect all multifamily homes in the city every year, Fire Marshal William Cosgrove and Fire Chief Brian Rooney did not believe the P.T. Barnum apartments had to be inspected annually. The apartments were not on the list of multifamily homes provided by the tax assessor to the fire marshal every year, because the complex is not on city tax rolls, according to court documents.

Cosgrove and Rooney, who are among the defendants in the lawsuit, both retired last year. They and other officials deny allegations of being reckless.

The Housing Authority and a contractor that worked on the apartment building, who also were defendants in the lawsuit, agreed to a $2.75 million settlement with Williams, but disagreed on who should pay it, the Connecticut Post reported. A judge ruled the contractor should pay.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
AKRON, Ohio - An Akron man is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a 25-year-old man.

Darshawn T. McCormick, 25, is charged in the Dec. 26 killing of Javanta Virden, according to Akron Municipal Court records.

McCormick is already in custody at the Summit County Jail on unrelated charges from a Dec. 5 robbery in Boston Township. He is accused of shooting a 66-year-old man in the chest during that incident, police said.

Virden, 25, of Akron died at Summa Akron City Hospital after being shot in the head in a parking lot in the 1000 block of Ericsson Avenue. Several other men were involved in the argument, police said.

Investigators identified McCormick as the shooter through witness statements and physical evidence collected at the scene, police said.

Investigators do not anticipate anyone else will be charged in connection with the homicide, police said.

McCormick is charged with aggravated robbery, felonious assault and having weapons under disability in the Boston Township incident, court records show.

McCormick and a woman arranged to rob a 66-year-old man outside a storage facility, Peninsula police said. Peninsula police investigate crimes in Boston Township.

McCormick approached the victim with a gun, but the victim grabbed the weapon, police said. The gun went off during the ensuing struggle and the shot hit the man in the chest.

The man received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital.

Akron police later received a tip that McCormick might be involved in the Boston Township robbery and shooting. Investigators used security video and DNA evidence to link McCormick to the incident, Peninsula police said.

Authorities arrested him Jan. 4 and he remains in custody on $250,000 bond, records show.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Tuesday's crime and courts comments section.
Akron police car 3.jpg

Akron police are investigating after a woman was beaten and robbed of $20 early Saturday.

(File photo)

AKRON, Ohio - A woman was beaten and robbed early Saturday while walking back to her Akron home, police said.

The 37-year-old victim suffered minor injuries when a man and two women attacked her about 4 a.m. near the intersection of 18th Street and Kenmore Boulevard, police said.

One of the robbers asked the victim for a dollar, but the victim said she did not have one. The robbers then punched the victim, knocked her to the ground and continued beating her, police said.

The robbers took a $20 bill from the victim's pocket before they ran off, police said. The victim then ran to a nearby business to call for help.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact Akron police at 330-375-2552.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.
AKRON, Ohio - Eight Akron ideas are finalists in the 2017 John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's third annual Knight Cities Challenge.

A total of 144 entries made the cut this year out of more than 4,500 applicants in Knight's challenge for ideas that can make the 26 communities where the foundation invests more vibrant places to live and work.

In the past three years, Knight has invested more than $10 million in Akron.

In Knight's Cities Challenge, applicants are asked to answer a single question: What's your best idea to make cities more successful?

Applicants have only two rules: a submission can come from anywhere, but the idea must benefit one of Knight's communities; and the idea should focus on one, or all, of three key drivers of city success:

Talent

Opportunity

Engagement

Akron's eight finalists include:

Decked Out, submitted by Da'shika Aliece Wells and Andre Street-- Connecting people of different backgrounds through a recurring dance party in downtown Akron that will encourage engagement while adding to the vibrancy of the city.

Designing Equity in Our Communities by Congress for the New Urbanism, submitted by Lynn Richards -- Creating public spaces that are designed for everyone by ensuring public participation in the development of all city projects, including a plan for the city Innerbelt design.

The FREE-FORM Sculpture Project by Groundswell Design Group, submitted by David Fierabend -- Bringing life to downtown Akron with a new art installation that celebrates the movement of the Ohio and Erie Canal through form, color and wind.

Innerbelt National Forest, submitted by Hunter Franks -- Reconnecting two socially and physically isolated neighborhoods by replacing an inoperative freeway in Akron with a lush forest and public space.

New American Enterprise Co-Op by International Institute of Akron, submitted by Susan Wuscher -- Increase economic opportunities for new Americans by creating a co-op that provides entrepreneurial skills including educational and technical resources to the foreign-born community in Akron.

@Play Akron by ART x LOVE, submitted by Mac Love -- Encouraging deeper community connections through custom games and recreational activities that highlight the unique history, identity and character of each of the city's communities.

(Re)Creation Rubber Matches by Stay in Play Recreation LLC, submitted by Andrew Novak -- Increasing social and economic vibrancy by rehabilitating two sand volleyball courts in the heart of downtown Akron.

Tree House Village at Hardesty Park, submitted by Bridget Ambrisco - Increasing neighborhood vibrancy and connecting people by developing a neighborhood collaborative project focused on constructing a tree house village and fort in the northeast corner of Hardesty Park.

The Knight Cities Challenge is part of a three-year, $15 million commitment launched in the fall of 2014. Since then, Knight has named a total of 69 winning ideas, four of which are in Akron. Winners will receive a share of up to $5 million and will be announced in the spring.

For more information, visit Knight Foundation's website.
BRUNSWICK --- Drunkenness, Pearl Road: Police responded to the Draft House bar at 2:37 p.m. Jan. 16 for a patron who was causing a disturbance. The man was reportedly found "too intoxicated to care for himself" when officers arrived and other patrons and employees told police he was yelling profanities at various customers and refusing to leave. The man was cited for disorderly conduct while intoxicated and taken home by police.

Drug/paraphernalia possession, Center Road: A driver was pulled over at a Wendy's parking lot at 1:42 a.m. Jan. 16 for having an obstructed license plate. Police smelled the odor of marijuana coming from inside the car and the driver admitted to having pot and drug paraphernalia in his possession. A grinder, pill bottle and wood container were later found inside the car. The driver was cited for drug abuse, drug paraphernalia, and obstructed plate and was released.

Drunken driver, Interstate 71: Police pulled over a driver traveling southbound on I-71 at 6:21 p.m. Jan. 13 after receiving several calls from other drivers of a possible impaired driver. The man was physically unable to perform field sobriety tests and an ambulance was called to the scene. After being medically cleared and refusing medical transport, the man was arrested and taken to the Brunswick police station for processing, where he refused to provide a breath sample. He was taken to the Medina County Jail was he was unable to post bond.

Drunken driver, Interstate 71: Police responded to a single-car crash at the Center Road ramp off I-71 northbound at 10:37 p.m. Jan. 12. Upon arrival, officers found the driver had fled the scene. She was later found behind a nearby Speedway gas station. The driver smelled of alcohol and "spoke with slurred speech, had difficulty standing on her own and had bloodshot eyes," according to reports. She refused both field sobriety and breath tests. The driver was taken to the Medina County Sheriff's Office due to a prior felony conviction for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

Theft, Pearl Road: Police responded to a disturbance call at a Circle K store at 8:35 a.m. Jan. 11. A man at the scene said a woman had stolen his laptop computer from his house and was trying to sell it. The suspect was on the scene and admitted to taking the computer and trying to sell it for drugs. She had already returned the computer to the victim before police arrived. The woman was arrested and charged with theft and later taken to the Medina County Sheriff's Office after failing to post bond.

Drunkenness, Center Road: An officer on patrol responded to an unresponsive man found in the parking lot of Giant Eagle at 2:58 a.m. Jan. 11. Paramedics were called to the scene and Narcan was administered after signs of heroin use were discovered. The man regained consciousness and "began to argue with officers," reports said. He denied using any drugs, but admitted to drinking alcohol. He registered a .208 percent blood-alcohol content on a portable Breathalyzer - nearly three times the legal limit - and was cited for disorderly conduct while intoxicated. The man refused to be taken to the hospital and was released to his father.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The winner in the barrage of baseless insults between Congressman John Lewis and President-elect Donald Trump is Vladimir Putin. The loser is American democracy and its hallmark of the peaceful transfer of power.

In its report on Russian hacking, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence concluded that Putin's overall motive was to undermine faith in the U.S. election system.

The ODNI investigation found zero evidence that the Russian hacking of the DNC and John Podesta's email account impacted the actual election vote tally. Voting machines weren't hacked. State vote counts were not hacked.

Despite that fact that the election process itself was not hacked, Putin has still succeeded in undermining faith in it with Democrats now claiming President-elect Trump's victory is illegitimate.

Congressman John Lewis only intensified the legitimacy debate in an interview on "Meet the Press" with Chuck Todd. "I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president. I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton."

In a recent post, I listed a number ways Hillary Clinton, her staff and the DNC "destroyed" her campaign more than the Russian hacks, or James Comey did.

What really helped Trump get elected is all the Americans who turned out to vote for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 not turning out to vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016. That includes voters in the district John Lewis represents.

By saying Trump's presidency is illegitimate, Lewis and the Democrats who agree with him, are saying the votes and opinions of nearly sixty-three million Americans are illegitimate and count for nothing.

Congresswoman Marcia Fudge is also boycotting the inauguration. Fudge said she'll be staying home in Cleveland, Ohio. Trump easily won Ohio. Does Fudge think the majority of Ohioans who voted for Trump are really Russian agents? Or does she think they're just depolarables?

Lewis had also boycotted the inauguration of President George W. Bush, claiming then, as he is now, that Bush's election was illegitimate.

Instead of heeding Michelle Obama's advice to go "high when they go low", Trump, predictably responded to Lewis with an even more inflammatory tweet torpedo.

"Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about election results. All talk,talk,talk,talk -no action or results. Sad!," tweeted Trump.

It wouldn't surprise me if Trump didn't know that Lewis is a heroic icon of the civil-rights movement. Did he even know Lewis had his head cracked open marching in Selma, let alone that his "results" include the Voting Rights Act ?

By responding the way he did, Trump immediately took the focus off whether the comment by Lewis was legitimate and fair, and put it on Trump's outrageous insult.

Trump should have responded the way Vice President-elect Mike Pence did with the following statement:

"I respect the role that he's played in the civil rights movement and the voting rights movement, and that's why I was just so disappointed that he would make the statement he made.

For someone of John Lewis' stature to lend credibility to the baseless assertions of those who question the legitimacy of this election is deeply disappointing. I hope he reconsiders it."

Pence noted four of the five living presidents will be at the inauguration, calling it "a testament to the world of the vibrancy of our democracy."

We now have a president-elect who fathered birtherism, bashing anyone who questions the legitimacy of his own presidency. And we have a lion of the civil-rights movement, who helped usher in the Voting Rights Act, and Democrats, who criticized Republicans for questioning Obama's legitimacy, now questioning the legitimacy of the next president.

Right now the Russians are too busy too hack, because they're too busy laughing at us.
GATES MILLS, Ohio -- An arrest has been made in a Jan. 6 Gates Mills home invasion, police said.

A 38-year-old Solon man was arrested about 1:45 p.m. Monday, a Gates Mills police dispatcher told cleveland.com. The man is being held in jail on aggravated burglary and kidnapping charges, police said, but it's unclear if official charges have been filed against him.

The man was wanted in connection with a Jan. 6 home invasion on Gates Mills Boulevard, police said. He's accused of forcing his way into a woman's house, where he bound the victim with tape before stealing cash and jewelry.

The victim was taken to the hospital for evaluation, but she was not seriously injured, police said.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.
o'malley.JPG

Michael O'Malley (left) during a joint interview with then-County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty before the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. O'Malley defeated McGinty in his quest to be re-elected.

(David Petkiewicz)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Newly elected Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley brings a spirit of cooperation to his job that may bode well for local efforts at court reform.

In an interview with cleveland.com, he said he will work with judges and attorneys across the spectrum to bring greater efficiency and fairness to the criminal justice system.

O'Malley, who was an assistant prosecutor under the last two prosecutors, Timothy J. McGinty and Bill Mason, arrives on the scene as court reforms are underway.

Cleveland Municipal Court, for example, recently adopted a risk-assessment method developed by the nonprofit Laura and John Arnold Foundation that is expected to help judges make more informed bail decisions.

And John J. Russo, chief judge of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, has formed committees to study bail reform and other issues to determine where improvements might be made.

During the interview, O'Malley weighed in on the Arnold Foundation assessment method and other possible reforms, including a centralized booking process that some see as a panacea for the county's uneven criminal justice system.

Most criminal cases in Cuyahoga County now start in one of 13 municipal courts, where bond is set. If the charge is a felony, the case is transferred to the Common Pleas Court for prosecution by O'Malley's office in front of one of 34 judges.

Here are some of O'Malley's thoughts on the current state of criminal justice in the county and the direction it may be headed.

Q. Bail reform is a big issue here and across the country. Are judges doing enough to keep defendants who aren't a threat to the community or at risk of jumping bail from sitting in jail because they can't afford bond?

"I think it's an issue that needs to be addressed," O'Malley said, adding that the Cleveland Municipal Court's adoption of Arnold Foundation risk-assessment method is a good thing that could ultimately benefit all 13 municipal courts and the common pleas court.

The Houston-based foundation's risk-assessment method allows judges to better determine whether a defendant is likely to commit crimes or skip court appearances if released on bail. O'Malley said the assessment method might assist common pleas judges.

"To me it's very difficult to be consistent among 34 different [common pleas judges] . . . So certainly, if there has been work done on the outside of this building and that has been done nationally that's a proven winner, I know my office will embrace it.

Q. Do you feel that overcharging is something that needs to be looked at?

O'Malley said some people believe there has been systematic overcharging within the county's criminal justice system, though definitions of overcharging differ.

"What I have told my grand jury supervisor is that I believe people should be charged consistently with their actions and they should not be indicted in a way that exercising their right to a not guilty plea and to seek a trial doesn't in fact unfairly punish them for exercising their right."

Q. Some believe overcharging contributes to excessive bail. Your thoughts?

When a felony is committed in the suburbs, such as Parma, Shaker Heights or Solon, the charge is set by the municipal prosecutor and the bond is set by the municipal court, O'Malley said. And while they may be doing that to the best of their abilities, having the charge booked by the county prosecutor's office would provide greater consistency.

One of the first things O'Malley said he plans to do is meet with suburban prosecutors, who are appointed by mayors or elected law directors, to set some guidelines.

"Every case is different and every case has its own set of facts and circumstances," he said. "But I think what we can try to do is, to the best of our ability, establish some consistency. In my neighborhood, if you live on one side of Ridge Road you're in Cleveland, the other side of Ridge Road you're in Brooklyn. Whether a car is pulled over on the east side or west side, there should be some consistency in how that particular situation involving law enforcement is handled. And I think that's what I would like to strive to do as well."

Q. What about developing a central booking facility, where all of the county's felony suspects would be brought and where prosecutors would determine what charges to file?

"Central booking, I think, would be a good thing," he said.

He said the county was headed in that direction when Bill Mason was county prosecutor. "We had an early disposition program where cases were being handled exclusively, felony cases, by the [county] prosecutor's office." O'Malley said cases were immediately brought to the county prosecutor's office and a bus system was used to bring prisoners from the suburbs.

He said this system would preferable to the current system, where most suspects make an initial appearance in one of 13 municipal courts.

Q. So could central booking actually come about?

O'Malley said he believes it can. He said he has heard that the county is in the process of taking over Cleveland's jail, where defendants processed through Cleveland Municipal Court are kept, and the Cleveland police department's booking operations. Both operations are in the same building that is part of the downtown Justice Center complex.

"I have not been told that by the county executive, but I've been told that by people who work in county government that they're very close to taking over the police headquarters." O'Malley said. ". . . I heard the county - whether they're leasing it, buying it, I have no idea, I'm not part of the discussion - but I've heard rumors they're obtaining the headquarters building in the near future because we're going to be taking over the city's booking operations, too."

(Cuyahoga County Law Director Robert Triozzi said he wasn't in a position to talk about any discussions between the county and the city, but added, "We see high value in having the opportunity to have centralized booking.")

Q. Does there need to be a new county justice center to accommodate central booking?

"I don't think the county has money for that," O'Malley said. " . . . I would rather invest a few more dollars . . into this building to make it last another 50 years."

Q. Do you think the county taking over Cleveland's booking operations would reduce the jail population?

O'Malley said he believes a central booking system that includes all the suburbs and results in consistent charging and bail determinations would be good for the criminal justice system.

"I think it would probably reduce the amount of people being held in pre-trial detention," he said. "And, so, I think there could be cost savings that would be beneficial to the county residents who are ultimately footing this bill," he said.

Q. What are your thoughts on the Common Pleas Court's recently established first-appearance docket, which is designed to get a defendant charged in the suburbs before a Common Pleas judge within four days?

O'Malley said he's not very familiar with the new docket, but believes it's good for attorneys to meet quickly with their clients. And those meetings can lead to a reasonable bond being posted sooner.

"I think those are all good things for the justice system and in particular for that defendant who's presumed not guilty," he said. "And I think what we have to do is continue that path. And again, I think the thing that I will bring to the table as we sit down and we try to work on these things is, I know I can sit down with the court, I think I can sit down with the public defender, and I think I can sit down with the criminal defense attorneys association and work towards a system that will be an improvement for the people of this county."
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 22-year veteran Cleveland police officer is charged in connection with the pistol-whipping and rape of his girlfriend.

Patrolman Tommie Griffin III, 51, is charged with rape, felonious assault and kidnapping. He is expected to make his first court appearance on Tuesday in Parma Municipal Court.

Griffin was hired as a Cleveland police officer in 1994. He was awarded the department's distinguished service medal in 2009.

On Friday, Griffin found his 42-year-old girlfriend with another man, police reports said. Griffin called police. The other man told Parma officers the woman had invited him over for the weekend. The man voluntarily left, police reports said.

A little after midnight the next day, Griffin attacked his girlfriend as she slept in her State Road home, police said.

Griffin pistol-whipped her and punched her in the face several times, police said. He fired two shots into the mattress, inches from her head, court records said.The woman was not hit by the bullets, police said.

He took her to the basement of the home and pointed the gun at her again, according to court records. Griffin then sexually assaulted her, police said.

Griffin drove away from the home. A family member of the woman called Parma police after being unable to reach her by phone. The relative asked police to check on her.

The relative told police the woman and Griffin had a "volatile relationship," according to police reports.

Parma police went to the home on State Road and found it in "in disarray," police said. They woman had suffered "severe" facial injuries, Lt. Kevin Riley of the Parma police said. She was taken to MetroHealth for treatment.

Parma police tracked Griffin's phone and found him about 1:30 p.m. Saturday at a bar in North Royalton. North Royalton police arrested him at gunpoint and took him back to Parma where he was booked into the city jail.

Cleveland police spokesman Det. Reginald Lanton said the department is aware of the arrest and that the officer will be placed on unpaid leave while the case is ongoing, since it involves felony charges.

Griffin's girlfriend reported him missing on Dec. 6 after not seeing him for three days, according to police reports. She told Parma police she last saw him at a birthday party at Erin's Pub.

The report says a Cleveland police First District supervisor told Parma police that Griffin was on the "sick" list at the time and was not on active duty. Cleveland police went to his home on Nov. 29 for a welfare check, the supervisor said.

Griffin had a "rough divorce a while back" and since then has taken off extended time off work, according to the police report. Another police report on Dec. 9 said Griffin was hospitalized, but did not say why.

Cleveland.com has requested Griffin's personnel file.

To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
triozzi.JPG

Robert Triozzi

(Lonnie Timmons III, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cuyahoga County Law Director Robert Triozzi is hoping for big strides in court reform this year, from changes in the way bail is set, to the treatment of defendants with mental issues, and perhaps a move toward centralized booking.

Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish wants court reform not just as a matter of fairness to defendants, but because his office controls the purse strings for much of the local criminal justice system, including the Cuyahoga County Jail.

And any method that safely decreases the number of jail occupants is welcome to a cash-strapped county.

In an interview with cleveland.com, Triozzi shared his thoughts on various aspects of court reform, including the Cleveland Municipal Court's adoption of a risk-assessment method that helps predict whether defendants might commit a crime or skip court dates if freed while awaiting their trials.

The Houston-based Laura and John Arnold Foundation developed the assessment method to help judges make smarter bail decisions.

Here are some of Triozzi's answers to our questions:

Q. Do you see the other 12 municipal courts in Cuyahoga County adopting the Arnold Foundation risk-assessment method?

Triozzi said that Cleveland Municipal Court's use of the Arnold Foundation tool will allow other municipal courts in the county to see how well the assessment method works and if it's right for them.

He said he is "very hopeful" that many of the courts in the county will see the value in using the risk assessment.

The common pleas court stands to gain from bail reforms in Cleveland Municipal Court because the municipal court is the primary feeder of cases to the common pleas court and is where bonds are usually set for the first time, Triozzi said. "My level of confidence is high that they will find value in this."

Q. What do you expect in the way of reforms in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court this year?

Triozzi said he sees "great value" in the recently established first-appearance docket in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court that is designed to get newly charged defendants before a judge more quickly than before.

He said the new docket should be of particular benefit to the suburban municipal courts that have not embraced the Arnold Foundation risk assessment method because it will allow their bail decisions to be reviewed sooner.

Another benefit to the early appearance-docket, Triozzi said, is that attorneys will be appointed more quickly to those who can't afford to hire their own.

"The creation of that docket was an important step," Triozzi said.

Q. What do you see the Judicial System Reform Committee doing in 2017

The committee, which is chaired by Budish, will continue to lend support to the Cleveland Municipal Court and its embrace of the Arnold Foundation risk-assessment method, Triozzi said. He said the assessment method will not only bring more fairness to bail decisions, but could be used by prosecutors in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County to inform charging decisions.

According to the foundation, prosecutors can use the assessments to shape plea bargains and to guide recommendations to a judge as to pre-trial detention, supervision and the like.

Q. What are the main things you expect to happen in 2017 in the way of court reform?

Triozzi expects that Cleveland Municipal Court to fully implement the Arnold Foundation risk-assessment method. He also expects that other municipal courts and the county Common Pleas Court will have the opportunity to see how it works and decide if it is something they may want to adopt.

He said the other priority for 2017 is to figure out why mentally ill defendants spend more time behind bars than other defendants. He said the county will work with a national program, Stepping Up Initiative, which helps communities develop strategies for keeping people with mental-health issues out of jail.

Triozzi said these are priorities of the county and that the Judicial System Reform Committee will serve as a way for all those with a stake in the reforms to collaborate.

Q. Is the county looking to implement a central booking operation where felony defendants from across the county are processed at one location rather than in municipal courts and police departments across the county?

The county has been discussing the prospect of centralized booking for a long time, Triozzi said, adding that it "would advance all of the issues we've been talking about" related to bail reform and mental health.

Centralized booking would allow for consistent bail analysis countywide, he said, and make the Arnold Foundation risk-assessment method available for everybody.

"We see high value in having the opportunity to have centralized booking," he said.

But as for when that might happen, Triozzi couldn't say.

"If this was an easy issue to resolve," he said, "it would have been resolved years ago."
Triozzi Russo O'Malley

Cuyahoga County Law Director Robert Triozzi (left), Administrative and Presiding Judge John J. Russo and Prosecutor Michael O'Malley expect positive changes in the Common Pleas Court and the county's 13 municipal courts in 2017. (Thomas Ondrey, Plain Dealer Publishing Co.; Chuck Crow, Plain Dealer Publishing Co.; Cory Shaffer, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Advocates for criminal justice reform in Cuyahoga County have reason for optimism in 2017.

Why?

Cuyahoga County chief Judge John J. Russo says the committee he formed last year to study possible bail reform will likely complete its work this September.

New prosecutor Michael O'Malley says he will work collaboratively with judges and others on a number of possible reforms, including the creation of a central-booking facility.

And county Law Director Robert Triozzi says he believes a central booking facility, which could expeditiously handle cases from across the county, would advance other issues such as bail reform.

Russo, O'Malley and Triozzi talked about those and other issues in separate interviews with cleveland.com. Read our Q&As with each of them below, part of a series, Justice For All, highlighting the inequities of local bail systems and ways they could be more fair.
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Federal environmental laws such as the banning of DDT are credited with saving the bald eagle from extinction. Ohio is home to more than 200 nests, including this one in the Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks.

(Lisa Romaniuk/Special to The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Environmentalists, scientists and U.S. Senate Democrats are mustering opposition in preparation for Wednesday's scheduled confirmation hearings for U.S. EPA administrator nominee Scott Pruitt.

Few federal agencies have a more direct impact on our lives, overseeing laws governing clean air, water and soil.

And few cabinet nominees since the notorious Secretary of the Interior James Watt more than 30 years ago have arrived on Capitol Hill with such controversial credentials.

Scott Pruitt

Pruitt, the attorney general of Oklahoma, is an avowed climate change denier with close ties to the oil and gas industry. He has sued the EPA 14 times in attempts to block the very air, water and climate regulations he would be in charge of enforcing if he receives Senate confirmation.

He has worked hand-in-hand with energy industry lobbyists to oppose federal clean-air regulations. And he has accepted tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from executives and lawyers from the agriculture, oil and gas companies he was entrusted with policing.

A prominent army of opponents is organizing a counter-offensive to make sure that doesn't happen. The Environmental Defense Fund and the Union of Concerned Scientists have both called for Pruitt to be rejected.

On Thursday, a delegation of scientists delivered

from Ohio to the office of Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, urging him to oppose Pruitt's nomination.

Portman's vote is considered a key to deciding the issue in a closely-divided Senate, said Veronica Vieland, director of the Battelle Center for Mathematical Medicine at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus.

"Mr. Pruitt has spent his career challenging and undermining public health protections and critical science-based standards," the letter read. "We need an EPA administrator who will adhere to the science and preserve these protections rather than erode them to the benefit of industry."

A Portman spokesman was noncommittal last night.

"Rob is carefully considering all of the nominees, meeting with them personally as they undergo a rigorous evaluation process," said spokesman Kevin Smith.

Pruitt's supporters include a coalition of 23 conservative advocacy groups who last week sent a letter of endorsement to the Senate, while criticizing the current state of the EPA.

"Some claim that Mr. Pruitt opposes clean air and water. This could not be further than the truth," the letter read. "Mr. Pruitt respects and upholds the Constitution, and understands that many of the nation's challenges regarding clean air and water are best met at the state and local level."

At the same time Pruitt is waiting at the door to the EPA, Congress has taken action behind closed doors to gut critical public health laws that reduce carbon pollution from vehicles, oil and gas infrastructure, power plants and other sources, former EPA administrator Carol Browner told the Public News Service in Columbus.



The Midnight Rule Relief Act, which passed the House last week, could eliminate with a single vote any rule finalized in the last several months by President Obama, she said.

"They're doing it in a way that's hard to follow," Browner said. "It's hard for the public to really see what's happening, and I think that's intentional because people like clean air and clean water. They don't want those safeguards rolled back, even if Congress wants them rolled back."



She's withholding judgment on Pruitt if he wins confirmation.

"We all believed in the mission of the agency, we believed it was our job to protect the health of the American people, and I certainly hope that Mr. Pruitt will find it within himself to share that," Browner told Public News Service.

Few of Pruitt's opponents, however, are so optimistic. If confirmed, they expect him to bring a radical shift in EPA policies to Washington by shelving the Obama administration's aggressive environmental enforcement and embracing the industries the agency is charged with policing.

Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, told the New York Times that Pruitt is the first EPA nominee from either party that his group has opposed in its 50-year history.

"The president's choices deserve a lot of deference from Congress and even environmental groups," Krupp said. "But at some point when the nominee has spent his entire career attempting to dismantle environmental protections, it becomes unacceptable."

The potential for major damaging impact is great for Northeast Ohio, where much of the effects of the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the EPA's ban of the pesticide DDT can be seen all around us:

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park is one of the most visited parks in the nation, and is home to once-rare river otters and beavers, bald eagles and ospreys, coyotes and turkeys;

Endangered raptors have benefited the most from the ban on DDT;

In 2016, there were 207 eagle nests in Ohio, compared to four nests in 1978. Those nests produced an estimated 327 young eagles last year;

Prior to 1988, peregrine falcons had been extirpated from the Eastern U.S. But since then, a reintroduction program has been so successful that, by 2014, there were at least 34 nesting pairs of peregrines statewide;

The Coliseum Grasslands are one of the best spots in the state to see bobolinks, Henslow's sparrows and other threatened grassland species;

Black bears and bobcats are becoming more common, and walleye are showing up again in the Cuyahoga River as the water quality gradually improves;

Last April, David Berg of Mentor caught a state record yellow perch - 2.86 pounds! - and charter boat captains reported one of their best fishing seasons in more than a decade;

Federal funds from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative are being used to eradicate phragmites and other invasive vegetation from the Mentor Marsh and Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve;

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District has embarked on a $3 billion master plan called Project Clean Lake, constructing a network of seven tunnels designed to eliminate an estimated 4.5 billion gallons of raw sewage from flowing into Lake Erie and area streams after heavy rains. Completion is expected by 2036.

Maintaining and improving upon these environmental accomplishments would be threatened under the EPA leadership of Pruitt, according to the letter submitted by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

"Pruitt's record shows that he simply won't do the job, and his confirmation would pose a threat to public health," the letter said.

The scientists note that just two laws enforced by the EPA--the Cross State Air Pollution Rule and the Mercury and Air Toxics Rule--will save Ohio an estimated $32 billion in health costs per year, and prevent up to 3,900 premature deaths.

"Yet Pruitt has sued the EPA to block these rules, and has consistently opposed the EPA's ability to enforce laws that keep Ohio's air and drinking water safe," the letter reads.

Back to previous spot in article.
LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Lakewood police are searching for an armed man who robbed a Walgreens.

The robbery happened shortly before 10 a.m. Monday at the store in the 11700 block of Detroit Avenue. No employees or customers were injured during the incident.

The robber approached the register, placed chapstick on the counter and handed the clerk $2, Lakewood police Capt. Gary Stone said.

When the employee opened up the register, the man started to take money out of the drawer, Stone said.

The employee grabbed the robber's left hand with both of hers. The man pulled out a black handgun and pointed it at her, Stone said.

The man told the employee not to talk or scream and started taking money out of the drawer, police said.

The man left the store and jogged east behind Pizza Hut across the street.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Tuesday's crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Search and recovery crews returned to Lake Erie Tuesday morning to resume search efforts for a plane carrying six that went down north of Cleveland Dec. 29



Divers are conducting targeted searches of the lakebed based on data collected Saturday by sonar equipment.



The main priority of continued search efforts is recovering additional human remains, said Khalid Bahhur, commissioner of Burke Lakefront Airport.

A second priority is recovering remaining pieces of debris from the Cessna 525 Citation, Bahhur said.

City officials scheduled a press conference for late Tuesday afternoon to discuss ongoing search efforts.



Crews have retrieved two wings, large portions of the fuselage, an engine, and other large pieces in a search that will soon enter its third week.



The cockpit voice recorder is currently undergoing analysis at the National Transportation Safety Board headquarters in Washington D.C. The plane's ARES box, which records mechanical information, was also sent to the NTSB, Bahhur said.



The NTSB investigation of the cockpit voice recorder could take several months, an NTSB spokesman said. Officials have not yet determined why the plane went down.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's office is working to identify the remains of possibly four people already recovered from the wreckage.



The plane was carrying Ohio beverage executive John Fleming, his wife Sue, and their teenage sons, Jack and Andrew. Also on the plane was their neighbors, Brian and Megan Casey. The group was returning to Columbus after a Cleveland Cavaliers game when the plane suddenly lost altitude over the lake.
uakron1.JPG

The University of Akron has hired a chief diversity officer.

(Karen Farkas, cleveland.com)

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron has hired Jolene Lane as chief diversity officer/associate vice president for inclusion and equity.

Lane will join the university on March 29 from the Teachers College at Columbia University, where she has served the last nine years as senior director in the vice president's office for diversity and community affairs.

She will earn $140,000 a year.

The university has been without a chief diversity officer for about a year. Lane replaces Lee Gill, who left in April 2015 for Clemson University, where he was named chief diversity office and special assistant to the president for inclusive excellence.

Gill, who was hired at UA in 2008, earned $146,375 when he left.

Lane earned a master of education degree from Harvard University in administration, planning, and social policy with a concentration in higher education, and she will receive a doctorate this year from Teachers College, Columbia in adult learning and leadership.

She will report to President Matthew Wilson.

She will supervise the Office of Inclusion and Equity, Office of Multicultural Development, Multicultural Center and Women's and Gender Resource Center.

Her appointment is pending approval by the board of trustees.

Lane said in a statement that one of her first goals is to reach out to faculty.

"I am looking forward to developing relationships with the outstanding Akron faculty, and I cannot wait to leverage their research and expertise to help us advance inclusive excellence, learning, critical thinking and personal enrichment," she said. "I truly am inspired by the commitment to students and the central focus on their education and success at Akron, which speaks to the heart of my practice as an educator."
North Royalton City Hall 3.JPG

North Royalton City Council's Safety Committee will discuss proposed drone regulations Tuesday night.

(Bob Sandrick, special to cleveland.com)

NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio - The city has introduced legislation that would regulate the flying of unmanned aircraft - commonly known as drones - within the town's borders.

The legislation would establish rules for drone activity not already regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration. The law would prohibit the use of drones above or next to city parks, schools or school properties, municipal buildings, public lands or "providers of public utilities."

The ordinance would forbid drone cameras to record videos or take pictures of city and private property, or people on that property. However, the ordinance would allow law enforcement agencies to surveil properties if they first obtain a search warrant.

"We want to protect people's privacy, but also their safety," said Councilman Dan Langshaw, who is sponsoring the drone ordinance. "There are some positives with drones but we need to have something in our code to at least regulate them. We want to be proactive."

Council's Safety Committee is scheduled to discuss the drone ordinance Tuesday night.

Other Ohio communities have already enacted drone legislation. In April, Cleveland City Council passed an ordinance that in effect gives Cleveland police authority to enforce FAA regulations. Also, the city of Aurora and the village of Cuyahoga Heights have established drone regulations.

Broadview Heights City Council introduced a drone ordinance in October. In December, council's Rules, Ordinances and Franchises Committee asked the Broadview Heights Law Department to take another look at the legislation.

A drone to pick

Langshaw said drones became an issue in North Royalton about a year ago when a resident expressed concern about one flying over his property.

"Drones are more affordable now, and you can buy small ones anywhere," Langshaw said. "You can record video or livestream from drones. So there's a privacy concern, especially in residential areas, and in this post-9/11 era."

Langshaw said he read the Cleveland and Aurora drone legislation but based his draft ordinance on the Cuyahoga Heights law, which bans drones over public parks, schools, municipal buildings, public properties and public utilities. Also, drones can't record images of public or private properties, with the intent to watch someone, in Cuyahoga Heights.

Mayor Robert Stefanik said the city has more important issues to worry about than drones. He said he has never heard of a drone causing a problem in North Royalton.

"There are federal regulations on drones," Stefanik said. "Let the federal government worry about it. If each city does something, it can get hectic."

The FAA, in a 2015 fact sheet, discourages communities from establishing their own drone regulations that might conflict with FAA rules or rules in other communities. Rules that conflict with FAA regulations aren't allowed.

However, the FAA lists exceptions where local governments can create their own drone regulations. For example, local law takes precedence over federal law when it comes to land use, zoning, privacy, trespassing and law-enforcement operations.

Reckless drones

The Broadview Heights ordinance, as introduced in October, would:

Require police to obtain a search warrant before using a drone for surveillance;

Prohibit the use of drones for voyeurism;

Disallow the use of drones for hunting and fishing or interfering with those who are hunting and fishing;

Outlaw firearms or weapons on drones.

In December, the Broadview Heights rules, ordinance and franchises committee considered excluding from the drone prohibition businesses inspecting properties. Also, the ordinance should include wording against "reckless operation," so that one no one can drop a drone on top of a moving vehicle, for example.

In Brecksville, Mayor Jerry Hruby said his administration is studying the drone issue and will decide whether to introduce regulations to City Council.

"Thus far our experience with drones in this city have been positive," Hruby said in an email to cleveland.com. "We understand and respect a property owner's right to the airspace above their property that is unregulated by the FAA."

Hruby said the city also recognizes residents' right to privacy and is concerned about potential drone dangers, including reckless operation and drones falling out of the sky.

Strongsville Law Director Neal Jamison said his city has no plans to address drones.

Under FAA regulations, those using drones for commercial purposes must register with, and receive certification from, the federal government. FAA rules, among other things, restrict when drones can fly and their altitude.

However, a hobbyist flying a drone for recreation, or an educational institution flying drones as part of its classwork, are not required to register with the FAA - as long as the drone is no heavier than 55 pounds, doesn't interfere with manned aircraft and doesn't create a danger. Also, a drone operator must provide prior notification, and at least in some cases receive permission, before flying within 5 miles of an airport.
Fresh challenges for Dems DNC Hacked emails, DNC chair's resignation precede party gathering in Philadelphia Achieving unified front may prove elusive goal from A1

In this August 2015 file photo, U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, a Warrensville Heights Democrat, speaks before a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

(Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

Marcia Fudge will skip Donald Trump's inauguration. And Jeff Johnson sets the stage for a rumble with Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. Read more in Ohio Politics Roundup.

Countdown to inauguration: The political rise of Donald Trump has been marked by moments so few expected would come, starting with his campaign kickoff back in June of 2015.

First primary win. (Of many.) A Republican National Convention in Cleveland. (Where some were sure that anti-Trump forces would find a way to deny Trump the nomination.) First debate with Hillary Clinton. (And, for that matter, the second and third debates with Clinton.)

Then came his improbable Election Day romp and an Electoral College vote that went off with far less drama than forecast. And now here we are, three days away from President Trump.

From our man in Washington: "If the country is still divided, the physical space of District of Columbia appears to be ready, at least," cleveland.com's Stephen Koff reports. "Finishing touches are being applied on the massive inauguration platform outside the U.S. Capitol, where the swearing-in takes place. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will give the oath of office to the new vice president, Mike Pence. Chief Justice John Roberts will swear in Trump."

One Ohioan who is excited: Ohio State University senior Cameron Hunt, who "spent months trying to get ... Trump elected president," the Columbus Dispatch's Jessica Wehrman writes. The 22-year-old from Hilliard hit up his local congressman (Rep. Steve Stivers) for inauguration tickets. He and his mother will be among the crowd Friday on the National Mall.

One Ohioan who is not excited: U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge. The Warrensville Heights Democrat, reports cleveland.com's Sabrina Eaton, is skipping the festivities "in solidarity with" John Lewis, the Georgia congressman and civil rights icon with whom Trump has been feuding.

One Ohioan who is probably 'meh' about it all: Gov. John Kasich. Trump dashed his White House dreams and took out his handpicked Ohio Republican Party chairman.

Kasich will be in Washington for the inaugural festivities, including an Ohio GOP reception. But he seems determined to keep his mind on other business -- namely a speech in support of preserving Medicaid expansion in any attempts to repeal (and replace?) Obamacare.

More from the Kasich beat: The governor joined Bernice King, daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., for an MLK Day event Monday at The King Center in Atlanta. Kasich, notes the Associated Press, brought a message of cooperation from a governor who has dealt with division within his own party recently. (See above, with regard to the Ohio GOP drama.)

Happening this weekend: The Women's March on Cleveland, "a grassroots rally inspired by the larger march in Washington D.C., runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m." Saturday on Public Square, cleveland.com's Mary Kilpatrick writes. "The national event began as a post-election protest to follow Donald Trump's inauguration. Its mission is to highlight the importance of women's rights, after an election cycle filled with controversial comments. ... More than 3,000 people marched in Columbus on Sunday, and a similar march in Cincinnati is planned for Saturday."

The race for mayor of Cleveland is on: Jeff Johnson will give up his City Council seat to run, cleveland.com's Leila Atassi reports. Now political watchers will wait for word from incumbent Frank Jackson, who has yet to announce if he will seek a record fourth two-year term, though there is "speculation that he would want to see through a number of his initiatives."

Atassi points out that Johnson "will be the first major candidate to enter the race. As of Monday, six other candidates have pulled petitions for the Sept. 12 primary. The two top vote-getters in the nonpartisan primary will move on to the Nov. 7 general election."

The race for Ohio AG is on, too: Former U.S. attorney Steve Dettelbach has begun raising money for his likely campaign for attorney general. The Cleveland-area Democrat has been making plans for month. A fundraiser later this month in Washington and the establishment of a Dettelbach for Ohio committee show how serious he is. He told me Monday that he expects to announce his intentions soon. But these latest moves sure seem like a big spoiler alert.

Dettelbach's primary prospects might hinge on the race for governor. Two Democrats currently looking at the top of the ticket -- Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni of Boardman and former State Rep. Connie Pillich of Montgomery -- could run for AG instead.

The early Republican frontrunner for AG: Ohio Auditor Dave Yost.

DeWine puts it on the line: Mike DeWine, Ohio's sitting (but term-limited) Republican attorney general, continues to champion Trump's choice to run the Department of Justice.

"If the November election of Donald Trump taught us anything, it's that the American people are fed up with partisan politics," DeWine writes in an op-ed for the Toledo Blade. "Yet, the recent barrage of baseless attacks against U.S. Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions is exactly the kind of hyper-partisanship out of Washington that Americans have soundly rejected. What the American people really want to know is if Jeff Sessions is going to be a good attorney general. Is he going to protect my family? Is he going to make my community safer?

"The answer is clearly yes."

More Cabinet cheerleading: "For decades, Ohioans have been forced to cede more and more control over education decisions as Washington has increasingly overstepped and overreached," Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel said in a statement distributed Monday by the Republican's U.S. Senate campaign. "I support the nomination of Betsy DeVos to lead the Department of Education first and foremost because of her unwavering belief in local control. ... "I urge our elected officials, and especially Senator [Sherrod] Brown, to support Betsy DeVos."

The backstory: Brown, the Democrat whom Mandel hopes to unseat, has raised concerns about more than $5 million in fines that DeVos owes for campaign finance violations in Ohio.

Get Battleground Briefing, our FREE politics newsletter, delivered to your inbox: Sign up here. Tips or links? Send here. Follow along on Twitter: @HenryJGomez.
A flight to Cincinnati is also a trip back in time TRIP New shuttle service from Burke Lakefront Airport is fast, convenient and very civilized from K1

Ultimate Air Shuttle, which currently flies between Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport and Cincinnati and Morristown, New Jersey, will add a flight to Atlanta this spring. (Lynn Ischay, The Plain Dealer)

(Lynn Ischay)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Ultimate Air Shuttle, which today launched service to its second destination from Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport, will add a third city this spring - Atlanta.

Instead of flying into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport - the world's busiest - Ultimate will use much smaller DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, about 10 miles south of downtown.

Rick Pawlak, managing director of the carrier, said he couldn't announce the starting date of the route, its flight times or fares, until the U.S. Department of Transportation gives final approval, probably later this month.

The flight will likely depart early in the day from Burke, fly to Cincinnati's Lunken Airport, where it will drop off and pick up passengers, and then continue onto Atlanta. It will do the reverse late in the day.

"We only plan on being on the ground for 15 minutes in Cincinnati," said Pawlak.

The new route will be the third from Cleveland for Ultimate Air, a division of North Canton-based Ultimate JetCharters. Licensed as a charter service, Ultimate Air operates like a traditional airline, with a regular schedule and tickets that can be purchased by the public.

The carrier started service from Cleveland in October 2015, with 45-minute flights to Cincinnati. The second destination - to Morristown, New Jersey, just outside New York City - launched this morning, with a 10:15 a.m. departure from Burke.

The carrier owns nine airplanes, including eight 30-seat Dornier 328 jets and a one 30-seat Embraer 135 jet.

When it launched from Cleveland in late 2015, Ultimate Air was the first scheduled passenger service from Burke in nearly a decade. In its first year of operation, the carrier served 15,670 passengers to and from Cleveland, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
watch now

Germany's Foreign Minister said on Monday that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's comments that NATO was obsolete had aroused concern across the 28-member alliance. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, speaking after a meeting with alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, said Trump's remarks contradicted views expressed by designated Defense Secretary James Mattis. He spoke also of "amazement". "I've spoken today not only with EU foreign ministers but NATO foreign ministers as well and can report that the signals are that there's been no easing of tensions," Steinmeier told reporters when asked about Trump's interview with Bild newspaper and the Times of London. "Obviously the comments from President-elect Trump, that he views NATO as obsolete, were viewed with anxiety," he said. Trump, who is due to be sworn in as president on Friday, said NATO was obsolete because it had not defended against terrorist attacks.

watch now

He said also he had always had "great respect" for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but criticized her 2015 decision to allow in a wave of a million migrants as a "catastrophic mistake" that opened the door to terrorist attacks. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said it was "inappropriate" for Trump to weigh directly into the politics of another country by his remarks. "He will have to speak to that, as of Friday he is responsible for that relationship." Russia agrees NATO has been seen since the 1950s as the keystone of western European defenses, extending its zone of activity in the post-Cold War period to the borders of Russia - much to Russia's chagrin. The alliance's founding treaty commits members to consider an attack on any one state as an attack on all. A Kremlin spokesman said he agreed with Trump that NATO, characterized by Russian officials as a hostile remnant of the Cold War, was obsolete.

U.S. soldiers are seen during a welcome ceremony at the Polish military base in Zagan, Poland on January 12, 2017. Natalia Dobryszycka | AFP | Getty Images
Global mobility to travel without visas and visit a new country saw an upswing from last year -- but it won't last as restrictions loom from Brexit to U.S. immigration curbs and wider anti-globalization sentiment, global advisory firm Arton Capital said.

World Openness Scores from the Passport Index that measure the number of visa-free entry among 199 nations increased to 17,954 at the start of 2017 from 17,928 in 2016.

The scores track global freedom of travel and were calculated by adding the total number of visa-free scores (the number of countries the passport holder can travel to without a visa or with a visa on arrival) for each of the 199 passports included in the Index.

While there were improvements in global mobility, the progress in freedom of mobility going forward could take a hit. "With the recent backlash on globalization, the World Openness Score may be in danger of decline," the firm cautioned in its latest annual index update.

Anti-globalization sentiment has been rife in politics in the past year, impacting everything from the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union to the election of Donald Trump in the U.S. because of support for his immigration and trade policies.
General Motors , one of several automakers criticized for building vehicles in Mexico and shipping them to the U.S., is adding 1,500 jobs in the U.S., the company announced on Tuesday.

The jobs are part of a $1 billion investment the automaker is making into GM facilities in the U.S..

The investment and new jobs have been in the works for some time, according to sources, but the announcement shows the automaker is becoming more vocal publicizing how many Americans it employs.

Despite employing more than 50,000 hourly workers in the U.S., the automaker has been criticized by President-elect Trump for importing Chevy Cruze hatchbacks from an assembly plant in Mexico.

Two weeks ago Trump targeted GM by tweeting, "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!"

GM imports more vehicles from Mexico than any other automaker, selling more than 400,000 Mexico-made vehicles in the U.S. last year.
Stacked containers sit among gantry cranes at Tanjong Pagar Container Terminal at the Port of Singapore in Singapore.

Singapore's non-oil exports rose more than expected in December from a year earlier as shipments to China jumped, official data showed on Tuesday.

Non-oil domestic exports (NODX) last month rose 9.4 percent from a year earlier, the trade agency International Singapore (IE Singapore) said in a statement.

The median forecast in a Reuters survey was for a 5.8 percent year-on-year rise in December.

On a month-on-month, seasonally adjusted basis, NODX rose 1.0 percent in December, IE Singapore said. The median forecast was a contraction of 5.5 percent.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.


U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is set to present her 12 priorities for the upcoming Brexit negotiations with the European Union Tuesday. However market-watchers are warning that rather than answering questions, the speech could raise a set of new ones.

Media reports suggest that in her speech May will give up on access to the EU's single market, which allows U.K. business to trade freely and at lower costs with EU countries, in order to regain full control of immigration.

However, analysts remain worried on the uncertainty regarding the British departure from the EU, saying that exiting the single market raises a raft of other questions.

"We think indicating an approach to the negotiations that leads to a "clean break/hard Brexit" from the EU will provide just as many more new questions as those it answers about the future EU/UK relationship," Nomura said in a research note on Monday.

The divorce procedure is complex. Even if May confirms that Britain will not seek access to the single market, it is not certain whether Britain will work towards a trade deal with the EU, which would take years to negotiate, or trade only based on existing World Trade Organization rules.

Other points to answer include the future of EU citizens who are already working in the U.K. as well as a border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

"Even with May providing slightly greater clarity  or rather publicly embracing the inevitable (losing access to the single market)  the question of a transition deal will likely remain unresolved for the foreseeable future," Carsten Nickel, deputy director of research at Teneo Intelligence said in a note on Monday.
President-elect Donald Trump met with the chief executives of German chemical giant Bayer and agriculture company Monsanto last week and discussed commitments to the U.S. following their planned $66 billion merger. The Trump team says as a result of the meeting, the companies made new pledges for jobs and research spending in the U.S.

Analysts say not so fast.



In a call with reporters Tuesday, transition team spokesman Sean Spicer said Bayer and Monsanto committed to $8 billion in new R&D spending in the U.S., as well as to retain 100 percent of Monsanto's U.S. workforce, create 3,000 new U.S. high-tech jobs and to keep Monsanto's headquarters in St. Louis. None of this, Spicer said, had been in the works previously.



Some of that has analysts scratching their heads. When the companies announced the proposed deal in September, they said the combined agriculture business would have its global Seeds & Traits and North American commercial headquarters in St. Louis.



"St. Louis to remain the headquarters of the North American seeds business has been the plan from the start," Bernstein analyst Jeremy Redenius said Tuesday in a telephone interview.



The research spending, as well, doesn't appear new, Redenius said. Bayer and Monsanto said in a joint statement after Spicer's remarks that the "combined company expects to spend approximately $16 billion in R&D in agriculture over the next six years with at least half of this investment made in the United States."



That amounts to about $2.7 billion a year, which roughly equates to what the combined companies already spend in that area globally, Redenius said. As for the U.S. breakdown, he estimates it's likely close to half already; Monsanto spends $1.5 billion a year, the majority of which is in the U.S., he said, and Bayer already invests in R&D here as well.



"Not an increase, but not substantially cutting," he said of the global figure.



"This is an investment in innovation and people that will create several thousand new high-tech, well-paying jobs after integration is complete, jobs that will keep America at the forefront of agricultural innovation and that serve U.S. farmers by delivering better products and services faster," Bayer CEO Werner Baumann and Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant said in their joint statement.



The companies said in September they expect the deal to close by the end of 2017, subject to regulatory approvals. Redenius projects closing could stretch into 2018 as another proposed merger in the industry  Dow and DuPont  is still awaiting European approval.



Bayer and Monsanto said in September they planned about $1.5 billion in "annual synergies" three years after the merger is completed  synergies being code for cost-cuts  and didn't announce any planned changes to that this week.



"The thing the U.S. government is concerned about is jobs," Bernstein analyst Ronny Gal said Tuesday. "They didn't say, 'We're not going to lay off people,' which they will; what they're really saying is: 'We are going to commit to spend a certain amount of money on U.S.-based research.' "



Would they have done that anyway?



"Some of it," Gal said. "For sure."
Seth Goldman was making good money working in finance when he decided to quit his job to start a tea company. At the time, he had a wife and three kids. And he knew nothing about tea. Goldman and his business school professor Barry Nalebuff built Honest Tea, which became a favorite beverage of President Barack Obama. They launched the company out of Goldman's suburban Maryland kitchen in 1998 and the Coca-Cola Company bought Honest Tea outright in 2011. More than one billion bottles of Honest Tea have been sold. The beverage company does about $170 million in annual revenue. It's been one impressive ride. You might even say that Goldman's gotten pretty lucky.

But Goldman wouldn't say that. "I really don't believe in luck. I believe the reason we're here is the perseverance," says Goldman, in an interview on the startup podcast, "How I Built This."

"And I've heard someone say, 'Well, you were in the right place at the right time.' And I say, well, you know, it took 10 years to get to that place. So this was not a this is not something that just happened overnight." The idea for Honest Tea came when Goldman went into a convenience store in 1997 after a workout. All he could find were overly sweet drinks. "They were almost uniform in their taste profile, their sweetness profile, which was six or seven teaspoons of sugar per eight ounces or none. Why isn't anybody making a drink with one or two teaspoons?" says Goldman.

Armed with a conviction that he could fill a gap, Goldman wasn't bothered by his lack of familiarity with the market. To the contrary, he saw his naivety as an asset. "Having zero knowledge of the beverage industry in the beginning was actually a competitive advantage because we went in without any of the assumptions," says Goldman.

Goldman and Nalebuff secured a 15,000 bottle order from Whole Foods after bringing their home-brewed tea samples to the testing in cleaned out Snapple bottles. To fill the first order, they found an apple juice bottling facility in Buffalo, NY, that could rent out its equipment. They turned mesh bags intended to clean out pools into giant tea bags. "Every once in awhile the bag would break and the pipes would, you know, clog. It was not pretty," says Goldman. In the first days of the summer of 1998, Goldman and two interns stood around in Whole Foods giving out samples of Honest Tea. He says the two gave out more free samples than they sold in the early days. But by the end of the summer, Honest Tea had become the best-selling tea in the 17 Fresh Fields / Whole Foods stores in the mid-Atlantic.

As the company grew, distributors frequently rejected Honest Tea for being too expensive and not sweet enough. "It tastes like grass," the distributors said, Goldman remembers. Getting investors to believe in his mission during the dot com boom also proved challenging. Goldman and Nalebuff stuck to their core mission despite the distractions. "To take people in a different direction, you have to disrupt where they are going," says Goldman.

As part of an effort to identify emerging brands, The Coca-Cola Company approached Honest Tea in 2007. By 2008, the beverage conglomerate became a 40 percent owner of Honest Tea and in 2011, it bought the company in full. Today, Honest Tea is sold in 100,000 stores. And though Goldman has made a lot of money along the journey, he still lives in his same suburban Maryland home.
Brexit could boost the U.K.'s ability to create the next several-hundred-billion-dollar technology firm, according to a top Silicon Valley venture capitalist and former Apple executive. Last year, Britain voted in a referendum to leave the European Union and on Tuesday, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May gave a speech suggesting that any deal reached with European lawmakers will be put to a parliamentary vote. It's unclear how this could play out, but May said that Britain would leave the single market. Joe Schoendorf, a VC at Accel, said getting rid of EU regulation could help the country's start-up sector grow bigger. "I think if you had to pick one country to invest in Europe today, you'd pick Great Britain  and the reason you'd do it is because of Brexit. One of the things that the U.S. government has been really good at  is leaving Silicon Valley mostly alone," Schoendorf said during a panel discussion at a CNBC-hosted event. "Government regulation and free enterprise and start-ups trying to be something are pretty incompatible. And so with Brexit and Great Britain pulling the EU out of the loop, I think you will be surprised with the momentum with that sector in particular."

From left to right: Joe Schoendorf, partner at Accel, Zachary Bogue, co-founder of Data Collective, and Jeff Schumacher, CEO of BCG Digital Ventures. Lee Thomson | CNBC

Britain's start-up funding environment has remained strong despite Brexit, attracting 6.7 billion ($9.5 billion) into U.K. tech firms in 2016, according to London & Partners, a promotional firm for the Mayor of London's office, citing data from PitchBook. This was more than any other European country. On the whole, European VC funding hit a seven-year high, according to data from KPMG. Other U.S. VCs were optimistic about the growth of tech firms in the market. "We're seeing phenomenal technical talent coming out of Europe," Zachary Bogue, co-founder of Data Collective, said during the CNBC panel.

Fintech firm will be the next big thing

The VC panel also deliberated about the future companies that could be big. Schoendorf spoke about how when he first came to Davos 22 years ago, the biggest tech firms by market capitalization were very different from today. Now Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook take the crown. Schoendorf said that the ability for these companies to reach multi-hundred-billion-dollar valuations has "set a new baseline for what real long-term valuations are" and said another five companies will join the ranks of these firms over the next 10 years. Bogue said the next big firms could come from start-ups applying new technology to established industries. "I think we'll increasingly see the next five will come from companies applying the technology  applying them to real world deep vertical industries like agriculture, biotech, like digital health, like genomics," Bogue said. Jeff Schumacher, the chief executive of BCG Digital Ventures, said blockchain technology would be a big deal. Blockchain is the underlying technology of the digital currency bitcoin, which could potentially be used to disrupt a number of industries from finance to insurance. "We've got a really big bet on blockchain, that is some of the most disruptive technology we've seen since electricity. When that starts to come, I think there's going to be a host of new models that come out of that  that's where we probably get excited about what's the next bet," Schumacher said. Schoendorf added that a fintech firm could be one of the companies to reach the level of Google or Apple. "If I was going to pick a company that was in that five list, one of those is going to be in fintech. It's going to have figured out how it all comes together. We are going to be sitting here with a multi-billion-dollar valuation company in that space," Schoendorf told CNBC.


Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that globalization has powered worldwide growth and should not be blamed for the world's problems.

In an attack on the anti-globalization rhetoric that has led to the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president and the Brexit vote in Britain, Xi told a packed audience at the World Economic Forum at Davos: "It is true that economic globalization created new problems, but this is no justification to write off economic globalization altogether.

"Rather we should adapt to and guide economic globalization, cushion its negative impacts and deliver its benefits for all countries."

Xi's speech marked the first time a Chinese head of state has visited the business summit. He used the forum to promote inclusive globalization and warn that populist approaches can lead to war and poverty. He also warned that tit-for-tat trade controls would benefit no one.

"No one would emerge as a winner in a global trade war," he said. "Pursuing protectionism is just like locking one's self in a dark room. Wind and rain might be kept outside but so are light and air."

The Chinese president said the world is full of contradictions and that globalization had become viewed as a "Pandora's box" by many people, hinting at the populist movements that have spread across Western nations in the last year.
CNBC's Jim Cramer said on Tuesday said he expects President-elect Donald Trump won't shy away from fighting back against China on trade.

"I think (Trump) is not used to being  to have the country, our country, (rolling) over and playing dead," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street," adding previous U.S. administrations have been somewhat lax with China.

"You have a new president coming in and all he does is he thinks the currency is important in Mexico and Europe, important in China," he said.

Cramer was responding to comments made by Chinese President Xi Jinping on globalization at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland.

The Chinese president said globalization has powered worldwide growth and stated, "It is true that economic globalization created new problems, but this is no justification to write off economic globalization altogether."

Since his campaign, Trump has vowed to play hardball with China and has said he would name China a currency manipulator. Cramer said Trump's rhetoric is the beginning of the U.S. finally fighting back.
The CEO of the largest German lender has underlined the dramatic shifts that the banking industry faces over the next five years with technology due to play a "key" role in this period of change.



"We are placing our bets on technology," John Cryan, the chief executive officer of Deutsche Bank , said Tuesday at a Bloomberg hosted panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos.



"We're not sure that the fundamental nature of products will change much, although regulation tends to impact that. We don't think the demands of our clients and counterparts will change much, it's the delivery mechanism," he added.



The panel - which also featured economics professor Kenneth Rogoff and David Rubenstein, co-founder of The Carlyle Group, discussed the rise of financial technology (fintech) and included predictions that virtual currencies could be used by global central banks.

Cryan said that technology would aid banks and "help us protect ourselves".

"We can use technology to improve our own controls. We can use technology to improve our efficiency and then we can use technology to improve the customer service," he said.
The next four years would be infinitely better for the world if President-elect Donald Trump opted to get a full nights rest instead of using Twitter in the early hours of the morning, according to Huffington Post co-founder, Arianna Huffington. "Donald Trump should be separated from his phone at night, get a full nights sleep and stop tweeting in the middle of the night... he is the poster child of sleep deprivation," Huffington told CNBC in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday.

"I promise you if (Trump) got eight hours sleep and did not tweet in the middle of the night, the next four years would be infinitely better for the world... so I highly recommend that his advisers take the phone away" she added.

watch now

Trump, in his 2004 book, Think Like A Billionaire, wrote that he usually sleeps for four hours a night and championed the concept that a person should not sleep any more than they have to. "You know, I'm not a big sleeper, I like three hours, four hours, I toss, I turn, I beep-de-beep, I want to find out what's going on," Trump told supporters at a 2015 campaign rally in Springfield, Illinois. The New York businessman is due to be inaugurated as President of the U.S. on Friday. "We do not know (if Trump can be a responsible leader), we have a lot of reason to worry, and I believe now he needs to be judged by everything he does and not by what he said during the campaign," Huffington said when asked whether Trump could prove to be a responsible leader.

Responsible leadership

Some of the most powerful and elite leaders meeting in snowy Davos throughout this week have been asked to weigh in on the "Responsive and Responsible Leadership" theme of the forum. "For me, responsible leadership means being conscious of the great challenges we are facing and not just recognizing what needs to be done but actually taking steps to do it. I think one of the main problems we are facing is that leaders have been aware for many years now of the destabilizing impact of globalization and automation and the fact that the benefits which were significant were very unequally distributed," Huffington explained. Arianna Huffington left the Huffington Post in 2016 to focus on a new venture, a health and wellness startup, Thrive Global.
The U.K. is getting ready to tear apart its membership of the European Union, but ultimately London's financial district should remain mostly intact, the chief executive officer of Barings told CNBC.

"I don't think you will see a mass exodus from the City (of London)," Tom Finke told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

One of the main concerns regarding the British departure from the EU has been the future of the financial services industry, which is crucial for the economic performance of London.



According to Finke, there might be some jobs that will disappear in coming years but due to technological development and high living costs in big cities such as London.
Regardless of Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi's titlesand to the comical dismay of corporate, establishment DemocratsBernie Sanders has become the defacto leader of the Democratic Party.

Sunday in Warren, Michigan put an exclamation point on the sentence, as Sanders, alongside Schumer, brought out 8,000 people on a bitterly cold winter day to fight against Obamacare repeal.

Even the establishment media is waking upgranted a year too late.

"That's the future of the Democratic Party," Joe Scarborough, echoing Mika Brzezinski's sentiment, said on Morning Joe Monday. "He sounds just as relevant today as he did a year ago."

So, as the mainstream media opportunistically tries to Feel The Bern after ignoring Sanders when it mattered (both CNN and MSNBC recently held primetime town halls with him), you know who's become less relevant?

Senator Elizabeth Warren.

The one-time progressive rock starwho activists tried to summon to run in 2016 with hopes of bringing down Hillary Clintonhas already made moves that many inside the Beltway believe are a precursor to a run in 2020.

But, much to the shock of genius corporate journalists who continue to live in their alternate, elitist bubble and obsess over Donald Trump's tweets rather than the endless struggles of working people, the progressive movement has soured on one if its past heroes.

A majority of progressive voters and activists I spoke to during my campaign reporting were disgusted with Warren's cowardice during the Democratic Primary, where she dodged on endorsing the most progressive candidate to run since FDR.

The firebrand, anti-Wall Street Senator was wildly popular in her home-state of Massachusetts, but she decided not to endorse Sanders before the Super Tuesday primary. Sanders lost Massachusetts by less than two points, causing progressives to believe the stateand momentumwould have gone to Sanders had Warren endorsed and campaigned with him across the state.
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A significant number of global business leaders have questioned whether globalization has done anything to tackle inequality or mitigate the issue of climate change, according to a new survey by the audit firm PwC.

For the past 20 years, CEOs have been largely positive about the contribution of globalization to the free movement of capital, goods, and people. However, this year's survey respondents are skeptical," the survey, released on Monday evening at the World Economic Forum in Davos, said. The survey by PwC was carried out between September and December 2016 with 1,379 CEOs responding from 79 countries with a range of online, postal, face-to-face and phone interviews. Forty-four percent of respondents said that globalization had "not at all" closed the gap between the rich and poor. Just 13 percent agreed that it had helped this inequality "to a large extent". The rest implied that it had had some effect.

PwC contrasts the latest results with its survey from 1998 when CEOs were positive about the drivers of globalization. It also highlighted in the 2017 survey that only 60 percent of CEOs believed that globalization has had a largely positive impact on improving the movement of capital, people, goods and information.



Consumer rights activists take part in a march to protest against the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in Berlin, Germany, September 17, 2016. Fabrizio Bensch | Reuters

The 2017 results also showed that 35 percent of CEOs believed that globalization had not helped with the fairness and integrity of global tax systems and 28 percent didn't believe it had averted climate change or resource scarcity. The results come after a tumultuous 12 months for politics with the election win for Donald Trump and the Brexit vote in the U.K. Leading analysts to believe that voters are beginning to question globalization and current socio-economic models. Citing PwC's recent consumer survey, the audit firm also said that only 38 percent of the public believed globalization has had a largely positive impact on improving the movement of capital, people, goods and information.

"Public discontent has the potential to erode trust which is needed for long term sustainable performance. The real challenge here though, isn't just one of how CEOs navigate, it's about the need for CEOs to have a deeper, two-way relationship with stakeholders, customers, employees, and the public," Bob Moritz, the global chairman at the company, said in the accompanying press release on Monday.

watch now
President-elect Donald Trump's views on a range of issues, from immigration to climate change, alienated many left-leaning tech employees in Silicon Valley, but none more so than those working at Alphabet .

During the presidential campaign, 33 employees at the tech giant donated $20,000 to Trump, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That was a tiny fraction of the 1,400 employees who donated to Hillary Clinton's campaign, for a total of $1.6 million.

And it wasn't just political donations.

The revolving door between the Obama administration and the company swung hard and frequently during the past eight years: 22 former White House officials left the administration to work for Alphabet, according to research from the Campaign for Accountability.

Alphabet's support for Clinton was evident in its C-suite as well.

WikiLeaks revealed that Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt emailed John Podesta  Clinton's campaign manager  volunteering to fund, advise and recruit talent for her White House run. CFO Ruth Porat donated $2,700 to Clinton, the maximum amount of money an individual can contribute to a federal campaign.

Like many tech companies, Alphabet has a range of potential political issues that it must consider, from immigration to privacy, taxes to encryption. There are also regulatory concerns.

In Europe, it is under fierce antitrust scrutiny. To date, the U.S. has been safer ground though CNBC reported last summer that officials from the Federal Trade Commission had deepened their analysis of the company's practices at home.
Speaking at a CNBC event at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, Whitaker acknowledged progress had been made to address the lack of diversity but said more work is needed.

The 2016 Oscars brought the issue of Hollywood diversity into the spotlight once again after the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite began trending on social media last year. Several high-profile actors, including Will Smith, boycotted the awards show because no black actors were nominated in the eligible categories.

Hollywood has become more diverse but it still has "a lot of room for growth," Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker told CNBC on Tuesday.

"The tapestry of film has become more diverse. I think we also have to look behind the camera. It's become more diverse, but there is still a lot of room for growth, room for growth in both areas and all these areas," Whitaker said.

"Then you have to look at the types of stories being told  to look at whether it deals with gender issues, or it's dealing with sexuality issues or class issues,  so much to still be dealt with, to be worked on, to be looked as a whole."

Whitaker won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Uganda dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 movie "The Last King of Scotland."

Many actors have spoken out against the lack of diversity in film and television. Idris Elba, the star of "Luther," said last year that black actors are often cast as"petty criminals."
There is a growing movement in criminal justice reform to re-examine how bail and pretrial detention is used.

The movement tends to move away from the use of cash bail  or having to provide money to be released from prison prior to the disposition of a case  and toward the use of things like risk assessments and pretrial services that provide supervision to people awaiting trial.

Pennsylvania may soon join that movement. As part of justice reinvestment in the state, a recommendation has been made to review how bail is handled.

Our view is that rethinking the bail system provides significant opportunities for making it more effective, doing a better job in ensuring the integrity of the justice system and ensuring the safety of the community, at the same time solving these really intractable problems when systems use money which just results in unfair outcomes, said Larry Schwartztol, executive director of the Harvard Law School Criminal Justice Policy Program. Harvard did not contribute to Pennsylvanias justice reinvestment recommendations but has focused research on bail extensively.

In Pennsylvania, bail is set largely at the discretion of district judges. Typically, when a defendant is arrested, they are brought before a magisterial district judge who advises the defendant of what they have been charged with and sets bail.

The amount and bail type, ranging from being released with no money down to being held without bail, are largely at the discretion of the judge.

Bail is meant to be set at an amount that will guarantee the defendant will appear at all of his or her court proceedings and will not commit a new a crime. At the end of the court proceedings, if the defendant has appeared as required, the money is returned to the defendant.

The thing that money bail is supposed to do is incentivize people to show up for trial, Schwartztol said. So, even on the most robust justification you might have for money bail, it really is just aimed to achieve this one goal ... and that is a legitimate and important goal. So, the question is, is money bail an effective way to do that?

In June, The Sentinel reviewed the use of bail in Cumberland County and found roughly 17 percent of all cases that began in the county between 2010 and 2015 had a bench warrant issued against the defendant for failure to appear as required.

Of those nearly 3,000 cases with a bench warrant, about 18 percent included defendants who were released on some amount of money at the time the bench warrant was issued.

Schwartztol said many people who fail to appear when they are required, do so because they simply forgot their hearing, and some jurisdictions have had success implementing programs that remind defendants of upcoming proceedings.

He said being held, for even only a few days prior to the outcome of a case, can have serious negative consequences for a defendant. He said this can include loss of job, housing and even  as research is beginning to show  harsher outcomes in the defendants case than similar individuals who are not held.

Bail amounts

There can be a feeling, at times, of randomness in bail amounts.

As Common Pleas Judge Thomas Placey told The Sentinel in June, one of his colleagues when he was a magisterial district judge would set bail amounts based solely on the nightly lottery numbers.

That may be an extreme and uncommon case, but judges often are required to make bail determinations with only a small amount of information about the defendants.

In 2015, the median bail amount for a black defendant was $15,000, while the median amount for white defendants was $5,000, according to an analysis of court records conducted by The Sentinel.

When comparing to similar crimes, black defendants charged with aggravated assault in Cumberland County had a median bail amount of $75,000, compared to white defendants who had a median bail amount of $50,000, according to The Sentinel analysis.

In Franklin County, bail amounts tended to be set higher, according to the analysis.

The median bail amount for all cases was more than twice that of Cumberland County in 2015, with black defendants having a median bail of $35,000 and white defendants having a median bail of $25,000, the analysis showed.

For cases involving aggravated assault charges, black defendants were expected on average to post $100,000 to be released, while white defendants had a median bail of $50,000, according to court records.

The idea is that putting someone in jail, for even a short amount of time, can be hugely consequential, Schwartztol said. ... The idea is that theres really not that many people who are going to need to be held in advance of a trial. Typically, thats going to be a pretty small number.

Jurisdictions like Washington, D.C., have moved away from cash bail successfully, Schwartztol said, by using a combination of risk assessment tools and pretrial services.

A risk assessment tool, which is a short form that gauges a defendants risk to appear for trial and danger to society, is used at the beginning of court proceedings. Depending on the risk assessment outcome, defendants can be released and supervised to different degrees through probation-like pretrial services or held in jail until the outcome of their case.

Only about 10 percent of all cases fall into the latter category, and the overwhelming majority of defendants are released pretrial.

The question of risk assessment is spurring opposition, sometimes by people who are invested in the status quo, but shows real promise in changing how pretrial works, Schwartztol said. But, its critically important that if youre going to do it, that you do it right, and at the front end, jurisdictions are being thoughtful and deliberate about structuring risk assessment in a way that achieves the goals its meant to achieve.

A primer on the bail system titled Moving Beyond Money is available on the Harvard Law School Criminal Justice Policy Programs website at cjpp.law.harvard.edu.
An employee works on a ship under construction in the dry dock at the Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea.

Hyundai Motor , South Korea's largest carmaker, says it will increase its investment in the US by 50 per cent over the next five years, to $3.1bn, as it seeks to capitalize on pledges by President-elect Donald Trump to boost the American economy.



The announcement comes just three days before the swearing-in of Mr Trump, who has threatened to slap hefty taxes on Mexican-built vehicles imported into the US.



Hyundai denied that the investment was a response to an intensifying Twitter assault by Mr Trump on global automakers for producing cars and investing in Mexico rather than in the US, but rather a reflection of the importance of the US market.



"We expect a boost in the US economy and increased demand for various models as president-elect Trump follows through on his promise to create 1m jobs in five years," Chung Jin-haeng, president of Hyundai Motor, told reporters in Seoul on Tuesday.



The company, and its affiliate Kia Motors  which together rank as the world's fifth-largest carmaker by sales  join a growing list of automakers to announce investments in the US in recent weeks.



Earlier this month, Japanese car group Toyota announced it would sink $10bn into the US market. That came hot on the heels of an announcement by Ford that it would cancel a planned $1.6bn plant in Mexico and instead build the facility in Michigan.
"Think more about activities changing with the technologies. When you do your job, there will be things that take you a lot of time to research and do," she said. "Yes, they'll be done faster. Then you have the time to do what I think we all humans do best."

"It is a partnership between man and machine, if you want to put it that way," Rometty said in an interview on CNBC's " Squawk on the Street " at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Fears that artificial intelligence will steal jobs are largely unfounded, and the technology will instead work cohesively with most professions, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty said Tuesday.

Artificial intelligence will replace some jobs, but most humans will be working with AI systems, Rometty said. IBM has expanded cognitive computer Watson over the past few years.

"I am very pleased with the work we are doing with Watson and the scale," she said.



Under Rometty, IBM has pledged to hire about 25,000 U.S. workers in the next four years, including 6,000 hires in 2017. But Big Blue has also laid off some workers amid years of restructuring. In its latest annual report, for 2015, IBM said its workforce totaled 377,757, down by 53,455 from 2013.

(IBM told CNBC in a statement that despite the workforce decline from divestitures over the past couple of years, IBM's net employment is up 50,000 over the last decade.)

Rometty said the U.S. is entering into a new era of technology, and with any new era there are bound to be some fears.



"We've seen it in the past, whether when people come off of doing farming, they had to learn to read. The industrial area, it was mechanical skills," she said.

"If we would change the basis and align what is taught in school with what is needed with business ... that's where I came up with this idea of 'new collar.' Not blue collar or white collar," she said.

Rometty's comments come ahead of the company's earnings, expected Thursday. The pressure is on the company to reinvent itself as it has struggled to expand revenue.

"What we are continuing to do is transform the company," Rometty said. "And that means that there are parts of the business growing, and there are parts of the business  while they are really great businesses to be in  they may not be in growth markets."


Following are excerpts from a CNBC interview with Jean-Louis Chaussade, CEO of Suez Environment, from the World Economic Forum 2017 with Geoff Cutmore and Steve Sedgwick.



SS: I'm delighted to welcome Jean-Louis Chaussade, who is the CEO of Suez Environment. Jean-Louis, lovely to see you again. Last time you and I had a proper chat was at the COP 21 in December 2015, so it seems very apt that we should pick up that conversation. COP, a fantastic agreement for many, there was a lot of achievement that people thought couldn't happen, but what about the enactment of that? Do you think things are moving at the right pace? For business, for governments and for everyone else?



JC: I think things are moving. Things are moving, because it's no more a question only for governments, but also for NGOs, for companies, for cities, and you can see that a lot of stakeholders are taking steps in order to improve their footprint, and therefore yes, I think we are in the right direction, we are moving in the right direction. The question mark for me is, is the velocity of this move strong enough, or rapid enough? And I think for the time being, we still are slow.



GC: But that's not the only question mark at the moment, is it? I mean, Donald Trump seems to have thrown a spanner in the works of the turbine blades on these very large windmills, by suggesting that the Paris Agreement isn't valid, and actually the world is pushing ahead in the wrong direction on climate change.



JC: Well, of course we have been listening to Trump, everybody has been listening to Trump, but as I mentioned before, the question mark is no more only a question on government. It's a question of cities, it's a question of companies, and you will see here, in Davos, that many, many companies, European, American companies, are taking steps to reduce their, for example, carbon footprint. Therefore, okay, the American government can take a step back, but do you think that California is going to step back, on what they have been doing in terms of climate change adaptations, for example? I don't believe so.



SS: Jean-Louis, France is fully behind COP 21. It was in Paris, it was at Le Bourget, and yet you said, only a couple of weeks ago, or 15th of December, you said, 'France needs to start investing again.' Now, you wouldn't have come out and said stuff like that unless you felt there was a problem at a government level.



JC: It's another issue. I think that it's difficult in France to make strong reforms if in the meantime, and especially if you want to reduce, I should say, a public servants, as it was mentioned by Francois Fillon, it's difficult to do that if in the meantime you do not invest, and you need to have public and private investment initiatives. I think it's absolutely necessary, in order to make France moving ahead, and having some structural changes.



GC: Well, you've brought up Monsieur Fillon, so let's just stray into the region of French politics here.



JC: Yes.



GC: We clearly are seeing the first rounds of the primaries deliver up candidates who are going to battle in the presidential election, but this uncertainty around the political outcome, and a potential shift away from a socialist government to a right government, doesn't that mean that there's going to be even less progress around some of these climate goals?



JC: I don't think so. I don't think so, there is, because in my view, at least in France you have a consensus about, I should say, the broad views of the COP 21. Everybody believes that we have to go in this direction. Probably there is some, I should say, differences between the candidates in the speed and in the measures to be taken. For example, shall we stop or not the nuclear plant program, etc., I think yes you have some differences, but on the directions, I mean, in France today, you have a consensus.



GC: And just on the broader issue of the politics, Monsieur Fillon's campaign is very much, or appears to be very much, about addressing labor reform and some of the challenges to businesses. As a man running a company in France, how optimistic or otherwise are you that we will see a new reform agenda in France that increases productivity and stimulates growth?



JC: Well, first of all, France, it's a very attractive and productive country. When you look to all the cities, you will see that the French are working well, and a lot, and that their level of qualifications is very high. Therefore, it's easy to work in France. The question mark is, you're right, on, I should say, labor force, I should say protection systems, which in my view is not in accordance with the evolutions of the economy, and now we have to make, to put more flexibility in the systems, and this is something I believe any new government should put in place, and probably is one of the major axis of Fillon's politics, if he is elected.



SS: Jean-Louis, tell us a little bit about your company itself. There's a scurrilous rumor going around that there could be a merger, once again, with your old company that was part of you, and that is Engie. When Engie was changed to Engie then it was done, you were separated. But now the 33% stakeholder in Suez Environment, there are reports that they could be bidding for you. Would you like to just comment on that?



JC: It's difficult to comment on rumors, you know. What I can comment is what has been said by the top management of Engie, Isabelle Kocher clearly last week said that there are no intentions to buy back the stake of Suez Environment owned today. So I think I have nothing else today. I mean, I have a board



SS: But is there an industrial logic for it?



JC: I have a board of directors which has approved my strategy, a strategy which has been set up by the management, and we'll go along that, and you know, we continue and we grow, and we want to develop the company.



SS: Sure.



GC: And just on Xi Jinping, for a moment here, just to stray away, because I know that you've been involved in a committee looking at business in China. Xi Jinping obviously will come today with a strong message to rebut some of the anti-globalization we've seen from Donald Trump. What do you think the Chinese need to bring to the table here, to show that they are a good global partner for businesses like yours, and others in Europe?



JC: I think, of course, I am not in the conversations, the discussions between Trump and Xi Jinping, I don't know what they are going to say, but what is clear is that any strong disagreement between America and China will be good for Europe. We will develop more businesses, and I am absolutely sure that, at least for my company, we have a bright future in China, and we are going to develop the company even more in the coming years, no doubt for me.



SS: Jean-Louis, I think we're going to leave it there. Very nice to see you, sir. I think I might be seeing you later on in the day at another function, as well, so Jean-Louis Chaussade, who is the CEO of Suez Environment, joining us here on set at the World Economic Forum.






Chinese President Xi Jinping's concern that the world could fall into a trade war is premature because it's too early to know the outcome of President-elect Donald Trump's plans, Bank of America chief Brian Moynihan told CNBC on Tuesday.

"Xi spoke earlier this morning, and he's quoting Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address about development being 'for the people, by the people'," Moynihan said on "Squawk Box" from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.



"You start to say this is a pretty interesting world where you have the president of China quoting the great American president," he added.



In his speech, Xi said: "It is true that economic globalization created new problems, but this is no justification to write off economic globalization altogether." He also warned that populist approaches could lead to war and poverty.



Moynihan, who had lunch with Xi, reported the Chinese president is "very much concerned that there will be a retraction from trade, and the ability of trade to help the world grow, and the ability rebalance the imbalances in economies."



As one of the five co-chairs of the World Economic Forum, Moynihan said: "That's the fear out there."



But the Bank of America chairman and CEO added: "I think we've just got to let it play out for a while.

"There's always around elections ... a lot of hand-wringing about what will happen next," he added. "When you get into it, everything takes more time. People have to think it through."
Marriott International 's lodging business would be particularly threatened in a trade war due to locally brokered deals with foreign partners, President and CEO Arne Sorenson told CNBC on Tuesday.

"In a trade war, anything can happen," Sorenson said on "Squawk Box" in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "Of concern to us would be questions around immigration and trade."

Marriott's deals for its international sites are all done through partners in the corresponding territories, which could be especially dangerous if colder trade relations between the United States and foreign entities were to arise during a Donald Trump presidency, Sorenson said.

"Every deal we do, we do with a local partner. Every deal we have in China is with a local real estate company," the CEO said.

And, if Marriott International were to come under fire by the Trump administration for doing deals in other countries, that could hurt trade relations more than Marriott's brand itself, he said.

"It's not that simple to look at us and say, 'You're an American company and therefore we're going to penalize you,' because in fact, you'd be penalizing the Chinese real estate partner more than us in some respects," Sorenson said.
"One of the things I am grounded in is the overall world GDP (gross domestic product) growth is not stellar," he said at a panel at the event in Switzerland on Tuesday.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos , Nadella rebutted claims that AI would accelerate wealth disparity and instead said that it could be a vital driver of growth.

The world needs technological breakthroughs like the emerging artificial intelligence (AI) industry to kick start weak economic growth, according to Satya Nadella, the chief executive officer at Microsoft.

"It's not like we actually have economic growth today. So we actually need technological breakthrough, we need AI," he added.

He said that it was a crucial challenge for tech companies to make sure that AI led to inclusive growth rather than just lining the pockets of the rich. Microsoft has developed some innovations in the space and Nadella told the audience that his company was creating tools that would enable people to create this next technological revolution.



"We should do our very best to train people for the jobs of the future," he said in response to fears that AI could lead to job losses. He noted that Germany - following its reunification - was a perfect example of how a workforce had retrained and adapted to the modern world.



"In our case for example, one of the things that excites me about LinkedIn is to create that economic graph which is ... which is a real-time feedback loop between skills, jobs and people, so that the economic opportunity for every individual can be maximized," he added.



"Our responsibility is to have the AI augment the human ingenuity and augment the human opportunity. I think that's the opportunity in front of us and that's what we have got to go to work on"
Ian Read, chairman and chief executive officer of Pfizer Inc., gestures as he speaks during a panel session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017.

Pfizer CEO Ian Read has a strategy to help Trump deliver on his promise to lower drug costs.

"One way of lowering health-care costs is to have more innovation and more competition," Read said Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "So pay more for medicine so we can develop more good medicine, so we can drive, through competition, lower costs."

Over time, more innovation and competition in the marketplace "is the best way to lower drug prices," he added.

Read was responding to a question about Trump's vow to lower drug prices for consumers. In December, he put the industry on warning by telling Time magazine, " I don't like what's happened with drug prices." Trump later doubled down on those statements, telling the Washington Post that lower drug costs were going to be central to his plans for lowering health-care costs in the U.S. and overhaul the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

But what Trump and others don't get, Read said, is that good drugs cost a lot of money to make.

"The pill is not the point," he said. It's just a "delivery mechanism for knowledge" to cure a disease or sickness. The pill is the end point of a long process of research and development, and those things cost money.

Read said Trump may also not realize that the the U.S. only spends 2% of its GDP on pharmaceuticals, compared to 1.5% or less for other OECD countries. But that extra half-point of spending adds up to a $1.6 trillion GDP contribution from the drug industry.

"The issue is not the cost of medicines," Read said. "In fact, a lot of countries spend more of a percentage of their health care [on pharmaceuticals] than the United States because they see medicine as a way of controlling costs."

Read remains optimistic about the incoming administration and noted Trump hasn't been briefed as much as he will about the pharmacy industry. "It's a matter of public policy and a matter of having a dialogue with the administration and I expect there will be an understanding from both parts," he said.
KCR  BJP      : -      ;       
Shares of Qualcomm fell 4 percent on Tuesday after U.S. regulators charged the company with using anti-competitive tactics over licensing, in yet another regulatory hurdle to its business.

The Federal Trade Commission alleges that Qualcomm received high royalties for patented technologies that are "essential to industry standards." That creates in effect, "a tax" on manufacturers that used competing processors, the FTC said.

For instance, the FTC statement said, Qualcomm refused to license patents to competing suppliers, and used its exclusive relationship with Apple to keep competitors from getting stronger.

"By excluding competitors, Qualcomm impedes innovation that would offer significant consumer benefits, including those that foster the increased interconnectivity of consumer products, vehicles, buildings, and other items commonly referred to as the Internet of Things," the FTC said in a statement.

Bloomberg originally reported the antitrust case, citing people familiar with the matter, writing on Tuesday that the semiconductors giant could face a suit from U.S. officials for allegedly using "unfair practices in the way it licenses its technology."

In response to the suit, Qualcomm told CNBC that the FTC's complaint is based on "flawed legal theory, a lack of economic support and significant misconceptions about the mobile technology industry." Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel at Qualcomm, said that the company has "grave concerns" about the decision to file the complaint right before the turnover to a new federal administration.

"The complaint seeks to advance the interests and bargaining power of companies that have generated billions in profit from sales of products made possible by the fundamental 3G and 4G cellular technology developed by innovators like Qualcomm," the company said in a statement. "The portrayal of facts offered by the FTC as the basis for the agency's case is significantly flawed. In particular, Qualcomm has never withheld or threatened to withhold chip supply in order to obtain agreement to unfair or unreasonable licensing terms. The FTC's allegation to the contrary  the central thesis of the complaint  is wrong."

Qualcomm has argued its licensing follows industry standards and are also used by other companies, the report said. Late last month, South Korea's antitrust regulator fined Qualcomm 1.03 trillion won for what it called "unfair business practices," Bloomberg reported.



With Tuesday's losses, the stock is down about 3 percent in the past month.
Indeed, the outlook for the Russian consumer is looking "better and better" in 2017, according to Kostygin.

Dmitry Kostygin, who presides over Russia's 'Ikea-Amazon' hybrid, said that Europe's continued sanctions on certain industries within Russia have led the country to become more self-sufficient, with many industries experiencing growth.

The chairman of Russia's biggest e-commerce company has likened Russian sanctions to "cutting the credit cards of your children", saying "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

"Russia is becoming more focused on itself and producing more itself: agriculture is on the rise, food processing is on the rise and quite a few other manufacturing segments are up, so whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Kostygin, the chairman of Ulmart, told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

He added that he remains cautiously optimistic about a Trump Presidency and the potential for resetting hereto fractious relations between the two global powers.

Kostgyin also said that inflows of capital into Russia are becoming stronger and more and more companies are seeking initial public offerings (IPOs).

Ulmart, which was founded in 2008 in St. Petersburg and, in 2013, exceeded $1 billion in sales, is itself yet to go public, having postponed its IPO on several occasions.

However, Kostygin said that, with market conditions as they are, the company could expect to list in the coming year.

"We're keeping our hands on the pulse of the market and so as soon as we feel it is becoming positive  I think within two quarters  we are ready to move."

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Based on this figure, Sorrell said forecasts about Snapchat's revenue last year are likely to be higher than what the market currently expects. Several media reports note Snapchat's revenue in 2016 was forecast to be $350 million, but Sorrell notes that if WPP clients spent $90 million out of that, it was likely that the social media company's figure would be higher.

WPP started off 2016 forecasting clients would spend $30 million on advertising on Snapchat, the app owned by Snap Inc. Later in the year, WPP upped its forecast to $60 million and Sorrell said in December that clients were spending $70 million. But the boss of WPP told CNBC that 2016 spending on Snapchat by clients was actually $90 million.

Clients of WPP , the world's largest advertising firm, spent $90 million on Snapchat last year, helping the ephemeral messaging app to become a threat to Facebook , chief executive Martin Sorrell told CNBC on Tuesday.

The WPP boss said that Snapchat could become a threat to Facebook in the ad market.

"It does become a threatening alternative to Facebook and I think that's the big opportunity for them. We know Facebook have tried to buy Snapchat a couple of times, we know that they've made product changes as a result of Snapchat's products," Sorrell told CNBC.



"I think Facebook is concerned about the potential opposition."



Sorrell flagged up the ongoing debate over "fake news" as well as advertising measurement issues as opportunities for Snapchat to capitalize one. Internet companies including Facebook and Alphabet-owned Google have been criticized in recent months for not doing enough to combat false articles, particularly around the U.S. election in November. Facebook also admitted finding issues with their ad metrics in December.

"I think with the measurement issues, with the fake news issues, and the fraud issues that the internet faces, clients want to try and experiment," Sorrell told CNBC.



But the WPP head also said that ad spend on Snapchat from clients is still small compared to $5 billion for Google and $1.7 billion for Facebook last year. Market research firm eMarketer expects ad spend on Snapchat to reach $935.46 million in 2017.

Snap is reportedly preparing for an IPO this year that could value the company at $25 billion. The company has 150 million daily active users and has been trying to boost its ad offerings. One of the main ways companies can advertise on Snapchat is via lenses - filters that go over a user's snap. But the company has also introduced adverts in between Snapchat Stories too.
Anthony Scaramucci was once known as the party boy of Davos, hosting a shindig at the hotel piano bar that is the center of social life during the week that the small Alpine village turns into a gathering of the global elite.

This year, the asset manager turned Trump adviser came to the World Economic Forum, as one participant put it, as an "ambassador and future interpreter."

The global  and, at least here, mostly European  elite are freaking out over what a Trump presidency will mean. They don't understand Trump's words, they don't understand his style, they don't understand how he can say things like NATO is "obsolete" and challenge German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as he did in an explosive interview with Germany's Bild and the London Times earlier this week.

More from Buzzfeed News:

Facebook is expanding its program to fight fake newsinto Germany

Democrats grilled the FBI director on Clinton and Weiner investigations

This 78-year-old former president is Trump's main Twitter nemesis

Those gathered at Davos represent the epitome of what Donald Trump ran against  men (and a few women) in fine suits cloistered away in the Swiss Alps discussing their prescriptions for making the world a better place, while ensuring the average Joe remains far from the checkpoints that line the roads to the village center. The disdain runs both ways. At least one participant described Trump as "vulgar."

But they still need to know what he means and fast: Upcoming elections in Germany and France are already fraught with concerns that they'll prove to be a repeat of the US race, with a person attendees of the WEF view as a populist demagogue winning power through a combination of bluster, insular policies, and a little boost from Russia.

That's where Scaramucci steps in  someone who has been to their soirees and understands their wit and dark humor. Someone who makes easy reference to European history in conversation and throws book recommendations (you should apparently read historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's The Bully Pulpit) in with remarks on governance. Someone who uses relatively sophisticated vocabulary to say essentially the same thing as Trump: The world is about to change dramatically and there is nothing you can do about it.

"You probably like hearing it the way I'm explaining it because it sounds more sensible," Scaramucci told a small briefing of journalists after a 30-minute session to a wider Davos crowd. "My job is to get you to see him and think about him the way we do  meaning his staff, his family members, his sons, who I have a great relationship with, his daughter."

"We're used to very controlled statements coming from the bully pulpit of the American presidency or the German Chancellery," he said. "He's so different than the other 999 politicians; that's probably why he ascended to the American presidency. A very large group of American people want change."

Speaking earlier to a packed room in a public session titled "Outlook for the United States," Scaramucci said, "You guys get a little upset about the tweeting or some of the things he's saying, but I want to say, directionally, he's a compassionate man, he loves his children, he loves people." Then he quoted Winston Churchill: "The best among us choose not to judge human frailty so strongly."

When it came down to explaining Trump's ideas, the language was more anodyne but the subject matter equally sanguine. Scaramucci, whose talk came after Davos's star speaker, President Xi Jinping of China, used his platform to warn against protectionism and champion free trade, came out swinging: "We call these trade agreements free, but what they really are is free asymmetrically," he said. "I respect China, I certainly respect the president of China and we want to have a phenomenal relationship with the Chinese."
The Fredericktown city water system recently notified residents that there had been a violation of drinking water standards. According to Water Plant Manager Junior Shell, the violation poses no immediate danger to residents and is due to new, more stringent requirements from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The violation has to do with disinfection byproducts (DBPs), Shell said. Disinfection byproducts are created because of chlorine in water that has organic (material) in it.

According to the public notice from the City of Fredericktown, individuals who ingest water containing excessive amounts of certain types of disinfection byproducts over the course of many years can experience,  problems with their liver, kidneys or central nervous system, and may have an (increased) risk of getting cancer.

The Department of Natural Resources sets standards for various types of contaminants, and assigns them a maximum contaminant level (MCL). Shell said the new requirements dropped the MCL for haloacetic acids (HAAs) from 80 to 60 and total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) from 100 to 80. Before the new regulations, the levels of those two DBPs were well under state requirements.

It makes it more difficult for water treatment plants to stay in compliance because of the rule change and using the same technology and engineering and equipment that you (have), Shell said. So changes have to be made in order to meet new compliance levels.

Shell said with the more strict state requirements, Fredericktown is not the only water district to fall into violation.

This is something thats not just us, Shell said. Theres surface water plants around the state thats had the same issues.

Shell said the city is in the process of changing from a chlorine-based disinfection system to a mixed oxidation, or MIOX system, which will bring down the DBP levels.

Theres been a room designed and changed for that, and the equipment bought and a lot of its installed or being installed, Shell said. Itll be in operation shortly. It will allow our levels to come back down to meet the compliance levels that we have to meet.

According to information obtained from the City of Fredericktown, the MIOX equipment was purchased for $149,800, additional installation and components cost $15,550 and the original engineering contract for the project came to $81,500 for a project total of $246,850.

Shell said the process of installing the new MIOX system is well underway but more work remains to be done.

Theres some stuff that has to be bought, such as the salt material, Shell said. But they didnt want us to buy the salt until the system was startup-ready. And then theres inspections that are done by the MIOX company and also by (the Department of Natural Resources) and by the engineering company, to see that all the components are correct, and that its ready for startup.

Residents with questions about the water violation can contact the Fredericktown Water Plant at 573-783-2712.
Ahead of the U.K. prime minister's eagerly anticipated speech on her government's plans for Brexit, the Chairman of Lloyd's of London has told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the sooner there is a roadmap for U.K.'s exit process from the EU, the better. John Nelson was responding to news overnight from Theresa May that there would not be a "half-in, half-out deal" pursued but rather a clear and decisive break with the trading bloc.

Pat LaCroix | Getty Images

"The message that we want,and others want, is clarity," explained Nelson. "The more guidance and direction we get now the better interms of certainty. We at Lloyds have our plans in place to go onshore in the EU with a subsidiary to allow the market to continue to operate whatever the outcome of the negotiations," he added.

The Lloyds' chairman refused to be drawn on which location had been selected to house the insurance company's European base. "If I knew I wouldn't tell you," he quipped, adding that while in years past at Davos delegations from emerging markets had been very enthusiastic to meet with his team, "this year it is extraordinary how many invitations we have had from European countries."
Supporters say Ross saved thousands of U.S. jobs by rescuing firms from failure. Data attained by Reuters through a Freedom of Information Act request shows that rescue effort came at a price: textile, finance and auto-parts companies controlled by the private-equity titan eliminated about 2,700 U.S. positions since 2004 because they shipped production to other countries, according to a Labor Department program that assists workers who lose their jobs due to global trade.

As a high-stakes investor a decade ago, Ross specialized in turning around troubled manufacturing companies at a time when the U.S. economy was losing more than 100,000 jobs yearly due to global trade. A Senate confirmation hearing on his nomination to become commerce secretary is set for Wednesday.

Billionaire Wilbur Ross, chosen by Donald Trump to help implement the president-elect's trade agenda, earned his fortune in part by running businesses that have offshored thousands of U.S. jobs, according to Labor Department data attained by Reuters.

The figures, which have not previously been disclosed, amount to a small fraction of the U.S. economy, which sees employment fluctuate by the tens of thousands of jobs each month. But Ross's track record clashes with Trump's promise to protect American workers from the ravages of global trade.

Recently, Trump claimed credit for saving 800 jobs at a Carrier Corp. factory in Indiana, even touring the plant to shake hands with employees. He has targeted Ford Motor Co and other automakers to keep hundreds of jobs inside the U.S. borders.

That disconnect could draw attention at his hearing, one of many scheduled this week for Cabinet nominees ahead of Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration.

"He is not the man to be protecting American workers when he's shipping this stuff overseas himself," said Don Coy, who lost his job at the end of 2016 when a company Ross created - International Automotive Components Group - closed a factory in Canton, Ohio and shifted production of rubber floor mats to Mexico, eliminating the final 16 jobs in a factory that once employed 450 workers.

Ross resigned from the IAC board of directors in November 2014 and was named chairman emeritus.

Ross did not respond to several requests for comment. His offshoring activities are not unusual in an era when globalization has lowered international trade barriers. Auto-parts maker Delphi Corp., for example, has offshored 11,700 U.S. jobs since 2004, while textile makers have offshored at least 17,000 jobs since then, the Labor Department said.

As IAC shuttered its Canton plant in the final months of 2016, Ross argued on behalf of Trump that free-trade agreements hurt the United States.

"When Ford offshores new production facilities to Mexico, that both boosts the Mexican economy and reduces investment in this country," he wrote in September in a Washington Post opinion piece penned with Peter Navarro, another Trump economic adviser who has been tapped to direct a White House trade council.

In a bid to reverse offshoring, Trump has threatened to impose "a big border tax" on automakers that choose to build cars in Mexico rather than the United States and has talked of resetting free-trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

A Trump transition spokesperson said personnel decisions at Ross's auto-parts and textile companies were driven by the need to put operations near customers and keep U.S. plants competitive, echoing arguments made by other auto industry executives who face pressure from Trump.

"Few people have done as much to defend American jobs and negotiate good deals for American workers as Wilbur Ross," said the spokesperson, who asked not to be named.

The offshoring figures for Ross's companies came from the Labor Department's Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, which provides retraining benefits to some workers who lose their jobs due to outsourcing or cheap imports. The program does not cover everybody who is hurt by global trade: service-sector workers were not eligible until 2009, and those who don't apply for the program don't show up in its records.

Only 1.6 million factory workers qualified for TAA benefits between 2001 and 2010, a time when the United States shed 6 million manufacturing jobs.

Despite Trump's campaign rhetoric about countries like Mexico and China taking U.S. jobs, the TAA figures show globalization has claimed fewer jobs in recent years. The program covered roughly 80,000 workers last year, down from about 340,000 in 2009.
Xi is expected to paint himself as a reasonable leader open to development, cooperation and globalization in an effort to win international appeal as his peer, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump who isn't attending the forum, advocates protectionism, explained Steve Wilford, Asia-Pacific director of Control Risks.

Relations between the world's two largest economies are center-stage as Chinese President Xi Jinping looks set to make his first appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos later Tuesday.

But the strong personalities of both leaders don't bode well for their economic relationship, which many fear will deteriorate once Trump enters office on Friday.

"The overarching risks facing Asia is the end of the consensus between China and the U.S. on the mutual benefits of global trade," Wilford told CNBC's Squawk Box on Tuesday.

Trump has indicated he wishes to exit the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the world's largest free trade pact, and has expressed a desire to officially label Beijing a currency manipulator. He's also publicly denounced the mainland's financial and foreign policies as well installed well-known anti-China officials in his cabinetactions that may lead to chilled economic ties and impact the rest of the world.

Indeed, a trade war could draw in players far beyond the U.S. and China, such as the European Union that has seen an influx of Chinese imports, former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan told CNBC on Tuesday. "We should hope and pray that we don't get unnecessary action on that front."

Rajan also voiced broader concern about political leaders, noting that a number of political "newbies" will be in focus this year, including Trump.

"They all are under pressure to act strong but in a multilateral world, not everybody can look strongsomeone has to give, and the question now is who's gonna give?"

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In August of 2016, Walmart announced its acquisition of Jet.com. The shopping site, launched in July 2015, quickly captured the attention of other retailers and industry analysts for its revolutionary basket economics pricing model.

Jet shoppers are incentivized for making choices that lower a retailer's supply chain and distribution costs. For example, because it cost eCommerce players like Jet more when consumers pay with credit, Jet passes on transaction fee savings to shoppers who pay with debit cards. A customer who selects several products that can ship together (instead of spreading that basket among different retailers) will save even more money on that order. Customers see these savings in real time, adding a gamification aspect to the shopping experience.

"Our customers fill baskets that are higher in dollars than the industry average," says Liza Landsman, Jet's chief customer officer. Landsman says that Jet.com, like Walmart.com, has a growing base of young, urban customers.

While other eCommerce sites select specific retailers ahead of time to provide each item, Jet allows retailers to set their own pricing rules within the platform. For example, a retailer can specify shipping cost parameters for items across different zones, or a specific price drop for purchasing multiple items. This allows several retailers to compete for each customer purchase.

Jet will be operated as a separate brand within the Walmart portfolio, but Beal says that Walmart will explore economies of scale opportunities by leveraging Jet's back-end technology across other platforms.
Wrong planchet and off-metal errors can usually be traced back to the original purpose of the planchet or stock involved. When a planchet cant be linked to a known domestic or foreign issue it is considered an orphan.

An orphan may represent any of the following:

(1)?A planchet/blank intended for an undocumented foreign coin.

(2)?A blank punched out of stock intended for a foreign coin.

(3)?A planchet intended for a token, medal, or other nonmonetary item.

(4)?A slug or a circular hardware item like an unperforated washer or spacer.

(5)?Improperly fabricated strip, blanks, or planchets.

(6)?A planchet altered beyond recognition by chemical, thermal, or physical damage.

Newly arrived at the orphanage is a pair of near-identical 1971-D Washington quarter dollars struck on solid copper-nickel blanks (normal blanks have a copper-nickel clad composition). The first coin comes from error dealer Jon Sullivan and weighs 4.81 grams. It is distinguished by the presence of two very thin, partially worn-through patches of embedded copper-colored material on the reverse face. The second coin comes from error dealer Jim Cauley and weighs 4.77 grams.

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The composition of the first coin was analyzed by Roger Paulen of the Geological Survey of Canada. The coin (including the copper-colored areas) consists of an alloy that is 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel  the same composition as a 5-cent blank. But Ive ruled out the latter attribution because the weights are too low and the diameters too large, especially given that neither coin received a particularly forceful strike.

Washington quarter: The Washington quarter dollar, which has been circulating since 1932, was born out of the Treasury Department's desire to produce a coin to mark the bicentennial of the birth of the first president of the United States. How much are Washington quarters worth?

The first coin shows well-developed reeding around the edge, except from 5:30 to 7:30, where the obverse-adjacent portion is incomplete. On the second coin, reeding gradually weakens toward the northern end and is absent between 11:30 and 1:30. The weakly struck and unstruck edges respectively show the cut-and-tear texture of a blank rather than the smooth surface of a planchet. The blank either bypassed the upset mill or was too small to be affected by it. Any blank that passes through an upset mill set up for a larger denomination will be too small to be rolled and squeezed in the horizontal plane. As a result, most wrong planchet errors are actually struck on blanks.

Numerous design elements at the periphery of both coins display significant metal flow  another indication that the blanks were slightly undersized. A normal-sized blank that is thinner than normal will show little or no metal flow in its peripheral elements. The weakly-struck periphery of each coin is undoubtedly related to the blanks thinness and the absence of a proto-rim along its margin.

The specifications of these coins do not match that of any foreign coin being struck at the Denver Mint or any other domestic facility, either in 1971 or the years that bracket it. Interested readers may verify this assertion by consulting Numispedias list of foreign coins produced by the U.S. Mint.

It is easier to say what these coins are not than to say what they are. The undersized blanks were clearly not punched out by a quarter dollar blanking press. Therefore they cannot be foreign stock errors or bonding mill errors (specifically solid clad or coreless quarter dollars). The original cut-and-tear texture along the edge further tells us that the blanks were not resized or subjected to circumferential pre-strike damage that might have reduced their diameter.

Since the U.S. Mint was producing all of its blanks in-house at the time, these two blanks could not have come from an outside supplier. They might represent token or medal blanks that entered the production stream accidentally or intentionally. Stranger items have entered our coining presses, including arcade tokens and foreign coins never associated with the Mint. However, I think the most likely explanation is that these blanks were prepared for a foreign issue that was never struck.

Most orphan off-metal errors are one-off events. The presence of two identical examples suggests there may have been some planning involved, either official or unofficial.

This isnt the only mystery from this place and time. In 1971, the Denver Mint produced a number of puzzling off-metal and wrong planchet errors, such as a 1971-D Jefferson 5-cent coin struck on a blank apparently punched out of copper-nickel clad dime stock and then subjected to significant thermal and physical damage, and a 1971-D quarter dollar struck on a quarter-sized straight-clipped blank that was punched out of obsolete silver-clad half dollar stock (or contemporary Panama half balboa stock) rolled to quarter dollar thickness.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol report, at at 11:01 p.m. Ryan Murray, 22, of De Soto, was driving his 1993 Ford F-250 truck southbound on Kingston Road south of Highway 47. He was reportedly driving too fast for road conditions and failed to negotiate a curve to the right. The truck went off the left side of the road and when he over-corrected, it overturned.
The Leadington Board of Aldermen and the Farmington Board of Education will both hold meetings tonight.

Leadinton Board of Aldermen

The Leadington Board of Aldermen will meet in regular session at 6 p.m. at city hall, located at 12 Weir St.

According to the tentative agenda, the board will be discussing the right-of-way along U.S. 67 and a Missouri Conservation grant. In new business, items to be covered include the Woodlawn/Taum Sauk Project, a public hearing recommendation, police Taser instructor training, the MML Legislative Conference, Memorial Day volunteers and the February meeting date.

Ordinances being considered include one on the general penalty for violation and another dealing with the election.

The meeting will be open to the public.

Farmington Board of Education

The Farmington Board of Education will meet in regular session at 5 p.m. at the districts administration building.

During the information portion of the evening, the board will recognize the candidates for three chairs that will be open during the April 4 election.

The board will hear from Mark Krause, the business operations manager, with an update on bond issue projects and from Wade Welch with Hoener Associates for an update on architect projects in the district.

Also on the agenda, the board will be asked to approve the course description guide for the high school so scheduling may begin for the following school year.

Finally, during the communication portion of the meeting, the board will recognize the Heartland Hero from both Roosevelt Elementary and Lincoln Intermediate. In addition, the board will also recognize Lincolns Featured Teacher.

The meeting will be held at the school districts administration building at 1022 Ste. Genevieve Ave. The meeting is open to the public.
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.
Back in 2001, I interviewed Philip Nitschke, an Australian doctor who's an international advocate for assisted suicide. He was candid during the course of the interview, admitting that the option to "give away" life should ultimately be available to "anyone who wants it, including the depressed, the elderly bereaved, (and) the troubled teen." He insisted: "If we are to remain consistent and we believe that the individual has the right to dispose of their life, we should not erect artificial barriers in the way of subgroups who don't meet our criteria." He wanted to be sure that anyone who desired it had the "knowledge, training or recourse necessary."

Fifteen years later, Nitschke is waging the same campaign. He just has fewer people to convince now.

Nitschke recently formed the group Exit Action to push through legislation from a "militant pro-euthanasia position," arguing that "voluntary euthanasia" should never be "a privilege given to the very sick by the medical profession ... Exit Action believes that a peaceful death, and access to the best euthanasia drugs, is a right of all competent adults, regardless of sickness or permission from the medical profession."

As dark as this position is, I've always given Nitschke credit for honesty. On so many of the issues that strike at the heart of our humanity, euphemisms and cloaked motives often rule the "debates," such as they are.

My friend Ed Mechmann, a writer, marriage and life advocate and former prosecutor, recently pointed me to a blog post by the executive director of the End of Life Liberty Project, Kathryn Tucker. In it, Tucker, a lawyer representing plaintiffs currently suing New York State to legalize assisted suicide, protests against any legislative "burdens and restrictions" on the act.

She lists a litany of such supposedly unnecessary burdens, including a 15-day waiting period, witnesses, written requests to make sure patients aren't acting rashly, doctor record-keeping, and a mandated second opinion to ensure against misdiagnosis. None of which seem overly burdensome, and instead are just simple protections against, yes, rash decisions and coercion.

I recalled and read all of this as Stephen McDonald, the New York City police officer who was paralyzed after being shot and left for dead 30 years ago in Central Park, was being laid to rest. McDonald later forgave the teenager who shot him, and in speaking about his life post-injury, he was often open about the fact that during some early days, he didn't want to live. He contemplated suicide, so seriously at one point that his wife called someone who had become a close family friend, then-Cardinal John O'Connor, who spent the day with them both, ministering to them in fatherly love. That's what McDonald needed: Support and friends to walk the road with him and his family. He didn't want to be a burden to his loved ones. And at certain moments, it was hard to see how God was using him for good, for great inspiration.

Since the birth of his son, now a police officer, McDonald's message had been forgiveness. He would later explain: "I needed healing -- badly -- and found out that the only way forward was with love. And I learned that one of the most beautiful expressions of love is forgiving. I know that will sound illogical or impossible to some. Others will find it downright ridiculous. But I'm talking as one who has lived through this."

At a time when there is so much violence and anger, especially on city streets, especially having to do with police, what better message could we hear? And we never would have heard it had McDonald decided to end his life. Maybe from a new perch, he can help us see a way to embrace life in all its challenges and beauty. He sure showed us how here on Earth.

Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute, editor-at-large of National Review Online and founding director of Catholic Voices USA. She can be contacted at klopez@nationalreview.com
In the days leading to his inauguration, Donald Trump almost certainly has not paused to consider the presidency of James K. Polk, who occupied the White House from 1845 to 1849. But there is an element of the 11th president in the 45th president, especially in the Tennessean's remark that "I intend to be myself president of the U.S."

For no one doubts that Trump intends to be himself as president of the United States. But the question remains whether Trump will conform to public expectations of the presidency or whether his supporters expect that he will alter expectations of the office.

Those presidential expectations change over time. The presidency of the three Republican chief executives of the 1920s -- modest, passive, for the most part quiet -- was a far different office from the presidency of the two Democratic leaders of the 1960s, when the White House first emerged as the center of celebrity and the command post of a muscular bureaucracy that even Franklin Delano Roosevelt never dared contemplate.

If Polk was the last strong president of pre-Civil War America, might Trump emerge as a strong president in the Polk image? Perhaps, though the pattern -- Herbert Hoover to Franklin Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan -- tends to put strong presidents directly following weaker ones, a pattern that the presidential historian Stephen Skowronek points out also extends to John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, to John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, and to James Buchanan and Abraham Lincoln.

But that raises two questions: How will history judge Barack Obama? (Trump and other Republicans have spent the last several months arguing that Obama was too strong a president, extending executive power beyond constitutional bounds.) And in a living, breathing institution such as the American presidency, do patterns necessarily repeat themselves? (There have been only 44 presidencies, after all -- a statistically insignificant universe to establish meaningful patterns.)

Plus this: Nothing Trump has done, either in his campaign or in his presidential transition, has conformed to any pattern, or even any established logic, and that has been the secret to his success.

This has come into recent focus because, during a 73-day transition period that ordinarily would be regarded as a period of reconciliation and reflection -- a time usually marked by warm cooperation between the departing president and his replacement -- there has been unusual contention. There is, for example, no precedent for Trump's late December public intervention in the United Nations Security Council vote on Israel's settlements.

"Presidents-elect usually give the existing president the courtesy of not trying to intervene," George C. Edwards III, the respected Texas A&M University expert on the presidency, said in an interview. "And often they don't even want to be involved, or be held accountable for former presidents' actions."

Indeed, while Trump itched to be involved in the Israel matter, the greatest example of transition frisson came from an earlier president-elect's fervent desire not to be involved in his predecessor's initiatives.

This came in the days leading up to Christmas in 1932, when incumbent President Herbert Hoover asked Gov. Franklin Roosevelt to join him in Depression-era matters involving World War I debts owed to the United States. The Roosevelt answer, delivered in a letter to the White House, was stark and clear:

"I think you will recognize that it would be unwise for me to accept an apparent joint responsibility with you when, as a matter of constitutional fact, I would be wholly lacking in any attendant authority."

In the case of Trump and Obama, as in the case of the 31st and 32nd presidents -- one an engineer from Iowa whose presidential run was his first political campaign, the other a career politician from New York who had run for the state senate, vice president and, twice, for governor, and had addressed national political conventions three times before his own presidential nomination -- the principals have very little in common.

And yet the two men -- Trump and Obama -- faced the same question: whether in their presidencies to be the same as their predecessors or to be different from them.

As a candidate, Obama repeatedly said that no one with a name like his had ever been considered a plausible presidential candidate and, in remarks during his 2008 campaign in Springfield, Missouri, he said that he "doesn't look like all those other presidents on those dollar bills."

Obama played it both ways, playing down his race as president -- a decision many black scholars and activists deplored -- even as he occasionally acknowledged it, especially in a celebrated moment in 2012 when, in reaction to the shooting of an unarmed 17-year-old black boy in Florida, he remarked, "You know, if I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon."

Still, Obama attempted to adapt to presidential form. Following a campaign kerfuffle over the absence of a flag pin on his lapel, the pin appeared on his suits as president, an homage to a tradition begun by Richard Nixon. He ended his 2013 State of the Union Address by saying "God bless you, and God bless these United States of America," another Nixon innovation. (Trump was criticized for being the first president-elect in 32 years not to say "God bless America" at the end of his acceptance speech.)

So now Trump must confront the question of whether he conforms to what Walter Lippmann, the political commentator who popularized the term "stereotype," called the "pictures in our heads." For older Americans and presidential scholars, the picture in their heads is Franklin Roosevelt, or perhaps John F. Kennedy. For others it is Ronald Reagan and, for the youngest among us, Obama himself.

Trump was born during the Harry Truman years, was 10 in the Dwight Eisenhower presidency, and first voted in the election that swept Nixon to office. The pictures in his head could come from any one of those presidents, or perhaps from the presidents he met as a real estate and casino tycoon, a group that includes Bill Clinton who, with his wife, Hillary Clinton, attended Trump's wedding at Mar-a-Lago in January 2005.

In a decade or so Trump will be one of the pictures in other people's heads. It's up to him whether, in forming that picture, he looks in the mirror -- or to the past.

David M. Shribman is executive editor of the Post-Gazette (dshribman@post-gazette.com, 412 263-1890). Follow him on Twitter at ShribmanPG.
China is requiring that all app stores operating in the country register with its Cyberspace Administration in an effort to battle malware but also to tighten control over uncensored content.

The rules took effect Monday, in a country where domestic third-party app stores -- not from Apple or Google -- are serving billions of downloads to Android smartphones. Chinese internet companies such as Baidu, Tencent and a host of smaller, shadier local app stores have been feeding the demand, at a time when Google has largely pulled out of the market.

The government, however, has problems with the proliferation of app stores and the lack of industry oversight, the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement on Friday. Some app stores have been offering products that violate users rights, contain security vulnerabilities or spread "illegal information," it said.

The new rules intend to force the stores to better audit their products. Cyberspace Administration officials will keep records on the app stores and investigate those that fail to register or which are found falsifying information.

The new rules are hardly a surprise. China has been heavily censoring the internet for years. Foreign websites such as Facebook and Twitter have been blocked from the country, and local internet services are often required to delete comments or shut down user accounts found posting antigovernment content.

However, in some cases, apps have provided one way for users to circumvent the strict controls. That happened with The New York Times, whose main website was blocked in the country in 2012.

Despite the censorship, the companys news app was offered on Apple's app store until China ordered its takedown earlier this month.

Third-party app stores in China have also been known to spread malware. Last year, a mobile Trojan likely sourced from the country managed to infect millions of devices across China, India and Indonesia by imitating Android apps.

The country has over 650 million mobile internet users, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. The huge user base has made its app stores some of the biggest in the world.
Microsoft on Monday reminded customers running Windows 7 that they have just three years of support remaining, told them that the aged OS was "long outdated" and urged them to upgrade to Windows 10.

Windows 7 will exit what Microsoft calls Extended Support on Jan. 14, 2020; at that point, the company will stop all security updates.

[To comment on this story, visit Computerworld's Facebook page.]

Microsoft used the three-years-and-counting milestone to simultaneously denigrate Windows 7 and promote its successor. "Windows 7 is based on long-outdated security architectures," said Markus Nitschke, the head of Microsoft Germany, in a post to a German-language company blog, adding that the OS "does not meet the requirements of modern technology, nor the high security requirements of IT departments."

On the other hand, Nitschke continued, "with Windows 10, we offer our customers the highest level of security and functionality at the cutting edge."

The praise-the-new-denounce-the-old technique is as old as software, and one Microsoft has regularly applied. Three years ago, the company used some of the same tactics when it disparaged Windows XP, whose retirement was then quickly approaching, and trumpeted Windows 7 as its replacement. It repeated the claim, but with less effect, when it touted Windows 8 over 7 in 2012.

But Microsoft's call to abandon Windows 7 has been louder, a shout in comparison. Not only has the firm done the usual -- favored the new over the old -- but it has also significantly changed decades of practices thought inviolable, such as patching, when it eliminated reasons why enterprises stayed with Windows 7.

Other steps Microsoft's taken this cycle have been just as unprecedented. It gave away Windows 10 upgrades to millions of customers -- primarily consumers, but also businesses running Windows 7 Professional -- for a year. And although it eventually retreated from an aggressive deadline, Microsoft plans to support neither Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 after July 2018 on devices powered by Intel's newest Skylake silicon.

Microsoft's assertive, even zealous, push of Windows 10 may have multiple motivations. It may want customers, particularly enterprises, to avoid repeating the mad rush near the end of Windows XP's lifecycle. Or it might be aiming for a faster adoption tempo to monetize Windows 10's software-as-a-service model as soon as possible.

But while Microsoft has convinced more than a quarter of all Windows customers to take up 10, its efforts have been less successful in depressing the user share of Windows 7. According to analytics vendor Net Applications, Windows 7 powered 53% of all Windows personal computers last month. That's a decline of 14 percentage points from Windows 7's peak in June 2015, but nowhere near the pace necessary to push the OS to extinction within three years.

Windows 7's current user share, however, is less than Windows XP's at the same point prior to its retirement, showing some progress. In April 2011 -- three years before being pushed off the support list -- XP accounted for nearly 60% of all Windows PCs.
Adam Carmody on the front porch of where he lives in Concord. Carmody, 32, has been in recovery since March 2012. GEOFF FORESTERMonitor staff

Liam, 8, pokes his father, Adam Carmody, jokingly as the two discuss their favorite activities to do together now Carmody is out of prison. GEOFF FORESTER / Monitor staff

Adam Carmody plays with his son Liam on the front porch where he lives in Concord. Carmody, 32, has been in recovery since March 2012. GEOFF FORESTERMonitor staff

Adam Carmody hugs his son Liam as the two sit on their front porch in December. Carmody hopes his son will learn from his experiences. GEOFF FORESTER / Monitor staff

Adam Carmody doesnt remember much about his drive home to Concord from New York, but he knows his 3-year-old son was with him.

He remembers why he took the several-hour drive in the first place: free painkillers and even more for dirt cheap.

He remembers driving a woman home and, in return, her boyfriend dealing the favor.

But he doesnt know how he ended up severely off course in Rutland, Vt., on his return trip. In his rearview mirror, he could see his son Liam asleep, peaceful in the back seat.

More than five years later, that image is clearer in his mind.

Once I got my eyes open, I said, Never again,  Carmody said on a recent December morning while seated on his front porch in Concord.

Carmody, 32, has been in recovery since March 2012. Hes thankful he and his son returned home safely that day in June 2011. Life could have so easily gone the other way.

And, for a short time, it did.

After that summer drive, a few more months passed before Carmody had the wake-up call he needed to get sober  not just from prescription pills but from heroin, too.

Short on cash, Carmody started breaking into homes to support his addiction. By the time police caught up with him in December 2011, he was facing 20 burglary charges and consecutive prison sentences.

At this point, if you can hold a job, its not going to pay well. It doesnt matter who you are, how much money you have; your addiction is going to upscale your habit, he said. I ended up fessing up to everything. I told police I had a serious problem with heroin. Thats what got me into rehab.

Carmody said his son was one of the main reasons he confessed to police. He had convinced Liams mother to sell stolen jewelry, and the police were threatening to arrest her, too  and put their 3-year-old son in the states care.

I needed help, and this was the only way I knew how to get it. Plus, my son got to stay with her.

Carmody was sober for more than a year by the time a New Hampshire judge sentenced him to four to 15 years in prison. He served less than the minimum after receiving credit for good behavior and was released from state custody May 31, 2016.

He is now a father of two boys: 8-year-old Liam and 3-year-old Gabriel, from different mothers.

Behind my sobriety, my kids are No. 1, Carmody said. Once your eyes are open and you clear the fog from your head, you start realizing the things that they were affected by or dragged into. Its upsetting.

Better choices

Carmodys drug and alcohol abuse drove him to crime so he could finance his addiction. He is one of thousands of people in New Hampshire affected by a drug crisis that has put more users and dealers, many of them parents, in prison. They are incarcerated for months or years, while their children remain behind.

Carmody sought out the prisons Family Connections Center because he wanted to see his son more often, as well as learn from other fathers facing similar challenges. Clear of drugs, he sought to make better choices than he had before.

Losing the battle

Carmody enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was 18 years old. The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, were fresh in everyones minds, and America was about to invade Iraq with the launch of a shock and awe bombing campaign in March 2003. Joining the army at that time meant he was destined for the Middle East.

He served as an infantryman in Iraq for nearly a year during what he called the worst time of the war, between 2004 to 2005. The insurgency had expanded and Iraqis had elected a transitional government following the fall of Saddam Husseins regime.

Carmody was honorably discharged from the Army in 2005. He shied away from discussing the details of what happened overseas, but he noted that when he returned to the U.S. his substance abuse spiraled out of control  and with it his life.

Whether it was cause and effect, Im not sure, he said of his military service and the addiction that followed. I wouldnt be where I am in life now had it not been for all that.

Carmody said he routinely drank at bars with his Army buddies, but, at first, didnt see himself as having a problem.

Then, one day, he started having back pain and, as he put it, the doctors just threw pain meds at me.

Just as quickly, they took them away, he said.

I had to find them on my own after that. Thats when I started snorting heroin. It was accessible, and the cost outweighed the pills, he said. I was a mess before, but once I started heroin, that was it.

Revealing his story

Carmody said he hasnt told Liam about his past drug abuse. In time, he will, but neither of them are ready to have that conversation yet, he said. He tells Liam what he believes is an age-appropriate story of his incarceration and answers all of the boys questions.

Ive tried to be open with him about it, the best I can. When I was gone, he would hear different versions of things from people who were angry. I owned everything that happened. I told him I made poor decisions and that it is not in his interest to follow my lead.

Carmody vividly remembers talking to Liam on the phone one day from inside the prison. Liam often had questions for him, but this one took Carmody a bit by surprise.

He said, Dad, are you in prison for stealing money and jewels? I thought, Oh man, this kid thinks Im in some Oceans Eleven movie. 

Carmody said he was direct with Liam and tried to clear up any misunderstandings the boy had about why he was away.

If he cant learn from my poor experiences, I dont know where hes going to learn it from. As he gets older, I continue to share it with him in hopes that he doesnt need to experience any of that on his own, he said.

Gabriel was just 4 weeks old when his dad began serving his sentence. The now-3-year-old thinks his father was away at work and does not know about his incarceration or his crimes.

There are going to be questions later; I know that. Again, itll all be in whats age-appropriate as to what I tell him, Carmody said.

Time together

Liam gets shy and bows his head against his dads side when asked about the time his father was away. The two are inseparable on the weekends that Carmody is able to pick up Liam in Manchester  where Liam lives with his mom  and bring him to Concord to stay.

The 8-year-olds favorite activity with dad is playing Warcraft games on the computer. The two also share a love of science  and they enjoy karate chopping each other from time to time.

When I told him I was studying chemistry, he said, Whats our first experiment gonna be?  Carmody said with a laugh. Carmody just completed his first semester at NHTI in Concord and, one day, hopes to earn a degree in chemistry from a four-year university.

Liam has his mind nearly made up, too: Ill be a minion, not like the character minion, but the scientist minion.

Minions, little yellow organisms depicted in animated films, are a favorite of Liams. Knowing that, Carmody said he took the extra effort to decorate using images of the characters at an annual family Christmas party Liam attended at the prison one year.

Liam said he had trouble remembering the details of the party. Though, he quickly recalled the board games  Clue, Battleship, Chutes and Ladders, and Stratego  the two played together during prison visits, which Carmody earned after completing parenting classes at the Family Connections Center.

The face-to-face visits were always better than Skype because I got to see him in person, Liam said with a smile.

When asked how he felt when his dad was away, Liam replied quietly, Im not gonna say.

Were you sad? his dad asked.

Maybe.

Were you mad? his dad asked once more.

Maybe.

Its okay if you were.

Liam buried his face into the crook of his dads right arm, not sure initially how to respond. Then he said proudly, At the end, I felt H-A-P-P-Y!

(Alyssa Dandrea can be reached at 369-3319, adandrea@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @_ADandrea.)
A Global Britain

A little over six months ago, the British people voted for change.

They voted to shape a brighter future for our country.

They voted to leave the European Union and embrace the world.

And they did so with their eyes open: accepting that the road ahead will be uncertain at times, but believing that it leads towards a brighter future for their children  and their grandchildren too.

And it is the job of this Government to deliver it. That means more than negotiating our new relationship with the EU. It means taking the opportunity of this great moment of national change to step back and ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be.

My answer is clear. I want this United Kingdom to emerge from this period of change stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than ever before. I want us to be a secure, prosperous, tolerant country  a magnet for international talent and a home to the pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead. I want us to be a truly Global Britain  the best friend and neighbour to our European partners, but a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe too. A country that goes out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike.

I want Britain to be what we have the potential, talent and ambition to be. A great, global trading nation that is respected around the world and strong, confident and united at home.

A Plan for Britain

That is why this Government has a Plan for Britain. One that gets us the right deal abroad but also ensures we get a better deal for ordinary working people at home.

Its why that plan sets out how we will use this moment of change to build a stronger economy and a fairer society by embracing genuine economic and social reform.

Why our new Modern Industrial Strategy is being developed, to ensure every nation and area of the United Kingdom can make the most of the opportunities ahead. Why we will go further to reform our schools to ensure every child has the knowledge and the skills they need to thrive in post-Brexit Britain. Why as we continue to bring the deficit down, we will take a balanced approach by investing in our economic infrastructure  because it can transform the growth potential of our economy, and improve the quality of peoples lives across the whole country.

Its why we will put the preservation of our precious Union at the heart of everything we do. Because it is only by coming together as one great union of nations and people that we can make the most of the opportunities ahead.

The result of the referendum was not a decision to turn inward and retreat from the world.

Because Britains history and culture is profoundly internationalist.

We are a European country  and proud of our shared European heritage  but we are also a country that has always looked beyond Europe to the wider world. That is why we are one of the most racially diverse countries in Europe, one of the most multicultural members of the European Union, and why  whether we are talking about India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, countries in Africa or those that are closer to home in Europe  so many of us have close friends and relatives from across the world.

Instinctively, we want to travel to, study in, trade with countries not just in Europe but beyond the borders of our continent. Even now as we prepare to leave the EU, we are planning for the next biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2018  a reminder of our unique and proud global relationships.

A message from Britain to the rest of Europe

And it is important to recognise this fact. June the 23rd was not the moment Britain chose to step back from the world. It was the moment we chose to build a truly Global Britain.

I know that this  and the other reasons Britain took such a decision  is not always well understood among our friends and allies in Europe. And I know many fear that this might herald the beginning of a greater unravelling of the EU.

But let me be clear: I do not want that to happen. It would not be in the best interests of Britain. It remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britains national interest that the EU should succeed. And that is why I hope in the months and years ahead we will all reflect on the lessons of Britains decision to leave.

So let me take this opportunity to set out the reasons for our decision and to address the people of Europe directly.

Its not simply because our history and culture is profoundly internationalist, important though that is. Many in Britain have always felt that the United Kingdoms place in the European Union came at the expense of our global ties, and of a bolder embrace of free trade with the wider world.

There are other important reasons too.

Our political traditions are different. Unlike other European countries, we have no written constitution, but the principle of Parliamentary Sovereignty is the basis of our unwritten constitutional settlement. We have only a recent history of devolved governance  though it has rapidly embedded itself  and we have little history of coalition government. The public expect to be able to hold their governments to account very directly, and as a result supranational institutions as strong as those created by the European Union sit very uneasily in relation to our political history and way of life.

And, while I know Britain might at times have been seen as an awkward member state, the European Union has struggled to deal with the diversity of its member countries and their interests. It bends towards uniformity, not flexibility. David Camerons negotiation was a valiant final attempt to make it work for Britain  and I want to thank all those elsewhere in Europe who helped him reach an agreement  but the blunt truth, as we know, is that there was not enough flexibility on many important matters for a majority of British voters.

Now I do not believe that these things apply uniquely to Britain. Britain is not the only member state where there is a strong attachment to accountable and democratic government, such a strong internationalist mindset, or a belief that diversity within Europe should be celebrated. And so I believe there is a lesson in Brexit not just for Britain but, if it wants to succeed, for the EU itself.

Because our continents great strength has always been its diversity. And there are two ways of dealing with different interests. You can respond by trying to hold things together by force, tightening a vice-like grip that ends up crushing into tiny pieces the very things you want to protect. Or you can respect difference, cherish it even, and reform the EU so that it deals better with the wonderful diversity of its member states.

So to our friends across Europe, let me say this.

Our vote to leave the European Union was no rejection of the values we share. The decision to leave the EU represents no desire to become more distant to you, our friends and neighbours. It was no attempt to do harm to the EU itself or to any of its remaining member states. We do not want to turn the clock back to the days when Europe was less peaceful, less secure and less able to trade freely. It was a vote to restore, as we see it, our parliamentary democracy, national self-determination, and to become even more global and internationalist in action and in spirit.

We will continue to be reliable partners, willing allies and close friends. We want to buy your goods and services, sell you ours, trade with you as freely as possible, and work with one another to make sure we are all safer, more secure and more prosperous through continued friendship.

You will still be welcome in this country as we hope our citizens will be welcome in yours. At a time when together we face a serious threat from our enemies, Britains unique intelligence capabilities will continue to help to keep people in Europe safe from terrorism. And at a time when there is growing concern about European security, Britains servicemen and women, based in European countries including Estonia, Poland and Romania, will continue to do their duty.

We are leaving the European Union, but we are not leaving Europe.

And that is why we seek a new and equal partnership  between an independent, self-governing, Global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU.

Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out. We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave.

No, the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. And my job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do.

Objectives and Ambitions

So today I want to outline our objectives for the negotiation ahead. 12 objectives that amount to one big goal: a new, positive and constructive partnership between Britain and the European Union.

And as we negotiate that partnership, we will be driven by some simple principles: we will provide as much certainty and clarity as we can at every stage. And we will take this opportunity to make Britain stronger, to make Britain fairer, and to build a more Global Britain too.

Certainty and clarity

1. Certainty

The first objective is crucial. We will provide certainty wherever we can.

We are about to enter a negotiation. That means there will be give and take. There will have to be compromises. It will require imagination on both sides. And not everybody will be able to know everything at every stage.

But I recognise how important it is to provide business, the public sector, and everybody with as much certainty as possible as we move through the process.

So where we can offer that certainty, we will do so.

That is why last year we acted quickly to give clarity about farm payments and university funding.

And it is why, as we repeal the European Communities Act, we will convert the acquis  the body of existing EU law  into British law.

This will give the country maximum certainty as we leave the EU. The same rules and laws will apply on the day after Brexit as they did before. And it will be for the British Parliament to decide on any changes to that law after full scrutiny and proper Parliamentary debate.

And when it comes to Parliament, there is one other way in which I would like to provide certainty. I can confirm today that the Government will put the final deal that is agreed between the UK and the EU to a vote in both Houses of Parliament, before it comes into force.

A Stronger Britain.

Our second guiding principle is to build a stronger Britain.

2. Control of our own laws

That means taking control of our own affairs, as those who voted in their millions to leave the European Union demanded we must.

So we will take back control of our laws and bring an end to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Britain.

Leaving the European Union will mean that our laws will be made in Westminster, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

And those laws will be interpreted by judges not in Luxembourg but in courts across this country.

Because we will not have truly left the European Union if we are not in control of our own laws.

3. Strengthen the Union

A stronger Britain demands that we do something else  strengthen the precious union between the four nations of the United Kingdom.

At this momentous time, it is more important than ever that we face the future together, united by what makes us strong: the bonds that unite us as a people, and our shared interest in the UK being an open, successful trading nation in the future.

And I hope that same spirit of unity will apply in Northern Ireland in particular over the coming months in the Assembly elections, and the main parties there will work together to re-establish a partnership government as soon as possible.

Foreign affairs are of course the responsibility of the UK Government, and in dealing with them we act in the interests of all parts of the United Kingdom. As Prime Minister, I take that responsibility seriously.

I have also been determined from the start that the devolved administrations should be fully engaged in this process.

That is why the Government has set up a Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations, so ministers from each of the UKs devolved administrations can contribute to the process of planning for our departure from the European Union.

We have already received a paper from the Scottish Government, and look forward to receiving a paper from the Welsh Government shortly. Both papers will be considered as part of this important process. We wont agree on everything, but I look forward to working with the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to deliver a Brexit that works for the whole of the United Kingdom.

Part of that will mean working very carefully to ensure that  as powers are repatriated from Brussels back to Britain  the right powers are returned to Westminster, and the right powers are passed to the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

As we do so, our guiding principle must be to ensure that  as we leave the European Union  no new barriers to living and doing business within our own Union are created,

That means maintaining the necessary common standards and frameworks for our own domestic market, empowering the UK as an open, trading nation to strike the best trade deals around the world, and protecting the common resources of our islands.

And as we do this, I should equally be clear that no decisions currently taken by the devolved administrations will be removed from them.

4. Maintain the Common Travel Area with Ireland

We cannot forget that, as we leave, the United Kingdom will share a land border with the EU, and maintaining that Common Travel Area with the Republic of Ireland will be an important priority for the UK in the talks ahead.

There has been a Common Travel Area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland for many years. Indeed, it was formed before either of our two countries were members of the European Union. And the family ties and bonds of affection that unite our two countries mean that there will always be a special relationship between us.

So we will work to deliver a practical solution that allows the maintenance of the Common Travel Area with the Republic, while protecting the integrity of the United Kingdoms immigration system.

Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past, so we will make it a priority to deliver a practical solution as soon as we can.



A Fairer Britain

The third principle is to build a fairer Britain. That means ensuring it is fair to everyone who lives and works in this country.

5. Control of immigration

And that is why we will ensure we can control immigration to Britain from Europe.

We will continue to attract the brightest and the best to work or study in Britain  indeed openness to international talent must remain one of this countrys most distinctive assets  but that process must be managed properly so that our immigration system serves the national interest.

So we will get control of the number of people coming to Britain from the EU.

Because while controlled immigration can bring great benefits  filling skills shortages, delivering public services, making British businesses the world-beaters they often are  when the numbers get too high, public support for the system falters.

In the last decade or so, we have seen record levels of net migration in Britain, and that sheer volume has put pressure on public services, like schools, stretched our infrastructure, especially housing, and put a downward pressure on wages for working class people. As Home Secretary for six years, I know that you cannot control immigration overall when there is free movement to Britain from Europe.

Britain is an open and tolerant country. We will always want immigration, especially high-skilled immigration, we will always want immigration from Europe, and we will always welcome individual migrants as friends. But the message from the public before and during the referendum campaign was clear: Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe. And that is what we will deliver.

6. Rights for EU nationals in Britain, and British nationals in the EU

Fairness demands that we deal with another issue as soon as possible too. We want to guarantee the rights of EU citizens who are already living in Britain, and the rights of British nationals in other member states, as early as we can.

I have told other EU leaders that we could give people the certainty they want straight away, and reach such a deal now.

Many of them favour such an agreement  one or two others do not  but I want everyone to know that it remains an important priority for Britain  and for many other member states  to resolve this challenge as soon as possible. Because it is the right and fair thing to do.



7. Protect workers rights

And a fairer Britain is a country that protects and enhances the rights people have at work.

That is why, as we translate the body of European law into our domestic regulations, we will ensure that workers rights are fully protected and maintained.

Indeed, under my leadership, not only will the Government protect the rights of workers set out in European legislation, we will build on them. Because under this Conservative Government, we will make sure legal protection for workers keeps pace with the changing labour market  and that the voices of workers are heard by the boards of publicly-listed companies for the first time.

A Truly Global Britain

But the great prize for this country  the opportunity ahead  is to use this moment to build a truly Global Britain. A country that reaches out to old friends and new allies alike. A great, global, trading nation. And one of the firmest advocates for free trade anywhere in the world.

8. Free trade with European markets

That starts with our close friends and neighbours in Europe. So as a priority, we will pursue a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement with the European Union.

This agreement should allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and the EUs member states. It should give British companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets  and let European businesses do the same in Britain.

But I want to be clear. What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the Single Market.

European leaders have said many times that membership means accepting the four freedoms of goods, capital, services and people. And being out of the EU but a member of the Single Market would mean complying with the EUs rules and regulations that implement those freedoms, without having a vote on what those rules and regulations are. It would mean accepting a role for the European Court of Justice that would see it still having direct legal authority in our country.

It would to all intents and purposes mean not leaving the EU at all.

And that is why both sides in the referendum campaign made it clear that a vote to leave the EU would be a vote to leave the Single Market.

So we do not seek membership of the Single Market. Instead we seek the greatest possible access to it through a new, comprehensive, bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement.

That Agreement may take in elements of current Single Market arrangements in certain areas  on the export of cars and lorries for example, or the freedom to provide financial services across national borders  as it makes no sense to start again from scratch when Britain and the remaining Member States have adhered to the same rules for so many years.

But I respect the position taken by European leaders who have been clear about their position, just as I am clear about mine. So an important part of the new strategic partnership we seek with the EU will be the pursuit of the greatest possible access to the Single Market, on a fully reciprocal basis, through a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.

And because we will no longer be members of the Single Market, we will not be required to contribute huge sums to the EU budget. There may be some specific European programmes in which we might want to participate. If so, and this will be for us to decide, it is reasonable that we should make an appropriate contribution. But the principle is clear: the days of Britain making vast contributions to the European Union every year will end.

9. New trade agreements with other countries

But it is not just trade with the EU we should be interested in. A Global Britain must be free to strike trade agreements with countries from outside the European Union too.

Because important though our trade with the EU is and will remain, it is clear that the UK needs to increase significantly its trade with the fastest growing export markets in the world.

Since joining the EU, trade as a percentage of GDP has broadly stagnated in the UK. That is why it is time for Britain to get out into the world and rediscover its role as a great, global, trading nation.

This is such a priority for me that when I became Prime Minister I established, for the first time, a Department for International Trade, led by Liam Fox.

We want to get out into the wider world, to trade and do business all around the globe. Countries including China, Brazil, and the Gulf States have already expressed their interest in striking trade deals with us. We have started discussions on future trade ties with countries like Australia, New Zealand and India. And President Elect Trump has said Britain is not at the back of the queue for a trade deal with the United States, the worlds biggest economy, but front of the line.

I know my emphasis on striking trade agreements with countries outside Europe has led to questions about whether Britain seeks to remain a member of the EUs Customs Union. And it is true that full Customs Union membership prevents us from negotiating our own comprehensive trade deals.

Now, I want Britain to be able to negotiate its own trade agreements. But I also want tariff-free trade with Europe and cross-border trade there to be as frictionless as possible.

That means I do not want Britain to be part of the Common Commercial Policy and I do not want us to be bound by the Common External Tariff. These are the elements of the Customs Union that prevent us from striking our own comprehensive trade agreements with other countries. But I do want us to have a customs agreement with the EU.

Whether that means we must reach a completely new customs agreement, become an associate member of the Customs Union in some way, or remain a signatory to some elements of it, I hold no preconceived position. I have an open mind on how we do it. It is not the means that matter, but the ends.

And those ends are clear: I want to remove as many barriers to trade as possible. And I want Britain to be free to establish our own tariff schedules at the World Trade Organisation, meaning we can reach new trade agreements not just with the European Union but with old friends and new allies from outside Europe too.

10. The best place for science and innovation

A Global Britain must also be a country that looks to the future. That means being one of the best places in the world for science and innovation.

One of our great strengths as a nation is the breadth and depth of our academic and scientific communities, backed up by some of the worlds best universities. And we have a proud history of leading and supporting cutting-edge research and innovation.

So we will also welcome agreement to continue to collaborate with our European partners on major science, research, and technology initiatives.

From space exploration to clean energy to medical technologies, Britain will remain at the forefront of collective endeavours to better understand, and make better, the world in which we live.

11. Cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism

And a Global Britain will continue to cooperate with its European partners in important areas such as crime, terrorism and foreign affairs.

All of us in Europe face the challenge of cross-border crime, a deadly terrorist threat, and the dangers presented by hostile states. All of us share interests and values in common, values we want to see projected around the world.

With the threats to our common security becoming more serious, our response cannot be to cooperate with one another less, but to work together more. I therefore want our future relationship with the European Union to include practical arrangements on matters of law enforcement and the sharing of intelligence material with our EU allies.

I am proud of the role Britain has played and will continue to play in promoting Europes security. Britain has led Europe on the measures needed to keep our continent secure  whether it is implementing sanctions against Russia following its action in Crimea, working for peace and stability in the Balkans, or securing Europes external border. We will continue to work closely with our European allies in foreign and defence policy even as we leave the EU itself.

A phased approach

12. A smooth, orderly Brexit

These are our objectives for the negotiation ahead  objectives that will help to realise our ambition of shaping that stronger, fairer, Global Britain that we want to see.

They are the basis for a new, strong, constructive partnership with the European Union  a partnership of friends and allies, of interests and values. A partnership for a strong EU and a strong UK.

But there is one further objective we are setting. For as I have said before  it is in no ones interests for there to be a cliff-edge for business or a threat to stability, as we change from our existing relationship to a new partnership with the EU.

By this, I do not mean that we will seek some form of unlimited transitional status, in which we find ourselves stuck forever in some kind of permanent political purgatory. That would not be good for Britain, but nor do I believe it would be good for the EU.

Instead, I want us to have reached an agreement about our future partnership by the time the two-year Article Fifty process has concluded. From that point onwards, we believe a phased process of implementation, in which both Britain and the EU institutions and member states prepare for the new arrangements that will exist between us will be in our mutual self-interest. This will give businesses enough time to plan and prepare for those new arrangements.

This might be about our immigration controls, customs systems or the way in which we cooperate on criminal justice matters. Or it might be about the future legal and regulatory framework for financial services. For each issue, the time we need to phase-in the new arrangements may differ. Some might be introduced very quickly, some might take longer. And the interim arrangements we rely upon are likely to be a matter of negotiation.

But the purpose is clear: we will seek to avoid a disruptive cliff-edge, and we will do everything we can to phase in the new arrangements we require as Britain and the EU move towards our new partnership.

The Right Deal for Britain

So, these are the objectives we have set. Certainty wherever possible. Control of our own laws. Strengthening the United Kingdom. Maintaining the Common Travel Area with Ireland. Control of immigration. Rights for EU nationals in Britain, and British nationals in the EU. Enhancing rights for workers. Free trade with European markets. New trade agreements with other countries. A leading role in science and innovation. Cooperation on crime, terrorism and foreign affairs. And a phased approach, delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit.

This is the framework of a deal that will herald a new partnership between the UK and the EU.

It is a comprehensive and carefully considered plan that focuses on the ends, not just the means  with its eyes fixed firmly on the future, and on the kind of country we will be once we leave.

It reflects the hard work of many in this room today who have worked tirelessly to bring it together and to prepare this country for the negotiation ahead.

And it will, I know, be debated and discussed at length. That is only right. But those who urge us to reveal more  such as the blow-by-blow details of our negotiating strategy, the areas in which we might compromise, the places where we think there are potential trade-offs  will not be acting in the national interest.

Because this is not a game or a time for opposition for oppositions sake. It is a crucial and sensitive negotiation that will define the interests and the success of our country for many years to come. And it is vital that we maintain our discipline.

That is why I have said before  and will continue to say  that every stray word and every hyped up media report is going to make it harder for us to get the right deal for Britain. Our opposite numbers in the European Commission know it, which is why they are keeping their discipline. And the ministers in this Government know it too, which is why we will also maintain ours.

So however frustrating some people find it, the Government will not be pressured into saying more than I believe it is in our national interest to say. Because it is not my job to fill column inches with daily updates, but to get the right deal for Britain. And that is what I intend to do.

A new partnership between Britain and Europe

I am confident that a deal  and a new strategic partnership between the UK and the EU  can be achieved.

This is firstly because, having held conversations with almost every leader from every single EU member state; having spent time talking to the senior figures from the European institutions, including President Tusk, President Juncker, and President Schulz; and after my Cabinet colleagues David Davis, Philip Hammond and Boris Johnson have done the same with their interlocutors, I am confident that the vast majority want a positive relationship between the UK and the EU after Brexit. And I am confident that the objectives I am setting out today are consistent with the needs of the EU and its Member States.

That is why our objectives include a proposed Free Trade Agreement between Britain and the European Union, and explicitly rule out membership of the EUs Single Market. Because when the EUs leaders say they believe the four freedoms of the Single Market are indivisible, we respect that position. When the 27 Member States say they want to continue their journey inside the European Union, we not only respect that fact but support it.

Because we do not want to undermine the Single Market, and we do not want to undermine the European Union. We want the EU to be a success and we want its remaining member states to prosper. And of course we want the same for Britain.

And the second reason I believe it is possible to reach a good deal is that the kind of agreement I have described today is the economically rational thing that both Britain and the EU should aim for. Because trade is not a zero sum game: more of it makes us all more prosperous. Free trade between Britain and the European Union means more trade, and more trade means more jobs and more wealth creation. The erection of new barriers to trade, meanwhile, means the reverse: less trade, fewer jobs, lower growth.

The third and final reason I believe we can come to the right agreement is that cooperation between Britain and the EU is needed not just when it comes to trade but when it comes to our security too.

Britain and France are Europes only two nuclear powers. We are the only two European countries with permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. Britains armed forces are a crucial part of Europes collective defence.

And our intelligence capabilities  unique in Europe  have already saved countless lives in very many terrorist plots that have been thwarted in countries across our continent. After Brexit, Britain wants to be a good friend and neighbour in every way, and that includes defending the safety and security of all of our citizens.

So I believe the framework I have outlined today is in Britains interests. It is in Europes interests. And it is in the interests of the wider world.

But I must be clear. Britain wants to remain a good friend and neighbour to Europe. Yet I know there are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path.

That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe. And it would not be the act of a friend.

Britain would not  indeed we could not  accept such an approach. And while I am confident that this scenario need never arise  while I am sure a positive agreement can be reached  I am equally clear that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain.

Because we would still be able to trade with Europe. We would be free to strike trade deals across the world. And we would have the freedom to set the competitive tax rates and embrace the policies that would attract the worlds best companies and biggest investors to Britain. And  if we were excluded from accessing the Single Market  we would be free to change the basis of Britains economic model.

But for the EU, it would mean new barriers to trade with one of the biggest economies in the world. It would jeopardise investments in Britain by EU companies worth more than half a trillion pounds. It would mean a loss of access for European firms to the financial services of the City of London. It would risk exports from the EU to Britain worth around 290 billion every year. And it would disrupt the sophisticated and integrated supply chains upon which many EU companies rely.

Important sectors of the EU economy would also suffer. We are a crucial  profitable  export market for Europes automotive industry, as well as sectors including energy, food and drink, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. These sectors employ millions of people around Europe. And I do not believe that the EUs leaders will seriously tell German exporters, French farmers, Spanish fishermen, the young unemployed of the Eurozone, and millions of others, that they want to make them poorer, just to punish Britain and make a political point.

For all these reasons  and because of our shared values and the spirit of goodwill that exists on both sides  I am confident that we will follow a better path. I am confident that a positive agreement can be reached.

It is right that the Government should prepare for every eventuality  but to do so in the knowledge that a constructive and optimistic approach to the negotiations to come is in the best interests of Europe and the best interests of Britain.

Conclusion

We do not approach these negotiations expecting failure, but anticipating success.

Because we are a great, global nation with so much to offer Europe and so much to offer the world.

One of the worlds largest and strongest economies. With the finest intelligence services, the bravest armed forces, the most effective hard and soft power, and friendships, partnerships and alliances in every continent.

And another thing thats important. The essential ingredient of our success. The strength and support of 65 million people willing us to make it happen.

Because after all the division and discord, the country is coming together.

The referendum was divisive at times. And those divisions have taken time to heal.

But one of the reasons that Britains democracy has been such a success for so many years is that the strength of our identity as one nation, the respect we show to one another as fellow citizens, and the importance we attach to our institutions means that when a vote has been held we all respect the result. The victors have the responsibility to act magnanimously. The losers have the responsibility to respect the legitimacy of the outcome. And the country comes together.

And that is what we are seeing today. Business isnt calling to reverse the result, but planning to make a success of it. The House of Commons has voted overwhelmingly for us to get on with it. And the overwhelming majority of people  however they voted  want us to get on with it too.

So that is what we will do.

Not merely forming a new partnership with Europe, but building a stronger, fairer, more Global Britain too.

And let that be the legacy of our time. The prize towards which we work. The destination at which we arrive once the negotiation is done.

And let us do it not for ourselves, but for those who follow. For the countrys children and grandchildren too.

So that when future generations look back at this time, they will judge us not only by the decision that we made, but by what we made of that decision.

They will see that we shaped them a brighter future.

They will know that we built them a better Britain.
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Iain Duncan Smith is a former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, founded the Centre for Social Justice, and is MP for Chingford and Woodford Green.

The last couple of weeks have seen significant movement from some of the key players in the Brexit process.

First, the very recent ONS report in which they said that the UK economy has seen no noticeable negative effects from the Brexit vote. Following that, last week we heard the Governor of the Bank of England admit that the gloomy forecasts the Bank made about how dire the economy would be if we voted to leave were wrong. The economy, he intoned without the trace of an apology, had done much better and he even hinted at the likelihood that the Bank will upgrade the growth forecasts for the UK as a result.

Hot on the heels of the Governor, we now discover that even Michel Barnier (the EUs chief Brexit negotiator), contrary to his previous anti-UK rhetoric, has said to some MEPs that the EU must have access to the financial markets in London after Brexit. It is perhaps then, small wonder the Bank of England Governor pointed out to the select committee last week that he didnt see significant risks for the UK economy as a result of Brexit. Instead, he said, he thought the risks were greater to the EU.

To cap it all, the Chancellor has pointed out to his counterparts in the EU that when the UK leaves the EU he is quite prepared to countenance a fundamentally different (and, I am sure he believes, a more competitive) UK) from the one that has been locked to a less and less competitive EU.

With just two months to go before the deadline set by the Prime Minister to trigger Article 50 and it seems that the Government is settling on what our strategy should be as we withdraw. Despite all of the special pleading and the media speculation over the last few months, I suspect when we look back we will come to see that this New Year period marked the end of the phoney war and the beginning of the plan for a clean Brexit.

I have been intrigued by the most passionate of those who voted to remain. They almost always start by saying that they have accepted the decision of the British people to leave the EU and then go on to argue that even though we have voted to leave the EU, we must stay within the EU Internal Market as well as the Customs Union. I even heard one arguing that when it comes to control of our own borders, we should recognise that there are likely to be changes to freedom of movement in the EU so we should wait and see how that will affect us. This line of argument sounds more and more like a repeat of the Cameron negotiations, waiting for the EU to grant us some special favours. It misses the point. We voted to leave and Theresa May set out what that means in October of last year when she said we would be taking back control of our borders and laws, and making trade deals with other countries around the world. I thought she reiterated that statement when interviewed by Sophie Ridge when she said: Often people talk as if we are leaving but still want to keep bits of our membershipWe are coming out. We are not going to be a member of the EU any longer. The question is  what is the right relationship for the UK to have with the EU when we are outside.

Clean Brexit is simply recognition that we shouldnt spend the next two years begging the EU to let us stay members of the Internal Market when that would mean accepting the rule of EU law and rule out controlling our own borders. Alongside that, I cannot understand why anyone would want to remain a part of the Customs Union. Surely the jewel in the crown of leaving is being able to negotiate and settle trade deals with the rest of the world. Staying in the Customs Union would be the worst of all worlds as we would have to accept the arrangements made by the EU whilst being unable to change them, and constrain ourselves from establishing free trade deals around the globe. To those who worry about the problem of trade hold-ups at the border, I urge them to look at how the border between Canada and the USA. Vast amounts of goods cross the border every day and it takes minutes for them to cross and theirs is a free trade zone, not a customs union.

The latest argument is the one that starts by saying that we must have an interim arrangement. That unless we do so it will all grind to a halt. This is, perhaps, the most bizarre of all the arguments. After all, surely the EU and the UK should prioritise making progress on the discussions about what the post-Brexit arrangements will be, not engaging in separate discussions about an eventuality that may not be required. First discuss the arrangements before deciding if  and its a big if  a transitional arrangement is required to make it happen. Besides, we will want to complete this within the two years, which is very achievable.

Some days ago, I was speaking to a friend who is in business in the EU. He said that he thought on reflection that the UK would do well outside the EU and that it would be better for the EU that the UK wasnt a member. You, he said, have really been resistant and cold over the political direction of the EU and once outside we can both focus on the things we have in common, not get annoyed by the UK demanding change and carping. I agree. After we leave the EU we will continue to be good friends and neighbours of our European partners, trading and working with them on security intelligence, defence and many scientific and cultural matters. After all, we are leaving the EU not Europe.
James Frayne is Director of communications agency Public First and author of Meet the People, a guide to moving public opinion. The focus of this column is Theresa Mays conservatism for ordinary working people.

If global elites understand the reasons for Brexit, Trumps win and the political turbulence that manifests itself in mainland Europe, you wouldnt know it from the conference programme of the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.

Amid the business focused events that naturally dominate Davos, there are a small number of sessions that attendees hope will shine a light on the events of the last year. These touch on things like fear, anger and post-multiculturalism.

The message to fellow attendees  and indeed to the outside world  is clear: Davoss participants are rational, happy, and successful; those that vote against them are tied by the same suspect values and low social and economic status.

Davos attendees are parochial in their own way. They know lots of other people across the world like them and they know the worlds leading financial and political centres well. But they have no understanding of  or interest in  ordinary people in their own countries. Many literally never go to provincial towns or speak to ordinary people other than taxi drivers, retail workers and hotel staff.

Because of that, most can only rely on guesswork, polling and the tabloid press for any sort of window into the public mind. With that detachment comes a serious misunderstanding of what is happening in the world.

Their biggest mistake is to try to see the events of the last year as all deriving from the same core issues and mobilising the same sorts of people. Precisely because they are global, the Davos crowd misunderstands the differences between national movements and transnational trends.

Of course there have been great global shifts in the past and there will be again in the future. However, that is not obviously the case now. Brexit was delivered fundamentally by working people  predominantly in the lower middle class  who arent hostile to migrants or indeed to globalisation but who worry about the impact of large-scale immigration on their ability to access public services and housing.

Meanwhile in America, many of those that voted for Trump were affluent middle class people. Most didnt vote Trump out of hostility to migrants. And most didnt vote for protectionism and an end to Americas role in the world. Rather, they voted in large numbers against what they perceived as an attack on established American society  an explosion of political correctness, challenges to the family and an undermining of the rule of law.

In parts of mainland Europe it is easier to paint the picture of traditional populist politics on the rise. But what is motivating people to vote for the Five Star Movement in Italy (which if anything leans left) is very different from what is motivating people to vote for the Front National (which leans hard right).

My point is this: these causes are more national than global. One Davos session asks: As populism rises across the globe, is it playing on the politics of fear or is it an overdue rebellion of the forgotten? Certainly in the case of the two highest profile cases  Brexit and Trump  my answer would be neither.

The World Economic Forum has served an important purpose, but it has intensified the global, shallow outlook of much of the elite. They should all spend more time on local buses and trains and stay off international flights for a while.
Retelit, a leading Italian provider of data and infrastructure services to the telecommunications market, has selected Coriants 100G technology to support end-to-end delivery of high-capacity, low latency services on its recently expanded fiber optic infrastructure.



The Coriant coherent optical transmission solution will power a resilient, 100G terrestrial transit network for end-user traffic traversing Europe and Asia via Retelits AAE-1 (Asia Africa Europe 1) subsea landing station in Bari, Italy. Retelits network project will serve as the backbone for AAE-1 transit traffic.



The deployment uses the Coriant hiT 7300 Multi-Haul Transport Platform and Coriant CloudWave Optics coherent interface technology. Coriant said its advanced transmission technologies and sophisticated optical layer planning tools enable Retelit to maximize the reach, capacity, and flexibility of its high-speed transport infrastructure, while reducing operational costs and complexity. Retelit will also use the Coriant Transport Network Management System (TNMS) to simplify and accelerate end-to-end service provisioning.



The launch of AAE-1 will unleash new demand for high-capacity, low latency terrestrial transit across Italy, said Richard Fellner, Regional Vice President, EMEA, Coriant. "We are pleased to be a strategic technology partner with Retelit and help them capitalize on emerging market opportunities with a best-in-class solution and unmatched service excellence.



http://www.coriant.com
Telia Carrier has established a new route stretching from Stockholm to St. Petersburg via Tallinn, and has upgraded multiple submarine cables to future proof its network, bringing lower latency and additional capacity. The company said this new route, which is the most direct route possible from Stockholm to St. Petersburg at just under 900 km, further diversifies its network and enables 100G+ services to carriers, content and cloud providers in the Baltics, Russia and beyond.



The new route also allows Telia Carrier to service the increase in traffic coming into Europe from Asia via terrestrial cable routes from the East as well as directly from Russia.



"As our network becomes more meshed throughout Eastern Europe and the Baltics, we are continuing to build out eastward to stay ahead of content demand and the resulting backbone traffic in the region," said Johan Godal, global product manager, wavelength and network outsourcing services at Telia Carrier. "By extending the route from Sweden to Russia and upgrading the submarine cables in the Baltic Sea, we can now offer high capacity and low latency services via a highly-meshed network throughout the region."



http://www.teliacarrier.com






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Medical experts have now found a way of determining an unborn child's gender by measuring the mother's blood pleasure. The study was conducted by a team lead by Ravi Retnakaran, endocrinologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Canada.

Published in the American Journal of Hypertension on Jan. 12, Retnarkan pointed out to a woman's blood pressure as a previously unrecognized factor that is associated with her likelihood of delivering a boy or a girl. According to The Times of India, those with higher blood pressure delivered a boy while those with a lower figure had girls.

The study was set in Liuyang, China where researchers gathered 3,375 newly married women who were planning to be pregnant in the future. To qualify they were given medical assessment 26.3 weeks before conception.

Only 1,692 of these women went through "cardio metabolic characterization" that includes anthropometry and measurement of blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose testing.

281 women were found potentially pregnant at their baseline and were excluded from testing. Thus, only 1,411 women were closely monitored regularly through gestation until delivery.

Age, education, smoking, BMI, waist circumference, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels were also tested to determine whether these factors would make a difference in the study. Researchers continued to test these women until delivery at approximately 39 weeks, where a total of 739 boys and 672 girls were born.

The study found systolic blood pressure was higher in women who had a boy compared to women who had a girl (106.0 vs 103.3106 millimeters of mercury). Researchers concluded that "Maternal blood pressure before pregnancy is a previously unrecognized factor that may be associated with the likelihood of delivering a boy or girl."

This opens the exciting possibility for married couples of planning the sex of their baby just by lowering or increasing blood pressure. Dr. Axe shared a few tips, which include eating food rich in omega 3, consuming 5mg of magnesium daily and having potassium-rich food to avoid hypertension.

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Worldwide Breast Cancer (WBC) has recently launched "Know Your Lemons", a campaign that has been going viral on various social media platforms and blogs. It has helped raise awareness about breast cancer and teaches women how to detect symptoms earlier.

The program has been shared on Facebook more than 25,000 times and many have used games so that more people get to know the "Know Your Lemons" campaign, according to CTV News.

Women everywhere continue to inspire others to share and spread the "Know Your Lemons" guide. Some have made it easier for it to reach other countries, like Corrine Beaumont's blog which has it available in eight different languages.

Corrine Beaumont MFA, PhD said "Looking deceptively simple, this is monumentally the first breast cancer campaign to be available in multiple languages while keeping the same layout and appearance."

The campaign has recently reached Africa through a WBC Global Education Partner, Dr. Lily Gutnik. She has been known for educating men and women around the world about the symptoms, treatment and prevention of breast cancer.

"I trained lay women with no health background on how to conduct clinical breast exams and provide breast cancer education talks to community women in the clinics," said Gutnik. She continues to work with health clinics in Lilongwe, Malawi to help breast cancer screenings become more accessible and effective.

With the use of the #knowyourlemons images, she developed a flip chart and used it for training over 4,000 men and women. These men and women then shared their knowledge in their communities further educating thousands who are not aware of the symptoms and treatments.

WBC has over 1,000 Global Education Partners and interested parties and individuals can join the campaign and help raise awareness. Downloadable leaflets, pamphlets, slideshows and videos are available online.

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Ever since the Zika virus epidemic, mosquitoes have posed a great threat in Florida, leading Entomologist Matthew DeGennaro to create a trap to capture the deadly mosquitoes.

During an October research trip, Entomologists Nathan Burkett-Cadena of University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, together with Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory researcher Erik Blosser, have found two new invasive types of mosquitoes.

Burkett-Cadena said "'Hundreds' is substantial, particularly when you get a hundred from a single trap. This is not a single specimen that blew in from a storm - this is a reproducing species." Burket-Cadena adds "Nobody had this on their radar," he told The Miami Herald.

The traps were set near Florida's Everglades and caught thousands of Culex panocossa and hundreds of Aedeomyia squamipennis. WUSF News reported that both speicies are disease-carrying mosquitoes that can transmit viruses to humans. They lay eggs on weeds floating in canals and drainage ponds.

There are nine new invasive mosquitoes that have been found within the decade, which brings the total to 15 already living in Florida.

Researchers believe that their arrival was brought upon the sign of environmental change, increased tourism and global trade, especially in areas with most tourists, Miami and Homestead. The mosquitoes are commonly found in the Caribbean and Latin America.

The Aedeomyia squamipennis mosquito feeds on birds, which may spread bird malarias. The mosquito carries viruses such as West Nile and Eastern Equine Ecncephalitis. There is high risk that infected birds may infect humans and other mammals.

The Culex panocossa poses a greater threat as it carries the Venezuela Equine Encephalitis, which can be lethal to children and to the elderly.

"It's pretty complex and pretty difficult for virus transmission to occur, which is a good thing," Janet McAllister said, Entomologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Many women have voiced out their concern of the accessibility of birth controls under Donald Trumps presidency in social media. Based on their posts, women were reminding everyone that birth control might cost much more than it is today when Donald Trump takes office on January 20. Women are now looking for alternatives that will hopefully last through the presidency of Donald Trump.

According to reports, Trump is planning to stop the implementation of Obamacare which requires health insurance companies to include coverage of all birth control methods as long as it is approved by the FDA. This includes IUDs which is a plastic device placed inside the uterus, to prevent unexpected pregnancies. Depending on the type of IUD, each can last from three up to ten years.

It is assumed that the repealing of Obamacare is on the priority list of the president-elect so women who are considering to enroll to any birth control method is encouraged to do so at least until January 31 which is the last date that enrollment is allowed.

In a report by CNN, OB/GYN Doctor Anne Davis has shared how much of her patients are worried about their birth control access under the new president. She said many women are actually emotional and afraid when birth control will no longer be covered by their insurance. And although Trump has not revealed what he plans to replace the Obamacare, women are still concerned about the changes and how it can affect them.

Davis shared that the consultation with her patients has recently changed. "Last week, it was all about, 'Let's talk about what's best for you,' and it was all about the patient. This week, politics is in the chair next to me." And it looks like Davis is not the only one noticing the changes because she shares her medical secretaries have been responding to the same question and concern from patients calling through the phone.

So far, Trump has not revealed any details when he plans to repeal the implementation of Obamacare and what program will he choose to replace it.

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The discovery of stem cells revolutionized medicine as groundbreaking discoveries emerge to look for ways to treat diseases. Now, a team of scientists discovered a way to reprogram the embryonic stem cells of mice so they would exhibit the same developmental characteristics of fertilized eggs.

Researchers at the UC Berkeley discovered a way to reprogram "totipotent-like" stem cells that are able to generate not only all cell types in a developing embryo but also cell types that make way for nutrient transfer between the mother and the embryo.

Published in the journal Science, the study shows how the discovery will help scientists gain understanding on the first molecular decisions made in the early embryo. Moreover, this discovery would widen the range of tissues that can be produced from stem cells, paving way for future developments in the field of cell-based therapy and regenerative medicine.

Restrictive Potential

Normally, a fertilized egg is known to possess full developmental potential as it is able to produce all cell types required for embryo gestation. For placental mammals, including humans, the presence of extra-embryonic tissues like the placenta and yolk sac is important for nutrient and waste exchange between the mother and the fetus.

On the other hand, embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells are more restricted in terms of their developmental potential. This means that they can produce embryonic cell types but not extra-embryonic tissues.

The scientists in the study were able to reprogram the embryonic stem cells of mice so they could mimic the developmental characteristics of zygotes.

"Studies on embryonic development greatly benefit from the culture system of embryonic stem cells and, more recently, induced pluripotent stem cells. These experimental systems allow scientists to dissect key molecular pathways that specify cell fate decisions in embryonic development," Lin He, a UC Berkeley, lead author of the study, said in a press release by UC Berkeley.

"But the unique developmental potential of a zygote, formed right after the sperm and egg meet, is very, very difficult to study, due to limited materials and the lack of a cell-culture experimental system," she added.

Tweaking A Single MicroRNA

The researchers found that manipulating a single microRNA could help expand the potential of embryonic stem cells. In the experiments the team conducted, about 20 percent of embryonic stem cells lacking the microRNA showed expanded fate potential.

"What is quite amazing is that manipulating just a single microRNA was able to greatly expand cell fate decisions of embryonic stem cells," Lin He explained.

"This finding not only identifies a new mechanism that regulates totipotent stem cells but also reveals the importance of non-coding RNAs in stem cell fate," he added.

Stem cells not only revolutionized the treatment of cancer but also laid foundations for regenerative medicine and triggered the emergence of biomedical industries, the Globe and Mail reports. Now, this new breakthrough discovery can help scientists and health experts find means to produce stem cells to help cure diseases and develop cell-based therapies in the future.



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According to reports, an American died from a superbug that is said to be resistant to all available antibiotics in the United States. The 70-year-old American was a Washoe County resident who was admitted to an acute care hospital before succumbing to septic shock early last September of 2016 during her battle against the superbug infection.

The American woman was first admitted to an acute care hospital in Washoe Country, Northern Nevada last August 18, 2016. The initial diagnosis was a systemic inflammatory response syndrome likely from an infected hip seroma.

Upon further testing, the medical doctors were able to identify that the woman was suffering from carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). The medical staff from the hospital was able to identify the specific CRE, Klebsiella pneumoniae, from the sample collected from a wound in the woman.

Upon the diagnosis and identification of CRE, the woman was isolated from other patients and placed in a single room under constant precautions. This is to prevent the spread of infection to other patients and the rest of the hospital. According to the report filed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), last August 25, 2016, the center was notified by the Washoe County Health District about the case of a 70-year-old woman.

Based on records, the woman was in an extended visit India for two years. During her stay in India, the woman was hospitalized multiple times due to a right femur fracture and subsequent osteomyelitis of the right femur and hip. Upon her arrival to the US, the woman was then rushed to the hospital. Healthcare professionals and the CDC believe that the infection of the superbug started from the complication of the woman's right femur fracture.

The isolated sample taken from the woman's wound was sent to the CDC to determine its antimicrobial resistance mechanism. The CDC confirmed that the isolate has the presence of the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM) and was also tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. The results indicated that the isolate was resistant to twenty-six antibiotics available in the United States. The woman was treated to sixteen of the twenty-six antibiotics available in the hospital but to no avail.

Post-mortem tests showed the superbug responding to a treatment using fosfomycin. However, the use of fosfomycin in the United States is only approved as an oral treatment for uncomplicated cystitis but the intravenous use of the drug is available in other countries.

The cases of superbugs reported have been growing for the past few years. Besides the ability of superbugs to be resistant to almost all antibiotics available, the resistant gene in these superbugs is transferrable to other bacteria.

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The tech-savvy people are now waiting for the new release of smartphones by Motorola. Now, the long wait will be over as a new line of mobile phones are expected to come at the Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona.

Motorola has been sending out invites to the press for an event happening on Feb. 26. With the invitation, some deem that it the Lenovo-owned brand will appear at the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2017. The event is said to be an affair that is often used by the smartphone companies to introduce their new line of handsets.

Hence, the telecommunication corporation is expected to reveal its new mobile phones, although it hasn't given any details what will be their arrival at the event is all about. Fans expect that the Moto G5 Plus will be unveiled by Motorola at the Mobile World Congress 2017, according to Ubergizmo. In fact, leaked photos of the much-awaited Moto G5 Plus have been circling the news online along with its specs and capabilities.

Aside from that, a high-end Moto might also be revealed, although nothing has been confirmed yet as of this writing. Meanwhile, Trusted Reviews reported that the leaked snaps of Moto G5 Plus hinted that the smartphone may bear a new metal frame and a bigger camera sensor on the rear. As tech-savvy people are expecting to see new mobile phones at the Mobile World Congress 2017, Lenovo might not reveal its new smartwatches that have the Motorola name on it.

To recall, the parent company announced in December that it has no plans to introduce new Android Wear devices as yet. Besides, Motorola head of global product development said that the company "doesn't see enough pull in the market to put [a new smartwatch] out at this time." Meanwhile, the Mobile World Congress 2017 will run from Feb. 27 to March 2.

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The origins of the Darksaber has been a huge mystery in "Star Wars Rebels" Season 3, but it looks like the weapon's grim history will finally be revealed in "Trials of the Darksaber". In "Star Wars Rebels" Season 3 Episode 15, the Mandalorian Fenn Rau reminisces the past to explain how the strange weapon came to be and what it represents for his people.

There are only a few weapons in the "Star Wars" universe that could be cooler than the Darksaber since it was introduced in "The Clone Wars". However, its origin is largely unknown and shrouded in mystery. Luckily, the truth about the Darksaber will finally be revealed in "Star Wars Rebels" Season 3 Episode 15. But will the Ghost crew end up in more trouble after meeting with Fenn Rau in "Trials of the Darksaber"?

A video clip for "Star Wars Rebels" Season 3 Episode 15 features a scene where Kanan muses on the idea that Mandalorians made lightsabers. Fenn Rau corrects him, saying that the Darksaber is "one of a kind" and it was created by Ta Vizsla, who is the first Mandalorian to become a Jedi. Rau continues by explaining how the weapon united his people, but can Sabine Wrenn handle the pressure of wielding it in "Trials of the Darksaber"?

The synopsis for "Trials of the Darksaber" reveals that Sabine Wrenn finally agrees to use the ancient weapon in order to convince the Mandalorians to join the rebels. Unfortunately, it might not be as easy as it looks and fans can expect to see Sabine struggling to wield the Darksaber in "Star Wars Rebels" Season 3 Episode 15.

Will Sabine Wrenn manage to use the Darksaber to recruit the Mandalorians in "Star Wars Rebels" Season 3 Episode 15? Could Grand Admiral Thrawn finally locate the rebel base? "Trials of the Darksaber" will air on Disney XD on January 21.

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Numerous studies have found that drinking three to four cups of coffee a day reduces the risk of all-cause mortality. However, it is still not clear if coffee is good for the heart. A recent study examining the link between coffee consumption and heart health was able to find evidence of the good benefits of coffee for the heart.

According to researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine, there is evidence that the caffeine found in coffee dampens the inflammatory process that contributes to age-related chronic diseases including heart disease, arthritis, dementia and many types of cancer. However, the researchers stress that people should not focus too much on the influence of caffeine on heart health but to the discovery of a pathway in the human body that contributes to chronic inflammation and other diseases.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, collected and analyzed data from over 100 adults. The participants have taken surveys, given blood samples, and had their medical history reviewed for the ten-year duration of the study. Comparison of blood samples from the older participants with the younger participants was made to look for genes that are more active in older adults.

The researchers found that two clusters of genes are involved in the production of a potent inflammatory protein called IL-1-beta. In addition, the study was able to categorize the older participants into two groups based on how active the clusters of genes are in their bodies.

Nine out of twelve adults in the high activation group have high blood pressure compared to the one out of eleven adults in the low activation group. Adults in the high activation category also tended to have stiff arteries and much older people have high levels of IL-1-beta. The older people in the high activation group also have higher levels of nucleic acid metabolites.

Nucleic-acid metabolites are substances that by-products of molecules that serve as the building blocks of genes. The common reason why people in the low activation group did not show these signs is because most of them drink coffee or caffeinated beverages.

From experiments done on mice, the study found that high levels of nucleic acid metabolites lead to the production of more IL-1-beta in one of the inflammatory gene clusters. These substances cause widespread inflammation and high blood pressure.

On the other hand, the researchers discovered that when combined with these substances, caffeine blocks the inflammatory-triggering effects of the nucleic acid metabolites and IL-1-beta.

Further studies are needed to fully understand the relationship of high or low activation in regards to the inflammatory process. However, with the identification of the nucleic acid metabolites and IL-1-beta in the gene clusters, the study was able to point out substances that can be targeted to stop or inhibit the inflammation process.

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The use of profanity is sometimes viewed as being antisocial, harmful and abusive. It violates society's notion of what is moral and pure. On the other hand, people see the use of profanity as an expression of genuine feelings and thus are regarded as being more honest. These contradicting views have led to a study to find the answer to the question, "Are People Who Swear More Honest?"

According to societal norms, people who use profane language or people who swear are widely seen as people who are immoral and are therefore tagged as untrustworthy and potentially anti-social and dishonest individuals. However, the use of profanity also has a positive connotation.

Other people perceive the use of profanity as the conveyance of one's unfiltered thoughts or opinions and are therefore regarded as an expression of genuine and honest feelings or emotions. It is commonly related to the expressions of anger, frustration, or surprise. The use of profanity is also regarded as a show of unbridled passion regarding an object, a view, or a person.

Based on the positive perception of profanity, a study conducted by researchers lead by the University of Cambridge, examined the relationship of profanity and honesty. "Swearing is often inappropriate but it can also be evidence that someone is telling you their honest opinion", explains Dr. David Stillwell, co-author of the study.

The researchers conducted three components of the study in regards to the positive relationship of profanity and honesty. The first study asked its 307 participants to list the most commonly used and favorite swear words, how often they use profanity and the reasons for using profanity. All participants of the first component of the study were then assessed using a Lie Scale.

The second component of the study explored the profanity-honesty relationship in a more natural setting by analyzing Facebook status update using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count tool. A total of 153,716 participants with English Facebook accounts were recruited for the second component of the study.

The last component examined the profanity-honesty relationship on a state level. It explored whether the use of profanity in the individual level affects the society particularly the state level integrity of a place. The average of the profanity scores of the American participants from the second component of the study and state-level profanity through the State Integrity Index 2012 were calculated.

The findings of the study, published in journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, showed that participants of the first component tended to lie less on the Lie Scale if they wrote down a high number of times they used and liked curse words. Self-reported higher use of profanity in the participants' daily lives also showed them to be more honest. The participants reasoned that they use profanity mostly to express negative emotions.

The second component reflected the results of the first component of the study. There was a positive correlation between profanity and honesty after analysis of the participants' Facebook status updates. The researchers indicated that the use of profanity in the status updates denotes less lying and deception.

The same was found on the third component where profanity and state-level integrity have a positive correlation.

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A private clinic in California will conduct clinical trials to pump people full of young blood in the hopes of finding the fountain of youth. The catch? It costs $8,000.

Ambrosia, a tech startup company, is out to find out if blood transfusion of young blood has health benefits. It is looking to enroll 600 participants for its clinical trial. The chosen participants will undergo a one-time transfusion of a two-liter bag of plasma, blood with the blood cells removed, from young people ages 16 years old to 25 years old.

Initiated by Jesse Karmazin, a 32-year-old entrepreneur, the clinical trial will pave the way in the discovery of the ultimate fountain of youth. He said that within just a month, most participants will see improvements after the blood plasma transfusion.

However, many scientists are questioning the clinical trial of the company, saying that it's poorly designed and cannot provide evidence about the effects of the blood transfusions. Moreover, some say the pay-to-participate study, with the potential to collect about $4.8 million from as many as 600 participants could be a scam, MIT Technology Review reports.

The clinical trial and Karmazin's idea were based on several studies. For one, in 2013, a study published in the journal Cell demonstrates a technique called parabiosis, wherein an older and younger mouse were sewn together so they would share a common circulatory system.

The researchers found that the cardiac health in the older mouse improved because of the increase in the levels of a protein called GDF11, Yahoo reports.

The Ambrosia clinical study, on the other hand, won't sew two humans together, though. Instead, it's offering patients above the age of 35 a blood transfusion. Furthermore, there would be no control group in the study because of the expensive admission price. That's why all potential 600 participants will receive real plasma.

In another study by Stanford University neuroscientist Tony Wyss-Coray in 2014, he found that after about 10 blood transfusions from younger mice, there were increased neuron growth and better memories in older mice. However, he does not believe the clinical trial on humans would live up to its expectations.

"People want to believe that young blood restores youth, even though we don't have evidence that it works in humans and we don't understand the mechanism of how mice look younger," Wyss-Coray as reported by the New York Post.

"I think people are just attracted to it because of vampire stories," he added.



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More than a year has passed and the dreaded Zika virus still lingers, but will it end soon? The virus has quietly spread to Southwest Africa with two new cases reported in Angola.

In the United States, however, it has been one year since the first case of the mosquito-borne Zika virus has been reported in the mainland. The patient's case was reported on Jan. 15, 2016 when he got infected in another country and traveled to Miami-Dade County. Now, there had been more than 1,200 cases statewide wherein 256 were locally-transmitted.

Though the cases decreased steadily over the past year, University of Florida public health forecasters said it's doubtful that Zika is done, the Sun Sentinel reports.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of Jan. 5, the global risk assessment has not changed and the virus continues to spread geographically to areas where competent vectors are present. The health agency added that despite reports of the decline in cases were reported, vigilance needs to remain high.

Zika Virus Quietly Spreads To Southwest Africa

After the continent suffered the fatal Ebola virus years ago, Zika virus has posed threat to the area with two new cases reported in Angola.

The country is, in fact, still recovering from bouts of both cholera and yellow fever epidemic that has killed hundreds. Now, two new cases have been reported in the country.

The two new cases may not be cause for concern, but the country needs to prepare in case a widespread Zika outbreak might emerge.

"Up until two months ago, we didn't have any detected case, but, now, we have two cases of Zika," Jose Luis Gomes Sambo, Health Minister, said as reported by IOL.

"We have to take preventable measures, especially in the anti-vectorial fight against the mosquitoes," he added.

One case was a French citizen who was traveling while the other one is a 14-year-old teenager from Luanda, Angola. The WHO and the Angolan government is working together to monitor the patients and investigate other possible cases of the infection.

West African countries and health agencies are now more alert after the continent suffered the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Luanda, meanwhile, is a ripe breeding ground for disease outbreaks because of its dense population and poor infrastructures.



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He has been cited by Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed on radio, TV and in social media.





Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.





Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post and other publications.



A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.



He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.









Cirucci's passions include politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel. In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, Matt Rooney's sidekick on Save Jersey's videocasts and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.
An iconic photo is a reflection of an entire era -- decades of human progress, toil, and conflict condensed into a single image. Why, that's worth -- how long was that last sentence? 22 words? It's worth at least 22 words. Maybe round that up to 25. But after such pictures are taken, the people in them were free to wander off to have a bagel, or find some burn cream, or do whatever it is they were doing before history stole their souls. This is what happened after ...

5 For The "Dust Lady," Things Somehow Got Worse After 9/11

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Marcy Borders went to work as a bank teller ... on the 81st floor of the World Trade Center. Yes, obviously you know what's coming, but Marcy had no idea. She'd only started the job four weeks previously. A few hours later, the first plane struck the tower while she was making copies. The impact knocked her to the ground. She got up and ran for the stairs. While she tried to escape, the building started to collapse, resulting in so much smoke and dust that you could literally see it from space. As she fled the crumbling tower, Borders was obviously blanketed in the stuff. Photographer Stan Honda took her picture as she cleared the building, and the image became iconic of the attacks. She had become the "Dust Lady." And without even a radioactive vacuum accident of some kind.



Though witnesses spotted multiple heroes in the area that day.

Borders fell into a decade-long depression after the attack, and reported symptoms consistent with PTSD. Her life spiraled downward, and she turned to alcohol and drugs to alleviate her mental anguish. In the years to come, her life came apart at the seams. She lost her job, her two children were taken from her, and she separated from her partner of 14 years. It's not often a terrorist attack is considered "uphill," but for Borders, it may have been. It took her 10 years to turn things around. In 2011, she managed it. She checked herself into rehab, and while there, she found out Osama bin Laden had been killed -- always a picker-upper. Having found a new lease on life, Borders began to pull her life back together. She reconnected with her children and her partner, and began volunteering in the community.
Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging think tanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, Speedboat, proudly banned from Twitter so officially more dangerous than the Taliban, eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
Long-term agreements with Carnival Corporation and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings are coming to an end with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) in 2017. The NYCEDC oversees New Yorks cruise program and both the Manhattan and Brooklyn terminals.

There is a lot of focus taking place in the first half of the year to look at future opportunities for these lines in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The preliminary conversations are very exciting, said Joshua Nelson, senior vice president, asset management, NYCEDC. Were hopeful, the devil is the in the details. Both (terminals) have exhibited a strong commitment to the New York City market and we continue to see a lot of consumer demand in NYC.

Among the highlights from 2016 in the Big Apple were an inaugural visit by Ponant, the christening of the Carnival Vista, and the official flick of the shorepower switch in Brooklyn.

Our operators at both terminals do an excellent job, continued Nelson. One of the things we are focused on is the passenger experience. For a first time user at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, things can become quite congested. We have teamed up with consultants to improve that experience.

They have looked at signage, passenger flow and even traffic light timing on the West Side Highway.

The NYCEDC is moving toward a common terminal operator in both Manhattan and Brooklyn, and bidding closed on a request for proposals in March 2016. Nelson said news was imminent.

We had a strong response, he said. We have been working diligently. We are in a good spot for contracting. It will create a lot of synergies, and cost savings for the lines themselves. We know were expensive, but we are committed to making sure those costs are manageable.

The business remains somewhat seasonal, with an uptick for fall foliage runs in September and October.

We have discussed (incentives) for Canada/New England sailings in the summer, Nelson added. Wed love to see those itineraries expand, but we havent rolled it out at this point in time. In Brooklyn we are constantly working to manage the costs there. Official incentive programs are something we are looking at as we think about the future of the business and how to grow it at both facilities.

Maintaining strong partnerships with Carnival and Norwegian will sustain future growth, according to Nelson, as well as working with Disney Cruise Line to grow its seasonal homeporting.

I see Brooklyn with a lot of potential, he noted. There are some limitations to the ship configuration there, but that is a focus of ours for the next five years. Its very well laid out. Cunard loves the facility and likes the ability to get passengers in and out quickly. We can really unlock the potential with a few modifications to accommodate larger vessels with overhanging lifeboats.

In Manhattan, the plans zero in on Pier 90.

The configuration there is slightly different than Pier 88. Our future is really maximizing the utilization of our facilities. We dont have the ability to simply expand terminals. Its a focus on maximizing what weve got.

---

Get an in-depth, behind the scenes look at the North America cruise market and the ports that make it happen in the 2016-2017 Winter edition Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine. Subscribe today.
Many organizations flirt with the notion of threat intelligence. Academically it makes sense. Youre going to proactively learn about malicious IPs, domains, URLs and anonymous proxies before anyone in your environment starts interacting with them so that you can theoretically be better prepared to prevent, detect and respond to incidents related to these malicious corners of the Internet.

You are also going to join some industry consortiums so you can get more specialized information as it relates to your business vertical. This is very popular in some verticals such as financial services and critical infrastructure.

You may even go further to learn about malicious individuals and groups that are targeting you and trading in your intellectual property as gleaned from multilingual counterintelligence analysts operating in chat rooms, old school dial-up BBS and other locations where malware, nefarious services, credit card numbers and classified information is bought and sold. This goes beyond general cyber threat intelligence and often requires relationship building with the FBI and other federal agencies if the information is going to be acted upon. As such, well stick with cyber intelligence for the sake of this piece.

Intelligence operationalization

So far the promise of intelligence sounds pretty good. Why wouldnt you want more intelligence so you can be better prepared and more informed? Many critics of threat intelligence cite intelligence operationalization as being a fundamental flaw and that is certainly a big part of the story.

Most organizations do not have a large enough threat intelligence and/or counterintelligence organization to process all the received intelligence in an efficient and effective way. As such, intelligence becomes little more than a lagging indicator. The malicious IPs, domains, URLs, Tor proxies and the like are constantly growing and moving. The volume of data from free, paid and hybrid intelligence services is overwhelming and brings baggage like:

Duplicate information  x is bad, x is bad, x is bad

Conflicting details  x is bad - no x is good

Outdated data  x is bad - at least it was in 2001

Information that is simply wrong  x is bad - sorry, our bad, didnt mean to put your entire ISP on a blacklist

Information that is too general to act upon  weve seen bad stuff associated with top-level domain .cn  maybe you should disallow access to anything that is .cn

The other issue is that you are dealing in millions of intelligence variables. Operationalizing all those details with a SIEM, firewall, IPS and so on isnt practical. Organizations are still trying to tune their SIEMS to address the basics as outlined in my previous blog SIEMs sometimes suck. These systems are not built to handle a rotating active list of approximately 5 million bad IPs, for example, at any given time.

In the end you are left with trying to prioritize the intelligence for yourself into a manageable subset that you consider to be the most critical, timely and accurate. You make an educated guess in terms of what to ignore and what to integrate. The net is that you are guessing when it comes to intelligence integration because you dont have many other choices.

While free threat intelligence is the most common source of intelligence for most organizations, there are some vendors that provide enhanced paid services that aggregate, de-duplicate, verify, etc. and even build rules and signatures. This improves the overall threat intelligence experience and is far better than the guessing alternative. But beyond intelligence operationalization there is another missing variable: threat intelligence personalization.

Intelligence personalization

ISACs are extremely beneficial and help organizations hone their intelligence focus. But even if you are getting specialized, industry-specific intelligence from an industry group such as the Financial Services ISAC, the Retail ISAC or any number of other ISACs, its still not personalized to your organizations defensive stack.

Because its not personalized there isnt a clear path to integrate and evaluate the intelligence across your incident prevention, incident detection and incident response capabilities, especially if you want to look beyond your technology and evaluate the effectiveness of your people and processes. This lack of personalization means that you cant answer simple questions about your environment. For example:

Can I verify that my firewalls and proxies are preventing access to my list of bad domains?

Can I verify that when access is attempted and even allowed that my controls are detecting it?

Do I know if inbound or outbound connections are made with these malicious sites my security team will know how to respond?

Am I sure that there is a clear process to follow that is either automated or manual that my IR team is using?

Are all of these variables measurable so that I can determine if my combination of people, process and technology is working effectively and improving over time?

What to do

Dont throw your threat intelligence strategy out. There are many ways to help you get value; here are three you should consider.

First, when it comes to threat intelligence you often get what you pay for. Intelligence thats free isnt without value, but you might need to put a lot more time and resources into it to get that value than you could from a paid service that addresses some of the baggage I wrote about above. The paid service could very well end up costing you less. And, you dont want to be in a situation where by the time you figure out whats worth keeping, its outdated. Speed matters with intelligence.

Second, take advantage of the threat intelligence from your ISACs. You will have some industry-specific intelligence. But beyond that youll be able to build industry relationships and hopefully discuss with others in your industry how they are operationalizing their threat intelligence.

Third, leverage a solution that will allow you to personalize your threat intelligence by validating if your controls on your network are preventing, detecting and responding to your threat intelligence information. These solutions should be able to evaluate your people, processes and technology in your production environment, safely and continuously. By implementing a solution like this you have an automated method of understanding the juxtaposition of your threat intelligence and your security posture so you can focus your resources on managing the gaps.

Threat intelligence doesnt have to be an academic pursuit or a lagging indicator. With some time and effort and investments in the right areas it can add a predictive level of security to your overall security posture to complement incident prevention, detection and response before your organization is even targeted.
Terrorist groups are embracing a huge number of digital tools to recruit members and plan attacks, putting them a step ahead of governments trying to combat them, a group of counterterrorism experts said.

Twitter removed about 250,000 accounts connected with ISIS in one year, but the terrorist group uses 90 other social media platforms, Rob Wainwright, the director of Europol said Tuesday. Terrorist groups have begun to live stream their attacks, and they are using the internet to launch "innovative crowdfunding" campaigns, he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

"The technology is advanced," Wainwright added. "They know what to do, and they know how to use it."

It's imperative that countries start working more closely together to combat terrorism and to develop an online counternarrative that dissuades potential members from joining groups like ISIS, said members of a panel on terrorism in the digital age.

Governments need to trust each other more and be willing to share their terrorism intelligence, said Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, former director of national intelligence in Saudi Arabia. "Terrorist is a cancer," he said. "The terrorist cell uses these online methods to metastasize."

Raheel Sharif, former chief of staff for the Pakistani army, called for a combination of tough penalties for violent terrorists and deradicalization education efforts for others. Pakistan, in recent years, has cut the number of terrorist attacks in the country dramatically, he said.

But Prince Turki emphasized the need for a stronger counternarrative, on the internet and in schools, churches, and mosques. Tough penalties for terrorists need to avoid collateral damage to innocent people, he said. Counterterrorism efforts cannot "eliminate the terrorist and create 10 others," said Prince Turki, now chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.

Counterterrorism efforts cannot "eliminate the terrorist and create 10 others," said Prince Turki, now chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.

Some panelists suggested that a culture of free speech online complicates efforts to fight terrorism. The international community needs to find a balance between freedom of expression and safety, said Yemi Osinbajo, vice president of Nigeria.

"Each person has a ... digital device, and it has tremendous power," he said. "They don't even require any formal agreements. [Anyone] can reach millions of people."

Europol's Wainwright also seemed to suggest some limits on free speech. "We want to enjoy, we want to protect the freedom of the internet, but not to such an extent that there are absolutely no rules of governance," he said.

Panelists disagreed about the effectiveness of current online efforts to craft a counterterrorism message. Efforts in the U.S. and elsewhere to counter online terrorism campaigns have been "singularly unsuccessful," said Louise Richardson, vice chancellor at the University of Oxford.

But Wainwright disagreed, saying some counternarrative efforts appear to have reduced the number of Europeans and U.S. residents joining ISIS. But more efforts are needed to counter the "fake news" terrorist groups are putting out about themselves, he added.
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BRIDGEPORT  This was a different Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, one in which the promise of hope was dampened for many by the coming inauguration of Donald Trump.

We dont have four days to say that we have hope  we have four days to wake up. said the Rev. Shakeema North, of the Concord Baptist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y. She was leading the 39th annual Bridgeport Black Pride Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration at Mount Aery Baptist Church, one of the largest events of its kind in the state.

In just four days were going to have a racist, sexist, narcissistic, reality TV star taking the oath of office for president of the United States, she said to applause.

North said there has been a historical public perception that white lives matter more than those of African-Americans, especially when there is a murder.

In 1964, it wasnt until the killing of white students in Mississippi that the Freedom Summer campaign to register black voters gained national attention, she said. It took those killings to awaken the nation to the fact that that there were quite a few black bodies lying in the swamps of the Mississippi River.

North said the march to racial equality involves something more than a hamburger, referring to the famous Woolworth lunch counter sit-in that began Feb. 1, 1960, in Greensboro, N.C. It was not just at the lunch counter, but rather in every aspect of life in America.

North told the packed church that African-Americans must learn to break the chains of the incarceration of the mind, saying when your mind is under control, the chains of slavery are no longer needed.

How can we live with freedom when our minds are incarcerated by the chains of inadequacy and complacency? she asked. We have chains of indecision and disillusionment, chains of repression and depression, doubt and despair.

She said it has taken a long time for Americans to understand that black lives matter, but its a message that is still lost on many in the U.S.

Many Americans are finally conceding that black lives really do matter, she said. But I have news for you  black lives have always mattered, and they had better start mattering right now.

Norths speech was preceded by a brief address from U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

In Biloxi, Miss., they dont even celebrate Martin Luther King Day, Murphy said. They call it Great Americans Day  a day in which they also honor Robert E. Lee. So it shows you how much work we have to do.

Murphy said the intent of Republicans to abolish the Affordable Care Act would result in one of the most shocking attacks on basic human rights.

Its shocking because (a lack of health insurance) often results in death, he said. You wont even be able to stand on your feet and exercise your other rights.

Those in attendance included Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim; U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn.; state Sens. Marilyn Moore, D-Bridgeport, Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, and Ed Gomes, D-Bridgeport; Bridgeport interim Superintendent of Schools Aresta Johnson; Greater Bridgeport NAACP Chapter President George Mintz and former state Sen. Ernest Newton.

The two-hour celebration included a violin solo by Chelsea Morton and a performance by the Supreme Beauties Dance Company. Kirya O. Brown sang the Whitney Houston hit Greatest Love of All.

jburgeson@ctpost.com
And so it begins. The legislative Public Safety and Security Committee on Tuesday agreed to bring a pile of legislation to public hearings, including bills that would increase the penalties for assaulting off-duty police officers; extend property tax exemptions for emergency personnel; and provide body armor to firefighter and EMTs.

A mans place

Speaking to reporters Tuesday in the state Capitol complex, U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy said theyll stay in Washington over the weekend, first for the Inauguration on Friday, then the Womens March on Saturday.

Blumenthals wife, Cynthia, will be in Washington for the event, but she wont be taking the pre-dawn bus caravan from hometown Greenwich, Blumenthal told reporters.

I plan to march and hope to participate in similar events going forward, he said. Were going to have a peaceful transition of power, but well also have people marching in the streets.

Murphy said his Washington place will become a staging area and dormitory for marchers who will bring sleeping bags for an urban campout.

Well be hosting a bunch of them, Murphy said, stressing that he didnt think he would make the event, though, since hell have child-care duties, watching young Owen and Rider, while his wife, Catherine, marches. I think its incredibly important to show the country that there is a unified resistance to some of the very damaging policies that this administration may have for women and families and men alike, across this country, he said.

Ringing the bell

The nearly two-hour Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ceremony on Monday, attended by about 150 in the north lobby of the Capitol, included praise of President Barack Obamas legacy, and featured the annual tolling of the replica of the Liberty Bell in the nearby south lobby. Elected officials recalled Kings nonviolent message and his ability to bring people together.

King was shot dead by an assassin on April 4, 1968. We needed him back then, but we sure need him now, back here, said Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman.

Progress isnt on a straight line, said Attorney General George Jepsen. Its not linear, and it was Barack Obama who pointed out that its not inevitable. It only happens when people of good conscience work together and make smart choices. And while this might feel like a moment, given recent events, when were in the process of taking a step back, I just want to remind people about the long history of this struggle.

Medical cannabis reality star

Jonathan Harris, commissioner of the state Department of Consumer Protection, runs the eight-member Board of Physicians that reviews petitions for new ailments to be included in the states medical marijuana program. As the non-voting chairman member of the board, he tries to keep the meetings on track and the board members focused as they search for consensus.

During last weeks meeting, in which four new debilitating conditions were approved for the program, Harris became lost, briefly, in the stream of medical terminology. When one of the doctors gently explained to him what they were talking about, Harris, a lawyer with a self-effacing sense of humor, admitted: I dont even play a doctor on TV.

Big stories of 2016-17

The Connecticut Foundation for Open Government will sponsor a panel of reporters next Monday who will discuss where weve been and where were going. The event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Lyceum, 227 Lawrence Street, Hartford, two blocks from the Capitol. Its billed as The Stories Behind the Biggest Stories of 2016 ... and The Storms on the 2017 Horizon. Those in attendance will be asked for a $10 donation; There will be complimentary beer, wine and appetizers.

kdixon@ctpost.com
With the adoption last year of the Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) exemptions by the Securities and Exchange Commissionprivate companies can now raise capital from all 230 million American adults. Until now, businesses have been restricted to fundraising from only 8.5 million accredited investors -- anyone who makes $200K a year individually or $300K a year jointly with a spouse, or has a net worth of $1 million.

While its only been four months, one thing is very clear -- equity crowdfunding, under the current rules, doesnt work. Or as some might say, the exemptions were dead upon arrival.

Lets understand why equity crowdfunding doesnt work.

Financial review requirement by third party CPA

Reg CF requires that businesses raising more than $500K have GAAP Standard financials prepared and ready to share. While its important to provide potential investors with transparency into your business, the reality is that early stage companies generally dont have GAAP financials prepared. And spending $5-10K on a CPA to prepare them is excessive.

Related: Equity Crowdfunding's First Report Card

Form C

Reg CF requires businesses to file a Form C with the SEC before they can solicit investors. A Form C is a 25-page document that can require upward of 50 hours of work to complete. Youre going to want a lawyer to review and help prepare some of it, so expect anywhere from $1-5K in legal costs, which most startups dont have.

$1 million funding limit

Reg CF caps a business at raising $1 million in a 12-month period. For companies interested in fundraising smaller amounts, this isnt a problem, but for many businesses who are interested in using Reg CF to raise more than $1 million, this becomes a non-starter.

12(g) rule

This rule stipulates that if a business uses Reg CF to successfully raise capital and crosses $25 million in assets, theyll be required to begin reporting as a public entity. This potentially creates a situation where a company could be forced to go public whether theyre ready to or not.

Post fundraising shareholder management

Under Reg CF all investors must be included on a companys cap table. Often times when a startup has a large number of investors they use holding companies -- like Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) -- to clump them together and then assign a single manager to represent the group. This structure could be a great solution for companies equity crowdfunding from potentially thousands of people. Unfortunately, the SEC explicitly banned SPVs from Reg CF fundraising efforts.

Related: $5 Million Raised Since Change in Equity Crowdfunding

But there may be hope on the horizon.

The Fix Crowdfunding Act (FCA) passed through the House of Representatives with a 394-4 vote on July 5, and now moves onto the Senate with major bipartisan support. This bill would work to improve the Reg CF exemption, hopefully resulting in rules that are more approachable for fundraising companies. The goal of Reg CF in the first place was to give early stage companies a new pathway to accessing capital. Under the current Reg CF rules, this doesnt appear to have happened, but with these new modifications to the law, there may be hope on the horizon.

How would the Fix Crowdfunding Act (FCA) improve Regulation Crowdfunding?

Allow for Special Purpose Vehicles

The FCA would allow special purpose vehicles (SPVs) to be used for equity crowdfunding. Additionally, the number of investors that can be grouped together in an SPV was raised from 100 to 500 via the Supporting America's Innovators Act of 2016, which also passed the house on July 5. Similar to the FCA, it is still waiting for a vote by the Senate.

12(g) rule exemptions

The FCA would allow for companies using Reg CF to be exempted from the 12(g) rule. This would alleviate the concern many companies have of being forced to go public prematurely.

What still needs to happen to make equity crowdfunding work?

Testing the waters

If equity crowdfunding is ever going to work, companies must have the ability to attract interest and test the waters before they lay down thousands of dollars on lawyers and CPAs. The upfront costs currently required by Reg CF create too much risk for small businesses, which results in equity crowdfunding being an unrealistic option for most.

Increase funding limit up to $5 million

The limit a company can fundraise using Reg CF needs to be raised from $1 million to $5 million. This would make a big impact on the number of companies willing to use Reg CF, as many need to raise more than $1 million.

Related: 5 Tips to Make Your Crowdfunding Launch Stand Out From the Crowd

As the CEO and co-founder of FlashFunders, I clearly believe in the potential of Reg CF to help small businesses access capital efficiently, and connect with their customers in new and meaningful ways. While I fully understand the role of regulations and the important responsibility of the SEC to protect investors, the intent of the JOBS Act and Reg CF to inject new sources of capital into our small businesses is not being met.

My company and other equity crowdfunding platforms will continue to fight for small businesses and hustling entrepreneurs who need access to capital to innovate and build the next generation of great companies. Without further revisions to Reg CF however, the unfortunate reality is that many small businesses will be left unfunded -- as banks no longer lend and venture capitalists are only looking for billion dollar ideas.

Related:

This Crowdfunding Category Will Blow Up in 2017, Says the CEO of Indiegogo

Can Equity Crowdfunding Be Fixed?

Indiegogo Launches Equity Crowdfunding Platform



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
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FAIRFIELD  He was her favorite teacher. She, his doting student.

Together they ran the graphic arts department at Fairfield Warde High School.

But the relationship between teacher Jeff Iwanicki, 44, and the 15-year-old student took a decidedly darker turn, police said.

On Monday, Iwanicki, who has taught for five years at the high school and before that at Fairfield Woods Middle School, was arrested after the girl told school officials he twice exposed himself to her in his Warde classroom.

Iwanicki, of Deerwood Avenue in Milford, was charged with two counts of impairing the morals of a minor, two counts of public indecency and two counts of breach of peace. He was released after posting $50,000 bond, pending arraignment in Superior Court on Jan. 24.

The arrest has thrown the Fairfield Warde community into disarray, with teachers and even the school psychologist telling police only good things about Iwanicki, while also admitting they have never known the student to lie about anything, according to police reports.

Police said that after the student complained about the two incidents, she sat down and wrote out three pages detailing what happened. Police said the teen is known to spend free time in school in Iwanickis classroom, working on graphics projects like T-shirts for the Warde bowling team.

On Nov. 2, she told police, she stayed after class to help clean up silk screening equipment with Iwanicki, when he accidentally poured cleaning solution on his pants.

He said something like, Aw look what Ive done,  she told police. I have a nervous habit of not looking people in the eye when I talk; I glanced down to my feet but something caught my eye. I glanced down and saw that Mr. Iwanicki had his penis out of his pants. He didnt do anything, did not move to cover up, no expression on his face.

On Dec. 6, she was discussing with Iwanicki the designs for some T-shirts when, He looked down, then swiveled his chair to the right at an awkward angle, as he was doing so I saw that his penis was again out of his pants, according to her statement to police.

The student later texted a class friend about the incident, according to police reports. Police said the student told them Iwanicki never made overtures to touch her or sent her sexually suggestive texts or emails.

But she told police that once, when she was wearing a sleeveless shirt, he asked her, Are those the muscles you beat your brother with?

On another occasion, she told police, Iwanicki told her she was cute.

I always thought I was ugly, she told police.

An email to parents Monday from the school did not identify Iwanicki by name but said he was placed on administrative leave when the investigation began a month ago and has not been at the school or in contact with students.

This action enabled the school district to ensure the safety of its students while also reserving immediate judgment on the employee, the email states. Because of the ongoing investigation, school officials said they couldnt comment any further and recommended that parents having any concerns about their child contact the students counselor or housemaster.

In a follow-up email from Warde Headmaster David Ebling on Tuesday Iwanicki was identified by name.

... As you have likely heard, Mr. Iwanicki was recently arrested by the Fairfield Police Department. Prior to the arrest and immediately upon hearing of the allegations before the arrest, Mr. Iwanicki was placed on administrative leave. He will continue to be on administrative leave and out of the classroom until the investigation is concluded, the email read.

As this is an ongoing matter, we must allow the legal process to unfold without conjecture or interference. Moreover, because this situation involves a sensitive personnel matter relating to an employee, we are unable to share additional details with you at this time, the email continued. However, we can certainly understand your concerns over this situation and therefore want to provide you with this information at this time. We will provide you with more information in the future if we are able to do so.

Warde is offering counseling to students having difficulty processing this information.

greilly@ctpost.com; @GreillyPost
The Salt Lake TribuneJanuary 9, 2017All general authorities earn the same living allowance, spokesman says after the purported pay stubs show up online.Mormons and others who wonder about the salaries of top LDS leaders got a possible peek at those numbers Monday, when purported pay stubs for a high-ranking church official emerged online.Copies of the biweekly stubs for Henry B. Eyring  then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles  report that he earned $83,132.75 from the start of 2000 until the first week of December. Two more pay periods at $3,096.15 each would have put Eyring's salary at $89,325.05 for the year.The 16-year-old records were posted by MormonLeaks and show Eyring's biweekly salary broken down into a living allowance ($2,192.31), parsonage or clergy housing, ($826.92) and a child allowance ($76.92).A second newly leaked document, from a more recent year, is a 2014 memo from the church's Presiding Bishopric (which handles all financial issues for the faith), noting that the "base living allowance" for all Mormon general authorities was being raised from $116,400 to $120,000.It is unclear from the leaked documents what additional income or perks these men might make, including heath care benefits, free cars or book royalties.LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins declined to confirm the salary numbers Monday, while defending the payment of full-time ecclesiastical leaders."General authorities leave their careers when they are called into full-time church service," Hawkins said in a statement. "When they do so, they focus all of their time on serving the church and are given a living allowance. The living allowance is uniform for all general authorities [including First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, First and Second Quorums of the Seventy and Presiding Bishopric]."No funds for this "living allowance," the spokesman said, "come from the tithing of church members but instead from proceeds of the church's financial investments."Many of those 89 men in the top tiers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  including Eyring  attended elite schools such as Harvard, Stanford, Yale and the University of Chicago and built successful careers as college presidents, lawyers, surgeons and CEOs.Religious historian Jan Shipps, who is not a Latter-day Saint but has studied Mormonism extensively, was astonished at how relatively low Eyring's living allowance was  even for one more than 15 years ago.Many university presidents and even some faculty make much more, said Shipps, who taught American religious history in Indiana for years. "Compared to their pay, this is small potatoes."A Methodist pastor of a middle-class congregation in the Midwest, she said, "is paid a $138,000 base salary plus a parsonage allowance."Clergy at the local level in Mormonism serve as volunteers at no pay.Ryan McKnight, a former Mormon in Las Vegas who posted the documents to his new MormonLeaks website (formerly MormonWikiLeaks), stands by the numbers."I don't want to get into what we did to authenticate the documents," McKnight said in a phone interview. "We cannot guarantee 100 percent they are real, but we are very confident that they are legitimate."Previous Mormon materials leaked through McKnight, including widely circulated videos of briefings given to LDS apostles, have proved to be credible.McKnight defends posting the purloined documents  despite the fact that they contain private information."I didn't ask for them; they were sent to me anonymously," McKnight said. "I am not aware of what the law is in that case."He, for one, is not taken aback by the salary amounts, but does argue that the Utah-based faith should be more open about its finances."We are interested in transparency, pure and simple," he said. "Let the public decide whether this reflects positively or negatively on the church."Kenneth Lines, another former LDS believer, wasn't surprised by the salary of general authority Seventies, but did think that apostles and the three-member First Presidency "made triple that."Lines, a data analyst in Salt Lake City, doesn't begrudge Mormon leaders their compensation. He just wants the church to be honest about it.Some of Lines' friends have relatives who are LDS general authorities and "knowing the time they put into their roles, I'd actually say they are underpaid," he wrote in an email. "However, these same friends are proud to say their relatives are not paid ... which I think is dishonest."Unbelievers with family still in the faith, Lines said, "just want to see a more honest, forthright religion that doesn't seek to hide its finances and actions from its membership."pstack@sltrib.com
County-specific poll may foretell whether Pa. is going blue or red
Jan. 20 is the day that businessman Donald J. Trump will indeed become the 45th President of the United States.

Since he announced his decision to run for president in June 2015, Trump has gained slews of passionate ahatersa and followers, both online and off. Citizens across the country have both celebrated and protested Trump winning the election, but #NotMyPresident efforts have not changed the outcome of the 2016 presidential election in the weeks before the winneras inauguration.

On Nov. 8 Trump beat former Secretary of State and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by winning the Electoral College with 306 votes to Clintonas 232 votes. Clinton won the popular vote by 2.8 million, according to TIME and Cook Political Report.

On Jan. 19 Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence will attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the Arlington National Cemetery in honor of the nationas veterans. Later that day, the aMake America Great Again!a welcome celebration will be held at the Lincoln Memorial. The Inauguration Gala will be that night, featuring country artists Big & Rich with Cowboy Troy.

On Jan. 20, Trump and Pence will be sworn in at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on the west front of the Capitol Building. Former Americaas Got Talent contestant Jackie Evancho will perform at the event, along with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Radio City Rockettes and the Missouri State University Chorale.

After the inauguration commences, the new president and vice president will walk from the Capitol Building to the White House. This parade will head down Pennsylvania Avenue with high school and university bands, Boy Scouts of America, veterans and other organizations.

Three official balls will be held for the inauguration. Two will be for people across the country, but the other is an invitation-only event for armed services, first responders and other service personnel called the aSalute to Our Armed Services.a

Some University of Memphis students watch the three-day event, while others have decided not to.

Carrie Taylor, a 20-year-old biology junior from Brighton, Tennessee, said she does not really care much about watching the inauguration.

aI wasnat necessarily pro-Trump, I was just against Hillary,a Taylor said. aHe is a great business man, and he handles money well, so hopefully he can help out with the debt.a

Jason Kimmet, 20-year-old civil engineering junior, said he is looking forward to what Trump will bring as president.

aIf Trumpas presidency is anything like his companies, he will be successful as president,a Kimmet said. aFor the people who say theyare scared because heas president, thatas ridiculous. People who think heas racist should do more research a especially people who think Hillary Clinton would be better as president.a

According to NPR.org, thousands of women and aalliesa plan to rally Jan. 20 for the aWomenas March on Washington,a in order to begin pressing the issue of women's rights in high-profile ways to the new presidential administration. Co-founder Tamika Mallory has described the effort as not necessarily aanti-Trump,a but rather very aPro-women.a

The president-elect did pledge to aevery citizen of our landa that he would be apresident for all Americans,a stating athis is so important to mea early on Nov. 9, after Clinton conceded the presidential election.

Makennon Doran is a 22-year-old criminal justice junior originally from Ozark, Missouri. He said he will be watching the inauguration and Trump to see if he follows through with other promises.

aHe keeps saying that heas going to fund the military more than we do now,a Doran said. aIam interested to see if the budget will allow for that. He wonat be one of the worst that weave had, but he wonat be the best.a

A
On Friday, in the chilling cold of a Washington winter, Donald Trump will stand on the West portico of the Capitol to be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

Aged 70, he will be the oldest man ever to take the oath of office. The emergence of this garrulous property mogul and TV personality  someone with no direct political experience  as the world's most powerful figure is the greatest political upset of modern times.

Some have compared his rise to that of Ronald Reagan, a former B-movie actor. There are undeniable similarities, but Reagan was an experienced politician  having been California governor for two terms and a long-standing presidential candidate surrounded by a sophisticated team of advisers.

Trump's journey was largely achieved without the help of a formal political machine, with a low-cost campaign and the incalculable contribution of Twitter to spread his message.

On Friday, in the chilling cold of a Washington winter, Donald Trump (pictured) will stand on the West portico of the Capitol to be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States

Offended

In a break with tradition for Presidents-elect, instead of using a residence opposite the White House, he's been working in his cluttered office in Trump Tower in Manhattan, where he was photographed for his interview with Michael Gove.

What's more, Trump has behaved during the transition period with the same degree of imperial impetuosity and unpredictability as he did during the election campaign.

For example, we've witnessed his refreshing view that Britain has been 'so smart' to get out of the EU and that we are 'doing great'.

Not holding back, he said the EU is 'basically a vehicle for Germany' and condemned Angela Merkel for making 'one very catastrophic mistake' by admitting more than one million migrants.

He's also gone into battle with Washington's intelligence services and the media after lurid and unsubstantiated claims that he hired prostitutes to defile a Moscow hotel bedroom where the Obamas had slept.

All the while, he's been blithely tweeting his views on everything from the cost of a new Air Force One fleet to the use of nuclear weapons. He's waged war on General Motors  the company that most symbolised America's industrial might  and, in the process, encouraged Ford to reverse a decision to build a new 1.3 billion plant in Mexico (a country which he's said 'brings drugs, crime and rapists to America') and locate it instead in Michigan.

Americans expect Trump to fulfil his promise to 'drain the Washington swamp' and, in many ways, he is creating a government that is splendidly novel in its willingness to think out of the box.

Whereas many of today's politicians are afraid to say what they believe for fear of being branded politically incorrect, the Trump administration promises to be refreshingly honest.

For example, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is so self-confident that he's happy to make significant policy statements on the hoof.

He certainly offended key figures in the British Establishment when he pointed out that Brexit is not just an opportunity for the City of London, but for other financial centres planning to displace London as a world leader in financial services.

Trump said the EU is 'basically a vehicle for Germany' and condemned Angela Merkel for making 'one very catastrophic mistake' by admitting more than one million migrants

He, like other Trumpites, has little time for the banal neutrality of modern politics.

How invigorating it is also to see the lobbyists and PR experts who so infest modern political systems be given the cold shoulder.

No wonder the liberal establishment voices of the New York Times and the main television networks are seething with anger  fearful their prevailing values will be replaced with ones which they consider to be out-dated, misogynistic and racially insensitive.

Their self-righteous causes such as multi-culturalism and treating global warming theory as a religion are about to be brutally bulldozed.

The most intriguing aspect of Trump is that no one in business, or Washington politics, knows where the next assault will come from. In fact, Trump and his team have been plotting what is being billed as a Week One Revolution after his inauguration.

Without mercy, huge elements of the system left by Barack Obama will be demolished.

The most obvious target is reform of Obamacare, the centrepiece of the outgoing president's eight years in office and intended to provide affordable health insurance to 24 million people too poor to pay for medical care.

The fact that Trump will be aided by a Republican-dominated Congress means he can undo his predecessor's work at the stroke of a pen.

Here, the example of Ronald Reagan is instructive.

In his first week in office, Reagan intervened dramatically on energy policy and encouraged a new age of oil-drilling, which led to reduced prices for business and householders.

He also famously ended an air traffic controllers' strike by sacking the whole workforce and replacing them with U.S. Air Force specialists.

Among the major reforms set to be made by Trump  a climate-change sceptic  are to incinerate greenhouse gas emission targets; suspend the Syrian refugee settlement programme; prepare prosecutions against China over trade violations; and consider fewer background checks on gun-owners.

At the core of so-called Trumponomics is a pledge to raise America's growth rate from the mediocre level of 2 per cent or less since the Great Recession to match the past glories of 3 or 4 per cent.

Radical

Without mercy, huge elements of the system left by Barack Obama will be demolished

That means a bonfire of all the regulation, tax and trade policy that Trump is convinced is stifling America plc.

It will also entail ending austerity and launching a huge public investment programme.

Here are seven key areas earmarked for radical reform:

- Energy and climate change: An axe to Obama's beloved green agenda. Coal mining firms in West Virginia and Kentucky who have faced closure now expect to be kept open. Full steam ahead for more fracking, oil-drilling, pipeline construction and exploration in areas of natural beauty.

- Slash taxes: Contrary to popular opinion, the U.S. has the highest corporate taxes in the Western world at 37 per cent. Trump aims to cut company tax rates to 15 per cent. He'll offer big incentives to U.S. firms currently investing abroad to return their money to America. Middle income tax-payers will be offered a cut and death duties will be abolished.

- Free Wall Street from over-regulation: Trump promises to scrap many of the 30,000 pages of rules that financiers say suffocate trading.

- Spending spree: In echoes of the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt after the Great Depression of the Thirties, Trump wants a $1 trillion building programme to repair the country's crumbling infrastructure of potholed motorways and decaying city centres.

- Trade wars: He's on record as having threatened to impose a 45 per cent tariff on Chinese imports, and his choice of anti-China trade officials has sent an uncompromising message to Beijing. Companies that move production and jobs to Mexico (General Motors) or who sell goods to Iran (aircraft-maker Boeing) have been told they will face 'consequences'.

- War on Silicon Valley: The tech giants who act as if they're more powerful than the nation state are in Trump's sights, and he'll challenge the monopolistic powers of Amazon, Apple and others.

- Foreign policy: Trump disdains America's traditional security alliances and prefers the approach of Roosevelt, who forged deals with whoever it was necessary to navigate the U.S. through World War II. He also admires how President Nixon struck a nuclear weapons deal with the old USSR.

For the past two years, much of the focus has been on the personal shortcomings of both presidential candidates  with Trump and Hillary Clinton having exchanged blows like a pair of punch-drunk boxers.

But, for all his shortcomings, Trump was the radical candidate. His policies incorporate ideas and approaches used by some of the great presidents of the 20th century.

He is already being compared with Theodore Roosevelt, with the great wartime leader Franklin D. Roosevelt and with the Right-wing, free marketeer Ronald Reagan.

Whether Donald Trump, with his dictatorial and narcissistic tendencies, can deliver change in the same way is the biggest question of our time.
It might be a struggle to get most children to read.

But this four-year-old girl loves it so much that she has already finished 1,000 books.

Daliyah Marie Arana, from Gainesville, Georgia, became hooked on reading after she started recognising words at just 18 months old.

Bookworm: Four-year-old Daliyah Marie Arana, from Gainesville, Georgia, pictured with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, has already finished 1,000 books

She now enjoys books written for university students and only needs help if she gets stuck on a 'big' word, her parents said.

Her mother Haleema told the Times of Gainesville newspaper that she and her husband Miguel started reading to Daliyah 'right when she was born'.

Their daughter would also hear them reading stories to their two other children, she said.

'We would literally read every day, about 15 to 20 minutes a day,' Mrs Arana said. 'By the time she was 18, 19 months, we realized she could recognize a lot of the words. And we kind of took it from there.'

By the time she turned three, Daliyah was reading books on her own.

The little girl signed up to the Georgia 1,000 Books B4 Kindergarten Program - but ticked all the books off her list before preschool. She hopes to have read 1,500 by the time she starts kindergarten this autumn.

Bright: Daliyah, pictured with Ms Hayden at the Library of Congress, enjoys books written for university students and only needs help if she gets stuck on a 'big' word, her parents said

Mr and Mrs Haleema wrote to Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden about their daughter's achievement and Ms Hayden was so impressed she invited Daliyah for a tour last week and to serve as 'Librarian for the Day'.

Photographs show the preschooler walking through the halls of the impressive building and sitting at one of the large desks.

Daliyah hopes to become a librarian herself one day and wants to encourage other children to read.

Library of Congress spokeswoman Gayle Osterberg said Ms Hayden plans to establish a Librarian for the Day program on a regular basis for students 16 and younger.
Good news: research has suggested that having more sex before you conceive can actually lead to a healthier pregnancy.

It all comes down to the way women's bodies have evolved over time, and how the immune system works.

Research shows that women who have regular sex with the same partner for at least three months before conceiving have less risk of developing preeclampsia.

Get it on: Studies have revealed that women who have more sex are likely to have a healthier pregnancy

Preeclampsia is a condition that can lead to serious complications, including growth problems for the unborn child, and in rare cases can be life threatening for the mother.

Professor Sarah Robertson from the University of Adelaide explained in The Conversation how the two are connected.

'Preeclampsia is more common when there has been limited sexual contact with the father before pregnancy is conceived, and is associated with insufficient establishment of immune tolerance in the mother,' she wrote.

Timing's everything: Women who have a regular sex partner for six months prior to conceiving are less likely to develop preeclampsia

The key factor seems to be the length of time couples had been having regular sex before conception, according to statistics of the rate of preeclampsia in pregnant women.

'Women with less than three months sexual activity with the conceiving partner had a 13 per cent chance of preeclampsia, more than double the average occurrence,' Professor Robertson explained.

'Among the few women who conceived on the first sexual contact with the father, the chance of preeclampsia was 22 per cent, three times higher than the average. Low birth weight babies were also more common in this group.'

Bedroom bonus: Couples are also more likely to conceive during IVF if they are also having sex

Other studies have shown that it's not just natural pregnancies that benefit from regular sex, with couples going through IVF having higher chance of conceiving if they are also having penetrative sex.

'A study of Australian and Spanish couples showed intercourse in the days just before or just after embryo transfer boosted pregnancy rates by 50 per cent.' Professor Robertson said.

Scientists aren't entirely sure why the immune system has such a close link to reproduction, but believe it may have something to do with women's bodies detecting genetic traits.
An Australian mum of three boys has opened up about an experience she had with another mother after her four-year-old son kicked her daughter.

Carmen Ulrick claims she was left 'traumatised' after the woman abused her in public over an incident between her eldest son and a little girl.

The incident led her to write a post on her Joys of 3 Boys blog urging mothers to not tear each other down in public.

Mrs Ulrick defended her parenting style, writing that she had witnessed her two-year-old son hurt the little girl and made him apologise.

Traumatised: Carmen Ulrick (above, with her four-year-old son) opened up about a woman who abused her in public over an incident between her son and a little girl

'I saw it happen, spoke to him about it, and then he and I both apologised to her daughter and her for what had happened,' she wrote.

'All was good. I felt good about how Id dealt with it.'

But then, without warning, the woman was 'in her face' and it turned out that her four-year-old son had kicked her daughter.

'I hadnt seen it because even though I was watching him like a hawk, a piece of play equipment was in my line of sight for that split second and I had missed it,' Mrs Ulrick explained.

She added that even though she doesn't let her children get away with hurting others, for some reason 'this lady felt it necessary to get in my face.'

She added that the woman told her she needed 'to watch my kids because they are targeting her daughter.'

Joy of three boys: Mrs Ulrick is a mother to three sons (pictured), all under the age of four

Anxious: Mrs Ulrick (pictured) urged mums to help and encourage each other instead of tearing each other down

Despite her apologising profusely, Mrs Ulrick claimed the woman had no interest and continued to abuse her.

She said: 'My exact words were listen, we are all learning this mother thing, Im doing the best I can, Im still figuring it out, just like you are.

'Then I walked away (she had continued to abuse me, with her back to me, not interested in anything I said).

'I sat at the table with my friend, and I bawled my eyes out in the middle of the cafe. I just kept saying This is why I dont leave the house.'

While in distress, she added that another woman, whose son had been 'playing so nicely' with her sons, came over to check on her.

'She said not to let her get to me, and to remember that Im doing a fantastic job, parenting is hard. She helped a lot,' Ms Ulrick said.

Later in her post, the mother-of-three defended her sons, saying they are 'rough' and 'get carried away,' but don't target other children to hurt.

They're children! She said she's not making excuses for her kids, but insists they're not vicious

She added: 'They are children. I am not making excuses for them, I completely agree with the mother that my children should have been disciplined (which they were) and I understand her wanting to protect her daughter, but they werent being intentionally vicious.

'I am glad that she told me that my eldest did the wrong thing, I am heartbroken by the way she did it.'

She also said the woman doesn't realise how severely the incident affected her.

She said she rarely leaves the house due to post-natal depression, anxiety and because she's a stay-at-home mum to three boys.

'I will never go back to that shop again. I am traumatised,' she explained.

'It may seem like Im overreacting to some, but my brain is like a television that needs tuning after today. It took so much strength for me to just leave the house.

Criticism: 'I am glad that she told me that my eldest did the wrong thing, I am heartbroken by the way she did it'

'No one knows what is going on inside someones head. There is no need to treat anyone like I was treated today.'

She also blasted the anonymous woman for attacking her so viciously because she was setting a bad example for her daughter.

'Im so sorry she got hurt, she was such a lovely, friendly little girl, I hope that she doesnt learn how to deal with conflict from her parents,' Ms Ulrick said.

She added: 'Im doing my best. And Im not alone in that. Instead of tearing each other down, we need to go back to the it takes a village mindset that parents used to have.

'Parenting is hard but we can help make it easier, one Youre doing a fantastic job or youve got this mumma! or Can I help you with that? at a time.

'It takes a village, so lets build one together.'

Read more from Carmen Ulrick on Facebook here
Edna Shepherd is a 94-year-old great grandmother, but it doesn't stop her from sweating through 10 different gym classes each week.

The former dance teacher has just been presented with an award from the Hume City Council Mayor in recognition of her incredible efforts to keep fit and healthy.

'(She's) an inspiration to us all,' Mayor Drew Jessop said.

The Victorian woman said staying active was a lifestyle choice she simply couldn't give up.

Scroll down for video.

Edna Shepherd, 94, attends 10 different fitness classes every week, which even involves lifting weights

'I'm always on the go, I don't like sitting around,' she told Channel Seven.

Ms Shepherd said she allowed herself just one day off from classes at the gym, Thursdays.

But on her day off, she did not take a break from her active lifestyle, instead she spent it ballroom dancing.

The self-confessed gym junkie said fitness wasn't the only reason she enjoyed her time at the gym so much, the social aspect was just as alluring.

Aqua aerobics is one of Ms Shepherds go-to classes, keeping her fit and healthy at the ripe old age of 94

Ms Shepherd said the social aspect to the classes also kept her going back, saying: 'I like hugging the men, oh I'm a naughty girl'

'Well I like hugging the men, oh I'm a naughty girl,' she said.

Ms Shepherd's fitness repertoire includes aqua aerobics classes, tai chi, ballroom dancing and one of her favourites, the fast-paced Zumba.

'I like Zumba, oh yeah that's good,' she said.

The 94-year-old said she did not see age as a barrier and had no intention of hanging up her running shoes any time soon.
Breaking up is never easy to do.

But for some, it's the best thing they could ever have done.

People took to Whisper to reveal what made them realise their exes were 'awful' people after the relationship ended.

Some discovered their former partner held controversial views on politics and medicine, while others watched their exes go off the rails.

Scroll down for video

Yikes! One Whisper user revealed their ex suffered a mental breakdown just weeks after their relationship ended

One user confessed their ex had suffered a breakdown shortly after their split, forcing them to fear for their life.

'My ex went crazy two weeks after we broke up,' they wrote.

'Literally. Dodged a bullet.'

What? One ex struggled to comprehend the causes of cancer following a breakup, and accused a contributor of giving themselves the disease

One democratic voter told the secret-sharing site their former partner had voted for Donald Trump, leaving her relieved they had split.

Another user revealed their ex-girlfriend believed vaccines were 'unnatural' and would never consent to her future children receiving them.

The author also noted his ex had never been vaccinated herself, leaving them even more relieved the pair had parted ways.

Contrast: One user says they only recently discovered their ex had staunch views against vaccination, which would have caused problems had the relationship continued

I'm with her: Another disagreed with their ex's voting choice, implying the relationship would have ended one way or another

For one person, remembering the bad times became a good way to move forward.

Others found discovering their ex's faults after the relationship ended often left them feeling righteous and better off.

One submission told how a person had spotted their former love interest on Cops, an American television show following police officers as they fight crime on the streets.

They were not a police officer.

Not a cop: Another person spotted their former love interest on a television show which follows police as they fight crime

Different paths: While one half of the former couple had moved forward and begun a family, the other half made very different life choices

Some contributors revealed their exes had become involved in drugs - either taking them themselves or giving them to others.

'My ex got arrested for drugging girls at parties,' one person wrote, noting they had definitely dodged a bullet by ending the relationship.

Another, who is now married and expecting their first child, said their ex is now using meth, while one person was told by their ex they had found a more cost efficient way to get a buzz.

'I ran into my ex, who casually mentioned he was high on Windex,' they wrote.

'Glad I ended that relationship.'
Adelaide-born Ky Furneaux has worked as a Hollywood stuntwoman for 15 years.

Since 2000, the 43-year-old has been the on screen double for actresses, including Jennifer Garner in 2005s Elektra, Sharon Stone in Catwoman, as well as Anne Hathaway and Camilla Belle.

And despite winning the 2012 World Taurus Stunt award for Best Female Stunt Performer, she has no doubt about what the high point of her career has been.

I fought Hugh Jackman in X-Men 3. That was pretty cool, she told Daily Mail Australia. I spent a week biting Hughs neck  highlight of my career!

Aussies in action! Stuntwoman Ky Furneaux at the LA premiere of Thor with Chris Hemsworth

Highlight: The Adelaide-born stuntwoman said fighting with Hugh Jackson for X-Men 3: The Last Stand is the high point of her career so far

But as well as working with the Sydney-born actor, her role involved some extreme stunts  such as dodging exploding cars and falling out of buildings.

She also worked with another huge Australian actor, Chris Hemsworth, who she spent three months training with for a fight scene that lasted 12 seconds in the resulting Thor movie.

Most recently she has worked as Jaimie Alexanders stuntwoman on TV series Blindspot.

Seeing double: Most recently, Ms Furneaux (left) has been doubling for Jaimie Alexander for the TV show Blindspot

However she has been forced to return home to Torquay, Victoria, for rehab after having her hamstring torn off and reconnected with four butt screws.

Ms Furneaux won't let her hamstring injury stop her from returning to the work she loves.

It was an accident that led to pursue a career as a stuntwoman in the first place.

When I was 19, I broke my back in a car accident, she said.

Action! The Hollywood stuntwoman is seen dong a fight scene in character for the Thor movie

On set: She doubled for Jaimie Alexander for the Thor movie as well as TV show Blindspot

Injured: She's had to return home for rehab after having her hamstring torn off the bone and reattached with four screws

I was told I would not be able to be active again  and I wanted to find the most extreme way to prove them wrong.

She said shed been teaching rock climbing at a school camp when a student suggested she become a stuntwoman.

And although much of todays blockbusters have impressive computer-generated imagery, Ms Furneaux wants people to know how much work stunt doubles do.

Spitting image: She is seen posing in front of a picture of Sharon Stone, who she doubled for the Catwoman movie

I think people think its all smoke and mirrors and there arent real people doing things, she said.

People dont realise there are real human beings, really talented people who work really hard.

She added: We train for years to get to this level.

Loving it: She was given a birthday cake by Luis Guzman after Arnold Schwarzenegger sang 'Happy Birthday' to her
One is the 57-year-old former wife of the sixth in line to the throne, the other is an iconic British supermodel famed for her wild lifestyle.

But despite all of their apparent differences, the Duchess of York and Kate Moss are old friends.

So it's little wonder Sarah Ferguson was among guests understood to have been celebrating the supermodel's 43rd birthday at Mayfair celeb haunt China Tang.

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, and a friend were seen leaving China Tang restaurant in Mayfair, where she is understood to have been celebrating Kate Moss' birthday

The 57-year-old wore a black dress with a black leather belt and a fitted leather jacket

The Duchess, who was snapped in a knee-length black dress with a corset style leather belt, is thought to have attended a dinner for the supermodel at the restaurant inside the Dorchester Hotel.

She teamed the dress with a fitted black leather jacket, sheer tights, and sensible, slipper-style flats embellished with crowns - perhaps a cheeky nod to her royal past.

The 57-year-old, who left the hotel clutching the hand of a blonde friend, carried a metallic handbag under her arm and kept a tight grip on her phone as she made her way out.

The Duchess of York and the famous supermodel have previously been on holiday together

Sarah Ferguson teamed her knee length dress with sheer tights and a pair of sensible flats embellished with crowns

Popular with celebs, China Tang serves high end Cantonese food at the Dorchester Hotel

Perennially popular with the rich and famous, China Tang serves up high end Cantonese fare in the luxury Mayfair hotel.

It's a particular favourite of Kate Moss, who has been snapped leaving the restaurant with the Duchess of York in the past.

The pair were also photographed on holiday together with friends in Greece last summer.

They were snapped on a boat in August along with Hong Kong tycoon Sir David Tang - the owner of China Tang - and his family.
The Duchess of Cornwall has been given a rather unexpected makeover - as a fairy godmother.

Camilla, 69, is the honorary judge for BBC Radio 2's 500 Words children's story-writing competition, and appears as a cartoon in a new video to promote the contest.

Dressed in blue coat and her signature pearls, the Duchess appears in a cloud of sparkles outside 29 Ordinary Street, in the video narrated by Chris Evans.

The Duchess of Cornwall has been given a rather unexpected makeover - as a fairy godmother - to launch BBC Radio 2's 500 Words story-writing competition for children

Later in the short film, viewers get a rare chance to hear the Duchess speak, as she announces: '500 Words. Are you ready for an adventure?'

Although she is a good public speaker, the Duchess rarely appears on camera and shies away from interviews, so it is not often that the wider general public get to hear her voice.

It's the second year running the Duchess, who is a passionate advocate for child literacy, has been involved with the contest.

In 2016 she became the first ever royal to be animated when she appeared in a short clip to promote the competition, however this year's turn is rather more magical.

The Duchess appears in a shower of sparkles outside 19 Ordinary Street in the short film

Camilla is instantly recognisable in her blue coat and signature strands of pearls

It's the second year running that Camilla has been turned into an animation to promote the child literacy initiative

She hosted the final of the competition at James's Palace in 2015 and welcomed the 50 finalists, the judges and special guests.

Devised by Chris Evans six years ago, 500 Words is a nationwide creative writing competition for children aged between five and 13 years.

Entrants must write a 500 word story and the six winning pieces will be read aloud on the radio by a celebrity such as Tom Hiddleston or Benedict Cumberbatch.

The overall winner will receive Chris Evan's height in books - an impressive 1.88 metres worth of reading - while the runner up will win the Duchess of Cornwall's height in books.

Last year, Camilla became the first royal to be turned into an animation when she appeared in the 500 Words promo video

Camilla enjoyed a flirty exchange with Night Manager star Tom Hiddleston as they both carried out their judging duties at the 2016 contest

During last year's competition, Camilla took the opportunity to cosy up to fellow judge Tom Hiddleston who was involved in the prize giving for the contest.

She enjoyed a rather flirty exchange with the actor when they attended the judges' meeting at the BBC Radio 2 studio.

Speaking to Tom, who had just appeared live on the breakfast show, she said: 'Hello Night Manager, how are you? Sunday nights just aren't the same without you.'

After Tom apologised 'unreservedly' for the series coming to an end, she implored him to return to the screen, before quipping: 'I'm sure I'm the envy of all the ladies,' as she walked off.
An economics student has delighted University Challenge viewers after returning to the show following a five-week hiatus.

Canadian student Eric Monkman of Wolfson College, Cambridge, has become something of an internet celebrity since joining the BBC Two quiz show thanks to his animated facial expressions and eccentric demeaour.

As he led his team to victory against Balliol College, Oxford in the first round of quarter-finals last night, fans were delighted to have the contestant on their screens once more.

Even host Jeremy Paxman looked close to bursting into fits of laughter when Monkman animatedly blurted out some of his answers. But his enthusiasm paid off when Wolfson triumphed over their rivals by 30 points, taking them into the next round.

Twitter was sent into a frenzy on Monday night with viewers proclaiming the contestant, from Ontario, was back to his eccentric best.

Many called for the breakout star to have his own show with one suggesting the name 'Monkman's challenge'.

Others were simply excited to have him back on their screens with Astrid Bin tweeting, 'GUYS GUYS GUYS @e_monkman is on University Challenge suddenly the world is a little less awful'.

Eric Monkman of Wolfson College, Cambridge, has become something of an internet celebrity since joining the BBC Two show thanks to his facial expressions and eccentric demeaour

Even host Jeremy Paxman looked close to bursting into fits of giggles when Canadian student Monkman blurted out some of his answers,showcasing his signature facial expressions

Twitter was sent into a frenzy as Monkman blurted out his answers, but his enthusiasm paid off when Wolfson triumphed over their rivals by 30 points, taking them into the next round

Anthony hailed Monkman as 'the man, the myth, the legend' while Steve claimed he was 'worth the Beebs licence fee alone'.

He later gushed: 'Commanding performance from #monkman.'

Twitter user Amelia was equally delighted to have Monkman back on her screen, writing: 'Who needs #sherlock when Monkman was back on #UniversityChallenge?'

While Kate Harmer said the sight of his face was enough to make her Blue Monday - traditionally the most depressing day of the year - feel 'special'.

Twitter was sent into a frenzy on Monday night as the contestant, from Ontario, was back to his eccentric best - with some calling for him to host his own show called Monkman's Challenge

Diehard fans even managed to track the student down on Twitter, where he proudly describes himself as '(Actually) the real Eric Monkman' and has been diligently responding to his influx of digital fan mail.

With his teeth-gnashing, shouty answers and general intensity, there's no doubt Monkman has become the stand-out star of the latest series of University Challenge.

In his last appearance in December, Monkman was once again on top form, firing out answers so animated that even Jeremy Paxman occasionally looked alarmed.

Twitter erupted with #Monkmania as the captain helped guide his team to a comfortable victory over Jesus College, Cambridge.

Many fans were excited to see him back on their screens with Astrid Bin tweeting, 'GUYS GUYS GUYS @e_monkman is on University Challenge suddenly the world is a little less awful'

There was much anticipation as the show, which aired at 8pm on BBC2, began with some clearly tuning in just to watch Monkman make mincemeat of Paxman's questions with his own inimitable style.

@nataliemosson penned ahead of his appearance: 'If being this excited about seeing Monkman again is wrong, then I don't want to be right #UniversityChallenge.'

@ClaireWithAn was equally braced: 'Just been rushed out the shower by a cry of "Its Monkman!" from the living room.'

@Smally1969 added: 'It's almost #Monkman o'clock! Strap yourselves in folks. This is going to be intense.'

@imogenn was thrilled: 'Just when you thought a Monday night couldn't get any better, MONKMAN RETURNS.'

It proved to be a sterling performance from the Cambridge captain, winning him plenty of new fans a scoreline that read 225-140 in his favour: @rrrachellouise wrote: 'I've come to accept that #monkman is the man of my dreams.'

@TomCraven2 agreed: 'Without any doubt Monkman is the greatest ever University Challenge contestant.'

@IanNaylor1 commented on Monkman's shouting style, saying: 'People asking why #Monkman shouts well its just the way he rolls.'

Previous contestant: Geological sciences student Peterhouse Cambridge student Oscar Powell rose to fame in last years series for his funny facial expressions

Mr Monkman was joined on his team by Justin Yang from Vancouver, Mr Chaudhri from Cumbria and Paul Cosgrove from Northern Ireland.

Last year, Peterhouse Cambridge student Oscar Powell rose to fame for his funny facial expressions.

The geological sciences student helped his team to victory in the final, and Paxman even asked him: 'Have you ever considered a career in stand-up, Oscar?'
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It may be January but that hasn't stopped the Miss Universe hopefuls from flaunting their toned figures in a series of skimpy swimsuits.

The contestants from around the globe took part in a swimwear presentation in a special event in the run up to the competition on January 30.

The event was held in Lapu-Lapu City on the Cebu island in the Philippines, and saw 86 candidates from across the globe appear in the show.

The 86 contestants competing for the title of Miss Universe took part in a swimsuit presentation in the run up to event in the Philippines at the end of January

The women participated in several events prior to the grand coronation of the 65th Miss Universe beauty pageant at the SM Mall of the Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippines.

In the swimwear round the women were required to wear matching beige heeled sandals - proving tricky for Miss Vietnam who could be seen stumbling as she took to the runway - ironically wearing a swimsuit printed with the slogan 'No Pictures Please'.

Miss Guam appeared to be particularly confident and could be seen blowing a kiss to her adoring crowd.

Glamour: Miss USA Deshauna Barber participates in a swimwear fashion show in Cebu City, central Philippines on January 17, 2017

The women participated in several events prior to the grand coronation of the 65th Miss Universe beauty pageant at the SM Mall of the Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippines. Pictured: Miss Venezuela Mariam Habach (left) and Miss Russia Yuliana Korolkova (right)

Each of the women walked the runway before an audience as well as judges who will choose the overall winner. Pictured: Miss Brazil Raissa Santana

Representing the UK is Miss Great Britain Jaime-Lee Faulkner, from Treeton, Rotherham, who was crowned Miss Universe GB in July last year.

The 26-year-old first entered the competition in 2011 but did not place but is now set to take on her 85 competitors in the international competition.

Jamie-Lee has had previous pageant success having taken home the title of Miss Scuba International in 2013.

In the swimwear round the women were required to wear matching beige heeled sandals - proving tricky for Miss Vietnam Le Hang, who could be seen stumbling as she took to the runway

Representing the UK is is Miss Great Britain Jaime-Lee Faulkner, from Treeton, Rotherham, who was crowned Miss Universe GB in July last year

Speaking of her win in 2016 Jamie-Lee told The Star: 'I continued to work hard, I went on to compete in other pageants and remained determined.

'Five years on and I feel really proud and honoured that I will be representing South Yorkshire and Great Britain in Miss Universe 2016.

'I will use this title to the absolute maximum and I will do the best I can with it.'

For her stab at the crown Jamie-Lee will be wearing a gown by Fillipino designer Leo Almodal.

Miss Guam Muneka Joy Cruz Taisipic appeared to be brimming with confidence as she blew a kiss to her audience while walking the runway

The women had to choose from one of six swimming costumes for their presentation at the event
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With constant scenes of gore and violence and characters being killed off every season, Game of Thrones is always in need of a fresh crop of actors.

But the HBO drama certainly doesn't scrimp of talent and has made stars of actors such as Natalie Dormer and Sophie Turner who are now household names thanks to the show.

Now a Imgur user themsfightingwords has taken the opportunity of reminding people what some of the show's biggest stars looked like before they were famous, and his photo collection has been viewed more than 500,000 times.

Scroll down for video

Peter Dinklage sporting a mullet in high school and as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. A gallery of the show's stars before they found fame has gone viral on Imgur

Aidan Gillen as Petyr Baelish, also known as Littlefinger, (left) and sporting a bleach blonde crop back in the late '90s

Peter Dinklage's high school year book photo, unearthed by a former classmate, shows the star sporting a voluminous mullet.

Irish actor Aidan Gillen, known for his serious roles such as politician Tommy Carcetti and gang boss John Boy in Love Hate showed off an unexpected boy band style with bleached blonde hair back in the late '90s.

Childhood photos of Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner show them as adorable blonde haired cherubs - miles away from their feisty characters on the show.

Scroll down to see if you can recognise more of the show's alumni before they found international fame.

She now plays the feisty red-hearded Sansa Stark (right), but Sophie Turner was once an angelic looking blonde school girl (left)

A slightly grumpy looking Maisie Williams as a child (left) and in character as Arya Stark (right)

Alfie Allen at a go karting raceway in Clapham in 1994 (left) and in a much grittier mode as Theon Greyjoy (right)

Natalie Dormer got her breakthrough role in Casanova in 2005 alongside Heath Ledger (left) and as Margaery Tyrell (right)

Kit Harington starring in War Horse on the London stage in 2009 (left) and as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones

Hodor, played by Kristian Nairn (left) and the actor's old MySpace profile from a decade ago (right)

Conleth Hill as Lord Varys (left) and at the 2005 Laurence Olivier Awards in London

Charles Dance in one of his youthful big screen roles in Alien 3, 1992 (left), and as Tywin Lannister (right)

Before he was Sandor Clegane (right), actor Rory McCann starred in an advert for Scott's Porage Oats (left)

One she'd rather forget? A youthful Gwendoline Christie plays around with a spoon (left). The actress played Brienne of Tarth in the hit series (right)

Former mechanic Liam Cunningham starred in First Knight with Sean Connery in 1995 (left) before eventually being cast as Davos Seaworth (right)

Nathalie Emmanuel who plays Missandei (right) as a fresh faced youngster (left)

Jamie Lannister is played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (right) who starred in the 1997 film Bent as Clive Owen's boyfriend (left)

Isaac Hempstead Wright in Brit horror flick The Awakening prior to starring in Game Of Thrones (right) as Bran Stark

Diana Rigg in her breakthrough role in The Avengers (left) and now as Olenna Tyrell (right)

Before she found fame as Daenerys Targaryen (right) Emilia Clarke starred in a dubious dinosaur TV film called Triasic Attack (left)
When was the last time you read the label, and how closely?

The ingredients list may reveal unexpected, and often unwanted, extra ingredients lurking in your favourite supermarket foods.

From pork fat in roast chicken bites to sugar containing traces of bones, these are the most alarming examples of when innocuous-soundings products contain very surprising additions.

BEEF OR PORK IN YOGHURT

Muller Light yoghurts contain gelatine, which is made from skin, tendons, ligaments and bones of pigs and cows which are boiled in water

Many yoghurts, especially low-fat yoghurts such as Muller Light, contain gelatine.

Gelatine is of course made from skin, tendons, ligaments and bones of pigs and cows which are boiled in water, according to PETA.

It is rich in collagen and commonly used as a gelling agent in desserts, dips, yogurts, sweets and marshmallows.

If you're Jewish, Muslim or vegetarian, you may want to read the label much more closely next time you go to pick up a yoghurt.

On its website, Muller says: 'We indicate if our products are suitable for vegetarians on the packaging. The following ranges include a good selection of vegetarian products: Muller Fruit Corner, Muller Crunch Corner, Muller Breakfast Corner, Muller Greek Style Yogurt Corner, Muller Rice, Little Stars fromage frais, Mullerlight Chocolate Fix desserts and Amore.'

BONES IN SUGAR

As sugar isn't naturally white, some manufacturers use bone char to make it that colour

As sugar isn't naturally white, some manufacturers use bone char to make it that colour - often referred to as 'natural carbon'. It is quite literally the charred bones of an animal.

According to PETA, supermarket brands obtain their sugar from several different refineries, making it impossible to know whether it has been filtered with bone char.

SEAFOOD IN BANANAS

Non-organic bananas are sprayed with a pesticide which may contain animal parts.

According to Science Daily, the pesticide Chitosan, which fights bacteria and prevents bananas from over-ripening, is made from shrimp and crab shells.

PORK FAT IN CHICKEN BITES

You would not expect to find pork fat in a packet of roast chicken bites

You would not expect to find pork fat in a packet of Asda roast chicken bites but it's there on the label - and if you're Jewish or Muslim, this could present a big problem.

The pork flat is clearly listed on the ingredients list, however - which was not the case for a beef lasgane served up at restaurants owned by Whitbread.

Just last week, the company was forced to apologise for using pork in its beef lasagne recipe without telling its customers.

BEETLES IN RED SWEETS

Red sweets or any other foods which are coloured with a natural red dye will more often than not contain animal products.

Carmine, which is made from dead crushed up beetles, comes about when the insects are boiled with sodium carbonate or ammonia, which then produces the attractive, bright red dye.

ANCHOVIES IN WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

Some Worcestershire sauces such as Lea & Perrins actually contain anchovies

It's often added to stews and a Bloody Mary to enliven them, but some Worcestershire sauces such as Lea & Perrins actually contain anchovies.

The fish in the sauce gives it an umami flavour, which is what gives food a moreish savoury taste.

BEAVER IN ICE CREAM

Some ice creams contain the ingredient 'castoreum' - which comes from a beaver's anal glands.

It's most often found in natural vanilla ice creams and the ingredient is allowed to be called a 'natural flavouring'.

It's enough to put you off your raspberry ripple.

BEEF IN SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

Some supermarket sausages, including cocktail sausages, are contained within beef casing and this is also the case with Tesco's sausage casserole

Some supermarket sausages, including cocktail sausages, are contained within beef casing and this is also the case with Tesco's sausage casserole.

The pork-based dish contains beef as well, so steer clear if that puts you off.

A spokesperson for Tesco said: 'We take great care to clearly label all our products to provide honest and helpful information so that customers can make an informed decision on what they wish to buy.'

HUMAN HAIR IN BREAD

Some breads and pastries contain L-cysteine, an amino acid used in the baking industry as a dough conditioner and it's used to prolong the shelf life of many bread-based products.

L-cysteine can be derived from human hair because it is the cheapest source of the acid.

WASPS IN FIGS

There's a good chance that when you buy a fig, the fruit contains a dead wasp

There's a good chance that when you buy a fig, the fruit contains a dead wasp.

This happens when a wasp pollinates a fig and gets stuck inside the fruit and dies there.

However, when you do bite into the fig, you won't be able to see the dead wasp contained within as an enzyme in the fruit converts the wasp into protein.

CHICKEN IN BEEF PASTE

This beef paste is made up of 33 per cent minced chicken

If you're buying beef paste, you'd probably expect the only meat to be found in the jar to be beef.

But actually, the ingredients list of the Asda spread reveals that it is made up of 33 per cent minced chicken.

An Asda spokesman said: 'The ingredients in our products are carefully chosen to maximise quality, appearance and flavour, but everything is clearly labelled for our customers to make an informed choice.'
Drug treatments to suppress HIV could be driving up rates of syphilis by eliminating the 'fear factor', a new study has warned.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) can control viral load - making it virtually undetectable - and preventing or delaying the progression to AIDS.

However, a new report claims the absence of the fear factor may have prompted higher rates of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) as a result of risky, unprotected sex.

This, they say, could be an explanation for the rapidly rising rates of syphilis in gay and bisexual men in the last three years.

A pharmacist pours Truvada pills - a daily antiretroviral reducing the risk of contracting HIV - back into a bottle. A new study suggests antiretroviral therapy may increase the risk of contracting syphilis in gay/bisexual men

Reported cases of syphilis in the US rose by 15 percent from 2013 to 2014 and another 19 percent from 2014 to 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Among gay/bisexual men, syphilis rates are 107 times higher than among straight men. In 2015, 81.7 percent of the reported male syphilis cases were from men whom had had sex with other men.

But researchers say it's not clear why rates of syphilis among gay/bisexual men are much higher than chlamydia or gonorrhea rates.

This is because HAART boosts immune system activity, and therefore is expected to lower susceptibility to infection.

HOW TO SPOT SYPHILIS Syphilis is a chronic bacterial disease that can be contracted by other means but is typically a sexually-transmitted disease. In very rare cases, it can be spread through prolonged kissing, as well as the more common routes of transmission: vaginal, anal and oral sex. It comes from the bacteria Treponema pallidum. Signs and symptoms: Sufferers develop sores, though these can often go ignored. The infection develops in stages. Stage one Small, painless sores (like ulcers) on genitals or in the mouth

Appear within 10-90 days after exposure

They disappear within six weeks, and do not leave a scar, before developing to stage two Stage two Rosy rash on the palms of the hand and soles of the feet

Moist warts in the groin White patches inside the mouth

Swollen glands

Fever

Weight loss

This all fades away without treatment before developing into stage three Latent syphilis Dormant, no symptoms Stage three Without treatment it can progress to more severe issues with the heart, brain and nerves

Paralysis

Blindness

Dementia

Deafness

Impotence

Death Treatment: In the early stages, patients can receive an injection of Benzathine penicillin G. This will not undo the internal damage but will eliminate the infection. For those with latent syphilis - and are unsure how long they had it - doctors recommend having three doses of the penicillin injection, seven days apart from each other. Advertisement

In the study, scientists reviewed the impact of HAART on behavioral and immune system changes.

Researchers created two risk 'models' to test the likelihood of syphilis infection.

The lower risk model compared someone on HAART with no treatment in an HIV-positive partner, and the higher risk model compared existing syphilis infection with a non-infected partner who was either HIV-negative or positive.

Behavior change was taken to mean that HAART would result in more sexual partners.

Immune system changes were taken to mean that HAART would boost susceptibility to T. pallidum - the bacteria that causes syphilis.

Results showed that either factor could produce outbreaks of syphilis that would be substantially higher than expected, but the factors together produced a greater number of infection than individually - similar to figures seen in the current outbreak.

Researchers say this suggests that there's an exchange between behavioral change and immune system changes.

Additionally, the body's clearance of T. pallidum relies on an increase in the number of an immune system cell called a T cell and a flow of chemicals that stimulate an inflammatory response. HAART dampens down these activities.

Clearance of chlamydia and gonorrhea is less reliant on these processes, say the researchers.

Drs Susan Tuddenham, Maunank Shah, and Khalil Ghanem from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, in an editorial, cautioned that the rise in syphilis cases may simply reflect inadequate screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea.

They also pointed to previous outbreaks of syphilis in straight men and women in the 1980s and 1990s before the advent of HAART.

Similarly, the professors suggested the researcher's calculations didn't take into account of the complexities of sexual relationships.

This included relationship length or the number of concurrent partners, or decreased use of condoms in long term relationship - all of which might influence infection risk.

The doctors wrote: 'We are living in an era where [antiretroviral therapy] is being used to effectively treat and prevent HIV infection.

'To some extent this seems to have tempered the urgency to control other STDs. As history has shown many times over, that would be a costly mistake.'

They added: 'If further investigations support a role for [antiretroviral therapy] in increasing susceptibility to syphilis, this will provide one more reason why screening, diagnosis and treatment of STDs in [men who have sex with men] must be prioritized.'
At two years old, Lexi Pacini couldn't crawl, sit up or stand on her own.

Doctors couldn't provide answers and a physical therapist even told her parents, Jeff and Tammy, that they had a 'lazy baby'.

After a year and two months of tests, they had their answer: Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a disease which weakens the physical muscles.

Now, Lexi's only chance at being able to walk and run on her own is in the form of a newly-FDA-approved drug.

But at a cost of $750,000 for the treatment, and $375,00- a-year thereafter, her family have no idea how they would be able to afford it.

Lexi Pacini (right, with her sisters), four, was diagnosed with Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy - a disease that reduces physical strength and often leaves children unable to walk or breathe

Lexi's mother Tammy (pictured) said she knew something was wrong when her daughter (left) wasn't reaching milestones that her older sister (right) had reached

Tammy and her husband Jeff took Lexi (middle) to Children's Hospital Colorado where she was diagnosed with the disease. The likely prognosis was that she would never learn to walk

Jeff and Tammy from Colorado Springs knew something was wrong when their daughter, Lexi, wasn't developing as fast as her older sister.

'Around 11 months, she still wasn't crawling,' Tammy told Children's Colorado.

'Our pediatrician referred us to a physical therapist, who just chalked it up to laziness. But as time went on, we knew something was wrong.'

The couple spent a year and two months speaking to primary care doctors, only to be told physical therapy was the best route.

Eventually, with little progress in Lexi's development, they took her to Children's Hospital Colorado when she was two-and-a-half years old.

Doctors immediately saw the tell-tale signs of a neurological disorder, and referred her for scans.

Within days, they had a diagnosis: Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

HOW TO SPOT SPINAL MUSCULAR ATROPHY Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a disease that weakens one's physical strength by affecting the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord. Those affected never gain or lose the ability to walk, eat, or breathe. SMA is the number one genetic cause of death for infants. SMA is genetic and passed from parent to child. There are four primary types of SMAI, II, III, and IVbased on age of onset and highest physical milestone achieved. Type I Onset is shortly after birth

Weakness

Difficulty breathing, sucking and swallowing

Never reach the developmental milestone of being able to sit on their own

Children with type 1 SMA can survive for a number of years Type II Symptoms begin between seven months to 18 months old

Learn to sit unassisted but not to stand or walk independently

Respiratory complications

Children with type 2 SMA usually live to young adulthood and longer Type III Occurs in older children and teens

Muscles weaken

Lose the ability to stand and walk

Lifespan is generally normal Type IV All above symptoms occurs but in late teens or adul hood

Lifespan is generally normal Although no official 'cure' exists yet, the FDA approved a drug called Spinraza in December 2016. Spinraza is administered via the spinal cord and regulates the SMN2 protein critical for maintaining the motor neurons. Advertisement

SMA is a neuromuscular disease which affects the part of the nervous system that controls voluntary muscle movement and weakens them.

The muscle doesn't receive the signals to move and a person affected with SMA can't execute the commands.

SMA comes in four types. Type 2, or intermediate, SMA has its onset between the ages of seven months and 18 months and before the child can stand or walk independently.

Doctors determined that Lexi would probably never walk and, as her muscles grew weaker, she would lose the ability to sit up, and even to breathe.

Her mother Tammy told KUSA: 'At first, we felt relieved because we finally learned what was wrong, but then we realized there was no cure.

'But our saving grace was, the day Lexi was diagnosed with SMA, we were told that there was a drug trial that Lexi probably qualified for.'

The trial was for Spinraza (nusinersen), a drug that, during preliminary studies, showed excellent promise for up-regulating the SMN2 protein - which is critical for the maintenance of motor neurons.

Spinraza is a drug administered via the spine into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord. It is designed to increase production of the full-length SMN protein.

In December 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Spinraza, making it the first drug approved to treat children and adults affected by SMA.

When Lexi first began the clinical drug trial nearly 18 months ago, she was was only able to stand unassisted for seven seconds.

Six months later, she could take 20 steps on her own.

Now, the four-year-old is standing, walking with the help of a walking stick and walker, and even doing limited climbing.

Tammy told Children's Colorado: 'Lexi's older sister does gymnastics and dance, and Lexi will ask, "When can I start?"

'So we started her in a dance class. She dances the way she knows how, in her walker. She just doesn't give up.

'She wonders why she can't do certain things, and we'll tell her, "Well, you're just not as strong. You don't have as much muscle."

'And she'll just say, "No, I have muscles. I'm strong".'

Doctors told Tammy and Jeff that there was a clinical drug trial for Spinraza to treat SMA in young children and that Lexi (left, with her parents and older sister) qualified for it

The drug trial has helped Lexi (left) learn to stand and walk (with a walker or walking stick) on her own. But further drug treatments are costly and have left her family questioning if they can afford to pay for it

Despite FDA approval, the first year of Spinraza treatment will cost $750,000 and then $375,000 every year thereafter. Her parents have expressed concern that following the drug trial, they won't know how to treat Lexi.

Because her father Jeff is a member of the military, he and his family are provided insurance by the US Department of Defense. TRICARE, the family's provider, doesn't cover the drug.

In a recent Facebook post, Jeff wrote: 'I would give every penny I have made and will make for the rest of my life to provide this drug to my daughter but this price tag means that unless I win a Powerball lottery, I don't have a viable way to pay for the drug.'
Carolyn Bjelan was drying her hair one morning last May when she heard a sudden thud downstairs.

'It was especially loud, even through the noise of the hairdryer,' she says.

Her first thought was that her husband, Jovan, 55, who runs a carpentry and joinery business and had been renovating their home in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, had fallen off a ladder.

Hurrying downstairs to check on him, the sight that met Carolyn, 52, made her gasp: Jovan was lying unconscious on the floor.

'His chest wasn't moving and no air was coming from his mouth or nose. I called out his name. No answer.'

Carolyn Bjelan (right) saved her husband Jovan (left) from cardiac arrest, as she had learned CPR 25 years ago when she became a Brownie Guide leader

Carolyn checked his pulse and, finding nothing, rang 999 and started CPR.

She had first learned the technique 25 years ago when she became a Brownie Guide leader, and over the years she'd been on refresher courses.

As her husband lay unconscious, she had no time to be emotional and pushed down hard on his chest.

'I didn't cry, scream, yell or panic. I just got on with what I knew I had to do  keep my husband alive until the ambulance arrived,' says Carolyn.

Jovan had suffered a cardiac arrest, where the heart stops pumping blood around the body after the heart's electrical system malfunctions.

This may be due to abnormal or irregular heart rhythms called arrhythmias, or as a result of a heart attack, where one of the coronary arteries becomes blocked and the heart muscle begins to die.

After a cardiac arrest, the brain and body are starved of oxygenated blood; death or permanent brain damage can occur within four to six minutes.

By doing CPR, you are taking over the role of the heart, physically pushing blood around the body and to the brain to try to prevent damage.

As Carolyn pushed her husband's chest, she put her phone on loud-speaker and the ambulance service asked questions about Jovan's condition.

Not long after, two paramedics ran through the open front door  she'd instinctively unlocked it on her way downstairs  and took over.

Jovan was in a critical condition. He was whisked by Yorkshire Air Ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary.

It was only as he was flown away that Carolyn (who wasn't allowed to travel with him) let herself break down.

As Carolyn (left) pushed her husband's chest, she put her phone on loud-speaker and the ambulance service asked questions about Jovan's condition

'It all hit me. The adrenaline had taken over before, but now I was able to see clearly that I might lose him,' she recalls.

Shockingly, if you suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital  as 30,000 people in the UK do each year  you have a less than 10 per cent chance of surviving.

And every minute without CPR or defibrillation (where an electric shock is delivered to the chest to get the heart beating normally) reduces a patient's chance of survival by between 7 and 10 per cent.

But if CPR is performed on a cardiac arrest patient before an ambulance arrives, their chance of survival doubles.

When Jovan reached hospital, doctors said he would surely have died without Carolyn's efforts.

'If I hadn't known what I was doing, Jovan could have died in our home,' says Carolyn.

CPR is vital. It gets air in and out of the lungs and helps the heart squeeze blood to the brain, explains Dr Adrian Boyle, a consultant emergency physician at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge.

Every minute without CPR or defibrillation reduces a patient's chance of survival by between 7 and 10 per cent

Of all the countries in the world, Norway is among the best at bystander CPR  it's performed in 73 per cent of cases, compared with only 44 per cent in England.

As a result, the survival rate in Norway is at 25 per cent, compared with less than 10 per cent here.

Though Dr Boyle recommends always going on a course with a qualified instructor, he stresses that the technique is not difficult to learn.

'CPR is a simple, easy intervention that can sometimes save lives. As many people as possible need to be taught how to do it,' he says.

'The main reasons people don't intervene are fear of getting it wrong, fear of making the situation worse, or even of being sued. But once it is learned, it's very easy to do.'

Basic CPR doesn't involve mouth-to-mouth resuscitation  chest compressions alone can buy enough time to save a life.

Where possible, you should also use a defibrillator, says Dr Boyle  automated versions of these, which provide verbal instructions about when to give chest compressions, are found in many public places.

Where possible, you should also use a defibrillator. Automated versions of these are found in many public places

People are now being urged to learn first aid skills such as CPR in case they are caught up in a terror attack.

Earlier this month, a team of military and civilian doctors launched a new guide, citizenAID (available as an app or book) to guide people through first aid in the event of a bomb attack or shooting, and it includes an instruction to start CPR.

A key problem, says Dr Boyle, is that teaching CPR is not mandatory in schools in the UK.

In Denmark, the bystander rate for CPR has risen from 25 per cent to 65 per cent in the eight years it has been taught in schools, and the survival rate has more than doubled.

The technique is also taught in schools in Norway.

Thanks to his wife's training, Jovan was one of the lucky ones. He stayed in hospital for a week and an internal cardiac defibrillator was fitted to his heart.

The device can shock the heart into starting if he ever suffers a cardiac arrest again.

Earlier this month, a team of military and civilian doctors launched a new app called citizenAID to guide people through first aid in the event of a bomb attack or shooting

Jovan has no recollection of what happened to him when he had the cardiac arrest, nor have doctors ever found out what caused it.

'There was no sign of an existing heart condition or arrhythmia and he was fit and healthy,' says Carolyn. 'That's what was so scary  this could happen to anyone, fit or not.'

Six months on, Jovan is working again and has just regained his driving licence.

'In the aftermath, I went into shock and felt very traumatised,' says Carolyn. 'But I'm telling our story to make more people aware of how important CPR is.

'Knowing CPR can literally mean the difference between life and death.

'So many people don't know how to do it, but it's so easy to learn and I wish more businesses, schools and organisations would offer courses.'

Lucy Wilkinson, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, adds: 'We need as many people as possible to learn this life-saving skill to give them the confidence to step in and try to save a life when they see someone suffer a cardiac arrest.

'We'd also urge all secondary schools across the UK to apply for our free training kits and help create a nation of life-savers.'

Carolyn couldn't agree more. 'I'm so thankful I knew what I was doing that day,' she says.

'The training I had means my childhood sweetheart is still at my side.'

bhf.org.uk
A van driver survives a major crash with serious, but not life-threatening, injuries  only to suffer a fatal cardiac arrest in intensive care when a bungling doctor gives him adrenaline instead of a sedative.

A cancer patient's allergy to penicillin is clearly recorded in her medical notes, but when she develops a chest infection, she is still given penicillin, and dies after suffering anaphylactic shock.

A great-grandfather being treated for lung disease is killed after a nurse mistakenly gives him an entire day's dosage of a medicine in less than an hour.

Arnold Harper, 56, from Barrow, Philippa Gillespie, 59, from Haverfordwest, and Colin Whalley, 68, from St Helens are just three of the victims of medication errors in NHS hospitals whose stories have emerged in the past 18 months alone.

Inquests into each of their deaths concluded that drug errors had either caused or played a significant part.

And shockingly, their needless suffering is far from unusual.

Just last weekend it was reported that the father of a top NHS surgeon died in hospital after being mistakenly given insulin instead of dextrose.

Robert Welch, 93, a war veteran, died in June last year in the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby, after suffering a cardiac arrest.

The coroner said 'inadequate supervision of relatively junior nursing staff, together with inadequate training in the preparation of medication contributed to the mistake'.

Recent headlines about the NHS crisis have focused on the situation in A&E, the lack of hospital beds and yesterday, the cancellation of even cancer operations  but the crisis is having an effect everywhere, not least in the alarming rise in the number of patients falling foul of medication errors.

It hardly needs spelling out that hospitals are meant to help patients, not poison them.

But this investigation by Good Health has found that medication errors in the NHS are on the rise  by 6 per cent in a year  despite a major initiative to stop them.

We've also discovered that the vast majority of errors were made by nursing staff, reinforcing concerns that many wards may be dangerously understaffed.

Furthermore, in some NHS trusts patients have as much as a one in 200 chance of becoming a victim.

Robert Welch, 93, a war veteran, died in June last year in the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby, after suffering a cardiac arrest

Good Health's findings are 'very concerning', says Katherine Murphy, chief executive of The Patients Association.

'Medication errors are distressing for the staff concerned but, as the evidence shows, they can be catastrophic for the patients and their families.

'We urge the Government to investigate the figures and work with healthcare professionals to find ways to reduce medication errors.'

Patients 'place their trust in a health professional to provide them with safe care', added Susan Osborne, chair of the Safe Staffing Alliance, a campaigning group supported by the Royal College of Nursing and The Patients Association.

'The NHS is in crisis and medication errors are an inevitable consequence of unsafe staffing levels of registered nurses, now seen throughout the service,' she said.

DEATHS CAUSED BY WRONG MEDICATION

Last year more than 205,000 medication errors were made in the prescribing, dispensing or administering of drugs throughout the NHS, according to official figures from NHS Improvement, the organisation that tracks patient safety incidents.

These errors include giving the wrong medicine, the wrong dose of the right medicine  or even giving medicine to the wrong patient.

The NHS says that 'only' 12 per cent of all reported medication errors last year caused actual harm to patients  an attitude that is 'shocking and complacent', says Susan Osborne, who is a former director of nursing at St Mary's Hospital, London.

Last year more than 205,000 medication errors were made in the prescribing, dispensing or administering of drugs throughout the NHS

Indeed, that 'only' will be little consolation to the thousands of patients affected, let alone to the devastated families of the 55 patients who died and the 169 who suffered permanent harm that year as a result.

The NHS says a further 25,000 patients suffered 'low' or 'moderate' harm, meaning they needed anything from extra observation and time in hospital to additional treatment after suffering 'significant but not permanent harm'.

Around a quarter of the errors were made by community nurses, mental health services and High Street chemists.

But the vast majority, nearly 150,000, were made in hospitals.

Official figures don't reveal which group of medical professionals is responsible.

However, our investigation shows that the majority of these medication errors in hospital are being caused by nursing staff.

We sent Freedom of Information requests to all the NHS trusts in England and Wales. Two thirds (112) replied, revealing a total of 125,506 medication errors.

Around a quarter of medical errors in the NHS were made by community nurses, mental health services and High Street chemists

Nearly 29,000 were prescription errors (ie, made by doctors) and 14,000 were dispensing errors (pharmacists)  in either case, typically the mistake was an incorrect dose rather than the wrong drug.

MOST ERRORS ARE BY NURSING STAFF

But 75,000 other errors, almost 60 per cent of the total, were linked to the way drugs are given to patients  nursing errors.

For example, Barts Health, a group of five hospitals in London, reported the highest number of errors (more of that later), 3,293  their figures show that 1,294 were as a result of failings in the way drugs were administered, such as giving the wrong drug or the wrong dose, giving a drug to the wrong patient, delays in administering drugs and  in an astonishing 254 cases  failing to give a drug at all.

Jonathan Nolan, head of nursing practice for the Royal College of Nursing, insists that 'comparing errors between professional groups, or comparing error rates between prescribing and administering can be very misleading'.

But 75,000 other errors, almost 60 per cent of the total, were linked to the way drugs are given to patients  nursing errors

Errors were 'frequently outside nurses' control', he told Good Health, 'for example where a drug is not available, so a dose is missed or late, would be logged as an error, even if the nurse was aware and trying to source the drug, which may not have been available from the pharmacy'.

However, analysis of the breakdown in errors for Barts shows that supply problems accounted for just 304 of the 3,293 errors, less than 10 per cent.

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) says doctors or nurses are 'much more likely' to give patients the wrong drug or the wrong dose 'if they are tired, stressed, hungry and thirsty'.

Such problems 'are becoming more common with the increase in medical admissions and staff shortages', says Dr Kevin Stewart, the RCP's director of clinical effectiveness and evaluation.

'Nurses work tirelessly for their patients, but without the right numbers, systems are more likely to break down and this can increase the risk of mistakes,' adds Wendy.

Preston, head of nursing practice at the Royal College of Nursing.

'These findings are yet another example of how the nursing shortage is impacting on patient care, and how crucial it is that the Government works with us to find a solution.'

ARE THERE ENOUGH NURSES ON WARDS?

Nursing staffing levels across the NHS have been under the spotlight since the public inquiry into the 'conditions of appalling care' that led to hundreds of deaths at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

The 2013 Francis report found that between 2005 and 2009 there had been more than 1,700 'serious untoward incidents' in which inadequate nurse staffing levels had played a part.

The subsequent Berwick review into patient safety identified 'nurse-to-patient staffing ratios' as a serious safety issue across the NHS.

Following these two reports, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) was asked to develop safe staffing guidelines for nursing.

Nursing staffing levels across the NHS have been under the spotlight since a public enquiry led to hundreds of deaths at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust

NICE duly published guidelines in July 2014. 'Medication administration errors,' it said, was one of nine 'safe nursing indicators' trusts should put in place.

But then came the bill for bringing staffing levels up to scratch: it would cost an estimated 414 million on top of the 4 billion being currently spent on nurses for acute wards (the Safe Staffing Alliance said many hospitals were so understaffed that the true cost would be closer to 1.25 billion).

In June 2015 the NHS ordered NICE to shelve the safe-staffing programme. But according to the Safe Staffing Alliance, the number of properly qualified staff on duty is the single most important issue when it comes to patient safety.

There is, it says, overwhelming evidence that 'lower nurse-patient ratios are associated with more 'excess' deaths' and that '45 per cent of wards in England are operating at unsafe levels'.

The ratio of one registered nurse to eight patients was the point at which 'significant harm is more likely to occur'.

But 'we know that about 50 per cent of trusts in the country are now operating with an unsafe level of registered nurses', says Susan Osborne, chair of the alliance.

There is overwhelming evidence that 'lower nurse-patient ratios are associated with more 'excess' deaths' and that '45 per cent of wards in England are operating at unsafe levels'

A survey of nurses published in April 2016 by Unison, the public service union, found that on one randomly selected day in February last year more than 55 per cent of nurses were caring for eight or more patients, a figure that rose to 70 per cent during night shifts.

(Even if trusts could pay for more nurses, one in ten nursing posts across England is currently unfilled, which the RCN says amounts to a shortage of 20,000.)

Commenting on our findings, Dr Mike Durkin, NHS National Director of Patient Safety, told Good Health that while 'on very rare occasions things can go wrong', it was 'vital providers and staff are open and honest about errors so lessons can be learnt'.

WHAT HAPPENED TO SAFETY NET?

Every one of the 112 trusts surveyed by Good Health confirmed that, in accordance with a directive from NHS Improvement, since September 2014 they had a named 'Medication Safety Officer', whose job is to champion drug safety in the trust and prevent such errors.

Yet despite this, 80 of the trusts reported more errors in 2015 than in 2014  a rise of 6 per cent across the trusts, though some individual hospitals fared far worse: Barts Health reported almost 40 per cent more errors.

Barts treats a lot of patients  nearly 1.8 million in 2015, including admissions, out-patients and accident and emergency  so around one in 500 patients experienced a medication error.

Every one of the 112 trusts surveyed by Good Health confirmed that they have a 'Medication Safety Officer', whose job is to champion drug safety in the trust and prevent errors

Yet this is not simply a problem for the biggest hospitals.

For the risk is much higher, at The Dudley Group, a group of three hospitals in the West Midlands, which treated 550,000 patients and had nearly 3,000 errors in 2015.

So here, around one in 200 patients experienced a medication error.

(In fact, the risks could actually be much higher, as these figures have been calculated assuming that all patients who visit a hospital are prescribed medication, when clearly some aren't.)

Size doesn't necessarily matter. It isn't simply that bigger trusts are more likely to have more errors simply because of the numbers of patients they see  other trusts that treated close to a million patients reported relatively fewer errors.

For instance, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust saw 970,000 patients, but reported only 1,000 errors in 2015, meaning the risk of errors there was almost half that at Barts.

The Dudley Group, a group of three hospitals in the West Midlands, which treated 550,000 patients in 2015, had nearly 3,000 errors, or one error for every 200 patients

A spokesperson for Barts told us: 'We deeply apologise for errors we have made,' adding that while the vast majority of medication errors resulted in no harm to patients, 'every mistake is one too many and we are working hard to learn from incidents to minimise the risk of them being repeated'.

As part of the trust's efforts 'to create a safety culture and reduce the numbers of incidents that cause harm', it was 'encouraging all staff to report incidents so that we can fully investigate, and we believe this accounts for the total increase in reported incidents'.

Dr Paul Harrison, acting chief executive at The Dudley Group, said the trust's 'safety culture includes an honest and open reporting system which encourages learning and improvements in patient safety'.

The trust is also investing in 'an electronic prescribing and drug administration system which we believe will result in a further significant reduction in the numbers of incidents'.

Electronic records and prescription systems can help.

The trust is investing in 'an electronic prescribing and drug administration system which we believe will result in a further significant reduction in the numbers of incidents'

'The computer offers you only the correct doses and if the patient is allergic to something it will tell you,' says breast surgeon Dr Philippa Whitford, who is the SNP MP for Central Ayrshire and vice-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Patient Safety.

But such systems can't prevent the type of administering errors identified by Good Health.

'When it comes to mixing up the patient with someone else, or the ward being so busy that someone doesn't give the drug at all, these are human errors much more subject to being understaffed or having agency nurses who don't know how the system works,' says Dr Whitford.

'The more the system's under stress, the worse it's going to get'.

EVEN ONE DEATH IS TOO MANY

Some have suggested that the worst performing hospitals may be those more willing to recognise and record errors  and that they will be able to learn from their mistakes in a way less open hospitals will not.

It's almost three years ago to the day that Philippa Gillespie died after she was mistakenly given penicillin despite her allergy being recorded in her notes

But the fact remains, one mistake is one too many, especially if it is fatal, as a devastated Roy Conolly knows only too well.

It's almost three years ago to the day that his partner, Philippa Gillespie, died after she was mistakenly given penicillin despite her allergy being recorded in her notes  and her repeatedly telling hospital medics she was allergic to it  he says he is 'horrified' by the picture revealed by our investigation.

He recalls hearing Philippa, his partner of 30 years and the mother of their two sons, being asked on five occasions, by five members of staff, if she was allergic to any medication.

'Each time, Philippa told them she was allergic to penicillin and it was duly noted down,' he says.

Despite this, a junior doctor prescribed an antibiotic containing penicillin, which was administered by a nurse.

Roy Conolly (far right), pictured with his wife Philippa (far left) with their son. Roy remembers being asked on five occasions if Philippa was allergic to any medication

Even as the drug was being given, Philippa rapidly fell ill, suffered a cardiac arrest and stopped breathing.

Both Philippa and Roy's mothers were nurses, as was his father who, says Roy, was 'dumbfounded that standards had slipped so far as to make what happened to Philippa possible in this day and age.

'In the three years since her death, the basic error that so dramatically cut short her life should have been made impossible to repeat,' Roy adds.

'Checks, and double-checks, when prescribing and administering medication should eliminate any chance of a patient being given medication that will cause harm to them.

'The fact that such errors are on the increase is chilling news and hardly inspires confidence in the NHS.'
A schoolgirl was told the ache in her right leg was bone cancer - despite thinking it was just down to growing pains.

Ashleigh Massey, 12, struggled to go to school after the discomfort in her right leg first began in September.

But when the pain reduced her to tears just a month later, her parents rushed her to Kingston Hospital in London.

Her father, Chris, 40, claims she was initially assessed and told she could return home - but doctors then immediately rang back speaking of their concern.

When they returned, they say they were told the first assessment was wrong and the growing pains could be cancer.

An X-ray, MRI scan and blood tests confirmed the doctor's suspicions, diagnosing her with osteosarcoma.

Ashleigh Massey, 12, from Chessington, was found to have bone cancer after going to the hospital complaining of growing pains

Mr Massey, from Chessington, said: 'From a parent's perspective, we just assumed it was growing pains and would try and relieve the pain with paracetamol which appeared to help before she was diagnosed.

'On the day, she was on school half-term and I was working from home. The kids were all out playing but Ashleigh was just on the sofa crying her eyes out because of the pain.

'I said to her, "if it is that bad I suggest we go straight to A&E". We were there for a couple of hours and she was assessed and then we went on our way.

He added: 'When we got on the bus to go home, we got a call from the registrar to say that he wasn't happy with it and wanted us to come back in for an X-ray.

The schoolgirl has had two rounds of chemotherapy to help fight the disease, and is set to undergo an operation at the end of the month to remove part of the tumour

'After the tests, the registrar told us, 'sorry' and I asked him what that meant. He told me his gut feeling was that my daughter had cancer.

'My wife and I looked at each other with one eye on our daughter and we were absolutely devastated.'

Asheligh, who also lives with her mother, Rachael, 41, and brother, Lennie, 14, is now undergoing chemotherapy and has had two rounds of the treatment so far.

She is set to have an operation to remove the tumour on her right leg at the end of the month at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore.

The operation will see her face months of recuperation at home as she attempts to get back on her feet. While she will also undergo a further year of chemotherapy.

But Ashleigh insists the loss of her hair after chemotherapy has been the toughest part of the three-month ordeal she has faced so far.

She said: 'I was quite shocked and a little bit worried when I got the news. I didn't really know what it meant because I didn't know anything about it before.

'The scariest thing for me has been losing my blonde hair because of the chemotherapy, that really upset me.'

The operation will see her face months of recuperation at home as she attempts to get back on her feet (pictured: a scan showing the cancer in her right leg)

Ashleigh said: 'I was quite shocked and a little bit worried when I got the news (pictured before she was diagnosed with her father Chris, 40, brother Lennie, 14, and sister Rachael, 41)

Mr Massey praised doctors for spotting the tumour and is now urging parents to be aware of the possibility aches that are often written off as growing pains could be much worse.

OSTEOSARCOMA FACTS Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer, it is found in growing bones and is usually diagnosed in teenagers and young adults. It is slightly more common in men than women. They are rare, with only around 530 new cases each year in the UK. It can affect any bone in the body but is most common in the arms and legs. The cause of the cancer is unknown but it is thought to be related to rapid bone growth, such as adolescence. The most common symptom is pain, but the tumour can also cause swelling and tenderness. It is sometimes diagnosed when a bone weakened by the cancer breaks during a minor accident. Sometimes it is discovered when a bone that has been weakened by cancer breaks after a minor fall or accident. Osteosarcomas are treated by a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Source: Macmillan Advertisement

He claims if Ashleigh's cancer had not been picked up when it was she could have been forced to have her leg amputated.

Mr Massey added: 'If that registrar had not made that call on this gut feeling, and if he was not willing to put his neck on the line, then we wouldn't have been this far on.

'If he had not have spotted it then it might only have been picked up if she had broken her leg or something like that and at that point, we could have been looking at an amputation or even worse.

'The credit has to go to the NHS. They have been supportive to our family at such a difficult time.

'This is every parent's worst nightmare and something you hope that you would never have to go through so what I would say to parents is just have a check.'

A spokesperson from Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Kingston Hospital, said: 'We wish Ashleigh all the very best with her treatment and recovery and send our warmest wishes to her family at this extremely difficult time.

'At Kingston Hospital, we understand how important it is to receive an early diagnosis. We are pleased that our staff were able to take the necessary actions to diagnose Ashleigh's condition and catch the cancer before it progressed.'

The Massey family are now hoping to raise 8,000 to pay for alterations to their home. It is hoped this will allow Ashleigh to recover while she has reduced mobility.

To donate visit their JustGiving page.
The annual number of abortions in the U.S has dropped to well under 1 million - the lowest level since the procedure was legalized in 1974, a new report reveals

There were just 926,200 abortions in 2014, according to the report released Tuesday by the Guttmacher Institute.

That is a 12.5 percent drop since 2011, with significantly fewer abortions in all but six of the United States.

Researchers said this can largely be attributed to two factors: the wider availability of effective contraception and the closure of clinics across the country.

Figures reveal US abortions dropped to the lowest level since 1974 two years ago

'Abortion is going down, and births aren't going up,' lead author Rachel K Jones said, remarking that the declining birth rate shows more women are preventing unwanted pregnancies with contraception.

But she acknowledged that the biggest declines were seen in states which recently enacted restrictions, such as in Texas.

'While many find ways to access care despite these obstacles, some of the abortion rate decline is likely attributable to women who were prevented from accessing needed services,' Jones wrote in the study.

The Guttmacher Institute is a research group which supports abortion rights, though it has broad support from academics of pro-life and pro-choice persuasions.

It is the only organization that counts abortion figures all over the U.S.

The latest federal survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lacks data from California, Maryland and New Hampshire.

As opposed to analyzed data submitted to federal authorities by states, Guttmacher Institute researchers Rachel K Jones and Jenna Jerman sourced their own data from every clinic and health department on record.

The number of clinics providing abortions declined 6 percent between 2011 and 2014, from 839 to 788.

Declines in the number of abortions were steepest in the Midwest (22 percent) and the South (13 percent), with smaller declines seen in the Northeast and West.

Abortions were the most common and widespread in the District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Florida.

Meanwhile Wyoming, Mississippi and South Dakota - with just one abortion clinic each operating in 2014 - recorded the lowest rates.

There were significantly fewer abortions in all but six of the United States in 2014 (pictured)

However, Jones and Jerman warned the picture is not clear - since most of these states also saw a rise in medication abortions.

Nationally, the rate of early medication abortions increased, accounting for 31 percent of non-hospital abortions in 2014, up from 24 percent in 2011.

There was also a drop in abortions in California, which protects abortion rights.
A third of adults diagnosed with asthma may not actually have the condition, research suggests.

Experts think many people are misdiagnosed with the condition, while others recover to the extent the asthma is no longer active.

They say doctors are too often diagnosing their patients with asthma without doing the proper tests.

'Doctors wouldn't diagnose diabetes without checking blood sugar levels, or a broken bone without ordering an X-ray,' lead author Professor Shawn Aaron said last night.

Some 33 per cent of recently diagnosed asthma patients did not have the condition, according to new research

'But for some reason many doctors are not ordering the spirometry tests that can definitely diagnose asthma.'

The Canadian researchers carried out breathing tests on 613 patients who had been diagnosed with asthma in the last five years.

They found 33 per cent of patients showed no sign of asthma.

Yet eight in ten of these had been taking medication, 35 per cent of them every day.

More than 90 per cent of patients with no asthma were able to stop their medications and remained safely off treatment for a year of monitoring, the team found.

The study, led by the University of Ottowa, echoes research which suggests asthma is hugely over-diagnosed in the UK as well.

In the UK, around 5.4 million people are currently receiving treatment for asthma - one in every 12 adults and one in every 11 children.

But NHS watchdog NICE warned in 2015 that around one third of 'asthmatic' adults showed no clinical signs and had probably been misdiagnosed.

And last year leading experts warned asthma inhalers were being dished out like 'fashion accessories' in the NHS, particularly among children.

They said doctors take the slightest wheeze to be a sign of asthma, and giving out inhalers where they are not needed.

Professor Andrew Bush, of the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, and Dr Louise Fleming of Imperial College London, said in a journal article last year: 'The diagnosis of asthma has been trivialised and inhalers dispensed for no good reason, and have become almost a fashion accessory.

'The result is the fact that asthma is a killing disease, if not correctly managed, is overlooked.'

Many are misdiagnosed, while others recover to the extent it is no longer active, experts say

The new study, published in the JAMA medical journal, found that doctors often did not order the tests needed to confirm an asthma diagnosis.

Instead they based their diagnosis solely on the patient's symptoms and their own observations.

Professor Aaron, of the University of Ottowa, said: 'It's impossible to say how many of these patients were originally misdiagnosed with asthma, and how many have asthma that is no longer active.

'What we do know is that they were all able to stop taking medication that they didn't need - medication that is expensive and can have side effects.'

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When the patients that were found not to have asthma were re-diagnosed, most had minor conditions such as allergies or heartburn, and 28 per cent had nothing wrong with them at all.

Two per cent had serious conditions such as pulmonary hypertension and heart disease which had been misdiagnosed as asthma.

'It wasn't a surprise to most patients when we told them they didn't have asthma,' said Professor Aaron.

'Some knew all along that their puffer wasn't working, while others were concerned that they might have something more serious. Thankfully, the majority of the conditions were mild and easily treated.'

Dr Andy Whittamore of the Asthma UK charity said: 'This small study suggests that some people may not be receiving the correct diagnosis for asthma or may be misdiagnosed.

'However, it does not address the equally worrying problem of underdiagnosis and poor control of asthma in the wider population.

'Nevertheless, the study highlights some important aspects of good asthma management and care, such as the need for people with asthma to receive objective measurements such as spirometry to confirm their diagnosis along with regular reviews with their GP or nurse.'

He added: 'Asthma is a chronic condition with many complex causes which is why diagnosis may be difficult.

'Asthma is also a highly variable condition that can change throughout someone's life or even week by week, meaning treatment also needs to change over time.'
Children are being severely harmed and even killed by basic errors committed by GPs, pharmacists and NHS call handlers, a study has found.

Preventable mistakes in treating children led to 12 deaths, 41 cases of severe harm and 658 cases of minor harm in England and Wales, a report found.

Efforts to improve primary care of children have 'stagnated', the authors said.

The findings were based on an analysis of more than 2,000 'adverse incident' safety reports involving children between 2003 and 2013, where mistakes have been made in treatment.

Most errors  30 per cent - involved 111 telephone health care phone line, closely followed by out-of-hours health centres (28 per cent).

Preventable mistakes in treating children led to 12 deaths, 41 cases of severe harm and 658 cases of minor harm in England and Wales, a report found

Community pharmacies made up 18 per cent of the reported blunders and GP's surgeries were involved in 10 per cent.

The errors are likely to be an under estimate due to some primary cares patient safety incidents not being reported.

The authors of the study led by Dr Philippa Rees of Cardiff University, expressed particular concern about the safety of assessing children by telephone.

They wrote in the journal PLOS Medicine: 'These concerns exist due to the potentially fatal consequences of underestimating the urgency of a child's condition, the non-specific nature of many childhood illnesses, the speed with which children deteriorate, and the lack of face-to face contact'.

The authors said they were also concerned about the safety of software used by call handlers for assessing the symptoms of child patients.

They wrote: 'The safety of CDS [clinical decision support] software used to triage children over the telephone is unclear, particularly its sensitivity to detect signs of serious illness in children.'

In some cases telephone handlers used the wrong protocol  such as selecting a 'head wound' protocol rather than a 'head injury' protocol.

In other cases protocols used on the phone were not used, 'or the protocols failing to adequately assess the urgency of a child's condition'.

Call centre staff were also criticised in reports for not using critical thinking  despite not having any clinical training, the authors said.

The most common adverse events involved respiratory conditions including asthma and coughs, head and limb injuries, accidental overdoses, and non-specific symptoms such as fever or weight loss, the study found.

Most errors  30 per cent - involved 111 telephone health care phone line, closely followed by out-of-hours health centres (stock)

Errors in diagnosis and assessment  which often led to delays in the conditions being dealt with  comprised 23.4 per cent of reported errors.

In one tragic example of a death caused by an error in diagnosis, a GP failed to send a two-month old baby to hospital accident and emergency, and instead prescribed an antibiotic, amoxicillin.

Concerns exist due to the potentially fatal consequences of underestimating the urgency of a child's condition Dr Philippa Rees of Cardiff University

This was despite a temperature of 38 degrees. NICE guidelines state that a fever of 38 degrees or higher in a baby is a 'red flag' and should result in immediate admission to hospital.

Around one in three incidents involved errors in medication (31.9 per cent)  such as children being prescribed the wrong dose of a drug.

In examples of dispensing errors, one child was prescribed ear drops instead of eye drops  leading to 'a prolonged burning sensation' in the eyes.

In another case, a 16-year-old patient was given the wrong medicine for three days and 'suffered serious side effects including catatonic seizures' because of similar packaging.

A five-year-old child was meant to receive an antihistamine called chlorphenamine.

But instead, the pharmacist dispensed chlorpromazine, an anti-psychotic drug  leading to the child becoming 'extremely drowsy' and admitted to hospital for observation.

NHS 111 HELPLINE NOT BEING USED In November, nine in ten Britons agreed that help from GP and A&E services should be sought only when essential. But nearly half admitted to using both for minor conditions such as coughs and colds, a survey found. Over the course of 2016, more than a third of the 5,000 adults questioned visited a GP, and 12 per cent went directly to A&E for self-treatable illness, which also included hay fever. NHS 111 is the number to call for medical help or advice in non-life-threatening situations. The Proprietary Association of Great Britain study found that eight in ten respondents knew about the 111 service but only a third used it Twelve per cent of those questioned said they would never use the service, with those aged 65 to 75 more likely to visit their GP or nurse practitioner for advice. Advertisement

The authors said that 'the UK performs poorly relatively compared to other economically developed countries on numerous indicators of care quality for children.'

They said around 2,000 more children die each year in the UK compared to Sweden, the best performing Euroopean country for child mortality.

The study said that the true number of safety incidents is probably under-reported, but the authors said that there were 'priority areas' for improvement in the care of children.

These include safer systems for prescribing drugs at community pharmacies; better triage during out of hours services and enhanced communication between professionals and parents.

In a breakdown of the 12 deaths, two were caused by medication errors, relating to clinical treatment decisions.

Nine were due to errors in diagnosis  of these two were due to inadequate triage, two inadequate diagnosis, insufficient assessment, one for inadequate discharge planning, and two out of a failure to identify high risk children. One death was classed as 'other'.

In recommendations, they called for 'robust evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of NHS 111' for assessing children.

They also called for mandatory paediatric training for trainee GPs, and more reliable systems for dispensing medication in community pharmacies.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the regulatory body entrusted with air safety operations in the country, has disclosed that its entire data set pertaining to safety and security of planes and pilots has been lost.

The loss occurred following a massive software crash in August 2015.

Aviation experts say loss of flight data at such a massive scale may have serious implications not only on passenger safety but also on national security.

Aviation experts say loss of flight data at such a massive scale may have serious implications not only on passenger safety but also on national security

International airports across the world are treated as high-security zones in the wake of rising terror incidents.

'The servers crashed in August 2015 and all information regarding the list of commercial pilot licence holders registered with the DGCA and type rating test (TRT) certified pilots registered with the DGCA got destroyed,' the aviation regulator said in response to an RTI filed by activist Anil Sood.

Mail Today has a copy of the RTI reply. Explaining the software crash and the aftermath, a senior DGCA official told Mail Today: 'The data was on NIC (national informatics centre) server, which crashed about two years ago and thus the data got destroyed.

'NIC could not recover that data. We do possess some of the records in the physical form. However, under our program eDGCA, only the current renewals and issuance of new licenses are digitised now.'

The central information commission too, in its observation to the RTI, mentioned that this was an appalling state of affairs in respect of record keeping by the respondent public authority, especially when it concerns national security and safety of passengers.

International airports across the world are treated as high-security zones in the wake of rising terror incidents (file pic)

Security

The commission also advised the DGCA to be more diligent in maintain its sensitive data.

'In the interest of the safety and security, not only of the passengers but also in the larger national interest, the DGCA is advised to maintain data in respect of all the pilots in different categories licensed by the public authority in a digitised format,' the information commissioner stated.

India has about 11 critical airfields, where, according to DGCA rules, only TRT certified pilots are allowed for take-offs and landings.

These airports include Mangalore airport, Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee airport, Kullu Manali airport, Shimla airport, Agartala airport, Port Blair, Calicut, Lengpui at Aizawl (Mizoram), Patna, Jammu and Latur airport.

India witnessed two major air crashes at Mangalore and Patna airport. The Mangalore crash of May 22, 2010 is classified among the top 10 deadliest air crashes in the last decade that led to the death of 158 passengers on board.

India has about 11 critical airfields, where, according to DGCA rules, only TRT certified pilots are allowed for take-offs and landings (file pic)

In the second incident, on July 17, 2000, 60 people were killed when Alliance Air Flight 7412 crashed near Patna airport prior to landing.

'In absence of digital data, anybody can use the identity of another pilot by merely replacing a photograph,' said Capt Mohan Ranganathan, civil aviation expert.

'Logging of duty time and flying hours can be fuzzed, if there is no digital backup.'

Experts say loss of data is a cause of grave concerns in the wake of several cases of irregularities including flight operations by the pilots.

'These data are important as it involves not only the safety and security of passengers but in the national interest as well.

In common parlance, we can say that this is akin to driving licence portfolios missing from the record of a transport authority,' said a civil aviation expert, requesting anonymity.
Inspired by the terror strikes of ISIS, the banned terror outfits in India are plotting 'Nice-style' lone-wolf attack to sabotage the Republic Day celebrations, sources in the security agencies told Mail Today.

The inputs related to the planning of the terror outfits were received by the intelligence agencies that have been keeping a tight vigil on the movements of these outfits.

According to highly-placed sources in the Intel agencies, specific inputs have been received that these outfits including Hizbul Mujahideen (HuM), Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT), Indian Mujahideen (IM), Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) are hatching a plot to launch a terror attack in various parts of the country at one-time.

Inspired by the terror strikes of ISIS, the banned terror outfits in India are plotting 'Nice-style' lone-wolf attack to sabotage the Republic Day celebrations (pictured - terror attack in Nice)

Another input reveals that the militants may try and target the Parliament, too.

'Heavy vehicles could be used deliberately to be driven into crowds to kill maximum number of people like Nice (France) attack,' one of the inputs reveals.

The security forces have been informed and instructed to keep a tight vigil on movements of heavy vehicles.

Also, the forces have been planning to prohibit the entry of the heavy vehicles for at least a day or two, sources said.

Recently, after the NIA busted an ISIS module that had planned a Nice-style attack in Kerala, it was learnt that as many as 30 radicalised men were actively recruiting terror sympathisers from across the country using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Meanwhile, senior officials said after demonetisation, terror fundings along with hawala transaction have remained as major hit.

Paramilitary soldiers take position as they cordon off the area near the government building, Jammu and Kashmir

'They have activated the sleeper cells and sympathisers. The outfits are now using the parked money (new currency including Rs 100 notes) across the border and for the sleeper cells,' sources added.

'Apart from LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) also suffered heavy casualties in the surgical strikes the Indian Army carried out across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

'It may take a leaf out of the Islamic State playbook to inspire what may look like lone-wolf attacks in major Indian cities during Republic Day celebration,' sources further added.
The craze for appreciation in social media led to the tragic death of two youngsters in the national Capital when their plan to film a 'daredevil' stunt before a speeding train resulted in tragedy.

In recent years, social media sites like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram have been flooded with stunt videos filmed by youngsters, which are watched by a large number of netizens across the globe.

The higher the number of viewers or 'likes' on the clips, the greater the popularity among peer youngster groups.

The craze for appreciation in social media led to the tragic death of two youngsters in the national Capital when their plan to film a 'daredevil' stunt before a speeding train resulted in tragedy

Detailing the incident, Delhi Police officials said a group of eight students from a private school in Mayur Vihar, east Delhi, wanted to shoot a stunt and upload it on social media. 'For the purpose, they took a DSLR camera on rent for Rs 1,300.

'A token amount of Rs 500 was given to the shopkeeper who agreed to rent the gadget without any identity proof.'

Police said the group then went to Commonwealth Games Village where they performed a photoshoot, probably as a trial run.

Around 4.30 pm the group walked down to the railway track near Akshardham Temple where they decided that first two of them - Yash and Shubham  will perform the stunt on the railway track going towards New Delhi Railway Station.

'All the cameras including DSLR and mobile phones were turned on and the duo stood on the railway track. In a few seconds, a speeding train came but Yash and Subham were unable to jump the other side and were crushed to death,' police said.

Virat Kohli is the Indian cricket captain and a frequent poster of selfies on social media

Yash Kumar, who was to take the board examination of Class X (1516 years) and Subham Saini who was in Class IX died on the spot.

According to the family of Yash, the whole incident was captured in the camera that the group had borrowed.

However, police do not plan to share the details of the video as investigations are ongoing.

Quoting from the statement of other students, a police official said when the two were standing on one track another train was coming from the other side.

'This probably created confusion and pressure on the duo. As a result, Yash and Subham were unable to jump on time and the act turned fatal.'

One of the deceased relatives, Vinod, said Yash was a bright student and wanted to join police force.

'Recently, his father had given him a phone but due to battery issues, he left it home on Saturday.

'When his father turned on the phone, he received a call from the police station informing about the accident.'

The incident also had a narrow escape for one of the members in the group who 'developed cold feet' mid-way to their walk on the track.

The youngster decided to rush back home in fear at the last moment.

Police said they were still seeking more details from the other group members who organised the stunt shoot.
The stage is now set for rolling out the nationwide Goods and Services Tax (GST) from July 1 as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday finally broke a three month- long deadlock by conceding control over 90 per cent small taxpayers to the states.

The GST was earlier proposed to come into effect from April 1. Its timeline, however, was disrupted by the turf war between the Centre and states over the administrative control of the tax.

The new tax regime is India's biggest tax reform since Independence and is expected to transform the economy into a single market for the first time.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday finally broke a three month- long deadlock by conceding control over 90 per cent small taxpayers to the states

After a meeting with state officials here, Jaitley said that July 1 was a 'more realistic' date for the GST launch as companies needed ample time to switch over to the new tax.

'Since it's a transactional tax, it can be introduced any time,' Jaitley told reporters.

Under the agreed arrangement, states will be allowed to administer and control 90 per cent of the assesses with an annual turnover below Rs 1.5 crore, and the remaining 10 per cent will come under the Centre.

In the case of assesses with an annual turnover of over Rs 1.5 crore, the Centre and states will share control in a 50:50 ratio.

Jaitley's new scheme is now set to launch in July - three months after schedule

However, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley insisted that each taxpayer will be assessed only once and by only one authority.

The Centre also agreed to the demand of coastal states, allowing them to tax economic activity in 12 nautical miles even though constitutionally the Centre has jurisdiction over territorial waters.

Jaitley also conceded some taxation powers over interstate and sea trade, which essentially come under the Centre's jurisdiction, in response to demands from coastal states such as Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh to levy and collect tax.

The GST Council will next meet on February 18 to finalise four legislations, setting out the operational details of the new tax. This is a significant headway, Jaitley said after the meeting.

While a four-rate tax slab of five, 12, 18 and 28 per cent had already been reached, a consensus on the administration of the Goods and Services Tax - which will subsume central and state levies like excise duty, service tax and VAT - paved the way for finalisation of the draft supporting laws.

Jaitley said the draft of Integrated GST or IGST, the tax which will be levied by the Centre on inter-state movement of goods and services, as well as SGST and CGST will be finalised in the next meeting of the GST Council on February 18.

Once approved, the Council will then decide on taxing various goods and services in different tax slabs, he said.

The Centre had earlier taken the stand that the states did not have the expertise to administer levies like service tax.

The Centre also did not favour dual agencies auditing and scrutinising each taxpayer as multiple authorities could end up acting at cross-purposes.

The penal arrest provisions, which were part of the draft law, have been diluted.

Officials said default in payment of taxes amounting up to Rs 2 crore will be a bailable offence.

The arrest powers will be invoked only in cases of criminal offences like forgery and collected tax not deposited in government coffers.

Briefing reporters after the 9th meeting of the GST Council, Jaitley said the entire taxation base will be shared between the Centre and states.

The power to levy and collect the IGST taxation is with the central government but by special provision in law, the states will also be cross empowered in the same manner.
Dipti (name changed) a class XI-student, went through the worst trauma of being raped, losing a baby and finding out she was HIV positive.

But as if that was not enough, she had to face more humiliation and pain when her school in Meerut refused to let her carry on her education.

Shattered, she tried to commit suicide.

The Supreme Court has promised to lay down guidelines under the Right to Education Act to protect children with HIV

'If I am denied my right to education, what is the point in living? I want to end my life,' she wrote.

According to a study by Naz Foundation and Lawyers Collective working for the rehabilitation of victims of HIV/AIDS, there are thousands of students like Dipti in India who are suffering silently.

The NGO found that children living with or affected by HIV/AIDS are increasingly being denied admission, suspended, expelled and segregated in classrooms, they are being publicly ridiculed by school authorities.

You must keep in mind that on one hand is the right to education. But you must also appreciate various segments of the society. Some (in) society may be very traditionalist. We have to do a balancing act. Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud

Senior lawyer Anand Grover, who is a member of the Naz Foundation said: 'In most of the cases, schools are forced to expel students due to pressure from parents of other children, who fear that their children might contract the condition.'

But now, there is some hope for such children as the Supreme Court on Monday promised to lay down guidelines under the Right to Education Act to protect such students.

The Supreme Court is the Apex court in India

Chief Justice J S Khehar (pictured) and Justice D Y Chandrachud sought a balance between the rights of the suffering children and India's 'traditional' values

But a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud cautioned the NGOs: 'You must keep in mind that on one hand is the right to education. But you must also appreciate various segments of the society.

'Some (in) society may be very traditionalist. We have to do a balancing act. When we lay down parameters, we shall keep in mind we shall not harm other children just because they are not aware.'

According to the latest report of National Aids Control Organisation (NACO), the total number of people living with HIV in India is estimated at around 30.9 lakh and children less than 15 years of age account for 2.45 lakh.

According to UNICEF India, there are 2,20,000 children infected by HIV/AIDS in India.

It is approximated that every year 55,000 to 60,000 children are born to mothers who are HIV positive. Thirty per cent of these children are likely to be infected themselves.

The NGOs told the court that the breach of confidentiality regarding children's HIV-positive status was the beginning of their mistreatment.

Highlighting the severity of the situation, the plea pointed out that there have been incidents where HIV/AIDS-afflicted students were made to clean toilets and classrooms.

'Students are being denied admission, suspended and even expelled from schools if they or their parents or guardians are HIV-positive.

'They are publicly ridiculed by school authorities and humiliated to the extent that they are segregated from other children in schools and have been made to clean toilets and classrooms,' the PIL states.

'Moreover, the confidentiality of the HIV-positive status of the children has been routinely breached, a violation of their right to privacy and the rampant acts of stigmatisation that have followed have undermined their human dignity,' it added.

'Education can also give children affected with HIV a better understanding of HIV and equip them with lifeskills to cope with the challenges it brings.

'In this context, the rising cases of denial of education to HIV affected children are a matter of grave concern.

'If this discrimination continues, then a large number of children will be excluded from schools and mainstream society and be pushed to languish at the margins of our society,' Grover told the court.
Something goes horribly wrong whenever the students of Presidency University, Kolkata, meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The recent-most fiasco took place on January 6, 2017, at the inaugural ceremony of Presidency's bicentenary years.

Banerjee was to be the honoured guest at the prestigious event, but she kept everyone waiting and guessing till education minister Partha Chatterjee took the microphone and announced that the CM was caught up with some 'urgent' work and would not be coming, amid loud applause and cheer from the audience that mostly comprised students.

Something goes horribly wrong whenever the students of Presidency University, Kolkata, meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

Confounded, Chatterjee went on to explain that the CM had informed the authorities earlier about her 'urgent commitment'.

There was another spell of clapping among the students. What was that 'urgent commitment' that kept the CM so engaged?

According to an official, Banerjee was closeted in her own chamber at the state secretariat, Nabanna, and though engrossed in her own world/work, was not quite occupied.

Unofficially there were more reasons than one for not attending the programme. According to Chatterjee, the method of inviting her was inappropriate.

An invitation letter was sent to her office, without authorities bothering to go in person and invite her, as is thought to be proper.

Moreover, the authorities did not bother to check if she would attend the programme or not.

'Without caring to get a confirmation from the CMO, they (Presidency authorities) went on to print her name on the invite. After coming to know that she wouldn't be coming, they printed a second card that removed her name,' said Chatterjee.

Two more reasons are doing the rounds, but in hushed tones. It is alleged that the CM is miffed with a particular column of the heritage building, which has been done up on the occasion of the bicentenary celebration.

Names of the famous alumni have been embossed on those columns. In one such column it was found that name of former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee  in bigger font  was towering over the names of Subhas Chandra Bose and Amartya Sen.

Didi is said to be annoyed that the name of former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is written in a bigger font than the names of Subhas Chandra Bose and Amartya Sen

Banerjee obviously didn't like it. But what she resented most was the decision to host her at an event in Prinsep Ghat, not within the hallowed premises of Presidency.

Banerjee's brush with Presidency and its students in the past had never been good.

In 2011, a group of goons supported by the Trinamool Congress barged in the Presidency College and ransacked its property, vandalised the heritage baker laboratory and threatened the girl students.

The students protested but the culprits were never arrested.

In May 2012, a student of Presidency University, Taniya Bharadwaj, embarrassed Banerjee at an interactive show on a national channel by asking her uncomfortable question.

Not amused: Banerjee's brush with Presidency and its students has never been good

She stormed out of the show, labelling the student a Maoist. Following the incident, both the Presidency College and Jadavpur University launched an online campaign, which was a big embarrassment for the ruling party.

In 2013 when Banerjee, as an attempt to mend bridges with the students, sought to attend Presidency University's convocation ceremony to announce a package of Rs 160 crore for the institute, black flags greeted her.

The Presidency students, who are known for resisting political hegemony, are especially averse to the Trinamool Congress for its relentless attempt to control the students' unions in all the state colleges.

Perhaps, because of all this, Presidency authorities avoided the heritage premises and chose Prinsep Ghat with its grand gothic and Grecian columns and Palladian porch as an alternative venue.

The writer is associate editor, India Today
Vodafone has stepped up the price war in the telecom sector, to stave off the challenge from Reliance Jio, with an offer that provides four times more data to its 4G customers.

The Vodafone offer is the third price cut by an incumbent telco in as many weeks.

It comes merely a week after Idea Cellular's offer of 12 months free data for those who switch to 4G to match a similar offer launched by Airtel a week earlier.

Free data: Vodafone has stepped up the price war in the telecom sector, to stave off the challenge from Reliance Jio

Consumers are turning out to be major beneficiaries as telcos slash tariffs to take on new entrant Reliance Jio, backed by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, which took India's telecom sector by storm with its free voice and data services offer until March 31 this year.

Rajan Mathews, director general of the cellular operators association of India (COAI), said, 'There is great pressure on the incumbent telecom players to match the offers being made by Reliance Jio and at the same time consumers are looking for quicker downloads through 4G.

'This has led to the spate of price cuts.'

'Vodafone customers buying a 1GB and 10 GB 4G data packs can now enjoy 4GB and 22 GB data, for Rs. 250 and Rs. 999 respectively.

'These packs are available across all circles in which Vodafone offers 4G services,' the company said in a statement.

The prices may vary from circle to circle, the company said in a statement.

Sandeep Kataria, Chief Commercial Officer, Vodafone India said, 'Our customers are consuming more of content and video online.

'With these super rich data packs, our rapidly growing base of 4G customers across 17 circles can enjoy much more of mobile internet while remaining confidently connected on Vodafone 4G'.

Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani delivers his speech in Mumbai

Kataria also expects the cheaper offer to encourage first time and limited users of mobile internet to explore more by providing greater value.

'They can access four times more of their favorite content online for the same cost in a truly worry free manner, ' he added.

Vodafone has invested significantly in building, a modern and scalable 4G network incorporating the latest advances in technology for better customer experience.

It offers HD Voice quality across its entire network and super mobile broadband experience across the country, Kataria said.

However, at the same time the telcos are worried over their bottom lines being eroded.

Rajan Mathews told Mail Today that while market forces and increased competition are driving down prices which benefits consumers the flip side is that the telcos have to bear the cost of the price war.

Serious concern has emerged about the financial health of the telecom companies as they have to pay a huge interest on the debt they have incurred and also pay levies to the government,' Mathews added.

Vodafone Group Plc, in fact, wrote down the value of its Indian business by 5 billion (around Rs36,460 crore) in November, citing increased competition in the country's telecom market, causing its global first-half loss to double.

Bharti Airtel has moved telecom dispute tribunal TDSAT against TRAI allowing Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio to continue free promotional offer beyond stipulated 90 days, charging the regulator of being a 'mute spectator' to violations.

It alleged that violation of TRAI's tariff orders has been continuing since March 2016, causing 'significant prejudice and day-to-day loss' to it and 'affecting its network' as it has bear asymmetric traffic due to free call offer by Jio.

Jio first launched an inaugural free voice and data plan beginning September 4 and then extended it till March 31. TDSAT, on its part, has asked Trai to take a decision on the matter in a reasonable period of time.
The BJP is all set to dial into the Uttar Pradesh elections with a 4G plan.

The new mantra is 'Gaon, Gau, Ganga and Gita (village, cow, river Ganga and Hindu scripture Gita)' while farmers are at the heart of the agenda.

In an exclusive interview with Mail Today, BJP Kisan Morcha's newly appointed head Virendra Singh 'Mast' outlined the move with the party aiming for a repeat of its 2014 Lok Sabha election performance when it swept the state.

Mango farmers in Uttar Pradesh: The BJP is all set to dial into the Uttar Pradesh elections with a 4G plan. The new mantra is 'Gaon, Gau, Ganga and Gita, meaning village, cow, river Ganga and Hindu scripture Gita (below)

The Member of Parliament from UP also indicated that the BJP's poll manifesto, or 'vision document', would be farmer-centric and the general budget too may contain a flurry of sops for the agricultural community after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced several in his address to the nation on December 31.

The 4G strategy, Singh said, encompasses all aspects of life of India's peasantry.

'Villages are the pivot to growth. The cow, indubitably, is the centre of the lives of the village folk, especially the farmers.

The BJP is hoping to rally farmers, cutting across caste lines, and bring them towards the saffron banner (File pic - farmers in India)

'Ganga is the lifeline of villages as it irrigates vast swathes of the Gangetic plains which are the most fertile in India.

'And the centrality of Gita as a marker of our culture and spirituality cannot be denied by anyone, especially as the culture of villages hovers around collective bhajan-kirtan mandalis (groups singing religious and spiritual songs) at the end of the day,' he said.

The party realises the significance of the UP polls that have been made even more interesting and equally difficult for the saffron outfit after chief minister Akhilesh Yadav led a coup against his father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and came out on top, capturing the 'cycle' election symbol too.

Incense sticks are seen as Indian Hindu devotees take a holy bath in the Bay of Bengal and perform rituals at the mouth of the river Ganges on Sagar Island

The BJP has been out of power in UP since 2002.

Adding further to the party's woes, the SP and Congress are going into the polls as allies.

While the 4G formula devised by Singh has the potential to rally farmers, cutting across caste lines, towards the saffron banner, it has also been customised to the political needs of the 2019 general elections.

An MP from UP's Bhadohi district, Singh's elevation to the position of Kisan Morcha chief recently is also seen as a political ploy to appeal to peasants.

Indian devotees worship a cow during Gai Puja as part of the Gopal Ashtami festival

'We need to associate the identity of India with that of farmers. Therefore, we have envisioned not just economic well-being of the farmers of the country, but a comprehensive development and overall advancement.

'The PM has unequivocally stressed that India's rise and well-being are intrinsically entwined with the rise and prosperity of the country's farmers: without them there is no sustainable growth.

The lives of the farmers of the country are to be lifted not just economically, but socially, culturally and politically,' Singh told Mail Today.

Politically, Singh has recommended to the government that grassroots level elections such as panchayats and blocks must be made corruption-free.

'Farmers will have to be given more visibility in Indian politics,' he said.

'I have recommended to the government that we can do so by nominating farmers as MLCs and Rajya Sabha MPs. If farmers have to be represented, let them be represented by one of their own, rather than by outsiders who just enter the fray and throw money to win elections.'

The ideas of Ganga, Gau and Gita are all supported and conserved through villages and the farming societies of India, he added.

Farmers can also expect to be at the centre of the ruling BJP's politics in the coming days. Singh told Mail Today that the next move of the Modi government would be to give assistance to those providing raw materials to many of the protected industries and handicrafts of India.

The BJP say that the cow is the centre of the lives of village folk, especially the farmers

'We give protection to, for example, the shawl or the carpet industry, but what about the one that provides the raw materials - the farmer,' he pointed out.

The government also intends to completely stop the import of pulses in the next 3-4 years.

'Another area which we want to boost is solar irrigation,' Singh said.

'Studies have proved that using solar irrigation considerably reduces the cost of production.'

Singh also lashed out at the SP and BSP governments of UP.

'The long-time politics in UP has been that of looting the public exchequer and in turn promising to punish those who did.

'The SP accuses that Mayawati looted public money and that they would punish her.

'When Mayawati comes to power, she accuses the SP to have looted the people's money and promises to punish SP,' he said. 'But neither ever did anything.'
Even as the mercury dipped and the chilly winds made people cling to their woollens, 46-year-old Ravi Kant remained standing in front of the BJP headquarters on Ashoka Road.

While other party supporters jostled to find whether their leaders managed to grab a party ticket in UP, Kant was there with a different demand.

A board that read 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Abhiyan' hung across his neck. Kant wants a stringent law to be passed against rapists who target or have targeted minors.

46-year-old Ravi Kant standing in front of the BJP headquarters on Ashoka Road

Kant, who lives near Jama Masjid, wants to meet BJP chief Amit Shah to carry the demand to him in person.

Kant, who lives near Jama Masjid, wants to meet BJP chief Amit Shah to carry the demand to him in person

'I had applied for an appointment with the party president three days ago, but have not received any response.

'However, my crusade is not subservient to whether a party's president meets me or not,' he says.

'Kant is father to a single child - a daughter - and earns money as a small-time real estate agent.

'My mother is actually very happy to have a granddaughter than a grandson. She says they are unnecessary trouble,' he giggles.

Kant started his crusade on August 12, 2015, when he wrote to the PMO. He said the application had been circulated in the Ministry for Women and Child Development and Home Ministry too.

Ever since, he religiously stands outside the Parliament whenever it is in session, and distributes pamphlets seeking death penalty for sex offenders who victimise minors.

'I have been standing outside the Parliament and giving these pamphlets to passers-by.

'At times, I throw them as far as possible in the hope that some leader might pick it up,' he says. So why the BJP office?

'Since Modi came to power, there has been hope that the common man can be heard,' he said.

'People sometimes say I am mad. But at times, they support me too. Many ask what can I achieve alone? I reply that change has to start somewhere.

'What better way to serve society than giving justice to victims like Nirbhaya and the dozens of minors, whose rapist doesn't even remember how many girls he victimised?'

India's worst ever paedophile admits he abused SIX HUNDRED girls some as young as seven

By JULIAN ROBINSON FOR MAILONLINE

Earlier this week a tailor from India's capital city confessed to the rape and attempted rape of hundreds of girls as young as seven in India.

Sunil Rastogi, 38, was arrested after CCTV of girls being abducted led police to him in the capital, New Delhi, in northern India.

The father-of-five then admitted targeting around 600 schoolgirls over a 14-year period, with most victims aged seven to ten.
Nissan Horny Super Long, Geely Rural Nanny, Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard. All of these are genuine, yet ridiculous, car names that would send any owner red in the face when asked what vehicle they drive.

But some of us are also risking looking a little foolish by failing to correctly pronounce a raft of mainstream models you can buy today.

Extended vehicle warranty firm Warranty Direct has listed the 20 most commonly incorrectly enunciated cars, and provided the right way to say it, or at least as the car manufacturer intended.

We reveal the cars and pronunciations below.

The Scirocco name has been around since the mid seventies, but 40 years on many people still struggle to get it right. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Si-rock-oh CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Shi-rock-oh

The Fabia is one of Skoda's best selling models, but some Britons wrongly add a silent 'y'. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Fay-bee-ah CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Fab-e-ah

As if SsangYong wasn't difficult enough, many are struggling to get this newest model right. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Tie-vo-li CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Tiv-oh-lee

Bentley is a British marque, despite now being under VW ownership. This name is about as British as a bratwurst. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Ben-tie-gah CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Ben-tay-gah

Okay, the Gallardo went out of production in 2013 but it's still one of those that many get wrong, usually when screaming and pointing when one drives by. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Gal-ar-doh CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Guy-ar-doh

The Tucson is the newest member of the Hyundai family and also one of the most difficult models in the Korean range to say correctly. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Tuck-son CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Too-son

The original Ghibli was a two-door coupe in the sixties. The current one is a four-door sporty saloon. Still, the name is impossible to get right first time. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Gib-lee CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Jee-blee

This is a French SUV that sounds a bit like a dog that begs for food at the dinner table. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Kad-yar CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Kad-jar

The oldies are the best, aren't they? The Prius has been available for two decades but many still can't get it right. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Pry-us CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Pree-us

In English this model translates to Julia four-leaf clover green, which would be much easier than this Italian tongue teaser. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Jew-lee-etta Kwad-ree-fog-lle-oh Verd CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Jew-lee-etta Kwad-reefoh-lee-oh Ver-day

Owners of this Porsche will get as snappy as an alligator if you pronounce the name of their car incorrectly. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Kai-man CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Kay-man

The Phaeton is one of the German brands' biggest failures in the UK. People didn't want to buy it let alone say it correctly. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Fay-ton CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Fay-eh-ton

Range Rover threw up a conundrum when it released the Evoque back in 2011. Here's how to say it. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Eh-vok CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Eev-oke

If one model sums up cars we frequently say wrong it's the Qashqai. The best-selling SUV in Britain. Where are the 'U's, Nissan? COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Quash-kee CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Kash-kai

It's fast. It's sexy. It's exotic. It's not a hurricane! COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Huh-ruh-caine CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Huh-ruh-can

From the car maker that brought us the Ghibli, here's the Italian tongue-twister for 'four-door', which it has to be said sounds more exotic in its native tongue. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Qua-tro-port CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Qua-tro-port-tay

Where did that rogue 'a' come from, VW? The best thing to do is forget that it's even there. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Twar-egg CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Tour-egg

The marketing team in Bologna must have thought this was a sexy name in their native tongue. Not so much so when a Briton stumbles through the pronunciation. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Mur-see-lah-go CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Mur-see-eh-lah-go

Named after a pepper. Unfortunately it's a pepper many of us say wrong. Here's how it should really go. COMMON PRONUNCIATION: Kai-yen CORRECT PRONUNCIATION: Kay-en
A shake-up at the top of Burberry will see former Celine boss Marco Gobbetti replace the British brands current chief executive in July.

Christopher Bailey is stepping aside into a role as president of the luxury goods giant but keeping his chief creative officer post.

It is part of a boardroom overhaul that followed criticism from some investors that Bailey, 45, should not fill both creative and chief executive roles. Burberry has struggled with falling profits and flagging demand for luxury goods in markets such as China.

Shake-up: Burberry boss Chrstopher Bailey, seen here with models Cara Delevigne, left, and Jourdan Dunn, right, is stepping down as chief executive

The trench-coat maker announced the plan in July last year, but yesterday confirmed Gobbetti will join on January 27.

He will initially be executive chairman of Asia Pacific and the Middle East until July 4, when he will become chief executive and join the board.

Both men will earn the same base salary of 1.1million, although Gobbetti will receive an extra 80,000 to cover travel, car and clothing.
Upmarket fashion brands favoured by the Duchess of Cambridge and her sister Pippa Middleton have proven popular over Christmas.

Hobbs, Radley and Reiss have all reported soaring sales over the festive season in a show of strength from British fashion.

Hobbs sales almost doubled in the 13 weeks to December 31, thanks to opening a new store in New York. It has won fans such as the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore a purple Hobbs coat on Christmas Day.

Royal approval: The Duchess of Cambridge wears a purple Hobbs coat as she carries Princess Charlotte to church on Christmas Day

Total sales rose 14.3 per cent, while international shoppers drove a 97.9 per cent jump in overseas sales  partly driven by an expansion to its tie-up with department store Bloomingdales.

But it has experienced a turbulent few years, with former Warehouse boss Meg Lustman brought in to lead a turnaround in July 2014.

It is understood that Hobbs's private equity owners 3i has put the brand on sale.

The increased spending follows strong results from larger retailers Marks & Spencer and Debenhams last week.

Reiss said sales jumped 19.7 per cent in the six weeks to January 7, driven by international expansion and online shoppers.

The retailer, which sells to 17 countries, saw overseas sales jump 69.4 per cent, driven by store openings.

Until April last year the brand was run by founder David Reiss, who took on his father's gentleman's outfitters in 1971 and grew it into a fashion label.

Years later it expanded into women's clothes and was boosted when the Duchess of Cambridge wore a Reiss dress to meet President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle in 2011.

It instantly sent traffic surging on the company's website  causing it to crash. Reiss remains as chairman after a majority stake was sold to private equity firm Warburg Pincus last year.

The success at Hobbs and Reiss was replicated at handbag and accessories brand Radley, which posted a 9 per cent rise in sales in the six weeks to Christmas Day.

It has become popular with lovers of 'affordable luxury' labels, with Miss Middleton and model Erin O'Connor favouring the brand.

The boost for upmarket brands came as budget fashion retailer H&M posted a 6 per centrise in sales in December  the slowest pace since September and behind expectations.
Pay cut: But Martin Gilbert still earned 2.8m last year

Martin Gilbert has taken a 1.5million pay cut after an underwhelming year by his firm.

The investor, who founded Aberdeen Asset Management in 1983, earned 2.8million in the 12 months to September 30  35.3 per cent less than the year before.

The married father-of-threes base salary rose by 7,000 to 520,000, according to the annual report.

However, his bonus fell from 3.8million to 2.3million.

The investment firm has frozen the pay of employees earning above 75,000 as profits fell more than a third to 222million after nervous investors pulled out more than 32billion.
BRITAIN WORKING Job vacancies are increasing despite uncertainty over what will happen to the economy when the UK leaves the European Union, says recruiter Reed.

It has had 110,000 jobs posted on its website so far this year 16 per cent up on the same period in 2016.

STOCK RISES Ashmore shares soared 6.5 per cent on optimism at the investment manager  despite assets under management falling 4 per cent to 43.2billion in the last three months of 2016 as investors fled emerging markets after Donald Trump's US election victory.

RECORD BOOST Big data firm WANdisco has secured record bookings in the past three months, up 97 per cent to 8million, bringing the year's total to 12.9million.

It is a welcome boost after a year which saw boss David Richards ousted and reappointed days later.

STRIKE ROW Talks will be held this week to resolve a long-running dispute on pay, pensions and job security at IT giant Fujitsu.

Up to 300 members of Unite based in Manchester have been striking over redundancies planned for next month.

COLLEGE INCOME Oxbridge colleges Christ Church and St Catherine's in Oxford and Robinson in Cambridge are investing 14.5million in commercial property with First Property Group to boost their income.

ELITE SALES Revenue at video-games maker Frontier Developments was up 66 per cent on the previous year in the six months to November 30, driven by its space trading game Elite: Dangerous, which has sold 2.1m.

NEW ROUTES Airline BMI Regional is launching three European routes from Birmingham Airport to Graz in Austria, Nuremberg in Germany and Gothenburg in Sweden.

FESTIVE BONUS Staff at Majestic Wine have shared 350,000 in bonuses after a bumper Christmas when sales soared 7.5 per cent rise in the ten weeks to January 2.

Hotel plan OakNorth bank has lent 16million to Liverpool developers Mason Partners to convert seven floors of the 11-storey Corn Exchange Building, into a 202-room aparthotel.

CITY BASE Finnish video-game maker Rovio is opening a studio in London to build games that won't rely on its popular Angry Birds brand.

RETAIL ROLE Legal & General Retirement has appointed Chris Knight, who has been with L&G for eight years, as head of its retail customer division
A pioneering tech firm from Dorset which makes jet packs, flying cars and powered paragliders is getting a 25million boost from Chinese investors.

Gilo Industries, which was founded by inventor Gilo Cardozo, has grown a business building specialist engines for a new generation of flying vehicles.

It has allowed Cardozo to travel from London to Timbuktu in a flying car, and attempt to scale Everest in a powered paraglider, or paramotor, with adventurer Bear Grylls.

Take-off: Gilo Industries, which was founded by inventor Gilo Cardozo, has grown a business building specialist engines for a new generation of flying vehicles like this Skycar

China's Kuang-Chi Group has taken a 40 per cent stake in Gilo Industries for 25million in a deal seen as key to Britain's domination of this new industry.

It is hoped that it will lay the foundations for hundreds of millions of pounds of investment in British technology and engineering.

Bosses at Kuang-Chi are predicting the UK will become a global leader in flying vehicles, with huge businesses employing thousands of people springing up within the next five years.

On the same day, Airbus Group announced plans to test a prototype for a self-piloted flying car as a way of avoiding gridlock on city roads by the end of the year.

While the Chinese investment is a boost for Britain it is also a major show of support in Gilo Industries, which employs 60 people and reported revenues of 915,000 last year.

But Kuang-Chi's investment values the business at more than 66million  and, crucially, the deal keeps the ownership and manufacturing in the UK.

'It is a really clear example of how international organisations look to all areas of Britain for innovation and entrepreneurship, and how they can boost regional, national and global industries,' said Cardozo.

The company said it would continue to be based in the UK, with all manufacturing remaining in the country.

The backing has come from Dr Ruopeng Liu, a man dubbed the 'Chinese Elon Musk'  a reference to his similarity to the billionaire inventor of electric car brand Tesla and aerospace manufacturer SpaceX.

Liu, who has been working with Gilo Industries for three years, already uses the British-made engines in his company's jetpack vehicles which it sells for commercial use.

'It was time to bring Gilo Industries to the next stage so it can expand its capacity for research and development,' said Liu. 'That's why we are putting in more investment.'

Liu has committed a further 250million to invest in this industry  the majority going to UK businesses.

'This is an area the UK can lead in,' said Liu. 'We think there will be some of the new global giants growing from the UK in this wave of new technology.'

Liu said that the fall in the pound since Britain's Brexit vote had made investing in the UK more attractive. He added: 'Despite some fears surrounding Brexit, innovation is booming in the UK and Kuang-Chi has confidence in the UK market.

'In my opinion, Brexit will definitely be a benefit for global investment.'
A toy poodle who ran away after a car crash in eastern Montana has been reunited with its owners after managing to survive in severe winter weather for over a week.

LJ disappeared after LeRoy and Jorjan Woodward of Fairview, North Dakota, went into a ditch after hitting a patch of ice near Miles City on December 29.

They weren't seriously hurt -- LeRoy suffered a head cut and needed stitches, while Jorjan suffered bruising, according to The Miles City Star.

A toy poodle who ran away after a car crash in eastern Montana has been reunited with its owners after managing to survive in severe winter weather for over a week

Jorjan told the newspaper: 'LJ is 4 years old and we have had him since he was 8 weeks old.

'He was my Christmas present from my family but he quickly became LeRoy's dog. He was the runt of the litter.'

Custer County Undersheriff Pat Roos responded to the scene and kept coming back for several days, discovering only tracks but no LJ, the newspaper reported.

The Miles City Star reports that lost dog ads ran in the newspaper and area radio stations asking people to keep an eye out for the dog

The Miles City Star reports that lost dog ads ran in the newspaper and area radio stations asking people to keep an eye out for the dog.

More than a week after the crash on January 6, Glendive teacher Charles Phipps spotted him about a half-mile from the crash site.

He called authorities, who managed to get the dog into a patrol car.

LJ had lost some weight but was in good condition otherwise.

Dr. Jean Lindley told The Miles City Star that the dog didn't display any other signs of spending multiple nights outside in sub-zero weather.
A new real estate agency which promises to save people selling their homes up to $50,000 has hit Australian shores and is shaking up the property market.

Purplebricks, established in the UK in 2014, is launching in Sydney this week after tapping in to the Brisbane, Melbourne, and Gold Coast markets last year.

Jess and Daniel Rushbrook, who sold their place in Brisbane before moving to Canberra, saved over $11,000 by using the revolutionary agency.

Jess and Daniel Rushbrook used Purplebricks to sell their home when they moved from Brisbane to Canberra with their three daughters

Pictured is their home in Brisbane, one of the markets Purplebricks has tapped into

The couple, who have three daughters, saved $11,805 when they sold their Brisbane house

'We had already had a couple of appraisals done from the bigger real estate agencies, when Daniel saw an ad on TV', Jess Rushbrook told Daily Mail Australia.

'I didn't want to do it because I was really sceptical about it,' she admitted.

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However within 24 hours of an agent coming to look at their Brisbane property, the couple had two offers, both over their asking price.

'It was sold within four days, we didn't even make it to open house,' the mother-of-three said.

'It was very impressive.'

Launched across Melbourne, Brisbane, the Sunshine and Gold Coast at the end of August 2016, Purplebricks offers homeowners a flat fee for the sale of their home.

There is an additional charge if the house goes to auction, however the real estate agents do not work on commission, meaning sellers can save, in some cases, up to $100,000.

The traditional real estate model sees sellers pay separate commission and marketing costs.

However Purplebricks flat fee model works for the benefit of homeowners, decreasing the fees and increasing savings.

Commission in NSW with one of the large real estate agencies could be between 1.8 and 3.5 per cent, depending on the area.

Purplebricks offers homeowners a flat fee for selling their property

'It was sold within four days, we didn't even make it to open house,' Mrs Rushbrook said

There is an additional charge if the house goes to auction, but the Rushbrook's house sold before that

Mrs Rushbrook said the money they saved would go towards their children's future

The Rushbrook family saved $11,805, and Mrs Rushbrook said that money meant they were able to move to their new home in Canberra without going into debt, and could focus on the future of their family.

'We came out financially better off,' she said.

'And $12,000 for the kids' future is massive', the mother-of-three added.

In NSW people using Purplebricks save an average of $15,000 - but it could be much more.

In other parts of Australia including Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast the average savings are around $11,500.

Within 24 hours of their property being listed they had two offers over their asking price

'We came out financially better off,' Mrs Rushbrook said

In Brisbane people using Purplebricks save an average of $11,500

So far the agency have saved those selling their homes in Australia an estimated $1.7 million, in just a few short months.

'We are confident that our demonstrated success in auction and private treaty sales across the country is setting us apart from traditional real estate offerings and will make a substantial and positive difference for homeowners in Sydney,' co-founder and CEO Michael Bruce said.

'We are now being appointed to sell hundreds of houses every month and are saving our customers thousands of dollars, whilst getting them the best possible price, which is fantastic.'
The natural mother of Angelina Jolie's adopted Ethiopian daughter Zahara has made a heartfelt plea to the superstar actress telling her: 'Please just let me talk to my daughter'.

Poverty stricken Mentewab Dawit Lebiso told Daily Mail Online she is desperate to be part of her 12-year-old daughter's life - and called for Jolie to get custody of her daughter in the bitter split with Brad Pitt.

She dreams of one day meeting the girl she gave up as a tiny infant - but said she would settle for the chance to simply hear her voice.

'I just want her to know that I am alive and here and long to be able to speak with her. I do not want my daughter back but just to be in contact with her and be able to call her up and talk with her,' said Mentewab, who ekes out a living in Ethiopia.

Desperate: Mentewab Dawit Lebiso is Zahara Jolie Pitt's biological mother, having given birth to her in Ethiopia after falling pregnant when she was attacked. Mentewab has never had any other children and now desperately wants some contact with Zahara

Bid for reunion: Mentewab, pictured left above, gave birth to Zahara, pictured above right with Angelina Jolie in 2007, in Ethiopia but the baby was put up for adoption as Mentewab was so sick. She is desperately disappointed she has no contact with Zahara

Poverty: The simple home in central Ethiopia where Mentewab makes a living renting out two rooms, which brings in less than 15 a month

Mother's longing: Mentewab told MailOnline that while she had lost Zahara as a baby, she still felt grief. 'I miss her all the time. I think about her every day and long to hear her voice or see her face'

New life: The life that Zahara Jolie Pitt would have lived in Ethiopia is far removed from the luxury of Los Angeles and life with Hollywood star and humanitarian campaigner Angelina Jolie. Her biological mother is still living in desperate poverty

Mentewab is the first to admit that the Jolie-Pitts have given her daughter everything she could wish for, adding: 'Angelina has been more of a mother to her than I have ever been. She has been with her since she was a baby, but that does not mean I do not miss her.

But she adds: 'I miss her all the time. I think about her every day and long to hear her voice or see her face.I know when she has a birthday but I am sad because I can't celebrate it with her. I would so much want to celebrate with her on her birthday and other special days.

Angelina has been more of a mother to her than I have ever been. She has been with her since she was a baby, but that does not mean I do not miss her Mentewab Dawit Lebiso

'I long to be able to have regular contact with her.'

Daily Mail Online tracked down Mentewab to a town in central Ethiopia far from the capital Addis Ababa and tourist attractions of the African country.

During an exclusive interview Mentewab looked close to tears as she mentioned her daughter's name and talks of her hopes of one day being reunited with her.

Even now, 12 years after giving up her only child for adoption the pain as she talks about Zahara is clear in her face.

Lonely birthdays: Mentewab told MailOnline she knows every time Zahara's birthday passes but cannot mark it because she wants to celebrate with her

Modest: The tiny home where Mentewab lives and rents out two rooms is her only source of income. The 31-year-old says she has not received any letters, pictures or money from Angelina since the adoption 12 years ago

Rural: This muddy road where cows graze freely is most likely where Zahara Jolie Pitt would have lived if she had not been adopted by star Angelina. Now it is where her birth mother Mentewab ekes out an existence

Poverty: Mentewab lives off this humble road in Ethiopia. She does not have any photos of her daughter on display as she does not want others in the town to know she gave away her daughter  even if it was to one of Hollywood's most famous female stars

Brutal rape: One night, when her grandmother was away on business, a stranger broke in and subjected her to a vicious attack. When, a few months later, it became impossible to hide the fact that Mentewab was pregnant, her relatives disowned her

Poor: Mentewab lives in a poor Ethiopian town but occasionally follows her daughter's progress online and receives news from her brother in America

Struggle: Mentewab initially kept her daughter, whom she had named Yemasrech, which means 'good news', but struggled to make enough money then ran away, leaving her with her own mother Almaz Elfneh (left)

No conflict: Mentewab insists she is not asking for her daughter back and praises Angelina Jolie as a good mother. She says simply: 'I would like Zahara to know she has a mother who loves her as much as Angelina'

She lowers her eyes, and speaking through an interpreter, says softly in her native, Amharic tongue : 'I would like Zahara to know she has a mother who loves her as much as Angelina.

'I know her life is with Angelina is in another country and she speaks another language than me.

We all die sometime and before I die I would like her to know about me and that she has family here in Ethiopia. I would ask Angelina to let me speak with her. I do not think it is too much to ask

'She has a life that I could never give her, but I would still like to have some contact. I would like to see her face. She has grown into a beautiful woman and I am so proud of her. My heart bursts because I am so proud.

'We all die sometime and before I die I would like her to know about me and that she has family here in Ethiopia.

'I would ask Angelina to let me speak with her. I do not think it is too much to ask.'

The 31-year-old has had no contact with Zahara since she was taken to America by Jolie when she was just six months old in 2005.

Mentewab has not received a card or letter from Jolie in past 12 years. Contact with birth mother is rare for adopted children growing up, however, they have a right to try and trace birth parents when they reach 18.

And despite her and Pitt's combined wealth estimated at over $500m Mentewab has not received any financial help to escape the dire poverty that sees her surviving on less than pds 15 a month and living in a one room home with no running water or toilet.

'No money has ever been offered and that does not worry or disappoint me,' said Mentewab.

Megastar Jolie was told that Zahara was orphaned when she adopted her in 2005, and had lost her parents through Aids.

It is thought that she had no idea that Mentewab was alive until 2007, when she gave her first interview.

Maternal: Angelina Jolie was clearly besotted with her newly adopted daughter Zahara as she planted a kiss on her head just after her arrival in the United States in 2005

'Aids orphan': Angelina Jolie revealed she had been told Zahara's mother had died of Aids when she adopted her in 2005, and said she was also suffering from dehydration and malnutrition. In fact her mother was still alive

New family: Angelina Jolie first adopted son Maddox from Cambodia, in 2002, and later daughter Zahara from Ethiopia, in 2005

Life of riches: Zahara, pictured left above with Angelina Jolie and sister Shiloh, right in 2015, was born into grinding poverty in Ethiopia but adopted by Jolie after her mother fell ill after the birth. Zahara's birth mother, who gets by on less than 15 a week, wants to be able to talk to her

Mentewab is adamant she does not want to destabilise her daughter, nor is she after money. She simply wants any form of contact she can, although she acknowledges that there is no obligation for Jolie to get in touch.

Gesturing around the bare concrete walls of her home in a back street of the dusty Ethiopian town where she lives, she says: 'What would I do with the money. I do not want any money from Angelina. She does not have to send me any money, but all I would like is to talk with Zahara.'

Zahara was the second of three children adopted by Jolie,41, and her superstar husband Brad Pitt.

I do not want any money from Angelina. She does not have to send me any money, but all I would like is to talk with Zahara

Hollywood's golden couple  until their recent split and acrimonious custody battle  also have three other children of their own.

The six children currently live with Jolie in Malibu, California, after Pitt faced allegations, which were later dropped, of strict treatment of the eldest boy Maddox,15, and unsubstantiated rumours of drug use.

The actress has been granted custody of the children Maddox, Shiloh, 10, Pax, 12, and twins Vivienne and Knox, eight, as well as Zahara while lawyers hammer out a divorce settlement and final custody agreement.

Mentewab said she is aware of the divorce as relatives in America keep her informed of any developments by reading out stories from the media.

She had also learned from the internet about the allegations made against 53-year-old Pitt and firmly comes down on the side of Jolie in the couple's high profile custody battle.

'I want my daughter to stay with Angelina. She is a good mother and all children should stay with their mother,' she said.

'I am sorry that they are splitting up and I will pray for them, but I do not think it will affect Zahara that much.'

However she insisted Pitt had been 'good father' to her daughter Zahara.

Deserted: After Mentewab left Almaz took the baby to the local council to ask for help, amid fears she was becoming dangerously malnourished. Almaz said in 2007: 'I went to the Kebele (the local council) and said to them, 'Please take the baby before she dies'

Alone but informed: Mentewab has not married or had any other children. She said she is aware of the divorce as her older brother who lives in America keeps her informed of any developments by reading out stories from the media. She had also learned from the internet about the allegations made against 53 year old Pitt and firmly comes down on the side of Jolie in the couple's high profile custody battle

'Broken' promise: A fixer then took the baby to Addis Ababa, and it is claimed that he promised he would keep in touch. Mentewab told MailOnline: 'I do not want any money from Angelina. All I would like is to talk with Zahara'

'I do not know who is in the right and who is in the wrong. It is very sad when a marriage breaks up, but I known they will be thinking about their children,' she said.

'I am not worried about Zahara in this as she will be looked after by them both. I know they love the children and they will not want any hurt to come to them.

I do not know who is in the right and who is in the wrong. It is very sad when a marriage breaks up, but I known they will be thinking about their children

'I have read about what Brad Pitt is supposed to be like but I do not recognise this person. This is a man who has looked after and cared for my daughter. He is a good man and I hope that they can settle whatever it is between them and move on with their lives.'

In the days after Jolie filed for divorce she considered a restraining order against Pitt while child protection agencies in Los Angeles launched an investigation after a complaint their eldest son Maddox had been verbally abused on a private flight by a drunk Pitt.

The investigation was dropped but Jolie then insisted her soon to be ex-husband undergo drug testing four times a month.

That information came to light after Pitt filed court documents in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles to request that all records regarding custody issues be kept under seal.

Mentewab said she does not want to take sides in the custody battle, although she believes the six children should stay with their mother.

Humble: In this modest home, built by Mentewab's father, she now earns a living by renting out two rooms but insists she does not want Angelina Jolie's money

Birthplace: Zahara, who was originally named Yemasrech, which means 'good news', was conceived in the dusty Ethiopian town of Shone where Mentewab was staying with her grandmother

LIFE IN SHONE MEANS GRINDING POVERTY Angelina Jolie has spoken of the malnutrition Zahara was suffering when she was adopted, and revealed that the five-month-old had rickets. Had Zahara overcome those hurdles, she would have faced a life of hardship with little prospect of being independent with a career or the chance to one day own her own home. In Shone, a dirt-poor town in south-east central Ethiopia, her home would have been a one or two room shack with no heating, no air conditioning and an outside toilet that is vulnerable to whatever livestock the family own. The biggest single luxury would have been a small television with just a handful of channels, and most of those featuring gospel preachers. While most girls have the opportunity to attend school from the age of five to 16, not all can spend their days in a classroom. Such is the grinding poverty of the majority of families in Shone that they have to work to support themselves and their wider family. While education is free in Ethiopia many children in villages and towns are unable attend as their parents cannot afford to pay for the uniforms and books and pencils. The majority survive on less than 20 a month with money used for food, clothing and rent for a home. The main road through the town is clogged with herds of goats and cows being driven by teenagers carrying a stick. The most popular form of transport is donkey and cart. Advertisement

As Zahara lives with one of the world's most high profile and recognizable names, Mentewab has had no trouble keeping up with her life.

Tucked away in a draw in one of the few pieces of furniture in her living room Mentewab has a file packed with newspaper cuttings and photos of her daughter and Jolie.

The photos from celebrity magazines are well worn where they have repeatedly handled.

Mentewab does not have any photos of her daughter on display as she does not want others in the town to know she gave away her daughter  even if it was to one of Hollywood's most famous female stars.

Two cousins who live in an adjoining home are even now not aware that Zahara Jolie-Pitt is her daughter.

Mentewab does not like to talk about the adoption as it brings back painful memories - not just of losing her baby but of how she came to be pregnant.

Mentewab says she was 19 years old when she gave birth to a baby girl she called Yemasrech.

In her native Amharic language the name means 'good news'.

She did not know the father as her child was conceived as a result of a brutal rape attack.

Mentawab was staying in her grandmother's house in Shone when an intruder broke in an attacked her.

She was too scared to tell her parents but when the pregnancy began to show she was forced to admit the truth.

Initially disowned by her family, she went to live in the nearby town of Hosanna where she says she gave birth to the baby later named Zahara in January 2005.

Stunning but so poor: Such is the grinding poverty of the majority of families in Shone, where Mentewab was attacked, is that children have to work to support themselves and their wider family. Pictured: A camel walks through the fields on the outskirts of the town

Arid: In the blistering heat around Awassa, where Zahara was taken to be adopted, a man carries sticks on the plains in a symbol of the extreme hand-to-mouth existence of the families that Zahara came from

Basic: In a clear sign of the poverty in Awassa, where Zahara was taken to be adopted, children play at the perimeter fence of the airport in the town

Same generation, different lives: Young women around the same age as Zahara walk down the street in Shone, Ethiopia. Most go to school until the age of 16 but also work to support their families

Hard at work: Two boys brush the dusty streets in Awassa, Ethiopia, where Zahara was adopted

With no money and nowhere to live, Mentewab said her daughter became severely malnourished and was close to death.

'My baby was sick and I was very weak and sick after the birth,' she said. In a previous interview, Mentewab's mother Almaz Elfneh has told how she had looked after the baby when Mentewab ran away, unable to cope with the strain of earning enough and caring for her daughter.

I could not look after her and my mother, uncle and his wife suggested I put her up for adoption. I was so weak I agreed. I agreed that she should be put up for adoption but if I had my chance again I would have kept her

But Mentewab told MailOnline she was simply too sick to look after her daughter, and did not abandon her: 'I could not look after her and my mother, uncle and his wife suggested I put her up for adoption. I was so weak I agreed. I agreed that she should be put up for adoption but if I had my chance again I would have kept her.

'By taking her Angelina has saved my baby's life and she also saved my life. I will always be very grateful to her for that.'

The Wide Horizons For Children agency in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, handled the adoption and on Jolie's return to the US with Zahara reports surfaced that her birth mother had died from AIDS.

Twelve years on Mentewab is still angry that people were led to believe she had died from the disease.

She blames a 'Mr Fix-it' who handled the adoption for making up the story that she had died of AIDS.

There is no suggestion Angelina Jolie did anything illegal in the adoption, or was aware of Zaharas apparent history.

Hard labour: A women brushes the dusty streets in Awassa, Ethiopia, where the girls who complete their education often have to move to have any chance of finding a job. It is in Awassa that Zahara was adopted

Hand to mouth: Fishermen bring in the morning catch on Lake Awassa, near the large dusty town, population 258,808, where Angelina Jolie adopted her daughter in 2005

Rural: Had 12-year-old Zahara remained in Awassa or Shone her aspirations would have been vastly different and by her late teens, as is the custom in Ethiopia, she would have been expected to be married and begun producing children. Pictured: Fishermen bring in the catch on Lake Awassa

After giving up her baby Mentewab continued to live with her parents and three sisters.

But seven years ago she moved to a town 100kms away with her father after he paid $133 for a small plot of land set back about 100 metres from the main road that runs through the town.

He built a one room house where Mentawab lives and two other rooms that she rents out for $20 a month and is her only income.

Her father died soon after building the homes and Mentawab now lives alone in the single storey concrete home covered by a corrugated iron roof.

The main living room that contains a small table and three chairs is separated from the single bed by as washing line on drying clothes.

A battered chest of draws contains the photos Mentewab has amassed of her daughter and there is a small 15inch Tv.

The room is lit by a single 60watt bulb that is switched on when Mentewab pushes two bare wires together.

There is no heating and no air conditioning and the toilet is a small hole in the ground. A small stove for cooking is in one corner and Mentewab appears to have few, if any, possessions.

Like many thousands of others in Ethiopia, Mentawab faces a daily battle to survive.

Her life is a world away from the luxury and privileged lifestyle enjoyed by Jolie and her children, including Zahara who has expressed an interest in modeling.

While the Jolie-Pitt's travel on private jets between their various multi million pound homes, Mentewab walks everywhere.

Her daily journey to college means she often shares the road with donkeys, cows and goats that wander around the streets.

Poor: The Wide Horizons For Children agency in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, pictured above, handled the adoption and on Jolie's return to the US with Zahara reports surfaced that her birth mother had died from AIDS.

Capital: Twelve years on from the adoption finalised in Addis Ababa Mentewab is still angry that people were led to believe she had died from the disease

Adoption centre: The Wide Horizons adoption agency from which Angelina Jolie adopted Zahara, pictured in July 2005 in Addis Ababa when Jolie and Pitt had arrived to pick her up

The 100,000 people who live in and around her town share the roads with the animals with many children engaged in looking after goat herds that meander through the town.

Outside the rusting corrugated iron that serves a front gate at Mentewab's home, three cows scour the dust covered ground for something to eat.

Inside the small holding several young children, barefoot and their faces smeared with dirt, wander around along with several chickens.

I told them all I wanted was to be allowed to speak with my daughter but when this message was given to Angelina they said I wanted her back and if she came for a visit I would never let her go back to America. That is not true, but that is what they told her

Mentewab's income is from the rent on the two rooms and any money her brother, who lives in Texas after winning a green card to move to the US in a lottery, can send her from his job as a lorry driver.

She acknowledges that she is 'barely' surviving and says it is for this reason she does not want her daughter to return home.

She said two years after the adoption representatives of Jolie and Pitt came to visit her and discuss possible contact.

'I told them all I wanted was to be allowed to speak with my daughter but when this message was given to Angelina they said I wanted her back and if she came for a visit I would never let her go back to America. That is not true, but that is what they told her.'

Mentewab admits that losing her daughter and not being able to see her has shaped her life.

Happy families: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were pictured leaving the Venice festival in 2007 with their children Zahara, left, Shiloh centre and Maddox, right

She has never married and made the decision not to have any more children.

'I have given away one baby and I do not want to give away another,' she said.

'I want to have the means to support my own child. If I was faced with giving away another child I would do everything in my power to stop that. I would beg every day and go door to door asking for help before I gave away another child,' she said.

'I do not want to be reliant on anyone and that is why I have never married. I want to be able to support myself.'

To do that, and one day start a family, Mentewab is completing a three year course in woodwork at a local technical college.

She wants to make furniture and open her own shop.

'I would like to get the machinery and hire staff and do it all,' she said.

Custody: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have split and have now vowed to keep their divorce private after months of damaging headlines. Pictured: Brad Pitt (R) with his son Knox (in arms), daughter Zahara, left, as actress Angelina Jolie holds daughter Vivienne and son Maddox, left, and daughter Shiloh, right centre, upon their arrival at Tokyo's Narita International Airport in January 2009

Large brood: The family of eight have been regularly photographed at international airports, with Brad Pitt with his wife actress Angelina Jolie shepherding their six children themselves as they arrive in Japan

'That would be a great achievement for me and would show that I have made some progress with my life.'

Until she can speak with her daughter Mentewab said she takes great satisfaction in looking at photographs of her on her mobile phone.

'I am so proud when I see her face. She is growing into a beautiful young woman and that makes me so happy.

I am very happy looking at her progress and see her grow up, but there is also much sadness as I know I am missing out on this.

I am so proud when I see her face. She is growing into a beautiful young woman and that makes me so happy

'There are lots of children her age in the town and they look so much younger than her. She is tall and so beautiful and as her mother I could not be prouder.

Angelina Jolie revealed she had been told Zahara was an AIDS orphan when she adopted her in 2005.

In an interview with CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer she also admitted she did not know how Zahara was conceived.

Asked to talk about Zahara, she said: 'Shes from Ethiopia, shes an AIDS orphan.

The actress said Zahara was in poor health when she collected her from an orphanage in Addis Ababa.

She aid: 'I think the most upsetting thing for me was that I came here -- she had to go to the hospital for dehydration and malnutrition.

'And when she got there, was lots of other things that they were concerned about that were showing up that turned out to be different things. They thought there was a mass in her arm. It turned out to be a rickets fracture from being malnourished. And things like this.'

Jolie said there were fears her daughter had HIV, but these proved unfounded.

As Jolies film career took off she became more involved with humanitarian causes.

Hugs for mummy: The bond between Angelina and Zahara is obvious in the many photographs of the pair, with Jolie pictured clutching her adopted daughter in delight throughout her infancy and toddlerhood, and holding her hand as she grew older

United front: Despite the growing strains in the marriage, the family were pictured altogether at the Maleficent premiere in 2014 with children (L-R) Pax Jolie-Pitt, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, Knox Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and Maddox Jolie-Pitt

In 2001 Jolie was recognized and named a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador to help educate the public not only about the plight of refugees.

Using her star power she has visited more than 20 countries to highlight the humanitarian problems they are facing and to focus attention on refugees searching for a new life.

Among the countries she visited were Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Cambodia, Pakistan, Syria, and Iraq.

With husband Brad she set up the Jolie-Pitt Foundation to work towards protecting natural resources and conserving wildlife.

Jolie has also met US lawmakers more than 20 times in Washington DC to lobby for causes close to her heart.

In 2010, the United Nations promoted Angie from Goodwill Ambassador to a diplomat.

She is now a special envoy and represents the UN Refugee Agency to other diplomats, governments, and officials around the world.

Representatives for Angelina Jolie did not respond to requests for comment.
As Americans celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leaders and activists are trying to reconcile the transition from the nation's first black president to a president-elect still struggling to connect with most non-white voters.

In more than one venue Monday, speakers and attendees expressed reservations about President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration, some even raising the specter of the Ku Klux Klan.

'When men no better than Klansmen dressed in suits are being sworn in to office, we cannot be silent,' said Opal Tometi, a Black Lives Matter co-founder, told a crowd in Brooklyn.

Bernice King addressed more than 2,000 people gathered at her fathers Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta four days before President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration. She also tweeted a heartfelt birthday message to her late father

Opal Tometi speaks during Dr Martin Luther King's 88th birthday commemorated at the Brooklyn Academy of Music

A man walks past Ebenezer Baptist Church where the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. preached

Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter, urged Americans during the service to honor her father's legacy regardless of who occupies the Oval Office

James R. Johnson hands out programs before the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday commemorative service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta

King's daughter offered a less direct message, encouraging 2,000 people at her father's Atlanta church to work for his vision of love and justice 'no matter who is in the White House.'

Bernice King spoke at Ebenezer Baptist hours before her brother, Martin Luther King III, met privately with the president-elect at Trump Tower in New York. The younger King described the meeting as 'productive.'

Trump won fewer than 1 out of 10 black voters in November after a campaign of racially charged rhetoric, and tensions have flared anew with his recent criticism of civil rights icon John Lewis, whom the president-elect called 'all talk' and 'no action.'

Bernice King avoided a detailed critique of Trump, but said the nation has a choice between 'chaos and community,' a dichotomy her father preached about. 'At the end of the day, the Donald Trumps come and go,' she said, later adding, 'We still have to find a way to create ... the beloved community.'

She told Americans they would have to fight for her father's vision of love and justice 'no matter who is in the White House. '

The current Ebenezer pastor, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, did not call Trump by name, but praised his predecessor. 'Thank you, Barack Obama,' he said. 'I'm sad to see you go.'

An eternal flame burns at the gravesite of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr in Atlanta

A man walks past Ebenezer Baptist Church, early Monday morning in Atlanta, before the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday commemorative service

A visitor snaps a photo at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington

In South Carolina, speakers at a state Capitol rally said minority voting power has never been more important and some attendees expressed unease about Trump joining forces with Republican congressional majorities.

'It's going to be different, that's for sure,' said Diamond Moore, a Benedict College senior who came to the Capitol. 'I'm going to give Trump a chance. But I'm also ready to march.'

In New York, Martin Luther King III told reporters that Trump pledged to be a president for all Americans, but King III added 'we also have to consistently engage with pressure, public pressure' because 'it doesn't happen automatically.'

Trump did not participate publicly in any Martin Luther King Jr. Day observances. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama took part in a service project at a shelter in Washington.

The Atlanta Hawks pay tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. covering the floor with his image during a pre-game video before an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks

In this August 28, 1963, file photo, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, addresses marchers during his 'I Have a Dream' speech

Back in Atlanta, Sen. Bernie Sanders brought the Ebenezer assembly to its feet with his reminder that King was not just an advocate for racial equality, but a radical proponent for economic justice  a mission that put him at odds with the political establishment.

'If you think governors and senators and mayors were standing up and saying what a great man Dr. King was, read history, because you are sorely mistaken,' roared Sanders, who invoked the same themes from his failed presidential campaign.

Sanders, who struggled to attract black voters in his Democratic primary fight with Hillary Clinton, recalled King opposing the Vietnam War as exploiting the poor. He also noted King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, where he'd gone to rally striking sanitation workers, white and black.

Activist priest Michael Pfleger, himself a self-described radical, built on Sanders' message with a 45-minute keynote message indicting the nation's social and economic order, which he said would get worse under Trump.

The Chicago priest said 'white hoods' of the Klan 'have been replaced by three-piece suits.' He bemoaned high incarceration rates, a 'militarized, stop-and-frisk police state,' profligate spending on war and a substandard education system.

As Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, left, holds the Phoenix MLK Torch Run flame, Tonia Robinson, center, takes a selfie as the two lead the participants in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day march

Audience members join hands while singing 'We Shall Overcome' during a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday commemorative service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta

Participants take to the streets for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day march celebrating the life of the civil rights leader in Phoenix

Members of the Wolfson High Army JROTC march in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Jacksonville, Florida

Pfleger said many Americans too quickly dismiss violence in poor neighborhoods as the fault of those who live there, when the real culprit is a lack of opportunity and hope. 'If you put two lions in a cage and you don't feed them,' he said, 'one will kill the other in the pursuit of survival.'

Warnock, meanwhile, zeroed in on Trump for his treatment of Lewis, now a Georgia congressman who represents most of Atlanta.

Lewis angered Trump when he told NBC's 'Meet the Press' that he views Trump as 'illegitimate' because of alleged Russian interference in the campaign. Trump retorted on Twitter that Lewis is 'all talk' and said his district is 'falling apart' and 'crime infested.'

'Anybody who suggests that John Lewis is all talk and no action needs a lesson in American history,' Warnock said, notably declining to say the president-elect's name.

People wait in line to enter the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. The museum is built in what was formerly the Lorraine Motel, and the balcony at upper left is marked with a wreath where King was assassinated on April 4, 1968

Visitors tour the Historic Ebenezer First Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached

People attend the Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in Erie, Pennsylvania

As a young man, Lewis was arrested and beaten by authorities as he demonstrated for civil and voting rights for black Americans.

Lewis was in Miami at King Day events.

Some Republicans have defended Trump's criticism of Lewis, arguing it is inappropriate for a congressman to question an incoming president's legitimacy.

Clara Smith, an Atlanta resident who came Monday to Ebenezer, scoffed at any GOP indignation, remembering that Trump for years questioned whether Obama was a 'natural born citizen' as the Constitution requires.

'He carried on with that knowing full well what he was doing' to the first black president, Smith, 66, said.

Elsewhere, residents in Memphis are honoring King with neighborhood clean-up events and a daylong celebration at the National Civil Rights Museum.

Bicyclists in Detroit have marked the day by pedaling to sites connected to a historic visit King made to the city.

Audience members join hands while singing 'We Shall Overcome' during a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday commemorative service at Ebenezer Baptist Church

Churchgoer Yolanda Cox holds a church program with the depiction of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., during a service at the St. John Baptist Church in Camden, New Jersey
France are eyeing up an inclusive benefits system that would see every adult receive a basic income of 750 in the fear robots will take over 3million jobs.

Two of the seven candidates vying to represent the ruling Socialist Party in this year's presidential election are promising the money to all French adults.

The radical move is already being tested in Finland and other experiments are planned elsewhere - including in the United States.

If implemented in France, the potential costs could be an eye-watering 700billion a year, and critics have said it would promote laziness.

French politicians, from left to right, Arnaud Montebourg, Jean-Luc Bennahmias, Francois de Rugy, Benoit Hamon, Vincent Peillon, Manuel Valls and Sylvia Pinel, attend the first prime-time televised debate for the French left's presidential primaries in La Plaine Saint-Denis, near Paris

The reason for the drastic measures is the number of automated systems and machines increasingly replacing human workers.

One of the supporting candidates, former education minister Benoit Hamon, said France could lose 3million jobs to robots by 2025.

If he is successful, he has promised to gradually introduce no-strings-attached payments for all.

Benoit Hamon is one of two candidates backing the idea of 'free cash for all'

As work becomes scarcer, the regular guaranteed income would stop people from fearing the future and free up their time for family, the needy and themselves, he argues.

It could also encourage people to take risks, start businesses and try new activities without the risk of losing welfare benefits.

The other pro-basic income candidate for the Socialist Party presidential ticket is outsider Jean-Luc Bennahmias.

Like Hamon, the former European Parliament lawmaker argues that it is pointless to expect the return of economic boom times with jobs for all.

'Growth at two, three, four or five percent in western countries - it's finished,' he said in a televised debate last week.

'We have to speak the truth.'

Some outside research backs up their arguments.

An Oxford University study in 2015 estimated nearly half of the American workforce is at risk of automation.

Jean-Luc Bennahmias argues that it is pointless to expect the return of economic boom times

The most obvious drawback is the cost and Hamon proposes the gradual introduction of basic income schemes in France.

He proposed starting with 600 a month for the nation's poor and 18 to 25-year-olds before scaling up payments to 750 for all adults  for a total estimated annual cost of 400billion.

Part of the cost could be financed by taxing goods and services produced by automated systems and machines, he says.

Opponents argue that doing so would simply prompt companies to move robots elsewhere, out of reach of French tax collectors.

Doing away with housing, family, poverty and unemployment benefits could free up more than 100billion, which could fold into a replacement basic income scheme.

There would also be less red tape, Hamon argues, which would save money, but a 20126 Senate report pointed out switching to the basic income system would still require new taxes.

It estimated that paying everyone 500 to 1,000 a month would cost 300billion to 700billion annually.

The report recommended starting with three-year pilot schemes with trials involving 20,000 to 30,000 people.

The idea has previously been tossed around and became more mainstream in 2016, with Switzerland holding a referendum for a proposed basic income of around 2,350 per month.

Hamon proposed starting everyone off at 600 a month

It was overwhelmingly rejected.

In Finland, a small-scale, two-year trial that started on January 1 aiming to answer a question regularly asked from basic income opponents.

The 2,000 human guinea pigs, randomly drawn from the Finnish unemployed population receive a guaranteed 560 a month with researchers studying their habits to establish whether or not they would just laze around.

Budget constraints and opposition from multiple quarters quashed ambitions for a broader test, according to Olli Kangas from the Finnish government agency KELA, which is responsible for the country's social benefits.

'It's a pretty watered down version,' he said in a telephone interview.

'We had to make a huge number of compromises.'

He argues such studies are essential in helping societies prepare for changed labor markets of the future.

'I'm not saying that basic income is the solution,' he said.

'I'm just saying that it's a solution that we have to think about.'

In the Netherlands, the city of Utrecht this year plans to trial no-strings welfare payments that will also allow test groups to work on the side if they choose  again, in part, to study the effect on their motivation to find work.

To prepare for 'a world where technology replaces existing jobs and basic income becomes necessary,' Silicon Valley startup financier Y Combinator says it plans a pilot study in Oakland, California, paying recipients an unconditional income because they want to see 'how people experience that freedom'.

Costs aside, opponents argue that guaranteed incomes would promote laziness and devalue the concept of work.

Hamon's opponents for the Socialist presidential ticket dispute as false his argument that jobs for humans are growing scarcer.

Ultimately, to see the light of day, basic income schemes will need political champions, said Van Parijs.
A father has slammed Ryanair for failing to take responsibility for his daughter's 1,000 pram being left in pieces after a flight from Spain.

John Park, 33, from Dunfermline in Fife, was flying home from a family holiday with his wife Susan, 39, and their 14-week-old daughter Charlotte.

The couple had to put their pram in the hold for the Malaga to Edinburgh flight on January 7. The Bugaboo accessory was in a 100 protective case to avoid scratches and small damage.

When the family landed on home soil, they collected the case from baggage reclaim, but did not open it at the airport as they did not need to use it.

A few days later, when they need to put Charlotte in the pram, they were horrified to discover that the expensive item was completely destroyed after the flight.

John Park, 33, from Dunfermline in Fife, was flying home from a family holiday with his wife Susan, 39, and their 14-week-old daughter Charlotte

A father has slammed Ryanair for failing to take responsibility after his daughter's 1,000 pram was left in pieces after a flight from Spain

And the Parks were furious when they were told by Ryanair that the budget airline would not take responsibility - because the damage wasn't reported at the airport on the day they returned.

Sales manager, John, told MailOnline: 'We picked it up from the baggage claim and, because the pram was in a protected case and we didn't need to use it, we never opened it at the airport.

'The case had no damage at all so we didn't think about anything like that, other than just getting home after the flight.

'It wasn't until the Sunday that we opened the case and saw the damage. Bits of it were completely snapped off.

'The carry cot was snapped in three places - and this is made of strong stuff.

'The handles were also broken - we can't use it at all. It's far too damaged.'

Susan, a customer service advisor, reported the damaged to Ryanair and the family were left further disappointed by the company's response.

The Parks were on their first holiday with daughter Charlotte, who was 14 weeks old at the time

A few days later, when they need to put Charlotte in the pram, they were horrified to discover that the expensive item was completely damaged after the flight

John said: 'The carry cot was snapped in three places - and this is made of strong stuff. The handles were also broken - we couldn't use it at all. It's far too damaged.'

John and Susan Park have hit out at Ryanair after the firm failed to take responsibility for the damage caused to their daughter Charlotte's. Pictured are the broken handles

The 1,000 Bugaboo pram was in the hold during their flight from Malaga to Edinburgh. Pictured is more of the damage to the pram

The Bugaboo accessory (right) was in a 100 protective case (left) to avoid scratches and small damage

The couple also found the response alarming, because they feel many other parents will do the same.

John said: 'They just told us that they are not taking responsibility for it, because we didn't report it at the airport and they stated it was in their terms and conditions.

'But there was no visible damage to the case so we didn't open it at all.

'I would say damage to this extent due to carelessness, not just normal handling - we should be able to make a claim 48 hours after at least.

'Nobody has time to open their bags and check all their stuff at the airport.'

Susan added: 'I am still in disbelief that Ryanair can say its not their fault - the pram is in pieces!'

Pictured is Charlotte in the pram, which has now been completely damaged, with her grandfather

The couple, who often travel with the airline for family holidays, have been put off booking flights with Ryanair while Charlotte (pictured with her father, John, on holiday) is still a child

The couple, who often travel with the airline for family holidays, have been put off booking flights with Ryanair while Charlotte is still a baby.

John added: 'We flew out with Norwegian Air and had no problems with them.

'I'm definitely not flying with an infant with Ryanair again. It costs 20 for an infant ticket and that allows you to put a pram in the hold.

'It would have been fine if they even just said they would look into it, or check with the baggage handlers.

The couple also found Ryanair's response alarming, because they feel many other parents will do the same

Baby Charlotte, who was born last September, was on her first holiday in Malaga, Spain

'But they just clearly disregarded it, despite knowing that we spent a lot of money on them - it's not really fair.

'It would have been nice if they even just sent a letter to apologise. I'm just glad it happened on the way back and not on our holiday.'

A spokesman for Ryanair told MailOnline: 'As stated in our terms and condition of travel agreed to at the time of booking, damaged baggage must be reported at the arrival airport within seven days of the date of arrival.'
Kosovo's leader fears Serbia is trying to annex part of his country - just as Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014.

President Hashim Thaci said Serbia wants to seize a slice of northern Kosovo as the two Balkan neighbours trade accusations of wanting to ignite a new regional war.

It comes after Kosovo special police units on Saturday prevented a train painted in Serbia's national colours and bearing the words 'Kosovo is Serbia' from crossing the border.

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Kosovo special police units on Saturday prevented a train painted in Serbia's national colours and bearing the words 'Kosovo is Serbia' from crossing the border

A train hostess stands in a train carriage decorated with iconic religious figures as it departs from Belgrade to Mitrovica, Kosovo at Belgrade's railway station. Serbia has launched a railway link to Serb-dominated northern Kosovo despite protests from authorities in Pristina who described the move as a provocation and an aggressive violation of Kosovo's sovereignty

Serbia does not recognise the independence of Kosovo, its former province, and did not seek Pristina's permission for the passage of the train, which it paid for and organised.

On Sunday Serbia's president, Tomislav Nikolic, said Kosovo's action had shown it wanted war with Belgrade.

Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci said the train was aimed at 'provoking' Kosovars in order to create a pretext for Serbia to intervene militarily and annex northern areas of Kosovo, home to some 50,000 ethnic Serbs who refuse to accept the province's independence and want to be governed again by Belgrade.

'Serbia's intention is to use this train, which was donated by Russia, first to help carve away the northern part of Kosovo and then ... attach it to Serbia. It is the Crimea model,' Thaci said in an interview.

Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci said the train was aimed at 'provoking' Kosovars in order to create a pretext for Serbia to intervene militarily and annex northern areas of Kosovo, home to some 50,000 ethnic Serbs who refuse to accept the province's independence and want to be governed again by Belgrade

Serbia does not recognise the independence of Kosovo, its former province, and did not seek Pristina's permission for the passage of the train, which it paid for and organised

He was referring to Ukraine's Crimea peninsula, home to Russia's Black Sea fleet and populated mainly by ethnic Russians who after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 continued to feel loyalty to Moscow rather than to the newly independent government in Kiev.

Crimea's ethnic Russians welcomed Moscow's annexation - carried out initially by soldiers wearing unmarked uniforms to disguise their identity - though the move also triggered Western economic sanctions against Russia.

Serbia lost control of Kosovo when NATO air strikes forced Belgrade to withdraw its troops in 1999 after they had killed 10,000 ethnic Albanian civilians. NATO still has around 5,000 troops stationed in Kosovo to keep the fragile peace.

As well as Serbia, its ally Russia and some other countries also refuse to recognize Kosovo's 2008 independence.

After talks with Serbia's military top brass and state security chiefs in Belgrade on Sunday, Serbia's Nikolic threatened to send troops back into Kosovo.

Serbia lost control of Kosovo when NATO air strikes forced Belgrade to withdraw its troops in 1999 after they had killed 10,000 ethnic Albanian civilians

After talks with Serbia's military top brass and state security chiefs in Belgrade on Sunday, Serbia's Nikolic threatened to send troops back into Kosovo

'If they are killing Serbs, we will send the army, all of us will go, I will go as well, it would not be my first time,' said Nikolic, who is a former member of the ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party and in the 1990s fought alongside Serb paramilitaries in Croatia.

Responding to Nikolic's remarks, Thaci said any attempt by Serbia to annex northern Kosovo would set off 'a chain reaction across the whole Western Balkans'.

Belgrade and Pristina both aspire to join the European Union and normalising relations is a condition of their progress, but Serbia continues to block Kosovo's membership of international organisations such as the United Nations.
A Pakistani mother who boasted about burning her daughter alive in an honour killing over her teenager's choice of husband has been sentenced to death.

Parveen Bibi was convicted of murdering Zeenat Rafiq just a week after getting married to Hassan Khan in June.

The murdering mother tied the 18-year-old to a cot with the help of the victim's brother before dousing her in kerosene and setting her alight in the family home in Lahore, Eastern Pakistan.

Bibi then went outside and began shouting on the street to neighbours that she had killed the teen for bringing shame on her family, while beating her chest.

Bragging rights?: After the killing of her daughter, Mrs Rafiq began shouting on the street to neighbours that she had killed the teen for bringing shame on her family, while beating her chest

Burned alive: Zeenat Rafiq died after her mother and brother tied her up and set her on fire in the family home in Lahore, eastern Pakistan

Perveen Rafique in the custody of Pakistani police after confessing to the murder of her daughter

Family members comfort Hassan Khan, center, the husband of Zeenat Rafiq, at his home in Lahore, Pakistan

Prosecutor Abdur Rauf said judge Chaudhry Ilyas in eastern Lahore on Monday convicted Parveen Bibi of burning to death Zeenat Rafiq a week after her marriage to Hassan Khan last June.

Rauf said the court sentenced the victim's brother Anees Rafique to life in prison for helping his mother kill his 18-year-old sister.

Defense lawyer Shahid Iqbal said the son had no role in the killing and was wrongly convicted.

Naseem Bibi, the murderer's younger sister, in the aftermath of the killing said: 'After killing her daughter, Perveen went out on the street, took off her shawl and started beating herself on her chest, shouting: 'People! I have killed my daughter for misbehaving and giving our family a bad name.'

'My sister declared a long time ago she would not allow her daughter to marry a Pashtun.'

Zeenat's crime in her mother's eyes was getting married to her partner Hassan Khan, a motorcycle mechanic.

His ethnicity was the main cause of the family's disapproval.

Mr Khan's is an ethnic Pashtun, while Zeenat was a Punjabi.

Fears: Mr Khan says his wife Zeenat had begged him not to let her family take her back to their house, as she feared they would kill her as punishment for eloping

Zeenat's husband Khan told local TV station Geo News last year that the pair had eloped.

He had reluctantly allowed his wife to return to her family home after her family promised they would hold a celebration and not harm her.

He said: 'After living with me for four days following our marriage, her family contacted us and promised they would throw us a proper wedding party after eight days. Then we would be able live together.

'Zeenat was unwilling to go back to her home and told me that she would be killed by her family, but later agreed when one of her uncles guaranteed her safety.

'The day we eloped she had been abused, there was blood on her nose and on her lips,' Hassan told CNN.

'She was in distress; she asked me to take her away and marry her.'

'After two days, she called me and said that her family had gone back on their word and asked me to come to get her, but I told her to wait for the promised eight days.

'Then, she was killed.'

Honour killing: Punjabi Zeenat's 'crime' was getting married to her Pashtun boyfirned Hasan Khan, a motorcycle mechanic, and her mother (centre in headscarf) said the teenager had brought shame on the family

Violence against women is rampant in Pakistan, according to the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

Citing media reports, it said there were more than 1,100 'honour killings' in 2015.

Pakistan's parliament passed legislation against 'honour killings' in October, three months after the murder of outspoken social media star Qandeel Baloch.

Her brother was arrested in relation to her strangling death in July.

Perceived damage to a family's 'honour' can involve eloping, fraternizing with men or other breaches of conservative values.

In most cases, the victim is a woman and the killer is a relative who escapes punishment by seeking forgiveness for the crime from family members.

Under the new law, relatives can forgive convicts in the case of a death sentence, but they would still have to face a mandatory life sentence.
A Mississippi city voted Monday to ditch 'Great Americans Day' and instead celebrate a holiday named for Martin Luther King Jr.

The Biloxi City Council voted 6-0 Monday to change the name of the holiday in the city code.

The vote came moments before the beginning of an annual parade honoring the slain civil rights leader.

Biloxi officially named Monday's holiday Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In this August 1963 photo, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr addresses marchers during his 'I Have a Dream' speech

Biloxi's City Council voted 6-0 to change the name of the holiday in the city's Code of Ordinances from 'Great Americans Day' to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Biloxi's mayor, Andrew Gilich (above), tweeted on Friday that he considers Monday to be Martin Luther King Day even though his city passed an ordinance years ago renaming it 'Great Americans Day'

Monday was a federal holiday and was recognized in most of the United States as MLK Day. In three states  Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas  the holiday has a dual designation honoring King and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

A Biloxi ordinance adopted in 1985 officially called the holiday 'Great American Day,' although the name seemed to have been forgotten by many, the newspaper reported.

An uproar erupted on social media after a Biloxi spokesman posted last week that city offices would be closed for Great Americans Day.

According to The Sun Herald City officials quickly changed the name.

Council President Dixie Newman said the Monday meeting was called to 'correct a mistake.'

The city followed up by posting on social media that, 'It's official. Biloxi's MLK Day is MLK Day. Unanimously.'

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr waves to the crowd after giving his 'I have a dream' speech in Washington on August 28, 1963. The third Monday of January is a federal holiday honoring him

When the federal government signed MLK Day into law, a number of states resisted by either renaming the holiday or combining it with another remembrance. Mississippi marks MLK Day on the same day that it remembers the birth of Civil War general Robert E. Lee (right)

On Friday, Biloxi's mayor, Andrew Gilich, tweeted that he considers Monday to be Martin Luther King Day even though his city passed an ordinance years ago renaming it 'Great Americans Day'.

'Y'all spelled Martin Luther King wrong,' wrote one Twitter user.

'Delete your account,' another Twitter user wrote to the city of Biloxi.

One Twitter account posted a screenshot of the original tweet and drew a red mark over 'Great Americans Day,' replacing it with Martin Luther King Jr Day.

'Fixed it for you guys,' the Twitter user wrote.

Making matters worse, the city failed in its efforts to do damage control.

The City of Biloxi's official Twitter feed posted a notice on Friday touting its observance of 'Great Americans Day' with no mention of MLK Day

Initially, Biloxi claimed the name for the holiday was mandated by the state, even though it was passed as a city ordinance (above is a screenshot of the official city website listing the day)

It deleted the original tweet and then responded to the criticism by claiming that 'Great Americans Day' was mandated by the state of Mississippi.

The 'holiday' however is not mentioned on the state's official website.

Mississippi officially celebrates MLK Day concurrently with Robert E. Lee's birthday.

Lee was a famous Civil War general who commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia over 150 years ago.

A member of the Biloxi city council told BuzzFeed that it was the state that came up with the name 'Great Americans Day.'

'That's the state, the state called it Great Americans Day,' said Councilman Felix Gines. 'The city of Biloxi celebrates MLK Day.'

A municipal spokesperson said that Biloxi hosts a number of events celebrating MLK Day.

'Biloxi, a city that appreciates and embraces diversity, is a longtime supporter and sponsor of the city's hugely successful MLK celebration,' Creel said.

'Y'all spelled Martin Luther King wrong,' wrote one Twitter user. 'Bless your hearts'

Erick Fernandez took a screengrab of the original tweet and 'fixed it' so that it reflects the federal holiday

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law which decreed the third Monday in January as MLK Day, a federal holiday.

The day was first observed in 1986, though not without resistance from some conservative states in the South and West who either renamed it or combined the holiday with another so as to dilute its importance.

'For whatever reason, some couldn't bring themselves to do follow suit, and this notion of 'Great Americans Day,' honoring Robert E. Lee and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came about,' Creel said.

Officials in the city were at a loss to explain why the name 'Great Americans Day' appears on the official Biloxi code of ordinances, yet for it not to be ntioned on the official state site.

'It filtered down to somehow be called Great Americans Dayin our city code of ordinances,' Creel said.

Another city councilman, Kenny Glavan, said he had never even heard of 'Great Americans Day' and no one could explain why Biloxi's official Twitter account failed to mention MLK Day.

After the criticism, Gilich was quoted in a clarifying tweet saying that he considers Monday to be 'Dr Martin Luther King Jr Day'

'As far as I'm concerned, we're celebrating Martin Luther King Day,' he told BuzzFeed.

'I've never heard of the city calling it that.'

'My first reaction is it sounds like an error,' he said.

After doing some investigating work, Glavan found that the city did indeed officially pass an ordinance years ago designating the third Monday of January as 'Great Americans Day.'

Now the viral nature of news in the era of social media has generated unwanted negative publicity for a city that relies on tourism as a main source of revenue for its economy.

'The thing that I have found most disheartening is that the city's story on the community wide MLK Day celebration is lost in the brouhaha over Great Americans Day tweet,' Creel said.

Glavan said that the city council would consider amending the ordinance and restoring the holiday's name to its original title.

Biloxi's mayor, Andrew Gilich, agrees.

'As far as I'm concerned, it's called 'Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day',' he is quoted in a tweet posted by the city.
The suspected New Year's Eve Istanbul nightclub attacker who police believe killed 39 people was today arrested by Turkish security forces.

According to Turkish media, the main suspect in the attack on Reina nightclub was apprehended in Istanbul late on Monday.

Abdulkadir Masharipov was reportedly caught in his friend's house in Esenyurt district of the city - just 25 miles from where the brutal attack took place.

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A photograph shows the moment Abdulkadir Masharipov was arrested in Istanbul, with blood on his face and t-shirt (left). Police were hunting the main suspect (right)

The alleged attacker entered the exclusive nightclub armed with an automatic weapon and began to shoot at revellers

He was finally tracked down and was pinned down by officers next to his four-year-old son, according to Turkish newspaper Hurriyet. He is now being transferred to Istanbul Police Headquarters.

A photograph shows Masharipov, an Uzbekistan national, covered in blood after officers put him in handcuffs.

Private NTV television said the gunman had resisted arrest.

NTV reported that the gunman's Kyrgyz friend and three other people also were detained.

The television channel said police established the alleged gunman's whereabouts four or five days ago, but delayed the raid so they could monitor his movements and contacts.

The arrest came after those celebrating New Year's Eve in the exclusive club in the city were forced to run for their lives when the attacker entered.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the savage attack, later adding that it was revenge for the Turkish military involvement in Syria.

Police in Turkey have desperately been hunting the main suspect for more than two weeks following the incident which also left 69 wounded.

On New Year's Eve, the attacker opened fire with an automatic rifle, reloading his weapon half a dozen times and shooting the wounded as they lay on the ground.

Turks as well as visitors from several Arab nations, India and Canada were among those killed in the attack.

He was reportedly arrested in the Esenyurt district of the city - just 25 miles from the nightclub

Another man was taken away after security officers arrived at a property in Istanbul, Turkey

The suspect was caught in an operation jointly carried out by the Turkish police and the spy agency MIT, Turkish TV said.

There had been confusion over the identity of the attacker in the wake of the massacre, with reports initially suggesting a Kyrgyz national and then a Uighur from China.

But reports on January 8 said intelligence services and anti-terror police in Istanbul had identified him as a 34-year-old Uzbek who was part of a Central Asian IS cell.

The suspect was living in an apartment rented by a Kyrgyz in Istanbul who was also detained, TRT reported.

Security forces were seen arriving in the Esenyurt area of Istanbul on Monday evening
The cold and measured nature of convicted mass murderer Robert Xie has been captured on CCTV footage where he's shown calmly disposing of shoeboxes that'll link him to the gruesome crime.

Xie will likely face life behind bars after mercilessly bludgeoning five of his wife's relatives to death in their Sydney family home in July, 2009, and it was these CCTV images that pinned the murders on him.

In the CCTV footage it shows Xie cutting up shoeboxes at his home after footprints were found at the crime scene in Sydney's north.

The surveillance footage of Xie in his home cutting up shoeboxes, after shoeprints were found at the crime scene were crucial to the case.

Xie knows detectives have found bloody shoe prints in the Lin family's North Epping house, and they may match a style of Asics sneaker he wears.

In a bid to destroy this evidence he collects his shoe boxes, cuts them up, soaks them in a bucket, and flushes the cardboard down the toilet.

On Thursday, Xie, 53, was last week found guilty of murdering his brother-in-law Min 'Norman' Lin, 45, Mr Lin's wife Yun Li 'Lily' Lin, 43, her sister Yun Bin 'Irene' Lin, 39, and the Lins' two sons Henry, 12, and Terry, 9.

CCTV footage shows Robert Xie taking the shoeboxes at his home (pictured) after footprints were found at the crime scene in Sydney's north

Xie collects his shoe boxes (pictured), before cutting them up, soaking them in a bucket, and flushing the cardboard down the toilet

He now awaits sentencing for the horrific crimes he committed.

Fuelled by the humiliation he felt at his 'inferior' status in his wife's extended family, compelling evidence shown to the jury during his six-month trial murder trial was released to the public for the very first time.

The grisly crime scene photos taken inside the Lin home in Epping also show walls and door handles splattered with blood, footprints in the carpet and a crucial blood stain that was found in Xie's garage after the murders with DNA of four of the victims.

The first police images from the Lin home in Epping show the violent murders that took place within the bedrooms under the cover of night on July 18, 2009.

Bloodied mobile phone charger: Grisly crime scene photos taken inside the Lin family home have been released after Robert Xie was found guilty of murdering five of his wife's relatives

Cold-blooded killer: Xie, 53, was found guilty in the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday of murdering his brother-in-law Min 'Norman' Lin and four family members

Blood was smeared on the bedroom door handles of the home in Epping, north of Sydney

The carpet from the main bedroom was treated with chemicals, revealing clear sneaker footprints which prosecutors claimed were consistent with the shoes Xie wore

VICTIMS: Min Lin, 45, and Lily Lin, 43 were killed after being bludgeoned with a 'hammer-like object' by Robert Xie

Xie, 53, was found guilty in the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday of murdering his brother-in-law Min 'Norman' Lin and four family members after a six-month trial.

Cutting electricity to the house, Xie crept inside and 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.

Xie is expected to face a sentence hearing next month.

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
Robin Bailey's concerned fans have told the veteran radio host to 'hang in there' after she did not appear on air for the first day of her new role.

The Brisbane radio host was axed from 97.3FM's breakfast show in November 2016 after 10 years of service, but had been 'in talks' with rival station Triple M and signed a contract to co-host the morning program.

While her co-hosts Greg 'Marto' Martin and Ed Kavalee returned to air on Monday morning, Bailey did not and many of her fans took to Facebook to ask where she was.

'Sadly it's Monday Week! I am ready to go but greater powers are at force! Hang in there coz I am!x,' she wrote.

Robin Bailey's (pictured) concerned fans have told the veteran radio host to 'hang in there' after she did not appear on air for the first day of her new role

The Brisbane radio host was axed from 97.3FM's breakfast show in November 2016. She is pictured here with former co-hosts Terry Hansen and Bob Gallagher

A Southern Cross Austereo spokesperson confirmed Bailey would join the show a week late to coincide with ratings, The Courier Mail reported.

On Monday, the official Twitter of Triple M's morning show announced the hosts were back for the first show of the year and said Bailey would join the following week.

'Robin brings years of Brisbane radio heritage and experience and that will be a real positive for Triple M breakfast listeners,' Triple M content director David Rymer told the Courier Mail.

Bailey's fans posted on her Facebook page after she did not appear on Monday's show.

Vicki Hunt told Bailey to 'hang in there' after she told her there were 'greater powers at force'

A Southern Cross Austereo spokesperson confirmed Bailey would join the show a week late to coincide with ratings

Her co-hosts Greg 'Marto' Martin and Ed Kavalee returned to air on Monday morning

Many of Bailey's fans took to Facebook to ask where she was

Just hours before she was sacked in November, Robin Bailey was joined by her fellow co-hosts Terry Hansen (second from right) and Bob Gallagher (second from left) as they sang happy birthday to her

'Yeah (I) tuned in yesterday waiting to hear your voice ... but I'll wait until next Monday, good luck,' one woman wrote.

Eagerly awaiting your return to our mornings,' another said.

In response to Bailey's post, Vicki Hunt told her to 'hang in there'.

Bailey was told she would be sacked after 10 years of service to the 97.3FM Breakfast show on in November and was 'completely blindsided'.

The mother-of-three had celebrated her 46th birthday with her co-hosts Terry Hansen and Bob Gallagher in the studio just 24 hours earlier.

Just four days later, it was revealed Bianca Dye, whose Gold Coast radio career spans 20 years, was hired as Bailey's replacement and will start in January.

Dye, who has been friends with Bailey for years, left her afternoon hosting gig at Southern Cross Austero after less than 12 months.

Veteran radio host Bianca Dye (pictured) will replace Robin Bailey and was hired weeks before the breakfast broadcaster was axed
Debbie Urquhart (pictured in hospital) was viciously attacked by a kangaroo during her early morning run over the weekend

A woman has opened up about the terrifying moment she was viciously attacked by a kangaroo during her early morning run.

Debbie Urquhart was jogging along the Candlebark running track - just 500 metres from her Templestowe home in Melbourne's north-east - when she was repeatedly kicked by the two-metre tall marsupial.

The 54-year-old said she had no other option but to play dead in a desperate attempt to stop the horrific attack after she was thrown 'around like a rag doll' about 6am on Saturday.

'He ripped me to pieces,' Ms Urquhart told Manningham Leader.

'I was trying to crawl away. He left me for a bit and I thought he was going to come back and kill me.'

Covered in bloodied scratch marks, the terrified woman jogged back to her family home after she managed to escape when the kangaroo ran away.

Her husband, Robert, rushed her to the emergency department at Austin Hospital in Melbourne's north where she underwent surgery.

She received up to 35 stitches in her arm, shoulder and buttocks after she suffered severe wounds from the attack.

The 54-year-old jogger received up to 35 stitches in her arm, shoulder and buttocks after she suffered severe wounds

She said she pretended to be dead in a desperate attempt to stop the attack on Saturday

The personal trainer said she has been left traumatised from the attack but was determined to recover from the ordeal.

'Every time I close my eyes its pretty vivid, it's horrible,' she said.

She has since been released from hospital and was able to walk again by Sunday afternoon.
Apex gang-style attacks focusing on stores with young workers are being carried out because they are 'soft targets'.

Fast food outlets, convenience stores and service stations are among the Melbourne businesses that have been raided using weaponry including guns, machetes and hammers.

A recent attack on a McDonald's in Chelsea Heights and two raids in a fortnight at a Cheltenham McDonald's were examples, Leader Community News reported.

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McDonald's in Chelsea Heights (pictured) was targeted at 3.25am on January 6 by four men armed with a machete and hammer who threatened staff and stole cash

Cheltenham McDonald's, Melbourne, which was targeted twice in November 2016

Thugs raid a jewellery store in Toorak about 1pm on Saturday, January 14

Moorabbin Police investigation and response Inspector Bernie Edwards said young people were often targets.

'Some of your fast food outlets are staffed by relatively young people... It's really traumatising [for the victims].'

He also said victims should not fight back or resist.

'We are lucky that the majority of victims don't resist  that's what we'd prefer rather than somebody getting seriously hurt.'

The men shower a jewellery store with glass after smashing the cabinets with hammers

Stores targeted were often selected because they were open late at night and had limited security, unlike establishments like banks with armed guards.

The Chelsea Heights McDonald's was targeted at 3.25am on January 6 by four men armed with a machete and hammer who threatened staff and stole cash.

In early November 2016, the Cheltenham location was hit twice - once by two youths who threatened to set it on fire before stealing money and later by three men armed with machetes and knives, Leader Community News reported.

More recently, a group of five offenders armed with a gun targeted a jewellery store in Toorak, smashing their way into displays and taking a large number of items before fleeing in a getaway car.

It's not the first time the store has been hit.

On October 25, 2016, gun-toting bandits wreaked havoc on the store and left with $200,000 in jewellery.

Images police released of one of the suspects in the recent jewellery store robbery
Lindsay Frasher, 28, was charged with kidnapping after she allegedly tried to snatch a three-year-old from her grandfather in Auburn, California, on Saturday

A grandfather was in a tug of war battle with a woman who allegedly tried to snatch a three-year-old from a duck pond in California.

Lindsay Frasher, 28, was charged with kidnapping after she reportedly tried to take a young girl from her grandfather at Ashford Park in Auburn, California, on Saturday.

Frasher approached the child near a duck pond and tried to forcibly take her away from the family member, according to Auburn police.

She had allegedly called the girl by a different name before wrapping her arms around the child's body in attempt to kidnap her.

The grandfather was then involved in a physical struggle over the little girl with Frasher and managed to prevent the woman from taking the child.

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The attempted kidnapping happened near a duck pond at Ashford Park (pictured)

'It was a tug of war over the little girl,' Sergeant Gary Hopping with the Auburn Police Department said to Fox 40.

The grandfather and others who saw what happened were able to keep Frasher at the park until police arrived.

She was arrested and charged at the scene of the attempted kidnapping.

The family did not know Frasher and it is not believed she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time.

Investigators couldn't comment on whether Frasher suffers from mental illness, Crime Watch Daily reported.

Her bail at the Placer County Jail was set at $200,000.
Mourning families have accused cemetery staff of damaging headstones and graves as they removed unstable stone markers.

Workers at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park in Sydney have been removing dangerous headstones as part of a 'grave rectification program' following the death of a three-year-old girl who was crushed by a stone monument, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The girl and her family were holidaying at a different site on the NSW mid-north coast when the tragedy occurred outside Blackhead Bowling Club.

Now it has been claimed during the process of removing dangerous headstones at the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park, other graves were damaged.

Toppled headstones and graves in disrepair have left families livid, accusing cemetery staff at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park of causing the damage

The safety audit occurs following the death of a three-year-old girl at a separate site

Garry Field was outraged upon discovering the gravestone marking where four of his family members are laid to rest had been 'flipped over'.

Mr Field had paid $10,000 for the double plot for his great-grandmother, her first-born son, her husband and his father.

'What I find bizarre is that some of these graves are quite old and there's probably no living family members left,' Mr Field told The Daily Telegraph.

'You have headstones where people cannot read who was buried there.'

It is understood family members of those buried at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park were not notified a safety audit was taking place.

Cemetery trust corporate services manager Cheryl Williams told Daily Mail Australia this was due to the organisation's responsibility to keep the public safe.

'The area in which the program is focusing on, most of the graves there are over 50 years old.

'We need to ensure safety of visitors and staff, some of these headstones are in excess of 100kg, if that were to fall on someone that could cause some significant injuries,' she said.

'Our staff always word with dignity and lay down these old stones very gently - ensuring they don't fall down at a later stage.'

Ms Williams added that sometimes damage can occur as the headstones are very old, but tells Daily Mail Australia that it is no intention to cause hurt to families.

Workers at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park in Sydney have been removing dangerous headstones as part of a 'grave rectification program'

It's understood that family members of those buried at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park were not notified that a safety audit was taking place
A shooting that resulted in a fire and hostage situation at an upscale townhouse community has left the suspect dead and at least three people injured.

The knife-wielding shooter is presumed to have lived in the home on the 13300 block of Covered Wagon Lane in Herndon, Virginia, and two of the injured hostages are thought to be brothers.

A two-alarm fire continued to ravage through the home throughout the afternoon as the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue worked to combat it.

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A shooting that resulted in a fire at an upscale townhouse community has left the suspect dead and at least three people injured

Police were called to at 2.40pm on Monday when one of the hostages called 911 and reported a shooter in the home, according to NBC Washington.

Police Chief Edwin Roessler said: 'Apparently the suspect and the two victims got in a heated dispute, in which the suspect then took a handgun and shot the two victims.'

'Two victims escaped out of the home and were treated at a local area hospital.'

Once the officers arrived they 'isolated' the situation and began negotiations.

A two-alarm fire has continued to ravage through the home the 13300 block of Covered Wagon Lane in Herndon, Virginia throughout the afternoon as the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue work to combat it

Chief Roessler continued: 'While negotiations were ongoing the suspect apparently set fire to the house and at the same time was firing the handgun in the house - so we had an active shooter event and a fire in the house.

'At the same time we had a hostage in the home who called 911 and said he couldn't breathe.'

The suspect, who remains unnamed, reportedly exited the house at one point during the negotiations, but then retreated back inside.

When he exited a second time, the officers deployed deadly force, killing him.

Two of the hostages are still in hospital but are not considered to be suffering life-threatening injuries. The third hostage was treated at the scene.
More than 100 malnourished and injured dogs and cats living in 'disturbing' conditions have been seized from a Queensland property.

Detectives from Goondiwindi Criminal Investigation Branch and investigators from the RSPCA Queensland found the puppies and cats during the search of a property on Bosjnack Road at Glenarbon on Monday about 7.30am.

The animals were reportedly malnourished, bloodied, covered in excrement and surrounded by the corpses of other dead dogs.

Police and the RSPCA have seized more than 100 animals from a farm in Queensland (pictured)

Many of the animals also appeared to not have adequate shelter or water.

The RSPCA said the seized dogs were mainly American Staffordshire bull terriers, Australian and American bulldogs, French bulldogs and pitbulls.

Two dogs required emergency treatment at the property, while 81 dogs and puppies and 10 cats were taken to the RSPCA's Animal Welfare Campus in Wacol for treatment and care.

RSPCA Queensland chief inspector Daniel Young told the ABC said the conditions the dogs and cats were being kept in 'were very disturbing'.

Detectives from Goondiwindi Criminal Investigation Branch and investigators from the RSPCA Queensland found the puppies and cats at a property at Glenarbon on Monday

'There was inadequate shelter and water and a number of the dogs were carrying injuries that needed urgent veterinary treatment,' he said.

'There was one dog that was sharing a small space with a dog that was deceased and there were the remains of a number of corpses lying near dogs that were tethered.'

A 40-year-old man is assisting police and the RSPCA with their inquiries.

The man is also due to appear in Goondiwindi Magistrates Court in relation to other matters.

Investigators would like to speak to anyone who may have purchased an animal from the property in the past.

Two dogs required emergency treatment at the property, while 81 dogs and puppies and 10 cats were taken to the RSPCAs Animal Welfare Campus in Wacol for treatment and care

The seized dogs were mainly American Staffordshire bull terriers, Australian and American bulldogs, French bulldogs and pitbulls
A New Zealand mayor has asked ratepayers foot the bill for a bizarre parting gift - a forest gecko tattoo on her ankle.

Celia Wade-Brown's request was turned down after her term of office as mayor of Wellington ended in September last year, The Guardian reported.

Ms Wade-Brown had been the mayor for six years from October 2010 and had made the request as her departure gift.

Former New Zealand mayor Celia Wade-Brown (pictured) asked for a tattoo of a gecko on her ankle as a leaving gift

She is a member of the Green party but stood for mayor as an independent.

It was a request that had the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union scratching its head.

The organisation was made aware of the request after a call to its tip line and could not believe what they were hearing.

'The most perplexing leaving gift ever' was how they described it.

Following a freedom of information request to the council under the subject line, 'requests for tattoos paid for by ratepayers', it was confirmed the 'request was declined and no further discussion... was entered into'.

Wade-Brown (right) had her request turned down, but got it done anyway (left)

Jordan Williams, the executive director of the Taxpayers' Union, was satisfied with Wellington city council's decision.

'We found it difficult to believe that an elected official would ask for a tattoo,' he said in a statement.

'Ratepayer-funded body-art is perhaps the most unusual spending request we have ever come across. Well done to the person in the council who had the nous to say no!'

In the end Wade-Brown got the tattoo anyway, sharing a photo of it on Facebook late last year.
Theresa May will promise a clean break from the EU today  ruling out any deal that leaves us half-in, half-out

Theresa May will promise a clean break from the EU today  ruling out any deal that leaves us half-in, half-out.

Setting out her detailed plan for Brexit, the Prime Minister will reject partial or associate membership in favour of a brighter future outside the Brussels bloc.

Her 12-point plan will see Britain regain full control over borders and quit both the single market and European Court of Justice. She will insist the UK can become a great, outward-looking trading nation.

We seek a new and equal partnership  between an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU, she will say.

Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out.

We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave.

The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. My job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do.

The PM will not explicitly vow to leave the customs union, which allows tariff-free trade and the movement of goods between its members.

Setting out her detailed plan for Brexit, the Prime Minister will reject partial or associate membership in favour of a brighter future outside the Brussels bloc

But she is determined not to sign up to anything that restricts the ability to take back sovereignty from the ECJ or prevents solo trade deals with the rest of the world.

In effect, this means quitting the customs union as it stands, and trying to strike a new trade deal which gives Britain the best of both worlds. One option would be to opt back in to some elements of the customs union, but on our own terms.

Mrs May will say her guiding principles, once she triggers the two-year article 50 process for leaving the EU in March, will be to provide certainty and clarity to business, while delivering a stronger, fairer, truly global Britain.

She will say the British people voted for Brexit with their eyes open.

However, the speech has already triggered a wave of protest from Remainers, who have insisted that leaving the single market or customs union would be a disaster for the economy.

Labour former cabinet minister and arch-Europhile Lord Mandelson accused Mrs May of pretending there was a 'clicky fingers' solution to Brexit.

The peer insisted the UK should accept the EU's principle of free movement - which has helped drive net migration to 330,000 a year - in return for staying in the single market.

Theresa May will insist the UK can become a great, outward-looking trading nation

'This is a Prime Minister who says that she doesn't accept that there is a difference between a hard and a soft Brexit,' he told BBC Radio Four's Today programme.

'I think she is pretending that difficult choices that the Government has to make simply don't exist. If she doesn't know what a hard Brexit is, let me tell her what it is: it's when UK goods suddenly face tariffs of as much 10 per cent or more in our biggest export market...

'There are no clicky finger solutions to these issues, but not even to acknowledge the difficult choices that have to be made, I think is very worrying indeed.'

Mrs May's hand in the negotiations has been dramatically strengthened after Donald Trump promised to do a quick trade deal with Britain yesterday.

The resilience of UK plc has also been underlined after the IMF revealed it was the fastest growing economy in the developed world last year  and sharply uprated its gloomy forecasts for 2017.

Mrs May briefed the Cabinet on her vision this morning before delivering her speech.

At the top of the list of 12 objectives is a commitment to regain control of the UKs borders with a visa regime for EU workers and a pledge to restore British sovereignty by no longer being subject to the rulings of the European Court of Justice.

Mrs May will also set out her determination to create the maximum trading opportunities for Britain with the EU and the rest of the world; make the UK an attractive destination for investment and study; and protect and enhance workers rights.

The list includes securing a deal that will allow the three million EU citizens living in Britain to stay here, with a reciprocal arrangement for Britons living abroad.

In a bid to ease tensions north of the border, the PM will also make a specific commitment to preserve the Union with Scotland by securing a Brexit that works for those on both sides of the border.

Downing Street yesterday made it clear that, while Mrs May will be seeking the best possible deal with the EU, the country will not lie down if Brussels refuses a deal.

Mrs May briefed the Cabinet, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Amber Rudd, this morning before delivering her speech

Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom, a prominent Leave campaigner, appeared pleased as she arrived for the Cabinet gathering this morning

Chancellor Philip Hammond has threatened to slash business taxes if the EU will not reach agreement on tariff-free trade. The tactic has been dubbed a trade war.

The PMs official spokesman said: She shares the view that the Chancellor set out that we would want to remain in the mainstream of recognisable European taxation systems  but if we are forced to do something different because we cannot get the right deal then we stand ready to do so.

Mrs May will tell an audience of ambassadors at Londons Lancaster House: A little over six months ago the British people voted for change. They voted to shape a brighter future for our country.

'They voted to leave the European Union and embrace the world. And they did so with their eyes open: accepting that the road ahead will be uncertain at times, but believing that it leads toward a brighter future for their children  and their grandchildren too.

Brexit Secretary David Davis, seen arriving for Cabinet today, is due to make a statement to MPs in the Commons later

Yesterday, Berlin and Brussels reacted with fury to a prediction by Mr Trump that the EU could begin to fall apart

It is the job of this Government to deliver it. That means more than negotiating our new relationship with the EU. It means taking the opportunity of this great moment of national change to step back and ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be.

My answer is clear. I want this United Kingdom to emerge from this period of change stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than ever before.

I want us to be a secure, prosperous, tolerant country  a magnet for international talent and a home to the pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead.

I want us to be a truly global Britain  the best friend and neighbour to our European partners, but a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe too. A country that gets out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike.

CARNEY AND IMF EAT MORE HUMBLE PIE AS ECONOMY KEEPS ON BOOMING Households have defied doom-mongers by continuing to splash out after the Brexit vote, the governor of the Bank of England said last night Households have defied doom-mongers by continuing to splash out after the Brexit vote, the governor of the Bank of England said last night. Mark Carney, who has been accused of taking part in the Project Fear campaign against Brexit, admitted the economy has fared better than expected. Figures from the IMF, which had warned against leaving the EU, yesterday showed Britain was the fastest growing major economy in the developed world last year. The global watchdog said the UKs 2 per cent growth in 2016 outpaced the other Group of Seven leading industrialised nations  the United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, France and Italy. The IMF said it now expects Britains economy to grow by 1.5 per cent this year. It forecast 1.1 per cent in October. Domestic demand held up better than expected in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, the Fund said. IMF chief Christine Lagarde had warned Britains prospects following a Leave vote would be pretty bad to very, very bad. Mr Carney put the strength of the UK economy down to British consumers  adding that the flexibility and dynamism of the economy stood the country in good stead for the future as new opportunities with the rest of the world open up. Households appear to be entirely looking through Brexit-related uncertainties, he said in a speech at the London School of Economics. The comments marked yet another U-turn from the Bank and its governor, who before the referendum warned a vote to leave the EU could trigger a recession. Mark Carney, who has been accused of taking part in the Project Fear campaign against Brexit, admitted the economy has fared better than expected He said the economy was increasingly consumption-led and warned rising prices could dampen spending this year. Last August the Bank slashed its growth forecasts for 2017 to 0.8 per cent, having cut interest rates to a new low of 0.25 per cent. But in November it was forced to admit the outlook was far brighter  and it raised its prediction for this year to 1.4 per cent. Mr Carney last week hinted that a further upgrade could follow next month as he conceded the immediate risks around Brexit have gone down for the UK. Speaking last night, he added: Over the autumn, demand growth remained more resilient than had been expected, particularly consumer spending and to a lesser extent the housing market. He noted that the financial markets had been less sanguine  and pointed to the fall in the pound since the Brexit vote. Ultimately, the tension between consumer strength on the one hand and the more pessimistic expectations of markets on the other will be resolved, he said. Advertisement

I want Britain to be what we have the potential and ambition to be: a great, global trading nation that is respected around the world and strong, confident and united at home.

Yesterday, Berlin and Brussels reacted with fury to a prediction by Mr Trump that the EU could begin to fall apart  with other countries quitting the bloc in protest at mass immigration. Mrs May will strike a far more conciliatory tone, saying it remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britains national interest that the EU should succeed.

She will state: Our vote to leave the European Union was no rejection of the values we share. The decision to leave the EU represents no desire to become more distant to you, our friends and neighbours.

We will continue to be reliable partners, willing allies and close friends. We want to buy your goods, sell you ours, trade with you as freely as possible, and work with one another to make sure we are all safer, more secure and more prosperous through continued friendship.

The Prime Ministers speech is expected to trigger an outpouring of anger and protest from the Remain side.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said Mrs May was heading for a destructive, hard Brexit and the consequences will be felt by millions of people through higher prices, greater instability and rising fuel costs.
Megan Richards (pictured), 22, of Loganville, Georgia, survived a fiery road crash in 2015

The parents of a Georgia nursing students who lost five classmates in a fiery truck crash have described their daughter's agony, as she continues to struggle with PTSD and insomnia more than a year after the deadly pileup.

Megan Richards, 22, was among seven Georgia Southern University nursing students caught in a tragic road crash in April 2015 not far from Savannah.

The seven young women were going to their final clinical training of the school year when a truck crashed into traffic, seriously injuring Richards and another student.

College juniors Emily Clark, 20, Morgan Bass, 20, Abbie Deloach, 21, Catherine Pittman, 21, and Caitlyn Baggett, 21, all died.

The truck driver, 57-year-old John Wayne Johnson, pleaded guilty this summer to five counts of first-degree vehicular homicide and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Richards is now due in court Tuesday as part of her civil case against the trucking company.

She wants the firm to recognize the full extent of her injuries, according to her parents, who said the 21-year-old had to be put on medication and still napped for the better part of the day due to her persistent insomnia.

'You don't expect to bring your kid back in the house and have her bed right beside you and taking care of her in a lot of pain. You don't want to see your kids go through this,' Megan's father, Dalton Richards, told WSB-TV.

The nursing student is up against Mississippi-based Total Transportation and its parent company, US Xpress Enterprises. The firm has already settled more than $70 million's worth of civil suits.

But Richard's case is the only out of seven civil suits to go to court, WSB-TV wrote.

Parents Mandy Richards (left) and Dalton Richards (right) said their daughter was still struggling with PTSD and insomnia almost two years after the crash

Richards and another student were seriously injured in the crash and survived. Five of their nursing school classmates from Georgia Southern University died in the April 2015 tragedy

'It's been very difficult. She still struggles with PTSD,' her mother Mandy Richards said.

Emily Clark (pictured), 20, of Powder Springs, also died in the April 2015 crash

'She has trouble sleeping. She's on medication.

'She naps all the time when she's home just because she doesn't sleep through the night, so it's really sad seeing her go through that.'

Attorney Bob Cheeley plans to call to the stand 20 witnesses, including Richards herself, medical experts, and truck driver Johnson.

The 57-year-old took a plea deal in July, getting sentenced to five years behind bars instead of the 93 he could have faced if the case had gone to trial.

Johnson told a judge at the time he was going at 70 miles per hour when he saw tail lights stopping ahead of his vehicle.

The driver said he couldn't explain why he hadn't stopped, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Georgia Southern University has established the School of Nursing Students Memorial Fund to honor the five women who died in the 2015 crash.

Georgia Southern University nursing students Abbie Deloach (left), 21, of Savannah, and Morgan Bass (right), 20, of Leesburg, died in the horrific car crash near Savannah

Fellow nursing students Catherine McKay Pittman (left), 21, of Alpharetta and Caitlynn Baggett (right), 21, of Millen, were among the victims

Truck driver John Wayne Johnson (pictured), 57, took a plea deal this summer and has been sentenced to five years in prison
Women giving birth in NHS maternity units are being treated like cattle or products on a conveyor belt, a damning report warns today.

Half are made to endure poor care including delays in pain relief or having vital observations during the labour.

Some said they ended up having their births at home or on another ward after being told not to come to the maternity unit as it was extremely busy.

Women giving birth in NHS maternity units are being treated like cattle or products on a conveyor belt, a damning report has warned

The report by the National Childbirth Trust warns that a desperate lack of midwives and cash has left labour wards in crisis.

Its findings come a day after a hospital revealed it was chasing a 350,000 bill from a Nigerian woman who flew over to give birth to twins.

Freedom of Information requests sent by the Mail to hospitals in England exposed that a total of 3,066 maternity tourists gave birth on the NHS last year who werent entitled to free care.

Yet they have only managed to claw back a third of the costs and another hospital is chasing a 320,000 invoice from a woman who gave birth to triplets.

Maternity units are coming under pressure from the rising birth rate, partly driven by the migration of young couples starting families.

On top of this labours are becoming more complex due to the higher numbers of older or obese women, who are high risk.

Around half of hospitals have to close their doors temporarily to women in labour and divert them, as they are so busy.

MIDWIFE LEADER TO RESIGN Pictured: Cathy Warwick chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives The midwife leader who wants to scrap the 24-week time limit on abortions will step down from her 155,000 job in August. Cathy Warwick, left, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, had faced calls to resign since signing up 30,000 College members to the campaign in May, without asking. She also admitted she was chairman of Britains largest abortion firm BPAS. Some 15,000 midwives signed a petition claiming she betrayed the profession. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children said the news comes not a moment too soon. Advertisement

Campaigners claim the NHS is short of 3,500 midwives and blame the Government for not training enough staff to meet the rising demand.

Todays report is based on a detailed survey of 2,493 women who gave birth in England and Wales in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Exactly 50 per cent said they had experienced a delay in pain relief, medication, tests or being washed after the labour.

These are known as red flag events and are a sign of severe understaffing, and should be recorded by midwives.

A total of 45 per cent of women were given no choice in where to give birth and told it would have to be in hospital

This is despite a major NHS drive to offer more options including deliveries in smaller midwife-led centres or at home.

One woman said shed developed post-traumatic stress disorder as shed been treated so badly.

I wasnt treated as a human. I was just a product on a conveyor belt. She said.

Another described the experience as unbearable as expectant mothers were treated like cattle.

According to a National Childbirth Trust a desperate lack of midwives and cash has left labour wards in crisis' (file photo)

Elizabeth Duff, Senior Policy Adviser at the NCT, said: Our research has exposed a crisis in maternity care. No women should have to suffer a red flag event when bringing a baby into the world.

Severe staffing shortages must be acted on so that every family receives an acceptable level of care. If a woman wants pain relief she shouldnt have to wait 30 minutes to get it and no new mother should have to wait over an hour to be given stitches.

Its shocking that so few women are able to see a midwife often enough postnatally and more support is needed at this stage too.

Marylyn Haines Evans, Public Affairs Chair, National Federations of Womens Institutes, which was also involved in the survey said: The findings from this report show that chronic midwife shortages continue to undermine the delivery of high quality care for women and their families.

Half of the women we spoke to reported red-flag events during their care, suggesting that staffing levels are at crisis point.

Women have told us that midwives are working hard to do the very best that they can, but that there are simply not enough of them to go around.

Campaigners claim the NHS is short of 3,500 midwives and blame the Government for not training enough staff to meet the rising demand (file photo)

We are calling on the Government and the NHS to end this chronic midwife shortage immediately and take the necessary steps to ensure midwives are supported to remain in the profession.

One woman said shed had an unplanned home birth after repeatedly calling the hospital and the birthing centre only to be told they were extremely busy.

Another said: I received a very robotic care. It wasnt very personal and I felt like just another person on the conveyor belt.

Louise Silverton, Director for Midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives, said: The fact that half of women have experienced a red flag event is hugely worrying.

It is a sign of services under too much pressure, with too few resources and not enough staff.

This ongoing shortage of midwives and underfunding of services is not delivering the service that women and their families need, and it is storing up health problems for the future that could be prevented.

Serious and sustained investment in maternity care is needed to counter the huge increase in births over the last decade or more, the increasing demands on the service and the historical lack of funding.
Prisoners on death row in Benin are languishing in a cruel limbo after a court decision last year effectively abolished the death penalty, but failed to commute existing death sentences, said Amnesty International in a new report today.





The 14 remaining death row inmates have been informed by prison authorities that they will not be executed but are still being held in terrible conditions separately from other inmates at Akpro-Misserete Prison, close to Port Novo, Benin's capital.





"These men have already suffered almost 20 years on death row, unsure every day that they wake whether or not it will be their last," said Oluwatosin Popoola, Amnesty International's Adviser on the death penalty. "They face an unclear fate in appalling detention conditions, without adequate food and medical care."





"The Benin authorities must urgently commute their sentences officially and ensure that the conditions they are being held in comply with minimum international standards. This would bring to a close the cruel uncertainty that the men have been living with for nearly 2 decades and demonstrate Benin's commitment to eliminating the last vestiges of the death penalty in the country."





Azonhito Yaovi, aged 54, has been on death row for 18 years after being sentenced to death in August 1998. He told Amnesty International:





"The fear of death is often worse than death itself. For years, I woke up wondering: will I be executed today, tomorrow, in a few months or in a few years?"





According to Amnesty International's new report, prisoners on death row have very limited contact with the outside world. They are only allowed out of their cells 5 times a week when they have access to a small courtyard separate from the larger one used by other inmates. They are given just 2 small meals a day which they have to supplement where possible with food brought by their families.





If one of the death row prisoners is disciplined for misconduct, the whole group is locked up in their cells for several days as a collective sanction.





Death row detainees were convicted for a range of offences including armed robbery and assault, which do not meet the threshold of "most serious crimes", which is the only category of crimes for which international law allows the death penalty.





Additionally, many of the men said they have been unable to properly appeal their convictions as they could not afford lawyers or never heard the result of their appeal procedure. All the men were convicted in either 1998 or 1999. The authorities must ensure they are provided with legal aid to pursue any outstanding appeals or seek judicial review against their convictions.





The report also highlights how the prisoners had suffered from life-threatening diseases, including malaria and tuberculosis, and that 3 death row prisoners had died due to inadequate medical care when held in Cotonou Prison, before they were transferred to Akrpo-Misserete Prison in 2010.





Death row prisoners said that they had to rely on relatives bringing them medication from outside. The prison authorities acknowledged that medical care for the inmates is limited.





Fatai Bankole, 52, told Amnesty International:





"When we are sick, we rely on the help we can get from outside. If you have money and family to provide you with treatment, you survive. If you don't, you die."





In addition to commuting the death sentences of all death row prisoners, Amnesty International is calling on the National Assembly of Benin to adopt legislation to remove death penalty provisions from its books.





"Benin is the 104th country in the world and the 19th country in sub-Saharan Africa to abolish the death penalty for all crimes and we applaud its efforts," said Oluwatosin Popoola.





"However, it needs to formalize the abolition in its laws to make absolutely sure there's no chance of sliding backwards on this achievement."





Background





The last known execution in Benin was carried out in 1987. In 2012 the country acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at abolishing the death penalty (ICCPR-OP2). The treaty commits Benin not to carry out executions and to take all necessary measures to abolish the death penalty within its jurisdiction. Benin has fulfilled its obligation, under the treaty, not to carry out executions.





In addition, 2 landmark decisions of the Constitutional Court have entrenched abolition of the death penalty in Benin. A recent 2016 judgement makes it impossible for the courts to impose death sentences, effectively abolishing the death penalty in Benin.





Death penalty provisions have already been removed from the Criminal Procedure Code while a bill is pending at the National Assembly which would revise the Criminal Code and completely remove death penalty provisions.





Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution. The death penalty is a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.





 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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Source: Amnesty International , January 16, 2017
A 'monster' four-metre long crocodile has been spotted slithering down a river in the Northern Territory.

The huge camouflaged creature could hardly be seen as it rested on rocks among rapids in northern Australia.

But crocodile wrangler Matt Wright saw the mammoth beast as it emerged from the water and stalked its way across the river.

The huge camouflaged crocodile could hardly be seen as it rested on rocks among rapids in northern Australia

Mr Wright, star of the National Geographic show Outback Wrangler, said he was fishing in the isolated waterway when he suddenly spotted the massive animal.

'Look at that big boy. Battered and bruised,' he is heard saying as the crocodile crawls through the water.

'Not a bad size crocodile. Look at the size of that fella.

'[I was] coming down, fishing here, trying to get a barramundi, and look who comes wandering down here. He is a monster.'

The 'monster' four-metre long crocodile was spotted slithering down a river in the Northern Territory

Crocodile wrangler Matt Wright saw the mammoth beast as it emerged from the water and stalked its way across the river

Crocodile wrangler Mr Wright said he was fishing in the isolated waterway when he suddenly spotted the massive animal

Matt Wright (pictured with Samantha Armytage), star of National Geographic series Outback Wrangler, spotted the crocodile

Mr Wright believed the huge crocodile was injured and urged people to keep an eye out for the creatures, especially during the warmer months.

'This big fella's trying a little white water rafting without the raft,' he wrote on Facebook.

'Remember big crocs are traveling around this time of year, even in the nicest cleanest springs, [so] be careful and be croc wise.'

Mr Wright has history dealing with huge crocodiles. In February last year he posted a picture online of a 5.58-metre beast that he helped catch.

Mr Wright believed the huge crocodile was injured and urged people to keep an eye out for the creatures, especially during the warmer months

Mr Wright has history dealing with huge crocodiles. In February last year he posted a picture online of a 5.58-metre beast (above) that he helped catch

The mammoth man-eater, that was captured in 2009, was believed to be the second-largest crocodile to ever be caught in Australia.

It is unclear exactly when or where the image was captured, and reports of the crocodile's measurements are yet to be verified.

Another Northern Territory crocodile named Dominator is estimated to be 6.1 metres long and weighing over a ton, but it has never officially measured.

According to the Guinness World Records the worlds largest crocodile in captivity in Cassius, a 5.48 metre long saltwater crocodile caught in the Finniss River in the Northern Territory.
An Australian mother and her three sons have been found after sending a desperate Facebook message to family saying they were 'lost' and spending a night in a snow cave.

Rescuers scoured the snowfields for the blonde woman, in her 50s, and her sons, believed to be in their 20s, after they did not return from the mountain at Nozawa Onsen, near Japan's main island, by 6pm on Monday.

Japanese TV broadcast pictures of the mother and her boys being wrapped up in warm blankets by rescuers and being walked to safety through the freezing cold snow.

Local police said the search was launched after one of the missing skiers contacted a family member on Facebook to say they were stranded. Just after 8.15am local time on Tuesday, the resort said they had spoken to the head of Nozawa Ski Patrol and confirmed their lost family had been found.

The mother and her three sons survived the freezing conditions by building a snow cave, reports said

The matriarch of the missing clan was seen being bundled up into a warm woolly blanket and walked through the snow to safety

Two more the rescued boys were pictured being walked through the snow by Japanese TV

A Japanese presenter for ANN News is seen here explaining to viewers how the family built a snow cave to stay alive

An Australian woman and her three sons are missing at a popular Japanese resort Nozawa Onsen (pictured) after they failed to return from a ski trip

Just after 11am AEST on Tuesday, the resort said they had spoken to the head of Nozawa Ski Patrol and confirmed the family has been located

'The missing family has just been found up the top of the mountain,' the post read.

Temperatures on the mountain plummeted to -10C overnight and the resort has seen 1.5 metres of snowfall.

Rescuers were forced to postpone the search overnight as the temperatures dropped.

They resumed the search on Tuesday morning (local time).

Australian officials were in contact with local authorities in Japan, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is in contact with local authorities working to locate an Australian woman and her family reported as missing in Japan,' it said.

The Nozawa Onsen ski resort, where the family were staying, is a hot spring and ski resort village near Nagano.

There are 300 hectares terrain and 50-kilometres of slopes for skiers to explore.

On Monday, a desperate search was launched for the woman, in her 50s, and her sons, believed to be in their 20s, after they did not return from the mountain at Nozawa Onsen
A zebra from a herd that roams the ranch around Hearst Castle was found dead and partly skinned on a beach on California's central coast, authorities said.

The zebra died of natural causes and no foul play is suspected, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department said.

There will be no further investigation into the death.

A zebra from deceased media mogul William Randolph Hearst's collection was found dead on a beach near Hearst Castle. Pictured: Zebras grazing on Hearst Ranch property (David Middlecamp/AP)

Zebras in California: The zebra was descended from Hearst's collection of animals for his private zoo. As of 2016, there were 113 zebras left

Residents of Hearst Ranch said the animal had died of natural causes and that it was skinned before it had washed down to the beach, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The zebra had most likely washed down Pico Creek from Hearst Ranch to a rocky section of beach where it was found Saturday, Sheriff's Sgt. Nate Paul told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Paul said: 'Everything was swollen and running very, very fast so the storm absolutely could have explained how this zebra died or washed out.'

The zebras are the private property of Hearst Ranch, which is still privately owned by the Hearst family and is adjacent to the famous Hearst Castle, which was donated to the state of California in 1957.

Because the zebras are the private property of the ranch, residents there can choose whether or not to launch an investigation. Hearst Ranch has decided not to do so.

The ranch also owns the rights to the zebras' hides.

The zebras wandered the grounds of Hearst Ranch, adjacent to Hearst Castle. The ranch is still privately owned by the Hearst family

William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951) amassed a fortune as owner of the New York Journal. He bought zebras for a private zoo in 1923 but the zoo was closed in 1937

The Ranch's director of agricultural operations, Ben Higgins, told SFGate that 113 zebras roam the ranch area as of 2016.

They are descendants of zebras brought to the San Simeon estate of media mogul William Randolph Hearst in 1923 as part of the publishing tycoon's private zoo, which also included African antelope, camels, llamas and kangaroos.

After the zoo was closed in 1937, many of the animals were given to public zoos.

The zebras are the only remnant of the more exotic animals in Hearst's collection.

Higgins said: 'They are completely wild and so we do not care for them as we do our livestock.'
Activists who oppose President-elect Donald Trump were caught on camera in an undercover video discussing ways to disrupt a gala celebrating his inauguration, including the use of butyric acid, better known as stink bombs.

An edited video, shot by James O'Keefe's Project Veritas, a conservative group known for conducting sting operations on liberals, that was released Monday shows three members of the D.C. Anti-Fascist Coalition brainstorming ways to shut down the inauguration eve DeploraBall in Washington, D.C.

'Yeah, if you had a pint of butyric acid, I don't care how big the building is, it's closing,' an anti-Trump activist, identified as Luke Kuhn in the video, says in the opening clip.

Activists who oppose President-elect Donald Trump were caught on camera in an undercover video discussing ways to disrupt a gala celebrating his inauguration, including the use of butyric acid, better known as stick bombs

An edited video, shot by James O'Keefe's Project Veritas , a conservative group known for conducting sting operations on liberals, that was released Monday shows three members of the D.C. Anti-Fascist Coalition brainstorming ways to shut down the inauguration eve DeploraBall in Washington, D.C.

The O'Keefe video is an expose on '#DisruptJ20,' a coalition that has already confirmed its plans to disrupt Trump's inauguration, which an estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people are planning to attend

The O'Keefe video is an expose on '#DisruptJ20,' a coalition that has already confirmed to Fox News that it plans to disrupt Trump's inauguration, which an estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people are planning to attend, beginning with a Wednesday dance party at the vice president-elect's D.C.-area home.

A female member of the group was heard in audio last week that was shared with FoxNews.com saying that the coalition will 'do everything we can to try and stop people from being able to access the inauguration' - including 'blockades' of checkpoints into the security zones and public transportation access points.

One organizer told Fox that the group wants to 'turn the inauguration into as big of a clusterf***as possible.'

In the tape that appeared on Fox and in the video shared by Project Veritas, the group talks about its plans to 'crash' the inauguration eve DeploraBall, a pro-Trump event that will be held at Washington, D.C.'s National Press Club, not too far from the White House and National Mall.

'It would be really interesting if we could stop them from having the DeploraBall at all,' an unidentified planner of the chaos is seen saying in the Project Veritas tape.

One member of the coalition that appears in the Project Veritas video and was identified by the investigative group as Scott Green is heard saying that the stink bomb acid is 'very efficient' and 'very smelly' and 'lasts a long time.'

Green said he was looking for a way to 'ruin their evening, ruin their outfits or otherwise make it impossible to continue with their plans. Make sure they get nothing accomplished,' Green says in the video, shot last month.

A third man, who Project Veritas identified as Collin Dunn, says, 'If you get it into the HVAC system it will get into the whole building.'

Dunn also says he's 'trying to think through how to get all the sprinklers to go off at once' as a back up. 'And the added benefit, everybody is going to walk outside in the freezing cold,' he observes in the chopped-up scene.

Kuhn says at one point in the edited tape: 'The message has to be, we do not recognize the city government either. If you try to close us down we will look for your house, we will burn it. We will physically fight the police if they try to steal one of our places. We will go to war and you will lose.'

The Project Veritas videos are always heavily edited and its unclear based on the cut released by O'Keefe if the stink bombs were the D.C. Anti-Fascist Coalition's idea or they were set-up and egged on for the video, as other victims of Keefe's sting operations have contended in the past.

They are clearly seen and overheard discussing the stink bombs, and how to best set them and the sprinkler systems off, though.

O'Keefe says members of his operation met with the FBI, Secret Service and DC Metro Police before publishing the video to warn them about the nefarious activity that was afoot.

The group hosting DeploraBall has meanwhile announced additional security measures for the sold-out event since receiving threats, according to conservative blogger Jim Hoft of The Gateway Pundit.

'Weve hired a professional security team to work the event. We did this through the National Press Club, which is experienced with high-security events,' a Sunday statement said.

The group said it chose the Press Club for the event 'partly because we knew it would be within the security perimeter. This means there will be an expanded police presence in the immediate area.'

Organizers advised attendees in the statement not to engage with protesters they may come across outside 'in any way.'

'Take the high road. Do what you need to keep you and yours safe, but otherwise ignore them.'

The US Capitol looms over a stage during a rehearsal on Sunday of President-elect Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony in Washington. Activists opposed to the president-elect say they plan to set up blocakdes to make it difficult for his fans to attend his inauguration

Trump ally Roger Stone is one of the confirmed attendees of the gala.

He said in a December discussion about the event on InfoWars that he had an operative in a DisruptJ20 planning session that anti-Trump activists plan to 'harass' Secret Service and inauguration attendees.

'They are going to have roller derby women zooming through the crowd knocking people over and disturbing order,' Stone said, describing their plans as 'an effort to paralyze the city.'

Stone said in the broadcast that 'drones loaded with rockets to attack the parade' on Inauguration Day were also under consideration.

'Secret Service take notice -- Happy to share this with anyone from the service who takes notice,' he said.
A seven-year-old boy who died after he became trapped under a quad bike on his family's farm has been remembered as a 'loving and special' boy who was close to his twin brother.

Connor Irvin was riding the bike with a nine-year-old family friend on his parent's Barellan property on Irvin Road in the NSW Riverina on Sunday afternoon when the tragic accident occurred.

A family friend released a statement on Tuesday on behalf of Connor's devastated family, according to The Daily Telegraph.

'Connor comes from a very loving family he was a very special, soft boy who loved his twin brother Bailey and his sister Shenaye he loved his dad's farm,' the friend said.

Connor Irvin (pictured), seven, died after he became trapped under a quad bike on his family's NSW Riverina property

Connor was riding the bike with a nine-year-old friend on a Barellan property on Irvin Road (pictured)

His aunt Kelly has also spoken of the moment the family had to tell his twin brother, Bailey, that his 'best friend' had died.

Police said Connor and the older family friend took the Kanga 110cc quad bike for a ride and fell off while turning a corner in front of horrified family and friends.

Connor was pinned under the machine while his friend, who was a pillion passenger, escaped without injury.

The youngster was rushed to Griffith Hospital before being airlifted to Canberra Hospital where he later died.

Chief Inspector John Wadsworth from Griffith police said the boy's family had saw the incident unfold.

Connor fell off the Kanga 110cc quad bike and it landed on top of him (pictured of a file photo similar to the bike he was riding on)

The seven-year-old boy was airlifted to Canberra Hospital where he later died

'The family were watching as it happened on the boys family property. They are obviously extremely distraught by this tragedy,' Insp Wadsworth said.

'It was an extremely traumatic scene. Family members were trying to help the young fella' and everyone was doing their best to save his life.'

Officers from Griffith Local Area Command seized the bike for forensic examination and are still investigating.

It is believed Connor was wearing a bicycle helmet at the time but a report is yet to be prepared by the coroner.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio will be taking part in anti-Donald Trump protests on the eve of the president-elect's inauguration.

De Blasio revealed he will join in demonstrations to be held outside Trumps New York City International Hotel on Thursday night.

Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore will also be in attendance, as well Alec Baldwin, Mark Ruffalo, Rosie Perez and Reverend Al Sharpton.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio will be taking part in anti-Donald Trump protests on the eve of the president-elect's inauguration

The New York Mayor confirmed he will be among the protesters in a series of tweets on Monday afternoon, while calling on as many people as possible to 'join in'.

'I'm rallying at Trump Intl Hotel at 6PM on Jan. 19 because our next president needs to hear from all NYers before he takes office. Join us,' the mayor tweeted.

'Let's begin 100 days of action for our values. As Lincoln once said, here in NYC, let us have faith that RIGHT makes MIGHT.

'This is New York. Nothing about who we are changed on Election Day. Let's get to work. January 19th. Columbus Circle. Be there.'

De Blasio revealed he will take part in demonstrations to be held outside Trumps New York City International Hotel on Thursday night. The Mayor is pictured with Trump in September at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum

De Blasio posted a series of tweets on Monday explaining why he is protesting, and calling on others to join him

De Blasio then began discussing specific areas of concern he has about Trump's White House.

'This administration needs to hear the message that neighborhood policing has made NYC safer and will do the same for our country,' he said.

'Our next president must remember that thousands of NYers' lives rely on the ACA... Join me at Trump Intl Hotel on 1/19 to remind the new administration we will defend the people who rely on (Planned Parenthood) for healthcare.

'I'm rallying 1/19 at Columbus Circle to remind our next president that Climate Change is real - as Hurricane Sandy taught NYers all too well.

Michael Moore is one of the other big names that will be taking part in the protests on Thursday. Moore is seen at a demonstration outside Trump Tower in November

Rosie Perez (left) and Mark Ruffalo (right) are two of the other celebrities that will take part in the anti-Trump event

'Join us Thursday at Trump Intl Hotel to remind this administration that NYC proves that immigrants are part of what makes America great.'

Trump's choice for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, current Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, has questioned the science showing the planet is warming and that man-made emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are to blame.

Ruffalo released a statement about his attendance at the demonstration, which read: 'We are sending a message to Washington that we will fight, at every step, discrimination and harmful policies, today, tomorrow, and every day.'

The New York protest will be held two days before a massive demonstration in Washington on Saturday.

Protesters hold up a Trump pinata as they chant and shout on Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower on November 9

Protesters hold signs, chant and shout on Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower in midtown in New York, NY on Wednesday, November 9

A large turnout is expected for the Women's March on Washington - with a staggering 1,200 bus parking permits issued in the city for January 21.

In contrast, a comparatively paltry 393 have been handed out for Trump's inauguration on Friday, according to NBC Washington.

Buses are leaving for D.C. from at least 37 states, with 372 leaving from New York alone, 123 from New Jersey, and 117 from Maryland, according to the march's official website.

According to a Facebook page for the Women's March, over 199,000 people plan to attend, and another 254,000 are interested.
A female leopard shark has become the first in the world to reproduce without the help of a male shark.

Leonie, who lives in Queensland's Reef HQ Aquarium, changed from sexual to asexual reproduction - a switch that scientists have said could save her species.

The shark hatched three eggs in April 2016, despite not having a male mating partner for three seasons.

Scroll down for video

A female leopard shark (pictured) has become the first in the world to reproduce without the help of a male shark

Leonie previously had pups with a male leopard shark in 2013, before the pair were separated for space reasons.

Dr Christine Dudgeon from the University of Queensland said it had big implications for conservation and showed how flexible a shark's reproductive system really is.

'We thought she could be storing sperm but when we tested the pups and the possible parent sharks using DNA fingerprinting, we found they only had cells from Leonie.'

Dr Dudgeon said Leonie had adapted to her circumstances and researchers believe she switched because she lost her mate.

Asexual reproduction in leopard sharks (such as the one pictured) has never been recorded in the species before now

Dr Christine Dudgeon (pictured) said Leonie hatched three eggs in April 2016, despite not having a partner for three years prior when the pair were separated for space reasons

'What we want to know now is could this occur in the wild and, if so, how often does it?' she said.

'One reason why we havent seen it before could be because we havent been looking for it.

'It might be happening in the wild but its never been recorded in this species before.'

The shark was the focus of joint research by the University of Queensland (pictured) and Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville

Dr Dudgeon said they planned to follow the pups to maturity to see if the offspring could also mate sexually themselves.

The leopard shark was recently listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The research was a joint effort by the University of Queensland and Townsville's Reef HQ Aquarium.
A woman grabbed a bar manager by the neck and punched a security guard in the face after a DJ refused to play her favourite songs at a work Christmas party.

Raquel Theresa Hudson, 44, pleaded guilty in the Gladstone Magistrates Court on Monday to assault and assault causing bodily harm over the attack.

Hudson was celebrating the end of year with colleagues at Gladstone Reef Hotel when the night erupted into a bitter dispute.

The magistrate heard she was asked to leave the Queensland venue because she was too intoxicated and had started attacking workers, The Observer reported.

Raquel Theresa Hudson, 44, pleaded guilty after she attacked a bar manager and a security guard following a dispute over a DJ who refused to play the songs she requested

Hudson was partying at the Christmas party with her colleagues at the Gladstone Reef Hotel

Police prosecutor Sergeant Barry Stephens said she was then 'aggressive' when she became embroiled in a bitter dispute with a staff member.

She then scratched the bar manager and ripped her necklace off before she returned to her table.

Sgt Stevens said when she was again asked her to leave, she slapped the manager in the face and punched the security guard before being escorted out of the venue.

The magistrate heard she asked to leave the venue because she was too intoxicated

Her lawyer Stacey O'Gorman said Hudson had initially approached the staff member after the DJ did not play the tunes she requested.

She said her client doesn't remember much from the incident - as Hudson told police at the time she believed her drink was spiked leading up to the attack.

Hudson, who has since lost her job, has been given a $600 fine with no conviction recorded and banned from the Gladstone Reef Hotel for 12 months.

A Gladstone Reef Hotel staff member declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.
Acupuncture may stop babies suffering from colic from crying so much, say scientists.

The research, led by experts at Lund University in Sweden, suggests the ancient Chinese practice could help reduce the distress of babies with the condition.

Other scientists dismissed the idea, however, with one British professor saying the very idea of sticking needles into a baby was bizarre.

Acupuncture may stop babies suffering from colic from crying so much, say scientists

Colic, which affects one in five babies, is the name given to a period of intense crying in a baby who appears to be otherwise healthy.

Experts are unsure what causes the problem, which usually lasts a few weeks in babies under the age of four months, but it is believed to be caused by indigestion, trapped wind or gut sensitivity.

Researchers tested 144 babies with colic, aged two to eight weeks, comparing the effects of two different forms of acupuncture to normal treatment.

Each of the babies had been crying for at least three hours a day, on at least three days a week.

One group of babies received minimal acupuncture, another group received individual acupuncture inspired by traditional Chinese medicine and the last group had no acupuncture.

This happened twice weekly for a fortnight.

Each babys parents kept extensive diaries noting down the time and period for which babies cried.

Babies who were given acupuncture saw a greater reduction in the amount of time spent crying, the authors wrote in the BMJ journal Acupuncture In Medicine.

The authors noted that the babies tolerated the treatment fairly well, adding that in 200 of 388 sessions, the babies did not cry at all.

But 8 per cent of the treatments triggered crying that lasted longer than a minute, they said.

Research, led by experts at Lund University in Sweden, suggests the ancient Chinese practice could help reduce the distress of babies with the condition

The magnitude of the reduction in crying was greater, suggesting a faster recovery, in infants who received either type of acupuncture compared to gold standard care alone, they wrote.

For those infants that continue to cry for more than three hours a day, acupuncture may be an effective treatment option.

Acupuncture, which was devised in China 2,000 years ago, involves stimulating sensory nerves under the skin and in the muscles of the body.

Practitioners believe this triggers the relief of natural chemicals and hormones such as pain-relieving endorphins.

But many scientist dispute the power of the treatment.

Professor David Colquhoun, a pharmacology expert at University College London, said: Like most forms of alternative medicine, acupuncture has been advocated for a vast range of problems, and there is little evidence that it works for any of them.

Colic has not been prominent in these claims.

What parent would think that sticking needles into their baby would stop it crying? The idea sounds bizarre. It is.

And Professor Edzard Ernst of the University of Exeter, added: This confirms previous research showing that acupuncture is a theatrical placebo.

We know that colicky babies respond even to minimal attention, and this trial confirms that a little additional TLC will generate an effect. The observed outcome is therefore not necessarily related to acupuncture.

Professor George Lewith of the University of Southampton, however, backed the Swedish researchers.

This looks to me to be a good sized fastidious well conducted study, he said.

The outcome is clear and the power of the study seems reasonable which suggests that minimal acupuncture is a reasonable and as far as we know safe intervention for infantile colic.
The company brought in to cut tax credit fraud was paid 23million by the taxman despite wrongly cutting handouts for thousands of families, a report revealed last night.

Concentrix, a US firm, was hired by HMRC in 2013 to try to combat fraud and error in the tax credits system in a contract expected to save 1billion.

But it met less than half of its performance targets, wrongly cutting payments for ten of thousands of families and in one single month, failing to answer 95 per cent of calls within a five minute target.

Concentrix, a US firm, was hired by HMRC in 2013 to try to combat fraud and error in the tax credits system in a contract expected to save 1billion

Despite this appalling customer service, HMRC trebled its commission payments - from nearly 4 per cent to 11 per cent - after company bosses complained they werent making enough money.

The damning findings were contained within a National Audit Office report published today. Critics said the deal with Concentrix was the epitome of a bad contract.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: The Concentrix contract was an utter disaster from start to finish.

'I dont know any business that would get their commission trebled while seeing the savings they were supposed to make slashed by 60%. Its potty - this really is the epitome of a bad government contract.

Concentrix were the bane of peoples lives and hundreds, maybe even thousands, were left out of pocket due to their errors.

When will the government stop spending our money paying disastrous third party companies who do shoddy jobs? The Tories talk about fiscal responsibility and then throw taxpayers money down the drain.

Labour MP and former social security minister Frank Field said: The final chapter of this devastating tale has now been published. It makes for grim reading for HMRC, Concentrix, and families in receipt of tax credits.

But it met less than half of its performance targets, wrongly cutting payments for ten of thousands of families and in one single month. Pictured: HMRC headquarters

My constituents who were wrongly denied cash to feed their children will totally relate to the catalogue of problems identified by the NAO.

Tax credit claimants were paid compensation totalling almost 87,000 who suffered as the result of a botched outsourcing plan, including 68,000 for the worry and distress caused, the NAO revealed.

Spending watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) found that during the life of the contract, between November 2014 and its early termination in November 2016, there were 108,000 cases where claimants tax credits were adjusted or terminated. But almost a third of those decisions were subsequently overturned.

Overall HMRC claimed the contract saved it 193million. Concentrix received a total of 23.1million in commission, and up to 6.9million for decisions that were overturned on appeal, but the cost borne by HMRC. [MUST USE]

The firm claimed it made a loss of 20.5million. In an early indication of the problems, in July 2015 Concentrix answered an average of less than 5 per cent of calls within five minutes.

Despite the problems, Concentrix was able to renegotiate its deal in October 2015, increasing its commission from 3.9 per cent to 11 per cent.

Despite this appalling customer service, HMRC trebled its commission payments - from nearly 4 per cent to 11 per cent

Concentrix was set to earn less commission than it predicted as the savings identified by its work were lower than expected, and it questioned the value of continuing the contract, the NAO said.

In August 2016 the firm was unable to cope with the volume of calls it was receiving in August 2016. The following month HMRC stopped new cases being passed to Concentrix and sent in 670 staff to help clear a backlog of 181,000 cases.

HMRC said it was committed to paying tax credit claimants all the money to which they are entitled, efficiently and on time.

A spokesman said: We apologise to all those who did not receive the standard of service that they should have.

The vast majority of people who asked to have Concentrixs decision reviewed have now had their payments reinstated where that decision was wrong.
Washington Governor (D) Jay Inslee

Family argues against reprieve for death penalty cases.





20 years ago, Dwayne Anthony Woods was convicted of murdering 2 women, sentenced to die and sent to Washington's death row at the state penitentiary in Walla Walla.





Claiming he was innocent, he launched a series of appeals that kept him alive and denied the victims' families the justice they wanted. The appeals came to an end this month when Woods, 46, died of a heart attack.





It was the only death on death row since Gov. Jay Inslee issued a moratorium on executions in 2014. At the time of his edict, there were 9 inmates on death row.





If Inslee has his way, the 8 who remain will also die of disease or old age.





In the broadening fight against capital punishment, his strategy for clearing death row now plays a key role, with similar moratoriums in place in Oregon, Colorado and Pennsylvania.





Opposition to the death penalty has grown in recent years amid concerns over whether some innocent people have been put to death, discrimination against African Americans in sentencing, the costs of appeals, and the methods states use to carry out killings.





"The fact is that the death penalty is not anywhere close to being used in an equitable measure," Inslee said at the time he announced the moratorium. "One person gets life, the other person gets death - it depends on which side of the county line you are."





Nationwide, the number of executions has fallen dramatically, from a peak of 98 in 1999 to 20 last year, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center. There are about 2,900 people on death rows across the country, down from a peak of nearly 3,600 in the year 2000.





Over the last decade, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, New Mexico, Connecticut, Maryland and Delaware have abolished capital punishment, placing them among the 18 states, along with the District of Columbia, where the most severe punishment is life in prison without the possibility of parole.





The moratoriums are a way for governors to halt executions without putting the issue directly to voters in a referendum or to state legislatures.





Although public support for the death penalty is at a 40-year low, 56% of U.S. residents are still in favor of it, according to a poll last year by the Pew Research Center. Despite California's liberal credentials, voters there narrowly rejected one ballot proposition in November to abolish capital punishment and approved another to speed up executions.





Washington, where appeals can take 20 years, has executed just 5 people in the last 54 years, most recently in 2010. Nonetheless, Inslee has failed to persuade the Legislature - where Republicans narrowly control the Senate and Democrats narrowly control the House - to abolish capital punishment.





The political risks of his stance became apparent as Inslee faced reelection last year. His Republican challenger, Bill Bryant, made the death penalty an issue, saying that a governor shouldn't choose which laws to enforce and vowing that if he were elected, "so as long as it is the law in Washington state, I will enforce it."





Inslee won with almost 55% of the vote.





The victory will allow him to delay executions through 2020, when his term expires. It has also made him optimistic that the next governor would keep his moratorium in place. That the state has not elected a Republican governor in more than 30 years only bolsters that hope.





"Any Dem who follows Jay will be hard put to coming in and reversing the moratorium," Nick Brown, Inslee's general counsel, said.





"My sense is we have ended the death penalty and will not see another execution in Washington state," he said.





A similar dynamic is in play in Oregon, which has had only Democratic governors over the last 3 decades.





Oregon Governor (D) Kate Brown

Gov. John Kitzhaber, a doctor who saw the death penalty as a "perversion of justice" that went against his medical oath, imposed a moratorium in 2011, and his successor elected last year, Gov. Kate Brown, continued it. Currently, 34 inmates are on death row there.





In Colorado, where there are only 3 inmates on death row, Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, citing costs and concerns about fairness, imposed a moratorium in 2013 and extended it upon reelection the following year.





In Pennsylvania, where Gov. Tom Wolf suspended the penalty in 2015 for the same reasons, 186 inmates are on death row, but there have been only 3 executions in the last 40 years, the most recent in 1999.





As effective as moratoriums can be, death penalty opponents view them as a stepping stone to laws that offer a more permanent end to executions. That happened in Illinois, which eliminated the death penalty in 2011 after a long moratorium.





The moratoriums do not prevent prosecutors from seeking the death penalty, though given the difficulties of carrying out executions, some have backed away from it.





Inslee's effort to clear death row is a race against mortality. 6 of the 8 inmates on Washington's death row were born in the 1950s.





The youngest inmate there is 35-year-old Conner Michael Cross, who was convicted in 2010 of killing a woman, her sister and 2 young sons.





The oldest is 65-year-old Clark Richard Elmore, who was convicted in 1995 of raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl after she threatened to report him for having molested her.





His appeals reached the U.S. Supreme Court in October. It chose not to hear the case despite concerns from Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who pointed out that his defense lawyer never investigated his questionable mental state or told the jury about his life growing up around pesticides or handling Agent Orange in Vietnam.





With his appeals run out, Elmore was sentenced to die this month.





Under the moratorium, the governor must act to stop each execution. Inslee has said he will not commute sentences or pardon death row inmates, and instead will issue reprieves that keep inmates on death row but delay their executions as long as he remains in office.





That is what he did in the case of Elmore.





Dave McEachran, the Whatcom County prosecutor who handled Elmore's case and met with Inslee in hopes of changing his mind, said he was "disappointed that after 21 years of appeals in which the sentence of death has been upheld by the highest courts in the state and the United States, the governor has derailed the sentence."





Inslee issued a statement assuring that Elmore will "remain in the State Penitentiary in Walla Walla for the rest of his life."





That will be true even if the next governor lifts the moratorium.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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Source: Los Angeles Times, January 16, 2017
A motorist who was shot dead by a hero passerby after he had 'ambushed' an Arizona state trooper has been identified as a known drug user and illegal immigrant from Mexico.

Leonard Penuelas-Escobar shot trooper Edward Andersson twice on an interstate west of Phoenix, before he was killed by a Good Samaritan passerby on Thursday.

Penuelas-Escobar, who was believed to be under the influence of drugs at the time, shouted in Spanish at the 27-year department veteran before shooting and beating him in an 'ambush-style attack'.

The 37-year-old drug user was in the country illegally and is believed to have once worked as a Mexican police officer, the Department of Public Safety Director Frank Milstead said on Monday.

Leonard Penuelas-Escobar shot Arizona state trooper Edward Andersson twice on an interstate west of Phoenix before he was killed by a hero passerby, on Thursday. The 37-year-old drug user was in the country illegally and is believed to have once worked as a Mexican police officer

Edward Andersson is a 27-year veteran of the Arizona Department of Public Safety force. He was investigating a scene of a car wreck when he was shot in an ambush by Penuelas-Escobar

The incident began when Trooper Andersson was responding to an emergency call that reported shots fired from a median of a remote stretch of Interstate 10, west of Phoenix.

On his way he came across a wreck, where Penuelas-Escobar's car had rolled over and thrown his girlfriend, 23-year-old Vanessa Monique Lopez-Ruiz, from the vehicle. She was later pronounced dead.

Andersson stopped to investigate and began to set up flares to slow down oncoming motorists. As he was doing so Penuelas-Escobar began to open fire on him with a 9mm pistol, ABC 15 reported.

The trooper was shot between the right shoulder and chest, twice, Milstead said in a news conference on Monday.

Andersson was shot and was fought to the ground by Pennelas-Escobar. Officials said the illegal immigrant 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 Andersson if he needed help. The officer said yes, and when Penuelas-Escobar ignored the passerby and continued attacking the trooper, the Good Samaritan shot him dead

Then the man began to physically attack Andersson, and landed blows with his fists and beat the trooper's head on the ground in what Milstead called an 'ambush-style attack'.

That's when the hero passerby spotted the altercation and asked the officer if he needed help.

Andersson said yes, and the passerby retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and fired two shots at Penuelas-Escobar after he refused to stop attacking Andersson.

Penuelas-Escobar's believed car had rolled over and ejected his girlfriend, 23-year-old Vanessa Monique Lopez-Ruiz (pictured), from the vehicle. She was later pronounced dead

Andersson was investigating this car wreck when he was attacked

With Penuelas-Escobar incapacitated, the motorist tended to the wounded trooper but was later drawn back into the dispute when Penuelas-Escobar got up and resumed his assault on Andersson.

The motorist then fired a fatal shot at Penuelas-Escobar.

Milstead said without the hero passerby's assistance, Andersson would have 'much more serious neurological injuries from this beating'.

He added: 'He's incredibly fortunate to be here with us today.'

Andersson underwent surgery and has since been released from the hospital.

Department of Public Safety Director Frank Milstead said of the hero passerby: 'He knows he did the right thing. He is trying to reconcile that in his mind, which is difficult to take a life even when you know it's the right thing to do'

The motorist who shot Penuelas-Escobar hasn't spoken out publicly about the shooting.

Milstead said the motorist didn't serve in the military or work as a law enforcement officer, but he still had experience in using firearms. The DPS director described the motorist as a humble man with a strong religious faith.

'He knows he did the right thing,' Milstead said. 'He is trying to reconcile that in his mind, which is difficult to take a life even when you know it's the right thing to do.'

Arizona has a 'defense of third person' law that allows someone to use deadly force against another who is threatening or injuring a third person. It was not unusual that the passing driver was armed in this gun-friendly state with loose regulation.
A man in his 60s has been rushed to hospital after becoming trapped inside his 4WD after it collided with a bus on Ethel Street Balgowlah, in Sydney's north.

Emergency services were called to reports the man was trapped inside the wreckage about 8.40am on Tuesday.

When emergency services arrived, they were forced to cut the driver's door off the vehicle in order to free the man inside.

Scroll down for video.

The man in his 60s was trapped inside the 4WD after it collided with a bus in North Sydney

Emergency services were forced to cut the man from his vehicle to free him from the wreckage

He was treated at the scene for chest and abdomen injuries before being transported by ambulance to the Royal North Shore Hospital, Nine News report.

Another three people were also taken to hospital following the crash, treated for minor injuries.

Following the collision between the bus and 4WD, the bus then hit a third car which was parked on the side of the road.

The cause of the crash has not yet been revealed.

The door of the vehicle needed to be cut off in order to free the man trapped inside

The man was treated for chest and abdomen injuries at the scene before being transported to hospital

After the collision between the 4WD and the bus, the bus then hit a car parked on the side of the street
Michael Goves good-natured interview with president-elect Trump was a raft of optimism tossing in a sea of dire warnings.

Last night Channel 4 put out Dispatches: President Trumps Dirty Secrets while the BBCs Panorama featured Trump: The Kremlin Candidate?

Radio 4 has aired no fewer than three anti-Trump shows, including bookworm Robert McCrums America Rewritten, in which The Donald was described as the dark side of the US psyche.

Michael Goves good-natured interview with president-elect Donald Trump was a raft of optimism tossing in a sea of dire warnings

Isnt it curious that people who worship drivelling rapper Kanye I am Gods vessel West are also likely to deplore Trumps egotism?

The Earl of Snowdon, who has died aged 86, was helped by his uncle, theatre designer Oliver Messel, to organise Prince Charless 1969 investiture as Prince of Wales.

Yet Messel was not present at Snowdons 1960 marriage to Princess Margaret. Reason: he couldnt bring his male partner of 30 years, Vagn Riis-Hansen, known as the great Dane. Sans royals, they had an alternative party afterwards.

PG Wodehouses lifelong enthusiasm for strong drink (he died aged 93 in 1975) is mentioned in a new book, Highballs for Breakfast.

PG Wodehouses (pictured) lifelong enthusiasm for strong drink is mentioned in a new book, Highballs for Breakfast

Bertie Woosters creator, pictured, called cocktails green swizzles and lightning whizzers; inebriation was stewed to the gills or tanked to the uvula (back of the throat).

He wrote to a friend in 1946: I have come to the conclusion that gin and Italian vermouth (ie dry martinis) are the greatest thing in life.

Tristram Hunts decision to resign his Labour seat and accept the directorship of the V&A museum is accepted without question.

So was his Parliamentary colleague James Purnells resignation from the party to join the management of the BBC, where hes now director of radio.

Purnell didnt have to compete with other candidates for his lucrative BBC billet. As for Hunt, my source says: He was preferred to other candidates who had museum-running experience.

RE the V&A, a fez worn by comic Tommy Cooper, who died onstage in 1984, is on display at (Hunts description) the worlds greatest museum of art, design and performance.

It was donated by Dutch TV producer Hans van Rijs, who caroused with TC on the eve of the latters last performance, recalling: We drank double whiskies. He gave me a fez to take home. I crawled to my cab.

A fez worn by comic Tommy Cooper (pictured), who died onstage in 1984, is on display at the V&A Museum

Oxfam's chief executive, Mark Goldring, deplores an economy for the one per cent, denouncing Bill Gates and other billionaires, and saying that extreme inequality must be stopped.

Some donors might expect him to set an example by taking a cut in his 124,000 salary.

Labour MP Chris Bryant, 55, asked about reports that he wants to succeed John Bercow as Speaker, tells Jo Coburn of BBC 2s Daily Politics: I cant predict anything. I dont know what Im going to do next week, let alone a years time.

Coburn concludes: I think thats a Yes.
The Iraqi-born British designer, who was made a dame in 2012, died of a heart attack

Architect Zaha Hadid, whose designs included the London 2012 Olympics aquatic centre, left a 67 million fortune, her will has revealed.

The Iraqi-born British designer, who was made a dame in 2012, died of a heart attack while on holiday in Miami last March at the age of 65.

She left behind holdings worth over 70.8 million, according to documents obtained by the Architects' Journal, which reduced to 67.2 million after debt.

Hadid's business partner, German architect Patrik Schumacher was bequeathed a lump sum of 500,000, making him the only non-family beneficiary named in her will.

He was also named as an executor of Hadid's will, along with her niece Rana Hadid, artist Brian Clarke and former Serpentine Gallery chairman Peter Palumbo.

The designer's four nieces and nephews were left 1.7m, while her brother Haytham Hadid received a share of 500,000.

The world-renowned architect, who was unmarried with no children, gained fame for her mathematically-inspired curved buildings across the globe from Saudi Arabia to South Korea.

Notable projects of hers included the Italian National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome, the Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku, Azerbaijan, and the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in London.

She became the first woman to receive the Royal Institute of British Architects Gold Medal last February, and was also the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize, in 2004.

Hadid also received the UK's most prestigious architectural award, the Stirling Prize, in 2010 and 2011.

On receiving the Royal Gold Medal for architecture last year, she said: 'We now see more established female architects all the time. That doesn't mean it's easy.

'Sometimes the challenges are immense... we will continue this progress.'

Architect Zaha Hadid's designs included the London 2012 Olympics aquatic centre

The majority of Hadid's wealth was held in her international design businesses, which she left in trust. Her architecture practice, Zaha Hadid Ltd, turned over 48m in the year to the end of April 2015.

In the will, her four executors were given the power to distribute all or some of her business income to a range of parties including 'past, current and future employees and office holders of the companies'.

It also included the Zaha Hadid Foundation, which aims to promote architectural education and exhibitions of the designer's work. Charities and family members could also benefit.

Hadid's business partner Schumacher, who now runs her practice in London, irritated his fellow executors of her will in November after controversially proposing building over Hyde Park, abandoning of social housing and closing down art schools.

His fellow executors Clarke, Palumbo and Rana Hadid went on to issue a public statement saying Zaha Hadid 'would have been totally opposed to these views'.

Hadid was born in Baghdad in 1950 and studied mathematics at the American University of Beirut before going on to launch her career at the Architectural Association in London.

She struggled to get commissioned in the UK for many years, but eventually became a respected and revolutionary figure in British architecture.

Her pioneering works around the world included the Cardiff Bay opera house in Wales in 1994, Kurfurstendamm 70 in Berlin in 1986, and the Peak in Hong Kong in 1983.
The Northern Territory government has said it would be willing to look into a formal apology after Michael Chamberlain's death.

Mr Chamberlain, the father of baby Azaria Chamberlain who was killed by a dingo 1980 near Uluru, was farewelled at a funeral on Monday.

Acting NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has acknowledged the pain Mr Chamberlain and then-wife Lindy went through, accused of the murder of daughter Azaria.

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Michael and Lindy Chamberlain hold a photograph of their baby daughter, Azaria Chamberlain, on the steps of the Alice Springs Courthouse following an inquest in 1980

In mourning: Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton (pictured) is seen being escorted into the memorial service for her former husband Michael in Cooranbong, north of Sydney

Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton with baby Azaria, who was killed by a dingo when aged nine weeks in 1980

Acting NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles (pictured) has acknowledged the pain Mr Chamberlain and then-wife Lindy went through

'It was an absolute tragedy what that family went through,' she said.

'In terms of a formal apology, if that's what the family would like then that's something the government can look into.'

Mr Chamberlain died last week following complications from acute leukaemia aged 72.

A day before he died, he told friends and family he wanted an apology from the NT government, close friend and defence lawyer Stuart Tipple told reporters outside Mr Chamberlain's memorial service on Monday.

'He did want an apology from the Northern Territory and it still hasn't been received,' Mr Tipple said.

Ms Chamberlain-Creighton and her former partner Michael were subjected to enormous scrutiny and speculation in the 1980s, after claiming Azaria was killed by a dingo

Stephen Hatton, the NT's chief minister at the time of the Chamberlains' pardon in 1987, has defended the territory government, saying it had 'acted fairly all the way through'.

'The NT police force and judicial system shouldn't be continually facing this level of ongoing national and international acrimony,' he said.

'We need to remember the Northern Territory government initiated the inquiry that eventually freed them.

Mr Chamberlain, 72, died at Gosford Hospital, New South Wales, after suffering complications from acute leukaemia

'We didn't do it under pressure, we did it because it was a fair thing to do.'

Mr Chamberlain was also still fighting 'bureaucratic challenges' to have a memorial plaque for Azaria placed at Uluru, Mr Tipple said on Monday.

Azaria's disappearance from a tent during the Chamberlains' family holiday at Uluru sparked one of the most polarising and lengthy legal sagas in Australian history.

Michael and Lindy Chamberlain were ultimately convicted and then exonerated over their daughter's death, but vindication didn't come until the fourth inquest in 2012 when a coroner ruled Azaria had been killed by a dingo.

Azaria's death began a challenging chapter in the Chamberlain family's lives, eldest son Aidan told the hundreds-strong service at Avondale College Seventh Day Adventist Church on the NSW Central Coast, as he described the toll it had taken on his father.

'He was a great man in so many ways, yet so broken and crushed in many others,' Aidan said, flanked by his siblings, Reagan and Kahlia.

THE LINDY CHAMBERLAIN CASE: OVER THE YEARS August 17, 1980  Lindy Chamberlain discovered her daughter Azaria missing from their family tent during a camping trip at Uluru in the Northern Territory. December 1980  An initial inquest supported Lindy and Michael Chamberlain's claims their daughter was taken by a dingo. December 1981  A second inquest was ordered after the Supreme Court quashed the initial inquest's findings. September 1982  Lindy was charged with Azaria's murder and Michael was charged with being an accessory after the fact. October 29, 1982  The couple was found guilty of their respective charges. Lindy was sentenced to life in prison and Michael received a suspended sentence. Early 1986  The jacket Azaria was wearing when she was killed was found by authorities in a dingo lair after a British tourist fell to his death in the same area. 1986  The Northern Territory government ordered Lindy to be released from prison. 1988  Lindy and Michael were acquitted of Azaria's death by the Supreme Court and their convictions were overturned. The couple received a $1.3million pay-out for their wrongful imprisonment. 1991  Lindy and Michael divorced. 1995  A third inquest into the infant's death was held and returned an open verdict. 2012  A fourth inquest was held and the coroner ruled that a dingo did in fact take Azaria from the family's campsite. Michael said that he and his ex-wife had no contact. Advertisement
Eight people have been injured, including an 11-year-old, during a shooting amid Martin Luther King Jr Day celebrations in Miami.

Shots rang out Monday afternoon while hundreds of people had gathered at Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Park after the annual parade. The victims were all between 11 and 30 years old and included five children.

One victim, a 20-year-old man, was left in critical condition while five were stable as of Monday night, the Miami Herald reported. Two other victims, girls aged 11 and 13, were grazed and have been treated and released.

Police have taken two people in for questioning and have retrieved two firearms from the scene. It is unknown whether there are additional suspects at large.

Eight people were injured during a shooting amid Martin Luther King Jr Day celebrations in Miami. Pictured, Miami-Dade police respond to the scene

The victims were all between 11 and 30 years old and included five children. Pictured, rescuers lift a woman who lost consciousness after shots rang out

Hundreds of people had gathered at Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Park after the annual MLK Day parade. Onlookers are pictured after the shooting, which happened around 3:40 pm

The shooting occurred around 3:40 pm, while families had gathered for a festival after the MLK Day parade.

Spectators ran for safety when they heard the shots.

Jerome Battle, 20, Michael Clarke, 30, as well as teenage girls Lajada Benson, 14, Nakya-Senat Butler, 15, and Alfanesha Timesages, 17 and Shawnteri Wilson, 18, were injured in the shooting.

Battle was in critical condition, while the others were all stable, the Miami Herald wrote.

A concerned mother (pictured) was met by Miami-Dade police officers as she searched for her child. Two girls aged 13 and 11 were treated at the scene

Residents watched from their front yards (pictured) as Miami-Dade police investigated the scene. They have taken in two people for questioning

A 30-year-old man was described as being in critical condition after the shooting (pictured is the scene) while five others were stable as of Monday evening

Miami-Dade police are pictured securing the scene. Families had gathered for a festival after the Martin Luther King Jr Day parade when shots disrupted the afternoon

Also injured were 13-year-old Keionna Green and 11-year-old Ciara Johnson, who were grazed. The two girls were treated at the scene and have been reunited with their parents.

Crowds were pictured by ABC News dispersing in a panic after shots rang out.

Miami-Dade police described the investigation as 'very active' as of Monday night and didn't provide a motive for the shooting.

Police director Juan Perez denounced the shooting on Twitter, calling it a 'shameful closing to the MLK Parade' and adding: 'Certainly not what the followers of Dr King Jr want out of our community.'

Officials described the investigation as 'very active' as of Monday night and didn't provide a motive for the shooting. Pictured is the crowd in the aftermath of the shooting
Natalie Griffin (right) survived a car crash by clinging onto a tree for 12 hours in a freezing creek after her best friend Jenna Santos (left) died in the wreckage

After narrowly surviving a car accident that killed her best friend, 19-year-old college student Natalie Griffin has spoken out about the harrowing near-death experience.

As Natalie and Jenna Santos returned from Humboldt County where they were visiting friends, a heavy storm caused their car to hydroplane off the embankment of Highway 101 on Wednesday night.

She survived by clinging onto a tree for 12 hours in a freezing creek - while Jenna remained trapped in the sunken car and carried down the river.

'At first, I didn't know I was in the water,' Griffin told People. 'I thought she was driving, the river was moving the car so fast.'

Griffin was in the passenger seat with her best friend Santos behind the wheel when the car crashed into Outlet Creek in Mendocino County, California.

Water quickly rushed into the car, and the two tried to kick the cracked windshield out to escape.

Santos (pictured left and right) was driving home from Humboldt County to Castro Valley in California when the car hydroplaned, flipped several times and crashed in a creek

The two college students had spent a few days hiking and visiting friends in Humboldt County, where Santos went to school, when they embarked on their 300-mile journey south.

They were about halfway home to Castro Valley when the 2004 Toyota Corolla hydroplaned off the highway around 7.30pm on Wednesday.

The car flipped several times before crashing into the fast-flowing creek below, according to the California Highway Patrol.

As water began filling the car, the two friends tried desperately to kick the windshield out.

The situation was growing increasingly desperate when Griffin noticed they could escape through a broken rear window.

She told Santos to follow her lead, but Griffin emerged from the water with Santos nowhere to be found.

'That was one of the scariest parts, I thought it was a nightmare, I was so in shock that my friend was in the car, dead,' said Griffin.

'I really thought this was a bad dream.'

Video courtesy of KRON 4

As water began filling the car, the two friends worked together to try to kick the windshield out. Griffin (left) told her friend to follow her out a broken rear window, but Santos (right) never made it out

Griffin, who also practices meditation, managed to stay calm during the ensuing ordeal.

She grabbed onto a partially submerged tree about 100 yards from shore and held onto the branches above the flowing water for 12 hours, Griffin's cousin Monica Keyser told the East Bay Times.

She used her jacket to shield herself from the wind and rain and did stretches to keep herself warm as temperatures fell to 28 degrees Fahrenheit, Keyser said.

She stayed awake throughout the night and tried to scream at cars as they passed overhead.

At one point, Griffin said she began hallucinating and heard her best friend telling her she would be okay.

Griffin's mother Midge Griffin (right, with her daughter) expressed her condolences to Santos' family, and celebrated her daughter's 'courage'

When day broke, she swam across the creek, but became entangled in a patch of vines that bound her neck and stomach.

Griffin, described by her cousin as a 'runner and yogi', does not consider herself a strong swimmer. She said she had a strike of intuition that she could escape the vines by swimming underneath them.

'It was crazy for the idea to come,' she said. 'It seemed like something divine, like God.'

The idea worked. She then managed to climb up a thorn-covered hill to the road, where she was spotted by a truck driver.

The driver, identified as Brian Coglan by Griffin's mother, realized she was soaking wet and had only one shoe, so he pulled over and called 911.

Griffin managed to call her mother before she collapsed at around 8.19am Thursday.

She was taken to the Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital, where she was treated for hypothermia before being released later that day.

Griffins' cousin Monica Keyser also set up a GoFundMe page to help cover Santos' funeral expenses. She posted this photo of her holding Griffins' hand after the crash

She told authorities where to recover her best friend's body, and a member of the Little Lake Volunteer Fire Department's water rescue team found the submerged Corolla with Santos inside.

Griffin's mother Midge Griffin, wrote on Facebook: 'Our hearts ache for Jenna.'

But she celebrated her daughter's incredible survival story, and credited the 19-year-old for 'finding the courage, strength, and the remarkable wit to find a way to live!'

She also wrote: 'Natalie is scratched, bruised, and stitched up. There are many moments of sadness for her reliving the horrific accident and losing beautiful Jenna.'

Keyser, who set up a GoFundMe page to help cover Santos' funeral expenses, has now raised over $16,000.

The page reads: 'Thank you god for giving my sweet beautiful cousin the strength to survive.

'My heart has been so heavy today knowing her best friend Jenna is now watching over her.... But I know that it was with Jenna's strength and comfort that Nat was able to make it to the road this morning and for that we are all so very thankful.

When day broke, Griffin swam across the creek and climbed a hill full of thorny bushes in order to make her way back to the highway (file photo) to flag down a passing driver for help

'There is no doubt that the days, weeks, and months to come will bring so many emotions for her and all of us.

'But for now we are just very thankful and our hearts are with Jenna and her family.

'Natalie is home and with her family who are supporting and caring for her during this difficult time.'

Santos was a cheerleader at Castro Valley High School before she graduated in 2015 and went on to attend Humboldt State University. She hoped to become a psychiatrist.
A Greens Party councillor has compared Australia's colonisation to the holocaust.

Brisbane councillor for the Gabba Ward, Johnathan Sri, wrote a lengthy Facebook post about Australia Day and 'colonial' advertising for a beer brewery and how they could affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Hanging outside the Fox Hotel in Brisbane was a large poster for the Colonial Brewing Company's Colonial IPA which read: 'Every day is Australia Day!'

Hanging outside the Fox Hotel in Brisbane was a large poster for the Colonial Brewing Company's Colonial IPA which read: 'Every day is Australia Day!'

In his post, Cr Sri wrote: 'Words like 'colonisation' can [and perhaps should] be understood as having the same gravity as words like 'holocaust'. Putting the words 'Colonial Brewing Co.' on an Australia Day banner is perhaps not the most tactful way to send a positive message about an inclusive Australia'.

Cr Sri also wrote: 'I think there are legitimate questions to be asked about the kind of nationalism/jingoism which is celebrated on Australia Day and what kind of national identity this is reinforcing. Do we even NEED an Australia Day, or does this form of patriotism simply reinforce arbitrary divisions between fellow human beings?'

He added: 'I'm certainly not suggesting that this is a black and white issue and that we should be pulling out the pitchforks for every ad that mentions Australia Day, I'd like to see more respectful, thoughtful conversations about these kinds of ads' his post attracted hundreds of comments, slamming him.

One person wrote: 'There is no issue here at all. Stop manufacturing rage. Australia was colonised, it's a part of our history. Get over it. You certainly would not be here if it wasn't for colonisation. 98% of Australia wouldn't be here if it wasn't for colonisation'.

Brisbane councillor for the Gabba Ward, Johnathan Sri

It was just one of many similar comments.

Another added: 'You are over reacting! [sic] If people dont [sic] like Aussie words/terms etc and celebrating Australia Day, leave the country, go live somewhere else'.

On Facebook user wrote: 'If you dont [sic] like Australia Day, and dont [sic] want to submit to our values then you should return to where you came from'.

Cr Sri responded: 'West Chermside?'

West Chermside is a suburb of Brisbane.
Syringes, fake blood, and posters calling for the president of the Philippines to be shot have been left outside the country's consulate in Melbourne.

Bloody hand prints surrounded posters which read 'Shoot Duerte not drug users', and 'Stop Duerte's war on the poor'.

Hundreds of syringes were scattered on the ground beneath, each one representing 25 lives that had been lost in the Philippine president's bloody war on drugs.

Syringes, fake blood, and posters calling for the president to be shot have been left outside the Philippine consulate in Melbourne

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is currently waging a brutal war on drugs

Other posters outside the Melbourne consulate on Tuesday read: 'Pinoy drug users: Jab back' and 'death to all Fascist heads of state'.

As of December last year more than 6000 people were said to have died in the war, many of whom were slain in the street by vigilantes.

In his first interview since taking office, President Rodrigo Duterte told Al Jazeera that his tumultuous childhood shaped his current beliefs and policies.

'It's what you get along the way that shapes your character'.

Signs posted on the glass of the building where the consulate offices are read 'Stop Duterte's war on the poor'

The Philippine consulate in Melbourne is located inside this building

As of December last year more than 6000 people were said to have died in the war

Known as 'the Punisher', Duterte first spoke about being sexually abused as a child during a press conference in December 2015.

He claimed he was 'fondled' by a priest in the late 1950s, while attending the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Davao High School.

During the Al Jazeera interview he defended his 'brutal' war on drugs, saying it was crucial for the next generation to survive.

'We have three million drug addicts, and it's growing,' he said.

'So if we do not interdict this problem, the next generation will be having a serious problem.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Philippine Consulate in Melbourne for comment. Victoria Police were not aware of the incident when contacted.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside Ivanka Trump's New York City home on Monday during a 'Help Ivanka Move' demonstration ahead of her move to Washington, DC.

Anti-Trump activists brought cardboard boxes representing what they wanted the future First Daughter to bring as she and husband Jared Kushner relocate close to the White House, where Jared will work as a senior adviser.

Protesters urged Ivanka not to forget about Planned Parenthood, civil rights and climate change. One demonstrators had written on a sign: 'Dear Ivanka, please don't forget to pack human decency.'

Ivanka meanwhile seemed focused on enjoying a night out with her husband. She tweeted a photo of herself in Trump Tower Monday night, captioning it: 'Bright lights, big city' with the hashtag #datenight.

Protesters gathered outside of Ivanka Trump's home Monday with cardboard boxes symbolizing what they want her to remember as she moves to Washington, DC. This man reminded her about Planned Parenthood, climate change and civil rights

The 'Help Ivanka Move' demonstration had activists bring boxes representing values dear to their hearts. This woman wrote 'Do not drop our rights' and 'Dear Ivanka, resist!'

Dozens of protesters (pictured) came in front of the future First Daughter's New York home on Monday ahead of her move to Washington, DC with husband Jared Kushner

One woman chose to ask the eldest Trump daughter: 'Ivanka! Should I survive and believe in nothing too?' during Monday's protest

Another demonstrator brought a fictional mock-up of an Instagram post showing a photo of Ivanka with imagined captions by Donald Trump and Kanye West

The Halt Action Group had put out a call online for protesters to come to the event with cardboard boxes bearing messages for Ivanka, Jared, and, in particular, her father.

'The boxes represent freedoms that people are fearful of losing,' the group said in a press release.

In posters promoting the protest, boxes are shown bearing phrases such as 'abortion rights', 'freedom of speech' and 'nuclear regulation'.

Activists behind the Dear Ivanka Instagram, which has since last year posted messages of protest addressed to the future First Daughter, had announced their plans to stage a protest outside Ivanka and Jared's home on Monday.

This demonstrator chose to urge Ivanka not to forget about creative freedom, which she symbolized with a pink cardboard box filled with flowers

Another protester carried a cardboard box with the word 'fragile' and red imprints all over it, while someone in the background defended Planned Parenthood funding

Some in the New York protests carried signs denouncing what they called Trump and Mike Pence's 'fascist regime' and urged others to stop it 'before it starts'

A demonstrator painted an image of a naked body on a cardboard box that she used a costume, with a message that read: 'My body my choice my right'

One of the activists wore a cardboard board on his head, warning the future First Daughter about conflicts of interest as she moves to DC with her senior White House adviser husband

'Empathy and human decency': This demonstrators penned a message to Ivanka on her sign, urging her not to forget about two key values going forward

This protester carried a cardboard cutout of Ivanka wearing a hat with the 'Trump Move' movement's logo. Activists had publicized the demonstration ahead of Monday

Dear Ivanka began last year by posting glamorous photos of Ivanka and her family with serious and thought-provoking captions such as: 'Dear Ivanka, I've been raped and I need to have an abortion.'

Ivanka and Jared are preparing to move to Washington, DC with their children as Jared is to take up a new role in the White House alongside his father-in-law.

Having left her company behind, Ivanka is to focus on raising her children in Washington.

'My husband, Jared, and I will be moving with our family to Washington, DC, where Jared will serve as Senior Advisor to the President,' Ivanka Trump wrote in a post on Facebook.

'I plan to take time to settle our three young children into their new home and schools.'

'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,' she wrote. 'I will no longer be involved with the management or operations of either company.'

Ivanka meanwhile shared this photo of herself inside Trump Tower on Monday night, writing in the caption: 'Bright lights, big city' with the hashtag #datenight

Attorney Sheri Dillon, who advised Trump on relinquishing his role in an array of Trump Organization companies, described Ivanka's new role at a press conference Wednesday.

She said Ivanka would have 'no further involvement with or management authority whatsoever with the Trump Organization.'

'As she and Jared move their family to DC, Ivanka will focus on settling her children into their new homes and their new schools,' Dillon said, using nearly identical language to that used by Ivanka in her post.

Ivanka is resigning her role as Executive Vice President of Development & Acquisitions after 11 years with the organization.

In posters promoting the protest, boxes are shown bearing phrases such as 'abortion rights', 'freedom of speech' and 'nuclear regulation'
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.
A huge out-of-control bushfire is raging near a town on the outskirts of Canberra, with firefighters warning residents to shelter in place.

Several rural homes are 'under threat' near Currandooley, New South Wales, as the inferno tears through 2,000 hectares of land, fire officials said.

The blaze is already reported to have destroyed a farm shed near Tarago, about 60km north east of Canberra, and firefighters are working to protect a number of other isolated buildings from the flames.

A huge out-of-control bushfire is raging near a town on the outskirts of Canberra, with firefighters warning residents to shelter in place

People living in homes on Mount Fairy Road, Hazeldell Road and Barnet Drive have been ordered to shelter in place as the fire spreads east, with an emergency warning issued.

Two air tankers has been dispatched to help firefighters working in dangerous conditions on the ground.

Aerial footage taken by NSW Rural Fire Service shows massive plumes smoke rising from a vast expanse band.

'Residents in the vicinity of Mount Fairy Road should shelter in place as the fire front approaches,' official advice said.

Several rural homes are 'under threat' near Currandooley, New South Wales, as the inferno tears through 2,000 hectares of land, fire officials said

The blaze is already reported to have destroyed a farm shed near Tarago, about 60km north east of Canberra

Another nearby fire at Wamboin has been brought under control, with New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory firefighters both heading from there to the scene of the larger blaze.

The earlier fire reached the door of a home but was put out in the nick of time, the ABC reported.

Bungendore Road, Mount Fairy Road and Goulburn Road are closed to traffic and the the Goulburn Queanbeyan Railway has closed.
General Motors is set to announce a massive billion-dollar boost to investment in the US that will create more than 1,000 new jobs.

The car giant is gearing up to pump $1 billion into several factories across the country, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Company insiders told the newspaper the move is designed to reaffirm its commitment to manufacturing in the US, and that an official announcement could come as early as Tuesday.

General Motors is set to announce a massive billion-dollar boost to investment in the US that will create more than 1,000 new jobs, just days after Donald Trump pressured them to bring jobs to the US

The car giant is gearing up to pump $1 billion into several factories across the country. Pictured is a worker at a GM factory in Texas

A spokesman would not confirm the reports, and it is not yet known which factories or other areas of the company will be on the receiving end of the new investment.

The move would come just after president-elect Donald Trump tried to ramp up pressure on the manufacturer in a press conference last week.

Trump spoke glowingly about new plans from Ford and Fiat that will see more than 2,000 jobs created in the US, before he singled out GM.

'I hope that General Motors will be following. And I think they will be,' he said at the time.

It is not yet known which factories or other areas of the company will be on the receiving end of the new investment. Pictured are machines working to weld together SUVs at an Arlington factory

GM denied any future changes will be in response to Trump's bluster, saying investments of this magnitude are talked about and planned for 'some period of time'. Pictured is the constructive line at GM's plant in Lansing

However, GM denied any future changes will be in response to Trump's bluster, saying investments of this magnitude are talked about and planned for 'some period of time'.

GM general counsel Craig Glidden spoke to the Journal about the reported investment, and took the chance to spruik the car company's performance in recent years - which included adding more than 25,000 total jobs across the US and 6,000 in manufacturing.

About 60 per cent of those 25,000 jobs had been shifted to the US from overseas.

GM general counsel Craig Glidden (pictured) talked about the company's recent run of creating 25,000 jobs in four years when asked about the rumored investment boost

CEO Mary Barra has also downplayed Trump's impact on the company's operations last week, shortly after the president-elect called on GM to stop importing the Chevrolet Cruze from Mexico.

Barra said the auto business has long lead times for where it produces vehicles, with decisions are made two to four years ahead.

The executive went on to say the company would not change its strategy based off Trump's rhetoric, however the duo did speak after one of Trump's fiery tweets.

The 2017 Chevy Cruze Hatchback is revealed at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in January 2016. Trump has called on GM to stop building the car in Mexico

GM only imports a small number of Cruze hatchbacks from Mexico and Barra said it makes all of the sedans at a factory in Lordstown, Ohio, near Cleveland.

These vehicles don't sell widely in the US, unlike the sedans.

Barra is part of a group of CEOs that will advise Trump on economic issues.

The president-elect is badgering the auto industry in an effort to get companies to stop making cars in Mexico and shipping them back to the US.
Media commentator Prue MacSween has slammed the government's plan to house over 6,000 Syrian refugees within one Sydney council, saying the area will turn into a 'ghetto.'

More than half of Australia's intake of 12,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees will be settled in Fairfield, in Sydney's southwest within 12 months, prompting the community to call for support from the federal government.

'I'm not convinced the government should dump large numbers of refugees on a community without strong consideration,' Ms MacSween told Daily Mail Australia.

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Cabramatta in west Sydney will be home to half of the Syrian and Iraqi refugees coming to Australia, 40 years after Vietnamese boat people first moved there

Media commentator Prue MacSween (pictured) has slammed the government's plan to house over 6,000 Syrian refugees within one Sydney council, saying the area will turn into a 'ghetto'

Thousands of asylum seekers are getting on boats to escape the conflict in Iraq and Syria (Migrants landing on the Greek island of Lesbos in October 2015 pictured)

'The last thing anybody wants is for a ghetto to be created.'

Cabramatta, which is within Fairfield City Council, became the heroin capital of Australia during the 1990s, as the children of Vietnamese refugees turned to crime.

'We've already seen it in Cabramatta with Asian refugees. Cabramatta became the drug capital of Australia,' Ms MacSween said.

'Also in Auburn and Punchbowl where concentrations of Muslims were creating all sorts of havoc. People didn't feel safe.'

Ms MacSween believes the intake should be spread out so refugees can 'properly assimilate.'

'I don't believe putting them (refugees) in one area and creating virtual refugee camps in the suburbs will help them assimilate and become contributing Australians,' the former journalist said.

Newly-arrived Syrian refugees walk into Turkey in September 2014, a year before Australia announced it would be settling 12,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees

Vietnamese refugees at Sydney airport in December 1977, in the years after the fall of Saigon

The area is home to more than 200,000 people, mainly from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Iraqi-born residents make up more than a third of the recent arrivals, which is more than 10 times the Sydney average of three per cent.

They are even more numerous than the Vietnamese, who make up about a quarter of Fairfield City Council's new residents.

The council, which last year settled 3000 humanitarian arrivals from Syria and Iraq, has been told it will be doing so again in 2017, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

That means it will be settling 6,000 refugees, or half of the 12,000 Syrians and Iraqis coming to Australia to escape war and Islamic State terrorism.

The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils said local governments needed more information on refugees coming to the area.

Vietnamese asylum seekers from the nation's south arrived in Darwin in December 1977

The area, more than 30 kilometres from central Sydney, is considered to contain some of the world's most ethnically-diverse suburbs

'In the past, councils have received very limited information on incoming refugees,' the group's president Stephen Bali told Fairfax Media.

Fairfield has settled 75 per cent of the Syrian and Iraqi refugees moving to western Sydney.

The area already has an unemployment rate of 9.1 per cent, which is significantly higher than the national average of 5.6 per cent.

Fairfield City Council was home to 4,312 recently-arrived migrants from Iraq in the 2011 Census but their numbers are expected to grow when data from the 2016 Census is released.

There were only 204 recent arrivals from Syria but those numbers are likely to multiple.

The area, more than 30 kilometres from central Sydney, is considered to contain some of the world's most ethnically-diverse suburbs.

Fairfield City Council was home to 4,312 recently-arrived migrants from Iraq in the 2011 Census

Asylum seekers fight at a stretched processing camp on the Greek island of Lesbos in October 2015

It's also had its fair share of crime.

Former councillor Phuong Ngo, a Vietnamese refugee, is serving a life sentence for ordering the killing of New South Wales Labor MP John Newman in 1994, which was considered to be Australia's first political assassination.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton last year insisted the Australian government had done extensive background checks on the Syrian and Iraqi refugees coming to Australia.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott announced in September 2015 that Australia would take 12,000 humanitarian refugees from Syria and Iraq, shortly before Malcolm Turnbull took his job.

Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs Zed Seselja confirmed locations had been chosen across Australia to settle the Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

Vietnamese refugee Phuong Ngo (pictured right) is serving a life sentence for ordering the assassination of Labor MP John Newman in 1994
Police have released new CCTV footage as they ramp up their hunt for a sex attacker who viciously assaulted a young Polish woman in Brisbane.

The 24-year-old Polish woman was brutally beaten and seriously sexually assaulted while walking Petrie, in the city's north, about 9pm on November 25.

The gruesome attack left her with facial injuries, a broken nose and requiring immediate surgery at the Royal Brisbane Hospital.

The assault happened just three days before she was due to leave Australia and return home to her family in Poland.

Scroll down for video.

The new footage shows a man clad in black riding on a pushbike, with a brown and white dog running ahead

Now almost two months after the attack, Queensland police have released new security camera footage from Petrie on the night of the attack.

The footage shows a man clad in black riding on a pushbike, with a brown and white dog running ahead.

The same man is seen on separate CCTV footage released by investigators soon after the attack.

Scroll down for video.

The man riding a push bike (pictured) is captured on CCTV footage which was released by police soon after the brutal attack

The man clad in black is seen with a brown and white dog on CCTV footage released by the police

It shows various people walking along a footpath near to where the attack took place.

Detective Senior Constable Clinton Ollson said he hoped people in the footage would recognise themselves and come forward with information.

'If anyone knows of those people or you are that person, please come forward even if you don't believe you have information to assist, just so we can eliminate you as a person of interest,' he said.

Snr Con Ollson said there were three people they had not yet identified including the man riding a pushbike with the brown and white dog, a woman wearing a black top and carrying a black bag, and a third person riding a motorbike.

Police also want to speak with a woman wearing a black top and carrying a black bag (pictured) who was also seen on CCTV footage

'Our main interest at the moment is those three persons, we're not saying they're suspects at the moment, but we need to rule them out,' police said about the people seen on CCTV footage, including this woman

'(We've) just got to rule them out, they might have seen something they might not think is important but it might be a key piece of information,' he said.

'Our main interest at the moment is those three persons, we're not saying they're suspects at the moment, but we need to rule them out.'

Snr Con Ollson also revealed on Tuesday that the woman was seriously sexually assaulted as well as brutally beaten.

'It is very concerning, it was a very horrific attack,' he said.

'Not only on a young woman, but a young woman from overseas who has been over here for a short time.'

A man riding a motorbike is one of the three people seen on CCTV footage that police would like to talk to

'Our main interest at the moment is those three persons, we're not saying they're suspects at the moment, but we need to rule them out,' police said about the people seen on the CCTV footage

Snr Con Ollson also said the attack appeared to be 'completely random'.

Police have also revealed information about a belt buckle which they believe could belong to the offender.

The distinctive belt buckle bears a cross with the Star of David in the middle and was found at the scene of the attack.

The 24-year-old victim has since returned home to her family in Poland.

The distinctive belt buckle (pictured) bears a cross with the Star of David in the middle and was found at the scene of the attack
Controversial reporter Sharri Markson married Sydney investor Chaz Heitner during a traditional Jewish wedding in Bowral, Southern Highlands, earlier this month.

The bride went for a very risque look when it came to her bridal gown, opting for what she personally described as a 'lingerie-inspired' dress by Pallas Couture.

The corseted creation featured a sheer and strapless bust with boning and an equally daring skirt, which had a high split at the front.

Controversial reporter Sharri Markson married Sydney investor Chaz Heitner during a traditional Jewish wedding in Bowral in the Southern Highlands, earlier this month, wearing a very daring dress

The waist of the gown was festooned with floral appliques, drawing attention to the revealing bottom half of the ensemble as she walked down the aisle.

Meanwhile, the brunette bride's bouquet was on the more traditional side, with Sharri carrying pink and white roses and covering her face with a thin tulle veil.

Sharri's father, controversial celebrity agent Max Markson, attended the nuptials, but it was her mother Ro who walked her daughter down the aisle while wearing a contrasting conservative black dress.

Sharri has had a somewhat controversial career since cutting her teeth in journalist as a copy-girl at The Sunday Telegraph at the age of 16

Sharri and Chaz were married under a traditional Jewish chuppah adorned with the same coloured roses as her bouquet.

The groom wore a navy suit and a kippah, a traditional head covering typically worn during Jewish occasions such as weddings and Bar Mitzvahs.

A video posted on Instagram saw the duo skip over a white sheet while friends cheered them on.

In November 2015, she found herself in hot water when she was detained by security officials in an Israeli hospital after breaking strict security protocol and attempting to exchange contact details with Syrian patients who were being treated there

Sharri has had a somewhat controversial career since cutting her teeth in journalism as a copy-girl at The Sunday Telegraph at the age of 16.

In November 2015, she found herself in hot water when she was detained by security officials in an Israeli hospital after breaking strict security protocol and attempting to exchange contact details with Syrian patients who were being treated there.

Sharri, who at the time had been recently replaced as The Australian's media editor and is now a National Political Editor, was travelling with a group of journalists on a trip organised by NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council.

The group was visiting the Zic Medical Centre in Northern Israel when she allegedly broke protocol to exchange contact details with Syrian patients. She was stopped from leaving by security officials.

When news of the incident emerged, Sharri took to Twitter to share her side of the story

A heated discussion followed, in which officials demanded Sharri hand over her notes and mobile in order to delete any details of patients, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.

'It was very intense and dramatic, there was a major commotion and suddenly there was security everywhere,' an unnamed source told The Sydney Morning Herald.

When news of the incident emerged, Sharri took to Twitter to share her side of the story.

'The Syrian fighters took my details to keep in touch with a journalist when they return to Syria, where they're at war with Assad and Daesh,' she wrote

'The Syrian fighters gave me theirs [their contact details] too. Israeli security were a bit heavy-handed, demanding I delete the details from my phone and notebook,' she tweeted.

'The Syrian fighters took my details to keep in touch with a journalist when they return to Syria, where they're at war with Assad and Daesh.'

Other Australian journalists on the one-week tour included Daily Telegraph deputy editor Ben English, Fairfax's federal politics editor Bevan Shields and Channel Seven reporter Alex Hart.

The group was briefed by officials that the identities of Syrian patients had to remain secret for their own safety as they were receiving treatment in an Israeli hospital.

After treatment, the patients are transferred back to Syria in secrecy.

The incident in Israel follows another controversial hospital visit by Sharri in the aftermath of the London terrorist bombing in 2005, when she managed to gain access to the ward of an Australian victim by carrying a bunch of flowers and looking upset

Sharri broke protocol by speaking to injured soldiers without an official being present and exchanged contact details, according to the Herald.

A chief-of-staff role at the paper was discussed, but that failed to materialise owing to internal conflict, according to The Guardian.

The incident in Israel follows another controversial hospital visit by Sharri in the aftermath of the London terrorist bombing in 2005, when she managed to gain access to the ward of an Australian victim by carrying a bunch of flowers and looking upset.

The then Editor of the Sunday Telegraph indicated that Sharri was never asked by any ward staff why she was there, that she introduced herself to the victim, and told him who she was and where she was from.
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After just one day of relief from the extreme weather, Sydneysiders are sweating through yet another heatwave with Tuesday night expected to be the third hottest on record.

Temperatures across Sydney are believed to settle at 31C by 4pm, but won't dip much lower than 27C overnight.

The heat across the country is tipped to climb as high as eight degrees above average as the second heatwave in as many weeks makes its way across much of the east coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a series of heatwave warnings for most of Queensland and NSW as well as parts of South Australia and the Northern Territory.

After just one day of relief from the extreme weather, Sydneysiders are sweating through yet another heatwave with Tuesday night expected to be the third hottest on record

Hundreds were seen escaping the blistering heat at Bondi Beach on Tuesday afternoon and were seen lazing in the water

A map shows areas of Australia that will be hit by the heatwave as it spreads and increases in temperature

By 9am on Wednesday, Sydney's temperatures will hit 34C and the mercury could reach 40C by 11am, according to Skymet.

Hundreds were seen escaping the blistering heat at Bondi Beach on Tuesday afternoon and were seen lazing in the water and practicing handstands.

Brisbane should reach a top of 35C on Wednesday, while temperatures in the west of the state could soar to 41C.

Sydney and Canberra are also forecast to reach 36C several days this week and as high as 43C in the northwest.

Melbourne is expected to hit a high of 38C on Tuesday.

In South Australia's remote Coober Pedy, temperatures will hit 43C and 41C on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Hundreds who were lucky enough to not be at work braved the sweltering conditions for a quick dip at Bondi Beach

Temperatures across Sydney are believed to settle at 31C by 4pm and not dip much lower than 27C overnight

This carefree young woman took an inflatable unicorn to Bondi Beach on Tuesday to float out with the tide

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a series of heatwave warnings for most of Queensland and NSW on Tuesday and Wednesday

This woman was seen selling icypoles to beachgoers at Bondi Beach on Tuesday

Sydney and Canberra are also forecast to reach 36C several days this week and as high as 43C in the northwest

Widespread areas of the east will be affected by a low intensity heatwave that will increase to a severe heatwave.

During Wednesday and Thursday, parts of Queensland will be gripped by an extreme heatwave.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Ashleigh Langey told The Daily Telegraph: '[Tuesday] night is going to reach 26C or 27C in the city'.

That meant for those sick of hot, sleepless nights, it wasn't going to get any better.

Hundreds were seen escaping the blistering heat with a day out swimming at Bondi Beach

This young woman appeared to enjoy cooling off in the showers as a male friend waited his turn

Some keen beachgoers were seen jogging along the sand and one young woman practised her handstands

The heat across the country is tipped to climb as high as eight degrees above average as the second heatwave in as many weeks makes its way across much of the east coast

Dozens of beachgoers were seen standing at the waters edge at Bondi Beach on Tuesday after taking a dip

There were a number of young boogie boarders and surfers enjoying the waves on Tuesday afternoon

Temperatures across Sydney are believed to settle at 31C by 4pm and not dip much lower than 27C overnight

The heat across the country is tipped to climb as high as eight degrees above average as the second heatwave in as many weeks makes its way across much of the east coast

Two sun-smart young women were seen applying sunscreen to each other during their afternoon at the beach

A forecasting map shows just how hot Australia is going to get during the latest heatwave

Queensland Ambulance Service paramedic Lara King said it wasn't just children, pregnant women and the elderly who were at risk of illness or death as a result of heatstroke.

'It does happen and people who are young and healthy tend to be quite active as well, so put themselves at an even greater risk,' Ms King told AAP.

Ms King urged people living in heat-affected areas to remain hydrated, keep cool and stay out of the sun between 10am and 3pm.

'We also recommend people wear light, loose clothing and stay indoors,' she said.

Symptoms of heatstroke include cramping, fainting, nausea, headache, a rapid pulse, disorientation, drowsiness and unconsciousness.

HOW HOT IS IT GOING TO GET DURING THE HEATWAVE? SYDNEY: TUESDAY: Min: 22 Max: 31. Fine WEDNESDAY: Min: 27 Max: 36. Hot, possible shower MELBOURNE: TUESDAY: Min: 21 Max: 38. Fine, some cloud WEDNESDAY: Min: 17 Max: 21. Showers ADELAIDE: TUESDAY: Min: 22 Max: 39. Fine WEDNESDAY: Min: 19 Max: 28. Partly cloudy BRISBANE: TUESDAY: Min: 23 Max: 32. Fine, some cloud WEDNESDAY: Min: 22 Max: 35. Fine CANBERRA: TUESDAY: Min: 15 Max: 37. Fine WEDNESDAY: Min: 22 Max: 36. Some cloud COOBER PEDY: TUESDAY: Min: 24 Max: 43. Fine, some cloud WEDNESDAY: Min: 29 Max: 43. Partly cloudy Advertisement

This woman found a great location to keep cool during the heatwave which struck Australia's east last week

Coober Pedy, in a remote area of South Australia, which will hit a searing 43C on Tuesday

The heatwave is expected to spread and become more intense as the week progresses. Left is the forecast map for Wednesday and right, for Thursday

The high temperatures will remain for the Coober Pedy area (pictured), with a predicted high of 41C on Wednesday

Beachgoers made their way to the seaside to keep cool during the last heatwave to hit Sydney
Thomas Markle Jr (pictured), 50, has given details of a rift with his ex-wife and his 24-year-old son over their version of the aftermath of his arrest at the home he shares with his girlfriend Darlene Blount

Meghan Markle is facing a sad split within her own family after her brother was arrested for allegedly threatening his girlfriend with a gun.

Thomas Markle Jr, 50, has given details of a rift with his ex-wife and his 24-year-old son over their version of the aftermath of his arrest at the home he shares with his girlfriend Darlene Blount, 36.

Meghan, who is his half-sister from his father's second marriage, has not spoken publicly about the difficulties her brother is facing - which appear to be rooted in problems with alcohol, according to police reports.

After being arrested on Thursday night, Markle Jr was booked on one felony count of unlawful use of a dangerous weapon and two misdemeanors  menacing and pointing a firearm at another person.

Now he has spoken to DailyMail.com to challenge the account given by his ex-wife and his son about last week's altercation  and claims everything they have said is 'lies, all lies'.

Ex-wife Tracy Dooley, 51, had claimed that she paid Markle Jr's $1,500 bail bond following a 3am phone call, while Tyler issued a statement on his father's behalf to The Sun newspaper on Sunday.

But Markle Jr told DailyMail.com that his ex-wife's claims are 'lies' while Tyler's statement is '100 per cent false'. He also said he has not spoken to his son for two weeks.

Prince Harry's girlfriend Meghan Markle (pictured), who is 15 years younger than Thomas Jr, is the product of Thomas Sr's second marriage to yoga teacher Doria Ragland, 60

Markle Jr has challenged the account given by his ex-wife and his son about last week's altercation  and claims everything they have said is 'lies, all lies'. Ex-wife Tracy Dooley, 51, had claimed that she paid Markle Jr's $1,500 bail bond following a 3am phone call

He also dismissed comments she made regarding his drinking habits and arrest, and told this website that he is doing 'OK'  although he did admit 'there's a lot going on right now'.

Markle Jr also told this website that 'not everything is as it seems' with regards to his arrest.

'I didn't get bailed out by Tracy or ask her for any money  that was all lies, all lies,' said Markle Jr, who is currently staying with friends.

He added: 'Tyler's statement is 100 per cent false. I haven't talked to Tyler for over two weeks.'

After being arrested on Thursday night, Markle Jr (left) was booked on one felony count of unlawful use of a dangerous weapon and two misdemeanors  menacing and pointing a firearm at another person - believed to be his girlfriend of two months, Darlene Blount (right)

Thomas Markle Jr was arrested on Thursday at the home (pictured) he shares with his girlfriend of two months, Darlene Blount, in Grants Pass, Oregon

Referring to his older sister Samantha Grant, 52, who also spoke to the papers after news of his arrest broke, he said:

'I have no idea about Samantha or what she's said. I haven't talked to her for years so she doesn't know me hardly at all or anybody I'm associated with.'

Markle Jr was arrested on Thursday night after police were called to his home in Grants Pass, where an argument with girlfriend Darlene, 36, had spiraled out of control.

An official police log of the incident, in which his last name is spelled incorrectly, stated: 'Markel and Blount got into an argument.

'In his drunken state Markel grabbed a gun and pressed it to Blount's head in an attempt to get her to leave.'

It added that Blount rang the police after locking herself in the bathroom for safety.

The Josephine County Adult Jail where Prince Harry's girlfriend's half brother, Thomas Markle Jr, was taken after his arrest

Meghan's burgeoning relationship with Harry has already been described as 'serious'

Markle Jr was then handcuffed and booked into Josephine County Jail at 11pm where he was photographed for a mugshot  which he calls 'the goddamn worst picture of me ever taken'.

According to ex-wife Tracy, he then called her at 3am to ask her to pay his $1,500 bond, although the 50-year-old says that did not happen.

Markle Jr also denies sending a text message to his son Tyler that night  and says the statement issued by his eldest son in his name yesterday was '100 per cent false'.

It read: 'I am incredibly sorry for my actions and I'm especially sorry to everyone affected by my drinking. I am seeking help and I promise I will be the best person I can be going forward. Thank you for understanding.'

Meghan with Thomas Jr as a baby. He said in a recent interview that he hopes Prince Harry 'takes care of and loves' his sister

Meghan has visited the Prince in London at least twice and stayed at Kensington Palace

Tyler then went on to apologize on his father's behalf and said Markle Jr 'knows it [the incident] is an embarrassment to Meghan and the family'.

He added: 'He is very sorry and is apologizing to everyone. He just needs some time to heal and reflect on life. But he wants to apologize for everything.

'He is in the spotlight now and everyone gets to see his flaws. Due to being inebriated, his emotions got the better of him and he got into an argument with his girlfriend. He's not like this normally.

'I also want to apologize on behalf of my dad. Unfortunately my father has a problem with alcohol. He is now in recovery.'

Markle Jr, however, says he is doing 'OK' and said that the story of his arrest should not be taken at face value.

'I'm OK, I'm OK,' he said. 'There's a lot going on right now but it'll be fine. There's so much going on that people don't know about. What happened isn't what it seemed.'

Darlene, who is not thought to have ended her relationship with Markle Jr, is yet to give her side of the story and refused to comment when approached by this website on Sunday.

Meghan Markle is spotted heading to the Four Seasons Hotel to meet up with some friends in Toronto, Canada

The Prince and Markle have been spotted together and photographed a number of times

She is thought to be staying with her parents Clyde, 66, and Claudia, 59, on a remote farm approximately five miles from the home she shares with her boyfriend.

Markle Jr is Meghan's half-brother and the only son of retired lighting director Thomas Markle Sr, 72, and his first wife Roslyn, 71.

Meghan, who is 15 years his junior, is the product of Thomas Sr's second marriage to yoga teacher Doria Ragland, 60.

The 35-year-old Suits actress, who lives in Toronto, is thought to have been dating Prince Harry, 32, since last May and reportedly spent New Year with him on a romantic holiday in Norway.

Earlier this month, Markle Jr told DailyMail.com that his sister is 'very much in love' with the royal and revealed that his father, a former lighting director, has met Harry.

'They're extremely happy together, they look great together and she's done good', he added. 'She's very much in love and she's obviously happy because if she wasn't happy, she wouldn't be there.

'So she is happy and [the relationship is] taking off, which is good, and I wish them all the best. I couldn't be happier for her.'
A depraved father repeatedly sexually abused his four-year-old daughter before confessing to his wife who did nothing to stop the sordid acts.

The 36-year-old Western Australian man, who cannot be identified, first abused his daughter when she was just four-years-old.

He continued to abuse her for 11 years in their WA home, including filming some of the attacks, The West Australian reported.

A depraved father repeatedly sexually abused his four-year-old daughter before confessing to his wife who did nothing to stop the sordid acts (stock image)

The man confessed to his wife - the child's mother - that he had been committing the abuse, WA District Court heard in 2015.

The 40-year-old woman, who also cannot be identified, did not alert authorities.

She told her daughter she should 'have the strength to day no' to him.

The abuse continued months longer until Christmas Day in 2015 when the 13-year-old girl told a family member.

The man was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to abusing his daughter.

Judge Sweeney said she did not jail the woman because it could cause the daughter even more damage if both her parents were in prison at the same time.

The woman received a 12 month prison term, suspended for 18 months after pleading guilty to failing to protect a child in her care.

'You utterly failed to protect her from the sexual abuse... and once you were told about it, you placed responsibility on a 13 year-old girl to say no,' Judge Sweeney said to the woman.
A 31-year-old man with a low IQ and Asperger's syndrome has avoided jail time for grooming a 14-year-old on Facebook who was an undercover officer.

The intellectually impaired Brisbane man wanted the 14-year-old girl to be his girlfriend and wanted to touch her 'boobs, butt and legs', the court heard.

Jonathan Willoughby Morrissey, 31, pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court on Tuesday to attempting to procure a child online, despite the 'girl' actually being an undercover police officer.

Jonathan Willoughby Morrissey, 31, pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court on Tuesday to attempting to procure a child online, despite the 'girl' actually being an undercover police officer (Stock Image)

The court heard Jonathan Morrissey had not appreciated the age difference and inappropriateness of a man in his 30s talking to a 14-year-old (Stock Image)

The court heard Morrissey told her he wanted to be her boyfriend to 'walk on the beach and hold hands'.

He also sent her poems telling her she was beautiful and said he didn't want to have sex until she was ready but did want to touch her 'boobs, butt and legs'.

Despite the unusual low-level of sexual discussions, Judge Paul Smith found the offending was still serious because Morrissey had arranged and turned up to meet the under aged teen at Hungry Jacks.

Despite pleading guilty he will avoid jail because Judge Smith determined he would be vulnerable in prison.

The court heard Morrissey had not appreciated the age difference and inappropriateness of a man in his 30s talking to a 14-year-old because intellectually there may not have been such a big difference between them.

'You were more interested in having a relationship with her as a girlfriend, particularly to hold hands with,' Judge Smith said.

Morrissey was sentenced to 190 hours of community service and two years probation after Judge Smith found he would be extremely vulnerable in prison because of his intellectual impairments.

'It seems you are a person who can be manipulated by others,' he said.
Hyundai has become the latest car company to curry favor with President-Elect Donald Trump by announcing it will plow $3billion into its US factories over the next four years.

Since Trump's election victory, he has pressured car companies to build their vehicles in the US rather than Mexico.

The brash billionaire warned that cars built in Mexico would be taxed at 35 per cent if they were exported to the US.

In the wake of that, Hyundai has now pledged to invest more heavily in the US.

Donald Trump has warned that cars built in Mexico would be taxed at 35 per cent if they were exported to the US

Chung Jin Haeng, president of the world's fifth-largest automotive group, said it will spend $3billion on research, development and maintaining their factories in Alabama and Georgia.

He also said the South Korean company will consider building a new US factory if demand for cars rises during Trump's administration.

The new administration's promise to create 1million jobs and attract new companies could stimulate demand for cars and other products, he said.

He said: 'If there is such a sign, we will immediately review (the new plant). We won't miss when the time is right.'

Hyundai Motor Group said it will significantly increase its investment in the US, in the wake of comments made by Donald Trump

Hyundai and affiliate Kia Motors did not provide any further details about a possible new plant.

The group does not usually disclose its five-year investment plan for specific countries, and the announcement of the US-specific investment plans comes just three days before Trump's inauguration.

Kia's first Mexico plant launched operations just two months before the November 8 election and the group said about 80 per cent of the vehicles made there would be exported.

The plant has a capacity to turn out 400,000 cars per year.

However Chung said the Mexico plant was now a 'source of worry', without elaborating why. He said Hyundai did not plan to make additional investments in Mexico.

Chung denied that political pressure was behind the firm's announcement.

'The US market is strategically important for us. Success of the failure in the US market is a measure of global success', he explained.

GENERAL MOTORS TO BOOST INVESTMENT IN US FACTORIES General Motors is set to announce a massive billion-dollar boost to investment in the US that will create more than 1,000 new jobs. The car giant is gearing up to pump $1 billion into several factories across the country. Company insiders told the Wall Street Journal the move is designed to reaffirm its commitment to manufacturing in the US. However, GM denied any future changes will be in response to Trump's comments, claiming investments of this magnitude had been talked about and planned for 'some period of time'. Advertisement

Since his election victory, Trump has advised companies 'not to waste their time and money' by building car factories in Mexico.

He has threatened to impose a border tax on cars made in Mexico by Ford, General Motors and Toyota.

In a tweet on January 3, Trump said: 'General Motors is sending Mexican made models of Chevy Cruze to US car dealers-tax free across border. Make in US or pay big border tax!'

Automakers have responded to his threat by affirming their commitment to the US market.

Earlier this month, Ford announced it had scrapped plans to build a new $1.6billion small-car factory in Mexico while Fiat Chrysler announced a $1billion investment plan in its two US factories.

Nearly all automakers build small cars in Mexico to take advantage of its lower wages.

In an interview with German newspaper Bild, he singled out German car giant BMW, which is building a plant in Mexico, with the threat of the 35 per cent tariffs.

However German economy minister Sigmar Gabriel said that rather than trying to penalize German carmakers, the US should instead build better vehicles.

He claimed imposing tariffs would make the US car industry 'worse, weaker and more expensive'.

BMW, which is based in Munich, said construction of its Mexican factory was 'continuing as planned and expected to be finished in 2019.'

Elsewhere, VW started production last year at a $1.3billion factory near Puebla.
Disturbing footage of skeletal sun bears pleading with visitors to feed them junk food at an Indonesian zoo has sparked fury online.

Visitors at Bandung zoo, on the island of Java, were filmed throwing cake, candy and crackers into the enclosure in a vain attempt to feed the starving animals.

Now an online petition is attempting to shame mayor Ridwan Kamil into closing the zoo for good.

Sun bears are being kept in shocking conditions in an Indonesian zoo, as footage shows the emaciated animals begging for scraps from tourists

Scorpion, a wildlife trade monitoring group, sent an investigator to the tourist attraction where they captured footage of starving bears standing on their hind legs and begging for snacks.

Gunung Gea, the director of Scorpion, told Daily Mail Australia: 'When my team visited the zoo last week there was no grass or live trees on the floor of their cage.

'We saw a sun bear eating its own dung but when we contacted the zoo's officers they told us the bear was medicated and we weren't allowed to see it.'

Animal activist Tori Hollingsworth was so outraged by the video she decided to create a petition - which has 12,000 signatures so far - demanding the zoo be shut.

She said: 'The bears are extremely thin and very hungry. Appalled visitors give them junk food to try and keep them alive.

'The video shows how the sun bears immediately go after small pieces of food that are tossed in their direction. They stand on their two feet and beg for more in a truly heartbreaking moment.

'These beautiful creatures should not be allowed to spend one more day at this terrible facility where they are forced to live between concrete walls, with no proper shelter and absolutely no food and water.

Activist group Scorpion filmed as tourists threw cake, candy and crackers at the animals as they sat inside a sparse concrete cage

Furious viewers have now established a petition, which has amassed 12,000 signatures, attempting to shame mayor Ridwan Kamil into shutting the zoo down

'It is obvious that this zoo is not helping the animals. It is nothing short of a prison.'

Ms Hollingsworth ends the petition by asking the Major of Bandung to think of the thousands of children who visit the zoo.

She said: 'What will these kids think about this? I just can't help but wonder.'

Scorpion has pleaded with the Wildlife Authority in West Java (BKSDA) to investigate Bandung zoo, launching their own petition of 1,500 signatures to gain publicity for the helpless bears.

American Becky Koth signed Scorpion's online petition in support of closing the zoo.

'This is unacceptable. Why have a zoo where you just starve these bears? Let them go to a sanctuary to get healthy again and release them,' she wrote.

'They were better off without the so-called help of the humans running the zoo.'

Sandie Hawkins, from Australia, said: 'I cannot believe that people of today, in any country, can treat animals this way.

'If we consider ourselves to be the smartest species then we should care for these precious souls I'm so angry.'

Bandung is Indonesia's third largest city with a population of over 2.4 million. It's also one of the country's top tourist hotspots.

Dozens of visitors have left negative reviews of the zoo online, describing the animals as thin and sad-looking and saying they have been left in disgusting cages

Sun bears are native to northern parts of Indonesia, and south east Asia and naturally feed on a diet of honey, fruit and insects (file image)

The zoo is ranked at number 75 on Trip Advisor for things to do in the region, with many of the worried commenters warning other tourists not to visit.

Patrick H said: 'The condition of this zoo is very bad. Animals don't receive enough treatment because they all look so thin and sad. There is a lot of garbage, very dirty.

'The cages' condition is also not good. I hope the government will improve the condition of this zoo soon.'

Fifteen other commenters rated the zoo as 'terrible' including user FlyawayAZ who said it was the worst zoo he had ever visited.

'Although I knew the zoo did not have good ratings others in my group wanted to go. I'm sorry I did. I visit zoos all over the world and this was the worst one I have seen in many yearsmaybe ever!

'Animals thin and in poor condition. In many cases they are in extremely small cages with no natural materials. Old, rusty cages but most importantly was the sadness of the animals in small, cement pens.

'The deer all had a skin condition that left bald patches all over their bodies. Pigs in a chest-high muddy area with no way to get dry.

'A sun bear was in a small cement 'pit' with a metal gate...we stood above him and looked down as he stood on his hind legs, looking up at us and begging for food.

'Entrance fee was low and peanuts could be bought to feed the animals, although I doubt that peanuts were acceptable for all the animals to eat.

'I saw a number of locals feeding the animals - crackers, cakes and candy and no official stopped them.

'Lots of shade between exhibits, so it was comfortable, but cannot recommend for all of the above reasons.'

Bandung zoo staff refused to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.




A father was repeatedly shot at in a car chase after he allegedly confronted the parents of a classmate bullying his son.

But the alleged victim, Alex Harrouk, 32, has ended up in front of a judge when investigators searched his Melbourne home on Tuesday.

The father-of-three was allegedly linked to another shooting and a brothel brawl, and charged with possession of a bulletproof vest, possessing steroids, and refusing to help police access a locked mobile phone.

He had been charged when police searched his home as part of the investigation into the shooting, in which Harrouk was the alleged target, near an Islamic youth centre in Coolaroo last year.

Alex Harrouk, 32, had approached parents at Hume Islamic Youth Centre (stock image) in November over school bullying

Mr Harrouk faced the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Detective Senior Constable Matt Lacey said a dispute began at the Hume Islamic Youth Centre on November 21 and escalated into a brawl.

Harrouk allegedly left in his vehicle and was pursued by other men in a second car.

'Up to eight shots from an unknown firearm were discharged,' the detective told the court.

'It appears that Harrouk has been a target.'

Harrouk's lawyer told the court the row was sparked by an argument about bullying.

'The dispute was essentially about his children being bullied, and he has gone there to confront another parent,' Rob Melasecca said.

Mr Harrouk faced the Melbourne Magistrates' Court (stock image) on Tuesday

Det Sen Const Lacey says Harrouk has also been charged in connection with another unrelated shooting, in which a man was shot in the leg on January 28, 2016 some 300 metres from Harrouk's Dallas home. It is not suggested Harrouk had any involvement in the shooting.

Police allege they later found three handguns at Harrouk's home, one of which allegedly matches the calibre of the gun used in the January shooting, and he has been charged with possessing firearms. Harrouk has not been charged in relation to the shooting.

Harrouk has also been charged with affray over a fight at Gotham City Brothel in August 2016 involving his friends and members of the Mongols bikie gang.

Alleged crime figure Nabil Maghnie, who drove himself to hospital after being shot in the face in September, has also been charged over the brothel brawl.

Police on Tuesday argued Harrouk should not be released on bail because he may re-offend.

But Magistrate Belinda Wallington granted Harrouk bail with strict conditions and ordered he report daily to police.

He is due to return to court in March.
This is the moment two people plunge from the first storey ledge of an apartment block onto the sidewalk below in an ill-fated rescue attempt.

The footage shows a man appearing to lower the woman into the arms of another man standing on the pavement below a residential building on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

The woman appears to grip onto the man too tightly, flipping him down with her before the three of them are sent sprawling painfully onto the pavement.

Footage shows a man's ill-fated attempt to rescue a woman from an apartment block

The video was shared by The LAD Bible on Facebook under the title 'The Worst Rescue Attempt of All Time', where it has drew over eight million views.

The clip divided social media, with some seeing the lighter side of the accident but others condemning the person filming.

'Not funny at all! The man in the white shirt clearly broke his right arm or dislocated his shoulder or even both,' wrote another commenter.

'Not to mention landing on his spine from this height. And shame on the camera guy for filming instead of helping. And what's with all these funny comments and likes?! Shame on you too!'

The woman appears to grip onto the man too tightly, flipping him down with her before the three of them are sent sprawling onto the pavement

A spokesperson for the Paradise Towers Apartments told Courier Mail they suspect the pair broke into the building and struggled to find an exit.

'We don't know who these people areI know what people are like  they have too much to drink and that's what they do,' the spokesperson said.

They said if the people were residents they would have lodged an insurance claim, which had not been claimed against the apartment recently, suggesting it may be old footage.

It is unclear if the people in the footage were seriously hurt.
Donald Trump's inauguration has sparked a Twitter spat between Pauline Hanson and SBS newsreader Lee Lin Chin.

The Gold Logie-nominated TV personality started it by mocking the One Nation leader for being invited to the U.S. president-elect's swearing-in later this week.

'Who hasn't got tickets? No actual Americans want to go so they're just inviting everyone. I've got a +8 for my man harem,' Ms Chin tweeted on Tuesday.

Scroll down for videos

Lee Lin Chin, pictured in a doctored image with Donald Trump supporter Kanye West, mocked Pauline Hanson for receiving tickets to the U.S. president-elect's swearing in

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, pictured at Parliament House in Canberra last year, linked Lee Lin Chin's 'harem of men' tweet to her campaign against Centrelink

Donald Trump has sparked a spat between Pauline Hanson and SBS newsreader Lee Lin Chin by inviting the One Nation leader to his inauguration later this week

The Twitter spat between Pauline Hanson and Lee Lin Chin, after the SBS personality joked about her 'harem' of men

Ironically, Ms Chin's Instagram features a doctored image of her with Kanye West, who supports Donald Trump.

Senator Hanson fired back on Twitter at Ms Chin, who has previously joked about having sex with young Home And Away actors.

'I hope your harem isn't also rorting the taxpayer by collecting welfare like some other harems do because that is a bad look,' she said.

The Queensland senator used the occasion to remind her followers of her campaign late last year against Centrelink, which she accused of paying spousal benefits to Muslim men with two or three wives.

Lee Lin Chin last year jokingly asked if a Home And Away actor would 'put out' for her. (Seven Network star James Stewart pictured at Palm Beach on the northern edge of Sydney)

Which TV actor did Lee Lin Chin have in mind when she tweeted this joke in April last year?

In April last year, Ms Chin jokingly asked her Twitter followers if a Home And Away actor would have sex with her after the Logies.

'I'm going to the Logies for the first time tonight, which one of the Home And Away TV boys is most likely to put out?', she said.

Her employer SBS would possibly be abolished if One Nation, which opposes multiculturalism, had their way.

The Twitter war also comes a day after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's office confirmed he hadn't been invited to Mr Trump's Washington inauguration, scheduled for January 20.

Senator Hanson has declined the invitation, with her New South Wales colleague Brian Burston going instead after fellow One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts was admitted for hernia surgery.
The widow of the Orlando nightclub gunman knew about the attack ahead of time, prosecutors said Tuesday as she appeared in court to answer charges of aiding and abetting her husband in the months before the rampage last June that left 49 people dead.

Wearing a mustard-yellow jail uniform, 30-year-old Noor Salman stood before a federal judge under tight security.

She looked downcast and bewildered and at times started to shake. She did not enter a plea. When she was led back to jail, she looked up for the first time to lock eyes with her tearful uncle.

'She knew he was going to conduct the attack,' federal prosecutor Roger Handberg told the judge. Handberg did not disclose any more details and declined to comment after the hearing.

She could get life in prison if she's convicted of the aiding and abetting charge.

Scroll down for video

The federal indictment against Noor Salman (left) was released on Tuesday. Salman is the wife of Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen (right) whow as killed by police after shooting dead 49 people at the Orlando nightclub last year. The pair are seen above with their young son

The indictment says that Salman helped her husband in the months before the attack, knowingly misled police after the shooting and supported ISIS. Above, a view of Pulse nightclub in the aftermath of the shooting

Outside court, Salman's uncle Al Salman said his niece was innocent and did nothing to help her husband, Omar Mateen, plan the June 12 attack on the Pulse, a gay nightclub in Florida.

'She's a very soft and sweet girl,' Salman said. 'She would not hurt a fly.'

In an indictment unsealed Monday, she was accused of aiding and abetting Mateen in providing material support and resources to the Islamic State group between April and June of last year. She was also accused of misleading and lying to police and the FBI during their investigation.

The indictment gave no additional details on Salman's actions.

Salman (above on her wedding day) said Mateen was violent towards her and often beat her at home. She was arrested in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she is from, on Monday

The couple was living in Fort Pierce, Florida, with their young son when Mateen drove two hours to Orlando to unleash terror on the gay nightclub on June 12

FBI agents previously accused Salman (pictured, right, two days after the shooting) of scoping out the nightclub with her husband before the attack. She said they were merely in Orlando, which was two hours from their home, to visit Disneyland with their son

The attack was the deadliest mass shooting in US.. history and sparked an outpouring of grief in Orlando and around the world. Above, a vigil is held in Orlando on June 13, the day after the shooting

During the standoff, Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in a 911 call. He was killed in a shootout with SWAT officers. In addition to the 49 victims killed, 53 people were injured.

The couple lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the time of the rampage.

After repeated interrogation by the FBI, Salman was arrested Monday at a house she shared with her mother in Rodeo, a San Francisco suburb.

Al Salman said that Noor Salman was physically and mentally abused by Mateen and that she stayed with him for fear of losing custody of their son.

A judge scheduled another hearing Wednesday to discuss her possible release ahead of trial, her transfer to Florida to face the charges, and the appointment of a lawyer to represent her.

Charles Swift, director of the Richardson, Texas-based Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America, planned on representing her at that hearing, said public defender John Paul Reichmuth, who represented her during Tuesday's proceedings.

Linda Moreno, a Florida attorney who also represents Salman, said after Salman's arrest that the widow 'had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night.'

Salman told The New York Times in an interview published in November that she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but that she was 'unaware of everything' regarding his intent to shoot up the club. Salman also said he had physically abused her.

Salman agreed to be photographed by the New York Times after the attack when she sat for her only interview - but she would not show her face, shown here

Salman (left) previously claimed she was 'unaware' of her husband's murderous plan. She will appear in court in San Francisco on Tuesday

Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a 911 call during the three-hour standoff that ended in his death. Forty nine patrons were killed and another 53 were hospitalized.
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Heartbreaking pictures have emerged of two children whose families were killed by yesterday's appalling air crash in Bishkek.

Sultan, aged nine, had left early to go to school in the next village - and when he returned, he found his entire family had been killed by a Turkish cargo plane which wiped out his home, and an entire section of his village in Kyrgyzstan.

Both parents, his brothers and his sister perished in the horror.

And Zkakshylyk Sheraliev, seven, survived with concussion, bruises and shock when his house was hit, even though the rest of his family were killed, reported local media.

Zkakshylyk Sheraliev, seven, (left) survived when his house was hit, even though the rest of his family were killed. Sultan (right) returned home to find his home had been wiped out and his parents, brothers and sister had perished

One account said: 'Sultan left home at around 7 am because his school is in the next village," said one account.

'He hadn't arrived when he got a phone call to go back home urgently.'

When he arrived, his house was destroyed, completely gone, and his family all dead.

'Relatives have taken the boy now,' said Deputy Prime Minister Muhammetkaliy Abulgaziev.

A picture shows him in shock and frightened as he is cared for by a woman believed to be a relative.

Nargiza Kozhanaliyeva, 31, who was eight months pregnant, was killed in the crash, which saw an entire section of the village wiped out

Aerial photos show the scale of the devastation caused by the jet after it crashed down near Manas airport this morning

Brave Zkakshylyk explained from hospital: 'A plane exploded. Then it destroyed all the houses.

'People died, they were just buried.

'Then came the police, then the ambulances. They took away dead people.

'The policemen looked at them. Our barn remained, but the roof of our neighbour house was carried away.

'I went to the neighbours in the morning, they gave me clothes, put me into an ambulance.

'Now I'm here. I was sleeping, then I ran away, not looking in the direction of my mummy.'

He has not been told yet that his parents are both dead, but he seems to sense it.

Aizhamal Orozbaeyeva, who was 27, (left) was among those killed in the crash, along with Aibek Soltonbekov, 28

A Turkish cargo plane has crashed into a village killing 37 people after 'missing the runway' at Kyrgyzstan's main international airport

Family friend Erkin Baetova - who is caring for him in hospital - said he explained how he was awoken by the crash.

'He told me: "I opened my eyes, I was near the wall, do not remember anything, but I felt I was cold,"' she said.

'"I saw only the cellar - there were no walls left."

'He went to another neighbour.

'He told that he was always afraid of neighbour's dog, but this time he just went in the house and the dog did not even bark.

'They began to dress him, as he was just in underwear. It is so painful to talk about this.'

A desperate search operation was underway yesterday as pictures emerged of rescuers carrying bodies from the crash site

The cargo plane, which was attempting to make a refuelling stop on its way from Hong Kong to Istanbul, crash-landed in heavy fog just outside Manas airport, south of the Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek

She explained: 'The boy doesn't know that his parents are dead. but he told to me: "Don't wait for my parents", like he feels it deep in his heart.

'I don't know - or he saw something, or he just feels the grief.

'The only thing - he asks where is his grandmother....she is now at her home, and the parents' bodies were brought there.

'So I am looking after him. He asks me to take him home. Of course I will do everything so he will not be alone, but no one can replace his parents.'

When rescuers arrived, they found the nose of the giant cargo plane coming out of the side of a house in the village

A weeping old lady in the village of Dacha-Suu said: 'He is another orphan from this terrible crash. Why did it happen here, to our people? Why us?'

A total of 38 died in the crash, when a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft missed the runway and crashed into houses in the ex-Soviet republic in central Asia.

Fourteen children were among the dead.

Also killed was accountant Nargiza Kozhanaliyeva, 31, who was eight months pregnant.

Her husband was at work and survived as did their five year old daughter who was being looked after by a grandmother in another village.

Two other victims were Aizhamal Orozbayeva, 27, and Albek Soltokenov, 28.

Emergency crews have started the gruesome task of sifting through the crumpled remains of the plane and the ruins of buildings the aircraft crushed

He died with his younger sister - Mariam, seven, mother Farida, 47, and father Anarbek, 56.

In one house, the wheels of the plane crashed into one bedroom where children were sleeping, reported Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.

Other children died as they went to the outside toilets at the moment the 747 crashed.

Abulgaziev said today that 38 bodies have been identified after being pulled from the debris. They include the four flight crew.

The remains of the last of the crew were pulled from the wreckage today. The plane evidently aborted its landing in foggy conditions.

The pilots sought to lift the jet and make a second attempt, but the aircraft clipped the roof of an air traffic control building and a perimeter fence before it crashed into the village.

A firefighter searches through the mangled remains of the aircraft after it crashed down near the Manas airport runway

The Boeing 747 crash-landed in heavy fog just outside Manas airport, south of the capital Bishkek and ploughed through 43 buildings

It then ploughed 200 metres through the houses. A dozen houses were destroyed completely with only foundations left, according to Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper.

Many houses erupted in flames. One witness claimed there were flames on the plane before it hit the ground.

The first funerals are due to be held tomorrow.

Deputy interior minister Kursan Asanov said today there were no signs of any explosives at the scene of the crash.

One of the two pilots survived the disaster and was seen climbing out of the Boeing 747 debris, and 'walking around the crash site', said Abulgaziev.

Officials have now revealed that one of the pilots was seen looking dazed as he 'walked around the crash site'. Rescuers are pictured at the scene

Looking dazed, he was taken to hospital by ambulance, where he died. It was unclear which pilot was being referred to.

Earlier accounts indicated he died after the crash site, soon after the incident, or in the ambulance.

'He managed to climb out of the debris by himself', said the minister.

The dead include a woman who was eight months pregnant, said officials.

Her husband and daughter, five, survived. One black box has been retrieved from the rubble, said an emergencies' official in Bishkek.

The crew were named as commander pilot Ibrahim Gyurdzhan Dirandzhy, copilot Kazim Ondyul, an expert on loading Melih Aslan and flight technician Ihsan Koca.

One of the two pilots in the Kyrgyzstan plane disaster that killed 37 was seen clambering out of the wreckage and walking around moments after the crash - only to die after being taken to hospital, it has been revealed

One of the pilots was named as Ibrahim Gurcan Diranci (left) formerly a military airman in Turkey, while the second pilot in today's crash was named as Kazim Ondul (right)

The cargo plane Boeing 747 of Turkish ACT airlines crashed on Monday at 7.18am in the village of Dacha-Suu.

The Boeing 747, which was attempting to make a refuelling stop on its way from Hong Kong to Istanbul, crash-landed in heavy fog just outside Manas airport, south of the capital Bishkek, and ploughed through up to 60 buildings.

Officials have now revealed that one of the pilots, who they have not named, was seen looking dazed as he 'walked around the crash site'. Muhammetkaly Abulgaziev, a vice premier of Kyrgyzstanm said the pilot 'managed to climb out of the debris by himself'.

The impact of the crash killed 17 people on board and at least 15 living next to the airport - including 12 children and an entire family. Officials fear the death toll could rise.

This morning, authorities in the Central Asian county said 'pilot error' caused the crash. Dramatic pictures show the wreckage of the ACT Airlines plane among the ruins of the village.

There were reports this morning that looters had already descended on the scene with one man arrested for stealing two kettles from the wreckage, and hiding them under his coat.

One nine year old boy had left early for school in a neighbouring village and ran back to his home to find his entire family killed, it has been reported.

The haunting remains of the huge aircraft lay broken in the village, some on top of smashed and burning homes.

Rescue workers have already recovered the body of one pilot and 15 local people whose houses were in the Boeing 747 jet's crash area, the healthcare ministry said.

This morning, the pilot was named as Ibrahim Gurcan Diranci formerly a military airman in Turkey who had previously been involved in an emergency landing of an ACT Airlines aircraft at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan in 2010, when he was second pilot.

Rescue workers have recovered the body of one pilot and 15 local people whose houses were in the Boeing 747 jet's crash area, the healthcare ministry said

Pictures show a wheel from the giant aircraft after it crashed through houses killing a number of villagers near Manas airport

Rescue workers wore gas masks as they picked through the wreckage in the aftermath of the crash this morning

Buildings were still on fire when rescuers reached the scene this morning. At least 37 people were killed in the disaster

This was blamed on a landing gear fault caused by poor maintenance.

The second pilot in today's crash was named as Kazim Ondul.

According to the airport administration, the plane was supposed to make a stopover at Manas on its way to Istanbul. It crashed when trying to make a second attempt to land in poor visibility at 7.30am (1.30am GMT), it has been reported.

The doomed plane ploughed for a few hundred yards through the village, shattering into pieces and damaging dozens of buildings.

The majority of the dead were from the village of Dacha-Suu, a spokesman for the country's emergency services, Muhammed Svarov, said.

Carnage: Houses were reduced to piles of rubble when the plane crashed down and ploughed hundreds of yards through a village

Rescuers are continuing the grim task of removing bodies from the scene of the devastating plane crash this morning

Dramatic video shows how buildings and plane wreckage were still on fire when rescuers descended on the scene after the crash this morning

Rescuers are still searching the scene amid fears the death toll from the disaster could rise. Pictures shows how buildings and cars were destroyed

Up to 43 homes were crushed by the jet as it ploughed along the ground for 'hundreds of yards', destroying houses and wiping out entire families sleeping inside

One nine year old boy had left early for school in a neighbouring village and ran back to his home to find his entire family killed, it has been reported

But the death toll could yet rise Svarov said, adding that authorities had launched a huge search and rescue operation.

'Major work is underway,' Svarov said. 'The damage to infrastructure in the village is significant.'

Eyewitnesses said smoke was still thick in the area this morning and small fires burned in different parts of the village, but emergency services had nearly extinguished them.

Zumriyat Rezakhanova, a resident of Dacha-Suu said the plane fell 'right on the homes' where residents were sleeping.

'My sister's home is badly damaged. Luckily she and her family survived,' Rezakhanova said.

Injured victim Baktygul Kubatova said: 'The house was collapsing on us and I was worrying about my children, that they could die. We were sleeping at home as usual. I woke up after I saw something red in the window.

Eyewitnesses said smoke was still thick in the area this morning and small fires burned in different parts of the village, but emergency services had nearly extinguished them

Eyewitnesses said smoke was still thick in the area this morning and small fires burned in different parts of the village, but emergency services had nearly extinguished them

At least four pilots on the flight, which was travelling from Hong Kong to Istanbul via Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek, were among the dead, the emergency services ministry said, with one pilot's body yet to be found

More than a thousand rescue workers were at the scene by late morning in the residential area where dozens of houses have been destroyed

Distressing footage from the scene shows a grieving woman being comforted by others. There are reports entire families were killed in the disaster

'I had no time to realise what happened. Then it turned out that the ceiling and the walls of the house was crashing. With fear, I covered my son with my hand to protect him from the ruins. We could not move and I started crying for help to get out of there.

'The house was collapsing over and over again. My child was crying.

'The neighbours came to help. My daughter received injuries, as she was sleeping near the window, while me and my son were sleeping on the floor. As soon as we got out of the house, we immediately ran to the neighbours to wait for my brother there.

'But all other houses were on fire, all of them were destroyed, everything was damaged as if it was an earthquake. Thank God that we were just injured and stayed alive.'

The country's Manas airport has been closed and flights cancelled until evening at the earliest, airport authorities said.

Rescuers and police examine the scene of the crash near Manas airport. Turkish cargo operator ACT Airlines said the jet was theirs

Over 40 firefighters and nine firefighting trucks are operating at the crash site. A government commission has been set up to examine the causes of the tragedy

Around 43 houses were damaged by the crash, according to the emergency services ministry, but others put the number at 60

Wreckage, including landing gear and wheels (pictured), was found over a one hectare crash site, according to officials

Up to a thousand rescue workers were called to the scene this morning while police reported that looters had tried to take advantage of the chaos

Kyrgyz Emergency Situations Minister Kubatbek Boronov told reporters that it was foggy at Manas when the plane came down but weather conditions were not critical

At least four pilots on the flight, which was travelling from Hong Kong to Istanbul via Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek, were among the dead, the emergency services ministry said, with one pilot's body yet to be found.

Around 43 houses were damaged by the crash, according to the emergency services ministry, but others put the number at 60.

'The plane crashed into the houses, it killed entire families,' one eyewitness told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

'There's nothing left of the houses, people were killed with their whole family, their children. Many people were sleeping.'

The country's Manas airport has been closed and flights cancelled until evening at the earliest, airport authorities said.

Prime Minister Sooronbai Jeenbekov was heading a specially-appointed government commission to investigate the circumstances of the crash.

The Turkish Boeing 747 crashed just outside the Manas airport, south of the capital Bishkek, killing people in the residential area adjacent to the airport as well as those on the plane

Sniffer dogs were called in as rescuers launched a desperate bid top find survivors after the plane crash this morning

Aftermath: A national day of mourning for the crash victims is to be announced by the Krygyzstan authorities, it has emerged

The plane left a trail of destruction after it tore through houses a few hundred yards from the airport where it was trying to land

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev cancelled his visit to China to return to Bishkek, according to Kyrgyz media.

Turkish cargo operator ACT Airlines said: 'Our TC-MCL signed plane, flying on January 16 from Hong Kong to Bishkek, crashed on landing at Bishkek at the end of the runway for an unknown reason.

'More information will be disclosed concerning our four-person team when we get clear information.'

Bishkek transport official Marat Amankulovso said: 'The cargo jet was approaching the runway from the east.

'At the landing it didn't come down on the runway, flew over it, its fuselage touched the fence and after that it crashed. It is hard to say whether the fog affected the situation.

Bishkek transport official Marat Amankulovso said the cargo jet was approaching the runway from the east when it crashed

Investigation: The plane's fuselage was believed to have touched a fence before it crashed down into the village

Rescue teams are seen are seen at the crash site of a Turkish cargo jet near Kyrgyzstan's Manas airport outside Bishkek

Dramatic pictures at the scene show the plan upside down after crashing through dozens of buildings in the village

Images from the scene showed the nose of the plane stuck inside a brick house and large fragments of debris scattered around

Pictures have emerged in local media purportedly showing the plane that crashed down in Kyrgyzstan this morning

'We are told that all the standards were met, and that planes were landing in the same conditions earlier.'

Over 40 firefighters and nine firefighting trucks are operating at the crash site. A government commission has been set up to examine the causes of the tragedy.

Wreckage is spread across an area of one hectare.

A national day of mourning for the crash victims is to be announced by the Krygyzstan authorities.

'In light of the plane crash that left over 30 people dead, Kyrgyzstan will announce the national day of mourning. President of the Kyrgyz Republic Almazbek Atambayev will sign the corresponding decree,' said the presidential press service .

Until 2014, the US military operated a military installation at Manas airport, using it primarily for its operations in Afghanistan.
An actor said an investigation into his baby's death is now being handled by police amid claims evidence for an inquest had been tampered with.

Mad Men and Tudors star Jamie King's wife Tamara Podemski, 38, a Canadian actress, lost their child after a caesarean section was delayed by a day.

The emergency op was postponed and the baby died following a c-section the next day at the same hospital.

An investigation into the incident found that delaying the operation was the wrong decision and should have been carried out the day before.

Benjamin died from severe brain damage five days after being born by emergency caesarean section at the Royal United Hospital, Bath, Somerset last May 5.

The Tudors actor Jamie King said an investigation into his five-day-old son's death will now be handled by police. He is pictured today at an inquest into the baby's death

Mr King, left, and wife Tamara Podemski, right, lost son Benjamin five days after he was born via emergency caesarean section at Royal United Hospital, Bath

Mr King, pictured speaking to the press, said he and wife were 'left with so many unresolved issues and unanswered questions' over the hospital's evidence

But an initial inquest in November had to be halted when a midwife said part of her official statement had been removed by the trust's legal team.

She said she had questioned a consultant and a duty registrar as to why the planned caesarean was postponed - but claimed details of that conversation were missing from her evidence.

Coroner Maria Voisin halted the inquest in November and said she was considering referring the case to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Today at the conclusion of the reconvened inquest in Bristol she said investigations were continuing into the 'very serious matter'.

Speaking outside the inquest Mr King said: 'We came to this inquest hoping the hospital would acknowledge the mistakes they made that led to our son's death.

'Rather than hearing the truth we've had to listen to misremembered stories, altered accounts, deflection, and diversion.

Mr King, pictured outside the inquest, added he and his wife would 'continue to fight for justice' for their son

'Left with so many unresolved issues and unanswered questions we feel compelled to appeal directly to expectant parents in the hope that this does not happen to them.

'At two weeks overdue, we were rushed into hospital in an ambulance following a deceleration in our baby's heart rate.

'We were scheduled for a c-section to happen later that day, but shockingly that evening without giving us any clear reasons they bumped our procedure to the following morning.

'They ignored our objections and they sent us home. We believed them when they said it was safe to go home.

'It's now very clear that we should never have been sent home that night.

'If you are concern about your health or your baby's health you must stand your ground and tell them that you want to see a consultant, do not leave.

'Most importantly you must not allow them to dismiss you like they have dismissed us.

'We will continue our fight for justice for or Benjamin, and we will make sure his story is told.

'We have been informed by the coroner that the matter of the altered witness statements has been reported to the police, and we hope that there will be a thorough investigation.'

Recording a narrative verdict, Coroner Maria Voisin said: 'Benjamin King was born on May 5, 2016. He was born in poor condition due to a delay in his delivery which was caused when a category three c-section planned for May 4 was reclassified as elective and his mum was sent home.

'Benjamin King's mother attended hospital on May 4. It was a high risk pregnancy. She was 14 days overdue and there had been an antenatal trace which was abnormal.

'Benjamin's birth was appropriately planned as a category three c-section for that day. A decision was made to delay that delivery to the following day.

'This decision, together with the decision to send his mum home resulted in Benjamin being born in a poor condition and his subsequent death.'

She added: 'This inquest, particularly part of the inquest heard at a previous hearing, raised concerns about written notes, specifically the written evidence in statement form provided by the RUH.

'I would say I remain very concerned about this very serious matter and I have been advised by the Trust that they are and have been investigating this matter and will continue to investigate this matter.

'Both myself and the family will be advised of the outcome.'

The inquest in Bristol previously heard Tamara's pregnancy was 'high risk' because she had undergone a c-section during the birth of her last child and was overdue.

She was rushed to the RUH after a community nurse spotted an abnormality on a scan.

Helen Blanchard, director of Nursing and Midwifery on behalf of the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, pictured after the inquest, apologised to the family and said the trust 'took the situation very seriously' and would cooperate further

Doctors told her they could not perform a caesarean for six hours because she had been given a hospital meal which needed to be digested.

An hour before the planned op on May 4 another case was given priority and Tamara and Jamie were told she would have the op first thing in the morning at 8am.

She was sent home to Frome, Somerset, that evening at 10.30pm after being told she had been put on the elective list under a category three section.

Hours later Tamara woke at 2am with pains in her stomach and again at 5am and was rushed to the RUH by ambulance.

Her baby was born but quickly transferred to a specialist unit at St. Michael's Hospital in Bristol.

The heartbroken couple decided to turn off his life support machine on May 10 after being told he would probably grow up with severe disabilities and epilepsy.

Mr King appeared in Mad Men in 2009 and has also been in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Mr Turner.

Yesterday consultant gynaecologist Aysha Qureshi told the inquest there was 'no discussion' between her and midwife Eileen Dack about the delayed procedure of Ms Podemski.

Ms Dack previously told the inquest in November she had questioned why the planned operation on May 4 was delayed with Qureshi, the on-call consultant at the time, and Dr Lisa Kirk, the duty registrar.

But yesterday at the inquest in Bristol, Mrs Qureshi claimed that conversation never took pace.

She said: 'There was no discussion with me, Ms Dack and Doctor Lisa Kirk in any way, shape or form. There was no conversation.'

The operation at Royal United Hospital, Bath, pictured, was delayed by a day, which an inquest heard was the 'wrong decision'

But staff at the hospital, pictured, denied any conversation about delaying the operation ever took place

Dr Kirk, the on duty registrar at the time, also said she does not recall a conversation taking place on the evening of May 4.

She told the inquest: 'The only time I remember speaking to Ms Qureshi on the night shift was to talk about another lady.

'I don't remember ever speaking about Ms Podemski.

'I feel I would have remembered a conversation given what has happened, I don't have a recollection of that conversation.'

Doctors there told the couple the baby had insufficient oxygen for around two hours after the placenta failed.

The heartbroken couple decided to turn off his life support machine on May 10 after being told he would probably grow up with severe disabilities and epilepsy.

'There was never any reclassification of the c-section. It was a clear understanding in my mind that it's category three,' added Mrs Qureshi.

Mr King previously appeared in The Tudors, pictured, and hit US series Mad Men

'The events that happened on May 5 were not predictable. This case was not routinely rescheduled.

'The mother was safe, the baby was safe. We were still delivering the baby within 24 hours of the abnormal CTG. I was ensuring she would not be delayed further.

'She had no obvious foetal or perinatal compromises, I just wanted to make sure there was a clear plan.'

The consultant went on to say the decision to postpone Ms Podemski's c-section and put her first on the next morning's elective list was done to ensure she would not be 'bumped' by another patient.

A post-mortem examination found Benjamin died from a massive perinatal hypoxic ischemic brain injury.

After the inquest, Helen Blanchard, Director of Nursing and Midwifery on behalf of the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust said: 'First and foremost we would like to offer our sincere apologies to Benjamin King's family who have faced a regrettable delay to the conclusion of this inquest.

'This sad case has been distressing for everyone involved and our thoughts and sympathies remain with the family.

'We have carried out a comprehensive investigation into the care we provided and, as was detailed in Court, we have made improvements to our systems as a result.

The couple, pictured, previously released a statement in which they said Benjamin 'taught them the meaning of love'

'We have shared the findings with the Coroner and family.

'We would like to provide assurance that our staff are committed to providing the best possible care to every mother and baby.

'We will now look closely at the Coroner's findings to identify any further opportunities for improvement.

'We have cooperated fully with the Coroner's directions following the adjournment of the initial inquest.

'We would like to provide further assurance that the Trust has taken the matter very seriously and continues to address the concerns which have been raised.

'We are unable to comment further whilst this matter is ongoing.'

At the inquest, Iain Daniels, representing the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, told the coroner: 'I know that the Trust takes these matters very seriously indeed.

'An independent investigation is being conducted, and its own internal investigation will be progressed as quickly as it can be.

'The findings will be shared with you. You thereafter will determine any action that needs to be taken that can be taken.'

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: 'We can confirm that the coroner has contacted us regarding this matter.'
A handwritten note has been found along with a pile of cash and a Koran at a bolt-hole where the main suspect in the Istanbul nightclub massacre was arrested, it has emerged.

Pictures have emerged from inside the apartment of Abdulkadir Masharipov, who Turkish police believe murdered 39 revellers at the Reina venue on New Year's Eve.

They show a shopping bag full of cash and a copy of the Koran lying among other possessions inside his lair, which was raided in a massive police operation last night.

A handwritten note on paper with red hearts, also apparently left at the scene, read: 'Do what ever u want... I will not care any more and I can't help any one of course I can't help myself. But if you want this it's okay but I will be in other place away from her.'

Two pistols, mobile phone SIM cards, and more than 100,000 euros in cash were seized when the Uzbekistan national was caught in his friend's house in Esenyurt district of the city - just 25 miles from where the brutal attack took place.

This morning, Turkish authorities said Masharipov received training in Afghanistan and that he had admitted his guilt - while fingerprints matched those found at the scene.

Scroll down for video

A photograph shows the moment Abdulkadir Masharipov was arrested in Istanbul, with blood on his face and t-shirt (left). Police were hunting the main suspect (right)

Evidence: A note was found at the scene with love hearts on it saying: 'Do what ever u want... I will not care anymore and I can't help any one of course I can't help myself. But if you want this it's okay but I will be in other place away from her'

Pictures have emerged showing the suspect's hideout where a haul of cash and weapons was discovered

Foreign currency banknotes and various documents are seen in the bedroom of a hideout

Two pistols, mobile phone SIM cards, and more than 100,000 euros in cash were seized when the Uzbekistan national was caught in his friend's house in Esenyurt district of the city. The kitchen of the apartment is pictured

A copy of the Koran was discovered when police raided the building in Esenyurt neighbourhood

Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin said there were strong indications that the suspect, who spoke four languages, had entered Turkey illegally through its eastern borders, adding that it was clear the attack was carried out on behalf of ISIS.

The suspect was finally tracked down and was pinned down by officers next to his four-year-old son, according to Turkish newspaper Hurriyet. He is now being transferred to Istanbul Police Headquarters.

A photograph shows Masharipov, an Uzbekistan national, covered in blood after officers put him in handcuffs. Private NTV television said the gunman had resisted arrest.

NTV reported that the gunman's Kyrgyz friend and three other people also were detained.

The television channel said police established the alleged gunman's whereabouts four or five days ago, but delayed the raid so they could monitor his movements and contacts.

This morning, Sahin told reporters Masharipov, born in Uzbekistan in 1983, confessed his crime.

Further images show the shooter's living room at the apartment in the Esenyurt neighbourhood in Istanbul

Dramatic pictures show how the door appeared to have been smashed in by Turkish police

A plain clothes police officer checks a room inside the apartment where the main suspect in the Reina nightclub rampage was arrested

Pictures show the exterior of the building where the dramatic raid took place last night

The alleged attacker entered the exclusive nightclub armed with an automatic weapon and began to shoot at revellers

He was reportedly arrested in the Esenyurt district of the city - just 25 miles from the nightclub

'He was trained in Afghanistan and can speak four languages. He's a well-trained terrorist,' Sahin added.

One Iraqi man and three women from Egypt and Africa were also detained at the apartment, alongside the alleged assailant, the governor said.

'It is clear that the attack was carried out on behalf of Daesh,' he said, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS, adding that the other four suspects were likely linked to the jihadists.

Turkish media initially reported the killer was captured with his four-year-old son, but the governor said the child was not present during the police raid.

Police confiscated 185,000 euros, two weapons and clips at the apartment.

Some 2,000 police officers were involved in the operation backed by Turkish intelligence, according to the official. Police have raided approximately 152 addresses and detained 50 suspects, he said.

Another man was taken away after security officers arrived at a property in Istanbul, Turkey

Sahin also said the suspected killer 'illegally entered Turkey' from its eastern borders.

The arrest came after those celebrating New Year's Eve in the exclusive club in the city were forced to run for their lives when the attacker entered.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the savage attack, later adding that it was revenge for the Turkish military involvement in Syria.

Police in Turkey have desperately been hunting the main suspect for more than two weeks following the incident which also left 69 wounded.

Security forces were seen arriving in the Esenyurt area of Istanbul on Monday evening

The New Year's Eve Istanbul nightclub attacker has been caught, according to Turkish media

On New Year's Eve, the attacker opened fire with an automatic rifle, reloading his weapon half a dozen times and shooting the wounded as they lay on the ground.

Turks as well as visitors from several Arab nations, India and Canada were among those killed in the attack.

The suspect was caught in an operation jointly carried out by the Turkish police and the spy agency MIT, Turkish TV said.

There had been confusion over the identity of the attacker in the wake of the massacre, with reports initially suggesting a Kyrgyz national and then a Uighur from China.

But reports on January 8 said intelligence services and anti-terror police in Istanbul had identified him as a 34-year-old Uzbek who was part of a Central Asian IS cell.

The suspect was living in an apartment rented by a Kyrgyz in Istanbul who was also detained, TRT reported.
The Fort Lauderdale shooter had been speaking to online jihadists and practicing with his pistol for months before he opened fire on January 6, killing five and wounding six others, a court heard Tuesday.

Iraq War veteran Esteban Santiago, 26, initially told FBI agents that government mind control was responsible for his terrifying rampage at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

But he later admitted that he had been speaking to ISIS terrorists or sympathizers in jihadist chat rooms 'on the dark web', federal prosecutors said in a detention hearing, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

Esteban Santiago (seen Tuesday heading to court) told FBI that he had been talking to jihadists on 'deep web' chat rooms prior to his attack on the Fort Lauderdale airport, prosecutors said

'During the interview, the defendant admitted that he planned the attack,' prosecutor Ricardo Del Toro said.

'At various points ... he said he carried out the attack because of government mind control. But he later said he did so because of ISIL ... after participating in jihadi chat rooms.'

The court also heard from FBI agents, who testified that Santiago had practiced with the pistol he used in the shooting in the months leading up to the attack.

That same gun had been confiscated by Anchorage, Alaska police in November when he was hospitalized with mental health problems, authorities said.

He had gone to the Anchorage FBI office and told agents that the government was using mind-control techniques to make him watch ISIS propaganda.

The gun had been returned to him in December, after his six-day stint at the hospital ended, they said. Doctors prescribed no psychiatric medication, just anti-anxiety meds and the sleep aid drug melatonin.

Santiago had been practicing with the pistol (pictured) that he used in the shooting prior to the attack, prosecutors said. He had legally checked it into his luggage before the murders

He was initially interviewed by FBI agents and sheriff's detectives in an airport law enforcement office, but later transferred to the FBI HQ in Miramar.

Santiago is said by prosecutors to have emptied two magazines of ammunition firing 'methodically' at the heads of his victims in the Terminal 2 baggage collection point of the Ft Lauderdale airport.

He had legally packed the weapon into his checked luggage before getting on the plane.

Once police arrived, Santiago laid down his gun and gave himself up without resistance, Del Toro said.

Santiago was ordered to be held without bond at Broward County Jail by US Magistrate Judge Lurana Snow. Snow has set his arraignment for January 30.

The alleged killer is currently on suicide watch in solitary confinement. He could face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted.

US Magistrate Judge Lurana Snow set an arraignment hearing for January 30.

Santiago could get the death penalty if convicted of federal airport violence and firearms charges that resulted in death. He has yet to enter a plea.
Advertisement

From stunning coasts to beautiful landmarks, these impressive photographs were all taken using a drone.

And the images showcase the very best of Britain's impressive countryside from 400ft up in the air.

They are entries to a Civil Aviation Authority competition aiming to educate people about safely using drones.

The CAA has asked budding drone enthusiasts to submit an image or short video of the countryside.

Entries to 400ft Britain include views of windmills in Warwickshire and stunning scenes of the South Downs.

The competition - which can be entered on social media under the hashtag #400ftBritain - runs until January 31.

A CAA spokesman said: 'We want to encourage people to enjoy using their drones but they must do so safely.'

Entries must follow the CAA 'Dronecode', which includes ensuring that the devices are within your line of sight.

They must be kept 165ft (50m) from people and properties and 500ft (150m) from crowds and built up areas.

Stunning: This photograph of Wroxall Abbey Hotel and Estate near Kenilworth in Warwickshire was taken by Mark Zaccarta

Fortified: Jay Biddle took this photograph of Conygar Tower, a Grade II-listed folly tower built in 1775 in Dunster, Somerset

Looking far: John Warr used a drone to take this stunning view of Canford Heath, the largest heathland in Dorset, near Poole

Source of power: Sean Haffey took this view of a solar farm in Hampshire which covers a huge area of countryside

Above the water: Jofnaor took this photograph of Llyn Llydaw, a natural lake in Snowdonia National Park in North Wales

Still standing: Joanna Dunford took this stunning shot of the natural limestone arch Durdle Door near Lulworth in Dorset

Life in the countryside: Fatima Hussain captured this impressive rainbow over the mountains of the Lake District in Cumbria

View from above: Paul Witterick took this aerial shot of snow-covered pine trees near Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria

Making tracks: A crossroads at a wooded area of Country Antrim in Northern Ireland was photographed by Stephen Reid

Mane entry: Shane White photographed Sultan the Pit Pony which is a huge raised-earth sculpture in Caerphilly, South Wales

Crossing: Tim Wayne took this shot of Essex Bridge, which runs over the River Trent near Great Haywood, Staffordshire

Changing colours: Steve Samosa took this stunning overhead view of Bold Forest Park in St Helens, Merseyside

Impressive landscape: Doughlas Latham captured the Old Man of Storr of the Trotternish Ridge on the Isle of Skye in Scotland

Unusual structure: Mark Thomas photographed Chesterton Windmill, a 17th-century cylindric stone tower in Warwickshire

England's green and pleasant land: Eggardon Hill in Dorset is an Iron Age hill fort that was photographed by Adrian Wood

Expansive views: L'Etacquerel Fort in Jersey, built in the mid-19th Century on a cliff side, was photographed by Chris Brookes

Standing alone: Kris Corlett pictured Old Harry Rocks in Dorset, which are at the tip of a chalk headland near Studland

Prime attraction: Lulworth Cove, on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage coastline in Dorset, was pictured by James Loveridge

Bending river: Geoff Frost photographed Cuckmere Valley, on the East Sussex coast where the South Downs meet the sea

Landmark: Eilean Donan Castle, near Kyle of Lochalsh in the Scottish Highlands, was photographed by Andrew Thomas

End of the day: Skyflicksmedia captured sunset overHaytor, a granite tor on the eastern edge of Dartmoor in Devon

Highland scenery: Loch Shiel, a freshwater loch that is located 12 miles west of Fort William, was pictured by James Farley

Orange glow: Ollie Neame took this stunning photo of the Grade II-listed Halnaker windmill near Chichester in West Sussex

Action packed: Edgar England pictured Larrybane Quarry in Northern Ireland, which was a Game of Thrones filming location

Misty cover: Matt Rees captured a frosty landscape with a drone over East Lancashire in his entry to the competition

Take a look at more stunning drone videos by entrants to the 400ft Britain contest by Henry Hayhurst, Wiebe de Jager, Stefan Otto and Jacob Harrell.
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Taiwan has simulated a Chinese invasion as tensions mount over Beijing's 'One China' policy.

The island began two days of military drills today as the government sought to reassure the public in the face of deteriorating relations with China.

Armed forces gathered in central Taiwan for annual drills that saw troops practise combat skills with tanks, attack helicopters and artillery.

Taiwan has simulated a Chinese invasion as tensions mount over Beijing's 'One China' policy

The island began two days of military drills today as the government sought to reassure the public in the face of deteriorating relations with China

Armed forces gathered in central Taiwan for annual drills that saw troops practise combat skills with tanks, attack helicopters and artillery

'The military has active measures to deal with the situation in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea so the public can rest assured. We will enhance training 365 days a year,' defence spokesman Chen Chung-chi said.

Beijing considers Taiwan to be a breakaway province and part of 'one China' to be brought back within its fold, by force if necessary.

China has stepped up drills in recent weeks after being angered by an unprecedented call between Taiwan's Beijing-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen and United States president-elect Donald Trump.

The US switched its diplomatic recognition of China from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

Beijing considers Taiwan to be a breakaway province and part of 'one China' to be brought back within its fold, by force if necessary

Tuesday's drill mimicked an attack by China in a scenario where its war vessels have crossed over the middle line of the Taiwan Strait

It comes after Beijing's only aircraft carrier sailed through the strait last week in what was seen as a show of strength

Trump has also riled Beijing by suggesting the 'one China' policy could become a bargaining chip in negotiations over trade practises.

The US is Taiwan's most powerful ally and arms supplier.

Tuesday's drill mimicked an attack by China in a scenario where its war vessels have crossed over the middle line of the Taiwan Strait.

Soldiers held positions next to a US-made Avenger air defence missile system during the drill in central Taichung city as special forces moved in formation through woods and a tank set off smoke bombs and crushed a car.

It comes after Beijing's only aircraft carrier sailed through the strait last week in what was seen as a show of strength.

Soldiers held positions next to a US-made Avenger air defence missile system during the drill in central Taichung city as special forces moved in formation through woods and a tank set off smoke bombs and crushed a car

In addition to the drills, the air force confirmed today an upgrade of Taiwan's 143 F-16s was under way

Taiwan soldiers sort the home-made Tien Chien surface-to-air missiles during an annual drill in Tainan

The Liaoning did not enter Taiwanese waters but went into an area covered by its air defence zone.

Chinese military aircraft also passed near Taiwan on December 10 for the second time in less than a month.

In addition to the drills, the air force confirmed today an upgrade of Taiwan's 143 F-16s was under way, with materials supplied by US aerospace company Lockheed Martin which manufactured the jets.

'Taiwan is the first country in the world to upgrade the F-16 A/B fighters to F-16 V. We are enhancing our aerial capabilities to ensure national security,' an air force official told AFP.

Taiwanese fighter jets taxi on the runway during an annual drill in Tainan this morning

Taiwan holds military exercises simulating an attack by China as relations with Beijing deteriorate

The government-funded project, codenamed 'Phoenix Rising' has a budget of Tw$110 billion (2.81billion) and aims to be complete within the next six years.

Defence minister Feng Shih-kuan has said the F-16 V could match China's Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter, although Chinese media have dismissed this as an 'illusion.'

The jets will be equipped with radar to detect stealth aircraft, as well as more advanced avionics and missiles, according to local media.
A council worker from Brighton woke up to discover she was at the centre of international attention this morning - after Donald Trump mistook her for his daughter.

The US president-elect quoted a message which praised his daughter, Ivanka Trump, calling her 'a woman with real character and class'.

But instead of tagging the 35-year-old businesswoman, he posted the Twitter handle of Ivanka Majic, from the south-east of England.

The mistake sparked a Twitter storm, which resulted in Ms Majic's profile trending on social media, in what has been described as an 'embarrassing' moment for The Donald.

Donald Trump mistook his daughter (right) for council worker, Ivanka Majic (left), from Brighton, after tagging the wrong woman on Twitter

Donald Trump has renewed his war on CNN and attacked the network's special on his daughter, Ivanka - before it even went to air

After waking up to thousands of notifications, the Labour-supporting Ms Majic told Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan: 'My politics couldn't be further from Donald Trump.

'Rather than be concerned at the spaces he puts in his tweets I'm more concerned by the stance that he takes on climate change.

'I am smart enough to switch off my phone and notifications before I get to sleep.

'Some people clock quite quickly who I am ... some are rude. I don't think (I should) take it too seriously.'

Ms Majic added: 'It's not a new thing. I've had the @Ivanka handle for a long time, it's my name.

'All the way through the election I've been tweeted and I did during the election have a twitter box encouraging people to vote for Hillary (Clinton).

'It's also quite amusing because I'm getting all this attention and yet my politics couldn't be further from Donald Trump's.

'So rather than being concerned about the space he puts in his tweets, I'm more concerned about his stance on climate change.'

Instead of tagging the 35-year-old businesswoman (left), he posted the Twitter handle of Ivanka Majic (right), from the south-east of England

On whether she has spoken to Ivanka Trump herself: 'We have never had a bit of engagement, I did encourage her at one point because there's a gentleman in America who has the John Lewis twitter handle and he has some interesting tweets as well. I'm not unusual in having a twitter handle that people confuse with somebody else.'

She added: 'If anyone has any ideas for how I can use it for good, I am open to suggestions.'

MailOnline editor-at-large, Morgan, replied: 'You should write to Donald Trump today, tweet him and say you're prepared to advise him on his presidency, now that he's brought you into his twitter sphere.'

Many people were quick to point out The Donald's error.

Bradd Jaffy wrote: 'The Twitter handle @Ivanka belongs to a woman in England  whose phone may be buzzing her out of a dead sleep at this very moment.'

John Gary said: 'RIP @Ivanka's mentions. (She is not Ivanka Trump.)'

Brian Klaas posted: 'Trump tagged a random woman from Brighton in the U.K. @Ivanka instead of his daughter. So absurdly embarrassing.'

Ben Longstaff tweeted: 'I used to share a flat in Hackney with @Ivanka and I'm fairly sure that she will be laughing her head off at Trump's error.'

And Japhy Ryder added: 'Imagine being @Ivanka, sleepy, turning on your phone... 20,000 notifications?'

The mistake was made after The Donald attacked CNN again for the network's special on his daughter, Ivanka - before it even went to air.

Trump was tweeting just minutes before the inside look at 'the First Daughter' started at 9pm, saying he was shocked CNN was running the special at all and that he did not have high hopes for it.

'At 9:00 P.M. @CNN, of all places, is doing a Special Report on my daughter, Ivanka. Considering it is CNN, can't imagine it will be great!' he fired off to his followers at 8:49pm.

Trump blasted the show before it even went to air, sending out this tweet at 8:49pm

The special on Ivanka Trump - the 'First Daughter' - aired on CNN at 9pm on Monday

The special was very positive towards Ivanka and the entire Trump family. It used footage of an interview with her in July (pictured)

But the report itself was glowing, painting Ivanka and the entire Trump enterprise in a very positive light.

It featured an interview with Ivanka from July, when she defended her father and dismissed claims he is 'sexist'.

In the months since the interview was taped, Trump was dogged by allegations from women that many experts wrongly believed would derail his bid for the White House.

It also catalogued her desire to follow Donald into real estate, how she met her husband, Jared Kushner - who is now Trump's senior White House advisor, and the impact she has on her father.

Donald Trump Jr was interviewed as part of the CNN special on his sister, Ivanka, that aired on Monday night

The news network, which has been under attack from the Trumps, spoke to Eric for the Ivanka special

Family friends and Kellyanne Conway were also interviewed, as well as Eric and Donald Jr, and barely a bad word was said about Ivanka or Donald.

The Donald seemed to be happy enough with the portrayal, judging from the fact he retweeted a fan who wrote: '@ivanka Trump is Great (sic) a woman with real character and class.'

Unfortunately for Trump, the '@ivanka' tagged in the tweet he shared was not his daughter - instead the account belongs to a woman who lives in southeast England.

The president-elect has been bickering with the network for months, however he took the exchange to another level last week when he refused to answer questions from a CNN reporter and branded it 'fake news'.
The outgoing director of the CIA last night insisted the 'dirty dossier' which claimed Russia had compromising material on Donald Trump did not come from inside the intelligence community.

John Brennan claimed he had not even read the 35-page dossier compiled by ex-MI6 spy Christopher Steele, noting it was the FBI - not the CIA - that briefed Trump on its existence.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he said: 'Was I a leaker of this? No.

'First of all, this is not intelligence community information,' he said.

He said the dossier had been circulating for months and added he had 'no interest in trying to give that dossier any additional airtime.'

John Brennan claimed he had not even read the 35-page dossier compiled by ex-MI6 spy Christopher Steele

President-Elect Trump has continued to lash out at his critics in the intelligence world - singling out Brennan by name - and he has done so with renewed vigor since the dossier came to light last week.

The outlandish memo claimed Russia had sexually 'perverted' information on Trump, including footage of him and two Russian prostitutes performing a sex act.

Brennan said while he welcomed and expected the President to 'challenge the conclusions of the intelligence community, he accused Trump of crossing a line 'when there are allegations made about leaking or about dishonesty or a lack of integrity'.

Brennan had earlier warned Trump to stop 'talking and tweeting' and said that being so off the cuff was bad for national security.

He said on Sunday: 'I think he has to be mindful that he does not have a full appreciation and understanding of what the implications are of going down that road.

'Now that he's going to have an opportunity to do something for our national security as opposed to talking and tweeting, he's going to have tremendous responsibility to make sure that US and national security interests are protected.'

He also suggested Trump didn't understand the threat posed by Moscow.

Donald Trump has lashed out at outgoing CIA chief John Brennan hinting he may have been behind the leaking of a Russian dossier

But the brash billionaire fired back on Twitter on Sunday night.

The President Elect tweeted: 'Outoing CIA Chief, John Brennan, blasts Pres-Elect Trump on Russia Threat. Does not fully understand.'

'Oh really, couldn't do much worse - just look at Syria (red line), Crimea, Ukraine and the build-up of Russian nukes. Not good! Was this the leaker of Fake News?'

During a press conference last week Trump likened his treatment by intelligence agencies to being in Nazi Germany.

Mr Brennan called the comparison 'outrageous'.

He said: 'I found that to be very repugnant, and I will forever stand up for the integrity and patriotism of my officers who have done much over the years to sacrifice for their fellow citizens.'

The tensions highlighted the bitter state of Trump's relationship with the American intelligence community just days before he is inaugurated as the nation's 45th President.

Elsewhere, EU nations bracing for The Donald's ascension showed defiance in the face of his stinging comments on everything from NATO and German cars to the crumbling of the EU itself.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Trump's view that NATO was 'obsolete' and his criticism that European allied members aren't paying their fair share had 'caused astonishment.'

Trump also said Britain's decision to leave the 28-nation EU would 'end up being a great thing,' and he predicted other countries would follow suit.

At a meeting of EU ministers, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the best response to such comments was simple - 'it is the unity of the Europeans.'

In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted: 'We Europeans have our fate in our own hands.'
A 20-year-old old working abroad in Crete could have been fatally injured by a drunken fall which happened 11 days before her death, and inquest heard.

Chelsea Hyndman died on the Greek island on May 17, 2010 from severe abdominal injuries.

Her long-term boyfriend, Luke Walker, 28, from the West Midlands, was initially charged with her murder before it was downgraded to GBH 'leading to death'.

But giving evidence on the first day of a British inquest into her death, Prof Colin Johnson - a consultant surgeon and a specialist on the pancreas - said a fall while out drinking with friends 11 days before she died may have triggered her deteriorating health.

An inquest heard Chelsea Hyndman, 20, right, who died in Crete in 2010, may have been fatally injured in a fall 11 days before her death. Her boyfriend Luke Walker, left, was convicted of GBH after assaulting her leaving her with injuries that 'led to her death'

Walker, right, claimed Miss Hyndman's, left, injuries were caused by a fall and an inquest heard evidence that it 'may have been fatal'

The couple lived together in Malia, Crete, pictured, where they both worked in bars

Walker was alleged by Greek prosecutors to have beaten Miss Hyndman, leaving her with injuries which 'led to her death'.

He denied the charge and it was later downgraded to GBH after the judge at Heraklion Mixed Criminal Court in Greece accepted a motion from the prosecution during the trial after his legal team argued he 'did not intend to kill' Miss Hyndman.

Walker was convicted of GBH and given an eight-year suspended sentence that was reduced to three years by a court in Crete in 2015 following a re-trial, which again found him guilty.

The electrician, who was living in the resort town of Malia where he and Miss Hyndman worked in bars, claimed she fell during a night out.

Evidence at the inquest at Wakefield Coroner's Court, West Yorkshire, heard she did suffer a fall which may have contributed to her death.

Miss Hyndman, from Castleford, West Yorkshire,was said to be walking with a bottle in one hand while her left hand was in her belt as she adjusted her clothing.

The inquest heard it caused her to fall over 'straight like a plank' without putting her hands out in front of her.

Prof Johnson claimed that her left fist caught in her belt could have been enough to cause the damage to her pancreas, which eventually caused multiple organ failure.

He said: 'In the case of someone who is drunk and the abdominal muscles relaxing, falling on the fist is sufficient to suppress the pancreas and cause the injury. Falling in the way described is sufficient.'

Walker's, right, GBH trial heard he assaulted Miss Hyndman, left, and left her injured, but the inquest heard the fall, witnessed by friends, could have severely damaged her pancreas due to her left fist being caught in her belt when it happened

Miss Hyndman, left, went to hospital complaining of stomach pains and later died due to organ failure, but the trial also heard she and Walker, right, had a 'good relationship'

Miss Hyndman was admitted to hospital on May 16, 2010, with stomach pains and she had become jaundiced.

Despite emergency surgery, she died the next day.

Asked by the area coroner, Jonathan Leach, if he thought it was more likely the fall or an assault, Prof Johnson said: 'I do not think with the state of the injuries it's really possible to say one way or another.'

During the trial, evidence in the form of written statements read to the court purportedly from a woman known only as 'Jessie' and another from a man named as 'Peter Rogers' alleged there had previously been violence in their relationship.

The letter from Jessie, dated June 14 2010, said she knew the couple and that when Walker was sober he was okay, but when they went out drinking he was jealous of other men talking to Miss Hyndman.

The inquest in Wakefield heard it was 'not possible' to say for certain whether it was the fall or the assault that caused the fatal injuries

It claimed to know of two other times when Walker beat Miss Hyndman and kicked her in the stomach.

George Pyromallis, Walker's defence barrister, submitted to the court that the documents could 'easily be forged' and he was 'uneasy' about them being allowed in evidence.

The trial also heard statements from the couple's neighbours who said they heard them engage in 'intense arguments'.

But friends of both Walker and Miss Hyndman also told the court they had a 'good relationship' and were 'in love'.

The inquest continues.
The leader of Ukip was the butt of jokes on Twitter after he labelled Donald Trump an 'Anglophobe' while boasting the President-elect loved Britain.

Paul Nuttall was discussing Trump on BBC Radio 4's Today programme and clearly meant to call him an 'Anglophile'.

However with relations between the UK and Trump delicately poised ahead of the President-elect's inauguration on Friday, the Ukip leader got a bit tongue-tied.

Speaking to the show's host, John Humphrys, Mr Nutall said: 'I'm certainly excited about Donald Trump.

Paul Nuttall (pictured left) was discussing Trump (right) on BBC Radio 4's Today programme and clearly meant to call him an 'Anglophile', meaning someone who is fond of the UK

'It's clear he's an anglophobe. He loves this country [and] he wants to put us to the front of the queue for any trade deal.'

Social media soon erupted with messages poking fun at the MEP, with 'anglophobe' soon trending on Twitter.

One user on Twitter said: 'Ukip leader Paul Nuttall hails Trump as an anglophobe who loves Britain. You couldn't make this up. Pure gem of an educated politician.'

Another tweeted: 'There is quite a difference between an anglophobe and an anglophile. Perhaps Nuttall meant the latter. But who knows?'

Social media soon erupted with messages poking fun at the MEP, with 'anglophobe' soon trending on Twitter

Paul Nuttall was elected the new leader of Ukip in November, taking over from interim leader Nigel Farage (right)

User @MrsVB wrote: 'Nuttall thinks an anglophobe is someone who loves England. For someone so proud of his country, it's sad he doesn't understand the language.'

The gaff comes a day after Michael Gove became the first Briton to secure an interview with the President-elect in his office at Trump Tower.

ANGLOPHOBE VS ANGLOPHILE Anglophile: A supporter or admirer of England (or Britain), its people, customs, etc. Anglophobe: A person who has a strong aversion or hostility to England (or Britain), its people, culture, etc Source: Oxford English Dictionary Advertisement

Trump delivered a huge boost to Britain by promising a trade deal within weeks of taking office to help make Brexit a 'great thing'.

It follows apparently strained diplomatic relations between President-elect Trump and Downing Street.

Theresa May was embarrassed when former Ukip leader Nigel Farage became the first UK politician to meet Mr Trump after his dramatic election victory.

Farage, who joined Trump on the campaign trail, was famously pictured laughing inside Trump Tower, where he has been a repeat visitor since the election result.

By contrast Mrs May had to make do with a brief phone conversation after a slew of other world leaders had already spoken to Mr Trump.

Later, the incoming US commander in chief shocked Westminster with a late-night tweet declaring that Farage would do a 'great job' as Britain's ambassador to the US.

He added that 'many people' wanted to see him as the UK's senior diplomat in Washington.
Theresa May laid out her Brexit demands in a series of phone calls to EU leaders, including Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande.

The Prime Minister told the heads of Germany and France that Britain would not stay in the single market and insisted controlling immigration was a red line.

Mrs May stated her plans to break free from the EU's shackles in a historic speech earlier today that will define the UK for generations.

Theresa May promised a clean break from the EU in her speech today  ruling out any deal that 'leaves us half-in, half-out'

She laid out her Brexit aims in a series of phone calls to EU leaders, including Angela Merkel - pictured yesterday speaking in Berlin

The Prime Minister told Francois Hollande that Britain would not stay in the single market and insisted controlling immigration is a red line

But furious EU chiefs tonight hit back at Mrs May's threat to walk away from Brexit talks if Brussels refused to offer Britain a good deal in divorce talks.

In addition to gaining full control over the UK's borders, the Prime Minister also said Britain will no longer tolerate being bossed around by European judges.

But she was told Brussels will not allow her to dictate the terms of Brexit.

Guy Verhofstadt, the Belgian politician in charge of Brexit talks for the hostile European Parliament, said: 'Britain has chosen a hard Brexit. May's clarity is welcomebut the days of UK cherry-picking and Europe a la cart [sic] are over.'

There was more cautious reaction from EU Council president Donald Tusk, who welcomed Mrs May's 'realistic' Brexit plan and declared the EU's other 27 member states 'ready to negotiate'.

The Prime Minister spoke with Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande over the telephone.

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande both welcomed the Prime Minister's commitment to the continuing strength of the EU, and her intention to negotiate a new partnership with the EU when it leaves.'

Referring to earlier talks with Council President Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Junker, who heads the European Commission, the spokesman added: 'President Juncker and President Tusk both welcomed the greater clarity in the UKs position.

'And President Tusk said he looked forward to negotiating in a spirit of good will once the UK had triggered Article 50.'

The response from Brussels came after Mrs May unveiled her bold blueprint for cutting ties with Brussels today - and warned that if the EU is not flexible it could be 'crushed into tiny pieces'.

The PM's vision delighted Brexiteers but drew howls of outrage from Remainers - who have been frantically trying to limit the impact of the referendum result since last June.

It brings to an end months of hedging and stonewalling by ministers, as they hammered out the plan of attack in the looming negotiations with the EU.

And in a concession to Europhile MPs and peers after months of bitter rows she announced that they will be given a vote on the final Brexit deal.

Today there were still signs of dissent to the PM's approach to Brexit on the Tory backbenches. Former Cabinet minister Dominic Grieve warned there will be 'economic consequences' when we quit the single market.

In a bravura performance watched by her top ministers and diplomats in the opulent surroundings of Lancaster House, Mrs May:

Told the EU that it would be an act of 'calamitous self harm' to try to punish the UK, warning of retaliation and saying it could end up 'crushed into tiny pieces'.

Said Britain had 'always looked beyond Europe' and the referendum was not a vote for withdrawing from the world stage.

Stressed it remained 'overwhelmingly' in the UK's interests for the EU to survive and succeed - and urged the bloc to behave in an 'economically rational' way.

Said staying in the single market would not be Brexit and reiterated her determination to curb immigration.

Made clear that she is prepared to walk away from the negotiating table if necessary because 'no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal'.

Voiced support for a transitional agreement to 'phase' in the new relationship with the EU, but insisted it must be time limited to avoid becoming a damaging political 'purgatory'.

Bowed to pressure from pro-EU parties and some Tories by announcing that the final Brexit deal will be put to a binding vote in both Houses of Parliament.

Insisted she will find a solution to concerns that a 'hard' border could be needed between Northern Ireland and the Republic, potentially undermining the peace agreement.

Mrs May warned that the EU could be 'crushed into tiny pieces' if it did not recognise the demand for more sovereignty

Guy Verhofstadt, pictured, the Belgian politician in charge of Brexit talks for the hostile European Parliament, said: 'Britain has chosen a hard Brexit. May's clarity is welcomebut the days of UK cherry-picking and Europe a la cart [sic] are over'

Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator, warned Mrs May she would come up against fierce resistance in Brussels, writing on Twitter: 'The days of UK cherry-picking and Europe a la carte are over'

Responding to Mrs May's speech, Mr Tusk said: 'Sad process, surrealistic times but at least more realistic announcement on Brexit'

The PM kicked off her long-awaited speech by voicing bullish confidence in the prospects for the UK on the global stage.

'I want Britain to be what we have the potential talent and ambition to be; a great global trading nation that is respected around the world and strong, confident and united at home,' she said.

'That is why this Government has a plan for Britain; one that gets us the right deal abroad but also ensures we get a better deal for ordinary working people at home.

'It's why this plan sets how we will use this moment of change to build a stronger economy and a fairer society.'

THE 12 PRIORITIES THAT UNDERPIN THE PM'S BREXIT PLAN Today Theresa May set out 12 priorities for her upcoming Brexit negotiations with the EU: Promised to provide 'certainty and clarity' to business and the public sector 'wherever we can' but warned that compromises in the negotiations will be inevitable. Pledged to give MPs and peers a vote on the final Brexit deal. The UK will take control of our own affairs once again by ending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. Laws will only be made in Westminster, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, the PM said. Strengthen the 'precious union' between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to 'face the future together'. No hard border in Ireland. Mrs May promised to reach a 'practical solution' to maintain the Common Travel Area with the Republic of Ireland. Regain control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe by ending freedom of movement rules. Secure a deal 'as soon as we can' on the rights of EU nationals already living in the UK to stay in Britain after Brexit in exchange for British expats currently living on the continent to remain there. Promised to not only translate EU law protecting workers' rights into UK law but to 'build on them'. On trade Mrs May promised to prioritise Europe and to pursue a 'bold and ambitious' free trade agreement with Brussels. But she set out a vision for a 'global Britain' that would see Britain 'rediscover its role as a great, global trading nation' by striking new trade deals with the world's biggest economies. Continue to work with European partners on major science, research and technology initiatives rather than weaken the collaboration. Pledged not to weaken the partnership with Europe on fighting crime and terrorism and said British authorities will continue to share intelligence material with EU allies to fight common threats. Vowed to pursue all these objectives in a 'smooth and orderly' approach. The PM said a 'phased process of implementation' for UK and EU institutions will protect business from a 'cliff-edge' scenario where they would be left stranded in a regulatory no man's land. Advertisement

In a passage aimed firmly at the leaders of the EU and its member states, Mrs May said they must learn from the resounding verdict of the British electorate.

'I believe there is a lesson in Brexit - not just for Britain but if it wants to succeed, for the EU itself, because our continent's great strength has been its diversity. And there are two ways of dealing with different interests,' she said.

'You can respond by trying to hold things together by force, tightening a vice-like grip that ends up crushing into tiny pieces the things you want to protect.

'Or you can respect difference, cherish it even and reform the EU so that it deals better with the wonderful diversity of its member states.'

Without even bothering to veil the threat, Mrs May said she knew some in the EU wanted to impose a 'punitive' settlement on Britain.

But she said it would be an 'act of calamitous self-harm' for the Brussels club, and the UK would slash tax rates and regulation to lure in business.

'It would not be the act of a friend,' she said. 'No deal for Britain is better than a bad deal.'

The premier rejected partial or associate membership in favour of a 'brighter future' outside the Brussels bloc.

She said staying in the single market was unacceptable because it would mean keeping free movement and European judges still being able to meddle.

'I want to be clear: what I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market,' she said.

'European leaders have said many times that membership means accepting the four freedoms of goods, capital, services and people.

'And being out of the EU, but a member of the single market, would mean complying with the EU's rules and regulations that implement those freedoms without having a vote on what those rules and regulations are.'

The PM's 12-point plan will see Britain regain full control over borders and quit both the single market and European Court of Justice. She insisted the UK can become a great, outward-looking trading nation.

'We seek a new and equal partnership  between an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU,' she said.

'Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out.

'We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave.

'The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. My job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do.'

The PM did not explicitly vow to leave the customs union, which allows tariff-free trade and the movement of goods between its members.

Mrs May wore the same tartan trouser suit as when she launched her bid for the Tory leadership last summer

But she said she was determined not to sign up to anything that restricts the ability to take back sovereignty from the ECJ or prevents solo trade deals with the rest of the world.

In effect, that means quitting the customs union as it stands, and trying to strike a new trade deal which gives Britain the best of both worlds. One option would be to opt back in to some elements of the customs union, but on our own terms.

Mrs May damned predecessor David Cameron with faint praise by saying he had made a 'valiant effort' to renegotiate our membership terms.

But she said that was the 'final attempt to make it work for Britain'.

'The blunt truth as we know was there was not enough flexibility on many important matters for a majority of British voters,' she said.

Laying out her guiding principles once she triggers the two-year article 50 process for leaving the EU in March, Mrs May underlined the need to provide certainty and clarity to business, while delivering a 'stronger, fairer, truly global Britain'.

She said the British people voted for Brexit 'with their eyes open'.

The PM said she believed a solution could be found to concerns that a 'hard' border could be needed between Northern Ireland and the Republic

Boris Johnson was clearly delighted with the PM's words, continuing his applause as she left Lancaster House today

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Mrs May's 'powerful' speech will be 'well received' by EU nations.

Speaking to reporters at Lancaster House, he went on: 'Because it's negotiable, this is something that I think will be good for the UK and good for the rest of the EU as well.'

Asked why the EU would give the UK a 'free lunch', Mr Johnson said: 'As the Prime Minister said, I think it's going to be good for both sides.'

He went on: 'We very strongly think this is in our mutual interest. We're not leaving Europe, we're disentangling ourselves from the treaties of the EU.

'We can remain powerfully committed to Europe with a new European partnership ... whilst also going forward with an identity as Global Britain.'

The Prime Minister's spokeswoman clarified later that the parliamentary vote on the final Brexit deal will be legally binding on the Government.

She said: 'We are focussed on getting the right deal for Britain and securing a bright future for our country and we now want our country  including MPs  to get behind that.

'We will be leaving the EU so we will be having a negotiation; the outcome  MPs will have an opportunity to vote on that.'

Setting out her detailed plan for Brexit, Mrs May - seen leaving Downing Street to deliver her speech today - rejected partial or associate membership

Mrs May briefed the Cabinet, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Amber Rudd, this morning before delivering her speech

Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom, a prominent Leave campaigner, appeared pleased as she arrived for the Cabinet gathering this morning

Mrs May's hand in the negotiations has been dramatically strengthened after Donald Trump promised to do a quick trade deal with Britain yesterday.

The resilience of UK plc has also been underlined after the IMF revealed it was the fastest growing economy in the developed world last year  and sharply uprated its gloomy forecasts for 2017.

The tough line has already triggered a wave of protest from Remainers, who complain that leaving the single market or customs union would be a disaster for the economy.

Mrs May was watched at Lancaster House by an audience that included her top ministers and senior diplomats

Brexit Secretary David Davis made a statement to MPs in the wake of the speech, urging them to 'embrace this moment of change'

European Council president Donald Tusk said the speech made him 'sad', but praised it as 'more realistic'.

The 27 EU states were 'united and ready to negotiate', he insisted.

Tim Farron accused Theresa May of a 'theft of democracy' as he led the pro-EU response to her Brexit speech.

The Liberal Democrat leader - who has demanded a second referendum on the EU despite only having nine MPs - said nobody voted for Britain's exit from the EU single market.

Leading Tory remainer Anna Soubry welcomed the announcement of a Commons vote on the final deal.

PM SETS STAGE FOR BREXIT SHOWDOWN WITH CONCESSION ON VOTE FOR MPS AND PEERS Theresa May has set the stage for a Brexit showdown by announcing that MPs and peers will get a vote on the final deal. The concession by the Prime Minister comes after months of rowing about parliament's role in the process. Whatever package is negotiated with the EU will now be put to the Commons and the Lords for approval. The move has been broadly welcomed by Labour and the Lib Dems. However, it does not have any bearing on the ongoing battle over whether Mrs May has the executive power to start the two-year Brexit process. The Supreme Court is due to rule imminently on that issue - with the government facing being forced to bring forward emergency legislation to repeal the Act that underpins our membership. Advertisement

She tweeted: 'PM's speech has much to commend it & tone spot on. Wish she'd said it in Parliament before party conference!'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'Theresa May has made clear that she is determined to use Brexit to turn Britain into a bargain basement tax haven on the shores of Europe.

'She makes out this is a negotiating threat to the 27 EU countries but it's actually a threat to the British people's jobs, services and living standards.'

Labour former cabinet minister and arch-Europhile Lord Mandelson accused Mrs May of pretending there was a 'clicky fingers' solution to Brexit.

The peer insisted the UK should accept the EU's principle of free movement - which has helped drive net migration to 330,000 a year - in return for staying in the single market.

'There are no clicky finger solutions to these issues, but not even to acknowledge the difficult choices that have to be made, I think is very worrying indeed,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Mrs May briefed the Cabinet on her vision this morning before delivering her speech.

At the top of the list of her 12 objectives is a commitment to regain control of the UK's borders with a visa regime for EU workers and a pledge to restore British sovereignty by no longer being subject to the rulings of the European Court of Justice.

There is also a key goal of securing a deal that will allow the three million EU citizens living in Britain to stay here, with a reciprocal arrangement for Britons living abroad.

In a bid to ease tensions north of the border, the PM made a specific commitment to 'preserve the Union' with Scotland by securing a Brexit that works for those on both sides of the border.

Chancellor Philip Hammond has threatened to slash business taxes if the EU will not reach agreement on tariff-free trade. The tactic has been dubbed a 'recipe for a trade war' by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was among those who witnessed the PM plot the course for our departure from the EU

Mrs May said: 'I want us to be a secure, prosperous, tolerant country  a magnet for international talent and a home to the pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead.

'I want us to be a truly global Britain  the best friend and neighbour to our European partners, but a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe too. A country that gets out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike.

'I want Britain to be what we have the potential and ambition to be: a great, global trading nation that is respected around the world and strong, confident and united at home.'

Yesterday, Berlin and Brussels reacted with fury to a prediction by Mr Trump that the EU could begin to fall apart  with other countries quitting the bloc in protest at mass immigration.

Pound leaps against the dollar and the euro as Theresa May spells out her Brexit plan

Mrs May's speech saw the pound leap against the US dollar and the euro

The pound soared as Theresa May set out her 12-point Brexit plan today.

Half an hour after Mrs May's speech ended the pound was up 2.5 per cent against the dollar, at 1.23, and 1.6 per cent against the euro at 1.15.

The pound had plunged in recent days in anticipation of Mrs May's speech, which is expected to confirm Britain will leave the EU single market.

Today's gains wiped out those losses as sterling had one of its strongest days in years.

London's main FTSE 100 stock index was also trading slightly down after Mrs May's speech.

Neil Wilson, senior market analyst at ETX Capital, said sterling soared on a 'far less hawkish Brexit speech from Theresa May than many had feared'.

He added: 'A wolf in sheep's clothing? Arguably Theresa May's greatest trick appears to have been to deliver what amounts to a fairly hard Brexit message without the markets going into a flat spin.

'Some judicious leaks in the last couple of days had primed investors for the UK to be leaving the single market.

'Many expected a tough sounding speech that would send the pound lower - that could yet happen as we progress towards invoking Article 50.

'And the looming Supreme Court judgment still matters a great deal.'

Ahead of the speech, Downing Street admitted that the speech to diplomats in London today would spark more volatility, as markets bet on how the Brexit negotiations will pan out.

Tim Farron claims Theresa May's full Brexit is a 'theft of democracy'

Tim Farron accused Theresa May of a 'theft of democracy' today as he led the pro-EU response to her Brexit speech.

The Liberal Democrat leader - who has demanded a second referendum on the EU despite only having nine MPs - said nobody voted for Britain's exit from the EU single market.

His claim comes despite key figures on both sides of last year's referendum battle making clear single market membership would end after Brexit.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron accused Theresa May of a 'theft of democracy' today as he led the pro-EU response to her Brexit speech

The Prime Minister made clear for the first time today Britain could not be a single market member while securing her objectives of controlling immigration and striking trade deals.

Mr Farron said: 'Theresa May has confirmed Britain is heading for a Hard Brexit. She claimed people voted to Leave the Single Market. They didn't.

'She has made the choice to do massive damage to the British economy.

'Theresa May also made clear that she will deny the people a vote on the final deal. So instead of a democratic decision by the people in the country, she wants a stitch-up by politicians in Westminster.

'The people voted for departure, they should be given a vote on the destination. This is a theft of democracy.'

He added: 'When it comes to British prosperity and British democracy, she is waiving the white flag from the White Cliffs of Dover.'

Mrs May used a major speech on her Brexit plan to confirm Britain will leave the single market as part of a 12-point plan

Leading Tory remainer Anna Soubry welcomed the announcement of a Commons vote on the final deal.

She tweeted: 'PM's speech has much to commend it & tone spot on. Wish she'd said it in Parliament before party conference!

'I will continue to campaign for single market and free movement. With good transitional arrangements PM has rejected hard Brexit and that's v good news.

'Parliament will vote on the final deal - now let's have a white paper, scrutiny and debate.'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'Theresa May has made clear that she is determined to use Brexit to turn Britain into a bargain basement tax haven on the shores of Europe. She makes out this is a negotiating threat to the 27 EU countries but it's actually a threat to the British people's jobs, services and living standards.

'We welcome that the Prime Minister has listened to the case we've been making about the need for full tariff free access to the single market but are deeply concerned about her reckless approach to achieving it.

'This speech should have been given in Parliament where MPs could ask her questions on behalf of their constituents.

'She talks about Brexit restoring parliamentary sovereignty but, once again, she is determined to avoid real scrutiny of her plans.'
The Tunisian hotel where 30 British tourists were killed in a terror shooting had used gardeners to boost security before the attack, an inquest heard.

But by the time of the shooting at the resort of Sousse by gunman Seifeddine Rezgui in June 2015, which left 38 people dead, the gardeners 'resumed their normal duties.'

The hearing at the Royal Court of Justice heard a statement from manager of the Imperial Marhaba Hotel, Mehrez Saadi.

He told how he had worked at the hotel for nearly four years and said the complex had four security guards, all of which were unarmed.

Scroll down for video.

The British Government were warned there was 'little effective security to prevent or respond to an attack' at Tunisian beach resorts in the Sousse region months before gunman Seifeddine Rezgui massacred 38 people, including 30 British tourists, at Port El Kantaoui in 2015, pictured

He also described how in 2014, a year before the attack, the hotel received a notice from the Tunisian government warning of an 'increased threat of attack'.

He said: 'In response the hotel decided to increase the number of security staff and used gardeners as security personal.'

Mr Saadi said the provision was in place for a short time and afterwards 'the gardeners resumed their normal duties'.

On the day of the attack he heard a strange noise at first and then guests inside the hotel began to panic and he opened exit doors to help them escape.

He told how he saw the gunman in the hotel carpark and 'threw stones at him'.

He said: 'None of the staff ever believed that this would actually take place.

'We never thought it would take place in our hotel. I am still very upset for the families and I'm so sorry this happened especially in my hotel.'

Yesterday families of victims saw the the route Rezgui took into the resort, with the red line and arrow shows the two-miles he traversed, entering from the beach. Today the inquest heard a security report criticised the safety of the beach entrances of resorts in the region - including Port El Kantaoui - months before the deadly attack

In a statement to Tunisian judge who investigated the attack, he said 'the tourism security unit didn't intervene at all to stop the attack'.

Earlier the inquest heard that UK Ambassador to Tunisia spent his holiday at the resort in Sousse just months before the attack.

Ambassador Hamish Cowell, who was in post in the country from 2013, visited the resort before the attack in June 2015.

Howard Stevens QC, representing travel operator TUI, asked Foreign Office manager Jane Marriott OBE about the Ambassador and other embassy staff having their holiday's in the resort of Port El Kantaoui after Bardo Museum massacre in Tunis in March 2015 and before the attack in Sousse in June.

She said: 'Yes the Ambassador with his family went to Sousse in early May.'

Earlier in the day, the inquest heard how the British government was warned over a lack of security at beach resorts in Tunisia months before the brutal massacre that saw 30 British tourists killed,

An official report prepared for the Government said hotels in the Sousse region had 'little effective security' to prevent or respond to an attack via a beach entrance.

Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui slaughtered 38 people at the coastal resort of Port El Kantaoui on June 26, 2015, entering the complex from the beach and carrying on his killing spree over a two-mile route before he was shot dead.

Andrew Ritchie QC, who represents 20 victims' families, also told the hearing one tourist who survived the attack had been assured it was '100 per cent safe' to go to Sousse by a travel agent when he booked, weeks after an earlier deadly attack on tourists in the country's capital.

The inquest into the deaths of the British victims heard that the report questioned the safety of the beach entrances to some 30 hotels in three Mediterranean resorts.

Rezgui killed around 10 of his victims on the beach and then entered the upmarket hotel from the entrance on the sand.

The resort had previously been targeted by a suicide bomber in October 2013, who killed only himself, the inquest heard.

Mr Ritchie QC read extracts from the heavily redacted report to the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

He said: 'Given that the attack on the Riadh Palms Hotel in October 2013 was launched from the beach, particular attention was paid to the beach access points.

'It (the report) said 'Despite some good security infrastructure around the hotels and resorts there seems to be little in the way of effective security to prevent or respond to an attack (from the beach)'.'

Survivors and families of the victims of the Tunisian beach massacre returned to the Royal Courts of Justice in London today as the inquest into the deaths of 30 British tourists continued. Pictured are survivor Owen Richards, left with mother Suzy Evans, and Mark Stocker, right, son of victims Janet and John Stocker

The inquests have previously heard that official guidance for tourists to Tunisia said there was a 'high risk of terrorism' at the time of the Sousse attack.

This had not been updated to the highest level of advising against all travel despite a previous terror attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunis in March 2015 that killed 24 people, including 20 tourists.

The January 2015 report on the hotel security was carried out by an unnamed man who was in Mumbai in India at the time of the terrorist attack there in 2008, the inquest heard.

A counter-terrorism assessment for the FCO days after June's bloodshed in Tunisia also questioned the security at the beach resorts.

The review by the Tunisian Security Assessment Team (TSAT) found 'facilities security at the hotels to be generally of a low standard' although 'some hotels had better security'.

Jane Marriott, a director of the Foreign Office's Middle East North Africa Directorate at the time of the attacks on the Bardo Museum and in Sousse, told the hearing that because, prior to the 2010 revolution, Tunisia had been a dictatorship, there was 'little public desire for a more intrusive police presence'.

She added: 'This made it difficult for the authorities to be proactive with security.'

The inquest was shown an extract from minutes of a meeting between UK embassy officials and tour operators in Tunisia shortly after the Bardo attack.

Andrew Ritchie QC, pictured, representing 20 of the victims' families, also told the hearing that a YouTube video had been posted in 2014 warning terrorists would be 'targeting tourists'

It said: 'Following the incident, the knee-jerk reaction was to pull British tourists out of Tunisia.

'Embassy staff here in Tunisia lobbied hard to retain the tourists here in Tunisia but agreed to strengthen the text of the travel advice to reflect the severity of the incident.'

Ms Marriott, who was not at the meeting, told the court: 'The 'knee-jerk reaction' could be a reference to anybody. I hope not British officials.'

The court heard also in December 2014 ISIS had released a video threatening attacks against Tunisia.

Ms Marriott said open source material on YouTube and social media was monitored but she did not know about that specific video.

The inquest was taken to an email between a security consultant and travel operator TUI the day after the terror attack on the Bardo Museum massacre in Tunis in March 2015.

In it the consultant said: 'We had the video posted on YouTube by ISIS as recently as December and they have vowed attacks on Tunisia as it works to establish its network there.

'I would say this incident is the start of campaign within Tunisia.'

Part of the video which was translated said: 'We are going to expand to Tunisia whether you like it or not and we won't be content until we have slaughtered the unbeliever.'

Mr Ritchie QC put it to Ms Marriott that in the Bardo attack tourists were a target.

She said: 'That is how it looked to us.

'But given that the parliament was sitting on that day we can't say one way or another what the target was.'

The court heard the travel advice at the time of the massacre in Sousse said: 'There is a high threat from terrorism including kidnapping.

'Attacks could be indiscriminate including places visited by foreigners.'

Hamish Cowell, the UK ambassador to Tunisia, took his family to Sousse on holiday less than two months before the attack, the inquest heard.

Mr Cowell, who was in the diplomatic post from 2013 until stepping down in December, stayed in a hotel in the Port El Kantaoui area where the attack took place, Ms Marriott said.

The holiday was taken after the attack on the museum in Tunis.

Under cross-examination by TUI's lawyer Howard Stevens QC, Ms Marriott said: 'The ambassador with his family went to Sousse in early May (2015). They did stay in hotels and at least one was in Port El Kantaoui.'

MASSACRE SURVIVOR TOLD TUNISIA WAS '100% SAFE' A Briton who survived the attack had been assured it was '100 per cent safe' to go to Sousse by a travel agent when he booked, weeks after an earlier deadly attack on tourists in the country's capital, Mr Ritchie told the inquest. Paul Thomson booked a stay in the Mediterranean resort after being told the Bardo attack in Tunis was a 'one-off', the lawyer said. He made the claim while cross-examining Ms Marriott on the travel advice for tourists in Tunisia at the time. Survivor Paul Thompson, pictured right with wife Zoe, booked a trip to Tunisia after being told by a travel agent going to Sousse was '100 per cent safe' He asked about a 'partnership agreement' between the Government and travel firms which required the companies to guide customers to official travel advice on the FCO website, including a section called Know Before You Go. He said Mr Thompson had gone to a TUI shop in his home town of Ilkeston, Derbyshire, in May 2015 with his daughter. She had read about the attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunis and asked staff in the shop 'Is it safe?', Mr Ritchie said. He went on: '(They were told) 'It's 100 per cent safe, this is a one-off'. 'Would you be comfortable with that as fulfilling the agreement?' Ms Marriott, a former UK ambassador to Yemen, replied: 'We would expect this (travel) information to be flagged up.' Advertisement

It goes on to add: 'You should be especially vigilant at all times and follow advice of the Tunisian security authorities and your travel operator.'

Mr Ritchie asked whether the FCO advice warned tourists were a target for terrorists.

She said: 'It does say attacks happen in places visited by tourists.

'It does say there was a high risk of terrorism and foreigners may be at places that are targeted, i.e foreigners are potential targets.'

However Mr Ritchie pointed out the advice in fact did not say tourists were targets.

Making clear the families's position, Mr Ritchie QC said: 'I offer no criticism of the FCO for its decision not to embargo travel.

'The families accept that it is a tricky decision and you can't just embargo the whole world at the jerk of a knee.

'My criticism only goes as far as not putting that tourists were targets.'

Families of Tunisian massacre victims shown chilling footage of the gunman calmly walking through the beach resort as he carries out a brutal attack that left 38 dead

The inquest began yesterday when families of the victims watched chilling footage of tourists fleeing as Rezgui began his deadly attack.

The film begins with the gunman exiting a white van in what looks to be a deserted side road near the resort, before calmly walking in the direction of the beach.

Women in bikinis and men in swimming trunks and are seen fleeing along the beach in CCTV videos.

Others are left rooted to the spot, waiting to see what happens next.

The grainy video then moves inside the resort as a machine gun-toting Rezgui is seen walking through the Port El Kantaoui resort before 'chasing' someone down a corridor.

Footage then focuses on the beach again, with more people seen desperately trying to escape the danger, while one man ducks down behind a speed boat.

Chilling footage showing tourists fleeing the beach (pictured) in Sousse, Tunisia, as Rezgui began his deadly attack was played to his victims' families at the inquest

Men and women in swimming costumes are all seen dashing away in terror, while some others are left stunned and pause to see what is going on

They also saw Rezgui calmly walking through the interior of the resort, pictured, carrying a machine gun

The families also saw reconstruction video which showed the terrorist's deadly two-mile journey around the resort.

Relatives were shown computer-generated imagery of the popular beach including incredibly detailed footage which showed where each holidaymaker was brutally killed.

The inquest also heard Tunisian security officers could have saved lives by ending the massacre which killed 30 Britons died sooner - but they deliberately wasted time getting to the hotel.

The hearing was told that a local investigation into the tragedy criticised some police for stalling as they made their way to the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Sousse.

Rezgui 'systematically' gunned down the innocent holidaymakers on the hotel's beach before going into the grounds and the building and killing more, the inquest heard.

The footage showed Rezgui's movements and the exact route he took on the day. Names and pictures of the tragic victims popped up on the screen as the detailed video - which lasted 21 minutes and 38 seconds - continued.

The images were the result of 3D scans in more than 300 locations around the resorts, which is popular with tourists and holidaymakers.

The footage began with Rezgui exiting a white van, pictured, in what appears to be a deserted side road near the resort, before strolling towards the beach

Yesterday the inquest was shown detailed satellite images of where each person was killed, which were the result of 3D scans in more than 300 locations around the resort

His route was illustrated by the use of a red arrow and the 'point-of-view' footage showed what Rezgui would have seen.

It ended with the gunman making his way past some shops just yards from the beach - before he was shot and killed.

Samantha Leek QC, counsel to the inquest, said a report by Tunisian Judge Akremi had identified failings by local units which could have ended the slaughter before more police arrived and shot Rezgui dead.

She told a courtroom packed with relatives that an unnamed interior minister had told the judge some Tunisian security officers nearby had consciously slowed down their arrival.

Ms Leek said: 'He said the units that should have intervened in the events deliberately and unjustifiably slowed down to delay their arrival at the hotel.

CHILLING RECONSTRUCTION VIDEO SHOWS THE TWO-MILE ROUTE KILLER TOOK TO MURDER 30 BRITONS The 21 minute and 38 second reconstruction video was played at the inquest in London on Monday. 0 - 1.08 min: The video footage shows the beach and highlights where the tragic British holidaymakers were sat before being killed by Seifeddine Rezgui 1.09 min: An aerial picture showed the gunman's crazed two-mile journey from the beach and through the nearby hotel, illustrated by a red arrow 1.45 min: The video continued and CGI showed the gunman's route as he approached the hotel. He walked over the grass, went past trees and made his way towards the building. Chillingly, victims continued to pop up with their name and picture. He then went past the outdoor pool and walked up some steps - killing more innocent Brits 3.52 min: He eventually makes his way in the hotel 4.06 min: Another victim was killed just as the gunman entered the hotel 4.16 min: The first real CCTV image showing Rezgui inside the building appeared on the video, which was played to the families of the tragic victims on Monday 5.20 min: The video continued to show the route the killer took as he strolled through the hotel 6 min: Rezgui made his way to an indoor pool inside the hotel. It appears he was looking for more potential victims - before killing another holidaymaker 6.36 min: Three more people who were standing by the pool were then gunned down as the killer continued his attack 7.23 min: Another victim was also gunned down next to a desk and chair 8.05 min: The video then showed the path Rezgui took so he could make his way to the first floor administration office - again, illustrated by a red arrow 10.40 min: Two more innocent people were gunned down after the killer made his way up the stairs to the first floor 10.58 min: Another victim was killed when he turned left into one of the rooms 11.15 min: He then decided to leave the building and headed back towards the beach 14.10 min: On his way to the beach, one more victim was killed outside the hotel 14.17 min: Just seconds later another man was gunned down and killed 16.00 min: He then made his way back to the outside pool 17.20 min: After walking past the pool, he quickly made his way back to the beach 18.03 min: More victims appeared on the screen after they had been shot by the killer. He then walked past a number of boats and watersports equipment before turning around 19.04 min - 21.38 min: He then began the last part of his journey - walking past another hotel and some shops - before he was killed Advertisement

The inquests into the deaths of the Britons (pictured) killed in the Tunisia beach massacre, in June 2015, is taking place at the Royal Courts of Justice in London

'They had the ability to put an end to the attack before the police arrived but wasted a considerable amount of time in getting to the hotel.'

Ms Leek said: 'On June 26 2015, 38 tourists became the victims of a terrorist attack at the Imperial Marhaba hotel in Sousse, Tunisia.

'On that day a gunman entered the hotel from the beach, carrying an automatic weapon and a number of explosives.

'He systematically took the lives of 38 people who had travelled to Tunisia for enjoyment ... and relaxation.'

Ms Leek added that an armed guard on the beach opened fire on Rezgui, who responded by throwing a grenade at him.

The guard then fell to the ground 'seemingly unconscious', she added, leaving a local speedboat driver, named as AI, to pick his gun up and attempt to confront Rezgui. However he was unable to work the weapon.

She said Rezgui was thought to have acted alone on the beach - albeit with an accomplice in a van nearby - and AI brandishing the gun may have sparked reports at the time of a second gunman involved in the shooting.

A total of 38 people were killed when gunman Seifeddine Rezgui went on a rampage in the coastal resort of Port El Kantaoui near Sousse on June 26, 2015

In a harrowing 25 minute episode, Rezgui (pictured) - who hid his AK-47 assault rifle concealed in a parasol - began shooting at sunbathers on the beach before working his way through the pool and lobby of the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel, killing as he went

He was eventually shot after the rampage in Sousse, Tunisia, on June 26, 2015. He killed 30 British tourists who were on holiday

The lead-up to the full inquest saw the Government apply for certain elements of the inquests to be kept private over concerns about national security.

When Ms Leek referred to the possibility of asking witnesses questions that relate to 'sensitive security material', Coroner Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith said: 'I am very keen to avoid any in-camera hearings.'

Detective Superintendent Mark Gower, from the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism unit, was the first witness called.

Mr Gower said that while they could not be absolutely certain about his exact route, this was their best assessment given the evidence in Tunisia CCTV footage and from witness accounts.

In the hotel reception area, he let off grenades, killing one of his youngest victims, Carly Lovett, who was just 24

A map was shown which pointed out the locations of eight CCTV cameras.

Mr Gower said a number of requests were made to Tunisian authorities for CCTV but it was only material from these cameras that was made available.

He said: 'We know there were other cameras... whether they were genuine or dummy cameras we don't know.'

The inquest was shown CCTV of a white van dropping the gunman off. He gets out and walks off, carrying a large item. The van then drives off.

Rezgui - who was high on cocaine at the time - was shot dead by police after carrying out the attack, for which terror group claimed responsibility

The inquests are being presided over by judge and coroner Nicholas Loraine-Smith and are expected to last around seven weeks.

A minute's silence was held at the start, after the names of the victims were read out.

Families' battles for justice have been intensified by a lengthy and truncated legal process, which had seen the Government apply for certain elements of the inquests to be kept private over concerns about national security.

During a previous hearing Andrew Ritchie QC, representing 20 families, said it was their view that a 'full and fearless' investigation would be required to remain in keeping with the principle of 'open justice'.

He also said many families feared the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) may have failed in its responsibilities to thousands of British tourists.

He said the families were also potentially concerned about the FCO 'having cosy chats' with travel companies interested in running profitable businesses 'in light of FCO then current advice that there was a high risk of terrorist activity, including in tourist areas'.

Some of the families of those caught in the Sousse attack said they had been assured by tour operator Thomson it was safe to travel to Tunisia after the Bardo attack.

A total of 38 people were killed when gunman Seifeddine Rezgui went on a rampage in the coastal resort of Port El Kantaoui near Sousse on June 26, 2015.

In a harrowing 25 minute episode, Rezgui - who hid his AK-47 assault rifle concealed in a parasol - began shooting at sunbathers on the beach before working his way through the pool and lobby of the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel, killing as he went.

In the hotel reception area, he let off grenades, killing one of his youngest victims, Carly Lovett, who was just 24.

The 23-year-old also claimed the lives of three victims from one Midlands family - Joel Richards, 19, his uncle Adrian Evans, 44, and his grandfather Patrick, 78.

Rezgui - who was high on cocaine at the time - was shot dead by police after carrying out the attack, for which terror group claimed responsibility.

After his death, police said he could have killed many more. An unexploded bomb was found on his person - with the detonator just inches away from his body.

Rezgui's family say he was brainwashed while studying for a master's degree in Kairouan, 35 miles inland from Sousse.

The families argue the FCO's travel advice on the heightened terrorism risk should have been mentioned on TUI's website

Families of 16 of the victims have since claimed that travel giant TUI Group ignored security warnings and put the victims at risk through 'unhappy and unfair' practices.

They say the company ignored security warnings from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, offered steep discounts to sell packages despite being aware of security concerns in Tunisia, and discouraged cancellations with a policy that meant holidaymakers may not get all of their money back.

The families argue the FCO's travel advice on the heightened terrorism risk  issued after 22 people were killed in an attack on the Bardo National Museum in the capital of Tunis the previous March  should have been mentioned on TUI's website, in its brochures and on its booking forms.

Families of 16 of the victims have since claimed that travel giant TUI Group ignored security warnings and put the victims at risk through 'unhappy and unfair' practices

Pictured is Theresa May laying flowers at the scene of the Tunisian beach tragedy

The inquests, expected to last around seven weeks, will look at security measures at the beach and the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel

Their battles for justice have been intensified by a lengthy and truncated legal process, which had seen the Government apply for certain elements of the inquests to be kept private over concerns about national security.

During a previous hearing Andrew Ritchie QC, representing 20 families, said it was their view that a 'full and fearless' investigation would be required to remain in keeping with the principle of 'open justice'.

TUI's lawyer has rejected claims about the company's pricing strategies and that it was obliged to share FCO travel advice on its website or in its literature.

The inquests, expected to last around seven weeks, will look at security measures at the beach and the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel.

It was also look at the emergency response to the attack, the background and preparations of Rezgui and any accomplices, and the adequacy of the travel advice offered by the FCO and tour operators.

The hearing, which is taking place in front of Judge Loraine-Smith, continues.
The mother of murdered Paige Doherty has posted a reminder of her daughter's horrific injuries online as the man who killed her pleads for a shorter jail term.

John Leathem, 32, was given a life sentence after he admitted repeatedly stabbing the 15-year-old at his deli in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire. He must serve at least 27 years in jail.

As he prepares to appeal against the length of his sentence, Paige's mother, Pamela Munro, has gone online to say why he should spend as long as possible behind bars.

Pamela Munro (left), the mother of 15-year-old Paige Doherty (right), has gone online to insist that her killer's sentence should not be reduced at an upcoming appeal

Ms Munro wrote a heartrending post on Facebook about why Leathem's should not be cut

Ms Munro wrote: 'Everyday I sit and wait for that phone call to let us know if his sentence will be lowered.

'I pray that the justice system of Scotland doesn't allow this man to have any sentence lowered whatsoever. Our little girl suffered the most horrific death I could imagine.'

In disturbing detail, she then set out the terrible injuries her daughter suffered, including 61 stab wounds and 85 slashes to her face, head and arms.

John Leathem is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 27 years for the savage attack in his deli in Clydebank

She added: 'Paige had a hole the size of a man's fist created by a further continuous uncountable amount of stab wounds.'

Ms Munro wrote: 'As Paige's mum, I take no pleasure in disclosing these details and do not wish anyone to be upset, it breaks my heart to say it out loud as I picture her wee face and how bad she looked.

'But I feel that for as much support and help as we need then people need to know the true facts.

'This "man" is now being protected to the highest level in HMP Dumfries, a prison where you can invite you family in to cook them a meal, where you can get a personal trainer, access to a skills centre possibly gaining a degree, a parenting system for dad's to rebuild relationships with their kids.

'Apparently this is his "human rights". Where was Paige's human rights when he overpowered her?'

After killing Paige in March last year, Leathem stored her body in a shed at his nearby home before dumping her remains in bushes two days later on March 21.

Passing sentence, judge Lady Rae told the court the killing was 'truly reprehensible and impossible to comprehend'.
A teacher claims he was fired from his school after he reported disruptive pupils to the principal.

David Kent was working at the Bronx Design and Construction Academy in New York last year when he notified Abigail Lovett about consistent bad behavior in his classroom.

But she allegedly let him go, fearing his criticism would hurt the institution's reputation.

According to papers filed with Manhattan Supreme Court, Kent had a meeting with the assistant principal Alrick Crowe in March 2016.

He handed over a dossier outlining the level of classroom chaos.

Principal Abigail Lovett, pictured, sacked David Kent after he complained about pupils misbehaving. She feared his criticism would damage the reputation of her school

'In that meeting, Assistant Principal Crowe stated words to the effect of, "Be careful what you write about students because it could come back to hurt the school",' the New York Post reported.

Several weeks later, Kent alleges he received a disciplinary letter.

The court papers said: 'The letter to Petitioner from Principal Lovett criticized Petitioners submission of student anecdotal write-ups concerning student behavior in Petitioners classrooms.'

He claimed the disciplinary measures had damaged his teaching career.

One letter added to his file said Lovett was considering further action, including his possible sacking.

Kent had been a teacher at the Bronx Design and Construction Academy in New York, pictured. He is now suing the institution, demanding his job back

Kent claimed his was obliged to write down all incidents in the school.

The school said Kent ignored a teacher-improvement plan and he was officially toled in June that he was being fired.

However, in a new lawsuit, Kent claims there was only one letter on his file 'which contradicted the mandates of the teacher handbook and was arguably in retaliation for documenting improper student behavior'.

Kent's lawsuit aims to have him reappointed to the school as well as awarded back pay and damages. He also want his legal bills paid.
The number of refugees claiming asylum in Britain because being gay puts them in danger in their own country has increased by 450 per cent in just five years.

Figures show that 1,115 people claimed asylum due to their sexuality in 2014 compared with just 200 in 2010.

The increase follows a Supreme Court judgment in 2010 which greatly widened the scope of protection for homosexual asylum seekers.

The number of refugees claiming asylum in Britain because their sexuality puts them in danger in their own country has increased by 450 per cent in just five years (file image)

The ruling concluded that if a person has to live discreetly and cannot be themselves for fear of persecution then they are a refugee.

But Conservative MP David Burrowes said its very difficult for the Home Office to confirm the claimants are gay.

He told MailOnline: 'It is hard to prove your sexuality and ensure genuine claims are successful.'

Being openly gay is a criminal offence in 80 countries.

Most of the claimants were from Pakistan, with 748 claiming asylum because of their sexuality between 2007 and 2014.

In the same period, 343 Nigerians, 112 Jamaicans and 88 Ghanaians gave being gay as a reason to stay.

Commenting on the figures, which were obtained after an FOI request, The Home Office said in some cases the claimants' sexuality was not the prime reason for their claim succeeding, with other reasons including fleeing a warzone.

A statement added: 'Where someone is found to be at risk of persecution or serious harm in their country of origin because of their sexuality or gender identity, refuge will be granted.'

Figures show that 1,115 people claimed asylum due to their sexuality in 2014 compared with just 200 in 2010 (file image)

Last year it was revealed that posters were put up in the Calais migrant camps suggesting migrants could consider lying about their sexuality to claim asylum in Britain.

The signs, at the entrance to the makeshift camp known as the Jungle, provided a how-to guide for applicants.

Written in English and Arabic, they told migrants to 'prepare their story well from the beginning'. They add that applicants should consider whether their 'story fits with them' (the UK Government)  suggesting it may be worth stretching the truth.

Migrants were told to choose a 'category' which proves that their life is in danger in their homeland. Reasons given include 'race and religion' and 'being gay in some countries'.

The Supreme Court ruling in 2010 was greatly praised as an example of British tolerance and humanity.

Mrs May was among those who welcomed the ruling, adding that it was unacceptable to send people home and expect them to hide their sexuality.
Tesco staff have been accused of discrimination after refusing to sell beer to a 19 year old because he only had a Polish passport to prove his age.

Hollie O'Brien, 19, says her boyfriend Andrzej Wasilewski showed three forms of Polish ID but they were all rejected at the Irish store in Balbriggan, County Dublin.

Staff and management declined to accept his Polish passport before happily selling the alcohol to Ms O'Brien, who showed her Irish passport.

Dismayed: Hollie O'Brien, 19, says her boyfriend Andrzej Wasilewski showed three forms of Polish ID but they were all rejected at the Irish store in Balbriggan, County Dublin

Mr Wasilewski, an art student who was born in Poland but moved to Dublin with his family aged eight, said he was shocked by the rejection.

And Ms O'Brien, a student and retail assistant, said: 'I was literally shaking. It made me so angry. It's complete discrimination.

'He was going to pay and the girl at the till asked him for ID, which is obviously fair enough. I had my passport ready too but because Andrzej was going to pay he offered his.

'She said she couldn't accept it and called over a more senior member of staff. We assumed she would just sort it.

'To be honest, I wasn't really paying attention as I thought it was a bit of a joke. I thought it was just someone trying to be safe and cover their backs.

'But then the other lady also told us he couldn't use a foreign passport. We both turned red with embarrassment. We were so surprised.

Staff and management declined to accept his Polish passport (pictured) before happily selling the alcohol to Ms O'Brien, who showed her Irish passport

'I was actually able to buy the beers by showing my Irish passport but the more I thought about it, the more I thought: "That's not ok."

'I was so annoyed. It played on my mind the whole way home and that's why I complained to Tesco. Other people have told us it's happened to them before.

'How are foreign people supposed to prove their age then? I was speechless. It's not acceptable in this day and age.

According to the 2011 census, more than 122,000 Polish nationals live in the Republic of Ireland, making it the largest minority in the country - ahead of even British immigrants.

The incident, which happened on January 9, prompted Hollie to take to social media and highlight the issue.

Her boyfriend, a student at Dublin's National College of Art and Design, said this was the first time he'd ever been told his Polish passport wasn't valid.

Ms O'Brien (pictured with her boyfriend) said: 'I was literally shaking. It made me so angry. It's complete discrimination'

Ms O'Brien wrote a furious Facebook status to complain about the treatment

Mr Wasilewski, who was born in the Polish city of Pozna, said: 'It was a really weird encounter. I've never had a problem before. What am I supposed to do? I don't have an Irish passport.

'I feel more Irish than I do Polish to be honest, but I was born in Poland and that's the passport I've had since I was a kid.

Mr Wasilewski's Polish passport

'I was pretty shocked when they said I couldn't use my passport. I showed them two other forms of ID as well but they weren't having it; my Irish student card and a Polish ID card.

'They said they would only accept an Irish or British passport, so Hollie showed hers and it was fine. Is her passport better than mine?

'How else are Polish people, especially my age, supposed to prove their age to buy alcohol? It seems like an out-of-date rule.

'Hollie works in retail and to her this was really shocking. It really upset her.'

A spokesman for Tesco Ireland admitted that all passports should be accepted as valid ID in its stores.

The company said: 'We would like to apologise to Andrzej that his passport was not accepted in store on this occasion. This is not in line with our policy and we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.

'We will ensure our store colleagues are retrained on our policy to help ensure that this doesn't happen again.'
It is the timeworn Australian debate  budgie smugglers versus board shorts.

And the battle of the bathers has flared up again with a Sydney shop's radical 'board short buy-back scheme,' offering to swap swimming shorts for their ultra-tight Lycra briefs.

The campaign is touted as a national push to 'free the thighs of our nation' by ridding Australia of the 'curtains of shame'  and it's making a big splash on social media.

A Sydney budgy smugglers store has launched a radical 'board short buy-back scheme'

'Today we are launching a nation-wide board short buy-back scheme to free the thighs of our nation. Overseas smugglers / smugglettes may also participate,' the Instagram post reads.

The store went to claim the campaign echoed John Howard's 1996 gun buy-back scheme sparked in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre.

'We figure that a similar buy-back scheme worked with guns in the 1990's and that this can also help to make Australia a better country.'

'Our goals is to rid our country of the curtains of shame that have been depriving our thighs of their rightful place in the Sun.'

The store is offering $10 store credit for the first pair and $5 every pair after that, with a plan to sell the boardies to US charities.

Budgie smugglers, an Australian term used since the 1980s, shot to infamy after former Prime Minister Tony Abbott donning the tiny trunks at numerous public events.

The campaign is offering o exchange swimming shorts (right) for their ultra-tight Lycra briefs, made infamous by former PM Tony Abbott (left)
One of two people taken to hospital after two houses were destroyed by a suspected gas explosion was arrested today.

The 33-year-old man was held on suspicion of causing an explosion to endanger life after the blast ripped through two terraced house yesterday in Blackley, Manchester.

Two people were taken to Salford Royal Hospital with serious injuries yesterday - and the 33-year-old man is in a stable condition, while the other man is critical.

Scroll down for video

Blast: Aerial photographs show the trail of devastation left behind in Blackley, Manchester

Damage: The two houses exploded in Blackley yesterday afternoon in a suspected gas leak

Explosion: Pictures reveal the extent of the damage caused, as two properties were destroyed

Three more people were treated for wounds at the scene. The explosion left debris scattered across the street and also damaged at least one car in the road.

Locals described the noise of the explosion on Cecil Road around noon as 'like a bomb going off' while another said it 'felt like a car had hit their house'.

Detective Inspector Dave Sinclair, of Greater Manchester Police, said today: 'This was a devastating incident which has left two people in hospital with serious injuries and destroyed part of a terraced street.

'Good progress is being made as we continue to investigate the cause of the explosion, but we still need to hear from anyone who believes they have any information about what happened.

Emergency: Five people were injured, with two taken to hospital with serious injuries

Saved: Firefighters later pulled a kitten, pictured, from the wreckage and confirmed it was safe

Devastation: Insulation, floorboards and brickwork were sent flying by the huge explosion

'The house is now being treated as a crime scene. Given the problematic working conditions, it may be several days before we will be able to return the street to normality.

'I would like to thank the community for their continued co-operation as police, the local authority and other emergency services remain at the scene to carry on with the investigation.

'My officers will be on hand in the local area and will be updating members of the public with information as we progress this investigation.

'If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to approach and speak to my officers at the scene or contact the local neighbourhood officers.'

Source of the blast: It is understood investigators are now looking at a possible gas leak

Rubble: North West Ambulance Service confirmed five people were injured in the explosion

Yesterday Paul Duggan, command support officer at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said the incident was being treated as a 'suspected gas explosion'.

He said: 'The building itself has suffered serious collapse. Three individuals were taken from the scene and taken to hospital.

'The technical response unit are currently shoring up the building as its in a dangerous state. The rescue dog has also been working through the building.'

He added: 'We have asked a number of local residents to leave their properties for safety. I don't anticipate they will be out their houses for a long period.

'I understand it was quite a blast. Quite a large part of the structure has collapsed and the gas then ignited.'

Emergency services were on the scene with several ambulances and fire engines present

Two hazardous area response team vehicles were deployed alongside two ambulances

The whole of the first floor of the end-of-terrace building appears to have fallen, with a huge mound of rubble piled up in front of the house.

Neighbours in the area compared the loud noise to a 'bomb going off'. One man who lives about five minutes from the scene said he heard one huge bang.

He added: 'I went to the street and it looks like it has taken out an entire house. There were loads of police and fire crews there.'

Another neighbour said: 'The house shook. We thought someone had crashed a car in to our house, so we went out to see - and it was that bang.'

Firefighters rescued a small kitten from the debris of the house. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service posted photos of the kitten on Twitter.
People in southern China were surprised to see a floating city in the sky last week.

Residents of the city of Yueyang in Hunan Province shared footage of the bizarre scenes which showed towering buildings appearing from the clouds near a lake.

Many believed that they had witnessed a rare optical illusion known as a mirage, or a Fata Morgana, however experts explained that the phenomenon in Hunan had been caused by radiation fog.

Real or illusion? Residents in China were surprised to see buildings appearing from the clouds

The phenomenon occurred in the afternoon of January 14 by Qianmu Lake in Yueyang, reported China's state-owned Xinhua News Agency.

A video was taken by the tourists and residents who were by the Lake at the time. The footage shows a blurry image of around four high-rises floating above the clouds in distance.

People can be heard yelling excitedly in the background 'look, it's a mirage' and 'quick, let's film this'.

The video was later shared on Chinese social media platforms, such as Weibo, with many baffled by the unusual and mysterious sight.

However, meteorological experts said the phenomenon was not a mirage.

Li Dongyang, the deputy director of Yueyang Meteorological Bureau, told Xinhua that the buildings were real, and they had been covered by radiation fog.

Not a mirage: Experts explained that the phenomenon had been caused by radiation fog

Li Dongyang, deputy director of Yueyang Meteorological Bureau, said the buildings were real and that they had been covered by fog

Radiation fog usually occurs when the ground cools, causing the moisture in the air to condense, according to Li.

Li added that radiation fog was not radioactive.

According to Met Office, radiation fog usually occurs in the winter and is aided by clear skies and calm conditions. It usually dissipates after sunrise.

Different from radiation fog, which is a meteorological phenomenon, a Fata Morgana is a type of mirage that distort distance objects, and can be can be seen on land or sea.

It is caused when the sun heats up the atmosphere above the land or oceans, which creates a gradient of temperatures.

In October 2015, many residents in China's Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces were stunned to see floating cities that were deemed to be Fata Morganas by experts.

At the time, many thought they had seen a parallel universe.
The Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman claims a prison guard is sexually harassing him during daily inspections, his lawyer has said.

Silvia Delgado said that Guzman is 'uncomfortable' with the way he's being treated and told her: 'There is a security guard that handles me instead of only touching me'

Delgado has asked for better cell conditions for the former Sinaloa drug cartel leader in the maximum-security prison in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua where he is currently being held.

The Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's lawyer said on Monday that the former Sinaloa cartel leader is 'uncomfortable' with the way he's being treated in prison

Guzman claims he is being sexually harassed by a prison guard at the Federal Centre of Social Readaptation 9 in Juarez, Mexico, just across the border from El Paso, Texas

The lawyer did not reveal the name of the prison guard who allegedly harassed Guzman, according to Zocalo, but it is believed he is currently on leave from the Juarez prison, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas.

She said Guzman told her that it's 'more than abuse - they are handling me' and called the way in which her client is handled 'embarrassing'.

Delgado said that the kingpin told her of the prison guard: 'He squeezes and bothers me.'

Guzman, pictured after being captured in July, also says prison guards wake him up every four hours during the night

Guzman is also unable to sleep properly, Delgado claimed, with prison guards waking him up every four hours to ask how he feels.

Delgado said that Guzman is focusing on his well-being, but he told her that he is being affected by his isolation.

Another of Guzman's lawyers, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, told Radio Formula that he could not confirm or deny his client's sexual harassment claims.

'I can not deny Silvia, because Joaquin is not obliged to tell me all of the details of his conversations with her,' he said, adding: 'With me he did not complain of a sexual touch.'

He did say, however, that Guzman told him guards made him change his clothes so his body was exposed.

Guzman's lawyer said that his client's health is declining and his hair is falling out because of the stress he is under.

He added that the kingpin had been affected by the guards not letting him sleep, saying one guard would tap on his client's cell and make noise to keep him awake.

Rodriguez claimed that the government is treating Guzman 'in a cruel and inhuman way' and that he is 'seriously thinking of bringing a political trial against the president'.

Guzman filed an appeal two months ago in hopes of preventing his extradition to the United States, which the government plans to carry out early this year.

The slippery drug lord was recaptured in January, six months after his brazen escape from the Altiplano maximum-security prison through a one-mile tunnel that opened in his cell's shower. Pictured above is Guzman escaping through his shower

He is facing two extradition bids, one in California for drug distribution and another in Texas on charges that include murder and money laundering.

Approving the extradition in May, the foreign ministry said in a statement that the US government had given 'enough guarantees that the death penalty will not be applied'.

Mexico, which has no capital punishment, has previously criticized the execution of Mexican nationals in the United States.

The slippery drug lord was recaptured in January last year, six months after his brazen escape from the Altiplano maximum-security prison through a one-mile tunnel that opened in his cell's shower.

He had previously escaped from another prison in 2001 and was arrested in 2014.

He was taken back to Altiplano after his January arrest, but was abruptly transferred in May to a prison in Ciudad Juarez, a city bordering Texas.

Guzman's extradition would lead to a major drug trial for the head of a cartel accused of providing tons of drugs to addicts in the United States while fueling violence in Mexico.

President Enrique Pena Nieto had balked at extraditing Guzman before his July 2015 escape, preferring to put him on trial in Mexico.

But Pena Nieto changed his mind after Guzman was returned to prison.
Wolves are making their home in the Paris region with late-night howls often heard in the southern suburbs, according to two groups of experts.

Urban foxes have been commonplace in the French capital, like many European cities, in recent years but now they face a challenge from their larger, fiercer canine cousins.

For centuries wolves lived in the French Alps and in the Massif Central but they were hunted to the point of extinction by the 1930s.

Wolves traditionally hunt in packs but some of those seen near Paris have been 'lone wolves'

Wolves eventually became an endangered species and, given special protection, their numbers have recovered and they have spread across France and closer and closer to Paris.

Last year a lone wolf was spotted 200 miles from Paris but an expert pointed out the animals were capable of travelling 300 miles a day regardless of motorways and railways.

Now they have been spotted and heard within howling distance of the capital itself.

Manoel Atman, the president of the wolf-watching group Alliance Avec Les Loups told The Local: 'We are certain that there are three in circulation since April last year, one couple and another lone wolf.'

Experts say Parisians have no reason to fear wolves. Wolf-watcher Manoel Atman said: 'We walk on two legs, they only eat four-legged animals'

The Observatoire Du Loup group told Le Parisien newspaper the wolves were roaming freely in the Essonne and Yvelines departments (districts), south and west of the city, while another was in Seine-et-Marne, to the east.

The wolf-watchers have collected paw prints and wolf droppings to back up the evidence of local people who have heard and on some occasions seen the animals.

Last month two deer carcasses were found in the Rambouillet Forest near Paris and Mr Atman said: 'Their spinal columns were broken, they weren't shot or hit in a collision.'

He said their internal organs had been eaten and he added: 'This is typical of the predatory habits of wolves.'

But Mr Atman offered reassurance to Parisians: 'These kinds of animals aren't interested in eating people. We walk on two legs, they only eat four-legged animals.'

In October 2015 the French government deployed wolf hunters to the Alps after several attacks on sheep.

Expert tracker Troy Bennett told the BBC at the time: 'Because they are a protected animal there is no stopping them. I predicted ten years ago that they would be as far north as Paris, and this has become true.'
Chinese President Xi Jinping invoked the Gettysburg Address to take aim at Donald Trump's trade plans on Tuesday.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he said economic development is 'of the people, by the people and for the people,' quoting the iconic Abraham Lincoln speech.

President Xi also spoke against protectionism which lies at the heart of President-elect Trump's trade policies.

'No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war,' he said in his speech at the economic event.

Stopping short of calling Trump out by name, he went on to chide exclusionary economic growth plans.

'Say no to protectionism. It is like locking yourself in a dark room. Wind and rain are kept out, but so are light and air,' he said.

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President Xi Jinping took a swipe at President-elect Trump on Tuesday as he spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, quoting The Gettysburg Address to slam Trump's trade plans

President Xi added there was no reason to 'write off' economic globalization which he said had been wrongly blamed what 'what has gone wrong in our world'.

Later, he thanked Vice President Joe Biden, who is also attending the forum, for trying to improve relations.

'The basic interests of the people of both countries and the world need China and the United States to work hard, to form a long-term, stable cooperative relationship,' a statement issued to his office was translated as saying.

Outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry also took a swipe at the soon-to-be 45th President.

He won laughs from the audience with his comment the administration would only last 'one or two years'.

Kerry said he didn't truly believe Trump would follow through on some the international trade withdrawals he had promised because it would cause 'injury' to the country's 'credibility.'

'Take Iran for instance, if the US were to decide suddenly and say, "hey we're not going to pursue this"...we'll have made ourselves the odd person out.

'We'll have injured our own credibility. We will have done great injury to ourselves and it will last for a year, two years, however long the administration is there.'

America's economic relationship with the Chinese was a focal point of Trump's campaign and remains a priority of trade plans.

He has also rattled officials by threatening tariffs on Chinese-imported goods.

In his seven-point trade plan, he vows to have China labeled a 'currency manipulator' by the US treasury representative and has repeatedly promised to take back 'American jobs' from the country.

President-elect Trump, who will be sworn in on Friday, also wants to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multi-nation agreement drawn up earlier this year from which China was excluded.

Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Brunei, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru and Singapore are the other members.

President Xi (above shaking hands with forum founder Klaus Schwab) urged other countries to 'say no to protectionism'

He has also promised changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement, a 22-year-old agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico.

The US currently has free trade agreements with 13 other countries.

The Davos forum was flanked by security guards carrying anti-drone guns amid concerns of an attack on elite business and political figures.

Outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry joked that the Trump administration would only last 'one or two years'

Checkpoints, roadblocks and airspace restrictions have been put in place in the Swiss village, with an estimated 30million being spent on security.

Swiss authorities say the extra security cost for this year's gathering, which begins today, is around 7.4million, with the event usually costing around 23million to protect.

Website Zero Hedge, which was unable to identify the specific gun the troops were pictured with, reports that many drone guns need to be close to their target to destroy dangerous drones, which can be tricky if the device is carrying explosives.

But it added that jammers are able to disable drones from more than a mile away, and can potentially locate their pilots.

WEF founder Klaus Schwab described this year's event as an 'extraordinary moment in history'.

Schwab also noted that one-third of those at this year's meeting are from the emerging world, including the largest-ever delegations from China and India.

The event, which brought the world's leaders and several celebrities to the small Alpine town of Davos, was heavily guarded by armed security watchmen
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These are the amazing scenes which show a Russian-built fighter jet taking on a US Air Force F-16 in a mock dogfight - in what could be a sign that America is preparing for the possibility of war with Moscow.

The images were captured by air traffic controller Phil Drake in the skies above Area 51 in Nevada, one of the world's most secret military bases, on the day Donald Trump was elected President.

According to Drake, the aircraft in the photographs are a single seater Sukhoi Su-27P and America's veteran F-16.

He was visiting the desert surrounding Area 51 on November 8, the day of the Presidential election. He hoped to see some fast jets involved in a training mission.

This is the moment a US Air Force F-16 was photographed involved in a mock dogfight with a Russian SU-27 fighter

Air Traffic Controller Phil Drake said this aircraft was the Russian-built Sukoi SU-27P Flanker-B with Soviet style camouflague

The two jets, pictured here performed a series of high-speed head-on passes during the incredibly intense training mission

Here the F-16, left, approaches the Russian-built jet, right, during the mock dogfight high above the Nevada desert

The 42-year-old enthusiast from Hampshire in the UK said he thinks his images are the first of such an encounter in the United States.

He said the Russian jet was a Su-27P Flanker-B - which has never been officially imported into the United States.

'This aircraft was anonymous and unidentifiable, apart from the Soviet style camouflage it wore,' he said. 'After they finished their mission they flew into Groom Lake's highly restricted airspace.

Shooting from Tikaboo Valley, near Groom Lake (Area 51's official name), Drake had to push his camera zoom to the limit to document the incident.

He said: 'The planes were operating above 20,000 feet, and a couple of miles east of me, so the distance between me and the planes was at least six miles. They were literally specks in the sky, but of course that's the reason that no-one has photographed them before.

Drake believes these are the first pictures of a single-seat Sukhoi Su27 Flanker on a training mission inside the United States

The Sukhoi jet is believed to have been one of two purchased from Belarus in 1996 to evaluate the aircraft

The Sukhoi, pictured at the bottom of this frame appears to be diving in order to defend itself from the F-16

'Initially, during the mission, the aircraft were just outside of Area 51 airspace.

'The Americans practice air to air combat with Russian aircraft to give them an advantage in combat. They also try out new weapons systems on aircraft to test their effectiveness against a bona fide Russian-built target.

'The Flanker is rumoured to have been flying from Groom Lake for nearly 20 years, but no-one has ever managed a definitive photograph to prove it does exist. This sequence of photos is the first proof that the Americans are flying this aircraft, which is the premier Air Defence Fighter in use with the Russian and Chinese Air Forces.'

He continued: 'Things went quiet around 1300. Very quiet. Nothing moved for two hours and I was thinking of moving to another vantage point, such as Queen City Summit, or maybe the Powerlines Overlook. Then the sound of jet noise caught my attention and that's when I got my first sight of a Groom Lake Su-27 Flanker.

The Sukhoi was painted in the 1990s style camouflage and designed to make it more difficult to spot in the air

Drake went to the desert outside Area 51 in the hope of seeing jets flying out of nearby Nellis Air force base

Preparing for war? The F16 and the SU-27 engaged in their mock dogfight over the skies of Nevada on election day last year

Phil Drake, pictured, said the speed, distance and altitude of the jets meant it was difficult to focus on the pair of fighters

'Flying NE at around 30,000 feet leaving an intermittent contrail. The time was 1500 and the sun was moving to the west as the Flanker and a F-16 gave me a private 25 minute air display. The pair seemed to perform a series of head on intercepts at descending altitudes from 30,000 feet to around 20,000 feet, only a mile or two to the east of me.

'This meant they were beautifully illuminated by the afternoon sun. After the head on intercept, the pair would break into a turning dogfight, with the Flanker using it tremendous maneuverability to try and get behind the F-16.

'I took a long series of photographs, but as the aircraft were fairly high my autofocus couldn't cope. I had to shoot in manual mode, constantly moving the focusing ring to attempt to get some reasonable images.

'The Su-27 was clearly a single seater, a Su-27P Flanker-B.

'This Flanker was in the classic 1990's two-tone blue colour scheme, with white nose and white fin tips. A very different aeroplane. There had been rumours that the US had obtained two single seat Flankers from Belarus in 1996 or 1997, so I figured it should have been one of them.

'After the final dogfight, when I was lucky enough to catch on camera the F-16 flashing directly in front of the Flanker, the pair climbed back to 30,000 feet or so, and headed SW back into Groom Lake restricted airspace. Interestingly the Flanker left a solid contrail, while the F-16 left none despite being at a similar altitude.'

Area 51 is one of the most secretive locations in the world. The Nevada-based military testing facility has been a focal point of many conspiracy theorists and UFOlogists since the late 1970s, who claim that the base houses secretive alien technology.

The sprawling military complex sits between a dry lake bed to the north-east, and a small mountain to the west. It has long been fenced off from the public, with armed guards swarming the surrounding area.

The site has been confirmed as an historic test site for military aircraft.

Famous machines developed there include the U-2 spy plane, SR-71 Blackbird, and the F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter.
Wal-Mart plans to add about 10,000 retail jobs in the U.S. as it opens new stores and expands existing locations.

The world's biggest retailer said Tuesday that there will also be about 24,000 construction jobs generated by its expansion plans.

There will be 59 new, expanded and relocated Walmart and Sam's Clubs locations, according to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

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Wal-Mart plans to add about 10,000 retail jobs in the U.S. as it opens new stores and expands existing locations (file photo)

The company plans $6.8 billion in capital investments in the U.S. in the coming fiscal year, which begins on February 1.

The investments include construction and remodeling of stores, clubs and distribution centers, and the expansion of new services such as online grocery pickup.

Wal-Mart currently has 11,593 stores in 28 countries. The Bentonville, Arkansas, company has continued to pour money into its e-commerce and improving its stores.

There will be 59 new, expanded and relocated Walmart and Sam's Clubs locations, according to Wal-Mart Stores Inc (file photo)

The chain saw its online sales improve in the third-quarter and profit beat Wall Street's expectations. It also raised the low end of its full-year profit outlook.

Last week Amazon announced that it would add 100,000 full-time jobs over the next 18 months.

Amazon said Thursday its U.S. workforce has grown from 30,000 in 2011, to more than 180,000 by the end of this year.

By comparison, Walmart employs about 2.4million people worldwide, including 1.5 million in the U.S.

Several U.S. companies, particularly automakers, have announced plans to create jobs in the United States since the U.S. election victory of Donald Trump.

Trump, who takes office on January 20, has repeatedly singled out and criticized companies across industries for not doing more to keep jobs in the United States.
A group of Russian students have taken cheating to a new level after a university professor discovered what is believed to be the world's biggest cheat note.

The students prepared the note on a 12.1-foot-long roll of wallpaper ahead of their nuclear physics exam.

It was discovered in the city of Voronezh in south western Russia's Voronezh Oblast region.

Pictures of the roll were posted on social media, where they quickly went viral.

The giant cheat note included detailed answers to 35 questions on nuclear physics that lecturers had warned students to expect.

Images of the 12.1-foot-long cheat note went viral after they were posted on social media in Russia

However it is unclear how the students ever expected to be able to use the cheat note without being spotted by moderators in the physics faculty of Voronezh State University.

The photographs show students holding the rolled out cheat note, which they say took a week to prepare, while the professor who caught them looks on in amazement.

The students and the professor were not named in reports.

Images were posted alongside the caption: 'The professor told us that we would never pass the exam without cheat notes. There are 35 questions on that cheat note.'

Reports from Russia suggest that cheating is widespread in university exams, and many lecturers are apparently relaxed about it.


The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for much of western Oregon through 4 a.m. Thursday, but Linn and Benton county road managers say they arent anticipating any extensive problems.

The agency also issued a freezing rain advisory for 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tuesday for the mid-Willamette Valley and other areas of the state.

And, after several days of very cold temperatures, roads and sidewalks will be susceptible to ice accumulation, according to the NWS, and a slick coating of up to a tenth of an inch may form.

On Tuesday night, warm weather is expected to move the freezing level to 8,000 feet.

Sweet Home Public Works employees have been cleaning up cinders that were spread on icy streets over the last two weeks, in anticipation of changing weather, said director Mike Adams.

Our folks will be out Tuesday morning checking ditches and catch basins for potential blockages, Adams said.

Adams added that the city will continue to have a supply of free sand and sand bags in the municipal parking lot across from City Hall.

The snow is pretty well gone from the valley floor, so that makes a big difference, Adams said.

Linn and Benton County road managers said they are keeping an eye on the weather, but dont anticipate any major issues.

We have normal places where we have flooding and we have already had a few incidents of high water last week, Linn County Roadmaster Darrin Lane said. Were basically prepared to switch from plowing and sanding to putting up high water signs. We cant say which areas will be worse than others.

Lane said that every day the area doesnt get rain, the chances of flooding decreases, giving runoff time to escape without overflowing streams and rivers.

Benton County road manager Jim Stouder said he has been watching the forecast and, unless that forecast changes, we might have some localized flooding, but we are not expecting any major issues right now. We arent overly concerned at this point.

The mid-valley and much of Oregon has been blanketed with an unusual amount of snow and freezing temperatures the last two weeks. Overnight low temperatures have dropped into the mid-teens and daytime highs have hovered in the 30-degree range at times.

But the weather is expected to shift to a balmy mid-40s this week with a high of 51 on Wednesday. Overnight lows are expected to stay in the low- to mid-40s most of the week, until Friday, when it is expected to drop to 38.

Precipitation is expected every day, with 1.5 to 3 inches total forecast in the valley, and as much as four to eight inches on the Oregon coast.

The National Weather Service is warning people to watch for possible mudslides and debris flows, especially in areas below steep slopes.

Oregon experienced one of its worst winter flooding events in February 1996, when heavy snow and ice pack in the mountains melted rapidly due to unusually warm temperatures. Soils had been saturated before the freeze by extensive rainfall and when the snow and ice melted, rivers and streams overflowed.

Eight people died statewide  three of them from the mid-valley area  and there was an estimated $500 million in damage in the Pacific Northwest.
Brussels chief Donald Tusk, pictured, said the EU was 'ready to negotiate' with Britain after he welcomed Theresa May's 'realistic' plan for Brexit

Brussels chief Donald Tusk said the EU was 'ready to negotiate' with Britain after he welcomed Theresa May's 'realistic' plan for Brexit.

The EU Council President spoke with the Prime Minister tonight - but he kept her waiting while he completed calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande.

Germany offered a cautious welcome to her blueprint for Britain's EU divorce, praising her for offering 'clarity'.

But the country's foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned talks could still not begin until the UK formally signals its intent to leave.

Mrs May plans to do this before the end of March but is still awaiting a ruling from the UK Supreme Court on her powers for doing so.

Mr Steinmeier's calm response stood in stark contrast to angry MEPs, several of whom accused Mrs May of 'whining' and wanting to 'pick and choose' EU benefits.

Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator, warned Mrs May she would come up against fierce resistance in Brussels, writing on Twitter: 'The days of UK cherry-picking and Europe a la carte are over.'

The German minister confirmed Angela Merkel's government would confirm its own position on the Brexit negotiations tomorrow.

He said: 'We welcome that the British prime minister today sketched out her government's ideas about its departure and at last created a bit more clarity about the British plans.

'She has underlined that Great Britain is seeking a positive and constructive partnership, a friendship, with a strong EU. That is good.

Responding to Mrs May's speech, Mr Tusk said: 'Sad process, surrealistic times but at least more realistic announcement on Brexit'

Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator, warned Mrs May she would come up against fierce resistance in Brussels, writing on Twitter: 'The days of UK cherry-picking and Europe a la carte are over'

German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier offered a cautious welcome to Theresa May's Brexit speech this afternoon

'We also want a relationship that is as good, close and trusting and hope for constructive negotiations with this goal in mind.

'But our line and remains: negotiations will only begin when Great Britain has officially announced its desire to leave. Tomorrow we will vote in our Brexit cabinet committee on the German position during the upcoming negotiations.

'It is in Germany's interest and in the interest of Europe to strengthen the cohesion of the European Union of 27 members and preserve the unity of the single market.'

Responding to Mrs May's speech, Mr Tusk said: 'Sad process, surrealistic times but at least more realistic announcement on Brexit.

'EU27 united and ready to negotiate after Article 50.'

EU chief negotiator Michael Barnier said he was ready to start negotiations 'as soon as UK is'.

He said: 'Agreement on orderly exit is prerequisite for future partnership. My priority is to get the right deal for EU27.'

German Green Jan Philipp Albrecht said Mrs May was 'day dreaming' in her Brexit plan

Kathleen Van Brempt, a Belgian socialist, accused Mrs May of wanting to 'freely pick and choose' from the EU

Swedish Moderate MEP Christofer Fjellner tweeted the UK quitting the single market 'will come at a large cost'

A spokesman for EU Commission president Jean Claude Juncker said: 'President Juncker was briefed on Prime Minister May's speech with interest.

'He is in regular contact with the prime minister. A courtesy phone call is scheduled between the two leaders later today.'

Poland's Europe Minister Konrad Szymanski said: 'I agree with PM May that it is necessary to secure the rights of EU citizens in Britain and this issue should be one of the first to resolve.

'We are convinced that EU citizens residing in UK should be treated equally and keep the rights regarding employment, access to public services and social security systems.

'It is vital to have very precise and legally binding agreement so as to provide maximum clarity for our citizens in all possible situations.

'On the future of movement of people we respect that UK wants to control migration but any scheme must be proportionate and ensure fair treatment of all EU citizens regardless their professional profiles.'

European Council president Donald Tusk welcomed Mrs May's speech as a 'more realistic' approach to the coming Brexit negotiations

Jan Philipp Albrecht, a Green MEP for northern Germany, tweeted: 'May: Go f*** yourself EU but please don't let us down. *whine* *whine*

He added: 'Sad: Everything what #May tells her British people to achieve would be possible inside the European Union but will be daydreams outside it.'

French finance minister Michel Sapin said 'nobody was ready' for last summer's Brexit vote

Kathleen Van Brempt, a Belgian socialist, tweeted: 'The European Union is not a menu where the #UK can freely pick and choose to their liking. #Brexit.'

Swedish Moderate MEP Christofer Fjellner wrote: 'UK leaving the single market will come at a large cost. Negotiating new free trade deals with others to compensate won't be any easy task!'

Mrs May's speech began after French economy minister Michel Sapin claims 'nobody was ready' for last summer's Brexit vote.

Mr Sapin was responding directly to remarks made by Chancellor Philip Hammond that were seen as warning Britain was prepared to become a low tax, low regulation economy in a bid to compete with the EU in the absence of a good Brexit deal.

Mrs May is today delivering a long-awaited speech on her Brexit tactics and has promised to unveil a 12-point plan for her negotiations.

Theresa May, seen leaving No 10 today, is to set out her plan for the Brexit negotiations in a major speech today

But Mr Sapin told reporters today he was sceptical.

He said: 'We are in a situation of improvisation, a situation of going backwards and forwards between the position of engaging in gentle negotiations ... then taking a hard line that, allegedly, would allow for negotiations of better conditions.

'All this shows that the British government is helpless in the face of a situation that some of them did not want and that has created disagreement within it.

'France wants things to be clear in order to finally engage in these negotiations.

'At that point we will return to realities, not just postures.'

Mrs May's speech will be keenly watched across Europe to see if it reveals clues about Britain's opening gambit in the EU exit talks.

The Prime Minister has set a deadline of the end of March to invoke Article 50 of the EU treaties - the bloc's divorce procedure - and start two years of formal exit talks.

The EU Commission refused to comment today ahead of Mrs May's speech.

But sources in Brussels told ITV that 'nobody understands what Theresa May wants in terms of customs union' and warned they would stand by a rule of 'no cherry picking' of EU benefits.
A man is wanted for questioning after a victim was indecently assaulted at a toilet block.

Geelong Sexual Offences police put out an image of a man wanted for questioning in connection with the incident, according to the Geelong Advertiser.

The image shows a man with a mustache, blue eyes and greying reddish hair.

Geelong Sexual Offences police put out this image of a man wanted for questioning in connection with a sexual assault

The alleged assault happened at the Queens Park Reserve, Victoria, at 7pm on December 26 last year, the Geelong Advertiser reported.

The victim reportedly entered a public toilet cubicle before the male offender allegedly committed the assault.

The suspect reportedly apologised to the victim before leaving the toilets.

The offender was described as a man aged between 40 and 50, with red/gray hair.

Anyone with information is being urged to contact Detective Senior Constable Wes Martin at the Geelong Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team on 5223 7222 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A boy, 12, has allegedly forced a woman to touch his penis and then pushed a 13-year-old girl into bushes in broad daylight.

Police will allege the boy grabbed the 23-year-old woman's arm and forced her to grab his penis on Saturday at Riverway, Queensland, Townsville Bulletin reported.

The woman reportedly then punched the boy in the face, before the boy pushed a 13-year-old girl into some bushes and groped 'various parts of her body'.

The 12-year-old boy was arrested on Saturday at Willows Shopping Centre (stock)

Townsville Child Protection Investigation Unit office-in-charge, detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles, said the teenage girl was able to break free from the boy and ran away.

The 12-year-old boy was arrested that day at Willows Shopping Centre, where police believe he was about to commit further offences.

The alleged assault spree on Saturday follows accusations he sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman in her front yard earlier this month.

He allegedly grabbed the woman on January 9 at Whitsunday Drive in Kirwan before running away.

The alleged assault spree on Saturday follows accusations he sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman in her front yard at Whitsunday Drive (pictured) in Kirwan earlier this month

The boy will face Townsville Children's Court (stock image) on January 25 on six counts of sexual assault, two counts of common assault, and one count of trespass

Sen-Sgt Miles said the boy made no attempts to conceal his behaviour and said the sexual assaults were 'opportunistic'.

'We will also allege that it appears there was an escalation in offending,' Sen-Sgt Miles said.

'He was becoming more forceful in his activities.'

The boy will face Townsville Children's Court on January 25 on six counts of sexual assault, two counts of common assault, and one count of trespass.
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They breed them tough in the Northern Territory.

Monsoonal rains drench the tropics after the build-up and throughout the hot, sweaty summer.

All year round, monster crocodiles lurk by the edges of Top End waterholes, waiting for a human meal or an unwary buffalo.

A pair of four-metre saltwater crocodiles are loaded on to a lugger by the Daly River, southwest of Darwin, during the 1930s

Two children sit on top of a shot buffalo in the Northern Territory some time in 1919. The exact location in the NT isn't known

Incredible historic images show how the prehistoric reptiles were hunted close to extinction before crocodile hunting was banned in 1971.

An image from the 1930s shows a pair of four-metre saltwater crocodiles strung up the neck on ropes by the Daly River, southwest of Darwin.

They are being loaded onto a lugger known as the 'Maroubra', named after a beach in Sydney.

The owner of the lugger Jack Hales features on an image published by the Northern Territory Archives Service.

Fred Smith, an early buffalo shoot based at Point Stuart, east of Darwin, during the early 1920s. (Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland)

Buffalo shooters in the Northern Territory in 1917, almost 100 years after the feral creatures were introduced to the Top End

A new beast arrived on the scene during the 1820s when buffalos came to the Northern Territory from Asia.

Legendary buffalo shooter Robert Joel Cooper shot dead about 10,000 of the pests at Malay Bay, near Arnhem Land, during the 1820s.

Melville Island, which received the first imported buffaloes, was where indigenous stockmen skinned them.

A stockman breaking a horse at the Oenpelli mission, east of Kakadu, during the 1950s

By the 1920s, their hides were transported on the back of early-model trucks by the Mary River.

The incredible images of the Top End's hunter frontier history feature on the Northern Territory Facebook page.

It also features an indigenous stockman breaking a horse during the 1950s and dried fish being transported on a horse-drawn cart in 1914.

Australia's northern frontier has survived devastating cyclones and World War II bombings, and plenty of beasts.
Russia has been showing off a new tank-launched weapon which can be fired at incoming NATO missiles.

A video released by Russia's Defence Ministry shows soldiers in snow-camouflage firing the Tor system, which is designed to protect buildings from missile attack.

But the Tor could be used against anti-tank missiles in a war situation and it would even take out the Paveway laser-guided 'bunker buster' bomb which has been dropped by US planes during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

A Russian soldier in snow-camouflage prepares to fire the missile from a tank

The Russians say the missile, which is currently deployed in Belarus, not far from the Polish border, has a success rate of 80 percent.

The missile was built at the JSC Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant, which is owned by the state-owned Almaz-Antey company.

The Tor replaces a Soviet era missile system of the same name, which was developed in 1975 and was designed to shoot down NATO cruise missiles.

The missile shoots into the star and blows up the target missile

The target missile is seen falling out of the sky

The Russians exported some of these old Tor missiles to Iran, Egypt, Venezuela and even Greece, which is a NATO member.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has been investing billions in modernising his country's armed forces in recent years as an increasingly frosty 'new cold war' broke out with America under the Obama administration and its Nato allies, especially Poland and the Baltic states.

The world is waiting for Donald Trump to be inaugurated in Washington on Friday, amid signals from the President-elect that he will smooth over relations with Moscow and also downgrade NATO, which he referred to last weekend as 'obsolete'.

The Tor missile system could be deployed along Russia's western border or even in Belarus

Many European countries, especially those who were once in the Moscow-dominated Warsaw Pact, are fearful of the increasingly aggressive Russian bear.

In 2014 Putin annexed the Crimea and supported ethnic Russian rebels fighting the Ukrainian government, even supplying them with a surface-to-air missile which they used to accidentally shoot down a Malaysian airliner, with the loss of 298 lives.

Now it has emerged that the Russians have installed a number of S-400 'Growler' missiles at its naval base in Sevastapol in the Crimea.

The S-400 is designed to destroy planes flying as fast as three miles a second.

The Growler missiles (pictured, being deployed near Moscow) have now been deployed at Sevastapol in the Crimea
Local Miss Teen USA officials are upset that the new owners of the competition have scrapped the swimsuit portion of the beauty pageant, after buying the show from President-elect Donald Trump.

WME/IMG paid a reported $22million to buy the competition - as well as Miss Universe and Miss USA - from Mr Trump in September 2015, when Univision dropped the rights to air the shows over the then-presidential candidate's controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants.

The company hasn't made major changes to the competitions until this past summer, when the Miss Teen USA pageant was held.

Officials for the Miss Teen USA competition are upset that the new owners have replaced the swimsuit portion with an activewear portion (this year's competition pictured, from July)

Instead of a swimwear competition, the talent company had contestants show off their best activewear looks to highlight the importance of physical fitness - a change that had local officials reeling.

'The girls are very proud of their bodies and work hard to get that way,' Paula Miles, a state director who oversees the pageants in Louisiana, Alabama and the Carolinas, told the New York Post.

Changes coming: Miss USA Deshauna Barber participates in a swimwear fashion show in the Philippines on Tuesday; Miss Universe will be held on January 29 and the swimsuit competition will feature a change - women will come out in groups of four instead of individually

Now, officials are bracing for more changes to the Miss Universe pageant, which airs January 29.

While the swimsuit competition will remain, contestants will walk out in bikinis in groups of four instead of individually.

Michael Antinoro, the company's head of production, says that the changes are long overdue.

He says beauty pageants need to be about more than 'women walking on the stage in swimsuits and gowns and not messing up a question'.

'Anecdotally speaking, beauty pageants are not politically forward-thinking,' Antinoro said, adding that 'we want to empower women to get away from [stereotypes like] "you look like a beauty queen."'

This year's Miss Universe, which will be broadcast on Fox, will be three hours long and feature video clips on the individual competitors.

Competitors will also be asked more hard hitting questions on topics like gun control.

Steve Harvey will remain the competition's host, despite mistakenly announced the wrong winner at least year's pageant.
This is the terrifying moment a gang of Eastern European thugs try to run down a have-a-go-hero after he catches them fly-tipping outside his home.

Footage shows Robert Traynor, 36, telling the litterers 'this is not how we live in this country' when the yobs suddenly get in the car and accelerate towards him.

Traynor manages to step out of the way as the vehicle comes just inches from mowing him down at 6.30pm on Thursday 12.

Footage shows Robert Traynor, 36, telling the litterers 'this is not how we live in this country' when the yobs suddenly get in the car and accelerate towards him

The grounds worker, of Pear Tree Crescent in Normanton, Derby, said: 'I had to take a stand and do something. It made me very angry.

'I started to film them and shouted to say what they were doing was wrong.

'It disgusted me. Within seconds, everybody is back in the car and it was driven at me. I could not believe it.

'I felt very shocked and scared. I jumped out the way because I thought I was going to be run over and flattened by them.

'Their actions and the way they drove at me was terrible. I could have been left seriously injured if they had made contact with me.

'My fear is if adults are doing this, then their children will end up the same way. The problem won't go away. We're fed up of having to live like this.'

'Fly-tipping is a massive problem in this area. It's non-stop,' Traynor said. 'We want to live in a tidy and nice environment. People cannot go around and just dump rubbish

The 30-second clip shows Traynor filming the men from his mobile and telling them: 'I will film you mate, let us get your number plate.

'Why are you chucking your stuff on the streets man? It's not how we live in this country.'

But as Traynor moves around the front of the vehicle to get a clearer look at the numberplate the car pulls off and drives straight at him

He said: 'I could see eight or nine full black bags being chucked on the street and I was speechless.

'Fly-tipping is a massive problem in this area. It's non-stop.

'We want to live in a tidy and nice environment. People cannot go around and just dump rubbish.

'I hope the footage can be helpful to the police. I think we do need to take a stand locally and people should record them.

'They had a Latvian number plate and were speaking an Eastern European language. It just appalled me that they thought they could dump their rubbish on the street.'

Derbyshire police said they were aware of the incident and officers would be meeting Traynor to discuss what happened.
A seven-year-old girl from Louisiana is showing law enforcement officers appreciation in a special way: one hug at a time.

Rosalyn has made it her goal to travel around the country to greet an officer in every state with a hug and a sticker.

Her parents set up a GoFundMe in hopes of raising travel funds and want to help their young daughter complete her goal.

Seven-year-old Rosalyn from Louisiana has made it her goal to travel around the country to greet law enforcement officers in every state with a hug and a sticker

Rosalyn's parents set up a GoFundMe in hopes of raising travel funds and want to help their young daughter complete her goal of meeting law enforcement officers. Pictured above, Rosalyn greets officials

With the journey just beginning this January, young Rosalyn has already met officers in Louisiana and Mississippi

With the journey just beginning this January, young Rosalyn has already met officers in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Rosalyn's mother, ALynn Baldwin, said that the effort they've decided to call RosalynLoves emerged after her daughter was moved by the 'heroic and sacrificial efforts of many law enforcement officers'.

After a day at church, Rosalyn, whose father is a pastor, told her parents: 'I want to hug all of the police officers in every state. It's in my heart.'

Though her journey has just begun, Rosalyn already has photos with several law enforcement officers.

The Hinds County Sheriff's Office outside Jackson, Mississippi, even posted a video of Rosalyn meeting its Sheriff, Victor Mason.

Rosalyn's mother, ALynn Baldwin, said they've decided to call the movement 'RosalynLoves'. The came to be after her daughter was moved by the 'heroic and sacrificial efforts of many law enforcement officers'

Though her journey has just begun, Rosalyn already has photos with several law enforcement officers

The Hinds County Sheriff's Office outside Jackson, Mississippi, even posted a video of Rosalyn meeting its Sheriff, Victor Mason. Mason gifts the young girl with a sheriff's office-themed blanket, a T-shirt and her own sheriff patch to sew on to her jacket

Rosalyn is seen running up to Mason and giving him a hug and a sticker.

Mason, visibly grateful for Rosalyn's visit, gifts the young girl with a sheriff's office-themed blanket, a T-shirt and her own sheriff patch to sew on to her jacket.

'Rosalyn's mission is to journey throughout the country as a beacon of light, love and joy, uniting communities by demonstrating her sincere love and appreciation for those who have committed their lives to serving and protecting the people of our nation,' a mission statement on a website for RosalynLoves says.

Baldwin asks that the public help fund 'this dream of love' that Rosalyn has created.

A Facebook page for the movement says that RosalynLoves 'Follows the mission of a little girl as she seeks to share unity, love and appreciation to the Law Enforcement of our great nation one hug at a time'.

Rosalyn's mother said that her daughter's goal is to be 'a beacon of light, love and joy, uniting communities by demonstrating her sincere love and appreciation' for law enforcement officers. The girl's family has also created a website for people to follow her journey

Rosalyn's mother asks that the public help fund 'this dream of love' that Rosalyn has created
Theresa May today unveiled her ambitious, 12-point plan for Brexit that put control of immigration at its heart.

Other top priorities will be ending the jurisdiction of European judges over British law, pulling the UK out of Europe's single market but promising business 'certainty wherever we can' during the tumultuous negotiations.

There were also pledges to guarantee the rights of European citizens currently living in the UK and British expats in Britain.

Theresa May today unveiled her ambitious, 12-point plan for Brexit that put control of immigration at the heart

Here is the 12-point plan in full:

1. 'Certainty and clarity' and a vote for Parliament on final deal

Mrs May warned there will be 'give and take' in the upcoming negotiations, compromises will be inevitable and 'not everybody will be able to know everything at every stage'.

But she promised she will give MPs and peers a vote on the final deal that is agreed between the UK and the EU - expected to be in early 2019.

2. 'Control of our own laws'

The UK will take control of our own affairs once again by ending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, the Prime Minister announced.

She said laws will only be made in Westminster, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, adding: 'Those laws will be interpreted by judges not in Luxembourg but in courts across this country.'

3. Strengthen the United Kingdom

Mrs May's third pledge is to strengthen the precious union between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

She said it is 'more important than ever that we face the future together' because we are 'united by what makes us strong: the bonds that unite us as a people, and our shared interest in the UK being an open, successful trading nation in the future.'

She assured this would not mean any devolved powers being removed from the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland institutions.

4. No hard border in Ireland

The PM promised to reach a 'practical solution' to maintain the Common Travel Area with the Republic of Ireland.

She pointed out that the freedom to move between Northern Ireland and the Republic had been in place since before both nations joined the EU.

'Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past, so we will make it a priority to deliver a practical solution as soon as we can,' she said.

5. Regain control of immigration

Britain will 'control immigration to Britain from Europe' by scrapping freedom of movement rules, Mrs May said in one of the most important pledges of her speech.

She insisted the UK will 'continue to attract the brightest and the best' to work and study here but said the process will be 'managed properly so that our immigration system serves the national interest'.

It means the years of open borders between Britain and the 27 other EU member states will be slammed shut when we cut ties with Brussels.

Appealing to her European rivals not to punish Britain, Mrs May said her approach to free trade will prioritise Europe. She wants a 'bold and ambitious free trade agreement with the European Union' that allows the 'freest possible trade in goods and services' between Britain and the other 27 EU member states

Mrs May warned there will be 'give and take' in the upcoming negotiations, compromises will be inevitable and 'not everybody will be able to know everything at every stage'

6. Rights of EU nationals in Britain and British expats in Europe

Mrs May promised to reach a deal with her European rivals 'as soon as we can' to guarantee the rights of EU nationals already living in the UK to stay here after Brexit.

She said this would involve a reciprocal deal for British expats living on the continent to remain there.

7. Protect workers' rights

In a bid to reassure and win the backing of trade unions and the Labour party the PM said her EU deal will not only translate EU law on workers' rights into UK law but said she will 'build on them'.

8. Free trade deal with European markets

Appealing to her European rivals not to punish Britain, Mrs May said her approach to free trade will prioritise Europe.

She wants a 'bold and ambitious free trade agreement with the European Union' that allows the 'freest possible trade in goods and services' between Britain and the other 27 EU member states.

9. New trade deals with the rest of the world

When Britain frees itself from EU rules banning us from striking individual deals with other nations it will 'increase significantly its trade with the fastest growing export markets in the world'.

Branding her trade policy 'global Britain,' she said: 'Since joining the EU, trade as a percentage of GDP has broadly stagnated in the UK.

'That is why it is time for Britain to get out into the world and rediscover its role as a great, global, trading nation.'

She promised that the International Trade Secretary Liam Fox will lead the charge to strike new trade deals with the likes of China, Brazil, the US and the Commonwealth.

Theresa May said that the International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, pictured arriving at her speech in Lancaster House with Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green, will lead the charge to strike new trade deals with the likes of China, Brazil, the US and the Commonwealth

10. To make Britain the best place for science and innovation

Mrs May said her vision of 'global Britain' must also be a country that looks to the future'.

'That means being one of the best places in the world for science and innovation,' she said as she promised not to cut back but to deepen our collaboration with our European partners on major science, research and technology initiatives.

11. Cooperation to fight terrorism

She also pledged that leaving the EU will not mean any weakening of our partnership with Europe on fighting crime and terrorism.

Terrorism is a threat that cannot be dealt with bilaterally and Europe must 'face the challenge of cross-border crime, a deadly terrorist threat, and the dangers presented by hostile states' together, Mrs May said.

This would mean our authorities continuing to share intelligence material with our EU allies, as well as a keeping the united resistance to Russian aggression whether through sanctions of through the Nato military alliance.

12. A 'smooth, orderly Brexit'

Finally, the Prime Minister promised that she will pursue all of her objectives in a 'smooth and orderly' approach in the negotiations.

She promised to protect business from a 'cliff-edge' scenario where they are left stranded in a regulatory no man's land.

Instead, she promised a 'phased process of implementation,' where institutions in Britain, Brussels and EU member states prepare for the new arrangements and give businesses enough time to plan and prepare for the new partnerships.

'This might be about our immigration controls, customs systems or the way in which we cooperate on criminal justice matters.

'Or it might be about the future legal and regulatory framework for financial services. For each issue, the time we need to phase-in the new arrangements may differ. Some might be introduced very quickly, some might take longer. And the interim arrangements we rely upon are likely to be a matter of negotiation.

'But the purpose is clear: we will seek to avoid a disruptive cliff-edge, and we will do everything we can to phase in the new arrangements we require as Britain and the EU move towards our new partnership.'




A mother to a newborn baby has shared a hilarious video of her sliding out of his room as he drifted off to sleep.

The funny footage shows Caryn Morris, of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal Province, Eastern South Africa, slithering out of her tot's room on her back so she doesn't disturb him.

The footage was posted on social media by her husband, Tyrone, who said he could not stop giggling when he saw it.

After spending hours trying to send her baby, Brody, to sleep, Caryn Morris slid out of his room on her back

The 32-year-old had just managed to get her 15-month-old son, Brody, to go to bed after spending hours trying to send him to sleep.

She said: 'We had guests at home for dinner and because he sensed people were around he was moaning and wanted to get out the cot. Every time I walked out the room he would stand up and moan.

'I decided to sit on the floor next to the cot so he could see me. He then just lay there with his eyes a little bit open. I lay back and noticed he didn't flinch or move or try and get out the cot.

'I slithered a little bit and he still remained on his side. Before I knew I had made it out the door and he hadn't moved. I was too nervous to go back in the room to see if his eyes were open.'

Caryn then went back to her guests to share the Mission impossible-esque exit by showing the footage from a camera that had been set up in his room.

Her husband said it made him laugh so much he had to share it with his friends online.

It has since gone viral.

She managed to successfully get out of his room without waking him up, and showed the hilarious footage to her friends afterwards

Her husband, Tyrone, decided to put the video online, where it has since gone viral

One viewer said: 'This is like mission impossible: babies edition. That was definitely a 007 move Craig Daniel should interview you for his next movie. Those who are laughing... you know you have done this too. This is hysterical Caz and sadly I can relate.'

Another added: 'That's like a scene from Paranormal Activity! and Caryn! I've also had to sneak out plenty times but I have never tried the reverse leopard crawl... this is next level! Hats off to you!'

The teacher said she was shocked so many had commented on her exit strategy.

This is not the first time the couple have shared footage from their baby camera.

Last month they shared footage of their youngster trying to change his own nappy.
Patricia Baumgartner, 75, of Corvallis died Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Crown Memorial is handling arrangements.

David A. Brawn, 81, of Corvallis died Friday at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. A memorial service will be announced at a later date. McHenry Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Patricia Anne Dollar, 74, of Albany died Friday at the Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Fisher Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Arnold A. Hahn, 92, of Blodgett died Saturday at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. McHenry Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Dolores J. Johnson, 86, of Corvallis died Saturday at Corvallis Manor. McHenry Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Bradford W. Nudd, 69, died Saturday in Corvallis. Please leave condolences for the family at www.mchenryfuneralhome.com

Irene E. Wetherell, 86, of Lebanon died Saturday at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. Huston-Jost Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Erma Marie Teverbaugh, 96, of Lebanon died Saturday at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. Huston-Jost Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Tim Farron accused Theresa May of a 'theft of democracy' today as he led the pro-EU response to her Brexit speech.

The Liberal Democrat leader - who has demanded a second referendum on the EU despite only having nine MPs - said nobody voted for Britain's exit from the EU single market.

His claim comes despite key figures on both sides of last year's referendum battle making clear single market membership would end after Brexit.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron accused Theresa May of a 'theft of democracy' today as he led the pro-EU response to her Brexit speech

The Prime Minister made clear for the first time today Britain could not be a single market member while securing her objectives of controlling immigration and striking trade deals.

Mr Farron said: 'Theresa May has confirmed Britain is heading for a Hard Brexit. She claimed people voted to Leave the Single Market. They didn't.

'She has made the choice to do massive damage to the British economy.

'Theresa May also made clear that she will deny the people a vote on the final deal. So instead of a democratic decision by the people in the country, she wants a stitch-up by politicians in Westminster.

'The people voted for departure, they should be given a vote on the destination. This is a theft of democracy.'

He added: 'When it comes to British prosperity and British democracy, she is waiving the white flag from the White Cliffs of Dover.'

Mrs May used a major speech on her Brexit plan to confirm Britain would leave the single market as part of a 12-point plan

Leading Tory remainer Anna Soubry welcomed the announcement of a Commons vote on the final deal.

She tweeted: 'PM's speech has much to commend it & tone spot on. Wish she'd said it in Parliament before party conference!

'I will continue to campaign for single market and free movement. With good transitional arrangements PM has rejected hard Brexit and that's v good news.

'Parliament will vote on the final deal - now let's have a white paper, scrutiny and debate.'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'Theresa May has made clear that she is determined to use Brexit to turn Britain into a bargain basement tax haven on the shores of Europe. She makes out this is a negotiating threat to the 27 EU countries but it's actually a threat to the British people's jobs, services and living standards.

'We welcome that the Prime Minister has listened to the case we've been making about the need for full tariff free access to the single market but are deeply concerned about her reckless approach to achieving it.

'This speech should have been given in Parliament where MPs could ask her questions on behalf of their constituents.

'She talks about Brexit restoring parliamentary sovereignty but, once again, she is determined to avoid real scrutiny of her plans.'

Roland Rudd, Chairman of Open Britain, said: 'As the Chancellor has said, no one voted to be poorer and it would be an act of calamitous self-harm if any second-best trade arrangement with the EU damaged British growth, jobs and prosperity.

'By threatening to walk away without a deal, the Prime Minister has raised the very real prospect of us defaulting onto WTO rules and erecting punishing tariffs and regulatory barriers between ourselves and our largest trading partner.'
Millennials who have just completed college believe that they are worse off now than they were before Barack Obama entered the White House, a new poll found on Tuesday.

Young America's Foundation said that its annual Youth Misery Index found that millennials are saddled with more debt and have less job opportunities than they did eight years ago.

'Over the course of Obama's presidency, the YMI has spiked an alarming 29.9 points, an increase of 36 percent,' the group said.

'Young Americans, a generation that provided critical support to the President in 2008 and 2012, have slogged through the last eight years, and will be chained to its impact on their futures for years to come,' it continued.

'The youth unemployment rate is almost 15 percent and the average student in the class of 2016 graduated with a record $37,000 in student loan debt.'

A new 'youth misery index' shows that millennials are worse off now than they were before Barack Obama became president eight years ago. Obama is seen above greeting young supporters in Eugene, Oregon, during his campaign for president in 2008.

'National debt per capita, a remarkable burden that will fall squarely on the shoulders of millennials, is approaching $62,000.'

YAF says it calculates the index by adding up youth unemployment, student loan debt, and national debt per capita.

The latest figures from 2017  113.4  is up from a year ago, when it registered 109.9

When Obama took office in 2009, the figure was 83.5.

The increased federal spending on student loans coupled with the inflated national debt has left young people with bleak prospects, according to YAF.

'President Obama has done his young supporters a remarkable disservice by running up the national debt at an incredible rate while failing to adequately address the student loan crisis,' said Ron Robinson, president of Young America's Foundation.

Young America's Foundation said that its annual Youth Misery Index found that millennials are saddled with more debt and have less job opportunities than they did eight years ago. Above is a photo of graduates at a commencement ceremony at City College of New York in June

'Young people are increasingly conscious of the Left's inability to offer practical solutions to the problems they face every single day.'

Meanwhile, as Donald Trump approaches his inauguration, another poll indicates that young Americans have a deeply pessimistic view about his incoming administration, with young blacks, Latinos and Asian Americans particularly concerned about what's to come in the next four years.

That's according to a new GenForward poll of Americans aged 18 to 30, which found that the country's young adults are more likely to expect they'll be worse off at the end of Trump's first term than better off.

Such young Americans are also far more likely to think Trump will divide the country than unite it, by a 60 percent to 19 percent margin.

Fifty-two percent of young whites, 72 percent of Latinos, 66 percent of Asian-Americans and 70 percent of blacks think Trump's presidency will lead to a more divided nation.

As Donald Trump approaches his inauguration as president, young blacks, Latinos and Asian Americans particularly concerned about what's to come in the next four years. A Hillary Clinton supporter is seen above watching the results on Election Night in New York

'Minority people are very afraid of all the rhetoric that he ran upon (in) his campaign,' said Jada Selma, a 28-year-old African-American graduate school student living in Atlanta.

'Anytime he mentioned black people, he would talk about poor people or inner city. He would think that all of us live in the inner city and that we're all poor.'

'If you're not a straight white male, then I don't think he's looking out for you as an American,' she said.

GenForward is a survey of adults age 18 to 30 by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Under a Trump (above) presidency, about two-thirds of young blacks, Asian-Americans and Latinos think things will get worse for people of color, and whites are also more likely to expect things to get worse than better for minorities

The first-of-its-kind poll pays special attention to the voices of young adults of color, highlighting how race and ethnicity shape the opinions of a new generation.

The poll found that 54 percent of young people overall say life for people of color will be worse with Trump as president.

About two-thirds of young blacks, Asian-Americans and Latinos think things will get worse for people of color, and whites are also more likely to expect things to get worse than better for minorities, 46 percent to 21 percent.

Overall, 40 percent of young adults think they personally will be worse off four years from now, while just 23 percent expect to be better off.

Young people of color are significantly more likely to think they will be worse off than better off, while young whites are more split in their personal expectations.

Kuinta Hayle, a 21-year-old African-American from Charlotte, said she is worried that Trump's selection for attorney general, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, could roll back civil rights.

She said Trump's foray into 'birtherism,' during which he propagated the lie that Obama was not born in the United States, still bothered her.

'That was very meaningful. It still hurts,' Hayle said.

'He doesn't know anything about my life or the lives of people who aren't like him. I feel Donald Trump is only for rich people. Obama was for people who didn't have much.'

Although he had a decisive win in the Electoral College, Trump lost the overall popular vote to opponent Hillary Clinton and has done little to reach out to those who didn't support him in November's election.

He focused his post-election 'Thank You' tour on states he won, settling scores on stage as he boasted about his surprising electoral victory.

Over the weekend, Trump tore into Georgia Rep. John Lewis, among the most revered leaders of the civil rights movement, for questioning the legitimacy of his victory and saying he would not attend Friday's inauguration.

As for Obama's presidency, young Americans are split on whether he has done more to unite or divide Americans, 38 percent to 35 percent, with 26 percent saying it did neither.

Young blacks (57 percent to 16 percent), Latinos (57 percent to 19 percent) and Asian Americans (46 percent to 27 percent) are far more likely to say Obama united than divided Americans.

But young whites are more likely to say, by a 46 percent to 26 percent margin, that Obama's presidency was a dividing force.

Indeed, not all young Americans are pessimistic about the incoming president.

The poll also showed a divide among racial lines over Obama's legacy. Minorities are more likely to say Obama united the country, while whites are more likely to say that the he was a divisive figure. Black Lives Matter supporters are seen above in Memphis on Monday

'He'll be good for the economy. He's a businessman and he'll bring more jobs back,' said Francisco Barrera, 26, of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, who voted for Trump.

'I think he's going to do good and he's going to end this political correctness. You can't even say 'God' in the schools no more. Trump will put him back.'

A majority of young adults think Trump will go down in history as not a very good president or a poor one.

Young people of color are particularly likely to think Trump's presidency will be not good or poor, but even young whites are more likely to expect that than to think it will be good or great, 48 percent to 27 percent.

Young Americans are divided as to whether Trump will accomplish his campaign promises.

While most think he'll probably cut taxes for the rich and more than half of young people (59 percent) think Trump will deport millions of immigrants living in the country illegally, just 39 percent expect that he will be successful in building a wall along the Mexican border.

However, about half of young Hispanics think that Trump is likely to build a border wall.

And more than 7 in 10 young people believe he will definitely or probably succeed at repealing the Affordable Care Act.

'He's not even been inaugurated yet and he's already alienating people,' said Greg Davis, a white 28-year-old graduate student living in Columbus, Ohio.

'He's still parroting the alt-right's messages. His policy ideas I think would be awful. His nominees for Cabinet positions are disastrous. He's nominating people who have the exactly the wrong ideas.'

'I think it's going to be a disaster,' Davis said.

The poll of 1,823 adults age 18-30 was conducted Dec. 9-12, 2016 using a sample drawn from the probability-based GenForward panel, which is designed to be representative of the US young adult population.

The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The survey was paid for by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago, using grants from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
Caroline Kennedy released a farewell address to the Japanese people on Sunday, as her term as ambassador comes to an end.

The 59-year-old daughter of President John F. Kennedy was appointed to the position in 2013 by President Obama.

In her video, she called serving as ambassador to the United States' 'closest friend and ally' the 'greatest privilege' of her life.

Scroll down for full transcript

'I want to thank the people of Japan for taking me and my family into their hearts, right from the beginning.

'I was nervous when I presented my credentials to his majesty, the Emperor, but there were so many people waving and smiling at me that I knew it was going to be wonderful,' Kennedy said.

Kennedy recalled some of the highlights of her three years in Japan in the video, thanking the people who helped track down the woman who sent her hina dolls when she was first daughter and first sparked her love of Japan.

I want to thank the people of Japan for taking me and my family into their hearts, right from the beginning. Caroline Kennedy, U.S. Ambassador to Japan

Another memorable experience was meeting the wife of the man who captained the Japanese destroyer that crashed into her father's boat in World War II.

That meeting made Kennedy 'feel that I was helping to fulfill his wish that our two great democracies would work together to build a more peaceful world.'

President Kennedy and first lady Jackie are revered figures in Japan, and Caroline is considered by many in the country as American royalty.

She said it was touching to meet so many people who had memorized her father's inaugural address and told her how they 'admired' her mother.

Kennedy thanked Prime Minister Shinzo Abe 'for working to strengthen our alliance of hope' by hosting President Obama at Hiroshima, and then visiting the site of the Pearl Harbor attack just last month.

Caroline Kennedy was the first woman to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Japan. She is pictured above greeting Emperor Akihito at the beginning of her term in 2013

Caroline Kennedy is the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jackie Kennedy

Among some of the accomplishments she made during her three years was working with the Japanese government to return more than 10,000 acres of land in north Okinawa last month that the U.S. has used for military purposes since the end of WWII. It was the largest return of land to the Japanese government since 1972.

She lauded the people of Okinawa for helping her 'better understand their struggle and our shared history'.

Kennedy gave a special shout out to the women of Japan, for 'inspiring me to believe even more strongly that when women succeed, nations succeed'.

'A great change is taking place and I have total confidence in the ability of Japanese women to lead this country. I want to thank the teachers, business leaders and family members who are supporting and mentoring them and who realize that they are too talented to sit on the sidelines,' Kennedy says.

Japan has long been a male-dominated society, but women have been enjoying a newfound prominence in politics and business - a change signaled by Kennedy's appointment as the first female U.S. Ambassador to the country.

In the video, Kennedy says receiving hina dolls from a Japanese woman while she was first daughter first sparked her interest in the country

Kennedy was nominated to the position by President Obama (pictured together, right) in 2013. She praised Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for working to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance (pictured together, left)

Kennedy ended her speech by welcoming all Japanese students to visit the U.S. and promising to return in the future.

'So even though I will be leaving, I don't have to say goodbye. I will be taking all of these gifts, these lessons and these memories home with me and I hope to come back and visit,' Kennedy says.

As soon as the clip was uploaded this weekend, the comments were flooded with words of gratitude from the Japanese people.

Kennedy's term will come to an end on Friday, as President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated. She will be replaced with an ambassador of his choosing.

It's been reported that Trump is leaning towards nominating William Hagerty, a Tennessee businessman who served as an economic adviser to President George H.W. Bush. Hagerty spent several years in Tokyo with a management consultancy group.

A spokesman for Kennedy said she plans to return to her home state of New York. It's still unclear whether she will continue a career in politics.
President-elect Donald Trump is taking a belt-and-suspenders approach to the oath of office, pledging to protect and defend the Constitution using both the 'Lincoln Bible' and one he was presented as a boy in 1955.

Trump will take the oath on the same burgundy velvet-bound bible used by Abraham Lincoln for his 1861 inauguration, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced.

It's the same bible that Barack Obama used for both of his inaugurations, although the official release doesn't mention his name, only that it got used in '1861, 2009, and 2013.'

Trump additionally plans to take the oath on the bible he was given by his mother when he graduated from Sunday Church Primary School at First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, New York, in 1955.

President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office on a family bible presented to him by hit mother in 1955 (pictured), along with a bible used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861

In his first inaugural address, President Lincoln appealed to the better angels of our nature, said inaugural chairman Tom Barrack.

As he takes the same oath of office 156 years later, President-elect Trump is humbled to place his hand on Bibles that hold special meaning both to his family and to our country,' Barrack added.

Trump plans to have dinner with Barrack in Washington tonight.

Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, who famously flubbed Obama's inauguration in 2009  then had to stage a do-over to make sure Obama had legitimately taken the oath  will administer the oath to Trump.

Barrack's reference to Lincoln's 'better angels' quote appears to be a call to unity after a divisive campaign, which itself has been followed by new revelations about the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia engaged in election hacking.

President Barack Obama, top hand, is sworn in as wife Michelle holds up the same bible used by former President Abraham Lincoln in 1861 during Obama's inauguration 2009 inauguration ceremony

Trump brandished his bible on the campaign trail in Iowa in December 2015 as he appealed to evangelical voters

'WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE': Abraham Lincoln used the bible for his 1861 inauguration, when he appealed to the 'better angels of our nature' on the eve of war

YOU'RE NOT FIRED? Chief Justice John Roberts, who famously flubbed Barack Obama's oath in 2009, requiring a do-over, will deliver the oath to Donald Trump

Trump will follow Obama by swearing on the same Bible: 'I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States'

GOOD BOOK: Trump shared the story of his family bible and posted it on Facebook during the campaign

Up to 40 House Democrats have said they plan to skip the inauguration after Trump's weekend spat with civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, who questioned the legitimacy of Trump's election.

Lincoln said in his 1961 address on the eve of the Civil War, 'We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.

Trump brandished his family bible a few times on the campaign trail. Just days before the Iowa caucuses, he discussed it in a brief video that he posted on Facebook.

Trump got the bible from his mother when he graduated from Sunday Church Primary School at First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, New York, in 1955

'I really appreciate the support given to me by the evangelicals," Trump said. "They've been incredible. Every poll says how well I'm doing with them."

He noted that his mother gave the bible to him "many years ago."

"In fact, it's her writing right here. She wrote the name and my address and it's just very special to me,' Trump said.

He also brought the book to the Values Voters Summit in September 2015.

"I brought my Bible. You know, it's the First Presbyterian Church, Jamaica, and this was written by my mother, with my name, with my address, with everything," Trump said as showed the bible to the crowd. "I saw this and I had to bring it."

The Lincoln bible wasn't Lincoln's family bible. It was pressed into service after Lincoln arrived in Washington on the eve of the Civil War without some of his belongings.

As CBS reported in 2009, the clerk of the Supreme Court, William Thomas Carroll, brought one of his own bibles that he kept for official use at his office in order to administer the oath.

"That's a very likely scenario for what happened,' Clark Evans of the Library of Congress told the network. After the inauguration, Carroll signed and sealed the bible.
A hotel night caretaker, 70, sexually assaulted a female colleague, 21, at a company apartment before telling her to keep quiet as it was 'their little secret'.

The young woman woke up in the shared Brisbane apartment at roughly 5am on December 1, 2010, to find the elderly man lying in her bed naked.

He touched her body - stroking her upper thigh and groin before trying to remove her underpants - only stopping when she asked him to leave and broke down crying.

As the caretaker left the room, he told her something like 'I'll let you get changed' -only to return moments later to say 'this can be our little secret.'

A hotel night caretaker, 70, sexually assaulted a female colleague, 21, at a company apartment (stock image)

The elderly night caretaker, who was on call for the hotel the young woman worked at, was staying in the same company apartment at the time of the 'shocking' sexual assault (stock)

The horrific details of the 'serious and shocking' sexual assault were included in a Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision published on Friday.

Neither the man or the woman's identities can be revealed, as they are subject of a non-publication order made in 2013.

The major Australian accommodation chain the pair both worked at - which also cannot be revealed - was ordered to pay the woman $313,316 in compensation.

The tribunal heard that the woman had been offered a position as a guest service agent at a hotel in Brisbane and had been transferred there for her new job.

The accommodation chain suggested she stay in a two-bedroom apartment that the caretaker lived in, free of charge, to help her transition into her new workplace.

After a phone call with the caretaker she agreed to the temporary accommodation, but told the tribunal the unit was presented to her as a 'requirement'.

The young woman woke up in the shared Brisbane apartment at roughly 5am on December 1, 2010, to find the elderly man lying in her bed naked (stock image)

QCAT member Ann Fitzpatrick dismissed the hotel's claims that the caretaker, who was on call from 10pm to 6am, was not working at the time of the sexual assault.

'The sexual assault on the applicant was serious and shocking,' Ms Fitzpatrick said.

'She was a very young woman at the time, merely 21 years of age. Her assailant was nearly 70 years of age.

'She was assaulted in her bedroom and was awoken from sleep. She was plainly very vulnerable and she underwent a frightening experience.'

The decision was delivered on December 6 last year, and the hotel chain was given 28 days to pay the woman her compensation in full.
A feud between Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis and the president-elect has more and more Democrats saying they'll skip Donald Trump's Friday inauguration.

More than 50 House Democrats say that they're standing with Lewis by refusing to stand outside the Capitol with Trump when he's sworn in.

The Washington Post's latest tally had 59 Democratic representatives saying they would participate in a boycott - that's more than 30 percent of their caucus.

A feud between Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis and the president-elect has more and more Democrats saying they'll skip Donald Trump's Friday inauguration

Cory Booker, one of the Senate's two black Democrats, (left) says he will attend Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony on Friday in spite of a dispute between the president-elect and civil rights hero and Congressman John Lewis (right) who is boycotting it

Keith Ellison, left, a Minnesota Congressman and leading candidate for Democratic Party head, said Monday, 'I will not celebrate a man who preaches a politics of division and hate.' Jerrold Nadler, right, a New York lawmaker, said he agrees with Lewis - Trump's 'illegitimate'

Michigan Representative John Conyers, Jr. invoked Vice President Joe Biden's unrelated statement that Trump needs to 'grow up' and said he would protest the inauguration with Lewis

WHO ISN'T GOING John Lewis (Georgia) is joined by Democrats: Alma Adams (North Carolina) Karen Bass (California) Don Beyer (Virginia) Earl Blumenauer (Oregon) Brendan Boyle (Pennsylvania) Anthony Brown (Maryland) G.K. Butterfield (North Carolina) Tony Cardenas (California) Joaquin Castro (Texas) Judy Chu (California) Katherine Clark (Massachusetts) Yvette Clarke (New York) William Lacy Clay (Missouri) Steve Cohen (Tennessee) John Conyers (Michigan) Peter DeFazio (Oregon) Mark De Saulnier (California) Lloyd Doggett (Texas) Mike Doyle (Pennsylvania) Keith Ellison (Minnesota) Adriano Espaillat (New York) Dwight Evans (Pennsylvania) Marcia Fudge (Ohio) Ruben Gallego (Arizona) Al Green (Texas) Raul Grijalva (Arizona) Luis Gutierrez (Illinois) Alcee Hastings (Florida) Jared Huffman (California) Pramila Jayapal (Washington) Barbara Lee (California) Ted Lieu (California) Dan Lipinski (Illinois) Zoe Lofgren (California) Jerry McNerney (California) Jerrold Nadler (New York) Grace Napolitano (Califorinia) Donald Payne Jr. (New Jersey) Chellie Pingree (Maine) Mark Pocan (Wisconsin) Mike Quigley (Illinois) Jamie Raskin (Maryland) Lucille Roybal-Allard (Califnornia) Raul Ruiz (California) Kurt Schrader (Oregon) Jose Serrano (New York) Carol Shea-Porter (New Hampshire) Louise M. Slaughter (New York) Adam Smith (Washington) Darren Soto (Florida) Marka Takano (California) Bennie Thompson (Mississippi) Juan Vargas (California) Nadia Velazquez (New York) Maxine Water (California) Bonnie Watson Coleman (New Jersey) Frederica Wilson (Florida) John Yarmouth (Kentucky) Advertisement

'Respect, like Pennsylvania Avenue, is a two-way street. Instead of uniting our country, his continued unprecedented, unpresidential actions are further dividing it,' Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett said in a Tuesday afternoon statement. 'By repeatedly taking the lowest road, he is not showing respect for the highest office.'

Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego, one of the youngest members of Congress at age 37, said in a Tuesday Tweet: 'We must stand against Trump's bigotries- birther conspiracies, attacks on Gold [Star] parents & civil rights heroes. I won't attend inauguration.'

Democrats who serve in the legislature's upper chamber are not breaking with tradition, despite their differences with Trump.

Senator Joe Manchin said Sunday that Lewis' boycott of the ceremony, that typically features lawmakers and former presidents standing behind the new president as he takes the Oath of Office, is 'uncalled for.'

The West Virginia senator, who was added this term to Democratic leadership and was went to New York to meet with Trump, said on CBS' Face the Nation that the altercation between the Republican president-elect and Lewis, a Georgia congressman, is 'non-productive.'

Both of the Senate's black Democrats are attending.

Newly elected California Sen. Kamala Harris told the Los Angeles Times she was going. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who's often talked about as a prospective rival to Trump in the next election, said Monday at a breakfast he will participate in the 'peaceful transition of power.'

At an event recognizing the late Martin Luther King Jr. on his birthday, a federal holiday, Booker said he would follow the outgoing president's lead, like most of his Senate colleagues.

'I respect everybody's choice in this. My personal feeling is this is the peaceful transition of power,' he said, according to USA Today. 'Barack Obama will be up there, handing off the reins of our country and I feel ... it's important for us to be up there. This doesn't mean I agree with Donald Trump.'

Booker sat beside Lewis last week on a panel opposing Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions to the post of attorney general, saying in unprecedented testimony that he could not support his colleague's promotion because of concerns over potential civil rights violations.

He said Monday, at the National Action Network's annual MLK Day breakfast, that he couldn't join Lewis in boycotting Trump's inauguration out of 'respect' for the nation's institutions.

The fight between Lewis, who said Trump will not be a 'legitimate' president, and the president-elect, who responded on Twitter with personal and professional insults, turned the three-day holiday weekend that honors national civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr. into a brand new battleground.

Trump's jabs at Lewis, who marched on Washington with Dr. King and was brutally beat by police in Selma, on the eve of MLK's birthday was met with outrage by congressional Democrats, many of whom are saying they won't go to his inauguration.

New York Rep. Yvette Clarke (left) said Trump had 'insulted America' with his remarks about Lewis. Bonnie Watson Coleman (right) said she plans to hold an interfaith prayer vigil in Trenton, New Jersey on Friday instead

Booker sat beside Lewis last week on a panel opposing Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions to the post of attorney general. He said this morning, at a Washington, D.C. breakfast, that he could not join Lewis in his inauguration boycott out of 'respect' for the nation's institutions, however

Even Michelle Obama got involved in the fight, highlighting Lewis in a tweet celebrating King and the advancement of civil rights.

Her husband has, so far, stayed out of it.

'I'm not aware that he has had a conversation discouraging people from participating in the inauguration, and I'm not sure what he would say if he was asked if he would encourage people to do that,' his press secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday in a candid moment.

Earnest had noted in earlier remarks that the White House believes it has an 'institutional responsibility' to ensure the peaceful transfer of power.

'Members of Congress have a different responsibility. They are freer to express their opinion a way that they choose,' he said.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, a New York congressman whose district includes parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, jumped in on CNN, saying on Monday's New Day program that Trump 'was legally elected' but he agrees that he's but he agrees that he's an 'illegitimate' president.

Russian hacking and eleventh-hour interventions into the November election by the FBI 'puts an asterisk next to his name,' Nadler said on New Day.

Nadler's office released a statement after the appearance confirming the congressman's decision to skip Trump's swearing in.

'I refuse to sit idly by as he flaunts his illicit behavior without regard for the American peoples interest,' Nadler said. 'I refuse to applaud for a man with a history of offensive and abusive behavior to women and minorities. I refuse to treat January 20, 2017, as business as usual.'

Bonnie Watson Coleman, the first black woman elected to Congress from New Jersey, said she's not going, either.

'Our nation is founded on democracy and inclusion that unfortunately our president-elect refuses to represent,' she said. She plans to hold an interfaith prayer vigil in Trenton on Friday instead.

Michigan Representative John Conyers, Jr. invoked Vice President Joe Biden's unrelated statement that Trump needs to 'grow up' and said he would protest the inauguration with Lewis.

Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Congressman and leading candidate for Democratic Party head, said Monday afternoon on Twitter: 'I will not celebrate a man who preaches a politics of division and hate. I won't be attending Donald Trump's inauguration.'

As of Monday afternoon, 31 House Democrats, including Lewis, had said they would spurn Trump's swearing in. The head count jumped to 42 by the next morning.

Lewis, a congressman since 1987, told NBC's Chuck Todd on Friday, 'I dont see this president-elect as a legitimate president. I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton.

'I don't plan to attend the inauguration. It will be the first one that I miss since I've been in Congress,' he added. 'You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong, is not right.'

Trump fired back on Twitter Saturday in a message that said, 'Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results.

'All talk, talk, talk - no action or results. Sad!'

California Representative Mark Takano tweeted this image of Lewis (far right) marching with Martin Luther King Jr during their civil rights campaign, and said he stood with Lewis

On the other side of the country, New York Representative Yvette Clarke said Trump had 'insulted America' when he made his remarks about Lewis

He doubled down on the claims later. 'Congressman John Lewis should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities of the US. I can use all the help I can get!' he said.

Lewis became famous in the 1960s as a prominent civil rights campaigner who became the youngest of the Big Six - the others included Martin Luther King Jr.

He took part in mixed-race 'freedom rides' across America, to challenge laws that demanded segregated buses. He was beaten multiple times and arrested for doing so. He had also been beaten multiple times by the KKK and others for participating in civil rights marches.

New York Representative Yvette Clarke said Saturday on Twitter after Trump's tirade: 'I will NOT attend the inauguration of @realDonaldTrump. When you insult @repjohnlewis, you insult America.'

Clarke's fellow New Yorker, Nadler, tweeted: '@realDonaldTrump stands with V. Putin. I stand with @repjohnlewis.'

She was also joined by three California Representatives - Ted Lieu, Mark Takano and Judy Chu - who had similar objections.

Lieu's office released a statement in which he said, '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.'

He complained about Trump's 'racist, sexist and bigoted statements' and concluded: 'For me, the personal decision not to attend Inauguration is quite simple: Do I stand with Donald Trump, or do I stand with John Lewis? I am standing with John Lewis.'

He later doubled down on his claims saying that Lewis should 'finally' focus on 'the burning and crime-infested inner cities'

Among the others who have said they won't be attending are Arizona's Raul Grijalva (left) and California's Judy Chu (right)

Three other Cali Reps won't attend (l-r) Jared Huffman said he would be with constituents; Barbara Lee will be 'organizing resistance' to Trump and Ted Lieu dislikes Trump's statements

New York Congressman Jose E. Serrano, who represents the Bronx, said he 'cannot celebrate the inauguration of a man who has no regard for my constituents'

Meanwhile, Takano tweeted: '"All talk, no action." I stand with @repjohnlewis and I will not be attending the inauguration.'

And Chu wrote, 'After much thought, I have decided to #StandWithJohnLewis and not attend the inauguration.'

Mark DeSaulnier tweeted Friday, before Trump's slap at Lewis, 'It is with a heavy heart and deep personal conviction that I have decided not to attend the #TrumpInauguration on January 20, 2017.'

On Saturday he cast 'shame' on Trump for 'kicking off #MLKWeekend by criticizing one of our most treasured civil rights leaders' and thanked Lewis for his 'service, activism & personal sacrifice for our country'.

Oregon Representative Kurt Schrader said Trump 'hasn't proved himself to me at all yet, so I respectfully decline to freeze my a** out there in the cold for this particular ceremony' (left). And Massachusetts' Katherine Clark (right) said she didn't want to attend the 'pageantry'

(l-r) California's Mark Takano took Lewis's side; Missouri's William Lacy Clay will spend Friday with St Louis kids; and Illinois' Luis Gutierrez said Trump wants to 'turn back the clock'

Three more California Representatives, Jared Huffman and Barbara Lee, also threw their lot in with the 'nay' camp.

Huffman said he would rather make 'a positive difference' with his constituents, suggesting he might 'pitch in' building homes or cleaning up flood debris rather than go to DC.

Lee was more strident in her views, saying in a statement that Trump normalized 'the most extreme fringes of the Republican Party.

'On Inauguration Day, I will not be celebrating. I will be organizing and preparing for resistance.'

Friction about the Trump Presidency wasn't restricted to the more liberal coasts, however - Midwest representatives have said they're not attending, too.

Illinois Rep Luis Gutierrez told CNN's New Day he would not witness the swearing in of a man who would 'turn back the clock on women and turn back the clock on immigrants and the safety and freedom that we fought for them.'

Friday Missouri Representative William Lacy Clay's office told the St Louis Post-Dispatch that he would be 'back home in St Louis speaking to school kids' rather than attending the DC inauguration.

New York Reps Adriano Espaillat (left) and Nydia Velazquez (right) have both declined to attend

Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark told The Boston Globe on January 5: 'I support the peaceful transition of power, but I don't feel that I need to attend the pageantry associated with and for this President.'

She was the only one of the Massachusetts congressional delegation who would not attend, the paper said.

Three more New York representatives also swore off the inauguration: Adriano Espaillat, Jose Serrano and Nydia Velazquez.

Espaillat said on Facebook that Trump and his appointees were trying to take the country 'back in time' and said 'the hate-filled rhetoric that plagued his election simply will continue in his administration.'

'THIS is not Dr King's Dream!' he added.

Velazquez said she would instead participate in the national women's march on Washington on January 21.

That march will take place in DC the day after the inauguration, and according to its website, is set up in response to 'the rhetoric of the past election cycle' which has 'insulted, demonized, and threatened many of us'.

Trump struck out at 'angry' Democrats on Twitter Sunday, in what appeared to be a reference to the increasing numbers of representatives from the opposing party dropping out.

'The Democrats are most angry that so many Obama Democrats voted for me,' he said in a two-tweet tirade.

'With all of the jobs I am bringing back to our Nation, that number will only get higher. Car companies and others, if they want to do business in our country, have to start making things here again. WIN!'

It's not just lawmakers that are giving Trump the cold shoulder - other Democrats have their own plans for the 20th.

According to Politico, Clinton backer David Brock is gathering more than 200 of the left's biggest donors during the inauguration to figure out what the Democrats did wrong last year, and to plot Trump's downfall in years to come.

'What better way to spend inaugural weekend than talking about how to kick Donald Trumps a**?' he said.

Donna Brazile, interim chair of the DNC, will also be ditching DC in favor of a conference in Paris, Politico said.

And a young Democratic operative from the Clinton campaign told the site that those who leave the city are refusing to rent out their homes on AirBNB, as they're worried about having Trump supporters in their home.

The Democratic exodus isn't absolute. The president, Booker, and other senior Democrats including Trump's election foe, Hillary Clinton, are attending.




A bipolar man beat and stabbed his own mother to death during a bitter argument over her will, a court has heard.

Socrates Tamavakis, 45, is accused of killing his 75-year-old mother Violet at her home in Bentleigh, Victoria, on April 26 last year.

Prosecutors say Tamavakis bludgeoned Violet with a rolling pin then stabbed her to death after he learned she was changing her will to stop him selling her house.

Socrates Tamavakis, 45 (left), is accused of killing his 75-year-old mother Violet (right) with a knife and a rolling pin during an argument in April last year

The new deal would have allowed Tamavakis to live inside the property for the rest of his life, but would be unable to sell it, the court was told.

Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard on Tuesday that Tamavakis has suffered from bipolar for the last 25 years and has been involuntarily admitted to hospital around 30 times, the Herald Sun reports.

Tamavakis's two sisters were present and told how their younger brother often verbally abused their mother.

Dimitra Kotsabouikis, Violet's second daughter, said Tamavakis had threatened to kill Violet several times, but she did not believe he would do it.

Family members said Tamavakis, who suffers from bipolar disorder, became angry after Violet changed her will to stop him selling her house after she died

Tamavakis' sisters told how he often verbally abused Violet and had threatened to kill her in the past, but they did not believe he would actually do it

In the weeks before the killing, Ms Kotsabouikis said her brother sent her increasingly erratic messages accusing Violet of using 'black magic' against him.

Just a week before Violet's body was found, Tamavakis allegedly stole her purse with $1,500 inside along with her identity card.

Police say DNA matching Tamavakis was found on a glove at the murder scene.

The case was referred to Supreme Court of Victoria, where Tamavakis will stand trial for murder. He has pleaded not guilty.

Following her death, Mrs Tamvakis was remembered as a 'very kind' grandmother who delivered homemade Greek sweets to her neighbours.

A neighbour told The Age that Mrs Tamvakis had been widowed many years ago, but was extremely close to her daughters and grandchildren, and was a well-known member of the neighbourhood.
An eight-year-old girl was rescued from the chimney of a vacant home in Florida after she climbed onto the roof and fell inside.

Rescue workers spent about 35 minutes chipping away part of the chimney in order to rescue Isabella Cooke.

Clearwater Fire and Rescue assistant Chief John Klinefelter said crews responded to the home at 546 Woodlawn St just before 6pm Monday evening, according to a statement released by the department.

Rescue workers (pictured) spent about 35 minutes chipping away part of the chimney of the home in order to rescue Isabella Cooke

The eight-year-old (pictured inside the chimney) got stuck after she climbed onto the roof of a vacant home in Florida by shimmying up the drainpipe in the back of the home

'It's definitely not one of the more usual calls, obviously,' Klinefelter said in a press conference.

Klinefelter said Isabella only had a bruised knee and didn't need to be taken to the hospital.

The child got herself stuck after she climbed onto the roof by shimmying up a pole at the back of the home.

She then slid to the bottom of the chimney and remained there until crews were able to free her.

The child lives next door to the vacant home.

Klinefelter says the chimney didn't have the usual opening at the bottom inside the home and crews had to work carefully to not harm the girl or cause damage to the home.

She then slid to the bottom of the chimney (left and right) and remained stuck until crews were able to free her. The child lives next door to the vacant home. Authorities said Isabella only had a bruised knee didn't need to be hospitalized

Clearwater Fire and Rescue crews responded to the home (pictured) at 546 Woodlawn St just before 6pm Monday evening




her on social media for choice of

Insiders at the Humane Society and ASPCA are not happy while fans

showing 25 dogs being flown to to the US on her

Georgina Bloomberg, the daughter of billionaire Michael Bloomberg and an animal rights activist, has rescued 25 dogs from the streets of Puerto Rico - just one week after she faced criticism for dating an avid hunter.

The 33-year-old, who has received awards for her animal rights activism, posted pictures on herself on Instagram working with the Humane Society on the Caribbean island of Vieques to rescue stray dogs and wild horses.

Bloomberg also posted a video of the 25 dogs, each in their own crate, flying to the United States aboard her father's private jet. The dogs were unloaded in Florida and driven to the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League to find their 'forever homes.'

The trip cost approximately $7,000 each way on the private jet, which cost a reported $24million to purchase. She rescued ten dogs in a similar trip to Puerto Rico in November 2015.

The rescue mission comes around a week after Bloomberg revealed she is dating a hunting enthusiast - raising eyebrows among animal lovers in New York City.

Scroll down for video

Georgina Bloomberg, the daughter of billionaire Michael Bloomberg and an animal rights activist has rescued 25 dogs from the streets of Puerto Rico

Georgina Bloomberg, known for being an animal rights activist, is dating Carlos Arruza Jr (pictured) a hunting enthusiast who often posts pictures of boar, turkey and deer carcasses

Carlos Arruza Jr, who often posts photos on social media of wild boars, turkeys and deer he's killed on hunting trips, accompanied Georgina to a Humane Society gala in November, where she received an award for her 'tireless work to protect all animals'.

Insiders at the Humane Society, along with members of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, have not been happy about the matchup, Page Six reported.

Fans of the animal rights activist also questioned her priorities on social media, withe some saying they were 'sad' she was dating a trophy hunter.

Bloomberg also posted a video of the 25 rescue dogs, each in their own crate, flying to the United States aboard her father's private jet

The dogs were unloaded from her father's jet in Florida, according to Bloomberg's video

The adorable dogs were then driven to the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League to find their 'forever homes'

Others posted sarcastically on a picture of the couple: ''Congratulations on ur award from the Humane Society. Hunting is evil.'

But neither the criticism, nor Bloomberg's enthusiasm for animal rights doesn't seem to inhibit her relationship with Arruza.

She posted photos last Wednesday, writing: 'Happy Birthday to the best man Jasper and I have both ever known.'

Bloomberg, who is a professional equestrian, has a three-year-old son named Jasper with Argentine horseman Ramiro Quintana.

Another New Year's Eve photo shows the two of them kissing, with Arruza writing in the caption: 'I have a lot for which I'm thankful and plenty of reasons to celebrate the start of 2017, but this gorgeous one is icing on the cake!'

Carlos Arruza Jr, who accompanied Georgina to the Humane Society gala in November, often posts photos on social media of his hunting trips

She recently wished her boyfriend a happy birthday, writing: 'Happy Birthday to the best man Jasper and I have both ever known'

He also considered himself 'thankful' and 'blessed' to be able to take his godsons on a hunting trip, during which they shot a wild boar. Other photos show Arruza's interest in rifles, along with spear fishing and hunting with a bow and arrow.

While her boyfriend is more interested in hunting animals, Bloomberg is often trying to rescue them and has fought against puppy mills and called for the ban on horse-drawn carriages in New York City.

Georgina even criticized the city's Animal Care & Controls shelter - a nonprofit group which her father's office commissioned to run New York's animal shelter system - calling it a 'failure' in 2013.

She's also expressed hope in getting Donald Trump's administration on board with animal causes, citing Eric Trump's wife Lara as a 'good friend'.

Georgina Bloomberg is the younger daughter of billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (right)

'She does a lot of dog rescue so Im sort of counting on her to get some animal causes into the White House,' she said at during a Humane Society benefit.

Georgina told People in February 2016: 'Growing up, I always considered myself an animal lover and then I got to the age that I realized just sort of loving animals and having them in my life wasnt really enough. I needed to be doing something really active to help them.'

Last year, she took another trip down to Puerto Rico to rescue ten dogs and take them back to the US on her father's jet for adoption.

The cost of the trip, around $14,000, is based on the $6,016 the Wall Street Journal said each one-way trip New York Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly was taking on the same jet to West Palm Beach was costing in a 2013 article.

Kelly was lent the jet to travel to his vacation home with his wife.

Georgina Bloomberg rescued stray dogs with The Humane Society of the United States and friends in November 2015

Friends: Bloomberg was joined on the 2015 trip by friends including Amanda Hearst (far right)

'Puerto Rico has a big stray dog problem, a big problem with people not spaying and neutering so there a lot of puppies born there who don't have a shot at getting adopted there,' Bloomberg told People last year.

'So we are trying to get as many of the dogs out as possible, especially the more adoptable ones that we think can find homes pretty quickly.'

Bloomberg also shared photos of the dogs after they returned to New York, running around her farm in North Salem and posing with her 2-year-old son Jasper.

Georgina gave birth to son Jasper in December 2013 with her former boyfriend Raimor Quintana, 38. They remain friends and split parenting duties with their son, who was born on Christmas Eve 2013.
Prosecutes say Sheahonni Davis, 17, lured two brothers to their death on January 10

Prosecutors say a 17-year-old girl from Syracuse lured two teenage brothers into meeting her last Tuesday where they were shot dead in the street by another man. She allegedly plotted to rob the boys.

Sheahonni Davis, Toriano Newson and Curtis Paige III were arrested the next day for double homicide and attempted robbery of Daniel Diaz-Marrero and Ismael Diaz-Marrero.

Documents filed by prosecutors in Syracuse City Court reveal Davis contacted the brothers to meet her the day they died. Police say the trio conspired to rob them the night before.

When Daniel and Ismael arrived to the meeting 5pm, Newson and Paige allegedly tried to steal marijuana from them. Then, prosecutors say Newson shot both siblings outside of 329 Grant Avenue.

It is not clear if the brothers were selling the marijuana or if they had it on them when they were murdered, CBS News reports.

Ismael Diaz-Marrero, 19, died at the scene and his brother, 17, died soon after at a hospital.

Ismael (above) was a 19-year-old sophomore business major at Le Moyne College in suburban DeWitt

Officials say 17-year-old Daniel (above) was a senior at Fowler High School in the city

Police said the brothers had a slight acquaintance with Davis. They were still trying to determine why the brothers agreed to meet her.

The Post-Standard newspaper reported the brothers, their father and their younger sister arrived in the United States from Cuba after their mother died about five years ago.

The older brother was a sophomore at Le Moyne College, in suburban DeWitt. The younger brother was a senior at a Syracuse high school.

Scores of people, including some of the brothers' teachers and professors, gathered Wednesday for a memorial service in an auditorium at Le Moyne, a private Jesuit college. Friends described the siblings as hardworking and well-liked.

Curtis L. Paige III (left), 23, is shown after his arrest Wednesday. Toriano Newson (right), 19, is also shown after his arrest

Le Moyne Dean Jim Joseph told the newspaper that Ismael Diaz-Marrero was working two jobs, including one at the college, to put himself through school.

'I walk by him, and that big smile, forever upbeat, that's how I want him to be remembered,' Joseph said.

The three suspects were in police custody and couldn't be reached for comment. It couldn't be determined if they had attorneys who could comment on the charges for them.
ALBANY POLICE

Sex abuse arrest  9:30 a.m. Friday, Linn County Jail. Corey Dean Ray Booth, 35, of Albany, was arrested on a charge of first-degree sex abuse. His initial bail was set at $50,000 and he was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

Arson arrest  2:10 p.m. Friday, Linn County Jail. Wesley Leon Matney, 28, of Albany, was arrested on a charge of second-degree arson and a warrant for parole violation.

Felon with firearm  1:25 a.m. Saturday, Linn County Jail. Daniel Paul Quinlan, 24, of Albany, was arrested on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm, as well as warrants for parole violation and three instances of failure to appear. A no-bail hold was placed on him at the jail and he was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

Failure to register arrest  12:55 p.m. Sunday, Linn County Jail. Terry Ray Pacheco, 57, of Albany, was booked, cited and released on a charge of failure to register as a sex offender. He was scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 1.

LINN COUNTY SHERIFF

Domestic assault arrest  1:04 a.m. Monday, Linn County Jail. Luther Levi Gatchet, 31, of Halsey, was arrested on a charge of felony fourth-degree assault. His initial bail was set at $50,000, and he was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

OREGON STATE POLICE

Warrants arrest  2:46 p.m. Sunday, Linn County Jail. Erick Bryan Gilbertson, 47, of Albany, was arrested on Washington County warrants with charges of first-degree criminal mischief and stalking.

LEBANON POLICE

Stolen vehicle arrest  9:50 a.m. Saturday, Linn County Jail. Theresa Christin Alberts, 28, of Lebanon, was arrested on charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle. Her initial bail was set at $12,000 and she was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

SWEET HOME POLICE

Heroin arrest  9:13 a.m. Sunday, Linn County Jail. Hunter Ariel Ringheimer, 23, of Sweet Home, was arrested on charges of delivery and possession of heroin and warrants for two counts of contempt of court and two instances of failure to appear. His initial bail was set at $30,000 and he was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
Three patients at a 'shambolic' NHS trust died after feeding tubes were wrongly inserted into their lungs even though the mistake should never be allowed to happen.

Mother-of-two Amanda Coulthard, 57, and Michael Parke, 40, died of pneumonia as a result of neglect.

Their deaths came after Ronald Smith, 82, also died in the same way at a hospital run by North Cumbria NHS Trust in 2008, which led to a criminal investigation and a major review of trust policy.

There were also repeated warnings from NHS safety bodies over the tubes after a spate of deaths around the country.

Amanda Coulthard, 57, died at Carlisle's Cumberland Infirmary (pictured) last year

This mistake is listed by NHS England as a never event, described as a wholly preventable incident that can cause serious harm or death to patients.

North Cumbria NHS Trust directors were asleep at the wheel and reacted to the first death in a lackadaisical and careless manner, Cumbria Coroner David Roberts said in a damning verdict.

He has now written to the Government and NHS England to ensure the chaos at the trust is addressed.

Mr Smiths daughter, Angela Rose, 59, worked with the trust after her fathers death at Cumberland Infirmary to prevent others going through the same agony - and said she was horrified by the later repeats of the fatal mistake.

Describing her father as a happy, jokey family man, she said: I was strongly not wanting it to happen again and the trust promised that there were new procedures that it would never happen again, and it has.

Its terrifying, it can happen to anyone who goes into hospital. Theres nothing you can say, its awful, it frightens you.

I could quite clearly see from the X-ray it was going into a lung, and not the stomach, and Im not medically trained.

Michael Parke, 40, died at the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven in 2012

Recording narrative verdicts at joint inquests this week in Cockermouth, Cumbria, Mr Roberts concluded that both Mr Coulthard and Mr Parke died from neglect by the trust.

Mrs Coulthard, from Penrith, Cumbria, who had multiple sclerosis, died at Carlisles Cumberland Infirmary last year.

And Mr Parke, from Cockermouth, Cumbria, who was suffering from acute liver failure due to alcohol abuse, died at the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven, Cumbria, in 2012.

The coroner told the families it was a failing of the highest magnitude, adding: Misplacement of the nasogastric tube is a never event, yet it is the third time it has happened in seven years in hospitals run by North Cumbria Trust.

Directors and managers were so distracted, day-to-day governance fell by the way side - they were asleep at the wheel. There was a total absence of leadership and governance.

A nasogastric tube is a narrow tube used to feed food and medicine into the stomach via the nose when they can not be taken orally. When in the wrong place food and medicine are pumped into the lungs, which can become infected.

Mr Roberts said: The manner in which the alert was treated and the policy amended was, at best, shambolic.

I am deeply sorry about these events Chief of North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust

Whilst lip service was paid to lessons being learnt in truth little or no improvements were being made.

He said it was alarming that the issue was approached in such a lackadaisical and careless manner following NHS-wide safety warnings in 2005 and 2011, and the death of Mr Smith.

At the inquest Mike Walker - who held the position of medical director at the trust until 2013 - apologised in person to Mr Parkes parents Norman and Helen.

He said: This has been difficult for me. I am truly sorry. I care, we all truly care. Sometimes we fall short of what we want to achieve.

Following Mr Parkes death, Cumbria Police were alerted by the concerned coroner and the force contacted national health chiefs at the Care Quality Commission.

Post-mortem examinations following the two deaths revealed both died from pneumonia as a result of the insertion of the tubes.

Stephen Eames, chief executive of North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust, said: 'We expect high standards of patient care at all times... these were not met for Michael or Amanda and we sincerely apologise for this.'

Another national NHS patient safety alert was released in July last year, which said that 'risks to patient safety persist'. Over half a million nasogastric tubes are used each year.
An NYPD officer died Tuesday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the neck, authorities said.

A family member identified the officer as Yong Yun, 31, who worked for Staten Island's 120th Precinct, according to the New York Post.

Authorities said Yun appeared to have shot himself in the neck in his home in the Arden Heights neighborhood of Staten Island around 5am.

NYPD officer, Yong Yun (center left receiving officer of the month award), 31, died Tuesday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the neck, authorities said. Authorities said Yun was a 10-year-veteran of the force and was worked for Staten Island's 120th precinct

Police sources told New York Daily News that the officer, who was a 10-year member of the force, was rushed from his home to the Staten Island University Hospital South.

He died around 5.30am, authorities said. Yun was off-duty at the time of the incident.

Sources told the Daily News that Yun had a gambling and drinking problem. Yun was also reportedly denied a transfer out of the 120th Precinct.

A neighbor also told the newspaper that they believe Yun was seen intoxicated around 2am, three hours before he died.

Yun and his partner Daniel DiFalco were praised earlier this month in a tweet for getting a gun off the streets, according to the Post.

'Gr8 work by #120pct PO Yun & PO Difalco braving the elements & retrieving this illegal firearm which was tossed from window,' the tweet read, along with the hashtag #onelessgun.

Police sources told New York Daily News that the officer, who was a 10-year member of the force, was rushed from his home to the Staten Island University Hospital South, where he later died. Police officials said the investigation is ongoing (file photo)

Yun's neighbor said the officer wasn't married and lived with his parents, but there were no indications that he would take his own life.

'They are very nice people, very quiet. They keep to themselves,' 61-year-old George Quevedo told the Daily News.

'I saw him last week with his brother... He was smoking a cigarette outside. There was no indication he would do anything like that,' Quevedo said.

Quevedo said he wished the officer 'would've reached out for help'.

Yun's former neighbor, Richie Manzi told the Daily News that Yun 'was a sweetheart, always a good guy'.

Police officials said the investigation is ongoing.
Relatives of 50-year-old Randy Keith Holt (pictured) reported him after he failed to come back from a hunting trip

Searchers spent time looking for a missing hunter in north Alabama until officers realized he was actually in jail.

Relatives of 50-year-old Randy Keith Holt of Hartselle reported the man missing Monday afternoon after he failed to return from a hunting trip.

Holt didn't have a cellphone with him, so no one could contact him or track him.

The Limestone County Sheriff's Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, firefighters, dog handlers, a helicopter and others joined in a search.

They'd been searching around the Arrowhead Landing boat ramp not far from Old Highway 20.

But officers realized Holt was in the Limestone County Jail once they heard his last name. He had been arrested for public intoxication near the search site hours before the manhunt began.

Deputies were dispatched concerning a report of a man whose pants were down, according to AL.com.

Sheriff's spokesman Stephen Young told the website that deputies discovered Holt sitting on a rock with his pants half down.

Officers realized Holt was in the Limestone County Jail (pictured) once they heard his last name. He had been arrested for public intoxication near the search site before the manhunt began

Young said: 'Holt told the deputy he was waiting for a friend who was hunting.

'The deputy observed that Holt appeared intoxicated as he had difficulty standing and speaking clearly.'

Deputies arrested him around 2pm Monday, the Limestone County Sheriff's Office tweeted.

In another Monday tweet, it said: 'Search called off as deputies identify missing man as a subject who was arrested today and is in jail.'

Authorities say relatives of the man didn't realize he was in custody and reported him missing.
Triano Williams was an IT worker for the American College of Education but was fired when he refused to relocate to Indianapolis.

A fired information technology employee has struck back at his former employer, when it couldn't access a Google account that stored emails and course material for 2,000 students.

Triano Williams was an IT worker for the American College of Education, an Indiana-based online university, but was let go when he refused to relocate from suburban Chicago to Indianapolis, where the school is headquartered.

He was fired before an administrative password was changed, court documents reveal.

When the company asked him to unlock the Google account, he said he'd help if the college paid him $200,000, according to a lawsuit filed by the college in an Indiana court.

Williams, meanwhile, has filed a suit against the college in a federal court in Chicago.

He alleges bullying and racial bias against him and other black employees.

Williams also claims that the university has only taken him to court because of his allegations of racial discrimination.

The university employed IT workers across the United States but last year told them they must either relocate to Indianapolis or resign and take a severance package, the IndyStar reported.

Williams alleges bullying and racial bias against him and other black employees by the university, and that the college only filed suit against him because of his allegations

When most of the IT workers chose to leave the company, it left Williams as the college's only administrator.

He was fired in April 2016 after he refused to relocate from the Chicagoland area, three hours from Indianapolis.

The university claimed that Williams changed the password for a Google cloud-based account, and in not cooperating caused students to lose access to their email accounts and course materials in May.

When the administrative account was suspended after failed login attempts, the university reached out to Google, which in turn told the college that the account's administrator - Williams - was the only person who could grant access.

Williams, when contacted by college officials, referred them to his lawyer Calvita J. Frederick.

Frederick wrote to the college: 'In order to amicably settle this dispute, Mr Williams requires a clean letter of reference and payment of $200,000.'

Marion Superior Judge Heather Welch issued a default judgment against Williams and ordered him to pay nearly $250,000 in damages

Frederick, in an interview with the IndyStar, said the $200,000 was a settlement offer for Williams's racial discrimination case rather than a 'stick-em-up'-type demand.

The college proceeded to file a case against Williams in a county court in Indianapolis.

Among other allegations, the college claims Williams installed a new operating system on a laptop that stored the administrative password and erased its hard drive.

Frederick, on behalf of Williams, has said the college must have made a mistake and erased the hard drive itself.

She cited the fact that his access to the school's computer system had been locked out as evidence.

Williams failed to appear for multiple hearings.

Marion County Superior Judge Heather Welch issued a default judgment against Williams and ordered him to pay $248,350 in damages.

Williams is now asking for the judgment of said suit to be thrown out in the federal Chicago court in which he filed his own yet-to-be-settled case.

In the interim, the university switched to a new provider and recently was granted access to the account by Google.

Google generally requires absolute proof that a non-administrator requesting access to an administrative account is not a hacker.
Arthur Hutchinson, from Hartlepool, had claimed that the punishment amounted to inhuman and degrading treatment as he had no hope of release

A triple killer has lost a human rights challenge against his whole-life prison term in a ruling that gives UK courts the green light to continue imposing the sentences.

Arthur Hutchinson, from Hartlepool, had claimed that the punishment amounted to inhuman and degrading treatment as he had no hope of release.

But judges found there had been no violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights concluded that whole-life sentences in the UK can be regarded as compatible with the article, which says no one should be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Hutchinson was jailed in 1984 for stabbing Basil and Avril Laitner to death and then killing one of their sons after breaking into the couple's Sheffield home.

The judge in his original trial ruled that he should serve a minimum of 18 years but then-home secretary Leon Brittan later determined he should face the whole-life tariff.

In 2008, Hutchinson had a domestic appeal against whole-life tariffs dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

Then in 2015 the European Court of Human Rights threw out his case, but he applied for it to be passed to the Strasbourg court's Grand Chamber.

The ruling today follows a protracted legal saga over the issue of 'life means life' prison terms, under which there is no minimum term and the individual is never considered for release.

In 2013 human rights judges found the power to release a whole life prisoner was unclear in a judgment that raised questions about the sentences.

But in a later ruling on Hutchinson's case, the ECHR found there had been no violation, saying doubts concerning the release power had been addressed.

And in the latest judgment, the Grand Chamber held by 14 votes to three there had been no breach.

Arthur Hutchinson, jailed for life for murder in 1984. He is pictured here in his mother's garden in 1981

Justice Secretary Liz Truss said: 'It is right that those who commit the most heinous crimes spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

'It is also wholly right that judges are able to hand down whole-life sentences to the very worst offenders in our society.'

There are 63 inmates serving whole-life sentences, including some of the country's most notorious criminals, such as one-eyed police killer Dale Cregan and Moors murderer Ian Brady.
A beloved Dallas theater director was brutally attacked by two masked men with a three-foot wooden rod in the parking lot of a local Target.

Derek Whitener, 33, stopped by the store after performing at a show on Saturday night to do some grocery shopping around 11pm when he was assaulted.

Whitener was not robbed and it remains unknown what the motive for the attack was.

Beloved Dallas theater director Derek Whitener, 33, was brutally attacked by two masked men in a Target parking lot while grocery shopping after a show on Saturday

Whitener was not robbed and it remains unknown if the attack was random or if the actor was specifically targeted

The Dallas Police Department said Whitener first noticed the two suspects as he walked toward the Target entrance.

The suspects began walking toward Whitener, but then walked away from him as he made it to the front door, according to authorities.

Whitener reported the two men as suspicious to Target employees as the suspects remained near the front entrance.

They were then confronted by both a Target security guard and an off-duty Dallas police officer.

A friend of Whitener's said that the director was having trouble forming words before he was rushed into surgery on Sunday

Authorities said one of the suspects walked away while the other, who was carrying the wooden rod, had a brief discussion with the officials.

The suspects were asked to leave the property, but when Whitener came out of the store around 11.05pm he was approached by the suspects yet again.

As the actor walked to his car, the suspects made a threatening statement and then beat him with the rod before fleeing on foot towards the street.

A customer in the parking lot reported the attack to the off-duty officer, who then called for help.

Whitener suffered a fractured skull, bleeding and swelling of his brain and remains hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit.

Brina Wingo, a friend of Whitener's said that the director was having trouble forming words before he was rushed into surgery on Sunday.

A hematoma was removed from Whitener's brain and doctors believe the surgery was a success, according to Dallas Morning News.

Whitener's partner, Victor, said his speech and motor functions are still being affected by a 'large contusion causing brain swelling'.

'They are hopefully and very optimistic this will subside and that his speech will improve,' Victor added in the statement.

That news will no doubt bring some relief to Whitener's family and friends who have watched the multi-talented performer thrive in Dallas' theater community.

The Dallas Police Department released surveillance images from Target's security cameras that show the two suspects right before their attack on Whitener

Whitener was performing as Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Firehouse Theatre just hours before the attack.

He had also been working as the costume designer for the premiere of playwright Aaron Posner's Stupid F*****g Bird at Stage West.

Friends said Whitener had also recently accepted a full-time position as the artistic and education director at Firehouse Theatre.

Ever the professional, Whitener called his co-worker, David Moore, to let him know he wouldn't be able to make it into work after the attack.

'That's just the kind of guy he is,' Moore told CBS DFW.

Whitener is expected to be released from the hospital on Thursday, but will have to undergo at least six to eight weeks of recovery.

Friends have already raised more than $47,000 for the director through a GoFundMe page to help with medical bills and the loss of income.

'Derek is a good person, one who delights in using his craft to bring joy to those around him,' his family wrote in a statement.

Whitener, who has just finished performing a in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee show (pictured) at Firehouse Theatre, suffered a fractured skull, bleeding and brain swelling

Whitener (pictured with the Spelling Bee cast) had also recently accepted a full-time position as the artistic and education director at Firehouse Theatre

'He did not deserve to be the victim of such a brutal and cowardly attack.'

'Right now, our family is focused on his recovery. We want to do everything in our power to help him heal and, likewise, all that is possible to support the police in their investigation.'

'In that regard, were asking that anyone who saw anything Saturday night come forward and help.'

Dallas police said they have retrieved video surveillance that shows the attack.

The first suspect has been described as a black male, between the ages of 18 to 20, measuring 5ft9in and 150 pounds, last seen wearing a gray jacket and black pants.

He was carrying a black backpack and a gorilla mask, and was wearing black gloves. He was armed with the wooden dowel rod.

The second suspect has been described as a black male, between the ages of 18 to 20, measuring 5ft9in and 150 pounds.

He was last seen wearing a black hoodie with white lettering, red and blue jeans, white Nike shoes, and was carrying a black backpack and a gorilla mask.
Jack Straw and the British Government is facing legal action by a Libyan dissident and his wife who claim the UK was complicit in their abduction and rendition to Tripoli under Colonel Gaddafi's regime.

The government had gone to the Supreme Court to stop Abdel Hakim Belhaj and his wife Fatima Boudchar suing over claims UK officials 'assisted and arranged' their unlawful rendition in 2004.

Mr Belhaj - a long-time opponent of Gaddafi - and his then-pregnant Moroccan wife claim they were kidnapped and tortured under the dictator's regime, when Straw was the UK foreign secretary.

Jack Straw (left) is facing legal action by Libyan dissident Abdel Hakim Belhaj (right) who claims the UK was complicit in his and his wife's abduction and rendition to Tripoli

But, in a landmark ruling, judges at the Supreme Court today reject the Government's bid, paving the way for Mr Belhaj and his wife to sue over the allegations.

The couple's action is against the Home Office and Foreign Office, while Sir Mark Allen - who was MI6's counter-terrorism chief when they were snatched - is also named as a defendant.

The decision raises the prospect of Sir Mark, Mr Straw and other officials being forced to appear before judges to explain whether they knew or were involved in the case.

The couple have offered to settle for a token 1 from each defendant and an apology and an admission of liability for what they suffered.

After the government's defeat, Mr Straw issued a statement, insisting that he acted in a manner which was 'fully consistent with his legal duties'.

He said: 'I repeat what I said in the House of Commons in December 2013, that as foreign secretary I acted at all times in a manner which was fully consistent with my legal duties, and with national and international law.

'I was never in any way complicit in the unlawful rendition or detention of anyone by other states. '

He added that the judgment raised 'some important points of law' - including whether it is possible to bring the actions of foreign states into a court process in the UK - but that the merits 'had not been tested before any court'.

'That can only happen when the trial of the action itself takes place,' he added.

The Crown Prosecution Service has previously considered bringing charges over the case against an unnamed individual - thought to be Sir Mark - but decided that there was insufficient evidence to do so.

During the appeal hearing at the Supreme Court, the court heard how Mr Belhaj, a Libyan national and opponent of Gaddafi, and his wife had attempted to take a commercial flight from Beijing to London using fake passports.

But they were instead deported by the Chinese authorities to Kuala Lumpur where they were detained.

It is alleged that MI6 became aware of their detention and reported their whereabouts to the Libyan intelligence services, a plan which led to them being tortured in Bangkok and held against their will in Libya.

Mrs Boudchar was held until June 2004 while Mr Belhaj was incarcerated for six years until March 2010.

Mr Belhaj - a leading member of the Islamist opposition to Colonel Gaddafi - and his wife have offered to settle for a token 1 from each defendant and an apology for what they suffered

The couple claim the UK was involved in 'arranging, assisting and encouraging their unlawful rendition'.

International human rights group Reprieve and the Belhaj family say their abduction was a direct result of a joint MI6-CIA operation following the 'deal in the desert' in which Tony Blair's government re-opened diplomatic links with Gaddafi.

According to Reprieve, part of the deal involved the illegal kidnapping and flying of Libyan dissidents to Tripoli.

They say cases came to light in 2011, when faxes written by Sir Mark, which described the rendition flights, were found in Libya's intelligence headquarters.

Giving his judgment at the Supreme Court, Lord Mance said: 'They allege that they suffered mistreatment amounting to torture at the hands of US agents in Bangkok and in the airplane and at the hands of Libyan officials in Libya.'

The judge said the couple were relying on the letter supposedly written by Sir Mark to Mr Moussa Koussa, head of the Libyan External Security Organisation.

'The letter congratulated Mr Moussa Koussa "on the safe arrival of (Mr Belhaj)",' said the judge.

'It said that "This was the least we could do for you and for Libya to demonstrate the remarkable relationship we have built over recent years".

'It indicated that British intelligence had led to Mr Belhaj's transfer to Libya, although the British services "did not pay for the air cargo".'

Government lawyers had argued that the Belhaj claims should be barred under state immunity.

They said the foreign 'act of state' doctrine prohibits the courts of one country sitting in judgment on the acts of the government of another within its own territory.

The High Court agreed with the Government's stance and ruled that the claims should be struck out.

But Reprieve argued that the Government had already settled a related claim out of court by paying compensation to another family who were rendered to Libya in the same 'deal in the desert' conspiracy.

The Court of Appeal then reversed the High Court ruling.

It said the doctrine relied upon by the government might not apply to alleged breaches of international law or human rights obligations, even in cases involving the conduct of a foreign state.

The appeal judges said there was a 'compelling public interest' in allegations of unlawful rendition and 'particularly grave violations of international law and human rights' being investigated by the English courts.

UK Government lawyers then argued that the compensation claim could not be heard in a British court because it would damage relations with the US.

But the argument was dismissed by the seven justices - court president Lord Neuberger, sitting with Lady Hale and Lords Mance, Clarke, Wilson, Sumption and Hughes.

Lord Mance said that 'state immunity is no bar to the claims', and the defendants had not 'on the assumed facts shown any entitlement to rely on the doctrine of foreign act of state'.

He said: 'The appeals are dismissed and the cases may proceed to trial.'

Sapna Malik, of law firm Leigh Day which is representing Mr Belhaj, said: 'The Supreme Court today has delivered an emphatic judgment upholding the rule of law, particularly in the face of breaches of rights recognised as fundamental by English statute and common law, in which British defendants are alleged to have been complicit.'
Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate's Armed Services committee, said Tuesday that the NATO alliance is 'vital' and is in some respects 'probably more important than any time in the past.'

The top-ranking Republican rejected President-elect Donald Trump's claim that the organization is 'obsolete,' telling CNN, 'We need NATO more than ever.'

'Obviously the world is on fire thanks to a total abysmal failure of leadership for the last eight years,' McCain said on the network's New Day program, blaming outgoing President Barack Obama for a perception by Russia and ISIS that America is 'weak.'

He likewise said that he is undecided about voting for Trump's secretary of state nominee, Rex Tillerson, because he once received a friendship award from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate's Armed Services committee, said Tuesday that the NATO alliance is 'vital' and is in some respects 'probably more important than any time in the past,' directly citing Russia

The foreign policy hawk is often at odds with the sitting president and president-elect from his own party, whose feathers he ruffled last week by handing over a dossier of dirt - that Trump says was falsified the FBI.

Donald Trump has said he wants to work with Russia and has appointed a secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, who has a history of warm relations with Vladimir Putin - who McCain is on the fence about approving

raised concerns this morning about Trump's foreign policy Tuesday on both Morning Joe and New Day.

Trump has said he wants to work with Russia in areas where the U.S. and the foreign country have intersecting interests and appointed a secretary of state, Tillerson, who has a history of warm relations with Putin.

He's also suggested the U.S. would not fulfill its obligation to defend member nations who worry they'll be invaded by Russia if their dues to NATO aren't paid up.

The president-elect recently set off alarms a joint interview with the Times of London and Bild, a German publication, when he called NATO 'obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago.'

'The countries weren't paying what they're supposed to be paying,' he added.

McCain said Tuesday that NATO is important to U.S. national security.

Because of Obama and Congress' 'mindless sequestration,' McCain said on CNN that the United Stats Army, Navy and Air Force are are smaller than they've ever been in modern history.

Trump has said he wants to increase spending on defense forces, and McCain applauded him for that.

'But right now, the advantage that we have held for the last 70 years is now being eroded as the Russians and the Chinese have increased their capabilities, not to mention Iran and other nation states,' the senator said. 'So I think we need NATO more than ever.'

The U.S. is also fighting a 'long-term battle against this radical Islamic extremism,' he said, 'which clearly we have not won.'

McCain said on Morning Joe that 'NATO is vital' to confronting Russian aggression.

'Thanks to Vladimir Putin's behavior you're seeing an increase in a lot of those countries on their spending,' he said, making a reference to European allies. 'So I think NATO in some respects given Vladimir Putin's behavior is probably more important than any time in the past and with the strains on the E.U. that the refugee crisis is causing.'

The president-elect recently set off alarms a joint interview with the Times of London and Bild, a German publication, when he called NATO 'obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago.'

Rex Tillerson, Trump's pick for secretary of state, told senators on the Foreign Relations Committee last Wednesday that he believes that the United States has a binding obligation to protect NATO members in a break with Trump.

The collective dense 'commitment is inviolable and the US is going to stand behind that commitment,' he said.

Monday, McCain said he was leaning toward Tillerson's confirmation, just 'barely,' after talking with him personally about Putin.

'I still dont understand taking an award from that thug,' he told Fox News.

He said on CNN this morning that he hasn't made up his mind.

'When I see what Vladimir Putin has done in the way of literally committing war crimes intentionally,' he said, citing bombings of hospitals and civilians, 'then I question the recipient of a friendship award with Vladimir Putin.'

McCain indicated that he would vote for Trump's Defense pick retired General James Mattis and his Homeland Security Secretary appointee General Kelly, both of whom he said he 'has have a very close relationship with.'

He said he respects Trump's incoming National Security Adviser, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, 'a great deal.'

'A lot of the people that are going to be around the president, I have known for many years, and I trust and respect, especially those individuals that I just mentioned,' McCain said. 'So I want to work with the president.'
Julia Peyton-Jones, a leading figure in the arts world, has just become a mother for the first time at the age of 64

The art director who has become a mother aged 64 previously told of her sadness at the break up of her first marriage.

Julia Peyton-Jones, a leading figure in the arts world and the former head of the Serpentine Galleries in London, revealed yesterday she had become a mother for the first time to baby Pia.

Ms Peyton-Jones, who is thought to be single, will turn 65 next month.

It is not known if the infant was born following IVF treatment or surrogacy using frozen eggs.

But in an interview five years ago she told of the joys of family life and described the collapse of her first marriage, to Prosper Riley-Smith, as one of her biggest disappointments in life.

She described her greatest achievement as 'being part of a wonderful family'.

Dame Julia was director of the Serpentine for more than 25 years and was rewarded with a damehood in the birthday honours list.

Dubbed the 'Queen of Arts', she is credited with turning around the fortunes of the galleries, showcasing emerging talents  including a young Damien Hirst  and raising thousands for new buildings and renovations.

Instead of putting her feet up after a high-flying career as head of the Serpentine Galleries in London, she will be busy raising daughter Pia (pictured left with Tommy Hilfiger and Naomi Campbell)

She could not be reached for comment yesterday, but is understood to be delighted at the arrival of her daughter, whose name means pious. She is thought to be in California, where the baby was born.

Her friend, financier Robin Saunders, said: 'This is the most exciting news. Julia will be a wonderful mother and role model for her daughter. I wish her happiness with Pia.'

Dame Julia announced her departure as co-director from the Serpentine in 2015, and stood down last summer.

There were rumours she was to replace Sir Nicholas Serota as director of the Tate. Instead, she quietly became a mother after telling friends she had been considering it for some time.

The revelation about her motherhood is likely to raise eyebrows in the art world, given her age. But she was unlikely to have had the time before now, with her working day consisting of early mornings, back-to-back meetings and social events in the evenings.

Dame Julia Peyton-Jones (pictured) stepped down from her role as co-director of the popular London art venue (shown right) and has now taken on the new challenge of being a mother

Announcing her departure from the Serpentine, she said she wanted to spend more time painting. 'I will be starting all over again,' she said at the time. 'I am 64. My goal is to live to 100 and remain in really good shape. And I feel I need to make that investment in what the future will hold.'

Elizabeth Adeney, of Suffolk, was Britain's oldest mum at 66 when she gave birth to a son in 2009 following IVF treatment in Ukraine.

The oldest first-time British IVF mother is believed to be Sue Tollefsen, from Harold Wood, Essex, who in 2008 gave birth at 57 to daughter Freya after treatment in Moscow.

The cut-off limit for IVF treatment on the NHS is 42 and most private clinics in the UK refuse to treat women over 50, prompting older women to travel abroad for treatment. Another option apart from using frozen eggs is adoption.

Last year, Marks and Spencer executive Laura Wade-Gery quit her role after having her first child at the age of 50.

Mrs Wade-Grey  once tipped to take the helm of the company  had a child with her second husband, business consultant and farmer Simon Roberts, 67. It was not known whether she became pregnant or used a surrogate.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron arrives at the Serpentine Gallery with then co-director Julia Peyton-Jones in 2010

Dame Julia trained at the Royal College of Art. She was briefly a lecturer at Edinburgh College of Art before joining London's Hayward Gallery as a curator.

She became director of the Serpentine in 1991 and was credited with securing Diana, Princess of Wales as patron. She also managed to secure powerful backers including former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and raised 14million to turn a nearby 19th-century munitions store into a show space. Under her stewardship, visitors numbers rose five-fold and it is now one of the most popular galleries in London.

Dame Julia, who lives in central London, was married to Prosper Riley-Smith, a founder of research company Davis Riley Smith McClay, but they divorced in 1985.

She has one sister and four half-sisters.

One, Elizabeth, 50, is a herbalist and healthy eating expert whose clients include actress Thandie Newton.

During 25 years in her position at the Serpentine, Peyton-Jones and the Hyde Park gallery have hosted works by artists ranging from Damien Hirst to Yoko Ono
A shipwrecked captain was rescued after 48 hours adrift as he clung to debris in the water off the coast of Colombia.

Alirio Hurtado was captain of a motorboat that sank on Wednesday en route from Pizarro, Choco, in west Colombia to Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, just 75 miles south in the South American country.

Captain Hurtado, 42, was found on Friday. He was the only person aboard not immediately rescued.

The other 34 people on board, including six children, were all quickly picked up by rescue vessels. The reason for his disappearance from the scene is not clear.

Alirio Hurtado (right) was captain of a motorboat that sank on Wednesday en route from Pizarro, Choco, in west Colombia to Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, just 122km (75 miles) south

Captain Hurtado was found on Friday two days after the other 34 people on board, including six children, were rescued

The search for him involved naval, air and coastguard units, attached to the Pacific Naval Force, as well as a Colombian Air Force aircraft and several civilian passenger transport boats.

They found the captain, who survived by drinking rain water, floating in the North Pacific Ocean about 10 nautical miles from the coast of the municipality of Pizarro, in the department of Choco.

After his rescue, the captain received medical attention aboard the ship ARC Cabo Corrientes de la Armada for dehydration, shock and lacerations.

He was later transferred to the municipality of Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, where he was reunited with his relatives.

And the captain seemed undaunted by his ordeal, making good-spirited remarks to local media.

He said: 'They always say not to throw rubbish in the water, but it was the rubbish in the sea that helped me to survive!'

Hurtado was found floating in the North Pacific Ocean about ten nautical miles from the coast of the municipality of Pizarro, in the department of Choco
The campaign for Ann Roe, who is running for Congress against Lyin' Bryan Steil has come out with the best one-liner of this cycle so far: I can't argue...

1 year ago
A group of Black Lives Matter protesters caused 'utter chaos' by chaining themselves across a major route into Heathrow Airport, a court heard.

The rally caused major disruption to passengers at the height of the summer holiday season, with traffic gridlocked on the M4 spur road.

Four of the protesters - Joshua Virasami, 26, Ewa Jasiewicz, 38, Mark Weaver, 35, and Alison Playford, 37 - unfurled a huge black banner in the middle of a road which read 'this is a crisis' during the rally in the morning rush hour on August 5 last year.

Meanwhile the other five - Sita Balani, 29, Liam Barrington-Bush, 32, Aditi Jaganathan, 26, Naomi Mabita, 23, and Aadam Muuse, 24 - lay down on the ground chained to each other through hollowed out fire extinguishers, which were filled with wire mesh and concrete.

A court has heard how a protest by the Black Lives Matter group caused chaos last summer

Joshua Virasami and Liam Barrington-Bush are among a group of Black Lives Matter protesters on trial for obstructing the highway during a demonstration near Heathrow

Alison Playford and Mark Weaver are also charged over the incident in August last year

Some drivers dangerously tried to get through the crowd, while others shouted angrily at the campaigners - four of whom were white.

A police officer said he pleaded with the activists pointing out that thousands of people could miss flights and there were children in the cars and it was going to be a hot day.

Instead, the group started loudly chanting 'black lives matter' which drowned him out, the court heard.

Video footage played to the court showed the protesters shouting 'if they don't give us justice, we won't give them peace', and 'black lives matter'.

The prosecutor said: 'This footage, if nothing at all, shows how busy the place is. They have successfully obstructed the highway.

'You can see others are trying to forcefully drive through the crowd, and that is, if nothing at all, dangerous - objectively dangerous.'

Naomi Mabita (left) and Aditi Jaganathan (right) both deny the charge at the ongoing trial

Ewa Jasiewicz (left) and Aadam Muuse (right) stood and lay on the M4 spur road, the jury heard

Sita Balani is also on trial in proceedings expected to cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds

Asked to describe the scene Sergeant Christopher Jackson, a firearms officer based at Heathrow, said: 'Utter chaos, to be honest, because the first thing my attention was drawn to was a huge amount of stationary traffic on the southbound lanes.

'People were out of their cars shouting at the protesters who were in the road.

'There was a huge banner across the road. There were people on the floor, there were people who seemed to know the protesters but were not involved in it stood on the side of the road.

Raj Chada, defending, asked Virasami about his alleged actions.

He said: 'Was there anything significant about the date in relation to Black Lives Matter protests?'

Virasami said: 'The 5th of August was the day that Mark Duggan was unlawfully killed by firearms units in Tottenham.'

He told Willesden Magistrates' Court he wanted to highlight issues involving black deaths in police custody and stop and search policies.

Mr Virasami said: 'The fact that I had friends and family friends who had died in police custody are why I felt compelled to take part in that protest..'

He said they had chosen Heathrow for the impact it would cause to the public and for maximum media coverage.

The defendant said: 'The aim was to highlight the issues and the story was more likely to be picked up if it had the aspect of the title of Heathrow Airport and the M4 spur road in the articles.'

Pressed on how long the protest was planned for, he said: 'Roughly 20 minutes. This was simply because we didn't need to be there any longer and because we had other commitments for that day.

'I myself had no intention of staying there.'

Mr Chada asked why they did not choose more traditional ways to protest, such as handing out leaflets and using placards.

Mr Virasami said: 'The reason we took this form of protest was because it could be short, sharp, safe and simple, and have as little inconvenience but have as large an impact.

'It did have quite a significant impact on the issue itself and influenced, definitely influenced the mainstream media and reached the ears of policy makers.

'Research that came out after included some of the information that was presented and it had a very successful impact.'

Mr Virasami denied police had warned him to move away.

Mr Chada said: 'It was obvious that the police did not want you there, and it was obvious that you should move on. So again, the question, if it's obvious, why not move?'

The defendant replied: 'It did not feel obvious to me.'

Mr Chada asked: 'Was the impact designed for media, road users, or police?'

Virasami admitted: 'For media.'

But Nana Owusuh, prosecuting, accused him of choosing Heathrow to cause 'the maximum disturbance, chaos and delay'.

The defendant said the authorities were not notified of the protest 'because in all honesty we thought that it would be safe and short.

'We had positioned ourselves close enough to be within reach of the officers in a very short space of time.

'We were very prepared to call them if things had gone astray, but we did not feel it necessary to call them beforehand.'

Mr Owusuh said: 'What description would you give to yourself?'

He responded: 'I am a concerned citizen.'

The prosecutor continued: 'The location was calculated to cause the maximum disturbance, chaos and delay.'

Virasami denied this, and said not a single flight was stopped.

The group had predicted there would be a 15 minute delay for traffic, he told the court.

Virasami added: 'I would offer an alternative narrative, which would be that a group of ten people walked slowly on to a road where the traffic lights were red, and unfurled the banner while the traffic was stationary.'

Mr Owusuh said: 'Why didn't you choose any other time? Why didn't you choose, I don't know, 12 o'clock, 10 o'clock in the evening?'

The defendant said: 'We had other commitments.'

Mr Owusuh continued: 'Your conduct, as an individual and collectively, was an obstructive one.'

Virasami also claimed he could not hear police asking them to move.

The court also heard from university lecturer and documentary film maker Ken Fero, who gave character witness for Ewa Jasiewicz.

He said they met in 2001 when they released a film about deaths in police custody, and she was a journalist working in magazines.

Mr Fero said: 'She came up to Coventry University several times over the past few years, giving some sense of what it is like to be an activist and journalist.'

Ms Jasiewicz had worked with he United Family Friends Campaign over the years, he told the court.

He added: 'Since then she has been involved in lots of the activities, supporting families.

'I find Ewa to be a very committed person, very humble. She always made sure that what she does supports the people who are being affected.'

Balani, Barrington-Bush, Jaganathan, Jasiewicz, Muuse, Playford,and Virasami, all from London, Weaver, of Beverley, east Yorkshire and Mabita, of Manchester, all deny wilful obstruction of a highway.

The trial, which is expected to last up to four days, continues.
Susan Stilwell wasn't ready to believe her little Harry could be battling a deadly genetic disease.

When a doctor dealt her the news no parent wants to hear, the Sydney mother's world turned upside down.

Harry, six, is suffering from Juvenile Batten Disease  a rare degenerative condition which robs sufferers of their speech, mobility and eyesight.

As the family scrambles to move to the US for Harry to undergo clinical trials, they face the crushing possibility that Harry's siblings Oliver and Macy could be fighting the same cruel condition.

Harry Stilwell , six, has been diagnosed with the genetic Juvenile Batten Disease

The degenerative condition robs sufferers of their speech, mobility and eyesight as they get older

Ms Stilwell told Daily Mail Australia about the day the family were dealt the devastating blow.

'Harry has just started kindergarten last year. His teacher told us his eyesight wasn't right. After visiting an optometrist we were told he was declared 'legally blind'.'

Frightened and baffled at the diagnosis, the mother followed up by taking him to a neurologist to find answers.

'I had to pick up my other kids that afternoon, and I was thinking there's no way this could happen. I fell to my knees when they told us.'

'He said "he's going to be sick and pass away".'

Batten Disease causes blindness, leaves sufferers bedridden and is eventually fatal.

But the family are seeking hope in Gene Replacement Therapies, which are under development in clinical trials.

'We got a call today (Tuesday) to say we have an appointment with a neurologist involved with the trials in the US. The trials are not approved by the FDA, it's an extremely rare condition.'

Susan Stilwell, Harry, his brother Oliver and her husband Shawn are scrambling to move to the US to undergo clinical trials

The family face the crushing possibility Harry's siblings Oliver and Macy could be fighting the same cruel condition

BATTEN DISEASE: THE CRUEL, GENETIC CONDITION THAT CUTS LIVES SHORT Batten disease is a fatal, inherited disorder of the nervous system that begins in childhood. In some cases, the early signs are subtle, taking the form of personality and behavior changes, slow learning, clumsiness, or stumbling. The typical early signs are loss of muscle coordination (and seizures that do not respond to drugs). This form progresses rapidly and ends in death - often by the teenage years. Symptoms of Batten disease are linked to a buildup of substances called lipopigments in the body's tissues. Lipopigments are made up of fats and proteins. Because vision loss is often an early sign, Batten disease may be first suspected during an eye examination. WHAT IS THE PROGNOSIS? Over time, affected children suffer mental impairment, worsening seizures, and progressive loss of sight and motor skills. Eventually, children with Batten disease become blind, physically disabled and in some cases, intellectually impaired. Batten disease is often fatal by the late teens or twenties. Advertisement

'If it works it works, but weren't not going to wait around.'

Ms Stilwell slammed the Australian government for not funding adequate research into Batten Disease.

'There's just not enough money going into this. People would be horrified if they saw what this disease does.

'It is hell watching your child decline. It feels like no one can help us in Australia. Why do we have to move countries to save our kids?'

The family are holding a fund raising event next month for Harry and for research into the rare condition

'It's not fair this is happening in Australia, we're a wealthy country.'

Doctors told the family there is a 25 per cent chance Oliver and Macy could be suffering from the same disease.

'We're just trying to put one foot in front of the other at the moment, I couldn't bear to hear .'

The family are holding a fund raising event next month for the Australian chapter of Batten Disease Support and Research Association (BDRSA) and Harry's personal battle with the disease.

You can donate to the event here
Maine governor Paul LePage chided Georgia Representative John Lewis for doubting Donald Trump's legitimacy as President, saying the civil rights icon 'needs a history lesson' to appreciate Republicans.

LePage, 68, was ranting about 'silver tongued' Democrat objectors to the President-elect on local station WVOM when he told his hosts: 'I will just say this: John Lewis ought to look at history.

'It was Abraham Lincoln that freed the slaves. It was Rutherford B Hayes and Ulysses S Grant that fought against Jim Crow laws. A simple thank you would suffice.'

Scroll down for audio

Maine governor Paul LePage has chided John Lewis for questioning Trump's presidency, and said the Democrat should respect Republicans because of Lincoln, Grant and Hayes

(Courtesy of The George Hale / Ric Tyler Show on WVOM-FM/WVQM-FM)

LePage's statement, made on The George Hale / Ric Tyler Show on WVOM-FM/WVQM-FM, is historically questionable.

It is correct that Lincoln pushed for the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, and both Grant and Hayes supported equality among the races.

But the Jim Crow laws did not emerge until after the Grant administration, and were - some historians argue - given foundations during the Hayes presidency.

It was in 1877 - the last year of the Grand administration and the first of Hayes' - that the Supreme Court ruled that states could not prohibit segregation on common carriers such as trains, trams and riverboats; the beginning of the Jim Crow era.

LePage is no stranger to inaccurate claims. In September last year he claimed that blacks and Hispanics make up '90-plus per cent' of heroin trafficking arrests in Maine.

He also claimed that the out of state drug dealers were impregnating white girls.

FBI data showed that blacks accounted for 14 percent of a total of 1,211 drug sale and manufacturing arrests and 7.4 percent of 5,791 total drug arrests in Maine in 2014, the most recent numbers available.

Broken down, it showed that blacks accounted for 35.5 per cent of arrests for selling opium-derived drugs including heroin, morphine and cocaine, and 26 per cent when synthetic narcotics including most prescription narcotics were included in the tally.

The FBI doesn't identify Hispanic criminals, and the Maine Department of Public Safety doesn't include race when compiling and analyzing crime data.

Lewis said he wouldn't go to Trump's inauguration because he believed Russia had influenced his victory. Trump responded with fiery invective on Twitter

LePage was responding to Lewis's comment on Friday that he did not 'see the President-elect as a legitimate President' because of Russian hacks that the intelligence community say were intended to help Trump win.

'I don't plan to attend the inauguration,' he said. 'It will be the first one that I miss since I've been in the Congress. You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong, is not right.'

In Tuesday it emerged that one in five Democratic Representatives would not attend the inauguration, some because of Lewis's decision.

Trump responded to the Representative on Twitter Saturday by saying Lewis should 'spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested).'

He also described Lewis - who was one of the 'Big Six' of civil rights alongside Martin Luther King Jr, and suffered repeated beatings and arrests during peaceful protests against segregation - as 'all talk, talk, talk - no action or results'.

Trump renewed that grudge Tuesday when he tweeted: 'John Lewis said about my inauguration, "It will be the first one that I've missed." WRONG (or lie)!

'He boycotted Bush 43 also because he "thought it would be hypocritical to attend Bush's swearing-in... he doesn't believe Bush is the true elected president." Sound familiar!'

Lewis's office confirmed to Politifact that Lewis, who became a Representative in 1987, had indeed not attended George W Bush's inauguration, after a long-fought battle with Al Gore, who won the popular vote.

Trump blasted Rep John Lewis on Tuesday for skipping his inauguration, saying that Lewis was wrong when he said it would be the first one he missed; he also skipped George W Bush's

Bush, like Trump, lost the popular vote but took the Electoral College. He had also dismissed Lewis, who was a civil rights icon as 'all talk, talk, talk - no action or results'

LePage was asked by WVOM whether he thought that Trump should rein in his frequent Twitter outbursts.

'Yes,' he said. 'I don't have a Twitter and I don't have a Facebook. Well we do have a Facebook - but they don't let me manage it.'

But he defended Trump for what he saw as fighting back at opponents.
Conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham is thinking about challenging Tim Kaine for his U.S. Senate seat, she confirmed Tuesday Morning.

Kaine was Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's running mate last year. He will have to marshal his political forces for a 2018 re-election fight, just two years after the crushing defeat in the 2016 White House race.

In the era of Donald Trump, a broadcast entertainer who rose improbably to the White House, a source close to Ingraham told DailyMail.com that she 'could be the next big thing, and then of course the floodgates might open mightily for political runs by other big-audience broadcasters  most of whom are on the political right.'

'I'm considering it. Yeah. Yep,' Ingraham told 'Fox & Friends,' chuckling as she answered her first point-blank question about the rumor about her political ambitions, which first leaked Monday.

Conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham (right) is considering a run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Hillary Clinton running mate Tim Kaine

The Democrat Kaine (right, shown during a Senate hearing) and Ingraham (left, shown at the Republican National Convention) both live in Virginia

'I think it's always good to mix things up,' she said, explaining her thinking. 'And I've been in Washington a long time, and I have a great respect for the Congress and institutions of government.'

Another hat in the ring might belong to former GOp presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina, who moved to Virginia after an unsuccessful Senate run in California

'I've had a great privilege to serve the country in the judicial branch as a law clerk, at the executive branch for President Reagan, and it might be something I'm interested in,' Ingraham said.

She clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and was a speechwriter in the Reagan White House. She was also among the names floated in December as a potential Trump press secretary.

Ingraham earned a top-20 spot in last year's list of America's 100 most influential radio hosts, an annual ranking published by the industry's 'Talkers' magazine.

Her books are perennial best-sellers, including 2012's 'Of Thee I Zing.'

She also helms 'Lifezette,' a new online news outlet that has gained a following thanks in part to successful story placement on the Drudge Report website.

Actor James Woods was instantly mesmerized by the idea of a Senator Ingraham, and asked on Twitter how he could donate his time and money

Ingraham is a Washington insider who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas (right) and wrote speeches for President Ronald Reagan (left)

Ingraham said Tuesday morning that she already has the support of some heavy hitters in her home state.

'I haven't made any decisions,' she cautioned, 'but a number of folks in Virginia who are well-connected are very interested in my running, and that's very flattering.'

The Republican primary contest for the Virginia U.S. Senate nomination could be a crowded affair.

Reps. Dave Brat and Barbara Comstock might throw their hats into the ring, along with presidential contender Carly Fiorina, who ran unsuccessfully for Senate in California in 2010 but now lives in the suburbs of Washington.

Brat famously upended then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor as a 2014 tea party long-shot.

Fiorina spent the fall stumping and fundraising for down-ballot candidates all over Virginia, building a based of support for a likely challenge to Kaine.

But Ingraham could have Hollywood's few conservatives behind her, starting with actor James Woods.

'Please tell me where I can donate to your campaign,' Woods tweeted at her on Tuesday.

'Do you need volunteers? Where and when?'
A US-UK trade deal can be ready within six months, an adviser to Donald Trump said today.

Delivering another boost to Theresa May's hopes of striking new free trade deals after Brexit, Antony Scaramucci said Britain will be one of the President-elect's priorities when he enters the White House on Friday.

He said he didn't want to 'exaggerate' the speed at which a trade deal could be agreed between the two nations but said Mr Trump's team would be in a position to offer an arrangement within the 'first six months or the first year of the administration'.

Delivering another boost to Theresa May's hopes of striking new free trade deals after Brexit, Antony Scaramucci, pictured, said Britain will be one of the President-elect's priorities when he enters the White House on Friday

Mr Scaramucci, an American financier and entrepreneur, said Mr Trump's team will 'take the steps necessary to make sure the UK is at the front of the line as opposed to the back of the line, on trade deals'.

It contrasts with the approach to Brexit taken by outgoing president Barack Obama, who warned British voters that the UK would be 'at the back of the queue' for a trade deal if they opted to leave the EU last year.

Asked if Britain would be Mr Trump's number one priority for a trade deal, Mr Scaramucci told ITV News: 'I don't want to say number one, but I think you're pretty close.

'We see the unique, special relationship bond and love that these countries and people have for each other.'

His comments build on Mr Trump's promise of an agreement with the UK 'very quickly'.

And it came as Mrs May unveiled her vision for a 'truly global Britain' after Brexit, promising to free the UK from EU rules banning individual member states from striking new trade deals.

In her keynote speech today she said American was one of the major nations Britain would forge new trading relations with.

In an interview with Brexit champion Michael Gove for The Times yesterday, Mr Trump spoke in terms of his 'love' for the UK and revealed Mrs May would be coming to visit him 'right after' he gets into the White House

The comments from Antony Scaramucci deliver another boost to Theresa May's hopes of forming new trading relationships with major nations after Brexit

In an interview with Brexit champion Michael Gove for The Times yesterday, Mr Trump spoke in terms of his 'love' for the UK and revealed Mrs May would be coming to visit him 'right after' he gets into the White House.

Downing Street hailed the President-elect's pledge to do a 'great' deal with the UK.

The Prime Minister's spokesperson said: 'We welcome the commitment from the president elect to engage with the UK on this to work together to agree a deal quickly.

'That highlights the opportunities of leaving the EU.'

But she added that only 'scoping' discussions could be held before the end of the Article 50 process, and there were a 'lot of issues to cover' .

'We have also been clear that we will respect our obligations while we remain in the EU,' she said.

'We cannot enter and sign a free trade agreement while we remain in the EU.

'We will have scoping to look at what some of the areas may be ... but we will continue to respect while we remain a member of the EU.

'We will be having scoping discussions to look at the areas where we can benefit most. There will be a lot of issues to cover with this.'
A German student has revealed a photo of her mother, taken by her father at the Berlin Christmas market - eight minutes before they were both killed by an ISIS fanatic.

Georgiy Borzov sent the picture of his wife Anna to their daughter Valeriya, 22, as the couple were drinking mulled wine at the yuletide gathering in the German capital.

But just minutes later the market descended into a bloodbath when jihadist killer Anis Amri drove a lorry through the crowds, killing 12, including Valeriya's parents who died beneath the truck's wheels.

Georgiy Borzov sent the picture of his wife Anna (above) to their daughter Valeriya, 22, as the couple were drinking mulled wine at the yuletide gathering in the German capital

Kiev-born Valeriya (pictured), 22, was not in Berlin that fateful night of December 19 because she had travelled to Hamburg with her boyfriend for some Christmas shopping

Kiev-born Valeriya was not in Berlin that fateful night of December 19 because she had travelled to Hamburg with her boyfriend for some Christmas shopping.

She forgot to take her mobile phone out with her so Valeriya only saw it two hours later when her mother and father were both dead.

She said: 'It must have been a spontaneous decision for them to visit the Christmas market on the evening of the 19th. They hadn't planned to.

'Shortly before 9pm on that night my boyfriend Malte's phone had a newsflash about an attack on a Christmas market in Berlin.

'I first tried to call them then but I didn't really worry at that time when I couldn't get through.

But just minutes later the market descended into a bloodbath when jihadist killer Anis Amri drove a lorry through the crowds, killing 12, including Valeriya's parents (pictured) who died beneath the truck's wheels

Anis Amri drove a lorry through a packed market on December 19 killing 12 people in the rampage

'About an hour later I was back in the hotel and saw the photo of mama on my phone. I tried both their mobiles. Nothing. I rang the neighbours who said that their car was missing from the driveway.

'I did not want to rush home because that would have been an admission that something bad had happened. But I was worried now.'

A friend of the family, an emergency doctor, went to the scene of the massacre but could not get through the police lines.

Nor could he access the overworked emergency telephone number set up for family members of potential victims.

Valeriya, a dental student in Berlin, tried to mobile phones of her parents throughout the night without success. It was days later she learned the terrible truth of what had happened to them.

Orphaned by the terror, she added: 'I not only lost my parents but my best friends. We all lived as friends together.'

IT specialist Georgiy and engineer Anna had been in Berlin since 2001 and were in the process of becoming citizens when they were murdered.

A fund has been set up by well-wishers to financially support Valeriya.
A womans torso and leg were found at a garbage processing facility in The Bronx early Tuesday morning.

The grisly discovery was made at the Metropolitan Transfer Station on Halleck Street in the Hunts Points neighborhood.

Employees at the privately owned waste station uncovered the body parts at 4.40am and notified the NYPD.

Gruesome mystery: A torso and leg belonging to an unidentified woman were found Tuesday morning at the Metropolitan Transfer Station in the Hunts Points section of The Bronx

A worker at the transfer station told NBC New York that all activity at the facility was brought to a halt to assist police with the investigation.

Waste from all areas across the city ends up at the Bronx facility, where it is collected and destroyed.

So far, it is unclear how the remains ended up in the trash. A medical examiner will determine how the unnamed victim died.

As of late Tuesday morning, no arrests have been made in connection to the disturbing find.
President-elect Donald Trump returned to his Twitter attacks on representative John Lewis, accusing the civil rights icon of committing a 'lie' for saying he was skipping Trump's inauguration and that it would be the first time he had missed one.

'John Lewis said about my inauguration, 'It will be the first one that I've missed.' WRONG (or lie)!' Trump wrote in two tweets on Tuesday.

'He boycotted Bush 43 also because he ... thought it would be hypocritical to attend Bush's swearing-in' Trump continued.

Lewis 'doesn't believe Bush is the true elected president.' Sound familiar! WP,' Trump concluded, in a reference to the Washington Post.

Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, a civil-rights icon, who was lambasted over the weekend by President-elect Donald Trump after Lewis questioned the legitimacy of Trump's election, speaks at the 5000 Role Models of Excellence breakfast in Miami

Defending his decision to skip Trump's inauguration, Lewis said: 'It will be the first one that I miss since Ive been in Congress. You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong, is not right.'

The Post reported in 2001 that Lewis didn't plan to attend Bush's inauguration after the contested Florida recount because he 'thought it would be hypocritical to attend Bush's swearing-in because he doesn't believe Bush is the true elected president.' Instead, he spent the inauguration in his district.

In both cases, the Democrats, Al Gore in 2000 and Hillary Clinton in 2016, won the popular vote while the Republican won the election by carrying the Electoral College.

Lewis infuriated Trump by saying he wouldn't attend this year's festivities because he didn't think Trump was 'legitimate,' following the intelligence community's assessment on Russian hacking in the election.

President-elect Donald Trump blasted Rep. John Lewis for skipping his inauguration

Trump noted that Lewis said in 2001 it would be 'hypocritical' of him to attend George W. Bush's inauguration

Lewis told NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday, 'I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected, and they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton,' in portions of an interview released earlier this week.

Trump greeted Lewis' comments with a series of tweets that went after him and his congressional district, suggesting the Georgia Democrat's district 'is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested).'

'Congressman John Lewis should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities of the U.S. I can use all the help I can get!' Trump said.

HAND OF PEACE: President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Martin Luther King III after their meeting at Trump Tower Monday, following his spat with Lewis

Lewis represents much of downtown Atlanta, an ethnically diverse area, which features the world's busiest airport and the headquarters of many major American businesses including Delta Air Lines, Coca-Cola and CNN.

Trump on Monday, which was Martin Luther King Day, refrained from hitting Lewis, who himself didn't directly reference the spat during his own MLK remarks in Miami.

Trump's incoming White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, offered reverent remarks about Lewis, even as he pushed back on Lewis' position.

'Spicer called Lewis' comments 'disappointing,' but also referred to him as 'such an icon of voting rights and civil rights.'

Speaking to NBC's Chuck Todd (left) this week, Rep. John Lewis (right), the most prominent civil rights leader in Congress, called into question the legitimacy of Donald Trump's election

Speaking on MSNBC, Spicer indicated Trump was willing to call Lewis to try to patch things up.

'I wouldn't put it past him to do that. But I think there's got to be a willingness for John Lewis who has fought so hard for voting and civil rights to not use language about delegitimizing an election and the integrity of our voting system that he's frankly been a real champion of,' Spicer said.

Trump's spat with Lewis appeared to galvanize other House Democrats. The number of them now skipping the inaugural festivities has now approached 40.
A hairstylist claims the president-elect's second-wife attempted to get her tresses and those of daughter Tiffany Trump styled for free in exchange for 'exposure' on Inauguration Day.

Freelance stylist Tricia Kelly says she was contacted by one of her longtime clients who has ties to the new first family about an opportunity to work with Marla Maples and her 23-year-old daughter, the Washington Post reported.

Kelly, who in the past has worked with many contestants in the Miss America and Miss USA competition, said she was interested in working with the pair.

She said she explained her styling rates of a $150 fee to travel in addition to the cost of her services.

However, through Maples assistant, Kelly claims they were unwilling to accept the initial cost.

'I was told they had a $300 budget for both of them for hair and makeup,' Kelly told the Post.

Freelance stylist Tricia Kelly (left) claims Marla Maples attempted to get her and her daughter Tiffany Trump's (pictured together right) hair styled for free in exchange for 'exposure on Inauguration Day

Kelly says she was contacted by one of her longtime clients who has ties to the Trumps about an opportunity to work with Marla Maples and her 23-year-old daughter (pictured above together)

The Washington-based hairstylist said that after some back and forth she agreed to be compensated $200 total, as a makeup artist would earn $150 to get the mother-daughter duo ready for the big day.

However, the actress' assistant apparently contacted her again to propose the idea of having the services done for free in exchange for getting 'exposure' with Maples mentioning her on social media.

Kelly, who declined that proposal, said: 'I told them . . . I work for a fee, not for free.'

The hairstylist explained that she usually turns down having clients who are involved in politics provide exposure of her work because she does not want to appear partisan, as many of the people she has worked with are prominent Republicans and Democrats.

Kelly added that she was 'reluctant' to speak out about the situation with Maples, as she also prides herself on 'discretion'.

However, she told the Post she was not happy with Maples' 'entitled' behavior and that's why she went public with her story on the situation.

'There are people who make far less than they do who pay full price,' Kelly said.

'People on staff  the incoming White House and the outgoing one  pay full price.

'It seemed like they were trying to see how much they could get for free based on their names.'

A rep for Maples declined to comment on the claims made by Kelly.

After some back and forth about prices, they settled on a deal that would have seen Kelly (above) and a make-up artist be compensated for work

But the Maples' assistant apparently contacted Kelly again to propose the idea of having the services done for free in exchange for getting 'exposure' with Maples (pictured right with Tiffany) mentioning her on social media

The hairstylist claims that she received inauspicious messages from her client that first put her in contact with Maples' team after the Post tried to contact the second-wife of Trump.

'You are messing with the president of the United States,' the Maples contact allegedly wrote to Kelly.

The contact also claimed to Kelly that Maples is concerned about her financial situation since her daughter finished college, which concludes her child-support payments from the billionaire businessman.

'She is used to a certain lifestyle and you don't understand that,' the contact apparently told Kelly.

Elected officials, lawmakers and other government officials are banned from accepting giveaways.

But for Maples and her daughter, accepting those freebies is not illegal since the president is required to report any 'gifts' over $300 that is received by him, his spouse and any minor children.

Maples and the youngest daughter of the Trump family are not bound by those rules, attorney Jan Baran, who served on President George H.W. Bush's ethics commission, told the Post.
President-elect Donald Trump gave himself a pat on the back today via Twitter, as several companies announced new investments in the U.S. and, in turn, more American jobs.

'With all of the jobs I am bringing back into the U.S. (even before taking office), with all of the new auto plants coming back into our country and with the massive cost reductions I have negotiated on military purchases and more, I believe the people are seeing "big stuff," he wrote using two tweets.

In a third tweet, which came after lunch, Trump wrote: 'Thank you to General Motors and Walmart for starting the big jobs push back into the U.S.!'

On the jobs front this morning, General Motors announced a plan to invest an additional $1 billion into the American economy, while Walmart said it will create 10,000 new retail jobs.

Hyundai also said today it would increase its U.S. investment by 50 percent.

German drug giant Bayer AG announced plans to buy up the American company Monsanto, but with that, also invest in 3,000 new jobs.

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President-elect Donald Trump suggested he had been successful in bringing back a lot of jobs to the U.S. - 'even before taking office' - as he'll be sworn in on Friday

President-elect Donald Trump said he believed the people are seeing 'big stuff' as new jobs were announced today - though also new, low poll numbers for the president-elect

The new Bayer-owned Monsanto would also keep retain the 9,000 jobs already in the United States.

Incoming Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters of the news today on a conference call following the president-elect's meeting with top executives of both companies last week.

Hyundai's announcement  that the company will raise its investment to $3.1 billion over five years and may build a U.S. plant  comes in response to Trump's threat to tax automobile imports, Reuters pointed out.

Walmart, the retail giant, announced the retail positions in advance of Trump's inauguration, as the president-elect has promoted an 'America First' agenda.

The company plans to build new stores and renovate old ones, which it says will add 24,000 construction jobs as well.

General Motors' new investment accounts for 1,500 new or retained U.S. jobs.

The company also said it would be insourcing axle production for its newest pickup truck line and that move would create another 450 American jobs.

Some of those jobs, General Motors pointed out in the announcement, had previously been in Mexico.

After lunch, Donald Trump got more specific and applauded General Motors and Walmart for announcing new U.S. jobs

Trump had criticized the company on Twitter on January 3 saying, 'General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to U.S. car dealers-tax free across border.'

Politifact rated that statement mostly true, as NAFTA provisions in this example allowed the imported cars from Mexico to come across the border tax free, though in Mexico only hatchback Cruzes are made, accounting for just 15 percent of the sales of the vehicle globally.

The Ohio-made sedan is 40 times more popular with American buyers.

Since being elected, Trump has Twitter-shamed Toyota, for planning to build Corollas in Mexico, and also Lockheed Martin and Boeing, for charging the government too much for planes, including a new Air Force One.

He's touted the plans of Ford and Fiat Chrysler, as the companies have committed to making U.S. investments.

In early December, Trump gave the nation a taste of how he would run things, by making a trip to Indiana to tout a deal with Carrier that would keep some U.S. jobs at home.

That move, according to a Politico/Morning Consult poll, gave Trump high marks, with 60 percent of respondents saying they viewed the president-elect more favorably.

Trump's boasts today, however, came on the heels of new, low approval ratings.

CNN put out a survey today that said that Trump would take office with numbers more than 20 points lower than those of his three predecessors.

President Barack Obama had an approval rating of 84 percent when he took office in 2009, President George W. Bush stood at 61 percent in 2001 and President Bill Clinton stood at 67 percent in 1993.

Trump has an approval rating of 40 percent.

Getting on Twitter this morning, he spoke of the 'record numbers' coming into D.C. for his inauguration and called the CNN poll 'phony' and 'rigged' before making the jobs boast.

He also reengaged with Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., the civil rights leader who is boycotting Trump's inauguration over the Russians' interference in the election.

Trump said Lewis was wrong  or lied  when he claimed that this was the first inauguration he had skipped, as the Democratic congressman also didn't attend the first inauguration of Bush 43, who, like Trump, lost the popular vote to the Democratic nominee.
A man was stripped naked, tied to an electricity post and tortured for hours in India - because he was 'roaming around suspiciously' near his home.

The brutal attack was allegedly carried out by a gang of five men Azhikode, in Kerala, in southern India.

The victim, named as Salam Sulaiman, was left bloodied and bruised following the savage beating.

He apparently told police his torturers had set on him because he was acting 'suspiciously' close to his home.

The victim, named as Salam Sulaiman, was stripped naked, bloodied and bruised following the savage beating

The gang even took pictures of the 47-year-old victim lying beaten on the ground and uploaded them to social media.

He suffered serious injuries and lost three teeth.

When he was found, he was barely conscious and was rushed to the nearby Kodungallur Government Taluk Hospital.

Police have launched an investigation and spoken with Salam.

A spokesman said: 'A case has been registered based on Salam's deposition. Natives of the same area, Babu, Siyad, Mikhil, Saikumar and Chikku, belonging to the gang, who have been named by Salam, are absconding after the incident.

'Their age is not known. We have intensified the drive to catch them.'
Texas may become the third state to raise the smoking age to 21, joining California and Hawaii.

Several state officials, including Rep John Zerwas and Sen Carlos Uresti, have been trying to convince lawmakers to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products.

'We have as good a chance as we've ever had,' Uresti told the Dallas Morning News. 'I welcome all the support we can get.'

Several state officials, including Sen Carlos Uresti (left) and Rep John Zerwas (right), have been trying to convince lawmakers to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products. Texas would become the third state with a tobacco age limit of 21 if such a law passed

The Department of State Health Services published a report that outlines the impacts of the proposed age limitation. If the minimum age is raised, there would be 200,000 fewer premature deaths and Texas would save $406 million within five years

The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) published a report that outlines the impacts of the proposed age limitation.

'Reductions in tobacco-related illnesses will take decades to realize. But there would be immediate reduction in adverse physiological effects and poor infant health outcomes,' according to the report published in December.

'Raising the minimum age to 21 years would result in 200,000 fewer premature deaths and potentially millions of years of life gained for those born between 2000 and 2019.'

The DSHS reported the state could also save as much as $406 million within five years if such a law passed.

Dr Ernest Hawk, the vice president of cancer prevention at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, also added to the argument that raising the age could save lives and money.

'This is a high priority for us as an institution because it's exactly what we're here to do,' Hawk told the Morning News.

'This directly aligns with our mission of eliminating cancer in Texas and the world because this is one of the best ways to do that.'

Tobacco use among residents has decreased over the last decade, with only 15 per cent of Texans admitting to using products in 2013.

Raising the tobacco purchase age to 21 could result in an additional 12 per cent decrease in tobacco use among adults, according to a 2015 report from the National Academy of Medicine.

Raising the tobacco purchase age to 21 could result in an additional 12 per cent decrease in tobacco use among adults, according to a 2015 report from the National Academy of Medicine

Hawk, who is a Democrat, told the Morning News that he was 'pleasantly surprised' that it has Republican support for the first time in a decade.

He said more than a dozen other states are considering raising the smoking age as well.

'I would love for Texas to be on this end of it,' he said. 'It's a really important investment.'

Zerwas, who is a Republican, said that though there is 'potential revenue' loss, the state may be able to find another way to make up for it.

'What's more important than the health of our youth and future generations?'

However, state officials are expecting push back from legislature because the report also outlines the potential loss of up to $100 million in taxes if the age is raised.

'There's obviously some people who are going to see this as an infringement on rights and stuff, and those voices need to be heard,' Zerwas said.
Healthcare costs are spiralling out of control and the Chancellor faces being forced to cut spending or hike taxes to balance the books, a watchdog has warned.

Mounting demands on the NHS are 'unsustainable' and pose a serious risk to the UK's public finances, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

The official forecaster has increased its long-term estimates for spending on health by more than a third after deciding the pressures are greater than previously thought.

The finding comes amid warnings that the NHS is in turmoil with patients being forced to sleep on trolleys and wait for crucial treatment.

The OBR now expects the government's healthcare spending to account for 12.6 per cent of GDP in 50 years' time - compared to just 7.3 per cent now

Last week ministers were forced to reject criticism from the Red Cross that the situation amounted to an 'humanitarian crisis'.

The OBR now expects the government's bill to account for 12.6 per cent of GDP in 50 years' time - compared to just 7.3 per cent now. The estimate for 2066 was 4.6 per cent lower before.

Its 50-year forecast says without policy action public sector net debt will surge from 82 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to 234 per cent by 2066-67.

Instead of moving into a surplus, the budget deficit could widen from 0.7 per cent of GDP in 2021-22 to 1.8 per cent by the end of the next Parliament in 2025-26.

The watchdog said: 'Rising healthcare costs could make it harder for the Chancellor to balance the budget in the next Parliament and put the public finances on an unsustainable path over the longer term in the absence of further tax increases or cuts in other public spending.'.

The report forecasts the Government would need to inflict tax increases and spending cuts of 30billion a year to return borrowing back to levels seen before the 2008 financial crisis and offset soaring healthcare and pension costs.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Chancellor Philip Hammond said the latest 50-year forecast 'sets out a possible outcome if the Government takes no action, and, as I made very clear in the Autumn Statement, we are acutely aware that action will be required in order to return the public finances to balance'.

Chancellor Philip Hammond stressed today that the OBR forecast 'sets out a possible outcome if the Government takes no action'

Former Chancellor George Osborne had planned to balance the books by the end of this parliament, but Mr Hammond has already ditched this plan.

He said in November's Autumn Statement the Government would put the public finances back in the black 'as early as possible' in the next Parliament.

OBR chairman Robert Chote cautioned at the time this would prove 'quite a challenge'.
A careless lorry driver crashed into at least 10 parked cars when he tried to squeeze along a residential road.

Shocking pictures taken by eyewitness Hollie Cooper, 21, show the heavy goods vehicle scraping past the cars in Ruislip, West London.

Ms Cooper posted to Facebook her photos of the smashed cars including a Fiat 500 which was dragged down the road.

A careless lorry driver smashed up at least 10 parked cars when he tried to squeeze along a residential road

A Fiat 500 was dragged along by the driver as it made its way through Ruislip

She wrote: 'Today I witnessed a lorry badly hit around 10 to 15 cars and drag 2 cars down the road on North Drive in Ruislip.

'The driver failed to leave any of his details and drove off, I've been to Ruislip police and was told they cannot do anything nor did they want any picture evidence.

'If your car was hit, below is the evidence of the lorry along with a few cars which were involved.'

Emma Goodey commented on the post: 'This happened to me and I really wish someone had been there to do what you did. I had to pay for 700 worth of damage because they didn't have the decency to stop.'

Jessica Hatton said: 'Omg that is terrible! Well done Holly I hope this gets resolved and the owners of those vehicles get all the help they need!'

The lorry was driven by a driver for Hampshire Insulation.

A spokesman told MailOnline: 'Upon notification of an incident involving ours and multiple other vehicles on Monday 16 January 2017, we made contact with the Metropolitan Police to register the incident.

'The driver of the vehicle will provide a written statement to the Metropolitan Police within 24hrs as required.

'Our insurance company will be dealing with the claims relating to this incident.

One Peugeot was left with a dent in the door after the incident which damaged at least 10 cars

Two of the cars left dented after the lorry driver's careless actions

'May we take this opportunity to offer our sincere apologies to those who have suffered damage to their vehicles or who have been inconvenienced by this incident.'

A Metropolitan police spokesman said: 'We are aware of pictures being shared on social media which appear to show a lorry causing damage to a number of stationery vehicles in North Drive, Ruislip, on Monday 16 January.

'We take all allegations of crime seriously and in this instance a report was not taken as it should have been due to a miscommunication. We have since made contact with the informant to apologise and obtain further details.

'Officers have visited the scene to assess the damage caused and enquiries continue. There have been no arrests at this stage.

'We would always encourage members of the public to report such incidents and where possible provide evidential material, including images, if it can be obtained without putting anyone at risk.'
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 apologized for 'offending anyone' after airing a segment on his eponymous talk show during which he mocked the looks of Asian men.

In a message posted on Twitter on Tuesday , Harvey offered his 'humblest apology for offending anyone, particularly those in the Asian community.' He says the jokes were meant to be humorous and no 'malice or disrespect' was intended.

This is the second time in one week Harvey has defended himself on the social media platform. Four days ago, he explained why he met with Donald Trump and Ben Carson.

The actor and comedian was making fun of self-help books on the program Monday, January 9 in light of the new year, including one entitled 'How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men.'

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Steve Harvey apologized on Jan. 17, 2017 for 'offending anyone' with jokes targeting Asian men during his syndicated television chat show the week before

Steve Harvey took to Twitter to apologize for his remarks about 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.

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.'

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'

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.

It was a controversy-fueled week for Steve Harvey. A few days after the segment, the comedian was in hot water again with many of his fans when he met with President Elect Donald Trump and Housing and Urban Development nominee Ben Carson at Trump Tower on Friday.

Steve Harvey met with Donald Trump and Ben Carson at Trump Tower on January 13

He defended himself on Twitter, writing: 'Our president (Obama) asked that all of us sit down and talk to one another in order to move our country forward.'

'The transition teams on both sides asked me to meet and I'm glad I did. I found him in our meeting both congenial and sincere.'

'Trump wants to help with situations in the inner cities so he immediately got Dr Ben Carson on the phone to put us together to begin dialogue in looking at programs and housing to help our inner cities and hes very open to my mentoring efforts across the country.'

'I walked away feeling like I had just talked with a man who genuinely wants to make a difference in this area. I feel that something really great could come out of this I would sit with him anytime.'
Alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (pictured in 2009), now 51, wrote a letter to President Obama in 2014, but it has only just reached the White House

A letter written by accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to President Obama has arrived at the White House two years after it was first sent.

Mohammed, 51, who has been interned in the Guantanamo Bay prison since 2006, wrote the letter in 2014 to tell Obama his views on the Middle East, but the camp refused to send it.

However, on January 6 a military judge ordered that the letter be delivered to Obama before he leaves office - and now the White House has taken charge of it, the Miami Herald reported.

According to Mohammed's lawyer in 2014, his letter contains the terrorist leader's thoughts on same-sex marriage, 'Muslim oppression at the hands of the West in general and the United States in particular.'

It also gives his opinion on what happened in Iraq during the period of US sanctions and 'events in Palestine and Gaza over the years.'

It's not known if the President has actually read the letter.

In a 2005 affidavit, a camp officer said Guantanamo - which then held around 500 detainees - had processed, on average, more than two pieces of mail per detainee each month.

The officer, first lieutenant Wade M Brown, also said 'Detainees cannot lose mail privileges for any reason, including as part of disciplinary action or interrogation.'

Mohammed (pictured in 2001 photos from the FBI) was detained in 2003 and moved to Guantanamo Bay prison in 2006. His letter contains his thoughts on the Middle East conflict

Guantanamo Bay prison (Camp 6 pictured) detainees are allowed to send mail, but as he is in top-secret Camp 7, all of Mohammed's speech is automatically considered classified

But Mohammed - who was captured in 2003 and faces the death penalty if convicted of organizing the 9/11 attacks - is an unusual case.

On arrival at Guantanamo Bay in 2006, he was placed in the secretive Camp 7, run by military unit Task Force Platinum.

The task force assumes that everything he says, writes or does is automatically classified.

Nevin said in 2014 that he doubted the letter contained genuine classified information, and noted that Obama could use his executive power to declassify it.

But instead it took the order of Mohammeds judge, Army Colonel James L Pohl, at the start of the month to get the letter moving - with a demand that it reach the President's desk at least a week before he steps down.

Obama could, if he wanted, take the letter with him into private life, as he has received it while still in office.

The news comes the day after it was confirmed that ten Guantanamo detainees had been transported to Oman, on the demand of the President.

Obama, who pledged in 2008 to close down Guantanamo - which he said inspired more anti-US terrorism - has failed in that effort.

Because his letter is also 'classified' by default, it could not reach President Obama until a judge demanded it be delivered to him before he leaves office on January 20

But he is using his final days in office to move out as many of its detainees as possible to prisons held by allied nations, after Congress blocked attempts to move all of the remaining men to prisons on US soil.

There were 242 prisoners in Guantanamo when Obama took office in 2009 and now just 55 remain.

Under Guantanamo rules, every standard detainee is given two sheets of stationary and four post cards, per month, according to Brown in 2005.

He said it took on average two weeks for a piece of mail to pass through his 16-person mail room team, at which point they were delivered by the US Postal service.

Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross were also allowed to give additional stationary during their quarterly visits. The mail from these gifts would be processed as above.

Detainees could also have their lawyers pass on messages, he said.

However, there have also been complaints from detainees and their families that some of the mail sent from the prison disappeared.
A five-year-old boy died and a six-year-old girl suffered serious injuries after three pit bulls attacked them on their way to school.

Logan Braatz was mauled to death as he walked to F.L. Stanton Elementary School in southwest Atlanta on Tuesday morning.

His classmate, Syria Sanders, was also attacked and taken to hospital, but she is expected to survive.

Several school students who were with them at the time tried to pull the animals off the pair.

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Tragic attack: Logan Braatz, 6 (left), has died and Syria Sanders, 5 (right), has suffered serious injuries after three pit bulls attacked them in Atlanta

Culprit: Police officers shot one of the animals and had two others removed. One of the dogs is seen sitting outside a home near the scene

One of the dogs was shot by officers and the other two were taken away by animal control officers.

The owner of the pit bulls, Cameron Tucker, was arrested on two misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct.

Neighbor Shamonte Clayton says he awoke to the sound of screams. He ran outside, saw one pit bull standing over Syria Sanders and eventually chased the dog away with his gun.

He then noticed Logan Braatz' body lying on a patch of grass and picked him up as his mother sobbed nearby.

Another neighbor, Angie Smith, described the moment she saw little Syria get mauled.

A pit bull is pictured in a cage being taken away from the scene by animal control officers

Owner charged: The owner of the pit bulls, Cameron Tucker (pictured), was arrested on two misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct

The attack took place in the area of Cerro Street as the children were walking to elementary school

'The dog just ripped into her,' she recounted. 'I ran to the baby and when I looked down at her I knew there was nothing that I could do,' she told WSB-TV.

Logan was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Syria was transported to the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, where she was listed in stable condition this afternoon.

Police say three other children witnessed the grisly dog attack and valiantly tried to help their friends who were being mauled by pulling the pit bulls off of them.

A crisis team was dispatched to Stanton to provide grief counseling for students and staff.

Police work the scene of a fatal dog attack as neighbor Angie Smith, center, explains what she saw to investigators Tuesday
A young man is in critical condition after crashing his car through a doorway.

The incident happened Monday evening around 7:20pm in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The driver, a young man in his 20s who has not been identified, was driving north on Martin Luther King Jr street when he went through a light too fast and crashed his Toyota Prius into the Bodycote Thermal Processing office building.

A young man in his 20s is in critical condition after crashing his Prius into an office building, wedging the vehicle into a door frame

The crash happened around 7:20pm Monday night in Indianapolis, Indiana. The driver was able to escape the vehicle

Nine people were inside the office building at the time, and all made it out safely

Somehow, the driver managed to crash the car sideways through the doorway into the office's conference room.

The driver was conscious enough to escape the vehicle, but was rushed to Methodist Hospital in critical condition.

Nine people were inside when the car crashed into the building but all got out safely.

The Indianapolis Fire Department surveyed the building and found that it was structurally sound after the crash.

It still unclear what caused the crash - and whether drugs or alcohol played a role.
Claudia Lawrence vanished after failing to turn up for work at University of York in 2009

The father of missing chef Claudia Lawrence has said he is 'hugely disappointed' after police wind down their investigation into her appearance.

Peter Lawrence said both the police and his family were closer to finding out what happened to his daughter, after she vanished on March 2009.

The 35-year-old chef was reported missing after she failed to turn up for work at the University of York. She had last been seen the day before her shift on March 18.

North Yorkshire Police detectives have long believed Ms Lawrence was murdered, although no body has ever been discovered.

A spokesman for the force said today that a 'proactive review and, in some areas, a reinvestigation' of the case was nearly finished.

They added that unless one outstanding line of inquiry relating to DNA profiling provided a breakthrough, the 1 million review 'will start to scale down next month'.

Mr Lawrence and Miss Lawrence's mother Joan were given the news by detectives who said they have not given up hope that the case can be solved.

A statement from Mr Lawrence's spokesman said: 'Peter is hugely disappointed and depressed that despite the huge resources put into this three-year review by North Yorkshire Police, it feels that we are no nearer to finding Claudia.

'The police are to be praised for their efforts but he recognises that finding Claudia can only happen with new information from the public going to the police to assist them.

'It remains clear that the big jigsaw that is the case of Claudia missing needs completion and someone or some people are wilfully withholding the information that the police need to determine her whereabouts.'

Peter Lawrence said both the police and his family were closer to finding out what happened to his daughter (pictured, the pair together)

North Yorkshire Police said today that a 'proactive review and, in some areas, a reinvestigation' of the case was nearly finished (pictured, forensics officers outside a house searched during the investigation)

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Kennedy said the team had reviewed the initial investigation into Miss Lawrence's disappearance in 2009 and identified many new lines of inquiry.

He said: 'Despite their exhaustive efforts, the support of national experts, the application of the very latest forensic techniques to exhibits recovered many years ago, and despite the team tracing and speaking to many people who did not come forward in the first inquiry, we have sadly not been able to find that crucial piece of information.'

During the review, nine people were arrested or interviewed under caution and police submitted files to the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to a number of individuals, but there was insufficient evidence to bring charges against those arrested.

Mr Kennedy said: 'It is not for the want of trying that a breakthrough has not yet come, but rather the result of the continuing refusal of those who know what happened to Claudia to come forward and tell us the truth.

Mr Lawrence said that some people were hindering the police investigation by 'wilfully withholding the information' on his daughter's whereabouts

'The case will not be closed until those responsible for Claudia's disappearance and, we believe, her murder, are brought to justice.

'Whilst the current review team will and has been scaled down, the new Cleveland and North Yorkshire cold case dedicated team will still have responsibility to review any information that is considered relevant.

'Disappointing news though this is for Claudia's family, we have not given up hope and I do believe that one day we will be able to tell them what happened to Claudia.'

Martin Dales, a friend and spokesman for Mr Lawrence, urged anyone with information to come forward.

He said: 'That person, whether still living in York or anywhere else for that matter, really it's time to be up front with the police and let's get this resolved so everybody knows what's happened to her.'
A former Tennessee postal worker who kept nearly 2,700 pieces of undelivered mail inside her home won't have to spend time behind bars.

A Greeneville federal judge recently sentenced Kathy Gross to two years of probation and 150 hours of community service, the Kingsport Times-News reported.

Gross faced up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine after pleading guilty in March 2016 to willfully obstructing the passage of U.S. mail and unlawfully delaying a package or mail in her possession.

While investigating missing parcels, authorities said they found piles of undelivered mail throughout her Blountville home, some hidden under clothes and inside trash bags.

Kathy Gross, a former Tennessee postal worker who kept nearly 2,700 pieces of undelivered mail inside her home, won't have to spend time behind bars (file photo)

Gross said in court records that she had become depressed while going through a divorce. She added that she suffered from anxiety because her husband was unfaithful and she was left raising their three children alone.

'It is clear Ms. Gross did not commit the offense for any financial gain,' according to the sentencing memorandum.

'She has recently remarried, and she has strong family support.'

The mail she failed to deliver was unopened and eventually re-delivered.

Gross first started working for the U.S. Postal Service in November 2014. She apparently started delaying the mail around that time, as the first incident involved a tub of Blue Cross Blue Shield packages.

The Office of Inspector General launched an investigation in 2015 regarding a number of 'exceptionally late' parcel delivery scans she made.

Her scanning history was reviewed by inspectors who found that she 'missed numerous parcel scans, failed to complete the delivery of an entire route and caused the misplacement of a piece of express mail,' the newspaper reported.

A Greeneville federal judge recently sentenced Gross to two years of probation and 150 hours of community service for the crime (file above)

Inspectors also discovered several instances of parcels being scanned inside the Blountville post office after 1am.

During this same period of the investigation, her husband, Andrew, contacted authorities when he found several trays of undelivered mail inside his home.

He told police that he hadn't stepped foot in the home since they separated in June 2015.

Court records show that he told officers he found loose bundles, full trash bags, trays, and torn and scattered mail throughout the floors of the two bedrooms.

He also said he found mail hidden under clothes and blankets in the home.

Officials said in total she failed to deliver nearly 2,700 pieces of mail, as the amount does not include a trash bag of circulars that was found lying outside of the home. Its contents were destroyed by the elements over time.
A Nigerian jet has accidentally bombed a refugee camp killing more than 100 people after mistaking them for Boko Haram extremists.

Among the dead were 20 Red Cross workers, according to their colleague, who were with the refugees when the bombardment rained down on northeast Rann, near the border with Cameroon.

The camp in northeast Nigeria was for those made homeless by Boko Haram Islamists.

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Tuesday condemned an accidental air strike by the Nigerian military on the camp, and their director of operations Jean-Clement Cabrol said: 'This large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable.'

Boko Haram terrorists pictured carrying weapons and standing in front of their armoured trucks

A boy walks past burnt shops by suspected Boko Haram insurgents during the attack at Ngala in Gamboru Ngala district, Borno State in northeastern Nigeria

Among the wounded were two soldiers and Nigerians working for (MSF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross, he said.

Thirteen Red Cross workers were also wounded in the blast.

This is believed to be the first time Nigeria's military has admitted to making such a mistake.

A senior military source in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, said the casualties were 'huge', adding: 'A fighter jet hit the wrong target.'

MSF said its teams were trying to provide emergency first aid at its facility in the camp and were stabilising patients to evacuate the wounded from the scene.

'Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients.

'We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following the event,' it added.

Women cook in pots heated up with firewood at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp at Dikwa, in Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria, similar to the one Nigeria bombed

The Assaga refugee camp, set up by the UN in 2015 for Nigerian refugees who fled to southeast Niger to escape the Islamist group Boko Haram

People from the Nigerian town of Malam Fatori an its area, close to the borders with Niger and Chad, pass by a car with Chadian Gendarmes (in uniform) as they flee Islamist Boko Haram attacks

Leader of the targeted Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram Abubakar Sheka pictured in 2014

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which also had teams in the area, said only there were 'a number of people wounded and some killed', without specifying figures.

'We are currently in contact with the relevant authorities to organise medical assistance and evacuations,' an ICRC spokeswoman in Abuja said.

Major General Lucky Irabor, who heads the military operation against the militants, said the air force had been given coordinates of 'Boko Haram terrorists' in the Kala-Balge area.

'Unfortunately the strike was conducted but it turned out that the locals somewhere in Rann were affected,' he told reporters at a briefing in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.

Irabor did not give casualty figures but said local staff from MSF and the ICRC were among those wounded.

'These are the result of fog of war,' he added. 'It is unfortunate. That is the reason why this war must come to an end.'

The bombing comes as Nigeria's military claims further gains against the Islamic State group affiliate, pushing them out of captured territory and their remote bases in Borno state.

Last month, the army said the conflict was in its final stages after nearly eight years of violence that has killed at least 20,000 and left more than 2.6 million others homeless.

There have been 'friendly fire' incidents in the conflict.

In March 2014 a military jet killed five civilians and wounded several others when it mistakenly bombarded Kayamla village in Konduga district of Borno.

The jet mistook the village for a Boko Haram camp during a night raid.

In January that year, the convoy of a Nigerian senator was fired on by an air force jet which mistook the six-vehicle convoy under police and military escort for Boko Haram fighters.

No one was hurt and the military described the incident as an 'operational blunder'.

Villagers in the past have reported some civilian casualties in near-daily bombardments in northeastern Nigeria.

Irabor said he ordered the mission based on information that Boko Haram insurgents were gathering, along with geographic coordinates.

It was too early to say if a tactical error was made, he said.

The general, who is the theater commander for counterinsurgency operations in northeast Nigeria, said the Air Force would not deliberately target civilians but there will be an investigation.

Some of the nearly 300 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 and freed last year have said three of their classmates were killed by Air Force bombardments, according to the freed girls' parents.
A Tory MP has accused Northern Ireland's top prosecutor of trying to 'muzzle' journalists reporting on charges against two British Army veterans.

Sir Gerald Howard use Parliamentary privilege to level the claims at 'Sinn Fein-supporting' Barra McGrory in the Commons.

Mr McGrory issued a warning to the media about questioning the impartiality of prosecutors in the cases.

Two prosecutions have been launched linked to the alleged murder of Official IRA commander Joe McCann in Northern Ireland in 1972.

Sir Gerald Howard use Parliamentary privilege to accuse Northern Ireland's top prosecutor of trying to 'muzzle' journalists reporting on charges against two British Army veterans

Sir Gerald, pictured making his remarks in the Commons, slammed Barra McGrory as 'Sinn Fein supporting'

More widely, the Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed last year it was re-examining all killings during the Troubles, including those carried out by British soldiers in the line of duty.

The probes have been condemned as a 'witch hunt' by Tory MPs who have demanded the Government step in to protect soldiers.

Sir Gerald urged Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire to act as he updated the Commons on his ordering of new elections in the province.

Sir Gerald said: 'May I make a really fervent plea to you that you should protect the interests of former British soldiers currently being charged by the Sinn Fein-supporting director of public prosecutions in Northern Ireland with murder for an offence which took place over 40 years ago.

'Are you aware that it appears that the director of public prosecutions issued a notice to newsdesks not for publication?

'(It said) ''we would advise that if you publish an article which alleges lack of impartiality on the part of the director or any other prosecutor that the appropriate legal action would be taken and we will make use of this correspondence in that regard and in relation of claims for aggravated and exemplary damages''.

'Is this not an attempt to muzzle Parliament and, indeed, to question the right of this House to support those soldiers who sought to bring about peace in Northern Ireland?'

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire said he could not comment on the individual cases as he responded to MPs' questions today, pictured

Mr Brokenshire said: 'I will not comment on any individual decisions and, indeed, justice is devolved in Northern Ireland but also it is independent and has its own processes that remain in place in an independent way.

'I hear very clearly the very general and very firm point that you make in relation to balance within the overall system and that is something that I am very keen to address.'

Last December, it was announced two former soldiers are to be prosecuted for allegedly murdering Official IRA commander Joe McCann in Northern Ireland.

The McCann case is thought to be the second military prosecution involving Northern Ireland since the 1990s.

Another former soldier, Dennis Hutchings, who is in his 70s and from Cornwall, was charged with attempted murder in 2015 in connection with the shooting of John-Pat Cunningham, 27, who had learning difficulties, in Co Tyrone in 1974.

In 1999 Paratrooper Lee Clegg was cleared of the murder of a Belfast teenager.

Files on the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings by soldiers in Londonderry are with prosecutors.

Barra McGrory, Director of the Northern Ireland Public Prosecution Service, has charged two Army veterans with the alleged murder of Official IRA commander Joe McCann in Northern Ireland in 1972

Following Sir Gerald's intervention, a spokesman for the Public Prosecution Service said: 'The Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland is wholly independent of all political parties and the political system.

'As such, we would never seek to influence political debate on any subject in any way.

'Equally, we must take all appropriate steps to ensure that our decision-making processes are protected from political influence from any source.

'This is necessary both to safeguard the integrity of prosecutorial decision making within the wider criminal justice system and to ensure that PPS staff are able to carry out difficult but important functions strictly in accordance with applicable law and the Code for Prosecutors.

'We are aware of Mr Howarth's political viewpoint in relation to the prosecution of cases involving soldiers, which is not enshrined in law in the UK.

'The Public Prosecution Service only applies the law as it currently stands in Northern Ireland and does so without fear, favour or prejudice.'
The family of a soldier killed by a fellow comrade who shot him while carelessly resting his weapon on a colleague's helmet today condemned him for having 'blood on his hands'.

Intelligence expert Lance Corporal Brynin, 22, was tragically killed by friendly fire from Lance Corporal of Horse Mark Kelly while in heated combat with Taliban fighters in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on October 15, 2013.

A senior coroner also criticised LCoH Kelly for 'failing to take sufficient care and have situational awareness' before shooting Lance Corporal Brynin.

Intelligence expert Lance Corporal James Brynin, 22, was tragically killed by friendly fire in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on October 15, 2013

LCoH Mark Kelly shot L/Cpl Brynin while his rifle was balanced on top of another soldier's helmet before shouting: 'F***! There's one!'

At an inquest into the young soldier's death the coroner criticised the army for having a 'complete lack of empathy' with his family as well as communicating poorly with them.

Coroner Penelope Schofield revealed she will be writing a 'letter of concern' to the army's chief of staff, General Sir Nick Carter, to address this.

The family of the deceased soldier said after the hearing they are 'upset and disappointed no charges or punishment' were ever brought on LCoH Kelly.

An initial inquest into his death was dramatically halted ten months ago following six days of evidence, so a decision could be made over whether LCoH Kelly should face homicide charges.

And it emerged yesterday when the inquest resumed that LCoH Kelly will not face any further action following a homicide investigation by service police.

At the inquest in Arundel, West Sussex, which concluded today, Miss Schofield ruled L/Cpl Brynin was not unlawfully killed.

In front of L/Cpl Brynin's parents, Sharon and Efrem, Miss Schofield recorded a narrative verdict and determined LCoH Kelly 'reasonably' believed he was firing at Taliban insurgents.

She said: 'Mr Kelly did honestly believe he was engaging with an armed Taliban fighter. I cannot be satisfied Mr Brynin was unlawfully killed.'

She continued: 'L/Cpl Brynin died as a result of small arms fire from another British soldier [LCoH Kelly].

L/Cpl Brynin's parents's Sharon and Efrem, were emotional as they addressed the media after the hearing

'Before that soldier fired he failed to have sufficient situational awareness of the location of the TAC/1 of which L/Cpl Brynin was attached to.

'This soldier did not take sufficient care and fired in rapid succession, whilst resting his gun on the helmet of another soldier.

'These actions contributed to the fact that this soldier fired in the wrong direction, causing fatal injuries to L/Cpl Brynin.'

She criticised the Ministry Of Defence, adding: 'While the MoD is a well oiled machine, it appears that some of the communication with the family has gone so terribly wrong.

'There appears to be a complete lack of empathy. This service family deserves better, they entrusted their son to the army and they have let them down..'

After the inquest, the family of L/Cpl Brynin, who was from Pulborough, West Sussex, said they are 'dismayed by the lack of empathy from the army'.

Efrem Brynin told reporters: 'We are very upset and disappointed that having waited so long for this lengthy process to conclude that no charges or punishment and no genuine guilt has been acknowledged by the MoD or LCoH Kelly.

'Kelly knew what he had done within moments of firing the round that killed our son.

'Rather than acknowledge he did wrong he instead chose to step back.

'The simple fact remains his errors led directly to our son's death. He has and will forever have James' blood on his hands.

'We have been dismayed at the lack of empathy and respect shown to us by the various facets of the MoD, who have aggressively sought to challenge us, forgetting their fallen colleague and the duty of care they owed him.'

He added: 'James impacted everyone he met, his enthusiasm, positive nature, sheer determination and strength are just a few of his unique qualities.'

Efrem Brynin told reporters: 'We are very upset and disappointed that having waited so long for this lengthy process to conclude that no charges or punishment and no genuine guilt has been acknowledged

Yesterday the inquest heard there were 'no concerns raised about LCoH Kelly as a soldier' and Lieutenant Colonel Edward Hayward MBE said he is one of 'the safest officers in the army'.

As Lt Col Hayward defended LCoH Kelly, L/Cpl Brynin's mother, Sharon, 43, became visibly upset and shook her head before storming out of the inquest.

Lt Col Hayward also emotionally recalled a time where LCoH Kelly broke down in front of him after telling him he would have to 'live with the knowledge he killed a fellow soldier.'

During the hearing last year, LCoH Kelly, a section leader during the operation, gave evidence and turned to L/Cpl Brynin's family, saying he was 'terribly sorry' for what happened.

Barrister Nicholas Moss apologised yesterday on behalf of the Ministry of Defence to the family of L/Cpl Brynin for poor communication while the investigation was taking place.

The inquest heard that the decision not to charge LCoH Kelly was reached on November 30, and the family of L/Cpl Brynin were notified by post.

L/Cpl Brynin served with the 14th Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare) and worked as an intelligence analyst, providing 'tactical tip-offs' to colleagues.

Previously, the inquest heard the troops in Helmand Province came under intense fire from the Taliban during an operation before L/Cpl Brynin was shot, receiving a wound to the face and neck.

It was part of an operation in the area of Kakaran, north east of Lashkar Gah, in the early hours of the morning and despite receiving medical attention immediately he died at the scene.

There was confusion over where the fire was coming from and at the inquest last year, LCoH Kelly accepted he was shooting in the wrong direction.

As a witness defended LCoH Kelly, L/Cpl Brynin's mother 43, became visibly upset and shook her head before storming out of the inquest

A senior officer giving evidence also revealed the army did not discover L/Cpl Brynin's death was a result of friendly fire until three months after he was shot because of delayed post mortem results.

Ms Schofield said L/Cpl of Horse Kelly believed he was firing at an insurgent, but accepted he was disorientated and must have fired in the wrong direction, instead of at four o'clock he fired at three o'clock.

He accepted he made a 'massive mistake' but felt there was an imminent threat to life, she added.

Ms Schofield said: 'I do feel that (L/Cpl of Horse Kelly) did at the time he fired honestly believed that he was engaged with an armed Taliban fighter and that the force used could not be described as unreasonable.'

Recording a narrative verdict, Ms Schofield said she would be writing a 'letter of concern' to Chief of the General Staff General Sir Nick Carter on how the Ministry of Defence managed the Brynin family.

Ms Schofield said there appeared to have been a 'complete lack of empathy'. And she described how poor communication by the Army had fostered 'mistrust and suspicion' among the family who had been 'let down', adding: 'This is a service family who deserve better.'

Ms Schofield added: 'Whilst the Ministry of Defence is a well-oiled machine, it appears from the evidence of (L/Cpl Brynin's father) Efrem Brynin that some of the communication with the Ministry of Defence has gone so terribly wrong.'

L/Cpl Brynin, an intelligence corps soldier attached to 14th Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare), deployed to Task Force Helmand in August 2013 as an intelligence analyst to provide tactical tip-offs.

In the early hours of October 15 2013, the section deployed from Camp Bastion into the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province to counter an imminent threat to the Afghan population and the International Security Assistance Force.

Lawyer Thomas Coke-Smyth, for L/Cpl Brynin's family, said there was evidence the risk that L/Cpl of Horse Kelly took was 'unreasonable' as he knew there were friendly forces nearby when he opened fire.

Nicholas Moss, representing the Ministry of Defence, said there was insufficient evidence to conclude L/Cpl Brynin's death was an unlawful killing, and it was a 'stressful situation' that called for self-defence.

Mr Moss told the coroner: 'It's open to you to conclude that he didn't take sufficient care or fired too quickly, but there is no evidence to safely conclude that Kelly fired with indifference.'

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Hayward, the commanding officer (CO) of the Household Cavalry Regiment, told the inquest L/Cpl of Horse Kelly had since undergone additional training and was now 'amongst the safest soldiers in the Army'.

Colonel Timothy Simpson, based at British Army HQ in Andover, Hampshire, said the first indication the death was caused by friendly fire was following the post-mortem examination

Lt Col Hayward revealed the death had had a 'profound effect' on L/Cpl of Horse Kelly who broke down during a meeting when told he would have to 'live with the knowledge' he had claimed a comrade's life.

Since the tragedy, L/Cpl of Horse Kelly has undergone and passed mandated training and additional training, and now exhibits 'more care and rigour'.

No concerns were raised about L/Cpl of Horse Kelly during his training. And there had been 'external validation' of L/Cpl of Horse Kelly's training since the death, Lt Col Hayward said.

'Having spoken to him and seen the change in him, I would consider him now amongst the safest soldiers in the Army,' Lt Col Hayward said.

'Like a lot of us, we tend to learn a lot from our mistakes rather than get it right all the time.'

It also emerged during the inquest the family of L/Cpl Brynin only found out he was killed by friendly fire three months after he was fatally shot.

Colonel Timothy Simpson, based at British Army HQ in Andover, Hampshire, said the first indication the death was caused by friendly fire was following the post-mortem examination.

He said the post-mortem identified the calibre of round - Nato 556 - used in the shooting, indicating the fatal shot may have been fired by one of their soldiers.
Two sisters who were kidnapped by their mother in 1985 during an ugly custody battle have been found alive and well in Houston.

Elaine Yates, now 69, took her daughters Kimberly, then four years old, and 10-month-old Kelly from their Warwick, Rhode Island home on August 26, 1985.

Yates, who was living under the alias Liana Waldberg, is now facing two counts of child snatching and could face up to 20 years in prison under state law.

Kimberly Yates (left) and sister Kelly (right) were found in Houston more than 30 years after they were kidnapped by their mother. Pictured are age-progressed images of the two women

Rhode Island State Police Lt. Col. Joseph F Philbin said authorities will not be releasing the names Kimberly and Kelly are now living under.

He said Kimberly and Kelly, now aged 35 and 32 respectively, are living in Houston and have families of their own, according to the Providence Journal.

A police spokesperson said the women were 'obviously surprised' by the news.

Philbin said it was an anonymous tip left two days before Christmas that finally cracked the cold case.

Social media posts and court records helped investigators deduce that Waldberg was really Yates, according to authorities.

Yates (left in her mug shot and right in an age-progressed photo) was living under the alias Liana Waldberg. She was charged with child snatching and could face 20 years in prison

Yates was arrested on Monday at her Houston home by both Texas Rangers and Rhode Island State Police.

Her daughters were not present when she was taken into custody.

She has waived extradition back to Rhode Island and will face a judge on Wednesday.

Authorities said she was being 'very' cooperative during the investigation.

Rhode Island State Police said Kimberly and Kelly have been interviewed and were given their fathers' phone number.

Russell Yates was also informed that his daughters had been found after Yates was arrested and is 'dumbfounded' but 'relieved'.

'I've always been trying to find my children,' Russell told WCVB.

'And now at least it's up to them to get in touch with me.'

'What happens with my ex-wife, I really feel bad about. But we gotta find out what's going on.'

Russell said he did not want to see his wife prosecuted.

'That ain't going to help her, me or anybody else at this point,' he said. 'I just want to see my kids.'

Authorities would not disclose whether Kimberly and Kelly knew about their true identity or that they had been living 1,800 miles away from their first home.

Yates abducted her children after finding out her husband, Russell Yates, with another woman.

Rhode Island State Police said Kimberly (left at four years old) and Kelly (right at 10 months old) have been interviewed and were given their fathers' phone number

Russell Yates (pictured) was informed that his daughters had been found after Yates was arrested. Police said Kimberly and Kelly have been given their father's phone number

Russell admitted to hitting Yates as they argued after his infidelity was revealed, but claims she had hit and kicked him several times first.

He took Yates to the emergency room for treatment, and staff suggested she go to a battered women's shelter in Massachusetts.

'I've always been trying to find my children. And now at least it's up to them to get in touch with me.' Russell Yates, Kimberly and Kelly's father

Yates took her children while Russell, a bar owner, was at work three weeks later.

He returned at 2am to find the house empty, according to the Charley Project.

Russell was awarded full custody of Kimberly and Kelly nearly three months later when Yates did not show up to court to contest.

A felony warrant was issued for Yates' arrest on November 16, 1988. Russell formally divorced Yates in 1996.

Yates' late mother Mary Pigeon, aged 77 at the time, went to prison for eight days in 1990 when she refused to reveal her daughter and grandchildren's whereabouts.

Pigeon, who died in 2000, always maintained that she did not know where they were.

Russell and Yates were high school sweethearts who wed they were 18 years old.

It would take them 16 years before they decided to have children.

Russell (pictured) said Yates took the daughters away after they got into a fight when she found him with another woman. He claims he only hit Yates because she hit him first

Russell, a Vietnam veteran, said in 1988 that he was 'foolish as a husband' and expected his wife to 'accept an awful lot'.

'When I came home I didn't want any restraints - I wanted some freedom,' he told Providence Journal in 1988 as he recalled his return to the US.

'I didn't want to be told what to do, and what I shouldn't do.'

Trouble in the marriage reached its boiling point in the summer of August 1985, when Russell stayed out all night on his 32-foot cruiser.

Yates found him there the next morning with another woman. Russell admitted it was not the first time he had cheated on his wife.

Russell returned to his family that afternoon at Pigeon's cottage in Point Judith, where a fight erupted when they began to discuss the night before.

Authorities would not disclose whether Kimberly and Kelly knew about their true identity or that they had been living 1,800 miles away from their first home in Warwick

He claimed at the time that Elaine 'tried to kick him in the face' and then 'slapped him two to three times' during the fight.

He then punched her in the forehead, the diamond ring leaving a cut.

Russell maintained that was the only night he got physical with his wife, but at the time at least one of her friend's said Yates was afraid of him.

'I don't know when or if, but I know she had to get away,' Christine Reiff said in a 1985 deposition.

'She was afraid of Russ. She thought he might really hurt her.'

Russell, who called himself a 'good dad but a terrible husband', believes his wife left her whole life behind as a way to 'get even' with him.

Now he is left wondering if his children will reach out.

'I hope they get in touch with me,' he said.

'I've been searching for them for 30 years.'
NHS clinical director Peter Hale, 58, was sacked after he made a series of comments about four Asian junior doctors, calling them 'sub-continent elements'

A surgeon called a racist for his derogatory comments about Asian doctors claimed he was the real victim of discrimination because he was likened to a 'slave master'.

NHS clinical director Peter Hale, 58, was sacked after he made a series of comments about four Asian junior doctors, calling them 'sub-continent elements'.

But at an employment tribunal he claimed it was he who had been discriminated against because he was white.

The tribunal arose after Mr Hale said he was unfairly dismissed after a row with the Asian doctors about rota changes at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Unbeknown to Mr Hale, a mobile phone belonging to one of the Asian doctors, which had been recording the meeting, was left switched on in the room afterwards.

It recorded him saying they were a 'highly egocentric group' and 'their own worst enemy' after they told him they were being treated 'like slaves'.

He also claimed the group was 'vile' and said that one of them needed 'a good slap' and a 'bloody long walk off a short pier.'

The device caught Mr Hale making further comments including: 'Some of these sub-continent elements; what you end up with is long term resentments and grievances and all sorts of stuff. They are their own worst enemies.

'They don't know what they want. They mix and match on their heads differently. They're not clear thinkers. They're an unbelievable group of people. Vile actually.'

He also offered to place a 50 bet that one would agree to work a particular shift only renege on it at a later date.

The incident happened while Mr Hale was working at Brighton's Royal Sussex County Hospital

Mr Hale, who qualified in 1984 and had been employed at the hospital since 1995, was dismissed from his job following a disciplinary hearing after the recording was discovered.

The four Asian doctors - Khawaja Zia, Ved Prakash, Vivek Kaul and Christi Swaminathan - subsequently sued the NHS trust for racial discrimination claiming they had been under-paid and under-promoted due to their race and treated as 'slave labour.'

During their 2015 tribunal, which cost over 130,000, the four Asian doctors claimed that, due to their race, they were repeatedly given fixed-term contracts, overlooked for training opportunities and worked unpaid overtime.

But it emerged at least 23 other doctors were also on similar non-standard terms and conditions.

The case was thrown out after the doctors were found to have secretly recorded a private meeting about the case between the trust and its lawyers. They were each ordered to pay 17,000 in costs.

After their case Mr Hale took the Trust to an employment tribunal saying he had unfairly and wrongly dismissed as he was the real victim of racial discrimination.

The tribunal arose after Mr Hale said he was unfairly dismissed after a row with the Asian doctors about rota changes

Mr Hale said that because the Asian doctors had complained 'we are just used like slaves' they were likening him to a slave master because he was a white man.

But this week it has emerged that Mr Hale lost the case after the tribunal panel ruled his dismissal from his job was fair.

In a report, employment Judge Adenike Balogun said: 'Although the decision may appear harsh, given the provocation the claimant was subjected to from the complainants and given his length of service, taking all the matters into account, we consider the dismissal was in all the circumstances fair.

'We are satisfied the conduct amounted to gross misconduct and the respondent was contractually obliged to dismiss the claimant without notice. The wrongful dismissal claim therefore fails. All other race discrimination claims fail.'

At an earlier hearing it emerged the Trust has spent more than 1.4 million defending employment tribunals involving race relations over the past decade.

It is believed the vast majority of these involve a small number of repeat claimants and the trust has lost one.

Mr Hale, who was signed off work with depression, has been allowed to work again at a different trust.
Daniel Stocks, 42, ran a legitimate website selling artificial shrunken heads

A trader in illegal animal specimens who sold pickled lizards and embalmed monkey heads on eBay has been jailed for six months.

Daniel Stocks, 42, ran a legitimate website selling artificial shrunken heads but used the auction site to sell preserved animals under the brand name 'Killer Curios UK.'

Stocks, of Kingkerswell, near Newton Abbot, Devon, was only arrested after a veiled chameleon was discovered in a package sent to him from Philadelphia to his address.

Police raided his home and an industrial unit he rented and found a stuffed African white-backed vulture, macaque heads and skulls, monkey tails and monkey paws framed and mounted above the phrase 'Make A Wish.'

Stocks, of Kingkerswell, near Newton Abbot, Devon, was only arrested after a veiled chameleon was discovered in a package sent to him from Philadelphia to his address

It emerged Stocks had been trading in horn bills, leopard cats, langur monkeys and green monkeys in contravention of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) laws that govern the sale of controlled specimens.

Stocks claimed he did not know the rules but listings he wrote for eBay made specific references to them.

He pleaded guilty to four charges relating to the trade in specimens at Exeter Crown Court.

Dawn Cartwright, of the NCA's Border Policing Command, said: 'Dan Stocks was a prolific illegal specimen trader who thought the rules on protected species were there for others to worry about.

'But those rules exist for good reason, and the NCA takes the criminal trade in protected species seriously. In partnership with Border Force we will make sure traders operating illegally are found and dealt with.'

Grant Miller, Border Force senior officer at Heathrow airport said: 'Cases like this expose an illicit and often cruel trade, which can have a devastating impact on the survival of endangered species.'

Alan Roberts, of the national wildlife crime unit, said: 'This sort of crime is getting increasingly prevalent. It's important that we stamp out the market out because of the serious impact on the numbers of species in other parts of the world.

'This is not just about a few items that are by-products of larger activity...animals are deliberately being killed for this trade.'

Police raided his home and an industrial unit he rented and found a stuffed African white-backed vulture, macaque heads and skulls, monkey tails
Just as Theresa May stood up in front of an audience of ambassadors and told them we are leaving the E.U. something all together darker and more sinister was happening on the other side of town.

A fresh challenge to Brexit has been brought in front of the High Court. By four individuals who think they have the right to subvert the votes of millions by throwing their money and lawyers around.

But dont ask me who they are. Dont ask me who is funding them.

A fresh challenge to Brexit has been brought in front of the High Court. By four individuals who think they have the right to subvert the votes of millions, writes Katie Hopkins. Pictured: Theresa May speaking at Lancaster House

Because a judge agreed that these four people who seek to change the democratically agreed destiny of a nation can remain anonymous after they said they fear for their safety  although he did give news organisations the right to appeal his ruling.

But, for the time being, these fearless crusaders will be known only as W, L, T and B.

Unbelievable! Truly. When you think about the level of hate directed toward the Leave voters - and the fact we are still waiting on the Supreme Court judgement on the earlier case brought by Gina Miller.

I am amazed by the sheer determination of those desperate to overturn the will of 17.4 million, aided it seems by judges complicit in their devilment.

When I think of the death threats made against Farage, and the physical threats made against me online - it is curious that there is so much protection for these four, and none for those on the 'wrong' side of this vote.

And while we know who Gina Miller we still don't know the identity of all the other Mischon de Reya clients quietly bankrolling her case from the shadows.

Would we have seen so much protection afforded by the court to supporters of Leave do you think?

I wonder how it is one hint of violence on twitter towards Ms Soubry (an MP who weeps in public at the loss of the EU) resulted in a night in the cells for one young man. Whereas the offer to rape me with a machete is seen as part of the national debate.

A judge agreed that these four people who seek to change the democratically agreed destiny of a nation can remain anonymous after they said they fear for their safety, writes Katie Hopkins

I have no wish to waste police time with on the sticky-keyboard brigade. And I will not. But the bias towards protecting those who voted Remain seems clear.

Even as Theresa May called for unity, for Remain to accept we must forwards together - a new deceit is underway, and the cowards hatching this plot do not even have the gall to show their faces.

Be assured. Malevolent forces are at play.

Back at Lancaster House Theresa May said we are leaving the single market. Leaving the European Court of Justice. Leaving free movement of people. Stopping huge payments to the EU. Leaving it all behind.

When she said Brexit means Brexit six months ago she meant it. Not soft. Not trying to placate everyone and please none.

Justice Cranston said the four had a strong case and made an order barring journalists from revealing their names

And she's gone hard, wearing steel capped boots instead of kitten heels. I felt as if Thatcher was back in the room, wearing a headscarf and handbag, driving a British tank right through the heart of Brussels and Merkel's Mafia.

She did it! We did it! Every one of you who got up early to queue to vote before work, waiting in the rain to mark your cross in the box, filling in your postal ballot to have your voice heard. Everyone of you who kept the faith I applaud you all.

You refused to be frightened by project fear. You refused to be cowed by the false reporting and doom mongering from our Former chancellor and state broadcaster. You refused to be denied this once in a lifetime opportunity to course correct our future. And you have.

You voted for change.

As Theresa May rightly says, people like you and I 'voted to leave the European Union and embrace the world. And we did so with our eyes open: accepting that the road ahead will be uncertain at times, but believing that it leads toward a brighter future for our children  and our grandchildren too'.

Which makes it all worthwhile. We had one vote. We grasped it with both hands. And we have set Britain back on course to be Great Again.

It has come at a price.

Many of us have taken a good battering for our views, too thick or too stupid to understand politics or our own minds. Too racist or xenophobic to accept outsiders. Too stupid to know what was truth and what was lies.

A man took a photo of me coming out of Greggs with a sausage roll the other day. He said it helped show 'the sort of people who supported Leave'.

Pure snobbery you see.

But happily for us, Leave voters don't care. We don't care if you see us shop in Greggs, we don't care what names you call us. We don't care what lazy labels you want to throw at us. Or if you cannot respect our British flag.

While we know who Gina Miller (centre) is we still don't know the identity of all the other Mischon de Reya clients quietly bankrolling her case from the shadows

To those who ring my radio show to tell me I am a racist, you are wasting your breath. You have made the word racist meaningless because you diluted it to nothing.

Theresa May has also taken her share of incoming fire. Taken to court by a hedge-fund wife, trying to subvert the will of the people. Pestered to reveal her negotiating position, to show her hand before bets are placed.

And now facing another challenge against Brexit in the courts, from a cowardly clutch of four, too scared of democracy to show their face.

If you took the time to listen to our arguments, or to the words of Theresa May you would hear we didn't vote defensively, aren't planning to leave with our tail between our legs, like cowards fleeing from the fray. We have shown our faces.

We voted assertively. We voted for the freedom to. We are planning for new freedom outside of the EU,

Theresa May announced Brexit - red, white and blue. It is a crying shame that as she did, darker forces were at play

Freedom to be a global trading nation respected around the world. Freedom to be a strong nation, proud of its heritage and the things our grandparents fought for.

Freedom to control who is allowed into our great country, ensuring only those who pay their way and put into our economy can take out.

We voted for the freedom to put British people first. To protect their right to access the schools a walking distance from their home, to get a same day doctors appointment when their child is sick in the night.

And to protect the right of our elderly to have full access to our NHS, placed at the front of the queue ahead of those recently arrived from Europe.

And most importantly we voted for freedom to keep our people safe from those who would seek to do us harm. If you wish to hurt our women or our people, you will no longer be welcome in our country.

Theresa May announced Brexit - red, white and blue. It is a crying shame that as she did, darker forces were at play - mounting a fresh challenge to democracy, identities concealed by a white feather and a court seemingly complicit in their malice.
President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to the White House's press briefing room on Tuesday to give his spokesman, Josh Earnest, a proper sendoff.

Obama said Earnest, the third and final White House spokesman of his administration, is a 'good man' and praised his 'integrity.'

He left as soon as he was finished, without taking any questions from the press, noting that he'll be back tomorrow, for his final White House presser.

President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to the White House's press briefing room on Tuesday to give his spokesman a proper sendoff

Obama said Earnest, the third and final White House spokesman of his administration, is a 'good man' and praised his 'integrity'

HEY! DID I HEAR IT WAS YOUR LAST DAY? Earnest was delivering at statement at the top of his final news conference, recalling his journey to the White House, when Obama popped out from the sliding doors that separate the press from his staff and took over the podium

Earnest was delivering at statement at the top of his final news conference, recalling his journey to the White House, when Obama popped out from the sliding doors that separate the press from his staff and took over the podium.

The president recalled meeting Earnest, his 39-year-old press secretary, a decade ago, in Iowa.

'I think he was wearing jeans. He looked even younger than he was,' the president said of his baby-faced spokesman.

Given that Earnest was going to be speaking for him, Obama said he 'gave him a pretty good once over.'

Not only did he have a 'man-made, all-American good-lookin' thing going on' and a 'face made for television,' he said, 'the guy's name is Josh Earnest, which if somebody's speaking on your behalf, is a pretty good name to have.'

Earnest impressed him with is 'smarts...maturity...actual interest in the issues' and 'integrity.'

Obama said he watched Earnest grow, advance, marry, and become a father. The president's seen with Josh's son, Walker, at the White House Halloween party

'There are people you meet who you have a pretty good inkling right off the bat are straight shooters,' Obama said. 'There are times where that first impression turns out to be wrong, and you're a little disappointed.

'He's never disappointed. He's always been the guy you wanted him to be,' the president said, as Earnest, and his communications staff beamed beside him.

Noting that he'd known his press secretary now for nearly 10 years, having been in office for eight, Obama said he'd watched Earnest grow, advance, marry, and become a father.

'He is not only a great press secretary, but, more importantly, he is a really, really good man, and I am really, really proud of him,' he said, giving him a big hug.

Earnest married his wife Natalie in 2012. Together, they have a two-year-old son, Walker. As Obama was about to come out, Earnest teared up as he thanked his family.

'Thank you sweetheart,' Earnest said direct to camera. 'I will never be able to make it up to you.'

He also teased his staff and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in his remarks, as well, noting how often they've butted heads over the president's agenda, despite their shared party affiliation.

Of the president himself Earnest said, 'He never second guessed me, not once. He didn't just give me the opportunity of a lifetime, he had my back every day.'
A chocolate Labrador discovered on the side of a New York road abandoned and freezing refused to leave her injured friend's side.

Rescue Dogs Rock NYC found Betty, the Labrador, and Benny, a Shar-Pei mix, alone and shivering on January 7.

Benny was 'completely immobile' and was lying in a box layered with towels when rescuers got to him.

A chocolate Labrador, Betty (right) that was discovered on the side of a New York road abandoned and freezing, refused to leave her injured friend's (left) side

Rescue Dogs Rock NYC found Betty and Benny (pictured), a Shar-Pei mix, alone and shivering on January 7. Benny was 'completely immobile' and was lying in a box layered with towels when rescuers got to him

Benny was rushed to an emergency animal hospital, while Betty (pictured) didn't appear to be suffering from any injuries

'When we discovered Benny in the box in critical condition there was another dog next to him who we suspect had been living in this area unprotected for weeks, freezing to death right beside Benny,' a spokesperson for Rescue Rocks NYC wrote on the group's Facebook page.

Benny was suffering from a deep open gash to his right shoulder and his face was swollen, according to rescuers who believe that he and Betty had been out in the cold for weeks.

He was rushed to an emergency animal hospital, while Betty didn't appear to be suffering from any injuries.

Initially, the group said Betty would be transported to Texas for a full medical workup with a partnering veterinarian, meaning the two pals would be split up.

But a week after the friends were rescued, the NYC group wrote on Facebook that both dogs are 'being transported to our Texas Vet Partner together for continued medical care'.

The veterinarian will make sure both dogs are up to date on shots and checked for underlying medical issues that need to be addressed.

The forever friends will then be transported back to New York at the same time when they are both ready.

Benny is expected to make a full recovery.

Benny was suffering from a deep open gash (pictured) to his right shoulder and his face was swollen, according to rescuers who believe that he and Betty had been out in the cold for weeks

But a week after the friends (pictured) were rescued, the group wrote on Facebook that both dogs are being transported to a Texas veterinarian together for continued medical care'. The forever friends will then be transported back to NY at the same time when they are both ready




A North Carolina suspect accused of shooting a pregnant woman and her boyfriend dead at a Raleigh motel went online after the murders to find out the punishment he could face for 'double homicide' and 'fetal homicide,' according to police.

Seaga Gillard, 28, is facing charges of first-degree murder in the December 2 slayings of April Lynn Holland, 22, and Dwayne Garvey, 28.

The couple were found fatally shot in the pre-dawn hours inside an America's Best Valley Inn. Holland was four months pregnant with her fourth child, who could not be saved.

Search history: Police in North Carolina say murder suspect Seaga Gillard, 28 (left), searched Google for penalties for 'double homicide' and 'fetal homicide' after allegedly shooting April Lynn Holland, 22, and Dwayne Garvey, 28 (pictured together, right)

Crime scene: The couple were found gunned down n the pre-dawn hours inside America's Best Valley Inn in the 3900 block of Arrow Drive in Raleigh

Police in Raleigh have released this screenshot from a CCTV video inside the motel showing Gillard and his suspected accomplice on the night of the murders

She and Garvey are survived by two sons, ages one and two, and a three-year-old daughter.

According to a search warrant released by the police last week, and obtained by News & Observer, when detectives reviewed Gillards search history on his smartphone for December 2, they found entries in the Google search engine that included, 'how much can you face for double homicide nc'; 'fetal homicide state laws,' and '2 man wanted in raleigh nc.'

Fugitive caught: Brandon Hill, 29, initially fled to Florida but was later captured and returned to North Carolina to face charges in the double homicide

Gillard was arrested and charged a day after the double homicide, but his alleged accomplice, 29-year-old Brandon Hill, managed to flee to Florida.

Hill dyed his hair blonde in an apparent effort to elude the authorities but was eventually captured and extradited back to Raleigh on December 29 to face murder charges.

Gillard and Hill are being held in the Wake County jail without bail. If convicted of the first-degree murder counts, they could face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Police in Raleigh said Holland and Garveys slayings were captured on surveillance inside the motel on the morning of December 2.

Officers who responded to the scene found Dwayne Garvey lying face down in a second-floor hallway with multiple gunshot wounds.

April Holland was found dead from a single gunshot wound inside room 220.

An investigation has uncovered that Seaga Gillard had communicated with either Holland or Garvey by phone just before the killings.

Growing family: Holland and Garvey had three children together, including two sons, ages one and two, and a 3-year-old daughter (two of the kids pictured left with Holland)

The 22-year-old mother-of-three was pregnant with her fourth child at the time of her death. This image shows Holland's bump during a previous pregnancy in 2013

Garvey's brother and sister-in-law previously claimed that Holland knew Seaga Gillard from the time she was a teenager, but they would not comment on the exact nature of their relationship.

'Her past came back to haunt her,' Garvey's brother, Dwight, told the News & Observer last month.

Garvey, who was black, and Holland, who was white, met in 2011 and fell in love in defiance of both their families, who did not support the interracial relationship, according to Dwight Garveys wife, Ravien.

She added that her brother-in-law was ultimately killed defending the mother of his children and the love of his life.

According to Garveys family and Holland's sister, the couple had been struggling to make ends meet and had been living in motels, but their loved ones said that despite their financial woes, the pair were doting parents to their three children.

Past relationship: Garvey's family have said Holland (left) knew Seaga Gillard (right) from the time she was a teenager

Defiant: Garvey and Holland met in 2011 and fell in love in defiance of both their families, who reportedly did not support the interracial relationship

Hardscrabble life: The couple had been struggling to make ends meet but were described as doting parents to their three children

Seaga Gillard, a native of St Lucia, Virgin Islands, has an extensive past criminal record that included charges of armed robbery, kidnapping, forcible sexual offense and assault by strangulation stemming from an incident last October in which he allegedly raped a woman at gunpoint and then mugged her.

The victim told police the 28-year-old man tried to strangle her with a phone cord.

Federal records indicate that Seaga was convicted in 2007 in the Virgin Islands of domestic violence assault.

In 2011, then-22-year-old Seaga Gillard was arrested along with his younger brother, Kalid, for attempted murder related to a double shooting in Durham, North Carolina, but prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges against Seaga due to lack of evidence,.
Two P&O ferry workers have been found guilty of smuggling 23million of cocaine into Britain - inside rucksacks and the linings of hi-vis work jackets.

Ferry night steward Edward Tron, 51, from Gateshead, and chef Mark Quilliam, 55, from Liverpool, used their jobs to run a drugs smuggling operation for criminal gangs.

Tron told an undercover officer from the National Crime Agency how he would import four kilograms of the drug a time on the route from Rotterdam to Hull.

P&O ferry night steward Edward Tron, 51, from Gateshead, (left) and chef Mark Quilliam, 55, (right)have been found guilty of smuggling 23million of cocaine into Britain - inside rucksacks and the linings of hi-vis work jackets

The National Crime Agency began their investigation after the pair's former colleague Jonathan Heald was jailed for two and a half years for money laundering in 2013.

Tron told the undercover officer that he had made thousands of pounds from every trip, but said that work had dried up since Heald's arrest.

He and his wife Susan, 54, who was found guilty of money laundering, deposited almost 140,000 in cash in three bank accounts between 2009 and 2015.

He said: 'I started making some money, serious f***ing money. And then it stopped 'cause of a lad being greedy.'

The ferry night steward even tried to recruit the undercover officer, telling him: 'We'll have to go ashore in Rotterdam and you would meet a kid and he would give you something.

Tron's wife Susan, 54, was found guilty of money laundering

'And then just bring it on and then, this side, I would take it off.'

He said he previously used rucksacks but was planning instead to sew drugs in to the lining of their work jackets.

Tron said: 'I give him my coat, my coat's got f*** all in it, he gives me a coat with four kilos in or whatever it is.

'Then, when we get off in Hull, same thing.. So, all you're doing is passing the coat.'

Tron, who earned 313,000 from the scheme, boasted of living 'a dream life', paying for holidays and a boob job and tummy tuck for his wife.

More than 235kilograms of cocaine was smuggled into the country in the operation over six years, it is estimated.

In April 2015, Tron, who was under surveillance by Dutch police, travelled to Rotterdam to make contact with drug traffickers there directly.

Tron was seen getting into a car, but the driver of the car appeared to become suspicious it was being followed and drove off at high speed, losing the police.

Tron was arrested by NCA officers on board the Pride of Hull ship in September 2015, while his wife and Quilliam were later detained at their home addresses.

He claimed he had made up stories about drug smuggling and that everything he told the undercover officer had been 'fantasy'.

His wife claimed the money that had been paid into her bank account had been from gambling wins.

Eddie Tron, Susan Tron and Quilliam will be sentenced at Hull Crown Court tomorrow.

Tron, who earned 313,000 from the scheme, boasted of living 'a dream life', paying for holidays and a boob job and tummy tuck for his wife

Mick Maloney, from the National Crime Agency's Border Policing Command, said: 'Eddie Tron and Mark Quilliam worked as 'guns for hire', selling their services to organised crime groups to help them get their commodity into the UK.

'Theirs was an important link in the chain which connects ruthless cocaine manufacturers in South America with street gangs involved in violence and exploitation on the streets of the UK.

'They abused their access and knowledge to bypass border controls and import large quantities of class A drugs, but our investigation was able to uncover their corruption.'

'The NCA is grateful for the support and co-operation of the ferry operator, port authorities and Border Force in this investigation. We are all determined to target and stop those who seek to circumvent border controls for criminal purposes.'
Cash machines offering 100 as the minimum set withdrawal have arrived in London to cater for high-spending tourists.

A retail expert said the machines were part of an attempt to help the city compete with other foreign capitals as a destination for wealthy shoppers.

Britain's high-end shops are currently experiencing a boom in business as overseas visitors take advantage of the fall in the pound following the Brexit vote.

This ATM is on Broadwick Street in Soho, a short walk away from Regent Street, which is lined with luxury shops

Operator Travelex spokesman told MailOnline the machines had been installed in areas that were known to attract tourists

The ATM pictured above was on Broadwick Street in Soho, a short walk away from Regent Street, which is lined with luxury shops.

The set withdrawal options are listed in multiples of 100 up to 500. Users can take out multiples of 20 by pressing the 'other' button.

Earlier this month, a coat at Ralph Lauren on Regent Street was on sale for 1041, down from 1735.

In nearby Hackett, a pair of blue chequered boxers was 45, and three pairs of socks priced at 50.

Operator Travelex spokesman told MailOnline the machines had been installed in areas that were known to attract tourists.

Patrick Cox, retail consultant at Pragma UK, said the high-withdrawal cash machines were part of an attempt to entice more wealthy foreign shoppers to the capital.

He told MailOnline: 'These ATMs are about pulling all the strings you can to attract these visitors so they don't go to places like Paris or Rome instead.'

British high streets are enjoying a boost from foreign shoppers, with spending on international bank cards up 22% year on year this December, according to Worldpay.

Research by Deloitte in October suggested designer goods were cheaper in Britain than anywhere else on the planet.

Mr Cox said: 'What you traditionally had was wealthy tourists coming to London to make expensive status purchases, such as a luxury handbag.

Earlier this month, a coat at Ralph Lauren on Regent Street (pictured) was on sale for 1041, down from 1735

In nearby Hackett, a pair of blue chequered boxers was 45, while a set of three socks came in at 50. Pictured: Regent Street thronging with shoppers

'But now we have many from Asia, and also the growing market of Africa, who are taking advantage of exchange rates to buy products for cheaper than elsewhere.'

A Travelex spokesman said: 'The reason why the withdrawal options are different at different locations is because we are driven by what we think the customer wants.

'In areas where there is high tourism the numbers tend to be higher.'
University of California President Janet Napolitano, a former U.S. Homeland Security secretary, has been hospitalized after battling cancer secretly for months.

Napolitano has been undergoing treatment for an unspecified type of cancer for the past five months and she is doing 'extremely well', the school system said on Tuesday.

The announcement of the 59-year-old's health condition was revealed after she was taken to hospital due to a side effect of her medication on Monday.

Former Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano is undergoing treatment for cancer and was hospitalized with complications on Monday. She was diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer in August 2016

She was diagnosed last August with the unknown type of cancer and hasn't responded to inquiries seeking further details, the UC Office of the President said.

Her condition was never made public but Napolitano's office said she has performed her duties at full capacity and is expected to be discharged in the next day or so.

Officials also said in a statement that her treatment is 'nearly complete'.

The president of the 10-campus system has kept the chairwoman of the UC Board of Regents informed throughout her treatment, the university said.

Napolitano, 59, is currently the University of California President and her office said her treatment 'was nearly complete'

Napolitano, who previously was treated successfully for breast cancer, was a two-term Democratic governor of Arizona before joining President Barack Obama's Cabinet.

She served as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security from 2009 to 2013, as governor of Arizona from 2003 to 2009, as Arizona's attorney general from 1998 to 2003, and as U.S. attorney for Arizona from 1993 to 1997.

Napolitano now oversees the 10 UC campuses, five medical centers, three affiliated national laboratories, and a statewide agriculture and natural resources program.

In November 2004, Napolitano had surgery to remove her right ovary and an ovarian cyst, which was benign. She resumed a normal work schedule three days later.
A depraved killer who murdered a woman with no motive and told of the sexual thrill he got from dismembering her body has been jailed for life.

Steven Jackson, 40, landed around ten hammer blows on Kimberley MacKenzie's head as she visited his home, before stabbing her about 40 times.

He then cut up the 37-year-old's body in a bath, before dumping the parts in bins around Montrose, Angus, with the help of his partner, Michelle Higgins.

Steven Jacson was handed a mandatory life term and ordered to spend a minimum of 26 years behind bars. His girlfriend and co-accused Michelle Higgins was given eight years' imprisonment for attempting to pervert the course of justice

Shocking CCTV footage shows killer Steven Jackson and his friend Michelle Higgins dragging parts of the body of victim Kimberley MacKenzie through Montrose after her murder

Jackson was convicted of the brutal murder in October 2015, and of attempting to pervert the course of justice at a trial at the High Court in Glasgow last month.

During the murder trial last month, the court heard that Jackson boasted of getting a sexual thrill from cutting up the body.

The day after the attack, Higgins helped her former lover Jackson chop up his victim in the bath and dump the severed body parts in bins outside the flat they shared in Montrose, Angus.

They were later caught on CCTV walking through the Angus town carrying a child's rucksack and a green suitcase containing more body parts, including the victim's head.

Kimberley MacKenzie was struck on the head at least 11 times with a hammer and stabbed more than 40 times

Judge Lady Rae handed him a mandatory life term and ordered him to spend a minimum of 26 years behind bars when she passed sentence at the High Court in Livingston on Tuesday.

She also sentenced Higgins to eight years' imprisonment for attempting to pervert the course of justice by helping Jackson cover up his crime.

The judge said: 'The behaviour of both of you was despicable and callous. The killing appears to have been a wholly motiveless and brutal murder of a defenceless woman.'

She added: 'What you both did to the body of the deceased shows a level of depravity thankfully not often seen in these courts.'

Ms MacKenzie had suffered 'devastating' injuries to her skull and brain, which led to her death. She also sustained approximately 40 blade injuries, many of which were inflicted when she was still alive.

Jackson, who was on several bail orders at the time of the killing, went on to boast about what he had done.

Lady Rae said: 'What is even more concerning is that you appear to have told a social worker that, faced with a dead body in similar circumstances, you would feel constrained to act in a similar fashion.

Police believe Ms MacKenzie was murdered in Jackson's front room (pictured)

These are the bins in the common stairwell of Steven Jackson's flat in Montrose in which parts of the dismembered torso of Kimberley MacKenzie were found

'Unlike your co-accused, you have expressed no remorse whatsoever for your criminal actions.'

Lady Rae's sentencing statement was released following the hearing by the Judicial Office for Scotland.

The judge fixed Jackson's minimum jail term at 26 years in light of the nature and brutality of the crime and various aggravating factors.
President-elect Trump's choice to run the Department of Health and Human Services may have broken the law by making a stock purchase just before he introduced legislation that would have benefited the firm, the Senate's leading Democrat charged on Tuesday.

A confirmation hearing for Tom Price, a Republican congressman and orthopedic surgeon from Georgia, was scheduled for Wednesday before the Senate health committee.

If confirmed, he would be a key player in carrying out Trump's plans to overhaul Democratic President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law.

Facing questions: Tom Price (center, with his aides) is to start his confirmation process on Wednesday - but Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has asked whether a share deal he was involved in is legal

Raising questions: Chuck Schumer, the senate minority leader - pictured on Monday - spoke on the floor to warn the trade may be illegal

CNN reported on Sunday that Price bought between $1,001 and $15,000 worth of shares last March in Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc, a medical device manufacturer.

Days later, he introduced legislation in the House of Representatives that would have delayed a regulation that could have ultimately damaged the company, CNN said.

Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democratic minority in the Senate, called on the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate whether Price had violated the 2012 Stock Act, a law designed to combat insider trading.

Schumer said that Price's Zimmer Biomet purchase may have been in violation of that law. 'It may be that this trade was illegal,' Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon.

The Trump transition team said late on Monday that the stock purchase was directed not by Price but by a broker and that the congressman himself did not become aware of the stock buy until well after the legislation was introduced.

'Any effort to connect the introduction of bipartisan legislation by Dr. Price to any campaign contribution is demonstrably false,' said transition spokesman Phil Blando.

But Schumer did not sound convinced. 'Now they say there's a broker, it's kind of strange that this broker would pick this stock totally independently of him introducing legislation that's so narrow and specific to this company,' Schumer told CNN on Tuesday.

Sean Spicer, who will serve as Trump's White House spokesman, defended Price. 'Regarding dem attacks on @RepTomPrice: this is a stock trade worth $300. You couldn't get into a @SenSchumer fundraiser for that amount,' Spicer said in a tweet.

Another sign of trouble for Republicans in the healthcare arena emerged on Tuesday when the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said a repeal of Obamacare - a top priority of both Trump and congressional Republicans - would increase the number of people without health insurance by 18 million in the first year.

That number would grow to 32 million by the year 2026 and premiums would double in that time, the CBO said.

key figure: Price was chosen by President-elect Trump to lead the repeal and replacement of Obamacare

The report based its analysis on a Republican repeal bill that was passed a year ago but vetoed by President Obama. Republicans say the same bill is the blueprint for the repeal effort underway in Congress now.

But House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, characterized the CBO projection as 'meaningless.' He said it did not take into account measures under consideration to replace the law or 'actions that the incoming administration will take to revitalize the individual (insurance) market that has been decimated by Obamacare.'

Price, an ardent advocate of Obamacare repeal, is one of eight Trump Cabinet nominees who will face Senate confirmation hearings this week.

The hearings started Tuesday with Ryan Zinke, a Republican congressman from Montana tapped for interior secretary, and Republican philanthropist Betsy DeVos, the nominee for education secretary.

Trump's presidential inauguration is on Friday and his team is hoping to have as many of his nominees as possible, perhaps as many as seven, confirmed by then.
Two British women have been raped on the Costa Del Sol after it is alleged their drinks were spiked with a lethal Colombian drug known as 'The Devil's Breath'.

The pair, aged 19 and 20, were attacked near Marbella, in Spain, with 10 days between each incident.

Spanish police are now awaiting test results, but it is believed they were drugged with burandanga.

Two women, aged 19 and 20, were raped near Marbella, in Spain, with 10 days between each incident (pictured, Marbella)

The substance, also known as scopolamine, has a reputation for eliminating the free will and memory of its victims - earning the nickname 'The Devil's Breath.'

It is said to turn people into a zombie-like state and block memories from forming. So even after the drug wears off, victims have no recollection as to what happened.

Burandanga is harvested from the Borrachero tree, which is common to South America, and is becoming commonly sold by dealers on the streets of Colombia and Ecuador.

The drug is known to incapacitate its victims, with tales of it being used to attack backpackers and tourists around South America.

Burandanga is harvested from the Borrachero tree (pictured), common to South America

However, despite its urban myth status, the US's Overseas Security Advisory Council in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito, are so concerned about the drug they warn all their visitors to be on their guard.

The council's officials claim it has 'unofficial estimates' of 50,000 Burandanga incidents there every year.
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Yemeni female fighters took to the streets carrying their toddlers, rocket launchers and machine guns to send a powerful message to the Saudi-led coalition who have played a part in a two-year war that has claimed 10,000 civilian lives.

A day earlier, a UN envoy held talks with Yemen's President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in an attempt to return to a ceasefire and for political talks to end the brutal conflict.

The United Nations said the civilian death toll in fighting since a Saudi-led force intervened in March 2015 had reached 10,000, up from the previous figure of 7,000.

One of the poorest countries in the Arab world, Yemen slid deeper into chaos when the Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to push back the rebels who had seized Sanaa and other parts of the country.

The women were in the city of Sanna supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, to take part in the anti-Saudi rally.

The United Nations ranks the conflict in Yemen as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Yemeni female fighters supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, take part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa

The women, dressed in the traditional niqab, parade in the streets of Sanna on January 17, 2017

A close-up of a weapon being held at a local astro-turfed football pitch in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa

As a drone hovers above, the women march menacingly with rifles slung over their shoulders in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa

A woman poses with a huge rocket launcher, pointing it just away from the camera, as the fighters gather on the football pitch

Female Yemeni soldiers clasping their rifles in an act of solidarity against the Saudis in the city of Sanaa in Yemen

Women donning red caps over their niqab pose with their weapons in a protest rally in support of the Shiite Huthi rebels

Five women in a line, each holding a rifle and ammunition, stand in solidarity at the football pitch in Sanaa, Yemen

A woman wearing glasses (front, centre) and a red cap holds aloft a rocket launcher in the protest against the Saudis

A big group of female fighters turned up to voice their disapproval of Saudi Arabia in the war which has claimed 10,000 civilian lives

The United Nations ranks the conflict in Yemen as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises as the women protest

A day before this woman marched holding a huge rifle and rounds of ammo, a UN envoy held talks with Yemen's President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi as the United Nations said the death toll from the war that has ravaged Yemen had reached 10,000

A massive group of women hold their rifles in the air and wave flags in support of the Shiite Huthi rebels in the war
Former Uber driver, Gabriel Vasquez (pictured), 40, was arrested for allegedly raping a young woman after driving her home

A former Uber driver was arrested in Texas for allegedly raping a young woman after driving her home.

The San Antonio Police Department identified the man as Gabriel Vasquez, 40, who is facing charges of violence over the incident that reportedly happened in October 2016.

Authorities said the 22-year-old woman was at a bar and was so drunk that she passed out in the bathroom, according to KHOU 11.

She was helped into an Uber car that was waiting outside by bar staff.

A police report filed when the incident occurred says that Vasquez helped the woman inside her apartment because she was unable to walk on her own.

Vasquez 'escorted her to her bed and began to undress her', according to the report obtained by KHOU.

The victim reported the incident to police and Uber the next day.

'What's been described is greatly concerning and has no place anywhere. As soon as the rider reported this to us in October, we immediately removed this driver's access to the app,' Uber spokesperson Kayla Whaling told KSAT 12 via email

Vasquez did not have a criminal record prior to last year's incident.

Police said the victim was able to positively identify Vasquez in a photo lineup.

She told authorities at the time of the incident she told Vasquez 'no'.

Vazquez initially denied any sexual activity occurred on January 13 when he was interviewed by police.

However, he later confessed to having sex with the victim even though he knew she was drunk, according to an affidavit obtained by KSAT.

Vazquez remains in the Bexar County Jail.

The battle over background checks for Uber drivers at some of the world's busiest airports continue as cities like Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, consider more thorough screenings.

Uber (file photo) users in San Antonio are asking why the company hasn't utilized stricter fingerprint background checks. The fight for stricter background checks have been ongoing in San Antonio since 2014

Uber users in San Antonio are asking why the company hasn't utilized stricter fingerprint background checks.

In Houston, city officials say they found that background checks without fingerprints allow criminals who have been charged with murder, sexual assault and other crimes to evade detection in a variety of ways.

Uber has agreements with more than 50 US airports, none of which require fingerprint-based background checks.

Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city, was among the first in the US to require drivers for Uber and other ride-booking firms to undergo fingerprint-based background checks using the FBI's database.

Houston's program began in November 2014, and city officials there say they're far more thorough than any other way of checking someone's criminal past.

The fight for stricter background checks have been ongoing in San Antonio since 2014.

In 2015, San Antonio made fingerprint background checks optional after both Uber and Lyft left the city.
An Indonesian security guard claims he saw the Australian woman accused of killing a Bali policeman grabbing a man of the night of the alleged murder.



Pullman Hotel guard Suryana says he heard long, loud screaming just moments before he saw Sara Connor, 46, grabbing a man on Kuta Beach on August 17.

But he walked away believing they were just 'joking around', a court has heard.

Connor and her British DJ boyfriend, David Taylor, both face a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail for the murder of policeman Wayan Sudarsa.

Pullman Hotel security guard Suryana (left, in blue shirt), re-enacts what he said he saw on Kuta Beach in the hours before the body of a Bali police officer was found

Suryana says he heard long, loud screaming just moments before he saw Sara Connor, 46, grabbing a man on Kuta Beach on August 17

Suryana was working the night shift at Pullman Hotel when he said he heard the yell about 1.05am on August 17.

'I heard loud and long screaming ... Aaaahhhhh ... from Kuta Beach,' he told Denpasar Court on Tuesday.

He stopped at the entrance to the beach and saw a man lying face-up on the sand.

To his left was Australian woman Sara Connor, Mr Suryana said.

'[Her] left arm looked like it was grabbing ... locking the victim's neck.'

Meanwhile, Mr Suryana said a 'western male with long hair was sitting on the victim's belly'.

'Both of his hands were holding the victim's hands ... the victim was motionless.'

Mr Suryana said he was about four to five metres but walked away thinking the group was just 'joking around'.

Suryana claims he saw Connor's British boyfriend David Taylor 'sitting on the victim's belly'

The battered body of Balinese police officer Wayan Sudarsa was discovered on Kuta Beach in the early hours of August 17

It was not until about 4.30am police approached him and told him about Bali police officer Wayan Sudarsa's death.

'I saw [Mr Sudarsa] lying [on the sand]. He was still in his uniform, only [his shirt] was unbuttoned. He was without his left shoe and his left leg was scratched.

'His face was covered with blood and sand.'

Connor denied the accusations.

'I never lay in the position next to the body. I never tried to grab [Mr Sudarsa's] neck,' the 46-year-old said.

Taylor enters court for his second trial at Denpasar Court, Bali in November, 2016

Connor walks to a court room for her first trial at Denpasar court on November 9, 2016. Connor denied the accusations made by Suryana

Speaking after the hearing Connor told reporters she had 'faith' the judges would understand she was 'innocent'.

Connor and her British boyfriend David Taylor face charges of murder, fatal assault in company and assault causing death, with prosecutors alleging they attacked Mr Sudarsa on Kuta Beach on the night of August 16 and left his lifeless body in the sand.

Connor continues to declare her innocence, saying she did nothing but try to separate the pair.

Taylor is expected to appear in court while Connor is due to return next week.
President Barack Obama is commuting the sentence of Chelsea Manning, an army intelligence analyst who shared classified documents with Wikileaks, on his way out out of the White House.

Manning, who went by the name Bradley at the time of the crime, was sentenced to 35 years in prison in August of 2013.

Obama ordered her release day to be moved up on Tuesday to May 17, 2017, cutting her jail time down to more than six years.

Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who fled the country after he stole a tranche of classified documents and exposed government secrets, neither applied for a pardon, the White House said, nor did he proactively receive one.

He thanked Obama in a tweet on Tuesday afternoon for sparing Manning from a life in prison.

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President Barack Obama is commuting the sentence of Chelsea Manning, the army soldier who shared classified documents with Wikileaks, on his way out out of the White House

Manning, who went by the name Bradley at the time, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for her crimes. She'll get out in May

'In five more months, you will be free. Thank you for what you did for everyone, Chelsea. Stay strong a while longer!' he said in another tweet alongside a 2010 photo of Manning dressed as a woman.

Manning had applied for leniency through the Department of Justice. A favorable outcome seemed probable, given Manning's multiple suicide attempts and recent White House comments.

The president plans to give another round of criminals early release before his final day in office this Friday, the White House says.

They were cast as low-level drug offenders whose sentences would have been shorter if they were sent to jail now. He commuted 209 sentences today.

Asked about Snowden at his last press briefing on Tuesday, before the commutation notice went out, Obama's spokesman said, 'I cant rule anything in or out.' He noted then that Snowden had not filed paperwork to seek clemency from the administration.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange had challenged Obama to grant Manning clemency in exchange for extradition to the United States.

The anti-secrecy group called Manning's forthcoming release a 'victory' in a statement Tuesday afternoon that didn't mention Assange's promise.

'Thank you to everyone who campaigned for Chelsea Manning's clemency. Your courage & determination made the impossible possible,' Assange said via the organization's Twitter.

A previous Wikileaks tweet had said, 'If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case.'

A White House official could not say on a Tuesday evening call detailing the Obama commutations what case or charges Wikileaks was referring to in the tweet.

The senior official said the president's decision 'was not influenced in any way' by Assange, who lives in the Embassy of Ecuador in London, or Wikileaks.

Manning's sentence is being commuted to time served 'to ensure that the sentence that she served is comparable to the sentences that were handed down to individuals who committed comparable crimes,' the White House official said.

Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who fled the country after he stole a tranche of classified documents and exposed government secrets, did not apply for a pardon, the White House said, nor did he proactively receive one

He thanked Obama in a tweet on Tuesday afternoon for sparing Manning from a life in prison

The White House laid the groundwork for her to get a commutation last week, differentiating the case from that of Snowden, who had lobbied the White House to commute Manning's sentence, as well.

Unlike Snowden, Manning, arrested in 2010, 'acknowledged wrongdoing,' the White House said, and appeared in a military court. She was convicted in 2013 of illegally sharing 700,000 State Department and military documents.

Snowden has taken refuge in Vladimir Putin's Russia, 'a country that most recently made a concerted effort to undermine confidence in our democracy,' Obama's spokesman said, and refuses to return to the U.S. face prosecution in the United States.

The Manning and Snowden cases have similarities, Obama spokesman Josh Earnest said, but they are quite different in scale and scope. Snowden's theft was ten-fold, a reported 1.7 million secret documents.

'Obviously, as Chelsea Manning has acknowledged, and as we have said many times, that the release of the information that she provided to WikiLeaks was damaging to national security,' Earnest said. 'But the disclosures by Edward Snowden were far more serious and far more dangerous.'

Republican Senator and Afghanistan veteran Tom Cotton said he was baffled by Obama's decision in a quick reaction to Manning's planned release.

'When I was leading soldiers in Afghanistan, Private Manning was undermining us by leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks,' Cotton said.

'I dont understand why the president would feel special compassion for someone who endangered the lives of our troops, diplomats, intelligence officers, and allies. We ought not treat a traitor like a martyr.'

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange had challenged Obama to grant Manning clemency in exchange for extradition to the United States. It's unclear what charges are being brought against him and in what case

The White House said on its call with reporters that 'the president continues to believe that her actions were criminal, and were not good for the country. They harmed our national security.'

But he believes that her six years in prison are' sufficient,' for several reasons, including the remorse she has shown for her actions.

Manning's military record states she was suffering from gender identity disorder when she stole and released classified documents, and a court ordered the army in September to pay for her gender reassignment surgery.

The transgender soldier's attorneys have said that she was placed in solitary confinement as punishment for a July suicide attempt and other abuses in prison contributed to her mental state and a second attempt on her life this fall.

Steve Scalise, House Republicans' top vote counter said in a statement after the White House call that the Manning commutation 'is an insult to the rule of law and is an added stain on his legacy of abused executive action.'

Obama also granted 64 pardons today - including one to retired Marine Gen. James 'Hoss' Cartwright, the former head of his joint chiefs of staff.

He plead guilty in October to a felony charge for providing a false statement to the authorities.

The anti-secrecy group called Manning's forthcoming release a 'victory' in a statement Tuesday afternoon that didn't mention Assange's promise

The 67-year-old was accused of sharing classified information to New York Times reporter David Sanger and lying to the government about it.

The four-star general insisted he was not the source of the leak to Sanger about a secret cyber attack on Iran meant to undermine its uranium enrichment system. But he told FBI agents that he didn't confirm the information, either, and has admitted his statement to the feds was untrue.

Explaining the president's decision to pardon Cartwright, due to to be sentenced today, a White House official said the retired general's service to the country weighed heavily in the decision, as did his motive.

Cartwright said he was trying to prevent the publication of the information. The White House also noted that Cartwright was not the source of the information, although he did confirm it.

Obama is giving a slew of convicts fresh starts on his way out, including Oscar Lopez-Rivera, a Puerto Rican nationalist who has served 35 years in prison already for 'seditious conspiracy' and would have died behind bars were it not for Obama's intervention.

Lopez-Rivera was offered a conditional commutation by Bill Clinton in 1999 but rejected it. The Obama White House claimed today that he stayed in prison because a co-conspirator was not being released.

His fellow FALN member has since left prison, clearing the way for Lopez-Rivera's commutation, a White House official said.

A New York Times article previously stated that Lopez-Rivera turned Clinton down because he would not, as commanded, disavow the use of terrorism tactics to achieve his Marxist-Leninist group's aims.

The White House laid the groundwork for her to get a commutation last week, differentiating the case from that of Snowden, who had lobbied the White House to commute Manning's sentence, as well

In commuting 209 sentences, in addition to the 64 pardons, today Obama broke a White House record, granting more second chances than any other president in history.

Obama has handed out a sum total of 1,385 commutations during his time in office - more than the last 12 presidents combined, the White House said Tuesday, and he plans to hand out more on Friday, leaving the door open for a Snowden pardon, though it remains highly unlikely.

The outgoing president told German publication Der Spiegel last month that he 'can't' pardon Snowden, who's wanted for three felony charges tied to his 2013 exposure of the NSA's bulk data program, because he hasn't presented his case in court.

'I think that Mr. Snowden raised some legitimate concerns,' Obama stated. 'How he did it was something that did not follow the procedures and practices of our intelligence community.

Obama, a Harvard-educated constitutional lawyer, said, 'If everybody took the approach that I make my own decisions about these issues, then it would be very hard to have an organized government or any kind of national security system.'




Police made multiple arrests at the funeral of a Mongrel Mob bikie gang member on Tuesday after shots were fired at the procession on its way to the crematorium.

The shots were fired at a Mongrel Mob member Tahu Kingi's funeral procession going from Kawerau to Whakatane in Bay of Plenty on the North Island, the New Zealand Herald reports.

Bikie funerals are traditionally sacrosanct with violence at them banned. A New Zealand bikie gang expert even said that the incident broke a 'universal rule' .

Kingi's hearse was in a motorcade of about 100 vehicles carrying other Kawerau-based members of the Mongrel Mob to the Whakatane Crematorium.

Whakatane's resident gang, Black Power, was allegedly trying to prevent the Mongrel Mob from entering.

This followed a brawl at the tangi - a traditional Maori ceremony to mourn the dead - on Friday when a Black Power member was allegedly attacked and run over.

Black Power gang members then allegedly rammed the vehicle containing Kingi's coffin, causing it to fall on to the road.

Shots were fired at funeral procession of Mongrel Mob member Tahu Kingi (pictured)

Whakatane's resident gang, Black Power, was allegedly trying to prevent the Mongrel Mob from entering its territory (pictured)

A notable bikie gang expert in New Zealand said that the incident could have broken a 'universal rule' for gangs not to fight with each other at a funeral.

Jarrod Gilbert, author of Patched the History of Gangs in New Zealand, was surprised to hear of the fighting at the funeral.

'I might have thought a tangi was off limits but obviously there's been a breakdown in communication. Or tensions are so high,' he said.

'But if the death came about as part of the war, then all bets are off.'

The motorcade was escorted by 15 police officers as well as Armed Offenders Squad members.

After the incident a number of people were arrested by police, and the Mongrel Mob left the crematorium without further incident.
While Mexican drug cartels have created dozens of tunnels into the United States in the past decade, most are filled with concrete.

But at least six tunnels that were previously found by border authorities have been reopened by the violent groups - with the most recent known breach occurring this December.

US and Mexican officials estimate that the number may be as high as 20.

This comes as President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to increase security along the United States border with Mexico.

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At least six tunnels that were previously found by border authorities have been reopened by Mexican drug cartels. Pictured: Two armed guards near Otay Mesa, California

The most recent known breach occurred this December and as many as 20 tunnels may have been reopened. Pictured: A tunnel found under warehouses in Tijuana

While US authorities have filled in the tunnels they find with concrete since 2007, Mexican authorities only seal their openings with the material as law enforcement there say they don't have the funds, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Because the tunnels are only sealed on the Mexico side, drug traffickers are able to create a new entry point near to to a previously discovered tunnel.

Tunnels generally have rail and cart systems to ease transport while some 'super tunnels' have lighting and ventilation.

US Customs and Border Protection has spent $8.7m filling tunnels since 2007, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

While US authorities have filled in the tunnels they find with concrete since 2007, Mexican authorities only seal their openings as law enforcement there say they don't have the funds

Tunnels generally have rail and cart systems to ease transport while some 'super tunnels' have lighting and ventilation

The National Border Patrol Council's vice president Shawn Moran told the Times: 'We don't want to leave infrastructure in place in the form of half-completed tunnels.'

Since 2006, the DHS said there have been 148 known tunnels built between the United States and Mexico, mostly in Arizona and California and particularly in Otay Mesa, an industrial part of San Diego bordering Tijuana.

A November 2010 drug bust in an Otay Mesa tunnel yielded 30 tons of marijuana.

While the tunnel was filled in with concrete from the US border to the Mexican border, on the Mexican side only the opening was sealed.

US Customs and Border Protection has spent $8.7m filling tunnels since 2007

In April 2014 a tunnel 700 yards long was found between a Tijuana repair shop and a San Diego warehouse in the same area.

More than 1,000 feet of that tunnel discovered in April 2014 was found to be from the tunnel discovered in November 2010.

Traffickers have tried to reopen at least four tunnels specifically in Otay Mesa recently, including one near Tijuana International Airport that was discovered in December.

Since 2006, the DHS said there have been 148 known tunnels built between the United States and Mexico
Hedge funder and advisor to President-elect Donald Trump Anthony Scaramucci has been making the rounds at the World Economic Forum in Davos to soothe critics who might not get Trump's communication style  while meeting with the head of a Russian-backed investment fund and speaking to a Russian wire service.

The annual conference is the kind of aggregation of elites that Trump and his supporters outwardly detest.

But Scaramucci, who has attended the event for a decade, has been trying to reassure concerned high-rollers top officials at panels and meetings.

'This is my 10th year here, but my first year here with a food taster,' he joked at one point.

He gave an interview to the Russian-backed TASS news agency, saying of Trump: 'He has enormous respect for the Russian people and Russian culture and so he is signaling that, hopefully, whatever the hostilities may be, perhaps we can improve them over the coming years.

Trump transition advisor Anthony Scaramucci has been described as the 'hit' of Davos as the only representative of the incoming administration there

Scaramucci said U.S. sanctions had the 'opposite' effect on Russia.

'You know the Russian people better than me,' he told his interviewer. 'I think the sanctions had in some ways an opposite effect because of Russian culture. I think the Russians would eat snow if they had to. And so for me the sanctions probably galvanized the nation with the nation's president.'

The Kremlin responded approvingly, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying, 'Russians prefer to eat not snow, but very tasty delicacies made in Russia, of which we have more and more thanks to sanctions.'

Scaramucci, a regular at Trump Tower who has been visible on TV, provided assurances that 'The United States and the new administration does not want to have a trade war' with China, the Wall Street Journal reported.

He added: 'We want to have a phenomenal relationship with the Chinese.' But, 'They have to reach now towards us and allow us to create this symmetry because the path to globalism for the world is through the American worker and the American middle class.'

A Bloomberg report declared the telegenic Scaramucci the 'star' of Davos, and quoted him as saying his schedule was 'jammed up' with requests.

Anthony Scaramucci, who is part of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team, speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday

Scaramucci said he met with the head of Russia's government backed $10 billion sovereign wealth fund as a 'private citizen'

Scaramucci gave an interview to Russia's government-backed TASS news agency, where he said Trump had 'enormous respect for the Russian people and the legacy of the relationship that the US has with Russia'

He is preparing to sell his SkyBridge Capital firm to join Trump's administration as a the head of an office of pubic liaison.

'My job is to get you to see him and think about him the way we do,' he told one crowd, saying Trump had the 'best political instincts of his generation of politicians.'

Seated before a bank of snow-covered evergreens for an interview, Scaramucci told Bloomberg of Trump: 'He has very interesting communications style. The more you get to know him, the more time you spend with him you recognize what he's doing. You understand his communications stye. These folks are used to a certain type of buttoned up politically correct presentation style.'

He provided reassurances about Trump's tweeting. 'If you guys get a little bit upset about the tweeting or some of the things that he's saying, I want to put your mind at ease,' he said. 'Directionally, this is a super-compassionate man.'

He discussed his meeting with Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia's government direct investment fund, about a plan to bring U.S. CEOs to Russia, Bloomberg reported. The U.S. sanctioned the fund in 2015.

'I was as a private citizen working on that,' Scaramucci said, describing a meeting with the Russians the night before. 'What I said to him last night in my capacity inside the administration, I would certainly reach out to people to help him.'

But he cited potential government ethics constraints, including a 'big thick' government ethics book.

'You've got to go through everything to make sure you do everything appropriately,' he said.

'The idea was many moths ago to have more outreach with Russia, but also other countries, not just Russia, China, other countries,' he said.

He also gave an interview to Russian news agency TASS, which reported that Trump has 'big respect' for the Russian people and Russian culture.

'What the new American president is saying is that he has an enormous respect for the Russian people and the legacy of the relationship that the US has with Russia, which dates back to the Second World War,' Scaramucci said, invoking the alliance to confront the Nazis with a two-front war.

'We were two nations in the heat of battle during the Cold War, yet there was enough mutuality of respect that we kept all of our citizens safe during that period of time,' he said.

He offered a softer version of Trump's NATO critique, saying there were 'possibly, one or two things in there that, in the president-elect's own words, are obsolete.'

To Davos attendees worried about Mr. Trump's views on immigration, Mr. Scaramucci said, 'He's the least racist person that I've ever met.'

The Trump transition didn't immediately respond to a question about why Scaramucci sat down with the Russian-backed news wire.
The mother of a two-year-old girl known as 'Baby Doe', whose body was found washed up on a Boston Harbor island in 2015, appeared in court on Tuesday.

Rachelle Bond, 41, has pleaded not guilty as an accessory to murder in the death of her daughter Bella.

She is accused of helping her boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, conceal Bella's body, which was found stuffed inside a garbage bag.

Bond was in court as her lawyer asked a judge to dismiss the charges against her or move the trial to western Massachusetts.

Rachelle Bond, the mother of the two-year-old girl known as 'Baby Doe' whose body was found washed up on a Boston Harbor island in 2015, appeared in Suffolk Superior Court on Tuesday

Bond, 41, pleaded not guilty as an accessory to the murder of her daughter Bella (pictured). This composite image swept the nation in 2015 as detectives searched for Bella's identity

Janice Bassil argued that Bond's 'sins of omission' does not make her an accessory to her daughter's murder.

She argued that Bond was not a willing participant in the disposal of Bella's body, according to the Boston Globe.

Bassil added that Bond also plans to testify against her former boyfriend, who has been pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

Bond's attorney also tried to get the trial moved to Berkshire County in western Massachusetts, arguing the case had received intense media attention.

The mystery of 'Baby Doe', the name given to Bella before she was identified, swept the nation's attention when a composite image was shared by millions on social media after her body washed up on Deer Island.

Bassil brought in a copy of the Boston Metro newspaper, which showed Bond's picture under the headline 'Monster', as an example of the coverage.

'There have been articles about the case that are highly negative, not just reporting the facts but reporting opinions as well,' she argued, according to MassLive.

Bond was in court as her lawyer Janice Bassil (pictured together) asked a judge to dismiss the charges against her or move the trial to western Massachusetts due to media attention

But Suffolk Superior Court Judge Christine Roach (pictured) argued that people in western Massachusetts also read newspapers and online sites

'It's been pretty graphic,' she added, arguing that the negative attention would sway jurors in Suffolk County.

But Suffolk Superior Court Judge Christine Roach argued that people in western Massachusetts also read newspapers and online sites.

Roach added that the case itself was 'sensational in their very nature'.

'Our first goal is a fair trial for both sides,' she said. 'We have to take that step by step.'

Roach did not make an immediate ruling on the requests. Bond, who is being held on $1million bail, is due back in court next week.

Bond has maintained that McCarthy, 36, killed Bella. She also claims that he held her against her will and had psychological control over her.

But a prosecutor claimed that Bond continued to have a domestic relationship with McCarthy for months after Bella's death and even traveled out of state to attend a family reunion.

Bond (left) is accused of helping her boyfriend, 36-year-old Michael McCarthy (right), dispose of Bella's body after he allegedly beat her to death in May 2015

A judge ordered Bond, pictured in court during her previous arraignment in September 2015, to continue being held on $1million cash bail

Speaking at a hearing in September, a prosecutor described the horrific events that allegedly led to the young girl's death and how the pair did drugs for days after she was killed.

Assistant District Attorney David Deakin said that one night in May 2015 Bella had become 'unruly', according to Bond, and that McCarthy went in her room to try and quiet the girl down and get her to go to bed.

Bond came in shortly after, and that is when she allegedly found her daughter dead.

'She found Mr McCarthy standing over Bella, who was on a bed and the mattress was on the floor, standing over Bella with his hand near her abdomen,' said Deakin.

'When Miss Bond looked at Bella, her head was swollen, and her face was gray. She asked Mr McCarthy what he had done.'

'He did not tell her, but said: "She was a demon, and it was her time to die'".

Deakin said that the couple then put the girl in the refrigerator and started to shoot up heroin together for 'several days'.

After that time, McCarthy allegedly put the young girl's body in a weighted duffle bag and dumped her in the water.
An outraged Illinois judge on Tuesday sentenced a 34-year-old woman he dubbed a 'monster mom' to 43 years in prison for murdering her 11-year-old daughter with a single punch to the stomach after prolonged abuse.

Nicholette Lawrence, of Waukegan, was arrested on September 5, 2014, after her daughter, Raashanai Coley, was found unresponsive at the family's home on Gillette Avenue and later died.

When she was questioned by police, Lawrence admitted that she had punched Raashanai in the stomach two days prior.

'Monster mom': Nicholette Lawrence, 34, of Illinois, has been sentenced to 43 years in prison in the beating death of her 11-year-old daughter, Raashanai Coley (pictured together, right)

Torture chamber: On September 5, 2014, Coley was found unresponsive in her family's home on Gillette Avenue in Waukegan (pictured)

Beaten and starved: Autopsy showed the child weighed only 67lbs at the time of death, which was caused by blunt force trauma to the stomach

Lake County Coroners office determined that Raashanai died of an infection that developed after the child suffered a stomach rupture caused by blunt force trauma.

At the time of her death, Raashanai was severely emaciated, weighing just 67lbs, and was covered in old cigarette burns and scars suggesting that the 11-year-old had suffered an extended period of physical abuse and starvation leading up to her death.

It was revealed during two days of testimony as part of the sentencing phase last week that Raashanai spent her nights locked in a closet without a bed, and that she was repeatedly struck with a belt, reported The Daily Herald.

During the final beating on September 3, 2014, which ultimately proved fatal, Nicholette Lawrence punched the malnourished girl with such force that her ribs punctured holes in her stomach lining.

When questioned by police, Lawrence, pictured with Coley as a toddler, admitted that she had punched her in the stomach two days prior

Harsh words: A circuit judge called Lawrence a 'monster mom' and wondered how she could starve and beat her own child the was she did

Tormented: Lawrence would lock Coley in a closet overnight without a bed to sleep up and hit her with a belt

In handing down the 43-year sentence on Tuesday, Circuit Judge James Booras asked rhetorically: 'Who would lock a child up in a closet furnished only with a sink and feed the child only a bowl of cereal a day?'

He added that judging by photos from Raashanai's autopsy, the little girl looked like she had spent time in a concentration camp, according to Chicago Tribune.

'How can humans do this?' he wondered aloud. 'Animals don't do this to their own.'

Lawrence, who has two other children, was initially charged with 14 counts of first-degree murder but pleaded guilty to a single count last October.

The little girl's body was covered in old cigarette burn marks and scars, suggesting an extended period of abuse. The judge said she looked like she had come from a concentration camp

Judge Booras ruled that the 43-year prison term must be served in its entirety, meaning Lawrence will not be eligible for an early release on good behavior. She will be given credit for time spent in jail since her arrest in 2014.

The defendant appeared impassive upon learning her fate, but during the hearing last week she offered a tearful apology for her actions.

'I just want to say to you and everyone that I am truly sorry for what has happened," Lawrence said. 'There is not a second of the day I am not tormented by pictures in my mind. I rarely sleep.'
The incredible moment two huge crocodiles fought over a dead buffalo has been caught on camera, by a family floating in a boat just metres away.

The video shows two four-metre crocodiles fighting over the buffalo carcass on the South Alligator River in the Northern Territory on Sunday.

The footage was captured by local fisherman Daryl Lehmann who had taken his three young grandsons out on the river for the day.

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Two crocodiles were caught on camera fighting over this buffalo - the large black crocodile pictured was the winner

The two four-metre crocodiles were seen thrashing around in the water as they fought over the huge carcass

The boys were first to spot the buffalo floating down the river and the huge group of crocodiles waiting for their turn to fight for it.

Mr Lehmann said at first there were six crocodiles 'wanting a piece of the action' but it came down to the two huge reptiles in his video in the end.

'The winner then proceeded to push it across the river battling a seven metre outgoing tide to store it for later,' Mr Lehmann said.

A group of six crocodiles were interested in the beast, according to Mr Lehmann

The huge thump of the crocodiles clashing with each other and the water can be heard in the video

More video footage taken after the fight shows the winning crocodile - the large black one - swimming with the buffalo.

The fishermen were on the crocodile-infested river catching barramundi when they managed to snap the incredible footage and photos of the fight.

Mr Lehmann said his son had seen the floating buffalo on the river on Friday - but it hadn't attracted the huge number of hungry crocodiles yet.

The two biggest crocodiles pictured on either side of the beast as their fight draws to a close
Theresa May delivered an emphatic ultimatum to EU leaders yesterday  warning she will walk away if they offer her a bad Brexit deal

Theresa May delivered an emphatic ultimatum to EU leaders yesterday  warning she will walk away if they offer her a bad Brexit deal.

In an iron-willed speech, the Prime Minister told Brussels that not striking a trade agreement with the UK would be an act of calamitous self-harm.

Setting out her 12-point plan for Britain, Mrs May said she was confident the EU would agree to tariff-free trade because it was the economically rational thing to do.

But, addressing stunned EU ambassadors, she threatened to set Britain up as a low-tax rival if European leaders tried to impose a punitive deal.

Mrs May declared: No deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain. Because we would still be able to trade with Europe. We would be free to strike trade deals across the world.

'And we would have the freedom to set the competitive tax rates and embrace the policies that would attract the worlds best companies and biggest investors to Britain.

'And  if we were excluded from accessing the single market  we would be free to change the basis of Britains economic model.

Making the most important speech of her premiership, Mrs May offered Europe both the carrot and stick as she detailed her ambition for a new partnership.

She confirmed that Britain would be quitting the single market in order to take back full control of its borders and laws.

She also vowed to break free of customs union rules that prevent us from striking trade deals with the rest of the world.

In an iron-willed speech, the Prime Minister told Brussels that not striking a trade agreement with the UK would be an act of calamitous self-harm

As the details of the 12-point negotiating strategy sank in:

Tory MPs and business chiefs hailed a plan for an ambitious post-Brexit Britain;

The EUs chief negotiator said the PMs threats were counter-productive;

Labour descended into chaos as senior figures disagreed over how to respond;

Sterling rose more than 2.8 per cent against the US dollar and 1.8 per cent against the euro.

The detail in Mrs Mays speech answered months of demands from MPs for her to explain her negotiating aims when article 50  the two-year process for leaving the EU  is triggered in March.

It included a promise to give MPs and peers a binding vote on the final deal she gets from Brussels  though No 10 said that, if they voted No, Brexit would go ahead anyway. Britain would simply revert to World Trade Organisation tariffs.

Crucially, she did what David Cameron failed to do in his own failed negotiation with Brussels  she explicitly threatened to walk away.

The Prime Minister pledged to rediscover our role as a great, global, trading nation which is internationalist in outlook. But Mrs May said that she did not want the EU to fall apart and Britain wants to remain a good friend and neighbour to Europe.

Crucially, she did what David Cameron failed to do in his own failed negotiation with Brussels  she explicitly threatened to walk away

She said: Trade is not a zero-sum game: more of it makes us all more prosperous. Free trade between Britain and the European Union means more trade, and more trade means more jobs and more wealth creation. The erection of new barriers to trade, meanwhile, means the reverse: less trade, fewer jobs, lower growth.

Mrs May told a Lancaster House audience in London: I know there are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path.

That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe. And it would not be the act of a friend. It would risk exports from the EU to Britain worth around 290billion every year. And it would disrupt the sophisticated and integrated supply chains upon which many EU companies rely.

The detail in Mrs Mays speech answered months of demands from MPs for her to explain her negotiating aims when article 50

Important sectors of the EU economy would also suffer. We are a crucial  profitable  export market for Europes automotive industry, as well as sectors including energy, food and drink, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. These sectors employ millions of people around Europe.

And I do not believe the EUs leaders will seriously tell German exporters, French farmers, Spanish fishermen, the young unemployed of the eurozone, and millions of others, that they want to make them poorer, just to punish Britain and make a political point. I am confident that we will follow a better path. I am confident that a positive agreement can be reached.

Guy Verhofstadt, the EU Parliaments chief negotiator, welcomed Mrs Mays clarity but added: The days of UK cherry-picking and Europe a la carte are over. Threatening to turn the UK into a deregulated tax heaven will not only hurt British people  it is a counter-productive negotiating tactic.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: When it comes to British prosperity and British democracy, she is waving the white flag from the white cliffs of Dover. Ex-deputy PM Nick Clegg said: This speech is a kick in the teeth for the youth of Britain.

But former Tory chancellor Lord Lamont said Remain campaigners were damaging Britains national interest.

Commons and Lords get vote on May's deal

MPs and peers will be given a vote on the final Brexit deal secured by Theresa May  but will be unable to stop us leaving the EU.

In a surprise move, the Prime Minister yesterday announced a binding vote would take place on whether to accept the terms of her negotiation with Brussels.

But No 10 insisted that, if Parliament votes against the deal, Britain will still exit the EU once the two-year negotiation period is complete.

MPs and peers will be given a vote on the final Brexit deal secured by Theresa May  but will be unable to stop us leaving the EU

We would then revert to World Trade Organisation rules. This would mean UK goods such as cars and chocolate would face tariffs when they are sold into the EU, and vice versa.

Government insiders said it was hard to envisage a circumstance where MPs or peers, including diehard Remainers, would vote for such a cliff edge scenario over a negotiated deal.

Brexit Secretary David Davis said: The referendum last year set in motion a circumstance where the UKs going to leave the European Union. [The parliamentary vote] wont change that. What we want to have is a vote so the House can be behind and support the policy, which we are quite sure they will approve of when we get there.

Mrs Mays official spokesman added: Whatever happens, we are leaving the EU.

However, the move triggered alarm among some Leave campaigners, who said it could lead to a Remainer coup.

Leave.eu founder Arron Banks, a close ally of Nigel Farage, said: With the promise of a parliamentary vote on her deal with the EU, May has opened the door to a Remainer coup.

The House of Lords is a chamber of party political cronies, unfit for purpose. If she delivers on Brexit as she promises, it will be a miracle.

There was also discontent among Remain supporters, including Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron  who demanded a second referendum, rather than just a vote at Westminster.

There was also discontent among Remain supporters, including Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron  who demanded a second referendum, rather than just a vote at Westminster

The people voted for departure, they should be given a vote on the destination. This is a theft of democracy, he said.

The announcement follows months of battles in Parliament and the courts over whether Westminster should get a say, with Remain-supporting MPs  led by Labour and the Lib Dems  demanding votes on Brexit.

Campaigners also secured a High Court ruling that Parliament must be given a vote on the triggering of Article 50  the formal process for leaving the EU and beginning negotiations.

A verdict on the appeal against the ruling lodged by the Government in the Supreme Court is due by the end of this month.

However in a non-binding vote last year, the Commons delivered a 372-vote majority in favour of triggering Article 50 by the end of March 2017.
The number of women jailed after dodging the TV licence has nearly doubled in a year so that more end up in jail than men for the offence.

The findings have put the Government under renewed pressure to reform the so-called TV tax amid claims that it is making criminals out of mothers and the poor.

One expert has suggested that more women are caught out over the 145.50-a-year charge as they are more likely to answer the door and be willing to answer questions when inspectors call.

The number of women jailed after dodging the TV licence has nearly doubled in a year so that more end up in jail than men for the offence

Some 20 women in England and Wales went to prison in 2015 over their TV licence, up from 11 the year before, revealed figures released by the Ministry of Justice under the Freedom of Information Act.

Only one was aged under 30 and five were in their fifties. They served an average of 24 days each.

Overall, the number jailed after dodging the TV licence fell from 39 to 38 but women evaders now account for more than half of these.

By comparison, just 4.5 per cent of prisoners are women, meaning the number of female licence fee evaders is disproportionately high.

Seven out of ten prosecutions for licence fee evasion are against women, the figures also showed.

Former Tory culture secretary John Whittingdale called for the problem to be looked at with great urgency.

He said: There is no reason why women would be evading the TV licence more so it is clearly the enforcement process which is disproportionately resulting in women being prosecuted.

Calls for reform also highlight how people on very low incomes suffer because the TV licence is a flat rate. Any evaders who cannot pay fines are sent to jail.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who has campaigned for reform, said: It is a blatant injustice.

'It is a regressive tax and there is no relief. If you cant pay your council tax, you can get relief but not your TV licence. In a large number of cases, they are criminalising the most vulnerable in society for the crime of being poor.

One expert suggested more women are caught out over the 145.50-a-year charge as they are more likely to answer the door and be willing to answer questions when inspectors call

In 2015, an official review agreed the system was skewed against women but cleared the BBC of targeting them.

David Perry QC said there may be a cultural phenomenon of women answering the door more often which puts them in the firing line.

Cases are brought against individuals not households, so it is likely the person who first speaks to the inquiry officer is most at risk of prosecution, he added.

Every household has to pay the fee if they watch TV or the BBC iPlayer. Those found guilty of dodging the licence receive a criminal record and a fine of up to 1,000. If they do not pay and live in England or Wales, they can be jailed.

A TV Licensing spokesman said: You cannot be imprisoned for fee evasion  this is only used by magistrates for non-payment of fines. The majority of first-time evaders are not prosecuted if they buy a licence before their court date.
The gruesome details surrounding the murder of a Hofstra graduate in the apartment of Manhattan 'party boy' James Rackover have emerged in new court documents.

Rackover, 25, and friend Lawrence Dileone, 29, are both suspects in the death of Joseph Comunale, 26, on the night of November 13. His stabbed and burned body found in a shallow grave.

Dileone told police that he and Comunale got into a fight over a pack of cigarettes after a night of cocaine and alcohol that ended with the victim lying bloody and unconscious in Rackover's plush East 95th St apartment.

Rackover then 'viciously kicked and beat' the unconscious graduate, according to The NY Daily News , before giving Dileone a chilling message: 'We have to kill him.'

Suspects: James Rackover (left) is alleged to have stabbed Joseph Comunale to death in November. Lawrence Dileone (right) says he beat up Comunale but Rackover murdered him

The claims emerged in a filing by Mark Bederow, a lawyer for a third suspect, Max Gemma, 29. Dileone, a childhood friend of Gemma's, told police he wasn't involved.

Victim: Comunale was beaten up in a fight over cigarettes, Dilione told police. Rackover then stabbed the unconscious man because he was scared of jail, Dilione said

He also said that he wasn't the one who delivered the killing blows to Comunale.

'I didnt kill Joe, it was James,' Dilione allegedly said. 'All I did was punch him, then James said he didn't want to go to jail and then James stabbed him.'

Rackover also choked Comunale before hauling his body to a bath and attempting unsuccessfully to chop him up with a serrated blade, the filing claimed.

The pair cleaned the apartment then dumped Comunale's body in a shallow grave in Oceanport, New Jersey, Dilione said.

They're believed to have smuggled it out in a luggage cart belonging to the building, in which Rackover lived with his adoptive father, Jeffrey Rackhouse.

Dilione told police the location of Comunale's corpse and he was buried by weeping friends and relatives a week and a half after his death.

Despite the tale, no one has been charged with the murder of the young man.

Rackover, Dilione and Gemma all face a charge of hindering a police investigation, and Rackover and Dilione have been charged with concealing a human corpse.

One problem, according to The NY Daily News, is that Dilione spoke to his attorney, Michael Pappa, early on.

Pappa told him not to speak to police - and vice versa - but cops continued to question Dilione for two days, Pappa said.

'I have good reason to believe... that one or more lawyers for Mr Dilione contacted investigators of the NYPD to instruct them not to question Mr Dilione - yet these instructions were apparently ignored in violation of Mr Dilione's Miranda rights,' he claimed.

Charges: Neither Rackover nor Dilione (pictured) have been charged with murder because police broke Miranda rights and took too long to search his home, a lawyer said

Bederow, Gemma's lawyer, also says that police didn't search the New Jersey apartment that Gemma and Dilione share until nine days after Comunale's death.

'During these nine days, Mr Gemma knew he was under investigation and had unfettered access to the target premises,' Bederow said. Dilione was in jail at the time.

He argues that the long delay before the serving of the search warrant and Gemma's access to the home during that period rendered the search invalid.

Bederow also says an incorrect address on the DA's search warrant affidavit undermine the case against his client.

He wants the charge against his client thrown out.
Rescue operation: A political crisis caused because Gambian president Yahya Jammeh is refusing to accept election defeat means that Thomas Cook is evacuating thousands of its customers

Thomas Cook is today sending jets to Gambia to evacuate 1,000 tourists - and needs to trace thousands more - amid fears the country is on the brink of civil war.

President Yahya Jammeh is refusing to step aside after he lost the election to opposition leader Adama Barrow and a 90-day state of emergency has been declared in the west African state.

Thomas Cook is sending four extra planes to fly 1,000 of its package holidaymakers home from today - but up to 5,000 holidaymakers are believed to be in the country.

Thousands who flew to the country and chose to travel independently are also being urged to get to the airport and will be 'offered the earliest possible flight'.

The Foreign Office has now urged against all but essential travel to Gambia because of the political turmoil there.

A 90-day state of emergency has been declared in the country where political deadlock has led to a 'high' risk of military intervention and civil disturbance, the FCO said.

The country's president, Yahya Jammeh, has refused to hand over power after losing an election and on Tuesday banned 'any acts of disobedience' while urging security forces to maintain order.

A group of west African nations has threatened to take military action if Mr Jammeh does not cede power to his successor, Adama Barrow, by a deadline later this week.

Mr Barrow once worked as an Argos security guard in north London.

The Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) estimates there are around 2,000 people are currently on holiday with its members in Gambia, while an additional number will have travelled there independently.

Thomas Cook will airlift its customers out of Gambia and is sending out a special assistance team to Banjul airport (pictured, a popular beach in Gambia's capital, Banjul)

Situated on the west coast of Africa, Gambia's finger-like territory follows the Gambie River and is surrounded by Senegal, who could send in troops because of the current crisis

Gambia crisis: What to do if you are are there Thomas Cook has today brought in emergency plans to bring all its UK customers home as soon as possible. It will operate additional flights from Banjul airport over the next 48 hours to bring the 985 UK customers they currently have on holiday in Gambia home, including four additional flights today. In addition, it has approximately 2,500 flight-only customers in Gambia, who they are contacting to offer the earliest possible flight availability for return to the UK. The travel company is also dispatching a special assistance team from the UK to provide additional support at Banjul airport, while staff on the ground in Gambia will proactively contact all customers who flew with them but are staying independently. Tourists due to travel up until January 20 are being offered free cancellations. People travelling after that can make free changes to their holidays. Customers can call Thomas Cook on 01733 224 536. Advertisement

Abta advised British tourists on package holidays to contact their tour operator to arrange return flights, while anyone who has travelled independently should speak to their airline.

It is understood that at least one flight carrying British holidaymakers flew to Gambia as recently as Tuesday morning.

Thomas Cook said a flight scheduled from Manchester to Gambia on Wednesday will now depart without customers and bring the first groups of holidaymakers home.

An additional four flights have been arranged from the capital Banjul back to the UK on Wednesday, with two scheduled to fly to Manchester and two to Gatwick.

A spokesman said: 'We will operate a programme of additional flights into Banjul airport over the next 48 hours to bring the 985 UK customers we currently have on holiday in the Gambia home, including four additional flights on Wednesday 18 January.

'In addition, we have approximately 2,500 flight-only customers in Gambia, whom we are contacting to offer the earliest possible flight availability for return to the UK.'

The company said staff will be flying to the country to assist on Wednesday.

Gambia's popularity as a winter sun destination has grown in recent years, with holidaymakers drawn to its white sandy beaches and tropical climate by affordable deals.

Victor: Former Argos security guard Adama Barrow (pictured) has won the Gambian presidential election - but is being blocked from taking power

Unrest: People are fleeing the country because of the political turmoil, with many people catching ferries to nearby Senegal from the capital Banjul (pictured)

However the country was thrown into political crisis in December after president Mr Jammeh reneged on his acceptance of electoral defeat.

Mr Barrow, the country's president-elect, left the country as the incumbent leader challenged the result in the courts.

The FCO said it had received reports that the sitting government had closed down opposition radio stations and made politically motivated arrests.

Meanwhile the Economic Community of West African States has stated it may intervene, including taking possible military action, if Mr Jammeh does not step down by the scheduled handover date of January 18/19.

On Tuesday the FCO advised against all non-essential travel to country and urged Britons in Gambia to be vigilant and keep in contact with their holiday company.

A spokesman said: 'The potential for military intervention and civil disturbance is high and could result in Banjul International Airport being closed at short notice.

'You should follow events closely, take extra care, keep in regular contact with your tour operator and airline and continue to monitor travel advice and social media updates in case tensions rise as the current political deadlock continues.'

Abta said anyone with a holiday to Gambia booked should contact their travel company to discuss their options.

A spokesman said: 'The political situation remains fluid and the FCO travel advice will reflect this. Travel companies will continue to monitor the situation and allow cancellations and rebooking for travel dates while the advice against all but essential travel remains in place.'

Thomas Cook said anyone due to travel to Gambia with them should call 01733 224 536.
President-elect Donald Trump blasted Democratic Rep. John Lewis on Tuesday, saying in a pre-taped Fox News Channel interview that the Georgia congressman 'got caught' in a lie about his history of inauguration boycotts.

Lewis claimed skipping Trump's swearing-in would be a first for him, but it was later learned that he had also refused to show up for George W. Bush's inauguration.

As with Trump's, Lewis claimed at the time that Bush wasn't a legitimately elected president. He said later that he had forgotten about his 2001 boycott.

'Yeah, he doesn't remember. He conveniently doesn't remember,' Trump scoffs in the interview, which will air Wednesday morning on 'Fox & Friends.' The network aired a teaser clip during Tuesday's broadcast of 'The Five.'

President-elect Donald Trump said Rep. John Lewis 'got caught in a very bad lie' when he claimed boycotting the Trump inauguration would be a first-time event for him

Trump also said in a pre-taped Fox News Channel interview (left) that he wants boycotting Democrats to return their inauguration tickets to his transition team

'How do you forget if you go to an inauguration?' the president-elect asked. 'I can tell you when I was at the inaugurations. And you don't forget something like that. So he got caught. And it's pretty bad, and it's making him look bad, frankly.'

'I think he just grandstanded, John Lewis, and then he got caught in a very bad lie,' Trump added.

Defending his decision to skip Trump's inauguration, Lewis had said: 'It will be the first one that I miss since Ive been in Congress. You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong, is not right.'

Nearly 50 Democratic members of Congress have said they'll be elsewhere on Friday when the 45th president takes his oath of office in Washington. Trump said that's fine  as long as his transition team gets their highly sought-after tickets back.

'As far as other people not going, that's okay because we need seats so badly!' he told interviewer Ainsley Earhart.

Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, a civil rights icon, was lambasted over the weekend by President-elect Donald Trump after Lewis questioned the legitimacy of Trump's election

'I hope they'll give me their tickets. Are they going to give us their tickets? Or are they going to give them to other people?'

'No, what happens to their tickets?' he repeated, extending the laugh line.

'I hope they're going to give us their tickets.'

Trump had returned to attacking Lewis on Twitter earlier in the day, accusing him of telling a 'lie.'

'John Lewis said about my inauguration, 'It will be the first one that I've missed.' WRONG (or lie)!' he wrote in two tweets.

'He boycotted Bush 43 also because he ... thought it would be hypocritical to attend Bush's swearing-in' Trump continued.

Lewis 'doesn't believe Bush is the true elected president.' Sound familiar! WP,' Trump concluded, in a reference to The Washington Post.

The Post reported in 2001 that Lewis didn't plan to attend Bush's inauguration after the contested Florida recount because he 'thought it would be hypocritical to attend Bush's swearing-in because he doesn't believe Bush is the true elected president.' Instead, he spent the inauguration in his district.

In both cases, the Democrats, Al Gore in 2000 and Hillary Clinton in 2016, won the popular vote while the Republican won the election by carrying the Electoral College.

Lewis infuriated Trump by saying he wouldn't attend this year's festivities because he didn't think Trump was 'legitimate,' following the intelligence community's assessment on Russian hacking in the election.

President-elect Donald Trump blasted Rep. John Lewis for skipping his inauguration

Trump noted that Lewis said in 2001 it would be 'hypocritical' of him to attend George W. Bush's inauguration

Lewis told NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday, 'I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected, and they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton,' in portions of an interview released earlier this week.

Trump greeted Lewis' comments with a series of tweets that went after him and his congressional district, suggesting the Georgia Democrat's district 'is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested).'

'Congressman John Lewis should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities of the U.S. I can use all the help I can get!' Trump said.

HAND OF PEACE: President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Martin Luther King III after their meeting at Trump Tower Monday, following his spat with Lewis

Lewis represents much of downtown Atlanta, an ethnically diverse area, which features the world's busiest airport and the headquarters of many major American businesses including Delta Air Lines, Coca-Cola and CNN.

Trump on Monday, which was Martin Luther King Day, refrained from hitting Lewis, who himself didn't directly reference the spat during his own MLK remarks in Miami.

Trump's incoming White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, offered reverent remarks about Lewis, even as he pushed back on Lewis' position.

'Spicer called Lewis' comments 'disappointing,' but also referred to him as 'such an icon of voting rights and civil rights.'

Speaking to NBC's Chuck Todd (left) this week, Rep. John Lewis (right), the most prominent civil rights leader in Congress, called into question the legitimacy of Donald Trump's election

Speaking on MSNBC, Spicer indicated Trump was willing to call Lewis to try to patch things up.

'I wouldn't put it past him to do that. But I think there's got to be a willingness for John Lewis who has fought so hard for voting and civil rights to not use language about delegitimizing an election and the integrity of our voting system that he's frankly been a real champion of,' Spicer said.

Trump's spat with Lewis appeared to galvanize other House Democrats. The number of them now skipping the inaugural festivities has now approached 40.
Whether it's deciding what to buy for dinner or whether to take a new job, we make rational choices all the time.

Scientists have long wondered whether this careful decision-making process is used by other members of the animal kingdom and how far they are from the human lineage.

Now experts have discovered that fruit flies show signs of rational decision-making when choosing a mate.

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Experts have discovered that fruit flies show signs of rational decision-making when choosing a mate

WHY FOCUS ON MALE FLIES? The researchers only tested mate choice in male flies, but the decision to mate in this species is definitely a two-way street. However, Dr Arbuthnott focused on male mate choice in the experiments detailed in the journal Nature Communications, to help dispel a misconception about mating in many animal species. 'There is a classic theory that females are the 'choosy' sex and males aren't choosy,' she said. 'We wanted to show that males are definitely making choices too when interacting with the females.' Advertisement

Through a complex series of behavioural experiments, researchers at the University of Washington showed that male fruit flies, when presented with a pair of females as potential mating partners, display a key component of rational choice: transitivity.

'Transitivity is a hallmark of rational decision-making,' said senior author Daniel Promislow, a professor of pathology and biology at the university.

'Essentially, it is the process of establishing a rank order of preference, and then making behavioural decisions based on that hierarchy.'

Transitivity has been shown in other animals, such as some bird species, while searching for food.

But Professor Promislow's team is among the first to see if rationality extends to mate choice.

The researchers showed that individual male fruit flies from one wild-derived strain, called Canton-S, displayed transitivity when presented with potential female mates from 10 different laboratory strains of fruit flies.

In these tests, researchers placed one Canton-S male in an arena with a pair of females, each from a different strain, and observed whether the male mated with either female.

'Before each test, we would mark each female with a yellow or red fluorescent powder,' said first author and postdoctoral researcher Devin Arbuthnott, who is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia.

'If the male attempted to mate with either female, we could determine the female's identity based on her colour.'

The researchers showed that individual male fruit flies from one wild-derived strain, called Canton-S, displayed transitivity when presented with potential female mates from 10 different laboratory strains of fruit flies

To account for all possible pairings of females from the 10 strains, they tested Canton-S males against 45 pairs of females. No fly, male or female, was tested more than once.

After repeating these tests 10 to 20 times for each combination, the researchers discovered that Canton-S males displayed a consistent, ranked preference regarding which female to mate with.

WHAT IS TRANSITIVITY? Through a complex series of behavioural experiments, researchers at the University of Washington showed that male fruit flies, when presented with a pair of females as potential mating partners, display a key component of rational choice: transitivity. 'Transitivity is a hallmark of rational decision-making,' said senior author Daniel Promislow, a professor of pathology and biology at the university. 'Essentially, it is the process of establishing a rank order of preference, and then making behavioural decisions based on that hierarchy.' Transitivity has been shown in other animals, such as some bird species, while searching for food. But Professor Promislow's team is among the first to see if rationality extends to mate choice. Advertisement

'This is the pattern we would expect to see if males are making transitive decisions - a sign of rational choice,' Dr Arbuthnott explained.

They also showed that males from a second strain - Oregon-R - displayed transitivity with females from the 10 laboratory strains.

There were only a few small differences between the hierarchies displayed by Oregon-R males and Canton-S males.

The experts believe the males were probably responding to a combination of visual, chemical and behavioural cues from the females.

They conducted more experiments to learn about the 'information' the males picked up from females.

Blind males still displayed transitivity when choosing between females, as did mutant males who had no sense of taste and smell.

But blind males with no sense of smell or taste did not display transitivity.

Professor Promislow explained: 'The results from these sensory deprivation experiments indicate that there is some redundancy in the information provided by the female visual and chemical cues.'

They also analysed one particular signal - a complex secretion of chemicals known as cuticular hydrocarbons, or CHCs.

'CHCs are essentially 'contact pheromones',' Dr Arbuthnott said.

Before each test, the researchers would mark each female with a yellow or red fluorescent powder. If the male attempted to mate with either female, they could then determine the female's identity based on her colour

'When they're in close proximity, fruit flies can taste one another's secretions and, we believe, learn information about a potential mate.'

The team used gas chromatography, which separates and identifies individual CHC molecules, to discover that females from lines less likely to be chosen for mating secreted higher levels of two particular CHCs, which may act as 'repellant' signals.

In addition, they counted the number of offspring produced by females from each line and found that males were more likely to mate with females with a greater capacity to produce the next generation.

The experts' results indicate that male fruit flies construct a hierarchy - a sign of transitivity and rational choice - and may be doing so by integrating diverse visual and chemical cues from females.

'They're able to process the information they're receiving in the most advantageous way,' said Dr Arbuthnott.

'Their decisions are transitive, which is indicative of rational choice.'
Researchers have found that humans may have first arrived in America 10,000 years earlier than was originally thought.

The researchers, based at Universite de Montreal's Department of Anthropology (UdeM), analyzed animal bones which have marks on them from stone tools used by humans.

The new research suggests that humans first entered North America 24,000 years ago through the Bering straight from Russia to Alaska.

The oldest bone found was a horse mandible (pictured) with the marks of a stone tool apparently used to remove the tongue by humans. It was radiocarbon-dated to between 23,000 and 24,000 years ago

Until now, it was estimated that humans first settled in North America 14,000 years ago.

But the research, published in the open-access journal PLoS One and co-authored by Dr. Thomas Higham of Oxford University's Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, revealed that humans first settled in North America during the last ice age - called the 'Pleistocene.'

The researchers arrived at their findings using animal bones that were found in the Bluefish Caves on the banks of the Bluefish River in northern Yukon in Canada and near the Alaska border.

WHAT IS RADIOCARBON DATING? Radiocarbon dating, also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating, is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material. It works using the properties of radiocarbon (14. C), a radioactive isotope of carbon. An estimated date at which an organism died can be made by measuring the amount of its residual radiocarbon. Radiocarbon is present in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and enters animals' systems this way and is replenished for as long as the animal breathes. But when animals die they stop taking it in. We know carbon-14 decays at this constant rate - it takes 5,730 years for half of the original isotopes to decay. So by measuring how much is left over now, researchers can work back and determine how long ago an animal died. Advertisement

The site was originally excavated by archaeologist Jacques Cinq-Mars between 1977 and 1987.

At the time, Mr Cinq-Mars used a method called 'radiocarbon dating' to date the animal bones.

Based on the results, he hypothesized that humans first settled in North America as far back as 30,000 years ago.

Because there were no other archaeological sites of similar age, Mr Cinq-Mars' estimate was controversial, and there was also no evidence that the animal bones that were found were due to humans having hunted them.

To confirm or refute the hypothesis once and for all, Professor Ariane Burke from the Universite de Montreal's Department of Anthropology examined the 36,000 bones that were found on the site which included horse, mammoth, bison and caribou bones.

The bones, which were preserved at the Canadian Museum of History in Gastineau, took two years to examine fully.

Analysis of the bones at UdeM's ecomorphology and Paleoanthropology Laboratory revealed undeniable traces of human activity in 15 bones.

Around 20 other bone fragments also showed probable traces of the same type of activity.

Professor Burke said a 'series of straight, V-shaped lines on the surface of the bones were made by stone tools used to skin animals.

'These are indisputable cut-marks created by humans,' she said.

Professor Burke submitted the bones to be radiocarbon dated again revealing that the oldest bone found, a horse mandible with stone marks from a tool used to remove its tongue, was dated back to between 23,000 and 24,000 years ago.

Researchers found animal bones in the Bluefish Caves of Canada which revealed cut-marks from man-made tools that were used for skinning the animals. The results indicate that humans occupied the site as early as 24,000 years ago

'Our discovery confirms previous analyses and demonstrates that this is the earliest known site of human settlement in Canada,' said Professor Burke.

'It shows that Eastern Beringia was inhabited during the last ice age.'

According to Professor Burke, studies have shown that a group of a few thousand people lived in isolation from the rest of the world in Beringia , a region in between the Lena River in Russia and the Mackenzie River in Canada, 15,000 to 24,000 years ago.

'Our discovery confirms the 'Beringian standstill [or genetic isolation] hypothesis,'' she said.

'Genetic isolation would have corresponded to geographical isolation.

'During the Last Glacial Maximum, Beringia was isolated from the rest of North America by glaciers and steppes too inhospitable for human occupation to the West.

'It was potentially a place of refuge,' said Professor Burke.

The Beringians of the Bluefish Caves were therefore among the ancestors of people who colonized the entire continent along the coast to South America at the end of the last ice age.

Some researchers think that ancient humans from Siberia trekked over an icy land mass known as the Bering Land Bridge and crossed over a corridor into the Americas. But others think that this wasn't possible because the passage lacked crucial resources needed for survival and that the first Americans must have made the journey south by another route along the Pacific coast

But how did humans cross over from Russia to North America in the first place?

Some researchers think that ancient humans from Siberia trekked over an icy land mass known as the Bering Land Bridge and crossed over a corridor into the Americas.

But others think that this wasn't possible because the passage lacked crucial resources needed for survival and that the first Americans must have made the journey south by another route along the Pacific coast.
In recent months, horror stories of exploding gadgets have dominated the news, from Samsung's Galaxy 7 fiasco to unexplained explosions of other handsets.

Now, researchers have revealed a new type of battery with a built in fire retardant to stop them from exploding.

The researchers based at Stanford University designed the battery with a built in fire extinguisher to stop the highly flammable contents of the battery from catching fire.

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A cross-sectional view of the flame retardant fibers arranged together in a layer. The layer separates the negative and positive electrodes of the battery. If the temperature inside the battery reaches 150C, the fiber layer coated in the fire retardant chemical melts, releasing the chemical and extinguishing the fire

WHY ARE BATTERIES PRONE TO BURSTING INTO FLAMES? Lithium-ion batteries are found in everyday items including laptops, mobile phones, iPods and other electrical products. They are very common because they are one of the most energetic rechargeable batteries available. The batteries do have the ability to burst into flames, and while it is uncommon, when they ignite they can cause an extreme fire. Lithium-ion batteries are very sensitive to high temperatures. Heat can cause the battery packs to degrade much faster than they normally would. If the battery fails there is a chance the pack could burst into flames. They can pose a danger and safety hazard since they contain, unlike other rechargeable batteries, a flammable electrolyte and are kept pressurized. Advertisement

They used a flame retardant compound called Triphenyl Phosphate to separate the flammable components of the battery.

A typical lithium-ion battery consists of two electrodes (one negative and one positive) and a liquid or gel electrolyte that carries charged particles between them.

Puncturing, shorting or overcharging the battery generates heat.

If the temperature reaches about 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius), the electrolyte could catch fire and trigger an explosion.

But with this new technology, when the battery reaches a temperature of 150C, a plastic fiber layer coated in the fire retardant chemical melts, releasing the chemical and extinguishing the fire.

The fibre separator keeps the retardant from coming into contact with the electrolyte unless the battery reaches a temperature of 150C, or else it would reduce the battery's performance when it's working normally.

In tests, the researchers found that the retardant merged with the flammable electrolyte in the battery in just 0.4 seconds, and fires were avoided.

The researchers took videos of their attempts at burning fibers that were not coated in the retardant and other fibers that were coated in the retardant to see how well the chemical works at preventing fires.

While the new separator technology has been successfully tested in a coin cell battery, the researchers say that more testing needs to be done to see if the flame retardant still works when larger batteries are crushed or damaged in other ways.

Samsung infamously ran into problems with lithium ion batteries with their note 7 model.

The brand was plunged into a global scandal after Note 7 phones caught fire last year, prompting a worldwide recall.

Koh Dong-jin, Samsung's mobile president told reporters in Seoul: 'The flaw in the manufacturing process resulted in the negative electrodes and the positive electrodes coming together.'

It is unclear how Samsung failed to discover the battery problem before launching the Note 7.

Some customers reported fixed phones overheated, leading Samsung to take back replacements as well.

The first report of a Note 7 explosion surfaced on August 24th, 2016 in South Korea.

A week later, Samsung announced a global recall of 2.5 million Note 7 phones, citing faulty batteries.

A typical lithium-ion battery consists of two electrodes (one negative and one positive) and a liquid or gel electrolyte that carries charged particles between them. Puncturing, shorting or overcharging the battery generates heat. If the temperature reaches about 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius), the electrolyte could catch fire and trigger an explosion

On September 8th, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration advised passengers to not turn on or charge Note 7 smartphones aboard aircraft or stow them in plane cargo.

On September 15th, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission formally announced the recall of about 1 million Note 7 phones.

In October, A Southwest Airlines plane in the US was evacuated due to smoke from a Note 7 device on board.

Finally on October 11th, Samsung asked its customers to stop using all Note 7 smartphones and halted its production, sales and exchanges of the device globally.

GALAXY NOTE 7 FIASCO Ms Shedletsky and colleagues took apart one of the phones and found it did not leave enough space for the battery to swell when it expanded during charging. 'When batteries are charged and discharged, chemical processes cause the lithium to migrate and the battery will mechanically swell,' the blog says. 'Any battery engineer will tell you that it's necessary to leave some percentage of ceiling above the battery, 10% is a rough rule-of-thumb, and over time the battery will expand into that space. 'Our two-month old unit had no ceiling: the battery and adhesive was 5.2 mm thick, resting in a 5.2 mm deep pocket.' The researchers said this flaw could have been overlooked when Samsung engineers developed the phone. Advertisement
The US Navy has revealed plans for a radical new smart 'mini missile' that can be fired from warships to take out swarms of enemy drones and boats.

Known as the Multi Azimuth Defense Fast Intercept Round Engagement System (MAD-FIRES) program, it will develop a 'medium-caliber guided projectile'.

DARPA says this will 'combine the guidance, precision, and accuracy of missiles with the speed, rapid-fire capability, and large ammunition capacity of medium-caliber bullets like 20-to-40-caliber ammunition designed to destroy lightly armored vehicles, aircraft, and personnel.'

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Navy bosses say they need the new mini missile to deal with the increasing risk of 'swarm' attacks, and hope with fit it to warships such at the USS Enterprise (pictured)

HOW THEY WORK The MAD FIRES will be enhanced ammunition rounds able to alter their flight path in real time to stay on target. They will be able to continuously target, track and engage multiple fast-approaching targets simultaneously and re-engage any targets that survive initial engagement. Advertisement

Navy bosses say they need the new mini missile to deal with the increasing risk of 'swarm' attacks.

'Attacks by unmanned vehicles, missiles, small planes, fast in-shore attack craft and other platforms pose a perennial, evolving and potentially lethal threat to ships and other maritime vessels,' it said.

'The escalating risks posed by these ever-morphing threats demand that vessels have access to defensive capabilities at the leading edge of air and surface combat technologies.

'In particular, current close-range gun systems would greatly benefit from an ability to engage multiple and diverse targets coming from a range of directions and do so rapidly and with high precision.'

In the latest announcement, Ratheon was given an extra $8 million for phase 2 of the project, to build and test prototype MAD-FIRES smart bullets, taking its toal value of contracts to $27m.

During the first phase of MAD-FIRES Raytheon worked on concepts, simulations, and risk reduction. Also working on the program's first phase was Lockheed Martin, which is also expected to get a similar phase 2 contract.

Last year the US military has successfully tested a .50-caliber sniper round that can change direction on its way to its target.

And now the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) has released a video of this Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (Exacto) program in action.

The footage shows the bullet changing direction in mid-air in response to a target's movements.

Once fired, actuators inside the guided bullet receive data from an optical sensor to guide it to the correct location. Small fins are used to change the bullet's trajectory, and the bullet can correct its movements 30 times a second. This grab shows the path, original aim point, and the moving target (green)

According to Darpa: 'For military snipers, acquiring moving targets in unfavourable conditions, such as high winds and dusty terrain commonly found in Afghanistan, is extremely challenging with current technology.

'It is critical that snipers be able to engage targets faster, and with better accuracy, since any shot that doesnt hit a target also risks the safety of troops by indicating their presence and potentially exposing their location.'

HOW EXACTO FINDS ITS TARGET A video from the Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (Exacto) program shows a bullet changing its direction. DARPA has not released precise details of how its bullet moves in mid-air, but this is one way in which the technology could work. Each self-guided bullet is four inches (10 cm) long. A sniper working at extreme range shines a laser onto the target. An optical sensor on the bullet detects the light from the laser to identify where the target is. Once fired, actuators inside the bullet receive data from the optical sensor to guide it to the correct location. Small fins are used to change the bullet's trajectory, and the bullet can correct its movements 30 times a second. These changes are in response to movements of the laser, which the sniper uses to continually track and light up the target. The sniper additionally has to take into account wind, distance and even the curvature of the Earth, before pulling the trigger. Advertisement

Darpa claims the new system is the first ever guided small caliber bullet.

'The Exacto .50-caliber round and optical sighting technology expects to greatly extend the day and night time range over current state-of-the-art sniper systems,' continued the agency.

'The system combines a manoeuverable bullet and a real-time guidance system to track and deliver the projectile to the target, allowing the bullet to change path during flight to compensate for any unexpected factors that may drive it off course.

'Technology development in Phase II included the design, integration and demonstration of aero-actuation controls, power sources, optical guidance systems, and sensors.

'The programs next phase includes a system-level live-fire test and technology refinement to enhance and improve performance.'

The current world record for the longest certified kill was by Corporal Craig Harrison of the UK Household Cavalry, who killed two Taliban in November 2009 from 1.54 miles (22.4km).

The shot was approximately 3,000ft (914 metres) beyond the stated maximum range of the Accuracy L115A3 sniper rifle, used by Corporal Harrison.

The Taliban were so far away it took each round almost three seconds to reach its target.

Snipers typically work in two-man teams with a spotter assisting the gunman identifying targets as well as providing security.

But environmental details such as wind, rain and even humidity can affect the flight path of a bullet.

This graphic reveals how the Exacto bullet tracks its target and changes directions. The sniper additionally has to take into account wind, distance and even the curvature of the Earth, before pulling the trigger. DARPA has not released precise details of how its bullet moves in mid-air, but this is one way in which the technology could work.

A sniper begins by shining a laser onto the target. An optical sensor on the 4-inch (10cm) Exacto bullet (illustrated) detects the laser to identify where the target is. As the bullet moves through the air, it responds to changes in the movement of the laser, which the sniper uses to continually track and light up the target

Also bullets have to counter gravity and droop down over longer distances.

Under the new system, a sniper will be able to adjust the bullet's direction mid-flight in case a target moved or the bullet shifted due to a gust of wind.

The newly released video shows two tests filmed earlier this year. In the both tests the round is fired deliberately off target but turns in mid-air.

In the second target, the round it its intended target despite being fired several feet to the left.

Ted Catchel, professor emeritus at the Naval War College said the system is a very interesting development.

He told Stars and Stripes: 'I dont know if you push a button and it takes over. I just couldnt find out enough about the system to know how it works.

'You still need to train these snipers in the traditional methods. Right now, sniping is a real precise art.'

This screengrab shows the bullet (shown in white) changing from its original path, pictured in red, and moving to face the target, shown in green. The newly released video shows two tests filmed earlier this year. In the both tests the round is fired deliberately off target but turns in mid-air

According to Darpa: 'For military snipers, acquiring moving targets in unfavourable conditions is extremely challenging with current technology. It is critical that snipers be able to engage targets faster, and with better accuracy, since any shot that doesnt hit a target also risks the safety of troops.' Stock image used
YouTube has become a destination for secret pornographic content that anyone can access.

A simple trick that exploits a 'backdoor' allows pirates to use the site's video hosting services to host adult videos.

The technique bypasses Google and YouTube's security checks - and it appears there is not much they can do to prevent it.

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YouTube has become a destination for secret pornographic videos that anyone can access. A simple trick has allowed pirates to use the site's video hosting services to host adult content

HOW IT WORKS By uploading a video and not publicly listing it, pirates are able to get around these YouTube's safeguards for porn. The simple trick means that they can embed the video on their own site. As a result, it will appear on Google, but won't be seen on YouTube or be picked up by its Content-ID software. They do not have to pay for the video hosting and can use YouTube's reliable services. Advertisement

Currently, YouTube has various safeguards designed to remove and prevent such content from appearing.

They use something known as Content-ID software to look through videos and compare them with others out there to to see if they include copyright content.

As well as issuing a warning to YouTubers, Content ID immediately starts diverting advertising revenue from the video creator to whoever filed the claim.

Users are also uses able to report problem videos directly to the site .

But by uploading a video and not publicly listing it, pirates are able to get around these safeguards.

The simple trick means they can embed the video on their own site.

As a result, it will appear on Google, but won't be seen on YouTube or be picked up by its Content-ID software.

Torrentfreak points out that, since the videos can still be embedded into external sites, pirates can get the traffic and ad revenue from videos with adult content without having to pay for a video hosting service.

'While YouTube doesnt allow people to upload porn, there are many adult sites that use the site as a hosting provider,' Torrentfreak said.

California-based adult content-maker Dreamroom Productions says the move hasn't gone unnoticed in the porn industry.

While they are attempting to tackle the problem, the trick means its harder for producers to find and flag infringing material.

It has urged YouTube to scrap the private sharing function altogether.

YouTube has yet to reply to MailOnline with comment.

The Irish word for film, scannan, seems innocuous enough to Gaeilgeoirs. But a group of YouTube users has been using it as a secret phrase to hide pornography on the site and circumvent a ban on explicit material

WHAT IS CONTENT ID? Google and YouTube use something known as Content-ID software to look through videos and compare them with others out there to to see if they include copyright content. As well as issuing a warning to YouTubers, Content ID immediately starts diverting advertising revenue from the video creator to whoever filed the claim. But it hasn't been without its issues. The system recently came under attack after thousands of notices were sent to YouTube gamers, claiming their videos were in violation of copyright, and are owned by someone else. Advertisement

There are several other ways that pirates can get adult content onto YouTube.

For instance, the Irish word for film, scannan, seems innocuous enough to Gaeilgeoirs.

But in 2015, a group of YouTube used it as a secret phrase to hide pornography on the site and circumvent a ban on explicit material.

The issue was highlighted after an Irish media student searched for 'scannan' and the plural 'scannain' only to find pornographic footage featuring Asian women.

The films, disguised using various Irish language titles, were uploaded by four different accounts which were all registered in October.

Connemara-based Maitiu O Coimin, a journalist with the Irish language website Tuairisc, first reported the issue after his flatmate found the material.

'My flatmate is a media student in Galway who was looking up [the Irish word for film] on YouTube for a project,' Mr Coimin told the BBC.

The issue was highlighted after an Irish media student searched for 'scannan' and the plural 'scannain' only to find pornographic footage featuring Asian women. YouTube has since removed the videos

'I looked a bit further into it, and there were about 15 to 20 films of a questionable nature.'

'Our team was quick to take action,' a YouTube spokesperson said.

'YouTube's community guidelines clearly state that sexually explicit content is not allowed on our site.

'We remove videos and channels that violate our policies when flagged for our attention.
They have long been dismissed as primitive and unintelligent brutes.

But now, an 'interesting' stone has added to mounting evidence that Neanderthals had their own relatively sophisticated culture and may have cherished symbolic objects.

Researchers discovered a brown piece of split limestone in a site in Croatia that suggests a Neanderthal collected it 130,000 years ago and kept it in the cave, perhaps as decoration.

Researchers discovered a brownish piece of split limestone in a site in Croatia that suggests a Neanderthal collected it 130,000 years ago and kept it in the cave, perhaps as decoration

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ROCK The discovery of the rock collection may not be as exciting to many people when compared with other discoveries such as cave paintings made by modern humans living in what is now France, 25,000 years ago. However, Professor Frayer said it adds to a body of evidence that Neanderthals were capable assigning symbolic significance to objects and went to the effort of collecting them. The discovery could also provide more clues as to how modern humans developed these traits, he said. 'It adds to the number of other recent studies about Neanderthals doing things that are thought to be unique to modern Homo sapiens,' he said. 'We contend they had a curiosity and symbolic-like capacities typical of modern humans.' Advertisement

While the rock may at first glance look nothing special, the find is important because it adds to other evidence that Neanderthals were capable of incorporating symbolic objects into their culture.

It had previously been suggested that only humans were capable of such behaviour.

The rock was collected more than 100 years ago from the Krapina Neanderthal site and kept safely in the Croatian Natural History Museum in Zagreb.

But it attracted the attention of an international group of researchers, including an expert from the University of Kansas who re-examined the objects from the cave.

David Frayer, a professor emeritus of anthropology at the university and corresponding author of the study, published in the French journal Comptes Rendus Palevol, said: 'If we were walking and picked up this rock, we would have taken it home It is an interesting rock.'

The same research group previously analysed a set of eagle talons from the same Neanderthal site that included cut marks and were fashioned into a piece of jewellery.

Professor Frayer said: 'People have often defined Neanderthals as being devoid of any kind of aesthetic feelings, and yet we know that at this site they collected eagle talons and they collected this rock.

'At other sites, researchers have found they collected shells and used pigments on shells.

'There's a little bit of evidence out there to suggest that they weren't the big, dumb creatures that everybody thinks they were.'

The cave at the Krapina site is sandstone, so the split limestone rock stuck out as did not come from the cave, Professor Frayer explained.

At roughly five inches long, four inches high and about a half-inch thick, the limestone rock does not have any striking platforms or other areas of preparation on its edge, suggesting to the researchers it had not been broken apart.

None of the 1,000 lithic items collected from Krapina resemble the rock, but despite this it was overlooked for decades.

At roughly five inches long, four inches high and about a half-inch thick, the limestone rock does not have any striking platforms or other areas of preparation on its edge, suggesting to the researchers it had not been broken apart.

'The fact that it wasn't modified, to us, it meant that it was brought there for a purpose other than being used as a tool,' Professor Frayer said.

The rock also caught the team's eye because of the many inclusions or black lines on it stood out from the brown limestone

While there is a small triangular flake that fits with the rock, the break appears to be fresh and probably happened well after the specimen was deposited into the sediments of the Krapina site.

It may have occurred during transport or storage after the excavation in around 1900, he said.

The rock also caught the team's eye because of the many inclusions or black lines on it stood out from the brown limestone.

Perhaps that is what made the Neanderthal want to collect it in the first place, just as modern humans are drawn to pretty pebbles today.

The researchers suspect a Neanderthal (stock image) collected the rock from a site a few kilometres north of the Krapina site where there were known outcrops of biopelmicritic grey limestone

'It looked like it is important,' Professor Frayer said.

The researchers suspect a Neanderthal collected the rock from a site a few miles north of the Krapina site where there were known outcrops of biopelmicritic grey limestone.

Either the Neanderthal found it there or the Krapinica stream transported it closer to the site.

The discovery of the rock collection may not be as exciting to many people when compared with other discoveries such as cave paintings made by modern humans living in what is now France, 25,000 years ago.

Researchers believe either a Neanderthal brought the rock to the Krapina site, or the Krapinica stream transported it closer to the site

However, Professor Frayer said it adds to a body of evidence that Neanderthals were capable assigning symbolic significance to objects and went to the effort of collecting them.

The discovery could also provide more clues as to how modern humans developed these traits, he said.

'It adds to the number of other recent studies about Neanderthals doing things that are thought to be unique to modern Homo sapiens,' he said.

'We contend they had a curiosity and symbolic-like capacities typical of modern humans.'
, for example in a bid to solve some of the world's most pressing challenges

Aim is to try new modes of government and energy

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The world's first floating city is set to appear in the Pacific Ocean off the island of Tahiti.

The government of French Polynesia has signed a deal with Seasteading Institute to begin construction work in just two years.

It may seem like an ambitious plan, by the group believes semi-independent cities would be the perfect place to try new modes of government and agricultural method.

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The world's first floating city is set to appear in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The government of French Polynesia has signed a deal with Seasteading Institute to begin construction work in just two years

The Seasteading Institute, based in California and by Paypal founder Peter Thiel, has spent the past five years creating a design for a 'permanent, innovative communities floating at sea'.

It claims that building floating cities is the first step to fulfilling 'the eight great moral imperatives' .

The experimental floating landscapes could test new ideas on how to feed the hungry, cure the sick, clean the atmosphere and enrich the poor, for example.

French Polynesia, a collection of 118 islands in the southern Pacific, is interested in the project as the area is at risk from rising sea levels.

It may seem like an ambitious plan, by the group believes semi-independent cities would be the perfect place to try new modes of government and agricultural method

The Seasteading Institute, based in California and by Paypal founder Peter Thiel, has spent the past five years creating a design for a 'permanent, innovative communities floating at sea'

French Polynesia, a collection of 118 islands in the southern Pacific, is interested in the project as the area is at risk from rising sea levels

The experimental floating landscapes could test new ideas on how to feed the hungry, cure the sick, clean the atmosphere and enrich the poor

According to ABC, the government of the islands has signed a memorandum of understanding with the firm.

The deal specifies two points that the project must prove before it gets the green light; whether it will benefit the local economy and if it proves to be environmentally friendly.

Even if it proves these two points, the project may need to be approved by the local government, and possibly France, which holds the territory.

Randolph Hencken, executive director of the institute, said: 'What we're interested in is societal choice and having a location where we can try things that haven't been tried before.

'I don't think it will be that dramatically radical in the first renditions.

'We were looking for sheltered waters, we don't want to be out in the open ocean - it's technologically possible but economically outrageous to afford.

'If we can be behind a reef break, then we can design floating platforms that are sufficient for those waters at an affordable cost.

'We don't have to start from scratch as this is a pilot project.

'They also have very stable institutions so we're able to work with a government that wants us there, that we have respect for and they have respect for us.'

Draft legislation will be drawn up next year and construction is expected to begin in 2019.

Floating islands would feature aquaculture farms, healthcare, medical research facilities, and sustainable energy powerhouses.

Draft legislation will be drawn up next year and construction is expected to begin in 2019. Floating islands would feature aquaculture farms, healthcare, medical research facilities, and sustainable energy powerhouses

The first city would be built on a network of 11 rectangular and five-sided platforms so the city could be rearranged according to its inhabitants' needs like a floating jigsaw, Joe Quirk, spokesman for the project explained

The first city would be built on a network of 11 rectangular and five-sided platforms so the city could be rearranged according to its inhabitants' needs like a floating jigsaw, Joe Quirk, spokesman for the project explained.

A feasibility report by Dutch engineering firm Deltasync says the square and pentagon platforms would measure 164ft (50metres) in length and they would have 164 ft-tall (50 metre) sides to protect buildings and residents.

The platforms will be made from reinforced concrete and support three-storey buildings such as apartments, terraces, offices and hotels for up to 100 years, according to the plans.

It's envisaged that between 250 and 300 people will call the first floating city home.

The plan is that the city will float just off-shore of a host nation, but have a substantial degree of political independence.

The original proposal was to look to international waters to establish new nations, but the Institute realised locating its city off the coast would enable the inhabitants to go onshore and acquire goods, give it more shelter from storms and better legal protection.

A feasibility report by Dutch engineering firm Deltasync says the square and pentagon platforms would measure 164ft (50metres) in length and they would have 164 ft-tall (50 metre) sides to protect buildings and residents

The feasibility report supports the idea that the project is economically feasible, with each platform costing less than $15 million (10 million) which works out at a similar price as land in London or New York.

The Institute says: 'Our in-house team is now actively engaged in diplomacy with host nations, making the case that hosting an autonomous seastead city in their territorial waters would produce significant economic, social and environmental benefits for their citizens.'

The world's first floating city is set to appear in the Pacific Ocean off the island of Tahiti

It believes its floating city would create an environment that encourages innovation and start-up governments, rather than what it calls the 'monopolies' of today.

The Institute claims it will 'give people the freedom to choose the government they want instead of being stuck with the government they get'.

If inhabitants disagree with the city's government, they could paddle their colony to another city, forcing governments to work to attract citizens.

The feasibility report supports the idea that the project is economically feasible, with each platform costing less than $15 million (10 million) which works out at a similar price as land in London or New York.

Overall, the first floating city is predicted to cost $167 million (109 million).

Speaking in 2008, Mr Thiel said: 'Decades from now, those looking back at the start of the century will understand that Seasteading was an obvious step towards encouraging the development of more efficient, practical public sector models around the world.

'We're at a fascinating juncture: the nature of government is about to change at a very fundamental level.'

The Institute aims to have tens of millions of residents by 2050 and hopes to have dozens and eventually hundreds of platforms linked together to create an idyllic metropolis.

WHO ARE THE 'SEASTEADERS'? Seasteaders are a diverse global team of marine biologists, nautical engineers, aquaculture farmers, maritime attorneys, medical researchers, security personnel, investors, environmentalists, and artists according to The Seasteading Institute's website. They plan to build floating islands, or seasteads to host aquaculture farms, floating healthcare, medical research islands, and sustainable energy powerhouses. 'Our goal is to maximise entrepreneurial freedom to create blue jobs to welcome anyone to the Next New World,' they write. 'We are credentialed, qualified, pragmatic idealists who plan to apply hard economics, evolutionary principles, and business savvy in order to create the first nations not to aggress against any people.' The Institute was founded in 2008 by PayPal founder, Peter Thiel and activist, software engineer and political economic theorist Patri Friedman who is the grandson of Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman. Mr Theil, the venture capitalist who famously helped Facebook expand beyond the Harvard campus, has funnelled $1.25 million ($812,920) into the Institute and has previously called Seasteading an 'open frontier for experimenting with new ideas for government'. Advertisement




New footage released by Nasa shows exactly what it looks like to land on an alien world.

It may seem like stuff of science fiction, but the scenes in the new video happened in real life, 12 years ago.

The stunning video was captured when the space agencys Huygens probe descended onto the mysterious world of Titan, Saturns biggest moon.

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The new footage has been released by Nasa to mark the nearing end of the Cassini mission, as the spacecraft is due to descend in a self-destruct mission into fiery Saturn in September this year. The images reveal Titan's dunes are gigantic, reaching, on average, 0.6 to 1.2 miles (1 to 2 kilometers) wide, hundreds of miles (kilometers) long and around 300 feet (100 meters) high.

THE CASSINI MISSION Since it left earth in 1997 and arrived at Saturn in 2004, Cassini has been touring the system with an up-close study of the planet, its rings and moons. During its journey, Cassini has made dramatic discoveries, including a global ocean within Enceladus and liquid methane seas on Titan. Before Nasa's Cassini probe captured the most detailed images of Saturn ever seen, it dropped its companion Huygens on the planets largest moon, Titan. After nearly 20 years in space, the mission is drawing near its end because the spacecraft is running low on fuel. Advertisement

Before Nasa's Cassini probe captured the most detailed images of Saturn ever seen, it dropped its companion Huygens on the planets largest moon, Titan - also known as Earth's toxic twin.

The video includes an animation showing this moment.

The new footage has been released by Nasa to mark the nearing end of the Cassini mission, as the spacecraft is due to descend in a self-destruct mission into fiery Saturn in September this year.

Huygens, a European Space Agency project, travelled to Titan as the companion to Nasa's Cassini spacecraft.

It then separated from its mothership on Christmas Eve, 2004, for a 20-day coast toward its destiny at Titan.

The new footage shows a series of images captured by a tiny camera on Huygens, pieced together into a video.

The video shows highlands of rugged ice as Huygens headed to the surface, with dried-up riverbeds seen from above.

Twelve years ago, a small probe touched down on an orangish, alien world in the outer solar system, marking humankind's most distant landing to date, said Jim Green, director of planetary science at Nasa.

Studying Titan helps us tease out the potential of habitability of this tiny world and better understand the chemistry of the early Earth.

Images taken during the Huygens probe's descent revealed river channels and flood plains. The probe's cameras unveiled a plateau with a large number of dark channels cut into it, forming drainage networks that bore many similarities to those on Earth. The narrow channels converged into broad rivers, which drained into a broad, dark, lowland region. Earth-like river rocks, composed of water ice, were also observed at the Huygens probe landing site.

The video even reveals the parachute shadow from the Huygens lander, which is shown moving around. The location of the Huygens probe's resting place, a soft, sandy riverbed, was only confirmed after some time by the detection of two dark, longitudinal sand dunes, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) north of the landing site. The elusive landforms were visible in images from both Cassini radar and the probe. Radar evidence from Cassini suggests that flash flooding has sculpted streambeds on Titan with these rounded cobbles of water ice, which likely originated in water-ice bedrock in higher terrain.

Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is one of the solar system's most interesting places to study when it comes to the search for alien life.

The moon, with its lakes and clouds of liquid hydrocarbons, is the only place in the solar system other than Earth with an active weather cycle where rainfall erodes the landscape.

The stunning video was captured when the space agencys Huygens probe descended onto the mysterious world of Titan, Saturns biggest moon 12 years ago. Pictured is an artist's impression of the probe

TITAN: EARTH'S 'TOXIC TWIN' Aside from Earth, Titan is the only place in the solar system known to have rivers, rainfall and seas - and possibly even waterfalls. Of course, in the case of Titan these are liquid methane rather than water on Earth. Regular Earth-water, H2O, would be frozen solid on Titan where the surface temperature is -180C (-292F). With its thick atmosphere and organic-rich chemistry, Titan resembles a frozen version of Earth several billion years ago, before life began pumping oxygen into our atmosphere. Because Titan is smaller than Earth, its gravity does not hold onto its gaseous envelope as tightly, so the atmosphere extends 370 miles (595km) into space. With Titan's low gravity and dense atmosphere, methane raindrops could grow twice as large as Earth's raindrops. Advertisement

With its thick atmosphere and organic-rich chemistry, Titan resembles a frozen version of Earth several billion years ago, before life began pumping oxygen into our atmosphere.

But until Huygens landed on the moon, our understanding of just how interesting it is was limited.

During a descent lasting 20 days, the Huygens probe sampled Titan's dense, hazy atmosphere as it slowly rotated beneath its parachutes, analysing the complex organic chemistry and measuring winds.

The Huygens descent and landing represented a major breakthrough in our exploration of Titan as well as the first soft landing on an outer-planet moon, said Linda Spilker, Cassini project scientist.

The moon, with its lakes and clouds of liquid hydrocarbons, is the only place in the solar system other than Earth with an active weather cycle where rainfall erodes the landscape.

With its thick atmosphere and organic-rich chemistry, Titan resembles a frozen version of Earth several billion years ago, before life began pumping oxygen into our atmosphere

Cassini and Huygens have shown us that Titan is an amazing world with a landscape that mimics Earth in many ways, said Alex Hayes, a Cassini scientist at Cornell University.

During its descent, the Huygens probe captured views that demonstrated an entirely new dimension to that comparison and highlights that there is so much more we have yet to discover.

For me, Huygens has emphasised why it is so important that we continue to explore Titan.

After nearly 20 years in space, the Cassini mission is drawing near its end because the spacecraft is running low on fuel.
It may be 230 million miles (370 million km) away from Earth, but this asteroid could be worth a small fortune.

16 Psyche is one of the most mysterious objects in our solar system, and scientists could soon be getting a close-up view thanks to a newly confirmed Nasa mission.

If the asteroid could be transported back to Earth, the iron alone would be worth $10,000 quadrillion (8,072 quadrillion).

It's value would be large enough to destroy commodity prices and cause the world's economy - worth $73.7 trillion (59.5 trillion)  to collapse.

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16 Psyche is one of the most mysterious objects in our solar system, but we could soon be getting a close-up view thanks to a newly confirmed Nasa mission (artist's impression)

WHY IS IT WORTH SO MUCH? Dr Elkins-Tanton has calculated that the iron in 16 Psyche alone, would be worth $10,000 quadrillion (8,072 quadrillion). Assuming the market for asteroid materials is on Earth, this could cause the value of precious metals to plummet, completely devaluing all holdings including those of governments, and all companies involved in mining, distributing and trading such commodities. Ultimately, it could lead to the collapse of the entire economy. Speaking to Global News Canada, Dr Elkins-Tanton said: 'Even if we could grab a big metal piece and drag it back here  what would you do? 'Could you kind of sit on it and hide it and control the global resource  kind of like diamonds are controlled corporately  and protect your market? 'What if you decided you were going to bring it back and you were just going to solve the metal resource problems of humankind for all time? This is wild speculation obviously.' Advertisement

16 Psyche is located in the large asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and may have started as a planet, before it was partially destroyed during the formation of the solar system.

Now, it is a 130 mile (200km) wide chunk of metal, made up of iron, nickel and a number of other rare metals, including gold, platinum and copper.

Lindy Elkins-Tanton the lead scientist on the Nasa mission and the director of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration, said: '16 Psyche is the only known object of its kind in the solar system, and this is the only way humans will ever visit a core.

'We learn about inner space by visiting outer space.'

Dr Elkins-Tanton has calculated that the iron in 16 Psyche alone, would be worth $10,000 quadrillion (8,072 quadrillion).

Assuming the market for asteroid materials is on Earth, this could cause the value of precious metals to plummet, completely devaluing all holdings including those of Governments, and all companies involved in mining, distributing and trading such commodities.

Ultimately, it could lead to the collapse of the entire economy.

Speaking to Global News Canada, Dr Elkins-Tanton said: 'Even if we could grab a big metal piece and drag it back here, what would you do?

'Could you kind of sit on it and hide it and control the global resource - kind of like diamonds are controlled corporately - and protect your market?

'What if you decided you were going to bring it back and you were just going to solve the metal resource problems of humankind for all time? This is wild speculation obviously.'

Nasa does not plan to bring the asteroid back to Earth, but instead, the space agency will explore the asteroid in the hope of understanding how planets separated into layers in their early histories.

The mission is targeted to launch in October 2023, arriving at the asteroid in 2030, following a Mars flyby in 2025 (artist's impression)

The mission is targeted to launch in October 2023, arriving at the asteroid in 2030, following a Mars flyby in 2025.

Dr Elkins-Tanton said: 'Short of it being the Death Star, one other possibility is that its material formed very near the (sun) early in the solar system.'

Dr Elkins-Tanton believes that this extreme heat would have melted the iron, and the asteroid could have stayed in that primordial state until now.

She added: 'I figure we're either going to go see something that's really improbable and unique, or something that is completely astonishing.'

In December, researchers also put forward the suggestion that Psyche could contain water, which could make it a 'resource stopover' as humans try to colonise Mars.

Dr Elkins-Tanton said: 'That water can be used to make rocket fuel or be drunk by people, so then we'd have a resource stop that has metal and water.'
The day has come to say goodbye to Vine.

Twitter is shutting down the service today and encouraging users to download their archived clips before the app is transformed into another sharing tool.

Vine will be revamped into Vine Camera - an app that lets users shoot 6.5 second looping videos that can be uploaded to Twitter.

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Twitter is officially pulling the plug on its video-looping service Vine. The social media network is encouraging users to download their archived clips before the app is transformed into another sharing tool

FAREWELL VINE Twitter is officially pulling the plug on Vine today. However, it will be transformed into an extension of the social media site, called Vine Camera. This new version will let users shoot 6.5 second looping videos, but can only share them to Twitter or save them in their camera roll. Vine is encouraging users to download their archived Vine clips. As soon as the app makes the transition any archived videos will be cone. Users will not be able to transfer their followers to Twitter, but Vine is encouraging its members to use Follow on Twitter. Advertisement

On January 17 the Vine app will become the Vine Camera, Vine shared in FAQs on the site.

We will notify you through the app before this happens.

The Vine Camera will allow you to make 6.5 second looping videos and post them to Twitter, or save them to your camera roll in a logged out state.

It has not yet been revealed when the app will make the transition.

DailyMail.com has contacted Twitter for comment and has yet to receive a response.

Vine was founded in June 2012, and Twitter acquired it in October 2012, just before its official launch.

As of last year, the app had over 200 million active monthly users and more than 1.5 billion loops have been viewed since inception.

The shutdown of Vine was announced in October and shortly after it was revealed that it would live on in a simpler tool  the Vine Camera app.

Users can upload their creations to Twitter right from the new app, if the accounts are linked, or by going through the social media site.

However, users will not be able to transfer their followers to Twitter, but Vine is encouraging its members to use Follow on Twitter.

And the firm notes that your account needs to be public and you must link your you Vine account with your Twitter.

Vine will be revamped into Vine Camera - an app that lets users shoot 6.5 second looping videos that can be uploaded to Twitter . The shutdown of Vine was announced in October and shortly after it was revealed that it would live on in a simpler tool  the Vine Camera app

The announcement of the shutdown came as Twitter announced plans to cut hundreds of jobs from its global workforce.

The firm said it planned to slash its total headcount by 9 percent, with the news following in the wake of failed attempts to find a buyer.

'We see a significant opportunity to increase growth as we continue to improve the core service.' said Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Vine.

Users can upload their creations to Twitter right from the new app, if the accounts are linked, or by going through the social media site. But they will not be able to transfer their followers to Twitter, but Vine is encouraging its members to use Follow on Twitter

VINE CO-FOUNDERS' NEW APP The co-founders of Vine announced in October that they were working on their next social app, which is said to go against Twitters own live app Periscope. Called HYPE, this live broadcasting app lets users add music and animations to their videos that can be shared to with friends and on other social networks. HYPE's has the ability to share different multimedia content in a single live broadcast, for example, users can add cameras or videos from their devices camera roll and blend it with live content. Users can also feature viewer comments in their broadcast, in addition to music and emojis. Users tap any element to 'like the content, which creates 'sparkles' around it. And you can sign in with both Twitter and Facebook and they can share their creations on either. It will first roll out for iOS and Android will soon follow. Advertisement

'We have a clear plan, and we're making the necessary changes to ensure Twitter is positioned for long-term growth.'

The announcement confirmed earlier reports that as the battle between the world's big social networks intensifies, Twitter was set to make widespread cuts.

Bloomberg reported a potential loss of 300 jobs, around eight per cent of the workforce, citing 'people familiar with the matter'.

The job cuts were announced as part of the company's report on its third-quarter earnings in December.

According to the balance sheet, it made a net loss of 83m ($102m) in the three months to the end of September, an improvement on last year's loss of 108m ($132m) for the period.

THE HISTORY OF VINE Vine was founded by Dom Hofmann, Rus Yusupov, and Colin Kroll in June 2012 in Florida. Before it had even launched officially, it was acquired by Twitter in October 2012 for a reported $30 million. It originated in Florida. The service was founded in June 2012, and Twitter acquired it in October 2012, just before its official launch. Vine officially launched on January 24, 2013 as a free app for iOS devices, with an Android version following on June 2, 2013. Within months, Vine became the most used video sharing application in the market at the time, and On April 9, 2013, Vine became the most-downloaded free app within the iOS App Store. Advertisement

Twitter has announced it is set to cut hundreds of jobs, slashing its workforce by nine per cent

Advertising revenues slowed to 6 percent growth in the third quarter to 444m ($545m), easing back from 18 per cent growth in the second quarter.

MailOnline has contacted Twitter for comment.

In 2015, Twitter announced plans to lay off up to 336 employees, a week after Jack Dorsey, its co-founder who had been serving as interim chief executive, took over as permanent CEO.

Twitter's plan to sell itself was left in tatters earlier this month as the last major bidder walked away from a deal, causing its share price to fall dramatically.

TWITTER'S LATEST FIGURES In the three months before 1 October, Twitter made a net loss of 83m ($102m), an improvement on the same period last year. Its advertising revenues slowed to 6 percent growth to 444m ($545m), dropping off from 18 per cent growth in the second quarter. Despite a drop in profits and failure to find a buyer, Twitter reported that its average monthly users grew by three per cent. It also stated that 90 percent of its advertising revenue comes from mobile. Full figures are available online. FindTheCompany | Graphiq Advertisement

In 2015, Twitter announced plans to lay off up to 336 employees, a week after Jack Dorsey (pictured), its co-founder who had been serving as interim chief executive, took over as permanent CEO

It emerged Salesforce was the most likely purchaser, after other potential acquirers, including Google and Walt Disney, decided not to pursue a deal.

The company said in September 2016 that it would lay off some employees and halt engineering work at one of its development centers in India's technology hub Bengaluru.

On Monday, Twitter said it rescheduled the release of its third-quarter earnings to before the market opens on Thursday to avoid conflicting with earnings announcements by other internet companies, reports Reuters.

It had originally planned to release results after the market close.

The company had 3,860 employees globally as of June.
Yesterday, the Halley VI Research Station was forced to close its Antarctic research base amid rising fears it could fall into a huge ice chasm.

Shocking new drone footage has now been released that shows just how massive the growing crack in the ice is.

The worrying footage has forced the British research base to relocate 14 miles (22 km) across the Brunt Ice Shelf and close its doors for the winter.

The footage shows a 25 mile-long (40km) crack that appears to be a few feet deep. In some areas, the crack has split into two, leaving behind small islands of ice.

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Yesterday, the Halley VI Research Station was forced to close its Antarctic research base amid rising fears it could fall into a huge ice chasm. Shocking new drone footage shows just how massive the growing crack in the ice is

KILLER CHASMS The first chasm, which had lain dormant for more than three decades, began opening up in 2012, and by the following year it was expanding at the rapid pace of one mile per year. On October 2016, a second crack appeared some 10.5 miles (17 km) to the north of the research station. Researchers conclude that they are unable to predict with certainty what will happen to the ice shelf during the forthcoming Antarctic winter and beyond. Advertisement

The British Antarctic survey said that changes to the ice presents 'a complex glaciological picture' that causes concern about the shelf on which the station is located in the coming months.

The survey says a new crack on the floating Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica will force them to remove people before the Antarctic winter, which runs from March to November, ends.

There's no risk to the people currently at the station, but difficulties in evacuating people during the winter prompted scientists to shut the station as a precaution.

'Halley VI Research Station sits on a floating ice shelf. It was designed specifically to move inland if required,' said Director of Operations Captain Tim Stockings.

'The current work to relocate our station is going very well. This challenging engineering project is scheduled to complete as planned by early March 2017.

'We want to do the right thing for our people. Bringing them home for winter is a prudent precaution given the changes that our glaciologists have seen in the ice shelf in recent months.

'Our goal is to winterise the station and leave it ready for re-occupation as soon as possible after the Antarctic winter.'

The first chasm, which had lain dormant for more than three decades, began opening up in 2012, and by the following year it was expanding at the rapid pace of one mile per year. On October 2016, a second crack appeared some 17 km to the north of the research station

The station is a platform for global Earth, atmospheric and space weather observation in a climate-sensitive zone.

The first chasm, which had lain dormant for more than three decades, began opening up in 2012, and by the following year it was expanding at the rapid pace of one mile per year.

On October 2016, a second crack appeared some 17 km to the north of the research station.

The Halley VI Research Station is set to be relocated 14 miles across the Brunt Ice Shelf, amid fears in could slide into an encroaching fissure in the ice shelf. This map shows the current location of Halley VI, its future location, and The Crack, labelled as Chasm I

Since then glaciologists have monitored the growth of this crack using a network of GPS instruments that measure the deformation of the ice, together with European Space Agency satellite imagery, ground penetrating radar, and on-site drone footage, which show that the recent changes to the Brunt Ice Shelf have not been seen before.

They have run computer models and created bathymetric maps to determine whether or not a large iceberg will calve, and the impact that could have on the remaining ice shelf.

They conclude that they are unable to predict with certainty what will happen to the ice shelf during the forthcoming Antarctic winter and beyond.

The base will be broken up into its eight modules and moved further inland by large tractors

If the research station is not relocated, it could be swallowed by the ice by 2020.

The problem is further compounded by a second crack, which has opened up to the north of the base, on a route sometimes used to deliver supplies.

The team has just nine weeks to move the research station, before the harsh winter sets in.

The base will be broken up into its eight modules and moved further inland by large tractors.

The Antarctic research base that first discovered the hole in the ozone layer is in danger of falling into a huge ice chasm

Scientific research at will continue in temporary facilities at the existing site, until the team is moved to the new location next season

HALLEY VI RESEARCH STATION Halley Research Station is an award-winning science lab, complete with accommodation for researchers. The modular lab, which was first constructed in 1956, is run by the British Antarctic Survey. It was here that researchers first discovered the hole in the ozone layer in 1985. The research facility comprises eight modules sitting atop hydraulic legs, enabling each module to be towed to a new location. Halley sits on the 130 metre-thick Brunt Ice Shelf. The ice shelf flows slowly out onto the Weddell Sea, where chunks of ice 'calve' off as icebergs. In its current 'VI' configuration, it has been operational since 2012. Halley is home to 70 staff during the summer (late December to early March) and around 16 during winter. Source: British Antarctic Survey Advertisement

Scientific research will continue in temporary facilities at the existing site, until the team is moved to the new location next season.

Crucial research carried out at the base includes studies into as the impact of extreme space weather events, climate change, and atmospheric phenomena.

Halley has also taken ozone measurements continually since 1956, with the team first discovering the Antarctic Ozone Hole in 1985.

Tim Stockings, Director of Operations at the British Antarctic Survey, told the Telegraph: 'Halley Research Station was designed and engineered specifically to be re-located in response to changes in the ice.

'Over the last couple of years, our operational teams have been meticulous in developing very detailed plans for the move.

'Antarctica can be a very hostile environment. Each summer season is very short - about nine weeks.

'And because the ice and the weather are unpredictable, we have to be flexible in our approach.

'We are especially keen to minimise the disruption to the science programmes.

If the research station is not relocated, it could be swallowed by the ice by 2020

Crucial research carried out at the base include studies into as the impact of extreme space weather events, climate change, and atmospheric phenomena

'We have planned the move in stages - the science infrastructure that captures environmental data will remain in place while the stations modules move.'

The research base also hosts an ongoing European Space Agency (ESA) experiment, testing how well people can adapt to life in remote and isolated locations.

The data will be used in preparations for long space flights, such as the first Mars landing.

Halley has also taken ozone measurements continually since 1956, with the team first discovering the Antarctic Ozone Hole in 1985

Meanwhile, in Europe, scientists have discovered tiny specks of cosmic dust, which is usually only found in Antarctica, in urban cities on the continent.

The cosmic dust was discovered on rooftops in Paris, Oslo and Berlin.

Dr Matthew Genge, from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, said: 'We've known since the 1940s that cosmic dust falls continuously through our atmosphere, but until now we thought that it could not be detected among the millions of terrestrial dust particles, except in the most dust-free environments such as the Antarctic or deep oceans.
A new study has backed the theory complex life, including animal like creatures, may have evolved once before in Earth's history.

A new study found 2.3 billion years ago, a primitive Earth briefly had an oxygen rich atmosphere.

This so-called Lomagundi Event could have provided a fleeting opportunity for complex, animal-like creatures to evolve billions of years before our ancestors first roamed the planet.

This so-called Lomagundi Event could have provided a fleeting opportunity for complex, animal-like creatures to evolve billions of years before our ancestors first roamed the planet.

OXYGEN ON EARTH Earth is believed to have only begun to develop the oxygen-rich atmosphere we have today 800 million years ago. This is when complex, oxygen-breathing animals first appear in the fossil record Experts believe this was made possible by the rise in atmospheric oxygen. Before 800 million years ago, there may have been little gaseous oxygen around  one 2014 estimate suggests there may have been as little as 0.1 per cent of the present level. Advertisement

A new study led by Michael Kipp at the University of Washington in Seattle examined the chemical makeup of 'Lomagundi' rocks.

'It has been proposed that an 'oxygen overshoot' occurred during the early Paleoproterozoic Great Oxidation Event (GOE) in association with the extreme positive carbon isotopic excursion known as the Lomagundi Event,' the team wrote in the journal PNAS.

The chemical analysis of 'Lomagundi' rocks hints that the amount of organic carbon buried in the deep ocean suddenly spiked.

'Selenium abundances and Se/TOC (total organic carbon) ratios similarly show a peak during this interval,' the team reported.

The presence of selenium shows that the atmosphere contained oxygen, as selenium is released when rocks on land are eroded in the presence of the gas, carrying it to the ocean, where it slowly accumulates on the ocean floor.

However, there is no consensus on why our planet briefly gained and then lost an oxygen-rich atmosphere.

Now, in a bid to get a better idea of the oxygen levels during the Lomagundi Event, Kipp and his colleagues have analysed selenium in rocks formed on the ocean floor during the interval.

However, there is no consensus on why our planet briefly gained and then lost an oxygen-rich atmosphere.

'The take-home message is that the oxygen level was high enough to support eukaryotic life and, by some arguments, maybe even animal life,' Timothy Lyons at the University of California Riverside, who collaborates with Kipp and his colleagues, but was not involved in the new study, told New Scientist.

He described the even as an 'oxygen oasis in time'.

Kipp and his colleagues measured selenium isotope ratios in Lomagundi rocks formed at various places around the world, and then worked back to estimate the dissolved oxygen level in the shallow seas of this time.

Their calculations suggest the level may have been at least 5 micromoles per litre of water, far less than the modern level of about 325 micromoles per litre.

However, the figure is above the minimum oxygen requirements for many simple marine animals alive today, which can make do with about 0.9 micromoles per litre.
It can create digital art, write poems and now, artificial intelligence is composing music.

Japanese researchers have developed an AI headset that creates tailor-made music in order to improve the wearer's mood.

The AI analyzes the person's brain waves and writes tunes that match their personal sensitivity- and it only takes one minute to create the music using synthesized notes.

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The AI studied relationships between music and emotions in order to write tunes that coincides with a human's personal sensitivity - and it only takes one minute to create the music using synthesized notes

HOW DOES IT WORK? The AI was fed information about the relationship between music and emotions before it began composing music. Volunteers were asked to listen to music while their brain waves were recorded. The data was then used to create a personalized 'emotional music model' for each person that could help with their state of mind including 'soothing' and 'wide awake'. The AI composed tunes that coincided with the listener's personal sensitivity  and it takes one minute to create the music using synthesized notes. Advertisement

The AI headset was developed as a collaboration between Osaka University and Tokyo City University, reports Asahi.com.

For the first part of their work, the researchers teamed up with an institute in Belgium to record the brain waves of volunteers.

These participants were each given 10 different pieces of music to listen to that ranged from J-Pop to nursery rhymes while their brain waves were recorded.

The data was then used to create a personalized 'emotional music model' for each person.

The AI was fed information about the relationship between music and various emotions before it began writing music.

According to researchers, 'conventional automatic composition machines require the input of specific data about the characteristics of the music that the listener wants'.

'I would like to turn our study into a system to uplift human spirits and help people to fulfill their potential by listening to music in accordance with their preferences,' Masayuki Numao, a professor of information and physical sciences at Osaka University's Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, told Ashashi.com.

A separate team of researchers taught an AI how to compose music that sounds similar to The Beatles last year.

The team recorded the brain waves of participants while they listened to music. The data was then used by the AI to create a personalized 'emotional music model' for each person that helps with their state of mind including 'soothing' and 'wide awake'

Called 'Daddy's Car', the tune was created by Flow Machines, a system Sony taught to make music by feeding it 13,000 samples from different genres.

Another song was also composed by the AI called 'The Ballad of Mr. Shadow', which is a mashup of American songwriters such as Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and Cole Porter.

GOOGLE'S AI IS A POET Google fed erotic novels into a neural network with the hope of improving its conversation abilities and personality. Ignited, Fatal Desire and Jacked Up were just a few of the steamy romance novels on the AI's reading list. Google has taught its AI to write poetry (pictured) but feeding it numerous romance novels Shortly after, a selection of strange poems, or 'homotopies', the AI has 'written' after reading the novels has been published. The search giant's research team has witnessed the AI transcribe sentences that resembles those in the books, which will help the program inform and humanise the company's products. It shows how the team of linguists and computer scientists poured 11,000 yet unpublished books, including nearly 3,000 romance and 1,500 fantasy novels, into the neural network model, which is meant to mimic how the human brain works. Then, the researchers presented the system with two sentences from the books and asked it to generate sentences that could create a meaningful progression between the two. The point was to mimic the variations in human speech, but what came out sounds more like a teenager's poor attempt at poetry. The result was a selection of 'homotopies' which show the transition between the two sentences, and the progression between the two was not proper English. Advertisement

'At SONY CSL Research Laboratory, we have created two entire pop songs composed with Artificial Intelligence, thanks to Flow Machines,' shares SONY CSL Researcher Laboratory in a statement.

'Flow Machines software learns music styles from a huge database of songs.'

'Then, exploiting unique combinations of style transfer, optimization and interaction techniques, it can compose in any style.'

The parts written by Flow Machines is deemed the 'lead sheet', which defines the song's tune.

A separate team of researchers taught an AI how to compose music that sounds similar to The Beatles (pictured) last year. Called 'Daddy's Car', the tune was created by Flow Machines, a system Sony taught to make music by feeding it 13,000 samples from different genres

Benoit Carre, the human composer, was asked to arrange the entire song, which he began by selecting a style and then created the melody and harmony with a system called FlowComposer.

Once the tune was set, Carre used another system called Rechord to match some audio chunks from audio recordings of other songs to the generated lead sheets.

Then he finished the production and mixing of both songs.

Sony says 'Daddy's Car' and 'The Ballad of Mr. Shadow' are just the beginning and expected to release a full AI-written album sometime next year.

The final music videos for each song uses a serious of computer generated shapes and colours that move along with the melody.

Researchers are teaching AI different art forms, such as writing poetry and screenplays, as one recently wrote a unique script that was transformed into a short film.

Another song was also composed by the AI called 'The Ballad of Mr. Shadow', which is a mashup of American songwriters such as Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and Cole Porter (pictured)

In June, Sunspring debuted a short film is barely nine minutes long and is strangely captivating as it gravitates between dark and cryptic to outright hilarious, and written by an AI named Benjamin.

To produce the film, director Oscar Sharp and collaborator Ross Goodwin, an NYU AI researcher, fed dozens of scripts to a long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network that has named itself Benjamin.

Benjamin's training included everything from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner to Eight Legged Freaks, and even Silver Linings Playbook.

Then, they gave it a set of prompts from the film challenge to guide the story.

Sony says 'Daddy's Car' and 'The Ballad of Mr. Shadow' are just the beginning and expected to release a full AI-written album sometime next year. The final music videos for each song uses a serious of computer generated shapes and colours that move along with the melody

During its training, Benjamin (originally named Jetson) learned to predict which letters tend to follow each other, and then which words and phrases were often seen together, Ars Technica explains.

This type of AI is better than others at predicting entire paragraphs, rather than just a few words, and can generate original sentences.
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A married couple who decided sun, sea and sand was not enough for a honeymoon have been travelling the Americas on a seven-month adventure of a lifetime.

Tom, 31, and Lorna Broadway, 30, from Alveley, Shropshire,travelled 25,000 miles on a motorbike from Alaska to the southernmost city in the world and are now on their way back up.

The Broadways tied the knot in Barcelona last April, and have been biking about on their honeymoon since July, with plans to return to the UK next month.

Tom, 31, and Lorna Broadway, 30, from Alveley, Shropshire, have been travelling the Americas on a seven-month honeymoon of a lifetime

They rode on a motorbike from Alaska to the most southern city in the world and are now on their way back up

The Broadways tied the knot in Barcelona last April, and have been biking about on their honeymoon since July

The honeymoon, which has taken them to some of the most breathtaking places on Earth, is a far cry from the day job for construction consultant, Tom, and primary school teacher Lorna.

Currently in Santiago, Chile, and six months into their travels, adventurous Tom and Lorna and have stretched out their wedding celebrations a bit further than the usual one or two weeks.

Tom said: 'We've never done a trip like it together before, although I have ridden motorbikes for over ten years and Lorna has travelled extensively.

'I'm very passionate about bikes and she's passionate about travel, so it's sort of the dream honeymoon for both of us.

They departed the UK on July 24, and plan to fly back from Rio de Janerio in February

By the time they return to the UK they will have clocked up over 25,000 miles, and visited 17 countries all over the continent on Tom's BMW 1200GSA

'The beauty of a motorbike is that you can go where you want, when you want - and you can forge your own path rather than following the guidebooks.'

They departed the UK on July 24, and plan to fly back from Rio de Janerio in February.

By the time they return to the UK they will have clocked up over 25,000 miles, and visited 17 countries all over the continent on Tom's BMW 1200GSA.

The Broadways have been spending their nights in either hostel rooms or by camping in the wilderness

The honeymoon, which has taken them to some of the most breathtaking places on Earth, is a far cry from the day job for construction consultant, Tom, and primary school teacher Lorna

From swimming with whale sharks in Mexico, driving across the desert and sailing the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia with the bike strapped to a sail boat- this honeymoon has had it all

Tom bought the bike, nicknamed, Terry, in 2005 and made just a handful of slight modifications before embarking on the trip of a lifetime

Tom bought the bike, nicknamed, Terry, in 2005 and made just a handful of slight modifications before embarking on the trip of a lifetime.

He said: 'We met the old fashioned way, in a bar, in Lorna's home town of Worcester- two years to the day we later married in Barcelona.

'We both have a sense for adventure and a "just do it" attitude!

'I hope to try and encourage more people our age to take some time away from work as the benefits are huge.'

The trip saw them start in Alaska before driving to the most southern city in the world, Ushuaia, in Argentina, when they turned around and drove back north towards Brazil

The newlyweds even managed to find some home comforts in the most unlikely of places, tying an abandoned sofa to the bike

The couple met in a bar in Lorna's home town of Worcester and two years afterwards they were later married in Barcelona

The Broadways have been spending their nights in either hostel rooms or by camping in the wilderness.

COUNTRIES VISITED ON THE HONEYMOON USA Canada Mexico Belize Guatemala El Salvador Honduras Nicaragua Costa Rica Panama Columbia Ecuador Peru Bolivia Chile Argentina Urugua Advertisement

The couple were given one particularly big shock when they received a wake-up call from a towering grizzly bear one morning.

They were sleeping in the Canadian countryside when a grizzly bear entered their tent.

Tom said: 'It was pretty hair-raising when it came into the tent. We both lay perfectly still and waited for it to leave.'

'We were both terrified.'

The trip saw them start in Alaska before driving to the most southern city in the world, Ushuaia, in Argentina, when they turned around and drove back north towards Brazil.

From swimming with whale sharks in Mexico, to sailing the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia with the bike strapped to a sail boat- this honeymoon has had it all.

The newlyweds even managed to find some home comforts in the most unlikely of places, tying an abandoned sofa to the bike.

Tom said: 'We found it in Chile on the side of a cliff. It must have been dumped there previously but it was dry and light so we had some fun with it.

'It was for no reason really other than to have a giggle!'

'It has exceeded expectations in both the sights we have seen and the people we have met on our journey. The world is not as scary as people like to believe.'
There are many benefits to visiting a foreign country - tourists can experience new flavours, learn about different cultures and visit jaw-dropping attractions.

But for those setting foot in a country where the nation's skin colour is different to their own, it can also be an unsettling experience.

Seasoned travellers have been sharing their worst experiences of racism encountered in various countries around the world, in a shocking online thread.

Women and men of all nationalities have spoken about racism faced on holiday, in every country from Spain and South Korea, to Austria and Australia (file image)

In the accounts shared on the online forum Quora, women and men of all nationalities have spoken about difficulties faced in every country from Spain and South Korea, to Austria and Australia.

Read on to find out where people have experienced these unsavoury episodes.

South Korea

South Korea has become a very popular tourist destination thanks to their thriving arts and food scene, but one woman who describes herself as 'brown' had a far from pleasant experience.

Senjuti Kundu said: 'Seoul is filled with "Korean-only" bars... a case of false advertising that would make the Ku Klux Klan proud.

One woman who describes herself as 'brown' had a far from pleasant experience in Seoul (file image)

'They ought to market themselves as paper-bag-test bars - if your skin is pale enough and you don't appear to have South Asian or African features, you're welcome. Otherwise, its oh so sorry, Korean-only.

'The pitying backward glances I received even in a "cosmopolitan" mega-metropolis like Seoul were ubiquitous and extremely hurtful.'

Austria

Austria's geographical location mean its cities are very cosmopolitan, but one visitor was shocked to encounter racist abuse on public transport.

Erman Idil said: 'In summer 2014, we were headed to Schonbrunn Palace when a well-groomed Sikh man got on the train.

One visitor was shocked to encounter racist abuse on public transport en route to Austria's Schonbrunn Palace (file image)

Within five seconds, an old lady had stood up and started to yell at him and the only words I could understand from her discourse were morder (murderer) and raus (get) out).

'Thankfully, in the following minutes a young couple stepped into this ignominy and managed to silence her.'

Australia

Australia is a popular country for tourists of all nationalities, but one woman from Singapore found herself the target of racist attacks when visiting Down Under.

Eleanor Foong said: 'I love Australia. I was there for university and I've also visited as a tourist.

'As a tourist, it was lovely. I visited Perth and I didn't experience anything horrible.

'But as student, our group was filming a scene at our group mate's driveway for Screen Production unit and a group of white male teenagers drove past us really fast and threw a rotten egg at us.

'A few weeks later, another white male teenager attempted to throw a stone at me.'

India

One African traveller found herself treated differently from other foreigners because of her skin colour when in India (file image)

One African traveller found herself treated differently from other foreigners because of her skin colour while travelling in India.

A Quora user called Kaleke of Nigerian-Ugandan heritage said: 'India is the most racist country Ive experienced - although a magnificently beautiful country, with lovely people may I add - the racism was overt and blunt.

'I was stared at a lot, this may not always imply racism but simply curiosity[but] there were several occasions where I received disgusting remarks.'

Spain

The Spanish are some of the most well-travelled people in the world, but one black American found that not everyone from the country is open-minded.

Eric Johnson said: 'I am a black American who decided to study abroad on two separate occasions while in college.

In Madrid, there were no issues. My first moment of racism came when I went to Zaragoza and my father and I were on our way back to our hotel when we passed by a group of about six people at a table eating tapas at a restaurant.

'As we passed by, a woman (I'm guessing in her 30s) yelled, "Monos negros!" (black monkeys, in Spanish) and the other people at the table burst into laughter.'
The hotly-anticipated new series of MTV's Ex On The Beach hits screens once again on Tuesday night and is set to be 'more dramatic than ever', according to this year's stars.

Zahida Allen, Ross Worswick and Nicole Bass spoke exclusively to MailOnline on Monday to reveal that the new series is full of 'flirting, fighting, f***ing and filth!' - and that the course of true love certainly didn't run smooth.

While Geordie Shore new girl Zahida has emerged from the villa loved-up with Sean Pratt, original EOTB star Ross Worswick admitted: 'I didn't come out single... but it didn't last long!'

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Get ready: The hotly-anticipated new series of MTV's Ex On The Beach hits screens once again on Tuesday night and is set to be 'more dramatic than ever', according to this year's stars

The saucy MTV series is known to be full of bikinis, tattoos, drink-throwing, and a hefty dose of drama - and this year is set to be no different.

'There are some serious shock exits and major arguments, and even a couple of romances that just dont burn out,' TOWIE beauty Nicole Bass revealed to MailOnline, to the excitement of fans.

Premiering on Tuesday night, the new series features a whole host of reality stars undoubtedly ready to cause drama - including the likes of Geordie Shore's Aaron Chalmers, Wayne Rooney's famous fling Jenny Thompson and EOTB favourite Ross Worswick.

Gearing up: The saucy MTV series is known to be full of bikinis, tattoos, drink-throwing, and a hefty dose of drama - and this year is set to be no different

Ross first appeared on the original show back in 2014, where he was seen surprising his ex Chloe Goodman and enjoying an on-screen dalliance with Vicky Pattison.

However the hunk admitted that while he does get with a lot of girls in the new series, his main motive was to try and move on from his TOWIE babe ex Jasmin Walia.

He told MailOnline: 'I'd been in a two and half year relationship which didnt work out, so I thought it would take my mind off everything.'

Tension: 'There are some serious shock exits and major arguments, and even a couple of romances that just dont burn out,' TOWIE beauty Nicole Bass revealed to MailOnline

'When I went in there I wasnt thinking about getting with people. I wasnt ruling it out! But I wasnt going in to get with loads of girls to take my mind off the breakup, it was more about moving on.'

Ross and Jasmin split up after two years last July - reportedly leaving him devastated after moving from his native Manchester to the south to be with her.

When asked whether the beauty was one of the exes who arrives on the show however, Ross remained incredibly coy.

'With that one... you'll have to wait and see!' he laughed.

Getting over it: When asked if ex Jasmin Walia (left) could be entering the show, Ross remained incredibly coy by replying: 'With that one... you'll have to wait and see!'

Yet, he did confess that he was terrified she was going to emerge from the crystal blue sea every single time an ex arrived, admitting: 'We thought it was gonna be her coming in from the first episode.

'But theres helicopters flying so theres big arrivals in this one, and thats all I can say!'

Ross' relationships on the show are certainly not plain sailing however whether Jasmin makes an appearance or not - as he reveals that his romance with beauty Harriette Harper is full of drama from the first episode.

Discussing their blossoming affair after their first date, he said: 'It progressed, then it went downhill, then it progressed, then it went downhill so was a bit of roller coaster to be honest! And there were obviously a few other people thrown in there.'

Dramatic: Discussing his fling with Harriette Harper on the show, he said: 'It progressed, then it went downhill, then it progressed, then downhill so was a bit of roller coaster!'

Despite catching the attention of several women during his time in the villa, the Manchester native was quick to acknowledge his romances were very short-lived.

'I didnt come out single but that didnt last long!' he laughed, before continuing: I came out in a relationship with someone but it only lasted two weeks! Once you get into the real world you realise it doesnt work the same way.'

While his saucy, no-frills antics did not materialise into anything serious, Ross now confirmed that he is seeing someone knew - having achieved his goal of moving on from long love Jasmin once and for all.

Loved-up: Meanwhile fellow contestant Zahida Allen was more successful on the show - having been with co-star Sean Pratt (above) since they arrived home in October

'Shes just called Nicola, we met through mutual friends but she lives in Glasgow so shes quite a long way away,' he gushed. 'But shes beautiful, she was Miss Great Britain and Miss Scotland so Ive done alright Im punching!'

Meanwhile fellow contestant Zahida Allen was more successful on the show - having been with co-star Sean Pratt since they arrived home in October.

However even their romance did not get off to the best start - with her expressing her feelings of love far in advance to him.

'Oh sh*t!' However even their romance did not get off to the best start - with her expressing her feelings of love far in advance to him while drunk

She said of the embarrassing moment: 'We were in a club on the last night and I thought 'Oh my god, it's going to be long distance I dont know if Ill ever seen him!''

'So I got so drunk and was really stressed and he said something to me and I said Oh god I know I just love you so much! And he was like what? And I thought sh*t!'

Laughing off the incident however and confessing she then 'smashed a full bottle of vodka' in order to recover, she then admitted that Sean turned up at her door to profess his love less than a week after they returned home.

'So he did say it back!' she added, 'It just didn't get off to a fairy-tale start!'

Stronger than ever: Laughing off the incident however, she then admitted that Sean (left) turned up at her door to profess his love less than a week after they returned home

Feisty: Yet the reality star still ensured her fair share of drama, revealing: 'I got into a lot of fights during the show!'

Yet, the feisty reality star still endured her fair share of drama on the show, revealing revealed that rivalry between the girls even resulted in violence: 'I got into a lot of fights during the show!'

Explaining that being around each other 24/7 in the house caused tension between the contestants, she added: 'For me, I just think you can't talk s**t and not expect to get caught. I made friends with people straight away so people were telling me what was going on, and I was not tolerating it!

'Plus, if anyone ever says to me 'Oh girls will never make me cry' then I say, challenge accepted!'

Rivalry: Explaining that being around each other 24/7 in the house caused huge drama, Zahida added: 'For me, I just think you can't talk s**t and not expect to get caught!'

While Zahida and Ross endured turbulent love lives on the show, Nicole Bass appeared to have more problems with her female love rivals rather than the men themselves.

The TOWIE beauty is set to appear on the show as the ex of contestant Josh Ritchie - but confirmed that the pair are on good terms, resulting in little drama between them.

She said: 'Hes probably one of the best people I could have come out to and probably me one of the best for him too, as the rest of them were pretty rubbish!

'We have a great relationship so there was no bad feelings there or anything, far more of a good feeling than a bad.'

Good terms: Nicole Bass (above) makes a late arrival as the ex of contestant Josh Ritchie - but confirmed that the pair are on good terms, resulting in little drama between them

Friendly: She said of Josh (above): 'Hes probably one of the best people I could have come out to', and was quick to admit drama was minimal with Aaron Chalmers as they are 'just friends'

Having been rumoured to have enjoyed a fling with co-star Aaron Chalmers, fans are no doubt expecting there to be fireworks between him and bikini babe Nicole.

However, the brunette beauty was quick to dismiss any truth to this speculation, stating firmly: 'We never went out. He's honestly just one of my best friends and I've never looked at him like that.'

While Nicole - who has dated TOWIE stars Lewis Bloor and Michael Hassini in the past - remained tight-lipped about which bad boys cause her romantic woe, she revealed that it was one of her female co-stars that sparked her rage.

Girl on girl: Nicole also revealed that it was one of her female co-stars that sparked her rage, admitting one girl 'makes me feel instantly sick when I look at their face'

Better than ever: Summing up the new series, Zahida admitted to MailOnline that fans should be excited for 'flirting, fighting, f***ing and filth!'

'I had massive fallouts with people on the show,' she affirmed, 'including one with someone who had slept with a boy that I loved, and I was absolutely fuming. I just hate her!'

The star could be alluding the show's first preview - which sees Nicole and Josh's relationship come to end after being 'cheated on by a best friend'.

Discussing the potential arrival, she admits mysteriously: 'I wouldnt say I have a best friend that comes in more like an enemy.'

Before she added fiercely: 'Theyre almost like someone who makes me feel instantly sick when I look at their face.'

Ex On The Beach is every Tuesday at 10PM, only on MTV
She's the 'hard-partying' model who reportedly used her recent trip home to Australia for much-needed rejuvenation.

But despite uploading serene images of pristine beaches and being pictured laying back in hammocks during her stay, it appears Cat McNeil is back to her grittier ways.

The 27-year-old took to her Instagram on Tuesday and posted a grainy image that showed her possibly adding a new tattoo to her extensive collection.

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'Trap Life': Cat McNeil took to her Instagram on Tuesday and posted a grainy image that showed her possibly adding a new tattoo to her extensive collection

She captioned the image 'Trap Life' and posed next to fellow model and photographer Jordan Hemingway, who had a stick and poke tattoo tool in his mouth.

Pink ink rested on a white piece of material in between them as they sullenly looked directly into the camera.

The Brisbane-born beauty geo-tagged their location in Brooklyn's trendy Williamsburg neighbourhood and added in another model, Issa Lish, to the post.

Party hard: Despite uploading serene images of pristine beaches and being pictured laying back in hammocks during her stay in Australia, it appears Cat McNeil is back to her grittier ways

She finished the caption with a message to her friends: 'See you soon hoe bags.'

The catwalk queen visited Australia for a summer getaway recently in an alleged attempt to recharge from her intense lifestyle, according to The Daily Telegraph.

'Her life when she is overseas is pretty hectic, so for her to come home for a month and live low key has been great,' a source apparently revealed.

'Her life when she is overseas is pretty hectic, so for her to come home for a month and live low key has been great,' a source apparently revealed

Rejuvenate: The catwalk queen visited Australia for a summer getaway recently in an alleged attempt to recharge from her intense lifestyle

The insider claimed the Vogue cover model wasn't in the best shape when she arrived in her home country, thanks to her penchant for partying overseas.

'Cat was pretty fragile when she got home,' they said, adding: 'There has been no hard partying at all.'

The brunette stunner's noticeably lean frame has seen her supporters on social media voice their concern in recent times.

Lean: The insider claimed the Vogue cover model wasn't in the best shape when she arrived in her home country, thanks to her penchant for partying overseas. Pictured with Issa Lish

One particular image of her figure in a black one-piece swimsuit with pink and yellow stitching as she stood next to equally thin friend Issa caught fans' attention.

Her slender physique first attracted unwanted attention in July last year when she shared a picture that focused on her significant thigh gap.

Daily Mail Australia has previously contacted a representative for the model, but they declined to comment.
She's got one of the most formidable physiques on the planet.

And Karlie Kloss was staying ripped on Monday as she stepped out in New York City.

The 24-year-old model headed out of her apartment looking ready for a work out - before later changing into torn denims.

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Ripped: Karlie Kloss headed out of her apartment looking ready for a work out - before later changing into torn denims

The former VS model showcased her lean limbs in black leggings, and a grey hoodie.

She kept cosy in the chilly winter weather with an additional layer - adding a quilted black coat.

The beauty re-emerged from her apartment having changed from her gym gear into ripped jeans.

Bundled up: She kept cosy in the chilly winter weather with an additional layer - adding a quilted black coat

Looking flawless make-up free, Karlie brought a wide smile and a designer handbag as her perfect accessories.

And the busy star certainly has plenty to be happy about as she continues to juggle her modeling career also being the face of Swarovski and Carolina Herrera's Good Girl campaign while studying at New York University.

She started her Monday with a business breakfast with supermodel Elle Macpherson.

Gym bunnie: The former VS model showcased her lean limbs in black leggings, and a grey hoodie

Caffeine fix: She had a hot drink in hand to perk her up

Quick change! The beauty re-emerged from her apartment having changed from her gym gear into ripped jeans

She has also been all about business lately - running her coding company, Kode With Klossy.

She spoke to Fast Company, for whom she recently graced the front cover, and discussed how she found her passion for app and coding.

Karlie said: 'I follow my nerdy passions, even if they are kind of unexpected.'

Busy: She started her Monday with a business breakfast with supermodel Elle Macpherson

Adding: 'Being true to yourself, as cheesy as that sounds, is important. If you don't enjoy what you're doingif you're pretending to be something you're notthen it's not sustainable.'

The Chicago-born stunner began spreading that interest to younger ladies, launching her own free summer coding program for girls ages 13 to 18.

She also shares coding tidbits via her YouTube channel, Klossy, on a playlist titled, 'Coding is a superpower! #CSforAll.'
She's the Australian funny woman currently filming the highly-anticipated Pitch Perfect 3.

But there was one moment during training which had a usually laughing Rebel Wilson apologising, after some slightly unpleasant stunt work.

In a video shared to Instagram on Monday, the 36-year-old actress was filmed kicking a man in his groin.

'Sorry Nico!' Rebel Wilson shared to Instagram the hilarious moment she accidentally kicks a stuntman in his privates, while rehearsing for Pitch Perfect 3

In the funny video, Rebel says '12 hours later', suggesting the uncomfortable stunt work has been taking a while to master.

The Bridesmaids actress was dressed casually in a black t-shirt and leggings, with her blonde hair back from her face in a ponytail.

The comedian is then seen turning towards her stunt training partner and kicks him decisively between the legs.

How long? Rebel says '12 hours later', suggesting the uncomfortable stunt work has been taking a while to master

No messing around: The comedian then turns towards her stunt training partner and kicks him decisively between the legs

The stuntman screams savagely after the blow and doubles over in apparent pain, leaving Rebel's fans probably wondering if the reaction was real or feigned.

A seemingly-repentant Rebel covers her mouth after the reaction.

'Sorry Nico', she captions the video, also adding the hashtags 'Pitch Perfect 3' and 'Stunt Training'.

Just a really good actor? The stuntman screams savagely after the blow and doubles over in apparent pain, leaving Rebel's fans probably wondering if the reaction was real or feigned

Rebel's behind-the-scenes sneak peak comes after news broke that she will be joined by another Australian actress in the film series.

Ruby Rose is set to appear alongside Rebel in the third installment of the Pitch Perfect franchise, to hit cinemas at the end of 2017.

Having made a quickfire name for herself as the go-to action girl in Hollywood, Ruby is set to emulate girlfriend Jess Origliasso and smash out the songs to establish her triple threat status on a global stage.

It's an aca-invasion! Rebel's behind the scenes sneak peak comes after news broke that she will be joined by another Australian actress in the film series

Already in full promotional mode for her role alongside Vin Diesel in XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Variety reports that Ruby is set to jump aboard a different kind of cinematic juggernaut, and get in on the acapela action.

The news that Ruby will ditch the action and head back to her musical roots to join the aca-pitches confirms a hint she posted on Instagram eight weeks ago.

Back in October, Ruby posted a snap of her smiling alongside Pitch Perfect star and producer Elizabeth Banks with the cryptic message 'This BABE is everything... what are we up to?'

The answer it seems was signing up for Pitch Perfect 3.
She joined the cast of Neighbours in mid 2015 as 17-year-old Piper Willis.

Now, Mavournee Hazel is already eyeing her first big international career move and the shadow of Margot Robbie looms over her decision.

The 20-year-old actress has told TV Tonight that while she always planned to work in England, the temptation to follow Margot to Hollywood is real.

Mini Margot? Mavournee is already eyeing her first big international career move and the shadow of Margot Robbie looms over her decision

Hollywood temptress: The 20-year-old actress has told TV Tonight that while she always planned to work in England, the temptation to follow Margot to Hollywood is real

'I don't know if I will go to the UK or do the whole pilot season US and try to follow Margot's footsteps,' she told the website.

Mazournee said the expectation levels on the current batch of Ramsay St residents are set very high thanks to the career trajectories of their most famous alumni, particularly the Suicide Squad star.

'[When I am] meeting people outside work and they find out I'm on Neighbours, they say, 'Oh Margot Robbieeee!''

Poor Piper: Mavournee Hazel joined the cast of Neighbours in mid 2015 as 17-year-old Piper Willis

Stars in their eyes: Mazournee said the expectation levels on the current batch of Ramsay St residents are set very high thanks to the career trajectories of their most famous alumni, particularly the Suicide Squad star

The Adelaide native always dreamed of acting while working in a fruit and veg shop growing up and attended the Ann Peters School of Acting followed with courses run by McLeod's Daughters alumni Doris Younane.

She risked her savings and her position at Sydney Uni to travel repeatedly to Melbourne in order to audition for the Melbourne based soap, but the gamble paid off.

Now she is steaming up our televisions with her on-screen relationship with older man Tyler Brennan played by 24-year-old Travis Burns, a forbidden love that fans have dubbed Typer.

Scanning the horizon: The Adelaide native always dreamed of acting while working in a fruit and veg shop growing up and attended the Ann Peters School of Acting followed with courses run by McLeod's Daughters alumni Doris Younane

Ramsay Street's new local: She risked her savings and her position at Sydney Uni to travel repeatedly to Melbourne in order to audition for the Melbourne based soap, but the gamble paid off

Screen sirens: The young actress (right) would be happy to follow in Margot's (left) footsteps

Although she walks in the footsteps of Margot, it is her Suicide Squad co-star Ezra Miller who she cites as her acting hero, saying she seeks to emulate his style of performance.

She also gratefully acknowledges the support of her castmates in Erinsborough, Olympia Valance, Colette Mann and Rebekah Elmaloglou who have helped her negotiate the new world of red carpets, photo shoots and personal styling.

One eye remains firmly fixed overseas however, and she is leaving her options open, telling TV Tonight she has 'a good platform in the UK because of the show, but also in the US, so they are both very much on-par for me.'

Marg-no: Although she walks in the footsteps of Margot, it is her Suicide Squad co-star Ezra Miller who she cites as her acting hero, saying she seeks to emulate his style of performance

Guiding lights: She also gratefully acknowledges the support of her castmates in Erinsborough, Olympia Valance, Colette Mann and Rebekah Elmaloglou who have helped her negotiate the new world of red carpets, photo shoots and personal styling

Next project: One eye remains firmly fixed overseas however, and she is leaving her options open, telling TV Tonight she has 'a good platform in the UK because of the show, but also in the US, so they are both very much on-par for me'

Mavournee has previously spoken about how she strives to match Margot's work ethic on the Neighbours set.

She told news.com.au in August that 'Margot's work ethic (on Neighbours) was impeccable. She always arrived on set knowing her lines.

'Being where Margot has been I'm trying to replicate that.'

Work it like Margot: Mavournee told news.com.au that 'Margot's work ethic was impeccable. She always arrived on set knowing her lines.

Mimicking Margot: 'Being where Margot has been I'm trying to replicate that'

Margot made her acting breakthrough on Neighbours as Donna Freedman, appearing as a regular character between June 2008 and January 2011.

She made waves when it was revealed that Donna was bisexual and engaged in a same sex kiss with Sunny.

Her biggest Erinsborough moment was her wedding to Ringo, when she walked down the aisle to Suddenly, the same song to which Neighbours icons Scott and Charlene had married.

She got her Hollywood break in the short-lived series Pan Am, but it was her role in the Wolf of Wall Street opposite Leonardo DiCaprio that shot her to international stardom.

Bella Donna: Margot made her acting breakthrough on Neighbours as Donna Freedman, appearing as a regular charcter between June 2008 and January 2011

Everyone loves Margot: She made waves when it was revealed that Donna was bisexual and engaged in a same sex kiss with Sunny

On screen wedding: Her biggest Erinsborough moment was her wedding to Ringo, when she walked down the aisle to Suddenly, the same song to which Neighbours icons Scott and Charlene had married - following the obligatory car trouble
He celebrated his tenth wedding anniversary a fortnight ago by sharing a sweet flashback photo to Instagram.

And on Monday, Dave 'Hughesy' Hughes has posted before and after shots on his social media demonstrating the truth of holidays in Hong Kong.

In the two consecutive posts, the comedian uses a rickshaw to demonstrate who does all the heavy lifting, trading place with his three kids between the photos.

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'How it should be': Comedian Dave 'Hughesy' Hughes has posted before and after shots on his social media demonstrating the truth of holidays in Hong Kong with his three kids on Monday

'How it is': The second shot showed just who was doing the heavy lifting as his young passengers smiled at his wife Holly, who was presumably behing the camera

The first shot, captioned 'How it should be', shows Hughesy lounging in the back of the rickshaw as his three children - Rafferty, 7, Sadie, 5, and Tess who will be 3 on Sunday - stand in position to pull him along.

Minutes later he posted a near identical shot, with the roles reversed - Hughesy was now pulling the rickshaw, packed with his three kids.

'How it is,' he captioned the second shot, adding: 'with a bit of help from the photographer' - presumably a reference to his wife Holly who is not in the shot.

Hughes on tour: The Hughes family are holidaying in the Chinese city before he returns to Australia to resume his Deluded comedy tour

The photos were taken on Old Hong Kong Street at Ocean Park, a tourist attraction that allows visitors to experience what the city was like in the '50s, '60s and '70s.

The Hughes family are holidaying in the Chinese city before he returns to Australia to resume his Deluded comedy tour.

He replied to one fan in the comments that Hong Kong was a 'great place' to spend a week.

Family photos: Hughesy often posts images of his family to Instragram, including his wife Holly and his three children Rafferty ,7, Sadie, 5, and Tess who will be 3 on Sunday

Comedy commentary: The former Project host has been maintaining a steady stream of posts from Hong Kong. In one shot, he posted a picture of a sign promoting 'Homeless & sidekick lifestyle / furtniture store' with the caption 'Where do they put it?'

Doggy style: Dave's first shot from the holiday was of a small sand box marked as a 'dog latrine' by a sign, which he captioned 'Must breed a more civilised class of bow wow in Hong Kong'

The former Project host has been maintaining a steady stream of posts from Hong Kong, some comedic, others full of praise.

In one shot, he posted a picture of a sign promoting 'Homeless & sidekick lifestyle / furtniture store' with the caption 'Where do they put it?'

Earlier, his first shot from the holiday was of a small sand box marked as a 'dog latrine' by a sign, which he captioned 'Must breed a more civilised class of bow wow in Hong Kong.'

'Best brunch in Hong Kong surely': The celebrated vegan posted a snap of this dish, listed on the Armani / Aqua menu as 'For the grand finale, feast your eyes on our show-stopping signature sweet platter featuring our Homemade tiramisu, molten lava chocolate cake, aqua yuzu pana cotta and wild berry 'Sakura Forest' dessert and lashings more.'

On another occasion the celebrate vegan posted a shot of his dessert in the up market Italian Japanese restaurant Armani / Aqua.

The final course on the restaurants (sic) 'brunch' menu - yes brunch - is listed as: 'For the grand finale, feast your eyes on our show-stopping signature sweet platter featuring our Homemade tiramisu, molten lava chocolate cake, aqua yuzu pana cotta and wild berry 'Sakura Forest' dessert and lashings more.'

Hughesy rightfully captioned it 'Best brunch in Hong Kong surely.'

Another shot shows the comedian's children once again, this time playing on the beach with the caption: 'Dropping in on cousin Joe's hood.'

Following in his footsteps: Another shot shows the comedian's children once again, this time playing on the beach with the caption 'Dropping in on cousin Joe's hood'
She's the Australian actress making her mark in Hollywood, starring in a popular show about vampires.

But Phoebe Tonkin is going swap actress mode to activist mode as she reveals she is set to take part in feminist anti-Trump movement, the Women's March, which will take place the day after the President-elect's inauguration.

The Aussie-born stunner revealed her protest plans to Fairfax Media while attending the Portsea Polo last weekend, who has made not secret of her feelings on the issue across social media.

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Raising her voice! Australian actress Phoebe Tonkin will march in protest against President-elect Donald Trump after string of online attacks against him

Following a series of anti-Trump outbursts, The Originals star explained she was taking part to protest the hateful language that came out of the election last year.

'I would have walked around the block in my street if I had to to support it,' Phoebe said.

'It's about giving voices to those who don't necessarily think they have voices,' the 27-year-old beauty added.

Not a fan: Phoebe has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump on social media, with the majority of tweets to her million Twitter followers devoted to criticising his actions and policies

'It's about giving voices to those who don't necessarily think they have voices': The Originals star is taking part to protest the hateful language that came out of the election last year

Phoebe has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump on social media, with the majority of tweets to her million Twitter followers devoted to criticising his actions and policies.

She previously questioned why fellow Australian actress Caitlin Stasey was censored on Instagram but he was not.

After audio of The Apprentice star talking about women in lewd terms leaked, Phoebe tweeted: 'We live in a world where Donald Trump can grab women by the p**sy and run for POTUS but @caitlinstasey can't post her gorgeous tits on insta.'

Outspoken: She previously questioned why fellow Australian actress Caitlin Stasey was censored on Instagram but a potential President is not

Critical: Last month she also blasted Donald for not talking about the crisis in Syria, tweeting pictures of injured children to the president-elect's account

Last month she also blasted Donald for not talking about the crisis in Syria, tweeting pictures of injured children to the President-elect's account.

'U R the future President of the USA, why have U not talked about #aleppo @realdonaldtrump these kids are the same age as ur grandchilden (sic),' Phoebe wrote.

Fan: The brunette beauty makes no secret of her admiration of Hillary, sharing a black and white picture of the presidential candidate to Instagram during a debate

The brunette beauty makes no secret of her admiration of Hillary, sharing a black and white picture of the presidential candidate to Instagram during a debate.

The actress has been in Australia since December, holidaying with family.

She is based in Los Angeles and has been dating The Vampire Diaries co-star Paul Wesley since 2013.
She's expecting a second child with actor Guillaume Canet.

And Marion Cotillard looked positively glowing as she arrived at the Chaumet's Cocktail Party and Dinner for Cesar's Revelations in Paris on Monday.

The Allied star, 41, showcased her bump in a snugly-fitting crisp shirt dress.

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Yummy mummy: Marion Cotillard looked positively glowing as she arrived at the Chaumet's Cocktail Party and Dinner for Cesar's Revelations in Paris on Monday

Leggy: The Allied star, 41, showcased her bump in a snugly-fitting crisp shirt dress

The black frock featured lacy cut-out panels to the side, flashing a glimpse of her legs.

Secured across her cute bump with a waist elastic, Marion oozed understated elegance.

And adding height to her stature, she opted for a pair of sensible strappy sandals.

Looking polished: She wore her raven bob in slick 20s style pin curls

Model material: Adding height to her stature, she opted for a pair of sensible strappy sandals, embellished with silver detailing

United front: She posed alongside her handsome husband Guillaume Canet - who looked slick and suave in a crisp white shirt and black suit

Glowing: The actress looked truly stunning once inside the bash, laughing and chatting happily to the guests present

Covering up against the chill in an oversized anorak bomber, she posed alongside fellow French actress Marilyn Lima.

Marion and husband Guillaume are currently promoting their latest film Rock'N'Roll together, having previously played a couple in 2003's Love Me If You Dare and began dating later in 2007.

They have reportedly been friends since the 1990s, and starred together again in 2009's The Last Flight.

Chic: The black frock featured lacy cut-out panels to the side, flashing a glimpse of her legs

The French way: Secured across her cute bump with a waist elastic, Marion oozed understated elegance

Their first child was born in May 2011 and their second is expected later this year after the public announcement about the pregnancy last September.

With it, came her response to reports that she was involved in the divorce of her Allied co-star Brad Pitt, and the mother of his children, Angelina Jolie.

A defiant Marion said in a social media post that Guillaume was 'the only one that [she] needed'.

Meanwhile Johnny Depp's daughter Lily Rose Depp, 17, also put in an appearance at the dinner party.

Picture of class: She layered a chic black cape on top of her look for further warmth

Stylish duo: Covering up against the chill in an oversized anorak bomber, she posed alongside fellow French actress Marilyn Lima

Old-school glamour: The girls exuded glamour and class as they posed side by side once inside

Rocking an androgynous suit and loose tie, her brunette locks were styled into loose curls which framed her features as she prepared to celebrate acting talent.

Lily has been enjoying some quality time in Paris with her mother, Vanessa Paradis over the past week.

She featured in three movies in 2016, the most acting credits she's amassed in a single year.

Her third role was as Colleen Collette in the horror comedy Yoga Hosers, a role she has been announced to reprise in the upcoming film of the same genre, Moose Jaws.

The film will also see Lily acting opposite her famous father, Johnny.

Ready for her close-up Marion plumped her pout with a dusky rose lip and framed her eyes with smokey eyeshadow

Power dressing: Lily Rose Depp channelled Karl Lagerfeld in an androgynous suit at the Chaumet's Cocktail Party and Dinner for Cesar's Revelations in Paris on Monday

Twice as nice: She and Lily-Rose cosied up together once inside
Last month she sent pulses racing with a festive topless snap.

And Rhian Sugden started 2017 proving her fitness resolutions were in full swing, as she flaunted her toned physique in a skimpy ensemble.

Posting a snap to her Instagram on Monday, the former glamour model, 30, showcased her enviable abs in a revealing ensemble.

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Racy! Rhian Sugden started 2017 proving her fitness resolutions were in full swing, as she flaunted her toned physique in a skimpy ensemble

Flaunting her slender waist in the mirror selfie, she wore nothing but a pair of white Calvin Klein pants and a bright pink crop top.

The outfit made the most of her lean pins and ample cleavage.

'#GymBrag. I feel it's acceptable to gym brag when it's a new fitness regime and it took every ounce of effort in me just to get there! #slinkymalinki #gymw**ker', she captioned the snap.

Just desserts: Rhian, 30,. went completely TOPLESS for a very sexy festive selfie as she covered her modesty with xmas pudding emojis on Twitter last month

In December she shared a selfie of herself wearing nothing but silver briefs as she went completely topless.

Rhian covered her modesty with two Christmas pudding emojis as she worked her magic in front of the lens.

The pretty brunette, who is engaged to former Coronation Street actor Oliver Mellor no doubt delighted her 325k followers with her giggly snap.

She captioned the image with the words: 'It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmaaaaaas.'

Rhian and Oliver have recently returned from a saucy holiday to Amsterdam, where she was pictured enjoying a rude novelty lollipop.

She also shared a beach babe in a daringly plunging swimsuit, posted last week.

Taking the plunge: Rhian recently flaunted her ample assets once again in a sexy black one-piece in a sizzling Instagram snap

The blonde beauty wore her golden hair in polished curls that effortlessly framed her features, which she highlighted with a sweep of bronzer and a nude lip.

Fixing a sultry pout at the camera, Rhian flaunted every inch of her enviably trim physique in the sexy black one-piece.

She captioned the shot: 'Dreaming of being in the sunshine somewhere in my @lacefromreyn swimsuit!' And Rhian was up to her old tricks again last week as illustrated in a sizzling video posted to her page

The glamour model shed all inhibitions as she stripped off to just a pair of tiny red knickers while holding on to her chest.

Oopsie! Rhian Sugden is naturally keen to show off her attributes, as illustrated in a sizzling video posted to social media

Rhian, who boasts a whopping 185,000 followers on the photosharing site, ensures her social media feeds are littered with the sauciest snaps possible.

Her latest sexy shot saw the blonde beauty slip down to just her knickers in the Boomerang video which she captioned: 'Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle ....'

With her bold blonde tresses scraped into a high chignon with tendrils cascading around her face, she seemed to go make-up free.

She pulled a cheeky face into the camera as she poked out her tongue while heightening her shoulders and pouting away.

Sexier than ever: The model, who became embroiled in a sexting scandal with Vernon Kay earlier this year, shed all inhibitions as she stripped off to just a pair of tiny red knickers while holding on to her chest

Blue babe: Rhian, who boasts a whopping 185,000 followers on the photosharing site, ensures her social media feeds are littered with the sauciest snaps possible

Coordinating her knickers to her vampish crimson manicure, it seems Rhian had her sexy clip all planned out ahead of shooting the video in a mirror.

Rhian's post comes after she was embroiled in a second sexting scandal with married DJ and TV presenter Vernon.

Speaking about their relationship, Rhian claimed the pair had got back in touch in December, after a break of six years, which felt like an 'old friendship coming back'.

Shocking stuff: Rhian's sexy video comes after she was embroiled in a second sexting scandal with married DJ and TV presenter Vernon

Old friends: Speaking about their relationship, Rhian claimed the pair had got back in touch in December, after a break of six years, which felt like an 'old friendship coming back'

Back in 2010, Vernon was forced to make a public apology to his wife Tess Daly on Radio 1 and subsequently promised he would no longer contact Rhian or four other women he had been caught messaging at the time.

But earlier this year, the busty blonde revealed she was still speaking with the star, and even claimed he had asked her to meet up.

Vernon claimed at the time of the allegations that the Whatsapp messages he sent to Rhian asking to meet had been taken out of context, that he had done 'nothing wrong' and that his wife was completely aware of all contact.

Sorry: Back in 2010, Vernon was forced to make a public apology to his wife Tess Daly on Radio 1 and subsequently promised he would no longer contact Rhian or four other women he had been caught messaging at the time
Model Ashley Hart lives in the USA now but she's popped back home to Sydney this past week to work on a top secret project with her model sister Jessica.

The 26-year-old has made the most of her trip, fitting in visits to Bondi, hitting the beach and stopping in for a local yoga session.

Ashley shared an image of her workout to her Instagram story in which she's doing a difficult yoga move balanced on the feet of instructor Abria Joseph.

Flying high: Ashley shared an image of her workout to her Instagram story in which she's doing a difficult yoga move balanced on the feet of instructor Abria Joseph

The model wears a purple and leopard print bikini that shows off her toned physique as she takes her flexibility and balance skills to the limit.

Popular yoga teacher Abria Joseph holds the stunner up on his feet as she curves her body round and grabs her on feet from behind.

The blonde took in another yoga session on Tuesday with Bondi based instructor Adam Whiting.

She and friend Caroline Hgh Groth who describes herself as a 'self taught yogi' were shown pulling some balancing moves on the pavement outside the class.

Working out: She and friend Caroline Hgh Groth who describes herself as a 'self taught yogi' were shown pulling some balancing moves on the pavement outside the class

Catching rays: It's a quick trip for the Los Angeles-based stunner, who said, 'I flew myself home to Melbourne and jumped up to Sydney for a couple of days to have some sun'

Meanwhile, the good living enthusiast has revealed she and her big sister Jessica are working together on a health and wellness project.

Ashley revealed the news to The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, but didn't detail the top-secret project.

'I can't say much more than that for now,' the 26-year-old blonde told the publication. 'But it is exciting to be working with my sister again'.

Secret project: The good living enthusiast has revealed she and her big sister Jessica are working together on a health and wellness project

It's a quick trip for the Los Angeles-based stunner, who said, 'I flew myself home to Melbourne and jumped up to Sydney for a couple of days to have some sun'.

Ashley will soon head back to the US to reunite with her husband, Buck Palmer, to whom she wed in 2015.
The final episode of Sherlock was watched live by just 5.9million viewers  the lowest in its history and fewer than Antiques Roadshow or Countryfile

It was supposed to be a dramatic climax. In the end it was a damp squib.

The final episode of Sherlock was watched live by just 5.9million viewers  the lowest in its history and fewer than Antiques Roadshow or Countryfile.

The figure was a marked slump from New Years Day, when 8.1 million Britons tuned into Sherlock.

And an even bigger fall from the series height in 2014, when nearly 13 million tuned in to see how Benedict Cumberbatchs character survive an apparently fatal fall.

By contrast, Sunday nights episode of Antiques Roadshow beat Sherlock by 7,000 viewers, while Countryfile pulled in 6.7million.

Frustrated fans of the literary detective complained that the shows storylines had become too confusing and that the finale  entitled the Final problem  was totally over the top.

[Creator] Steven Moffat spends too much time trying to be too clever for his own good, said one viewer on Twitter.

Another branded the series as ridiculous.

But BBC insiders claimed the reason the ratings slump is partly because more and more people are recording shows to watch later, or viewing them on catch-up services.

According to consolidated ratings published on Monday - which include those who record the show and watch it later  9.5million people have actually watched the final episode of Sherlock.

The figure was a marked slump from New Years Day, when 8.1 million Britons tuned into Sherlock

The broadcaster would be forgiven for wondering if Russian hackers also had an effect.

A surprising new front opened in Britains apparent Cold War with Moscow on Saturday, after the Russian-language version of The Final Problem was leaked and circulated online.

The BBC has launched an investigation into whether Sherlocks Russian broadcaster deliberately released the programme, or whether it was simply stolen by Russian hackers.

The leaked episode included a continuity announcement identifying it as a Channel One broadcast  the channel which has the local rights.

BBC insiders said yesterday that the working assumption was that the leak was malicious  a reflection of growing tensions between the Kremlin and the UK broadcaster.

However, they added that it could be one of Russias army of hackers rather than an inside job by the Moscow broadcaster.

A long-lost ring shown on Antiques Roadshow. This belonged to British missionary Jane Haining who died in Auschwitz

The BBC said it has strict security measures in place to stop these sorts of leaks happening by accident. BBC Worldwide takes breaches of our stringent content security protocols very seriously and we have initiated a full investigation into how this leak has occurred, a spokesman said.

Channel One denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the programme was stolen by someone outside the company.

Initial investigations suggest our content system was compromised by an unauthorised external third party, it said in a statement.

Channel One Russia has been cooperating with BBC Worldwide from the moment we were alerted to the appearance of the leaked episode and we are doing everything in our power to determine the source of the breach.

Whether it was the broadcaster or not, the leak has already placed the BBCs relationship with Russia under extra strain.

Tensions have been rising since 2015, when the BBC unveiled plans to launch a Russian-language TV channel to help counter the growing tide of propaganda by Russias English-language news service, RT.

And they intensified further last October, when RT  which was formerly known as Russia Today - complained that NatWest had suspended its bank accounts.

At the time, Russias foreign minister Maria Zakharova accused the bank of blocking the accounts in order to help the BBC, saying that the suspension reeked of the broadcaster.

Sunday nights episode of Antiques Roadshow beat Sherlock by 7,000 viewers, while Countryfile pulled in 6.7million

She also issued a thinly veiled threat to get revenge, writing on social media: Why did they do this? So that a nasty taste stayed behind. I wish the BBC Russian service luck. They will need it now because digging stuff up can be a diverting and unpredictable business.

But if the BBC was braced for reprisals, it is unlikely to have predicted an attack on Sherlock  who has an almost iconic status in Moscow.

Translations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyles were hugely popular in the Soviet Union, and a local TV adaption in the late 1970s and 1980s became one of the most successful series ever shown on Russian television. Its lead actor, Vasily Levanov, won an OBE for his turn as the literary detective.

Many Russians regard the series as the finest Sherlock adaptation in existence - so whilst the latest BBC version has been hugely successful in Russia, it has also piqued Moscow egos.

The leaked programme first surfaced on an obscure Russian website, and has been widely shared on Russian websites and vk.com  the Russian-language version of Facebook.

Insiders were unable to put a figure on how much monetary damage the breach has caused. It will depend on how many people outside Russia watched it and decided not to tune in [when it finally aired], a BBC source said.
He confirmed his rekindled romance with model Rebecca Harding earlier this year.

But it seems 2DayFM radio host Andy Lee, 35, is determined not the reborn relationship, having confirmed that he won't be getting down on one knee any time soon.

Appearing at the Portsea Polo on Saturday, Andy was asked by the Sydney Morning Herald whether he would propose to his much younger girlfriend this year.

Andy Lee has confirmed he won't be popping the question to on-off girlfriend Rebecca Harding this year

'No', he jovially responded, as Rebecca, 25, reportedly laughed and shook her head.

'I propose that we keep on drinking and enjoy today,' Andy added.

He went on to joke that he is too busy tied up in his 'marriage' with long-term radio co-host Hamish Blake.

Touche! 'I propose that we keep on drinking and enjoy today,' Andy added

The couple, who met at a Melbourne cafe where Rebecca worked last year, dated for 18 months before parting ways last year.

According to a November report in Woman's Day, the funnyman had since come to regret their relationship ending.

'They split because he has commitment issues - she wanted to take their relationship to the next level but he wasn't ready,' a source told the publication.

On off couple: The couple, who met at a Melbourne cafe where Rebecca worked last year, dated for 18 months before parting ways last year

'They may have been dating for 18 months but it was telling they weren't living together.

'But he's realised he made a mistake and has been desperate to win her back.'

The pair were also spotted getting extremely friendly at Derby Day in Melbourne, with Andy holding her hand and kissing Rebecca on the cheek.

They finally came clean about their rekindled relationship in December.
Sarah Paulson was spotted arriving to the set of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in New York City on Monday night.

Her appearance on the show comes just before the scheduled release later this month of her latest feature film, Rebel in the Rye.

Paulson, 42, will play the late Dorothy Olding, the literary agent for JD Salinger who rose to fame with his novel The Catcher in the Rye.

Looking sharp: Sarah Paulson was spotted arriving to the set of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in New York City on Monday night

In addition to her role in the biographical drama about the reclusive author, Paulson will also return this year to FX's American Horror Story.

Having played a number of roles on the fan-favorite horror drama, it remains to be seen what the Golden Globe winner will bring to season seven of the hit show.

Loyal viewers will just have to wait and see, as the series doesn't return until September, according to IMDB.

Playing a great: Her appearance on the show comes just before the scheduled release later this month of her latest feature film, Rebel in the Rye

Rebel in the Rye: Paulson, 42, will play the late Dorothy Olding, the literary agent for JD Salinger who rose to fame with his novel The Catcher in the Rye

In the meantime, The People v OJ Simpson star is busy filming Ocean's Eight, the fourth installment of the casino heist series that started with Ocean's Eleven, made famous by George Clooney and Brad Pitt's revival of the 1960s Rat Pack flick by the same name.

This time around the lead cast is an all-female, star-studded team of thieves, who will carry out their mission on the silver screen in 2018.

The movie features a roster led by Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett, and including Awkwafina, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Adriana Lima, Rihanna and Anna Wintour.

Fan love: Before diving in, the actor and producer met with fans outside the studio and posed for photos while signing memorabilia

All of that made for lots to discuss with funny man Stephen Colbert. Before diving in, the actor and producer met with fans outside the studio and posed for photos while signing memorabilia.

She wore a knee-length structured dress with a scoop neck in all black. The full sleeves flared at the end, echoed by the line of the pleated skirt.

Paulson topped off her look with simple gold earrings and leopard print, pointed-toe hells. She wore a smokey eye, dewy cheeks and a rose lip.

Paulson's appearance on the The Late Show airs Monday at 11:35 PM eastern and Rebel in the Rye hits theaters January 24.
She began her modelling career at just 14 after entering a New Zealand competition in 1998.

But Nikki Phillips had less success winning over peers at school and has revealed a frightful incident with bullies that forced her to drop out after one peer cut her with a knife.

The 33-year-old spoke candidly about being bullied in high school during a Date With Kate interview with Kate Waterhouse over the weekend.

'One girl cut me with a craft knife': Nikki Phillips recalls unpopular status in high school and how bullies forced her to drop out early in a Date With Kate interview on Sunday

The model admits she was always a country kid at heart, but was relentlessly picked on after she started modelling.

'I was in a popular group, but I was like the loser in the popular group I started modelling pretty early and got bullied like nothing on Earth,' she added.

She said the bullying reached fever pitch when she was in her final year of high school.

'I was like the loser in the popular group': The model revealed she had a rough time finding genuine friends in school after she began modelling

'I actually left school early [at the beginning of year 12] because one girl cut me with a craft knife,' Nikki revealed to lifestyle blogger Kate.

Nikki was previously attacked by the public for opening up about her cervical cancer diagnosis in Cleo Magazine.

She said she deals with criticism by building a wall and staying happy and content within her own life.

New life in Australia! In 2002, shortly after her high school incident, Nikki moved to Australia to pursue work at a modelling agency booking talent before clients began to ask her: 'Are you available?'

In 2002, shortly after her high school incident, Nikki moved to Australia to pursue work at a modelling agency booking talent.

However, her potential was spotted by clients: 'I would be booking models [for clients] but they would be like, "Well, are you available?"' she said.

Enjoying a successful model career since, she reminisced on a Dolce & Gabbana show in Germany with Gisele [Bundchen] as a particular highlight.
She arrived in Sydney on Sunday after visiting her home city of Melbourne.

And Ashley Hart was spotted enjoying a morning dip at Bondi Icebergs on Tuesday for the second day in a row.

The 28-year-old took advantage of the gorgeous weather by flaunting her enviable gym-honed frame in a skimpy bikini at the beachside pool.

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Sizzling! Model Ashley Hart flaunts taut abs and pert posterior in skimpy swimwear as she enjoys dip at Sydney's Bondi Icebergs on Tuesday before performing acro yoga in bikini

The leopard print and bright patterned swimsuit showcased the slender star's cleavage with a bralet style backing.

The low-cut bottoms showed off her taut abs and trim pins, while the back of the swimmers provided a glimpse of her pert posterior.

Ashley was seen tussling her fingers through her damp hair as she held her phone up with her finger over the home button.

Cheeky! The low-cut bottoms showed off her sculptured legs , while providing a glimpse of her pert posterior in the cheeky cut

After making her way out of the pool, the sister of Jessica Hart showed off her passion for fitness by performing impromptu yoga.

Outside the swanky hangout she mounted her friend's legs to perform an impressive acro yoga pose balancing only on the soles of his feet.

The Melbourne-born bombshell bent backwards with ease into Bow Pose as she held her feet with her hands and continued to smile.

Stunning! The slender model rested on her friend's feet and bent backwards into her acro yoga Bow Pose with ease, smiling a big grin the entire time

The Blonde beauty left the venue carrying a pair of trainers and a Chanel tote bag, while draping her towel over her shoulders.

Ashley looked effortlessly cool while sporting no makeup, with a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses shielding her eyes.

She later attended Rachael Finch's blogger book launch for her Happy Healthy Strong release at About Life.

Beach chic! Ashley looked effortlessly cool while sporting no makeup, as she left the venue with a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses shielding her eyes

Ashley's outing comes after she flew in from Melbourne, where she had spent the past week catching up with friends and family.

Last week, she took to Instagram to share a candid snap of herself with her grandfather.

'My definition of Heaven #Breakfastinbed with #Grandpa (sic),' the US-based star captioned the upbeat photo.

Back home: Ashley's visit to Sydney comes after she made a trip to Melbourne, where she spent time with her grandfather (pictured)

It appears Ashley's husband, Buck Palmer, has not joined her for the trip back to Australia.

The couple eloped last year, with the Just Jeans model telling the Herald Sun: 'We did this really spontaneous, just-the-two-of-us wedding which was beautiful. I am Mrs Palmer.'

'We went totally boho, it was totally us and was perfect,' said Ashley, before adding that she wore 'a vintage, long flowy dress and we wore Akubras.'
She's riding high after finding love on television with Lee Elliott.

And now Georgia Love has quashed rumours her relationship with the plumber is under contract for a certain period, telling Mamamia: 'There are no contractual obligations'.

Social media speculation that there was a contractual time period for Bachelor lovebirds was rife after reality TV couples Sam Frost and Sasha Mielczarek split in December after 18 months together, the same amount of time as Blake Garvey and Louise Pillidge.

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'There are no contractual obligations': George Love slams rumours she is under contract with Lee Elliott, after speculation Sam Frost and Sash Mielczarek were forced to stay together for an 18 month minimum

The former WIN journalist, who has been packing on the PDA with Lee since the show's finale, told the website the rumour irritated her.

'That really annoyed me, actually, was the reports that Sam and Sasha announced their split after 18 months together because they were contracted to stay together for 18 months,' Georgia said.

While the 27-year-old said she hadn't seen Sasha or Sam's agreements with Channel Ten, if it was like hers there was no minimum time on their relationships, she said.

Split: Loved-up pair Sasha and Sam announced they were ended their relationship after 18 months together in December

Broken up: Blake and Louise also parted ways after a year and a half together

'I dont know what contract they had, but Im pretty sure its the same as mine...and there is no contractual obligation whatsoever to stay together two minutes after the show, let alone for 18 months,' Georgia said.

'So, for the record, there are no contractual obligations.'

It's not the first time Georgia decided to defend the show and her place on it.

'That really annoyed me': Georgia told Mamamia the rumours about Sam and Sasha's relationship irritated her

Before The Bachelorette had even aired, the regional newsreader faced speculation she was only participating to raise her profile nationally.

She labelled these rumours 'offensive' during an interview withThe Sydney Morning Herald in September.

'They're very hurtful,' Georgia said.

Supported her: Georgia and Lee have been inseparable, with her beau notably supporting her as she guest hosted The Project

'I've taken a massive risk. To suggest I'm putting myself in this vulnerable position for short-term fame is quite offensive. Yes, it's a public forum  but I'm doing this for personal reasons.'

Since appearing on the reality show, Georgia and Lee have been inseparable, with her beau notably supporting her as she guest hosted Studio Ten and The Project.

Lee also organised a fundraiser for pancreatic cancer research after Georgia's mother tragically died of the disease last year.

The couple most recently put on a loved up display while attending Portsea Polo last Saturday.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Ten for comment.
The siblings are separated by 15 years of age.

But that didn't stop Kim Kardashian, 36, and sister Kendall Jenner, 21, from dressing alike as they headed to the set of Ocean's Eight in New York City on Monday night.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians stars mirrored each other's sexy look as they both stepped out in sheer lace gowns for their big-screen cameo.

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Similar looks: Kim Kardashian, 36, and sister Kendall Jenner, 21, dressed alike as they headed to the set of Ocean's Eight in New York City on Monday night

Twinning! The Keeping Up With The Kardashians stars mirrored each other's sexy look as they both stepped out in sheer lace gowns for their big-screen cameo, likely the Met Gala scene

The reality TV stars are liking to be appearing in the upcoming film's star-studded Met Gala scene.

The plot of the highly-anticipated movie has been kept under wraps, and it isn't set for release until summer 2018.

Kim chose to wear white for the evening while Kendall opted for a silver hue of a very similar design.

However, the elder Kardashian's frock was nearly completely sheer and didn't leave much to the imagination.

Sexy! The eldest Kardashian's frock was nearly completely sheer and didn't leave much to the imagination

White hot: The mother-of-two looked super sexy in the all white look

Confident lady: Kim's petite and trim pins were on display beneath the see-through fabric which featured floral embroidery

Baby, it's cold outside! The fashionista topped off the provocative look with a cropped white fur coat and her make-up and hair were styled to perfection

Kim's petite and trim pins were on display beneath the see-through fabric which featured floral embroidery.

The fashionista topped off the provocative look with a cropped white fur coat and her make-up and hair were styled to perfection.

Kendall's dress was a little more demure yet similarly sheer toward the bottom showing off her famous runway legs.

A little less see-through: Kendall's silver dress was a little more demure yet similarly sheer toward the bottom showing off her famous runway legs

Lovely in lace: The gorgeous metallic gown featured an intricately embroidered design from head to toe

Glammed-up! Both beauties were styled to perfection in their matching looks

Details: The supermodel swept her tresses up in a classy style to show off large diamond earrings and her make-up was also ultra glamorous

The gorgeous metallic gown featured an intricately embroidered design from head to toe.

The top half of the design came complete with a mini-cape, and fit snuggling around her trim waistline before fanning out in an A-line skirt which featured a small train.

The supermodel swept her tresses up in a classy style to show off large diamond earrings and her make-up was also ultra glamorous.

Kim and Kendall were also joined by their youngest sister Kylie Jenner, who was also included in the Kardashian cameo for Ocean's Eight.

Don't forget about her! Kim and Kendall were also joined by their youngest sister, Kylie Jenner, who was also included in the Kardashian cameo for Ocean's Eight

Her own style: The 19-year-old opted for a completely different and more casual look which included a black velvet jumpsuit and a two-tone Camouflaged ski jacket

All together: Kim took to Snapchat to update her followers from the back seat of a car while the trio headed to set

Silly siblings: Kim shared a couple images of herself flanked by her younger siblings and all appeared in high spirits

Graceful in lace: The pair posed demurely for several Snapchats as Kylie took videos of them

However her style was decidedly her own and much more casual than her older sisters.

The 19-year-old opted for a black velvet turtleneck jumpsuit and bundled up beneath a two-tone Camouflaged ski jacket.

Kim took to Snapchat to update her followers from the back seat of a car while they headed to set.

Kim shared a couple images of herself flanked by her younger siblings and all appeared in high spirits.

Meanwhile, Kim just returned from a whirlwind three-day tour of Dubai, but she didn't show any signs of jet lag as she was spotted out and about in NYC earlier on Monday.

Flashback: In this Instagram from Tuesday Kim thanked a skin specialist in Dubai for saving her skin as she continues to suffer from psoriasis

Entourage: The reality star also shared this photo of her with her assistant and pal Simon Huck

Back stateside! Kim just returned from a whirlwind three-day tour of Dubai and didn't show any signs of jet lag as she was spotted out and about in NYC earlier on Monday

The reality TV star left her more conservative look back in the United Arab Emirates, and opted to flash her ample cleavage now that she was back in the states.

Kim looked effortlessly polished after only just returning from her trip, which marked her official return to work after taking a few months out to recuperate following October's terrifying Paris robbery..

The mother-of-two sported winter whites from head-to-toe starting with a plunging T-shirt which barely concealed her ample bust revealing layers of gold necklaces on her tan decolletage.

She teamed the chic look with a pair of stylish taupe drawstring pants which were rolled up to reveal her fabulous footwear - tan laced-up stiletto booties.

Plunging display: The reality star left her more conservative look back in the United Arab Emirates, and opted to flash her cleavage now that she was back in the states

Winter whites: Kim teamed a plunging T-shirt with a pair of stylish taupe drawstring pants which were rolled up to reveal tan stiletto booties, and topped it all off with a posh fur coat

No signs of jet lag! She appeared surprisingly rested wearing a glowing face of make-up while her long brunette tresses looked freshly blown out in a super straight style

The TV personality topped off her posh attire with a luxurious white fur coat for her outing in the Big Apple.

For so soon after her flight, Kim appeared surprisingly rested wearing a glowing face of make-up while her long brunette tresses looked freshly blown out in a super straight style.

While in Dubai, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star met with children at a pediatric center.

Greeted by the crowd of excited young teens, who all wore her face on their shirts, Kim gamely joined them in dancing along to Jam onstage.

Polished: Kim only just returned from her trip, which marked her official return to work after taking a few months out to recuperate following October's terrifying Paris robbery

While in Dubai: The TV personality met with children at a pediatric center. The excited young teens, who all wore her face on their shirts, got her to dance with them on stage

All smiles: During her visit Kim also went from room to room to meet the children personally and take a series of selfies

Thanks! A teen gifted her with an embroidered black abaya - a traditional long sleeved gown which is worn over a woman's clothes when outside her home in the United Arab Emirates

During her visit Kim also went from room to room to meet the children personally and take a series of selfies.

There was also a gift exchange with a teen gifting her with an embroidered black abaya - a traditional long sleeved gown which is worn over a woman's clothes when outside her home in the United Arab Emirates.

Kim had worn a Sade T-shirt and ripped jeans for the outing, which she covered up later with the conservative gown as she thanked her fans.

On Sunday night she boarded a plane back to New York still wearing her Sade shirt, with a thick fur coat on top.

Kim looked exhausted following her busy trip, as she hid her make-up free face behind thick shades, as she made her way through the airport back home in the U.S.
They plan to show fans of My Kitchen Rules how 'fun, loud and colourful' they are.

And Amanda, 36, and her younger sister Kelsey, 22, aim to shake things up for the show's critical eighth season amid talk of declining network ratings.

The Sydney sisters hope to follow in the footsteps of last year's winning sibling team, Melbourne's Tasia and Gracia, who won the competition and the $250,000 prize.

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Fresh faces: 'Mighty Mums' Amanda, 36, and her younger sister Kelsey, 22, are looking to shake things up for Channel 7 show My Kitchen Rules' eighth season

Though they're determined to show fellow contestants how vibrant they are, the blonde beauties say they're 'also going to show the other teams were not bimbos.'

The Harrington Park based 'Mighty Mums' say their rivals 'shouldnt judge a book by its cover' when it comes to their bubbly approach to life.

'Food to us means laughter, family and loudness,' says Amanda, a married mother of three who's also a makeup salesperson.

Family ties: The Sydney sisters hope to follow in the footsteps of last year's winning sibling team, Melbourne's Tasia and Gracia, who won the competition and the $250,000 prize

Younger sister Kelsey recently welcomed her first child and decided to star on the reality show during maternity leave from a job in banking.

'One of the advantages we have [on the show] is that were busy mums and are used to multitasking,' Amanda said. 'Thats a massive thing that we do all day, every day.'

The duo profess to work well together and have said Amandas strength lies in savoury dishes, while Kelsey prefers to make desserts.

Game plan: 'One of the advantages we have [on the show] is that were busy mums and are used to multitasking,' Amanda said

Kelsey revealed their family goes crazy for her chocolate fondant and Amanda's signature dishes are duck and snapper, the latter being their dad's favourite.

Although she's the younger sibling, Kelsey is described as 'the bossy one' and Amanda is happy to stay in the background 'to get the job done'.

The sisters join an exciting new cast that the network hopes will revive flagging ratings in 2016, according to the Courier Mail.

Different: Although she's the younger sibling, Kelsey is described as 'the bossy one' and Amanda is happy to stay in the background 'to get the job done'

'Seven finished last year with some pretty indifferent results, so this is the most important year ever for My Kitchen Rules to stamp its authority,' media analyst Steve Allen told the publication.

'After eight seasons, it is getting a bit long in the tooth but the current on-air promos suggest it might have a new lease of life,' he added.

This year the show will go up against Channel Nine's revamped Married At First Sight and Channel 10's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here.
This husband and wife duo have staying power.

Milla Jovovich and Paul WS Anderson had a great time as they attended the premiere of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in Taipei, Taiwan on Monday.

Milla, 41, has appeared as Alice in every Resident Evil film since the very beginning of the franchise based on the video game in 2002. Paul, 51, has written each movie, and directed three of them, including this sixth and final installment of the series.

Back again: Milla Jovovich and Paul WS Anderson had a great time as they attended the premiere of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in Taipei, Taiwan on Monday

Dynamic duo: Milla, 41, has appeared as Alice in every Resident Evil film since the very beginning of the franchise based on the video game in 2002; Paul, 51, has written each installment, and directed three of them, including this sixth and final sequel in the series

One more time: Having done the premiere circuit side by side several times during their time working together, the actor and the director were having fun with their last go at it

Married in 2009 between the third and fourth volumes in the anthology, the actor and the director were having fun with their last go at the premiere circuit for this particular project.

Both Milla and Paul smiled wide as they took the stage to interact with a performer and talk with guests.

They exuded the confident, comfortable energy of a strong partnership that has stood the test of time, both on set and in real life.

Good times: Both Milla and Paul smiled wide as they took the stage to interact with a performer and talk with guests

Veterans: The energy was clearly that of a twosome that has worked together many times before and their mutual comfort level was obvious

Dressing the part: For the event, Milla wore a knee-length, black A line skirt with a three-quarter sleeve blouse featuring a black, nude, tan, pink and rose swirling print

For the event, Milla wore a knee-length, black A line skirt with a three-quarter sleeve blouse. Her top featured a black, nude, tan, pink and rose swirling print, which she brought together with a coordinating striped belt.

She wore a silver shoe and carried a black and white, sequined over-sized clutch.

The actor's eyes were heavily lined, her cheeks were rosy and her lips were pained in a peachy-coral shade.

Those eyes! The actor's eyes were heavily lined, her cheeks were rosy and her lips were pained in a peachy-coral shade

Sharp dressed man: Paul wore a classic suit, navy suit jacket, always unbuttoned, with a matching pant

Keeping it simple: He wore a crisp white dress shirt and accessorized with multiple rings and a gold watch

Paul wore a classic suit, navy suit jacket, always unbuttoned, with a matching pant. He wore a crisp white dress shirt and accessorized with multiple rings and a gold watch.

The duo will likely be making the rounds a few more times, as Taiwan is one of the first places the movie opened in limited release.

The US release date for Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is January 27 and the show will open in UK theaters on February 3.

Gearing up: The duo will likely be making the rounds a few more times, as Taiwan is one of the first places the movie opened in limited release
Ex On The Beach star Joshua Ritchie has reportedly claimed he is 'worried' that Stephanie Davis' baby son, who was born last week, could be his.

The pair were last linked in May and the reality star told The Sun: 'I slept with Steph nearly a year ago.

'Im worried  she could be turning up on my doorstep with the baby any time soon.'

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'She could be turning up on my doorstep with the baby': Ex On The Beach star Joshua Ritchie claims he's 'worried' Stephanie Davis' tot is his

Blast from the past: The pair were last linked in May and the reality star said: 'I slept with Steph nearly a year ago' - however, Stephanie has always insisted the baby belongs to her ex Jeremy McConnell

However, Stephanie has always insisted that her former flame Jeremy McConnell is the father of her baby.

MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for both Stephanie Davis and Joshua Ritchie for comment.

Joshua's words came after a Facebook live chat for The Sun in which he discussed who he would get with on the show.

He said: 'Jasmine Walia. She's a rocket. Vicky Pattison. She's a rocket. Stephanie Davis... already got with her.'

While it's unclear whether or not Joshua was joking with his remarks about Stephanie, no doubt she will be focusing on her new role as a mother.

Stephanie continued to give fans a glimpse into her life as a new mother online.

The former Hollyoaks actress, 23, re-tweeted a picture posted by her best friend Jay Roberts, who she has chosen to be the tot's godfather.

Sweet: The former Hollyoaks actress, 23, re-tweeted a picture posted by her best friend Jay Roberts, who she has chosen to be the tot's godfather

The picture showed him tenderly touching the baby's feet while he still wore his hospital nametag.

He captioned the image: 'Welcome to the world godson. I promise to love and care for you for the rest of your life.'

Stephanie announced the birth of her baby with another image of her newborn's feet.

She gushed in the caption: 'The day my world became complete.

Welcome! Stephanie announced the birth of her baby with another image of her newborn's feet last week

Taking a swipe? While the star is focusing on her new role as a parent, her CBB ex Jeremy McConnell has been continuing his wild ways on a trip to Thailand

'I've been overwhelmed & so in love with you. Words could never describe. Thank you for all your support!'

While the star is focusing on her new role as a parent, her CBB ex Jeremy McConnell has been continuing his wild ways on a trip to Thailand.

While he has long denied that he's father of Stephanie Davis child the Irish appeared to be celebrating the birth of his rumoured love child with the disgraced Hollyoaks actress.

In a video obtained by the Mirror Online, the 26-year-old former Celebrity Big Brother star can be seen looking bleary eyed as he parties in Thailand with pals hours after his ex gave birth.

MailOnline have reached out to representatives of Jeremy for comment.

The videos shared on a friend's Snapchat see Jeremy swigging beers, play-fighting and partying at a club.

In the stream of clips, believed to have been recorded hours after Stephanie gave birth to a baby boy, Jeremy and his friends seemingly ridicule and taunt the former CBB star.

One clip which shows Jeremy swigging form a beer as he collapses on a bed is captioned: 'Get the kid a physcoligist (sic)'.

Not thinking of her: In a video obtained by the Mirror Online , the CBB, 26, star can be seen looking bleary eyed as he parties in Thailand with pals hours after his ex gave birth

The caption appears to be a dig at Stephanie as the caption seems to be a miss-spelling of 'psychologist'.

However, a source close to Jeremy denied it was aimed at the new-born, saying: '

'The text on the snap chat "Get the kid a ..." is referring to Jeremy as the kid and is personal joke between friends.

'It has been completely taken out of context and is certainly not aimed a Steph's son.'

Lashing out? In the stream of clips, believed to have been recorded hours after Stephanie gave birth to a baby boy, Jeremy and his friends seemingly ridicule and taunt the former CBB star

Later on the evening the former Beauty School Cop Outs cast-member is seen dancing at a party shirtless.

As he dances and plays up for the camera a caption on the clip alludes to Jeremy being the father - something he categorically denied in June.

Spinning around and pulling faces in the snippet, a caption above Jeremy reads: 'Yes, a son.'

Whetting the baby's head? Later on the evening the former Beauty School Cop Outs cast-member (pictured with Stephanie in April) is seen dancing at a party shirtless

Not a care: A fellow reveler said: 'Jeremy doesn't seem to care too much about becoming a dad, it was as though he didn't have a care in the world'

A fellow reveler told the Mirror: 'Jeremy doesn't seem to care too much about becoming a dad, it was as though he didn't have a care in the world.

'How insensitive to share such a video saying her baby needs therapy, my heart breaks for Steph. Even if it was made in jest, it's pretty disgusting.'

Jeremy is still refusing to confirm he's the father of his estranged ex Stephanie Davis' baby boy - despite her finally giving birth on Friday.

Not about her: A source close to Jeremy said: 'The text on the snap chat "Get the kid a ..." is referring to Jeremy as the kid and is personal joke between friends'

The Irish model revealed he was 'delighted' for his former flame after she welcomed her new bundle of joy after a reported 48 hours in labour - but still echoed his former denial of the baby being his.

Jeremy addressed the issued of the child's paternity on Twitter shortly after the news broke, writing:

'I am delighted that Steph has safely had the baby, of course if he is my son I will absolutely step up and do what I can to support him.'

'Any timescale for that is in Steph's hands now. I did reach out to her some weeks ago but didn't hear back,' Jeremy explained the situation further.

'I am delighted': Jeremy McConnell, 26, congratulated his ex Stephanie Davis after she gave birth on Friday but still refused to confirm he was the father

Jeremy and Stephanie embarked on a toxic romance after meeting on CBB a year ago which culminated in a bitter split shortly before she announced she was expecting his child - claims he vehemently denies.

She has maintained constantly throughout her pregnancy that Jeremy is the father, yet the Dubliner has lashed out at her claims and insisted he wants a paternity test upon the arrival of the little boy.

Speaking about the saga, the actress told new! magazine: 'Jeremy knows the truth. I'm keeping (the DNA test) private. I'll sort that with him. If I could have done one straight away, I would have, but it was too dangerous for the baby.'

'If he is my son I will absolutely step up': Jeremy revealed he will do his best once he's confirmed as the father of the newborn (Pictured February 2016)

Meanwhile, just weeks before Stephanie gave birth, Jeremy had told the Daily Star: 'I was in a position where we broke up for a period of time. I found out she was pregnant, but in the meantime I knew she was with other people.'

'I can't do anything while the baby's in there,' he explained. 'When it comes out I would step up to the plate. All I want is clarification. If I find out it's mine I'll be the best dad.'

A source close the star told MailOnline: 'Jeremy has tried to contact Steph on a number occasions but he hasn't heard back.

'If he is the father then of course he going to do step up and do the right thing.'

Tumultuous times: The former lovers have had a bitter back-and-forth war of words since splitting up

In the past: The couple found love in the Celebrity Big Brother house back in January 2016

Meanwhile, a representative for Stephanie confirmed her happy news to the MailOnline on Friday, stating: 'We are delighted to confirm that our client Stephanie Davis gave birth to a baby boy on Friday. Mother and baby are doing fine.'

The former Hollyoaks star, whose baby's name is yet to be revealed, is believed to have been in labour for a gruelling two days.

As Stephanie's labor went on, a source told The Sun: 'The baby's taking his time, but we're hoping that he will arrive today. 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.'

The birth comes after a close pal of Jeremy defended the inked hunk for jetting off to Thailand for a lad's holiday, despite his ex's due date being imminent - saying he's within his rights to take the break as he has nothing tying him down.

He's finally here! The former Hollyoaks star, whose baby's name is yet to be revealed, is believed to have been in labour for a gruelling two days

'No ties': Pals of Jeremy McConnell have reportedly defended the Irish model for going on holiday to Thailand with his friends as his ex Stephanie prepares for the birth of their child

'Jeremy is simply having a well deserved holiday in Thailand with his pals,' the source told The Sun. 'I'm not sure why he's getting so much grief for posting a selfie of him having a drink.'

Despite, Jeremy's long-haul trip, the star is ready to come back at a moments notice, with his representative telling MailOnline: 'Jeremy is currently in Thailand enjoying a short holiday with friends, which has been booked for sometime.

'He has an open return ticket should he need to return to the UK before the end of his trip'.

The reality star has certainly been enjoying himself since splitting with Stephanie - and was most recently accused of sleeping with a fan's girlfriend after a nightclub appearance after a barrage of Twitter direct messages were revealed.

And Jeremy he also set tongues wagging again as he enjoyed a steamy New Year's Eve kiss with a mystery blonde earlier this month.
Ariana Madix laid it out straight for Stassi Schroeder on Monday night's episode of Vanderpump Rules and declared she doesn't 'give a f***' about her.

The bold statement came as an argument erupted at Katie Maloney's bridal shower.

Stassi was trying to get Ariana to admit she'd signed a non-disclosure agreement about Lala and her supposedly-married boyfriend.

Bridal shower: Stassi Schroeder confronted Ariana Madix on Monday's episode of Vanderpump Rules

Ariana denied it rigorously but the girls didn't believe her.

'It doesn't add up to me,' said Katie, a 29-year-old waitress at Lisa Vanderpump's restaurant.

'She doesn't care that she's ruining Katie's bridal shower,' said Stassi moodily.

'I'm here because I care about Katie, I don't give a f*** about you,' retorted Ariana, 31.

Candid conversation: Ariana told Stassi that she didn't care about her

The show opened with Lisa Vanderpump laughing at the idea of Kristen Doute doing a comedy show.

'What? She's the least funny person I know,' Lisa told Katie.

On stage Kristen brought out a photo of Jax Taylor's penis.

Comedy gig: Kristen Doute dished out jokes during a stand-up routine

'Yep, that's mine,' confirmed Jax, whose girlfriend Brittany Cartwright was in the audience also.

'I definitely recognise the d*** in that pic,' sighed Brittany.

'It's a very good-looking penisprobably what porn stars model their penises over, or what they model dildos on,' boasted Jax.

Sex picture: Jax Taylor's private parts were shown by Kristen during her comedy bit

Good-natured Brittany was annoyed for once and told Kristen she would have liked a 'heads up'.

'It's actually really f***ed up,' she said.

'I was really hurt,' Brittany told Kristen later.

Good times: Brittany was enjoying the comedy routine up until she recognized Jax

Kristen and Stassi diverted attention by badmouthing hostess Lala Kent.

'We need proof that she's a certified skank,' said Stassi, 28.

Kristen and Stassi met with James Kennedy to get some dirt on Lala.

Information gathering: Stassi and Kristen met with James Kennedy to learn more about Lala

The British DJ showed them a non disclosure agreement he'd been given - requesting that he would not discuss Lala's boyfriend at all.

James said that Tom Sandoval and Ariana likely had signed it already.

'This would make a lot of sense because they never talk s*** about Lala,' said Stassi.

Makes sense: Stassi understood the implications of the non-disclosure agreement

At Sur, Lala apologised for not attending Ariana's birthday event at the Sonoma Raceway.

'After that sorry a**ed apology I think I'm good on Lala, forever,' said Tom Sandoval.

Lala went to James' house and told him she was at the Beverly Hills Hotel with her dog while the others were in Sonoma.

Birthday apology: Lala apologized to Tom for missing Ariana's birthday party

Staying sober: James only had ice cream to offer Lala as he was staying sober

'My mother paid,' she said.

The leggy hostess said it was ridiculous that Scheana had never been on a private jet: 'Ask any b**** whose not ugly with t***, I don't ask questions, I just go, it's just LA,' she said.

Meanwhile Brittany's mother came to visit from Kentucky for a few days.

Private plane: Lala found it ridiculous that Scheana Shay had never flown private

'No sex, no drinking, no cursing, I definitely can't poop with the door open,' lamented Jax.

She pressured Jax to pop the question to her daughter.

'Times have changed. It's not 1970 anymore,' Jax told her.

Times change: Jax told Brittany's mom that times have changed as she asked him about marrying her daughter

Lisa also threw Jax under the bus.

'He's a bad dog. He's not ready for the church yet,' she said.

Katie's bridal shower had a 'Taco Bell Tower' and rose wine minis.

Bride to be: Katie wore a floral crown during her bridal shower

Lisa brought a blow up doll called 'Katie' as a gift.

'I've been married 35 years and it can get pretty tedious,' she admitted.

Stassi was feeling lonely.

'I'm going to be alone forever,' she said before hot stepping it off to fight with Ariana.

Vanderpump Rules continues next week on Bravo.
It seems like her fans know her better than she even knows herself.

Kim Kardashian went head to head with a super fan on an episode of ABC's new game show Big Fan, which was originally taped in April 2016.

On the Monday show, her fan Colt Paulsen correctly answered questions about Kim, beating the star herself.

Shock and awe: Kim Kardashian went head to head with a super fan on an episode of ABC's new game show Big Fan, which was originally taped in April 2016

Kim, who noted that while she knows the answers but can't hit the buzzer fast enough, lost 2-7 to Colt.

She also incorrectly guessed the carat weight for her engagement ring from Kanye West.

The 36-year-old guessed it was 12 carats, but the show's host Andy Richter revealed it was 15 carats, and that they obtained the answer from Kanye himself.

'How many carats is Kim's engagement ring from Kanye?', the host asked Kim and Colt.

Surprise! On the Monday show, her fan Colt Paulsen correctly answered seven questions about Kim, beating the star herself

Kim, who was the first to hit the buzzer, answered with some hesitation in her voice: '12?'

'Sorry, no!' host Andy responded, shocking Kim.

'It's 15!' Andy added. 'Well, we got the information from Kanye, so maybe he upped the number.'

Colt, 21, correctly answered questions about the name of Kim's single - which is Jam (Turn It Up) and also where her 14th birthday took place - Michael's Jackson's Neverland ranch.

Glowing: She also incorrectly guessed the carat weight for her engagement ring from Kanye West

Sparkle: Kim, who was the first to hit the buzzer, answered with some hesitation in her voice: '12?; seen right after Kanye West proposed to her inside the AT & T Park with the 15 carat ring

He was also right was he said the name of her exercise DVD was Fit In Your Jeans By Friday, that her middle name was Noel and that her idol was Jennifer Lopez.

Kim hit the buzzer before Colt and got the answer right for the question about her son Saint's weight when he was born - eight pounds one ounce - and who her senior prom date was - TJ Jackson.

The Nebraska native also answered the question on what type of car Kim bought Kanye for his 35th birthday, which was a Lamborghini.

A good sport: Kim hit the buzzer before Colt and got the answer right for the question about her son Saint's weight when he was born - eight pounds one ounce

Andy asked Kim if she has bought him any more cars, to which she divulged that she bought her husband an 'ATV and Spyder motor things.'

And before the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star could finish, Colt said 'For Christmas right?'

The show was filmed six months before she was robbed in Paris of $10 million dollars worth of jewelry - including the 20 carat $4 million diamond ring that she wore during the taping.

Looking good: Kim wore a black bodysuit with a cardigan and a cross choker

Diamond: The star was wearing her second engagement ring during the show - which was 20 carats; the sparkler was stolen in October during the robbery in Paris

Kim posed for a selfie with the super fan while standing in front of a picture of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

For the episode, Kim wore a black bodysuit with a matching colored cardigan and a cross choker; she also wore her second engagement ring - which was 20 carats.

Colt beat out two other mega fans during Big Fan - with questions like how many selfies are in Kim's book Selfish (480) and how her character in the 2008 film Disaster Movie was killed - which was by meteor.

The show was filmed six months before she was robbed in Paris of $10 million dollars worth of jewelry - including her 20 carat upgraded engagement ring; with Andy Richter

What a star! Andy asked Kim if she has bought him any more cars, to which she divulged that she bought her husband an 'ATV and Spyder motor things'

Another question was who - Kim, Kanye or neither - revealed that they can smell cavities - with the correct answer being Kim.

He also correctly guessed that neither Kim or Kanye exclaim that 'meatloaf is inside me' - Kris Jenner famously said that.

Lastly, in her book Selfish, there are butt selfies, cleavage selfies, nude selfies but only one of what type of selfie - the answer being a baby bump selfie.

Sweet to her fans: Kim posed for a selfie with the super fan while standing in front of a picture of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

Having a blast: The star posed with Colt in front of a photo of the French landmark

Another question was who - Kim, Kanye or neither - revealed that they can smell cavities - with the correct answer being Kim.

Recent days saw the arrest of the alleged mastermind behind her terrifying Paris heist, which saw her robbed at gunpoint of an estimated $10 million of jewels, including the second multi-million dollar engagement ring Kanye gave her in 2016.

As revealed by DailyMail.com, a French prosecutor revealed that the person responsible for the break-in at Kim's hotel in Paris in October has now been charged.

This comes after four other suspects were charged over Kim's ordeal this week, just days after 17 people were arrested in connection with the case.

Kim - who has children North, three, and Saint, 13 months, with husband Kanye West - is said to be feeling 'deeply relieved' over the arrests.

Indeed she even returned to work on Friday, with a paid appearance at a make-up class in Dubai.

They sure know a lot! Lastly, in her book Selfish, there are butt selfies, cleavage selfies, nude selfies but only one of what type of selfie - the answer being a baby bump selfie
Ita Buttrose turned 75 on Tuesday and her co-costs at Studio 10 treated the magazine maven to cake, cuddles and a mock edition of 'This Is Your Life' to celebrate.

In a video tribute, her co-stars Joe Hildebrand, Sarah Harris and Jessica Rowe spoke fondly about what it's like to work with the media legend.

The Daily Telegraph columnist shared an anecdote in which he explained that he at first turned down the morning show as he was busy with newspaper work.

Cake walk: Ita Buttrose turned 75 on Tuesday and her co-costs at Studio 10 treated the magazine maven to cake, cuddles and a mock edition of 'This Is Your Life' to celebrate

However, when he was told that Ita was involved, he promptly changed his mind.

'We've got Ita Buttrose,' he was told, to which the journalist quipped, 'I'm in! I'll do whatever you want!'

He then had the audience howling when he explained that the first thing the pair did was a Bachelor shoot and the writer had to hand Ita a red rose.

'I've never been more terrified in my life, and three years later I'm still terrified!' he joked.

Tributes: In a video tribute her co-stars Joe Hildebrand, Sarah Harris and Jessica Rowe spoke fondly about what it's like to work with the legend

Fun lady: Sarah Harris said that Ita has a 'cheeky sense of humour' and is a 'hard worker' but is also the 'first person to throw herself into something completely ridiculous'

Sarah said that Ita has a 'cheeky sense of humour' and is a 'hard worker' but is also the 'first person to throw herself into something completely ridiculous'.

Jessica said it was 'an honour' to sit next to Ita every day.

The veteran was then treated to cake, gold balloons reading 75, and a visit from author Kathy Lette.

Legend status: Jessica Rowe said it was 'an honour' to sit next to Ita every day

The tribute comes after a recent tragedy in the Buttrose family.

Ita spoke of her grief after her 12-year-old relative died in a horrific head-on car crash in December.

Oscar Buttrose was travelling home to Sydney with his family after spending Christmas away when tragedy struck, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The family's Hyundai iLoad mini-van collided with a P-plater on the Pacific Highway at Tyndale, near Grafton in NSW on Wednesday afternoon.

Recovering: The tribute comes after a recent tragedy in the Buttrose family. Ita spoke of her grief after her 12-year-old relative died in a horrific head-on car crash in December

Father Michael Buttrose, 47 - whose father is Ita's uncle - his wife Tamara, and Oscar's brother and sister escaped with non-life threatening injuries.

Oscar was airlifted to Grafton Hospital with his family but he died a short time later.

'We are all deeply distressed about Oscar's death,' Ita said.
Her new book, Try Hard: Tales from the Life of a Needy Overachiever, has been lauded by readers for its humourous insight into motherhood.

And Em Rusciano, 37, revealed a particularly cheeky section of her book this Tuesday, taking to Facebook to reveal a list of tips she would give to her two daughters Marchella and Odette upon the event of her own death.

In the excerpt, titled Just-in-Case-of-Death Letter To My Girls, a series of quirky life lessons, including: 'Keep your pubic hair, trim it at the sides so as to adhere so some form of social expectations but keep most of it.'

'Keep your pubic hair': Em Rusciano, 37, revealed a particularly cheeky section of her new book this Tuesday, taking to Facebook to reveal a list of tips she would give to her two daughters Marchella and Odette upon the event of her own death

The 2DayFM breakfast host also commanded her daughters not to worry about getting married, slamming the tradition as 'a crock of s***.

'Find yourself a gay or five, gay men are your friends, its in both your DNA to be attracted to them,' she later added.

One particularly eyebrow-raising piece of advice referred to her disdain for the drug ice.

She's not shy to share! The 2DayFM breakfast host also commanded her daughters not to worry about getting married, slamming the tradition as 'a crock of s***'

'I accept you may try other forms of illegal substances but you must make a solemn DEATH vow that ice will not be one of them. Same goes for heroin and LSD,' she wrote.

The bubbly entertainer's comments come amid controversy relating to the news that Em would be taking over 2DayFM's Sydney breakfast show.

The radio station is said to be 'under fire' after it was revealed it's new 'Sydney' breakfast show will be broadcast from Melbourne.

Three peas in a pod! Em is mother to to young daughters, Odette (left) and Marchella (right)

New book: Em's new book, Try Hard: Tales from the Life of a Needy Overachiever, has been lauded by readers for its humourous insight into motherhood

The Em Rusciano Radio Show with Harley Breen, which replaces the Rove and Sam Show, will reportedly not be based in Sydney.

According to a Confidential story published Monday, the pair will be 'commuting' between their home bases Victoria and Sydney.

A source told the publication, 'It is really weird to have a Sydney breakfast show being done out of Melbourne. Sure, as a one off for a special event like the Logies but not ongoing.'
He's the dynamic French chef from Australia's My Kitchen Rules, who recently teamed up with his fiancee Clarissa Weerasena to write a new cookbook.

But Manu Feildel and his partner traded their work schedules earlier this month for a lavish getaway at Malaysian resort The Datai Langkawi.

The pair embraced the outdoors as they donned swimwear for a relaxing day at the beach.

Foodies retreat! My Kitchen Rules judge Manu Feildel whisked his fiancee Clarissa Weerasena to Malaysia, earlier this month

The couple were inseparable as they strolled the shoreline hand in hand.

Manu, 42, revealed his tattoos to passersby as he chose to go shirtless for the outing.

While on the seemingly romantic day by the water, Manu inquisitively pointed out something in the rock pools to Clarissa with his toe.

Tatts a lot of ink! Manu, 42, revealed his tattoos to passersby as he chose to go shirtless for the outing

Curious chef! While on the seemingly romantic day by the water, Manu inquisitively pointed out something in the rock pools to Clarissa with his toe

The TV personality wore blue board shorts, while his fiance draped a colourful sarong around her lilac floral one piece swimsuit.

Stylishly protecting each other from the sun, they wore dark-lensed sunglasses.

Clarissa, who has family in Malaysia, added to her relaxed look by wearing gold hoop earring, while Manu opted for a dog tag-style necklace.

The happy couple were later seen on a paddle board for some afternoon fun.

The French chef attempted to balanced the board with great concentration before taking to his feet with his fiancee seated on the back.

Lover's walk: The couple were inseparable as they strolled the shoreline hand in hand

Beach style! The TV personality wore blue board shorts, while his fiance draped a colourful sarong around her lilac floral one piece swimsuit

Holiday activities: The happy couple were later seen on a paddle board for some afternoon fun

The duo didn't have a care in the world, as they appeared to have damp hair from falling in the clear waters from failed attempts at stabilising the board.

Despite Manu popping the question to Clarissa in 2013, the pair are yet to make concrete plans for their special day.

The European gourmand and Clarissa welcomed their first daughter, Charlee Ariya in February 2015, while Manu has an 11-year-old son Jonti from a previous marriage.

My Kitchen Rules returns to TV this month, with trailers released so far having fans speculating 'slim' mystery judge could be Curtis Stone or a previous contestant.

Engaged: Despite Manu popping the question to Clarissa in 2013, the pair are yet to make concrete plans for their special day

It's back: My Kitchen Rules returns to TV this month, with trailers released so far having fans speculating mystery judge could be Curtis Stone or a previous contestant
Jennifer Lawrence is back at work in Hungary filming her new spy thriller Red Sparrow.

The actress, who is dating director Darren Aronofsky, has had to leave New York for the Hungarian capital Budapest as filming gets underway with her Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence at the helm.

Jennifer, 26, plays a Russian spy trying to seduce a rookie CIA operative and she was seen decked out in a brunette wig under a black fur hat as she discussed the scene with the director.

Spy! Jennifer Lawrence, 26, was seen decked out in a brunette wig under a black fur hat as she discussed the scene with director Franmcis Lawrence while sitting in a SUV in Budapest

The Oscar winner was seen sitting in the back of a black SUV as she discussed the upcoming shoot.

Her costume included a below-the-knee black skirt and knee-high black boots and a cropped black leather jacket.

She was then spotted in character as cameras rolled strolling purposefully across a town square.

On the set: The actress's costume included a below-the-knee black skirt and knee-high black boots and a cropped black leather jacket

Thriller: She plays a Russian spy trying to seduce a rookie CIA operative in the movie and filmed a scene in a town square on Monday

Plot: She was then spotted in character as cameras rolled strolling purposefully across a town square

After filming finished, Jennifer was spotted heading back to her residence with her beloved pooch Pippi.

She was helped into her car by a crew member who assisted by carrying a bag of belongings.

The actress had taken off her wig and showcased her own blonde locks under a black knitted hat with a black scarf wrapped around her neck.

Heading home: After filming finished, Jennifer was spotted heading back to her residence with her beloved pooch Pippi
She's been in her native Brazil since before the New Year.

But it seems Alessandra Ambrosio's vacation has finally come to an end as she was spotted back in Los Angeles on Monday.

The 35-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel didn't look too happy to be getting back to her routine as she was seen out and about running errands.

All good things must end: Alessandra Ambrosio's Brazilian vacation has finally come to an end as she was spotted back in Los Angeles on Monday

Reality check: The 35-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel didn't look too happy to be getting back to her routine as she was seen out and about running errands

Alessandra didn't let any time get to waste as she donned workout gear and looked like she was headed the gym.

The runway stunner flaunted her lean legs in a pair of purple patterned leggings which were cropped at the ankle.

She sported a black T-shirt and dark grey hoodie on top and teamed the relaxed look with a pair of trainers.

The brunette bombshell wore her tresses in a high ponytail bun and went make-up free behind a pair of purple mirrored sunglasses.

Dedicated: Alessandra didn't let any time get to waste as she donned workout gear and looked like she was headed back to the gym

Relaxed look: The runway stunner flaunted her lean legs in a pair of purple patterned leggings, and teamed the look with a grey hoodie and trainers

The bohemian fashionista accessorized with layers of dainty gold necklaces and earrings and slung a large brown leather purse over one shoulder.

Earlier in the morning Alessandra opted for a pair of cozy Ugg boots as she grabbed a coffee and an iced beverage to go.

The mother-of-two has just returned to Los Angeles after spending a lengthy holiday with in her family in her home country.

The Vogue cover girl spent many days sunning herself and enjoying the surf off the coast of Florianopolis, her favorite vacation spot in her native Brazil.

Alessandra also enjoyed plenty of family time in South America with her fiance Jamie Mazur and their two children: Anja Louise, eight, and Noah Phoenix, four.

Details: The brunette bombshell wore her tresses in a high ponytail bun and went make-up free behind a pair of purple mirrored sunglasses, and slung a large brown purse over her shoulder

Fueling up: Earlier in the morning Alessandra opted for a pair of cozy Ugg boots as she grabbed a coffee and an iced beverage to go
She's admitted to having a stressful past year.

But on Monday, Bella Thorne focused on having a good time with her sister Dani Thorne as the two had a girl's day, visiting a salon in Beverly Hills and grabbing some lunch.

The 19-year-old Shake It Up starlet was all smiles as she spent the day with the one person who could make her laugh through the ordeals of her chaotic love life.

BFFS: Bella Thorne focused on having a good time with her sister Dani Thorne as the two had a girl's day, visiting a salon in Beverly Hills and grabbing some lunch

Bella wore a white band tee paired with skintight skinny distressed light blue skinny jeans, a black knit cardigan, and unique sneakers for the casual outing.

She topped off her off-duty 'fit the way only Bella can - with a neon green beanie.

Her 23-year-old sister, rocking bright red hair with a straight-across fringe, wore dark distressed denim jeans and a black leather jacket.

Unique style: Bella wore a white band tee paired with skintight skinny distressed light blue skinny jeans, a black knit cardigan, and unique sneakers for the casual outing

Putting the Thorne Sister twist on her outfit, Dani wore a colorful boa and sparkling silver ankle booties.

The two were headed to Brighton Salon in Beverly Hills where Bella would get her black-and-turquoise hair retouched.

Visiting her longtime hair stylist Dani Faraj, Bella had more purple, blue, and teal tones added into her already-colourful hair.

Touch-up time: The two were headed to Brighton Salon in Beverly Hills where Bella would get her black-and-turquoise hair retouched

Bella has recently been slammed on social media for allegedly dating controversial YouTuber Sam Pepper.

The 27-year-old British prankster was accused by several women of sexual assault a year ago.

Rumors of the alleged romance began when Pepper posted Snapchat shots of Bella in front of a mirror.

More colour! Visiting her longtime hair stylist Dani Faraj, Bella had more purple, blue, and teal tones added into her already-colourful hair

The image shows her standing in front of a mirror that has 'You so pretty' written on it in lipstick, with Sam having written 'True' on the snap. In another image, the pair appear to be holding hands in a bed.

Bella also commented on one of Sam's Instagram posts showing him leaning up against a blue brick wall. 'My walls are dope,' she wrote, suggesting that the photo was taken at her home. She then added: 'You cool too.'

When hearing the news of Bella's possible new romance, one Twitter user wrote:

End result: Bella shared a photo of the end result on Snapchat

'Bella Thorne: lolz I'm a feminist haha ya gurl power. Bella Thorne: dates Sam Pepper.'

'Followed Bella Thorne on twitter then realized she was dating Sam pepper and unfollowed ASAP and threw up a little,' wrote another.

One user tweeted to the actress writing: 'Blink 3 times if Sam Pepper is holding you hostage.'

Uh oh: Bella has recently been slammed on social media for allegedly dating controversial YouTuber Sam Pepper

Earlier on Monday, Bella took to Twitter to respond to some of the hate she's received on social media lately.

She wrote: 'Honestly there needs to be harsher laws against bullying and cyber bullying this is not ok.'

Love her or hate her, Bella Thorne will be in the public eye for the foreseeable future.

The IT girl will star in the upcoming TV series Famous in Love, and has wrapped up shooting several movies set to hit theaters this year.
Emmerdale fans were left baffled after spotting a bizarre continuity error during the soap's Monday night episode.

After a failed business meeting with Jai Sharma, longrunning character Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler) made her way home through the freezing, wet weather.

But eagle-eyed viewers noticed that despite being left soaked, her wet and windswept locks were perfectly coiffed just moments later.

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Transformation Tuesday: eagle-eyed viewers noticed a glaring continuity error in Monday's Emmerdale's episode as Nicola King's hair miraculously dried within moments

'How did Nicola's hair just instantly dry...?' tweeted one bemused fan, while others echoed in agreement.

Another viewer added: 'One minute Nicole King is stood in the rain with wet hair, and the next she's walked home and suddenly she's bone dry.'

Nicola was heading home to her husband Jimmy King when she stopped for a chat with insurance man Neville and Robert Sugden.

During the heated exchange, factory worker's hair became increasingly wet in the blustery weather - but that quickly changed as she arrived home.

As she plonked herself down still in her winter coat, the character's hair miraculously transformed back into its usual sleek and straight style.

But it seems her mane was not the only issue Nicola faced as she learnt that Rakesh Kotecha has been lying about the insurance money.

Awkward blunder: The character's hair - played by Nicola Wheeler - went from wet and windswept to perfectly coiffed in a matter of moments

Eagle-eyed: Fans of the ITV soap flocked to Twitter to point out the mishap

Bad hair day? Nicola was on her way home when she bumped into insurance man Neville and Robert Sugden, where her hair became wet and frizzy

'Nicolas mind starts whirring as to why Rakesh said there was a payout when there wasnt,' Nicola Wheeler, who plays the troubled character, told The Sun.

'Since hes a lawyer, she knows its going to be difficult tripping him up, so she drops the Neville bomb to see how he reacts.

'Rakesh is quite a cool customer and tries to talk his way round it, but Nicola has a gut feeling that something is amiss.'

The ITV soap also made continuity error mistakes last year as the audience spotted bright blue skies during 'fake' rain storms during James Barton's funeral.

Fans realised the downpour was only taking place over Emma Barton's head as the rest of the sky was clear.

One tweeted: 'Anyone else seeing Emmerdale trying to make us believe its p**sing it down with clear blue skies? Bulls**t I say.'

While another added: '@itvemmerdalefan firemen with hose pipes did great with the #FakeRain @emmerdale'
She's the Bachelor star who seems to live life in a bikini.

And after flaunting her enviably toned body, the result of a 28-day fitness challenge, Noni Janur once again took to Instagram on Tuesday to share yet another bikini-clad snap.

'Baby in the summer time,' the 26-year-old captioned a snap, that saw her sat cross legged on a towel in a tiny Tiger Lily string bikini which drew attention to her ample cleavage.

Life in bikinis? Noni Janur once again took to Instagram on Tuesday to share yet another bikini-clad snap

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The image shared with the Channel Ten reality star's 48K Instagram followers saw Noni making use of Sydney's soaring Temperatures as she sat on the rocks at Gordon's Bay.

With her long tresses swept predominately over one shoulder in tousled waves, the swimwear designer cut a relaxed pose.

The snap drew attention to Noni's striking eyes, freckles and plump pout, while also showing off her toned physique.

Looking good! Recently the swimwear designer shared another snap of her bikini body, as she posed on Sydney's Bondi Beach

The close-up snap comes after Noni showed off the impressive results of her 28-day fitness challenge.

Taking to Instagram, the bubbly personality flaunted her toned assets in a plunging black bikini top and pair of skimpy pink briefs, with ties at the side.

Noni teamed the look with a pair of pink reflective shades and a couple of string bracelets.

The star has been making the most of her newfound confidence, posting another bikini body snap a few days prior.

Noni's ample cleavage and pert posterior spilled out of a tiny black G-string bikini while her luscious locks spilled over her glowing face, which she covered with large round-rimmed sunglasses.

Confidence! Noni posted another revealing snap to Instagram last Thursday, that saw her ample cleavage and pert posterior almost spilling out of a tiny black G-string bikini

Noni took to Instagram to share a before-and-after photo, from the 28-day fitness challenge.

Displaying a toned torso, trim waist and pert derriere in the most recent snap, she declared her transformation 'amazing.'

'Wow what a difference! Just finished the @fitazfk 28 day challenge. I feel amazing, full of energy and the program was so easy to follow (sic) just in time for summer.'

A portion of her followers failed to see a marked difference between the pictures, while others congratulated her on her new physique.

Noni's arms appear to have gained muscle while her torso and legs look to be more toned in the latest pic.

Challenge complete: On Wednesday, The Bachelor star took to Instagram to post a before-and-after photo, from the 28-day fitness challenge

Transformation: The Bachelor star took to Instagram to post a photo from before and after she undertook a 28-day fitness challenge
TV presenter, radio host, model, beauty queen, mum and now author - Rachael Finch has a lot going on.

The 28-year-old launched her debut book Happy, Healthy, Strong at About Life in Sydney on Tuesday.

Fellow model Ashley Hart was on hand to support her friend at the Double Bay store, with the pair later posting pictures together on their respective Instagrams.

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Another string to her bow: Rachael Finch launched her debut book Happy, Healthy, Strong at About Life in Sydney on Tuesday

Rachael and Ashley shared the same photo of them hugging as they posed in front of an advertisement for the new health and wellness book.

In her caption, Rachael wrote: 'THE JOURNEY IS THE REWARD'. So damn lucky to be surrounded by empowering & inspiring women today for my book launch #HappyHealthyStrong at @aboutlifenm.

'Thank you to you all who took time out of your day to be there. Love your hugs @ashleyhart1111.'

Support: Fellow model Ashley Hart was on hand to support her friend at the Double Bay store, with the pair later posting pictures together on their respective Instagrams

Talented: TV presenter, radio host, model, beauty queen, mum and now author - Rachael Finch has a lot going on

While Rachael's pic was in black and white, Ashley's colourful version showed the friends to be both dressed in white.

The new author is only weeks away from welcoming her second child into the world, but earlier this week she was enjoying time with husband Michael Miziner and daughter Violet.

The 28-year-old took to Instagram to share a beautiful black-and-white moment between her professional dancer husband and two-year-old Violet.

Bliss: Rachael took to Instagram to share a moment between her professional dancer husband Michael Miziner and their two-year-old Violet

Counting down: The couple are expecting their second child in the coming weeks

Michael rests on their spider web nest swing with his lookalike tot on his chest, under the shade of a tree.

Both appear blissfully unaware Rachael has taken their photograph.

The former beauty queen captioned her post: 'The view today' and included two heart eyed emojis.
She recently returned to Sydney after an idyllic vacation in Bali with beau Tyson Mullane.

And on Tuesday, Pia Miller did not have a case of the holiday blues, sharing an inspiring yet poignant message for her Instagram fans.

The 33-year-old Home And Away star shared a stunning snap of herself perched on a wooden bench, alongside the caption: 'Spark conversation, verbal elation, stimulation.'

'Spark conversation, verbal elation, stimulation': Home And Away star Pia Miller, 33, took to Instagram on Tuesday, sharing a poignant message for her fans, after enjoying a Bali vacation with her beau Tyson Mullane

'Find a spot for us to spark conversation, verbal elation, stimulation, share our situations, temptations, education, relaxations,' Pia captioned the image.

The photo shared with the personality's 553,000 Instagram followers saw Pia cutting a relaxed figure, while seated on a wooden bench in an outdoor setting.

A black two-piece ensemble showed off her lithe arms and toned legs, while a pair of gold-rimmed Ray Ban sunglasses worked as a stylish accessory.

Allowing her long brunette tresses to fall in relaxed waves over one shoulder, Pia appeared to let her natural beauty shine through, opting to go makeup-free.

'Home Sweet Home': The post comes just a few days after Pia shared a loved-up snap with beau Tyson Mullane to Instagram

The post comes just a few days after Pia shared a loved-up snap with beau Tyson Mullane to Instagram.

Sunday saw the svelte beauty cuddling up to her man, while sporting a sleeveless black top and coordinating bandana.

Tyson, clad in a round-neck T-shirt, beamed for the camera.

'Home Sweet Home,' Pia captioned the snap.

Picture-perfect: A previous Instagram snap saw Pia cuddling up to her handsome partner, while on board a yacht

A previous snap saw Pia cuddling up to her handsome partner, while on board a yacht.

'This morning's breakfast commute,' the actress captioned the image.

Pia highlighted her slender frame in a plunging summer frock and had her signature locks fall predominately over one shoulder.

Tyson cut a relaxed figure in a black ensemble, with a blue cap acting as a casual accessory.

Family getaway: The posts come just days after Pia enjoyed a picturesque holiday in Bali, with Tyson and her two sons Isaiah Loyola and Lennox Miller

The posts come just days after Pia enjoyed a picturesque holiday in Bali, with Tyson and her two sons Isaiah Loyola and Lennox Miller.

The family holiday appeared to be going swimmingly, with the couple posting a range of poolside happy snaps, including some with the boys.

Pia split from ex-husband Brad Miller after eight years of marriage, in October 2015.

She was first spotted with Tyson, Cheyenne Tozzi's ex, in November that year, and are believed to have been dating since then.
She's well known for her wild partying ways and doesn't let a birthday go by without a large scale celebration.

And Kate Moss arrived at the swanky China Tang restaurant at London's Dorchester Hotel on Monday to mark turning 43.

However, the supermodel looked a little bleary eyed even before the party started, arriving dressed in a colourful floaty maxi dress.

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Ready to party? Bleary-eyed Kate Moss arrived at China Tang restaurant on Monday night to celebrate her 43rd birthday

The star wore her blonde hair in a loose updo, while oversized sparkly earrings and black heels added to the look.

She wrapped up against the cold in a long black fringed coat which did nothing to hide her famously slim figure.

Kate was joined by her toyboy beau Count Nikolai von Bismarck, 29, who looked dapper in a navy blue spotted shirt and matching trousers.

Super slender: Kate arrived at the bash dressed in a floaty pink and red maxi-dress and black heels

Out for the count: Kate's beau Nikolai von Bismarck was also at the bash

She was joined by an eclectic array of famous friends including long term pal Sadie Frost and Sarah Ferguson.

Sadie arrived dressed in a black lacy mini dress teamed with a silky coat, while former royal Sarah also stuck to black, sporting a belted dress, tights and leather jacket at the bash.

The actress had been spotted visiting her best friend earlier that day - arriving at her London mansion to wish her a happy birthday.

Low key: Kate's celebration this year was a far cry from some of her more wilder parties in previous years

Fringe benefits: Kate's big black coat did nothing to hide her famously slender figure

Long term pal: Sadie Frost arrived dressed in a lacy mini dress teamed with a silky coat and was accompanied by a male companion who escorted her down the steps

Favourite place: The high-end Cantonese restaurant is a favourite of Kate who's been snapped leaving it on previous occasions

Make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury, for whom Kate has worked in a fragrance campaign, also came along to celebrate.

According to onlookers, the party went on into the early hours of the morning with Kate and Nikolai appearing to leave separately.

Perennially popular with the rich and famous, China Tang serves up high end Cantonese fare in the luxury Mayfair hotel.

Chic: Sarah Ferguson sported a black belted dress, black tights and leather jacket at the bash

Friends in high places: Fergie let her red hair loose around her shoulders and teamed her look with a gold necklace

Unlikely pals: Sarah Ferguson was photographed on holiday with Kate and friends last year

It's a particular favourite of Kate, who has been snapped leaving the restaurant with the Duchess of York in the past.

The pair were also photographed on holiday together with friends in Greece last summer.

They were snapped on a boat in August along with Hong Kong tycoon Sir David Tang - the owner of China Tang - and his family.

Successful guests: Make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury was among the partygoers




She was the soap siren who had the world at her feet when she started her career on EastEnders in the early 1990s.

And struggling addict Danniella Westbrook blames the 'seedy London club' culture for kickstarting decades of drug abuse - comparing herself to one time Hollywood wild child Drew Barrymore.

In another candid interview with Now magazine since revealing she recently relapsed binged on cocaine, she explains that she was partying in the capital since her early teens - just like the Charlie's Angels star was in Hollywood.

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Bad starts: Struggling addict Danniella Westbrook blames the 'seedy London club' culture for kickstarting decades of drug abuse - comparing herself to one time Hollywood wild child Drew Barrymore

Talking about swapping the South for Liverpool, she said: 'I feel like everyone in London has an agenda but in Liverpool it's very community based... There isn't that dark, seedy London club scene. I was like the British Drew Barrymore, taking coke in nightclubs at the age of 14. So I'm glad to be away from London.'

Since the move, she has remained close to her Celebrity Big Brother co-star Darren Day, who also escaped the city for the North after struggling with addiction issues.

Daniella reveals that the former TV badboy broke down when he discovered she had gone back to drugs after being left in pain after botched dental work.

She adds: 'I needed to get away from the people around me, so I went somewhere I didn't know many people. I moved near Darren Day and my other close fiend from Celebrity Big Brother, Christopher Maloney.

Too much, too young: The star - pictured above on the set of EastEnders - explains that she was partying in the capital since her early teens

Overcome: Drew also spent years struggling with drug abuse after being introduced to the party scene as a pre-teen

Friend in need: Danniella has been relying on help from her CBB co-star Darren Day, who also escaped London and his addiction issues by moving North to Liverpool

'(Darren) is a good friend to me, him and his wife. He's cried on the phone to me, saying: 'Danniella, please, I'm worried about you... I have to look after my own life. I want to be around actors and people in the industry that I want to be a part of again.'

The interview comes as Danniella set the record straight on Loose Women on Monday about what was the catalyst for her latest spiral in drug use.

And in a twist, her son Kai Jenkins, 20, appeared as well, to talk to his mother and share his own experiences with the difficult time.

Danniella, 43, was already close to tears before Kai even made his entrance, telling hosts Lisa Riley, Ruth Langsford, Linda Robson and Jane Moore: 'I hate it when I cry, I look so ugly!'

She explained that 2016 started well, but got progressively worse.

'I had such great expectations coming out of Celebrity Big Brother,' she said, referring to when she was on the series this time last year. 'And then I was so poorly. From the surgery. So I couldn't work.

'I felt then like I'd let everyone down as I was meant to be having a comeback and so I got so depressed and so I turned back to drugs.'

'I don't deserve sympathy!' On monday, the actress broke down in tears as she was confronted about her drug relapse by her emotional son Kai

Clean slate: 'I had such great expectations coming out of Celebrity Big Brother,' she said, referring to when she was on the series this time last year. 'And then I was so poorly. From the surgery. So I couldn't work'

Setting the record straight: Danniella Westbrook wanted to discuss her relapse into drug usage

Emotional: In a slight twist, her son Kai Jenkins, 20, appeared as well, to talk to his mother and share his own experiences with the difficult time

Elaborating on this, the actress said: 'I see myself getting lower and I withdraw and then I withdraw from myself.

'I hid it from [then-boyfriend] George [Arnold]. He has never taken drugs in his life, he works six days a week, he's the perfect man.'

It was the decline in this relationship that tipped the former EastEnders regular over the edge, she explained.

Rock bottom: It was the decline in her relationship that tipped the former EastEnders regular over the edge

Not on the high street: Clearing up the rumours of her homelessness, Danniella said - 'It wasn't true I was made homeless! I was living in a Malmaison out of suitcase'

'I shouldn't get any sympathy, George should,' she said, blaming only herself.

Clearing up the rumours of her homelessness, Danniella said: 'It wasn't true I was made homeless! I was living in a Malmaison out of suitcase.'

She went on to explain that her son Kai came home one dayt and found her on the bathroom floor, which was perhaps the lowest moment.

'I saw the look on his face, and it broke me,' she said. 'I have cleaned up now.'

The troubled star said that she has since put herself up in a Kensington hotel to get clean, attending four meetings a day: 'I was addicted to drugs, now I'm addicted to meetings.'

'I hate it when I cry, I look so ugly!' Danniella, 43, was already close to tears before Kai even made his entrance

Estranged: She explained that her daughter Jody won't speak to her until she's clean clean and hinted that she is seeing George again

Loving son: 'I saw the look on his face, and it broke me,' she said. 'I have cleaned up now'

She explained that her daughter Jody won't speak to her until she's clean clean and hinted that she is seeing George again.

'I'm back seeing George, he's my best friend in the world.'

At this point, the Loose Women revealed that Kai had recorded her a special message.

Mother and son: The troubled star said that she has since put herself up in a Kensington hotel to get clean, attending four meetings a day: 'I was addicted to drugs, now I'm addicted to meetings'

Sitting backstage, clearly nervous and reading from a piece of paper, Kai said to the camera: 'Mum you're only human... who hasn't made mistakes... I will always be there to help you get back up... you can be a huge aggravation but also a huge inspiration.'

'I love him so much,' Danniella said, through tears. 'He's my little Ali G!'

Kai then joined the ladies in the studio and explained how hard it is to tell someone you love what you think; and that it's harder if they don't listen.

Frank: 'I felt then like I'd let everyone down as I was meant to be having a comeback and so I got so depressed and so I turned back to drugs,' she said

Nervous: Sitting backstage, clearly nervous and reading from a piece of paper, Kai said to the camera: 'Mum you're only human... who hasn't made mistakes... I will always be there to help you get back up... you can be a huge aggravation but also a huge inspiration'

'I love him so much': Danniella said, through tears - 'He's my little Ali G!'

'I grew up with it around me in black and white,' Kai said, referring to his mother's constant appearances in the media. 'Other kids said stuff at school about her.'

'He would punch people you,' Danniella admitted. 'He went through a lot of schools.'

Kai went on to say: 'Things collapse, you pick them up, you keep the ball rolling.'

He then accidentally swore, but the slight delay in recording allowed the word to be beeped out before it aired live to the nation.

He went on to say: 'I'm not worried about anything. You live one life, live it how you want to live it, but I will always try and steer her in the right direction.

Support: Kai then joined the ladies in the studio and explained how hard it is to tell someone you love what you think; and that it's harder if they don't listen

'I can tell when she's going down hill, and then I worry at night that I haven't said things that I should do to her.

'You've been brought into the world, you make your own decisons when you become a big person,' he surmised.

Despite a difficult few months, Danniella appeared to be in good spirits ahead of the interview as she made her way in to the London studios with her son.

The actress was seen giving a cheery wave to onlookers as she made her glamorous arrival in a faux-fur gilet - with her casually-clad 20-year-old following close behind.

Ready to talk: Despite a difficult few months, Danniella Westbrook, 43, appeared to be in good spirits ahead of her Loose Women interview as she made her way in to the London studios

Joint appearance: Her casually-clad 20-year-old son Kai Jenkins followed close behind - appearing on the show with her

Danniella looked to be back on track as she flashed a smile and a wave on her way in to the studios - after reportedly being left homeless over the Christmas period.

Maintaining her sense of style amid her financial woes, the former EastEnders star looked casually chic in a beige faux-fur gilet and black skinny jeans.

Keeping all eyes on her statement jacket, she layered a simple black jumper underneath and swept her hair back loosely with a patterned headscarf.

Getting it together: Danniella looked to be back on track as she flashed a smile and a wave on her way in to the studios - after reportedly being left homeless over the Christmas period

Casual: Maintaining her sense of style amid her financial woes, the former EastEnders star looked casually chic in a beige faux-fur gilet and black skinny jeans

Adding further hints of glamour however, Danniella tied her look together with a set of suede knee-high boots and a luxurious Louis Vuitton handbag on her arm.

Perhaps easing her nerves ahead of the TV appearance however, she still clutched tightly onto a packet of cigarettes as she made her way in to the studios.

Providing both support and his side of the story at the interview is her son Kai - who arrived alongside his mother on Monday morning.

Team: Providing both support and his side of the story at the interview is her son Kai - who arrived alongside his mother on Monday morning

The youngster, who Danniella shares with her ex Robert Fernandez, kept things even more low-key for the appearance in baggy grey tracksuit bottoms and a black zip up hoody.

Wanting to keep comfortable, Kai added a set of sporty black trainers and camoflage print coat as he guided his mother in to the studios by the arm.

With a grungy beanie hat pulled over his head, Danniella's son still managed to flash a smile as he followed in after his mother - clearly feeling about the upcoming discussion of her demons.

Comfortable: The youngster, who Danniella shares with Robert Fernandez, kept things even more low-key for the appearance in baggy grey tracksuit bottoms and a black zip up hoody

United front: Wanting to keep comfortable, Kai added a set of sporty black trainers and camoflage print coat as he guided his mother in to the studios by the arm

Feelin good: With a grungy beanie hat pulled over his head, Danniella's son still managed to flash a smile as he followed in after his mother

The pair happily chatted as they arrived at the London location, ahead of their joint appearance on Loose Women.

Earlier this week the actress admitted the extent of her cocaine relapse in an interview with Now magazine, which saw her attempt to kill herself nine times.

A source told The Sun: 'Kai is so proud of his mum for owning up about her demons and facing them head on.

Bouncing back: The pair are appearing on Monday's episode of Loose Women alongside her to discuss her demons

'He recently spoke about how tough it was for him at times as a child, but he loves his mum so much.

'He wants her to be happy and healthy, and she wants the same for him.'

Things seem to be turning around for Danniella as of late, with the star taking to Twitter on Sunday to share a positive message.

Supportive: Kai (left) is said to be proud of his mum's recovery from drug abuse

She wrote: 'I've woken up on cloud nine a change of mood a change of heart and positivity in abundance. Have a lot to be grateful about'

The former EastEnders star visited a Birmingham travel agents last Tuesday, looking happy and healthy.

Danniella, who last took cocaine in October, could not stop smiling as she headed out of the shop, while putting on a stylish display in tight jeans and over-the-knee boots.

Onwards and upwards: Danniella took to Twitter on Sunday to share a positive message

She paired her look with a well-tailored navy blazer adorned with heavy gold buttons down the centre and on the sleeves.

Adding a splash of colour into her stylish look, she sported a bold orange top which coordinated with her stunning Louis Vuitton handbag - a resounding statement given recent reports she is homeless and broke.

Rounding out her ensemble was a stylish navy baker boy cap which sat atop her newly bleached tresses which she dyed back from her fleeting brunette stage.

Smilier than ever: Things seem to be turning around for Danniella as she visited a Birmingham travel agents last Tuesday, looking happy and healthy

Strutting her stuff: The 43-year-old ex-EastEnders star's viewing of prospective holidays comes shortly after she spoke to Now magazine about her devastating recent drug relapse, in which she attempted to kill herself nine times

While Danniella was grinning from ear-to-ear as she headed out of the travel agents, clutching brochures for a sunny getaway, she was extremely emotional as she revealed the details of her relapse.

The star bared all about her decline back into the depths of cocaine addiction, as she took the drug to 'numb the pain', before trying to kill herself a terrifying nine times.

In 2000, her septum was eroded through excessive use of the narcotic and she now insists, despite her stupidity at turning back to drugs, she was never stupid enough to return to snorting the substance up her damaged nose.

Hard times: The star bared all about her decline back into the depths of cocaine addiction, as she took the drug to 'numb the pain', before trying to kill herself on multiple occasions

Embattled Danniella has faced a world of strife in recent months after she slipped back into addiction and subsequently lost her toyboy boyfriend George Arnold, who she now insists is the only man she has ever loved.

Hiding her relapse from him was one of her lowest points as she admits she would lock herself in the bathroom because she was 'so ashamed' of the relapse, yet she insists she is now clean.

She admitted after their break-up last year she was pushed to the edge, saying: '(During my relapse) I was taking nowhere near what I was doing before, but it was enough. It could have killed me. I didn't want to live, I hated myself. Last year I tried to kill myself eight or nine times. It was after George and I broke up.'

Danniella's septum famously collapsed due to her excessive use of cocaine. At the height of her drug abuse, it was reported she had taken up to five grams of cocaine a day during her first pregnancy, blowing close to 250,000 on the drug in total.

Devastating: She spoke about her decline back into the hands of cocaine addiction, as she took the drug to 'numb the pain'

Despite her recent relapse, the actress was keen to point out that she stopped taking the drug through her nostril for fear she would suffer the same fate after her septum was rebuilt.

She said: 'People think I was hoovering cocaine up my nose but I wasn't. Yes, I'm stupid to take drugs but I'm not stupid enough to do that. I was dabbing the coke with my finger and wiping it on my gums.'

The pained actress has been spotted sporting a bandage under her nose yet she is insistent the latest health woe is nothing to do with her drug problem.

Reports have been rife of late claiming Danniella has been made homeless after failing to pay rent and bills - yet she blasted the suggestion.

Way back when: The pained actress has been spotted sporting a bandage under her nose yet she is insistent the latest health woe is nothing to do with her drug problem
Their romance came to a catastrophic end after she publicly cheated on him in the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2016.

While his ex Stephanie Davis has moved on and had a son, it appears Sam Reece isn't keen on forgiving and forgetting as took aim at his former flame in a series of pointed tweets on his Twitter account on Monday night.

The scorn model took to the social media platform as he broke his silence for the first time since his Hollyoaks ex welcomed her first baby, to ponder the behaviour of women.

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Ouch: Sam Reece isn't keen on forgiving and forgetting as took aim at his former flame in a series of pointed snaps on his Snapchat on Monday night

Appearing on the popular app, Sam offered support to Jessica Cunninghams reported boyfriend Courtney Wood after she flirted with Calum Best.

He asked his 236,000 followers: 'Are there any loyal girls out there?'

Adding insult to injury, he added: 'I'm not so sure. If you're ever getting sick of your Mrs and you haven't got the balls to sack her off just put her on Big Brother. Dodge those bullets!'

Later pushing his point, he took to Snapchat to reach out to Jess' beau after he witnessed the flirty banter between the reality stars on the Channel 5 series.

Scorn: The scorn model took to the social media platform as he broke his silence for the first time since his Hollyoaks ex welcomed her first baby, to ponder the behaviour of women

Reflecting: Later pushing his point, he took to Twitter to ponder the behaviour of women after he witnessed the flirty banter between the reality stars on the Channel 5 series

He said: 'I don't know how true this is, but I hear that Jessica from Celebrity Big Brother has a boyfriend on the outside. Oh dear me!

'He's called Courtney, so - if you're listening, mate - give me a call and we'll go for a drink.'

The tongue-in-cheek tweets comes after he lashed out at as he referenced current CBB stars Nicola McClean and Jamie O'Hara.

Support: Sam took to Twitter to reach out to Jessica Cunningham's reported boyfriend

That was then... 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

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 double hit at both Nicola and Stephanie, the handsome model penned: 'Someone else gone in #CBB and forgets about her fella on the outside'.

Filming 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.

Something to smile about? The tongue-in-cheek tweets comes after he lashed out at as he referenced current CBB stars Nicola McClean and Jamie O'Hara

Fuming: Sam still lashed out at as she referenced current CBB stars Nicola McClean and Jamie O'Hara, despite splitting with Stephanie nearly a year ago

Lost love: Sam seized his moment to take a swipe at the actress while she was in labour this week - as he referenced the situation between Nicola and Jamie

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'.

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.

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

Meanwhile, the 23-year-old welcomed her firstborn son into the world last week and continued to give fans a glimpse into her life as a new mother online.

The former Hollyoaks actress posted a candid black and white snap for her holding her new son's hand.

She captioned the picture: 'The day my world became completed. Ive been overwhelmed and so in love with you. Words could never describe. Thank you for all your support!'
She returned to the public eye this month, following her terrifying ordeal in Paris.

But Kim Kardashian received a warm welcome from her good friend Naomi Campbell on Monday, as they got together for the first time since her three-month hiatus.

The supermodel, 46, was seen bringing the 36-year-old reality star into a tight embrace as they enjoyed a catch up over lunch at Milos Restaurant in New York City.

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Girls stick together: Kim Kardashian (R) received a warm welcome from her good friend Naomi Campbell (L) on Monday, as they got together for the first time since her three-month hiatus

Having been friends since 2014, the pair looked happy to finally be catching up as they shared a warm greeting and lunch date together.

Despite enjoying a casual meet at the Mediterranean restaurant, Naomi did not fail to look glamorous in a vibrant printed coat, lined with a glossy fur stole.

Patterned with a bold green and pink floral pattern, the fashion icon ensured all attention was kept on the statement coat by pairing it with simple black skinny jeans and chic heeled boots.

Onwards: After enjoying their long overdue catch-up, the fashionable duo then parted ways by blowing each other a sweet kiss as they headed out into the city

She tied her look together with her trademark oversized sunglasses and a black jacquard handbag as she met up to comfort her friend after her terrifying ordeal.

Meanwhile Kim maintained the casually chic outfit and fresh faced complexion seen earlier that day as she reunited with Naomi, amid a busy day following such a long time away from the limelight.

After enjoying their long overdue catch-up, the fashionable duo then parted ways by blowing each other a sweet kiss as they headed out into the city.

Back to her best: Kim seems to be getting back to her old self - having jetted from Dubai straight to New York, where she enjoyed lunch and happily ran errands

Appearing to have enjoyed their reunion, a source told E! News of the meeting: 'They spent about an hour and a half at lunch and left smiling', before adding that both beauties were in 'very good moods.'

Kim seems to getting back to her old self in light of her terrifying Paris attack in October - having jetted from a whistle-stop trip in Dubai to New York, where she enjoyed her lunch and happily ran errands.

Leaving her more conservative looks back in the United Arab Emirates, Kim opted to flash her ample cleavage now that she was back in the States.

Back stateside! Leaving her more conservative looks back in the United Arab Emirates, Kim opted to flash her ample cleavage now that she was back in the States

Kim looked effortlessly polished after only just returning from her trip, which marked her official return to work after taking a few months out to recuperate following October's terrifying Paris robbery.

The mother-of-two sported winter whites from head-to-toe starting with a plunging T-shirt, which barely concealed her ample bust and revealed her tanned decolletage.

She teamed the chic look with a pair of stylish taupe drawstring pants which were rolled up to reveal her fabulous footwear - tan laced-up stiletto booties.

The TV personality topped off her posh attire with a luxurious white fur coat and a selection of shimmering gold necklaces for her outing in the Big Apple.

Plunging display: The mother-of-two sported winter whites from head-to-toe starting with a plunging T-shirt which barely concealed her ample bust

It's all in the accessories: The TV personality topped off her posh attire with a luxurious white fur coat and a selection of shimmering gold necklaces for her outing in the Big Apple

No signs of jet lag! She appeared surprisingly rested wearing a glowing face of make-up while her long brunette tresses looked freshly blown out in a super straight style

For so soon after her flight, Kim appeared surprisingly rested wearing a glowing face of make-up while her long brunette tresses looked freshly blown out in a pin-straight style.

While in Dubai, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star met with children at a pediatric centre.

Greeted by the crowd of excited young teens, who all wore her face on their shirts, Kim gamely joined them in dancing along to Jam onstage.

Polished: Kim only just returned from her trip, which marked her official return to work after taking a few months out to recuperate following October's terrifying Paris robbery

While in Dubai: The TV personality met with children at a pediatric center. The excited young teens, who all wore her face on their shirts, got her to dance with them on stage

All smiles: During her visit Kim also went from room to room to meet the children personally and take a series of selfies

Thanks! A teen gifted her with an embroidered black abaya - a traditional long sleeved gown which is worn over a woman's clothes when outside her home in the United Arab Emirates

During her visit Kim also went from room to room to meet the children personally and take a series of selfies.

There was also a gift exchange with a teen gifting her with an embroidered black abaya - a traditional long sleeved gown which is worn over a woman's clothes when outside her home in the United Arab Emirates.

Kim had worn a Sade T-shirt and ripped jeans for the outing, which she covered up later with the conservative gown as she thanked her fans.

On Sunday night she boarded a plane back to New York still wearing her Sade shirt, with a thick fur coat on top.

Kim looked exhausted following her busy trip, as she hid her make-up free face behind thick shades, as she made her way through the airport back home in the U.S.
She shocked viewers of Channel Ten's The Project nearly six months ago, when she transformed her look from blonde to brunette.

And from Carrie Bickmore's latest Instagram post on Tuesday, it appears the television host is contemplating another change to her appearance.

After debuting her lightened tresses, the 36-year-old wrote in the caption: 'Maybe I will just go with it one day and go fully grey.'

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Her next project? Carrie Bickmore, 36, took to Instagram on Tuesday, debuting lightened locks as she contemplated going 'fully grey' with her fans

'Colour freshen up today after holiday hair...added some highlights through the bottom and got rid of the greys!' Carrie began the caption.

'I started going grey in my mid-20's but it's now an all out assault!! Or maybe it's just that I can see them now with brown hair.

'Maybe I will just go with it one day and go fully grey. How liberating would that be ladies, anyone done it???' she continued.

Changing things up: Fans of the star have now become accustomed to Carrie's darker look

How she was: Carrie was known for her trademark blonde locks, prior to going brunette

The close-up selfie saw Carrie sporting a green semi-sheer halterneck frock, with her newly lightened tresses framing a glamorously made-up complexion.

A bronzed base, defined brows, lashings of mascara and a matte pink lip, finished off the look.

Nearly six months ago, the mother-of-two took to Instagram, showing off a dramatic change from a blonde hue to a deep brown.

New look! Nearly six months ago, the mother-of-two took to Instagram, showing off a dramatic change from a blonde hue to a deep brown

'If my face was an emoji it would be this one!!' Carrie captioned a selfie, at the time of her transformation.

'First colour change since I was 19! About time Carrie. Feel like a new woman,' she continued, alongside the hash-tags #brunette, #experimenting and #fun.

Following the post, Carrie regularly took to Instagram showing off her new look at various media commitments, appearing to be in love with the new look.
She has been inundating fans with racy snaps from her recent girls' trip to the Ukraine.

But it was back to business for Chloe Khan as she got into the swing of the January fitness drive, albeit in a very risque way.

The Celebrity Big Brother pin-up, 25, hit the park despite the freezing weather - but soon raised temperatures thanks to her provocative warm-up poses.

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And stretch! Chloe Khan got back to business as she got into the swing of the January fitness drive, albeit in a very risque way

Showing off her cosmetically enhanced assets in a skimpy crop top, Chloe's abs looked like they had already been given a good work out.

She added a pair of skimpy shorts to her gym ensemble and showed off her pert behind as she stretched forward in them.

Next up the mother-of-one worked on warming up her biceps and legs as she prepared to indulge in a gruelling session.

It's essential that the reality star - who rose to fame on The X Factor - keeps her figure in shape - as she runs a saucy webcam business.

Behind on January fitness: The Celebrity Big Brother pin-up, 25, hit the park despite the freezing weather - but soon raised temperatures thanks to her provocative warm-up poses

Ab fab: Showing off her cosmetically enhanced assets in a skimpy crop top, Chloe's abs looked like they had already been given a good work out

Ahead of the curve: She added a pair of skimpy shorts to her gym ensemble and showed off her pert behind as she stretched forward in them

Raising temperatures: Next up the mother-of-one worked on warming up her biceps and legs as she prepared to indulge in a gruelling session

She's also not one to shy away from a sharing a sexy snap on social media - and recently showed off her curves in an array of images from her break in the Ukraine with a group of equally glam girl friends.

Her fitness regime comes alongside another New Year's resolution - she wants to learn the piano.

Taking to her Instagram last month, she added a shot of herself dressed in a smart cropped pea jacket and skinny jeans.

Lunging forward: It's essential that the reality star - who rose to fame on The X Factor - keeps her figure in shape - as she runs a saucy webcam business

Jog on! The brunette beauty hardly worked up sweat as she jogged around the park in full make-up

Lean and mean: She's not one to shy away from a sharing a sexy snap on social media - and recently showed off her curves in an array of images from her break in the Ukraine with a group of equally glam girl friends

Bringing fitness back: Chloe flashed her perky rear as she made sure she was fully warmed up

The accompanying caption read: 'Iv just booked some piano lessons for the new year. What's your resolution? (sic)'

The reality star previously announced her desire to master the challenging instrument in a Twitter post shared with followers earlier that day.

She wrote: 'Learning piano in Jan. 'when I was in LA everyone I knew would play beautiful classical pieces when we went past a piano. That will be me.'
She has a starring role in the new action film, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage.

And Ruby Rose has now revealed she underwent an extreme exercise regime for her role as sniper Adele Wolff in the highly-anticipated Hollywood blockbuster.

Speaking with news.com about how she transformed her body, Ruby revealed she worked out seven days a week to prepare for the shoot.

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Intense regime: On Tuesday, Ruby Rose talked with The Daily Telegraph about the intense exercise regime she underwent to prepare for her starring role in xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, in which she performed her own stunts

'I was so ripped,' the Australian star laughed, as she described her gruelling routine, which included three to four days of sniper training per week.

'The other days were just exercise  fitness, strength,' Ruby told the publication.

The 30-year-old performed her own stunts on set, keeping up with her super-fit co-star Vin Diesel.

'I was so ripped': Ruby performed many of her own stunts in the sction-packed film

'I do a lot of work (in the film) like climbing a tree in the Dominican Republic at 4am with just silk ropes ... and Id have to pull my body weight up, after ten hours of shooting the day before,' explained Ruby.

The star, who has become a Hollywood sensation after her starring role in Orange Is The New Black, also revealed that she became close with Vin as they filmed.

She heaped praise on the leading man, calling him 'the most selfless human being that I've probably ever met'.

Buff co-star: Ruby kept up with her super fit screen partner Vin Diesel (pictured)

Her words come a week after she shared a snap to Instagram calling the action star 'my brother, my friend and my scene partner'.

The pair are clearly close, with super-popular Vin last year sharing a video montage of he and Ruby with his whopping 100 million Facebook fans.

Ruby told The Daily Telegraph that once filming finished on xXx she didn't stick to the intense exercise regime, saying that without Vin by her side it was hard to stay as motivated.

'The most selfless human being that I've probably ever met': Ruby is close with co-star Vin and showered praise on him in the interview

Close: Vin shares Ruby's sentiments, last year sharing a video montage of the pair together with his whopping 100 million Facebook friends

However, the star cut a stunning figure on the red carpet at the London premiere of the film last week.

Ruby dazzled in a multicoloured sequined gown that featured cut-outs near the torso that revealed Ruby's rock-hard abs.

The star is set to continue her astronomical rise to fame, with the blockbuster film opening in markets around the world later this week.
Coronation Street's Jennie McAlpine has revealed she opted for a secret wedding because she hated being the 'centre of attention'.

The actress, 32, who plays Fiz in the long running ITV soap, and her partner Chris Farr decided a month before their nuptials to get hitched with just two witnesses in Manchester last year.

Now the star has revealed that the ceremony was 'more of a surprise than a secret' - and insists her friends and family were fine with not being there for her big day.

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Low-key: Coronation Street's Jennie McAlpine has revealed she opted for a secret wedding with longterm partner Chris Farr last year because she hated being the 'centre of attention'

Content: Now the soap star has revealed that the ceremony was 'more of a surprise than a secret' - and insists her friends and family were fine with not being there for her big day

Speaking on Loose Women on Tuesday, she explained: ' We live Manchester and had to do it in the city centre and our name was up there for 28 days and nobody saw. Secret is not the word, more surprise!

'People have said "werent your friends really annoyed?", but I thought what kind of friends would they be? I hope not!

'I love a good wedding, I do and I hope Im invited to lots of them, I love a big wedding but for myself I wanted low-key. I didnt want to be the centre of attention

Despite it being just the two of them, the TV favourite insists she wouldn't have had it any other way - and feels 'complete' since tying the knot.

Just the two of us: The actress, 32, who plays Fiz in the long running ITV soap, and her partner Chris Farr decided a month before their nuptials to get hitched with just two witnesses in Manchester last year

Chats: Jennie appeared on ITV's Loose Women on Tuesday alongside panelists (L-R Andrea McLean, Stacey Solomon, Jane Moore and Nadia Sawalha)

She adds: 'It felt really romantic. The night before I said to chris, I dont want to feel any different to how I have before. I feel nicer, more complete.'

Despite soap stars being favourite fodder for expensive magazine deals, Jennie insists not amount of money could have persauded her - and she even avoided an expensive honeymoon by heading to a Welsh farm with the couple's son, Albert.

'For us it just felt like our day and it werent that interesting with just us there so I dont think our wedding would be able to fill many pages of a magazine!', she continued.

'I can understand why people do it but we just had our little subtle one.

Perfect: Despite it being just the two of them, the TV favourite insists she wouldn't have had it any other way - and feels 'complete' since tying the knot

A woman of principle: Despite soap stars being favourite fodder for expensive magazine deals, Jennie insists not amount of money could have persauded her

'We went to wales for our honeymoon. I love wales. We went to a little farm with chicken and sheep because my little boy is obsessed with animals .'

Last May, Jennie shared the news with fans by posting a snapshot of herself her new husband's hands complete with wedding rings on Twitter.

She wrote alongside it: 'So, we went to Trafford Town Hall earlier this week and had a bit of a special day.'

The couple have been together for more than a decade and have a two-year-old son named Albert.

Chris and Jennie both run Manchester restaurant and teashop Annie's - opening the eatery in 2012.

The happy news was welcomed by Jennie's Coronation Street co-stars, with Katie McGlynn, who plays Sinead Tinker, tweeting a series of smiley faces and heart emojis alongside the caption: 'Yay!!!'

Happily married: The pair also opted for a quiet honeymoon on a Welsh farm with their son, Albert

A long way from the cobbles: Jennie posed alongside former Coronation Street star Sherrie Hewson - who played Maureen Webster for four years - inside the studios

Wendi Peters, who previously played Cilla Battersby-Brown in the soap, wrote: Yes!! Lots of love.'

And Tupele Dorgu, who starred as feisty Kelly Crabtree wrote: 'Oh my word! How exciting. Congratulations. Knew you'd give in one day. Here's to many years of wedding bliss.'

Jennie, who first entered Weatherfield back in 2001, has previously spoken about her happiness after giving birth to baby Albert last year.

Wedded bliss! At the time, Jennie was congratulated by cast mates past and present

Dressed to impress: Jennie looked lovely in a navy blue lace top, skinny jeans and heels

'This is the happiest time in my life,' she told OK! magazine last year. 'I'd definitely recommend it - a cup of tea and a baby, you can't go wrong!'

She even joked that the new addition to the family would soon be helping out in the family business.

'He's used to being here now,' she said. 'We should put him on a training scheme, there's a lot to learn if you want to be a waiter!'
They recently reconciled after a three week split.

But Cameron McCristal seems more than happy to make fun of his reality star girlfriend Skye Wheatley.

In a YouTube video uploaded by Skye on Sunday, the star's boyfriend is seen making fun of her as they drive around trying to capture the perfect picture to share with her 281,000 Instagram followers.

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Poking fun: Skye Wheatley recently reconciled with boyfriend Cameron McCristal, who is more than happy to make fun of the star for the extreme effort she goes to to capture the perfect Instagram shot

The 9-minute-clip shows Cameron chauffeuring his on-again girlfriend to a series of unglamorous locations to take pictures.

Believing the effort involved is ridiculous, Cameron begins putting on an exaggerated voice, mimicking Skye as she sits in the passenger seat.

'So what we're gonna do is we're gonna try and find somewhere that actually has a broken cloud where there's light coming through so we can get a good lighting for a good photo to make the body look nice and sharp,' Cameron mocks.

Glamorous: Skye goes to a lot of effort to take the perfect Instagram photo

Reality: Skye cropped out the industrial background when she uploaded her photo to YouTube

Skye doesn't seem to take offence, stating, 'Yeah, pretty much what he said'.

The buxom blonde is dressed to impress, heavily made up for a series of shoots, which take place in front of garage doors and near industrial areas.

However, it appears Cameron is prepared to go to great lengths to please his beau, after calling her his 'soul mate' in a recent Instagram post.

That was fast! Skye Wheatley's on-again off-again beau Cameron McCristal, took to Instagram on Friday, calling the 22-year-old buxom blonde his 'soulmate' just THREE WEEKS after the couple called it quits

The photo saw Skye flaunting her ample assets in a skimpy purple crop top, teamed with knee-length black leggings and coordinating pink trainers.

The reality star's short blonde locks were slicked back off her face, and she appeared to have a glamorous makeup palette of a bronzed complexion, defined brows and a coat of pink lipstick over her plump pout.

'When you try to take a cute couple photo': Skye took to Instagram on Friday, awkwardly straddling beau Cameron, as she attempted to take a playful snap

Cameron positioned himself behind Skye, embracing her slender waist as he looked down at the camera's lens.

A previous snap shared to Skye's Instagram account on Friday, saw the on-again, off-again couple, attempting to capture a playful moment.

The image saw the bubbly personality leaving very little to the imagination in a white two-piece ensemble, that flashed her lean legs, trim torso and ample cleavage.

Back on: After partying with Skye at the FOMO Music Festival in Brisbane last weekend, Cameron crashed the star's YouTube makeup tutorial on Friday

Attempting to take the perfect mirror selfie in a bathroom, Skye wrapped her legs around Cameron's waist, with her beau flashing his pearly whites for the camera.

'When you try to take a cute couple photo but you're both just way too awkward,' she wrote in the caption, alongside the hash-tags #awkwardcouple and #ihateyoubutiloveyou.

The couple's rekindled romance comes after Cameron was seen partying with Skye at the FOMO Music Festival in Brisbane last week, and having crashed her YouTube makeup tutorial on Friday.

Hot couple: Skye and Cameron have been on and off since June 2015

In the makeup tutorial, Skye's fans were surprised to see Cameron make a cameo, given their shock split just three weeks prior.

'Wait! You and Cameron are still together? I'm not sure? Anyone know? Sorry to be nosey!' wrote one fan.

'Hahah we are kind of together,' Skye responded coyly.

When another fan quizzed her about her romantic life, Skye shared: 'Umm yeah we're together. Bit hard to keep up with we're so off and on hahhaha.'

In the clip, Skye was partway through putting on her makeup when Cameron came into the room.

'You legit just left the chicken on the beach,' he interrupted.

Surprise cameo: Cameron appeared in her latest YouTube video, shocking fans with one asking, 'Wait! You and Cameron are still together?'

'So?' Skye replied.

'So it will just leak everywhere,' Cameron claimed.

'Oh sorry, you're gonna have to put it in the sink,' Skye said as she cut the clip.

Absence: Prior to Friday's post, Skye had not featured Cameron on her Instagram account for six weeks

The pair split in December and had been dating on-and-off since June 2015. They also had a brief split in January 2016.

Following that split, Skye told Daily Mail Australia: 'We broke up, my life is s*** right now. It's a long story.'

Prior to Friday's post, Skye last featured Cameron on her Instagram six weeks ago.
She never fails to look glamorous both on and off screen.

And Keira Knightley was the picture of radiance even in character on Tuesday, as she kicked off filming for her new WWII drama The Aftermath in Prague.

The actress, 31, certainly caught attention in her vintage-style green coat and chic beret costume, as she laughed animatedly between takes on the streets of the Czech Republic's capital.

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Stunning: Keira Knightley was the picture of radiance even in character on Tuesday, as she kicked off filming for her new WWII drama The Aftermath in Prague

Quick change: The Love Actually star embodied her 1940s character in the timeless green coat (L), before wrapping up warm in a chunky puffer and moon boots during her breaks (R)

The Love Actually star embodied her 1940s character in the timeless green coat, which cinched in at her waist before flowing out to knee length.

Enhancing the classic look in a quirky style, she then layered a black beret on top of her thick brown bob as she enjoyed a few dramatic scenes in character.

Accessorising with a pair of green leather gloves, black plimsoll boots and a small leather handbag around her wrist, Keira looked more than ready for the day ahead as she transformed into her stylish character.

Having a ball: The actress certainly caught attention in her vintage-style green coat and chic beret costume, as she laughed animatedly between takes

Classically stylish: The Love Actually star embodied her 1940s character in the timeless green coat, which cinched in at her waist before flowing out to knee length

Chic: Progressing the story further, she was then seen filming in the Hotel Atlantic, where she embarked on more vocal scenes

The beauty was first seen filming beside an old-fashioned car, where she appeared to be left shocked by someone catching her attention in the distance.

Progressing the story further, she was then seen filming in the Hotel Atlantic, where she embarked on more vocal scenes with her extended cast.

However, with Prague currently enduring a wintry period of weather, the Atonement actress had to continually wrap herself in a blue puffer coat and chunky silver moon boots in her breaks as the snow began to fall.

Down to business: The beauty was first seen filming beside an old-fashioned car

In for a shock: Her character appeared to be left shocked by someone catching her attention in the distance

Authentic: She embarked on the scenes in the wet weather in a set of black boots styled like plimsolls at the front

Scene change: Progressing the story further, she was then seen filming in the Hotel Atlantic

Getting the hang of it: Keira happily chatted with producers as they ran through the scene before shooting

Yet Keira remained completely unfazed by the chilly temperatures - happily walking around set and laughing with the cast with a huge umbrella in hand.

With her character's coat perhaps more for style than practicality, the brunette also carried a hot water bottle around with her as she reminded herself of her lines and topped up her make-up before her next scene.

Keira is currently in the Czech Republic filming her new post WWII drama The Aftermath.

Its snow problem! Keira remained completely unfazed by the chilly temperatures as she walked through the blizzard on set with a huge umbrella in hand

In the mood: She happily chatted and laughed with her cast despite the conditions

Feeling the chill: With her character's coat perhaps more for style than practicality, the brunette also carried a hot water bottle around with her

Set in post-war Germany in 1946, the film follows Keira as Rachael Morgan, whose colonel husband Lewis, played by Jason Clarke, is put in charge of rebuilding the city of Hamburg.

However upon arrival, she discovers that they will not be living in their own home, but instead in a grand house with its previous owners - a German widower, played by Alexander Skarsgard, and his troubled daughter.

The war drama is based on the book of the same name, by Rhidian Brook, and is produced by Ridley Scott.

New project: Keira is currently in the Czech Republic filming her new post WWII drama The Aftermath

New start: Set in Germany in 1946, the film follows Keira as Rachael Morgan, whose colonel husband Lewis, played by Jason Clarke, is put in charge of rebuilding the city of Hamburg

The film marks Keira's full return to the acting world - having only released Collateral Beauty in 2016, as she adapts to life as a mother.

The British beauty welcomed her daughter Edie with husband and Klaxons frontman James Righton, in May 2015.

Talking about motherhood to Elle magazine last year, the actress admitted the whole experience was 'astonishing', and that no job or experience in life can begin to prepare you for it.

Bad to worse: However the couple end up living in a grand house in Hamburg with its previous owners - a German widower, played by Alexander Skarsgard, and his troubled daughter

Big names: The war drama is based on the book of the same name, by Rhidian Brook, and is being produced by Ridley Scott

Stronger than ever: The film marks Keira's full return to the acting world - having only released Collateral Beauty in 2016, as she adapts to life as a mother

'It's a very primal, primal love, that's quite extraordinary,' she explained. 'And the ability to have no sleep and continue going.

'It's not pleasantI never thought that I could actually do it for the amount of time that I've done it.'

However as she gets back into the swing of making movies, it appears the beauty is set to return to one of her most famous roles.

Having skipped the fourth installment of the series, Keira is reportedly going to play Elizabeth Swann again for Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

The mother-of-one reportedly shot scenes for the movie on Queensland's Gold Coast in secret - although according to TooFab, her scenes are described as a 'small cameo during the end credits.
She's just moved to a villa in Bali.

But on Tuesday, Megan Marx took to Instagram to admit she feels 'unnerved' about her big life changes.

In the mood for self-reflection, the blonde beauty took to Instagram to upload a selfie accompanied by a lengthy caption.

Feeling reflective: Now at her new home in Bali, Megan Marx took to Instagram on Tuesday to say that the time that is now on her hands is 'unnerving' as she waits for girlfriend Tiffany Scanlon to join her

Megan revealed that she now has plenty of time, having given up her two jobs in Western Australia.

Stating that she can now work from her villa on the Indonesian island, the star wrote, 'I've been super busy, and now I'm here in Bali and have TIME. Oh my Lord, I swear time is the best kind of currency.'

However, feeling philosophical, she went on to state, 'It feels bizarre though, that what is open and manifold can be so unnerving. Simple commands and narrow roads can make a paved, simple life without potholes- and now I'm at will to a f**king life car crash.'

'Frolicking': Megan looked absolutely sensational in her Instagram snap

Perhaps trying to disguise any anxiety, Megan ended her reflection with the word 'LOL'.

The star, who fell in love with her Bachelor co-star Tiffany Scanlon,is awaiting the arrival of her girlfriend in Bali.

It's believed Tiffany will join Megan next week.

Prior to her departure, Megan took to Instagram to upload a sizzling bikini shot.

'Last day in WA': Megan uploaded this snap on Sunday, prior to her departure for Bali

In the picture Megan flaunted her flawless physique in a gold bikini.

'This is me 'frolicking'. What a great word,' Megan wrote, as she flipped her flowing blonde hair back.

The picture came after she revealed she had undertaken a 28-day fitness challenge.

Bali ready! On Sunday, The Bachelor star Megan Marx shared a before and after photo after undertaking a 28-day fitness program

The blonde showed off the results with a before-and-after photo posted to her Instagram account.

The star claimed that whilst she's 'always been reasonably healthy' she 'can see a difference in belly fat, and general overall tone'.

In her lengthy caption, Megan claimed that she's never taken before and after photos before, stating that she found the process 'a bit terrifying.

The star posted the picture from the airport, after revealing she is moving to Bali with her Bachelor co-star girlfriend, Tiffany Scanlon.

'Off to Canggu with ma new bod (at the airport now)', she wrote.

The loved-up pair, who are The Bachelor's first lesbian couple, had previously been teasing fans about the mystery location to which they were moving.

On Friday, they revealed they were moving to the Indonesian island, which is the place where they first fell in love.
She recently shot down any hope that she'd be welcoming a baby this year.

And while her dreams of having a child have taken a back seat, Lauren Goodger's, 30, relationship hasn't, as she was spotted with her jailbird beau Joey Morrison for the first time.

The couple - who have never been pictured together before - took a number of selfies during his day release from his 17 years and eight month prison sentence for drug related offences.

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Picture perfect: Lauren Goodger was spotted with her jailbird beau Joey Morrison for the first time

Taking a number of loved-up snaps, the TOWIE star can be seen puckering up to her convicted drug dealer boyfriend in a steamy snap.

The pair appeared in an affectionate mood as they coordinated each other in matching all black looks for their brief date.

Leaving her long brunette locks loose, the Essex beauty looked glamorous as ever as she accentuated her natural pout with a slick of nude lipstick.

Loved-up: Taking a number of loved-up snaps, the TOWIE star can be seen puckering up to her convicted drug dealer boyfriend in a steamy snap

Day out: The couple - who have never been pictured together before - took a number of selfies during his day release from his 17 years and eight month prison sentence for drug related offences

Matching: The pair appeared in an affectionate mood as they coordinated each other in matching all black looks for their brief date

Among the intimate pics, Lauren showcased her tattoo tribute to her new love - who is set to be released in 21 months to serve - as she places her perfectly manicured hand on the wheel of her white Mercedes.

Meanwhile, Lauren has set the record straight as she insisted she's not keen on following in the footsteps of her former TOWIE co-stars Billie and Sam Faiers to form her own brood just yet.

Writing in her latest column with New! magazine, she opened up about her relationship with convicted drug dealer Joey, who is due to be released in 21 months after serving half of an 17-year and eight month sentence.

Tatt's nice: Among the intimate pics, Lauren showcased her tattoo tribute to her new love - who is set to be released in 21 months to serve - as she places her perfectly manicured hand on the wheel of her white Mercedes

On hold: Lauren has set the record straight as she insisted she's not keen on following in the footsteps of her former TOWIE co-stars Billie and Sam Faiers to form her own brood just yet

Revealing all, the reality star admitted she enjoys being able to spend some quality time with her beau now that he is being let out of prison for a number of hours on 'resettlement' so they can do 'normal couple things' together.

Vehemently denying she's trying for a baby, the Essex beauty - who admitted she has never had sex with Joey - also reflected on how different the world is since her man was locked up seven years ago.

She wrote: 'There has been a lot of speculation that I'm trying for a baby with him but I'm not at the moment. I've got my house phone diverted to my mobile so I never miss a call.

'I remember the first time I told him I was booking an Uber, he was like, "What's that?" It's weird to think how much the world has changed sine he's been inside.'

Candid: Writing in her latest column with New! magazine, she opened up about her relationship with convicted drug dealer Joey (pictured) who is due to be released in 21 months after serving half of an 17-year and eight month sentence

Having started his prison sentence as the iPhone 4 was released before the car app made waves, the brunette stunner insisted her love reads newspapers and books in his cell, and of course her weekly magazine column.

Lauren also explained she has gone on a mission alongside her boyfriend's family to put the record straight on the crimes Joey has committed.

While she stated that his charges appeared in the media as 'kidnap, burglary and disguising himself as a postman', Lauren rectified the claims, admitting that he was actually 'arrested for drug offences and possession of a firearm'.

Putting the record straight: Lauren also insisted she has gone on a mission alongside her boyfriend's family to put the record straight on the crimes Joey has committed

Lauren's interesting turn on having a child comes after she revealed to MailOnline she was going to have a baby on the ITVBe series with her.

In December, she said: 'This is going to be a big year for me, just watch this space. I am definitely going to have my baby with me on TOWIE.

'It will come with me on shoots and everything because it will be my world. Having a baby is so much a part of you. I will make sure being on the show doesn't affect him or her though. I'll be careful. I can't wait for next year. It will be a Good-ger, like good year. Get it?'

In talks: Lauren took to Instagram last week to reveal she had a consultation with Elite Surgical doctor Sultan Hassan about a second boob job following her 2014 operation to go up to a 34E

Natural: Now opening up about her meeting, she revealed she is hoping to reduce the size of her implants as she gets into shape and reverts to a more natural look

Meanwhile, Lauren took to Instagram last week to reveal she had a consultation with Elite Surgical doctor Sultan Hassan about a second boob job following her 2014 operation to go up to a 34E.

At the time, she wrote: 'Had a good consultation with @elitesurgical Dr Hassan love his reviews and his work was very nice to talk felt very calming and comfortable give them a follow'.

Now opening up about her meeting, she revealed she is hoping to reduce the size of her implants as she gets into shape and reverts to a more natural look.

She said: 'Going smaller will make my proportions look smaller too. I told him about my training and wanting to lose weight, so he advised me to keep doing what I'm doing and go back when I'm at my ideal weight.'
She's been through her fair shares of ups and downs with husband Kieran Hayler, 29.

But Katie Price looked more loved-up than ever with her beau as she shared a sweet selfie on Monday whilst they celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary.

Gazing into each other's eyes the pair made for quite the handsome couple, as Katie, 38, captioned the shot with a string of love hearts.

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Cute couple: Katie Price looked more loved-up than ever with her beau as she shared a sweet selfie on Monday whilst they celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary

Katie and Kieran tied the knot in the Bahamas on January 16 in 2013.

The couple share two children, Jett, three, and Bunny, two, whilst Katie also has three children from previous relationships.

In October Katie revealed she be taking a month out of the limelight to see a therapist with Kieran, after reliving her husband's infidelity.

And the duo enjoyed their time out of the limelight, treating themselves to a holiday in Barbados where they originally exchanged vows.

Moving on: In October Katie revealed she be taking a month out of the limelight to see a therapist with Kieran, after reliving her husband's infidelity

During an appearance on ITV's Loose Women last month, the former glamour model announced that she would be taking time to heal her reopened wounds - which she would deal with during couples therapy sessions.

At the time Katie revealed that speaking so candidly about her husband Kieran Hayler's affairs with two of her best friends took its toll.

She explained: 'We're gonna go back to a therapist, not because there's anything wrong with our relationship... He's realised now I've moved on, how much he's hurt me. It's a lot for him to deal with.'

Perfect pair: Katie and Kieran tied the knot in the Bahamas on January 16 in 2013. The couple share two children, Jett, three, and Bunny, two, Katie also has another three children

Katie has spoken publicly about the moment she discovered Kieran kissing her married ex-best friend Jane, 49, while on holiday in Cape Verde in May 2014.

The Mirror reported that Katie revealed what happened after she found Jane intimately pleasuring Kieran: 'I got up and proper got her. I thought I was a cage fighter or something... I was that angry I just clutched her hair. I'm not hard but I've done training.

'And then Kieran called security. The worst thing is Jane's two kids came in and they saw me attacking their mum. Security walked in and I just wouldn't get off her.

Heartbroken: In October Katie revealed she be taking a month out of the limelight to see a therapist with Kieran, after reliving her husband's infidelity

In 2015, Katie explained the exact moment she found the duo together, leading to her heartbreak and very public rows.

She said: 'I remember going down to the bar one day in Cape Verde to ask the staff if they had seen my husband.

'They pointed towards the beach and said he'd gone that way. I asked them if he was with anyone and they said no. At that point, I knew he had gone to meet her.

'So I started walking towards the beach and in the distance, I could see these two silhouettes on the sun loungers. My heart was racing because I knew it was them. Then there they were, kissing each other.'

Katie and Jane had known each other for 20 years when the ten-month affair came to light, and the latter was even maid of honour at Katie's weddings to Alex Reid and Kieran.
Wolvie, Bond and Wade all together.

Ryan Reynolds posted a photo of himself with Hugh Jackman and Pierce Brosnan, capturing three iconic characters all in one frame.

The actors are equally famous for playing very different heroes, with the 40-year-old actor paying homage to their characters by captioning the photo: 'Wolvie. Bond. Wade.'

Gangs all here: Ryan Reynolds, 40, posts a photo of himself with Hugh Jackman and Pierce Brosnan, capturing the photoP: 'Wolvie. Bond. Wade.'

The actor is referring to Hugh Jackman who famously plays Wolverine in X-Men and Pierce Brosnan who took a turn as the iconic crime-fighting Englishman, James Bond.

Reynolds also refers to his own character, Wade Wilson aka Deadpool.

The three are seen mimicking the three wise monkeys, who embody the 'hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil' principle.

Are they working together? It's unclear what prompted the reunion, perhaps the trio is teaming up for an epic superhero project

Hugh Jackman also tweeted out a different photo of the handsome group laughing and seeming to enjoy each others company.

He captioned the photo with a hashtag tribute to their characters: '#wolverinebonddeadpool'

It's unclear what prompted the reunion, but perhaps, the trio is teaming up for an epic superhero project.

In character: The 40-year-old just launched an Oscar campaign for Deadpool, in a hilarious character-driven spoof on the 'For your consideration' Oscar promos.

Reynolds just launched an Oscar campaign for Deadpool, in a hilarious character-driven spoof on the 'For your consideration' Oscar promos.

The Vancouver native tweeted out a highlight reel-style video on Thursday urging the Academy to consider Deadpool for an Oscar.

The clip begins with a silhouette of the foul-mouthed hero, with '600 lbs of chimichangas' emblazoned in gold lettering along the bottom, referring of course to his favorite food item and one of his catch-phrases.

Will it work? The Vancouver native tweeted out a highlight reel-style video on Thursday urging the Academy to consider Deadpool for an Oscar

Next, Deadpool appears to be readying for battle by removing his swords, only for the camera to focus on his behind as '4 pairs of a**less chaps' flashes on screen.

Now infamous, Wade's unconventional sex scene, with his girlfriend Vanessa positioned behind him, follows, with the caption '12 humiliating minutes' accompanied by the qualifier 'on a casting couch' in voice-over.

The pace then picks up a bit, as several more pedestrian stats are rattled off over some action scenes, including '117 script pages, 465 Ad Libs, two nerds, seven magical unicorns.'

Several more stats continue on the screen before before ending with Deadpool skewering one of his enemies as the voice-over murmurs 'for you consideration.'
She's enjoying some downtime before her stand-up tour kicks off again.

And Amy Schumer did a spot of leisurely thrift store browsing on Monday as she strolled New York with a female friend.

The 35-year-old actress was photographed lugging a vintage rocking chair and some artwork after a visit to a Housing Works store.

Taking it home: Amy Schumer was spotted lugging a vintage rocking chair in New York on Monday

Amy was dressed for the chilly east coast weather in a padded jacket and sweatpants.

She kept her head snug in a grey beanie with pompom detail.

The star is said to have snapped up a luxury $12.1 million penthouse in New York City's Upper West Side last year.

Snapping up a gem: The 35-year-old actress also snapped up some artwork as she left the Housing Works thrift store

The five bedroom home spans 4,500 square feet over two floors and features glass walls with unparalleled views of neighboring Hudson River and New Jersey.

Amy has announced her next stand-up special will premiere on Netflix on March 7.

In a statement The Hollywood Reporter have quoted, she said: 'Very happy to be a part of the Netflix family for this special,

Booking a class? The comedian also popped into a SoulCycle on her trip out

New crib: Amy reportedly snapped up this $12.1million NYC penthouse last year

'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.

Amy's stand-up tour resumes in Toronto, Canada on February 16.
She was busy filming her glamorous cameo for the upcoming Ocean's Eight movie on Monday night.

But Kim Kardashian kept it relatively low key as she headed out to a meeting solo in New York the next day.

The 36-year-old star wore a casual white t-shirt and sweatpants but dressed up the look with snakeskin boots and a luxurious brown fur coat.

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These boots were made for walking: Kim Kardashian headed out solo to a meeting in New York on Tuesday

The mother-of-two flashed a generous amount of cleavage in the button-up top and a large gold pendant adorned her neck.

She hid any signs of jet lag behind large black sunglasses and wore her long raven locks glossy and straight.

The stunning reality star only wore a swipe of clear gloss on her lips.

Later on Kim hopped on her private jet to head home to Los Angeles.

Touch of glam: The 36-year-old star wore a casual white t-shirt and sweatpants but dressed up the look with snakeskin boots and a luxurious brown fur coat

Fancy: The mother-of-two flashed a generous amount of cleavage in the button-up top and a large gold pendant adorned her neck

Bit of bling: She hid any signs of jet lag behind large black sunglasses

Causing a stir: The star clutched her cell phone as she navigated the rain soaked streets of New York

International trip: She wore her long raven locks glossy and straight

Keeping dry: The star and her assistant kept their hair in perfect condition, thanks to a gentleman who held an umbrella over them

The star shared a snap from on board her flight as she relaxed and sipped a drink.

She captioned it: 'Home sweet home.'

Kim shared a second snap from the plane hours later - this time with her assistant Stephanie Sheppard; the brunette beauty captioned it: 'Bad & Boujee.'

On Monday night Kim and 21-year-old sister Kendall Jenner got glammed up in ornate cream gowns to head to the set of Ocean's Eight in New York City.

She's flawless! The stunning reality star only wore a swipe of clear gloss on her lips

Having a laugh: Kim and her assistant Stephanie broke out into a smile as they enjoyed an outing in Midtown on Tuesday

'Home sweet home': Kim sipped on a drink as she sat in her private jet on the way home on Tuesday

'Bad & Boujee': Kim shared a second snap from the plane hours later - this time with her assistant Stephanie Sheppard

The reality TV stars seemingly have a cameo in the upcoming film's star-studded Met Gala scene.

The plot of the highly-anticipated movie has been kept under wraps, and it isn't set for release until summer 2018.

Kim and Kendall were also joined by their youngest sister Kylie Jenner, who was also included in the Kardashian cameo for Ocean's Eight.

What a goddess: The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star showed just a hint of cleavage in her neutral toned ensemble

Focused: The beauty stayed warm in her calf-grazing coat while sporting a white Henley shirt beneath it

Back in Cali: The Selfish author was spotted exiting her private jet after touching down in Los Angeles

Precious cargo: The E! star lugged a large holdall as she got off the plane

However her style was decidedly her own and much more casual than her older sisters.

The 19-year-old opted for a black velour turtleneck jumpsuit and bundled up beneath a two-tone Camouflaged ski jacket.

Kim just returned from a whirlwind three-day tour of Dubai, but she didn't show any signs of jet lag as she was spotted out and about in NYC earlier on Monday.

Home again: It was a whirlwind trip for Kim who went to Dubai before a quick stop in New York
She made her fame as one of the top models in the fashion industry.

But Cara Delevingne has taken time out of her busy and glamorous schedule this month to fly to Uganda and support female refugees.

The beauty, 24, visited the UNHCR refugee border entry points in northern Uganda on Tuesday - where she happily played and chatted to the suffering young women for hours on end.

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Doing her bit: Cara Delevingne has taken time out of her busy and glamorous schedule this month to fly to Uganda and support female refugees

Dressed in casual green dungarees and a plain white T-shirt, the Burberry model looked completely relaxed as she enjoyed her day spent with the young women at the base.

Sweeping her hair back with a yellow headband, the model's fresh face was clear to see - proving her to fully immerse herself in the cause and leave her fashion career behind.

Cara first sat down to play a few games with the girls, where they were seen laughing and teasing each other playfully.

Relaxed: Sweeping her hair back with a yellow headband, the model's fresh face was clear to see - proving her to be more concerned about the cause, rather than fashion, during the trip

She later spent time with some of the sweet younger members - before bringing all the refugees into a circle for a group chat about their lives and what they wish to achieve.

The model has been heavily documenting the charity excursion on her social media pages, after first arriving in Uganda last week.

She expressed her excitement for the project by posting a photo of herself and the rest of her team planning their course of action, which she captioned: 'So excited to be in Uganda with @girlupcampaign and @unrefugees.

Support system: She later brought all the refugees into a circle for a group chat about their lives and what they wish to achieve

'Can't wait for tomorrow. I've learned so much and this is just the beginning.'

Later uploading a photo from the refugee centre, she gushed of the overwhelming strength of the women: '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.'

Proving their upbeat attitude to fans once again, she followed up her posts with a video of the Bidibidi primary school students welcoming her with their traditional bola dance - that she later joined in with.

She expressed her excitement for the project by posting a photo of the team planning their course of action, which she captioned: 'I've learned so much and this is just the beginning'

Cara has headed to Africa as part of her role of Champion for the Girl Up Campaign - organised by the United Nations Foundation.

The campaign aims to promote the health, safety, education, and leadership of women in developing countries.

Supermodel Cara was named a representative of the program back in October, and is now embarking on a whole range of trips to show her support for the youngsters who have fled the violence in neighbouring South Sudan.

Welcome! Proving their upbeat attitude to fans once again, she followed up her posts with a video of the Bidibidi primary school students performing their traditional bola dance

Putting her best foot forward: The model was then seen giving the routine a try herself - with a huge smile on her face

Talking of her appointment at the time, she said proudly: 'I'm truly honored to add my voice to the work Girl Up is doing to empower young women and create an entire generation of female leaders.'

'As I've traveled the world, I've seen the power that investing in girls can have. An empowered and supported girl is an incredible force for change; a change I am now excited to be a part of.'

Other champions of the charity alongside Cara include actress Katherine McNamara, fashion photographer Nigel Barker and Disney Channel star Victoria Justice.
Ian Somerhalder and his wife Nikki Reed caught a flight out of LAX together on Monday.

The 28-year-old LA native sported a camel choker to match her winter coat as well as ripped blue jeans and brown booties.

The Louisiana-born 38-year-old went incognito in shades and an Alucia cap as he hauled luggage and led their certified service dog.

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TSA security line: Ian Somerhalder and his wife Nikki Reed caught a flight out of LAX together on Monday

The Years of Living Dangerously duo - who've both played vampires - got custody of Ira the German Shepherd from her first marriage to Paul McDonald.

Eyebrows raised in 2014 when Nikki filed for divorce from the 32-year-old American Idol alum only a few months before openly dating Ian.

It's unclear if Somerhalder and Reed will be back in Los Angeles in time to attend the People's Choice Awards at the Microsoft Theater this Wednesday.

Not only is Ian up for the favourite sci-fi/fantasy actor trophy as Damon Salvatore, but The Vampire Diaries is nominated for favourite sci-fi/fantasy show.

Jet setter: The 28-year-old LA native sported a camel choker to match her winter coat as well as ripped blue jeans and brown booties

Service dog: The Years of Living Dangerously duo - who've both played vampires - got custody of Ira the German Shepherd from her first marriage to Paul McDonald

Peace! Eyebrows raised in 2014 when Nikki filed for divorce from the 32-year-old American Idol alum (L) only a few months before openly dating Ian

The blue-eyed brooding heartthrob helmed last Friday's episode - titled 'We Have History Together' - with Nikki dutifully by his side.

Somerhalder - who boasts 33.4M followers - wrote: 'I also got to explore and cultivate ideas with the best partner in the world, my wife - I'm so grateful for it all.'

The Twilight alum was 'extremely proud' of the 'damn good' third-time director doing double duty on TVD's eighth and final season.

Reed - who boasts 3.4M followers - wrote: 'I love watching you create. I love capturing you in your element, and I know the artist in you is more awake than ever.'

Airing on CBS! It's unclear if the 38-year-old actor and Reed will be back in Los Angeles in time to attend the People's Choice Awards at the Microsoft Theater this Wednesday

Skipping ceremony? Not only is Ian up for the favourite sci-fi/fantasy actor trophy as Damon Salvatore, but The Vampire Diaries is nominated for favourite sci-fi/fantasy show

'Cultivating ideas with the best partner in the world!' Somerhalder helmed last Friday's episode - titled 'We Have History Together' - with Nikki dutifully by his side

'I love watching you create!' The Twilight alum was 'extremely proud' of the 'damn good' third-time director doing double duty on TVD's eighth and final season

Ian and Nikki - who celebrate their second anniversary on April 26 - have yet to start a family, but they own four dogs, three cats, and two horses.

'Oh hell yes, absolutely, [I want to be a father]. You know, it's all about practice. It's all about practice. It's not practice makes perfect, it's perfect practice,' the SAG Award winner told ET in 2015.

'It's a pretty crazy time and place to bring a child into this turbulent, insane world, but I really can't wait to do it.'

And since the Independent Spirit Award winner has no acting gigs lined up following her role in Fox's Sleepy Hollow, it's never been a better time for parenthood.

Biological clock: Ian and Nikki - who celebrate their second anniversary on April 26 - have yet to start a family, but they own four dogs, three cats, and two horses

The SAG Award winner told ET in 2015: 'Oh hell yes, absolutely, [I want to be a father]...It's a pretty crazy time and place to bring a child into this turbulent, insane world, but I really can't wait to do it'
She welcomed her first child into the world after a gruelling 48-hour labour last week.

And Stephanie Davis seemed to be settling well into motherhood as she and her newborn son were discharged from hospital on Tuesday.

The former Hollyoaks actress, 23, celebrated being given the all-clear with an adorable black and white Instagram snap showing her leaving the hospital.

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'We did it little one': Stephanie Davis, 23 shared a sweet black and white snap as she and her newborn son were discharged from hospital on Tuesday

The actress has admitted she can't wait to get started on the first chapter of the rest of her life with her son, whose name is not yet known.

The brunette beauty uploaded a photo of her carrying her baby in his car seat as they made their way out of the maternity suite at a hospital in Liverpool.

She captioned the sweet snap: 'We did it little one... By far my favourite chapter yet... (sic),' followed by a red heart emoji.

Excited: The actress has admitted she can't wait to get started on the first chapter of the rest of her life with her son, whose name is not yet known

Welcome! Stephanie had first announced the birth of her baby on Friday, with an image of her newborn's feet, gushing: 'The day my world became complete'

Stephanie gave birth to her son on January 13 following a gruelling 48-hour labour.

Although mother and baby were said to be doing well, doctors requested she stay in so that she could keep an eye on her and her brand new beautiful addition.

Her representative said at the time: 'We can confirm our client Stephanie Davis today gave birth to a baby boy in Liverpool. Mother and baby are doing fine.'

The actress didn't have the easiest of pregnancies as she was struck down with acute morning sickness in the first and second trimester.

She then she experienced some bleeding, which she feared was a sign of her losing her baby, in the third trimester.

'If he is my son I will absolutely step up': Jeremy revealed he will do his best once he's confirmed as the father of the newborn (Pictured February 2016)

Sweet: The former Hollyoaks actress, 23, also re-tweeted a picture posted by her best friend Jay Roberts, who she has chosen to be the tot's godfather

However, doctors quickly established that her baby was fine and she had colitis.

Stephanie then started experiencing Braxton Hicks - irregular practice contractions that can be felt around mid-pregnancy and increase in frequency and strength as the pregnancy progresses - and pressure at the bottom of her stomach last month.

And things are set to get even more complicated for the actress as her ex-boyfriend Jeremy McConnell - who has denied he's the father of the baby - is determined to have a paternity test done as soon as possible in order to know if he's really the dad.

Whetting the baby's head? Later on the evening the former Beauty School Cop Outs cast-member (pictured with Stephanie in April) is seen dancing at a party shirtless

He arrived home from his holiday in Thailand on Tuesday, just days after Stephanie gave birth.

The Irish model was spotted rushing around with his suitcase as he made his way out of Dublin Airport - after sources claim he is looking to take a paternity test to determine whether he is the father of the child 'as soon as possible'.

A source told The Mirror: 'Yes, he is looking to arrange this ASAP, but this is time dependant on Steph.'

Jeremy is still refusing to confirm he's the father of his estranged ex's baby boy - revealing he was 'delighted' for Steph after her lengthy labour but that he will only play the father role if it is confirmed for good.

Not thinking of her: In a video obtained by the Mirror Online , the CBB, 26, star can be seen looking bleary eyed as he parties in Thailand with pals hours after his ex gave birth

Addressing the news on Twitter shortly after news of the birth broke, he wrote: 'I am delighted that Steph has safely had the baby, of course if he is my son I will absolutely step up and do what I can to support him.'

He further explained: 'Any timescale for that is in Steph's hands now. I did reach out to her some weeks ago but didn't hear back.'

Stephanie had first announced the birth of her baby on Friday, with an image of her newborn's feet, gushing: 'The day my world became complete.

'I've been overwhelmed & so in love with you. Words could never describe. Thank you for all your support!'

Until his sighting at Dublin airport on Tuesday, the CBB star had been enjoying a wild holiday in Thailand while Stephanie adapted to her new role as a parent and documenting her efforts on social media.
Kate Hudson flung on a comfortable-looking ensemble when she stepped out in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning.

The actress was spotted leaving Bradley Cooper's house wearing minimal makeup and her blonde locks pinned off her face.

A Voss water bottle in hand, she'd tucked the shirt sloppily into a pair of intricately patterned white and dull blue trousers.

Out and about: Kate Hudson had flung on a comfortable-looking ensemble when she exited Bradley Cooper's house in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning

Her sleeves had been rolled up to the elbows, and she'd popped on a pair of turquoise flip flops for her day out.

Over the last couple of months, there's been speculation the 37-year-old's been dating Brad Pitt, who's in the midst of divorce proceedings with his wife Angelina Jolie.

Though an insider told Woman's Day in November that 'Kate is Brad's mystery woman,' a source has told DailyMail.com no such relationship's in progress.

A simple style: Wearing minimal makeup, she'd let her blonde hair fall free except for a couple of clips at the sides, and wore a flowing white top

She'd posted an Instagram photo on Sunday that not only gave a window into her most recent weekend, but also reminisced about the previous one.

Her photo saw her grinning broadly whilst wearing the cleavage-baring dress she'd worn to the Golden Globes after-party on January 8.

The intricately patterned and turtlenecked gold number glinted in the lights, and though a bit of fringe hung down, her hair was mostly wound into a high bun.

Keeping hydrated: A Voss water bottle in hand, she'd tucked the shirt sloppily into a pair of intricately patterned white and dull blue trousers

With one hand, she lifted a glass of what appeared to be champagne, and at her other side stood stylist Sophie Lopez, who's known for working with Hudson.

'When you haven't been out all weekend so you post a picture from last weekend....' the daughter of Goldie Hawn captioned, tagging her companion.

Lopez had worn a pine green dress with a sloping neckline that fell past her bust to the bash, which was held at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood.
She is currently six months pregnant with her second child.

And Billie Faiers looked every inch the glowing mother-to-be as she stepped out for lunch with her younger sister Sam and baby nephew Paul in Essex on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old TOWIE star - who is also mother to Nelly, two - looked chic in a snowy white turtleneck jumper and leather trousers as she joined her reality star sibling.

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Family af-Faiers: Billie Faiers looked every inch the glowing mother-to-be as she stepped out for lunch with her younger sister Sam and baby nephew Paul in Essex on Tuesday

The blonde beauty, who confirmed she was expecting a baby boy last month, showed off her svelte shape in skintight trousers.

Sticking to an olive-green theme, the reality star added height with a pair of suede ankle boots and a matching leather tote.

Boasting a golden tan from her Maldives getaway weeks earlier, Billie shielded her eyes with a pair of golden aviators.

She scraped her glossy blonde hair into a sleek French plait as she strolled along happily chatting to Sam.

Proud: The 27-year-old TOWIE star - who is also mother to Nelly, two - looked chic in a snowy white turtleneck jumper

Looking good: The blonde beauty, who confirmed she was expecting a baby boy last month, showed off her svelte shape in skintight trousers

Glowing: Boasting a golden tan from her Maldives getaway weeks earlier, Billie shielded her eyes with a pair of golden aviators

Sam, meanwhile, matched her sister in the sartorial stakes, rocking an opulent grey fur gilet over a grey sweatshirt.

Showcasing her lean legs, the mother-of-one rocked white frayed hem jeans and snake-print slip-on sneakers.

Wearing her brunette locks in a sleek straight style, she added a pair of matching aviator sunglasses for the sun-soaked stroll.

Fur-ry nice: Sam, meanwhile, matched her sister in the sartorial stakes, rocking an opulent grey fur gilet over a grey sweatshirt

Hair today, gone tomorrow: She scraped her glossy blonde hair into a sleek French plait

Having a whale of a time! The sisters seemed to be in great spirits as they chatted away happily while heading to their cars

Bit of all-white: Showcasing her lean legs, the mother-of-one rocked white frayed hem jeans and snake-print slip-on sneakers

Billie confirmed she was expecting a boy last month, telling OK! magazine: 'We cant stop smiling. Greg got quite emotional, but hes over the moon.'

Billie has always been open about wanting a second child before she gets hitched to ticket broker Greg, who she got engaged to in February 2014.

Now her baby boy is well on his way, the reality star will be focusing on her wedding plans.

The blonde said: 'Were definitely going to do it abroad  were thinking September, but were not sure where yet because of monsoon seasons.

Going incognito! Sam swathed her little tot in a cute navy hooded parka

Mane attraction: Wearing her brunette locks in a sleek straight style, she added a pair of matching aviator sunglasses for the sun-soaked stroll

Having a moment! Billie chuckled as she gripped one-year-old Paul's finger

Sam shares one-year-old Paul Tony with her boyfriend Paul Knightley, and recently said she wanted a total of five children - and is keen to become pregnant again.

The couple, who air their lives on reality series The Mummy Diaries recently, also gave a little bit more away when it came to her intimate antics.

Speaking during a girls' takeaway night at her Essex home in October, Sam coyly explained: 'You just make time. We're young and fit.'

While her sister Billie perhaps revealed a bit too much when she said: 'You don't want to have sex for a good couple of months until it's all healed.

Chic: Billie is already mother to two-year-old Nelly with her husband Greg Shepherd

Turning heads: The blonde beauty appeared to be in great shape - despite being just three months away from birth

Seriously candid: Billie perhaps revealed a bit too much about motherhood when she said: 'You don't want to have sex for a good couple of months until it's all healed'

TMI? She then added: 'No one told me what you'd go through after down there. I couldn't even sit on the toilet seat and get up without being like "aaaargh"'

Getting on famously: The Faiers - who shot to fame on TOWIE - looked chic in their muted autumnal outfits

'No one told me what you'd go through after down there. I couldn't even sit on the toilet seat and get up without being like "aaaargh".'

Sam recently stunned viewers after hinting that her sex life was struggling since the arrival of her son Paul.

The former TOWIE star previously revealed that the couple share a bed with their seven-month-old.

When quizzed on how this affected their 'sexy time', the beauty grew visibly uncomfortable, clasping her mouth and giggling nervously.

She then replied: 'I dont know how to answer that.'

Happy lady: Sam gave birth to Paul Tony - who she shares with her boyfriend Paul Knightley

Feeling broody? Sam recently said she wanted a total of five children- and is keen to become pregnant again

Packing up: The good-looking sisters are inseparable despite both having families of their own

Precious cargo: Sam took care as she got into her car while holding baby Paul strapped to her hip
Zendaya shared behind-the-scenes snaps from the Italian set of her modeling in Dolce & Gabbana's SS/17 campaign on Tuesday.

The multi-talented 20-year-old - who boasts 55.7M followers - wrote on her website: 'This shoot in Capri was a dream! I looooooove the way everything turned out.'

The 5ft10in biracial beauty then gave special shout-outs to the 'amazing photographer' Franco Pagetti as well as 'my muse, my stylist Law Roach.'

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Greeting local kids: Zendaya shared behind-the-scenes snaps from the Italian set of her modeling in Dolce & Gabbana's SS/17 campaign on Tuesday

The Italian fashion label also enlisted models Sonia Ben Ammar and Thylane Blondeau for the October seaside shoot featuring local musicians.

It's hard to believe that with all of Zendaya's success, she still lives at home with her parents - teacher Claire Stoermer and manager/bodyguard Kazembe Ajamu Coleman.

On November 3, the CoverGirl model launched her very first clothing collection Daya By Zendaya, which offers sizes 0-22 all priced under $158.

The multi-talented 20-year-old - who boasts 55.7M followers - wrote on her website: 'This shoot in Capri was a dream! I looooooove the way everything turned out'

Getting a touch up: The 5ft10in biracial beauty then gave special shout-outs to the 'amazing photographer' Franco Pagetti (L) as well as 'my muse, my stylist Law Roach'

Tambourine woman: The Italian fashion label also enlisted models Sonia Ben Ammar (M) and Thylane Blondeau (R) for the October seaside shoot featuring local musicians

Youthful: It's hard to believe that with all of Zendaya's success, she still lives at home with her parents - teacher Claire Stoermer and manager/bodyguard Kazembe Ajamu Coleman

The busy millennial produced and played a teenage spy in the second season finale of K.C. Undercover, which concluded Friday on the Disney Channel.

Zendaya - last name Coleman - will next play bookish high school student Michelle in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

The Marvel Comics reboot - hitting US/UK theaters July 7 - features Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Michael Keaton, and Jon Favreau.

New endeavor: On November 3, the CoverGirl model launched her very first clothing collection Daya By Zendaya, which offers sizes 0-22 all priced under $160

'Family Feud': The busy millennial produced and played a teenage spy in the second season finale of K.C. Undercover, which concluded Friday on the Disney Channel

'I can't say anything because I'm not going to be that person who gets into trouble,' the former DWTS runner-up teased to GMA on December 20.

'But I can say it's going to be a lotta lotta fun. It's a tight situation and they can't let anything out, ya know. It's Spider-Man.'

Bookish: Zendaya - last name Coleman - will next play intellectual high school student Michelle in Spider-Man: Homecoming
She's been celebrating her fourth wedding anniversary with husband Kieran Hayler.

And Katie Price appeared to have thoroughly enjoyed her celebratory lunch at the Mayfair Hotel in London, emerging from the upmarket venue on Tuesday with a stained top.

The 38-year-old star seemed to have suffered some spillage during her meal, with a wet patch at the neck and on the body of her khaki top.

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Tucking in? Katie Price appeared to have thoroughly enjoyed her celebratory lunch at the Mayfair Hotel in London, emerging from the upmarket venue on Tuesday with a stained top

Drool-worthy meal? The 38-year-old star seemed to have suffered some spillage during her meal, with a wet patch at the neck and on the body of her khaki top

Katie was casually clad, completing her look with a pair of skinny jeans, fluffy slip-on shoes and a black leather bag.

She puckered up as she left the venue, licking her lips as she seemingly savoured her tasty lunch.

The mother-of-five displayed a youthful complexion, wearing her long golden tresses down loose.

Dressed down: Katie was casually clad, completing her look with a pair of skinny jeans, fluffy slip-on shoes and a black leather bag

Katie looked more loved-up than ever with her beau as she shared a sweet selfie on Monday whilst celebrating her fourth wedding anniversary with Kieran.

Gazing into each other's eyes the pair made for quite the handsome couple, as Katie captioned the shot with a string of love hearts.

Katie and Kieran tied the knot in the Bahamas on January 16 in 2013.

Cute couple: Katie looked more loved-up than ever with her beau Kieran Hayler as she shared a sweet selfie on Monday

The couple share two children, Jett, three, and Bunny, two, whilst Katie also has three children from previous relationships.

In October Katie revealed she be taking a month out of the limelight to see a therapist with Kieran, after reliving her husband's infidelity.

And the duo enjoyed their time out of the limelight, treating themselves to a holiday in Barbados where they originally exchanged vows.

Moving on: In October Katie revealed she be taking a month out of the limelight to see a therapist with Kieran, after reliving her husband's infidelity

During an appearance on ITV's Loose Women last month, the former glamour model announced that she would be taking time to heal her reopened wounds - which she would deal with during couples therapy sessions.

At the time Katie revealed that speaking so candidly about her husband Kieran Hayler's affairs with two of her best friends took its toll.

She explained: 'We're gonna go back to a therapist, not because there's anything wrong with our relationship... He's realised now I've moved on, how much he's hurt me. It's a lot for him to deal with.'

Perfect pair: Katie and Kieran tied the knot in the Bahamas on January 16 in 2013. The couple share two children, Jett, three, and Bunny, two, Katie also has another three children

Katie has spoken publicly about the moment she discovered Kieran kissing her married ex-best friend Jane, 49, while on holiday in Cape Verde in May 2014.

The Mirror reported that Katie revealed what happened after she found Jane intimately pleasuring Kieran: 'I got up and proper got her. I thought I was a cage fighter or something... I was that angry I just clutched her hair. I'm not hard but I've done training.

'And then Kieran called security. The worst thing is Jane's two kids came in and they saw me attacking their mum. Security walked in and I just wouldn't get off her.

Heartbroken: In October Katie revealed she be taking a month out of the limelight to see a therapist with Kieran, after reliving her husband's infidelity

In 2015, Katie explained the exact moment she found the duo together, leading to her heartbreak and very public rows.

She said: 'I remember going down to the bar one day in Cape Verde to ask the staff if they had seen my husband.

'They pointed towards the beach and said he'd gone that way. I asked them if he was with anyone and they said no. At that point, I knew he had gone to meet her.

'So I started walking towards the beach and in the distance, I could see these two silhouettes on the sun loungers. My heart was racing because I knew it was them. Then there they were, kissing each other.'

Katie and Jane had known each other for 20 years when the ten-month affair came to light, and the latter was even maid of honour at Katie's weddings to Alex Reid and Kieran.
She appeared on the red carpet earlier in the evening in a boldly printed dress.

But Naomi Harris decided to turn up the heat as she attended the Decoding the Beauty of Time Gala Dinner in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday.

The British actress, 40, put on a racy display in a white gown with a thigh-high split.

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More than al-white! Naomi Harris decided to turn up the heat as she attended the photocall for the Decoding the Beauty of Time Gala Dinner in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday

The floor-length blazer style piece featured a plunging neckline, flaunting a glimpse of her cleavage.

The tailored shoulders gave the long-sleeved piece an immaculate shape, and it was cinched in at the waist with a wide black belt.

Flaunting her toned and glowing legs, it was slashed to the tops of her thighs in a sizzling display.

Leggy: The British actress, 40, put on a racy display in a white gown with a thigh-high split

Chic: The tailored shoulders gave the long-sleeved piece an immaculate shape, and it was cinched in at the waist with a wide black belt

Adding height to her stature, she teamed it with delicate strappy black sandals.

And rocking a bold red lip, she coordinated it with a vampy manicure and pedicure.

With her brunette tresses perfectly blow-dried, she showcased her natural beauty underneath minimal make-up.

Immaculate: Flaunting her toned and glowing legs, it was slashed to the tops of her thighs in a sizzling display

Detail: Rocking a bold red lip, she coordinated it with a vampy manicure and pedicure

Earlier in the night she arrived alongside stars including Rosamund Pike, Adriana Lima and Lewis Hamilton in a graphic-print dress.

The figure-skimming piece featured a cap sleeve and intricate neckline, and she teamed the piece with a simple pair of sandals.

Naomie has just appeared with Will Smith and Helen Mirren in weepy drama Collateral Beauty and critically acclaimed film Moonlight with Mahershala Ali.

Natural: With her brunette tresses perfectly blow-dried, she showcased her beauty underneath minimal make-up
They tied the knot in a lavish Mexican-inspired wedding three years ago.

But Kate Bosworth and Michael Polish looked as loved-up as ever as they attended Marc Cain's Fall/Winter '18 collection in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday.

The beaming actress, 34, looked incredible in an intricately beaded LBD as she wrapped an arm around the handsome director, 46, during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

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Cute couple! Kate Bosworth, 34, and Michael Polish, 46, looked as loved-up as ever as they attended Marc Cain's Fall/Winter '18 collection in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday

The blonde beauty ruled the black carpet in the embellished dress, which featured a delicate semi-sheer panel and tulle skirt.

Sticking to a classic monochrome palette, the actress added some knee-high black suede boots and a box clutch.

Scraping her blonde hair into a sleek topknot, Kate showcased her alabaster skin with a slick of berry lipstick and smoky eyeshadow.

Looking good: The beaming actress, 34, looked incredible in an intricately beaded LBD and knee-high suede boots

The look of love: Kate gazed adoringly at her husband

Kate spoke candidly about her love for Michael in an interview with Marie Claire last year.

After meeting on the set of Big Sur in 2012, she explained: 'There are so many people that hook up on movies, and you wonder if that's real, so we didn't go there.

'I think we were both experienced to know that if this was the real deal, we could wait to see what would happen.'

Looking dapper: Michael looked smart in a navy suit with monk shoes and a striped scarf

Sweet: The couple married in 2013, a year after meeting on the set of Big Sur

Stunning: Scraping her blonde hair into a sleek topknot, Kate showcased her alabaster skin with a slick of berry lipstick and smoky eyeshadow

Having a whale of a time! Kate mingled with actresses Alexandra Maria Lara and Bettina Zimmermann talk prior to the presentation of the Fall/Winter 2017/18 collection by Marc Cain

Ready for her close-up: Kate oozed Old Hollywood glamour with her pared-back outfit

Cosy couple: Kate and Michale looked every inch the cosy couple, sticking close to each other's sides during the fashion show

VERY fashionable friends: The couple joined Hlemut Schlotterer, the founder of Marc Cain at the show

V.I.Ps: The couple appeared to be Helmut's guests of honour at the show

On the FROW: Kate and Helmut were all smiles as the man behind the brand and the actress were snapped together on the FROW

In good company: Kate was joined by (L-R) Alexandra Maria Lara, Bettina Zimmermann and Jasmin GeratMalaikaraiss on the front row

True love blossomed and they got married on August 31, 2013 at The Ranch at Rock Creek in Philipsburg, Montana.

In marrying Michael, Kate is now step-mother to Jasper, his 16-year-old daughter from his first marriage to makeup artist Jo Strettell.

Michael popped the big question to Ms Bosworth during a visit to South Korea after a year of dating.

He presented her with a platinum and diamond engagement ring from 1920s France, purchased from a jewelry store in New York.

Kate previously dated actors Alexander Skarsgard and Orlando Bloom.

Looking good gals: The fashion pack were perfectly poised for photo opportunities

Poised: The actress looked composed as she chatted away on the black carpet

Opulent: The Marc Cain show was full of models swathed in fur and sequins

Chic: The actress looked the epitome of chi and understated style as she mingled with other fashionistas after the show
When Maksim Chmerkovskiy rang in his 37th birthday on Tuesday, his younger brother Val Chmerkovskiy had got quite the tribute lined up.

A string of 12 throwback Instagram photos documented their lives together, from their childhood in the Soviet Ukraine to their fame on Dancing With The Stars.

The 30-year-old started off the proceedings with a faded photo in which he himself was a toddler, his elder brother holding him steady on a chair.

'We came a long way': When Maksim Chmerkovskiy rang in his 37th birthday on Tuesday, his younger brother Val Chmerkovskiy paid tribute with a series of photos stretching back to their childhood in the Soviet Ukraine

He captioned: 'to my brother happy birthday. We came a long way,' chucking in a trio of smiling emojis before adding: 'love you @maksimc #happybirthdaymaks'.

Both little boys were wearing red patterned jumpers over white shirts, and an elaborately patterned rug hung on the wall behind them.

In the next photo, which was black and white, they appeared to be roughly the same age, both wearing hooded anoraks as they walked toward the camera.

'started..': By the second photo, which was black and white, they appeared to be roughly the same age, both wearing hooded anoraks as they walked toward the camera

Once again, Maks kept a hand behind his unsmiling younger brother, ensuring he didn't fall backwards. 'started.. #happybirthdaymaks,' wrote Val.

The following black and white picture saw them stood next to a stuffed bear that was taller than Val but shorter than his serious-looking elder brother.

Via the caption, the rumoured boyfriend of Amber Rose offered his brother his 'thanks for "bearing" with me all these years... especially my super clever comedy'.

'thanks for "bearing" with me all these years': The following black and white picture saw them stood next to a stuffed bear that was taller than Val but shorter than his serious-looking elder brother

In the next photo, taken after their move to Brooklyn, the brothers' age difference was distinct, in the sense the fiance of Peta Murgatroyd towered over his sibling.

Val's caption explained away their garish wardrobe as part of 'our OTB phase. Welcome to America #happybirthdayMaks'.

By the following snapshot, Chmerkovskiy The Younger made his appearance in a wall painting that depicted him wearing a pinstriped suit and stroking his chin.

'Welcome to America': In the next photo, taken after their move to Brooklyn, the brothers' age difference was distinct, in the sense the fiance of Peta Murgatroyd towered over his sibling

Stood in front of the painting was Maks, who imitated his brother's chin-touching, as well as his wry facial expression.

Val noted in the caption how his senior sibling 'stuck with me thru my pinky ring and acne phase,' adding, of course: '#happybirthdaymaks' again.

The next picture was a still from their guest appearance on the Netflix sitcom Fuller House, a sequel series to long-running ABC show Full House.

Mimicry: By the following snapshot, Chmerkovskiy The Younger made his appearance in a wall painting that depicted him wearing a pinstriped suit and stroking his chin, whilst Maks imitated his pose in front

Both of them wore dress shirts entirely unbuttoned over their muscled torsos, and whilst Val knelt on the floor, Maks stood upright.

The two brothers made faces at the camera, 'but we grew out of that... kinda,' according to the attached caption.

By the following image, Val's memory appeared to have circled backward in time rather than continuing to progress forward.

'but we grew out of that': The next photo was a still from their guest appearance on the Netflix sitcom Fuller House, a sequel series to long-running ABC show Full House

He and Maks looked a bit younger than in the previous Snapshot, though of course, the most distinctive difference was pointed out in the caption.

Val hearkened back 'to the days when we thought rockin a mullet would help us assimilate in 'merica #happybirthdaymaks'.

The next photo had moved forward again, and the brothers were achieving international recognition on Dancing With The Stars.

Vintage style: Val hearkened back 'to the days when we thought rockin a mullet would help us assimilate in 'merica #happybirthdaymaks'

As they stood in front of the programme's name written in lights, the younger Chmerkovskiy squeezed the elder's cheeks.

The man who'd posted the photo wrote beside it: 'and slowly the roles began to change. God look at that face,' popping in a shocked emoji for good measure.

A bearded Val posed in full tuxedo for another picture, whilst next to him, his brother had left the dress shirt beneath his suit partly open over his tanned chest.

'God look at that face': The next photo had moved forward again, and the brothers were achieving international recognition on Dancing With The Stars

Val's caption heralded this moment as an example of when 'we sold out and became all Hollywood and shhh #happybirthdaymaks'.

For the next photo, they were onstage at Maks & Val Live On Tour: Our Way, which flung the pair through 46 cities as they 'told our story...,' in the caption's words.

They seemed to be drenched in sweat, their black dress shirts with several buttons undone beneath black and white tuxedos.

A photo of them stood in front of the Cinderella Castle at Disney World in Orlando saw Val in a black tank top that allowed him to show off his musclebound arms.

'then we sold out and became all Hollywood and shhh': A bearded Val posed in full tuxedo for another picture, whilst next to him, his brother had left the dress shirt beneath his suit partly open over his tanned chest

Beside him, Maks wore a T-shirt that draped about his impressively well-built figure, popping on a chic pair of round orange sunglasses.

The caption crowed that they 'finally went to Disneyworld ... 20 years too late but shiii we did it.'

By the following photo, now in black and white again, the two grown brothers were stood side by side, seen from behind as they surveyed their audience.

'told our story...': For the next photo, they were onstage at Maks & Val Live On Tour: Our Way, which flung the pair through 46 cities as they 'told our story...,' in the caption's words

A poem tumbled out of Val in the caption: 'Dear brother. / sometimes I wonder like Stevie. / Brother full of love like Philly. / I know this might sound silly but, / I know you gon feel me cause, / you never disappear and / When I call you're always near me.'

Continued he: 'You are the roof, / that kept me dry and when I asked to fly / You took me underneath your wing / And flew against the wind so high, I / Never heard you say "That's mine" / Cause you shared your love your time / With me.'

His example was: 'Like all the time we'd be... / Together. and even when apart you always had me in your heart I know, cause you there from the start till I'm under. Never wonder or doubt me. I know it's in me that..women always near me but you my blood Running in me ....'

'20 years too late but shiii we did it': A photo of them stood in front of the Cinderella Castle at Disney World in Orlando saw Val in a black tank top that allowed him to show off his musclebound arms

Val went on: 'flowing thru my veins like, / rivers when it rains.. you did for me what Jordan did for Hanes... / All jokes aside you always kept me by your side.'

He described himself as 'forever grateful... / I'll be like "check one two" / And always be beside you.'

Val closed out: 'I love you. More than any verbal choreography can express. My gratitude to you is endless, and my ambition to return the favor will never subside. It's nice to say I made it, but it's a lot better to say that WE DID!! What's mine is yours. and always will be. #happybirthdaymaks'.
He couldn't help but share footage of his daredevil leap off New South Wales' Wattamolla rocks on Monday.

And now Scott Eastwood may be facing a fine of $300 for his death-defying dive - one that plenty of tourists and locals have also conquered.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the 30-year-old's video posted to Instagram is being 'reviewed' by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) as it violates the ban put in place in the interest of public safety.

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Trouble in paradise? Actor Scott Eastwood faces a potential fine for his leap off Wattamolla rocks, which has been banned by authorities

With a jump of around 9metres high, diving off the rocks and into the water has been deemed unsafe by the authorities and there are plenty of signs to warn people of the dangers.

'Jumping off Wattamolla Falls is not safe and the NPWS has put a range of measures in place to manage public safety,' a spokesperson told the publication.

They added: 'These include advising visitors of the risk through signage and safety barriers at the site.

At risk? According to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, there are warning signs and barriers around the site to warn people against jumping

Daredevil: The 30-year-old actor seemingly ignored the danger warnings and completed the 9metre high jump anyway

'Unfortunately some individuals put themselves at risk of injury by disregarding warning signs, jumping over barriers and not keeping to formed paths.'

Daily Mail Australia has also reached out to the NPWS for further comment.

The popular destination is also where a man lost his life on Christmas Day, after completing the jump.

It is understood the man leaped off the rocks and into the water, but failed to emerge.

Deadly: It's the same tourist hot spot where a man drowned and died on Christmas Day after completing the leap of faith

Making the most of his day off: The Pacific Rim star also shared a snap from Figure 8 pools, where he enjoyed a dip with a group of friends

Swimmers found him and pulled him back into shore where they attempted to resuscitate him and called 000, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Despite emergency services personnel's efforts, he died on the scene.

Meanwhile, Scott's potentially costly adventure came during his day off from filming Pacific Rim: Maelstrom.

Like father, like son: Scott is the son of legendary actor, Clint Eastwood

The son of Hollywood director Clint Eastwood also made the most of his trip with a hike to the famous Figure 8 pools.

Posing for a snap amongst a group of friends, Scott wrote: 'Great end to an amazing day. Hiked into Figure 8 Pools. These natural rock pools were incredible. The company was even better!!!'

Since touching down in the country, he's been snapped fitness training in Bondi, and even took a trip to the famous 'Big Banana' in Coffs Harbour.

He spent New Year's Eve on Sydney Harbour, later claiming the city put on the best end of year fireworks display in the world.
Sam Frost was the picture of health and happiness in Sydney on Tuesday after recently returning from her 'hideout' in Bali.

The 27-year-old was smiling widely as she stepped for the first time publicly since her split with Sasha Mielczarek last month.

Looking slim and toned, wore a flowing white singlet with what appeared to be black active wear underneath.

Back in the spotlight: Sam Frost appeared happy and healthy in Sydney on Tuesday after recently returning from her 'hideout' in Bali

Out and about: The 27-year-old was smiling widely as she stepped into the street wearing a flowing white singlet with what appeared to be black active wear underneath

The radio host wore sunglasses with thin tortoiseshell rims and had her hair up in a loose, casual pony tail.

Her skin appeared to be fresh and make up free, and she was glowing despite the recent Sydney summer heat.

The Bachelorette has needed to decompress following her extremely public and painful split from Sasha in December.

Sam has kept low key since the announcement, spending time with her dog and friends, rarely posting to social media and keeping mum on the break up.

A trip to Bali would no doubt help the reality star relax and hide away from public scrutiny.

Relaxing: The Bachelorette has needed to decompress following her extremely public and painful split from Sasha Mielczarek in December

Memories: Bali is a special place to Sam. Just four months ago, she and Sasha were at Four Seasons Resort at Bali's beautiful and picturesque Jimbaran Bay

Bali is a special place to Sam. Just four months ago, she and Sasha were at Four Seasons Resort at Bali's beautiful and picturesque Jimbaran Bay.

The blonde shared several snaps from her adventure, including one dusk dinner which she captioned, 'It's been a perfect day with the man!'

Sam's return to public life comes after been claims she's back in touch with former Bachelor, Blake Garvey.

In the past: The blonde shared several snaps from her adventure with her then-boyfriend to her Instagram in recent months

Bali bound: One dusk dinner shot was captioned, 'It's been a perfect day with the man!'

According to a close pal, quoted in New Idea magazine, the former couple have been talking and texting constantly since her split was announced after Christmas.

'He [Blake] was nervous about reaching out to Sam at first, but his texts were met with open arms by Sam, and now they're speaking all the time.

'They're really bonding,' the source claims.

Hiding out? Sam has kept low key since the announcement, spending time with her dog and friends, rarely posting to social media and keeping mum on the break up

Meanwhile, her ex Sasha was spotted bonding with Kris Smith as they partied together on the Gold Coast over the weekend.

The duo were in Queensland for the Magic Millions races but according to The Daily Telegraph, the pair continued to party together after the event, with Kris later 'seen in line at strip club Hollywoods'.

Shoulder to cry on? Sam's return to public life comes after been claims she's back in touch with former Bachelor, Blake Garvey

Helping hand: According to a close pal, quoted in New Idea magazine, the former couple have been talking and texting constantly since her split was announced after Christmas

The publication claims the good looking duo were 'popular with local women' while out on the town and were seen in photos from the night on social media, which they've since been untagged from.

Sasha attended the event with his boys and posted group shots together of them all suited up for the event.

Daily Mail Australia has approached both Kris and Sasha for comment on the reports.
She's a serial statement-maker, known for her wild sense of style and avant garde social media updates.

And Imogen Anthony, 25, didn't disappoint fans this Wednesday when she shared her latest photographic offering on Instagram- an image of herself posing with a knife held between her breasts.

With the blade delicately poised beneath her flimsy bra, the girlfriend of shock jock Kyle Sandilands, 45, was sure to raise some eyebrows.

'Knife party': Imogen Anthony, 25, didn't dissapoint fans this Wednesday when she shared her latest photographic offering on Instagram- an image of herself posing with a knife held between her breasts

Imogen was clad in an edgy ensemble consisting of a black mini skirt covered in chains, a patch-work leather bra and a series of studded leather accessories.

'Equipped #KnifeParty,' she wrote in the caption, making sure to tag her own fashion brand, White Trash Royalty.

Delighted fans showered her with compliments, with one commenting: 'absolutely gorgeous.'

Tongue-tied: It comes days after Imogen shared a sultry clip of herself performing tongue tricks, while staring seductively into the camera

It comes days after Imogen shared a sultry clip of herself performing tongue tricks, while staring seductively into the camera.

She began the video by gazing at the camera, showing off her plump pout.

The star then opened her mouth and contorted her tongue seductively.

'You insolent piece of s***': Imogen recently hit out at her fashion critics after she was dubbed one of Australia's worst dressed celebrities for 2016 by an unnamed writer

The clip was recorded using an old video camera footage-style filter thanks to it's grainy texture.

Imogen recently hit out at her fashion critics after she was dubbed one of Australia's worst dressed celebrities for 2016 by an unnamed writer.

'You insolent piece of s***,' Imogen said in an expletive-ridden response video shared to her Instagram page.

'If I see one picture of you wearing a f***en Birkenstock or a white collared shirt with a pleated skirt, I will put my cigarette out on it,' she later said.
James Jordan is the latest contestant to be evicted from Celebrity Big Brother.

The former Strictly star, 38, was voted out ahead of James Cosmo and Jedward following a brutal round of face to face nominations.

He was greeted by his wife Ola, 34, who looked great in a chunky knit and a black scarf.

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Time's up: James Jordan is the latest contestant to be evicted from Celebrity Big Brother

James's exit came just a day after Jasmine Waltz was unceremoniously given the boot by her fellow housemates, leaving through a side door.

The star received the second most nominations from housemates, just behind Jedward.

The Irish twins accused him of being manipulative and grooming his fellow housemates.

In his exit interview, James told host Emma Willlis: 'Of course I'm gutted.

Taking it well: The former Strictly star was voted out ahead of James Cosmo and Jedward following a brutal round of face to face nominations

Wasn't to be: The star received the second most nominations from housemates, just behind Jedward

Happy to see him: James was greeted by his wife Ola, 34, who looked great in a chunky knit and a black scarf

'But if I come out I get to see my wife. Jedward have got a massive following so they're a massive power in the house.

'James is just a true gentleman. Myself and Coleen spent a lot of time with him in the smoking area and he's adorable. He said his highlight of the whole series was when his housemates saved him (from 'hell').

The star was less complimentary about Calum Best and Jamie O'Hara with both nominating James for eviction.

'They've just got no banter. I knew Calum was going to nominate me, and I had a sneaky suspicion Jamie was.

Dropping like flies: James's exit came just a day after Jasmine Waltz was unceremoniously given the boot by her fellow housemates, leaving through a side door

Crowd-pleaser: James blew kisses to his fans as he made his way to Emma

'I forgot he (Calum) grew up in America where they don't have a sense of humour. He's very cool, very chilled out. I just think he doesn't fully get the humour, whereas Jamie does.'

When Emma suggested James had been softer in this series of CBB, he strongly refuted it, claiming it was just 'good editing'.

He added: 'I did have a few days where I was really ill suffering from flu, that's probably when I apologised (to Jamie).'

Playing it cool: James looked dapper in a tweed waistcoat and white shirt

James had several heated exchanges with Jedward in the house, most recently during nominations when he told them to 'shut the f**k up'.

He said: 'I still can't believe they're 25 years old. My nephew is 14 and he's far more mature. They're so childish.'

His departure had a big effect on Spencer Pratt, who was left in tears when James left the house.

James described the controversial American as 'such a funny, brilliant guy.'
She was unceremoniously replaced by reality TV star Sam Frost on 2DayFM's weekday breakfast radio in 2015.

And Maz Compton, who recently announced her resignation from radio, has taken a swipe at The Bachelorette starlet's suitability for a gig behind the microphone.

Appearing in the It's All Connected podcast this week, the 36-year-old was asked by presenter Marty Smiley about current trends in radio.

Scroll down for video.

The claws are out! Former 2DayFM presenter Maz Compton, who recently announced her resignation from radio, has taken a swipe at The Bachelorette starlet's suitability for a gig behind the microphone

'We've been noticing a growing trend that's occurring in radio and seeing as you have been apart of that industry for quite some time,' Marty said.

Giggling, Maz interjected: 'Is the growing trend giving reality TV stars radio jobs? Because I've noticed that trend.'

'Is the growing trend giving reality TV stars radio jobs?' Maz was unceremoniously replaced by reality TV star Sam Frost on 2DayFM's weekday breakfast radio in 2015

The rather biting comment was followed with awkward laughter from Marty, who suggested that the issue would be better discussed at another time.

Breakfast presenters Maz and her former co-hos Dan Debuf were usurped by Sam Frost and Rove McManus in October 2015 amid 2DayFM's tumultuous ratings.

Sam's appointment came shortly after her appearance on the Network Ten dating show, The Bachelorette.

Looking for listeners? Sam's appointment came shortly after her appearance on the Network Ten dating show, The Bachelorette

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia about the shock demotion, Maz said: 'Of course I was disappointed but it wasn't my decision.

'It had nothing to do with how awesome our radio show is and was about the direction the company is going in and I can't take that personally.'

It didn't take long for Sam and Rove to suffer a massive decline in ratings, however, prompting 2DayFm to swiftly axe their show in 2017.

Rating dive: It didn't take long for Sam and Rove to suffer a massive decline in ratings, however, prompting 2DayFm to swiftly axe their show in 2017

It was around this time that Dan and Maz announced their retirement from radio.

'Like many of you, we're off on Christmas holidays, but next year we won't be coming back,' the pair wrote on their Facebook page.

'It's been awesome doing this show for the last four years, and thanks so much for all your love!'
Pliskova plays down Australian Open chances despite easy win

Fast-rising Czech star Karolina Pliskova played down her Australian Open chances on Tuesday despite kick-starting her campaign with an ominous straight-sets rout.

Ranked at a career-high five in the world, the tall and tattooed 24-year-old proved too hot to handle for Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo in blistering heat on Rod Laver Arena.

She showed no mercy in thrashing the 106th-ranked Spaniard 6-2, 6-0 to set up a second-round clash with Russian qualifier Anna Blinkova, who ended the hopes of Romanian Monica Niculescu.

Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova, a US Open finalist in 2016, said ahead of the opening Grand Slam of the year that the Melbourne Park surface suited her game and it was the tournament that offered her the best chance for a maiden Grand Slam title GREG WOOD (AFP)

Pliskova, a US Open finalist last year, said ahead of the opening Grand Slam of the year that the Melbourne Park surface suited her game and it was the tournament that offered her the best chance for a maiden Grand Slam title.

"Actually, I feel 100 times better than I felt before the US Open," she said, having never gone beyond the third round at any Grand Slam before that.

"So this thing, like the scariness of the second week, is already gone.

"Doesn't mean that I'm going to be there for sure now every Grand Slam in the second week. It can happen that I still lose, but definitely I feel better with this pressure than before."

She came into the event in form after her victory at the lead-up Brisbane International, and has tasted success in Melbourne before -- winning the girl's singles title in 2010.

But she played down her chances over the next fortnight.

"I don't feel like I would be favourite on this tournament or any Grand Slam so far," she said. "I think there are still better players than me. Me, I don't want to put the pressure on myself."

She traded blows early on against Sorribes Tormo, who was making her Australian Open debut, before grabbing the first break in the fourth game when the Spaniard slammed a backhand into the net.

Pliskova didn't look back as she turned the screws, breaking again for 5-1 before losing her focus and allowing Sorribes Tormo to stay in touch by breaking back.

But it was only a temporary blip as she took the set on a love service game next up.

Power-server Pliskova, last year's WTA aces leader, then raced through the second set in just 29 minutes as her opponent wilted.

"I was a little bit nervous in the beginning, made a lot of mistakes on my forehand, especially first serves," she said.
Trump meets King's eldest son on civil rights holiday

President-elect Donald Trump praised Martin Luther King Jr as a "great man" and met with his eldest son on the US holiday honoring the slain civil rights icon, amid a brewing spat with one of King's close collaborators, John Lewis.

The meeting -- just days before Trump takes office swearing -- appeared to be an effort by the Republican to reach out to the black community amid his public stand-off with Lewis, a high-profile lawmaker who has questioned the legitimacy of the US presidential election and vowed to boycott the inauguration.

"Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for," Trump tweeted prior to the meeting. "Honor him for being the great man that he was!"

US President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Martin Luther King III after a meeting at Trump Tower in New York City DOMINICK REUTER (AFP)

Martin Luther King III deemed his Trump Tower meeting with the president-elect "constructive."

"He said that he is going to represent Americans," King III said. "He's said that over and over again. We will continue to evaluate that."

"I believe that's his intent -- I believe we have to consistently engage with pressure, public pressure."

- 'The heat of emotion' -

In an interview on Friday, Lewis had cited what he dubbed Russian interference in the November 8 election as his reason to pass on the inauguration for the first time since he joined Congress in 1987.

"I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president," the Georgia lawmakers told NBC's "Meet the Press" talk show.

On Saturday, Trump hit back at Lewis -- one of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders along with King who helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, when King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.

"Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results," Trump said.

"All talk, talk, talk -- no action or results. Sad!"

When asked about the spat, King III -- possibly trying to soothe tensions -- said that "things get said on both sides in the heat of emotion."

He did however defend Lewis: "Absolutely I would say John Lewis has demonstrated that he is action."

Lewis -- who was beaten while leading the Alabama civil rights march known as "Bloody Sunday" -- is the most prominent of more than two dozen House Democrats now vowing to boycott Friday's inauguration ceremony.

- Voting rights -

King III said he and the president-elect had touched on voting rights during their meeting, an issue that is known to disproportionately affect minority voters.

African-Americans have mainly been loyal Democratic voters for decades, and party officials believe that Republican governors are aiming to limit their turnout by creating controversial laws requiring voters to first show photo ID cards.

"The seminal right of the modern civil rights movement was the right to vote," King's son said. "My father fought so diligently for it."

"It is very clear that the system is not working at its maximum."

Barack Obama, along with First Lady Michelle, celebrated his last Martin Luther King Day as president by helping students paint a mural featuring the civil rights icon and butterflies.
The Trump transition, tweet by tweet

Since winning the presidency, Donald Trump has exploited Twitter to make administrative announcements, weigh in on foreign policy -- and hurl barbs at anyone who crosses him.

With 19.8 million followers, the president-elect has granted some interviews to traditional media outlets, but has leaned heavily on the online platform as a powerful way to self-promote, attack and distract.

During his presidential transition, he has picked fights on Twitter with China, Mexico, Lockheed Martin, Toyota, the media, President Barack Obama, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Meryl Streep and the cast of "Hamilton," among others.

Since winning the presidency, Donald Trump has leaned heavily on social media as a promotional tool -- including to his 19.8 million Twitter followers Ethan Miller (GETTY IMAGES/AFP/File)

Here are some of Trump's most controversial tweets since his November 8 election victory:

- On voting -

"In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally." (November 27, 2016)

-- Hillary Clinton eventually won the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes. Experts and elected officials on both sides of the political aisle have dismissed claims of large-scale vote fraud.

- On Cuba -

"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." (November 28, 2016)

-- Trump's threat to end the US thaw with Cuba launched by Obama sparked speculation about the future of US policy toward the communist-ruled island.

- On flag-burning -

"Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!" (November 29, 2016)

-- The president-elect's proposal incited backlash from much of political Washington, as burning an American flag is constitutionally permissible.

- On Taiwan -

"The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency. Thank you!" (December 2, 2016)

-- The real estate mogul infuriated Beijing after breaking with decades of US diplomatic precedent by speaking with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-Wen.

- On Obama -

"Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks. Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!" (December 28, 2016)

-- Obama at one point suggested that he may have won a third term were he not constitutionally barred from doing so.

- On Israel -

"We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (U.N.)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!" (December 28, 2016)

- Trump was taking aim at the Obama administration after Washington enabled passage of the first UN resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy by not using its veto and instead abstaining.

- On Russia -

"Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!" (December 30, 2016)

-- In a message quickly retweeted by Russia's embassy in Washington, Trump praised Vladimir Putin for refraining from expelling Americans in response to US punitive measures over alleged Russian interference in the election.

- On Toyota -

"Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax." (January 5, 2017)

-- That attack on the world's largest automaker caused its shares, and those of other Japanese auto companies, to slump.

- On Meryl Streep -

"Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn't know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a Hillary flunky who lost big." (January 9, 2017)

-- Trump was settling scores after Streep berated him for his divisive rhetoric.

- On US intelligence -

"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?" (January 11, 2017)
HSBC funding Indonesian forest destruction: Greenpeace

Greenpeace on Tuesday accused banking giant HSBC of helping to arrange billions of dollars in financing for companies whose palm oil operations have been blamed for destroying vast swathes of Indonesian rainforest.

The environmental group said the British bank had broken its own guidelines which ban supporting palm oil companies involved in unsustainable practices as it was part of syndicates that had arranged $16.3 billion of loans since 2012.

The bank was also involved in arranging nearly $2 billion of corporate bonds, the activists said in a new report.

Palm oil seeds being harvested in Sumatra, Indonesia -- the edible vegetable oil is a key ingredient in goods from shampoo to biscuits ADEK BERRY (AFP/File)

"HSBC claims it's a respectable bank with responsible policies on deforestation. But somehow these fine words get forgotten when it's time to sign the contracts," said Annisa Rahmawati, senior forest campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

The bank said it did not knowingly provide services to directly support palm oil companies that do not comply with their policies on deforestation.

Vast tracts of Indonesian jungle have been cleared in recent years to make way for plantations to feed insatiable global demand for the edible vegetable oil, which is a key ingredient in goods from shampoo to biscuits.

This has led to the destruction of the habitats of endangered animals such as orangutans. Burning land to make way for plantations also causes huge forest fires that burn out of control most years and shroud the region in toxic haze.

Greenpeace, which analysed corporate financial data and company reports and statements, listed six firms it said received financial services from HSBC and whose palm oil operations had been accused of unsustainable practices.

The report said the companies were accused of activities including land seizures from local people, forest fires, abuse of workers and operating without legal permits.

HSBC said customer confidentiality meant it could not comment on specific companies.

But the bank added it had no interest in financing customers involved in illegal operations, land clearance by burning, the conversion of high-value conservation areas, child or forced labour or the violation of local communities' rights.

"We are not aware of any current instances where customers are alleged to be operating outside our policy and where we have not taken, or are not taking, appropriate action," the bank said in a statement.

The companies mentioned in the report as having received financial services from the bank were: Bumitama Agri; Goodhope Asia Holdings; IOI Group; Noble Group; Posco Daewoo; and Salim Group.

Noble referred requests for comment to its sustainability information document, which said its plantation arm was a member of the industry's Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and it followed RSPO procedures.
Djokovic, Serena share Australian Open stage with record man Karlovic

Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams launched their Australian Open campaigns in style on Tuesday as Ivo Karlovic smashed a record 75 aces in an unprecedented, 84-game marathon.

Djokovic and Williams have both dropped to world number two and faced awkward opposition, but they won in straight sets against Fernando Verdasco and Belinda Bencic respectively.

Rafael Nadal also rolled into round two before Karlovic outlasted Horacio Zeballos in an epic that stretched for five hours, 15 minutes and ended 6-7 (6/8), 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 22-20.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates victory against Fernando Verdasco of Spain in the first round of the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 17, 2017 GREG WOOD (AFP)

Karlovic beat Thomas Johansson's Australian Open record of 51 aces in a match, set in 2005, and 84 games was a new mark for the tournament in the tiebreak era, edging the 83 in Andy Roddick's 2003 defeat of Younes El Aynaoui.

It was one of the longest matches in the tournament's history in terms of time, although still short of the five hours, 53 minutes played by Djokovic and Nadal in the 2012 men's final.

The denouement, when it finally came, was almost comical as an exhausted Karlovic chipped a hopeful lob over Zeballos, only for the Argentine to send a wayward forehand rocketing out of the court.

"This is what I will, after my career, remember. If it was easy match or I lost easy, I wouldn't remember. But this one definitely I will remember forever," said the Croatian.

As the drama played out on Court 19, Djokovic gave further evidence of his return to form as he convincingly saw off Verdasco 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.

Djokovic fell off the top of the rankings during a sudden slump last year but he showed signs of a revival by beating new world number one Andy Murray in this month's Doha final.

He fended off five match points against Verdasco in the Doha semis, and had to fight through a 71-minute second set against the Spanish left-hander for his win on Tuesday.

- 'Nothing to lose' -

It was Djokovic's 15th straight win at the Australian Open as he seeks his third straight title and his seventh overall, which would break Roy Emerson's record set in the 1960s.

"I'm very pleased with the first round, considering I had one of the toughest first-round draws, definitely considering his form, how well he played against me in Doha," Djokovic said.

In afternoon play, Williams and Nadal made light of hot temperatures and doubts over their own form as they got off to sizzling starts.

Williams, back after an injury lay-off, demolished the dangerous Bencic 6-4, 6-3, while Nadal was also impressive in his 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over Florian Mayer.

Williams has barely played since her shock defeat in the US Open semi-finals in September and she made, by one count, 88 unforced errors in her second-round loss to Madison Brengle at this month's Auckland Classic.

But she came through a tight first set against Bencic before dominating the second in what turned out to be an emphatic victory on the centre court.

The 35-year-old American, with a record 23rd major title in her sights, was watched from courtside by her new fiance, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

"Right now I've got nothing to lose. Every match, every tournament I'm playing for fun," she said.

Williams, who can break Steffi Graf's Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam titles if she wins in Melbourne for the seventh time, next faces Lucie Safarova, who saved nine match points before beating Yanina Wickmayer.

Men's world number three Milos Raonic, a semi-finalist last year, enjoyed an uncomplicated start to his campaign when he beat Germany's Dustin Brown 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

And German hotshot Alexander Zverev credited a racquet-smashing tantrum with sparking his revival as he came back to beat Robin Haase 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.

Injury-hit Nadal had a torrid 2016, failing to reach any of the Grand Slam quarter-finals, but he appeared rejuvenated under new coach and former world number one Carlos Moya.

In the final match on centre court, Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska beat Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1.

Serena Williams serves against Belinda Bencic during their Australian Open first round match in Melbourne on January 17, 2017 GREG WOOD (AFP)

Croatia's Ivo Karlovic celebrates his win against Argentina's Horacio Zeballos on day two of the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 17, 2017 SAEED KHAN (AFP)
Robert Chow: Hong Kong's pro-Beijing firebrand

Hong Kong is home to a host of democracy activists angering China but one rabble-rouser -- a silver-haired former radio host -- has been embraced by Beijing for targeting supporters of a split from the mainland.

Straight-talking and a seasoned media operator, Robert Chow is Hong Kong's most prominent pro-Beijing activist, best-known for orchestrating a public campaign against massive democracy protests in 2014.

Now Chow is back, and this time he is taking aim at Hong Kong's movements for independence and self-determination as they increasingly rile Beijing.

Robert Chow is Hong Kong's most prominent pro-Beijing activist, best-known for orchestrating a public campaign against democracy protests in 2014 Anthony WALLACE (AFP)

His pro-Beijing campaign group, "Silent Majority", was originally set up to oppose the 2014 Umbrella Movement rallies which it said destabilised the city.

Those rallies failed to achieve political reform and since then the once taboo notion of a complete break from Beijing for semi-autonomous Hong Kong has gained support among young activists.

Chow, 66, says those activists are his new enemy.

"We are now 'anti-Hong Kong separatists' -- we've made this our number one goal," Chow told AFP.

Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" deal which protects its freedoms for 50 years, but there are growing concerns those liberties are disappearing.

The disappearance in 2015 of five Hong Kong booksellers known for publishing salacious titles about Beijing leaders triggered a wave of fear -- all five men resurfaced on the mainland.

Attacks on journalists and interference from Chinese authorities in a range of spheres, from education to media, have also exacerbated anxiety.

Amnesty International Hong Kong last week said human rights in the territory are at their worst since the handover 20 years ago.

But Chow says that rather than discouraging freedom of expression, he wants to dispel political apathy.

"People don't care! So you have to do something to arouse them and explain to them what the score is," he said.

Silent Majority has just 50 members, including businessmen and academics, according to Chow, but it has 140,000 followers on Facebook.

- Political outsider -

Critics caricature Chow as a crass opportunist, grandstanding for Beijing to boost his public profile.

But he casts himself as a champion of the people, working for "the good of Hong Kong".

His tactics are getting him noticed.

While he holds no official post in Hong Kong, Chow and 13 members of Silent Majority managed to secure a face-to-face meeting with top Chinese officials in Beijing at the end of last year, part of which was broadcast on state television.

As candidates put themselves forward for city leadership elections in March, Chow says he prefers to remain a political outsider.

"I think I'm more comfortable outside (the system)," he told AFP at his small office, minimally decorated with potted orchids and framed photos, including one of himself and former city leader Donald Tsang.

"If you're inside, the parameters somehow box you in."

Analysts say his outsider status makes him more valuable to Beijing.

Joseph Cheng, a political scientist and pro-democracy activist, said Chow's meeting in Beijing represented a "typical United Front strategy", referring to a party-led organisation working to expand the Chinese government's influence outside the political sphere.

"Beijing certainly would like to recruit people of his kind, who seem to be outside the normal pro-Beijing circles and who have good skills in handling the media," Cheng told AFP.

- 'Rats and cockroaches' -

A veteran journalist and media personality, Chow gets his message out through the gung-ho online tabloid he founded, HKG Pao, which resembles the far-right American website Breitbart.

The website is loaded with provocative language and graphics depicting opponents as rats, devils, witches and cockroaches.

Its Facebook page brands leading pro-democracy legislator Nathan Law, who supports the idea of self-determination for Hong Kong, as a "traitor".

An online article written by Chow said the recent disqualification of two democratically elected pro-independence lawmakers from the legislature -- after a controversial intervention by Beijing -- was "just the beginning" of the fight against independence.
In playing Madoff, De Niro finds fraudster 'beyond' comprehension

Robert De Niro may play the role of Bernie Madoff, the man behind the biggest stock-market fraud in history in HBO's "The Wizard of Lies," but that doesn't mean he understands him.

"What he did is beyond my comprehension," the Oscar-winning actor, who has played his share of criminals, said over the weekend at a news conference in the city of Pasadena.

The HBO TV film, which will be broadcast in May, features Michelle Pfeiffer as Madoff's wife, Ruth, and is helmed by Barry Levinson, the Oscar-winning director behind "Rain Man," "Bugsy" and "Good Morning, Vietnam."

Executive producer/actor Robert De Niro of the film 'The Wizard of Lies' speaks onstage during the HBO portion of the 2017 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, California on January 14, 2017 Frederick M. Brown (Getty Images/AFP/File)

For nearly 20 years, Madoff, now 78, was a Wall Street superstar. He orchestrated the huge pyramid scheme that fraudulently took in anywhere between $23 billion and $65 billion (depending on whether interest is included).

He never actually invested even a penny of the sums his clients entrusted to him, instead drawing on funds from new investors to remunerate the older ones.

But the house of cards collapsed in December 2008 when a growing number of investors, panicked by the financial crisis, attempted to cash out their investments.

Madoff is now serving a 150-year prison term.

Having grown up in modest circumstances in the New York borough of Queens, Madoff "must have had some kind of very strong disdain" for the people he was swindling, De Niro believes. "He wanted to be part of that world, but he wasn't."

De Niro, who said he found there to be "a disconnect somehow" in Madoff, believes his wife and children probably had suspicions as to his illicit activities.

His clients, as well, may have had doubts in the face of the staggeringly high returns he offered. But as long as the money continued to pour in, they were not about to look any further.

- Trust and betrayal -

The film is based on a book by journalist Diana Henriques, "The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust."

"All of us trust people in our lives, and only someone you can trust can truly betray you," the financial journalist said.

Henriques said De Niro's performance showed "how plausible con men like this are, how utterly they can seize your trust and your imagination and make you believe."

She described Madoff as "incredibly magnetic." But she also saw a darker side, saying, "I don't think you can conduct your life with such a lack of empathy for the devastation that you're causing and not meet that fairly spongy definition of a psychopath."

Henriques noted that "the bulk of his victims were not 'big bank account' people, and they were just devastated," often losing their life's savings.

New York-born De Niro, already the winner of two Oscars, is soon to begin filming the next Martin Scorsese film, "The Irishman," playing the title role of a notorious mobster.

He and Julianne Moore are currently filming another TV series helmed by legendary director David O. Russell. De Niro is a Russell favorite: They worked together on "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle."

The actor, who will also appear in "The Comedian" when the film is released next month in the United States, is himself a successful businessman, having invested in real estate, restaurants and hotels.

The fall of Madoff has been brought to the screen before, notably in the ABC miniseries "Madoff." Meanwhile Cate Blanchett earned an Oscar for her role playing a woman inspired by Ruth Madoff in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine."

The journalist Steve Fishman, who has covered Madoff for years, wrote recently on the MarketWatch site that Madoff is continuing to pursue his business interests in prison, where some fellow inmates view him as "a star" because "he stole more money than anyone in history."

Fishman reported that Madoff had cornered the prison market for hot chocolate, buying every packet of Swiss Miss from the commissary and then selling it at a profit.
IS assault halts food aid drops in Syria's Deir Ezzor

The World Food Programme said Tuesday it has suspended aid drops to the Syrian city of Deir Ezzor because of heavy fighting after a fierce assault by the Islamic State group.

IS has besieged Deir Ezzor's 100,000 residents since 2015 and already controls large parts of the city, but on Saturday advanced further inside remaining government-held territory.

The clashes, which continued for a fourth day on Tuesday, have killed more than 100 people, according to a monitor.

IS began a fierce attack Saturday on the remaining parts of Deir Ezzor under government control, and has managed to divide the city's eastern half from the west Ayham al-Mohammad (AFP/File)

"We have put on hold the air drop operation in Deir Ezzor for security operational reasons," said WFP spokeswoman Bettina Luescher.

"There is heavy fighting ongoing in and around the landing zone... It is simply too dangerous to do this now," she told reports in Geneva.

The WFP has been dropping humanitarian aid into Deir Ezzor since April 2016, and the government-held area is the only place in Syria where the agency has permission for the drops.

Luescher said the WFP's last aid drop was on Sunday, adding that 3,300 tonnes of food and other aid have been dispatched to the city since the operation began.

The IS assault has managed to divide the east of the remaining government-held parts of the city from the west.

It has also cut the route running from the city's key military airport, limiting the government's ability to bring in supplies and military reinforcements.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said Tuesday that Syria's military and allied Russian forces were carrying out air strikes against IS, as government troops battled the jihadists on the ground.

Ten civilians were killed Tuesday in air strikes on the Deir Ezzor district of Al-Ummal, which is held by IS, the monitor said, bringing to 37 the total number of civilians killed in the four-day IS offensive.

The latest assault, which included waves of suicide bombers, was the "most violent" attack on the city in more than a year, said the Observatory.

It said the government was flying reinforcements into the military base and had called up residents to fight on the front lines against IS, including some without military training.

Since the siege began, the government has been able to fly limited supplies into the airport, and WFP and Russia have also delivered aid.

But residents have nonetheless faced shortages and rising prices, as well as being unable to leave the city.

Deir Ezzor sits in the oil-rich eastern province of the same name, most of which is controlled by IS.

The extremist group has lost swathes of territory in northern Syria to Kurdish fighters as well as a Turkish-backed rebel alliance, but it remains on the offensive in other parts of the country.

More than 310,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests that were met with a regime crackdown.

The violence has drawn in international players, as well as attracting jihadist groups like IS.
Fukushima 'voluntary' evacuees to lose housing support

Thousands of Japanese evacuees from Fukushima should keep getting free housing, supporters said Tuesday, as the local government readies to yank support offered after the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

Some 27,000 so-called voluntary evacuees -- people who chose to leave their homes in the region after the 2011 accident due to safety concerns -- are set to lose the six-year-old housing subsidy at the end of March.

That means leaving state-paid housing in other parts of Japan and possibly returning to homes in the region where a quake-sparked tsunami swamped the nuclear plant, sending some reactors into meltdown and spewing radiation into the environment.

The 2011 accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant drove more than 160,000 people from their homes, some by evacuation order and others by choice

"If we lose this housing support -- the only lifeline we have -- single-mother evacuees like me will fall into poverty," Noriko Matsumoto told a press briefing in Tokyo organised by activists.

Matsumoto left her family's home 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the plant, after her daughter, then 12, began suffering an array of health problems, including nose bleeds and nausea.

Matsumoto, 55, who now lives with her daughter in Kanagawa, about 250 kilometres from the plant, said she also developed serious health disorders after the accident, including hormonal disorders and a non-cancerous tumour in her thyroid.

"I am furious that the central government and Fukushima prefecture stigmatised and now abandoned us," she told reporters.

A local government spokesman said areas not covered by the original evacuation orders have been deemed safe to live in.

"The environment is safe for leading a normal life and that means we are no longer in a position to provide temporary housing," he told AFP.

Some evacuees will still be eligible for a small housing subsidy, the spokesman added.

The 2011 accident drove more than 160,000 people from their homes, some by evacuation order and others by choice.

Some have since returned but many stayed away, creating a new life elsewhere amid lingering concerns about radiation.
Syria talks in Astana meant to 'consolidate' ceasefire: Lavrov

Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital next week are aimed at consolidating the frail truce in the war-torn country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

"One of the objectives of the meeting in Astana is first of all to consolidate the ceasefire," Lavrov said of the talks due to begin on January 23.

Lavrov said the talks would also serve as an opportunity to involve rebel field commanders in "the political process" aimed at ending the bloodshed.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at his annual press conference on January 17, 2017 Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV (AFP)

"Those who wish to join must have the possibility to do so."

Organised by rebel backer Turkey and regime allies Russia and Iran, the Astana meeting is the latest bid to put an end to the brutal conflict raging since March 2011.

US President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has been invited but has not yet officially responded.

Lavrov said on Tuesday it was "right to invite representatives of the UN and the new US administration" but did not say whether the incoming Trump administration had confirmed its attendance.

A source in the Russian foreign ministry told AFP the talks would not involve the foreign ministers of participating countries and could last a few days, but did not give further details.

Syrian rebel groups, including the powerful Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam), said on Monday they would attend.

Chief rebel negotiator Mohammad Alloush, a leading figure in Jaish al-Islam, will represent the opposition, according to National Coalition member Ahmad Ramadan.

The High Negotiations Committee (HNC), the main Syrian opposition umbrella group, has also expressed its support for the talks.

The Syrian government delegation attending the talks will be led by the country's ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar al-Jaafari, Syria's Al-Watan daily reported on Tuesday.

The government delegation will also include "figures representing the military and the Syrian judiciary", the newspaper wrote.

Alloush and Jaafari led opposing teams at UN-hosted peace talks in Geneva last year, trading accusations throughout the ill-fated negotiations.

- Fighting despite truce -

The talks come a month after the Syrian regime took full control of the country's second city of Aleppo from rebels in its biggest victory in more than four years of fighting.

Russia launched a bombing campaign to shore up the forces of long-time ally Bashar al-Assad in September 2015, a move Lavrov hailed on Tuesday.

"We are convinced we acted rightly when we responded positively to the request (to intervene) of Syria's legitimate government... whose capital was two to three weeks away from being seized by terrorists," said Lavrov.

Russia and Turkey last month brokered a ceasefire in Syria but without the involvement of the United States, a negotiator in previous truces.

The truce went into effect on December 30 and has brought calm to much of Syria although fighting continues in some regions.

Nine civilians were killed at the weekend in heavy fighting that erupted near Damascus, jeopardising the nationwide truce.

Government troops also lost ground to the Islamic State jihadist group near the Deir Ezzor military airport in the country's east.

The ceasefire excludes the IS group and its rival the Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front after breaking ties with Al-Qaeda last year.

If the Astana meetings are successful, they could bode well for a new round of UN-hosted political negotiations on the conflict set for next month in Geneva.

More than 300,000 people have been killed and over half of the population displaced in nearly six years of deadly fighting in Syria. Millions have also fled the country.
Israel rearrests freed Palestinian hunger striker

Israeli forces have rearrested a Palestinian journalist who was freed from prison last year after an extended hunger strike, his family and Israeli officials said Tuesday.

Mohammed al-Qiq was detained Sunday night at a checkpoint near the West Bank city of Ramallah on his way back from a demonstration against Israel's refusal to return the bodies of slain Palestinian assailants, his wife Fayha Shalash told AFP.

According to Shalash, Qiq's lawyer told her he was being held in Ofer prison, west of Ramallah, and "has been on hunger strike since the moment they arrested him."

Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qiq was released from a six-month prison term without trial in May 2016 following a 94-day hunger strike Hazem Bader (AFP/File)

In May, 34-year-old Qiq was released from a six-month prison term without trial following a 94-day hunger strike.

He occasionally took minerals and vitamins but mainly ingested only tap water.

Qiq had been held under the administrative detention system, which allows Israel to hold prisoners without trial for renewable six-month periods.

Israel's Shin Bet domestic security service said at the time he was detained for "terror activity" on behalf of the Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza.

Qiq denied the allegation, saying he worked for the Saudi television channel Al-Majd.

Qiq's case was widely covered, and the United Nations expressed concern about his condition during his previous time in prison.

Shin Bet said Qiq had been detained on Sunday night along with 12 other men, including a member of the Palestinian parliament, as part of a network of Hamas operatives.

Shin Bet said the men were accused of a series of "economic and social" activities, including organising demonstrations and financially supporting families of prisoners, to "strengthen Hamas influence in the West Bank while attempting to topple the (Palestinian) Authority."

The Palestinian Prisoners Club said Israeli forces had arrested 20 people, 15 of them former prisoners.
Russia adoption law discriminatory: European court

The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Russia's policy of refusing to allow Americans to adopt Russian children, solely because of their nationality, was discriminatory.

The court ordered Moscow to pay damages to the 45 Americans who filed the case, who had hoped to adopt 27 children between 2010 and 2012.

Many of the children had serious medical problems, including Down's Syndrome or developmental disorders, requiring specialised treatment.

Pro-Kremlin children's advocacy groups march through Moscow on March 2, 2013, carrying the portraits of the Russian children who died in USA after being adopted there Alexander Nemenov (AFP/File)

Russia halted the procedures with legislation in January 2013 that prohibited Americans from adopting Russian children.

The law was in response to US sanctions on officials deemed responsible for the death in prison of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009. Magnitsky had been arrested after pointing out a fraud scam by high-placed officials.

Moscow had said it was protecting the children's welfare, after Russian media outlets claimed cases of mistreatment of adopted Russians in the United States, in a bid to encourage adoptions at home.

But in a unanimous decision, the judges at the Strasbourg-based rights court said Russia had violated statutes of the European Convention on Human Rights against discrimination and protecting the respect of family life.

It ordered Moscow to pay 3,000 euros ($3,200) in damages to the American couples and individuals in the case.

In its ruling, the court said the ban was disproportionate to the government's stated aims, "given that it had been retroactive, indiscriminate, and was applied irrespective of the status of proceedings or the individual circumstances".

The court noted a 2012 accord between the two countries that provides guarantees against mistreatment and that allows international adoptions only when placing a child with a Russian family is not possible.
China's sea militarisation 'troubling': Philippine defence chief

China's militarisation of the South China Sea is "very troubling" and neither peaceful nor friendly, the Philippines' defence secretary said on Tuesday.

President Rodrigo Duterte has sought to improve his nation's relations with China by adopting a non-confrontational approach over their competing claims in the strategically vital waters.

But, even as other senior government officials sought to downplay China's building of defence installations on artificial islands it has built in the sea, Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana issued a strongly worded statement.

Members of China's South Sea Fleet taking part in a drill in the Xisha Islands, or the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea in May 2016

"Notwithstanding the warming of relations between our countries, the Philippine government would be remiss in its duty to protect its national interest if it does not protest, question and seek clarification from China on the presence of weapons in the Spratlys," Lorenzana said in a statement.

"The actions of China in militarising those disputed features are very troubling. They do not square with the Chinese government's rhetoric that its purpose is peaceful and friendly."

Lorenzana released the statement hours before President Duterte was scheduled to meet with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin.

Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay had earlier said the Philippines had quietly sent a diplomatic note to Beijing last month over the reports of Chinese missile installations in the Spratlys, a South China Sea chain.

But he said this was done in a low-key way so as not to anger China.

The US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies released photos in December that it said showed China appeared to have built large anti-aircraft guns and other weapons systems at each of its seven outposts in the Spratlys.

China said after the images were released that the deployment of weapons in the South China Sea had "nothing to do with militarisation", and called the construction of defensive facilities "normal".

China claims most of the South China Sea, even waters and outcrops approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian neighbours.

An international tribunal last year ruled that China's claims over the sea over the sea, through which more than five trillion dollars in global shipping trade passes, had no legal basis.

Even though China is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, on which the case was based, it rejected the ruling.

The legal suit was filed by the administration of Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino.

But when the Philippines won the case, Duterte was already president and pursuing closer ties with China. He vowed not to "taunt or flaunt" the ruling.
Two I.Coast soldiers killed as mutiny protests return

Two mutinous soldiers were killed in Ivory Coast's administrative capital Tuesday, as troops staged protests in several cities, firing shots in the air and terrifying residents.

The soldiers' deaths in Yamoussoukro were the first since a revolt among troops over pay erupted on January 5, stoking security fears in the world's top cocoa producer.

One soldier was "killed by the (loyalist) Republican Guard" in Yamoussoukro, a military source told AFP. The Republican Guard is an elite military force linked to the presidency.

Ivory Coast's latest mutiny has raised fears the country might slip into deadly unrest, as happened in 2010 when an election defeat saw 3,000 people killed in several months of conflict Sia Kambou (AFP/File)

A source close to the defence ministry confirmed the death, although the precise circumstances of the incident remained unclear.

Another died of injuries after he was shot, military sources said.

The latest wave of protests came after a mutiny was quelled by an agreement with the government last week.

Soldiers involved in the first protests started receiving their payments Tuesday, though some banks were forced to shut because of the unrest.

Under the deal, 8,500 mutinous troops were promised 12 million CFA francs (18,000 euros, $19,000) each.

Five million CFA francs are due to be delivered by February 5, although it remains unclear how the government of the west African nation intends to finance the payments.

The revolt has seen President Alassane Ouattara order major changes in the top security ranks -- the armed forces' chief of staff, the senior commander of the national gendarmerie and the director-general of the police.

Enraged that they were excluded from the deal, other troops took to the streets of Yamoussoukro and Bouake on Tuesday, firing in the air as scared residents took refuge.

"This morning, we took to the streets with our weapons. We want to show the whole world our dissatisfaction," a soldier protesting in Bouake told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"We don't understand why some soldiers are being paid a five million CFA franc bonus, while a whole other group is being forgotten," he said.

"We condemn this injustice in our army... If there is a bonus, it should be for everyone."

- 'We're hiding' -

Other cities across the country -- Daloa in central Ivory Coast, Man in the west, Bondoukou in the northeast and Dimbokro in the south -- also saw troops take to the streets.

Witnesses in Yamoussoukro earlier told AFP they saw soldiers firing shots in the air and stealing vehicles.

"I decided to go home," resident Koffi Germain said.

"We're hiding, there's a lot of shooting," a civil servant told AFP on condition of anonymity.

In Bouake, an AFP journalist also saw soldiers firing in the air.

Fearing for their safety, Bouake residents took shelter in their homes, the journalist said.

Several banks were forced shut by the shooting, angering soldiers who were picking up their payments.

"The banks closed before everyone was paid," one of the mutineers involved in last week's deal told AFP.

"Whoever fires a single shot in the air will have to deal with us so long as we haven't all been paid," he warned.

- Waves of unrest -

Bouake, which is home to 1.5 million people, was the cradle of a rebellion which erupted in 2002 in a failed attempt to oust then-president Laurent Gbagbo.

The revolt sliced the former French colony into the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south and triggered years of unrest.

Twelve years later, a similar dispute over pay by rebels-turned-soldiers erupted in Bouake which spread to Abidjan and briefly brought the country to a standstill.

The government then agreed to a deal that provided amnesty for the mutineers and a financial settlement.

Ivory Coast has long been west Africa's star economic performer. But when Gbagbo refused to step down despite an election defeat in 2010, 3,000 people were killed in months of conflict.

With a 10-percent yearly economic growth rate, the west African country is now back on the rails.

The International Monetary Fund said last month that Ivory Coast was on track towards becoming the continent's fastest-growing economy.

The latest mutiny, however, has raised fears the country might slip back into deadly unrest.
Iran president says 'no sense' in renegotiating nuclear deal

President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday there was no chance of Iran renegotiating the nuclear deal with world powers if US President-elect Donald Trump demands it.

"The nuclear deal is finished, it has been approved by the UN Security Council and has become an international document. It is a multilateral accord and there is no sense in renegotiating it," said Rouhani at a news conference a year on from the deal coming into force.

Trump frequently criticised the nuclear deal during campaigning and called for fresh negotiations, but has refused to be drawn on his plans since being elected.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gives a press conference in Tehran on Jaunary 17, 2017 ATTA KENARE (AFP)

His nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, has called for a "full review" of the deal.

"Mr Trump, the president-elect, has made various statements that the nuclear deal does not satisfy him, that it was not a good deal or even that it was the worst deal ever," said Rouhani.

"These are mostly slogans, and I don't think that when he enters the White House, something will happen. It is not a bilateral deal that he can decide he likes or doesn't like," the president added.

The deal was signed between Iran, the US, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.
GM to invest $1 bn in US manufacturing, create 5,000 jobs

General Motors said Tuesday it will invest an additional $1 billion in US manufacturing operations and create up to 5,000 jobs in the coming years, for which Donald Trump immediately took credit.

The investments in new vehicle and advanced technology are tied to 1,500 new and "retained" jobs, while 450 will be returned to the US from Mexico, the company said in a statement. Those and other moves are expected to total 5,000 new US jobs over the next few years.

The company said the latest investments follow $2.9 billion announced in 2016 and more than $21 billion invested in its US operations since 2009.

General Motors said Tuesday it will invest an additional $1 billion in US manufacturing operations and create 5,000 jobs in the coming years Stan Honda (AFP/File)

GM is the latest in a series of companies to announce plans to create US jobs -- including Amazon, Ford and WalMart -- amid continued pressure, mostly via Twitter, from US President-elect Trump, who has threatened stiff penalties on companies that import products manufactured overseas.

Shortly after the GM and Walmart announcements on Tuesday, Trump took credit for the new jobs in a pair of tweets.

"With all of the jobs I am bringing back into the U.S. (even before taking office), with all of the new auto plants coming back into our..... country and with the massive cost reductions I have negotiated on military purchases and more, I believe the people are seeing 'big stuff.'"

GM chair and CEO Mary Barra said: "As the US manufacturing base increases its competitiveness, we are able to further increase our investment, resulting in more jobs for America and better results for our owners."

"The US is our home market and we are committed to growth that is good for our employees, dealers and suppliers and supports our continued effort to drive shareholder value," she added in a statement.

The company touted insourcing of 450 jobs from Mexico to produce axles for new full-size pickup trucks, and of thousands of position in information technology.
Russia turns eyes to Libya with support for strongman

Emboldened by its success in Syria, Russia is turning its eyes to chaos-ridden Libya with support for a military strongman whose forces oppose the internationally backed government.

Experts say Moscow is looking to gain a foothold in the North African nation with its backing for Marshal Khalifa Haftar, based in Libya's east and one of the country's most powerful figures since the ouster and killing of Moamer Kadhafi.

Russia has been cultivating Haftar as an ally, with the military chief making several visits to Moscow last year.

Marshal Khalifa Haftar, chief of the so-called Libyan National Army, is one of the most powerful Libyan figures since the ouster of Moamer Kadhafi Vasily Maximov (AFP/File)

The emerging alliance could not have been more clear than when a Russian aircraft carrier -- fresh from completing a two-month mission off Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad's forces -- welcomed Haftar earlier this month.

The Admiral Kuznetsov parked off the coast of the eastern Libyan town of Tobruk to take Haftar on board, where he met with Russian officers and spoke via video link to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

"Moscow is clearly testing the waters with respect to tipping the political and military balance towards Libya's east," said Ethan Chorin, a former US diplomat posted in Tripoli and now CEO of consulting firm Perim Associates.

Moscow is looking, he said, "to project influence in the southern and eastern Mediterranean and (for) increased influence over Libya's oil and gas resources."

Haftar served in the army under Kadhafi but later turned against the longtime Libyan leader and spent years in exile in the United States.

- Push to lift arms embargo -

He returned to Libya and played a senior role in the forces that overthrew Kadhafi in the 2011 NATO-backed uprising.

The years since have seen Libya thrown into turmoil, with rival factions and militias vying for power.

Last year after months of UN-backed talks, a Government of National Accord (GNA) emerged as the centrepiece of Western hopes for a proper administration, but it has failed to assert its authority over the whole of Libya.

Haftar has instead thrown his support behind a rival administration backed by a parliament based in Tobruk which has recognised him as the head of Libya's national army.

Clashes have broken out several times between Haftar's troops and pro-GNA forces -- who include powerful militias from the western city of Misrata and who won a major victory last year by driving Islamic State group jihadists from the coastal city of Sirte.

In a key turning point, Haftar's forces in September seized four oil export terminals from pro-GNA fighters in eastern Libya.

Haftar has been pushing for the United Nations to lift an arms embargo imposed on Libya and sought Russian support for the move during a visit to Moscow in November.

He told Italy's Corriere della Sera earlier this month that he was assured during the visit that "Putin will undertake to revoke it".

"Haftar's expectation is that Moscow will push for lifting the arms embargo altogether or at least get an exemption" for his forces, said Mattia Toaldo, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

- Looking to Trump -

That would cement Russian support for Haftar, who is already backed by Arab nations including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Europe and the United States have so far supported the GNA -- with US forces carrying out dozens of air strikes in support of its forces in Sirte -- but Toaldo said that could change.

US President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration is expected to seek better ties with Russia and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Egypt.

"A convergence of Russia, Egypt and the Trump administration on Haftar should not be excluded especially in light of the position expressed by members of Trump's team that the Muslim Brotherhood is equivalent to Al-Qaeda or IS," Toaldo said.

Analysts say the Libyan branch of the Brotherhood -- a longstanding pan-Arab Islamist movement that Sisi forced out of power in Egypt -- is among the key factions backing the GNA.

During his confirmation hearings earlier this month, Trump's secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson lumped the Brotherhood in with IS and "other agents of radical Islam" like Al-Qaeda.

Analysts worry that Russian support will encourage Haftar to seek further confrontation with pro-GNA forces in the west, potentially returning Libya to a full-blown civil war.

"Haftar's international backers appear to believe that the Trump administration could be convinced to... turn a blind eye as Haftar engages in a re-invigorated military confrontation with militias in western Libya," said Jason Pack, a Britain-based Libya analyst, researcher and monitor.

"The practical outcome would be to hand Russia the leading role in Libya's future as well as a further outpost on the Mediterranean."

Marshal Khalifa Haftar (C), leader of the so-called Libyan National Army is greeted upon his arrival at Al-Kharouba airport on December 3, 2016 after a visit in Russia Abdullah Doma (AFP/File)
Morocco offers Gambian leader Jammeh a 'golden retirement'

Morocco has offered The Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh asylum in return for accepting election defeat and stepping down, a local news website reported Tuesday.

The small west African country has been plunged into political turmoil since Jammeh disputed president-elect Adama Barrow's December election victory and refused to cede power.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and the North African kingdom's foreign intelligence chief Yassine Mansouri have been conducting "a delicate mission in Banjul", the Gambian capital, for several days, Le Desk website reported.

Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh has been in power since 1994 Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)

Morocco wants Jammeh "to accept his election defeat in return for a golden retirement in Morocco", the website said.

The initiative comes after an international outcry over Jammeh's refusal to step down.

Even the prospect of military intervention in The Gambia has been floated in recent days, following declarations by the United Nations and African Union that boots on the ground could get the green light without a rapid resolution of the crisis.

The Moroccan foreign ministry did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on the authenticity of the report.

The report came ahead of an African Union summit in Addis Ababa at the end of January, which will see Morocco return to the regional bloc decades after pulling out in 1984.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI visited The Gambia in 2006, and the two nations have long held strong ties.
Britain's biggest council seeks 'post-Brexit' Qatari cash

Britain's largest local authority concluded a landmark "post-Brexit" trade visit to Qatar on Tuesday in a bid to secure up to $6.5 billion in investment.

Birmingham City Council's three-day business tour to the Gulf is thought to be the first ever undertaken by a British local authority to Qatar to seek funding.

Council leader John Clancy said the visit was in direct response to the British vote to leave the European Union.

Birmingham City Council's three-day business tour to the Gulf is thought to be the first ever undertaken by a British local authority to Qatar to seek funding Patrick Baz (AFP/File)

"To be frank, it's a post-Brexit thing," said Clancy.

"It's part of a post-Brexit resettlement and cities in the UK in particular have to have an international profile."

Birmingham, with a population of more than one million and located in England's west Midlands, wants billions for infrastructure projects and new homes as it seeks to meet the cost of regenerating two areas in Britain's second most populous city.

The council describes itself as the largest UK local authority.

Clancy was in Doha with a four-strong team, including members of "Marketing Birmingham", a public and privately funded group which seeks to attract investment to the city.

They met Qatari government ministers and business leaders and were supported by British officials and embassy staff.

"We have had strong input from the Department of International Trade, strong embassy support -- that says a lot about government policy."

In the past Birmingham has used European Union funding to help regenerate the city, including money for a convention centre and transport.

But the uncertainty caused by Brexit has caused it to look elsewhere and this week's visit follows a similar trade visit to China by Birmingham council leaders last year.

In recent weeks, two British government ministers -- Philip Hammond and Liam Fox -- have visited Qatar to try to improve flourishing trade links between the two countries, thought to be worth around $6 billion a year.

And at the end of last year, Prime Minister Theresa May visited Bahrain for a two-day Gulf Cooperation Council meeting.

According to official London figures, Britain is the fourth largest exporter to Qatar.

Investments in Britain by the gas-rich Gulf emirate include Harrods, Canary Wharf, a stake in Heathrow and The Shard.
Putin mocks claims that Trump was spied on

President Vladimir Putin cracked raunchy jokes on Tuesday as he poked fun at claims that Russian secret services filmed US President-elect Donald Trump with prostitutes.

Showing he is familiar with the claims in the explosive dossier, Putin launched into a series of ribald jokes about prostitutes, riffing on Trump's former role as owner of the Miss Universe beauty contest.

The unsubstantiated dossier published by American media last week alleged that Russia had gathered compromising information on Trump, namely videos involving prostitutes at a luxury Moscow hotel, supposedly as a potential means for blackmail.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly denied trying to inflence the outcome of the US election Sergei Ilnitsky (POOL/AFP)

Trump has denied the claims as "fake news," while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov last week called the dossier a fabrication aimed at damaging Moscow's ties with Washington.

In his first public comments on the claims, Putin rubbished the idea that Russian secret services would have spied on Trump during his 2013 visit to Moscow for the Miss Universe final, as alleged in the dossier, which he called an "obvious fabrication."

"Trump when he came to Moscow... wasn't any kind of political figure, we didn't even know of his political ambitions," Putin said, responding to a journalist's question at a news conference.

"Does anyone think that our special services chase every American billionaire? Of course not, it's just completely ridiculous."

- 'Degradation of political elite' -

Putin also questioned why Trump would feel the need to hire prostitutes, given his opportunities to meet beautiful women at the Miss Universe contest.

"He's a grown-up for a start and secondly a man who spent his whole life organising beauty contests and meeting the most beautiful women in the world," Putin said.

"I can hardly imagine that he ran off to a hotel to meet our girls of 'lowered social responsibility'," said Putin, adding jokingly "although they are of course the best in the world.

"I doubt Trump fell for that."

Putin went on to compare those behind the dossier unfavourably with prostitutes.

"The people who order falsifications of the kind that are now circulating against the US President-elect -- they are worse than prostitutes, they don't have any moral limits at all.

"The fact that such methods are being used against the US President-elect is a unique case: nothing like this has happened before.

"This shows a significant level of degradation of the political elite in the West."

Putin stressed once again he has never met Trump and said he has no grounds to either attack or defend him.

"We won't even apply to the Nobel Prize committee to award him the prize for physics or mathematics," Putin said, in a wry reference to Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize soon after entering the White House in 2009.

- 'Fake stories' -

Putin condemned Trump's opponents for attempting to "undermine (his) legitimacy" and tie him "by the hands and feet" as he tried to carry out his campaign promises.

"Whether or not they want this, the people who do this cause huge damage to the interests of the US, just huge," he added.

"It's as if they want to put together a Maidan in Washington after practising in Kiev," Putin said, referring to public protests and unrest that rocked the capital of Ukraine in 2013 and 2014 which ended in the overthrow of its ex-president Viktor Yanukovych, something Moscow proclaims was a US-backed coup d'etat.

Putin cited the scandal over cyber attacks on the Democratic Party and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton that US intelligence organisations said Russia had masterminded to influence the polls.
Israeli forces kill Palestinian who tried to stab soldier: army

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian who attempted to stab a soldier at a crossing in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the army said, with no injuries reported among Israelis.

"A short while ago an assailant, armed with a knife, attempted to stab an (Israeli) soldier at a crossing adjacent to Tulkarem," an army statement said.

"Responding to the imminent threat, forces fired towards the attacker, resulting in his death."

A wave of Palestinian gun, knife and car-ramming attacks targeting Israeli security forces erupted in October 2015, though the violence has greatly declined in recent months AHMAD GHARABLI (AFP/File)

A wave of Palestinian gun, knife and car-ramming attacks erupted in October 2015, though the violence has greatly declined in recent months.

Since October 2015, 250 Palestinians, 40 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities, with others killed during protests, in clashes or air raids on Gaza.

Israel blames incitement by Palestinian leaders and media as a leading cause of violence.

Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with the Israeli occupation and settlement building in the West Bank, comatose peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have helped feed the unrest.

A conference in Paris last weekend including around 70 countries reiterated support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

There have been growing warnings the chances of reaching a resolution based on two states are gradually slipping away.

Peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

Donald Trump, who will be sworn in as US president on Friday, has signalled strong support for Israel and has spoken of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
Orlando shooter's wife charged in relation to attack

The widow of Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen was formally charged Tuesday with a terror-related offense and obstruction of justice in connection with the attack.

The two-count indictment states that Noor Salman, who was arrested Monday in northern California, aided and abetted her husband's attempt to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, namely the Islamic State group.

The 30-year-old is also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly misleading local police in Florida and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on information relating to the attack.

Police and investigators work near the area of the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub on in Orlando, Florida June 12, 2016 Mandel Ngan (AFP/File)

Forty-nine people died in Mateen's assault on the Pulse gay nightclub on June 12, the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. The gunman was killed in a shootout with police and during the attack called dispatchers to pledge allegiance to IS.

Salman, who had a four-year-old son with Mateen, made an initial appearance in federal court in Oakland, California, on Tuesday and had the charges read out to her.

She faces up to life in prison if found guilty.

Given that it was unclear if she had an attorney in California, another hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, a spokesman for the US Attorney's office told AFP.

He said Salman, who moved to the San Francisco area to live with family after the attack, was provisionally represented by a federal public defender on Tuesday.

Her case is expected to be transferred to Florida.

The young woman said little during Tuesday's hearing but her uncle, Al Salman, defended her outside the courtroom, telling reporters she knew nothing of the attack and had suffered domestic abuse.

"I know she's innocent, 100 percent," Salman said, adding that her main concern was her child. "She's innocent, simple person. She will not hurt a fly."

Media reports have said that Salman may have had prior knowledge of her husband's plan to carry out the massacre, as she had accompanied him on at least one trip to the nightclub and on one occasion went with him to buy ammunition.

The indictment -- which was returned in Florida on January 12 -- asks that Salman's assets, including $30,500, be forfeited.

She was taken into custody early Monday in Rodeo, a community about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco. Her uncle said her son is now being cared for by his maternal grandmother.
Bayer-Monsanto to invest $8 bln in US

German chemicals giant Bayer will invest about $8 billion in the United States in agriculture research in conjunction with Monsanto, which it is purchasing, the companies said on Tuesday.

The announcement came after a "very productive meeting" last week between President-elect Donald Trump, Bayer CEO Werner Baumann and Monsanto chief Hugh Grant.

The joint statement did not however confirm the announcement by a Trump spokesman that Bayer will create "at least 3,000 new US high-tech jobs," and retain "100 percent of Monsanto's 9,000 plus US workforce."

Bayer-Monsanto expects to spend approximately $16 billion for research and development in agriculture over the next six years with at least half of that made in the United States Patrik STOLLARZ, John THYS (AFP/File)

"The combined company expects to spend approximately $16 billion for R&D in agriculture over the next six years with at least half of this investment made in the United States," the Bayer-Monsanto statement said.

"This is an investment in innovation and people that will create several thousand new high-tech, well-paying jobs after integration is complete."

It was the third announcement of US investment and job creation plans by a major company on Tuesday, just three days before Trump's inauguration. Trump quickly took credit in a pair of tweets that came shortly after announcements from General Motors and Walmart.

"With all of the jobs I am bringing back into the US (even before taking office), with all of the new auto plants coming back into our country and with the massive cost reductions I have negotiated on military purchases and more, I believe the people are seeing 'big stuff.'"

Monsanto shareholders last month approved the $66 billion takeover of the US company by Bayer. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2017 pending approval by antitrust officials in the US and Europe.

Bayer-Monsanto, which will be headquartered in St. Louis, said its US investment will be in "global seeds and traits research and development."
Delays, dispute hamper plans for UN regional force for South Sudan

Plans to deploy a UN regional force in South Sudan are bogged down in delays over visas, the allocation of land for bases and a dispute over protecting Juba airport, according to a confidential report obtained by AFP on Tuesday.

The Security Council decided six months ago to deploy the 4,000-strong protection force in Juba to bolster the UN peacekeeping mission that failed to protect civilians during heavy fighting in the capital in July.

In a report to the Security Council, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said recent statements from South Sudanese officials "shed doubt" on the government's "actual willingness to actively cooperate with the deployment and operationalization of the force."

The UN Security Council decided six months ago to deploy a 4,000-strong protection force in Juba to bolster the UN peacekeeping mission that failed to protect civilians during heavy fighting in Juba last July ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN (AFP/File)

South Sudanese ministers have in recent weeks said the regional force was no longer needed, but other officials have come out to reaffirm President Salva Kiir's commitment to the deployment.

Visas for reconnaissance teams from Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan have been pending for over a month, along with approval for one of two sites in Juba chosen to house the units, said the report sent to the council Monday.

Talks on ensuring security at Juba airport broke down in disagreement last month in what Guterres described as "a deeply disturbing development" in discussions on the tasks of the new force.

- Rwanda, Ethiopia ready to go -

Rwanda and Ethiopia are ready to send their troops to be part of the new force, with the first elements from a Kigali battalion able to arrive in late February or early March.

Guterres said he was also pressing for a Rwandan tactical helicopter unit to be deployed in the first wave.

Kenya has told the United Nations it was open to discussing its participation in the new force even though it withdrew its peacekeepers from South Sudan to protest a UN decision to fire the Kenyan commander of the mission.

A delegation from the UN peacekeeping office is due to visit Nairobi to discuss Kenya's role, said the report.

After gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan descended into war in December 2013, leaving tens of thousands dead and more than 3.1 million people displaced.

There is growing alarm over the humanitarian crisis in the country as the conflict entered its fourth year.

More than six million people -- half of South Sudan's population -- are in need of urgent aid and humanitarian organizations expect this number to rise by 20 to 30 percent next year.

In the first weeks of his tenure as secretary-general, Guterres has been engaged in telephone diplomacy with regional leaders to discuss the way forward in South Sudan.
Syrians elect first civilian council to run Idlib city

Syrians in northwestern Idlib cast their ballots on Tuesday for members of the first civilian council to run their city, two years after it was overrun by rebels and jihadists.

Regime forces were expelled from Idlib city in March 2015 by the Army of Conquest, led by the Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front when it broke ties with Al-Qaeda.

Since then, a committee appointed by the Army of Conquest had run the city's affairs, electoral commission head Mohammad Salim Khodr told AFP.

Syrian men queue to cast their vote at a polling station in the city of Idlib as they elect the city's first civilian council, two years after it was overrun by rebels and jihadists, on January 17, 2017 Omar haj kadour (AFP)

But "after efforts from the city's residents, the Army of Conquest was persuaded to hand over the city's affairs to its residents, who would vote for a local council to manage it", Khodr said.

An AFP correspondent saw hundreds of people crowd around voting stations across the city on Tuesday to check they were registered before casting their ballots.

Voters, who had to be at least 25 years old and originally from Idlib, could choose from among 85 candidates who were running for the 25-member council.

Polling stations opened at 8:00am local time (0600 GMT) for 12 hours.

"I came here to vote in these free elections, which make us hold our heads up high," voter Mustafa al-Mohammad told AFP.

According to Khodr, the council's 25 members will later elect a 10-member executive committee led by the equivalent of a mayor.

They will be responsible for "overseeing services and development projects... as well as aid and support to refugees and displaced people from other cities," Khodr said.

"We wanted to take part in this huge joy, in the unbridled desire by Idlib's residents to create a local council that represents them as civilians and manages the institutions," said candidate Hussam al-Din Dbis, who works as a surgeon.

Since Syria's conflict broke out, the population of Idlib city has swelled to an estimated 200,000 people.

Tens of thousands of people, including rebels, have been displaced to the city and broader province -- including as part of local reconciliation deals that opposition fighters strike with the government.

Under such deals, rebels agree to leave an opposition-held area in exchange for an end to regime siege or bombardment.

There are around 160 civilian-run councils across Idlib province, according to Mohammad al-Aref, a member of Idlib province's executive office.

These bodies manage "health and educational affairs, as well as public services" of towns and villages.

More than 310,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict broke out in March 2011 with protests against President Bashar al-Assad.
US announces $7.2 billion settlement with Deutsche Bank

US officials on Tuesday formally announced a $7.2 billion settlement with the German lender Deutsche Bank, adding to a flurry of last-minute corporate resolutions by the outgoing administration of President Barak Obama.

The announcement by the US Department of Justice came almost a month after the terms of the settlement had been unveiled by the bank itself. In a statement, the department said the resolution was the largest settlement so far over the conduct of any single entity contributing to the 2008 financial meltdown.

"Deutsche Bank did not merely mislead investors: It contributed directly to an international financial crisis," US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement.

"Deutsche Bank did not merely mislead investors: It contributed directly to an international financial crisis," US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement TOBIAS SCHWARZ (AFP/File)

The widespread failure of complex securities that re-bundled poor quality mortgages caused successive crises and bankruptcies in the financial sector in 2008, leading to the Great Recession.

In a civil case, US prosecutors said the bank had contributed to the 2008 financial meltdown by misleading investors as it repackaged and sold residential mortgage-backed securities between 2006 and 2007.

The bank will pay a $3.1 billion civil penalty and contribute $4.1 billion to support relief for borrowers and homeowners. The bank admits to deceiving investors about the loans underlying the securities it sold, including by falsely claiming that the loans had been reviewed.

Bank employees accepted blocked out pay stubs which concealed borrower incomes and thus hid their true ability to pay; failed to inform investors that a significant share of borrowers had liens on the properties; and cleared loans that the bank's diligence team had attempted to block or that were based on fraudulent property appraisals.

"Deutsche Bank enriched itself by paying reduced prices for risky loans while representing to investors valuation metrics based on appraisals the bank knew to be inflated," the Justice Department statement said.

Other enforcement actions against major companies announced since December 23, include a $5.3 billion settlement with Credit Suisse and an $864 million settlement with the ratings agency Moody's, both over the mortgage crisis, as well as a $1 billion action against the Japanese maker of defective airbags Takata.
Timeline of The Gambia's electoral crisis

Here is a timeline of developments since the December election in which President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia lost to opponent Adama Barrow:

- Jammeh concedes defeat -

- December 1, 2016: Gambians go to the polls to choose their new president from three candidates, including incumbent Jammeh, who has ruled with an iron fist for 22 years, and Barrow, representing a large opposition coalition.

Gambia has been plunged into political turmoil since President Yahya Jammeh disputed opposition leader Adama Barrow's December poll victory, refusing to cede power until a judge rules on his legal challenge MARCO LONGARI (AFP/File)

A day later the electoral commission announces that Barrow has won, to scenes of jubilation on the streets.

Jammeh concedes defeat, congratulating Barrow for his "clear victory", adding: "I wish him all the best and I wish all Gambians the best."

- December 3: Barrow holds talks with his team to plot his transition to power, telling reporters: "We are not witch-hunting anybody, nothing is personal."

- Opposition freed -

- December 5: Gambian opposition leader Ousainou Darboe, who was jailed in July for taking part in a protest, is freed on bail with 18 others.

In the following days some 40 other members of the opposition are also freed.

- Jammeh U-turn -

- December 6: The electoral commission says that Barrow has won the election more narrowly than originally thought, and with a lower turnout. He garnered 43.2 percent and Jammeh 39.6 percent of the vote. Third party candidate Mama Kandeh took 17.1 percent.

- On December 9 Jammeh announces he has changed his mind, saying: "In the same way that I accepted the results faithfully believing that the Independent Electoral Commission was independent and honest and reliable, I hereby reject the results in totality."

He lodges a complaint with the Supreme Court to overturn the result.

The defiance sparks global concern, with the UN Security Council among those demanding Jammeh hand over power.

- Jammeh urged to go -

- December 13: Heads of state from West African regional bloc ECOWAS are sent to Gambia, but do not manage to persuade Jammeh to acknowledge his defeat. A new mission takes place a month later.

- On December 31 Jammeh accuses ECOWAS of declaring "war".

- Supreme Court stalls -

- January 4, 2017: The army chief reaffirms his loyalty to Jammeh.

- January 9: Jammeh fires 12 ambassadors after they called for him to step aside. Several ministers have since been fired or resigned.

- January 10: The Gambia's chief Supreme Court justice says Jammeh's legal challenge against the result will not be heard for several months.

- January 13: The African Union (AU) urges Jammeh to respect the results and quit power peacefully, warning of "serious consequences". It says it will not recognise him "as of 19 January 2017".

Thousands of Gambians fearing unrest cross the border into neighbouring Senegal and further afield to Guinea-Bissau, according to the United Nations refugee agency and Guinea-Bissau officials.

- Barrow in Senegal -

- January 15: Senegalese President Macky Sall announces that he has agreed to "welcome Gambian president-elect Adama Barrow in Dakar until his inauguration," on January 19.

- January 16: The Gambia's top judge pulls out of hearing a bid by Jammeh to halt the inauguration. Seven foreign journalists are barred from entering the country.

- State of emergency -

- January 17: Jammeh declares a state of emergency, saying foreign powers had created an "unwarranted hostile atmosphere, threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country," forcing him to act.

Gambian president-elect Adama Barrow speaks during an interview in Banjul on December 12, 2016 SEYLLOU (AFP)

President Yahya Jammeh said foreign powers created an "unwarranted hostile atmosphere, threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country," forcing him to take action ISSOUF SANOGO (AFP/File)
'Apprentice' alum sues Trump for defamation

President-elect Donald Trump was hit with a defamation lawsuit on Tuesday by a former contestant on his reality television show "The Apprentice" who had previously accused him of sexual misconduct.

Summer Zervos's lawsuit claims that Trump - set to become the 45th US president on Friday - lied when responding to allegations that he tried to kiss and grope her without her consent.

Trump has "debased and denigrated Zervos with false statements about her," the lawsuit says.

Summer Zervos (R) attends a press conference with her attorney Gloria Allred to announce the filing of a lawsuit against President-elect Donald Trump, in Los Angeles, California, on January 17, 2017 VALERIE MACON (AFP)

Trump, who faced a series of sexual misconduct accusations during the campaign, has denied any wrongdoing and vowed to sue the women behind the claims.

"All of these liars will be sued after the election is over," Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania in October. He has yet to file suit.

Zervos's attorney Gloria Allred said her client, who had previously said she would not take any legal action against the president-elect if he didn't sue, had a change of heart as Trump has shown no remorse for his alleged behavior and had "lied" further to cover it up.

"It was Donald Trump who was lying when he falsely denied his predatory misconduct with Summer Zervos, and derided her for perpetrating a 'hoax' and making up a 'phony' story to get attention," according to the suit filed in New York.

"In doing so, he used his national and international bully pulpit to make false factual statements to denigrate and verbally attack Ms Zervos and the other women who publicly reported his sexual assaults in October 2016."

Zervos is asking that Trump retract or apologize for the statements he made against her. She is also asking for compensatory and punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial.

In a statement read to reporters in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Zervos said she would be willing to drop her suit if Trump "will simply retract his false and defamatory statements about me and acknowledge that I told the truth about him."

Zervos last year revealed that Trump had made unwanted sexual advances toward her when she met him at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles in 2007 to discuss career opportunities.

Trump moved toward her aggressively during the encounter and touched her on the breast but she rebuffed him, she alleged.

Zervos and several other women who made similar allegations came forward after a 2005 videotape of Trump bragging about groping women surfaced during in early October.
Bail denied for Florida airport shooter

A US judge on Tuesday ordered the Iraq war vet accused of shooting five people dead in a Florida airport be held without bail as his court case proceed.

Esteban Santiago, who also wounded six people in his January 6 shooting spree at the Fort Lauderdale airport, told investigators that he had been visiting "the dark web" to communicate with jihadists and members or sympathizers of the Islamic State group, the local Sun Sentinel newspaper reported.

Santiago appeared handcuffed and wearing the red jumpsuit of a maximum security prisoner to answer questions Tuesday in the court of US judge Lurana Snow.

People seek cover on the tarmac of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport after a shooting took place near the baggage claim on January 6, 2017 JOE RAEDLE (Getty/AFP/File)

The day of the incident the accused gunman had arrived in Fort Lauderdale -- a city some 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Miami -- on a one-way ticket from Alaska.

Soon after landing around noon that day Santiago retrieved a 9mm handgun and ammunition that he had declared and packed in his checked luggage, then opened fire in Terminal 2 of the busy airport until he ran out of ammunition.

Then he dropped to the ground and peacefully surrendered to a sheriff's deputy.

Prosecutor Ricardo Del Toro told the judge that at various points Santiago "said he carried out the attack because of government mind control," the Sun-Sentinel reported.

However "he later said he did so because of ISIL ... after participating in jihadi chat rooms."

On November 7, the same month in which Santiago left his job with an Alaska security firm, Santiago walked into the FBI's Anchorage office complaining that his mind was being controlled by national intelligence agencies, which were forcing him to watch IS group videos, authorities said.

This "erratic behavior" led agents to contact local police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, FBI agent George Piro told reporters last week.

Santiago will be formally charged with crimes - the most serious of which carries the death penalty - on January 30.

Santiago was born in New Jersey and grew up in Puerto Rico. A former member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard, he served in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011 and ended his service in August.

Currently Santiago is being held in solitary confinement under suicide watch at the main Broward County jail.
Mobile chipmaker Qualcomm hit with US antitrust suit

Mobile chip giant Qualcomm was hit Tuesday with a US antitrust suit alleging it abused its dominant position in the market for processors used in cell phones and other devices.

The US Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit in federal court in California claiming Qualcomm's practices amount to "unlawful maintenance of a monopoly in baseband processors," which are devices that enable cellular communications in phones and other products.

Qualcomm rejected the agency's case as "significantly flawed," arguing that reasoning at the heart of the civil complaint is wrong.

Qualcomm, which is the dominant provider of chips for smartphones, has faced similar antitrust investigations in the European Union and China, and last month was hit with a record fine of $850 million by South Korean enforcement regulators Ethan Miller (Getty/AFP/File)

"In our recent discussions with the FTC, it became apparent that it still lacked basic information about the industry and was instead relying on inaccurate information and presumptions," Qualcomm general counsel Don Rosenberg said in a released statement.

Qualcomm, which is the dominant provider of chips for smartphones, has faced similar antitrust investigations in the European Union and China, and last month was hit with a record fine of $850 million by South Korean enforcement regulators.

In the US lawsuit, the FTC said Qualcomm's policy is to supply its processors only on the condition that cell phone manufacturers agree to Qualcomm's "preferred license terms" for patents which are essential for mobile communications.

"By using its monopoly power to obtain elevated royalties that apply to baseband processors supplied by its competitors, Qualcomm in effect collects a 'tax' on cell phone manufacturers when they use non-Qualcomm processors," the lawsuit said.

"This tax weakens Qualcomm's competitors, including by reducing demand for their processors, and serves to maintain Qualcomm's monopoly in baseband processor markets."

Qualcomm's actions have hurt competitors including Taiwan-based Via Technologies, which was acquired by Intel in 2015, and another Taiwan firm, MediaTek Inc.

The suit also alleges that Qualcomm "extracted exclusivity from Apple in exchange for reduced patent royalties," which prevented the iPhone maker from getting processors from Qualcomm's competitors from 2011 to 2016.

Qualcomm general counsel Rosenberg maintained that the FTC sped up the investigation, filing the suit just days before a change in the US presidential administration and with only three of five agency commissioners in place.

"This is an extremely disappointing decision to rush to file a complaint," Rosenberg said.

"It became apparent that the FTC was driving to file a complaint before the transition to the new administration."

The San Diego, California, group in 2015 agreed to pay $975 million to settle antitrust charges in China.
Australia on the defensive offers hope of new MH370 hunt

Australia's transport minister Wednesday defended the suspension of the undersea search for MH370, after relatives of passengers slammed the decision, and added that it could resume if "credible new evidence" emerges.

Australia, Malaysia and China -- where most of the 239 on board the missing Malaysia Airlines jet lived -- on Tuesday pulled the plug on the massive operation in the southern Indian Ocean almost three years since the plane vanished on March 8, 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Transport Minister Darren Chester said the investigation's high cost -- about Aus$200 million (US$150 million) -- was not a factor in the decision. It came after the search of the remote 120,000 square-kilometre zone (46,000 square miles) was completed without success.

Australia, Malaysia and China pulled the plug on the massive operation in the southern Indian Ocean almost three years since MH370 vanished on March 8, 2014 MANAN VATSYAYANA (AFP/File)

"I don't rule out a future underwater search by any stretch," Chester told reporters in Melbourne, stressing that the hunt was "not a closed book".

But he added, "No-one is coming to me as minister and saying 'We know where MH370 is'.

"We don't want to provide false hope to the families and friends. We need to have credible new evidence leading to a specific location before we would be reasonably considering future search efforts."

Chester said a future hunt would be primarily a matter for the Malaysian government.

"But given the close relationship we have had with Malaysia during this project, I would suspect further conversations would occur between Australia, Malaysia and China at the time."

Chester defended the choice of the search zone, which was questioned after analysis by Australian and international experts released in December concluded MH370 was not in that area and might be further north.

"We need to understand the very limited amount of actual data our experts were dealing with... it has been the edge of science and technological endeavour in terms of pursuing this search effort," he said.

"In future, whether through better analysis of data, if new technology becomes available or through improved equipment or something of that nature, we may have a breakthrough."

- Call to extend hunt -

The minister said analysis of satellite imagery and the drifting of plane debris in the ocean would continue into February while Australia remained open to help Malaysia, including the examination of other aircraft fragments that may be found.

Investigators have so far confirmed that three bits of debris washed up and recovered on western Indian Ocean shorelines came from MH370.

Other items recovered mostly on western Indian Ocean shorelines have been identified as likely, though not definitely, from MH370.

Relatives of passengers on Tuesday criticised the governments' decision, with some saying they were not convinced their missing loved ones were dead.

They called on investigators to extend the hunt into the more more northern 25,000 square kilometre area identified by experts as having the highest probability of containing wreckage.

Family members also remain deeply suspicious of Malaysia's handling of the disappearance -- which has become one of aviation's great mysteries -- saying the government and airline have routinely stonewalled requests for more information, a charge they deny.

Many next-of-kin have been unhappy about the lack of a coordinated search in the western Indian Ocean and along the African coast, with some of them travelling to Madagascar late last year to comb beaches in search for clues about the lost plane.

MH370 underwater search suspended Adrian LEUNG, Gal ROMA, John SAEKI (AFP)
Trump's America: Switching sides in struggling Pa. county

PLYMOUTH, Pa. (AP)  Towns along the Susquehanna River are filled with people whose grandparents worked in coal mines, garment factories and small manufacturing companies. But those jobs are long gone in Luzerne County, and Wilkes-Barre, the county seat, has seen its population drop by more than half. Dozens of public officials have fallen to scandal.

All of which helps explain how Ed Harry  who, at 70, has spent most of his working life as a union president and a Democratic party activist, running phone banks for candidates and even serving as a delegate for Bill Clinton in 1992  became an unlikely apostle for Donald Trump.

When the billionaire businessman and reality TV star entered the presidential race, "I laughed, like everyone else," Harry says. Then he took note of Trump's opposition. "The Rs said they hated him, the Ds wanted no part of him, the lobbyists didn't like him. China came out against him, India came out against him, Mexico came out against him.

A pedestrian walks along Gay Street in West Chester, Pa., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Chester is the richest county in Pennsylvania; it is majority Republican, but Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won here easily in 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

"And I said, 'I think I might have a candidate.'"

Harry, who had grown disillusioned with what he saw as Washington's broken and corrupt politics, switched parties, publicly endorsed Trump and resigned his labor post. He expects the new president to renegotiate trade deals and reduce corporate taxes, which he believes will help lure back manufacturing jobs. And he is not alone.

In Luzerne County, Trump crushed Hillary Clinton by 20 points  in no small part because lifelong Democrats like Harry believed she was the candidate of Wall Street, ignoring the working class while taking its vote for granted. As Trump enters office, these largely older, white, blue-collar voters want him to keep his promise on manufacturing jobs, rebuild deteriorating roads and bridges, crack down on illegal immigration and "drain the swamp."

"There's no hope the way things were," Harry explains. "It had to be something different."

And listen to Tom Pikas, who is also counting on Trump to bring change. The 61-year-old Wilkes-Barre native remembers a time when you could easily get a decent-paying job right out of high school. He worked in a shoe factory, then for an electrical contractor, and downtown Wilkes-Barre pulsed with life. "This used to be a nice town," Pikas says.

More recently, Pikas has toiled in a series of temp jobs, the last one paying $8 an hour. Now looking for work, he found himself at the unemployment office this month, enrolling in a jobs program for seniors. The waiting area was packed.

He has faith that Trump will find a way to turn things around, but also counsels patience. "Some people expect he's gonna do miracles the first month," Pikas says. "No. No. You gotta at least give the guy a year."

At a bar up the street, William Chase, 55, a construction foreman recovering from surgeries to his back and both knees, says most of the people in his circle are as hopeful about the future as he is.

"I want to be proud of my area again," he says.

But just 90 minutes or so down the road, one hears a very different set of voices.

In the wealthy Philadelphia suburbs, where million-dollar homes are advertised for sale and luxury cars fill the parking lot of an organic grocery, the pocketbook issues raised in Luzerne County take a back seat for many.

As Inauguration Day draws near, many people in Chester County  Pennsylvania's richest, where Clinton won by roughly 9 points despite a Republican majority  remain unsettled by Trump's volatility, demeanor and offensive comments about women, immigrants and others.

"He kind of frightens me," says business owner Keely Comstock Shaw, 34, who voted a straight Republican ticket, except for the top office.

"I see him as really breaking all the rules, throwing them all aside, and that's what is scary to me," adds Kate Young, a 43-year-old Democrat and stay-at-home mom who lives in West Chester, a bustling college town.

The 2016 election compelled Young to become politically active for the first time. Upset that her candidate won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College vote, she joined an organization that's fighting to end gerrymandered legislative districts.

Young predicts Trump will ignore global warming, roll back environmental protections and create a hostile environment for women and minorities. She also doubts he will be able to produce the manufacturing jobs that voters in places like Luzerne County say they want, citing the rise of automation.

"If that's what people were hoping to get," she says, "I just think the world economy is moving in a different direction."

___

Associated Press news researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this story. Follow Rubinkam on Twitter at https://twitter.com/michaelrubinkam

People walk their bicycles through a residential neighborhood in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017. Luzerne County voters have long backed Democrats for president, including President Barack Obama. In 2016, it flipped big for Republican Donald Trump, supplying roughly a third of his margin of victory for the entire state. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Ed Harry, a retired union leader and lifelong Democrat who switched to the GOP to vote for Donald Trump, eats breakfast in Plymouth, Pa., Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017. When the billionaire businessman and reality TV star entered the presidential race, I laughed, like everyone else, he says. Then he took note of Trumps opposition. The Rs said they hated him, the Ds wanted no part of him, the lobbyists didnt like him. China came out against him, India came out against him, Mexico came out against him. And I said, I think I might have a candidate. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Ed Harry, a retired union leader and lifelong Democrat who voted for Donald Trump, poses for a photo in Plymouth, Pa., Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017. Harry, who had grown disillusioned with what he saw as Washingtons broken and corrupt politics, switched parties, publicly endorsed Trump and resigned his labor post. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Rubble lies in front of a derelict industrial building in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017. Tom Pikas, a 61-year-old Wilkes-Barre native, is counting on Trump to bring change. He remembers a time when you could easily get a decent-paying job right out of high school. He worked in a shoe factory, then for an electrical contractor, and downtown Wilkes-Barre pulsed with life. This used to be a nice town, Pikas said. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

This Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017 photo shows houses in a residential neighborhood in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. In Luzerne County, Donald Trump crushed Hillary Clinton by 20 points _ in no small part because lifelong Democrats believed she was the candidate of Wall Street, ignoring the working class while taking its vote for granted. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Pedestrians walk along Gay Street in West Chester, Pa., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Chester, the richest county in Pennsylvania, gave Hillary Clinton a 10-point victory in the November 2016 election even though Republicans are the majority in the area. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Pedestrians walk along Gay Street in West Chester, Pa., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Chester is the richest county in Pennsylvania; it is majority Republican but Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won here easily. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Keely Comstock Shaw, a Republican who voted for Hillary Clinton, poses for a photo in Malvern, Pa., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017, in Chester, the richest county in Pennsylvania. He kind of frightens me, said the business owner who voted a straight Republican ticket, except for the top office. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

John Buckley, a Republican who relies on disability benefits and voted for Donald Trump, moves scrap metal at his home in Malvern, Pa., 25 miles west of Philadelphia, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Chester is the richest county in Pennsylvania; it's majority Republican but Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won there easily. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Kate Young, a Democrat who voted for Hillary Clinton, cuts fabric in her sewing studio in West Chester, Pa., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Speaking about Donald Trump, she says, I see him as really breaking all the rules, throwing them all aside, and thats what is scary to me. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Trump's America: Families differ as Reagan country changes

WESTMINSTER, Calif. (AP)  The week after Donald Trump was elected president, Dr. Mai-Phuong Nguyen and two dozen other Vietnamese-Americans active in liberal causes gathered in a circle of folding chairs, consoling one another about an America almost beyond comprehension.

Now, days before Trump takes the oath of office, Nguyen sits in a restaurant booth in Orange County's neon-lit Little Saigon and studies perhaps the most confounding face of the divide exposed by the election  her father's.

"All I know is, if a man makes $100 million he is really something," Son Van Nguyen, 76, says of Trump.

Catherine Johnson, left, and her mother, Bridget, walk in the sand along the shore of Huntington Beach, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. "I'm excited because for the past eight years... we haven't had anything done because of the gridlock in Washington," says Catherine, 17, who served as Orange County chair of Students for Trump. "A lot of people will get on board once they see that we're doing, instead of like crazy things, we're doing productive things that helps the country as a whole rather than helping one group." Her mother, who is active in local Republican politics, agrees. "Trump is a very hard worker and he's really going to get some work done rather than being the typical politician that just kicks the can down the road." (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Here in a county transformed by waves of newcomers, the elder Nguyen  a government translator airlifted from South Vietnam with his family in 1975 as Communist forces pressed in on the capital  built a new life as a record-setting life insurance salesman, watching people strive and struggle.

"And I know a lot of people out there sit there and wait for welfare," he says, explaining his hopes that Trump will rein in such spending and create jobs.

"But he is trying to prevent other people from coming in and enjoying some of the same things you came here for, Dad," says his daughter, a 47-year-old physician who pushed for health care reform and fears Trump will take away the medical coverage it extended to millions of Americans. "If he does wrong, are you going to support him?"

Their disagreement is a reminder that for Orange County, just as for the rest of the country, there has never been a moment quite like this one.

When Hillary Clinton won this county of 3.2 million in November, it marked the first time the OC had backed a Democrat for president since Franklin Roosevelt. Best known for Disneyland, and long a hothouse of conservatism in a blue state, it was the largest county in the country to flip.

The shift was expected eventually. Orange County's citrus groves turned to tract housing decades back to welcome a mostly white influx from Los Angeles and Midwestern states. Today, though, Santa Ana's quinceanera shops reflect a county that is a third Latino. One in five Orange Countians is Asian.

The hopes and anxieties stirred by Trump's inauguration spotlight even more complicated tensions.

Most Vietnamese traditionally voted for Republicans, viewed as opponents of communism. But many of their adult children, also refugees, see Trump as rejecting American ideals and people like them.

Local Republicans, who once embraced the John Birch Society and recently erected a statue of Ronald Reagan in the park where he launched two White House bids, long espoused a muscular conservatism. Most voted for Trump, but not without soul-searching.

At Jimmy Camp's house, a "No Trump" sign made by Camp's son still hangs in the window. Heading out to feed his family's goat and potbellied pig, Camp recalls his start in Republican politics three decades ago  knocking on doors for candidates to earn cash.

Camp played guitar in a rock band then and embraced platforms calling for government to stay out of people's lives. He'd always loved the outdoors in a county that stretches from the ocean to the Santa Ana Mountains. After meeting county native Richard Nixon, he read up on the disgraced president's often forgotten chartering of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Camp became one of the state's busiest Republican political consultants. Then, last summer he emailed fellow Republicans, renouncing his party membership because of his disgust with Trump.

"If you go through and look at everything Jesus said in the Bible, this guy is opposite of it," says Camp, 52, a pastor's son.

Camp, who has friends from Iran and Egypt, cringes at a president who would castigate Muslims as supposedly tied to terrorists, though he doubts Trump will fulfill his most extreme rhetoric.

"I hope he doesn't drive us off a cliff," Camp says. "I hope that we survive the next four years. I think we will."

Others voice confidence in Trump.

Gloria Pruyne says her family had reservations about Trump's morality early on. But the conservative activist ended up knocking on more than 500 doors to get out the vote. Now Pruyne, 78, says she wants Trump to install a conservative Supreme Court justice, revoke an Affordable Care Act she blames for a $500 increase in her family's monthly insurance bill, and back Israel.

"We're looking forward to a radical change with this president," she says.

With the inauguration approaching, Ron Brindle has no plans to remove the 5-foot-square portrait of Trump from his oil well fronting a main road in Huntington Beach. Brindle bought this land for his tree nursery business more than 40 years ago. Today, it is surrounded by tract homes, many owned by Asian families.

"Now I don't have anything against any of them, but what happened to the country?" Brindle says.

The first thing Trump should do, he says, is close the border so Americans no longer have to foot the bill to care for foreigners. But Brindle also hopes that Trump will reach out to skeptics.

Steven Mai is ready to listen. Mai, a 42-year-old registered Republican, rejected Trump for criticizing the Muslim parents of a slain American soldier.

But Trump will be his president, Mai says.

Still, if Trump really wants to lead, he should come to places like Orange County, says Mai's wife, Tammy Tran. He could work in a sandwich shop for a few hours, or see what it's like to care for an elderly person. Maybe then, the couple say, Trump will understand his responsibility to the many Americas.

"I just hope he's going to be the president that my parents were thinking," Mai says. "If he can be a good president, then we all benefit."

___

Follow Geller on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AdGeller

Dr. Mai-Phuong Nguyen, right, and her father, Son Van Nguyen, 76, pose for a photo in the Little Saigon area of Westminster, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. The elder Nguyen _ a government translator airlifted from South Vietnam with his family in 1975 as Communist forces bombarded the capital _ built a new life as a record-setting life insurance salesman. "... I know a lot of people out there sit there and wait for welfare," he says, explaining his hopes that Donald Trump will rein in such spending and create jobs. The younger Nguyen counters, "But he is trying to prevent other people from coming in and enjoying some of the same things you came here for, Dad." (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Dr. Mai-Phuong Nguyen, right, and her father, Son Van Nguyen, 76, pose for a photo at the radio station he owns in the Little Saigon area of Westminster, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. "All I know is, if a man makes $100 million he is really something," the elder Nguyen says of Donald Trump. But the week after the election, Dr. Nguyen and two dozen other Vietnamese-Americans active in liberal causes gathered to console one another about an America almost beyond comprehension. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Dr. Mai-Phuong Nguyen speaks during an interview in her office in Westminster, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017. The 47-year-old physician pushed for health care reform and fears Donald Trump will take away the medical coverage it extended to millions of Americans. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Jimmy Camp poses for a photo in an unincorporated area in Orange County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. Camp was one of the states busiest Republican political consultants. Then, in the summer of 2016, he emailed fellow Republicans, renouncing his party membership because of his disgust with Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Jimmy Camp feeds his goat and pig outside his home in an unincorporated area in Orange County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. Camp who started in Republican politics three decades ago, renounced his party membership in 2016 because of his disgust with Donald Trump. If you go through and look at everything Jesus said in the Bible, this guy is opposite of it, said Camp, 52, a pastors son. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Jimmy Camp poses for a photo in an unincorporated area in Orange County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. Camp, who has friends from Iran and Egypt, cringes at a president who would castigate Muslims as supposedly tied to terrorists, though he doubts Donald Trump will fulfill his most extreme rhetoric. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Steven Mai poses for a photo in the little Saigon area of Westminster, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017. Mai, a 42-year-old registered Republican, rejected Trump for criticizing the Muslim parents of a slain American soldier. But Trump will be his president, he said. I just hope hes going to be the president that my parents were thinking, Mai said. If he can be a good president, then we all benefit. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Steven Mai holds a bumper striker he made a few years earlier in Norwalk, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017. Mai, a 42-year-old registered Republican, rejected Donald Trump for criticizing the Muslim parents of a slain American soldier. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Ron Brindle poses for a photo in front of a portrait of Donald Trump hanging on his oil derrick in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. Brindle bought this land for his tree nursery business more than 40 years ago. Today, it is surrounded by tract homes, many owned by Asian families. Now I dont have anything against any of them, but what happened to the country? Brindle says. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Ron Brindle points to a Navy pin near a pair of flag pins on his suspenders in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. The first thing Trump should do, he says, is close the border so Americans no longer have to foot the bill to care for foreigners. But Brindle also hopes that Trump will reach out to skeptics. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

A large flag flies over Ron Brindle's business in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. Brindle bought this land for his tree nursery business more than 40 years ago. Today, it is surrounded by tract homes, many owned by Asian families. Now I dont have anything against any of them, but what happened to the country? Brindle says. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Miami-Dade police: 8 people wounded in shooting at MLK park

MIAMI (AP)  Miami-Dade police say eight people  five of them juveniles  have been wounded in a shooting at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park.

Police Department spokesman Detective Daniel Ferrin says in a news release that two suspects are being questioned about the Monday afternoon shooting. He says two firearms were recovered and the active investigation is continuing.

The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/2ji9upu) reports that hundreds of people had gathered in the park after the annual MLK Day parade in the Liberty City neighborhood in northwest Miami-Dade.
Vietnam premier urges more investment from Japan

HANOI, Vietnam (AP)  Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Tuesday urged Japan to invest more in the Southeast Asian country to become its top foreign investor.

Speaking at a conference of business leaders from both countries also attended by visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Phuc said Vietnam would like to see Japan invest more in infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing and services.

"At this meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, we wish that Japan would be the largest (foreign) investor to Vietnam, not other countries," Phuc said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc, second left, accompanied by their wives, Akie Abe, second right, and Tran Nguyet Thu, right, review an honor guard at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. Abe is on a two-day official visit to Vietnam. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang, Pool)

South Korea is Vietnam's largest foreign investor with total investments of $50 billion, followed by Japan with $42 billion.

Phuc said the Vietnamese people and businesses have high levels of trust for Japanese businesses, adding that Abe, on his third visit to Vietnam as prime minister, is a close friend of Vietnamese people.

Abe told the conference that after talks with Phuc on Monday, the countries had agreed to expand trade and investment, and improve the investment environment.

"Currently, ASEAN is the center for growth in the world and Vietnam is part of that center," Abe said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

He said more than 1,600 Japanese companies are operating in Vietnam, urged Phuc and the Vietnamese government to continue to support them.

Abe, accompanied by executives from 76 Japanese companies, was wrapping up a four-nation tour to push Japan's trade and security engagements in the region amid rising China's dominance in Asia.

He previously visited the Philippines, Australia and Indonesia.

On Monday, Abe pledged to provide Vietnam with new patrol vessels to improve its maritime law-enforcement capabilities. Japan has already provided Vietnam with six used patrol boats.

Vietnam and Japan both have separate maritime disputes with China  with Vietnam in the South China Sea and Japan in the East China Sea.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo attends a joint press briefing with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc following their meeting at Phuc's Cabinet Office in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. Abe, who is on a two-day official visit to Vietnam, said Monday Japan will provide Vietnam new patrol vessels on the last stop of his four-nation tour to boost his country's trade and security engagements in Asia amid China's rising dominance. (Kham/Pool Photo via AP)
Journalists group backs media insurance covering war zones

BRUSSELS (AP)  The International Federation of Journalists is helping set up a new insurance scheme that also seeks to cover media workers in war zones where insurance can be hard to come by or very expensive.

The IFJ, which represents 600,000 members in 140 countries, announced its backing Tuesday for the scheme by a company called Insurance for Journalists and said it would fill an important void for reporters who are sometimes held back from traveling to war zones because of the financial risks.

Each policy covers accidental death and disablement plus emergency accident and sickness evacuation and repatriation from anywhere in the world to the policy holders' country of residence, the IFJ says in a statement.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger says that careful planning remains important for safe newsgathering, but adds that "no media worker should be excluded from access to a decent and global insurance covering all risks."

In its 25th report on deaths among journalists and media staff, the IFJ said that at least 2,297 media professionals were killed in the 25 years to 2015. A further 93 media workers were killed in 2016 and 29 more died in two plane crashes.
German supreme court rejects bid to outlaw far-right party

BERLIN (AP)  Germany's supreme court on Tuesday rejected a bid to outlaw a fringe far-right party accused of pursuing a racist and anti-Semitic agenda.

Andreas Vosskuhle, chief justice of the Federal Constitutional Court, said that while the party's goals run counter to the German constitution, "there are currently no concrete indications ... that its actions will lead to success."

The German parliament's upper house had applied for the ban at the end of 2013.

The judges of the German Constitutional Court, from left, Peter Mueller, presiding judge Andreas Vosskuhle, Peter M. Huber, Sibylle Kessal-Wulf and Ulrich Maidowski, from left, arrive before they rejected bid of banning the far-right NPD party in Karlsruhe, southern Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (Uli Deck/pool photo via AP)

Justice Minister Heiko Maas said the government respected the verdict, but warned against complacency.

"No ban alone would get rid of xenophobia and racism," he said in a statement. "Society's struggle against far-right extremism isn't something others can do for us."

It was the second attempt to ban the National Democratic Party, better known by its German acronym NPD. In 2003, the court rejected a previous application because paid government informants within the group were partially responsible for evidence against it.

Vosskuhle, in explaining the verdict, cited the party's political irrelevance, pointing out that it has only a single seat in the European Parliament and that the NPD's election results have in recent years been "on a low level."

Vosskuhle said that a party's questionable ideology alone wasn't reason enough for a ban. A party would need to be actively working to abolish Germany's free and democratic order, he said, adding: "There's no evidence for this here."

The rise of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, which has assailed Chancellor Angela Merkel for allowing large numbers of migrants into the country and appeals to a much broader range of protest voters, has eroded the NPD's support in recent years.

The party isn't represented in the Bundestag after winning just 1.3 percent of the vote in the last national election in 2013. Parties need to pass a 5-percent threshold to win seats in the federal parliament. It is still represented at the local level, though, and receives money just like other parties based on its electoral performance.

Malu Dreyer, the governor of Rhineland-Palatinate state and a member of the upper house, said officials would now focus on finding ways to prevent the NPD from receiving taxpayer funds in the future.

The NPD could not immediately be reached for comment, but celebrated the verdict on Facebook saying it was "now fully back in business."

Only two parties have been outlawed in West Germany and reunited Germany  the neo-Nazi Socialist Reich Party in 1952 and the German Communist Party in 1956.

The head of the World Jewish Congress voiced disappointment at the verdict and warned that the party shouldn't be underestimated.

"We must never forget how little time it took Hitler and his party to destroy German democracy, to murder 6 million Jews and to plunge the entire European continent into mayhem," Ronald S. Lauder said in a statement. "The situation today may be different, but there is absolutely no reason to be complacent. Germany must continue to combat the neo-Nazi movement vigorously."

___

Geir Moulson and Frank Jordans contributed to this report.

FILE - In this May 1, 2016 file picture a man with a flag with National Democratic Party, NPD, logo attends a rally of the NPD in Schwerin, Germany. Germanys Constitutional Court will announce its verdict Tuesday Jan. 17, 2017 on a bid to outlaw the far-right party that stands accused of promoting a racist and anti-Semitic agenda. It would be the first ban of its kind since 1956. Its the second attempt to ban the National Democratic Party, better known by its German acronym NPD. The German parliament's upper house, which represents the country's 16 state governments, applied at the end of 2013 for a ban. (Jens Buettner/dpa via AP,file)

FILE - The March 28, 2010 file photos shows a right wing protestor during a demonstration of the extreme right National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) in Duisburg, Germany. Germanys Constitutional Court will announce its verdict Tuesday Jan. 17, 2017 on a bid to outlaw the far-right party that stands accused of promoting a racist and anti-Semitic agenda. It would be the first ban of its kind since 1956. Its the second attempt to ban the National Democratic Party, better known by its German acronym NPD. The German parliament's upper house, which represents the country's 16 state governments, applied at the end of 2013 for a ban. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein,file)

FILE - In this June 17 2012 file picture a supporter of the National Democratic Party, NPD attends a rally in Berlin. Germanys Constitutional Court will announce its verdict Tuesday Jan. 17, 2017 on a bid to outlaw the far-right party that stands accused of promoting a racist and anti-Semitic agenda. It would be the first ban of its kind since 1956. Its the second attempt to ban the National Democratic Party, better known by its German acronym NPD. The German parliament's upper house, which represents the country's 16 state governments, applied at the end of 2013 for a ban. (Matthias Balk/dpa via AP,file)

FILE - In this March 3, 2016 file picture, President Andreas Vosskuhle of the Second Senate of the Federal Constitutional Court arrives to the continuation of oral proceedings over a ban of the right-wing extremist National Democratic Party, NPD), in the courtroom of the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, Germany. Germanys Constitutional Court will announce its verdict Tuesday Jan. 17, 2017 on a bid to outlaw the far-right party that stands accused of promoting a racist and anti-Semitic agenda. It would be the first ban of its kind since 1956. Its the second attempt to ban the National Democratic Party, better known by its German acronym NPD. The German parliament's upper house, which represents the country's 16 state governments, applied at the end of 2013 for a ban. Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP,file)

Lawyer Peter Richter, left, and NPD party chairman Frank Franz wait for the verdict on the ban of the far-right NPD party at the German constitutional court in Karlsruhe, southern Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (Uli Deck/pool photo via AP)

Lawyer Peter Richter, left, and NPD party chairman Frank Franz wait for the verdict on the ban of the far-right NPD party at the German constitutional court in Karlsruhe, southern Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (Uli Deck/pool photo via AP)

NPD party leader Frank Franz, right, and the party's lawyer Peter Richter arrive for the annouccement of the verdict on the ban of the far-right NPD party at the German constitutional court in Karlsruhe, Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (Uli Deck/dpa via AP)

NPD party leader Frank Franz goes through the security check before the verdict on the ban of the far-right NPD party at the German constitutional court in Karlsruhe, Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)

NPD's member of the European Parliament Udo Voigt, right, raises his arms as he goes through the security check before the verdict on the ban of the far-right NPD party at the German constitutional court in Karlsruhe, Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (Uli Deck/dpa via AP)

NPD party leader Frank Franz, right, arrives for the announcement of the verdict on the ban of the far-right NPD party at the German constitutional court in Karlsruhe, Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (Uli Deck/dpa via AP)

NPD party leader Frank Franz, right, NPD's member of the European Parliament, Udo Voigt, left, and head of the Berlin NPD Sebastian Schmidtke, center, go through the security check before the verdict to outlaw the far-right party NPD at the German constitutional court in Karlsruhe, southern Germany, Jan. 17, 2017. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)
Zaharie Ahmad Shah (pictured) was the pilot of the doomed flight

DID THE PILOT HIJACK HIS OWN PLANE?

Pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah planned mass murder because of personal problems, locking his co-pilot out of the cockpit, closing down all communications, depressurising the main cabin and then disabling the aircraft so that it continued flying on auto-pilot until it ran out of fuel.

That was the popular theory in the weeks after the plane's disappearance.

His personal problems, rumours in Kuala Lumpur said, included a split with his wife Fizah Khan, and his fury that a relative, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, had been given a five-year jail sentence for sodomy shortly before he boarded the plane for the flight to Beijing.

But the pilot's wife angrily denied any personal problems and other family members and his friends said he was a devoted family man and loved his job.

This theory was also the conclusion of the first independent study into the disaster by the New Zealand-based air accident investigator, Ewan Wilson.

Wilson, the founder of Kiwi Airlines and a commercial pilot himself, arrived at the shocking conclusion after considering 'every conceivable alternative scenario'.

However, he has not been able to provide any conclusive evidence to support his theory.

The claims are made in the book 'Goodnight Malaysian 370', which Wilson co-wrote with the New Zealand broadsheet journalist, Geoff Taylor.

It's also been rumoured that Zaharie used a flight simulator at his home to plot a path to a remote island.

However, officials in Kuala Lumpur declared that Malaysian police and the FBI's technical experts had found nothing to suggest he was planning to hijack the flight after closely examining his flight simulator.

And there are also theories that t he tragic disappearance may have been a heroic act of sacrifice by the pilot.

Australian aviation enthusiast Michael Gilbert believes the doomed plane caught fire mid-flight, forcing the pilot to plot a course away from heavily populated areas.

IF NOT THE PILOT, WAS THE CO-PILOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MYSTERY?

Co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, again for personal problems, was suspected by rumour-spreaders to have overpowered the pilot and disabled the aircraft, flying it to its doom with crew and passengers unable to get through the locked cockpit door.

Theorists have put forward the suggestion that he was having relationship problems and this was his dramatic way of taking his own life.

But he was engaged to be married to Captain Nadira Ramli, 26, a fellow pilot from another airline, and loved his job. There are no known reasons for him to have taken any fatal action.

There have been a series of outlandish theories about the disappearance of the plane

Others have suggested that because he was known to have occasionally invited young women into the cockpit during a flight, he had done so this time and something had gone wrong.

Young Jonti Roos said in March that she spent an entire flight in 2011 in the cockpit being entertained by Hamid, who was smoking.

Interest in the co-pilot was renewed when it was revealed he was the last person to communicate from the cockpit after the communication system was cut off.

DID THE RUSSIANS STEAL MH370 AND FLY THE JET TO KAZAKHSTAN

An expert has claimed the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 was hijacked on the orders of Vladimir Putin and secretly landed in Kazakhstan.

Jeff Wise, a U.S. science writer who spearheaded CNN's coverage of the Boeing 777-200E, has based his outlandish theory on pings that the plane gave off for seven hours after it went missing, that were recorded by British telecommunications company Inmarsat.

Wise believes that hijackers 'spoofed' the plane's navigation data to make it seem like it went in another direction, but flew it to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is leased from Kazakhstan by Russia.

However, Wise admits in New York Magazine that he does not know why Vladimir Putin would want to steal a plane full of people and that his idea is somewhat 'crazy'.

Wise also noted there were three Russian men onboard the flight, two of them Ukrainian passport holders.

Aviation disaster experts analysed satellite data and discovered - like the data recorded by Inmarsat - that the plane flew on for hours after losing contact.

Careful examination of the evidence has revealed that MH370 made three turns after the last radio call, first a turn to the left, then two more, taking the plane west, then south towards Antarctica.

MH370 WAS USED BY TERRORISTS FOR A SUICIDE ATTACK ON THE CHINESE NAVY

This extraordinary claim came from 41-year-old British yachtsman Katherine Tee, from Liverpool, whose initial account of seeing what she thought was a burning plane in the night sky made headlines around the world.

On arrival in Thailand's Phuket after sailing across the Indian Ocean from Cochin, southern India with her husband, she said: 'I could see the outline of the plane - it looked longer than planes usually do.There was what appeared to be black smoke streaming from behind.'

Ms Tee's general description of the time and place was vague and she lost all credibility when she later stated on her blog that she believed MH370 was a kamikaze plane that was aimed at a flotilla of Chinese ships and it was shot down before it could smash into the vessels.

Without solid proof of the satellite data, she wrote on her blog, Saucy Sailoress, the plane she saw was flying at low altitude towards the military convoy she and her husband had seen on recent nights. She added that internet research showed a Chinese flotilla was in the area at the time.

While the debris proved the plane went down in the Indian Ocean, the location of the main underwater wreckage  and its crucial black box data recorders  remains stubbornly elusive.

THE JET LANDED ON THE WATER AND WAS SEEN FLOATING ON THE ANDAMAN SEA

On a flight from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur that crossed over the Andaman Sea on March 8, Malaysian woman Raja Dalelah, 53, saw what she believed was a plane sitting on the water's surface.

She didn't know about the search that had been started for MH370. She alerted a stewardess who told her to go back to sleep.

'I was shocked to see what looked like the tail and wing of an aircraft on the water,' she said.

It was only when she told her friends on landing in Kuala Lumpur what she had seen that she learned of the missing jet. She had seen the object at about 2.30pm Malaysian time.

She said she had been able to identify several ships and islands before noticing the silver object that she said was a plane.

But her story was laughed off by pilots who said it would have been impossible to have seen part of an aircraft in the water from 35,000ft or seven miles.

Ms Raja filed an official report with police the same day and has kept to her story.

'I know what I saw,' she said.

THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC SYSTEMS FAILURE AND CRASH-LANDED ON THE OCEAN

A catastrophic event such as a fire disabling much of the equipment resulted in the pilots turning the plane back towards the Malaysian peninsula in the hope of landing at the nearest airport.

Satellite data, believable or not, suggests the aircraft did make a turn and theorists say there would be no reason for the pilots to change course unless confronted with an emergency.

A fire in a similar Boeing 777 jet parked at Cairo airport in 2011 was found to have been caused by a problem with the first officer's oxygen mask supply tubing.

Stewarts Law, which has litigated in a series of recent air disasters, believes the plane crashed after a fire - similar to the blaze on the Cairo airport runway - broke out in the cockpit.

After an investigation into the Cairo blaze, Egypt's Aircraft Accident Investigation Central Directorate (EAAICD) released their final report which revealed that the fire originated near the first officer's oxygen mask supply tubing.

The cause of the fire could not be conclusively determined, but investigators pinpointed a problem with the cockpit hose used to provide oxygen for the crew in the event of decompression.

Following the 2011 fire, US aircraft owners were instructed to replace the system - it was estimated to cost $2,596 (1,573) per aircraft. It was not known whether Malaysia Airlines had carried out the change.

If either pilot wanted to crash the plane, why turn it around? So the turn-around suggests they were trying to land as soon as possible because of an emergency.

THE US SHOT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT FEARING A TERROR ATTACK ON DIEGO GARCIA

The Boeing 777 was shot down by the Americans who feared the aircraft had been hijacked and was about to be used to attack the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia atoll in the Indian Ocean. So conspiracy theorists claim.

And former French airline director Marc Dugain said he had been warned by British intelligence that he was taking risks by investigating this angle.

There is no way of checking whether Dugain received such a warning or why he believes the Americans shot down the plane.

But adding to the theory that the aircraft was flown to Diego Garcia, either by the pilot Zaharie or a hijacker, was the claim that on the pilot's home flight simulator was a 'practice' flight to the island.

Professor Glees said: 'The Americans would have no interest in doing anything of the kind and not telling the world.

'In theory, they might wish to shoot down a plane they thought was attacking them but they wouldn't just fire missiles, they'd investigate it first with fighters and would quickly realise that even if it had to be shot down, the world would need to know.'
Timeline of the 3-year search for missing Malaysia plane

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  The end of the deep-sea sonar search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 leaves the largest and most technologically challenging search in aviation history unresolved. Some of the key moments in the search:

March 8, 2014: Air traffic control loses contact with the plane 40 minutes into a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing. An air and sea search begins four hours later in the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea.

March 15, 2014: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announces that Flight 370 was tracked by military radar doubling back across the Strait of Malacca and was sending satellite signals seven and a half hours after takeoff. The aircraft then flew either northwest toward central Asia as far as Kazakhstan or southwest over the southern Indian Ocean. Signal analysis quickly ruled out the northern flight path.

FILE - In this March 30, 2014 file photo, Australian navy ship Ocean Shield lies docked at naval base HMAS Stirling while being fitted with a towed pinger locator to aid in her roll in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in Perth, Australia. After nearly three years, the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 ended in futility and frustration on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, as crews completed their deep-sea search of a desolate stretch of the Indian Ocean without finding a single trace of the plane. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File)

April 8, 2014: An Australian ship towing a U.S. Navy listening device hears two signals consistent with Flight 370's flight recorders west of Australia. Submerged a month, the recorders are near the end of their battery lives. "I'm now optimistic that we will find the aircraft, or what is left of the aircraft, in the not-too-distant future," search coordinator Angus Houston says. When the initial sonar search yields nothing, it's expanded to an area of 60,000 square kilometers (23,000 square miles).

April 28, 2014: The air search ends after failing to see a single piece of debris in 4.6 million square kilometers (1.8 million square miles) of ocean.

May 28, 2014: The underwater survey near where the acoustic signals were detected ends, with investigators concluding the area is not the final resting place of Flight 370 and they may never know the signals' origins.

June 26, 2014: Officials announce that Flight 370 most likely crashed southwest of the most recently suspected crash site, about 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) off Australia's west coast. The new 60,000-square kilometer (23,000-square mile) search area falls within the waters already searched by air, to no avail.

Aug. 28, 2014: The search area is refined south after analysis of a failed attempted satellite phone call to Flight 370 suggests the plane turned south earlier than previously thought.

Jan. 29, 2015: Malaysia formally declares Flight 370 an accident and says all 239 people on board are presumed dead, upsetting families but letting them obtain death certificates and start legal claims.

March 8, 2015: Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott doubles the area of the search to 120,000 square kilometers (46,000 square miles). Still, only 40 percent of the original zone has been searched. "It can't go on forever, but as long as there are reasonable leads, the search will go on," Abbott said. "We are reasonably confident of finding the plane."

March 10, 2015: The sonar search discovers the wreck of a 19th century cargo ship nearly 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) below the surface.

July 29, 2015: A wing part known as a flaperon found on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar, is confirmed as the first piece of the Boeing 777 to be recovered. More than 20 pieces certainly or highly likely to be parts of Flight 370 have since been found on coastlines throughout the Indian Ocean.

Dec. 19, 2015: The sonar search discovers a second shipwreck from the 19th century.

July 28, 2016: Australian officials confirm that data recovered from a home flight simulator owned by Flight 370 captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah showed that someone had used the device to plot a course to the southern Indian Ocean, bolstering speculation that he stole the plane in a premeditated plot.
Transcription

1 Voter Attitudes Toward the Renewable Fuel Standard Celinda Lake Jonathan Voss Christine Matthews July 27, 2015 Lake Research Partners Washington, DC Berkeley, CA New York, NY LakeResearch.com

2 Methodology Lake Research Partners and Bellwether Research and Consulting designed and administered this survey which was conducted by phone with professional interviewers using both landline and cell phones from July 6 through July 10, 2015 among the following audiences: 1000 national likely 2016 voters (40% cell phone) 200 likely Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire (30% cell phone) 200 likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire (30% cell phone) 200 likely Democratic primary voters in South Carolina (40% cell phone) 200 likely Republican primary voters in South Carolina (40% cell phone) The margin of error for the national sample +/- 3.1% and for the state primary samples is +/-6.9% at the 95% confidence interval. The margin of error is larger for subgroups. Respondents were selected randomly from a list of registered voters and screened for their likelihood to vote in the 2016 General Election. Primary voters were screened for their likelihood to vote in the primary elections in their respective states. 2

3 Key Findings

4 Key findings Voters across party lines oppose requiring increasing amounts of corn ethanol be blended in gasoline. Overall 45 percent oppose, 31 percent favor, and 24 percent remain undecided. Nationally, 56 percent of self-identified Republicans oppose the corn ethanol mandate, as do 44 percent of independents and 36 percent of Democrats. More Democrats and independents oppose the ethanol mandate than support it. Informing voters about the impacts of increased ethanol usage in gasoline raises serious concerns. All facts generate significant concerns across party lines, particularly around the impacts of diverting corn for ethanol production on food costs, and the damage higher blends of corn ethanol can pose to engines in cars. Majorities of voters support two bi-partisan proposals before Congress, one to limit the amount of corn ethanol used in gasoline at 10% (54 percent favor), and another to repeal the corn ethanol requirements of the renewable fuel standard (55 percent favor). 4

5 Key findings Strong majorities across party lines favor the EPA reducing the amount of corn ethanol required by law (68 percent of Democrats, 60 percent of Independents, and 71 percent of Republicans). Voters indicate that they are less likely to vote for a candidate who supports the corn ethanol mandate, particularly Republican primary voters in South Carolina and New Hampshire. In South Carolina, 59 percent of Republican primary voters oppose a federal mandate requiring increasing amounts of ethanol in the fuel supply as do a 36 percent plurality of Democratic primary voters. In New Hampshire, 52 percent of Republican primary voters oppose a federal mandate requiring increasing amounts of ethanol in the fuel supply as do a 42 percent plurality of Democratic primary voters. 5

6 Corn Ethanol

7 Voters are divided on the issue of using corn ethanol as a fuel additive in gasoline, while nearly 3 in 10 have no opinion. There is stronger opposition toward requiring increasing amounts of ethanol to be blended into the fuel supply. Do you favor or oppose using corn ethanol as a fuel additive in gasoline? (National Sample) There is currently a federal mandate requiring increasing amounts of corn ethanol to be blended into the U.S. fuel supply. Do you favor or oppose this mandate? (National Sample) Total Favor Total Oppose Don t know/refused 7

8 Republicans and independents oppose the ethanol mandate, with a majority among Republicans. Democrats are divided in their support. There is currently a federal mandate requiring increasing amounts of corn ethanol to be blended into the U.S. fuel supply. Do you favor or oppose this mandate? (National Sample) Republicans Independents Democrats Total Favor Total Oppose Don t know/refused 8

9 Research on ethanol that show impacts to everyday life higher food costs and engine damage raise the strongest concerns. Now I am going to read you some findings from research studies on the impacts of corn ethanol. For each one, please tell me if you think it raises very serious concerns, somewhat serious concerns, a little concern, or no concerns at all. (National Sample) Diverting corn to produce ethanol is expected to increase food costs for Americans by 3 billion dollars each year over the next 7 years Higher blends of ethanol such as E-15 can cause severe damage in cars, motorcycles, boats, lawn equipment, and other small engines It takes 34 times more water to produce a gallon of corn ethanol gasoline than it does to produce a gallon of pure gasoline Very serious concerns Somewhat serious concerns 9

10 Impacts to farmland, efficiency and carbon emissions also raise serious concerns. Now I am going to read you some findings from research studies on the impacts of corn ethanol. For each one, please tell me if you think it raises very serious concerns, somewhat serious concerns, a little concern, or no concerns at all. (National Sample) The expansion of existing farmland to grow corn for ethanol impacts millions of acres of wetlands, grasslands, prairies, and conservation areas -- and the habitats of the animals that live on them The U.S. Department of Energy reports that ethanol contains 33 percent less energy than pure gasoline, meaning more fuel is burned to drive the same distance. An analysis of data from the Environmental Protection Agency shows that emissions that contribute to climate change are 28 percent higher from the production and use of corn ethanol than from that of pure gasoline Very serious concerns Somewhat serious concerns 10

11 Majorities favor bipartisan proposals in Congress to limit the amount of ethanol, with slightly more supporting repeal of the RFS. Do you favor or oppose this proposal? (National Sample) Currently there is a bi-partisan proposal in Congress that would set a limit on the amount of ethanol allowed in gasoline at 10 percent. Currently there is a bi-partisan proposal in Congress that would repeal the corn ethanol requirements of the Renewable Fuel Standard Favor Oppose Favor Oppose Strongly favor Not so strongly favor Strongly oppose Not so strongly oppose 11

12 Majorities across party lines also support the EPA reducing the amount of corn ethanol required by law. The EPA recently proposed reducing the amount of corn ethanol in gasoline required by law, because the mandate would produce an excess supply of ethanol that the gasoline market cannot absorb. Do you favor or oppose reducing the amount of corn ethanol required by law? 67 Total Favor By Party ID Total Oppose Republicans Independents Democrats Favor Oppose Strongly favor Not so strongly favor Strongly oppose Not so strongly oppose 12

13 Impact on RFS Support

14 Voters are less likely to support a presidential candidate if that candidate supports the corn ethanol mandate. If a candidate for president supports the corn ethanol mandate, would that make you more likely or less likely to support that candidate, or would it make no difference? (National Sample) More Likely Less Likely Makes No Difference Much less likely Somewhat less likely Much more likely Somewhat more likely 14

15 Republican voters and South Carolina Republican primary voters are among those who are more likely moved against supporting a candidate who supports the corn ethanol mandate. If a candidate for president supports the corn ethanol mandate, would that make you more likely or less likely to support that candidate, or would it make no difference? (National Sample) Total National Party ID NH SC D I R D R D R Total More Likely Total Less Likely Makes No Difference Net Less likely minus More likely

16 Washington, DC Berkeley, CA New York, NY LakeResearch.com Celinda Lake Jonathan Voss Christine Matthews
Air France searcher recalls defeat's pain as MH370 hunt ends

SYDNEY (AP)  Searchers' frustration over Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is difficult to overstate, from the monstrous waves that battered search crews in one of the world's most desolate stretches of ocean to the dearth of information on the plane's flight path that stymied investigators. And now, perhaps most brutal of all, comes the admission of defeat.

Australia's announcement on Tuesday that the fruitless, nearly three-year hunt for the plane in the Indian Ocean was officially suspended has sparked the inevitable second-guessing of those who led the $160 million search. Few know the agony surely being felt by the Flight 370 search crew better than American oceanographer David Gallo.

Back in 2010, Gallo and his team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts were given a task: They had two months to help find Air France 447, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

American oceanographer David Gallo, who lead a team of researchers looking for the downed Malaysian Airlines flight 370, which crashed in the Indian Ocean nearly three years ago, poses near the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Tuesday Jan. 17, 2017, in Woods Hole, Mass. The crash of Flight 370 took the lives of 239 people when it disappeared on March 8, 2014 and Australia announced on Tuesday that the fruitless $160 million search has been officially suspended. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

When they didn't find it by the deadline, officials halted the search. Gallo was sick over the failure, couldn't sleep, stared at pictures on his desk of the people who had been on board the plane. He was tortured by self-doubt, wondered if they had somehow missed the aircraft.

"It was horrible," he remembers. "The families were disappointed in a big way, the companies involved  Airbus, Air France  were wondering what had happened ... wondered who are these guys who claimed they could find it and didn't?"

After a year of lobbying, officials agreed to let Gallo and his crew look again. They found the plane in just over a week.

Much like the Flight 370 investigators, Gallo and his team were initially accused of not knowing what they were doing, of misreading data, of using the wrong equipment. But Gallo, who has been in close contact with the Australian search officials leading the hunt for Flight 370, feels confident they have done everything they could, given the limited data available.

Recently, investigators reanalyzed all the information available on the Malaysian plane and suggested that crews scour a new area north of the 160,000-square kilometer (46,000-square mile) search zone they just finished combing. Australia's government nixed that idea, but Gallo says it is imperative crews be allowed to do so.

"If you finish that area, you can say with good conscience, 'We did everything we could do at the time to try to find that plane,'" he says. "But if they don't do that area, it will always haunt us. Forever."

And there is a crucial need to find the plane, he says, for so many reasons.

Gallo still thinks about the people who lost their lives on Air France 447. He lives in coastal Massachusetts, where he often watches planes heading out over the Atlantic on journeys from Boston to Europe. He thinks of the passengers on board, each of them with loved ones back at home.

Their safety weighs on him. And it's one of the major reasons he feels it's crucial to find Flight 370  for the security of everyone who flies, and for the families of those on board the doomed plane.

"Those 239 people with their loved ones, they just vanished without a trace. So what price do you put on that?" he says. "And then the flying public ... until we know what happened there, it could happen to any of us."

American oceanographer David Gallo, who lead a team of researchers looking for the downed Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, which crashed in the Indian Ocean nearly three years ago, poses near the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Tuesday Jan. 17, 2017 in Woods Hole, Mass. The crash of Flight 370 took the lives of 239 people when it disappeared on March 8, 2014 and Australia announced on Tuesday that the fruitless $160 million search has been officially suspended. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)
Taiwan ex-premier heading delegation to Trump inauguration

BEIJING (AP)  A former premier will represent Taiwan at Donald Trump's inauguration Friday, a visit likely to be closely scrutinized by China for signs the incoming president intends to make good on remarks suggesting a shake-up in relations between Taipei, Washington and Beijing.

Yu Shyi-kun will be joined by lawmakers and local government officials representing both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Nationalists, the Foreign Ministry announced. It said the delegation, which intends to "express the importance our government and people place on close friendly bilateral relations," left Monday.

Along with attending the inauguration, the delegation will hold talks with politicians, academics and overseas Chinese community representatives, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2006, file photo, Democratic Progressive Party member Yu Shyi-kun, speaks to the media during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington DC. Yu will be joined by lawmakers and local government officials representing both Taiwan's ruling and opposition parties at Donald Trump's inauguration Friday, highlighting the unusually high profile during the presidential transition process. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

"Taiwan-U.S. relations have a lengthy history and have made significant progress in recent years," the statement said. Congratulating Trump on his election, it said the government would "continue to strengthen Taiwan-U.S. relations in future on the basis of excellent mutual trust and interaction."

The U.S. has no formal relations with Taipei in deference to China, which claims the island as its own. However, the two maintain robust informal ties, while Washington sells Taiwan arms and is legally bound to regard any threat to the island as a matter of grave concern.

Trump upset decades of diplomatic precedent by talking by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen shortly after his victory in November's presidential election. Last week, he said in a newspaper interview that Washington's "one China policy" under which it recognized Beijing in 1979 was open to negotiation, and had earlier questioned why the U.S. should be bound by such an approach without China offering incentives.

On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry said the "one-China principle" regarding Taiwan is not negotiable and any attempt to reconsider the issue would be self-defeating.

"Not everything in the world can be bargained or traded off," Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.

China threatens to use force to assert control over Taiwan and tensions across the Taiwan Strait have risen since Tsai's election last year. Beijing has cut off contacts with her government and is using its diplomatic clout to further isolate the island.
Donald Trump's choice to head the Interior Department has rejected the president-elect's claim that climate change is a hoax, the latest in a series of off-message remarks by Trump's cabinet picks.

Ryan Zinke said it was indisputable that environmental changes were affecting the world's temperature and human activity was a major contributory factor.

Zinke, a former Navy SEAL from Montana who has been a Congressman since 2015, was asked about climate change by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee at his confirmation hearing and said: 'I don't believe it's a hoax.'

Rep. Ryan Zinke is sworn in on Capitol Hill in Washington yesterday prior to testifying at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

He is the latest in a series of Trump's Cabinet picks to openly disagree with their new boss on policy during confirmation hearings.

Jeff Sessions, who has been nominated for Attorney General, said he opposed any immigration ban on Muslims, countering one of Trump's long-standing policies.

Trump's choice for Defense Secretary, General John Mattis, contradicted his boss's calls for a softer approach towards Moscow and said Russia remained 'an adversary in key areas' and attempts to engage positively with them had traditionally been unsuccessful.

Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of Exxon who Trump wants to be his Secretary of State, said he did not oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, which is awaiting ratification and is opposed by Trump.

Tillerson also spoke up for Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which obliges the US to defend other NATO members, describing it as 'inviolable'.

The climate is changing; man is an influence. I think where there's debate is what that influence is and what can we do about it Rep. Ryan Zinke

But Trump seems relaxed about the differences of opinion. Earlier this month he tweeted: '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!'

Rep. Zinke, 55, said: 'The climate is changing; man is an influence. I think where there's debate is what that influence is and what can we do about it.'

Trump has suggested in recent weeks he's keeping an open mind on the issue and may reconsider a campaign pledge to back away from a 2015 Paris agreement that calls for global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

But in 2012, he wrote on Twitter: 'The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive.'

In contradicting Trump, Zinke cited Glacier National Park in his home state as a prime example of the effects of climate change, noting glaciers there have receded in his lifetime and even from one visit to the next.

Zinke said some glaciers in Glacier National Park, Montana (pictured) have receded in his own lifetime and even between his own visits to the area

Interior Secretary-designate, Ryan Zinke, a former Navy SEAL, was an early supporter of Donald Trump but said yesterday he disagreed with his boss on climate change

But he told Senator Bernie Sanders, who sits on the committee, there was a debate about how much humans have influenced the climate.

Zinke, who is likely to win Senate confirmation, sketched out a variety of purposes for the nation's vast federal lands, from hiking, hunting, fishing and camping to harvesting timber and mining for coal and other energy sources.

The Interior Department and other US agencies control almost a third of land in the West and even more of the underground 'mineral estate' that holds vast amounts of coal, oil and natural gas.

An admirer of President Theodore Roosevelt, Zinke said management of federal lands should be done under a 'multiple-use' model set forth by Gifford Pinchot, a longtime Roosevelt associate and the first chief of the US Forest Service.

But the former SEAL said his most important task at Interior will be to 'restore trust' between the agency and the states and Native American tribes it serves.

He was speaking in the wake of the Dakota Access pipeline controversy, which has stirred up furious opposition among Native Americans in North Dakota and further afield.

The Huffington Post reported that Zinke said he wanted to see the pipeline completed and said the Lakota (Sioux) tribes had become united for the first time since the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

He joked: 'Last time the Sioux nations got together, Id say General Custer would probably say that was not a good issue.'

But then, in a serious tone, he said: 'There are deep cultural ties [with the land]. There is a feeling that we haven't always been a fair consultant.'

Zinke also pledged to tackle an estimated $12billion backlog in maintenance and repair at national parks, saying parks and other public lands should be a key part of Trump's infrastructure improvement plan.

Zinke has said he would never sell, give away or transfer public lands  a crucial stance in his home state of Montana and the rest of the West where access to hunting and fishing is considered sacrosanct.

He feels so strongly that he resigned as a delegate to the Republican National Convention last summer because of the GOP's position in favor of land transfers to state or private groups.

Zinke was only elected to Congress in 2014 and was re-elected in November last year. There will now have to be an election for his successor to that seat in Montana

Even so, Zinke's position on public lands came under fire this month after he voted in favor of a measure from House Republicans that would allow federal land transfers to be considered cost-free and budget-neutral, making it easier for drilling and development.

The Interior nominee 'says he's against transfer of federal lands, but there's a big gap between what he says and what he does in that regard,' said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, the nation's oldest and largest environmental group.

Zinke told senators Tuesday that he flatly opposes all sales or transfer of federal lands.

Indeed, his support for public lands was a crucial reason why Zinke was chosen by Trump. The president-elect and son Donald Trump Jr both oppose sale of federal lands. The younger Trump, an avid hunter, has taken a keen interest in Interior Department issues and played a key role in Zinke's selection.

Zinke also reiterated his support for coal production on federal lands as part of an all-of-the above energy strategy

Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state, the top Democrat on the energy panel, asked Zinke about modernizing the federal coal program, saying it was important 'to make sure American taxpayers aren't short-changed for the benefit of corporate interests.'

Zinke promised to review the coal program and said he thinks taxpayers 'should always get fair value,' whether it's coal, wind power or other energy sources.

Zinke also pledged to work with members of Congress on proposed national monuments such as the Bears Ears monument recently designated in Utah.

The state's Republican delegation fiercely opposes the monument created by President Barack Obama.
Pence promises big investment in infrastructure

NEW YORK (AP)  Vice President-elect Mike Pence pledged to a group of mayors that the Trump administration will make a serious investment in infrastructure, and he told diplomats that Trump and his incoming team share "a commitment to engage with all of the world."

Speaking Tuesday to a meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors, Pence said President-elect Donald Trump told him to pass on that "we're going to do an infrastructure bill, and it's going to be big."

Trump, who consistently lamented the state of American bridges, roads and airports while campaigning, has promised to invest $1 trillion in transportation and infrastructure spending, though he has provided few details.

President-elect Donald Trump, left, stands with Vice President-elect Mike Pence during the presidential inaugural Chairman's Global Dinner, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Pence also said the new administration will work with cities as partners. He looked ahead to Friday's inauguration, saying it will mark "the dawn of a new era for our country, it's an era of growth and opportunity and renewed greatness for America."

Trump also made his first trip to Washington in weeks on Tuesday, as his inauguration festivities approach.

Trump flew in for a black-tie dinner honoring Tom Barrack, his longtime friend and head of the Inauguration Committee. The Chairman's Global Dinner drew nearly 150 diplomats and ambassadors, well-heeled donors, soon-to-be White House staffers and Cabinet picks.

"We have great respect for your countries. We have great respect for our world," Trump told the group after he was introduced by Pence, who assured that the future president was willing to engage with the world, despite his "America First" mantra.

"I'm not sure that the national media here in America completely understands the president-elect. I can assure you that the world will," Pence said, adding that Trump "will be a president who puts America first, but we will work every day with nations around the world to advance the peace and prosperity of our allies and our friends across the world."

The president-elect is expected to return to New York after the dinner. He'll make his final trip to Washington on Thursday to attend a concert at the Lincoln Memorial and stay, as is custom for incoming presidents, at Blair House, the presidential guest quarters, the night before he's sworn in.

In New York on Tuesday, Trump met with Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg. Trump has criticized the cost of Boeing's Air Force One program.

"We made some great progress to refine requirements for Air Force One, to streamline the process, to streamline certain features, all of that will lead to a better airplane at a lower cost," Muilenberg said after the meeting. He said Trump "is doing a good job as an agent of business" and added that more conversations would be forthcoming. He did not set a timeline on settling on a final price tag.

Trump's comments on Twitter and to news organizations threatened to overshadow the pomp and circumstance of Friday's inauguration.

On Tuesday, the president-elect continued his attacks on Rep. John Lewis, whom he berated Saturday for challenging his legitimacy to be the next president. Trump said that the veteran African-American congressman from Georgia had wrongly claimed that it would be the first inauguration he's missed since 1987.

"WRONG (or lie!)" Trump tweeted. "He boycotted Bush 43 also because he 'thought it would be hypocritical to attend Bush's swearing-in....he doesn't believe Bush is the true elected president.' Sound familiar!"

Lewis' office on Tuesday confirmed that the civil rights icon had missed George W. Bush's 2001 swearing-in, saying it was also a form of dissent.

Trump has been widely criticized for the comments and more than 40 House Democrats plan to boycott his inauguration. Trump had sought to ease friction Monday, meeting with a son of Martin Luther King Jr.

Asked about the boycott on a phone call with reporters, Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said they would "love for every member of Congress to attend but if they don't, we've got some great seats for others to partake in. It's a shame that these folks don't want to be part of the peaceful transfer of power."

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the boycott was a "reflection of the division" in the country.

Trump also put GOP lawmakers on the defensive Tuesday over their tax plan, after he called their approach "too complicated" in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

At issue is a proposal called "border adjustment" that would tax imports to the U.S. while exempting exports. It's part of a sweeping planned rewrite of the U.S. tax code aimed at lowering overall rates on corporations from 35 percent to 20 percent.

"Anytime I hear border adjustment, I don't love it," Trump said.

Trump also appeared to outline a different health care goal than many Republicans over the weekend. During interviews with The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, Trump said that after the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, he'll offer "insurance for everybody." Congressional Republicans have been careful to say that they want to provide "universal access."

European Union nations bracing for Trump's ascension showed defiance Monday in the face of the president-elect's stinging comments on everything from NATO and German cars to the crumbling of the European Union.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the Trump's view that NATO was obsolete and his criticism that European allied members aren't paying their fair share had "caused astonishment."

Also this week, Trump's picks for Cabinet posts continue their trek to Capitol Hill to win support from lawmakers considering their confirmation for Cabinet positions.

On Tuesday, Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana made his case to be interior secretary. And Betsy DeVos, Trump's pick for education secretary, has a confirmation hearing Tuesday evening.

___

Associated Press writers Julie Pace and Jill Colvin in Washington and Steve Peoples in New York contributed to this report.

___

Reach Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire

Vice President-elect Mike Pence walks through the halls of Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg speaks to members of the media after meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Martin Luther King III, son of Martin Luther King Jr. at Trump Tower in New York, Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg speaks to members of the media after meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Lara Yunaska, wife of Eric Trump, son of President-elect Donald Trump, walks into Ivanka Trump Collection store in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Martin Luther King III, son of Martin Luther King Jr. speaks to members of the media following a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Russia hopes for pragmatic dialogue with US under Trump

MOSCOW (AP)  Moscow hopes for better relations with the United States based on respect for mutual interests once Donald Trump takes office, in contrast with the "messianic" approach of the outgoing administration that has ravaged ties, Russia's foreign minister said Tuesday.

Sergey Lavrov said that Russia and the United States can reach common ground on nuclear arms control and other issues if each country proceeds from national interests and shows respect for the other side.

He voiced hope that Trump's team will consist of pragmatic people, "who will not engage in moralizing and will try to understand the interests of their partners just as they clearly uphold their own interests."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov listens to a question during his annual roundup news conference summing up his ministry's work in 2016, in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Lavrov said Russia hopes new U.S. administration will be represented at the Syria talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Lavrov denounced the foreign policies of the outgoing U.S. administration and its allies as "messianic" attempts to enforce Western values on the rest of the world, which has led to instability and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Russia-U.S. relations have plunged to post-Cold War lows over the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and other issues.

Lavrov said that Moscow is inviting representatives of the incoming U.S. administration to attend Syria talks on Monday in Kazakhstan, which have been brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

He voiced hope that Russian and U.S. experts could start discussions on fighting terrorism in Syria during that meeting.

He said Russia launched its air campaign in Syria in September 2015 just in time to prevent the Islamic extremists from taking over Damascus.

"The capital was just two or three weeks from being captured by terrorists," he said, accusing President Barack Obama's administration of tacitly backing the al-Qaida affiliated militants and half-heartedly fighting the Islamic State group in the hope of using them to unseat Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Lavrov said that the talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana, will for the first time bring together military leaders of various opposition groups  unlike the previous talks in Geneva where political negotiators often lacked leverage with opposition units.

Asked to comment on Trump's interview with the Times of London published Sunday in which he indicated that he could end sanctions imposed on Russia in the aftermath of the 2014 annexation of Crimea in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal, Lavrov said that Russia is ready to sit down for nuclear arms talks with the U.S.

He noted that he didn't see Trump's words as an offer to cut arms in exchange for canceling the sanctions, rather as an expression of readiness to look at reviewing the sanctions while engaging in negotiations on arms control among other issues.

Lavrov also noted that Russia is ready to discuss arms control issues in a "businesslike way, realizing responsibility before our peoples and other nations." He said that along with nuclear arsenals, the agenda for such negotiations should include new hypersonic weapons, missile defense, weaponization of space and other issues.

Lavrov rejected the allegations of Russian meddling into the U.S. elections as "absurdities" and "fakes" intended to hurt Trump.

He said that U.S. intelligence agencies have failed to produce any evidence to back the claims, adding that officials who engaged in the effort "deserve to be fired as they receive their salaries for nothing."

Lavrov described the allegations of Russian meddling in the U.S. vote as the final "spasms of those who realize that their time is coming to an end."

"The time of foreign policy demagogues is over, and, feeling hurt, they fabricate all kinds of fakes," he said. "First, officials leak fakes to the media, then media start spinning them and, finally, officials comment on them as facts," he said.

Lavrov also dismissed allegations of Russian hacking attacks on Germany and other European nations as "fakes and lies."

He also sought to turn the tables on the U.S., pointing at the evidence of U.S. National security Agency's eavesdropping on U.S. allies in Europe, which were revealed by NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Russia's decision to shelter Snowden in 2013 badly strained Russia-U.S. ties.

Lavrov denounced a dossier on President-elect Donald Trump compiled by a former British spy as a "rude provocation," contemptuously referring to its author as a "runaway swindler from MI6" without citing his name.

The dossier was compiled by Christopher Steele, a former British spy who served in Moscow in the early 1990s. Trump has rejected the allegations as "fake news" and "phony stuff."

In a reflection of the bad blood between Obama's administration and the Kremlin, Lavrov accused U.S. officials of making repeated attempts to recruit Russian diplomats in the United States as spies, including a deputy chief of mission. He called the attempts "cynical" and "unprecedented."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov listens to a question during his annual roundup news conference summing up his ministry's work in 2016, in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Lavrov says Russia hopes new U.S. administration will be represented at the Syria talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
Baidu hires Microsoft expert in artificial intelligence push

BEIJING (AP)  Baidu Inc., which operates China's most popular Internet search engine, said Tuesday it has hired a former Microsoft executive and artificial intelligence specialist to improve its competitiveness in the field.

The Beijing-based company said Qi Lu was named group president and chief operating officer in charge of products, technology and sales. Qi, who has a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, previously was Microsoft Corp.'s global executive vice president.

"With Dr. Lu on board, we are confident that our strategy will be executed smoothly and Baidu will become a world-class technology company and global leader in Ai," said Baidu chairman Robin Li in a statement.

Chinese Internet companies are spending heavily to develop new services and technology as they try to retain users who are shifting rapidly to going online via mobile phones and tablet computers.
Iraqi troops capture historic Mosul mosque destroyed by IS

MOSUL, Iraq (AP)  Iraqi forces have captured the site of the Mosque of the Prophet Younis after driving Islamic State group militants from a new neighborhood in eastern Mosul, a spokesman said on Tuesday. The progress comes as the U.N. warned that nearly 150,000 people have been displaced since the Mosul operation started in mid-October.

The mosque was among dozens of historical and heritage sites destroyed by IS militants after their June 2014 onslaught.

The site is believed to be the burial place of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale in stories from both the Bible and the Quran. It was built on an archaeological site dating back to the 8th century B.C. and attracted religious pilgrims from multiple faiths around the world.

In this picture taken through the windshield of Iraq's special forces armored vehicle, civilians leave their neighborhoods during fighting between Iraqi security forces and Islamic State militants in the eastern Mosul and the Tigris river which divides the city. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed)

Special forces spokesman Sabah al-Numan told The Associated Press that security forces found only the fences alongside the ruins.

The advance comes as Iraqi forces are pushing IS out of the last neighborhoods in Mosul's east and closing in on the Tigris river that roughly divides the city.

While Iraqi forces continue to make territorial gains against IS, Mosul's civilians continue to be killed, wounded and displaced by the fighting.

Walid Mohammed buried his son in a graveyard in eastern Mosul on Tuesday. The young boy had been killed in a mortar attack earlier this month, but at the time it was too dangerous to travel to the graveyard so Mohammed buried him in a school yard not far from his home.

"This is the will of God and his decision, he gave them and he took them back," he said.

The U.N. said in a statement issued late Monday that the Mosul operation continues to inflict high civilian casualties. The U.N. said more than 1,500 wounded civilians were taken to hospitals in the nearby city of Irbil for trauma care since the operation began in October.

The number does not reflect the estimated hundreds more civilians who receive care at field hospitals in and around Mosul. Iraqi and UN officials believe that one reason so many have been killed and wounded is that IS fighters have targeted civilians trying to flee.

The operation has also left more than 148,000 people homeless, according to the statement. Nearly 12,500 people were forced to flee their homes just over the past week, the U.N. said.

More than a million people were estimated to still be living in Mosul in October, when Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake the country's second largest city from IS.

___

Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad contributed to this report.

In this photo picture taken through the windshield of Iraq's special forces armored vehicle, Iraqi security forces advance in the eastern side of Mosul, Iraq, Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. Iraqi troops have begun to push Islamic State militants out of the last remaining neighborhoods between government-held territory in the eastern Mosul and the Tigris river which divides the city. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed)
Number of suspected dead climbs from shipwreck off Libya

ROME (AP)  Aid groups have revised to at least 170 the number of suspected dead from a weekend migrant shipwreck off Libya.

The International Organization of Migration and U.N. refugee agency increased the estimate from around 110 after interviewing the four survivors of the shipwreck who arrived in Trapani, Sicily, on Monday aboard the Norwegian rescue ship Siem Pilot.

IOM spokesman Flavio Di Giacomo said the survivors included three men and one woman from Ethiopia and Eritrea. They reported having set off from Libya aboard a wooden boat that started taking on water and sank after the engine broke.

The survivors said about 170 people were missing, and that they were in the sea for hours before being rescued Saturday.
Rolls Royce agrees to pay $808 million on bribery claims

LONDON (AP)  Jet engine maker Rolls Royce has agreed to pay 671 million pounds ($808 million) to settle bribery and corruption charges brought by authorities in Britain, the U.S. and Brazil.

U.K. High Court judge Brian Leveson approved a deferred prosecution agreement during a public hearing on Tuesday. The agreement follows a four year investigation, which will continue to look at the conduct of individuals.

Britain's Serious Fraud Office said the matter covers 12 counts of conspiracy to corrupt, false accounting and failure to prevent bribery in conduct spanning three decades. It was the largest ever investigation carried out by the Serious Fraud Office and cost 13 million pounds.

"Bribery harms the reputation of the U.K. as a safe place to do business," said David Green, the SFO director. He said the agreement "allows Rolls-Royce to draw a line under conduct spanning seven countries, three decades and three sectors of its business."

Rolls' civil aerospace, defense aerospace businesses and former energy businesses were involved in matters relating to aero engines, energy systems and related services. The U.K.'s agreement covered conduct in Indonesia, Thailand, India, Russia, Nigeria, China and Malaysia.

U.S. Justice Department officials have said that part of the business obtained through the scheme was for Rolls-Royce Energy Systems Inc., a Rolls-Royce subsidiary based in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

Rolls-Royce said in a statement that the "voluntary agreements" will result in the suspension of prosecution. Company CEO Warren East apologized and said the behavior of the past was "completely unacceptable."

"This was unworthy of everything which Rolls-Royce stands for, and that our people, customers, investors and partners rightly expect from us," he said in a statement. "The past practices that have been uncovered do not reflect the manner in which Rolls-Royce does business today."

The company said it had cooperated with authorities and would continue to do so.

Under the terms of the deal, the company will pay 497 million pounds plus interest to British authorities on a schedule of up to five years. It will pay the U.S. authorities $169 million and $25.6 million to the Brazilians.

Transparency International's U.K. executive director Robert Barrington says individuals should be prosecuted so the case serves as a deterrent to bribery.
The Latest: US hopes Brexit talks can avoid economic turmoil

LONDON (AP)  The Latest on British Prime Minister Theresa May's speech on Brexit (all times local):

7:50 p.m.

The Obama administration says it hopes leaders of the U.K. and European Union will engage in a process that prevents "economic disruptions."

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech on leaving the European Union at Lancaster House in London, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool)

In his final daily press briefing Tuesday before the change in administrations, White House press secretary Josh Earnest called on these "critically important American allies" to engage with each other in a way "that's as transparent as possible, prevent any sort of economic disruptions, from misunderstandings or from surprises."

Earnest says a proposal by British Prime Minister Theresa May to have her country leave the single market is "certainly going to make these kinds of conversations more complicated." But he adds it's ultimately up to the British people who voted last June to leave the bloc.

___

7:40 p.m.

The leader of Britain's right-wing U.K. Independence Party says he is "broadly impressed" by British Prime Minister Theresa May's speech on Brexit but added she isn't moving quickly enough toward exiting the country from the European Union.

Paul Nuttall, speaking to The Associated Press at the European Parliament in France's eastern city of Strasbourg, said Tuesday he was pleased with May's decision to "definitely" leave the single market, because this "was pretty much a red line for my party UKIP."

But the Euroskeptic politician said "our concern is ... what we are going to get is slow-motion Brexit." Nuttall insisted "what we want to see is a quick Brexit" that lets Britain sign trade deals across the globe.

May on Tuesday said Britain will make a clean break from the EU and leave its single market of around 500 million people in order to regain control of its borders and laws.

___

7:15 p.m.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen of the National Front is lauding as "a courageous speech respecting the will of British people" the road that British Prime Minister Theresa May has set out for the negotiations to leave the European Union.

The candidate for the French presidential election next May told the Associated Press that "in France, we do not know this kind of respect."

British voters chose in June to leave the 28-nation bloc. Le Pen said the French government had shown no such respect in 2005 when French voters rejected a proposed EU constitution.

Le Pen praised May, saying being "a political leader who respects the will of people is, to me, totally respectable."

___

7:10 p.m.

Spain's prime minister hopes the Brexit negotiations will mean a "minimal disruption" for the European Union  and once they are over, the bloc can focus "on the real problems" that affect citizens like health care, immigration, security and youth employment.

Speaking Tuesday to reporters at the end of a conference with the leaders of Spain's regional governments, Mariano Rajoy said "Europe is our past, present and future." He asked for British Prime Minister Theresa May's government to be clear about the model of relationship it seeks for the new U.K.-EU relations.

Rajoy says "we are ready to have an intense and good understanding in the future." He added that "all possibilities are open" as long as the four freedoms of movement services, goods, capitals and people  are not negotiated separately with Britain.

___

5:20 p.m.

A senior German lawmaker says Britain has to find a way to trade with the European Union even after it leaves the bloc.

Juergen Hardt, who speaks for Chancellor Angela Merkel's party on foreign policy matters, says he believes "the British government has no real alternative to the European common market, at least none that they can come up with overnight."

Hardt says U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May's speech Tuesday, in which she declared Britain's intention to leave the EU's single market in goods and services, appeared to be an attempt "to retake the initiative and sovereignty over the Brexit process."

He told The Associated Press that "whether or not the plan will work, for Britain to remain as politically and economically powerful despite a relatively hard exit from the European Union as it was inside the European Union, remains to be seen."

___

5:15 p.m.

Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz says he's surprised that the British government is pursuing a strategy that will see the country leave the European Union's single market.

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Stiglitz said "political wisdom" pointed to the government trying to "soften" Brexit and to "achieve the softest version."

He said he's a "little surprised" by the path outlined by Prime Minister Theresa May earlier "because it's so clear that so many people in the U.K. really didn't want a Brexit at all, let alone a hard Brexit." In last June's referendum, 48 percent backed Britain remaining within the EU.

Stiglitz, who is a professor at Columbia University, said there are echoes in the Brexit strategy being pursued to what's going on in the U.S.

Donald Trump, Stiglitz said, didn't even get a majority of the popular vote in last November's presidential election, "yet is acting as if he had a mandate."

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3:40 p.m.

European Union President Donald Tusk has called British Prime Minister Theresa May's speech on Brexit "at least a more realistic announcement" than the months of waffling and unclear messages that have come after Britain's June 23 vote to leave the bloc.

Tusk called the divorce proceedings between Britain and the EU a "sad process, surrealistic times" in a Twitter posting Tuesday. And he insisted that the 27 other EU nations will be "united and ready to negotiate" when May triggers the Brexit talks at the end of March.

May on Tuesday said Britain will make a clean break from the EU and leave its single market of around 500 million people in order to regain control of its borders and laws.

___

2 p.m.

Anthony Scaramucci, who is set to join the Donald Trump administration when it takes power on Friday, says a trade deal between the United States and Britain can be forged much quicker than the time it usually takes for trade deals.

Asked by The Associated Press at the World Economic Forum whether a deal can be negotiated in time for Britain's exit from the European Union, which is expected sometime in the spring of 2019, Scaramucci says it would be wrong to "take the typical political rubric that you've seen and map that out."

Trump, he says is a "hard charger" and has got a group of people around him that are "very result-oriented."

Trade deals have traditionally taken years to cobble together, because of diverging interests.

Scaramucci also says that Trump's message for the EU to stay together following last year's Brexit vote is "don't command top-down from Brussels what should be going on in Manchester or Rome."

___

1:50 p.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May's speech outlining Britain's exit strategy from the European Union has been criticized by opposition figures.

Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labour Party, said that May appeared to want to have her cake and eat it when she said she wanted to leave the European single market but still have access to it.

Corbyn told the BBC that "I'm not quite sure how that is going to go down in Europe."

Tim Farron, who leads the opposition Liberal Democrats, said that May was proposing an "extreme version" of Brexit that would damage Britain's economy.

Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said that although businesses now have a clearer sense of May's priorities, they still know "little more about the likely outcome of the Brexit negotiations than they did yesterday."

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1:15 p.m.

Germany's foreign minister has welcomed a speech by British Prime Minister Theresa May laying out her plans for the U.K.'s departure from the European Union.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier says the speech has "created a little bit more clarity about the British plans" and noted May's willingness to engage in a constructive and positive partnership with the EU.

Steinmeier said in a statement Tuesday that the other 27 countries, too, want "good, close and trusting relations" with Britain and will aim for constructive negotiations.

But he insisted that talks about the so-called Brexit won't begin until London has formally notified the EU of its wish to leave the bloc.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet with her ministers for the first time Wednesday to discuss Germany's position on Brexit.

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1 p.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May says Britain's Parliament will be able to vote on the final divorce deal reached between the U.K. and European Union.

May confirmed that her government will put the final agreement to a vote in both houses of Parliament before it comes into force.

However, she did not address what would happen should there be a vote against the agreement.

May has said she will trigger the formal process to leave the trade bloc by the end of March. The Supreme Court is expected later this month to rule on whether Parliament must have a say in the matter.

Britain will have two years to negotiate a deal after that.

___

12:40 p.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May says Britain will ensure control of immigration from Europe as it exits the EU  though she pledged to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in the U.K. as soon as possible.

May said that while Britain remains an open and tolerant country and wants to continue attracting the best talent, immigration has put pressure on public services like schools and health care.

May says that Brexit must mean controlling the number of Europeans arriving from Britain. She vowed to guarantee the rights of Europeans already living and working in Britain  as well as those of Britons living in Europe. But she didn't provide details on either of those points.

Questioned on what Britain's future immigration policy would look like, May said details had yet to be worked out.

___

12:20 p.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May says Britain will leave the EU's single market  but will "seek greatest possible access to it"  as it exits the trade bloc.

May says her plans for Brexit cannot allow the U.K. to remain in the single market of the bloc because that would mean "not leaving the EU at all."

May said she wanted Britain to be part of a customs union agreement with the other EU states, and remove as many trade barriers as possible. She did not provide details, but said she had an "open mind" on how to do it.

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12:15 p.m.

The pound is rallying on British Prime Minister Theresa May's focus on keeping Britain open to global trade.

Though her speech Tuesday indicates that Britain will leave the European Union's single market, she stressed her government's desire to make the country open to new trade opportunities in the global economy.

May added that Britain will seek a free trade deal with the EU after leaving it. Such deals, however, typically take years to negotiate.

The pound, which has been recovering Tuesday from steep losses earlier in the week, rallied to trade 1.9 percent higher at $1.2271. On Monday, it was as low as $1.20, the weakest level since October and near a 31-year low.

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12:05 p.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May says that Britain plans to make a clean break from the European Union and not opt for "anything that leaves us half-in, half-out."

In a major speech Tuesday, May said Britain won't "hold on to bits of membership," nor seek associate or partial membership of the bloc.

She says Britain will forge a "new and equal partnership" with Europe.

Britons voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June.

Setting out her vision for Britain, May said she wanted her country to emerge "stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than before."

She also said that Britain's parliament will get to vote on a final Brexit deal.

___

11:15 a.m.

Anthony Scaramucci, who is part of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team, says global elites have to get out of their comfort zones and listen to the people if they don't understand how Trump was elected or why Britain voted to leave the European Union.

At a panel at the World Economic Forum, financier Scaramucci said the richest top 3 percent of the world benefited from the massive stimulus measures enacted by global central banks since the financial crisis and are basically back to where they were in 2007. The remaining people, he said, are "struggling."

To those among the global elites who don't understand that post-crisis phenomenon, Scaramucci had a message: "Go to the prairie lands of the United States, or perhaps places in Great Britain or places in Europe. You know the places. Listen to the people. We have to as a collective group of people come up with the right policies."

___

10:25 a.m.

The chairman and CEO of Bank of America says major companies like his need clear rules before deciding how much business to maintain in Britain after it quits the European Union.

Brian Moynihan and other top bankers and executives gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos are eagerly awaiting details about the U.K. exit plans from British Prime Minister Theresa May in a speech Tuesday.

Moynihan, speaking to The Associated Press, said Bank of America is working on "all kinds of scenarios" to possibly shift activities out of London after the so-called Brexit, but insisted "it's still not clear what that would do, or wouldn't do."

He said: "It's still premature to say what anybody's going to do until you have one set of rules. London will be an important part of our company no matter what happens with the British economy."

Noting a mass sense of "dislocation" in the British and U.S. electorate because of fast technological change, he said, "The No. 1 job for the leader of any enterprise, whether civil political or business, is to be responsive to the people they serve."

___

9:05 a.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May is preparing to make a speech that will signal that Britain will make a clean break from the European Union and not seek to remain "half-in, half-out."

In her most detailed address on the U.K.'s exit strategy, May will say that Britain doesn't want "partial membership of the European Union" or "to hold on to bits of membership as we leave."

Advance excerpts suggest May's speech will disappoint businesses and voters who want the country to stay in the bloc's single market.

It's likely to be another shock for the pound, which hit a three-month low below $1.20 Monday. It traded slightly above that level early Tuesday.

Neil Wilson, senior market analyst at ETX Capital, said he was "expecting a wild ride for the pound today."

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech on leaving the European Union at Lancaster House in London, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool)

Joseph E. Stiglitz, Professor of the School of International and Public Affairs at the US's Columbia University attends a penal session on the first day of the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)

British Prime Minister Theresa May waves at the media as she arrives back at 10 Downing Street in London, after making a speech setting out more details on the British government's approach to exiting the European Union, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, center, listens as Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech on leaving the European Union at Lancaster House in London, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech on leaving the European Union at Lancaster House in London, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech on leaving the European Union at Lancaster House in London, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech on leaving the European Union at Lancaster House in London, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool)

Prime Minister Theresa May leaving Downing Street in London, ahead of her speech on Brexit Tuesday Jan. 17, 2017. May is to give further details of her plans for Brexit in a speech in which she will declare she does not want an outcome which leaves the UK "half-in, half-out" of the European Union. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives to deliver a speech on leaving the European Union at Lancaster House in London, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool)
Transcription

1 ANNEX 15-A SCHEDULE OF THE UNITED STATES SECTION A: Central Government Entities Thresholds: 1. Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall apply to the entities of the central level of government listed in this Section where the value of the procurement is estimated, in accordance with Article (Scope) and Article , to equal or exceed: (a) (b) for procurement of goods and services: 130,000 SDRs; and for procurement of construction services: 5,000,000 SDRs. The thresholds set out in this paragraph shall be adjusted in accordance with Section H of this Schedule. 2. Unless otherwise specified herein, Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall apply to all agencies subordinate to the entities listed in this Section. List of Entities: 1. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 2. African Development Foundation 3. Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System 4. American Battle Monuments Commission 5. Appalachian Regional Commission 6. Broadcasting Board of Governors 7. Commission of Fine Arts 8. Commission on Civil Rights 9. Commodity Futures Trading Commission 10. Consumer Product Safety Commission 11. Corporation for National and Community Service 12. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia 13. Delaware River Basin Commission 14. Denali Commission 15. Department of Agriculture (Note 1) 16. Department of Commerce (Note 2) 17. Department of Defense (Note 3) ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 1

2 18. Department of Education 19. Department of Energy (Note 4) 20. Department of Health and Human Services 21. Department of Homeland Security (Note 5) 22. Department of Housing and Urban Development 23. Department of the Interior, including the Bureau of Reclamation 24. Department of Justice 25. Department of Labor 26. Department of State 27. Department of Transportation (Note 6) 28. Department of the Treasury 29. Department of Veterans Affairs 30. Environmental Protection Agency 31. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 32. Executive Office of the President 33. Export-Import Bank of the United States 34. Farm Credit Administration 35. Federal Communications Commission 36. Federal Crop Insurance Corporation 37. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 38. Federal Election Commission 39. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 40. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation 41. Federal Housing Finance Agency 42. Federal Labor Relations Authority 43. Federal Maritime Commission 44. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service 45. Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission 46. Federal Prison Industries, Inc. 47. Federal Reserve System 48. Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board 49. Federal Trade Commission 50. General Services Administration (Note 7) 51. Government National Mortgage Association 52. Holocaust Memorial Council 53. Inter-American Foundation 54. Merit Systems Protection Board 55. Millennium Challenge Corporation 56. National Aeronautics and Space Administration 57. National Archives and Records Administration 58. National Assessment Governing Board 59. National Capital Planning Commission 60. National Council on Disability 61. National Credit Union Administration 62. National Endowment for the Arts 63. National Endowment for the Humanities 64. National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 2

3 65. National Labor Relations Board 66. National Mediation Board 67. National Science Foundation 68. National Transportation Safety Board 69. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 70. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission 71. Office of Government Ethics 72. Office of Personnel Management 73. Office of Special Counsel 74. Overseas Private Investment Corporation 75. Peace Corps 76. Railroad Retirement Board 77. Securities and Exchange Commission 78. Selective Service System 79. Small Business Administration 80. Smithsonian Institution 81. Social Security Administration 82. Susquehanna River Basin Commission 83. U.S. Marine Mammal Commission 84. United States Access Board 85. United States Agency for International Development 86. United States International Trade Commission Notes to Section A 1. Department of Agriculture: Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement of any agricultural good made in furtherance of an agricultural support program or a human feeding program. 2. Department of Commerce: Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement of any good or service related to the shipbuilding activities of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 3. Department of Defense: (a) Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement of any good described in any Federal Supply Code classification (for complete listing of U.S. Federal Supply Classification, see any of the following Federal Supply Code (FSC), which can be found in the Product Code Section of the Federal Procurement Data System Product and Service Code Manual at listed below: FSC FSC 11 FSC 18 Description Nuclear Ordnance Space Vehicles ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 3

4 FSC 19 FSC 20 FSC 2310 FSC 2350 FSC 51 FSC 52 FSC 60 FSC 8140 FSC 83 FSC 84 FSC 89 Ships, Small Craft, Pontoons and Floating Docks (the part of this classification defined as naval vessels or major components of the hull or superstructure thereof) Ship and Marine Equipment (the part of this classification defined as naval vessels or major components of the hull or superstructure thereof) Passenger Motor Vehicles (only buses) Combat, Assault & Tactical Vehicles, Tracked Hand Tools Measuring Tools Fiber Optics Materials, Components, Assemblies and Accessories Ammunition & Nuclear Ordnance Boxes, Packages & Special Containers Textiles, Leather, Furs, Apparel, Shoes, Tents and Flags (all elements other than pins, needles, sewing kits, flagstaffs, flagpoles and flagstaff trucks) Clothing, Individual Equipment and Insignia (all elements other than sub-class luggage) Subsistence (all elements other than sub-class tobacco products) (b) Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement of any specialty metal or any good containing one or more specialty metals. Specialty metal means: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) steel for which the maximum alloy content exceeds one or more of the following levels: manganese, 1.65 per cent; silicon, 0.60 per cent; or copper, 0.60 per cent; steel that contains more than 0.25 per cent of any of the following elements: aluminum, chromium, cobalt, columbium, molybdenum, nickel, titanium, tungsten or vanadium; a metal alloy consisting of a nickel, iron-nickel or cobalt base alloy that contains a total of other alloying metals (except iron) in excess of 10 per cent; titanium or a titanium alloy; or zirconium or a zirconium base alloy. (c) Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) generally shall not cover procurement of any good described in any of the following FSC classifications, due to the application of Article 29.2 (Security Exceptions): FSC Description ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 4

5 FSC 10 FSC 12 FSC 13 FSC 14 FSC 15 FSC 16 FSC 17 FSC 19 FSC 20 FSC 28 FSC 31 FSC 58 FSC 59 FSC 95 Weapons Fire Control Equipment Ammunitions and Explosives Guided Missiles Aircraft and Airframe Structural Components Aircraft Components and Accessories Aircraft Launching, Landing and Ground Handling Equipment Ships, Small Craft, Pontoons and Floating Docks Ship and Marine Equipment Engines, Turbines and Components Bearings Communications, Detection and Coherent Radiation Electrical and Electronic Equipment Components Metal Bars, Sheets and Shapes 4. Department of Energy: Due to the application of Article 29.2 (Security Exceptions), Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement of: (a) (b) any good or service that supports the safeguarding of nuclear materials or technology, where the Department of Energy conducts the procurement under the authority of the Atomic Energy Act; or any oil purchase related to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. 5. Department of Homeland Security: (a) (b) Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement by the Transportation Security Administration of FSC 83 (Textiles, Leather, Furs, Apparel, Shoes, Tents and Flags) and FSC 84 (Clothing, Individual Equipment and Insignia). The national security considerations applicable to the Department of Defense shall apply equally to the U.S. Coast Guard. 6. Department of Transportation: Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement by the Federal Aviation Administration. 7. General Services Administration: Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement of any good in any of the following FSC classifications: FSC FSC 51 FSC 52 FSC 7340 Description Hand Tools Measuring Tools Cutlery and Flatware ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 5

6 8. For goods and services including construction services of Japan and suppliers of such goods and services, Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 9. For goods and services, including construction services, of Viet Nam and suppliers of such goods and services, Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall apply only to the following entities for the Department of Defense: Department of Defense Education Activity Defense Commissary Agency The United States is prepared to amend this Note at such time as coverage with respect to the Ministry of National Defense can be resolved with Viet Nam. ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 6

7 SECTION B: Sub-Central Government Entities None. ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 7

8 SECTION C: Other Entities Thresholds: 1. Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall apply to the other covered entities listed in this Section where the value of the procurement is estimated, in accordance with Article (Scope) and Article , to equal or exceed: (a) (b) for procurement of goods and services: US$250,000; and for procurement of construction services: 5,000,000 SDRs The monetary threshold set out in subparagraph (b) shall be adjusted in accordance with Section H of this Schedule. 2. Unless otherwise specified herein, Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall apply only to the entities listed in this Section. List of Entities: 1. Tennessee Valley Authority 2. Bonneville Power Administration 3. Western Area Power Administration 4. Southeastern Power Administration 5. Southwestern Power Administration 6. St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation 7. Rural Utilities Service (Note 1) Notes to Section C 1. The Rural Utilities Service shall not impose any domestic purchase requirement as a condition of its financing of any power generation or telecommunication project that exceeds the thresholds specified above. The Rural Utilities Service undertakes no other commitments with respect to its financing of power generation and telecommunications projects. 2. For goods and services, including construction services, of Malaysia and suppliers of such goods and services, Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement by entities listed in this Section that are responsible for the generation or distribution of electricity, including the commitment with respect to financing provided by the Rural Utilities Service of power generation projects described in Note 1 to this Section. ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 8

9 SECTION D: Goods Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall cover all goods procured by the entities listed in Sections A and C, subject to the Notes to the respective Sections and the General Notes. ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 9

10 SECTION E: Services Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall cover all services procured by the entities listed in Sections A and C, subject to the Notes to the respective Sections, the General Notes and the Notes to this Section, except for the services excluded in the Schedule of a Party. Notes to Section E 1. Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement of any of the following services, as identified in accordance with the Provisional Central Product Classification (CPC), which is found at: (a) All transportation services, including Launching Services (CPC Categories 71, 72, 73, 74, 8859, 8868). (b) Operation of Government-Owned Facilities: All facilities operated by the Department of Defense, Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and for all entities listed in Sections A and C of this Schedule, Research and Development facilities. (c) (d) Public utilities services, except enhanced (i.e., value-added) telecommunications services; and Research and development. 2. Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement of any service in support of military forces located overseas. ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 10

11 SECTION F: Construction Services Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall cover all construction services procured by the entities listed in Sections A and C, listed in Division 51 of the Provisional Central Product Classification (CPC), which is found at: subject to the Notes to the respective Sections, the General Notes and the Notes to this Section, except for the construction services excluded in the Schedule of a Party. Note to Section F Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement of dredging services. ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 11

12 SECTION G: General Notes Unless otherwise specified herein, the following General Notes shall apply without exception to Chapter 15 (Government Procurement), including to all sections of this Schedule. 1. Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not apply to any set-aside on behalf of a small- or minority-owned business. A set-aside may include any form of preference, such as the exclusive right to provide a good or service, or any price preference. 2. Except as specified otherwise in this Schedule, Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not apply to non-contractual agreements or any form of government assistance, including governmental provision of goods and services to persons or governmental authorities not specifically covered under this Schedule. 3. Where a contract is to be awarded by an entity that is not covered by Chapter 15 (Government Procurement), Chapter 15 shall not be construed to cover any good or service component of that contract. 4. Chapter 15 (Government Procurement) shall not cover procurement of transportation services that form a part of, or are incidental to, a procurement contract. ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 12

13 SECTION H: Threshold Adjustment Formula 1. Any threshold denominated in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) shall be adjusted in every even-numbered year, with each adjustment taking effect on January 1, beginning on January 1 of the first even-numbered year after the date of entry into force of this Agreement for the United States. 2. The adjustments shall be based on an average of the daily conversion rates of the U.S. dollar in terms of SDRs, published by the IMF in its monthly International Financial Statistics, for the two-year period preceding October 1 or November 1 of the year before the adjusted thresholds are to take effect. 3. The Parties shall consult if any major change in a national currency relative to SDRs or another Party s currency creates a significant problem with regard to the application of Chapter 15 (Government Procurement). ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 13

14 SECTION I: Procurement Information Publications utilised by the United States for the publication of notices of intended procurement and of post-award notices and the publication annually of information on permanent lists of qualified suppliers in the case of selective tendering procedures: Federal Business Opportunities ( Laws, regulations, judicial decisions, administrative rulings and procedures regarding government procurement for entities listed in Section A are published on the following websites: US Federal Laws (primarily US Code Titles 10 and 41): Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR): Agency Supplemental Regulations: Federal Register: Federal Government Procurement Policies: Bid Protest Decisions of Government Accountability Office: US Civilian Board of Contract Appeals Decisions: Judicial Decisions: US Court of Federal Claims (jurisdiction includes claims related to government contracts, including bid protests): US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (jurisdiction includes appeals from the US Civilian Boards of Contract Appeals): Laws, judicial decisions, administrative rulings and procedures regarding government procurement for entities listed in Section C are available directly from the listed entities. ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 14

15 SECTION J: Transitional Measures None. ANNEX 15-A UNITED STATES 15
Workers rescue Florida girl who fell into chimney

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP)  Rescue workers chipped away part of the chimney on a vacant house to rescue an 8-year-old Florida girl who got stuck inside.

Clearwater Fire and Rescue assistant Chief John Klinefelter says it took crews about 35 minutes to rescue the child on Monday evening. He says Isabella Cooke only had a bruised knee and didn't need to be taken to the hospital.

The Tampa Bay Times (http://bit.ly/2jv5WT6 ) reports the girl climbed onto the roof by shimmying up a pole at the back of the home and sliding to the bottom of the chimney. The child lives next door to the vacant home.
Moldovan president visits Russia, hints of ending EU pact

MOSCOW (AP)  Moldova's new president, who is visiting Russia on his first trip abroad, voiced hope Tuesday for rebuilding "strategic" ties with Moscow and hinted that the ex-Soviet nation could eventually shelve a trade pact with the European Union.

President Igor Dodon, who was elected in November, has pledged to restore the trade and political relations with Moscow that cooled after Moldova signed a trade association agreement with the EU.

Dodon said after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moldova "got nothing" from the agreement while losing the lucrative Russian market. He said his government could move to annul the EU pact if it gets support for such a move after 2018 parliamentary elections.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with Moldovan President Igor Dodon during their meeting in Moscow's, Kremlin, Russia, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Dodson is in Russia on an official visit. (Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool photo via AP)

He added that Moldova also was willing to take on observer status in a Russia-dominated economic alliance.

Standing alongside Putin, Dodon said Moldova "won't repeat mistakes of the past" and will work to rebuild close ties with Russia.

The Russian leader hailed Dodon for making a trip to Moldova's breakaway Trans-Dniester region, saying it showed courage and reflected respect for the region's residents that could help settle a long-running separatist conflict.

Putin said Russia, which has its troops stationed in Trans-Dniester, could act as a mediator and a guarantor of a settlement.

Before his trip to Moscow, Dodon said he wanted closer relations with Russia. Ties between the two countries deteriorated after Moldova signed the European Union association agreement and Russia placed a trade embargo on Moldovan wine, fruit and vegetables.

Moldova, an agricultural nation of about 3.5 million located between Ukraine and Romania, exports mainly to the EU, with more than 50 percent of exports going to EU markets in 2016. Its top market is Romania.

Russia, however, has remained a major market for Moldovan workers. There are about 500,000 Moldovans working in Russia, especially in construction.

___

Alison Mutler in Bucharest, Romania contributed to this report.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Moldovan President Igor Dodon during their meeting in Moscow's, Kremlin, Russia, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Dodson is in Russia on an official visit. (Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Moldovan President Igor Dodon during their meeting in Moscow's, Kremlin, Russia, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Dodson is in Russia on an official visit. (Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin walks to meet with Moldovan President Igor Dodon in Moscow's, Kremlin, Russia, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Dodson is in Russia on an official visit. (Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool photo via AP)
Ukraine files case against Russia at UN's highest court

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  Ukraine has filed a case against Russia at the United Nations' highest court, accusing Moscow of illegally annexing Crimea and illicitly funding separatist rebel groups in eastern Ukraine.

Kiev also is seeking compensation for deadly incidents including the 2014 shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

In the case announced Tuesday by the International Court of Justice, Ukraine accused Moscow of "intervening militarily in Ukraine, financing acts of terrorism, and violating the human rights of millions of Ukraine's citizens."

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a joint news conference with Moldovan President Igor Dodon in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday accused the outgoing U.S. administration of trying to undermine President-elect Donald Trump by spreading fake allegations. (Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool Photo via AP)

Kiev further alleged that Moscow's takeover of Crimea "brazenly defied the U.N. Charter, seizing a part of Ukraine's sovereign territory by military force." No date was immediately announced for hearings in the case, which is likely to take many months to complete.

Fighting between Ukrainian government troops and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 9,600 people in eastern Ukraine since it began in 2014. Both Ukraine and the separatists are party to a truce under which both should cease fire and stop advancing.

Russia has been in control of Crimea since it annexed the Crimean peninsula in March 2014 after a hastily called referendum.

From the time the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine began in April 2014, the Ukrainian government referred to Russian interference as terrorism.

Ukraine has accused Russia of financing separatist rebels in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions as well as sending Russian troops there. The Kremlin has denied the accusations although President Vladimir Putin said in October Russia "had to defend Ukraine's Russian-speaking population."

Officially, Russia has only sent humanitarian aid to eastern Ukraine. The AP and other media have reported how Russian humanitarian aid has been mismanaged and often sent directly to rebel troops, not the civilian population.

About six months into the conflict, rebel authorities in Donetsk and Luhansk in 2014 began paying out pensions and benefits to retirees and families. Rebel officials insisted that the funds come from the taxes they collect, but commanders privately admitted that the money comes directly from Russia. The Kremlin has denied that.

The filing also asked the court to rule that Russia is legally responsible for crimes including the downing of Flight MH17. An international criminal probe concluded last year that a missile that destroyed the Malaysian passenger jet over Ukraine in 2014 and killed all 298 people aboard was fired from rebel-controlled territory by a mobile launcher trucked in from Russia and hastily returned there.

Moscow denounced the findings of the Dutch-led inquiry as "biased and politically motivated."

Ukraine also asked the Hague-based world court to order interim measures while the case is going on, including ordering Moscow to halt the transfer of funds and arms to separatist rebels in Ukraine and to stop its persecution of ethnic Tartars in Crimea.

Rulings by the court are final and legally binding.

__
$2 billion in aid sought for hardest-hit in Yemen civil war

AMMAN, Jordan (AP)  About $2 billion in urgent aid is needed this year to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable victims of Yemen's civil war, or about 10 million of the country's 27 million people, the resident U.N. humanitarian chief said Tuesday.

The Arab world's poorest country has been in the grip of a civil war since 2014, when Shiite Houthi rebels and allied forces swept down from the north and captured the capital, Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition has been helping government forces battle the rebels for nearly two years.

"Yemen faces a dramatically bad future" without the needed aid, Jamie McGoldrick, head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen, told The Associated Press.

United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, speaks to journalists during a press conference in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

Last year's appeal for $1.8 billion in aid for Yemen's most vulnerable, then about 8.6 million people, was only 60 percent funded, he said.

"I don't think this is enough, given that Yemen is a very critical emergency on the global stage," he said in an interview in Jordan. "I don't think it has gotten the (appropriate) attention. It has almost been a secret, a hidden emergency, and I think that is unfortunate, it's unfair."

McGoldrick said the Yemen aid appeal for 2017 will be launched early next month in Geneva.

Meanwhile, his agency is trying to get a better estimate of how many have died as a result of the conflict, both directly and indirectly, he said.

On Monday, McGoldrick told a news conference in Yemen that the civilian death toll of the war has reached 10,000.

He said Tuesday that he believes even this estimate is low.

McGoldrick said a previous figure of 7,400 deaths was based on reporting from the health facilities that still function in Yemen, or about half the number that operated before the war. As a result, data collection has been incomplete, he said.

"When you speak to activists and you speak to others on the ground, they say that even the figures we quoted yesterday (Monday) are far underreporting" the death toll, he added.

In addition, many more are indirect victims of the conflict, including those who suffer from chronic diseases, including high blood pressure and diabetes, and are unable to get treatment, McGoldrick said. For example, a cancer clinic in Sanaa that used to treat 30,000 patients has closed, he said. Inevitably, those suffering from chronic disease "will die sooner than they should," he said.

He also noted that more than 400,000 children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition, raising serious concern about their development and Yemen's future.

In fighting Tuesday, a rocket fired by Houthi rebels killed six civilians, including women and children, when it hit an area in the southern Taiz province, security officials said. The strike that also destroyed three old houses was part of broader fighting around the central city, Yemen's cultural capital.

Clashes between rebels and forces loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi have killed 23 Houthis and 17 troops over the past two days, said the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

A Saudi-led coalition has waged an extensive air campaign since March 2015 aimed at restoring Hadi's government. The northern region remains under Houthi control.

___
Ex-Yugo general Trifunovic, symbol of senseless war, dies

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  Former Yugoslav army general Vlado Trifunovic, whose treason conviction by Serbia's wartime nationalist leadership became a symbol of the senselessness of the 1990s' Balkan conflict, has died, Serbia's state broadcaster reported. He was 78.

Trifunovic, a native of Bosnia, reportedly died on Sunday in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. No other details were immediately available.

Trifunovic was in charge of a Yugoslav army unit in the town of Varazdin in independence-seeking Croatia as war broke out there in 1991. He disobeyed orders from Belgrade to fight and instead negotiated a safe passage for his troops.

FILE - In this March 19, 2010 file photo, Ex-Yugoslav army Gen. Vlado Trifunovic speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Belgrade, Serbia. Serbias state TV says former Yugoslav army general Vlado Trifunovic, whose treason conviction by Serbias wartime nationalist leadership became a symbol of senselessness of the 1990s Balkan conflict, has died aged 78. Tuesdays reports say Trifunovic died on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017 in Belgrade. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)

Yugoslavia's once multi-ethnic military became dominated by Serbs and controlled from Belgrade after the western republics of Slovenia and Croatia declared independence in 1991.

Trifunovic was convicted of treason by the nationalist government of Serbia's then-President Slobodan Milosevic. But anti-war Serbs hailed Trifunovic as a hero for saving the soldiers' lives.

"Varazdin would have been destroyed if I gave the orders to fight," Trifunovic told The Associated Press in 2010. "My soldiers and I would probably have ended up in some mass grave that would become a symbol of Serb-Croat hatred."

The opposing views of Trifunovic's move mirror the divisions that still exist in Serbia over the country's role in the war that claimed more than 100,000 lives and left millions homeless.

His conviction was thrown out in 2010, years after Milosevic was ousted from power and handed over to a United Nations war crimes court to face a genocide trial. Milosevic died in his cell in The Hague, Netherlands in 2006.

Croatia and Slovenia accused Trifunovic of war crimes, further reflecting the animosities among the former Yugoslav republics following the breakup.

Largely forgotten, Trifunovic spent most of his postwar years in a drab Belgrade hotel occupied by Serbs expelled from other former Yugoslav republics.

Serbia's state TV says Trifunovic will be buried in Bosnia.
Lawsuit against Subaru heading to trial in Kanawha County

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  Nearly eight years after a car wreck claimed the lives of a mother and two teens in Cabell County, a trial is set to begin in a lawsuit against Subaru.

The trial is slated for Jan. 23 in Kanawha County, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail (http://bit.ly/2jUNv7b).

Claims against Subaru are all that remain from lawsuits filed in 2011 by the families of 47-year-old Carole Crawford, 16-year-old Meaghan McGuire Crawford and 15-year-old Kelsey Kuhn. The three were killed when a Ford Explorer struck the Crawfords' Subaru Forester head-on on West Virginia Route 10 between Huntington and Barboursville in 2009.

The Subaru caught fire and its occupants couldn't escape, despite attempts by people who stopped to help. Nearby resident Mike Edens was one of them.

"I just wish I hadn't went over there. There was nothing I could do," Edens told the Huntington Herald-Dispatch at the time.

The lawsuit alleges that the construction of the Subaru contributed to the deaths. Subaru vehemently denies the allegations.

In addition to the car manufacturer, lawsuits were also filed against Dr. Anita Dawson, who wrote several prescriptions for pain medication for the driver of the Explorer, Erma Marie Brown. Brown was also sued, along with pharmacies that filled her prescription orders.

Brown later pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of prescription painkillers and was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.

Plaintiffs' attorney Scott Segal says claims against all of the defendants besides Subaru were previously resolved. He wouldn't elaborate on the terms of the settlements.

___
Lithuania to build fence on border with Russia's Kaliningrad

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP)  Lithuania has announced it will begin construction on a fence on its border with Kaliningrad, the small Russian exclave bordering the Baltic Sea. The 130-kilometer (80-mile) barrier will stand 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall and will include electronic surveillance systems and drones.

While hundreds of thousands of Russian troops and military equipment are based in Kaliningrad, Lithuania presented the move as a way to fight endemic smuggling.

"We have to prevent smuggling and strengthen the external borders of the European Union. We understand well what is going on in the Russian exclave," Lithuanian Interior Minister Eimutis Misiunas told The Associated Press Tuesday.

Almost a million cigarette packs were smuggled last year from Russia and Belarus according to the Lithuanian interior ministry.
Canada's 2nd highest military official relieved of duties

TORONTO (AP)  Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he supports his top general's decision to remove the Canadian military's second-highest-ranking officer from his duties, but is refusing to say why.

The military said this week it temporarily relieved Vice Admiral Mark Norman of his duties but also isn't saying why.

Gen. Jonathan Vance is chief of the Defence Staff and he stripped the vice chief of his duties in a tersely worded letter dated Jan. 13. Norman is essentially the No. 2 in the military hierarchy and is responsible for security, among other things.

FILE - In a Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016 file photo, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa, Ontario. Canada's ethics commissioner is launching an investigation into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recent family holiday at the Aga Khan's private island in the Bahamas. Ethics commissioner Mary Dawson said Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, Trudeau may have violated the federal ethics code during his holiday with the Aga Khan, a family friend, philanthropist and hereditary spiritual leader to the world's approximately 15 million Ismaili Muslims. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Trudeau said Tuesday his government supports Vance's decision.

Opposition Conservative lawmaker James Bezan says the government owes the public an explanation, calling the situation unprecedented.
White deputy in Tennessee suspended for using racial slur

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP)  A white sheriff's sergeant in Tennessee has been suspended after he used a racial slur while talking to a black deputy.

The Chattanooga Times Free-Press reports (http://bit.ly/2iDqbKc) Sgt. George Jackson received a three-day suspension and must undergo counseling for his remarks.

Records show that on the morning of Nov. 14, Jackson and Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Jessica White were talking while walking into the jail. Authorities say Jackson used the slur while explaining that he kept full insurance on his car in case a black person hit his car and did not have insurance.

Jackson later said he meant the comment as a joke and didn't mean to offend White. He said in a statement to the newspaper that he considers White a friend and apologized to her.

___
Mexican governor: kids were given water instead of medicine

MEXICO CITY (AP)  A governor in Mexico says state-run hospitals apparently gave children water instead of chemotherapy treatments.

Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes Linares made the accusation while describing accusations of malfeasance and corruption under his predecessor, fugitive ex-Gov. Javier Duarte.

Yunes Linares told a news conference Monday that investigators had uncovered evidence of the medical fraud.

In his words, "We have tests on a medication given to children, a pediatric chemotherapy that wasn't really a medication, it was an inert substance, practically distilled water."

Yunes Linares said that "tests are being completed and at the right moment, complaints will be filed."

Duarte faces charges of money laundering and organized crime.
UN mission says vigilantes have impunity in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  A report issued Tuesday by the U.N. stabilization mission in Haiti rebukes local authorities for a losing battle against vigilante violence and displaying passivity or even tolerating mobs taking the law into their own hands.

The human rights section of the U.N. mission, known by its French acronym Minustah, said there has been only one conviction in a lynching case out of 483 incidents and 59 arrests reported between 2012 and 2015.

Frederic Gouin, coordinator of a legal analysis unit in the U.N. mission, told The Associated Press that researchers found that "inaction is merely a result of lack of will more than lack of resources or capacity."

The report calls on Haiti's justice ministry and judiciary to clearly instruct police, prosecutors and judges on their obligation to protect victims of lynching and take on cases instead of looking the other way.

"A lot could be achieved through very simple means," Gouin said.

The findings and various recommendations have been submitted to Haitian Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles, but his office has not made any comment. Haitian National Police spokesman Garry Desrosiers told AP he could not speak about the report because he had not read it yet.

Vigilante attacks in Haiti have long been seen as a response over a dysfunctional justice system that all but ignores those living outside the crowded capital of Port-au-Prince.

But the new research suggests that lynching is mainly an urban phenomenon in Haiti. Some 70 percent of all reported lynching deaths between 2009 and 2015 occurred in the densely populated West department which includes Port-au-Prince.

Vigilante justice accounts for 11 percent of killings in Haiti, where homicide rates have long been far below the rates of many other countries in the hemisphere. Since 2009, there has been a slight increase in lynching deaths, with 7.5 per month in 2009 to 8.1 per month in 2015. There was a peak of 10 per month in the first half of 2014.

Nicole Phillips, a human rights lawyer with the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, said lynchings and other crimes will continue to go unsolved until the government prioritizes improvements to the justice system. She said pervasive corruption must be rooted out.

"Haitians must also understand how to enforce their legal and human rights within the justice system, rather than reverting to their own form of justice," she said.

Citizens interviewed by the AP often appear indifferent to or approving of vigilante justice, arguing that the absence of a fair and efficient legal system gives people no choice but to take the law into their own hands.

The U.N. report says a precise breakdown of killing methods in 80 per cent of the reported lynching cases remains unknown since that level of detail is missing in most police reports. But stoning, machete attacks and decapitations are reported by witnesses and AP journalists in Haiti have gone to the scenes of numerous lynchings over the years.

The large majority of Haitian lynching victims are male theft suspects. Twenty-five percent of women targeted for vigilante violence are suspected of being witches, according to the U.N. report.

___
Ex-Virginia Tech student wants slaying trial moved

ROANOKE, Va. (AP)  A judge is considering a request to move the upcoming trial of a former Virginia Tech student charged in the slaying of a 13-year-old girl.

News media outlets report that Judge Robert Turk has taken under consideration the request from 19-year-old Natalie Keepers.

Keepers is charged with being an accessory to kidnapping and murder and with helping hide the body of seventh-grader Nicole Lovell last year. Nineteen-year-old David Eisenhauer is charged with first-degree murder, abduction and hiding Lovell's body. Their trials are scheduled for March.
The Latest: White House acknowledges Obama can't close Gitmo

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on President Barack Obama's final days in office (all times local):

2:55 p.m.

The White House says the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba will still be open when President Barack Obama leaves office.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest listens as President Barack Obama speaks at his final daily press briefing, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

The Obama administration is acknowledging publicly for the first time that Obama will be unable to fulfill a core campaign promise. Although it's long been clear he wouldn't be able to shutter the prison, the White House had continued to maintain he was working toward closing it.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says it became clear Obama couldn't fulfill the goal after the administration entered its final 30 days. By law the president must give Congress 30 days' notice of detainee transfers.

Congress repeatedly blocked Obama from closing it. Earnest says politics in both parties was to blame.

___

2:45 p.m.

President Barack Obama and his family will fly to Palm Springs, California, for a vacation just after Donald Trump is sworn in as president on Friday.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says Obama will be joined by first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia for the traditional departure of the ex-president from Washington. They'll use the presidential airplane, but it won't be referred to as Air Force One because that designation only applies when the current president is on board.

The Obamas aren't expected to have public events while in California. It's unclear how long they'll stay, but eventually they'll return to Washington as private citizens.

Obama and his family have rented a home in Washington and plan to live there until youngest daughter Sasha finishes high school.

___

12:30 p.m.

President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to the final daily press briefing with White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.

Obama praised Earnest Tuesday for "his smarts and his maturity," but added that one of his best qualities has been his integrity.

Obama says Earnest is "tough and didn't always give you guys what you wanted," but that he tried to make sure to share as much of the administration's vision and policy as possible.

Earnest praised the journalists attending the briefing, saying that they serve a role that is a "uniquely American feature of our government.

He said, "it's made President Obama a better president and a better civil servant."
The Latest: Greek lawmaker protests classes for refugee kids

ROME (AP)  The Latest on Europe's response to the inflow of asylum-seekers and migrants to the continent (all times local):

8:55 p.m.

Greece's Education Ministry says a lawmaker from the far-right Golden Dawn party and a group of supporters entered an elementary school building to voice opposition to plans to start classes for refugee children.

The ministry said members of the group acted with "abusive and threatening behavior" toward staff on Tuesday at the state-run school in the Perama area, west of Athens.

Golden Dawn was founded as a neo-Nazi group during the early 1980s and is currently the third-largest party in Greece's Parliament. It has campaigned against a government program to provide after-school classes to children living in refugee camps around Greece.

A statement from the party said the lawmaker had been invited by parents who are also opposed to the migrant classes.

___

11:55 a.m.

Aid groups have revised to at least 170 the number of suspected dead from a weekend migrant shipwreck off Libya.

The International Organization of Migration and U.N. refugee agency increased the estimate from around 110 after interviewing the four survivors of the shipwreck who arrived in Trapani, Sicily, on Monday aboard the Norwegian rescue ship Siem Pilot.

IOM spokesman Flavio Di Giacomo said the survivors included three men and one woman from Ethiopia and Eritrea. They reported having set off from Libya aboard a wooden boat that started taking on water and sank after the engine broke.

The survivors said about 170 people were missing, and that they were in the sea for hours before being rescued Saturday.
US imposes sanctions on Bosnian Serb leader

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Obama administration has imposed financial sanctions on a Bosnian Serb leader for obstructing the U.S.-brokered peace accords that ended Bosnia's war two decades ago.

Milorad Dodik is president of Republika Srpska, which is part of Bosnia. The Treasury Department says it is designating Dodik for threatening national sovereignty by defying a ruling of Bosnia's constitutional court.

John Smith, a senior department official, says Tuesday's action underscores U.S. commitment to the 1995 Dayton Accords and the country's European integration.
Andy Cohen's near-clash: Joan Rivers, Maksim Chmerkovskiy

PASADENA, Calif. (AP)  Andy Cohen revels in his free-wheeling talk show, but Joan Rivers' last appearance on his Bravo series almost led to a clash with another guest.

About six weeks before her death, Rivers and Maksim Chmerkovskiy of "Dancing with the Stars" were to appear together on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen," the host told a TV critics' meeting Tuesday.

But Rivers told Cohen that, after meeting with Chmerkovskiy before going on air, she made it clear that "it wouldn't be fun for her," Cohen said, without elaborating.

FILE - This May 16, 2016 file photo shows Andy Cohen at the NBCUniversal 2016 Upfront Presentation in New York. Cohen appeared at the 2017 Winter Television Critics Association press tour on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, in Pasadena, Calif., and answered questions about his Bravo TV talk show, "Watch What Happens Live." (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Despite her reservations, the Ukrainian-born dancer "turned it around" with Rivers, he said. The guests found common ground discussing Israel, series executive producer Deirdre Connolly said.

The 81-year-old comedian died in September 2014, days after she stopped breathing during a routine medical procedure.
Maine governor offers John Lewis an erroneous history lesson

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)  Republican Gov. Paul LePage on Tuesday offered an erroneous history lesson about racial segregation to a black Georgia congressman who risked his life to fight for civil rights, and he called on the NAACP to apologize to white people.

Democratic U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who was beaten while marching in Selma, Alabama, with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., should be grateful to Republican presidents and shouldn't question the legitimacy of GOP President-elect Donald Trump's victory, LePage said.

"You know, I will just say this: John Lewis ought to look at history," LePage, who's white, said on WVOM-FM. "You It was Abraham Lincoln that freed the slaves. It was Rutherford B. Hayes and Ulysses S. Grant that fought against Jim Crow laws. A simple thank you would suffice."

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. The Republican governor on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, addressed Lewis' criticism that GOP President-elect Donald Trump is not a "legitimate president." LePage, who's white, said on WVOM-FM that the black Democratic Georgia congressman needs a lesson on how presidents freed the slaves and fought against Jim Crow laws. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and pushed for the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. But historians say LePage is wrong about Jim Crow laws, which legalized racial segregation.

Jim Crow laws didn't exist during the Grant administration and an electoral deal that put Hayes in office led to the end of Reconstruction and the removal of federal troops, setting the stage for the creation of Jim Crow laws that followed, said Colby professor Dan Shea.

"Paul LePage is going to give John Lewis a tutorial on the history of black oppression in the United States? That's rich," Shea said.

LePage's criticism of Lewis comes on the heels of Lewis' comments last week that he would not attend Trump's inauguration.

"You know, I believe in forgiveness. I believe in trying to work with people. It will be hard. It's going to be very difficult. I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president," Lewis said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday.

Lewis' spokeswoman said Tuesday that the facts of history refute LePage's statements about the Jim Crow laws.

Later in the afternoon, the governor tried to clarify his remarks to the Portland Press Herald by saying he felt all white people were being lumped together. He said that the "NAACP should apologize to the white people, to the people from the North for fighting their battle."

The governor also said that "the blacks, the NAACP" paint white people with one brush and added that "to say every white America is a racist is an insult." The governor has said a racist "is the absolute worst, most vile thing you can call a person" and last summer left an expletive-laced voicemail for a Democratic legislator that he thought called him a racist.

LePage said he knows many Maine families who had ancestors who fought in the Civil War. Maine, the nation's whitest state, is 95 percent white, according to 2015 census estimates.

The head of the Portland branch of the NAACP says it's unfortunate that LePage tried to revise history and disparage a civil rights leader a day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

LePage on Tuesday also had harsh words for a Maine congresswoman who is among more than 40 House Democrats so far to say they are skipping Trump's inauguration. He said Rep. Chellie Pingree should resign if she doesn't attend.

"They're trying to bully us out of believing our Constitution," LePage said of Democrats.

Pingree said Monday that "President-elect Trump's actions go beyond any kind of reasonable debate_they threaten the constitutional values our country is based on."
Nebraska targets ban on religious garb worn by teachers

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)  Sister Madeleine Miller applied for a high school teaching job in Nebraska thinking she would get judged on her credentials  not what she was wearing on her head.

The 37-year-old nun was shocked to learn that, under a little-known law nearly a century old, she couldn't wear a habit in a public school classroom. The vaguely worded ban prohibits teachers from wearing any sort of religious garb, from burqas to yarmulkes.

"I could have been arrested, jailed, fined or had my license taken away if I had tried to teach," Miller said Tuesday.

Now, state lawmakers are looking to end the ban, which was passed in 1919 under pressure from the Ku Klux Klan amid a national wave of anti-Catholic sentiment.

The law is rarely enforced but came to the attention of the senator whose district includes Norfolk Public Schools, where Miller had hoped to work. Miller said a school administrator told her the district would be happy to hire her, but she couldn't wear her habit in class.

Thirty-six states had adopted similar bans on religious garb at various points, but Nebraska and Pennsylvania are the only ones that have yet to repeal them, said Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer, sponsor of the repeal bill. Oregon abolished its ban in 2010.

Scheer, who spent nearly two decades serving on a local school board, said he had no idea the ban was still in place but argued that it violates teachers' free-speech rights. Nebraska is also struggling to fill teacher shortages this year in 18 different fields, according to the state Department of Education.

"This isn't virgin turf I'm tilling here," said Scheer, of Norfolk. "We're just one of the last ones."

Miller  who holds a Nebraska teaching certificate, a bachelor's degree from Wayne State College in Nebraska and a master's degree from the University of Chicago  ended up taking a job at a Catholic school in neighboring Iowa. She said she initially considered filing a lawsuit with help from the Thomas More Law Center, a national religious liberties group, but decided against it in hopes that lawmakers would fix the issue themselves.

Church rules require sisters to wear the habit virtually all of the time, except when working in a communist country or cleaning with harsh chemicals that could damage the blessed garments. Miller sought the job as a public school substitute because none of the local Catholic schools had any openings.

Nebraska is considering the proposal in the midst of a broader debate over religious garb. In November, lawmakers in the lower house of the Dutch parliament approved a ban on "face-covering clothing," including Islamic veils and robes such as the burqa and niqab. In 2010, France approved a so-called burqa ban that has since been blamed for encouraging Islamophobia and giving Muslim extremists more ammunition to incite hatred.

The proposal to repeal Nebraska's ban faced little resistance Tuesday during a legislative hearing. The measure drew support from a diverse coalition including Catholic groups and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska.

Spike Eickholt, an attorney for the ACLU of Nebraska, said current state law doesn't even define what constitutes religious garb and allows for punishments even if students don't notice it.

"It has a chilling effect for people who want to go into the business of teaching," he said.

Martin Cannon, an attorney with the Thomas More Society, said Nebraska's ban on religious garb is "blatantly unconstitutional" and goes far beyond the prohibition on government promoting religion.

"The problem is they are applicable only to religion," he said. "A person could come to school as a teacher wearing maybe a flower power shirt or a Scooby Doo button or a 'Vote for Charlie' pin, but he can't wear a cross."

___
Puerto Rican ultranationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera saw his 55-year prison sentence commuted by Barack Obama Tuesday.

Car horns rang out across Puerto Rico and people celebrated in the streets after the president announced that 74-year-old Rivera would walk free sooner than expected, in May.

Many Puerto Ricans have long demanded his release, and some wept with emotion upon hearing the news while others headed to all-night parties announced on social media.

Rivera was sentenced to 55 years in prison for his role in a violent struggle for independence for the US island territory. His lawyer, Jan Susler, told him about his upcoming release.

Puerto Rican nationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera (pictured in 1981) saw his 55-year prison sentence commuted by President Barack Obama on Tuesday

People celebrated in San Juan, Puerto Rico after learning that Obama had commuted Rivera's sentence, meaning the 74-year-old will walk free in May

'He's very, very grateful,' she said in a phone interview. 'One of the things he said was: "Tomorrow's my daughter's birthday. What an amazing present for her." '

Rivera belonged to the ultranationalist Armed Forces of National Liberation, which claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings at public and commercial buildings during the 1970s and '80s in New York, Chicago, Washington and other US cities.

He was convicted on one count of seditious conspiracy, and he was later convicted of conspiring to escape from prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. He is currently being held at Terre Haute, Indiana.

The group's most notorious bombing occurred at New York's landmark Fraunces Tavern in 1975 that killed four people and injured more than 60. Rivera was not convicted of any role in that attack, but some still hold him responsible because of his ties to the ultranationalist group.

'I'm willing to forgive, but he never once said he was sorry, showed no remorse at all,' said Mary Connor Tully, whose husband, Frank Connor, was killed in the bombing.

'He's an old man and he'll get to live his life free, and hopefully he can live with the sins he committed, and that he'll answer one day to a higher power than us for what he did.'

Many Puerto Ricans have long demanded Rivera's release, and some wept with emotion upon hearing the news. Some are pictured celebrating in San Juan Tuesday

A woman waved a Puerto Rican flag outside the Federal Courthouse building after learning that Obama commuted the sentence for Rivera

Some began preparing for all-night parties announced on social media. People are pictured celebrating in San Juan after hearing about Rivera's upcoming release

Rivera, whose release also was opposed by several groups including a national police organization, is now scheduled to be freed May 17.

'He wants to live in Puerto Rico, and people there really want him to come home,' Susler said.

Rivera was offered clemency by President Bill Clinton in 1999, but he rejected the offer because it excluded two comrades who have since been released. Then in 2011, the US Parole Commission denied his request for an early release.

Among those who publicly supported Rivera's release was Pope Francis, 'Hamilton' creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, former President Jimmy Carter and several legislators, including US Representative Luis Gutierrez of Illinois.

'Sobbing with gratitude here in London,' Miranda tweeted Tuesday, adding that he will have a show for Rivera in Chicago. 'It'll be my honor to play Hamilton the night he goes.'

People gathered in San Juan to celebrate Rivera's long-awaited clemency. The 74-year-old nationalist is now scheduled to be freed May 17

Obama (pictured on Tuesday) also commuted the sentence of Wikileaks whistle-blower Chelsea Manning, who was sentenced to 35 years behind bars

Alejandro Molina, coordinator of the National Boricua Human Rights Network, joined about 100 other people in a spontaneous celebration Tuesday at the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Chicago, which was founded by Rivera.

'It's wonderful news,' he said.

Upon his return to Puerto Rico, Rivera plans to spend time with his daughter and granddaughter and wants to establish a think tank that will work on such problems as climate change, the economy and the island's political status.

'He wants to be actively involved in solving the problems of Puerto Rican society,' said Molina, who accompanied Rivera's daughter on a Christmas prison visit

Susler said the US pardon attorney told her that sometimes inmates first transition to a halfway house after being released. But eventually, Rivera will return to Puerto Rico, she said.
Orlando releases new photos of Pulse after attack

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  New photos released by the city of Orlando show where officers breached one of Pulse nightclub's walls to free people trapped inside during the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

The photos released Tuesday show large punctures to an exterior cinderblock wall of the nightclub. On the other side is a bathroom where patrons were trapped for more than three hours.

Forty-nine people were killed and dozens were injured after gunman Omar Mateen entered the gay nightclub and opened fire last June.

This June 20, 2016, photo released by the City of Orlando shows bullet holes and openings where police officers breached a wall of the Pulse nightclub to free hostages trapped in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history on the night of June 12, 2016. Forty-nine people were killed and dozens were injured after gunman Omar Mateen entered the gay nightclub and opened fire last June. (City of Orlando via AP)

Mateen's wife, Noor Salman, appeared Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, on charges of aiding and abetting her husband, who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group during the standoff.

Mateen was killed in a shootout with officers after the bathroom wall was breached.

This June 20, 2016, photo provided by the City of Orlando shows an opening where police officers breached a wall of the Pulse nightclub to free hostages trapped in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history on the night of June 12, 2016. Forty-nine people were killed and dozens were injured after gunman Omar Mateen entered the gay nightclub and opened fire last June. (City of Orlando via AP)

This June 20, 2016, photo released by the City of Orlando shows bullet holes and openings where police officers breached a wall of the Pulse nightclub to free hostages trapped in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history on the night of June 12, 2016. Forty-nine people were killed and dozens were injured after gunman Omar Mateen entered the gay nightclub and opened fire last June. (City of Orlando via AP)
I am a retired newspaperman. I am 69 and live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 45 years, Lou Ann. We grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather.

More on who I am is here.

Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com
Denver woman died during shooting at Mexico music festival

DENVER (AP)  A Denver woman is among five people who died during a shooting at a Caribbean resort town, her brother said Tuesday.

Robert Aaron Martinez told KMGH-TV that his sister, Alejandra Villanueva Ibarra, 18, died while attending an electronic music festival in Playa del Carmen, Mexico early Monday morning.

"She was very lovable. Very artistic. She loved art," Martinez told the television station.

Miguel Angel Pech, attorney general for the Quintana Roo state, said the shooting happened at The BPM Festival after security personnel tried to stop a man with a gun from entering a nightclub. The other four people who were shot and killed at the club were not Americans, and three of them were part of the festival's security detail, he said.

Martinez said his sister was excited to attend the festival, which brings people from across the world to the beach resort on the Yucatan Peninsula.

"The night before she left she was at my house, and we were having dinner and we were talking about how she was going to come back and she was going to tell me about her trip and everything she did over there," he said. "I didn't know it was going to be the last time I would see her."

He said Villanueva was in college and working to provide for her ill mother and younger siblings.

"We're just trying to figure out how we're going to bring my sister back," he said. "We just want to say the last goodbye and see her for the last time."
Johanna Konta could not deliver the same brilliance that won her the title in Sydney last week but still proved too strong for Kirsten Flipkens as the British number one battled her way into the Australian Open second round.

Konta produced a scratchy performance in her opening match on Margaret Court Arena but it is a sign of her rising class that she could still convincingly overcome Flipkens, under-ranked at 70th in the world, 7-5 6-2.

The ninth seed will now face either Thai wildcard Luksika Kumkhum or Japans talented teenager Naomi Osaka in round two.

Johanna Konta (Andy Brownbill/AP)

Kontas breathtaking wins against Eugenie Bouchard and Agnieszka Radwanska at the Sydney International last week have many tipping her as a contender for the title here but this was not a vintage display from the 25-year-old, who can certainly play much better.

Flipkens played her part, a crafty and, at 31, experienced opponent but it was more Kontas 22 unforced errors, 12 from her usually reliable backhand side, that made the contest closer than it could have been.

It was incredibly tricky, Konta said on court afterwards.

She has the kind of game that can make any player feel really uncomfortable out there, the way shes able to use her slice and just her general creativity. Shes incredibly good at that.

Jo Konta is through. Beats Kirsten Flipkens 75 62, will play either Osaka or Kumkhum in 2R. Taking care of business, as she does. #AusOpen  WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) January 17, 2017

So I knew going into the match that I was going to have to stay patient and really just try to play myself into the match, as Im sure we both were. Im happy to have come through it.

Konta will have been pleased to finish in an hour and 36 minutes and, with an 11am start local time, before the peak heat set in, with temperatures expected to rise to 36 degrees Celsius in Melbourne.

She looked nervous, however, walking out on court and committed eight unforced errors in the opening three games alone.

It was not until a bee, floating around her skirt, interrupted her service that the Briton broke into a smile and appeared to relax. She instantly delivered a booming ace.

Nervy start from Konta. 8 unforced errors in opening 3 games. Hasn't yet found last week's groove. Flipkens up 3-2, on serve. #ausopen  Tom Allnutt (@TomAllnutt_) January 17, 2017

At 2-2, Konta found her groove, winning three of the next four games to lead 5-3, thanks to a break sealed with a driving backhand that was too hot for Flipkens to handle.

Serving for the set at 5-4, however, Konta wavered again as two loose backhands and then a double fault offered Flipkens her first of four break points, during a tense 10-minute game in which both players squandered chances.

Konta had two set points but failed to convert and instead it was Flipkens that levelled at 5-5 when a wayward backhand volley flew out.

Bit of a struggle but Konta take 1st set 7-5 v Flipkens. Not at her best but getting better. #ausopen  Tom Allnutt (@TomAllnutt_) January 17, 2017

At one stage in her career, Konta might have crumbled but now she is made of sterner stuff, proved again when she had to replay a break point she clearly would have won, as a wrong call out was corrected.

It made no difference. Konta broke for 6-5 and served out the first set to love.

The second frame was more straightforward for the Briton, who broke decisively at 2-2 with another trademark backhand winner. When the same shot flew past Flipkens a game later, the Belgian could only clap her racket in resignation.

One unusual moment soon after saw a Flipkens lob land down on her opponents foot, Konta misjudging the flight of a ball she thought was dropping out. The next point she fired off a backhand down the line and broke again for 5-2.
Serena Williams delivered an emphatic message about her form and fitness as the American breezed through a fiendish Australian Open first round against Belinda Bencic.

Williams has only played two competitive matches since the US Open in September and many predicted a tough test against Bencic, under-ranked due to injuries at 59 in the world.

The number two seed, however, showed few signs of rust on Rod Laver Arena, dispatching Switzerlands Bencic 6-4 6-3 to advance to round two.

Serena Williams (Andy Brownbill/AP)

Williams will now face the Czech Lucie Safarova in a repeat of 2015s French Open final, which the 22-time grand slam champion narrowly won in three sets.

After losing in the US Open last four in September, Williams skipped the rest of last year in a bid to overcome a niggling shoulder problem.

Her return in Auckland earlier this month did little to inspire confidence, however, as she was beaten by fellow American Madison Brengle, ranked 72nd in the world.

A very focused and sharp @serenawilliams wins her opening match... Americans looking good the first couple days @AustralianOpen  Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) January 17, 2017

Bencic has more pedigree, as well as a victory over Williams in their previous meeting in 2015, but she ran into the 35-year-old in defiant mood rather than struggling to rediscover her groove.

Williams hit eight aces - often a strong indicator of her form - and 30 winners, and despite a minor slip-up in the second set, never looked in danger of defeat.

#Serena on #Bencic: Shes such a great player, it was probably one of the toughest first round matches Ive ever played.#ausopen pic.twitter.com/EEfFRA0Oay  #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2017

She was just recently in the top 10 so I knew it would be one of the toughest first-round matches Ive ever played, Williams said afterwards.

Shes a really good player. So I think I was able to start out well. I just wasnt as aggressive at the end as I was during those games.
Heres the latest gossip and rumours from the newspapers and online:

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi (Adam Davy/PA)

Manchester City

100million

The Sun says Manchester City are prepared to pay Barcelona 100million to reunite the striker with Pep Guardiola. According to SunSport, the two clubs held negotiations last month to see whether the Premier League outift will pay a world record transfer fee.

Kieran Tierney

Rangers' James Tavernier and Celtic's Kieran Tierney battle for the ball (Jane Barlow/PA)

Manchester United

Undisclosed

The 19-year-old is attracting attention from a number of clubs, including Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal, according to The Mirror. The newspaper reported that the left-back has been watched, however, by Manchester United scouts in recent months. Jose Mourinhos side are considering a move for the 10million-rated defender.

Memphis Depay

Memphis Depay (Adam Davy/PA)

Lyon

10million

United could recoup Tierneys estimated 10million fee by offloading Depay to Lyon, with the Daily Mail suggesting the French side have already had two bids rejected. According to the newspaper, United want at least 17.5million for the Dutch international.

Vinicius Junior

Manchester United

Undisclosed

The Independent reports that Jose Mourinho has missed out on the Flamengo youngster, with the 16-year-old also attracting the attention of Arsenal and Barcelona. The newspaper reported that the player has a 30million buyout clause in his contract.

James McCarthy

Everton's James McCarthy (left) and Liverpool's Roberto Firmino battle for the ball (Martin Rickett/PA)

Sunderland

Swap deal

Everton boss Ronald Koeman will allow the midfielder to move to Sunderland  if defender Lamine Kone goes the other way as part of any transfer deal, claims the Daily Star. The arrival of Morgan Schneiderlin means the Republic of Ireland international could struggle to hold down a place in Koemans side.

Mauro Zarate

Mauro Zarate at West Ham (John Walton/PA)

Watford

Undisclosed
Theresa May is to give further details of her plans for Brexit in a speech in which she will declare she does not want an outcome which leaves the UK half-in, half-out of the European Union.

Extracts released by Downing Street in advance of the much-awaited address are likely to fuel speculation that the Prime Minister is ready to take Britain out of the European single market and customs union, though it remained unclear whether she will give a definitive answer on the question.

Mrs May will say that she wants a truly global Britain which will be more outward-looking than ever before and will remain the best friend and neighbour of the other 27 members of the EU.

Theresa May

Theresa May confirms a hard, destructive Brexit. Join the real voice of opposition today to hold her Govt to account https://t.co/UxdG6QNfgk https://t.co/FjY7sDug39  Tim Farron (@timfarron) January 17, 2017

But she will insist that she is not seeking to hold on to bits of membership or to achieve a partial or associate membership of the EU.

The pound tumbled below 1.20 US dollars on the eve of the London address, and a further day of market volatility is expected as nervous traders weigh up the possible impact of Mrs Mays comments on Britains future trading relationship with the continent.

Downing Street said that Mrs May will set out 12 negotiating priorities for the upcoming EU withdrawal talks, driven by the principles of certainty and clarity and the aims to make Britain stronger, fairer and truly global. But aides declined to spell out precise details of what the priorities will be.

Theresa May will set out 12 priorities for Brexit talks and expects to leave single market https://t.co/A8dB1tlyx9 pic.twitter.com/puLaOEExbf  Bloomberg UK (@BloombergUK) January 17, 2017

Mrs May is expected to say: I want this United Kingdom to emerge from this period of change stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than ever before.

I want us to be a secure, prosperous, tolerant country  a magnet for international talent and a home to the pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead.

I want us to be a truly Global Britain  the best friend and neighbour to our European partners, but a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe too. A country that gets out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike.

Jeremy: we will make the point about the access to EU market, enviro rights #brexit #marr  For The Many (@ForTheMany2020) January 15, 2017

Jeremy: we have to work around Brexit, Labour working with colleagues around EU. Other EU countries rely on cooperation #marr  For The Many (@ForTheMany2020) January 15, 2017

I want Britain to be what we have the potential and ambition to be: a great, global trading nation that is respected around the world and strong, confident and united at home.

In a message directed at other European leaders, Mrs May will state that it remains overwhelmingly in the UKs interests that the EU should succeed.

Our vote to leave the European Union was no rejection of the values we share, she will say. The decision to leave the EU represents no desire to become more distant to you, our friends and neighbours.
Detectives are at the hospital bedside of a suspect arrested after an explosion devastated two homes and left another man critical in intensive care.

The 33-year-old under arrest suffered burns to his face, arms and hands and will be undergoing surgery, following the suspected gas blast on Cecil Road in Blackley, Manchester, around 12.30pm on Monday.

He is being held on suspicion of causing an explosion likely to endanger life.

Emergency services at the scene of a house explosion on Cecil Road in Blackley (Danny Lawson/PA)

A 29-year-old man is critical and sedated in intensive care in hospital after suffering burns and being thrown a considerable distance from the property as the blast ripped through the house, police said.

A third man who lives at the rented end-terrace house was not at home at the time.

The blast devastated two properties and left other neighbouring homes damaged. Three other people were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Information on the house collapse in Blackley is available on our website: https://t.co/JCJYOERq56  Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (@manchesterfire) January 16, 2017

We're currently dealing with a house explosion on Blackley. More to follow... pic.twitter.com/bEHVGRd5ex  Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (@manchesterfire) January 16, 2017

A 75-year-old man living next door emerged unscathed but has had to be temporarily re-housed.

Locals have said there was a row at the house before the blast and two of the men who lived there were in a relationship.

Detectives today would not be drawn on the exact cause of the explosion or the lead-up to the blast.

Firefighters working together brilliantly with our colleagues from @gmpolice and @NWAmbulance. pic.twitter.com/fmekFJHuTD  Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (@manchesterfire) January 16, 2017

Detective Inspector Dave Sinclair, leading the investigation for Greater Manchester Police, said: Following some initial inquiries and investigations, we established there was evidence so suggest this was a criminal investigation.

We are keeping an open mind in terms of the exact cause of the explosion, but based on evidence we have gathered so far, Im satisfied at this stage we have evidence there is some criminality there.

Dog Units now investigating the scene. Firefighters have advised people to avoid the area which is covered in glass and debris. pic.twitter.com/Bk1MiVkasm  Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (@manchesterfire) January 16, 2017

We've shored up the building with timber to make it safe while we investigate what has happened pic.twitter.com/JZr5eWRYc1  Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (@manchesterfire) January 16, 2017

Mr Sinclair said further investigations will be carried out at the house, now a crime scene, once work with the fire service and building control has made the site structurally safe to enter.

He said witnesses had already come forward with really pivotal information but asked for anyone else with information to contact police.
Fed-up Southern Rail commuters have laid flowers and tributes - 'mourning their patience' as a union revealed it has finally called off planned strikes ahead of fresh talks tomorrow.

A three day protest has been launched by strike-weary passengers against Southern Rail to show transport chiefs that they are not happy with the service provided.

A series of set periods of industrial action by union chiefs has left thousands of commuters furious adding hours to their journeys into London.

Today, it emerged the train drivers' union is to suspend industrial action on Southern Railway ahead of fresh talks aimed at resolving a bitter dispute over driver-only trains.

A protest outside Victoria Station in response to ongoing crisis within the rail franchise

To show their dissatisfaction, travellers are leaving memorials and floral tributes at stations across the country

To show their dissatisfaction, travellers are leaving memorials and floral tributes at stations across the country.

One shrine set up at Edenbridge train station in Kent includes a basket of flowers with the words 'in memory of Southern Rail. Sadly missed' written on a card.

It was spotted by Laura Redhead, who took picture and posted it on Twitter with the hashtag - #passengerprotest.

The idea to set up memorials was prompted by train user Robin Marchant who started a Facebook page.

On it he writes: 'PLAN (sic) FOR TUESDAY 17th, WEDNESDAY 18th AND THURSDAY 19th JANUARY.

'Passengers are encouraged to lay flowers, messages, cards of sorrow, tombstones, anything they think appropriate at key locations across the Southern network.

'Think of other national outpourings of grief or tragedy. The group voted for this option via an online poll and this was the clear winner.

'An underlying principle of the protest is something passengers can do in their daily commute (struggle).'

He adds: 'This is to signify the death of our patience, the daily grief we find ourselves in.

'Yes it's a tad sombre, but the whole situation is causing misery to thousands.

'And I for one am 'right royally fed up'.

'It is to highlight to ALL the powers that be, that we are finding the ongoing situation quite desperate and want a resolution ASAP (yes an end to the industrial action but also a better service every other day).'

Passengers held behind barriers for 1 of four Caterham services during the strike last Tuesday

Mother-of-two Gemma Haley, made a cardboard tombstone reading 'here lies our sanity' and left it with some flowers at London's Victoria station.

The 42-year-old, from Brighton said: 'We moved down to Brighton in 2013 and it's never been great but the last month has been dreadful.

'It's been a long ongoing thing that never seems to reach a conclusion. My message was obvious - it's driving everyone insane.

'When you're paying four grand a year for a season ticket and you're treated like that it's just not acceptable.'

And at London's East Croydon station, IT worker Julien Collin left tulips and made a cardboard tombstone which read: 'RIP Southern rail, died painfully and slowly 2016 - 2017, I want my trains back.'

Julien, 26, said: 'I made a sign and bought some flowers to lay down at the station because it's extremely bad, even on non-strike days, and we need to show that we are fed up with it.

'My commute used to be okay but it's been like this since May now and this is the last straw.

'Sometimes I just can't get to work at all unless I find a different route.'

A passenger walks past a closed entrance to a platform used by Southern Rail at Clapham Junction station in London on January 10

Thousands of rail passengers have endured the consequences of the long-lasting industrial action by RMT and ASLEF over changes to the role of guards on new trains.

More strike days are scheduled for next week and there appears to be little optimism of any breakthrough in efforts to resolve the dispute.

Pictures post on Twitter show dozens of passengers displaying their disappointment with the firm.

@bollerwheeler said: 'Knocked up a quick placard for the passenger sanity/patience memorial site at Victoria #southernFail #southernrail #passengerprotest.'

@pierandpebbles added: '#southernFail The #passengerprotest has started at Brighton. RIP passenger patience, RIP Southern Rail'

@Shiverz said: 'Great to see passengers taking the opportunity to #strikeback! #southernfail #passengerprotest @marchantrs #VictoriaStation #deathofpatience'

The protests come on the day Southern Rail was voted the worst train firm in the country for customer satisfaction

The protests come on the day Southern Rail was voted the worst train firm in the country for customer satisfaction.

The annual Which? survey found Southern had a dismal customer score of just 21 per cent.

The two sides will meet on Wednesday under the joint chairmanship of TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady and Andy Meadows, HR director of rail firm Abellio.

Aslef said it has agreed to suspend three days of strikes scheduled for next week.

In a joint statement, Ms O'Grady and Mr Meadows said: 'We are committed to finding a fair solution to this dispute. We are pleased the parties have agreed to meet for meaningful talks.'

Hundreds of thousands of passengers were hit by three days of strikes last week and have endured months of disruption because of industrial action, staff shortages and other issues.

Charles Horton, chief executive of Southern's owner, Govia Thameslink Railway, said: 'We've always made clear our willingness to engage in meaningful talks with Aslef to find a route forward to end their dispute.

'So, together with our passengers and businesses, we warmly welcome their decision to suspend next week's planned industrial action.

ASLEF agrees to rail industry co-chair for Southern talks pic.twitter.com/mUDhnG5itT  ASLEF (@ASLEFunion) January 17, 2017

Charles Horton has welcomed the decision to suspend next week's strikes

'This is an important and significant development for the travelling public and the regional economy, and our focus and efforts now will be on productive talks with the union and trying to find a solution and a way forward.

'We are grateful to Frances O'Grady and Andy Meadows for agreeing to chair jointly this important new round of talks and they have our unequivocal endorsement and support.'
Theresa May has warned fellow EU nations she is ready to walk away from Brexit talks rather than accept a punitive deal.

In a speech setting out her 12 key objectives for EU withdrawal, Mrs May announced Britain will leave the European single market but will seek a bold and ambitious free trade agreement to allow it to continue doing business with its 27 former partners without having to pay huge sums into EU budgets.

The PM abandons the Single Market before a single word has been uttered across the negotiating table with our European partners.  James McGrory (@JamesMcGrory) January 17, 2017

Out of Single Market, out of Customs Union - and hoping for far flung countries to do good deals with us. May's gambling with our future.  Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) January 17, 2017

Mrs May confirmed she wants to take Britain out of the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and restore control over immigration.

She gave her strongest hint yet that the UK could leave the European customs union (CU), stating she wanted to ensure frictionless cross-border trade but had an open mind on whether that should be done through associate membership or a completely new customs agreement.

She announced MPs and peers will be given a vote on the final deal reached with the EU in Article 50 talks, due to be triggered by the end of March.

PM: The overwhelming majority of people, however they voted, want us to get on with it. So that is what we will do https://t.co/E3wh3n0mx4 pic.twitter.com/KB510CB8mD  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) January 17, 2017

Brexit Secretary David Davis later told the Commons the vote would not be an opportunity for MPs to prevent withdrawal, as defeat for the Government would not mean Britain staying in the EU, but leaving without a deal.

Today's second statement is from @DavidDavisMP on a new partnership with the EU. Watch https://t.co/P1jL92kf0E  UK House of Commons (@HouseofCommons) January 17, 2017

Mrs May said she was confident a trade deal and a new strategic partnership between the UK and the EU can be achieved within the two-year deadline set out in Article 50, insisting a good deal for Britain will also be good for Europe.

She warned: I know there are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path. That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe. And it would not be the act of a friend.

I can hardly believe that the PM is now using the phrases and words that I've been mocked for using for years. Real progress.  Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 17, 2017

My worry is how long this is going to take and when we will start doing a deal with the USA and others.  Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 17, 2017

Declaring that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain, Mrs May repeated Chancellor Philip Hammonds warning that if Europe refused easy access to the single market, the UK could change the basis of (its) economic model  effectively becoming a low-tax, low-regulation haven like Singapore off the shore of Europe, competing for business and investment with its former partners.

Mrs May said her plan would create a truly global Britain  a great, global trading nation that is respected around the world and strong, confident and united at home.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn warned she would turn the UK into a low-corporate taxation, bargain basement economy if the EU did not give her everything she wanted.

Official reaction from Europe was relatively muted, with European Council president Donald Tusk saying only that the remaining 27 members now had a more realistic view of Britains goals and were united and ready to negotiate.

Sad process, surrealistic times but at least more realistic announcement on #Brexit. EU27 united and ready to negotiate after Art. 50.  Charles Michel (@eucopresident) January 17, 2017

Addressing an audience including diplomats from around the world at Lancaster House  the venue for Margaret Thatchers speech arguing for single-market membership in 1988  Mrs May said she expected compromises on both sides during the two-year Brexit negotiation.

She said she was committed to 12 goals, including immigration controls, free trade with European markets and the freedom to strike deals with nations outside the EU.

We do not seek membership of the single market, she said.
Naomi Broady pushed local favourite Daria Gavrilova all the way but fell just short of inflicting another British upset in the Australian Open first round.

Heather Watson had earlier knocked out Australian number one Samantha Stosur in three nervy sets but, despite a courageous effort, Broady was unable to follow suit as world number 26 Gavrilova triumphed 3-6 6-4 7-5.

Great fight but not to be for Naomi #Broady at the #AusOpen as she falls to Gavrilova 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 #BackTheBrits  pic.twitter.com/5lTTpR2R9h  LTA (@the_LTA) January 17, 2017

Broadys defeat means Britain boast five players in the second round of the singles events in Melbourne for the first time since six made it through in 1987.

Watson and Johanna Konta are both through in the womens draw while Andy Murray, Dan Evans and Kyle Edmund progressed in the mens.

Gavrilova, meanwhile, who made the fourth round 12 months ago and is a hugely popular character here, goes through to meet Croatias 19-year-old Ana Konjuh.

Broady and Gavrilova are good friends from their time spent training together at the Mouratoglou Academy in France and after an enthralling battle lasting just under two hours on Margaret Court Arena, the pair shared a warm embrace at the net.

Im really glad I ended up winning, it was a really tough match, Gavrilova said afterwards.

Were good friends, we were chatting just before the match and I always knew we were going to have a big battle and thats what happened.

Daria Gavrilova

Broady, at 6ft 2in, owns a demon serve and she put it to good use, shooting 19 aces, many of them in pressure situations.

Once into the rallies, however, Gavrilova was the more composed, her 15 unforced errors to Broadys 31 ultimately proving decisive.
Saracens have agreed a deal to sign Northampton Saints flanker Calum Clark.

Clark will move to Allianz Park from the Saints in time for the beginning of next season.

The England international has put pen to paper on a three-year contract and becomes Saracens third signing for the 2017/18 campaign.

Calum Clark (David Davies/PA)

 "I feel very privileged to have been given an opportunity at Saracens & Im looking forward to a fresh start in the summer" - Calum Clark pic.twitter.com/B7qcnCfEFK  Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) January 17, 2017

The Aviva Premiership club have already agreed deals for Wales international Liam Williams and Toulouse hooker Christopher Tolofua to join in the summer.

Despite his departure being confirmed, Clark insists he will continue to give his best for the Saints.

I am very fortunate to have played for a great club like Northampton. Ive had a difficult 18 months on and off the field and I feel like I need a new challenge, said Clark.

As ever, I am fully committed to playing to the best of my ability for the remainder of my time at the club.

 "Calum is a very talented player & will fit in brilliantly here at Saracens. He is a player with his best years ahead of him" -Mark McCall pic.twitter.com/ujObmKiRif  Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) January 17, 2017

I feel very privileged to have been given an opportunity at Saracens. They are always a difficult side to play against and Im looking forward to taking on a new environment and getting a fresh start in the summer.

Since making his debut for Leeds a decade ago, Clark has established a reputation as one of the leagues finest back row forwards.

He moved to Northampton in 2010 and has gone on to represent England Saxons and England during his time at Franklins Gardens.
Prime Minister Theresa May delivered her most substantive speech on the Governments Brexit strategy since taking power six months ago.

Mrs May clarified the Government stance on Brexit, saying the UK will leave the single market, and that she was prepared to quit the EU without a deal, rather than accept a bad one.

The PM said both Houses of Parliament would have a vote on any final deal done with Brussels, as she signalled the Government could take Britain out of the Customs Union.

Mrs May again stated that Britain would take back control of immigration and no longer be under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice after leaving the EU.

Mrs May left it unclear whether such a vote would mean the UK staying in the EU, or leaving without a trade agreement in place.

PM: I want Britain to be what we have the potential, talent and ambition to be  a great, global trading nation https://t.co/E3wh3nhXoC pic.twitter.com/dfRQkSpKke  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) January 17, 2017

Friendly, but threatening. Mrs May stressed that the UK wanted to remain on close terms with the EU after Brexit, but warned of the consequences if the EU tried to punish Britain as an example to other countries.

I know there are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path. That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe, Mrs May said, as she implied the UK could retaliate by under-cutting EU tax rates to attract investment.

They were glad some clarity had finally been brought to the Government position, and responded well with the pound soaring more than 2% to over 1.23 US dollars, after it had slumped below 1.20 in recent days.

Much of the surge appeared to come after Mrs May said MPs and peers will be given the final say on any Brexit deal. The UK currency was also up 1.5% against the euro at 1.152.

Not very well. One German MEP, Jan Philipp Albrecht, a Green MEP for northern Germany, accused Mrs May of bluntly making fun of her electorate.

Sad: Everything what #May tells her British people to achieve would be possible inside the European Union but will be daydreams outside it.  Jan Philipp Albrecht (@JanAlbrecht) January 17, 2017

The European Union is not a menu where the #UK can freely pick and choose to their liking. #Brexit  Kathleen Van Brempt (@kvanbrempt) January 17, 2017

Swedish Moderate MEP Christofer Fjellner wrote that leaving the single market would come at a large cost for the UK.

UK leaving the single market will come at a large cost. Negotiating new free trade deals with others to compensate won't be any easy task!  Christofer Fjellner (@Fjellner) January 17, 2017

With new free trade agreements, the UK will be bound by new rules. In global rule-based trade, there is no such thing as total sovereignty.  Christofer Fjellner (@Fjellner) January 17, 2017

The president of the European Council Donald Tusk described the process as sad.

Sad process, surrealistic times but at least more realistic announcement on #Brexit. EU27 united and ready to negotiate after Art. 50.  Charles Michel (@eucopresident) January 17, 2017

The Supreme Court is set to announce its ruling on whether the PM, or Parliament, has the final say on triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty which formally starts the two year withdrawal negotiations with the EU.
The train drivers union is to suspend planned strikes and an overtime ban on Southern Railway after fresh talks were agreed aimed at resolving a bitter dispute over driver-only trains.

Officials from Aslef and the company will meet on Wednesday under the joint chairmanship of TUC general secretary Frances OGrady and Andy Meadows, HR director of rail firm Abellio.

Three days of strikes scheduled for next week have been suspended, while an overtime ban will end at midnight on Tuesday.

In a joint statement, Ms OGrady and Mr Meadows said: We are committed to finding a fair solution to this dispute. We are pleased the parties have agreed to meet for meaningful talks.

ASLEF agrees to rail industry co-chair for Southern talks pic.twitter.com/mUDhnG5itT  ASLEF (@ASLEFunion) January 17, 2017

Hundreds of thousands of passengers were hit by three days of strikes last week and have endured months of disruption because of industrial action, staff shortages and other issues.

Charles Horton, chief executive of Southerns owner, Govia Thameslink Railway, said: Weve always made clear our willingness to engage in meaningful talks with Aslef to find a route forward to end their dispute.

So, together with our passengers and businesses, we warmly welcome their decision to suspend next weeks planned industrial action.

Charles Horton has welcomed the decision to suspend next week's strikes

This is an important and significant development for the travelling public and the regional economy, and our focus and efforts now will be on productive talks with the union and trying to find a solution and a way forward.

We are grateful to Frances OGrady and Andy Meadows for agreeing to chair jointly this important new round of talks and they have our unequivocal endorsement and support.

ASLEF union have suspended all industrial action, including strikes due to take place on 24, 25 and 27 January https://t.co/kqdRefc0bq pic.twitter.com/5wgq4R0UYg  Southern (@SouthernRailUK) January 17, 2017

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are set to strike next Monday in a separate row over changes to the role of conductors.

The RMT has written to the TUC asking to be involved in the talks.
British air strikes have destroyed a site used by Islamic State (IS) as a base for drones in the battle for Mosul, the Ministry of Defence has said.

A pair of RAF Typhoons bombed the Mosul building used by the group, which the Government refers to as Daesh, on January 12, the MoD announced.

A statement from the ministry said: During the battle for Mosul, small armed remotely piloted aerial vehicles with grenades have been used by Daesh a number of times to harass Iraqi troops, with reports suggesting they have also been used to target civilian refugees.

A building in the southern area of central Mosul was identified as being used as a base for these drones and their operators. On Thursday 12 January a pair of Royal Air Force Typhoons targeted the site, demolishing the building with two Paveway IV guided bombs.

A Reaper drone watching over Iraqi forces in the citys south east also fired missiles on a number of terrorists armed with heavy and light machine guns, according to the MoD.

The following day, the ministry said, the same type of aircraft spotted a heavy rocket being loaded into a truck by opponents.

They and the vehicle were promptly struck by a Hellfire missile, the statement said.

It comes after Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said two million people were freed from the rule of IS in the course of last year, as US-led coalition forces gained ground in Iraq and Syria.

Sir Michael Fallon

Sir Michael, who is briefing MPs privately on the progress of operations against IS, described substantial progress in driving the group out of Iraq, with Mosul  its last stronghold in the country  expected to fall to Iraqi forces this year.

In Syria, he said the US-backed militias of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were closing around the IS capital of Raqqa.
Cracking German codes to unravel Nazi intelligence was one of the most important operations of the Second World War, a mission undertaken by thousands of Britains best minds.

But for Alan Turing, the most celebrated of the Enigma codebreakers, it appeared little more than a diversion from his true love  the pursuit of academic mathematics.

A notebook newly displayed at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire reveals Turing spent much of his spare time on his own work, unpicking and commentating on the language of mathematics itself.

Alan Turing's notebook

The 39-page book, privately bought last year for one million dollars and on loan to Bletchley Park, is thought to have been written when Turing was using his genius to decipher German codes.

But in his down-time he wrote Notes On Notations, a commentary on methodologies of other leading 20th Century mathematicians.

His nephew, Sir Dermot Turing, said: "Its quite clear that he saw the code-breaking activity as a sort of fun pursuit to be fitted in around the intervals of doing what he considered to be his real profession, which was academic mathematician."

He added: "This notebook is one of the things that he put together roughly at the same time that he was working on the Enigma problem. It is all about challenges that he saw in the way that we write down mathematical formulas.

"He thought that some things were completely counter-intuitive, so he is writing a critique about the way mathematicians write down their ideas. Its very different from the whole Enigma story that he was working on at the same time."

The notebook, one of just a handful of Turings written manuscripts in existence, reveals his wry approach to the way formulae were written by his contemporaries.

#OnThisDay in 1940, #Polish cryptologist Marian Rejewski broke the Enigma code in the presence of Alan Turing during their meeting in Paris. pic.twitter.com/eNO0TGR5JE  Polish Embassy UK  (@PolishEmbassyUK) January 17, 2017

He regarded some notation as "ugly" and "rather abortive", dismissing another as "somewhat to be deplored".

Sir Dermot said while the subject matter hindered deep psychological insight into Turing, the notebook revealed something of a sense of humour.

Turing left the notebook to close friend and student Robin Gandy, who wrote down his own dreams about Turing in a blank middle section.

Dr David Kenyon, research historian at Bletchley Park, said it was hard to overestimate the importance of Turings codebreaking techniques.
Sunderland endured another miserable night at Turf Moor as they were knocked out of the FA Cup following a 2-0 loss at Burnley.

The Clarets fifth successive victory in east Lancashire was earned through Sam Vokes first-half header and a second from substitute Andre Gray as they set up a home clash with Bristol City in the next round.

And they were barely troubled by their fellow Premier League side, beaten 4-1 at this venue on New Years Eve, as it took 88 minutes for George Honeyman to produce their first attempt on target shortly before they were booed off by the travelling support.

Sam Vokes scores for Burnley

FULL TIME: Burnley 2 - 0 Sunderland. #EmiratesFACup  Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) January 17, 2017

The third meeting in 18 days between these two sides saw a combined 10 changes made from the weekend Premier League XIs.

David Moyes had warned he would not risk the Black Cats Premier League status at the expense of a cup run yet he made just three changes, though top scorer Jermain Defoe was only on the bench, while his counterpart Sean Dyche made seven.

With the Clarets 10 points clear of the bottom three, the prospect of further FA Cup ties would surely be more attractive for Dyches men, who last made the fifth round in 2011.

Sam Vokes' goal is the difference at the break. #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/J9mUFyJmhO  Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) January 17, 2017

There was a more possession-based focus about Burnleys play, epitomised by the classy Steven Defour and the recently re-recruited Joey Barton, and Vito Mannone was kept busy, saving from Jeff Hendrick and George Boyd early on.

Barton, who scored the winner against Southampton on Saturday, nearly found the net again with a deflected effort from range that Mannone pushed away while the Sunderland stopper also had to push another Boyd attempt over the bar.

However, despite popping around passes in midfield, it was through a Vokes header on the stroke of half-time that they led as the Welshman got in front of Jason Denayer to guide a Tendayi Darikwa cross beyond Mannone and into the far corner.

47' Larsson curls a shot narrowly wide of the top corner from 25 yards out! Good effort from the Swede! pic.twitter.com/w662xQ4AsS  Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) January 17, 2017

Moyes side had not threatened Nick Popes goal, an issue they at least addressed shortly after the resumption with Sebastian Larsson curling a shot just over.

But it was still the hosts who looked more lively as Vokes was denied by a last-gasp Papy Djilobodji challenge and George Boyds volley into the ground was claimed by Mannone.

Defoes introduction just after the hour suggested Moyes was not content with a meek exit, not that the 12-goal striker was able to ignite them.

Hendrick could have put the tie to bed with just over 15 minutes remaining but waited too long to slip in Jon Flanagan, who had strayed offside by the time the Irishman released the ball.

Burnley need not worry given Sunderlands toothless attack and it was fittingly Gray who wrapped it up.

Eighteen days after scoring his first Premier League hat-trick, he finished off Boyds pass to beat Mannone once more with seven minutes remaining.
Thousands of UK holidaymakers in The Gambia are to be flown home amid growing concerns about political unrest in the west African nation.

Travel trade organisation Abta estimated there are around 2,000 people on package holidays in the country, with more than 1,500 others on flight-only trips.

The Foreign Office (FCO) is urging UK citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to the winter sun destination.

Thomas Cook triggered contingency plans to fly home its 985 package holiday customers over the next 48 hours, while about 2,500 flight-only travellers will be offered the earliest possible flight availability to return to the UK.

The Gambia Experience, part of Hampshire-based travel firm Serenity Holidays, said it is contacting its 225 package holiday customers and 109 flight-only customers in the country to provide details of their repatriation options.

A 90-day state of emergency has been declared in The Gambia, where political deadlock has led to a high risk of military intervention and civil disturbance, the FCO said.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all but essential travel to The Gambia. https://t.co/KGBL99hBpc pic.twitter.com/KR8qaPuEpv  UK In The Gambia (@UKinGambia) January 17, 2017

The international airport in the capital Banjul could be closed at short notice, according to the travel advice.

The Gambias president, Yahya Jammeh, has refused to hand over power after losing an election and on Tuesday banned acts of disobedience while urging security forces to maintain order.

A group of west African nations has threatened to take military action if Mr Jammeh does not cede power to his successor, Adama Barrow, this week.

We are aware that the #FCO has changed its level of advice to the #Gambia and now advises against all but essential travel  ABTA (@ABTAtravel) January 17, 2017

Advice for holidaymakers following the change in the level of #FCO advice to the #Gambia: https://t.co/V51wFxmCjs pic.twitter.com/kpc5uMFpHM  ABTA (@ABTAtravel) January 17, 2017

Abta advised British tourists on package holidays to contact their tour operator to arrange return flights, while anyone who has travelled independently should speak to their airline.

People with future bookings should contact their travel company to discuss the options.

It is understood that at least one flight carrying British holidaymakers flew to The Gambia as recently as Tuesday morning.

We advise against all but essential travel to The Gambia due to the uncertain political situation: https://t.co/FIsgePlj1A pic.twitter.com/70lLayMtYf  Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) January 18, 2017

Thomas Cook said a flight scheduled to fly from Manchester to The Gambia on Wednesday will depart without customers and bring the first groups of holidaymakers home.

Another four flights have been arranged from Banjul back to the UK on Wednesday  two to Manchester and two to Gatwick. The first flight is due to land in Manchester at 6.30pm.

A Thomas Cook spokesman said its staff will be flying to the country to assist on Wednesday.

Tourists lie on a beach in Gambia

The Gambias popularity as a winter sun destination has grown in recent years, with holidaymakers drawn to its white sandy beaches and tropical climate, and affordable deals.

However the country was thrown into political crisis in December when Mr Jammeh reneged on his acceptance of electoral defeat.

Mr Barrow, the countrys president-elect, left the country as the incumbent challenged the result in the courts.

The FCO said it has received reports that the sitting government has closed down opposition radio stations and made politically motivated arrests.
Davos elite faces evaporating trust in 'post-truth' era

By Ben Hirschler

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Trust in governments, companies and the media plunged last year as ballots from the United States to Britain to the Philippines rocked political establishments and scandals hit business.

The majority of people now believe the economic and political system is failing them, according to the annual Edelman Trust Barometer, released on Monday ahead of the Jan. 17-20 World Economic Forum (WEF).

"There's a sense that the system is broken," Richard Edelman, head of the communications marketing firm that commissioned the research, told Reuters.

"The most shocking statistic of this whole study is that half the people who are high-income, college-educated and well-informed also believe the system doesn't work."

The 3,000 business, political and academic leaders meeting in the Swiss Alps this week find themselves increasingly out of step with many voters and populist leaders around the world who distrust elites.

Governments and the media are now trusted by only 41 and 43 percent of people respectively, with confidence in news outlets down particularly sharply after a year in which "post-truth" become the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year.

Trust in business was slightly higher, at 52 percent, but it too has declined amid scandals, including Volkswagen's rigged diesel emission tests and Samsung Electronics' fire-prone smartphones.

The credibility of chief executives has fallen in every country surveyed, reaching a low of 18 percent in Japan, while the German figure was 28 percent and the U.S. 38 percent.

Trust in governments fell in 14 of the countries surveyed, with South Africa, where Davos regular President Jacob Zuma has faced persistent corruption allegations, ranked bottom with just 15 percent support.

As the first Chinese president to attend the WEF's annual forum in Davos, Xi Jinping may be reassured to learn that his government was ranked as the most trusted, with a 76 percent rating among those questioned.
Trump 'won't be worse than Obama,' says Venezuela's president

CARACAS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Venezuela's socialist leader said on Monday that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was the victim of a global "hate campaign" and could not be worse than outgoing Barack Obama.

On the campaign trail, the conservative Trump criticized Venezuela's ruling Socialists for oppressing their own people, but Maduro refrained from firing back in his first public comments on the Republican's election win.

"Let's wait and see what happens. Don't let's jump ahead of ourselves. I want to be prudent," he told a news conference.

"He won't be worse than Obama, that's all I dare say. Obama has left the world plagued by terrorism. In Latin America, he will be remembered for three coups."

Venezuela's government initially welcomed Obama's presidency but later soured on him, criticizing his "imperialist" foreign policy and accusing Washington of meddling to change governments in Brazil, Honduras and Paraguay.

"International media have speculated about Donald Trump," Maduro continued in brief comments about him.
PRESS DIGEST - Bulgaria - Jan 17

SOFIA, Jan 17 (Reuters) - These are some of the main stories in Bulgarian newspapers on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

-- Italian army airplane made a successful emergency landing at Sofia airport after one of its engines malfunctioned, the defence ministry said. (Trud, Standart, Monitor, 24 Chasa, Sega)

-- Prosecutors tendered in court an indictment against Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev on mismanagement charges linked wit the repairs of Russian made MiG-29 jet fighters. (Trud, Standart, Monitor, 24 Chasa)

-- Prosecutors raised a new charge against former head of Bulgarian intelligence service Kircho Kirov for misappropriating 5.1 million levs ($2.78 million)of the agency's funds. Kirov is already on trial for misappropriating another 4.7 million levs. He denies any wrongdoing. (Trud, Standart, Monitor, 24 Chasa)

24 CHASA - Bulgarian Orthodox Church has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for its role in saving 48,000 Jews during the Second World War.
Poland - Factors to Watch Jan 17

Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Tuesday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 1 hour):

FORTUM

Gas infrastructure worth more than 200 million zlotys ($48.76 million) that belongs to Duon, the company taken over by Finnish Fortum last year, has been put up for sale, Puls Biznesu daily said.

RAILWAYS

The European Commission is concerned with the slow pace of investments into Polish railways which are co-financed by the European Union, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily said.

PENSION FUNDS

Polish pension funds may be forced to sell shares worth 2 billion zlotys ($486.97 million) this year due to planned changes in the pension system, which assume pension funds conversion into mutual funds, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna said.

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

The leader of Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, plans to limit the number of terms for mayors of Polish cities, communes and towns to two, Gazeta Wyborcza daily said.

CONSTITUTIONAL TRIBUNAL

Venetian Panel's head Gianni Buquicchio is concerned about the recent changes to the Polish Constitutional Tribunal, according to Gazeta Wyborcza.

PARTY POLL

Support for PiS stayed at 37 percent in recent poll conducted for state pollster CBOS, while centrist Civic Platform (PO) enjoyed a 16-percent support. Nowoczesna, a liberal party, lost 5 percentage points to 9 percent, CBOS said.

SPACE

Poland aims to increase its market share in Europe's space industry to 3 percent by 2030, the daily Rzeczpospolita wrote, citing Pawel Pacek, a senior manager at the Polish Industrial Development Agency.

****Reuters has not verified stories reported by Polish media and does not vouch for their accuracy.****
Oink



As you know by now, we started an Act Blue page to thank congressional resisters to Trumpism -- the courageous men and women who are refusing to attend his inauguration. Please visit to see the updated list. When we started there were only 6... now there are over 3 dozen! And we've raised them over $5,000 from Blue America members who are grateful for their leadership. There's a long way to go. After all, 80 Members of Congress boycotted Nixon's second inauguration in 1973. I'd think today's Congress would do a lot better, wouldn't you?





any Democrat is going to their horror show, which I I asked several members to consider joining. Most of them said they had their own reasons for going. "As a matter of principle," one solid progressive told me, "I believe we have to respect the process and attend. I don't want a nation where the Republicans boycott a Democratic president." OK, he's entitled to his opinion although he certainly knows that the Republicans did far worse to a certain Democratic president than not attend his inauguration-- like refusing to consider his judicial nominees, for example. But fine. If someone wants to go, they can go. Several who I spoke to early in the week changed their minds after Trump's moronic tweet-rage against John Lewis. Others-- I suspect-- may have re-thought the political calculus. It's hard for me to understand whyDemocrat is going to their horror show, which I wrote about on Sunday , complete with clips of movies about resisting the Nazis in World War II.





Another congressman who is no fan of Trump's by any stretch of the imagination-- and has an excellent voting record-- told me he thinks boycotting the inauguration is "horrible politics. We won't win the majority by marginalizing ourselves from the middle of the country. We need to connect with them. We lost in part because we had no jobs message for Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Arkansas... I have a vision for how to bring jobs to those areas and encourage small business and opportunity there. And I will combine that with a real populism on paid maternity leave, Medicare for all, expanding Social Security... We can't marginalize ourselves from these communities. It will be a divided nation." OK, I agree that, ultimately, that's more important than the symbolism of the boycott.





patterns of behavior, not just a disagreement over a symbolic protest. Not even one senator is boycotting. A friend of mine close to the Cory Booker campaign told me they're thinking of having Booker stay away and using it to regain some of the credibility he lost when he voted last week against an amendment by Amy Klobuchar and Bernie Sanders to allow Americans to import and in most cases, re-import, pharmaceuticals from Canada. He has announced yet. (I'll eat my hat if he musters the guts to do it.) Neither, though, has Elizabeth Warren or even Bernie Sanders. I respect them and their strategies and I'm not going to hold it against them or anyone else-- just reward the ones who do what I feel is the right thing . What I hold against politicians has to do withof behavior, not just a disagreement over a symbolic protest.





By the way, a couple of hours ago, Jamie Raskin (D-MD) confirmed that he isn't going to Trump's thing. "For the last couple of weeks," he said in a statement to his constituents, "I have assumed that I would attend the inauguration of Donald Trump, obviously not to show any support for his politics but as a gesture of constitutionalism, simply to witness the peaceful transfer of power from President Obama to the new administration. But, as the hour approaches, I realize that I cannot bring myself to go. I wish that these were normal times and that I could sit and applaud the normal workings of government as I did when Maryland Governor Larry Hogan was inaugurated in 2015 in Annapolis. But these are not normal times and I cannot pretend as if they are. The moral and political legitimacy of this presidency are in the gravest doubt. I cannot get over Trumps refusal to deal seriously with the constitutional problems caused by his business entanglements with foreign governments and corporations. I cannot get past his stubborn denial of the enormity of Russias efforts to sabotage and undermine our presidential election (regardless of the victor). I cannot stomach his relentless trafficking in bigotry, misogyny and fear. And I am outraged and confounded by his continuing provocations against civil rights heroes, such as my colleague the great Congressman John Lewis, union leaders and other individual citizens. Given these dynamics and given that one can never have any confidence in what Trump might say or tweet, I cannot risk my presence at his inauguration being interpreted as any kind of endorsement of the normality of our situation. I will not attend the inauguration. I do not rejoice in this decision or take pride in it, any more than I would rejoice or take pride in going; the inauguration ceremony is just a fact of life now, and we must all deal with it as best we can. I am afraid that these kinds of searing moral and political conflicts are our destiny for a while."

Meanwhile Caitlin Johnstone wrote last week that a newly resilient progressive base is determined to hold conservaDems and the Establishment accountable . "Cory Booker," she wrote with some certitude, "can go ahead and bury his presidential ambitions in the backyard, next to his conscience and his childhood goldfish. They are dead. He will never be President. Not in 2020. Not ever." Why is she so sure? "Easy," she says.

After being used like store-brand toilet paper by the Democratic establishment throughout the entire election cycle, Berniecrats were hungry for blood. Democrat blood. The first head to stick up on behalf of the plutocrats against Bernie was going to get lopped off and bandied about the village as an example for all to see. That head was Cory Bookers. There will be others-- many others if they take too long to absorb the lesson-- but you never forget your first. Cory Bookers face now permanently occupies the Hillary Clinton slot. The crony capitalism slot. The I will put the profit margins of my corporate donors before your lives slot. Its possible that he could go on to have a long and sleazy Senate career if he avoids such spectacular lapses of judgment in the future, but he will never be President. He lost the progressive vote forever. This is as far as his political career advances.



And we may be certain that every Democrat in DC has taken note of this. The social media hammer that dropped on Booker came down fast and came down hard; very rarely will you see such immense public outrage about the vote of a single particular Senator on a single piece of legislation. Alternative media outlets were quick to follow the zeitgeist, fanning the flames and debunking Bookers pathetic defenses of his actions, and the typical establishment damage control mechanisms were powerless to stop any of this. It all happened right there online for everyone to see. Its still going on. The article you are currently reading is just one tiny spark in a massive inferno of rage that will never forget and will never forgive.



Booker knows this. Every Democrat on Capitol Hill knows this. Every politician and pundit within the liberal establishment knows this, whether they admit it or not. Politicians of the Democratic party are being scrutinized far more meticulously than any of them have ever experienced in their entire careers, and the ones who thought they could keep getting away with openly selling the 99 percent down the river for corporatist interests have now had those illusions shattered after seeing Bookers name dragged through the mud by that very 99 percent.





Madame Therese Defarge This changes everything. The political force that nearly thrust an outsider progressive into the White House despite every dirty trick in the book being used to sabotage him by the political establishment is still only just beginning to get a feel for its own strength. The Wall Street Democrats who are still reeling from the way their tried-and-true formula failed to work as it should are now realizing that the progressive base of their party can no longer be appeased by a little lip service to social justice and a cute sound bite criticizing Jeff Sessions. They are most definitely going to have to start walking the walk. If they do not, they will be destroyed. Progressives are finally done being doormats, and theyre ready to start kicking ass. And thank god. What we were doing was not working. What we were doing saw the decimation of the Democratic party throughout eight years of the continuation and expansion of all of the Bush administrations most toxic policies and an attempt to install a corporate crony war hawk into the White House who wanted to drag us into wars with both Syria and Russia. Thank god these lunatics are finally getting their fingers ripped from the steering wheel by force. Thank god the 99 percent are finally waking up to their own power.



Expect to see more heads join Cory Bookers on the spikes outside Capitol Hill. Get used to corporatism and corruption being treated more and more as a deal breaker and a disqualifier and less and less as an unfortunate normality in the Democratic party. The Berniecrats are the only Dems with the passion and drive necessary to determine the future of the party; everyone else is only in it for the bumper stickers. The progressives will win, and the establishment will lose. The only question is how much of a fight theyll try to put up.

It will be interesting to see "Berniecrats" fete Booker if he's the only, or even just the first, senator to announce he's boycotting the Trump inauguration. But he hasn't... not yet. Anyway, let's see which, if any, Democratic senators vote to confirm truly heinous monstrosities like Jeff Sessions, Scott Pruitt, Tom Price, Betsy DeVos, Wilbur Ross, Andrew Puzder, Steve Mnuchin... all people we all know mean real trouble for this country. Will Democrats who vote, for example, to confirm Jeff Sessions, be held responsible for his actions as Attorney General. They should be, right?
Romania - Factors to watch on Jan. 17

Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Tuesday.

DEBT TENDER

Romania sold 730.4 million lei ($171.87 million) worth of Dec. 2022 treasury bonds on Monday, more than double the planned amount, with the average accepted yield at 3.14 percent, central bank data showed.

FINMIN

Romania will need to reassess its public debt strategy to see whether potential U.S. policy changes will raise borrowing costs for dollar-denominated debt issues, in which case it could rely more on the domestic market, the finance minister said.

CEE MARKETS

Polish government bonds firmed on Monday after Fitch affirmed the country's 'A-' credit rating on Friday, with stable outlook, and Moody's did not update its own rating.

IMF

The International Monetary Fund's Romania mission chief Reza Baqir will be in Bucharest this week to meet the new government. Finance Minister Viorel Stefan said they will meet on Wednesday.

For the long-term Romanian diary, click on

For emerging markets economic events, click on

For an index of all diaries, click on
Philippines defence minister says China arms on islands worrying

MANILA, Jan 17 (Reuters) - China's recent installation of weapons on artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea was "very troubling", the Philippines' defence minister said on Tuesday, after Manila quietly protested Beijing's activities.

The Philippine foreign ministry sent a note verbale to the Chinese embassy last month after confirming a report from the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies about China's arms buildup in the Spratlys.

"The actions of China in militarising those disputed features are very troubling," Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement.

"They do not square with the Chinese government's rhetoric that its purpose is peaceful and friendly."

Lorenzana took a stronger line than Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, who on Tuesday refrained from criticising China but said the issue had to be handled carefully and the public should know "we are not sleeping on the job".

"When something happens that can pose us some kind of threats to our sovereignty rights we issue a note verbale so we can talk about it and make sure it is properly addressed," he told ANC television.

With billions of dollars of potential Chinese trade and investment at stake, the Philippines has a difficult balancing act in upholding its sovereignty claims while staying on the better terms that President Rodrigo Duterte has established with historic rival China.

Mischief Reef, one of the islands where China has modern weapons, is located within the Philippines' 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

For its part, the Philippines has decided to shelve planned upgrades to facilities on islands it controls, such as repairing an eroded runway, to avoid incurring China's wrath.

Lorenzana said a diplomatic protest was the correct procedure and despite warming relations with China, the government still had a duty to protect the national interest.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion of goods passes anually. An international arbitration ruling last year invalidated those claims.

China's artificial islands became a hot issue last week when the U.S. nominee for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, told a Senate hearing that Beijing should be repelled from, and then denied access to, the controversial islets.
Egypt's Sisi says cabinet reshuffle "very soon"

CAIRO, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will reshuffle his cabinet soon, he told state newspapers in an interview published on Tuesday.

"Yes, there will be a reshuffle and very soon ... We will fix what needs fixing and improve performance," Sisi said, without giving more details.

The last cabinet reshuffle took place in March, when Sisi named 10 new ministers including for the finance and investment portfolios.

Egypt is struggling to revive an economy that has been battered by an acute foreign currency crisis since a popular uprising in 2011 drove away tourists and foreign investors.

The central bank floated the pound in November and the government is pushing ahead with painful economic reforms after securing a $12 billion loan programme with the International Monetary Fund in November. These include fuel price hikes and the introduction of a value-added tax (VAT).
Philippines defence minister says China arms on islands worrying

MANILA, Jan 17 (Reuters) - China's recent installation of weapons on artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea was "very troubling", the Philippines' defence minister said on Tuesday, after Manila quietly protested against Beijing's activities.

The Philippine foreign ministry sent a note verbale to the Chinese embassy last month after confirming a report from the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies about China's arms buildup in the Spratlys.

"The actions of China in militarising those disputed features are very troubling," Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement.

"They do not square with the Chinese government's rhetoric that its purpose is peaceful and friendly."

Lorenzana took a stronger line than Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, who refrained on Tuesday from criticising China, but said the issue had to be handled carefully and the public should know "we are not sleeping on the job".

"When something happens that can pose us some kind of threats to our sovereignty rights we issue a note verbale so we can talk about it and make sure it is properly addressed," he told ANC television.

With billions of dollars of potential Chinese trade and investment at stake, the Philippines has a difficult balancing act in upholding its sovereignty claims while staying on the better terms President Rodrigo Duterte has established with historic rival China.

Mischief Reef, one of the islands where China has modern weapons, is located within the Philippines' 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

In Beijing, when asked about the Philippine protest, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China had the right to deploy on the Spratly islands "necessary and appropriate defense equipment to protect its sovereign territory".

At a daily briefing, she reiterated a call for two-way talks between China and maritime claimants, adding that work between China and relevant parties, including the Philippines, was "progressively lowering the temperature in the South China Sea".

The Philippines, for its part, has decided to shelve planned upgrades to facilities on islands it controls, such as repairing an eroded runway, to avoid incurring China's wrath.

Lorenzana said a diplomatic protest was the correct procedure and despite warming relations with China, the government still had a duty to protect the national interest.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion of goods passes annually. An international arbitration ruling last year invalidated those claims.

China's artificial islands became a hot issue last week when the U.S. nominee for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, told a Senate hearing that Beijing should be repelled from, and then denied access to, the controversial islets.
Boko Haram claims Nigeria university attack

BAUCHI/MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Islamist militant group Boko Haram has said it was behind Monday's twin suicide bombing at a university in north eastern Nigeria which killed two people.

A video featuring an audio recording purporting to be leader Abubakar Shekau was posted on social media late on Monday. Reuters was unable to verify if the voice was indeed his.

"The bomb that exploded on Monday morning, it's our brothers responsible for it," the recording said.

A professor at the University of Maiduguri and a child were killed and 17 people wounded in a twin suicide bombing, officials said on the day of the attack.

The group has stepped up attacks in the past few weeks as the end of the rainy season facilitates movements in the bush. Maiduguri is the provincial capital of northeast Nigeria's Borno state and the epicentre of Boko Haram's seven-year armed attempt to create a regional Islamic caliphate.

Boko Haram's insurgency has killed about 15,000 people and displaced more than 2 million. In early 2015, the group controlled an area the size of Belgium but has been pushed out from most of territory by the Nigerian military with help from neighbouring countries.
Global ship insurers to resume near full coverage for Iran oil -officials

By Osamu Tsukimori and Keith Wallis

TOKYO/SINGAPORE, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Global shipping insurers have devised a way to ensure nearly full coverage for Iranian oil exports from next month after striking a deal to provide cover without involving U.S.-domiciled reinsurers, officials in Tokyo and London said.

Restrictions on U.S. firms handling Iranian goods had greatly limited the number of reinsurers of cargoes, but the new arrangements - which essentially allow re-insurance of ships without the involvement of U.S. firms - should boost the number of eligible shipments.

That will provide a boon to Iran, which is trying to raise oil exports after most sanctions were lifted last year, though banking restrictions that remain in place that could cap any major rise in exports.

"There will be no U.S.-domiciled reinsurer participation on the 2017 IG reinsurance programme," Andrew Bardot, secretary and executive officer at the International Group (IG) of P&I Clubs in London told Reuters on Tuesday.

The new arrangements take effect on Feb. 20, he and other officials said.

"This will substantially address the potential shortfall in reinsurance recoveries in the event of Iranian-related claims," Bardot said in an email.

The sanctions were lifted after a landmark deal in 2015 with world powers that put constraints on Iran's nuclear activities.

But some prior U.S. sanctions remain in place, which had meant U.S. reinsurers could not participate in covering Iranian cargoes.

To plug the shortfall by U.S. insurers, the group of the world's top 13 ship insurers created so-called "fall-back" insurance last year, under which tankers carrying Iranian oil were insured up to around $830 million per ship.

That was below normal coverage for a tanker and risk-averse shippers refrained from lifting cargoes. However, it still allowed Iran to more than double crude exports from as low as about 1 million barrels per day (bpd) at the height of the sanctions. Iran's exports were as high as 3 million bpd before the sanctions.

From next month, normal coverage will apply up to $3.08 billion and compensation beyond that up to $7.8 billion for accidents and oil spills would be collected from shipping companies insured by P&I group members.

OBSTACLES REMAIN

Other obstacles to lifting Iranian oil remain though, including the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has described the nuclear deal as a "disaster" and threatened to scrap it, which could mean new oil export sanctions.

Additionally, owners may still not call on Iran because they could be banned from Saudi Arabian ports on subsequent voyages, a European supertanker broker said.

Saudi Arabia has banned tankers if they have previously carried Iran crude due to tensions between the countries over the conflict in Yemen, the shipbroker said.

There is a premium of between $4,000 to $12,000 per day for foreign-owned ships hired to transport Iranian crude compared with rates to transport crude from other Middle East countries, a Singapore-based supertanker broker said. That could also limit Iranian liftings.

Banking restrictions under the remaining U.S. sanctions are also likely to stay in place for some time and constrain Iran's trading activities, said Jonathan Hare, general counsel with Norwegian P&I club Skuld.

"I think the main obstacle for everyone remains the banking system," he said.

The government of Japan, one of the biggest buyers of Iranian crude, is working to extend a sovereign insurance scheme it started in 2012 to continue Iranian oil imports in the year starting in April, to cover any shortfalls from the P&I insurance, a senior government official told Reuters.

Iran has complied with a deadline under the 2015 accords to remove nuclear equipment called centrifuges from one of its atomic sites, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday.
Prominent Dutch lawyer Wakkie released in Spain

MADRID, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Prominent Dutch corporate lawyer Peter Wakkie has been released by Spanish police but remains under investigation after his arrest on Monday as part of a probe into the insolvency of Russian-Spanish telecom firm ZED+, a judicial source said.

Wakkie's spokesman Walter Samuels said Wakkie, who was appointed by a Dutch court in 2014 to be ZED+'s interim manager, had been interrogated for 14 hours by investigators before being released close to midnight.

"This was all very fake. Police were not clear about the charges," he said. Samuels added that he had only communicated briefly with Wakkie by text message since his release and was not sure of his current whereabouts.

The source from the Spanish investigation said Spain's anti-corruption prosecutor's office was seeking to charge Wakkie with belonging to a criminal organisation and making false claims of insolvency.

The charges have not yet been sent to an appointed examining judge to be approved, the source said, speaking anonymously.
At least two soldiers killed in fresh Ivory Coast unrest

By Ange Aboa

ABIDJAN, Jan 17 (Reuters) - At least two soldiers were killed in fresh unrest in Ivory Coast's capital and gunfire erupted in other cities on Tuesday, signaling further upheaval inside the security forces just as it seemed the government had settled a mutiny in the army.

Ivory Coast has emerged from a 2002-2011 crisis marked by two civil wars as one of the world's fastest-growing economies, but over the past two weeks it has struggled to cope with a public sector strike and growing tensions in the military.

Tuesday's unrest appeared to have started in the capital Yamoussoukro, just hours after the government began paying bonuses to former rebel fighters now serving in the army in line with a deal to end their mutiny earlier this month.

Men in uniform broke into the armoury at the Zambakro military training camp in the morning and also looted weapons from police stations.

An instructor at the camp said soldiers training there for a deployment as U.N. peacekeepers in Mali launched their uprising demanding that they too be included in the bonus payments. They later fled the city.

"I confirm that the soldiers from the battalion fled the camp and the city, leaving their weapons and vehicles at the camp," said the officer, who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the press.

He said two soldiers were killed when they approached a camp belonging to the elite Republican Guard and others were wounded and receiving treatment. A local journalist said he saw the bodies of the dead soldiers.

The officer said he had received information that six more soldiers were killed during clashes with members of the earlier mutiny, who had arrived from their base in the second-largest city, Bouake. There was no independent confirmation of those deaths.

"Our people went to Yamoussoukro to calm down the soldiers there. We don't want any more mutinies," said Sergeant Seydou Camara, one of the group's leaders.

Yamoussoukro is Ivory Coast's official capital, though all government ministries as well as parliament are located in the main commercial city, Abidjan.

MUTINY DEAL

Military sources said soldiers broke into the armoury of a naval base in the city's Yopougon neighbourhood in the afternoon.

"Everyone wants to be included in the 12 million CFA franc ($19,595) bonus. That's why the other soldiers started their movement today," said one soldier at the base.

Gunfire erupted inside a commando camp in Abidjan's Abobo neighbourhood after dark, according to military sources and a diplomat. There was no further information about who was shooting or why.

A helicopter could be heard circling above parts of Abidjan after nightfall.

Minor unrest was also reported in Man and Daloa, a major trading hub for Ivory Coast's world-leading cocoa sector, during the day.

In Bouake, the epicentre of the army revolt this month, members of the mutiny encircled the gendarmes' base to head off protests there.

Soldiers poured out of their barracks and seized Bouake on Jan. 6, and the mutiny quickly spread, forcing the government to capitulate to the mutineers' demands.

Negotiators for the mutineers say that, among other promises, the government agreed to pay bonuses of 12 million CFA francs each to about 8,400 soldiers, beginning with an instalment of 5 million.
India's Modi urges Chinese restraint as Trump handover nears

By Douglas Busvine

NEW DELHI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Growing military ambitions in the Asia-Pacific are creating security risks, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday in a coded message to China to exercise strategic restraint.

Although couched in diplomatic language and not mentioning China by name, Modi's remarks in a keynote foreign policy speech aligned New Delhi with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's intent to curb Beijing's regional clout.

"Rising ambition and rivalries are generally visible stress points," Modi told an audience of politicians and top military brass from 65 nations at a security conference in New Delhi.

"The steady increase in military power, resources and wealth in the Asia-Pacific has raised the stakes of security."

The U.S. Republican has, since his shock election victory in November over Democrat Hillary Clinton, called into question the "One China" policy that Washington has adhered to for decades.

His pick for secretary of state, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, also told a confirmation hearing that Beijing's militarisation of reclaimed islands in the disputed waters of the South China Sea must be stopped.

That is music to the ears of the foreign policy establishment in New Delhi, as are Trump's tentative - albeit in Washington controversial - overtures towards Russia's President Vladimir Putin, whom Modi on Tuesday called "an abiding friend".

EMERGING INDIA

Modi was addressing the second annual Raisina Dialogue, a geopolitical gathering in New Delhi sponsored by India's foreign ministry and the Observer Research Foundation, a think tank, that is competing for attention with the higher-profile World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Speaking in Davos, Chinese President Xi Jinping avoided mention of Trump and instead mounted a vigorous defence of free trade that the American president-elect has vowed to roll back to protect U.S. jobs.

Although many of the guests in New Delhi were former, rather than current prime ministers, they did include the top U.S. naval commander in the Pacific, Admiral Harry Harris.

Modi, elected on a nationalist platform in 2014, called for a rules-based security architecture in the Asia-Pacific that is "open, transparent, balanced and inclusive, and promote(s) dialogue and predictable behaviour rooted in international norms and respect for sovereignty."

That reflects not only India's concerns about the South China Sea, but fears that Beijing is threading a "string of pearls" in the Indian Ocean theatre by building strategic ports in countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Djibouti on the eastern coast of Africa.

India has maritime interests in all directions that are "strategic and significant", said Modi, whose country is the world's fourth-largest oil importer and juts southward from the Eurasian landmass into the strategic shipping lane running from the Middle East to the rising economies of the Asia-Pacific.

"Primary responsibility for security in the Indian Ocean rests with those who live in this region," he said.
Poland should increase military ties with USA - presidential adviser

By Pawel Sobczak and Lidia Kelly

WARSAW, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Poland should increase its military cooperation with the United States, a senior adviser to the Polish president said.

Krzysztof Szczerski, President Andrzej Duda's top foreign policy adviser, was speaking days before the new U.S. administration that has signalled a friendlier approach to Russia takes power in Washington.

Szczerski also suggested that Poland would welcome the re-election of Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany, Poland's largest trade partner with whom relations have soured since Polish conservatives came to power a year ago.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's friendly rhetoric towards Russia puts Poland, which has frosty ties with Moscow and fears President Vladimir Putin's influence over the region, in an awkward diplomatic position.

The country has just received the largest U.S. military reinforcement in Europe in decades under a planned NATO operation to strengthen its Eastern European allies in face of what the pact sees as a growing Russian aggression.

"First of all, we want to maintain and possibly deepen the current level of the (Poland-USA) military cooperation," Szczerski, who is also the chancellor of state in Duda's administration, told Reuters.

Moscow, which unnerved Eastern Europe by annexing Ukraine's Crimea in 2014, sees the NATO reinforcement in the region as a security threat. In retaliation, it has deployed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in its European exclave of Kaliningrad.

Although it is unlikely that 28-member NATO would change its deterrence policy any time soon, Szczerski said Warsaw wants a "political conversation" between Duda and Trump as soon as possible.

"Our task is to insist that the U.S. presence in Europe, including in Poland...lies in the interest of the United States and Poland, as well as of the alliance," he said.

MERKEL VISIT

The conservative Law and Justice (PiS) ruling party, fearing Germany's pre-eminence in Europe, has allowed relations with Berlin to deteriorate while shifting its foreign policy focus onto Britain.

Merkel is to visit Poland next month at the invitation of the Polish government in what diplomats are saying could be an attempt by Warsaw to repair ties, now that Britain is leaving the EU. Duda and his administration are PiS's allies.

"From the point of view of Polish-German relations and the future of this part of Europe in general, the stability of Germany politics is a value," Szczerski said, asked whether Poland would root for Merkel in the German elections this year.
In a display of startling intellectual dishonesty-- even for someone as laughably dishonest as Hate Talk Radio host Laura Ingraham, she has certainly changed her tune on Russia since Trump crawled out from underneath his reality TV celebrity. And she's now considering a run against Tim Kaine for his Virginia U.S. Senate seat. How serious is this? Her nascent campaign has already bought ingrahamsenate.net, ingrahamsenate.com, ingrahamforvirginia.com and ingraham2018.com. FascistsforIngraham.net is still available.





Trump did much better in Virginia than anyone expected-- 1,731,156 (45.0%) votes to Clinton's 1,916,845 (49.9%).





Two Republican junior congressmembers-- neither with any accomplishments whatsoever-- are also thinking about running: Barbara Comstock and Dave Brat. Ingraham is close to Senior Trumpanzee and once the old tweet up top started being circulated on Twitter yesterday, she immediately pulled it down.









Times over the weekend. Aside from acting as a cheerleader for Brexit, he's telling the Brits to trust murderous Russian tyrant and former KGB agent Vladimir Putin. In the wide-ranging interview, Mr Trump revealed: I wonder if she read Senor Trumpanzee's interview with London'sover the weekend. Aside from acting as a cheerleader for Brexit, he's telling the Brits to trust murderous Russian tyrant and former KGB agent Vladimir Putin. In the wide-ranging interview, Mr Trump revealed:

 He will agree a nuclear weapons reduction deal with President Putin of Russia in return for lifting US sanctions. He was highly critical of Russias intervention in Syria, however, describing it as a very bad thing that had led to a terrible humanitarian situation.



 Orders will be signed next Monday to strengthen Americas borders, which could include travel restrictions on Europeans coming to the US as well as extreme vetting for those entering America from parts of the world known for Islamist terrorism.



 He believes that Angela Merkel made a catastrophic mistake when she let more than a million migrants into Germany, adding that the EU had become a vehicle for Germany.



 He will start off by trusting Mrs Merkel and Mr Putin, but that might not last long.



Mr Trump was deeply critical of Americas foreign policy. He described the decision to invade Iraq as possibly the worst decision ever made in the history of our country, saying it was like throwing rocks into a beehive. He added that Afghanistan was going badly and that attempts to recapture Mosul had turned out to be a disaster.



On Russia, Mr Trump indicated that he hoped that a deal could be done to reduce nuclear capability in return for dropping some sanctions against Moscow. They have sanctions on Russia-- lets see if we can make some good deals with Russia. For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, thats part of it.
New Zealand presses Gulf states to finalise stalled trade deal

By Alexander Cornwell

DUBAI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - New Zealand is pressing to finalise a stalled free trade deal with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that includes two of the Middle East's largest economies, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Trade Minister Todd McClay visited the UAE and Kuwait this week in an effort to promote the deal with the GCC, his country's sixth largest trading partner. The GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

New Zealand wrapped up talks on the trade pact in 2009 but it has never been ratified.

"There is still some work to do but I'm optimistic we can make some pretty good progress in the course of this year," McClay told Reuters in an interview at the New Zealand Consulate in Dubai on Tuesday.

Two-way trade between New Zealand and the GCC is worth around NZ$3 billion ($2.16 billion) annually. New Zealand's main exports to the region include dairy, sheep meat and wood, key components in the Pacific nation's export basket.

McClay's regional visit follows a meeting with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi last September when both ministers agreed to complete the deal.

"The time is right to take those last steps to create the framework that will help business and trade grow between the GCC and New Zealand," McClay said.

Gulf states are undergoing a period of economic reform following more than two years of low global oil prices that forced a tightening of regional budgets.

McClay said the pressure of low oil prices and other changes in the global economy had prompted the Gulf states to rethink their policies on foreign trade.

BREXIT OPPORTUNITIES

New Zealand is also pursuing a trade deal with the European Union, with talks expected to start sometime this year. It also plans to start negotiations with the United Kingdom after it exits the EU.

McClay said it was "more than possible" to finalise a New Zealand-UK trade pact in two to three years once talks start.

"We will have to wait and see. It will really depend ultimately on what the formal trading relationship is between the UK and EU as to what we might consider," McClay said, adding that an agreement with the UK was "a little way away."

New Zealand is also watching what the incoming Trump administration will do with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a 12-nation Asia-Pacific trade pact to which Wellington is a signatory and which includes the United States but not China.

President-elect Donald Trump has said he will axe the agreement after he takes office on Jan. 20. The pact is awaiting ratification.

The new U.S. administration should be given the courtesy "to come to terms" with their trade policy, McClay said, adding that Washington needed to show leadership in trade.
Nigerian air force kills civilians by accident in northeastern strike - military official

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria Jan 17 (Reuters) - The Nigerian air force killed an unknown number of civilians by accident in an air strike on Tuesday against Islamist militant group Boko Haram in the northeast, a military official said.

Regional military commander General Lucky Irabor said the strike took place on Tuesday morning at Kala Balge Local Government in Borno state. He did not know how many people had been killed.
Lithuania to build fence along border with Russia's Kaliningrad

VILNIUS, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Lithuania plans to build a two-metre high wire fence along its border with the Russian region of Kaliningrad, its interior minister said on Tuesday, amid continued tensions between Moscow and the Baltic states, which are members of NATO.

Eimutis Misiunas acknowledged that such a fence would provide little defence against a full-blown military assault but said it underscored Lithuanians' concerns about a more assertive Russia and could also help prevent lesser cross-border incursions.

"As we evaluate the geopolitical threats, the Russian geopolitical threats, Lithuanian politicians have expressed their will that we need to have a physical barrier with such a country (as Russia)," Misiunas told Reuters.

"Such a fence will not stop tanks or other military equipment, but it will make illegal crossings harder", said Misiunas.

He cited the example of an Estonian security official detained by Russia in 2014, sentenced to 15 years hard labour and freed in 2015 in a prisoner exchange.

Russia said the official, Eston Kohver, had been caught on its territory, while Estonia said he had been abducted on its side of the border.

The Baltic republics, which won independence from Moscow in 1991 but remain home to ethnic Russian minorities, are also mindful that Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014 by first sending soldiers in unmarked uniforms and civilian clothes. They came to be known as the "little green men".

Lithuania has staged military exercises that simulated such a scenario involving undercover "little green men".

The new fence, which will cost 3.6 million euros and is due to be completed this year, will cover some 50 km of the border not already protected by lakes, rivers and swamps.

Kaliningrad, on the Baltic Sea, is the only Russian territory bordering Lithuania, whose eastern neighbour is Belarus.

Russia said in October that as part of routine drills it had moved ballistic nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles to Kaliningrad and deployed its S-400 air missile defence system there.

Lithuania, which joined the European Union and NATO in 2004, has focused until now on fortifying its long border with Belarus, which sees many more attempted illegal crossings than the Kaliningrad frontier.

The announcement of the fence plan comes in a week when Donald Trump is set to be inaugurated as U.S. president. During the election campaign Trump alarmed the Baltic states and other European allies by casting doubt on the U.S. commitment to NATO and praising Russian President Vladimir Putin.
U.S. antitrust agency sues Qualcomm over patent licensing

By Diane Bartz

WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Qualcomm Inc on Tuesday, accusing the company of using "anticompetitive" tactics to maintain its monopoly on a key semiconductor used in mobile phones.

The FTC, which works with the Justice Department to enforce antitrust law, said that San Diego-based Qualcomm used its dominant position as a supplier of certain phone chips to impose "onerous" supply and licensing terms on cellphone manufacturers and to weaken competitors.

Qualcomm said in a statement that it would "vigorously contest" the complaint and denied FTC allegations that it threatened to withhold chips in order to collect unreasonable licensing fees.

Qualcomm shares fell 4 percent to $64.19 on Tuesday.

The complaint is likely the agency's last major action under current Democratic Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, who will step down Feb. 10, and comes just days before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Friday.

Trump is expected to name Republican Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen as acting FTC chairwoman and will fill three vacancies that will reshape the agency.

Ramirez and fellow Democrat Terrell McSweeny voted to approve the complaint but Ohlhausen dissented, saying that the lawsuit was based on a "flawed legal theory ... that lacks economic and evidentiary support."

In its complaint, the FTC said the patents that Qualcomm sought to license are standard essential patents, which means that the industry uses them widely and they are supposed to be licensed on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.

The FTC complaint also accused Qualcomm of refusing to license some standard essential patents to rival chipmakers, and of entering into an exclusive deal with Apple Inc.

"Qualcomm's customers have accepted elevated royalties and other license terms that do not reflect an assessment of terms that a court or other neutral arbiter would determine to be fair and reasonable," the FTC said in its complaint.

The FTC asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose to order Qualcomm to end these practices.

For its part, Qualcomm accused the FTC of a last-minute dash to court.

"This is an extremely disappointing decision to rush to file a complaint on the eve of Chairwoman Ramirez's departure and the transition to a new administration," Don Rosenberg, Qualcomm general counsel, said in a statement. "We look forward to defending our business in federal court, where we are confident we will prevail."

The company has faced a series of antitrust rulings and investigations from regulators across the globe.

South Korea's antitrust regulator fined Qualcomm Inc 1.03 trillion won ($854 million) in December for what it called unfair practices in patent licensing, a decision the U.S. chipmaker said it will challenge in court.
An alleged fundraiser for Tamil rebels who has been fighting deportation from Canada for more than two decades has lost a key court battle after a federal judge dismissed his appeal.

The Federal Court upheld the deportation of Manickavasagam Suresh on the grounds he was a member of a terrorist organization and that he was complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The evidence adequately supported the Immigration and Refugee Boards finding that Suresh was a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE, Justice Richard Mosley wrote in his ruling.

The judge also found reasonable the IRBs finding that Suresh was a dedicated supporter who voluntarily worked on behalf of the LTTE and willingly followed the direction of the organizations leadership.

The Tigers were separatist guerrillas who fought for independence for Sri Lankas ethnic Tamil minority. In addition to fighting a ground war, they conducted numerous political assassinations and bombings.

In 1990, Suresh was allegedly sent to Toronto by the LTTE to help run the groups front organization, the World Tamil Movement, serving as its co-ordinator. But he was arrested in 1995 as a security risk.

Initially, Canadian authorities tried to deport him under a security certificate, which was upheld by the Federal Court. He fought the case to the Supreme Court, which ruled he could face torture if returned to his home country.

But the government continued to quietly push for his removal and in 2008, immigration officials drafted a report alleging he was inadmissible to Canada due to his membership in the WTM and his complicity in war crimes.

Following a hearing, the IRB ordered his deportation in 2015. The 40-page decision dismissing his appeal of that ruling was handed down on Jan. 10 but as of Monday had not yet been posted on the Federal Court website.

The Tamil Tigers ran a lucrative fundraising operation in Toronto and Montreal until the WTMs offices were raided by the RCMP in 2006. Among other things, the searches turned up appeals for money to buy weapons.

The WTM was placed on Canadas list of outlawed terrorist groups in 2008. In 2009, the Tamil rebels were defeated by Sri Lankan government forces, which have themselves been accused of committing war crimes during the lengthy conflict.(The Canadian National Post)
Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Faizer Mustapha said the much-delayed Delimitation Committee's report with the signatures of all five members was today handed over to him by Committee Chairman Ashoka Peries.

At a media briefing in Colombo he confirmed he had received the report signed by the five members and it would be gazetted in accordance with the Local Government Elections Act once the typing errors are corrected.

On an earlier occasion the refused to accept the final report of the Delimitation Committee on the basis that two of its five members had not signed the report.

Video by Janaka

Pix by Kushan Pathiraja
EMP Co-Founder and Chairman Chandranandana Diyunuge (right) exchanging agreement with Fenaka Corporation Limited- Managing Director Mr. Ahmed Shareef

Rapidly gaining recognition as a leading electro mechanical engineering solutions provider in the South Asian region, Electro Metal Pressings (Pvt) Ltd secured a hugely beneficial export agreement with Fenaka Corporation, the Government owned utility service provider of Maldives. Electro Metal Pressings (EMP) will supply Fenaka with the best in quality Synchronizing Panels and Medium Voltage (MV) feeding panels, conforming to accepted international standards.

With a growing portfolio of mega projects and customers, EMP is strengthening its stand in the industry through heavy investment in the most advanced technologies and the highest quality products. This dedication has seen the company partnering with leading global brands and suppliers such as Schneider, Rockwell Automation, Allen Bradley, LSIS, and Legrand. Today, with a fully equipped ultramodern factory premises located at Templeburg Industrial Estate Panagoda, EMP is aggressively moving outside Sri Lanka to mark a bigger regional footprint, with two country offices already in operation in Maldives and Bangladesh.

With the regional market being highly competitive, we are very thrilled that EMPs reputation has resulted in us being chosen as the preferred solutions provider by our Maldivian client, Shiral De Silva, Market Development Manager at EMP commented. The key differentiator is our service oriented approach in all projects, no matter where our client is located. In a country like the Maldives where geography and logistics are the biggest challenges, our integrated solutions and proven timely, expert services ensured the client that we are the best choice for this project. We look forward to meeting and exceeding their expectations.

Fenaka Corporation is a Government owned company in the Maldives, responsible for providing the island nation with utilities that cover electricity, water and sewage services. The company provides integrated, sustainable and eco-friendly utility services by implementing the finest standards in infrastructure and technologies.

Our focus has always been to offer our customers the very latest and best in products and technology, which also gave us the status of trailblazers in the local industry, Founder and Chairman Mr. ChandranandanaDiyunugestated As we expand our product and service offerings, our brand value as a company has rapidly increased not only in Sri Lanka but across the region enabling us to service a growing portfolio of foreign clients such as Fenaka Corporation.

Having specialized the design and fabrication of Low Voltage (LV) and Medium Voltage (MV) panel boards for all types of projects ranging from homes to mega constructions, EMP guarantees superior quality and best value engineering solutions, adhering to IEC international standards. The companys LV&MV Panels & Switchboards, including Synchronizing and Load Sharing Panels, have been awarded with the Ceylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) Green Mark  Gold Award for sustainable manufacturing. EMP is also the first Sri Lankan company to manufacture MV Panel Boards locally.

The Synchronizing Panels designed according to custom specifications by Fenaka, will be positioned across 24 islands in the Maldives. This new system will ensure a durable and stable energy supply to around 20pct of the countrys population, steadily building a future-proof national electricity grid. Each powerhouse consists of three generators that will be synchronized, with the power then being distributed to various islands. EMP manufactures a superior range of synchronizing panels, fabricated using premium quality international components.

The panel will be the heart of the power supply system to these islands, and that is why EMP has been trusted with producing the best and most reliable product with zero downtime, AmilaKaravita, Assistant GM of the Low and Medium Voltage Division at EMP elaborated. Therefore, all products will be supplied according to stringent technical specifications provided by the client, ensuring that maintenance too can be carried out on the panels while the power systems are in operation.

In a constantly evolving industry, EMP as a company always differentiated itself through guaranteed quality in our products, services, expertise and unparalleled aftersales support, Managing Director Mr. Suresh Thenuwara. We never compromised on quality, and today we are reaping huge benefits from this reputation, exploring the potential of foreign markets. We are proud to do our part to strengthen Sri Lankas economy through increased export revenue, and look forward to taking on more challenging projects from global clients.
The European Union (EU) had made certain requests to be met, which Sri Lanka could not agree under any circumstances-such as the enactment of right to engage in acts of homosexuality- when it considered the Sri Lankas application for GSP Plus, State Minister of Finance Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane said today.

He said the Sri Lankan government would meet the requests made by the EU in accordance with the law of the land and the Constitution and the EU must wait till Sri Lanka obtained Cabinet Approval and Parliament approval before proceeding with any action.

He told a news conference that it was unfair to make this kind of requests that directly affected the religious, social and cultural and sentiments of the people.

He said that Sri Lanka would implement only the requests she could carry out without harming the interests of any community.

Some proposals made by the EU have not been met even in certain European countries. Therefore, it is extremely difficult for Sri Lanka to go ahead with them. That is why, the Cabinet decided to totally remove certain clauses in the proposals, he added.

Minister Abeywardane said the EU had not made any demands or conditions as a prerequisite to renew GSP Plus as certain anti-national, anti-government elements and the Joint Opposition tried to make out, but only a few requests, which the Government rejected. (Sandun A. Jayasekera)
Both criminal and civil laws had been violated by IGP Pujith Jayasundara during the Hambantota Protest and it would be brought to the notice of foreign missions in Colombo, former external affairs Minister G.L. Peiris said.

He said violation of laws were carried out by the IGP out in the open and the Police clearly safeguarded the thugs and launched the attack on innocent protesters.

The entire country knows what happened. An elderly woman who became a victim of teargas passed away the next day of the unfortunate incident. This is not practiced in a democratic country. The Joint Opposition will inform the embassies, high commissions and international organizations in this regard, he told a news conference today.

He said they would also lodge a complaint with the National Police Commission over the issue. (Lahiru Pothmulla)
A 27-year-old Sri Lankan was arrested at Arichal Munai, 15 km from Tamil Nadu on Monday after he arrived by an illegal ferry, four days after another man from the island nation was held from the same area.

Police said Rochen (27) had told them he had come here from Vavuniya in the island nation after paying Rs 40,000 to a ferry operator, which dropped him and then went back.

On January 13, another Lankan national Prithviraj landed in the same area by an illegal ferry and was arrested. (Source: Hindustan Times)
Vinexpo has unveiled a new initiative - Vinexpo Explorer, the purpose of which is to bring wine buyers face-to-face with suppliers in a specific region or country.

The first country to step up is Austria, which together with Vinexpo organisers, will stage two days of tastings, vineyard tours, workshops and networking over lunches and dinners, culminating in a gala dinner in Vienna on September 12.

Vinexpo CEO Guillaume Deglise (pictured), in unveiling the initiative in London today (January 17), said: This is a revolutionary approach. It confirms our role as the leading partner of the wine and spirits industry.

Austrian Wine Marketing Boards ebullient managing director, Willi Klinger said: We are thrilled to host the first edition of Vinexpo Explorer.

Deglise said the format was to identify key buyers from markets Austria wanted to appeal to and invite them to attend the two-day event. To ensure they attracted buyers who were serious about buying Austrian wine, the buyers would be expected to pay for their own flights. Once in Austria, the AWMB would host them.

We wish to create a community of buyers who meet every year, in different places. We want our buyers to work. The workshops will make it more successful. We will arrange and organise One-to-Wine meetings, (first unveiled in 2015), between buyers and producers.

This high profile concept is a great opportunity for hosting a region or country so they can show their best to buyers, said Deglise.

Why Austria? Deglise said Austria had been a loyal supporter of Vinexpo show and Vinexpo had a strong relationship with the AWMB. He went on to say: Austria provides a full range of table wines from white, red, rose to sparkling. It has a good, positive image and has the potential to export. It was hot and rising, he said

For future Explorers, Deglise listed: the Douro, Sonoma, Western Australia, Greece, Sicily, Oregon, Languedoc. Even Scotland for whisky, he suggested, should they include spirits in the Explorer programme.

Klinger said that Explorer was a once in a century event: the opportunity to pull out bottles normally nobody gets to see.

He said Prowein was great for Europe and Germany, the latter being Austrias largest export market by far with a 54% share, by value. But he explained that Vinexpo had an expertise, Austria needed to lock into and it was providing unusual events, nobody else can give us.

We want to get their help (Vinexpos) with our internationalisation, He said that while Austria was not a large volume producer able to meet entry level prices. Nevertheless, it had the capability to increase exports by something in the region of 10m litres.

Klinger highlighted Asian markets and the Americas which Vinexpo could give Austria. He said he also wanted to take sales in the UK to 150 million before he retired in a few years. Therefore UK buyers would be well represented at the Explorer in Austria, probably circa 10 buyers (10%). Whereas German buyers would be very thin on the ground as they already represented two-thirds of Austrian exports and the average price per litre there was very low.

Deglise was anxious to reassure German buyers that they would get their fair share of representation at future Explorers.

Klinger listed Austrias top 10 export markets as: Germany, Switzerland, US, Netherlands, Sweden, China, Norway, Czech Republic, Italy and Finland with the UK coming in at 11th.
Leo Burnett Sri Lanka, the local office of the global advertising network Leo Burnett World wide,today launched the eighth edition of its Leo Art programme titled Art at the Fest at the Fairway Galle Literary Festival. The Leo Art exhibition will run until 15th January at the Fort Printers Hotel, featuring fifty iconic pieces of work, created by 10 talented contemporary Sri Lankan artists. The exhibition was inaugurated by Hon. Sagala Ratnayake, Minister of Law & Order and Southern Development, in the presence of several diplomats, VIP guests, the agency team, art enthusiasts and many distinguished members of the corporate community.

Leo Art was supported by its Platinum Sponsor Mastercard, who has always been at the forefront of promoting creativity in Sri Lanka and across the globe. Rocell, a company that has played a pioneering role in introducing an exemplary collection of floor and wall tiles to the local market, also joined Leo Burnett Sri Lanka as a partner of the event. This is the eighth successful season of Leo Art.The preview also featured renowned Sri Lankan author NayomiMunaweera who is resides in the United States,who read an extract from her latest book titled What Lies Between Us.

Commenting on the exhibition Ranil de Silva  Managing Director, Leo Burnett Sri Lanka, said: We are delighted that the eighth edition of our

Leo Art programme was successfully launched at the Fairway Galle Literary Fest, which is recognized as the countrys most prestigious literary event. Each year creative professionals and enthusiasts from across Sri Lanka and the region participate in the festival and it is truly an honour for us to host a season of Leo Art at this prestigious festival. The Leo Art programme is an important part of Leo Burnett Sri Lankas commitment to nurturing the countrys creative community. It started as a small-scale exhibition that we hosted in our quadrangle but now has evolved into a vibrant annual showcase of contemporary Sri Lankan art. We are truly proud of the programmes growth and look forward to its continued expansion. We took the programme to new heights and we are particularly grateful for the support which we received from our sponsors Mastercard and Rocell. We look forward to collectively working together with these partners in the future to support Sri Lankan Art.

This edition of Leo Art featured a diverse and vibrant array of work that have been created using a variety of styles, tools and techniques. Each artist created a collection specifically to be showcased at the festival, based on a personal theme. The artists who were selected to showcase their work at the festival have been regular participants of the Leo Art programme and include; Sanjeewa Kumara, J.C.Ratnayake, Vajira Gunawardena, Dileepa Jeewantha, Susil Senanayake, Thushara Dep,Prageeth Ratnayake, Chamila Gamage, Chiranthi Gunasekara and Sanjaya Bandara Senevirathna.

This year Leo Burnett Sri Lanka celebrates its 18thanniversary. Over the years, the agency has built many powerful brands and meaningful partnerships with its clients, whilst delivering gratifying results and gaining industry recognition in Sri Lanka, the region and globally. The company handles a diverse portfolio of clients; it is one of the worlds largest agency networks and is a member of the PublicisGroupe, the worlds fourth largest communications company.
Monetary rewards and politics had resulted in the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) earning an illegal profit more than Rs.1.2 billion, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)said today.

JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said this after last morning's meeting with the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) officials including its President Prof. Carlo Fonseka.

When asked by a journalist about the SLMC's response responded to the request made by the JVP for the SLMC to refrain from recognising those who pass out as doctors from SAITM, the JVP leader said money and politics had made the SLMC and the government to stand firm on this matter.

He said SLMC should follow the recommendations made by the 10-member committee it had appointed.

The ten member committee comprising Prof. Rezvi Sheriff, Dr. L.B.L. de Alwis, Prof. Nilanthi de Silva, Prof. Ranil Fernando, Prof. Ranjani Gamage, Prof. Wasantha Gunathunga, Dr. B.J.C. Perera, Dr. Hemantha Perera, Prof. K. Sivapalan and Dr. H.M.S.S.D. Herath had recommended that SAITM graduates were not suitable to practice the medical profession given the number of shortcomings in that institution, the JVP leader said. (Yohan Perera)

Video by Buddhi
A SLAF Flight Lieutenant was today arrested by Customs officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), when attempting to smuggle eight bottles of foreign liquor into the country, Airport Customs Deputy Director Parakrama Basnayake said.

He said the arrest was made at the airport tarmac when the Flt. Lieut. was on the verge of removing the bottles bypassing the Customs.

Mr. Basnayake alleged that the Flt Lieut. had smuggled 40 bottles of foreign liquor on five earlier occasions. Investigations had revealed that these bottles had been given to him by Indian passengers to be taken out of the airport. The suspect was handed over to the Air Force Police for further investigations.

Meanwhile, Air Force Spokesman Gihan Seneviratne said the Air Force was unable to make any comments on the incident on the basis that investigations were continuing. (Chaturanga Pradeep)
Sri Lankas premier and number one fruit juice brand Sunquick has once again commenced its annual consumer promotion, Sunquick Drink & Win, from January onwards. This mega promotion commencedon 5thJanuary 2017 and will continue till 11thMarch 2017. Those who take part in the promotion stand a chance to win a brand new double door Sisil refrigerator.

To qualify for the competition, Sunquick customers must post the plastic seal on the lid of the Sunquick bottle with their name, address and telephone number to Sunquick Drink& Win P.O Box 161, Colombo.

Sunquick propaganda units will visit over 115 towns during the promotion. The customers can hand over their entries to the propaganda vehicles as well.

The promotion has been specially designed to recognize and reward Sunquick brand loyalists. Taking into consideration the enormous number of entries and the overwhelming response received for the promotions during the past four years, Scan Products Division has increased the number of Sisil double-door refrigerators to be awarded this year. Through the partnership with Sisil World, a 100 numbers of refrigerators are out for grabs for Sunquick drinkers.

Sunquick is a Danish brand that is consumed by millions in over 120 countries around the world. In Sri Lanka, the Scan Products Division of C. W Mackie PLC serves as Sunquicks local distributor. As a family friendly drink the brand provides the natural taste of fruits without contamination of artificial flavors and coloring.

Scan Products Division which is the FMCG arm of the diversified business conglomerate C. W Mackie PLC, with its hybrid vertical marketing and distribution channels, penetratesinto the different consumer markets with their multi-channel specific - Traditional Trade, Modern Trade, HORECA Food Service Sector Channel, Independent Supermarket sector channel and Institutional Distribution. Its product brand portfolio consists of well-known brands such as Sunquick, Jumbo Peanuts, Kotagala Kahata, Scan branded bottled water, Ocean Fresh Tuna, KVC Products, N Joy Coconut Oil, which have been able to win the hearts of the Sri Lankan consumers.

Scan Products testing laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and staffed with skilled and experienced personnel. Comparative tests are performed on products in accordance with local and international regulatory standards. It is only after every single bottle meets with internal quality standards and fully conforms to the international standards, that it leaves the plant to be enjoyed by consumers.
Amidst all the political drama this week, one could be forgiven for not noting the 25th anniversary of the Chapultepec Peace Agreement. Chapultepec was the agreement that brought a negotiated end to El Salvadors civil war, a 12-year conflict between a repressive military government and leftist rebels united under the banner of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN). The Salvadoran conflict was notable for its tremendous human cost. By the conflicts end, over a million people had been internally displaced or fled abroad and an estimated 75,000 Salvadorans were killed, many of them civilians. All this, in a country whose territory is slightly smaller than New Hampshire.

The resolution achieved at Chapultepec was comprehensive. It established a new police force and stripped the military of its internal powers. It established a truth commission and put into place a UN peace operation. It also tackled the issue of land redistribution, targeting a problem of landlessness that had plagued the country since colonial times. With such lofty intentions, it was bound to fall short on some measures: The Truth Commissions work was rushed, land redistribution efforts were limited in scope, and womens issues were almost completely left out of the accorddespite the presence of women at the negotiating table.

These are all factors worth acknowledging, but to me it seems like the true story of El Salvadors uneasy peace is one of unintended consequences. The widespread violence and displacement of 20-25% of the countrys population meant that many Salvadorans fled the country, and many of those ended up in the United States. According to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), just 95,000 Salvadorans lived in the U.S. before the war, but over 300,000 more came during the conflict. The vast majority of applications for asylum were denied, which left many Salvadoran arrivals without legal statusundocumented, but unwilling or unable to return home.

One of the unintended consequences of the war, then, has been the growth of the Salvadoran population in the United States. Another has been El Salvadors growing dependency on the remittances that U.S.-based Salvadorans send home. Today there are over 2 million people of Salvadoran descent in the United States, and as the population has grown, so have the value of the remittances they send back. MPI estimated total remittances at $3.6 billion in 2012, a staggering figure considering that just 8% of Salvadorans in the U.S. hold a college degree.

Another, more unfortunate consequence has been the spiraling of organized crime in El Salvador. The country has, in recent years, had the highest peacetime murder rate in the world. In the first months of 2016, about one person per hour was murdered. Some of the countrys deadliest gangs got their start on the streets of the United States, where young men who were living undocumented turned to crime. Those who were apprehended and deported back to El Salvador became the leaders of gangs like MS-13, which now has an annual revenue of $31.2 million. Today El Salvadors gangs are 60,000 members strong, they extort 70% of businesses in the country, and their activity costs the economy an estimated $4 billion per year. An attempt to negotiate with gangs drove a former president into exile, and the threat of gang violence has spurred a wave of unaccompanied children into the U.S. since 2013.

Last year, I visited San Salvador on the 24th anniversary of Chapultepec. Ever since, I have thought a lot about what lessons El Salvador might have for todays conflicts. Certainly, there is a world of difference between an El Salvador and a Syria, Yemen, or South Sudan; but my mind keeps coming back to issues of refugees and displacement. If El Salvador is any indication, we should prepare ourselves for a reality in which the displacement weve witnessed in recent years becomes permanent. There simply is going to be a community of Syrian-Americans, Syrian-Canadians, and so on, who will be able to trace their histories back to these years. Along with the genetic ties they create, they will also likely form economic and social ties between their old and new homes that will prove resilient for decades to come.

However, El Salvador also offers a cautionary tale about acceptance. Most Salvadorans in the U.S. saw their asylum applications denied in the 1980s, but it turns out that people dont just pick up and move back to a war zone because they cant get papers. If leaders in North America and Europe collectively shut their doors to asylum seekers now, the same will probably be true. People find ways to endure. And what becomes of a large, undocumented, marginalized, and (on average) young population? Weve seen that as well only this time it will be a different sort of gang waiting to capitalize on disaffected youth.

In addition to the 25th anniversary of Chapultepec, El Salvador recently had its first day in nearly two years without a murder. MS-13 leaders have expressed a willingness to negotiate with the government, but there is clearly a long road ahead as the country continues to navigate its current crisis. Its worth paying attention, because the post-war war they are fighting may be a sign of things to come.
Over the weekend, Donald Trump gave an interview with Michael Gove of The Times of London and Kai Diekmann, a former editor of the German newspaper Bild. (The interview is behind a paywall, but you can register for free for access to two articles a week from The Times.)

There has been ample coverage in the press (see here, here), focusing on Trumps ambivalence to NATO (obsolete very important), hostility to the European Union (Personally, I dont think it matters much for the United States), and equal regard for Angela Merkel and Putin (Well, I start off trusting both  but lets see how long that lasts. It may not last long at all.)

A friend on Facebook said she was struggling with explaining Trumps foreign policy strategy. A number of people weighed in with suppositions about his business relationships in Russia, whether or not he is subject to blackmail from compromising information.

Leaving that aside, even in the absence of some specific connection between Trump and Russia, what might explain his coziness to Russia, his disdain for NATO, the EU, traditional allies? Or, put a little differently, since first-level analysis of individuals and agency is in vogue again, how can we understand Donald Trumps worldview?

Tom Wrights Politico piece from a year ago January 2016 is seen as one of the most accurate and helpful depictions of Trumps worldview, and his forthcoming book will anchor Trumps rise in the wider geo-strategic context. Wright focuses on Trumps mercantilism and perception that the U.S. has gotten a raw deal from the liberal order and that alliances are sapping the country of resources. On Russia, Wright attributes Trumps views to his general appreciation for authoritarians.

I think thats generally right, but another idea woke me up at 2am last night and led me to some bleary-eyed tweets. Here is what I said.

Trumps Core Principle: Economic Competitors Are Not Our Friends

Trumps core concerns are about trade and manufacturing competition. Europe, China, Japan, and Mexico are competitors, hence are not our friends. We dont compete with Russia on trade so it is a natural ally in Trumps way of thinking. Since Trump mainly cares about trade competition over jobs and manufacturing, it is relatively easy for him to see Russia as a potential ally. In the security sphere, Trump might care about ISIS, but it doesnt seem like he thinks we need traditional allies for that mission.

Trump doesnt care about Europe because he sees as economic competitor rather than ally. Same motivates hostile attitude towards China. /1  Josh Busby (@busbyj2) January 17, 2017

Same for Japan. Russia okay to cozy up to because they dont make anything 2/  Josh Busby (@busbyj2) January 17, 2017

UK probably okay because too small on its own to get good trade deal. Maybe less competition in manufacturing 3/  Josh Busby (@busbyj2) January 17, 2017

Mexico again seen as economic competitor, hence much bashing for immigrants, trade deals, job relocation. 4/  Josh Busby (@busbyj2) January 17, 2017

Trump would probably cut Taiwan, South China Sea loose if China gave US a better deal on trade 5/  Josh Busby (@busbyj2) January 17, 2017

Europe: NATO is Obsolete and the EU is a Vehicle for Germany

Allies in the security sphere are for Trump burdens who we have to pay for. In his view, the wider benefits of the liberal order are tiny, and he ignores evidence of local burden-sharing and focuses on scofflaws in NATO and Asia who arent willing to pay for their own defense. From the weekend interview, he focuses on those who are not paying their share. (To be fair, President Obama expressed concern for burden-sharing as well, but the tone was different). Here, Trump is more dismissive of NATO:

Britain is paying. Theres five countries that are paying what theyre supposed to. Five. Its not much, from 22.

I think this sense that Europe is a trade competitor helps explain Trumps willingness to threaten German companies with trade sanctions if they try to make products, particularly in Mexico, and export them to the United States. From the interview:

I would tell BMW if they think theyre gonna build a plant in Mexico and sell cars into the US without a 35 per cent tax, its not gonna happen, its not gonna happen  so if they want to build cars for the world I would say wish them luck  they can build cars for the US but theyll be paying a 35 per cent tax on every car that comes into the country.

Similarly, his comments on the need for fair exchange with Germany are illustrative:

I mean Germany is a great country, great manufacturing country  you go down Fifth Avenue everybody has a Mercedes-Benz in front of their building, right  the fact is that its been very unfair to the US, its not a two-way street. How many Chevrolets do you see in Germany? Maybe none  not too many  how many  you dont see anything over there  its a one-way street  its gotta be a two-way street  I want it to be fair but its gotta be a two-way street and thats why were losing almost $800, think of it, $800 billion a year in trade so that will stop.

Trump sees the European Union as a vehicle for Germany to outcompete the United States and that its vitality is not important to the United States:

Personally, I dont think it matters much for the United States. I never thought it mattered. Look, the EU was formed, partially, to beat the United States on trade, OK? So, I dont really care whether its separate or together, to me it doesnt matter.

Japan: We are Getting Ripped Off

During the campaign, Trump made similar comments about Japan, as if his understanding of the country is frozen in the 1980s Michael Crichton-era depiction of Rising Sun. In an interview to Oprah in 1988, this is what Trump said about Japan:

We let Japan come and dump everything in our markets. Its not free trade. If you go ever to Japan and try to sell something, forget about it, its almost impossible. They dont have laws against it, they just make it impossible. They come over here they sell their cars, their VCRs, they knock the hell out of our companies.

Trumps views have hardly evolved. In a March 2016 Republican debate, Trump invoked Japan again as an unfair competitor:

As far as domestic policy and trade which is killing our country, he said free trade and I believe in free trade also. But, if you look at China, and you look Japan, and if you look at Mexico, both at the border, by the way, where theyre killing us.

Again, defending Japan in Trumps worldview is the suckers payoff. During the campaign, Trump said about the alliance with Japan:

If were attacked, Japan doesnt have to do anything. They can sit home and watch Sony television, OK?. They have to pay. Because this isnt 40 years ago, Its got to be a two-way street.

China: We Are Getting Ripped Off Again

I think Trumps hyper-emphasis on trade competition leads Trump in to both elevation of the potential for disputes with China but also helps understand why he might write off Taiwan and disputes over the South China Sea if China gives Trump a better deal on trade. This helps understand why Trump was so quick to challenge Chinas One China policy but also how quickly he might abandon Taiwan if his other objectives are met.

Some have seen remarks by Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson and others as an indication that Trump is elevating the strategic threat of China and that explains Trumps willingness to embrace Russia. However, I wonder how deeply committed Trump is to an anti-China policy in terms of a strategic threat. I wouldnt be surprised if Trump would be happy to let China have a sphere of influence in Asia if they delivered a better deal on trade.

In any event, we shall soon have a better sense of how important institutions are in constraining President Trump or whether such first-level analysis of his worldview becomes increasingly critical to anticipating what he will do.
This World Politics in a Time of Populist Nationalism (WPTPN) guest post is written by Malliga Och and Jennifer M. Piscopo. Dr. Och (on Twitter @malligao) is an Assistant Professor in the Global Studies and Languages Department at Idaho State University. Her research focus on womens political representation in conservative parties and she is the co-editor with Shauna Shames of The Right Women. Republican Activists, Candidates, and Legislators (forthcoming Praeger Press, 2017). Dr. Piscopo (on Twitter@Jennpiscopo) is Assistant Professor of Politics at Occidental College and a 2016-2017 Visiting Scholar at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University. Her research on women, representation, and gender quotas has appeared in numerous academic journals.

Donald Trump swaggered along the U.S. campaign trail, a hyper-masculine figure whose braggadocio extended to celebrating sexual assault. In France, Marine le Pen clothes anti-Muslim rhetoric in language about protecting womens equality, rights, and bodily freedom. The majority of white women and men voted for Trump, but with a notable gender gap of 53 and 63 percent respectively. By contrast, the gender gap for populist support is narrowing in France, with Le Pen gaining support among female voters (Mayer 2013, 172). Populist movements have differentially affected men and women in their roles as party leaders, parliamentary candidates, and voters, but these outcomes are not consistent across regions or cases (de Lange and Mugge 2015; Kampwirth 2010). Yet understanding the gendered dimensions of the populist resurgence is critical for explaining why and how these parties cement their appeal.

Using examples from Latin America and Western Europe, we argue that todays populist parties exhibit an interesting paradox between emphasizing traditional social values and tapping into womens political ambitions to move from support roles and to the frontlines. Related, whom populist parties frame as the other shapes womens opportunities as leaders and candidates, as well as the campaign rhetoric. As scholars long have noted, populism is characterized by the direct, unmediated relationship between a charismatic leader and the people (Kampwirth 2010), who are usually in opposition to an internal or external enemy. The framing of this enemy critically shapes the gendered effects of populist movements.

In Latin America in mid-century, right-wing leaders mobilized against the perceived communist threat. Contemporary left-wing populists and ethnopopulistssuch as Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and Evo Morales in Boliva, respectivelymobilize against the traditional economic elites, who are largely of Hispanic-origin. Because these economic elites cooperated with international development agencies to implement neoliberal reforms, left-wing populism in Latin America commonly takes an anti-imperialist bent.

Mobilization against these two different enemiescommunism in mid-century and imperialism todayhas both benefited and restricted womens rights. On the one hand, the pressure to appear politically and economically modern has led Latin Americas populist leaders to grant women certain benefits, such as labor and voting rights in the mid-century and access to day care creches and family subsidies today (Kampwirth 2010; Hall 2006). On the other hand, these benefits incorporate female citizens into the polity by relying on traditional gender norms. Both right- and left-wing populism in Latin America expresses hostility to or skepticism of feminism (Kampwirth 2010): anti-communists championed traditional family values as necessary for stabilizing the nation, and anti-imperialists argue that feminism reflects the concerns of upper-class, Hispanic-origin women, while overlooking the marginalization and struggles of poor or indigenous women. And because some indigenous traditions emphasize gender complementarity over gender equality (the notion that women and men are equal in their different social roles), indigenous women face uphill battles to participate in political parties that champion multiculturalism and inclusion while remaining highly patriarchal (Htun and Ossa 2013; Rousseau 2011).

In Europe, the other are immigrants, largely of Muslim origin, whom populist right parties see as threatening traditional Western ways of life (de Lange and Mugge 2015). As a result, the gendered implications of populist mobilization in Western Europe have varied considerably from those in Latin America. In particularly, populist movements and parties across Europe have turned their attention to gender equality (at least insofar as it benefits white women), claiming that Muslim immigrants pose a threat to womens equality and freedoms and citing forced marriage, child marriage, and honor killings as examples of anti-women and anti-Western values (De Lange and Mugge 2015; Meeret and Siim 2013). Le Pen offered an illustrative example when she evoked feminist writer Simone de Beauvoir in an op-ed, citing the sexual assaults of Cologne on New Years Eve 2015 to argue that Muslim immigrants threaten the bodily integrity of European women.[1]

Yet this policy stance is Janus-faced (Akkerman 2015): populist parties stress gender equality in terms of anti-immigration policies and an anti-Muslim agenda, but often maintain a conservative stance emphasizing traditional family roles and rejecting pro-abortion policies (Spierings et al. 2015). Though right-wing populist parties might use liberal feminism and the language of gender equality instrumentally, this ideological reinvention could draw more female followers in the future, and it might even open the door to womens presence as party leaders and elected representatives. Today, the Alternative fur Deutschland and Le Front National are each led by women, Frauke Petry and Marine Le Pen, respectively. But though they are currently the highest-ranked female leaders, they are not the only ones: both vice-chairmen of the Swedish Democrats are female, and the AfD also has a female vice-chair. In the United Kingdom, the UKIP had a female leader in late 2016.

That European populist parties have been less skeptical of feminismand even leveraged equal-rights claims in service of anti-immigrant agendaperhaps explains why women have emerged to lead populist parties in Europe. No women formally head populist parties in Latin America. Here, populist leaders have cemented their leadership by relying on hyper-masculine tropes, describing their nations and their policy objectives in heavily militaristic and/or patriarchal terms (Kampwirth 2010).

The absence of women as formal party leaders does not, however, mean that women have played no role in the regions populist movements. In mid-century, conservative women mobilized to defend the nation against communism and atheism, rallying (literally) behind Nicaraguas Somoza dictatorship (Gonzalez 2001). In the contemporary ethnopopulist movements in Ecuador and Bolivia, indigenous womenoften in alliance with urban feministssuccessfully fought to include gender parity in their nations constitutional reforms (Rousseau 2011). Framed in terms of equity in order to underscore complementarity rather than equality, parity requires that women hold 50 percent of executive, legislative, and judicial posts at all levels of government. Women currently occupy the majority of seats in Bolivias lower house and 41.6 percent of the seats in Ecuadors unicameral assembly. Nonetheless, indigenous women face enormous hurdles to running for and holding political office, including high rates of physical and sexual assault, abductions, forced resignations, and even murder.

The complex gendered dimensions of populist parties are reflected in their support among male and female voters. European men generally vote for populist parties at greater rates than women (Hartefeldt et al. 2015; Mayer 2013). Three factors seem to give right-wing populists an advantage with male voters: (1) men, who are the majority of unskilled workers, tend to be globalization losers; (2) women are more religious and churches so far have rejected the xenophobic message of populist parties; and (3) the support of traditional family values is less attractive to women raised in more gender-equal societies (Mayer 2013). While women seem still put off by the message of traditionalism, violence, and hatred embraced by Europes right-wing populists (Givens 2004), this trend might reverse if populist parties continue to advocate for progressive causes, especially (white) womens equality. Recent economic changes, such as the increased importance of the service sector, means that European women will also start to experience the negative effects of globalization, including low-paying wages and competing with immigrants for unskilled jobs. Together  progressive causes plus womens rise among unskilled (service) labor  might make women more receptive to the message of populist parties (Mayer 2013).

What, then, does this mean for the future of womens political representation within populist parties? In Latin America, support for populist parties is declining, rather than rising. Right-wing, neoconservative, and decidedly not populist governments are dethroning leftists throughout the region. The gender-equality gains of left-wing populist governments, especially in terms of womens political representation, appear under threat. Indeed, one of the first actions of the new Brazilian president was eliminating the Ministry of Women, Racial Equality, and Human Rights.

Western Europe thus offers a more optimistic story about the leadership and policy gains for women under populism. These gains should not be idealized: they cement xenophobia and favor Eurocentric notions that privilege white womens wellbeing over non-white womens agency and inclusion. Nonetheless, they show that populists can supplement a traditional gender ideology with support for womens rights. Whether these policy changes are enough to attract more female support and create greater roles for women within the party, however, remains to be seen. Women have made more inroads as candidatesbut not leadersof ethnopopulist parties in Latin America. Populist movements clearly use gender strategically, adapting over time: gender defines their enemies as well as shapes the leaders image, her proposals, and her rhetoric. Understanding these dimensions reminds comparative politics scholars that women and men will not experience the populist resurgence in the same way.

[1] The one exception to this trend is the AfD in Germany. While the AfD supports the European welfare model and formal gender equality, the party also emphasizes strong traditional and natalist family values, is anti-abortion, and opposes marriage equality, affirmative action, gender mainstreaming, gender identity politics, and gender studies.

The Duck of Minervas WPTPN group is still seeking guest contributions. If you are interested in writing a post and have research expertise in international relations, international political economy, foreign policy, comparative politics, or cognate fields please see this post for more information.
Investing in EU bonds is investing in the future. We are sowing the seeds today, so we can harvest growth, jobs, and prosperity tomorrow.
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Banc of California, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Banc of California, National Association that provides banking products and services in the United States. The company offers deposit products, including checking, savings, money market, retirement, and interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing demand accounts, as well as certificate of deposits. It also provides various commercial and consumer loan products, such as commercial and industrial loans; commercial real estate and multifamily loans; construction loans; single family residential mortgage loans; warehouse and indirect/direct leveraged lending; home equity lines of credit; small business administration loans; and other consumer loans. In addition, the company offers automated bill payment, cash and treasury management, foreign exchange, card payment, remote and mobile deposit capture, automated clearing house origination, wire transfer, direct deposit, and internet banking services; and master demand accounts, interest rate swaps, and safe deposit boxes. Further, it invests in collateralized loan obligations, agency securities, municipal bonds, agency residential mortgage-backed securities, and corporate debt securities. As of December 31, 2020, the company operated 29 full-service branches in Southern California. The company was formerly known as First PacTrust Bancorp, Inc. and changed its name to Banc of California, Inc. in July 2013. Banc of California, Inc. was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, California.
Derwent London plc owns 83 buildings in a commercial real estate portfolio predominantly in central London valued at 5.4 billion (including joint ventures) as at 30 June 2020, making it the largest London-focused real estate investment trust (REIT). Our experienced team has a long track record of creating value throughout the property cycle by regenerating our buildings via development or refurbishment, effective asset management and capital recycling. We typically acquire central London properties off-market with low capital values and modest rents in improving locations, most of which are either in the West End or the Tech Belt. We capitalise on the unique qualities of each of our properties - taking a fresh approach to the regeneration of every building with a focus on anticipating tenant requirements and an emphasis on design. Reflecting and supporting our long-term success, the business has a strong balance sheet with modest leverage, a robust income stream and flexible financing. As part of our commitment to lead the industry in mitigating climate change, in October 2019, Derwent London became the first UK REIT to sign a Green Revolving Credit Facility. At the same time, we also launched our Green Finance Framework and signed the Better Buildings Partnership's climate change commitment. The Group is a member of the 'RE100' which recognises Derwent London as an influential company, committed to 100% renewable power by purchasing renewable energy, a key step in becoming a net zero carbon business. Derwent London is one of only a few property companies worldwide to have science-based carbon targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Landmark schemes in our 5.6 million sq ft portfolio include 80 Charlotte Street W1, Brunel Building W2, White Collar Factory EC1, Angel Building EC1, 1-2 Stephen Street W1, Horseferry House SW1 and Tea Building E1. In 2019, the Group won several awards including EG Offices Company of the Year, the CoStar West End Deal of the Year for Brunel Building, Westminster Business Council's Best Achievement in Sustainability award and topped the real estate sector and was placed ninth overall in the Management Today 2019 awards for 'Britain's Most Admired Companies'. In 2013 the Company launched a voluntary Community Fund and has to date supported over 100 community projects in the West End and the Tech Belt. The Company is a public limited company, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange and incorporated and domiciled in the UK. The address of its registered office is 25 Savile Row, London,
From the very beginning of his Administration, addressing climate change has been of one President Barack Obamas top priorities. Looking back today, the Obama Administrations eight year quest to lead global efforts to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions has been a historic success.

In December 2015, the world came together to adopt the Paris Agreement on climate change. The Paris Agreement establishes a long-term, durable global framework to set the world on a course to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the most dangerous levels of climate change. International cooperation with China was key to ensuring the success of Paris. The United States and 122 other countries have joined the Paris Agreement, which entered into force in November 2016, faster than all but a handful of international agreements.

As Secretary of State John Kerry stated: We have sent a powerful message to governments, to the private sector, to citizens everywhere that we are entering a new era in which reliance on fossil fuels is reduced while greener and cleaner energy carries us forward. And make no mistake  we do not believe that we can shift into reverse or even stop in this endeavor.

This is a race against time, a race against what is unraveling, in terms of forces of ecosystem and Mother Nature that not everybody completely comprehends in terms of how fast or what may happen, but absolutely comprehends that it presents catastrophic risk to human beings. If were going to keep faith with future generations, it is imperative for us to keep moving ahead.
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.
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Advance Auto Parts, Inc. provides automotive replacement parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items for domestic and imported cars, vans, sport utility vehicles, and light and heavy duty trucks. The company offers battery accessories; belts and hoses; brakes and brake pads; chassis and climate control parts; clutches and drive shafts; engines and engine parts; exhaust systems and parts; hub assemblies; ignition components and wires; radiators and cooling parts; starters and alternators; and steering and alignment parts. It also offers air conditioning chemicals and accessories; air fresheners; antifreeze and washer fluids; electrical wires and fuses; electronics; floor mats, seat covers, and interior accessories; hand and specialty tools; lighting products; performance parts; sealants, adhesives and compounds; tire repair accessories; vent shades, mirrors and exterior accessories; washes, waxes and cleaning supplies; and wiper blades. In addition, the company offers air filters; fuel and oil additives; fuel filters; grease and lubricants; motor oils; oil filters, part cleaners and treatments; and transmission fluids for engine maintenance. Further, it offers battery and wiper installation; engine light scanning and checking; electrical system testing; video clinic; oil and battery recycling; and loaner tool program services. Additionally, the company sells its products through its website. It serves professional installers and do-it-yourself customers. The company operates stores under the Advance Auto Parts, Autopart International, and Carquest brands, as well as branches under the Worldpac name. As of April 23, 2022, it operated 4,687 stores and 311 branches in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada; and served 1,318 independently owned Carquest branded stores in Mexico, Grand Cayman, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the British Virgin Islands. The company was founded in 1929 and is based in Raleigh, North Carolina.
President-elect Donald Trumps nomination of U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana to head the Department of the Interior follows a tradition of offering this position to westerners. The agency has jurisdiction over a significant portion of federal public lands in western states, including national parks, national wildlife refuges, some forests administered by the Bureau of Land Management and others.

Zinke, a former Navy SEAL, retired from active duty in 2008, served for two years in the Montana State Senate and was elected to Congress in 2014. His record on key environmental issues, including public lands, natural resource protection, energy development and climate change, is mixed.

Zinke has described himself as a fan of Theodore Roosevelt, who is considered one of Americas most pro-conservation presidents. Sportsmens organizations reportedly sought a nominee who was a hunter or fisherman and opposed proposals from some Republicans to sell off or transfer millions of acres of public lands, and Zinke fits those criteria.

While some conservation groups are cautiously optimistic that they can work with Zinke, others are worried about his support for fossil fuel production on public lands and his position on other key environmental issues. From our experience analyzing past controversies over public land use in the West under Republican administrations, these worries are justified.

More energy production

President-elect Trumps Cabinet picks have some diverse views about energy policy, but clearly support fossil fuel development. Zinkes 3 percent League of Conservation Voters rating for his single term in Congress includes a number of votes that favored fossil fuel interests, although his congressional website also suggests that he is open to renewable energy.

Most of the land controlled by the Department of the Interior is managed under a doctrine of multiple use, which includes energy development. The Obama administration has focused on opening up suitable areas for wind and solar power, but the Trump administration is likely to swing back toward fossil fuels.

And modern Republican administrations have often placed a heavier emphasis on resource development than Democratic administrations. When one of us (Freemuth) served as chair of the Science Advisory Board of the Department of the Interiors Bureau of Land Management in 2001, the bureaus newly appointed director, Kathleen Clarke, told the board that President George W. Bushs administration intended to reverse engineer the National Environmental Policy Act  which sets forth a complicated and long process for analyzing environmental impacts of major federal actions  to speed up energy development on public lands.

The question is not whether there will be a renewed push for energy development on western public lands, but how and where. A rush to develop in sage-grouse habitat, next to wilderness areas, local communities and areas of cultural importance to tribes, for example, will be contentious and likely to trigger lawsuits. If the new administration pursues a thoughtful policy that tries to identify areas on public lands that are rich in resources and less valuable for other uses, it could gain broader support.

Public land transfers and protection debates

Trumps election has lent new energy to cyclical calls for transferring federal public lands to state control. This controversy is more than a century old and deeply rooted in western history.

Zinke has sent mixed signals on this question. He resigned as a delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention because he disagreed with a GOP platform plank that supported public land transfers. However, this month he voted for a rules package that has been criticized as a step toward public land transfers, although his office said that Zinkes position had not changed. Trump also opposed federal land transfers early in 2016, but sportsmen are worried about whether he will stick to that position.

Any federal land transfers would require congressional approval, and Senate Democrats hold enough seats to filibuster such measures. Moreover, the case for land transfers is based on a specious argument that states can do a better job at managing public lands. This claim never answers the question of better job at what?

Even James Watt, who headed the Department of the Interior during the Reagan administration and was widely unpopular with environmentalists because he promoted resource use over resource protection, stopped short of major transfers or privatizing federal lands. Instead, Watt placated members of the Sagebrush Rebellion by reducing regulations and pledging to give local communities more influence over federal land management decisions.

Conservationists also fear that the Trump administration may try to reverse some of President Obamas national monument designations, including the new Bears Ears National Monument in Utah.

Historically, many individual monument proclamations  which presidents can make unilaterally  have been opposed by states and adjoining communities. But it would be unprecedented for the Trump administration to try to reverse designations by President Obama.

According to a Congressional Research Service analysis, the Antiquities Act does not include language authorizing repeal of proclamations, although boundaries defined in Antiquities Act designations may be slightly altered. However, the issue has never been litigated.

The role of civil servants

Like all federal agencies, the Department of the Interior has entrenched histories and conflicts and many important actors who will affect policy. The department contains multiple agencies, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey and others, each with its own mission and leader.

Agency heads can be either political appointees or career civil service employees. They are overseen by political appointees at levels just below the secretary. The people who fill these positions, and the organizations that influence those selections, will affect the departments direction as much as Zinke.

There is also evidence that careerists in agencies understand that political appointees have agendas. The question then becomes whether the appointees try to work with or against the professionals in the agencies. Working with the professionals appears to work better and this is not a partisan issue. In a recent speech, outgoing Interior Secretary Sally Jewell emphasized listening to professionals, including scientists.

Battles over the role of science and scientists will likely intensify in the next administration because of the critical role science plays in many Department of the Interior issues. Again, this would not be new. For example, conservationists charged (and were supported by the courts) that political appointees in President George W. Bushs administration interfered systematically in scientific studies required under the Endangered Species Act. Because of that history, watchdog groups are likely to scrutinize decisions by the Trump administration closely.

Finally, it is important to note that Americans became alarmed at what they thought was overreach under the Reagan administration. That is, the public wanted better and more efficient environmental protection, but not weakened environmental protection, and the administration was forced to moderate many of its policies. If the Trump administration and Congress ignore this history, they may be forced to repeat it.
In response to the letter the Nevada Democratic Party confessional delegation has sent to Governor Sandoval asking for the removal of the Pat McCarran statue, The Independent American Party of Nevada supports this request on one condition: In order that we show no favoritism or be hypocritical, that we at the same time remove all mention of the man who made this statement:

I have no purpose to introduce political and social equality between the white and black races. There is a physical difference between the two which, in my judgment, will probably forever forbid their living together on the footing of perfect equality; and inasmuch as it becomes a necessity that there must be a difference, I, as well as Judge Douglas, am in favor of the race to which I belong having the superior position.  Abraham Lincoln October 13, 1858.

After we have finished erasing all mention of Abraham Lincoln, we should then tear down the White House, because Mrs. Obama made mention of how hard it was to wake up each morning in a house built by slaves. Moving through our Capital City we should get rid of the Washington Monument as well as the Jefferson Memorial because both were slave owners. The bodies of our brave military heroes should then be removed from Arlington Cemetery because their souls cannot rest in peace on land once owned by Robert E. Lee. And all mention of the Democratic Party will have to be censored, because it was the pro slavery party with thousands of KKK adherents.

Is the absurdity of removing the McCarran statue clear enough yet? Next well have to implode the pyramids because the Egyptians enslaved the Jews.

We are a Country with a rich and diverse history, filled with the high ideals of liberty under God, and yes, a history with a less worthy side, but selectively erasing our history leaves us vulnerable to repeating its darker side.

We must remember that this country was founded by decent men and women, who, like all of us, werent perfect and they, like us, were products of their times. Though not perfect, Pat McCarran was one of the greatest U.S Senators in Nevada history. Can we not celebrate what our predecessors accomplished in spite of their limitations and short comings and learn from their mistakes at the same time?

If we continue down this slippery slope, eventually there will be no statues of anyone in the U.S. capitol, because it is possible to find fault with any historical figure. This revisionist history, this madness, must stop. But if we must continue this hypocrisy, lets start by banning all reference to Barrack Obamas mentor, Harry Reid.
The glistening white salt of the world famous Bonneville Salt Flats is shrinking near the Utah-Nevada line. The prehistoric lakebed has long been a mecca for daredevil speed racers, as well as a backdrop for famous movie scenes and destination for selfie-seeking tourists. Concerns are mounting about the future of the treeless expanse of salt crystals and yet another study has been launched as researchers try to pinpoint the cause and solution. They know a century of mining a potassium-based salt called potash has played a role and are also trying to assess how racing, tourism and climate change factor in.
The Virginia Discovery Museum has named two new executive directors, choosing to appoint two people who have served in interim positions over the last year.

Last Friday, the Charlottesville museums board of directors announced that Janine Dozier and Beth Solak, two former members of the board, will now formally lead the organization.

Last year, Dozier and Solak, serving as interim executive directors, oversaw the 25th anniversary capital campaign, which funded a renovation of the Downtown Mall museums front gallery. According to a news release, the organization has increased its admission by 50 percent over the previous year and it has reached a seven-year high for museum membership.
GOP gubernatorial hopeful Corey Stewart attacked nomination rival Ed Gillespie on Monday at a pro-gun rally outside the state Capitol because Gillespie wasn't there.

"I just saw him up there in the General Assembly Building. But did he even bother to show up and address you? He didn't," Stewart told a crowd of gun-rights backers gathered at the Bell Tower. "He sent somebody else - another politician - to come and talk to you. The guy's afraid of his own shadow."

Gun control advocates will hold a rally of their own at the Bell Tower this afternoon.

Stewart, who was fired as Virginia chairman of Donald Trump's campaign after taking part in an unauthorized October protest outside the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, has already tried to position himself as a Trump-style Republican running against Gillespie's establishment brand of GOP politics.

Stewart attacks Gillespie, the former Republican National Committee chairman, on Twitter and recently gave away an AR-15 rifle to raise attention to his campaign.

The politician who spoke for Gillespie was Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Prince William County. He said Gillespie is a supporter of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, which organizes the rally annually, and would be accountable for his pro-Second Amendment positions.

"He will abolish all of Terry McAuliffe's illegal executive orders dealing with our right to keep and bear arms," Lingamfelter said. "He will oppose any effort to infringe on our Second Amendment right and he will use his veto pen when he needs to."

Matt Moran, a spokesman for Gillespie's campaign, said Gillespie committed to take part in an event at a church Monday honoring MLK Day before he was invited to speak at the gun rights rally and he did not want to break that commitment.

"He appreciates VCDL President Phil Van Cleave understanding that, and allowing Delegate Scott Lingamfelter to share with the crowd Ed's strong support of our Second Amendment rights."

Rally organizers are pushing for constitutional carry in Virginia - or the ability to carry a concealed handgun without a permit. Del. Benjamin L. Cline, R-Rockbridge, is sponsoring such a bill. Similar legislation failed last year.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat and proponent of measures that he says combat gun violence, has vetoed GOP measures on guns. So while gun issues will be debated during the legislative session, proposed changes in the law face an uncertain fate.

During last year's session, McAuliffe did form compromise with Republicans on several gun laws, agreeing to Virginia's recognition of concealed handgun permits from all other states - a priority for gun rights advocates known as reciprocity. In return, Republicans supported several bills backed by Democrats, including a measure aimed at stopping domestic abusers from possessing guns.

The deal overturned a prior action by Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring stopping Virginia from recognizing concealed handgun permits from certain other states whose requirements for permits were not as strict as Virginia's.
Grymes Memorial School in the town of Orange is seeking the communitys help to meet an anonymous donors commitment to match up to $3 million for the independent school by 2020. The school hopes to direct this dollar-for-dollar matching initiative to the endowment of faculty salaries and financial assistance, making the school available to more students and families.

Grymes Memorial School, founded in 1947, is a private, coeducational day-school offering programs from junior kindergarten through eighth grade. Students come from nine different counties, including Culpeper. The private school will have four years to raise $3 million as part of the initiative, Grymes 20/20: A Vision for our Future.

Its an extraordinary opportunity for us, Grymes Headmaster Penny Work said. Its really what you would call a transformational challenge, if not a transformational gift.

The terms set by the anonymous donor means virtually any gift made to the school will be matched, Work said, calling the challenge both remarkable and generous.

One of the things that is most exciting about this is that every dollar that anybody gives to the school is two dollarsits doubled, Work said. If you make a $25 gift to our annual fund, $25 is going to be matched in our endowment and so its really gotten people excited. Weve seen a really nice increase in the gifts that people have given us and people are digging a little bit deeper because they know its going to be twice as nice.

As of Dec. 12, Grymes had already raised $506,654 for a total investment of $1,013,309.

Chairman of Grymes Board of Trustees David Perdue said the school has grown to be what it is through its generous donors and community. Seventy years ago, Grymes was offered 32 acres from Mr. and Mrs. Woodberry Ober if the schools board could raise $60,000 in six months. That goal was met and exceeded by the Grymes Board of Trustees, which has continued to raise money for improvements, enhancements and expansions ever since.

As with most independent schools, tuition alone cannot sustain its operation, Perdue said and Grymes depends on multiple sources of revenue.

The hope for the schools latest challenge is to sustain and potentially grow Grymes student population by retaining current families and making Grymes more accessible to a greater number of families who would be a good fit, explains a case statement released by the school.

You can see were on a tight budget, Perdue said. Public schools have nicer facilities, but Grymes is about more than the facility. Its about the education and teachers.

More than half the students at Grymes receive some form of financial aid, Work said, noting the Grymes 20/20 initiative will help keep the school affordable. When salaries and costs increase, that means tuition increases, she said, but growing Grymes endowment through this gift will provide an outside source of revenue that will lower the reliance on tuition revenue and offset the costs of financial aid and faculty salaries.
Brussels has some good news and some bad news regarding Spains budget for 2017. A European Commission assessment due for release on Tuesday, and to which EL PAIS has had access, shows that the Spanish budget meets EU requisites in general terms. But it also notes that Spain will overshoot its deficit target by two-tenths of a percentage point, and warns that the government must be ready to approve additional measures.

EC President Jean-Claude Juncker (l) and EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici. OLIVIER HOSLET (EFE)

Spain has already tweaked its fiscal policy by approving tax hikes, but even this will probably not be enough to bring the deficit down to the target of 3.1%, says the study. Instead, it will be closer to 3.3%, representing excess expenditure of 2.1 billion.

If so, it would be the sixth time that the Mariano Rajoy administration has failed to meet its EU targets in six years. And the Commission feels that Spain will miss its goals again in 2018, when the deficit is expected to be 2.8% of GDP instead of the agreed 2.2%.

Spain has ceased to be a problem for Brussels in a year of elections, and with Donald Trump encouraging a trade war with the US

High-ranking EU official

Based on these estimates, the Commission is asking the Spanish government to be ready to take additional measures if the deviations entail a greater risk of failing to meet targets.

In other words, if the Commissions forecast is correct, then Rajoy will be forced to either introduce further budget cuts or raise taxes in order to balance the accounts.

Brussels is forecasting GDP growth of 2.3% in 2017  in line with IMF predictions  while Madrid is offering a more optimistic 2.5%. These two-tenths of a point can make all the difference between meeting deficit targets or missing them again, a year after Spain narrowly averted sanctions for its constant overshooting.

Podemos, the third-largest force in Spanish Congress, has vowed to fight new cuts. EL PAIS

Even though one of Rajoys campaign promises  made in the Financial Times, no less  was not to raise taxes, the first budget of his second term in office is pointing the other way.

Spain had been told to make structural adjustments  those that are independent of the economic cycle at a given moment  representing 0.5% of GDP (around 5.5 billion). To do so, Madrid is planning hikes on corporate tax, alcohol, tobacco, sugary drinks and emissions. And if further measures are still required, everything indicates that fuel prices will be next in line.

Need for deals

Although the document does not say so, Brussels is also concerned about Rajoys ability to reach congressional deals on budget issues, given that he heads a minority government and faces an opposition that is openly hostile to further cuts.

Adding to the Commissions worries is the fact that several political groups in Spain could ultimately work together to repeal the labor reform.

That would be terrible news and would place the Commission on alert again, said a high-ranking EU source. But Spain has ceased to be a problem for Brussels in a year of elections, and with Donald Trump encouraging a trade war with the US.

English version by Susana Urra.
A foundation of any democracy is its ability to hold fair and accurate elections. There are nations around the world who make a claim for democratic elections, but by either limiting choices, coercion or other means the results are all but democratic.

Here in the U.S., if we are to maintain our republic then we must ensure that the manner and processes we use to conduct elections are democratic, fair and accurate.

This is the backstory to the recounts requested by the Green Party presidential nominee, Jill Stein. To many it appeared to be an attempt to change the outcome. Stein and her supporters had no interest in either mainstream candidates winning or losing. Election integrity is what is at stake. Do we as a nation have the capacity to conduct a proper election?

In 2004, the Green and Libertarian nominees together made a similar request in Ohio. Again, the end results did not change but many flaws were discovered. The result was a change in procedures -- two election staffers were jailed and California, as an onlooker, changed the type of machines it uses.

Some say the recounts were futile because nothing changed. It was only futile if we ignore what occurred. About 160,000 individuals gave money and millions more called for another look while every financial, legal and political obstacle was hurled their way. A Michigan court was used to stop the effort there. We must wonder why stopping it was so important. We should not be unwilling to get it right.

In Wisconsin the machines were demonstrated to be reading the paper ballots incorrectly, if at all. Generally a hand recount is utilized in this case. Not in this case, their idea of a recount was to just send the paper ballots through the same machines again. A farce of a recount, but again, we must question the motive of not wanting to recount it correctly. We can assume that flaws may have been discovered that some prefer hidden.

In Pennsylvania it was ridiculously required that citizens needed to petition by county and one group of 100 signatories was even required to post $1 million bond, as if to say that they just do not do recounts. Again, why do they not desire to get it right?

The number of counties with discrepancies in names of voters and number of votes cast is astonishing. There were large numbers of machines that broke down or showed error messages that were not rectified. In one county in Pennsylvania alone, the faulty machines showed that 4,000 people took the time and effort to go to the polls but did not cast a vote for anybody in any office. I am sure that is accurate.

Jill Stein was not a spoiler or a sore loser as some have ignorantly claimed. Money was donated to a federal escrow account for recounts, not to her campaign, herself or the Green Party. What she did was show herself to be a persistent whistleblower. Instead of going home and resting after a vigorous campaign she instead stood up for the American people. In the face of allegations, even from supposed supporters, of collusion and against all the obstacles thrown her way, she held firm for the integrity of the American democracy.

Our own state legislators evidently think that how we conduct elections is important. Check out the dozens of bills introduced so far for this session that will have an effect on elections, positive or negative. See them at www.richmondsunlight.com.

What should concern us as Americans is not that there were recounts requested, but that it is so difficult and expensive to make a request to do so, and that state officials were so adamantly against it. Evidently states do not want to make assurances of accuracy. We must demand to know why. As any business will count and recount before it makes its cash deposits to ensure accuracy, we should be in the practice of doing recounts automatically. At the very least we should be ensuring proper procedures and practices are in place to ensure that accuracy.

I must note that I have personally worked with many of our great elections staff here in Culpeper, surrounding areas, and in Richmond and I trust that they are striving for the most accurate and fairest results. Are they given the resources, policies and procedures and even legislation to be able to do this? This is our question, and we should be sure that they are.

Growing up, my father taught me to take my time, and ensure accuracy. Measure the wood twice before cutting, get it right. Once again the Green Party finds itself leading the cause of the people, urging we are measuring it twice. For more info visit www.piedmontgreens.com.

Tim Cotton lives with his family in Culpeper and is co-chairman of the Piedmont Green Party.
Spanish Defense Minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal formally accepted on Monday the findings of the Council of State  the governments top advisory body  that her ministry bears responsibility for the 2003 air disaster in which 62 members of the Spanish armed forces were killed as they returned from Afghanistan.

Spanish Defense Minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal. Carlos Rosillo

Addressing a Congressional defense commission, Cospedal offered the relatives of those killed aboard a Yak-42 transport aircraft when it crashed into a mountainside near the Turkish city of Trabzon on May 26, 2003 moral reparation.

Although the defense minister did not use the word sorry during her initial half-hour speech before the commission, she went on to apologize a total of five times on behalf of the state in response to the tough questions from opposition deputies that followed.

This is the first time that a member of Spains ruling Popular Party (PP), which was in power at the time of the accident, has accepted responsibility for the tragedy and apologized.

Cospedal, who took over as defense minister in November, met on January 10 with relatives of those killed in the air disaster, announcing that she accepted the findings of a Council of State report and promising a change of attitude in the governments handling of the case.

Cospedal will be hoping her apology will close this long-running saga

The Council of States report, which EL PAIS has reported on, admits to the states responsibility in the greatest tragedy to befall the Spanish army in peace time.

There are facts, prior to the date of the crash, that would have allowed the administration to ponder the particular concurrent risk of the troop transport in which the accident took place, reads the report.

Put differently, certain circumstances could have been noted that would have led the competent bodies to adopt measures that might have removed the risk that was being run, adds the document.

But the Council of States findings will not result in further financial compensation for the relatives.

Calls for prime minister to apologize

Speaking in reply to Cospedal, opposition deputies on the defense commission called for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to also apologize on behalf of the state.

The apology will not be complete until Rajoy does so before Congress, said Antonio Hernando, the Socialist Partys (PSOE) spokesman.

I would have liked to see the prime minister accept the Council of States apology, added Albert Rivera, the leader of center-right party Ciudadanos.

Pablo Iglesias, the secretary general of anti-austerity party Podemos, has also called for a tribute to the victims of the disaster and an apology from Rajoy. Iglesias on Monday also demanded that a new investigation into the plane crash be opened.

Opposition parties want Cospedal and Rajoy to attend a special session in Congress, which the PP opposes.

The opposition and families of the victims want the prime minister to apologize as well

Replying to opposition deputies, Cospedal said: Now that almost 14 years have passed since the tragic events and the Defense Ministry has changed its opinion and recognizes the states objective responsibility, it is an important question of recognizing moral reparation and I have no problem in apologizing in the name of the state for not having done so before.

Some 12 relatives of the victims of the crash attended the Congressional commission, the first time members of the public have been allowed to do so, with a further 25 watching via a video link in a nearby room in Congress. The families praised Cospedal for her apologies, but also called on Rajoy to oversee a tribute to the victims, and above all, an investigation into the disaster.

Cospedals words were an attempt to close the case  which has already been heard by three different courts  by offering moral reparation to the victims and accepting the states responsibility.

For this reason, she provided no new information to answer the questions of opposition deputies regarding the contracting of the flight, the money used, complaints about the airplane, the failure to take out insurance, mistakes in identifying the dead, or the fact that senior defense officials involved were all subsequently promoted, starting with Federico Trillo, who was defense minister at the time of the accident in 2003.

Trillo was appointed Spains ambassador to the United Kingdom in 2012. He stepped down from the post on Friday. Opposition deputies criticized the PP for steadfastly defending him over the last 14 years, during which relatives of the victims of the disaster have brought several lawsuits against him seeking damages and moral redress for the chain of mistakes that led to the crash.

A lot of years have gone by and there are documents that were never requested and today it is very difficult for us to find them, said Cospedal, who did mention Trillo during her speech before the defense commission.

The flight contracts were never in the ministrys possession, but we are going to try to find them, she added.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Not a day passes without some sign that Donald Trumps mandate is going to put transatlantic relations to the test. After firing off volleys against Mexico and China, which he has singled out as trade enemies and threatened with punitive import tariffs , the incoming president has launched a tough attack against the European Union and NATO.

Washington readies for Friday's inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump. Aaron P. Bernstein (AFP)

He has described the former as a failed project, recommending its member states follow the United Kingdoms example and abandon it. The second is an obsolete organization whose time has passed. Trump argues that the European Union was created to compete commercially with the United States and has promised that as soon as he takes office he will offer the United Kingdom a preferential trade deal. In both cases he shows a worrying and dangerous lack of knowledge both about the reality of Europe as well as of the benefits that the EU has brought, and continues to bring, by creating a shared, open, safe, free and prosperous transatlantic space.

But it is not just Trumps ignorance that is of concern (however much he wants to help British Prime Minister Theresa May to effect Brexit as quickly as possible, the United Kingdom cannot sign any trade deals until it has formally left the EU, an event that could be up to two years down the road). He has also blamed the EU, and Germany in particular, for having provoked Brexit by inundating Britain with Syrian refugees. This is absolutely untrue. Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, London has shown little solidarity and refused to engage with the principles of the EU in this regard.

Donald Trump shows a worrying and dangerous lack of knowledge about the reality of Europe

He has criticized German chancellor Angela Merkels asylum policies, threatened to impose import tariffs of between 30% and 35% on BMW vehicles if the company goes ahead with its investment plans in Mexico (Trump has already managed to get Ford to pull out of a planned $1.6 billion investment in San Luis de Potosi) at the same time as praising Russias Vladimir Putin and calling for sanctions on Russia to be lifted. In short, the outlook for Europe does not look rosy. Whats more, Trump has said that he intends to immediately impose tougher visa requirements on EU citizens, all of which points to a transatlantic agenda that is likely to be filled with friction and discord.

Obama understood that a united Europe served US interests better than a divided continent. That is why he called on UK voters to remain in the EU and to fight to improve it. We now have a president in Washington who sympathizes with Europhobes, wants to encourage division and is ramping up tension across the Atlantic. Europe can no longer ignore the evidence or hope simply that all of this comes to nothing. It needs to express loudly and clearly its concerns about how Trump sees the continent and the direction of transatlantic relations he is outlining and send a message to his administration as to its determination to act in defense of European interests.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Elaine Miranda, 25, could no longer go on. Her journey to the United States had begun in Trinidad and Tobago when she was eight weeks pregnant. She and her husband Marcos Delgado, 25, slowly advanced north through the Amazon region and Guyana. The most complicated part of the trip, through the jungle of Darien in Panama, came when she was about to give birth.

Elaine Miranda and her baby, stuck in Mexico. Karlo Reyes

I somehow found the strength to go on, in the hopes of reaching the United States, she recalls proudly.

Eight men carried her in their arms for two days, when the contractions became too much to bear. Some time later, a helicopter took her to a hospital in the capital.

Liz Maria was born on December 12 and registered as a Panamanian citizen. After a 20-day rest, the family took up their journey once again.

They and around 50 other Cubans are staying at the Plaza Emanuel hotel in downtown Tapachula, a southern Mexican town located just a few kilometers from the border with Guatemala.

The only thing I am asking Mexico is to get them out of here; after that, well see what happens with Donald Trump

Alexander Pereira, migrant

They are there as a result of the United States decision to end its wet foot, dry foot policy allowing Cubans who made it into US soil to stay and apply for residency. The decades-long approach was nixed on January 12.

Downtown Tapachula feels like a miniature Havana. It is a small parallel world filled with precarious accommodation going for one dollar a night, mafias keen to fleece the desperate migrants, and telephones that keep ringing in the hopes that Washington will repeal its decision and allow them to pursue their American dream.

They started coming a year ago. Before that, it was unusual for them to come this way. Id never seen as many Cubans as I see now, says Maria Teresa Barrios, 52, who runs a beauty parlor near the hotel. Unfortunately, they are being taken advantage of; a lot of people are benefiting from their despair and fear.

Migrants detained in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Cuartoscuro

Inside the hotel, there is an old Sony TV set that is always on, while people talk on their cellphones, wash their clothes and try to while away the time as they lie on old mattresses. Lester Avila turns up the volume on the TV.

Look, its the people we were with! exclaims his cousin Yudalmi Quezada. The images are showing migrants trapped in Costa Rica who were held back by strict border controls in Nicaragua.

This is the same news as four days ago. When are they going to say something new and give us a way out? says one of the viewers. The others keep silent, looking depressed and strained.

Barack Obama has created a humanitarian crisis. Couldnt he consult with the rest of the countries and gradually lift the policy? wonders Yusnier Pelaez, Yudalmis husband. Nobody replies.

Life has collapsed, and we are stuck here; thats what drives us mad, our families are worried, says Sandy Prieto, who looks particularly angry.

Prieto holds out his phone and shows a message exchange with his uncle Gerardo, who is living in the US.

I need more money for the lawyer, otherwise the safeconduct procedure could take until February, and I need to leave urgently, wrote Sandy. I already sent you $600, you decide what to do with it, but I dont recommend the lawyer, replies Gerardo.

Prieto has heard the rumor that by paying legal advisors, a safeconduct through to the US border can be obtained faster and without turning oneself over to the authorities. But he is full of questions.

Nobody is explaining anything to us. The Mexican government should explain our situation and let us continue on our way. We are not interested in remaining here, he complains. They are very corrupt, they have an interest in seeing us screwed, so they can take advantage of us, adds Avila.

Thousands detained Zorayda Gallegos In 2015 alone, on the 1,000-kilometer-long border with Guatemala, Mexican authorities detained 190,366 people who were trying to reach the United States. The Mexican governments Programa Frontera Sur (Southern Border Program) is largely responsible for this spike. The initiative was designed to stem the flow of people passing through on their way to the US.

The safeconduct has become the new object of desire, at least to ensure a smooth journey for the 20 days that it takes to cover the more than 2,000 kilometers separating Tapachula from the northern border.

Alexander Pereira already has one. He turned himself in on December 29 and was held for nearly two weeks at a migrant center, until the coveted document arrived on January 9.

They treat us like animals, there are no mattresses, they dont give us good food. Theres no two ways about it, its a prison, says Pereira, 50. His 23-year-old nephew and the latters 21-year-old wife  who is eight months pregnant  are still inside, along with her three-year-old daughter.

Out of a group of 110 Cubans who went in on December 29, only nine have been granted permits, the others are still inside, says Pereira. We cannot expect any help, because those same guards have tried to extort money from our families, telling them to send cash because we have been arrested. What theyre doing to us is inhuman.

The safeconduct will protect Pereira until January 29. But time is running out. If his relatives do not get a safeconduct by Tuesday, the next visiting day at the center, he will continue the journey by himself. But he has not told them about his decision yet.

I will do it with great pain in my heart, he confesses. The only thing I am asking Mexico is to get them out of here; after that, well see what happens with Donald Trump, he says.

Then he puts out his cigarette, climbs into a van and returns to downtown Tapachula, the unlikely new home for hundreds of Cubans.

English version by Susana Urra.
Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

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
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
Lavrov's statement was a cold shower for Azerbaijani society

During an annual press conference Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in response to a provocative question of an Azerbaijani reporter, said the implementation of military operations in Nagorno Karabakh is not Azerbaijans internal affair, Armenpress news agency reports. The Azerbaijani reporter asked the Russian FM whether Russia would intervene in Azerbaijans internal affairs if the Azerbaijani side launched military operations in Nagorno Karabakh. This statement came as a cold shower for the Azerbaijani society. The response to a question over blogger Lapshin was also very clear. Sergey Lavrov made a statement sobering Azerbaijan where he recalled that the conflict settlement has several options which were adopted by the UN at the hottest time of the conflict. Lavrov said the decisions define that the conflict must be settled without the use of force and with clarification of the final status of Nagorno Karabakh. This is enshrined in the documents prepared by the OSCE Minsk Group through the Co-Chairs, it is enshrined in numerous statements adopted by the Presidents of the co-chairing countries - Russia, France and US, as well as in the statements and documents adopted by the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The peaceful settlement of the disputes is enshrined there with no ambiguous meaning, the Russian FM said. He considered alarming the bloody events that took place in April, 2016. Russia played a decisive role in stopping the bloodshed. We have agreed with President Sargsyan and President Aliyev at the meeting in Vienna, then Russian President Putin reached an agreement with them in June in Petersburg that taking into account the mutual accusations it is necessary to install a mechanism for investigating the incidents, to increase the number of OSCE observers in the line of contact. The necessity of investigation of incidents was also emphasized in 2011 during the meeting of the Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in Astrakhan. Unfortunately, such simple thing, the investigation of incidents and increase of number of observers, cannot be implemented since there is no consensus yet, Lavrov said. During the press conference Lavrov also talked about the situation of Russian-Israeli blogger Aleksandr Lapshin who is arrested in Belarus. In the past years Lapshin visited the Nagorno Karabakh Republic for several times for which he was appeared in Azerbaijans list of unwanted people. Official Baku demands from the Belarussian leadership Lapshins extradition. We oppose the criminalization of any individuals or reporters visit to any location of any region. We also oppose the extradition of arrested Russian citizens in any country to third countries. We have contacted Mr. Lapshin through the consul. We know that he is also an Israeli citizen and Israeli diplomats have also contacted him. We will take every measures to settle this situation by fully respecting the rights of the Russian citizen, Lavrov said, adding they maintain contact with Lapshin.
Opinion: Tsarukyan's comeback decided by Serzh Sargsyan (video)

Formation of political alliances at the pre-election period is quite logical, says Vigen Hakobyan, an analyst and political technologist. Anyway, it is not logical that we have only one alliance at this moment. At present, there is only one formal alliance  the Yelk which is likely to expand in the future. GALA is going to join the alliance, he said. A representative of the GALA party told A1+ Company that they have not taken a final decision yet. It is the lack of resources that makes a political force enter into an alliance with other parties and although many have not expressed their intention to form alliances, the political technologist believes that future alliances will hardly be based on ideological similarities. In many cases, political forces involved in electoral processes realize that they do not have the necessary resources to resolve problems and decide to form an alliance with other forces, Vigen Hakobyan said. The Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) does not rule out that it may form an alliance with other political forces ahead of the April 2 parliamentary elections, Tsarukyan said today. I do not think there will be a real alliance. Some marginal political parties might want to join Tsarukyan but I do not think that it will develop into an alliance, says Armen Grigoryan, another political technologist. Speaking about the announcement of businessman Gagik Tsarukyan who said on Tuesday that he is returning to active politics, the political analyst said there was only one reason for the delay. Tsarukyans comeback was not postponed by the demand of people, but by the decision of Serzh Sargsyan, he said. Businessman Gagik Tsarukyan announced on Tuesday his return to politics. Considering internal and external challenges and public demand for my return to politics, I declare that I am opening the closed page of my political activities and will participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, Tsarukyan said in a speech broadcast by his Kentron TV station.
The National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens is finally open to the public! Here's some information you need to know to plan your visit there.

Athens has something of a problem.

It is pigeon-holed as a city famous only for its old stuff.

Spend 2 days in Athens and you can see it all!

Except, that isn't true, and it means that places such as the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens often get overlooked.

To be fair to the average visitor, places such as this and more than 80 other museums in Athens are not exactly well promoted.

As part of my Athens in focus series of blog posts, I thought I would try and do my bit to raise its profile! If you are looking to see beyond Ancient Athens, this place is certainly worth visiting.

National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens

The National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens has been a museum without a home for many years.

Although work started on developing the main building in 2000, it has literally only just opened its doors to the public.

It was worth the wait though. The museum is housed in the old Fix brewery building, and has been laid out beautifully.

As far as I can make out, there are no permanent exhibitions yet. (Keep in mind information is both contradictory and hard to find in Greece!).

Instead, a series of temporary exhibitions are being hosted. When I visited, the exhibition was called Urgent Conversations: Athens-Antwerp.

The exhibition Urgent Conversations: AthensAntwerp is a collaboration between EMST and M HKA, a theoretical and visual dialogue, based on works from the collections of both museums, which includes more than 70 works structured in 22 topics.

What Did I Think?

On a personal level, I have to say that contemporary art/modern art can be a bit hit and miss for me.

Sometimes I find it fascinating, sometimes weird, and sometimes just pointless.

The important thing though, is to realise that I am privileged to be able to go and visit such an exhibition in the first place.

I also hope that a lot of Athenians realise the same thing.

More importantly however, I hope that visitors to Athens will be encouraged to visit the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens.

There is more to Athens and Greece than ancient ruins, sun, sea and sand. You just need to know where to look.

Information on visiting the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens

OPENING HOURS

Monday CLOSED Tuesday 11.00 am  7.00 pm Wednesday 11.00 am  7.00 pm Thursday 11.00 am  10.00 pm Friday 11.00 am  7.00 pm Saturday 11.00 am  7.00 pm Sunday 11.00 am  7.00 pm (There will be some exceptions for public holidays. Call 211 1019000-99 ). Address: Kallirrois Avenue & Amvr. Frantzi Str, Athens 11743. TICKETS ADMISSION FEE 5 REDUCED FEE 3 FREE ENTRANCE every Thursday

between 5.00pm  10.00pm Ticket prices subject to change!!

For more travel blog posts about Athens, take a look at my ultimate guide to Athens. If you are planning a vacation in other parts of Greece as well, my Greece travel guides will also be of use.
Senior Spotlight on Claire Koile of Elkhorn brought to you by United Republic Bank Free Access To read the Senior Spotlight Claire Koile of Elkhorn brought to you by United Republic Bank click the PDF link below. dc_split_014.pdf

Antlers rally past Wolves 10-9 ELKHORN  The seventh-ranked Elkhorn Antler softball team capped its regular season with a heart-stopping 10-9 home win over Elkhorn North on Sept. 29. The two teams combined for 19...

Antlers use big plays to pull away from Wolves ELKHORN  The fourth-ranked Elkhorn Antlers were able to outlast rival Elkhorn North in a wild shootout held at Elkhorn High School on Friday night. The two teams combined for...

Top-ranked Badgers roll to a 45-7 victory BLAIR  The top-ranked Bennington football team stretched its win streak to 19-straight games with a dominating 45-7 road win on Friday night over conference foe Blair. Junior punt returner...

South duo hand Wolves first loss ELKHORN  The Elkhorn South tennis team was defeated by the top-ranked team in Class B, the Elkhorn North Wolves on a breezy and mild Friday afternoon. The highlight of...
Tao said Asia is expected to continue to make the largest contribution to growth in the world, by generating around two thirds of global growth.

New Delhi: Countries with higher public debt levels like India should continue to implement their medium-term plans to reduce debt and deficits, an IMF official has said.

"Countries with higher public debt levels, like India, should continue to implement their medium-term plans to reduce debt and deficits. Japan and Malaysia should develop plans in these areas," IMF deputy managing director Zhang Tao said in his address at the Asian Financial Forum, Hong Kong.

"Asia continues to lead global growth. We expect the economies in the region to grow above 5 per cent both in 2017 and 2018, compared with around three-and-a-half per cent for the world in the next two years," an IMF statement quoted Tao as saying.

Noting that Asia overall managed well the market surprises in 2016, and Asian financial markets were resilient for most of the year, Tao said Asia is expected to continue to make the largest contribution to growth in the world, by generating around two thirds of global growth.

Yesterday, IMF cut India's growth rate for the current fiscal year to 6.6 per cent from its previous estimate of 7.6 per cent due to the "temporary negative consumption shock" of demonetisation, days after the World Bank also decelerated India's growth estimates.
The EPFO has already joined the vast network of over 2 lakh common services centers (CSC) to widen its reach.

New Delhi: Retirement fund body EPFO has extended the deadline for submitting digital life certificate by its over 50 lakh pensioners till February 28 to help them get their pension account linked with Aadhaar.

Earlier in November last year, the EPFO had decided to extend the last date for submission of life certificate till January 15, 2017, in order to provide relief to pensioners as they were facing difficulties in banks due to demonetisation.

"Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has decided to extend the date of submission of digital life certificate through Jeevan Pramaan Patra programme by February 28, 2017," a senior official said.

Elaborating further, the official said, "The decision is taken because Aadhaar is needed for submission of digital life certificate. EPFO has already made it mandatory for pensioners as well as subscribers to submit Aaddhar for continuing the benefit of Employees' Pension Scheme."

The official also informed, "The EPFO has done away with the system of accepting life certificate manually through banks. The pensioners would have to provide life certificate digitally either through their mobile phone or at common service centres or at bank branches providing the facility."

The EPFO has already joined the vast network of over 2 lakh common services centers (CSC) to widen its reach. The CSC network is one of the largest government approved online service delivery channels in the world.

As per the practice, the EPFO pensioners are required to submit their life certificate by November. In case, the pensioners don't submit their life certificate their pension is stopped.

EPFO has been accepting life certificate through Jeevan Pramaan software application through mobile phones. Besides, the pensioners were using over two lakh common service centres across the country to submit their life certificates.

The EPFO runs three social security schemes -- Employees' Provident Fund 1952, Employees' Pension Scheme 1995 and Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme 1976 -- to provide provident fund, pension and group term insurance to its over four crore subscribers.
New Delhi: Shares of Reliance Industries today fell by almost 3 per cent after the company's third quarter earnings failed to cheer investors. After making a weak opening, shares of the company further lost 2.96 per cent to Rs 1,045.05 on BSE.

On NSE, it dipped by 2.98 per cent to Rs 1,044.15. Reliance Industries yesterday reported a 3.6 per cent rise in its third quarter net profit after a dip in refinery margins which was offset by robust petrochemical earnings.

Consolidated net profit of Rs 7,506 crore, or Rs 25.4 a share, in October-December, was 3.6 per cent higher than Rs 7,245 crore, or Rs 24.5 per share, in the same period a year back, the company said in a statement.

RIL, which owns the world's largest refining complex, earned USD 10.8 on turning every barrel of crude oil into fuel as compared to a gross refining margin (GRM) of USD 11.5 in third quarter of 2015-16 fiscal.

Turnover was up 16.1 per cent at Rs 84,189 crore. Standalone profit for the December quarter was up 10 per cent at Rs 8,022 crore.
Mumbai: After the humongous furore that had taken over social media platforms after 16-year-old Kashmiri actress met up with Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Aamir Khan has come out in support of her.

Aamir sent out a statement, batting for his on-screen daughter.

The actress had been so overwhelmed by the anger and umbrage that she ended up writing an open letter. She had profusely apologised for hurting generic sentiments and even downplayed her much acclaimed performance, calling herself not worthy of being a role model.

The actress ended up deleting the post ultimately, though she did get a lot of support, after she shared her apology letter.

Omar Abdullah, one of Mufti's staunchest critics, came out in support of the young girl, calling the hatred coming her way unwarranted.

Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit also came out in support of Zaira, who'll next be seen in Aamir Khan's 'Secret Superstar'.

Geeta Phogat, whom Zaira portrayed in Nitesh Tiwari's 'Dangal,' came out in support of the youngster.

"I just want to say that Zaira shouldn't apologise. She didn't do anything wrong. Just like we have made our country proud by winning medals, she has done the same thing by playing my younger version in the movie. She did a lot of hard work for that role and she played it really well.

"I've met her so many times during shoot; she is a very simple girl... I want to say to her family that don't be afraid about anything and just don't worry. We all are with them. The entire country stands with them. She equally deserves like us and we all respect her from the bottom of our hearts," Geeta said.

Her sister Babita herself was quite vocal about her support of Zaira.

"Dhaakad ladkiyon ka role kiya hai usne toh usko darne or sharminda hone ki koi zarurat nahi hai," Babita remarked, sharply.

Babita also went on to emphasise on the support that Zaira has across the nation, saying, "We also reached here by facing many hardships; want to tell Zaira Wasim she shouldn't be scared. The nation is with her."
Ajay was last seen in his self-starring directorial, 'Shivaay'.

Mumbai: Ajay Devgn has promised to meet a fan, who had threatened to kill himself if a meeting with the actor was not fixed.

On January 11, the youth, identified as Shamshad, had threatened to jump into a well in Nawalgarh town of Jhunjhunu district.

He wanted the district administration to set up a meeting with Devgan, SHO Nawalgarh police station Nawal Kishore Meena told PTI.

"Shamshad, I will soon be shooting in Jodhpur. Will see to it that we meet there," tweeted Devgan from his twitter handle today.

Devgan later thanked Jaipur police for cooperation through another tweet in which he was provided Jhunjhunu police contact numbers.

Meena said that they tough time convincing Shamshad that the meeting will happen.
Mumbai: Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan have been the power couple of Bollywood for the longest time and when they had their baby boy, the nation joined them in their celebrations.

However, when they revealed his name to be Taimur, not too many were pleased in a country thats validated its sudden right extremist demeanours.

For the uninitiated, Taimur was a Turco-Mongol conqueror, famed for his barbaric, genocidal and anarchical expansion across south east Asia.

Twitter had erupted taking misplaced offence, though there had been support coming in towards the couples right to choice as well.

However, Saif Ali Khan has finally chosen to break his silence on the much discussed issue.

In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, the actor opened up on the issue, saying, "Social media just makes it clear what everybody is thinking in a sense. There is a lot of anonymity from the side of the people who are doing the talking so they feel free to say whatever they like, and sometimes they get very nasty...And that's fine. It doesn't mean that twenty, thirty or forty years ago people weren't thinking similar things but maybe they did not have an outlet then.

"As far as I am concerned, stars are privileged and our country is actually still very balanced," he adds expressing gratitude for the support that he and Kareena have received in recent weeks.

"People talk about the country becoming right-wing and fascist, and we have all these fears...but the fact of the matter is that if you view the kind of unnecessary drama over Taimur, there were a lot of voices...I felt I didn't have to say anything because a lot of people had spoken wisely and liberally. Voices that kind of vindicated my decision and made me feel that it's absolutely fine (to have the freedom to name his child as he wished to), he added.

Saif, whos gearing up for the release of his Vishal Bhardwaj helmed highly anticipated film, Rangoon, spoke in support of the liberal minds who spoke in support of him, saying, "Yes, there were some people who raised some objections but obviously just to look at medieval history and to make value judgments is, I think, ridiculous, and a lot of people have said that on my behalf. I feel quite confident that we don't live in a right-wing society. As yet. India is still liberal and people are still open minded.

He also revealed how they came to name the adorable baby.

"My wife and I love the sound of it and we love its meaning. I am aware of the heritage of the Turkish rulerhe was Timur, my son is Taimur, an ancient Persian name that means iron, he admitted.
Mumbai: The New Year has begun as has resumed the shoot of Shruti Haasan's next Bollywood flick Behen Hogi Teri. The team has been shooting in the biting cold of Lucknow and is believed to be on the last leg of the shoot.

Says an insider, "Everyone's really excited about this venture. It's a cute little rom-com but with a slight twist. Shruti has been a complete delight with the crew and infact has been delivering some super performances. She recently in fact delivered a very stirring emotional performance for a particular scene which brought the crew to tears! The director was delighted with her craft and congratulated her on a job well done."

Speaking about her experience on the sets on Behen Hogi Teri and her response to the team's kind praiseworthy words, Shruti says, "The producer Amul, my director Ajay, co-stars and the entire crew has been great to work with. The energy on set is palpable and is always upbeat and encouraging despite the biting cold we shoot in Lucknow (smiles). It's a lovely story and I do hope people like it as much we do as a team."

Talking about his experience working with Shruti, producer Amul Vikas Mohan says, "It's great working with Shruti. She is professional and brings something new to the table. For a desi romantic comedy like ours we needed an x factor of a lead pairing and Raj along with Shruti gives just that. My team and I are truly lucky to have Shruti in the film."

The shoot will continue in Lucknow through next week or so before they shift base to Mumbai for the remaining parts of the film.
Hollywood star and martial arts exponent Jackie Chan has been in the news for his impending visit to India for his upcoming movie, Kung Fu Yoga. Now, word is that Jackie has some great marketing strategies in place for his upcoming flick.

If sources are to be believed, Mr Chan will be in India on January 23, and will leave no stone unturned to ensure his multi city visits in the country are a hit. Jackie, along with Sonu Sood, will be visiting various cities in India for promotions. Jackie has a huge fan following here, so he will make the best of his visit to India. The makers have planned some unique marketing strategies for the movie in India, especially, the source said.

Besides promotions, Jackie has planned to have some fun times with his co-stars. Reportedly, Amyra Dastur will be treating him with Parsi food.
Mumbai: Ronit Roy has been part of showbiz for nearly 30 years, but has no qualms about playing the villain in movies. I dont think Im here to fill the gap as villain on the big screen, he says. I can only say that destiny brought these roles to me. In fact Sanjay Gupta, who directed 'Kaabil', wasnt even sure that he could give me a police inspectors role, as there was no role of its kind. But while I was away in the US, he asked me to meet Rakesh Roshan. I met him after I returned from the US. Im proud of being a part of this prestigious cast and crew, even as a villain.

'Udaan' has been one of the biggest movies of Ronits career. 'Udaan' also happened by fluke, he says nostalgically. I was to play Ram Kapoors character but Anurag (Kashyap) came to my house and said he was casting me in this role and hed given the final script to UTV. Im happy 'Udaan' received a standing ovation in international film festivals, and now 'Kaabil' too received an ovation at Cannes. He continues, Just yesterday, a handful of distributors too gave the movie a standing ovation. Were really hoping 'Kaabil' does well.

As far as 'Raees' and Kaabils clash goes, Ronit quips, I know Hrithik Roshan and am close to him but Im close to Shah Rukh Khan as well. I believe all of us in the industry try to put in our best. We never hope one will be a hit over the other. The final verdict rests with the audience, though.

Ronit is also set to star in 'Sarkar 3', and is all praises for Ram Gopal Verma. No sooner did I tell my friends that Ramu called me for the movie, than everyone started badmouthing him. But let me tell you, hes an intelligent director. And Amitabh Bachchan, what do I say? Meri haysiyat nahi hai ki unke bare mein kuch bol sakoon. (I have no standing to say anything about him).

Word is that Ronit is looking towards the west, but the actor is tight lipped about any Hollywood ambitions. Its too early to disclose anything, he grins. Were talking. Once things gets finalised, youll know.
Dev was last seen in the award winning movie, Lion.

London: Actor Dev Patel says he is working on a screenplay based on Hindu mythology.

The 'Lion' actor said he is writing a "hyper-modern" action film which he sees as an "anthem for youth," reported Female First.

"I'm writing a hyper-modern action film, based on 5,000-year-old Hindu mythology, set in a heightened Bombay- an anthem for youth," Patel said.

The 26-year-old actor, who has not studied acting, said he has polished his craft from working with "great directors" and co-stars such as Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, and Nicole Kidman.

"(My co-stars) have a curiosity about life, a sense of humour and emotional reserve. I never went to acting school. Everything I've learned, I've learned from great directors and my co-stars. Acting is about honesty. When I began, I was trying to squeeze as much emotion out of roles as I could and get big laughs. Now it's about doing less, cutting away the fat," he said.
Sivappu Enaku Pidikkum, directed by Youreka is a controversial film from producer J. Sathish Kumars banner. Even though the film had been completed two and a half years ago, it is yet to see the light of the day.

Talking to DC, producer JSK Sathish says, After completing Sivappu Enaku Pidikkum, we had to concentrate on other projects which is why we had to put this film on hold. The film is centered on sex education and red light areas in the city. When I announced this project, many people questioned me. I had to explain it to them saying that Sivappu.. also has a message.

Director Youreka doubles up as an actor in the film. He will be seen as a journalist and when he meets Sandra Amys character a sex worker, she explains five incidents from her life. The story will also touch on the fact that all sex workers do not come to the red-light area of their own will, says the producer of Puriyadha Pudhir.

JSK also opines that Chennai should have its own red light area. When Mumbai can legalise prostitution, why not Chennai? If the city has its own red light area, the whole process will be streamlined, shares JSK.

The Censor Board has appreciated the bold effort of Sivappu Enaku Pidikkum, The film was issued an A certificate even though there is not one sleazy or explicit scene. The members heaped praises on the film and stated that the film was given an A certificate only because the content is meant for adults,

concludes the producer.
Actress Nandita Swetha, who was last seen in Anjala alongside Vimal, is eagerly waiting for the release of Selvaraghavans Nenjam Marapathillai featuring SJ Suryah and Regina Cassandra in the titular roles. The Uppu Karuvadu actress looks to strike a balance between Tamil and Telugu films.

Rumours are abuzz that the actress has been signed on for director Selvahs upcoming film starring Arvind Swami and Ritika Singh. When prodded, Nandita reveals that the project is still in discussion. However, a source close to the team says, She has been finalised for the movie but is yet to sign on the dotted line. It will be a power-packed role for her.

The actress debut Telugu movie Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada raked in profits and it was also announced that GV Prakash had expressed interest in remaking it in Tamil. Nandita says, As of now, the Kannada rights have been sold. The producers are approaching me to reprise my role in another language. I am yet to take a call on it, but I am glad to have received the offer.

Nandita Swetha is pinning her hopes on Nenjam Marapathillai. The horror thriller is expected to release in February.
Suriya was seen in the successful '24,' last year.

Mumbai: Top Tamil star Suriya Sivakumartoday lashed out at animal rights advocacy group PETA India for its opposition to Jallikattu, saying it is "paradoxical to see those aiding extinction of native breeds talk about cruelty to animals" in the bull-taming sport.

The 'Singam' series actor threw his weight behind the agitating volunteers demanding lifting of ban on Jallikattu, saying such voluntary protests will always be genuine.

He charged People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) with carrying out a "campaign of lies" that Jallikattu is inimical to bulls.

"The group called PETA which won in the court of law by carrying out a campaign of lies that Jallikattu was inimical to bulls has lost in the people's court.

"It is paradoxical to see those aiding extinction of native breeds talk about cruelty to bulls", Suriya said referring to the oft-used refrain that the ban will affect growth of native cattle breed.

Protests by young volunteers is reflective of the common mood of the people of Tamil Nadu. These protests will bear fruit and Jallikattu will happen soon in Tamil Nadu, he said, adding, the people of the state should resist any move that would endanger "our heritage and identity."

"Words such as heritage, identity and history are generally being used by scholars but are now the buzzwords among youth due to Jallikattu issue," Suriya said.

"Thanks to all those who secured a ban on Jallikattu and prompted the youth to fight for a common cause," Suriya added.

Earlier, super star Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan had extended their support to the bull-taming sport.
Acting might not have been her first choice as a career, but this pretty lass love for dancing led her into several talent-hunt competitions, and she always came out on top. For Ashika R, currently pursuing her second year BCom, fate decided that dance would help her step onto the silverscreen!

Ashika then bagged her first role with Crazy Boy directed by Mahesh Babu, who had earlier introduced several actresses who went on to become top Sandalwood heroines. She is also smiling as she ambles into three other super star films  Mugul Nage with Golden Star Ganesh, Leader with Dr Shivarjkumar, and Raju Kannada Medium with Guru Nandan. The actress speaks to Bengaluru Chronicle about her journey from studies, to dance and acting, which is now her greatest passion.

I recently finished shooting for Raju Kannada Medium with Guru Nandan, who is back with the team of First Rank Raju, which completed 100 days of success and critical acclaim. Now, I will be leaving to Pondicherry in a day for the shooting of Mugul Nage which marks the comeback of two great personalities  Yograj Bhat and Golden Star Ganesh Sir. Thereafter, I will be portraying an important role in the multi-starrer Leader featuring Dr Shivarajkumar Sir. I could not have asked for more after my debut in Mahesh Babu Sirs Crazy Boy, says Ashika.

The actress who simply loved dancing, did various programmes, and then came that call that most actors await with bated breath  a director contacted her for a role in his film. Photos of those events I had performed at helped me get offers. I was never keen on acting, but my parents insisted that I should at least give it a try as not many get such opportunities to act. Now, I just cannot think about anything other than films. It is my passion, and my only aspiration is to do good films, and explore my talent, irrespective of the kind of roles I get, she says.

Shedding her glam avatar from Crazy Boy, Ashika accepted a village girls role in Raju Kannada Medium, which is her second film. I know the shelf life of an actress, and my aim is to do roles with a difference. I do not mind playing either lead or second lead as long as the character plays an important part. In Raju Kannada Medium, I play a village girl in a story that takes a twist, and in Mugul Nage, my character is of great importance while in Leader, I play the role of Shivannas sister. I star opposite Telugu star Vamshi in Leader, says Ashika.

An adventure lover, Ashika loves to spend time with family if she is not shooting or attending colleges. Working out in the gym between her shoots keeps her focused and motivated. I plan to continue my studies. I might take up an MBA.

Apart from my parents, even my college and friends support my endeavours. But

I do feel more protected by my friends and loved ones post my filmy ventures, and I feel good about it, as along as I do not disappoint them, she signs off before heading for her next class in MES College in Malleswaram.
The sets of the newly launched reality show Dil Hai Hindustani was bustling with energy after a very special guest made an appearance. With Raees releasing on the January 25, Shah Rukh Khan paid a visit to the reality show, to promote his film.



Main bhi judge hoon na: As expected, King Khan perched himself on a chair close to friend and confidante, Karan Johar. The camaraderie between the two personalities was clear for all to see. A few minutes into the judges chair, Shah Rukh meticulously watched each and every contestant with a hawk eye. Shah Rukh, like the judges, too encouraged each contestant after they gave their best performance.



The girl on the piano: When Lucy from Russia presented her rendition of Bulleya, the judges were astounded with her performance. A little birdie tells us that Shekhar Ravjiani and rapper Badshah are trying very hard to woo her.

The jack of all trades: Contestant Gladson Peter is literally a one-man orchestra. He plays as many as 16 instruments at one go. Gladsons talent is hard to ignore and therefore, in just a short span, he has caught everyones fancy. Having survived life-threatening tuberculosis, this brave young man has come a long way.

With Love from Arabia: Haitams rendition of the hit number Jabra from Fan in Arabic prompted Shah Rukh to get on stage and jam with him. The actor charmed one and all with his signature steps, so much so, that the host could not stop himself from joining in.

Bring it on: Shah Rukh later decided to play the song Manjeera from the Fakeera band, from Rajasthan. In no time, he played it like a pro. The audience and the band members were left in awe.
A recent Tamil film that was very well received by the audiences, Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru (D-16), is all set to be made in Telugu. Directed by 21-year-old debutant Karthick Naren, well-known actor Rahman played the lead role in the Tamil thriller.

Talks are on with a leading star, whos very keen to reprise the role in Telugu. An official announcement will be made soon after the nitty-gritties are discussed, shares a source. Karthick, however, will not be directing the remake. The film, in which the actor plays a cop, released in late December and was shot in a span of 28 days.
It is a case of anti-microbial resistance as doctors confirmed the presence of a super bug called New Delhi Metallo-Beta-Lactamase (NDM).

Chennai: Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) occupies headlines yet again, after a 70-year-old US woman died recently following treatment for a thighbone fracture in New Delhi.

It is a case of anti-microbial resistance as doctors confirmed the presence of a super bug called New Delhi Metallo-Beta-Lactamase (NDM). Following the incident, tension sparked among the state medical industry, as Chemists and Druggists Association has sent a circular requesting members to prevent overuse of antibiotics.

One familiar form of abuse of drugs, according to the members, is when the patient uses an old prescription and buys the same medicines from the drug stores, if same or similar symptoms occur, even much later.

The drug store never bothers to verify if the prescription is a fresh one or an old one, being recycled. It is indeed easy to avail antibiotics like altromicin over the counter in Chennai, without a prescription, said a medical expert seeking anonymity.

Checks made by Deccan Chronicle also support the allegation, as most of the reputed private pharmacies do not check the date of the prescription, while a few of them give medicines even without a prescription, though it takes little persuasion.

It is also observed that government hospitals do not generally prescribe high-end schedule-H drugs, unlike the private ones. Attributing the phenomenon to the irrational drug usage, Dr G.R. Ravindranath of Doctors Association for Social Equality said, Patients avoid seeing a doctor to save on consultation fees. They may land in serious trouble by opting to take medicines that might not tackle their ailment.

In such a situation, the infection causing bacteria might develop resistance to drugs including antibiotics and render the patients ailment, difficult to

treat.

Guna Thyagarajan, administrative secretary of Tamil Nadu Chemists and Druggists Association (TNCDA), Chennai Chapter said, The patient maintains no history and the doctors do not hesitate to prescribe antibiotics for less intense ailments. In many cases, antibiotics were prescribed for viral infections, which are utterly futile. Reasoning on AMR, he said, Adaptability of bacteria is so easy, when a person had tried on higher end antibiotics. In such cases, lower end antibiotics wont act.

Yet another example of drug abuse is when the patient uses the left out medicines of previous prescriptions by assuming that the ailment can be tackled by those medicines, resulting in dangerous consequences. A patient behaves like a doctor suggesting to his general physician if he could take a particular antibiotics which proved effective in a similar occasion, added Guna Thyagarajan.
Jabalpur: Several cases of birth defects have been reported in the past few years from India among which children suffering from skin disorders and conditions that gave them a wolf like appearance are still struggling for treatment. Now another such shocking incident has been reported where the child had a disorder that almost caused her death.

Aparajit Lodhi was born in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh with a rare congenital disease called Macroglossia which means the baby girl had an unusually large tongue. The situation was grave since the tongue was swelling so big that it could choke Aparajit to death.

The parents were terrified and helpless but at the same time determined to save the child as they werent able to do much despite seeing her in pain and hungry. Aparajit was kept alive on breathing apparatus for four days, as doctors came to the rescue.

The tongue was found to have a big tumour which took the doctors two hours to remove as the girl was finally able to swallow after the operation successfully reduced her tongue size. They said that she wasnt able to swallow anything inside the womb as well because of this condition.

The mother Mini Lodhi was relieved and excited to finally be able to nurse her child after four days spent worrying for her. She was happy to experience the bliss of motherhood thanks to the successful surgery.
A chemical found in chocolate, theobromine, was also found to have an anti-inflammatory effect (Photo: AFP)

London: Why do coffee drinkers tend to have a longer life? The finding that coffee drinkers tend to live longer than people who abstain has long puzzled scientists.

US scientists believe they've found the answer - and it's to do with caffeine. It helps to block chemicals in the blood that promote inflammation, they say.

The study was published in Nature Medicine. Drinking coffee and tea may help people to live longer by reducing chemicals in the blood that can trigger heart disease, researchers have found.

Now researchers at Stanford University believe they may have hit on a reason why a having a coffee or tea break is so good for us.

Caffeine, the ingredient that gives coffee, tea and some fizzy drinks a lift blocks chemicals in our blood that promote inflammation. Inflamed blood vessels are more likely to become stiffer - a risk factor for heart disease.

Inflammation also plays a key role in many other diseases, the research study said. Tests on the blood of people fewer of the chemicals linked to inflammation - were found to have more caffeine in their bloodstream.

Further investigation revealed that they, as might be expected, drank more coffee than their peers. A chemical found in chocolate, theobromine, was also found to have an anti-inflammatory effect, although not as pronounced as caffeine.

David Furman of the Stanford University's Institute for Immunity, Transplantaion and Infection said: 'More than 90 per cent of all noncommunicable diseases of aging are associated with chronic inflammation.'

Dr Furmann added: 'It's also well known that caffeine intake is associated with longevity. Many studies have shown this association. We've found a possible reason for why this may be so.'

His colleague Mark Davis added: 'Our findings show that an underlying inflammatory process, which is associated with aging, is not only driving cardiovascular disease but is, in turn, driven by molecular events that we may be able to target and combat.'

The authors found that in an ongoing study following participants aged 20-30, and another group of people aged 60, those who 'tended to drink more caffeinated beverages' had lower levels of inflammatory compounds in their blood.

Further tests in the laboratory in human cell cultures found that caffeine had an active role in combating the chemicals that trigger inflammation. The key chemical combated by caffeine is called Interleukin-1-beta.

When injected into mice, IL-1-Beta led to 'massive systemic inflammation, along with high blood pressure'. It also led to immune cells - white blood cells that fight infection and - clogging the animals kidneys. It also found more platelets platelets, which make blood more likely to clot.

Dr Davis said: 'That something many people drink - and actually like to drink - might have a direct benefit came as a surprise to us'.

'What we've shown is a correlation between caffeine consumption and longevity. And we've shown more rigorously, in laboratory tests, a very plausible mechanism for why this might be so.'
Sydney: The digital space has opened doors for young people across the world to connect with interesting individuals sans boundaries and dating sites have gone a step further making it extremely simple for people to find anything from their significant other to a one night stand online.

Even as the trend seems to be catching up quickly with urban youth across the globe, there have always been apprehensions about its effects on modern day relationships and how seriously people take romantic interactions.

A doctor from Australia seems to suggest that dating apps like Tinder seem to be driving people towards the pursuit of as much sex as they can get without much importance to intimacy.

Dr Wendell Rosevear has been treating people who have been having sex with up to 10 people a day and says the cases are being reported more frequently now. He says most of this is because of people seeking anonymous encounters on dating apps like Tinder and Grindr which make it easy for them.

The problem cited here is social isolation which pushes people into a space where they seek to fill the void of social interactions and lack of intimacy by finding sexual encounters on the internet. To further alleviate the absence of a sense of belonging people desperately look for more and shorter or even anonymous interactions mostly concerned with sex.

Dr Rosevear, who also mentioned that Gonorrhea cases went up by 31 percentage while syphilis saw a rise of 70 percentage due to less concern for safe sex, said that the behaviour caused by people finding sex by not having to go out might result in people being unable to sustainable and loving long term relationships.
Mumbai: Indrani Mukerjea, facing charges of killing her daughter Sheena Bora, today informed a special CBI court that she wants to move a family court to divorce former media baron Peter Mukerjea, also a co-accused in the case, and change her 'Will' to donate properties for charity.

Charges were framed in the morning session against Indrani, her husband Peter and former husband Sanjeev Khanna in the sensational murder case by special CBI judge H S Mahajan who fixed the trial to begin on February 1.

In the lunch recess, Indrani made an oral plea seeking permission from the special court to move the family court in suburban Bandra to initiate divorce proceedings against Peter.

She also orally informed the judge that she would like to change her 'Will' as she desired to donate her share in the family property to charitable organisations.

The judge told her that she need not take the special court's permission to file a divorce case or change her Will and was free to take such decisions on her own.

Peter had also come to the court as charges were framed against him but did not talk to Indrani or even greet her.

Indrani's former husband Khanna was also present in the court. Sheena was murdered on April 24, 2012 and her body burnt and disposed of at a forest in Raigad district on the next day. It is the case of the prosecution that Sheena was strangulated by Indrani in a car while Khanna was holding her.
Indrani Mukerjea is accused of murdering her own daughter Sheena Bora in 2012. (Photo: PTI)

Mumbai: A special CBI court on Tuesday charged Indrani Mukerjea, her husband Peter Mukerjea and former husband Sanjeev Khanna with murdering her daughter Sheena Bora, clearing the decks for commencement of trial in the sensational case from February 1.

Indrani expressed her wish to obtain divorce from Peter to which the judge said it was a matter to be decided between them and the court has nothing to do with it.

All the accused were charged with IPC sections 120(b) (conspiracy), 302 (murder) and other offences, after which judge H S Mahajan fixed February 1 as the date for the trial to commence.

All the three accused pleaded "not guilty" to the charges, which were explained to them individually, being called to the box one by one.

The prosecution case was that Sheena was murdered on April 24, 2012, and her body burnt and disposed of at a forest in nearby Raigad district the next day.

All the three accused were charged under IPC sections 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 364 (kidnapping), 302 (murder), 203 (giving false information in respect of an offence) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).

Additionally, Indrani and Sanjeev were charged under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 120(b) (conspiracy) for plotting to kill her son and Sheena's brother Mikhail Bora.

Mikhail had earlier alleged that Indrani had spiked his drink on the same day when Sheena was killed. Besides, Indrani was also charged under IPC section 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record).

Indrani was arrested in August 2015. Subsequently, others -- Peter, Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyamver Rai  were also taken into custody.

Rai later turned approver in the case and disclosed to CBI how the crime was committed by the accused. All the three accused were present in the court today.

They sat separately in the dock and were seen talking to their lawyers outside the court.

CBI, on December 19 had started arguments on framing of charges in the case, saying it was her relationship with Rahul, Peter's son from an earlier marriage, that led to Sheena's murder.

The case, initially investigated by Mumbai police under its then chief Rakesh Maria, was later transferred to the CBI by the Maharashtra government to ensure that the probe was carried out without any prejudice or interference.

The CBI, in its charge sheet filed in November 2015, had named Indrani, Khanna and Rai as accused in the case.

The agency filed a charge sheet against Peter on February 16 last year for his alleged role in the murder plot.

In October last year, the CBI also filed its second supplementary charge sheet, stating that Indrani kept Peter updated on phone over the selection of the spot for disposal of the body.

The Bombay High Court recently rejected the bail plea of Peter, observing there was prima facie evidence pointing to his involvement in the case.

Indrani, Khanna and Rai were arrested in August 2015 after Rai spilled the beans while he was being interrogated in a case pertaining to illegal possession of arms.

Police exhumed skeletal remains of Sheena from a forest in Raigad district, and later claimed forensic tests confirmed that the DNA samples of the skeletal remains matched those of Indrani and Mikhail Bora.

Right from the day the lid went off it, the case remained a sensational one as a web of deceit, lies and intriguing relationships emerged.

It came to light that Indrani had introduced her daughter and son to people as sister and brother and she was also said to have claimed that Sheena had gone to the US for higher studies, to those who enquired about her.

Peter had then said he believed that deceased was Indrani's sister and not her daughter while Mikhail said Sheena was the daughter and not Indrani's sister.

Maria, who led the initial investigation, was shunted out of the post of the Mumbai Police Commissioner in September 2015 and promoted as Director General of Police Home Guards.

As various theories floated over reasons for Maria's transfer, state Home Department dismissed suggestions that that it had some links with the probe in the Sheena murder case.

Maria was alleged to have taken "unusual interest" in the case and frequently visited Khar police station for questioning the accused, including Indrani.

Maria was alleged to have taken "unusual interest" in the Sheena Bora case and frequently visited Khar police station for questioning the accused, including Indrani.

In June last year, Indrani's former driver Shyamvar Rai was made approver by the CBI into the Sheena murder case after he expressed his intention for the same. He had told the court that he was present when Bora was murdered in 2012.
File photograph of former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin with his supporters in Siwan.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear the plea filed by Asha Ranjan, wife of slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, seeking shifting of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin from the Siwan jail in Bihar to Tihar Central Jail in New Delhi for a free and fair trial in the case relating to her husband's murder.

Asha Ranjan's plea stated that free and fair trial against Shahabuddin was not possible if he remain lodged in the Bihar jail as witnesses would not be able to depose against him with his goons threatening them.

Shahabuddin is facing trial in 45 criminal cases.

Meanwhile, a separate petition is filed by Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons had been murdered at the behest of the RJD leader.

42-year-old Ranjan, the bureau chief of The Hindustan, was shot dead in July last year at Phal Mandi near the Siwan Railway Station, barely half-a-kilometre from the police station.

The Bihar Government had recommended the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) to probe the case.

The case came into limelight again after a photograph appeared in the media showing murder suspects Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed with gangster-politician Mohammed Shahabuddin after his release from jail.

Kaif, however, later rubbished all accusations against him and said he has no involvement in Rajdeo's murder case.
Hyderabad: Sleuths of the Crime Investigation Department arrested an American for downloading and sharing child pornography on a massive scale through the Internet.

Police officials were shocked to find found 29,288 child pornographic videos and images in his external hard disk and personal computer.

The arrested man, James Kirk Jones, 42, is an associate vice president in a MNC legal firm at Madhapur. Police said Jones used 25 Twitter handles to build a community, and shared videos through Torrent. The CID tracked down the suspect after receiving inputs from Interpol.

Besides Torrent, Jones also used GigaTribe  a peer-to-peer file sharing network  to share child pornography, police said.

Jones, who had been working and living in Hyderabad since five years, had been engaging in child porn sharing for a long time, police said.

We received a tip off from the Interpol through the CBI regarding a user engaging in massive downloading and uploading of child pornography. We tracked down the suspect to his residence at Madhapur and arrested him. A case under Section 67A & B of the Information Technology Act, 2000 was registered against him, said Dr Saumya Misra, IG, CID.

He confessed that from his childhood in the US, he developed a tendency to watch child pornography and had been downloading, watching and sharing it ever since. Watching, downloading and sharing child pornography has become a daily habit for him, said the IG.

Hailing from New Jersey, Jones is not married. He stays alone in his apartment and it is his habit to share and watch child pornography. He met people with similar interest from across the globe through twitter and GigaTribe. He was connected to around 490 GigaTribe profiles, said an investigation official.

Jones, who was under the impression that no law enforcement agency would get at him as he was in India, was using an open sharing platform. He was tracked and Interpol kept tabs on him, said an official.

Jones Indian visa is expiring in December 2017, and he was planning to return to the United States.
Bengaluru: A jilted lover threw acid on her boyfriend and then slashed his face with a knife in the city on Monday night, as he was reportedly taking too long to decide on marrying her and refusing to convert to Christianity.

The police have arrested the woman, who is a nurse, and are on the lookout for her cousin, who helped her in the crime.

The accused Lydia, 26, is a resident of Srirampura and a nurse at a private hospital on Ali Asgar Road. The victim, Jayakumar, 32, is a resident of Prakash Nagar, who runs an apparel shop near Ali Asgar Road. He has sustained acid burns on his neck and knife cut wounds on the face.

The police said that Lydia (in pic) met Jayakumar when she had gone to his shop over five years ago. They soon fell in love and started meeting each other regularly. Lydia reportedly kept asking him to marry her and also to get converted to Christianity. In November last year, Jayakumar agreed to marry her, but refused to convert to Christianity which had led to a fight between them. Later, Jayakumar had stopped taking her phone calls. An upset Lydia decided to teach him a lesson, and sought her cousin Sunils help. A week ago, she had spirited away an acid bottle used for cleaning and a blade from the hospital. On Monday evening, Jayakumar and his friend Padmanabh had gone to Rajarajeshwari temple, the police said.



Lydia got information about Jayakumars whereabouts from one of his family members. Lydia and Sunil, who knew the route taken by Jayakumar, went on a scooter and lay in wait near Attiguppe bus-stop. As Jayakumar and his friend, who were returning home, passed Attiguppe around 8.30 pm, the cousins started tailing them. As they approached Pipelane Road, Lydia, who was riding pillion, threw acid on Jayakumar through his car window, police added.

Jayakumar, who was in intense pain, got out of the car. Lydia, who was waiting with the blade, slashed his face. As Jayakumar fell down, the accused sped away, while Jayakumars friend rushed him to hospital and alerted the police. Lydia was picked up from her house, but her cousin is absconding, police said.

Lydia reportedly told cops Jayakumar had been in love with her for five years, but was taking too long to marry her and convert to Christianity. The police have booked the accused under 326A, 307 and other sections of the IPC.
Patil, the driver who drove the gangs vehicle, had a passion for luxury cars, and was planning to buy one with his share. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: The kingpin of the RC Puram Muthoot heist, Laxman, was planning to use his booty for his kids education. He wanted his elder son to join the National Defence Academy and his younger son to become a doctor. He had a third son who is in primary class.

Laxman Narayan Mudang was married to a Dharavi girl. His father-in-law was a tailor. He studied till Intermediate and had good command of English. But he could not continue and ended up without a job, and wanted his kids not to suffer like him.

He started committing crimes. His cousin Vijay, who gave shelter to the gang in Holikatta and helped them with his bike and participated in the recce, is suffering from a rare disease which has affected his pancreas. He joined the gang to meet his treatment expenses.

Patil, the driver who drove the gangs vehicle, had a passion for luxury cars, and was planning to buy one with his share.

Sources said the gang was addicted to charas and used it while preparing for the heist. The gangsters said they could easily get charas in prison, but it was difficult to procure it outside. They underwent rigorous physical training before the heist and practised shooting near Nasik and Mumbai.

Another important member of the gang, Sunder Rajaratnam Kanagalla, who was aiming for a corporator ticket in BMC polls, had a close relationship with four MLAs in Mumbai and was also a close associate of Chota Rajans assistant D.K. Rao. He took part in the crime to fund his election campaign.
Hyderabad: Cyberabad police commissioner Sandeep Shandilya said the delay in the investigation of UoH research Scholar Rohith Vemulas suicide is due to external agencies connected with the case. Mr Shandilya said the delay was not due to the police. We have written continuously to the authorities of the concerned district who should approve Rohith Vemulas case as the case is registered under the SC/ST Atrocities Act. Since the reply is pending we are not able to proceed further legally in the case, Mr Shandilya said.

With six Universities and 63 engineering colleges functioning in their area, top priority is given to ensure peace on campuses. Speaking on the resolutions for 2017, Mr Sandeep said that every case would be investigated professionally. He said that steps will be taken to reduce accidents in mishap prone areas. 69 junctions with heavy traffic jams have been identified and discussions are on to install pelican signals in those junctions, which will enable pedestrians to cross road easily. The commissioner said that very soon all permissions will be made online reducing the role of ministerial staff. He said they are working to get maximum convictions in rape and murder cases.
Thanjavur: Mr M. Natarajan, husband of AIADMK general secretary Sasikala, on Monday accused some sections in the BJP of trying to split the AIADMK and have the state government dismissed.

We will not allow such conspiracies to succeed I will face the challenge squarely I am willing to come anywhere single-handedly, to Gujarat, to U.P, anywhere, he thundered while addressing the valedictory session of the three-day Thamizhar Kalai Ilakkiya Pongal Thiruvizha here.

The bombshell from Mr Natarajan is significant because he is said to wield considerable influence in the AIADMK, particularly after the demise of Ms Jayalalithaa, and his allegation against the BJP might have to be taken as an indication of the relations souring between the two parties. However, there are also indications that Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam enjoys the support of Delhi, so one should wait and see how this MN (as Mr Natarajan is known among friends) bombshell will develop in the coming days.

They are trying to break the AIADMK and dismiss our government They are trying to besmear our government there are attempts to saffronise Tamil Nadu, but they will not succeed I will tour throughout the state and tear their mask, Mr Natarajan declared.

He said when powerful forces were acting against Ms Jayalalithaa after MGRs death, it was he and his family who had protected her like a shield. There were just four or five of us who protected herfor 36 years since then, my wife Sasikala was bearing her on her shoulders, Mr Natarajan said delving on the hard sacrifices that he and his family had made to protect Jayalalithaa and thereby preserve the AIADMK from the designs of the rival DMK.

He said unnecessary controversies and questions were being raised over Jayalalithaa's treatment in the hospital. Her entire treatment has been recorded. She was with a clear mind while in the hospital, he claimed.

Complimenting Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam of giving able administration, Mr Natarajan said it was his personal opinion that he should continue as CM.

But then, this is my personal opinion. He has been elected as the leader by the party legislators; so it is up to them and the other party seniors to decide on these issues, he added.

Mr Natarajan said any attempt to divide the Tamil society on the basis of caste and communal factors would never succeed. The AIADMK would ensure that an egalitarian society continued in the Dravidian state.
Ahmedabad: Patel quota leader Hardik Patel on Tuesday returned to Gujarat after spending six months away from his home state and launched a second round of agitation by appealing to Patels to fight together against prevailing the "autocracy" in the state.

Addressing a rally at Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district, the 23-year-old quota spearhead vowed to fight "till end" to get the reservation rights for his brethren under OBC quota and asked them to be prepared for the repeat of "GMDC-like dangal" (fight), a reference to his 2015 rally that had galvanised Patels across the state.

"Many of us may have differences among ourselves. Some of you may not even like me due to my outspoken nature. But, let us forget all such differences and get united to fight against 'tanashahi' (autocracy) prevailing in Gujarat," said Hardik in an oblique reference to ruling BJP, evoking a loud cheer from the crowd gathered at the rally.

Hardik's pointed attack came at a time when the state government is trying hard to solder its fractured ties with the Patel community, considered as loyal voters of the BJP.

Gujarat is going to polls later this year.

"I want to assure you that we will not rest until we get reservation. We will definitely take it. Otherwise, we will snatch it," he said.

Hardik, facing sedition charges over the violence in the first leg of the quota stir in 2015, went straight to the venue of the rally after returning from Udaipur. He had made the city his temporary base to comply with the pre-condition set by the High Court before granting him bail in the case.

"I have only two aims now. First, to get reservation rights for Patels at any cost; secondly, I want to free you from this rule of fear prevailing in the state," the quota leader said.

In August 2015, Hardik had addressed a massive rally at GMDC ground here demanding inclusion of Patels under OBC quota. His brief detention after that rally set off violence across the state, which claimed at least 10 lives.

Though he stressed that the agitation is not aimed at uprooting the government, Hardik went to Gandhinagar to seek blessings of former chief minister Keshubhai Patel after addressing the rally. Keshubhai Patel had contested the 2012 polls against the BJP when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was heading the state government.

Referring to a recent meeting between Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders and state government, Hardik took a dig at the ruling party, saying Patidars could have been given reservation under OBC quota within a day if the government was willing to do so.

"As demanded by the government, PAAS handed over proof about how other states gave reservation to some communities. But, there is no word from the government since then. You can now judge who is lying, Patels or government? he opined.

"If the government wants, it can give reservation within one day. It is indeed possible. The government is lying when it claims that reservation cannot be given to us (under OBC category). We want reservation as described in our constitution," the quota spearhead said.

Stating that he does not garner any political ambitions, Hardik also dared the government to play 'dangal' in any manner it wishes to.

"I am ready to play dangal, be it a legal battle or in any other form. Whatever the government suggests, I am ready," Hardik said, adding he is not having any political ambition.

He said his agitation is not aimed at uprooting anyone from "power".

"This fight is for my community. This fight is not against any person or any other community. SCs, STs and OBCs are in our support. This fight is also not aimed at uprooting someone from power. We are agitating because 14 of our youths were martyred for demanding reservation," he added.

Among others, dalit leader Jignesh Mevani also shared the dais with Hardik on the occasion.

Hardik said his fight is legitimate because youths of his community are subjected to injustice despite scoring high marks in exams.

"We are happy if an OBC candidate becomes a collector. But, we are left with no other option but to protest when the son of a poor widow from my community doesn't get admission in medical despite scoring 95 per cent," he said.

From Gandhinagar, Hardik will leave for Pune to take part in 'Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad'.
BSF constable Tej Bahadur Yadav, the soldier whose video on social media exposed the alleged poor living conditions of the soldiers on the frontline. (Photo: Facebook)

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response of the Ministry of Home Affairs on a plea seeking its status report on alleged poor quality food being served along the LoC as claimed by a BSF soldier on social media.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangeeta Dhingra Sehgal also issued notice to Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Assam Rifles seeking their stand on the allegation of poor quality food being given to jawans.

It also directed the BSF to produce before it the investigation report and the steps it has taken with regard to allegations levelled by BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav.

"The steps have already been taken by respondent 2 (BSF) in this regard. However, we would like to see their report. Whatever report you have, place before the court on next date of hearing, February 27," the bench said.

The direction came after advocate Gaurang Kanth, appearing for BSF, informed the court that BSF has already done on the spot inspection after the incident.

"Things are in order. We have found nothing as was alleged by Yadav. However, we are further looking into the issue," Kanth submitted.

The bench, meanwhile, refused to issue any direction with regard to not taking any action against Yadav, as was sought by the petitioner, saying, "Sorry we will not go into it."

The petition was filed by Puran Chand Arya, a former central government employee, in the wake of a video posted on Facebook by BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav, claiming corruption among officers and poor working conditions.

The public interest litigation (PIL) sought direction to 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.

Citing the fundamental Right to Equality (Article 14) and Life (Article 21), the PIL filed through advocate Abhishek Kumar Choudhary highlights the allegations about insufficient and bad quality of food provided to jawans.

It seeks action on the incident so that the morale of the force is not affected and also asks for clarity on ration procurement, food preparation and servings to various categories of officers.

On January 9, Yadav posted a video on Facebook which showed a meal box comprising a watery soup-like dal, which he said had only turmeric and salt and a burnt chapatti.

He said this is what jawans were served at mealtime on duty. He said jawans often went to bed on an empty stomach.

The Union home ministry has now taken cognisance of the video and ordered an immediate investigation into the matter.

The PIL has sought direction to depute higher officers to supervise cooking of proper healthy food and its distribution.
New Delhi: India alone cannot walk the path of peace with Pakistan and the neighbouring country must walk away from terrorism if it wants bilateral dialogue to resume, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today, amid continued chill in Indo-Pak ties.

Referring to ties with China, the Prime Minister said it was not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences but both sides should show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day-long Raisina Dialogue, India's flagship geo-political conference which is being attended by top foreign and security experts from across the world.

On ties with Pakistan, Modi said the path of peace has to be Pakistan's journey as well and that India's stand in delinking terrorism from religion, and rejecting artificial distinction between good and bad terrorism, are now a global talking point.

"My vision for our neighbourhood puts premium on peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia. That vision had led me to invite leaders of all SAARC nations, including Pakistan, for my swearing in.

"For this vision, I had also travelled to Lahore. But, India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan's journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India," he said.

In a veiled reference to Pakistan, he said those "in our neighbourhood who support violence, perpetrate hatred, and export terror stand isolated and ignored."

In his address, Modi gave a run down of India's foreign policy priorities, security interests in the Indian Ocean and bilateral engagement with neighbouring countries, Gulf nations and major powers including the US, China and Russia.

On Sino-India ties, he said both the countries have an unprecedented economic opportunities and that they can compliment each other in their march forward. "I see the rise of India & China as an unprecedented economic opportunity for our two countries, and for the whole world. At the same time, it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences.

"In the management of our relationship, and for the peace and progress in the region, both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests," he said.

Referring to India's ties with the US, he said a certain amount of speed, substance and strength to the entire spectrum of economic, commercial and security engagements has been brought to the relationship through sustained engagement.

"Over the past two-and-half years, we have given a strong momentum to our engagement with US, Russia, Japan and other major global powers," he said, delving on India's external engagement and geo-strategic interests.

Modi said India's economic and political rise represents a regional and global opportunity of great significance.

Talking about ties with the US, Modi also referred to his conversation with President-elect Donald Trump and said "we agreed to keep building on these gains in our strategic partnership."

He said instability, violence, conflict, extremism, exclusion and transnational threats continue to proliferate in dangerous directions. "And, non-state actors are significant contributors to the spread of such challenges. Institutions and architectures built for a different world, by a different world, seem outdated. Posing a barrier to effective multilateralism," he said.

The Prime Minister said India's maritime interests are strategic and significant and that the primary responsibility for peace, prosperity and security in the Indian Ocean rests with those who live in the region.

"Ours is not an exclusive approach. And, we aim to bring countries together on the basis of respect for international law. We believe that respecting Freedom of Navigation and adhering to international norms is essential for peace and economic growth in the larger and inter-linked marine geography of the Indo-Pacific," he said without naming any country.

Delving on geo-political developments, he said the sharpest trajectory of change is happening in Asia but at the same time added that rising ambition and festering rivalries are generating visible stress points.

"The steady increase in military power, resources and wealth in the Asia-Pacific has raised the stakes for its security. Therefore, the security architecture in the region must be open, transparent, balanced and inclusive," he said.

Modi said his government has redefined, in a short span of time, and "despite uncertainty and conflict", partnerships with Gulf and West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Iran.

"We have not just focused on altering the angles of perception. We have also changed the reality of our ties. This has helped us protect and promote our security interests, nurture strong economic and energy ties and advance the material and social welfare of around 8 million Indians," he said.

The Prime Minister said India was pursuing its transformation in "unsettled times" and talked about sluggish growth and economic volatility. "For multiple reasons and at multiple levels, the world is going through profound changes. Globally connected societies, digital opportunities, technology shifts, knowledge boom and innovation are leading the march of humanity.

"But, sluggish growth and economic volatility are also a sobering fact. Physical borders may be less relevant in this age of bits and bytes. But, walls within nations, a sentiment against trade and migration, and rising parochial and protectionist attitudes across the globe are also a stark statistic," he said.
A section of media also reported that the Indian flag was seen upside down during Goyal's meeting with his counterpart in Abu Dhabi. (Photo: Facebook)

Dubai/New Delhi: In a goof up, Indian flag was placed upside down on the table during Power Minister Piyush Goyal's visit to an energy summit in Abu Dhabi.

On Monday, Goyal met his Abu Dhabi counterpart at the World Future Energy Summit 2017, and also addressed the first India-specific session on international renewable energy.

A picture showing Indian flag placed upside down during the meeting of two ministers went viral. The picture was released by photo agencies

A section of media also reported that the Indian flag was seen upside down during Goyal's meeting with his counterpart in Abu Dhabi.

A member of the delegation accompanying Goyal told PTI, "The minister had a bilateral meeting at Abu Dhabi's Four Seasons hotel with the Saudi minister. They had made all the arrangements. The Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi has taken up the matter with them."

Sources in New Delhi said that Goyal "did not notice that flag is placed upside down and thus he did not ask to put it in the right manner".

This is not the first instance when Indian flag was in the wrong manner, as an inverted flag was seen at an international meet earlier.

The Indian tri-colour was reportedly placed upside down when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2015 at ASEAN summit in Malaysia. Modi noticed it immediately and asked to place the flag in right manner.
Bengaluru: Even two months after demonetisation, around 60% of ATMs in the city are still not functional because of shortage of currency notes. Now adding to the woes of the people, banks have now started shutting down several ATMs, saying once the people adopt digital mode of payment, ATMs will become redundant.

Officials from several banks, who wished not to be identified, said that on Monday around 60% of the ATMs in the city, especially those in the interior parts of the city, have not been loaded with cash. "Only those ATMs that are on main roads and business hubs are being supplied with cash on a daily basis. Rest of the ATMs are closed, and only guards are watching them," an officer said.

Following the demand for digital and mobile wallets increasing, banks are seriously considering permanently shutting down hundreds of ATMs in the city and focusing on strengthening digital payment systems across all sectors. An officer of a private bank said that maintaining an ATM is a costly affair as round-the-clock security and continuous note supply require large amounts of money. "As per the state police direction, we have to provide round-the-clock security and set up CCTV cameras at ATMs. It requires huge amounts of money. With city residents catching up with cashless mode of transactions, dependence on ATMs is expected to come down. We are considering shutting down those ATMs that are recording less business," he said.

Meanwhile, bank branches and post offices are not reporting long queues and the situation has returned to normal. RBI sources said that the city is supplied with enough Rs 500 and Rs 100 denomination notes to ensure that the public do not face any problem.

Digi Dhan Mela

The Union and state governments jointly organised the first Digi Dhan Mela in the state at the Jnana Jyothi auditorium in the city on Monday. All major banks and mobile wallet service providers participated in the mela. All those who wanted to opt for Aadhaar and mobile wallet services were registered on the spot. Tutorials on digital payment systems and payment bank system were held on the occasion. Majority of those who attended the Mela were farmers from different districts of the state. The state government had arranged vehicles to bring them to the Mela.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday reiterated that stray dogs cannot be indiscriminately killed in Kerala and euthanasia will be permitted only in exceptional cases.

Addressing the counsel representing the animal activists, the bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and R. Banumathi said, A person cant be allowed to die due to dog bites. But at the same time, we cant say destroy all stray dogs.

The Bench was responding to the concern expressed by animal rights activists that despite the top courts injunction, vigilante squads continue to kill stray dogs indiscriminately in the state. They also said that the alleged kingpin Jose Maveli posed for interviews with various national newspapers and also BBC.

The activists presented newspaper clippings of the interviews given by Maveli as evidence where he justified the killings but also boasted that he had so far killed 2000 stray dogs over a year, despite the apex court passing a restraining directive on November 17 last year.

Replying to the allegations, the court stated appropriate orders will be passed when he faces the stand as he has already been summoned personally by the court on March 1,

However, Sabu Stephen, a petitioner in the case, argued saying tough measures were needed to curb the rampant case of stray dog bites. He also alleged that animal rights activists and the Animal Welfare Board of India were conniving to promote the sale of anti-rabies vaccine for commercial gains.

He claimed that during the past one decade the country has spent nearly Rs 2.80 lakh crore money on anti-rabies vaccine.

He also said that every year in Kerala about 3 lakh case of stray dog bites are reported. His argument was supported by counsel V Biju appearing for one Jose Sebastian, whose wife was mauled to death by stray dogs last year.

Justice Misra observed that only in exceptional cases stray dogs can be culled by way of euthanasia and other means. But culling does not mean indiscriminate killing, Justice Misra said, adjourning the case till March 1.
Madurai: Alanganallur, the village near Madurai known was the world over for its jallikattu, turned into an epicentre for Tamil identity and a meeting place for youth from across the state with a clarion call for the conservation of Tamil culture this Pongal.

The local people provided food and overnight shelter to thousands of youths who came from Chennai to converge at Alanganallur to try and ensure the conduct of jallikattu at its most traditional venue.

The growing support for jallikattu among Tamil youth, particularly from urban areas, was on display in Alanganallur as the police had a tough time trying to prevent the hordes of youth from reaching the arena of around 1.5 acres located between Muthalamman and Kali Amman temples.

Jallikattu had been conducted for these two deities for centuries until the apex court banned it in May 2014. The policemen who have been camping in the village for the last few days intensified their actions by trying to stop the villagers from taking the Muniyandi Kovil temple bull around the Kali Amman temple, which is a traditional ritual the village conducts before commencing jallikatttu.

The Vadivasal (the entry point of bulls into the arena) situated near Kali Amman temple was surrounded by a force of over 400 policemen and no one was allowed to go near it. The villagers were also outraged when the police forcefully held the ropes of the two temple bulls when they were brought before the deities for rituals.

The angry youths let loose a bull into the arena from the side and it gave a tough time to the police at least for 15 minutes before it was caught and led away. Three more bulls were also released into village streets.

Though the villagers were depressed over not witnessing their bulls playing majestically in the arena this Pongal too, they were overwhelmed by the support of urban youths who filled the arena carrying posters No Jallikattu No India, and Safeguard Tamil tradition.

These youths are our bulls fighting furiously against the Central government to preserve our Tamil culture, said 60-year-old Tamilselvi, who was found sitting amid urban youths in the arena raising their voice against PETA.

The synergistic effort of the rural and urban folks at the protest venue gave a new dimension to the fight for Tamil identity. These subaltern people are the real heroes who are not only preserving this ancient sport, but also the pride of Tamils, said Pradeep, who came along with a group of students from Chennai.

As the police have seized their vehicles, these students had to walk five kms through single width paths alongside agriculture fields to reach the venue. Due to police high-handedness, thousands of youths also faced a similar fate. The police can take away our vehicles, but they cant snatch our love for jallikattu and the people of Alanganallur, the youths said while dancing with a toy bull in front of the the Kali Amman temple.
Chennai: The entire state of Tamil Nadu is celebrating the hundredth birth anniversary of their former chief minister and founder of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) M.G. Ramachandran today. Hundreds thronged MGRs memorial at Marina Beach to pay their respects to the beloved leader.

AIADMK workers including supporters of Deepa Jayakumar (niece of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa) also gathered at MGR's memorial to offer their tributes.

The Tamil Nadu government has declared a public holiday on Tuesday to mark the event.

The actor-turned politician MGR founded his party AIADMK after a feud with DMK chief M Karunanidhi in 1972. He served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 and 1987.

MGR was born Marudur Gopala Menon Ramachandran on 17 January 1917 at Kandy, Sri Lanka, to Maradhur Gopala Menon and Satyabhama who were Nairs from Kerala.
Mumbai: All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ulMuslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the pressure tactic on Kashmiri teen Zaira Wasim, forcing her to tender an apology over a meeting with J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was "unwarranted and uncalled for", on Tuesday.

Wasim, who played the younger version of Indian wrestler Geeta Phogat in Aamir Khan's Bollywood blockbuster Dangal, had apologised on Monday for "offending" and "unintentionally hurting" people after her meeting with Mufti on Saturday.

"Nobody should be pressurised into doing or not doing something, especially a 16-year-old girl. This is completely unwarranted and uncalled for. This pressure worked on her so much that she was forced to apologise when there was no need at all," Owaisi told PTI.

He also questioned the overwhelming sympathy Wasim was receiving, asking why there was a lack of similar emotion when pellet guns were used earlier in the Valley.

"At the same time, those people, who are showing sympathy for this little child should introspect where did their sympathy disappear when hundreds of such teenagers lost their eyesight or were partially blinded when they were attacked with pellet guns? Why these double standards?" he asked.

He said the incident has highlighted the lack of confidence people have in the Jammu and Kashmir government.

"This incident has shown clearly how unpopular the BJP-PDP government is in the Kashmir valley. People have no confidence left in this government," Owaisi said.

Wasim took to social media on Monday and tendered an apology apparently over her meeting with Mufti which drew sharp reactions and trolls from the youth in the valley because of the situation during the last few months.

She also under played her performance in Dangal, saying she was "not proud of" what she was doing. She added that she was not a role model for the youth of Kashmir and does not want anyone to follow in her footsteps.
Mr Panneerselvam had on January 10 announced Tamil Nadu as drought-hit and said that he would knock at the doors of the Union Government for financial assistance.

Chennai: After having declared all districts drought-hit, Tamil Nadu on Monday sought a whooping Rs 39,565 crores for providing relief to farmers affected due to agrarian crisis in the state arguing that it does not have sufficient funds to meet the challenge.

In a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was submitted at his office in person by senior officials, Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam said his government has responsibility to ensure adequate fodder availability, protection of cattle to be taken up on a war footing and employment generation programmes.

Mr Panneerselvam also asked the Union Government to release Rs 1,000 crore immediately for relief works and also asked the Prime Minister to depute a Central team to study the extensive damage caused to crops and to take stock of drinking water scarcity.

The Chief Minister said the state received only 168.3 mm of rainfall during Northeast monsoon as against the normal rainfall of 440.4 mm - a deficit of 62 per cent - and all 32 districts received rainfall that has been scanty or deficient and the range is from 35 per cent to 81 per cent.

Mr Panneerselvam had on January 10 announced Tamil Nadu as drought-hit and said that he would knock at the doors of the Union Government for financial assistance.

Contending that the drought situation in Tamil Nadu has been exacerbated by the non-release of water by Karnataka, the Chief Minister said the neighbouring state had released only 66.5 tmcft of water as against the total quantum of 179 tmcft water.

As a result, the storage in Mettur Dam, the main reservoir that serves the Cauvery Delta, was grossly insufficient to save even a single paddy crop in the Cauvery Basin of Tamil Nadu, he said in the memorandum.

High-level committees concluded that in 87 per cent of the area, the extent of damage is estimated to be more than 50 per cent indicating that the drought is severe, the CM said, adding that the situation is likely to worsen in the ensuing months.

As against the total storage capacity of 198.384 TMC ft. in 15 major irrigation reservoirs in the State, the water available as on December 31, 2016 is only 25.742 TMC ft -- 13% as against a storage of 126.233 TMC ft. (64%) on the same day in 2015," he told the PM.
Mr Jeetender Patel, a shop owner, said manufacturing companies are still making the thinner bags and distributing them. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: The manufacture and sale of plastic carry bags below 40 microns was banned by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation a few months ago, citing environmental conditions. But many shops continue to supply the bags, which are cheaper than the alternatives, right under the nose of the authorities.

Mr Jeetender Patel, a shop owner, said manufacturing companies are still making the thinner bags and distributing them. We purchase them from the manufacturer and sell them to retailers in bulk," he said.

Mr Kishan Singh, the owner of a sweetmeat shop, said, A few months ago the GHMC authorities raided many shops and seized carry- bags below 40 microns and issued challans. But after some days, the bags were back in the market and from that time till now, nobody has even asked about it."

The fine for a first time offender is Rs 10,000, and Rs 25,000 for the second time. If caught for a third time, the establishment will be shut down and its goods seized.

Mr Ram Kumar, who runs a shop in Nampally, emphasised the price difference: We get one pack of carry bags for Rs 15 which consists of at least 80 covers, but the good quality carry bags are for Rs 90 which consists of 150-170 covers."

Asked about the supply of the bags, GHMC commissioner Dr B. Janardhan Reddy said, "Food inspectors have been instructed to check shops and establishments for supplying carry bags below 40 microns. If we find any manufacturer guilty, action will be taken against them.
Vijayawada: Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu met Hiroyuki Ishige, chairman of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) in Davos on Tuesday. Hiroyuki appraised the CM about the progress of JETRO activities in Andhra Pradesh. Later on, the Chief Minister explained how Andhra Pradesh is progressing by making use of technology for poverty alleviation.

The JETRO chairman said there is an increase in the number of Japanese companies in Andhra Pradesh. The Chief Minister responded by saying that he would like to welcome more Japanese companies to AP. The JETRO chairman invited the CM to the investors seminar which he is organising in Japan shortly.

The next meeting of the CM was held with Ms Kim Stratton, head of the International Commercial, Shire International. This is a Pharma company concentrating mainly on research and development. Kim told the chief minister that they are specialists in haemophilia treatment research, a field in which India is lagging behind other nations. Kim said they are interested in looking at public private partnership (PPP) in this area for research, development of treatment techniques and capacity building.

She added that at present they have a very small presence in India and that its just the beginning of their journey. The CM urged Kim to make Amaravati the headquarters of Shire for its Indian operations.

The CM held the next meeting with Nicholas Dirks, Chancellor, University of California, Berkeley. Mr Naidu noted that the University of California is already working with the state and said Solomon Darwin from their university has done a good work in Mori, Andhra Pradesh. Nicholoas Dirks took a keen interest and enquired about the evolution and progress of Andhra Pradesh.

Later, the CM spoke about the various activities in the state and explained how Amaravati will turn out to be a better place of learning, and also as an education and knowledge hub. The CM stressed that University of California and AP should collaborate and explore the possibilities of creating a knowledge society.

University of Berkeley has an alliance with Cambridge and also with the National University of Singapore. The CM opined that they also should collaborate with one of the Universities in Andhra Pradesh.

He also urged Nicholoas Dirks to visit Andhra Pradesh soon. Nicholoas Dirks is chairman of the WEF global universities leadership forum. He said he would speak to some of the universities to associate with Andhra Pradesh.

Mr Naidu held a meeting with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in Davos. During the meeting, the CM explained the various technological initiatives that are being taken by the government in AP. He also spoke at length on the technology that AP is using for real-time governance. The chief minister mentioned that he is keen on increasing the digital transactions which is at 30 per cent now to 70 per cent by March this year.

Satya Nadella offered to collaborate with the state in the areas of e-governance and cyber security. Nadella suggested that AP should nurture hybrid cloud technology and that it will be a great leap in technology for India and AP.

Microsoft has recently acquired LinkedIn and it is working closely with the Singapore government. The skill profile of the population, professionals etc. are also digitised, the Microsoft CEO said, and added that the same be replicated in Andhra Pradesh also. Satya Nadella and the CM agreed to make significant progress in hybrid cloud technology by the time the next annual meeting is held at Davos within a year.

Naidu is keen on improving environmental collaboration

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu held many meetings and discussed development issues with heads of organisations and officials in Davos on Tuesday. Mr Naidu began the day with a meeting with Ms Marie-Ange Debon, CEO of SUEZ environment.

Water management and waste management were the focus sectors during the talks. Suez Environment S.A. is a France-based utility company operating largely in water treatment and waste management sectors.

The company has its presence in India also. The Chief Minister said that the government was keen on exploring the possibilities of collaborating and using expertise of the firm in pollution control in industrial areas besides water treatment and waste-to-energy projects.

The Chief Minister invited Ms Marie-Ange Debon to Andhra Pradesh. Our teams can sit down and study the possible areas of collaborations, said the Chief Minister. In Jordan, 10 per cent of water used for irrigation is from the treatment plants run by this company.

The chief minister also met Bruno Sauter, General Manager of the Office for Economy and Labour, Zurich State Government. Mr Sauter appreciated the presence of the Andhra Pradesh leader in Davos. He called it a sister-state relation that exists between Andhra Pradesh and Zurich state. Zurich is very advanced in technological initiatives. Both our states can collaborate, said Mr Sauter.

The chief minister spoke about the technological initiatives taken in Andhra Pradesh and inquired about the digital initiatives in banking and cyber security in Switzerland. Mr Sauter assured that a delegation will visit Andhra Pradesh soon.
The state government, having given an undertaking not to allow any cockfights, miserably failed to stop the events.

Rajahmundry: Animal Welfare Board of India will file a contempt of court petition in Hyderabad High Court against the state government for failing to control conduct of cockfights during Sankranti festival in the state.

The Hyderabad High Court had given a directive not to allow holding of cockfights even in the traditional format anywhere in the state not only during the Sankranti festival but also at any other times for the reason that the sport subjects the birds to cruelty. Despite this, the state government, having given an undertaking not to allow any cockfights, miserably failed to stop the events.

The organisers of the sport pitched up huge tents in fields, employed private security forces and conducted the cockfights. They even used knives and indulged in betting in several parts in the state, especially in Godavari districts.

The police remained mute spectators except for booking a few cases against the organisers and binding some persons.

The local public representatives played crucial role by inaugurating such fights. Some of them even took part in organising the cockfights. Video clippings and photographs of conducting cockfights, betting, gambling and other illegal activities went viral in social media during the three days of the festival.

Reacting sharply to the failure of the state government and the police to control conduct of cockfights, the Animal Welfare Board of India, armed with all the evidence in the form of video footage, photographs and media coverage, is planning to file a contempt petition in the Hyderabad High Court.

The AWBI is also writing letters to the Speaker of Lok Sabha and to the Speaker of AP Assembly informing them about the behaviour of the members of Parliament and members of Legislative Assembly.

They are seeking action against the representatives. The board is also writing a letter to the Election Commission informing it about how the law-makers violated the directives of both the High Court and the Supreme Court on conduct of cockfights. A letter to the BJP national president, Amit Shah, will also be sent explaining about the role of party MPs and MLAs involved in cockfights seeking action against them.

AWBI member N.G. Jayasimha said, The state government has grossly failed to control conduct of cockfights. Though the district Collectors and SPs were given clear directions not to allow such fights and inspection teams were formed to keep check on them, they all failed to control them. We will file a contempt petition in the court seeking action.
Hyderabad: Twenty-one cases of assault on doctors and 94 incidents of relatives protesting outside hospitals took place in Telangana last year. The figures were released by the Indian Medical Association. The IMA has said that violence against doctors has become major problem nationwide and demanded the guilty be booked and punished.

Senior doctors say relatives are offered counselling if patients are not responding positively to treatment. But that hasnt stopped some from resorting to violence.

Dr T. Narasinga Reddy, the state president of the TS IMA said: When patients are critical, the immediate family and other relatives are given proper counselling  about the various medical complications involved. But despite this, theres a problem. It has been noted that relatives of deceased patients are often instigated by anti-social elements and the violence thereof has also led to damage of hospital equipment. This is becoming a very regular problem, which needs the governments immediate attention.

In Telangana alone, 29 cases have been booked by the police against the-se anti-social elements. Dr B. Narender Reddy, president of the Telan-gana Hospitals and Nurs-ing Homes Association said: Medical professionals are facing increasing threats and it has become difficult for many to carry out normal practice. People also  without grounds  question the competence of doctors and that is plain distressing. This has to be stopped and clear guidelines and protocols must be laid down by the government and law enforcement agencies.

Doctors have also sought the introduction of harsh laws that can act as deterrents  to stop relatives and kin from attacking on-duty professionals and hospital equipment.

5 swine flu cases in one day, total 20

Five cases of swine flu were reported in the state on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in Telangana to 20. Two cases are from Ranga Reddy, one is from Abids and the two cases are from Mahbubnagar.

The patients from Mahbubnagar are undergoing treatment at Gandhi Hospital while others are seeking treatment at private hospitals in the city. With temperatures remaining low, health officials are saying the virus is targeting those with weak immunity. Relatives and family members are being provided ith proflax tablets to control the spread of the virus.
Hyderabad: Telangana State Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has announced many measures for the welfare of soldiers and their families, including the constitution of a Special Fund. He also announced the enhancement of pension from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000. This pension is given to the soldiers (and their wives) who participated in the Second World War.

CM in a statement in the Assembly on Tuesday said the Telangana state should be a role model to all the states in the country when it came to looking after the welfare of soldiers. He said that the state government will form a special fund for the welfare of soldiers and their families.

For this fund Chief Minister and the ministers will give Rs 25,000 per year. MLAs, MLCs, MPs have decided to give Rs 10,000 per year for the Sainik welfare fund and state government employees will give one days salary to this

fund.

He said the central government is giving pension to ex servicemen after their retirement. If they get employed with the state government they can get double pension, but this facility is not extended to the wives of deceased ex-servicemen. He said that while the policy of giving only one pension, whether it is given by the centre or by the state, is currently prevalent, the Telangana government is providing the facility of giving two pensions to ex-servicemen who worked as employees of the Telangana state government.

He said that the Telangana government was providing the opportunity of two pensions to the spouse in the case of death of ex-servicemen. The CM said from now on, the state government has decided to give more cash rewards to the sons of the soil of Telangana who got gallantry awards for exhibiting bravery and gallantry in times of war.

KTR vows to make Hyderabad a global city

Municipal administration and urban development minister K.T. Rama Rao promises to develop Hyderabad a truly global and incisive city within next seven to eight years.

On a trail basis, drinking water will be supplied daily in February for about 200 slums in the city. He said in the Assembly that, overall 75 per cent of the metro project has been completed. To give relief from traffic snarls, the TS government has proposed to take up a Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP).
A source in the GMR Group said the airport operator has nothing to do with it. It was the decision of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). (Representational image)

Hyderabad: The installation of full body scanners, popularly known as naked scanners, at Indian airports, has kicked off a controversy about privacy and the danger of radiation. Body scanners have been installed at GMR airports T3 terminal in Delhi on an experimental basis.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Customs at Hyderabad GMR airport and other airports too are asking for full body scanners, to combat the terror threat.

A source in the GMR Group said the airport operator has nothing to do with it. It was the decision of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

To allay the publics fears, BCAS has said that unlike body scanners in the US that are penetrative, producing x-ray images, the one installed at Delhi airport is reflective and produces mannequin-like images. But air travellers are demanding more clarity on the issue.

Experts say that backscatter systems work by generating small amounts of x-rays that reflect off the skin of an individual and the US Transportation Security Administration was in the thick of a controversy over this.

According to noted radiologist Dr Chandrasekhar Ramamoorthy of Yasodha Hospital, There are two types of body scanners  one is radiofrequency-based and the other is x-ray based. But in both cases, privacy concerns are there.

Scanners may hit regulars

As it reproduces a naked body contour, it is not acceptable, particularly to women. In some cases women have silicon breast implants and some patients wear medical equipment which they dont want to show to others. It becomes a big embarrassment even for transgenders, said noted radiologist Dr Chandrasekhar Ramamoorthy of Yasodha Hospital.

As far as the health hazard from X-ray scanners goes, he said there are two scenarios, depending on the dose of radiation. People, who travel regularly, for instance 15 times a month, may develop skin cancers and issues related to fertility. But even short term exposure and less radiation will affect women in the early stages of pregnancy and infants. The ionising radiation affects the skin.

Experts suggest using non X-ray body scanners to avoid health hazards but that still leaves concerns about privacy.

D. Varada Reddy, president of the Air Travellers Association of India, said that in view of security concerns it is a welcome move, but there are some serious concerns. Only suspects should be allowed to pass through the scanners and normal passengers should not be. Customs has a list of suspected smugglers, he said.
Former BJP MP-turned-Congressmen Navjot Singh Sidhu being welcomed upon arrival by Congress leaders during a road show at Amritsar on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: With Punjab heading for one of the most keenly contested triangular Assembly elections, the states most economically prosperous region  Doaba  is under the scanner of security and enforcement agencies. The regions nearly 85 per cent of income is generated from its sizeable NRI population,

The money routed through NRIs has been a major source of funding in Punjabs electoral process, and with political parties already facing cash crunch in wake of demonetisation, it is suspected that the contribution of NRIs towards funding in the polls is likely to witness a sharp increase.

It is learnt that every second household in the Doaba region, including Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Kartarpur, Nawashahar, Phagwara and Mandi Gobindgarh, has a member working abroad.

During the election, majority of these NRIs return to Punjab not just for voting but also to generate funds for political parties. Doaba also happens to be the most important region in Punjab, where majority of the foreign funds are routed through the hawala network.

As compared to Punjabs other two regions  Malwa and Majha  Doaba is also the most prosperous in terms of both revenue generation and foreign exchange.

Sources in the Punjab government said that the state police as well as the income-tax authorities are keeping a close eye on foreign funds flowing into the Doaba.

Initially, a sizeable population from the region was working in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia, but in recent years a lot of workforce has started going to the Middle East. The money sent back home is one of the reasons why Doaba is economically the most prosperous area of Punjab.

And funding during election is also the largest here. Following demonetisation, parties are in desperate need of more money, so expect a lot of money to come in through hawala channels, said Kewal Kishan, former economics professor at Jalandhars Doaba College.

Political observers feel that though three political parties in the fray  Akali Dal-BJP combine, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party  will benefit from NRI funds, AAP is attracting a lot of foreign volunteers, particularly the youth.

A senior Punjab police official said they are already keeping a close watch on money coming into the region and additional forces have been deployed with special focus on airports at Amritsar, Mohali and Ludhiana, and a close watch is also being kept at smaller airports at Bhatinda and Patiala to check passengers carrying unaccounted cash.

The Central Industrial Security Force has also been roped in. This particular issue was also discussed in detail when Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi chaired a review meeting in Chandigarh last week to review poll preparedness, the official added.
Police tries to prevent students from entering the campus at the main gate of the University of Hyderabad on Tuesday. (Photo: P. Surendra)

HYDERABAD: Protests rocked on University of Hyderabad campus on Tuesday as police did not allow the Shahadat Din (martyrdom day) programme initially planned at Velivada (Dalit ghetto) and was then shifted to the campus premises on the eve of the first death anniversary of research scholar Rohith Vemula.

While the students we-re not allowed to come out of the campus, outsiders who reached the varsity to participate in and express solidarity with the programme were not allowed entry by the police, citing High Court orders. Police erected barricades to stop outsiders from entering the campus. There was pushing and jostling between po-lice and protestors, leading to tension for a while.

Activists of Aam Admi Party (AAP), Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), Osmania University Joint Action Committee and other student groups were among those who gathered at the main gate.

When protestors tried to defy the ban orders and enter the campus to pay tributes to Rohith, they were whisked away in police vans. Finally the Joint Action Commi-ttee for Social Justice, a group of different student bodies demanding justice for Rohith, conducted the programme at the main entrance gate of the varsity. Student leader Venka-tesh Chouhan was highly critical of the university administration for foiling their remembrance programme.

The actions of the VC are undemocratic. At his instructions, police did not allow us to hold the programme as plan-ned earlier, he fumed. Meanwhile, the university authorities imposed restrictions on the entry of outsiders into the campus and security was tightened at the ma-in gate since morning.

Instructions were given not to allow media persons, politicians and activists to enter the campus. Students and employees were allowed only after they produced their identity cards. However, students gather-ed at Velivada with Rohiths pictures as well as placards and banners demanding the arrest of vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile and justice for the Rohiths family.

Later, they held a march until the main gate shouting slogans against the administration and the central government.

Radhika says Centre denying justice to son

Radhika Vemula, mot-her of Rohith Vemula, has criticised the Central government, alle-ging that it is protecting all those who were responsible for her sons suicide.

The taunts even went to the extent of declaring Rohith a BC, she said. Addressing the students gathering that assembled at the Univ-ersity of Hyderabad entrance gate on Tues-day evening, Ms Rad-hika said she was humiliated in the name of enquiry. To save its own party leaders, BJP diluted the whole case. The Centre is yet to learn its lesson,she said.

Rohiths mom and brother detained

Radhika Vemula, mother of Rohith, was detai-ned along with his br-other Raja Vemula by Cyberabad Police, wh-en they came to the Un-iversity to participate in Rohiths Shahadat Din programme. Scores of other students were also detained.

Meanwhile Gadchibowli Police also registered a case against Frontline TS & AP Cor-respondent Kunal Shankar under charges of house-trespass (448 IPC) and Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant (188 IPC) for viol-ating high court orders after a complaint from the University security officer Mr TV Rao.

Cyberabad Commissioner Sandeep Shandilya said that they had booked a case against the journalist on cognizance for violating the court orders. Police also detained scores of students and activists from student unions and other political parties who came to the university in support of the protest. They were shifted to

Gadchibowli Police station and let off later. Police, however, said that only nineteen persons including three students were detained.
Animal rights activists say that despite the courts injunction stray dogs are killed indiscriminately by the vigilante squads in Kerala. (Representational image)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday reiterated that there can be no indiscriminate killing of stray dogs in Kerala and only in exceptional cases they can be killed by way of euthanasia or other means.

When one of the petitioners told the apex court that he wanted to totally destroy stray dogs across India, the bench said nobody can destroy stray dogs in entirety. They also have a right to live.

A Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Ms R. Banumathi told counsel for animal activists A person cant be allowed to die due to dog bites. But for this we cant say destroy all stray dogs.

The Bench was responding to the concern expressed by animal rights activists that despite the top courts injunction, stray dogs continued to be killed indiscriminately by vigilante squads in Kerala, with one of the alleged kingpin Jose Maveli even posing for interviews with various national newspapers and also BBC.

The activists placed in the court newspaper clippings of the interviews given by Maveli justifying the killings and boasting that he had so far killed 2,000 stray dogs over a year, despite the apex court passing a directive on November 17, last year, restraining vigilante groups in Kerala from killing or training children to kill stray dogs.

According to the counsel, Maveli not only had the temerity to kill over 2,000 dogs over the past few months but also dumped their carcasses openly in the police stations with cops doing nothing to implement the courts order. Counsel wanted the court to take immediate action against Maveli, but Justice Dipak Misra said since the court had already summoned Maveli for his personal appearance on March 1, it would pass appropriate orders on that day.

However, these arguments were opposed by Sabu Stephen, a petitioner in the case, who said tough measures were needed to bring the down the rampant case of stray dog bites and alleged that animal rights activists and also the Animal Welfare Board of India, were actually conniving to promote the sale of anti-rabies vaccine for commercial gains. He submitted that during the past one decade the country has spent nearly `2.80 lakh crore on anti-rabbies vaccine.

The petitioner claimed that every year in Kerala about three lakh cases of stray dog bites are reported. His argument was supported by counsel V. Biju appearing for one Jose Sebastian, whose wife was mauled to death by stray dogs last year.
Bengaluru: A Revenue Inspector with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the city civic body, has committed suicide here prompting his family to allege that harassment at work was responsible for it.

H C Srinivas (40) was found hanging at his residence in Srinagar last evening.

Family members alleged frequent transfers and harassment by a BBMP Corporator has led to Srinivas committing suicide.

They alleged that he was frequently transferred from one ward to another ward against the norms of at-least three years, at the behest of a Corporator, because of which he was under "depression" for some days and did not report to duty.

Police said they have registered a case of unnatural death and investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, a few members of the BBMP Employees Association staged protest near a hospital, where Srinivas' body was taken for medical procedures and demanded justice for him.
New Delhi: Congress leader and industrialist Naveen Jindal, an accused in a coal block allocation scam case, was today allowed to extend his travel abroad by three more days for business purposes by a special court.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar, who had earlier permitted Jindal to visit the UK and Switzerland from January 16 to 23 while imposing certain conditions on him, allowed his plea for extension of the relief till January 26.

The plea also sought permission to travel the US which was allowed by the court.

Jindal has been asked to inform the investigating officer and the court about his arrival in India within seven days of his return mentioning the details of places visited by him.

"He shall not tamper with the evidence, nor try to influence any witness in any manner and will not use the permission granted to him contrary to the rules," the court said while imposing conditions.

Jindal was earlier granted bail by the court which had imposed several conditions, including that he will not leave the country without the court's nod.

Apart from Jindal, CBI had chargesheeted ex-minister of state for coal Dasari Narayan Rao, ex-Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, former coal secretary H C Gupta and 11 others in the case of alleged irregularities in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand to Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Private Ltd (GSIPL).

The other individual accused are -- Rajeev Jain, director of Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, Girish Kumar Suneja and Radha Krishna Saraf, GSIPL directors, K Ramakrishna Prasad, MD of Sowbhagya Media Ltd, and chartered accountant Gyan Swaroop Garg. All the accused are at present out on bail.

Besides the nine accused, five firms -- JSPL, Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, Gagan Infraenergy Ltd (formerly known as GSIPL), Sowbhagya Media Ltd and New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd -- are also accused in the case.
New Delhi: A man from Bihar has been languishing in a jail in Saudi Arabia for over 15 years, and his family, unable to pay a punishment sum of over Rs 1 crore to secure his release, has now approached External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for help.

Mohammed Irfan, 42, was arrested for allegedly committing theft of medicines from a local government warehouse in Jeddah in January 2000 and has been in jail since then, according to a December 21, 2016 correspondence between the Ministry of External Affairs and National Commission for Minorities (NCM) member Praveen Davar.

Irfan was arrested for allegedly violating two Saudi rights -- public and private.

While Irfan, who hails from Bihar's Piplawan village, has served imprisonment of 18 months under public right, he continues to be in prison for not fulfilling private right, under which he is required to pay a penalty amount of around Rs 1.29 crore (7,11,562 Saudi Riyals).

According to a public court in Jeddah, Irfan must pay the amount to the Saudi Health Ministry for allegedly stealing medicines from the warehouse of its medical supply department, where he used to work as an air-conditioner technician.

Irfan is accused of selling the medicines to Mansoor Ali Hakeem, a Bangladeshi national, and transmitting cost of the medicines.

Given the prevalent rules/laws of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, no one can exempt/waive or commute punishment awarded under private right except the affected party, the correspondence from the office of Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said.

The matter was taken up several times with the Saudi authorities concerned in the past, but no positive reply has been received till now in this regard, it said.

Irfan's father Shakeel Ahmed and his brother Istekhar visited Jeddah during February-March, last year to enquire about the case and to meet him, the documents said.

Istekhar, who is said to have shifted with the family to Phulwari Shareef village now from Piplawan, though told that it was not him or his father but his cousin who had met Irfan.

"We are poor people. We can't afford to travel to Saudi Arabia. It's not me or my father, but a cousin who had gone to see him," Istekhar said on phone.

A tutor by profession, Istekhar said the family had in the past approached several authorities including the Prime Minister's Office and the External Affairs Ministry for help when Pranab Mukherjee, now President, was the External Affairs Minister.

"We sold our land and house to see my brother is released. A person who promised us help, took money but did not help us. We now urge (Sushma) Swaraj ji to help my brother return. My parents have turned old now, waiting to see their son. We earnestly request the minister to help us," he urged.

Istekhar also alleged that his brother was framed by a Mumbai-based firm which had hired him in 1996 to work in the Gulf country.

Irfan wanted to return home in the year he was arrested, but his employer was against it, he claimed.

He charged the employer with forcibly making Irfan work two years beyond the agreement and also paying less than what was assured.

Meanwhile, Davar has urged individuals and NGOs to extend monetary help to the family to secure Irfan's release.
Nagpur: It was quite an uphill task for election officials to count money when an Independent nominee submitted Rs 8,500 in Re 1 coins as security deposit during nomination filing for upcoming Legislative Council polls in Nagpur Division Teachers' Constituency here today.

Independent candidate from Gadchiroli district Vilas Shankarao Balamwar paid Rs 8,500 of Rs 10,000 security deposit sum in Re 1 coins while filing his nomination for the polls at Returning Officer's chamber in Divisional Commissioner's Office along with his nomination papers.

He brought the coins in four bags and it took a few hours for election officials to count the money.

When asked about rationale behind paying the security deposit sum in Re 1 coins, Balamwar said, "The amount has been collected in coins from 8500 non-aided school teachers in my constituency, who have contributed towards my nomination. The remaining Rs 1,500 has been paid by me."

Balamwar further said he is contesting the polls for the cause of non-grant school teachers and claimed that they have been suffering due to the lackadaisical approach of the government towards their demands.

Congress nominee Anil Shine, Shiv Sena candidate and former MP Prakash Jadhav also filed their nominations today.

Polling will take place from 8 AM to 4 PM on February 3, while counting of votes will be held on February 6.
Hyderabad: Early Tuesday morning, an unlikely hashtag trended on popular social media site Twitter - #RohithVemula. It was today last year, that the 26-year-old research scholar decided to end his life and hung himself in a hostel room in the University of Hyderabad.

A member of Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), Vemula had accused the University of not paying him the money for his fellowship following his alleged clash with the ABVP, the RSS student wing. Vemula and his fellow students drew ABVPs ire after staging a protest against the death penalty awarded to Bombay Blasts accused Yakub Menon in 2015.

The incident took serious political colour when ABVP students complained about the matter to BJP MP from Secunderabad and Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya. He in turn forwarded their complaint to the then HRD minister Smriti Irani, leading to the eventual expulsion of Vemula and 4 others ASA members. While Irani vehemently denied any hand in the expulsion, the BJP was firmly held responsible for Vemulas death.

Vemulas suicide even rocked Parliament proceedings and the Congress dubbed the BJP as 'anti-Dalit'. Vemulas family too believed that he was discriminated against because of his caste and embraced Buddhism on Dr. B.R. Ambedkars 125th birth anniversary in 2016.

His death sparked nation-wide debate on discrimination against Dalits in the country, but for many, his demise symbolised the disillusionment of youth with the world around them. For youngsters his age, Vemulas death was more than just a caste debate - it was about a dream snuffed before its fulfilment.

Vemulas poignant suicide note had struck a chord with thousands across the country. On the face of it, it was a personal decision, driven by the alienation he felt amidst his surroundings.

I feel a growing gap between my soul and my body. And I have become a monster. I always wanted to be a writer. A writer of science, like Carl Sagan. At last, this is the only letter I am getting to write, Vemula had written in his first and final letter.

Like any youngster, Vemula also treaded into the territory of love and talked about how its near impossible to love without being hurt in the process.

I loved Science, Stars, Nature, but then I loved people without knowing that people have long since divorced from nature. Our feelings are second handed. Our love is constructed. Our beliefs colored. Our originality valid through artificial art. It has become truly difficult to love without getting hurt, he lamented.

Online users tweeted quotes from his suicide note as a token of remembrance, that India has not forgotten the 26-year-old.

For some he is a hero, for others a coward and yet there are others who think he is the victim of the system.

Vemulas letter reveals that he went through trials and tribulations not just because of his political affiliation, his caste and his aspirations but also because of deeply personal issues that haunt almost every youngster.

Very few have touched the part where he confesses that he felt like an unappreciated child.

May be I was wrong, all the while, in understanding world. In understanding love, pain, life, death. There was no urgency. But I always was rushing. Desperate to start a life. All the while, some people, for them, life itself is curse. My birth is my fatal accident. I can never recover from my childhood loneliness. The unappreciated child from my past, he wrote.

The cause of him feeling unappreciated could well have been the alienation an older child feels when a younger sibling enters their life (Vemula had a younger brother) or it could have been something far more complicated. We don't know.

One can only speculate a myriad of things about his death since Vemula can no longer tell us where the aching loneliness in his childhood life stemmed from. But one thing is clear from his last goodbye- that it was not just his university that failed him, but he met with disillusionment at every step.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court today reserved its judgement on the issue of whether to shift controversial RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin from Siwan jail to any prison outside Bihar.

However, a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said the petitioner's request to direct lodging of FIR against Shahabuddin and RJP supremo Lalu Yadav's son and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav, who was purportedly seen in a photograph published in newspapers with one of the two alleged sharp shooters, would be dealt with separately.

Senior advocate Shanti Bhushan, appearing for Siwan-based Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents, argued before the bench that the apex court had the power to transfer an inmate from one jail to another outside the state.

"This petition has been filed to protect the society at large from this unlawful man. It is identical to Pappu Yadav's case," he said.

During the hearing, the apex court observed, "Article 21 has two layers. It is like a two-storeyed building which deals with rights of an accused as well as the rights of the victim. If you will compare which of these two floors would have more rooms, that the court will decide".

Advocate Kislay Pandey, representing Asha Ranjan, the wife of scribe Rajdeo Ranjan who was murdered in Siwan, told the apex court that one more FIR has been lodged against the RJD leader for violation of the jail manual.

"A full-fledged photoshoot was organised inside the jail three-four days ago. One more FIR has been lodged against him for violation of the jail manual," he said.

To this, the bench said, "We don't want to see the another FIR. We will pass an order".

Meanwhile, senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Shahabuddin, told the court that the petitioner has not placed even a single evidence on the allegations against Tej Pratap Yadav.

"People who make allegations without any evidence should face the consequences. People who come to the highest court of the country and make such allegations without any evidence have to take the responsibility," he said.

Shahabuddin's counsel told the bench that transferring the RJD leader to a prison outside the state would violate his fundamental rights.

The Bihar government had earlier told the apex court that it is not "averse" to shifting Shahabuddin from Siwan prison to Tihar Jail here while concurring with CBI's stand which has already agreed to the bench's suggestion that the alleged history sheeter be shifted to Delhi as his continuous presence in Bihar may adversely impact trials in various pending criminal cases against him.

The state government had told the bench that Shahabuddin has been facing trial in 45 cases, including one in Jharkhand.

CBI had filed a status report in the murder case of scribe Rajdeo Ranjan and said it will welcome if the cases were transferred to Delhi.

On October 17 last year, the apex court had granted three months to CBI to conclude probe in the sensational scribe murder case and directed that the six accused, including Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed, cannot seek statutory bail on the ground of non-filing of charge sheet in the matter.

Ranjan, 42, a senior journalist working with a vernacular daily, was shot dead on the evening of July 22 last year in Siwan town.

The apex court, on September 23 last year, had directed CBI to proceed with its investigation in the murder of the journalist and asked Bihar Police to provide protection to the family members of the slain scribe.

Asha, the wife of the deceased scribe, had moved the apex court seeking transfer of the probe and trial in the case to Delhi.
New Delhi: Communal incidents have declined significantly since the Narendra Modi dispensation assumed office and no such major episode occurred in the near 32-month period, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday.

Addressing the inaugural session of the annual conference of state minority commissions in New Delhi, Naqvi hailed the Modi government for creating an atmosphere wherein minorities are becoming part of the country's development process.

He, however, cautioned the political establishment of the country to remain alert and work with honesty for empowerment of minorities as he said that its accountability will be tested every six months when elections take place in some or the other parts of the country.

The minister also asserted that the constitutional rights of the minorities are absolutely safe and secure in the country and no one can weaken them.

There is a significant decline in communal incidents in the the NDA government's tenure of about 32 months and no major communal incident occurred during this period, he said.

The Narendra Modi-led government's "empowerment without appeasement" policy has created an atmosphere where minorities are also becoming part of the development process, he said.

To buttress his point, the minister said the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) received 2,638 complaints in 2013-14. During the next fiscal, the number of complaints came down to 1,995.

The Commission received 1,974 complaints in 2015-16 and until December 31, 2016, has obtained 1,288 grievances.

Most of these complaints were related to individual disputes.

"Still, we want to stop every single such incident which disturbs social fabric of the country," he said, reiterating that the NDA government has zero tolerance for such incident.

Naqvi said confidence can be created among the people only when communities feel they are equal partners of development of this country.

Naqvi said there are several questions relating to the minority communities which neither the Commissions nor the Minority Affairs Ministry can give answer to.

"There is a big question: why there is atmosphere of fear? There is government, our country is world's largest democratic system. There are at least 10-12 elections, in states or local bodies, where people decide on performance of the government.

"The accountability (of governments) is being decided in every six months now by states. Hence, political establishment has to remain alert and work with honesty," he said.

Stating there is always a lot of talk about about rights of minorities, Naqvi insisted that no government or party can harm constitutional rights of the communities which, he said, is a matter of pride.

The minister asked NCM and state minority commissions to monitor implementation of initiatives taken by the Centre for the welfare of minority communities even as they discharge their primary duties.

He also pitched for working for empowerment of minorities without appeasement.

"Harmony is password of development. It should not be let hacked. The forces which are trying to hurt harmony, those should be isolated. We need to strengthen the unity of the country," he said.

According to a statement issued by the Minister later, he also listed schemes the Union Ministry has come out with for the minorities.

Stating the Ministry has become 100 per cent digital in its transactions, he made mention of the mobile application it has launched for Haj pilgrims to apply online.

"We have received 50,000 applications on the mobile app within three days of its launch," he added.
New Delhi: Alleged paedophile Sunil Rastogi, who was apprehended on charges of sexually assaulting multiple minor girls, reportedly took the girls to rooms on rooftops, and threatened to throw them off the roof in case they did not comply.

Three minor victims allegedly assaulted by Rastogi, told Delhi Police that he asked them to change into new clothes in front of him or be thrown off the roof, The Hindustan Times reported.

The victims who were minor when they were assaulted, said, they did not come forward at the time out of the fear of safety of their family and their own lives.

An investigator speaking to The Hindustan Times, explained, Rastogi always chose locations that were less frequented by people. He mostly picked abandoned houses, old buildings, under-construction houses and that too in New Ashok Nagar.

When he did not find such locations, he took the girls to buildings where bachelors, mostly students, resided. Since he operated during the afternoon, none of the residents used to be around and he would escape each time, he added.

The recent cases are not alien for this history-sheeter. A police source reported, "An FIR under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) was registered against him for raping a minor in 2016 and he was jailed. He, however, got bail six months later. On the next date of hearing, Rastogi did not go to the court and went underground. He was subsequently declared an offender."

Rastogi was apprehended after two complaints were made by minor victims. On December 13, 2016, a minor from New Ashok Nagar in East Delhi and on January 12, two minors approached the police to lodge complaints of sexual assault.

We got three similar cases and when we connected the dots we found that it was the same man who assaulted the three girls. The investigation was then carried out and the man, who we had been looking for, was identified, a police officer added.

Rastogi is currently in a 14-day judicial custody.
New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today dubbed the talks of Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) coming together to take on the saffron party in UP polls as a "natural alliance" of the "rejected and dejected" people.

"Both of them together formed disorderly allies during UPA regime and ruined the country. Now they want to experiment UPA two in Uttar Pradesh. Best of Luck to them," Naidu told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.

Taking at a dig at the possible alliance, Naidu said, "It is a natural alliance of the people who are rejected and dejected."

The Minister was responding to a query related to Congress declaring that it has decided to tie up with SP to take on BJP in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh.

Naidu claimed that people do not want the SP government in the state because they have experienced "corruption, torture of women, lawlessness and no development" during its regime.

Earlier, AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad said that he was confident that the SP-Congress alliance would form the next government in Uttar Pradesh.

Azad, who is in-charge of party affairs in UP, said this was just a beginning of the alliance process and the nitty gritty would be decided in the next one or two days.

Congress announcement came close on the heels of reports from Lucknow where SP chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said a decision on tying up with the Congress will be taken in a "day or two".
Kolkata: Continuing her diatribe against the BJP government over demonetisation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'totally arrogant'.

In a tweet, she said "Modi babu, you are totally arrogant. You are responsible for 120 plus deaths".

She also listed the number of deaths 'caused by demonetisation' across various states, with UP topping the list with 32, followed by West Bengal at 13 and Maharashtra at 11.

Banerjee has been vocal against the Centre's note-ban move right from the start and demanded roll back of the decision as she felt it was hurting the common and the poor man.

She even said that demonetisation is causing many industries to shut down, making people jobless.

Banerjee attacked the Prime Minister after his tweet announcing financial relief to the pilgrims who died while returning from Gangasagar Mela allegedly due to stampede, which the state government vehemently denied saying that they died due to old age and infirmity.
Chandigarh: Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh declared assets worth Rs 48.29 crore on Tuesday including a residential flat in Dubai, his ancestral Moti Bagh palace property in Patiala and gold jewellery and diamonds.

However, the value of assets declared by the 74-year-old former Punjab chief minister dropped by over 40 per cent as compared to that declared during 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Singh is pitted against former Army chief General J J Singh from Patiala (urban) seat. He will also contest against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi seat.

Singh had declared total assets worth Rs 86.33 crores including that of his wife former Union Minister Preneet Kaur when he had successfully contested from Amritsar Lok Sabha seat during 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

In his affidavit filed before the Returning Officer in Patiala on Tuesday, Singh declared his movable and immovable assets including assets of his wife worth Rs 6.09 crore and Rs 42.20 crore respectively.

Among immovable assets, Singh declared the market value of palatial new Moti Bagh palace spread over total 43.41 lakh square feet in Patiala at Rs 35 crore.

The former Lok Sabha MP also declared a residential flat which was bought in the year 2008 in Dubai 'Goldcreet Views Jit', UAE, at Rs 96 lakh. During the last declaration also in 2014, the market value of this flat was declared at Rs 96 lakh.

Among other immovable assets, Singh declared farm house at Shimla worth Rs 2.06 crore while he declared agricultural land at Haridwar, Kharar (Punjab), Himachal Pradesh.

Among movable assets, Singh as 'Karta' of Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) has declared a Toyota Fortuner vehicle worth Rs 12.17 lakh while his wife is riding Toyota Innova worth Rs 4.05 lakh.

Singh owned gold jewellery studded with stones and diamonds (1,946 grams) worth Rs 32.86 lakh while his wife has gold jewellery and diamond (701 grams) worth Rs 35.70 lakh, as per the affidavit.

Singh has cash in hand of Rs 90,000 while his bank deposits were Rs 32.85 lakh while his spouse's bank deposits were worth Rs 1.58 crore.

He has also shown personal loan as a Karta worth Rs 1.43 crore while his investments in shares and bonds were at Rs 47.59 lakh.

The scion of the erstwhile royal state of Patiala has shown his liabilities at Rs 7.54 lakh and as Karta of HUF at Rs 34.53 lakh.

He declared himself as a politician in the affidavit with four cases pending in different courts. He declared his income to the tune of Rs 14.94 lakh for 2015-16.
Supporters celebrate in Agra after UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav got the Samajwadi Party symbol, the cycle, and the party name. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Ending all speculations, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday said that his party would enter into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls under the leadership of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Azad further said the details about the same will be decided in the coming days.

Azad's statement came as his party colleague Sheila Dikshit stated that she would withdraw as the chief ministerial candidate if her party enters into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the high-stakes polls.

Dikshit said there cannot be two chief ministerial faces in case of an alliance in the politically crucial state. "Talks are on and the SP-Congress alliance will benefit Uttar Pradesh. I will do what the party high command decides," she added.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said a decision on tying up with the Congress will be taken in a "day or two". "Decision on alliance (with Congress) will be taken in a day or two," he said, buoyed by the Election Commission's order recognising him as the President of Samajwadi Party and allowing him to retain the 'bicycle' symbol.

Earlier on Monday, SP general secretary Ramgopal Yadav, a close aide of Akhilesh, expressed hope of a grand secular alliance to fight elections in the state.

Ramgopal said the final decision regarding forging an alliance with Congress will be taken by Akhilesh, but he expressed hopes that it will happen.

"It is Akhilesh Yadav who will decide on the alliance. But I am hopeful it will happen," said Ramgopal, who has been a staunch supporter of Akhilesh during the intra-party tussle.

In a major setback to Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Election Commission yesterday recognised the faction led by Akhilesh as the Samajwadi Party and allotted it the 'cycle' symbol.

Uttar Pradesh has 403 Assembly constituencies where Akhilesh's party would be contesting the majority of seats and was likely to have RLD as a junior partner in Western Uttar Pradesh, which was once a stronghold of Ajit Singh.

The three parties will have to race against time to finalise the seat arrangements in the next few days as the western Uttar Pradesh, where Ajit Singh enjoys some influence, goes to polls in the first two phases on February 11 and 15.

Samajwadi Party sources said the list of its party candidates will be released in a day or two. There were reports that the three parties would come out with a common minimum programme.

Leaders from the three parties insist that the main task in Uttar Pradesh is to stop the Narendra Modi-led BJP from coming to power.

Meanwhile, the poll process for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will begin today with notification for the first phase of voting scheduled on February 11. 73 constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh will vote in this phase.

The filing of nominations for these constituencies will start today and the last date for the same will be January 24.

The withdrawal of candidature could be done till January 27 and polling will be on February 11.

The districts going to polls in the first phase are Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj.

Uttar Pradesh will have seven-phase polling between February 11 and March 8.

The term of the present government will end on May 27.

In the 2015 Assembly elections in Bihar, Congress had joined hands with JD(U) and RJD to form a grand alliance, which caused a major upset for BJP-led NDA which had won 31 of the 40 seats in 2014 Lok Sabha polls in Bihar.
New Delhi: Congress leader Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday said she will withdraw as the chief ministerial candidate if her party enters into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the high-stakes Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

Dikshit said there cannot be two chief ministerial faces in case of an alliance in the politically crucial state.

"Talks are on and the SP-Congress alliance will benefit Uttar Pradesh. I will do what the party high command decides," she added.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader PL Punia said that there has been positive results post the grand alliance in Bihar, thereby hinting that the grand old party may join hands with the Samajwadi Party.

"All political parties working in the interest of the poor and farmers joined hands in Bihar. The same is required in Uttar Pradesh as well because the forces favouring the rich and industrialists have grabbed power so far by creating confusion in the minds of the voters," he said.

Punia, however, said the top brass of the Congress and Samajwadi Party can better answer as to when the grand alliance will take place in the politically crucial state.

"Talks and discussions in this regard have been going on since long. I think that a final call in this regard would come to the fore in the next two days as leaders of both the Congress and Samajwadi Party have given indications on the same," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav said he was hopeful his party will forge an alliance with the Congress for the high-stakes assembly polls.

Ramgopal, however, said the final decision regarding forging an alliance with the Congress will be taken by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

"It is Akhilesh Yadav who will decide on the alliance, but I am hopeful it will happen," he said.

In a major setback to Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Election Commission on Monday recognised the faction led by Akhilesh as the Samajwadi Party and allotted it the 'cycle' symbol.

Meanwhile, the poll process for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will begin on Tuesday with notification for the first phase of voting scheduled on February 11.

73 constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh will vote in this phase.

The filing of nominations for these constituencies will start on Tuesday and the last date for the same will be January 24.

The withdrawal of candidature could be done till January 27 and polling will be on February 11.

The districts going to polls in the first phase are Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj.

Uttar Pradesh will have seven-phase polling between February 11 and March 8.

The term of the present government will end on May 27.
New Delhi: The grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh is all set to take shape with the Congress taking the first step on Tuesday to claim that it has decided to tie up with the Samajwadi Party and that the formation of the alliance would be announced in a couple of days.

In Lucknow, Chief Minister and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav echoed the sentiment, saying the decision on an alliance with the Congress would be taken in a day or two.

Speaking to the media in Delhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, AICC general secretary in-charge of UP, said he was confident that the SP-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress chief ministerial face in UP, Shiela Dikshit, bowed out of the race in favour of the alliance and for the greater good.

Following Mr Yadavs victory in getting the party symbol, and his alliance with the Congress, the BJP played the dynasty card and called it an alliance between two princes (Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav).

SP may offer 135 seats to allies

The grand alliance between the Samajwadi Party, Congress and the RLD marks a new chapter in Indian politics as it will be the next generation of leaders who will be taking on the BJP and BSP.

While Akhilesh Yadav would lead the charge, he would be flanked by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and RLD leader Jayant Chowdhury. Akhilesh Yadavs wife Dimple and Rahul Gandhis sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would share the platform.

This formidable combination has spooked the saffronites, who are now pointing fingers at the BJP high command for its failure to project a credible face as the chief ministerial candidate.

The BJP has dubbed this alliance as a club of princes. Coming together of the SP and the Congress shows the desperation of Akhilesh Yadav, who smells defeat Akhilesh along Rahul Gandhi and RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary are coming together to promote their family rule, BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

Chief ministers uncle and close aide Ram Gopal Yadav and Ghulam Nabi Azad are holding parleys over seat sharing.

The SP is expected to offer to nearly 135 seats to its allies, which include other smaller outfits. Of the 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress might be able to get around 100, while the RLD could be offered nearly 25.

The RLD is waiting in the wings to join the grand alliance. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said he would take Mulayam Singh Yadav along, describing the ties with his father and the SP founder as unbreakable.

Uttar Pradesh

Phase 1

Poll Date: February 11

Last date of filing

Nomination: Jan 24

Withdrawal: Jan 27

73 constituencies in 15 Muslim dominated districts

Shamli

Muzaffarnager

Baghpat

Meerut

Ghaziabad

Gautam Buddha Nagar

Hapur

Aligarh are some of the important districts

2.57 crore voters

24.25 lakh voters in 18-19 age group
What would the world be like had Khrushchev been assassinated instead of Kennedy? Chances are, as the wag said, Onassis would not have married Khrushchevs widow. There are counterfactual possibilities we all conjure from history. Some stick to the hard reality. For better or worse, Donald Trump is the reality. Hillary Clinton stands relegated to the counterfactual corner. This is not to say if there were a doomsday war tomorrow Clinton would not have set it off. Between the two, one has been teasing China, and the other ribbed Vladimir Putin with threats to impose no-fly zones over Syrias rubble. There is in all this the third view as always. Noam Chomsky, who sees all American Presidents in his lifetime as invariably harmful, finds Kennedy to have been the most dangerous resident of the White House. Chomskys views offer evidence of how the liberal world of power and glory, to borrow from Kennedys Camelot, rests on a primeval, destructive instinct. Will Trump usher in peace and prosperity for America or drag it over the precipice from where Kennedy had fortuitously pulled it back?

Claims about Putin helping Trump defeat Hillary are passe even if true. Sanctimonious American journalists, nudged by the deep state are scarcely even handed the truth. And the truth here is that Putin may or may not have had a preferred candidate in the US polls, but Iran, yes that very reviled entity, deftly airbrushed Jimmy Carter from the 1980 race. Ronald Reagans Iran-Contra deal flowed from that favour. Claims that the Russians have details of the President-elects sexual romps to blackmail him are equally overcooked. Imagine global capitalisms fate sealed by Russian sex workers. Should we weigh in with the CIA as worthier of our trust against someone who proved the pundits wrong? As for his locker-room fantasies, how do they compare with the sexual profligacy of Messrs Bill Clinton and JFK among other possible White House worthies?

Unlike the other two, however, if Trump explicitly wants to build bridges with Moscow in a world crammed with disaster-tipped weapons, why should anyone, barring the deep state, resent it? If Trump has rattled the American state to the core, it should be less disagreeable than the deep state rattling the world at will. As for hacking, who doesnt do it? Ask Angela Merkel the victim, or Edward Snowden the former US insider, about the deep states intrusive capabilities. Or lean on Salvador Allendes memory to recall a less invisible method of hacking to negate a peoples will. Theres another form of hacking that delivers foolproof verdicts of the hackers choice. Lets call it the Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed way. Without their ample help, Hindutva Nazis would not swamp India.

Every terror attack in India they applaud adds swagger to the Hindutva stride while undermining the voters resolve to change the narrative. If Putin can change electoral fortunes of foreign countries, so does the man who drove a truck into a packed promenade in Nice and spurred the rise of Marine Le Pen in France. So everyone picks someone elses teams and candidates in these days of globalisation. Why dont American journalists and Senate committees, instead of spewing venom on Putins alleged support for Trump, open the aperture to the larger truth? It was Iran, possibly with Israel, that manipulated the American peoples will in 1980. Hashemi Rafsanjani, who passed away this month, was the speaker of the Iranian majlis during the American hostage crisis, triggered by the seizure of the US embassy in Tehran. As a close aide of Ayatollah Khomeini, Rafsanjani shepherded the crisis to a controlled and profitable climax for his country. In other words, the affable, white-turbaned cleric from the saffron-rich city of Bahra-man took away the election from the peanut farmer of Georgia. Within minutes of Reagans inauguration, Iran released the US hostages. Carter blamed his loss on his failure to bring the hostages home.

By arrangement with Dawn
In the background of the bitter slugfest between the politicos and military men in Pakistan, the ease with which former Chief of Pakistani Army Staff Gen. Raheel Sharif demitted office raised many eyebrows. Earlier, rumour mills were rife from a possible extension, field marshalship to even popular support for a military takeover for the then COAS. Defying the widespread public sentiments and the precedents of extension set in motion for the last 18 years with the previous two COAS extending their terms beyond the stipulated timelines  Gen. Sharif stepped down in a civil, unhurried and confident manner on November 29. The possible reason for the seamless hanging up of boots perhaps lay in the supposed Pakistani quid pro quo where the Saudi Arabia-grateful government of Nawaz Sharif bought peace with the general in return for sovereign acquiescence to the Saudi kingdoms earlier request soliciting Gen. Sharifs services in heading the 39-country Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism (IMAFT).

Gen. Sharif has impressive credentials in handling terrorism  he was leading the Pakistani establishments counter-fightback with its own Frankenstein monster, the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban), while on the other hand as the overall head of the infamous ISI he was privy to machinations of its nefarious terror networks. From spearheading Operation Zarb-e-Azb in the lawless North Waziristan to his Atlas-like persona playing out on the mean streets of urban Karachi, to controlling rural banditry in the dustbowls of Sindh  the superhero of Pakistans fight against terror makes him a logical candidate to head such a coalition to fight international terror. Besides, Pakistan has the largest standing Army in the Muslim world (0.6 million, sixth largest in the world), arguably the most professional within the ummah, and nuclear to boot  not surprisingly, Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi defence minister and founder of IMAFT, had sought the additional coronation of Gen. Sharif as head of IMAFT, to his concurrent responsibility as Pakistani COAS. This was earlier turned down by Prime Minister Sharif owing to the impracticalities of managing dual responsibilities and the initial scepticism of Pakistan towards the obvious sectarian construct of IMAFT.

IMAFTs composition is of either the Sunni-majority nations or Sunni-ruled (Bahrain and Lebanon are not Sunni-majority). True to the divisions in the Islamic world, the Shia-ruled Iran, Iraq and the official government of Syria are not signatories to IMAFT. Contrary to the usual ire and angst against the traditional Zionist enemy, that is Israel, or the Western world  it is the implosive sectarian Shia versus Sunni war that is blooding West Asia. In Yemen, Shia Houthi rebels supported by Iran are fighting a violent battle against the Saudi-supported troops, in Syria and Iraq the governmental forces, Shia militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are locked in a free-for-all bloodlust with the Gulf sheikhdom-sponsored rebels (Sunni grouping), in Lebanon the Iran-supported Shia group Hezbollah retains its independent presence and weaponry in defiance of the national Army  the sectarian cleavage is commonly alluded to as the Shia-Moon with prospects of Shia-inspired rule running from the shores of Iran, Iraq to swathes of Syria and Lebanon (including the pockets of Bahrain, Yemen and South Saudi Arabia, hosting the Shia enclaves).

This divide and vitriol got formalised by the open rift between Tehran and Riyadh, when the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran was ransacked by irate protesters (following the controversial hanging of the Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr in Saudi Arabia) and the reciprocal disallowance of Iranians to do the annual Haj in the holy city of Mecca by the Saudi kingdom. The American thawing of relationship with the Iranians further riled the Saudi establishment as it saw the move as a further enabler of its historical nemesis, Iran, in its bid to establish its alternative supremacy. Pursuant to this obvious sectarian denomination of IMAFT, Pakistan had earlier not agreed to join Saudi Arabias war in Yemen against the Shia Houthi rebels. Fearing sectarian reprisals, Islamabad chose to ignore Saudi Arabias initial request to contribute soldiers and weaponry, as it could potentially stoke anti-Shia sentiments in Pakistans fragile fabric of Islamic diversity (Shias contribute approximately 15 per cent of the population and are subjected to frequent clashes). Pakistani parliamentarians unanimously voted against the expansive military intervention in West Asia (even though the Pakistanis have a military presence within Saudi Arabia, ostensibly to protect the kingdom itself). But Pakistans presence in the proxy war in Yemen was thought to exacerbate Shia fears internally, besides risking having a disgruntled Iran.

However, Saudi Arabia has a special relationship with Pakistan, it routinely doles out the invaluable petro-dollars for sustenance, hosts over two million Pakistani expatriates who remit hard currency and shelters its politicos from turmoil (PM Sharif is personally indebted to the kingdom for granting a lifeline following the military coup in 1999). Today, international opprobrium on Pakistani duplicitousness on terror has subtly edged Islamabad towards China and it seeks to deepen its Saudi moorings, given the lack of Western benefactors. The move to avoid joining IMAFT initially was purely driven by internal considerations  however, as it runs out of options, the spectre of a Pakistani general heading the Muslim-Nato is indicative of throwing caution to the winds. IMAFT is sectarian in spirit and the responsibility accorded to Gen. Sharif will not go unnoticed in Iran. While it is still in the formative stages, but as it is headquartering in Riyadh and its principal sponsorship is from Saudi Arabia, there is very little doubt about its definitions on terror. This appointment has strategic import for both Pakistan and Iran, and any official Pakistani allusion to the independent decision by Gen. Sharif would be naive  it is a sectarian choice that is sanctified by the Pakistani establishment and its strategic calculus.
Taking an earlier ruling of the Supreme Court into account, the Election Commission has acted firmly, and with despatch, in allotting the bicycle symbol to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, overlooking the claim of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, the stalwart politician of northern India and founder of the Samajwadi Party, who has fought and won many a famous political battle in his life. It is noteworthy that the EC did not take the easy way out by freezing the poll symbol, which became an issue of contest between the father and the son, making the rival claims the father of poll-related disputes in the annals of the EC. This would have been easy enough to do, given that the verdict came on Monday, just a day before filing of nominations was to begin in UP for the coming state polls.

In reality the SP had split between Mr Yadav and his CM son, but not in two roughly equal halves, or down the middle. It was more like 90 per cent being with the son. This was easy enough to see even for the lay observer. Seen in that light, the SP virtually remains one party even now; only the baton has passed to the younger Mr Yadav. In terms of the ensuing politics, this is of considerable significance. It is now highly probable that the traditional Muslim-Yadav vote in the hinterlands of UP, which is a high percentage of the total, will not split in any major way, specially since it is considered likely that the CMs camp looks keen to sew up a seats-sharing deal with the Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal of Ajit Singh, which enjoys a modicum of support in UPs western districts, among the influential Jat voters of the region.

Also, given Indias demographics, which leans toward the youth, the likely combination of Akhilesh-Rahul Gandhi-Jayant Singh, the RLD leaders son, is posited to be a draw for younger voters, cutting across caste and other traditional community-based calculations. In three months of trench warfare between the Mulayam and Akhilesh camps, the son has been respectful of his father all through. This has been much appreciated in UPs traditional cultural milieu. The father has hardly shown any solicitude toward the son, though. This could cost Mulayam, who after the EC verdict threatened to fight his son in the election if his son wasnt mindful of Muslim sensitivities. If the elder Yadav can shed his impetuosity, and display that he can rise above personal feelings and show that he understands that historical change has already occurred, regardless of whether Akhilesh wins or loses the election, the sturdy political legacy of Mulayam Singh can still be preserved.
Gassed out after the interminable interplay of the Yadavs in their own version of the epic serial Game of Thrones, the fog of war has finally cleared with Tipuji emerging as the Samajwadi Sultan. Having been awarded the cycle symbol, he has readied a tieup with a struggling Congress. It is believed the Ghulam Nabi Azad-fashioned alliance has seen the younger elements in the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Congress and Samajwadi Party  Jayant Chaudhary, Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav respectively  form a gathbandhan to stop the marauding BJP. In the 2012 Assembly election, the SP cornered 29.15 per cent of the votes, bagging 224 seats out of 401 it contested, while incumbent chief minister Behenji Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party could manage only 80 seats from the 403 it contested, with a voteshare of 25.91 per cent. In Indias first-past-the-post system, 30 per cent vote amounts to a lot. Narendra Modis BJP threw all these axioms out of the window by sweeping to 71 seats out of 80 in the May 2014 hustings, garnering 42.63 per cent of the votes. Cutting across all caste faultlines and combinations, the Hindu vote aggregated behind Mr Modi in an unprecedented development.

It isnt politically correct to say that the Hindu vote consolidated behind the Modi phenomenon, but this was the only reality that emerged after a deep dive, which turfed out all traditional dogmas and bogeys that are inherent in the Uttar Pradesh polity. By winning 71 Lok Sabha seats, Mr Modi and the BJP in May 2014 ensured a sweep that even the Ram Mandir activism could not generate in the past. The 71-seat victory would have translated into 328 Assembly seat wins for the BJP had the Assembly polls been held simultaneously. More importantly, the BJP emerged as a runner-up in 62 seats. But that was the 2014 general election, where the SP could only win five Lok Sabha seats with 22.35 per cent of the votes. All five were Mulayam Singh Yadav family members, the Gandhis won two for the Congress, Ms Mayawati failed to bag a single seat while BJP ally Apna Dal won two seats. Despite not winning a single seat, Ms Mayawati had 19.77 per cent of the votes in May 2014, while the Congress, courtesy their pocket boroughs primarily, managed to squeeze out 7.53 per cent of the votes. The Modi sweep was overwhelming, it bested the BJPs golden era in UP politics  1991  51 out of 85, 1996  52 out of 85 and 1998  58 out of 85. Only the Congress riding the Indira Gandhi assassination tsunami in 1984  when it won 83 out of 85 seats  has done better.

It is said that a week a long time in politics, but as we know in the theatre of the absurd called Puttar Pradesh, it certainly isnt infinitesimal. Over the last two and a half years, we have seen endless dramas revolving around chachas, mamas and bhatijas. In true Ramayan and Mahabharat stereotypes, mythological characters have taken over the stage, from Kaikeyi to Bharat, from a slew of Shakunis, from Dashrath to Dhritarashtra, the cast can only be described as Homeric. Hobbled by four and a half uncles, young Akhilesh could never get his way around the ratpack, which kept whispering in Netajis ear. Governance went for a toss, bahubalis and mahabalis ran riot with lawlessness as their underlying credo.

The uncles kept Akhilesh sequestered administratively and yet the youth did not doubt Tipujis sincerity. His mass appeal and honest persona built on an edifice of integrity ensured the connect with common folk who in any case were distraught with their state slip sliding away due to the feuding Yadav family. The BJP, after neutralising Ms Mayawatis alleged cash economy through demonetisation, now has to contend with a resurgent Akhilesh, with Mr Gandhis Congress hanging on to his coattails. The Congress base is systematically being eroded state by state as it displays vacuousness and absence of intellectual capital. Like in Bihar, it has to remain a B-Team, a non-sequitur holding on to crumbs for dear life. Till Mr Gandhi decides that he is a full-time politician, one who is rooted and grounded, there is going to be a trust deficit about his intentions. Moreover, he has to show intent and not make wild and unsubstantiated allegations, which fall flat when subjected to acute catechism.

For the BJP, UP is going to be a seminal election, which it has chosen to fight without a face. The PM is being projected as a CM, he is following his usual bruising electioneering style, but that may not be enough. The one man who the BJP could project in UP is home minister Rajnath Singh, who is most reluctant to accept the job, while other candidates lack heft and stature  head priest of Gorakhnath temple Yogi Adityanath and Keshav Prasad Maurya  simply dont fit the bill. It will be almost impossible for PM Modi to replicate his general election successes. The Hindu vote will not consolidate behind him in an Assembly election. The contrarian view is that this exactly happened in Assam and the Jammu region where the BJP succeeded with this stratagem.

The complexities of UP go beyond the caste and social calculus, while

Ms Mayawati did succeed in 2007 with her model of social reengineering, it is the youth who may well decide this election. The PMs personal equity remains enormously high, even demonetisation could not impact it. He remains the BJPs number one vote-catcher, but you cannot win a state like UP primarily on that appeal. The Muslim vote is also a factor and while 68 Muslims won in the 2012 Assembly polls and they were runners-up in another 64 Assembly segments, their vote will gravitate back to a renascent Akhilesh who seems to have cut the umbilical cord with those who had reined him in. The western UP tinderbox remains a hump that everyone wants to cross peacefully and without any incident. If the BJP does win and Mr Adityanath becomes the CM, then brace yourself for hothead-style politics, which will create tumult and rock the equilibrium. The clarion call for Ram Mandir will once again rise from the rooftops. If one looks at the 2012 Assembly poll data, the SP got 29.15 per cent of the votes, which was up 3.72 per cent from the previous Assembly elections, the Congress got 11.63 per cent, also up 3.03 per cent, while the RLD got 2.33 per cent.

Between them, they do appear to be reasonably formidable challengers to a rampant and popular PM Modi. On Sunday night PM Modi was in attendance at the BJP headquarters in Lutyens Ashoka Road, overseeing the election preparations along with Amit Shah, Mr Singh and Nitin Gadkari. The BJP knows that it has a fight on its hands, not just in UP, but in Punjab where all seems lost, and Goa as well. This will be perceived to be a mini-referendum on demonetisation. Agreed that state issues and local arithmetic is different, but even, then for the PM himself, a lot is at stake, for he retained Varanasi as his constituency. Epicentre Ram Mandir is also in UP and while the PM and the top BJP apparatchiks have not gone to town on building the temple yet, the hotheads in the UP BJP certainly have this on their agenda. In fact, there has been no polarisation yet in UP, but the phased elections are still some time away. The PM has no readymade CM candidate for UP, he has to personally run ops in the state, the overhang of a liquidity crunch may have scarred us, but the Indian voter has shown that he delivers the death blow when it matters by pressing on the EVM. When there are no clear options available, the best thing to do is to do nothing, for the very momentum of history will take you beyond the pale. Every day from here on will be a mile marker in what pundits are already describing as the mother of all battles. History and its momentum may well reward Tipuji in this election.
Astronaut Gene Cernan traced his only child's initials in the dust of the lunar surface. Then he climbed into the lunar module for the ride home, becoming the last person to walk on the moon.

It was a moment that defined the Apollo 17 commander in both the public eye and his own.

"Those steps up that ladder, they were tough to make," Cernan recalled in a 2007 oral history. "I didn't want to go up. I wanted to stay a while."

His family said his devotion to lunar exploration never waned, even in the final year of his life. Cernan died Monday at age 82 at a Houston hospital following ongoing heath issues, family spokeswoman Melissa Wren told The Associated Press.

"Even at the age of 82, Gene was passionate about sharing his desire to see the continued human exploration of space and encouraged our nation's leaders and young people to not let him remain the last man to walk on the Moon," his family wrote in a statement released by NASA.

On Dec. 14, 1972, Cernan became the last of only a dozen men to walk on the moon. Cernan called it "perhaps the brightest moment of my life. ... It's like you would want to freeze that moment and take it home with you. But you can't."

Decades later, Cernan tried to ensure he wasn't the last person to walk on the moon, testifying before Congress to push for a return. But as the years went by he realized he wouldn't live to witness someone follow in his footsteps - still visible on the moon more than 40 years later.

"Neil (Armstrong, who died in 2012) and I aren't going to see those next young Americans who walk on the moon. And God help us if they're not Americans," Cernan testified before Congress in 2011. "When I leave this planet, I want to know where we are headed as a nation. That's my big goal."

Cernan died less than six weeks after another American space hero, John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. Their flights weren't the first or last of the Mercury and Apollo eras. Yet to the public they were the bookends of America's space age glory.

Cernan guided the lander, named Challenger, into a lunar valley called Taurus-Littrow, with Harrison "Jack" Schmitt at his side on December 11, 1972. He recalled the silence after the lunar lander's engine shut down.

"That's where you experience the most quiet moment a human being can experience in his lifetime," Cernan said in 2007. "There's no vibration. There's no noise. The ground quit talking. Your partner is mesmerized. He can't say anything.

"The dust is gone. It's a realization, a reality, all of a sudden you have just landed in another world on another body out there (somewhere in the) universe, and what you are seeing is being seen by human beings - human eyes - for the first time."

Three days earlier, Cernan, Schmitt and Ronald Evans had blasted off atop a Saturn rocket in the first manned nighttime launch from Kennedy Space Center. Evans remained behind as pilot of the command module that orbited the moon while the other two landed on the moon's surface. Cernan and Schmitt, a geologist, spent more than three days on the moon, including more than 22 hours outside the lander, and collected 249 pounds of lunar samples.

"In that whole three days, I don't think there's anything that became routine," Cernan recalled. "But if I had to focus on one thing ... it was just to look back at the overwhelming and overpowering beauty of this Earth."

"To go a quarter of a million miles away into space and have to take time out to sleep and rest ... I wished I could have stayed awake for 75 hours straight. I knew when I left I'd never have a chance to come back."

Completing their third moonwalk on December 14, Schmitt returned to the lunar module and was followed by Cernan.

"We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind," Cernan said.

He later acknowledged that he had grasped for words to leave behind, knowing how the world remembered Neil Armstrong's "giant leap for mankind" on stepping on the moon in 1969.

Before heading home, Cernan said he drew the letters "TDC" - the initials of his then 9-year-old daughter, Teresa Dawn - with his finger on the dusty gray lunar surface. He said he imagined someone in the distant future would find "our lunar rover and our footprints and those initials and say, 'I wonder who was here? Some ancient civilization was here back in the 20th century, and look at the funny marks they made.'"

Eugene A. Cernan was born in 1934 in Chicago and graduated from Indiana's Purdue University in 1956 with a degree in electrical engineering. (Armstrong also was a Purdue grad.)

He had been a Navy attack pilot and earned a master's degree in aeronautical engineering when NASA selected him in October 1963 as one of 14 members of its third astronaut class.

Cernan had the looks of an astronaut from central casting. "He's your classic sort of handsome debonair flyboy," said space historian Roger Launius, associate director of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

In 1966, he was pilot of Gemini 9, a three-day flight with command pilot Tom Stafford where they used different techniques to rendezvous with a docking adapter that was previously launched. On the flight, Cernan became the second American to walk in space, spending more than two hours outside the Gemini spacecraft.

Cernan would later call the mission, "that spacewalk from hell."

"It was very serious," said Launius, the historian. "He lost all kinds of water, his equipment did not work effectively. He overheated. His visor glossed over with water, he could barely see. He barely got back in the spacecraft."

Cernan's sweat so much he lost 13 pounds. The space agency was forced to go back to the drawing board.

"That was a really important learning experience," Launius said. "The difficult thing about that is they put an astronaut's life at great risk there. They learned the lesson."

With the Apollo program underway, Cernan flew on Apollo 10 in May 1969. It was a dress rehearsal for the lunar landing on the next flight and took Cernan and Stafford, aboard the lunar module Snoopy, to within 91/2 miles of the moon's surface.

The mission was marked by a glitch when the wrong guidance system was turned on and the lunar module went out of control before Stafford righted it by taking manual control.

Cernan often joked that his job was to paint a white line to the moon that Armstrong and the rest of the Apollo 11 crew could follow. Yet Cernan was one of only three people to voyage twice to the moon - either to its surface or in moon orbit. James Lovell and John Young are the others.

In 1973, Cernan became special assistant to the program manager of the Apollo program at Johnson Space Center in Houston, assisting in planning and development of the US-Soviet Apollo-Soyuz mission. He was senior US negotiator with the Soviets on the test project.

He retired from NASA three years later. He worked for a Houston energy firm, Coral Petroleum, then in 1981 began his own aerospace consulting company. He eventually became chairman of an engineering firm that worked on NASA projects. He also worked as a network television analyst during shuttle flights in the 1980s.

A documentary about his life, "The Last Man on the Moon," was released in 2016.

Teresa was Cernan's only child with his wife Barbara. The couple married in 1961 and divorced 20 years later. In 1987, he married again, to Jan Nanna, and they lived in Houston.

In all, Cernan logged 566 hours and 15 minutes in space, more than 73 hours of them on the moon's surface.

"I can always walk on Main Street again, but I can never return to my Valley of Taurus-Littrow, and that cold fact has left me with a yearning restlessness," he wrote in his 1999 autobiography, also entitled "The Last Man on the Moon."

"It was perhaps the brightest moment of my life, and I can't go back," he said. "Enriched by a singular event that is larger than life, I no longer have the luxury of being ordinary."

Cernan is survived by his wife, Jan Nanna Cernan, his daughter and son-in-law, Tracy Cernan Woolie and Marion Woolie, step-daughters Kelly Nanna Taff and husband, Michael, and Danielle Nanna Ellis and nine grandchildren.

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China's e-commerce giant Alibaba today joined hands with 20 brands to fight counterfeit goods through big data analysis after the US last month labelled the company as one of the world's largest destinations for fake goods.

The first "alliance to fight counterfeits with big data" was initiated by Alibaba in Hangzhou, capital of eastern China's Zhejiang Province, the company said. Among the first 20 members of the alliance are Chinese and international brands, including Huawei, LV, Swarovski, Dulux, Samsung, Sony and Bioderma.

Alibaba said the move would make the fight against counterfeiting more powerful and transparent. The move was backed by police authorities in many provinces across China.

"Counterfeiting is rampant in the global market these days, and it's increasingly difficult to eradicate bogus goods using traditional offline means," said Jessie Zheng, Alibaba Group's chief platform governance officer.

She said that Alibaba Group was willing to join the fight against counterfeits with its technologies and resources in order to protect consumer rights.

Based on Alibaba big data analysis, Chinese law enforcement authorities closed 675 workshops, warehouses and vendors producing and selling fake goods, from September 2015 to August 2016. Over the same period, Alibaba Group closed 180,000 stores on its shopping platform Taobao.com.

"Alibaba's big data and cloud computing technologies provided strong technical support and improved efficiency in our fight against counterfeits," said Wang Hui, deputy chief of the economic crime investigation team under Zhejiang public security bureau.

Last month the US had labelled Alibaba Group Holding Ltd branding it as one of the world's largest destinations for fake goods, a major embarrassment for a Chinese e-commerce giant trying to shake off its reputation as a haven for counterfeiters.

The US Office of the Trade Representative (USTR) restored Alibaba to its annual Notorious Markets blacklist -- just four years after the Chinese company managed to get out of it.

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Well, if you are reading this article, you would probably think what joke is this. Well, the information is true and Microsoft Australia has announced the product as a limited edition giveaway.

Microsoft Australia announced on its Facebook page that it was giving away a limited edition Xbox Inflatable to enhance Australia Day experience. The giveaway needs a basic requirement  a 25-word or less story on what is ones ideal Australia Day. Winners who are the most creative will win the inflatable. The competition closes on 20 January and is open only to Australian residents 13 years and older.

The inflatable product, valued at AUD $50, features two drink holders, and can accommodate two people in the pool.

Australia Day is the official National Day of Australia and celebrated annually on 26 January. It marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip. In present-day Australia, celebrations reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation, and are marked by community and family events, reflections on Australian history, official community awards, and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new members of the Australian community.

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WhatsApps end-to-end encryption relies on the generation of unique security keys, using the Signal protocol that are traded and verified between users to guarantee communications are secure.

Mumbai: The claims of complete security by WhatsApp for its one billion users has been exposed by Tobias Boelter, a cryptographer and security researcher at the University of California, Berkeley.

He told the Guardian newspaper over the weekend: If WhatsApp is asked by a government agency to disclose its messaging records, it can effectively grant access due to the change in keys.

Both WhatsApp and Facebook denied this saying WhatsApp does not give governments a backdoor into its systems and would fight any government request to create a backdoor.

The design decision referenced in the Guardian story prevents millions of messages from being lost, and WhatsApp offers people security notifications to alert them to potential security risks.

WhatsApps end-to-end encryption relies on the generation of unique security keys, using the Signal protocol, developed by Open Whisper Systems, that are traded and verified between users to guarantee communications are secure and cannot be intercepted by a middleman.

However, Mr Boelter discovered that WhatsApp has the ability to force the generation of new encryption keys for offline users, unbeknown to the sender and recipient of the messages, and to make the sender re-encrypt messages with new keys and send them again for any messages that have not been marked as delivered.

Explaining where the vulnerability lies Ankush Johar, director, BugsBounty.com said if I change my phone and put a new WhatsApp, at 10.1am and at 10am you had sent me a message which I didnt get, WhatsApp generates the ability to give a new encryption so I get the message and when they assign it, it means there is vulnerability.

So this design or signal does not mean that there is no backdoor. This affects the community that wants privacy. Mr Johar suggests that Whatsapp users should immediately turn ON a setting and keep it on by default, so they know when the encryption key is changed.

This would alert them that a new key has been generated. To turn on this notification: Navigate to Settings in whatsapp -> choose account -> choose security -> enable the Show security notifications option.

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The tech giant has been awarded a patent for foldable mobile devices and numerous other components that could point to something beyond a mere prototype.

Microsoft filed a patent back in 2014 that the US Patent Office finally approved recently. The tech giant has been awarded a patent for foldable mobile devices and numerous other components that could point to something beyond a mere prototype.

The patent suggests that a display could be stretched across a hinge. This way, users can have the option of a folded, phone-sized device that can be unfolded to reveal a much larger screen. The company has reportedly filed a broad patent that suggests that the device using this technology could be configured as both a desktop and mobile display, with connections to both an external display as well as an unexplained peripheral device.

If rumours are to be believed, the new patent may be integrated into one of the most anticipated smartphones of 2017  the Microsoft Surface phone. The smartphone is expected to boast high-end features and functionalities. On the specifications front, the handset may feature a 5.5-inch HD display with a resolution of 1400x2560 pixels. The devices screen may also come equipped with something called a novel liquid cooling technology.

It is unclear whether Microsoft will actually go ahead this plan. Other smartphone makers such as Samsung and Apple also appear to be researching foldable smartphones. Even LG is rumoured to have a similar foldable screen technology in place.

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An image of a Samsung smartphone purported to be of Samsung Galaxy S8 has been leaked online.

A person, named Veniamin Geskin from Riga, on Monday posted a real image of the Samsung Galaxy S8 on Twitter.

The smartphone showcased in the image features a dual-edge display and small bezel at the top and bottom.

As reported earlier, the smartphone showed in the image also appears to come without a home button. It is expected that the smartphone will include two navigation buttons  menu and back, within the screen. In fact, Samsung may shift the fingerprint sensor either at the back or include it within the smartphones screen.

In the image, the smartphone carries Samsung logo at the centre of the bottom bezel. The power/lock key of the phone is located on the right-hand side, while the volume buttons are placed on the left-hand side.

The smartphone appears to come in metal and glass body, and in gold colour, which could be possibly among one of the colour variants of the Galaxy S8.

Samsung is expected to release two variants of the smartphone, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, in the April this year.

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The Redmi Note 4 was already been launched in China and the company is now launching the same in India.

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has confirmed the launch of Redmi Note 4, the next iteration of the top selling Redmi Note 3, at an event that will be held in New Delhi on January 19. Presently, the Redmi Note 3 is the highest selling budget smartphone from Xiaomi, and now the Chinese tech giant will launch its successor, the power-friendly Redmi Note 4.

Xiaomi Global VP Hugo Barra took to Facebook to make the announcement official two days before the event. The post states a new Note rising followed by the #RedmiNote4 hashtag, and the date for its launch.

The Redmi Note 4 was already been launched in China and the company is now launching the same in India. The Redmi Note 4 resembles the same look and design as that of the presently available Redmi Note 3. The Redmi Note 4 will feature a Mediatek Helio X20 deca-core chipset with a Mail-T880 graphics unit and a variation of RAM and storage ranging between 2GB/16GB and 3GB/34GB. The cameras on the RN4 will sport a 13MP rear and a 5MP front with both having an f/2.0 aperture. The Redmi Note 4 is expected to be priced similar to the Redmi Note 3  sub Rs 15K at least.

However, it is strange that Xiaomi is launching a Mediatek processor-based smartphone here in India. Xiaomi and Mediatek are in a patent battle in India with regards to using Mediatek chipsets on their smartphones. If the RN4 based on Mediatek is finally making its debut in India, then probably the Chinese manufacturer has resolved the issue with Mediatek. And if not, then the Redmi Note 4 in India would be based on a Qualcomm SoC.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is also said to be a Flipkart exclusive since the teasers for the new Xiaomi product has been out on Flipkart for a while now. Flipkart on its Twitter handle did not reveal the name of the device, but went on to reveal that the phone will be an all-rounder, which claims a better performance, better battery life and probably even a better camera.

However, we are yet to witness the device at the launch where the company VP will reveal the entire specifications to the Indian media.

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Washington: Throughout his presidency, Barack Obama, an eloquent and talented orator with undeniable charisma has taken particular care in the writing of his speeches, several of which have marked milestones in his White House tenure.

"Some of the craft of writing a good speech is identical to any other good writing," he told The New York Times in an interview published Monday.

"Is that word necessary? Is it the right word? Is there a rhythm to it that feels good? How does it sound aloud?"

For Obama's chief speechwriter Cody Keenan, each address is "a way to tell a story," and the balancing act each time is to offer a vision on an issue without getting trapped by the "very real danger of being out of touch."

"There were arguments internally in the early years of the administration about how optimistic and forward looking you could get in economic speeches when unemployment is still at like 8 or 9 percent," Keenan told AFP.

Obama, a former lecturer in constitutional law at the University of Chicago, is very involved in drafting his speeches.

"We will usually sit down with him in the Oval Office and he will just talk and we will type it out and that gives us something to go work with," Keenan said.

"We'll spend a couple of days, write a draft, give it to him. If he doesn't like it, he will take out a yellow legal pad and write his thoughts and if he does, he will start outlining the whole thing," he said.

It usually takes three or four drafts to arrive at a final product which are often tweaked at the last minute anyway.

Here's a look at five key speeches in the career of the 44th president of the United States.

Boston: Disrupting the political scene

July 27, 2004

"There's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America."

Then unknown on the national scene, a young senator from Illinois named Barack Hussein Obama, the son of a Kenyan father and a white American mother was the breakout star of the 2004 Democratic convention.

"Probably his most successful speech was the one where he introduced himself to the country for the first time," Keenan said.

"All he did there was tell the country's story and tell his own story and weave them together."

Cairo: Appealing to the Muslim world

June 4, 2009

"I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect."

Addressing the world's 1.5 billion Muslims with the traditional Arabic greeting "Salam alaikum," Obama called for ending "this cycle of suspicion and discord."

Oslo: War and peace

December 10, 2009

"To say that force may sometimes be necessary is not a call to cynicism it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason."

Less than a year after taking office, Obama delivered his views on the conditions for using force as he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize.

He also gave a nod to the "considerable controversy" generated by his winning the award.

"I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage," he pointed out.

Selma: The march continues

March 7, 2015

"We just need to open our eyes, and our ears, and our hearts to know that this nation's racial history still casts its long shadow upon us."

Speaking at the Edmund Pettus Bridge 50 years after the brutal repression of a peaceful protest there, America's first black president rallied a new generation to the spirit of the civil rights struggle.

Accompanied by his wife Michelle, daughters Malia and Sasha, and 50 others, Obama then walked across the infamous bridge over the Alabama River.

Charleston: Amazing Grace

June 26, 2015

"For too long, we've been blind to the way past injustices continue to shape the present."

Obama made the pronouncement during a rousing eulogy for pastor Clementa Pinckney and eight members of his congregation at the historic "Mother Emanuel" black church, who were killed in a hail of gunfire unleashed by a white supremacist.

After focusing on America's struggles with race and guns in a sermon-like address, he paused and then began singing "Amazing Grace." The thousands of mourners joined in.

"We had the lyrics in there twice, in the middle and then at the end," Keenan said.

"That morning, we were flying on the helicopter to (Joint Base Andrews) and he said, 'You know, I might sing the second one if it feels right.'"

"I watched from the plane, on the tarmac, and you could tell within about three minutes, with that crowd there and the organ playing while he was speaking, that, of course, he was going to sing it."
President-elect and Vice President-elect Mike Pence will participate in an over 200 years old tradition to take oath of office on January 20. (Photo: AP)

Washington: Donald Trump's inauguration theme will be same as his campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again" in order to focus less on the real estate mogul and more "on the place, on the people," media reports said.

President-elect and Vice President-elect Mike Pence will participate in an over 200 years old tradition to take oath of office on January 20.

"We're going to have a very, very elegant day. January 20 is going to be something that will be very, very special, very beautiful," Trump was quoted as saying by the Politico.

On January 19, Trump and Pence will lay wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Then there will be several marching band performances at the "Voices of the People", held on a stage on the southwest end of the Reflecting Pool.

After "Voices of the People", the President-elect and Vice President-elect will deliver remarks at the "Make America Great Again! Welcome" concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

"The theme is very simple," Trump inauguration Chairman Tom Barrack was quoted as saying by ABC News.

"The idea is to have a cross cut of harmony of America and normal Americans that reflects on them, not on the power and prestige of this man."

In 2009, "A New Birth of Freedom" was the theme for President Obama's first inauguration, and "Faith in America's Future" in 2013.

Trump and his wife Melania Trump have been invited to the White House for coffee or tea before the inauguration ceremony, and then the outgoing and incoming first couples will travel to the Capitol together," Barrack said.

"They'll go to the White House, invited for coffee or tea, they'll spend an half an hour there or so, and then they'll go together. That's a great moment," he added.

The inauguration ceremony will kick off at 11.30 AM on Friday.

The DC Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is planning for 800,000 to 900,000 people to attend the festivities.
Washington: US President Barack Obama on Monday marked the first anniversary of the nuclear deal with Iran by emphasizing its "significant and concrete results" and warning against undoing a pact supported by the world's major powers.

In language that seemed clearly directed at incoming president Donald Trump, who is set to take office on Friday, Obama said "the United States must remember that this agreement was the result of years of work, and represents an agreement between the world's major powers not simply the United States and Iran."

He said the deal had "achieved significant, concrete results in making the United States and the world a safer place" and "verifiably prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."

Such a diplomatic solution, he added, was "far preferable to an unconstrained Iranian nuclear program or another war in the Middle East."

Trump has often denounced the nuclear deal, and in a Sunday interview with the Times of London and Bild newspaper of Germany he continued his criticism, saying, "I'm not happy with the Iran deal, I think it's one of the worst deals ever made."

But he declined to say whether he intended to "renegotiate" the deal, as he asserted regularly during the presidential campaign.

Obama insisted Monday that despite US reservations about other actions by Iran including its support for "violent proxies" and "terrorist groups" Tehran was "upholding its commitments, demonstrating the success of diplomacy."

Iran, he said, had "reduced its uranium stockpile by 98 percent and removed two-thirds of its centrifuges."

"There is no question, however, that the challenges we face with Iran would be much worse if Iran were also on the threshold of building a nuclear weapon," Obama said.

Secretary of State John Kerry, who helped negotiate the deal, said the Iran agreement had "resolved a major nuclear threat without firing a shot or sending a single soldier into combat."

"It was endorsed unanimously by the United Nations Security Council and earned the support of more than 100 countries across the globe," he added.

For all of Trump's sharp criticism of Iran and the nuclear deal, the policy he will embrace once in office remains unclear.

One of his top cabinet nominees, retired Marine general James Mattis, said last week that if he is confirmed as defense secretary, he will support the nuclear deal.

"When America gives her word," he told senators during his confirmation hearing, "we have to live up to it and work with our allies."

The pact was signed in July 2015 by Iran and six major powers the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany and led to the lifting exactly a year ago of most international sanctions against Iran.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York. (Photo: AP)

Washington: Donald J Trump will be sworn-in as the US President on Friday using two Bibles: the one that President Abraham Lincoln used at his first inauguration, plus his own that dates back to the President-elect's childhood.

US Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath of office to Trump, according to the 58th Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC) which announced more details of swearing-in ceremony.

"In his first inaugural address, President Lincoln appealed to the 'better angels of our nature'," said PIC Chairman Tom Barrack.

"As he takes the same oath of office 156 years later, President-elect Trump is humbled to place his hand on Bibles that hold special meaning both to his family and to our country," he added.

Trump's Bible was presented to him by his mother upon his graduation of Sunday Church Primary School at First Presbyterian Church, Jamaica, New York, on Childrens Day, June 12, 1955, a media release said.

The Bible is a revised standard version published by Thomas Nelson and Sons in New York in 1953 and is embossed with his name on the lower portion of the front cover. The inside cover is signed by church officials and is inscribed with his name and the details of when it was presented.

The Lincoln Bible was purchased for the first inauguration of President Lincoln by William Thomas Carroll, Clerk of the Supreme Court.

The Bible is bound in burgundy velvet with a gold-washed white metal rim along the edges of the covers.

It is part of the collections of the Library of Congress and has been used at three inaugurals: 1861, 2009, and 2013. Outgoing US President Barack Obama had used Lincoln's Bible for his inaugurations in 2009 and 2013.

On the other hand, vice president-elect Mike Pence would take oath using The Reagan Family Bible.

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas will administer the Oath of Office to him on January 20. "President Reagan placed his faith in a loving God and the goodness of our country. He set out to change a nation and in doing so, he changed the world. In the march of history, Ronald Reagan's time in office was limited, but his legacy inspired a generation and will continue beyond," Pence said.

"It will be humbling to enter office with President Donald Trump, standing next to my family, with my wife Karen holding the same Bible used by President Reagan when he took office," he said.

The Bible that Pence will place his right hand upon was used by Reagan for his gubernatorial and presidential inaugurations. This marks the first time a person other than Reagan has used it at an inauguration.

The Reagan Family Bible has never been out of the possession of the Reagan family or the Reagan Foundation, and is currently on permanent display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California.
San Francisco: The FBI on Monday arrested the wife of the gunman who killed 49 people at an Orlando gay nightclub last year, a massacre that intensified fears about attacks against Americans inspired by Islamic State, officials said.

Noor Salman, 30, is being charged with obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting by providing material support to a terrorist organization, Orlando Police Chief John Mina said in a statement.

Salman's arrest came seven months after her husband, Omar Mateen, went on a hours-long siege at the Florida club that ended when police killed him. She was due to appear in federal court in Oakland, California on Tuesday morning.

"Certainly I can confirm that an arrest did occur in this case," Attorney General Loretta Lynch told MSNBC.

"We said from the beginning we were going to look at every aspect of this case, every aspect of this shooter's life to determine - not just why did he take these actions, but who else knew about them, was anyone else involved?" Lynch said.

Salman, who has a young son by Mateen, was arrested at her home outside San Francisco, The New York Times reported, citing an unnamed law enforcement official. Salman has moved at least three times since the attack, attempting to avoid the news media, The Times said.

The daughter of parents who immigrated from the West Bank in 1985, Salman was repeatedly questioned by law enforcement interrogators after the club attack, telling them she was with Mateen when he bought ammunition and conducted surveillance of the club.

But she denied any involvement in the attack or any knowledge of her husband's plans, she told the Times in an interview published on Nov. 1.

"I was unaware of everything," Salman told the Times. "I don't condone what he has done. I am very sorry for what has happened. He has hurt a lot of people."Her husband, who was 29 at the time of his death, claimed a connection to or support for multiple Islamist extremist groups, including al Qaeda, Hezbollah, al Nusra and Islamic State, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey told reporters a few days after the attack.

During the siege, Mateen spoke to a 911 emergency dispatcher and expressed solidarity with an al Nusra suicide bomber as well as Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh.

Representatives of the FBI could not be reached immediately for more details.

The Orlando massacre came about seven months after a husband and wife who sympathized with Islamic extremists opened fire in December 2015 on a holiday party in San Bernardino, California, killing 14 and wounding 22 others.
Linyi City: In a disturbing incident, a man was caught trying to sell his infant son for around 70,000 yen (over seven lakh rupees) in eastern China, to buy a car that his wife demanded as compensation to divorce him.

The father was filmed as he was waiting with the five-month-old baby for a prospective buyer on January 12 in Linyi city, eastern China, according to a report on Daily Mail.

The video was posted on the Chinese website iqilu.com.

Unable to bear the cold, the baby had started wailing, catching the attention of the patrol officers.

Finding the man suspicious, the police detained him doubting that he might harm the baby. However, the accused, identified as Zhang, confessed to putting up his son for sale online after interrogation, according to the report.

Zhang was trying to sell his son for Rs. 7, 90,000 to a stranger who had approached him on the internet. With the money, the man was intending to buy a car that his wife demanded to divorce him.

The report also quoted him saying that he wanted to find a good place for the baby before the couple got divorced.

The case has sparked an online furore in Chinas micro-blogging platform Weibo, where many have criticised the fathers behaviour.
Given the long history of the Sikh community in Australia, Arora says it's disappointing that they still struggle with issues such as this. (Representational Image)

Melbourne: A five-year-old Sikh boy has been denied school enrolment in Australia for wearing turban as it does not align with its uniform policy, despite a landmark ruling in 2008 against a private institution on the issue.

"It is disappointing that my son has been forced to abandon his religious practices and identity to access to an education in Melbourne's Melton Christian College (MCC)," Sagardeep Singh Arora was quoted as saying by the SBS TV.

"We have lodged a claim with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC)."

"I believe having a common school uniform is important in promoting school identity and integration," Arora said.

"Students should be able to wear their significant religious symbols and articles of faith. It's immoral for a school to not allow students to practice their beliefs."

"We were in discussions regarding the importance of hair & turban in Sikhism and acceptance of turban as uniform by different organisations (like schools, army, and police) in Australia and the other countries," says Arora. "Yet, the college has refused to review their uniform policy."

Given the long history of the Sikh community in Australia, Arora says it's disappointing that they still struggle with issues such as this.

"While practising our religious beliefs, we wish to show an expression of solidarity with the wider Australian community," he added.

MCC has provided a written response to the VEOHRC in which the school refused to include any additional items amid the existing permitted uniform protocol, the report said. "Our college's history represents over thirty years of inclusive religious tolerance. For thirty years our children have been in classrooms and playgrounds, learning, growing, and playing side by side wonderfully oblivious to their families' extensive religious diversities. We are proud of that heritage of inclusiveness.

"We acknowledge the disappointment that Sagardeep and his family feel. We respectfully recognise his disappointment that the uniform protocol of this school mean that non prescribed items are not permitted to be worn in addition to the school uniform. The result is that we have agreed that college uniform will be maintained as it is, without permitting additional items."

Sikhism is a small but growing minority religion in Australia that can trace its origins in the nation to the 1830s. Australia is home to more than 72,000 Sikh, a population that is expected to rise in this years census.

In a landmark case in September 2008, a Brisbane private school was forced to back down on a strict uniform policy that would have forced a Sikh boy to cut his hair and remove his turban.
May accepted the demand on the proviso that MPs "respect the wishes" of the June vote to leave the bloc and accept her timetable to trigger Article 50 by the end of March. (Photo: AP)

London: British Prime Minister Theresa May indicated on Tuesday that she would accept demands by lawmakers to publish her plan for Brexit before starting formal exit talks, as long as they accept her timetable for leaving the EU. May was facing a rebellion by up to 40 MPs from her Conservative party over an opposition motion which demanded she reveal her hand before triggering Article 50, the formal mechanism for leaving the EU.

In an amendment published on Tuesday, May accepted the demand on the proviso that MPs "respect the wishes" of the June vote to leave the bloc and accept her timetable to trigger Article 50 by the end of March. The move is designed to outmanoeuvre the opposition Labour party, which brought the original motion to pressure the government.

Up to 40 Conservative lawmakers had reportedly been planning to back the Labour motion in what could have been a symbolic blow against May's refusal to provide a "running commentary" on her Brexit strategy. The government is currently fighting a legal challenge at the Supreme Court to stop parliament having the final say on a decision to trigger Article 50.

Brexit supporters fear that MPs, who were overwhelmingly in favour of staying in the EU in the June referendum, might seek to delay the process or soften the terms of the break. Labour's motion "calls on the prime minister to commit to publishing the government's plan for leaving the EU before Article 50 is invoked". It also "confirms that there should be no disclosure of material that could be reasonably judged to damage the UK in any negotiations".

The government's amendment, published on Twitter by Conservative lawmaker Steve Baker, adds that "this House will respect the wishes of the United Kingdom as expressed in the referendum on 23 June". It adds: "And further calls on the government to invoke Article 50 by 31 March 2017."

The motion and amendment will be subject to a debate and non-binding vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday, although May will not be present as she is in Bahrain.

The government has repeatedly refused to outline its negotiating strategy for Brexit, but a spokeswoman denied the amendment was a U-turn. "We have always said we would come forth with more detail as we near the moment of triggering Article 50," she told AFP.
London: Britain does not want the "unravelling" of the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May said in a major speech on Brexit on Tuesday.

"It remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's national interest that the EU should succeed," she said.

Britons voted for change 6 months ago for a "brighter future", not just to leave the EU but to embrace a wider world, said May. May also added that Britain plans to make a clean break from the European Union and not opt for "anything that leaves us half-in, half-out."

She also said that she wants the UK to be "fairer, more secure,

united and outward looking" as a result of Brexit.

May sais she would put the final agreement on Britain's exit from the European Union to a vote in parliament.

She also said there would have to compromises in the negotiations but it was important to provide "as much certainty as possible" and there would be proper scrutiny.

"When it comes to parliament, there is one other way I would like to provide certainty," she said in a speech in London. "I can confirm today that the government will put the final deal that is agreed between the UK and the EU to a vote in both houses of parliament before it comes into force."
Paris: French President Francois Hollande replied bluntly on Monday to Donald Trump's criticism of the European Union, saying the EU "has no need for outside advice" on its affairs.

"I say it here, Europe will always be willing to pursue transatlantic cooperation, but it will determine its path on the basis of its own interests and values," Hollande said at a ceremony in Paris for outgoing US ambassador Jane Hartley.

"It has no need for outside advice to tell it what it has to do."

In a hard-hitting interview published on Sunday by The Times of London and Germany's Bild, the US president-elect praised Britain's vote to leave the EU and said Europe had been weakened by its policy on migrants.

He criticised as "catastrophic" Germany's decision to open its borders to Syrian refugees, hailed Brexit as "a great thing" and predicted other countries would follow Britain in leaving the EU.

"If refugees keep pouring into different parts of Europe. I think it's gonna be very hard to keep it together because people are angry about it," said Trump.

Trump also said NATO was "obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago (and isn't) taking care of terror."

He also noted that only a small number of its 28 members met a commitment on levels of military spending.

Taking aim at Trump but without naming him, Hollande said relations between Europe and the United States "have always been founded on in the same principles and values.

"These values are called respect, mutual support at times of danger, but also commitment to democracy, the defence of freedoms, equality between men and women, the dignity of being a human being."

And, he added, the principle of offering asylum to those fleeing persecution was a core value shared in Europe and America too.

Obsolete

NATO "will only become obsolete when threats become obsolete too," Hollande added tartly.

"We are committed to our alliances, but we are also able to be self-sufficient strategically. This is what France has always defended, in the name of its independence, in total complementarity with NATO."

Separately, former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Trump's remarks amounted to a "declaration of war on Europe," which the incoming US president "quite simply suggests should break up."

"Many people thought that Donald Trump, after his election, would calm down. But they forget that a populist may want to implement his programme," Valls told BFMTV news channel.

"The only response to Donald Trump is European unity," said Valls.

"Europe is far too divided but there is a joint awareness, we need a very strong response from Europe, France and Germany."

Valls, 54, quit Hollande's government last month to stand as a candidate in the Socialist Party's primary ahead presidential elections due in April.

He is struggling to garner support among grassroots Socialist voters over rightward shifts in policy he took during his two years and eight months in office.
Reina club attacker after being caught by Turkish police in Istanbul. (Photo: AP)

Istanbul: The man believed to have killed 39 people on New Year's night at an Istanbul nightclub has confessed after Turkish police captured him in a massive operation, a local official said on Tuesday.

"The terrorist confessed his crime," Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin told reporters, identifying the suspect as Abdulgadir Masharipov born in Uzbekistan in 1983.

"He was trained in Afghanistan and can speak four languages. He's a well-trained terrorist," Sahin added.

The suspected mass killer was captured Monday in a police raid on an apartment in the Esenyurt district, which is on Istanbul's European side.

Authorities have been hunting the attacker for over two weeks, following the bloodbath on the glitzy Reina nightclub on the shores of the Bosphorus. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed the attack.

One Iraqi man and three women from Egypt and Africa were also detained at the same apartment, alongside the alleged assailant, the governor said.

"It is clear that the attack was carried out on behalf of Daesh," he said, using an Arabic acronym for the IS group, adding that the other four suspects were likely linked to the jihadists.

Turkish media initially reported the killer was captured with his four-year-old son, but the governor said the child was not present during the police raid.

Police confiscated $197,000 (185,000 euros), two weapons and clips at the apartment.

Some 2,000 police officers were involved in the operation backed by Turkish intelligence, according to the official. Police have raided approximately 152 addresses and detained 50 suspects, he said.

Sahin also said the suspected killer "illegally entered Turkey" from its eastern borders.
IS fighters have repeatedly targeted civilians trying to flee neighbourhoods still under militant control. (Photo: AP)

Irbil: The United Nations says the massive Iraqi military operation to retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group has made more than 148,000 people homeless.

The UN said in a statement released on Monday night that nearly 12,500 people were forced to flee their homes just over the past week.

The statement also says that the fighting over Iraq's second-largest city continues to inflict relatively high civilian casualties, with more than 1,500 wounded taken hospitals in the nearby city of Irbil for trauma care.

IS fighters have repeatedly targeted civilians trying to flee neighbourhoods still under militant control.

More than a million people were estimated to still be living in Mosul in October, when Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake the country's second largest city from IS.
Tehran: President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday there was no chance of Iran renegotiating the nuclear deal with world powers if US President-elect Donald Trump demands it.

"The nuclear deal is finished, it has been approved by the UN Security Council and has become an international document. It is a multilateral accord and there is no sense in renegotiating it," said Rouhani at a news conference a year on from the deal coming into force.

Trump frequently criticised the nuclear deal during campaigning and called for fresh negotiations, but has refused to be drawn on his plans since being elected.

His nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, has called for a "full review" of the deal.

"Mr Trump, the president-elect, has made various statements that the nuclear deal does not satisfy him, that it was not a good deal or even that it was the worst deal ever," said Rouhani.

"These are mostly slogans, and I don't think that when he enters the White House, something will happen. It is not a bilateral deal that he can decide he likes or doesn't like," the president added.

The deal was signed between Iran, the US, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

EU and British officials have this week said they would not support any renegotiation of the deal, which places strict curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for a lifting of international sanctions.
China's military says more than 2,500 abandoned Japanese chemical weapons have been destroyed. (Photo: AFP)

Beijing: China's military says more than 2,500 abandoned Japanese chemical weapons collected from northern China, including Beijing and Tianjin, have been destroyed at a facility in Shijiazhuang in a four-year disposal process.

Japanese occupation troops left behind hundreds of thousands of chemical weapons at the end of World War II, and Tokyo is responsible for their cleanup under a 1997 treaty.

China says thousands of Chinese have been killed or hurt since the end of the war in 1945 from accidents related to the buried weapons.

China's ministry of defence said today that because they were widely scattered, the remaining pieces of Japanese chemical weapons were difficult to find and destroy. The ministry urged Japan to "increase manpower and resources" to finish the job under the conditions of the international convention.
Davos, Switzerland: Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that there is "no point" in blaming economic globalisation for the world's problems, adding that no one would win a trade war.

The leader of the world's second largest economy made the comment at the World Economic Forum, where he became the first Chinese president to address the well-heeled gathering.

His appearance comes as China is looking to play a greater role in global institutions amid rising protectionism in the US and Europe.

There is "no point in blaming economic globalisation for the world's problems," he said, saying that the process was not at the root of the Syrian refugee situation and 2008 financial crisis.

Globalisation should be "more inclusive, more sustainable," he said, adding that currently existing global institutions are "inadequate" and should be more "representative."

Xi's speech was highly anticipated by Davos attendees, a global elite who have been caught off-guard by the rising sentiment against liberal trade regimes, and are looking for guidance as the US, under president-elect Donald Trump, looks set to abandon its leadership position in international governance.

In an oblique reference to Trump, Xi said that "no one will emerge as a winner in a trade war."

The incoming US leader has repeatedly accused China of carrying out trade policies that have led to massive US job losses and has threatened to slap tariffs of up to 45 percent on the country's goods.
Rights groups have long criticised the colonial-era legislation as a vehicle for personal vendettas. Even unproven allegations can result in mob lynchings. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

Islamabad: A virulent social media campaign to paint five disappeared Pakistani activists as blasphemers deserving execution has spotlighted how right-wing efforts to muzzle liberal voices using the country's draconian laws have found a powerful new platform online.

The five men had stood against religious intolerance and at times criticised Pakistan's military, with several of them running progressive Facebook pages.

They vanished within days of each other earlier this month, sparking fears of a government crackdown. No group has claimed responsibility. Security sources denied being involved.

As publicity surrounding their disappearances grew, with protests in major cities, observers such as Digital Rights Foundation founder Nighat Dad began to notice a worrying trend online.

"There are people trying to label these missing bloggers blasphemers. And the people supporting (them) are being labelled blasphemers," Dad told AFP.

The allegation can be fatal in deeply conservative Muslim Pakistan, where at least 17 people remain on death row for blasphemy.

Rights groups have long criticised the colonial-era legislation as a vehicle for personal vendettas. Even unproven allegations can result in mob lynchings.

And now such accusations targeting the disappeared activists are multiplying on Facebook and Twitter.

"The group of atheists committing blasphemy on Facebook... have been defeated," said a recent post by Pakistan Defence, a powerful pro-military Facebook page run by anonymous right-wing elements which has 7.5 million likes.

The post, liked more than 5,400 times, triggered a flood of threats including one suggesting the activists' "bullet riddled corpses should be found beside any gutter".

Other pages such as ISI Pakistan1, with 192,000 Facebook likes, called for such "enemies of Islam" to be "eliminated".

Self-censorship

The attacks are perpetuated by right-wing trolls such as 25-year-old Farhan Virk, who admits he has few real friends but has 54,000 followers on his verified Twitter account.

By re-tweeting the blasphemy charges against the activists, Virk gives them a prominence on social media that can influence the mainstream news agenda.

A number of NGOs and observers believe the campaigns to silence progressive voices are carefully coordinated.

Digital rights activist Dad points to what she says is a periodic surge of new right-wing Twitter accounts with just a handful of followers whose "only purpose is to attack us."

The end result is often self-censorship, with the online attacks following a well-worn pattern.

Journalist Rabia Mehmood criticised Pakistan online after human rights activist Sabeen Mahmud was assassinated in 2015.

Mehmood received a barrage of death and rape threats on Twitter and Facebook, including many from newly created accounts, accusing her of being anti-state and an enemy of Islam.

"Overnight there were tweets warning me that there were bullets with my name on them for criticising the military and the intelligence agencies," she said.

"Since then I have started watching what I say."

The new wave of blasphemy charges that followed the activist disappearances prompted a number of liberal online commentators to close their accounts completely.

Shrinking space for dissent

Pakistan used its legal agreements with Facebook and Twitter to temporarily remove a slew of left-wing accounts in 2014, and enacted a cybercrime law last year that critics say will stifle genuine dissent.

Meanwhile, pages such as Pakistan Defence appear to operate freely, despite content that would appear to contravene basic community standards.

A Twitter spokesman said support teams have been retrained on enforcement policies, "including special sessions on cultural and historical contextualisation of hateful conduct".

Facebook said it routinely worked to "prohibit hateful content and remove credible threats of physical harm".

Observers say the blasphemy allegations against the missing activists have already put their lives in danger of vigilante attack.

In 2011 a liberal governor who criticised the laws was gunned down in Islamabad, while in 2014 a Christian couple falsely accused of desecrating the Koran were killed by a mob, their bodies burned in a brick kiln, to cite just two examples.

"If they come back I don't think they have a life in this country," said Shahzad Ahmed, director of campaign group Bytes For All. "They will have to leave."
Beijing: A former Taiwanese premier will represent the island at Donald Trump's inauguration Friday, highlighting the island's unusually high profile during the presidential transition process.

Yu Shyi-kun will be joined by lawmakers and local government officials representing both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Nationalists, the Foreign Ministry announced. It said the delegation left Monday.

Along with attending the inauguration, the delegation will hold talks with politicians, academics and overseas Chinese community representatives, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

"Taiwan-U.S. relations have a lengthy history and have made significant progress in recent years," the statement said. Congratulating Trump on his election, it said the government would "continue to strengthen Taiwan-U.S. relations in future on the basis of excellent mutual trust and interaction."

The U.S. has no formal relations with Taipei in deference to China, which claims the island as its own. However, the two maintain robust informal ties, while Washington sells Taiwan arms and is legally bound to regard any threat to the island as a matter of grave concern.

Trump upset decades of diplomatic precedent by talking by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen shortly after his victory in November's presidential election. Last week, he said in a newspaper interview that Washington's "one China policy" under which it recognized Beijing in 1979 was open to negotiation.

On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry said the "one-China principle" regarding Taiwan is not negotiable and any attempt to reconsider the issue would be self-defeating.

"Not everything in the world can be bargained or traded off," Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.

China threatens to use force to assert control over Taiwan and tensions across the Taiwan Strait have risen since Tsai's election last year. Beijing has cut off contacts with her government and is using its diplomatic clout to further isolate the island.

Yu served as premier under former President Chen Shui-bian, despised by Beijing for his defiantly pro-independence stance.
The year 2016 ended with a grim reminder of the dire state of rivers in India. An assessment of 290 rivers spread across 19 states of the country found 205 rivers to be critically polluted, thereby categorising them as red. This categorisation of rivers was done as part of a larger collaborative exercise of rating the overall health of Indian rivers based on a set of parameters to arrive at a common understanding of red (critical or destroyed), pink (threatened) and blue (wild/pristine) rivers in the country.





Assessing and rating rivers across India is an audacious exercise, but as a civil society, we embarked upon this journey because there is no comprehensive monitoring of rivers in the country, said Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), and a member of the organising committee of India Rivers Week, which was held in November 2016 at New Delhi.



Apart from discussions around threats faced by riverine biodiversity, river conflicts and water management, a draft report on the state of Indias rivers was also released during the India Rivers Week. It will soon be submitted to the Union

ministry of water resources to collectively arrive at a roadmap for the conservation of identified rivers in the country, said Manoj Mishra, a member of the organising committee.



The Indian subcontinent is home to seven major river systems and more than 400 rivers. Anthropogenic pressures of urbanisation and sewage disposal, indiscriminate damming of rivers, discharge of untreated effluents, encroachment,

deforestation and unchecked groundwater extraction, coupled with various climatic factors, have adversely affected river systems across the country.



In spite of a number of laws to check pollution and protect the rivers, water bodies are drying up quickly. The way we are managing our river systems is suicidal.



Several small rivers have completely dried up, whereas perennial rivers have become seasonal, said Kalyan Rudra, chairperson of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board.



State of Indias rivers

It was two years ago that five non-profits  WWF-India, SANDRP, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Toxics Link, and Peace Institute  came together to launch a one-of-its-kind biennial event called the India Rivers Week. The idea behind this event was to generate awareness around river restoration, and to share ideas, experiences and practices of river management in the country. The second edition of this initiative was held last November under the theme State of Indias Rivers. The goal of this second India Rivers Week was to study and assess the health of rivers in all the four zones of the country. Several experts were identified across India to assess the health of rivers in their respective states or regions. A set of parameters were provided to them against which they had to rate the rivers and categorise them as blue, pink or red, said Himanshu.



Some of the states whose rivers were assessed as part of this collaborative exercise are Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bihar and Odisha.



Rating was done based on the river basin approach under which the selected unit of assessment was 250 km length of the main-stem of river. Key tributaries were also identified and assessed provided they were not more than 150 km long and less than 10 km in length. Longer tributaries were considered as independent units for assessment. A total of 15 parameters were used to assess the health of the rivers.



These parameters were further divided into two categories  contributors and indicators. Contributors include parameters that positively or negatively impact the health of a river, whereas indicators indicate the existing health of a river.



A peek into the report

All the contributors and indicators for each of the selected rivers were assessed and given a rating. Areas where concrete information was missing were marked as grey.



Based on the overall scenario, a river was assigned red, pink or blue category. We are further refining these parameters and assessment tools to arrive at a peoples River Health Index (RHI), which will be a user-friendly tool that can be used by local communities and organisations to assess the state of rivers health in their area, explained Manoj.



The assessment of Keralas river system, carried out by Dr A Latha, director

of Thrissur-based River Research Centre, found seven rivers in the red category.



Rivers are under pressure from anthropogenic activities. Water scarcity in many parts of Kerala can be attributed to high rainwater runoff and loss of forest cover in the upper catchments, and more directly to sand mining and reclamation of wetlands and paddy fields. Dams in Kerala have submerged vast stretches of indigenous domains and forests, reads the Kerala state report. However, if sand mining is taken into consideration, then all the rivers in the state would be categorised as red.



In Tamil Nadu, not even a single river is under the blue category. Tamil Nadu has 10 major river basins of which seven are in the red category, said Dr S Janakarajan, professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, who prepared the status report on Tamil Nadus rivers. However, this does not mean that the remaining rivers in the state are safe. There is a lack of credible data on other rivers in the state.



But, based on the ground situation, I can confidently say that there is not even a single non-polluted river in the state, he added.



The assessment of rivers in Goa has found River Mandovi, states lifeline, to be in the red category. Extensive mining in the state has been silting the rivers though mining rejects, transport of the mineral by barges through rivers causes severe pollution. Ammonium nitrate, used as an explosive for mining, adds nitrates to the river water causing eutrophication, reads Goa report prepared by Rajendra Kerkar, convenor of Goa River Conservation Network. The situation is no better in other states. For instance, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana do not have any blue river.



Eight main rivers of Madhya Pradesh are also highly polluted.



The draft report on the state of Indias rivers clearly lists the rivers that are extremely polluted requiring urgent attention. It also explains that rivers are much more than just water bodies. They have riverine biodiversity and sustain various forms of lives. It is the continuous flow of the rivers that settles sediments leading to the formation of rich deltas. Rivers also have a direct link with the groundwater.



Over-exploitation of groundwater leads to reduction in the baseflow because of which rivers dry up.



The India Rivers Week has set the agenda for management and protection of rivers in 2017 and beyond. We cannot afford not to implement it.
Turkish police have captured the suspected jihadist who slaughtered 39 people on New Year's night at an Istanbul nightclub, detaining him in a raid on a residential area of the city after a long manhunt.





The alleged assailant was found along with his four-year-old son in an apartment in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul after a massive police operation, state-run TRT television reported.



The attacker had been on the run for over two weeks, after slipping into the night following the attack on the glamorous Reina nightclub on the Bosphorus.



Reports had previously suggested he never left the Turkish metropolis, despite a tightening of borders in a bid to stop him escaping, triggering fears that a dangerous killer was on the loose in the city.



The Islamic State (IS) group took responsibility for the bloodbath, the first time it has ever openly claimed a major attack in Turkey.



It had previously been blamed for several strikes including triple suicide bombings at Istanbul airport in June.



The suspect was caught in an operation jointly carried out by the Turkish police and the spy agency MIT, Turkish TV said.



Turkish media published a picture of the detained man with blood on his face and T-shirt, his neck gripped by a policeman.



Television images showed him being roughly led away, his head bent low.



There had been confusion over the identity of the attacker in the wake of the massacre, with reports initially suggesting a Kyrgyz national and then a Uighur from China.



But reports on January 8 said intelligence services and anti-terror police in Istanbul had identified him as a 34-year-old Uzbek who was part of a Central Asian IS cell.



The state run Anadolu news agency identified the detained man as Abdulgadir Masharipov, while the Dogan news agency said he used the code name of Ebu Muhammed Horasani within IS. These are the same names given in the January 8 reports.



The suspect was living in an apartment rented by a Kyrgyz in Istanbul who was also detained, TRT reported. Anadolu said a total of five people were detained in the operation, including three women.



Anadolu added the suspected attacker had been brought to the Istanbul police headquarters for questioning. It said other raids took place on IS targets in the city, without giving further details.



NTV television said the attacker was captured at a quarter past midnight (local time). The police had spotted his location three days earlier, but preferred to track him to identify his contacts.



The son is under protection, the reports said.



Turkish media reports had said that the gunman was a well-trained killer who had fought for IS in Syria and had gained weapons expertise there.


Sri Ram Sene leader Pramod Muthalik and his associates have been banned from entering poll-bound Goa for 60 days beginning tomorrow as authorities fear "serious law and order problems" if they are allowed to enter the state during the period.





Stating that election code of conduct has already been in place, the administration said in its order, "If Muthalik or any of its (Sene's) associates are not prevented from taking entry in the State of Goa, then the same could lead to serious law and order problem and the aggressive statements of Muthalik will certainly affect peace, harmony and will create fear in the minds of public and tourists."



Goa will go to polls to elect 40-member House on February 4.



The order cited a report from Superintendent of Police, North Goa, stating that entry of associations/members of Sri Ram Sene and its leader Muthalik is to be prohibited as their aggressive statements and comments could hurt the feeling of certain groups and create possibility of violence and serious law and order problems.



"This could adversely affect peace, harmony and create fear in the minds of the public and tourists," as per the order.



In 2009, the Ram Sene men had allegedly attacked a pub in Mangalore, where women were beaten up. Muthalik had defended the attack saying that girls going to pub was against Indian culture.



Following the attack, the BJP government of Karnataka banned him from entering Mangalore. In response, he campaigned against BJP in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, calling it "corrupt and anti-Hindu".



In 2014, Muthalik joined the BJP's Karnataka state unit, only to be forced out within hours after protests from other members.


Efforts to form a "grand secular alliance" in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh went into top gear today with the Congress declaring that it has decided to tie up with Samajwadi Party and the shape of the formation would be announced in the next two days. "I am confident that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters confirming about the much talked about the tie up.



Azad, who is in-charge of party affairs in UP, said this was just a beginning of the alliance process and the nitty gritty would be decided in the next one or two days. He was asked whether it would be a grand secular alliance also comprising Ajit Singh's RLD. At the AICC briefing later, party coordinator for UP Meem Afzal spoke in similar vein. "Congress will have an alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The details of the arrangement will be announced in the next two days," he said.



Congress announcement came close on the heels of reports from Lucknow where SP chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said a decision on tying up with the Congress will be taken in a "day or two". "Decision on alliance (with Congress) will be taken in a day or two," he said, buoyed by the Election Commission's order recognising him as the President of Samajwadi Party and allowing him to retain the 'bicycle' symbol.



SP general secretary Ramgopal Yadav, a close aide of Akhilesh, expressed hope of a grand secular alliance to fight elections in the state. With the poll process set in motion after the issue of notification today, hectic efforts are underway to hammer out such an alliance, with Congress being offered 90 to 100 seats by the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party, which is also trying to rope in Ajit Singh's RLD as a junior partner. Nitish Kumar's JD-U is also said to be a minor partner.



Azad and Ramgopal were said to be resolving some disputes over certain seats. Uttar Pradesh has 403 Assembly constituencies where Akhilesh's party would be contesting the majority of seats and was likely to have RLD as a junior partner in Western Uttar Pradesh, which was once a stronghold of Ajit Singh. Talks about such an alliance had intensified since last week when Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had significantly remarked at the 'Jan Vedna Sammelan' that the elections in the key state will be an "exciting affair".



The refrain in several opposition parties including Congress and SP was that the Narendra Modi-led BJP should be stopped in Uttar Pradesh as the electoral outcome would have a major bearing on the next Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile, former Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit, who has been projected by Congress as the UP CM candidate, said that if the alliance takes place, she would step aside in favour of Akhilesh.


A special CBI court today framed charges of murder and criminal conspiracy against Indrani Mukerjea, her husband Peter Mukerjea and former husband Sanjeev Khanna for the murder of Indrani's daughter Sheena Bora in 2012.





All the accused were explained the charges framed against them. They pleaded not guilty to the charges and said they would face trial.



Judge H S Mahajan kept the matter for trial to begin on February 1.



All the three accused were charged under IPC sections 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 364 (kidnapping), 302 (murder), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 203 (giving false information in respect of an offence) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).



Additionally, Indrani and Sanjeev were charged under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) for plotting to kill her son and Sheena's brother Mikhail Bora.



Mikhail had earlier alleged that Indrani had spiked his drink on the same day when Sheena was killed.



Besides, Indrani was also charged under IPC section 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record).



Indrani, former media baron Peter and Sanjeev were present in the court today. They were sitting separately in the dock and were later seen chatting with their lawyers outside the court.



The CBI had on December 19 started arguments on framing of charges in the sensational Sheena Bora case, saying it was her relationship with Rahul, Peter's son from earlier marriage, that led to her murder.



Sheena was murdered on April 24, 2012, and her body was burnt and disposed of at a forest in Raigad district on the next day, according to the prosecution.



Indrani was arrested in connection with the case in August 2015.



Apart from Indrani, Peter, Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyamver Rai were also arrested in the case.



Rai had earlier turned approver in the case and disclosed to CBI how the crime was committed by the accused.



The CBI had on December 19 last year started arguments on framing of charges in the sensational Sheena Bora case, saying it was her relationship with Rahul, Peter's son from earlier marriage, that led to her murder.



Special public prosecutors Bharat Badami and Kavita Patil had contended that the trouble started when the accused learnt that Rahul (Peter's son with first wife) and Sheena (Indrani's daughter from earlier relationship) were in a relationship.



"There was total and full support to Vidhie (daughter of Indrani and Khanna) and total disregard towards Sheena," Badami had argued.



He had also told Judge Mahajan that the I-T returns of Indrani between 2005-08 showed she gave more money to Vidhie than to Sheena.



The reason for the murder was property, he said, adding that CBI added a charge of forgery against the accused in connection with a suspicious sale of property in Delhi.



Indrani had a soft corner for Vidhie and was worried that if Rahul-Sheena marriage materialised, all Peter's property will go to Rahul, the prosecutor said.



Badami also said Peter was fully aware of the crime. He was Rahul's father, but he did not take any "appreciable step" over Rahul's concerns when Sheena went missing.



In one of her emails to Indrani, Sheena expressed her desire to marry Rahul and said she was happy and safe with him, the prosecutor said, adding "it discloses true love and affection between them (Rahul and Sheena)".



On her return to India on April 23, 2012, Indrani and others planned to kill both Sheena and her brother Mikhail and even decided the place for disposal of the bodies, but Mikhail luckily escaped, Badami said.



On the day of murder, after Rahul dropped Sheena at a place (in Mumbai) where Indrani was waiting for her, Indrani hugged her daughter. No previous instance where Indrani may have hugged Sheena came to light in the probe, he said.



Indrani purchased bottles of water, vodka and some sleep inducing medicines, which were given to Sheena. "After Sheena became drowsy, Indrani killed her and said (to the co-accused) that 'Sheena got her 3BHK flat', he said.



Investigators had earlier said that Sheena had demanded a 3BHK flat from Indrani.

As to Peter's defence that he was not aware of the conspiracy, Badami said Indrani had had a talk with him (on phone). "Never before the incident they had such a long chat, it was not ordinary call but she was reporting (about the murder) to Peter," Badami had earlier argued.






At the AICC briefing later, party coordinator for UP Meem Afzal spoke in similar vein. "Congress will have an alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The details of the arrangement will be announced in the next two days," he said. Before the poll panel settled the dispute between the warring factions in the Samajwadi Party in Akhilesh's favour, Mulayam had rejected all suggestions of a tie-up with Congress despite his Chief Minister son having said if the two came together the alliance could win over 300 of the state's 403 seats.



Rendered without a party, Mulayam was learnt to have given a list of about 40 candidates to Akhilesh today when the latter came calling. According to unconfirmed reports, the list did not include the name of Mulayam's younger brother Shivpal, who headed the SP's UP unit, and was one of the protagonists in the bitter family feud. Instead, the list reportedly has the name of his son. "Over 90 per cent candidates in both the lists are common. We will finalise the list of candidates soon," Akhilesh told reporters during an informal chat at his Kalidas Marg residence.



Akhilesh said his priority is to form a Samajwadi Party government again and promised to take everyone along. "I will take Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) along...my relation with him is unbreakable. I was confident that I will get cycle (symbol). Little time is left. It's a big responsibility and I will take everyone with us," he said.



According to SP sources, the party would keep with itself a lion's share of well over 250 seats. Congress was being offered around 90-100 seats by the SP, which was also said to be trying to rope in Ajit Singh's RLD. Rashtriya Lok Dal has pockets of influence in western UP which will go polls in the first two phases on February 11 and 15.



Ramgopal Yadav and Ghulam Nabi Azad were said to be engaged in talks to iron out differences over seat sharing between the two parties. SP sources said the list of party candidates will be released in a day or two. There were reports that the three parties could come out with a common minimum programme.



Meanwhile, former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who was being projected by Congress as the UP CM candidate, said if the alliance materialises, she would step aside in favour of Akhilesh. Key advisors to Akhilesh, Ramgopal Yadav and Naresh Agarwal, both Rajya Sabha MPs, reached Lucknow this evening and immediately went into a huddle with Akhilesh at his residence to finalise the candidates' list.



Party sources said the list would be prepared keeping in mind the possible alliance with Congress as nomination for first phase has already begun. Having lost probably the toughest political battle of his life to his son, Mulayam stayed put at his bungalow, hardly a stone's throw away from that of Akhilesh. Brother Shivpal and a few other loyalists like Ambika Chowdhury met him during the day.

A day after the Election Commission stamped its seal of approval on his claim over Samajwadi Party and its symbol 'bicycle', UP Chief Minister went into a huddle with his advisors strategising on an alliance with Congress and RLD to prevent BJP's march to power in the key cow belt state.On a day of fast paced developments, Akhilesh, having put paid to SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's hopes of retaining control over the party, called on his father at the latter's residence for a second time in two days and described his ties with him as "unbreakable". However, treading with caution, Akhilesh camp also filed a caveat in the Supreme Court in case the EC's decision is challenged there.With Akhilesh in complete control of the ruling Samajwadi Party after the EC order, hectic activity was witnessed both in Lucknow and the national capital over formation of an alliance with Congress. While the UP Chief Minister said in Lucknow that a decision on the alliance will be made in a day or two, senior Congress leaders in the national capital went a step ahead saying the "nitty gritty" of the proposed partnership will be decided over the next couple of days."The decision on alliance (with Congress) will be taken in a day or two," Akhilesh told journalists in Lucknow, while his uncle and key party strategist Ramgopal Yadav, who stood behind him in the internecine feud in the SP, hoped a grand secular alliance would be in place for the state assembly election, the process of which kicked off today with the notification being issued for the first phase of polling on February 11."I am confident that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters in New Delhi. Azad, who is in-charge of party affairs in UP, said it was just a beginning of the alliance process and the nitty gritty would be decided in the next one or two days.
India alone cannot walk the path of peace with Pakistan and the neighbouring country must walk away from terrorism if it wants bilateral dialogue to resume, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today, amid continued chill in Indo-Pak ties.



Referring to ties with China, the Prime Minister said it was not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences but both sides should show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests.



He was speaking at the inaugural session of the three- day-long Raisina Dialogue, India's flagship geo-political conference which is being attended by top foreign and security experts from across the world.



On ties with Pakistan, Modi said the path of peace has to be Pakistan's journey as well and that India's stand in delinking terrorism from religion, and rejecting artificial distinction between good and bad terrorism, are now a global talking point.



"My vision for our neighbourhood puts premium on peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia. That vision had led me to invite leaders of all SAARC nations, including Pakistan, for my swearing in. "For this vision, I had also travelled to Lahore. But, India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan's journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India," he said.



In a veiled reference to Pakistan, he said those "in our neighbourhood who support violence, perpetrate hatred, and export terror stand isolated and ignored."



In his address, Modi gave a run down of India's foreign policy priorities, security interests in the Indian Ocean and bilateral engagement with neighbouring countries, Gulf nations and major powers including the US, China and Russia.



On Sino-India ties, he said both the countries have an unprecedented economic opportunities and that they can compliment each other in their march forward.



"I see the rise of India & China as an unprecedented economic opportunity for our two countries, and for the whole world. At the same time, it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences.



"In the management of our relationship, and for the peace and progress in the region, both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests," he said.



Referring to India's ties with the US, he said a certain amount of speed, substance and strength to the entire spectrum of economic, commercial and security engagements has been brought to the relationship through sustained engagement.



"Over the past two-and-half years, we have given a strong momentum to our engagement with US, Russia, Japan and other major global powers," he said, delving on India's external engagement and geo-strategic interests.



Modi said India's economic and political rise represents a regional and global opportunity of great significance.
Donald J Trump will be sworn-in as the US President on Friday using two Bibles: the one that President Abraham Lincoln used at his first inauguration, plus his own that dates back to the President-elect's childhood. US Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath of office to Trump, according to the 58th Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC) which announced more details of swearing-in ceremony.



"In his first inaugural address, President Lincoln appealed to the 'better angels of our nature'," said PIC Chairman Tom Barrack. "As he takes the same oath of office 156 years later, President-elect Trump is humbled to place his hand on Bibles that hold special meaning both to his family and to our country," he added.



Trump's Bible was presented to him by his mother upon his graduation of Sunday Church Primary School at First Presbyterian Church, Jamaica, New York, on Childrens Day, June 12, 1955, a media release said. The Bible is a revised standard version published by Thomas Nelson and Sons in New York in 1953 and is embossed with his name on the lower portion of the front cover. The inside cover is signed by church officials and is inscribed with his name and the details of when it was presented.



The Lincoln Bible was purchased for the first inauguration of President Lincoln by William Thomas Carroll, Clerk of the Supreme Court. The Bible is bound in burgundy velvet with a gold-washed white metal rim along the edges of the covers. It is part of the collections of the Library of Congress and has been used at three inaugurals: 1861, 2009, and 2013. Outgoing US President Barack Obama had used Lincoln's Bible for his inaugurations in 2009 and 2013.



On the other hand, vice president-elect Mike Pence would take oath using The Reagan Family Bible. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas will administer the Oath of Office to him on January 20. "President Reagan placed his faith in a loving God and the goodness of our country. He set out to change a nation and in doing so, he changed the world. In the march of history, Ronald Reagan's time in office was limited, but his legacy inspired a generation and will continue beyond," Pence said.



"It will be humbling to enter office with President Donald Trump, standing next to my family, with my wife Karen holding the same Bible used by President Reagan when he took office," he said. The Bible that Pence will place his right hand upon was used by Reagan for his gubernatorial and presidential inaugurations. This marks the first time a person other than Reagan has used it at an inauguration.



The Reagan Family Bible has never been out of the possession of the Reagan family or the Reagan Foundation, and is currently on permanent display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California.
Bihar police today claimed to have unearthed a suspected ISI link to target the railways with arrest of three persons in East Champaran district of the state.





Police claimed the trio had confessed to having worked for a Nepalese contact suspected to be connected to Pakistan's ISI to target the railways.



District Superintendent of Police Jitendra Rana told reporters here that Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar Patel and Mukesh Yadav were arrested from Adapur Police Station area of the district.



The three are "professional criminals" allegedly involved in more than a dozen criminal cases, he said.



During interrogation, police claimed they confessed to having been paid Rs three lakh by a Nepali citizen identified as Brajesh Giri allegedly connected with the ISI for planting a bomb on railway tracks at Ghorasahan in East Champaran district in October 1 last year to cause an accident.



"Fortunately, the bomb was detected with the help of villagers at Ghorasan and defused which prevented the sinister designs of the terror elements," Rana said.



While three persons were arrested from East Champaran district, three others have been nabbed at Tailaya in Nepal for targeting railways on behalf of suspected terror elements in this country, he said.



Efforts are on to arrest in this connection two others identified as Gajendra Sharma and Rakesh Yadav who are "hiding" in East Champaran area, he said.



Rana said the anti-terrorism squad and other security agencies have been informed about the confession made by the three men who are being interrogated for more details to ascertain if the gang had any role in train accidents in Kanpur and elsewhere.



East Champaran is a district bordering Nepal and Indian Mujahideen chief Yasin Bhatkal was arrested from Raxaul in the district in August 2013.


Eyeing vast Indian middle market, automobile traders have demanded simplification of taxes on used cars under the proposed GST regime. Currently GST is silent about the used car industry.





It has also demanded that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announce a subsidy on new vehicles for the buyers, who junk their old vehicles, in the Budget to be presented on February 1.



There is too much disparity in used car taxation and policy across states. Simplification may reduce prices, fuel demand and drive better tax compliance. Tax rate for used cars should be lower than new cars, since the government would have already collected tax at the time of first point of sale, said Mehul Agrawal, founder of CARS24, a used car selling platform, in an interaction with DH.



According to Agarwal, the used car industry in India is witnessing double digit growth each month. This is in contrast to the new car industry that has been affected by multiple issues like ban on high capacity diesel engines in NCR, increased taxes and much talked about demonetisation.



The auto sector struggled in 2016 due to 1% infra cess on small cars, 2.5% on select diesel cars, 1% luxury tax on premium cars, 4% tax on higher engine capacity cars announced in the Budget last year.



Demonetisation has further impacted the auto sector, he said, adding that the government should desist from imposing any new cess or taxes in the Budget this year on auto industry.




Barack Obamas presidency will be remembered as much for its solid achievements, which were achieved against all odds, as for its many disappointments. His rise to the presidency itself was an accomplishment. Here was a man with a funny sounding name; a first name that was Hebrew, Hussein as a middle name, and a surname that rhymed with Osama. His name itself was a put-off in post-9/11 America. Added to that was the fact that he is Black. Still, he overcame prejudice and broke the racial barrier to become the 44th president of the United States and its first African-American president ever. On the domestic front, Obama was successful in pulling the US out of its worst economic crisis ever; his measures provided a shot in the arm to the automobile industry, stabilised the financial system and put the US economy back on track. In 2010, he signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, a giant step towards providing healthcare to millions of uninsured Americans and reining in the soaring cost of medical treatment. These achievements are all the more spectacular given what Obama inherited from his predecessor, George W Bush  an economy in recession, a country that was deeply polarised at home and reviled abroad. Besides, his every initiative was countered by a Republican-controlled Congress. Obamas presidency was an abject failure in tackling political polarisation and racism in the US.



On the foreign policy front, Obamas outreach to Cuba revolutionised relations between the two countries. Obama showed that in dealing with Iran, dialogue and diplomacy are far more fruitful. Tough negotiations resulted in a landmark nuclear deal that resulted not only in ending Irans economic isolation but also reduced the possibility of war with Iran. Obama campaigned on the promise of ending the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Indeed, he did bring back American troops but these countries remain convulsed in violence. Besides, the Obama presidency started new wars in countries like Libya and Syria. The al-Qaeda may be a much weaker force today but Obamas policies abroad did contribute to the emergence of the deadlier Islamic State group. The use of drones in warfare, which was begun by Bush, accelerated under Obama.



As Obama prepares to leave the White House, there is concern that his achievements in the areas of healthcare and education may not last long, as they are likely to be erased by his successor, Donald Trump. The stature he gave to the American presidency too is unlikely to survive. He and his family brought a quiet dignity and decency to the White House. His leadership will be missed especially in the context of what lies ahead.
On the first death anniversary of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula today, his mother Radhika Vemula alleged that governments were desperate to declare him as OBC.





"Governments are desperate to declare Rohit as Other Backward Class (OBC). After my son's demise...they are now behind me. They want to declare my son as OBC. I know what humiliation I have undergone being Dalit in the society," she alleged.



Radhika was addressing a group of students as part of the 'Shahadat Din' organised at the main entrance gate of University of Hyderabad (UoH) here. Rohith was found hanging in a hostel room on UoH campus.



Radhika questioned why there was a delay in arresting the accused, including UoH Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile, Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and others, who have been booked under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and for abetment of Rohith's suicide.



A section of students under the aegis of Joint Action Committee for Social Justice - UOH had said that they would gather at the 'Rohit Stupa' on the varsity campus to remember his legacy and to vow that the fight will go on against "casteism and communalism". However, nobody was allowed inside the campus.



Earlier in the day, police took 19 protesters, including three UoH students, into preventive custody for trying to gatecrash the university. They were later let off.



Addressing the group, Rohith's brother Raja Vemula alleged, "During inquiry at the Guntur Collector office (with regard to the caste status of Rohith) they insulted my mother by questioning her character. She was also questioned how she raised her kids."



"Whoever is raising his voice in the country is being labelled as 'anti-national'," he alleged, adding, "Unless we get justice, we will continue to fight till our death."



Radhika later requested the UoH security personnel to allow her to at least visit the 'Rohith Stupa' on the campus, but was denied permission. She, along with Raja and others, was also taken away by police.



Raising questions on Rohith Vemula's Dalit status, a commission constituted by the HRD ministry after the scholar's death, had said that the material on record did not establish the caste of the deceased and attributed his suicide to personal reasons.



However, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Chairman P L Punia had rejected the judicial commission's report on Vemula's suicide as "fake and fictitious", and said the deceased research scholar was a Dalit.



A group of students under Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, which spearheaded the protests, at UoH, also known as Hyderabad Central University (HCU) had held UoH Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile responsible for the suicide of the research scholar.

The section of students under JAC have been demanding removal of Appa Rao Podile from the Vice Chancellor's post and had also sought his arrest.



Jaan Mohammed, brother of Mohammad Akhlaq, who was lynched in September 2015 on suspicion of storing and consuming beef and a few dalits who were thrashed by 'cow vigilantes' at Una in Gujarat last year also addressed the crowd at the university main gate and expressed their solidarity.
There is corruption to the tune of Rs 500 crore in 17 universities across the state, according to Minister for Higher Education Basavaraj Rayareddy.



Addressing mediapersons on Tuesday, Rayareddy said the reports sent by deputy commissioners, zilla panchayat finance officers and superintending engineers of the PWD regarding the funds availed and spent, bank details of each of the universities and development works had been examined.



There are irregularities in all the universities, including VTU. At the outset, it looks like this amounts to Rs 500 crore. It may be more than this, he added.



A three-member committee is looking into the reports given by the officers. Those involved in the scams will be held responsible, he said, adding the report would be submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.



Speaking about vacancies in colleges, Rayareddy said out of 412 government first grade colleges, only 42 had principals. He said as per UGC norms, existing vacancies would be filled by promoting eligible lecturers by the next academic year. He said the 3,000 posts of lecturers in these colleges were filled recently. There are 500 to 600 posts still vacant.

The Higher Education Department would seek Rs 3,500-crore World Bank loan to improve facilities in universities. This, the minister said, would be used to upgrade libraries and other facilities.



When asked why the amount could not be availed of from the Central government, Rayareddy said the Centre was reluctant to grant funds. After Modi government took charge, several schemes have been stopped due to paucity of funds, he said.



Rayareddy said 36% of the foreign students who come to study in the country choose Karnataka. The minister claimed the roadmap to improve the functioning of universities was ready.



The valedictory function of the seven-day 154th Vivekananda birth anniversary celebrations would take place at the Palace Grounds in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Rayareddy said close to 50,000 students are expected to participate in the event.

The government is spending over Rs 2.5 crore for the event. Buses have been arranged to bring students from across the state to the venue.


In the wake of the Swami Vivekananda Jayanthi Rashtriya Yuva Sapthaha programme to be held Palace Grounds on Wednesday, the traffic police have asked people to avoid certain roads around the venue.





Around 800 buses and 1,000 other vehicles are expected to come into the city in the morning bringing students from various parts of the state. Traffic congestion is expected between 9 am and 3 pm on Jayamahal Road, Mehkri Circle, Chalukya Circle on Ballari Road, Palace Road, C V Raman Road, and a few other roads.



The traffic police have asked motorists to avoid all roads around the Palace Grounds between 10 am and 5 pm. Hospitals and schools have been told to sensitise their drivers to the expected congestion on these roads. Airport-bound passengers should plan their journey properly.


Angered by recent incidents of molestation in Bengaluru, women from other parts of the country have started online petitions on the platform Change.org, seeking better safety measures.





Mumbai-based Divya Titus, who has floated a petition, seeks an unconditional public apology from Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi and Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara for their remarks on sexual assaults.



It is high time we treat women's right to their hobodies and to safe public spaces with the sensitivity that these issues require; and not with public sound-bites that shame them further (sic), the petition reads.



Condemning the incident, she said the New Years Eve incident was an absolute horror. Her petition Sexual Assault in Bangalore: We want an unconditional apology has been signed by close to 30,000 people across the country.



In yet another petition, Saurabh Tripathi from New Delhi, has expressed anger over the recent incidents of molestation and harassment of women. A country where women are treated as Goddess Durga, Goddess Kali and has such forms, a country where women have touched the skies with their talent and hard work, is facing an issue like womens harassment. This is a tag of shame for the nation. Everyone talks of problems but once we find the problem, we should also try to solve it, this is what most of us lack, Tripathi has stated.



The petition also sought starting self defence courses in schools. The Government of India should take the initiative and make it compulsory for schools across the country to dedicate an hour or two for self defence, the petition to the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi states.


The 52nd Additional City and Sessions Court on Tuesday issued body warrant against terror accused Yasin Bhatkal, who is in a Hyderabad prison, in connection with Chinnaswamy Stadium blast case.





The court directed the police to produce Yasin before the court on February 4.

The city police had filed split charge sheets against 14 accused in the Chinnaswamy blast case. The police had managed to arrest eight accused in the case, while the trial is underway against seven accused.



The Chinnaswamy Stadium blast occurred on April 17, 2010, and Yasin, co-founder of Indian Mujahiddeen, is the prime accused in the case. In the split charge sheet against Yasin, the court is expected to frame charges against him. To response to the charges against him, Yasin will have to be produced before the court in person. A special NIA court at Cherlapally Central prison in Hyderabad had recently sentenced Yasin to death in Dilsukhnagar twin blasts case.


The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday quashed charges of rape filed against Kulashekhar Chaithanya Das, a devotee and PRO at Iskcon, Bengaluru.





Justice Anand Byrareddy quashed the lower court proceedings against Kulashekhar, who was accused of rape and cheating by a woman. Members of the womans family were working at the Iskcon temple. The woman had earlier written to the State Human Rights Commission, Womens Commission and to the chief minister contending that Kulashekhar had promised to marry her but had later backtracked. Later, she filed a police complaint stating that Kulashekhar had raped her many times on the temple premises. However, the complainant refused to undergo medical examination. The statements of complainants mother, who was arguing for the daughter during the hearing, differed from those of the complainant. Justice Byrareddy quashed the proceedings citing lack of evidence against Kulashekhar.



Plea dismissed

The high court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha and its officer-bearers questioning their ouster.



The petitioners, former office bearers, Dr Appaji Gowda, Ulloor C Manjunath and G L Narendra Babu, had contended that the members of the committee had not issued any notices before their ouster. They had questioned the procedure that was followed while communicating the no-confidence motion by other committee members. The petitioners questioned the appointment of Dr Mahadeva and H M Narayan Murthy as office-bearers. Justice Ashok B Hinchigeri, dismissing the petition, directed the petitioners to settle the matter in the lower court. He also directed the lower court to dispose of the matter in three days.


One day during a summer vacation, Siya was playing with her four-year-old brother and cousins at her uncles house in Hubballi.





As the kids were heading towards the rooftop, Siya realised that her brother was nowhere to be seen.



She was then startled to find the boy still and speechless holding a live wire passing through an iron grill.



Siya realised what had happened but also knew that touching her brother would electrocute her too.



In a split-second decision, she held her brothers shirt and pulled him towards her. Though the first effort was unsuccessful, she got her brother detached from the live wire in the second attempt.



As her brother fell unconscious with a wound on his palm, Siya screamed for help. Her parents rushed the boy to a hospital and his life was saved.



For showing such presence of mind and courage, 10-year-old Siya Vamansa Khode was selected as one of the winners of the National Bravery Awards, instituted by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW). The formal award ceremony will be held on January 23 during which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bestow the award on her. President Pranab Mukherjee will also be present.



Siya will be one of the 25 children to take part in the Republic Day parade in New Delhi.



Asked about her ambition, Siya, a Class VII student at Sri Jagatguru Gangadhar High School, told DH that she would like to join the Indian Army.



The winners of bravery awards are granted financial assistance by the government till they complete their schooling. In addition, the ICCW provides financial assistance to those undertaking professional courses such as engineering and medicine. For others, the assistance is provided till they complete their graduation.
Private hospitals on Tuesday turned away a few elective cases who had approached the hospital to avail treatment under various state government schemes.





Elective surgeries in medical terminology refer to scheduled operations that do not involve medical emergency.



The Federation of Healthcare Associations (FHS), an association of private hospitals, said there was no written assurance by the government even after a meeting with K R Ramesh Kumar, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, on Monday. There is still no clarity. We are yet to get the minutes of the meeting. We are hoping to get a written confirmation from the government after which we will resume all our services, said Dr Madan Gaekwad, an office bearer of the Association.



The committee comprising private and government doctors to address several issues pertaining to government health schemes should be constituted soon as promised by the minister, Gaekwad said.



He said the governments call to patients to visit government hospitals first for treatment of ailments was a good move.



The minister is of the opinion that if all patients rush to private hospitals for treatment, upgrading government hospitals or improving facilities there will serve no purpose, he said.



Private hospitals had approached the minister with several challenges they faced in serving patients who availed treatment under government schemes.



Among the concerns were non-payment from the government for patients who have availed treatment, no timely revision of package rates and fake BPL cards.


An old case has come back to haunt senior IPS officer Rupak Kumar Dutta, who is in the race to be the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and DG&IGP of Karnataka. A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court for setting aside a high court order that quashed a cheating and forgery case against him.





In a separate case, Common Cause, an NGO, has cried foul before the Supreme Court that Dutta was transferred from the CBI to the Ministry of Home Affairs to be kept out of the race for CBI director.



On Monday, a petition was filed before the Chief Justice of India for an urgent hearing of the case against the officer, who had supervised investigation into the high-profile 2G and coal block allocation scam cases. It was alleged that Dutta, during his tenure as ADGP (anti-corruption wing) in Karnataka Lokayuktas office, pursued an LLB course from a Bengaluru college in 2009. He either forced the college to give him the mandatory 70% attendance or attended class while on duty.



In March 2015, a magisterial court had ordered the registration of an FIR against Dutta and the college. It was alleged that Dutta did not obtain permission from the government to enrol for the course. The high court quashed the case in September 2016 after the college submitted that it conducted classes between 7 am and 9.30 pm and that Dutta had requisite attendance. G Mallesh, the original complainant, has now challenged the high court order.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday expressed helplessness over Governor Vajubhai Valas direction to the government to reconsider the name of Justice P Vishwanath Shetty for the post of Lokayukta.





What can be done...it (Governor refusing to appoint Lokayukta) happens every time, he told reporters who sought his reaction to the Governors move.



He said he will decide about the next course of action after going through the file sent back by the Governor.



Vala is learnt to have asked the government to reconsider Justice Shettys name for the post following complaints that he had purchased land violating rules. A non-government organisation had recently submitted certain documents to Raj Bhavan, charging Justice Shetty and his family with purchasing three residential plots and seven acres of agriculture land in violation of rules.



The chief minister had recommended Justice Shettys name after consulting a high-level committee, comprising Karnataka High Court Chief Justice S K Mukherjee, presiding officers of both Houses of the legislature, K B Koliwad and D H Shankaramurthy, and Opposition leaders, Jagadish Shettar and K S Eshwarappa.



BJP reacts



Senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar on Tuesday blamed Siddaramaiah for hurrying through the process of selecting the new Lokayukta.



At the meeting convened to select the new Lokayukta, we placed the names of Justice N K Patil, Justice Anand Byrareddy and Justice Vishwanath Shetty in that order.



Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he was going ahead and recommending Justice Shetty for the post, Shettar said.



Shettar said he pointed out that there were charges against Justice Shetty that he had purchased land in violation of rules and a background check needed to be done. But the chief minister dismissed it as a trivial issue.



Eshwarappa said the BJP members at the meeting had finally endorsed the chief ministers decision to recommend Justice Shettys name as they did not want to be seen confronting the government all the time.




Two persons died of bullet wounds after clashes over land acquisition at Bhangor on Kolkatas south-eastern fringes on Tuesday. Doctors confirmed that they died of bullet wounds.





Though locals at Bhangor in South 24 Parganas claimed that the police opened fire on an unarmed mob of demonstrators, the government denied the charge.



Trinamool Congress insiders claim that villagers are being instigated by unknown people to disturb peace. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to the spot.



State minister and local MLA Abdur Rezzak Mollah also visited the spot, but he was prevented from entering the village. Locals went on a rampage, setting ablaze police vehicles and injuring several officers.



Bhangor has been on sporadic boil over land acquisition since 2013 after 13 acres were acquired to set up a power sub-station for the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited.

Things took a violent turn since Monday night after the police picked up Sheikh Kalu, leader of the local agitation. Although no one seemed to know who spearheaded the movement since his arrest, political insiders speculated that fringe ultra-Left elements have come together as the driving force.



Though state power minister Sovan Deb Chattopadhyay announced the projects suspension on Tuesday, the villagers kept up their demand for closing the substation. The work has been suspended. Why is the agitation on? he said, adding that he would sit for a dialogue with them.


A special CBI court on Tuesday framed charges against media tycoon Peter Mukerjea, his wife Indrani Mukerjea and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna in the 2012 murder case of Sheena Bora.





All the accused were charged with murder and criminal conspiracy before a special court presided over by Additional Sessions Judge H S Mahajan. They pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were explained to them, and said they would face trial.



The three were charged under Indian Penal Code Sections 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 364 (kidnapping), 302 (murder), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 203 (giving false information in respect of an offence) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).



Additionally, Indrani and Khanna were charged under IPC Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 120(b) for plotting to kill her son and Sheenas brother Mikhail Bora.



The CBI in its chargesheet said 52 witnesses were examined. Besides the main chargesheet, it had filed two supplementary chargesheets.




Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday used a foreign policy speech to ask Pakistan to walk away from terror and join India in the journey to peace.





Modi also called upon China to show sensitivity and respect towards the core concerns of India.



Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India, Modi said, inaugurating the second Raisina Dialogue  Indias flagship annual geopolitical conference organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with the Observer Research Foundation.



The prime minister used his inaugural speech to present a mid-term report on his governments achievements in managing the external relations of India.



He also articulated his vision for Indias engagements with the United States, Russia and Europe and its role in a multipolar world, particularly in Asia.



Modi recalled his talks with US president-elect Donald Trump over phone and said that they had agreed to build on the speed, substance and strength that was brought into the entire spectrum of economic, business, commercial, and security engagement between India and the US ever since his government took office in New Delhi.



Modi also noted that Indias strategic partnership with Russia, especially in the field of defence, had deepened.



The prime minister outlined his governments neighbourhood first approach and the efforts made by India in the past two-and-a-half years to build peaceful and harmonious ties with almost all its neighbours.



Modi recalled his invitation to all the south Asian leaders, including Pakistan Prime Minister M Nawaz Sharif, to his swearing-in ceremony in May 2014, and his surprise visit to Lahore to greet Sharif on his birthday.


The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV) may soon introduce quota in admission for students belonging to Other Backward Castes (OBCs).At present, the government run-residential schools provide reservation in admission to students belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) only.





Addressing the national cultural integration meet of JNV students on Tuesday, Minister of State for Human Resource Development (HRD) Upendra Kushwaha described the absence of a quota system for OBC students as an anomaly, and assured that the government will soon take steps to rectify it.



HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar was also present on the occasion.

The JNVs, which fill their seats with 75% children from the rural areas, admit SC/ST

students under a flexible quota system.



The seats are reserved in proportion to the SC and ST population in the district, provided that marking of seats for such students should not be lesser than 15% for SC and 7.5% for ST.



The total seats reserved for SC and ST students should also not go beyond 50% of the total number of seats.



Kushwaha, who is in charge of the elementary education department of the HRD Ministry, had expressed displeasure on a previous occasion too.



Addressing the event, Javadekar expressed dissatisfaction with the number of girl students in JNVs.



Need more girl students

Just 39% of the total students are girls. This is not good. We must make efforts to increase the enrolment of girls in the JNVs, the HRD minister said.



One-third of the total seats are reserved for girls in admissions to the JNVs. A total of 600 JNVs are functioning in the country.



The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs recently approved the establishment of 62 new JNVs in 18 states, three of which will to be opened in Kolar, Ramanagara and Kalaburagi districts.



We will open more JNVs in the coming days, Javadekar added.


The ruling first family of the Badals in Punjab is in for a contest of a lifetime with both father-son duo facing, perhaps, the best challengers they confronted on home turf in recent times. At 89, this could be Parkash Singh Badals last elections.





The same is true for his Congress challenger and incumbent Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh who has announced, unlike Badal, that the 2017 poll will be his last contest.



Both are locked in a fierce contest from Lambi Assembly seat that will count more than the outcome of the poll. The Opposition is not letting it easy even for heir apparent and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. The Congress has pitted one of its sitting MPs, Ravneet Singh Bittu, the grandson of slain Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, against Sukhbir Badal.



The AAP too has put its best foot forward against Sukhbir. The party has fielded its sitting MP Bhagwant Mann, arguably the partys face in the Punjab elections, to take on Sukhbir Badal from Jalalabad. Sukhbir is a tough contestant and his record says it all.



He won the last Assembly election from this seat with the highest record margin in excess of 53,000 votes.



The Congress best bet Captain Amarinder, pitted against the senior Badal, is poised for an interesting contest.



Captain proved his mettle in the 2012 general elections, convincingly defeating senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley from Amritsar in the midst of a Modi wave. Political parties in elections often field weak candidates against established tall leaders of other parties, perhaps, in a ploy to ensure a friendly contest of sorts.



Punjab was no exception. But this election is an all-out fight against the Badals given the posturing the Congress and the AAP have adopted. Captain Amarinder Singh, who is also contesting from Patiala urban seat, on Tuesday said he was contesting from Lambi to teach Badal a lesson. Badal later in the day quipped: Let me know where I can take the lesson. Ill be there.



The two main opposition parties have even taken the fight to the extended family of the Badals.



Sukhbirs brother-in-law and Punjab cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia is locked in an interesting contest with AAP heavyweight Himmat Singh Shergill from Majitha. March 11, that happens to be Captains birthday, will settle it once for all.


The BJP has once again approached the Election Commission on Tuesday to complain over Rahul Gandhis alleged attempts to communalise the polity in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.





The Congress vice president told the Jan Vedna Sammelan on January 11 that he saw the Congress election symbol hand in Lord Shiva, Hazrat Ali and Guru Nanak.



A BJP delegation led by union minister Prakash Javadekar told the EC that the content of Rahuls speech is not only offensive but also an attempt to communalise the polity.



A BJP state team had earlier met EC officials in Lucknow to lodge a complaint against Rahul.
By Chris Kahn and Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Matthew Lewis

17 January 2017 (Reuters)  More than 60 percent of Americans would like to see the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys powers preserved or strengthened under incoming President Donald Trump, and the drilling of oil on public lands to hold steady or drop, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday. The results could foretell stronger-than-expected public opposition to Trumps plans to boost energy development by slashing environmental regulations, an agenda shared by some of his top Cabinet picks slated for Senate confirmation hearings later this week. Trump takes office on Friday. Some 39 percent of Americans would like to see the EPA, the nations top environmental regulator, strengthened or expanded, while another 22 percent hope for it to remain the same, according to the poll. Just 19 percent said they would like to see the agency weakened or eliminated and the rest said they dont know. Among Republicans, 47 percent wish for the EPA either to remain the same or be strengthened or expanded, while 35 percent want it weakened or eliminated. The online poll of 9,935 people was conducted Dec. 16 to Jan. 12 and has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 1.1 percentage points. [] A Trump transition team official declined to comment. Trump campaigned on a promise to drastically reduce environmental regulations in order to create jobs and pave the way for more oil, gas, and coal development. He has said he would refocus the EPA on its core mission to protect air and water quality. [more]
Congratulations! THIS 'Khichdi' Actor Has Finally Tied The Knot!
Rishi Kapoor Makes Shocking Revelations About His Father, Raj Kapoor's Affairs With Nargis Dutt And Vyajanthimala!
People with diabetes living in poorer parts of England are more likely to get admitted to hospital in an emergency, new research has found.

This study of GPs, published in the British Journal of General Practice, reports that unplanned admission rates due to preventable diabetes complications are rising faster in areas with social and economic hardship.

The research carried out by the University of Anglia covered more than 32,000 neighbourhoods in England, with information examined from 2004 to 2012. This included GP data, preventable emergency hospital stays down to a diabetes compilcations and deaths related to the condition.

During this period, there was an across-the-board increase in people with diabetes being admitted to hospital because of emergencies  a mean rate of almost 60 admissions per 100,000 people. This rose to more than 16,000 admissions in the most deprived neighbourhoods.

Hypoglycemia was the cause of the biggest rise in unplanned hospitals visits, up from 7,476 in 2004 to 11,564 in 2012. There was also a major increase people with type 2 diabetes being admitted with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), rising from 1,342 to 2,278.

However, the study did find improved blood sugar levels in all groups and that there were 600 fewer deaths linked to social and economic circumstances.

The researchers acknowledged this was remarkable because of the rising diabetes prevalence in the UK and that the targeting of NHS resources often does not promote health equity.

In contrast, the growth in emergency admissions for diabetes is worrying. Emergency hospitalisation grew faster in more deprived neighbourhoods, added the researchers, who theorised that the findings could be due to increased life expectancy for people with diabetes, but also due to possible overuse of diabetes medication, urging doctors to follow NICE guidelines regarding the prescribing of blood glucose-lowering drugs.
Exploration and development company Mariana Resources announced a highly favourable outcome for its preliminary economic assessment of the high grade Hot Maden gold-copper project in north east Turkey.

The AIM-traded firm said the study was prepared in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects by independent mining consultant firm RungePincockMinarco.

It said the conceptual development for Hot Maden assumes an all-underground mining operation from a decline, and utilising mechanized transverse and longitudinal long hole open stoping with engineered fill mining methods.

Mining and processing rates of 0.8 million tonnes per annum, 1.0 Mtpa, and 1.2 Mtpa were considered, with the base case mining scenario being established at 1.0 Mtpa.

Total metal production of 2.6 Million ounces of gold and 142,000 tonnes of copper over a total project life of nine years were reported for the base case mining scenario.

Metallurgical testwork through flotation and concentration completed so far on the high-grade Main Zone mineralisation has indicated high recoveries of both gold and copper.

A variable processing recovery, dependant on grade, has been applied in the study resulting in a project weighted average recovery of 88% Au and 90% Cu.

Mariana said the current Hot Maden plant flow sheet assumes the production of two concentrates on site - one standard copper-gold concentrate, and a second gold-bearing pyrite concentrate.

Post-tax discounted net present value for the base case mining scenario of $1.37bn, excluding pre-development exploration costs.

The post-tax initial rate of return for the base case mining scenario would be 153%, excluding acquisition costs.

Total initial and sustaining capital expenditure was stated at $261m.

The potential value is finally revealed from the high grade Au-Cu Hot Maden project with these PEA results from RPM, said CEO Glen Parsons.

We have always believed Hot Maden to be a world class deposit and, with a potential post-tax NPV for the base case mining scenario of $1.37bn and post-tax IRR of 153%, this is certainly proven correct.

The high grade nature of this resource and relatively low capital and operating costs should result in the delivery of considerable cash flow and a short payback period - around 2.1 years, including underground mine development - on initial investment.

Parsons said despite Hot Maden's rapid advancement from discovery to PEA in just 20 months, the decision by the Lidya-Mariana 70-30 joint venture to rapidly move to development is justified with the value of the project for shareholders reflected in the significant cash flow generative ability.

He said the result is expected to be a low cost, low environmental footprint, but highly profitable mine.

A further 20,000m of drilling is budgeted and planned for this new year and we must remember that exploration drilling continues to focus on the discovery of new gold-copper resources at Hot Maden, especially to the south of the Main Zone within the old Russian Mining Area.

The joint venture will also continue to work on the technical studies and optimisations required to underpin the PFS, which is anticipated to be completed during Q3, 2017.

Parsons said the PFS will provide higher confidence level mine designs, mineral processing scenarios, and costings for the Hot Maden Project.

Therefore this result could change over time based on the updated prices, resource and assumptions.
Clinical-stage drug development company Evgen Pharma announced the appointment of experienced healthcare executive Richard Moulson as its chief financial officer on Tuesday.

The AIM-traded firm said Moulson was joining immediately as CFO-designate for a handover period to 28 February 2017, on which date the current CFO John Bradshaw will leave the company to focus on his work with a new healthcare investment vehicle.

Moulson will then join the company's board and become CFO on 1 March.

He graduated in zoology at Exeter University before qualifying as an accountant at Coopers & Lybrand.

Moulson worked in corporate finance at Deutsche Morgan Grenfell for 10 years before working in financial and company secretarial roles at a number of UK biotechnology and technology companies.

Since 2012, he has had a portfolio of interests, including recently as CFO of Cogent Breeding and previously as interim CFO at both ReNeuron Group and Enigma Diagnostics.

Evgen also announced that David Howat, who holds the non-board position of chief development officer, will leave the company at the end of March.

Howat led the preclinical and early-stage clinical development of the company's lead product - SFX-01 - through to the Phase II trials.

The Phase II trials will continue to be managed by senior clinical study manager Dave Chadwick, who will assumes the non-board position of head of clinical operations on 1 March.

On behalf of the board, I would like to express our sincere thanks to John Bradshaw for his valuable contribution to the development of Evgen Pharma, including his important role in the Company's IPO, said CEO Stephen Franklin.

I would like to welcome Richard Moulson to Evgen Pharma, he continued.

Richard is an experienced CFO with a track record in life sciences and we all look forward to his input to the company and to the board".

Dr Franklin also thanked Howat for being a tremendous asset during Evgens formative years and helping to take its lead product through to the current patient trials.

David leaves us to join an earlier-stage company and the board extends its thanks and wishes him every success in his new role.
Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party, said a second independence referendum is more likely after Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain would seek to leave the European single market.

The First Minister said that before Christmas the Scottish government set out proposals to protect Scotlands interests and stressed the importance of the single market to Scotlands economic and wider national interests.

She said: The UK government cannot be allowed to take us out of the EU and the single market, regardless of the impact on our economy, jobs, living standards and our reputation as an open, tolerant country, without Scotland having the ability to choose between that and a different future.

With her comments today, the prime minister has only succeeded in making that choice more likely.

However Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservative party, said that the Prime Minister met Sturgeons demands, for free trade with the EU, protecting EU citizens in Britain, and further devolution.

On Tuesday, May said that Britain could not remain a "partial" member of the EU and the country would leave the single market and customs union in order to curb immigration and forge new trade deals. She also said that the final Brexit deal negotiated with bloc will be put to a vote to both houses of parliament.

In the referendum last June, Scotland voted to remain in the EU by 62% to 38%, while the rest of country voted to leave by 52% to 48%

In September 2014, Scotland voted against independence by 55.3% to 45.7%.
Facebook is being taken to court by video game tech firm Zenimax Media after allegedly stealing the company's Virtual Reality gaming technology, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg due to appear in front of a hearing in Dallas on Tuesday.

The case involves Facebook's 2014 acquisition of Oculus and its construction of its own VR headset, which Zenimax claim was unlawfully copied by the companies.

The litigation case sees Zenimax, the company which owns games software system id Software is demanding Facebook to cough up $2bn.

A spokesperson for Oculus said in an emailed statement that it denied the allegations and criticised Zenimax for bringing the case against them.

"Oculus and its founders have invested a wealth of time and money in VR because we believe it can fundamentally transform the way people interact and communicate," the statement read.

"We're disappointed that another company is using wasteful litigation to attempt to take credit for technology that it did not have the vision, expertise, or patience to build."

Zenimax's case centres around games designer John Carmack, who was at one time working for both Oculus and id Software, which he co-founded. It alleges that Carmack "secretly and illegally copied thousands of documents containing ZeniMax's intellectual property", according to court papers.

The company's lawyer Tony Sammi described it as "one of the biggest technology heists ever".
Satya Nadella , chief executive officer of US tech giant Microsoft , has said that his company will not scramble to please president-elect Donald Trump.

Nadella, who was speaking during the DLD tech conference in Munich, said that the majority of the group's global jobs count is based in the United States, but it would continue to grow its operations globally.

Trump gained an unexpected victory in the presidential election based on campaign promises including protectionist trade policies such as high taxes for US companies which make products outside the country.

"We're a US-based company that operates worldwide and our predominant employment is in the United States," Nadella said. "We've already created a tremendous amount of high-paying jobs in the US."

Microsoft has over 113,000 employees globally, with over half of those employed in the US. Nadella was present at December's meeting of tech leaders at Trump Tower, which appears to have smoothed over differences between the Republican and the industry.

"If anything, we'll double down on what we've always done, which is be a US company that operates in the United States very responsibly, but also being a multinational company that contributes into every country that we work in."

Trump will be inaugurated on Friday in Washington, with world financial markets lying in wait to see if Trump will follow through with his campaign policies which brought him to the White House.
Johnston Press , the owner of the i, the Scotsman and many local newspapers, has sold its East Anglia business for 17m in order to focus on key growth areas.

The London-listed company said it has completed the sale of Johnston Publishing East Anglia, which owns 13 publishing tiles and websites in the East Midlands and East Anglia to Iliffe Media. The sale also reduces the companys net debt, which puts it on a stronger financial footing".

The 17m sale price represents 5.3 times the operating profit of 3.2m before exceptional expenses for the year ended 2 January 2016.

Chief executive Ashley Highfield, said: "This disposal marks a major milestone in our divestment strategy and puts us firmly on the path of refocusing our activities on areas with the greatest growth potential in our selected geographic markets, audience profile and digital growth areas.

Shares in Johnston Press were down 2.29% to 0.38p at 1314 GMT.
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Bicycle advocates want more protected lanes as Columbus develops plan

Columbus bicycle advocates want more protected bike lanes for safety as city embarks on new bikeways plan.
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OLYMPIA (AP)  Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has given his final approval to Kaiser Permanente's acquisition of the nonprofit Group Health Cooperative.

The Seattle Times reports that Kreidler's announcement Friday was not a surprise, as regulators on his staff had already endorsed the deal. The insurance commissioner is required to assess whether such an acquisition would hurt competition or consumer choice. Staff began reviewing the deal early last year.





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SEATTLE  Crews doing maintenance last week on the tunnel-boring machine called Bertha replaced about 250 cutter bits called scrapers.

The machine digging the replacement tunnel for the Alaskan Way Viaduct stopped over the holidays for some maintenance before traveling about 34 feet for this stop, which involves work under hyperbaric conditions.





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BERGEN, N.Y. (AP)  Two employees of a western New York lumber business were in the right place with the right equipment when they used a forklift to rescue a woman from a burning car.

Brian Frew and Ross Gingrich tell Buffalo's WGRZ-TV they were making a delivery Thursday afternoon when a vehicle broadsided another at a nearby intersection in the town of Bergen, 15 miles southwest of Rochester.





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PENDLETON, Ore. (AP)  A coalition of health and environmental groups is asking Oregon officials to investigate construction of a mega-dairy in Morrow County.

It's unclear whether state agencies will sign off on the controversial 30,000-cow dairy farm, reported The East Oregonian (http://bit.ly/2j8dadH ). It hasn't been determined whether Lost Valley Ranch broke the law by breaking ground long before it secured the necessary permits.





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EVERETT  Shoreside Village, a 119-unit apartment complex on Beverly Lake in Everett, sold for $15.35 million, according to Marcus & Millichap.

The seller was Shoreside Village, LLC, a California-based investment group, and the buyer was Williams Investments, a regional multifamily investment company.





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Air India to fly direct to Copenhagen and New York from July

National flag carrier Air India is on a major expansion spree with plans to add two new international destinations in its network till July 2017. The airline also plans to increase its flight frequencies on domestic routes like Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Leh till July 2017.

Air India also plans to commence a direct non-stop flight to Copenhagen, Denmark, from May 2017, followed by direct flight operations on the Delhi-Washington-Delhi route in July 2017.

"Post the successful commencement of direct non-stop flights to San Francisco, Madrid, Vienna and Ahemdabad-Newark via London, Air India shall start direct flight operations on Delhi-Washington-Delhi route in July 2017," the airline said in a statement, revealing its ambitious expansion plans for 2017.

"This flight will be the fifth direct connection with the US and shall be operated by Boeing 777 aircraft. Furthermore, in order to establish connectivity with the Scandinavian countries, the flag carrier will commence a direct non-stop flight to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark in May 2017."

Air India said plans are also afoot for direct flight operations on Chandigarh-Bangkok-Chandigarh and Kolkata-Bangkok-Kolkata routes from May 2017.

On the domestic circuit, it will add new frequencies on various routes as also start new connections to bolster regional connectivity.

"A direct flight service to Port Blair will commence from Delhi in the month of May," the statement said.

"Air India will also add second frequency on Delhi-Nagpur-Delhi, fourth frequency on Delhi-Ahmedabad-Delhi sector in March 2017 and second frequency on Delhi-Leh-Delhi sector in the month of May."

The airline started twelve new domestic flights and four new international operations in 2016.


China will never let India become NSG member: expert

Defence analyst Major General (Retired) P K Sehgal today said that China is being neither fair nor transparent in the stand it has taken over India's Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership , adding that its stand is not friendly.

China had on Monday said admission of non-NPT signatories cannot be a "farewell gift" for countries to give to each other, a day after the outgoing Obama administration said China was an ''outlier'' in the efforts to make India a member of the elite nuclear club .

"Regarding India's application to the (NSG), regarding non-NPT countries admission to the NSG, we have made our position clear before so I will not repeat it," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing here, reacting to remarks by US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Nisha Desai Biswal, on the issue.

"China`s treatment is neither fair nor transparent and even they are not friendly. Even Beijing is aware that if India becomes an NSG member then the nuclear technology with India makes it far ahead of China in terms of its peaceful usage," he said.

General Sehgal added that India is not surprised from the statement made by China and only the USA could be surprised by the stand taken by Beijing.

He claimed that China's export market will get destroyed if India become the member of NSG and keeping this in mind, China would never let India become the member of the NSG.

"India needs to make sure that it strengthen its economic and military power as quickly as possible. If we become economically and militarily powerful then China has to give its assent to India's entry into NSG and in future it will not be able to block UNSC seat," Sehgal told ANI.

China`s stance on New Delhi not being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has been blocking its bid to secure the seat. India has been pressing China to relent on its opposition, saying that vast majority of the 48-member group back New Delhi`s case.

Despite being backed by US and other countries, India had failed to secure the membership at the NSG plenary session in Seoul in June following China`s opposition.NSG is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.
A Glenties Municipal District councillor said something must be done at national level to upgrade support for fire services on Donegal islands.

At today's (Tuesday's) meeting of the county council islands committee, Sinn Fein Cllr. John Sheamais O Fearraigh said he had raised the issue of pay for island fire brigade members at a full council meeting last year, but the issue has yet to be raised at national level, where those decisions are made.

Speaking in Irish through a translator, Cllr. O Fearraigh said, "These people are being trained the same as on the mainland."

He also said islands should be equipped with vehicles and other equipment similar to that found on the mainland. For example, the Arranmore Island fire service has a vehicle for responding to calls; there is no vehicle provided for the volunteer responders on Tory Island.

A representative of Island Roy, in the Letterkenny Municipal District, told the committee they are still awaiting a fire hydrant they expected about 10 years ago.

Cllr. O Fearraigh said he understood there have not been many fires on the islands, but said there can still be a sense of emergency with the increasing number of tourists who visit, as well as the year-round population, businesses and schools.

Acting Chief Fire Officer Joseph McTaggart said department policy nationally was for the provision of fire extinguishers, fire detectors, fire blankets and fire safety information to island communities. Volunteer brigades on the islands are also trained for the service.

Mr McTaggart said every home on the islands should have those fire safety items, and said they will supply them to any home that does not have them.

Sinn Fein Cllr. Marie Therese Gallagher, municipal district cathaoirleach, said that if national policy needs to be
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The Dothan Evening Community Lighthouse of Aglow International will meet at Shoney's Restaurant, located at 3054 Ross Clark Circle, in Dothan, on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 5:30 p.m. The guest speaker is Holly Brooks of Enterprise. All are invited to attend.

First Free Will Baptist Church, 404 Park St., Enterprise, will host a gospel sing on Jan. 21 from 6-8:30 p.m. The Singing Echoes will be in concert.

Klondyke Gospel Music Center, located between Newton and Ozark at 3885 Highway 123 S., will host: The Hendersons of Milton, Florida, Jan. 21; and The Men of Cornerstone Quartet of Newnan, Georgia, Jan. 28. Music starts at 7 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, contact Ron Jeffers, president and concert coordinator, at 334-797-9862.

Grimes Gospel Lighthouse, 1512 County Road 25, Grimes, will host Ken Robertson of Panama City, Florida, on Jan. 21 and Southern Glory of Panama City, Florida, on Jan. 28. Music starts at 7 p.m. Admission is free; offering will be taken. Call 334-983-4654 or 334-714-4658 for more information.

The Kempters, a family vintage gospel band, will be at Ozark Baptist Church on Jan. 22. Doors open at 5 p.m. and concert will begin at 6 p.m. This is a free event but an offering will be taken. The Kempters are from Slapout and have held concerts all over the U.S., performing a variety of music and humor. For more information, call 334-774-9381. Ozark Baptist Church is located at 282 S. Union Ave. in Ozark. To learn more about the group, visit www.thekempters.com.

The New Hope Freewill Baptist Church, 3819 County Road 31, Abbeville, will celebrate its Annual Ushers Anniversary on Sunday, Jan. 22, beginning at 11:15 a.m. Pastor Eddie L. Baker of New Hope Freewill Baptist Church will deliver the sermon. Refreshments will be served. All churches are invited to attend.

Bethany Divinity College and Seminary in Dothan will host a winter seminar titled The Art of Teacher on Jan. 27, 6-9 p.m., and Jan. 28, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., with Dr. Rodney George as professor. The seminar is good for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders and is free to the general public. Students taking for credit should call for pricing information. Call 334-793-3189 for more information or to register by Jan. 25. Bethany is located at 2573 Hodgesville Road.

The Southeast Alabama Conference Lay Organization will meet Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. at St. John AME Church, located at 03 St. John St. in Abbeville.

Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church II in Dothan will hold the service Shopping at Heavens Grocery Store on Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. The church is at 1547 Lucy Grade Road. Songs will be performed by Burdeshaw Street Choir and there will be a number of speakers. A benediction will be led by Shady Grove Pastor Gamaska Vickers. All churches are invited.

Pastor James C. Harvey Sr. and the St. Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church family invite the community to the first sermon of Rodney D. Harvey Sr. on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2:30 p.m. St. Elizabeth is at 611 Florida St. in Geneva.

Chancellor Assembly of God Church is having a Fifth Sunday Night Sing on Jan. 29 featuring The Thompsons from Grand Ridge, Florida. Starting time is 5 p.m. The church is located at 10527 N. State Highway 27 in Chancellor.

Burdeshaw Street Church presents the 21st Pastorial Appreciation Banquet on Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. for the churchs pastor, Wilbert Dawsey, and his wife, Alice Dawsey. The banquet will be held at The Red Barn on Napier Field Road. Tickets cost $10 and should be purchased by Jan. 15. Additional appreciation services will be held on Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. with Pastor Larry Butler of Friendship Freewill Church in Dothan and at 2:30 p.m. with Pastor Jackson Glover of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Pinckard.

New Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Dothan will hold a Deacon and Deaconess Day service on Sunday, Jan. 22, at 2:30 p.m. The church is at 2627 Kinsey Road. Guest speaker will be the Rev. James Dawsey of Countyline Missionary Baptist Church in Slocomb. The theme is Brothers and Sisters Worthy of the Call. Lunch will be served. Call 334-673-9770 for information.

Southside Baptist Church in Dothan will celebrate its 70th anniversary with a service on Jan. 22 at 10:30 a.m. The church is at 423 E. Cottonwood Road. Former pastors Tommy White and Kenneth Harrison will speak along with current pastor Stacy Stafford. The Rev. Billy Rich, the churchs former minister of education and music, will direct the music for the service and perform a solo. There will be other special guests sharing their musical talents, and souvenirs will be given to each family by the church. Lunch will be served following the morning service. For directions or information, call 334-794-6794.

The Perrys will be in concert at First Free Will Baptist Church in Dothan on Friday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. The event is free and a love offering will be received. The church is located at 1461 Timbers Drive, Dothan, one block off Highway 52 West and Honeysuckle Road, (behind Dollar General). Call 334-792-3316 for more information.

A special day of prayer for the Baptist College of Florida in Graceville will be held Jan. 29. The day was set aside by the Florida Baptist State Convention to lift up those who work and study at the institution. For more information on this special day of prayer and how to be involved in praying for The Baptist College of Florida, call 800-328-2660 ext. 460.

The Nelons will perform during services on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 6 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Slocomb, located at 225 N. Dalton St. The Nelons have won multiple Dove awards, have been nominated for Grammy awards, and were recently inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. The music ministry has also performed as part of the prestigious Gaither Homecoming Tour and Video Series. Vocalist Amber Nelon Thompson, named as the youngest Dove Award nominee in history by the Gospel Music Association, will join The Nelons for the performance. For more information, call 334-886-2200 or visit www.thenelons.com.

The Hoppers will be in concert on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m. in the wellness center at the Baptist College of Florida in Graceville. Over the years, The Hoppers have received numerous accolades and have also been popular guest performers on the Gaither Homecoming Tour. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and tickets for the evening can be purchased for $12 in the colleges business office by calling 850- 263-3261 ext. 418 or by visiting www.baptistcollege.edu. All seating will be general admission.
Grace Hardrick did it again.

Hardrick, an Ashford High School student, won the Freedom Speaks Competition for the second year in a row Monday night.

Hardrick delivered a rousing recitation of Martin Luther Kings famous I Have A Dream speech and followed up by delivering an impassioned speech of her own concerning loves ability to address societys problems.

You have to believe it - I really believe love is the answer to everything, Hardrick said after the competition. The reason why Dr. Kings speech was so successful was because he really believed it. If you dont believe, no one else will.

Hardrick competed with nine other students from local schools Monday night. The students competing Monday night were chosen from a larger pool of contestants at a qualifying event held earlier at Wallace Community College.

Hardrick won a $2,500 scholarship for coming in first in the competition. Gabrielle Burns, the second place winner, won a $1,500 scholarship. Emily Willeford, the third place winner, won a $1,000 scholarship.

Freedom Speaks resulted from a partnership between CapSouth owner Donald Bolden and Charles Lewis, a local pastor. Bolden and Lewis started the event to bring black and white residents together and foster a dialogue between the two communities.

This was done purposefully to bring the community together across color lines, Lewis said.

Billy McCarthy, a CapSouth spokesperson, said this years event was better attended and drew more contestants than last years event.

There was a great vibe in the room, McCarthy said. You can really tell the community was behind this.
Toyota Australia has rejected the application of stop-start engine technology available globally and designed to reduce fuel consumption, citing that many local buyers would not heed its benefits.

Stop-start technology  which automatically switches off the engine when stopped at the traffic lights to save fuel  has become available on the Kluger large SUV range, however the function offered in its primary US market will be disengaged for Australia when the facelifted model arrives in February. Toyota Australia product public relations manager Stephen Coughlan said the company had invested in market research that showed a vast number of customers find stop-start technology unnecessary and would manually switch the function off.

"Based on our research it's a feature on some competitor vehicles that people switch off," Coughlan told Drive and Australian media at the facelifted Kluger launch in Los Angeles.

"[There were] study groups and things that we've done on competitor models where people said they on the whole understand what the technology is about, but often it can cause some frustration for people, not always but sometimes and depending on how they're utilising the car, and that some of them will switch it off.

"We've heard this feedback from the media fraternity as well that some people often find it to be a small impost and just switch it off."

Coughlan described the efficiency benefit of stop-start technology as "minimal" and pointed to the greater fuel consumption improvements wrought by the other engine and transmission design changes for the facelifted Kluger range due locally in February.

Some competitor brands claim a fuel consumption reduction of 0.2 litres per 100 kilometres in the combined cycle test following the addition of stop-start technology. Toyota claims a 1.1L/100km improvement across the Kluger range compared with the pre-facelift version.

"We looked at the improvements, we obviously had to do a cost-benefit analysis and the combination of direct injection with the eight-speed automatic returns a 10 per cent increase in fuel efficiency," he added.

"Looking at the added cost impost of having to add stop-start versus the small per centage decrease [in fuel consumption] for specific users and particularly people in metropolitan areas, we decided not to adopt it at this time."

Stop-start technology often demands manufacturers employ a larger capacity battery of a more expensive variety, larger alternator, reinforced starter motor and often brake-energy recuperation in order to regularly shut off and turn on the engine.

Particularly in Australia's warm climate, the technology cuts usage of the air-conditioning system in most models when the engine is switched off, while some systems can be slow to engage when the brake is lifted after a period of time at idle.

While the product public relations manager admitted that urban buyers of the Kluger would most benefit from stop-start, he insisted Toyota's vast rural customer base would not.

"If you're driving in the CBD everyday it will obviously benefit you, if you're driving highway or based in regional areas where we do sell a lot of these cars, it's literally just there [unused]," he continued.

"Real-world fuel efficiency is something that people are interested about improving. Again having looked at the figures  the real world benefits, the tangible benefits that the eight-speed auto and direct injection [brings] are quite substantial for the majority of buyers."

Toyota's hybrid vehicles pioneered stop-start engine technology and continue to use the system, but in conjunction with an electric motor that keeps the vehicle moving at low speeds and all electronics including air-conditioning switched on.

A fuel-saving Kluger Hybrid is available in the US, but it is only built in left-hand drive.

The facelifted Kluger range uses a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine that claims between 9.1L/100km and 9.5L/100km in official combined-cycle fuel consumption laboratory testing.

Its newest arch rival, the Mazda CX-9, employs stop-start technology for its 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that returns between 8.4L/100km and 8.8L/100km during the same testing regime.
It takes a lot to stand out from the crowd in the compact car world.

But Suzuki might be onto something with the new Ignis, a city car with a point of design difference few rivals can match.

Suzuki has revived the Ignis name and applied it to what it calls a "light SUV" to sit alongside the Swift in a two-pronged light car approach for the brand.

Style is core to the Ignis' appeal. Following in the footsteps of the larger Vitara, the Ignis offers a range of dress-up trims for the grille, fog light bezels, and alloy wheels in white, orange, or blue plus mirror caps in white, orange, blue, red or black to allow customers to design an Ignis that is uniquely theirs.

The same goes inside, where the Ignis wears bold white dash and door trim highlights over black trim, plus highlights in titanium or orange depending on the exterior colour, and further blue or red dress up accessory parts for the door pulls, centre console and air vents surrounds - something few cars at this price point offer.

The effect is mix-and-match style like you'd find in a Mini, but at a fraction of the price. As all parts are dealer-fitted, rather than built on the production line, a customised Ignis can be yours in a matter of weeks instead of the months required waiting for a car to be shipped from the factory.

Its cabin is fresh and funky and interior space is quite generous. The tall roof makes for plenty of available headroom, though taller passengers do need to duck on their way in, to clear the door aperture. The Ignis isn't exactly wide though, putting front seat passengers within intimate proximity of each other.

That's not bad for a light hatch that starts from $15,990 plus on-road costs.

Suzuki has kept the Ignis range simple. There are just two models, the entry level GL with a choice of five-speed manual or CVT automatic (a $1000 option0, or the upscale GLX only available with the CVT automatic.

The Ignis GL offers standard fabric seat trim, cruise control with speed limiter, leather-wrapped steering wheel, halogen headlights and fog lights, and 15-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers.

Move up to the Ignis GLX and equipment includes keyless entry and start, electronic climate control, LED headlights, privacy glass, a height-adjustable driver's seat and 16-inch alloy wheels.

All Ignis models come standard with an 8.0-inch touchscreen with standard satellite navigation including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and Bluetooth phone and audio with four speaker sound on the GL and six speakers for GLX. Suzuki's warranty extends to three years or 100,000 kilometres of use.

Safety equipment includes six airbags, electronic stability and traction control, hill hold assist (for CVT models), front seatbelt pretensioners, rear-view camera, and breakaway pedals in the event of an accident. Autonomous braking is not yet offered either standard or as an option.

Curiously, the GLX has just two seats in the back, while the entry-level GX offers seating for three (no doubt uncomfortable) rear passengers.

Both are powered by the same 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, one that makes a modest 66kW of power and 120Nm of torque.

That sounds a little weedy until you factor in the Suzuki's miniscule 820 kilogram weight - a genuine selling point compared to light hatches that usually tip the scales closer to one tonne.

This is a light hatch that can keep up with cut-and-thrust city traffic, accelerating happily to 60km/h without feeling tardy. Suzuki's CVT automatic was the only transmission available at launch, exhibiting droning sounds typical of the breed at full throttle.

Less aggressive driving suit the Ignis better, with the gearbox able to sort itself out among quite low levels of engine and road noise all the way to freeway speeds where tyre noise becomes noticeable.

Suzuki's reputation for building fine handling chassis' hasn't missed the Ignis either, and despite its somewhat tall and narrow stance, the Ignis holds the road well, blotting out all but the biggest imperfections in the road surface while cornering eagerly.

Out of town mid corner bumps resulted in rack rattle and steering wheel kickback - but given that the Ignis is more likely to spend its time in urban settings it's a handling compromise that's easy to forgive.

Suzuki is to be given credit for creating the Ignis - its light car range is already quite full with Swift and Baleno in Australia, to say nothing of its small SUV range which includes Vitara, S-Cross, and Jimny, but light SUVs are a fairly unusual concept to the point where the Ignis has no direct competitor.

There's a very real chance that as buyers turn away from traditional hatchbacks, Suzuki will have a future hit on its hands - but more than just its SUV looks, the Ignis will delight with cool styling, a range of personalisation options, and a comfy and well built interior.

Match that with decent handling, and Suzuki's reputation for hard-wearing quality and the sensibly priced and well featured Ignis should lure plenty of value-focussed buyers looking for an added dose of style and practicality compared to your average light hatchback.

2017 Suzuki Ignis pricing and specifications

Price: $15,990-$18,900 plus on-road costs

Engine: 1.2 litre 4cyl petrol

Power: 66kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 120Nm at 4400rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual or CVT auto, front-wheel-drive

Fuel Use: 4.7-4.9L/100km
Home Four wheelers Donald Trump Threatens German Carmakers Of Border Tax; Gets Trolled By German Economy Minister oi-Rajkamal

Donald Trump is on a mission and has been successful so far  asking US based carmakers to manufacture vehicles in the US itself, and not in Mexico.

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Most Viewev Car Photo Gallery
Such was the scale of plaudits that greeted Daryl Horgans Preston debut that one could be forgiven for assuming his was an overnight success.

The standing ovation to which he exited the pitch on Saturday spoke for the calibre of his performance, after all, onlookers on both sides of the Irish Sea enraptured by his match-winning display.

I was very impressed with Daryl, reflected new manager Simon Grayson.

I had no hesitation putting him into the team given how he has trained and how he played off the bench last week. The pass for the goal was obviously a highlight, but he just brings confidence on the ball and the ability to beat his man.

A rave review indeed.

Full international honours are sure to follow for the 24-year-old, Horgan the latest to join a Deepdale production line which has already produced Irish stalwarts like Mark Lawrenson and Kevin Kilbane.

And while the Galway native's recent Brentrance will undoubtedly improve his level of opposition, it would be remiss to suggest that merely boarding a forty-minute flight to England has instantly made him a better player.

In truth, Horgans own performances have long since taken the opposition out of the equation.

The wingers body of work speaks to that end, transcendent displays from Sligo to St Petersburg mean his acquaintance with the Irish shirt should already be well-worn.

And while a call-up for the Austria game in November was beyond deserved, you always felt that the selection was rooted in compulsion rather than design, Martin ONeill seemingly bowing to public perception as much as his own.

The move from Irelands north-east to Englands north-end has likely changed that dynamic, with Horgan now set to be a sure-fire feature of the Derry mans plans going forward.

That he needed to leave Oriel Park in order to consolidate his place is presumably more bitter than sweet for the League of Ireland fraternity.

What is altogether more definite, however, is that should Horgan continue to translate his form from the white of Dundalk to that of Preston, plenty of outings in green are certain follow.
Dundalk singing sensation, Tara Erraught, will return home for a very special concert in Drogheda on Saturday, 28th January.

Tara is a leading light in the opera world and is currently performing the role of Kathleen Scott in the acclaimed production of South Pole for Bayerischer Staatsoper in Munich.

A former pupil of singing teacher Geraldine McGee, Tara went on to study with Dr Veronica (Ronnie) Dunne in Dublin before taking up a position in the Opera Studio of Bayerische Staatsoper in 2008. Since then, she has taken the operatic world by storm.

In 2011, she made headlines and gained worldwide attention when she stepped in on five-days notice, learning the role of Romeo in Bellinis I Capuleti e i Montecchi for the Bayerische Staatsoper.

Acclaimed for her rich voice, expansive range and dynamic stage presence, in recent seasons the Dundalk native has sung two world premieres, made her US opera debut, numerous role debuts, and successfully toured North America three times.

Even to the uninitiated it is obvious that Tara Erraught could probably sing the phone book and make it a moving experience, remarked the Evening Echo.

On 28th January, in St Peters Church of Ireland, Drogheda, Tara will perform a selection of beautiful Mozart and Handel arias with pianist & conductor Barry Douglas and his orchestra Camerata Ireland.

Barry and Tara recorded Symphony Sessions for RTE One television many years ago, and have often appeared on the same billing as one another but, while they have admired one anothers talents for some time, this will be the first public concert that the pair will give, and where better than on her home turf of County Louth.

The concert forms part of a weekend of Mozart by Camerata Ireland and Barry Douglas within the Drogheda International Classical Music Series.

On Friday 27th, Barry and the orchestra will perform Piano Concerto K.449, Sinfonia Concertante with violinist Patrick Rafter and violist Ed Creedon in addition to the famous Eine kleine Nachtmusik.

Featuring two separate concerts, this is a unique opportunity to see one of Ireland's greatest vocal talents and one of the most famous pianists perform together in the intimate setting of St Peter's Church of Ireland.

The Drogheda International Classical Music Series is presented in partnership with Droichead Arts Centre and funded by the Arts Council and 'Create Louth'.

Tickets are 18 / 16 conc. / 5 children & students. Booking is essential through Droichead Arts Centre on 041 9833946 or via www.droichead.com
For the second year in a row, the River Fane is open for the fishing of salmon and seatrout (over 40cm), on a catch and release basis.

That means that anglers are not allowed to kill salmon or seatrout (under 40cm may be killed). They must fish with a single, barbless hook and not fish with a worm.

Dundalk Salmon Anglers Association is one of a few clubs operating on the River Fane. They control the fishing rights from Knockbridge down to the sea at Blackrock along with a small fishery upstream.

The Association was founded in 1961 by a forward thinking group of men.

The Association purchased the Shuckburgh Fishery, running from below the Ardee Road bridge to the sea. In so doing they stopped the legal netting of both salmon and seatrout allowing these fish to run the river system and have the freedom to spawn. The Association President, Mr. Val Wynne, is the last of these founder members.

Dundalk Salmon Anglers Association has overseen the development of our fisheries over the years, opening access routes, constructing styles, bridges and carparks allowing anglers easy access to enjoy days and evenings fishing and being with one with nature.

In the year 2000 under the Chairmanship of Mr. Harry Arrowsmith, and with aid of Louth Leader a hatchery was built and equipped. Its function was to help re-populate the small rivers and streams of the upper Fane with salmon. Over the many years these small rivers and streams in Monaghan and Armagh were without salmon due to obstacles in the river and pollution. The club members operated this hatchery over the winter months and the eggs were then planted in these streams by the Eastern Regional Fishery Board, now the Inland Fishery Ireland and the North of Ireland Conservatory Board.

However our salmon stocks are in decline like a lot of our rivers in Ireland and the British Isles. The angler, along with the farmer is thought to be the custodian of the rivers, observing the changes that occur. They see first-hand the changes that are taking place as well as those that have occurred. Our club, like many others have encouraged catch and release on our waters for many years now. The problem of declining stocks must be addressed but stopping a young angler or an elderly angler from sitting along the river bank fishing with a worm is not the answer.

Our Government along with the EU must address the over fishing and exploitation of the salmon stocks in our seas.

In addition, the scourge of the salmon farms are sea lice infestations that greatly effect the salmon smolts (young salmon going back to sea from our rivers) which are known to do great harm. Pollution in the water systems of our rivers and lakes is a very worry factor too.

Dundalk Salmon Anglers Association is open for membership. We encourage both young and not so young to come to our fisheries and enjoy the company of our membership and nature.

Contact through E-Mail: dundalksalmomanglers@gmail.com

Web: dundalksalmonanglers.weebly.com

Roddy Minogue (Chairperson0 Pesie Mc Caughey (Secretary)
As Australians go about their day  commuting on the bus, train or ferry, or going out for lunch  its rare to see them without their heads down, eyes glued to their smartphones. It has become ingrained into our daily behaviour, and has created a new path for businesses to find consumers. For SMEs its integral  if you arent getting your mobile marketing right you could be missing a huge opportunity.

Australia is known globally for its high smartphone adoption with almost 80% of the population using one. The same goes for purchases, with online shoppers increasingly preferring to use their mobile devices, which provide the freedom and flexibility to be used during idle time. According to Deloittes Mobile Consumer Survey 2015, 65% of Australians browse shopping websites on their smartphone, 40% doing so weekly. For SMEs, the internet is levelling the playing field; mobile does this even further by placing your shop front right into your consumers pockets.

There is a huge opportunity for SMEs to take advantage of mobile by optimizing digital experiences and capturing these consumers when theyre on the move. But it requires the right investment to ensure mobile experiences match consumer expectations.

Commit to mobile-first

A mobile-first experience is hugely important for SMEs, who need to make sure they have a presence where their consumers are looking. While it can seem tricky and costly to implement, thanks to advances in technology, mobile infrastructure is affordable for all types of business.

The first step is to take stock of where youre at to ensure you have sales and marketing process that lives and breathes mobile. This may include reconsidering what technology youll be using and if you need any partners to help build your network. It may take an initial investment, but with mobile quickly becoming a staple of the marketing sphere  and only looking to grow in importance in 2017  having the right mobile experience is sure to impact your bottom line.

Know your outcomes

Optimising mobile marketing means knowing your desired outcome. SMEs need to look at how customers are using their smartphones and other mobile devices and tailor touch points to this use. Metrics that should be monitored regularly include mobile monthly unique visitors and mobile as a percentage of total web sales. Its also important to understand what role your mobile site will play in capturing customers. For some businesses it might be transactions; for others it could be sales leads. Knowing the desired outcome will help to develop your mobile strategy in a way that speaks to that ambition.

Make mobile match your in-store experience

Building a mobile-responsive website that responds to all devices including mobile phones, tablets and laptops, ensures a consistent digital experience and is a business imperative.

Compromises, like adaptive designed sites, which scale down to desktop versions to work to a smart phone, simply dont perform well enough to match consumer expectations. The problem is often with images, which have issues maintaining integrity while changing screen size. This can disrupt navigation and often results in shoppers going to a competitor out of frustration. It is the same as walking into a shop and having no one there or seeing a messy, unloved store-front. Having an experience on mobile that makes it easy for consumers to navigate and engage with the content is key, which is why a mobile-responsive website is pivotal.

With mobile increasingly becoming consumers go-to tool for research, transaction and interaction, its important for SMEs to get on the front-foot now. The ability for SMEs to engage consumers has never been better  they just need to ensure they get the experience right.

About the author

Tom Wright is Asia Pacific Managing Director of Search Optics, a global digital marketing provider, enabling automotive dealers to deliver data-driven micro-targeted communications throughout the customer lifecycle. During a career that spans more than 16 years, he has created and delivered digital transformation strategies in senior leadership roles throughout EMEA and APAC, including Auto Trader, News International, Trinity Mirror, Thoughtworks and Sopra Steria. With sales, consulting, business development and marketing experience, Wright has provided solutions to many major automotive OEMs including Audi, BMW, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, Nissan, Rolls Royce and Volkswagen.
As soon as I saw the destruction cause by that 7.9 earthquake in Cebu and Bohol, I almost wanna fly there and do something to help. But then again with the non-stop aftershocks right after, about 1,000 plus aftershocks have been recorded as of today, I was wondering what can we do to help rebuild Cebu and Bohol as the destruction continue because of the sudden jolts happening in the area. Aside from the deaths from this natural calamity, it pains me a lot to see beautiful structures and architectural sites that are not just buildings but landmarks of culture, art, and history of the country. Most of them now are ashes and nothing more but a part of a beautiful memory. It is very very sad.

The Philippines National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) said it will take years to rebuild these national treasures, the Churches built in the Spanish Era This is not about religion, as our heritage and race should keep us all together to help rebuild our countrys treasure and preserve it for the children of the future.

As of today there are 9 churches destroyed by the earthquake. The photo above shows 6 of the churches / heritage sites that were ruined latest report shows that Loboc Church is almost flat-out to the ground and just ashes. Sto. Nino Basilicas bell tower down, Laon Church turned dirt, Baglayon Church all rubble.

I have bizarre ideas (suggestions only!) that can help and might work to speed up restoration and help rebuild Bohol and Cebu again. When everything settles down and tremors die down heres what we can do for Cebu and Bohol (choose all or any of the following)

Visit Cebu and Bohol more tourist means more revenue for the City Each tourist gets to visit each of the ruins and help build like citizen volunteer work for a day. Kinda like the Habitat for Humanity volunteer work where one gets to help build houses this time we Help Build Churches. Each tourist gets to donate an amount or building materials for rebuilding the heritage sites. If you have been into these heritage sites before and took nice photographs of the structure and the artworks you can give a copy to NCCA so we can replicate the places For architects and engineer associations in the Philippines to volunteer and make the structural plan for these heritage sites.

If you have any other ideas that popped-in your mind do share and leave a comment here. An idea can always be always translated to reality!

Help rebuild Bohol and Cebu!

UPDATE! FInally someone took an initiative to rebuild homes in Bohol!

Habitat for Humanity Philippines will start rebuilding affected houses in Balilihan, Bohol today. Help us rebuild the homes of our fellows in Bohol by providing construction materials, such as roof, plywood, hollow blocks and cement and also equipment and tools like hatchet, hammer, saw, scraper, also power tools like electric drill, power saw, steel cut off saw, chain saw and more.

FOR PESO DONATIONS, deposit your contributions to Bank of Philippine Islands Current Account 2421-0014-24.

Account Name: Habitat for Humanity Philippines Foundation, Inc.

Please fax or email your deposit slip with your name, contact details, and project (e.g., Habitat Disaster response) to +632-856-53-89 or donorservices@habitat.org.ph.

FOR DOLLAR DONATIONS, deposit your contributions to Bank of Philippine Islands US Dollar Account 2424-0111-45, with BPI Swift Code BOPIPHMMXX.

Account Name: Habitat for Humanity Philippines Foundation, Inc.

Branch Nam: G/F Bldg A, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong.

Please fax or email your deposit slip with your name, contact details, and project (e.g., Habitat Disaster response) to +632-856-53-89 or donorservices@habitat.org.ph.

You can also give through G-Cash! Just text DONATEAMOUNT(MPIN)HABITAT. Send to 2882.

And for in-kind donations, you may call Habitat for Humanity Philippines at 846-2177 and connect to Marketing and Communications Group.

Spread the love share some love!
So last week in Malaysia, I ,with a select bloggers from Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore we were given the first look of the AirAsia Taylor Swift Livery Aircraft scale model during the Red Hot Party held in Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur .

Yesterday, at the Manila Domestic Airport (Terminal 4) I finally saw the real deal!

Thewith thefeaturing the seven-time GRAMMY winner

This aircraft landed yesterday (June 4, 2013) in Manila carrying all the 75 entourage of Taylor Swift including band members, dancers, engineers, props men and everything else she needed for her concert tomorrow June 6, 2014.

A select member of the media, bloggers, Swifties (Taylo Swift Fans Club Philippines) officers and the winner of the AirAsia #TaylorSwiftviaAirAsia contest were invited for a closer look of the aircraft. Which can seat about 180 passengers in all.

Lets go inside!

With my blogger travel buddy friend Ruth dela Cruz of Ruthilicious

Lets checkout the cockpit first!



One of the two AirAsia aircraft engineers checking the condition of the aircraft after landing. The aircraft came from Jakarta Indonesia and the engineers were Indonesians. I was talking to them in Filipino but one of them said, Sorry I dont understand you, I dont speak Filipino. Ooops! Thats what I get for assuming they are Pinoys hahaha! We have similarity in looks. Well at least the other one in the pic who was camshy looks Pinoy. This one is a bit of Indian.



Being the friendly me, I talked my way in the cockpit sitting on the captains chair haha! When everyone else with the tour saw my pic being taken inside the cockpit they all follow suit. Haha! Who would miss the opportunity right?



The rest of the aircraft looks like any ordinary Airbus A320 no special decorations inside but the usual. However, I was told by Genifer Tan, AirAsia PR Manager some special collaboration AirAsia aircraft have special decorations inside like maybe the Apprentice and All Stars design collab aircraft we saw in Kuala Lumpur recently.

Of course who wouldnt miss an outfit shot inside an airplane! I did that before during the AirAsia Zest maiden flight to Kota Kinabalu.

What I wore:

Dress by 101 New York

Necklace by Avon Fashions

Bracelet by Avon Fashions

Eyeglass from Retail Lab Powerplant Mall

Canvass Bag by Freeway x Lumbera Collection

Sandals by Gibi

OOTD shot at the Manila Domestic Airport Terminal 4 inside the AirAsia Taylor Swift Livery Aircraft

Stay gorgeous everyone!
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Ninety-five false killer whales were stranded off the coast of Hog Key in Floridas Everglades National Park over the weekend.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wrote in a Facebook post this morning that 82 animals are now confirmed dead and 13 are unaccounted for. Earlier reports put the death toll at 81.

https://twitter.com/NOAAFish_SERO/status/821063024467386368

Officials told the Miami Herald that this is the largest recorded stranding of such species in Florida.

False killer whales belong to the dolphin family and get their name due to their resemblance to orcas. Females reach lengths of 15 feet and males are almost 20 feet. Adult false killer whales can weigh approximately 1,500 pounds.

The U.S Coast Guard first spotted the stranding on Saturday near Hog Key, which is located in a dense network of islands off south west Florida.

According to the Palm Beach Post, a rescue team reached the false killer whaleswhich included adults, juveniles and calvesby Sunday but could not save the vast majority of them.

Once on the scene, the response team attempted to herd the whales into deeper water, however, they were ultimately unsuccessful in that effort, NOAAs mammal stranding network Blair Mase explained to the publication.

Mase said that the false killer whales were beached and scattered along the shoreline in poor condition and deeply embedded in the mangroves, making the effort to rescue them nearly impossible. Rescuers had to humanely euthanize nine of the animals. Seventy-two of the dolphins died on their own on Sunday.

https://twitter.com/NOAAFish_SERO/status/821061772832604160

NOAA said that response teams are now working to assess the scene, but its remote location makes it challenging to gain access. The National Park Service is conducting aerial flyovers to help make it easier for the response teams to enter the area by boat.

It is currently unclear why the massive stranding occurred. In the coming months, biologists will conduct necropsies to determine what exactly happened, NOAA said.

Local marine biologist Stefanie Wolf told FOX 4 Now that one theory behind the stranding could be due to the pod getting lost and entangled in the areas thick maze of mangroves.

Down in that area of Everglades National Park its very shallowvery easily for even a human to get lost navigating through those waters, Wolf said, adding that the pod might not have been able to use their echolocation to find their way around.

As the FOX 4 reporter noted, while strandings are rare, when they do happen they usually happen in large groups because the dolphins are social animals.
Sea level rise is an increasing threat to low-lying island nations around the world. Many islands in French Polynesia could lose their coastlines or even disappear due to global warming.

In an effort to adapt to climate change, French Polynesian government officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding with San Franciscos Seasteading Institute to jumpstart the development of the worlds first self-sufficient floating city.





Our venture is poised to launch a seasteading industry that will provide environmental resiliency to the millions of people threatened by rising sea levels, provide economic opportunities to people in remote and economically deprived environments, and provide humanity with new opportunities for organizing societies and governments, Seasteading Institute Executive Director Randolph Hencken wrote in a blog post about the agreement signed on Jan. 13.

As described by Ensia, the Seasteading Institute has worked to establish independent city-states in the open ocean since 2008. According to a 2013 survey administered by institute, more than 1,000 people expressed interest in moving to these floating cities.

This vision, however, has its critics, who have described the idea as economically unfeasible techie island fantasy. Additionally, the project was once attached to controversial Silicon Valley venture capitalist Peter Thiel, who threw in around $1.7 million into the concept in 2008, envisioning it as a sort of libertarian utopia. Thiel, however, is no longer involved.

Even if some consider the idea far-fetched, seasteading has taken a major step in becoming reality. Now that an agreement has been signed, the next step is for the French Polynesian government and the Seasteading Institute to establish a legal structure for these seazones to have a special governing framework by the end of 2017. Site-specific environmental studies and economic impact studies will also need to be conducted.

Reason.com has posted a copy of the memorandum on its website. The government of French Polynesia recognizes that the rising waters threaten its lands, its inhabitants and their precious way of life, the document states. The Government of French Polynesia publicly committed to make every effort to preserve the Polynesian natural and cultural heritage to become a global showcase of sustainable development.'

The memorandum touts that the project will bring new technologies, new research horizons and new economic activities to French Polynesia.

The Seasteading Institutes project is an opportunity to develop new living spaces on the sea and offers the possibility of multiplying this type of sustainable habitats in other places, it states. It opens the capability of gaining new living spaces for countries threatened by rising water levels, overpopulation, or other dangerous phenomena.

While the exact location and construction details were not revealed, the seastead will consist of innovative floating platforms and will utilize renewable energy resources. The video below shows how solar arrays and wave-driven turbines will power the man-made floating city.

If everything goes to plan, construction will start in 2019.

Hencken told Huffington Post that once its constructed, the floating city can be a major site for oceanographic and climate resilience research and implementation, including experiments with wave and tidal energy, combatting rising ocean heat and acidification, as well as developing new ways to trap atmospheric carbon on the sea floor.

The possibilities are endless, Hencken said.
In last eight years, nearly 70,000 birds have been killed in the New York City area to make the skies safer for air travel.

On Jan. 15, 2009, three minutes after takeoff from New York Citys La Guardia Airport, U.S. Airways Flight 1549 hit a flock of Canada geese just northeast of the George Washington Bridge and lost all engine power. Remarkably, pilots Chesley Sully Sullenberger and Jeff Skiles ditched the aircraft onto the Hudson River in midtown Manhattan. All passengers and crew, 155 people, escaped with only a few serious injuries.

It was the most successful ditching in aviation history known as the Miracle on the Hudson.

https://twitter.com/NYPDCT/status/820796319233089536

Since then, the following birds have been eradicated by government agencies: 28,000 gulls, 16,800 European starlings, 6,000 brown-headed cowbirds, 4,500 mourning doves and approximately 1,800 Canada geese.

In the five years before the Hudson River emergency landing, there were 158 bird strikes per year. In the six years following the accident, 299 air strikes were recorded per year, according to statistics amassed by the Associated Press.

These numbers show that killing nearly 70,000 birds in 2009 did not reduce the number of airplane strikes. There has to be a long-term solution that doesnt rely so extensively on killing birds and also keeps us safe in the sky, said Jeffrey Kramer, of GooseWatch NYC.

In 2016, New Yorks Port Authority signed a five-year, $9.1 million agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to research and manage the wildlife around the airports. This includes regularly shooting a laughing gull colony at nearby Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

According to Port Authority documents, One must consider the consequences if this proven shooting program was discontinued and a serious bird strike occurred while the colony was still present.

However, there are many non-lethal methods that airports around the globe use to keep their runways free of birds.

Pyrotechnics are used daily at most airports to drive birds away.

The flash, bang kind of stuff immediately gets their attention and pushes them away, Michael Begier, national co-ordinator of the airport wildlife hazards program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said.

Salt Lake Citys airport has reduced the number of Canada geese by addling their eggs. The goose is scared from the nest and the eggs are addled or oiled pretty much in place by picking each egg up individually and shaking them or submerging them in vegetable oil, Gib Rokich, who oversees the airports wildlife program, remarked.

The goose continues to sit on them but they never have a successful hatch. If she lays 10 goslings, and five survive into adulthood, then they will want to come back to the same location to nest, so you can see how it can multiply. After four years, we broke the cycle, so we still get the occasional one but theyre not established any more.

UK airports use bird distress signals, which effectively clear runways. Speakers are mounted on vehicles that emit more than 20 different bird calls.

Since 1999, Fort Myers, Florida, has used dogs to keep birds away, successfully reducing bird strikes by 17 percent. While the egrets, herons and moorhens can get use to pyrotechnics, they never adapt to the presence of a natural predator like dogs, Ellen Lindblad, director of planning and environmental compliance at Southwest Florida International Airport, said.

Salt Lake Citys airport uses pigs to disrupt California gulls. Pigs trample and eat gull eggs, and each spring they are used to deter gull colonies. When the gulls arrive and see the pigs waiting to devour their eggs, they move on.
Montana Republican Rep. Ryan Zinkes confirmation hearings today kick off a busy week on the Hill for environment and climate hawks facing three crucial back-to-back cabinet hearings.

Best piece yet on Trump's Interior pick, Zinke @EcoWatch https://t.co/Pj4JYW44g1  Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) December 16, 2016

While Zinke is expected to have a relatively smooth path to getting the Interior Secretary job, he will probably face questions today around his various positions on federal landsparticularly the issues of transferring ownership to states and encouraging fossil fuel development on federal lands.

House Quietly Shifts Federal Policy Making It Easier to Sell Off Public Land https://t.co/1TxW6kk7QA @greenpeaceusa @foe_us  EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) January 5, 2017

His muddled stance on climate science, numerous financial ties to the oil and gas industry, and financial irregularities in his Navy career may also get time in the spotlight.

Senators have a duty to clear up Rep. Zinkes confusing and, frankly, conflicting record, Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said. Hes spoken against selling off public lands but backed a recent measure allowing just that. Hes supported land and water conservation efforts but also indiscriminate oil and gas extraction on public lands. Hes both acknowledged and questioned climate change. And hes put polluters ahead of people after accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the oil, gas and mining industries.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmation hearings for Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt, slated for Wednesday, are expected to be this weeks main event.

Green groups and the fossil fuel industry have been prepping for weeks for an epic showdown over Pruitts controversial nomination, and Senate Democrats have indicated that theyre prepared to dig in their heels and block the climate denier from heading an agency he was once hell-bent on destroying.

https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/816444062404321281

Over the weekend, Pruitts numerous shady financial ties to the fossil fuel industry and other corporate interests grabbed the spotlight again, as several outlets highlighted the various ways that campaign contributions may have influenced his decisions as attorney general.

On Monday, 13 former heads of state environmental protection agencies sent a letter to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee recommending they vote no on the nomination of Scott Pruitt to head the U.S. EPA.

The letter reads:

As former heads of state environmental protection agencies, we have had the honorand the responsibilityof ensuring that our states residents enjoy clean air, safe water and access to conservation land. We write to express our views on the nomination of Scott Pruitt to be Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and thank the Committee for this opportunity.

While we have worked under both Republican and Democratic Governors, reflect a range of political views, and come from diverse states, we share a common concern about Mr. Pruitts nomination. His record, particularly as a litigator against many EPA rules, causes us to question whether he appropriately respects science-based decision making, and understands the important role that EPA must play in the cooperative federalism model that undergirds our nations environmental laws.

For a deeper dive:

Confirmation week: Washington Post, NPR, CBS, The Hill

Zinke: New York Times, AP, Reuters, Politico Pro, NPR, ClimateWire

Hearing: WSJ, The Hill, InsideClimate News

Industry influence: New York Times, Politico Pro, Huffington Post, ClimateWire

For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for daily Hot News.
By Tim Radford

Even supposing the world does make dramatic reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, the fate of the small island states remains uncertain.

New research suggests that other, more short-lived greenhouse gases in the atmosphere could drive the thermal expansion of the oceans for centuries to come.

This is grim news for those low-lying coral atoll nations in the Pacific already threatened by sea level rise.

They fought at the Paris summit in 2015 for world agreement on a reduction of emissions that would keep global warming to 1.5 C above historic levels. But a new study, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that may not be enough.

If you think of countries like Tuvalu, which are barely above sea level, the question that is looming is how much we can emit before they are doomed. Are they already slated to go under, even if we stopped emitting everything tomorrow? said Susan Solomon, professor of atmospheric chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

https://twitter.com/sierraclub/status/712740476080807936

Inevitable Rise

Its all the more reason why its important to understand how long climate changes will last and how much more sea-level rise is already locked in.

Sea levels are rising as glaciers the world over retreat and Arctic ice caps melt, in response to rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, as humans burn fossil fuels.

But this time the MIT team applied their climate model not to carbon dioxide, but to the other greenhouse gases, among them methane and the chlorofluorocarbons. They then fed into the simulation the effect of heat on water, which expands with temperature.

And the short-lived gases are potent: the finding says that even if the production of these ceased entirely, at the end of 100 years three-fourths of the thermally-driven sea level rise would still be there, washing over low-lying coasts, drowning estuaries and river deltas, and seeping into the coral bedrock of islands too small even to register on the global climate maps.

And this slow enduring threat is what the small island states have feared most. They know that their citizens cannot survive if the sea levels rise to the heights predicted in the worst-case scenarios, but it isnt clear where they could go to escape. They have already been warned that even the Paris Agreement may not be enough to save them.

Carbon dioxide is an enduring molecule: even if emissions ceased now, the quantities already emitted will go on warming the world for another 1,000 years. So the effects of fossil fuel combustion are irreversible in the scales of human lifetimes.

But the new research shows that the short-lived gases have long-term consequences as well. Chlorofluorocarbons were banned by the Montreal Protocol nearly three decades ago: had the ban been delayed to 2050, then by 2100 they would have added 14 cms to the overall sea level rise, the authors calculate.

The scientists also tested methane in their simulation: suppose the world went on emitting at the current rate until 2050, 2100 or 2150 and then stopped completely?

In all three scenarios the methane cleared quickly and atmospheric warming slowed. But ocean warming continued for centuries and with it, sea level rise. And the later the emissions ceased, the longer the seas stayed high.

Amazingly, a gas with a 10-year lifetime can actually cause enduring sea-level changes, Prof. Solomon said. So you dont just get to stop emitting and have everything go back to a pre-industrial state. You are going to live with this for a very long time.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Climate News Network.
Students, Community Commemorate Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Monday, Jan. 17, 2017, an estimated 200 people marched from Elizabeth City State University in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ending at Sheep Harney Elementary School in Elizabeth City.

The annual march celebrating Martin Luther King Day brought out ECSU and College of the Albemarle students, members of the Pasquotank County NAACP, and community members. The event culminated in a panel discussion in the elementary school auditorium, emceed by Eric Poyner, an ECSU police officer.

The theme of the march and the discussion, How Do We Lift Every Voice, posed the general question: How does a community keep Dr. Kings work and dream alive?

ECSU Student Government Association President Ajanae Willis opened the discussion acknowledging that the march is paying homage to those who have gone before them. And the days events was an acknowledgement that, All of us must do our part to continue this legacy.

We have so much work to do, said Willis. The legacy of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement was never supposed to end.

When Eric Poyner took the podium, he posed several questions to panelists Keith Rivers of the Pasquotank County NAACP, ECSU Student Government Association Vice President Dwayne Ponton, Miss ECSU Brittany Lamb, and Elizabeth City Police Chief Eddie Buffaloe. The questions themselves focused on the need to solve the problems of injustice in the U.S., today, and how to carry the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement forward.

Chief Buffaloe cited a need to take the Civil Rights Movement back to its roots, in the church.

The church has been the centerpiece and core of our community, he said.

Brittany Lamb cited the need to support African American businesses, assisting in the success of the community.

Ponton observed that, Everyone must come together, if change is to take place in this country. People, he said, must begin to find common ground.

Keith Rivers, while echoing Chief Buffaloes assertion that the community must return to its roots, also said education is key if there is going to be change. Equal access to education, he said, must be preserved, and not dismantled.

The event ended with questions from the audience. ECSU students engaged the panelists with questions and discussion.

The MLK Day march and panel discussion were sponsored by the ECSU Student Affairs office.
(Photo:  Peter Kenny)The Train to Davos on Jan. 28, 2007.

New signs of polarizing populism are generating greater division in the world, says the general secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, while participating at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

"New expressions of polarizing populism are leading to greater division in our world and in our societies," he said speaking at a meeting of religious leaders at the annual meeting in the Swiss resort of Davos.

Chinese President Xi Jinping offered a vigorous defense of free trade at the WEF on Jan. 17 in

Davos in a speech stressing Beijing's desire to play a greater global role as the United States turns inward, Reuters reported.

"We see more tribalism, nationalism, racism, and violence," said the leader of the WCC that represents more than 550 million Christians from mainly Anglican, Orthodox and Protestant traditions.

"The root causes of these trends can often be found in the negative effects of economic globalization - or of its radical opposite, economic protectionism, inequality and exclusion  with more and more people marginalized and left behind, creating ever greater gaps between the rich and the poor," noted Tveit.

A community of 16 Religious Leaders joined in the meeting in the Davos gathering that brings together global political leaders, heads of the business world and people from all works of life who shape opinions.

The theme of the WEF this year is "Responsive and Responsible Leadership."

Tveit said, "Appeasing the fear of one group by increasing the fear of another cannot be the solution."

"These challenges require leadership accountable to the whole and one humanity for the sake of justice and peace for all. Real accountable relationships, not only to owners but also to employees, is a condition for a healthy business," said the WCC leaders.

RESPONSIBLE GLOBAL LEADERSHIP

He asserted that responsible global leadership today entails a much wider horizon of accountability.

"Economic gains must provide the resources for education, jobs, health, and a healthy environment - for all. Taxes are common resources needed for sustainable development of a society, and should not be escaped or avoided," he said.

"In a wider horizon of mutual accountability to humanity and the future of the one planet Earth, we can find much better solutions together than apart," Tveit told the meeting.

Among the religious leaders attending Davos along with Tveit are: Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace at the Vatican; the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby; Pinchas Goldschmidt, Chief Rabbi and president of the Conference of European Rabbis, Russian; Nasereldin Haghamed, chief executive officer of Islamic Relief Worldwide from the United Kingdom; Bani Dugal, principal representative of Baha'i International Community's United Nations Office; Jim Wallis, president and founder of Sojourners, USA and others.

At the Davos meeting Christine Lagarde, managing diirector of the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC, told participants that the concerns leading to populist movements in many developed countries are real, but the right policies can address them.

"We now have an opportune moment to put in place policies that will help," she said and suggested more redistributionist policies, since "excessive inequality puts a brake on sustainable growth."

She also urged a stronger social safety net, fiscal and structural reforms, and education to help both young people and mature workers prepare for the technological change that is disrupting the workplace.
(Denis Balibouse/Reuters)South African Acedemy award-winning actress Charlize Theron speaks out on fighting HIV and Aids after getting an award for her charity work at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

An African cardinal, the archbishop of Dublin, chief rabbis, an Indonesian Islamic preacher and the head of Christian, Islamic and Buddhist non-governmental organizations are attending the world's biggest networking event in Davos, the World Economic Forum meeting.

In 2013, the annual WEF meeting, which began work on Wednesday is setting up a new Global Agenda Council on the Role of Faith.

In past years the meeting in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos-Klosters attracted high profile religious leaders such as the former Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu and his fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama.

The WEF honored Academy-winning actress Charlize Theron with a special prize for her work on the HIV pandemic in young impoverished South Africans at the opening ceremony on Tuesday night. Theron won the best actress Oscar in 2004 for the film "Monster."

"I can think of no bigger shadow that is cast than the one over my beautiful country of South Africa because of the AIDS pandemic and that is still continuing to ravage generation after generation," Theron said at the ceremony.

South Africa has the largest HIV positive population in the world, and sub-Saharan Africa is home to three quarters of the world's HIV positive youth.

Theron called the eradication of mother-to-child HIV transmission an "incredible stride" but said much work remains to ensure that youth has "the resources, skills and lifesaving information to lead an HIV-free life".

(Photo: World Economic Forum) Impression during the session 'Improving Decision-Making - Thinking, Fast and Slow' at the Annual Meeting 2013 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 23, 2013.

Among religious leaders attending Davos in 2013 is Peter Prove, executive director of the Geneva-based Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, which focuses mainly on HIV and AIDS and food justice.

"The World Economic Forum has been heavily criticized by many in civil society for lack of inclusiveness and lack of accountability," Prove told Ecumenical News." On the other hand, the Forum is undoubtedly one of the world's leading regular gatherings of private sector and government leaders, and has in recent years increased its engagement with civil society."

Other religious leaders attending are former Irish president Mary Robinson who head her own foundation on climate justice; Nigerian Roman Catholic Cardinal John Onaiyekan; Diarmuid Martin the Archbishop of Dublin.

Also at Davos are: Indonesian Islamic preacher Al-Habib Munzir Bin Fuad Al-Musawa; Mohamed Ashmawey, CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide; Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the Conference of European Rabbis; Loretta Minghella, CEO of Christian Aid, David Rosen, Chief Rabbi from the American Jewish Committee, Jim Wallis President of the Sojourners, and other religious leaders.

Proved noted, "This year there is a new focus given to faith and faith-based organizations, including through the establishment of a new Global Agenda Council on the Role of Faith.

"Through my attendance at the Annual Meeting in Davos, and my participation in the Global Agenda Council on the Role of Faith, I hope to be able to get a sense of the extent to which this represents a genuine engagement and a new opportunity for faith-based advocacy for social and economic justice. For the moment, the jury is still out."

The World Social Forum founded Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2001 on the principles of what it calls "counter-hegemonic globalization" sometimes held its meeting to fight against what it sees as neo-liberal capitalism favored by the WEF at the same time as the Davos meeting. This year it will take place in Tunis from March 23 the 28.

But the WEF is considered a laboratory of ideas by its founder Swiss economist Klaus Schwab who said on 18 Jan., "The issue of the world economy is based on restoring trust." He noted, "We have to get out of this crisis mode, which is amplified by the media."

The WEF said global leaders attending will include Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti who will address the meeting from 23 to 27 January.

Participants include nearly 50 heads of state or government, nine from Africa and more than 1,500 business leaders meeting under a theme stressing determination and progress.

Others expected to attend include U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, the Director General of the World Trade Organization Pascal Lamy, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, South African President Jacob Zuma and Microsoft, U.S, Congress representatives and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
As the presidency of Barack Obama comes to a close, the schools across the country named to honor him and first lady Michelle Obama paint a panorama of a divided nation, one separated by race, class, and place.

Many are located in places like Normandy, a struggling St. Louis-area enclave where unemployment rates are high and high school graduation rates are low.

The schools here are among the poorest and most segregated in Missouri. All but a handful of the 400 students at Normandys Barack Obama Elementary are black; almost all of them qualify for free or low-cost meals.

The racial and economic segregation that persists here can be found in Obama-named schools across the nation, from Los Angeles to Long Island.

More than 90 percent of students who attend the namesake schools are black and Latino. Fewer than 4 percent are white.

Students at the Obama schools are nearly 60 percent more likely to qualify for free or low-cost meals than their peers nationwide, according to an Education Week Research Center analysis of federal data.

A rural-urban divide also stratifies the schools: scattered throughout 11 states, the Obama schools are almost exclusively found in urban and suburban areas with 250,000 or more residents. They are concentrated on the East and West coasts and in metropolitan areas in the countrys mid-section, including three in the suburbs of President Obamas adopted hometown of Chicago. None have cropped up in the small towns and sparsely populated areas that cover wide swaths of the country.

When you look at the larger geography of naming schools, we do see a reaffirmation or reinforcement of segregated boundaries, said Derek Alderman , a geographer at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. School names matter. Its part of our larger way that we imagine ourselves and project our identities onto places and onto people.

What We Could Be

Naming schools for presidents has been Normandys tradition. The districts two other elementary schools honor Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. The names of James Garfield and William Henry Harrison graced buildings in the past. When those schools were named, Normandy was a mostly white, middle-class bedroom community. Now more than 95 percent of the students in the district are black.

The idea to name the districts brand-new elementary school for the countrys first black president came from those students.

Choosing Obamas name felt different, more meaningful, students and staff say. Not only because hes black, but because his legacy is of the moment, not confined to a grainy black-and-white video or history book.

Not only is this person a president, but this person looks like us. It represented what we could be or what the kids could grow up and do, said Jacquette Boykin, a 6th grade English/language arts teacher at the school. They cant put their eyes on Kennedy or Washington. Theyre pictures in a book. But they can see Barack Obama.

And what the students see matters, said Cozy Marks III, who was the president of Normandys school board when the district chose the Obama name.

Its not just the name change. Its where it was, its how it looks, Marks said. We didnt build it in the middle of the best neighborhood, we built it where there were derelict houses, where the need is greatest.

Boykin still remembers the excitement surrounding the schools opening in 2011. Local politicians lined up to christen the new, $11 million building, a beacon of hope in a blighted neighborhood. Desperate to enroll their children in the school, some parents tried using fake addresses.

The kids demeanor was different, the parents demeanor was different, said Boykin, who has worked in the district for 16 years.

In the five years since, Boykin has witnessed some of that early enthusiasm fade.

Yeah, but our school is very transient, she said. You still feel proud saying I work at Barack Obama Elementary. 

The sense of hope and optimism that the new school and its aspirational name brought to the Normandy community remains. But the harsh realities that are present in so many high-poverty, segregated schools endure.

Teachers and staff members have shuttled in and out. The school has already had two principals. Students come to school consistently, but their performance on tests hasnt changed much.

Not all schools bearing the Obama name are struggling under the strains of poverty and segregation.

At the Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy in Dallas, high expectations have sparked high achievement. Two graduating classes in, alumni at the all-boys magnet in the Oak Cliff neighborhood have collectively earned millions of dollars in college scholarships.

Pittsburghs Barack Obama Academy of International Studies is a high-poverty school that offers International Baccalaureate courses to students. A new technology-themed magnet elementary schoolnamed Barack H. Obama Elementary Magnet School of Technology opened just this month in Dekalb County, Ga., a district in suburban Atlanta.

Still, other schools named for Obama have struggled with high suspension rates, chronic absenteeism, and access to high-quality courses.

Changing names can be important symbolic moves, but they dont do anything to change the structural inequalities and racial inequalities facing schools and school systems around the country, said Janelle Scott , an education professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

Avoiding Political Names

More schools have already been named for Obama than any president since Ronald Reagan.

But a majority of districts nationwide do not have a single school named after a commander-in-chief, a Manhattan Institute for Policy Research study found in 2007. Instead, school-naming committees have embraced names unburdened by politicssome of the more popular monikers are inspired by nature or geography.

Naming schools for public figures is one way to ensure public spaces reflect the nations diversity. When the name of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. or labor organizer Cesar Chavez is attached to a school or street, the push often comes from the black or Hispanic community. A different demographicoften white Southernersmakes its voice heard when communities fight back against efforts to rename schools that honor Confederate generals or slave owners, said Alderman, of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Alderman has studied schools named for King . Like the Obama schools, they are mostly in central cities, serving primarily low-income black and Hispanic students. His research into the King-named schools delved into a late 1990s debate in the district in Riverside, Calif., where parents protested the school boards decision to name a new high school for the slain civil rights leader. The parents, Alderman said, feared that the school, where two-thirds of the students were white, would be perceived as a black school, harming their childrens chances of getting into top colleges.

A lot of people in the 1990s used the term cultural wars to typify this struggle to claim American identity, the American past, and assert ones vision of what we should be remembering about America, Alderman said. Maybe the term is no longer fashionable, but the struggle itself has not gone away.

For Scott, the University of California, Berkeley professor, debates over school names are a realistic portrayal of the struggles over race and educationones that will continue long after Obama leaves office.

For far too many years, children went to school and continue to go to schools named after figures who wouldve been hostile to them, she said. Were at a very interesting historical moment where people are attempting to face history.

Metropolitan St. Louis has been at the epicenter of many of these conversations. A white police officer shot and killed unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown in August 2014, eight days after his graduation from Normandy High School. His death ignited weeks of protests in neighboring Ferguson.

Thousands of students in Normandy and similar districts around St. Louis are in the middle of a tug-of-war between state leaders and courts over a law that allows families to transfer out of failing schools.

When you come into St. Louis, you see the disparities, the stark disparities around housing and income and education, said Jerome Morris , a professor of urban education at the University of Missouri, St. Louis.

In his farewell address to the nation last week, Obama said that hopes that his presidency would usher in a post-racial America were never realistic. That is certainly evident in Americas public schools.

More than 60 years after the Supreme Courts historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, the nations public schools are re-segregating at a rapid pace. A U.S. Government Accountability Office report released in May found that the percentage of public schools in high-poverty and the percentage comprised of mostly black or Hispanic students have more than doubled since 2000. The percentage of all schools in which 75 percent or more of students are of the same racial or socio-economic class grew from 9 percent to 16 percent, roughly one in every six schools.

Nearly all the Obama schools fall into that category.

In a May 2014 commencement speech in Topeka, Kan., the birthplace of Brown, Michelle Obama said segregation is exacerbated by the fact that many schools serving mostly black and Hispanic communities dont have equal resources.

Those are the places that Marks, the former Normandy school board president, expects to see more schools embracing the Obama name.

In any place you need hope, where everything is not going in the direction you want it to go, he said, I would expect to see that name.
Low-income students across the country are facing a steep hike in the cost of taking Advanced Placement exams this year, and teachers are worried that the change could lead many promising students to bail out of the tests.

News of the price hikefrom $5 or $15 per test to $53is just beginning to reach students and counselors as they begin to talk about sign-ups for this springs AP tests. And its putting needy students in a bind.

With the way my financial state is, I might not end up taking the test if its that much money, said Kailee Giles, a junior whos taking AP Language and Composition this year at Tumwater High School, near Olympia, Wash.

Giles is feeling the effect of a little-noticed provision in the 1-year-old Every Student Succeeds Act , or ESSA. That law ended a federal grant program that has helped subsidize the cost of AP and International Baccalaureate exams for students from low-income families for 17 years. Last year, $28 million in grants lowered the cost of 862,000 exams in 41 states and the District of Columbia.

Subsidies and waivers from four sourcesthe federal government, states, schools, and the College Boardtypically slash the price of AP exams$93 each this yearto between $5 and $15 for low-income students, according to an analysis by the Education Commission of the States . IB tests are priced at $116 each, but typically cost low-income students $15 or less. The disappearance of the federal grant program has erased a piece of that financing pie, however, leaving states, districts, and schools scrambling to replace it.

The impact is potentially far-reaching. Last year, 22 percent of the 2.6 million students who took 4.7 million AP exams were from low-income families. About one-quarter of the 76,000 students who wrote 55,000 International Baccalaureate exams have similarly limited resources.

Its Not Our Fault

Some states, like Illinois, have pledged to cover the lost federal money, holding the cost of AP and IB tests steady for needy students. Jason Helfer, the states deputy superintendent for teaching and learning, said the Illinois board of education decided to use $1.8 million of last years unused Title I money to offset the loss of the federal grant.

In Rhode Island, Alan Tenreiro, the principal of Cumberland High School, said he is relieved that his state came up with the money to keep low-income AP students test fees at $12. His school has seen a 70 percent increase in the number of students using fee waivers to take AP exams in the last few years.

That money is very important to us, he said.

But other states, like Washington, cant pony up the money, which rolls the problem onto districts and schools shoulders. Some might be able to find the cash to plug the exam-fee hole; others wont.

For Giles, a question mark hovers over her carefully constructed college plans. Taking AP classesand examsis a key part of her strategy to become the first in her family to attend college. A former foster child, Giles wants to be a social worker so she can help children who have been removed from their homes.

Shes counting on the sheen that good AP scores can add to a college application. And shes counting on the potential tuition savings that AP-earned credits can offer, too; her mother is widowed and unemployed. Now Giles worries that it could look weird on her transcript if she skips the exam. But if her school or district cant help pay her way, she wont have another choice.

It doesnt really seem fair, she said. Its not our fault.

Todd Caffey, the AP coordinator at Giles school, said he fears many students will decide not to take AP tests because of the higher cost , unless his school or district finds a way to subsidize them in the next few months.

The idea of someone opting out because they cant afford it makes me crazy, he said.

There are federal funding streams that can be used to replace the lost test-fee grants, like Title I money, but schools are just beginning to explore those options. And the one that federal lawmakers envisioned as the solutionthe big block grant created under Title IV, Part A of ESSAcomes with risk and competing priorities, and is not an appealing solution for many districts.

A Crowded Pot

In writing ESSA, legislators rounded up dozens of programs, including the one that subsidized AP test fees, and created a block grant to support them. Money from that pot is to be distributed by formula to states, which then share it with districts. Those student support and academic enrichment grants can be used for many things, which gives districts maximum flexibility.

AP EXAMS: SHARING THE COST For low-income students, the cost of Advanced Placement test fees has been subsidized through four sources. Here is how the cost is typically lowered to between $5 and $15 per test. Source: Education Week, Education Commission of the States, U.S. Department of Education

But it also puts districts in a bind by making them choose whether to spend the money on AP exam-fee subsidies, or on college and career counseling, dropout prevention, student mental-health programs, or expansion of digital coursework, among the many allowed uses of the money.

One complication with Title IV is that it was authorized at $1.6 billion, but its likely to be funded at a far lower level. One recent round of budget negotiations proposed $300 million . The other issue about Title IV money is that it becomes available in 2017-18. A special rule created for the block grant allows districts to essentially borrow on next years allocation . That move would let them use next years money to lower the fees of AP exams given this spring.

Texas plans to take advantage of this provision to replace its $3.5 million grant. But some states are uneasy with that solution, since Title IV funding, and districts allocations, are still uncertain.

Illinois officials heard from superintendents who were worried about relying on Title IV money to make up for the lost AP test-fee grant, Helfer said. They would make that decision without knowing what their allocations would be, so wisely, they were nervous about that, he said.

State officials were also unhappy about how the Title IV solution would force districts to weigh AP fee subsidies against other equally valuable programs, Helfer said. Thats a decision we didnt want districts to have to make, he said.

At the U.S. Department of Education, which oversaw the AP test-fee program, officials worry that by pitting AP test fees against other district priorities, Title IV threatens to erode access to AP for students who need it the most. Without a dedicated funding stream for those exams, there is going to be a significant difference in what districts and schools will be able to do for students to defray the cost of AP tests, said Monique M. Chism, the deputy assistant secretary for policy and programs.

This is not a year where things will [transition] and then be reset to normal, Chism said. I dont know that well ever get back to the before-ESSA levels of AP funding.

The College Board, which owns the AP program, is working to get more low-income students into AP classes, and has seen the share of such students rise from 12 percent of exam-takers in 2006 to 22 percent last year . But Trevor Packer, who leads the AP program, said the organization is worried that the disappearance of the federal grant program could deny needy students key benefits, such as earning college credit.

Pressure or Support?

To prevent that, the College Board has undertaken a particularly intense outreach effort to urge schools and districts to consider Title IV as a way to keep AP fees down for low-income students. It hired extra staff to make an estimated 3,500 phone calls to AP coordinators at schools with large enrollments of low-income students. Its leaders discussed the Title IV solution with top officials at state departments of education. And it sent letters to schools, telling them that ESSA explicitly allows use of the Title IV block grant to subsidize AP exam fees, urging them to ask their state and district leaders to take specific action to use that money for that purpose.

Those tactics didnt make a universally good impression. In one meeting with state leaders, a top official had smoke coming out of their ears when a College Board representative offered Title IV as a fix for the lost federal AP-fee money, said one meeting attendee. We have a lot of things in mind for that money, and here comes the College Board, thinking it can tell us how to spend it, he said. Sending letters directly to schools didnt sit well with some state leaders, either. That definitely felt like a strong-arm tactic to me, said one state department of education official.

Packer disputed the notion that its outreach is too heavy-handed. The meetings and letters are the most effective way to inform states of important changes in federal law, and offer them potential solutions that can preserve AP access for students, he said.

I do feel we have an obligation to these students, who signed up for this additional work without knowing something changed for them, Packer said.

Difficult Choices

How many states and districts will opt for a Title IV solution is an open question. But meanwhile, theyre devising other solutions that carry their own tough choices.

Prince Georges County, a large district in Maryland, sent a letter to parents in October, in response to worried phone calls about AP test-fee increases. Chief Executive Officer Kevin M. Maxwell assured them that the district would keep the fees low despite the loss of the federal subsidy.

This decision does have some financial implications that will require some additional adjustments, but we feel that this is the right thing to do, he wrote.

Maryland has not offered to replace the lost federal grants for districts, counting on an increase in overall K-12 funding, and a large-scale conversion to more-flexible block grants, to enable districts to pay for what they need, said department of education spokesman William Reinhard.

In Vermont, deputy secretary of education Amy Fowler laments the spot her superintendents are in. That state cant cover the lost federal grant money for AP fees. Local superintendents report that theyll find a way to manage, she said. But she anticipates painful tradeoffs.

It sets up each of the various possibilities in competition with each other for those dollars, she said. And the higher the poverty in a community, the bigger the hit will be. In some places, they might have to say, were just not going to do AP [subsidies], and use those resources for our preschool program instead. Those are the kinds of choices people are going to have to make.
When the No Child Left Behind Act passed in 2001, state education leaders hated the laws mandate that every child in the country be proficient in math and reading by 2014. Unrealistic and demoralizing, they called it.

But now that states can set their own goals under the Every Student Succeeds ActNCLBs replacementsome are proposing to one-up the feds with even more ambitious timelines of their own.

Michigan, for example, which ranks academically in the bottom half of the pack nationally, wants to place in the top 10 in the next 10 years, according to the draft accountability plan its planning to submit to the U.S. Department of Education.

Maryland has proposed that schools cut big achievement gaps between white students and students of color in half in the next six years. And Hawaii wants to slash its 15 percent average absenteeism rate by more than a third by 2020.

The proposed goals have sparked clashes at ESSA town hall sessions and state board meetings between accountability hawks, those in the anti-testing movement, and teachers unions as state leaders attempt to strike a balance between rigorous and realistic in setting states short-term and long-term academic goals.

This is probably one of the most tricky and most difficult thing to do under the new law, said Kathy Cox, the former superintendent of Georgia, who has worked with states as a consultant in the last year to develop their ESSA plans. You dont want your goal to be so ambitious that its unrealistic, but you dont want it to be so realistic that the pace is so gradual that people arent inspired. Its about finding a delicate balance.

Planning Ahead

ESSA plans are due no later than this September and are set to go into place with the 2017-18 school year. More than a dozen already have drafted plans for the public to consider.

Eyeing the Goal States are all over the field in coming up with the ambitious ... long-term goals required in the accountability plans they must submit to the federal government later this year under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Heres a sampling, all of them from draft plans aside from Montanas, which is final. Delaware: Proposes to increase its graduation rate from 84 to 92 percent by 2030; also wants to boost the proportion of students passing its English/language arts exam from 50 percent to 70 percent and raise the proportion of those passing the math exam from 36 to 70 percent by that same year. Hawaii: Has more than 14 goals that include reducing chronic absenteeism by 6 percent, increasing 3rd grade literacy by 11 percent, and increasing its graduation rate by 4 percent by 2020. Illinois: Is proposing that 90 percent of its 3rd graders will read at or above grade level by 2032; that 90 percent of 5th graders will meet or exceed math expectations by that year; and that 90 percent of students will graduate from high school college- or career-ready by then. Louisiana: Proposes to raise the ambition of its long-term goals for students to levels exceeding the national average in every measure. For example, receiving an A on the state report card, would require that high schools graduate more than 90 percent of their students, that high school students receive at least a 21 on the ACT college-readiness test, which is used as the statewide exam (up from the 18 score currently required), and that the majority of the students receive a mastery rating on the states standardized test rather than basic. Maryland: Is proposing to implement an ambitious and rigorous long-term goal of reducing nonproficient students by one-half by the year 2030. The state wants to cut in half its achievement gap within six years. Montana: In its final plan, Montana sets a 2020 target date, but no uniform goals for districts. Local school districts should take the lead on setting goals for their community schools. Measurement of quality at the state level must be rigorous, yet flexible, the plan states. Oklahoma: Without giving specifics, says it is a priority ... that the long-term goals are lofty, but achievable and that the state is committed to providing [local districts], schools and students the supports necessary to achieve these goals. Tennessee: Has proposed, among other things, that the state will rank in the top half of states on the National Assessment of Educational Progress by 2019, that 75 percent of its 3rd graders will be proficient in reading by 2025, and that the average ACT composite score in Tennessee will be a 21 by 2020. Washington: Wants to have all of its students on track to meeting statewide standards in 20 years. Source: Education Week

The NCLB law set a 12-year deadline for states to achieve universal proficiency, with progress measured by the adequate yearly progress, or AYP, benchmark, which quickly wore out its welcome.

In contrast to the NCLB law, ESSA requires only that states set ambitious academic achievement, graduation rate, and English-language proficiency goals without setting specific deadlines. Its arguably the area in which states have the most flexibility under the new law.

Statewide aspirations can have a trickle-down effect and impact the pace at which students are expected to comprehend lessons, how many schools are swept up in a states intervention system, and what initiatives a state funnels millions of public dollars toward, according to state officials.

In a number of states, department officials fear that if they set their goals too low, teachers and principals at average-performing schools will get complacent and allow for problem areas, such as long-standing achievement gaps, to fester.

They also worry that if they set their goals too high, they can spark the same cheating scandals at low-performing schools that landed scores of teachers in jail during the NCLB-era.

Anybody with substantive knowledge about education and assessment knew that the NCLB goal was unobtainable, but rather than admitting that it was a fantasy, NCLB encouraged all sorts of gamesmanship and manipulation to give the appearance of progress when it was not taking place, said Bob Schaeffer, the public education director of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing.

Reset Button

States see ESSA as an opportunity to hit the reset button and give school and district officials a road map to meet expectations for the next generation of students. In some states, that puts the goal line at 2030, when next school years kindergartners will graduate from high school.

Civil rights activists fear that goal-setting is a key area where states will avert their attention from poor students, students of color, and students with special needs who have historically fallen short on access to basic services but got a jolt of attention under NCLB.

Too often, when we talk about the achievement gap, we talk about outcome for black students and other students as if its inevitable and natural and acceptable and thats just the way things are, said Liz King, the senior policy analyst and director of education policy for the Leadership Conference Education Fund. We created these problems, and we can solve these problems.

These tensions already are playing out in the ESSA planning process.

Marylands education department has proposed to reduce the amount of nonproficient students in the state by one half by the year 2030 as defined on that states standardized reading and math tests. And it wants to halve its achievement gaps within six years.

Bill Reinhard, the department spokesman said the goals were placed in the plan to spark conversation and could still be fine-tuned before being presented to the state board.

State officials are aware of the sensitivities in crafting goals.

What becomes the ultimate question for state leaders is if you say 100 percent is not our goal, that there is some goal below 100 percent, what youre saying is someones child is incapable of hitting proficiency, said Andy Smarick, president of the Maryland school board. There are real boys and girls with real names and real schools who are going to be implicated by any number thats less than 100 percent.

Multiple Yardsticks

In response to testing anxiety, some states have, in addition to setting standardized achievement goals, set NAEP, ACT, and school climate goals. Tennessee, for example, wants to rank in the top half of states on NAEP by 2019, raise its average ACT score from 19 to 21 by 2020, and boost the proportion of 3rd graders reading at grade level from 43 percent to 75 percent by 2025.

States have plenty more data on which to base predictions than they had in 2001 when NCLB was created. Department officials have described spending countless hours in recent months pouring over spreadsheets to set new benchmarks. Raising statewide averages even a few percentage points, states have learned, is much harder than it looks. Adding to the problem, states like Michigan have had several sets of standards and tests in recent years due to the fallout over the common core.

In developing its ESSA plan, Michigans department is in the process of tying numeric goals to its Top 10 in 10" vision plan established in 2015 by state Superintendent Brian Whiston.

Its more of a motivating statement versus an empirical statement, said Venessa A. Keesler, the states deputy superintendent.

For other states, trying to be both lofty and realistic has meant some difficult conversations about whos to blame for lagging results and how to fix them.

Hawaii has long struggled with chronic absenteeism. Five years ago, it became one of the first states in the nation to incorporate absenteeism into its accountability system.

The state set a common definition, set aside money to reward students with perfect attendance records, and aired statewide commercials during which military generals told families about the importance of showing up to class on time.

But state officials soon realized that the reasons so many students failed to show up to school were complicated. Students in isolated areas of the islands often missed the school bus and lacked any other methods of transportation to get to school, and the states court system had a glut of truancy cases it couldnt afford to streamline.

Today, the lowest absenteeism rate in the state for a school is 2 percent while the highest is 54 percent.

When coming up with its new goals under ESSA, the department originally suggested that its schools reduce absenteeism from an average of 15 percent to 13 percent, but a board member said the number needed to be in the single digits. The states goal is now 9 percent.

Weve had some hard conversations about whether or not this is the best indicator to reflect school performance, said Tammi Chun, the states assistant superintendent for office of strategy innovation and performance. Everyone agrees its an important area to focus on but, going forward, we realize a combination of actions are needed in order for us to meet these goals.
Drive down a highway in Michigan, and you might spot a most unlikely help-wanted ad, a billboard emblazoned with an urgent call: SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS NEEDED.

We thought, What form of media is pretty hard to ignore?  said Clark Galoway, the president of EDUStaff, the school-staffing company responsible for the signs.

Michigan is not alone in its attempt to find creative ways to boost the ranks of those who fill in for absent teachers. Across the country, districts are confronting a substitute-teacher shortage , and theyre making extraordinary efforts, a mix of old-school job fairs and tech-savvy social-media campaigns, to enlist teachers who can lead a classroom at a moments notice.

Some districts are increasing pay and benefits for substitutes, while others are cutting back the number of college credits required for the job and eliminating qualifying tests. The question is whether such strategies can entice applicants in an improving economy.

Until now, many districts havent done much to spread the word, and thats a shame, according to DeRay McKesson, the interim chief human-capital officer for the Baltimore public schools, especially since most people dont even know substitute teaching is an option.

Much of the substitute-teacher shortage is a lack of recruiting, said McKesson. Its not that districts dont think recruiting subs is important, he said, its just that in a world of competing priorities, full-time teachers are priority No. 1.

The Baltimore district held its first substitute job fair this past July, in combination with its regular teacher job fair. About 150 substitutes were hired, McKesson said. That effort worked in tandem with a refer a friend campaign, in which district employees were asked to recommend potential teachers or substitutes.

Casting a Wide Net

Districts nationwide, including Elk Grove Unified in Sacramento County, Calif., are targeting retirees and stay-at-home parents through similar tactics, newsletters, and email blasts to parents. Recent college graduates are reached through social media and visits to college job fairs.

But Elk Grove, the fifth-largest district in the state, has a plan to keep substitutes from roaming to other districts. The district raised salaries and offered health benefits.A little more than a year ago, its school board voted to increase substitute pay from $125 a day to $135, making it more competitive with surrounding districts.

Elk Grove also sent an email to parents, inviting them to think about becoming a substitute or persuading a friend or family member to apply.

Shelly Clark, Elk Groves director of human resources, said the response was overwhelming. She said the district is now able to cover teacher absences 99.4 percent of the time.

Before the recruiting campaign, it would not be uncommon for upwards of once a week on a Monday or Friday to not have enough sub coverage at a school, said Clark.

Many reasons exist for the shortages, according to district officials around the country. For one, fewer college students are choosing to become teachers. Enrollment in preparation programs nationwide has dropped 35 percent in the past five years, according to a report from the Learning Policy Institute .

The recovering economy has also exacerbated the problem. College graduates can find higher salaries elsewhere. Add to that the general view that teachers are overburdened with responsibilities and get little respect.

Substitutes are leaving for other ventures, said JR Godwin, the vice president of business affairs for Substitute Teacher Service, which provides substitutes for districts in Pennsylvania. The health-care industry is gobbling them up so they can become salespeople, because they are comfortable speaking in public and teaching people.

Teaching Gaps in Pennsylvania

The situation is dire in Pennsylvania. In the 2012-13 school year, the state issued 16,361 certifications, according to its education department. Two years later, that number was 6,215. A new state law will allow education majors with 60 credits under their belt to substitute-teach for up to 20 days a year. Still, with the precipitous decline in education school enrollment, the shortage will likely rage on.

Districts across the state have relied on staffing services like Substitute Teacher Service and Source 4 Teachers to bridge the gap by recruiting 12 months a year. Even so, Godwin predicts that it will be another six years before the substitute-teacher pool grows to needed levels.

In the meantime, social media is helping the service boost its substitute ranks with recent college graduates looking to build their resumes, recent retirees and, in the largest group, stay-at-home moms and dads who want to be done with work in time to pick their children up from the bus stop.

Godwin says Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn have paid off big for the company in the past couple years. The company also reached potential substitute-teacher candidates through university job fairs, newspaper ads, and TV commercials.

Districts are also beefing up training for their new recruits to stave off high turnover. Baltimore hopes to roll out its training for substitutes in the spring, in time for a second recruiting fair.

Our goal is not only to increase the substitute-teacher pipeline but to make sure they are effective because we believe every moment that a teacher is in front of our kids is important, said McKesson, the human-resource official.

That commitment to training, more so than pay raises, is the key to boosting the substitute-teacher pool, according to Geoffrey Smith, the director of an online training school for substitutes, STEDI.org. People know better than to take on something that they have no training or skills to do, he said.

Another key to ensuring substitutes return, said Smith, is to make sure they are recognized and appreciated.

Pennsylvania districts have learned that lesson well, said Godwin of the Substitute Teacher Service. Schools are offering substitutes free lunches, gift bags, and guidance. The extra attention makes substitutes feel welcomed and appreciated, and they are showing up, he said.




Monsignor Carlo Liberati, Archbishop Emeritus of Pompeii, said that Islam will soon become Europes main religion thanks to the huge number of Muslim migrants alongside the increasing secularism of native Europeans.



Speaking to Italian Catholic journal La Fede Quotidiana, the archbishop said: In 10 years we will all be Muslims because of our stupidity. Italy and Europe live in a pagan and atheist way, they make laws that go against God and they have traditions that are proper of paganism.



All of this moral and religious decadence favours Islam.




By Dan Bacher | January 16, 2017 | Environmental politics in California is known for the strange bedfellows that collaborate on some is...

http://www.elkgrovenews.net/2017/01/big-oil-lobbyist-backs-well-designed.html

By Dan Bacher | January 16, 2017 |





Environmental politics in California is known for the strange bedfellows that collaborate on some issues, including the state's controversial cap-and-trade program.

Photo of Catherine Reheis-Boyd, President

of the Western States Petroleum Association

(WSPA), courtesy of WSPA.





The latest case in point is the statement issued on January 10, 2017 by Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the President of the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), supporting the continuation of California's cap-and-trade-program, as proposed by Governor Jerry Brown in his 2017-2018 budget, providing that it protects the economy and California families, consumers and businesses.

Reheis Boyd chaired the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force to create so-called marine protected areas in Southern California from 2009 to 2012, as well as serving on the task forces for the Central Coast, North Central Coast and North Coast from 2004 to 2012. These marine protected areas fail to protect the ocean from fracking, offshore oil drilling, pollution, military testing, corporate aquaculture and all human impacts on the ocean other than sustainable fishing and gathering.

Many environmental justice and indigenous organizations oppose cap-and-trade, calling it carbon trading or pollution trading, because of the tremendous adverse impacts the program has on indigenous communities and the environment throughout the world.

Reheis Boyd says a "well-designed cap-and-trade program is the prudent approach to meeting the states climate change targets." Reheis-Boyd states:

"The Governor, as part of his 2017-2018 Budget, has proposed to authorize California's cap-and-trade program beyond 2020.The proposal would include a 2/3 vote to allow the State to continue to raise billions of dollars.

WSPA and its member companies believe focusing on a market mechanism to achieve California's climate goals is the prudent approach. In 2016, California adopted one of the most stringent GHG reduction targets in the world. Achieving this target will be difficult and costly. Achieving the reductions through a well-designed cap-and-trade program will minimize those costs. Where today's proposal falls short is that it simply layers the cap-and-trade program on top of costly and counter-productive command-and-control measures, disregarding the increasingly important role of cost containment.

WSPA looks forward to working with the Governor and the Legislature on a climate program that works towards achieving California's climate goals while protecting the economy and California families, consumers and businesses."

In his state budget released on January 10, Jerry Brown proposed the introduction of two-thirds urgency legislation in the State Legislature to continue the cap-and-trade program.

The state has appropriated $3.4 billion in cap-and-trade auction proceeds to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with funding prioritized in disadvantaged communities," according to the Governors Office. With volatility in recent auctions due in part to uncertainty about the programs post-2020 future, the Administration proposes two-thirds urgency legislation to confirm the programs continued authority beyond 2020. Assuming approval, the budget proposes $2.2 billion in expenditures from auction proceeds, with a continued emphasis on low-income and disadvantaged communities.

I ndigenous leaders strongly oppose carbon trading and REDD

Opposition to carbon trading policies this year led to the California Legislature removing cap-and-trade programs  and the related REDD policies  from green energy and climate change legislation Governor Brown signed into law in September 2016. Indigenous leaders and environmental justice defenders from throughout the world have strongly opposed cap-and-trade policies for the devastating impacts that they have on indigenous communities.

A report released in September 2016 documents critical flaws in California's carbon trading system, proving many of the concerns the environmental justice community has long raised.

The report, A Preliminary Environmental Equity Assessment of Californias Cap-And-Trade Program, authored by Rachel Morello-Frosch, Manuel Pastor, James Sadd, Lara Cushing, Madeline Wander, and Allen Zhu, "demonstrates that polluters using the cap and trade system are adversely impacting environmental justice (EJ) communities. The system is not delivering public health or air quality benefits, not achieving local emissions reductions, and it is exporting our climate benefits out of state," according to the California Environmental Justice Alliance.

Researchers analyzed cap and trade compliance data from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) looking at residential demographics of communities hosting regulated greenhouse gas (GHG) facilities, along with trends in GHG and particulate emissions. Read the full report here: dornsife.usc.edu/...

The growing opposition to carbon trading was spotlighted at the end of Governor Jerry Brown's keynote address at the World Climate Summit in Paris on Tuesday, December 8, 2015, when indigenous leaders heckled Governor Jerry Brown, challenging him on his support of controversial carbon trading polices that represent a new form of colonialism that could potentially cause genocide.

Brown had just finished his brief remarks when Penny Opal Plant of Idle No More stood up and shouted,  Richmond, California says no to REDD and no to evacuating indigenous people from their forests. NO REDD!

Indigenous leaders and environmental activists in the room around her joined her in yelling, "NO REDD!"

REDD is the acronym for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. It is used by the Governors Climate and Forest Task Force, including California officials, to describe programs to promote reduced emissions from deforestation and land use, but Indigenous leaders say REDD really means " Reaping profits from evictions, land grabs, deforestation and destruction of biodiversity.

A joint news release from the Indigenous Environmental Network and Friends of the Earth International described REDD as a carbon market mechanism, land-grabbing false solution to climate change that could potentially cause genocide. ( http://www.ienearth.org/un-promoting-potentially-genocidal-policy-at-world-climate-summit

Instead of cutting CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions, the UN, the US, the EU, China, Norway and climate criminals like BP, Total, Shell, Chevron, Air France and BHP Billiton are pushing a false solution to climate change called REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation)," according to Tom Goldtooth, Executive Director of the Indigenous Environmental Network.

"REDD is a carbon offset mechanism which privatizes the air that we breathe and uses forests, agriculture and water ecosystems in the Global South as sponges for industrialized countries pollution, instead of cutting emissions at source," said Goldtooth. "REDD brings trees, soil, and nature into a commodity trading system that may result in the largest land grab in history. It steals your future, lets polluters off the hook and is a new form of colonialism. NO to Privatization of Nature!

For more information, go to: www.dailykos.com/

Western States Petroleum Association is most powerful corporate lobbying group in West

In case you weren't aware, the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) is a non-profit trade association that represents companies that account for the bulk of petroleum exploration, production, refining, transportation and marketing in the five western states of California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Nevada."

It is the largest and most powerful corporate lobbying group in the West and Sacramento  and has spent more than other lobbying organization in Sacramento in recent years to exert control over the Governors Office, regulatory agencies and State Legislature.

From January 1, 2009 to November 8, 2016, the oil industry spent $112,371,214 on lobbying expenses in California, according to a new report, The Chevron Way: Polluting California and Degrading Democracy. The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) Sydney Office produced the report, in collaboration with a coalition of conservation, consumer and environmental justice groups.

The Western States Petroleum Association led the oil industry lobbying expenses with $49,491,104 during this period, followed by Chevron with $24,035,901 and Phillips 66 with $4,821,144. For more information, go to: www.counterpunch.org/...
Little Mix's Jade sends message to ill teen

A member of the girlband Little Mix has sent a message to a Manx teenager undergoing treatment for leukaemia.

A campaign started on social media last month appealing for the band to contact 15-year-old Olivia Watling.

The Ramsey teenager is a huge fan of the band, but has been in Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool while battling the illness.

Jade Thirwall sent the video, wishing Olivia well and thanking her for being a fan.
Fire service offer advice on new regulations

The Island's fire service is offering inspections of homes with more than one occupant following a change in law.

New regulations for houses in multiple occupation and flats were introduced at the start of the year.

It's hoped the legislation will improve safety in the event of a fire for those who live in a property where they have their own bedroom, but share facilities such as a kitchen and bathroom with other occupants.

The Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service has been carrying out inspections to offer advice to those who live in or own such a building.

There were previously no specific safety rules in place for house shares, which the fire service says presents a similar fire risk to flats.

Full details of all the regulations are available to view on the Government's website.
Police warn of death certificate scam

The Island's police are warning of a scam where criminals attempt to steal the identity of someone who has recently died.

The Isle of Man Constabulary says the Log Death Certificate Scam involves contacting the next of kin of a recently deceased person, requesting a copy of the death certificate with seemingly legitimate reasons.

Officers warn not to give personal details to such a caller, as a genuine caller will understand you asking to call them back, allowing you to verify their identity.

The police also advise checking any number given by a caller, ensuring it is one listed on an official website.
Over 100,000 hospital records to be made digital

Noble's Hospital is to start digitising more than 100,000 health and maternity records.

The paper records will be scanned and converted into electronic records which can be quickly accessed by those who need to see the information.

The process will get underway in March, and it's expected around 70,000 sheets of paper will be scanned each day, with the whole process taking around 15 months.

UK-based company MISL will lead the project with support from local firm Manx Business Solutions.
Waiting for the iOS 10 Jailbreak Tool release date? Luca Todesco jailbreak tool has been finally unveiled before 2016 ended. However, most Apple users are still disappointed because of the many limitations of the released jailbreak tool.

For one, Luca Todesco jailbreak tool only supports iOS 10.1.1 and only works on few Apple devices. The Apple devices included are iPhone 6S, iPhone SE, iPad Pro, iPhone 7 and all the iPhone Plus models. More importantly, the released tool is still in its beta version and even requires users to go through the jailbreak process again every time the Apple device is restarted.

Now, even if Apple users are dying to try the released Luca Todesco jailbreak tool, some are still hesitant because of the obvious limitations of the tool. Some Apple users are holding on to the iOS 9.3.3 Pangu Jailbreak and are settled on waiting for the real iOS 10 Jailbreak Tool release date. This is especially now that Apple already officially released its second major software update, iOS 10.2.

Moreover, the Cupertino Company is also already seeding iOS 10.2.1 to developers and public beta testers, according to Mac Rumors. This can only mean that Apple users can expect the company to release iOS 10.2.1 very soon.

Will there be a Luca Todesco jailbreak tool for iOS 10.2 or iOS 10.2.1? According to Forbes, another popular developer, Stefan Esser, hinted that he may be working on an iOS 10 Jailbreak Tool release date for iOS 10.2. He even announced on social media that iOS 10.2 Jailbreak is "about to hit soon".

At present, Apple users have the power to choose whether to try the Luca Todesco jailbreak tool now or to wait for the iOS 10 Jailbreak Tool release date for iOS 10.2 developed by the Italian hacker, Pangu or Esser.
OnePlus 4 release date is reportedly not going to be in 2017. However, a new OnePlus smartphone with amazing OnePlus 4 specs will surely be launched soon.

The OnePlus smartphones are tagged as "flagship killers". And now that Samsung and Apple are said to be launching the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 8 this year, OnePlus is definitely cooking a 2017 OnePlus 4 release date for its loyal users.

If the online speculations and rumors are true, OnePlus 4 specs will be worth the switch. With its stylish designs and innovative technology, the Chinese smartphone pose great threats to both Samsung and Apple. OnePlus 4 price is also expected to be much lower than its competition.

According to Forbes, OnePlus may benefit greatly on Google's decision to end the Nexus brand whose prices are comparable with OnePlus smartphones. OnePlus 4 release date in 2017 will certainly be something to look out for.

The most noteworthy OnePlus 4 specs will be the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. This will also be the chipset that Samsung will be using for its Galaxy S8. The powerful chipset will make the smartphone faster and more efficient.

OnePlus 4 specs will also include 8 GB of RAM with minimum internal storage of 64 GB and a maximum of 128 GB. In addition, OnePlus 4 price may be affected by speculations that the new OnePlus will finally be waterproof with upgraded dual cameras.

As reported by PC Advisor, OnePlus will choose to skip with OnePlus 4 and will go directly to OnePlus 5. The Chinese company is following superstition that the number four (4) is bad luck. Sony has also done the same with its Xperia Z series, skipping Z4 and launching Xperia Z5 after Xperia Z3.

For the OnePlus 4 release date, the company is expected to launch its newest flagship killer sometime after Samsung launches the Galaxy S8. Thus OnePlus 4 release date is expected to be around July 2017. With the innovative OnePlus 4 specs, OnePlus 4 price is still expected to be very competitive at $400.
Making A Murderer Season 2 air date hasn't been finalized as of the moment, but a lot of speculations about the show are surfacing all over the wire. Recent news suggests that Ken Kratz will be making his appearance and science might be able to prove Avery's innocence.

According to Yibada, some spoilers indicated that Making A Murderer Season 2 will show more evidence. This includes a possible connection of a Swedish scientist that would prove that the proofs against Steven Avery were planted.

It was noted that in October 2016, a new hope to free Avery arisen after a Swedish scientist named Kirsty Spalding communicated with Avery's lawyer Kathleen Zellner. Spalding also thought of the idea of using carbon dating method that could perhaps solve the case. She is still waiting for the court's decision, but this progress may be seen when Making A Murderer Season 2 returns.

Kirsty Spalding stated, "I don't really have an opinion of whether Steven Avery is innocent or guilty." She also added, "I have more of an opinion of whether I think there's been planted evidence or not and ultimately that's all this analysis will tell us is whether or not this evidence is planted."

Based on previous reports, Zellner and Spalding have been contacting each other since then. So if Spalding would be allowed to use the scientific technique by the court, authorities would knowledgeable whether the blood stains found in Teresa Halbach's car were planted or not in 2005.

Furthermore, MobiPicker has noted that in August that a judge had ordered his release, mentioning that he was deceived by investigators into admitting that he helped his uncle in Halbach's case. Making A Murderer Season 2 will feature a mock trial, where the actors will try to reconstruct the actual scenes in the courtroom. With this, upcoming episodes seem to feature the return of Prosecutor Ken Kratz, who appears to be interested in the outcome of events ever since Making A Murderer was released.

These pieces of new advances are something that viewers should watch out in Making A Murderer Season 2. Nevertheless, the television show's patrons will have to wait until Netflix confirmed its air date.
Foreign citizens living and working in France could be asked to pay for their own health care for their first two years in the country under plans being drawn up by one of this years Presidential candidates.French people should get priority when it comes to benefits and health, according to Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Front party who many think has a chance of doing a Trump and winning the election later this year.  She believes that even those who are working legally, paying their taxes and social security charges should still pay and she has also indicated that immigrants should also contribute to the cost of their children's education.Meanwhile, another Presidential candidate, former education minister Benoit Hamon, has set out plans for every adult in France to be paid a monthly wage. The plan would see a universal basic wage of 500 to 750 paid to all French residents which he said will be needed to confront an increasingly automated workforce which will see millions lose their jobs.Hamon argues that the wages could be paid for by higher taxes on multinational companies and also more tax on products and goods. But critics say it would make people lazy.When you go to a country, you dont expect the country to support your needs. There are a lot of French people going to work in the United States, Germany and Australia and no one pays their healthcare or school costs, Le Pen told RTL radio.Someone who arrives legally should wait some time before benefiting from the reimbursement of health costs, she added. However, it is understood that emergency treatment would be exempt from such a plan.But she is likely to face a legal challenge over such plans should she win the election and try to change policy. In 1990 a ruling by Frances constitutional council stated that in terms of social rights foreigners legally living in France must be treated the same as French people. French law also guarantees a school place for every child.Currently expats in France pay for health costs, such as GPs and non emergency X-rays upfront and then a percentage of the charge is paid back by the health system and the rest from insurance if a person has cover.Opinion polls suggest Le Pen is set to finish second in the election but she is hoping for new momentum for change after Donald Trump's victory in the United States and the Brexit vote in the UK. Top of the polls is former Prime Minister Francois Fillon for the Republicans and in third place is former economy minister Emmanuel Macron.
While many believe McLaren is ready to be reborn from its ashes, Stoffel Vandoorne isn't sure his team can make it into the winner's circle this year.

Two years of struggles, void of any podiums, have worn the luster off of the Woking-based outfit.

While Honda has made progress on the power unit front and will introduce a new engine this season, getting back to the head of the grid will be a challenge, but one Vandoorne will fight for.

"It's hard to say," he told Belgian paper La Derniere Heure. "It's too early to judge.

"In any case, McLaren is improving. The last two seasons were not easy for Honda, but we made a significant step forward and we hope that positive trend will continue.

"I hope the car will be competitive and we will fight for the top positions."

The Belgian hopeful, who has just one Grand Prix under his belt, a result of replacing an injured Fernando Alonso in Bahrain last year, says that a top 10 finish is not what he is aiming for in 2017.

"No, finishing in the top ten is not the goal. I want to win!

"But we don't know if we can win races already. Probably this year it won't be the case, but I'm still going to try.

"McLaren has good prospects for the future and I'm in the right place. I believe in the team," he added.

GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Tuesday, January 17, 2017

A culture of learning is one that encourages ongoing inquiry and questioning. It is comfortable with the fact that there is always more to learn and explore, and therefore the work of learning is never-ending. Learning is at the core of all research and development. The more you approach work with a sense of curiosity and inquiry, the more you can research and develop new approaches.

This can be a challenge for foundation staff or boards who are geared toward finding the one solution to a challenge, checking it off the list, and moving on. But the culture of learning and ongoing inquiry is why cell phones now fit in the palm of your hand, and why more cancers are now curable with less stress for patients.

Learning isnt that helpful if its only happening inside the heads of a foundations internal team. Learning should be intentional, documented, and shared. That means making room for reflection by creating formal or informal systems or processes for reflection and discussion, as well as documenting and sharing learning on a regular basis.

Learning cultures can reflect the personalities of their organizations. For example, Google gives employees one day each week to suspend normal work and focus on inquiry and innovation. The software-developer community InfoQ crowdsources its employee learning, allowing staff to post information theyd like to learn and information theyd like to share. When interests align, those who wish to share join those who wish to learn during a brown-bag lunch. The company also hosts a series of two-hour deep dive trainings when staff wish to learn more. Many foundations I work with host regular brown-bag lunches for staff to learn about or discuss issues related to their work. The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust even maintains a specific reserve fund for just-in-time learning. If an initiative or grantmaking program appears to be struggling, or a new opportunity arises, the Trust can immediately call in an expert, conduct a quick survey, convene key advisors or stakeholders, or do any number of things to learn and apply that learning in real time.

Introspection and learning take an investment of time  but its time well spent. Remember that intentional learning can feel as though you are purposefully hunting for failures, so its important to keep an eye out for things done well in addition to areas for improvement. In either case, the key is to find opportunities that the foundation can embrace in real time as its work progresses, rather than waiting for a post-mortem evaluation, when its too late to increase impact.

Read about more strategies to help increase your impact by downloading my article Asking What If? Using Research and Development as a Strategy to Achieve Dramatic Impact.

______________________________________________________________________

Kris Putnam-Walkerly, MSW, has helped to transform the impact and giving of top global philanthropies for over 16 years. In 2016 she was named one of Americas Top 25 Philanthropy Speakers, and authored the book Confident Giving: Sage Advice for Funders. For more ideas, tips and tools to improve your giving, visit Putnam Consulting Group to read an article, listen to a podcast, or check out a case study.

This month, Kris will be speaking at two upcoming events. She will share findings from her recent report, The Road to Achieving Equity: Findings and Lessons from a Field Scan of Foundations That Are Embracing Equity on January 19 in a webinar for National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers and on January 26 during a workshop for the Colorado Association of Foundations in Denver.

We wanted to create a niche leadership recognition program, and we approached Kris because of her deep knowledge of California, nonprofits, and how foundations were thinking about this body of work. She was instrumental in defining and developing a unique focus for our program. As a result, we created a high-profile program, the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award, that really focuses on key issues facing our state.

~Lande Ajose, Former Senior Program Officer,The James Irvine Foundation
Welcome to the News Release Wire Selection Control Panel.

Instant News Wire
The San Francisco Writers Conference is an annual gathering that draws 110+ bestselling authors, literary agents, publishers, editors, and publishing industry professionals to the Bay Area. These presenters, from the West Coast, New York City, and beyond, come to the event looking for new talent, to share their expertise with the attendees, and do some quality networking themselves. At the SFWC attendees rub shoulders with the very people who help build writing careers.

The 2017 San Francisco Writers Conference will be held President's Day Weekend, February 16th-20th at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel on San Francisco's Nob Hill. The conference has a mission to support writers and written communication of all kinds. Event details--including the complete presenters list and online registration for the conference and classesis available at: www.SFWriters.org.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SESSIONS: The SFWC event will have nine free, open-to-the-public sessions this year. On Friday night (Feb. 17) WRITING THE RESISTANCE, Authors as Activists will feature Stephen Dinan, Jewelle Gomez, Susan Griffin, Alan Kaufman, Brenda Knight, John Perkins, and David Talbot. On Saturday night (Feb. 18), OPENING THE HEART AND MIND, is a session about opportunities for writers of color.

New York Times Bestselling children's author/illustrator Jon Agee will show his young fans (and aspiring children's book writers!) How to Use Your Imagination on Saturday, February 18 at the Mark Hopkins. Details are on the SFWC website.

An Evening of Poetry and Jazz is on Friday beginning at 7:30 p.m. It is open to the public at no charge and the SFWC Exhibit Hallwith companies offering services and products for writersis open to the public most of the conference hours. For a list of ALL the free events during the SFWC, go to: http://sfwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/2017-SFWC-Free-Events.pdf

Pre & Post SFWC Conference Classes on February 11th and 15th are open to non-attendees. The classes are taught by SFWC presenters and designed for in-depth learning. Please see website for all the Pre/Post classes.

THE MAIN SFWC EVENT: Writing a great book is just the start of a writing career. Turning a manuscript into a bestseller takes determination, support, and knowledge of the publishing industry. The San Francisco Writers Conference offers a generous amount of information to help a writer succeed.

Attendees have access to the 70+ information-packed concurrent sessions covering a wide-range of topics (craft, publishing, book/author marketing); keynote lunches; on-site social events where they can mingle with presenters and fellow writers; and pitch sessions where they will get honest feedback on their work. The event is suitable for writers in any genre (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc.).

AUTHOR PRESENTERS at the 2017 San Francisco Writers Conference include N.Y.Times bestselling authors Heather Graham, John Perkins, and William Bernhardt. Authors in genres from memoir to thrillers to historical fiction will be teaching during the event.

AGENTS: There will be twenty literary agents participating at the optional SFWC signature session, Speed Dating with Agents, where attendees can pitch their work in hopes of connecting with their perfect literary agent. Links to the agent websites can be found on the SFWC website.

EDITORS & PUBLISHERS: Publishers and editors from top traditional publishing housesSimon & Schuster, St. Martin's Press, Viking, Mira/Harlequin/Harper Collins, 10 Speed, Chronicleare always a highlight of the program.

TRADITIONAL and SELF-PUBLISHING are equally valuable options with benefitsand responsibilitieswriters need to understand. The technology changes quickly so the SFWC self-publishing track helps attendees learn about current trends and possibilities with panels and sessions featuring self-publishing leaders including Carla King, PBS MediaShift; Seven Spatz, BookBaby, Kevin Tumlinson, Draft2Digital; Jennie Nash, Author Accelerator; and Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords.

For a complete 2017 San Francisco Writers Conference presenters list, go to: www.SFWriters.org.





2017 SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS CONFERENCE REGISTRATION INFO:

GENERAL: Attendance is limited to 310 attendees and there will be more than 110 presenters for optimum interaction. REGISTRATION FEE: $795 while seats remain. (Please note: This event always sells out and seats will most likely NOT be available at the door.) Register on-line at www.SFWriters.org

PRE & POST CLASSES: Writing Intensive Workshops are scheduled for Thursday, February 16th and Monday, February 20th. These classes, featuring SFWC presenters, are open to non-attendees. Registration and details on these sessions is available at www.SFWriters.org.

The San Francisco Writers Conference is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. To learn about San Francisco Writers Conference programs and events, go to the website at www.SFWriters.org or call 415-673-0939.

# # #

SHORTER VERSION OF THIS RELEASE:

2017 SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS CONFERENCE & CLASSES. A Celebration of Craft, Commerce and Community on February 16th-20th at the Mark Hopkins Hotel. Featuring keynotes by NY Times bestselling authors Heather Graham, John Perkins and William Bernhardt. Quality interaction with 110+ literary agents, editors, publishers and bestselling authors at over 70 sessions. Exhibit hall, bookstore, and special presentations will be open to the public. The SFWC Pre/Post Event Classes are open to non-attendees. Get detailsincluding a full presenters list and online registrationand opt-in for the SFWC Newsletter at www.SFWriters.org.





SPONSORS OF THE 2017 SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS CONFERENCE INCLUDE:

Ingram Spark, BookBaby, Author Accelerator, The WriterBestseller Sponsors Smashwordssponsor of Self-Publishing Track, Writer's Digest --Speed Dating for Agents sponsor Women's National Book Association, California Writers Club and TriValley Writers. Harvey Pawl, Book Expo & BookShop West Portal (SFWC onsite bookstore).

Scholarship Benefactors: Joyce Turley, Dr. Ellen Talliaferro, Kevin Smokler.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017

TYSONS CORNER, VA (January 17, 2017)  MicroTech, a leading provider of Cloud Computing, Technology Services and Cyber Security Solutions, has been selected as a 2017 "Best-Run Company," a national recognition program sponsored and conducted by SmartCEO.

A "Best-Run Company" must exhibit the highest standards of nine critical aspects: process, vision, customers, culture, leadership, communication, growth, brand and talent. These firms  generating in excess of $2.76 billion in collective annual revenue and employing more than 20,000 people  are leading their respective industries, have overcome significant challenges and have created lasting value in their communities. They span many industries succeeding in the Mid-Atlantic Region, from IT and federal government contracting, to staffing and public relations. They exemplify leadership, strategic vision and character.

"Our mission has been to share inspirational stories about the region's top companies," said Craig Burris, founder and CEO of SmartCEO. "Our Best-Run Book is a shining example of how companies such as MicroTech and their leadership teams are able to become business, industry and community beacons."

"This is a special recognition for MicroTech and our entire employee team," said Tony Jimenez, the Company's President, CEO and Founder. "SmartCEO is one of the nation's leading business sources for educating and inspiring business communities  and we are extremely honored to have been recognized as a 2017 "Best-Run Company."

To see MicroTech's profile in the SmartCEO Best-Run Book, please visit: http://www.smartceo.com/microtech/



For more information about the 2017 Best-Run Book, email Emily Hall at ehall@smartceo.com.
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H-E-B Chairman and CEO Charles Butt will invest more than $100 million to create a nonprofit leadership institute for Texas public school administrators.

The institute will be named the Holdsworth Center after Butts mother, Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth Butt, who was a teacher in the Hill Country before her marriage. Although potential sites are still being scouted, the Holdsworth Center will be located in Austin and and serve school districts from every part of Texas.

With our size comes a tremendous responsibility to provide the highest quality education to all students, said Charles Butt, 78, in a prepared statement. The Holdsworth Center will help to ensure we have inspired and enlightened leaders at every level within the education system making daily decisions that positively impact the future of our students and the state.

The announcement of the legacy gift, which will come from Butts personal fortune, will be made at Garza Independence High School in Austin today.

The center will open this year with a cohort of six school districts out of at least 15 invited to apply by Feb. 1, said Kate Rogers, H-E-B spokeswoman and the Holdsworth Centers acting executive vice president. The San Antonio Independent School District will be invited to apply, as will Austin and Round Rock ISDs, Rogers said. Districts that are selected will be notified by the end of March.

We know were standing on the brink of a serious teacher shortage nationwide and that is going to affect us in Texas because we are still growing in our student population here, said Shari Albright, chairwoman of the education department at Trinity University. We better be paying attention to attracting the best and the brightest to our schools and supporting them.

Teachers and principals are the most significant factors in student learning, Albright said, echoing studies completed over the past decade. Higher-quality instruction, teacher retention and principal leadership will better equip districts to handle a broken school finance system and disadvantaged student populations, Albright said.

Thats the gift that Charles Butt is giving to public education in Texas, Albright said.

Ruth Simmons, former president of Smith College and Brown University, will chair the 17-member board governing the new center. In addition to Albright, other board members include Robert Gates, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, CIA director and president of Texas A&M University and current chancellor of the College of William & Mary; and Elisa Villanueva Beard, CEO of Teach for America.

This entire endeavor is a vote of confidence in our public education system, Gates said in a prepared statement. We have great admiration for the work of superintendents and principals around the state and owe them a debt of gratitude for dedicating their lives to educating, inspiring and mentoring our children. There is no more important job.

To participate, a school district should have between 8,000 and 85,000 students and demonstrate strong relationships between top administrators, including the superintendent and the board of trustees, Rogers said. The chosen districts wont fit a single demographic or academic profile.

The program will begin with leadership training sessions for superintendents and their cabinet members, lasting about three days a month for two years, Albright said. In the second year of a districts involvement, principals will begin their own two-year trainings, Rogers said.

The program will involve international travel to places such as Singapore that have installed effective talent management systems, board members said. In addition to to traveling, administrators will meet strong leaders in the private and military sectors, attend lectures and discussions with renowned faculty and assess their own leadership. Topics will include change management, team building and school board relations. Between learning sessions, staff from the Holdsworth Center will work to support administrators in their districts.

We want them to reinvent the way future leaders are selected, developed and supported within their districts so that when a position opens up, they have a tremendous bench from which to select the next super star, Butt said.

The program will rotate between conference centers near the selected districts until the Holdsworth Center is complete. Beginning in 2019, new cohorts will be introduced every year and the application process will be open to all districts, Rogers said.

To cap off a long history of advocacy for public education, Butt decided about two years ago that he wanted to make a legacy gift to Texas public schools, center board members said. He convened an organizing board to ask what gift would have the greatest impact, and they quickly landed on the importance of developing and retaining educational leaders, Rogers said.

If you could help the leaders to be stronger in their role, supporting the educators on the front lines and providing ample opportunities for development themselves, we think itll go a long way in terms of demonstrating true appreciation for how difficult the job of an educator really is, she said.

Texas was ranked 43rd in the nation for student achievement earlier this month in Education Weeks annual Quality Counts Report, which gave the state an F for school spending. Texas independent school districts serve more than 5 million students, about 10 percent of students in the country.

Staff writer Joshua Fechter contributed to this report.

amalik@express-news.net
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Well before a gray hearse carrying Archbishop Emeritus Patrick Flores arrived on Main Plaza for the first of several observances for the beloved prelate, San Fernando Cathedral was filled with mourners Monday, among them people Flores knew, worked with, performed services for and even saved from suicide.

Many knew him only as the historic figure he was, a onetime migrant worker and high school dropout who had been discouraged by Anglo priests from the seminary but who, in 1970, became the first Mexican American Catholic bishop in the United States.

Flores, who retired in 2005, died Jan. 9 at 87 from congestive heart failure and pneumonia. He was dubbed the mariachi bishop for his love of song, recognized nationally as an advocate for the poor and disenfranchised and counted on as a civil rights ally.

As a fine mist began to cover downtown midmorning Monday, mourners stood outside the cathedral to witness the pomp surrounding Flores arrival.

Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller lead a cadre of about 30 priests and altar servers, including Bishop Mike Sis of the Diocese of San Angelo, Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso and Bishop Emeritus Ricardo Ramirez of the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Flores received several humble tributes while the casket was still outside  three elderly men stood at attention, removing their caps and holding them against their chests as he passed, several young women held their cell phones high in the air hoping to capture a moment and a lone guitarist sang De Colores, one of the archbishops favorite songs.

Every mourner received a prayer card depicting Flores as a young bishop. In English and Spanish, the card quoted the Gospel of Matthew, This is my beloved son, in which I am well pleased.

When the coffin was just inside the historic church, Garcia-Siller blessed it, sprinkling holy water over it  calling Flores nuestro hermano, nuestro amigo, nuestro pastor.

Igo Mendoza, who runs a car repair shop on the West Side, was there to thank Flores once again for saving his life. In 1980, he said, Flores talked him out of committing suicide, removing the cartridge in his pistol.

He got there in 15 minutes, Mendoza said, recalling the telephone conversation that prompted Flores to get in his car and rush over.

Maria Guadalupe C. Galaviz, president of the St. Vincent de Paul Guadalupanos, came to the service to honor the archbishop for everything he did for the Hispanic community, the migrant workers and the poor, she said. He was always there for the people.

Gloria Serna of Floresville went through the visitation line once, then returned with two prayer cards and tearfully asked a woman still in line to rub the two cards on Flores hands.

We need a miracle, she said when she received the newly-blessed cards. She planned to give one to a niece whos fighting cancer, and her son, who suffered a stroke. Both of them have families to raise, she said.

Father Victor Valdez, the cathedrals rector, delivered the homily and described Flores as never self-seeking.

He saw Jesus in everyone and in every encounter, he said.

During the portion of the Mass called the Prayer of the Faithful, when prayers are requested, Archbishop Garcia-Siller asked the congregation to pray that new generations consider religious vocations, a lifelong interest of Flores.

Lord, grant them the faith of our beloved Archbishop Flores, he said. May the Lord hear our prayers. Lord knows we need them.

Bishop Ramirez closed the service with a few personal recollections. We were both cotton-picking bishops, he said of their childhoods as migrant workers, which evoked laughter.

He also told the story of the Flores family in the 1940s, when its members, including the archbishop, sang and danced in public in Pearland and other areas near Houston.

They charged 50 cents and donated the money to lawyers protecting Mexican American civil rights, he said, which brought applause.

We were privileged with being with farmworkers and farmworker families, Ramirez added. Families who were close to God and la Virgen de Guadalupe.

That prompted Garcia-Siller to shout, Que viva la Virgen de Guadalupe! which the congregation returned with a celebratory, Viva!

Someone in the crowd then shouted, Que viva Cristo Rey! which received another Viva!

Ramirez received a standing ovation after thanking God that Flores lived when he did, giving his life to his church. Lets all be life-givers.

A funeral Mass is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday at the cathedral.

eayala@express-news.net

Twitter: @ElaineAyala
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Peace, love and a repudiation of the nations soon-to-be 45th president dominated signs and banners among thousands of marchers at the citys 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. March on Monday morning.

I feel like we still have so many mountains to climb, said Lois Souvenir, pastor of City of Refuge in Seguin. Theres a whole lot of people still struggling. Itd be a better place in this world if we worked together as neighbors. We need to propel Martin Luther Kings vision even though hes gone.

People of all ages from all walks of life, from all across the city, walked nearly 3 miles on the East Side, from Martin Luther King Academy to Pittman-Sullivan Park, in honor of the legacy of the slain civil rights leader. Politicians, students, families, nonprofits, religious groups and corporations walked shoulder to shoulder, filling up more than 15 city blocks as they moved in a wave along the streets.

For most of the march, it was cool and overcast. Gentle rain started to fall just before 11 a.m., prompting colorful umbrellas to pop up throughout the crowd. Most of the marchers were wearing light coats and jackets bearing the names of their respective groups. While there were no official crowd estimates for Monday, officials have said in past years that 100,000 people make the march.

Lalita Garcia and Gloria Moore sat at the corner of MLK Drive and Beulah Street, both holding lime-green signs with the words Trump is a disgrace written on the front.

Moore said they felt the same way that U.S. Rep. John Lewis, an icon of the civil rights movement, did about President-elect Donald Trump. Last week, Lewis said Trump wasnt a legitimate president and that he wouldnt attend his inauguration. Trump fired back, saying Lewis should be spending his time tending to his district, sparking another wave of anger.

Were upset and mad, Moore said, and were not going to take it anymore.

For his part, the president-elect tweeted praise for King on Monday morning, writing: Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for. Honor him for being the great man that he was!

Worship service

The day started early for some San Antonians with the pre-march worship service, which began at 8 a.m.

Were praying that Gods presence is here and violence is absent, said Pastor Rosa Wilson of the Greater Faith Institutional Church after she introduced numerous special guests sitting on stage.

Some speakers got political, denouncing Trump, while others said its important to remember the role of women in the civil rights movement. All called for action, rallying the crowd to do their part to improve the nations race relations.

With blue glasses, dress pants and a tie, 8-year-old Malachi Venson took the stage to read excerpts of Kings I Have a Dream speech.

He dropped his paper off the stage when he began, picked it up and continued. At the end, he squinted at his notes before declaring into the microphone, Im done, and the crowd hollered and cheered as if he was the famed civil rights activist himself.

He was a good man, and his speech was real good and he helped people, Malachi said after he left the stage, speaking about why he volunteered to read Kings speech.

John Q. Pardini, 69, stood across from the service, bearing a handwritten sign with Peace on the front and Every Life Matters on the back. Passers-by snapped photos of Pardini, who said hed attended the march off and on since 1973.

Its about the words on the sign, he said. If we dont get together were going to have big problems.

At the head of the march was Mayor Ivy Taylor, who linked arms with other dignitaries, including District 2 City Councilman Alan Warrick and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. The marchers flowed past waving onlookers lining the streets and sidewalks, the marchs approach announced by blinking red, blue and yellow lights from emergency vehicles.

Kings recorded voice boomed from speakers set out by businesses, churches and residents along the route.

Beyond the Coleman underpass, Lee Dawson sat in a wheelchair on her front porch, watching the marchers pass by. She was slightly upset that she couldnt be with them, riding her motorized scooter as she has for many years.

I love it, she said. I hate that I had to miss it.

As the walkers turned toward Pittman-Sullivan Park, they were greeted by Lisa Ruggieri, 53, offering free hugs.

Im coming in, a woman said as the hugger held out her arms.

Ruggieri kneeled to hug toddlers and stretched on her toes to hug those who towered over her. She said her altruistic gesture is part of the awesome sweater project, which asks wearers of a sweater that goes to different people to do something good.

I dont care what group theyre from, Ruggieri said. Ill hug them all.

At the park, speakers and church choirs took the stage throughout the morning, framed by a backdrop of photos of Martin Luther King Jr. Despite the continuing rain, spectators filtered into the park, huddling under hoods and umbrellas, listening to live music and enjoying the food booths and food trucks.

At noon, as the last of the marchers arrived, a series of local and state representatives gave impassioned speeches about carrying on Kings mission.

Peace cannot be bought or sold. We cannot market peace, said Pastor Paul Wilkinson of New Light Baptist Church. But peace can be made.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, spoke about recent divisiveness in the country and pockets of hate that have been revived in America. He added that the situation makes keeping hope alive more important than ever. Then, at the end of his comments, he took the incoming president to task.

Together, we can sweep down the walls of oppression and injustice, even if they have the name of some big-shot stamped on them, like Donald Trump, Doggett said.

The programs keynote speaker, hip-hop artist and activist David Banner, spoke about the lack of black role models in pop culture. He reminded people that King didnt always have overwhelming support, especially when he chose to oppose the Vietnam War.

At one point, Banner walked off the stage so he could more directly talk to onlookers. As he paced in front of a set of gates walling off the events VIP section, he spoke about how the term ghetto originated with Jewish people. He connected the words use today to impoverished black neighborhoods.

They knew by having a ghetto, if you have any animals in a constricted situation with no food and no resources, that they will annihilate themselves, he said.

When Banner returned to the stage, he said three things King hated  poverty, racism and militarism  are alive and well today, as demonstrated by protests against police brutality in Ferguson and Baltimore and against wars abroad.

We have to ask ourselves, what are we marching for and what are we marching to? Banner said.

Afterward, Banner returned to the crowd to shake hands and talk with San Antonians, many of whom jostled for photos with the rapper. One woman approached him, shook his hand and told him, Talk to the people. Talk to the people.

Several attendees said Banners words resonated with them the most.

Tanner Forbes, a 19-year-old student at Northeast Lakeview College, said he appreciated Banners message of self-help and his overview of the challenges King faced in the final years of his life.

He spoke truth, Forbes said.

Ava Joy Lott, 63, said she was grateful that the rain eventually stopped so San Antonio could continue a day of celebration and remembrance.

Were helping to unify the city more from all nationalities, said Lott, who retired from the KCI company to battle breast cancer. We have a great, great city.
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SEGUIN  Calls to Drain The Swamp! now heard in the Oak Village North subdivision arent echoes of president elect Donald Trumps metaphorical vow to end politics-as-usual in Washington D.C.

The swamp here is quite real, created from water surfacing at cul de sacs on Twin Oak Drive and Spanish Oak Trail, two low-lying spots in the neighborhood where the city of Seguin completed the installation of sewer pipes a few years ago.

Nearby residents say the steady trickle of suspected groundwater to the surface is threatening home foundations, fueling mold growth inside residences and has created a large marsh thats killing trees and harboring mosquitoes.

If the water problem isnt quickly resolved, some of us may ask the city to acquire our properties, help us find equivalent replacement sites in the area and pay all moving expenses, Forrest Mims III told city officials in a Jan. 3 email, estimating five homes are threatened.

Frustrated by city inaction to date, Mims also has complained to Guadalupe County and the local groundwater conservation district that the city is illegally wasting groundwater and promoting mosquito proliferation.

While stopping short of taking full responsibility for the soggy situation, city leaders on Tuesday will consider approving a $146,992 contract for the installation of piping, trenches and swales designed to convey the unwanted water to Geronimo Creek.

The city already has spent $42,000 on preliminary surveying and consulting work related to the water, said its spokeswoman, Morgan Ash.

Asked if the expenditures represent an admission of city culpabilty for the problem, she forwarded this response from City Attorney Andy Quittner, It's a complex situation and the city does not wish to comment on responsibilities/faults.

A resolution drafted in preparation for the council meeting Tuesday cites abnormally heavy rains and several underground streams as factors, but also says the trenches from the sewer project may be carrying water and contributing to the accumulation.

Plans to have a fix completed by Jan. 1 were derailed by an inability to secure the necessary easements, requiring the design to be revised, city engineering associate Michael Sharp said.

We think the work will commence in February, he said. Within a quarter, this work should be completed.

The city wouldnt release a consultants draft report or discuss its findings concerning the problems cause.

Locals suspect groundwater is seeping into the gravel surrounding the buried sewer pipes, then flowing downslope in the sewer trenches to the low side of the subdivision, where it surfaces like a spring.

You cant go anywhere on our property without going through water and mud, said Ray Reininger, who has to put his pickup in four-wheel-drive to navigate through the bog that his driveway has become over the past two years.

Im not a hydrologist, but Im positive its related to the city work, he said Monday. The sewer trenches they dug gave the water a way to get here.

The pooling water is merely the latest point of conflict between Oak Village North residents and Seguin, which annexed the neighborhood into the city in 2009 over their objections.

Problems installing the $3.6 million sewers, which the city was obligated to provide due to annexation, resulted in neighborhood roads being torn up for months in 2013 and litigation between the city and the contractor, which is ongoing.

The City was warned about the existence of the massive underground water in this area. Yet, it appears that proper caution and construction was not taken while installing the sewer lines, Bill and Melanie Musgraves, Reiningers neighbor, told city leaders in an email sent Sunday.

The water appears to be erupting at an increasing rate, they said, adding, Living with the problems caused by the water seepage has been extremely stressful, time consuming, and has existed for too long.

Asked about accusations that the city is wasting groundwater and breeding mosquitoes, Ash referred the questions to the county environmental health office, which did not respond.

Mims calculates that groundwater is flowing at a rate of 68,000 gallons a month from around the sewer tap at the end of his driveway. It then travels in a natural depression to behind his home, where a swamp has grown to cover nearly an acre.

The Texas Water Code prohibits the waste of groundwater. The city is wasting groundwater. I dont see how pouring it into the creek will change that, but it would certainly help residents, he said Monday.

Two constables inspected the scene last week in response to the mosquito complaint, Mims said, and Kelley Vickers of the Guadalupe County Groundwater Conservation District also looked it over.

Theres a lot of flooding on several peoples properties out there, Vickers said Monday. Im collecting information and Ive engaged our hydrogeologist to determine if, in fact, this issue does fall within our jurisdiction.

zeke@express-news.net
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Growing up in foster care, Jacinda Dunham hurt herself to cope with her depression and anger. She was hospitalized, sought mental health treatment and had two children by the time she was 18 years old.

Medicaid pays for the health care costs of most children in the foster care system. But thanks to a provision of the Affordable Care Act, Dunham is still covered by Medicaid at age 23. Under the act, those who have to leave foster care at 18 can remain enrolled in Medicaid through their 26th birthdays.

Dunham was removed from her mothers care when she was 8, and she lived in more than 40 homes during her 10 years in the foster care system. Now she is one of millions of Americans who stand to lose health coverage when, in all likelihood, the ACA is repealed.

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal and replace outgoing President Barack Obamas signature health care law, under which an estimated 20 million Americans have gained health coverage. But Trump has been vague about his replacement plan, leaving those in the health care industry unable to prepare for any number of potential changes.

Critics of the ACA say plans offered by private insurers on the marketplace are too expensive, that people werent always able to keep their doctors and that there are too few choices of insurers. Another criticism was the ACA mandate that anyone eligible for insurance had to buy a plan or pay a penalty.

Trump called Obamacare a complete and total disaster and said over the weekend that his plan will provide insurance for everybody. Republicans in Congress have already taken steps to repeal the law in the weeks leading up to Trumps inauguration.

Anne Dunkelberg, associate director of the left-leaning, Austin-based think tank Center for Public Policy Priorities, said she worries about all the intricate elements of the ACA  such as the provision providing Dunham with Medicaid  that could fall through the cracks in Trumps replacement plan.

Before Obamacare, there was no limit to how much an insurance company could charge someone with a pre-existing condition, women were unable to get individual plans that covered their pregnancies and deliveries, and there were no requirements concerning what services a policy had to offer, Dunkelberg said.

These are all the things that the general public, if youre not involved in the health care world or health care insurance world, you never had any reason to understand that these were all parts of the Affordable Care Act, Dunkelberg said.

Uninsured rates have fallen across the country since the health care marketplace opened in 2014, allowing individuals to compare and buy plans from private insurance companies. In Texas, the uninsured rate dropped from 23 percent in 2011 to 17.1 percent in 2015, according to the Census Bureau. Bexar County saw a similar decline, from 20.4 percent to 14.7 percent.

Still, Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the country, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

More than 1.3 million Texans signed up for insurance plans through the marketplace in 2016, including 120,000 from San Antonio, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.

Andrea Guajardo, director of community health at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System, said the San Antonio health community is preparing for a repeal by encouraging people to sign up for health coverage through the exchange before open enrollment ends Jan. 31.

We cant really focus on what could happen, we just need to wait and see, Guajardo said. Which is why our focus is entirely on enrolling as many people so that they do have their health insurance through 2017.

Guajardo said that if Trump and Congress doesnt replace the ACA with a comparable plan immediately after its repealed, people who are uninsured again will have to rely on community resources, like they did before 2014. Programs such as CareLink at University Health System, which offers financial assistance to uninsured Bexar County residents, have seen a decline in demand since the ACA.

System spokesman Donald Finley said monthly enrollment in CareLink went from on average 40,685 in 2014 to 26,994 in 2015 as more people gained insurance in the private market. If patients are unable to pay for care, it is paid for in large part by taxpayers.

In 2015, the total unpaid cost to treat uninsured patients, both through CareLink and otherwise, at University Health System was $240.8 million.

It is so far unclear what Trumps replacement plan will look like. Based on his comments on the campaign trail and plans introduced by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Trumps pick for Health and Human Services secretary, Rep. Tom Price, the plan will likely repeal the requirement that everyone have insurance, provide some sort of tax credit, encourage the use of tax-free health savings accounts, develop high-risk pools for those with pre-existing conditions, and turn Medicaid into a block grant program.

Currently, Medicaid is an open-ended program that covers anyone who meets certain eligibility requirements. If it were converted to a block grant system, states would be given lump sums of federal money to shape their own Medicaid programs, which could limit the systems flexibility.

Texas was not one of the 31 states, plus the District of Columbia, to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid under the ACA. Its possible that, after a repeal, those states that expanded their programs will have to decide to either take on the full cost of the expanded Medicaid programs or cut millions of people from their Medicaid rolls.

Texas decision not to expand Medicaid created a coverage gap, made up of 684,000 Texans who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid and too little to afford private insurance, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

About the coming changes to the ACA, Dana Forgione, an accounting professor who leads the MBA in the Business of Health program at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said, its yet to be seen how its going to pan out.

Forgione said the federal government has promised benefits so far beyond our ability to pay, exacerbated by a growing elderly population.

There has to be benefit reductions somewhere along the line, he said. If Medicaid is transformed into more of a block grant program, states may have the opportunity to prioritize the services they find most necessary.

State Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, said he hopes Trumps replacement plan will continue to secure Medicaid coverage for former foster children like Dunham but that he would look into remedies on the state level if that is not the case.

For years, I lived check to check, I would not have been able to afford any medical bills, Dunham said. I wouldnt have known the first place to go look for medical coverage.

Dunham moved to San Antonio from Houston eight months ago seeking a fresh start. Since moving to the city, she has secured a job as an insurance agent at Connexion Point  her first job outside the fast-food industry  and enrolled in St. Philips College to pursue a career in nursing.

Dunham said aging out of the foster care system can feel alienating because she and most people like her dont have the support of family and Child Protective Services stops caring.

Youre pretty much on your own, she said. Foster kids, they need all the help that they can get.

bmartin@express-news.net

Twitter: @beedotmartin
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WASHINGTON  Coming up on a presidential inaugural that few in Congress thought would involve Donald Trump, three of the Lone Star States 11 Democrats in Congress have announced plans to join the boycott being led by Georgia Democrat John Lewis, including two from San Antonio.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, the brother of outgoing Obama administration HUD Secretary Julian Castro, said Tuesday that he will join the boycott, according to the Associated Press.

In a statement, Castro said Trump "has shown an utter lack of respect for so many Americans."

Castro cited Trump's "attack on civil rights hero John Lewis," the congressman and civil rights icon who sparked a national debate over his comments questioning the president-elect's legitimacy.

Another San Antonio Democrat, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, tweeted that "We are sending a message to Mr. Trump. Respect, like Pennsylvania Avenue, is a two-way street."

Doggett added that "instead of uniting our country," Trump's "continued, unprecedented, unpresidential actions are further dividing it. ...

"We are in for a long struggle that must strategically utilize every nonviolent opposition tool available."

Rep. Al Green, who represents much of southwestern Houston, also joined the boycott, citing Trump's reaction to Lewis in saying he too was planning to skip the inauguration, the AP reported.

Houston's Sheila Jackson Lee, throwing candy from a red convertible in a Houston Martin Luther King Jr. parade on Monday, said she already had been considering whether to attend the inauguration before the weekend exchange between Lewis and Trump  that is, before Trump tweeted that the veteran of the 1965 Bloody Sunday civil rights march in Selma, where he was beaten by police, was all talk, talk talk  no action or results.

Jackson Lee said she will make a deliberate and principled decision about attending Trumps inauguration. This is about principles, she said.

Beyond their mere presence, Democrats also have to negotiate the delicate process of ticket allocations, since every member of the House gets nearly 200 tickets, regardless of party affiliation. With limited demand among constituents in Houston and other areas that went for Hillary Clinton, some tickets have gone wanting.

When everybody thought Clinton was going to win, I was worried that there were not going to be enough tickets, said U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Laredo. We had a lot of people that had been asking for tickets from the very beginning. Of course, a lot of those people have dropped off.

On Monday, with four days to go, Cuellar still found himself with extra tickets.

We still have a few left, so were waiting to see who will ask at the last minute, and if not, Ill transfer some of them to my Republican friends, Cuellar said.

Cuellar, like most of the other Democrats from Texas, plans to use his own ticket to the inaugural, which traditionally is attended by members of both parties, including, for the past 30 years, Lewis.

I was a big supporter of Hillary Clinton, Cuellar said, but I think this is something that as members of Congress we should attend. Even though Ive got my own opinions, my overarching responsibility as a member of Congress is to be there as we see this peaceful transfer of power.

Dallas Democrat Eddie Bernice Johnson also announced her decision to attend Monday, citing her support for a peaceful transfer of power.

A stunning electoral defeat that already was hard for Democrats to digest has become enmeshed in reports of U.S. intelligence agencies concluding that their Russian counterparts had engaged in cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns to help Trump, who has attacked the reports as an attempt to de-legitimize his victory on Nov. 8.

So, when Lewis told NBCs Meet the Press over the weekend that he did not see Trump as a legitimate president and would not attend his inauguration, Trump shocked Washington with a two-barreled blast on Twitter, his go-to media platform: Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk  no action or results. Sad!

In the resulting media fracas, at least 24 House Democrats have said they would boycott the inauguration.

Faced with extra inaugural tickets, Houston Democrat Gene Green came up with a novel solution: trade them for extra seats for his swearing-in ceremony earlier this month. In a piece of horse-trading that so often eludes Congress on such high-stakes matters as budgets, taxes and health care, Green was able to swap inaugural tickets with Houston-area Republicans, including Kevin Brady and John Culberson. For the first time, the 12-term congressman was able to get enough tickets for his grand-children and in-laws to secure prime seats for his 13th swearing-in ceremony.

Newly-elected Democrat Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen said he, too, was distributing tickets across party lines, though not necessarily via barter.

Oddly enough, there are some takers in my district, said Gonzalez, who represents a heavily Hispanic district on the Mexican border. Ive probably got half going to friends who actually supported my campaign and also voted for Donald Trump, and theyre interested in going to the inauguration.

Gonzalez said he will be there, too.

Ive come to the reality to accept that Donald Trump is going to be the 45th president of the United States, he said. And I really think the rhetoric back and forth just needs to stop and we need to get back to work.

Reporter Lindsay Ellis and the Associated Press contributed to this story.
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For the first time in decades, the future of U.S. immigration policy and Americas relation with its neighbor to the south are real question marks.

The proposed policies of President-elect Donald Trump  building a border wall that dwarfs the existing 650 miles of fencing and making Mexico pay for it; overturning the North American Free Trade Agreement; launching a massive roundup of immigrants in the country illegally; restricting visas  are so far removed from past presidents' policies, many of those who would be affected by such decisions struggle to believe they'll really happen.

Further complicating issues is Trumps mercurial personality, which makes it hard to analyze his proposed policies. He's contradicted himself on the size of the border wall, waffled on visas for legal immigration and, after criticizing Mexico in campaign speeches and on Twitter, was somewhat conciliatory last week, telling reporters, I love the people of Mexico.

In Texas, where Mexico is the No. 1 trading partner and a range of industries relies heavily on immigrant labor, the future of relations with Mexico and U.S. immigration policy will be strongly felt, said Javier Palomarez, an Edinburg native who serves as the president of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is advising the Trump transition team.

The San Antonio hospitality sector and South Texas agricultural industry use immigrant labor, and the city has benefited greatly from investment from wealthy transplants from northern Mexico whove relocated here in recent years, purchasing homes and opening businesses, Palomarez said.

Either way, disproportionately, the people of San Antonio will feel effects of the immigration policy that comes out of this administration, for good or bad, he said.

Past U.S. and Mexican presidents, even those of opposing parties, largely have followed in their predecessors' footsteps when it comes to trade and cooperation on security issues.

Even President Barack Obama's controversial immigration policies were implemented gradually and in line with ideas that had previously come from members of both parties, although his decision to pursue them unilaterally was widely criticized.

Theres always uncertainty in a transition, whether its a new administration here in Mexico or in the U.S., but it generally is a type of uncertainty where you know what the  parameters are going to be, broadly speaking, said Antonio Garza Jr., a former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico under President George W. Bush. Here, the structure is so changing.  We dont know what the (parameters) are now. Thats whats fundamentally so different.

The president-elects positions have shocked some of those in Mexico. When Trump earlier this month threatened Japanese automaker Toyota with a big border tax if it built a new plant in Mexico, Alejandro Hope, a well-known security analyst, called it an economic war.

Speaking to foreign diplomats last week, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said he wants to work with the U.S. on security, immigration and the economy, but warned he would protect Mexicos sovereignty.

Its apparent 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.

Last week, Trump said the U.S. would build the wall quickly and then make Mexico reimburse the costs.

Meanwhile, Trumps allies are calling for unprecedented border security measures.

Congressman Michael McCaul, R-Austin, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and once a potential nominee to head the Homeland Security Department, has promised to introduce legislation to fund border infrastructure, as well as expand the power of U.S. agents working on the border.

We will put in place a historic, multilayered defense system so that drug cartels and terrorists dont slip through the cracks, McCaul told his committee in December. That means more Border Patrol agents, new authorities, aerial surveillance, sensors, and other technology to protect our territory.

McCaul also called on Trump to devote existing resources to the border in what he called a surge and suggested we can put in place new immigration fees from Mexico, institute a security toll at border crossings, seize and freeze drug cartel assets, and more.

Mexico could retaliate

Mexico is the No. 2 importer of U.S. goods, and exports to Mexico account for 18 percent of the Texas economy, said Ramiro Cavazos, the head of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The U.S. sends more than $100 million in security aid to Mexico each year, and in the past two years, Mexico has deported record numbers of Central Americans making their way to this country. In 2015, the two countries reached an open skies agreement that eases restrictions on commercial and cargo air travel.

In 2014, Mexico opened its energy sector to foreign investment, a move that could be a boon for U.S. companies with experience in deep-sea oil exploration and fracking, including in the Burgos Basin, an extension of the Eagle Ford Shale south of the Rio Grande.

Trump can build a wall, said Luis Rubio, president of the Center of Research for Development, a Mexico City think tank, but as long as trade continues to flow between the two countries, it will have little impact on the economies.

Mexicans are very upset about Trump demanding Mexicans pay for the wall, but the end of the day its more symbolic than practical, Rubio said.

Damaging the bilateral relationship could have an impact U.S. security, said Art Fontes, a former FBI agent who worked in Mexico.

Mexico is far more responsive to the U.S. than it has been in decades past  the arrest of the suspect in the recent shooting of a consulate employee in the western city of Guadalajara stood in stark contrast to Mexicos reaction toward attacks on U.S. citizens in the 1980s  and Fontes said U.S. agencies need to maintain that cooperation.

Fontes said recent unrest in Mexico over gas prices shows the direction the country could head if its society and economy, both of which are deeply intertwined with its neighbor to the north, are cut off from the U.S.

Who wins when the country is that way? Fontes asked. The people that win are the narco-traffickers. Organized crime wins. Because as long as you have a chaotic Mexico thats destabilized, the government doesnt have time to go after cartels because theyre more worried about the bigger picture.

The Pew Research Center has found total immigration from Mexico is at effectively net zero, illegal immigration from Mexico is a tiny fraction of what it was 15 years ago and the number of undocumented immigrants working in the U.S. hasnt changed significantly since the recent recession.

Thats prompted advocates of better relations with Mexico, like U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, to wonder why Trump is so focused on that country.

The issue is about illegal immigration, and of course one of the problems with the Mexican border is that people from all over the world come to the United States from the Mexican border, said Roy Beck, the executive director of NumbersUSA, a group that advocates for restricting immigration. The Mexican border is not just about Mexico.

Mexico can be an important ally in controlling illegal immigration, Cuellar said, noting the number of people detained by immigration authorities in that country has increased since 2014. From January through November last year, Mexican immigration authorities apprehended more than 140,000 Central Americans, almost double the number for the same period in 2013.

That shows you that if they would have let all those people come in  we would have had more cases for asylum, Cuellar said. We need to provide a little bit more resources, so (Mexico) can secure their borders.

In a conference call with reporters last week, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he wants Trump to put pressure on Mexico to do more about illegal immigration to the U.S., both from that country and from Central America. He went on to say that Mexico and the U.S. are married by virtue of our proximity and that the relationship between the two countries has its benefits, particularly with trade.

I think were all still trying to process the way that the president elect operates, Cornyn said when asked about Trumps confrontational posture toward Mexico. I think in some ways hes a negotiator who starts out with a position that he doesnt eventually expect to accept or insist upon, but rather thats a start to his negotiating position.

A silver lining?

One potential silver lining for those concerned about Trumps policies toward Latin America is the nomination of retired Marine Gen. John Kelly as the homeland security secretary. Some critics who said Obamas immigration policies were too harsh have expressed hope that Kelly, who during his time the head of the U.S. Southern Command would have met with officials in South and Central America and worked with homeland security components, will have a better understanding of the situation in those areas.

In his confirmation hearing last week, Kelly spoke in favor of helping Central American governments whose populations come to the U.S. fleeing poverty and violence that in our country we couldnt imagine.

Kelly also said he suspected that recipients of Obamas controversial deferred action program, which gave work permits to young immigrants who came here as children, would not be prioritized as the most removable under a Trump administration.

I think hell have a better understanding of what that untenable situation is better than any of our previous homeland security secretaries, said Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum.

Pena Nieto is making his own changes ahead of Trumps inauguration. Pena Nietos former campaign manager, Luis Videgaray, was forced to resign as his treasury secretary after planning Trumps September visit with the Mexican president, which was widely criticized south of the border.

This month, Pena Nieto named Videgaray the head of International Relations, akin to secretary of state in the U.S., a move seen as an effort to build bridges with the Trump administration.

Hes extremely smart and hes had the personal link with the Trump clan, and therefore the expectation that the Mexican president has is hell be able to establish a link, and lay a strong foundation for the future of the relationship, said Rubio, the analyst in Mexico City. Time will tell, but I think hes certainly not lacking in skills and abilities.

Far more controversial is Trumps pick for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, who has worked to defeat immigration reform and has ties to groups that want to restrict all immigration, not just illegal immigration.

For the first time in nearly a century, NumbersUSA has an ally in the executive branch that wants to restrict all immigration, legal and illegal. Beck said that among the issues he thinks will be quickly addressed under the Trump administration are laws that allow for large numbers of visas to be issued to the foreign-born families of U.S. citizens, which he said encourages chain migration.

I do think theres a real hope for the American workers that Congress this year will pass an end to chain migration, an end to the visa lottery and a mandate for e-verify, Beck said.

jbuch@express-news.net

This storry has been corrected to identify Jeff Sessions as Donald Trumps nominee for attorney general.
SAN ANTONIO  A former Uber driver was arrested Sunday for allegedly sexually assaulting a drunken female passenger he drove home in October, according to court documents.

Gabriel Vazquez, 40, faces a second-degree felony charge of sexual assault. He is currently being held on a $50,000 bond at the Bexar County jail.

RELATED: Report: Fired BCSO deputy pushed girlfriend, cut her with his fingernails

On Oct. 12, the 22-year-old woman requested a ride using the Uber app after having drinks at a local bar. The woman later called police and told them she was sexually assaulted, according to an arrest affidavit.

She said she was intoxicated to the point that she needed help walking, and said an unknown man followed her inside her residence. The woman said the man, later identified as Vazquez, walked her to her bedroom and started undressing her, but left her underwear on. She told him No several times but the man continued and allegedly sexually assaulted her, the affidavit said.

The victim went to an area hospital for a rape kit exam.

RELATED: Affidavit: Driver fled accident leaving teenage boy dead

Investigators subpoenaed Ubers transportation records and determined that Vazquez was a possible suspect. The victim later identified Vazquez from a photo lineup as the suspect who allegedly raped her, according to the affidavit.

Investigators learned the victim was highly intoxicated at the bar she was at, having passed out in the bathroom. She was escorted out of the bar onto the patio and employees at the bar helped her setup a ride home, the affidavit said.

Vazquez, who primarily speaks Spanish, initially denied having sex with the woman, but later confessed to sexually assaulting her, according to the affidavit.

RELATED: BCSO: Young man found dead near elementary school on far Northwest Side

An Uber spokeswoman said Vazquez was on the Uber app as a driver for a short time and had never received complaints similar to the alleged incident that occurred in October.

Whats been described is greatly concerning and has no place anywhere, Uber said in a statement. As soon as the rider reported this to us in October, we immediately removed this drivers access to the app. We assisted the San Antonio Police Department and provided any information to them that would be useful for their investigation. We appreciate all of their diligent work on this case.

If convicted, Vazquez faces up to 20 years in prison.

Text "Breaking" to 48421 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

twhite@mysa.com

Twitter: @tylerlwhite
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A West Texas sheriff asked me to deliver a message to Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller on Monday.

The agriculture commissioner needs to do his job and stick to that, and Ill do my job. You tell him I said that, said Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez.

The sheriff was piqued by an erroneous post on Millers Facebook page that purported to explain a shooting this month on a remote Presidio County ranch near Candelaria. The shooting injured Walker Daugherty, a hunting guide, and Edwin Roberts, a Florida chiropractor.

Walker Daugherty is in stable condition after being shot by illegal aliens while guiding a hunting trip near the Mexican border, Miller wrote on Jan. 8.

Accompanied by a photo of the victim in a hospital bed, Millers post claimed that undocumented immigrants had ambushed an RV, and that Daugherty, a man of God and a hero, was shot trying to protect the hunting party.

This is why we need the wall and to secure our borders, continued Miller, a hard-liner on immigration who has sought a position in the Cabinet of President-elect Donald Trump. Anyone who says that the people illegally crossing into our country are just those seeking a better future for their families simply do not understand what is happening on our borders.

A week later, its clear that Miller does not understand what happened on the border, and that his account of the shooting is fiction.

On Friday, the Presidio County Sheriffs Office released a statement that there is no evidence that suggests cross-border violence.

Witness statements describing the sequence of events as well as evidence recovered from the scene, directed us to the conclusion that this incident was a result of friendly fire among the hunting party with several contributing factors, the Sheriffs Office stated, adding, we are certain of the conclusion.

On Monday afternoon, Millers erroneous account of the shooting had been shared more than 6,600 times and prompted nearly 2,000 comments, including a call by a Corsicana resident to put the National Guard on the border and shoot everything that crosses the river.

I tried to reach the agriculture commissioner on Monday to deliver the sheriffs message, but Millers campaign spokesman, Todd Smith, said he wasnt available.

I asked if Miller would correct his false account of the shooting, gleaned from a relative of Daughertys.

I have no idea what the investigation has led to yet, Smith said. No one has advised us about that. If the sheriff of Presidio County has a concern about our post, Im sure hell contact us.

My own reporting on the sheriffs statement was hearsay, Smith said. He refused my offer to email him the statement.

Im not going to take a third-party statement from somebody, he said. If the sheriff would like to contact Commissioner Miller, he should do so.

I noted that Miller himself had taken a third-party statement from a victims relative and reported it as gospel on Facebook.

I dont think the family members were concerned about the investigation, Smith responded. They were concerned about asking people to pray for their family.

The part that really surprises me is why people think were a news organization, he added. Its a personal Facebook page.

Besides, the Presidio County shooting is old news, he said. We move on.

A shooting that took place two weeks ago might be old news by social media standards, but Millers false account  and his refusal to correct it in light of a law enforcement investigation  is even worse than fake news.

With a following of about 386,000 people and no obligation to facts, his Facebook page is effectively state-owned media broadcasting propaganda to a credulous populace.

Its no wonder Millers campaign spokesman is so quick to dismiss actual journalism as hearsay. When truth conflicts with misinformation, the most effective strategy of the propagandist is to discredit it.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
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A boarded-up, graffiti-ridden 10-story tower that has been vacant since Bill Clinton was first elected president is set to become downtown San Antonios latest restoration project.

Local developer Craig Glendenning is seeking approval from the Historic and Design Review Commission to revamp the 1920s-era building, at 601 N. St. Marys St., converting the empty interior into 54 high-end apartments with retail on the ground floor, he said. He plans to expose the buildings original brick exterior with terra cotta decorations by removing a drab facade attached in the 60s.

Timothy Leary might have had something to do with installing the facade, Glendenning joked, referring to the famous 1960s psychologist best known for advocating the use of LSD. The bones are good. The building is solid. We just need to bring it back to its original grandeur.

Glendenning and his partner, local real estate broker Uriel Villarreal, also want to fix up a vacant historic building two doors down into retail and office space, with a bar and performance area on its roof. Altogether, the two buildings would include roughly 6,800 square feet of offices and 12,000 square feet of retail. A fire-damaged, one-story building in between the two structures would be demolished to make way for a paved courtyard.

The HDRC will decide at its Wednesday meeting whether to give conceptual approval to the partners proposal; if they get a thumbs-up, they will have to return with more detailed plans for final approval.

Rehabilitation work on the two buildings will take between 18 months and two years, Glendenning said. The partners are working get local financing for the project, which will cost about $12 million, he said.

Glendennings plans are a sign that the surge of development that hit downtown last year could continue into 2017. The 10-story building, often referred to as the Hedrick building, was one of San Antonios first high-rise structures, but has become a symbol of urban blight downtown. In 2008, the citys Code Compliance Division sought to have it demolished after receiving complaints of broken windows and graffiti.

The two buildings targeted for rehabilitation are in a high-profile part of downtown, a block south of the River Walk and a block north of the Weston Centre office tower. Theyre a short walk from the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

If their plans are approved, Glendenning and Villarreal would sign a long-term lease for the property, which has been owned by San Antonio College professor B.P. Agrawal since the early '90s. Agrawal didnt respond to a request for comment.

The partners expect to rent the apartments for between $950 and $1,500 a month, or just under $2 a square foot, Glendenning said. He said he didnt share the concerns that some have expressed that the apartment market could slow down.

Were optimistic that prices wont go down between now and completion. Downtown has turned out to be a very dynamic, cool area, he said. Our downtown is just now going through the renaissance that many other large cities have gone through beginning 10 or 15 years ago. I think theres going to be demand, especially for apartments that a working individual can afford.

The partners have verbal commitments from businesses to locate into the buildings, Glendenning said. A pet store is interested in moving into the space, he said, and they are hoping to lure a restaurant and a coffee shop.

The project is eligible for a significant amount of incentives through the citys Center City Housing Incentive Policy, which was instrumental in making it feasible, Glendenning said, and he plans to apply for state and federal historic tax credits. He said hes been working with city officials for about 18 months to get the project going.

Glendenning has developed numerous residential subdivisions through his company Post Oak Development of Texas, but his business slowed down after he declared bankruptcy in the wake of the housing bubble, he said. He received negative publicity a few years ago when he failed to get the necessary approvals for a subdivision in the Hill Country, causing headaches for landowners. He has completed other projects downtown, including the 214 Travis Park condo building in the mid-2000s.

Were coming back and trying to do projects that make sense, Glendenning said.

Villarreal runs Uriah Real Estate Organization, a brokerage and investment firm on the near West Side that he founded about three years ago. The firm brokered the sale of buildings on downtowns La Villita Street last year, and it has redeveloped a property along Broadway Street, he said.

rwebner@express-news.net

@rwebner
Prime Minister Theresa May has said the UK 'cannot possibly' remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean 'not leaving the EU at all'.

The Prime Minister gave her long-awaited speech today (17 January) on Brexit, promising to push for the "greatest possible" access to the single market following Brexit.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) Council has since re-iterated four principles which British food production needs in a post-Brexit Britain.

These are: The best possible access to trade with Europe; Access to a competent and reliable workforce; The government to give commitment that agriculture is a key industry for Britain and a post-Brexit Britain and that any changes to trading relationships or the agricultural policy affecting farmers should be subject to a period of transition to allow farming businesses to adapt to any new environment.

'Heavily dependent on Europe'

The NFU says they welcome the Prime Ministers acknowledgement that access to a reliable workforce from overseas is vital for many British industries.

The Union said: "This is especially important to many farming businesses and we look forward to that acknowledgement being turned into a commitment which is then acted on."

Farmers have long called for clarity from the Government as to what the intended trading environment will be for Britain post-Brexit.

72% of agricultural exports go to the EU with some sectors being heavily dependent on trade with the rest of Europe. For example, of 300m UK lamb exports, 290m came from sales to Europe, and 78% of wheat and barley exports went to the EU.

72% of agricultural exports go to the EU with some sectors being heavily dependent on trade with the rest of Europe

Therefore, whilst clarity from the Prime Minister has been needed, NFU Council says they still have 'legitimate and important' concerns.

Free trade agreement with the EU

The Prime Minister has ruled out the UKs continuing participation in the European Single Market or the EU Customs Union and instead has stated her intention to pursue a free trade agreement with the EU.

The NFU said: "We hope the Prime Ministers ambition can be achieved, but as we know these kind of deals normally take years to conclude and do not cover all products.

"If a quick and comprehensive deal cannot be achieved it would be absolutely vital that there are appropriate phased arrangements to avoid a disruptive cliff-edge to allow Britains farmers to adapt  especially given that farming is a long term industry where farmers are making decisions now without knowing what a future trading environment will look like.

"The British farming sector  along with many other industries  has consistently warned of the dangers of putting up barriers to accessing the European Market whether financial or logistical."

Following todays speech, the NFU are now seeking urgent talks with the Government as to how a post-Brexit Britain could work for Britains food production and for detailed commitments on a suitable transition period.

The NFU are continuing to press the Prime Minister to ensure that British farming has a profitable, productive and resilient future post-Brexit and that a post-Brexit Britain 'truly does work for everyone.'

'Put some flesh on the Brexit bones'

The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) has called on the PM to 'put some flesh on the Brexit bones.'

TFA National Chairman Stephen Wyrill: We need a new consensus for a post Brexit food, farming and environmental policy that will last and which will not be subject to the winds of short-term political change.

We must consider the full landscape of policies and practices which affect the management of agricultural land including how production standards are developed and enforced, the operation of markets, taxation, tenancy law, risk management tools, environmental and planning regulation, support for research and development including technology transfer and access to land for new entrants, progressing farmers and allowing dignified routes for retirement for older farmers.

There is a lot to do and we must get on with it, concluded Mr Wyrill.
The NFU and Cheshire Young Farmers Club (YFC) has teamed up with the MP for Macclesfield David Rutley to develop a plan that will enable more support for the next generation of farmers post Brexit.

The subject was raised at one of Mr Rutleys farmer forum meetings on Friday 13th January.

Hannah Barton, Chairlady of Cheshire YFC, will work with her NFU colleagues to formulate specific policy ideas which Mr Rutley will then forward to Ministers at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) for their consideration.

David Rutley said: Following the UKs withdrawal from the European Union, cooperation between politicians, the Government and the next generation of farmers will be crucial to ensuring that the rural economy continues to prosper.

I am grateful to the NFU and YFC for committing to such cooperation post-Brexit. I would also like to thank the Eardley family for hosting this important meeting, and for the tour of their new parlour. I wish them every success for the future.

NFU Cheshire County Adviser Helen Wainwright added: Its crucial the farming industry works with MPs to shape what the intended trading environment will be for Britain post-Brexit.

72% of agricultural exports go to the EU with some sectors being heavily dependent on trade with the rest of Europe.

For example, of 300m UK lamb exports, 290m came from sales to Europe, and 78% of wheat and barley exports went to the EU.

We all need to ensure that British farming has a profitable, productive and resilient future post-Brexit and that a post-Brexit Britain truly does work for everyone.
New faces and seasoned veterans join the National Farmers Union to champion British farming in Westminster at a critically important time for the industry.

Shortly after the referendum result, the NFU announced the creation of a new Brexit department to represent farmings concerns in the new government departments focused on the EU-withdrawal negotiations.

Nick von Westenholz, who was appointed to the role as NFU Director of EU Exit and International Trade, said there are 'considerable challenges' facing farming.

Olivia Seccombe will lead the NFUs new London-based External Affairs team

He said: "With the triggering of article 50 due in the next couple of months it is absolutely vital that farmings voice continues to be heard.

"This means securing the best possible trade deals with the EU and beyond, continued access to a competent and reliable workforce, and a domestic agricultural policy that ensures farming can achieve its true potential."

'Critically important time'

Olivia Seccombe, who has also worked in the offices of several MPs, including Theresa May, will lead the NFUs new London-based External Affairs team promoting the interests of farmers within government, parliament and with other key stakeholders.

She said: "This is a critically important time for farming with the future repatriation of agricultural policy to Westminster and it is absolutely vital that the NFU has broad cross-party as well as government support for the importance of the farming industry.

"In addition to Brexit there are still issues right now that are of immediate concern to farmers  whether its rural crime, BPS payments, GSCOP or TB eradication - which continue to be a high priority for the NFU and where government support is vital.

"The External Affairs team will build on the momentum already created by the NFU to build alliances making sure farmings strategic importance to the country is recognized in Westminster and that politicians of all parties Back British Farming."
British farming should go back to the good-old days of 'locally tailored schemes' in order to forge a thriving agricultural policy, farming minister George Eustice said during a dairy conference in Glasgow.

Mr Eustice said future principles should fuse old-fashioned farm husbandry, crop husbandry and soil husbandry but with the best genetics available today.

"The type of thing my grandparents might have done," he said.

"It's not about bolt-on cross-compliance measures, but going back to first principles with locally tailored schemes, possibly tailored round water catchments or landscape definitions."

Mr Eustice said he wanted to see improvements in the environment made by reintroducing livestock to the lowlands; reintroducing more rotation; and improving the amount of organic matter in soils  but all without compromises in yield.

Mr Eustice visited Gryffe Wraes Farm at Bridge of Weir, Scotland, hosted by Willie Harper, who was recently elected chairman of NFU Scotland's Forth and Clyde Region.

'Hugely uncertain times'

Speaking after the meeting, NFU Scotlands Chief Executive Scott Walker said it remains a 'hugely uncertain time' for the industry.

"NFU Scotland remains on the front foot when it comes to engaging with key politicians on what Scottish agriculture needs to secure from the negotiations ahead.

"Policies that promote productive, profitable agriculture and reward and support the active farmer or crofter are central to our future and Mr Eustice saw clear evidence today of how important support is to a hard-working family farm.

"Today (17 January) may see the Prime Minister refine her views on what approach she intends to take when we look at market access and trade deals that may need to be struck in the post-Brexit era."

The PM will today tell other European countries the UK wants to trade with them "as freely as possible" but will not be "half-in, half-out" of the EU.

Her speech is expected to include further hints Britain could leave the EU single market.

Market access: A key driver

Mr Walker said for British agriculture, market access is a 'key driver' for how the industry will move forward.

"We welcomed this opportunity to engage with the Minister on farm. It follows on from meetings in recent weeks with the Defra Secretary of State Andrea Leadsom and David Jones MP, Minister of State at the recently created Department for Exiting the European Union.

"These meetings are welcome, but crunch time is coming on Brexit and there would be real value to the industry if a round table meeting with all key politicians could be put in the diary so that preparedness for the greatest single challenge faced by our industry can be as good as it possibly can."

Mr Eustice said he was focused on a UK-wide farm policy.

He said: "It wouldn't work in the context of a UK single market if Wales or Scotland were paying huge headage subsidies to their lamb sector and placing Cumbrian sheep farmers at a massive disadvantage, so you'd need to have some sort of parameters to protect the integrity of the UK market."
The EU Court of Justice has dismissed animal feed company Timab's appeal against an earlier General Court ruling and confirmed a 60m fine for its role in a feed phosphates cartel.

The General Court had upheld a Commission decision of July 2010 fining several companies for coordinating prices and allocating sales quotas for animal feed phosphates in Europe.

Today's judgement by the EU Court of Justice fully upholds the Commission's findings and the fine of 59.85 million imposed jointly and severally on Timab and its parent company CFPR of the Roullier Group.

It confirms that the fine imposed on Timab reflected the gravity and duration of the infringement and was an accurate application of the rules concerning the calculation of fines.

In doing so, the Court confirmed the Commission's approach to take into account new information in the course of the standard procedure.

Timab and its parent company CFPR of the Roullier Group were held jointly and severally liable for a fine of 59,850,000 for their participation in the Animal Feed Phosphates cartel for over ten years.

They were the only parties who chose not to settle the case. Altogether, the cartel participants were fined 175,647,000.

9Their aim had been to share a large part of the European feed phosphates sales by allocating sales quotas and coordinating prices, as well as coordinating sale conditions when and to the extent necessary for those purposes.
Retailers stocking more British pork but 'more can be done'
OMAFRA has confirmed clubroots first appearances in the province

By Jennifer Jackson

Clubroot can be a costly disease. It has thankfully not impacted Ontario canola growers  until now.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs received notice that an agronomist working with a grower in Verner, in the West Nipissing District, found clubroot after scouting a poorly growing canola crop in the summer of 2016. OMAFRAs tests confirmed it was clubroot.

Later in the fall of 2016, this finding drove OMAFRA conduct a wide-scale soil sampling study in the following regions:

- West Nipissing District

- Timiskaming District

- Cochrane District

- Thunder Bay District

- Kapuskasing District

- Wellington County

- Renfrew County

- Lanark County

- Bruce County

- Grey County

- Dufferin County

Of some 95 soil samples, OMAFRA found a total of 11 samples were positive for the disease. In December, OMAFRA declared these positive samples were found in West Nipissing District, Timiskaming District, Bruce County and Dufferin County. Researchers are currently identifying the pathotype of the disease to compare with other strains.

Clubroot galls on a canola plant's root system. Photo credit: Kelly Turkington, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry

The disease affects the root of the canola plant, according to Meghan Moran, canola and edible bean specialist with OMAFRA.

The symptoms will (appear in plants as) stunting (of growth), wilting and yellowing  you may have areas that are prematurely ripening, she says. Clubroot looks similar to other disease and nutrient deficiencies  you will have to go to the (sickly) patches, dig them up and look at the roots.

If they are infected with clubroot, the roots will have large galls or significant swelling.

All (canola) growers need to be aware and watch their crops carefully, Moran says. The disease cannot be eradicated from the soil.

Canola acres in Ontario have been declining lately due to increasing pressures from the swede midge, a pesky insect. In 2016, there were approximately 30,000 acres, according to Moran.

She would not like to see the number of acres decline further because of clubroot concerns.

We do not want growers to think they have to stop growing canola. (In Ontario) we have the luxury of growing lots of crops in rotations  a canola grower could have as many as four crops in a rotation, she says. Clubroot (currently) is not very widespread and its manageable.

Preventing the spread of the disease is a large part of management, as the spores that cause the disease exist in the soil.

Focus on sanitation  you do not want to move any soil from infected fields into non-infected fields. (This means and is not limited to) sanitizing equipment and removing soil from the equipment, says Moran. Any way that soil can move, the disease can (also) move, including foot traffic, and wind and water erosion.

To deal with the diseased field, have long, four-year rotations that will help keep spores down  you can also plant (clubroot-)resistant varieties.

Clubroot-resistant varieties are nothing new to western Canada, where the disease is widespread and is becoming resilient to some resistant varieties.

This (variety effectiveness) will be the next thing to focus on  rotating using different resistant varieties. We need to make sure we are not contributing to the breakdown of those resistant varieties, says Moran.

OMAFRA will soon release a map of affected areas to help educate producers.

We want (farmers) to be aware the next time they are scouting.

For more information, check out Farms.coms video on using variety selection to manage the disease: http://www.farms.com/videos/crops/canola/video-disease-management-clubroot-115635.aspx
UPDATED: As of about 10 p.m. Monday, Dominion Energy had restored power to about 3,000 homes and businesses that lost electricity at about 8 p.m. due to an equipment issue, according to the Do
Pitts: Before voting, take a look at your sample ballot in Cumberland County and NC
Rolls-Royce PLC said Monday it has reached agreements in principle with prosecutors in the UK, the United States, and Brazil to settle bribery allegations and will pay about $809 million for the global resolution.

In the UK, Rolls-Royce and the Serious Fraud Office reached agreement in principle for a deferred prosecution agreement that requires payment of 497 million ($599 million) plus interest and the SFOs costs. The payments will be made under a schedule lasting up to five years.

The proposed DPA needs court approval. A hearing has been set for January 17 in London.

In the United States, Rolls-Royce said it agreed to pay the Justice Department about $170 million.

And in Brazil, it will pay the Ministerio Publico Federal $25.5 million.

Rolls-Royce announced the settlements in a release Monday. It said its total payments under the agreements will be about 671 million ($809 million).

The SFO confirmed the UK portion of the global resolution in its own statement Monday. In the United States, federal agencies were closed Monday for Martin Luther King Day and will reopen Tuesday.

Rolls-Royce said Monday it has co-operated fully with the authorities and will continue to do so.

It said the settlements relate to bribery and corruption involving intermediaries in a number of overseas markets, concerns about which the company passed to the SFO from 2012 onwards.

The company said its payments in the first year of all three agreements would be 293 million ($353 million).

The SFO launched a formal investigation into Rolls-Royce in late 2013.

The UK-based firm is Europes largest manufacturer of aircraft engines.

The investigation at first centered on Rolls-Royces business in China and Indonesia and reports that the company paid bribes through intermediaries there and in other markets.

In December 2012, in response to a request from the SFO, Rolls-Royce provided information about third-party vendors that handled sales, distribution, repair and maintenance work.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA agreed Friday to pay $30.5 million to resolve criminal and civil Foreign Corrupt Practices Act charges that it bribed Chilean politicians to influence government policies and plans.

SQM paid a criminal penalty to the DOJ of nearly $15.5 million. It paid a civil penalty to the SEC of $15 million.

Between 2008 and 2015, SQM paid vendors nearly $15 million  despite having no evidence any goods or services were actually received, according to the companys admissions Friday.

The vendors were people or organizations connected to Chilean officials. The company falsified its books and records to conceal the payments, logging them as consulting and professional services SQM never received.

SQM also made donations to dozens of foundations controlled by Chilean politicians or closely tied to them. For example, it funneled $630,000 to foundations run by an official with influence over the governments mining plans, a key segment of SQMs business.

The SEC said virtually all of the improper payments to [Politically Exposed Persons] were directed and authorized by a senior SQM executive.

SQM fired the executive after local tax authorities raised the issue and news organizations reported it.

The DOJ and SEC said SQM knowingly failed to put in place proper controls to stop payments illegal under Chilean law. In one case, the executive restarted payments to the relative of a Chilean official just a month after the company had stopped them.

The SEC settled the case with an internal administrative order (pdf) and didnt go to court. The agency imposed the $15 million penalty but didnt designate any amount as disgorgement, a typical remedy in FCPA enforcement actions.

The DOJ filed a two-count criminal information Friday in federal court in the District of Columbia charging SQM with failing to implement internal controls and falsifying its books and records.

SQM entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ, imposing the $15.5 million criminal penalty and requiring an independent corporate compliance monitor for two years. The DPA requires SQM to self report during the third year.

SQM didnt voluntarily disclose the FCPA violations, the DOJ said. It cooperated with the DOJ after news of Chilean prosecutors investigation of the company surfaced in media reports.

The DOJ said it gave SQM a 25 percent reduction off the low end of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines fine range because of its full cooperation and substantial and ongoing remediation.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA trades on the NYSE under the symbol SQM. Revenues last year were about $1.8 billion. The Santiago-based company has nearly 5,000 employees. It produces plant nutrients, iodine, lithium, and industrial chemicals from mines and plants in the Atacama Desert, west of the Andes mountains.

___

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
New York-based asset manager BlackRock Inc. agreed Tuesday to pay a $340,000 penalty to settle SEC charges that it forced more than a thousand exiting employees to waive their ability to obtain whistleblower awards.

The departing BlackRock employees had to sign separation agreements with language that they waive any right to recovery of incentives for reporting of misconduct.

If employees didnt sign the agreements they wouldnt receive their separation payments from the firm.

BlackRock added the illegal language to its separation agreements in October 2011  after the SEC adopted its whistleblower program rules. Blackrock used the language until March 2016.

SEC Rule 21F-17 outlaws any action to impede an individual from communicating directly with the Commission staff about a possible securities law violation. The rule is part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act to encourage and protect whistleblowers.

The SEC settled Tuesdays action with an internal adiministrative order (pdf) and didnt go to court.

Anthony Kelly of the SEC enforcement division said BlackRock took direct aim at our whistleblower program by using separation agreements that removed the financial incentives for reporting problems to the SEC.

Asset managers simply cannot place restrictions on the ability of whistleblowers to accept financial awards for providing valuable information to the SEC, Kelly said.

BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) is the worlds biggest investment manager with $5.1 trillion in assets under management. About 12,000 BlackRock employees work in 70 offices in 30 countries.

The firm consented to the SEC order Tuesday without admitting or denying that it violated Rule 21F-17.

The SEC said BlackRock voluntarily revised its separation agreements and started mandatory yearly training about employee rights under the SECs whistleblower program.

* * *

In October last year, the SEC issued a special warning to investment advisers and broker-dealers not to impede whistelbowers.

The SEC alert said violations of Rule 21F-17 can appear in agreements that:

(a) require an employee to represent that he or she has not assisted in any investigation involving the employer

(b) prohibit any and all disclosures of confidential information, without any exception for voluntary communications with the SEC concerning possible securities laws violations

(c) require an employee to notify and/or obtain consent from the employer prior to disclosing confidential information, without any exception for voluntary communications with the SEC concerning possible securities laws violations, or

(d) purport to permit disclosures of confidential information only as required by law, without any exception for voluntary communications with the SEC concerning possible securities laws violations.

* * *

In December 2016, the SEC fined SandRidge Energy Inc. $1.4 million for putting language in a whislteblowers separation agreement that prohibited participating in any government investigation or disclosing information potentially harmful or embarrassing to the company. It was the same language SandRidge regularly used with departing employees, the SEC said.

Also in December, the SEC fined Virginia-based tech firm NeuStar Inc. $180,000 for using severance agreements that impeded 246 departing employees from communicating information to the SEC.

In September, Anheuser-Busch InBev paid the SEC $6 million to settle charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and impeded a whistleblower who reported the misconduct. The company used a separation agreement that stopped the employee from continuing to voluntarily communicate with the SEC about potential FCPA violations. The agreement could have imposed a $250,000 penalty if the employee violated strict non-disclosure terms.

In August, insurance provider Health Net Inc. paid a $340,000 penalty to the SEC for illegally using severance agreements that required outgoing employees to waive their ability to obtain monetary awards from the SECs whistleblower program.

Also in August, the SEC fined building-products wholesaler Blue Linx Holdings $265,000 for requiring departing employees to waive their right to recover money from any whistleblower claims they filed with the SEC or other federal agencies.

The SEC brought other actions against KBR, Inc. in April 2015 and Merrill Lynch in June 2016 for using agreements that restricted employees ability to disclose information to government agencies.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
Jamiroquai have teased they will be releasing a new album.

Jamiroquai's Jay Kay

The British band - which was formed in 1992 and is lead by frontman Jay Kay - have set tongues wagging with their recent post on social media where they unveiled a short clip believed to be their upcoming album titled 'Automaton'.

The 'Cosmic Girl' hitmakers have yet to confirm a release date, although they have revealed new music will be "coming to a planet" soon.

Alongside the short footage, they Tweeted: "COMING TO A PLANET NEAR YOU... #AUTOMATON (sic)."

Meanwhile, the group are set to jet across the globe and perform in Greece, Italy, South Korea, among other destinations this year, although they have yet to announce a UK tour date.

Jamiroquai will kick off their tour in Japan's Tokyo on May 25, and will bring their three-month tour to a close in Portugal in August.

Jamiroquai's tour dates are as follows;

May 25 - Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, Japan

May 28 - Seoul Jazz Festival, Seoul, South Korea

June 17 - Release Athens Festival, Athens, Greece

July 9 - North Sea Jazz, Rotherdam, Netherlands

July 11 - Firenze Summer Festival, Visarno Arena, Florence, Italy

July 14 - Pori Jazz, Pori, Finland

July 16 - Musilac, Aix-Les-Bains, France

July 18 - Moon & Stars, Locarno, Switzerland

July 22 - Colours of Ostrava, Czech Republic

August 5 - Sudoeste, Portugal
Prince William is reportedly responsible for the sharp increase in corporate donations to the East Anglia Air Ambulance.

Prince William

The 34-year-old royal started working as a helicopter pilot for the Air Ambulance in July 2015, and new figures show the donations made to the charity-run service by businesses has rocketed in what is being called the 'Prince William Effect'.

Figures obtained by the Daily Mail newspaper show that the amount of money coming from business donations since the royal started working for the charity rose from 55,101 in 2015, to a whopping 163,082 in 2016.

However, despite the increase in business revenue, figures in the same report show that public funding to the service has dropped by six percent.

Prince William - who shares Prince George, three, and Princess Charlotte, 20 months, with his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge - and his colleagues reportedly carried out 2,046 missions from June 2015 to July 2016, and helped around 1,377 patients across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Essex, and Hertfordshire.

Meanwhile, it was recently reported that Prince William would be giving up his job with the Air Ambulance service in order to become a full-time royal, but it has been suggested he won't use his free time to take on more royal duties than his father, 68-year-old Prince Charles, as he doesn't want to appear to be "elbowing his father out of the way".

A friend of Prince William said: "Some people may question why William still won't do as much as Princess Anne but he is dead set on not queering his father's pitch.

"He sees that Charles will probably be in his seventies before he becomes king and he doesn't want to be seen as elbowing his father out the way."

Instead, sources claim the royal will use his time to focus on other issues that matter to him, such as tackling homelessness and raising awareness about mental health issues.
Queen Elizabeth II will visit the University of East Anglia this month to view a new exhibition on the history of Fiji.

Queen Elizabeth

The 90-year-old royal and her husband Prince Philip, 95, will make the trip to the University, based in Norwich, at the end of January for a tour of the Sainsbury Centre's exhibition on the art and cultural history of the South Pacific archipelago.

'Fiji: Art & Life in the Pacific' is reportedly the "largest and most comprehensive exhibition about Fiji ever assembled", according to the website for the visual art centre.

The website says of the exhibition: "The largest and most comprehensive exhibition about Fiji ever assembled, it will take the visitor on a journey through the art and cultural history of Fiji since the late 18th century."

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are expected to visit the University campus on January 27, and the Sainsbury Centre will be closed to the public for the duration of their visit.

Director of the Sainsbury Centre Professor Paul Greenhalgh said: "It is a huge privilege to welcome The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. I am sure they will enjoy this extraordinary show."

For the Queen, her expected visit to the exhibition comes as she recently made her first visit to church since being struck with a heavy cold over the Christmas period which prevented her from attending the traditional Christmas and New Year's Day church services.

Last week, it was reported that Queen Elizabeth was feeling "better", after her 66-year-old daughter Princess Anne assured well-wishers her mother was well during the services at Sandringham that were missed by the royal.
Spreadshirt, an innovative global e-commerce platform for print on demand apparel and accessories, has unveiled a plan to reach $1 billion in revenues. The mission of the company includes a hyper focused scale up in the US, driven by significant and sustained growth in the partner business and also consolidate market leadership in the EU.Spreadshirt recognises that the key to global dominance is to emerge as the top print on demand platform in the US and deliver sustained revenue growth and credibility as a mature global brand.

Spreadshirt, an innovative global e-commerce platform for print on demand apparel and accessories, has unveiled a plan to reach $1 billion in revenues. The mission of the company includes a hyper focused scale up in the US, driven by significant and sustained growth in the partner business and also consolidate market leadership in the EU.#

It is doing so through various initiatives like developing new tools for sellers; restructure commission structures and pricing and will also be introducing more fashion orientated products to the ethically produced Spreadshirt collection this year.According to Spreadshirt CEO Philip Rooke, Spreadshirt expects to win the global ecommerce race one month at a time in 2017, by driving the US growth as the world recognises that their platform is unsurpassed by any global competitors. (AR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The Garmentech Bangladesh 2017 will commence in Dhaka on January 18 with a view to provide a new momentum to the textile sector of the country. Three events  16Garment and Allied Machinery trade show, 8Yarn and Fabrics Sourcing Fair 2017 and 8th Garments Accessories and Packaging Exposition (GAP Expo 2017) - will simultaneously take place in the city.

The four-day Garmentech fair on readymade garments, accessories, yarn and fabrics is jointly being organised by ASK Trade and Exhibitions Pvt Limited, Zakaria Trade and Fair International and Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGAPMEA).

Abdul Kader Khan, president of BGAPMEA said at a press conference that the trade shows will help the countrys apparel manufacturers to achieve the industrys target of exporting textile worth $50 billion by 2021. He also said that manufacturers of apparel accessories will need to earn $18 billion from exports to achieve the target.

The Garmentech Bangladesh 2017 will commence in Dhaka on January 18 with a view to provide a new momentum to the textile sector of the country. Three events  16th Garment and Allied Machinery trade show, 8th Yarn and Fabrics Sourcing Fair 2017 and 8th Garments Accessories and Packaging Exposition (GAP Expo 2017) - will simultaneously take place in the city.#

Close to 400 companies belonging to over 24 countries including China, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Germany, Italy, US, UK, Canada, Sweden, Spain, France, Thailand and more will display their textiles, readymade garments, yarn and other products at the Garmentech textile fair.

Tofail Ahmed, commerce minister of Bangladesh will inaugurate the fair as the chief guest, while Annisul Huq, mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) will be a special guest at the opening ceremony. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
In the three months ended December 31, 2016, Indias biggest private sector company Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) posted a 3.6 per cent increase in net profit which grew to Rs 7,506 crore as against Rs 7,245 crore in the fiscal ago quarter. Consolidated revenue at the Mukesh Ambani led company surged 16.2 per cent to Rs 84,189 crore from Rs 72,513 crore.In the third quarter of fiscal 2017, RIL said PX prices remained stable over the second quarter despite tight supply. Three consecutive contract settlements for October, November and December and an improved crude oil price situation provided stability to the PX market.

In the three months ended December 31, 2016, India's biggest private sector company Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) posted a 3.6 per cent increase in net profit which grew to Rs 7,506 crore as against Rs 7,245 crore in the fiscal ago quarter. Consolidated revenue at the Mukesh Ambani led company surged 16.2 per cent to Rs 84,189 crore from Rs 72,513 crore. #

According to the company, the PTA industry witnessed healthy operational efficiencies supported by strong downstream demand and bullish sentiments in futures market and prices remained steady from the earlier quarter, thereby keeping stable upstream PX prices.In case of MEG, prices during the reporting quarter surged 17 per cent over the prior quarter, driven by speculative buying, tight supply and robust demand from the downstream polyester markets.Strong demand from end user segments improved fundamentals in the polyester market, while fabric trade witnessed 27 per cent growth quarter on quarter.Fibre intermediate production in the third quarter remained stable year over year at 1.7 MMT, while polyester production output increased 9 per cent to 0.6 MMT.RIL added that continued downstream restocking resulted in lower inventories and higher operating rates for polyester producers and operating rates of polyester fibre and yarn plants in China were in the range of 83-85 per cent during the quarter under review.Polyester filament yarn prices improved by 8 per cent and staple fibre prices expanded 3 per cent over the earlier quarter.Demand for polyester fibre and yarn remained stable during the reporting period as polyester filament yarns demand remained healthy in shirting fabrics and circular knitting segments, the company added.The energy giant commissioned the first phase of the new PX project at Jamnagar, Gujarat, which has been built with crystallisation technology which is highly energy efficient and environment friendly.Once the entire PX project is commissioned, RIL will become the worlds second largest PX producer. (AR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Centric Software, the leading PLM solution for fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, and consumer goods companies, has released version 6.0 of its market-driven PLM solution, building on its commitment to support retail transformation initiatives for retailers. Version 6.0 includes major, broad-sweeping innovations across the entire Centric PLM suite.In the past 6 months, over 100 new features have been introduced.

Centric Software, the leading PLM solution for fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, and consumer goods companies, has released version 6.0 of its market-driven PLM solution, building on its commitment to support retail transformation initiatives for retailers. Version 6.0 includes major, broad-sweeping innovations across the entire Centric PLM suite.#

Centric Softwares latest release focuses on three areas; scalability and performance of up to 10,000 users, decision making analytics, and personalisation of a visually-stunning interface.Centric PLM 6.0 provides massive scaling with performance incorporating groundbreaking architectural innovations capable of managing 10,000+ users and TBs of active data across multiple geographies with no degradation in speed or user experience. This finally provides the market with a true mega-scale globally distributed, yet synchronised product lifecycle management capability.Centrics powerful Slicer feature can easily analyse seasons or years worth of information to answer questions about financial and supplier performance, costs or other complex queries requiring significant what-iffing and number crunching. Changes to Centrics merchandise planning module equip users with enriched analytics for powerful roll-ups, drill-downs, and split hierarchies to vastly augment the kinds of financial analyses that can be performed.User experience and adoption have long been keystones of Centrics success. A complete interface makeover builds on that leadership and revolutionises the solutions look and feel, adding in new branding and personalisation options, dashboards with widgets and charts to digest information at a glance, mass editing features to minimise clicks and many other improvements to promote adoption. Care was taken to reduce the amount of visual clutter onscreen while keeping information close by and effortless to access.Additional new, powerful capabilities boost user productivity and make work easier. Centrics change tracking and subscription service, housed in a beautiful, easy-to-navigate interface, includes multiple ways users can track and be notified of important changes anywhere in the system. A Rest API enables companies to leverage Centric data throughout the organisation by connecting with business systems such as ERP, DAM or other platforms. Users can even create their own apps to seamlessly connect or digitally transform processes without limitation. (GK)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
16 January, Geneva: Fijis Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Ambassador Nazhat Shameem Khan moderated at a preparatory briefing of the UN High Level Oceans Conference which will be co-hosted by Fiji in New York later this year.

The contributors at the session were Ms. Victoria Chomo from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Mr. Paulo Kautoke, Director Trade Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Mr. Awni Behman, Honorary President of the International Oceans Institute and Mr Guillermo Valles, Director for the Division of Trade in Goods and Services and Commodities from the UNCTAD.

This weeks briefing will raise awareness in Geneva, and in particular amongst the diplomatic community, on the high level United Nations Conference and its preparatory processes.The meeting was co-convened by the Permanent Missions of Fiji and Sweden to the UN in Geneva. Fiji and Sweden are co-hosting the Oceans Conference in New York. The meeting was also supported by the offices of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Department of Environment and Social Affairs (UNDESA).Ambassador Khan moderated the session on Fish Trade and the Emerging Issues in light of the Trade and Environment Review of 2016. In her opening remarks, she underscored the importance of the special and differential treatment as the centerpiece of any outcomes in the WTO fisheries negotiations. She highlighted the vital need for policy space for developing countries, in particular small developing countries in developing its artisanal and commercial fisheries sector. To this end she called upon members to consider the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.7 (Sustainable use of marine resources) in tandem with SDG 14.6 (Sustainable fishing). SDG 14.7 silhouettes the importance of the economic benefits of the fisheries sector to small island developing states.In relation to subsidies, Ambassador Khan noted that not all forms of subsidies have negative impact on Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Subsidies in relation to combatting IUU issues should be allowed. Issues of management measures are integral in fisheries, however, these need to be discussed in the relevant forum of the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations, she added. At the national level, the fisheries authorities are responsible for the management of fisheries under their respective jurisdictions.On the issue of transparency, the importance of having a transparency mechanism has been noted to be a vital component, however, a balance has to be struck between transparency and the commercial confidentiality of information for these economies.
The gorgeous Amy Jackson is holidaying in the Tulum islands, Mexico along with her friends and the actress has poste several pictures on her social media handle chilling by the beach and having a 'rave' time!

Right after her holiday in Tulum, Amy Jackson is all set to fly to Mumbai for the shoot of her upcoming film Robo 2.0 starring superstar Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar in the lead roles. The film is widely anticipated among fans and is scheduled to be released in 2017.

Check out pictures of Amy Jackson chilling in Tulum here!
One simply cannot deny the fact that Priyanka Chopra has taken the west by storm. From gracing international magazine covers to making an appearance at the award functions there, she is truly a global icon. Recently, PC shot for a solo episode of Koffee With Karan.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: When Govinda Made Shocking Confessions About Why He Couldn't Marry Neelam!

In the first promo of KJo's chat show, PC had spoken about her relationship status and being approached by guys in New York. She had said, "I believe you are single till you are married!". Further, while talking about how different men are with their approach in India and in the West, the actress says, "The boys here are a little cautious. There it's straight up - "I am free tomorrow, I am in New York. Let's go for dinner." Na Jaan na pehchaan. Akele! Itni forward nahi hoon main!"

And now, we came across a brand new glimpse from the show where PeeCee down a few coffee shots and made some naughty relevations!

What happens when a global movie star meets the maestro of 'personal questions' on #KoffeeWithKaran! @priyankachopra @oppomobileindia pic.twitter.com/TyQI2b6aO6  Star World (@StarWorldIndia) January 16, 2017

The actress revealed that she has indeed taken a shower with her partner, kissed an ex after she broke up with him, made out with someone with lights on and has also had phone sex!

Now that's quite a bold confession, isn't it?

On the professional front, Priyanka is all set to make her Hollywood debut with Dwayne Johnson- Zac Efron's Baywatch.

Rumoured Lovebirds Sidharth Malhotra & Alia Bhatt To Reunite For Shakun Batra's Next?
Urvashi Rautela revealed that she's not at all a fan of junk food but at times everyone are tempted to try out the street food delicacies and Urvashi is no exemption. The street food in Delhi can make anyone's mouth to start watering and Urvashi revealed her favorite dishes that she loves to much on while she's in the capital.

She said, "Delhi is the only city where I eat junk food. I really love momos, dahi-vada and of course golgappas. I make sure not to miss these snacks when visiting Malviya Nagar, Delhi."



She further revealed, "Delhi has contributed to my prosperity. It holds a special place in my heart. But it is also hard work and talent that makes you successful." When asked if she hangs out quite often with friends, she said that she prefers staying home instead and is not a party animal.

Must See Pictures! Amy Jackson Holidays In Tulum, Mexico!

"Like earlier, I still prefer to work and come back home. Now, being a model and an actor, I'm trying to learn more as my profession demands it. If I have a performance at an award function, then it's okay, otherwise I don't go out. I am still facing difficulties opening up."

It's 'Coffee & Dancing' For Nargis Fakhri In The Morning!

Urvashi Rautela will next be seen on the silver screen for Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautam starrer Kaabil. Urvashi's item number from the movies is already creating waves and the film is all set to hit the theatres on January 25, 2017.

Aamir Khan Opens Up About The Donald Trump & Meryl Streep Controversy!
I Am Sorry For The Actors Who Are Not Graduates

"In my home and family, there's minimum qualification to be an actor. If you aren't a graduate, I believe you can't be an actor. I'm really sorry for all the actors who are not graduates. It's not because I look down upon people who are not. But I am a graduate and I believe education has helped me beyond my limit."

Encouragement Will Happen Only Post Graduation

"My daughter is in the 11th but she has to graduate. She loves acting - on stage, TV, films or street - and, she is quite a good actor, at least for her age. So, I would like to encourage her. But the encouragement will happen only post-graduation.''

My Son Has Never Shown Interest In Acting

"My son has never shown interest in acting. But, of late he has started showing interest in filmmaking and got into ULCA and USC (USA), which came to me as a tremendous surprise but a pleasant one. He has completed his first year, so there are three more years to go."

On Aryan Being Launched By Karan Johar

"I don't think they are being launched right now. But Karan means it both jokingly and seriously. Aryan does visit my film sets sometimes, and I am very proud.''

On Aryan Khan's Interests

''He came the other day just to learn about lighting; not to see his father act or learn about lightning in the first year. He sat with the cameraman without even asking me.''

It's Heart-Wrenching To Send Aryan & Suhana Away

''He was there for two hours, just learning the techniques. He told me, 'Papa, it was no nice.' So he didn't visit as a producer or as a he's hero son or someone who wanted to learn acting. I feel, 'Let him learn the craft and then see if he has the same love for acting as I do.''

''It's heart-wrenching to send them away. They also find it difficult and why should they leave a nice house and good schools here, but they know it's important for them. So I'm assuming that they will finish their education. They have done well so far.''

I Hope My Son & Daughter Can Take Indian Cinema To International Levels

''I think seeing a view of the world is nicer, especially for cinema. Why do European and south American talent reach the international stage before us? It's because the access to that world is closer. Indians still don't have it."

It's Difficult To Be SRK...

''Slowly, these doors are opening. I hope Indian film-makers including my son and daughter, can take Indian cinema to international levels.''

''I hear some actors saying that they wish they were Shahrukh Khan, and I say, Please don't wish for it. It's a pain'. I can't explain the kind of patience, goodness, humility and the modesty you have to show besides the hard work you have to do, and stress you have to take.''

And Lastly On His Buddy Salman Khan..

''But I will still give my left and right arm to be Shahrukh Khan again. But I won't wish it upon others, as I don't think they can handle it.''

''Salman and I were planning to do something together on the business front. But then he sent me a message saying, Nahin karte hain yaar. Phir se log kahenge ki hamara jhagda ho gaya.' (Let's not do this. People will say we started fighting again.)''

''Some relationships are personal. I should tell you a secret stars know everything. We had our issues, but they were not at all like what was written.''
After a stellar act in Neeraj Pandey's 'M.S.Dhoni: An Untold Story', Sushant Singh's next is based out of the world. We are talking about Sanjay Puran Singh's space film 'Chandamama Door Ke' which has the actor playing an astronaut.

From Phone S*x To Making Out With Lights On, Priyanka Chopra Downs Shots & Makes BOLD Confessions!

Sushant has kickstarted the preparation for his role by learning how to fly a plane and that too a Boeing 737! Recently he even shared a video from his training where he is seen operating a plane with a co-pilot by his side.

Check it out here...

Excitement at its peak!! Chandamama door ke. #TrainingDay 1 #Boeing 737 fixed base simulator. #flyhigh  @sanjaypchauhan @vikirajani A video posted by Sushant Singh Rajput (@sushantsinghrajput) on Jan 17, 2017 at 1:22am PST

Earlier the director of the film was quoted saying, "We can't categorise this film with any other film and let's not compare it with 'Gravity'. It's a very Indian film and let's not compare it with any other Hollywood film. I can't reveal the story but I can assure you that such an epic journey has never been shown on Indian celluloid before. It's one of its kind."

On the other hand, Sushant had said, "I want to go to NASA as part of my prep for Chandamama. If the production house won't sponsor the visit, I'll go on my own to spend time with the astronauts and get to know them better."

We are quite excited to see Sushant's new avatar. What about you guys?

Talking about his other upcoming films, the actor will be seen in Raabta, Takadum, an untitled flick with Jacqueline Fernandez and a biopic on Murlikant Petkar.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: When Govinda Made Shocking Confessions About Why He Couldn't Marry Neelam!
Actress Yami Gautam, who is sharing screen space with superstar Hrithik Roshan in the forthcoming film Kaabil, said he is one of the most hardworking, humble and selfless actors she has ever worked with.

Talking about her experience of working with Hrithik, Yami told IANS,"He (Hrithik) is such a selfless actor. We actors always work hard for our good performance, but he is concerned about the whole scene, including the performance of his co-actors, dancers and everyone.



"There were scenes where he would give a retake even though he was perfect, but I wanted to improvise something. He is an actor and works for the totality of the scene."

Also Read: Shahrukh Khan On Meryl Streep Speech! You Can't Tell Me What To Say; Why Do You Want To Be A Copycat

According to Yami, Hrithik -- who is known for his good looks and larger than life personality -- is otherwise a very humble person.

"Whether it is on set or off the camera, he never made you feel that he is a star. He is a happy-go-lucky person and on set, he is an actor. That's why I call him a truly inspirational personality," Yami said.

After doing films in Punjabi, Kannada and Telugu film industries, Yami made her debut in Bollywod with Shoojit Sircar's Vicky Donor opposite Ayushmann Khurrana in 2012, and has since featured in films like Total Siyapaa, Badlapur, Junooniyat and Sanam Re.

"My career is a journey for me, and any journey is incomplete without struggle. We all should face some failures in life and learn from them. We should accept it and move on. I am proud of it," she said.

The actress thanks her parents for helping her to be grounded.

"They helped me to learn that like success, failure also comes and I should learn to accept it."

Directed by Sanjay Gupta, Kaabil is releasing on January 25.
MIAMI, Jan. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Logistics networkWCAand eTailerAlibaba.comhave signed a co-operation agreement that will see approved WCA member companies integrated into the Alibaba.com logistics platform for cross-border e-commerce shipments.

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/457481/WCA_Alibaba.jpg

WCA, the independent freight forwarder alliance, will provide its professional support in "vetting and approving" international logistics providers for the customers of Alibaba.com.

Approved providers will have full access to compete for logistics orders generated on the Alibaba.com platform.

WCA and Alibaba.com have agreed "parameters and standards of service," as well as offering all participants a protection scheme that includes "compensation for qualifying transactions."

"The fact that Alibaba.com has recognised the quality, global strength and professionalism of WCA and its members will open up vast new opportunities for business growth for independent freight forwarders," said Dan March, WCA's chief executive.

March continued: "Many of our member companies are already heavily involved in many facets of cross-border eCommerce logistics.

"The strict qualification process for our newly-formed WCA e-commerce network will provide reassurance that the services provided by our members can facilitate merchants on Alibaba.com to accelerate their global trading."

The collaboration, starting this month (January 2017), will facilitate shipments generated by Alibaba.com's members to be made to the major export markets of the USA, India and the UK.

Steve Su, director, Alibaba Logistics, said: "We are thrilled to partner with WCA, a global network with well-connected global resources, to provide fast and convenient shipping options for our members.

'We are committed to offering premium services to global SMEs on our platform who are looking to scale up their business presence through cross-border trading. We are confident partnering with a leading global logistics alliance such as WCA will help us achieve that goal."

WCA chairman David Yokeum added: "The world is rapidly changing. And we are working hard to ensure that our members are equipped and able to take advantage of the huge projected growth in global e-commerce shipments.

"Alibaba.com has shown both determination and innovation in forming this partnership and we fully expect the business to flourish.

"We are putting both independent forwarders and Alibaba.com traders at the vanguard of change in this exciting and dynamic market."
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Insurer Legal & General Group Plc (LGEN.L) plans to disclose how much more its chief executive earns than rank-and-file employees, becoming one of the first big U.K. companies to respond to growing concern about wage inequality with greater openness about pay, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the matter. Legal & General reportedly plans to publish the ratio in March when it updates investors on CEO Nigel Wilson's 2016 compensation in its annual report. The company's move follows calls by the U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May for a crackdown on excessive executive pay, including proposals to give shareholders more say over compensation. Business and political leaders gathering in the Swiss ski resort of Davos this week are concerned that income inequality is fueling the populism behind the U.K.'s vote to leave the European Union and the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president. The U.K. government is weighing requiring companies to compare the highest-paid employee's remuneration with the average or median pay of a company's workers, following the adoption of a similar rule in the U.S. that went into effect this month. 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.


SCHIPHOL-RIJK (dpa-AFX) - Airbus Group SE (EADSY.PK, EADSF.PK) plans to test a prototype for a self-piloted flying car by the end of 2017, Reuters reported, citing the aerospace group's chief executive officer Tom Enders.



According to Reuters, Enders said at the DLD digital tech conference in Munich on Monday that he hopes Airbus will demonstrate a single-person flying vehicle by the end of this year.



'One hundred years ago, urban transport went underground, now we have the technological wherewithal to go above ground. We are in an experimentation phase, we take this development very seriously. With flying, you don't need to pour billions into concrete bridges and roads,' Enders reportedly said.



Airbus has predicted that by 2030, 60 percent of the world's population will live in cities, which is ten percent more than today. In order to alleviate urban congestion and to address the rising concern of rush-hour traffic, Airbus is looking skywards to develop three ambitious projects.



In 2016, Airbus formed a division called Urban Air Mobility that is exploring concepts such as a vehicle to transport individuals or a helicopter-style vehicle that can carry multiple riders.



Under Project Vahana, Airbus aims to develop a self-piloted flying vehicle platform for individual passenger and cargo transport. Airbus has said earlier that flight tests of the first vehicle prototype are slated for the end of 2017. On Monday, CEO Enders confirmed that.



According to Airbus, technologies required for developing the self-piloted flying vehicle, such as batteries, motors and avionics are mostly available. However, Vahana also requires reliable sense-and-avoid technology.



Meanwhile, the Airbus Skyways project envisions huge fleets of parcel delivery drones in urban areas.



Under the third Urban Air Mobility project, developers in France and Germany are working on an electrically operated flying vehicle platform concept for multiple passengers. The aerial vehicle, named CityAirbus, would have multiple propellers and also resemble a small drone in its basic design.



While initially it would be operated by a pilot, it would switch over to full autonomous operations once regulations are in place, directly benefiting from Skyways and Vahana's contribution.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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TOKYO, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Anime Tourism Association, in collaboration with Kadokawa ASCII Research Laboratories, Inc., is accepting applications for a trail tour and trip to filming locations of "Your Name" (Kimi no Na wa), one of the biggest hit anime films in Japan.

Logo: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M101933/201701167893/_prw_OI1im_2YcxaF9U.jpg

Image: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M101933/201701167893/_prw_OI2fl_yvFp2629.jpg

A total of 30 anime fans worldwide will receive invitations to an anime tour of Japan, sponsored by the Japanese Government.

This tour will test the value of the Japanese anime community's "sacred spot" locations by relaying the locations and models for their scenes.

This anime tour includes round-trip airfare to Japan, hotels, breakfast, dinner and transportation to the anime tour (Nagoya - Hida area - Tokyo) inside Japan.

Application acceptance for the tour will begin on January 20 and endFebruary 28. All application details will be shown on the official website or on our partner company site using the following link: http://animetourism.lab-kadokawa.com

About Anime Tourism Association:

By selecting and organizing 88 "anime sacred spot" locations that have the potential to stimulate Japan's development as a tourism-oriented country, the Anime Tourism Association will promote the discovery of tourism resources and the referral of customers to regional destinations from among tourists visiting Japan.

The Japanese Government adopted the Anime Tourism Association for this project http://www.cao.go.jp/cool_japan/kaigi/kyoten_koutiku/project/kyoten_giji.html (In Japanese)


BRASILIA (dpa-AFX) - Rolls-Royce Holdings plc (RYCEF.PK, RR.L, RYCEY.PK) announced Monday that it has agreed to pay 671 million pounds to settle bribery and corruption charges with UK, US and Brazilian regulators.



In its statement, the company said it in principle reached a Deferred Prosecution Agreement or DPA with the UK Serious Fraud Office or SFO, which was the subject of a preliminary court ruling on Monday. The proposed DPA is subject to final judicial approval and the SFO and Rolls-Royce will appear at court on January 17 to seek this approval.



In addition, Rolls-Royce has also reached a DPA with the US Department of Justice or DoJ and a Leniency Agreement with Brazil's Ministerio Publico Federal or MPF.



These agreements relate to bribery and corruption involving intermediaries in a number of overseas markets, concerns about which the company passed to the SFO from 2012 onwards. These are voluntary agreements which result in the suspension of a prosecution provided that the company fulfils certain requirements, including the payment of a financial penalty.



If finalized, these agreements in total would result in the payment of approximately 671 million pounds. Under the deal terms, Rolls-Royce will pay 497.25 million pounds plus interest under a schedule lasting up to five years, plus a payment in respect of the SFO's costs.



Rolls-Royce has also agreed to make payments to the DoJ totaling $169.92 million and to the MPF totaling $25.58 million. der the terms of the DPA with the SFO,



Total payments by Rolls-Royce in the first year of all three agreements would be 293 million pounds.



The company said it has co-operated fully with the authorities and will continue to do so.



Rolls-Royce will report full year 2016 results on February 14. Early indications are that the company has had a good finish to the year with both profit and, in particular, cash expected to be ahead of expectations.



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WISeKey International Holding Ltd ("WISeKey") (SIX:WIHN) today announced that it has obtained a $16.4 million secured line of credit facility (the "Credit Facility") for acquisition financing with maturity up to 18 months from ExWorks Capital, a U.S. private debt fund specializing in international trade and working capital financing.

Draw-down from the Credit Facility is subject to closing conditions, including the grant of options to ExWorks exercisable for up to 1,075,000 registered shares, par value CHF 0.05 (Class B Shares), at an exercise price corresponding to a volume-weighted average price determined by reference to a period commencing after WISeKey's announcement of its audited FY2016 annual results, and the execution of security agreements over shares of certain of the company's subsidiaries and certain other assets. The Credit Facility can be up-sized syndicated at the same terms for up to an additional $10.0 million by way of adding co-lender(s) or selling a participation interest.

Carlos Moreira, Chairman and CEO of WISeKey said: "We believe that this Credit Facility provides us with the flexibility and leverage to finance strategic acquisitions partially with debt, in the short-run."

Randy Abrahams, Executive Chairman of ExWorks Capital, added, "ExWorks is excited to partner with WISeKey to provide them with an acquisition line of credit that will allow the Company to pursue its growth strategy. The structure and flexibility of our Credit Facility will allow WISeKey to quickly and efficiently make accretive acquisitions, both internationally and in the U.S., that will drive positive shareholder value."

WISeKey has retained ACXIT Capital Partners and Source Capital as financial advisors for this transaction. Source Capital acted as sole placement agent for this facility.

WISeKey is currently offering IoT manufacturers the possibility of deploying large scale IoT ecosystems using its Cryptographic RoT and NFCTrusted technology. This trusted technology integrates wearable technology with secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, and empowers IoT and wearable devices to become secure transactional devices. WISeKey has patented this process in the USA as it is currently used by many IoT providers. For more information, click here.

The RoT serves as a common trust anchor, which is recognized by the operating system (OS) and applications, to ensure the authenticity, confidentiality and integrity of on-line transactions. With the Cryptographic RoT embedded on the device, the IoT product manufacturers can use code-signing certificates and a cloud-based signature-as-a-service to secure interactions among objects and between objects and people.

About WISeKey

WISeKey International Holding Ltd ("WISeKey", SIX:WIHN) is a leading cybersecurity company currently deploying large scale Internet of Things ("IoT") digital identity ecosystems. WISeKey's Swiss based Cryptographic Root of Trust (RoT) integrates wearable technology with secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, and empowers IoT and wearable devices to become secure transactional devices. WISeKey has patented this process in the USA as it is currently used by many IoT providers. For more information, visit www.wisekey.com.

About ExWorks Capitalwww.exworkscapital.com

ExWorks Capital, headquartered in the USA, is an international, import and export finance company that offers financing solutions to businesses utilizing its own capital as well as by leveraging its Delegated Authority granted by both the SBA and ExIm Bank.

ExWorks Capital's offerings include:

Export and Import Trading ExWorks can provide between $500,000 and $25,000,000 per trade to suppliers that need the funds to be able to purchase goods for sale to international buyers, thereby eliminating the need to raise equity in order to fulfil international sales contracts.

Working Capital Financing ExWorks can provide International Trade Receivable and Inventory Revolvers, including advancing on Raw Materials, WIP and Finished Goods, between $1,000,000 and $25,000,000.

Term Loan Financing ExWorks can provide Term Loans between $10,000,000 and $100,000,000 to Foreign Customers.

Disclaimer:

This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of article 652a or article 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or a listing prospectus within the meaning of the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170116005799/en/

Contacts:

WISeKey:

Youmna Abisaleh, +41-22-594-3000

Marketing Communications

yabisaleh@WISeKey.com

or

Carlos Moreira

Chairman CEO

info@WISeKey.com

or

Investor Relations (United States)

The Equity Group, Inc.

Lena Cati, 212-836-9611

lcati@equityny.com
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --In a preview of the upcoming Society of Critical Care Medicine's (SCCM) 46th Annual Congress, Astute Medical, Inc., developer of the NephroCheck Test, today highlighted events studying current and potential applications of the test, which identifies hospital patients at risk of developing moderate to severe acute kidney injury (AKI). The meeting will take place this month at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu from January 21 through January 25.

AKI is one of the top 10 hospital in-patient complications most likely to affect mortality, length ofstay and cost.1Until now, the lack of predictive diagnostic tools has routinely prevented physicians from identifying high-risk patients and initiating kidney-sparing strategies before damage occurs.2

The NephroCheck Test measures two biomarkers, TIMP-2 and IGFBP-7, capable of detecting kidney stress indicative of AKI risk.3 Physicians can use the test to identify patients at risk of developing moderate to severe AKI and manage them accordingly with the goal of preventing AKI and the resultant loss of kidney function.4

Society of Critical Care Medicine Congress attendees can learn more about the NephroCheck Test at Astute Medical's exhibition booth #0822.

Details of the presentations follow:

Session - PEEserving Renal Function in the ICU Title: Are Biomarkers Ready for Prime Time? Speaker: John Kellum from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Date: Jan. 22, 2017 Time: 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m., local time

Abstract #1970 Title: Acute kidney injury cell cycle arrest biomarkers in acute on chronic heart failure: a case report Authors: Savneek Chugh from the New York Medical College, Hawthorne, N.Y. and Sohaib Tariq from the Westchester Medical Center, Hawthorne, N.Y. Date: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 Time: 9:15-10:15 a.m., local time.

Abstract #1295 Title: Standardized Clinical Assessment and Management Plan for Acute Kidney Injury Using Urinary Biomarker Authors: Azra Bihorac from the University of Florida School of Medicine, Gainesville, Fla., Justin West from the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., Charles Hobson from Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, Fla., and Gloria Lipori, Neil Harris, Kenneth Rand, and Philip Efron from the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla. Date: Monday, January 23, 2017 Time: 12:30-1:30 p.m., local time.

Cardio Renal Society of America (CRSA) Symposium Title: Guiding AKI Prevention Using Next-Gen Biomarkers Real World Experiences From Modern Practices Details: A panel of experts will use patient case studies to discuss cutting-edge techniques in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of acute kidney injury. Presenters include: Harold Szerlip of the CRSA, John Kellum of the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa., Azra Bihorac from University of Florida School of Medicine, Gainesville Fla., Andrew Shaw from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. Date: Monday, January 23, 2017 Time: 6 p.m., local time Contact: (855) 712-5084 or cpaltzer@cardiorenalsociety.org

The Society of Critical Care Medicine's (SCCM) 46th Critical Care Congress is the largest critical care event, bringing together all members of the multiprofessional, multidisciplinary team. The five-day event features members of internationally renowned faculty and content sessions that highlight the most up-to-date, evidence-based developments in critical care medicine.

Important Information About The NephroCheckTest

The NephroCheck Test System is intended to be used in conjunction with clinical evaluation in patients who currently have or have had within the past 24 hours acute cardiovascular and or respiratory compromise and are intensive care unit (ICU) patients as an aid in the risk assessment for moderate or severe AKI within 12 hours of patient assessment. The NephroCheck Test System is intended to be used in patients 21 years of age or older.

About Astute Medical, Inc.

Astute Medical is devoted to improving patient healthcare outcomes through the identification and validation of novel biomarkers.

The company's focus is community and hospital-acquired acute conditions that require rapid diagnosis and risk assessment. Astute Medical's current areas of interest include abdominal pain, acute coronary syndromes, cerebrovascular injury, kidney injury and sepsis.

Astute Medical has developed the NephroCheck Test for use in determining whether a hospitalized patient is at risk of developing moderate to severe AKI in the 12 hours following test administration. Early knowledge that a patient is likely to develop AKI may prompt closer patient surveillance and help prevent permanent kidney damage or death.

The company is a founding corporate partner of 0by25, a human rights initiative aimed at eliminating preventable and treatable deaths from AKI worldwide by 2025.

Astute Medical's NephroCheck Test received 510(k)-clearance through FDA's de novo classification pathway. The test is CE-marked and available in Europe.

For additional information, please visit AstuteMedical.com.

Astute Medical, the AM logo, Astute140, NephroCheck, the NephroCheck logo, and AkiRisk are registered trademarks of Astute Medical, Inc. in the United States. For information regarding trademarks and other intellectual property applicable to this product, including international trademarks, please see www.AstuteMedical.com/US/About/IntellectualProperty. PN0612 Rev A 2017/01/10

1 Premier, Inc. Complications Research: Identifying hospital-wide harm associated withincreased cost, length of stay and mortality in U.S. hospitals. June 2014.

2 McCullough PA et al. Diagnosis of acute kidney injury using functional and injury biomarkers: workgroup statements from the tenth Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative Consensus Conference. Contrib Nephrol. 2013;182:13-29.

3 Kellum JA, Chawla LS. Cell-cycle arrest and acute kidney injury: the light and dark sides. Nephrol Dial Transplant (2015) 0: 1-7doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfv130.

4 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work Group. KDIGO 2012 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease. Kidney inter., Suppl. 2013; 3:1-150.

Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/182230/astute_medical_inc_logo.jpg
HELSINKI, Jan 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

STOCKMANN plc -Company Announcement 17.1.2017 at 8:00 EET

Stockmann's shareholders' Nomination Board has in its meeting decided to propose the following to the Annual General Meeting, which will be held on 23 March 2017:

The Nomination Board proposes that the number of members of the Board of Directors remain eight.

The shareholders' Nomination Board proposes that the present members of the Board of Directors, Kaj-Gustaf Bergh, Jukka Hienonen, Susanne Najafi, Leena Niemisto, Michael Rosenlew, Per Sjodell and Dag Wallgren, all having given their consents, be re-elected for the term of office continuing until the end of the next Annual General Meeting.

Board member Torborg Chetkovich has informed that she will no longer be available as member of the company's Board of Directors. The Nomination Board proposes that LL.M, M.Sc.(Econ.) Esa Lager with his consent, be elected new Board member for the term of office stated above. Esa Lager (b. 1959, Finnish citizen) is professional Board member and he has earlier had several management positions in the Outokumpu Group, e.g. as deputy to CEO and CFO.

The Nomination Board proposes that the remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors remain at the present level.

Additional information on the member proposed by the Stockmann's shareholders' Nomination Board can be found on the company's website www.stockmanngroup.com. The proposals of the Nomination Board will be included in the invitation to the Annual General Meeting.

Magnus Bargum (nominated by Svenska litteratursallskapet i Finland) acts as Chairman of Stockmann's shareholders' Nomination Board, and Kaj-Gustaf Bergh (nominated by Foreningen Konstsamfundet rf.), Ole Johansson (nominated by HTT STC Holding Oy Ab), Leena Niemisto (nominated by Kari Niemisto) and Stockmann's Chairman of the Board Jukka Hienonen act as members of the Nomination Board.

Further information:



Jukka Naulapaa,

Director,

Legal Affairs,

Tel. +358 9 121 3850

www.stockmanngroup.com

STOCKMANN plc

Lauri Veijalainen

CEO

Distribution:

Nasdaq Helsinki

Principal media

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/stockmann-oyj-abp/r/proposal-of-the-shareholders--nomination-board-for-the-composition-and-remuneration-of-stockmann-s-b,c2167264


LEVALLOIS-PERRET (dpa-AFX) - French speed-train maker Alstom SA (AOMFF.PK, ALS.L) reported that its sales for third quarter 2016/17 increased by 3%, mainly fuelled by deliveries of suburban and regional trains in Europe, progress of Riyadh metro system in Saudi Arabia, PRASA project in South Africa and maintenance contract in the United Kingdom. Quarterly Organic sales growth were 2%. It confirmed 2020 objectives.



'Alstom achieved a solid commercial performance over the first nine months of 2016/17. We have recently been awarded for the supply of 15 regional trains in Senegal, our first order in Western Africa. Last week the Alstom-Bombardier consortium was selected to renew suburban trains in France. These two contracts should be booked in the next quarter. Organic sales growth at 5% was perfectly in line with our 2020 objectives,' said Henri Poupart-Lafarge, Alstom's Chairman & Chief Executive Officer.



The Group's sales for the third-quarter increased 2.60 percent to 1.655 billion euros from 1.613 billion euros in the previous year. During the third quarter of 2016/17, Alstom booked 1.023 billion euros of orders including notably signalling and infrastructure for Cairo Metro line 3, regional trains for Southern Germany, new generation of metros to Greater Lyon in France and maintenance to freight locomotives in Mexico. The company booked 2.358 billion euros of orders in the prior year.



For the first nine months of 2016/17 Alstom's order intake reached 7.2 billion euros, up 16% compared to 6.3 billion euros over the same period last year. The Group's sales amounted to 5.2 billion euros, up 6% or 5% growth organically compared to the first nine months of 2015/16. The book-to-bill remained strong at 1.4.



On 31 December 2016, the backlog reached a new record high at 33.8 billion euros, providing strong visibility on future sales.



Beginning December 2016, Alstom's South African JV Gibela successfully handed over to PRASA the first X'Trapolis Mega train. The Gibela manufacturing plant - where 580 trains will be produced - is currently under construction. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.



Alstom continues to project adjusted EBIT margin to reach around 7% by 2020 driven by volume, portfolio mix and results of operational excellence actions. By 2020, sales are still expected to grow organically by 5% per year. It still expects about 100% conversion from net income into free cash flow by 2020.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. dollar weakened against the other major currencies in the late Asian session on Tuesday. The U.S. dollar fell to more than a 1-month low of 113.35 against the yen, from yesterday's closing value of 114.18. Against the euro, the pound and the Swiss franc, the greenback dropped to 4-day lows of 1.0665, 1.2135 and 1.0063 from yesterday's closing quotes of 1.0595, 1.2044 and 1.0108, respectively. Against the Australian, the New Zealand and the Canadian dollars, the greenback slipped to a 2-month low of 0.7536, more than a 1-month low of 0.7161 and a 5-day low of 1.3106 from yesterday's closing quotes of 0.7476, 0.7102 and 1.3173, respectively. If the greenback extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 110.00 against the yen, 1.08 against the euro, 1.25 against the pound, 0.99 against the franc, 0.77 against the aussie, 0.73 against the kiwi and 1.29 against the loonie. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


LONDON (dpa-AFX) - British American Tobacco plc (BATS.L, BTI), which owns 42.2 percent of Reynolds American Inc. (RAI), announced Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire the remaining 57.8% stake for $59.64 per Reynolds share or total $49.4 billion.



Both companies have agreed on the terms of a recommended offer for BAT to acquire the remaining stake. Reynolds shareholders will receive for each Reynolds share $29.44 in cash and 0.5260 BAT ordinary shares. The total purchase price comprises approximately $24.4 billion in cash and $25.0 billion in BAT ADRs. The initial proposal valued Reynolds at $56.50 per share.



The per share price represents a premium of 26% over the closing price of Reynolds common stock on October 20, being the last day prior to BAT's announcement of a proposal to merge with Reynolds.



The transaction will be effected through a US statutory merger.



The companies said the deal would create a stronger, truly global tobacco and Next Generation Products company. The transaction would be earnings per share accretive in the first full year and targets mid-single digit EPS accretion in year 3, with the transaction beating the Group's WACC for the US by year 5.



Both the BAT and the Reynolds' Boards will recommend the transaction to their respective shareholders. A break fee of up to $1 billion is payable by either BAT or Reynolds under certain circumstances.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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DUBLIN, IRELAND -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Host in Ireland, a strategic global initiative created to increase awareness of the benefits of hosting digital assets in Ireland, and winner of the Datacloud Europe 2016 award for Innovative Data Center Location, announces today that data center executive, Bernard Geoghegan, has joined the Host in Ireland Advisory Council. Working in collaboration with Host in Ireland Founder and President, Garry Connolly, the Advisory Council furthers the reach and impact of the initiative's mission through well-formulated strategies based on its members' extensive industry experience.

An IT industry veteran with more than three decades of experience, Mr. Geoghegan has served in a number of senior executive roles throughout the data center industry with companies including Interxion Deutschland, Digital Realty and Colt Data Centre Services. Leveraging his expertise within the digital asset hosting community in the U.S., EU and APAC regions, Mr. Geoghegan will support Host in Ireland's mission to increase its partners and expand global market awareness while reinforcing Ireland's position as a top European location for hosting digital assets. He joins the Advisory Council alongside existing members Ilissa Miller, CEO, iMiller Public Relations; David McAuley, Director, Dandelion Innovation; and Diane Hodnett, former Founder, CEO and Director of Sea Fibre Networks.

"I am very excited to join the Host in Ireland Advisory Council," says Mr. Geoghegan. "After watching Host in Ireland grow from just an idea in 2014 to Winner of the Innovative Data Centre Location award in Monaco in June, when I was asked to get involved, the answer just had to be yes."

From its inception in May of 2014, the Host in Ireland initiative has worked tirelessly to educate the digital assets hosting community and generate a deeper understanding of Ireland's value as a optimum hosting location, globally. Host in Ireland conveys this message utilizing the "5 Ps," representing the most important aspects of digital asset hosting: Policy, People, Pedigree, Pipes and Power. Offering investors the highest in economic and political stability, global connectivity, available skilled labor, and high-level security and reliability, Ireland is an exceptional location for digital assets hosting within the EU region.

To learn more about Host in Ireland, visit www.hostinireland.com.

About Host in Ireland

Host in Ireland, winner of the Datacloud Europe 2016 award for Innovative Data Center Location, is an industry-led marketing initiative that provides timely and accurate information about Ireland's digital asset hosting ecosystem at all times including demonstrating why Ireland is more cost-effective, efficient, reliable, secure and accessible than most other regions across the EU. There's a reason companies like Microsoft, Zendesk, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Adobe and beyond have sought to host their solutions in as well as to/from Ireland. Many of these reasons are immediately realized due to access to affordable power, redundant network and bandwidth capacity along with a variety of data center providers that offer an array of services sustained by the "5 Ps": Policy, People, Pedigree, Pipes, and Power. On top of that is a very attractive business management structure, implemented by Ireland, which is keenly interested to bring new businesses into the market. Ireland supports this initiative through attractive fiscal structures, access to a skilled workforce and full support of the U.S. Safe Harbor and Patriot Acts -- ensuring data asset compliance for companies large and small. For more information about Host in Ireland, visit www.hostinireland.com.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- RewardStream Solutions Inc., ("RewardStream" or the "Company"), (TSX VENTURE: REW)(FRANKFURT: JL4L) (WKN Number A2APX1) a world leader in referral marketing solutions for telecommunications, financial services and e-commerce providers is pleased to announce the launch of Spark Refer A Friend program Share Seasons for Seasons Federal Credit Union ("Seasons FCU"). Seasons FCU is a leading credit union in the Conneticut area with over 80 years' industry experience.

"Referral marketing continues to be the number one method for attracting new members at the lowest cost for credit unions," said Rob Goehring, Chief Executive Officer of RewardStream. "The base of a successful referral program is satisfied customers who want to share their experience and Seasons Federal Credit Union has done an exceptional job of cultivating a committed member base since they were founded. Using RewardStream's Spark, Seasons FCU can empower its members to make referrals and get rewarded."

With the RewardStream Spark integration, Season FCU members are able to refer their friends and family members through Share Seasons for a loan and receive cash rewards for each closed loan generated by their referral. Referrals are supported via any major social channel, by email or text message or by word of mouth through a personal referral link. Each program is configured within the Spark Portal campaign builder and integrates seamlessly with the host's website.

"RewardStream offers the scalability and innovation we're looking for and cuts down on the manual work associated with referral programs we have run in the past," said Dillon Tardif, Marketing Manager at Seasons Federal Credit Union. "We're excited to see the results of our loan reward Share Seasons Refer a Friend program and be able to scale as necessary for our future campaigns."

Spark Refer A Friend is a high-volume, scalable and secure referral platform that handles the entire referral campaign lifecycle from lead generation to reward fulfillment and analytics. RewardStream's platform is a leading solution for the credit union industry, serving top financial institutions for more than a decade.

Seasons Federal Credit Union members can learn more about the Share Seasons Refer a Friend program here.

About Seasons Federal Credit Union

Seasons Federal Credit Union has been providing a financial alternative to Middlesex County for 80 years. Any individual who lives in, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in the following towns: Meriden, Wallingford, Cheshire, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, North Branford, Guilford, Madison, and all of Middlesex County is eligible to join Seasons Federal Credit Union. The credit union is a full service financial facility with offices located in Middletown and Meriden. The National Credit Union Administration federally insures all deposits up to $250,000. Visit us online at www.seasonsfcu.org.

About RewardStream Solutions Inc.

RewardStream specializes in the execution of automated referral marketing programs that help brands to acquire, engage, and retain their most valuable stakeholders - customers. By utilizing an innovative blend of marketing insight and proprietary technology, RewardStream turns an existing customer base into a powerful new sales channel for all of our clients. RewardStream delivers a scalable, real-time technology platform as the foundation of our client's referral program. The platform provides customer acquisition programs that deliver new, highly loyal customers at very low cost per acquisition rates. Our award-winning marketing solutions have powered loyalty and referral marketing programs across 39 countries for brands including Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Envision Financial, Koodo Mobile and more. For more information please visit www.rewardstream.com.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. Important factors - including the availability of funds and the results of financing efforts - that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time on SEDAR (see www.sedar.com). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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:

RewardStream Solutions, Inc.

Rana Vig

Vice Chairman

(604) 282-7572

Rana.vig@rewardstream.com



RewardStream Solutions, Inc.

Rob Goehring

CEO

(877) 692-0040

Rob.goehring@rewardstream.com




CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, almost three years after it disappeared, has been suspended, the three nations conducting the massive search announced. On March 8, 2014, Flight 370 vanished from radar on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board. The passengers were from more than a dozen countries, including 152 Chinese nationals. The governments of Malaysia, China and Australia said in a joint statement, 'Today the last search vessel has left the underwater search area. Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has not been located in the 120,000 square-kilometer underwater search area in the southern Indian Ocean. Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended.' The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness, the transport ministers of these countries, who issued the statement, said. After the flight vanished, the nations were joined together and were searching across thousands of square miles of remote ocean for all these years with the best science available and cutting edge technology. As per reports, the search has become the most expensive in aviation history, totaling about $150 million. 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.
Since the announcement of Donald Trump's election and the firestorm created by his impromptu tweets, major city banks and trading houses have rushed to install sophisticated banking-compliant Twitter monitoring services to gain an advantage over their competitors.

Unpredictable tweets by a world leader mean major companies, banks and traders require an early warning system to prevent the destruction of share prices that's where products and services such as those offered by Market EarlyBird are taking off.

"Trump is cavalier and unpredictable. He might tweet something that raises the prospects of a US company with UK suppliers; he might tweet something that is viewed positively for international trade or he might tweet something that will have a negative effect on global security. Any of these actions could have a significant impact on global markets including the UK," says Danny Watkins, CEO at Market EarlyBird.

"Although we launched back in 2014, the last six months has seen an exponential growth as banks and traders grapple to pre-empt the market uncertainty that accompanies Trump's move into Office. Events such as Brexit and the US election each saw a surge in demand, and Trump's continuing determination to "speak direct to the people" has highlighted the need for traders to get tweets first hand."

Critical to banks' use of Twitter is the prevention of secret messages (think LIBOR fixing) or outgoing tweets, but also the guarantee of confidentiality. The challenge then becomes the sheer volume of tweets to be monitored.

EarlyBird's software analyses the form, style, and content of tweets as well as sender reputation to identify financially-relevant tweets. Key stories are curated as they emerge, ensuring breaking financial news is relayed to those trading or covering equities instantly, whilst retweet velocity is also monitored to quickly notify users if a tweet is about to go viral, even if they are not actively looking at EarlyBird.

Market traders and financial bodies must now be on their toes to react to whatever the new US President throws at the economy and globally trading companies. With the upcoming French elections showing an early lead for Marine Le Pen and continuing uncertainty about Brexit, financial institutions must be prepared as best they can to take on the ever-evolving face of global markets.

For more information visit www.marketearlybird.com or follow us on Twitter @mktearlybird

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005308/en/

Contacts:

For interviews contact:

Danny Watkins

+44(0) 207 100 4489

+44 (0) 7912 126890

danny@marketearlybird.com
LONDON, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The new FISU Meditation Centre specifically chose Moorgate as the site for the first dedicated Meditation Centre in the City. Founder Rajesh Ananda explains: "Between high-profile positions, responsibility, long hours and pressure to succeed, there's no doubt that the Square Mile contains a worrying concentration of extremely stressed workers! My hope - and indeed my aim - is for FISU to reach the heart of the companies within the City and encourage them to help their employees' combat stress through the proven power of meditation. This will directly create wellbeing and better health for their staff members and better productivity for their business. It makes complete sense".

In 2012, PHAST on behalf of the City of London Corporate, conducted a study of City Workers, of which 44% said that they would need help with stress.

A 2013 study from Bank Workers Charity found that the wellbeing and stress levels of employees in the finance sector were significantly poorer than that of the general working population. Around 65% of employees in the finance industry put in up to 30 hours more than they are contractually obligated to. Furthermore, more than 40% of workers say they have trouble relaxing and 60% admit to having poor quality of sleep. Long term anxiety is proven to affect our mental health - a subject the government if finally addressing.

THE ANXIETY TIMEBOMB

3-4 years hence the situation has not improved and probably, if the studies were run again, the figures would be worse.

Albeit companies are more consciously promoting exercise as an anecdote to stress, for the majority of people, after the immediate benefits of the exercise has passed the stress returns.

FISU Meditation's unique form of meditation not only combats stress, but eradicates it at its root, rather than dealing with the effect.

All stress has its origin in fear - we fear not being able to perform, problem solve, discipline a colleague or worry about being disciplined. We need to resolve personal issues, pay our bills and often the challenge of that can be an underlying form of insecurity that manifests itself in the workplace, affecting our behaviour and performance.

If the work environment is unsympathetic or has a lack of understanding of employee stress, which is often the case, then this can exacerbate the problem.

Rajesh advises the remedy lies in creating an environment where stress is considered a threat to the company's well-being: "If the wellness of individual employees is not addressed that will eventually reflect on the company and productivity. So the key is in establishing a work situation where there is a balance between positive pressure and achievement and putting resources and support systems in place? Can a goal be achieved without causing undue stress or burn-out? Can there be a relaxed atmosphere when the pressure is on? Yes is the answer to these questions! If a number of employees meditate they will automatically radiate calmness around the office - and this is very addictive and ultimately very positive!"

WHAT FISU CAN OFFER:

Consultation on a Wellbeing & Stress Management Structure for your organisation

Consultation as to the main cause of stressors within the company and its culture, required achievement and how to diffuse them

Consultation into the "expectation" written or unspoken of staff achievement and conduct

How to convert negative stress from pressure and work demands into positive stress and greater productivity

Advice on creating a Meditation Room in your building (or converting an area)

Advice on how to make an early morning or after-work Meditation Room to encourage regular practice

Regular Introductory Talks on your premises on the benefits of meditation and mindfulness

Sessions for those who have learnt meditation to revalidate correct practice and encourage regularity (in addition to those that take a course)

Free Meditation Taster Sessions

PRESS INVITATION

We are holding a Press launch to celebrate the opening of FISU's new Meditation Centre in Moorgate.

Rajesh Ananda would be delighted if you could join us for Canapes and Drinks.

Date: Thursday 2nd February 2017 Time: 4pm - 6pm

Address: FISU Meditation Centre, 1st Floor, Tenter House, 45 Moorfields, Moorgate, London EC2Y 9AE

Please RSVP: Shirley Dunmall shirley@sdpr.co.uk

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FISU MEDITATION COURSES AND THE UPCOMING DATES OF FREE INTRODUCTORY TALKS/TASTER SESSIONS PLEASE CONTACT:

http://www.fisu.org E: courses@fisu.org T: 0843 289 9898

FISU is a registered UK Education Charity No: 1061185

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Shirley Dunmall Public Relations T: 07789 228329 E: shirley@sdpr.co.uk

Sources:

Bank Workers Charity: Impact Report & Bank in your People Report 2013: http://www.bwcharity.org.uk/search/gss/2013%20statistics

PHAST: The Public Health & Primary Healthcare Needs of City Workers May 2012: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/business/economic-research-and-information/research-publications/Documents/research-2012/The%20Public%20Health%20and%20Primary%20Healthcare%20Needs%20of%20City%20Workers.pdf

LINKS TO IMAGE to be used in Press Release: https://www.fisu.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Eternal-Flame-for-Front-Page-Final1.jpg
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

As previously communicated, Christian Cederholm and Noah Walley have been appointed Co-heads of Patricia Industries. Patricia Industries is run as a separate business area within Investor, with its own board. As of today, when the new Co-heads assume their new responsibilities, Investor has decided to establish an Extended Management Group which, in addition to the members of the Management Group of Investor, will include the two Co-heads of Patricia Industries. The Extended Management Group will meet on a regular basis to discuss strategic issues that are common to the business areas, and to manage coordination between the business areas and other operations.

Following these changes, Investor's Extended Management Group consists of the following members with respective responsibilities:

Johan Forssell - President and CEO

Helena Saxon - CFO

Daniel Nodhall - Listed Core Investments

Petra Hedengran - General Counsel, Corporate governance, investments in EQT funds

Stefan Stern - Communication, Public Affairs and Sustainability

Christian Cederholm - Patricia Industries Nordics

Noah Walley - Patricia Industries North America

Christian Cederholm has been the Head of Patricia Industries Nordics since 2015. In 2001, Christian joined Investor AB as an investment professional and has over the years worked with a broad set of companies and industries within Core Investments. Noah Walley has been the Head of Patricia Industries in North America since 2015. Noah joined Investor in 2003 as a Managing Director for Investor Growth Capital, and between 2005 and 2015 led its information technology investing activities in North America.

For further information:

Stefan Stern

Head of Corporate Relations

SustainabilityandCommunications

Phone 46-8-614-2058, 46-70-636-7417

Magnus Dalhammar

Head of Investor Relations

Phone 46-8-614-2130, 46-73-524-2130

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/investor/r/christian-cederholm-and-noah-walley-to-take-on-leadership-of-patricia-industries-and-join-as-members,c2167805

The following files are available for download:
DUBLIN, IRELAND--(Marketwired - January 17, 2017) - Inspirage, the integrated supply chain specialist firm, and ICP Solution GmbH, an expert provider of project services in PLM for Industrial Manufacturing, announced the signature of a partnership focused on Product Lifecycle Management for Industrial Manufacturing using Oracle PLM solutions, and the implementation of a specific program together with Oracle to accelerate the introduction of Oracle Product Lifecycle Management and Supply Chain Management Cloud solutions in the Industrial Manufacturing market in Europe.

"For Oracle customers in this industry, this unique combination of domain knowledge, solution/technology expertise and Cloud experience provides a tremendous advantage," states Kevin Creel, President, Business Strategy and Development of Inspirage. "This will help our clients secure their business transformation required by modern industry requirements, generally known as 'Industry 4.0.'"

Inspirage is well known in the Oracle PLM and SCM community globally and has become the #1 Partner for Oracle in this PLM/SCM space. Inspirage was an early adopter of Oracle Cloud strategic directions, and embarked as a co-developer of several Oracle SCM solutions. Inspirage was awarded a 2016 Oracle Excellence Award by Oracle, for their proven capacity to deploy Oracle PLM/SCM solutions in production to industry prominent customers.

ICP Solution is recognized in Europe as a PLM specialist for Industrial Manufacturing. Over the last 10 years, the Oracle Agile PLM e6 solution has been adopted by leading manufacturers and their solutions have proven a very productive Core PLM solution for their product development team.

"While the industry requirements are expanding beyond Core PLM processes, from early innovation down to product commercialization, supply chain and logistics, with growing functional requirements in design, manufacturing, supplier collaboration, multi-channel, quality, traceability, with proliferating use of mobile and IoT technologies, the next generation PLM landscape is requiring a sum of knowledge and experience that can hardly be sustained by single companies," state Thomas Gilgenberg and Daniel Bueler, Managing Directors of ICP Solution.

Inspirage and ICP Solution have fully embraced this combined experience set of activities and, under the terms of their partnership, will jointly market in Europe Oracle PLM solutions with ICP Solution building on their knowledge of Oracle Agile PLM e6 and Inspirage bringing their expertise on Oracle PLM and SCM Cloud solutions. The combined efforts with Oracle will ensure complete consistency at the enterprise level and contribute to the support of current and new industrial manufacturing needs by leveraging Oracle PLM Cloud solutions.

"We are very supportive of this partnership between two first-class Oracle partners. Their combined knowledge will secure our customers' journey to the Cloud and also contribute to the expansion of Oracle PLM solutions in Industrial Manufacturing," concludes Devendra Singh, Vice President PLM Product Development at Oracle.

The execution of the Inspirage/ICP Partnership and the program with Oracle is placed under the leadership of Denis Senpere, former VP PLM/SCM Europe at Oracle, now VP Business Development Europe for Inspirage.

About Inspirage

Inspirage is the integrated supply chain specialist firm solving business critical challenges from design to delivery. The company delivers end-to-end consulting and implementation solutions that link Innovation Management, Supply Chain Management and Logistics Management. Inspirage partners with their customers to break down information silos and optimize performance to accelerate innovation, fuel growth and achieve operational excellence.

Inspirage is a Platinum level member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) and has been recognized by Oracle with numerous awards, including the 2016, 2015 and 2014 Oracle Excellence Award for Specialized Partner of the Year. Headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the company has global presence with offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.inspirage.com.

About ICP Solution

For many years ICP Solution GmbH has been successful in implementing Product-Lifecycle-Management Solutions (PLM) in the industrial sectors of manufacturing systems engineering, mechanical machinery and plant engineering, automotive supply industry and automation engineering. ICP Solution is an Oracle Gold Partner and a specialized partner for PLM solutions with "Oracle Agile PLM for Manufacturing (Agile (e6)" for medium-sized businesses and oversees more than 100 companies in various industries. ICP stands for Industry Competence Partners and advise clients organizationally and technologically for the optimal use and development of PLM-Solutions. Visit www.icpsolution.com

For Further PR Information, Contact:

Celeste White

Inspirage

+1 855-517-4250

Email contact





Thomas Gilgenberg

ICP Solution

+49 172 72 43 163

Email contact


BEIJING, Jan.17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The first "BrandZ' Top 30 Chinese Global Brand Builders" ranking and report was released by WPP and Kantar Millward Brown in collaboration with Google on January 10, 2017. Air China has been named as the 6th most powerful Chinese global brand builder on the ranking and is an enterprise that has won the highest brand power score in China's airline industry.

The 2017 ranking lists the Chinese brands that have most successfully established a presence in overseas markets. Brand Power is the BrandZ' metric of brand equity, the consumer predisposition to choose a particular brand. To provide insights and recommendations, BrandZ' uses its analytics capabilities to analyze 270,000 global consumers' perceptions towards over 560 Chinese and non-Chinese brands across seven countries (US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Japan) and nine product categories (Consumer Electronics, Home Appliances, Airlines, Ecommerce, Mobile Gaming, Internet Services, Smart Devices, Cars, Online Fast Fashion). The Brand Power (the BrandZ' measure of consumer predisposition to choose a particular brand) score was calculated to produce the ranking, which mainly reflects overseas consumers' attitudes towards Chinese brands.

Xiao Feng, Chief Accountant of Air China, attended the ranking release conference and the forum of exchanges. Xiao Feng indicated, "Air China has its own ideas about strategic branding in overseas markets. Air China has always been working hard towards the goal of becoming a leading network carrier recognized worldwide. At the same time, Air China has in place an integrated balanced route network, balanced international and domestic market shares and a powerful loyal customer base, which will help ensure Air China's smooth operations and rapid growth."

In fact, there's still a long way to go before Chinese companies can be highly recognized overseas for "Chinese Excellence". This is also true for Air China. "First, we must understand consumer preferences and the cultural backgrounds of target markets. This is particularly true for service industries. Second, we must improve quality and build brand power. Brands based on low-price competition cannot last long. Third, we must innovate continuously. The whole company must be willing to make changes for consumers. It's important to use new technologies to improve products and services." Air China has been working hard in these three areas, brining the Chinese airline brand to the world.

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458020/Air_China_Logo.jpg
HONG KONG, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Frontier Services Group Limited ("FSG" or the "Company") (SEHK: 00500), a leading security and logistics services company, and Taiping General Insurance Co. Ltd (Taiping) have reached a strategic partnership agreement to develop innovative insurance products and services to comprehensively support overseas Chinese enterprises and projects.

FSG and Taiping will focus on supporting clients operating along the One Belt One Road ("OBOR") region. The new offering will provide clients with innovative insurance products and services covering the unique risks associated with frontier markets.

The new partnership will provide insurance solutions covering personnel, assets and projects from Asia to Africa. FSG's mission is to help businesses operating in frontier markets overcome complex security, logistics and operational challenges by delivering reliable and bespoke solutions. FSG will not only assist Taiping in developing insurance products, but also will be a force multiplier in risk mitigation and operational support through its comprehensive logistics security and cross-border aviation services. These services will help to mitigate risks and provide critical support all insured clients.

China Taiping is currently the longest standing national brand in China's insurance industry. Taiping was founded in Shanghai in 1929 and rose quickly to become one of the leaders in China's insurance industry. China Taiping works across many countries and regions, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Europe, Australia, East Asia and Southeast Asia.

Today's announcement follows the announcement by FSG on 22 December 2016 of the launch of its new insurance division with the objective of partnering with leading insurance firms in China to bring clients operating in frontier markets customized insurance solutions.

Erik Prince, the Chairman of Frontier Services Group said: "We are very excited about FSG's growing insurance division and the opportunity to work with Taiping Insurance. This represents a second significant player working with FSG to develop innovative insurance solutions for companies operating in frontier markets. We look forward to working together with our partners to deliver world class products and solutions to our clients."

Dr. Dongyi Hua, the CEO of FSG commented: "One Belt One Road projects will need new, innovative insurance solutions. This partnership, together with others within our new insurance division, will allow us to offer bespoke and much needed insurance solutions to our clients."

David Whittingham, FSG's head of Corporate Development and Strategy added: "Our clients are our number one priority. The new partnerships we are setting up will allow us to provide them with even better services, de-risking their projects so they can focus on their core business. Taiping is a market leader and this partnership is testament to the high standard of services we are aiming to deliver."

- Ends -

About Frontier Services Group

Frontier Services Group Limited ("FSG") (SEHK: 00500) is a publicly listed company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with its headquarters in Hong Kong and offices in Beijing, Dubai, Nairobi, and Johannesburg. FSG supports businesses operating in frontier markets overcome complex security, logistics and operational challenges. From Asia to Africa, FSG helps transport and protect your people, goods and equipment across air, sea and ground.
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Proto Script Pharmaceutical Corp. dba PSP Homecare ("PSP" or the "Company") (OTC PINK: PSCR), a durable medical equipment provider, is pleased to provide this discussion regarding opportunities in the expanding US power wheelchair and mobility scooter market.

Over the last decade, the global power wheelchair and personal mobility scooter (PWC) market has seen significant growth and innovation. In the US, which represents about 40% of this $1.5 billion market, this growth will continue to be driven by an aging Baby Boomer population and widely available medical insurance programs (Medicare, etc.) which lessen or alleviate the cost to patients.

According to the US Census Bureau, this aging trend in America will continue with the geriatric population (over 65 years of age) expected to grow by 100% to 84 million by 2050. Several other recently published research reports have estimated the global power wheelchair and scooter market to reach $2.40 billion by 2021-22 with the US maintaining the largest market share.

"The power wheelchair and personal mobility scooter market in the US is extremely large and getting larger each month as more and more patients realize how PWC's can positively impact their quality of life and overall independence," commented Michelle Rico, CEO of Proto Script Pharmaceutical Corp. "With an increasing number of very costly power wheelchairs and scooters in heavy daily use, the need for their regular maintenance has never been greater. With this in mind, PSP Homecare has focused its business expansion strategy on meeting the current and rising demand for professional and convenient PWC service and repairs on a national basis."

In the last 5 years alone, more than 3,000,000 patients have obtained a power wheelchair or mobility scooter through Medicare. PSP Homecare estimates that 50% of these PWC's will require new tires annually and 20% will require extensive repairs annually. This does not include at least 1,500,000 older PWC purchases of which all require new batteries at least annually.

Based on an average repair of $1,800 and an average battery/tire change of $500, PSP Homecare estimates a total potential market size of $2.58 billion in sales from this limited slice of the overall PWC service and repair business. These estimates do not include Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) and Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) insurers paying for PWC's for their own beneficiaries.

Michelle Rico concluded, "This extremely vital multi-billion dollar component of the PWC industry has often been overlooked and underserved by smaller local operators who are unable to fully take advantage of this huge market opportunity in a sophisticated way. PSP Homecare's coordinated business strategy should allow us to dominate these local operators with superior sales and service teams, and compelling nationwide marketing programs."

Further details regarding PSP Homecare's planned business expansion and other updates will be made as additional information becomes available.

About Proto Script Pharmaceutical Corp.

Proto Script Pharmaceutical Corp. dba PSP Homecare provides a comprehensive collection of durable medical equipment (DME) like canes, crutches, walkers, commodes, patient lifts, hospital beds, orthotics (braces), wheelchairs, scooters, power wheelchairs, rehabilitation equipment, and accessories. Currently serving California and Nevada, PSP Homecare has specialized in the repair of power wheelchairs and the sale of orthotics since 2011. The Company deals with a growing list of federal, state and private insurance providers such as Medicare, Medi-Cal, Nevada Care and Blue Cross among several others.

Additional information regarding PSP Homecare can be found at www.psphomecare.com.

Proto Script Pharmaceutical Corp. files reports with the Securities & Exchange Commission on EDGAR and anticipates continuing to file such reports. The Company's filings can be viewed at www.sec.gov.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This Proto Script Pharmaceutical Corp. press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including those with respect to the Company's mission statement and growth strategy, are "forward-looking statements." Although the Company's management believes that such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that such expectations are, or will be, correct. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's future results to differ materially from those anticipated. Potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which the Company operates; the uncertainty of regulatory requirements and approvals; and the ability to obtain necessary financing on acceptable terms or at all. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update any of the information contained or referenced in this press release.

PSP Investor Relations Contact:



Toll-Free: (855) 476-7679

E-mail: Email Contact

Website: www.psphomecare.com








HKTDC Communication and Public Affairs Department Joe Kainz Tel: +852 2584 4216 Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org

HONG KONG, Jan 17, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - The 10th edition of the Asian Financial Forum (AFF), co-organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), concluded today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The two-day forum welcomed more than 2,800 financial and business leaders, policymakers, investors and high net-worth individuals from 50 countries and regions. Around 100 high-level speakers shared insights into global economic trends as well as investment opportunities in Asia for the coming year.The AFF, which included a special 10th Edition Cocktail Reception and more than 620 one-on-one matchmaking meetings, presented a dynamic platform for businesses to explore investment opportunities in the financial sector and hear from thought-leaders in the industry.Uncertainty amidst the change of US administrationA number of polling sessions were conducted during the AFF to collect insights and intelligence from participants on various economic issues and development policies. Polling results indicated that nearly half of the attendees (49%) are neutral on the outlook for the global economy this year; among the remaining participants, more (31%) are pessimistic compared to those who are optimistic (20%) towards the economy. However, the percentage of participants voting pessimistic is lower than at last year's AFF, indicating business expectations have slightly improved. Forty-five per cent of attendees think the biggest global economic risk is the policy direction of the new United States administration, while 19 per cent of attendees identified heightened geopolitical tension as another looming risk.Belt and Road opportunitiesOn-site polling results also showed that the highest number of attendees (38%) think China will offer the best investment returns in 2017, an increase of 7.7 percentage points compared to the same poll last year. Twenty-six per cent of attendees said the US is likely to offer the best return on investment. Meanwhile, 15 per cent and 10 per cent expect good return from Southeast Asia and India respectively. However, more than half of the attendees (52%) expect that China's GDP growth will slow to between six and 6.5 per cent; 36 per cent of attendees think annual growth will exceed 6.5 per cent. Twenty-three per cent of attendees said the main growth engine is increasing domestic demand (23%), followed by economic liberalisation and structural reform (18%) and proactive fiscal policies (17%) and the Belt and Road Initiative (17%). Seventy-seven per cent of attendees expect the Belt and Road Initiative to yield substantial economic benefits to most, if not all, ASEAN countries.The Belt and Road Initiative is creating numerous investment opportunities, especially in infrastructure financing, for countries and regions along the Belt and Road routes. To examine this topic, Hong Kong's Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and Hong Kong Monetary Authority Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office (IFFO) co-organised a workshop on "Infrastructure Financing in Asia: Prospects and Challenges". The panel was chaired by Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Norman TL Chan and invited speakers from China's Ministry of Finance, Astana International Financial Centre, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, CLP Holdings Limited, HSBC and Macquarie Group Asia to analyse opportunities and challenges in infrastructure financing in Asia.Business opportunities for different market sectorsOne of the key themes of the AFF was Hong Kong's role in the global market amidst economic challenges and opportunities. This morning's breakfast panel "Positioning Hong Kong in the New World Order", sponsored by the Financial Services Development Council, tapped into this theme. MTR Corporation Limited Chairman Prof Frederick Ma discussed Hong Kong's role on the Belt and Road; Goldman Sachs Asia Bank Limited Chairman Tim Freshwater shared insights into green financing and Lei Zhang, Founder, Chairman & CEO of Hillhouse Capital Management Group spoke about how Hong Kong could leverage its financial infrastructure to develop Fintech. Other AFF workshops covered topics including green economy, China-India economic cooperation, personal wealth management, Fintech and insurance.At today's keynote luncheon, Dr Raghuram Rajan, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, analysed how central banks of different countries can devise appropriate currency policies in the current environment and ways that investors can cope with the changing policy and regulatory landscape.Professional insights into investmentFor a second consecutive year, the AFF hosted the Global Investment Summit, inviting Tao Zhang, Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, to deliver the opening speech, while a number of other high-level guest speakers explored investment opportunities in ASEAN and the Middle East. The Global Investment Zone allowed attendees to learn about investment opportunities and projects from 13 countries including Germany, Iran, Israel, Poland, South Africa, US and Vietnam.The HKTDC also jointly organised the AFF Deal Flow Matchmaking Session with the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association. The session this year arranged more than 620 one-on-one meetings for over 450 investors and project owners, involving more than 450 projects. Project presentation and interaction sessions focussed on four high potential sectors: food and agriculture, environment and production technology, Fintech and infrastructure investment. The Financial and Professional Advisory Services Zone provided free on-site finance consultation services from representatives of financial institutions, accounting firms, legal firms and business consultation companies.The AFF is also a flagship event of the International Financial Week, which features a wide array of events covering topics including connectivity, private investment, and alternative investment, highlighting Hong Kong's strengths as an international financial centre and creating business partnership opportunities.Websites:Asian Financial Forum: http://www.asianfinancialforum.com/enInternational Financial Week: http://www.internationalfinancialweek.com/Photo download: http://bit.ly/2iCahjmTo view press releases in Chinese, please visit http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/tcAbout HKTDCEstablished in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdcTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdcLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-councilSource: HKTDCContact:Copyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
DALLAS, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Masergy Communications Inc., a global leader in hybrid networking, managed security, and cloud communication solutions, today announced that Netherlands-based Huisman has selected the company to connect its global locations via its hybrid WAN solution and award-winning Software Defined Platform. The decision to deploy Masergy was based on its seamless global network that provides all of Huisman's offices with a consistent user experience across all locations.

Founded in 1929, Huisman is a worldwide company that designs and manufactures heavy construction equipment for world's leading companies in the oil and gas, renewables and leisure markets. Huisman has operations in the Netherlands, U.S., Brazil, Czech Republic, Australia, Singapore, China and Norway, requiring a network that provides a consistent network architecture around the globe. The Masergy network solution gives Huisman's IT professionals real-time control of its network through its online portal and a future-proof design that will allow the network to evolve as the company grows.

Andre Faber, Global IT Infrastructure Manager of Huisman in Schiedam, Netherlands, found that Masergy not only met his network criteria, but also embraced a similar commitment to innovation and customer service. "Due to our strong belief in partnerships with our clients, our commitment to finding new technical solutions and our dedication to delivering turnkey projects, we are internationally valued as a solid, reliable partner. Masergy shares these values and is quick to respond to our questions, values a service-centric approach and uses the best technical solutions to bring network transparency to us," Faber said.

"Providing a reliable and consistent network experience anywhere in the world is paramount to conducting business in the global marketplace," said Chris MacFarland, CEO, Masergy. "Our solutions provide consistently high quality performance to meet Huisman's business-critical application performance requirements."

About Masergy

Masergy owns and operates the largest independent Software Defined Platform in the world, delivering hybrid networking, managed security and cloud communication solutions to global enterprises. Our patented technology, customizable solutions and unmatched customer experience are why a growing number of leading organizations rely on Masergy to deliver performance beyond expectations. Learn more about Masergy and follow us on our blog Transforming Enterprise IT, Twitter @Masergy, LinkedIn and Facebook.

For more information, contact:

Betsey Rogers

Public Relations

BridgeView Marketing

603-886-7087

betsey@bridgeviewmarketing.com




QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Nemaska Lithium Inc. ("Nemaska Lithium" or the "Corporation") (TSX: NMX)(OTCQX: NMKEF) is pleased to announce that it currently plans a drilling campaign of approximately 4,000 meters with a view to confirming the Eastern extension of the Doris Zone, which was discovered during the campaign completed on November 28, 2016 (see the December 1st, 2016 press release).

This campaign should commence during March 2017 for an approximate duration of three (3) months. At that time, the Corporation will assess updating its June 2016 feasibility study for the Whabouchi Project.

"Our June 2016 feasibility study is current and suitable for our project financing needs. With the Doris Zone discovery in late fall it is prudent to consider the possible impact of its eastward continuance on the Whabouchi mining plan. We have therefore elected to confirm the continuation of the Doris Zone to the east, before incurring the necessary expenses to update the current feasibility study," commented Guy Bourassa, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Bourassa continued, "For now then, our efforts are focused on processing the bulk sample into a 6% concentrate, delivering battery grade lithium hydroxide to Johnson Matthey Battery Materials Ltd. in Q1/17 and to delivering lithium salts samples to numerous other customers in Q2/17. To that end we have hired a Mine Manager and an Industrial Mineral Sales Director."

About Nemaska Lithium

Nemaska Lithium intends to become a lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate supplier to the emerging lithium battery market that is largely driven by electric vehicles, cell phones, tablets and other consumer products. The Corporation is developing in Quebec one of the most important spodumene lithium hard rock deposit in the world, both in volume and grade. The spodumene concentrate produced at Nemaska Lithium's Whabouchi mine will be shipped to the Corporation's lithium compounds processing plant to be built in Shawinigan, Quebec. This plant will transform spodumene concentrate into high purity lithium hydroxide and carbonate using the proprietary methods developed by the Corporation, and for which the Corporation holds four granted patents and several patent applications that are pending in different countries, covering different aspects and improvements of its proprietary technology for preparing high purity lithium hydroxide and carbonate.

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to, (i) the possible impact of the Doris Zone eastward continuance on the Whabouchi mining plan, (ii) the processing of a bulk sample into a 6% concentrate and (ii) the deliveries of lithium hydroxide and lithium salts to third parties, constitute 'forward-looking information' or 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of certain securities laws, and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect.

Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. 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. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's expectations and plans relating to the future. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.

Further information regarding Nemaska Lithium is available in the SEDAR database (www.sedar.com) and on the Corporation's website at: www.nemaskalithium.com

Contacts:

Mr. Victor Cantore

Investor Relations

514 831-3809

victor.cantore@nemaskalithium.com



Ms. Wanda Cutler

Investor Relations

416 303-6460

wanda.cutler@nemaskalithium.com

www.nemaskalithium.com




MONTREAL, CANADA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- (NYSE: CAE)(TSX: CAE) - CAE today announced that it has won defence contracts on a range of customer platforms valued at more than C$175 million to provide new simulation products, simulator upgrades and training support services for global military customers.

Key contracts awarded during the third quarter of CAE's fiscal year 2017 include Babcock France to support pilot training for the French Air Force; Airbus Defence & Space ordering a new C295 full-flight simulator for its training centre in Seville, Spain, and continuing simulator upgrades as well as training support services on the MH-60 Seahawk for both the United States Navy and Royal Australian Navy.

"The contract with Babcock France is a strategic win in Europe that will provide the French Air Force with a modernised training solution for future fighter pilots," said Gene Colabatistto, CAE's Group President, Defence & Security. "We have been Airbus' long-time training partner on the C295 program and are pleased we will continue to support the training required on this platform, which now will also include the Royal Canadian Air Force following Canada's selection of the C295 for its Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue program. Global militaries and original equipment manufacturers continue to recognize CAE's expertise and experience as a training systems integrator on enduring platforms, and this continues to provide us a healthy pipeline of opportunities around the world."

About CAE

CAE is a global leader in training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets. Backed by a 70-year record of industry firsts, we continue to help define global training standards with our innovative virtual-to-live training solutions to make flying safer, maintain defence force readiness and enhance patient safety. We have the broadest global presence in the industry, with 8,000 employees, 160 sites and training locations in over 35 countries. Each year, we train more than 120,000 civil and defence crewmembers and thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide. www.cae.com. Follow us on Twitter @CAE_Inc and @CAE_Defence

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fact sheet for defence trade media Babcock France FOMEDEC program Babcock France has awarded CAE a contract to support pilot training for the French Air Force (Armee de l'Air). Under a program called the Formation Modernisee et Entrainement Differencie des Equipages de Chasse (FOMEDEC), Babcock France will partner with Dassault Aviation to be responsible for providing the French Air Force with a comprehensive pilot training solution, including Pilatus PC-21 aircraft, ground-based training system, and long- term training support services. FOMEDEC is the French training program designed to train future French Air Force fighter pilots and weapon systems officers. CAE has been subcontracted to provide the comprehensive ground-based training system for the first time on the PC-21 platform, including full- mission simulators, part-task trainers, and instructor operator stations. CAE will use Pilatus-provided PC-21 cockpits for the two full-mission simulators and part-task trainers, and integrate a range of CAE simulation and synthetic environment technologies, including CAE Medallion-6000XR image generator, OGC CDB architecture, and computer-generated forces software. CAE will also provide long-term maintenance and support services for the ground- based training system. Airbus Defence & Space Airbus Defence & Space has awarded CAE a contract to design and manufacture a C295 full-flight simulator (FFS) for the C295 medium transport and surveillance aircraft. The simulator will be located at the Airbus Defence & Space International Training Centre in Seville, Spain and will be the second CAE-built C295 FFS at the training centre. This C295 FFS will be delivered to the Seville training centre in 2018. CAE is also part of the Airbus Defence & Space team that was recently selected to provide the C295 aircraft for the Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue (FWSAR) in Canada. United States Navy and Royal Australian Navy The United States Navy has exercised additional contract options as part of the MH-60R/S Tech Refresh and Procurement of Simulators (TRPS) program. Under the MH-60 TPRS program, CAE USA is performing major updates and upgrades to the U.S. Navy's suite of MH-60S Sierra and MH-60R Romeo training systems, including tactical operational flight trainers and weapons tactics trainers. The U.S. Navy has also contracted CAE to continue providing maintenance and support services for the Royal Australian Navy's MH-60R training systems located at HMAS Albatross near Nowra in New South Wales. About CAE's Defence & Security business CAE's Defence & Security business unit focuses on helping prepare our customers to develop and maintain the highest levels of mission readiness. We are a world-class training systems integrator offering a comprehensive portfolio of training centres, training services and simulation products across the air, land, sea and public safety market segments. We serve our global defence and security customers through regional operations in Canada; the United States/Latin America; Europe/Middle East/Africa; and Asia/Pacific, all of which leverage the full breadth of CAE's capabilities, technologies and solutions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contacts:

CAE contacts:

Helene V. Gagnon, Vice President,

Public Affairs and Global Communications

+1-514-340-5536

helene.v.gagnon@cae.com



Trade media:

Chris Stellwag, Director,

Marketing Communications - Defence and Security

+1-813-887-1242

chris.stellwag@cae.com



Investor relations:

Andrew Arnovitz, Vice President,

Strategy and Investor Relations,

+1-514-734-5760

andrew.arnovitz@cae.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Carl Data Solutions Inc. (CSE: CRL)(CSE: CRL.CN)(FRANKFURT: 7C5)(OTC PINK: CDTAF) ("Carl" or the "Company"), a developer of Big- Data-as-a-Service ("BDaaS")-based solutions for data integration, business intelligence, and the Industrial Internet-of-Things ("IIoT") applications, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent (the "LOI") to acquire 100% of Calgary- based AB Embedded Systems Ltd. ("AB Embedded"), an established industrial sensor and data logger manufacturer.

The LOI contemplates that Carl will purchase 100% of all issued and outstanding common shares of AB Embedded Shares (the "Shares").

The LOI contemplates that, in consideration for the purchase of the Shares, Carl will pay a total of $50,000, in two separate monthly tranches of $25,000, issue an aggregate of 1,195,066 common shares, an additional 542,509 common share purchase warrants if AB Embedded achieves a minimum of CAD$434,000 in revenues for the 12 month period ending December 31, 2017, and an additional 542,509 common share purchase warrants if AB Embedded achieves a minimum of CAD$651,000 in revenue for the 12 month period ending December 31, 2017. The LOI also contemplates that Mr. Attila Bene, President and CEO of AB Embedded, will continue as President of AB Embedded in exchange for, among other things, 100,000 stock options of the Company.

The transactions contemplated under the LOI are subject to, among other things, the parties successfully negotiating and entering into a formal agreement.

AB Embedded is a privately held company based in Calgary, Canada that designs, engineers and manufactures smart control systems and devices for water, solid waste management and industrial monitoring in all-weather environments for the Oil & Gas sector. These high-performance, high-efficiency control systems are designed to perform specific tasks and are deployed where 100 percent reliability and controlled low power consumption are essential. AB has engineered embedded systems for dozens of leading oil and gas corporations across North America. Their systems power more than 250 natural gas compressor sites in Alberta and Saskatchewan alone. AB Embedded has seen significant recent sales growth internationally, especially in the emerging India LNG market.

The proposed acquisition creates an exciting opportunity for Carl to expand its BDaaS applications within the Oil&Gas sector. Integrating AB Embedded's systems and devices into Carl's BDaaS infrastructure offers the potential to provide holistic data systems for all emerging IIoT markets. With cloud-based services that access complete hardware and software solutions for IIoT and Machine to Machine (M2M) systems, integrating real-time monitoring, analysis and reporting will be seamless.

Mr. Bene commented, "My experience as a Control Systems Engineer and Information Technology expert means I understand Big Data; how much is being collected and what kind of operational intelligence needs to be extracted. Carl's BDaaS applications will be very useful for the Oil & Gas sector to monitor operations so they become more efficient, protecting the environment and saving money."

Greg Johnston, CEO of Carl Data Solutions Inc., commented, "AB Embedded will greatly enhance our presence within the Oil & Gas sector. Consistent with our strategy to acquire proven and complimentary companies, upon completion of the acquisition, the Company would look to leverage AB Embedded's technology and customer base to expand our suite of applications to serve this market. We are pleased to be partnering with a company like AB Embedded and look forward to starting our work with them this year."

About Carl Data Solutions Inc.

Carl Data Solutions Inc. is focused on providing next generation information collection, storage and analytics solutions for data centric companies. Building on its recent acquisitions, Flow Works Inc., a company that helps its clients analyze and understand all forms of environmental data through a powerful platform of data collection, monitoring, analysis and reporting tools and Extend to Social Media Inc., a company that specializes in unstructured data analysis from Social Media, Carl develops applications to work with new cloud-based mass storage services and analytics tools (Big-Data-as-a-Service ("BDaaS")).

Carl's development platform can accommodate virtually unlimited storage of any type of data. This technology allows Carl to build advanced applications for monitoring, reporting and analysis. Carl's data collection and storage methods allow the company to build smart Software-as-a-Service ("SaaS")-based applications that can collect data from many diverse sources and provide deep insight for decision-making purposes. More information can be found at www.carlsolutions.com.

About AB Embedded Pvt. Ltd.

AB Embedded Pvt. Ltd., based in Calgary, Canada, has been executing projects in hardware and software engineering design sector since 2006. They focus on embedded systems. Since their embedded systems are engineered to perform specific tasks, their design engineers ensure that customers' cost, power consumption, size, performance and reliability are optimized. Their smart control systems and devices are manufactured specifically for water, solid waste management, industrial control and monitoring in all- weather environments. AB Embedded's high-performance, high-efficiency control systems, are a top choice for the Oil & Gas sector because of their consistent reliability and low power consumption. AB Embedded believe in constant innovation. They are transforming the way engineers design, prototype, and deploy embedded systems for automation, measurement and embedded applications. More information can be found at http://www.ab-embedded.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors:

Greg Johnston

President, Chief Executive Officer, Director

Carl Data Solutions Inc.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. In particular, forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, the statements with respect to the acquisition of AB Embedded pursuant to the LOI, including the shares of AB Embedded that will be purchased by the Company and the shares, warrants and cash that will be issued and paid by the Company, future levels of revenue for AB Embedded, continued services of Mr. Bene, stock options to be granted to Me. Bene and expected time to start the Company's work with AB Embedded; the statements that the proposed acquisition creates an exciting opportunity for Carl to expand its BDaaS applications within the Oil&Gas sector, integrating AB Embedded's smart control systems and devices into Carl's BDaaS infrastructure offers the potential to provide holistic data systems for all emerging IIoT markets and integrating real-time monitoring, analysis and reporting will be seamless; Mr. Bene's statement that Carl's BDaaS application will be very useful for the Oil & Gas sector to monitor operations so they become more efficient, protecting the environment and saving money; and Greg Johnston's statements that AB Embedded will greatly enhance the Company's presence within the Oil & Gas sector and upon completion of the acquisition, the Company would look to leverage AB Embedded's technology and customer base to expand the Company's suite of utilities applications to serve this market.

Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, risks with respect to: delay or failure to complete the transactions contemplated by the LOI, including the risks that the parties may not successfully negotiate and enter into a formal agreement; the inability to successfully integrate the business of AB Embedded; the ability of the Company to establish a market for its services; competitive conditions in the industry; general economic conditions in Canada and globally; the inability to secure additional financing; competition for, among other things, capital and skilled personnel; potential delays or changes in plans with respect to deployment of services or capital expenditures; possibility that government policies or laws may change; technological change; risks related to the Company's competition; the Company's not adequately protecting its intellectual property; interruption or failure of information technology systems; and regulatory risks relating to the Company's business, financings and strategic acquisitions. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

Contacts:

Kimberly Bruce

Corporate Communications

Carl Data Solutions Inc.

(778) 379-0275

kimberly@carlsolutions.com




Tuesday, 17 January 2017

Cadogan Petroleum plc

("Cadogan" or "the Company")

Operational update

Cadogan Petroleum plc announces an update of its operational activities at its oil and gas fields in Western Ukraine. Net production for 2016 averaged 116 boepd, which is 6% higher than the average for 2015 notwithstanding the maturity of the producing assets; while production increased by 6%, emissions to the atmosphere, measured in ton CO2/boe, were further reduced by 10 % over 2015 levels.

The impact of this increased production on the Company's income statement is expected to be compounded this year by a reduction in the royalty rate for oil wells from 45% to 29%, which is effective as from January 1st, 2017, and by the expected oil production from the re-entry of two old, suspended wells in the Monastyretska licence. These re-entries, which are part of Cadogan's strategy to sustain production while minimizing capital expenditures, are planned for the first quarter of this year.

Cadogan is also pleased to announce that its fully owned Dutch subsidiary has entered into a Sale and Purchase Agreement and a Shareholders Agreement with the owners of Exploenergy Srl("Exploenergy")for the purchase of 90% of the company's shares. Exploenergy is an Italian company which has filedapplications for two exploration licences located in the Po Valley, in close proximity to fields discovered by the former operator; two leads have been identified in theselicenceswith combined,un-riskedprospectiveresourcesestimated to bein excess of 60 BCF. Both applications are in an advanced stage of their approval process. Exploenergy has also filedanapplication for a third licence which is not part of this transaction and will be returned to the sellers once they have established a company vehicle.

Upontheaward of eachlicencethe sellers will receive a lump sum payment, notionally corresponding to pastcostsadjusted for debt, receivables and payables, and will be carried for their 10 %holdinguntil first commercial gas.

Guido Michelotti, Cadogan Petroleum CEO, commented "This transaction gives Cadogan an opportunity to apply, outside of Ukraine,our successful business model of being an efficient operator of marginal fields. We will work closely with the former management of Exploenergy and the Italian stakeholders at large to complete the application processexpeditiously".

The transaction represents the first step of Cadogan's strategy of reloading and geographically diversifying its portfolio of licences. The shares of Exploenergy will be transferredto Cadoganonce the transaction has been registered at Milan Chamber of Commerce, which is expected to occur in the next couple of weeks.

The information contained within this announcement may contain inside information stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Cadogan Petroleum Plc +380 (44) 594 5870

Guido Michelotti

Chief Executive Officer

Marta Halabala

Company Secretary

Cantor Fitzgerald Europe +44 (0) 20 7894 7000

David Porter
Chinese President Xi Jinpingarrived here Sunday to pay a state visit to Switzerland and attend the 2017 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. It is the first state visit to the Alpine country by a Chinese president in the 21st century. And meanwhile, Xi will become the first Chinese head of state to attend the Davos meeting. In a written speech delivered at the airport, the Chinese president briefly reviewed the friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two countries since they established diplomatic ties 67 years ago. more>>
TUSTIN, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Premier Holding Corporation (OTCQB: PRHL), announces that its Board Member Dr. Woodrow (Woody) W. Clark II, MA3, PhD, a Qualitative Economist and Managing Director of Clark Strategy Partners, was re-appointed last November to the German-supported United Nations B20 Financial Growth and Infrastructure Task Force for 2017. His expertise on where sustainability technologies and strategies meets financial considerations is invaluable to the Task Force. Further details on the UN G20 can be found at:

http://g20executivetalkseries.com

Dr. Clark was also appointed in July 2016 to be on the Editorial Board of the Mandarin Language Energy Review Journal (EJR). He continues to work with both academic and business groups in China.

Clark's article this month in ERJ concerns the technologies and systems for on-site power and "green development" of energy technologies that are good for the environment, reduce climate change, and meet or exceed the results of the UN G20 Summit held in Hangzhou, China (September 2016) that called for "green development" around the world; and the need for "action and not more talk". Clark was there for that Summit as a member of the UNB20 Finance Task Force supported by PRHL. As Clark puts it, "PRHL is an example, and now increasingly in China, of a company that embraces and furthers 'green development' which is a key outcome of the G20". Further information on the B20 meeting and outcome from it meeting in September 2016 can be found at:

http://en.b20-china.org/

Premier is honored to have such an international expert serving on its board. President and CEO Randall Letcavage said: "I have worked with Woody for over 4 years now and he has always been ahead of his time. The strategies and technologies he introduced to us four years ago are now coming to fruition and thanks to him, PRHL is poised to do many wonderful things here in the US, China and internationally. We are grateful for Woody's contribution to PRHL's future success."

About Woodrow W. Clark II

PRHL Board Member "Woody" Clark is an internationally recognized and respected expert, author, lecturer, public speaker and consultant on global and local solutions to climate change. His core advocacy is in the economics for smart green communities. During the 1990s, he was Manager of Strategic Planning for Technology Transfer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) with the University of California and the U.S. Department of Energy. While at LLNL, he served as one of the contributing scientists and experts for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. He chaired the first Research Team for the UN FCCC.

In 2004, Clark founded, and manages, Clark Strategic Partners (CSP), a global environmental and renewable energy consulting firm using his political-economic expertise to guide, advise and implement public and private projects advancing sustainable, smart green communities as well as colleges, universities, shopping malls, office buildings and film studios. In 2015-2016, Clark is teaching courses at University of International Relations UIR) in Beijing. In 2012-15, Clark was Renewable Energy, Emerging Technologies & Finance Advisor to California Governor Gray Davis from 2000-2003.

Clark has published eleven books and over 70 peer-reviewed articles, which reflect his concern for global sustainable communities. Recent authored and edited books are The Next Economics (Springer, 2012) and Global Sustainable Communities Handbook (Elsevier, 2014). In addition, his latest coauthored books, with Grant Cooke, are The Green Industrial Revolution (Elsevier, 2014), China's Green Industrial Revolution (in Mandarin, 2015) and Smart Green Cities (Routledge, February 2016). He is currently updated his first book, Agile Energy Systems for Elsevier Press published in early 2017.

In 2014, building on his mass media background (Clark Communications, 1980s), he founded Clark Mass Media Company (CM2C), which specializes in documentary, education and dramatic series on environmental, economic, political and global climate change social issues. Clark earned three master separate degrees from different universities in Illinois and his Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley in Northern California. His PhD Thesis then (1970s) was on Violence in Public Schools which will now be updated as a book published in late 2017 by NOVA Press.

About UN B20

The UN B20 is an integral part of the UN G20 process, representing the entire G20 business community. The mission of the B20 is to support the G20 through consolidated representation of interests, concrete policy proposals, and expertise. Furthermore, the B20 promotes dialogue among policymakers, civil society, and businesses around the world.

In the B20, business representatives from the entire G20 develop joint recommendations and advocate specific policy actions across the entire G20 agenda. In addition, the B20 organizes a number of events and provides a platform for exchanges with governments and other stakeholders of the G20 process. Like the G20, the B20 is a perennial process with working activities and events during the entire year.

About Premier Holding Corporation

Under the corporate motto, "Everything Energy", Premier is focused on acquiring and integrating energy companies as synergistic subsidiaries. The Company accumulates residential and commercial clients in deregulated markets from all subsidiaries and cross sells energy and energy efficiency products and services including LED lighting, energy management systems, smart home technology, and more, maximizing profit potential and minimizing cost of client procurement (www.E3EnergyExperts.com). In addition, Premier Holding provides top line management and financial support, which includes access to capital, financing, legal, insurance, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and management strategies. Additional integrated business offerings include direct energy services as power purchase agreements (PPAs), energy financing and leasing of generation programs in urban and rural real estate environments, lighting efficiency systems and refrigeration systems. For more information, visit PRHL Investors Relations www.prhlcorp.com.

Premier Holding Corp. Safe Harbor

This press release contains certain statements that may include "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," "anticipate," "optimistic," "intend," "will" or other similar expressions. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website at http://www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

Contact:

Name: Megan Samson

Phone: (949) 260-8070

Address: 1382 Valencia Avenue, Unit F, Tustin, CA 92780

Email: Msamson@prhlcorp.com




SAN FRANCISCO, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The globaloil free air compressors marketis expected to reach USD 15.2 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Air compressors are heavily used in manufacturing applications, for instance, oil-free air is directly used in various locations as a power source for manufacturing machines. A strong demand from the food & beverage sector, owing to the mandatory health & safety requirements, is expected to drive the oil free air compressors market growth over the forecast period.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150105/723757 )



Industries such as manufacturing are espousing economical manufacturing methods so as to drive profitability. The surging demand for these systems from operative energy dissemination solicitations due to cost optimizing features is predicted to fuel the industry growth. Factors such as lower installation and maintenance cost are expected to positively elevate the industry growth.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Oil Free Air Compressor Market Analysis By Product (Stationary, Portable), By Technology (Reciprocating, Rotary, Centrifugal), By Application (Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Energy, F&B, Healthcare, Semiconductor & Electronics), And Segment Forecasts, 2014 - 2025" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/oil-free-air-compressors-market

Further key findings from the report suggest:

On account of benefits including light-weight and durability the portable oil free air compressors emerged as a dominant segment in 2015, a trend anticipated to continue towards the end of the forecast period.

Centrifugal oil free air compressors segment is expected to witness rapid growth from 2016 to 2025, which is primarily ascribed to their ability to reduce carbon footprint ensuring clean and reliable air supply.

The manufacturing sector captured the largest share in 2015; however, home appliances followed by oil & gas segment are anticipated to witness fastest growth owing to the criticality of these products, wherein even a droplet of oil result into the production equipment spoilage.

Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the fastest growing region with a CAGR exceeding 4.0% over the forecast period, mainly on account of rapid industrialization and expanding manufacturing sector.

is expected to emerge as the fastest growing region with a CAGR exceeding 4.0% over the forecast period, mainly on account of rapid industrialization and expanding manufacturing sector. The market is fragmented in nature and the key purveyors comprise Atlas Copco, Ingersoll Rand , Gardner Denver, General Electric and Bauer Group among others, wherein mergers & acquisitions along with technologically advanced product development remain to be the key strategies adopted to gain competitive advantage.

Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX VENTURE: ORE) is pleased to announce positive drilling and preliminary metallurgical test results from a recent 5,968 m drill program at its 100%-owned Bombore Gold Project in Burkina Faso. These programs were focused on P17S, a new higher grade sulphide zone hosted in a shallowly plunging felsic intrusive, and on the oxide mineralization of the P13 oxide target, both situated on the Toeyoko permit adjacent to the Bombore mining permit. Previous shallow drilling at P17S from surface to a depth of only 60 m (see press release July 10, 2014) resulted in a Measured and Indicated sulphide resource of 337,000 tonnes at 2.5 gpt for 27,000 ounces of gold. The results from the recently completed drill program (62 holes) intersected the unit at depths of up to 100 m and have the potential to substantially increase this resource. The deposit remains open at depth and to the north. In addition, previous geophysical and geochemical surveys indicate there are similar targets in close proximity that remain to be tested.

Highlights of the P17S Drill Results include:

Section m Hole_ID Type From_m To_m Length_m Au_gpt Depth m ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42850 TYD0041 DD 106.00 118.45 12.45 7.42 84 42850 TYD0042 DD 124.00 143.25 19.25 2.62 102 42825 TYD0030 DD 43.00 55.00 12.00 2.58 38 42825 TYD0038 DD 115.00 123.40 8.40 3.42 89 42800 TYC0133 RC 30.00 43.00 13.00 3.41 30 42800 TYD0023 DD 44.00 52.50 8.50 4.65 38 42800 TYD0029 DD 91.60 99.90 8.30 4.07 73 42800 TYD0037 DD 99.00 117.20 18.20 1.49 82 42775 TYC0131 RC 11.00 24.00 13.00 2.39 14 42775 TYC0082 RC 20.00 32.00 12.00 3.68 20 42775 TYD0044 DD 34.75 40.60 5.85 5.20 28 42775 TYD0027 DD 88.40 98.00 9.60 4.02 70 42775 TYD0036 DD 103.30 110.30 7.00 6.94 81 42750 TYC0130 RC 6.00 18.00 12.00 3.68 9 42750 TYD0035 DD 85.00 90.50 5.50 7.62 67 42700 TYD0045(i) DD 35.00 44.50 9.50 3.31 30 42650 TYC0081 RC 24.00 38.00 14.00 5.88 25 42650 TYD0046 DD 35.00 52.50 17.50 2.44 36 42625 TYC0123 RC 11.00 18.00 7.00 7.49 12 42612.5 TYC0138 RC 0.00 9.00 9.00 4.87 6 42612.5 TYC0139 RC 8.00 15.00 7.00 5.31 9 42612.5 TYC0121(i) RC 19.00 25.00 6.00 7.69 18 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(i) These two holes are included in the current P17S resource.

A detailed list of all holes in P17S can be found on the Company website at the following link. (P17S Drill Results)

"This discovery is very significant as the free milling sulphides of P17S, at an average grade of +2 gpt would greatly enhance the economics of any planned Phase II sulphide expansion," stated Ron Little, CEO for Orezone. "The Bombore Measured and Indicated sulphide resources, which are amenable to standard milling and carbon in leach (CIL) recovery processes, are currently 71 Mt at 0.97 gpt for 2.2 Moz. If we continue to expand these higher grade sulphide resources, a Preliminary Economic Study of Phase II will be completed to determine the potential impact on the overall economics and to update the valuation of the project." The Company is planning an additional 20,000 m of drilling on various targets in H1 2017.

P17S Positive Preliminary Metallurgical Test Results

Orezone contracted SGS Lakefield to perform a metallurgical test program on 100 kg of representative composite samples from the P17S drill core. The samples were crushed and blended, then split into subsamples for metallurgical and analytical test work. Repeat assays showed an average gold grade of 3.1 gpt, slightly higher than an average from core assays (2.57 gpt). The grinding testwork indicates a Bond Work index of 14.2 kWh/tonne which is slightly lower than average index of the Bombore sulphide mineralization at 16.8 kWh/tonne. Direct cyanidation bottle roll tests averaged 94.8% after a 48-hour leach, with a grind size of 74 microns and 81% recovery after a 24-hour leach. These results are on average better than the whole ore cyanidation recoveries expected for main sulphide material at Bombore based on a standard CIL circuit.

In addition, gravity recovery and the flotation of gravity tails show very positive results. Gravity concentration recovered 61% of the contained gold into 0.1% of the mass treated. This is much higher than in the main Bombore sulphides (approx. 15%). Flotation of the tails from the gravity concentration recovered an additional 32% of the overall gold into 8% of the total mass treated. Regrind and cyanidation of this resulted in an overall combined recovery from gravity and flotation/regrind/cyanidation of just over 94%.

Reagent consumptions on the whole were moderate at 1.4 kg NaCN/tonne and just under 1 kg/tonne lime, in line with tests on the main ore body sulphides. There is no indication of preg-robbing (CIL tests did not show improved cyanidation recovery).

P17S Target Expansion

The P17S mineralization is hosted in a deformed and metasomatized granodiorite intrusive that typically contains 1 to 2% fine disseminated sulphides including arsenopyrite, pyrite and pyrrhotite.

The recent drill program confirmed that the P17S mineralized granodiorite extends over 275 m along strike and remains open at depth in a folded sequence of metagabbro and metasediments that plunges 20 degrees to the north from surface. The result is an open W-shaped and overturned synformal structure with an axial plane that dips about 45 degrees to the East, somewhat shallower than the general dip of the Bombore deposit.

Orezone will recommence work in January with a geophysical (IP) survey and saprolite sampling (auger drilling) over the area so that RC and core drilling can continue in February at P17S and other potential similar targets that may occur within the same geological setting.

P13 Target Expansion

Also during Q4 2016, the company completed 1,853 m (37 boreholes) of RC drilling on the P13 target to follow-up positive scout drilling results from 2013 on section lines that were spaced 400 m apart along a 4 km NE trend. The mineralization is hosted in carbonaceous metapelitic sediments surrounding a NE-trending metagrabbro unit. The recent program consists of 50 m step out RC holes along the interpreted mineralized structures.

The best mineralized drill intercepts to date average about 6 m in length with a gold grade averaging 1.9 gpt. Follow-up work will include geophysical surveys to better define the lithologies and structures in advance of the next round of definition drilling.

Highlights of the P13 Drill Results include:

Section Hole_ID Type From_m To_m Length_m Au_gpt ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4750 TYC0120 RC 26.0 31.0 5.00 1.98 4650 TYC0118 RC 20.0 22.0 2.00 3.06 4650 TYC0118 RC 24.0 38.0 14.00 1.14 4575 TYC0112 RC 27.0 39.0 12.00 0.42 3050 TYC0100 RC 13.0 20.0 7.00 1.80 2250 TYC0090 RC 9.0 15.0 6.00 2.31 2250 TYC0090 RC 48.0 50.0 2.00 5.11

The mineralized intervals are based on a lower cut-off grade of 0.45 g/t, a minimal width of 2 m and up to a maximum of 1.2 m of dilution being included. The true width of the mineralization is approximately 90% of the drill length at P17S, but is unknown at this stage at P13. The RC drilling samples were divided by Orezone employees using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 2 kg split was prepared by SGS Burkina Faso s.a.r.l. at their Ouagadougou facility and then split by Orezone to 1 kg using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 1 kg aliquot was analyzed for leachable gold at BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l in Ouagadougou, by bottle-roll cyanidation using a LeachWellTM catalyst. The leach residues from all samples with a leach grade in excess of 0.2 g/t were prepared by BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l. and then split by Orezone to 50 g using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 50 g aliquot was analyzed by fire assay at SGS Burkina Faso s.a.r.l. Orezone employs a rigorous Quality Control Program (QCP) including a minimum of 10% standards, blanks and duplicates. The composite width and grade include the final leach residue assay results for most of the drill intercepts reported. A complete list of historical drill results on P17S and P13 and analytical procedures can be found on the company's website at the following link (Drill Results).

Orezone Strengthens Executive Management Team

The Company is also pleased to announce that Patrick Downey will assume the role of Executive Chairman before the end of January. Over the past 6 months Mr. Downey has been more involved with the senior management, including the various technical programs and financial planning. "I am keen to contribute in a more significant way with these aspects and the overall strategic objectives of the Company as it moves to complete an updated feasibility study and consider the various alternatives to develop the project," stated Mr. Downey.

About Orezone Gold Corporation

Orezone is a Canadian company with a gold discovery track record of +12 Moz and recent mine development experience in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The Company owns a 100% interest in Bombore, the largest undeveloped oxide gold deposit in West Africa which is situated 85 km east of the capital city, adjacent to an international highway. The Company is continuing with exploration and various technical studies in order to be in a position to complete an updated feasibility study during H1 2017.

Tim Miller, SME and COO, Pascal Marquis, Geo and SVP and Ron Little, PEng and CEO of Orezone, are Qualified Persons under National Instrument 43-101 and have approved the information in this release. Readers should refer to the annual information form of Orezone for the year ended December 31, 2015 and other continuous disclosure documents filed by Orezone since January 1, 2016 available at www.sedar.com, for this detailed information, which is subject to the qualifications and notes set forth therein.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "potential", "possible" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "will", "could", or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding, among others; the drill results from the recently completed drill program P17S have the potential to substantially the resource, completing an updated feasibility study at Bombore during H1 2017, completing a PEA on the Bombore Phase II sulphide expansion, and completing 20,000 m of additional drilling during H1 2015.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release.

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.

Contacts:

Orezone Gold Corporation

+1 (613) 241-3699

www.orezone.com




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison" or the "Company") (TSX: DML)(NYSE MKT: DNN) is pleased to announce the details of its CAD$14.5 million (Denison's share) exploration and evaluation budget for 2017. The budget is focused on the Company's 60% owned flagship Wheeler River project, which is located in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region, in northern Saskatchewan.

Following a break in field activities, after the completion of a highly successful summer exploration program in October 2016, exploration drilling and project development work resumed at Wheeler River in early January 2017. The 2017 work program for Wheeler River includes approximately 46,000 metres of infill and exploration drilling designed to confirm and expand uranium mineralization at or near the Gryphon deposit, ahead of the completion of a Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") for the project. Accordingly, a CAD$12.5 million work program and budget has been approved for Wheeler River in 2017, of which Denison's share will be CAD$9.4 million - representing 75% of the project budget. As previously announced on January 10, 2017, Denison has entered into an agreement with its Wheeler River Joint Venture partners, Cameco Corp. ("Cameco") and JCU (Canada) Exploration Limited ("JCU") to fund 75% of Joint Venture expenses in 2017 and 2018 (ordinarily 60%) in exchange for an increase in Denison's interest in the project to up to approximately 66%. Under the terms of the agreement, Cameco will fund 50% of its ordinary 30% share in 2017 and 2018, and JCU is expected to continue to fund its 10% interest in the project.

Additional exploration programs are expected to commence in the coming weeks on five high-priority pipeline projects included in Denison's significant Athabasca-focused exploration portfolio. High-priority projects for 2017 include the recently acquired Hook-Carter project, in the western portion of the Athabasca Basin, as well as the Waterbury Lake, Murphy Lake, Crawford Lake and Moon Lake South projects in the eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin. The Company's exploration and evaluation activities for 2017 are fully funded with a total budget of approximately CAD$14.5 million (Denison's share). Including partner's share of expenses, the projected 2017 work program is budgeted to cost over CAD$20.5 million, and is expected to include approximately 68,000 metres of drilling across eight of Denison's projects.

David Cates, President and CEO of Denison, commented, "Following the recent announcement of our agreement to increase our interest in our flagship Wheeler River project, from our existing 60% interest to up to approximately 66%, it should come as no surprise that our 2017 budget is heavily weighted towards the work required to advance Wheeler River towards the completion of a PFS. With new mineralization discovered in the immediate vicinity of the Gryphon deposit on numerous fronts in 2016, and the addition of the highly prospective Hook-Carter project to our exploration pipeline portfolio in late 2016, we are optimistic that 2017 is poised to be another high-impact year for Denison's Saskatoon based exploration team."

Wheeler River Project

In April 2016, Denison released a Preliminary Economic Analysis ("PEA") for the Wheeler River project, which evaluated the economic merit of co-developing the Gryphon and Phoenix deposits. The PEA returned a Pre-Tax internal rate of return ("IRR") of 20.4%, based on a uranium price of US$44/lb U3O8 and initial CAPEX for Denison's 60% interest of CAD$336 million. A Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") was initiated later in 2016 with completion originally expected in mid-2017.

Since the PEA was released, Denison completed a highly successful 2016 exploration drilling program, which identified additional mineralization in the immediate vicinity of the Gryphon deposit - including the newly discovered D Series lenses to the northwest and the up-dip and down-dip expansion of the A and B Series lenses. These discoveries provide potential to materially increase the estimated mineral resources at Gryphon, which could extend the mine life in the economic model for the Gryphon deposit and ultimately improve the economics of the project. As a result, the original timeline for completing infill drilling at the Gryphon deposit during H1-2017 has been modified to allow for additional exploration and infill drilling throughout the 2017 winter and summer field seasons. Additional infill drilling is intended to improve the indicated resource base at Gryphon for inclusion in the PFS. Consequently, the completion of the PFS has also been deferred from H2-2017 to H1-2018.

Project Development

Project development field programs, including environmental and engineering data collection programs required for the PFS and Environmental Assessment process, commenced at Wheeler River in June 2016 (see Denison's Press Release dated November 2, 2016 for a detailed update). Existing data collection programs will continue during 2017 and additional programs, including metallurgical testing and analysis, will be initiated. Further engineering studies related to shaft sinking methodologies, mining methods and water treatment will also be initiated in 2017. In addition, throughout the year, Denison expects to continue to advance and strengthen relationships with various northern communities.

Gryphon Infill Drilling

Concurrent with project development field programs, infill drilling will continue at the Gryphon deposit in 2017 in order to upgrade the inferred resources to an indicated level of confidence. This drilling program involves increasing the previous 50 x 50 metre drill spacing to an approximate 25 x 25 metre spacing across the previously defined A, B and C Series lenses of the Gryphon deposit. An initial set of five infill drill holes was completed during 2016 and approximately 35 infill drill holes are expected to be completed during 2017, to achieve the 25 x 25 metre spacing. The directional drilling method utilized during 2016, which demonstrated significant cost savings and reliable accuracy, will continue in 2017.

Gryphon Exploration Drilling

Exploration drilling outside of the Gryphon deposit during 2016 resulted in the discovery of (1) new high grade lenses of mineralization approximately 200 metres northwest of the Gryphon deposit (termed the D Series lenses), which have been delineated over approximately 330 metres of strike length, and (2) high grade intersections down-dip and along strike of the Gryphon deposit A and B Series lenses (see Denison's Press Release dated November 17, 2016). These high grade results are located outside of the previously released inferred resources, in areas that remain open for further expansion and constitute priority target areas for drill testing in 2017.

High Priority Pipeline Projects

Hook-Carter Project

Denison's Hook-Carter project includes the Hook-Carter claims acquired from ALX Uranium Corp. ("ALX") and the contiguous Coppin Lake claims acquired from AREVA Resources Canada Inc. and UEX Corporation. The Hook-Carter project is owned 80% by Denison and 20% by ALX, and Denison has agreed to fund ALX's share of the first CAD$12M in expenditures (see Denison's Press Releases dated October 13th and November 7th, 2016). The Hook-Carter project consists of 38 claims, totaling nearly 20,000 hectares, and is located near the southwestern margin of the Athabasca Basin. The project is highlighted by 15 kilometres of strike potential along the prolific Patterson Lake Corridor - host to the recently discovered Triple R deposit (Fission Uranium Corp.), Arrow deposit (NexGen Energy Ltd.), and Spitfire discovery (Purepoint Uranium Group Inc., Cameco Corp., and AREVA Resources Canada Inc.), which occur within 8 to 20 kilometres of the property. The property is significantly underexplored compared to other properties along this trend, with only five of eight historic drill holes located along the 15 kilometres of Patterson Lake Corridor strike length. The property also covers significant portions of the Derkson and Carter Corridors which provide additional priority target areas.

Denison's work plan for Hook-Carter in 2017 includes initial ground resistivity and electromagnetic surveying during winter, followed by a reconnaissance five-hole drill program (2,700 metres) during the summer months. Work is expected to be focused on the southwestern portion of the property on the Patterson Lake Corridor, where Athabasca sandstone thicknesses vary between 250 and 450 metres.

Waterbury Lake Project

Denison's 63.01% owned Waterbury Lake project, which includes the J-Zone uranium deposit, is located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill, and is situated near the Roughrider, Midwest and Midwest A deposits. During the 2016 exploration program, Denison identified the new and highly prospective Hamilton Lake trend, located on the western side of the property (see Denison's Press Release dated November 3, 2016). An initial two-hole drill fence identified features associated with unconformity-related uranium deposits, including highly altered and structured sandstone and graphitic basement rocks, an unconformity offset, and anomalous geochemistry including 8.3 ppm uranium over the basal 25 metres of sandstone and 0.5 metres intervals of 389 ppm and 299 ppm uranium immediately above the unconformity. The Hamilton Lake trend has an interpreted minimum strike length of 4.5 kilometres to the south of the two holes completed in 2016 and appears to continue for a further 9 kilometres to the north. No drilling has been conducted along this trend outside of the two holes completed in 2016. A winter drill program of approximately 10 holes (4,600 metres) is planned to test priority resistivity targets along this extensive trend.

Murphy Lake Project

Exploration drilling during 2016 extended the strike length of mineralization and strong sandstone alteration, originally encountered during the winter of 2015, from 200 to 850 metres. As outlined in Denison's Press Release dated April 21, 2016, highlight mineralized drill intercepts include 0.25% U3O8 over 6.0 metres (drill hole MP-15-03), 0.13% U3O8 over 14.5 metres (drill hole MP-16-11) and 0.19% eU3O8 over 2.9 metres drill hole (MP-16-08). The mineralization occurs at, or immediately above, the sub-Athabasca unconformity (similar to other Athabasca unconformity-hosted deposits) and is open along strike both to the east and to the west. A drilling program consisting of a total of eight drill holes (3,200 metres) is planned for the winter of 2017 and is expected to test high-priority geophysical and geological targets along strike of the mineralized zone. The Murphy Lake property is located approximately 30 kilometres northwest of the McClean Lake mill and is a joint venture between Denison (78.94%) and Eros Resources Corp. (21.06%).

Crawford Lake and Moon Lake South Projects

Denison continues to receive encouraging results from the CR-3 conductive trend located on the Crawford Lake property (100% Denison) and the Moon Lake South property (Denison earn-in option, currently 100% owned by CanAlaska Uranium Ltd). The CR-3 trend is located approximately 2 kilometres west of the K-Trend - a highly prospective trend which hosts the Gryphon deposit on Denison's adjacent Wheeler River property. Drilling during 2015 and 2016 at Crawford Lake identified strong alteration and significant structure along the CR-3 trend, both within the Athabasca sandstone and underlying graphitic basement rocks. An initial hole drilled at Moon Lake South in 2016 (MS-16-01) on the CR-3 trend intersected 0.1% U3O8 over 0.5 metres at the sub-Athabasca unconformity, and was encompassed by a significant sandstone alteration and geochemical halo (see Denison's Press Release dated April 21, 2016). The CR-3 trend has been interpreted over a distance of approximately nine kilometres with only six drill holes completed to date. The trend is completely untested to the northeast of drill hole MS-16-01 on the Moon Lake South property. Work planned for 2017 along the CR-3 conductive trend includes a resistivity survey at Moon Lake South during the winter and a four-hole summer drill program (2,300 metres) to test priority targets at both Crawford Lake and Moon Lake South.

Non-Operated Projects

Drilling programs are also planned in 2017 for joint venture projects operated by AREVA Resources Canada Inc., including 4,500 metres of drilling in approximately 15 holes at Wolly (22.5% Denison), and 4,800 metres of drilling in approximately 18 holes at McClean Lake (22.5% Denison). No field work is planned in 2017 for the Mann Lake project (30% Denison), which is operated by Cameco Corp.

Illustrative Figures & Further Details

Figure 1 provides a map of Denison's Athabasca Basin mineral dispositions with priority exploration projects outlined in bold. A detailed location and basement geology map for Wheeler River is provided in Figure 2. A plan map of the northeast plunging Gryphon deposit mineralized lenses, projected up to the simplified basement geology at the sub-Athabasca unconformity, is provided in Figure 3. The plan map shows the location of the D Series lenses, interpreted from the 2016 drilling and assay results. All mineralized lenses are defined using a 0.05% U3O8 grade shell and minimum thickness of two metres. Assay results shown have been previously reported in Denison's Press Release dated November 17, 2016. All Gryphon drill holes shown are drilled at a high angle to mineralization to allow for better evaluation of true thicknesses which are expected to be approximately 75% of the intersection lengths.

Further details regarding the Gryphon deposit and the current mineral resource estimates for Wheeler River are provided in the NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Wheeler River project titled "Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Wheeler River Uranium Project, Saskatchewan, Canada" dated April 8, 2016 with an effective date of March 31, 2016. A copy of this report is available on Denison's website and under its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. Further details on Denison's pipeline exploration projects are available in the Company's MD&A available on Denison's website and under its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

Qualified Person & Assay Procedures

The disclosure of a scientific or technical nature contained in this news release was prepared by Dale Verran, MSc, Pr.Sci.Nat., Denison's Vice President, Exploration, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101.

Drill core with anomalous total gamma radioactivity (greater than 500 counts per second) was selected for sampling and uranium assay over 0.5 metre intervals. Sampling is undertaken on site by splitting the core in half, with one half submitted for analysis and the other half retained in the core box for future reference. Uranium assays are performed by the Saskatchewan Research Council ("SRC") Geoanalytical Laboratories using an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited method for the determination of U3O8 weight %. Sample preparation involves crushing and pulverizing core samples to 90% passing -106 microns. The resultant pulp is digested using aqua-regia and the solution analyzed for U3O8 weight % using ICP-OES. For further details regarding the description of the data verification, assay procedures and the quality assurance program and quality control measures applied by Denison, please see Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 24, 2016 available under Denison's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and its Form 40-F available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

About Wheeler River

The Wheeler River property is a joint venture between Denison (60% and operator), Cameco Corp. (30%), and JCU (Canada) Exploration Company Limited (10%), and is host to the high-grade Gryphon and Phoenix uranium deposits discovered by Denison in 2014 and 2008, respectively. The Gryphon deposit is hosted in basement rock and is currently estimated to contain inferred resources of 43.0 million pounds U3O8 (above a cut-off grade of 0.2% U3O8) based on 834,000 tonnes of mineralization at an average grade of 2.3% U3O8. The Phoenix unconformity deposit is located approximately 3 kilometres to the southeast of Gryphon and is estimated to include indicated resources of 70.2 million pounds U3O8 (above a cut-off grade of 0.8% U3O8) based on 166,000 tonnes of mineralization at an average grade of 19.1% U3O8, and is the highest grade undeveloped uranium deposit in the world.

On April 4th, 2016, Denison announced the results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the Wheeler River Project, which considers the potential economic merit of co-developing the high-grade Gryphon and Phoenix deposits as a single underground mining operation. The PEA returned a base case pre-tax Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") of 20.4% based on the current long term contract price of uranium (US$44.00 per pound U3O8), and Denison's share of estimated initial capital expenditures ("CAPEX") of CAD$336M (CAD$560M on 100% ownership basis). Exploration results from the winter and summer 2016 drilling program have not been incorporated into the resource estimate or the PEA. The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. On July 19th, 2016 Denison announced the initiation of a Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") for the Wheeler River property and the complimentary commencement of an infill drilling program at the Gryphon deposit to bring the inferred resources to an indicated level of confidence.

About Denison

Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan. Including its 60% owned Wheeler River project, which hosts the high grade Phoenix and Gryphon uranium deposits, Denison's exploration portfolio consists of numerous projects covering over 350,000 hectares in the infrastructure rich eastern Athabasca Basin. Denison's interests in Saskatchewan also include a 22.5% ownership interest in the McClean Lake joint venture, which includes several uranium deposits and the McClean Lake uranium mill, which is currently processing ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement, plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest deposit and a 63.01% interest in the J-Zone deposit on the Waterbury Lake property. Both the Midwest and J Zone deposits are located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill.

Denison is also engaged in mine decommissioning and environmental services through its Denison Environmental Services division and is the manager of Uranium Participation Corp., a publicly traded company which invests in uranium oxide and uranium hexafluoride.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Denison. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes", or the negatives and/or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the following: exploration (including drilling) and evaluation activities, plans and objectives; potential mineralization of drill targets; the estimates of Denison's mineral resources and the results of its PEA.

Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable but there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and may differ materially from those anticipated in this forward looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the "Risk Factors" in Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 24, 2016 available under its profile at www.sedar.com and in its Form 40-F available at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. These factors are not, and should not be construed as being, exhaustive.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Denison does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this press release to conform such information to actual results or to changes in its expectations except as otherwise required by applicable legislation.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources: This press release may use the terms "measured", "indicated" and "inferred" mineral resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated mineral resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable.

To view Figures 1-3, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/2890m.pdf

Contacts:

David Cates

President and Chief Executive Officer

(416) 979-1991 ext. 362



Sophia Shane

Investor Relations

(604) 689-7842



Follow Denison on Twitter

@DenisonMinesCo




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: ELO)(FRANKFURT: P2Q) ("Eloro" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company's Peruvian subsidiary, Compania Minera Eloro Peru SAC ("Minera Eloro Peru"), has registered four additional mining claims totalling 3,400 hectares ("ha") (34 sq.km) of prospective exploration lands on the southern boundary of its wholly-owned La Victoria Gold/Silver Project. This brings the total lands held to 8,042 ha (80.4 sq.km.) in 8 concessions and 8 claims.

As part of a continuing review of the surface geology of the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project and environs, a large tract of land bordering the Rufina 2 Concession to the south was seen to host geology similar to what is seen on the Ccori Orcco Concession, and mining rights were available to acquire by staking. This property acquisition makes Minera Eloro Peru one of the largest holders of mining rights in the northern Ancash Department section of the North-Central Peru Mineralized Belt.

In addition, extensive new mineral claims have been registered by major corporations since January 1, 2017, demonstrating a new influx of some of the world's largest and best known mining companies entering into the northern Ancash Department. These holdings are located to the south, east, and north of the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project (Figure 1) that continues the trend started in July of 2016 by First Quantum Minerals Ltd, which registered 14,100 ha (141 sq.km) in 15 mining claims southeast of the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project.

Newmont Peru SRL, a subsidiary of Newmont Mining Corporation, has registered 8,767 ha (87.7 sq.km.) in thirteen mining claims contiguous with the new southern boundary of the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project. In addition, Newmont has registered 3,300 ha (33 sq.km.) in five mining claims due West of La Victoria, as well as a very large, prospective land position just across the La Libertad/Ancash boundary some 7 km west with 8,500 ha (85 sq.km.) in 11 contiguous mining claims between the Patibal Gold Mine and the Santa Rosa Gold/Copper Mine.

Minera Barrick Misquichilca SA, the Peruvian subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation has registered a 600 ha (6 sq. km.)mining claim on the eastern boundary of Minera Eloro Peru's Santa Ana 2 Concession, while proximal to this is a new landholding by Anglo American Peru SA, a subsidiary of Anglo American plc, with three mining claims totalling 2,700 ha (27 sq. km.).

Fresnillo Peru SAC, subsidiary of Mexican miner Fresnillo plc, has registered one 400 ha (4 sq.km.) claim on the northern boundary of Minera Eloro Peru's San Markito Concession, and has acquired an additional 300 ha (3 sq.km.) mining claim to the east of the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project.

As a result of this recent activity, the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project is now bordered on the north by Fresnillo; on the south by Newmont; on the southeast by First Quantum; and on the east by Barrick Gold, with Anglo American in close proximity.

"We are delighted to have five world-class mining companies on our doorstep in Peru," said Eloro's CEO Tom Larsen. "These recent acquisitions reinforce our conviction that we are in the right place at the right time with the right gold/silver project. Our new expanded land holding gives us even more discovery leverage in the event of successful exploration."

About Eloro Resources Ltd.

Eloro is an exploration and mine development company which recently acquired a 100% undivided interest in the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project, located in the prolific North-Central Mineral Belt of Peru. The La Victoria Gold/Silver Project covers 80.4 square kilometres and is within 50 km of several large, low-cost producing gold mines, with three producers visible from the property. Infrastructure in the area is good with access to road, water, and electricity and is located at an altitude that ranges from 3,100m to 4,200m above sea level. Eloro also holds a portfolio of gold and base-metal properties in northern and western Quebec.

Information in this news release may contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this new release, the Corporation's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events of results and are believed to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Corporation. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

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.

Jim Steel MBA, P.Geo., a Qualified Person in the context of NI 43-101 has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.

For additional technical information on the La Victoria Project, the reader is referred to the NI 43-101 Technical Report on the La Victoria Au-Ag Property, Ancash, Peru filed under Eloro's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

To view Figure 1 - La Victoria Gold / Silver Project, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/eloro-table-011717.pdf.

Contacts:

Eloro Resources Ltd.

Thomas Larsen

President and CEO

(416) 868-9168



Eloro Resources Ltd.

Jorge Estepa

Vice-President

(416) 868-9168




DUBLIN, Jan 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --



Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Attack Helicopter Market 2017-2021" report to their offering.

The global attack helicopter market to grow at a CAGR of 5.21% during the period 2017-2021.

Global Attack Helicopter 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.



3D printing or additive manufacturing is an evolving technology that helps the users to design and develop things in an innovative way and surpasses the conventional methods like computerized numerical control cutting, mold manufacturing, or canvas printing. 3D printing is economical and allows quick design and rapid changes of internal features in a military aircraft, which was not possible with the traditional manufacturing methods. It can print electronics directly onto 3D surfaces such as on an aircraft wing, which also helps in reducing the size and weight of the attack helicopter.

According to the report, many countries are modernizing their airborne defense and attack units by upgrading their fleet of attack helicopters. The increase in technological developments of associated components and weapons are driving the need for upgraded platforms. This will simultaneously boost the military airborne platform market and enable greater dominance of countries over the skies.

Further, the report states that military drones have gained a wide scale popularity in recent years owing to their advanced technology. Artificial intelligence technology has developed to such a level that the deployment of autonomous systems has become equivalent to the new revolution in warfare.

Key Vendors:



Airbus Helicopters

Bell Helicopter

Boeing

HAL



Other Prominent Vendors:



Denel

Turkish Aerospace Industries

Leonardo - Finmeccanica

MD Helicopters

Russian Helicopters



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: Geographical segmentation



Part 07: Market drivers



Part 08: Impact of drivers



Part 09: Market challenges



Part 10: Impact of drivers and challenges



Part 11: Market trends



Part 12: Vendor landscape



Part 13: Key vendor analysis



Part 14: Appendix



For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/qsn5d4/global_attack

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






Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 17, 2017) - Arctic Star Exploration Corp, (TSXV: ADD) ("Arctic Star" or the "Company") is pleased to report that it has begun permitting for a drill program on the company's wholly owned CAP Property, which is located approximately 80 km northwest of Prince George, British Columbia.

The company acquired the CAP Property in 2010 for it's potential to host rare metal deposits (Nb, Ta) and/or rare earth elements (REE). These commodities have undergone a dramatic shift in demand owing in part to their usage in the green energy sector, which includes modern wind turbines, rechargeable batteries, catalytic convertors, and more.

The CAP Property is within the central parts of the Rocky Mountain Rare Metal belt; it encompasses six claims (one new) totaling 2,825 ha (6,980 acres) and is about 50 km southwest of the Wicheeda REE Carbonatite. During 2008 and 2009, the Main zone at Wicheeda was drill tested with 15 drill holes at three sites. Highlights included:

2008-02: 3.55 per cent REE across 48.64 metres;

2009-07: 2.92 per cent REE across 72 metres; and

2009-09: 2.2 per cent REE across 144 metres.

The property was originally staked to cover an approximately three- to five-kilometre-diameter, circular, airborne magnetic geophysical anomaly, which is believed to represent a carbonatite (or similar intrusion) at depth. A brief field examination during September, 2010, identified two narrow, syenite dikes near the crest of the ridge that trends from northwest to southeast across the property. The dikes contained highly anomalous geochemistry, including 481 to 981 parts per million niobium, 1,125 to 3,191 parts per million zirconium, greater than 100 parts per million lanthanum, greater than 100 parts per million cerium and greater than 50 parts per million neodymium. These high-level dikes indicate that the source of the magnetic geophysical anomaly may be associated with a carbonatite, or similar intrusion.

More recently, a single contiguous claim was staked to cover a newly discovered rare metal occurrence, which includes a thin fenite dyke, which is typically indicative of proximity to a larger alkaline intrusive body. Two historic samples returned strongly anomalous values of Rare Earth Elements (0.13 and 0.10% REE's).

Geologically, the Cap Property has similar potential to the known carbonatite complexes worldwide. Carbonatite-related deposits are a major host for rare metals, such as niobium and tantalum, and rare earth elements. The world's largest niobium mine, Araxa in Brazil, and several of the world's largest rare earth element deposits, including Lynas Corporation's Mt. Weld deposit in Australia and Molycorp's Mountain Pass deposit in the United States, are all hosted by carbonatites. Geologically similar exploration projects include Hudson Resources Inc.'s Sarfartoq carbonatite project in Greenland and Rare Element Resources Ltd.'s Bear Lodge carbonatite project in Wyoming.

Darren L. Smith, MSc, PGeol, Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF

ARCTIC STAR EXPLORATION CORP.



"Patrick Power"



Patrick Power, President

(604) 689-1799

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.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 --

-- Lower Phoenix Footwall mineralization has demonstrated high-grade continuity and down plunge extension with the return of the following drill intercepts: -- 1,429 g/t Au(1) over 15.15m, including 21,490 g/t Au(1) over 0.6m in hole UDH1817 -- 356 g/t Au(1) over 7.2m, including 1,339 g/t Au(1) over 1.85m in hole UDH1943 -- 83.9 g/t Au(1) over 3.5m, including 234 g/t Au(1) over 0.65m in hole UDH1941 -- Eagle high-grade mineralization has been extended down plunge with a recent drill intercept returning: -- 15.97 g/t Au(1) over 11.35m, including 195 g/t Au(1) over 0.45m in hole UDH1890A (1) Visible gold present in drill intercept, all drill results are presented in Table 1

Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. ("KL Gold" or the "Company") (TSX: KL) is pleased to report extensions of high grade mineralization at depth and new high-grade intercepts, including a record high grade drill result in hole UDH1817 from underground drilling at its Fosterville Gold Mine in Australia.

Underground resource definition drilling has continued to target down-plunge extensions of the Lower Phoenix and Harrier South gold systems to assess the potential of Mineral Reserve expansion. Recent drill results returned from 20 underground holes totaling 6,471 meters (m) into extensions of the Lower Phoenix gold system include the highest-grade drill intercept ever recorded at Fosterville. Results continue to demonstrate the continuity of exceptional high-grade visible gold mineralization on both the newly discovered west dipping Lower Phoenix Footwall and Eagle Structures in the Lower Phoenix gold system.

A drill program of 7 holes totaling 2,670m in the Harrier South gold system has reaffirmed the Mineral Reserve conversion potential of this area. Recent drill results continue to support the potential to expand Fosterville's Mineral Resources and Reserves and confirm continuity of high-grade gold mineralization down plunge on the Harrier South gold system.

Underground Drilling Highlights at Fosterville Gold Mine

-- Drilling into the newly discovered west dipping Lower Phoenix Footwall Structure intersected record high-grade gold mineralization of 1,429 g/t Au(1) over 15.15m (Estimated True Width "ETW" 4.97m) in hole UDH1817 (Including 21,490 g/t Au(1) over 0.6m (ETW 0.24m)). Additional high grade results returned on this structure include 356 g/t Au(1) over 7.2m (ETW 6.01m) in hole UDH1943 (Including 1,339 g/t Au(1) over 1.85m (ETW 1.69m)) and 83.9 g/t Au(1) over 3.5m (ETW 3.18m) in hole UDH1941 (Including 234 g/t Au(1) over 0.65m (ETW 0.46m)). This structure has now been defined over a strike extent of 200m and vertical extent of 160m. -- Eagle Fault underground definition drilling continues to return high- grade mineralization and has now been defined over a strike length of 790m and vertical extent of 450m with the return of key drill intercepts including 15.97 g/t Au(1) over 11.35m (ETW 6.47m) in hole UDH1890A (Including 195 g/t Au(1) over 0.45m (ETW 0.24m)) and 9.71 g/t Au over 4.5m (ETW 1.99m) in hole UDH1940. -- Drilling on the Harrier Base Structure continues to return high-grade mineralization. Key intercepts include 15.84 g/t Au over 1.65m (ETW 1.6m) in hole UDH1908 and 8.58 g/t Au over 3.05m (ETW 3.0m) in hole UDH1871A. These results increase the level of confidence in a high-grade zone of mineralization which has the potential to provide an independent mining front from the Lower Phoenix South. (1) Visible gold present in drill intercept, ETW - Estimated True Width, all drill results are presented in Table 1

Mr. Tony Makuch, President and Chief Executive Officer, Kirkland Lake Gold commented: "We are very pleased to report continued positive results from our drilling programs on the Lower Phoenix and Harrier South gold systems at our Fosterville Gold Mine. 2016 proved to be a significant year for the Fosterville operation delivering record production of 151,755 ounces of gold with a record mill grade and recovery of 7.55 g/t Au and 90.1% respectively. The mining of high-grade visible gold bearing structures in the Lower Phoenix gold system has largely contributed to the record production result.

"Recent down plunge drilling of these structures has returned exceptional results, including the highest result ever returned from the Fosterville Mine of 1,429 g/t Au over 15.15m (ETW 4.97m) including 21,490 g/t Au over 0.6m (ETW 0.24m), in hole UDH1817. We have been able to successfully demonstrate that high grade mineralization extends at depth on both the Lower Phoenix Footwall and Eagle structures ahead of the current mining area and excitingly, both of these high grade structures remain open down plunge. In addition, we continue to see strong drill results in the Harrier gold system, which we believe demonstrate the potential for a high-grade independent mining front to the Lower Phoenix South mining area.

"We continue to invest strongly in Fosterville with 9 rigs in operation, focused on our objective of extending mine life and realizing the full potential of the asset. We look forward to providing an update to our Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves estimates in Q1 2017 for both the Canadian and Australian operations".

2016 Underground Definition Programs at Fosterville Gold Mine

Lower Phoenix Gold System Underground Resource Definition Drilling Program

Since the November 8, 2016 Newmarket News Release, drilling from four diamond drill rigs have continued to focus on resource definition and understanding of multiple gold targets including the Lower Phoenix Footwall (LPFW) and Eagle Faults. Reported drill results from 20 holes (6,471m) are from intercepts through the Lower Phoenix Footwall and Eagle resource target areas outside of the December 31, 2015 Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources. Mining production continues on the upper-plunge areas of the Lower Phoenix gold system structures including the high-grade Eagle Fault, which has largely contributed to Fosterville's 2016 record gold mill grade of 7.55 g/t.

All drill assay intercepts are provided in Table 1 and drill collars in Table 2.

Lower Phoenix Footwall Structures

A total of 12 drill holes intercepted significant gold mineralization associated with Lower Phoenix Footwall Structures. The most significant mineralization contains visible gold and occurs in the newly discovered west dipping lode as reported on the November 8 2016 Newmarket News Release, where new drilling results include a record drill intercept at Fosterville 1,429 g/t Au(1) over 15.15m (ETW 4.97m) in hole UDH1817 (Including 21,490 g/t Au(1) over 0.6m (ETW 0.24m)). Additional intercepts confirming the continuity of high-grade mineralization on this structure include 356 g/t Au(1) over 7.2m (ETW 6.01m) in hole UDH1943 (Including 1,339 g/t Au(1) over 1.85m (ETW 1.69m)), 83.9 g/t Au(1) over 3.5m (ETW 3.18m) in hole UDH1941 (Including 234 g/t Au(1) over 0.65m (ETW 0.46m)), 25.03 g/t Au(1) over 4.35m (ETW 3.48m) in hole UDH1949 (Including 52.2 g/t Au(1) over 1.95m (ETW 1.34m)), 21.14 g/t Au over 4.7m (ETW 3.56m) in hole UDH1945 (Including 85.9 g/t Au over 0.65m (ETW 0.4m)) and 15.39 g/t Au over 5.75m (ETW 3.93m) in hole UDH1944 (Figure 2).

These intercepts are located approximately 20 to 140m vertically below and 20 to 150m laterally along strike from current Mineral Reserves (Figure 2). The defined size of this high-grade mineralized structure is now 200m in strike length and 160m in vertical extent. The mineralized zone appears to adjoin the high-grade Eagle structure at its lower edge and is untested down-plunge. Continued drilling from the hangingwall drill platforms during 2017 will continue to advance the understanding of size and scale of this attractive resource growth target.

Eagle Fault

The high-grade Eagle Fault system has now been defined over a strike length of 790m and vertical extent of 450m. Recent drilling continues to return significant high-grade gold intercepts and supports the view that the Eagle Fault system remains open for expansion down-plunge. Recent drill results into the Eagle Fault below the 4020mRL include 15.97 g/t Au(1) over 11.35m (ETW 6.47m) in hole UDH1890A (Including 195 g/t Au(1) over 0.45m (ETW 0.24m)) and 11.36 g/t Au(1) over 1.9m (ETW 1.51m) in hole UDH1865 (Figure 3). These results continue to confirm the continuity and high-grade tenor of the Eagle Fault down plunge and clearly demonstrates Mineral Reserve growth potential on this structure.

Recent definition drilling into the east dipping Eagle Fault structure from the Central Decline and Phoenix 4190 Drill Drive have also continued to define a series of east dipping splay faults which host significant gold mineralization. Holes UDH1940 and UDH1901 intercepted these splay structures returning results of 9.71 g/t Au over 4.5m (ETW 1.99m) and 9.32 g/t Au over 1.9m (ETW 1.86m) respectively (Figure 3). These intercepts are located within 40 vertical meters of December 31, 2015 Mineral Reserves. The Eagle zone remains untested and open at depth below the 3940mRL and south of 6360mN and drilling is planned to target beyond this extent during 2017.

Harrier South Gold System Underground Resource Definition Drilling Program

Since the November 8, 2016 Newmarket News Release, drilling from two diamond rigs have continued to focus on resource definition and understanding of multiple gold targets including the Harrier Base Fault in the Harrier South gold system. Reported drill results from seven holes (2,670m) are from intercepts though the Harrier Base resource target area and are outside of the December 31, 2015 Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources.

All drill assay intercepts are provided in Table 1 and drill collars in Table 2.

Harrier Base Structure

Drill results returned on the Harrier Base Structure contain high-grade intercepts including 15.84 g/t Au over 1.65m (ETW 1.6m) in hole UDH1908, 8.58 g/t Au over 3.05m (ETW 3.0m) in hole UDH1871A and 8.91 g/t Au over 1.95m (ETW 1.6m) in hole UDH1863 (Figure 4).

Results from holes UDH1871A and UDH1870 lie within a previously identified zone of high-grade, visible gold mineralization between 4750mN and 4900mN and 4280mRL to 4350mRL which includes previously reported results of 129 g/t Au(1) over 6.95m (ETW 6.2m) in hole UDH1868 (Including 877 g/t Au(1) over 1m (ETW 0.9m)), 14.57 g/t Au(1) over 6.8m (ETW 5.9m) in hole UDH1869 and 10.69 g/t Au over 8.0m (ETW 6.4m) in hole UDH1830 (Including 15.73 g/t Au over 5.05m (ETW 4.0m)) as discussed in the (November 8, 2016 Newmarket News Release. Planned drilling for 2017 will test the down plunge extensions of this identified high-grade zone to 4650mN, approximately 100m beyond the current extent of drilling. Holes UDH1861-UDH1863, UDH1908 and UDH1911 intercept the Harrier Base structure immediately north of this high-grade zone and have demonstrated widths and grade amenable to mining.

To view a PDF of the tables and figures as referenced in this News Release, visit the links below:

http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1082937-T1-2.pdf - tables

http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1082937-F1-4.pdf - figures

Qualified Persons

Troy Fuller, MAIG, Geology Manager, Fosterville Gold Mine, is a "qualified person" as such term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information and data included in this News Release.

QAQC information is provided at the bottom of Table 1.

About Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd.

Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. is a new mid-tier gold producer targeting +500,000 ounces in tier 1 mining jurisdictions of Canada and Australia. The production profile of the company is anchored from two high-grade, low-cost operations including the Macassa Mine Complex located in northeastern Ontario and the Fosterville Gold Mine located in the state of Victoria, Australia. KL Gold's solid base of quality assets is complemented by development and district scale exploration projects, supported by a strong financial position with extensive management and operational expertise.

For further information, visit the website www.klgold.com

To receive KL Golds news releases by email, register on the website at www.KLGold.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of KL Gold with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions and include information regarding: (i) the potential to expand mineral resources and mineral reserves at the Fosterville Gold Mine; (ii) the potential for a high grade independent mining front to the Lower Phoenix South mining area; and (iii) the anticipated timing for the release of the Company's updated mineral reserve and mineral resources estimates and the potential impact thereof.

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect KL Gold's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although KL Gold believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the combined company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: the ability of KL Gold to successfully integrate the operations and employees of its Canadian and Australian operations, and realize synergies and cost savings, and to the extent, anticipated; the potential impact on exploration activities; the potential impact on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors; the re-rating potential following the consummation of the merger; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws; and compliance with extensive government regulation. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of KL Gold and market conditions. This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in filings made by Kirkland Lake Gold Inc. and Newmarket Gold Inc. with the Canadian securities regulators, including Kirkland Lake Gold's and Newmarket's respective annual information form, financial statements and related MD&A for the financial year ended December 31, 2015 and their interim financial reports and related MD&A for the period ended September 30, 2016 filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although KL Gold has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. KL Gold does not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Contacts:

Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd.

Anthony Makuch

President, Chief Executive Officer & Director

+1 416-840-7884

tmakuch@klgold.com



Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd.

Ryan King

Vice President, Investor Relations

+1 778-372-5611

rking@klgold.com

www.klgold.com




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Nutritional High International Inc. (the "Company" or "Nutritional High") (CSE: EAT)(CSE: EAT.CN)(OTCQB: SPLIF)(FRANKFURT: 2NU) is pleased to announce the launch of its new and completely redesigned website www.nutritionalhigh.com. The revamped website provides quick and easy access to essential information that offers an understanding of the Nutritional High's vision as well as the milestones accomplished by Nutritional High.

Nutritional High's new website will be updated on a regular basis with the latest events, news and updates, including product launches and corporate developments. Also included are easy to fill out forms where visitors can request information on investing, product lines and more.

About Nutritional High International Inc.

Nutritional High is focused on developing, manufacturing and distributing products and nationally recognized brands in the hemp and marijuana-infused products industries, including edibles and oil extracts for nutritional, medical and adult recreational use. The Company works exclusively through licensed facilities in jurisdictions where such activity is permitted and regulated by state law.

For updates on the Company's activities and highlights of the Company's press releases and other media coverage, please follow Nutritional High on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+ or visit www.nutritionalhigh.com.

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR OTC MARKETS GROUP INC., NOR THEIR REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDERS HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Such statements include submission of the relevant documentation within the required timeframe and to the satisfaction of the relevant regulators, completing the acquisition of the applicable real estate and raising sufficient financing to complete the Company's business strategy. There is no certainty that any of these events will occur. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be correct. We assume no responsibility to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

Company's securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. Persons", as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act, absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.

Contacts:

Nutritional High International Inc.

David Posner

Chairman of the Board

647-985-6727

dposner@nutritionalhigh.com

www.nutritionalhigh.com



Boom Capital Markets Inc.

Steven Low

(647) 620-5101

steve@boomcapitalmarkets.com

www.boomcapitalmarkets.com




European Neurological Review , a peer-reviewed, open access, bi-annual journal specialising in the publication of balanced and comprehensive review articles written by leading authorities to address the most important and salient developments in the field of neurology. The aim of these reviews is to break down the high science from 'data-rich' primary papers and provide practical advice and opinion on how this information can help physicians in the day to day clinical setting. Practice guidelines, symposium write-ups, case reports, and original research articles are also featured to promote discussion and learning amongst physicians, clinicians, researchers and related healthcare professionals.

Published recently in European Neurological Review , the peer-reviewed journal from touchNEUROLOGY, Professor Giovannoni discusses the advantages of monoclonal antibodies in multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy: they are designed to be specific to their target and have very few off-target effects. Monoclonal antibodies have distinct structural characteristics and different targets, and their various mechanisms of action include cross-linking, blocking interactions, induction of signal transduction via receptor binding, complement-dependent cytotoxicity, and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Monoclonal antibodies should not therefore be considered a single class of treatments. Natalizumab and alemtuzumab are highly efficacious treatments approved for treating MS, though they tend to be reserved for patients with more active disease. Other monoclonal antibodies in advanced development include ocrelizumab, ofatumumab, daclizumab and opicinumab (anti-LINGO-1). Screening and monitoring is required to enable the optimal utilisation of all monoclonal antibodies and the benefit-risk profile of each monoclonal antibody needs to be fully considered before use. At present, patients have variable access to effective MS treatments, and this issue is likely to become even more important to address as new therapies become available.

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.
Minister of Finance of Ukraine Oleksandr Danyliuk and Head of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Valeriya Gontareva this week will take part in the World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland), discuss prospects of cooperation with the heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international financial institutions.

"From January 16 to January 20 Minister of Finance Oleksandr Danyliuk within the Ukrainian delegation headed by President Petro Poroshenko will be on a working visit in Davos and will take part in meetings with the leadership of the IMF and the EBRD [the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development], will hold bilateral meetings with the heads of the European Commission, the World Bank, finance ministers of other countries and international investors," the Ministry of Finance said.

The NBU press service told Interfax-Ukraine NBU Head Valeriya Gontareva will leave for Davos on January 17.
Over 150 key industry experts from the paper industry will assemble in Cologne, Germany from 3 5 April 2017 to attend Smithers Pira's Specialty Papers Europe (http://www.specialtypaperconference.com/europe).

With the global market for specialty papers expected to increase at an annual rate of 1.8% over the period of 2015-2020, more than 150 key industry professionals from across the supply chain are expected to gather at this year's Specialty Papers Europe to hear the latest updates on advancements and trends affecting the industry and to exchange their knowledge and ideas.

"Specialty Papers conference always provides excellent insight into the near and future paper market. We find it especially helpful when considering medium to long term direction for our development program."

Alicia B Richards, AquaSol Corporation

By attending Specialty Papers Europe, delegates will learn what is happening within the paper industry, gain updates on the latest policy issues, hear from high-level speakers and learn about new technologies and innovations, whilst having the opportunity to build network relationships, expand their business opportunities and meet leading personalities in the industry. Attendees to the conference will include brand owners, raw material suppliers, converters, machinery/equipment suppliers, graphic designers and packaging designers from within the specialty papers industry.

With 20 expert speakers set to provide high-level insight and advice, this year's conference will focus on specific topics related to the specialty paper manufacturing and paper supply industry including Innovation in Packaging, Barrier Developments, Coatings, Digital Printing, Innovations and New Technologies and more.

Sessions include:

Alexey Vishtal, Nestle , Packaging sustainability and a role of fibre-based packaging in it

, Dr. Fikri E. Alemdaroglu, Daikin Chemical Europe , Fluorine or no fluorine a comparative analysis of barrier chemicals for grease proof paper

, Anna Jonhed, BillerudKorsnas, New fiber based products for a sustainable future

Mark Crable, Crable Engineering , Colour is a key attribute of specialty papers and must be properly managed

, Jan Duffhues, Mars Europe , How paper can deliver added value to consumer packaging

, Plus many more

This year's conference promises to provide an unparalled learning and networking opportunity for anyone from within the paper industry and SNP Inc who attended a past edition of the conference labelled it as "A highly-targeted interesting conference with exceptional networking opportunities".

Exclusive to 2017 Delegates to Specialty Papers 2017 will also have the opportunity to sign up to an exclusive tour at Zanders paper mill taking place the day before the conference on Monday 3rd April. During the tour, delegates will see the Zanders paper mill including the high quality specialty papers and boards facilities. The accompanying presentation will focus on the continuous change in the international paper industry and how the "old lady" Zanders managed to return to success with new structures, products and services.

For more information on Specialty Papers Europe 2017, visit http://www.specialtypaperconference.com/europe

Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are still available. For more information about sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, please contact Stephen Frier on +44 (0)1372 802006 or email sfrier@smithers.com.

About Smithers Pira

Smithers Pira is the worldwide authority on the packaging, paper and print industry supply chains. They provide world-leading expertise and market intelligence, and offer a range of testing services supported by comprehensive facilities in the UK and US. With over 80 years' technical and scientific experience Smithers Pira help clients around the world with their business and testing requirements.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005814/en/

Contacts:

Smithers Pira

Joanna Gibson

jgibson[at]smithers[dot]com

+44(0)1372-802037
MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Nimbo Tracking, an IGEN Networks Corporation Company (OTCQB: IGEN) (CSE: IGN), is pleased to announce the launch of a key marketing initiative for national exposure with Verizon's Business-to-Business (B2B) channels. The new marketing initiative will introduce Nimbo Tracking and its new car franchise solutions to Verizon's national sales force that cover more than 12,000 franchise dealerships across the United States.

Nimbo Tracking offers a GPS solution and software application that allows car owners to track their vehicle in real time to safeguard against theft or improper use. The Company's specialized applications, currently sold at new car dealerships, increasingly come pre-loaded; a benefit to the buyer, the new car dealer, and Nimbo Tracking.

Nimbo Tracking's marketing initiatives to date have successfully focused primarily on Southern California. As part of Verizon's partnership program with Nimbo Tracking for sharing of sales leads, Nimbo has successfully secured record orders and product shipments over the last six months. Now that Nimbo Tracking has successfully proven its pre-load model with dealership groups in Southern California, its new national exposure initiative will allow Nimbo to target its pre-loaded solutions to approximately half of all the new car franchise dealerships across the country.

CEO Neil Chan stated, "This is a game changer. Most people are already aware of the massive advertising program launched by Verizon for its aftermarket Hum device targeted for the pre-owned vehicles." Chan continued, "This awareness and new marketing initiative to new car franchise dealers should contribute to our aggressive growth plan in 2017 and to our ability to land B2B contracts with dealerships."

Representatives from Nimbo Tracking will also attend and participate in the upcoming National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in New Orleans from Thursday, January 26 through Sunday, January, 29. The NADA Convention & Expo, held in the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, is the world's largest international gathering of franchised new vehicle dealers. It offers dealers the chance to meet face-to-face with major automakers, provides dozens of workshops with the industry's best trainers, and features hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest equipment, services and technologies. Please contact Nimbo Tracking Director of Sales, Mr. Abel Sierra, at (661)810-5672 if you wish to schedule a demonstration or would like to meet at the event in New Orleans.

About IGEN Networks Corporation:

IGEN Networks Corporation invests in and manages companies that deliver cloud-based services through Internet-of-Things(IoT) device technologies for the protection and management of mobile assets and commercial fleets.

IGEN is a fully reporting company in both Canada and the United States. It is publicly traded on the OTCQB under the symbol IGEN, and listed on the CSE under the symbol IGN. For more information, please visit www.igen-networks.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements or forward looking information within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Canadian securities law. The terms and phrases "goal", "commitment", "guidance", "expects", "would", "will", "continuing", "drive", "believes", "indicate", "look forward", "grow", "outlook", "forecasts", "intend", and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by IGEN in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that IGEN believes are appropriate in the circumstances, including but not limited to statements regarding investment liquidity, financing options and long term goals of the Company, general economic conditions, IGEN's expectations regarding its business, customer base, strategy and prospects, and IGEN's confidence in the cash flow generation of its business. Many factors could cause IGEN's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to competition; IGEN's reliance on key personnel; IGEN's ability to maintain and enhance its brand; and difficulties in forecasting IGEN's financial results, particularly over longer periods given the rapid technological changes, competition and short product life cycles that characterize the mobile application industry. These risk factors and others relating to IGEN that may cause actual results to differ are set forth in the under the heading "Risk Factors" in IGEN's periodic filings with the British Columbia Securities Commission and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on IGEN's forward-looking statements. IGEN has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contacts:

Corporate Inquiries:

IGEN Networks Corporation

Richard Freeman

1(888)244-3650

rfreeman@igen-networks.com

www.igen-networks.com



Sales:

Nimbo Tracking

Abel Sierra

1 (855) 912-5378 x1001

asierra@nimbollc.com

www.nimbotracking.com




Sulzer will present the innovative two-component dispenser range Electraflow Plus at the World of Concrete 2017 in Las Vegas. A fully integrated application system feature first-in-class cordless technology to ensure it can deliver high material output, in a precisely controlled manner.

Sulzer Mixpac, part of Sulzer Ltd. a leading manufacturer and supplier of products and services for liquid application and mixing technology, introduces Electraflow Plus, a new product range of two-component battery dispensers at the World of Concrete, Las Vegas (Jan 17-20, 2017). The new line of dispensers features the latest 18V lithium-ion batteries and charger technology from Bosch Professional. Electraflow Plus has been specifically designed for professional and specialist trade users, across all industry sectors who demand a reliable and high performance applicator tool.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005210/en/

New two-component battery dispenser range: Sulzer launches Electraflow Plus. Picture source: Sulzer Mixpac, usage free of charge

"The Electraflow Plus, Dual Drive VBE400 and VBE600 dispensers are a significant extension to this range and offer the compatibility with the MIXPAC application system which includes various 400mL and 600mL cartridges and mixers for many of these applications," said Gerry Hernandez, Head of Sales for Dispensers at Sulzer Mixpac. "Our customers benefit from a systems approach which significantly reduces issues with dispenser-cartridge-mixer compatibility".

Electraflow Plus is part of the Cox product family of dispensers. Bespoke software provides the ability to configure products to address specific customer needs, such as speed of dispensing, dosing of materials, and control of thrust. The ergonomic design provides the professional user with a perfectly well-balanced tool, capable of smoothly dispensing controlled beads of urethanes and other high-viscosity sealants and adhesives. Part of a range of high-powered battery dispensers, the Electraflow Plus is powered by the latest Bosch lithium battery technology providing high output, and longer battery life thanks to Bosch CoolPack, making it the ideal battery powered dispenser to improve productivity and deliver large volumes of material in a controlled and precise manner.

Sulzer's application systems have built an excellent international reputation thanks to the innovative Swiss manufacturer's technological leadership. In 2015, it produced two billion plastic components such as mixers, cartridges, and dispensing devices for single- and multi-component materials. In April 2016, Sulzer acquired PC Cox, a manufacturer of quality manual, pneumatic, and battery-driven one- and two-component dispensers for industrial and construction applications under the brand name Cox, broadening its portfolio within the construction industry and making it the go to supplier.

The World of Concrete is a key trade show for Sulzer Mixpac, PC Cox having exhibited at the event for 26 years, giving us an ideal platform to introduce the Electraflow Plus and showcase our complete line of dispensers and cartridge based application systems.

Sulzer Mixpac Ltd is a world leading manufacturer and supplier of products and services for liquid application and mixing technology. Our customers benefit from advanced solutions in the field of precise applications as well as one- and two-component mixing and dispensing systems. Our global network ensures local knowledge and competence. As part of the Applicator Systems division within the Sulzer Group, Sulzer Mixpac Ltd can draw on a strong international network. The head office is located in Switzerland.

Our market focus is on mixing and dispensing systems for the adhesives and dental markets, precise application systems for liquid color cosmetics and beauty accessories as well as one- and two-component applications systems for healthcare markets.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005210/en/

Contacts:

Inquiries:

Sulzer Mixpac Ltd

Jodi Allen, Head Sales and Marketing AME

Tel. +1 603 484 74 106

Jodi.allen@sulzer.com


VIENNA (dpa-AFX) - The United Kingdom will not seek to 'hold on to bits of EU membership', Prime Minister Theresa May said in a crucial speech on Tuesday.



The country also will not seek to adopt deals that are already available to other countries, May said in a speech at the Lancaster House. Britain 'cannot be half in and half out', she said.



The British pound rallied as May spoke.



Britain will also not seek to remain in the single market, as it would mean not leaving the EU at all, May said. However, the country will try to gain the 'greatest possible' access to it. She also said the days of the UK making vast monetary contribution to the EU will end.



The prime minister sought a 'fairer, more secure, united and outward looking' Britan after 'Brexit'.



The UK will remain a close friend of the EU and the success of the union is important, May stressed. An unraveling of the EU is not in the interest of the UK, May added.



The final 'Brexit' deal agreed with the EU will be put to vote in the parliament, May confirmed.



She also said her government will seek a 'bold and ambitious' free trade deal with the EU and would seek to remove all sorts of barriers possible to trade.



May also said that 'Brexit' must mean a control on the number of people arriving in Britain from Europe. The government wants to guarantee rights of the EU nationals in Britain and those of Britons in other member states, as early as possible, she said.



The UK prime minister said a phased process of leaving the EU will be in the interest of the UK, the EU institutions and other member states. One of the priorities would be to avoid a 'cliff-edge' situation for businesses after the separation from the EU.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures rallied Tuesday morning amid signs that OPEC members are complying with output quotas. A Saudi oil minister told reporters that output cuts will re-balance the energy markets in the first half of 2017. Saudi Arabia said last Wednesday that its production is the lowest it's been in two years, while Iran and Kuwait have also made cuts. However, crude oil prices have been locked in a range between $50 and $55 a barrel, as U.S. producers are ramping up production. WTI light sweet crude oil was up 1.3 percent to $53 a barrel this morning. On the economic front, the Federal Reserve of New York's Empire State Manufacturing survey for January will be released at 8.30 am ET. Economists are looking for a consensus of 8, down from 9 last month. 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.
LONDON, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Catherine Amey; European Neurological Review, 2016;11(Suppl. 1):2-4; http://www.touchneurology.com/articles/tailored-temperature-management-neurocritical-care

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151014/276718LOGO )



Published recently in European Neurological Review, the peer-reviewed journal from touchNEUROLOGY, Catherine Amey reports that despite standard care, temperatures exceeding 37.5C are common in patients with brain injuries. Temperature control is also often problematic in patients with haemorrhagic or traumatic injuries in which the hypothalamus and temperature control areas are disturbed by the cerebral insult. The effect of cooling on brain swelling has been widely studied in patients in the neuro-intensive care unit and in a systematic review of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), all studies showed that early prophylactic hypothermia from 32C to 34C consistently reduced intracranial pressure (ICP) compared with normothermia (37C). However, high-quality clinical evidence to support the use of normothermia versus targeted temperature management 35C in adults is lacking and a randomised controlled trial is warranted. At present, optimal temperature thresholds and duration of temperature management should be tailored to the clinical scenario and the severity of the injury, particularly regarding ICP.

The full peer-reviewed, open-access article is available here:

http://www.touchneurology.com/articles/tailored-temperature-management-neurocritical-care

Disclosure:Catherine Amey is an employee of Touch Medical Media, Reading, UK. This report is based on a presentation by Mauro Oddo; Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne and, as such, has not been subject to this journal's usual peer-review process. This was presented at a symposium sponsored by CR Bard Inc., held during the 28th Annual Congress of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine held in Berlin, Germany, on 5 October 2015. A member of the editorial board reviewed the report before publication.

Note to the Editor

touchNEUROLOGY (a division of Touch Medical Media) publishes

European Neurological Review, a peer-reviewed, open access, bi-annual journal specialising in the publication of balanced and comprehensive review articles written by leading authorities to address the most important and salient developments in the field of neurology. The aim of these reviews is to break down the high science from 'data-rich' primary papers and provide practical advice and opinion on how this information can help physicians in the day to day clinical setting. Practice guidelines, symposium write-ups, case reports, and original research articles are also featured to promote discussion and learning amongst physicians, clinicians, researchers and related healthcare professionals.

http://www.touchNEUROLOGY.com

For inquires please contact:

Carla Denaro - Managing Editor

T: +44 (0) 207 193 6093

managingeditor@touchmedicalmedia.com

Providing practical opinion to support best practice for busy healthcare professionals.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Gold futures rose Tuesday morning, boosted by safe haven demand ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration. Markets are hoping for more clarity regarding Trump's bold campaign promises in the coming days. Gold was up $17 to $1214 an ounce, the highest in more than two months. On the economic front, the Federal Reserve of New York's Empire State Manufacturing survey for January will be released at 8.30 am ET. The economists are looking for a consensus of 8, down from 9 last month. Traders will also be looking for clues about U.S. monetary policy from a trio of Fed speakers. New York Federal Reserve Bank President William Dudley will speak at the Retail's Big Show 2017 event held by the National Retail Federation, in New York at 8.45 am ET. Federal Reserve Gov. Lael Brainard will discuss the impact of fiscal policy on monetary policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. at 10 am ET. San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President John Williams will deliver a keynote address at the Sacramento Business Review Economic Forecast at Sacramento State University in California, with media and audience Q&A at 6.00 pm ET. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
MIAMI, FL--(Marketwired - January 17, 2017) - Progressive Care Inc. (OTC PINK: RXMD), through its subsidiary Pharmco LLC, a South Florida health services organization and provider of prescription pharmaceuticals specializing in health practice risk management, compounded medications, the sale of anti-retroviral medications and related medication therapy management, and the supply of prescription medications to long term care facilities, announces a new Resource Center for the exclusive use for residents of Century Village of Pembroke Pines, FL.

Century Village are large, gated retirement communities in South Florida. Of the four communities, PharmCo, has opened a resource center in Century Village of Pembroke Pines. The Pembroke Pines community has an estimated 15,000 residents over the age of 55. PharmCo, with its exclusive kiosk located within the village, is entitled to participate in all resident events and the ability to market the brand on the property.

The Resource Center will provide residents of Century Village with access to information about their prescriptions and the ability to video conference with a technician or pharmacist in the PharmCo filling facility in North Miami Beach.

"The residents of Century Village have been asking for pharmacy services to be located on-site," stated S. Parikh Mars, CEO. "It was quickly determined that PharmCo was the only pharmacy capable of meeting the needs of the residents with our free-same day delivery, extensive medication inventory, and staff of highly trained pharmacy technicians and pharmacists. We are excited about the opportunity to work directly with the residents of this retirement community and their physicians to greatly improve the quality of their healthcare services."

Common Shares Issued and Outstanding:

As of January 17, 2016 the number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding stood at 344,607,607 shares. This amount is net of the number of shares owned by PharmCo, LLC of 1,718,000.

About Progressive Care

Progressive Care, Inc. (OTC PINK: RXMD), through its subsidiary PharmCo, LLC, is a South Florida health services organization and provider of prescription pharmaceuticals specializing in health practice risk management, compounded medications, the sale of anti-retroviral medications and related medication therapy management, and the supply of prescription medications to long term care facilities.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Statements contained herein that are not based upon current or historical fact are forward-looking in nature and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Company's expectations about its future operating results, performance and opportunities that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These statements include but are not limited to statements regarding the intended terms of the offering, closing of the offering and use of any proceeds from the offering. When used herein, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "upcoming," "plan," "target", "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to Progressive Care Inc., its subsidiaries, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.
VANCOUVER, BC --(Marketwired - January 17, 2017) - Solar Alliance Energy, Inc. ('Solar Alliance') or (the 'Company') (TSX VENTURE: SAN) (OTCQB: SAENF) is pleased to announce it has signed a Letter of Intent ("LOI") with Concord Green Energy, Inc. ("Concord") for the sale of certain British Columbia wind energy assets for $1,350,000 through a plan of arrangement. The wind asset sale includes the sale of a 15% interest in the Wildmare Wind Energy project and a 100% interest in other assorted development stage wind assets in British Columbia. The wind asset sale and plan of arrangement does not involve the Company's solar assets.

The Wildmare Wind Energy Project is an advanced stage 77.4 MW project located 4.5 km northwest of Chetwynd, BC and has several key attributes:

Strong wind resource in a region with transmission capacity;

Significant wind, engineering and environmental studies have been completed;

Financial models indicate a project with strong returns; and,

The long term market for clean, renewable electricity is strengthening with potential demand from the proposed LNG industry in British Columbia and the potential for power exports to Alberta.

"The sale of a portion of our British Columbia wind assets will allow us to fund the ongoing expansion of our solar business in the United States," said Chairman and CEO Jason Bak. "In combination with this transaction, we are also pursuing a potential strategic partnership in an effort to accelerate the expansion of our solar operations. We have seen strong revenue growth over the last half of 2016 and we want to focus all of our resources on the massive potential we see in our U.S. solar operations."

Further details regarding the plan of arrangement will be provided when a definitive Transaction Agreement is reached with Concord. There can be no assurance that the definitive Transaction Agreement will be entered into. Completion of the proposed transaction remains subject to the satisfaction of a number of conditions precedent.

About Concord Pacific and Concord Green Energy Inc.

Concord Pacific created Concord Green Energy to explore and support a variety of zero carbon energy producing projects of scale. Planning for infrastructure needs and requirements of Canadians has always been a cornerstone to Canada's first urban master-planned community builder, Concord Pacific. Energy considerations and solutions will be significant to success to sustainable communities of the future. Concord Green Energy has projects of scale at various stages of planning, development, and operation across Canada., visit www.concordpacific.com.

Jason Bak

Chairman and CEO

About Solar Alliance Energy Inc. (www.solaralliance.com)

Solar Alliance is a sales, marketing and development company focused on residential, commercial and industrial solar installations. Since we were founded in 2003, we have developed wind and solar projects that provide enough electricity to power 150,000 homes. Solar Alliance is committed to an exceptional customer experience, effective marketing campaigns and superior lead generation in order to drive sales and generate value for shareholders. Our passion is improving life through ingenuity, simplicity and freedom of choice. We make solar simple and our goal is to install solar on every available rooftop in America.

Statements in this news release, other than purely historical information, including statements relating to the Company's future plans and objectives or expected results, constitute Forward-looking statements. The words "would", "will", "expected" and "estimated" or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different than those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: uncertainties related to the ability to raise sufficient capital, changes in economic conditions or financial markets, litigation, legislative or other judicial, regulatory and political competitive developments and technological or operational difficulties. Consequently, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.

"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 more information:

Solar Alliance

Myke Clark

Chief Marketing Officer

+1 (604) 288-9051

info@solaralliance.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.
We are all responsible for world, Europe and our future - Poroshenko

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko thanked principal allies of Kyiv for supporting the European integration course and the standoff with Russia at an annual meeting with foreign ambassadors on Monday, the presidential website said.

"I categorically disagree with the pessimistic or even panicky sentiment about the future of the European Union," Poroshenko said at the meeting.

The values on which the European Union rests and its institutional capacities are far stronger than the phobias with which attempts have been made to intimidate Europeans, he said.

"Sometimes Ukraine has more faith in the European project and values than the united Europe itself. No matter how some could wish, we have no intention of abandoning the European integration course under any circumstances," Poroshenko said.

He pointed to the high dynamic of relations with the U.S. last year and said he could see that the next administration was planning to live up to its obligations.

"The year 2016 witnessed high dynamics of our contacts and cooperation based on the constant two-party support to Ukraine. I was pleased to personally feel that when I was speaking on the phone with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump a few days after the elections," the press service quoted Poroshenko as saying.

The next administration will move into the White House next week, "but we can already say that the U.S. leadership in the world, the same as the fulfillment of one's obligations, is a principled stance," the president said.

"This is especially important to know for Ukraine, which is a key partner and ally of the U.S. in Europe," Poroshenko said.

In his opinion, Austria's presidency at the OSCE may give a fresh impetus to the deployment of an armed OSCE police mission in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

"The Association Agreement and the visa-free travel regime with the EU have long become integral elements of the strategy towards regaining Donbas and Crimea. An important ingredient of this strategy is the deployment of an armed OSCE police mission in Donbas," Poroshenko said.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Advantage Lithium Corp. (the "Company" or "Advantage Lithium") (TSX VENTURE: AAL) and its partner, Nevada Sunrise Gold Corp., are pleased to announce that a phase 2 drill program has begun at their Clayton NE property, which borders Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium brine production operation in Clayton Valley, Nevada. Drilling will be comprised of a total of approximately 1,800m (5,905 feet) in 3 Reverse Circulation ("RC") holes expected to test depths of a minimum 600m each. Using a similar approach to the successful phase 1 program that hit wide intercepts of lithium brine with strong brine flow rates, these new holes that will focus on high-priority conductive horizons identified and imaged in the 2016 3D Resistivity survey and confirmed by drilling to be lithium bearing brines. All 3 holes are adjacent to Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium brine field operation, in close proximity to several of their production wells.

2017 Drilling Program Highlights

-- Potential extension of 3.43 km mineralized brine trend: The highly- successful phase 1 program has already defined a 3.43 km mineralized trend. Phase 2 drilling has the potential to extend this trend strike length to 5.6km with successful holes. -- Drilling deeper into potentially untapped aquifers. Hole CNE-16-03, from the phase 1 program, was one of the deepest boreholes drilled in the Clayton Valley and, based on results obtained, may have hit a previously untapped aquifer. As a result, phase 2 holes will target this deeper aquifer. -- Permits/Waivers obtained for future development of a lithium brine resource and wells. In November 2016, the Company received waivers from the Nevada Division of Water Resources for 5 of the 6 permitted holes, which allows for reaming a borehole to a larger diameter well, pump testing, and flow rate determination in order to provide the necessary technical information for development of a lithium brine resource at Clayton NE. -- Clayton NE exhibits very strong brine flows. Brine flows of up to 120 gallons per minute were encountered in the 2016 program, and if a larger diameter hole is drilled to further develop the exploratory boreholes, it is anticipated that brine flows will increase significantly. High brine flows are important for economic production of lithium from brines;

Ross McElroy, Director and Technical Advisor, of Advantage Lithium, commented: "We have already defined a 3.43km mineralized trend at Clayton NE and have encountered strong grades and excellent brine flow in all 3 Phase 1 RC holes drilled in 2016. We are excited to begin the Phase 2 round of drilling as we progress towards evaluating the potential lithium brine resource at Clayton NE."

Clayton Valley Project Overview

-- O'Keefe Drilling, of Butte Montana, has been retained for the phase 2 program to drill by reverse circulation (RC) equipment. -- The approximately 437 hectare (1,080 acres) project is located in the Clayton Valley sedimentary salar and is contiguous to the eastern boundary of Albemarle's Silver Peak property - North America's only lithium producer. -- Several of Albemarle's lithium brine production wells are situated within approximately 100 metres and less of the Clayton NE western claim boundary. -- Phase 1 drilling intercepted lithium brines with robust grades and strong brine flows on all three holes, and established a 3.43km mineralized trend. Furthermore, based on results obtained, hole CNE-16- 03, which is one of the deepest boreholes drilled in the Clayton Valley, may have hit a previously untapped aquifer. -- Advantage Lithium is the operator of the Clayton NE project under the direction of Ross McElroy, Director and Technical Advisor for Advantage Lithium.

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of the company by Ross McElroy, P.Geol., Technical Advisor to Advantage Lithium Corp., and the Designated Qualified person for the company.

Further information about the company can be found at www.advantagelithium.com.

About Advantage Lithium Corp.

Advantage Lithium Corp. is a resource company specializing in the strategic acquisition, exploration and development of lithium properties and is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. Common Shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "AAL". The company has signed an LOI with lithium producer, Orocobre, to acquire 100% interest in five projects in Argentina and 75% in a sixth, called Cauchari. Cauchari is host to a near-surface resource of 470,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) and 1.62 million tonnes of potash (KCL), and a large exploration target of 5.6mt to 0.25mt of LCE and 19mt to 0.9 of KCL. Cauchari is located just 20 km south Orocobre's flagship Olaroz Lithium Facility. The company is also earning an interest from Nevada Sunrise Gold Corp., in a portfolio of five lithium brine projects in the Clayton and Lida Valley regions of Nevada, USA, including 70% in Clayton NE. In addition, the company has acquired 100% of the Stella Marys lithium brine project, immediately adjacent to Orocobre's Salinas Grandes project that hosts an inferred, near-surface resource, in Argentina's Lithium Triangle.

ADVANTAGE LITHIUM CORP.

David Sidoo, President

Cautionary Statement:

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding the future operating or financial performance of Advantage Lithium which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company and Advantage Lithium disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation.

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:

Advantage Lithium Corp.

David Sidoo

President

604.685.9316

604.683.1585 (FAX)

info@advantagelithium.com

www.advantagelithium.com




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Editor's Note: There is one map associated with this news release.

Mooncor Oil & Gas Corp. (TSX VENTURE: MOO) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it's wholly owned subsidiary, Primary Petroleum Company USA, Inc., has been approached by American Geophysical Corporation ("AGC") (www.americangeophysical.com) to market the Company's 3D Seismic.

The Company has engaged AGC to actively market the Primary Petroleum seismic database, as shown below, and includes locations of the Company's coverage on all data searches in the area. AGC has reached out to it various clients currently working in the northern Rockies region to solicit any interest in the Corporation's 3D Seismic.

The goal of the Company is to license its 3D Seismic which the Company believes will lead to future opportunities for potential joint ventures, partnerships or farm in agreements.

About Mooncor Oil & Gas Corp.

Mooncor is a junior oil and gas exploration company. Mooncor holds interests in lands in the Pondera and Teton Counties in Northwestern Montana, the Muskwa / Duvernay liquids rich shale gas area in Hamburg, Alberta, and in southwest Ontario where the focus has been on conventional oil and gas opportunities.

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.

The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward looking statements, including Mooncor conducting extended production tests on two suspended wells by September 31, 2015, or at all. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward looking statements. Although Mooncor believes that the expectations reflected in forward looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, Mooncor disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward looking statements or otherwise.

To view the map associated with this news release, please visit:

http://www.marketwire.com/library/20170117-1082935.jpg

Contacts:

Mooncor Oil & Gas Corp.

Allen Lone

Chief Executive Officer

905.275.7570

atlone@mooncoroil.com




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 17, 2017) - CVR Medical Corp. (TSXV: CVM) (FSE: B3BN) (OTCQB: CRRVF) ("CVR Medical") has chosen Hitachi High Technologies America, Inc. ("HTA") for the development and creation of the processing unit that will operate its "Carotid Stenotic Scan ("CSS")" device.

The processor HTA has designed should enable the CSS to interpret the sub-sonic and infrasonic sound waves it intakes, and allow for the results to be displayed on a monitor in real time. Speaking on behalf of CVR's executive leadership, CEO Peter Bakema expresses great confidence in HTA's unique ability to design state-of-the-art products that impact the world. "We feel incredibly fortunate for our partnership with HTA, through which we've enhanced our own technological and organizational backbone significantly."

Mr. Thomas Heiser, HTA Vice President and General Manager of HTA's Systems Products Division, states, "We work on medical projects with the hope that they may become the tools that change a particular field. To be able to bring this sort of technology into doctors' offices, at a potentially high volume that is rare for medical devices, is what makes this opportunity so exciting. We're looking forward to working with CVR, and realizing that potential as they scale out to meet what we expect will be great demand for the CSS."

For additional information on CVR's 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

About HTA

HTA is a wholly-owned American subsidiary of Hitachi High- Technologies Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The Hitachi High-Tech Group will continue aiming to lead the world in the high-tech solutions business, and will respond swiftly to the needs of customers and the market from the customer's perspective as a business creating company working at the cutting edge on the front-line.

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.
ORLANDO, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Solodev, a web experience software company, announces it is a finalist in the 2016-17 Cloud Awards. Now entering its seventh year, the Cloud Awards program celebrates excellence and innovation in the rapidly-growing cloud computing market. Solodev was selected for the shortlist in the category of Best Cloud Infrastructure, competing against more than 300 organizations from across the globe, covering the Americas, Australia, Europe and the Middle East.

"It's an honor to be recognized as a Cloud Awards finalist during an extremely competitive year. This recognition bolsters our place as a leading software company that empowers our clients with the tools they need to completely own their digital presence," says Shawn Moore, Chief Technology Officer at Solodev. "The category of Best Cloud Infrastructure is particularly meaningful for Solodev, as we've optimized our platform for maximum cloud capability, hosting beautiful websites with world-class security and reliability."

Fully optimized for the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud, Solodev strives to meet its clients' needs with benefits of the entire Amazon Web Services product suite. Backed by AWS' rock-solid infrastructure, Solodev drastically increases website delivery speeds and quickly auto-scales capacity up and down as clients' computing requirements change. Prior to being shortlisted for the Cloud Awards, the web experience platform was recognized for its excellence in cloud computing by CMS Critic as The Best Cloud CMS in 2016.

"In our sixth year of recognizing and celebrating excellence and innovation in the cloud, the standard of entries has been staggering," says Larry Johnson, organizer at Cloud Awards. "This high level of excellence is reflected in the size of organizations we are seeing enter -- from start-ups to blue chips, and everything in between. But it's also the sheer global presence of cloud technologies."

Final winners of the 2016-17 Cloud Awards will be announced on Jan. 31, 2017. For more information on the awards and the full shortlist, please visit www.cloud-awards.com/2017-shortlist.

About the Cloud Awards:

The Cloud Awards is an international program which has been recognizing and honoring industry leaders, innovators and organizational transformation in cloud computing since 2011. The awards are open to large, small, established and start-up organizations from across the entire globe, with an aim to find and celebrate the pioneers who will shape the future of the Cloud as we move into 2017 and beyond. Categories include Most Promising Start-Up, Best SaaS, and "Best in Mobile" Cloud Solution. Finalists were selected by a judging panel of international industry experts.

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.

Media Contact

Melissa Landy

Email Contact




COLUMBIA FALLS, MT -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- ZAF Energy Systems Inc. (ZAF), developer of next-generation battery technology, announced today that battery industry leader Randy A. Moore has been tapped as the company's new president and chief executive officer and Tom Shireman the new vice president of manufacturing operations. Moore takes the helm of the company as its rechargeable Nickel Zinc (NiZn) battery is poised to disrupt the $50+ billion lead acid battery market.

"I believe that ZAF's nickel-zinc battery is one of the most disruptive technologies available today as a competitive replacement for lead acid and nickel cadmium batteries and with better performance, safety, cost, and reliability, Nickel Zinc can make a significant dent in the lead acid market," said Moore. "I am excited to join the ZAF team and look forward to leading the company through its commercialization phase."

Moore has had a distinguished career and brings a track record of success as the leader of several technology-oriented companies in the battery, aerospace, defense, and medical product industries. He previously was the president of EaglePicher Technologies and led the company through eight successive years of growth and profitability improvement. He was also an executive vice president and general manager at Kollsman, spent five years at Kaman Corporation where he ran a new strategic business unit, and served in management and operations positions at major corporations such as Westinghouse, E-Systems/Raytheon, and Lucent Technologies.

He is also a founding member, former chairman, and current Board of Director of the National Association of Advanced Technology Batteries (NAATBatt) International, former board member of the Battery Innovation Center (BIC), and is a strategic advisor to the Alabama Graphite Corporation. Moore spent a combined 27 years in the active and reserve Air Force and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He completed his undergraduate degree in marketing and management at Texas Lutheran University and received his MBA from Southern Illinois University.

Tom Shireman also joins ZAF from EaglePicher Technologies. As plant manager, he was responsible for overseeing the largest part of EaglePicher's battery production operation in multiple chemistries and battery formats and improved on-time delivery from 68 percent in 2003 to 99.8 percent in 2016. Moore commented on Shireman's hire, "Tom is a significant addition to ZAF's management team and he has my full confidence. The key to a successful battery is meeting customer deadlines, ensuring performance specifications are met, and achieving high levels of quality control. He will certainly get the job done."

Compared to the conventional lead-acid batteries used in motive markets including trucking, start-stop, and deep-cycle industrial and recreational applications, ZAF's nickel-zinc battery yields twice the energy density. On a cost per kilowatt/hour basis, it is half the cost of lead acid. Future markets include specialty-battery applications where nickel-zinc has safety benefits over lithium-ion and weight, performance, and environmental benefits (such as RoHS compliance) over lead acid in markets such as aviation, portable, and stationary applications. ZAF's batteries use sustainable, abundantly-available materials that are recyclable, providing long-life and economical solutions for many applications.

"Bringing on Randy and Tom is a major milestone and demonstrates the confidence that seasoned executives in the battery industry have in our technology and business model," said Bill Burger, Chairman of ZAF Energy Systems. "We have the right product, we've cultivated strong partnerships, and now we have the leadership in place to take our Nickel Zinc batteries to market in a big way."

About ZAF Energy Systems, Inc.

Incorporated in 2011 and located in northwestern Montana, ZAF Energy Systems develops and commercializes next-generation battery technologies that use sustainable, non-toxic materials and can be safely and easily recycled. Its breakthrough battery technologies include a nickel zinc (NiZn) chemistry and a zinc air chemistry, both of which deliver the highest power and energy density of any battery system in their class. ZAF's rechargeable batteries provide long-life and economical solutions in a safe package for a variety of applications, including: electric vehicles, commercial trucking, renewables integration, back-up power, consumer electronics, mobility, and recreation vehicles. For more information, visit: www.zafsys.com

Press Contact:

Wendy Prabhu

Mercom Communications, a division of Mercom Capital Group

1-512-215-4452

Email Contact




SEATTLE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- CFN Media Group ("CannabisFN"), the leading creative agency and digital media network dedicated to legal cannabis, announces publication of an exclusive interview and story covering the effect recent Canadian Cannabis Task Force recommendations and DEA actions could have on Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. (OTC PINK: GRPOF) (CSE: TBP) as the company continues development of smokable marijuana as treatment for a variety of conditions.

The United States government has permitted individual states to legalize the drug, but the Drug Enforcement Administration recently cracked down on cannabidiol (CBD) makers and President Trump's cabinet picks are opponents of legalization. In Canada, voters approved the nationwide legalization of cannabis with the election of Prime Minister Trudeau, but the framework governing the program is only now starting to become clear.

Tetra Bio-Pharma has already started down the pharmaceutical path by undergoing clinical trials for medical cannabis in its natural form. The company believes that smokable marijuana may provide patients with a better natural alternative to synthetic cannabinoids and extracts. With the large number of existing users, the company also has access to a lot of data to support its clinical studies.

In the interview, Tetra's Chief Science Officer, Dr. Guy Chamberland, points out that medical cannabis patients are keen on receiving reimbursements since they cannot afford regular access without it. At the same time, physicians have been hesitant to prescribe medical cannabis without robust clinical trials demonstrating both safety and efficacy. These demands could lead to a much more 'pharmaceutical' approach than existing medical cannabis programs.

Please follow the link to read the full article and see the video interview: http://www.cannabisfn.com/tetra-biopharma-grpof-standing-on-the-right-side-of-regulation-plus-new-interview/

Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/become-featured-company/

Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from the palm of your hand: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8

Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com

About CFN Media

CFN Media (CannabisFN), the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis, helps marijuana businesses attract investors, customers (B2B, B2C), capital, and media visibility. Private and public marijuana companies and brands in the US and Canada rely on CFN Media to grow and succeed.

CFN launched in June of 2013 to initially serve the growing universe of publicly traded marijuana companies across North America. Today, CFN Media is also the digital media choice for the emerging brands in the space.

Disclaimer:

Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CFN Media and CannabisFN.com, is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority, and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. Emerging Growth LLC may from time to time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and may increase or decrease such positions without notice. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice. Emerging Growth LLC may be compensated for its services in the form of cash-based compensation or equity securities in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure please visit: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/.

CFN Media

Frank Lane

206-369-7050

flane@cannabisfn.com




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 17, 2017) - Canamex Resources Corp. (TSXV: CSQ) (OTCBB: CNMXF) (FSE: CX6) ("Canamex") is pleased to provide assay results from the fall drilling campaign at the Bruner gold project in Nye County, Nevada.

The Company completed 23 holes focused on in-fill drilling at the Paymaster resource area. Twenty of the 23 holes intersected gold above the cut-off grade referenced in the PEA for the project. Hole B1608 intersected 18.3 meters (16.5 meters true width) of 5.88 gpt (grams per tonne) Au and 25.1 gpt Ag, including a core high-grade zone 7.6 meters wide (6.85 meters true width) of 13.1 gpt Au and 51 gpt Ag. The higher grade intercepts correspond to silicified and quartz-veined rocks. Results are summarized in the table below. True thicknesses range from 75% to 100% of reported thicknesses, depending upon the inclination of the various drill holes. Individual true widths of each of the drill hole intercepts announced herein remain to be determined based upon detailed analysis of each drill section.

Numerous individual assay intervals above 7 gpt Au were encountered, leading management to believe that the capping grade of 7 gm/tonne (gpt) Au which was applied to the resource estimation at the Paymaster zone in the PEA can be lifted, or at least raised to something closer to 12-15 gpt Au. The capping grade was applied in the resource estimate because a significant number of the previous Paymaster database assays above 7 gpt Au came from historically collected underground channel samples which were not statistically represented in the drill hole data base at the time of the resource estimate. The increased drill density in the area surrounding the old workings provides sufficient drill hole assay data to reconsider the application of a capping grade in future resource estimations. Roughly half of the ounces estimated in the Paymaster resource area are not included in the NI43-101 resource estimate as a result of the grade capping applied.

The Company has also completed three groundwater test holes to a depth of 500 feet each in the proposed leach pad area on patented claims. No groundwater was encountered, which is as anticipated. This information is critical to allow the Company to commence the project permitting process with the State of Nevada Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and should mitigate the need for ground water monitoring wells.

Greg Hahn, President and COO and a Certified Professional Geologist (#7122) is the Qualified Person under NI43-101 responsible for preparing and reviewing the data contained in this press release.

QA/QC Statement

Drill hole samples are stored on site and are retrieved by an independent contractor and transported in their custody to the ALS Minerals laboratory in Reno/Sparks, Nevada, where they were dried, crushed, pulverized, and analyzed by ALS Minerals laboratory in Vancouver, BC for gold and silver. Duplicates, blanks, and standards were inserted at regular intervals for QA/QC purposes. All drill samples are prepared by crushing the entire sample to 70% passing 2mm size, splitting out 250 grams of sample and pulverizing this split to 85% passing -75 microns in size. From the 250 gram pulp 30 grams is split out for fusion and fire assay with an AA finish. If results return 3 g/tonne Au or greater, the lab performs a 30 gram fire assay with a gravimetric finish from the same pulp. In addition, a second sample is prepared by crushing the sample down to 90% passing 10 mesh and proceeding to a rotary split of 1 kg that is pulverized to 85% passing 200 mesh. From the 1 kilogram pulp 30 grams is split out for a second fire assay with gravimetric finish.

Bruner Project

Paymaster 2016 Drilling Results



Hole ID

From (ft)

(m)

To (ft)

(m) Thick

(ft)

(m)

gpt Au

gpt Ag B1608 200 61.0 260 79.3 60 18.3 5.88 25.08 including 200 61.0 225 68.6 25 7.6 13.10 51.00 B1614 75 22.9 85 25.9 10 3.0 0.44 3.25

125 38.1 150 45.7 25 7.6 3.23 10.18

205 62.5 230 70.1 25 7.6 0.49 21.80 B1606 165 50.3 185 56.4 20 6.1 3.48 5.13

225 68.6 270 82.3 45 13.7 0.87 2.83 B1605 150 45.7 190 57.9 40 12.2 1.69 7.05

215 65.5 280 85.4 65 19.8 2.38 7.65 B1604 95 29.0 100 30.5 5 1.5 1.43 7.00

185 56.4 235 71.6 50 15.2 1.61 4.95 B1609 195 59.5 240 73.2 45 13.7 1.07 2.99 B1610 115 35.1 145 44.2 30 9.1 0.93 8.40 B1611 115 35.1 145 44.2 30 9.1 1.35 5.85

165 50.3 200 61.0 35 10.7 0.32 8.97 B1612 95 29.0 120 36.6 25 7.6 1.27 3.24 B1622 85 25.9 130 39.6 45 13.7 1.20 2.35

175 53.4 205 62.5 30 9.1 0.89 6.38

285 86.9 300 91.5 15 4.6 1.67 17.80 B1615 140 42.7 230 70.1 90 27.4 0.41 3.59 B1616 55 16.8 90 27.4 35 10.7 0.76 3.34

105 32.0 190 57.9 85 25.9 0.37 2.66 B1617 135 41.2 160 48.8 25 7.6 0.75 4.02

95 29.0 200 61.0 105 32.0 0.34 3.05 B1618 55 16.8 85 25.9 30 9.1 0.88 3.95

120 36.6 195 59.5 75 22.9 0.43 2.73 B1619 90 27.4 190 57.9 100 30.5 0.37 1.52

90 27.4 135 41.2 45 13.7 0.47 1.51

230 70.1 270 82.3 40 12.2 0.37 3.95 B1620 90 27.4 145 44.2 55 16.8 0.65 4.14

90 27.4 115 35.1 25 7.6 1.19 7.00 B1621 80 24.4 115 35.1 35 10.7 0.33 1.79 B1623 120 36.6 155 47.3 35 10.7 1.00 7.33 B1607 165 50.3 210 64.0 45 13.7 0.53 3.83 B1602 30 9.1 60 18.3 30 9.1 0.28 7.53

230 70.1 255 77.7 25 7.6 0.32 3.26 B1601 NONE













B1603 NONE













B1613 NONE

































ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

SIGNED: "Gregory A. Hahn"

Gregory A. Hahn, President and COO

Contact: (720) 244-2022

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 NOTE TO US INVESTORS REGARDING RESOURCE ESTIMATION

Canamex Resources prepares its resource estimates in accordance with standards of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum referred to in Canadian National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). These standards are different from the standards generally permitted in reports filed with the SEC. Under NI 43-101, Canamex Resources reports measured, indicated and inferred resources, measurements, which are generally not permitted in filings made with the SEC. The estimation of measured resources and indicated resources involve greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic feasibility than the estimation of proven and probable reserves. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part of measured or indicated resources will ever be converted into economically mineable reserves. The estimation of inferred resources involves far greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic viability than the estimation of other categories of resources.

CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements or information. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements in relation to the timing, cost and other aspects of the planned programs on the Bruner property; the potential for development of the mineral resources; the potential mineralization and geological merits of the Bruner property; and other future plans, objectives or expectations of the Company. 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 the risk that actual results of current and planned exploration activities, including the results of the Company's future drilling program(s) on the Bruner property, will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; the geology, grade and continuity of any mineral deposits and the risk of unexpected variations in mineral resources, grade and/or recovery rates; fluctuating metals prices; possibility of accidents, equipment breakdowns and delays during exploration; exploration cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; uncertainties involved in the interpretation of drilling results and geological tests; availability of capital and financing required to continue the Company's future exploration programs and preparation of geological reports and studies; delays in the preparation of geological reports and studies; the metallurgical characteristics of mineralization contained within the Bruner property are yet to be fully determined; general economic, market or business conditions; competition and loss of key employees; regulatory changes and restrictions including in relation to required permits for exploration activities (including drilling permits) and environmental liability; 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. In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made numerous assumptions, including that the Company's future programs will proceed as planned and within budget. 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.
OTTAWA, CANADA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Editors note: There are 4 images accompanying this press release.

Introducing new ParticleShop, the brush plugin that gives professional photo editors and compositors the ability to create incredible images that were previously too time consuming or even impossible to achieve - right within Photoshop. ParticleShop builds on its renowned Particle Brushes with new support for Dynamic Speckles and F-X Effects, powerful brush technologies never available before outside of the industry's digital art standard, Corel Painter. Photoshop and Lightroom users can now instantly access more than 100 new brushes to create looks that are more realistic, organic and fantastic than ever.

New ParticleShop brushes take advantage of Particle, Dynamic Speckle and F-X Effects technologies to deliver a fast and responsive photo editing experience with truly unique and personalized results. In just minutes, users can achieve more natural, hand-painted effects with thick pronounced strokes, luscious smears and pointillist looks that expressively distribute color within the speckles. Use one brush to create photo-realistic effects that spring, flow, gravitate or glow based on your unique expression; then grab another to experiment with strokes that bulge, diffuse, pull and twirl.

"Every creative professional knows the feeling of settling for good enough when the look they wanted to achieve alludes them. Maybe the deadline was too tight or you simply didn't have the right tools to get to your vision. The new ParticleShop gives you access to hundreds of unique brushes to apply virtually any effect you can imagine in a more responsive, expressive and organic way," said Chris Pierce, Product Manager, Corel Digital Arts.

The new ParticleShop is free to current users and includes a Core Pack with 11 all-new brushes. Users can also choose from 6 new brush packs leveraging the new Dynamic Speckles and F-X Effects brush technologies: Impression Pack, Blenders Pack, Expressive Pack, Grunge Pack, Nature Pack, and Creepers Pack. ParticleShop now gives users access to more than 350 unique brushes for realizing their creative vision.

Pricing & Availability

ParticleShop is a plugin for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Lightroom, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, CorelDRAW Technical Suite, Corel PaintShop Pro, and Corel AfterShot Pro. The new ParticleShop includes a core pack of 11 new brushes and is available for $49.99 USD or as a free update for all registered owners.

Additional brush packs may be purchased online or in-app. To learn more and see the incredible artwork achieved with ParticleShop, visit: www.painterartist.com/particleshop.

About Corel Paint Programs:

Corel is the proud creator of Corel Painter, the world's most realistic paint program. Whether you're a budding artist or a creative professional, Painter gives you the freedom to create digital art without boundaries. The Corel Paint Program lineup also includes Painter Essentials, the complete home art studio, ParticleShop, a Particle brush plugin for Adobe users, and mobile apps that let you create digital art on the go.

Boasting some of the industry's best-known brands, Corel's product lines also include CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, Corel PaintShop Pro, Corel VideoStudio, MindManager, Roxio, Pinnacle and WinZip. For more information about Corel Paint Programs, please visit www.corel.com.

 2017 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved. Corel, the Corel logo, the Corel Balloon logo, ParticleShop, AfterShot, CorelDRAW, Essentials, MindManager, Painter, PaintShop, Particle, Pinnacle, Roxio, VideoStudio, and WinZip are trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. Patents: www.corel.com/patent

To view the images accompanying this press release, click on the following links:

http://www.marketwire.com/library/20170116-Corel116a.jpg

http://www.marketwire.com/library/20170116-Corel116b.jpg

http://www.marketwire.com/library/20170116-Corel116c.jpg

http://www.marketwire.com/library/20170117-Corel116d_8.jpg

Contacts:

Alex Brazeau

Public Relations Manager

Corel Corporation

alex.brazeau@corel.com




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Augusta Industries Inc. (the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE: AAO) is pleased to announce that Fox-Tek Canada Inc. ("Fox-Tek"), the Corporation's wholly owned subsidiary, has received a contract to develop a laboratory version of its electric field mapping ("EFM") technology to be used in a nuclear facility. Upon successful completion of this project, the client has indicated that there is a possibility of ordering more units to replace existing equipment.

The new EFM equipment is specifically designed for the use in research/experimental environment where a need for accurate material changes is required. Unlike Fox-Tek's standard EFM units that are fully autonomous, these units will require a user to take readings. As such, a computer interface tool is being developed to ensure that the user is able to quickly configure the system for a particular application. Fox-Tek will continue to make its DMAT tools suite available to client's that might require more help to analyze their data.

This new development will help to open new potential markets, including universities, industrial research groups and testing labs that are looking for novel techniques to measure changes in materials due to corrosion/erosion.

About the Corporation

Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Marcon International Inc. ("Marcon") and Fox-Tek, the Corporation provides a variety of services and products to a number of clients.

Marcon is an industrial supply contractor servicing the energy sector and a number of US Government entities. Marcon's principal business is the sale and distribution of industrial parts and equipment (Electrical, mechanical and Instrumentation.) In addition to departments and agencies of the U.S. Government, Marcon's major clients include Saudi Arabia-Sabic Services (Refining and Petrochemical), Bahrain National Gas Co, Bahrain Petroleum, Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Gas, Qatar Petrochemical, Gulf of Suez Petroleum, Agiba Petroleum and Burullus Gas Co.

FOX-TEK develops non-intrusive asset health monitoring sensor systems for the oil and gas market to help operators track the thinning of pipelines and refinery vessels due to corrosion/erosion, strain due to bending/buckling and process pressure and temperature. The Corporation's FT fiber optic sensor and corrosion monitoring systems allow cost-effective, 24/7 remote monitoring capabilities to improve scheduled maintenance operations, avoid unnecessary shutdowns, and prevent accidents and leaks.

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 press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimates of future events. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements are detailed from time to time in the Corporation's periodic reports filed with the Ontario Securities Commission and other regulatory authorities. The Corporation has no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts:

Corporation contact:

Augusta Industries Inc.

Allen Lone

President, CEO

(905) 275 -8111 Ext 226

atlone@fox-tek.com




MISSION VIEJO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Auxilio, Inc. (OTCQB: AUXOD), a leading provider of complete document workflow solutions and IT security services for the healthcare industry, announced today that it acquired Austin, TX based CynergisTek, an industry leader in health information privacy, compliance and cybersecurity consulting, for initial consideration of approximately $26.8 million in combined cash, stock, and seller debt. Additional "earn outs" may be paid of up to $7.5 million over the next five years based on certain financial criteria being met. The acquisition will enable the Company to meet growing demand from healthcare customers for comprehensive IT security solutions that reduce risk and deliver long-term value.

CynergisTek generated approximately $15 million in revenues and $5.0 million of EBITDA in 2016. The transaction is expected to be substantially accretive to 2017 EPS. CynergisTek will continue to operate independently as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Auxilio, offering end-to-end IT security solutions to a diverse and growing customer base, including some of the largest and most prestigious health systems in the country. As part of the deal, Auxilio's Redspin division will become part of CynergisTek, to complement existing offerings such as penetration testing, security assessment and risk management solutions, and to bolster technical resources and capabilities. CynergisTek has provided services to hundreds of hospitals and healthcare organizations since its inception in 2004 and was recently recognized by KLAS, a provider of unbiased vendor performance data for the healthcare IT security sector, as the highest-rated firm that healthcare provider organizations rely on for security consulting and services.

The initial consideration paid to CynergisTek of approximately $26.8 million consists of $15 million in cash, approximately 1.17 million shares of Auxilio common stock and a seller's note in the amount of $9 million. Auxilio will enter into a 5 year term loan from Avid Bank in the amount of $14 million to fund the cash portion.

"We have long stated our desire to expand our reach in healthcare IT security and this acquisition puts us in an immediate leadership position in the category. We have come to know the founders and employees of CynergisTek quite well over the last couple of years and from the earliest conversations it was obvious we shared a vision of what the future of healthcare IT security and document workflow looked like and how the two will become increasingly intertwined," stated Joe Flynn, CEO of Auxilio. "While CynergisTek will continue to operate independently, there are numerous opportunities for mutually assisted growth over the near term and we foresee the ability to offer services under a combined umbrella over time. This is a truly unique fit and we could not be more excited to complete this transaction."

CynergisTek founders, Mac McMillan and Dr. Michael Mathews, will take Board positions in the combined entity and assume a significant ownership stake to ensure the continued leadership and integrity of the CynergisTek brand. The companies plan to align their service offerings to provide comprehensive information management solutions designed to mitigate risk, optimize productivity and drive savings for healthcare organizations.

"With assets from Auxilio, we'll have what we need to extend our offerings and to keep pace with market demand while simultaneously maintaining the superior level of client support we've become known for," said Mac McMillan, CynergisTek CEO. "Our clients recognize that document and device security are important components of their overall security risk profile and the ability to deliver an integrated approach to managing those aspects of their infrastructure along with the digital pieces we've traditionally focused on is something we are laying the foundation for now."

For interested parties, a conference call led by Mr. Joe Flynn, CEO of Auxilio, will be held today, Tuesday, January 17th at 2:00pm PT, 5:00pm ET, where additional details of the transaction will be provided.

Conference Call Information

Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Time: 2:00pm PT, 5:00 pm ET

US: 1-888-224-1142

International: 1-913-312-1475

Conference ID: 9373663

Webcast: http://public.viavid.com/index.php?id=122575

A replay of the call will be available from 8:00pm ET on January 17, 2017 to 11:59 pm ET on April 17, 2017. To access the replay, please dial 1-877-870-5176 from the U.S. and 1-858-384-5517 from outside the U.S. The PIN is 9373663.

About CynergisTek

CynergisTek (www.cynergistek.com) is a top-ranked cybersecurity and privacy consulting firm. The company offers solutions to help organizations measure privacy and security programs against regulatory requirements and assists in developing risk management best practices. Since 2004 the company has served as a partner to hundreds in the healthcare industry. CynergisTek is also dedicated to supporting and educating the industry by contributing to relevant associations such as HIMSS, AHIMA, HFMA, HCCA, AHIA, AHLA, IAPP and CHIME. The company has been named in numerous research reports as one of the top firms that provider organizations turn to for privacy and security, including the 2016 KLAS Security Advisory Services report, which rated CynergisTek for having the highest overall client satisfaction, performance and impact on security preparedness.

About Auxilio

Auxilio (www.auxilioinc.com) provides complete document workflow solutions and IT security services to healthcare organizations across the United States. Auxilio has helped its clients save more than $80 million since 2004 by providing solutions which lower costs, improve operational efficiency and enhance security. Auxilio's iPLATFORM, an intelligent workflow automation suite delivers a customer driven, vendor neutral approach to secure patient health information, reduce waste and drive additional savings opportunities. Auxilio serves a national portfolio of nearly 220 hospital campuses and manages over 1.5 billion documents annually from over 90,000 devices supporting over 280,000 caregivers.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the enhancement of shareholder value and the Company's strategy relating to uplisting to a national exchange. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Readers are urged to read the risk factors set forth in the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K, subsequent quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q, and other filings made with the SEC. Copies of these reports are available from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or without charge from the Company.

Investor Relations Contact:

Mike Cole

MZ North America

949-259-4988

Mike.cole@mzgroup.us



Media Contact:

Chanel Benoit

Senior Account Executive

Aria Marketing

(617) 332-9999 x209

cbenoit@ariamarketing.com




Ukraine cuts production of oil by 11.6%, gas condensate by 2.5% in 2016

Ukraine in 2016 reduced oil production by 11.6% (by 208,900 tonnes) compared with 2015, to 1.597 million tonnes.

A source in the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry told Interfax-Ukraine gas condensate output decreased by 2.5% (by 16,100 tonnes), to 640,000 tonnes.

Naftogaz Ukrainy enterprises reduced oil production by 8.8% in 2016, to 1.546 million tonnes, that of gas condensate by 6.7%, to 454,000 tonnes.

PJSC Ukrnafta reduced extraction of oil by 8.4%, to 1.445 million tonnes, gas condensate by 21.5%, to 73,100 tonnes, PJSC Ukrgazvydobuvannia reduced oil production by 14%, to 101,500 tonnes, gas condensate output by 3.3%, to 380,900 tonnes.

Other oil and gas companies in 2016 reduced oil production by 54.5%, to 50,300 tonnes, but increased gas condensate output by 9.9%, to 186,000 tonnes.

Such a significant decline in oil production by private companies is primarily due to the suspension of licenses of JV UkrKarpatOil Ltd in summer 2015 because of significant tax debts. The company in five months of 2015 extracted 28,835 tonnes of oil with gas condensate and in 2014 some 51,690 tonnes.
LOS ALTOS, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Tricentis, the Continuous Testing Company, has announced the release of their third annual Software Fail Watch: 2016 in Review. The Software Fail Watch: 2016 in Review identified an unprecedented 548 recorded software fails, impacting 4.4 billion people and over $1.1 trillion in assets. This is a significant increase since the 2015 report.

Download a complimentary copy of Software Fail Watch: 2016 in Review

Tweet this: 548 software fails, 4.4 billion people, and $1.1 trillion in assets affected... the 2016 Software Fail Watch is here!

"The Software Fail Watch: 2016 in Review is a sobering reminder of how even a single software bug can cripple an enterprise," remarked Wolfgang Platz, Founder and CPO of Tricentis. "As the demand for the latest and greatest in technology and convenience grows, so does the need for software testers to protect their users and their brand from the potential influx of software failures. Our goal at Tricentis is to help testers succeed in this role -- enabling fast, efficient, comprehensive testing that's designed to support Continuous Testing, Agile, and DevOps."

Born from an interest in the frequency and types of software failures reported in the news media, the Software Fail Watch has evolved into a comprehensive, industry-spanning report that clearly reveals why effective software testing is so crucial to every business. The detailed 27-page report covers:

The overall impact on businesses, users, time, and assets

How the number and type of software fails in 2016 compared to 2015

Software fail trends within and across industries--finance, retail, services (e.g., internet, telecom), government, transportation, and entertainment

ABOUT TRICENTIS

Tricentis, the Continuous Testing Company, specializes in agile market leading software testing tools for enterprises. We help Global 2000 companies adopt DevOps and gain success by achieving software test automation rates of over 90%. Our integrated software testing solution, Tricentis Tosca, consists of a unique Model-based Test Automation and Test Case Design approach, encompassing risk-based testing, test data management and provisioning, service virtualization, and more. We are established as a reliable enterprise partner, helping to deliver significant performance improvements to testing projects.

Prominent analysts have recognized us as a Leader in both Software Test Automation and in Functional Automation Tools, with Model-based Test Automation as our standout feature. Tricentis' 400+ customers include global names from the Top 500 brands such as A&E, Allianz, BMW, ING, Deutsche Bank, Orange, Starbucks, Swiss Re, Toyota, UBS, Vantiv, Vodafone, and Zurich Insurance.

Tricentis has offices in Austria, United States, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Netherlands, Poland, India and Australia.

For regular news and information about Tricentis and the automated testing market, like and follow the company on:

www.tricentis.com

Twitter: @tricentis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TRICENTIS

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tricentis-technology-&-consulting-gmbh

A free trial of Tricentis Tosca is available at:

https://www.tricentis.com/tricentis-tosca-testsuite/trial/

Media Contact

Jessica Chao

j.chao@tricentis.com




NEW YORK, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Robust growth in packaging industry, rising industrialization, and growing demand for light weight and fuel efficient vehicles to drive India masterbatch market through 2025

According to TechSci Research report, "India Masterbatch Market By Type, By Polymer Type, By Application, By End Use, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011 - 2025", masterbatch market in India is forecast to grow at a CAGR of over 11% during 2016-2025, on account of strong growth in packaging and automotive sectors, favorable government regulations, and rapid industrialization and commercialization. Further, growing demand for masterbatch in the country can also be attributed to strong emphasis on development of eco-friendly cars by the government. Government of India implemented strict regulations regarding greenhouse gases emissions by vehicles, to control pollution in the country. Government of India announced plans to invest US$ 14.7 billion for development of 100 smart cities and 500 cities under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) mission. Indian government has also been making provisions under 'Make in India' initiative to strengthen manufacturing capacities of the country. These schemes are expected to drive masterbatch consumption in India through 2025.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140117/663730 )



Browse 11 market data Tables and 47 Figures spread through130 Pages and an in-depth TOC on

"India Masterbatch Market"

https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/india-masterbatch-market-by-type-white-black-etc-by-polymer-type-polyethylene-etc-by-application-extrusion-injection-moulding-etc-by-end-use-packaging-automotive-etc-competition-forecast-and-opportunities/872.html

In 2015, India food and beverage industry was valued at USD34 billion in 2015 and this is projected to grow in the coming years, due to rising demand for packaged food and beverages in the country. Rising demand for innovative and environment friendly packaging from food & beverage and pharmaceutical sectors is expected to drive sales of masterbatch for manufacturing packaging materials in India. Further, India is emerging as a low-cost manufacturing base for automotive sector and thus the country has experienced strong growth in production of automobiles. In 2014, launch of "Make in India" campaign is projected to boost growth in the country's manufacturing and real estate sectors. Rising investments on infrastructural developments is projected to boost demand for masterbatch used in the production of wires & cables, plastics, etc., through 2025. Few of the leading masterbatch manufacturers in the country include Plastiblends, Alok Masterbatches, Poddar Pigments, Ampacet and Blend Colours, among others.

Download Sample Report

@ https://www.techsciresearch.com/sample-report.aspx?cid=872

Customers can also request for 10% free customization on this report.

"Continuous efforts of manufacturers to develop innovative products, and enhance performance, product portfolios and efficacy of existing masterbatch technologies is boosting growth in India masterbatch market. Panels and slabs produced using newly discovered technologies are expected to be more cost and energy efficient, have sound mechanical properties and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This is anticipated to address environmental concerns, and make it a suitable products for construction and other end use industries. Growing focus on technological innovations is anticipated to propel growth in India masterbatch market through 2025", said Mr. Karan Chechi, Research Director with TechSci Research, a research based global management consulting firm.

"India Masterbatch Market By Type, By Polymer Type, By Application, By End Use, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011 - 2025" has evaluated the future growth potential of India masterbatch market and provides statistics and information on market size, structure and future market growth. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyzes the emerging trends along with essential drivers, challenges and opportunities in India masterbatch market.

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GCC Construction Chemicals Market By Type (Concrete Admixtures, Waterproofing, Protective Coatings, Adhesives, etc.), By End User, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011 - 2021 - Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman & Bahrain

https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/gcc-construction-chemicals-market-by-type-concrete-admixtures-waterproofing-protective-coatings-adhesives-etc-by-end-user-competition-forecast-and-opportunities-2011-2021-saudi-arabia-uae-qatar-kuwait-oman-bahrain/613.html

India Construction Chemicals Market By Type (Concrete Admixtures, Waterproofing Chemicals, Flooring Chemicals, Repair & Rehabilitation Chemicals and Others), By Application and Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2010 - 2020

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https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/south-africa-construction-chemicals-market-by-type-concrete-construction-chemicals-flooring-chemicals-and-waterproofing-chemicals-by-end-user-commercial-infrastructure-and-residential-competition-forecast-and-opportunities-2010-2020/603.html

About TechSci Research

TechSci Research is a leading global market research firm publishing premium market research reports. Serving 700 global clients with more than 600 premium market research studies, TechSci Research is serving clients across 11 different industrial verticals. TechSci Research specializes in research based consulting assignments in high growth and emerging markets, leading technologies and niche applications. Our workforce of more than 100 fulltime Analysts and Consultants employing innovative research solutions and tracking global and country specific high growth markets helps TechSci clients to lead rather than follow market trends.



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VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - January 17, 2017) - Sarama Resources Ltd. (the "Company" or "Sarama") is pleased to advise that Savary Gold Corp. ("Savary"), the operator of the Karankasso Project Joint Venture 7 between Sarama and Savary, provided an update on January 17, 2017 of initial drill results from the Q4, 2016 drilling campaign. The drilling was undertaken across multiple target zones within the Karankasso Project area.

Highlights

22 holes totalling approximately 3,000 metres of diamond core ("DD") and reverse-circulation ("RC") were completed prior to year-end.

Downhole intersections highlighted by Savary include:

HE-RC-16-41 7m @ 1.54 g/t Au from 10m HE-RC-16-44 15m @ 0.51 g/t Au from 129m HE-RC-16-46 2m @ 5.64 g/t Au from 10m HE-RC-16-47 12m @ 0.62 g/t Au from 30m HE-RC-16-48 6m @ 1.84 g/t Au from 62m HE-RC-16-51 1m @ 14.95 g/t Au from 36m HE-RCD-16-53A 10.4m @ 1.13 g/t Au from 158.5m HE-RCD-16-54 8m @ 1.87 g/t Au from 20m HE-RCD-16-55 7.2m @ 3.75 g/t Au from 142.0m 7.5m @ 4.2 g/t Au from 173.1m 8.0m @ 2.3 g/t Au from 192.0m HE-RCD-16-56 7.0m @ 6.73 g/t Au from 181.6m 5.5m @ 3.45 g/t Au from 197.3m (mineralisation true widths are estimated at 65-80% of listed downhole intersection lengths)

Follow-up drilling on selected targets is planned to commence in January 2017.

Sarama's President and CEO, Andrew Dinning, commented:

"The combination of infill and extensional drilling completed at the Karankasso Project in Q4 2016 will enhance understanding of the mineralised system. Sarama looks forward to the integration of recently collected geophysical, geochemical and prospecting data into the forward exploration program that may generate new targets outside the known mineralised system."

ABOUT SARAMA RESOURCES LTD

Sarama Resources Ltd (TSX VENTURE: SWA) is a West African focused gold explorer with substantial landholdings in Burkina Faso. Sarama is focused on consolidating under-explored landholdings in Burkina Faso and other established mining jurisdictions.

Sarama's flagship properties are situated within the Company's South Hounde Project area in south-west Burkina Faso. Located within the prolific Hounde Greenstone Belt, Sarama's exploration programs have built on significant early success to deliver an inferred mineral resource estimate of 2.1 Moz gold 1,2 . Acacia Mining plc is earning up to a 70% interest in the South Hounde Project by satisfying certain conditions, including funding earn-in expenditures of up to US$14 million, over a 4-year earn-in period and may acquire an additional 5% interest, for an aggregate 75% interest in the Project, upon declaration of a minimum mineral reserve of 1.6 million ounces of gold.

Sarama holds a 31% participating interest in the Karankasso Project Joint Venture ("JV") which is situated adjacent to the Company's South Hounde Project in Burkina Faso and is a JV between Sarama and Savary Gold Corp. ("Savary"). Savary is the operator of the JV and in October 2015, declared a maiden inferred mineral resource estimate of 671,000 ounces of contained gold 3,4 at the Karankasso Project JV.

Sarama has also agreed to acquire a 100% interest in the Bondi Deposit from Orezone Gold Corporation (refer news release May 24, 2016). Bondi has a historical estimate of mineral resources of 0.3Moz Au (measured and indicated) and 0.1Moz Au (inferred) 5,6 .

Together, the South Hounde Project, Bondi Deposit and the Karankasso Project form a cluster of advanced gold deposits, within trucking distance of one another, which potentially offers a development option for a multi-source fed central processing facility in the southern Hounde Belt region of Burkina Faso.

Incorporated in 2010, the Company's Board and management team have a proven track record in Africa and a strong history in the discovery and development of large-scale gold deposits. Sarama is well positioned to build on its current success with a sound exploration strategy across its property portfolio.

43.0 Mt @ 1.5 g/t Au (reported above cut-off grades ranging 0.3-2.2 g/t Au, reflecting the mining methods and processing flowsheets assumed to assess the likelihood of the inferred mineral resources having reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction) The effective date of the Company's inferred mineral resource estimate is February 4, 2016. For further information regarding the mineral resource estimate please refer to the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report South Hounde Project Update, Bougouriba and Ioba Provinces, Burkina Faso", dated March 31, 2016. The technical report is available under Sarama Resources Ltd.'s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. 9.2 Mt @ 2.3 g/t Au (at a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off) The effective date of the Karankasso Project JV mineral resource estimate is October 7, 2015. For further information regarding the mineral resource estimate please refer to the technical report titled "Technical Report and Resource Estimate on the Karankasso Project, Burkina Faso", dated October 7, 2015. The technical report is available under Savary Gold Corp's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Sarama has not independently verified Savary's mineral resource estimate and takes no responsibility for its accuracy. 4.1Mt @ 2.1g/t Au for 282,000 oz Au (measured and indicated) and 2.5Mt @ 1.8g/t Au for 149,700 oz Au (inferred), reported at a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off The effective date of the historical estimate of the Bondi Deposit mineral resource estimate is February 20, 2009. For further information regarding the mineral resource estimate please refer to the technical report titled "Technical Report on the Mineral Resource of the Bondigui Gold Project", dated February 20, 2009. The technical report is available under Orezone Gold Corporation's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Sarama has 31% and Savary Gold has 69% ownership interests

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Information in this news release that is not a statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information includes statements regarding the use of proceeds from the private placement, for drilling and geochemical and geophysical surveys at the South Hounde Project, the Earn-In Agreement with Acacia, including the amounts that may be spent on exploration and interests in the South Hounde Project that may be earned by Acacia upon making certain expenditures and estimating a minimum reserve, the potential to expand the present oxide component of the Company's existing estimated mineral resources" future exploration plans and the potential development of the Bondi, Karankasso and South Hounde Projects on a combined basis. Actual results, performance or achievements of the Company may vary from the results suggested by such forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such factors include, among others, that the business of exploration for gold and other precious minerals involves a high degree of risk and is highly speculative in nature; Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability, and there is no certainty that they can be upgraded to Mineral Reserves through continued exploration; few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; the actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. There can be no assurance that any mineralisation that is discovered will be proven to be economic, or that future required regulatory licensing or approvals will be obtained. However, the Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, Acacia's continued funding of exploration activities, the Company's ability to carry on its exploration activities, the sufficiency of funding, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold and other precious metals, that the Company will not be affected by adverse political events, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain further financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Sarama does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws.

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.

QUALIFIED PERSONS' STATEMENT

Scientific or technical information in this news release that relates to the preparation of the Company's mineral resource estimate is based on information compiled or approved by Adrian Shepherd. Adrian Shepherd is an employee of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and is considered to be independent of Sarama Resources Ltd. Adrian Shepherd is a Chartered Professional Member in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Adrian Shepherd consents to the inclusion in this news release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this news release that relates to the preparation of the Karankasso Project's mineral resource estimate is based on information compiled or approved by Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa. Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa are employees of P&E Mining Consultants Inc. and are considered to be independent of Savary Gold Corp. and Sarama Resources Ltd. Antoine Yassa is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and Eugene Puritch is a member in good standing of Professional Engineers Ontario. Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa have sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which they are undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa consent to the inclusion in this news release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Sarama has not independently verified Savary's mineral resource estimate and takes no responsibility for its accuracy.

Scientific or technical information in this news release, in respect of the Bondi Deposit relating to mineral resource and exploration information drawn from the Technical Report prepared for Orezone on that deposit has been approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this report of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

For further information on the Company's activities, please contact:

Andrew Dinning or Paul Schmiede

e: info@saramaresources.com

t: +61 (0) 8 9363 7600
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - An ultralight high-performance mechanical watch made with graphene was unveiled in Geneva, which scientists claim is the world's lightest. The University of Manchester has collaborated with watchmaking brand Richard Mille and McLaren F1 to create world's lightest mechanical chronograph by pairing leading graphene research with precision engineering. The RM 50-03 watch was made using a unique composite incorporating graphene to manufacture a strong but lightweight new case to house the delicate watch mechanism. The graphene composite known as Graph TPTT weighs less than previous similar materials used in watchmaking. Graphene is the world's first two-dimensional material at just one-atom thick. 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) - General Motors Co. (GM) plans to invest at least $1 billion in its U.S. plants and is expected to announce the decision as early as Tuesday, according to media reports. The move is aimed at underlining the automaker's commitment to U.S. manufacturing jobs in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump's criticism of GM's imports from Mexico. GM is also expected to announce the creation of more than 1,000 jobs stemming from the investment. However, according to media reports citing persons briefed on the matter, GM's investment and job creation are not in response to criticism from Trump. In early January, Trump had targeted GM, asking the automaker to stop importing cars into the U.S. from Mexico or pay a big tax. In a tweet, Trump said, '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!' In response to Trump, GM said that while it manufacturers the Chevrolet Cruze sedan in Lordstown, Ohio, only a small number of cars from Mexico are sold in the U.S. After scathing criticism from Trump, GM's peer Ford Motor Co. (F) said it canceled plans for a new $1.6 billion assembly plant in Mexico. Instead, the auto giant said it will build small cars in an existing Mexican factory and intends to invest $700 million in a Michigan facility to manufacture electric cars. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCAU) also recently announced plans to invest $1 billion in its Michigan and Ohio plants, adding 2000 jobs in the U.S. 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.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- AppsFlyer, the leading mobile attribution and marketing data analytics company whose mission is to make the marketing industry more measureable, today announced it has raised an additional $56 million in Series C financing, bringing its total funding to $84 million. Having grown revenues by 500% and staff from 40 to 240 people across 12 global offices in two years, the company will invest in the enhancement of its products to help even more marketers measure every engagement with their target audiences. The round was led by new investors Qumra Capital, as well as Goldman Sachs Private Capital Investing (PCI), Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners (DTCP) and Pitango Growth. Qumra Capital partner Boaz Dinte has joined AppsFlyer's board of directors, with Goldman Sachs PCI joining as observers.

"AppsFlyer has proven its ability to provide mission critical tools and data-driven innovations for measurement that marketers and developers need for success," said Boaz Dinte, managing partner at Qumra Capital. "As mobile and marketing converge, it's clear that AppsFlyer is primed for further growth and we are thrilled to provide more resources for the company to expand its capabilities as a data powerhouse for marketers that's in a league of its own."

The round follows a period of remarkable growth for the company. AppsFlyer measures $6 billion in mobile marketing spend annually, processes over 300 billion mobile events every month, has more than 2,000 integrated partners and supports over ten thousand marketers as clients. In addition to their existing measurement partnerships with major industry players including Facebook, Google and Twitter, AppsFlyer was recently selected as a measurement partner by Pinterest, Tencent, Adobe, Yahoo! and IBM.

"Our mission is to focus on our clients and provide the marketing measurement platform they need to become successful in a hyper-competitive space," said Oren Kaniel, CEO and co-founder of AppsFlyer. "In the past two years we delivered some game-changing products that fundamentally make marketing more accessible, measurable and predictable. This funding round will continue to fuel our product development and advance our strategy to build the ultimate measurement platform for marketers."

Existing investors Magma Venture Partners, Pitango Venture Capital and Eight Roads Ventures also participated in the round. The fresh round of funding will allow AppsFlyer to continue investing in products and innovations that help marketers connect and measure everything that can be measured, including mobile, web, television and offline activities. The company will also build upon its existing partnerships and operations in Asia to help marketers penetrate markets throughout the region with AppsFlyer's measurement tools and through its prominent local partners. Finally, the company will explore merger and acquisition opportunities to potentially augment AppsFlyer's current capabilities.

"The marketing landscape is evolving and mobile advertising spend is rising while the industry is shifting towards ROI-based marketing," said Christian Resch, vice president of Goldman Sachs PCI. "We are excited to take part in AppsFlyer's journey to build a leading global marketing data analytics business."

About AppsFlyer

AppsFlyer's technology is found on 98 percent of the world's smartphones, making it the global leader in mobile attribution and marketing data analytics. Data-driven marketers rely on AppsFlyer for independent measurement solutions and innovative tools to grow their mobile business. AppsFlyer's platform processes billions of mobile actions every day, empowering mobile marketers and developers to maximize the return on their marketing investments. With AppsFlyer's NativeTrack Attribution, Marketing Analytics Data, OneLink's Deep linking capabilities and the Active Fraud Suite featuring DeviceRank, AppsFlyer is the go-to resource for the most successful mobile apps in the world. Trusted by Facebook, Google, Twitter, Pinterest, Tencent, HBO, Playtika, Waze, Alibaba, Kayak, Activision and 10,000+ other leading brands and partners, AppsFlyer has 12 global offices to support every app marketer around the world. To learn more, visit www.appsflyer.com.

About Qumra Capital

Qumra Capital (www.qumracapital.com) is the first dedicated Israeli growth capital fund, focused on late stage investments in Israeli technology companies. Qumra invests in high growth startups, with a potential of becoming global market leaders in their fields. Qumra was founded by Erez Shachar and Boaz Dinte, who were joined by Sivan Shamri Dahan.

About Goldman Sachs Private Capital Investing

Goldman Sachs Private Capital Investing ("PCI") is Goldman Sachs' investment platform dedicated to providing long term capital to growth and middle-market companies throughout the US, UK, Europe and Israel. PCI invests $20m to $150 million per transaction in the form of common, preferred and structured equity.

About Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners (DTCP)

DTCP is Deutsche Telekom's investment management group. With approximately $2 billion under management and advisory, and a portfolio of over 70 companies, DTCP provides venture capital, private equity, and strategic advisory services to the technology, media and telecommunication sectors. To learn more about DTCP, visit telekom-capital.com and follow @TelekomCapital on Twitter.

Media Contact

Brook Terran

Blast PR for AppsFlyer

Email Contact

805-570-3309




MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that attempts to delegitimize US President-elect Donald Trump using 'Maidan-style' methods previously used in Ukraine are being carried out in the United States. The Russian President was referring to mass violent protests on the central square in Ukraine's capital Kiev, also known as the Maidan, which ousted President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. Kremlin suspect the mass movement was conducted with the knowledge of the US State Department and US intelligence. 'It seems that they trained this in Kiev and now are ready to organize a 'Maidan' in Washington not to let Trump assume office,' Russia's Sputnik News quoted Putin as saying Tuesday, just three days ahead of the New York billionaire's inauguration. A number of celebrities have announced their interest to join the Women's March on Washington, dubbed as anti-Trump march, to be held on the day after Donald Trump's inauguration. Green Party's presidential candidate Jill Stein, who challenged Donald Trump's election victory, is to kick off a mass resistance movement against him with 'Occupy Inauguration' on the day Trump swears in as President, to send him a message that they reject his 'illegitimate presidency.' Putin dismissed reports of alleged Russian dossier on Trump as fake. 'Our security services do not chase every US billionaire.' Those who ordered the dossier on the US president-elect are 'worse than prostitutes,' Putin said. Last week, US media had published an unverified letter containing salacious allegations against the United States' incoming president. The letter, purportedly from a former British intelligence agent, alleges that Russians have been feeding Trump intelligence on his opponents, including Hillary Clinton, for years. The sensational dossier claims Trump hired group of prostitutes to defile a Moscow hotel suite where Obama and his wife stayed during their official trip to Russia. Trump denied it. 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.
BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - January 17, 2017) - Leadership from the Baim Institute for Clinical Research (Baim) and Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (Tufts CTSI) today announced an agreement to collaborate on activities to advance clinical and translational science.

Under the terms of the agreement, the organizations agree to work together in areas of strategic mutual interest and support the intellectual exchange of expert consulting between both organizations.

The agreement builds on successful recent collaboration. Baim Institute worked with Tufts CTSI's Principle Investigator, Harry Selker, MD, MSPH, on the landmark NIH-sponsored IMMEDIATE (Immediate Myocardial Metabolic Enhancement During Initial Assessment and Treatment in Emergency Care) Trial (JAMA 2012;307(18):1925-1933).

The study of 911 patients, led by Dr. Selker, measured the impact of pharmacological myocardial metabolic support, in the form of intravenous glucose, insulin and potassium (GIK), for the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes (i.e., a threatening or established heart attack). The study significantly reduced the composite endpoint of cardiac arrest or mortality -- by 50% for those presenting with suspected acute coronary syndromes, and by 60% for those presenting with ST elevation acute myocardial infarction, the most serious type of heart attack. Also, GIK reduced the size of the heart attacks by 80%. Researchers at Baim Institute contributed to data management and conducted statistical analyses.

Additionally, starting in July, 2016, Baim joined Tufts CTSI and the Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies at Tufts Medical Center as part of an NIH-funded national Trial Innovation Center (TIC) led by Johns Hopkins University and Tufts. The clinical trial expertise of Tufts and Baim will be critical as the Johns Hopkins-Tufts TIC supports the efficient and innovative conduct of NIH clinical trials.

"The Tufts CTSI and Baim partnership offers faculty, staff, and students at both organizations an opportunity to work on clinical trial challenges and introduces new educational opportunities. It also expands the capabilities of the Tufts CTSI Clinical Research Network, and makes it a platform for improvements in the design and conduct of clinical trials," said Selker, Dean of Tufts CTSI, Executive Director, of the Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies at Tufts Medical Center, and Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.

For the Baim Institute, which recently changed its name from the Harvard Clinical Research Institute, the agreement serves as an example of the non-profit organization's commitment to expansion of its collaborative agreements.

"Baim's new partnership with Tufts CTSI is an example of our commitment to collaboration with the world's most highly respected researchers from renowned institutions," said Spencer Goldsmith, President, Baim Institute. "Through our agreement with Tufts CTSI, we will expand our contribution to clinical trial innovation. We look forward to continuing to provide research sponsors the best research teams in the world to help answer important healthcare questions."

About Baim Institute Name Change

On October 27 th , the Harvard Institute for Clinical research changed its name to the Baim Institute for Clinical Research. The new name pays tribute to Dr. Donald S. Baim, a visionary in the field of interventional cardiology who was a founder of the organization in 1993 and a primary investigator and chief advisor through 2005.

The name change also paves the way for Baim Institute to expand its network of collaborations to better engage researchers from a global palette of academic experiences. The Baim Institute remains one of the world's most trusted not-for-profit academic research organizations.

About the Baim Institute for Clinical Research

The Baim Institute for Clinical Research is a leading, not-for-profit academic research organization that delivers insight, innovation and leadership in today's dynamic research environment. The Baim Institute collaborates with some of the world's most highly respected researchers from renowned institutions to help advance health and quality of life around the world.

The Baim Institute has gained notoriety for the design and execution of clinical trials for first-in-class medical devices. Examples of such include trials for the first approved drug-eluting stent, and the first approved transcatheter mitral valve repair device. In addition, we recently sponsored and completed the DAPT study, a large, FDA-mandated study that enrolled over 25,000 subjects, evaluating the use of dual antiplatelet therapy after stent implantation.

Since 1993, we have worked on over 450 clinical trials in North America, Europe and Asia. The Baim Institute is based in Boston. More information is at www.BaimInstitute.org.

About Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)

Tufts CTSI, a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported partnership among all the schools of Tufts University; Northeastern University, Brandeis University, RAND; Tufts CTSI-affiliated hospitals, and health care industry and community organizations, was established in August 2008. Its purpose is to accelerate the translation of laboratory and medical research into clinical use, widespread medical practice, and into improved health care delivery and health policy. It connects people to research resources, consultation, and education, and fosters collaboration with scholars of all disciplines and with community members, with the ultimate goal of improving the health of the public. Tufts CTSI is currently funded by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, award number UL1TR001064.

Contacts:



Amy West

Manager, Communications and Media

Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Email: awest@tuftsmedicalcenter.org

Telephone: 617-636-6025



Spencer Goldsmith

President

Baim Institute for Clinical Research

Email: spencer.goldsmith@baiminstitute.org

Telephone: 617-307-5379
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK--(Marketwired - January 17, 2017) - The highly anticipated 2017 Gold American Eagles and Silver American Eagles are now in stock at APMEX. Thanks to a direct relationship with the United States Mint, APMEX is one of the first retailers to receive these new coin releases. To accomplish APMEX's goal of being one of the first retailers to ship 2017 Gold Eagles and Silver Eagles to customers, employees worked overtime hours and even volunteered one Saturday to help prepare and ship all pre-orders.

"Service is a core value at APMEX," APMEX CEO Ken Lewis said. "We serve our customers every day and working on a Saturday to ensure our customers receive their order is just one example. We are excited for the arrival of these new coin releases and are working to ship them to our customers as soon as possible thanks to our direct relationship with the U.S. Mint."

The 2017 Silver American Eagles are available as a 1 oz coin and the 2017 Gold American Eagles are available in 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz and 1 oz sizes. American Eagle coins remain the most popular and recognizable bullion coins in the world.

"Our customers continue to have a high interest in these coins year after year and we seek to offer them at reasonable prices, in part due to our direct relationship with the U.S. Mint," Lewis said.

All Gold Eagle and Silver American Eagle coins are backed by the United States government, making them a go-to option for Precious Metals investors. With the 2017 coin releases, demand for the American Eagle coins remains high as they are the top selling coins in the United States.

About APMEX, Inc.

For more than 15 years, APMEX has been one of the nation's largest Precious Metals e-retailers. In 2016, APMEX was ranked the #1 Specialty E-Retailer and #42 out of 500 e-retailers by Internet Retailer Magazine. APMEX has the largest selection of bullion and numismatic items provided by a retailer, boasting more than 10,000 products. Product offerings include all U.S. Mint bullion such as Gold, Silver and Platinum American Eagle coins. APMEX also sells products from leading mints around the world including The Royal Mint, Perth Mint, Royal Canadian Mint and many others. APMEX is a member of the American Numismatic Association, the International Precious Metals Institute and the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. For additional information, visit www.APMEX.com or call (800) 375-9006.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/1/17/11G127558/Images/700x309-2017-Eagles-In-Stock-PR-Image-4a9556c700e7a6edb98853d59057d838.jpg

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/1/17/11G127558/Images/240x240-2017-Eagles-In-Stock-PR-image-3f8dcaaba5e9b7ba9f1884ff63a19821.jpg

APMEX, Inc.

(800) 375-9006

www.APMEX.com
DUBAI, UAE, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Group's investment reflects its strong confidence in the gold and diamond jewellery market despite challenging global economy.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds to add 24 outlets to its existing network of 161 outlets across Gulf, India and Far East during next 3 months.

The Group to hire more than 1,000 professionals to manage the expansion, including more than 400 in the GCC and 600 in India .

The expansion will help re-inforce the company's position among the BIG 5 gold and diamond jewellery retailers globally.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds, one of the world's largest gold and diamond jewellery retailer, announces a major investment amounting Dh 335 million (US$91.28 million) in expansion plans of its retail network. The plan will see an addition of 24 stores in three months, from January 2017 to March 2017 period, taking the number of total outlets to 185 by the end of March 2017, up from 161 as of today.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458137/MALABAR_Logo.jpg )



Out of the 24 new outlets, 9 will be in the UAE, 7 in India, 5 in Saudi Arabia, 2 in Bahrain and 1 in Kuwait. Of these, 7 outlets will be opened on January 18, 2017, taking the number of total outlets to 168, including 82 in India and 86 internationally.

The expansion will add more than 1,000 professionals to the group's existing manpower strength of 9,000 and cross the 10,000 employee mark by March this year.

The move marks a major investment in expansion at a time when many gold and jewellery retailers have struggled to manage their existing operations due to a challenging global economic environment.

Despite the tough market conditions resulted by lower demand, higher price of gold and demonetization process in India, Malabar Gold & Diamonds has decided to push ahead with expansion, which demonstrates it confidence in the growth of market in future.

"This is one of our single largest vertical expansion drives. The expansion at a crucial time reflects our renewed confidence and strong commitment to the Gulf, India and Far East markets," Mr. MP Ahammed, Chairman of Malabar Group, said. "Investment in downturn market requires courage and strong risk appetite. Our latest expansion demonstrates our long-term vision and a sustainable business development roadmap that we can manage mostly with our own resources."

"The expansion is aimed at serving more communities and nationalities, especially people from the Philippines, African Arab communities, the Levant as well as the Western countries. The extended network will help us acquire a greater customer base," he added.

The price of gold has risen in almost every major world economy during 2016, suggesting that the dark days are over and good times are coming back. The gold price is almost 10 per cent higher today than what it had been 12 months ago.

Mr. Abdul Salam KP, Group Executive Director of Malabar Group said that consumers were cautious last year. "Retail activities are a reflection of the consumer sentiment. Due to the market conditions, consumers exercised caution. However things are looking brighter as we started the New Year with a lot of positive indications," he added.

The current price of gold jewellery is ideal for buyers, company officials say.

Mr. Shamlal Ahamed MP, Managing Director - International Operations of Malabar Gold & Diamonds' says, "Due to the market conditions, consumers on an average purchased less gold. However, although the average ticket size was low, the transaction value remained almost flat - which means the number of customers have grown."

"Data from our own sales across the network shows that we have acquired more customers last year - who purchased from us for the first time - that compensated for the lower average purchase transaction value," Mr. Shamlal revealed.

"I believe the current market conditions are best suited for buyers as the price of gold is expected to rise. This year, we expect consumers to be less cautious and buy more - a trend that will lift consumption," he added.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds is the flagship company of Malabar Group, a leading diversified Indian business conglomerate. The group owned by over 1,700 investors was ranked among the top 5 jewellery retailers globally. Established in 1993 in the Indian state of Kerala, Malabar Gold & Diamonds today has a strong retail network of over 161 outlets spread across nine countries.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds had earlier announced donating 5 per cent of its profits in CSR activities aimed at supporting the societies across five key areas: Education, Women Empowerment, Healthcare and Research, Housing and Environment.

Editor ' s Note

About Malabar Gold & Diamonds

Established in 1993 in the Indian state of Kerala, Malabar Gold & Diamonds today has a strong retail network of 161 outlets spread across nine countries, 10 wholesale units in addition to offices, design centers and factories spread across India, Middle East & Far East. With an annual turnover of $4.5 billion, the company currently ranks among the big 5 jewellery retailers globally.

With 11 cluster manufacturing units in India and GCC - the company currently has 9 jewellery brands to cater to the discerning needs of customers. With headquarters in Kerala and branches across India, Middle East & Far East, Malabar Group is best known for its activities in the field of gold, diamonds, silver and lifestyle articles.

MGD - Lifestyle Jewellery is the latest offering from the group focusing on trendy and light weight jewellery that represents the independent and the modern woman through its designs and collections.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds also features an online store - http://www.malabargoldanddiamonds.com providing customers the opportunity to purchase their favorite jewellery any time and on any day from the comfort of their home.
Gazprom has billed Naftogaz Ukrainy $5.3 billion for not accepting contracted take-or-pay provisions for gas.

If that amount is included in the earlier declared claims in the Stockholm arbitration case, the amount of claims in the case in fulfilling the contract on supplies will grow to $37 billion, which makes up more than half of Gazprom's capitalization of $61 billion.

"Today Gazprom sent Naftogaz Ukrainy a bill to pay for gas which was not accepted by the Ukrainian company in Q2-Q4 2016 under take-or-pay provisions. According to the current contract between Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukrainy for the purchase and sale of natural gas, the Ukrainian company was required to pay a minimum annual amount of gas every year. According to the conditions in the contract, Naftogaz Ukrainy was presented with a bill for $5.319 billion. Ukraine is required to pay the amount in the next ten days," Gazprom's press office said.

In Q1 2016 Naftogaz Ukrainy did not use take-or-pay conditions in accordance with trilateral winter packages.

"Take-or-pay is not simply a condition written in the contract. It is the essential basic principle of work in the gas industry. It guarantees that gas will be sold only to the buyer indicated in the contract. All of this, both significant capacity reserves when we speak about daily supply volumes of over 100 million cubic meters, as well as current operating costs and the inability to sell gas to somebody else, undoubtedly has an important price for the buyer," Gazprom Chairman Alexei Miller told journalists.

In June 2014 Gazprom approached the Stockholm Arbitration Institute's Chamber of Commerce with a request for arbitrage with the goal of recovering Naftogaz's debt for gas supplied in 2013 and 2014. Naftogaz in turn brought a case against Gazprom seeking a retroactive revision of the price and compensation for the amount overpaid and the removal of bans to re-export gas. The court has combined both cases. At the moment, Gazprom's claims in the case total $31.75 billion. A decision is expected to be made at the end of March 2017.
Technavio market research analysts forecast the global light-emitting diode (LED) lighting module market to grow at a CAGR of close to 20% during the forecast period, according to their latest report.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005600/en/

Technavio has published a new report on the global LED lighting module market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The market study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global LED lighting modulemarketfor 2017-2021. The report also lists luminaires and lamps as the two major application segments, of which luminaires accounted for over 77% of the market share in 2016.

According to Chetan Mohan, a lead analyst at Technavio for embedded systems research, "As LEDs are more efficient than traditional lighting sources, countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand in Southeast Asia are observing high demand for LED lighting in infrastructure development, which is a positive trend that is likely to be followed by countries across the world."

Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=55811

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.

Technavio hardware and semiconductor analysts highlight the following three market drivers that are contributing to the growth of the global LED lighting module market:

Government support and incentives for LED lighting

Demand for energy-efficient lighting solutions

Minamata Convention on Mercury

Government support and incentives for LED lighting

Global warming and rapid depletion of non-renewable energy sources highlight the indispensable need for energy conservation. As of 2016, lighting applications accounted for more than 20% of global electricity consumption. This high consumption has led several countries to frame policies that ban the use of inefficient lighting sources and promote the use of efficient lighting sources through subsidies and tax incentive programs. These incentives are being offered by different governmental as well as non-governmental entities.

Demand for energy-efficient lighting solutions

Increasing energy costs and rise in consumption have been compelling governments and consumers to reduce energy consumption and employ power-saving lighting solutions. LEDs are more efficient in terms of lighting and power consumption as compared to conventional incandescent bulbs. Moreover, LED bulbs are considerably more durable than incandescent bulbs, by up to thousands of hours. Also, flexible LED technology enables the effective use of lighting controls and thus, increases the potential for saving.

Minamata Convention on Mercury

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty signed by delegates from 128 countries in 2013. It seeks to reduce emissions of mercury and mercury compounds. The treaty is named after the Japanese city Minamata after it went through a devastating incident of mercury poisoning that caused the Niigata Minamata disease. This treaty is expected to drive the demand for mercury-free LEDs in household lighting and is expected to reduce mercury usage through replacement of fluorescent with LED lamps and fixtures. Mercury is one of the highly toxic compounds present in fluorescent lamps and its disposal in landfills can lead to air and water pollution.

"The Minamata Convention on Mercury is expected to accelerate the adoption of LEDs lamps and fixtures, thereby directly contributing to the growth of the global LED lighting module market," says Chetan

Browse Related Reports:

Global Industrial Lighting Market 2017-2021

Global LED Lighting Ballast Market 2016-2020

Global General Lighting 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 human machine interface; lighting;andsemiconductor equipment 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

Technaviois 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/20170117005600/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Appia Energy Corp. (the "Company or "Appia") (CSE: API) is pleased to announce i) the receipt of necessary work permits from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment and Saskatchewan Water Security Agency to complete ground gravity surveys and a diamond drill hole program, and ii) the commencement of ground gravity surveys on its Loranger property (the "Property"). The gravity surveys are being carried out by MWH Geo-Surveys Ltd. of Vernon, BC. The purpose of the surveys is to identify clay alteration halos that are commonly associated with Athabasca Basin high-grade uranium deposits. The Property is located 28 km southeast of Cameco's Rabbit Lake mill, Athabasca Basin, northern Saskatchewan.

The gravity surveys will cover approximately 13.8 km of the 94.0 km of primary structural corridors that were identified on the Property from the recently completed airborne VTEM Max EM and magnetic survey (see Appia News Release dated December 13, 2016). The first survey will cover the historic Royal Canadian Ventures Grid No. 2 area ("RCV area") where surface sampling and diamond drilling programs from 1977 to 1979 have identified uranium mineralization at surface and down to a vertical depth of approximately 100 m. The first survey will also cover a highly conductive structural corridor that continues for 2.5 km southwest of the last drill hole fence from the historic drill programs.

The second gravity survey will cover a conductive structural corridor on the west side of the Major Tabbernor Fault. This conductive structural corridor is interpreted to be the continuation of the same corridor as that identified in the RCV area. The Major Tabbernor Fault has been interpreted to have offset the conductive structural corridors over approximately 8 km. Figure 1 of this News Release outlines the locations of the proposed gravity surveys.

A diamond drill hole program is planned following the completion of the gravity surveys. The diamond drill hole program will consist of approximately 15 drill holes totalling 2,000 metres, and will be directed by James Sykes, who has had direct and indirect involvement with over 350 M lbs. U3O8 being discovered in five deposits in the Athabasca Basin. Drill holes will target the most prospective anomalies identified from both the recently completed airborne VTEM Max EM and magnetic surveys, and the current ground gravity surveys.

About Appia

Appia is a Canadian publicly-traded company in the uranium and rare earth sectors. The Company is currently focused on discovering high-grade uranium deposits in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its recently acquired properties, Loranger and Otherside, as well as high-grade REO and uranium surface showings on its Alces Lake joint venture. The company currently holds the surface rights to exploration for about 63,564 hectares (157,070 acres) in Saskatchewan.

The company also has NI 43-101 compliant resources of 8.0 M lbs U3O8 and 47.7 M lbs TREE Indicated, and 47.7 M lbs U3O8 and 133.2 M lbs TREE Inferred in the Elliot Lake, ON, historic mining camp (previously reported in the Company's news release dated August 01, 2013). The resources are largely unconstrained along strike and down dip.

Appia currently has 45.1 million common shares outstanding, 49.1 million shares fully diluted.

The technical content concerning the Property in this news release was reviewed and approved by Thomas Skimming, P.Eng, a Director of Appia, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This News Release contains forward-looking statements which are typically preceded by, followed by or including the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance as they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward- looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view Figure 1, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/appia_jan_17_2017_fig01.pdf

Contacts:

Tom Drivas

President, CEO and Director

416-546-2707

416-218-9772 (FAX)

appia@appiaenergy.ca



James Sykes

Director of Saskatchewan Operations

306-221-8717

416-218-9772 (FAX)

jsykes@uraniumgeologist.com




VIENNA (dpa-AFX) - Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said the company would be a founding partner of Station F start-up garage in Paris. There will be more than 3000 desks for tech companies at the start-up garage. In its first ever start-up project, Facebook plans to have 80 desks and would initiate the activities by April. As per the current plans Facebook will mentor 10 to 15 start ups in every six months. Workshops and engineers from Facebook would help youngsters to learn more. The company looks forward to potential acquisitions of promising start-ups also. Station F is financed by investor Xavier Niel and is led by Roxanne Varza. Niel owns a coding university called 42 that has an ambitious plan to educate 10,000 students in next five years. Sandberg also revealed plans to launch first policy lab at Science Po or Paris Institute of Political Studies in France. Science Po is focusing on improving the training available for public servants and politicians. Ecole 42 and SupInternet will be working with Facebook for this venture. 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.
SHANGHAI, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Huawei, together with China Unicom Group, completed field verification of the industry's first FDD-based Massive MIMO technology, using the existing two-antenna receiving terminal on the 20MHz spectrum to achieve a peak network rate of 697.3Mbps, 4.8 times that of traditional FDD LTE. The successful verification also demonstrated the innovation ability of both sides.

With the rapid development of mobile Internet applications, such as high-definition video and online games, MBB networks face a huge challenge in capacity. Massive MIMO can help operators greatly enhance wireless network capacity and user experience by maximizing existing sites and spectrum resources. Massive MIMO is the best technology to boost spectrum efficiency and is one of the key solutions for Huawei's 4.5G Evolution.

Massive MIMO solutions have three typical characteristics: AAU hardware form, 3D user-level beamforming, multi-user MIMO.

1. AAU hardware form

The Massive MIMO solution requires large-scale antenna array elements and RF transceiver channels. If RF and antenna are separated, engineering feasibility and system reliability are both extremely challenging. AAU is an integrated active antenna solution from Huawei, which integrates RF and antenna elements to ensure the reliability of Massive MIMO solutions and greatly enhance the feasibility of the project.

2. 3D user-level beamforming

Massive MIMO uses a large array of antennas to provide precise control of beam width and angle in both vertical and horizontal directions, enabling 3D user-level beamforming, therefore improves network coverage and reduces overall network interference.

3. Multi-user MIMO

Based on accurate 3D user beamforming, accurate channel estimation and user algorithms, Massive MIMO allows multiple terminals to simultaneously reuse the same spectrum resources, therefore further enhancing network capacity.

The joint field test, based on 20MHz spectrum, using an FDD LTE commercial terminal, demonstrated that the average mobile phone rate grows up to 87Mbps, which can support users to watch 4K high-definition video smoothly. The test also verified the network peak up to 697.3Mbps, 4.8 times that of the traditional FDD LTE.

According to the 3GPP standard, Release 10 defines an eight port multi-antenna technology in TM9 mode, Release 13 defines a 16 port multi-antenna technology and Release 14 defines 32-port multi-antenna technology. With commercialization of the terminals supporting the above protocols, the spectral efficiency of Massive MIMO will be further enhanced in the future. Based on the existing FDD LTE Massive MIMO prototype, Huawei will continue to optimize its products and drive the FDD LTE Massive MIMO industry chain to mature.

Cao Ming, President of Huawei's FDD Product Line, said, "Our goal is to bring considerable commercial value to operators through innovative technology. This successful field verification between Huawei and China Unicom, once again demonstrated the innovative capability of Huawei's 4.5G Evolution technology. Huawei's Massive MIMO product has the ability to evolve to 5G to protect the operator's investment in the coming 5G era."

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Our aim is to enrich life and improve efficiency through a better connected world, acting as a responsible corporate citizen, innovative enabler for the information society, and collaborative contributor to the industry. Driven by customer-centric innovation and open partnerships, Huawei has established an end-to-end ICT solutions portfolio that gives customers competitive advantages in telecom and enterprise networks, devices and cloud computing. Huawei's 170,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services are used in more than 170 countries and regions, serving over one-third of the world's population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.

For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huawei

http://www.twitter.com/Huawei

http://www.facebook.com/Huawei

http://www.google.com/+Huawei

http://www.youtube.com/Huawei

Huawei

Boxin Xu

+8618688893189

xuboxin@huawei.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- A graph is available at the following address: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1082974e_Map.pdf

Nuri Telecom Company Limited ("Nuri") announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, 1101324 B.C. Ltd. (the "Offeror"), has commenced an all cash offer (the "Offer") to the shareholders ("Shareholders") of Apivio Systems Inc. ("Apivio" ) to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares ("Common Shares") of Apivio.

A Significant Premium and Certainty of Liquidity

The Offeror is offering CDN$0.40 in cash for each Common Share which represents a 51% premium based on the closing price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") on January 16, 2017 (the last trading day prior to the public announcement by Nuri of its proposal to the Shareholders to acquire Apivio). The Offer also represents a premium of 49% to the volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the TSXV over the 30 trading days ended on January 16, 2017.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nuri, Song Man Cho expressed, "The Offer represents a compelling opportunity for Shareholders to realize certain value for their Common Shares at an attractive premium. We urge Shareholders to consider the Offer and tender their Common Shares."

Mr. Cho explained, "Nuri is a publicly traded company listed on the KOSDAQ in Korea with a market capitalization of approximately CDN $127.8 million as at January 16, 2017. The Offer is not subject to any financing conditions and Nuri will fund the Offer from available cash resources."

Benefits of the Offer

Nuri encourages Shareholders to consider the following factors, among others, when making the decision to accept the Offer.

-- Significant Premium to Market Price. The Offer represents a significant premium of over 51% based on the closing price of the Common Shares on the TSXV on January 16, 2017. The Offer also represents a significant premium of 49% to the volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the TSXV over the 30 trading days ended on January 16, 2017. -- Fair Value for Apivio. The Offer price of $0.40 in cash for each Common Share represents a premium value that fairly reflects the composition and performance of Apivio's portfolio of assets. The Offer price indicates an enterprise value of approximately $22 million for Apivio, which implies a price-earnings ratio of approximately 42x to Apivio's earnings per share of $ 0.01, as well as approximately 13x to Apivio's Adjusted EBITDA, based on Apivio's most recent publicly filed financial information. -- Realize Significant Value. The all cash consideration provides Shareholders with the opportunity to realize significant and certain value for their Common Shares. The Offeror believes the immediate value is even more attractive when viewed against the risks inherent in any long term business plan of Apivio, particularly given its recent stock performance. As the chart above shows, the Apivio Board and management team have presided over a share price decline of approximately 39.08% over the one year prior to January 16, 2017, representing a loss of approximately $8.98 million in equity value from its highest point on February 3,2016. -- Liquidity. Shareholders currently have limited liquidity based on the trading history of the Common Shares. The aggregate total trading volume for the entire year ended on December 30, 2016 is only 14,538,337 Common Shares, representing less than 28% of the number of issued and outstanding Common Shares. The Offer provides 100% cash consideration at a significant premium for the Common Shares, giving Shareholders certainty of value and immediate liquidity, with the added benefit of the opportunity to sell their Common Shares free of broker commissions and fees for those who deposit their Common Shares directly with the Information Agent and Depositary. -- Fully Funded Cash Offer. The Offer is not subject to a financing condition. The Offeror will fund the entire Offer from available cash resources. -- Low Likelihood of a Competing Offer. The Offeror believes that Apivio is unlikely to receive a competing offer at a premium to the price being offered by the Offeror. -- Avoid Uncertainty of Continued Investment in Apivio. Apivio faces significant challenges that represent a substantial risk for Shareholders going forward, including: -- Apivio Dependent on Moimstone. Apivio's financial health is dependent on its wholly-owned Korean subsidiary, Moimstone, which represents approximately 95% of Apivio's overall revenues for the 2014 and 2015 fiscal years. Apivio's performance in North America, independent of Moimstone, has been flat, with its major sales to date consisting of a $2.6 million contract for the UT880 Monet series VoIP phone and a $0.2 million contract for the Wi-Fi Liberty series, Liberty L1 product in 2015. To put these numbers in perspective, Apivio spent roughly the equivalent amount in North America on research and development and marketing expenses. -- Moimstone Faces Stagnating Market in Korea. While Apivio depends on Moimstone for the bulk of its revenues, Moimstone's own future growth prospects face significant headwinds and appear limited. Moimstone operates in the relatively mature market of Korea's VoIP telephony industry where it already enjoys a 95% market share. In this context, the Offeror and Nuri believe any further growth for Moimstone will necessarily involve significant market and execution risks. -- Thin Market for High End Products. As a cornerstone of its business plans, Apivio's management team has devoted substantial resources to developing high-end products such as the UT880 Monet series VoIP phone for NEC America and the Wi-Fi Liberty series units for the North American market. However, the market for high-end products in the VoIP telephony market is relatively thin and can quickly saturate. The Offeror and Nuri believe there are significant risks to the high-end product line strategy currently being pursued by Apivo's management team. -- Potential for Downward Impact to Common Share Price if Offer Not Accepted. The Offer represents a significant premium to the market price of the Common Shares prior to the public announcement by the Offeror of its Offer to the Shareholders to acquire Apivio. If the Offer is not successful, and no other offer is made for Apivio, the Offeror believes it is likely the Common Share price will decline significantly below the Offer price.

Lock-Up Agreements

The Offeror has also entered into lock-up agreements (the "Lock-Up Agreements") with various shareholders of Apivio (the "Locked-Up Shareholders"), including the founder and former CEO of Moimstone, and former board member of Apivio, C.W. Lee. The total number of Common Shares subject to the Lock-Up Agreements represent approximately 10.69% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. Under the Lock-Up Agreements, each of the Locked-Up Shareholders has agreed, subject to certain exceptions, to accept the Offer by depositing the Common Shares presently owned or controlled by the Locked-Up Shareholder in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Offer.

Filing and Mailing of Offer and Takeover Bid Circular

Nuri has filed the Offer and take-over bid circular and related documents (collectively, the "Offer Documents") with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR. The Offeror is also mailing the Offer Documents to Shareholders.

Full Details of the Offer are contained in the Offer Documents and Nuri encourages Shareholders to carefully review the Offer Documents and to consider the important information set out therein, including detailed instructions on how to tender their Common Shares to the Offer. Copies of the Offer Documents may be retrieved on the website for the Offer at www.ApivioOffer.com or under Apivio's profile at www.sedar.com. Shareholders may also obtain copies of the Offer Documents free of charge upon request made to the Offeror's Information Agent and Depositary, Laurel Hill Advisory Group at 1-877-452-7184 (North American Toll Free), or by email at assistance@laurelhill.com.

THE OFFER WILL BE OPEN FOR ACCEPTANCE UNTIL 11:59 P.M. (TORONTO TIME) ON MAY 2, 2017, UNLESS THE OFFER IS EXTENDED, ACCELERATED OR WITHDRAWN BY THE OFFEROR IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS TERMS.

Shareholder Questions

If you have any questions regarding the Offer or require assistance with tendering your Common Shares, please call the Information Agent and Depositary for the Offer, Laurel Hill Advisory Group, toll free in North America at 1-877-452-7184 (+1-416-304-0211 outside North America), or by email at assistance@laurelhill.com.

About Nuri

Nuri is a provider of next generation communication technology for the Internet of Things ("IoT") and the Smart Grid industry. Nuri is a global leader in providing end-to-end advanced metering infrastructure solutions that save consumers money and help utilities to run a network infrastructure that's proven, reliable, future-proof and fully standardized. Nuri's core product offering is a communication solution for smart meters, AiMiR, which provides automatic meter readings of electricity, water, gas and other measurements and delivers gathered data through a variety of networks in real time. AiMiR helps consumers and utility companies manage their resource consumption by providing real time information, accommodating their resource distribution to optimum levels for both short term and long term infrastructure needs.

To date, Nuri has deployed its communication systems to over two million households and businesses in 19 countries worldwide, and that number continues to grow each day through large-scale deployments in commercial, industrial, and residential markets. With a growing list of global customers, Nuri is expanding its customer base throughout Asia, Europe and Africa. Recently, Nuri has won US$79 million Soria projects in Norway and US$12 million ECG projects in Ghana.

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 does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities of the Offeror, Nuri or Apivio.

NON-IFRS MEASURES

This news release makes reference to certain non-IFRS measures. These non-IFRS measures are not recognized measures under IFRS, do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Rather, these measures are provided as additional information to complement IFRS measures by providing further understanding of operations from management's perspective. Accordingly, non-IFRS measures should never be considered in isolation nor as a substitute for analysis of financial information reported under IFRS. Specifically, this news release discloses Adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-IFRS measure used by Apivio. Apivio defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before interest expense, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and stock compensation. Adjusted EBITDA is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measurement of operating performance or liquidity under IFRS and should not be considered as a substitute for earnings from operations, net income or cash generated by operating activities computed in accordance with IFRS. Companies may calculate Adjusted EBITDA differently than Apivio does, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure.

Cautionary Statement

The information concerning Apivio contained in this news release has been taken from, or is based upon, publicly available information filed by Apivio with securities regulatory authorities in Canada prior to the date of this news release and other public sources. Neither Nuri nor the Offeror, nor any of the officers or directors of Nuri or the Offeror assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such Apivio information or any failure by Apvio to disclose events or facts that may have occurred, or which may affect the significance or accuracy of any such Apivio information, but which are unknown to Nuri or the Offeror. Nuri or the Offeror have no means of verifying the accuracy or completeness of any of the Apivio information contained in this news release or whether there has been a failure by Apivio to disclose events or facts that may have occurred or may affect the significance or accuracy of any such information.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, forecasts, estimates, expectations and objectives for future operations that are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Nuri and the Offeror. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "will", "plan", "intends", "may", "will", "could", "expects", "anticipates" and similar expressions. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to: completion of the Offer; the resources Nuri will use to fund the Offer; the markets remaining volatile; limited liquidities impact on the price of Common Shares and the timing when a Shareholder can sell such Common Shares; the conditions of the Offer; a competing offer; and risk resulting from the Apivio Board and management team's strategy.

These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to Nuri and the Offeror. Although management of Nuri and the Offeror consider these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: the ultimate outcome of any possible transaction between the Offeror and Apivio, including the possibility that Apivio will not accept a transaction with the Offeror or enter into discussions regarding a possible transaction; that the conditions of the Offer may not be satisfied or waived by the Offeror at the expiry of the Offer period; the ability to obtain regulatory approvals and meet other closing conditions to any possible transaction, including any necessary Shareholder approvals; potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement; pendency or completion of the Offer transaction or any subsequent transaction; competitive responses to the announcement or completion of the Offer; uncertainties as to the impact of the completion of the Offer or any alternative or subsequent transaction on Nuri's earnings or cash flows; unexpected costs, liabilities, charges or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction; litigation relating to the proposed transaction; any changes in general economic and/or industry-specific conditions.

The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by applicable securities laws, Nuri and the Offeror disclaim any intention or obligation to publically update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Cautionary Statement Respecting Status of the Offer

Shareholders (and others) are able to obtain, at no charge, a copy of the Offer Documents from SEDAR at www.sedar.com and from our Information Agent and Depositary. This news release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any offer or invitation to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell, otherwise dispose of or issue, or any other solicitation of any offer to sell, otherwise dispose of, issue, purchase, otherwise acquire or subscribe for any security.

Contacts:

Information Agent and Depositary for the Offer

Laurel Hill Advisory Group

1-877-452-7184 (Toll free in North America)

+1-416-304-0211 (Outside North America)

assistance@laurelhill.com




MOSCOW, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The international Gaidar Forum, Russia and the World: The Choice of Priorities, took 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/458169/PRNE_Gaidar_Forum_2017.jpg )



The plenary meeting of the Gaidar Forum 2017, Russia and the World: Setting Priorities, focused on the main risks and drivers of global economic growth in the next few years.

RANEPA Rector Vladimir Mau opened the discussion he was going to moderate. He read Russian President Vladimir Putin's address to the forum participants. "These meetings are always notable for their highly relevant and diverse agenda, important participants and promising ideas," the message said. "I hope that the suggestions and recommendations that you make will help Russia meet social and economic goals, strengthen international cooperation and overcome common global challenges." According to Vladimir Mau, the world today is facing a choice of priorities; this agenda is equally relevant for all countries, but the risks and challenges the world community will have to deal with in the next three or five years can be viewed differently.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev spoke at the forum, emphasizing that his speech was not a program of any kind. According to him, economic growth is currently hindered by a lack of investment and "paralysis" of lending, with the risk of a lingering stagnation being a common problem. "It is impossible to restore economic growth through financial injections alone; structural reforms are needed," the Prime Minister said, adding that this discussion has been on for the last 15 years. According to him, the main risk Russia may face is a technology lag. "The transition to a digital economy will lead to a revision of the government's role in the economy. It will require a reform of the public administration system, which should become more flexible and compact," he said, adding that the Government is working on a plan of action to accelerate economic growth, which would boost Russia's economy to a level above the global average.

Speaking about the immediate prospects, First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund David Lipton noted that there is considerable uncertainty associated with both economic and political factors. At the same time, he said, in 2017 the world economy may show growth of 3.4-3.6%, which is higher than last year's 3.1%. "The most important thing right now is to try to reverse the economic slowdown, a recent trend observed in both emerging and developed economies, including Russia," he said.

Martin Wolf, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator at The Financial Times, said that the global economy is gradually recovering, but its further development depends largely on the new political environment: "The main issue is whether world order remains basically stable, and whether we have enough open cooperation between countries." Commenting on one of the most important political decisions of the past year, the Brexit, he said they should not have held the referendum on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union. "While before that I could describe Britain as a moderately mature and moderately democratic country, I cannot say this now," the expert said.

The discussion was attended by the former Prime Minister of Poland (2004-2005), president of the National Bank of Poland (2010-2016) Marek Belka, who listed the three fundamental problems of the global economy of the last decade. "The main problems are the structural geographic changes in the world economy: the rise of China, the relative decline of Europe and the United States, which have direct and indirect consequences for the global economy. Also, there is a technological change, particularly in information technology: financial markets operate online, while the other sectors of the economy don't, which also leads to instability and a slowdown in economic growth that we have seen for ten years." the politician said.

Former Australian Prime Minister (2007-2010, 2013) Kevin Michael Rudd said there are more risks ahead than growth drivers, adding he was mainly referring to the challenges of foreign relations, in particular between the US and China. Speaking about international cooperation, the expert recalled the G20, which was created for a thorough reform of the economy and helped avoid the escalation of the financial crisis into depression, but failed to ensure a rapid growth of the global economy.

At the same time, the Russian market can be described as healthy, Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever group, said confidently. "We believe that the country is ready for structural changes, is competitive and capable of moving forward and developing. We are observing Russia's effort to overcome its dependence on commodity exports, and to provide equal opportunities to all sectors of the economy," Mr. Polman said.

The panel discussion, Europe after BREXIT, took place on the first day of the Gaidar Forum 2017. The discussion was attended by Chief Economics Commentator of The Financial Times Martin Wolf; Vice-President of the European Parliament Alexander Graf Lambsdorff; President of Vaclav Klaus Institute and former President of the Czech Republic (2003-2013) Vaclav Klaus; President of the European Forum Alpbach and former European Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries (1995-2004) Franz Fischler; and Director of the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS) Daniel Gros. The experts concluded during the discussion that Brexit was a unique event in the modern history of the euro zone. It should be clearly understood that qualitative changes are needed to avoid similar situations.

The World Bank presented a report, Russian Federation Systematic Country Diagnostic: Pathway to Inclusive Growth, on the first day of Gaidar Forum 2017, Russia and the World: Setting Priorities. The document analyzes the state of the Russian economy, identifies the greatest challenges facing the country and the key factors limiting growth in the short and medium term.

The panel discussion, Patterns of Sustainable Development as Defined Today, took place on the first day of the Gaidar Forum. The participants included former President of Finland (2000-2012), Co-chair of the UN Secretary-General's High-level Panel on Global Sustainability Tarja Halonen; Special Adviser to the Secretary-General of the UN, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University (2002-2016) Jeffrey Sachs; CEO of Unilever Group of Companies Paul Polman; Executive Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Guido Schmidt-Traub; Senior Vice-President of the Coca-Cola Company Clyde Tuggle; and Director General and CEO of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria, Pavel Kabat.

The participants discussed current issues in meeting sustainable development goals in the interaction of the business community, government institutions and NGOs. Special attention was paid to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

The participants of the Gaidar Forum 2017 discussed the quality of human capital as part of the panel discussion, Social Development: Historical Lessons and Future Challenges. The discussion of Russia's social development strategy was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets; Minister of Labor and Social Protection Maxim Topilin; Chairman of the Russian Pension Fund Anton Drozdov; and Chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia Mikhail Shmakov.

President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin moderated the discussion. The panel experts included Branko Milanovic, professor of the City University of New York and former lead economist in the World Bank's research department (1991-2013). During the discussion, the experts noted Russia's accumulated historical experience in social environment and described the current situation in this area.

Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets was the keynote speaker. Labor relations and decent wages are key issues for the Government now, she said. "In the difficult period of 2014-2015, there was a major drop in people's incomes. Therefore, it is our primary task today to recover people's incomes and consumption. We view this not only as a social problem, but also an essential condition for economic growth. The shrinking consumption and reduction of retail trade are serious inhibitors for further economic development," she said.

The expert discussion, Rating Results of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia: Innovative Business in the Regions of Russia and Rating of Innovation Development of the Regions of Russia took place on January 12, the first day of the Gaidar Forum. The discussion was moderated by Ivan Bortnik, Advisor to the General Director of the Foundation to Promote Innovation. The discussion focused on the following questions: what regions of Russia are friendlier to innovative business; which rankings reflect the actual situation with innovation in the country's constituent regions for 2016 more objectively; how we need to supplement and improve the rankings to increase their informative value. The Rating of Innovation Development of the Regions of Russia with the detailed assessment of the regions' investment grade was presented for the first time. Following Ivan Bortnik's opening remarks, Roza Semyonova presented the ranking of innovative regions in 2016.

The panel discussion, Sustainable Economic Growth: A Model for Russia, of the second day of the Gaidar Forum 2017, was held in a new format, as an expert discussion of the keynote report.

On January 13,Chairman of the Board of the Center for Strategic Research Foundation (CSR) Alexei Kudrin delivered a report at RANEPA. "The old economic model is obviously, no longer working," he began, adding that no decisive measures that would restart the economy are being applied at the moment either. "We are facing very serious challenges, which objectively impede our economic growth and force the President and Government to take steps that are unusual and quite serious," Mr. Kudrin went on. He especially underlined the country's demographic problems, the lack of investment, the economic sanctions and Russia's distancing from world markets, its technological backwardness, low productivity and poor quality of public administration. "The main problems lie inside Russia, and its main problems are the institutional and structural problems that have accumulated today," he said.

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


TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- North Sea Energy Inc. ("NSE" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: NUK) through its wholly owned subsidiary North Sea Energy (UK N02) Limited ("NSE2") is pleased to announce the following update regarding the Bagpuss and Blofeld Licence P.1943 ("Bagpuss").

The UK Oil and Gas Association ("the OGA") approves licence renewal for Bagpuss:

The OGA has agreed, in principle, subject to the usual regulatory consents and certain conditions, to the continuation of the Bagpuss licence into the second 4 year term.

Maersk Oil North Sea UK Limited ("Maersk") reassigns interests Bagpuss Licence:

Maersk and the Bagpuss JV listed below have agreed to reassign Maersk's 25% working interest in the Bagpuss on a prorate basis subject to final OGA approval. Upon final approval by the OGA, NSE2's working interest in Bagpuss will increase from 15 % to 20%. The working interests in the Bagpuss JV going forward are expected to be as follows:

Encounter 17.67% Groliffe 8.83% NSE2 20.0% Reach Halibut Limited 53.5% ---------------------------------------- Total: 100%

About NSE:

The Company, founded in February 2007, is a UK focused oil and gas exploration and appraisal company quoted on the TSX-V. NSE, along with its wholly owned subsidiary, North Sea Energy (UK NO2) Limited, holds two high impact opportunities in the UK North Sea. These opportunities are the Bagpuss and Blofeld prospects located in blocks 13/24c and 13/25 of the UKCS.

Forward-looking statements

Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "forecast", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information.

In particular, there can be no certainty that analysis of the hydrocarbons and reservoir will result in commerciality being established. Factors which may cause commerciality not to be established include risks and uncertainties such as analysis concluding that the hydrocarbons are not of a commercially interesting grade, logistical challenges associated with extracting in the North Sea, oil prices, access to financing (for a full list of risks please refer to our financial statements and management discussion and analysis filed on 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:

J. Craig Anderson

Chairman & CEO

North Sea Energy Inc.

416-366-4700

canderson@northseaenergy.ca

www.northseaenergy.ca




Revenue1 up 9% in Q1 2016/2017

Regulatory News:

Groupe Pierre Vacances-Center Parcs (Paris:VAC):

1] First quarter revenue

The revenue and financial indicators commented on in this press release stem from operating reporting with the presentation of joint-ventures under proportional consolidation.

Euro millions 2016/2017 2015/2016 Evolution Evolution on a

same-structure

basis (*) Tourism 241.2 230.6 +4.6% +3.9% - Pierre Vacances Tourisme Europe 91.9 90.1 +2.0% +0.3% - Center Parcs Europe 149.4 140.5 +6.3% +6.3% o/w accommodation turnover 158.4 152.3 +4.0% excluding Adagio +6.3% - Pierre Vacances Tourisme Europe 60.4 61.0 -0.9% excluding Adagio +2.9% - Center Parcs Europe 97.9 91.3 +7.3% Property development 49.6 36.5 +36.2% Total Q1 290.9 267.0 +8.9% +8.3%

(*) Adjustment for the impact of the acquisition on 13 April 2016 of "La France du Nord au Sud", a recognised player in the market of online distribution of holiday rentals in France and Spain.

Under IFRS accounting rules, revenue for the first quarter of 2016/2017 totalled 275.2 million (234.2 million for the tourism businesses and 41.0 million for the property development business), compared with 252.4 million in Q1 2015/2016 (224.0 million for tourism and 28.4 million for property development).

Tourism revenue

Q1 2016/2017 revenue from the tourism businesses stood at 241.2 million, up 4.6% (+3.9% same-structure) relative to Q1 2015/2016.

Accommodation revenue totalled 158.4 million, up 4.0% stemming primarily from a rise in net average letting rates (+3.7%).

Pierre Vacances Tourisme Europe (PVTE) contributed 60.4 million, a 2.9% increase excluding Adagio, benefiting from a rise in the number of nights sold (+2.0%) and growth in net average letting rates (+0.9%).



This growth was driven by the seaside destinations (mainland France, French West Indies and Spain), which rose by 12.3% or 5.0% excluding supply effects2.



Revenue from the mountain sites was virtually stable excluding the impact of the decline in the network operated under the framework of lease renewals, and despite a lack of snowfall.



The Adagio residences business, which accounts for more than half of PVTE's accommodation revenue in Q1, was down 3.8%. The decline in revenue was concentrated in October and the first two weeks of November, which were not affected by the terrorist attack of 13 November 2015. In contrast, revenue rose in December, albeit in a backdrop still affected by terrorist threats.

Center Parcs Europe contributed 97.9 million in revenue, up 7.3% relative to Q1 2015/2016, primarily due to a price effect (+8.4%).

Growth was driven by the French domains (+8.0%) and all off the domains located in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium (+6.9%).

Revenue from other tourism businesses rose by 5.8% and 3.8% on a same-structure basis. This growth concerned both Pierre Vacances Tourisme Europe (+7.9% and +2.5% same-structure), with good performances from marketing mandates, and Center Parcs Europe (+4.6%).

Property development turnover

Q1 2016/2017 property development revenue stood at 49.6 million, up 36% relative to Q1 2015/2016 and was mainly driven by the contribution from the extension to the Domaine des Trois Forets in Moselle-Lorraine (12.0 million), Villages Nature (5.9 million) and the Senioriales residences (14.5 million).

Property reservations booked in Q1 with individual investors were also higher, representing revenue of 91.8 million vs. 81.7 million in the year-earlier period (i.e. +12%).

2] Outlook

In view of the revenue booked in Q1 and reservations to date, the Group is currently expecting growth in tourism revenue in H1 2016/2017 relative to H1 2015/2016, excluding supply effects3 and adjusted for calendar effects4

H1 2016/2017 property development revenue should be higher than the level seen in H1 2015/2016.

1 The revenue and financial indicators commented on in this press release stem from operating reporting with the presentation of joint-ventures under proportional consolidation

2 Net growth in the network operated prompted by development of the offering in Spain

3 The impact of the reduction in the offer in mountain destinations on accommodation revenue is likely to be high in Q2 of the year given the weight of revenue generated in this destination during this period.

4 Shift in school holidays from March in 2016 to April in 2017.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006025/en/

Contacts:

Groupe Pierre Vacances-Center Parcs

Investor Relations and Strategic Operations

Emeline Laute, +33 (0) 1 58 21 54 76

info.fin@groupepvcp.com

or

Press Relations

Valerie Lauthier, +33 (0) 1 58 21 54 61

valerie.lauthier@groupepvcp.com
TEMECULA, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Hillsborough County 9-1-1 Administration has selected Airbus DS Communications' VESTA 9-1-1 solution to put the Florida county on the path to implementing Next-Generation 9-1-1. Airbus DS Communications also will install an IP network that will allow for greater redundancy and resiliency and serve as the foundation for the next generation of Hillsborough County's public safety communications.

An Airbus DS Communications customer for more than 20 years, Hillsborough County is the fourth most populous county in Florida with more than 1.3 million residents. It answers more than 900,000 emergency calls per year. The county is comprised of 10 public safety answering points (PSAPs) that will have 100 call taking positions once the upgrade to the VESTA 9-1-1 solution and the new IP network is complete. The full transition to the new system is estimated to take place by October 2017.

"We are honored that Hillsborough County has chosen to work with Airbus DS Communications to upgrade to our latest VESTA 9-1-1 solution," said Bob Freinberg, CEO of Airbus DS Communications. "With the new call-handling solution and IP network infrastructure, Hillsborough County will have the flexibility to take on next-generation features such as text-to-9-1-1 and multimedia calls in the future."

The VESTA 9-1-1 solution will provide Hillsborough County with a geodiverse infrastructure that interconnects the 10 PSAPs. This will allow the agency to establish back-up scenarios so that if one PSAP goes down, its 9-1-1 calls are routed to another. The county also will have access to the VESTA Analytics solution which provides powerful reporting tools such as the ability to review individual PSAP performance to strengthen response times and better manage resources. Additionally, the VESTA 9-1-1 system provides a user-friendly interface for Calltakers that can be personalized to match their needs.

For more information on Airbus DS Communications and its portfolio of public safety solutions, visit www.airbus-dscomm.com.

Airbus Defense and Space

Airbus DS Communications, Inc., an Airbus Defense and Space Inc. company, is a global leader and trusted source for mission-critical communications technologies. The VESTA product suite provides Next Generation 9-1-1 call processing systems, land mobile radio solutions and emergency notification applications, creating smarter ways to keep all our communities safe. The company received the Frost and Sullivan 2016 Best Practices award as the NG9-1-1 Company of the Year. www.airbus-dscomm.com.

Contacts:

Flynn Nogueira

Airbus DS Communications, Director of Marketing

flynn.nogueira@Airbus-DSComm.com

951.216.9699



Minh Le

DVL Seigenthaler

minh.le@dvlseigenthaler.com

615.610.0310




NASHVILLE, TN -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Three attorneys from Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, a leading provider of legal services to the healthcare, financial services, technology, retail and hospitality industries, have been named to the Ambulatory M&A Advisor annual Leading Lawyers list.

The attorneys are:

Amanda K. Jester, partner and member of Waller's Board of Directors (Austin)

George W. Bishop III, partner (Nashville)

Matthew R. Burnstein, partner and chairman of Waller's Board of Directors (Nashville)

"Our work with healthcare clients has brought many accolades to Waller this year, and we can credit that to our expansive roster of dedicated attorneys," said Ken Marlow, Chair of Waller's nationally recognized Healthcare Department. "We are honored for Amanda, George and Matt to be named to the Leading Lawyers list, as we continue our commitment to serving the healthcare industry."

The Leading Lawyers list designates lawyers who have achieved a high degree of recognition and success within the healthcare transaction field with at least 10 years of experience.

Amanda Jester represents private equity funds, hospitals, free-standing emergency centers, surgery centers, physician practices, dental practices and specialized service providers in mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. Amanda specializes in physician practice mergers and acquisitions and has represented both physician practices and investors in consolidations and private equity platform transactions. Jester graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy from Austin College and earned her J.D. at the University of Chicago Law School.

George Bishop, a former chairman of Waller's Board of Directors, is a nationally recognized healthcare attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and syndications, antitrust matters, healthcare regulatory issues, security offerings and venture capital financings. Bishop has been honored by Best Lawyers, Chambers USA and was named one of the 101 Best Lawyers in Tennessee by Business Tennessee. He earned his B.A., cum laude from the University of the South, his M.A. in Theology from the University of Oxford and his J.D. with highest honors from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Matthew Burnstein specializes in helping large healthcare companies grow through acquisitions and emerging companies seeking capital funding. He has represented three of the five largest ambulatory surgery centers in the nation. Burnstein has additionally been recognized by Chambers USA as a leader in corporate/M&A work and Best Lawyers in the Corporate Law. He earned his B.A., magna cum laude and his J.D. from Vanderbilt University.

About Waller

With more than 225 attorneys in Nashville and Memphis, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala., and Austin, Tex., Waller assists clients in complex transactional, regulatory and litigation matters. The firm has built a national reputation for its work in healthcare, financial services, retail and hospitality, and has extensive experience in manufacturing, real estate, technology and other industries. For more information, please visit www.wallerlaw.com.

Contact:

Sarah Brawner

615-610-0323

sarah.brawner@dvlseigenthaler.com




Ukraine's State Aviation Service and the European Commission (EC) have signed the arrangement on convergence of aircraft type certification systems.

The press service of the Ukrainian agency has reported that State Aviation Service Chairman Oleksandr Bilchuk signed the document at a meeting with a delegation of the European Commission headed by Director General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission Henrik Hololei.

The document envisages continuation of cooperation in converging the certification systems in the areas of primary airworthiness, maintenance of airworthiness and servicing of aircraft and their elements. The Ukrainian authority will compare regulatory and procedural requirements of the sides, reflect any discrepancies and determine the measures to converge the systems and the dates when the measures are introduced.

Earlier, in 2013, Ukraine undertook liabilities to finish the international arrangement on convergence of aircraft type certification systems to sign the document along with the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA agreement). In November 2016, the draft arrangement was finally approved and it was decided to sign it separately from the ECAA.

"The signing of the arrangement today is the sign that it is impossible to stop desire of Ukrainian aviation to comply with European standards. We will play under the same rules. This means that Ukrainian aircraft will be clear for European operators. We are taking are of principal interests of the Ukrainian aircraft building industry. The arrangement would not do harm to current industrial standards of Ukraine in production of aircraft and their elements that are not described in the provision of the ECAA," Bilchuk said.
KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Crazy Horse Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: CZH) (the "Company", "Crazy Horse") has completed and filed an Independent Technical Report dated 30 November 2016 for the 100 % owned Taysan Project ("Taysan", or "the Project"). The company commissioned Mining Associates ("MA") to prepare the Independent Technical Report for the Taysan Project to comply with Canada's National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI43-101") and the mineral resource classifications meet the updated 2014 CIM Definition Standards, culminating in an effective date of 30th November 2016 for the Mineral Resource. No additional drilling has been undertaken on the Project since 2011, and based on this report, the Company is no longer treating the Project as having reserves. The resource estimate is based on a conceptual pit design used to constrain reported resources. A cut-off grade of 0.1% copper was applied to all reported resource blocks within a conceptual pit design.

Table 1: Mineral Resource Estimate reported November 2016 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resource (0.1% Copper Cut off) M Cu M lbs Au Ag Magnetite M oz M oz Mt tonnes % Cu g/t g/t % Au Ag Magnetite ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 156 0.31 1,077 0.12 1.2 3.3 0.61 5.80 5.20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 301 0.23 1,493 0.09 0.7 3.2 0.84 6.50 9.62 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- M + I 456 0.26 2,570 0.10 0.8 3.2 1.45 12.30 14.82 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 300 0.19 1,239 0.08 0.5 2.8 0.72 4.85 8.44 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

In order to move the project forward, Crazy Horse will need to pursue the renewal and conversion of EP-IVA-005 to a Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) as required by the Mines and Geoscience Bureau (MGB). The full Technical Report is available on SEDAR.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF CRAZY HORSE RESOURCES INC.

Dev Randhawa, Chairman, CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future production, reserve potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects 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 market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

Contacts:

Greg Downey

CFO

Crazy Horse Resources Inc.

1-250-979-7022




BH Global Limited (the "Company")

(a closed-ended investment scheme established as a company with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey with registered number 48555)

Directorate Change

BH Global Limited ("the Company") is pleased to announce that Julia Chapman has agreed to join the Board of the Company with effect from 16 January 2017.

Julia Chapman is a solicitor qualified in England & Wales and in Jersey with over 25 years' experience in the investment fund and capital markets sector. After working at Simmons & Simmons in London, she moved to Jersey and became a partner of Mourant du Feu & Jeune (now Mourant Ozannes) in 1999. She was then appointed general counsel to Mourant International Finance Administration (the firm's fund administration division). Following its acquisition by State Street in April 2010, Julia was appointed European Senior Counsel for State Street's alternative investment business. In July 2012, Julia left State Street to focus on the independent provision of directorship and governance services to a small number of investment fund vehicles (including GCP Infrastructure Investments Limited and Henderson Far East Income Limited).

Sir Michael Bunbury, Chairman, commented: "We are delighted that Julia has accepted our invitation to join the Board, and we look forward to benefits her many years' experience as a director of both listed and unlisted funds will bring to the Company. 2016 was a strong year for the Company in terms of NAV uplift, and we are pleased by the feedback from investors and analysts noting the useful portfolio diversification benefits and downside volatility protection the Company offers in the current uncertain macroeconomic climate."

Enquiries:

Company website: www.bhglobal.com

Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited

The Company Secretary

Tel: +44 (0) 1481 745001
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 17, 2017) - Argo Gold Inc. (CSE: ARQ) ("Argo Gold" or the "Company") announces that it has agreed to settle an aggregate of $239,000 of indebtedness of the Company with various arm's length and non-arm's length creditors through the issuance of an aggregate of 2,390,000 common shares ("Common Shares") at a price of $0.10 per Common Share.

The Common Shares issued pursuant to the debt settlement will be subject to a four month and one day hold period pursuant to applicable securities laws.

The shares for debt transaction constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") as insiders of the Company will receive 860,000 Common Shares of the Company in connection with the debt settlement. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the shares for debt transaction with the insider does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction at least 21 days before the closing of the debt settlement, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances as the Company wishes to improve its financial position by reducing its accrued liabilities.

Argo Gold's website is www.argogold.ca

For more information please contact:



Judy Baker

President

(416) 786-7860

judybakertoronto@gmail.com

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.
Technavio market research analysts forecast the global student information system (SIS) marketto grow at a CAGR of close to 17% during the forecast period, according to their latest report.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005626/en/

Technavio has published a new report on the global student information system market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The market study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global student information system marketfor 2017-2021. The report labels K-12 and higher education as the two main end-user segments for the SIS market. In 2016, the higher education segment accounted for over 63% of the market share, with the K-12 segment accounting for the remaining 37% of the student information systems market.

"Student information systems will assist schools to manage learning and non-learning activities on infrastructure, content, faculty, and lecture delivery efficiently. The implementation of these software programs also simplifies the management of external activities such as the purchase of e-learning content and other resources as per their budgetary constraints," says Jhansi Mary, a lead analyst at Technavio for education technologyresearch.

Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=55899

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.

Technavio education analysts highlight the following three market drivers that are contributing to the growth of the global SIS market:

Inclusion of multiple stakeholders

Extended functionality of SIS

Increased application of analytics in education

Inclusion of multiple stakeholders

The SIS software is designed and developed to include students, districts, parents, and state systems as a part of the users, beyond faculty and administrative department. The software provides access to parents to gain a real-time information and understanding about their children's performance. They can log in and check for the attendance, schoolwork, and participation in extra-curricular activities. Through this way, schools and colleges are trying to maintain a formal communication system with parents as well as the state education departments. The entire process of communication has become quite hassle-free and offers a single platform for accessing any information.

Extended functionality of SIS

Traditionally, schools and colleges collected and stored data manually, which was a cumbersome task. They were exposed to various risks and faced multiple problems such as data redundancy, inaccurate data entry, lack of available security checks, and rigidity to change and access data. The student information software is one such software that helps institutions to overcome these difficulties. It helps in collecting student data such as online enrollment, admission, attendance, performance, and behavior through various modules. Further, SIS can build a centralized database for storing such data. Therefore, using such software enables schools and colleges manage information better and maintain an updated record of students' information.

Increased application of analytics in education

It is essential that educators and administrators have access to data with which they can drive student performance keeping in mind measurable metrics to fulfill institutions' goals and missions. Institutions have designated professionals that maintain their database in credible and secure data infrastructures to ensure smooth and sustained application of analytics. This data is used as a strategic asset by institutions as it assists in operational and business decision-making and planning.

"Administration departments in institutions can strategically develop intervention policies and corrective measures to increase student intake and improve performance," says Jhansi.

Browse Related Reports:

Education Projector Market in the US 2016-2020

Global Text-to-speech Education Technology Market 2016-2020

Global Digital Classroom 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 K12 and higher educationand school and college essentials 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

Technaviois 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/20170117005626/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - January 17, 2017) - Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air recently announced twelve winners of the Anderson Wow Awards which were created to recognize professionalism among all employees of this San Diego plumbing, heating and air conditioning company. These awards encourage the embodiment of the company tagline "Nobody wows clients like we do!"

The honorees include: Customer Service Representatives, Plumbing Service Technicians; Drain Technicians, HVAC Service Technicians, HVAC Installation, HVAC Project Managers and Trainers.

According to Mary Jean Anderson, owner/president of Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air, "Our company was built on outstanding customer service and that means that every employee is doing their very best every day to wow our clients. So, every Quarter our managers recognize employees that have gone above and beyond."

"The awards include 'Rookie of the Year', 'Best Kept Truck', 'Most Improved' as well as other categories of personal accomplishments and professionalism," added Anderson. "We're so proud of these employees because they make the Anderson brand meaningful. Homeowners have lots of choices when they have a clogged drain, need a San Diego plumber, or even heating and air conditioning repair, so we want them to know what an excellent team we have here at Anderson and that we're all committed to earning their business."

Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air has served more than 500,000 San Diego residential and commercial customers since 1978. Services include plumbing, heating and air conditioning, sewer and drains, pipe lining, water filtration, indoor air quality and more including 24-hour emergency service. Visit andersonpha.com for more information.

Contact:

Mary Jean Anderson

mj@andersonpha.com

619.873.1460
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Amid allegations of plagiarism, conservative author and commentator Monica Crowley revealed she will not be assuming a senior communications role in President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration. Crowley had been tapped to serve as the senior director of strategic communications for the National Security Council. However, Crowley has come under fire after CNN uncovered multiple instances of plagiarism in her 2012 book, her columns for the Washington Times, and her 2000 Ph.D. dissertation for Columbia University. In a statement to the Washington Times, Crowley said she has decided to remain in New York to pursue other opportunities and will not be taking a position in the Trump administration 'I greatly appreciate being asked to be part of President-elect Trump's team and I will continue to enthusiastically support him and his agenda for American renewal,' Crowley said. Retired Army Lieutenant General Mike Flynn, Trump's pick as National Security Adviser, told the Times the NSC will miss the opportunity to have Crowley as part of the team. (Photo: Michael Vadon) 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.
Three research groups from USA, Finland, and UK were selected as awardees of the 5 million US dollar grant awarded for the Second Cycle of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science. His Excellency Ahmed Juma Al Zaabi, Deputy Minister of Presidential Affairs in the United Arab Emirates and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the National Center of Meteorology and Seismology, awarded the researchers a grant on behalf of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006214/en/

The 2nd Cycle Awardees of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (Photo: ME NewsWire)

The three awarded scientists leading the research teams are:

Dr. Paul Lawson, from the United States of America, for his work on investigating new approaches to rain enhancement that leverages ice production processes in cumulus clouds.

from the United States of America, for his work on investigating new approaches to rain enhancement that leverages ice production processes in cumulus clouds. Prof. Hannele Korhonen, from Finland, for her work on the role of atmospheric aerosols in efficient precipitation enhancement.

from Finland, for her work on the role of atmospheric aerosols in efficient precipitation enhancement. Prof. Giles Harrison, from the United Kingdom, for his work on the electrical properties of clouds and on rainfall modeling.

The three proposals that received awards this year were selected from 91 global scientific research proposals submitted by teams representing leading international institutions and organizations.

Launched by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs of the UAE and managed by the UAE National Center of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science is an ambitious global initiative designed to stimulate rain enhancement research. The Program seeks to address water security challenges through international cooperation to advance scientific and technical research and innovation. The research areas that the Program addresses include the fundamental understanding of rainfall enhancement, data modeling, analysis and evaluation, and experimental design, technologies and instrumentation.

The UAE Research Program has witnessed an expansion in the geographical participation of the Second Cycle, with over 398 scientists and researchers affiliated to 180 institutes from 45 countries.

Registrations are open for the Third Cycle at http://www.uaerep.ae.

For more information about the Program: www.uaerep.ae

*Source: ME NewsWire

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006214/en/

Contacts:

English and Arabic Media Enquiries:

National Center of Meteorology and Seismology

Mohamed Al Mheiri, +971 2 222 7777

Head of Media and Marketing

malmuhairi@ncms.ae

PO Box 4815, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Western Economic Diversification Canada

Thirteen recreational and cultural facilities in Calgary will be upgraded with the Government of Canada's CIP 150 investment of $2,738,214. The improvements made with the funding will help upgrade the facilities and support Calgary's community spirit.

The Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program is part of Canada 150 Celebrates, the Government of Canada's celebration of our country's 150th anniversary of Confederation. Budget 2016 provided an additional $150 million over two years to Canada's Regional Development Agencies to deliver further community funding across the country, starting in 2016-17, with Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) being responsible for administering the program in Western Canada.

Through investments in community infrastructure, the Government of Canada will invest in projects that seek to renovate, expand and improve existing community infrastructure, with a focus on recreational facilities, projects that advance a clean growth economy, and projects with a positive impact on Indigenous communities.

Quotes

"The Government of Canada wants to empower communities as part of its celebration of the 150th anniversary of Confederation. The Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program responds to the significant demand for community infrastructure improvements across Western Canada."

- The Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada

"The CIP 150 will help to improve the quality of life for all Canadians by allowing development of our cherished public spaces including community recreation centres, parks, fitness centres and others. It is in these places where we celebrate our Canadian heritage."

- Darshan Kang, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview

"We are pleased to see the Government of Canada making important capital investments in community projects across Calgary. CIP 150-funded projects will bring significant benefit to the lives of our citizens--an excellent way to celebrate our nation's sesquicentennial."

- Mayor Naheed Nenshi, City of Calgary

Stay Connected

Twitter: @WD_Canada, @canada150th, @MinisterISED, @cityofcalgary.

Hashtags: Canada150

Website: WD Homepage, Canada 150 Homepage, City of Calgary.

Facebook: @canada150th

Instagram: @canada150

WD Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-WEST (9378)

TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 1-877-303-3388

Additional Links

Government of Canada Announces Support for Community Infrastructure in Alberta

Backgrounder: The 150th Anniversary of Confederation in 2017

Backgrounder: Government of Canada Invests in Calgary's Community Infrastructure

IF THERE IS A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN ANY PRINTED VERSION AND THE ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, THE ELECTRONIC VERSION WILL PREVAIL.

Contacts:

Carolina Calderon

Acting Regional Communications Manager

Western Economic Diversification Canada

(780) 495-6892

Carolina.calderon@canada.ca



The City of Calgary Media Line

403-828-2954

media.relations@calgary.ca

Online: calgary.ca/mediainquiry




DUBLIN, Jan 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Smart Hospitality Market by Software, Service, Hotel Type, Deployment Model, and Region - Global Forecast to 2021" report to their offering.

The smart hospitality market size is expected to grow from USD 5.74 Billion in 2016 to USD 18.11 Billion by 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25.8%. The major drivers for upsurge in demand for smart hospitality software and services include growing demand for real-time optimized guest experience management, luring revenue generation & low operational costs, and increasing adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) and energy management systems.

The scope of this report covers the smart hospitality market analysis by software, service, hotel type, deployment model, and region. The managed services segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Managed services support the implementation of smart hospitality solutions across hotels.

The guest service management system is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period due to the rise in digitization across the globe. The smart solutions enable the administrator to control the guest room by automating the temperature, lights, curtains, and other indoor components while monitoring the security & safety infrastructure and managing the outdoor components, such as parking premises, water management, waste management, inventory, and network infrastructure.

On-demand deployment model is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. On-demand deployment model, also referred to as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), enables hotels to deploy their software and services on a virtual environment. Cloud-based deployment smart hospitality software reduces the cost associated with purchasing, servicing, and powering of server-class machines. The subscription model enables the scalability for end-users with a low cost of ownership. It also ensures the integrity of data back-up while reducing the risk of expensive security breaches.

Companies Mentioned:

Buildingiq Inc.

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Control4

Honeywell International, Inc.

Huawei Technologies Co.Ltd

IBM Corporation

Infor, Inc.

Johnson Controls

Mitel Networks Corporation

NEC Corporation

Oracle Corporation

Sabre Corporation

Schneider Electric Se

Siemens AG

Smartodom Automation

Springer-Miller Systems

Winhotel Solution S.L

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights

5 Market Overview

6 Industry Trends

7 Smart Hospitality Market Analysis, By Type

8 Smart Hospitality Market Analysis, By Hotel Type

9 Smart Hospitality Market Analysis, By Deployment Model

10 Smart Hospitality Market Analysis, By Region

11 Competitive Landscape

12 Company Profiles

13 Key Innovators

14 Appendix

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/5wt5t9/smart_hospitality

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
Technavio analysts forecast the global corporate learning management systems (LMS) marketto grow at a CAGR of over 22% during the forecast period, according to their latest report.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005638/en/

Technavio has published a new report on the global corporate LMS market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global corporate LMSmarketfor 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the sales of the LMS products and services.

The global corporate LMS market, which accounted for over 74% of the global LMS market in 2016, is expected to post healthy growth during the forecast period. This is mainly due to the growing demand for cost-efficient training solutions among companies. This has paved the way for development and delivery of many online courses, both standardized and customized across industries. With constant pressure on corporates to ensure technical upgrades, organizations are adopting LMS as well as replacing old systems to create and deliver all kinds of digital learning material, including video-based training and presentations, to their employees to encourage their participation and feedback.

Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=55850

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.

Technavio educationanalysts highlight the following four factors that are contributing to the growth of the global corporate learning management systems market:

Automating assessment functionalities

Implementation of cloud-based LMS

Replacement of legacy LMS

Improved delivery system

Automating assessment functionalities

In any organization, LMS is used to streamline training and for the evaluation of training conducted for employees. Prior to the adoption of LMS, many organizations followed the traditional methods to provide training and evaluate the employees like paper handouts, PowerPoint presentations, and quizzes. These methods have raised concerns regarding the accuracy and timely delivery of results.

Jhansi Mary, a lead education technology research analyst at Technavio, says, "Vendors offering LMS have introduced software that has advanced features to suit the needs of corporate stakeholders. The assessment system and standards for the employees vary from company to company. The content creation through LMS can be aligned with the company standards, which are inbuilt in the software

Implementation of cloud-based LMS

The global corporate LMS market is expected to register exponential use of cloud-based LMS. Cost benefits associated with the use of cloud-based LMS is one of the primary factors accounting for this trend. Numerous vendors, including TalentLMS, Haiku Learning, Scholar LMS, and WizIQ, offer cloud-based LMS service

"The use of cloud services helps companies reduce cost as they do not require servers to install LMS services. This cloud-based LMS software is mainly helpful for the small and mid-size enterprises that lack skilled staff and the expertise in managing the operations," adds Jhansi.

Replacement of legacy LMS

LMS services have undergone radical changes with the introduction of breakthrough technologies and expansion in the user base. These technologies have shortened the life cycle of LMS. The system providers are focused on offering new features and applications to serve the evolving demands of customers in the corporate sector. Organizations that have deployed LMS five to six years before are facing difficulties in terms of outdated features and compatibility issues with third-party software and applications.

Improved delivery system

LMS offer superior content management functionalities that include content creation and delivery to the learners. It is crucial for companies to create or procure relevant course content for their employees. Alongside other activities such as updating the content, rapid delivery, and strong connectivity with all the stakeholders, corporate learning and training management systems are required. Companies with the help of LMS are empowered to handle a large amount of content and user connectivity.

Top vendors:

Cornerstone OnDemand

Oracle

SAP

Skillsoft

Browse Related Reports:

Global Soft Skills Training Market 2016-2020

Global Corporate M-learning Market 2016-2020

Global Corporate E-learning Market 2016-2020

Become a Technavio Insights memberand 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 K12 and higher educationand school and college essentials. 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/20170117005638/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
Switzerland will provide $100 million as the first tranche of financial assistance to Ukraine by the end of 2017, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"A decision was taken, which has been just announced, that before the end of January, Ukraine will receive $100 million. They will go to the accounts of the National Bank in the form of financial assistance from the Swiss Confederation as the first part of the tranche aimed at supporting Ukraine," Poroshenko told journalists in Davos after the talks with Swiss President Doris Leuthard.

The Ukrainian president said that during the talks with the Swiss counterpart they discussed the current state of bilateral relations, as well as Ukraine's progress on the path of important reforms.

"We noted that Ukraine will not come empty-handed to February 6, when Ukraine and Switzerland will celebrate 25th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. Switzerland has recognized Ukraine's evident progress in reforms," Poroshenko said.

According to Poroshenko, Switzerland is also ready to provide visa-free regime for Ukrainians immediately after this is done by the EU.
Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG (NYSE:AWH) announced today that Kym Beazleigh has been appointed Vice President, Professional Liability, Australia, based in Sydney. He will report to Ed Moresco, Senior Vice President, Professional Liability.

Ed Moresco said: "This appointment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to strengthening our team in Australia and across the region. Kym's knowledge and experience is a welcome addition to our well established Professional Liability offering in Asia-Pacific, enabling us to build on our existing success and continue to deliver high quality client service."

Mr. Beazleigh joins Allied World from Zurich Australia Insurance Limited, where he held the position of National Underwriting Manager for the Corporate Institutions Financial Lines team. Mr. Beazleigh's industry experience spans over 15 years, having previously worked at Chubb Insurance Company of Australia, Liberty International Underwriters and Canopius Underwriting Limited.

About Allied World

Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG, through its subsidiaries and brand known as Allied World, is a global provider of innovative property, casualty and specialty insurance and reinsurance solutions. Allied World offers superior client service through a global network of offices and branches. All of Allied World's rated insurance and reinsurance subsidiaries are rated A by A.M. Best Company, A by Standard & Poor's, and A2 by Moody's, and our Lloyd's Syndicate 2232 is rated A+ by Standard Poor's and AA- by Fitch.

Please visit the following for further information on Allied World: Web: www.awac.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/alliedworld | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allied-world

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Any forward-looking statements made in this press release reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in these statements. For example, our forward-looking statements could be affected by pricing and policy term trends; increased competition; the adequacy of our loss reserves; negative rating agency actions; greater frequency or severity of unpredictable catastrophic events; the impact of acts of terrorism and acts of war; the company or its subsidiaries becoming subject to significant income taxes in the United States or elsewhere; changes in regulations or tax laws; changes in the availability, cost or quality of reinsurance or retrocessional coverage; adverse general economic conditions; and judicial, legislative, political and other governmental developments, as well as management's response to these factors, and other factors identified in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. We are under no obligation (and expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or revise any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006290/en/

Contacts:

Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG

Media:

Faye Cook, +1-441-278-5406

Senior Vice President, Marketing Communications

Faye.Cook@awac.com

or

Investors:

Giuseppe Montefinese, +1-646-794-0690

Manager, Strategy Investor Relations

Giuseppe.Montefinese@awac.com

www.awac.com
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - January 17, 2017) - Tokyo Smoke, a premium cannabis-oriented lifestyle brand, has become the first Canadian cannabis consumer brand to raise capital, and oversubscribed on its first round of fundraising. Strong investment interest in the burgeoning start-up resulted in a total of $3 million (CAD) raised by international angel investors, 50% more than its initial target. Key investors include W. Brett Wilson (iBanker, CBC Dragon Emeritus), Chuck Rifici (co-founder Nesta Holding Co, co-founder of Canopy Growth Corp) and Globalive Capital Inc. (founders of Wind Mobile).

"I greatly respect Tokyo Smoke as a reputable brand focused on a legal and responsible approach to bringing clarity, safety, education and product excellence to the cannabis industry," says Wilson. "My strategic investment in Tokyo Smoke is in response to inevitable changes in the business environment for medical and recreational marijuana, and my desire to see the industry accelerate research initiatives around the various available products and promote responsible usage, especially in our younger consumers."

Tokyo Smoke is an award-winning lifestyle brand that brings sophistication and design to the cannabis space. With immersive experiences and designer retail spaces with coffee, clothing and designer products, Tokyo Smoke is developing an international reputation as the go-to destination for luxurious, creative offerings within the industry. In collaboration with Aphria Inc. ("Aphria") (TSX VENTURE: APH) (OTCQB: APHQF), one of Canada's largest licensed producers of medical marijuana, Tokyo Smoke will release four branded cannabis strains in the first quarter of 2017.

"Creating a new caliber of high quality products and experiences for the developing cannabis industry is extremely exciting," says Tokyo Smoke co-founder & CEO Alan Gertner. "We've witnessed a real demand for a beautiful, design-focused retail and lifestyle experience, where none existed before. Just like people who drink coffee or whisky, cannabis consumption is not what defines an individual. With the Canadian government taking steps towards legalization in the coming months, Canada could be to cannabis what France is to wine, and Tokyo Smoke will help lay the groundwork for that experience."

With investment from Canada, the U.S.A and South America, the raised funds will be earmarked for product development, growing the management team and international expansion, with the first foray into the U.S. market slated for spring 2017.

Follow Tokyo Smoke on Instagram: @tokyosmoke

Follow Tokyo Smoke on Facebook: /tsmokecoffee

For more information or interview requests:

Tokyo Smoke

publicity@tokyosmoke.com
ROUYN-NORANDA, CANADA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Explor Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: EXS)(OTCQB: EXSFF)(FRANKFURT: E1H1) (BERLIN: E1H1) ("Explor" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that at the Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders held on January 17, 2017, the following directors were elected: Christian Dupont of New Brunswick, Geoffrey Carter of Ontario, Mario Colantonio of Ontario and Gerhard Merkel of Germany.

The accounting firm Dallaire & Lapointe Inc. was re-appointed as independent auditors. The shareholders have also approved the continuation of the Corporation's Stock Option Plan and the amendment to the Shareholder Rights Plan.

Subsequently to the Annual and Special Meeting, the Board of Directors of the Corporation held a meeting and appointed the following officers: Christian Dupont, as President and Chief Executive Officer, Rodrigue Tremblay, as Chief Financial Officer and Julie Godard, as Corporate Secretary. Finally, the following directors have been appointed to the Audit Committee: Christian Dupont, Mario Colantonio and Geoffrey Carter. Two members of this committee are considered independent directors.

Explor Resources Inc. is a publicly listed company trading on the TSX Venture (EXS), on the OTCQB Exchange (EXSFF) and on the Frankfurt and Berlin Stock Exchanges (E1H1).

This press release was prepared by Explor Resources Inc. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) has reviewed or accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

About Explor Resources Inc.

Explor Resources Inc. is a Canadian-based natural resources company with mineral holdings in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. Explor is currently focused on exploration in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The belt is found in both provinces of Ontario and Quebec with approximately 33% in Ontario and 67% in Quebec. The Belt has produced in excess of 180,000,000 ounces of gold and 450,000,000 tonnes of cu-zn ore over the last 100 years. The Corporation was continued under the laws of Alberta in 1986 and has had its main office in Quebec since 2006.

Explor Resources Flagship project is the Timmins Porcupine West (TPW) Project located in the Porcupine mining camp, in the Province of Ontario. Teck Resources Ltd. is currently conducting an exploration program as part of an earn-in on the TPW property. The TPW mineral resource (Press Release dated August 27, 2013) includes the following:

Open Pit Mineral Resources at a 0.30 g/t Au cut-off grade are as follows:

-- Indicated: 213,000 oz (4,283,000 tonnes at 1.55 g/t Au) -- Inferred: 77,000 oz (1,140,000 tonnes at 2.09 g/t Au)

Underground Mineral Resources at a 1.70 g/t Au cut-off grade are as follows:

-- Indicated: 396,000 oz (4,420,000 tonnes at 2.79 g/t Au) -- Inferred: 393,000 oz (5,185,000 tonnes at 2.36 g/t Au)

This document may contain forward-looking statements relating to Explor's operations or to the environment in which it operates. Such statements are based on operations, estimates, forecasts and projections. They are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and may be beyond Explor's control. A number of important factors could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements, including those set forth in other public filling. In addition, such statements relate to the date on which they are made. Consequently, undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements. Explor disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, save and except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Contacts:

Christian Dupont, President

888-997-4630 or 819-797-4630

Fax: 819-797-1870

www.explorresources.com

info@explorresources.com




OBERHACHING, GERMANY -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- EnOcean has announced that Andreas Schneider, the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of EnOcean, assumed the duties of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on January 1, 2017. In this position, Andreas Schneider will further expand EnOcean's business in line with its long-term strategy in the self-powered IoT for the core markets of building automation, smart homes, LED light control and industrial automation. He replaces Dr. Wald Siskens, who has left the company to join Apple Inc.

As the co-founder and CMO of EnOcean, Andreas Schneider has been responsible for market positioning and the sales strategies for energy harvesting wireless technology since 2001. He played a key role in strengthening the company's position as the leading supplier of energy harvesting wireless technology for maintenance-free applications in the Internet of Things. In recent months, Andreas Schneider has worked closely together with Wald Siskens on the development and implementation of the new strategy in the Internet of Things.

"EnOcean is a thought leader in the area of self-powered applications for the Internet of Things and is looking forward to a successful future with its new business strategy," remarks Ralf Schnell, Chairman of the EnOcean Supervisory Board. "The company has set itself the goal of further establishing energy harvesting wireless technology, forming new partnerships and developing additional fields of application. Andreas Schneider, who played a key role in successfully building the company, has extensive expertise in the company and its energy harvesting wireless technology. It is wonderful that Andreas Schneider is taking on this responsibility with the goal of shaping EnOcean's future."

"I am delighted to take on this new, exciting job within EnOcean," says Andreas Schneider. "I have had the opportunity to help shape the company's progress since its founding in 2001. EnOcean has grown continuously. With our 15 years of experience in the field of energy harvesting technology, we have expanded our Dolphin portfolio to provide maintenance-free wireless sensor solutions for the Internet of Things, based on open standards. When it comes to providing sensor data in the cloud, our energy harvesting wireless sensors are indispensable for collecting enormous quantities of reliable data. In collaboration with the EnOcean Alliance and partners such as IBM, Xicato and Philips, we will continue to develop exiting new self-powered and thus maintenance-free applications for our customers' sensor solutions in the Internet of Things."

About EnOcean

EnOcean GmbH is the developer of the patented energy harvesting wireless technology marketed under the Dolphin brand. Headquartered in Oberhaching, near Munich, the company produces and markets maintenance-free wireless sensor solutions for batteryless applications in the Internet of Things, which are used for building and industrial automation, smart homes and LED light control. The EnOcean products are based on miniaturized energy converters, energy-efficient electronics and reliable wireless technology for open wireless standards like EnOcean, ZigBee and Bluetooth Low Energy. Leading product manufacturers have been relying on EnOcean wireless modules for their system solutions for the past 15 years and have installed the products in several hundreds of thousands of buildings around the world.

For more information, please visit www.enocean.com.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3099706



Press Contact

Gina Klute

EnOcean GmbH

T +49 (0)89 67 34 689-76

M +49 (0)160 908 117 29

Email Contact

www.enocean.com



Dawn Fontaine

Ripple Effect Communications

T +617 536-8887

Email Contact




Professor Giles Harrison, from the University of Reading in the UK, was awarded a grant at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2017 for a research on the electrical properties of clouds and on rainfall modeling. Professor Harrison's previous experimental work includes making some of the first airborne measurements in UK airspace of the Icelandic volcanic ashes, during the 2010 flight ban.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006400/en/

Professor Giles Harrison, from the University of Reading, awardee of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science 2nd Cycle (Photo: ME NewsWire)

Along with Professor Harrison's project, two other research groups from the USA and Finland were selected as awardees of the 5 million US dollar grant awarded for the Second Cycle of the UAE Program.

His Excellency Ahmed Juma Al Zaabi, who awarded the researchers, said: "The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science reflects UAE leadership's determination to encourage and support the transformative and bold thinking needed to solve the world's most pressing challenges of our time. These innovative proposals honored by the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science Awards have the potential to further boost UAE's breakthroughs in research and development."

Professor Harrison is Professor of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Reading. His project, "Electrical aspects of rain generation", will investigate the electrical properties of clouds through theoretical and experimental work.

Registrations are open for the Third Cycle at http://www.uaerep.ae.

About the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science

The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, an initiative of the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs overseen by the National Center of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), offers a grant of 5 million US dollars over a three-year period to be shared by up to five winning research proposals. The Program was launched with the aims of addressing water security challenges and placing the UAE at the international forefront of scientific research into rain enhancement. In the context of UAE's Innovation Strategy, the Program is structured to develop human capital and stimulate investments in research in this field for the benefit of arid regions and beyond.

For more information about the Program: www.uaerep.ae

*Source: ME NewsWire

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006400/en/

Contacts:

National Center of Meteorology and Seismology

Mohamed Al Mheiri, +971 2 222 7777

Head of Media and Marketing

malmuhairi@ncms.ae
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures inched higher Tuesday, but well off the best levels of the session amid lingering doubts that OPEC quotas will re-balance the oil market. As for Saudi Arabia, its oil minister says the top producer in the Middle East is optimistic that OPEC nations will comply with an November agreement to cap output. China reduced its production outlook by 7 percent, giving oil a bit of a boost today. 'China's domestic crude output decline will certainly help OPEC's plan to reduce global supply,' Nelson Wang, a Hong Kong-based oil and gas analyst at CLSA, told Bloomberg. However, analysts say the global supply glut may prove stubborn if U.S. and other non-OPEC producers turn on the spigot. Feb. WTI oil edged up by 11 cents, or 0.2%, to end at $52.48/bbl. 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.
Professor Hannele Korhonen, from Finland, was awarded a grant this afternoon at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2017 for a research project on the role of aerosols in efficient precipitation enhancement. Professor Korhonen is a Research Professor at the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006408/en/

Professor Hannele Korhonen, from the Finnish Meteorological Institute, awardee of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science 2nd Cycle. (Photo: ME NewsWire)

Along with Professor Korhonen's project, two other research groups from the USA and UK were selected as awardees of the 5 million US dollar grant awarded for the Second Cycle of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science.

His Excellency Ahmed Juma Al Zaabi, who awarded the researchers, said: "The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science reflects the UAE leadership's determination to encourage and support the transformative and bold thinking needed to solve the world's most pressing challenges. These innovative proposals honored by the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science Awards have the potential to further boost UAE's breakthroughs in research and development."

Professor Korhonen has over 16 years of research experience in atmospheric aerosols and cloud and precipitation interactions from process to global scales. Her team's project, the "Optimization of Aerosol Seeding In rain enhancement Strategies (OASIS)", will apply a multidisciplinary approach to quantify the role of atmospheric aerosols in precipitation enhancement to contribute to fundamental understanding and provide practical guidance for future field explorations.

Registrations are open for the Third Cycle at http://www.uaerep.ae.

About the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science

The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, an initiative of the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs overseen by the National Center of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), offers a grant of 5 million US dollars over a three-year period to be shared by up to five winning research proposals. The Program was launched with the aims of addressing water security challenges and placing the UAE at the international forefront of scientific research into rain enhancement. In the context of UAE's Innovation Strategy, the Program is structured to develop human capital and stimulate investments in research in this field for the benefit of arid regions and beyond.

For more information about the Program: www.uaerep.ae

*Source: ME NewsWire

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006408/en/

Contacts:

National Center of Meteorology and Seismology

Mohamed Al Mheiri, Head of Media and Marketing, +971-2-222-7777

malmuhairi@ncms.ae
DUBLIN, Jan 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Antimicrobial Coatings Market - Global Forecast to 2021" report to their offering.

The antimicrobial coatings market is projected to reach USD 4.19 Billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 12.1% from 2016 to 2021. Growing demand from the medical and indoor applications in North America and Europe is expected to drive the antimicrobial coatings market.

Antimicrobial coatings find usage in applications such as, indoor air / HVAC, medical, mold remediation, building & construction, foods & beverages, textiles, and other applications (consumer products, packaging, and so on).



The medical application accounted for the largest share of the overall antimicrobial coatings market and this trend is projected to continue throughout the forecast period. Antimicrobial coatings are used in medical products, devices, and surfaces in medical facilities to prevent the spread of infections. Medical is also anticipated to be fastest growing application segment during the forecast period.



Indoor air / HVAC was the second largest application segment of antimicrobial coatings in 2015. Antimicrobial coatings are used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, or HVAC. These systems regulate the temperature and indoor air quality, and maintain comfortable and safe atmospheric conditions in buildings. Air filters built into these systems reduce the effect of airborne diseases.



The mold remediation, building & construction, and foods & beverages application segments are expected to grow at moderate rates from 2016 to 2021.



Companies are carrying out intense research & development activities to innovate and develop new products which can open new avenues of applications. Developments are taking place in medical applications leading to the further penetration of antimicrobial coating applications.

Companies Mentioned:



Akzonobeln.V.

Axalta Coating Systems

BASF SE

Diamond Vogel

Nippon Paint Company Ltd

PPG Industries

Royal DSM

RPM International Inc.

The Dow Chemical Company.

The Sherwin-Williams Company



Key Topics Covered:



1.1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights



5 Antimicrobial Coatings Market Overview



6 Industry Trends



7 Antimicrobial Coatings Market, by Product Type



8 Antimicrobial Coatings Market, by Application



9 Antimicrobial Coatings Market, by Region



10 Competitive Landscape



11 Company Profiles Antimicrobial Coatings Market



For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8txlm6/antimicrobial

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
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - January 17, 2017) - Apivio Systems Inc. ("Apivio" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: APV) today advised shareholders not to take any action until further notice with respect to the announcement earlier today by Nuri Telecom Company Limited ("Nuri"), that it has launched an unsolicited offer to purchase all of the outstanding common shares of Apivio at a price of CAD$0.40 per share, payable in cash.

Jason Donville, independent director of Apivio, said, "Consistent with its fiduciary duties, the Board of Directors will carefully review and evaluate the offer. We are commencing a process to solicit potential alternative transactions that may provide greater value to shareholders, and shareholders should wait for the outcome of that process before making any decision with respect to their Apivio common shares. We have established a Special Committee of independent directors to evaluate the Nuri offer and manage the value maximization process. The Special Committee, together with its legal and financial advisors, will carefully and thoroughly evaluate the full spectrum of alternatives to maximize shareholder value and make a recommendation to the full Board of Directors of Apivio. The Board must caution that such a process will not necessarily result in a transaction."

Apivio advises shareholders to not deposit any Apivio common shares to the Nuri offer and to not take any other action concerning the offer until shareholders have received further communications from the Board of Directors. As required by applicable securities laws, the Board will issue a Directors' Circular that will contain important information for shareholders, including the Board's recommendation regarding the offer. The Directors' Circular will also be filed on SEDAR and with Canadian securities regulators.

In addition to its legal counsel, Blake, Cassels & Graydon, LLP, Apivio has retained Haywood Securities Inc. as financial advisors to provide financial advice in connection with the offer and the value maximization process.

About Apivio Systems

Apivio Systems Inc. is a Canadian technology company principally engaged in the design, development, marketing, and sale of communications equipment and software. It has a wholly- owned Korean subsidiary with an established track record of supplying VoIP telephone equipment and other products to major Korean and international telecommunications carriers.

Apivio shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "APV". Electronic copies of our financial statements, press releases, and other public information are available on our website at www.apivio.com.

This press release has been prepared by Apivio Systems Inc. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical and present factual information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release, including words such as "expects", "projects", "plans" and similar expressions, are forward-looking information that represents management of Apivio's internal projections, expectations or beliefs concerning, among other things, future operating results and various components thereof or the economic performance of Apivio. The projections, estimates and beliefs contained in such forward looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause Apivio's actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, those described in Apivio's filings with the Canadian securities authorities. Accordingly, holders of Apivio shares and potential investors are cautioned that events or circumstances could cause results to differ materially from those predicted.

For further information, please contact



Rob Bakshi

President and Chief Executive Officer

Apivio Systems Inc.

604-343-4200

rbakshi@apivio.com



Babak Pedram

Investor Relations

Virtus Advisory Group Inc.

416-644-5081

bpedram@virtusadvisory.com
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- (TSX: PIC.A)(TSX: PIC.PR.A) Premium Income Corporation today announces results of operations for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016. Increase in net assets attributable to holders of Class A shares amounted to $10.9 million or $1.03 per Class A share. Net assets attributable to holders of Class A shares were $63.9 million or $6.00 per Class A share. Cash distributions of $0.86 per Preferred share and $0.81 per Class A share were paid during the year.

Premium Income Corporation is a mutual fund corporation, which invests in a portfolio consisting principally of common shares of Bank of Montreal, The Bank of Nova Scotia, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, National Bank of Canada, Royal Bank of Canada, and the Toronto Dominion Bank. The Fund employs a proprietary investment strategy, Strathbridge Selective Overwriting, to enhance the income generated by the portfolio and to reduce volatility. In addition, the Fund may write cash covered put options in respect of securities in which it is permitted to invest.

The investment portfolio of the Fund is managed by its investment manager, Strathbridge Asset Management Inc. The Fund's Preferred and Class A shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols PIC.PR.A and PIC.A respectively.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selected Financial Information: ($ Millions) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Statement of Financial Position 2016 ------------------ As at October 31 Assets $ 224.3 Liabilities (160.4) ------------------ Net Assets Attributable to Holders of Class A Shares $ 63.9 ------------------ ------------------ Statement of Comprehensive Income Year ended October 31 Income $ 22.9 Expenses (2.8) ------------------ Operating Profit 20.1 Preferred Share Distributions (9.2) ------------------ Increase in Net Assets Attributable to Holders of Class A Shares $ 10.9 ------------------ ------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For further information, please contact Investor Relations at 416.681.3966, toll free at 1.800.725.7172 or visit www.strathbridge.com.

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investment funds. Please read the prospectus before investing. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

Contacts:

Strathbridge Asset Management Inc.

Aaron Ho

Vice-President, Finance

416.681.3966; 1.800.725.7172

info@strathbridge.com

www.strathbridge.com




Court under a petition of Kyiv's Prosecutor General's Office has repeatedly arrested the Gulliver multifunctional complex located in the Pechersky district of Kyiv in the case related to the embezzlement of funds of bank Mykhailivksy and bringing it to insolvency.

"To impose a ban to sell immovable property  a shopping and office complex with a gross area of 151,805 square meters located at 1a, Sportyvna Street," reads the court ruling, the press service of Kyiv's Prosecutor General's Office reported on Tuesday.

The information was added to the public register of ownership rights to immovable property.
In partnership with UNESCO and Save the Children, P&G and its Always feminine care brand help rebuild the confidence of girls impacted by the Syrian crisis through education and skill development.

Today, Procter Gamble and global feminine care leader, Always, announce a new commitment to address the challenges girls and young women are facing due to the effects of the Syrian refugee crisis. In partnership with UNESCO and Save the Children, they will help rebuild the confidence of girls in Jordan through education and skill development. Today's commitment furthers the Always brand's mission of championing girls' confidence and a world free from gender bias.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006529/en/

L-R: Lliam Findlay Policy and Advocacy Adviser to the CEO, Save the Children; Tanya Beckett Presenter, BBC News; Gulsar Corat Director of the Division for Gender Equality, UNESCO; Carolyn Tastad Gender Equality Executive Sponsor, P&G; Maurice Levy CEO, Publicis Groupe (Photo: Business Wire)

Marking the launch of this new commitment during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, P&G and Always brought together international experts and leading figures to discuss solutions to securing the future of young women through education and skill development within the context of the current refugee crisis. Participants included Carolyn Tastad, Gender Equality Executive Sponsor and Group President of North America, P&G, Gulser Corat, Director of the Division for Gender Equality, UNESCO, Lliam Findlay, Policy and Advocacy Adviser to the CEO, Save the Children and Maurice Levy, CEO, Publicis Groupe.

A large number of Syrian refugees, especially girls, are no longer attending school. Adolescent girls entering puberty or going through their early teenage years are particularly at risk. Their bodies are changing and the support they might usually receive from their families may no longer be available, resulting in a loss of confidence and them being left out of school and education. Additionally, many young women affected by the refugee crisis are unable to work and provide income for their families, lacking access to training and facing gender-based barriers that keep them at home.

P&G and Always are working to stop this, rooted in the belief that education is key to empowering girls and young women so they are confident, skilled, strong and equipped to take charge of their future even in the most challenging circumstances. It's well-documented that when girls and women thrive, families are healthier and communities are stronger.

This new commitment in Jordan builds on the Always' 30-year heritage of providing puberty and confidence education to more than 17 million girls around the world every year, and furthers P&G's focus on and commitment to gender equality. It extends our existing partnership with UNESCO which has provided much-needed support to girls in Senegal and Nigeria to help them stay in school.

This new initiative with UNESCO focuses on reaching young Syrian and Jordanian women, who have encountered significant challenges with continuing and completing basic education or pursuing training opportunities. The programme provides these young, at-risk women with life-skills and work readiness training, whilst encouraging shared experiences and an open dialogue between Syrians and Jordanians. It is designed to help the young women develop business and vocational skills to realise their potential.

Always are also supporting a second programme with Save the Children; which expands our collective work, focused on helping thousands of adolescent South African and Nigerian girls stay in school. This programme provides homebound girls with life skills and educates their parents on the importance of supporting their daughters through puberty. The programme also involves local community support through formal and non-formal education, either in local schools or home-school efforts.

Removing social and family barriers is important to ensuring girls have the confidence to grow and thrive. That's why these efforts include training and education of parents and community members on topics including girls' right to education, the role of women in society, and the importance of gender equality. The programmes aim to reach around 1000 girls and young women.

Carolyn Tastad, Gender Equality Executive Sponsor and Group President of North America, P&G adds: "At P&G, we believe girls and women are a force for positive change in the world. Growing their knowledge and skills builds confidence and unleashes their full potential and power. Our commitment today as P&G and through our Always brand contributes to our aspiration to build a better world for all of us a world free of gender bias."

Those who want to support this commitment can donate to UNESCO and Save the Children funds, which will allow them to reach more girls and women with life-changing support. Be part of this positive force for change, and support activities by donating to their respective funds here: http://www.unesco.org/donate/syria2014.html www.savethechildren.org/girls

ENDS -

About Procter Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always, Ambi Pur, Ariel, Bounty, Charmin, Crest, Dawn, Downy, Fairy, Febreze, Gain, Gillette, Head Shoulders, Lenor, Olay, Oral-B, Pampers, Pantene, SK-II, Tide, Vicks, and Whisper. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

About Always

Always, the world's leader in feminine protection, offers a wide range of feminine pads, wipes and pantiliners designed to fit different body types, period flows and preferences. The Always line of feminine products includes Always Infinity, Always Ultra Thins, Always Maxis, Always Pantiliners and Always Feminine Wipes. Please visit www.always.com for more information.

About UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was created in 1945 to promote solidarity and dialogue among nations in education, the sciences, culture and communication based upon respect for commonly shared values. Exchanges and cooperation among the Organization's 195 Member States in these areas is intended to promote peace and contribute to sustainable development.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children every day and in times of crisis transforming their lives and the future we share.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117006529/en/

Contacts:

For Procter Gamble

Daria Chernyshenko

daria.chernyshenko@mslgroup.com

020 3219 8779

or

Michelle Johal

michelle.johal@mslgroup.com

0203 219 8841
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 17, 2017) - Centurion Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: CTN) ("Centurion", "the Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed a first tranche of a non-brokered private placement and issued 4,589,000 Units priced at $0.07 for proceeds of $321,230. The previously announced $250,000 financing was oversubscribed and the Company has increased this to $350,000. Each Unit consists of one common share and one warrant. Each warrant will be exercisable for one common share at $0.12 during the first year or $0.15 during the second year, following the closing. The shares are subject to a four month hold period expiring in May 2017.

Proceeds from this financing shall be used to advance the Ana Sofia, Argentina agri-gypsum plant and for general corporate purposes.

ABOUT CENTURION

Centurion Minerals Ltd. is a Canadian-based company with an international focus on the exploration and development of gold and agri-mineral projects.



On Behalf of the Board,



"David G. Tafel"

President and CEO

For Further Information:

David Tafel

Director

604-683-1991

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains forward looking statements concerning future operations of Centurion Minerals Ltd. (the "Company"). All forward-looking statements concerning the Company's future plans and operations, including management's assessment of the Company's project 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 exploration and financial results may differ materially from any estimates or projections. Such statements include, among others: possible variations in mineralization, grade or recovery rates; actual results of current exploration activities; actual results of reclamation activities; conclusions of future economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents and other risks of the mining industry; delays and other risks related to construction activities and operations; timing and receipt of regulatory approvals of operations; the ability of the Company and other relevant parties to satisfy regulatory requirements; the availability of financing for proposed transactions, programs and working capital requirements on reasonable terms; the ability of third-party service providers to deliver services on reasonable terms and in a timely manner; market conditions and general business, economic, competitive, political and social conditions. It is important to note that the information provided in this news release is preliminary in nature.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/17/17 -- Pursuant to the early warning requirements of applicable securities laws, GMT Capital Corp. ("GMT") announces that on December 22, 2016 certain of its hedge fund and private client managed accounts and certain other joint actors (collectively, the "Acquirors") acquired from Strategic Oil & Gas Ltd. ("SOG") an aggregate of 220,833,750 common shares ("Common Shares") of SOG, representing approximately 25.27% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares, at a price of $0.12 per Common Share or $26,500,050 in the aggregate. As a result of such acquisition, the Acquirors now hold an aggregate of 533,539,850 Common Shares representing approximately 61.05% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares.

In addition, on February 29, 2016, the Acquirors acquired from SOG $60,930,000 aggregate principal amount of 8.0% secured convertible notes of SOG having a conversion price of $0.09 per Common Share ("$0.09 Notes") for consideration of $60,930,000. Such $0.09 Notes represent approximately 64.20% of the issued and outstanding $0.09 Notes. On August 31, 2016, the Acquirors also acquired from SOG $2,263,000 aggregate principal amount of 8.0% secured convertible notes of SOG having a conversion price of $0.165 per Common Share ("$0.165 Notes"). Such $0.165 Notes represent approximately 62.86% of the issued and outstanding $0.165 Notes and were issued as a payment-in-kind in satisfaction of that portion of the interest obligations payable by SOG pursuant to the $0.09 Notes in the amount of $2,263,000. If the Acquirors converted the entire principal amount of $0.09 Notes and $0.165 Notes held by them into Common Shares (and assuming no other notes were converted), they would hold an aggregate of 1,224,255,002 Common Shares representing approximately 78.24% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares.

The Common Shares, $0.09 Notes and $0.165 Notes (collectively, the "SOG Securities") were acquired in the ordinary course of business, for investment purposes only and not for the purpose of exercising control or direction over SOG. The Acquirors (or any one of them) may from time to time acquire additional SOG Securities, dispose of some or all of the existing or additional SOG Securities or may continue to hold the SOG Securities.

GMT specifically disclaims any beneficial ownership of the SOG Securities, but as investment manager of its managed accounts GMT has exclusive power to exercise investment control or direction over the SOG Securities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO OBTAIN A COPY OF THE EARLY WARNING REPORT FILED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS PRESS RELEASE, PLEASE CONTACT:

GMT Capital Corp.

2300 Windy Ridge Parkway

Suite 550 South

Atlanta, GA 30339

Attention: Philip J. Meyers, Vice President - Head of Compliance

Telephone: (770) 989-8263

Contacts:

Philip J. Meyers

Vice President - Head of Compliance

(770) 989-8263




Large retailer Megamark has acquired a 42% stake in Bauzaar, a Milan, Italy-based e-commerce platform for pet products.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

With the deal, which will allow Megamark to add the online sale of pet products to its offerings, P101, Club Italia Investimenti 2, Club Digitale, Boox and H Farm exited the company.

Co-founders Domenico Gimeli and Matteo Valente will mantain their stakes in and will continue to led Bauzaar. The company, which has raised 600k in total funding, has a team of 8 and an estimated turnover of 1.4m in 2016, will have now the opportunity to grow in the large offline retail sector, adopt online/offline integration strategies, and launch the 24h delivery service.

Led by Giovanni Pomarico, President, Megamark operates over 500 direct and affiliated supermarkets including the brands Iperfamila, Famila, Dok and A&O brands in the center and south of Italy.

It ha over 1 billion in sales and over 3,000 employees.

FinSMEs

17/01/2017
Fraugster, a provider of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology solution to eliminate payment fraud, raised $5m in funding.

The round was led by Earlybird with participation from existing investors Speedinvest, Seedcamp and a large Swiss family office.

The company intends to use the funds to hire new staff to support the international growth of the company, which is used by online merchants and retailers.

Founded in 2014 by Max Laemmle, who previously co-founded payment gateway company Better Payment, and Chen Zamir, who has spent more than a decade in different analytics and risk management roles including five years at PayPal, Fraugster provides online merchants with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered tech solution to eliminate payment fraud by learning from each transaction in real-time and anticipating attacks even before they happen.

The company is already handling almost $15bn in transaction volume for several thousand international merchants and payment service providers, such as Visa.

Fraugster is based in Berlin, Germany, Leeds, UK, and San Francisco, CA.

FinSMEs

16/01/2017
Paris, France based venture capital firm Serena Capital has launched its 80m fund dedicated to European Big Data and Artificial Intelligence focused startups.

Serena Data Ventures is supporting Big Data and Artificial Intelligence startups with the potential to disrupt such business sectors as banking, insurance, health, energy, manufacturing, trade, logistics, etc. The fund invests between 500k and 3m in the first financing rounds of each startup.

Serena Data Ventures has just closed its first investment in Heuritech, a French startup specialized in deep learning technologies.

In conjunction with the launch of the new fund, the firm has added Bertrand Diard, President of Tech in France and Founder of Talend, Sylvain Gauthier, CEO of Easy Vista, worldwide technological company (ALTERNEXT Paris), and Jamal Labed, COO of Easy Vista and former President of Tech in France as venture partners. In addition, Amelie Faure, serial software entrepreneur, joined Serena Capital in the role of Operating Partner.

Created in 2008, Serena Capital backs early growth digital startups. It has more than 300m under management. The investment team includes led by Marc Fournier, Jean Baptiste Dumont, Nicolas Louvet, Philippe Hayat, Eric Gossart, Ann Valerie Bach, Marie Brayer, and Lea Verdillon, among others.

FinSMEs

17/01/2017
Wochit, a New York-based social video creation platform, received a strategic investment from PA Group  the parent company of the Press Association (PA), the national news agency for the UK and Ireland.

PA joined a list of global media brands taking a stake in the ongoing development of the video platform, including Germanys ProSieben, and Singapore Press Holdings SPH Media Fund. The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

The investment will contribute to the development of new tools and features to further enhance Wochits technology, while supporting the expansion of the business around the world.

Led by Dror Ginzberg, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Wochit is a video creation platform that enables newsrooms, media companies and brands to create socially-optimized videos at scale and expand audience engagement

Users worldwide including media brands such as Time Inc., Daily News, USA Today, Gannett, AOL, The Week, ProSieben, Singapore Straits Times, Die Welt and Der Spiegel get access to rights-cleared assets from AP, Reuters, Getty, Bloomberg and others, cloud-based editing tools and native uploads, to create horizontal and vertical videos and distribute them across all social and digital platforms.

The company is backed by Redpoint Ventures, Marker LLC, Greycroft Partners, Cedar Fund, ProSieben, Singapore Press Holdings SPH Media Fund and Carlo de Benedetti. It also has offices in London and Tel Aviv.

FinSMEs

17/01/2017
Zeotap, a Berlin, Germany-based provider of a data platform for telecom operators, raised 12m in Series B funding.

Backers included New Science Ventures, HERE, Capnamic Ventures, Iris Capital and Seth Schuler (former SVP Strategy of T-Mobile US), Alex Pentland (Professor at MIT, co-creator of the MIT Media Lab and one of the most cited authors in computer science globally), Mark Grether (co-founder and former COO of Xaxis, the worlds biggest trading desk which is part of GroupM) and Thomas Duhr (board member of IAB Europe).

The company intends to use the funds to grow its team in the areas of engineering and data science in Bangalore and increase business development data on-boarding, data monetization and marketing efforts in Berlin, New York, Madrid and Milan.

Founded in September 2014 and led by Daniel Heer, CEO, and Projjol Banerjea, Chief Product Officer, zeotap, zeotap provides a global telecom data analytics platform that makes large-scale, deterministic data assets accessible to the digital advertising market and other industries. Data buyers can access to a variety of impactful data attributes, including socio-demographic, location, interest and deterministic mobile purchase intent signals, available from a single trusted source.

The company, which has received more than $20m in total funding to date, currently has offices in Berlin, New York and Bengaluru, with additional presence in Madrid and Milan.

FinSMEs

17/01/2017
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko at the annual meeting with foreign ambassadors has thanked Kyiv's partner-governments for their cooperation and support as regards sanctions imposing against Russian aggression, the website of the president said.

"I believe that there cannot and must not be any geographic borders or limits for "made in Ukraine" and "made for Ukraine." I also believe that by joint efforts and readiness to ambitious decisions and approaches we will be able to consolidate the existing achievements and reveal new opportunities for cooperation," Poroshenko addressed the meeting attendees on Monday.

Poroshenko expressed special gratitude to the governments of the countries-partners of Ukraine, particularly Germany and France, for the leadership in the framework of the Normandy format and in the EU in general. The president emphasized that sanctions against the Russian aggressor must remain until full restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including the return of Crimea.

He expressed gratitude to the partners of Ukraine in the UN General Assembly who played their role in the issue of Crimea in 2016 having assigned the status of the occupation authorities and the aggressor to Russia. The president noted that the UN GA Resolution of December was a guideline to the de-occupation of the peninsula and ensuring human rights in Crimea.

Poroshenko said that due to the joint efforts in 2016, we managed to find a formula of unblocking the ratification of the Association Agreement with the EU. He is hopeful that the given issue would finally be resolved in 2017.

The president also expressed words of profound gratitude to the U.S. and called 2016 a year of high dynamics of the Ukraine-U.S. contacts and cooperation on the basis of sustainable bipartisan support for Ukraine. He is hopeful that the U.S. would adhere to its commitments.

Poroshenko expressed gratefulness to the governments of G7, particularly Japan, for the unwavering and firm support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity. He is hopeful that Italys presidency in G7 would demonstrate the same attention to the situation in Ukraine in 2017. The president expressed special gratitude to the governments of Lithuania and Poland as the EU member-states for the support of Ukraine. He is hopeful that the given year would "become fruitful" in cooperation with Israel, the maturity of partnership with which has been proven during the joint commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Babi Yar (Babyn Yar) tragedy.

Poroshenko emphasized the strategic character of partnership with Turkey and Azerbaijan. The president noted great importance of the free trade area with Canada and emphasized Ukraines aspiration to further develop strategic partnership with China, develop the potential of cooperation with the Middle East and Latin America, expand relations with African countries, particularly Egypt, Nigeria and Morocco.
Kalki Koechlin is all pumped up for her first documentary titled Azmaish. The film will see her interview commoners of India and Pakistan on their trials and future. She has collaborated with a filmmaker from across the border, Sabiha Sumar, and is looking to crowdfund the project.

In a Facebook Live, Koechlin answered the questions of what could be her prospective sources of funds and also threw light on her ambitious project in the process. She clarified that the documentary looks at the two countries outside the context of conflict and rather focuses on what the common man on the street actually thinks about the relation between the two countries instead of how the relationship has been projected by the media and the political forces.

"What I realised while exploring both the countries was that both are very different. You cannot compare Pakistan, which is just a 70-year old country to a country like India that has been around for centuries. Both the countries have their set of problems to deal with. So what we aim to achieve through this documentary is to make both the countries look inward and deal with their problems rather than pointing a finger at the neighbouring country for their own problems," said Koechlin.

She also stated how both the countries can learn immensely from each other's struggles.

Kalki explained the reason why she was drawn towards the project was also because of her tendency to question identities. "Since I am a French-Indian, I always wondered what my identity is all about. Even my director Sabiha also assumes a mixed identity so it was quite exciting to work together."

Azmaish is scheduled to be screened at a film festival in London, post which it will premier on television in Europe. Kalki was unsure of when exactly her maiden documentary will release in India and Pakistan as the film is yet to garner Rs 5 lakh more to complete its minimum crowdfunding requirement of Rs 20 lakh.

Watch her complete Facebook Live here:
Cent per cent success record, moments inspired from real life and ensemble cast  these are some of the consistent features of all Rajkumar Hirani films. His next, the biopic of long-time collaborator Sanjay Dutt, is no different.

The film has been in news recently, especially for its cast since Hirani is known for infusing life into well-etched supporting characters. Whether it is Jimmy Shergill's role of a cancer patient in his debut film Munnabhai MBBS, Dia Mirza's role of a runaway bride in its sequel Lage Raho Munnabhai, Ali Fazal's character of an engineering student who commits suicide in 3 Idiots or most recently, Sushant Singh Rajput's role of a Pakistani lover in PK, all the Hirani characters are extremely memorable.

It is common knowledge that Ranbir Kapoor will play Sanjay in his next and will be seen undergoing an immense physical transformation through the course of the film to showcase Sanjay's journey through the years. It will be interesting to see him do so since Aamir Khan also worked a lot on his appearance in the last two Hirani films. In fact, it was reported earlier that Aamir was keen to play Sanjay but the role eventually went in Ranbir's kitty. Interestingly, Ranbir played a cameo in PK alongside Aamir. And guess what, even that cameo of an alien stood out!

It was also reported that Aamir was offered the role of Sunil Dutt, late veteran actor and Sanjay's father. After he backed out, Hindustan Times reports that Paresh Rawal has been finalised to play the part. It will be interesting to see the father-son relationship come alive on celluloid after Hirani portrayed it in Munnabhai MBBS.

It was reported that Sonam Kapoor will reunite with Ranbir in this film 10 years after their debut film, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's romantic saga Saawariya. Sonam will play the role of a number of love interests of Sanjay over the years, all rolled into one.

Vicky Kaushal will also be a part of this gifted ensemble. Like every young actor, he is exited to be directed by Hirani and will be seen playing Sanjay's close friend, according to a report by the Times of India.

Deccan Chronicle reports that another newcomer. Jim Sarbh, who played the role of a terrorist in Ram Madhvani's Neerja last year, has been roped in by Hirani to play a Parsi character. However, the details of his character have not been revealed yet.

India Today reports that Anushka Sharma, who played a journalist in PK, will get into the same shoes for Hirani's next as well. It will be a cameo and she will be seen chronicling Sanjay's life. This will mark her third collaboration with Ranbir after Anurag Kashyap's 2015 period drama Bombay Velvet and Karan Johar's romantic drama from last year, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

Lastly, Dia Mirza will also play a significant part in the Sanjay Dutt biopic. While the details of her character are not out yet, she tweeted a picture of the mahurat ceremony, indicating that she is very much a part of her Lage Raho Munnabhai director's next.

We must say that it is a formidable cast to watch out for. Given Hirani's track record, he is sure to do justice to each character, irrespective of its screen time.
How would you describe a troll?

It has to begin with the word ugly; deprived of finer sensibilities as it is it fails to qualify as a human being. Thus, it has to be called a beast or a creature. It, of course, breathes fire like a dragon; letting out inner hatred, anger and negativity in ferocious gusts with disturbing frequency. Its nasty, pervasive and unpredictable. In the age of internet and wireless connectivity, its power to coerce and intimidate is immense. It can make the lives of individuals miserable.

Dont agree? Ask Zaira Wasim. She is the girl who won our hearts as the young Geeta Phogat in Aamir Khans Dangal. After being trolled viciously on social media for as innocuous an act as meeting the chief minister of her state Mehbooba Mufti, she had to issue an apology. Her crime according to the trolls: she had hurt the sentiments of Kashmiris.

When is the next dangal? she asks her father Phogat in the movie after losing her maiden bout as wrestler to a boy. This is where she shakes off all self-doubt and reveals her gutsiness. But that was the movie. In real life, the 16-year-old was forced to give up. She did not even think it worth her while to take on faceless adversaries.

"I know that many people have been offended and displeased by my recent actions or by the people I have recently met. I want to apologise to all those people who I've unintentionally hurt and want them to know that I understand their sentiments, especially considering what has happened (in Kashmir) over the past six months," she wrote in her Facebook post. The sense of resignation was evident when she wrote that she did not want to be a role model and she was not proud of what she was doing.

Her co-star in Dangal, Aamir Khan has stood up for her. I have read Zairas statement, and I can understand and imagine what led her to make the statement. Zaira, I want to you to know that we are all with you. The beauty is that bright, young, talented, hardworking, respectful, caring and courageous kids like you are a role model for kids not only in India, but across the world. You certainly are a role model for me! May god bless you said the actor in a Facebook post. Its a fine gesture, but it is not going to be of much help to the traumatised young girl.

The reason for the social media outrage against her is so disgusting that it does not even merit a discussion. What worries one, however, is the power of the trolls to intimidate and instill such fear in someone. If they had such pent up anger against Mehbooba they could have expressed it directly to her. Attacking Zaira in this fashion makes no sense. But then when was there ever sense in the conduct of trolls? Its not new. Trolls have made social media their stomping ground for a fairly long time, going about finding targets and attacking them remorselessly.

Political players in India have been inventive to use trolls as an instrument to neutralise rivals, demonise uncomfortable people and lionise whoever they wanted. It is far too evident on social media when the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party get into confrontation. Other parties have started catching up. Politicians have been at the receiving end too. But given that they are not unused to harsh criticism and have the capacity to give it back, it does not look odd when they face attacks from trolls. It hurts when innocent people such as Zaira, intellectuals airing free opinion and others like them are the target.

The act of the trolls cannot simply be dismissed as the nature of the beast, meaning if you are on social media you have to accept the ugliness of it. Such a view ignores the fact that the act of the trolls is an assault on individual freedom. Their attack can inflict psychological trauma on victims besides stunting their personality. The best way right now perhaps is to get away from social media. But is that any solution? Why should good people leave the space to scoundrels?

A better way still is to hang on and fight back. But how many people have the energy to fight so many trolls? Theres a risk that it would leave you a troll in the end. In the absence of a law to tackle the troll menace, those like Zaira would need the support of the likes of Aamir and sober society.
New Delhi: Joining the debate on Reserve Bank's autonomy, former Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said on Monday that the special status of the

central bank should be preserved.

"RBI is special and that specialness should be retained. It is better to have complete transparency...It is good idea to change regulation... The autonomy of Reserve Bank is extremely important and whatever is done in future, in my view, should be consistent with that objective," Ahluwalia said in an interview to CNBC-TV18. "The whole idea of having central bank and also monetary committee is anchored on the notion that an independent central bank professionally run taking long-term view of monetary and financial side is something that contributes to people's belief that economy is going to be well run. We cannot afford to lose that," he added.

Earlier, the issue of RBI's autonomy was raised by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and former governors Y V Reddy and Bimal Jalan. RBI union too expressed concerns over dilution of central bank's autonomy over the way demonetisation issue has been handled by the Finance Ministry. The Ministry, however, had said that the government respects the autonomy and independence of the Reserve Bank.

On filling six-seven vacancies on RBI board, he said, "That should be the highest priority. In a way it is the simplest thing to fix. The quality of people we appoint on the board will give the signal, how serious we are about it. It is the easiest thing to correct." Elaborating further, he said, "RBI is not just another regulator. I think RBI is special because it is not just

responsible for monetary policy but it should be actually responsible along with Finance Ministry for overall financial stability."

He was of the view that it would be much better to accord special status to RBI and let it be examined by some Parliamentary Committee in open public hearing. Asked about any legislation for maintaining autonomy of the RBI, Ahluwalia said, "If you need legislation for that there is nothing wrong in that. I think you should be clear about what do you want. It can be done with or without legislation."
A notification from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on Monday, increasing the daily cash withdrawal limit at ATMs from Rs 4,500 to Rs 10,000 per card, has brought cheers to customers.

This relaxation, coming nearly two and a half months post the Prime Minister Narendra Modis announcement to demonetise Rs 500, Rs 1,000 notes that resulted in an unprecedented cash crunch, is of course a relief to the common man.

Now, in one go, he/she can withdraw Rs 10,000 per card as against Rs 4,500, which is an amount good enough for an average citizen to take care of his short-term cash needs. But, this wouldnt, however, address the actual problem---panic-driven hoarding of cash at a time when banks are still struggling to deal with inadequate currency supply.

There are mainly three reasons why the measure wouldnt cure panic:

First, though things have improved, cash remains a scarce commodity even now in several places. It is a fact that many bank branches and ATMs arent able to honor even the current withdrawal limits promised to the customer. As former chairman of State Bank of India, Pratip Chaudhuri, told Firstpost in an exclusive interview on Monday, a sample check would reveal that one out of two ATMs, in many places, still doesnt dispense cash.

Further, many ATMs still offer only the Rs 2,000 notes, which is hard to exchange. The point here is unless the supply of lower denomination notes substantially increases and majority of the ATMs turn operational, higher withdrawal limits would hardly help.

Secondly, announcing the relaxation on Monday, the RBI also said There are no changes in the other conditions. The relaxations as provided in our circular dated November 28, 2016 will continue. Here is where the next problem lies.

This means that the weekly withdrawal limit of Rs 24,000 stays. Hence, doubling the daily withdrawal limit do not mean much if you want to draw more cash. A person, who used to withdraw Rs 9,000 in two days per card earlier can do so in a single day now. But, he or she cant withdraw more than Rs 24,000 a week. In reality, an average citizen doesnt require this much cash, but the fear-driven tendency to withdraw more will come into play.

Third, the RBI notification is completely silent on the current cash situation and the future roadmap for lifting the cash withdrawal restrictions. It would have helped if the RBI could offer a solid roadmap on how it intends to lift the restrictions gradually. This wouldnt be an impossible task given that the RBI should know (it is the guardian of currency) how much currency is printed in the four government mints and how long should it take to replenish the system with adequate cash. A firm guidance on future situation would have helped.

For these three reasons, the common mans tendency to draw maximum permissible cash (even if he doesnt need that much) and keep it at home anticipating future shortage would remain. When the cash doesnt return into circulation, the shortage will persist. The psychological fear of continuing cash withdrawal limits would do more harm to the system. The RBI could have easily addressed this aspect by giving a guidance on till when the cash shortage will persist and what is the status of printing new currency. If RBI comes forward and be transparent on the cash situation, it can cure the panic among public to a great extent.

A big reason for the current unease in the cash economy is the shortage of lower denomination notes. The RBI flooded the system with Rs 2,000 notes soon after the demonetisation announcement, but this didnt help much since it was difficult to transact in these denominations. The supply of Rs 500 notes have improved since then, but not to the desired extent. Things have relatively improved in metros and semi-urban centres but rural areas continue to feel the pinch.

According to Chaudhuri, there is a general sense that private sector banks have been given more cash and since these banks have limited presence in the rural areas, enough cash isnt reaching these centres. One doesnt have information on the latest data on the new currency printed and, of which, how many are Rs 500 pieces since RBI has been hesitant to share the details. A Firstpost RTI query seeking these details has remained unanswered yet.

The bottom line is this: The central banks move to double the daily cash withdrawal limit is indeed a welcome step and a small relief, but to arrest the panic-driven cash hoarding it needs to lay out a plan in public and come with a firm guidance.
Ever since the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes happened, there has been speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may be looking at ways to fulfill one of his high profile poll promises in 2014 - that once he comes to power he will get hold of the black money and transfer Rs 15 lakh into each Indian's account. Media reports now say the government is discussing some thing of this sort, but definitely not the Robin Hood style fund transfer.

According to a report in The Economic Times today, the government is considering an income transfer scheme that will form the basis of a national security system. The government is weighing the pros and cons of such a system, whether it should be a universal basic income scheme or a targetted transfer of funds for the economically weaker sections.

The website of the Basic Income European Network (BIEN) defines basic income as "a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement".

Recently the Business Insider had published an interview with Guy Standing, a proponent of basic income and cofounder of BIEN, in which he was quoted as saying that the Indian government will publish a report in January which endorses the idea saying it is "feasible" and is "basically the way forward".

The news was picked up by many media outlets to say the government may be looking to announce such a scheme in the Union Budget 2017 to be presented on 1 February.

However, Standing, who was the first speak about the Indian government's initiative, has clarified that he did not say that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is about to announce the scheme but just that the Economic Survey to be tabled in Parliament ahead of the budget would have a chapter dedicated to this.

The clarification has been issued to the Basic Income News published by BIEN.

I never said Modi is going to introduce a basic income, and never said that I knew that. What I said to the Business Insider journalist who interviewed me for about half an hour on the phone, mainly on other matters, was that the pilots taking place in Finland and elsewhere were helping to legitimise basic income, that our pilots in India had helped legitimise the topic in India, that the Indian Government was contemplating introducing basic income and was issuing a chapter in its forthcoming Economic Report to be tabled in Parliament at the time of the budget. I am hopeful, I told him, but we will have to wait to see. said Standing.

Despite Standing's clarification, one thing is for sure - the government is indeed looking at something similar.

A report in Huffington Post India recently said India is inching towards a trial run of a universal basic income, citing "conversations with dozens bureaucrats and economists.

The article also noted that despite a section of economists cutting across the Left and the Right spectrum supporting the idea, it could turn out to be political hot potato. The reason for this is that in order to get the required funds for such a scheme, the government will have to cut the subsidies and anti-poverty schemes.

"Despite public disgust with corruption and leakage in government schemes, removing large anti-poverty schemes and subsidies will be viewed negatively by the public and will be a shock to the system," the report said.

However, The Economic Times report today says, "The debate is between a widely accessible universal basic income that may stretch the social security net too thin and targeting specific groups."

According to the report, if it is going to be a targeted income transfer, the government will be able to garner the data identify the economically weaker sections using the Jan Dhan accounts and Socio-Economic and Caste Census of 2011. The estimated expenditure for the scheme in this case is put at Rs 3 lakh crore per year.

"..One idea is to put income in the hands of the woman of the household so that funds are better utilised," the report says.

The discussion on universal basic income in India comes at a time when it is a subject of hot debate in Europe. Finland has just started an experiment with such a scheme wherein the government is offering 560 euros tax free every month to a group of 2,000 people aged between 25 and 58. The experiment is for two years.

An article by Remy Raisner, CEO of Proteus Capital Management, in Huffington Post links the increasing acceptance for the idea of universal basic income in the Western world to heightening job insecurity due to the rise of artificial intelligence and technology. According to him, there is a need to appease unhappiness, discontent and the potential for civil unrest, which may prepare the background for universal basic income.

For full coverage of Union Budget 2017, click here
By Nita Bhalla

NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi says India needs to establish a national register of sex offenders, after police arrested a convicted paedophile who confessed to abducting and raping "hundreds" of girls for over a decade.Sunil Rastogi, a 38-year-old tailor was arrested on Saturday by police investigating sexual assaults on three girls aged between nine and ten in eastern Delhi in January and December. During the interrogation, Rastogi confessed to abducting "hundreds" of girls since 2004 -- luring them with new clothes, and taking them to secluded places such as derelict buildings, where he would sexually assault and rape them.Police also revealed that Rastogi was previously convicted for sexually assaulting a girl in 2006, and had served six months in jail.Gandhi, minister for women and child development, suggested that attacks may have been prevented if her proposal for a national register of sex offenders had been implemented."About two years ago, I had repeatedly said, and asked for in writing, that we need to have a national register of sex offenders," Gandhi told NDTV in an interview late on Monday.

"This tailor has apparently been caught before in 2006, so if he has been caught before, why is his name not on a national register of sexual offenders?"Gandhi said the proposal was currently with the ministry of home affairs, which was planning to set up a national register of all criminals, including sex offenders. "It's really important to have one register with convicted sexual offenders, and I even say have another one with sexual offenders who are on trial," she said.Many countries, such as the United States, Britain and South Africa keep a record of people who have been convicted of sexual offences such as paedophilia and rape.

The United States, for example, has an online database which is open to the public -- providing information such as the offender's photograph, address and details of the crime committed.In other countries, such as Britain, the policy entails offenders registering with their local police station. Key people within the community such as doctors, youth leaders, landlords are informed and police monitor the offender.Latest data from National Crime Records Bureau reveals reports of sexual offences such as molestation, harassment and paedophilia on the rise. For example, there were 34,651 rapes reported in 2015 -- a 36 percent increase from 22,172 reports in 2010.

The minister said foreigners also needed to be monitored."We have sexual offenders coming into India for sex tourism, especially against children, who have been convicted in their own countries," said Gandhi. "But we are the only country that doesn't ask you if you have been convicted of a crime when asking for a visa."Gandhi said she has asked the foreign ministry to update visa forms accordingly, but did not say if this was likely to be implemented. (Reporting by Nita Bhalla, Editing by Ros Russell)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Peter Maushagen

| FRANKFURT

FRANKFURT Germany's Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) is not in talks about Etihad Airways taking a stake in the German airline, two sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, denying an Italian newspaper report that said it was."A financial stake is out of the question at the moment," one source, who is familiar with Lufthansa's plans, said. A source familiar with state-owned Etihad also said Abu Dhabi would not want to pay for a stake in Lufthansa.Il Messaggero earlier reported, without citing sources, that managers from both companies have for weeks been examining the possibility of Etihad buying a 30-40 percent stake in Lufthansa through a sale of new shares to the Abu Dhabi state-owned airline, as a precursor to a merger.The report sent Lufthansa's share price up by over 6 percent earlier on Tuesday before closing up 4.3 percent at 11.81 euros. Media speculation has swirled around Etihad and Lufthansa in recent months as Etihad grapples with two loss-making European airlines in which it owns minority stakes - Alitalia [CAITLA.UL] and Air Berlin (AB1.DE).Lufthansa and Etihad last month signed a code-sharing deal linking up their route networks and said they would look at further cooperation after Lufthansa agreed to lease 38 crewed planes from Air Berlin.

The first source said Lufthansa was talking to Etihad, but about more codesharing and catering cooperation. There have also been media reports that Italian shareholders in Alitalia are keen for Lufthansa to invest in the Italian carrier, which is working on a fresh turnaround plan, along with speculation that Lufthansa could take on more of Air Berlin.However, Lufthansa executives have repeatedly said in recent weeks that they have their hands full integrating the Air Berlin planes into its operations as well as taking over Brussels Airlines.

Analysts reacted with scepticism to the report, citing foreign ownership rules governing international traffic rights, and questioning what the benefits for Lufthansa would be. Barclays analysts described it as "implausible". In Europe an airline must be majority-owned by EU investors in order to maintain its traffic rights under international air service agreements.Lufthansa is currently almost 69 percent owned by German investors but 13 percent is in the hands of U.S. investors and a further 9 percent is owned by other nationalities.

In addition, if Etihad wished to buy more than 30 percent of Lufthansa, it would have to make an offer for the company as a whole according to German takeover rules. Etihad's local rival Qatar Airways has built up a 20 percent stake in British Airways-owner IAG (ICAG.L) by purchasing shares on the open market. That has boosted links between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Credit Suisse said Lufthansa, though, already had joint ventures with Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), Air China (601111.SS) and All Nippon Airways (9202.T) covering the region. However, greater cooperation with Lufthansa could help Etihad, especially given the growth of Qatar Airways, CAPA-Centre for Aviation senior analyst Will Horton said. "The rapid growth of Qatar Airways and its future expansion will make it harder and costlier for Etihad to stay relevant on its own - everything else aside," he said in an emailed comment. (Reporting by Peter Maushagen in Frankfurt, Stanley Carvalho in Abu Dhabi; Additional reporting by Agnieszka Flak in Milan, Victoria Bryan in Berlin and Alexander Cornwell in Dubai; Editing by Katrin Jones and Greg Mahlich)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Jehanabad: A 12-year-old student of a government school was allegedly raped by the principal and three teachers in Bihar's Jehanabad, police said on Monday.

Principal of Kako Secondary School Aju Ahmed and three teachers  Atul Rahman, Abdul Bari and Md Shakaut  raped the girl on Sunday when she was alone in the building, Sub- Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) PK Srivastava said.

The accused took her to the roof of the school building and committed the crime, the SDPO said quoting an FIR registered against the four based on a complaint filed by the girl's mother.

The victim was spotted by her mother, also a teacher in the same school, lying in a "dishevelled" state on the roof. The girl then narrated the incident to her, the SDPO said.

The accused are at large and searches are being conducted to nab them, he said.

Sunday, routinely a holiday, had been declared a working day in the school in a verbal communication by the Principal who had instead ordered it to be closed on Friday, Srivastava said.
New Delhi: Delhi University, which usually begins its undergraduate admissions by May end, is mulling to start the process two months in advance and admit students through an entrance test rather than the traditional cut-offs.

The proposals, however, are in nascent stage and will be part of the suggestions made by the Standing Committee on Admissions to the Vice Chancellor.

While the admissions may begin by March end, around two months in advance, they will close around the same time as before.

"The preponement of the schedule is only aimed at providing a bigger window to candidates for completing the registration process. However, the application will be completed as per the earlier schedule only as the form will be complete only after the board results have been announced," a senior university official said.

"The traditional cut-offs based on marks of Class XII may no longer be the sole criteria for admissions in Delhi University. An entrance test is being considered. However, modalities like whether it should be subjective or objective, the admissions should be solely on basis of entrance test or have a certain weightage for board marks, are yet to be discussed," the official added.

The admissions committee will make the recommendations to the Vice Chancellor following which they will be placed before the statutory bodies- Academic Council (AC) and Executive Council (EC) before being incorporated into the admission policy for the upcoming session.

The varsity had last year moved online for the undergraduate admission process. After registering themselves on Delhi Univeristy's admission portal, the students are required to upload "self-attested and scanned" copies of their documents after following the mentioned instructions and then make the payment online.

After announcement of the cut-off list, the students have to log into their registered account and see the courses and colleges in which their percentage figures in the cut-off list, select the desired combination and then take a print out of the admission form.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has arrived in Switzerland, where he will participate in the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the press service of the president said.

The World Economic Forum in Davos will also be attended by Head of the National Bank of Ukraine Valeriya Gontareva, who forms part of the official Ukrainian delegation at the annual meeting of the forum.

"Within the framework of the Forum a number of strategic meetings will be held with the participation of the NBU head with foreign partners, the leading business circles, heads of international financial organizations, particularly the International Monetary Fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development," the NBU said on its Facebook page.

Both Gontareva and Poroshenko will be in Davos until January 20.
Two weeks after media reports emerged saying gangster Dawood Ibrahim's properties have been seized in the United Arab Emirates, the UAE ambassador has clarified that he has no information about these raids. Ahmed Al Banna, UAE ambassador to India, dismissed the media reports that claimed property worth Rs 15,000 crore had been seized.

According to a report in The Hindu, Al Banna said he heard about the reports, but couldn't confirm them. "I heard about the reports, but with all respect to the media (that reported the story), I have no information about such raids taking place," he said.

When initial reports had surfaced in the media about Dawood's properties being seized, even the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) official social media handles had gone on overdrive, claiming it to be a "masterstroke of diplomacy". A series of tweets had credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomacy with the success. It said the prime minister had handed over a list of Dawood's properties during a visit to the UAE in 2015, and demanded the authorities act against Dawood.

Major diplomatic success of PM Modi: One of India's most wanted criminals, Dawood Ibrahim's properties worth Rs. 15,000 crore seized in UAE. pic.twitter.com/MMERwLoPO1  BJP (@BJP4India) January 4, 2017

But while the ambassador denied specifically targeting Dawood's properties, he did admit UAE is striving hard to eliminate the scourge of terrorism. To this end, the first India-UAE Strategic Dialogue will be held on Friday in New Delhi. Following this, Modi will also be meeting Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi. "Our relationship with India is special, and is not impacted by our relationship with any other country," Al Banna told The Hindu.

Dawood, who is believed to be hiding in Pakistan, has been accused of financing Al-Qaeda and the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist outfits. He is also facing multiple charges of money laundering and extortion.
Reports emerged on Tuesday suggesting that Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI could have been behind the Indore-Patna derailment accident near Kanpur on 20 November that claimed the lives of over 140 people and injured more than 200.

Bihar police has claimed to have unearthed a suspected ISI link to target the railways with arrest of three persons in East Champaran district of the state bordering Nepal and are being interrogated to find out if they had a role in the derailment at Kanpur Dehat in November and elsewhere.

Police claimed the trio had confessed to having worked for a Nepalese contact suspected to be connected to Pakistan's ISI to target the railways.

Bihar police has confirmed that it has sought RAW and NSA's help in probing the matter, according to CNN-News18.

#BREAKING -- Terror angle behind Kanpur train tragedy. Bihar police hints at ISI hand behind the tragedy, reports @prabhakarjourno pic.twitter.com/FgtL1eO3QL  News18 (@CNNnews18) January 17, 2017

#UPDATE -- Bihar police urges IB, R&AW to interrogate accused Moti Paswan, reports @prabhakarjourno  News18 (@CNNnews18) January 17, 2017

Quoting Superintendent of Police Jitendra Rana, Motihari, the news channel reported that the accused arrested in connection with a separate incident of attempted train tracks sabotage have confessed to getting payments from across the border to target popular trains in India.

He told reporters that Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar Patel and Mukesh Yadav were arrested from Adapur Police Station area of the district.

The three are "professional criminals" allegedly involved in more than a dozen criminal cases, he said.

The Bihar police said that the three local criminals, were arrested for planting an IED bomb on the railway track in Jagiraha village near Ghorasan railway station, near the East Champaran district in October last year.

During interrogation, police claimed they confessed to having been paid Rs three lakh by a Nepali citizen identified as Brajesh Giri allegedly connected with the ISI for planting a bomb on railway tracks at Ghorasahan in East Champaran district on 1 October last year to cause an accident.

"Fortunately, the bomb was detected with the help of villagers at Ghorasan and defused which prevented the sinister designs of the terror elements," Rana said.

The three accused were then arrested in the case, that was at the time being considered as a suspected Maoist sabotage.

Giri, along with two others was nabbed by the Nepalese police at Tailaya, and during his interrogation, it was revealed that he, in turn, was in touch with some people in Dubai who were allegedly linked to the ISI.

Efforts are on to arrest in this connection two others identified as Gajendra Sharma and Rakesh Yadav who are "hiding" in East Champaran area, he said.

Rana said the anti-terrorism squad and other security agencies have been informed about the confession made by the three men who are being interrogated for more details to ascertain if the gang had any role in train accidents in Kanpur and elsewhere.

Reports on India Today, also stated that the Nepalese national, who paid for the reported train track sabotage, was financed by a man called Shamshool Hoda based in Dubai, who has close links with Dawood Ibrahim and ISI.

The accused have also confirmed that they were paid to remove the fishplate of railway tracks which led to the derailment of Indore-Patna Express in November last year, a tragedy that killed 146 people.

The CNN-News 18 also reported that the police have found that one of the accused, Moti Paswan, frequented Kanpur around the time the deadly train accident took place.

The police, although yet to corroborate these allegations, is taking these revelations seriously and has requested the Anti-Terror Squad to probe possible terror links in the case.

Meanwhile, India Today, also reported that an ATS squad has been sent to Motihari to interrogate the accused and establish if the money trail indeed lead to elements from across the border.

East Champaran is a district bordering Nepal and Indian Mujahideen chief Yasin Bhatkal was arrested from Raxaul in the district in August 2013.
New Delhi: After Prime Minister Narendra Modis inauguration speech at the second Raisina Dialogue on Tuesday, Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar offered a few words. He noted that the most commonly used words in Modis speech had been peace and prosperity, and not just for Indians, but for all. And in the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, laced with kind words for nearly everyone, Modi did save a few barbs for China and Pakistan.

The theme of the two-and-a-half-day series of speeches, panel discussions and interactions is Multilateralism with Multipolarity and it seemed apt that the prime minister would mention that Indias transformation is not separated from its external context The world needs Indias sustained rise, as much as India needs the world For me, Sab Ka Saath; Sab Ka Vikas is not just a vision for India. It is a belief for the whole world.

On that note, Modi went on to speak about how in the 30-odd months since taking office, his government has made efforts to rebuild connectivity, reshape relationships and build partnerships across the world. Thus began a long journey from Indias immediate neighbourhood, to West Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Far East Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, as the prime minister highlighted the sorts of foreign policy initiatives his government has taken.

It was during the section on Indias neighbourhood that he began with Afghanistan, moved onto Bangladesh  all the while speaking warmly about how connectivity and convergence has improved. A few members of the audience began to wonder if he would name Pakistan at all. After all, why ruin a speech infused with positivity and brotherhood by getting all worked up?

Then came Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives and the feeling set in that something big was right around the corner. Sure enough, there it was:

My vision for our neighbourhood puts a premium on peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia. That vision had led me to invite leaders of all Saarc nations, including Pakistan, for my swearing-in. For this vision, I had also travelled to Lahore.

For some reason, Linkin Parks In The End, particularly the line, I tried so hard and got so far; but in the end, it doesnt even matter entered my mind. Yes, Im sorry if having the Park find a way into my head at such a poignant moment makes me a terrible person.

But, India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan's journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India.

Coming at the start of a confluence designed to discuss all aspects of multilateralism, singling out Pakistan for its unilateral derailment of efforts at making peace was a statement as symbolic in its implications as it was scathing in its indictment.

But Modi wasnt done, because there was one more neighbour that needed to be addressed: The country with whom Pakistan shares its famously higher than mountains, deeper than ocean and sweeter than honey friendship, China.

He began by offering appreciation to President Xi Jinping, in partnership with whom, the Modi government has sought to tap the vast area of commercial and business opportunities. And while noting that the development of both countries was an unprecedented opportunity, for our two countries and for the whole world, he didnt shy from pointing out the most fundamental flaw in that vision.

In the management of our relationship, and for peace and progress in the region, both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests.

While this could on one hand, be seen as an acknowledgment that perhaps India must be more sensitive about Chinas views about the Dalai Lama and Tibet in general, on a lot more hands (to coin a phrase), this was a direct reference to Beijing blocking New Delhis moves to have the likes of Hafiz Saeed and his organisation blacklisted by the UN. In fact, it could have been a reference to Chinas general indifference to terrorism  a blight that affects India deeply. This can also be seen as a dig at China blocking Indias entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group

(NSG), in a day and age where the world, India included is moving towards alternate sources of energy. Not to mention the fact that India has shown absolutely no signs that would indicate a predilection for proliferation.

And from Indias own problems with China, the prime minister took it a step further to speak of Chinas own neighbourhood.

Rising ambition and festering rivalries are generating visible stress points. The steady increase in military power, resources and wealth in the Asia-Pacific has raised the stakes for its security. Therefore, the security architecture in the region must be open, transparent, balanced and inclusive. And (must) promote dialogue and predictable behaviour rooted in international norms and respect for sovereignty.

He was talking about the South China Sea disputes in which Beijing is embroiled with most of its neighbours in Southeast Asia. Of that there can be little doubt. And if any doubt remained, this line went some way in dismissing it:

We believe that respecting Freedom of Navigation and adhering to international norms is essential for peace and economic growth in the larger and inter-linked marine geography of the Indo-Pacific.

Stern words, certainly. And so were those offered to Pakistan.

Will they have an impact on the mindsets of Islamabad and Beijing? Highly unlikely.

But did Modi lose anything by putting these points out there clearly and concisely? Not a thing.

In fact, theyll hold in good stead with international partners all over the world, but particularly in South and Southeast Asia, and may even improve relations with those countries. And isnt that what multilateralism is really all about?
Hyderabad University was witness to a silent face-off between the college administration and protesting students who tried to stage a protest marking the first death anniversary of Dalit student Rohith Vemula, who committed suicide, allegedly due to the varsity's disciplinary action initiated against him.

A mass gathering was organised at the varsity campus to observe 'Shahadat Din' on Tuesday in memory of Vemula, whose death had raised a political firestorm last year.

The situation, one that was largely peaceful since the morning, saw signs of strain around 4:30 pm, when a crowd swelled at the campus gates. Not only students from the central university, but also from neighbouring colleges amassed outside campus gates and started raising slogans.

Following this, security personnel deployed as a preemptive measure in view of the sensitive occasion, chained the gates and refused to let out any students from inside, and prevented outsiders from entering the varsity campus.

The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, an umbrella grouping of students' bodies demanding justice for Vemula that had organised the 'martyrdom day' had also invited Rohith's mother Radhika Vemula, but CNN-News18 said she was not present at the event.

However, the family of Najeeb Ahmed, the JNU student who has been missing, Jaan Mohammed, brother of Mohammad Akhlaq, who was lynched in September 2015 on suspicions that his family stored and ate beef at their house, and a few Dalit leaders from Gujarat who had raised their voices against the 'cow vigilantes' of Una last year, when a few Dalit men were thrashed, were all present amid the crowd protesting outside the Hyderabad University gates, according to Times Now.

Even as the student groups claimed that the movement, that sought to cover a larger issue of atrocities committed on minority communities, did not have political backing, an IANS report stated that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers staged a sit-in at the main gate, demanding that they be allowed to join the meeting.

Varsity administration had earlier enforced restrictions on the movement of outsiders on campus, and urged students to refrain from rallying or disrupting the schedule of the classes.

The students, who first requested the police to allow the protest party outside the gate to come inside and join the programme, started raising slogans and forced open the gates.

The huge crowd also pulled down barricades, following which the police took several students outside the campus into preventive detention, to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.

Since morning, students and employees were allowed only after they produced their identity cards. The registrar had issued a circular stating that outsiders, including media persons, politicians and activists, cannot enter the campus. "The university cannot be used as a platform for outsiders to participate in activities called by insiders or by outsiders when there was no permission," stated a circular issued by UoH Registrar PS Singh.

It warned of appropriate disciplinary action against those who violate the directions. The authorities also made it clear that there was no permission for holding any programme on the campus.

"Announcements were made through media and wall posters that some activities are being taken up on 17 January at the University of Hyderabad campus. But the university has not issued any permission to such activities," it said.

However, defying the orders, a group of students gathered at 'Velivada' (Dalit ghetto) on the campus. Holding pictures of Vemula and placards, they raised slogans demanding the arrest of vice-chancellor P Appa Rao and justice for Rohith.

Vemula was found hanging in a hostel room on the UoH campus on 17 January, 2016, after alleged caste-based discrimination, sparking a huge controversy and political tug-of-war.

With inputs from agencies
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PM: I see the rise of India & China as an unprecedented economic opportunity for our two countries, & for the whole world pic.twitter.com/CcVMUonyf0

It is not unnatural for two large (India and China) neighbouring powers to have some differences: PM Modi at Raisina doalogue

PM: Over the past 2 and half years, we have given a strong momentum to our engagement with US, Russia, Japan and other major global powers.

PM speaks of the compelling logic of connectivity for peace & prosperity, but says it cannot override the sovereignty of other nations

PM: With the US, our actions have brought speed, substance & strength to the entire spectrum of economic, commercial, & security engagements pic.twitter.com/HZXTxrQ260

Russia is an abiding friend. President Putin and I have held long conversations: PM Modi at second Raisina Dialogue pic.twitter.com/H1JAYQfDCN

Those in our neighbours who support violence, hatred and export terror stand isolated and ignored: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/UNC5A58wSe

PM: Our belief in delinking terrorism from religion, & rejecting artificial dist'ns btw good & bad terrorism, are now a global talking point

PM speaks on shaping the global agenda: True to our traditions, we have shouldered the international burden of our commitments. pic.twitter.com/7XbyDbQWFZ

PM cites Rig Veda as guidance in connec'g the world:    :    Let noble thoughts come to me from all directions pic.twitter.com/yUTgS0SI4o

PM concludes #Raisina2017 address: With resolute steps at home. & expandg network of friends abroad, we will grasp the promise of the future pic.twitter.com/TecPrD8hE1

New Delhi: More than 250 delegates from 65 countries will participate in India's flagship geo-political conference, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, that will deliberate on strategic issues including new challenges and cyber security.

Following the successful organisation of Raisina Dialogue in March last year, the Ministry of External Affairs, in partnership with Observer Research Foundation, is organising the 2nd Edition of 'Raisina Dialogue' with the theme 'The New Normal: Multilateralism with Multi-Polarity' from 17 - 19 January, MEA announced Saturday.

Modi will address the opening session of the Dialogue, which is "India's flagship geo-political conference to be held annually and within a short span has emerged as a much-awaited global conference in the international calendar," a release from the ministry said.

The Dialogue will feature an inaugural panel with the participation of Minister of State for External Affairs of India MJ Akbar, Nepalese Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and Gowher Rizvi, International Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister of Bangladesh, it said.

A video message from the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres will also be played before the Inaugural Panel during the conference which will also have a number of ministerial addresses on 18 - 19 January.

"While the first edition involved about 40 countries with 120 foreign participants, the 2nd edition is expected to feature participation from about 65 countries and more than 250 foreign participants.

Senior ministers will also be addressing the gathering and interacting with the participants, the ministry said, adding a major highlight of the event would be a one-to-one conversation on the concluding day between Akbar and Karzai.

Boris Johnson, UK's Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; Sri Lanka's Minister for Regional Development Sarath Fonseka; former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper; Jacques Audibert, Diplomatic Advisor to the French President; Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Shunsuke Takei; and Harry B Harris Jr, Commander, Pacific Command, and Admiral Michelle Howard, Commander, US Naval Forces, Europe and Africa are among those who will participate in the Dialogue.

Nepals Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat will pay a three-day visit to India to participate in Indias flagship geo-political conference. Mahat will also hold talks with ministers and high-ranking Indian officials, besides attending the 2nd edition of the Raisina Dialogue.

With inputs from PTI
A student committed suicide last year and the incident brought severe administrative lapses to light. These lapses are yet to be remedied. The Ministry of Human Resources and Development has spent the better part of last year on spin management rather than focusing on fixing things on the ground. Whatever the nation might feel on the issue, suicide prevention on campus is something the nation ought to care deeply about.

It starts with how we view the role of our students on campus. Last year we saw students across the country take cognisance of issues that were happening off campus, from JNU in Delhi to the HCU in Hyderabad, students across India rallied in support and against issues of the day, as they have done in India before and after independence. If memory serves us correctly, student politics, is perhaps what has ushered in the current political class and was the movement that began breaking the emergency ushered in by Indira Gandhi. It is a very difficult proposition to tell a young adult that they must learn about how they are an integral part of the nation's political system in the classroom but must forget about the political happenings around them the minute they step outside. China tried to do this, but they finally had to crush their students with the might of tanks at Tienanmen in 1989.

Indian students however, being citizens of a free country, enjoy their right to freedom of speech. Vemula was one such student and therefore enjoyed the privilege of raising issues under the banner of the Ambedkar Students Association. However, he found that doing this meant that his stipend was stopped and therefore he was faced with a financial crunch. The University Administration blamed the delay on paperwork and said that funds sometimes arrived late and therefore were disbursed in lump-sums.

Graduate scholars in India are paid a stipend by the central government to conduct their research work. They are expected to maintain themselves from these amounts as they commit themselves to research towards a doctorate instead of taking up full-time employment. However, at the first instance, even if we take the university at their word that the disbursements were delayed due to paper work issues, one year on, there has been no change in the system of disbursement of grants to PhD scholars at central universities. The system remains the same. There is no Aadhaar enabled system of direct transfer to their bank accounts. So today, if there was another Vemula, in the same position, the Ministry of Human Resources and Development could not assure anyone that the disbursements would be immune to any delays. The procedure is still the same. Somehow, the light of digital India is yet to hit the scholars of India's central universities.

The second incident that came to light was post the execution of Yakub Memon, the man convicted of being a conspirator in the 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blasts case. The Ambedkar Students Association had led a protest at the University of Hyderabad against the execution. One year on, the execution still remains a hot button issue across India and the issue of the death penalty is still one that divides the nation. It's a thin line for the public to perceive the opposition to the death penalty as being one that's a principled opposition to a form of punishment versus open support to a terrorist. This is further complicated by the fact that students often lack nuance in the manner they protest such issues, often finding themselves going into the case records trying to make a case for innocence at the same time as arguing against the punishment. Such issues on campus are bound to inflame passions on either side.

As The Indian Express reported, this results in a confrontational campus, after which it is alleged that an AVBP Member posted a comment on Facebook calling the members of the Ambedkar Students Association "goons" on Facebook. The Ambedkar Students Association apparently confronted the member in his hostel room and had him sign an "apology" pursuant to which the AVBP filed a report with the local police. The AVBP then wrote to the local MP who escalated the matter with the Ministry of Human Resources and Development in Delhi which allegedly resulted in Vemula being suspended.

As a consequence of the suspension, he was barred from all social areas of the campus and the hostel rooms. This is where it gets increasingly problematic once more. The Hyderabad Central University is an organisation that comes under the ambit of the State and Vemula was living in the hostel room. Being suspended should not mean he loses the roof over his head till the final outcome of the proceedings against him and even if he was to be finally expelled he should have been given at least a week or two to vacate or make alternative arrangements instead of being forced to live on the streets of campus. This sort of behaviour on the part of the administration isn't something that is becoming of any institution, government or otherwise.

If one of our readers wards were treated this way by one of their colleges, this website would be receiving angry letters from parents incensed that this would happen to them. But Vemula was not from a privileged class of society. He was the sole bread winner and supported his family from his stipend. The stipend stopped and he was without a home. All this for exercising his privilege as an Indian Citizen to care about issues that are raised in a daily newspaper. A privilege every Indian citizen has, a privilege readers incensed by this article will exercise in the comment section below, a privilege that makes us a free republic.

But what perhaps is the greatest administrative failure that still remains is this, if Vemula wished to speak to someone about his predicament, the University of Hyderabad's medical centre, would be ill equipped with mental health professionals to assist him as it lacks any. A year after his suicide there have been no moves to staff it with counsellors. No suicide prevention programs. If the ministry of human resources and development was serious that this was a case of suicide and a not a situation where a student had been driven to the edge, then the first step would have been to bring counsellors on campus. But as the website shows, there are no mental health professionals on campus. So the next Vemula, who is in that situation would still have no one to talk to about his predicament. No national students suicide prevention hotline, despite the fact that sucide is an issue across campuses in India.

One year on, caste remains a problem, administrative failures remain a problem and student suicides remain a problem. It seems as though nothing much has really changed when it comes to academia in India.
Hyderabad: A stage seems to have set for confrontation between students of University of Hyderabad and its authorities over organisation of "Shahadat Din" on Tuesday in memory of dalit scholar Rohith Vemula whose alleged suicide last year had raised a political firestorm.

Clarifying that no permission was given to students who are planning to hold a series of programmes, the varsity authorities on Monday clamped restrictions on the movement of outsiders on the campus.

A section of students under the aegis of Joint Action Committee for Social Justice - UOH has said they would gather at 'Rohith Stupa' to remember his legacy and take a vow that fight will go on against casteism and communalism.

The mass gathering, to be organised on the campus, is slated to be attended by Rohith's mother Radhika Vemula, family of Najeeb Ahmed, the JNU student who has been missing, Jaan

Mohammed, brother of Mohammad Akhlaq who was lynched in September 2015 on suspicion that his family stored and ate beef at their house, a few dalits who were thrashed by 'cow vigilantes' at Una in Gujarat last year.

Vemula was found hanging in a hostel room on the UoH campus on 17 January 2016, sparking a huge controversy and political tug-of-war.

"The University cannot be used as a platform for outsiders to participate in the activities called by insiders or outsiders when there was no permission," stated a circular issued by UoH Registrar PS Singh.

It warned of appropriate disciplinary action against those who violate the directions.

"Announcements were made through media and wall posters that some activities are being taken up on 17 January at University of Hyderabad campus. University has not issued any permission to such activities," it said.

Singh said the cooperation of entire varsity community is needed for maintaining peace and tranquil academic atmosphere.

University authorities had last year issued a notification banning entry of outsiders, political parties, media and social/student groups.

The JAC members, who are planning a series of programmes under the banner of 'Justice for Rohith Vemula', said his portraits in all hostels will be garlanded and a remembrance rally will also be held tomorrow.

UoH Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Vipin Srivastava told PTI, "they (JAC) have not sought any permission from University officials..If they go ahead with their programmes it will be unofficial."

Asked if the varsity authorities had sought for enhancing security, Srivastava said "We will monitor the situation and act accordingly."

The Dean of Students' Welfare of UoH also advised all the students unions, forums, associations, JAC on the campus not to involve directly or indirectly in inviting or entertaining outsiders and cited prevailing ban on the campus on allowing outsiders into the campus.
In three days time, Donald Trump takes to the throne of the most powerful position in the world. A xenophobic, who at times over-elaborates his denunciation of minorities, be it of the racial, financial or ethnic kind. Several seas away, three days before the momentous event that probably reinstates on a universal level, the hierarchical hold of history over the grand narrative of the world, India is waking a year on from the day University of Hyderabad student Rohith Vemula committed suicide. A suicide that bumped the curve that traced the struggle of those marginalised for ages, into something that looks like a scar. And oh how the blood has flown since. What changed? Perhaps, the fact that rage found a glove, a shape, that left cheeks at the other end, feeling some pain, some regret, pound for pound of flesh, for the first time.

A year on from Vemulas suicide, a lot has changed. His death was followed by protests and rage, but it also nudged the narrative into a shape-shift. The Dalit workers of Maharashtra, the agitation in Una, the Patidar andolan, and the ones who went unnoticed or unacknowledged, pierced right through the circumference of their hopelessness. New literature, writers, artists, activists, even politicians have since surfaced, as if Vemula did not pass away but merely transposed into a different form of energy. Surely, there is an explanation to all of it.

Founder and Editor of the Delhi-based magazine Dalit Dastak Ashok Das believes it is because Vemula happened in the age of social media. "These things can no longer be hidden. I had received Vemulas photo carrying a picture of Babasaheb days before the issue came to light. Its source was unconfirmed but it was clear something was brewing, and it went around only because of social media. The dependence on a national media has now expired, and it shows, Das says. He believes it is the youth that has championed Vemulas cause, and in their hands, rests the future of struggle, be it for Dalits or any other group. Rohiths case was unique because it came out of the university. It wasnt unique otherwise. This happens to millions of people. But in Rohiths case, the hurt was felt over the country. People thought, this has happened to me as well. Soon after, Kanhaiya Kumar happened as well, Das says.

There were, of course, doubts raised about Vemulas Dalit status in the first place. Add to that the predestined argument surrounding reservation. An argument that Das cheerfully dismisses by saying, You are talking to me because Im the editor of a magazine I founded and built, not because I have reservation, right? Vemula, perhaps, could have reserved a future for himself, on his potential alone, but strings as straight as those, only cut in a society as old and complex as ours.

On the student level, the impact has of course been the greatest. This trend of suppression will continue. But it will only make us stronger. There was a kind of unity between universities when Rohiths death happened. That unity has only been solidified, by what the state is trying to do to freedom in its universities, President the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) Mohit K Pandey says. Pandey agrees that it was because of the youth that the movement gained momentum, the changes from which are now perceptible, however minute. He also agrees to the role of the virtual connect. Five years ago, maybe it wouldnt have been possible to be able to share your angst and your views. Social media armed us against a force much bigger and controlled by those in power. But the struggle will only harder, he says.

Vemula certainly wasnt the first one to surrender or choose the path of giving up his life. But he was unique. A scholar, an aspiring writer, aiming for the stars everyone as a child was told, were equally visible, and attainable. But the world doesnt manifest in planar visions of the idealist. It manifests in the form of structures, where poems are always dead, waiting for someone to give them life, often at the cost of his or her own. Vemula was also a poet. His poetry did not have the violence of Namdeo Dhassal, and his arguments the erudition of an Ambedkar. But given the time, the opportunity and space, he might have become either, or even better. And therein lies the story of a million other Vemulas who have been denied, not only the rope of opportunity but also the decency of humanity.
On Tuesday, Raja Vemula will travel to the University of Hyderabad, from where he got a phone call exactly a year ago informing him that his brother Rohith Vemula had committed suicide on the evening of 17 January. The University is familiar territory for Raja and his mother Radhika Vemula. The crusade for justice for Rohith made them household names in the country but it also brought them ridicule, abuse and name-calling.

On the one hand, they were feted for making Rohith the face of Dalit dissent in India against powerful men, women and administrative structures. On the other, they were accused of lying and cheating to get a fake caste certificate that said they are Dalits.

The mother and son now are back in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, where Radhika has returned to her vocation of tailoring. Raja, despite being a post graduate in Applied Geology from Pondicherry University, has taken up the job of an auto-driver so that he can be with his mother.

Raja and Radhika Vemula's present condition is an answer to those who ask them what has been gained in one year of struggle after Rohith's death. They could well read out these lines from Rohith's suicide note: "I am not hurt at this moment. I am not sad. I am just empty."

On Tuesday, Rohith's family will be part of an event that will bring together similar aggrieved people. Jaan Mohammed Saifi is Akhlaq's brother from Dadri. In September 2015, Akhlaq was lynched to death by a mob on suspicion of storing beef at his home. There will be the Dalit victims from Una in Gujarat who were flogged in July last year for allegedly indulging in cow slaughter. As will be Fatima Nafees, the mother of Najeeb, the JNU student who has been missing since 15 October, allegedly following an on-campus scuffle with ABVP leaders. ABVP is the student wing of the BJP, which was also in the eye of the storm at Hyderabad university.

A year ago, slogans were in the air. A cry for justice. The villains were former Union HRD Miniser Smriti Irani and Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya for playing a part in expelling Rohith and four other Dalit research scholars from hostel. As was Vice Chancellor Appa Rao for ensuring the exit. The FIR mentioned the three names.

Wearing a sense of victimhood on their sleeve, Dalit students spoke out against perceived victimisation inside a "Brahmin agraharam-like campus". They called Rohith's suicide, ironically using the banner of the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) as a noose, a "Brahminical institutional murder". "We do not want to do research on your Ram, Sita and Ganesh," the protesters said on stage, underlining the faultlines and the deep caste divide.

Us versus Them

A year later, Dalit professors and students point out that nothing much has changed in the last one year. Decisions, they say, are still taken by non-Dalits at the University. The change, if any, has been for the worse. Even those who were part of the protests last year, do not want to go on record now. The reason perhaps is that over 40 students and two faculty members were booked by the police, ironically after a lathicharge on them in March. "The powers that be have made one thing clear. That the University can suppress you," says a research scholar on campus.

If you analyse how events panned out post Rohith's suicide, you realise it was like a cat-and-mouse game being played out. The University and the governments  in New Delhi and in Hyderabad  waited and watched while non-BJP politicians trooped in to lend their support to the protesting students. Students are powerful shoulders and with the Dalit angle in the mix, politicians, from Rahul Gandhi to Arvind Kejriwal to Sitaram Yechury, saw in the agitation potential to label the BJP as anti-Dalit.

But once the TV cameras moved out, the University moved in. Outsiders were barred entry and Appa Rao who had proceeded on leave after the suicide, returned. Since then, normalcy  at least on the surface  has returned to campus, but everyone who was part of the protest, was a marked man.

The more important mission was to destroy Rohith's credibility. And here, the confusing story of his mother's early life came handy. Radhika, apparently a Dalit, was adopted as a baby by a backward caste family and also married to a man from the caste. But Radhika, after separating from her abusive alcoholic husband, had raised her three children according to Dalit customs. Rohith had submitted a Dalit certificate at the time of admission to the University but took admission under general quota, without availing of reservation.

So while the attempt all along has been to prove that Rohith was not a Dalit, the fact remains that till he was alive, everyone believed he was one and treated him as one. The non-Dalit student leaders on campus did not take kindly to Dalit aggression, the kind Rohith practised.

The jury is out on who was in the wrong  the ASA that organised a prayer meeting for Yakub Memon in August 2015, just after he was hanged on the orders of the Supreme Court or the ABVP leader Susheel Kumar who criticised them in a Facebook post or Rohith and friends who allegedly bullied and manhandled Susheel or the University that took disciplinary action by expelling Rohith and four research scholars from the hostel. The fact remains that caste has remained an underlying powerful narrative even as campus politics played out. The University officials did not cover themselves with glory by appearing to side with the ABVP.

If the agitation for justice for Rohith was meant to bring closure, it has not. Instead shrill rhetoric and finger pointing, bordering on unpleasantness and intolerance has marked the discourse over the last one year. Caste and religion and not academic brilliance, dominates campus chatter. Mistrust has its roots in a birth certificate. Friendships are homogeneous bonds, the varna the deciding factor in many cases.

The subject of the Tuesday meeting is to "reject victimhood and reclaim resistance". While no one denies that such resistance to authoritarianism of any kind is very important, it has only led to confrontation, increasingly replacing dialogue in India's polity. The only dialogue one hears are monologues. India at 70 deserves better.
Primary and secondary schools run in tribal areas are by-and-large a neglected topic in our everyday discourse. The following is the second part of a five-part series that seeks to explore some of the issues that affect these schools.

A month and a half back, tribal students at the state-run Ashram School in Thanes Aaine village finally got what they had wanted for months: A bit more rice. Priyanka Kinnar, 13, standing on the street with no lights that passes through the school, meticulously looked here and there and sheepishly made a small cup with her right palm to show the amount of rice the students were served, along with one chapati and vegetables. When students asked for more food, their request was turned down.

Priyanka said she would overhear the kids asking each other for leftover food to pacify their hunger. When students gathered courage and complained to the headmaster, it fell on deaf ears, according to the students. Around two months back, the headmaster was missing when activists of former MLA Vivek Pandits Shramjeevi Sanghatana that works in the tribal belt of Palghar, Dahanu and Thane paid a visit to the Aaine school. It gave the students an opportunity to divulge their gripe.

We found out that the students were served half the amount of rice they are supposed to get at a time, said Santosh Dhinda, one of the activists who then took up the issue with the local media. After the cameras arrived in this remote village, the quantity of rice has increased.

In June 2015, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had pronounced there would be no compromise on the quality of food served to the tribal children. To avoid the monotony of khichdi, the state had planned "nutritious meals" that would include roti, pulao, mixed vegetables, aloo matar and aloo jeera, while fruits, eggs, poha and upma would be served for breakfast.

A pilot project of central kitchens was launched in Palghar and Nasik districts the following month, and it was supposed to be replicated throughout the state covering over 5 lakh tribal students by December 2015. It is my dream project that has come true after 12 years. Nutritious food in ashram shalas will lead to a major socio-economic change, Fadnavis had said.

More than a year down the line, the socio-economic change seems to be far from achieved, with only a handful of schools being covered by the central kitchens. The quality of food is relatively better wherever they have central kitchens serving food to a selected schools, said Vivek Pandit. But majority of the schools receive ration and food is cooked at the school. The vegetables are rotten, pulses are adulterated. At times, the quality of food is so bad; it makes the food served in jails look good.

The NCP has accused the current ruling dispensation of serving banned, expired food, but interactions with staff members at various schools, while validating the accusations, indicate the situation had been no better under the earlier regime. The staff is keen on sharing details of the deteriorated food quality and lack of adequate variety on the menu, but the moment one asks their name, they stop. We intend to keep our jobs, they say.

Upon assuring their identities would be protected, the teachers as well as the non-teaching staff resume, We also eat the same food. Human beings don't deserve this kind of food. For very student, the aided school gets Rs 900 a month and government schools get Rs 2500 a month. How is it possible to serve two all-round meals and breakfast in that amount?

When Shramjeevi Sanghatana surveyed schools in their area, it transpired that the gap between two meals at certain places was as wide as 13 hours.

In August 2015, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) had submitted a report in which it noted that out of all the schools across Maharashtra  just over 1,100 with half of them being aided and other half state-run  merely 6 percent aided and 3.6 percent of the government tribal schools served breakfast according to the menu. Further, 33 percent of the schools has their gas facility and utensils in good conditions but the kitchens were unhygienic.

At the Arvind Smruti Ashram School in Palghars Vikramgad, which is tribal minister Vishnu Savaras school, an open space marked under a tin roof held on a few bamboo sticks serves as a kitchen that makes food for more than 1,300 students. The kitchen is open on two sides and lined with bricks on the other two. Two cooks are in charge of three large vessels, as they prepare food in the company of constant stench.

It has been over five decades since the establishment of ashram schools for tribal students in Maharashtra. Even after all these years, it turns out the tribal kids cannot even take the basic necessities for granted.

The students across Maharashtra received raincoats in October, when the monsoons begin in June. Upon questioned, Savara had said the rainy season is still going on. The Opposition had also alleged the purchase orders for raincoats had been done in violation of norms, without calling for tenders.

Pandit said the whole tribal department runs on contractors, where contracts of crores of rupees are given for various purchases, in which there is rampant corruption. When the department decided to provide sweaters to students during winters, it said the cost of each sweater was Rs 2,100, while its market price was estimated at Rs 500. After a lot of clamour, the idea was amended and the government decided to give the amount directly to students, bypassing contractors and middlemen.

When food and clothing  two of the most fundamental requirements  are predicated on the whims and fancies of the state, it is a fair reflection on the holistic conditions the tribal students across the state are subjected to. In 2014, 40 students in a tribal school of Gondia district had walked out after they found glass and plastic in their food. In October 2016, when former director of health, Dr. Salunkhe submitted his committees detailed probe into the deaths at tribal schools in Maharashtra, it cited malnutrition as one of the major causes.

Activists believe the students do not protest as fiercely or frequently over food because they are not aware of what they are entitled to, and their needs are indeed innocently basic. Back in Aaine, Priyanka said the situation is better for the past one and a half months. The cup made from her right palm widened a bit. They have started serving non-vegetarian food once a month, she said with a smile. At times, we also get eggs and bananas.

Read Part 1: Tribal schools of Maharashtra Part 1: State of neglect endangers student health
Kyiv has complied with all criteria set by the European Union, and Ukrainian citizens should be granted visa-free travel to the EU, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.

"Thanks to our joint efforts, a formula was devised in 2016 to unblock the ratification of the Association Agreement with the European Union. We should finally resolve the issue in 2017. First of all, we should de jure make the Association Agreement a fait accompli. Secondly, Ukrainians should finally be granted the right to visa-free travel to EU countries," he said at a meeting with foreign ambassadors. The presidential press service reported the meeting on Monday.

"The first and second matters have been fine-tuned; every obligation has been fulfilled and every criterion has been complied with," Poroshenko said.

"Further delays would be grossly unjust, because Ukrainians have paid a high price. This would also be dangerous because unfounded delays are undermining Ukrainians' faith in Europe, which is actually what Russia is driving at," the president said.
By Charu Bahri

In March 2012, Sanjay and Sunita Ambhore, parents of Aniket Ambhore, 19, a first-year electrical engineering student at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B), received a letter informing them that their sonadmitted on a scheduled caste (SC) quotahad failed two courses.

Concerned, the AmbhoresSanjay, a bank manager, is a Dalit from Akola district, Maharashtra, Sunita, a junior-college lecturer, is notmet one of Anikets professors, who told them their son could not cope with IIT workload and would be happy in normal engineering colleges (with lower standards). He implied, they said, that scheduled caste students took up to eight years to complete a course that normally took four years. The professor suggested counselling to help Aniket focus on studies and named anti-depressants he could take.

The comments were a shock to Sanjay and Sunita, they said, who were until then mostly unaware that such attitudes existed in higher-education institutions.

Some high-caste professors consider Dalit students uneducable, wrote educationist Kurmana Simha Chalam in an 2007 book, Challenges of Higher Education.

Reflected in Anikets response to his professors outburst, casteist expression can leave Dalit students feeling that they are undeserving of their admission to higher-education institutions, concluded this 2013 Kings College London study of an Indian university, now a book, Faces of Discrimination in Higher Education in India: Quota Policy, Social Justice and the Dalits.

Aniket did not find anything wrong with what he (the professor) had said, maybe because of the way it was said, as a well-meant suggestion, Sunita told IndiaSpend.

Instead, Aniketwho scored 93% in his class 10 CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) board exam and 86% in his class 12 Maharashtra state board exampossibly influenced by disparaging talk of affirmative action, told his parents that he wanted to reappear for the Joint Entrance Examination, the IIT admission test, which he cleared in 2011and study engineering at an IIT only if he could crack the test without affirmative action.

Between then and August 2014, the Ambhores consulted three psychiatrists to help their son regain confidence. It made no difference. Gradually, the talented Aniket (click here to hear him singing at an IIT Bombay festival) turned into a student with low self esteem.

In August 2014, a joint meeting with Anikets head of department and the head of the Academic Rehabilitation Programme (ARP)a programme for academically deficient students that Aniket had been enrolled in the previous year headed by the same professor they met in 2012went particularly badly. The ARP head suggested that another exam failure would devastate Aniket, so it would be best if he dropped out, perhaps joined an NGO and considered a career as a teacher.

On 4 September, 2014, Aniket fell to his death from the sixth floor of an IIT-B hostel. It isnt clear if it was an accident or he jumped.

Some bias does show up on campus: IIT Bombay director

Media reporting of Anikets deathsuch as this 6 September, 2014, report in The Times of Indiasuggested he struggled with academics, but did not mention that his parents had repeatedly asked the HoD (head of department) if there was any way of reducing the academic load on Aniket, to quote from their 10-page testimony submitted to IIT-B after his death.

Despite asking, they were not informed about the possibility of converting the dual degree M Tech programme Aniket was enrolled for to a shorter B Tech programme.

Anikets death was described as an accident and reporting included comments from unnamed friends that he did not appear to be anybody who would commit suicide.

Media reporting also did not mention Anikets growing preoccupation with religion and spiritualityhe was raised in an atheist householdas he tried to navigate academics and his SC origins.

The IIT system provides for an SC/ST adviser for the redressal of caste grievances, and there is acknowledgement that caste plays some role in the life of SC students (and tribal students, for whom an additional 7.5% of seats are reserved).

Some caste bias does shows up on campus, mostly as upper-caste students expressing their discontent with the reservation system, Devang Khakhar, director of IIT Bombay, told IndiaSpend.

Questions have arisen over the efficacy of the redressal of caste grievances. Filmmaker Anoop Kumar of the 2011 documentary Death of Merit said that 80% of those who committed suicides in the IITs between 2007 and 2011 were Dalits, and none of these institutes had a grievance-redressal mechanism to address caste-based discrimination.

Sunita now wonders if Anikets downward turn began when he stepped into IIT-B as a Dalit, within months believing his academic woes were a result of his inability to reconcile with his origins. This left him with the belief that he was undeserving of a seat at Indias premier engineering collegean attitude confirmed by the Kings College London study.

Could it have helped Aniket if there were at least some professors who shared his background? There are, for a start, very few Dalit professors in Indias 23 IITs.

1.1% of IIT faculty is Dalit. Would more make a difference to Dalit students?

The quota system policy was designed in the 1950s as an early form of affirmative action to ensure that higher education institutions retained 15% of their places for dalit students; the same proportion of faculty was also expected to come from this background.

Faces of Discrimination in Higher Education in India: Quota Policy, Social Justice and the Dalits

In July 2016, IndiaSpend reported how affirmative action helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds get college admission.

Source: American Economic ReviewHover over the chart for more details.BC-A, BC-B, BC-C, BC-D refer to sub-categories A, B, C, D of Backward Caste. SC: Scheduled Caste, ST: Scheduled Tribe.

A 2008 government order instructed the IITs to employ 15%, 7.5% and 27% SC, ST and other backward caste (OBC) faculty, respectivelyin line with the quota system being implemented for student admissions since 1973at the entry-level post of assistant professor and lecturer in science and technology subjects and across all faculty posts in other subjects.

Almost a decade on, you can count the number of SC and ST faculty in the IITs on your fingers.

Dalit faculty made up no more than 1.12% of IIT faculty positions in December 2012, according to this statement made in the Lok Sabha (parliaments lower house) that year: 0.12% of IIT faculty were tribals, while OBC faculty were 1.84%. The proportion of SCs and STs were 16.6% and 8.6% respectively, as per the 2011 census.

Source: Lok Sabha; *Based on the sanctioned strength of 5,706

As on June 2015, according to an answer received by a right-to-information request by a former student, quoted in this 26 June, 2015, report in The Hindu, 2.42% of faculty in IIT Madras were SC or ST, based on faculty positions filled, while the similar figure for IIT Bombay was 0.34%.

This lack of SC/ST faculty could affect students from traditionally disadvantaged groups.

Considerate and supportive faculty who are genuinely sympathetic to students problems are few, said sociologist Virginius Xaxa, professor of eminence, Tezpur University, who has studied the adverse attitudeas this commentary detailstowards SC/ST students in Delhi University.

The pervasive attitude, said Xaxa, is that students coming through quotas are undeserving.

Why do IITs lack SC/ST/OBC faculty?

Too few applicants: That is the overriding reason for not having enough SC/ST faculty, the directors of IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras told IndiaSpend.

We have very few scheduled caste faculty because we receive too few applicants from this category, said IIT Bombays Khakhar.

We receive too few good-quality applications from SC/ST candidates who meet the minimum threshold for an IIT faculty, said Indranil Manna, director, IIT Kanpur. While we are committed to the law and our social obligation, we are also keen to protect the IIT brand, a globally recognised Indian brand that has taken fifty years to build.

Could prejudice impede the employment of faculty from disadvantaged communities?

In August 2016, the Madras High Court concluded that IIT Madras had committed gross irregularity in passing over associate professor WB Vasanthaa faculty member from a backward castefor promotion in 1995, and then again in 1997, for lesser-qualified candidates.

There is no corner of India where prejudice against Dalits doesnt exist, said Anand Teltumbde, senior professor, Goa Institute of Management, formerly with IIT Kharagpur.

It took the public sector many years to overcome resistance to employ Dalits at managerial levels, said Teltumbde, the grandson of BR Ambedkar, the writer of Indias Constitution. India has reconciled itself to admitting Dalit students in the IITs, but resistance to admitting Dalit faculty is still very strong, a Dalit must expect to fight the system.

Some IITs are bending rules to increase SC/ST faculty, others do nothing

Some of the IITs that IndiaSpend contacted for comments have started to bend the rules to increase the number of SC/ST faculty. Some are doing nothing.

We have not taken any specific measures to increase the number of faculty members belonging to the scheduled castes, said Khakhar.

Almost all the SC/ST faculty on the rolls of IIT Delhi today were hired a couple of years ago during a special recruitment drive, a senior faculty member, requesting anonymity given the sensitivity of the topic, told IndiaSpend.

IIT Madras has considered conducting a special recruitment drive for SC/ST faculty, over and above its six-monthly recruitment cycle. However, so far, a special drive does not seem like an idea that will give us more candidates as we are constantly on the lookout for SC/ST candidates during regular recruitment, said Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director, IIT Madras.

IIT Kanpurs Manna sees rolling advertisement on the website as a better option to recruit SC/ST faculty than a separate, one-time recruitment drive. A drive would only provide access to talent existing at a given point of time, he said.

SC/ST applicants compete against general category applicants in regular recruitment. Does that increase the odds against them? .

Manna does not think so: SC/ST candidates would not be disadvantaged because they are treated under a separate category with a different level of expectation, he said.

At the entry level, applicants need not possess a superlative record, said Manna. A doctoral degree from a decent university, a good academic background, some good publications and a couple of years of work experience.

I would definitely prefer the SC/ST candidate if I had three candidates of different social status but comparable merit and qualification, said Manna, who added that IIT Kanpur would only relax the work-experience requirement for an exceptional SC/ST doctoral candidate and appoint such a candidate on a contractual basis with scope for regularisation in due course.

We relax the age and work experience norms for OBC/SC/ST candidates to ensure more candidates from among those who apply are called for interview, said IIT Madrass Ramamurthi. We also ensure representation from reserved categories in the selection committee when we have OBC/SC/ST applicants. They make allowance for skills which can be picked up with experience.

Improve the learning environment, offer training to increase SC/ST faculty

At a 13 December, 2016, meeting of directors of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)Indias chain of prestigious management institutions, where too the government has urged faculty quotasto discuss ways to increase faculty from traditionally disadvantaged communities, the IIM Kashipur representative described special fellow programme in management for SC/ST doctoral students, who will simultaneously be trained for faculty positions.

Asked whether he could consider absorbing his institutes own fresh SC/ST/OBC doctorates as junior faculty, Manna said: The IITs follow a strict policy on preventing inbreeding. We would prefer that our doctorates work away for a few years, then return to us if they are interested.

Instead, he suggested that the government take on the training of SC/ST doctorates with potential, with the intention of bringing them up to the IIT standard.

It isnt enough to legislate and require IITs to employ a certain number of SC/ST faculty, he said. Surely a group of 100 SC/ST entry-level faculties can be created to start with?

IIT Madras has relaxed the prevention-of-inbreeding condition for SC/ST doctoral scholars. But like our PhD scholars from the general category, our graduating SC/ST scholars often join other centrally funded technical institutes, national laboratories, industry, foreign universities, etc., said Ramamurthi.

Improving the learning environment and training potential candidates in-house would likely help retain more SC/ST doctoral scholars.

Students aware of the environment in the IITs may be reluctant to join as faculty, said Tezpur Universitys Xaxa Academic progress depends greatly on how comfortable you feel in an environment. Aniket, clearly, did not.

(Bahri is a freelance writer and editor based in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.)
Mumbai: Senior leaders of Shiv Sena and BJP on Monday held joint parleys in Mumbai to discuss an alliance for the ensuing civic elections.

"The talks, held tonight, were preliminary in nature. Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will discuss the issue further in a day or two," Sena MP Anil Desai told PTI.

With barely 35 days left for the election of corporators for BMC, the country's richest civic body, there is no word yet on an alliance between the bickering allies in the state government.

In the 2012 civic election, the Sena contested 158 seats and won 75, whereas the BJP contested 69 and won 32 seats.

However, in the 2014 Assembly election, the BJP emerged as the number one party in Mumbai. Of 36 seats, the BJP won 15 seats, while the Sena won 14 seats.

This, and the recent results of municipal council polls have led BJP leaders to demand more seats than last time, if an alliance were to happen.

Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar last week said his party is 'positive' about an alliance with ally Shiv Sena, ahead of the upcoming local bodies polls, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

"We are positive on the issue of an alliance with Shiv Sena," Shelar had said after discussing the alliance issue with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' at the latter's official residence 'Varsha' in south Mumbai.

Ten municipal corporations including Mumbai, Thane,Pune and Nagpur, 25 Zilla Parishads and 283 Panchayat Samitis are scheduled to go to polls next month.
New Delhi: Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday indicated that startups may get additional tax benefits in the forthcoming budget, to be unveiled on 1 February.

The Ministry has already suggested the Finance Ministry to consider raising tax holiday for startups to 7 years from the current 3 years to encourage budding entrepreneurs.

Sitharaman said tax and tax-related matters always come from start-ups as "it makes tangible difference to a startup, and in that some work has happened, more to be happening. Let's see what this budget is going to offer".

She said that all the suggestions of the entrepreneurs have been compiled by the ministry and given to the Finance Ministry.

Asked about raising the tax holiday for 7 years, she said, "That suggestion has also been given to the Finance Ministry."

Tax related (benefits) will have to come only through the budget, she said, adding that suggestions with regard to exempting startups from MAT (minimum alternate tax) have also been forwarded.

Further, she said the government is committed to removing legislative hurdles, if any are being faced. The Centre is also involving local authorities, including states, to help the budding entrepreneurs in terms of local taxes among other measures.

The Minister also asked DIPP secretary Ramesh Abhishek to organise a meeting with RBI, SIDBI, banks and VCs to deliberate on funding related issues.

Sitharaman said this was speaking at the first anniversary of Startup India here in Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, Abhishek said startups need more support in terms of taxation and infrastructure. "We need to do more for them and we are working with the finance ministry (on tax related matters)," he said, adding that state governments too should extend full support to promote the units in the country.

The DIPP secretary said that although several states are coming out with specific policies related to startups, more needs to be done by the states.

"We are also involving corporates and banks to support start-ups... nothing is cast in stone and we can rework the definition of startups," Abhishek said.

The department, he said, is also working on extending easy funding to startups and providing a suitable environment.

Further, Sitharaman asked startups to work on areas like animal husbandry, veterinary science, waste management and aggregation of fuel.

"These are the areas where we want startups to work on. I want them to look at how we can make our existing cities smart," she said.

The government launched the Startup India initiative in January last year to promote the budding entrepreneurs in the country.

The initiative lays down the road map for creation of a conducive ecosystem for the growth of startups.

As part of the ongoing initiative to facilitate the ecosystem, a virtual hub will soon be rolled out. The hub will serve as a one-stop solution platform for all such queries and also a meeting ground for investors, incubators and startups."

For full coverage of Union Budget 2017, click here.
Ahmedabad: On Tuesday, Patel quota leader Hardik Patel returned to Gujarat after spending six months away from his home state and received a grand welcome from his supporters at Ratanpur on the border with Rajasthan.

The 23-year-old leader, who had shifted base to Udaipur, left for Gujarat along with his supporters in four vehicles and entered the Gujarat border without incident, SP Udaipur Rajendra Prasad earlier told PTI.

Hundreds of Patel community youths welcomed Hardik as he entered his home state through the Ratanpur border this afternoon. He then headed to Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha district to address a rally of Patel community.

Upon his arrival, Hardik vowed to get justice for his community. "I bow down to this land of great leaders and martyrs. I will always fight for my community to give them justice," he said.

Asked about his future strategy, he said, "Strategy is meant to be executed when time comes, I cannot reveal it now."

The firebrand leader, who is facing sedition charges, was released on bail by Gujarat High Court on 15 July last year on the condition that he will stay outside the state for six months, starting 17 July. He had been staying at Udaipur in Rajasthan since then.

Commenting on the development, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said his government is ready to hold talks with Hardik and other stakeholders on the issue of reservation.

"We have given him permission to hold the rally (in Himmatnagar). We are always ready to hold talks in a positive atmosphere with all the stakeholders to resolve various issues," Rupani said.

The Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) has described today's rally as "the start of the second round of the Patel quota agitation."

In August 2015, Hardik had addressed a massive rally at GMDC ground demanding inclusion of the community in the OBC category for quota benefits.

After addressing the rally today, Hardik will reach Gandhinagar to seek blessings of former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel. In the evening, he will leave for Pune to take part in 'Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad'.
Announcing her entry into active politics, Deepa Jayakumar, late chief minister J Jayalalithaa's niece, took a plunge into Tamil Nadu politics on Tuesday, News18 reported.

However, she did not make it clear whether she will be joining the AIADMK or form her own party. Deepa's decision to enter politics coincides with the 100th birth anniversary of AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran.

"To end such things, I make it clear on this day (MGR's birth centenary) that I will enter politics, do people's work and I desire that," she told reporters at a crowded press conference, adding, she was interested in politics and waiting to work for the people.

I have 2 options one is to join AIADMK or to float a new party, will discuss with my supporters before making a decision: Deepa Jayakumar  ANI (@ANI_news) January 17, 2017

Deepa asserted that she does not accept anyone other than her late aunt as the AIADMK chief, adding that she is unhappy at the elevation of VK Sasikala, a long time aide of Jayalalithaa. The 40-year-old claimed that the opinion of many party members was ignored while pointing out the apparent urgency in making Sasikala the new general secretary.

Things were rushed;got reports by cadres that their opinions were ignored-Deepa Jayakumar on change of leadership after Jayalalithaa's death pic.twitter.com/QMGihK9Eg8  ANI (@ANI_news) January 17, 2017

Deepa, who is the daughter of Jayalalithaa's only brother Jayakumar, also hit back at Sasikala and her family, refuting the charges that the late chief minister had been working based on the ideas given by the family.

What the Sasikala family is claiming is false that Jayalalithaa was working based on their ideas: Deepa Jayakumar( Jaya's niece) pic.twitter.com/WT1p7BT7Oa  ANI (@ANI_news) January 17, 2017

Dismissing the alleged rumours being circulated about her, Deepa indirectly slammed Sasikala and her group for perpetrating the menace.

There are many rumours being spread just to defame me, and people don't know the reality: Deepa Jayakumar( Jaya's niece)  ANI (@ANI_news) January 17, 2017

However, the former media studies researcher at UK, added that she would announce her future course of action on Jayalalithaa birth anniversary - 24 February. Promising to carry on the legacy of her aunt, Deepa added that she Will be travelling across Tamil Nadu to seek people's support.

Asked whether she and AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala should join forces and prevent a break-up in the party, Deepa said, "I have no opinion," adding, she was only considering the aspirations of the cadre and taking into account "Makkal Sakthi (people's power)".

She said she was asked by the cadre to take up a role in the AIADMK. Asked if Sasikala invited her to join the AIADMK, she said, "No. I can only give a direct answer and that is a no."

Answering a question if she will have the support of Sasikala if she chose to join the AIADMK, she said, "It is premature to talk about this.. My course of action has to be decided."

On being asked whether she has the support of the BJP, Deepa reiterated that she is not in talks with anyone right now. On Tuesday morning, Deepa visited the MGR memorial and paid tribute to the former chief minister, who had been instrumental in bringing Jayalalithaa into politics, The Newsminute reported. The Tamil Nadu government has declared Tuesday a public holiday to commemorate the birth centenary of the cinema legend and the three-time chief minister.

Chennai: AIADMK General Secy Sasikala Natarajan distributes cheques to specially abled Anna Labour Union activists pic.twitter.com/5pbiKwvPUO  ANI (@ANI_news) January 17, 2017

Thousands of AIADMK supporters gathered near the MGR memorial to pay rich tribute to the late leader. Deepa and her followers were also present at the site.

Chennai: People gather at MG Ramachandran's memorial at Marina Beach on his 100th birth anniversary pic.twitter.com/uW9w2LXmdL  ANI (@ANI_news) January 17, 2017

Chennai: AIADMK workers incl supporters of Deepa Jayakumar(niece of Jayalalithaa) gather at MGR's memorial on his 100th birth anniversary pic.twitter.com/miFa6u32oM  ANI (@ANI_news) January 17, 2017

Maradhur Gopalan Ramachandran was born on 17 January 1917 in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Later in his life, as he gained prominence as a film star, he came to be known by his initials MGR. After his successful film career, he broke away from the DMK to form the AIADMK in 1972 and became the chief minister in 1977. MGR died in office on 24 December 1987.
Deceit and deception are hallmarks of social life in ravines that bestride Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In his formative years at his Saifai village of Etawah that borders Madhya Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav learnt it the hard way that everyday survival in the treacherous terrain of ravines was no less than an art. In the world outside ravines, it is called politics.

It would be rather premature to sing requiem for Mulayam who has finessed survival into an art aka politics. Five years ago, when Mulayam handed over the reins to Akhilesh ignoring the claims of his much loved-brother Shivpal Yadav, he was guided more by pragmatism than emotions. Akhilesh was a novice then and Mulayam was not getting any younger. He was quite aware of the human limitations that afflicted him. As of now, he is a pale shadow of his past. The manner in which he put up a charade of a fight against his son before the Election Commission was only demonstrative of his cunning. He seemed quite willing to be defeated by his son who has been showing the signs of acquiring killer instincts that are prerequisite for a successful politician.

Contrast Mulayams meekness on Tuesday with his conduct in the past, one would realise the difference. He walked away with the legacy of Chaudhary Charan Singh after reducing his mentors son Ajit Singh to a Jat leader of Baghpat. Similarly, he did not bat an eyelid before leaving former prime minister Chandrashekhar and forming his own party Samajwadi Party (SP) after the Babri Mosque demolition.

But Mulayam fought his lifes most difficult battle with former prime minister VP Singh. He was fighting with his back to the wall. In 1980, VP Singh took over as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and launched a massive operation against dacoits of Chambals. The ruthless operation conducted by the UP police saw elimination of several bandits in dubious encounters.

If police officers of those times are to be believed, the police used to pick up able-bodied young men on the slightest doubts of having links with dacoits and bumped them off. Needless to say Mulayam had a lost an army of supporters in Jaswant Nagar, Etahaw, Mainpuri, Etah and Agra. Though gangs of brigands like Phoolan Devi, Vikram Mallah and Nepal Singh Yadav operated with impunity, the police chose soft-targets by picking up petty criminals who dabbled in politics.

In one of the encounters near the ravines of Jaswant Nagar, Mulayams army was decimated when the dreaded dacoit Nepal Singh Yadav was killed by the police. He was believed to have close links with neta ji whose protective umbrella ensured his survival for decades. Mulayam launched a fierce battle against VP Singh and accused him of engineering fake encounters to kill political activists in Etawah and adjoining ravines.

Of course, Mulayam soon made up with the new regime when VP Singh was replaced by Bir Bahadur Singh in 1982 as UP chief minister. Once again, he built his army of supporters across the region under the tutelage of Charan Singh, a leader who mobilised intermediary castes by taking up agrarian issues. Mulayam was quick to grab the mantle from Charan Singh and established himself as undisputed leader of the OBCs except Jats. He effectively confined Ajit Singh to being a leader of the west UP and then subsequently reduced him to the position of leading Baghpat and the adjoining belt. His running feud with VP Singh continued even after 1989 elections in which VP Singh pitched for Ajit Singh as the chief minister of the state. However, Mulayam outsmarted him and secured the majority votes in the legislature.

He relied on his instincts honed in his childhood in ravines to survive the Ayodhya crisis. He was quite at ease with leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and had developed excellent equations with the torchbearers of the Ayodhya movement. Yet he found secularism as his calling card to cement a formidable social coalition of Muslims-Yadavs to develop his own political base. Though his party was decimated in 1991 Assembly elections, he bounced back in 1993 by forging a coalition with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) following demolition of the Babri mosque. Few realise that Mulayams masterstroke of forging alliance of OBCs and Muslims proved to be the undoing for Congress which used to have a strong base in the state.

In fact, Mulayam was shrewd enough to realise that his party could grow only at the expense of Congress and the Left parties. This was the precise reason why he appropriated minority support base of the congress and co-opted prominent Communist leaders of eastern UP to his fold. He shunned any alliance with Ajit Singh knowing that it would be inimical to his political interest.

In the twilight of his career, Mulayam has reasons to worry for his sons moves of stitching up an alliance with the Congress and the RLD  both the groups which Mulayam deliberately shunned. His worry also comes from the fact that despite showing signs of acquiring killers instincts, there is a degree of naivety in Akhileshs political moves. As a father, he is wary of Akhileshs tendency to rely on fair-weather friends and discard trusted allies. In the ravines of Chambal and in politics, such follies are rarely condoned and often fatal. Mulayam had learnt this hard way. Till Mulayam is sure of Akhilesh having outgrown him in political craftsmanship, he will continue the facade of deception going to keep his friends and foes guessing about his real intent.

That has always been a typical Mulayam Singh Yadav, a master of ambiguity.
By Douglas Busvine

| NEW DELHI

NEW DELHI Growing military ambitions in the Asia-Pacific are creating security risks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday in a coded message to China to exercise strategic restraint.Although couched in diplomatic language and not mentioning China by name, Modi's remarks in a keynote foreign policy speech aligned New Delhi with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's intent to curb Beijing's regional clout."Rising ambition and rivalries are generally visible stress points," Modi told an audience of politicians and top military brass from 65 nations at a security conference in New Delhi."The steady increase in military power, resources and wealth in the Asia-Pacific has raised the stakes of security."The U.S. Republican has, since his shock election victory in November over Democrat Hillary Clinton, called into question the "One China" policy that Washington has adhered to for decades.His pick for secretary of state, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, also told a confirmation hearing that Beijing's militarisation of reclaimed islands in the disputed waters of the South China Sea must be stopped.

That is music to the ears of the foreign policy establishment in New Delhi, as are Trump's tentative - albeit in Washington controversial - overtures towards Russia's President Vladimir Putin, whom Modi on Tuesday called "an abiding friend".EMERGING INDIA

Modi was addressing the second annual Raisina Dialogue, a geopolitical gathering in New Delhi sponsored by India's foreign ministry and the Observer Research Foundation, a think tank, that is competing for attention with the higher-profile World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Speaking in Davos, Chinese President Xi Jinping avoided mention of Trump and instead mounted a vigorous defence of free trade that the American president-elect has vowed to roll back to protect U.S. jobs.Although many of the guests in New Delhi were former, rather than current prime ministers, they did include the top U.S. naval commander in the Pacific, Admiral Harry Harris.Modi, elected on a nationalist platform in 2014, called for a rules-based security architecture in the Asia-Pacific that is "open, transparent, balanced and inclusive, and promote(s) dialogue and predictable behaviour rooted in international norms and respect for sovereignty."

That reflects not only India's concerns about the South China Sea, but fears that Beijing is threading a "string of pearls" in the Indian Ocean theatre by building strategic ports in countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Djibouti on the eastern coast of Africa.India has maritime interests in all directions that are "strategic and significant", said Modi, whose country is the world's fourth-largest oil importer and juts southward from the Eurasian landmass into the strategic shipping lane running from the Middle East to the rising economies of the Asia-Pacific."Primary responsibility for security in the Indian Ocean rests with those who live in this region," he said."Respecting freedom of navigation and adhering to international norms are essential for peace and growth in the larger and interlinked marine geography of the Indo-Pacific." (Reporting by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
After news of his resignation over ticket distribution were reported by the media, BJP leader Vijay Sampla dismissed the reports as mere rumours. The BJP MP cleared the air around his reported resignation after meeting party president Amit Shah in New Delhi.

The reports regarding me(offers to quit as Punjab BJP chief) are false, I had gone for some work: Vijay Sampla  ANI (@ANI_news) January 17, 2017

Ye sab baatien jhoot ki siwa kuch nahi hain, ye rumours hain: Vijay Sampla pic.twitter.com/CY3wS2IdUm  ANI (@ANI_news) January 17, 2017

Earlier in the day, media reports suggested that State BJP chief and Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla had offered to resign citing displeasure over ticket distribution for the polls.

According to The Times of India, the BJP MP from Hoshiarpur was upset over Som Parkash being offered the ticket to contest from Phagwara constituency. Parkash is the siting MLA from the seat.

Sampla is intelligent and knows the politics. Theres no reason to resign, Hindustan Times quoted Prabhat Jha, BJP in-charge of Punjab as saying.

According to a Times Now report, the union minister has sent his resignation to BJP president Amit Shah, offering to quit if the party does not withdraws its decision.

Punjab goes to poll on 4 February. While the Shiromani Akali Dal will contest 93 seats, the BJP will contest the rest. The Amit Shah-led party announced its candidates for 17 seats on 12 January.
Chandigarh: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday upped the ante against the ruling Badals, alleging they have "looted" Punjab and will be held accountable for their "misdeeds" if AAP forms the government. He also reiterated his charge that Congress was colluding with the Akalis to keep AAP at bay.

On the river water issue, Kejriwal at a press conference here said if AAP government is formed, it will strongly defend the rights of Punjab. He, however, described the SYL canal issue as a "political issue" and said it needs to be dealt accordingly.

Hitting out at the ruling Akalis for "destroying Punjab", the AAP national convener said, "for the first time, they are facing a outfit which is giving them a tough fight". He said that AAP wants Badals to bite dust at the electoral hustings so that they can't enter the Vidhan Sabha even as the opposition MLAs.

"Against the Badals and (Badal family relative and Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh) Majithia, we have pitted our top leadership in the polls. It is not only important to put them behind bars for their misdeeds, but also to ensure their unholy feet don't touch the Vidhan Sabha (as MLAs)," he said.

He said AAP has pitted party's Delhi legislator Jarnail Singh against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi constituency, AAP's Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann from Jalalabad to take on SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and party's senior leader from Punjab, Himmat Singh Shergill will take on Bikram Singh Majithia from Majitha assembly segment.

The Delhi chief minister alleged that a deal had been struck between Amarinder and Badal under a "tacit understanding". "Jarnail held an impressive roadshow and he is getting overwhelming support. Seeing the response, CM Badal approached Capt Amarinder Singh saying we took back cases against you, now you help us. Capt decided to fight from Lambi to divide the anti-Badal vote, which otherwise was going to Jarnail Singh," Kejriwal claimed.

"To justify his fight, Capt is saying he wants to fight injustice of the Badals, but why has he announced to fight from Lambi just 10 days before the polls. In entire Punjab, this poll is predominantly about who is going to defeat the Badals and entire Akali leadership. Now, Capt has joined hands with the Badals and he has betrayed the people and people will never forgive him for this," he said.

Kejriwal said Bikram Singh Majithia will be send behind the bars for his alleged role in a multi-million rupee drug racket in the state.

"Majithia and his entire gang has pushed Punjab into drugs. People are scared of them... When AAP government is formed, we will punish them. I want to say that on 11 March results will be declared and government will be in place by 22 March. And on 15 April, we will send Majithia behind the bars. People of Punjab will get freedom not just from drug menace, but they will be free from reign of terror and

goondaism," he said.

Kejriwal wondered why Majithia was not being arrested and interrogated in the drug case. "We will also set up a SIT, which will probe the loot by the ruling Badals and everything will be recovered with interest. They will be send behind the bars and everything including Amarinder's 'Swiss bank' accounts will be brought under the ambit of the SIT," he said.

To a question, he said when AAP had first formed the government in Delhi, it had strongly gone after where alleged misdeeds had been done by the erstwhile Congress government. "In Delhi, our 49 day government was formed and we registered three FIRs in connection with CWG scam and other cases. Later, for one year, there was President rule in Delhi. Modi government put the cases in the backburner. Then when we

returned to power, we reopened the whole thing. On 8 June, 2015, ...our anti-corruption branch was taken control of and whole thing is now under Prime Minister Modi ji," he claimed.

Kejriwal was also asked questions on the water issue, with opponents accusing that the AAP and Kejriwal do not have a clear stand on the issue.

In response, Kejriwal said the river water agreements were made by the erstwhile Congress governments and later on the SAD politicised the issue for their vested interest. "People of Punjab are wise. What AAP says it means and what we are saying is that we will not allow Punjab's rights to be compromised. We will have to fight on many levels, legally, administrative grounds and inside Vidhan Sabha and other levels," he said.

To a related question, Kejriwal said, "SYL is not a technical issue, but a political issue. Today, BJP rules at the Centre, in Punjab and in Haryana and if Modi ji wants he can make all the three governments come at one table and find a solution to this issue within five minutes. But he (Modi) says one thing in Haryana, something else in Centre and another thing in Punjab, how can this issue be solved then".

"Earlier, Congress was also in power at the Centre, in Haryana and in Punjab, they did the same thing as nobody wants to find a solution to this issue. As far as AAP is concerned, I want to categorically state that we will strongly protect the rights of Punjab on water issue."

Asked what he has to say about the rights of Haryana on water issue, he said, "this is a political issue, which has to be dealt at political level."

To a question suspended AAP MP Dharamvira Gandhi floating his own front, Kejriwal said that at this juncture "when history is in the making and AAP is set to form the government with 100 plus seats in Punjab, I appeal to him not to do any such thing which will help the the Akalis or the Congress".

On Navjot Singh Sidhu's joining Congress, Kejriwal said "it will have no impact".

Meanwhile, Kejriwal on Tuesday again asked voters in Punjab to take the money "offered" by political parties but "fool" them by voting only for the Aam Aadmi Party, barely days after the Goa poll chief took cognisance of a a similar remark and sent a report to the Election Commission.

"Take money from Akali Dal, from BJP and from Congress and if they don't come take it from their offices, take money from the three parties, but vote for AAP. The trouble these parties have with this statement is that they are saying that Kejriwal should have said that vote for only those who gives money. What I have said is not bribery. I had said same thing in Delhi elections...," he said.
Thanjavur: M Natarajan, husband of AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala, on Monday accused "some sections" in the BJP of trying to split the AIADMK and get the state government dismissed.

"They are trying to break the AIADMK and dismiss our government. They are trying to besmirch our government. There are also attempts to saffronise Tamil Nadu but they will not succeed. I will tour the entire state and tear their mask," he said.

"We will not allow such conspiracies to succeed. I will face the challenge squarely. I am willing to come anywhere single-handedly, to Gujarat, to UP, anywhere," he said while addressing the valedictory session of the three-day 'Thamizhar Kalai Ilakkiya Pongal Thiruvizha' (Tamil art and literary Pongal festival) in Thanjavur.

The remarks of Natarajan are significant because he is said to wield considerable influence in the AIADMK, particularly after the demise of J Jayalalithaa, and his allegation against the BJP comes against the souring relations between the two parties.

Later when asked by reporters about the attempts to divide the party and dismiss the government, Natarajan said definitely attempts were on at the behest of S Gurumurthy, the RSS ideologue.

Significantly, Gurumurthy, who has taken over as editor of Thuglaq magazine after the demise of founder-editor Cho S Ramaswamy, had made veiled remarks at the annual readers' interaction on Saturday in Chennai that while one party was already under the control of a family (apparent reference to DMK), another party was going into the control of a family (AIADMK).

Natarajan dared Gurumurthy to come out "in the open" and oppose them and "not hide behind".

He also questioned the security being given to Gurumurthy who held no position in the government.

He said while they support Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there were others who were creating problem for the AIADMK.

Natarajan said when powerful forces were acting against Jayalalithaa after MGR's death, it was he and his family who had protected her like a shield.

"There were just four or five of us who protected her...for 36 years since then, my wife Sasikala was bearing her on her shoulders," Natarajan said delving on the hard sacrifices that he and his family had made to protect Jayalalithaa and thereby preserve the AIADMK from the designs of the rival DMK.

He said unnecessary controversies and questions were being raised over Jayalalithaa's treatment in the hospital. Her entire treatment has been recorded. She was with a clear mind

while in the hospital, he claimed.

Complimenting Chief Minister O Panneerselvam of giving able administration, Natarajan said it was his personal opinion that he should continue as CM.

"But then, this is my personal opinion. He has been elected as the leader by the party legislators; so it is up to them and the other party seniors to decide on these issues," he added.

Natarajan said any attempt to divide the Tamil society on the basis of caste and communal factors would never succeed.

The AIADMK would ensure that an egalitarian society continued in the Dravidian state.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, speaking at a meeting with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office and Austria's Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz, said he was confident that respect toward international law would be restored in Donbas, the Ukrainian presidential administration said on Monday evening.

"It is necessary to make it clear to Russia every day that it will not avoid responsibility for the flagrant disregard for the norms and principles of international law, and that its hopes for an easing of sanctions pressure are futile," Poroshenko said.

Efforts to settle the situation in Donbas require the application of the OSCE's full potential, including the need to continue working on the issue of stationing an OSCE armed police mission in Donbas, he said. The Ukrainian president also welcomed the intention of the Austrian presidency to bolster the technical capabilities of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission helping to monitor the observance of the ceasefire in Donbas.

Poroshenko also called on the OSCE chairperson-in-office to respond in every possible way to Russia's violations of Ukrainian citizens' rights, as well as help secure the release of prisoners in Russia and in Donbas.
Lucknow: Having bagged the 'bicycle' symbol, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said he would take Mulayam Singh Yadav along, describing the ties with his father and the SP founder as "unbreakable".

After Akhilesh met his Mulayam at the latter's residence, his second meeting after getting the bicycle symbol, Mulayam appeared to have softened his stand but his camp chose to avoid the media. However, treading with caution, Akhilesh camp has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court in case the EC's decision is challenged there.

During the father-son meeting, Mulayam reportedly asked Akhilesh to retain about 40 candidates selected by his camp. "Over 90 percent candidates in both the lists are common. We will finalise the list of candidates soon," Akhilesh told reporters during an informal chat at his Kalidas Marg residence. He said at present his priority is to form Samajwadi Party government again and promised to take everyone along.

"I will take Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) along...my relation with him is unbreakable," he said.

"I was confident that I will get cycle. Little time is left. It's a big responsibility and I will take everyone with us," he said.

SP Rajya Sabha members Ramgopal Yadav and Naresh Agarwal also reached the state capital this evening and immediately went into a huddle with Akhilesh at chief minister's residence to finalise the candidates' list.

Party sources said the list would be prepared keeping in mind the possible alliance with Congress as nomination for first phase has already started. Dealing a severe blow to Mulayam, the Election Commissiongave the 'bicycle' symbol to the faction headed by Akhilesh, recognising it as Samajwadi Party, thereby giving a a major boost to the chief minister ahead of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

After getting the symbol, Akhilesh had met Mulayam late last night and later tweeted three old pictures one with his father and two of the 1 January national convention with the message "cycle chalti jayegi, aage badte jayegi" (cycle will keep moving forward).

A large number of party workers, legislators and ministers reached his residence early in the morning even as hordes of ticket seekers swarmed the SP headquarters close by. SP state president Naresh Uttam met workers at the party office.

Mulayam stayed put in his bungalow, which is a stone's throw away from the chief minister's residence and met brother Shivpal Yadav, Ambika Chowdhury and some other leaders close to him.
The BJP better wrap up warm, for there is an East Wind coming. And it is called Akhilesh Yadav.

On Tuesday, as westerlies swept into Delhi bringing with them a biting cold, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad indicated that the next challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP would come from east of New Delhi, rising perhaps from the shores of the Hooghly and gathering storm over the Sangam.

Ghulam Nabi Azad's announcement of an alliance between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh has not just indicated the direction of the wind in 2017. It has also defined the contours of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In all likelihood, Akhilesh would be part of at least a troika of leaders that would take on Modi. By his side would be Rahul Gandhi and, if she can control her ambition and ego, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The Congress-SP (Akhilesh) alliance has a ring of finality to it after Azad jumped the gun and announced it before the proposed Rahul-Akhilesh meeting. Aware of its limitations and a shrinking base, the Congress has realised that it can remain relevant in UP only by hanging on the coattails of the Uttar Pradesh chief minister. In all likelihood, it will settle for around 100 seats and work as the junior partner, riding pillion on Akhilesh's cycle.

Akhilesh, on his part, has realised the importance of gathering in his basket every voter opposed to the BJP, not giving them a chance to disintegrate. In a triangular fight, the SP chief understands how just a minor swing can make or break the fortune of a political party. He would now be hoping to consolidate the Muslim-Yadav vote, pluck the urban middle class and youth from the BJP basket with his development agenda and use the committed Congress voter as the icing on his electoral pie.

The SP polled 29.29 percent votes in the 2012 assembly elections. The Congress got around 13 percent in the seats it contested. In politics, 29 plus 13 is rarely 42. But even if Akhilesh gets the lion's share of the Congress vote, he would be hoping to sweep the polls. Also, the alliance raises a flag high  higher than that of the BSP  under which anti-BJP voters, especially the minorities, can gather. It literally aims to take the BSP out of the equation, turning the election into a clash of personalities  Akhilesh vs Modi.

From the selective leads and leaks in the media, it is apparent that the SP-Congress (and perhaps RLD) alliance would also be a clash of generations. Rahul-Priyanka Gandhi-Akhilesh-Dimple Yadav would lead a joint campaign against Modi and Shah.

It will obviously be fatuous to underestimate the BJP. Over the past one year, the BJP has worked continuously on the ground to put together a rainbow coalition of voters. Apart from retaining the Hindutva votaries, it has made huge dents into Mayawati's vote bank and played up class differences through Modi's demonetisation narrative. Its first list of candidates released on Monday indicates that the BJP would rely heavily on OBC candidates  a strategy aimed at stealing from Akhilesh's vote bank  for the final push.

Like the election in Bihar in 2015, this contest should be for the ages, a humdinger that could go right down to the wire. And since it is being built up as the clash of the titans, the results would have long-term ramifications.

One of them, obviously, will be to set up Akhilesh as the fulcrum of the opposition unity. Even if he loses the Assembly polls, Akhilesh is the only politician in north India who can stop the BJP from sweeping back to power with an encore of 2014 polls when it won 73 seats just from UP. Congress, with just a marginal presence in the state, knows this and its decision to accept the role of the junior partner is an indication of the party's realistic SWOT analysis. Unless the script goes horribly wrong, Congress is likely to latch on to Akhilesh even in 2019.

What is now interesting to watch is the stand Mamata Banerjee takes in UP. Ever since the demonetisation saga unfolded, Banerjee has been trying to set herself up as Modi's arch rival and nemesis  notice her verbal vows of ensuring the prime minister's defeat. She has also indicated support for any coalition that takes on Modi in UP and, in the war within the Mulayam parivar, thrown her weight behind Akhilesh, indicating her political preferences.

Sherlock Holmes fans would be aware of the significance of the East Wind. It rises all of a sudden, blows with a violent force and has the potential to uproot everything that doesn't have deep roots.

The BJP, as John Watson says in His Last Vow, better wrap up warm.
Lucknow: The Election Commission's recognition to the Akhilesh Yadav faction as the Samajwadi Party and allotting 'bicycle' symbol to it will have an impact on UP Assembly polls and might force both BSP and BJP to redraw their poll strategy.

Both the parties had been banking heavily on the internal feud in the first family of the state with Mayawati projecting her party as the only force to take on the saffron brigade in the face of a weakened Samajwadi Party. BJP on its part was seeking to capitalise by promising development and law and order.

Akhilesh-led SP is likely to seal its alliance with the Congress later this week, a deal that would pitchfork the combine as the main contender against the resurgent BJP in the coming elections in UP.

SP and Congress together will seek to offer a stronger and cleaner alternative to the Muslim electorate which will be looking for a party that could defeat BJP as the hustings. Muslim voters, who account for nearly 20 percent of Uttar Pradesh's population, can make or mar the electoral prospects of key political parties vying for the top slot in the high stake elections.

While divided Muslim votes translate to gains for BJP, a consolidation will change the poll arithmetic as minorities play a crucial role in at least 125 of 403 constituencies. Muslims are known to go with a party or alliance that stands the best chance to defeat BJP and Akhilesh-led SP and Congress together could provide them this option. This would also mean that the extent of Muslim support to BSP will not be up to its expectations to see its candidates through.

Working on this equation, Mayawati gave tickets to Muslims in as many as 97 constituencies, but her old record of allying with BJP for power in UP often returns to haunt her. As ruling SP grappled with internal feud, BSP supremo Mayawati sought to fish in troubled waters, seeking to drive a wedge in SP camp to wean away the crucial Muslim vote bank.

Muslims are considered the traditional votebank of the ruling Samajwadi Party and the concern over SP family feud has been voiced by several top clerics including, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid and Maulana Salman Nadvi of Lucknow-based Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama. These leaders gave a blunt message to Mulayam Singh Yadav that their votes would end up with BSP if the internecine war in his party did not end.

To project herself as the true saviour of the minorities, she has been continuously linking SP and BJP, often claiming that there was a "tacit understanding" between the two and asking voters to be wary of their "closeness".

BJP has also been quoting lack of development and misgovernance of successive governments and promising people to make Uttar Pradesh as 'Uttam Pradesh' if voted to power. Political analysts said a section of Yadavs and Muslims might still go with party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav but a majority of them will move towards the Akhilesh group as they look at him as a new hope in the state.

The 43-year-old chief minister has already proved his mettle at governance in the past five years and shown that development was the buzz word for him. They say that armed with the EC order, Akhilesh will now be better placed to steer the party to a cleaner new image

which will go down well with the people especially the young electorate.

Analysts also said the EC order might be a setback to some extent to BJP and BSP, which were banking on the family feud in the SP to give them an edge. BSP had expected Muslims to leave SP and join its core votebank of Dalits to give it the requisite numerical advantage to bring it back to power. But, the latest development could drive the BSP supremo to think of a fresh strategy, especially in the communally

sensitive western UP - where she anticipates a keen contest with BJP - which goes to polls in the first two phases.

BSP insiders said the party was contemplating reassessing its strategy vis-a-vis Muslim vote bank which has strongly been siding with SP post Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid issue. Sources said Mayawati had directed her deputy Naseemuddin Siddiqui and his son Afzal to step up the BSP campaign in western UP to mobilize Muslim voters and showcase the party that can halt the saffron surge.

Naseemuddin had met Shia cleric and convenor of Majlis-e-Ulema-e Hind, an outfit of Muslim ulemas, Kalbe Jawad yesterday soon after the EC order. They said Mayawati was of the firm view that wooing Muslims and galvanizing them with her core Dalit vote bank could drum up a formidable alliance to take on BJP, which will stand to gain in the event of Muslim votes getting split between SP and BSP.

Analysts say a Bihar-like 'maha-gathbandhan' in UP could keep the Muslim flock together. BJP too seems to be re-drawing its strategy by roping in as many Muslim voters as possible by showing itself as the primary opponent of SP.

The saffron party expects to gain those Muslim voters who have become disenchanted with SP, especially after Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013, in which over 60 people were killed and around 50,000 rendered homeless.

Some sections of Muslims are also unhappy with the SP government which has no so far fulfilled its promise to ensure 18 per cent quota for them despite the fact that reservation is not on basis of religion.

Congress too is making frantic efforts to regain its lost moorings in the state and has appointed Ghulam Nabi Azad as its state in-charge hoping to attract a huge chunk of Muslim votes.

Muslims, who constitute a fifth of the state's population of nearly 200 crore, are yet to open their cards as to which way they will go, though the community is the cynosure of all eyes in the political circles.
Politics is perception. Secure in the knowledge that he had the numbers in the bruising battle against his father, Akhilesh Yadav mapped out the alliances, fixed the dates for a whirlwind tour of Uttar Pradesh, and dispatched his campaign managers far and wide to organise multiple rallies everyday. Camp 'Tipu' was ready, even if the Election Commission were to freeze the 'bicycle' symbol. Media reports indicated that if the EC had no-balled the cycle, Akhilesh was planning to speed away with a motorcycle!

But there was a problem. Despite strength in numbers  the Akhilesh faction flaunted the support of 205 out of 228 Samajwadi Party MLAs, 56 of 68 MLCs, 15 of 24 Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha MPs, 28 of 46 national executive members, and 4,716 party delegates out of a total of 5,731  a new party and a new symbol would have meant a vertical split in the party, and the resultant four-way contest would've handed Mayawati the decisive advantage.

EC's decision on Monday to hand over the cycle symbol to Akhilesh, making his faction the 'real SP', is a hammer blow to father Mulayam Singh, who now must hand over to his son the empire he founded and nurtured. The ageing patriarch may yet spring a surprise, but he might find it difficult to bounce back from this defeat. The first of the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh elections is scheduled for 11 February, and filing of nominations for 73 seats in western UP starts on Tuesday. If he wishes to fight his own battle  a possibility that he has intriguingly kept hanging in the air  Mulayam and his battered camp must take recourse to obsolete platforms like Bharatiya Lok Dal, since he doesn't have enough time to float a new outfit.

This translates to an even bigger boost for brand Akhilesh, who has successfully appropriated the political capital of his father minus the baggage of incumbency and negative perception. With the old SP guard out of the way, the chief minister can now project his image as a legitimate counter to the Narendra Modi-led "development" narrative. In one swift swoop, Akhilesh has not only disowned the 'Bahubali' culture that dogged SP, but also the lawlessness and corruption that were rampant under his watch. He can now stake claim for a second term, this time with a freshness that would have otherwise been denied to him.

The events from last September, when a four-and-a-half-CM suddenly rose up in revolt after being sacked as the state party chief and launched a bitter battle against his uncle Shivpal and father, has culminated into him being anointed as the undisputed party chief, who has inherited the party's legacy by fight, not design. Miraculously, Akhilesh emerges from this bruising family dangal as a man with a clean image and a bright future, one who has shown the ability to vanquish the innumerable power brokers within his party and family, and one who can take along Netaji's legacy as Chhote Netaji.

This is a devastating political message, one that his foes and friends alike have noted. From Congress, which hopes to ride pillion on Akhilesh's cycle, to Trinamool Congress that's desperate to see Narendra Modi and BJP suffer a setback, a new political axis is emerging, with Akhilesh as its fulcrum.

It's not merely the 'Grand Alliance' if Akhilesh can go on and win a second term from here  he may even fill the space that lies vacant among Opposition ranks, who have struggled to pose an effective challenge to Narendra Modi despite cameo performances from an Arvind Kejriwal or a Mamata Banerjee.

It isn't a surprise to note how opposition leaders lined up to congratulate Akhilesh. Sheila Dikshit appeared more interested in ensuring Akhilesh's win than her own aspirations for the chief minister's chair, even though she remains Congress' candidate. Lalu Prasad Yadav was even more interested than SP cadres, appealing fervently to Mulayam to patch up. He was joined by Nitish Kumar who threw his weight behind Akhilesh, so did the NCP. From West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, who earlier lent her support to Akhilesh during his battle for the symbol, also tweeted a congratulatory message.

The stage is now set, not only for a SP-Congress-RLD Grand Alliance and a three-way contest in UP, but the portend of Akhilesh's 'symbolic' victory will also promise to have far reaching consequences.
New York: What'll she be wearing?

It's a question that fascinates fashion-watchers  and lots of others  every four years: Which designer will the new US first lady choose to wear on Inauguration Day and, more importantly, on Inauguration Night?

This year, as never before, the question is a loaded one. Dressing the first lady has long been considered a great honour for a designer  and a huge business boon. But in an industry that leaned heavily toward Hillary Clinton, a number of designers have indicated they have no interest in dressing Melania Trump. So the question is not merely whom she'll be choosing  if she doesn't simply buy off the rack  but also, in a sense, who will be choosing her.

And the first lady's inaugural attire is not the only example of how political concerns have seeped into fashion lately in unexpected ways.

The fashion choices of Ivanka Trump, the daughter who many believe will serve as a quasi-first lady, have also come under scrutiny. She recently announced she's leaving her executive position at the Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories brand, calling it a "formal leave of absence" as she and her husband, Jared Kushner, head to Washington, where he will be a senior adviser to to his father-in-law.

But what about her role as the brand's most visible ambassador? Ivanka Trump frequently wears her own label, as she did with a fitted pastel pink shift dress at the Republican National Convention in July, and with a $10,800 bangle bracelet on "60 Minutes" in November.

She hasn't said whether she'll continue to wear her own label; a spokesperson declined to answer when queried by The Associated Press. If she does, it could be viewed as promoting the brand.

Of course, neither Ivanka nor Melania Trump (nor anyone else) needs permission to wear a designer; they can buy whatever they like. But since high-end first lady fashion is often custom-made, as it often was for Michelle Obama, a designer's choice comes into play.

The debate began in November when New York-based designer Sophie Theallet said she would not dress Melania Trump, citing "the rhetoric of racism, sexism and xenophobia unleashed by her husband's presidential campaign."

Few designers made such public declarations, but when asked, a number said they, too, would not want to dress the first lady, among them Marc Jacobs. Others said they'd be happy to, including Tommy Hilfiger and Carolina Herrera. Thom Browne said he'd be honored, "out of respect for the position" of first lady. (Browne designed Michelle's daytime inaugural outfit in 2013.)

Others have wondered whether designers should even be talking about politics when it comes to dressing first ladies. Naeem Khan, the Indian-born American designer who often dressed Michelle, thinks it's an important discussion.

"Every designer has a point of view," Khan said in an interview. "A designer is an artist, and should have the choice of who they want to dress or not."

For Khan, the choice is clear. Though he was approached by a common social friend about possibly designing an inaugural gown for Melania Trump, he says, he declined to pursue the opportunity.

"I don't think it's right," he said, citing in part his long association with Michelle Obama, whom he dressed close to 20 times, including a shimmering gown for her first state dinner, with India's prime minister. He was quick to note that Melania Trump "might be a great person for all we know."

But, he added, "the values of this administration do not comply with the values of who I feel we are as a nation."

Whom will Melania Trump pick? She wore a sleeveless black Dolce & Gabbana dress for New Year's Eve (believed to have been purchased off the rack), drawing thanks on Instagram from Stefano Gabbana and speculation she might choose the Italian designers.

But others think she'll more likely choose an American designer, perhaps Ralph Lauren, whose designs she wore in the campaign. Or perhaps she might, like Mrs. Obama in 2009, choose to boost the profile of lesser known designers.

"The impact of the first lady is really, really powerful," said Khan. "It turned us into a global business."

Whatever Melania Trump chooses, politics has entered the discussion in an unprecedented way, says historian Carl Sferrazza Anthony of the National First Ladies' Library.

Anthony notes that politics crept into inaugural fashion before, but only after the fact, when an outfit was deemed too expensive in a time of economic hardship.

This is different.

"This is the first time that this moment is being used by professionals and people in the fashion industry as an opportunity to put their political views out there in public," he said.

Even the fashion choices of Donald Trump himself have come under discussion.

Santo Versace, president of Gianni Versace fashion house, told Italy's state RAI radio that he welcomes Trump as a client in any Versace boutique. But he added:

"Honestly, I personally wouldn't dress him. He says many things that I don't like."
With Donald Trump set to be inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States on 20 January, will his presidency alter India-US-Australia trilateral relations?

It is an indisputable fact that the US is a vital strategic ally for Australia. The depth of the collaboration between the two Pacific-rim countries can be seen in various spheres like foreign policy and national security. Australian defence policy is basically driven by the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Alliance (ANZUS). The ties between the two English-speaking democracies have been so strong that Australia is often derided as the Deputy Sheriff of the US in the region.

All this could undergo a drastic makeover once Trump takes the presidency of undoubtedly the most powerful country on our planet. If the US significantly downgrades the alliance with Canberra, there is a likelihood that Australia could move over to seek similar ties with its largest trading partner, China.

If this happens, India's burgeoning diplomatic and trade ties with Australia could also come under severe strain. In a worst-case scenario, there is a possibility that a Trump presidency can negatively impact the supply of uranium by Australia to India. Similarly, various multilateral dialogues involving Australia, India and the US could also be scrapped or downgraded.

It would be relevant to mention here that the upswing in the Indo-Australian bilateral ties can be traced to the early 2000s when policymakers looking to maintain US dominance in Asia started considering India as a potential counter-weight to China.

If the leaked US diplomatic cables (published by WikiLeaks) are to be believed, the US cajoled Prime Minister John Howard to change Australia's hard stance on India. The push came after President George Bush and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee signed what is known as the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) agreement in 2004.

In March 2006, Howard signed six bilateral agreements in India, including a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation.

Foreign affairs experts believe that if pushed too hard by the US, Australia is likely to take a serious look at strengthening its relations with the Asian powerhouse China. There is already pressure from the Australian business community on Canberra to move away from the US-centric foreign, defence and trade policies.

Dhruva Jaishankar, a Fellow for Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution India Centre in New Delhi, recently commented: "...there is an evident tension between Australia's strategic establishment (largely confined to a bubble in Canberra) and the business community. For some, China's importance as a trade partner and immigration trends point to a recalibration of its international relations away from the United States and the West, and there are certainly some such pressures from Australian business."

These tensions would have exacerbated in the recent months as the President-elect unveiled his vision to "Make America Great Again".

The concerns over Donald Trump's threat to scarp the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal and the Anzus continue to occupy a significant space in the public dialogue Down Under.

Trump's foreign policy can bury the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD) which was started as an informal strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia and India in 2007. It could also have a negative impact on the high-level trilateral dialogue between India, Japan and Australia.

The allies are definitely experiencing pangs of uncertainty about the global outlook Trump may have during the initial stage of his presidency.

In a video released after winning the contentious elections, Trump had expressed his intention to withdraw the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

"On trade, I am going to issue our notification of intent to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a potential disaster for our country," Trump had said. "Instead, we will negotiate fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back on to American shores."

Australian mandarins may have developed the jitters after Stephen Moore, Trump's senior economic adviser, dropped a bombshell when he told the BBC that dramatic tax cuts are the "single most important thing for our country right now". Australian business analysts are worried that such tax cuts would plunge the Australian economy into a crisis.
Washington: The wife of the Orlando nightclub shooter, who was extensively questioned by federal agents in the days after the massacre, has been arrested by the FBI in connection with the attack, authorities said.

Noor Salman was taken into custody on Monday in the San Francisco Bay Area and is facing charges in Florida, including obstruction of justice. She will make her initial court appearance Tuesday morning in Oakland, according to a Twitter post from the United States attorney's office.

After her husband, Omar Mateen, was killed in a shootout with SWAT team members during the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Salman, 30, moved back to California, where she had grown up.

FBI agents repeatedly questioned Salman in the aftermath of the shooting about whether she had advance knowledge of her husband's plans.

Salman told The New York Times in an interview published last fall that she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but that she was "unaware of everything" regarding his intent to shoot up the club. She also said he had physically abused her.

"Noor Salman had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night," her attorney, Linda Moreno, said in a statement.

"Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands. We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonors the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person," Moreno said.

Mateen was the only shooter, and by the time a three-hour standoff with law enforcement had ended, 49 patrons were killed and another 53 people required hospitalisation.

Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a 911 call to emergency officials during the standoff. He also made a series of Facebook posts and searches before and during the attack.

Salman grew up in Rodeo, a small Bay Area community northeast of San Francisco. The FBI in San Francisco said she was arrested there yesterday, though jail records where she is being held say she was arrested about 30 miles away in Dublin. She wed Mateen in 2011 after the two met online.

They lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the time of the shooting. Last month, Salman filed a petition in a California court to change the name of the son she had with Mateen.

"We said from the beginning, we were going to look at every aspect of this, of every aspect of this shooter's life to determine not just why did he take these actions but who else knew about them? Was anyone else involved?" Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in an MSNBC interview on Monday.

The Times first reported on the arrest.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina said in a statement that Salman was facing accusations of obstruction of justice and "aiding and abetting by providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation."
BANJUL Gambian President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, state television said, after refusing to hand power to opposition leader Adama Barrow who won an election on Dec. 1.The terms of the state of emergency and its implications for Barrow's inauguration on Thursday were not immediately known.But the declaration appears to represent a hardening of Jammeh's position. Opposition leaders say an emergency could allow the government to cancel or postpone Barrow's inauguration."I...hereby declare a state of public emergency throughout the Islamic Republic of Gambia," the declaration said. Jammeh took power in a coup in 1994 and his government gained a reputation for torturing and killing of perceived opponents. Pro-democracy activists across Africa welcomed his defeat and his refusal to step down has provoked a test of mettle for regional leaders.Nigeria and other West African countries are preparing to intervene militarily and the ministers of finance, foreign affairs, trade and the environment have resigned from the government, according to ministry sources and state television.

In addition, hundreds of Gambians have fled into Senegal, Gambia's only neighbour. Gambia has had just two presidents since independence from Britain in 1965."The chiefs of defence staff of West African countries met yesterday (Monday) to discuss strategies on the best way to get Yahya Jammeh out," a senior Nigerian military source said."Some West African countries will be contributing troops, including Nigeria, for the operation," said the source, adding that the United Nations and African Union had offered support to regional body ECOWAS for the plan.

State television said on Monday that Finance Minister Abdou Kolley was being replaced by Benjamin Roberts, the Minister of Tourism. Finance ministry sources said on Tuesday Roberts had also resigned.Ministry sources said other government figures, including Foreign Minister Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, had left the government and the country. The mayor of the capital Banjul has also resigned, according to sources at the city council.The departures follow the resignation of the communications minister last week.

Hundreds have crossed into Senegal, fearing for their safety because of the turmoil, and Senegalese authorities have increased security."We are scared. There are soldiers with guns all the time," said Awa Sanneh, 25, from Birkama in Gambia, who was leaving with two children and 24 other family members.The Senegalese town of Diouloulou, 12 km (7 miles) south of the border point of Seleti, has seen 650 Gambians cross since Christmas and the flow has increased in recent days, the mayor's office said. (Reporting by Felix Onuah in Abuja and Emma Farge in Diouloulou; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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DUBAI Iran's foreign minister said on Tuesday Tehran opposed a U.S. presence at peace talks on Syria in the Kazakh capital next week, after a decision by Russia and Turkey to invite Washington."We have not invited them, and we are against their presence," Iran's Tasnim news agency quoted Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying. The United States, which led failed efforts to launch peace talks last year, has not been involved in the latest diplomacy around the Syrian conflict.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, speaking separately on Tuesday at a news conference broadcast live on state television, said: "Iran, Russia and Turkey managed to bring a ceasefire to Syria ... It shows these three powers have influence.

"The (Syrian) armed groups have accepted the invitation of these three countries and are going to Astana."Asked why the United States and Saudi Arabia had no direct role in the talks, Rouhani said: "Some countries are not attending the talks, and their role was destructive. They were helping the terrorists."

Russia and Iran, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful allies, and Turkey, pushed for the talks in Astana after Syrian government forces won a major victory in capturing eastern Aleppo late last year.Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday that Turkey and Russia had decided to invite the United States to the Astana discussions, which begin on Jan. 23. [nL5N0YB3QO]

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday he thought it was right to invite the administration of Donald Trump, due to become U.S. president on Friday. [nR4N1F200T] (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Andrew Roche)

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By Steve Scherer

| ROME

ROME A Rome court on Tuesday handed down eight life sentences for the murder of 23 Italian citizens in a conspiracy, known as Operation Condor, in which South American dictatorships hunted down and killed thousands of dissidents in the 1970s and 1980s.It is the first time an Italian court has ruled a conspiracy existed between the governments of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia to help find and assassinate each others' political opponents.After a trial that lasted more than two years, lead judge Evelina Canale said eight men were convicted in absentia, including former Bolivian President Luis Garcia, now 87 and serving a 30-year prison sentence in Bolivia for crimes committed during his government, and former Peruvian President Francisco Morales, now 95."It's clear that this conviction confirms that Operation Condor existed and that it was a criminal conspiracy," Prosecutor Tiziana Cugini told Reuters after the ruling. "It's very significant, especially given that heads of state from the time were convicted." Under Italian law, Italian magistrates can investigate the killings of Italian citizens overseas.

Morales' son, Remigio Morales, said his father had nothing to do with the killings. Garcia's attorney, Frank Campero, said Garcia was never notified of the trial in Rome, but would appeal the verdict as he denies wrongdoing.According to Italian law, the first-degree conviction can be appealed twice before the ruling becomes definitive and sentences are served.Should the sentences become definitive, Italy can ask for extradition, but due to their age it may be more likely that they would serve their sentences in their own countries.

Operation Condor, named after the broad-winged birds that inhabit the Andes, was a Cold War era campaign by U.S.-backed right-wing dictatorships in South America that killed scores of left-leaning opponents.Last year an Argentine court found 15 ex-military officials guilty of conspiring to kidnap and assassinate dissidents in Operation Condor, including former dictator Reynaldo Bignone, who was given a 20-year sentence. Morales' life sentence marks the second time a former Peruvian leader has been found guilty of human rights abuses, following ex-president Alberto Fujimori's 2009 conviction for leading death squads that killed civilians in the 1990s.

Italy's investigation into the murder of its citizens began in 1999. Cugini sought 27 life sentences in October, but the court acquitted 19 of them.The other six convictions were of former military and government officials from Uruguay, Chile and Peru. Some 140 witnesses testified during the trial, Cugini said."We heard some truly terrible torture stories," she said. (With additional reporting by Mitra Taj and Marco Aquino in Peru, Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has noted excellent relations with the U.S. last year and expects the new U.S. administration to comply with its obligations.

He said about this at a meeting with foreign ambassadors accredited in Ukraine, the presidential press service said on Monday.

"2016 was a year of high dynamics of our relationship and cooperation on the basis of a permanent bipartisan support of Ukraine. It was nice to feel it personally during a telephone conversation with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in a few days after the elections day," the press service quoted Poroshenko as saying.

The president noted that the next week the new administration enters the White House, "but today we can say that American leadership in the world, as well as compliance with its commitments  is a principled position."

"For Ukraine - a key partner and ally of the U.S. in Eastern Europe - this is especially important to know," Poroshenko said.
By Rich McKay

| ATLANTA

ATLANTA The daughter of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King marked the holiday that honors her father on Monday by siding with African-American congressman and activist John Lewis over President-elect Donald Trump in an imbroglio that erupted over the weekend.Lewis, 76, a contemporary of King's who endured beatings and jail time in the fight for racial equality in the 1960s, said in a televised interview that he saw Trump's election as illegitimate because of Russian tampering in the campaign, drawing a scornful response from Trump.Bernice King, the youngest daughter of Martin Luther King, who would have been 88 years old on Sunday, was interrupted frequently by thunderous applause during an address at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the house of worship in Lewis' district where King once preached.She told the audience not to give up hope and "Don't be afraid of who sits in the White House.""God can triumph over Trump," she said, drawing a standing ovation.Bernice King also gave a nod to Lewis by standing up for his congressional district, which Trump derided in his Twitter comments as "crime-infested" and "falling apart." "Many of you here are proud residents of the fifth congressional district and we are proud of the progress we have made here and in this city," she said.The service at the Ebenezer Baptist Church takes place every year on Martin Luther King Jr Day, a federal holiday honoring a man who championed the cause of racial justice until he was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39.

This year it falls days before Barack Obama ends his second term as the country's first African-American president. Trump takes the oath of office as his successor on Friday.Lewis did not mention Trump in a half-hour speech honoring King at a breakfast in Miami that focused on the civil rights struggle, but urged young black Americans to consider voting a "sacred" act.Trump, meanwhile, offered praise for King in a Twitter post on Monday."Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for. Honor him for being the great man that he was!" Trump tweeted.

Trump, who won only 8 percent of the black vote, was scheduled to meet on Monday with King's son, Martin Luther King III, at his offices in New York, according to a Twitter message from his spokesman Sean Spicer. 'NO ACTION OR RESULTS'

The Trump-Lewis exchange began when Lewis told NBC News in segments of an interview released on Friday that he would not attend Trump's inauguration in part because "I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president."

He referred to the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods to try to help Trump, a Republican, defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the Nov. 8 election. Trump was withering in his response the following day, saying in tweets that Lewis, a revered figure who risked his life for civil rights, was "All talk, talk, talk - no action or results."While many Democrats and Republicans said they disagreed with Lewis, they also questioned Trump's decision to denigrate an African-American political leader of Lewis' stature, especially over the Martin Luther King Jr weekend.Civil rights leaders have also opposed Trump's nominee for U.S. attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who was denied a federal judgeship in 1986 after allegations that he was racist and harbored sympathies toward the Ku Klux Klan, a violent white supremacist organization.The Senate Judiciary Committee has received letters from 400 civil rights organizations opposing his confirmation to the country's top law enforcement post, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein has said. Sessions strongly denied that he is a racist during his confirmation hearing in the Senate last week. (Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu in Washington; Writing by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Peter Cooney and Frances Kerry)

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Beijing: A former premier will represent Taiwan at Donald Trump's inauguration Friday, a visit likely to be closely scrutinised by China for signs the incoming president intends to make good on remarks suggesting a shake-up in relations between Taipei, Washington and Beijing.

Yu Shyi-kun will be joined by lawmakers and local government officials representing both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Nationalists, the Foreign Ministry announced.

It said the delegation, which intends to "express the importance our government and people place on close friendly bilateral relations," left on Monday.

Along with attending the inauguration, the delegation will hold talks with politicians, academics and overseas Chinese community representatives, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

"Taiwan-US relations have a lengthy history and have made significant progress in recent years," the statement said. Congratulating Trump on his election, it said the government would "continue to strengthen Taiwan-US relations in future on the basis of excellent mutual trust and interaction."

The US has no formal relations with Taipei in deference to China, which claims the island as its own. However, the two maintain robust informal ties, while Washington sells Taiwan arms and is legally bound to regard any threat to the island as a matter of grave concern.

Trump upset decades of diplomatic precedent by talking by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen shortly after his victory in November's presidential election.

Last week, he said in a newspaper interview that Washington's "one China policy" under which it recognized Beijing in 1979 was open to negotiation, and had earlier questioned why the US should be bound by such an approach without China offering incentives.

On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry said the "one-China principle" regarding Taiwan is not negotiable and any attempt to reconsider the issue would be self-defeating.

"Not everything in the world can be bargained or traded off," Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.

China threatens to use force to assert control over Taiwan and tensions across the Taiwan Strait have risen since Tsai's election last year. Beijing has cut off contacts with her government and is using its diplomatic clout to further isolate the island.

Yu served as premier under former President Chen Shui-bian, who was despised by Beijing for his defiantly pro-independence stance.
By Steve Holland

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON Monica Crowley, the foreign policy adviser tapped for a White House job under President-elect Donald Trump, will relinquish the post, a transition official told Reuters on Monday.Crowley had been chosen to serve as senior director of strategic communications at the National Security Council. Her appointment had been shadowed by reports of plagiarism in news outlets including CNN and Politico.After much reflection I have decided to remain in New York to pursue other opportunities and will not be taking a position in the incoming administration, she said in a statement quoted by the Washington Times.

I greatly appreciate being asked to be part of President-elect Trumps team and I will continue to enthusiastically support him and his agenda for American renewal.A CNN review found this month that Crowley plagiarized thousands of words of her 2000 dissertation for her Columbia University Ph.D.

In addition, Politico reported that it found more than a dozen examples of plagiarism in Crowley's Ph.D. dissertation.

She had been hired to work for Trump's national security adviser, retired General Michael Flynn, who said in a statement quoted by The Times that he will miss the opportunity to have Crowley on his team. (Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by James Dalgleish)

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Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oksana Syroid has said immunity from prosecution should be stripped from MP Serhiy Pashynsky, head of parliament's committee on security and defense, in order to investigate objectively an incident during which he used a firearm.

"I think it would be a good idea to strip Pashynsky of his immunity immediately, in order to guarantee an objective investigation of the incident," Syroid said during a Rada briefing on Tuesday.

Syroid recalled that Pashynsky fired the piston at a man, who is a witness in the case.

"The investigation currently underway is farcical," Syroid said.

As reported earlier, Pashynsky was involved in a conflict in Kyiv region on December 31, 2016 with a local resident. During the incident, the lawmaker shot a man in the leg. Kyiv prosecutors are investigating the altercation as an act of hooliganism.
Over the past day militants have opened fire 41 times using the weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbas.

"The enemy continued shelling our positions across the board [...] One of our military was wounded," the press center of the Anti-Terrorist operation (ATO) headquarters said on its Facebook page.

According to the report, in the Mariupol sector the militants fired Pavlopil using 82 mm mortars. While grenade launchers and small arms were used to attack Pavlopil, Hnutove, Maryinka, Vodiane, Krasnohorivka and Shyrokyne.

In the Luhansk sector the enemy shelled Sharov Kut district, Stanytsia Luhanska and Novozvanivka from rocket-propelled grenades and small arms.

In the Donetsk sector the adversary fired Luhanske, Opytne, Avdiyivka and Myronivske by propelled grenades.
Ukraine has filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice against the Russian Federation in order to bring it to justice for the acts of terrorism and discrimination in the course of its illegal aggression against Ukraine, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported.

The lawsuit was filed under the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

"Ukraine insists that the Russian Federation violates the Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism by providing weapons and other support to illegal armed groups who have committed a number of acts of terrorism on the territory of Ukraine. The most tragic terrorist attacks by Russian proxies are the downing of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 flight, shelling of residential areas of Mariupol and Kramatorsk, destruction of civilian passenger bus near Volnovakha and deadly explosion during a peaceful meeting in Kharkiv," the Foreign Ministry said.

In addition, Ukraine insists that Russia violates the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination through participating in a campaign of discrimination of non-Russian communities living in the occupied territory of the Crimean peninsula, in particular ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars.

"Since the illegal 'referendum' held in the atmosphere of intimidation, the Russian occupation authorities pursued the policy of cultural destruction of these communities. This discriminatory policy has been condemned by the UN General Assembly and is manifested in the prohibition of the activity of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, in a wave of disappearances, killings, arbitrary searches, arrests, attempts to stop broadcast of the media, as well as restrictions on teaching of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages," the Foreign Ministry said.

"As part of its illegal aggression in Ukraine, Russia disregards basic human rights vested in every citizen of Ukraine. We have tried to resolve the existing disputes through negotiation for more than two years, but Russia does not want to cease its violations of international law. Therefore, we have filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice in order to hold the Russian Federation responsible for these violations and to restore the rights of the Ukrainian people, guaranteed by these international treaties which the Russian Federation signed," Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has said.

Ukraine also appealed to the International Court of Justice with a request to introduce temporary measures to prevent the continuation of human rights violations by Russia during the consideration of the case per se by the court.
To be a successful equity fund manager you need a healthy combination of luck and skill in stock/sector selection. To be a CEO of a blue chip company, you need a similar skill set when setting the strategic direction of the company. Unfortunately, General Electric Company (GE 3.43%) CEO Jeff Immelt hasn't had much luck with end markets, and it's arguably only in the latter quarter of his tenure that his skill has shone through. Let's take a look at the difficulties during his tenure and how he's put the company in great shape now.

Immelt's tenure at General Electric Company

The following chart shows the total return of General Electric stock compared to the S&P 500. As you can see below, former CEO Jack Welch oversaw outstanding performance in the 90s, while the decade since the handover to Immelt in 2001 was characterized by underperformance. However, since 2010 General Electric has outperformed. What changed?

General Electric from 2000-2010

Here's a chart of General Electric's segmental profit in 2001. As you can see, Immelt took over a company heavily reliant on its power segment (around a third of industrial profits) and whose largest source of income was its financial arm. Meanwhile, the portfolio contained a disparate collection of businesses, including NBC.

From then on, four bits of bad luck -- or lack of strategic thinking -- hurt General Electric over the decade.

First, Immelt took over on Sep 7, 2001. You probably don't need a reminder of what happened four days later. It did no favors to the company's aircraft engine sales, and as you can see below, the worldwide airline industry was only profitable in two years of the decade.

Second, the decade proved to be a moderate one for power spending. Third, as you can see in the second chart above, the company was significantly underexposed to oil and gas spending in a decade when energy prices soared.

Fourth, Immelt allowed General Electric's capital arm to grow and grow, such that by 2008 it contributed a third of overall segment profits. The rest is history. Immelt's experiences through the financial crisis have surely shaped his strategic decision to pivot back to being an industrial company.

With the benefit of hindsight it's easy to criticize Immelt, but terrorist attacks, rising oil price, and the great financial crisis were predicted by very few people, and even fewer fund managers. It's fair to say it wasn't a lucky decade for General Electric.

From 2010 to now

Fast forward to the current decade and Immelt's strategic shift since has had mixed results. Shareholders have been rewarded by the sale of GE Capital assets and the shift back toward the company's industrial roots. Meanwhile, new products such as the LEAP engine, HA-turbine, and Tier 4 locomotive have been successful.

On the other hand, Immelt's bad luck -- or inability to time the market -- has hurt him again with the oil and gas industry. He bought a raft of oil and gas businesses since the start of the decade to increase end market exposure to energy, only to watch as oil prices fell to $30 per barrel at the start of 2016.

The company is well on its way to achieving its aim of generating 90% of its profits from its industrial businesses. Moreover, non-core assets like NBC, appliances, and plastics have long been sold off. Over time, Immelt has increased exposure to healthcare, oil and gas, and aviation, which have benefited from favorable market conditions.

Looking ahead

Broadly speaking, Immelt has either been unlucky or unskilled with end market exposure during his tenure; however, for three key reasons such considerations may not matter as much in future.

First, the Alstom energy and Baker Hughes deals are primarily aimed at consolidating core industries and generating earnings growth through cost synergies. In addition, management is applying General Electric's Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) solutions to increase productivity.

Second, the company's aim to increase higher-margin services sales -- aided by its IIOT initiatives -- has the key advantage of leveraging its existing installed hardware base

Third, seizing leadership in the IIOT space, and in particular trying to establish Predix as the de-facto operating system for the industrial internet, means the company is establishing a marketplace of its own.

All told, the company is better balanced now, and is more focused on its core competencies. As such, the key growth drivers of the stock price largely depend on internal execution. It's taken time for Immelt to do this, but stock prices have no memory. He may not be great or lucky, but he's an excellent company manager and General Electric shareholders are likely to see the benefits in the next few years.
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Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) founder Mark Zuckerberg sat down with the Dallas Police Department Monday night to discuss the role of social media and how its changing the dynamics of law enforcement  for better, and for worse.

In a post on the social networking site, Zuckerberg said the meeting addressed how Facebook's different technologies, such as live video, offer new ways to provide accountability and trust, but also acknowledged the new challenges it creates for police officers.

On July 7, 2016, 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson killed five Dallas police officers and wounded several others  disrupting what was a peaceful protest gathering  after Facebook live videos showed officers fatally killing two African-American men, one in Louisiana and the other in Minnesota.

Facebook live video poses a different kind of challenge to police officials. Although it has the ability to shed light on situations and offer a different perspective to police shootings, it might not exactly represent the full story.

If were doing our job right, it cant do nothing but help us, you know if were doing our job the way were supposed to, and it provides evidence sometimes, Warren C. Mitchell, Dallas police sergeant, said. But also, it could misconstrue. It depends on when you come into the scene, you know and not understand why a decision was made to do this and do that - it has its pros and cons.

Facebook has also been under fire for becoming a hotbed for fake news, causing more problems amongst officials to determine fact from fiction and ensure public safety.

Facebook especially is in a very bad spot and its part of this whole slippery slope of activity thats going on with Facebook that can be very damaging to the public, to public safety, to the kind of decision making people engage in that isnt necessarily based on fact, Karen Riggs, professor of media arts and studies at Ohio University and coordinator of the Scripps College of Communications Social Media Certificate, said.

Despite the pros and cons social media offers law enforcement, as popularity continues to grow and more people engage on different networking platforms, the focus shifts to police and social media networks working together and building a relationship.

One thing we will see law enforcement doing is more and more cooperating with specialized professionals who are going to develop more and more software to locate data that are publicly available and read data the same way social networks read data, said Riggs. And, we probably will see more cooperation between Facebook and other social networks and law enforcement. That will help alleviate problems.

Facebook declined to offer FOXBusiness.com more specifics when asked whether a solution has been reached to help bridge the divide between police and the social media network.

And although Sergeant Mitchell could not disclose details about what went on behind the closed door meeting between Dallas police officials and Zuckerberg, he believes that social media has been more beneficial than harmful.
The chances that your flight will be on time and won't get canceled appear to be looking up.

The federal Department of Transportation reported Tuesday that 86.5 percent of U.S. flights in November arrived on time, an improvement over both the previous month and November 2015.

Less than one-third of 1 percent of domestic flights were canceled, the lowest rate in any month since the department started keeping comparable records in 1995. And the rate of bags that got lost, delayed or damaged was the lowest in figures that go back to 1987, the department said.

Hawaiian Airlines and Delta Air Lines posted the best rates for on-time arrivals, over 90 percent. Virgin America, which is now owned by Alaska Airlines' parent, had the worst mark.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have agreed to hold the session of the Ukrainian-Chinese intergovernmental commission on cooperation in 2017, the press service of the Ukrainian president has said.

"The two leaders called for the intensification of economic cooperation between Ukraine and China. It was agreed to hold a meeting of the Ukrainian-Chinese intergovernmental commission on cooperation in 2017," the press service said following the results of the talks between the two leaders in Davos.

The two sides also agreed to continue cooperation between the two countries to maintain peace and stability at both the regional and global levels, including in the framework of the UN Security Council.

"The president of Ukraine noted that Ukraine is interested to take an active part in the implementation of China's initiative "One belt - one way" and has a significant potential for it. The head of China invited the Ukrainian delegation to participate in this forum," the report says.

According to information, the parties agreed to intensify the political dialogue at the highest level, as well as exchange visits, the timing of which will be agreed by diplomatic channels.

As reported, on Tuesday Poroshenko arrived in Switzerland, where he will participate in the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
German chemical giant Bayer AG is promising President-elect Donald Trump billions of dollars in research and development spending in the U.S., as well as what it is saying will be a significant commitment to create jobs, if its planned merger with Monsanto Co. (MON) receives the necessary regulatory approvals to proceed, a Trump transition team spokesman confirmed on Tuesday.

The news was first reported earlier Tuesday by the FOX Business Network.

After [Trumps] meeting with Bayer and Monsanto CEOs, Bayer has committed to $8 billion in new U.S. research and development. Bayer will also keep 100% of Monsantos 9,000 plus U.S. workforce, and add 3,000 new U.S. high-tech jobs, incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said during a press conference call.

Separately, the companies promised to spend $16 billion for research and development in agriculture over the next six years with half of those funds dedicated to the U.S. "This is an investment in innovation and people that will create several thousand new high-tech, well-paying jobs after integration is complete, jobs that will keep America at the forefront of agricultural innovation and that serve U.S. farmers by delivering better products and services faster" according to a joint statement released by Bayers CEO Werner Baumann and Monsanto chief Hugh Grant.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % MON MONUMENT CIRCLE ACQUISITION CORP 9.99 -0.01 -0.10%

The initial commitment was made by the CEOs after days of negotiations with the President-elect and his senior transition staff, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Monsanto shares rose on the news as the broader market declined.

Last Wednesday the pair of CEOs met with the incoming President at New Yorks Trump Tower, where both executives discussed some of the benefits of the deal, which will need U.S. and European Union regulatory approval to proceed, these people say.

The exact nature of the commitment could not be immediately determined, but people with knowledge of the negotiations say company executives are pitching it as significant. Bayer is willing to create a multi-billion dollar spending package in the U.S., mostly focused on research and development, and produce jobs that one analyst says over time could meet or exceed the 800 jobs that Carrier Corp., agreed to keep in the U.S. after negotiations with the President-elect weeks ago.

There will be a key difference in the Bayer negotiations with Trump officials: the Carrier jobs came after the company received significant tax incentives provided by the state of Indiana, the site of its air-conditioning manufacturing plant that was looking to outsource jobs to Mexico. The jobs that Bayer is promising to create are expected to be new jobs, without such incentives.

Since the $66 billion deal was announced last summer, investors have been skeptical it would receive the necessary approvals from the EU and the U.S. Justice Departments Antitrust Division when the Trump administration takes control of the White House after Fridays inauguration.

The New York Post recently reported that a similar deal between Dow Chemical and DuPont might get nixed because of anti-trust concerns both in the U.S. and abroad.

Last Friday, shares of Monsanto closed at $107.65, significantly below the $128 per share price tag Monsanto agreed to pay for the St. Louis-based agricultural company.

While both CEOs are hopeful that the DOJ and EU will approve the deal, there has been no recent official statement from either U.S. regulatory officials or the European governing body on whether they believe the merger should be allowed to commence.

Among the issues that might raise regulatory concerns both in the U.S. and the EU are the size of the combined entity and whether the new company would create a monopoly that can raise the prices of its products without significant competition, thus squeezing consumers.

Another concern is the controversy surrounding Monsantos production of genetically modified organisms or GMOs  a technology that can mass produce food at a relatively low cost. The seed-producing giant has received a wave of criticism from those who believe the development of these crops could lead to severe health problems for those who consume them.

Since Wednesdays meeting with Baumann and Grant, Trump has continued to meet with business leaders, imploring them to create and keep jobs in the U.S. On Thursday, Trump met with AT&T (NYSE:T) CEO Randall Stephenson, who is trying to complete a controversial merger with Time Warner(NYSE:TWX), which owns the cable news channel CNN.

Trump was at war with CNN throughout his presidential campaign but is even more so of late after the news channel published a report about so-far unsubstantiated claims that the President-elect engaged with Russian leaders and operatives to manipulate the 2016 election. Trump has vehemently denied the story.

Some investors believe that Trumps battle with CNN may be a stumbling block for the AT&T-Time Warner merger. But, AT&T issued a statement that the merger wasnt discussed during Stephensons meeting with Trump, which the company said focused on job creation and the regulatory impact that companies, like AT&T, have on the ability to create jobs and spur further economic growth.

*Updated with company statement 1/17/2017
Investment analysts were just a bit more optimistic about the German economy in January despite the prospect of a turbulent year in politics.

The ZEW think tank said Tuesday its index of economic sentiment rose by 2.8 points to 16.6 over December's reading.

ZEW President Achim Wambach called it "a leap of faith for 2017."

The institute credited improving growth in Germany and stronger industrial production in the 19 countries that use the euro.

Germany and Europe are experiencing an economic recovery but face an uncertain political year. Elections in France, the Netherlands and Germany will give anti-European Union forces a chance to test their appeal to voters. Meanwhile, talks are expected to start on Britain's departure from the EU.
Shares in Rolls-Royce leapt on Tuesday after the British maker of engines for planes and ships finalised a 671 million-pound ($831 million) deal to settle a lengthy bribery investigation and said 2016 profits beat previous expectations.

The agreement draws a line under investigations by British, U.S. and Brazilian authorities into alleged criminal conduct spanning three decades, at least seven jurisdictions and three of the company's business sectors.

Coupled with an upbeat profit forecast, it removes a cloud over the business and comes as a boost to CEO Warren East who, since joining in mid-2015, has led a drive to slash costs and restructure the group following a series of profit warnings.

Rolls-Royce said it "apologizes unreservedly for the conduct that has been uncovered".

"We now conduct ourselves in a fundamentally different way. We have zero tolerance of business misconduct of any sort," East said in a statement.

The U.S. Department of Justice said on Tuesday Rolls-Royce Plc had agreed to pay the United States a $170 million criminal penalty as part of the global settlement.

News of the bigger-than-expected total settlement was "negative but benign" as Rolls could spread payments out over five years, said Jefferies analyst Sandy Morris.

"This is by no means a great moment in Rolls-Royce's history but in terms of a healing process, getting the SFO (Britain's Serious Fraud Office) settled and having trading, particularly on cash flow improving, well maybe, just maybe, Rolls is on the mend," Morris said.

An English court on Tuesday approved the country's third Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) between the SFO and Rolls, first outlined late on Monday. Rolls said it would pay 497 million pounds to the SFO plus interest and a payment in respect of costs.

The court heard that the case against Rolls-Royce involved bribery of senior foreign officials and senior staff in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, India, Russia, Nigeria, China and Malaysia from 1989-2013, with over 100 key employees and 33 million documents examined.

The SFO said it was the biggest investigation in its history.

The conduct, lawyers said, was carefully planned and led to large contracts earning as much as 250 million pounds.

In his ruling, the judge said the chunky penalty, the highest ever enforcement action against a company in Britain for criminal conduct, reflected the gravity of the company's misconduct alongside its corporate reform and cooperation with authorities.

Systems, culture, training, governance and ethics strategies had all been overhauled, said Rolls, adding that it had also cut dramatically the number of intermediaries it uses.

SHARES CLIMB

Shares in Rolls closed 4.4 percent higher at 695 pence on Tuesday, having earlier surged seven percent to hit their highest level for two months.

Rolls said on Monday it had finished the year strongly, with profit and cash flow ahead of expectations.

The company is due to report 2016 results on Feb. 14 with the consensus forecast for annual pretax profit predicted to halve from the year before, to 686 million pounds.

East has targeted savings of up to 200 million pounds a year from this year - by cutting managerial jobs - while a positive market backdrop for aircraft engines and a helpful post-Brexit slump in the pound could all have boosted profits.

"I think East's doing a really good job. He's doing all the right things," said Agency Partners analyst Nick Cunningham.

East himself, however, acknowledges that the company still faces a huge challenge as it tries to execute its restructuring at the same time as it almost doubles output of wide-body plane engines by 2019 to meet orders, while avoiding cost overruns and technical problems.

Over the last 12 months, shares in Rolls have outperformed Britain's blue-chip index , rising 33 percent, but have declined 8 percent since November when it set out what new accounting procedures would mean for its profits.

VICTORY FOR SFO

Rolls, which also makes engines for military jets, ships and nuclear-powered submarines, said the settlements agreed with the three authorities would involve the group paying about 293 million pounds in the first year.

The SFO's deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with Rolls is a notable victory for the agency, representing the largest penalty it has issued. Set up to deal with the most serious and complex fraud cases, the SFO has had a chequered record in securing convictions over its 28-year history.

"In scale, it (the DPA) rivals the sort of penalty we are used to seeing extracted by the U.S. authorities, so will be viewed as a success for the SFO in establishing itself as a global anti-corruption agency to be feared," Neil Swift, partner at law firm Peters and Peters, said.

The DPA covers the company but means individuals involved can still be prosecuted by the authorities. Hinting that such cases could follow, the SFO said that the terms of the settlement involved Rolls agreeing to cooperate with future prosecutions of individuals.

(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Susan Fenton and Adrian Croft)
President-elect Donald Trump has already proved he can move stock prices with just his opinion and 140 characters. He took that one step further on Tuesday, sending chills  literally -- through the U.S. dollar rally.

The greenback jumped to a 13-year high following Trumps election in November, and last week the president-elect told the Wall Street Journal the currency had strengthened so much American companies cant compete with those in China. He blamed Beijing for holding down the yuan, its currency, in order to benefit exporters, and said the greenbacks strength is killing us.

His remarks helped pressure U.S. stocks, which fell further from record highs on Tuesday in a holiday-shortened week, and sent the U.S. dollar index dropping as much as 0.78%.

The absence of clarity on Trumps fiscal-policy promises  which include lower taxes, less regulation and more spending  have limited further gains for both stocks and the dollar. The currency was already on the move lower following Trumps first press conference as president-elect on January 11, as no new economic policy details were mentioned. The dollar has since lost about one-third of its post-election gains, according to data from BlackRock (NYSE:BLK).

Recent remarks from Federal Reserve officials have also put a damper on the dollars upward momentum. On Tuesday, Fed Governor Lael Brainard said expansionary fiscal policy would likely continue to propel the dollar higher, pressuring economic growth and inflation.

I think [Trumps] comment is spot on, said Andy Kapyrin, director of research at Regent Atlantic, explaining higher U.S. interest rates amid a low to negative rate environment in the rest of the world makes the dollar an attractive place to park cash but also makes the U.S. less competitive.

Its not literally killing us, but if you rely on exporting to markets abroad or are in competition with industries in Europe, Japan, or China, it does make it more difficult and youre probably losing out on business, he said.

Kapyrin used U.S.-based aerospace giant Boeing (NYSE:BA) and France-based Airbus to illustrate the point: Because of the weak euro, which makes exported goods cheaper to foreign countries, Airbus has a trade advantage over its U.S.-based rival because it can offer lower prices for the same kind of good.

Is it killing us? Thats a bit of a hyperbole, but [the strong dollar] is definitely taking a bite out of growing a business and running it profitably, he said.

If only temporarily, Trump has proved he can dent stock prices with just one tweet. He did it with Boeing when he complained about the price of a new Air Force One fleet, and he did it again to a whole industry when he said pharmaceutical companies were getting away with murder with their drug prices.

But just like the stocks Trump has targeted in recent weeks have bounced back, his comments also likely have a limited impact on the dollars direction. Whats more, the dollars rally isnt running on fumes just yet, said Blackrocks Global Chief Investment Strategist Richard Turnill. Instead, he expects to see the currency continue to grind higher with the pace moderating amid bouts of volatility. Corporate tax reform proposals, for example, could give the dollar more room to run higher on optimism over the potential impact to trade, and the repatriation of U.S. corporate profits currently held overseas.

Yet there is still great uncertainty around the details, timing and potential impact of the incoming Trump administrations policies. Bottom line: We see potential for currency volatility ahead, but little risk of a sharp and disruptive dollar rally, Trunill said, noting various estimates of the greenbacks fair value find it about 15% overvalued.

With fourth-quarter corporate earnings season well underway, investors have a keen focus on the strong dollars impact to Corporate Americas bottom line. Perhaps reassuring, Turnhill said a mild rise in the currency would likely limit damage to earnings, though rapid gains would be a key risk in the quarters ahead
Updated at 2:25 p.m. ET

General Motors (NYSE:GM) said Tuesday it will move axle production from Mexico to Michigan, joining Hyundai in announcing billions of dollars in new U.S. manufacturing investments as President-elect Donald Trump turns up the heat on automakers.

GM plans to invest an additional $1 billion in new vehicles, technology and components. The nations largest seller of new vehicles said it will provide details of those projects at a later date. The company expects the move to support 1,500 new and retained jobs.

In an apparent nod to the incoming administration, GM also noted that it will begin insourcing axle production for its next generation of full-size pickup trucks. Some of that work is currently done in Mexico. Bringing production of truck axles to Michigan will create 450 jobs, GM said.

As the U.S. manufacturing base increases its competitiveness, we are able to further increase our investment, resulting in more jobs for America and better results for our owners, GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said in a statement. The U.S. is our home market and we are committed to growth that is good for our employees, dealers, and suppliers and supports our continued effort to drive shareholder value.

GMs expansion in IT, engineering and technology, along with growth at GM Financial, will result in more than 5,000 new jobs over the next few years, Barra added. GM also confirmed that a supplier has committed to make parts for GM full-size pickups in the U.S., moving 100 jobs from Mexico to Michigan.

GM spokesman Patrick Morrissey said all of the decisions revealed on Tuesday have been in the works for some time.

Still, Trump has targeted the Detroit-based company for building small cars in Mexico and shipping them across the border.

Theres no question there is an emphasis on job creation in the U.S. right now, Morrissey told FOXBusiness.com. This was good timing for us to share what we are doing, including our ongoing commitment and track record for U.S. investment over the last several years.

On Tuesday morning, Trump took credit for recent investments in U.S. automotive manufacturing and thanked GM for starting the big jobs push back into the U.S.

Thank you to General Motors and Walmart for starting the big jobs push back into the U.S.!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2017 With all of the jobs I am bringing back into the U.S. (even before taking office), with all of the new auto plants coming back into our.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2017 country and with the massive cost reductions I have negotiated on military purchases and more, I believe the people are seeing "big stuff."  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2017

GM, Ford (NYSE:F), Toyota (NYSE:TM) and German automakers have drawn Trumps ire for producing vehicles south of the border. Most major international automakers have a production footprint in Mexico, which offers cheaper labor. GM and Ford have offered concessions in response to the criticism, while German giant BMW stood its ground and defended its expansion of a Mexican factory and current investments in the U.S.

Hyundai Motor Group announced on Tuesday that its subsidiaries, including the Hyundai and Kia brands, have allocated $3.1 billion for supporting their factories in Georgia and Alabama. The investment, up from the $2.1 billion that Hyundai Motor Group spent during the previous five years, will be used for research and development as well.

The South Korean company also said it will look into building a new factory in America, citing Trumps promise to spur job creation.

Hyundai Motor Group typically does not provide long-term investment plans for the U.S. Although the automaker has avoided Trumps wrath so far, Kia marked the start of production at its first Mexican factory just two months ahead of Trumps election victory.

Kias plant in Mexico is a source of worry, Chung told the Associated Press, although he didnt elaborate.

An estimated 80% of the Kia vehicles produced at the facility will be exported to other markets, with the U.S. as the primary recipient.
Britain's Prime Minister unveiled a plan Tuesday that calls for a clean break from the European Union, but not necessarily a break from Europe. Prime Minister Theresa May said the United Kingdom wants to leave the E.U.s single market of 500 million people.

We seek a new and equal partnershipbetween an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the E.U. Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out, May said.

The single market allows countries within the E.U. bloc to trade with each other without restrictions.

In an interview with FOX Business Networks Cavuto: Coast-to-Coast, European Parliament Member Daniel Hannan said Prime Minister May can execute her separation plan from the E.U. while maintaining financially beneficial alliances with European neighbors.

We have an immediate interest in the prosperity of our European friends, Hannan said. You know prosperous neighbors make good customers so the last thing we want to do is leave in a way that is going to the E.U. in chaos.

Hannan said May has made it clear Britain will live under its own laws and wont submit to any partial membership.

To the shock of many, Britain voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, mere months before the U.S. election sent shockwaves throughout the globe as well. Hannan hopes as Trump assumes office, the two countries can come together on a bilateral U.S.-U.K. trade deal.

The only thing that hasnt been able to follow up until now is the trade because up to until now, the trade is being control by Brussels rather by us. And I am delighted that the President-elect has indicated that thats not going to change and that we can form that natural market that ought to exist between us, Hannan told host Neil Cavuto.

Hannan also weighed in on the trade scuffle between China and Trump, suggesting that a trade war between the two largest economies in the world would be disastrous.

I hope there is a way of remembering what really raised the U.S. to greatness which was engagement to the world commercially. You know buying and selling is something that you guys have been really very good at and where ever its practiced always raises living standards for everybody, he said.
The debate over tax cuts is already heating up in Washington D.C.even before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office. John Snow, former Treasury Secretary under President George W. Bush, discussed why he sees tax reform as a priority for the U.S. economy.

U.S. tax rates are too high, it penalizes our ability to be competitive in the world economy, it penalizes our productivity, it penalizes wage rates, we need broad-based tax reform, Snow told the FOX Business Networks Neil Cavuto.

Snow said he saw a lot of potential in the House Republican tax proposal saying, Theres a lot of merit I think in what the Republicans have, the so-called Ryan plan.

According to Snow, tax and regulatory reform are key steps to boosting U.S. productivity.

We have a structural issue in the U.S. economy with this low productivity, Snow continued. The way to fix low productivity is with lower taxes and with regulatory reform.
President-elect Donald Trump sat down with Fox News Senior Judicial Analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano on Tuesday, at Trump Tower, for advice on a potential nominee who could fill the empty Supreme Court seat following the sudden passing last February of Justice Antonin Scalia.

aThe President-elect is focusing on his choices, or his choice, for the Supreme Court of the United States,a Napolitano told FOX Business Networkas Stuart Varney. aWe discussed the judicial attitudes, judicial temperament, judicial ideology, and candidates for the court.a

This is the second meeting between Judge Napolitano and the President-elect since the election.

aIt was awesome to say the least,a he said. aOf course you know the President-elect has an opinion on everything quite literally.a

He added, aHe has a very high opinion of this show. I will tell you that.a

Trumpas Supreme Court pick is expected to be among one of the most contested appointments of the new administration.
The worlds most renowned business leaders, politicians and celebrated economists are gathering in Davos, Switzerland Tuesday at the annual World Economic Forum. The mission of the forum is to engage with the biggest global issues, promote entrepreneurship and shape industry agendas.

Theres only one problem with a team of elites amassing to outline a strategy aimed at solving the worlds difficulties: leaders across the globe are becoming increasingly disconnected from the ideas, desires and concerns of the global citizen.

They fail to get that all politics is local. Leaders have focused too much on what's going on across the oceans horizon instead of looking over their shoulder to see their people hurting, unemployed and angry, Eric Schiffer, chairman of Reputation Management Consultants, told FOXBusiness.com.

From the shocking vote in the United Kingdom to exit the European Union, to the stunning Colombian referendum where voters rejected a peace deal between President Juan Manuel Santos and the countrys largest rebel group to end a 52-year war, to the election of Donald Trump over establishment favorite Hillary Clinton; 2016 was the year the global citizen sprang into action, pushing back on out-of-touch elites.

However, this countermovement has been distilling for years, Richard Attias, head of nation branding consultancy Richard Attias & Associates, told FOXBusiness.com.

It is easy for politicians to lose touch with their citizens when so much of their time is concentrated on getting re-elected. Frequently this end goal will impede a leaders willingness to take risks and implement comprehensive reform. Still, there are many other factors in recent years that have contributed to the burgeoning divide, according to Attias.

For years we see, starting in Europe, I would say a lack of confidence between the people and their leaders, he said. The problem is that many promises were made by leaders and were not implemented.The people are angry.

In addition to broken promises, Attias, who produced the World Economic Forum for 13 years, attributes this animosity to a breakdown in communication, the growing terror threat and joblessness across the globe; a trifecta of uncertainty which has indubitably affected the American public.

[In] the U.S. yes, from one side you see definitely the creation of jobsBut at the same time you have people who are in the situation where they cannot find a job, so they dont understand if [the leaders] are lying to them or if they are disconnected from our society, he said.

One of Donald Trumps most revered platforms was his promise to rebuild the economy; to bring back jobs, to reform the tax code and to renegotiate unfair trade contracts. His supporters have applauded his efforts to cut deals with companies like United Technologies (NYSE:UTX) Carrier to keep jobs at its Indiana plant and to discourage others, like chain belt manufacturer Rexnord Corp. (NYSE:RXN), from outsourcing manufacturing.

Trumps active approach to putting America first is widely considered a major contributing factor to his 2016 election win, where he defeated a bevy of contenders from the political establishment.

Trump wore [the American publics] anger on his face, in his words and with his anything-but-act like-a-politician behavior. He was the anti-politician and said what most thought consciously, or in many cases unconsciously, and could not be said, said Schiffer.

Beyond that, Trump conveyed that he was willing to fight for those values, said Attias.

People want to be represented by the fighter, by someone who is strong, someone who is powerful because we are living in a world with a lot of uncertainty; economic uncertainty, security uncertainty and people want to be represented by leaders who are protecting them.

What can other members of the political elite learn from Donald Trumps success? Use technology. Attias said it is important for leaders to learn to speak the same language as their young people, and that means using apps like Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), Twitter (NYSE:TWTR), Snapchat and Instagram.

But its not just young people who want to feel understood.

Study the real unemployment data. Talk to people outside the major cities. Listen where the disaffected cluster, like talk radio or the chat rooms. And, study history. There is nothing new here that didn't occur in the late 20s and 30s, Schiffer added.

Reflecting on what trends he would like to see emphasized at Davos, Attias thinks the younger demographic needs a fuller presence. He also believes there should be a higher priority on bringing wifi and internet access to areas across the globe to promote entrepreneurship and social media presence.

More than anything however, Attias thinks the format of the forum needs to fundamentally change. Even with discussion panels aimed at reconciling the needs of the middle and lower classes, with sessions titled "Squeezed and Angry: How to Fix the Middle Class Crisis," and "Politics of Fear or Rebellion of the Forgotten," CEOs and politicians are not going to understand their citizens simply by studying them.
At least 58 Democratic members of Congress plan to skip President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration on Friday, with Rep. John Lewis leading the charge.

The civil rights icon said in an interview that he didnt view Trump as a legitimate president and would not attend the inauguration.

Four-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader told FOX Business Networks Trish Regan its Congressman Lewis choice whether to attend Fridays inauguration.

There are a lot of shenanigans in elections on both sides. Hes free to make up his own mind whether he wants to show up or not. Whats the big deal? Nader asked.

As first reported on FOX Business Networks The Intelligence Report, Congressman Lewis has seemed to develop a habit of questioning the legitimacy of Republican presidents.

According to a January 2001 Washington Post article, Lewis and other members of the Black Caucus boycotted the inauguration of George W. Bush because they didnt believe Bush was the true elected president.

In 2000, you know the Florida recount ordered by the Florida Supreme Court was usurp by a 5-4 decision by Antonin Scalia you know you can say thats pretty bad practice like a judicial coup-detat that selected George W. Bush, Nader said.

The former Green Party presidential candidate said theres a double result in our presidential elections, and thinks the Electoral College must be removed from the electoral process.

Theres an interstate compactwhere California, New York, Maryland, Illinois and others have passed laws saying that they will throw the Electoral College votes to anyone who wins the nationwide presidential popular vote, he said.

The Breaking Through Power author thinks electoral law should encourage presidential candidates to campaign in all states in order to avoid gaming the system. He is an advocate for the Electoral College being replaced by the popular vote.

The Electoral College is on the way out. Mark my words, Nader said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine supports the U.S. decision to impose a new package of sanctions against the Syrian high-ranking officials and research scientists associated with the Syrian program of mass destruction weapons, and consider it necessary to bring to justice those responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

"Use of chemical weapons in Syria, confirmed in the reports of the Joint OPCW-UN mechanism of investigation, is a blatant violation of the international law and all found responsible for these crimes should be brought to justice. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine considers the introduction of targeted sanctions by the U.S. in connection with the use of chemical weapons in Syria to be an adequate tool in this context," the Foreign Ministry's said on its website on Tuesday.

The Ministry said that being a non-permanent member of UN Security Council, Ukraine supports the need to introduce further restriction measures by the Council under provisions of Chapter VII of the UN Charter in response to the violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and UN Security Council resolution 2118 (2013) on placement under international control and the elimination of Syrian chemical weapons program.

Ukraine has consistently advocated strict compliance with the provisions of key international instruments in the field of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

As reported, on January 12, the U.S. Treasury Department announced the introduction of a new package of sanctions against 18 high-ranking members of the Armed Forces of Syria and research scientists associated with the Syrian program of mass destruction weapons. In addition to individual sanctions against senior Syrian military, the list included the army structures - Syria's air force, air defense forces of Syria, the Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy and Syrian Arab Republican Guard.

"The Syrian regimes 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," the document says.
Will he or wonat he? Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel, who is an outspoken Donald Trump supporter living in a very blue state, is reportedly mulling a run for California governor in 2018, according to Politico.

Paul Mitchell co-founder John Paul DeJoria and former McDonaldas CEO Ed Rensi told the FOX Business Networkas Maria Bartiromo that Thiel could actually be the perfect remedy for the Golden Stateas ailing economy.

aI think this is a very unique situation,a Paul Mitchell co-founder John Paul DeJoria told Bartiromo. aHe is a Republican -- he went for Trump.a

Last week, California Gov. Jerry Brown warned the state is projected to run a $1.6-billion deficit by next summer, according to the LA Times. DeJoria argued Thiel could possibly turn it around.

aHeas extremely smart. The guy [has] a good success pattern behind him and he happens to be gay,a DeJoria said. aCalifornia is very, very liberal. I think the guy has a shot at it.a

He added, aThe fact that he did so many good things in business and, once again, hereas a multi-billionaire, that I happen to know is very philanthropic, that wants to take his own time and energy and do something good for the state.a

Ed Rensi agreed. He said California needs good leadership.

aTo have a good smart business guy thinking about strategy instead of tactics and being concerned about the welfare of the people, I think is going to bode well,a Rensi said. aHeas a strong executive and will do well in that state -- and itas a mess right now.a
Are soy, almond and hemp milks confusing to consumers?

A new federal law could stop non-dairy producers from labeling their creamy liquids as milk.

Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who introduced the legislation on Jan. 12, said that using words like milk to label foods that are actually plant-based should be considered mislabeled under the current definition of the product according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Imitation products have gotten away with using dairys good name for their own benefit, the senator said in a written statement.

AMERICANS CAN'T GET ENOUGH CHEESE BUT AREN'T DRINKING MILK

The proposed legislation would require the FDA to enforce current standards and prevent plant-based products from using dairy terms such as milk, yogurt or cheese."

Vegan milk producers, however, dont agree with the legislation and argue that the wording is key in helping consumers understand what their products are and how they can be used.

If a company is making a product that tastes like yogurt, feels like yogurt, happens to be made from almonds, why shouldn't that company be able to use the word 'yogurt?', Michele Simon, the executive director of the Plant Based Foods Association, said to Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR).

That company wants to send a message to a consumer that that consumer is going to get a similar experience to yogurt without the dairy.

But dairy industry groups say the labeling of plant-based products as milk implies that they have the same nutritional value as milk that comes from cows and animals when they may not.

FOR THE LATEST FOOD FEATURES FOLLOW FOX LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK

"Non-dairy cheese or vegan cheese, or just the label shows that it's cheese and the company's name, people might buy that and think they're getting something that is the nutritional equivalent of cheese made from cow's milk; and the reality is they're not," said John Holevoet, director of government affairs for the Dairy Business Milk Marketing Cooperative group.

Holevoet continued, "It does hurt farmers, and it does hurt our processors as well."

Its not the first time lawmakers have tried to referee this battle. Last December, a group of Wisconsin lawmakers sent a letter to the FDA urging the agency to "take appropriate action against the manufacturers of these mislabeled products."
Health officials said a California Bay Area woman's death was likely caused by bacterial meningitis, which would make it the second fatality linked to the illness in one week. David Robson, Laura Robson's brother, told a local news outlet that his sister had complained of a headache and a slight fever before her death.

Robson reportedly was already dead when she was found in the back of a San Francisco Muni bus, which was located in Daly City at the time, NBC Bay Area reported. A preliminary investigation said the 53-year-old's cause of death was likely meningitis, David told the news outlet, but a complete autopsy is being conducted by the San Mateo County Coroners Office.

David and his 5-year-old son received antibiotic treatment as a precaution, NBC Bay Area reported.

On January 7, Seven Phillips, a 48-year-old San Rafael resident, died of bacterial meningitis. As a precaution, more than 200 individuals who attended classes at the SoulCycle location which Phillips frequented were contacted by the spin studio. Phillips contracted the infection between December 31 and January 7, but did not contract it at the popular fitness studio. No one has reported symptoms so far, the New York Post reported.

"While the rider did not contract the infection at our studio, we have nonetheless been in constant communication with the Department of Health which has emphasized that there is no evidence of any health risk to our riders," SoulCycle said in a statement, according to NBC Bay Area.

The disease is rare and risk of infection is low. It spreads through respiratory droplets, coughing and sneezing and can stay on surfaces.

David told NBC Bay Area that his sister had not attended a SoulCycle class at the studio Phillips had visited.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Chile, one of only six countries that still refuse abortions under any circumstances, is one step closer to allowing them.

A law introduced two years ago by President Michelle Bachelet herself is ready for a full-Senate vote after a constitutional commission narrowly agreed to advance it.

The Senate panel passed the measure Monday with a 3-2 vote.

The new law would decriminalize abortion until up to 12 weeks if the mother's health is at risk, if the fetus would not survive the pregnancy and if the pregnancy is the result of a rape.

Also, the 12-week limit would extend to 18 weeks in cases when the mother is 14 or younger.

Although Chiles 1931 health code legalized abortion in limited circumstances, a law passed in 1989 banned it under all circumstances. In addition to Chile, the procedure continues to be fully banned in El Salvador, Malta, the Vatican, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

Pro-choice advocates point out that nearly 200,000 unsafe abortions occur each year in Chile. In 2008, according to the Chilean Ministry of Health, more than 33,000 women were hospitalized due to abortion complications.

However, many right-leaning politicians and interest groups in Chile continue to oppose a change in the legislation and last year Chile's Catholic Church released an 18-page statement against decriminalized abortion. It warned that by approving the bill the country would be fostering a "culture of death."

The controversial bill was approved by the lower chamber in March 2016 and again in September 2016 by the Senate Health Commission.

Since 1990, 15 abortion-related bills have been submitted by legislators to Congress.
Just under a year ago, twins Acen and Apio Akello, now 2, were learning how to walk. Now, the sisters, who were once conjoined at the spine and hip, are walking and playing independently and back home in Uganda after surgery in Ohio.

On Sept. 30, 2015, the girls underwent a 16-hour surgery performed by a team of more than 30 specialists at Nationwide Childrens in Columbus. They were discharged from the hospital on Feb. 8, but remained in the US for outpatient and clinical therapy appointments.

My main goal for when they arrived home in Uganda was for them to be able to walk off the plane independently, without any assistance, Dr. Gail Besner, chief of Pediatric Surgery at Nationwide Childrens, said in a news release. The determination of the girls and the outstanding work of our occupational therapy and physical therapy teams helped them do just that.

Acen and Acpio are just one of the five sets of conjoined twins who were successfully separated by surgeons at Nationwide Childrens. These rare births occur in about 1 in 200,000 pregnancies.

I fully expect the girls will lead happy and healthy lives thanks to their determination and the bravery of their mom, Ester, who entrusted the girls in our care, Besner, also a faculty members at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, said in the news release.
Behold, mortals!

For just $8,000, a California startup is offering to pump people full of young blood in hopes of discovering the fountain of youth.

Ambrosia, based in Monterey, Calif., is looking to enroll 600 participants for its clinical trial, named after the food of Greek gods thought to bring immortality.

Participants would undergo a one-time transfusion of a two-liter bag of plasma  blood with the blood cells removed  from young adults and teenagers ages 16 to 25, the MIT Technology Review reported.

The firms founder, Jesse Karmazin, 32, claimed most people see improvements within a month.

Since mid-December, 25 people have been infused with young blood and some have seen youthful results, Karmazin claims. One participant with chronic fatigue feels healthy for the first time and looks younger, he said.

Similar blood-transfusion studies have also seen some success.

Click for more from the New York Post.
If you think being tough with your child's doctor is the right way to ensure better care, think again. A new study out of the University of Florida suggests that rude parents can cause serious, even deadly, consequences.

Researchers who staged emergency situations in a neonatal intensive care unit at an Israeli hospital found that doctors and nurses performed significantly worse when confronted with an actress playing an angry mother.

While there is much concern about medical errors, the third-leading cause of death in the US, medical professionals are "not paying attention at all to the effect that social interactions can have on performance," co-author Amir Erez tells HealthDay.

The new findings, he adds, "could potentially save lives." In the study, four medical teams were assigned to treat infant dummies during day-long emergency situations including respiratory distress and shock.

An actress playing a rude mom harangued three of the teams first thing in the morning, accusing them of doling out "Third World" care and threatening to seek treatment elsewhere.

The fourth team served as a control group and was spared the hostility. The teams exposed to rudeness underperformed in all of the study's 11 measures throughout the day.

But researchers found they could "immunize" doctors to rudeness by prepping them ahead of time with computer games that desensitized them to sharp emotions. In the end, the lesson is that doctors and nurses are people, too, and find it harder to work when they're "being emotionally attacked," says an American Academy of Pediatrics rep.

(In lighter fare, politeness can help in online searches, too.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: Being Rude to Your Kid's Doctor May Be a Health Hazard
At what point does resistance become unpatriotic? Possibly, when elected leaders like Democrat John Lewis attempt to undermine the law of the land.

The dust-up between Lewis and Donald Trump began with the respected civil rights leader telling NBCs Chuck Todd: "I don't see this President-elect as a legitimate president...I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton."

So, even though Donald Trump won more than the requisite number of Electoral College votes to defeat Hillary Clinton, Lewis, who has sworn to uphold the Constitution, denies that Mr. Trump, as of Friday afternoon, will be our duly elected president.

In 2010 after the battle over ObamaCare, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell vowed to work against the president's reelection. That promise, for which he was slammed by the Left, was perhaps unpolitic, but he stopped short of suggesting that Obama was not the rightful occupant of the Oval Office. McConnell, along with other Republicans, believed that Obamas policies would not benefit the country; it was his job to try to turn him out of office.

Trump, of course, did challenge Obamas legitimacy, questioning the presidents birthplace. But he was a private citizen. His behavior may have been deplorable, but it was not a contradiction of his oath of office.

The accusation made by Lewis challenges the peaceful transition of power, an essential pillar of our democracy. As Martin Luther King III said after meeting with Trump, in the heat of emotion, A lot of things get said on both sides. That may be true, but Lewis crossed a line and needs to tell the nation that he was wrong.

The IMF recently boosted its forecast of U.S. economic growth by half a percent, citing Trumps policies. How can challenging the president-elects legitimacy do anything but undermine the promise of faster job creation and higher incomes for all Americans?

Lewis comment not only verges on unpatriotic, it is also wrong. The Russians did not destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton did.

Moscow did not invent the disgraceful collusion between Hillary Clintons campaign and the supposedly neutral DNC to undermine rival Bernie Sanders.

Putin did not write the emails revealing the Clinton camps derisive attitude towards people of faith, or the degree to which Hillary cynically shifted positions to better accommodate polls. They didnt author the speech in which she said you need both a public and a private position on policy or the one in which she said she dreamt of a hemispheric common market with open trade and open borders.

No, Russia did not create these embarrassments for Clinton. Putin et al did help make them public, but they only confirmed what most Americans already thought of Hillary Clinton. More important, Moscow did not manipulate Hillary Clinton into using the several private email servers that had but one purpose: to avoid public scrutiny.

To that end she went to extraordinary lengths to destroy and withhold documents that by law belong to the American people  documents that reveal the abhorrent pay-to-play culture nurtured by the Clintons. She also mishandled classified information, which has landed lesser mortals in prison.

And no, James Comey is not to blame either. Hillary fans have conveniently forgotten that the FBI Director gave Clinton a pass when he recommended against indicting the Democrat candidate in July. Though Comey noted that the former first lady had been extremely careless in her handling of very sensitive, highly classified information, and though here was evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information, Comey argued that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case. Republicans were incensed by Comeys generous treatment of Clinton.

When new evidence surfaced, Comey reopened the investigation, and made that decision public.

A Politico/Morning Consult poll taken after Comeys October announcement indicated that his reopened investigation had not altered the race one bit.

What did alter the race was an appetite for change and eagerness for a pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda. In promising four more years of Obama, Hillary ignored those sentiments. She ran a terrible campaign, taking for granted core constituents like union workers in the Midwest and mistaking President Obamas personal popularity for enthusiasm for his policies.

In July 2015, before the WikiLeaks dumps began, polling revealed that Mrs. Clinton was in trouble. A Washington Post columnist wrote, Its hard to overstate just how bad Clinton's numbers are. they are in some ways about as bad as Trump's. Indeed, 54% of the country had an unfavorable view of Clinton, and 44% had a very unfavorable view  an all-time high.

Most astonishing is that despite such polling Democrats never even considered that she might lose. So inevitable was her victory and so supportive and confident was the liberal media, that Trumps win was as shocking as it was painful.

As a result we have seen mobs riot in protest and a smear campaign second to none waged against the President-elect. Petulant liberals (and more than 50 members of Congress) have announced with much fanfare their boycott of the inauguration.

The media is furious that they may not have much sway in the new White House, even as they continue to denigrate Trumps every move.

Fashion designers have churlishly declared they wont be dressing Melania.

Spoiled brats, all, who grossly overestimate their own importance. Trump fans dont care. They are ready to move on.

Democrats, including John Lewis, can be forgiven for being unhappy that their candidate lost. But they cannot be forgiven for punishing the country for the astonishing drubbing handed out not only to Clinton but also to Democrats across the board.

Instead of looking for scapegoats, Democrats including Obama, Clinton and Lewis would profit more from trying to understand where they went wrong and how they lost the confidence of the nation. That would be to the good of the country  and a more patriotic approach.
When Trump named Betsy DeVos  a market-loving school reformer from Michigan  as his pick for Secretary of Education a few weeks back, some panicked. The American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association lashed out right away. But theyre the establishment.

To people who work in the barrio, who sit in school lunchrooms that buzz with a mixture of English and Spanish; who hear the hopes of immigrant parents with work-hardened hands and soft warm hearts, the prospect of serious change is thrilling. DeVos and Trump just might have the guts to bring it.

We care about school choice, which means giving parents the information and freedom to decide whats best for their kids. It strikes us that Trump is a non-ideological leader, especially when it comes to this issue. Hes a man of business. He looks for results without the filter of some ideological construct. Theres a pragmatism there that is deeply American and that resonates with hard-working immigrants and their descendants.

Its telling that a man who embraces healthy competition would endorse school choice and chose a Secretary to push it. Its empowering to parents when the President says to them, I trust you with freedom. Heres the information, heres the money: make your decision.

It shouldnt be politically controversial in America to give the widest range of choices in education to all families, not just rich ones, and to give decision-making power to parents who know and love their kids rather than to heavy-bottomed bureaucrats.

We know that education is the golden door to the American dream. Parents know this too  and that is as true of those who came here from Mexico or Guatemala as for parents whose great-grandparents were born in the United States. To say Hispanics need government to raise their families for them is just plain condescending.

Its also counterfactual. Hispanics are strivers who make it on their own. Look at the marketplace: Latinos have a shining record of entrepreneurship and industry in this country. According to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Latinos are 1.5 times more likely than the general population to start a business.

Latino entrepreneurs worry about making payroll and keeping the lights on. So they are dumbfounded when they see their kids schools  and their beloved childrens future  controlled by an inefficient government monopoly.

Hardworking Latinos have a lot more in common with our new businessman-president than even they might think. When Trump pledged to reduce regulation in schools and in business, savvy Hispanics cheered. Soon more Latinos may be applauding.

We want to tell you about Aldira Adape. Aldira is the daughter of Mexican migrants who arrived in Wisconsin in the 1960s. These immigrant parents built a trucking company out of nothing. They achieved home ownership in a new land, and did it while raising five children.

Aldira is a mother now, and she has sent one of her children to a public school and another to a private school via the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Why these different choices? Simple: Aldira knows that even children from the same family flourish in different environments. She wants what's best for each kid. She will sweat blood to help each succeed. In other words, shes a mom.

Her experience is like that of thousands of other families.

So were ready to work with DeVos. Were ready to welcome Trump. Weve had it with a Leftist narrative that pretends to protect parents while telling them theyre too dumb to decide and knotting them into the apron-strings of a nanny state. We are parents ourselves, and we care about kids. We care about results.

When it comes to education, we know choice works. The free market works because freedom works.

We think of all the Latinos whove worked for Donald Trump over the years. How many managers and executives? How many croupiers and car-parkers? And  yes!  how many of those totally indispensable, inimitableLatina maids?

It makes us smile to think of all those hope-filled brown faces  all those Latino workers, many the parents of children  turning to their former boss as we kick off 2017.Were ready for you, Mr. Trump, they say. Congratulations.Felicidades. Now you work for us. Lets see what you can do.
President Obama continues to whine his way out of the Oval Office, continuing to blame everybody but himself for eight years of failed policies.

As he contemplates his own dismal record, the president is taking aim at the usual suspects: talk radio and Fox News.

Well, what is true is that the ability of Republican leaders to rile up their base -- helped along by folks like Rush Limbaugh and some commentators on Fox News -- I think created an environment in which Republican voters would punish Republicans from cooperating with me, Obama said in a recent interview. That hothouse of back-and-forth arguments and really sharp partisanship I think has been harmful to the country.

President Crybaby is once again blaming everyone else for the divide in the country. It makes for a good talking point, but it's not the truth. He can try to claim the mantle of civility just like he attempted to do in his farewell address last week, but the facts say otherwise. After all, President Obama has led the way when it comes to divisive rhetoric. Consider some of his greatest hits.

It's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy towards people who aren't like them, he said of Republicans back on April 6, 2008.

Months later, came this piece of soft and civil rhetoric: I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors, he said. I want you to talk to them whether they're independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face.

On Oct. 26, 2010, Obama stated where he thought Republicans belonged.

We can't -- we don't mind the Republicans joining us, they can come for the ride, but they've got to sit in back, he said.

And how about this willful mischaracterization of conservatives positions on key issues:

And then you got their plan, which is let's have dirtier air, dirtier water, less people with health insurance, he said on Oct. 17, 2011.

As recently as last years election, Obama  the same man now decrying what he considers a lack of civility, tried to smear President-elect Donald Trump as a Klan sympathizer.

If you accept the support of Klan sympathizers before you are president, you will accept their support after you're president, he said last Nov. 3.

And there's more. While running for president in '07 and '08, Obama blamed George W. Bush for all of America's problems. And not surprisingly, once President Obama got into office, he did the same thing for eight straight years. He never takes responsibility. Here are just a few examples.

We were inheriting so many challenges... we knew this was going to take time because we got this big, messy, tough democracy, he complained on Aug. 3, 2011.

On March 4, 2009, Obama complained, These are far from the best of times. By any measure, my administration inherited a fiscal disaster.

Obamas blame game has not spared yours truly. Should I take this personally or feel honored?

In 2012, Latinos voted in record numbers, he said on Oct. 2, 2014. The next day, even Sean Hannity changed his mind and decided immigration reform was a good idea.

Rudy Giuliani said Putin is what you call a leader, he said on April 3, 2014. Mike Huckabee and Sean Hannity keep talking about his bare chest, which is kind of weird.

With respect Sean Hannity, I didn't know that he had invited me for a beer, Obama said on Feb. 9, 2009. His opinion of me does not seem to be very high, but I'm always good for a beer.

President Obama will officially be out of power in three days. He's leaving behind a huge mess that President-elect Donald Trump is going to be forced to clean up.

But it appears that Donald Trump will be taking a much different approach than Barack Obama. Instead of doing nothing and blaming his predecessor for everything, President-elect Trump looks like he's actually going to try and fix the country's problems.

Adapted from Sean Hannitys opening monologue airing on Hannity, Jan. 16, 2017
The United Nations Secretariat has provided a photocopy of an appeal by former disgraced president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych dated March 1, 2014, to Russia to bring its troops into Ukraine, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko has said.

"The Main Military Prosecutor's Office has received through the Ukraine's Permanent Mission the official letter of the United Nations Secretariat with a certified photocopy bearing a UN official seal of the appeal by Yanukovych dated March 1, 2014, requesting bringing Russian troops into Ukraine and all official materials that were added by the Russian Federation to a statement by its representative to the UN [Vitaly] Churkin," the prosecutor general wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday.

Lutsenko said all the materials received by Ukraine were recognized by the UN as official documents provided by Russia.

"Investigators of the military prosecutor's office have received irrefutable documental evidence of Yanukovych's high treason. I have received permission from senior prosecutor in the case on Yanukovych's high treason to disclose the data obtained by the pre-trial investigation," he added.
Seventy-five thousand dollars per day. Thats how much the Environmental Protection Agency threatened to fine a private land owner in my home state of Wyoming. The crime: digging a pond in his back yard.

This was an appalling overreach by the Obama administrations EPA and its regulation of Americans property.

Sadly, this story is not unique.

For the past eight years, the EPA has abused and attacked far too many hard-working American families.

A regulatory rampage by EPA has led to the loss of thousands of coal mining jobs in Wyoming, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky.

Wisconsin is poised to lose more than 20,000 jobs in the next decade because of the Obama administrations proposed regulations on carbon emissions.

The misguided obsession of the EPA has created needless economic burdens for Americans. It has, at the same time, put peoples health in danger.

Negligence on the part of the EPA resulted in more than 3 million gallons of toxic wastewater being dumped into a river at the Gold King Mine in Colorado.

The plume of toxic liquid flowed downstream to New Mexico and polluted the Navajo Nations main source of drinking and irrigation water.

In Flint, Michigan, aging pipes and improperly treated water caused lead poisoning in children. When EPA officials learned of the pending disaster, they failed to respond.

The agency's misplaced priorities are harming state governments as well.

North Dakota stands to lose more than $100 million in tax revenue over the next four years because of the Obama administrations clean power plan regulations. The state will have to look to already-strapped families to make up the difference or else cut back on services.

Disregard for the consequences of its actions has become the trademark of the EPA for the last eight years. Policy goals and talking points have consistently taken priority over American families. This cannot be the case any longer.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, I look forward to ushering in wholesale change at the EPA. I will be doing it alongside a committed and capable administrator.

President-elect Trump has named Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA and to overhaul the agency. Attorney General Pruitt has seen the effects of over regulation in his own state and has worked to stop them.

Pruitt has distinguished himself by challenging the Obama administration on several of its most burdensome rules. He stood up for Oklahomans against the EPAs extreme regulations on greenhouse gasses, methane emissions, and cross state air pollution. He took action against unworkable water rules and air standards. He sued the federal government to make sure that it was interpreting the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts as Congress actually wrote them, not how it benefited President Obamas political agenda.

Attorney General Pruitt is respected by his peers for the work he has done. His work in Oklahoma protected the environment and strengthened the economy by standing up for states rights. Attorneys general from 24 states authored a letter in support of his nomination. They know he can and will rein in Washington.

President-elect Trump has vowed that his administration will overturn two federal regulations for every new one it proposes. The administrator of EPA will play a vital role in keeping that promise. He must make sure that the agency meets its mission of protecting our environment  ensuring clean water, air, and land  while allowing our economy to grow.

Our committee is taking up the nomination of Attorney General Pruitt this week. I look forward to hearing more about his vision for the agency and how he will help get Americans back to work.

The EPA has made the last eight years hard for families in Wyoming and across rural America. Today, there is reason to be hopeful.

The status quo at the EPA is changing.
Today, as America plans to lead efforts to send humans to Mars in the early 2030s, it is important to clearly articulate the rationale for undertaking such ambitious missions.

This often has been a challenge, as there are dozens of compelling reasons to pursue such a goal. However, those reasons can be succinctly organized into the six categories set forth below. In addition, unlike the Cold War motivation of the 1960s that led us to the moon, the reasons for going to Mars are likely to result in a program that is far more sustainable than the Apollo lunar program, which ended in 1972 after only a handful of missions.

The reasons for sending humans to Mars fall within the following categories:

1. Discovery and Scientific Knowledge: Mars is the most scientifically interesting location in our solar system that humans can reach in the foreseeable future. Although robotic exploration of Mars over the past 50 plus years has provided us with a wealth of information and incredible discoveries, most experts agree that it will probably take human explorers to determine whether there ever was or even still is life on Mars and to conduct many other scientific investigations that are not possible with robots alone.

2. Inspiration and Innovation: Space exploration is widely recognized to be one of the most effective ways to inspire students to become interested in STEM education and it is a well-known driver of technology and innovation. Returning to the Moon after 50 years is unlikely to require major advancements in technology. In contrast, an ambitious mission to the next frontier of Mars will inspire new generations of engineers, scientists, physicians, innovators, educators, and industrialists to reach for the stars.

3. Prosperity and National Morale: Apart from national prestige, morale is essential for a nations growth and prosperity. U.S. led missions to Mars would not only make a bold and unequivocal statement that we are still capable of great things  perhaps the greatest achievement in human history  but it would also dramatically improve our national outlook and economy. Building on lessons learned from the International Space Station (ISS), commercial partners are anticipated to have a major and innovative role in the exploration of Mars. This involvement will be the underpinning of new and incredibly promising industries for the next century.

4. Security and Diplomacy: While Mars missions will not be run by the military, many of the capabilities required to achieve these missions have potential security applications. In addition, an ambitious and strong space program can be one of our most effective diplomatic tools, as people around the world look at our space program with awe and appreciation.

5. Advancement and Expansion of Humanity: Can humans establish a permanent presence on another planet? Mars offers the potential for self-sufficiency that simply is not possible anywhere else in the solar system with our current levels of technology. Mars has water, an atmosphere, and other resources that should allow us to live off the land. But, we wont know if a permanent presence is possible until we try.

6. To Understand Earth: Mars is the planet in our solar system that is most similar to Earth. Mars used to be a warm and wet planet like Earth, when Mars had a much thicker atmosphere than it does today. What happened  and could the same thing happen on Earth? Our analysis of what could happen to the Earth cannot be based on just one data point  that of the Earth. It is imperative to understand the evolutions of other planets, particularly planets like Earth so that we can wisely take care of our home.

In addition to these overarching societal reasons, there are some immediate political and commercial reasons to keep Mars as the focus of our human spaceflight program.

1. Congressional Support: Mars has stronger support than any other destination for human space flight, and this support has been consistently bi-partisan in nature. This has been made clear by numerous NASA Authorization bills, as well as in a NASA Transition Bill that was passed by the Senate in late 2016.

2. Industry Support: Numerous American corporations have invested time and resources in designing mission architectures to send humans to Mars. Companies like Boeing, SpaceX, Lockheed, and Aerojet Rocketdyne have released plans and other companies have provided valuable concepts on how we can conduct these missions in an affordable manner.

3. Public Support and Enthusiasm: Unlike the Moon, Mars continues to generate significant public interest and support, especially with young people. Hollywood has recognized this interest and responded with successful movie and television projects. Recent polls have confirmed that support for Mars exploration remains high.

4. Humans to Mars is Affordable and Achievable: Recent workshops and studies have also shown that missions to Mars are both achievable and affordable. NASA will not require a large increase in its budget to achieve this goal of landing humans on Mars by 2033.

There is no doubt that Mars will be challenging. But after 55 years of human space flight, 50 years of studying Mars, 16 years of permanent presence onboard the ISS, a massive expansion of international and commercial space capabilities, and years of Mars forward technology development, we are far more ready to send humans to Mars than the nation was when President John F. Kennedy committed the U.S. to landing humans on the Moon.

Mars is our challenge, and our opportunity.
As part of all the hysteria greeting Donald Trumps impending inauguration, congressional Democrats have grown increasingly fearful over the fate of President Obamas signature failure, the Affordable Care Act.

Earlier this month, the outgoing president met with the new, very liberal Democratic caucus to discuss options for preserving at least some of the laws core functions. Their chosen strategy remains, as of yet, undisclosed, but their message seems to be keeping with their post-election theme: fear-mongering.

By their interpretation, repealing a law that costs millions of Americans their preferred insurance plan would imperil the health of this countrys most vulnerable citizens.

Forgive me, but I have trouble believing the sincerity of that argument. President Obama has repeatedly put his social agenda above the needs of the sick and the disadvantaged.

Right at this moment, for example, had my office not filed suit and secured a preliminary injunction, the Obama administration would have been content to deprive the state of Texas of $42.4 billion a year in Medicaid funding so long as the action forced more medical providers to perform abortions and gender reassignment surgeries.

To put that in a human perspective, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) calculates that as of December 2016 over 4.1 million Texans were enrolled in Medicaid, approximately 3 million of whom were children. All would have been impacted by reduced funding.

HHSC notes additionally that Medicaid has become the leading source of health coverage in the state for pregnant women.

HHSC had assessed the state impact of the elimination of Medicaid back in 2009. Its report found that Medicaid paid for more than half of all Texas childbirthsa cost, the report observed, that otherwise would be shouldered primarily at the local and provider level.

Looking at December 2016 enrollment numbers, the federal government would have put in jeopardy the health of over 141,000 pregnant women, had the injunction not gone through.

It seems disingenuous that an honest disagreement over how to best deliver health care warrants Democrats censure, yet bludgeoning the states with ultimatums that endanger their social safety net elicits praise.

The controversy began in September 2015, when the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed to reinterpret Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits certain types of discrimination.

Specifically, HHS changed the meaning of the term sex to include termination of pregnancy and gender identity. The latter, HHS explained, meant a persons internal sense of gender, which, it cautioned, may be different from an individuals sex assigned at birth.

Under this interpretation, a health care provider would be in violation if it offered a medical service in one context but refused to offer it as part of someones gender transitioning.

The example my office cited in its complaint was a hysterectomy. Should a hospital perform a hysterectomy on a woman suffering from endometrial cancer, it would also be obliged to perform a hysterectomy to treat gender dysphoria.

A provider found in non-compliance to that interpretation would lose access to federal funds, including reimbursements under Medicare and Medicaid.

HHS refused to attach a religious exemption to that sweeping penalty. Consequently, many nonprofits are in the untenable position of being pressured to stop offering certain services altogether for fear of triggering the mandate.

Franciscan Health, for example, the co-plaintiffs in our suit against the federal government, is a Catholic health care network established over 140 years ago by the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. The network operates 14 hospitals in the Midwest and provides on an annual basis approximately $900 million in Medicare and Medicaid services to the poor, elderly, and disabled.

Franciscan Health also accepts the Catholic Churchs teaching that sexual identity is an objective fact, rooted in nature. In both its religious and professional medical judgment, participating in gender transition services is not in keeping with the best interest of the patient.

Franciscan Health, in other words, stands poised to clash with the mandate. All of the good it accomplished is put at risk, and all to promote a controversial procedure that, by all accounts, will affect only a tiny sliver of the population.

What Americans have to realize is that the radical left does not care for the poor. Rather, the president and his congressional allies have treated the poor as hostages, only useful because concern over their welfare will keep the detractors of the culture war in line.

With the HHS transgender mandate, Democrats have jeopardized the poors access to real health care options merely so they could score a point for the sexual revolution.

I ask you, who has the misplaced priorities?
The largely overlooked deployment this past weekend of some 4,000 U.S. troops to Poland is an important message from Washington to Moscow: Dont mess with Eastern Europe, especially the Baltics. It is a message that Donald Trump needs to reinforce, no matter how much he admires his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

We have waited for you for a very long time," Polands defense minister, Antoni Macierewicz, told the troops when they arrived in the town of Zagan, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. "We waited for decades, sometimes feeling we had been left alone, sometimes almost losing hope, sometimes feeling that we were the only one who protected civilization from aggression that came from the east."

Macierewicz was referring to the neglect Eastern Europe suffered throughout the Obama administration, starting with its decision in 2009 to downsize an antiballistic missile system in Poland.

Only in its last week did the outgoing administration push back with the troop deployment, which, though mostly symbolic in size, is meant to demonstrate American resolve to defend European countries that border Russia and feel intimidated by their large and aggressive neighbor.

They have good reason.

A report by Polands Institute of International Affairs details evidence that Russia, having successfully annexed the Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, is eying with malicious intent the Baltic countries that were once part of the now-defunct Soviet Empire.

Those countries intelligence services agree that Putins perceived intentions toward Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and even Poland are troubling. The report suggests that Russias military intelligence agency  the GRU  and its civilian counterpart  the SVR  are engaged in a systematic attempt to rile Russian-speaking minorities, which comprise as much as 30 percent of the population in the Baltics, much as they did in eastern Ukraine in preparation for the 2014 military incursion there.

In addition, Lithuanian intelligence believes the Kremlin is sending spies under the guise of diplomats to gather information and to turn civilians into informants, using blackmail or once-widely used honey-traps  luring victims into sexually compromising situations. The latter takes on special significance given the online publication earlier this month of a dossier of unsubstantiated claims that such evidence had been used against Trump. Those rumors were roundly denied, but there is little doubt that even if Trump was not a victim, the Russian practice of blackmailing potential assets goes on.

An outpost of 4,000 U.S. troops is not enough to make a difference should Russia rashly decide to expand its land grab in Eastern Europe. But its presence is comforting to Poland and its neighbors, even as Moscow denounces the deployment as a provocation.

Any new administration must come into office prepared to face an early challenge from foes abroad. Team Trump would be wise to keep an eye on Poland and its Baltic allies. Putin has shown he has a dangerously wandering eye, and not for the ladies.
The organizers of a women's protest march set to hit the streets of Washington D.C. the day after Donald Trump's inauguration said Monday it had dropped one of its partner organizations because the group opposes abortion.

The nonprofit group, New Wave Feminists, vowed to take part in the protest anyway.

"We will definitely be there with our pro-life, pro-woman message," group leader Destiny Hernon-De La Rosa told FoxNews.com. "These are the women we would be trying to reach, anyway."

On Sunday, New Wave Feminists announced on its Facebook page that it had been chosen as an official partner of the Jan. 21 Women's March on Washington, putting them on a par with Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America.

On its website, New Wave Feminists decry that their "womanhood [has been] traded in for a handful of birth control pills, the 'privilege' to degrade ourselves in playboy [sic], and the 'right' to abort our children." The group calls for "the return of common sense feminism that refuses to exploit women in the name of liberation."

The group's partnership status was mentioned in a story published Monday on the Atlantic magazine's website and drew outrage from several left-wing writers.

Soon after, New Wave Feminists was removed from the partner list.

"The Women's March platform is pro-choice and has been from day one," the march organizers said in a statement. "We look forward to marching on behalf of individuals who share the view that women deserve the right to make their own reproductive decisions.

"The anti-choice organization in question," the statement added, "is not a partner of the women's March on Washington. We apologize for the error."

The head of New Wave Feminists, Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa told the website Newsbusters that she had not heard from the march organizers about the group's demotion.

"I can only assume," she said, "they caved to the backlash on social media after the Atlantic piece came out saying we were listed as partners."
John Brennan, the outgoing Central Intelligence Agency director, rejected President-elect Donald Trumps suggestion that he may have leaked the unsubstantiated dossier that claimed Russia had compromising allegations about Trump.

First of all, this is not intelligence community information, Brennan said Monday. Brennan said he did not read the document and, according to the Wall Street Journal, gave it no particular credence.

Trump blasted outgoing director on social media Sunday after Brennan said Trump does not have a full understanding of Russias power and threat to the world.

I dont think he has a full understanding of Russian capabilities and the actions they are taking on the world, Brennan told Fox News Sunday.

He also suggested that Trump lacks a full appreciation of Russias aggression or about why President Obama imposed sanctions on the Kremlin for meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Mr. Trump has to understand that absolving Russia is a road that he needs to be very, very careful about moving down, Brennan said.

Trump responded with a two-tweet message that criticized the CIA's record under Brennan and questioned whether the director had leaked a dossier of unverified allegations that Russia spies had obtained compromising personal and financial information about Trump.

TRANSITION OF POWER

The day after the dossier's contents were published by BuzzFeed, Trump posted on Twitter that intelligence agencies "should never have allowed this fake news to 'leak'" before asking "Are we living in Nazi Germany?"

Brennan was reportedly indignant that Trump attacked his fellow spies, according to The Journal. He mentioned Trumps tweet on Nazi Germany in particular.

Tell the families of those 117 CIA officers who are forever memorialized on our wall of honor that their loved ones who gave their lives were akin to Nazis, Brennan said. Tell the CIA officers who are serving in harms way right now and their families who are worried about them that they are akin to Nazi Germany. I found that to be very repugnant, and I will forever stand up for the integrity and patriotism of my officers who have done much over the years to sacrifice for their fellow citizens.
A former CIA agent is waiting in her Portugal apartment for a knock on the door that could come at any time and mean the possible end to her freedom.



Sabrina De Sousa told FoxNews.com that since Portugal cleared the way for her extradition to Italy to face charges related to an interrorgation of a terror suspect, she has had little peace or rest. De Sousa was due to be extradited to Italy Tuesday to begin serving a six-year sentence, but by evening in Portugal, authorities had not come to get her, she said.

Im pretty much ready, De Sousa said in a telephone interview. I have to be. I have organized my things.

She added that lawyers have told her that most likely there will be no advance notice that authorities are on their way to pick her up and put her aboard an airplane to Italy, there will just be a knock on the door.

They dont want you to flee, she said.

De Sousa was convicted in absentia in an Italian court in 2009 for her role in the 2003 kidnapping of a suspected terrorist, an Egyptian cleric, as part of the George W. Bush administrations rendition program, which called for such security threats to be caught and sent to another country to be interrogated. De Sousa was among 26 Americans who were convicted in absentia in connection with the kidnapping. Some have been pardoned and none has done jail time.

Italian authorities accused De Sousa of helping to plan the kidnapping in Milan of Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr, or Abu Omar. Omar has said he was tortured in Egypt.

De Sousa, who left the CIA, has fought efforts to imprison and extradite her, arguing that she was following orders of her superiors in the highest ranks of the U.S. government, and that a foreign court should not have handled the case.

I feel betrayed by the U.S. government, De Sousa said, adding that the Obama administration has not helped. Im fighting this on my own. The U.S. had not supported me at all on this.

Italy first sought extradition of De Sousa with the guarantee of a retrial or appeal with new evidence, acknowledging she had been tried in absentia. Based on these guarantees, the Portuguese courts agreed to extradite.

But in June 2016, Italy sent Portugal a letter saying De Sousa's conviction was final, and no retrial would be granted. In a move that shocked De Sousa and others in the intelligence community, Portugal's high court ordered her immediate extradition.

De Sousa has been hoping that President-elect Donald Trump will intercede and stop what she says is a dangerous precedent of allowing U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers to be convicted by foreign courts.

Theres a broader impact beyond herself, she said, adding that Italy had been part of the U.S. rendition handling of the cleric. When you abandon people, abandon officers. Accountability should be dealt with in the United States.

Her supporters, who include former Rep. Pete Hoekstra, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee, say officers should not be punished for following the orders of their government.

Shes sitting in fear that at any given moment theyll transfer her and put her in prison, Hoekstra told FoxNews.com Shes spoken out about the whole process of rendition.

Hoekstra believes that the U.S. government was disinclined to help De Sousa out of anger over her outspokenness.

The former lawmaker and De Sousa also believe that her decision to go back to Portugal, where she has citizenship, to join her son and other relatives irked U.S. officials, who had warned her against traveling in Europe. De Sousa has dual U.S.-Portuguese citizenship.

You dont go out and recruit people from foreign countries to assist you in your intelligence community, Hoekstra said, and put them in a predicament where they only place they live is in the United States and they cant travel.

Hoekstra has spoken to Trump transition team members about De Sousas case.

I hope that Trump will recognize the inherent unfairness of this situation, he said, adding that Italy and the United States could have handled the case of De Sousa and others convicted in a more diplomatic fashion. There are ways that allies and friends work it out.

"Officers in the intelligence community are all watching this [case]," Hoekstra said, "and they're saying to me 'This could be me tomorrow.'"


A Georgia county commissioner is being urged to resign after calling civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis a racist pig in a Facebook post days before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Gwinnett County commissioner Tommy Hunters comments likely stemmed from a war of words between Lewis, D-Ga., and President-elect Donald Trump. Lewis told NBCs Meet the Press that he believes Trump is an illegitimate president because of Russias alleged influence in the election.

There aint one political pundit that didnt say on November 9 this would be Demonrats (sic) EXACT response to Trump winning, Hunter said in the since-deleted post. They believe polls were right and THE REAL VOTES were wrong. What a bunch of idiots.

Hunters remarks also started the calls for him to step down from his seat on the board of commissioners.

Hunter is a disgrace to Gwinnett County in particular and Georgia in general, and he should apologize for those comments, Gwinnett County Democratic Party Chairman Gabe Okoye told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He added that Hunter should resign.

State Rep. Darshun Kendrick, D-Lithonia, said she was ashamed that Hunter represented the Gwinnett portion of my district. Kendrick represents District 93 which touches part of Hunters territory.

Hunter told the paper that the racist pig was probably out of aggravation after Lewis comments, but he refused to apologize for any other part of his message. He said he was grateful for Lewis contributions to the civil rights movement, but accused him of using his fame to divide the races.

He then added that Lewis was illegitimate.

After deleing the racist pig Facebook post, Hunter was back on the social networking site to wish his followers a Happy MLK Day.

Remember its the content of your character, not the color of your skin that matters. Someday, hopefully that will become reality.

Click for more from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
President Obama and his family will fly to California after the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump Friday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed Tuesday.

Earnest said in his final daily press briefing that the first family will fly to Palm Springs after Trump is sworn-in to office.

The president vowed to take his family somewhere warmer, and Palm Springs fits the bill, Earnest said.

Earnest added that the Obamas have enjoyed their time there in the past, and they are looking forward to going again.
Syria talks are set to kickoff next week and Russia wants officials from the incoming Trump administration to attend the meeting in Kazakhstan.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a news conference Tuesday that Moscow was encouraged by President-elect Donald Trumps focus on combating terrorism.

He voiced hope that Russian and U.S. experts could start discussions on fighting terrorism in Syria, in Kazakhstan's capital when Syrian government and opposition representatives meet for talks.

We hope that the new administration will be able to accept that proposal," adding that the talks in Astana will offer "the first opportunity to discuss a more efficient fight against terrorism in Syria, Lavrov added.

Lavrov said that Russia expects that cooperation on settling the Syrian crisis will be more productive than it was with the Obama administration.

RUSSIAN FM SAYS ALLEGATIONS OF CYBERATTACKS ON US ARE FABRICATED

Representatives from some Syrian rebel groups said Monday they would attend talks sponsored by Russia and Turkey, despite mounting violations of a fragile ceasefire across the war-torn country.

Opposition activists have reported widespread violence around Syria. Although the scale of the violence was not comparable to the government-led, Russian-backed offensive against Aleppo that preceded the cease-fire, airstrikes and shelling were reported in at least eight of Syria's 14 provinces Monday.

The ceasefire excludes areas where the Islamic State operates. There, too, fighting raged as militants closed in on a government military base while Turkey-backed and Kurdish-backed fighters clashed with the extremist group in three provinces.

The talks are considered a diplomatic feat for Moscow. After withstanding a crippling, months-long siege and punishing bombing campaign, the opposition surrendered one of its most prized urban centers, Aleppo. Rebel groups had control of nearly half of the city, once Syria's commercial center, since 2012.

The United States was left out of the ceasefire agreement, which was finalized on Dec. 30.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hearing of Ukraine's lawsuit with the International Court of Justice against the Russian Federation in order to bring it to justice for the acts of terrorism and discrimination in the course of its illegal aggression against Ukraine could last for several years, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Olena Zerkal has said.

"The hearing of the lawsuit is really difficult and long procedure. After making the decision on applying the terms the court gives some time to submit the memorandum with the entire evidence package. Then the defending party has some time to prepare a counter-memorandum. The case will be long and heard for years," she said at a briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday.

As reported, on January 17, 2017 Ukraine filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice against the Russian Federation in order to bring it to justice for the acts of terrorism and discrimination in the course of its illegal aggression against Ukraine. The lawsuit was filed under the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Texas lawmakers are seeking once again to become the next state to raise the minimum smoking age to 21.

State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, told the Dallas Morning News on Monday that he believes the bill can get through the Legislature, especially with more Republicans backing the proposal.

State Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, has been trying to convince lawmakers to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products for the last 10 years. Uresti believes this year is the best chance hes ever had to push the bill through.

We have as good a chance as weve ever had, Uresti told the Morning News. Im just glad. I welcome all the support we can get.

Texans who use tobacco products has decreased over the last decade, with more than 15 percent of residents admitting they smoke or chew tobacco.

A 2015 report from the National Academy of Medicine says that number could decrease to 12 percent should the minimum age to purchase products is increased.

The state could potentially save money as well because they might have to care for as many people with tobacco-related diseases, according to the Department of State Health Services.

Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, and Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston are also expected to file a bill.

Lawmakers are expected to get some push back in the Legislature. An analysis of Urestis past bills shows that Texas could lose up to $100 million in taxes if the age is raised.

Click for more from the Dallas Morning News.
Education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos voiced strong support for public school alternatives at her confirmation hearing Tuesday, telling senators that "parents no longer believe that a one-size-fits-all model of learning fits the needs of every child."

DeVos told the Senate Health, Education and Pensions Committe that she would be "a strong advocate for great public schools" if confirmed, but added that "if a school is troubled, or unsafe, or not a good fit for a child ... we should support a parent's right to enroll their child in a high-quality alternative."

DeVos, 59, also said she will seek to address rising higher education costs and massive student debt, but also advance trade and vocational schools as well as community colleges because "craftsmanship is not a fallback  but a noble pursuit."

President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of DeVos to lead the Department of Education was harshly criticized by teacher's unions, who have claimed that DeVos wants to undermine the public education system, which provides instruction to more than 90 percent of the country's students.

In his opening statement, committee chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., himself a former secretary of education, said DeVos is "on our children's side."

"I believe she is in the mainstream of public opinion, and her critics are not," said Alexander. That praise was echoed by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who introduced DeVos to the committee by calling her "a champion of education, and specifically a champion of education for poor kids."

Former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman also appeared before his onetime colleagues to introduce DeVos.

"We just can't accept the status quo in education anymore," Lieberman said. "We need a change agent and an education reformer to be education secretary ... and that is exactly the kind of education secretary I believe Betsy DeVos can and will be."

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the committee's ranking member, expressed concern that lawmakers had not received an ethics review for the nominee.

"I am extremely disappointed that we are moving forward with this hearing without receiving the proper paperwork from the Office of Goverment Ethics," Murray said.

Murray also told DeVos that federal policy should be focused on strengthening public schools, "and certainly not toward diverting taxpayer dollars to fund vouchers that don't work for unaccountable private schools." She asked DeVos point-blank to pledge that she would not seek to privatize public schools or take money away from them.

DeVos, whose husband is the heir to the Amway marketing fortune, has for decades used the familys influence and wealth in her home state of Michigan to advocate for charter schools and promote conservative religious values. Critics of DeVos have expressed concerns about her financial contributions and possible conflicts of interest.

The nominee attempted to assuage those concerns during the question-and answer period, pledging that she "will not be conflicted. Period." DeVos also said that she will take a government salary of $1 if confirmed.

Asked outright by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., if she got the job because of her family's political contributions, DeVos said: "As a matter of fact I do think that there would be that possibility. I have worked very hard on behalf of parents and children for the last almost 30 years."

On tuition-free public colleges and universities, DeVos said: "I think we also have to consider the fact that there is nothing in life that is truly free. Somebody is going to pay for it."



She skirted Sanders' question on whether she would support making child care free or much more affordable for low-income families as is the case in many countries around the world, saying only that she feels strongly about "parents having an opportunities for child care for their children."



"But it's not a question of opportunity," Sanders fired back, raising his voice. "It's a question of being able to afford it!"



As the hearing dragged on into its fourth hour, Democratic senators made repeated requests with Chairman Alexander to allow them to pose another round of questions to DeVos, but he refused, citing procedures at previous hearings.

DeVos is expected to get enough votes in the committee and before the full Senate to be confirmed, considering she needs only a simple majority, with Republicans having 52 senators and Democrats having 48.

In a letter addressed to the committee, 38 prominent education groups and teachers' organizations expressed concern that DeVos' track record bodes ill for public education.



"Over the course of her career as a major campaign contributor, soft-money donor and lobbyist, DeVos has used her considerable wealth to influence legislation and the outcomes of elections to advance policies that have undermined public education and proved harmful to many of our most vulnerable students," the letter said.



LGBT groups also have protested Trump's choice of DeVos, saying she has funded conservative religious groups that promote what they consider to be traditional family values, including one organization that supports conversion therapy -- counseling of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people with the aim of changing their sexual orientation.



DeVos repeatedly disavowed any support for conversion therapy Tuesday, saying in her opening statement that "every child in America deserves to be in a safe environment that is free from discrimination."

Under questioning from Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., DeVos said that "I have never believed in" conversion therapy and "I believe in the innate value of every single human being." Alexander later read into the record a letter of support from the Log Cabin Republicans, a Republican organization pushing for LGBT rights.



DeVos supporters, meanwhile, applauded her nomination. Eva Moskowitz, CEO of Success Academy Charter Schools, said that American public education "is in deep crisis," with 35 countries outranking American schools in math and 20 in reading.



"I believe Betsy DeVos has the talent, commitment and leadership capacity to revitalize our public schools and deliver the promise of opportunity that excellent education provides, and I support her nomination as U.S. secretary of education," Moskowitz said in a statement.

DeVos has also garnered strong backing from two dozen state governors, as well as another former education secretary, William Bennett.

Its time we take a major turn in American education, Bennett told Fox News Channels Happening Now on Tuesday. Betsy DeVos represents a change. She is experienced in the field with children from all over the country.  She understands what the problems with education are.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump renewed his feud with Democratic Rep. John Lewis on Tuesday, accusing the Georgia congressman of misrepresenting the facts about his plans to boycott Trump's inauguration.

After a weekend of nasty sparring between the two politicians that was put on pause for MLK Day, Trump drew attention on Twitter to Lewis' questionable claim he's never missed a swearing-in.

John Lewis said about my inauguration, it will be the first one that Ive missed. WRONG (or lie)! He boycotted Bush 43 also because he thought it would be hypocritical to attend Bushs swearing-in.he doesnt believe Bush is the true elected president. Sound familiar! WP, Trump wrote.

The WP appeared to be shorthand for The Washington Post, which published on Jan. 21, 2001, a story about Lewis skipping George W. Bushs inaugural. The article records Lewis as spending Bushs inauguration day in his Atlanta district.

CONWAY: LEWIS' COMMENTS ON TRUMP WERE 'DISAPPOINTING'

Yet Lewis, during the same Meet The Press interview in which he asserted Trump is not a legitimate president, also had claimed Trumps Jan. 20 inauguration would be the first one that I miss since Ive been in Congress.

You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong, is not right, Lewis said.

Lewis' staff tried to clarify later Tuesday, saying the congressman forgot about the 2001 protest.

"That was almost 20 years ago," a spokesman told The Washington Post.

Lewis issue with Trumps legitimacy appears to center around alleged Russian interference in the political process during the run-up to the election. The Bush boycott occurred after Bushs protracted dispute about Floridas ballots with Democratic nominee Al Gore. In both cases, the Republican candidates  Trump and Bush  won the Electoral College vote while the Democratic candidates  Hillary Clinton and Gore  won the popular vote.

Trump responded quickly to Lewis on Sunday, tweeting that Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk  no action or results. Sad!

Trump was excoriated by many on social media and television for his disparagement of Lewis, who was an icon during the civil rights struggle. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Trump met with the late leaders son, Martin Luther King III, who attempted to interject a note of calm.

First of all I think that in the heat of emotion a lot of things get said on both sides, King told reporters. The goal is to bring America together and Americans.
Three of the groups challenging the reform agenda of President-elect Donald Trump and his education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos received more than $2.6 million from teachers unions and their allies, according to federal labor filings.

BY THE NUMBERS: TEACHER UNION CONTRIBUTIONS

DeVos, a pioneer in the school choice and charter school movements over the last two decades, has received vocal opposition from Democrats and some of the countrys most powerful unions. The National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, and AFL-CIO, which serves as an umbrella group for dozens of unions including the AFT, have all called on the Senate to reject the nomination.

LIBERAL GROUPS ACCUSED OF HYPOCRISY OVER CALL FOR RECUSALS IN DEVOS CONFIRMATION

They have also pumped millions of dollars into think tanks and activist groups that have supplied Democrats with intellectual ammunition to oppose her.

DeVos, the head of the American Federation for Children, has come under scrutiny from a number of liberal groups and media outlets, along with unions. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and Center for American Progress (CAP) have each released reports critical of charter schools since President-elect Donald Trump announced the nomination in November.

Click for more from The Washington Free Beacon
The U.S. military will transfer four more detainees out of Guantanamo Bay this week ahead of President Obamas final day in office, two U.S. officials with knowledge of the transfers tell Fox News.

Three detainees will be sent to the United Arab Emirates, and one will be sent to Saudi Arabia, on two separate military flights, the officials said.

After the transfers are complete, 41 detainees will remain at the detention camp. It is not immediately known if any more transfers will take place before Obama leaves office Friday, though it is clear the outgoing president will not achieve his 2008 campaign goal of shuttering the camp.

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end detainee transfers from Gitmo after taking office.

The four detainees are expected to depart the camp Wednesday and arrive in UAE and Saudi Arabia on Thursday, the officials said.

The Pentagon does not typically acknowledge detainee transfers until at least 24 hours after they arrive in third-party nations.

Earlier this week, 10 detainees were transferred to Oman.

In August, 15 detainees were sent to the UAE in the single largest transfer to date.
Human encroachment typically means bad news for a given species (recent examples include giraffes and cheetahs), but one mammal appears to be fighting back. Researchers say the hairy-legged vampire bat has adapted surprisingly fast from drinking the blood of birds to that of humans to survive, reports the Telegraph.

In the journal Acta Chiropterologica, scientists report that they extracted DNA from 15 samples of feces at a colony in Catimbau National Park in Brazil and discovered human blood in three of them.

"We were quite surprised," says one researcher, per New Scientist. "They are adapting to their environment." Vampire bats have evolved to process bird blood, which is higher in fat than mammalian blood.

They've even been found to fast and starve when only pig and goat blood is available, but their main prey of guans and tinamous are dying off thanks to hunting and deforestation.

The research team says it expects the bats feast at night, entering bedrooms through open windows and holes in roofs, and say it's time to monitor them for diseases they are known to carry, including rabies and hantavirus.

For now, they're reaching out to nearby residents for more information on how, when and where they're being bitten. (This man died of rabies in the US after a vampire bat bit him in the heel.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: Vampire Bats Now Feasting on Human Blood
The descendants of an African chief who was hanged and decapitated by a Dutch general 171 years ago reluctantly accepted the return of his severed head Thursday, still angry even as the Dutch tried to right a historic wrong.

The head of King Badu Bonsu II was discovered last year in a jar of formaldehyde gathering dust in the anatomical collection of the Leiden University Medical Center. The Dutch government agreed to Ghanaian demands that the relic be returned.

On Thursday, members of the king's Ahanta tribe, dressed in dark robes and wearing red sashes, took part in the hand-over ceremony, honoring his spirit by toasting with Dutch gin and then sprinkling the drink over the floor at the Dutch Foreign Ministry.

But descendants of the chief said they were not consoled.

"I am hurt, angry. My grandfather has been killed," said Joseph Jones Amoah, the great, great grandson of the chief.

The chief's head was stored elsewhere at the ministry and was not displayed during the ceremony. It is expected to be flown with the tribe members back to Ghana on Friday.

Tribal elders said after the hand-over that they were also angry because they had been sent by their current chief only to identify the head, not retrieve it. Taking it back without first reporting to the chief would be a breach of protocol, they said.

"We, the Ahanta, are not happy at all," said Nana Etsin Kofi II.

The head was taken by Maj. Gen. Jan Verveer in 1838 in retaliation for Bonsu's killing of two Dutch emissaries, whose heads were displayed as trophies on Bonsu's throne, said Arthur Japin, a Dutch author who discovered the king's head when he was working on a historical novel.

The elders demanded the Dutch government provide aid to their tribe to appease the slain chief.

Nana Kwekwe Darko III, who tipped the gin on the floor in a Ghanaian tradition of respect for the dead, dabbed tears from his eyes afterward and said he wanted the Dutch to build schools and hospitals for his people.

Ministry spokesman Bart Rijs said that 10 tribal chiefs who came from Ghana had agreed before the ceremony to take the head home. The official transfer was between the two countries' governments, he said.

Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen used the ceremony to apologize for Dutch involvement in the slave trade. Ghana, then known as Gold Coast, was a base for Dutch slave traders.

"We are also here because of our mutual desire to lay to rest episodes in ... history that were unfortunate and shameful," Verhagen said. "Our common past also includes the infamous slave trade, which our traders engaged in and sustained and which inflicted so much harm on so many people in so many parts of the world."

Ghana has lobbied for the head's return since it was discovered.

"Without burial of the head, the deceased will be hunted in the afterlife. He's incomplete," Eric Odoi-Anim, a Ghanaian diplomat in the Netherlands said after the discovery. "It's also a stigma on his clan, on his kinsmen, and him being a (high-ranking) chief  this is even more serious."

It was unclear what would become of it once it reaches Ghana.

Berima Asamoah Kofi IV, a traditional chief who now lives in the Netherlands, said the Ahanta chief would ultimately decide its fate.

"Whatever he says, we are going to do," he told The Associated Press.
A failed airport security test ended up with a Slovak man unwittingly carrying hidden explosives in his luggage on a flight to Dublin, Slovak officials admitted Wednesday  a mistake that enraged Irish authorities and shocked aviation experts worldwide.

While the Slovaks blamed the incident on "a silly and unprofessional mistake," Irish officials and security experts said it was foolish for the Slovaks to hide actual bomb parts in the luggage of innocent passengers under any circumstances.

The passenger himself was detained by Irish police for several hours before being let go without charge Tuesday.

The Irish were also angry that it took the Slovaks three days to tell them about the Saturday mistake and that the pilot of the airplane decided to fly to Dublin anyway even after being told that an explosive was in his aircraft's checked luggage.

After being informed by the Slovaks, Irish authorities shut down a major Dublin intersection Tuesday and evacuated people from several apartment buildings as Irish Army experts examined the explosive. The unwitting passenger was identified by Irish police as Stefan Gonda, a 49-year-old Slovak electrician who lives and works in Ireland.

The incident was bound to heighten flying jitters in the wake of the Christmas near-disaster where, authorities say, a 23-year-old Nigerian suspect tried to detonate an explosive device aboard a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, only to be foiled by a passenger who jumped over seats to subdue him.

Security experts said the Dublin episode illustrated the inadequacy of the screening of checked-in luggage  the very point Slovak authorities had sought to test when they placed bomb components in passengers' bags.

Yet Clark Kent Ervin, the former inspector general of the U.S. Homeland Security Department, called the Slovak test "crazy."

"It should be a controlled exercise," Ervin said. "It never should be done to someone unwittingly."

"It's unbelievable, it's astonishing," said Rick Nelson, a former Bush administration official who worked at the National Counterterrorism Center. "I'm not sure what they were thinking using an unknowing civilian rather than an undercover security official."

Their comments were echoed by experts in several nations.

Aviation analyst Chris Yates said someone should be fired, not only for the mistake, but for how the entire operation was designed.

"The whole idea of putting devices in passenger bags scares the living daylights out of me, frankly. It leaves it wide open to a whole range of things, including theft," Yates told The Associated Press in London.

"Anything could happen," he said. "That bag could go through a different carousel in the airport, you could lose it and you get the situation where you have RDX plastic explosive loaded into the cargo hold of an airplane, flown to another destination and then you have to find (it)."

Aviation security experts in Israel, considered among the top in the world, were equally incredulous.

Rafi Sela, president of AR Challenges, a consulting firm specializing in security, said Israel conducts daily drills in which people try to smuggle mock explosives, but the explosives are monitored at all times and are handled by volunteers, never by unwitting travelers.

"Nothing has ever happened like that in Israel and it never will because we operate differently here," he told the AP. "It's extremely dangerous what happened there. We send people to try and get through security all the time to test the system but explosives are always closely monitored and would never end up unattended like that."

In neighboring Hungary, officials said placing explosives secretly in a passenger's luggage was against the law.

Slovak Interior Minister Robert Kalinak expressed "profound regret" to the Irish government for the oversight and the delay in alerting them.

But his ministry, in a statement, still claimed that "no one was in danger (during the flight) because the substance, without any other components (detonators) and under the conditions it was stored, is not dangerous."

The ministry said it ordered an immediate halt to such tests and took steps to prevent a repeat, while Tibor Mako, the head of Slovakia's border and foreign police whose people carried out the exercise, offered his resignation. There was no word on whether it would be accepted.

"The aim of the training was to keep sniffer dogs in shape and on alert in a real environment," the ministry said.

Still, details emerging from the failed exercise heightened concerns that basic precautions were not taken, with the ministry saying that when Slovak authorities realized their error and told the pilot of the Danube Wings flight, he still decided to take off with the explosives on board.

It was not clear what any other airport or airline officials, either in Slovakia or Dublin, knew about the failed security test. Slovak authorities said the officer who overlooked the planted explosive only told his superiors about the incident Monday.

Even the basic facts of test were in dispute Wednesday.

Irish officials said the Slovaks told them nine real bomb components were placed into the bags of nine different passengers at two airports, including Bratislava Airport and Poprad-Tatry Airport in central Slovakia. Eight items were detected, the Irish said, adding that one bag had two bomb components in it.

Slovak officials say they only attached two caches of explosives onto the outside of one man's bag.

The sniffer dog found one explosive but the police officer in charge failed to remove the second, which was not detected by the dog, from the bag because he was busy, the Slovakian interior ministry statement said.

That allowed 3 ounces of RDX plastic explosive to travel undetected through security at Poprad-Tatry Airport onto a Danube Wings aircraft. The Slovak carrier launched services to Dublin last month.

"The police officer made a silly and unprofessional mistake, which turned the good purpose of protecting people into a problem," the ministry statement said.

Slovak border police subsequently traced the man and told him where the explosive was planted so that he was able to find it Monday evening, said the ministry. Kalinak, the interior minister, called him to apologize.

But the Slovak ministry admitted it did not contact Irish authorities and explain the situation until Tuesday. That prompted Irish police to raid the man's Dublin apartment and detain him for several hours.

Irish police said they initially were led to believe the man might be a terrorist until the Slovaks explained the situation further.

Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said Dublin police eventually confirmed that the explosive "was concealed without his knowledge or consent ... as part of an airport security exercise."

The Slovak statement criticized the Irish police.

"For an incomprehensible reason for us, they took the person into custody and undertook further security measures," it said.

Slovakia was considering "new forms of sniffer dog training" to avoid a repeat of the scare, the ministry said.

In the Slovak capital of Bratislava, people expressed mixed feelings about the mistake.

"It's a big deal, I think it's horrible," said Robert Maslej, 28, waiting for his flight to Manchester, England at Bratislava airport.

But Neil Hamison, a 30-year-old IT engineer booked on the same plane, was far less perturbed.

"I saw it on the news but didn't really think about it," he said.

The incident was reminiscent of a French security exercise gone awry six years ago, when a bag of plastic explosives hidden intentionally in an unwitting passenger's luggage went missing.

Police had placed explosives in the side pocket of a suitcase in an exercise to train bomb-sniffing dogs at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport. The bag, containing nearly 5 ounces of explosives, was never seen again.

French police said at the time there was no chance the explosives could go off since they were not connected to detonators, but the incident caused widespread criticism. The French subsequently stopped placing explosives intentionally into passengers' luggage for training.
Unless you're a real gladiator, scaling Romes historic Colosseum is a bad idea.

Two tourists from Brazil suffered serious injuries after attempting to scale one of the entry gates to the famed ampitheatre on Sunday night. After falling nearly 14 feet, one of the tourists was left with full body bruises while the less fortunate stuntman was left with a fractured pelvis, according to The Local.

Soon after the fall, friends of the tourists called an ambulance to the scene. Police reportedly arrived at the scene around 3 a.m. and both men were taken to the hospital. The tourist with a fractured pelvis could be in the hospital for several weeks and the other has already been released but both will face trespassing charges and could face jail time.

TOURIST FINED ALMOST $25,000 FOR CARVING INITIAL ON WALL OF ROMES COLOSSEUM

This isn't the first time foreigners have tried to scale one of Rome's most famous sites. In August, two Germans scaled the 147 foot monument, and posted a video of their stunt online.

Others try to leave their mark in a more literal way. On Monday, Colosseum staff found the word "morte" (Italian for death) painted in black on a column near the entrance. The graffiti has since been covered while preservationists asses the damage.

Italian judges have become stricter with passing down fines to foreign trespassers and others who vandalize historic sites.

In September, a 40-year-old Austrian woman carved the letters M.D.S into a pillar of the Colosseum before she was caught by the staff. She was charged with aggravated damage of a building of historic and artistic interest.



FOR THE LATEST TRAVEL FEATURES FOLLOW FOX LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK

In 2014, a Canadian teen stole a brick from the Colosseum. The 15-year-old girl reportedly took the artifact as a souvenir during a class field trip and hid it in her backpack. Witnesses reported the girl to the police, who confiscated the brick.
If youre planning a trip to see the coral reefs and picturesque rock islands of Palau in the Pacific, you may want to bring a few extra bucks. Make that a stack of hundreds.

Palaus president Tommy Remengesau has proposed a new law that would make it very difficult for travelers on a budget by allowing on five-star hotels throughout the nation's islands.

According to The Telegraph, Remengesau is pushing for a quality rather than quantity tourism strategy.

ENVIRONMENTALISTS SLAM NICKELODEON'S PROPOSED UNDERWATER THEME PARK

"Its kind of a win-win situation for Palau and the investor," Remengesau told reporters earlier this month, as hotels would be rewarded by the government for bringing infrastructure to the island with the necessary tax breaks and exemptions."

But are tourists without deep pockets losing out? The president's proposal comes amid heightened complaints in recent years of an overwhelming influx of Chinese tourists.

Palau had 141,000 visitors in 2014 up 34-percent from 2013. By February 2015, mainland Chinese visitors had increased by more than 500-percent to 10,955, according to The Straits Times.

Thats more than half of Palaus total population.

Tourism accounts for the the majority of Palaus GDP at 85-percent but the damage to the sudden increase of visitors was proving to be costly, according to some locols. The influx of tourists may lead to the destruction of coral reefs, general overcrowding and wildlife disturbance on the islands.

Amid growing concern, Palau's government cut the number of charter flights from China in 2015 by half. Accordingly, while the numbers went down, the actual tourist spending went up, said Remengesau.

"Do we want to control growth or do we want growth to control us?" he questioned in 2015. "It will be irresponsible for me as a leader if this trend continues. I am not only looking at the present but, as a leader, I am looking after tomorrow."

FOR THE LATEST TRAVEL FEATURES FOLLOW FOX LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK

Now, it appears the president is satisfied with his decision to control the amount of tourists who visit the island.

It confirms our direction [to attract] less tourists who spend more which equates to more tax dollars, he said. We [will] go for quality rather than quantity... to create a goal of high-end, high-value tourism.

There are currently just a handful of five-star resorts in Palau, many of which are on the populous island of Koror.
Her Majesty's High Court of Justice in England on January 18 will continue hearing the petition of the Russian Federation, filed on July 28, on making an expedited decision on the lawsuit, previously filed by Russia, to recover a $3 billion debt on eurobonds from Ukraine.

The agenda of the court hearings has been posted on the court's website. The hearing will start at 10:00 London time (12:00 Kyiv time) and last for the whole day.

Following the meeting, the court will decide whether to deal with the claim on an expedited basis (assumes the presentation of the parties' positions, after which the judge makes a ruling based on the study of facts, loan documents) or follow the path of a conventional trial.

As reported, in October 2015 after the talks, which lasted for about half a year, the holders of 13 out of the 14 issues of Ukrainian eurobonds totaling $14.36 billion and EUR 600 million supported their restructuring. It involves the exchange of 80% of the sum for new eurobonds with maturity prolongation for four years, 20% for state derivatives, repayments on which in 2021-2040 will depend on the pace of GDP growth in the country.

Ukraine only failed to reach a restructuring agreement on the eurobonds bought by Russia, which it financed from the National Welfare Fund at the end of 2013. Russia refused to discuss restructuring on general terms, insisting that the debt was sovereign rather than commercial. In December 2015, the Ukrainian government introduced a moratorium to pay the debt on these eurobonds.
Police and fire rescue crews are on the scene after three people were shot and five others were injured at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park.

.@MiamiDadePD officers carry a woman that appeared to have been shot at the MLK Jr. Memorial Park in #Miami. pic.twitter.com/1u8LWbMLb2  WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) January 16, 2017

Miami-Dade Police was among the multiple agencies that responded to the scene of the shooting at 6011 N.W. 32nd Avenue, in Northwest Miami-Dade, Monday just before 4 p.m.

At around 5:20 p.m., Miami-Dade Police tweeted out that they had detained two people and recovered two weapons from the scene.

MLK parade and festival in NW Miami Dade turns into shooting scene. @wsvn pic.twitter.com/eG0lznurPN  Ann Keil (@ann_keil) January 16, 2017

All three shooting victims were transported to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. One of these victims was transported as a trauma alert.

7News reporter Ann Keil and photographers were about 100 feet away from the scene of the shooting, along Northwest 32nd Avenue and Northwest 62nd Street. They heard between four and six shots.

Moments later, the news crew saw displaced children crying after losing their parents when a stampede of attendees ran away from the scene in search of safety. Many police officers were seen carrying small children away from the scene.

As all of this was going on, parade-goers were seen ducking for cover underneath vendor tables and behind walls.

Around 4 p.m., several law enforcement agencies and fire rescue vehicles were seen flooding the area. At one moment, MDPD officers were seen at a nearby house with their guns drawn. It is unclear if this is related to the shooting at the park.

According to Keil, at least two women looked like they had been shot in the leg. Officers were seen picking up these victims by hand and carrying them away to safety.

Moments later, a man was seen on the floor in handcuffs.

Click for more from WSVN.
A foyer leading to a three-star general's office has been renovated at a cost to taxpayers of $387,000.

The Gazette reports the renovation bill was about $130,000 more than the average price of a home in the Pikes Peak region.

Air Force Academy officials declined to give out a detailed list of how the money was spent.

Academy spokesman Lt. Col. Allen Heritage said the total cost was approved by a committee as well as the Pentagon.

About $16,000 went toward resolving concerns over fire codes.

Other changes include new carpet and lighting.

Heritage said Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson attracts many guests.

He said about 800 visitors see the foyer annually.
The home of a New Hampshire woman who vanished without a trace 35 years ago could hold clues into her disappearance, according to investigators who planned to search the property on Tuesday.

Police officers and FBI agents are set to comb through the home of Denise Beaudin, who disappeared after Thanksgiving in 1981.

The search, which could last several days, will take place on a section of Hayward Street in Manchester, FOX 25 Boston reported.

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED INTO WOMAN'S 1981 DISAPPEARANCE AFTER DAUGHTER FOUND

Beaudins family last saw the 23-year-old after celebrating the holiday with her boyfriend, Robert Bob Evans, and her infant daughters, the state attorney generals office reported.

When relatives went to visit her home a few days later, the couple and baby were gone.

HUSBAND COVERED UP WIFE'S KILLING THROUGH FACEBOOK POSTS, POLICE SAY

Jeffery Strelzin, senior assistant attorney general and chief of the homicide unit, said the family did not contact police at the time because they believed the couple had left to avoid money troubles.

"It was a different time, you had no cellphones, no social media, so it was different," Strelzin said.

The case was reopened after investigators said they had new information and had been in touch with Beaudin's daughter.

"We know where she is, we've identified her, she's alive and well," Strelzin said of the daughter. "She doesn't want her identity released at this time, but she's OK."

He also said the investigators found the daughter "years later."

Evans, who was 37 at the time, is now 72, and authorities know where he is, Strelzin said. He declined to provide more information about Evans, or what led authorities to begin investigating.

Beaudins name has been added to the National Crime Information Center's missing persons database, which includes records of people missing under circumstances indicating they may be in physical danger or their disappearance may not have been voluntary.

Beaudin graduated from Goffstown High School in 1976 and later worked at General Cable and the Demers Nursing Home in Manchester.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
He was only trying to be kind to a homeless man.

That, according to the former campus president of a Kansas City trade school, is what led to him being fired, while offering a homeless man shelter from cold weather.

Brian Carroll, campus president at Vatterott College in Kansas City for five years, says one of his students had no place to go. On Friday, January 6th, he allowed a student, who is homeless and schizophrenic, to sleep overnight in the school's library. The school fired him on Monday, January 9th, the next business day.

"Education is a beautiful thing to me," Carroll told FOX 4 News. "But sometimes, it gets destroyed in the process."

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA PRESIDENT SAYS SEXUAL MISCONDUCT TRAINING NOT GETTING THROUGH

The recorded overnight temperatures outside Vatterott College on January 6th hit four degrees below zero. Carroll says that student had been sleeping in a wooded area near the school, but temperatures were too harsh that night, and the student had nowhere to seek warmth.

"I just didn't want to take the chance," Carroll said. "We had ice and snow."

"I had a tough choice to make. He can't stay on campus. I can't put him in my car. I can't take him to my house."

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE RAISES $420G FOR TRUMP INAUGURATION APPEARANCE

Carroll says the student had run out of his medication. He allowed the student to bed down in the school's library, and even though the student didn't steal or damage anything, Carroll was fired once the school's corporate leaders found out. The building has a series of surveillance cameras that can be viewed via remote, which is how Vatterott's Saint Louis-based management team found out.

"I made a choice. I was choosing between life -- I'm not from here. I'm from Southern California. I'm not sure if I could live in the woods at minus two degrees," Carroll said.

For more on this story, visit Fox4KC.com.
A driver who shot and killed an illegal immigrant who was attacking an Arizona state trooper on the side of a highway last week believes God put him there to save the officers life, police revealed Monday.

"He knows that he did the right thing," said Col. Frank Milstead, director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. "He is trying to reconcile that in his mind, which, it's difficult to take a life, even when you know its the right thing to do."

PASSING DRIVER KILLS MAN ATTACKING ARIZONA TROOPER ON ROAD

The shootings unfolded last Thursday morning along Interstate 10 outside Phoenix. Leonard Penuelas-Escobar, an illegal immigrant and former Mexico federal police officer, rolled his car over while driving at a high speed, investigators told the Arizona Republic.

The crash threw 23-year-old Vanessa Monique Lopez-Ruiz from Phoenix out of the car. She died at the scene.

DRAMATIC RISE IN POLICE OFFICERS GUNNED DOWN IN THE LINE OF DUTY IN 2016

Penuelas-Escobar then shot at a passing car and multiple drivers called police. Edward Andersson, a 27-year veteran trooper, arrived at the scene, and as he was setting up road flares, Penuelas-Escobar shot him in the shoulder.

The motive is the big unknown, Milstead told reporters on Monday, according to the Arizona Republic. "I'm gonna guess that he was impaired. They were both known meth users. You can surmise that maybe there were hallucinations ... you can surmise that he was frustrated that his girlfriend was mortally injured in this collision and people wouldnt stop (to help them)."

The Good Samaritan  who police said is not yet ready to be named  stopped and grabbed his own gun to the car and told Penuelas-Escobar to stop beating Andersson. But the illegal immigrant refused and continued, at which point the man fired at him and struck Penuelas-Escobar twice.

The Good Samaritan then started administering first aid to Andersson when Penuelas-Escobar charged back at him. The aggressor was then shot once in the head, killing him, Milstead said.

Andersson underwent surgery and was expected to recover. The Good Samaritan, police say, was headed to California for the weekend with his fiance and occasionally practices marksmanship with those he knows in the military and law enforcement fields.

"I can tell you this: If he didn't save Trooper Anderssons life, he definitely kept him from having much more severe neurological injuries from this beating that he was taking helplessly at the time," Milstead said.
Its been one week since Lt. Debra Clayton was shot and killed in the line of duty, but in Polk County, her memory and legacy will live on.

The Orlando police officer was known for her work with children, and her service wasnt just limited to official duties. When Clayton wasnt on the clock working with kids and teens in the Orlando area, she made the hour-long drive to the Winning Souls For the Kingdom Church in Auburndale, where she helped mentor the ministrys youth.

Debra was the type of person that anyone could talk to, said Michon Chunn, who met with Clayton each week during a social gathering for women in the ministry.

MANHUNT GRIPS ORLANDO AS POLICE SEARCH FOR SUSPECT IN OFFICER'S SHOOTING DEATH

Chunn says she and Clayton became fast friends. She always had a smile on her face, even if she was dealing with a difficult situation."

The two bonded over their passion for inspiring and guiding the young members of their church and were in the early stages of planning a new youth center.

Some of the recreation options that we do have around here are not really a positive environment for young people, so we just want to be able to bring them in so they can have a great time and be safe, said Akisia Quinn, who heads up youth programing for the church.

FBI ARRESTS WIFE OF ORLANDO NIGHTCLUB MASSACRE GUNMAN OMAR MATEEN

Now as a tribute to the officer they knew as Sister Deborah, the ministry plans to dedicate the youth center to the woman who devoted her life to improving the lives of young people. The yet-to-be-constructed building will be named the Debra Clayton Youth Dream Center.

Were going to teach them the principles of what she was all about: Keeping God first, getting an education and staying out of trouble, said Chunn.

For more on this story, visit Fox35Orlando.com
Four children were hospitalized in critical condition after a fire broke out inside a one-story bungalow in Los Angeles Monday night, as video showed flames ripping through the building as crews raced to get inside.

ONE CHILD KILLED, TWO OTHERS INJURED IN DOG ATTACK IN ATLANTA

Rescuers said they were called to the fire in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood of Los Angeles around 10:50 p.m. Monday night. When they arrived, there was heavy smoke and flames shooting out of the front of the home.

Witnesses yelled to the firefighters that people were still trapped inside the bungalow, which was secured with window bars and streel screen doors, the Los Angeles Times reported.

GIRL, 4, REPORTED DEAD IN VIRGINIA HOUSE FIRE; 5 HOSPITALIZED

A video of the scene show firefighters sawing into the streel doors outside while flames were seen from outside.

Brian Humphrey, spokesman with the LAFD, told reporters that firefighters found an unbarred window and were able to climb in. He said the firefighters found four children severely burned and passed them to colleagues through the window.

There were paramedics on scene, who worked to revive and threat the children, ranging from ages 2-7.

Handing the badly injured and nearly lifeless siblings from zero visibility conditions within to waiting colleagues outside, the firefighter was able to escape unharmed before the room spiraled to a temperature that would have assuredly taken the childrens lives, Humphrey said.

Authorities said the childrens mother was out during an errand when the fire broke out. She came home to see paramedics helping her children.

The children were taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

Nearly 100 firefighters worked to put out the blaze within 16 minutes. The home was 93-year-old and had at least one smoke detector, however, officials could not determine if it was functional.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation. No other injuries were reported.
A fire ravaged through a two-story home in Virginia, killing a 4-year-old girl and sending several other people to the hospital early Tuesday morning.

TORNADOES DAMAGE HOMES, FLOOD ROADS IN DALLAS AREA

The fire was reported just before 5 a.m. Tuesday morning at a home on Grove Street, close to Bedford Middle School, Fire Chief Brad Creasy said.

Bedford Police confirm a 4 year old girl has died in a house fire this morning. @WFXRnews pic.twitter.com/DMChdKJh50  Sophia Borrelli (@sophiaborrelli) January 17, 2017

Two adults and six children were inside when the fire broke out. Theyre all believed to be members of the same family.

FOUR DOGS MISSING AFTER RESCUE VAN CRASHES, KILLING DRIVER

Five of the children were rushed to local hospitals for treatment. One child was not breathing when taken from the scene and was not expected to survive.

Several victims pulled from this house on Grove Street this morning. Companies still operating on this multiple alarm fire. pic.twitter.com/nVBhfFHav6  Bedford Fire Dept (@Bedford_FD) January 17, 2017

WDBJ7 reported that at least three unconscious people were taken from the house and that a 4-year-old girl had died.

Several hours after the fire broke out, firefighters were still on scene trying to get out a few hot spots.

The cause of the fire wasnt immediately clear. Video showed smoke pouring out of the two-story home.

Bedford is a small town between Roanoke and Lynchburg.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Authorities say a 44-year-old man is accused of killing and dismembering a 27-year-old who was living with the suspect's ex-girlfriend.

Kenner's police chief and the St. John the Baptist Parish sheriff say Viusqui Perez-Espinosa has been arrested on charges of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

He's accused of killing Ivis Alexis Portales-Lara, whose family reported him missing Nov. 13.

Police Lt. Brian McGregor says the victim was living with a woman whom Perez-Espinosa had left. He says that after Perez-Espinosa was evicted from another apartment, he moved in with the woman and Portales-Lara.

McGregor says detectives found blood spatters and a big pool of blood in the apartment Nov. 15. He says pieces of Portales-Lara's body were found in a canal Dec. 29 and over the past two weeks.
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A lawyer for a Massachusetts woman accused of helping dispose of her 2-year-old daughter's body has asked a judge to dismiss the charges or move the trial.

Rachelle Bond is charged as an accessory after the fact in the 2015 killing of her daughter, Bella Bond.

Bond's former boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, is charged with murder.

In court Tuesday, Bond's attorney said Bond didn't willingly participate in the disposal of her daughter's body.

A composite image of the girl was shared by millions on social media after her body washed up on a Boston Harbor island and she was identified only as Baby Doe.

Bond's lawyer says the trial should be moved to western Massachusetts because of intense media attention the case received in Boston.

The judge didn't immediately rule.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said he is counting on the new U.S. administration of President-elect Trump to assist Ukraine in its battle against Russian aggression.

"I think President-elect Trump must now muster [U.S.] capabilities and use everything in his power to support us in our battle for independence and democracy," Poroshenko said in an interview with the Bloomberg news agency during his visit to Davos, Switzerland.

He said a positive outcome would be the withdrawal of Russian armed forces from Ukraine and the return of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in early 2014.

"At least I think there is a window of opportunity for the time being. In this context, Americans support this idea," Poroshenko said.

"We are doing everything we can, everything in our power, to motivate Russia to take its hands off our territory," Ukraine's head of state said.

The president said Kyiv is using political and diplomatic means, but is simultaneously building a strong army, implementing reforms domestically and using legal instruments, including claims to international courts.
Navajo Nation officials say they are outraged the Environmental Protection Agency is refusing to pay millions of dollars in claims filed against it following the devastating Colorado Gold Mine spill.

The federal agency has accepted responsibility for the August 2015 disaster, which devastated farm and grazing lands in southern Colorado and northwest New Mexico. But it announced late last week that it was not legally able to pay claims submitted by farmers and livestock owners.

The Navajo Nation call upon our Congressional leaders from the states of Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona to do what is right for our people by demanding that the U.S. EPA reconsider its decision and that the U.S. EPA provide full compensation to the many Navajo people who sustained extensive losses due to the spill that was caused by the agency, Navajo Nation speaker Lorenzo Bates said last Saturday.

When the law allows the government to hide from those whom it has harmed, the law must change, Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) said

in a statement.

In a dramatic speech on the banks of the Animas River last August, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye announced that the tribe was filing a $159 million lawsuit for damages and $3.2 million to cover expenses that had not been paid.

The suit was in response to what the tribe said was an inadequate gesture by the EPA to reimburse them $602,000.

Last Friday, the EPA said it was legally prohibited from paying the claims because of sovereign immunity, which prohibits most lawsuits against the government. The agency said the only legal option left is to either refile the claims in federal court or have Congress authorize the payments.

This announcement added insult to injury for Lenora Williams of Upper Fruitland, N.M., who saw 14 acres of her family farm dry up after the spill.

They are weaseling out of a big mess they made, Williams said. The EPA knew they did this.

The toxic spill had a profound economic and emotional impact on Williams and her family, who have been farming on the land for at least five generations.

We [planted] Indian corn, melons, and veggies and didnt get to see them grow, she said, her voice cracking. We watched with great heartache and pain as our crops dried up.

Williams said her family farm helps feed relatives and friends further out on the reservation who do not have access to water or fresh fruit and vegetables.

Despite reassurances from the EPA that the water was safe for plant irrigation, many farmers  including Williams  were not taking any chances. They refused to shell out money for seeds, fertilizer and equipment just to see all it contaminated by tainted water.

We just had to let it go this year, Williams said.

A tribal official said he estimates that about 70 percent of the farmers in the area did not plant crops this year and that was having a significant impact on the local economy. An estimated 2,000 Navajo farmers and ranchers were impacted by the Gold King Mine spill.

Stanley Wauneka, president of the nearby San Juan chapter, said farmers just stopped irrigating their fields and now they find themselves in dire straits.

Its very upsetting and disappointing, you cant rely on the EPA and government, Wauneka said.

The disaster occurred on Aug. 5, 2015 while EPA crews were working on the abandoned mine when a blow out occurred, spilling three million gallons of toxic orange water that included heavy metals such as aluminum, arsenic, and iron.

On Aug. 8, 2015, The Navajo Nation Commission on Emergency Management declared a state of emergency. Colorado and New Mexico also declared a state of emergency three days later.

Navajo Nation residents in the area were told to stop using the water on Aug. 8 and the ban wasnt lifted until Aug. 21.

By December 2016, the Navajo Nation had been reimbursed $1,067,794 by the federal government.

In the EPAs statement on January 14, agency officials said there were no long-term effects on the water quality of the Animas and nearby San Juan Rivers.
Noor Salman, the wife of the Orlando nightclub gunman Omar Mateen, shopped with her husband at a Walmart the night before the massacre where he bought five containers of ammunition, a source close to the investigation told FoxNews.com on Tuesday, shining new light on what the widow may have known.

FLORIDA AIRPORT SHOOTING SUSPECT SAID HE DID IT FOR ISIS, OFFICIALS REVEAL

Salman failed four lie detector tests and was subjected to IQ and other psychological tests to determine her intelligence and state of mind before prosecutors filed federal charges against her, the source said.

A federal indictment unsealed Tuesday charged her with aiding and abetting her husband's support of the Islamic State, as well as obstruction of justice. The charges could put her behind bars for life if a court convicts her. The FBI arrested her Monday at her house in Rodeo, Calif.

ISTANBUL NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING SUSPECT TRAINED IN AFGHANISTAN, OFFICIAL SAYS

Her social media posts will be used against her to demonstrate her support for ISIS, the source added.

Salman appeared nervous and spoke softly as she faced a judge in Oakland Tuesday. "She knew he was going to conduct the attack," federal prosecutor Roger Handberg told the judge.

The hearing was continued to Wednesday morning.

Mateen died in a shootout with police after he killed 49 people and wounded 53 others at the Pulse Nightclub in June 2016. In the weeks and months after the massacre, Salman insisted she had no idea what her violent and unpredictable husband had planned.

The gunman also rented a van the night of the attack, a congressional source told FoxNews.com.

As many as six people could be charged in this case for material support of ISIS, a source familiar with the grand jury told Fox News.

The indictment against Salman gave some context to the charges. Prosecutors claimed she deliberately helped her husband give "material support or resources" to ISIS, and purposely misled police and the FBI in the hours after the massacre.

The grand jury investigating the shooting closed two weeks ago, about six months after it convened. However, investigators waited to arrest Salman until Monday because they sought to question her friend, a Pakistani national, who left the U.S. right after the nightclub attack. The source said Salmans friend was detained at San Francisco's airport on Monday morning, just before Salman was arrested.

Salman drove her husband to the nightclub at least once before the attack, a law enforcement source told Fox News.

The couple also texted each other during the massacre, investigators said. Mateen reportedly asked his wife, "Do you see what's happening?" She was said to have replied, "No?", as Mateen responded, "I love you, babe."

"Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands," her attorney Linda Moreno said. "We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonors the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person."

Mateen pledged his support for ISIS during a three-hour standoff after he opened fire. Salman told The New York Times in November she knew her husband watched jihadi videos online but was "unaware of everything" about his plot to shoot up the club.

Salman met Mateen online and the two married in 2011. Salman has a 4-year-old son who is partly named for Mateen; she filed a petition to change the boy's name last month.

Fox News' Claudia Cowan and Mike Lundin in Oakland, Matt Dean and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The wife of Orlando nightclub gunman Omar Mateen faces a court hearing in California after being arrested there in connection with his Florida shooting rampage that left 49 people dead.

Noor Salman, 30, is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court Tuesday morning in Oakland, following her arrest a day earlier on Florida charges that authorities said include obstruction of justice and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. They gave no further details on her alleged role or what specific actions led to the charges.

Salman is from the San Francisco Bay Area and in the aftermath of the Orlando attack that also left her husband dead she returned here with their son, whose name she has since sought to change.

She had been repeatedly questioned by FBI investigators over whether she had any knowledge of her husband's plans.

Her attorney Linda Moreno said after her arrest that she "had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night."

Salman knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but was "unaware of everything" regarding his intent to shoot up the club, Salman said in a New York Times interview published in November.

Salman also said he had physically abused her, which her attorney reiterated Monday.

"Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands," Moreno said. "We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonors the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person."

The San Francisco office of the FBI said Salman was taken into custody Monday morning in Rodeo, which is the small Bay Area community where she grew up and where her family lives. Jail records, however, say she was arrested about 30 miles away in Dublin. The reason for the discrepancy wasn't clear.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a Monday interview with MSNBC that "from the beginning, we were going to look at every aspect of this, of every aspect of this shooter's life to determine not just why did he take these actions  but who else knew about them? Was anyone else involved?"

Salman met Mateen online and the two married in 2011.

They lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the time of the shooting.

Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a 911 call during the three-hour standoff that ended in his death. Forty nine patrons were killed and another 53 were hospitalized.

"Nothing can erase the pain we all feel about the senseless and brutal murders of 49 of our neighbors, friends, family members and loved ones," Orlando Police Chief John Mina said Monday. "But today, there is some relief in knowing that someone will be held accountable for that horrific crime."

___

Tucker reported from Washington. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
Two Bonner County sheriff's deputies were shot Monday in northern Idaho, but they were expected to recover.

CONFIRMED: Two officers have been shot, including the suspect. Source tells me everyone is doing fine @KHQLocalNews pic.twitter.com/i82xZo24qM  Joe McHale (@KHQJoe) January 16, 2017

FLORIDA CHURCH TO HONOR FALLEN OFFICER WITH YOUTH CENTER

Coeur d'Alene police Detective Jared Reneau said the deputies were both shot three times, but their injuries were not life-threatening. They were in surgery Monday afternoon.

The Spokesman-Review reports the deputies were shot about 11:30 a.m. while trying to arrest a man with a warrant in Blanchard, Idaho. The suspect was also shot. His condition wasn't immediately known. The names of the officers and the suspect weren't immediately released.

Authorities say Kootenai County officials are investigating.
Two girls who were snatched from their Rhode Island home more than 30 years ago have been located some 1,800 miles away, police announced Tuesday. Their mother, who did not have custody of them, was arrested.

In a press conference, Rhode Island State Police and the Attorney Generals Office said they received an anonymous tip a few days before Christmas that led investigators to Houston, Texas where they found Elaine Yates, who allegedly abducted her two daughters Kelly and Kimberly in August 1985.

NH HOME OF WOMAN MISSING 35 YEARS IS EYED IN NEW SEARCH

Lt. Col. Joseph Philbin said Yates, 69, had been living in Houston under the name Leina Waldberg.

She was taken into custody on Monday around 12:30 p.m. at her home in Houston and arraigned as a fugitive from justice, WPRI reported.

According to Philbin, Yates and her daughters  Kelly was 10 months old and Kimberly was three and a half at the time  disappeared from their home in Warwick, Rhode Island on August 26, 1985. The next day Yates husband, Russell Yates, filed a missing persons report with the police.

HUSBAND COVERED UP WIFE'S KILLING THROUGH FACEBOOK POSTS, POLICE SAY

Philbin said investigators at the time determined the mother-of-two was seeking a divorce from her husband. He added that Russel Yates had obtained a court order giving him custody of the missing children on Nov. 18, 1985 and had taken the complaint to state police.

Kelly, now 32, and Kimberly, now 35, were not living with their mother at the time of the arrest in Houston. They were also living under an alias.

Philbin would not reveal their current identities nor other specifics about the case, but said both women were surprised by their mothers arrest.

The elder Yates waived extradition and is on her way back to Rhode Island, where she will be arraigned sometime Wednesday, Philbin said. Investigators used drivers license photos and Facebook to help crack the case.

Philbin said the two women were given their fathers contact information. Police said their father has been informed and is relieved, KHOU reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man called 911 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, late Sunday night and told the dispatcher he had a bomb. A short time later, an explosion and fire destroyed his apartment building.

HUSBAND COVERED UP WIFE'S KILLING THROUGH FACEBOOK POSTS, POLICE SAY

The Rice Lake Police Department first responded to the 911 call at 11:07 p.m. Sunday. Upon arrival, officers approached the South Main Street apartment of 44-year-old Joseph Zunker and heard a man yelling inside. When officers and deputies tried to make contact, Zunker threatened to blow everyone up."

Police evacuated approximately 14 residents from the building before officers witnessed Zunker lighting a fire that caused the destructive explosion.

The fire that followed the explosion spread throughout the entire apartment complex, and the building has been declared a complete loss. Zunker was later found dead inside his apartment.

As a result of the explosion, one Rice Lake police officer suffered minor injuries from flying debris. He was treated by paramedics and returned to duty. One resident received minor injuries while being evacuated from the building. No other injuries were reported.

Click for more from Fox 9.
A car that plummeted into a California creek last week left a woman stranded on a tree for 12 hours in the frigid wilderness and another woman dead.

The East Bay Times reported Friday that Natalie Griffin was still recovering from Wednesdays accident that left Jenna Santos dead. The two were in a car accident off a Mendocino County highway, which left Santos dead and Griffin holding on for dear life before she swam to shore to get help.

The pair was on the way home from visiting friends in Humboldt County, where Santos attended Humboldt State University. They were traveling on Highway 101 in the middle of a storm when their vehicle hydroplaned and went over an embankment, flipping several times, before crashing into Outlet Creek.

The girls attempted to kick out the front windshield, but it made things worse. Monica Keyser, Santos cousin, told the paper that the girls noticed the back window was broken. Griffin told Santos to follow her out that way, but she wasnt sure if her fellow high school classmate followed her out.

Griffin told PEOPLE Magazine that the strong current kept her from reaching Santos.

That was one of the scariest parts, I thought it was a nightmare, I was so in shock that my friend was in the car, dead, she said. I really thought this was a bad dream.

Griffin was carried down the fast-moving creek and managed to grab into a partially submerged tree and then onto the branches. She hung onto the branches until the next morning. Griffin is a yoga enthusiast and was able to stay warm by doing stretches.

The 19-year-old was able to make it up a steep hill and wave down a motorist for help. Authorities arrived on the scene at around 8:19 a.m. Thursday and Griffin was hospitalized with hypothermia and a few minor scratches.

Authorities pulled the submerged 2004 Toyota Corolla out of the creek. Santos never made it out.

Its hard to rejoice in Natalie being alive when everyone is grieving the loss of Jenna, Keyser said. The story is surreal, I cant imagine anyone else being as strong as her through the night. Its definitely heroic. Im so thankful shes alive. She was so brave.

Authorities were still investigating the crash.

A GoFundMe account was setup to help pay for Santos funeral expenses.

Click for more from the East Bay Times.
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Hurricane Sandy spun away from the Bahamas late Friday after causing 43 deaths across the Caribbean, churning northward toward the U.S. East Coast, where it threatens to join with winter weather fronts to create a super storm.

The Category 1 hurricane toppled light posts, flooded roads and tore off tree branches as it spun through Cat Island and Eleuthera in the scattered Bahamas archipelago, with authorities reporting one man killed, the British CEO of an investment bank.

The death toll rose again in impoverished Haiti, reaching 29 late Friday as word of disasters reached officials and rain continued to fall.

Joseph Edgard Celestin, a spokesman for Haiti's civil protection office, said some people died trying to cross rivers swollen by rains from Sandy's outer reaches. While the storm's center missed the country as it passed by Wednesday, Haiti's ramshackle housing and denuded hillsides make it especially vulnerable to flooding.

Officials at a morgue in the western town of Grand Goave said a mudslide crashed through a wooden home Thursday, killing 40-year-old Jacqueline Tatille and her four children, ranging in ages from 5 to 17.

"If the rain continues, for sure we'll have more people die," said deputy Joseph Franck Laporte. "The earth cannot hold the rain."

Officials reported flooding across Haiti, where 370,000 people are still living in flimsy shelters as a result of the devastating 2010 earthquake. Nearly 17,800 people had to move to 131 temporary shelters, the Civil Protection Office said.

Sandy was a Category 2 hurricane when it wreaked havoc in Cuba on Thursday, killing 11 people in eastern Santiago and Guantanamo provinces as its howling winds and rain destroyed thousands of houses and ripped off roofs. Authorities said it was Cuba's deadliest storm since July 2005, when category 5 Hurricane Dennis killed 16 people and caused $2.4 billion in damage.

Cuban authorities said the island's 11 dead included a 4-month-old boy who was crushed when his home collapsed and an 84-year-old man in Santiago province. Near the city of Guantanamo, two men were killed by falling trees, the Communist Party newspaper Granma reported.

Official news media reported Friday that the storm caused 5,000 houses to at least partially collapse while ripping the roofs off 30,000 others. Banana, coffee, bean and sugar crops were damaged.

Sandy also killed a man in Jamaica on Wednesday when a boulder crashed through his house, and police in the Bahamas said a 66-year-old man died after falling from his roof in upscale Lyford Cay late Thursday while trying to repair a window shutter. Officials at Deltec Bank & Trust identified him as Timothy Fraser-Smith, who became CEO in 2000.

One death was reported in Puerto Rico. Police said a man in his 50s was swept away Friday by a swollen river in the southern town of Juana Diaz, where rain from Sandy's outer bands has been steadily falling.

Late Friday, Sandy was about 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas and 395 miles (635 kilometers) south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. It was just above the threshold for being a hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), and was moving north at 7 mph (11 kph).

With the storm projected to hit the U.S. Atlantic Coast early Tuesday, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned it could merge with two other systems to become a hybrid, monster storm.

Government officials in the Bahamas said the storm seemed to have inflicted the greatest damage on Cat Island, which took a direct hit, and Exuma, where there were reports of downed trees, power lines and damage to homes.

"I hope that's it for the year," said Veronica Marshall, a 73-year-old hotel owner in Great Exuma. "I thought we would be going into the night, but around 3 o'clock it all died down. I was very happy about that."

On Long Island, farmers lost most of their crops and several roofs were torn off, legislator Loretta Butler-Turner said. The island was without power and many residents did not have access to fresh water, she said.

Power also was out on Acklins Island and most roads there were flooded, while the lone school on Ragged Island in the southern Bahamas was flooded.

Russell, the emergency management official in Nassau, said docks on the western side of Great Inagua island had been destroyed and the roof of a government building was partially ripped off.

Jennifer Savoie, a New Orleans native who lives in Eleuthera, said her fiance's resort, The Cove Eleuthera, was spared major damage but that power is out across most of the island.

"We know the protocol and how to prepare," she said. "It's in our blood. We were hit pretty hard though."

___

Associated Press writers Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Trenton Daniel in Port-au-Prince and Pierre-Richard Luxama in Grand Goave, Haiti; Seth Borenstein in Washington; and Anne-Marie Garcia in Havana contributed to this report.
More than a billion dollars in cash, gold and diamonds believed looted by late Libyan strongman Muammar Qaddafi during his 40-year reign may have been found socked away in South Africa -- just a fraction of the wealth the dead dictator is suspected of stealing.

Libyan investigators, who believe Qaddafi may have taken as much as $100 billion of his North African nations wealth, have zeroed in on $1 billion or more being held by four banks and two security companies in South Africa, according to The Sunday Times of South Africa.

Libyan authorities, who are working with the Arab League and Interpol, believe stolen assets are squirreled away all over the world. The stolen loot is the sum of years of treating one of the worlds richest countries as his own piggy bank, according to Prof. Shaul Gabbay, a Middle East expert and senior scholar at the University of Denver.

There was,of course, no transparency and he and his family's dealings with the nations wealth was as if it was their own, said Gabbay. This includes total control of the management of state and personal bank accounts.

[pullquote]

People who worked in auditing or government ministries would be afraid for their and their family's lives if they would raise any concern, he added.

Some assets have been easy to seize, such as the $16 million mansion Qaddafis son Saadi owned in an exclusive London neighborhood. But tracing money in secret bank accounts and hidden investments is a much more complex process, especially given that the money being sought was likely taken by a host of Qaddafi loyalists.

"These assets are really difficult to find and also difficult to claim back," Libya's deputy ambassador to London, Ahmed Gebreel, told the BBC last year.

Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur has vowed to pursue the trail of looted funds, much of which are believed to be held in banks in Switzerland, the UK, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

But to date, the $1 billion-plus believed held in South Africa could be the biggest haul. The Sunday Times reported that Libyan investigators have already met top government officials to discuss locating and repatriating the loot.

A follow-up letter sent by ANC head of security Tito Maleka on April 23 confirms that the visit "with our president in Nkandla" is an indication that "the South African government is prepared to cooperate" in "identifying all assets belonging to the Libyan people".

Investigators tracing the funds are believed to be acting on information from Libya's former intelligence chief, Abdullah al-Senussi, who was arrested last year for crimes against humanity. Letters from Libyan officials quoted by the newspaper seek for cooperation in securing "all funds and assets that have been illegally possessed, obtained, looted, deposited or hidden in South Africa and neighboring countries by the dictator, his wives, his sons, his daughters and other relatives, close associates, private and government [or] business persons in Africa."

The letters say that the Libyan investigators have "uncovered large funds and assets in South Africa and neighboring states." One bank account, which investigators claim was traced through check stubs found in Libya, is registered in the name of Qaddafis uncle, Abdulhafid Ahmed el-Qaddafi, a former Libyan Army general.

They are convinced that part of the loot in South Africa is held by Qaddafi's former chief of staff, Bashir Saleh, known as "Qaddafi's banker." Saleh, who also goes by Bashir al Shrkawi, is on Interpol's wanted list.

In the weeks before a mob yanked Qaddafi out of a drainpipe and killed him in October 2011, the longtime despot was on the run and rumored to have fled the desert nation. Reports of Niger-bound convoys of his wives and family members, laden with gold and cash, were common as the civil war that toppled him raged.

In addition to gold and cash, another of the oil-rich nations greatest treasures disappeared in the chaos of the 2011 revolution. Interpol alerted police around the globe of the theft of the so-called Benghazi Treasure, which was stolen from a bank vault in May 2011. The looted treasure, which includes Greek and Roman gold, had been stored in two padlocked chests inside a safe. It had never been displayed and had been virtually forgotten, except by specialist archaeologists, according to The Art Newspaper.

Some of the treasure has reportedly surfaced in Egypt and on the black market in Libya. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations Director-General Irina Bukova has called the loss of the Benghazi treasure one of the largest thefts of archaeological material in history.
South Korea's spy agency said Tuesday it has solved the mystery of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's 6-week public absence, which set off a frenzy of wild speculation around the world.

The National Intelligence Service told legislators that a foreign doctor operated on Kim in September or October to remove a cyst from his right ankle, according to Park Byeong-seok, an aide for opposition lawmaker Shin Kyung-min. The aide said the spy agency also told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing that the cyst could recur because of Kim's obesity, smoking and heavy public schedule.

After last being seen in state media on Sept. 3, Kim reappeared on Oct. 14 hobbling with a cane, but smiling and looking thinner. The speculation during his absence was particularly intense because of the Kim family's importance to impoverished, nuclear-armed North Korea. The family has ruled the country since its founding in 1948.

It wasn't immediately clear how the information was obtained by the spy agency, which has a spotty track record of analyzing developments in opaque North Korea.

The agency also said North Korea has expanded five of its political prisoner camps, including the Yodok camp, which was relocated to the northwest city of Kilchu, according to Lim Dae-seong, an aide to ruling party lawmaker Lee Cheol-woo, who also attended the briefing. The spy agency believes the camps hold about 100,000 prisoners, Lim said.

He said the agency also believes that North Korea recently used a firing squad to execute several people who had been close to Kim Jong Un's uncle, Jang Song Thaek, who was considered the country's No. 2 power before his sudden purge and execution in December 2013.

In an intelligence success, South Korea's spy agency correctly said that Jang had likely been dismissed from his posts before North Korea officially announced his arrest.

However, it received heavy criticism when its director acknowledged that it had ignored intelligence indicating North Korea's impending shelling of a South Korean island in 2010. It also came under fire because of reports that it only learned of the 2011 death of then leader Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un, more than two days after it occurred when state media announced it to the world.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin and OSCE Chairman, Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria Sebastian Kurz have discussed the strengthening of the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the OSCE in Donbas.

"We talked about the importance of strengthening the mission, both in terms of its personnel and in technical terms," Klimkin said at a joint press conference with Kurz in Kyiv on Tuesday.

He also noted that after the required level of security in Donbas is reached, fair elections may be held there.

"After reaching the required level of security we need to prepare for fair elections. We need the presence of the OSCE for this, an efficient and armed OSCE component," Klimkin said.

The settlement of the crisis in Donbas requires the application of the OSCE's entire potential, including round-the-clock monitoring of the Ukrainian-Russian border section, he said.

The two ministers also discussed the possibility of deploying an armed OSCE SMM component in Donbas, Klimkin said.

Kurz said the Austrian chairmanship was committed to upgrading the OSCE SMM's technical capabilities to better control ceasefire observance.
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Germany's supreme court is scheduled to announce its verdict Tuesday on lawmakers' bid to outlaw a far-right party accused of promoting a racist and anti-Semitic agenda. It would be the first ban of its kind since 1956.

The German parliament's upper house, which represents the country's 16 state governments, applied for the ban at the end of 2013. It's the second attempt to ban the National Democratic Party, better known by its German acronym NPD.

Officials maintain the party violates the German Constitution and are keen to cut off NPD's state funding, to which all political parties are entitled.

The Federal Constitutional Court, which held three days of hearings last March, has not indicated which way its verdict will go, and experts differ on whether the NPD poses enough of a threat to justify a ban. Only two parties have been outlawed in West Germany and reunited Germany  the neo-Nazi Socialist Reich Party in 1952 and the German Communist Party in 1956.

The constitution states: "Parties that, by reason of their aims or the behavior of their adherents, seek to undermine or abolish the free democratic basic order or to endanger the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany shall be unconstitutional."

There are questions, however, about how politically relevant the NPD remains.

It has a single seat in the European Parliament, but isn't represented in the German Bundestag after winning just 1.3 percent of the vote in the last national election in 2013. Parties need to meet a 5 percent threshold to hold seats in the federal parliament.

The NPD's fortunes have declined further since then. For a decade, it held seats in two eastern German state legislatures, but it lost the last of those seats in September.

The rise of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, which has assailed Chancellor Angela Merkel for allowing in large numbers of migrants and appeals to a much broader range of protest voters, has helped erode its support.

Regardless of the verdict handed down Tuesday, "the Federal Constitutional Court will not take the confrontation with right-wing extremism off our hands," Justice Minister Heiko Maas told the daily Die Welt. "Even if the NPD were banned, that unfortunately does not mean there are no right-wing extremists in Germany."

The case at the constitutional court in Karlsruhe has gone farther than the first attempt to ban the NPD.

In 2003, the court rejected that bid because paid government informants within the party were partially responsible for evidence against it. Officials say there's no evidence from informants this time.
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Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Tuesday urged Japan to invest more in the Southeast Asian country to become its top foreign investor.

Speaking at a conference of business leaders from both countries also attended by visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Phuc said Vietnam would like to see Japan invest more in infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing and services.

"At this meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, we wish that Japan would be the largest (foreign) investor to Vietnam, not other countries," Phuc said.

South Korea is Vietnam's largest foreign investor with total investments of $50 billion, followed by Japan with $42 billion.

Phuc said the Vietnamese people and businesses have high levels of trust for Japanese businesses, adding that Abe, on his third visit to Vietnam as prime minister, is a close friend of Vietnamese people.

Abe told the conference that after talks with Phuc on Monday, the countries had agreed to expand trade and investment, and improve the investment environment.

"Currently, ASEAN is the center for growth in the world and Vietnam is part of that center," Abe said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

He said more than 1,600 Japanese companies are operating in Vietnam, urged Phuc and the Vietnamese government to continue to support them.

Abe, accompanied by executives from 76 Japanese companies, was wrapping up a four-nation tour to push Japan's trade and security engagements in the region amid rising China's dominance in Asia.

He previously visited the Philippines, Australia and Indonesia.

On Monday, Abe pledged to provide Vietnam with new patrol vessels to improve its maritime law-enforcement capabilities. Japan has already provided Vietnam with six used patrol boats.

Vietnam and Japan both have separate maritime disputes with China  with Vietnam in the South China Sea and Japan in the East China Sea.
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Searchers' frustration over Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is difficult to overstate, from the monstrous waves that battered search crews in one of the world's most desolate stretches of ocean to the dearth of information on the plane's flight path that stymied investigators. And now, perhaps most brutal of all, comes the admission of defeat.

Australia's announcement on Tuesday that the fruitless, nearly three-year hunt for the plane in the Indian Ocean was officially suspended has sparked the inevitable second-guessing of those who led the $160 million search. Few know the agony surely being felt by the Flight 370 search crew better than American oceanographer David Gallo.

Back in 2010, Gallo and his team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts were given a task: They had two months to help find Air France 447, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

When they didn't find it by the deadline, officials halted the search. Gallo was sick over the failure, couldn't sleep, stared at pictures on his desk of the people who had been on board the plane. He was tortured by self-doubt, wondered if they had somehow missed the aircraft.

"It was horrible," he remembers. "The families were disappointed in a big way, the companies involved  Airbus, Air France  were wondering what had happened ... wondered who are these guys who claimed they could find it and didn't?"

After a year of lobbying, officials agreed to let Gallo and his crew look again. They found the plane in just over a week.

Much like the Flight 370 investigators, Gallo and his team were initially accused of not knowing what they were doing, of misreading data, of using the wrong equipment. But Gallo, who has been in close contact with the Australian search officials leading the hunt for Flight 370, feels confident they have done everything they could, given the limited data available.

Recently, investigators reanalyzed all the information available on the Malaysian plane and suggested that crews scour a new area north of the 160,000-square kilometer (46,000-square mile) search zone they just finished combing. Australia's government nixed that idea, but Gallo says it is imperative crews be allowed to do so.

"If you finish that area, you can say with good conscience, 'We did everything we could do at the time to try to find that plane,'" he says. "But if they don't do that area, it will always haunt us. Forever."

And there is a crucial need to find the plane, he says, for so many reasons.

Gallo still thinks about the people who lost their lives on Air France 447. He lives in coastal Massachusetts, where he often watches planes heading out over the Atlantic on journeys from Boston to Europe. He thinks of the passengers on board, each of them with loved ones back at home.

Their safety weighs on him. And it's one of the major reasons he feels it's crucial to find Flight 370  for the security of everyone who flies, and for the families of those on board the doomed plane.

"Those 239 people with their loved ones, they just vanished without a trace. So what price do you put on that?" he says. "And then the flying public ... until we know what happened there, it could happen to any of us."
President Obama's decision Tuesday to cut the sentence of convicted intelligence leaker Chelsea Manning could significantly strengthen WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's legal case, a former top prosecutor told Fox News.

If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case https://t.co/MZU30SlfGK  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 12, 2017

Less than a week ago, WikiLeaks tweeted that Assange would agree to be extradited to the U.S. if Obama gave Manning clemency, even though Assange believed the Justice Dept.'s case had "clear unconstitutionality."

WikiLeaks' first tweet after the commutation called it a "VICTORY" -- but did not say what Assange might do next.

VICTORY: Obama commutes Chelsea Manning sentence from 35 years to 7. Release date now May 17. Background: https://t.co/HndsbVbRer  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 17, 2017

"If the United States government said, 'We are going to pardon Manning for those offenses,' I think it makes it that much tougher to then say, 'were going to drop the hammer on the person that published that information,'" former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Tom Dupree told Fox News earlier Tuesday. He served in the role from 2007-2009.

Assange has been hiding out at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on sexual assault accusations.

Manning is more than six years into a 35-year sentence for leaking classified government and military documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. Her sentence is now set to expire May 17.

She was known as Bradley Manning at the time of her 2010 arrest and attempted suicide twice last year.

Obama is also pardoning 64 people, including retired Gen. James Cartwright, who was charged with making false statements during a probe into disclosure of classified information.

Most of the other people receiving commutations were serving sentences for nonviolent drug offenses.

Fox News' Catherine Herridge and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Colorado woman was among five dead stemming from a shooting early Monday at a nightclub in a popular Mexican resort.

Alejandra Villanueva was the lone American killed in the attack, her family told Fox 31 Denver. Two other Americans were injured. Fifteen were injured in all.

She was a hard worker. She was really smart. She liked art, her brother Roberto Martinez told the station.

Quintana Roo Prosecutor Miguel Angel Pech Cen said the four other victims in the assault were members of the security team of the BPM Festival, an annual 10-day and night electronic music festival. They were two Canadians, one Italian and one Colombian, he said.

Villanueva, 18, was killed either by an accidental fall or as a result of the stampede during the evacuation of the place.

The shooting unfolded at around 2:30 a.m. as club-goers waited in line to get into the BPM Festivals closing party at the Blue Parrot.

The government of the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo said four people had been detained, but it was unclear if they included the shooter. Pech said terrorism had been ruled out.

The BPM Festival is popular with foreign tourists, especially from the United States and the United Kingdom.

The organizers posted a statement on Facebook saying the attack involved "a lone shooter."

Rodolfo Del Angel, director of police in the state of Quintana Roo, told the Milenio TV station that the shooting was the result of "a disagreement between people inside" the nightclub and that security guards had come under fire when they tried to contain the dispute.

Marcos Vazquez, 29-year-old from El Paso, Texas, told NBC News that he was with his girlfriend at the nearby La Vaquita nightclub when he saw people running by.

He said they ran into the bathroom and locked themselves inside with eight other people.

DJ Jackmaster, one of the performers at the rave, tweeted that someone stormed the club and opened fire.

A video tweeted out shows panicked club-goers running into the streets to escape the reported gunfire.

Stephen Rosado, a New York native, told the New York Daily News that he heard at least five or six shots and that everyone in line to get into the club was running away. He said he saw emergency personnel put two people into ambulances.

BPM officials tweeted that police investigations were under way and that everyone needed to shelter in place.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from Fox 31 Denver.
Germanys top court Tuesday rejected a bid to ban the extreme-right National Democratic Party, arguing that while the party resembles Adolf Hitlers Nazi party, it poses no serious threat to German democracy.

The ruling comes after the German parliaments upper house had filed a plea to ban the party in 2013, arguing that the NPD, the partys acronym in German, espouses neo-Nazi views in violation of Germanys constitution. The NPD itself argued that a ban would be incompatible with democracy.

Germanys constitutional court said that the NPD is itself an anti-democratic party.

The NPD intends to replace the existing constitutional system with an authoritarian national state that adheres to the idea of an ethnically defined peoples community, said Andreas Vosskuhle, president of the constitutional court. Its political concept disrespects human dignity and is incompatible with the principle of democracy.

But the courts eight judges unanimously ruled that the legal requirements for banning the party werent met because the party had no means to achieve its anti-constitutional goals. Mr. Vosskuhle said there was a lack of specific and weighty indications suggesting that this endeavor will be successful.

Support for the NPD has been on the decline after a surge in popularity in the 1990s. The party today has less than 6,000 members, lost its last representation in a regional parliament last year in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and never garnered enough support to win a seat in the federal parliament. It currently has one representative in the European parliament.

The debate over whether to ban the party and Tuesdays ruling illustrates the difficult task for a democratic state in fighting ideologies that aim to curtail freedom and subvert democracy while preserving the political liberties that a democracy seeks to protect.

Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.
The terror suspect accused in the shooting rampage at a nightclub in Istanbul early on New Year's Day trained in Afghanistan before traveling to Turkey and launching his attack, a Turkish official announced Tuesday, hours after police finally pulled the bloodied man from the home where he'd been hiding.

FBI ARRESTS WIFE OF ORLANDO NIGHTCLUB MASSACRE GUNMAN OMAR MATEEN

Abdulkadir Masharipov, the Uzbek national wanted in the murders of 39 people at the Reina nightclub, was arrested after a police raid on his friend's house in Istanbul's Esenyurt district. Turkish media previously had given his first name as Abdulgadir.

Masharipov confessed to the massacre and his fingerprints matched those of the attacker, Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin told reporters, saying the suspect trained in Afghanistan before entering Turkey in January 2016. Sahin said Masharipov was born in 1983, but did not give an exact date.

SIX REPORTED DEAD IN ATTACK ON SECURITY CHECKPOINT IN EGYPT

The Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility for the attack.

A photo released by Turkish media showed Masharipov with cuts on his face, blood on his grey shirt and a dazed look in his eyes. Police had released an image of him -- apparently from a selfie video -- days after the manhunt began.

The suspect had fought back against police trying to arrest him, the private NTV television station reported. Investigators seized nearly $200,000, two guns and two drones during the suspect's arrest.

A Kyrgyz man and three women were detained with Masharipov and were taken to Istanbul's main police headquarters for questioning, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Investigators zeroed in on the gunman's whereabouts four or five days ago but delayed the raid so they could monitor his movements and contacts, NTV also reported.

The station broadcast footage showing plain-clothed police taking away a man in a white top and sweatpants, forcing his head down. The station said the images showed the gunman's Kyrgyz friend being taken to a police vehicle.

The Hurriyet newspaper reported that Masharipov's young son was also in the house when his father was arrested. The boy was taken into protective custody. The paper said the alleged gunman's wife and 1-year old daughter were caught in a police operation on Jan. 12.

The suspect, according to Sahin, speaks four languages and was operating under the alias "Ebu Muhammed Horasani."

The police operation to apprehend him drew on the review of 7,200 hours of security camera footage and about 2,200 tips from the public. Police searched 152 addresses and 50 people were taken into custody.

"Together with the terrorist, an Iraqi man was detained as well as three women from various countries -- from Egypt and from Africa," Sahin said. "There is a high chance that they may be connected (to ISIS) because they were staying in the same house."

Days after the attack, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said an intelligence agency may have been involved, an assertion he reiterated Monday. But Sahin, when asked about it, declined to comment saying: "It is too soon to say anything about such connections."

Speaking in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the operation to apprehend the suspect was successful and thanked his country's security and intelligence agencies for their efforts.

"In this country, no one will slip through the net, everyone will be held to account within the limits of the rule of law," he said.

Turkey, a member of NATO and a partner in the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, has endured multiple attacks attributed to the extremist group. ISIS claimed the assault on the nightclub was retaliation for Turkey's military operations in northern Syria.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The Latest on a news conference by Russia's foreign minister (all times local):

1:10 p.m.

Russia's foreign minister says that Moscow is ready to sit down for talks with the incoming U.S. administration.

Sergey Lavrov says that along with nuclear arsenals, the agenda for such negotiations should also include new hypersonic weapons, missile defense, weaponization of space and other issues.

Lavrov made the remarks while commenting on President-elect Donald Trump's statement that he might consider lifting sanctions against Russia if it's willing to make nuclear arms cuts.

Lavrov saw Trump's statement as an offer to engage in nuclear arms control talks and help lay the groundwork for them by reviewing the issue of sanctions. He argued that some commentators misinterpreted Trump's statement, saying that he didn't see it as an offer to cut arms in exchange for canceling the sanctions.

___

11:55 a.m.

Russia's foreign minister says that Moscow is inviting representatives of the incoming U.S. administration to attend upcoming Syria talks in Kazakhstan.

Sergey Lavrov said at a news conference Tuesday that Russia is encouraged by President-elect Donald Trump's focus on combating terrorism.

He voiced hope that Russian and U.S. experts could start discussions on fighting terrorism in Syria, in Kazakhstan's capital when Syrian government and opposition representatives meet for talks on Monday.

He said "we hope that the new administration will be able to accept that proposal," adding that the talks in Astana will offer "the first opportunity to discuss a more efficient fight against terrorism in Syria."

Lavrov said that Russia expects that cooperation on settling the Syrian crisis will be more productive than it was with the Obama administration.
Lithuania has announced it will begin construction on a fence on its border with Kaliningrad, the small Russian exclave bordering the Baltic Sea. The 130-kilometer (80-mile) barrier will stand 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall and will include electronic surveillance systems and drones.

While hundreds of thousands of Russian troops and military equipment are based in Kaliningrad, Lithuania presented the move as a way to fight endemic smuggling.

"We have to prevent smuggling and strengthen the external borders of the European Union. We understand well what is going on in the Russian exclave," Lithuanian Interior Minister Eimutis Misiunas told The Associated Press Tuesday.

Almost a million cigarette packs were smuggled last year from Russia and Belarus according to the Lithuanian interior ministry.

The fence is expected to cost 3.6 million euros ($3.85 million) and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.
Stop touching my cojones!

Notorious Mexican drug lord El Chapo claims hes being sexually harassed by a prison guard who squeezes and bothers him, and constantly wakes him at night, according to his lawyer.

El Chapo, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman, is embarrassed by the way hes being treated at the maximum-security prison in Mexico, his attorney Silvia Delgado said.

There is a security guard that handles me instead of only touching me, Guzman told her, the Daily Mail reported. He also said the unwanted groping is more than abuse. They are handling me.

The leader of the Sinaloa cartel also complained that he cant get a full nights sleep because the guard wakes him up every four hours as part of security measures at the prison.

Delgado didnt reveal the name of the guard but its believed hes on leave from the Ciudad Juarez prison, located on the US-Mexico border south of El Paso, Texas, according to the Mail.

Read the full story on The New York Post.
World community should lift sanctions against Russia only after withdrawal of troops, end to occupation of Ukrainian territory  Poroshenko

The world community should lift sanctions against Russia after the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine and the end of Russian occupation of Ukrainian territories, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"These sanctions should be lifted when Russian military forces leave Ukraine, when the occupation ends," Ukraine's head of state said during an interview with the Bloomberg news agency during his visit to Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday.

According to Poroshenko, Russian aggression is directed against a sovereign nation, against democracy and freedom.

"This is an issue of values. It is not a question of sanctions," Ukraine's president emphasized.

He added that in this context Ukraine needs the unity and solidarity of the West.

"Yesterday I had a long conversation with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. We discussed our effective cooperation in the Normandy Four format and agreed on the future agenda. In this respect, I am an optimist. I think it's not so important what happens with EU leaders. The issue of the EU's future is important, however, and it's in the interests of Ukraine and EU member states," Poroshenko said.
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Nigeria's military says a fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists has mistakenly bombed refugees and aid workers, killing and wounding an unknown number of civilians.

Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor tells reporters the accidental bombardment Tuesday in northeastern Rann, near the border with Cameroon, killed "some" civilians and wounded aid workers including some Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee of the Red Cross. He says two soldiers were wounded, but he did not have a final toll.

Irabor says he ordered the mission going on geographic coordinates for an alleged gathering of Boko Haram insurgents.

The general, who is the theater commander for counterinsurgency operations in northeast Nigeria, says there will be an investigation.
Amnesty International says European counterterrorism measures in the past two years are rapidly  and potentially permanently  eroding basic human rights throughout the continent.

France, which has been hit with more recent deadly attacks than any other country in Europe, has extended its state of emergency three times, and the human rights group said in its report Tuesday that the measures passed in the wake of the Nov. 13, 2015, attacks in Paris risk becoming permanent. It said France is the most extreme example of a trend that human rights groups are documenting throughout European countries.

Many countries are grappling with how to balance cherished rights with fears of new attacks by Islamic extremists.
A Russian official said Tuesday that allegations of Russian cyberattacks against the U.S. are fabricated.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference that U.S. intelligence agencies that tried to prove that Russia had ties to President-elect Donald Trump have drawn a blank and should be fired.

Lavrov called the former British spy who allegedly created the discredited dossier on Trump, Christopher Michael Steele, a charlatan during the press conference as well.

The 35-page dossier, describing Trumps allegedly improper conduct in Russia, was commissioned last year by a Washington firm working for Trumps primary opponents to find incriminating information on the billionaire business mogul. The document suggests that the Kremlin has information about Trumps conduct and financial dealings that it could use to blackmail him. The document was circulated among Trump opponents over the summer, NBCNews said.

The FBI and U.S. intelligence officials also got a copy of the document. They decided to include a two-page summary of the dossier in an intelligence presentation about Russias effort to interfere in the U.S. elections to Trump and President Obama.

After that presentation, BuzzFeed published the material, apparently without checking to see if it was factual. Several other news organizations, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, had access to the dossier but declined to publish the material because it could not be verified.

Trump lashed out at the media for publishing the unsubstantiated material and at the U.S. intelligence officials, accusing them of leaking the allegations and likening the leaks to Nazi conduct.

The 52-year-old Steele was seen last week hurriedly leaving his home southwest of London, apparently to avoid detection and escape possible retribution once he was revealed as the source, the New York Times reported.

Steele spent years working undercover in Russia, London and France for MI-6, Britains spy agency. Since leaving MI-6 he has been a director of Orbis Business Intelligence, a private London-based security and investigation firm, founded in 2009, the Telegraph said.

The firms website says it provides real-time source reporting on business and politics at all levels and draws on extensive experience at the boardroom level in government, multilateral diplomacy and international business to develop bespoke solutions for clients, the Times reported.

Steele founded the firm with Christopher Parker-Burrows, who is now 58. His LinkedIn page describes him as a former counselor with the U.K.s Foreign Office who worked in Brussels and New Delhi. Burrows told the Independent that he would not confirm or deny that Orbis produced the dossier.

Retired CIA operative John Sipher said Steele has a good reputation within the intelligence community and some credibility, the Times reported. He also said he is confident the FBI will investigate the matter.

Before developing the material on Trump, Steele was hired to investigate former European Commission Vice President Kristalina Georgieva, EurActiv.com said. Steeles work occurred while Georgieva was a candidate for U.N. secretary-general.

Steele was specifically tasked with investigating her alleged links to a Bulgarian organized crime group known as Multigroup, a shady business empire run by Iliya Pavlov who was assassinated in Sofia in 2003.

Last October Georgieva resigned from the European Commission to take a job with the World Bank.
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Turkey's president has criticized delays in the U.S.-led coalition's offensive against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.

Speaking in Ankara on Tuesday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said "the operations that are constantly delayed are of no benefit for the well-being of these two countries' people."

Erdogan spoke after the capture of an Uzbekistan national who authorities say trained in Afghanistan and carried out a deadly New Year's nightclub attack in Istanbul.

Turkey is a partner in the U.S.-led coalition against IS, which claimed the attack. The extremist group said it was a reprisal for Turkey's campaign to dislodge the militants from the northern Syrian town of al-Bab.

Turkish officials say Washington hasn't done enough to support Turkey's operations in al-Bab.
Ukraine has filed a case against Russia at the United Nations' highest court, accusing Moscow of illegally annexing Crimea and illicitly funding separatist rebel groups in eastern Ukraine.

Kiev also is seeking compensation for deadly incidents including the 2014 shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

In the case announced Tuesday by the International Court of Justice, Ukraine accused Moscow of "intervening militarily in Ukraine, financing acts of terrorism, and violating the human rights of millions of Ukraine's citizens."

NEW WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY COULD GIVE MOVE TO DEFUND THE UN A BOOST

Kiev further alleged that Moscow's takeover of Crimea "brazenly defied the U.N. Charter, seizing a part of Ukraine's sovereign territory by military force."

Fighting between Ukrainian government troops and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 9,600 people in eastern Ukraine since it began in 2014. Both Ukraine and the separatists are party to a truce under which both should cease fire and stop advancing.

Russia has been in control of Crimea since it annexed the Crimean peninsula in March 2014 after a hastily called referendum.

No date was immediately announced for hearings in the case, which is likely to take many months to complete.

The filing also asked the court to rule that Russia is legally responsible for crimes including the downing of Flight MH17.

RUSSIA INVITES OFFICIALS FROM INCOMING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO SYRIA TALKS

An international criminal probe concluded last year that a missile that destroyed the Malaysian passenger jet over Ukraine in 2014 and killed all 298 people aboard was fired from rebel-controlled territory by a mobile launcher trucked in from Russia and hastily returned there.

Moscow denounced the findings of the Dutch-led inquiry as "biased and politically motivated."

Ukraine also asked the Hague-based world court to order interim measures while the case is going on, including ordering Moscow to halt the transfer of funds and arms to separatist rebels in Ukraine and to stop its persecution of ethnic Tartars in Crimea.

Rulings by the court are final and legally binding.
Three months into its operation to recapture the Iraqi city of Mosul, US military officials say that upwards of 90 percent of the eastern part of the city has been cleared of ISIS militants.

U.S. Air Force Col. John Dorrian, a Baghdad-based US military spokesman, told Pentagon reporters on Tuesday that eastern Mosul is 85 to 90 percent clear of militants  exactly three months after the operation started on Oct. 17.

ISTANBUL NIGHTCLUB ATTACK SUSPECT REPORTEDLY NABBED AFTER TWO-WEEK MANHUNT

Dorrian said they are now concerned about ISIS sleeper cells that could be in areas that have been cleared.

Dorrians announcement comes after it was revealed that Iraqi forces have also captured the Mosque of the Prophet Younis, or Jonah, after driving ISIS militants from a neighborhood in eastern Mosul.

UNITED NATIONS: IRAQ'S BATTLE FOR MOSUL HAS MADE OVER 148,000 HOMELESS

The mosque was among dozens of historical and heritage sites destroyed by ISIS militants after their June 2014 onslaught. The site is believed to be the burial place of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale in stories from both the Bible and the Koran. It was built on an archaeological site dating back to the 8thcentury B.C. and attracted religious pilgrims from multiple faiths around the world.

More than a million people were estimated to still be living in Mosul in October, when Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake the country's second largest city from ISIS.

Dorrian said there are more than 750,000 Iraqi civilians still living in western Mosul, an area that ISIS militants still full hold.

He the area has even more dense terrain than the eastern part of the city. He added that he would not estimate when the operation to liberate western Mosul would begin.

However, earlier on Tuesday, Iraqs Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement on state TV that Iraqi forces had begun moving against ISIS militants in western Mosul, Reuters reported.

He didnt give details of exactly what actions Iraqi forces were undertaking.

Since the operation started in mid-October, nearly 150,000 people have been displaced, the U.N. said in a statement issued late Monday. Nearly 12,500 people were forced to flee their homes just over the past week, the statement added.

It also said that the fighting over Iraq's second-largest city continues to inflict relatively high civilian casualties, with more than 1,500 wounded taken to hospitals in the nearby city of Irbil for trauma care. ISIS fighters have repeatedly targeted civilians trying to flee neighborhoods still under militant control.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump has received a backhanded compliment from the United States' arch nemesis in Latin America.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Monday night that he is keeping an open mind about Trump and hopes to maintain respectful relations with the incoming Republican administration.

But he said he was certain that whatever geopolitical changes Trump ushers in they won't be more harmful than the policies promoted by the outgoing Barack Obama.

"He won't be worse than Obama, that's the only thing I dare to say," Maduro said on state TV alongside OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo of Nigeria.

During the campaign, Trump denounced "oppression" in Venezuela and accused Maduro of running the oil economy into the ground. In turn, Maduro referred to Trump as a "bandit" and "mental patient."

But the embattled socialist taken a softer tone since Trump's victory as Venezuela's economy, which largely depends on oil exports to the U.S., has spiraled further out of control and political tensions mount.

Obama was initially greeted with enthusiasm by leftist leaders in Latin America, but the goodwill generated by his historic election and opening to communist Cuba has all but vanished in Venezuela, where Maduro frequently accuses the U.S. government of plotting to overthrow him.

The two countries haven't exchanged ambassadors since 2010 and Obama last week extended for another year an executive order declaring a "national emergency" in Venezuela, a designation he used in 2015 to sanction senior officials who cracked down and jailed opponents during a wave of anti-government unrest.

"Obama left a legacy that the big media outlets want to hide," Maduro said Monday, referring to the outgoing president's perpetual war footing in the Middle East and his alleged failure in Latin America to more forcefully condemn the removal of leftist leaders in Brazil, Honduras and Paraguay.

The "Trump era" would certainly bring "big changes" to the world, Maduro said, but he urged caution.

"Let's wait and see what happens. Let's not jump ahead of ourselves. I want to be prudent," he said.

Trump has yet to comment on how he'll handle Venezuela, but many in the opposition are hoping he'll harden the U.S. stance.

Two of his cabinet picks with a strong say in foreign policy, Rex Tillerson for the State Department and retired Gen. John Kelly for Homeland Security, had a long history of feuding with the late Hugo Chavez.
Pirtek Joins Brad Keselowski Racing And Team Penske For 2017 Nascar Season

January 17, 2017 // Franchising.com // STATESVILLE, N.C. - Brad Keselowski Racing announced that Pirtek, the industry leader in fluid transfer solution sales and service in the United States, will serve as a full time associate partner for driver Austin Cindric during the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. Pirtek will also join Team Penske as an associate partner in 2017 for select races in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The partnership will include driver appearances, business-to-business opportunities and licensing rights for both Brad Keselowski Racing and Team Penske.

"Expanding our NASCAR involvement and growing our partnership with Brad Keselowski Racing and Team Penske was a natural evolution," said Glenn Duncan, CEO, Pirtek USA. "Everyone at Pirtek was excited about our first foray into NASCAR and we're looking forward to continuing our relationship with Austin. Our partnership with Brad Keselowski Racing and Team Penske is certainly the right avenue for us.

Pirtek Service and Supply Centers stock, customize and install hydraulic and industrial hoses and fittings of all kinds. The Pirtek range of products and services is designed to meet the diverse requirements of customers of all sizes from a broad cross section of industries. More importantly, within each of these industries there are literally hundreds of opportunities and applications for which the Pirtek range of products and services are in demand.

"We're pleased that Pirtek is expanding their NASCAR involvement with Brad Keselowski Racing," said team owner Brad Keselowski said. "I'm confident that Austin and our team will deliver a quality performance as they compete full time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck

Series in 2017.

Cindric, 18, made four starts for the team in 2016 with Pirtek as a partner, highlighted by a second-place qualifying effort at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada). Cindric also won from the pole in K&N Pro Series East starts in 2016 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and Virginia (Danville, Va.) International Raceway and he was victorious in his ARCA Racing Series debut in 2016, winning with Pirtek as a partner at Kentucky Speedway.

"I'm honored to continue to represent Pirtek because I've seen firsthand that it's an iconic brand in motorsports across the globe," said Cindric. "It's awesome to see their NASCAR program growing and I'm thrilled to be a part of it."

About Pirtek

Pirtek is the fluid power system leader in sales and service and the only brand of its kind in franchising in the United States. Pirtek boasts more than 400 Service & Supply Centers in 23 countries around the world, and has more than 30 years of experience in the hydraulic and industrial hose replacement field. Powered by an industry-leading approach to sales and service and backed by a corporate center passionate about its franchisees and customers, Pirtek offers unmatched service and logistics.

About Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR)

Based in Statesville, North Carolina and led by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Brad Keselowski (@Keselowski), Brad Keselowski Racing (@TeamBKR) fields the No. 2, No. 19 and the No. 29 Fords in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. BKR aims to provide young talented drivers the opportunity to improve their skills with a professional, competitive team. For more information, please visit www.BradRacing.com andwww.TeamBKR.com.

SOURCE Pirtek

Media Contact:

Jimmy White

BKR

(704) 929-7175

Jimmy@BradRacing.com

Jeremy Troiano

Team Penske

(704) 799-8355

Jeremy.Troiano@penskeracing.com

Steve Jones

Zeszutko Corp. Strategic Public Relations

404-323-0289

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Scooters Coffee to Celebrate Grand Opening of Fourth Location in Council Bluffs

New Store to Host a Day of Giveaways

January 17, 2017 // Franchising.com // Council Bluffs, IA  Scooters Coffee, LLC, the Midwest-based drive-thru coffee franchise that is on track for another record-breaking year of growth, will celebrate the opening of the companys fourth location (at 1738 Madison Avenue) in Council Bluffs on Tuesday, January 17. Customers will receive several fun giveaways throughout the day. Beginning at 10 a.m., the first 100 customers will receive a $5 gift card with purchase. For the afternoon crowd, at 1 p.m., the first 100 customers will receive a free coffee mug with purchase, and at 4 p.m., the first 100 customers will receive a free t-shirt with purchase (t-shirts only available in store interior).

Council Bluffs has always been a strong market for Scooters Coffee, and this latest opening is further evidence of residents affinity for our brand, said Rob Streett, President and Chief Operating Officer of Scooters Coffee. Were looking forward to this coffeehouse becoming a staple in the community.

Traci Gabriel, Chandra Kipper and Linda Eckles will own and operate this location. Linda Eckles is one of the original co-founders of Scooters.

Nearly 19 years ago, my husband and I opened the doors of our first Scooters Coffee, stated Eckles. I never would have dreamed we could change so many lives simply with a warm cup of coffee and a smile.

Scooters Coffee is quickly approaching 200 locations in 15 states. It opened 33 new locations in 2016 and plans similar expansion in 2017. The company is in the midst of a robust grand opening pipeline. It recently opened its first location in Phoenix, Arizona, added a second location to the Atlanta, Georgia, metro area and also opened its second of many locations in the state of Florida. Other expanding markets include Iowa, Kansas, Texas and Missouri.

Scooters Coffee, which is based in Omaha, Nebraska, handcrafts its pastries and roasts its own shade-grown coffee, sourced through the Arbor Day Foundation. In 2016, the company also added depth to its product profile, releasing a new line of Organic Hot and Iced Teas earlier this summer. In addition to its nearly-100% gluten-free beverage menu, Scooter's Coffee recently added gluten-free brownies to its extensive menu. ??

About Scooters Coffee

Founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Nebraska, Scooters Coffee roasts only the finest coffee beans in the world at its headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. Scooter's success over 18 years of history is simple: stay committed to the original business principles and company core values. The Scooter's mantra, often recited to franchisees, customers and employees is: "Amazing People, Amazing Drinks...Amazingly Fast! It represents the company's business origins from 1998 and reflects a steady commitment to providing an unforgettable experience to loyal customers.

For more information, visit scooterscoffee.com,facebook.com/scooterscoffee, or ownascooters.com.

SOURCE Scooters Coffee

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Miss Universe 2016 Predictions: Back-To-Back Win Reportedly Impossible After Maxine Medinas Grammar Lapses; Philippines, Colombia, Brazil, Thailand, Argentina Might Complete Top 5

Millions of pageant fans are now excited for the upcoming coronation night of the Miss Universe 2016. Predictions on what might happen during the grand event have been spreading like wildfire for weeks now.

More or less 86 women from different parts of the globe have come together for the Miss Universe 2016. Though it has only been days since these gorgeous women landed the Philippines, avid fans of the prestigious pageant already have their picks as to who should become the heirs of the Miss Universe crown.

Missosology has released its fourth official hot picks for this year's pageant. Among the few girls you are likely to take home the Miss Universe 2016 title include Miss Universe Colombia Jealisse Andrea Tovar Velasquez, Miss Universe Philippines Maxine Medina, Miss Argentina Estefania Bernal, Miss Brazil Raissa Santana and Miss Thailand Chalita Suansane.

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Other contestants predicted to join the Miss Universe 2016 Top 15 include candidates from Indonesia, Mexico, Australia, Panama, Netherlands, Japan, Ukraine, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vietnam, and USA. There have been claims that, just like Pia Wurtzbach and Ariadna Gutierrez, Andrea Tovar and Maxine Medina could possibly be in the same position last year.

Speculations have it that both Miss Colombia Andrea Tovar and Miss Philippines Maxine Medina have been leading online polls and picks even before the Miss Universe 2016 officially started. Though being considered as a big threat to all other 85 candidates, Miss Philippines Universe has admitted she is not comfortable with her public speaking skills.

As a matter of fact, Maxine Medina had drawn flak lately after the controversial interview with CNN Philippines' Pinky Webb where the beauty queen had minor grammatical faux pas. Several social media users have reacted to the interview and started doubting her capacity to hitch the crown again for a back-to-back win in the upcoming Miss Universe 2016.

However, the language trainer Mark Arthur Payumo Abalos was quick to defend Maxine Medina and stated that Miss Universe 2016 is a beauty contest and an oratorical competition. "Maxine has improved a lot. She is hardworking and she's doing her best to become a better version of herself," he wrote on Instagram, as reported by ABS-CBN News.

Miss Universe 2016 coronation night is set to happen on January 30 at the Mall of Asia. Stay tuned to Korea Portal for the latest news and updates about the upcoming Miss Universe 2016!

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US Launches 'Serious' Warning To North Korea

State Department spokesman John Kirby called on the Pyongyang government to demonstrate that the U.S wants to hold table-talks to compel the North Korean authorities to abandon their destabilizing actions to develop or further develop ballistic missiles along with the nuclear program.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have increased significantly after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, claimed in a message that the country was about to test an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), capable of attacking the US territory with a nuclear weapon.

"The international community is aligned against them (these North Korean programs) and determined to exert more pressure," Kirby said, adding that Washington takes these comments seriously and they certainly won't be going unnoticed.

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In turn, the US defense secretary, Ashton Carter, described as a "serious threat" Pyongyang's decision, noting that Washington would not hesitate to shoot down any missile directed against the country or its allies. China and South Korea on Monday denounced the missile threat from North Korea and warned that a test could lead to further sanctions.

"If North Korea does not ignore our warning and launch an ICBM, it will face more sanctions and powerful pressure from the international community," South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sung-Geun reiterated.

North Korean authorities have questioned repeatedly the double standards of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to North Korea and have said they found it "unfair and unreasonable" to implement many sanctions on Pyongyang for its nuclear test, launch missiles and satellites, whereas their American counterparts and its allies continuously conduct trials of similar nature one after the other.

Tension is increasing in the Korean peninsula, where the two Koreas are still accusing each other of provocations: South Korea with its joint maneuvers with the US And North Korea with its nuclear and missile tests.

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For years, a vacant, two-story house off Pleasant Valley Road in Virginias Campbell County didnt seem like much.

Though its peeling paint and crumbling exterior tell the story of a building in need of some TLC, the home holds a history of a familys impact on the Lynchburg area that stretches back to the post-Civil War era.

The house, which was the home built by Albert and Judie Megginson around the beginning of the 20th century, is part of Albert Megginsons history as a prosperous farmer whose philanthropic work benefited the surrounding community. Descendants of the Megginsons are about a year into the process of restoring the house thats been in a state of disrepair for about 10 years with the intention of opening it as a museum that will tell the history of the family and the area.

According to Joe Kennedy, a descendant of the Megginsons whos been researching his familys history since the turn of the century, Albert Megginson purchased land around his home to donate to Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, of which Albert Megginson was a founder. Additionally, he worked to ensure black children in the Lynchburg area could read and write, although he could not do so himself.

Today a road off Concord Turnpike, a cemetery in the area and a two-room school that once educated black children in the area also are named for Megginson.

Its not simply family history; its evidence of our familys impact, Kennedy said of the house and the other records hes found in his research, which includes deeds, military honors and documents that show Megginson was part of the NAACP of Lynchburg.

According to Kennedy, the family has raised more than $5,000 toward the project. The fundraising got off to a good start, he said, but without money to completely finish the project, the family is forced to proceed slowly. The goal is to raise $25,000.

We are blessed to have the support of our extended network of family and friends, but we are not a wealthy family. We are doing the best we can with the resources we have available, Kennedy said. We are thrilled to be able to preserve our heritage, and we are more concerned with doing so than with how long it takes.

There is no set timeline for completion of the house restoration, but Kennedy and other family members are happy with the progress. Kennedy said the family recently has formed the Megginson Homestead Committee, made up of seven descendants of the Megginsons who will oversee the restoration project.

When we took on this project, we knew it was going to be a long-term project, and the family members that were enthusiastic about it in the beginning, they are still as enthused about it, if not more, said Lorenzo Megginson, a descendant of Albert Megginson who lives near the house and acts as supervisor of the restoration project. As you move along and people can see the progress, then they get a little more excited about it.

So far, most of the work on the Megginson Homestead has taken place on the exterior of the building, where a leak in the roof has been repaired and siding has been fixed. With the weather getting colder, the family soon will begin work on the interior of the building.

Next on the agenda, Megginson said, is to remove 1970s wood paneling to restore the house to its 1900 appearance. Then, Kennedy explained, the family will work on restoring the first-floor rooms of the two-story building to what they would have looked like around 1900, but there is no set timeline for the projects completion.

Were always worried about anything that we cant see, so we have to remove the paneling to see what all well have to do, but were hoping that structurally the building is sound, Lorenzo Megginson said.

Kennedy said he and others involved in the project have been in talks with several architects and preservationists from the area as they take steps toward interior renovations.

The energy has always been there to do it well and do it right, Kennedy said, even if it takes a while.

In the meantime, following a successful open house last fall, the family hopes to open portions of the house for similar open house events, when theyll be able to show off historical displays of the both the history of the family and the area.

Were just happy to be able to share our story with the Lynchburg community and beyond and to become a full-fledged part of the history of Virginia in a way that has not been possible up to now, Kennedy said.
A four-day jury trial has been scheduled for a man accused in a vicious roadside rape in southern Stafford County last year.

Roberto Carlos Flores Sibrian, 26, is accused of striking the victim's vehicle as she drove east on Kings Highway (State Route 3) early Oct. 31 near Sherwood Forest Farm Road. Police said the woman was then forced out of her car and dragged to a nearby ditch, where she was sexually assaulted for an extended period of time.

On Tuesday in Stafford Circuit Court, Judge Charles Sharp announced that Flores Sibrian's trial will start April 25. He has been held in the Rappahannock Regional Jail since he was extradited from North Carolina last month.

Flores Sibrian is charged with rape, abduction with the intent to defile, two counts of forcible sodomy and aggravated sexual battery. Four of the charges carry potential life sentences; aggravated sexual battery carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. A Stafford jury indicted him on Nov. 15.

He is being represented by attorneys Ron Hur and Mark D'Antonio.

The victim, who is in her 20s, told police she didn't see her attacker's SUV prior to the collision sometime around 3 a.m. Once the assault ended, the suspect continued east on Route 3 and the woman called the Sheriff's Office.

The attacker left behind a shirt and some DNA, which court records state has already been linked to Flores Sibrian.

Flores Sibrian, who is married and in the country illegally, was working at a construction site in Lee County, N.C., when Stafford authorities identified him as a suspect. He was held there until being extradited to Virginia.

Flores Sibrian was served warrants again while in jail here on a much less-serious charge. He had been wanted in Fredericksburg for failing to show up for court-ordered meetings following a May 1 arrest on driving while intoxicated in the city.

A hearing on that charge is scheduled for Jan. 26 in Fredericksburg General District Court.
A man suspected of robbing a Fredericksburg bank and stealing a vehicle here is now behind bars in York, S.C., authorities say.

Fredericksburg police identified the suspect as Michael Satterfield, 48, of Durham, N.C., in a Monday night press release. Satterfield is in custody in South Carolina after being arrested Monday on felony charges of auto theft and possession of cocaine, according to the release.

Additionally, Fredericksburg police have obtained two felony warrants accusing Satterfield of bank robbery and auto larceny, the city release said.

According to city police, a white male walked into the First Citizens Bank at 1575 Jefferson Davis Highway about 3:57 p.m. on Thursday and handed the teller a note that demanded cash and said he had a weapon.

The Lexus that was stolen from Hanover was found in the parking lot of Brocks Bar and Grill at 503 Sophia St., city police said.

Police say their investigators had surveillance images of a man entering a CVS next to the bank and leaving in a gold Lexus SUV prior to the time of the robbery.
A Spotsylvania County man picked up a felony charge after being accused of kicking at a Stafford County deputy toward the end of a profanity-laced tirade that started at a Stafford motel late Monday, police said.

Stafford Sheriffs spokeswoman M.C. Morris Moncure said Deputy D.G. French went to the Knights Inn at 386 Warrenton Road about 11:22 p.m. and found the suspect lying on the asphalt in the front parking lot. The mans lips were covered in blood and there was a cut above his eyebrow.

A woman who was assisting the man said the suspect and another man had gotten into an argument in one of the motel rooms. As the suspect was leaving the room, the other man pushed him down, the woman said.

The suspect shouted a steady stream of expletives at approaching deputies, Moncure said, and continued doing so as French attempted to interview him.

The man was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, Moncure said, where he continued shouting expletives at medical personnel.

At one point, police said the man was in his hospital bed when he kicked at a deputys head. The deputy dodged the kick.

George Delany Graves III, 29, was charged with disorderly conduct, public swearing and intoxication and assault on a law-enforcement officer. The latter charge is a felony that carries a potential five-year prison sentence.

Graves, who has had at least four public intoxication convictions in recent years, was placed in the Rappahannock Regional Jail under no bond.

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'Goblin' Cast And Crew To Go To Thailand

The entire cast and crew of the record-breaking hit tvN series "Goblin" announced they'll be flying to Phuket, Thailand for a vacation next month.

"The actors and production will be leaving on February 6," allkpop quoted a representative from the show as saying. "The entire cast and crew will all do their best to not miss this opportunity to bond with one another, and go on vacation to recharge and relieve themselves."

The vacation can be considered a well-deserved break after the phenomenal success of the fantasy-romance series. Written by one of South Korea's highly sought writers, Kim Eun Sook, and directed by Lee Eung Bok, the show reached its highest peak at 15.5 percent viewers rating.

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Fans of Gong Yoo, who plays the goblin character named Kim Shin, might also welcome this announcement as rumors about the actor's health issues recently circulated.

A Chinese media outlet reported that the 37-year-old "Train to Busan" lead actor is suffering from health issues. The actor's management label MANAGEMENT SOOP quickly responded to the rumors.

"It's true that he's been tired lately wrapping up filming [for 'Goblin], but he does not have any severe health issues at all. Chinese fans showed concerns and wrote on SNS that Gong Yoo does not look too well," said MANAGEMENT SOOP, according to allkpop.

The "Goblin" episode Saturday was a break from the regular episodes and a special one that showed viewers more back stories into the characters and their fates. This was so the viewers can "enjoy the rest of the story as easily and as comfortably as possible" as explained by tvN, where the show is aired every Fridays and Saturdays.

The show will then continue with a regular episode 14 on January 20 and a back-to-back three-hour broadcast of episodes 15 and 16 on January 21 for its finale.

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Two teenagers were arrested and a third was being sought in connection with a series of thefts from vehicles in a North Stafford subdivision early Tuesday, police said.

Sheriffs spokeswoman M.C. Morris Moncure said deputies went to Kings Crest Drive in Potomac Hills subdivision off U.S. 1 shortly before 3 a.m. in response to a report of suspicious activity. The caller described seeing three people wearing all black clothing and white masks breaking into vehicles.

As deputies were searching the area on foot, three suspects were spotted on Brenwick Court. When they saw the deputies, they took off running.

Deputy G.P. Gabrielli ran after them and caught a 14-year-old boy, Moncure said. The boy was searched and police recovered a Michael Kors clutch, a 5-inch knife with a sheath, marijuana and multiple credit cards and receipts that did not belong to the boy.

Moncure said the boy admitted to deputies that he had gone into unlocked vehicles and identified the two friends whod been with him.

A short time later, Sgt. G.A. Haney and Deputy R.T. Philippsen encountered a teen running south on Kings Crest Drive. He was ordered to stop but did not comply. During his flight, the teen dropped a backpack in the woods behind Potomac Hills Road. Knives, a pellet gun, smoking devices and a Citizen watch were in the backpack.

A 15-year-old boy whod been named by the first suspect was later apprehended on a path near Cliff Circle, police said. He walked within 10 feet of the searching deputies and dropped to the ground after being ordered to, police said.

Both teens were charged with multiple offenses, including credit card theft, illegally entering a vehicle, tampering with vehicles, larceny, obstruction of justice, possessing concealed weapons and possession of marijuana. They were not named because they are juveniles.
Strains of Amazing Grace, We Shall Overcome and We Are Soldiers in the Army wafted down Bowling Greens Main Street on Monday morning during the Caroline County towns first Martin Luther King Jr. march.

People are used to this as a day off, but for us it's a day on, said Herman Johnson, vice president of the Fredericksburg chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, of which King was a member.

The Alpha brothers walked alongside members of other historically black fraternities and sororities, local clergy members, Caroline County elected officials and community members.

The event was organized by the Caroline County Sunday School Union, which was established in 1895 to work toward racial improvement and promotion of unity through cooperative Bible study sessions. It still exists to preserve that legacy of education and unity, president Joy Minor said.

Minor said she was looking for a local Martin Luther King Day event for the group to participate in.

I am from Mississippi, Ive lived all over the world and everywhere Ive lived there was something, Minor said. I was looking for something that the Union could participate in and there was nothing, so rather than going somewhere else, I pitched the idea to the organization that we do something thats never been done.

The three-quarter-mile march wound down Main Street and ended at Shiloh Baptist Church, one of the Sunday School Unions three founding churches.

Minor said she wanted the event to celebrate Kings courage to lead. The Baptist minister led the Civil Rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968.

One of the things that stands out for me is the amount of courage that it must have taken for him to decide to step out and do something that nobody else was willing to do, she said. It starts with a thought and then a vision and for Dr. King, it was a dream that came to reality, not even in his own lifetime. The whole idea was to celebrate diversity but also recognize those people willing to go the extra mile that had the courage to do something.

Following the march, the Sunday School Union held a celebration at Shiloh church and presented awards to four community members who Minor felt exemplified Kings courage of leadership: Judge Angela Roberts, the first African-American female judge in Virginia; entrepreneur Dr. Kevin Jackson; Catholic priest Jay Biber; and Gary Taylor, who organizes stop-the-violence campaigns in the county.

Some people who attended the march saw it as a demonstration of solidarity after a polarizing presidential election with lingering effects.

I support anything that brings people together, said Emily Kidwell, a retired teacher who lives in Bowling Green.

I want us to be a united union, said Eunice Key, another Bowling Green resident. People are angry now but we have to get along. That is the only way were all going to survive.

Denise Taylor, another retired teacher, said that she supports anything that provides a positive lesson for the communitys young people.

They see so much turmoil but we need to show them what love looks like, she said. We need to show them that its here. Even if someone doesnt want it to be here, its here.

Jeff Sili, Bowling Greens representative on the county Board of Supervisors, said Kings mission is a great mission for us all and that he hopes the march will become an annual event.

This is a very good turnout for a first event, he said.

At the end of the march, Rev. Arnett Rogiers, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, welcomed marchers to one of the oldest African-American churches in the county and the state.

He said that contrary to how things might look, he believes that Kings dream of a blended society has been fulfilled.

Everything that he dreamed is happening and continues to happen, Rogiers said. You have to have hope and faithbelief in the things you cant see.

At the service following the march, Rogiers asked congregants to close their eyes and imagine what the country looked like in the 1950s and 60s.

That was a time when we struggled to love one another, he said. But there was a dreamer who imagined a world with no restrictions. We stand on his shoulders today.
Fredericksburg-area nonprofits received grants in December from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to continue working to end homelessness.

The grants, part of HUDs Continuum of Care program that provides funding for local nonprofit organizations around the country, went to Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania County and Stafford County nonprofits.

According to a news release from HUD, Virginia in 2016 had an estimated 17.8 percent decrease in the number of homeless families, a 14.7 percent decrease in veteran homelessness and a 31.5 percent decline in people experiencing chronic homelessness.

HUD said it also will work to more accurately account for homeless youth and young adults nationwide this month and release new estimates of those populations in the fall.

The grants for the Fredericksburg area will go toward affordable housing for the chronically homeless and a Homeless Management Information System renewal, which collects data on housing and services that can be provided for families or individuals who are homeless or at risk for homelessness. The system is operated by the George Washington Regional Commission. The total amount of the grants is $273,731.

Kate Gibson is a coordinator for the Fredericksburg Regional Continuum of Care, a network of area nonprofits that is separate from the Continuum of Care grants given by HUD. In addition to other donations, the regional network receives funding from the HUDs Continuum of Care program and funding from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, which is distributed to member agencies for specific projects, Gibson said.

Members of the community can get involved in our efforts to end homelessness by donating time, money, or items to CoC member agencies, Gibson said.

Meghann Cotter, executive director of Micah Ecumenical Ministries in Fredericksburg, said the nonprofit has received the grants since 2010. The grants will go toward purchasing apartments around the area. The apartments are then subleased to people who have been chronically homeless, meaning they have been homeless for more than a year, or have become homeless more than four times in a three-year period totaling 12 months and have disabilities.

People in the apartments are then given case management opportunities, learning what programs they would need to maintain the apartment, health care and other issues.

As we work to move more people from the streets to permanent housing, we see the benefits in the whole community, Cotter said.

Cotter cited studies that found areas with decreasing homelessness may save cities and towns money. In the Fredericksburg area, a night at The Rappahannock Regional jail costs approximately $66 per person, and a homeless shelter costs a little over $26. Housing, in contrast, is roughly $20 a night, Cotter said.

Between 2011 and 2015, the number of chronically homeless people in the Fredericksburg area has dropped from 67 to 42, according to point-in-time counts done by the Regional Continuum of Care. Cotter believes the programs Micah and other nonprofits offer, and the involvement of the community, has led to the decrease.

It really speaks to the success of the community to really bring down those numbers, Cotter said.
Republican Ed Gillespies five-day statewide tour kicking off his campaign for governor brought him to Fredericksburg on Monday evening.

Gillespie, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a counselor to then-President George W. Bush, mingled with the crowd gathered downtown at Ristorante Renato for a meet-and-greet to share his vision for the future of Virginia if he wins the election.

The last few days have been a whirlwind for the gubernatorial candidate. After kicking off his campaign in Northern Virginia on Saturday, Gillespie made appearances in Richmond, Hampton Roads and Roanoke, among several other locations. He plans to stop in the Shenandoah Valley before traveling south to wrap up the tour on Tuesday evening.

Gillespie shared the same message with voters at each campaign stop: It is time to boost the states anemic economic growth through lower taxes and fewer regulations. He also advocated the need to shrink the size and scope of government.

He accused Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe of allowing the states economic growth to plummet under his watch.

When it comes to economic growth, Virginia should be first in the country, Gillespie said. Just five years ago, on the CNBC list of best states for business, we were number one. But on Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northams watch, weve dropped out of the top 10, most recently dropping from 12th to 13th.

As the son of an Irish immigrant who owned a small grocery store, JC Market, Gillespie said small businesses and the value of entrepreneurship are near and dear to his heart.

In our family, once you turned 12, you got a cake, a present and a four-hour shift at JC Market, he said. I know the risks that entrepreneurs take and the challenges they face. And my policies will make it easier to take those risks and meet those challenges.

In addition to his campaign for economic growth, Gillespie expressed his opposition to abortion and his support for freedom of religion and the right to bear arms.

He also voiced his opposition to the blanket restoration of voting rights to convicted felons. Gillespie believes that any consideration of rights restoration should be individualized and merit-based.

If elected governor, Gillespie said he will work with President-elect Donald Trumps administration to change policies that he believes are hurting the state. Although his opponent Corey Stewart has criticized him for being lukewarm in his support of Trump, Gillespie said he has broad support across the party.

I was able to do that without getting fired by the Trump administration, Gillespie quipped.

Stewart, who chaired Trumps Virginia campaign, was fired after he took part in an unauthorized protest outside the Republican National Committee last fall.

Raga Elim, who attended the Fredericksburg event, said Gillespies energy and authenticity have already won him over.

Elim recalled Gillespies attempt to unseat Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, in 2014. Although Gillespie narrowly lost, Elim views the loss as a victory, since it revealed how successful he could be with so little support.

This time around, Elim thinks Gillespie has the visibility he needs to secure a win, and he believes Gillespies sincerity will be appealing to voters looking for a candidate they can rely on to speak the truth.

He belongs on the Mount Rushmore of governors, Elim said. He is really that amazing.

Gillespie is one of four candidates seeking the Republican nomination for governor. Gillespie will face Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors; Sen. Frank Wagner, RVirginia Beach; and businessman Denver Riggleman during their partys June 13 primary.

On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam faces former congressman Tom Perriello, who recently caused a stir with his surprise entry into the governors race.

The states 2017 gubernatorial election will take place on Nov. 7.
When Sheriff Charles Jett hung up his badge at the close of 2015, his replacement, David Decatur, knew he had big shoes to fill. Decatur vowed to build on the legacy of his predecessor, and part of that promise included a commitment to transparency.

In an effort to be more transparent and improve community engagement, the Sheriffs Office last week presented its first-ever Year in Review for 2016, which highlights the staff members' accomplishments over the past 12 months, as well as their goals and challenges in the upcoming year.

I truly believe we live in one of the best communities in the country, Decatur said. The Sheriffs Office is so fortunate to have a supportive community. We have a great history of community engagement, and we want to continue to build on that.

In 2016, Decatur laid out five goals for the year including investing in people, partnering with the community, promoting safety with technology, combating crime and enhancing professionalism.

In the year ahead, the Sheriffs Office believes technology can play a pivotal role not only in enhancing public safety, but also in promoting transparency. In turn, the office plans to pursue multiple new technologies in 2017 while focusing on being mindful of taxpayer dollars.

Last year, the office applied for a Justice Department grant to assist with the purchase of body-worn cameras after running a 90-day pilot program. Although the office did not receive the grant, Decatur said he has not given up and will continue to push for the cameras.

He said keeping pace with technology is critical for law enforcement, and has long been a point of pride for the Sheriffs Office. In the 1990s, the office instituted dashboard cameras, which was considered cutting-edge technology at the time.

Decatur said staffers are also looking forward to rolling out a brand new technologya shooting range simulatorthis summer. The simulator will serve as a training tool that places deputies in realistic situations where they have to decide under pressure when to shoot and what tools are best to use in certain situations, whether it be a taser, pepper spray or a firearm.

The point of the technology is to put the deputies as close as possible to a real-life situation, Decatur said. The simulator is not costing the taxpayers any money, and will help our deputies with decision-making before they go out on the streets.

Sheriffs Office officials continue to explore the risks and benefits of drone use to support law enforcement operations. In December 2016, the Stafford Board of Supervisors authorized the Sheriffs Office to pursue a Certificate of Authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The drone program will be ready to go as soon as they receive the COA, and they hope to put their first drone in the sky this spring. Once the program is up and running, the Sheriffs Office plans to hold a demo that will be open to the public to alleviate any privacy or civil liberties concerns.

The drone program will help us out a lot, he said. In todays climate, we want to set our deputies up for success and give them the tools they need.

Decatur hopes to use social media to facilitate community engagement with law enforcement. Getting information out to the public efficiently and promptly will be a significant part of the Sheriffs Offices efforts to improve transparency.

Decatur said that one significant challenge is staying current with communication technology, and the department is constantly monitoring new ways to get information to people.

As a result, the Sheriffs Office stepped up their social media efforts last year. Officials were able to make substantial improvementsthe office has more than 13,000 Facebook likesa 93 percent increase in a year. The department also has more than 2,500 Twitter followers.

We want to leverage social media as much as we can, Decatur said. We have vastly improved our efforts.

Decatur said Stafford is also close to getting Text to 911, which would allow Stafford residents to reach 911 call center by text message.

In 2017, the Sheriffs Office also plans to focus on recruitment and retention, staffing enhancement, competitive compensation, mental health partnerships, additional community training and engagement, traffic safety advancements and improving collaboration with other law enforcement agencies.

The most important thing we can do is prevent crime from occurring, Decatur said. Working with law enforcement in the Fredericksburg area will be critical. Criminals do not know physical, geographical boundaries, so communication is important.
RICHMONDOpen- government advocates expressed alarm over a legislative subcommittees approval of a bill that would hide from the public record the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.

Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, said House Bill 1678 would violate the publics right to know about possible environmental and health hazards posed by fracking, in which liquids are injected into the ground to extract oil or gas.

They would shield information from the public and local government and would jeopardize their ability to monitor public health, Rhyne said.

Last week, a subcommittee of the House General Laws Committee voted 43 to recommend approval of the bill, which was sponsored by Del. Roxann Robinson, RMidlothian. If the full committee agrees, the measure will go to the House floor for consideration.

Robinson, who introduced a similar bill last year, said the bill is intended to protect trade secrets of companies that use hydraulic fracturing, which involves pumping large amounts of water and chemicals into the ground to break open rock formations containing natural gas and oil.

The bill would exempt from the states Freedom of Information Act chemical ingredient names, the chemical abstracts number for a chemical ingredient, or the amount or concentration of chemicals or ingredients used to stimulate a well.

Robinson noted that her measure includes exceptions for health care providers and first responders in the event of an emergency. They would be able to access the information about chemicals from the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy.

The industry has been fracking in Virginia for decades without any disclosure requirements and with a remarkable record of safe natural gas production, Robinson said.

At last Thursdays subcommittee meeting, Miles Morin, executive director of the Virginia Petroleum Council, spoke in favor of the bill. He said it strikes a balance between protecting the industrys secrets while maintaining full disclosure to regulators.

With this protection, Virginia would still have one of the strongest chemical disclosure requirements in the country, Morin said.

Opponents of Robinsons bill, including Travis Blankenship of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, said the measure would prevent landowners from knowing about chemicals that could affect their well water.

We feel this legislation goes far beyond protecting the competitive trade secrets the legislation attempts to get at and actively prevents landowners from knowing chemicals affecting their drinking water, Blankenship said.

Another opponent, Emily Francis of the Southern Environmental Law Center, said the bill would put trade secrets in a black box hidden from residents and could pose dangers for local governments.

Specifically, we are concerned that localities would not have access to this information ahead of time in order to prepare for any potential accident, Francis said.

The bill contains language that would allow for emergency personnel and first responders to be informed of the chemicals used in fracking in the event of an emergency. But Rhyne fears this would not give first responders enough time to prepare and would put them at risk.

Robinson has a similar bill, HB 1679, scheduled to be heard Wednesday by the Natural Resources Subcommittee of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources.

HB 1679 would require fracking chemicals exempted under HB 1678 to be disclosed to the director of the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. It would allow the director to disclose the chemical information to state and local officials assisting in an emergency, but would prevent further dissemination.

Sen. Ben Chafin, RLebanon, has filed two virtually identical bills in the Senate.
In blaze-orange hats and camo jackets, they fanned out across the Capitol, hunting for lawmakers they feel are coming after their dogs.

The Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance turned out in force Tuesday at the General Assembly to oppose a bill that would authorize localities to create a $100 civil penalty for dogs running at large on other peoples property, legislation the group sees as taking aim at Virginias hunting traditions. Hounds are used to track deer, bear and other wildlife, and long chases can occur with dogs paying little mind to property lines.

The vast, vast, vast majority of people who live in the rural sections understand this is part of rural Virginia, said John Morse, a Chesapeake resident who serves as VHDAs chairman. They may not be pro-hunting. But they understand that occasionally you may have a dog on the property. You may hear a gunshot in the distance. Its just part of the living in the country.

The issue has potential to divide the Republican-controlled House of Delegates along rural and urban/suburban lines. For Republicans, the calculation is complicated further because the bills sponsor is House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, who wields considerable power over what moves in the House and what doesnt.

In an interview, Howell said the bill is not meant to punish the owners of dogs who venture onto land where theyre not wanted just once. What it would do, Howell said, is provide relief to property owners dealing with a pack of dogs on their land for the umpteenth time.

The bottom line is: This is about property rights, Howell said in an interview.

The bill has not yet been assigned to a committee. Howell said he plans to amend it to specify that landowners will have to go to the courthouse and pay filing fees in order to seek relief under the law.

Thats a pretty big deal for somebody whos the victim of a dog accidentally running across his yard one time, Howell said. But the guy whos got 20 hounds every Saturday, hes talked to the people in the hunt club and they ignore him, it gives him a remedy.

Under Howells bill, House Bill 1900, dog owners would have to pay $100 for each dog and each occurrence of trespassing. Penalties would only apply in situations where a landowner has given notice verbally, in writing, through posted signs or by painting blue marks on trees near roads and entrances to the property.

The bill would not set a statewide penalty. It would authorize localities to pass ordinances with the penalty.

One rural lawmaker enlisted two four-legged lobbyistsBig Money and Big Puppyto stand by the George Washington equestrian statue as legislators made the walk to the Capitol for the mid-day session.

I just want people to see that these are not really bad dogs, said Del. C. Matt Fariss, RCampbell, who held one dogs leash while his son, Hunter, held the other.

When Howell approached, Hunter Fariss sensed opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, you want to see my hunting dog? he asked.

All numbered and everything, Howell replied. Thats good.

Last year, with the support of the dog hunting community, Fariss passed a bill establishing trespassing penalties for hunters who intentionally release dogs onto land where no-trespassing notices are posted.

Hunting dog enthusiasts argue that law should be given more time to work before considering more legal avenues to escalate disputes that hunters could resolve privately with landowners.

Instead of working out their issues, theyre going to go to law enforcement or whatever and make this a much bigger deal than it needs to be, Morse said.

Kirby Burch, a Powhatan County resident and CEO of the hunting-dog association, said hunt clubs help preserve open space in Virginia by providing extra revenue to farmers and timberland owners.

Were not here looking to get advantage, to grow our sport at the expense of other people, Burch said. Were simply here saying this has value. We are not a problem to society. To our communities. We are the community in rural Virginia.

Howell insisted his bill wont affect the good hunt clubs who occasionally have to retrieve an intruding dog, but he feels the problems are widespread enough to require action.

They always say, Well, its just for rogue groups, Howell said. There must be a lot of rogue groups out there.
(Xinhua) 20:32, January 16, 2017

From steam locomotive and diesel trains to electric locomotives and high-speed rail, Du Ronghua has seen China's train speeds soar from 60 to 300 km per hour.

Du, 45, has been working as a train operator in the eastern city of Hangzhou since 1991. For him, nothing illustrates the rapid development of the country's railway system quite like "chunyun," the annual Chinese Spring Festival travel rush.

Recalling chunyun during the era of diesel trains, Du said, "It was hard for the train to start when parked at the station, as flocks of passengers would rush to the train and some would even stand on the door steps when they were unable to squeeze inside."

High speed rail has dramatically increased the capacity and efficiency of China's railways, and passengers now have a more comfortable experience, even amid the chunyun crowds, he said.

China's high-speed railways have seen rapid expansion in recent years. The country boasts a high-speed rail network of more than 20,000 km, the world's largest.

Du still remembers a time back in the 1990s when his steam train passed a tourist train. Several foreigners took out their cameras to take pictures of the old-fashioned train with curiosity.

"I was so embarrassed at that moment," he said. Today he always feels proud seeing foreigners photograph China's high-speed trains.

Over the past two decades, Du has had few opportunities to spend Spring Festival with his family.

"Sometimes I felt a bit guilty about my family when looking at the fireworks outside the train windows," he said. "But it is my duty to take passengers to their destinations safely."

For 59-year-old Wan Dongzhou, a water-supply worker at the train station in the eastern city of Nanjing, chunyun always tests his physical prowess.

Wan has been doing this job for some 30 years, and he wears out a pair of shoes every two months. During chunyun, he and his fellow workers have to supply water to nearly 200 carriages of 50 trains daily.

Although his office is only 500 meters from the parked trains, he must run to the trains after receiving each order.

"The trains usually only stop for a few minutes, so we have to race against time to get our work done," said Wan.

When the road is slippery from snow and rain in the winter, it is common for Wan and his colleagues to fall when running to the trains at night.

Kan Zhaowei is a wheel repairer for the high speed trains in Nanjing. The trains should undergo wheel repair every 200,000 to 250,000 kilometers, he said.

It takes at least 24 hours to finish repairing the wheels of an entire train, and the job requires much patience and concentration, he said.

Gao Xiang, a high speed rail engineer in Nanjing, said that behind the smooth operation of each chunyun train there are many people working day and night.

According to the Ministry of Transport, a record 2.98 billion trips will be made during this year's chunyun period between Jan. 13 and Feb. 21, up 2.2 percent from last year.

Up to 356 million trips are expected to be made via railways during the annual migration, up 9.7 percent year on year, according to China Railway Corporation (CRC).
HERES something weve noticed about the candidates who want to be Virginias next governor: They talk about the states economy in different ways.

We dont just mean that Democrat Ralph Northam says things are headed in the right direction, and conversely, Republicans Ed Gillespie, Corey Stewart and Frank Wagner say theyre not. Thats the normal kind of rhetoric you expect when one party wants to stay in power and the other party wants to replace them.

Instead, we mean this: They emphasize two entirely different types of economies. (Well give Democrat Tom Perriello and Republican Denver Riggleman a pass because they just got in the race.)

Northam talks up a new Virginia economy. He emphasizes how Virginia is well positionedthanks, in part, to investments made under the current Democratic governorto become a national leader for biotechnology, cybersecurity and unmanned aerial systems, i.e., drones. His lexicon includes the jobs of the future.

Republicans dont use such futuristic phrases. Instead they talk more generally about growing businesses, without specifying what type. If they do mention specific industry sectors, its likely to be traditional onesmanufacturing and coal.

In reality, though, the economy is not an all-or-nothing choiceor shouldnt be. With that in mind, we take the liberty of offering some advice to both sides on how they can do a better job of talking about the economy.

First, advice for Northam: Hes right about what hes saying. Last year, the statein a bipartisan initiativepassed a $2.2 billion bond issue heavy on investments intended to lay the foundations for that new Virginia economy.

Heres the problem, though: Northam needs to explain why any of that matters to someone who doesnt have a PhD. There are easy ways to do that. The classic work on the subject is a study by University of California-Berkeley economist Enrico Moretti, who found that each high-tech job winds up creating five additional jobs.

Furthermore, two professors at the London School of Economics who studied Americas largest cities found that people with high school degrees did better economically in communities that are dominated by innovative industries than their counterparts in communities dominated by manufacturing.

There are vast swaths of Virginia that do not see themselves as future technology centers. The case needs to be made that much of manufacturing today is technology, so when a candidate talks up technology, hes really talking about growing the entire economy and not just a specific slice.

Republicans face a different challenge: They seem stuck in the past, at least, rhetorically. Why arent they the ones talking about the jobs of the future?

Their vision of the future seems more nostalgic than inspirational.

Gillespie does the best job among the Republicans of talking up the need to create high-wage jobsbut none of the Republicans do a good job explaining how cutting taxes would make those high-wage jobs happen. Cutting corporate taxes might, indeed, spur economic growth, but what guarantee is there that such growth wouldnt simply create more low-wage jobs?

Northams technology platform seems more intuitively high-wage. Just as Northam needs to connect his dots to blue-collar workers, Republicans need to connect theirs to those concerned about wage stagnation.

All the candidates are promising a campaign based on economic growth. Thats a good thing. But it would be better if they could go beyond the easy slogans.

The Roanoke Times
Popular vote doesnt represent nation

It would be beneficial to all Americans if the media would cease and desist on the theme that the Russians meddled in the 2016 election. They certainly meddled during the campaign season, but not in the election.

Also, I chuckle when I read Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 2.8 million votes; the number the left insists proves the American people favored her.

Think about this for a moment: the city of Los Angeles, headquarters for Hollywood actors (many of whom should be in Canada by now), has a population of about 3.8 million.

Bill Halpin Orange County
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Premier Li Keqianghas called for more efforts to expedite the renovation of rundown urban areas and dilapidated houses in 2017, a State Council statement said Monday.

This year, China will start renovating 6 million substandard homes, the same as the target set for 2016, according to Li, who stressed that the work should be initiated as soon as possible.

Renovation of rundown areas will provide low-income urban residents with affordable housing. The country spent 1.48 trillion yuan (around 210 billion US dollars) on rebuilding dilapidated homes last year.

The premier promised more financial support, saying the government would strive to improve the quality and safety of the buildings, and ensure construction of supporting facilities.

Compared with 2016, faster progress must be made in meeting the 2017 target for renovating rundown areas, Chen Zhenggao, minister of housing and urban-rural development, said Monday at a meeting.

"The target should be met in advance, and no delay will be accepted," Chen said.

He also said the renovation efforts should be in line with city planning and meet the requirements of environmental recovery and city repairing projects.

Chen added that all bank loans for the renovation were repaid on time in 2016.
Story Highlights Economic confidence has been at or near record-high levels since election

Confidence stands at +16 among Republicans, +8 among Democrats

Economic outlook component score (+11) ties for nine-year high

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' economic confidence remained in positive territory last week, with Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index registering +10 for the week ending Jan. 15. This was up from +7 the prior week and is just one point below the nine-year high the index hit in the last week of December 2016.

After nine years of nearly uninterrupted negative economic assessments, Americans' views of the economy brightened significantly after the November presidential election. This positive swing mostly stems from surging confidence among Republicans and independents who lean Republican, whose index score stood at +16 last week. This score represents a sharp reversal from their highly negative scores before the election, including -43 in early November.

By contrast, confidence in the economy has fallen among Democrats, with Democrats and Democratic leaners' score falling from +27 before the election to last week's +8. Nonetheless, even if Democrats' confidence in the economy has slumped since the election, it is still considerably higher than the negative levels that prevailed among Republicans for much of President Barack Obama's tenure.

However, once Donald Trump officially takes over the presidency on Friday, it would not be surprising to see Democrats' economic confidence sapped further. If there is not a commensurate rise in confidence among Republicans, the overall index score will likely fall as well.

Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index is the average of two components: how Americans rate current economic conditions and whether they feel the economy is improving or getting worse. The index has a theoretical maximum of +100 if all Americans were to say the economy is doing well and improving, and a theoretical minimum of -100 if all Americans were to say the economy is doing poorly and getting worse.

Both the current conditions and economic outlook components of the index rose modestly last week compared with the previous week, with both components remaining at or near their highs since 2008.

The current conditions component measured +9 last week, based on 31% of Americans rating the present economic conditions as "excellent" or "good," and 22% describing them as "poor." The current conditions score stood at +6 one week earlier.

The economic outlook component, meanwhile, reached +11 last week for the third time since the election -- the highest score since Gallup began tracking this measure daily in 2008. Fifty-two percent of Americans said the economy was getting better, while 41% said it was getting worse. The economic outlook score stood at +7 for the week ending Jan. 8.

Based on their economic outlook scores, Republicans (+32) are far more optimistic than Democrats (-3) about the direction of the economy. Democrats continue to be more positive than Republicans about the economy's current conditions (+19 vs. -1, respectively), but that is likely to change once Trump assumes control of the presidency.

Bottom Line

For many Americans, particularly Republicans, the 2016 presidential election inspired confidence in the economy. Though this may mostly reflect the political lens through which many Americans assess the economy, other economic indicators have also rallied since Trump's election -- including the stock market and optimism among U.S. investors as measured by the Wells Fargo/Gallup Investor and Retirement Optimism Index.

Additionally, "hard" economic measures such as gross domestic product continue to suggest an uptick in economic activity, though this cannot be characterized as a response to the election.

All the same, economic confidence could change once Trump takes the reins of power. Most likely, economic confidence among Democrats will drop as they begin to evaluate an economy led by Trump rather than by outgoing President Obama. Future confidence may rise or fall depending on what effect Trump's still-unclear economic policies have on the economy.

These data are available in Gallup Analytics.

Survey Methods

Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Jan. 9-15, 2017, on the Gallup U.S. Daily survey, with a random sample of 3,568 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is 2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting.

Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 70% cellphone respondents and 30% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.

Learn more about how the Gallup U.S. Daily works.
Story Highlights Obama's latest rating one of his highest, post-"honeymoon"

Michelle Obama leaves White House with 68% favorability

Joe Biden's 61% rating is his highest yet

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Fifty-eight percent of Americans view President Barack Obama favorably as his second term nears its end. The latest figure, along with the 61% and 62% favorable ratings Obama received in the weeks after the 2016 election, is one of the president's highest marks since the "honeymoon" period during his first year in office.

For most of Obama's time in the limelight, majorities of Americans have viewed him favorably, averaging 53% over the course of his two presidential terms.

Obama's favorable rating reached its high point of 78% as he approached his first inauguration in January 2009, and he enjoyed ratings in the 55% to 69% range during his first year in office. The outgoing president's favorability hit a low point at 42% after the 2014 midterm elections in which the GOP made significant gains in congressional and state elections across the country.

The president will leave office with a much higher favorable rating than did his immediate predecessor, George W. Bush (40%). Bill Clinton's rating (57%) was similar to Obama's, while George H.W. Bush left office in January 1993 with a slightly higher 62% favorable rating. Gallup began measuring presidential favorability using the favorable/unfavorable question format in 1992.

Michelle Obama Entered, Exits White House With 68% Favorable

First lady Michelle Obama will leave the White House with the same 68% favorable rating she had when she first moved in.

Majorities of Americans have consistently expressed a favorable view of Michelle Obama; her ratings were below 50% only in a May 2008 poll when Americans were still largely unfamiliar with her as her husband ran for president. The outgoing first lady's highest rating was 72%, two months into her husband's first term in office.

Michelle Obama's final rating as first lady is not as high as the 76% rating Laura Bush enjoyed when she departed the White House in early 2009 but is higher than the 56% Hillary Clinton received in November 2000.

Biden Ends Term as Vice President With His Highest Favorability Yet

About six in 10 Americans (61%) have a positive view of outgoing Vice President Joe Biden -- his highest favorable rating to date. The latest rating was collected about a week before Obama awarded Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Gallup began polling on Biden's favorability when he was a presidential candidate in 2007, when his rating was 20%. Americans at the time were largely unfamiliar with the then-senator, which is evident in the 55% who had no opinion of him in April 2007.

Biden's familiarity and his favorability ratings increased once Obama selected him as his running mate in August 2008, and his favorable score reached 59% after the 2008 election. Since Biden took office, however, Americans have been lukewarm to him, with 38% to 49% holding a favorable view of him over most of his vice presidency. Biden's favorables have generally eclipsed his unfavorable ratings, though they were about equal or slightly negative in several measures in 2012, 2014 and 2015. Like Obama's, Biden's favorability improved sharply after last November's election, to 57%; and it has improved again in the latest poll.

Biden's current rating is higher than those Dick Cheney (37%) and Al Gore (56%) received as their vice presidencies ended.

Bottom Line

Obama will end his presidency with his personal popularity on an upswing. About six in 10 now view him favorably, and his job approval rating is in the mid-50% range.

The same can be said for Biden, who leaves the White House more favorably viewed than at any point in his White House career. This could bode well for the outgoing vice president, who has not ruled out a presidential run in 2020. Not unusually for a first lady, Michelle Obama remains the best liked of the three, with nearly seven in 10 Americans having a positive image of her.

Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics.

Survey Methods

Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Jan. 4-8, 2017, with a random sample of 1,032 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting.

Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 70% cellphone respondents and 30% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.

View survey methodology, complete question responses and trends.

Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works.
Li Jun, 55, a police officer in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has provided public security services along the Guizhou-Guangxi electric railway since 2009. The Nandan police station where Li works supervises the railway line, which runs across the mountainous areas of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Guizhou province. Geographical conditions makes patrolling the area difficult. After work, Li frequently offers help to villagers living along the line, and was even gifted a horse in gratitude in March 2016. Li said the horse makes his work more convenient.
A Donald Trump impeachment within his first six months in office pays US$40 for every US$10 bet

Trump not finishing his term beyond the six month period had odds of 7/4

Golden shower video release odds at 5-1

Ireland-based Paddy Power has updated its impeachment odds on newly elected US President Donald Trump.

Paddy Power was offering 4/1 odds on Trump being impeached within his first six months in office. The payout would be US$40 for every US$10 bet. Those who believe he will not be impeached within the first six months could still win US$10 for every US$40 wagered (the $40 will be refunded should this bet be a winner with gamblers realizing a $10 profit).

The worlds largest online betting site was also giving Trumps chances of finishing his four-year term at short 7/4 odds.

Last week various media outlets reported on a dossier, compiled by a person who has claimed to be a former British intelligence official, that claims the President-Elect engaged in kinky sex acts with prostitutes while in Russia. More specifically the unverified reports alluded to these prostitutes urinating on a bed the current US President, Barack Obama, and his wife Michelle once slept in. Paddy Power has released odds on the so-called golden shower incident leaking onto RedTube at relatively short 5-1 odds. The President-Elect and his staff have vehemently denied the incident ever took place.

Its so ridiculous on so many levels, Trump attorney, Michael Cohen, stated. Clearly, the person who created this did so from their imagination or did so hoping that the liberal media would run with this fake story for whatever rationale they might have.

Cohen himself was mentioned in the dossier as having traveled to Prague, Czech Republic. It has since been verified that Cohen was in the United States during the dates mentioned in the document.

Trump is due to be inaugurated this Friday January 20. His win cost the Paddy Power website $4.5 million.

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
A couple from Beijing is about to start the trip of their lives, flying a Chinese plane 80,000 kilometers around the globe. They plan to take off from northeastern China's Harbin at the end of the month.

The couple, Zhang Xinyu and Liang Hong, will cross five continents, three oceans and 23 countries during their trip. It will be the first trip around the world completed by a Chinese plane. Zhang and Liang's trip is more than twice the distance of the standard around-the-world voyage, 36,787.6 kilometers, the length of the Southern and Northern Tropics, according to the International Air Transport Association. More than 90 percent of the countries they will visit are visa-free for Chinese citizens, including Peru, Chile, Togo, Seychelles, Thailand and Cambodia. Zhang hopes the world will be able to better understand China through their trip.

Since beginning to travel in 1998, the couple has left their footprints in more than 100 countries. They achieved a number of "firsts" as Chinese explorers, including being the first Chinese people to enter the Sacred Cenote in southeastern Mexico by cave diving, and the first to cross South Africa via helium balloon.
Congressman John Lewis, understandably upset by the prospect of Donald Trump as president, has announced that he does not consider Trump to be a legitimate president. He, and several colleagues, have announced that they will not attend the inauguration, which they certainly have every right to do. But Congressman Lewis is dead wrong when he says that Trump is illegitimate.

One need not be a Trump supporter to understand why Lewis is wrong. I wrote op-ed columns before the election saying that I would not vote for him for dogcatcher and explaining why I thought he would make a very bad president. I have not changed my mind about this. But if people were to accept the reasoning Lewis gives for considering a Trump presidency to be illegitimate, it would make democracy impossible and throw the United States into a terrible crisis.

The basic argument against Trumps legitimacy seems to be that Russian hackers broke into Democratic Party computers, stole information that reflected badly upon the party leaders and upon Hillary Clinton, and leaked it to our press with the intention of helping to defeat Clinton. In other words, the Russians tried to manipulate American public opinion so as to get more voters to support Trump and fewer to support Clinton.

It is certainly possible that a number of voters were influenced by this Russian attempt at manipulation, and they might have tipped the election in favor of Trump. But assuming that this was indeed the case, this does not make Trumps election illegitimate. In a democracy, there must be one absolute rule: One cannot challenge the reasons people voted one way or the other. For example, racial discrimination is despicable, and it is illegal in some contexts, but few would argue that the result of an election is illegitimate because some of the voters had voted for or against a candidate because of that candidates race.

Any other rule could render all elections subject to challenge. It would make it impossible to select public officials by elections. No matter how bad we consider the outcome of any particular election, it would be far worse if we were to make elections impossible.

It might be a different case if there had been interference by Russian hackers (or anybody else) with the honest counting of ballots, but there is no evidence that anybody was able to do this. Some thought, though, needs to be given to reducing the danger of computerized interference with vote counting in future elections.

Donald Trump will be inaugurated Friday, and he will legitimately be president. However, if evidence comes up later that he did not just benefit from the Russian meddling but actively connived in it, that could be a case of a high crime or misdemeanor for which the Constitution allows the House of Representatives to impeach a president and the Senate to convict and remove him from office.

In the meantime, Americans need to accept that Trump is president, supporting him when he does good things, and opposing him when he does bad things.
So it turns out that it's not going to be particularly easy to just pack up and move the communications site atop Marys Peak to another location.

But that doesn't mean that we should be taking any of the options off the table at this point.

If you've hiked up to the top of the 4,097-foot peak, the highest point in the Coast Range, you've been treated to spectacular vistas stretching out in all directions. (You actually don't have to hike up to the top to see this; Sunday's newspaper contained a remarkable 360-degree panoramic view from the top of the peak, and a copy of that shot is attached to the online version of this editorial.)

To be fair, the view from the top of the peak is only mostly spectacular: The summit of the peak also bristles with radio towers serving a dozen different government agencies, providing two-way voice communications for law enforcement officers, firefighting crews, search and rescue teams, utility workers and others operating throughout remote reaches of western Oregon. A hike to the top of the peak always seems a little reminiscent of that moment from the first season of "Lost" in which the castaways discover a communications tower beaming a mysterious message on the island.

There's nothing particularly mysterious about the messages being relayed from the top of Marys Peak, but they are useful to a variety of law enforcement and utility workers. In some cases, the messages potentially are life-saving.

But now, one of the government agencies that uses the equipment on Marys Peak, the Bonneville Power Administration, wants to upgrade some of its communications equipment. Under the National Environmental Policy Act, the BPA's request triggers a public process to evaluate a range of alternative planning actions and creates an opportunity for the public to comment.

Let's be clear: The public process could end with the decision to keep the equipment atop Marys Peak.

But this is the time  a once-in-a-generation opportunity  to also take a look at alternatives.

One idea, for example, is to move the equipment to a less prominent nearby site, such as West Point, an area about half a mile west and 400 feet below the summit, where the city of Corvallis owns 55 acres. About 5 acres of that particular parcel already is being used as a communications site.

But the idea of moving the equipment at the summit to West Point is by no means a slam dunk: Since the summit of Marys Peak itself would block some of the incoming and outgoing communications from the West Point location, additional communications sites likely would be required, at a substantial cost. And it's not just the BPA that uses the summit  law enforcement agencies such as the Benton County Sheriff's Office and the Oregon State Police also use the site and would need to rethink their communications if they lost access there.

Maybe there's a better option than using West Point. Maybe someone has another idea; this is a community that's never shy of ideas, and some of them are good ones. Now is the time to hear them out.

The process won't be easy. It won't be cheap. And it won't happen overnight. And, at the end of the day, it could well be that the very best place for the communications equipment is on top of Marys Peak.

But opportunities like this obviously don't come along very often. So let's be sure we take advantage of this one  even if we conclude that the best alternative is to keep that gear right where it is now. (mm)
Istanbul police on Monday night captured the gunman who launched a shooting spree at a nightclub in the city on New Year's Day, killing 39 people, local media reported.

The gunman, who has been on the run for 17 days, was caught unharmed at the apartment of a friend in the district of Esenyurt in a police operation, the Hurriyet daily said.

NTV said the friend, a Kyrgyz citizen, and three women were detained along with the gunman, the daily said.

Police have identified the gunman as Abdulgadir Masharipov, a Uzbek national, who resisted during the police operation and was found with his 4-year-old son, NTV said.

Masharipov will undergo a medical examination before being handed over to the counterterrorism unit for investigation, the reports said.

The militant stormed into Reina nightclub in central Istanbul soon after the New Year was in, shot dead 39 and wounded 69 others in a 7-minute fire, and managed to escape to his apartment and run away with his son, according to press reports.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the mass shooting, while Turkish police have detained a total of 35 suspects in operations across the country, media reports said.

Mete Yarar, a security analyst, hailed Masharipov's capture as a big success.

"So the police would be able to reveal all the motives behind the Reina attack as well as all his connections," he told CNNTurk.
Consumers increasingly aware of online security risks, but hold businesses responsible for data breaches, finds Gemalto study Share this article



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Amsterdam, Jan 17, 2017  Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, today released the findings of its 2016 Data Breaches and Customer Loyalty report, revealing that consumers put responsibility for protecting their personal data firmly at the hands of the organizations holding their data  and not themselves.

According to the 9,000 consumers surveyed in Australia, Benelux, France, Germany, Russia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States, 70% of the responsibility for protecting and securing customer data lies with companies and only 30% of the responsibility with themselves. Yet, less than a third (29%) consumers believe companies are taking protection of their personal data very seriously. This comes as consumers are becoming increasingly fearful of their data being stolen, with 58% believing it will happen to them in the future. More than 4.8 billion data records have been exposed since 2013 with identity theft being the leading type of data breach accounting for 64% of all data breaches[1].

Where consumers see most risk

Despite becoming more aware of the threats posed to them online, only one in ten (11%) believe there are no apps or websites out there that pose the greatest risk to them and consumers are not changing behavior as a result:

80% use social media, despite 59% believing these networks pose a great risk

87% use online or mobile banking, with 34% believing they leave them vulnerable to cybercriminals

Consumers are also more likely to shop online during busy commercial periods such as Black Friday and Christmas (2% increase online versus -2% decrease in store), despite 21% admitting the threat of cybercrime increases a lot during these periods





Consumer attitudes on data breaches

Nearly six in ten (58%) consumers believe they will be a victim of a breach at some point, and organizations need to be prepared for the loss of business such incidents may cause. The majority of consumers who currently use the following, say they would stop using a retailer (60%), bank (58%) or social media site (56%) if it suffered a breach, while 66% say they would be unlikely to do business with an organization that experienced a breach where their financial and sensitive information was stolen.

How data breaches affect consumers

The study found that fraudulent use of financial information has affected 21% of consumers, with others experiencing fraudulent use of their personal details (15%) and identity theft (14%). More than a third (36%) of those who have been a victim of a breach attribute this to a fraudulent website. Clicking a bad link (34%) and phishing (33%) were the next highest methods consumers were caught by. In keeping with the theme of putting the blame at the organization's hands, over a quarter (27%) attributed the breach to a failure of the company's data security solutions.

Lack of security measures influence consumer confidence

The lack of consumer confidence could be due to the lack of strong security measures being implemented by businesses. Within online banking, passwords are still the most common authentication methods  used by 84% for online and 82% for mobile banking, and more advanced transaction security the next highest for both (50% and 48% respectively). Solutions like two-factor authentication (43% online and 42% mobile) and data encryption (31% online and 27% mobile) trail behind.

Similar results can be seen in both the retail space, with only 25% of respondents that use online retail accounts claiming two-factor authentication is used on all their apps and websites, and in social media, with only 21% using the authentication for all platforms. Only 16% of all respondents admitted to having a complete understanding of what data encryption is and does.

"Consumers have clearly made the decision that they are prepared to take risks when it comes to their security, but should anything go wrong they put the blame with the business," said Jason Hart, CTO, Data Protection at Gemalto. "The modern-day consumer is all about convenience and they expect businesses to provide this, while also keeping their data safe. With the impending threats of consumers taking legal action against companies, an education process is clearly needed to show consumers the steps they are taking to protect their data. Implementing and educating about advanced protocols like two-factor authentication and encryption solutions, should show consumers that the protection of their personal data is being taken very seriously."





Related Resources

Download the full 2016 Data Breaches and Consumer Loyalty Report here

Download the Infographic here and video infographic here

[1] According to Gemalto's H1 2016 Breach Level Index
Panel discussion on press freedom : Under Threat

BONN The public is invited to an International Academia and Press Freedom panel discussion on the importance of freedom of research and opinion. It will be held at Deutsche Welle. Registration is required by January 18.

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On January 25, it will be the anniversary of the revolution in Egypt and the day in 2016 when Giulio Regeni, a PhD student from Cambridge University disappeared, only to be found dead later, with signs of torture. How to encourage independent research when journalists or academics are oppressed, tortured or even killed is the theme of an upcoming evening at Deutsche Welle.

A panel discussion will be held about the importance of freedom in researching and freedom of opinion. Panelists will include: Enno Aufderheide, Secretary General, Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation, Wafaa El-Badry, Journalist, Deutsche Welle, DW Arabic, and Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ugur, Univ. of Greenwich Business School, London.
(Xinhua) 11:12, January 17, 2017

Australian researchers have discovered how to prolong the life of the human body's disease-fighting cells, buying more time for cancer patients.

Researchers from Melbourne's Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) working with a team from France's Centre of Immunology discovered that the BCL-2 protein was particularly important in controlling the reservoir of natural killer (NK) cells in the body.

Nick Huntington, the lead researcher from WEHI, said the team discovered the importance of BCL-2 by investigating factors that control NK cell function.

"We have been very interested in understanding which factors control the lifespan of NK cells," Huntington said in a media release issue don Tuesday.

"We had previously identified a protein related to BCL-2, called MCL-1, which was critically required for all NK cell survival. This new study now shows that BCL-2 "teams up" with MCL-1 and both these proteins crucially determine NK cell survival in our body, and the majority of NK cells died following a reduction in the levels of BCL-2.

Huntingon said by using the IL-15 protein, the population of NK cells could be increased, giving cancer patients more time for the NK cells to find and destroy cancer cells.

"Boosting NK cell numbers by treating them with IL-15 may be a valuable new approach to boosting our immunity to viral infections or cancer," he said.

"On the flipside, targeting this growth factor or BCL-2 could reduce NK cell numbers and offer potential therapies for immune disorders such as some types of autoimmune diseases, sepsis or graft versus host disease, a side effect of bone marrow transplants."
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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.
(Xinhua) 13:24, January 17, 2017

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region plans to build more bilingual kindergartens in its rural areas to promote three-year bilingual pre-school education for an extra 560,000 children.

According to the regional education department, 4,387 bilingual kindergartens will be built or expanded in 2017 across the region, 3,223 of which will be added in southern Xinjiang.

More government funds will be earmarked to recruit and encourage more bilingual teachers and local officials to teach in those kindergartens, the department said.

China offers nine years of free and compulsory education, but in Xinjiang, kindergarten and senior high school are also free.

Xinjiang added 2,500 new bilingual kindergartens in rural areas from 2011 to 2015, bringing the region's pre-school education penetration rate to 77 percent, or 480,000 pre-schoolers, according to official figures.

With central government funds, Xinjiang plans to offer three years of bilingual pre-school education instead of the current two years in the region's rural areas during the 2016-2020 period.
kacylee at 17-01-2017 08:45 AM (5 years ago) (f)



The African Union Mission in Somalia Police Commissioner, Brig. Anand Pillay says the rebuilding of the Somali Police Force (SPF), remains a critical national security objective in its goal of institution building in the horn of Africa nation. Speaking at the conclusion of an induction course for newly deployed Nigerian Police Officers on FrIday, Brig. Pillay asked them to support the rebuilding of Somalias police force.

The African Union Mission in Somalia Police Commissioner, Brig. Anand Pillay says the rebuilding of the Somali Police Force (SPF), remains a critical national security objective in its goal of institution building in the horn of Africa nation. Speaking at the conclusion of an induction course for newly deployed Nigerian Police Officers on FrIday, Brig. Pillay asked them to support the rebuilding of Somalias police force.

Quote We all know that there is still a threat to security in this country and its our responsibility to support the Somali security institutions in building the security apparatus to take care of the countrys security, Pillay said.



The police inductees will be the sixth contingent from Nigeria to serve the Mission. They replace a similar contingent, which left Somalia earlier this month, on completion a of years tour of duty.



The mandatory induction prepares police officers to better understand the Missions mandate and how it relates to their daily tasks in Somalia.



The unit will support Individual Police Officers (IPOs) in executing their duties, mentoring and carrying out joint policing with their counterparts of the Somali Police Force (SPF).



















Assistant Commissioner of Police Francis Aryee, who is the AMISOM Police Training Coordinator, urged the newly deployed officers to execute their duties diligently.



You are supposed to provide the necessary support to the Somali Police Force so that by the time we start drawing down, the Somali Police Force will be capable of taking over the internal security responsibilities of Somalia and deliver policing services that will meet internationally acceptable standards of democratic policing, Aryee stated. Pillay said.The police inductees will be the sixth contingent from Nigeria to serve the Mission. They replace a similar contingent, which left Somalia earlier this month, on completion a of years tour of duty.The mandatory induction prepares police officers to better understand the Missions mandate and how it relates to their daily tasks in Somalia.The unit will support Individual Police Officers (IPOs) in executing their duties, mentoring and carrying out joint policing with their counterparts of the Somali Police Force (SPF).Assistant Commissioner of Police Francis Aryee, who is the AMISOM Police Training Coordinator, urged the newly deployed officers to execute their duties diligently.You are supposed to provide the necessary support to the Somali Police Force so that by the time we start drawing down, the Somali Police Force will be capable of taking over the internal security responsibilities of Somalia and deliver policing services that will meet internationally acceptable standards of democratic policing, Aryee stated.

Post Reply I have been reporting for several years now and I am very interested in visual news reportage with strong inclusion of photos and video multimedia. Posted: at 17-01-2017 08:45 AM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero
Russian 'Kompromat' Remains Alive and Well

By Charles Maynes January 15, 2017

Amid the political maelstrom surrounding the leaked, and wholly unverified, accusations of the Kremlin's possession of compromising information on U.S. President Elect Donald Trump, a new Russian word entered the global lexicon, "kompromat."

"The Kremlin has no kompromat on the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in denying the allegations as "pulp fiction."

"The Kremlin," insisted Peskov, "does not engage in the collection of compromising materials."

While the veracity of Peskov's rejection of the Trump-related allegations remains anyone's guess, his professed innocence of gathering damaging information immediately sent fact-check meters into the red.

"Peskov's lying, to put it mildly," said Gennady Gudkov, a former member of the Russian Duma and one-time officer in Russia's Federal Security Services in an interview with VOA.

"The Kremlin gathers all sorts of compromising material against its political enemies as a matter of government policy.There is regular surveillance, hacking of electronic emails, monitoring and wiretapping. And all of this material eventually finds its way to mass media for propaganda purposes," said Gudkov.

Kompromat's roots

To be sure all governments collect intelligence, including damaging information on rivals, real or imagined.

But "kompromat" is an entrenched Russian practice that flourished in the Soviet Union.

In the USSR, the KGB security/intelligence agency often used the technique as a means to blackmail foreign diplomats into providing information or spying. Sex, compromising photographs, and so-called "honey traps" with operatives were often used, they still are.

Yet in post-Soviet Russia, kompromat expanded domestically. It became the preferred tool to settle business scores and destroy political opponents. It also entered the vernacular.

"The first time I ever heard of kompromat was in the 1990s," said Russian humorist and journalist Viktor Shenderovich." The word appeared along with the free press and, of course, journalists who were for sale."

The idea of kompromat as mainstream enterprise in post-Soviet Russia stands at the heart of a fictional Shenderovich 2002 short story, "Black and Grey PR." In it, Shenderovich imagines a representative from a firm called Reputation that offers kompromat to clients a la carte.

"Full moral destruction of your opponent. Fabrication of a dark past complete with witnesses and documents," are among services Reputation provides.

"We can even make it so that it's the main news all day long," said the representative." Only it'll cost you double."

Shenderovich's rendering was funny. It also wasn't far from the truth.

Skuratov affair

In fact, just a few years earlier in 1999, Russians turned on their nightly news broadcast to see grainy surveillance footage of what appeared to be Prosecutor General Yuri Skuratov cavorting in a sauna with prostitutes.

True or not, the timing of the footage was suspect. Skuratov was at the time the driving force behind an investigation into corruption in the administration of then President Boris Yeltsin.

Skuratov, to this day, denies he was the man in the video. But then head of Russia's of Federal Security Services, Vladimir Putin, vouched publicly for the authenticity of the tape.

Skuratov soon was fired over the scandal and the investigation shelved.

Putin's efficient handling of the scandal was not lost on Yeltsin. Within a few months, Yeltsin promoted the former KGB officer to prime minister. Soon thereafter Yeltsin resigned and Putin assumed the presidency.

But Gudkov points to the Skuratov affair as a watershed moment, a sign kompromat adapted for the media age.

"Of course they collected compromising sexual material on people in the USSR, but it wasn't so blatant," he said." This was broadcast to 90 million people."

Kompromat now

One need only look at Russia's 2016 parliamentary elections to see the tactic remains alive and well in Putin's Russia.

With the Kremlin promising newly open and competitive elections to a restless electorate, kompromat once again was employed to great effect.

This time, it was the Kremlin-friendly NTV channel that summoned a unique exclusive: footage of Mikhail Kasyanov, Putin's one-time prime minister turned leader of the opposition PARNAS party, having an affair with a party loyalist.

A scandal of public interest? Perhaps, but the footage was taken from Kasyanov's own bedroom. Few doubt Russian secret services were responsible.

The sex scandal easily divided an already struggling opposition.With a compromised Kasyanov heading the ticket, PARNAS failed miserably as pro-Kremlin parties triumphed.

Violence lurking

Other Kremlin opponents have faced similar pitfalls.

Several opposition journalists, including Shenderovich, were implicated in honey trap operations videotaped with a Kremlin-hired prostitute. Opposition politicians regularly find their emails, phone calls, and surveillance video of private meetings leaked to state media.

Russian kompromat has clearly moved out of the bedroom into more dangerous terrain.

Shenderovich told VOA that he and other journalists were threatened repeatedly after state media launched smear campaigns against them over criticism of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

"I changed apartments regularly," said Shenderovich." I even tried not to walk my dog in the same place every day."

He also points to the 2015 assassination of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov on the streets of central Moscow as evidence of the violence lurking beneath state driven smear tactics. Proof that kompromat can kill.

Shenderovich argues that "Kompromat" has come to symbolize Putin's Russia, much like "Sputnik defined Soviet Space Age optimism and "Perestroika," Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's democratic reforms in the USSR.

"And now what is our gift to the world? The word 'kompromat," said Shenderovich.

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US Intelligence Made 'Attempt to Recruit' Russian Diplomat

Sputnik News

17:47 16.01.2017

Several years ago, US intelligence tried to recruit a Russian diplomat to its ranks, while blackmailing him and accusing him of illicit drug trafficking, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TV Channel Russia 1 on Sunday.

The incident took place when the diplomat bought medication for the former head of the Russian government Yevgeny Primakov.

According to Zakharova, the diplomat was assigned to buy the expensive medication that cost $10,000 and was essential for Primakov's treatment, after he received the corresponding money transfer from Russia.

The spokeswoman stressed that all formal requirements were fulfilled, including necessary health certificates and medical prescriptions.

But just as the diplomat was entering the pharmacy, he was approached by US intelligence officers who escorted him to the basement of the shop and "talked to him" for about an hour.

"The things they said to him resembled an attempt to recruit him, rather than any adequate discussion," Zakharova said.

She also added that the intelligence officers tried to blackmail the diplomat by accusing him of illegal drug trafficking.

As a result, the medication was confiscated and the money was not returned. Although Zakharova noted that US Secretary of State John Kerry called the situation unacceptable and made every effort to deliver the medication to Russia, "it took a lot of time" and "it was too late," Zakharova said.

Despite Kerry's intervention in the situation, the Russian diplomat was ordered to leave the United States.

Yevgeny Primakov, who was the head of the Russian government in 1998-, died in June 2015 of liver cancer.

 Sputnik

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Trump Picking New Fight with US Intelligence Community

By Ken Bredemeier January 16, 2017

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is engaged in a new fight with the country's intelligence community four days ahead of his inauguration as America's 45th president.

Outgoing Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan said in an interview Sunday that Trump lacks a broad understanding of the threat Russia poses to the world and belittled his penchant for "talking and tweeting," saying it was not in U.S. interests.

Within hours, Trump fired back at Brennan with new Twitter comments, questioning whether the soon-to-be-replaced CIA chief leaked an unsubstantiated report to news media that accused Trump of engaging in tawdry sexual activity on a visit to Moscow.

"Was this the leaker of Fake News?" Trump asked in a tweet. US intelligence officials have denied leaking the dossier, which included claims that Trump's presidential campaign had regular contacts with Russian operatives.

Referring to Brennan's criticism of him, the billionaire real estate mogul said, "Oh really, couldn't do much worse -- just look at Syria (red line), Crimea, Ukraine and the build-up of Russian nukes. Not good!"

Brennan, likely to soon be replaced by Kansas Congressman Mike Pompeo, Trump's pick as CIA director, said the national security issues Trump will face are not "about him."

"Now that he's going to have an opportunity to do something for our national security as opposed to talking and tweeting, he's going to have tremendous responsibility to make sure that U.S. and national security interests are protected," Brennan said on "Fox News Sunday." Brennan warned that the president-elect's impulsivity could be dangerous.

Trump has feuded with the U.S. intelligence community since it concluded that Russian meddled in the U.S. election in an effort to help him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. He appears concerned that the finding will call into question the legitimacy of his unexpected victory over the former secretary of state.

Russia hacking

After weeks of disparaging the U.S. intelligence conclusion, Trump acknowledged last week that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the hacking of the computer of Clinton campaign chief John Podesta, but he insisted it did not affect the outcome of the election.

The file-sharing group WikiLeaks released thousands of Podesta's emails in the month before the November 8 election, many of them revealing embarrassing behind-the-scenes efforts by Democratic officials to help Clinton win the party's presidential nomination over Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

At the same time Trump was briefed 10 days ago by U.S. intelligence officials about the email hacking, he was told about the unverified claims linking him to prostitutes in Moscow and his campaign's alleged contacts with Russian officials, all of which he has denounced as "fake." The report had been circulating for months among top U.S. media outlets, whose journalists have been unable to confirm any of the accusations.

Trump said Putin shouldn't have ordered the hacking of Podesta's emails, but has called for better relations with Russia. Moscow said last week that after Trump is inaugurated in Washington on Friday, it plans to arrange a meeting between the two leaders.

Legitimacy questioned

Trump is also engaging in a contentious exchange of comments with Congressman John Lewis, a U.S. civil rights hero who says he is boycotting Trump's swearing-in ceremony because he believes the Russian interference makes Trump's presidency not "legitimate." Lewis is one of at least 18 Democratic lawmakers who say they will skip the inauguration at the U.S. Capitol.

Trump assailed Lewis in a Twitter comment Saturday, saying he should spend more time working to improve life in his Atlanta, Georgia, congressional district, "which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk - no action or results. Sad!"

Lewis, a 15-term congressman, was beaten by police and jailed in the 1960's as he marched for racial equality. His congressional district embraces most of the city of Atlanta, headquarters to companies like Coca Cola and Delta Air Lines.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence on Sunday called Lewis's comments questioning the legitimacy of Trump's election "deeply disappointing" and said he hopes Lewis will reconsider them and attend the inauguration.

MLK holiday

Trump on Monday called for Americans to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as the U.S. celebrated the annual holiday marking what would have been the civil rights leader's 88th birthday. He was assassinated in 1968 in the midst of racial turmoil over voting rights for African-Americans and the lack of job opportunities for minorities.

"Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for," Trump said. "Honor him for being the great man that he was!"

Trump scheduled a meeting Monday with one of King's sons, Martin Luther King III.

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(Photo/Ifeng.com)

The Chinese mainlands Future Science Prize, modeled after the Nobel Prize, announced a new mathematics and computer science category after award's first ceremony crowned two Chinese scientists in physical and life sciences on Jan. 15.

According to Tian Gang, a committee member of the Future Science Prize, the new category aims to attract more public attention and support for the study of mathematics, which, in the words of Tian, requires extraordinary patience and perseverance, as well as the courage to endure solitude.

Tian is also the chair of the mathematics department of Peking University. He said at the awards ceremony that the new prize gives him hope that more young scientists with prominent achievements can help lay a foundation for greater scientific development. Another committee member, Li Kai, said he hoped the new prize could encourage younger generations to be more innovative, especially in computer science.

The new prize is funded by four entrepreneurs, including Tencent CEO Ma Huateng. Each prize laureate of the Future Science Prize receives $1 million.

(Left: Professor Xue Qikun; Right: Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-Ming)

The first prizes for life science and physical science went to Yuk-Ming Dennis Lo from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Xue Qikun from Tsinghua University. The awards recognized their contribution to a widely used, noninvasive prenatal test of fetal DNA in maternal blood, and groundbreaking discoveries about novel quantum phenomena using molecule beam epitaxy.

Established in 2016, the Future Science Prize was jointly established by scientists and entrepreneurs in the Chinese mainland. It aims to recognize scientific breakthroughs and innovations, primarily in the Greater China region but independent of citizenship. It will effectively supplement government efforts, according to the prizes official website.
Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Jan. 15, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, bomber and fighter aircraft conducted 16 strikes in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an oil well head.

-- Near Ar Raqqah, 13 strikes engaged seven ISIL tactical units; destroyed a bunker, an artillery system, five fighting positions, two supply caches, a vehicle, and 25 pieces of oil refinement equipment and damaged five supply routes.

-- Near Dayr Az Zayr, two strikes destroyed 12 trucks and six oil-refinement stills.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted five strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government: attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets:

-- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units; destroyed a vehicle, a mortar, five supply caches, three fighting positions, a rocket propelled grenade launcher, two car bomb facilities, an ISIL-held building, a land bridge, a car bomb, damaged 21 supply routes, disabled an ISIL artillery system and suppressed an artillery crew.

-- Near Sinjar, a strike destroyed two tactical vehicles.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

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Adama Barrow lands in Senegal amid political crisis in Gambia

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 15, 2017 5:3PM

Gambia's opposition leader Adama Barrow, who was declared the winner of the December presidential election, has landed in neighboring Senegal, where he will remain until his planned inauguration this week.

Senegal's APS agency, citing an unnamed official, said on Sunday that Senegalese President Macky Sall had accepted a request to host Barrow in the capital, Dakar, "until his inauguration."

The source added that Barrow's arrival was made possible following an agreement with leaders from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

"Barrow is in Dakar as of Sunday, just after midnight," the official said, adding, "The Senegalese president accepted the request of his Liberian counterpart Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the current ECOWAS president."

Meanwhile, a source in the Senegalese presidency confirmed that Barrow was in Dakar following consultations with heads of state from ECOWAS at a Bamako summit in Mali.

The Gambia's presidential crisis was at the heart of conversation at the 27th Africa-France summit in Bamako, which brought together the leaders of at least 30 countries to discuss security and development issues, as well as ways to reduce the exodus of refugees to Europe.

Barrow arrived in Bamako on Friday after holding talks in the Gambian city of Banjul with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. His participation in the Africa-France summit was a sign of his recognition as the legitimate ruler of the Gambia.

ECOWAS, a 15-nation regional bloc, has repeatedly called on Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to hand over power when his five-year mandate ends on January 19. Jammeh has a constitutional right to remain in office until his term ends.

Jammeh had initially accepted the results of the December 1, 2016 election, in which Barrow was declared the winner, but later reversed his position and lodged a complaint at the Supreme Court over election irregularities.

Several countries and the United Nations Security Council have called for a peaceful transition of power in the Gambia.

In the meantime, the possibility of military intervention in the Gambia gained strength after the United Nations and the African Union both called on Jammeh to accept the result of the vote and leave after 22 years in power.

Jammeh seized power in a military coup in 1994 and has been in power ever since. He has long been under fire by human rights groups, who accuse him of torturing, imprisoning, or even sometimes killing his opponents.

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Indonesia, Japan vow to deepen military ties

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 15, 2017 2:42PM

Leaders of Japan and Indonesia have vowed to beef up their military cooperation, especially in the sea, in an apparent bid to counter China's increasing claims over disputed territories.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Sunday during a visit to Indonesia that the two Island nations would bolster their cooperation in maritime security and military affairs.

"Japan will actively encourage cooperation on maritime security and encourage the development of the remote islands of Indonesia," he said at the presidential palace in Bogor, adding that Japan and Indonesia gave maritime cooperation the "highest priority."

Abe said the defense and foreign ministers of the two countries will meet this year to discuss deepening cooperation in those fields.

Japan and Indonesia have both been involved in a feud with China over maritime territory and waters around them. Tokyo has a long-running dispute with China over two uninhibited islands in the East China Sea. Jakarta has also objected to Beijing's expansive claims over waters around the Natuna islands.

After meeting Abe, Indonesian President Joko Widodo also reaffirmed his nation's commitment to cooperate with Japan on maritime security and military affairs. He also hailed Japan's increasing investment in Indonesia's infrastructure projects, saying it had nearly doubled from 2015 to almost USD five billion last year.

Japan has outpaced China in winning bids for Indonesia's mega project, which includes the country's largest coal-fired power plant and a mass rapid transit system for Jakarta. However, it was China that won a lucrative contract last year to build Indonesia's first high-speed rail network.

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Middle East Conference Ends With Warning Against Unilateral Steps

RFE/RL January 15, 2017

More than 70 countries have called on Israel and the Palestinians to restate their commitment to a peace settlement and to refrain from unilateral actions.

The call was made in the final communique at a Mideast peace conference in Paris on January 15.

The statement urged both sides to "officially restate their commitment to the two-state solution" and disassociate from voices that reject this.

Palestinians welcomed the gathering and the final statement. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- who refused to attend -- said the conference was "rigged" against Israel.

Palestinians welcomed the gathering, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- who refused to attend -- said the conference is "rigged" against Israel.

The last round of direct peace talks collapsed amid acrimony in April 2014 after nine months of negotiations.

Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said the statement amounted to a rejection of Israel's occupation and settlement construction in captured territories. He said it sends a message that Israel "cannot achieve peace and stability" without ending its occupation.

Speaking to reporters after attending the gathering, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said it was significant that the final statement recognizes both the need to end Palestinian incitement and violence, as well as Israel's security needs.

No representatives of the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump took part.

French President Francois Hollande said that "only direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians can lead to peace. No one will do it in their place."

"The world cannot, should not, resign itself to the status quo," he told diplomats in Paris, who came from across Europe, the Mideast, and other regions.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that the international community is committed to encouraging a return to the negotiating table to broker a solution that sees both an Israeli and Palestinian state.

He said that the basis for negotiation is a return to the borders of 1967 and the recognition of the major resolutions passed at the United Nations.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive and complex issues of the conflict.

Trump promised during the election campaign to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Ayrault said moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from its current place in Tel Aviv would be a "provocation."

He said that his country fears that an embassy move will unleash new Mideast violence.

Ahead of the Paris gathering, Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas warned that moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem would "not help the peace process."

Palestinians regard East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, while Israel proclaims the entire city as its capital.

With reporting by dpa, AP, AFP, and the BBC

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/paris-mideast- peace-talks/28234209.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Two-state Solution Only Option to Middle East peace, World Powers Say

By Lisa Bryant January 15, 2017

With fears that President-elect Donald Trump may dramatically shift U.S. policy on the Middle East, representatives of more than 70 countries and international organizations on Sunday affirmed that a two-state solution is the only viable option for peace.,

Following a meeting in Paris that neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians attended, French President Francois Hollande dismissed naysayers and cynics who already had written it off as a failure, suggesting the symbolism and the message are equally important.

"The naivete would be to think the rapprochement between Israel and its neighbors that is so necessary could be possible without moving forward on peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians," he said.

The peace conference is the second hosted by Paris in less than a year, and the final statement said another will be held by the end of 2017. It comes as the Obama administration wraps up eight years in office with no success in inching the years' old peace process forward.

In a major departure from previous U.S. policy, Washington abstained last month from vetoing a U.N. resolution criticizing Israeli settlement building.

Some now fear Trump's apparently friendlier stance toward Israeli settlements and vow to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem could endanger the two-state option.

A final communique did not specifically criticize Trump's vow to move the U.S. embassy. Nor did Hollande.

Outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry, who attended the talks, said those plans do "not belong within international fora at this moment."

But in an interview on France 3 TV, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault warned against the possible embassy move, suggesting it could be a 'provocation' and threatens a two-state solution.

The peace talks have lost ground for other reasons. World attention has shifted to other Middle East hot spots, including Syria and Iraq. But Hollande said the two issues can not be separated.

The fallout of the weakening dialogue and Israeli settlement building is manifest in the "distrust growing between the two parties which the extremists are exploiting" along with terrorists, pointing to last week's truck attack in Jerusalem as a case in point.

The French leader has invited both Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the outcome of the Paris meeting. Reports say only Abbas has accepted.

For his part, Netanyahu called the Paris talks useless, and Israeli supporters staged a small demonstration against them Sunday morning.

For Paris, the peace talks have a local impact; France hosts Western Europe's largest populations of Jews and Muslims. But most analysts doubt France or Europe could move the peace process forward alone.

"The conference in itself was important, but beyond the form and protocol we see nobody wants to budge from their positions," Middle East specialist Jean-Paul Chagnollaud told France 24 TV, criticizing Holland's remarks as 'vague' and 'cold.'

"It will be forgotten in a matter of days," he predicted.

But others commended the gathering simply for taking place.

"It won't lead to peace in the coming months; it won't relaunch by miracle a promising Israeli-Palestinian dialogue," the daily Le Monde newspaper wrote in an editorial. "It nonetheless makes complete sense..we cannot abandon a two-state solutioneven though it grows daily more improbable."

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Gambia's Barrow: Presidential Inauguration to Proceed as Planned

By Aline Barros January 15, 2017

Gambian president-elect Adama Barrow spokesman confirmed Sunday the upcoming inauguration will take place on January 19, despite President Yahya Jammeh's refusal to step down from office.

"Jammeh's term shall end on the 19th and the same date president-elect Barrow's term begins. Nothing will change that. He will be sworn in and shall assume office on that date without fail," spokesman Mai Fatty told AFP.

Barrow flew into Senegal after West African regional bloc ECOWAS failed to persuade Jammeh to hand over power when his current five-year term of office ends during the coming week.

"Barrow is in Dakar as of Sunday, just after midnight," according to APS agency.

It was not immediately clear why the president-elect traveled to Senegal, but sources said he felt vulnerable given a lack of security.

"The Senegalese president accepted the request [to host Barrow until inauguration] of his Liberian counterpart Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the current ECOWAS president," it added.

Barrow met Saturday in Mali with world leaders during the annual France-Africa summit in Bamako. The presidents of France and Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Francois Hollande, both called on Jammeh to step down when his current five-year term of office ends.

Barrow was officially declared the winner of last month's election by a slim margin.

Jammeh, who has been power in Gambia since a coup in 1994, originally accepted defeat, but later reversed himself and filed suit to challenge the results, citing voting irregularities.

Legal proceedings

Edward Gomez, a lawyer for Jammeh's Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction, filed a legal complaint against the electoral commission about a week after the election.

Gambia's Supreme Court was expected to rule on the case January 10, but postponed the ruling until May because it was unsure that a peaceful political transition would take place.

"The inauguration of the president elect should be held when Jammeh's term officially ends. The court does not have any mandate to put an inauguration on hold," Aziz Bensouda, secretary general of the Gambia Bar Association, told Reuters.

Bensouda added that an injunction would be unconstitutional.

Human rights

Under Jammeh, the Gambian government has been accused of numerous human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture and forced disappearances.

Jammeh indicated that he will attempt to wait until the Supreme Court ruling is handed down before he accepts the election results.

The African Union Peace and Security Council also released a statement saying it will cease to recognize Jammeh as a legitimate president after Jan. 19.

In addition, the council cited "serious consequences in the event that his action causes any crisis that could lead to political disorder, humanitarian and human rights disaster, including loss of innocent lives and destruction of properties."

If Jammeh refuses to relinquish power, it will put him on a path to confrontation with Barrow and ECOWAS, which has placed its military force on standby if Jammeh does not step down as scheduled.

Jammeh, however, has warned the international community not to get involved.

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Germany: NATO worried over Trump's remark

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 9:36PM

NATO is worried by a remark by US President-elect Donald Trump that the 28-member alliance is "obsolete," says German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Steinmeier voiced the military alliance's worries and his own "amazement" following a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on Tuesday.

"I've spoken today not only with EU foreign ministers but NATO foreign ministers as well and can report that the signals are that there's been no easing of tensions," he said.

In an interview with The Times, Trump said that NATO was "obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago" and that "because it wasn't taking care of terror."

"And the other thing is the countries aren't paying their fair share so we're supposed to protect countries," he added, while stressing that this was unfair to the US.

German Vice-Chancellor and Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel also responded by stressing that Europe is already making "enormous achievements" in the field of defense.

"That's why I also thought it wasn't right to talk about defense spending, where Mr. Trump says we are spending too little to finance NATO. We are making gigantic financial contributions to refugee shelters in the region, and these are also the results of US interventionist policy," he said.

In relation to Trump's remarks, the head of Germany's foreign affairs committee, Norbert Roettgen, said that Germany should move towards restoring Western unity.

"Europe is not able to replace the security role of the United States so there is a lot at stake -- the very foundations of liberal order internationally and European security. And for that we should fight because it is our very existential interest," he noted.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reacted by saying that Trump's positions have been "long knownI think we Europeans have our fate in our own hands."

"I'm personally going to wait until the American president takes office, and then we will naturally work with him on all levels," she said.

French Foreign Mistier Jean-Marc Ayrault also reacted to Trump's remarks by stating that the best response would be for further unity among European countries.

Russia agrees with Trump

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow agrees with Trump's remark that NATO is a thing of the past.

"NATO is, indeed, a vestige [of the past] and we also agree with that. We have long been speaking about our views on this organization," he said.

"Considering that it [the organization] is focused on confrontation and its entire structure is devoted to the ideals of confrontation, then, of course, this can hardly be called a modern structure meeting the ideas of stability, sustainable development and security," he added.

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Egyptian court rules against handover of islands to Saudi Arabia

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 11:21AM

A top court in Egypt has upheld a ruling against the government's decision to hand over two strategic Red Sea islands to the Saudi regime under a controversial deal, which has sparked public outrage.

On Monday, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled against an appeal by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's government and said the islands of Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian and should not be transferred to Riyadh's control.

The judge confirmed Egyptian sovereignty over the two islands, noting that the government had failed to provide evidence that they belonged to Saudi Arabia.

Cheers erupted at the court house when the ruling was announced.

"This verdict is a victory for Egypt," said Malek Adly, one of the two human rights lawyers who led the legal challenge to the government's plan.

The ruling is final and could not be appealed again. Authorities in Cairo have not immediately commented on the verdict.

On April 9, 2016, Sisi announced that the two islands fall within the territorial waters of Saudi Arabia as stipulated in a border accord signed between Cairo and Riyadh the previous day.

The deal has, however, triggered unprecedented mass demonstrations, with protesters slamming the arrangement as unconstitutional. A number of lawyers filed a lawsuit in the administrative court to block the deal.

Demonstrators have accused Sisi of surrendering Egyptian territory in return for Saudi money, with reports saying that Cairo is receiving 20 billion dollars in aid from Riyadh in return for agreeing to the handover of sovereignty. Egyptian courts have given jail terms to hundreds of protesters.

Back in June 2016, a lower administrative court rejected the Egyptian-Saudi border re-demarcation agreement, saying Egyptian sovereignty over the two islands could not be given up prompting the country's State Lawsuits Authority, representing the Sisi government in legal cases, to lodge an appeal.

Late last month, the Cairo government endorsed the contentious maritime border agreement in defiance of the June 2016 ruling and sent it to the parliament for ratification.

Riyadh and Cairo argue that the islands belong to Saudi Arabia and that the Arab kingdom had asked Egypt in 1950 to protect them. However, lawyers and opponents say that Egypt's sovereignty over the islands dates back to a 1906 treaty, before Saudi Arabia was founded.

The uninhabited islands of Tiran and Sanafir lie about four kilometers apart in the Red Sea. They are situated in the narrow entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba leading to Jordan and the occupied Palestinian territories.

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Yemen frustrated all Saudi goals in Bab-el-Mandeb: Yemeni official

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:48AM

The president of Yemen's Supreme Political Council says all attempts by Saudi-backed militants to advance in Yemen's southwestern coastal areas near the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait have been thwarted.

Speaking to the Beirut-based al-Mayadeen television, Saleh al-Samad said the mercenaries are fighting with the support of Riyadh and on behalf of Israel.

The battle in the western coastal areas "is not with the mercenaries, nor Saudi Arabia, it is a battle with Israel, primarily," he said.

He added that Saudi Arabia is too weak to launch such a wide military campaign against Yemen without Israel's support, pointing to recent meetings between Saudi officials and a number of Israelis.

Referring to Israel's expansion policy, Samad said Israel buys islands in Eritrea and Somalia with the aim of gaining control of the strategic waterway of Bab-al-Mandeb.

He also said that Saudi Arabia was the US and Israel's next target of Yemen.

He accused Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, Yemen's former president who asked Saudi Arabia to launch war on his home country, of attempting to subjugate the Yemeni people by playing the economic card, in an apparent reference to the embargo that had been imposed on Yemen by Riyadh.

He also rejected allegations of a dispute between the Houthi Ansarullah movement and the General People's Congress Party, saying that the blood of the two had been merged in the battlefields and that it was impossible for any dispute to erupt between them.

In a separate development, 40 Saudi-backed mercenaries, including senior commanders, were killed and injured as the Yemeni forces targeted their positions near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, southwest of Ta'izz on Sunday. The attack also destroyed the militants' advanced military equipment.

Saudi Arabia began its military aggression against Yemen in March 2015 in a bid to restore power to Hadi, a Saudi ally.

The Saudi campaign has claimed the lives of more than 11,400 people, according to figures compiled and earlier released by the Yemeni non-governmental monitoring group Legal Center for Rights and Development.

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Indian army says killed three militants in gunfight in Kashmir

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 9:24AM

The Indian army says it has killed three militants during an overnight exchange of gunfire at a village in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Rajesh Kalia, an army spokesman, said Monday that the army troops sealed off the village, which lies near the tourist resort of Pahalgam, after being tipped off that militants were hiding out in a private home there.

"On specific intelligence army soldiers cordoned off the village on Sunday evening and the gun battle started," the military official said.

Kalia added that the bodies of those killed and their weapons had been retrieved.

A local police officer also said Indian forces fired mortar shells and demolished the house.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers are deployed in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where militant groups have for decades been fighting for independence or a merger with Pakistan.

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both since the two gained independence from Britain in 1947. The two countries have fought two wars over the disputed territory.

The region has been the scene of protests and tight security since early July, when Indian forces killed a leading pro-independence fighter. The protests have left nearly 90 civilians and two policemen dead and thousands of others injured.

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(Xinhua) 14:54, January 17, 2017

The search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 has been called off, in a joint statement made by Australian, Malaysian and Chinese governments on Tuesday.

For the past two years, authorities have combed a 120,000 square km patch of the Indian Ocean to no avail, with no sign of the plane yet to be found.

"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modeling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," the statement said.

"The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness."

The Malaysian Airlines flight went off the grid in March 2014, with 239 passengers on board heading for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.

The governments did not make the decision lightly, but were unable to find any credible evidence that a continued search would generate a successful outcome.

"Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft," the statement said.

"We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located," it said.
Trump hails Brexit, slams Germany's EU dominance

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 5:38AM

US President-elect Donald Trump has hailed the UK's withdrawal from the European Union (EU) as a "great thing," arguing that the bloc is heavily influenced by Germany.

In an interview with former justice secretary Michael Gove for The Times, Trump said Sunday that the EU was "dominated" by Germany and the June 23 vote by 52 percent of Britons to leave the bloc was a "smart" decision.

"You look at the European Union and it is Germany; basically, a vehicle for Germany. That's why I thought the UK was so smart in getting out," he told Gove.

The incoming US president said Brexit signaled the British people's desire for "their own identity" and predicted that other countries would soon follow suit and leave the EU.

"I believe others will leave. I do think keeping it together is not going to be as easy as a lot of people think," he argued.

The real estate developer assured Gove that he would put the UK "at the front of the queue" for a trade deal, taking a jab at outgoing President Barack Obama's last year warnings that Brexit would send the UK to the "back of the queue."

"We're going to work very hard to get it done quickly and done properly. Good for both sides," he said.

Merkel's 'catastrophic' mistake

Elsewhere during the interview, Trump said the UK would have not opted for Brexit if the refugee crisis was handled in a different way.

He put part of the blame on German Chancellor Angela Merkel's immigration policies, saying she made a "catastrophic" mistake by accepting thousands of refugees.

"I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals, you know taking all of the people from wherever they come from. And nobody even knows where they come from," he added.

Trump said he would "start off trusting both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mrs Merkel" after taking office and "see how long that lasts."

Last year, Europe was hit by an influx of refugees, most of whom fleeing conflict-ridden zones in Africa and the Middle East, particularly Syria.

In a separate interview with the German paper Bild, Trump said he might put more restrictions on accepting refugees from "parts of the world and parts of Europe, where we have problems."

NATO 'obsolete'

Trump once again criticized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), saying he had warned long ago that the US-led military alliance had problems.

"One; that it was obsolete because it was designed many many years ago, and number two; that the countries weren't paying what they're supposed to pay," he told Bild.

According to the British government, Trump and UK Prime Minister Theresa May talked about NATO last November and agreed that more member states should commit to spending 2 percent of national income on defense.

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Philippine president Duterte threatens martial law in face of drug problem

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 1:49AM

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says he will disregard the country's Supreme Court and Congress and impose martial law if the drug problem becomes worse.

"I don't care about the Supreme Court because of the right to preserve one's life and my nation," RT quoted Duterte as saying on Sunday.

Addressing the Philippines' Chamber of Commerce, Duterte stressed that defending his country is much more important than any manner of legal hindrances.

"If I wanted to, and it will deteriorate into something really very virulent, I will declare martial law," he said.

Based upon the country's constitution, martial law can be imposed in the case of a foreign invasion or an armed rebellion. The state can be revoked by the Supreme Court and Congress.

Martial law was last imposed in the Philippines in the 1970s by the order of former President Ferdinand Marcos in an attempt to halt a leftist insurgency. During that decade, the government was accused of human rights abuses.

Over 6,000 people have been killed in the country's drug war, according to a December 19 government report. Duterte has been under fire for the harsh crackdown.

Since coming to power, Duterte has been ridiculing the United States, European Union, and United Nations over their concerns that extrajudicial killings may be taking place during his crackdown.

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Russia Welcomes Trump Calling NATO 'Obsolete'

RFE/RL January 16, 2017

Moscow has welcomed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump calling NATO "obsolete," as key NATO ally Germany reacted with concern to his remarks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said on January 16 that "NATO is indeed a vestige [of the past] and we agree with that."

Peskov also said that "considering that [NATO] is focused on confrontation and its entire structure is devoted to the ideals of confrontation, then, of course, this can hardly be called a modern structure meeting the ideas of stability, sustainable development, and security."

NATO has repeatedly rejected Russian claims that it wants confrontation, saying that moves to bolster its strength in Eastern Europe are a response to Russian actions that have rattled members in the area, including Moscow's seizure of Crimea and its support for separatists in a war in eastern Ukraine.

Germany, one of the United States' closest NATO partners, expressed concern over Trump's remarks.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that "this is in contradiction" with what Trump's nominee to lead the Pentagon, James Mattis, said during his Senate confirmation hearing last week. Mattis on January 12 called NATO "the most successful military alliance probably in modern history, maybe ever" and said Russia posed a threat to it.

NATO reacted on January 16 to Trump's statement by saying it has full confidence in the U.S. security commitment to Europe. NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg was looking forward to working with Trump and his team.

Trump said in a wide-ranging interview with the British daily The Times and the German daily Bild published on January 15 that NATO was "obsolete" for not doing more to fight terrorism but added that the alliance was still "very important to me."

"I said a long time ago that NATO had problems," Trump told the newspapers. "It's obsolete, first because it was designed many, many years ago. Secondly, a lot of [NATO member] countries aren't paying what they should."

Trump called that "unfair" to the United States but added that the United States had to protect the other countries in the 28-member alliance.

Sanctions Deal?

The U.S. president-elect's comments about NATO came as Trump also suggested that he may offer to end some economic sanctions against Russia in return for a deal to reduce nuclear arms.

He said he wanted the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia to be "reduced very substantially." The United States currently has 1,367 deployed nuclear warheads and Russia 1,796, according to the latest count mandated by the 2010 New START treaty.

The Kremlin said on January 16 that it was too early to comment on Trump's statement. However, a senior Russian lawmaker said Moscow would reject any link between the lifting of U.S. sanctions and arms reductions.

State-run Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted the upper house of parliament's International Relations Committee head, Konstantin Kosachyov, as saying that getting the sanctions annulled was not a goal in itself and not worth making security concessions for.

The United States and other Western powers imposed sanctions on Russia in 2014 over Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and its support for pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Brexit 'A Great Thing'

Turning to other subjects, Trump used his January 15 remarks to praise Britain for voting to leave the European Union.

He said that "Brexit is going to end up being a great thing" and that he was eager to get a trade deal done with the United Kingdom.

The remark was welcomed on January 16 by British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, who called it "good news" that the United States wants "a good free-trade deal with us."

British Prime Minister Theresa May also welcomed Trump's commitment to working on a trade deal with Britain, her spokesperson said.

Britain's impending exit from the EU means that it cannot be part of the free-trade deal Washington is currently negotiating with Brussels and the two countries will have to strike their own bilateral accord.

Some EU officials on January 16 rejected Trump's description of Brexit as a "great thing" and his statement that other EU members may follow Britain's example.

European Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said the cost of Brexit would be "considerable" and that it would deter other countries from following suit.

"Brexit is not a great thing," Moscovici said and warned Trump that comments advocating a break-up of the European Union would not get the transatlantic relationship off to the best start.

'Twitter Diplomacy'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also reacted negatively to Trump's prediction that other countries may leave the EU after Britain.

"I think we Europeans have our fate in our own hands," she said on January 16.

Merkel also brushed off criticism from Trump over her migrants policy. Trump said in the newspaper interviews that she was a "fantastic leader" but that Germany had "got a clear impression" of the consequences of her policy from the December 19 terrorist attack in Berlin, when 12 people were mowed down by a hijacked truck at a Christmas market.

"I am personally waiting for the inauguration of the U.S. president," Merkel said regarding Trump's statement. "Then of course we will work with him on all levels."

With Trump due to be inaugurated as U.S. president on January 20, some other observers also said the best course is to see what he does once he takes office rather than react to his statements now.

"I think the most important thing is that we play it cool at the moment and wait until they all actually start working," Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said. "I think we have to wait and move away from Twitter diplomacy to real politics and that is what have to relate to."

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and TASS.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russia- welcomes-trump-nato-obsolete /28236452.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Kosovo's President Accuses Belgrade Of 'Provocation' Over Train

RFE/RL's Balkan Service January 16, 2017

Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci has accused Belgrade of seeking to provoke a crisis by sending a Serbian train painted with the slogan "Kosovo is Serbia" toward Kosovo, halting it only at the last moment before it entered the country.

Thaci told RFE/RL on January 16 that what he termed the Serbian "provocations" were "part of old scenarios for Kosovo's partition."

"Serbia is ready to sacrifice and victimize Serbian citizens of Kosovo, just so it can achieve its own political and military goals, as it did in Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina," Thaci said.

He spoke two days after the train, which bore the words "Kosovo is Serbia" in 21 languages, stopped just short of Serb-dominated northern Kosovo as Belgrade charged that ethnic Albanians were planning to attack it.

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic accused Kosovo on January 14 of seeking to provoke "war" by authorizing its security forces to block the train if it crossed the border.

Nikolic said in a press conference in Raska, where the train stopped, that "[Kosovo's] special units mined the railway and other special units were sent to the border to arrest the train driver and the passengers."

NATO said it was monitoring the situation "closely" while urging both sides to show restraint.

"This is an issue between Belgrade and Pristina. We call for all parties to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue. This is in the interest of regional stability and security," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in a statement to RFE/RL.

Serbia lost control of Kosovo in 1999, when NATO air strikes forced Belgrade to withdraw its troops after they had killed 10,000 ethnic Albanian civilians.

Around 5,000 NATO troops are stationed in Kosovo to keep the fragile peace.

The train, which Serbia bought from Russia, would have been the first from Belgrade to the town of Mitrovica in Kosovo since the 1998-99 war between Yugoslav forces and ethnic Albanian separatists. Serbia had said the train could turn into a regular service after a trial period from January 20 to February 26.

Serbia and Kosovo, a former province that declared independence from Belgrade in 2008, have been locked in EU-facilitated talks since 2011 to normalize ties.

More than 100 countries have recognized Kosovo's independence.

With reporting by APand Reuters

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/kosovo-thaci-serbia- train-provocation/28237112.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Turkish Fighter Jets Violate Greek Airspace Over Aegean Sea

Sputnik News

20:05 16.01.2017

Four Turkish fighter jets violated the Greek airspace over the eastern part of the Aegean Sea, local media reported on Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Two F-16s and two F-4s entered the Flight Information Region shortly before 2 p.m. (12:00 GMT) south of Lesvos. The four jets then proceeded to fly over Makronisi and Agathonisi islands, the Kathimerini newspaper reported.

According to the media, Turkish jets and the Greek military aircraft, which followed them out of the airspace, did not engage in combat.

Greece and Turkey have unresolved disputes about the Aegean Sea islands regarding the delimitation of territorial waters, airspace, demilitarized zones and the status of several islands. The islands have been a major source of tension between the two states since the 1970s, bringing them to the brink of military confrontation in 1987 and 1996.

For over 40 years, Turkey has not accepted Greece's internationally recognized 10-mile airspace zone.

 Sputnik

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Growing Global Ambitions: Japan and UK Developing Stealth Fighter Super-Rocket

Sputnik News

18:44 16.01.2017

The governments of Japan and the United Kingdom are working to develop modern rocket fighter weapons, in a further indication of the two countries' deepening defense relations.

The pair seek to develop a new air-to-air missile by the end of 2017, to be installed on the US' latest stealth fighter, the F-35 Lightning II. These jets, it has been reported, will be stationed on the UK's new aircraft carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, which will patrol the China Seas from 2021.

Closer military ties between Japan and the UK were mooted in January 2016, when UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon met with his Japanese counterpart, General Nakatani.

Calling Japan the UK's closest security partner in Asia, Fallon announced a program of joint-exercises, reciprocal military base access, information sharing, personnel exchanges and cooperation on equipment development. His comments echoed statements included in the UK's 2015 Strategic Strategy and Strategic Defense Review.

More recently, Fallon called on UK military diplomats to capitalize on the country's expanding overseas "security" network to deliver "prosperity" for Britain  a move some observers believed suggested a yearning for a return to the days of British Imperialism.

Little secret has been made of the UK's global ambitions since the Brexit referendum result, with the head of the Royal Navy, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones, telling City of London representatives UK armed forces would "closely support the UK's prosperity" and help "guard" maritime trade, and another, an audience in Washington that the Royal Navy stood ready to "protect and further" the UK's economic interests.

Increasing UK interest in Asia comes at a time of high and rising tension between China and the US and Japan over the South China Sea.

At his Secretary of State confirmation hearing, Rex Tillerson criticized previous administrations for allowing China to "push the envelope" and build "illegal" artificial islands in the disputed waters, and suggested the US Navy should hamper China's operations there via blockade. The Chinese government responded by saying such an action would prompt a "military clash" between the two nations.

Conversely, Beijing has seemingly managed to achieve accord on the issue with Vietnam, with the two governments promising to settle differences over territorial claims in the region, following a meeting between Vietnamese Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Nonetheless, several other countries, including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan also have claims in the sea, through which US$5 trillion worth of maritime trade passes every year.

 Sputnik

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Latvia to Deploy Military Unit on Russian Border by October 2018

Sputnik News

17:26 16.01.2017

Latvia will deploy a permanent unit of the National Armed Forces in Latgale, the country's eastern region bordering Russia, before October 30, 2018, the Latvian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

RIGA (Sputnik)  Latvia is a member of NATO since 2004. At the NATO July summit in Warsaw, it was decided that the military alliance would send multinational battalions to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland at the request of these countries.

"Within the 3rd brigade of the Zemessardze (Latvian National Guard) a unit of the professional army with air defense functions will be formed to be deployed in Daugavpils, Rezekne and Preili," a statement issued by the ministry read.

According to the statement, the unit in Latgale will strengthen combat readiness of the army and enhance military presence in the eastern part of the country.

"It is not just a contribution to the country's defense, but also an opportunity for the region's residents to serve closer to home and strengthening of the social environment," Latvian Chief of Defense Raimonds Graube explained as cited by the ministry.

 Sputnik

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Denmark Braces for Military Buildup Amid Accusations Against Russia

Sputnik News

11:50 16.01.2017

With fear of Russia mounting across Scandinavia, Danish Defense Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen joined the Nordic panic chorus by warning that Denmark allegedly faced a "very serious" and "frightening threat" from Russia.

By his own admission to Danish daily Berlingske, Defense Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen of the Liberal Party was primarily concerned about a double threat from Russia, which featured both physical and virtual dangers.

The "physical" threat implied Russian Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad Region, which could potentially reach the Danish capital city of Copenhagen. Regards the virtual dangers, Hjort Frederiksen claimed Denmark to be a likely target to threats stemming from Russian state-sponsored groups. According to Hjort Frederiksen, Denmark could face a "coordinated online effort" by Russia in an attempt to influence the democratic process in Denmark. Needless to say, Hjort Frederiksen cited Russian hackers' "disruption" of the US election, which ended in a way undesired for Denmark.

However, Hjort Frederiksen went beyond the stock rhetoric and suggested that state-supported Russian hacker groups were ready to attack Danish hospitals and cripple infrastructure and electrical supplies, thus "wreaking chaos" and "spreading fear and insecurity among the Danish population."

Hjort Frederiksen was in part reacting to the national risk assessment report issued by the Danish Defence Intelligence Service, which identified cyber threats as one of foremost threats against the Danish state. However, he also claimed himself to be alarmed by recent conversations he had with top Danish military officials, the outgoing American Secretary of Defense, as well as a number of foreign ambassadors.

In the wake of the "imminent" Russian threat, Hjort Frederiksen called for an immediate upgrade of the Danish military, especially considering US President-elect Donald Trump's statements, according to which NATO member states must live up to the alliance's spending requirements if they want to rely on the US for protection.

Hjort Frederiksen's rant stirred criticism among Danish politicians. Danish People's Party military spokesperson Marie Krarup brushed Frederiksen's alarmism aside as "hysterical," as Russia still was in the process of upgrading its military.

"You have to be hysterical to call it a real threat. Russia is only equal with the West in relation to nuclear weapons and only there," Marie Krarup told Berlingske.

Denmark's Social Democratic Party was also skeptical about the military budget hike and called on their colleagues to keep their composure.

"Militarily-wise, Russia is nowhere near being able to handle an attack against NATO. I doubt that the Red Army [sic] really is on its way across the Baltic Sea. We must not increase the defense budget just for the sake of increasing," Social Democrats military spokesman Henrik Dam Kristensen told Berlingske.

"Hjort's statements are sheer propaganda. The minister needs money, and so he draws up a frightening image of Russia as the great threat coming from the east," Russian-Danish freelance journalist Larisa Solodchenko told Danish TV-channel TV2, venturing that Danish Defense Minister simply was running NATO's errand when demanding extra defense financing citing the Russian "threat."

At present Denmark only uses 1.17 percent of its GDP on defense, which is well below NATO's spending target of 2 percent. Hjort Frederiksen, formerly Denmark's Minister of Finance, admitted himself that the goal of almost doubling the defense expenditure was "unrealistic," yet nonetheless called for an understanding for future hikes among fellow Danes.

In 2017, Denmark is about to spend 21.3 billion DKK (about $3.1bln) on defense. Meanwhile, 2 percent of the Danish GDP amounts to 41.9 billion DKK ($5.9bln), which is a far cry from the current level of expenditure.

 Sputnik

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Sudan Extends Ceasefire Regime in Blue Nile, South Kordofan for 6 Months

Sputnik News

00:43 16.01.2017

The Sudanese Council of Ministers chaired by President Omar Bashir extended on Sunday the ceasefire regime in the provinces of Blue Nile and South Kordofan for six months, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Council of Ministers also decided to create mechanisms and adopt procedures aimed at settling the conflict that are in line with the US-Sudanese roadmap agreement that resulted in easing US sanctions against Sudan, the SUNA news agency reported.

The Cabinet also hailed the role of the Arab leaders, the African Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League and the Non-Allied Movement that supported the Sudanese position in the conflict.

The conflict in Sudan's Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states dating back to 2011 has forced more than 200,000 people to flee their homes and settle in refugee camps in South Sudan and Ethiopia, according to UN estimates.

In June 2016, Bashir unilaterally declared a four-month ceasefire that has been prolonged twice since then.

 Sputnik

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Gambia's President Stalls Swearing In of President-Elect

By VOA News January 16, 2017

Gambia's president has filed an injunction aimed at preventing the president-elect's inauguration on January 19 and also barring any party from swearing in the president-elect.

President Yahya Jammeh said late Sunday on state television, "The so-called deadline of January 19, 2017 is not cast in stone and all parties shall await the outcome of the Supreme Court."

Jammeh, who has ruled the tiny West African country for 22 years, was declared the loser in Gambia's December 1 election.

Initially Jammeh accepted the results, but his political party filed a legal complaint against the electoral commission about a week after the election, citing voting irregularities.

Officials say it could be months before Gambia's Supreme Court makes a ruling on the complaint. The president wants to wait for the court's decision. Until then, Jammeh said in his televised remarks, "the status quo remains."

The head of the electoral commission fled to neighboring Senegal after Jammeh said in his New Year's address the elections chief had falsified results.

Earlier this month, Gambia's army chief reaffirmed his support for Jammeh in a letter published in a pro-government newspaper.

Opposition candidate Adama Barrow was declared the winner of the election. The French News Agency reported Sunday that Senegalese President Macky Sall accepted a request from Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to host Barrow in Dakar until his inauguration.

The United Nations and several African leaders have asked Jammeh to step down peacefully.

West African regional bloc ECOWAS has placed its military force on standby, if Jammeh does not step down on January 19.

International military historian at the University Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, Arthur Banga, says the Gambian military would likely be no match for ECOWAS forces.

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President of Weixin Group Zhang Xiaolong confirmed that no WeChat marketing campaign involving virtual "red envelopes" will be conducted during the 2017 Chinese New Year, saying the absence of such a campaign will allow people to spend more time with their families.

The WeChat red envelope program, a method of sending virtual cash gifts, was launched during the 2014 Chinese New Year, the first of several market competitors to roll out such a service. The program soon gained popularity, making digital cash-giving a popular trend during the festival. In order to win a larger share of the mobile payment market, WeChat and Alipay even started a high-profile financial battle. Currently, the number of active WeChat users has surpassed 800 million, while Alipay has 450 million formally registered users.

However, both companies have proclaimed the end of their red envelope battle, beginning in 2017.

"People are supposed to spend more time with their families during Spring Festival, rather than playing with their mobile phones," said Chen Guanhua, chief of Alipay's red envelope project.

However, the end of the red envelope war does not mean the end of program upgrades, since the red envelope function is still an effective way to increase customer loyalty. Now, both companies have released augmented reality (AR) red envelope services. To collect an AR red envelope, users have to reach a specified offline location and scan a designated object. This will make the experience more fun and novel, the companies hope.

Insiders believe that in the wake of the red envelope war, WeChat and Alipay will be more innovative in their product design.
Egyptians Applaud Court Ruling Reversing Cession of Red Sea Islands

By Edward Yeranian January 16, 2017

The Egyptian public is applauding a court ruling against a government agreement last year to hand over the strategic Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia.

The audience in the court room erupted with applause Monday as Egypt's top administrative court rejected a government decision to hand over the wo long-contested islands to Saudi Arabia.

The ruling had prompted a rash of public demonstrations last spring to oppose what many called a government diktat.

Egypt's former deputy Supreme Court Justice Tahani Gebali told Egyptian media the government does not have the final word in matters that are contested, since the judiciary and parliament oversee its decisions.

She says the administrative court has canceled decisions by governments in the past, and a government decision is never final, since it needs to be approved by both the judiciary and parliament.

Political tensions between Egypt and Saudi Arabia have been running high since late last year, after an Egyptian vote in the U.N. Security Council opposing Saudi policy in Syria. Riyadh eventually suspended a fuel delivery agreement with Cairo to show its displeasure.

Egyptian editor and publisher Hisham Kassem believes relations between the two countries are likely to worsen."The situation is definitely going to deteriorate further. For the Saudi regime, there is very little they can present to their people as an achievement," he said. "Regionally, their position is weakening, internally there's no serious improvement in the economy, so they need little victories which they can magnify and talk about regaining land that was usurped, so they will be furious."

Saudi King Salman visited Cairo last spring, while relations between the neighboring countries were still cordial, signing several trade agreements, as well as an agreement to build a bridge across the Red Sea.

Most Saudi commentators rejected the Egyptian court decision, with several suggesting the matter be referred to international jurisdiction to be resolved.

A former member of the Saudi ruling council Anwar al Ashaqy told Arab media the decision was mostly for Egyptian internal consumption.

He added Saudi Arabia has several potential options to contest the Egyptian court decision, including putting the case to the U.N. Security Council or to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Saudi Arabia insists it transferred the islands temporarily to Egypt in 1950 to ward off a possible Israeli attack. Israel eventually did occupy the islands after the Suez War of 1956. It returned the entire Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in 1982, in accordance with the 1978 Camp David agreements.

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Counter-ISIL Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Jan. 17, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 12 strikes in Syria:

-- Near Bab, two strikes destroyed a tactical vehicle and an excavator.

-- Near Raqqa, nine strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units; destroyed three fighting positions, an artillery system, a supply cache, a vehicle-borne bomb, a front-end loader, a tactical vehicle and an ISIL weapons storage facility; and damaged a supply route.

-- Near Dayr Az Zayr, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL checkpoint.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft, as well as rocket artillery, conducted five strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units; destroyed a command-and-control node, a heavy machine gun, a tactical vehicle, 14 fighting positions, two vehicles, a mortar, an ISIL-held building, a vehicle-borne bomb and an ISIL weapons factory; suppressed an ISIL mortar team and artillery crew; and damaged 32 supply routes and an ISIL defensive berm.

-- Near Tal Afar, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle-borne bomb.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIL's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

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Dunford Joins Fellow NATO Chiefs of Defense in Security Environment Meetings

By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity

BRUSSELS, Jan. 17, 2017  Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is attending NATO's 176th Military Committee meeting here this week.

Gen. Petr Pavel of the Czech army, the committee's chairman, listed the issues in front of the body in opening the forum.

Most importantly, he said, the debates within the committee will look to establish a common understanding of the security environment's recent evolution. "We will also set the domains in which we will need to provide advice to the ministers for the next ministerial meetings and before the Brussels Summit this year," he added.

The chiefs of defense will examine the reassessment on the NATO command structure, officials said, and will study the ways and means to optimize ways to export stability and deterrence. They also will discuss defense.

Discussions Include Resolute Support

The committee also will meet with the alliance's 13 Resolute Support operational partners. The partner nations include Australia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Finland, Mongolia, New Zealand and Sweden, and these countries help NATO in the training mission for Afghanistan's security forces. Some 13,000 troops are in Afghanistan for the mission, with 6,941 from the United States.

Pavel said the continued development of Afghan security forces is key to stability and progress in Afghanistan.

Shifting to the alliance's southern flank, the Military Committee will meet with NATO's seven Mediterranean Dialogue partners: Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Israel, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. "Understanding their views on the regional security situation and their expectations is crucial for us to identify the right strategy for the region," Pavel said.

Algerian and Israeli officials will brief the committee on the security concerns in Northern Africa and the Middle East.

The committee will finish the first day with a meeting concentrating on interoperability issues, including presentations from Japan and South Korea about the security situation in the Far East and their attempts to mitigate emerging threats, Pavel said.

Tomorrow, the committee will hear from partner nations Georgia and Ukraine, and will discuss aid to the nations to develop their armed forces. "Finally, we will have a session in which we focus on Russia and its relationship to NATO," Pavel said.

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NATO welcomes Georgia's reform progress

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

17 Jan. 2017

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised Georgia's ongoing reform efforts on Tuesday (17 January 2017) in talks with the State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Victor Dolidze, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Dondua. The ministers met with the Secretary General before participating in a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission.

During the NATO-Georgia Commission, Allies also welcomed Georgia's progress in implementing key reforms, and its conduct of parliamentary elections last October. They further praised Georgia's major contributions to NATO operations, including the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. The Commission also discussed the implementation of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, launched in 2014 to help Georgia improve its defence capabilities and move towards NATO membership. Several ambassadors highlighted the important work done by the Joint Training and Evaluation Centre, which hosted a NATO-Georgia exercise for the first time in November 2016.

Georgia also briefed the Commission on the security situation in and around the Black Sea. The Secretary General highlighted that, in response to new challenges, NATO is increasing its presence in the Black Sea region with several Allies set to contribute forces and capabilities.

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French PM Calls for Creation of Independent European Defense System

Sputnik News

23:05 17.01.2017

French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve called Tuesday for the establishment of a European defense system to guarantee Europe's independence in the light of US President-elect Donald Trump's criticism of NATO.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Monday, in an interview with The Times newspaper, Trump called NATO an "obsolete" organization, since it is not much engaged in countering terrorism, while its member countries' contributions are not efficient.

"European defense with European means, European investments, European power projection capacity is necessary to provide the European Union  with independence," Cazeneuve said, answering questions to the government at the National Assembly meeting.

Cazeneuve added that independent Europe could uphold its principles, values and identity.

Commenting on Trump's interview, French President Francois Hollande said Europe intended to continue cooperating with NATO and did not need any advice on its actions from abroad.

Throughout the 2016 campaign, Trump called into question the viability of NATO, the disproportionate US financial contribution to the alliance and Washington's pledge to defend NATO's members as per Article 5 of the Washington Treaty that established the alliance in 1949.

 Sputnik

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Yemen: UN Renews Push to End Conflict as Death Toll Passes 10,000

Sputnik News

20:38 17.01.2017(updated 20:39 17.01.2017)

The death toll in the war in Yemen has risen to more than 10,000, according to the UN, with the organization launching a fresh plea for all sides involved in fighting to put an end to the two-tear conflict.

Without being able to paint an exact picture of the number of dead in the country, UN Yemen Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick, said estimates suggested "that over 10,000 people have been killed in this conflict and almost 40,000 people injured."

The UN also estimated that of those fatalities, 4,200 have been civilians.

The figures are considered to be low estimates as they don't include numbers of people recorded as having died in hospitals and health centers.

"This once more underscores the need to resolve the situation in Yemen without any further delay," Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN general secretary, said in New York.

"There's been a huge humanitarian cost."

The war in Yemen has had a devastating effect on the country, with an estimated 20 million people  80 percent of the population  in need of some sort of humanitarian aid, while more than 3 million have been displaced.

'Gulf States Do Not Want Peace in Yemen'

Large parts of the international community, including the UN and numerous NGOs, have been incredibly critical of Saudi Arabia's aerial campaign in Yemen, with Riyadh accused of targeting civilian sites such as schools, hospitals and markets throughout the conflict.

The Saudi campaign has been accused of being responsible for the majority of civilian casualties.

The US and UK have also been accused of complicity in alleged breaches of international humanitarian law as a result of their logistical support and continued sale of arms to Saudi Arabia.

The UN have renewed the call for an end to fighting in Yemen, with Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, to visit Aden for talks.

Despite the UN's optimism, Mohammed Bahiti, member of the Houthi-aligned Ansar Allah movement, told Sputnik the international efforts to stabilize the country "will not achieve a due result because the coalition of Gulf states do not want peace in Yemen."

 Sputnik

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Cold War Apparitions Resurface as Norway Welcomes US Marines

Sputnik News

14:04 17.01.2017

Norway welcomed on Monday the bulk of the US Marine Rotation Force on its soil, which was widely recognized as a violation of Norway's fundamental policy.

The 300 US soldiers who are to be stationed at Vrnes military base in Nord-Trndelag County constitute a partnership battlegroup and hail from 1st Battalion 2nd Marines at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The soldiers are expected to rotate up to three times a year and will use some military materials from their colleagues stationed in Romania, known as the Black Sea Rotational Force, Norwegian daily Aftenposten reported.

The US Marines arrived on Norwegian soil as part of the October 2016 agreement between Oslo and Washington that let the Americans establish a force in Norway after a request from the American side. The general idea behind the transfer is to boost Norway's defense against the perceived Russian "aggression" and is accompanied by similar buildups in other parts of Europe, such as the Baltic region.

Per definition, Vrnes garrison remains under Norwegian command. The Norwegian Armed Forces were eager to stress the fact that the Americans by no means establish a permanent presence in the country. In case of a crisis, however, the marine force is likely to come under NATO command.

The bill will be split between Norway and the US. Norwegian defense expects additional annual costs of approximately 40 million NOK ($4.7mln). Since the force is planned to largely rely on existing facilities and infrastructure, only small short-term investments are being considered at present.

An extra benefit for the US Armed Forces is obtaining experience in winter-time operations in cold climates. According to local Norwegian newspaper Stjrdalens Blad, the Marines, aged 18-20, will learn to ski and snowshoe, live in tents and deal with harsh winter conditions.

Whether or not this agreement is a violation of Norway's basic policy has become a subject of debate. Norwegian government officials and military bosses repeatedly downplayed the rotational force as a bilateral training effort, wholly in line with regular international drills held in Norway, such as Joint Viking and Cold Response. Remarkably, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said during a visit to the Nordic country that the US had "no closer friend or ally than Norway."

In 1949, when Norway joined NATO, the Norwegian government specifically declared that it would not allow other nations' combat forces or military bases on Norwegian soil during peacetime. According to government officials, Oslo is heading from self-imposed restrictions rather than violating the established rules.

The retreat from a trusted policy has, however, upset Russian officials who view having US soldiers on Norwegian soil on an ongoing basis as a provocation. Many Norwegians were none too happy about the decision either.

"Norway is contributing to building up tension and creating a less secure world," local Trndelag resident Jens Frseth complained to NRK.

Retired Commodore Jacob Brresen was critical of the decision to welcome US Marines, venturing that it sent "unfortunate" signals eastwards.

"There is a risk that the north once again becomes a confrontation area. If Moscow believes that there is a tendency towards a greater emphasis on deterrence, then it is so by definition," Jacob Brresen told Norwegian national broadcaster NRK.

According to Hedda Langemyr, the leader of the Norwegian Peace Council, it is very disturbing that Norway of its own accord is abandoning its role as a buffer between East and West.

 Sputnik

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South Korea Slams Japan's Repeated Territorial Claims to Dokdo Islets

Sputnik News

12:29 17.01.2017(updated 12:30 17.01.2017)

The South Korean Foreign Ministry called on Japan on Tuesday to stop its claims to the disputed Dokdo islets, known as Takeshima in Japan, which both countries claim ownership of.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The remark comes after a statement by Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida who said Takeshima was Japan's territory.

"It is deplorable that Japan makes these claims," Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency at a regular press briefing. "We call upon Tokyo to stop making such useless claims."

The islets have long been a stumbling block in the diplomatic relations between the two states. South Korea claims the Dokdo islets were annexed by Japan during its colonization of the Korean Peninsula in the 20th century. The isles are administered by South Korea, but Japan disputes these actions.

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Update: air strikes against Daesh

17 January 2017

The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.

Summary

- Thursday 12 January  Typhoons destroyed a building in south-central Mosul used by Daesh for remotely piloted aerial vehicle operations, while a Reaper engaged three groups of Daesh fighters in the south-east of the city.

- Friday 13 January  Tornados struck a tunnel west of Kirkuk, while a Reaper hit a rocket-laden truck in central Mosul.

- Saturday 14 January  A Reaper destroyed two armed trucks south-west of Tall Afar.

Detail

During the battle for Mosul, small armed remotely piloted aerial vehicles with grenades have been used by Daesh a number of times to harass Iraqi troops, with reports suggesting they have also been used to target civilian refugees. A building in the southern area of central Mosul was identified as being used as a base for these drones and their operators. On Thursday 12 January a pair of Royal Air Force Typhoons targeted the site, demolishing the building with two Paveway IV guided bombs. Over south-east Mosul, a Reaper meanwhile flew overwatch for Iraqi troops as they cleared further Daesh positions. The Reaper's crew were able to identify a number of terrorists armed with heavy and light machine-guns firing at the Iraqi forces, and conducted three successful attacks with Hellfire missiles which eliminated the threat posed.

The following day, two Tornados patrolled over northern Iraq, and were directed to a tunnel entrance which had been identified some 15 miles west of Kirkuk. Two Paveway IVs collapsed the entrance and set off secondary explosions from inside the tunnel. Reaper operations over Mosul continued, with our aircraft spotting a group of terrorists as they loaded a heavy rocket into a truck. They and the vehicle were promptly struck by a Hellfire missile. The Reaper then provided surveillance support to two Coalition air strikes which destroyed a heavy machine-gun position and a bridge.

RAF Reapers have also been conducting armed reconnaissance patrols near Tall Afar, and on Saturday 14 January one of our aircraft responded to a report from another Coalition surveillance aircraft which had identified a pair of armed trucks concealed in vehicle sheds some 30 miles to the south-west of the town. Both vehicles were destroyed using Hellfire missiles.

UK contribution to the fight against Daesh



Map of UK forces committed to Operation Shader

Previous update

New Year's Day: Similar Reaper operations occurred on New Year's Day, with our aircraft destroying a group of terrorists with one Hellfire, then using a second to knock out an armed truck which it had spotted reversing in and out of cover to fire bursts from a heavy machine-gun. A flight of Typhoon FGR4s were also active over northern Mosul, where they used a Paveway IV to attack a mortar position just to the north of the city.

Monday 2 January: The British military training mission in Iraq sadly suffered a fatality when Lance Corporal Scott Hetherington from the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment died in a non-combat incident at a training camp in Taji. Further information can be found here.

A Reaper patrol also on 2 January over Mosul provided surveillance support to coalition air strikes on terrorist fighters, including a recoilless anti-tank gun team, and employed a Hellfire to silence a Daesh rooftop position that was firing on Iraqi troops.

3 January: A further Reaper attack occurred in south-east Mosul, striking a pair of terrorists who were in close proximity to Iraqi forces, whilst some 20 miles south of Kirkuk, a Tornado flight destroyed a Daesh truck with a Paveway IV.

Wednesday 4 January: Two flights of Royal Air Force Typhoons carried out attacks on Daesh targets in northern and western Iraq. One pair of Typhoons headed to a site north of Tall Afar, where intelligence had located a group of three buildings used by Daesh to manufacture truck-bombs. All three buildings were demolished using Paveway IV guided bombs. The second flight, also armed with Paveway IVs, successfully targeted a bridge used by the terrorists to cross a tributary of the Euphrates in Anbar province.

Thursday 5 January: The main focus for RAF and other Coalition aircraft has remained the providing close air support to Iraqi operations to liberate Mosul. A Tornado mission used a Paveway IV to destroy a mortar position in central Mosul. Meanwhile, a Reaper remotely piloted aircraft flew overwatch for Iraqi troops advancing in the south-eastern area of the city. Our aircraft conducted three very precise attacks with Hellfire missiles against extremists as they fought with the Iraqis, and provided surveillance support to three further strikes by other Coalition aircraft.

Friday 6 January: Reaper operations over south-east Mosul continued, with three more Hellfire attacks which killed Daesh fighters engaged in very close-quarter combat with the Iraqi forces. Assistance was also provided to the Syrian Democratic Forces in their offensive towards Raqqa, with a pair of Typhoons bombing a Deash sniper position on the north-eastern shore of Lake Assad.

Saturday 7 January: A Reaper again used the precision of its Hellfire missiles to hit terrorists twice during street-fighting in south-eastern Mosul.

Sunday 8 January: Further Typhoon operations in support of the SDF west of Raqqa, destroying an artillery piece hidden in woods was hit with a Paveway IV. A Tornado flight also patrolled over northern Iraq, using a pair of Paveway IVs to destroy a truck-bomb workshop some 35 miles south-west of Kirkuk. A further pair of Paveways were used to attack a stockpile of weapons buried in shipping containers south of Sinjar. A Reaper, as ever maintaining a presence over Mosul, meanwhile observed a group of Daesh attempting to cross the Tigris in a small boat. A direct hit from a Hellfire completely destroyed the craft.

Monday 9 January: A pair of Tornados patrolled north of Mosul, 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.

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 terrorist killed by their own side.

Wednesday 11 January: Reaper operations over Mosul continued. 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.

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UN Urges Israeli-Palestinian Calm, Return to Talks

By Margaret Besheer January 17, 2017

The U.N.'s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process warned Tuesday that Israeli-Palestinian tensions have been heightened in the aftermath of a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements as illegal and an obstacle to peace.

"All stakeholders must avoid any unilateral action that would prejudge a negotiated final status solution," Nickolay Mladenov told council members via a video link from Jerusalem.

In the past week alone, four Israeli soldiers were killed in a Palestinian truck-ramming attack, while on Monday, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian during clashes near Bethlehem.

The council adopted resolution 2334 on December 23, 2016. The United States, which in the past has blocked similar resolutions to protect its ally, Israel, abstained from the vote, allowing the measure to go through.

Israel expressed its anger at the outgoing Obama administration for allowing its adoption and announced it would limit diplomatic and business cooperation with countries on the Security Council that voted in favor of the resolution, including cutting several million dollars in foreign aid to council member Senegal.

Israel was further angered by a French-sponsored conference Sunday in Paris intended to reaffirm the international community's position that a two-state solution is the only answer to the decades-old conflict and urge the two parties to return to the negotiating table. Israel did not attend the conference.

"Over 70 nations met in the City of Lights without our presence to discuss how we should make peace," Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told the council. "What arrogance!"

Israeli retaliation

He said that in the aftermath of resolution 2334 Israel has decided that "enough is enough" and is reassessing its relationship with several U.N. organizations. "Our first step is to suspend more than $6 million from our annual contributions to the U.N. for 2017." Danon said that money represents the portion of the U.N. budget allocated to "anti-Israel bodies" within the U.N. system.

Despite the United States' strong and continued support for the State of Israel, including a 10-year, $38-billion package of military aid for the country signed in September, President Barak Obama and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have had an often fraught relationship. Israel's envoy did not attempt to conceal his government's relief that president-elect Donald Trump, who has expressed strong public support of Israel and anger at its treatment at the United Nations, is about to take office.

"With this new administration comes the hope the United States will return to its policy of rejecting unfair and biased Security Council resolutions and promoting direct and genuine dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians," Danon said.

Palestinians expect results

Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour called resolution 2334 a "turning point" and wagging his finger at the 15 council members said, "Follow up must begin immediately and all must uphold their obligations, including each and every one of you members of the Security Council, it is your resolution; it is your duty to see that it is completely implemented."

Mansour said the resolution, which also demands Israel "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem," could provide "the way back from the brink" that the two sides need.

"The international community must act now to revive the possibility of peace," Mansour said.

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(Xinhua) 15:32, January 17, 2017

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has gone on the offensive on Tuesday afternoon, telling a radio host in Brisbane, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is not dead yet.

This comes after Labor Federal Opposition leader Bill Shorten claimed that although there might be strategic and economic benefits to the trade deal, it is "dead" due to the incoming Donald Trump administration.

"The result's over, the verdict's in. The TPP is dead in the water," Shorten told a gathering at a Sydney business, early Tuesday.

But Turnbull told ABC Radio that he had discussed the TPP with Mr. Trump.

The prime minister said key Republicans in the U.S. Congress are supportive of the TPP.

"Mr. Shorten is going back, he's not yesterday's man...he's last century's man -- He wants to go back to protectionism."Turnbull said, adding "what we've done is deliver strong economic growth and jobs by opening up those big markets."

When asked if the TPP could continue without U.S. support, Shorten made clear the agreement would then be significantly altered.

"We need trade which includes America in terms of the regional architecture. If Mr. Turnbull has another plan, put it on the table." Shorten said.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to pull out of the trade pact on his first day of office, on Jan. 20, 2017.
UN Seeks Funds for Famine Prevention Amid Drought in Somalia

By Jason Patinkin January 17, 2017

The United Nations wants almost a billion dollars to prevent famine in Somalia; but as a new government establishes itself, there are worries about corruption and political interference with aid delivery.

The United Nations warned Tuesday that drought in Somalia may push the country to famine this year.

The U.N. appealed for $864 million to fund relief efforts in the Horn of Africa nation for 2017.

In 2011, 250,000 people starved to death amid drought and conflict. Aid was slow to arrive at that time, and when it did arrive, much of it was diverted by armed groups or blocked from areas controlled by Islamic militant group al-Shabab.

Today, parts of Somalia again face a severe lack of food due to a shortage of rainfall and continued war between the government and al- Shabab.

The U.N. estimates that 5 million Somalis, or 40 percent of the population, need relief, including more than 320,000 children believed to be acutely malnourished.

Peter de Clerq, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, says food and water prices are rising, and people are crossing to Ethiopia in search of food.

"It's clear already if rapid and adequate action is not taken, we are more and more likely to find ourselves in the same situation as in 2011," he said.

Challenge for new government

The food crisis comes as Somalia gets a new government. The parliament, inaugurated earlier this month, selects a president next week.

The United Nations' representative to Somalia, Michael Keating, said avoiding famine will be a major test for the new officials.

"In some ways the legitimacy of the incoming government will in part be viewed by the degree it comes to terms with this problem and puts its weight behind solving it," he said.

Parliamentary speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari said parliament fully supports the U.N.'s humanitarian response plan for 2017.

He said the government established a national drought committee and would launch discussions on the matter in parliament immediately.

"We'll do our best, so whatever we can do on our side, we'll do. It's not time for politicking here. We have to do whatever we can do to save our people," he said.

There are, however, doubts.

Corruption, delays

The European Union representative to Somalia, Veronique Lorenzo, said the government must speak out against corruption.

"One of the things, which politically we'll be paying a lot of attention to, is the issue of corruption. I think the onus will be on the government to demonstrate that no corruption, nothing can get between the assistance and a starving child," she said.

De Clerq, the humanitarian coordinator, noted continued bureaucratic delays for aid delivery and the setup of irregular roadblocks, levying taxes on relief convoys.

"Many of which are not al-Shabab roadblocks, but they are basically done by the army elements or militia elements that have no accountability," he said.

Parliamentary speaker Jawari said the government would use force if necessary to clear roadblocks, but he did not address corruption.

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Oman accepts 10 Gitmo inmates at Obama's request

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 11:18AM

The United States has released 10 more inmates from its military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transferred them to Oman, a last-ditch effort by the outgoing administration of President Barack Obama to deliver on a years-old pledge to shutter the controversial facility.

Oman confirmed on Monday morning that it had accepted the 10 inmates upon a request by Obama himself.

"To meet a request by the US government to assist in settling the issue of the detainees at Guantanamo, out of consideration of their humanitarian situation, 10 people released from that prison arrived in the Sultanate of Oman for a temporary residency," Reuters reported, quoting a statement by the sultanate's foreign ministry.

The statement did not disclose the names or the nationality of the prisoners.

The development came days after the Pentagon announced that it had cleared 19 of the remaining 55 prisoners at the facility for release before the end of Obama's second term in the White House.

Last Thursday, four of the inmates were sent to Saudi Arabia after being imprisoned for 14 years over having ties with the al-Qaeda terror group. The US government never charged the inmates for their alleged crimes.

Obama has failed to keep his 2008 presidential campaign promise to close the prison due to strong opposition by Republicans.

Calling the facility a "waste of money," Obama has said repeatedly that Gitmo hurts the US image abroad. The US Senate has confirmed that the prisoners were regularly tortured.

As many as 775 detainees were brought to the prison, which was set up after the September 11, 2001 attacks. None of them were given a chance to defend themselves at court.

Unlike Obama, his successor Donald Trump has indicated that he would keep the prison open and "load it up with some bad dudes."

While campaigning for the 2016 presidential election, Trump also promised to bring back water-boarding, a torture technique authorized by Washington.

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Oman Accepts 10 Guantanamo Detainees

Sputnik News

23:59 16.01.2017(updated 01:21 17.01.2017)

Oman has taken 10 former prisoners of the US's notorious Guantanamo Bay facility, its Foreign Ministry announced.

"To meet a request by the US government to assist in settling the issue of the detainees at Guantanamo, out of consideration of their humanitarian situation, 10 people released from that prison arrived in the Sultanate of Oman for a temporary residency," the January 16 statement, reported by local media, said.

Earlier in the month, four other former Guantanamo prisoners were sent to Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number of detained down to 55. Of those, 19 had been cleared for release and may be transferred in the final days of US President Barack Obama's administration. Twenty-six of them are being held indefinitely without charge or release, according to Human Rights First, three have been convicted by military commissions and seven are currently being tried.

Obama campaigned on promises to close the infamous detention center, where prisoners can be held indefinitely without trial. After eight years, he may leave office leaving dozens still in detention, though his transfer efforts have greatly reduced the population. According to the Close Guantanamo website, 779 prisoners have been held in the detention center since it opened in 2002.

When Obama took office, there were 242 inmates in Guantanamo, according to the New York Times. Human Rights First reports that during the Obama administration, 183 Guantanamo detainees have been transferred, repatriated or sent to third countries.

Oman has taken Guantanamo prisoners before, accepting six Yemeni former detainees in 2015 and another 10, also Yemenis, in January 2016. Most released Guantanamo prisoners have been sent to Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

US President-elect Donald Trump has criticized efforts to close down the prison and instead promised to "fill it" with "bad dudes."

 Sputnik

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Oman Accepts 10 Guantanamo Prisoners

By VOA New January 16, 2017

Oman said Monday it has accepted 10 prisoners from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The names and nationalities of the prisoners were not released.

When U.S. President Barack Obama took office in January 2009, he vowed to close the prison in southeastern Cuba, saying the detention facility did not reflect American values, because many of the prisoners there had been held for years without trial, and some had been tortured.

Observers say more prisoners could be released in the final hours of the Obama administration.

However, last week U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said he did not expect any more Guantanamo detainees to be released.

President-elect Donald Trump said during his campaign that he would not close Guantanamo because he wanted to "load it up with some bad dudes."

Guantanamo has been on long-term lease to the United States since before Fidel Castro's communist revolution and was designated a detention center by former president George W. Bush after the 2001 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York and Washington. The camp was intended to house prisoners captured by the U.S. and its allies in the fight against al-Qaida and other terror groups in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Few prisoners left

At its peak operation, 779 prisoners were held at Guantanamo; when Bush handed over control of the government to Obama the number had been reduced to about 500 detainees.

Obama has sharply whittled down the number of prisoners, returning some detainees to their home countries for prosecution, sending others to third countries for resettlement and releasing others without trial. Fewer than 50 prisoners remain at the facility.

However, Obama's stated goal of closing the detention center outright has been been thwarted by a variety of political and legal obstacles.

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Snow, ice and flooding keep troops busy in Kansas, Missouri, Nevada and Oklahoma

By National Guard Bureau January 17, 2017

TOPEKA, Kan. -- Ice, snow and floods kept National Guard members busy over the holiday weekend in Kansas, Missouri, Nevada and Oklahoma. As winter weather continues to affect western Kansas, the State Emergency Operations Center was still activated today and monitoring the storm that hit much of the state over the weekend.

The Kansas National Guard, which still has 75 personnel working on storm relief, has Stranded Motorist Assistance and Recovery Teams (SMART) patrolling key roads and assisting motorists stranded by icy roads.

The teams will also provided emergency transportation for law enforcement, medical and other critical response personnel. The Kansas National Guard is also standing by if generators are requested by county managers through the Kansas Division of Emergency Management.

Nevada assistance began early last Monday, as the Truckee River crested through the Nevada cities of Reno and Sparks. On that day, 609th Soldiers reported to Lockwood, Nevada, where flooding affected the town's water system. Soldiers originally activated to aid evacuation.

Nevada Guard members transported potable water, prepared evacuations and even helped with snow removal, for much of the state's most vulnerable residents in rural parts of the flood zone.

"The community is extremely supportive," said Sgt. Nathan Spicer, 609th Engineer Company. "We got a lot of thumbs up, waves and many thank you's in passing."

A nearby Walmart distribution center donated pallets of water for the community and Nevada Guard members helped with its transportation and distribution. No residents were evacuated as portions of the Truckee River in Lockwood crested at its banks.

Additionally, Nevada Guardsmen transported a water tank, commonly referred to as a "water buffalo," with 400 gallons for citizens of Sutcliffe, Nevada, a town on Pyramid Lake tribal land about 40 miles north of Reno.

"The entire town was without water and the weather isn't making it any easier for them," Sgt. 1st Class Justin Juliot, 991st Multi-Functional Brigade, said Thursday. "They were really thankful to get the water."

The flood closed roads and damaged pipelines connecting the town of about 600 people to a nearby water tank. Sutcliffe has been without basic water services since the flood on Sunday and hopes to have the system restored early next week, tribal officials said.

In the rural, mountain town of Virginia City -- a national historic monument -- Guardsmen aided citizens stuck in snow Friday, loading military dump trucks and moving snow to the outskirts of town.

Guard operations in Missouri and Oklahoma have been concluded. Missouri troops assisted with snow removal and Oklahoma personal assisted with fuel delivery and generator support.

Contributing: Tech. Sgt. Emerson Marcus, Nevada Joint Headquarters; Kansas National Guard

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Suspicions of economic retaliation policies against THAAD agreement further sours Korea-China relations

2017-01-16 20:44:23 KST

Suspicions of economic retaliation policies against THAAD agreement further sours Korea-China relations

Since Korea and the U.S. announced in July that they had reached an agreement to deploy THAAD on the Korean peninsula, China has opposed the decision.

(Chinese) - - Hua Chunying

"China has repeatedly expressed its concerns about and opposition to the THAAD deployment. It has seriously damaged the strategic balance in the region and the security interests of the neighboring countries."

Since then, a number of restrictions related to Korean businesses have emerged.

The list includes stricter customs regulations, the reduction of chartered flights to Korea, an investigation of the business practices of Korean conglomerates, namely Lotte Group, and unexplained cancellations of K-pop concerts and Korean dramas on TV.

All of these changes have let to accusations that the Chinese government has been taking retaliatory steps against the Korean economy.

Earlier this month, China announced that 19 Korean cosmetic products had failed to meet import standards.

The reasons cited ranged from ingredient changes to incorrect expiration dates.

(Korean - Expert 2)

(33:05) "As a member of the WTO, China cannot create unfair trade policies against another country. Therefore, they have to work within the legal regulations, such as enforcing customs documents or enforcing quality and safety regulations and other bureaucratic standards."

With over 25-percent of Korea's exports going to China, there are concerns that hits, however small, could adversely affect the greater Korean economy.

So what could China be looking to achieve from these actions?

(Korean - Expert 1)

(1:01:06) "First, Korea is currently suffering from a leadership vacuum. So it might be that China has hopes that the next administration or leader could repeal the decision to deploy THAAD. Second, China wants to send a clear message that it considers the deployment as a much more serious issue than Korea may think."

Experts also agree that for Korea to avoid a similar situation in the future, changes to Korea's export model are needed, with less reliance on China and a diversification of its export markets.

(Korean - Expert 3)

(14:03) "If we don't change our current export paradigm, we will always face this danger. It's something we have to do for our future in the mid- to long-term."

Until the THAAD deployment issue is resolved, Korea will have to find a way to navigate as best it can the political and economic pressures that China could impose.

Kwon Jang-ho, Arirang News.

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THAAD economic retaliations?

2017-01-16 18:14:23 KST

Since Korea and the U.S. announced in July that they had reached an agreement to deploy THAAD on the Korean peninsula, China has opposed the decision.

They say it is unwarranted and threatens the security of Northeast Asia, in addition to expressing concerns about the system's powerful radar increasing the U.S.'s surveillance capabilities of China.

(Chinese) - - Hua Chunying

"China has repeatedly expressed its concerns about and opposition to the THAAD deployment. It has seriously damaged the strategic balance in the region and the security interests of the neighboring countries."

Since then, a number of restrictions related to Korean businesses have emerged.

The list includes stricter customs regulations, the reduction of chartered flights to Korea, an investigation of the business practices of Korean conglomerates, namely Lotte Group, and unexplained cancellations of K-pop concerts and Korean dramas on TV.

All of these changes have let to accusations that the Chinese government has been taking retaliatory steps against the Korean economy.

(Korean - Expert 1) 53:13

"One example is related to the reduction of flights and tourism to Korea. Beijing is saying it is related to the government's aim to diversify tourism destinations, so they are saying it is a legal policy. But airlines and travel companies in Korea cannot help but think this sudden change is due to the THAAD situation."

Earlier this month, China announced that 19 Korean cosmetic products had failed to meet import standards.

The reasons cited ranged from ingredient changes to incorrect expiration dates.

The affected companies have largely denied any knowledge of a link to THAAD, and Korea's food and drug safety ministry has said it will help companies meet regulations.

But suspicions remain.

(Korean - Expert 2)

(33:05) "As a member of the WTO, China cannot create unfair trade policies against another country. Therefore, they have to work within the legal regulations, such as enforcing customs documents or enforcing quality and safety regulations and other bureaucratic standards."

With over 25-percent of Korea's exports going to China, there are concerns that hits, however small, could adversely affect the greater Korean economy.

(Korean - Expert 3)

(3:58) "The affected products take up about 10-percent of our exports to China, and there may be question marks about how much damage that is doing to our economy (4:38) But there is a risk that it could have a knock-on effect to other products, as well as a rapid cooling effect on the Korean economy."

So what could China be looking to achieve from these actions?

(Korean - Expert 1)

(1:01:06) "First, Korea is currently suffering from a leadership vacuum. So it might be that China has hopes that the next administration or leader could repeal the decision to deploy THAAD. Second, China wants to send a clear message that it considers the deployment as a much more serious issue than Korea may think."

So far, Korea's two front-runners in a potential presidential elelction, Moon Jae-in and Ban Ki-moon have given their tentative support to the anti-missile system, so the likelihood of a reversal is unlikely.

But some say with the two nations continuing to be major trading partners for the foreseeable future, matters of state and economics need to be dealt with separately.

(Korean - Expert 4)

(48:27) We must have a policy where economic relations are maintained and negotiated when needed, but when it comes to politics and national security concerns we have to keep a distance."

Experts also agree that for Korea to avoid a similar situation in the future, changes to Korea's export model are needed, with less reliance on China and a diversification of its export markets.

(Korean - Expert 3)

(14:03) "If we don't change our current export paradigm, we will always face this danger. It's something we have to do for our future in the mid- to long-term."

Until the THAAD deployment issue is resolved, Korea will have to find a way to navigate as best it can the political and economic pressures that China could impose.

Kwon Jang-ho, Arirang News.

Reporter : kwon@arirang.com

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Prospect of Warming US-Russia Ties Worries China

By William Ide January 17, 2017

President-elect Donald Trump's hints ties with Moscow could improve after he assumes office has been a source of controversy and heated debate in the United States. And that is unlikely to go away after his inauguration later this week.

Across the Pacific, in China, it is an increasing source of hand-wringing and worry for Chinese officials because some believe if ties between Russia and the U.S. improve that could only be bad for Beijing.

"In the West, people have been extremely concerned about Russian involvement in the U.S. elections, and Trump's commitments, but very few people take seriously the idea that he could lure Russia away from the partnership with China," says David Kelly, research director at China Policy, a research group in Beijing.

"In China, it's taken much more seriously and is a subject of daily speculation."

Scales tipping

At influential think tanks in Beijing and in state media publications online it is clear many are concerned.

Chinese state propaganda outlets have been playing up ties between Russia and China, and playing down the possibility of some sort of U.S.-Russia rapprochement.

Articles argue that while Moscow and Washington might be able to find some common ground on issues such as Syria and the need to work together to fight Islamic State, deciding how to divide up power after the conflict was over would not be as simple.

One long article on China Russia relations in the People's Daily, under the pen name Zhong Sheng, which is seen as reflecting the views of high-ranking party officials, noted what it calls the "ballast role" Beijing-Moscow ties play in global affairs.

At the same time, however, there is concern that the scales could be tipping away from Beijing's favor and in a direction that could further challenge China's regional and global ambitions.

Three kingdoms

Kelly notes that there is a cultural tendency in China to view diplomatic relations in terms of triangular relationships. That, he says, traces back to the popular Chinese novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

One of the many strategies the novel popularized was that in a three-way struggle, you generally want to be two against one and not the one who is the odd man out.

"It's something that people understand, like an Olympic event," he added.

If President-elect Trump can find a way to move beyond sanctions and smooth over ties with Moscow, Beijing could end up on the weaker side of the triangle. From Beijing's perspective that would not be good, especially at a time when China is looking to forward an ambitious trade agenda for the region and Europe, and struggling under the pressure of a slowing economy.

Stephen Blank, a senior fellow for Russia at the American Foreign Policy Council says that for many in China, closer U.S.-Russia ties implies that relations between Beijing and Moscow would be affected.

"There is a lot of anxiety in Beijing that Russians who have all along taken an anti-U.S. stance may start to think differently," said Blank.

Until now, "the China-Russia relationship has been based in a large measure on their rejection of U.S. interests in the global order. This would be affected if there is improvement in U.S.-Russia relationship," he noted.

Temporary partner?

Ever since Russia's invasion of Crimea, relations between Beijing and Moscow have been improving. Sanctions cut Moscow off from Western markets and investment and opened the door for Beijing to step in and grow ties. Chinese President Xi Jinping has invested much political capital into the relationship with Vladimir Putin, making a state visit last year.

Trust between the two, however, has never been easy.

Social media blogs and online commentaries about Russia are often skeptical of cooperation between the two countries.

A recent report that Russia had welded shut the engines of Sukhoi-35 fighter jets it sold to China had some enraged. So much so that some were arguing online that it was Russia, not America, that was China's main adversary.

Global Times opinion writer Gao Fei, the director of the Russian Research Center at China's Foreign Affairs University, stepped in to calm the masses, asking who benefits the most from sabotaging China Russia relations. He also noted that with any commercial deal comes "legal and other safeguards against IP theft."

Although Chinese opinion writers have been talking up the crucial role the two play in global affairs, they have also openly worried about the political ambitions of Putin, noting that Moscow may be just a temporary partner.

And that stretches back to even before Trump was elected.

Saibal Dasgupta also contributed to this report.

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FM official stresses JCPOA role in enhancing Iran's foreign policy worldwide

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Jan 15, IRNA -- Foreign Ministry Deputy for Legal and International affairs Abbas Araqchi said the impact of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran' foreign policy is quite evident.

Addressing a press briefing on Sunday, he said the signing of the nuclear deal erased the wrong image the US and other enemies of the Islamic Republic tried to depict of Iran by misintroducing its peaceful nuclear program as a threat to international peace.

They used to say Iran was after developing nuclear arms and made a fuss about it but the JCPOA stopped all that, the official added.

Araqchi further said that even the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has annulled the resolutions it had adopted against Iran because of the JCPOA implementation.

Moreover, he said, claims on the possible military dimension (PMS) of Iran's nuclear program have been totally withdrawn now with the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) having issued a resolution in defense of Iran to clarify it from all accusations.

Referring to the numerous visits of high-profile foreign officials and figures to Iran after the JCPOA, he said the latest UNSC resolution on Syria too echoes a different tone regarding Iran's role.

The same body which in pre-JCPOA times used to call Iran a threat to international peace and security is now highlighting Iran's role in Syria as a move which many experts formerly believed as an impossible attitude, he said.

Araqchi noted that the latest UNSC resolution legitimizes Iran's role in Syria as a country which is working to peacefully settle the international crisis in the country.

He said that the Iranian nuclear program is in place today and has changed from a forbidden project for the international community into a totally legal and legitimate one.

Though the UNSC used to urge world countries to take every possible measure to hinder Iran's peaceful nuclear activities, it is now recommending them to engage with Iran's nuclear programs which are for peaceful purposes, the foreign ministry deputy added.

1424**1771

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Iran Says Nuclear Deal Will Not Be Renegotiated

January 15, 2017

The landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers "will not be renegotiated," Iran's deputy foreign minister said on January 15, ahead of the first anniversary of the agreement's implementation.

Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Tehran that "the new U.S. administration cannot abandon the deal," saying international laws required Washington to implement the agreement.

During his election campaign, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he could "tear up" or renegotiate the deal, which curtailed Iran's atomic programs in exchange for lifting crippling sanctions.

Trump called the accord "the worst deal ever negotiated," saying it gives away too much to Iran.

Speaking in a television interview on January 15, incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said that the nuclear agreement is on life support, but refused to say whether Trump's administration would get rid of the deal.

"I think it's on life support. I'll put it that way. But I'm not here to declare one way or another ultimately where this is going to go," Priebus told ABC.

Araghchi reiterated an earlier warning by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said, "If they tear it up, we will burn it."

Araghch said there would be no further discussions with U.S. officials over the deal.

"Our nuclear negotiations with the Americans are finalized and we have no other political talks with them," Araghchi said, adding: "In our view, everything is over."

Based on reporting by AFP and AP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/iran-nuclear -deal-will-not-be-renegotiated /28234373.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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The Swiss community has reached a consensus that thanks to Chinese President Xi Jinpings state visit, its economic and trade cooperation with China will be upgraded to a new high on the basis of the previous abundant fruits.

Switzerland has been a pioneer in conducting economic and trade cooperation with China. After it recognized China's market economy status in 2007, the nation inked a free trade agreement (FTA) with China in July 2013, which was the first FTA pact inked between China and a developed European country and also one of the most fruitful and most comprehensive free trade pacts that China has signed in recent years.

So far, Switzerland has grown into Chinas important partner in Europe, while China is Switzerland's biggest trade partner in Asia. Despite the sluggish global economy and trade in recent years, the bilateral trade has secured a stable growth.

Data released by the Swiss customs indicated that the bilateral import and export amounted to $25.42 billion from January to September in 2016, up 9.4 percent year on year.

The rise of bilateral trade benefits from the dividend of the FTA, Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland Geng Wenbing told the Peoples Daily, adding that the FTA has significantly bolstered bilateral trade and investment since it came into effect in 2014.

Both China and Switzerland have reaped reciprocal harvests from the free trade pact. Thanks to the tax-cut policies, Switzerland has canceled taxes on all Chinese industrial products and called off or cut tariffs on most Chinese agricultural products.

Both nations accomplished remarkable fruits in financial cooperation, including the banking field, which is Switzerlands biggest pillar industry.

The central banks of both countries signed cooperation agreements to boost local currency swap, strengthen cooperation in renminbi business, and build yuan clearing banks in Switzerland. China Construction Banks Zurich branch, which was established in 2016, is the first China-funded bank in Switzerland.

Experts believed that such a cooperation momentum largely benefits from the stable growth of the Chinese economy. In 2016, China contributed more than 30 percent to world economy, acting as ballast to world's economic growth.

As world's second largest economy, world's largest trading nation in goods as well as a major foreign investor, China is slated to create stronger market demand, bring more investment, provide abundant products and provide more cooperation opportunities for global economy.

Ricardo Melendez-Ortiz, chief executive of the International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development, told the Peoples Daily that China showcased a marvelous development capability after joining the World Trade Organization.

The world has high expections toward China after President Xi put forward the "Belt and Road initiative, he said, adding that that China will bring en-route countries win-win development with such an innovative mechanism.
Unidentified drone pushed out of red zone

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Jan 16, IRNA -- An unidentified drone, which had crossed the red line into the no-fly zone, was repelled following consecutive anti-aircraft artillery shots in Tehran on Monday afternoon.

Deputy Governor of Tehran for Security Affairs Ali-Asqar Nasser-Bakht told IRNA on Monday that search is underway to find the drone wreckage.

Some areas in Tehran are spotted as the no fly zone and in case of entrance of any flying object, it will be targeted by the anti-aircraft artilleries stationed in the area, he said.

This afternoon the voice of anti-aircraft artillery shots was heard downtown Tehran.

A number of people in Tehran called IRNA and said traces of anti-aircraft shots are still on the sky.

It is heard that the voices have been heard around Enghleb Street and Horr Square.

1430**1420

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Anti-aircraft artillery fire heard in Tehran

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Jan 16, IRNA -- An official at Khatamolanbia Air Defense Headquarters said on Monday that minutes ago the voice of anti-aircraft artillery shots was heard downtown Tehran.

Speaking to IRNA, the source said investigation on the incident is now underway and relative news will be publicized within coming hours.

A number of people in Tehran called IRNA and said traces of anti-aircraft shots are still on the sky.

It is heard that the voices have been heard around Enghleb Street and Horr Square.

1430**1420

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Obama marks Iran deal anniversary with warning to Trump

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 5:31PM

US President Barack Obama is marking the first anniversary of the historic nuclear agreement with Iran by warning the incoming Donald Trump administration not to undermine the internationally-negotiated accord.

"The United States must remember that this agreement was the result of years of work, and represents an agreement between the world's major powers  not simply the United States and Iran," Obama said in a statement on Monday.

The outgoing president said the nuclear agreement "must be measured against the alternatives," and that it was preferable to another war in the Middle East.

Iran and the P5+1 group of countries  the US, Britain, France, Russia, China plus Germany  signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on July 14, 2015 following months of intense negotiations. The two sides started implementing the deal on January 16 last year.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against the country.

Obama, who is leaving office at noon Friday, said Washington apposes "Iran's threats against Israel and our [Persian] Gulf partners" as well as its support for Syria and Yemen.

However, he claimed that "the challenges we face with Iran would be much worse if Iran were also on the threshold of building a nuclear weapon."

The US accuses Iran of pursuing military objectives in its civil nuclear program. Tehran categorically rejects the accusation.

During his presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly described the nuclear accord as the "worst deal ever negotiated" and at times vowed either to scrap the deal or to renegotiate it.

Trump repeated the charge in interviews with top European newspapers on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the European Union has indicated that the bloc will remain committed to and work to ensure the proper execution of the JCPOA.

"It is proof that diplomacy works and delivers," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday before an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.

The agreement "has delivered both on the nuclear-related commitments Iran took and on the firm determination of the international community to fully implement this deal", she said.

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Quadcopter shot at in central Tehran: Air defense official

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 3:15PM

Iranian Air Defense Forces have identified and shot at an unmanned aerial vehicle that had neared a no-fly zone in central Tehran, an army official says.

"This afternoon, a quadcopter that was approaching the no-fly zone in Tehran from the Valiasr Square district was identified," an official with Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base told Tasnim news agency on Monday.

He added that it was as of yet unclear who owned the drone. "But, because the drone had approached the no-fly zone region, it was shot at with the timely vigilance of the Army's Air Defense Base," the official said.

Meanwhile, the deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base for operations, Alireza Elhami, said the quadcopter entered the no-fly zone in central Tehran and the base did its routine task. "After initial shots at the flying [object], it left the area and went away," he added.

He said the base's forces stopped firing at the flying object because safety of residential areas must also be observed and "everything is calm now."

"What we witnessed was not regarded as a specific threat," Elhami said, reiterating full alertness of the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base forces to counter any challenge.

On December 23, 2016, Iranian Air Defense Forces shot down a flying object which was being operated by a film crew in central Tehran, recording aerial footage for a documentary for state television. The flying object had reportedly entered the no-fly zone in central Tehran by accident.

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IAEA confirms Iran's removal of excess centrifuges from Fordo site

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 3:2PM

The UN nuclear agency confirms that Iran has removed "excess centrifuges and infrastructure" from the Fordo enrichment facility in line with its commitments under the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano made the comment in a statement issued on Monday on the first anniversary of the implementation of the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries.

He confirmed that "on 15 January 2017, the Agency verified that Iran has taken these actions related to Fordo."

"Iran has carried out these steps within the timeframe stipulated under the JCPOA," the IAEA chief said.

Under the JCPOA, Iran is required to complete the removal of all excess centrifuges and infrastructure from the Fordo uranium enrichment facility, within one year from Implementation Day, and to transfer them to storage at the Natanz nuclear site under continuous IAEA monitoring.

The IAEA is monitoring the JCPOA which was signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China plus Germany on July 14, 2015.

Under the JCPOA, which was implemented on January 16, 2016, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.

The deal requires Iran's storage of uranium enriched to up to 3.67 percent purity to stay below 300 kilograms. Tehran has also agreed to keep its heavy water stockpile below 130 metric tonnes.

Since the implementation of the JCPOA, the IAEA has confirmed Iran's compliance to its obligations under the nuclear agreement in several reports.

In his visit to Tehran on December 18, the IAEA director general expressed satisfaction with Iran's compliance with its commitments.

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Mogherini: EU to stay true to Iran nuclear deal

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 9:41AM

The European Union (EU)'s top diplomat says the bloc will remain committed to and work to ensure the proper execution of a nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers.

"The European Union will continue to work for the respect and implementation of this extremely important deal," Federica Mogherini, the EU's high representative for security and foreign policy, said before an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.

The bloc was committed to the accord, "most of all for our security" she said. "It is proof that diplomacy works and delivers."

The agreement was signed between the Islamic Republic on the one side and the US, the UK, France, Russia, and China, plus Germany, on the other in Vienna on July 14, 2015. The EU acted as the coordinator for the negotiations that culminated in the deal.

It lifted a raft of nuclear-related sanctions against Iran and set certain limits on the Iranian nuclear program in return.

All of the six countries that negotiated the deal with Iran have voiced commitment to it. Recently though, there has been concern that the incoming administration of Donald Trump, a former business tycoon who has been elected US president, may breach the deal or stop implementing US commitments under it altogether.

Trump, whose foreign policy remains largely undefined and who has been making impulsive pronouncements on world matters mainly on Twitter, has threatened to "tear up" the Iran deal, calling it a "disaster" and "the worst deal ever negotiated." A circle of his advisers and nominees for top posts, however, have struck a more cautious tone while speaking about the future US administration's policy toward the pact. Trump, himself, has also once lamented that European businesses are, according to him, profiting more as a result of the deal than American enterprises.

Mogherini had said previously, too, that in the event of a US breach, the EU would retain an independent course and remain true to the Iran deal.

Iran has fulfilled all its obligations under the deal, as verified by the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA), which is tasked with monitoring the technical implementation of the accord.

But on Sunday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that if Trump went ahead with his threat to tear up the deal, Iran would burn it, echoing earlier remarks by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Also raising alarm about a potential violation by the US was a move by the US Congress to reauthorize Washington's sanctions law against Iran, known as the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA), in December 2016. The outgoing administration of US President Barack Obama, which negotiated the deal along with the other P5+1 members with Iran, was critical of the Act. While the White House did allow it to become law, it did so with a rare maneuver that saw Obama not signing it and allowing it to automatically pass.

Iran complained that the ratification of the ISA was a breach of the nuclear deal and took the matter to the Joint Commission monitoring the implementation of the accord, where the Islamic Republic secured promises from the US side to apply "waivers" to the part of the Act affecting the deal.

UK committed, too

Meanwhile, British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, who was about to join Mogherini at the ministerial meeting, also said the nuclear accord must be sustained.

"It is a deal which we think has great merit and we want to keep going," he said.

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Foreign Ministry presents 4th report on inplementation of JCPOA to Majlis

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Jan 17, IRNA -- A lawmaker announced here Tuesday that the Foreign Ministry has submitted its fourth report on the implementation of 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and world powers.

Mohammad-Javad Jamali, a member of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told IRNA that the report was presented punctually to the parliament.

Foreign Ministry has been obliged to present reports on the process of implementation of the JCPOA every three months since the announcement of the 'Implementation Day' of the JCPOA on January 16, 2016.

The reports on the JCPOA are read out in Majlis every six months.

Iranian parliament has passed a law according to which Iran should react properly and reciprocally to the violation of JCPOA by any party of the deal. Based on the law, Foreign Ministry should peridically inform the parliament on the implementation of the nuclaer deal known as JCPOA.

1483:1771

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JCPOA belied allegations against Iran: President Rouhani

Iran Press TV

Tue Jan 17, 2017 12:48PM

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the historic deal over Iran's nuclear program and its implementation belied claims about the country seeking weapons of mass destruction and demonstrated the honesty and sincerity of the Islamic Republic.

Rouhani made the remarks in a press conference attended by some 200 Iranian and foreign reporters in Tehran on Tuesday on the first anniversary of the implementation of the country's nuclear agreement with the P5+1 group of countries, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China plus Germany - signed the JCPOA on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.

Since the implementation of the JCPOA, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed Iran's compliance with its obligations under the nuclear agreement in several reports.

In his visit to Tehran on December 18, 2016, the IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano expressed satisfaction with Iran's compliance with its commitments.

Prior to the signing of the JCPOA, Iran had repeatedly asserted that it was not after development of weapons of mass destruction and its nuclear program was exclusively for peaceful purposes, the Iranian president said, adding that the agreement was a moral victory for Iran, because it proved the country's honesty and showed that what had been claimed against the Islamic Republic was merely baseless allegations and lies.

'JCPOA led to removal of all nuclear-related sanctions'

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani noted that those who claimed that Iran sought to develop nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction were speaking unjustly and unjustifiably and they should be ashamed of themselves now.

"Very few pundits believed that the issue of PMD (Possible Military Dimensions to Iran's nuclear program) would be resolved, and the International [Atomic Energy] Agency would admit that Iran's outstanding issues had ended," the Iranian president said.

Describing the JCPOA as "a great national achievement," Rouhani said, "The closure of this dossier amounted to a moral victory for the great Iranian nation."

Rouhani stressed that all nuclear-related sanctions against the Islamic Republic have been removed after implementation of the JCPOA started, adding that there are no more bans in the gas, oil and transport sectors.

'US continues to block Iran's banking transactions'

He added that, however, the US, given its hostility toward the Islamic Republic, has been creating obstacles in the banking transactions between Tehran and the rest of the world.

Rouhani said Iran "is standing with great might and powerfully against" the violations of the JCPOA, adding, however, that "we have not acted and will not act hastily, because national interests are a principle for us and we will always bear in mind these interests."

'New negotiations on JCPOA meaningless'

In response to a question about a possible move by US President-elect Donald Trump to demand fresh negotiations on the JCPOA, the Iranian president said no new talks would be held in this regard.

"The JCPOA is not a mutual agreement [but] is a multilateral agreement. Therefore, it will be meaningless if we wanted to negotiate on the JCPOA anew. There will be no new negotiations," Rouhani said.

He added that the JCPOA is an agreement, which has been struck, concluded and endorsed by the United Nations Security Council and has almost turned into an international document.

Iran's president further stated that Trump has made an assortment of comments about the JCPOA so far, which are mere slogans, and it seems quite unlikely that he would take any practical steps in this regard.

There has been concern that the incoming administration of Trump, a former businessman and a self-admitted non-politician, may breach the JCPOA or stop implementing Washington's commitments under it altogether. Trump had previously threatened to "tear up" the deal.

Trump's pick for US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, recently called for a "full review" of the nuclear accord.

'Saudi Arabia must stop war on Yemen'

Elaborating on the existing tensions in relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Rouhani said the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic has been founded on forging close ties with neighboring countries, including the littoral Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

Rouhani stated that the root cause of the existing problems between Iran and Saudi Arabia was Riyadh's war on Yemen, adding, "Saudi Arabia must stop strikes on Yemen as soon as possible."

The Iranian president also mentioned Saudi Arabia's intervention in developments going on in other parts of the region, including Bahrain, as another cause of tensions between Tehran and Riyadh.

Referring to severance of diplomatic ties between Tehran and Riyadh, Rouhani said, "It was Saudi Arabia, which decided to unilaterally cut ties with Iran and this was not our decision."

He added that some countries, including Iraq and Kuwait, had sought to mediate for the improvement of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, adding that if Saudi officials "take up the right path and make correct decisions," Tehran is ready to even help Riyadh with regard to regional affairs, including in Yemen, and to promote peace and unity in the region.

Saudi Arabia unilaterally severed its diplomatic ties with Iran in January last year after protests in front of its diplomatic premises in Tehran and Mashhad against the execution of eminent Saudi Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, by Riyadh.

Relations between the two countries were already tense over a deadly human crush, which occurred during Hajj rituals in Mina, near Mecca, in September 2015. Unofficial sources put the death toll at almost 7,000 people of whom about 465 were nationals of Iran. Days into the incident, Saudi Arabia published a death toll of 770, but refused to update it despite gradually surging fatality figures from individual countries whose nationals had been among the victims of the crush.

Earlier that same month, a massive construction crane had collapsed into Mecca's Grand Mosque, killing more than 100 pilgrims, including 11 Iranians, and injuring over 200 others, including 32 nationals from Iran

Serious questions were raised about the competence of Saudi authorities to manage the Hajj rituals in the wake of the incidents, and in the face of Saudi Arabia's intransigence to guarantee the safety of Iranian pilgrims, officials in the Islamic Republic subsequently decided to halt pilgrimages over security concerns.

'Iran's economic growth unparalleled in region'

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani noted that Iran's economic growth currently stood at 7.4 percent, "which has no parallel in the region."

He added that 700,000 jobs were also created in the country during past year while only six countries in the world have been able to create over 600,000 jobs per year.

Only Syrians can decide their country's fate

Answering a question on the situation in Syria, Rouhani noted that the first and foremost priority in the Arab country was to maintain ceasefire and prevent resumption of armed conflict in those regions where ceasefire has been enforced.

Rouhani noted that at present, conditions have been provided in Syria for real negotiations among all warring parties.

Referring to the forthcoming talks on Syria in Kazakhstan's capital city of Astana, the Iranian president said Astana talks will be based on Syria-Syria dialogue.

He reiterated that nobody should be allowed to make a decision on the future of Syria on behalf of its people, because it is only for the Syrian nation to decide their country's fate.

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Iraqi CTS commander: 90% of Mosul liberated from Daesh

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:39PM

A high ranking commander in Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) says that around 90 percent of eastern Mosul has been purged of its Daeshi occupiers.

Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani al-Assadi made the announcement late on Monday as clashes are raging on between CTS forces and Takfiri terrorists.

Meanwhile, CTS spokesman Sabah al-Noman said that Iraqi forces had managed to take full control Nabi Yunus area, where earlier in the day they had liberated an important mosque which is a popular pilgrimage location.

"We retook control of Nabi Yunus area... raised the Iraqi flag above the tomb," he said, adding that several other neighborhoods were also liberated during the Monday anti-terror operations.

Car bombs target progressing Iraqi forces

Daesh targeted Iraqi troops with at least three car bombs in Mosul's neighborhoods of Shurta and Andalus, where special forces are engaged with the Takfiri terrorists.

"It has been three days since the counter-terrorism service began encircling (this district) and thanks God, today they were able to clear the area completely. The situation will become better. Before it was difficult, we were unable leave our homes for ten days. It has been a real struggle," said a resident of Andalus.

Both neighborhoods are located close to the eastern bank of the Tigris river, and within sight of the city's northernmost bridge which spans the river.

Once the east bank is fully recaptured, Iraqi forces will launch operations to retake western Mosul from the terrorists.

Iraqi army soldiers, supported by fighters from Popular Mobilization Units --commonly known by the Arabic word Hashd al-Sha'abi -- and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, launched a joint operation on October 17, 2016 to retake Mosul from Daesh terrorists.

A total of 137,880 people have been displaced from Mosul and neighboring areas ever since the start of the operations, according to figures released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on January 9.

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Iraqi forces battling Daesh make further gains in Mosul

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 2:50PM

Members of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) have made further advances against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the strategic northern city of Mosul, pushing extremists out of three more eastern districts.

The commander of Nineveh Liberation Operation, Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Yarallah, said the forces recaptured al-Jammasah neighborhood on Monday noon, and are moving to seize Nabi Yunus, Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network reported.

Earlier in the day, Iraqi special forces established control over al-Kandi and al-Qayrawan neighborhoods and raised the national flag over a cluster of buildings there.

Yarallah noted that government troops had inflicted heavy losses on Daesh ranks and military equipment during the operations.

Moreover, Federal Police forces managed to liberate Nabi Yunus Grand Mosque in central Mosul from the Daesh grip, and hoisted the Iraqi flag over it.

Members of the Iraqi Directorate of General Military Intelligence (DGMI) also uncovered a workshop in the Hodaba neighborhood of Mosul, which Daesh terrorists used to manufacture Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

The DGMI announced in a statement that Iraqi forces found drones as long as six meters, which were to be loaded with explosive charges inside the building.

Iraqi correspondent, cameraman injured in Mosul

The correspondent and cameraman for the US-based Arabic-language al-Hurra television network also sustained gunshot wounds while covering the Iraqi army advances in eastern Mosul.

An unnamed security source said Abdulhamid al-Zebari and Yasser Salem were injured as Iraqi forces and Daesh Takfiris engaged in a fierce gun battle. The pair have reportedly been transferred to a local hospital to receive medical treatment.

Iraqi army soldiers, supported by fighters from Popular Mobilization Units -- commonly known by the Arabic word Hashd al-Sha'abi -- and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, launched a joint operation on October 17, 2016 to retake Mosul from Daesh terrorists.

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Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic have established sustainable economic relations, said Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic Jan Mladek at the Azerbaijani-Czech business forum in Baku Jan. 17.

Mladek noted that Azerbaijan is a strategic supplier of oil to the Czech Republic.

Today these supplies meet about one third of demands of the Czech Republic, he said adding that the Czech Republic is also interested in implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project, which will allow delivering Azerbaijani gas to Europe.

The minister recalled that currently, a major part of Russian gas is delivered to the Czech Republic through Ukraine.

He added that prospects of the deliveries via this route are unclear; therefore, the Czech Republic is interested in ensuring new supply sources from Azerbaijan, Iran and other Caspian littoral states in the future.

The minister also noted that the cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic also develops dynamically in the non-oil sphere.

Despite the global economic crisis, the economy of the Czech Republic grows and it creates good opportunities for increasing bilateral economic cooperation, said Mladek.

He added that there are big opportunities for Czech companies in Azerbaijan in the spheres of agriculture, production of foodstuff, education, science, power industry, medicine, environmental protection.

Moreover, there is big potential for development of cooperation in the tourism sphere: it is not the first year that Azerbaijani tourists actively visit the Czech Republic and there are also good opportunities for attracting Czech tourists to Azerbaijan, noted the minister.

Mladek said that several agreements on strategic cooperation were signed between the two countries. Moreover, the Czech Republic supports not only the development of bilateral cooperation, but also the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the EU and is interested in strengthening of the Eastern Partnership program, he said.

The minister added that the Czech Republic supports Azerbaijans intentions on joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) and is ready to provide all possible support in this issue for Azerbaijan.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
Iraqi forces liberate more Mosul areas from terrorists' grip

Iran Press TV

Tue Jan 17, 2017 1:36PM

Iraqi forces have managed to retake control of several areas in Mosul as part of a large-scale military operation to purge the Daesh Takfiri terrorists from the strategic northern city.

The Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network reported the recapture of Mosul's Suez and Sinharib districts by Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) on Tuesday.

Moreover, the commander of Nineveh Liberation Operation, Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Yarallah, announced the liberation of al-Jazair, al- Darkazliyah, and al-Zarai neighborhoods in Mosul's left bank, adding that the national flag was hoisted over buildings there.

He further noted that the Iraqi forces were in control of Mosul's Central Mosque after heavy clashes with Daesh elements there.

The districts of Bab al-Shams, Mohandesin, Atshanah, Numaniyah, Eastern Nineveh, Souq al-Ghanam and al-Ma'a were among several areas in Mosul's western bank that were fully retaken from the militants.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Yarallah said that the Daesh terrorists had suffered heavy losses in the aforesaid areas, noting that Iraqi Air Force's strikes destroyed an explosives-laden bulldozer in Akab Vally in Mosul's eastern bank.

Iraqi forces also captured the site of the Mosque of the Prophet Younis after pushing the Daesh terrorists out of a new neighborhood in eastern Mosul.

The mosque was among dozens of historical and heritage sites, which were destroyed by the Daesh militants after they stormed the city in June 2014. The mosque was built on an archaeological site, which dates back to the 8th century BC.

Sabah al-Numan, spokesman of Iraq's Special Forces, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying that Iraq's security forces found only the fences of the mosque alongside the ruins.

In northern Mosul, the Iraqi army troops moved into the militant-held Kindi military base, according an unidentified officer.

Additionally, the rapid response units of the Iraqi federal police secured much of the eastern bank of the Tigris River that divides Mosul in half.

Lieutenant-Colonel Abdel Amir al-Mohammedawi, a spokesman for the rapid response forces, said some Daesh elements had fled by boat and taken civilians as human shields.

"They fled the eastern bank for the west, and took women and children," he added.

Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani al-Assadi, a high-ranking CTS commander, announced on Monday that the Daesh terrorists had been driven out of 90 percent of eastern Mosul.

"Roughly all the eastern axes for which CTS is responsible will be completed and we will announce the liberation of the entire eastern side," said CTS spokesman, Sabah al-Numan.

Since last October, a 100,000-strong force of Iraqi army troops and allied fighters has been leading the Mosul offensive, the second phase of which began last month. Advances have gathered pace over the past few days.

Defeating Daesh in Mosul would deal a crushing blow to the Takfiri outfit that launched its campaign of terror in northern and western Iraq in 2014.

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Capturing Mosul Solidified Islamic State. Losing It Could Break It.

David Patrikarakos January 17, 2017

The dawn of the new year has unsurprisingly witnessed global media turn toward the incoming U.S. administration with an intensity bordering on the obsessive. Cabinet confirmations, Russia's alleged hacking activities, and intelligence agency squabbles now dominate international headlines.

Meanwhile, events of arguably equal or greater importance are sacrificed in favor of the story of the day. Nowhere is this failing clearer than with the lack of recent coverage of the ongoing campaign to drive the extremist group Islamic State (IS) from one of its last remaining urban strongholds: Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul.

The battle for Mosul is as much symbolic as it is strategic. The city stands at the center of IS's emergence as a global force of terror.

Before IS took Mosul on June 10, 2014, security services largely dismissed the threat it posed. The prevailing attitude was perhaps best summed up in U.S. President Barack Obama's interview with David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker magazine, in January of that year.

"The analogy we use around here sometimes, and I think is accurate," he said, "is if a J.V. team puts on Lakers uniforms, that doesn't make them Kobe Bryant."

But the "JV team" entered the big leagues when it captured Mosul. Indeed, it was the city's seizure that allowed its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, to announce on June 30, 2014, the establishment of IS's long-standing goal of an Islamic caliphate that straddles Iraq and Syria. At its peak, the caliphate encompassed an area the size of Great Britain. No extremist group in modern history had been so successful. IS, with the wealth captured from stolen oil fields, looted antiquities, and "taxes" levied on the population under its control, became hugely wealthy. It ran hospitals. It had its own police force and administrative authorities. It was a state in almost everything except formal recognition. The global brand that IS has become was only made possible through its capture of Mosul 2 1/2 years ago.

As we enter 2017, things look very different indeed.

The group has lost vast swaths of territory. Along with Raqqa in Syria, Mosul is the last major urban center left under the group's control. Its once seeming invincibility -- its inexorable march across the Middle East that drew thousands of recruits from across the Arab world, South and Central Asia, and the West toward the black flag -- is long gone.

Now IS is attacked from all sides. On the western edge of IS's "state," Turkish forces and Syrian rebel groups dealt the extremist group some serious defeats over the late summer. They are besieging the IS stronghold of al-Bab and are pushing deeper into IS territory, though those efforts have slowed considerably in recent weeks.

In the center of the caliphate, U.S.-backed Kurdish forces are advancing downward from northern Syria, just west of the IS capital city of Raqqa. That campaign is making significant gains, though that success could breed more problems since Turkey considers these forces to be linked to a terrorist organization.

On the eastern front, Iraqi security forces backed by Turkish Army units, Kurdish militia groups, U.S. Special Forces, and coalition air strikes, are advancing. The operation to retake the city, which began late last year, saw the coalition make strong initial progress as several villages and towns around the city were seized before the offensive slowed.

That changed on January 13, when Iraqi special forces entered Mosul University and took control of a neighborhood bordering the university and the technical institute within the campus.

"We broke through the terrorists' defenses and we destroyed their lines and their units and their bases," said Major General Sami al-Aridi, who oversaw the operation.

Iraqi forces have now almost completely surrounded Mosul, but the city's layout makes taking it difficult. Bisected by the Tigris River into eastern and western halves, Mosul contains two distinct sections that will have to be conquered in order to drive IS out for good. Iraqi security forces are pushing heavily into IS's eastern front (where the university is), but the extremists still maintain a stranglehold on the city's west.

More alarmingly, IS has had ample time to prepare for the assault. The city will undoubtedly be filled with booby traps to inflict as many casualties on Iraqi security forces as possible once they enter the city. Meanwhile, IS militants have dug tunnels and fortifications that will further increase the difficulties facing Mosul's potential liberators.

As Alberto Fernandez, vice president at the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), observes: "It is a very tough fight and not unexpected. Mosul is the single-largest population center left to ISIS. In the past (such as in Ramadi), they fought hard and eventually cracked, and this may happen again."

The fight will be difficult. It will be bloody. It may even be long. But it is difficult to see anything other than IS's eventual expulsion from the city. The question then naturally arises: What comes next?

Fernandez rightly points out that "two big questions will be: What shape [Iraqi security forces] will be in on total liberation day; and can local governance be (even slightly) more effective and inclusive than it was in 2014? ISIS will survive the fall of Mosul but will be diminished, and there will be more pressure on it to show that it can still model its global ambition and inspire more international acts of mayhem."

Part of the reason IS was able to grow so large and so fast in such a short space of time was that it took advantage of the harsh sectarian rule of former Iraqi President Nuri al-Maliki. Maliki's exclusion of Sunnis from government, combined with a series of national policies designed to persecute them across Iraq, drove many into the arms of IS as the only counterweight to the suffering they endured. Mosul may well be liberated, but once that happens it will have to be governed efficiently or else Baghdad will have driven IS out but failed to solve the underlying problems that led -- in part -- to the city's capture in the first place.

As far as IS goes, once Mosul falls, so does any remaining realistic claim that the group still controls a state of any kind. But, as Fernandez points out, IS will not go quietly into the night. Instead, the group will seek to its expand its extremist activities, ideally (as far as it is concerned) in the West.

This is the Catch-22 facing the world. The more defeats IS suffers in the Middle East, the more it must expand its operations abroad. The more military battles with tanks and soldiers it loses, the more it will resort to classic terror tactics of suicide bombers and lone gunmen.

IS may be losing battles, but the war is still a long way from being won.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/islamic-state -mosul-campaign-make- or-break/28239522.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Pakistan Warns Afghanistan 'Blame Game' Hurting Peace Efforts

By Ayaz Gul January 15, 2017

Pakistan's military chief told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday that his troops have eliminated "all safe havens" of terrorists on Pakistani soil, and he emphasized the need for security cooperation between the two countries to deter cross-border terrorist infiltration.

General Qamar Javed Bajwa contacted Ghani by phone following Tuesday's almost simultaneous bombings in different Afghan cities, including the capital city Kabul.

The violence left more than 50 people and wounded scores of others. Five diplomats of the United Arab Emirates also were among the dead.

Bajwa spoke to the Afghan president to condole the loss of life in recent terrorist attacks, and he expressed sympathy with victim families, according to Pakistan army spokesman, Major-General Asif Ghafoor.

Afghan officials and politicians again pointed fingers at Pakistan military's intelligence agency for helping Taliban insurgents plot the deadly bombings. Kabul alleges Taliban insurgents use sanctuaries on Pakistani soil to stage deadly attacks in Afghanistan, charges Islamabad denies.

Ghafoor quoted the Pakistan military chief as telling Ghani that "elements inimical" to regional peace are strengthened by the blame game.

"He [General Bajwa] emphasized that Pakistan has come a long way in its fight against terrorism of all hue and color and has eliminated all safe havens in the process," the spokesman added.

Ghafoor also said General Bajwa reiterated Pakistan's call for putting in place "a robust" border management mechanism and intelligence cooperation to stop cross-border movement of terrorists on both sides of their nearly 2,600-kilometer largely porous border.

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Pakistani Military Chief Tells Afghan President Terrorist 'Safe Havens' Eliminated

RFE/RL January 16, 2017

Pakistani military chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that his troops have destroyed "all safe havens" for terrorists in Pakistan.

Bajwa also told Ghani in a telephone call on January 15 that the two countries must cooperate on security issues to deter cross-border infiltration of militant groups.

Pakistani Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said Bajwa also conveyed to Ghani his condolences for a recent string of deadly bombings in Afghanistan that killed more than 50 people and wounded dozens of others.

Afghan officials have accused Pakistan's military and ISI intelligence agency of aiding Taliban insurgents and other militants operating in Afghanistan and of providing sanctuary to them in Pakistan.

Pakistan denies the charges.

Ghafoor said that Bajwa told Ghani that elements that oppose regional peace are "strengthened by the blame game."

"[General Bajwa] emphasized that Pakistan has come a long way in its fight against terrorism...and has eliminated all safe havens in the process," Ghafoor added.

Ghafoor also said Bajwa had reiterated a call by Islamabad to install a "robust" border security system to prevent terrorists to cross and operate on both sides of the two countries' nearly 2,600-kilometer border.

With reporting by VOA and Dawn.com

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/pakistani -military-chief-tells-ghani- havens-gone/28235468.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russia to upgrade its naval, air bases in Syria: Report

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 15, 2017 6:44PM

Russia intends to improve and expand its naval and air bases in Syria to further contain terrorist groups operating in the war-torn country.

Russia's Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed source as making the remarks on Sunday, adding that Moscow would begin repairing a second runway at Hmeimim Air Base in Syria's western coastal province of Latakia.

Hmeimim is Russia's permanent air base inside Syria, located southeast of Latakia, the provincial capital, and adjacent to Bassel al-Assad International Airport, with which it shares some airfield facilities. The base is home to dozens of Russian warplanes that are used to pound terrorist positions across the country.

On January 12, Russia's Defense Ministry spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said Moscow had withdrawn six Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jets from the air base and instead sent four Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft to the region.

The source further said Russia also planned to upgrade its naval base in Tartus, the second largest port city in Syria, where Russia has been keeping a support and maintenance facility for its naval forces since 1977. It added that Moscow would improve the base, located some 86 kilometers south of Hmeimim, so that it becomes capable of handling bigger ships such as cruisers.

Moscow would also deploy S-300 surface-to-air defense systems and Bastion coastal missile launchers in the naval base, the source added.

Last December, Russia's Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces General Valery Gerasimov said that Moscow had sufficient air defense capabilities in Syria thanks to its S-300 and S-400 systems deployed in the country.

Moscow launched its campaign against the Daesh Takfiri terrorists and other militant groups in Syria upon a request from Damascus in September 2015. Its airstrikes have helped Syrian forces advance counterterrorism operations against foreign-backed militants operating in the country since 2011.

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Trump Wants Nuclear Deal With Russia; Criticizes Moscow's Actions In Syria

January 15, 2017

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump suggested he may offer to end some economic sanctions against Russia in return for a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to reduce nuclear arms, The Times of London newspaper reported.

Trump said in a wide-ranging joint interview with The Times and the German daily Bild published on January 15 that he wants the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia to be "reduced very substantially."

Trump also criticized Moscow for its military intervention in the Syrian civil war, describing it as "a very bad thing" that had led to a "terrible humanitarian situation."

The president-elect also called NATO is "obsolete" for not doing more to fight terrorism but added that the alliance is still "very important to me."

Trump repeated his criticism that many NATO members do not pay enough for their security, which is carried by the United States.

"A lot of these countries aren't paying what they're supposed to be paying, which I think is very unfair to the United States," he said, adding that only five of NATO's 28 member countries are paying their fair share.

Trump praised the British "Brexit" from the European Union and said he thinks that the bloc's liberal immigration policy toward refugees could lead to other countries leaving the EU.

Although Trump said he respects German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he said she had made a "catastrophic mistake" by allowing so many undocumented migrants to enter Germany since 2015.

Trump also said he will appoint Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, to broker a Middle East peace deal.

He praised Queen Elizabeth and said he is eager to sign a trade deal with Britain and will meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May soon.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/trump-wants -nuclear-deal-russia-criticizes-syria -involvement/28234741.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Trump says to lift Russia sanctions if Putin cuts nuclear arsenal

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 2:25PM

US President-elect Donald Trump says he will offer to end sanctions imposed on Russia if the Kremlin agrees to "substantially" reduce its nuclear weapons arsenal.

In an interview with The Times of London published on Monday, Trump raised the prospect of the first big nuclear arms reduction deal with Moscow since President Barack Obama signed the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 2010.

"They have sanctions on Russia  let's see if we can make some good deals with Russia," he was quoted as saying by The Times.

"For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, that's part of it," Trump stressed. "But Russia's hurting very badly right now because of sanctions, but I think something can happen that a lot of people are going to benefit."

Washington and its allies have levied broad economic sanctions against Russia over Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

Late last year, Trump said that the US must "greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until the world comes to its senses regarding nukes." Around the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin also called for the strengthening of his country's "strategic nuclear forces."

The US and Russia have by far the largest nuclear weapons arsenals in the world. The US has 1,367 nuclear warheads on deployed strategic missiles and bombers, while Russia has 1,796 deployed warheads, according to the latest assessment by the US State Department.

The two nuclear powers agreed to limit the number of deployable long-range, strategic nuclear weapons under the 2010 New START treaty.

Trump has come under criticism from Democrats and Republicans for suggesting that he would work to improve relations with Moscow despite accusations by the US intelligence community that the Russian government meddled in the November presidential election through cyberhacking.

An unsubstantiated intelligence report has also claimed that Russia is in possession of compromising information on Trump. The president-elect has dismissed the dossier as "fake news" and "phony stuff."

In the interview with The Times, Trump was critical of Russia's air campaign in Syria. "I think it's a very rough thing," he said.

Trump also repeated his view that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was an obsolete security alliance.

"I took such heat, when I said NATO was obsolete," Trump said, referring to comments he made during his presidential campaign. "It's obsolete because it wasn't taking care of terror. I took a lot of heat for two days. And then they started saying Trump is right."

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The Daily Vertical: The Impossible Grand Bargain (Transcript)

Brian Whitmore January 15, 2017

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.

There's a very simple reason why a new reset won't work.

There's a very simple reason why any grand bargain with Vladimir Putin's Kremlin regime is doomed to failure.

There's a very simple reason why a new detente with Moscow would probably make matters much worse.

And that's the simple fact that Russia wants something from the West that the West is simply incapable of giving it.

Putin wants a sphere of influence in the former Soviet space, which is just a polite way of saying it wants imperial domination over his neighbors.

Now, even if it were morally acceptable, which it's not, and even if this were geopolitically wise, which it's not, the fact of the matter is it would be practically impossible.

It would be practically impossible because such thinking assumes that former Soviet countries like Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova have no agency of their own.

It would be practically impossible because the futures of tens of millions of people are not peace offerings that can be served up to Russia on a silver platter in exchange for peace in our time.

It may come as a surprise to some that Ukrainians, Georgians, and Moldovans have their own ideas about their political futures.

And a not insignificant number of them would resist domination by Moscow, regardless of what kind of new Yalta or new Munich agreement is reached between Russia and the West.

And for that reason, any new reset, new detente, or new grand bargain is a recipe for conflict and instability on Europe's doorstep.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/daily-vertical -transcript/28235799.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Connecting Anti-Russian Sanctions With Nuclear Arms Reduction 'Makes No Sense'

Sputnik News

18:05 16.01.2017(updated 18:16 16.01.2017)

United States President-elect Donald Trump said that anti-Russian sanctions could be lifted in exchange for a bilateral agreement on reducing nuclear arsenals.

The arsenals should be reduced substantially, the President-elect noted in an interview with The Times newspaper.

"For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, that's part of it. But Russia's hurting very badly right now because of sanctions, but I think something can happen that a lot of people are gonna benefit," Trump said in the interview.

The President-elect added that such an approach would result in "de-escalating international tensions."

The statement indicates that for Trump's administration nuclear arms reduction is more important than the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, but it makes no sense to connect removal of sanctions with the disarmament problem, according to Andrey Kortunov, Director of the Russian International Affair Council think-tank.

"In Trump's words, I can see two problems or, at least, two ambiguities. First, sanctions were not related to US-Russia talks on strategic armaments reduction. This is why there is no logic in connecting sanctions to the US-Russian dialogue on strategic nuclear arms. Sanctions should be discussed in the context of the Ukrainian crisis," Kortunov told RIA Novosti.

He suggested that the European Union will consider sanctions as part of the Ukrainian peaceful process since Brussels cannot be involved in Moscow-Washington talks on nuclear disarmament.

The second problem, according to the experts, is related to the negotiations between US and Russia on strategic arms reduction.

"Moscow has repeatedly confirmed that it would be ready to continue dialogue with Washington on broader reduction of strategic arms if two conditions were met. First, compromise is needed on missile defenses," Kortunov explained.

The second condition is adding third parties with nuclear arsenals to the next stage of the talks, he added.

"Of course, the US and Russia could continue to reduce their nuclear arsenals. But at the same time, other countries having nuclear weapons would become more strategically significant. Resumption of this dialogue is not that simple. Trump's words need to be clarified," he pointed out.

However, the expert emphasized the importance of such statements by the US President-elect.

"Trump indicates that the problem of strategic arms is more important the Ukraine and he is ready to consider lifting sanctions if his interests are respected. This is a signal and an invitation for a discussion," Kortunov said.

Removal of sanctions is not one of the priority goals for Russia and Moscow should not abandon some of its security initiatives in exchange for concessions from Washington, according to Russian Senator Konstantin Kosachev.

He also said that Trump's statement should be regarded as a suggestion or a possible scenario, rather than a concrete proposal.

However, the senator underscored that Moscow is ready to continue dialogue on nuclear disarmament.

"Of course, we're ready. We will welcome any constructive proposals from Washington. If the two global leading nuclear powers had a strategic agreement this would be a signal to the entire world," Kosachev was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

In 2010, Russia and the US signed New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty). The agreement came into effect in 2011. The document limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear carriers to 700 and the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550. The duration of the treaty is 10 years.

 Sputnik

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Russia Developing 'Transformer' Flying Tanker

Sputnik News

17:56 16.01.2017(updated 18:04 16.01.2017)

Russia's upcoming Il-96-400TZ flying tanker will also be able to haul cargoes and passengers, Ilyushin's Deputy Chief Designer Olga Kruglyakova said in an interview with United Aircraft Corporation's journal Horizon.

"President Putin ordered us to continue our work on an aerial refueling tanker based on the Ilyushin Il-96 jumbo," Kruglyakova said.

She added that the military also wants the plane to be able to move around cargo and passengers.

In 2015 the Voronezh-based aircraft manufacturer VASO was ordered to build two such flying tankers for the Russian Aerospace Forces. The first such plane has already undergone preliminary trials.

"The initial test flights we had with fighter planes showed that the Il-96-400TZ is fully compatible with small aircraft. Just how compatible it is with bigger ones we'll see during state trials," Ilyushin's Chief Designer Nikolai Talikov said.

The second test plane will be built in 2018. Both planes will be able to transport up to 65 tons of fuel across a range of 3,500 kilometers.

The Il-96-400TZ will be equipped with the Zvezda UPAZ-1 aerial refueling system, which has been previously proven on the Il-78 tanker flown by the Russian Air Force.

If the flying tankers built in Voronezh pass the tests, the plant will be given orders for an additional 30 such planes.

The Il-96 is also used as a platform for airborne command centers for the Federal Security Service and the Defense Ministry.

 Sputnik

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Details added (first version posted on 11:28)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

Trend:

Armenian Armed Forces have again committed a provocation at the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said Jan. 17.

On Jan. 17 morning, Armenian armed forces opened fire at the Azerbaijani army positions located at the state border in the territory of Azerbaijans Tovuz district.

The Armenian army opened fire from a Bumblebee portable flamethrower, said the ministry.

There were no casualties among the Azerbaijani servicemen.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reiterated that if the Armenian side continues such provocations, Azerbaijans response will be more harsh.

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.
Russia's Lavrov Denies Meddling In European Votes, Blasts U.S. Intelligence

RFE/RL January 17, 2017

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says any claims that Moscow is staging cyberattacks to interfere in European elections are "dreamt-up."

Speaking at an annual news conference on January 17, Lavrov also said U.S. intelligence agencies that he said tried to prove President-elect Donald Trump had compromising links to Russia "have drawn a blank and should be fired, because they've done worthless work."

He described the former British spy who wrote a dossier on Trump's alleged links to Russia, including an account of an alleged episode with prostitutes at a Moscow hotel, as a charlatan.

U.S. intelligence agencies said earlier this month that they had concluded "with high confidence" that "Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election," and that "Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for...Trump" over his rival in the November 8 vote, Hillary Clinton.

Lavrov called the accusations of hacking by Russia ahead of European elections a "provocation" and said that Moscow did not feel obligated to prove them wrong because "there is presumption of innocence."

Strategic Dialogue

Lavrov also said that Moscow expected to engage in a dialogue with Trump's administration on issues related to strategic stability, including nuclear weapons, after the U.S. president-elect takes office.

Lavrov said that specific topics of discussion could include hypersonic weapons, the missile shield the United States is building in Europe, space weapons, and nuclear testing.

He said that Russia is ready to meet with Trump's administration for discussions on these topics after he takes office on January 20.

Lavrov said that Moscow did not interpret recent remarks by Trump as an offer to scrap sanctions imposed by the United States over Russia's actions in Ukraine and elsewhere in exchange for a nuclear-arms-reduction deal.

In an interview with The Times of London and German magazine Bild published on January 15, Trump said: "They have sanctions on Russia -- let's see if we can make some good deals with Russia. For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, that's part of it."

Syria Summit Invitation

Lavrov also said at the news conference that he thought it is right to invite the incoming Trump administration to Syria peace talks scheduled for January 23 in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.

Lavrov also expressed hopes Russia and the United States can cooperate more effectively on Syria under Trump than they have during President Barack Obama's administration.

He said he hoped the Trump administration will attend the talks in Astana.

Trump transition-team members and Russian officials had made conflicting remarks about whether the United States was invited.

Lavrov said one of the main aims of the talks is to "consolidate" a Syrian cease-fire mandated by a deal backed by Russia and Turkey and announced on December 29.

The United States has largely been excluded from the recent Russian-Turkish diplomacy on Syria, where Moscow has backed President Bashar al-Assad's government throughout the six-year-old civil war.

With reporting by Reuters, TASS, AFP, and Interfax

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russia-lavrov-us -trump-syria/28238716.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Putin Accuses Obama Administration Of Trying To Undermine Trump

RFE/RL January 17, 2017

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused U.S. President Barack Obama's administration of trying to undermine President-elect Donald Trump's legitimacy by spreading what Putin said were false allegations.

A dossier shown earlier this month to Obama and Trump -- part of which was leaked and published -- contained salacious and compromising but uncorroborated information compiled by a former British intelligence officer on links between Russia and Trump, who rejected the claims as "fake news."

And on January 6, U.S. intelligence agencies said they had concluded that Putin ordered a hacking campaign that aimed to undermine U.S. democracy, help Trump, and discredit his opponent in the November 8 election, Hillary Clinton.

Speaking at a news conference on January 17, Putin dismissed the dossier alleging Trump's sexual activities at a Moscow hotel in 2013 as "fake" and charged that those who ordered it are "worse than prostitutes."

In his first public comments on the claims, Putin suggested that Russian intelligence agencies would have had no reason to spy on Trump during his 2013 visit to Moscow, when the episode allegedly took place in a Ritz-Carlton hotel suite in Moscow.

"Does anyone think that our special services chase every American billionaire? Of course not. It's just completely ridiculous," Putin said.

In raunchy comments mocking the allegations, Putin also questioned why Trump -- who was in Moscow for the final of the Miss Universe beauty contest -- would hire prostitutes.

"He's a grown-up, for a start, and secondly a man who spent his whole life organizing beauty contests and meeting the most beautiful women in the world," Putin said.

"I can hardly imagine that he ran off to a hotel to meet our girls of 'lowered social responsibility'," he said, adding "although they are, of course, the best in the world."

"I doubt Trump fell for that," he said.

Putin described the dossier as part of efforts by Obama's administration to "undermine the legitimacy of the president-elect" despite an election victory he described as "convincing" -- though Trump received nearly 3 million fewer popular votes than Clinton.

Putin claimed those he said are trying to undermine Trump "may go as far as staging Maidan-type protests in Washington" to try to prevent him from taking office, a reference to the demonstrations that pushed a Moscow-friendly president from power in Ukraine in 2014.

Putin's comments were the latest in a series of remarks by Russian officials bluntly criticizing the Obama administration in its final weeks, and blaming it for the severe strains in relations between Moscow and Washington in recent years. His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, pointedly said that there were no plans for any contacts between Putin and Obama in the final days before Trump's inauguration on January 20.

Ties improved during Obama's first-term "reset" of Russia relations, but they have sunk to lows unseen since the Cold War amid rancor over Moscow's seizure of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, its backing of separatists in eastern Ukraine, its involvement in the Syrian conflict, and other issues.

Putin expressed hope that Russia and the United States could eventually get their troubled relations back to normal.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also lashed out at the Obama administration and expressed hope for better ties under Trump, who takes office on January 20 and has said he wants to improve relations with Moscow.

In wide-ranging remarks at an annual news conference on January 17, Lavrov described the foreign policies of the outgoing U.S. administration and its allies as "messianic" attempts to force "post-Christian" Western values on the rest of the world.

He said Moscow hopes Trump's team will consist of pragmatists "who will not engage in moralizing and will try to understand the interests of their partners just as they clearly uphold their own interests."

Lavrov said that Russia expects to engage in a dialogue with the United States on issues related to strategic stability, including nuclear weapons, after Trump takes office.

He said that specific topics of discussion could include hypersonic weapons, the missile shield the United States is building in Europe, space weapons, and nuclear testing, adding that Russia is ready to meet with Trump's administration for discussions on these topics after he takes office.

Lavrov said that Moscow did not interpret recent remarks by Trump as an offer to scrap sanctions imposed by the United States over Russia's actions in Ukraine and elsewhere in exchange for a nuclear arms reduction deal.

In an interview with The Times of London and the German magazine Bild published on January 15, Trump said: "They have sanctions on Russia -- let's see if we can make some good deals with Russia. For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, that's part of it."

Lavrov also took aim at U.S. intelligence agencies, saying that they have tried to prove Trump had compromising links to Russia but "have drawn a blank and should be fired, because they've done worthless work."

He described the former British spy who wrote the dossier on Trump's alleged links to Russia, including the account of the alleged episode with prostitutes, as a charlatan.

Lavrov said he hopes Russia and the United States can cooperate more effectively on Syria under Trump than they have during Obama's administration and made clear that Trump's administration is welcome to attend Syria peace talks scheduled for January 23 in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.

Trump transition team members and Russian officials had made conflicting remarks about whether the United States was invited.

Lavrov said one of the main aims of the talks is to "consolidate" a Syrian cease-fire mandated by a deal backed by Russia and Turkey and announced on December 29.

The United States has largely been excluded from the recent Russian-Turkish diplomacy on Syria, where Moscow has backed President Bashar al-Assad's government throughout a 6-year-old civil war that has killed more than 300,000 people, driven many more form their homes, and stoked a refugee crisis in Europe.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and TASS

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/putin-accuses- obama-administration-undermining- trump/28239343.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Putin Accuses Obama Administration of Spreading False Info About Trump

By VOA News January 17, 2017

Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the outgoing U.S. administration of attempting to undercut President-elect Donald Trump by spreading erroneous information.

At a Moscow news conference Tuesday, Putin said last week's release of an unverified dossier containing salacious allegations about Trump was part of an effort by U.S. President Barack Obama's administration to "undermine the legitimacy of the president-elect" in spite of Trump's "convincing" presidential win.

Putin described as "fake" an allegation in the dossier that Trump engaged in sexual activities at a Moscow hotel in 2013. Putin added that those responsible for the allegations are "worse than prostitutes," and he questioned why Trump would "need prostitutes" when he has "been with the most beautiful women in the world."

Trump has blamed the intelligence community for leaking unsubstantiated information, which also linked Trump to the Russian government, and questioned whether Central Intelligence Director John Brennan was responsible.

In a Twitter post last week, the president-elected compared the intelligence community to Nazi Germany.

In an interview Monday with The Wall Street Journal, Brennan described the comparison to the Nazi's as "repugnant" and said Trump's criticism of the intelligence community's credibility was unwarranted. "Tell the families of those 117 CIA officers who are forever memorialized on our wall of honor that their loved ones, who gave their lives, were akin to Nazi's," said Brennan.

Brennan denied leaking the dossier, which was compiled by a retired British intelligence officer. Brennan said a synopsis of the report was included in briefing documents that were delivered to President Obama and President-elect Trump at the request of the FBI.

The dossier had been distributed around Washington for months before it was published by BuzzFeed News last week.

At a separate news conference Tuesday in Moscow, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said relations with the U.S. could improve when Trump assumes the presidency.

"If what Donald Trump and his team say about Russia, the readiness to search for joint approaches to the resolution of common problems and the deterrence of common threats ... we will reciprocate," Lavrov said.

The Russian foreign minister said Trump administration officials should attend talks in Kazakhstan later this month devoted to ending Syrian civil war. Lavrov expressed hope that the Trump administration "will not apply double standards in order to use the war on terrorism to achieve goals that don't have anything to do with this goal."

The U.S. and Russia have clashed over the Syrian conflict during the Obama administration, with Washington backing moderate rebel groups, while Russia has thrown its full support behind the government of Bashar al-Assad.

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249 civilians killed in Turkish assaults against northern Syria: Observatory

Iran Press TV

Sun Jan 15, 2017 5:34PM

A so-called monitoring group says nearly 250 civilians have lost their lives and more than a thousand others sustained injuries ever since the Turkish military launched an operation in northern Syria against purported positions of Daesh Takfiri terrorists and Kurdish fighters.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday that eight people, two children and a White Helmet rescue worker, were killed the previous day as Turkish forces bombed and shelled al-Bab town, located 30 kilometers south of the Turkish border, the nearby town of Bizeaa as well as surrounding areas, which are controlled by Daesh terrorists in Syria's northern province of Aleppo.

The Observatory noted that the latest deaths took to 249 the number of Syrian civilians killed in the wake of Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield. There were 54 minors under the age of eighteen and 29 women among the fatalities.

The Britain-based monitoring group went on to say that more than 1,100 people were either injured or maimed between November 13 last year and January 15 this year as a result of Turkish artillery attacks and airstrikes against northern Syrian towns.

On August 24, 2016, the Turkish air force and special ground forces kicked off Operation Euphrates Shield inside Syria in a declared bid to support the Free Syrian Army militants and rid the border area of Daesh terrorists and fighters from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Democratic Union Party (PYD).

The offensive was launched in coordination with the US-led military coalition, which has purportedly been fighting Daesh extremists since 2014.

The incursion was the first major Turkish military intervention in Syria, which drew strong condemnation from the Syrian government for violating the Arab country's sovereignty.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on November 29 that the Turkish army had marched into Syria to end the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, whom he accused of terrorism and causing the deaths of thousands.

The remarks caused consternation in the Kremlin, with Russian presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, demanding Erdogan to clarify anti-Assad goals in Syria.

The Turkish leader backtracked on the comments two days later, asserting that the offensives there are aimed only at terrorists.

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SNSC secretary outlines Iran's four-point plan for Syria peace

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Jan 16, IRNA -- Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani says that Iran's four-point plan for making a halt to the Syrian crisis has already been presented.

In his recent interview with the Tehran Foreign Policy Studies Quarterly, Shamkhani outlined Iran's four-point plan that included the immediate ceasefire, reform, formation of internal dialogue and holding of an all-inclusive election in Syria.

The fact that the US and certain other countries try to decide on Syria instead of the Syrian people or say who can or cannot be candidate for the Syrian presidency is all against the democratic principles and the rights of the nations to decide on their own fates, said Shamkhani.

Today, the US and some other countries including Saudi Arabia are trying to leave out Syria from the Resistance movement, Shamkhani noted, adding 'Democracy in Syria is much better than that of some regional countries supported by the US.'

Referring to the Syrian Army's victories in eastern Aleppo, Shamkhani said the liberation of Aleppo, cleaning the vicinity of Damascus (from terrorists) through military operations and achieving the political truce, all proved that the joint Iran-Syria-Russia strategy and Resistance movement have been successful in dealing with the US propaganda.

In addition, he said, liberation of Aleppo revealed to the public the secrets of direct foreign help to the terrorists, he went on to say.

He further underlined that the Syria war supported by the Western and Arab countries is like Iraq's imposed war on Iran in 1980-88.

In the eight-year war, he went on to say, the world with its all capacities stood by the then Iraqi president Saddam Hussein against Iran, very much like the coalition formed by 80 world states supporting the terrorist groups in Syria by providing weapons for them or training them.

The current disarray in the region has raised the countries' expenses and will add to the Zionist regime's achievements, Shamkhani stressed.

About Tehran's view on Damascus, the official said Iran within the framework of the Islamic Republic's strategy supports Syria and its President Bashar al Assad in order to safeguard the Resistance Movement and fight against terrorism.

The support will continue as long as the Syrian government needs, he further added.

Use of arms to ensure security is the governments' absolute rights, but use of weapons by the opposition groups is not affirmed by any country or any legal sources.

President Assad is so popular in Syria, Shamkhani said, noting, 'If the Westerners believe that the Syrian president does not have the public support, why are they concerned about his candidacy?'

Asked about the future of Syria, Shamkhani replied that the way of formation of the political process and agreement between different parties in Syria will decide Syria's fate.

All sides should simultaneously concentrate on the issues of the control of terrorism, cutting off the foreign help to the terrorists and the national dialogue, he said,

stressing that it would be the best way to stop the crisis in Syria and this has been what Iran has followed during the past years.

Talking of the Western plans on disintegrating the region, Shamkhani advised the countries like Turkey and Saudi Arabia to decide whether they are for or against the integration of Syria and the Islamic countries. Is Riyadh immune from blazing the fire of integration in the region?

Despite some assumptions, Iran is not after fall of House of Saud, but willing to curb efforts to topple the Saudi rulers.

If being fallen down, Saudi Arabia would likely be disintegrated and Daesh extremist ideology would dominate main parts of that country, he underlined.

The Islamic Republic of Iran always stands against the extension of extremism and defends unity among the regional countries as the regional disintegration would pave the way for domination of the terrorist ideology over the Islamic lands, and this will be against the strategic interests of the World of Islam.

'Unfortunately, we're witnessing that the outcome of the Saudi rulers' regional policies on Syria and Yemen have practically strengthened the terrorist groups,' he concluded.

1483**1771

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Syrian militant groups to participate in Kazakhstan peace talks

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 4:48PM

Foreign-sponsored militant groups have decided to attend the forthcoming Syria peace talks in Kazakhstan, which aim to boost efforts to end the nearly six-year-old conflict in the Arab country.

Mohammad Alloush, the head of the political office of the so-called Jaish al-Islam militant group, said on Monday that the militants took the decision at meetings underway in the Turkish capital city of Ankara, and are now working to form a delegation which he will head.

"The factions will go and the first thing they will discuss will be the matter of the ceasefire" and its violations, an unnamed official in the so-called Free Syrian Army extremist group said, adding, "This will be a test for the Russians as the guarantor."

Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim Kama Umirt Union said, "The majority of the groups decided to attend. Discussions will be on the ceasefire - the humanitarian issues - aid deliveries, release of detainees."

Ahmad al-Othman from the Sultan Murad militant faction also said the groups have "decided to go to the talks."

The intra-Syrian talks in Astana are scheduled for January 23, and would focus strictly on military developments and reinforcement of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Russia and Turkey.

The deal came into force at midnight (2200 GMT) on December 30, 2016, and appears to be holding despite clashes between government forces and militants in the Wadi Barada area that supplies water to the capital, Damascus.

The peace negotiations in Astana come ahead of the next round of UN-brokered political negotiations in the Swiss city of Geneva on February 8.

Dozens dead as Syrian army fight off Daesh in Dayr al-Zawr

Meanwhile, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 82 people have been killed over the past two days in fighting between Daesh Takfiris and Syrian government forces in the eastern city of Dayr al-Zawr.

The UK-based monitoring group said the dead included 40 Daesh extremists, 28 Syrian soldiers and allied fighters from popular defense groups, as well as 14 civilians.

Syria's official news agency, SANA, reported that the army had killed dozens of Daesh terrorists, among them Saudi and Tunisian nationals, in attacks on the terror group's positions in and around Dayr al-Zawr.

Daesh terrorists, who control most of Dayr al-Zawr Province, have kept the remaining government-held areas of the provincial capital that goes with the same name under siege since 2014.

Syrian Army forces have withstood the blockade in light of air-dropped humanitarian assistance as well as military equipment flown into a nearby military airport controlled by government soldiers.

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Syrian Rebels to Attend Kazakh Peace Talks

By VOA News January 16, 2017

Syrian rebels say they will attend peace talks in Kazakhstan next week aimed at ending the country's nearly six-year-old war.

Rebel officials said Monday the meetings in Astana, the Kazakh capital, on January 23rd will focus on the cease-fire, humanitarian issues and the violations by the regime. The talks are being supported by Russia and Iran, which back the government of President Bashar al-Assad, as well as Turkey, which backs the rebels.

The opposition suffered a major setback in December when it lost the rebel-held districts of eastern Aleppo.

Also Monday, Islamic State fighters advanced around the key eastern city of Deir al-Zor, trying to cut it off from a nearby military air base. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors and reports on fighting in the war-ravaged country, said the attack has left at least 82 people dead. It said Islamic State fighters have cut the road linking the government's access to the airport.

Fighting also continues outside the capital, Damascus, where government forces are trying to recapture a rebel-held area which holds the main water source for the Syrian capital.

The fighting north of Damascus in the water-rich valley has raged since December 22, when Barada River water supplies to the capital and its 5.5 million residents were severely curtailed due to water contamination.

The government accused rebel forces of poisoning the water with diesel fuel, while opposition leaders say the contamination began when government airstrikes heavily damaged a key water processing facility.

Local officials said Friday that engineers had begun repairs to the plant as part of a broader deal that allowed the safe departure of some rebel fighters and a temporary truce with others while repairs were made.

But the observatory said the deal fell apart late Saturday when gunmen shot and killed the head of the negotiating team overseeing the truce.

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Senior Iranian, Russian security officials discuss Syria

Iran Press TV

Tue Jan 17, 2017 10:35AM

Senior Iranian and Russian security officials have discussed the latest political, security, and military developments in the joint campaign against foreign-sponsored terrorism in Syria.

In telephone conversation on Monday evening, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani and his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev discussed the latest developments that have occurred following the establishment of a ceasefire in the Arab country.

The ceasefire deal, brokered by Russia and Turkey, came into force at midnight (2200 GMT) on December 30, 2016, and has been largely holding despite clashes between government forces and terrorists in the Wadi Barada area, where water supplies for the capital, Damascus, are located and been cut or contaminated by the terrorists.

Iran has been offering Syria advisory military assistance, and Russia has been carrying out an aerial campaign against the militants in the country on a request from the Damascus government.

The ceasefire does not apply to the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group and al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria. Syrian soldiers and allied fighters from popular defense groups have been engaged in fierce fighting with Daesh militants in the eastern city of Dayr al-Zawr.

Shamkhani and the secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation (SCRF) also underlined the need for constant consultations between Tehran and Moscow in order to advance political initiatives for the resolution of the Syrian conflict.

The high-rankling officials further exchanged viewpoints on the mechanisms to enhance the Russo-Iranian campaign against Takfiri terrorism, particularly against al-Nusra Front and Daesh terrorist groups in Syria, and their full elimination.

The telephone conversation came as Iranian, Russian, and Syrian political, military, and security officials have intensified negotiations in the run-up to forthcoming Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital city of Astana, which aims to end the nearly six-year-old Syrian conflict.

Foreign-sponsored militant groups decided on Monday to attend the Astana talks, which are scheduled for January 23 and would focus strictly on military developments and reinforcing the ceasefire agreement that is in place.

The Astana peace talks come ahead of the next round of UN-brokered political negotiations in the Swiss city of Geneva on February 8.

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President back in Taiwan after 4-nation tour in Central America

ROC Central News Agency

2017/01/15 22:53:56

Taipei, Jan. 15 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () arrived back in Taipei late Sunday and pledged that Taiwan will maintain its cooperation projects with its allies but that they will be carried out more efficiently and with a better chance of benefitting the both sides.

She said that Taiwan's allies which she has just visited approved of her administration's "steadfast diplomacy," which favors methods that are mutually beneficial by adopting bilateral dialogue instead of providing unilateral aid.

"In the future, the number of cooperation projects will not decline but the projects will become more efficient and have a better chance of creating win-win situations," she said.

Speaking at the airport, the president also said that any future cooperation projects should take the development of businesses and markets into consideration.

Her government will ask experts to visit Central America on fact-finding missions and encourage businesses to come up with strategies that can lead to win-win cooperation based on projects that Taiwan can work on with its allies, said Tsai.

She is back in Taiwan after visiting four of Taiwan's 21 remaining diplomatic allies: Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador.

The president also made a transit stop in Houston on Jan. 7 en route to Central America and another in San Francisco after concluding the official part of her visit in San Salvador Friday.

It was Tsai's second overseas trip as president since she came to office on May 20, 2016.

In late June, she was in Panama City for the opening of the Panama Canal expansion project and went to Paraguay for a state visit.

Enditem

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Risible Trump playing with fire over Taiwan: Chinese media

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 7:51AM

Chinese state media say incoming US President Donald Trump is "playing with fire" by challenging China's sovereignty over Taiwan, promising that Beijing would strongly respond to any reconsideration by the US of the so-called One China policy.

The English-language newspaper Global Times published an article on Monday warning that Trump's repeated threats to abandon the policy, which recognizes Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan, could no longer be dismissed as "bluster or miscalculation" and that Beijing would be ready for a "costly" battle.

The daily also published a cartoon (seen below) that shows the businessman holding a hand grenade labeled "Trump's China policy."

Trump, who will take the oath of office on Friday, has said he does not see why he should be committed to the "One China" policy  a longstanding US practice in foreign policy  unless Beijing made concessions in trade. Washington has been maintaining only unofficial ties with Taiwan since 1979.

"If Trump is determined to use this gambit on taking office, a period of fierce, damaging interactions will be unavoidable, as Beijing will have no choice but to take off the gloves," read the article by Global Times, which is published by China's ruling Communist Party.

Trump first angered China after his election win in November 2016 by taking a congratulatory phone call from Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen in a major break from US diplomatic protocol in 37 years.

"In the past, Trump infuriated us, but now we find him risible," the article on the Chinese daily read.

The US president-elect repeated his anti-China remarks in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Friday. He said the "One China" policy was "being negotiated." China has said its sovereignty over Taiwan is "non-negotiable."

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Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

By Seba Aghayeva  Trend:

Azerbaijans not supporting the extension of mandate for the OSCE Yerevan office is being used by Armenia for its own benefit, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry, told Trend Jan. 17.

Indeed, Azerbaijan hasnt supported extension of mandate for the OSCE office in Yerevan. Azerbaijan has repeatedly brought to OSCEs attention that the military and political activities of the Yerevan office go beyond its mandate. Here the matter rests on participation of the office in events, particularly in mine clearance projects, Hajiyev said.

Such activity displeases the Azerbaijani side as the Yerevan office has no authority to deal with the issues connected with the Karabakh conflict, he added.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
China Raising Threat Level Against Taiwan, but Sparing Drastic Actions

By Ralph Jennings January 16, 2017

China flexed a military muscle and hit at Taiwan's foreign relations over the past month as warnings against closer ties with the United States, a long-time protector of self-rule on the island that Beijing considers its own. But so far Beijing is keeping more extreme retaliation measures in reserve.

In late December and again last week, a formation including the Liaoning aircraft carrier plied waters around Taiwan, which is 160 kilometers southeast of China. Last month, the African nation Sao Tome and Principe severed two decades of formal relations with Taiwan to recognize China. Last week Nigeria cut informal ties with Taiwan, saying it's not a country.

Warnings from China

Those moves are meant to warn Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen against growing closer with the United States since her surprise phone call Dec. 2 to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and in light of her trip to the Americas Jan. 7-14, experts say. The United States sells Taiwan arms and has a law allowing it to help Taiwan defend itself.

But China has spared the more salient threats of the past in case Tsai cools toward the United States and seeks talks with Beijing, experts say.

"International space was given to Taiwan, quote unquote, and as someone born and brought up in Taiwan we hate to acknowledge that, but space was given to Taiwan on the basis of understanding that there is no tension across Taiwan Straits," said Joanna Lei, chief executive officer of the Chunghua 21st Century think tank in Taiwan.

"Once that tension is increased, then it's no denial that Taiwan's international space will be reduced, and that will be something Tsai Ing-wen's government has to grapple with and has to have a reaction to," she said.

China sees Taiwan as part of China

China sees Taiwan as part of its territory, despite the island's self-rule since the 1940s, and insists the two sides eventually unify. It worries that Taiwan's autonomy will get a boost if Taiwanese leaders deepen relations overseas, especially with the United States.

In 1995 and 1996, China fired missiles into the Taiwan Strait in what was seen then as an attempt to discourage Taiwanese from electing an anti-Beijing president. As late as 2005, senior Chinese officials threatened to use force against Taiwan if needed.

People of Taiwan react

But those measures fanned anti-China sentiment in Taiwan, helping to install presidents who vowed to stand up to Beijing. Tsai, in office since May, has frustrated China for her unwillingness to hold talks on grounds that both sides belong to one country. But she has kept her tone toward Beijing polite, avoiding words or actions to upset it.

Beijing is expected to avoid more drastic measures, such as buying off a series of Taiwan's remaining 21 diplomatic allies or testing missiles, but continue with milder threats.

China waiting on Trump

"China must fear President-elect Trump because of Trump's unpredictability," said Coen Blaauw, executive director of the Washington-based, pro-Taiwan advocacy group Formosan Association for Public Affairs. "They must feel they need to do something in response to recent signals from the Trump camp in support of Taiwan, but stopping short of conducting missile tests.

"So sailing the Liaoning aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait was probably the strongest signal they could think of given the circumstances," he said. "It is hard to imagine China going beyond that."

The cut in ties with Sao Tome and Principe still leaves Taiwan enough foreign allies to give it a voice in the United Nations, where China blocks Taiwan itself from participation. Nigeria did not have a diplomatic relationship and does not rank among Taiwan's top trading partners.

Tsai's travels this month took her to four Central American countries where she tightened relations.

The aircraft carrier, which passed through the Taiwan Strait Wednesday en route to northern China, entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone, but avoided its territorial seas.

Economic pressure

The number of group tourists from China to Taiwan declined 27 percent from May, when Tsai took office, over the following five months. The trend, which first began around the time of Tsai's January 2016 election, is seen as pressure by Beijing to pinch the island's economy without a more severe hit, such as cancelling trade or investment deals.

Beijing may be watching now what follows Tsai's meeting Jan. 8 with Republican Senator Ted Cruz. The encounter may have built a bridge with the party that won control of the U.S. Congress in November. Tsai's 12-minute phone call to Trump in early December outraged China, which had grown used to U.S. leaders shunning contact with Taipei since the 1970s.

Washington broke formal ties with Taiwan in 1979 in favor of the larger and faster-growing China.

A stronger link with Trump following Tsai's call December 2 could bring Taiwan more military exchanges and more access to advanced weapons for defense against China. Taiwanese leaders also want a free trade deal that would help local exporters.

The warnings are seen as soft so far  they have incited little sustained outrage or fear in Taiwan  but could escalate if Taiwan's president does anything new that offends China.

"She's not taking any chance, so that's why she's holding herself back. It's her view that it's better not to really irritate China more," said Shane Lee, political scientist at Chang Jung Christian University in Taiwan.

But some people in her Democratic Progressive Party, which includes a hard-line anti-China faction, hope for less holding back. Others in Taiwan want stronger China ties to boost trade and investment. "She is facing a lot of pressure from both within the party and from the society in general," Lee said.

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China: 'Gloves Off' if Trump Uses Taiwan as Bargaining Chip

By Victor Beattie January 16, 2017

China state media blasted U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump after he told The Wall Street Journal the "one-China" policy is negotiable.

The China Daily said Monday Trump is reinforcing the impression that he intends to use Taiwan as a bargaining chip in relations with Beijing. It warned the result would be "a period of fierce, damaging interactions," as Beijing will have no choice but to "take the gloves off."

Taiwan expert Bruce Jacobs of Australia's Monash University told VOA the Chinese reaction is what one might have expected.

"You would expect them to say that. One could argue that's a negotiating term. It depends on how the Trump government decides to move forward," he said.

"The arguments that the Chinese would use are that the breaking of relations with Taiwan was part of the deal that was done so the United States could establish relations with China. But in fact, it wasn't quite so clear cut and as I've said Taiwan is now a democratic nation, which has never really being ruled by China; never been ruled by the people's Republic of China," Jacobs added.

The Global Times on Sunday dismissed Trump as a rookie who will meet strong countermeasures if he impairs the "one-China" principle. The paper said the mainland will be prompted to speed up Taiwan reunification as a result of "this despicable strategy."

Jacobs said mainland China today is nationalistic and pushing hard against Taiwan and in the South China Sea, which adds to global tensions and gives the Chinese military leverage to push for ever-higher defense budgets.

"I think he [Trump] is right in saying the one china policy should be discussed, because it's based on false history. But there is also a couple of other things which were false about it such as saying the United States recognizes that Taiwan is part of China. That's not true," Jacobs said.

The United States, he added, recognizes that China claims Taiwan belongs to it.

"So in that aspect I think what Trump is done is raised an important issue that needs to reconsidered. But for him to say that Taiwan should be a bargaining chip in some training negotiations is completely wrong and illegitimate. Taiwan is a separate nation. It's a middle size nation. And it should not be coming a bargaining chip," Jacobs added.

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Fears Grow Turkey Is Getting Sucked into Syrian Conflict

By Dorian Jones January 16, 2017

Turkish media report thousands more soldiers will be sent into Syria, as Turkish forces struggle to recapture the strategically important town of al-Bab from so-called Islamic State.

Last month, 16 Turkish soldiers were killed in one attack in al-Bab, where jihadists increasingly are using suicide bombers and truck bombs in the fight over the town.

"The conflict is proving to be much more difficult; al-Bab has still not been captured," said Al-Monitor website political columnist Semih Idiz. He argued the battle for the town has become politically important.

"Although statements from the [Turkish] president recently were suggesting it was imminent, it was a matter of time; it still has not happened," he said. "So what do you do? We know it from Vietnam, we know it from all over the place, the first reaction is to pour in more soldiers.That already shows you are being sucked in."

The Turkish Army launched Operation Euphrates Shield last August, ostensibly to support the Free Syrian Army, or FSA, the rebel group fighting with Turkish forces in Syria.

Retired Brigadier General Haldun Solmazturk heads the 21st Century Turkey Institute, an Ankara-based research group. He said the battle for al-Bab has revealed crucial shortcomings in the FSA.

"An army has some kind of command chain; it has some discipline; it has some motivation; it has some kind of training; at least they give the impression that it respects the rules of war," said Solmazturk. "None of these can be applied to the groups that are associated with the Free Syrian Army, so this was a major mistake to involve the Free Syrian Army."

With the Turkish military ravaged by ongoing purges of its ranks since a failed coup in July, there are questions over its ability to step up its commitment in Syria, warned Solmazturk.

"In a country like Turkey, involved in actual military operations in more than one foreign country, as well as large-scale anti-terror operations with the country itself, to ... reinforce ... an existing Turkish unit in Syria around al-Bab itself, I doubt if such thousands are available or can be made available by the Turkish army."

Analysts say a sign of Ankara's growing frustrations is the fact it chided Washington for failing to provide air support for the Turkish military operation in al-Bab.

"it is realizing that it cannot do this on it own, that it needs support, wherever it ... comes from, even [the] Russian side or American side or some kind of Middle East power group," said Idiz.

There is likely to be a price for that support. Operation Euphrates Shield targets the Syrian Kurdish militia the YPG along with Islamic State. Turkey says both groups are terrorist organizations; but, the YPG is seen by Turkey's Western allies and Moscow as important to fighting IS.

"It [Turkey] needs international support," said Idiz. "And one of the ways to achieve this is to focus on Islamic State and perhaps leave the Kurdish element a little to the background in Syria."

Last week, Moscow and Ankara announced they would coordinate their airstrikes in Syria. Sunday, military leaders from 14 countries in the Middle East and Africa offered support for Turkey at a meeting in Riyadh, but did not specify what form it would entail.

Despite such steps, concerns remain over the ongoing Syrian operation.

"If a country's military forces are involved in a foreign country, in major military operations, I would ask for a clear-cut political aim," said Solmazturk, "This does not exist. That is why I do not hesitate to say that Turkey, the Turkish army, is stuck in Syria."

Turkey has been vague about its objectives in Syria, saying only that it aims to remove the threat of terrorism from its border. Analysts say the main motive of Turkey's military intervention in Syria could be to give Ankara a say over that country's future, but warn Turkey could end up paying a considerable price.

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Istanbul attacker nabbed, confesses to massacre: Turkish authorities

Iran Press TV

Tue Jan 17, 2017 1:0AM

Turkish authorities have announced they have captured the gunman who carried out a gruesome attack at an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day, saying he has confessed to staging the massacre.

The attack saw a lone gunman making his way into the upscale club after the inauguration of the New Year and starting to mow down revelers. Thirty nine people were killed and nearly 70 others injured in the shooting spree.

The Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, which is mainly active in Syria and Iraq, claimed responsibility for the attack.

On Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said "the vile terrorist" had been captured earlier in the day and was being questioned by police.

The manhunt, in which 1,000 security personnel were reportedly involved, took two weeks to bear fruits.

Media outlets have identified the suspect as Abdulgadir Masharipov, saying he had been seized during a raid against a luxury residential complex in Istanbul's Esenyurt district and that he had put up resistance during the operation.

Also arrested during the operation were a Kyrgyz male and three women  from Somalia, Senegal and Egypt, reports said. The main suspect had been living in the apartment rented in the name of the Kyrgyz arrestee. The suspect's four-year-old son was also found on the premises and has been placed in protective custody.

An Uzbek, trained in Afghanistan

Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin said the suspect had admitted to staging the carnage and that his fingerprints matched those of the attacker.

Sahin added that the suspect is an Uzbekistani national, who had been trained in handling weaponry in Afghanistan.

Following the incident, reports surfaced alleging that the assailant had entered Turkey via Syria last year.

According to the governor, the detainee is a well-educated terrorist, who speaks four languages and clearly carried out the attack in the name of Daesh.

Other reports said that the suspect had been located three days earlier and had been under surveillance so his contacts could be identified.

He is also said to have fought for Daesh in Syria.

Turkey's Anadolu news agency said the far-and-wide operation to catch him had also seen police swooping on members of a suspected Uzbek Daesh cell in five Istanbul neighborhoods and detaining several people.

A total of 35 people had already been detained in relation to the bloody attack, the latest of whom being two Chinese people from the Uighur community.

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Turkey Says Nightclub Attack Suspect Uzbek-Born, Trained In Afghanistan

RFE/RL January 17, 2017

Turkish authorities say they have captured the man they believe gunned down 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on January 17 that the suspect was being questioned by police and expressed hope that the interrogation would unveil "powers" behind the attack, which also left dozens of people wounded. He did not provide further details.

Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin identified the suspect as Abdulkadir Masharipov and said he was born in Uzbekistan in 1983 and had trained in Afghanistan.

Sahin said that Masharipov had confessed to carrying out the massacre, adding that his fingerprints matched prints found at the scene of the attack.

Authorities say the lone gunman arrived in a taxi and shot two people on the street before entering the upscale Reina nightclub early on January 1 and opening fire on revelers.

Sahin described Masharipov, who he said operated under the cover name Abu Muhammed Horasani, as "a well-educated terrorist who speaks four languages."

The governor also said there were strong indications the suspect entered Turkey illegally through its eastern borders in January 2016.

He added that he had clearly carried out the nightclub massacre in the name of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, which claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was revenge for Turkish military involvement in Syria.

Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi said it was too early to say whether the suspect was trained in Afghanistan, but he insisted that "all terrorist networks are based outside Afghanistan's territory."

"We have always done the maximum in order to prevent terrorists from having training centers and safe havens inside of Afghanistan," Sediqi told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan. "But unfortunately the Taliban and terrorist groups have training centers and safe havens inside Pakistan's territory."

Turkish media reported earlier that police detained the alleged attacker late on January 16 in a police raid on an apartment in Istanbul's Esenyurt district.

Police released a photo of the suspect, showing a man with a bloodstained shirt and cuts and bruises on his face.

One Iraqi man and three women from Egypt and Africa were also detained at the same apartment, Sahin said.

He also said the main suspect's 4-year-old son was not with him when he was caught, contradicting earlier reports.

Police also seized two firearms, ammunition, and $197,000 in the raid, Sahin added.

The alleged attacker was being questioned at Istanbul police headquarters, while other people were detained in raids across the city targeting Uzbek IS cells, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

A total of 50 people had now been detained in the investigation, Sahin said.

In Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the arrest and thanked Turkey's security and intelligence agencies for their efforts.

"In this country, nobody will get away with what they have done," Erdogan said. "Everyone will be brought to account within the rule of law."

The IS group has been blamed for at least six major attacks in Turkey since mid-2015, including an attack on a peace rally in October 2015 that killed more than 100 in Ankara.

The victims of the nightclub attack included citizens of Israel, France, Tunisia, Lebanon, India, Belgium, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and The Guardian

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/istanbul-attacker -captured/28237765.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Biden in Ukraine to unite world against Russia

Iran Press TV

Mon Jan 16, 2017 3:9PM

Outgoing US Vice President Joe Biden has said the world must resist Russian "coercion and aggression," and urged the incoming Donald Trump administration to back Ukraine against Moscow.

Biden made the remarks in Kiev where he arrived on Monday to have a farewell meeting with Petro Poroshenko who became the president of Ukraine following the ouster of democratically-elected President Viktor Yanukovych in a 2014 US-backed uprising.

Standing next to Poroshenko, Biden said, "You're fighting both the cancer of corruption... and the unrelenting aggression of the Kremlin."

"The international community must continue to stand as one against Russian coercion and aggression. It is Ukraine's best hope to move forward as a united country," he added.

Biden, who has visited the country six times since February 2014, said that sanctions against Russia must stay in place until Moscow follows the terms of the Minsk peace deal.

Ukraine's warring sides reached a deal, dubbed Minsk II, at a summit attended by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany in the Belarusian capital Minsk in February 2015.

The agreement introduced measures such as a ceasefire, a pullout of heavy weapons and constitutional reforms in Ukraine by the end of that year. Russia says the government in Kiev and its Western allies have twisted the peace deal.

The Crimean peninsula declared independence from Ukraine on March 17, 2014, and formally applied to become part of Russia following a referendum in which 96.8 percent of participants voted in favor of the secession. The voter turnout in the referendum stood at 83.1 percent.

Since then, the US and some other Western countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia over accusations that Moscow has been involved in the deadly crisis in Ukraine, which broke out when Kiev launched military operations to crack down on pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine in 2015. Russia has denied the allegation.

"Together with our EU and G7 partners, we made it clear that sanctions should remain in place until Russia fully, emphasize fully, implements its commitments under the Minsk agreement," Biden said, adding that Crimea-related sanctions must also stay "until Russia returns full control to the people of Ukraine."

The Obama administration has said that economic sanctions against Russia should continue as long as Moscow fails to implement all aspects of the Ukraine peace agreement reached in Minsk.

US President-elect Donald Trump, however, has suggested that the US should end its sanctions against Russia if Moscow agrees to a deal to cut nuclear weapons and cooperates with Washington on other issues such as terrorism.

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Saying 'Russia Must Pay,' Kyiv Sues Moscow At UN Court

Christopher Miller January 16, 2017

KYIV -- Ukraine has sued Russia at the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, accusing Moscow of acts of "terrorism" and "discrimination" related to its backing separatists in eastern Ukraine and its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula

The Foreign Ministry filed the lawsuit late on January 16 at the request of President Petro Poroshenko.

It claims that Russia has violated the UN Convention For The Suppression Of The Financing Of Terrorism by supporting separatists fighting government forces in a war that has killed more than 9,750 people since April 2014.

It also claims that Russia has oppressed Crimean Tatars, an ethnic minority whose homeland is Crimea.

"For three years, Russia has been committing the illegal annexation of Crimea, illegal occupation of the east of our country in the territory of [the] Donetsk and Luhansk regions, [and] implementing the policy of elimination and discrimination in Crimea," Poroshenko said at a meeting with Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev and three other top officials.

Armed Russians "have committed numerous terrorist attacks affecting hundreds of thousands of innocent people forced to leave their home," he said.

"Russia must pay the price for its aggression," Poroshenko said.

Ukrainian authorities call the nearly three-year-old conflict in eastern Ukraine an "antiterrorist operation," and often refer to those fighting against government forces as "terrorists."

Neither Kyiv nor Russia, which denies it has backed the separatists with troops or weapons despite mounting evidence, has formally declared war.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mariana Betsa told RFE/RL that the lawsuit was the result of three years of "titanic work" by Ukrainian authorities. It is the first lawsuit filed with the ICJ by Kyiv, which has sent at least four lawsuits against Russia to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Ukraine is aware that the ICJ may not consider the lawsuit for years, if ever, Betsa said.

"But we have hope," she said, adding that it is "inevitable" that Russia will bear responsibility "for crimes it has committed."

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine -poroshenko-sues-moscow-un- court/28237419.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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In Final Visit To Kyiv, Biden Urges World To Stand Against Russian Aggression

Christopher Miller January 16, 2017

KYIV -- Making his final visit to Kyiv in eight years as U.S. vice president, Joe Biden urged the international community to stand against what he called Russian aggression and urged the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump to be a strong supporter of Ukraine.

Biden's visit, his sixth during President Barack Obama's eight years in office and fifth since Moscow-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych fled in the face of the Euromaidan protests in February 2014 and a pro-Western government came to power, came four days before Trump's January 20 inauguration.

Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, whom he described as his "good friend," Biden said U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia for its seizure of the Crimean Peninsula and its involvement in a war between government forces and pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine must remain in place until Moscow fully implements its commitments under a 2015 peace deal known as the Minsk accords.

Biden said he knows it is hard to find faith in the Minsk process when Russia refuses to hold up its end of the deal, in his words, but he emphasized that it is "Ukraine's best hope to move forward as a united country."

The outgoing U.S. vice president urged Ukraine to keep demonstrating its commitment to the rule of law and fighting corruption. He said Ukrainians must insist on transparency and "investigate and prosecute government officials who siphon off funds for their own enrichment."

Russia, Biden said, has used corruption as a "tool of coercion" to keep Ukraine within its sphere of influence. Fighting corruption is not just a matter of good governance, it is essential for self-preservation and security, he said.

Poroshenko expressed gratitude to Biden for his unwavering support for Ukraine and invited him back to Kyiv as a private citizen.

He also thanked the United States for Obama's January 13 decision extending sanctions against Russia over its seizure of Crimea and aggression in eastern Ukraine for a year, through March 2018 -- a move that means Trump will have to cancel them rather than just letting them expire in a few weeks if he wants to abandon them, as he has indicated he might.

In the future, Poroshenko said, he hopes the "Ukrainian issue will unite all American politicians and will remain among their top priorities.

"Everyone who shares democratic values is Russia's adversary," he said.

The Ukrainian president also welcomed what he called "encouraging signals delivered during Senate hearings by the candidates for secretary of state and secretary of defense," he added, referring to former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson and retired General James Mattis, respectively.

During hours of questioning last week, the nominees took tougher positions on Russia than Trump has, both regarding Moscow's interference in Ukraine and allegations of interference in the U.S. presidential election.

'Uncle Joe'

Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that U.S. support could wane following the inauguration of Trump, who has spoken admiringly of Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressed a desire to improve ties with Moscow.

In an interview with The Times of London and the German magazine Bild published on January 16, Trump suggested he may offer to roll back sanctions against Russia in return for a deal with Moscow to reduce nuclear arms.

Ukrainians have become fond of Biden, who has become known in political circles in Kyiv as "Uncle Joe" for what Taras Berezovets, a political consultant and founder of the Kyiv-based think tank Ukrainian Institute for the Future said was his ability to intervene and quash spats between Ukrainian officials before they spiraled out of control.

"[Biden] would always show up at the right moment with the right words and always stop internal political crises," he told RFE/RL.

Berezovets also said that "Biden's intervention in Ukrainian [affairs] was absolutely vital for defending our independence, because in 2014 there was a clear and present danger of a full-scale Russian offensive against Ukraine...and I think the intervention of Biden and Obama in terms of political and diplomatic pressure was significant enough to stop that escalation."

During his visits and frequent phone calls, Biden has pressed Ukrainian leaders to tackle deep-seated corruption that he has frequently warned weakens Kyiv's ability to protect itself against Russian interference.

In a speech to parliament in Kyiv in December 2015, he told lawmakers they needed to do more in "a historic battle against corruption."

"The world is watching you. This is your moment," he said at the time. "Please, for the sake of the rest of us, don't waste it."

He reiterated that message a little more than one year later on January 16, saying: "I believe the Ukrainian people are no longer willing to postpone a free, democratic, prosperous Ukraine. So seize it."

After reading his statement, Biden was asked by a reporter if he had received any assurances that the Trump administration would place a similar priority on Ukraine.

"Hope springs eternal," he replied before flashing a thumbs up, turning, and walking away.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/biden-final- ukraine-visit-russia/28235577.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Biden: International Community Must Stand Up Against Russian Aggression in Ukraine

By VOA News January 16, 2017

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden says "the international community" must stand up against Russian aggression and urged President-elect Donald Trump to be a strong supporter and partner of Ukraine.

Speaking Monday in Kyiv alongside President Petro Poroshenko, Biden noted Ukraine is "fighting both the cancer of corruption" and "the unrelenting aggression of the Kremlin."

Comments by Trump in a joint interview with The Times of London and Germany's Bild newspaper suggested he is looking to cut a deal with Russia, ending sanctions on Moscow in exchange for an agreement on cutting nuclear weapons.

Biden said sanctions against Moscow imposed in the aftermath of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea should continue.

"The Crimea-related sanctions against Russia must remain in place until Russia returns full control to the people of Ukraine," he said.

Biden said other sanctions related to Russia's involvement in the separatist war in eastern Ukraine should remain in place until Russia fulfills its obligations under the 2015 Minsk agreement on ending that conflict.

Last official trip

This was Biden's last official visit to Kyiv as vice president, during which he reflected the special focus Ukraine has received under the outgoing Obama administration.

During his one-day visit, Biden also met with Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman. The White House said Biden hailed the "remarkable cooperation" between the United States and Ukraine and the "consistent bipartisan support in the United States for Ukraine's progress."

Biden has been the front man for U.S. policy towards Ukraine, visiting the country five times since the 2013-2014 uprising that ousted the pro-Russian government, and he has kept regular telephone contact with Ukrainian officials.

The U.S. support for Ukraine, which has included the economic sanctions against Russia linked to the annexation of Crimea and a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, has contributed to a deterioration in U.S.-Russian relations to their worst since the Cold War.

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Edge data centres will account for most of the telecom server market growth and is projected to reach US$14 billion by 2026 according to a new report from DellOro Group.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

By Anakhanum Hidayatova  Trend:

The Austrian OSCE Chairmanship supports the efforts undertaken by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in line with their statement issued on Jan. 9, 2016, Austrias Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs told Trend Jan. 17.

The Austrian OSCE Chairmanship thinks that humanitarian questions should be dealt as such, the ministry added.

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.

Armenian Armed Forces are still holding the body of an Azerbaijan serviceman killed in the fighting, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group  Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France and Richard Hoagland of the US  said in a statement Jan. 9.

Violations of the ceasefire are unacceptable and are contrary to the acknowledged commitments of the parties, who bear full responsibility, not to use force, the statement said. 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.

In the comments to Trend, the Austrian ministry also said, Generally speaking, the OSCE Chairmanship actively supports the work of the co-chairs of the Minsk Group through the personal representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, as well as the special representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office for the South Caucasus, Ambassador Gunther Bachler.

Following its long-standing tradition as a neutral country, Austria stands ready to facilitate or host a meeting of the sides, the ministry added.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

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One hundred years ago today, January 17, a German translator in Room 40 of the Admiralty finished writing a translation of telegram sent from the German Foreign Ministry to its Embassy in the USA the previous day.

The translator, Nigel de Grey, went over to his boss and said: "Do you want to bring America into the war, Sir?"

The telegram was an instruction from Berlin to get its diplomats in Washington to contact the Mexican government and ask it to attack the USA on its southern border. Rather, rudely, the message was sent via US diplomatic channels because Britain had otherwise cut Germany's ability to send telegrams to North America,

(Image: Courtesy GCHQ - Crown copyright)

That would make sure the emerging superpower would stay out of the Great War then raging in northern Europe.

The interception and translations of the telegram was dynamite and officials in Room 40 - which was the very first precursor to GCHQ  knew it could make the difference to getting the USA onto the side of Britain and France.

(Image: Courtesy GCHQ Crown copyright)

With some shenanigans to avoid admitting to the US government that Britain was reading American diplomatic messages  the message was shown to the US government and leaked to the US press, where it made many front pages.

Germany was not only asking Mexico to attack the USA, ti was promising financial aid and promising support for Mexico's reconquering the lands it had lost to its northern neighbour that had become Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

(Image: Courtesy GCHQ Crown copyright)

Three months later the US declared war on Germany and within 18 months the stalemate of trench warfare that had cost so many lives was over and Germany was defeated.

GCHQ's historian Tony Comer says the telegram, its interception and translation were critical in two ways.

"It was the first Sigint (signals intelligence) report to have such a major impact, just three years after the UK had started doing Sigint, so it showed the art coming to maturity.

"Secondly it played a contributory role in bringing the USA into the war. It seems surprising now to think of Mexico providing a serious military threat to the US, but American forces hadn't taken part in a significant war since the Civil War. In 1917 Mexican armies had been fighting in the revolutionary wars for years, so it could really have tied up the USA in a conflict on its own borders."

But thanks, at least in part to the release of the telegram, the USA entered the First World War  the interception, translation and reporting of the telegram being the first , but not the last, time British Sigint has changed the world.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

The Azerbaijani delegation informed the OSCE Permanent Council that they dont support the draft decision on extension of the mandate of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

The delegation made this statement on Dec. 31, 2016, during the special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on the issue of extension of mandate of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

Azerbaijan on a number of occasions drew attention of the Permanent Council that the activities of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, in particular in politico-military dimension, have been source of deep concern for Azerbaijan, said the Azerbaijani delegation.

We have underlined that OSCE assistance provided to Armenia through its field mission, in particular in politico-military dimension, in no circumstances should be utilized in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan or serve to consolidation of the occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan by Armenia. We have also underlined that that our support to the activities of this field mission will depend on prevention of misuse of assistance provided or capacity acquired by the host country against legitimate security concerns of Azerbaijan, said the statement.

In this context, we wish to recall that OSCE field missions both in Armenia and Azerbaijan were established in late 1990s on the basis of understanding that their activities would not cover issues related to the ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, since these issues are dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference, noted the Azerbaijani delegation. It was due to this understanding that former OSCE field mission in Azerbaijan had not engaged in any single activity related to alleviating of numerous consequences of the conflict, including in the humanitarian field.

It has become source of serious concern that over the past years the Office in Yerevan has been drawn into the demining-related activity, which is clearly a post-conflict rehabilitation measure, noted the delegation.

As it is clearly evident from responses we received from the Office in Yerevan, activities in this particular field are directly related to ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Within this programmatic activity, the Office extends support to Armenias Center for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise (CHDE) allegedly in settlements on the border with the Republic of Azerbaijan, which were mined by the Republic of Armenia in the course of its military operations against Azerbaijan, said the statement.

The Republic of Azerbaijan conveyed its principled position to the Chairmanship and the Secretariat that Offices demining-related programmatic activities needs to excluded from its activities and underlined that making necessary adjustments to the planned activities of the Office for the next year would be an important step towards securing collective support of all OSCE participating states for activities of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, according to the statement.

We proceed from a strong understanding that all OSCE field missions should be common assets for all OSCE participating states and as such they should act in accordance with body of the OSCE principles, commitments and agreed mandates and by no means should harm legitimate interests of other participating states through their activities, said the delegation.

It is of profound regret that intensive consultations with the current German and incoming Austrian Chairmanships did not produce a result that would accommodate the concerns of the Azerbaijani side, according to the statement.

As a way out of the current situation we agreed to the proposal of the current and incoming Chairmanships that they would to issue a joint political guidance for the OSCE field mission in Yerevan, instructing it to terminate its de-mining related activities. Since OSCE field operations and institutions are operating on unified budget based on contributions from all participating states, their activities should be transparent to participating states. The would-be guidance to the Office in Yerevan will affect the programmatic activity of the Office and it is important for all participating states to be aware of its content. This would ensure transparency and accountability and would prevent re-occurrence of this undesirable situation in the future, noted the delegation.

Proceeding from this understanding, the delegation of Azerbaijan requested that the Chairmanships directive should be distributed among all participating states with proper reference number, according to the statement.

Unfortunately, after long discussions it became clear that the Chairmanship is hesitating to distribute such guidance among participating states. Pressure and open blackmailing of the Republic of Armenia, which engaged in hostage-taking and threatened the operation of other filed missions and adoption of a decision on 2016 revised budget, makes it impossible to reach a solution to the situation, added the delegation.

Under these circumstances, the Azerbaijani delegation is left with no other option but to refrain from supporting the draft decision on extension of the mandate of the OSCE Office in Yerevan as it stands, said the statement.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

By Anakhanum Hidayatova  Trend:

Negotiations on a new EU-Azerbaijan agreement will start in Brussels in the next two weeks, Malena Mard, head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, told reporters in Baku Jan. 17.

Preparations are currently underway to start the talks on this very important agreement, which will affect almost all spheres of the bilateral cooperation, she added.

The European Council adopted a mandate for the European Commission and the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy to negotiate, on behalf of the EU and its member states, a comprehensive agreement with Azerbaijan in November 2016.

The new agreement should replace the 1996 partnership and cooperation agreement and should better take account of the shared objectives and challenges the EU and Azerbaijan face today.

The agreement will follow the principles endorsed in the 2015 review of the European Neighborhood Policy and offer a renewed basis for political dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan.

Currently, bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of an agreement on partnership and cooperation that was signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999.

The new agreement envisages the compliance of Azerbaijans legislation and procedures with the EUs most important international trade norms and standards, which should lead to the improvement of Azerbaijani goods access to the EU markets.

---

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An 18-year-old is being held in Danville City Jail on charges related to a shooting on Washington Avenue on Monday.

Danville police arrested Marquan Cornellius Conway, of Danville, for aggravated malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, possession of stolen property and discharge a firearm within city limits, according to a news release.

Conway is a suspect in the shooting that happened in the 800 block of Washington Street around 5 p.m. Monday.

A 47-year-old Florida man suffered a gunshot wound, according to police. He was transported to Danville Regional Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.

Conway is held in the Danville City Jail under a $5,000 bond.

Authorities said they are continuing to investigate the incident and did not offer a motive or other details.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Danville Crime Stoppers at (434) 793-0000, the Danville Police Department at (434) 799-6508 or crimetips@danvilleva.gov.
VANCOUVER, Jan. 17, 2017 - Bravura Ventures Corp. (CSE: BVQ; OTC: BRVVF; FRA: 23B) ("Bravura" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the addition of a new strategic advisor. Mr. James Rogers joins the Bravura with a wealth of experience as a second generation geologist and entrepreneur. Mr. Rogers has worked in various capacities within the mining sector since 2007. He has worked extensively in the Yukon as well as Internationally as the Exploration Manager for Solomon Resources (TSXV: SRB) where he designed, managed and executed grassroots explorations programs in Rwanda, Yukon and British Columbia; Geologist for Montan Mining Corp. (TSXV: MNY) where he played an integral role bringing the qualifying transaction together and was active in Peru. He is currently the president of Longford Exploration Services, an active international geological services provider. Mr. Rogers specializes in designing field exploration programs, generating projects, and small scale mining scenarios. Mr. Rogers has worked and owned claims in the Yukon for nearly a decade and has built a solid network which will help support Bravura's plans to advance the Grew Creek project.

Greg Burns, CEO of Bravura Ventures Corp. stated: "Mr Roger's experience in the Yukon will be invaluable in guiding the company on its next steps with the Grew Creek Project."

About Bravura Ventures Corp.

Bravura Ventures Corp. is a mineral-exploration resource company trading on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company is currently acquiring, and intends to begin exploring, the advanced exploration-stage Gold Projects.

BRAVURA VENTURES CORP.

"Greg Burns"

_______________________

Greg Burns, Director

Forward-Looking Information This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Bravura Ventures Corp. (the "Company") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. 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 may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

SOURCE Bravura Ventures Corp.







Contact

800 - 1199 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6E 3T5, Tel.: 604.283.1722 / Fax: 1.888.241.5996


New holes to focus on additional lithium targets proximal to Albemarle production wells

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan 17, 2017) - Advantage Lithium Corp. (the "Company" or "Advantage Lithium") (TSX VENTURE:AAL) and its partner, Nevada Sunrise Gold Corp., are pleased to announce that a phase 2 drill program has begun at their Clayton NE property, which borders Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium brine production operation in Clayton Valley, Nevada. Drilling will be comprised of a total of approximately 1,800m (5,905 feet) in 3 Reverse Circulation ("RC") holes expected to test depths of a minimum 600m each. Using a similar approach to the successful phase 1 program that hit wide intercepts of lithium brine with strong brine flow rates, these new holes that will focus on high-priority conductive horizons identified and imaged in the 2016 3D Resistivity survey and confirmed by drilling to be lithium bearing brines. All 3 holes are adjacent to Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium brine field operation, in close proximity to several of their production wells.

2017 Drilling Program Highlights

Potential extension of 3.43 km mineralized brine trend: The highly-successful phase 1 program has already defined a 3.43 km mineralized trend. Phase 2 drilling has the potential to extend this trend strike length to 5.6km with successful holes.

Drilling deeper into potentially untapped aquifers. Hole CNE-16-03, from the phase 1 program, was one of the deepest boreholes drilled in the Clayton Valley and, based on results obtained, may have hit a previously untapped aquifer. As a result, phase 2 holes will target this deeper aquifer.

Permits/Waivers obtained for future development of a lithium brine resource and wells. In November 2016, the Company received waivers from the Nevada Division of Water Resources for 5 of the 6 permitted holes, which allows for reaming a borehole to a larger diameter well, pump testing, and flow rate determination in order to provide the necessary technical information for development of a lithium brine resource at Clayton NE.

Clayton NE exhibits very strong brine flows. Brine flows of up to 120 gallons per minute were encountered in the 2016 program, and if a larger diameter hole is drilled to further develop the exploratory boreholes, it is anticipated that brine flows will increase significantly. High brine flows are important for economic production of lithium from brines;

Ross McElroy, Director and Technical Advisor, of Advantage Lithium, commented: "We have already defined a 3.43km mineralized trend at Clayton NE and have encountered strong grades and excellent brine flow in all 3 Phase 1 RC holes drilled in 2016. We are excited to begin the Phase 2 round of drilling as we progress towards evaluating the potential lithium brine resource at Clayton NE."

Clayton Valley Project Overview

O'Keefe Drilling, of Butte Montana, has been retained for the phase 2 program to drill by reverse circulation (RC) equipment.

The approximately 437 hectare (1,080 acres) project is located in the Clayton Valley sedimentary salar and is contiguous to the eastern boundary of Albemarle's Silver Peak property - North America's only lithium producer.

Several of Albemarle's lithium brine production wells are situated within approximately 100 metres and less of the Clayton NE western claim boundary.

Phase 1 drilling intercepted lithium brines with robust grades and strong brine flows on all three holes, and established a 3.43km mineralized trend. Furthermore, based on results obtained, hole CNE-16-03, which is one of the deepest boreholes drilled in the Clayton Valley, may have hit a previously untapped aquifer.

Advantage Lithium is the operator of the Clayton NE project under the direction of Ross McElroy, Director and Technical Advisor for Advantage Lithium.

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of the company by Ross McElroy, P.Geol., Technical Advisor to Advantage Lithium Corp., and the Designated Qualified person for the company.

Further information about the company can be found at www.advantagelithium.com.

About Advantage Lithium Corp.

Advantage Lithium Corp. is a resource company specializing in the strategic acquisition, exploration and development of lithium properties and is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. Common Shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "AAL". The company has signed an LOI with lithium producer, Orocobre, to acquire 100% interest in five projects in Argentina and 75% in a sixth, called Cauchari. Cauchari is host to a near-surface resource of 470,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) and 1.62 million tonnes of potash (KCL), and a large exploration target of 5.6mt to 0.25mt of LCE and 19mt to 0.9 of KCL. Cauchari is located just 20 km south Orocobre's flagship Olaroz Lithium Facility. The company is also earning an interest from Nevada Sunrise Gold Corp., in a portfolio of five lithium brine projects in the Clayton and Lida Valley regions of Nevada, USA, including 70% in Clayton NE. In addition, the company has acquired 100% of the Stella Marys lithium brine project, immediately adjacent to Orocobre's Salinas Grandes project that hosts an inferred, near-surface resource, in Argentina's Lithium Triangle.

ADVANTAGE LITHIUM CORP.

David Sidoo, President

Cautionary Statement:

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding the future operating or financial performance of Advantage Lithium which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company and Advantage Lithium disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation.

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.
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - January 17, 2017) - North Arrow Minerals Inc. (TSX VENTURE: NAR) is pleased to announce it has entered a property purchase agreement with Stornoway Diamond Corp. (TSX: SWY) under which North Arrow will acquire Stornoway's remaining interests in the Qilalugaq and Pikoo Diamond Projects. Upon closing the transaction, North Arrow will hold 100% interests in both projects.

Ken Armstrong, President and CEO of North Arrow, stated "The agreement announced today allows North Arrow to consolidate our ownership of the Qilalugaq and Pikoo Projects without up-front cash payments and provides the company with greater flexibility to manage continued evaluation of two of the most compelling exploration stage diamond projects in Canada. The Qilalugaq Project, Nunavut, hosts the large Q1-4 kimberlite which contains a population of fancy orangey yellow diamonds that are unique in Canada. A diamond drill has been mobilized to the community of Naujaat, just 9 km from Q1-4, where a drilling and sampling program is planned for this spring and summer. Further, the Pikoo Project remains Canada's most recently discovered new diamond field with kimberlite intersected in 70% of the drill holes completed to date. We continue to define priority drilling targets at Pikoo both near existing discoveries and at the heads of unsourced kimberlite indicator mineral trains."

Under terms of the property purchase agreement, North Arrow will acquire Stornoway's approximate 18% interest in the Qilalugaq Project and approximate 15% interest in the Pikoo Project in exchange for 2,000,000 common shares of North Arrow. As additional consideration, Stornoway will retain 0.5% and 1.0% gross overriding royalties on diamonds and 0.5% and 1.0% net smelter returns royalties on base and precious metals mined from the Qilalugaq and Pikoo Projects, respectively. North Arrow will also make Cdn $2.5M and Cdn $1.25M cash payments to Stornoway at the same time that first royalty payments relating to the Qilalugaq and Pikoo Projects, respectively, are payable. Closing of the agreement with Stornoway is subject to a number of terms and conditions, including the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About North Arrow Minerals

North Arrow is a Canadian based exploration company focused on the identification and evaluation of diamond exploration opportunities in Canada. North Arrow's management, board of directors and advisors have significant successful experience in the Canadian diamond industry. In addition to the Qilalugaq and Pikoo Projects, North Arrow is also currently evaluating the Loki (NWT), Lac de Gras (NWT), Mel (NU), Luxx (NU) and Timiskaming (ON) Diamond Projects. North Arrow's diamond exploration programs are conducted under the direction of Kenneth Armstrong, P.Geo., President and CEO of North Arrow and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Armstrong has reviewed the contents of this press release.

North Arrow Minerals Inc.

Kenneth Armstrong

President and CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" including but not limited to statements with respect to North Arrow's plans, the estimation of a mineral resource and the success of exploration activities. Forward-looking statements, 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 successful integration of acquisitions; risks related to general economic and market conditions; closing of financing; the timing and content of upcoming work programs; actual results of proposed exploration activities; possible variations in mineral resources or grade; 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; changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, tax rules and regulations. Although North Arrow 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. North Arrow undertakes no obligation or responsibility to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Table 1: Mineral Resource Estimate reported November 2016 Resource (0.1% Copper Cut off)

M tonnes Cu

% M lbs

Cu Au g/t Ag g/t Magnetite

% M oz

Au M oz

Ag Mt

Magnetite Measured 156 0.31 1,077 0.12 1.2 3.3 0.61 5.80 5.20 Indicated 301 0.23 1,493 0.09 0.7 3.2 0.84 6.50 9.62 M + I 456 0.26 2,570 0.10 0.8 3.2 1.45 12.30 14.82 Inferred 300 0.19 1,239 0.08 0.5 2.8 0.72 4.85 8.44

KELOWNA, Jan 17, 2017 - Crazy Horse Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:CZH) (the "Company", "Crazy Horse") has completed and filed an Independent Technical Report dated 30 November 2016 for the 100 % owned Taysan Project ("Taysan", or "the Project"). The company commissioned Mining Associates ("MA") to prepare the Independent Technical Report for the Taysan Project to comply with Canada's National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI43-101") and the mineral resource classifications meet the updated 2014 CIM Definition Standards, culminating in an effective date of 30th November 2016 for the Mineral Resource. No additional drilling has been undertaken on the Project since 2011, and based on this report, the Company is no longer treating the Project as having reserves. The resource estimate is based on a conceptual pit design used to constrain reported resources. A cut-off grade of 0.1% copper was applied to all reported resource blocks within a conceptual pit design.In order to move the project forward, Crazy Horse will need to pursue the renewal and conversion of EP-IVA-005 to a Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) as required by the Mines and Geoscience Bureau (MGB). The full Technical Report is available on SEDAR.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF CRAZY HORSE RESOURCES INC.Dev Randhawa, ChairmanCEONeither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.This release includes certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future production, reserve potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects 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 market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's filings that are available at www.sedar.com.Greg Downey, CFO1-250-979-7022
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will hold around 30 meetings in Davos, Novruz Mammadov, deputy head of Azerbaijani presidential administration, chief of the administration's foreign relations department, wrote on his Facebook page Jan. 17.

The 47th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting has stated in Davos. Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has been conducting meetings and participating in the events starting from the first day, Mammadov said.

One of the Forums main guests is the president of the People's Republic of China [Xi Jinping], which attracts the most attention on the background of the scanty participation of Western leaders, he added.
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Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation into law Monday requiring schools and day cares to test for lead in drinking water sources, though several local schools have already conducted testing in recent years and might be compliant under the new rules.The law requires day cares, schools with students up to fifth grade and schools built before 2000 to test drinking water. Schools and day cares will have to foot the bill and notify parents of the results.Belleville districts 118 and 201, O'Fallon districts 90 and 203, Shiloh 85, and Smithton have already conducted lead testing in an effort to be proactive after a report showed dangerous lead levels were present in some St. Louis public schools. The dangers of lead contamination came into the national spotlight after lead-tainted drinking water in Flint, Mich. caused a public health crisis."After the scare and uncertainty after testing at some of the schools in the areas around, we went ahead and did our test in the late summer," said Belleville District 201 Superintendent Jeff Dosier. "We felt like it was a good idea to get a baseline of where the lead levels were in our schools."The results showed little to no presence of lead, which represents a serious health hazard to young children in particular. District 201 spent about $10,000 on the test.Though lead testing cost local school districts thousands of dollars each, superintendents say the efforts were well worth the price -- and some schools might already be compliant under the new law. The Illinois Department of Public Health will accept results from tests conducted after 2013, according to Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council.Schools that have already conducted testing will be required to submit the method and results to the public health department. The department will review the results and then provide a waiver if schools complied with the new rules. The law requires that every tap be tested, so the school will have to test any taps that might not have been examined. Taps that have already been tested will not have to be tested again, Walling said.Smithon District 130 tested the elementary school for lead two years ago, just in time to qualify for the waiver, said Superintendent Susan Homes. The original part of the school was built in 1952. She said the decision to test early on came from a desire to be proactive."If you're a grandparent, a parent, it gives you a sense of well being that isn't a question in your mind. If your school has tested it, you know it's safe," Homes said.Under the new rule, the Smithon school will have to test a few water fountains at the 65-year-old building that weren't originally tested, Homes said, but she said she is in favor of the bill, despite the additional cost. Smithton paid $3,900 for both lead and air quality testing, and no detectable amounts of lead were found in the water."I think when schools are faced with unfunded mandates and cause us to spend more money, I know some districts may not have invested money in it. I really think the law is good, though, in that it does force every school district to take a look at that," Homes said.Paying for the mandate could be a concern for some school districts, said Belleville District 118 Superintendent Matt Klosterman, though he said testing for lead ensures students, staff and faculty are safe. Of the 271 drinking water sources that were tested at all school buildings in the district, 29 had elevated levels of lead, according to Klosterman. Those sites were all removed from service."We do what we have to do to provide safety and security to our folks," Klosterman said.Though the new law only applies to certain schools, the ultimate goal is to eliminate lead contamination "completely" in all locations, said Jen Walling, the executive director of the state environmental council."We think that this bill is a bill that puts Illinois at the forefront in the nation in terms of testing for lead in schools, thereby working to reduce exposure of lead to children. We think it's the first step. The end goal should be removal of lead completely," Walling said.That's an assessment the Belleville high school superintendent agrees with."I think that's a positive goal for us to strive for," Dosier said.
Young people have historically voted in much lower numbers than older Americans, and 2016 was no exception. But their absence is most pronounced in elections at the local level. Disparities in turnout -- already vast in presidential and congressional elections -- are even greater in contests that decide who runs the nations cities. study conducted by Portland State University tallied voter turnout in the most recent mayoral elections in the 30 largest cities. It found that residents 65 years and older were a median of seven times more likely to vote than those ages 18 to 34, who frequently registered turnout rates in the single digits. Theres an enormous disconnect with younger citizens in understanding the impact that local governments have, says Phil Keisling, director of the universitys Center for Public Service. Theyre ceding to their grandparents the political decisions.A number of factors contribute to dismal youth participation. For starters, young people move a lot, making them less likely to be registered to vote or feel as vested in a city as longtime residents. They also tend to be renters, a demographic that doesnt cast ballots as often as homeowners, even when theyve lived longer in a particular place.Keisling suspects that younger adults often fail to recognize the importance of mayors and city councils in addressing problems such as housing affordability and public safety. Or, if they do make the connection, they may not think anything will be done about them. The end result, Keisling says, is that politicians spend much more time listening to the concerns of older residents -- the constituency thats most likely to elect them to office.Consider Las Vegas, where less than 2 percent of registered voters between the ages of 18 and 34 voted in the citys 2015 mayoral election, compared to about 33 percent for those 65 and over. Local officials there just tend to target their efforts on older voters, says David Damore, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.The vast majority of big-city mayoral elections analyzed by Portland State didnt coincide with presidential or midterm campaigns, in which turnout is higher. Experts contend that the lower the voter turnout overall, the greater the participation gap between younger and older voters.For the study, researchers analyzed voter registration records for what they considered to be the most important election in each city, typically either the last runoff, or, in jurisdictions with one-party control, the primary election. In over half of the big-city mayoral elections reviewed, fewer than 1 in 10 registered voters ages 18 to 34 showed up to vote. Age disparities are even greater when studies examine participation for all citizens, including those not registered. Often-cited exit polls and Census survey estimates understate the true disparities, according to Keisling.Some cities with the biggest age disparity in turnout, such as Dallas and Miami, didnt hold very competitive elections during the period studied. But even in Houston, which elected a new mayor in 2015 in a close contest, turnout for registered voters ages 18 to 34 (6.6 percent) was more than six times lower than for those 65 and up (42.9 percent).In general, the age gap is smallest in local voting that coincides with national elections. But occasionally a stand-alone local contest will rally younger voters. In San Franciscos 2015 mayoral election, 28 percent of registered voters ages 18 to 34 participated in the balloting that gave Mayor Ed Lee a second full term. Turnout likely benefited from two ballot measures of particular interest to millennial renters: an affordable housing bond question and a proposal that would have restricted Airbnb and other short-term housing rentals. The citys population of young adults is also better educated than in most big cities, another reliable predictor of voting participation.Jurisdictions with larger immigrant populations usually have smaller age disparities in turnout, according to University of California, Berkeley professor Laura Stoker. Thats mostly because first-generation U.S. citizens participate at lower rates even in their later years.Its widely agreed that the generational voting divide is a problem for the democratic process, but its not clear what can be done about it. Some advocate holding local elections to coincide with state contests to boost turnout. Keisling suggests that, where voting takes place over a period of several weeks, as in Oregon, cities could report real-time data showing turnout by neighborhood, age group and other demographics. Publicizing turnout, he says, could potentially motivate more underrepresented groups to come to the polls.But these simple fixes alone arent likely to make much headway against a complex societal habit. Young people often feel disconnected from their neighborhoods, and research has shown that the disconnected are less apt to vote. Young people are plugged into more national movements and issues based on their friends and interests, says Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University.While political groups and campaigns invest in youth voter outreach in state and national elections, this sort of activity is often nonexistent at the local level. Kawashima-Ginsberg says cities should step up to build pipelines for young people to participate in civic life. When the cities and school districts make community service and internships in government really part of routine school life, she says, you end up getting people who are prepared to work and have a deep understanding and belonging to the city.A study published in thein 2007 linked volunteering in high school to increased voter turnout. Performing high school community service, either voluntary or required, was found to be a statistically significant predictor of future participation in local elections.In Hampton, Va., teenagers are appointed to a civic youth commission where they learn about government, help with outreach efforts and offer policy guidance on issues pertinent to them. For one recent project, members organized bus tours introducing their peers to the citys transportation system. Earlier this year, they held a youth-focused candidate forum followed by a mock vote. Other jurisdictions have launched their own initiatives, such as one in Boston that allows young people to participate in budget exercises.Two Maryland municipalities, Takoma Park and Hyattsville, lowered the voting age to 16 in recent years for local elections. The idea was that if 16- and 17-year-olds could vote while still living with their parents or studying civics in high school, they would be more likely to go to the polls the first time out, and continue doing so throughout their lives. This past November, San Francisco narrowly rejected a measure to lower the voting age to 16 for local elections, but nearby Berkeley approved a similar measure.
Airbnb has reached a tax agreement with the Kansas Department of Revenue to begin collecting taxes on its home-sharing bookings in the state.The company will announce Monday that it will automatically collect and remit the taxes, putting Airbnb lodging on the same footing, taxwise, as hotels and other lodging establishments.Airbnb hosts will not have to handle the process, and their fees to Airbnb will not increase, the company said.With the agreement, effective Feb. 1, Kansas becomes the 15th state in which Airbnb has statewide tax deals that basically treat home-sharing bookings like hotels in terms of short-term occupancy taxes.Laura Spanjian, policy director for Airbnb Midwest, said the company was "proud to have collaborated on this deal, which will unlock a brand new tax revenue stream" for Kansas. She said it was a model the company wants to expand throughout the Midwest.According to Airbnb, the rates and amounts collected in the state will vary depending on the location of the hosts. In addition to the state retail sales tax of 6.5 percent, the collections will include local sales taxes ranging between 1 percent and 7 percent and "local transient guest taxes" ranging from 2 percent to 9 percent.Jeannine Koranda, a spokeswoman for the revenue department, said the agreement "puts Airbnb on a level playing field with other Kansas guest accommodations such as hotels, motels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts."Koranda said there was no estimate for the revenue that will accrue to the state from the tax deal. Because of the different locations of hosts' homes, the company said it couldn't estimate an exact revenue, either.According to Airbnb, its approximately 600 hosts in Kansas earned $2.1 million in income from about 20,000 guest arrivals in 2016. About half of the Kansas Airbnb rentals are for a single room in hosts' houses or apartments.Airbnb currently has statewide tax agreements with Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont and Washington. It also has tax deals with some large cities, such as San Francisco; Portland, Ore.; Philadelphia; Phoenix; San Diego; San Jose, Calif.; and Washington, D.C.
Details added (first version posted on 12:31)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway Borge Brende in Davos.

They hailed the excellent relations between Azerbaijan and Norway.

Azerbaijans good cooperation with a number of Norwegian companies, particularly Statoil was emphasized.

The sides also exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest.
Credit rating agency Moody's has reached a settlement with attorneys general in 20 states, including Connecticut, and the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations it misled investors when it issued positive ratings for shaky mortgage-backed securities in the lead up to the 2008 financial crisis.Connecticut, which was the first state to sue Moody's, will receive $31.5 million as part of an $863.7 million settlement, Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said Friday night. Connecticut's share of the settlement will go to the general fund.The settlement is similar to one reached in 2015 against Standard & Poor's, which agreed to pay $1.375 billion to settle similar allegations. Connecticut received $36 million in that settlement, in which the state was a lead plaintiff. Both cases hinged on a legal theory developed by the Connecticut attorney general's office, using state laws that bar deceptive sales as an unfair trade practice.In the Moody's case, the plaintiffs accused Moody's Corp., Moody's Investor Services Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc. of allowing its ratings to be influenced by the company's financial interests, including fees from the banks it worked for. That led to inflated ratings for investments broadly known as structured finance securities, including some backed by mortgages. The securities, many of which turned out to be toxic, were packaged and sold by the banks. Some of the banks reached separate settlements with authorities."Moody's considered its own business interests, contrary to its public statements that its ratings were objective, and the results to our state and national economy were dramatic and devastating," Jepsen said in a statement.Subprime mortgages packed into securities that the banks sold were at the center of the 2008 financial meltdown. Jepsen said Moody's misconduct began as early as 2001 and became especially bad between 2004 and 2007.As part of the settlement, Moody's has agreed to a set of reforms to address conflicts of interest and to protect the integrity and transparency of rating methods to prevent similar problems. The company also "agreed to a statement of facts acknowledging conduct related to its analysis of structured finance securities."
With fewer than 10 months to Election Day, and no credible challenger having emerged, Mayor Bill de Blasios path to re-election in New York City would seem fairly assured, buoyed by the benefits of incumbency: name recognition and fund-raising strength.Yet Mr. de Blasios campaign team has attached some urgency and significance to the first fund-raising period of the year, which ended on Wednesday. Aides are hoping that a strong showing will ward off potential challengers and show the mayors strength heading into the heart of the campaign.It is particularly important for the mayor to demonstrate success in soliciting small donations. Cut off from some of his familiar sources by federal and state inquiries into his fund-raising practices, Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat, and his campaign have been pounding the pavement for such contributions, and have leaned on some of the mayors celebrity backers like the actors Cynthia Nixon, Mark Ruffalo and Steve Buscemi.Last week, prominent supporters implored fellow admirers of his administration to make small donations to the mayors re-election effort, a last-minute push to raise money before the deadline.On Monday, the mayors campaign said it would report more than $1 million in contributions raised over the last half of 2016 from roughly 3,800 contributors, a majority of whom gave less than $100. (A campaign spokesman could not say if the total raised exceeded the $1.1 million brought in during the first half of 2016.)The official results must be made public by Tuesday.
On a sunny late September day, a trio of tourists gathered on Moscows Red Square. Well-dressed, carrying a Russian flag, the visitors bunched in front of the Kremlins walls to snap a selfie. Like so many others before, the man taking the photo, Louis Marinelli, took to his Twitter account, and shared the shot for the world.But Marinelli wasnt your average American tourist, and neither were his friends. That weekend, Marinelli was ensconced in a conference room in the capital, where he delivered a speech for an unusual cause: the secession of California from the United States. As not only a representative of the nation of California, but also as the founder and the leader of the independence movement as recognized by the state of California itself, it is my honor to speak on behalf of my people at this conference on the right of self-determination, Marinelli told his audience. Our campaign exists to explain why we should free ourselves from the shackles of statehood, and instead embrace the freedoms of nationhood.Marinelli, 30, was an unlikely messenger for the Calexit cause. He doesnt live in California. He lives in Yekaterinburgabout 1,000 miles from Moscowwith his Russian wife. But it was not surprising that he had found a platform for his YesCalifornia movement in Moscow. Secession is a popular topic hereas long as its from someone elses country. The Dialogue of Nations Conference, which attracted separatist-minded contingents from Ireland, Spain and Italy, was hosted by a man named Alexander Ionov, whose group had used money from the Kremlin to pay the travel expenses of one of Marinellis pals from Red Square: Nate Smith. Smith is one of the leaders of Texas Nationalist Movement thats pushing toyou guessed itbreak away from the United States.The strategic advantage of making an argument for the secession of an American state to an audience in central Moscow is hard to gauge; after all, its voters in the States who would decide this matter. But the value to Russian interests seems more obvious, at least in the estimation of the leader of a separate and competing California secession movement, who actually lives in the state.YesCalifornia isnt a Californian movement, said Jed Wheeler, the general secretary of the California National Party. YesCalifornia is a movement whose optics are all designed for a Russian audience to reinforce [Vladimir] Putin, by talking abouthow terrible America is, and reinforcing [the idea that] Putin is this great guy who is admired all over the world.While the conference was going on, of course, the Kremlin-led hacking campaign against the Democratic National Committee was having its effect on the American presidential election, a provocation that has unwound relations between Moscow and Washington (with the exception of the president-elect) to their lowest levels since the pre-Gorbachev days. Since the election, while Washington (again with the exception of the president-elect) debates what the response should be for Russias meddling in the American political process, Marinelli and his handful of supporters are flaunting their ties with Russia, or at least the ones they hope to build. To that end, in mid-December, Marinelli held a news conference, helpfully covered by the state-run RT television station, declaring the opening of a California Embassy in Moscow.
Description

GIS  17 January 2017: Relevant authorities namely the Beach Authority, the Police and the National Coast Guard will closely monitor the activities of beach traders so that the population fully enjoys the public beaches during their leisure time and that their safety is not jeopardised.

The statement was made by the Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Lands, Mr Showkutally Soodhun, yesterday in Ebene, following a meeting with stakeholders on transat activities (renting of deck chairs and umbrellas) on public beaches.

Any trader issued with licence for renting of deck chairs and umbrellas on public beaches who fails to comply with the conditions under which the licence has been issued will have his/her licence revoked, warned the Vice-Prime Minister. He recalled that these traders are not allowed to operate during week-ends and public holidays with a view to allow free passage and cause no obstruction on public domain.

The relevant authorities will be coordinating and intensifying their monitoring activities during week-ends to track down any illegal activities. The Vice-Prime Minister also called on other beach traders namely beach hawkers to strictly comply with the code of practice and wear their identification badge. Failure to do so will entail sanctions, and eventually the revocation of the licences in accordance with regulations in force, said Mr Soodhun.

He also deplored the fact that pleasure boats operate in large areas of the lagoon whereas the swimming areas of the public is limited adding that this situation will be reviewed. He moreover cautioned against pleasure boats docking on public beaches, thereby endangering public safety. Mr Soodhun further announced that jetties constructed on public beaches and which constitute a public risk will be removed.
Description

GIS  17 January 2017: The Ministry of Health and Quality of Life will come up with new appropriate regulations on dual practice, following a Workshop on review of dual practice for doctors which was held yesterday in Ebene.

Dual practice refers to the situation where doctors from the public sector are allowed to engage in private practice or clinics in parallel to their posting at public hospitals.

Professionals of the health sector as well as the public at large were convened to the workshop to come up with suggestions, ideas, propositions, and recommendations with a view to develop new policies regarding dual practice. The Minister of Health and Quality of Life, Mr Anil Gayan, was also present during the discussions.

In his address, the Minister stated that there was a dire need to review dual practice in the country in the light of several representations received from various quarters, in respect to the abuses by doctors working in the public sector. Among the representations, Mr Gayan listed out complaints regarding doctors who allegedly were using public hospitals as recruiting grounds for private practice and were orchestrating scenarios to generate business for clinics.

The Minister recalled that in Mauritius, dual practice is a privilege which should be used but not abused. An audit carried out in private clinics during the last two months on doctors in the public sector who are allowed to engage in private practice shows that a few of them were operating in private clinics when in fact they should be at their post of duty in public hospitals or on leave.

Expressing his high admiration for the medical profession, Mr Gayan pointed out that doctors, in their large majority, are doing great work for the population, whether in hospitals or in clinics. Consequently, said Mr Gayan doctors must uphold the highest standard of probity, integrity and ethics in the interests of patients and the public at large.

In Mauritius, dual practice is regulated by the Public Health Act of 1925. By virtue of the Act, a Government Medical Officer shall not undertake private practice except with the permission of the Minister. Moreover, the Minister may exclude state practice from the private practice of a Government Medical Officer; limit his private practice to consulting practice; and define the areas within which his practice may be exercised.
Description

GIS - 17 January, 2017: Mauritius and the European Union(EU) signed this morning in Port Louis a Financing Agreement to the tune of 7 million euros, approximately Rs 270 million, Mauritius and the European Union(EU) signed this morning in Port Louis a Financing Agreement to the tune of 7 million euros, approximately Rs 270 million, under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Regional Indicative Programme to improve the Business and Investment Climate in Mauritius.

The signatories were the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Jugnauth and the Head of the Delegation of the European Union in Mauritius, Mrs Marjaana Sall.

The project which will cost around 9 million euros will be funded jointly by the EU that is 7 million euros in form of grants and the remaining 2 million euros by the Government of Mauritius.

The grant will support the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between EU and Mauritius with focus on creating a conducive environment for doing business in Mauritius which will eventually boost economic growth, job creation and sustainable development.

It will also help address the shortcomings regarding the ease of doing business and investment facilitation environment following the weaknesses revealed in the 2016 Ease of Doing Business Index by the World Bank.

These measures are in line with a series of reforms for business facilitation enunciated in the 2016/2017 Budget Speech as one of the ten strategies to usher a New Era of Development for Mauritius.

The business facilitation project will include: the setting up of a centralised Electronic Registry of licenses and an e-licensing platform which will act as single point of entry for application for any business permits and licenses; an assessment of existing impediments and outdated licenses in the regulatory framework that can be merged into omnibus licenses resulting in the elimination of duplication of licences; and a training and sensitisation component to ensure that the new system is optimally used by relevant public agencies and the business community.

In his address during the signing ceremony, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Jugnauth, expressed gratitude towards the EU for its continuous and unflinching support to Mauritius. According to him, this gesture is yet another testimony of EUs commitment to support our development endeavours. He further welcomed another initiative of the EU for which Mauritius will be eligible of an additional envelope of 3 million euros for the implementation of the interim EPA.

Finance Minister Jugnauth also announced several actions geared towards improving business climate among which the introduction of a Business Facilitation Bill in Parliament in April this year to fundamentally improve the legal and regulatory framework as well as an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Doing Business under his Chairmanship to ensure timely and effective implementation of the business facilitation project. Moreover, the Board of Investment and Business Mauritius are also working together on a plan to reengineer and streamline the various administrative processes relating to the Ease of Doing Business, he added.

For her part, the Head of the Delegation of European Union in Mauritius, Mrs Marjaana Sall, reiterated the commitment of the EU to support Mauritius improve its business climate along with the great importance that the EU attaches to its partnership with Mauritius. According to her, the opportunities offered under the EPA are a testimony of the continuous and strong commitment of the EU to support Mauritius in achieving the goals set under Vision 2030.

It will be recalled that Mauritius, together with Madagascar, Seychelles and Zimbabwe, signed the Economic Partnership Agreement in 2009 which became effective in 2012.

The major cornerstone of the EPA is the provision of market access without any quotas or tariffs to the European Union single market of 500 million consumers. It also promotes regional integration in the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region as it encourages interlinkages between ESA partner countries and remains open to those willing to join the EU and 4 ESA signatories.
City leaders in Louisville, Ky., have long suspected inconsistencies in the local commercial broadband offerings. Now they have the numbers to prove it.Last spring the city teamed with the IT developers at PowerUp Labs to produce the broadband speed-test site SpeedUpLouisville.com . Since then, nearly 4,000 citizens have logged on to test their Internet speeds, at the same time generating a first-ever view of what the providers are delivering and where the city infrastructure may be lacking.There are large chunks of our community that are not on the Internet, said Ed Blayney, innovation project manager for Louisville Metro Government.The idea for the test site percolated up at a code-a-thon hosted by the Civic Data Alliance. Results of ongoing speed tests show a number of stark contrasts. Seventeen percent of tests showed broadband speeds limping along at less than 5 Mbps, with geography playing a big role. In the slowest ZIP codes, testers clocked in at an average 7.32 Mbps versus more than 183 Mbps in the fastest neighborhoods. (The FCC defines broadband Internet as being 25 Mbps or faster  a number it updated in 2015 from the previous 4 Mbps standard.)The website tests Internet connection speeds by directly downloading and uploading sample files from the users browser, so that it reflects the actual browsing experience. Tests show a big gap in service levels among the two main local providers that together cover nearly the entire Louisville market. AT&T serves about a quarter of home users at an average 11.25 Mbps, while Time Warner covers almost all other homes at 51.05 Mbps.I didnt realize how significant the difference was in the download speeds between the two huge competitors in our community. There is one provider that consistently delivers much higher speeds, Blayney said.Consumers can decide for themselves what to do with that information. Other findings, though, could have a direct impact on government IT planning. The city believed there was a digital divide on the west end of town, and the participation map helped them validate that assumption, said Jon Matar, CEO of PowerUp Labs and co-founder of Speed Up Your City , a spin-off of the lab devoted to bringing speed tests to other municipalities.The broadband gap is apparent in the volume of testing. In areas with good Internet access, neighborhoods have logged anywhere from 100 to 300 tests. On the west side, no neighborhood logged more than 100 tests, and most showed far less participation. The number of responses from the rest of the city were so much greater than what they saw from the west end, that helped them to confirm the suspicions, Matar said.That confirmation could have practical implications as the city charts its evolving broadband infrastructure.We are a data-driven government, we want to use data to make decisions, but it is hard when you dont have that data. Up until now, we havent had any good data on this issue, said Blayney. We may have known the narrative in the past, but now we have the figures to back it up.City IT leaders are using those figures to inform their proposed digital inclusion plan, which calls for more public Internet access. We are trying to get all our public buildings to have public Wi-Fi. We have a proposal to have a new fiber build down into that section of the community, to develop the infrastructure there, Blayney said.PowerUp Labs is working with a number of local governments to replicate the Louisville effort, including San Jose, Calif., and Montgomery County, Md., where local leaders are trying to get a handle on not just the speed of the Internet, but also on the types of usage. People are getting unlimited data for mobile, and they are using that as their primary source for Internet access in parts of town where there is no good broadband option, Matar said. They want to know whether people are using broadband mobile from their homes and what the implications of that might be.In addition to driving government planning efforts, transparency in broadband could be a boon to consumers, if it helps to spur competition in the marketplace.Our vision for this is to have an accessibility map where a citizen can put in their address and see the different providers they can sign up with, and then add the data that shows how much people pay for those services and the average speeds they are getting, Matar said.In cities where mega-providers dominate the market, this kind of information could help open up a space for smaller companies to make a play. These small new providers dont have the marketing budget to compete with somebody like Comcast, said Matar. Data transparency around the subject might be a way to level the playing field.For cities already looking to upgrade their broadband services, speed tests can deliver an important benchmark. If you are going to invest in improving the infrastructure, you ought to know what speeds you are getting in the first place, and yet for many cities, they cannot find this type of information, Matar said. Speed tests offer a baseline to gauge the return on investment.Broadband speed data also can be a driver of economic development. Matar pointed to Dallas, a city looking to attract millennials to its workforce. If they dont have quality Internet, a younger demographic wont want to go to that area, he said. If speed tests show potential trouble spots, they will probably want to start putting together a strategy on how to improve those things.Other partners on SpeedUpLouisville include the Civic Data Alliance, LVL1 and the Smart Louisville Collaborative.
(TNS)  A Chicago attorney on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Chicago Police Department's use of a secret cellphone tracking system, arguing the practice should require a warrant and violates individual privacy.Jerry Boyle, who is also a longtime volunteer for the National Lawyers Guild, brought the case after police intercepted information from his cellphone at a Black Lives Matter protest for Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2015 on the West Side, according to the lawsuit.As a volunteer, Boyle frequently attends protests to monitor police activity and to offer legal services to anyone who may be arrested."The people of Chicago should be able to exercise their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, association and assembly without being spied upon by police," Boyle said in a news release. "Government spying on its citizens without appropriate judicial oversight is inconsistent with the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution."Bill McCaffrey, a spokesman for the city's Law Department, said the city has not been served yet and cannot comment. A Police Department spokesman also declined to comment.Loevy & Loevy, a civil rights law firm that has sued police in a number of high-profile cases, is representing Boyle and seeking class-action status for the case.Calling the practice of intercepting cellphone information secretive and widespread, Boyle's attorneys assert the city has an "arsenal" of devices to carry out such work and has no policy dictating how officers should handle the collection of personal information or when the technology should be used.Cell site simulators are devices that mimic cell towers and can collect data from phones, including text messages, internet browsing history, location tracking and phone call content, according to the lawsuit. When police deploy a cell site simulator, also referred to as "Stringrays" based on the name of a popular model, the device captures data from any phone in its range  not just the intended target.When the device is in use, it drains cellphone batteries and can lead to dropped calls. The devices can reach cellphones more than a mile away from them and capture data from up to 60,000 phones simultaneously. The lawsuit doesn't make clear how Boyle knew his phone information was being intercepted.Based on invoice statements obtained through public records requests, CPD spent more than a half-million dollars on cell site simulators, software upgrades and other related products from 2005 to 2010, the lawsuit states."The Chicago Police Department can't give its officers weapons that have the power to search and seize our most personal information without any instructions about how to use them," Craig Futterman, a lawyer representing Boyle, said in a news release."That's like giving officers guns and telling them to go get the bad guys without even teaching them how to shoot. We've recently seen how this lack of surveillance oversight has played out at the NSA (National Security Agency), where employees abused surveillance tools to spy on their spouses."Controversy over the devices has landed CPD in court before. Cook County Judge Kathleen Kennedy in January 2016 ordered CPD to turn over its records involving the devices as part of a lawsuit brought by a local activist.A law that goes into effect this year requires police to delete all data not related to the target of an investigation at least once every 24 hours, or within 72 hours if the simulators are used to identify an unknown communication device.The lawsuit lists as defendants the city, former CPD Superintendent Garry McCarthy and current Superintendent Eddie Johnson, among other department leaders.
Home  Motorcycles & Bikes  Top 10 Best Motorcycle GPS Trackers Of 2022 Reviews & Buying Guide Motorcycles & Bikes Top 10 Best Motorcycle GPS Trackers Of 2022 Reviews & Buying Guide

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Motorcycles are excellent vehicles for travel and adventure both on and off-road. It is an investment you need to keep safe from those who would love to take that treasure off your hands. Wheel-locking systems may not be enough for those with enough mechanical ability to hot-wire it, and in some cases, one or two people could simply load it onto a truck without unlocking anything.

You dont want to wait months for the police to try to get it back. You want to know where it is right now.

A GPS tracking system is the perfect security investment for your motorcycle, and we have reviews of the best motorcycle GPS trackers here for you.

Top 10 Best Motorcycle GPS Trackers You Should Buy Of 2022 Reviews

1 AMERICALOC GL300W Mini Portable Real-Time GPS Tracker. XW Series

Leta start with this Americaloc mini portable GPS tracker. This is a mid-range GPS tracker both regarding cost and ability. It comes in about the size of a heavy keychain, so if you are looking for something tiny, this is not it. It is detectable by someone who knew what they were looking for but depending on where you attached it to your motorcycle, it may take them a bit of time to identify it.

There are diverse opinions in the reviews about its battery life. It appears that it will last at least 3-4 days, but there are sometimes problems when recharging it. Make sure to follow the instruction guide that comes with this tracker.

You also need to recognize that this service is run by a tech that is not as widespread as most cellphone GPS trackers. While is advertises real-time the reality is that it updates once per minute, thirty, or ten seconds  depending on your setting. This setting will affect battery life, and depending on where it is, the updates may not be entirely accurate. It is not a bad tracker, but you need to have realistic expectations for it.

Pros GPS Tracker for vehicles, people, assets

GPS Tracker for vehicles, people, assets This GPS tracker has the longest battery life version with extended multicarrier coverage. Battery life is measured in weeks.

This GPS tracker has the longest battery life version with extended multicarrier coverage. Battery life is measured in weeks. Alerts: movement, parked, speeding, device on/off, low battery, entering or leaving zones

Alerts: movement, parked, speeding, device on/off, low battery, entering or leaving zones Real-Time Tracking and 1 year of tracking history. Track from any computer, tablet or phone or just download our Android and iPhone APP.

Real-Time Tracking and 1 year of tracking history. Track from any computer, tablet or phone or just download our Android and iPhone APP. Works in the US, Canada, Europe and in almost every country in the world

Works in the US, Canada, Europe and in almost every country in the world 1-minute location updates while moving. Can be configured for location updates every 60, 30 or 10 seconds with no additional cost. Cons Slightly bigger than something described as mini.

Slightly bigger than something described as mini. Sometimes faces battery charging issues

Sometimes faces battery charging issues Behind cellphone GPS technology and occasionally is off a block or so in tracking

Behind cellphone GPS technology and occasionally is off a block or so in tracking No mobile app and website can be buggy

2 Spy Tec STI GL300 Mini Portable Real-Time Personal and Vehicle GPS Tracker

Spy Tecs GL300 GPS is about the same size as the Americaloc, but about half the price. As with most GPS devices, there is a monthly subscription fee that can quickly add up over time. In practice, this GPS seems to function a little more smoothly than others, with many short-term satisfied customers.

For this GPS to work well for you, you need three things. First, you need to be using it in an area covered by T-mobile, or else you may have accuracy problems. Second, you need to be able to recharge it every few days. Finally, this is a short-term solution. The charging cable seems to break down over months, not years, and the customer and tech service can be a pain to deal with. If you are looking for a long-term GPS, you may want to take a pass on Spy Tec.

Pros Perfect for tracking vehicles, people, or assets

Perfect for tracking vehicles, people, or assets Compact size can go anywhere

Compact size can go anywhere Tracks with Google Maps in real-time over the Internet

Tracks with Google Maps in real-time over the Internet Get text or email when a person leaves an area (geo-fencing) Cons Inconsistent customer service

Inconsistent customer service Works primarily in T-mobile coverage areas

Works primarily in T-mobile coverage areas Problems with charging cable

Problems with charging cable Short life span

3 Amcrest AM-GL300 V3 Portable Mini Real-Time GPS Tracker for Vehicles

Here is another low-end GPS tracker for your motorcycle. What makes this one of the best motorcycle GPS trackers is that it works with mobile apps from Google and Apple, so you can track your motorcycle from your phone and not just your computer or a webpage.

It comes with lots of tracking options as well. You can create zones and be alerted if your motorcycle moves outside of it. You can set speed alerts or other proximity alerts, which will be pushed to your phone via text and email. The Amcrest is a solid package for taking care of your needs, and there is no contract required to use it.

How you use it will determine the battery strength, and, like other devices in this low-cost range, the batteries are a weak point, particularly if not re-charged correctly. Also, it relies on 2G coverage and does not connect with all carriers. To get your moneys worth out of this motorcycle GPS tracker, make sure to inquire about coverage in your area and this tracker, and be sure to read the instructions about recharging your GPS.

Pros Works with apps from Google and Apple store

Works with apps from Google and Apple store This GPS device allows you to create zones that you specifically want to monitor, such as your home to you know when your loved one leaves or returns. Set maximum speed alerts and proximity alerts for your vehicles to suit your needs.

This GPS device allows you to create zones that you specifically want to monitor, such as your home to you know when your loved one leaves or returns. Set maximum speed alerts and proximity alerts for your vehicles to suit your needs. Receive text, push and email notifications straight to your personal device.

Receive text, push and email notifications straight to your personal device. Long-lasting  Stay connected with a longer battery life of 10-14 days on a full charge.

Long-lasting  Stay connected with a longer battery life of 10-14 days on a full charge. Access the reports from your GPS device from your PC, Mac or smartphone.

Access the reports from your GPS device from your PC, Mac or smartphone. No contract required Cons GPS Tracker is limited to 2G and will only work in areas where there is 2G coverage.

GPS Tracker is limited to 2G and will only work in areas where there is 2G coverage. Batteries can be faulty leading to short lifespan of the device

4 GPS Tracker  Optimus 2.0

This low-end tracker has a better performance record than some of the others, making it one of the best motorcycle GPS trackers on the market. This GPS has a monthly subscription fee but no contract required and it comes with apps you can use to track your motorcycle from your phone. There is no limit to how much data you can save on the secure databases, and so will update you every 30 seconds while your motorcycle is moving, or you can upgrade it to update you every 10 seconds.

Fortunately, there are only two reported issues from the reviews of this GPS tracker. It is slightly larger than some of the other models, making it a bit more challenging to hide securely. It also sends out false reports occasionally if the cell service is interrupted.

Pros No Contract

No Contract Adjustable position report frequency from 30 Seconds while moving.

Adjustable position report frequency from 30 Seconds while moving. iPhone and Android App

iPhone and Android App Email and Text Message notifications for Movement, Speeding, Leaving or Entering Areas, etc.

Email and Text Message notifications for Movement, Speeding, Leaving or Entering Areas, etc. Unlimited Tracking Data Saved During Service

Unlimited Tracking Data Saved During Service SIM Card and Data Plan all Included

SIM Card and Data Plan all Included Easy to install and use Cons Will occasionally send out false reports if it loses cell service

Will occasionally send out false reports if it loses cell service Slightly larger than other models

Which of the best motorcycle GPS trackers have the best batteries?

5 Trackmate Mini 3G H GPS Tracker for Vehicles

Unlike the previous models of the best motorcycle GPS trackers, the Trackmate does not rely on a rechargeable lithium battery. Instead, it is hardwired directly into the motorcycle battery itself. This has the benefit of preventing the GPS from turning off when the battery dies at inopportune times.

The downside of this setup is that installation is more difficult, and while the device is easily concealable, it also has wires running between it and the battery. This connection can cause your motorcycle battery to run down if you do not monitor it closely, causing both the device and motorcycle to fail to operate.

This is a 3G tracker and has better accuracy than the previous 2G GPS trackers, making this one of the best motorcycle GPS trackers on the market.

Pros On/Off Detection, Speed Indicator, and Live Map Tracking.

On/Off Detection, Speed Indicator, and Live Map Tracking. Numerous alerts such as low-battery, tampering and towing. Historical location reports available.

Numerous alerts such as low-battery, tampering and towing. Historical location reports available. All-Weather Resistant and Waterproof.

All-Weather Resistant and Waterproof. STAY IN TUNE: Unique system Tracks via AT&T and T-Mobile networks, simultaneously.

STAY IN TUNE: Unique system Tracks via AT&T and T-Mobile networks, simultaneously. EASILY CONCEALABLE: 3.4 X 1.75 X 0.50 , 2oz. No visible external light. Cons Can drain the motorcycle battery

Can drain the motorcycle battery Challenging to install since it is hardwired to the motorcycle battery

6 MotoSafety Mwaas1P1 Wired 3G GPS Car Tracker

The MotoSafety Mwaas1P1 is another hardwired GPS tracker that you can use on your motorcycle. It also uses 3G service and, as long as you are in the United States, typically does an excellent job of tracking through mobile apps. It sends detailed reports, particularly useful for tracking teen drivers, such as speeding, hard braking, and curfew notices. You must subscribe to a monthly fee, but there are no contracts.

Overall, this is one of the best motorcycle GPS trackers. There are about 10% of customers though who encounter significant issues trying to get this GPS to function properly. Many of these are being used in cars, rather than motorcycles. However, since this GPS is hardwired into the vehicle system, the fault seems to be a compatibility issue, between the GPS and the vehicle. There are no reports of which vehicles are incompatible or why.

You take a small risk with this GPS that it may not be compatible with your motorcycle. Otherwise, this is one of the best motorcycle GPS trackers.

Pros Monitor driving activity using Google Maps.

Monitor driving activity using Google Maps. Use GPS to review driving routes, set geofences around key locations and know when the vehicle is in use after curfew.

Use GPS to review driving routes, set geofences around key locations and know when the vehicle is in use after curfew. No contracts or cancellation fees.

No contracts or cancellation fees. Track anywhere with free GPS tracking mobile apps with real-time email & text message alerts. Cons Has some issues updating consistently

Has some issues updating consistently Only works in the United States

7 ATian Vehicle Car personal GPS/GSM/GPRS/SMS Tracker

The ATian GPS Tracker is one of the less expensive of the best motorcycle GPS trackers available. It comes with both a Lithium-ion battery and power supply to be installed to the motorcycle battery. Be warned though, that it will drain both rather quickly if you use it continuously. The lithium-ion battery, for example, is only rated up to 29 hours of continuous use, meaning you have to recharge it daily.

This GPS is not waterproof so some kind of external cover may be necessary to keep it working correctly. It comes with a remote control though, to turn it on and off without getting on the motorcycle yourself.

The biggest challenge with this GPS is that they do not provide a SIM card in it. Being foreign made, they have adapted to the global cellular service challenge by forcing you to get your own SIM card for it. This means that, although there is only a minimal service fee for using this GPS, you have to pay a cell service company to use it. With the frequent false alerts reported in the reviews on this GPS, that cell service bill can cost you a pretty penny.

Pros Single Locating

Single Locating Auto track continuously

Auto track continuously Track with limited times upon time interval, Smart track upon time and distance interval

Track with limited times upon time interval, Smart track upon time and distance interval The tracker will update the positions automatically to web server once the vehicle changing driving direction over preset angle value to form a smooth trajectory consistent with the actual road, this function works only in GPRS /GSM mode Cons Drains motorcycle battery

Drains motorcycle battery May often send false alerts

May often send false alerts Requires a SIM card and the additional cost of that cellular service.

Looking for a higher end GPS for your motorcycle?

8 AES RGT90 GPS Tracker

The difference (besides the price) between the AES RGT90 and some of the other best motorcycle GPS trackers that operate with a lithium-ion battery, is that the folks over at AES implemented a sleep mode into their device. That saves you hours and hours of battery use wasted when your motorcycle is simply sitting in your garage. That is how they are able to get 90 days worth of use out of their battery.

The other reason that this GPS tracker costs so much is that it has the broadest range of the best motorcycle GPS trackers  extending all through North America and over 100 other countries as well. By comparison, most other trackers have difficulty even covering the USA alone.

Pros Works Anywhere in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, plus over 100 other countries

Works Anywhere in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, plus over 100 other countries Internal battery Operates GPS tracker up to 90 days on a single charge. Recharges by Micro USB for better convenience. Charge using any USB Charger.

Internal battery Operates GPS tracker up to 90 days on a single charge. Recharges by Micro USB for better convenience. Charge using any USB Charger. Covert, Discrete, Waterproof Magnetic Case

Covert, Discrete, Waterproof Magnetic Case Goes to sleep when the vehicle is parked for 5 minutes or more. Displays the last location before going into Sleep Mode. Access anytime via text.

Goes to sleep when the vehicle is parked for 5 minutes or more. Displays the last location before going into Sleep Mode. Access anytime via text. Track on your phone or on the website. You can also receive GPS coordinates via SMS Text. Cons Phone app is not the easiest to use

Phone app is not the easiest to use Relies on magnetic attachment

What is the best reviewed of the best motorcycle GPS trackers?

9 Goome 3G/WCDMA/GSM/GPS GM36W

The Goome has the least amount of negative reviews of the best motorcycle GPS trackers on the market. It also has the fewest reviews in total, so take that with a grain of salt. Many of the reviews commented that they got more value than they expected from this GPS. It is easy to install and very accurate, and the company offers global service.

The only problem the reviews have reported is that the app associated with this tracker is in Chinese and can be difficult to navigate. Even so, most customers were able to use this GPS quite well directly through SMS communication between their phones and devices.

Pros Support 3G/WCDMA/GSM/ Network

Support 3G/WCDMA/GSM/ Network Waterproof features, level  IP67 will prevent water damage the inter electric components.

Waterproof features, level  IP67 will prevent water damage the inter electric components. Geo-fencing, playback history tracks, speeding alarm, low power &battery alerts, etc.

Geo-fencing, playback history tracks, speeding alarm, low power &battery alerts, etc. OTA Upgrade Program, Anti-theft

OTA Upgrade Program, Anti-theft One year free trial for North America customers Cons App is Chinese and hard to navigate

App is Chinese and hard to navigate Can be difficult to find to purchase

What is the least expensive best motorcycle GPS tracker on the market?

10 MOTOsafety OBD GPS Tracker Device

Here is the least expensive of the best motorcycle GPS trackers you can find. This GPS, like several of the others reviewed, was made with teen drivers in mind. It gives comprehensive reports on driving stats, but it is not meant to be long-lasting.

If you are looking for a short-term GPS tracker, and you are living in the US, this is an inexpensive option for you. If you are looking for a GPS for security reasons, you may want to see another option.

Pros Monitor driving activity using Google Maps.

Monitor driving activity using Google Maps. Get a complete driving report cards that score safe driving habits such as speeding, harsh braking, and rapid acceleration to improve driving habits.

Get a complete driving report cards that score safe driving habits such as speeding, harsh braking, and rapid acceleration to improve driving habits. 3G vehicle tracking coverage that updates every minute in the US, Canada, and Mexico

3G vehicle tracking coverage that updates every minute in the US, Canada, and Mexico Track anywhere with the free GPS tracking mobile apps and real-time email & text message alerts.

Track anywhere with the free GPS tracking mobile apps and real-time email & text message alerts. Use the GPS tracking to review reports such as driving routes, set geofences around key locations (school, home, or friends house) and know when the vehicle is in use after curfew. Cons Inconsistent updating

Inconsistent updating Only works in the US

So, how do these reviews line up?

Best Motorcycle GPS Trackers Buying Guide

Best Value

The MOTOSafety OBD GPS Tracker is the least expensive option if you are looking for a short-term tracker for your motorcycle. It is made for tracking the driving habits of teenage drivers.

The Trackmate is a more expensive device, but it has a lower monthly subscription cost and is hardwired into your motorcycle, so you dont have to worry about recharging the battery.

The ATian GPS tracker is inexpensive as well, but you may end up paying more for your SIM card (not included) usage.

Accuracy

The AES is the most expensive of the best motorcycle GPS trackers but can provide you with some of the best accuracy across the greatest number of countries. The ATian is one of the least expensive devices but can offer service in any country you can get a SIM card to use in it. The Goome GPS also provides excellent service if you can navigate the Chinese app or use SMS to connect to the device.

Durability

How long do the best motorcycle GPS trackers last?

The most durable of these trackers are the ones that are hardwired into your motorcycle battery. The lithium-ion battery is one of the earliest failing points on these devices, and if it doesnt have one, it lasts that much longer. You also want one that is waterproof, to prevent moisture from damaging the electronics.

The Trackmate is a great hardwired GPS that is recommended for motorcycles and is waterproof. It is one of the more durable of the best motorcycle GPS trackers.

There is one exception to the battery rule, and that is the AES RGT90 GPS tracker. This tracker, because of its sleep mode, causes less wear on the battery and ends up lasting much longer than any other GPS with a lithium-ion battery.



Conclusion You can get inexpensive GPS trackers if you are only interested in short-term use. If you want something to last longer, you need to spend a little more money. You also need to be able to install it to your motorcycle battery. It is also important to watch for the subscription costs. The device may be inexpensive, but most subscriptions are around $20 each month. Some may require cell phone contracts (although most do not). Also, the more expensive GPS trackers have better service (3G instead of 2G) and a much wider area of coverage. If youre looking for the best motorcycle GPS trackers, the reviews suggest checking out the AES RGT90 and the Trackmate Mini 3G H GPS Tracker.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

By Anakhanum Hidayatova, Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Azerbaijan and Bangladesh have solid relations, Bangladeshi Ambassador Allama Siddiqui said in an interview with Trend Jan. 17.

Siddiqui added that Azerbaijan and Bangladesh have historical and cultural ties.

However, it is necessary to intensify the economic and political cooperation between Azerbaijan and Bangladesh, the ambassador said.

He said Azerbaijan and Bangladesh can establish mutually beneficial trade.

In particular, Bangladesh can supply medicines, textiles, footwear to Azerbaijan, the diplomat said.

Siddiqui added that sheep breeding, ceramic industry and other areas are also developed in Bangladesh and the country is ready to share experience in those areas with Azerbaijan.

---

Follow the authors on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova, @Anahanum
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Chief Executive Officer of LafargeHolcim Eric Olsen.

Chief Executive Officer of LafargeHolcim Eric Olsen informed the head of state about the works done and opportunities of the Group in the field of protection of the environment, as well as waste incineration.

Eric Olsen described Azerbaijan as an attractive country in terms of cooperation. The CEO said they were ready to establish relations with Azerbaijan.

During the conversation, they exchanged views on the prospects of cooperation.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Prime Minister, Minister of State of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel.

Prime Minister, Minister of State of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel said his country was interested in boosting relations with Azerbaijan in various fields, as well as in the areas of finance and investment.

Xavier Bettel said there is successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and Luxembourg in the field of air cargo, adding the areas of ICT, space, industry, banking, and finance developed in his country. The Prime Minister said his country was ready to the cooperation with Azerbaijan in these fields.

President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan was interested in cooperation with Luxembourg in various fields. The head of state said the special attention was paid to the development of ICT in the country. President Ilham Aliyev said government allocated great investment to this field.

The head of state said space industry developed in Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev noted the country was interested in cooperation with Luxembourg in these fields.

During the conversation, they exchanged views on the prospects of cooperation in fields of mutual investment, high-technologies.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

The Intercontinental Judges Courses on Artistic Gymnastics of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) have started in Baku.

The courses are being held for the first time in Azerbaijans capital on Jan. 17- 21.

Addressing the opening, FIG First Vice President Slava Corn welcomed the participants, introduced the members of the organizing committee and thanked the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF) for the excellent organization.

In the next three days we have to work hard to show our skills, as this seminar is unique over the whole Olympic cycle, said Corn.

Afterwards, AGF Secretary General Farid Gayibov addressed the event. He welcomed the course participants, wished them success and expressed hope that these courses will be held successfully and participants will achieve the desired results.

The FIG Intercontinental Judges Courses are held once in an Olympic cycle. These courses provide an opportunity to get the highest  the first judging category.
Meeting in Davos for the first time on Tuesday, the Hydrogen Council currently comprises 13 CEOs and Chairpersons from various industries and energy companies committed to help achieve the ambitious goal of reaching the 2 C target as agreed in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The international companies currently involved are: Air Liquide, Alstom, Anglo American, BMW GROUP, Daimler, ENGIE, Honda, Hyundai, Kawasaki, Royal Dutch Shell, The Linde Group, Total and Toyota. The Council is led by two Co-Chairs from different geographies and sectors, currently represented by Air Liquide and Toyota. The members of the Hydrogen Council collectively represent total revenues of 1.07 trillion and 1.72 million employees around the world.

Thirteen leading energy, transport and industry companies have launched a global initiative in Davos to voice a united vision and long-term ambition for hydrogen to foster the energy transition.

The Hydrogen Council is determined to position hydrogen among the key solutions of the energy transition. Hydrogen technologies and products have significantly progressed over past years and are now being introduced to the market. The Council will work with, and provide recommendations to, a number of key stakeholders such as policy makers, business and hydrogen players, international agencies and civil society to achieve these goals.

During the launch, members of the Hydrogen Council confirmed their ambition to accelerate their significant investment in the development and commercialization of the hydrogen and fuel cell sectors. These investments currently amount to an estimated total value of 1.4 billion/year. This acceleration will be possible if the key stakeholders increase their backing of hydrogen as part of the future energy mix with appropriate policies and supporting schemes.

The 2015 Paris Agreement to combat climate change is a significant step in the right direction but requires business action to be taken to make such a pledge a reality. The Hydrogen Council brings together some of the worlds leading industrial, automotive and energy companies with a clear ambition to explain why hydrogen emerges among the key solutions for the energy transition, in the mobility as well as in the power, industrial and residential sectors, and therefore requires the development of new strategies at a scale to support this. But we cannot do it alone. We need governments to back hydrogen with actions of their ownfor example through large-scale infrastructure investment schemes. Our call today to world leaders is to commit to hydrogen so that together we can meet our shared climate ambitions and give further traction to the emerging Hydrogen ecosystem. Benoit Potier, CEO, Air Liquide

The Hydrogen Council will exhibit responsible leadership in showcasing hydrogen technology and its benefits to the world. It will seek collaboration, cooperation and understanding from governments, industry and most importantly, the public. At Toyota, we have always tried to play a leading role in environmental and technological advances in the automotive industry, including through the introduction of fuel cell vehicles. Moreover, we know that in addition to transportation, hydrogen has the potential to support our transition to a low carbon society across multiple industries and the entire value chain. The Hydrogen Council aims to actively encourage this transition. Takeshi Uchiyamada, Chairman, Toyota

A report entitled How Hydrogen empowers the energy transitioncommissioned by the Hydrogen Councilfurther details this future potential that hydrogen is ready to provide, and sets out the vision of the Council and the key actions it considers fundamental for policy makers to implement, to fully unlock and empower the contribution of hydrogen to the energy transition.



The report argues that hydrogen has seven major roles to play in decarbonizing major sectors of the economy. Click to enlarge.

The report makes three major recommendations to policymakers:
The workshop will review the SAE J2954 light duty document, the anticipated timeline for standardization to commercialization, and the status of technology projects.

On 6 February, the Center for Sustainable Energy in San Diego in California will be hosting a workshop for SAE J2954 (Wireless Power Transfer and Automated Charging and Alignment) with the California Air Resources Board (ARB) and California Energy Commission (CARB-CEC) related to wireless power transfer technology status and testing plans in California. The workshop is the day before the SAE 2017 Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Technologies Symposium , also in San Diego.

Toyota, Nissan and GM will provide technology application examples, while Lear, Witricity and Qualcomm will discuss their particular technologies. TDK and Idaho National Laboratory will provide the view from labs.

Specific to California, a panel will discuss existing and upcoming California regulations related to charging, followed by a discussion on the potential to create first small-scale, then large-scale wireless power transfer testing for light duty vehicles in the 2017-2020 timeframe.

A separate meeting will be held later for heavy-duty WPT.

Those interested in attending should RSVP by 20 January by email to Ryan.Hart@arb.ca.gov and schneider.jesse@web.de. The room is limited to 50 people.

Hybrid J2954 Wireless Charging Task Force Committee
The objective of the study was to identify the best approach to deliver up to 50 million gallons (and to double to 100 million after 2025) of aviation biofuel per year into the fuel hydrant delivery system at Sea-Tac International Airport. A total of 29 sites across the state were identified and screened. The sites were located in King, Pierce, Whatcom, Skagit, Grays Harbor and Franklin Counties, Washington.

The Port of Seattle, Boeing and Alaska Airlines released a first-of-its-kind study that identifies the best infrastructure options for delivering aviation biofuel to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. In pursuit of its goal to power every flight at Sea-Tac with sustainable aviation biofuel, Sea-Tac is among the first airports in North America to work with aviation, energy and research partners to systematically evaluate all aspects to developing a commercial-scale program from scratch.

The original 29 sites were narrowed to six locations based on a number of criteria, such as access to fuel transportation modes (pipeline, rail, marine and truck), zoning, wetlands and other environmental considerations, etc. The application of additional criteria, including infrastructure development costs, focused the analysis to the three properties best suited to meet project goals.

Conceptual infrastructure development improvements and costs were developed for a total of six options for the three sites, and a feasibility evaluation scorecard was completed to compare the six options.

The study evaluated more than 30 sites around Washington State that could potentially support the receipt, blending, storage, and delivery infrastructure required to supply Sea-Tac Airport with up to 50 million gallons per year of sustainable alternative aviation fuel (also referred to as aviation biofuel). Potential sites were evaluated both for the ability to accommodate near-term (12-18 months) supplies of five million gallons per year and long-term (2-10 years) supplies of more than 50 million gallons per year.

Unlike the biofuel itself, fuel blending and delivery infrastructure cannot grow on trees. We needed this comprehensive analysis to confirm that we can offer commercial airlines feasible and sustainable delivery options while reducing our environmental footprint and being a good neighbor to surrounding communities. Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton

In pursuing an integrated aviation biofuels supply chain, sites were selected based on the capacity to accommodate delivery of unblended biofuel by pipe, rail, barge, and/or truck, and were evaluated based on land use, zoning, and environmental considerations. The most-feasible sites were determined based on the construction costs of the needed infrastructure, environmental constraints, permitting and planning, and other contingences to help determine an overall score and final recommendation.

Key findings included:

Without a long-term supply source or agreement in place for aviation biofuels, it would be prudent to focus short-term investments on smaller scale facilities that are exible and could support other aviation fuel supply uses.

Infrastructure requirements for fuel of oading from rail and marine modes are high in cost, so these facilities are only cost-effective for large volumes of biofuel over the long term.

A small biofuel receiving and blending facility at the Sea-Tac Airport Fuel Farm is the most cost-effective solution in the short term. In addition, this facility would ful ll an existing critical need for additional local fuel receipt and of oading infrastructure that is not dependent on the Olympic Pipeline.

The north-end refineries are the most cost-effective options for receipt and blending of large volumes of aviation biofuel over the long term due to their access to marine, rail, truck, and the Olympic Pipeline. In this study, Tesoro Anacortes was used as a proxy for any of the three refineries that currently produce Jet-A fuel in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. This conclusion should be re-evaluated in the future when a large-scale producer of neat biofuel is identified.

The Phillips 66/Olympic Pipeline Company sites in Renton also showed potential to accommodate receipt and blending facilities for moderate-to-large biofuel volumes over the long term.

The study sponsors received a very positive reception from the Olympic Pipeline Company, the petroleum re neries and distributors. These fuel supply and transport organizations showed strong interest in upgrading their facilities to handle aviation biofuel and moving the blended product in their pipelines.

As the biofuel supply expands, the Port of Seattle, its partners, and the fuel supply and transport organizations could work cooperatively toward the ultimate goal of integrating aviation biofuel into the fuel hydrant delivery system at Sea-Tac International Airport.

Commercial aviation is committed to reducing the industrys carbon footprint, and biofuels are key to achieving that goal. Were encouraged that this study shows the viability of making a biofuel blend available to every flight at Sea-Tac Airport. As part of our global strategy to develop and commercialize biofuel, were proud to support our hometown partners and keep the Pacific Northwest in the forefront of these innovative efforts. Ellie Wood, regional director of environmental strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes

An aviation biofuel production plant was not considered in this feasibility study. However, once a long-term aviation biofuel source is identified, it will be an important next step to determine its relative proximity to the sites considered in the study. The closer the source of the aviation biofuel to a biofuel blending and integration facility, the lower the costs associated with the fuel.
Velodyne LiDAR is opening a Megafactory to ramp up production of the latest 3D LiDAR sensors to meet high global demand. Located in San Jose, CA, the facility not only has enough space for high-volume manufacturing and for the precise distance and ranging alignment process for LiDAR sensors as they come off the assembly line.

The Megafactory is already producing Velodynes HDL-64 LiDAR sensor, with production ramping up across Velodynes entire product portfolio and more than one million LiDAR sensors expected to be built in the facility in 2018. That high-volume manufacturing will feed the global demand for Velodynes solid-state hybrid LiDAR used in autonomous car systems around the world.

In addition to the San Jose Megafactory, Velodyne LiDAR has also opened a new research and development facility in Alameda, CA. Known as Velodyne Labs, this location focuses on building advanced LiDAR, ASICs chip technology, and new solutions to complete and compliment the companys existing LiDAR lineup.

The Megafactory and R&D facility join existing corporate and production facilities in Morgan Hill, as well as new or expanding sales offices in Northern California, the Midwest, East Coast, Europe, and Asia.
Rector of Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) Elmar Gasimov held a meeting with Head of Social Investments Section of BP Company in Azerbaijan Kenan Shikhlinsky and Program Manager of TwentyEighty Company Ed Hughes.

Having briefed the guests about major fields of BHOS activities, successes and perspectives of development of the Higher School, Rector Elmar Gasimov emphasized that BHOS is constantly widening its international relations. Speaking about fruitful cooperation between BHOS and BP, Rector Elmar Gasimov expressed his interest in further development of this partnership. Head of Social Investments Section of BP company in Azerbaijan Kenan Shikhlinsky and Program Manager of TwentyEighty Company Ed Hughes highly praised the conditions and opportunities created for the students at the Higher Oil School.

At the meeting, prospects for establishment of a Project Management School at BHOS jointly by the Higher School, BP and TwentyEighty companies were discussed. The Schools curriculum will consist of seven thematic modules. Upon the course completion, specialists in various fields studying at the Project Management School will receive Master certificates of the George Washington University, USA.
As the News & Observer reports, former Gov. Pat McCrory has weighed in on the John Lewis-Donald Trump feud on CNN:

On the cable news channel's program, "New Day," McCrory defended Trump's response to Lewis questioning the legitimacy of his presidency.

"I am supportive of him swinging back when you need to, McCrory said. Thats been his technique during the campaign. Thats obviously going to be his technique and attitude when hes president of the United States. The people knew that when they elected him.

McCrory then cited himself as an example of a graceful loser, noting As for his own narrow loss to Democrat Roy Cooper.

My replacement, the new governor of North Carolina, is the legitimate governor of North Carolina, he said. That should never be questioned by another elected official.

What McCrory didn't say is how long he contested the result in the governor's race, implying voter fraud on scant evidence.

He also didn't say anything about Russia, which, so far as we know, did not meddle in North Carolina's elections, and Trump's stubborn decision to deny intelligence reports that the Russians did meddle in the presidential election.

That would seem to make these two very different situations.

McCrory also didn't mention his parting shot for Cooper: Signing a law that significantly limited his successor's powers.
GREENSBORO  British American Tobacco said Tuesday it has reached an agreement to buy Winston-Salem-based Reynolds American Inc.

Under the terms of the deal, British American will pay $49.4 billion for the 58 percent of Reynolds American stock that it does not own. The London-based British American will become the worlds largest publicly traded tobacco company as a result of the deal.

British American offered $47 billion for Reynolds in October and company officials said they would consider the deal.

To close the historic acquisition, British American had to raise its offer and the Reynolds board approved the deal. Tuesdays deal should close in the third quarter, the companies said.

The deal is a milestone in Winston-Salems corporate and cultural history, which, except for brief ownership by another company, has been the headquarters home of Reynolds Tobacco Co. or Reynolds American since the early 1900s. The iconic Reynolds Building remains a dominant feature of the citys skyline. Its owned by PMC Property Group, and is now the Klimpton Cardinal Hotel.

The historic merger comes more than two years after Reynolds American made another historic merger that affected Greensboros Lorillard Tobacco Co.

Reynolds announced in July 2014 that it would buy Lorillard for $27.4 billion.

Reynolds primary interest in Lorillard was to acquire its Newport menthol brand, one of the nations top cigarette brands.

As part of the complex deal, Reynolds sold some of its less-popular brands and Lorillards East Market Street factory to a third company, ITG Brands, the U.S. division of Britains Imperial Tobacco Group.

ITG Brands acquired the Winston, Salem, Kool and Maverick cigarette brands from Reynolds, which retained Lorillards market-leading Newport menthol brand.

ITG Brands, the nations third-largest tobacco company, is now based in Greensboro. The company produces 15 percent of the nations cigarettes with just over 9 percent of the total market share, according to mid-2016 figures.

ITG Brands, in addition to making history, inflicted pain on the local workforce when in 2016 it laid off 375 of the companys 1,700 workers at the East Market Street plant.

The British American-Reynolds deal does not affect in any way ITG Brands, which remains a separate company.

British American and Reynolds said Tuesday their deal offers several advantages:

The company can sell products in developed markets and high-growth developing markets worldwide.

The deal adds the Kent and Pall Mall brands to Reynolds popular Newport brand.

The companies will pool their research and development divisions to create new vapor and tobacco-heating products.

Bonnie Herzog, Wells Fargos tobacco analyst, said the merger will likely be approved quickly by regulators because the companies have little geographic overlap, a close existing relationship and limited anti-trust issues.

She added that the companies will benefit in vapor tobacco products because of British Americans ambitions and Reynolds Americans significant progress in the market.
Updated 2 p.m.

GREENSBORO  Chanting, No documents, no peace; no secret police, seven members of the group GSO Operation Transparency were arrested on trespassing charges Wednesday at Greensboro City Hall while other members of the group chanted and cheered.

The group demanded documents from the city in a police misconduct case in the violent arrest of Dejuan Yourse by former Greensboro Police officer Travis Cole.

Now more than ever we need (Council) to put safety above comfort, group member CJ Brinson, 28, of Greensboro said. There must be something that makes them uncomfortable about releasing the files.

About 40 people, a few carrying boxes they hoped to fill with documents, marched to the Melvin Municipal Office Building at about 9:45 a.m. The group had first asked for the full investigative file of the Yourse arrest, including written and electronic correspondence, in mid-December. A few days later, City Council voted 7-2 not to release the files. Councilwoman Sharon Hightower and councilman Jamal Fox voted yes.

The documents were not released today.

Brinson, one of the seven arrested, said in two days the U.S. will be governed by a president that has suggested expanding the Stop and Frisk policy as well as enrolling Muslims in a national registry.

We know Greensboro can do better, he said.

Prior to the arrests, Brinson said he was willing to be arrested because democracy matters.

We need to ensure we live in a city with democracy and transparency, Brinson said. Im prepared to stand for democracy and protect those who are most vulnerable.

He said it doesnt matter who is at the heart of the issue at this point, be it Yourse or someone else.

All subjects should be treated with the same type of dignity, Brinson said. I want to continue to raise awareness and build a stronger community against any tactic that fights against the democratic process.

Footage of the June 17 arrest from the body cameras of former officers Cole and Charlotte Jackson was released last September. In the incident, Cole punches Yourse in the face and throws him to the ground from his mothers porch. Cole and Jackson were investigating a possible robbery at the address of Yourses mother. Both officers have since resigned.

The seven group members were arrested inside the executive offices of City Hall after talking with City Manager Jim Westmoreland about why the files would not be released. Other members of the group remained in the hallway and chanted release the files.

Lamar Gibson, 25, of Greensboro, asked Westmoreland to recommend to council that the files be released. Westmoreland refused, citing the file as a personnel record.

Westmoreland told the group that City Council has released an amount of information in the Yourse arrest he characterized as unprecedented. Council voted to release the body camera footage, he said, and the council asked the Guilford County District Attorneys Office to review the case a second time (the prosecutors office declined prosecution of both Cole and Yourse) and the group sent a letter to the state Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission that asked Coles law enforcement license be revoked.

The city manager warned the group not to block the halls, and said they could assemble during business hours, but not if they were disruptive. Seven members of the group, all dressed in red, were led away in handcuffs when the chanting grew louder and some group members talked over Westmoreland.

The group members were charged with second-degree trespassing. Westmoreland later said they were arrested because they became disruptive and didnt follow City Hall rules and procedures.

Police identified the seven arrested as: Pamela Theresa Crosson, 42, of 813 Glenwood Ave.; Sabina Nogo, 26, of 2406 Gracewood Court; Cletis John-Allen (CJ) Brinson, 28, of 504 Gorrell St.; James Lamar Gibson, 26, of 422 N. Cedar St.; Sofia Tull, 25, of 519 N. Mendenhall St.; Juan Carlos Miranda Buzetta, 26, of 1100 Hicks Court; and Gary Scott Kenton, 66, of 606 Park Ave.

Initially GSO Operation Transparency went to the administrative office of chief of police where they chanted outside for a few minutes before moving upstairs to the executive offices of city hall.

Yourse, 37, arrived at City Hall just in time to see the arrests. He said he thinks the files should be released.

Its a very unfortunate situation. I came to support those people who came to support me, he said. Im very thankful theyre doing this now.

Following the arrests, Isabell Moore said the group would continue to push for the files release.

This is not the end today, she said. Transparency needs to be a core value in our city. In the coming weeks we will strategize about what to do to figure out our next steps.

Posted 12 a.m. Wednesday

GREENSBORO  A watchdog group demanding documents in a police misconduct investigation will be at city hall at 9:30 a.m. today.

Andrew Garces, a member speaking for GSO Operation Transparency said a few dozen people are expected to show up at the Melvin Municipal Office Building, 300 W. Washington St., to demand the release of the full investigative file on the arrest of Dejuan Yourse.

The group requested the information from Greensboro City Council Dec. 13. Council voted at its Dec. 20 meeting not to release the remaining documents.

Garces said the group will conduct what it describes as a peoples document search for all written and electronic correspondence on the Yourse arrest.

Yourse was thrown from his mothers porch and punched in the face on June 17, 2016, during his arrest by former Greensboro Police Officer Travis Cole. Cole and Officer Charlotte Jackson were investigating a possible robbery at the address. The incident was captured on the officers body cameras. Both have since left the department.

Garces said members of GSO Operation Transparency have been trained in methods of civil disobedience related to its request for the documents.

The training includes knowing their rights to access of public buildings and knowing how to move as a group to accomplish its goals.

At least five people in the group are prepared to be arrested, Garces said.

This is a developing story, read new information as it becomes available on greensboro.com.
Jalal Orujov is appointed to the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA). The appointment was undertaken according to the initiatives on creation of the new professional management team.

Jalal Orujov has extensive experience in the field of banking technology and card processing and will be responsible for the development of online-banking in the IBA. He graduated Azerbaijan State Economic University and worked at the Central Bank of Azerbaijan Republic and various companies in financial sector. He worked as a CEO of processing center Milli Kart since 2006. Before his appointment to the IBA he held position of CTO at Unibank.

The IBA held the extraordinary general shareholders meeting on January 10, 2017. By the decision of the shareholders Khalid Ahadov was elected to the position of the Chairman of the bank. The new management team is aimed on achieving costs optimization, increase of efficiency in short terms by restructuring steps and successful recovery of the IBA by the end of the year. The first steps in this direction are already taken.
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GREENWICH  In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., four young people took to the pulpit and commemorated the civil-rights leader through oratory and the power of persuasion.

The occasion was the First Baptist Churchs annual oratory contest to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The speakers were asked to consider what young African Americans can do to further the goals of the civil rights movement guided by King  to make a difference and fight for justice. The students considered a variety of answers, researching current societal trends and Kings career as an advocate for the oppressed.

The Rev. Thomas Nins, the Greenwich churchs pastor, commended the speakers for their efforts. As someone who spends a little bit of time behind a microphone, its not as easy as it looks, he said.

The first-place winner, Natalie Henry, a Stamford seventh-grader who attends Rye Country Day School, called on young people like herself to devote themselves to community service.

Organizing can be done at the individual level, Henry said: Start mentoring programs. Help one person at at time.

Collective action also matters, she said. Taking part in community service, donating to charity and volunteering at local organizations helps develop our sense of compassion, she said. It also helps young people appreciate what they have. If we support each other as a community, we grow as a community.

Nalani Zhuta-Medley, an eighth-grader from Stamford, said young people should use the tools of modern communications to change society.

They have to get the word out  they can organize groups to discuss problems and solutions in todays society. They can research whats happening right now, in 2017. They can organize marches and participate in local gatherings, and post on social media, she said. This connects to Reverend King, because he made sure everyone knew his stance on the issues. He always made sure his voice was heard.

Concluding, she said, We have come far, but we can go much farther.

A sixth-grader at the Eastern Middle School in Greenwich, Aaliyah Brown, spoke of the pursuit of individual excellence.

Young people can do so much for their community by working hard, in and out of school, she said. You can have more courage in yourself, by working as hard as possible.

Ashanti Headley, an eighth-grader from Stamford, said a positive attitude and commitment to a cause were important traits for young people to adopt.

Barack Obama once said, Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones weve been waiting for, we are the change that we seek.

It means that we have to be willing to stand outside of our designated zones, Headley said. We must remember that we are our brothers keeper, what affects one affects us all. We must stand up for what we believe in and fight the good fight.

Nins called the event a community celebration, one that drew on the inspiration that guided King as he strove to break down barriers. Its a challenge, but its worth fighting for, the minister said.

Henry won a cash prize of $75, and the other speakers also got monetary prizes.

The event concluded with a recording of Kings I Have a Dream speech in Washington and a singing of the civil rights anthem We Shall Overcome.

Robert.Marchant@scni.com
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

Azerbaijan wants to expand the export of non-oil products to the Czech Republic, said Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev.

An analysis has been held in order to determine the list of goods that Azerbaijan can export to the Czech market, Mustafayev said addressing the Azerbaijani-Czech business forum in Baku Jan. 17.

He named the agriculture products, including nuts, tea, fruits and vegetables, cotton, wine and others as the non-oil products that can be exported to the Czech Republic.

Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic can also develop the cooperation in the industrial, transportation, tourism, finance and other spheres, said the minister.

Speaking about the activity of Czech entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan, Mustafayev noted that as of today the total of volume of their investments in the country amounts to $1.3 billion.

Additional 1.8 billion euros were given by Czech banks for the implementation of various projects in Azerbaijan, added Mustafayev.

Moreover, the minister said the Czech companies participate as contractors in various Azerbaijani projects, with a total cost of $16 billion.

On Jan. 17, Baku hosted the Azerbaijani-Czech business forum, which was attended by almost 170 entrepreneurs from the two countries.

Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic amounted to $316.3 million in 2016, some $214.4 million of which accounted for the exports to the Czech Republic, according to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee.
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Nokia 6 is going on sale on January 19 and we cant wait to see how it will perform. For now we see how people react and it is obvious the first HMD Global flash sale is going to enjoy plenty of interest.

Up to today registrations reached 1 million in China. Sadly, this is the only market right now where Nokia 6 is available, since JD does not provide shipping outside of the country and HMD Global is keeping it tight-lipped about a possible global device.

Nokia 6 is the only officially revealed device with the classic brand but we are hoping to see the alleged Nokia 8 among others next month at MWC.

Source | Via
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Details added (first version posted on 13:13)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

Azerbaijan wants to expand the export of non-oil products to the Czech Republic, said Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev.

An analysis has been held in order to determine the list of goods that Azerbaijan can export to the Czech market, Mustafayev said addressing the Azerbaijani-Czech business forum in Baku Jan. 17.

He named the agriculture products, including nuts, tea, fruits and vegetables, cotton, wine and others as the non-oil products that can be exported to the Czech Republic.

Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic can also develop the cooperation in the industrial, transportation, tourism, finance and other spheres, said the minister.

Speaking about the activity of Czech entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan, Mustafayev noted that as of today the total of volume of their investments in the country amounts to $1.3 billion.

Additional 1.8 billion euros were given by Czech banks for the implementation of various projects in Azerbaijan, added Mustafayev.

Moreover, the minister said the Czech companies participate as contractors in various Azerbaijani projects, with a total cost of $16 billion.

On Jan. 17, Baku hosted the Azerbaijani-Czech business forum, which was attended by almost 170 entrepreneurs from the two countries.

Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic amounted to $316.3 million in 2016, some $214.4 million of which accounted for the exports to the Czech Republic, according to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee.




Haiti - FLASH : Jovenel Moise met President Medina





Monday afternoon, Jovenel Moise, the elected President of Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19698-haiti-presidential-2016-final-results-jovenel-moise-58th-president.html at the head of a Haitian delegation of businessmen and several of his advisers, arrived in the Dominican Republic on board a Sunrise Airways flight. Upon arrival at the airport, he was welcomed by Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado and the Dominican Ambassador to Haiti, Ruben Silie.



During his stay, President-elect Jovenel Moise will meet with Dominican businessmen and also visit a number of farms and several businesses in different sectors.



On leaving the airport Moise was taken to the National Palace for a bilateral meeting in the office of President Danilo Medina.



At the end of the meeting, Jovenel Moise, accompanied in particular by Idalbert Pierre-Jean, Charge d'affaires of the Haitian Embassy in DR, as well as Ardouin Zephirin and Cristine Coupe, two members of his political team, said he had been questions with his Dominican counterpart of the cooperation between Haiti and the Dominican Republic and subjects concerning the relations of the two countries.



The President-elect of Haiti said that the two countries are on an island and that they should normalize relations, stressing that he had sent clear signals to the Dominicans and the world in this sense.



According to the Dominican presidency, Jovenel Moise "is in the country to take note of several projects put in place by the Government of Danilo Medina. Including those related to the agricultural sector and energy. He is also interested in certain social, educational and tourist programs as well as the construction of housing [...] The presence of Jovenel Moise in the country augurs the strengthening of relations between the Dominican Republic and Haiti," indicates the Dominican Government.



After the meeting with Dominican President Medina, a dinner was held in honor of the Haitian delegation. Jovenel Moise was accompanied by Haitian entrepreneurs including Eddy Salomon, Giovanni Gardere, Jean Marc and Charles Jumelle Appolon.



President Jovenel Moise will return to Haiti tomorrow Wednesday.



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Elections : CEP dismisses almost 300 contractuals





Monday, Uder Antoine, the Executive Director of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced in a note that "[...] following certain anomalies recorded during the elections of 20 November 2016, the Council decided to make changes within the temporary staff [...]"



These changes concern nearly 300 contractuals (Supervisors and Members of polling stations) who were dismissed for various reasons including "[...] missing minutes, failure to comply with procedures, unjustified collection of fees granted, disappearance of equipment, indiscipline and abandonment of post."



Uder Antoine states that these provisions "[...] reflect the Council's determination to ensure the quality and continuous improvement of the electoral process."



S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - NOTICE : ONI apologizes and denies





The National Office of Identification (ONI) apologizes to the population for not being able to obtain services at its offices in Delmas and Port-au-Prince, located at 4 rue de Miot in Babiole. The Office informs citizens that administrative arrangements have been made for services to resume normally while ensuring that the other communal offices function as usual.



In addition, the ONI wishes to remind everyone that no member of its staff, even those who claim to be from an employee union of the institution, has neither the authorization nor the authority to speak on behalf of the Office, which has found that false and defamatory information is conveyed by these employees in the media, with a view to destabilize the institution for personal purposes. The Office rejects these statements, which give the population a bad image of the ONI, which does not in any way reflect the reality of the institution, despite the many challenges it faces on a daily basis.



The ONI once again thanks the citizens for the patience whose they have always shown and reassures them that they will continue working to improve their services.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - FLASH : Taking justice into ones own hands or the reign of impunity in Haiti





The Human Rights Section of the Minustah / Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has published a report that analyzes the key elements of lynching in Haiti, a phenomenon well known by Haitians, but that remains poorly documented. The objective of the report is to deconstruct certain myths surrounding this phenomenon and to call on the Haitian authorities to take better account of these cases.



The report recalls that lynching is a crime and not a form of popular justice and emphasizes that homicides by lynching account for 15% of all homicides in Haiti. It states that from 2009 to 2015, there were on average 10 cases of lynching per month, with a slight increase in deaths from lynching, from 7.5 deaths per month in 2009 to 8.1 per month in 2015.



Contrary to popular belief, lynching is essentially an urban phenomenon: 70% of all lynching deaths in Haiti between 2009 and 2015 took place in the west department, where there were 14 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, while the national average, excluding the Department of the West, is 3.4 deaths per lynching per 100,000 inhabitants.



Moreover, the report reveals that in the cases followed by the SDH in recent years, these acts have rarely been the subject of a judicial inquiry, even less of a conviction. Between 2010 and 2015, of the 483 lynching or attempted lynching reported by the Minustah, only 59 resulted in arrests. The report mentioned only one conviction in a lynching case.



The report concludes that in the absence of measures taken by the Haitian authorities to combat lynching, the State is failing to protect its citizens. Among other things, it recommends a better study of the phenomenon in order to better understand it and to develop appropriate intervention strategies.



Download the report "Taking justice into ones own hands or the reign of impunity in Haiti" : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/170117_exec_summary_haiti_-_taking_justice_into_ones_own_hands_-_en.pdf



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is interested to take part in regional projects implemented by Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, said Hisham Marouf, director of the IDB Regional Office in Almaty, during his meeting with Javid Gurbanov, chairman of Azerbaijan Railways.

Marouf noted that the development of relations with Azerbaijan is one of the priorities for the IDB.

Javid Gurbanov, for his part, spoke about the reforms carried out in Azerbaijans railway sector, the implementation of international and regional projects, as well as the upcoming tasks.

He said that in the mid-term prospect, one of Azerbaijans main strategic tasks is to become a regional logistics center.

Gurbanov also spoke about the measures being taken for the reconstruction of the globally important International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

Azerbaijan joined the IDB in 1992.




Haiti - NOTICE : CONATEL convene some FM stations





The Directorate General of the Executive Body of the National Telecommunications Council (CONATEL) invites all holders of operating authorization of FM radio stations in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area operating on the following frequencies : 93.9MHz; 95.5MHz; 97.1 MHz; 97.5 MHz ; 97.9 MHz; 101.5 MHz; 102.7 MHz; 103.1 MHz; 104.3MHz; 106.7MHz; 107.1 MHz, at a meeting with the technical and legal services of the institution for business concerning them, on Thursday 19 January 2017 at 10.00 am at the Council premises, located at # 4, Ave Christophe, Port-au-Prince.



Furthermore, CONATEL draws the attention of the general public to the recurrent and undesirable situation of nuisances created by the interference between radio stations on the FM band.



In order to find a definitive solution and ensure the governance of the sector, CONATEL encourages media managers to contact the Directorate General of the institution and urges them to respect the thresholds set for the emission parameters as well as the established standards for the power and height of antenna towers.



The Directorate-General reminds the radio stations concerned of the obligation to comply with the requirements of the decree of 17 September 1987 on the payment of annual fees for the use of frequencies. This will enable the regulatory body to strengthen its technical capacity and better serve the population.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2017/01/16 | Source

Actor Zo In-sung joined the showbiz as soon as he debuted as a model in 1998. Under his father's influence as an Air Force officer, he joined the Air Force himself in 2009 but before that, he settled himself down as an actor by staring in various dramas and movies like "Jump", "School 3", "New Non Stop", "Piano", "Daemang", "Shoot for the Stars", "Something Happened in Bali", "Spring Days", "Madeleine", "The Classic", "Love of South and North", "A Dirty Carnival", "A Frozen Flower" and more.

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All of his dramas succeeded in all ways and movies "The Classic" made a mark of 1,540,000, "A Dirty Carnival" 2,040,000 and "A Frozen Flower" 3,770,000.

He was done with the Air Force in 2011 but didn't make a comeback right away. He only came back with his best friend and director Bae Jong's "The Fist" which is an sci-fi movie worth a total of 20 billion won. However, things fell through and Zo In-sung waited 2 years before he came back out with "That Winter, the Wind Blows". Zo In-sung eventually didn't stay on for "The Fist" but everyone is calling him the 'icon of loyalty'.

Zo In-sung starred in "That Winter, the Wind Blows" and "It's Okay, That's Love" as well as "Dear My Friends" as a special act and now he's back with a movie called "The King". He looks amazing in a suit and aides chief prosecutor Han Kang-soo (Jung Woo-sung) in controlling the nation. He plays Park Tae-soo who takes up a lot of the movie and in the ending credit, Zo In-sung's name comes before Jung Woo-sung.

We met Zo In-sung for an interview last week and about the movie he said, "I wished I would stop appearing so much".

"I was under the pressure that I would ruin the movie. I wondered if I should have chosen a drama instead. I wanted to hide because I kept appearing on such a big screen. Multi-tasking is 'it' these days and I wondered why I got the role. I was in 100 takes out of 104. In "A Frozen Flower" I was in 120 and in "A Dirty Carnival" I was in 100. Still, I wanted to be in a movie which deals with elements you can't find in a drama".

The following are questions and answers from Zo In-sung:

Q: What was the reaction after the premiere?

Zo In-sung: We just told each other 'good job'. We all waited for the release and it's finally here. The bridge between two periods of time in a movie is very important and it turned out really well.

Q: It's your first movie in a while, how is it compared to dramas?

Zo In-sung: I am quite at ease with dramas because that's what I started with but Bae Sung-woo says he's more comfortable with theater. He said theater is over in just 2 hours and 10 minutes and you can stay under the air-con if you're hot or a heater if you're cold. Movies are quite different but I prefer half-production.

Q: The movie itself is very fun but it's rated for 15 years and above

Zo In-sung: It's a commercial movie. We tried to keep within the lines of 15 years and above. Otherwise we would have to up the intensity but that would bring Tar-soo down. We had to make sure the audience would look at Tae-soo in an assimilated point of view but swearing or being rougher wouldn't let that work.

Q: The satire was amazing

Zo In-sung: We did apply satire in the movie. We tried to make it funny but then came the monopoly of the government organization and social suspicion is at large. We tried to make it funny but now it's not funny anymore because it just turned out to be true.

Q: Apparently "The King" was supervised by the prosecutors

Zo In-sung: Not me. If I do, then so help me.

Q: What Korean history did you have to study for the movie?

Zo In-sung: I didn't need to really because I am an 80s Baby and I am the 'Korean History'.

Q: You have done lots of mellows but this time there are only men in the movie, what's the difference?

Zo In-sung: Actresses take some time to get close to because they have their own private space. Even going drinking takes them to say it first so that I can ask them the same thing later. Men tend to get closer really soon. Jung Woo-sung and I are 8 years apart and Kim Woo-bin and I are also 8 years apart. I was able to blend in with Woo-seong thanks to Cha Tae-hyun and I tried to be the same to Joon-ryeol. Jeon Do-yeon, Go Hyun-jung, Cho Jae-hyun and others are also nice to me.

Q: Who are you still not very comfortable with?

Zo In-sung: Cha Tae-hyun and Go Hyun-jung of course. They have charisma unlike the loveliness you see on TV and Go Hyun-jung, well, she's just who she is. Need I say more?

Q: What is "The King" in one word?

Zo In-sung: The message is strong but it's a light movie. It's humorous and sincere at the same time. It's not that serious.
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Published on 2017/01/17 | Source

Added episodes 41 and 42 captures for the Korean drama "The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop" (2016)

Advertisement

Directed by Hwang In-hyeok

Written by Koo Hyeon-sook

Network : KBS

With Lee Dong-gun, Jo Yoon-hee, Shin Goo, Kim Young-ae, Oh Hyun-kyung, Cha In-pyo,...

Sat, Sun 19:55

Synopsis

"Suited Gentlemen In Yanggye-dong" is based on a traditional tailor's with history. The drama depicts the tears, friendship, success and romance of four men.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2016/08/27

More
Harlow is a former New Town in Essex with a population of 86,000. Located in the upper Stort Valley, it was built in the decades after the Second World War to ease overcrowding and London and provide homes for people bombed out during the Blitz. It includes Britain's first pedestrian precinct and first modern residential tower block, The Lawn. Old Harlow, the historic part of the town, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. David and Victoria Beckham's former home, Rowneybury House, nicknamed 'Beckingham Palace', is nearby.

12:22, 4 NOV 2022
OPEC Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo forecast on Monday that stability would return to oil markets this year while price hawk Venezuela said it hoped its crude basket would rise to $70 in coming months, Reuters reported.

The head of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries was back in Caracas for a second meeting in two months with President Nicolas Maduro whom he lavishly praised for an "inspirational" role in the producers' pact to cut output.

"We remain optimistic Mr. President that with the full and timely implementation of this historic decision between us and non-OPEC, in 2017 the situation of our economies will improve tremendously," Barkindo said at a news conference with Maduro.

"And stability to the oil market that has eluded us for nearly three years will be restored on a sustainable basis in the interest of producers, consumers and the global economy."

Under the accord reached in late 2016, OPEC, Russia and other non-members of the producer group will curtail oil output by nearly 1.8 million bpd, initially for six months.

Maduro, who sent officials round the world over the last two years to lobby for output cuts, said he hoped the pact would help raise Venezuela's crude basket to $60 in the first half and $70 later in 2017.

One of the worst-affected nations by the oil price plunge since mid-2014, Venezuela's oil traded at $44.82 last week, versus a 2016 average of $35.15.

Barkindo added that Venezuela, and its new Oil Minister Nelson Martinez, would play a central role in a new OPEC, non-OPEC ministerial committee charted with monitoring production.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan.17



By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:



The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has increased the forecast for the average oil price for 2017 by $0.6 to $51.2 per barrel, according to IMFs updated World Economic Outlook.



This World Economic Outlook incorporates a firming of oil prices following the agreement among OPEC members and several other major producers to limit supply.



The assumed price based on futures markets (as of December 6, 2016) is $53.1 in 2018, according to IMF.



In the Middle East, growth in Saudi Arabia is expected to be weaker than previously forecast for 2017 as oil production is cut back in line with the recent OPEC agreement, said the report.



During the Vienna meeting held Nov.30, OPEC members decided to implement a new OPEC-14 production target of 32.5 million barrels per day.



It was also decided to establish a High-level Monitoring Committee, consisting of oil ministers, and assisted by the OPEC Secretariat, to monitor the implementation of the agreement.



Later, non-OPEC countries agreed to cut the oil output by 558,000 barrels per day during the meeting held Dec.10.



Eleven non-OPEC countries agreed to reduce the oil output: Azerbaijan, Kingdom of Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Sultanate of Oman, the Russian Federation, Republic of Sudan, and Republic of South Sudan.



OPEC and non-OPEC countries pledged to implement the reached deal from Jan.1, 2017.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
2-year-old flight attendant was fired after eating a bacon sandwich that was given to her by her manager, a British court has heard.The Easyjet employee has a nut allergy and was offered the sandwich after failing to find appropriate food to eat on her first flight overseas.Shannon Gleeson was fired for gross misconduct after she neglected to ask her manager if the 4.50 ($A7.20) sandwich was paid for and did not have a receipt for the food.However, the panel heard she may have been wrongly dismissed because EasyJets policy placed no obligation on the consumer to see a receipt if food was given to them.The incident has since been settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.A spokeswoman for EasyJet said: EasyJet has settled this matter with Ms Gleeson and so cannot comment in any further detail other than to say that we have clear and well-understood policies and the honesty of our employees is really important.The incident occurred when a fellow crew member told the company she had seen Gleeson and the cabin manager eating a bacon baguette and croque monsieur, meant for customers, in the galley.Gleeson, who had been employed by the company for three years, was later called in to a meeting about the investigation.She apologised for the incident and offered to pay the 4.50 ($A7.20) fee but was sacked alongside the cabin manager for theft and gross misconduct.There was no dispute that Gleeson had eaten the food from her manager and not paid for it herself.The Employment Judge Michael Ord said that: The actual incident is not in dispute.Gleeson ate a bacon baguette and she had not paid for it. That is the extent of the mistake.If I rang my insurance company and told them my Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow had been stolen they would want to see proof that I owned it.You have actually got to show some loss for there to be a theft. I see no evidence that anything was paid for or not paid for.The company had no way of recording missing stock from a flight and that there was no black and white policy in place for food given to staff, the court heard.Ross Fraser, the manager who dismissed Shannon, said: It doesnt say it in black and white, but the expectation is there. There is regular communication to all of the cabin crew.Judge Ord asked Fraser if they worked together and he brought back a cup of tea for everybody would you ask me for a receipt?I would have refused it, Fraser said.This story originally ran on January 17, 2017
Prevention is the key

The best way to stay healthy and combat a respiratory (flu) virus, stomach virus and other viruses is through preventive measures. Getting flu vaccine Wash your hands frequently, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, being with ill people and especially before you eat, if you are having vomiting and diarrhea.

Avoid sharing objects (examples: drinking glasses, utensils, etc.)

Avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes (face)

Get enough sleep and avoid getting run down

Reduce stress

Use tissues for coughs/sneezes and dispose of them immediately

Eat right and drink plenty of fluids

Avoid crowds and keep your distance from people whom you know are ill

If you are sick, avoid contact with the frail, very young and elderly. Do not visit friends or family at hospitals, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities.

If you are sick, stay home from work or school.

Notify your physician if you are not feeling any better or if you are getting worse.

You can help
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan.17



By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:



Oil will remain the worlds primary energy source by 2040, fulfilling one third of all demand, according to the latest Outlook for Energy of the US ExxonMobil company.



Oil will continue to play a leading role in the energy mix, driven by demand in transportation and feedstock for the chemical industry, said the company.



When coming to natural gas, ExxonMobil believes that it will comprise 25 percent of all demand in 2040, surpassing coal.



The report said that 85 percent of global natural gas resources are untapped and thats enough gas to supply current global demand for more than 200 years.



In general, it will take all energy types to meet demand in 2040, according to the company.



ExxonMobil is an American multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Texas, which is a part of the DallasFort Worth metroplex.



The world's 8th largest company by revenue, ExxonMobil is also the fifth largest publicly traded company by market capitalization.



ExxonMobil is the largest of the world's Big Oil companies with daily production of 3.921 million barrels of oil equivalent.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Finland is a country where the fundamentals are okay. If it were to leave the euro alone, it would be a dangerous decision. Why would Finns want to do that? he stated in an interview with Uusi Suomi in Stockholm.

Finland would do itself a disservice by withdrawing from the euro, says Kenneth Rogoff, a professor of economics at Harvard University and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Rogoff revealed that his students have devised a number of scenarios for how an exit from the monetary union could unfold. All of the [scenarios] indicate that it'd be a messy divorce. What would happen to bank accounts and mortgages? The technical transition back to a national currency alone would be a very difficult and laborious process, he said.

He admitted, on the other hand, that the situation would be entirely different if Germany surprised everyone by deciding to abandon the single shared currency. I think that'd be a good time also for Finland to leave the euro.

Rogoff is nonetheless somewhat pessimistic about the future of the single shared currency and estimates that some of the eurozone countries will have abandoned the currency one-and-a-half decades from now.

One of such countries will be Italy, he predicted.

He also reminded that leaving the euro should not be compared to the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, the realisation of which he considers very unlikely. They don't know what they're doing. Brexit will be very painful, if they really see it through. I doubt it'll happen, it's such an absurd idea, said Rogoff.

The European Union, he pointed out, is a union of nation states and a trade agreement as opposed to a monetary union.

Walking away from trade agreements is very difficult. The Brexit negotiations alone will take five years. I personally think that it'll take another five years to carry out the Brexit in practice, he estimated.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Philippe Huguen  AFP/Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
SAK highlights in a press release that both the number of employees affected by consultative negotiations and the expected number of lay-offs fell especially towards the end of last year, boding well also for 2017.

The number of lay-offs dropped to a five-year low in Finland in 2016, reports the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK).

Jarkko Eloranta, the president of SAK, urges employers to do their part to maintain the current positive trend.

Also employers have to now shoulder their responsibility. The brighter outlook for the labour markets provides businesses with an excellent opportunity to promote growth and job creation with investments, he states in the press release.

Employees have agreed to waive wage increases. They have also committed to taking on a greater share of the social security contributions of employers in the competitiveness pact, he reminds.

SAK reveals that the consultative negotiations initiated last year affected a total of 80,014 employees and were projected to result in the lay-offs of 13,971 employees. Both of the figures, it points out, represent a decrease of over 30 per cent from the previous year.

The number of people laid off similarly dropped by almost 2,000 to 10,865 in 2016. The largest lay-offs were announced by Microsoft Mobile, with 1,350, Anttila, with 1,300 and Nokia, with 1,032 redundancies.

The number of lay-offs fell by almost 20 per cent year-on-year in the manufacturing industry but only by some 7 per cent in the service sector largely due to lay-offs announced by major retailers, according to SAK. The retail sector has had its share of bad news also this year, with both Kesko and Seppala announcing the launch of new rounds of consultative talks.

Eloranta says he is concerned that the marked differences in the number of lay-offs between sectors may exacerbate the skills mismatch in the labour markets and, therefore, cast further shadows on the employment prospects of many job seekers.

The Government's cuts in vocational training will only compound the problem. It should instead invest in diverse vocational programmes, encourage adults to make career changes by providing new training programmes and promote the education opportunities of the unemployed, he states.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Martti Kainulainen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan.17

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

OPECs oil output deal should hopefully see the market balance by the end of the first half of 2017, according to the chief executive officer of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) Amin Nasser.

He made the remarks during the "Strategic Update: The future of energy" session held as part of the World Economic Forum which kicked off in Davos Jan.17.

Nasser pointed out that $25 trillion is needed to be invested in new oil capacity globally over the next 25 years.

While we are building our capacity in oil, we also invest in renewable energy, he added.

During the Vienna meeting held Nov.30, OPEC members decided to implement a new OPEC-14 production target of 32.5 million barrels per day.

It was also decided to establish a High-level Monitoring Committee, consisting of oil ministers, and assisted by the OPEC Secretariat, to monitor the implementation of the agreement.

Later, non-OPEC countries agreed to cut the oil output by 558,000 barrels per day during the meeting held Dec.10.

Eleven non-OPEC countries agreed to reduce the oil output: Azerbaijan, Kingdom of Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Sultanate of Oman, the Russian Federation, Republic of Sudan, and Republic of South Sudan.

OPEC and non-OPEC countries pledged to implement the reached deal from Jan.1, 2017.
The treatment of former Clerys workers has led to the country's biggest union frustrating plans for the 150m redevelopment of the site.

In a rare intervention in the planning arena, Siptu has appealed against the decision by Dublin City Council to grant planning permission to OCS Properties. It has requested an oral hearing.

The city council gave the go-ahead last month for the transformation of the department store into a six-storey retail and office scheme.

It followed 67 objections, with unions and politicians backing the concerns of sacked Clerys workers.

The precinct plan, of 350,000 sq ft, also includes a 176-bedroom hotel linked by a bridge to the O'Connell Street building.

Documents lodged with the city council by OCS Properties show the so-called Project D1 would create 3,990 jobs.

Architects Henry J Lyons said the proposal "seeks to generate a vibrant quarter which will see the repair, restoration and regeneration of the Clerys building".

The move comes 19 months after the shock closure of the store after 162 years of trading. It resulted in 460 job losses.

"I'm delighted that Siptu has made an appeal to An Bord Pleanala. Our members spent many, many decades working in Clerys," said Justice for Clerys Workers spokesperson Gerry Markey, who worked at the store for 34 years.

"We all feel very connected to the building and believe it is our role to ensure its cultural significance to the people of Dublin, and the country, is properly preserved during its redevelopment.

"The plans we have seen unfortunately do not effectively achieve this aim.

"A public hearing into how this site can be developed in a manner which benefits the local community is essential. That is why as former Clerys workers we are supporting our union's call for a public hearing."

Concerned

Siptu organiser Ethel Buckley said: "The Clerys site is a key one for our members, the people of Dublin and the historical character of the city."

The appeal states: "We are concerned with the loss of retail jobs and feel the planning objectives of this site as a key retail site in the shopping core area in favour of office requires a hearing."

A decision is due appeal in May.
At an earlier hearing, the judge had said: "I don't know what he was on or what he was doing, but it wasn't right." (Stock picture)

A judge has ordered the arrest of a youth who "went berserk" and attacked gardai after he stole live animals from an exotic wildlife exhibition in Dublin.

The then 17-year-old pleaded guilty at Dublin Children's Court in November to stealing a rhinoceros iguana valued 1,600, a Mexican redknee tarantula worth 85 and an Asian forest scorpion that was worth 65 from Lucan Library last July 21.

Psychiatric

He also admitted attacking a male garda sergeant as well as a male and female garda.

Last month, Judge John O'Connor adjourned sentencing until yesterday for an updated probation report and psychiatric assessment of the teen.

However, when the case resumed, Paula Egan, defending, said her client was not present and had left his family home on Saturday, telling his mother he would be back in three days.

Judge O'Connor agreed to a garda application to issue an arrest warrant for the now 18-year-old.

At an earlier hearing, the judge had said: "I don't know what he was on or what he was doing, but it wasn't right."

Gda Sgt Paul Moran had said that a wildlife lecture had taken place at the library and some exotic animals were on display.

Afterwards, the lecturer and owner of the animals, David Griffin, was returning them to his car. He put the boxes containing them in a lift but the door closed and it descended to the car park without him.

"When the door opened at the bottom, the accused removed the box containing the creatures and left," said Sgt Moran.

Gardai watched CCTV footage and the teen, who was known to them, was contacted.

While other gardai and the owners of the exotic creatures were out searching, the youth returned the iguana and the scorpion but the tarantula was still missing.

Later that day, gardai found the youth carrying a plastic box at a park in Lucan.

Spray

He was chased and caught and the spider was recovered. However, Sgt Moran said the intoxicated youth "just went berserk", lashing out at gardai and headbutting a sergeant in the chest.

"His behaviour was so irrational that an incapacitant spray had to be used," he said.

The youth, with no prior convictions, spat at one officer and tried to headbutt a female garda en route to Lucan Garda Station, where it took 90 minutes for him to calm down.

None of the animals were dangerous or injured.
She has kept Heather's secret for too long and now Farrah is set to reveal the truth on tonight's Fair City.

Viewers were left reeling when they saw the mentally unwell mother attack Farrah and take her daughter to a shopping centre, where she dragged her to the edge of a stairs.

Farrah can't stand her family defending Heather's actions while commending her for being a great mother. She finally snaps and tells Sheena that Heather has drugged her young daughter Ellie.

However, Farrah is then met with denial from her family, with Renee telling her that it looks like she is the one who is in need of help, not Heather.

Eventually, Farrah forms an uneasy truce with her family when they start to believe Heather poisoned her daughter.

Worried

After Heather discovered Ciaran was Katie's kidnapper, he is growing increasingly worried about his secret being blown.

He becomes wary of Sheena Hannigan, who is eager to question Ellie about what she has been through and worries Ellie could tell her about Katy.

He tries to confide in the woman he has kidnapped but, as she realises he is not letting her out and Heather has not come to rescue her, she grows bitter and wants nothing to do with him.

Meanwhile, Dr Cara Delahunt tells Dermot Fahey he will need to come back for regular visits to track his recovery from cancer once he leaves hospital.

He realises he might need Robbie's help to get medication for his plan to go on the run. Robbie refuses and explains he can't guarantee the drugs will be legit.

Robbie is told by Jane that Dermot could die and leave his son Ben fatherless if he does not get the medication and he finally agrees to help.

Fair City airs tonight on RTE One at 8pm
Four options have been unveiled by Education Minister Richard Bruton to tackle the so-called baptism barrier that allows publicly-funded schools to refuse places to children based on their religion.

Mr Bruton said it is unfair for children to be denied entry because they are not subscribed to a particular faith or for parents to feel pressured into baptising a child to get a place.

One of the four options is to impose an outright ban on schools using religion as a factor in admissions.

However, that rule would also allow religious schools to require parents or pupils to indicate support or respect for its ethos.

Nearest

Ninety-six percent of primary schools in Ireland have a Christian religious patronage and nine out of 10 have a Catholic ethos.

Mr Bruton said the public could also have their say on three other admissions options over the next three months.

One is a catchment area approach. Religious schools would be stopped from giving preference to children of a certain religion who do not live locally.

Another is to introduce a "nearest school rule", with religious schools allowed to give preference to a child of a religion only if it is the nearest school of that particular faith.

The final option is a quota, so a religious school could give preference to children of its own religion for a proportion of its places, but the remaining places would be allocated based on other criteria.

"I believe it is unfair that, under the current system, a non-religious child can be refused entry to the local school, because preference is given to a religious child living some distance away," Mr Bruton said.

"Some parents who might not otherwise do so feel pressure to baptise their children because they feel it gives them more chance of getting into their local school.

"I believe we must address these unfairnesses."

The minister warned that there was no easy fix and that there was a risk of unintended consequences if admission policies were reformed.

Mr Bruton said minority religions could be affected, including the Protestant, Jewish, Islamic and other communities.

He said it could lead to postcode lotteries, which would create divergence in the quality of a school in a more advantaged or disadvantaged area.

Fear

He also said there were risks that reform would breach the Constitution and that administrative difficulties could arise.

Michael Barron, director of Equate, a group campaigning for equal access to publicly-funded schools, said: "Families should not have to fear having a non-baptised child in order to gain entry, nor should they have to sign up to a belief system."

Seamus Mulconry, of the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association, said: "It is important to clarify that there is no requirement for parents to have their children baptised in order to gain admission to a Catholic school. Reforms will do nothing to alleviate the shortage of school places."
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan.17

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Oil prices are rising significantly on Jan.17 on the remarks made by the chief executive officer of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) Amin Nasser about the oil market.

Earlier, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Nasser said that OPECs oil output deal should hopefully see the market balance by the end of the first half of 2017.

The price of March futures for Brent crude oil rose by 1.31 percent as of 08:24 EST and stood at $56.59 per barrel. The price of February futures for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil has increased by 1.58 percent to $53.20 per barrel.

Oil prices are also supported by the depreciation of the US dollar. Weaker dollar supports oil prices, as it makes the commodities more accessible for investors holding other currencies.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Jan. 17

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Turkmenistans President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has given an instruction to produce 1.6 million tons of wheat in 2017, the Turkmen government said in a message.

Turkmenistan started to cultivate wheat in the years of its independence and the country has been exporting the surplus of the harvest since 2011.

The planted area covers 760,000 hectares. In 2016, 1.6 million tons of bread-grain was cultivated.

Turkmenistan was awarded with a special prize by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations for achievements in the field of food security.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jan. 17

By Demir Azizov  Trend:

Uzbekistans Deputy Prime Minister Adham Ikramov and Deputy Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Jenish Razakov are holding talks on Jan. 16-17 in the Kyrgyz city of Osh, a representative of the Uzbek government told Trend.

The parties are discussing the delimitation and demarcation of the Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan state border, according to the message.

The meeting is being held on the basis of agreements between the heads of the two states, reached during the visit of the Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev to Uzbekistan in December 2016.

During the meeting on Jan. 16, the sides noted the need for the early coordination of positions on the remaining areas and successful completion of the joint work on the delimitation and demarcation of the state border.

The length of the Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan border is 1,378 kilometers.

Some 324 kilometers remain uncoordinated which is about a quarter of the entire border between the two countries.
Washington County elections workers get ahead of the game

Washington County works ahead to count mail-in ballots before Election Day. About half of the state's 24 jurisdictions are also counting early.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jan. 17

By Demir Azizov  Trend:

Uzbekistans Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov received Japans parliamentary mission, the press service of the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said Jan. 17.

The Japanese mission is led by a member of the Japanese House of Councilors Yuhei Yamashita, said the press service.

It was noted that the delegation also includes Japanese MPs Mizuho Onuma, Yuka Miyazawa and Mitsuko Ishii. Japanese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Nobuaki Ito also participated in the meeting.

The current state and prospects of development of relations between Uzbekistan and Japan in the political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian and other spheres were discussed during the meeting, said the message.

The press service also noted that the special attention was attached to the development of bilateral cooperation via the Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) governmental program.
Tehran, Iran, Jan. 17

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

Forty foreign carmakers are in possession of certificates to open sales branches in Iran and the number can be increased, according to Yadollah Sadeqi, the supervisor of the Department of Economic and Trade Affairs at the Iranian Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade.

Addressing a press conference, the official said the companies can register orders without any limit on the number of cars they would like to import, Trend correspondent reported January 16.

These companies are nevertheless required to offer customer services in Iran for 10 years after their product is sold in the market, Sadeqi added.

Iran imported over 49,331 sedan cars during the first nine months of the current fiscal year (March 20-Dec. 21, 2016).

Irans sedan car imports registered a rise by 62 percent in the period compared to the same period of the preceding year, according to the Iranian Customs Administration.

Irans car imports stood at 7,734 in the ninth Iranian calendar month (Nov. 21-Dec. 21, 2016). The country imported $1.295 billion worth of cars during the nine-month period, according to the report.

Imported cars shared only 5 percent of Irans total car market in the period.

The Islamic Republic imported 89 percent of sedan cars from five countries  the UAE, South Korea, Germany, Spain and Turkey.
Tehran, Iran, January 17

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran is going to take part in the International Congress and Exhibition Hydropower. The Caspian and Central Asia 2017, which is to be hosted by Vostock Capital company.

An international congress Hydropower. The Caspian and Central Asia takes place 15-16 February in Tbilisi, Georgia, and is a professional platform for high-level participants to discuss key topics to guide the course for hydropower construction and operation in the Caspian and Central Asia region, the public relations department of the event told Trend January 17.

High-profile speakers will discuss the changing role of hydropower in the energy mix and the benefits of interconnections beyond national borders. Participants will review initiatives and commitments and discuss action priorities that enable better hydro.

Congress highlights:

It is an exclusive, invitation only, forum for heads of delegations. It includes representatives from sponsor and partner organizations, and gives participants an opportunity to launch and report on their own initiatives, through special sessions and side-events.

Presentation of 40+ projects for the greenfield construction and modernization of large, small and medium HPPs in the Caspian and Central Asia region (Turkey, Armenia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Kirgizia and Kazakhstan);

Business meets ministers of energy regarding the international cooperation that will enable better hydro;

Meetings with investors, who will discuss how the early understanding and management of sustainability can remove barriers to investment;

Round tables: the opportunity to discuss the most pressing issues facing hydropower (projects financing, ecological safety and technology innovations). The congress includes high-level plenary discussions as well as focused specialist sessions.

Among confirmed delegations: AES Corporation in Kazakhstan, ANDRITZ Hydro, Energo-Pro Georgia, GE Renewable Energy, Iran Water & Power Resources Development Company, Salini Impregilo, Tata Power Company, Voith Hydro, Azerenergy, State Agency on alternative and renewable energy sources in Azerbaijan, State Committee for Industry, Energy and Subsoil Management of the Kyrgyz Republic, Eurasian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IFC, Ministry of Energy of Georgia, Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan Republic, Ministry of energy infrastructure and natural resources of Armenia Republic, National Energy Holding Company of KR, Nord Hydro, Nurek HPP, Chakan HPP, RusHydro, Electric Power Plants and many others.

Among the speakers are:

Usmonali Usmonzoda, minister, Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Republic of Tajikistan

Ilia Eloshvili, deputy minister of energy of Georgia

Hayk Harutyunyan, deputy minister, Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of The Republic of Armenia

Ayk Arutyunyan, deputy minister, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia

Nurbek Abaskanov, deputy chairman of the board, National Energy Holding Company

Duisen Mergaliyev, president, AES Kazakhstan

Ronny Solberg, CEO, Adjaristsqali Georgia

Robert L Schenck, executive director, CASA-1000 Secretariat

David Managadze, associate, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Jakob Todua, main expert, Georgian Energy Development Fund

Aieti Kukava, CEO, Alliance Group Holding

Byoung-Seub Choi, CEO and president, Nenskra Hydro

Roman Zorabyants, chairman of the board, RusHydro International

Taalaybek Tolubaev, general director, Electric Power plants (The republic of Kyrgyzstan)
Global shipping insurers have devised a way to ensure nearly full coverage for Iranian oil exports from next month after striking a deal to provide cover without involving U.S.-domiciled reinsurers, officials in Tokyo and London said, Reuters reported.

The reluctance of U.S. firms to handle Iranian goods had greatly limited the number of reinsurers of cargoes, but the new arrangements - which essentially allow re-insurance of ships without the involvement of U.S.-firms - should boost the number of eligible shipments.

That will provide a boon to Iran, trying to raise oil exports after most sanctions were lifted last year, though banking restrictions that remain in place that could cap any major rise in exports.

"There will be no U.S.-domiciled reinsurer participation on the 2017 IG reinsurance program," Andrew Bardot, secretary and executive officer at the International Group (IG) of P&I Clubs in London told Reuters on Tuesday.

The new arrangements take effect on Feb. 20, he and other officials said.

"This will substantially address the potential shortfall in reinsurance recoveries in the event of Iranian-related claims," Bardot said in an email.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Iran has exported 93 tons of heavy water to Russia following the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, aka nuclear deal) in January 2016.

In exchange, Iran has purchased 590 tons of natural uranium from Russia, Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a report on the implementation of the JCPOA, submitted to parliament on Jan. 17.

According to the report, Kazakhstan has also exported over 600 tons of materials to be used in the Islamic Republics peaceful nuclear program.

Iran and the P5+1 group of countries  the US, UK, France, Russia, China plus Germany  finalized the deal on Irans nuclear program in July 2015.

The landmark deal was implemented in January 2016 easing international sanction on the Islamic Republic in return for curbing the countrys nuclear activity.
ATLANTA  As civil rights leaders and activists gather at sites across the country to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., the slain civil rights leader's daughter is encouraging Americans to fight for his vision of love and justice "no matter who is in the White House."

Bernice King addressed more than 2,000 people gathered at her father's Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta four days before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. She spoke hours before her brother, Martin Luther King III, is schedule to meet with the president-elect at Trump Tower in New York.

While Bernice King did not offer a detailed critique of Trump, who remains unpopular among black Americans, she said the nation still has a choice between "chaos and community," the same dichotomy her father wrote and preached about.

"At the end of the day, the Donald Trumps come and go," Bernice King said. But, she added "we still have to find a way to create" what her father called "the beloved community."

Trump won fewer than 1 out of 10 votes from black Americans in November, and that lack of popularity was on display Monday beyond Bernice King's remarks.

Without naming Trump, Ebenezer's pastor Raphael Warnock blasted the president-elect for his weekend social media attacks on civil rights icon John Lewis and the Georgia congressman's Atlanta-based district that includes Ebenezer.

Lewis angered Trump when he told NBC's "Meet the Press" that he views Trump as an "illegitimate president" because, he said, Russian hackers damaged the prospects of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Trump retorted on Twitter that Lewis is "all talk" and said his Atlanta-based district is "falling apart" and "crime infested."

"Anybody who suggests that John Lewis is all talk and no action needs a lesson in American history," Warnock said Monday from his pulpit, drawing a standing ovation. As a young man, Lewis was arrested many times and beaten by authorities as he demonstrated for civil and voting rights for black Americans. Warnock called him "the hero of Bloody Sunday and the conscience of the Congress."

Warnock then rattled off some of what makes up Lewis's district, including "the world's busiest airport," Coca-Cola's world headquarters, the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

"It's all right to write in 140 characters," Warnock said. "Just make sure you don't' think in 140 characters."

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed piled on, quoting Trump 10 years ago when he was in Lewis's district to open a Trump Tower project that would later fail. Trump, recalled the mayor, said Atlanta was doing "a great job" and he was "glad to be here."

"I don't know what changed," Reed said, drawing a second standing ovation at the mention of Lewis.

Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, who is white, did not mention Trump or Lewis, but called Atlanta "the greatest city" in the "greatest state."

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a 2016 presidential candidate who touted King's message of economic justice, was also scheduled to address the commemoration service.

Some attendees Monday said Trump's looming presidency  and the bitter election campaign that brought it about  highlights the need to remember King's message.

Clara Smith, 66, of Atlanta, recalled joining sit-ins and lunch counters of segregated restaurants in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Smith said she tries to "ignore" Trump and "his foolishness with the Twitter," but "with everything that's happening around us" she said "we have to pass along that history."

Susan Minsk, 48, came to Ebenezer with her 17-year-old daughter Sophie from Sandy Springs, a Republican-leaning suburb just outside of Atlanta and Lewis's district. As the white mother and daughter waited outside, unsure if they'd be able to get in, Sophie said she worries that Trump's rhetoric will make social tensions worse.

"Why make everyone feel more segregated than they do already," she said.
HICKORY  Lenoir-Rhyne University hosted its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration Monday, remembering Kings legacy as a leader of the civil rights movement.

After the event at the school, the Hickory Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) held its march from the university to the Ridgeview community. The celebration concluded with programs and performances at the Brown Penn Center in Ridgeview.

Professor of biblical interpretation at the New York Theological Seminary, Obery M. Hendricks Jr. was the guest speaker and started things off with a colorful story about an atheist and a bear. He described a man who was sincere in his beliefs, including the idea that religion kept humanity divided.

During his weekly walk in the woods, the man is attacked by a bear, Hendricks told the audience. The man eventually calls out to God for help who responds by saying the man should realize the error of his ways if he wants to call on God.

The man agreed he didnt have the right to ask for help after denying God. He decided to stick to his beliefs and instead he asked to make the bear a Christian.

The bear is bearing down on himand says, We thank you heavenly father for this food were about to receive, Hendricks said finishing the story.

The moral he said was mistaken faith can be fatal, including political faith.

Today we live in a very tenuous time froth with all kinds of dangerous individuals, Hendricks said. It seems like insult and incivility rule public discourse if not ruling the day. Whole groups of Americans are demonized, generalized.

The nation is so divided, theres actually a debate about whether we should investigate an act of cyber warfare against our nation by another nation, Hendricks said. Martin Luther King was a prophetic figureBiblical prophecy has two elements. The first element is forth telling, speaking forth the truth to those in positions of power, critiquing them and exposing what they are doing wrong, how they are oppressing and exploiting the people.

The second element is foretelling.

Essentially it says if you dont stop what youre doing, then the lord is going to bring you low, Hendricks said. As a prophetic figure, King spoke hard truths.

If we want to be thankful to our faith and to our nation, we too must speak hard truths, particularly as with the memory and life and the thankful sacrifice of Martin Luther King, Hendricks said.

Emma Sellers is the Lenoir-Rhyne University director of the office of Multicultural Affairs and this was her 11th year hosting of the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.

I love the day but for me its important to see so many youth here in the community hearing how they need to continue doing what Dr. King has done, Sellers said. We cant just hang your hats on his work. They are left with the charge every year of how to make this a better community, and it is their responsibility now.

Sellers couldnt think of a better way to start the new year than by continuing down the road of positive change King started.

This years recipient of the Spirit of King Award, Carolyn Thompson agreed with Sellers and Hendricks call to action.

This day is very important not only for this small community but for Hickory City at large, Thompson said. Its an opportunity for everyone to come together and remember the great works Dr. King did and also to be reminded those works he did are to carry over through all of us.

She said its an ongoing process to make sure justice and equality exists for everyone.
As Donald J. Trump is sworn in on January 20, as the 45th President of the United States. the country remains as divided, perhaps even more so, than in the run up to the elections of November 8.

Washingtons pundits had expected, or hoped, that the president-elect would use words, tone or medium, and choose issues differently from the pre-election need to rouse the base of the Republican Party.

This transition period, between the November 8 election of the new president of the United States, and his inauguration into office on January 20, has been very different from the preceding one in 2009.

At that time, a historical presidency of the first African-American moving into the White House once built by slaves, rising from the embers of deep frustration and anxieties generated by the losses in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and the financial crisis of 2008, was replacing a deeply unpopular president, with approval ratings in the 20s.

On this occasion, Donald Trump stirred up and tapped into winds of desire for change, projecting himself as the new messiah to effectively tackle concerns on jobs and immigration. But he will be replacing a president who remains phenomenally popular, with historically high approval ratings, in the 60s. Obama is also using his last days in office to preserve elements of his legacy on health care, climate change, voting rights, social justice and equality. He has often paraphrased Martin Luther King to articulate his belief that the arc of history is long, but bends towards justice.

Read: Will Trump shake up American foreign policy?

Again, in 2008/2009 Obama had kept a low profile till the inauguration, going by the adage that US had only one commander-in-chief at any time. Following the 26/11 Mumbai attack, he made a call to the Indian ambassador to register his solidarity, but did not seek to raise the profile of his involvement. This time, the nature of projections following calls with world leaders, interventions on policies related to China (call with Taiwanese President on December 2), and Israel (vehement opposition to US abstention on UNSC vote on December 23) have been unprecedented.

There has also been unexpected continuation of aggressive responses to criticism and doubling down on many of the controversial policy choices articulated during the campaign.

Read: Would love to see Pakistan and India get along: Donald Trump

The US polity remains deeply divided now on policy towards Russia. The president-elect has signalled that he would make an effort to improve the relationship, explore easing of the present sanctions and search for agreements to reduce nuclear weapons (even though he had tweeted on December 22 that the US must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes). In large segments of the media, Congress and among Democrats, however, there is antipathy on account of perceived Russian interference in the election campaign, role in Syria, and approach to European order and security. The nominees for secretary of state (Tillerson), defence (Mattis) and director CIA reiterated concerns related to Russia in their confirmation hearings before the Senate. Mattis said on January 12 that Putin was attempting to break NATO, and had chosen to position Russia as a strategic competitor. He argued for sanctions to be applied internationally to ensure Russian compliance.

On China, mixed signals continue. The telephone call with the president of Taiwan, comments in a press interview with Wall Street Journal on January 13 that the one China policy was negotiable, continuing critical comments about Chinese currency and trade practices, suggest a harder line. Tillerson, in his confirmation hearing on January 11, said that Chinas island building in South China Sea was illegal, akin to Russias taking of Crimea, and that Chinas access to those islands should not be allowed. Mattis said that US departments need to craft an integrated plan to counter Chinese aggression in international waters. At the same time, the Trump empire and family have business links with Chinese entities. The first ambassadorial nomination has been to China.

Several keen observers have suggested that if the new president is seen as accommodating towards Russia, he must be seen as more hawkish in another theatre. Otherwise, the perception of his role as a reliable commander-in-chief is undermined. Similarly, then presidential candidate Obama, while criticising the American role in Iraq, had described Afghanistan as a war that must be won, and had increased the number of troops there soon after coming to office.

European diplomats and chanceries are exhibiting concern. Continuing comments about NATO being obsolete, and the need for allies to spend more on their defence are raising concerns, particularly in Eastern Europe. The UK is seen as making an attempt to exploit the breach, regaining the privileged relationship and special dispensation from the US, as it negotiates Brexit from Europe. The British Prime Minister criticised elements of US Secretary of State John Kerrys speech on December 28 on Israel and Middle East peace, has reached out to the president-elect and is working on being among the earliest visitors to be received by the new administration.

On terrorism, the president-elect and his team continue to project a strong posture. ISIS remains in the line of fire. However, the approach to Afghanistan, and consequently to Pakistan, remains to be fully articulated.While calling upon Pakistan to expel or neutralise externally focussed militant groups operating within its borders, Mattis also suggested the need for the US to incentivise Pakistani behaviour. Such attempts, however, have not really worked in the past. Obama administration had adopted a similar approach in 2009/2010, only to be disappointed later.

On India, there is, as expected, continuity from the present administration. There has been, since President Clintons visit to India in 2000, a broad and growing bipartisan consensus for the relationship. Mattis said that US policy should continue to pursue a long-term strategic partnership, and supported defence technology partnership, and Indias recently declared status of a Major Defence Partner. Both the national security adviser and foreign secretary have visited Washington since the election and met senior members of the transition team. However, there will be concern in India as H1B visa norms are likely to be made more stringent. US corporations have also become wary at the moment of investing outside US, in view of calls to Make in America and bring jobs back.This could impact investment flows into India, especially if corporate taxes are lowered in US.

Read: Trump mulls shutting down foreign projects, including in India: Report

The initial phase of the Trump presidency is expected to be marked by controversy, confrontation and deep divisions within the US. Major rallies and marches are being planned in different parts of the country, and the iconic national mall in Washington DC. World leaders, corporate CEOs, and policy analysts continue to watch pronouncements and potential actions with some anxiety and a sense of uncertainty.

However, the essence of the Trump presidency still remains to be defined. The Bush presidency had been defined by an unexpected development, the 9/11 attacks, and subsequent responses to the attack. The Obama presidency had been defined by the 2008 financial crisis, and the reactions to the US overreach in Iraq. The Trump presidency will be defined once decisions begin to emerge through inter-department processes, based on facts as they are assessed by the new team, reactions to such policy choices, and to presently unanticipated developments. Once that overall parameter is defined, there will be greater clarity on how Indias interests can continue to be successfully navigated.

Arun K Singh is a former Indian Ambassador to the United States

The views expressed are personal
India is still coming to grips with Prime Minister Modis shock and awe approach to demonetisation, which should be seen as an important element of his ambitious digital India mission. Interestingly, this sentiment was echoed by none other than Bill Gates, who had at one time said, The lives of people in poor countries will improve faster in the next 15 years than at any other time in history. And going digital is critical to that. By 2030, two billion people who dont have a bank account today will be storing money and making payments with their phones. And by then, mobile money providers will be offering the full range of financial services, from interest-bearing savings accounts to credit to insurance.

It is a fact that the formal banking industry, with its branches and ATM kiosks has traditionally not been able to adequately penetrate the rural market or leverage the full scope of digital banking. How will a cashless economy impact rural banking? This question assumes greater significance in light of the emergence and strong show by the mobile / digital payment industry. Unlike banks, the mobile money sector has been quick to exploit disruption. Does this mean a slow death for the elephant in the room? My personal view is that the mobile payment industry will not disrupt the formalised banking system. In fact, I see the banking industry and channels better equipped to grow the rural mandate  by leveraging technology better and hastening the roll-out of ATMs, and with many more physical points of presence like the NABARD-backed VSAT service points project. I also see India Posts emerging as an important player in the rural market once it starts operating as a bank by 2017. With 1.39 lakh postal branches in rural India alone, this could be a game-changer.

Read: In rural UP, demonetisation causes temporary pain but draws support

Demonetisation will not hurt bank expansion into rural India. Neither will going cashless be detrimental to rural expansion. But banks will need to meet the digital payment / mobile payment segment head-on. These emerging non-bank competitors operate at a higher level of operational productivity. Operationally built for continuous innovation, they frequently upgrade their arsenal and also maintain a very narrow focus on their value-added offerings by virtue of the marginal role they play within this infrastructure. They are, therefore, more agile and efficient, launching new services and updates with remarkable speed. But traditional banks have an ace up their sleeve too, an important advantage over their non-banking digital counterparts. To begin with, they have a strong presence in rural India  if trust is an outcome of operational visibility and presence, rural branches and more importantly, the ATM is a significant asset in terms of winning the hearts and minds of rural consumers. As rural deposits grow, banks can offer new products and services that further improve and secure the financial health of rural customers.

Read: RBI reminds cooperative banks to adhere to currency exchange rules



The ATM in turn can be positioned as the mainstay for small payments, unattended vending, and sales of financial products. The ATM can also combine with the mobile service ecosystem to do away with traditional ATM cards and reduce the costs typically associated with developing and maintaining the card ecosystem. Banks can also leverage rich reserves of customer behavioural data from this combined ATM and mobile use to gain insights into customer choices. This will help banks create new services spanning the entire consumer decision journey, moving beyond payments and transactions to manage the customers entire digital wallet (by, for example, optimising loyalty awards and special offers, payments terms, and instruments). This will enable banks reach a broader set of customers and tailor payment solutions to underserved segments, including small merchants, the youth market, farmers and migrant workers, and other low-income customers.

Shivaji Chatterjee is an IT and communications technology professional based in Gurgaon

The views expressed are personal
The university was the most hallowed of all educational institutions  an egalitarian melting pot of cultures, ideas and skills that transformed entrants into young rational, thinking beings committed to truth, equality and justice.

That dream shattered this day last year when PhD student Rohith Vemula killed himself after months of alleged caste-based humiliation at the hands of authorities at the University of Hyderabad and almost criminal apathy from student and teacher bodies, and the world outside.

His death unleashed a wave of fury mixed with inconsolable grief across India. University campuses  considered inviolate spaces cocooned from the rest of the world  were suddenly awash with students protesting against real-world prejudices bent on retaining an old order of Manu.

The rage of the demonstrations might have taken the country by surprise but for countless Dalit, Bahujan and adivasi students, Rohiths death underscored the daily subjugation they face at these supposed just spaces.

Students who avail their constitutional right to reservation are marked for humiliation from Day 1, made to sit separately, called out in class or names marked in red in attendance registers. Many are denied entry into elite institutions of national importance that think undoing centuries of caste bias isnt of national importance.

Read: Rohith Vemula : An unfinished portrait

The dominant narrative  built from childhood  that says Dalit Bahujan adivasi students steal legitimate seats belonging to their meritorious dominant caste peers is used to pile on shame. Many students drop out, others fail, too scared to go up to hostile upper-caste teachers.

None of this is new. A 2011 report by the Insight foundation showed 18 Dalit students had committed suicide in the preceding four years at some of Indias biggest institutions. Bal Mukund Bharti killed himself in 2010 in Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences after years of mocking and hostility  an echo of Chuni Kotals death in 1992 in West Bengal. The last words of the first female graduate from the Lodha Shabar tribe, who killed herself after years of harassment about her hailing from a criminal tribe are an eye-opener. A Lodha shouldnt have dreamt of higher studies, were said to be her last words. Rohiths university itself has seen at least six Dalit suicides in the past decade.

But despite the unabated deaths, there has been relatively little attention given to an issue that threatens the fundamental structure of our universities, and nation. No modern democracy can survive the crushing of sections of our population in a manner reminiscent of Vedic punishment suggested for Dalits daring to read books (cutting of tongue, molten lead in ears etc).

Read: Rohith Vemula not a Dalit, belonged to other backward class: Andhra govt

There are three clear remedies. One, recruit more teachers belonging to marginalised communities who will not only provide a nurturing environment but also correct the hopelessly lopsided faculty recruitment practices.

A nationwide higher education survey in 2015 found that SC teachers formed less than 5% of faculty while ST teachers form just over on 1%. These numbers indicate blatant discrimination and a continuation of oppressive practices that made BR Ambedkar exhort that the existence of backward classes wasnt safe without education.

Two, the enactment and implementation of a comprehensive anti-discrimination statute and gradual scrapping of practices that allow for caste bias to seep in through discretion and secrecy. A series of RTI applications have revealed in the past five years that interview and viva-voce marks are often manipulated systematically to keep out Dalit Bahujan adivasi students but university authorities have constantly moved to expand discretionary marking. This must be looked into.

Third, and most importantly, universities and student bodies need to think about and act against caste biases on campuses. Caste isnt brought into education through quotas, it is woven into the fabric of our higher education system through the continual dominance of a handful of groups, the hold of third and fourth-generation learners with well-established parentage and the myth of merit which curiously only seems to rest inside the bodies of certain castes and tribes. The university needs to act against the daily surges of humiliation and shame that SC/ST/OBC students are forced to undergo. Denying the demon or ignoring it wont make it go away.

Read: Dadri victim Akhlaqs brother to attend Vemulas death anniversary meet in Hyderabad

The response to Rohiths death by society at large has been shock and outrage but little beyond. Any anti-discrimination demand has been stonewalled and even the so-called civil society  forever ready to take up causes  has been silent beyond think-pieces and the occasional television byte. But our universities cannot survive another death of a marginalised student. The promise of these institutions has already been belied, with untold dreams dashed and bright, young men and women forced out of the very spaces that were meant to nurture them. Any delay in acting against caste on our campuses will only destroy them.

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Tehran, Iran, Jan. 17

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev and his Iranian counterpart Ali Shamkhani exchanged views over the ongoing crisis in Syria and a recent ceasefire in the Arab country over the telephone.

The two officials discussed the latest political, military and security developments in Syria in the wake of the ceasefire, IRNA news agency reported January 17.

No further details of the conversation were mentioned.

The phone call took place on the same night as Syrias Prime Minister Emad Khamis traveled to Tehran on Jan. 16. He was slated to meet with Shamkhani and First Vice President Eshaq Jaghangiri.

Simultaneously on the diplomatic front, Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov discussed the ceasefire which is the longest-lasting since unrests hit Syria in 2011.

The Syrian government and opposition groups are scheduled to sit down for talks in Astana, Kazakhstan in a few days. Iran and Russia back President Bashar al-Assad, but stress the Astana talks should put an end to the situation.
It is astonishing to watch the current confrontation between US intelligence agencies and Donald Trump. The president-elect has finally conceded that Russia may have meddled in the US presidential election but is incensed that a report by a former MI6 officer about the Trump teams alleged contacts with the Kremlin and his lurid escapades in Russia were leaked to the media. Trump blamed the intelligence agencies for the leaks. The agencies are not backing down. On January 15, John Brennan, the outgoing CIA director, termed Trumps comments equating the intelligence community with Nazi Germany as outrageous and mentioned that he didnt think Trump has a full appreciation of Russian capabilities, Russian intentions, and actions.

Trump is carrying on blissfully unmindful of the inner dynamics of the United States government. He seems to think that presidents can easily tame structures of the government, such as intelligence agencies. He talks as though his job were that of a CEO, whereby his main task is to get the best people in important positions and that as the new boss in town things will turn around in the government as they did in his overrated business empire.

Nothing could be further from reality, particularly when dealing with the national security establishment, owing to their power and influence which are capable of containing and shaping elected institutions, including the presidency. Trump is, in effect, taking on the American deep state  a fight hes bound to lose unless he compromises.

One way to think through such tensions in Washington is the work of Michael J Glennon, professor of international law at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, who offered great insight into the workings of the US national security institutions in his 2014 book National Security and Double Government. He draws on Walter Bagehots thesis of double government in the book The English Constitution that described the dual power set-up in Britain in the 19th century wherein dignified institutions like the monarchy and the House of Lords had the regalia of power but the real work of governing was done by concealed efficient institutions like the Prime Minister, Cabinet and the House of Commons.

Glennon applies this theory to the US and points to two set of institutions that wield power unevenly in Washington. One is the Madisonian institutions like the presidency, Congress and the courts, named after James Madison, the principal architect of the American constitutional design, who favoured the separation of powers between the three pillars in order to safeguard liberty. These are Americas dignified institutions where the public believes power rests. But there is another set of institutions called the Trumanite network that gets its name from National Security Act of 1947, which restructured the government to give the executive more flexibility to meet security threats. The act unified the military under a new secretary of defense, set up the CIA, created the modern Joint Chiefs of Staff and established the National Security Council (NSC). Truman also set up the National Security Agency and now the network consists of several hundred executive officials who manage the military, intelligence, diplomatic, and law enforcement agencies that deal with international and internal security.

Over the decades, the power of the Trumanite network has grown at the expense of the Madisonians. Trumanite officials deal with threats and so seek greater power and capability, extending the reach of the State in ways that makes civil libertarians uncomfortable. In 2011, the Washington Post identified 46 federal departments and agencies engaged in classified national security work. In Glennons narration, Their missions range from intelligence gathering and

analysis to war-fighting, cyber operations and weapons development. Almost 2,000 private companies support this work, which occurs at over 10,000 locations across America. The size of their budgets is classified but it is clearly that those numbers are enormous  total annual outlay of around $1 trillion and millions of employees. Presidents usually choose only around 4,000 individuals of the 2.8 million non-military federal employees that they are in charge of  and several hundred policymakers needed for national security are drawn from the bureaucracy. At the apex of this is the most powerful of the lot, the professional staff of the National Security Council which has nearly 400 aides but needs to now reduce to 200 owing to recent legislation. The wider group of several hundred policymakers includes professional staff, political appointees, academics, think-tankers, military figures and officials seconded from executive agencies  and this according to Glennon constitutes Americas Trumanite network which sits at the pinnacle of what Harvard professor Jack Goldsmith has called Washingtons tight-knit national security culture.

This cross-departmental cohort are not yet driven to work in the morning by a black car but are one step away; they draw little overt attention but wield immense, unnoticed power. They travel the world; they attend big meetings, participate in secure videoconferences, read key classified material and offer briefings to political masters. They have technical expertise and the contacts to draw on other specialist resources. This Trumanite set largely controls the policy process; policy decisions emerge from debates within the network that has a tendency to exaggerate threats and defines security in military and intelligence terms rather than political and diplomatic ones. These policymakers are the ones with departmental memory; they see elected politicians as temporary occupants and prefer continuity to change often because the network is too complex and big to secure consent for transformational change and because policymakers often do not have the time to think about the big picture.

The Trumanite networks power and influence in Washington has increased also because they have, through various methods, been able to stave off challenges from Madisonian institutions that are supposed to be the real originators of policy. Glennon offers several illustrations of this. For example, the courts can be co-opted because key judicial nominees often come from ranks of prosecutors, law enforcement and national security officials  who are then well-disposed to rule on legal challenges to official decisions. Before becoming the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court William Rehnquist was an assistant attorney general who directly participated in military surveillance of domestic political groups. Justice Antonin Scalia was also an assistant attorney general  and both judges passed crucial rulings that aligned with the preferences of intelligence agencies. Courts certainly rule against the position of the agencies but the trend has been in favour of the Trumanites. Apart from the apex court numerous district and appellate court judges with ties to the network also adjudicate national security cases, often in terms favourable to the establishment.

The US Congress, similarly, is also unable to check the power of the Trumanite network, writes Glennon. Lawmakers are overburdened; they are under constant scrutiny and are expected to be experts on everything. They cannot match Trumanites informational bases and are wary of contradicting the network and career-destroying voting in Congress. It does not help that Trumanites are active in the legislative process; they draft national security bills that members introduce, they endorse or oppose measures at hearings  They lobby members, collectively and one-on-one.

Congressional oversight instruments like intelligence committees are also severely ineffective because of secrecy rules that prevent public debate or because security agencies resort to outright deception or resistance. In 1983, a representative famously said Congressmen were like mushrooms. They [the CIA] keep us in the dark and feed us a lot of manure. More than 20 years

later, a senator complained of years of misleading and deceptive statements that senior officials made to the American people. Information conveyed to oversight committees is wildly over classified so that the relevant material is way beyond the purview and Congressional staff members seen by the CIA as pressing too hard can find themselves improperly monitored by the agency When CIA officials destroyed videotapes of water boarding sessions, no one bothered to tell anyone in Congress.

US presidents are also manoeuvred into preferred directions by the Trumanite network. Top down decisions that order fundamental policy shifts are rare, writes Glennon. Former secretary of state Dean Acheson wrote, One fact is clear to anyone with experience in government: The springs of policy bubble up; they do not trickle down. To return to Glennon again the reality is that when the President issues an order to the Trumanites, the Trumanites themselves normally formulate the order.

Presidential decisions do matter, arguably as in the case of Barack Obamas policies towards Iran and Cuba. But the network does, in many instances, frame policy options in ways that force the president to pick the course it prefers. When Obama was deciding the number of troops to be deployed in Afghanistan, the Pentagon gave him four options, two of which, in Obamas words, were not realistic while the other two were practically indistinguishable. So, whats my option? Obama asked. You have essentially given me one option. Glennon points to Vali Nasrs reporting of his time working in special representative Richard Holbrookes office where he said that the Trumanite network not only persuaded Obama to continue the policy of using armed drones but succeeded in curtailing discussion of the policys broader ramifications. There were essentially four formidable unanimous voices in the Situation Room: the Pentagon, CIA, office of the director of National Intelligence and the White Houses counterterrorism adviser. Nasr writes that this bloc by and large discouraged debate over the full implications of this strategy in national security meetings.

It is perhaps for that kind of bureaucratic resistance that Obama was not able to do as much on human rights as advocacy groups had hoped. Human Rights Watch pointed recently to Obama mixed record on human rights and criticised him on efforts to protect privacy, the use of drones, his refusal to prosecute those responsible for torture (while ending the practice) and his half-hearted attempts to close Guantanamo.

It is this thicket of incestuous institutions, hardwired for continuity and self-aggrandisement, which Trump wants to take on and reorient with the few fantastic people he appoints. He has a couple of immediate problems to tackle. The leaks suggest that the US intelligence community does not trust him and his dealings with the Kremlin. Not only has he not come clean on contact with Moscow, he is nudging the US towards an accommodation with the Putin regime, which large swathes of the National Security bureaucracy may be loath to. In an interview to Slate in November (after Trump won but before the latest Russia-related leaks), Glennon surprisingly said the intelligence services might not be willing to refuse the new presidents orders if he starts firing officials, since there will be other personnel willing to take their place. He said on issues like reinstituting water boarding or taking out the families of suspected terrorists, for instance, the agencies may find ways to cooperate with Trump as both sides stand to lose legitimacy during a confrontation. Glennon concluded that he didnt see bureaucratic checking as a realistic way of stopping a populist authoritarian president. (Serious confrontations did not occur during Obamas time as his administration and the Trumanite network were in sync on national security issues, suggesting that conventional tools were enough for the network to persuade Obama as compared to what theyd need for an erratic figure like Trump.)

Be that as it may, it looks unlikely that US intelligences services will yield to Trump when it comes to Russia because accommodation with Moscow through a possibly compromised figure threatens the internal coherence of US national security institutions. It is one thing to get an entirely new set of officials and political appointees with a change of government, but quite another to expect a vast bureaucracy to quickly warm up to Russia, a country that American bureaucrats have long been reared to oppose. Brennans misgivings about Trumps approach to Russia are thus likely to be shared by many Trumanites. The rumble within the establishment may be too much to handle if Trump presses ahead with his Russia plans without first convincingly clearing suspicions about his dealings with Moscow. The early stages of Trumps presidency could see him attempt to stamp his authority while the agency may use leaks as a negotiating tactic to make Trump change or pace his embrace of Russia  which is currently unnerving Americas allies in Nato and elsewhere.

The Trumanite network has many resources to hurt Trump. It has the liberal media and Democrats with it on the issue and it enjoys a strong standing in American culture  thanks to Hollywoods positive portrayal of the US military and intelligence personnel, which will lend greater ballast to leaks against the administration. Plotting his way ahead, Trump ought to note Glennons warning that no president has reserves deep enough to support a frontal assault on the Trumanite network. The new US president may be about to learn more about Washington the hard way.

Views expressed are personal. The author tweets from @SushilAaron

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Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, whose faction was recognised as the real Samajwadi Party (SP) and allotted the cycle symbol by the Election Commission, has a lot on his plate, with the high-stakes assembly election staring in his face.

The 43-year-old Akhilesh has, at least, five items on his things to do list.

Candidates: At the top of the chief ministers list is finalising and declaring candidates for the polls. Akhilesh, who has declared 237 candidates so far, is preparing the final list, with the notification being issued on Tuesday for the first phase of polling on February 11.

A fresh list of candidates will be declared soon, Akhilesh told party workers on Tuesday.

Campaign: The SP campaign had suffered miserably due to the feud in the Yadav family. Mulayam Singh Yadav had called off his series of rallies, and Akhileshs rath yatra too did not run well. Akhilesh is finalising his campaign, and is giving top priority to the western UP region as it is going to the polls first.

Manifesto: Akhilesh has already been preparing the SP manifesto, irrespective of the goings on in the party. With the uncertainty over his fate now coming to an end in his favour, Akhilesh is expected to prepare the manifesto on his own for the first time.

Alliance: Possible alliance partners have been waiting for the fate of the SP to be clear. Now that they have limited time ahead of the polls, Akhilesh can discuss alliances with the Congress or other parties, so that distribution of seats is finalised.

To bring Mulayam onboard: Akhilesh and senior party leaders like Kironmoy Nanda will focus on bringing in party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav as the star campaigner. Efforts on these lines are already underway. I will be in Lucknow on Tuesday and will meet Mulayam, Nanda said.

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BJP is facing rebellion in UP, Uttarakhand and Punjab after several party leaders were denied tickets to accommodate outsiders in the first list of candidates announced on Monday for the assembly elections in these states.

As protests swelled, a meeting of the BJPs election committee on Tuesday to finalise candidates for the remaining seats had to be put off. About two dozen outsiders figured in the list of 149 candidates for Uttar Pradesh.

The party is making a hard push to regain power in the state, where it won 71 of the 80 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

In neighbouring Uttarakhand, as many as 15 candidates, out of 64, are new entrants to the party. There are also resentments over relatives of BJP veterans getting tickets.

Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla, too, is upset over the selection of some candidates. There were reports that he offered to resign from the party post, but Sampla denied it.

Many of the disgruntled ticket hopefuls threatened to contest as Independents against the partys official nominees.

Read | UP elections: BJP needs poll victory for NDA candidate to become next President

BJP, however, tried to downplay the development, saying the protests were the manifestation of the growing demand for party tickets. It shows we are winning. Once we come to power, rebel leaders will be convinced, a BJP office-bearer said.

Notwithstanding the brave face put up by the party, BJP workers demonstrated outside Amit Shahs residence in New Delhi, forcing senior party leaders looking after the election affairs to rush to the residence of the party president for a stock-taking meeting.

In UP, party workers burnt posters of Etah MP Rajbir Singh after his son was given a ticket from Atrauli. Rajbir is son of Rajasthan governor and former UP CM Kalyan Singh. Protests were also held against Union minister Santosh Gangwar in Bareilly. Earlier, a ticket to former BSP leader Kesar Singh from Nawabganj assembly segment prompted resignation of some office-bearers.

Similar protests were witnessed in Uttarakhand against the partys choice of candidates that include 10 former Congress legislators. They were particularly peeved over the denial of ticket to three-time MLA Vijaya Barthwal and sitting MLA and former state president TS Rawat.

Barthwal was denied nominations from Yamkeshwar to accommodate Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, daughter of former state chief minister BC Khanduri. Former Congress leader Satpal Maharaj, who was the first to rebel against CM Harish Rawat in 2014, was preferred over TS Rawat in Chaubattakhal.

(With inputs from Manish Chandra Pandey in Lucknow; Sukhdeep Kaur in Chandigarh; and Anupam Trivedi in Dehradun)

Full coverage of Assembly elections 2017 here
Before it takes on its political rivals, the Congress was able to close the internal wrangling for tickets, a day before filing of nominations ends in Punjab. The name of former union minister and party spokesman Manish Tewari did not figure in the final list of three released by the party on Tuesday morning.

Tewari, the former Ludhiana MP, lost out to sitting Congress MP Ravneet Bittu who had virtually vetoed his entry into the list from the Ludhiana East seat. An ambitious Bittu, grandson of late CM Beant Singh and trusted lieutenant of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, is taking on Shiromani Akali Dal president and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal from Jalalabad. Rahul has been grooming Young Turks such as Bittu and Indian Youth Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as the second-rung leaders in Punjab.

The Bittu camp was viewing Tewaris bid to bag a nomination from Ludhiana as a way to regain a foothold in the area and had steadfastly opposed the union ministers candidature in the screening committee and central election meetings of the party saying he had fled from the race in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and his choice of candidates from Ludhianas 14 assembly seats was responsible for the partys poor show in 2012 state polls.

According to party sources, Bittu had set the condition of Tewari not being nominated for taking on Sukhbir from Jalalabad.

As his chances grew grim. Tewari had lashed out at his detractors in recent interviews saying some people within the party were feeling insecure by his comeback. Though Tewari had the backing of Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh, it is the will of Bittu that finally prevailed and his nominee, Sanjay Talwar, was named as the Ludhiana East candidate. In Mondays list, Bittu has was also able to secure a nomination for family confidant Malkit Singh Dakha from Jagraon reserved seat forcing the Congress to drop Valmiki candidate, Geja Ram, who had Amarinders support.

In Amritsar South seat, however, Amarinder was able to secure the nomination of Akali rebel Inderbir Bolaria, whose candidature was being opposed by some screening committee members such as state affairs in-charge Asha Kumari who was pushing for hotelier Jasbir Dimpas name. Once a confidant of Sukhbirs brother-in-law and revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia, Bolaria had Majithia have turned sworn enemies and Amarinder had described him as a victim of Badal vendetta politics, saying they had tried to ruin his business.

For Mansa, the party had a choice between the kin Bharat Inder Singh Chahal, former media adviser of Amarinder when he was CM, and former minister Mangat Rai Bansal, who has been convicted in a corruption case. Bansals wife, Manju Bansal, was finally named as the candidate to ensure the party fields at least 10 women and a Hindu face for the seat dominated by the Bania community.

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Barely a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked BJP leaders at the partys national executive meeting not to seek tickets for their relatives in the assembly elections in five states, he chose to ignore his own words.

The BJPs election committee meeting on January 15 which Modi attended agreed to give tickets to relatives of several veterans who hold sway in their area, but are not in the race this time.

Among those who have been obliged are Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh whose grandson Sandeep Singh was given a BJP ticket for Atrauli in Uttar Pradesh. Singh is also seeking a ticket for another relative and it is likely to be decided on Tuesday.

The list of BJPs candidates for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand announced Monday evening also figures Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, the daughter of former chief minister BC Khanduri, from Yamkeshwar in Uttarakhand. Ritu makes her electoral debut and has been given ticket in place of sitting legislator Vijaya Barthwal, triggering discontent among local unit.

Saurav Bahuguna, the son of former Congress chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, is the BJP candidate from Sitarganj in Uttarakhand. Bahuguna had rebelled against the Congress ahead of the floor test of the Harish Rawat government in May and later joined the BJP despite protest from the saffron partys local leadership.

The BJP also took its Uttarakhand unit by surprise by giving tickets to another Congress veteran Yashpal Arya --and his son Sanjeev Arya-- who had joined the party just few hours before the candidate list was announced.

The BJP cleared names of 64 candidates for Uttarakhand in its election committee meeting and 15 tickets have gone to outsiders. More than two dozen outsiders also figure in BJPs list of 149 candidates for Uttar Pradesh.

The BJPs election committee is meeting again on Tuesday to decide candidates for the remaining seats in the two states.

Among those who fate will be decided include family members and relatives of union ministers Rajnath Singh and Kalraj Mishra, Lok Sabha MPs Hukum Singh, Jagdambika Pal, former BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya, Brajesh Pathak and others.

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A day after the Election Commission allotted the Samajwadi Partys bicycle symbol to Akhilesh Yadav, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister extended on Tuesday an olive branch to father Mulayam Singh amid a bruising feud in the states first family.

Akhilesh said he will issue a fresh list of candidates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh election, shortly before Mulayam handed him a list of 38 candidates.

Mulayams picks included his brother Shivpal Singh Yadavs son, Aditya, and sacked UP ministers such as Narad Rai and OP Singh.

Shivpal, who is involved in a bitter power tussle with Akhilesh and is believed to have Mulayams backing, does not figure in the list. Shivpal, however, had announced that he will not be in the fray.

In December, Mulayam announced candidates for 397 of the states 403 seats that saw many Akhilesh loyalists being ignored. For his part, Akhilesh released his own list of 290 contestants, intensifying the Yadav familys power tussle. About 140 candidates were common in the two lists.

The CMs camp staged a virtual coup on New Years Day, appointing Akhilesh the partys national president in place of Mulayam.

I will take netaji (Mulayam) along...my relation with him is unbreakable, Akhilesh told reporters at his official 5 Kalidas Marg residence in Lucknow on Tuesday morning, sending out signals of a possible rapprochement.

Also, there is no talk in the Mulayam-Shivpal camp of fighting the polls separately --- under a new name and new symbol. Since the ECs move, the 77-year-old Mulayam is said to be mulling over his next step.

Sources said party candidates for the first phase of polls, nominations for which started Monday, have been told to wait till January 23 before filing their nomination. The last date is January 24.

Akhilesh met his father twice in a span of 12 hours, apparently to pacify him and ensure that he does not pit himself against the official party candidates.

The SP. meanwhile, has forged an alliance with the Congress and any contest posed by Mulayam could have an adverse impact on its prospects.

(with agency inputs)
A day after the Election Commission issued him a notice for allegedly promoting bribery, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday reiterated his appeal to voters to accept bribes offered by political parties but cast their ballot for his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

If they are being offered Rs 5,000, I would tell them to ask for Rs 10,000 from Akali Dal, BJP and Congress but vote for AAP, the partys national convenor said in Chandigarh.

Addressing the media, Kejriwal claimed that this matter has been already settled in court.

Someone had filed a case when I said the same thing before the Delhi elections but the court ruled that Im not promoting bribery but stopping it, he said.

But the poll panel on Monday issued a notice to Kejriwal over the violation of the model code of conduct for his reported remarks in poll-bound Goa.

The EC pointed out that Kejriwal said at a rally that Congress and BJP will come to distribute money.

Kejriwal reportedly added people should accept it in new currency and ask for Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 5,000, keeping in mind the inflation, but that their votes should go to AAP.

The commission said the AAP leaders statement amounts to abetting and promoting electoral offence of bribery.

If they are being offered Rs 5,000, I would tell them to ask for Rs 10,000 from Akali Dal, BJP and Congress but vote for AAP.

Attack on Badals

On Tuesday, Kejriwal said once the AAP comes to power in Punjab, it would set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the corruption allegations against the Badals and recover the amount with interest and penalty.

He said Punjab cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia, who has been named by international drug dealers for his involvement in spreading drugs in the state, would be arrested by April 15.

Kewal nasha nahi, logon ko inke dar se bhi mukti milegi (Not only drugs, people would be freed from his fear too), he said.

On Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singhs decision to contest against chief minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi constituency, Kejriwal said Amarinder was trying to help Badal so that AAP candidate Jarnail Singh doesnt win from there.

Badal had approached Amarinder for help, and he would withdraw cases against him in return, he said. Hes not contesting to defeat Badal but to help him win from there.

Asked to comment on Navjot Singh Sidhus joining the Congress, the AAP leader said the cricketer-turned politician was over and it doesnt matter now.
With the formal announcement of its pre-poll tie-up with the Samajwadi Party (SP) expected within the next 24-36 hours, the Congress is giving final touches to its list of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress has prepared a list of 160 candidates though it is hoping to get 80-90 seats. The idea behind keeping a comprehensive list ready is to ensure that the alliance does not get stuck on the choice of constituencies.

Read | Congress, Samajwadi Party will fight UP election in alliance: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs camp has indicated that it is willing to leave 115 of the total 403 seats for the Congress, the Rashtriya Lok Dal of Ajit Singh and the Krishna Patel faction of the Apna Dal.

The Congress appears to be content with the offer, given that its assessment of the poll outcome in case of going solo in the polls is not encouraging.

The alliance is a win-win for the Congress, which has been relegated to the political margins of the state after being ousted from power in 1989.

The modalities of distribution of seats will be thrashed out in the next two-three days, Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, said.

Initially, the Congress had sought 120-130 seats but scaled down the demand after the SP adopted a tough stance and offered juts 60 seats.

Apart from the 28 constituencies it won in 2012, the Congress had demanded 31 seats on which it came second and the rest from different districts.

However, the SP leadership asked the Congress to spell out a valid reason why it should be given more than 60 seats.

The Congress argued that though it could manage to win only 28 seats, its cadre existed in almost all the 75 districts of the countrys most populous and politically important state.

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The Madhya Pradesh government has said liquor shops in the state will have to keep a list of regular customers and police stations will have names of criminals, who regularly commit excise-related crimes, in a bid to discourage alcohol consumption.

The new excise policy for the year 2017-18 was approved by the state cabinet at a meeting chaired by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday.

The cabinet also approved a proposal from the excise department to shut down all the English/country liquor shops located within the radius of 5 kms from the banks of Narmada river. There are 58 such liquor shops in 12 districts.

The chief minister is presently leading a Narmada Seva Yatra aimed at protecting and preserving the river. He had made an announcement to the effect during the yatra.

The official spokesperson of the state government Narottam Mishra said no new liquor shop would be opened in the state in continuation of the governments policy for the past several years.

Seminars and other programmes will be held to create awareness among people in a bid to control liquor consumption. Besides, awareness will be created through school and colleges curriculum about diseases arising from drugs consumption.

A warning that liquor is harmful to health will be mentioned prominently on the boards of liquor shops and bottles.

Other measures to be taken to discourage drinking will include yoga and meditation therapy centres, information about diseases that occur due to liquor consumption and utilisation of social media resources.

Moreover, ultra-modern features will be added in the hologram for the year 2017-18. A provision of SMS alert has been made to prevent duplicity. Also, arrangement to verify the legal source of liquor has been made in the policy, Mishra said.

As per another provision in the policy, driving license of a person who is found in an inebriated state will be suspended for six months for the first time and two years on the second time. On the third instance of drunk driving, the license will be cancelled by the transport department.

A state amendment proposal will be sent to the home department for reforms in IPC (Indian Penal Code) section 184 to be used as a defence against drunkenness, Mishra added.
Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor became proud parents of a son on December 20, last year. They named him Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi. The Twitter backlash directed at the couple for their choice turned into unwanted hysteria in no time, threatening to drown the celebrations.

Now, Khan has opened up about his sons name. Mumbai Mirror has quoted him saying, Im aware of the heritage of the Turkish ruler and my son was not named after him. He was Timur, my son is Taimur. Perhaps the root is similar but its not the same name. Taimur is an ancient Persian name meaning iron. Both my wife and I liked its sound and the meaning. In fact, of all the names I ran by Kareena, she liked this one the best because its beautiful and strong. Taimur was the name of a boy hed grown up with and a cousin too. Its an old family name like Sara who was also named after a cousin I admired.

He added. I should have added a disclaimer, as they do in the movies, that any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Yes, there were some people who raised some objections but obviously just to look at medieval history and to make value judgments is, I think, ridiculous, and a lot of people have said that on my behalf. I feel quite confident that we dont live in a right-wing society. As yet, India is still liberal and people are still open minded.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17



By Fatih Karimov  Trend:



Iranian and Syrian officials signed five memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on the sidelines of a meeting between the visiting Syrian Prime Minister Emad Khamis and Iranian First Vice-President Eshagh Jahangiri in Tehran on Jan. 17, Iran's state-run IRINN TV reported.



The signed documents include MOUs for assignment of mobile operator license in Syria and assignment of a phosphate mine in Syrias Sharqiya as well as allocating areas for construction of oil storage facilities and oil terminal in the country.



Khamis told reporters that a sixth document also will be signed between the parties for investment in one of the Syrian ports, adding that Iran will contribute to Syrias reconstruction.



Heading a high-ranking delegation, Khamis arrived in Tehran on Jan. 16 night to discuss important regional and international developments and other issues of mutual interest with Iranian officials.



Tehran has always expressed support for the Syrian government since it sees the President Bashar Assad regime as its main strategic ally in the region and as a part of an "axis of resistance" against Israel.


Filmmaker Karan Johar recently poured out his heart while talking about his deep love for Bollywoods romance king, Shah Rukh Khan, saying that their relationship will be forever.

Speaking at the launch of his much talked about biography An Unsuitable Boy, KJo said, There are ups and downs with various relationships but with SRK, there is deep love. There is no other way of communicating the respect and love I have for him.

Ours will be a relationship that will be forever because my love for him and his family has only grown in the past two decades. I think we were just meant to meet in this world, he added.

Reflecting upon his spat with the 51-year-old when he made a film without him, the Koffee With Karan host said, We could have our down days but we can never forget the unabashed love and respect we have for each other which has not diminished, no matter what.

KJo also gave intimate details of his first meeting with King Khan as he said, It is because of my father, late Yash Johar that we have this connect. I met SRK when he took me to sign him for Duplicate. I had never met somebody who was a young movie star, so loved at that time but was so conversational and real. The fact that he respected my father so much and showed it, meant the world to me. I fell in love with Shah Rukh Khan then.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Cash flow will still take some time to normalise across the country, officials said on Tuesday, a day after the daily withdrawal limit was raised to Rs 10,000 for the first time in more than two months.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, however, kept the weekly withdrawal limit at Rs 24,000, an amount fixed after the governments November 8 announcement recalling 500 and 1,000-rupee banknotes.

Sources said it may take another month for the restrictions to be withdrawn completely.

Bankers said while the situation has come under control in the metros and other big cities, the cash shortage is continuing at many places in rural areas.

Cash shortage is still making life difficult many bank branches in smaller towns are still refusing to give cash to customers, said CH Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees Association.

A State Bank of India (SBI) report said 75% of the total value of currency notes would be back only by January-end.

Venkatachalam said there must be clarity on cash supply.

The RBI and the government must tell us when the restrictions will be withdrawn.

However, the cash supply at ATMs across the country has improved considerably.

These machines are being provided with about Rs 9,000 crore per day against Rs 2,000-3,000 crore available to them in the early days of the demonetisation exercise.

Before the move, about Rs 13,000 crore was given to the ATMs for daily loading. Cash logistics companies and banks said the supply of currency notes of Rs 500 has improved significantly.

We can say that currency supply is more or less adequate and the situation is now near normal, said Rituraj Sinha, president of Cash Logistics Association told Hindustan Times.

According to the central bank, currency in circulation as on January 6 was Rs 8.98 lakh crore, while more than Rs 15 lakh crore was sucked out of the system on November 8.

Read| RBI increases withdrawal limit: Heres a list of the withdrawal and deposit rules

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Practo, the Bangalore-based healthcare startup that connects doctors and patients, has raised $55 million in its series-D round of funding led by Chinese investment company Tencent, three new investors and existing investors.

Ru-Net, RSI Fund (owned by Recruit Holdings) and Thrive Capital are the new investors. Existing investors include Sequoia Capital, Matrix Partners, Capital G (formerly Google Capital), Altimeter Capital and Sofina.

The new round takes Practos total fund raising to $179 million.

The company will use the funds to expand its existing businesses of online diagnostics, consultation, medicine delivery, health records management, and international business. It also wants to make significant investments in the space of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, explains Shashank ND, founder and CEO of Practo.

AI can be used in derive probably outcomes of diagnosis, help in further medical investigation, and study outcome of drugs on patients or medication on patients, said Shashank.

Practo is not the only company that is betting on AI and machine learning as the future of healthcare -- global technology behemoth IBM has AI solution, Watson, which helps in medical diagnostics, goes to realms of information, searches the internet, and brings to the doctors distilled information for treatment.

Our approach is different from them (IBM Watson)... We believe that AI can guide doctors to take decisions... In our world view decisions cannot be taken without doctors, said Shashank.

This Practo will do through collecting healthcare, hospital and treatment data and run AI solutions on top of that to make better sense of it.

While, Practo will make investments in the future, it will also continue to add more doctors to connect with patients. We want to be the single touch point to the consumer, said Shashank.

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Mukesh Ambani is out to conquer his competitors. Reliance Jio, Ambanis telecom venture is up against incumbent rivals such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular.

Ambani is Indias richest man, and his bets are big -- be it petrochemicals, retail or hydrocarbons -- and telecom is not different. He wants to change the way India uses the internet, by offering high-speed internet services at ultra low cost.

For that, he has already invested Rs 1,71,000 crore (almost $25 billion) into the telecom venture to build Indias first fourth-generation (4G) only telecom infrastructure to provide high-speed internet. On Monday, he announced that Rel Jio will raise another Rs 30,000 crore through a right issue, which the company will use to lay additional optical fibre cable (OFC) and expand existing network.

Reliance plans to spend Rs 30,000 through 2017-18 to enhance network coverage to over 90% from current 70%, Avishek Datta, analyst with equity research firm Prabhudas Lilladher, wrote in his report.

OFC is critical for high-speed internet. It connects one telecom tower -- which transmit air waves used for wireless connectivity -- to the other, through cables.

A part of the money will also be used to continue funding its free internet services through, which has been a reason for regulatory battle beween Ambani and the other telecom operators. It is also committed to offer free voice calls to its users for life.

British telecom operator Vodafone Group plc has decided to write down the value of its Indian entity. It is also fighting a legal battle against Rel Jio.

Sunil Mittal, chairman and managing director of Bharti Enterprise, owners of Bharti Airtel, said that Rel Jios free services has started unfair competition. If someone offers anything for free, it impacts the whole industry, Mittal added.

Airtel has urged the national telecom tribunal to put an end to Rel Jios free basics that it is impacting the telecom industrys health. The tribunal has asked Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to come to conclusion on the matter in reasonable time. The matter will be heard on February 1.

By offering free services, Rel Jio has already acquired 72 million subscribers, and is adding six lakh new ones every day, the company claims.

Rel Jios free offers has already triggered a price war in country. Airtel is offering Rs 9,000 of free 4G data to new users. Airtel has slashed its data prices by two-third.

Idea, too, is offering multiple schemes to data users across bands.

Ambani has a history of disrupting the business through massive price cuts and discounts.

When Reliance Communications was part of the undivided Reliance Group, built by Ambanis father Dhirubhai, it started Indias first telecom price war in 2002. Its famous Monsoon Hungama offer mobile phones a device for masses. Ambani was at the helm of the telecom business.

Competitors, including Airtel, were forced to slash prices, as they did this time.

Analysts, however, remain worried about Rel Jios return on investment. The company will raise Rs 30,000 crore through preference shares. It is very difficult to ascertain returns on these investments, Satish Mishra and Deepak Kolhe writes in their HDFC Securities report.

Ambani isnt worried, neither is he done, yet. He wants to achieve 100 million users by March 2017 -- thats when he plans to start charging users. Still, it will be cheaper than other, he told during Jios launch in September -- Rs 50 for a GB of data.

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Amid reports of rebellion by several BJP leaders after being denied tickets for the assembly polls, the Congress has hinted that it will not hesitate to induct the opposition dissidents into party fold or help them in the election.

Congress leaders, including chief minister Harish Rawat and PCC president Kishore Upadhyay, have, however, clarified they will not encourage any defection in the opposition ranks.

Interestingly, the ruling party has been at the receiving end of defection politics so far, with 11 of its MLAs switching loyalty to the BJP in the last eight months.

The BJP on Monday announced 64 candidates for the 70-member assembly, the elections for which will be held on February 15. The list included all the 30 sitting MLAs, besides the Congress legislators who had joined the BJP after a political crisis last year.

The Congress said it will also support those BJP rebels who are unwilling to join the party but want to contest as independent candidates.

Congress has no agenda to engineer defection in the BJP, but will be looking at those who are willing to join us, on merit basis. The scope of amalgamation is always there in politics, said chief minister Rawat on Tuesday, welcoming the BJP strongman from Bajpur assembly constituency, Pratap Singh Bajwa, who was denied ticket by his party.

The BJP preferred Rawats cabinet minister and sitting Congress MLA Yashpal Arya over Bajwa, who was the front runner for nomination till Monday. Arya joined the BJP on Monday following a reported deal with the party to get tickets for him and his son.

Bajwa joined the Congress along with 200 supporters at the state Congress headquarters in Dehradun, and is expected to contest against Arya.

The Congress is also seeing an opportunity in the rebellion of BJPs two-time MLA from Roorkee, Sureshchand Jain, who was denied ticket for Congress rebel MLA Pradeep Batra.

Party sources said their leadership will also target Narendra Nagar and Kotdwar assembly constituencies where the BJPs official candidates (former Congress rebels) are facing rebellion from the partys rank and file.

Former BJP MLA from Narendra Nagar Om Gopal Rawat is preparing to contest as Independent, while BJPs Shailendra Singh Rawat has rebelled against the party in Kotdwar, where the party has fielded Harak Singh Rawat who defected to the BJP last year.
A six-year-old boy was reportedly sodomised multiple times over the past few months and threatened allegedly by three self-styled godmen at a yoga ashram located near Raj Ghat in central Delhi, police said on Tuesday.

Police said the three were caretakers of the ashram and had been staying there since the past few years.

Mandeep Singh Randhawa, DCP (central), said that one of them, identified as Amarjeet Pandey, has been arrested while the other two, Chandan Pandey and Mangal Pandey, have fled. A case was registered against them based on the boys statement and his medical examination report, said Randhawa.

The boy in his statement said he was sexually assaulted allegedly by the three at various occasions. He never told anybody about the sexual assault, as the three had allegedly threatened to kill him and the head priest of the ashram.

The boy is an orphan and he was adopted by the head priest of the ashram some years ago. The head priest had been taking care of his education, food and lodging. The police have roped in Shakti Vahini, a NGO, to counsel the boy and help him overcome the mental and physical trauma.

A senior police officer said that the matter came to light on Sunday night when Ram Manohar Sharma, one of the disciples of the head priest, approached the IP Estate police station and lodged a sexual assault complaint against three caretakers on behalf of the boy and the head priest.

Sharma in his complaint told police that he had been learning yoga under the guidance of the head priest at the ashram for the past three years. The six-year-old boy and three caretakers Amarjeet, Mangal and Chandan were also living with them at the ashram.

On Saturday around 4 pm, Sharma found the boy crying in a room at the ashram. When Sharma asked why he was crying, the boy left the room. Sharma got suspicious and when he insisted on knowing the reason, the boy broke down and told him that he was sodomised allegedly by the three caretakers.

The boy told Sharma that in the afternoon he was sitting in the cowshed (gaushala) when Armajeet lured him to a room on the promise of giving him chocolates. Chandan was already present in the room. Amarjeet locked the boy in the room with Chandan and left.

Chandan first showed him some obscene photographs and then asked him to help him imitate similar acts on him. He forcibly undressed the boy and sodomised him, said the senior police officer. The boy told Sharma that Chandan and the other two had subjected him to cruelty several times in the past.

Sharma informed the head priest about the matter over phone as he was out of the ashram. The next day, the head priest called a local NGO.

Police said Amarjeet and Chandan were assaulted allegedly by four members of the NGO, including two women, the head priest and Sharma. While Chandan fled, Amarjeet called the police control room and informed that he was physically assaulted. A separate case against the NGO members and others were registered on Amarjeets complaint.
The Delhi Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution directing the AAP government to constitute a fact-finding committee to probe the financial condition of cash-strapped East and North MCDs.

The development comes in the backdrop of the recent strike by the municipal staff of the east MCD over non-payment of salaries and the political slugfest over the issue. While the Delhi government accused the BJP-led municipal corporations of becoming the den of corruption, the political leadership in the BJP ruled civic bodies alleged that the AAP government deliberately stalled disbursal of due funds.

The committee will be headed by director of local bodies, Delhi government. It will submit its report before the beginning of the Budget Session, which is expected to be held in the first week of March.

Read more: Delhi civic polls 2017: Govt will notify delimitation of wards this week

The resolution, moved by AAP MLA Sourabh Bhardwaj, stated that MCDs have failed to pay the salaries of their employees despite having received enhanced funds from government and the residents have a right to know how the MCDs are utilizing these funds.

This House directs the Delhi government to take all possible steps to look into the finances of the MCDs in accordance with the provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957.

This House also directs the government of Delhi to direct the municipal corporations to inform the steps that are being taken to improve their financial condition, it also stated.

Read more: Municipal polls: Delhi govt new civic body map gives advantage to ruling AAP

Participating in the discussion over the recent strike by sanitation workers, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said all BJP-led civic bodies have failed financially and the BJP leaders have been conspiring and instigating their employees against the AAP government ahead of the municipal polls.

Repeating the governments charge, the Deputy CM said that despite the government giving enhanced funds in comparison to previous government, the BJP-led municipal corporations demand funds and have failed to even pay salary to its employees.

Once we (Aam Aadmi Party) come to power in all three civic bodies, we will show how the MCD function properly with the same money, Sisodia said.

Read more: BJP wins 30 out of 40 seats in Faridabad civic polls

Moving the resolution, AAP MLA Sourabh Bhardwaj said the House should take serious note of the extremely poor financial management in the Municipal Corporations of Delhi, particularly in the EDMC and the NDMC.

They (BJP leaders of MCD) pass a resolution in their House that municipal officers will not go with MLAs in their constituencies. Such kind of behaviour is unacceptable. On one hand, they adopt such behaviour against MLAs, but on other side, they demand funds from the government, he said.

The leader of the Opposition Vijender Gupta hit back at the government, accusing it of not implementing the recommendations of Fourth Finance Commission. Gupta also termed the short duration discussion on MCD functioning to be politically motivated ahead of the municipal polls.

Government should understand that EDMC has limited resources. AAP government is just giving political colour to the strike by sanitation workers. The government is deliberately not implementing recommendations of Fourth Finance Commission, Gupta said.

Assembly panel recommends probe against SDMC commissioner

The questions and references committee of Delhi assembly on Tuesday recommended the Delhi government to conduct an inquiry into the conduct of Puneet Goyal, Commissioner, SDMC, on charges of indiscipline, dereliction of duty and causing deliberate delay in the execution of public works hurting the public interest.

The matter pertains to non-implementation of an order of Delhi governments urban development department increasing financial powers of municipal commissioners in approving the works under MLALAD from Rs25 lakh to Rs5 crore.

The report tabled by the committee will be taken up for discussion in assembly on Wednesday.
The winter session of Delhi Assembly starts at 2 pm on Tuesday. At the two-day session, the ruling AAP legislators are likely to raise issues such as the functioning of the BJP-led municipal corporations even as the opposition accuses Delhi government of circumventing rules and breaking conventions.

Though the AAP government is unlikely to introduce any new Bill during the session, officials said the state government is expected to table revised estimates for the current financial year (2016-17) on Wednesday.

The assembly is likely to witness short duration discussions. About 17 MLAs have submitted multiple questions for discussion on the first day, while 25 MLAs have put up multiple questions for the second day. However, as per practice, only 20 starred questions will be listed for the question hour, an official said.

Read: Kejriwal-Baijal bonhomie marks event to inaugurate 10 skill centres at homeless shelters

Meanwhile, Opposition leader in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said that not inviting lieutenant governor Anil Baijal to address the House of Delhi Legislative Assembly is dishonouring his Constitutional office.

The Section 19 (1) of the Delhi Legislative Assembly Rules stipulates that at the commencement of the first session of each year, the L-G shall address the House. This rule is being honoured since the very beginning of the constitution of the Delhi Assembly. But the present government has chosen to circumvent the rules, Gupta said in a statement.

This is going to be the sixth segment of the ongoing fourth session of the assembly. The last segment was held on November 15, 2016, where chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had levelled serious allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gupta criticised the AAP government for the continuing session. BJP workers led by Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari are also likely to protest outside the assembly, party leaders said.

Read: Manoj Tiwari asks Kejriwal to work for Delhis development

It has treated the New Years first session as sixth part of the fourth session, breaking the followed convention. It has never happened in the last 23 years of the Vidhan Sabha that a session has continued for nearly 10 months. The session has never been divided into so many parts, but the AAP government arbitrarily sets its own practices and conventions, Gupta said.

The assembly officials, however, denied the charge saying the decision was part of parliamentary practice. The L-G address is mandatory for the budget session, an official said.

Read: DDA housing scheme with 13,000 flats in Delhi gets further delayed by a month

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Alleged paedophile Sunil Rastogi reportedly took the girls to dingy rooms on rooftops, asked them to try out new clothes before him and when they refused, he threatened to throw them from the building and cripple them for life, three women who were allegedly assaulted by him have told Delhi Police.

The women, who were minors when they were assaulted in 2006, have said that they did not approach the police back then because they feared for their families and their own lives.

The other two minors who were allegedly assaulted by Rastogi on January 12 have told the police that he tried to confine them in a dark room and touched them inappropriately. They, however, ran away and sought help from a passerby. He even allegedly tried to gag them and intimidated them by his laughter.

Read | Delhi serial rapist brings back fears, worries for parents of school kids

Rastogi always chose locations that were less frequented by people. He mostly picked abandoned houses, old buildings, under-construction houses and that too in New Ashok Nagar. When he did not find such locations, he took the girls to buildings where bachelors, mostly students, resided. Since he operated during the afternoon, none of the residents used to be around and he would escape each time, an investigator explained.

Rastogi, who lived in Delhi till 2004, police said, was first arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a girl in 2006 at Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, following which he got bail. Again in 2016, another case was reported from Rudrapur.

Though he had allegedly been abusing girls since 2004 in Delhi none of the victims came forward to file a complaint. An FIR under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) was registered against him for raping a minor in 2016 and he was jailed. He, however, got bail six months later. On the next date of hearing, Rastogi did not go to the court and went underground. He was subsequently declared an offender, a police source said.

Rastogi, police said kept shifting his base since 2006. On December 13, 2016, another minor from New Ashok Nagar in East Delhi came forward to file a complaint. On January 12, two more minors approached the police with a similar complaint of being assaulted by a man in red jacket, who claimed to be their fathers friend.

Read | Delhi serial rapist was amused, encouraged by girls cries for mercy

We got three similar cases and when we connected the dots we found that it was the same man who assaulted the three girls. The investigation was then carried out and the man, who we had been looking for, was identified, a police officer said.

Rastogi has been sent to 14-day judicial custody

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As the limit on withdrawals from ATMs has increased from Rs4,500 to Rs10,000 per day per card, several people especially working professionals flocked to ATMs to withdraw Rs10,000 on Tuesday.

Vaibhav Shukhla, 41, an employee at a software company in Noida and resident of Mayur Vihar said, I was not able to go to banks due to work commitment but with the cap on maximum withdrawal being raised, I could withdraw Rs10,000. It will help me pay several outstanding bills as one could not do much with Rs4,500.

Bank officials said that the decision will help them focus more on other banking works like opening accounts, sanctioning loans, opening fixed deposits, public provident fund accounts as several people who came to banks for withdrawing a big sum will now be diverted to ATMs.

A senior official of State Bank of India in central Delhi said, The queue at banks was already less but with the withdrawal limit being raised it will lessen the hoarding tendency among people as it will instill confidence among them that there is enough money in the system.

Secondly, it will now be easier for people to pay their rent and other bills, he added.

The decision however was not backed by speedy replenishment of cash at ATMs as higher withdrawal meant that several ATMs ran out of cash a faster rate on Tuesday.

Read more: Gurgaon: Banks supplied more cash but most ATMs still empty

Vinod Kumar, who was withdrawing money from an ATM in central Delhi said, I came all the way from east Delhi as most ATMs there are not functioning. Increasing the withdrawal limit is not enough, if we have to keep searching from money from ATMs.

Sources in bank association said that the focus is presently in replenishing cash at ATMs which are at busier places like Connaught Place, metro stations and railway stations.

As a reason, one can see that several ATMs in residential areas remain dry for most parts of day.

The Reserve Bank of India had placed limits on cash withdrawals following demonetisation of old Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes on November 9, 2016.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Irans Foreign Ministry has submitted a written report to the parliament on the process of implementation of the nuclear deal (aka JCPOA), Abbas Araqchi, Irans deputy foreign minister, said.

The document, which is the Foreign Ministrys fourth report, was submitted to Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of the parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Araqchi said, Tasnim news agency reported Jan. 17.

According to a law that requires the Iranian administration to safeguard the nations achievements and nuclear rights, the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission has a duty to monitor the proper implementation of the JCPOA, and is required to submit a report on the issue to the presiding board of the parliament once in six months.

The Foreign Ministry also should submit a report to the parliament regarding the nuclear deal implementation once in three months.

Araqchi said the Foreign Ministrys report will be shared with the public soon.

The top Iranian diplomat further said that Irans negotiations with six world powers are limited to nuclear issues only.

Iran and the six world powers  the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany  reached a historic deal dubbed JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) to settle disputes over Tehrans nuclear program. The deal came into force in January 2016.
In another unique way of smuggling gold, a passenger was caught by customs officials at Delhi airport on Monday for allegedly carrying gold foils pasted onto a carton.

The passenger, a native of Kerala, was coming from Dubai.

Officials found some suspicious images when his bags and the corrugated cartons were scanned, and they were examined in detail. They recovered gold foils pasted with a black insulated tape on to both sides of the corrugated carton. Gold weighing 700 grams in total was recovered. It is worth up to Rs 18.5 lakh, said a customs official.

Read: Papayas to diapers: How gold smugglers hoodwinked airport authorities in 2016

According to the official, smugglers are trying every possible trick to smuggle gold to Delhi as the customs department has increased vigil. We have come across cases in which gold was stitched into a brassiere, stuffed in the rod of baby walker, and tied on thigh guards and waist, he said.

Customs haD seized 6.6 kilograms of gold from Delhi airport in 2012-13, which increased to 384 kilograms in 2013-14. During 2014-15, the officials seized 574 kilograms of gold, and in 2016, more than 220 kilograms of gold worth about Rs 60 crore was confiscated.

Read: Sari, mangalsutra come in the way of full-body scanner at Delhi airport
Restructuring of boundaries of municipal wards is going to majorly impact the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC). In eight assembly constituencies under its jurisdiction, the number of wards has been increased from exiting four to maximum of five-seven.

Out of 272 municipal wards, the North and South Delhi Municipal Corporations have 104 wards each while East Delhi Municipal Corporation will get 64 wards.

Earlier, each constituency had four municipal wards. After the rejig, number of wards in each constituency will vary from three to seven.

The delimitation exercise was carried out on the basis of 2011 census and each municipal ward now roughly comprises 60,000 people.

After delimitation, Matiala will be the largest assembly segment with seven wards. In 11 assembly seats, the number of wards has been reduced to just three.

Read more: Delhi civic polls 2017: Govt will notify delimitation of wards this week

Places like Bawana, Burari and Vikaspuri will have six wards now while 12 constituencies  Narela, Badli, Rithala, Mundka, Kirari, Uttam Nagar, Najafgarh, Bijwasan, Okhla, Badarpur, Deoli and Karawal Nagar  have five wards each.

Despite redrawing of boundaries, 33 constituencies of Delhi will continue having just four wards.

The state election commission has ensured that boundaries of all wards remain within their assembly constituency limit. An unauthorised colony or slum cluster has been kept within a ward so that there is no distinction thereof between wards.

Geospatial maps and data from the census of India have been used as primary data for the purposes of delimitation. The limits of wards are altered in accordance to railway lines, roads, Delhi Metro network, and major drains, which divide them.

Last time, the delimitation of municipal wards was conducted in 2007. The number of municipal wards were increased from 136 to 272 after the trifurcation of the municipal corporation in 2012.

In North Delhi Municipal Corporation, number of wards has been increased in seven constituencies and nine constituencies now have only three wards. East Delhi Municipal Corporation, however, largely remained unaffected in terms of change in number of wards in a constituency. Karawal Nagar and Gandhi Nagar have now five and three wards respectively.

A senior official of the north municipal corporation said delimitation will help in uniform development of the wards, especially those having rural areas and unauthorised colonies. Such wards, he claimed, were being neglected due to inappropriate division of the boundaries.

The delimitation has been done in a way that it will cover the boundaries of a rural/urban area in one constituency. It will help MLAs utilise their funds in a planned and phased manner, said senior official of north corporation.

Following the delimitation notification on Tuesday, both BJP and Congress leaders in various corporations exuded confidence and stated that the exercise will not have any impact on the election results.

Mukesh Goel, leader of Opposition, in north corporation said the delimitation will help his party, the Congress, come back to power with full majority. Except former chief minister Sheila Dikshit, no one has worked for the welfare or resettlement of unauthorised colonies. The delimitation will help us get full support from the people in many areas, he said.

BJPs Subhash Arya, leader of house in south corporation, also said the delimitation will not hamper his partys prospect in the municipal elections to be held in April.

We were expecting a similar division and have been carrying out development works in rural and unauthorised areas equally. If we go by the latest trend, we are doing well in rural areas, said Arya.
The rescue of a 16-year-old girl from Delhis red light district on Monday brought the Capitals wide-spread prostitution racket under spotlight. The girl was rescued by the West Bengal Police from brothel number 56, which is owned by a couple lodged in Tihar jail.

Afaq Husain and Saria Begum have been allegedly trafficking girls and forcing them into prostitution for the past 17 years. They have been arrested at least seven times in the past and are currently booked under the non-bailable Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

However, this has failed to stop the racket they run at Delhis red light district  GB Road. Mondays rescue operation came after raids at the same brothel in August in which the couple was arrested. It raised questions on the crime branchs claim that the prostitution syndicate run by the couple had been busted.

The rescued girl, who is from Durgapur in West Bengal, was trafficked in 2014 and forced into prostitution. The girl took a mobile phone from a customer and called her father. We traced the location through the phone call and contacted the local police. The girl was rescued from the brothel, said Umakant of the West Bengal Police, who is the investigating officer in the case.

According to the Delhi Police crime branch, over 80% business at GB Road is controlled by two-three operators, who have their own network of agents. Afaq and Saria are allegedly the influential operators who control everything from a distant location through handpicked brothel managers.

The fact that the Delhi Police had raided the same place in August 2016, when this girl was probably confined there, says a lot about the nexus of the traffickers. Instead of just arresting the traffickers, the police must break the nexus, said Rishi Kant of the Shakti Vahini NGO, who assisted the West Bengal Police in the operation.

The crime branch admitted that girls are sold to the brothel owners for Rs 1 lakh and the victims are confined in hidden cells, thrashed, intoxicated, starved and forced into commercial activity.

While the victims are compelled to live in terrible conditions, their distressed family members keep running from pillar to post to trace them. The crime branch studied the crime pattern to institute effective action against the key perpetrators and real beneficiaries of this illegal trade, the crime branch said in August.

The Delhi Police has also proposed to seal the brothel owned by the couple and the matter is pending in the court.

At the time of rescue, our team had asked the girls if they wanted to come with us as there are many adult girls who prefer to stay. Those, who agreed, were rescued while the rest were allowed to stay. The couple is still in jail, said a senior crime branch official.

The victims, most of whom are minors from poor families, are trafficked from Nepal and various other parts of the country by agents in an organised manner. The girls are brought to Delhi on the pretext of lucrative jobs and marriage.

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Sunil Rastogi, who is lodged inside jail number 1 in Tihar, is not allowed to move around alone or go out of his ward without prior permission, following a threat from inmates.

Rastogi, an alleged paedophile was arrested on Saturday for allegedly sexually assaulting minor girls across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The police have linked his involvement to 15 cases of sexual abuse of minors.

According to sources in Tihar, an information was received that some inmates were displeased and angry with Rastogi to have victimised minors and planned to corner him once he arrived. Following the input, the security outside the cell where Rastogi is lodged along with 30 other prisoners facing trial for snatching, robbery and murder, was increased.

Rastogi has not been kept in a high-security ward but is shearing the cell with other prisoners. We received an information about some people planning an attack and as a precautionary measure, we have increased the security in the cell. He has been given special instruction to not go out alone and not leave the ward until permission is granted. A 24-hour security guard has also been deployed to keep a watch on the cell, a jail official said.

We have also warned the other inmates and have told them that any instance of violence or misbehaviour will lead to strict disciplinary action against them, he said.

Sources also said that Rastogi has been quiet since he came to the jail and spends most of his time sitting inside. He has not signed up for any activity and spends most of his time inside. When one of the inmates tried to ask why he assaulted minors, he got angry. A jail security guard immediately intervened and a brawl was averted. We are keeping a strict watch on him, a jail official said.

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A year after PhD student Rohith Vemula killed himself at University of Hyderabad after caste based discrimination, students in Delhi will come together to remember him.

Vemulas death had sparked protests in the university and across the country over caste discrimination. It had led to heated discussions in Parliament and committees were formed to probe the events leading to his death even as contradictory reports emerged over whether he was an OBC like his father or an SC like his mother. The one-man committee formed by HRD ministry said that he was not a Dalit.

To mark a year of Vemulas death on January 17, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) will be organising a protest march from Mandi House to the HRD ministry. We will march to demand enactment of Rohith Vemula Act against caste based discrimination in campuses. And also to seek punishment for those responsible for his death, said Mohit Pandey, president JNUSU.

At IIT-D, a group of students and professors have come together to form Ambedkar Study Circle which will hold a remembrance meeting. We will organise a meeting of remembrance and commemoration for Rohith Vemula Shahadat Diwas, a member said.

Read I DDA housing scheme with 13,000 flats in Delhi gets further delayed by a month

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A Delhi Police trainee sub- inspector allegedly committed suicide on the railway tracks between Ashram and Okhla in the wee hours on Tuesday, leaving behind a purported suicide note blaming only myself for the act.

A senior police officer said that since Thippeswamys head was cut off from the body its suspected he killed himself by lying on the railway tracks.

His body was found around 1.30 AM on the Ashram to Okhala track. A suicide note has also been found, said the officer.

In the suicide note, the policeman, who was from Karnatakas Davanagere, wrote he was depressed and nobody is to be blamed for his suicide.

I am very sorry my dear family and friends. I was suffering from depression since very long time. I am unable to cope up with that. So I am taking my own life. Please forgive me for the pain I am causing you people by selfish Act.

Thank you all for being part of my life. I am so much in pain and I have to go. Once again sorry. Please do not trouble anyone for my death. I am the sole reason for this selfish act, he wrote in the note that was found by police.

Under administrative process, he had taken a days outdoor leave from Police Training College, said Dependra Pathak, Delhi Police spokesperson and joint commissioner of police(Southwest), adding he didnt return the same day and hence was marked absent.

The trainee sub-inspector is from Davanagere, Karnataka. He was undergoing training in Police Training College.

The sub-inspectors family has however alleged that he was bullied by senior officers since he didnt understand the language here, a charge denied by police.

The charges of him being harassed are baseless. His suicide note gives a clear picture. It is not yet known why he was in depression but its being verified, said Pathak.

His family arrived at AIIMS this evening where his post- mortem was conducted.
The family feud in the Samajwadi Party (SP) has taken a decisive turn with the Election Commission of India awarding the cycle symbol to Akhilesh Yadav. Its a tilting of scales that gives the young chief minister a huge boost on the campaign trail ahead of next months assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Not only does it cement his place as the man to beat in the polls, it helps him sidestep anti-incumbency without having to give up the emotional connect and the organisational support that the SP brings with it as a key player in the state for more than two decades.

Read | Uttar Pradesh assembly elections process kicks off, notification issued for 1st phase

By winning a pitched battle with his uncles, other forces within the party, and most significantly, his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh can now shed the perception that he was a weak chief minister and showcase himself as an agent of development and change.

As he now stitches together a pre-poll alliance, notably with the Congress, in order to keep the BJP in check on the back of the demonetisation decision and its decisive victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Akhilesh has got a greater say at the negotiating table. The cycle has given him a better chance of controlling the core Yadav-Muslim vote-bank, which the SP controls, and at the same time, of reaching out to undecided voters who are unaffected by traditional caste equations.

Read | Congress confirms alliance with Samajwadi Party for UP elections

Though the pitched UP election battleground may have become relatively easier for Akhilesh to negotiate, it will by no means be easy. The fact that his supporters have started putting up posters of father and son together shows that the young chief minister does not want to be seen as a usurper. He knows it is in his best interest to not alienate Mulayam loyalists in the hinterland, where his father continues to hold sway.

Read | Akhilesh reaches out to Mulayam after bagging SP symbol

Any sign of weakness or frailty on the SPs part will be a sign to voters, particularly Muslims who usually swing en masse against the BJP, that Akhilesh may not be the winning horse. This could lead to a shift in votes towards the Bahujan Samaj Party, led by Mayawati, who already commands a sizeable portion of UPs Dalit votes.

Akhilesh will, therefore, have to strike a fine balance  taking the party along, portraying an image of strength and renewal, and making sure his social engineering remains intact. He has succeeded so far in making the elections about himself. With the right wheels under him, he will be looking to remain in the drivers seat.
Lucknow girl Eti Agarwal (24) has emerged as the topper of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), which declared the results of CA final examination held in November 2016 on Tuesday.

Ever since the results were announced, my cell phone has been buzzing with calls from friends and relatives. It is so heartening to score the number one position in the exam, said Eti.

The daughter of a chartered accountant, Etis aim in life is simple: Bag a challenging position at an organisation that will properly utilise her professional skills, enhance her knowledge enough to adapt to the organisational culture, and become an effective individual in every sphere of life.

A Bharatnatyam dancer, Eti had secured the All India Rank 1 at the IPCE in November 2013. Prior to that, she had topped the ISC examination 2011 from Lucknows prestigious La Martiniere Girls College (LMGC). She enjoys creative activities such as painting.

LMGC vice-principal Aashrita Dass said: We knew that whatever she touches in life will turn gold. She is our darling ex-pupil, and Im very happy for her. By topping in an unconventional examination like ICAI, she has proven that girls can do wonders in all spheres of life.

Eti is now eagerly awaiting the results of the Company Secretary Professional 2016 examination, expected to be announced in February. While her elder sister is an engineer with an online shopping portal, her younger brother is a class 11 student at the La Martiniere College, Lucknow.

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She may be tall, slim and a former model, but incoming first lady Melania Trump faces a new kind of fashion police  designers refusing to dress her because of her husbands politics.

She has posed nude for GQ, modelled in Paris and graced the cover of Vogue, yet what Melania wears to the inaugural balls on Friday night could be the most important sartorial decision of her life.

Its hard to find a great dress for this inauguration, Donald Trump told The New York Times, trying to present the event as a society sell-out, though whether that is true remains to be seen.

From Mamie Eisenhowers pink peau de soie gown to Michelle Obamas white Jason Wu confection in 2009, inaugural gowns worn by Americas first ladies have wound up in the Smithsonians National Museum of American History.

Melania has high heels to fill. Not only is she the only first lady to come from the fashion world, she succeeds one of the most stylish and beloved first ladies of all.

Obama seduced the fashion world with her deft mix of high street favourites and high fashion, championing young and minority designers, managing to look both relatable and effortlessly chic at the same time.

It remains unclear what path Melania will take. Years ago, she said she would like to be a traditional first lady like Jackie Kennedy  famed for her timeless elegance and love of French as well as American fashion.

But she comes into the role at a time when an unprecedented number of designers are saying she simply isnt their style or urging each other not to dress her because of her husbands insult-dishing, divisive campaign.

Sophie Theallet was the first.

Incompatible

The rhetoric of racism, sexism and xenophobia unleashed by her husbands presidential campaign are incompatible with the shared values we live by, Theallet announced last November.

Emotions were raw. Much of the largely Democratic-leaning fashion industry backed Trumps opponent Hillary Clinton and poured money into her campaign.

Personally, Id rather put my energy into helping out those who will be hurt by Trump and his supporters, Marc Jacobs told Womens Wear Daily.

I thankful to have done this speech for the support of my caring husband #trump2016 #donaldtrump #iamyourfirstlady A photo posted by Melania Trump (@theofficialmelaniatrump) on Nov 15, 2016 at 2:37pm PST

But top designers such as Carolina Herrera, Diane von Furstenberg and Tommy Hilfiger all said they would be honored to dress Melania.

Hilfiger, who has an office in Trump Tower, told Womens Wear Daily that anyone should be proud to dress the new first lady and Trumps daughter Ivanka  who is also expected to take on a prominent role in Washington.

But in some ways, the debate is irrelevant. Melania, known to shop online, can snap up any fashion piece she wants without asking permission.

When she wore a Dolce & Gabbana black dress on New Years Eve, the first Stefano Gabbana heard about it was when he stumbled across a picture online. He took to Instagram with pride, tapping out five hearts and a thank you.

@corriere  grazie A photo posted by stefanogabbana (@stefanogabbana) on Jan 4, 2017 at 10:31pm PST

Others say refusing to dress Melania stoops to the lowest denominator of the campaign.

Our role as part of the fashion industry is to promote beauty, inclusiveness, diversity, von Furstenberg has said.

Buy American

But what is Melanias style?

Campaign and post-election appearances are rare, but she favours the sleek, figure-hugging and glossy look of a wealthy New York woman  manicured within an inch of her life but not particularly individual.

She buys expensive and she buys European, perhaps hardly surprising for a Slovenian-born woman -- Christian Dior for her wedding, but also Emilia Wickstead and a $2,200 Roksanda Ilincic dress on the campaign trail.

Famously there was also a hot pink Gucci pussy-bow blouse at a presidential debate as her husband was under fire for lewd remarks about groping women.

love making appearances to support my caring husband #iamyourfirstlady #trump2016 #american #donaldtrump #melaniatrump #makeamericagreatagain #presidenttrump2016 #stopbullying #yourfirstfamily A photo posted by Melania Trump (@theofficialmelaniatrump) on Jan 12, 2017 at 1:40pm PST

But on election night, she shopped locally: glowing with pride in a one-shoulder Ralph Lauren white jumpsuit, bought off the rack.

Shes already under pressure to shrug off her European taste and, if not mix it up with cheaper outfits to appear more in touch, then become a poster girl for the countrys huge fashion industry.

The first lady-elect should support American fashion as did her predecessors, Vera Wang told Womens Wear Daily.

But she does have one powerful advocate in her corner: long-time friend and former Vogue director turned inauguration planner Stephanie Winston Wolkoff.

Dont underestimate (Melania) just because she is quiet and reserved, Wolkoff told luxury lifestyle publication DuJour before the election.

She has always said, when and if the time comes, she will step up.

MY to family to love them to make them #melaniatrump #wife #workingwomen A photo posted by Melania Trump (@theofficialmelaniatrump) on Nov 15, 2016 at 8:58am PST

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Four members of Gurgaons Sandeep Gadoli gang, arrested by the Rohtak police on Tuesday, were allegedly planning to kill Binder Gujjar -- a jailed gangster and former Gurgaon councillor. They also targeted policemen involved in the alleged encounter killing of Gadoli, police said.

A team of Gurgaon police had gunned down Gadoli, 32, at a Mumbai hotel on February 7. Later, a case of fake encounter was filed and eight people, including four policemen, were arrested by the Mumbai police.

Read: Gang wars leave Gurgaon bloodstained

Rohtak police received information on Tuesday morning that some suspicious people were seen with a car at Nonand road at IMT Rohtak. A team of the Crime branch reached the spot and questioned them. One of the men brandished a pistol at the policemen but the team managed to nab them, a police spokesperson said.

Police recovered five pistols, 10 cartridges, and a car from them. A case was filed at Sampla police station under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.

Police identified the accused as Dinesh alias Sonu Mokhariya, Monu and Deepak, all from Rohtak. The other accused, Ravi Kant, is from Gadoli Khurd village in Gurgaon.

The men were planning to gun down Binder Gujjar during a court hearing. They arranged weapons for the purpose and were planning the schedule and modus operandi. They were also planning an attack on policemen involved in Gadolis encounter, sub-inspector Rakesh Saini, in-charge of Crime branch, said.

Saini said the accused claimed to have attacked one of the policemen involved in Gadolis encounter. The policeman is at large and has not been arrested by the Mumbai police.

Binders brother Manish Gujjar, a liquor trader, was gunned down on October 17, 2016, in Gurgaons New Colony area. A group of four men had fired at him near Prem Mandir. The four men held by Rohtak police are suspected to be involved in the murder.

A team of Gurgaon police reached Rohtak on Tuesday evening to take the four men in custody on production warrant for further questioning in Manishs murder. Binder, serving a jail term in connection with the murder of a property dealer in November 2015, is a rival of Gadoli gang. His driver Ashok Kumar was shot dead on October 4, 2015, allegedly by Gadoli men.

Their youngest brother Manoj Gujjar is one of the accused booked by the Mumbai police as a conspirator in the murder of Sandeep Gadoli.

Gadoli gang revival:

The investigators said Dinesh alias Sonu Mokhariya was heading Gadoli gang after Sandeep Gadolis death. The gang members had gone underground after the encounter and were planning to revive their criminal activities. Police said they will question the accused about the source of weapons and trace other members of the gang.

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Details added (first version posted 17:03)

Tehran, Iran, Jan. 17

By Mehdi Sepahvand, Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Irans president said that the nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers which came into force in last January is a great national achievement.

He made the remarks during a press conference in Tehran on the first anniversary of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action aka nuclear deal) implementation, Trend's correspondent reported from the event.

Rouhani said that all nuclear sanctions have been removed after the implementation of JCPOA.

"Irans oil and gas sector is not under nuclear sanctions anymore," Rouhani said.

However, he added that the US is stonewalling implementation of the JCPOA.

"That is what we expected," Rouhani said.

The IAEA has admitted that Irans nuclear program has not any point of suspicion, he said, adding that the end of the nuclear dossier meant a moral high-ground for Iranian people.

He further touched upon his administrations economic achievements, saying the economic growth of 6.4 percent in current Iranian year(started March 2016) was unique in the region, while many countries had been hit by economic recession.

He added that his administration has taken a big step in establishing 700,000 jobs in one year to tackle unemployment.

On a question about speculations whether he might be disqualified for upcoming elections by the countrys Guardian Council, Rouhani said that these are rumours and he enjoys good ties with the council.

Elsewhere in his remarks Rouhani touched upon the critics about the nuclear deal, saying those who criticize the JCPOA need to tell people that what would happen if there was no the nuclear deal.

Without the deal, Irans oil incomes would have shrunken severely; he said, adding that however, his administration succeeded to pay the government employees using the revenues, which became available due to the direct effect of the JCPOA.

"One of our biggest goals in nuclear deal is the employment of the youth. Jobs can be created by investment," Rouhani said.

While responding to a question about upcoming Syrian talks in Astana, he said that Iran believes that the Syrian crisis must be resolved through dialogue. Rouhani said that Iran hopes that the first step in Astana wont be last.

"Now in Astana, we will have the major players with Russia, Iran and Turkey as organizers of the session."
The district administration is still in a fix over implementation of the odd-even road rationing scheme in Gurgaon to reduce pollution in the absence of adequate public transportation in the city.

Even as the Centre has directed states with poor air quality to take adequate action against agents contributing to air pollution, the district administration says it is not fully prepared for it.

The Centre issued a notification on Monday for enforcing a graded response plan to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR through Environment Pollution Control and Prevention Authority (EPCA) under the Environment (Protection) Act.

According to the notification, in cities where the level of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 is above 300 micrograms per cubic metre (g/m) and PM10 levels above 500 (g/m) for two consecutive days, emergency measures are to be implemented. These measures include odd-even rationing scheme and a ban on construction activities.

The air quality of Gurgaon has been marked as poor since November and the PM2.5 in the city has remained above 300 g/m limit . Hence, the city will have to implement corrective measures to curb pollution.

The public transport system in Gurgaon is not adequate and implementing the odd-even scheme might create problem for commuters. However, if we get directives from the Centre, we will prepare a plan. To support the plan, we do not have adequate buses and autorickshaws, said Vivek Kalia, joint commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG).

Although smoke from vehicles contributes to air pollution, with no proper public transportation, implementation of the odd-even scheme will be a premature step, Kalia said.

The Haryana transport department current has as many as 115 low floor buses of which 55 are air conditioned. According to the officials it is falling short to meet the growing demands by 10%.

The city has 20,000 registered autos and 5,000 taxis to cater to the need of the commuters.

However, the transport experts are of opinion that the city requires 50% more buses to provide adequate public transportation.

Dr Sewa Ram, associate professor of transport planning in School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi said, Gurgaon is expanding and at present, it needs 50% more buses. The newly developing sectors are demanding public transportation. Also, there is a need for more metro stations in other parts of the city.

Experts at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said there cannot be much improvement in air quality through road rationing unless all NCR cities implement it at the same time.

Public transport needs to be upgraded in all NCR cities and we can only see any changes if the road rationing exercise is practised on a regular basis in the region, Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of CSE, said.

According to Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), the impact on air quality even after imposing odd-even scheme cannot be more than 2% in Gurgaon as vehicular pollution is mostly from diesel autorickshaws that are plying in the city. The district administration is unable to take them off roads as the city has fewer options for commuters, Vijay Chowdhery, environmental engineer, HSPCB, said.

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The currency stock at banks across the city has improved but most ATMs still display the message temporarily unable to dispense cash. A large number of people who thronged ATMs to take advantage of the increased withdrawal limit were left disappointed on Tuesday as majority of the machines were empty.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday increased the per day ATM withdrawal limit to Rs 10,000 from Rs 4,500. However, the weekly withdrawal limit remains Rs 24,000.

People who rushed to ATMs in sectors 22, 23, 14, 31 and 40 said there was cash only at a few locations . I visited a number of machines but the availability of cash in sector 22 has been very less. There were two ATMs that had cash but these were also exhausted by the time we reached, Darpan Yadav, a sales executive, said.

At locations where the authorities had filled ATMs, the increased withdrawal limit ensured that all cash was withdrawn in two to three hours. Bankers, however, hope that those who withdrew Rs 10,000 in one go would not return for more cash soon.

While the people welcomed the decision to increase the cash limit, they also want the RBI to ensure that cash is available in the machines. Around 2 pm on Tuesday, cash was available only at Yes Bank and OBC ATMs in Sector 14. In Sector 31, cash was available only in the machines of ICICI Bank and in Sector 40, all ATMs were devoid of cash.

I queued up for more than an hour but with majority of people withdrawing the maximum amount (Rs 10,000), there was no money left when my turn came. The banks need to improve the cash supply, otherwise making this announcement is of no use, Ramesh Khare, who failed to get cash from ATMs in Sector 14 said.

Bankers, however, said the situation has improved in the last two weeks. All bank branches are getting sufficient cash now and today (Tuesday), we got Rs 15 lakh from the chest. A large amount was also dispensed through the ATM, Satish Parnami, branch manger, OBC Sector 14, said.

At the Sarva Haryana Gramin Bank, the situation has bettered at the branch level. Though cash distribution has improved in rural areas in the last two weeks, the tendency of villagers to hoard cash is putting pressure on the bank, an official said. The RBI is now supplying enough cash and cash dispensation through ATMs will also improve across Gurgaon in next one week, RP Sharma, regional manager of the bank, said.

Some customers demanded that the government should also lift the weekly cash withdrawal limit.

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The Haryana government has announced that all government and private primary schools in the state will remain closed until January 19 in the wake of intense cold.

Education minister Ram Bilas Sharma said the winter break will continue till Thursday as temperatures in most parts of the state has remained below 5.3 degrees.

But schools in the city said they had no information about any such directive.

Most schools in Gurgaon had resumed classes for the primary wing from Monday, while some restarted classes for students above class 4 from January 9.

We have not received any information to close the school due to the cold. Neither have the parents objected to sending children to school in the cold, Sudha Goyal, director, Scottish High International School, said.

Aditi Mishra, principal, DPS Sector 45, We havent received any such notice from the government and the temperature during the day is quite normal, said.

Rohit Mann, director Lancers International School, said,We will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday as we have received the direction from the government.

Gurgaon district administration officials said directions from the government has been received in this regard.

Vinay Pratap Singh, additional deputy commissioner, said, The district education officer has received the copy of the notice and we have intimated government as well as private schools on Tuesday. The step was taken after extreme cold weather was witnessed across the state.

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Zaira Wasim played the younger Geeta Phogat in Dangal  Indias highest grossing film ever  but whats truly made her a familiar name on prime-time news debates and the front pages of national dailies is an apology she wrote on Facebook and later deleted.

Zaira did not make it clear from her post what she was exactly apologising for, but said it was for meeting certain people and for what had happened over the past six months (hinting at her recent meeting with Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and acting in Dangal, respectively).

She went on to say that her actions were not deliberate and that she wasnt proud of what she was doing. She also sought forgiveness from people and urged everyone to stop promoting her as a role model for the Kashmiri youth.

That a 16-year-old was forced to apologise for doing things that cannot be perceived as mistakes by any conceivable yardstick screams volumes about the people we are and our threshold for tolerance. It also brings to fore an issue thats being neglected in this entire controversy  the susceptibility of teenagers (famous or not) to cyberbullying and internet trolls, and the lasting damage they can cause.

Zaira certainly didnt want her Facebook post to turn into a story of national importance. But unwittingly, she did fuel it. Could she, all of 16, have handled the situation better when even adult celebrities most often fail (remember Arijit Singhs open apology to Salman Khan)?

Keeping a distance

Acha din aur zabardast cake  Thank you @sardar_nasir_ali_khan @mir_muneeb  A photo posted by Zaira Wasim (@zairawasim_) on Jan 9, 2017 at 6:12am PST

Experts say a lot can be done to effectively avoid getting embroiled into the social-media snare, and their most earnest plea to teenagers is to have an open and honest communication with the adults they trust and feel are responsible. Geetanjali Kumar, a Delhi-based consulting psychologist, suggests other ways that teens and adults can keep in mind to prevent being bullied online:

* Make sure you have a confidant who is considerably older than you.

* Always remember that everything you upload in the virtual space never really goes away, even if you delete it. Even if its just on Snapchat. It takes only a second to take a screenshot and then use it later, as is happening in Zairas case  despite being deleted, her Facebook post is being widely circulated on the social media, adding to the hype. So be very mindful of everything you post online.

* Share your fears and insecurities with the people you know for real.

* Critically evaluate your self-worth and self-esteem according to your understanding of yourself and not other peoples perception of you.

* Know that social media is a public space. Learn to differentiate between personal, private and social, and respect it. Also know the difference between an acquaintance and a friend. A classmates cousin who you met only once at a party does not qualify as a friend, warns Kumar.

* Develop strong interpersonal skills so that you have a rewarding life outside of the virtual world.

If you are being bullied

None of us ever ask for it but we invariably do find ourselves in situations we are unequipped to tackle. Sukhmeen Kaur Cheema, vice-principal and counsellor at The Indian School, New Delhi, and Jitendra Nagpal, head of the department of the Institute of Mental Health at Moolchand Hospital, New Delhi, suggest what can be done to keep a check on online bullying.

* Confrontation is not always the right way to tackle a bully because we most often cannot predict their reaction. Do not act or react on impulse if you think you are being bullied. Step away from the situation and think before you do anything. Zairas case is proof enough for this. She could have never predicted that her one post could snowball into a major political debate.

* Dont be scared and dont hide your suffering. Know that your parents are there for help. So are friends and cyber cells. Reach out to them.

* Be assertive and defiant when necessary. Learn to say no.

* Parents and schools need to be aware and vigilant about the long-term hazards of online bullying and take them seriously. Build channels of communication with children/students. Let them know that you are always there for them.

The author tweets @sneha_bengani

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Actor Jennifer Lawrence is back at work. New images of her filming her new spy thriller Red Sparrow in Hungary have surfaced online.

The actor left New York for Budapest as shooting started for the film, which is being helmed by her Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence, reports dailymail.co.uk.

In the movie, Jennifer plays a Russian spy who tries to seduce a rookie CIA operative.

 new pic of jen on the set of red sparrow  #jenniferlawrence #jlaw #redsparrow A photo posted by Jennifer Lawrence (@jenlawrnces) on Jan 16, 2017 at 9:30pm PST

 D A M N that's all I need to say  #jenniferlawrence #jlaw #redsparrow A photo posted by Jennifer Lawrence (@jenlawrnces) on Jan 16, 2017 at 9:31pm PST

 jen and papa francis :") #jenniferlawrence #jlaw #redsparrow A photo posted by Jennifer Lawrence (@jenlawrnces) on Jan 16, 2017 at 9:30pm PST

She was spotted wearing a brunette wig under a black fur hat and was seen discussing something with the director.

The Oscar-winning star was seen sitting in the back of a black SUV as she discussed the upcoming shot. Her costume included a below-the-knee black skirt and knee-high black boots and a cropped black leather jacket.

Red Sparrow also stars Joel Edgerton and Jeremy Irons.

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Assuring that the Centre will extend all cooperation to Chhattisgarh in its fight against insurgency, Union home minister Rajnath Singh said 50 new police stations and 35 mobile towers will be set up in Maoist-affected areas of the state.

The home minister, however, remained tight-lipped over a query on rape of tribal women in Bijapur.

Rajnath Singh made the announcement after chairing a high-level meeting at the official residence of chief minister Raman Singh in Raipur on Monday evening.

The home minister said that the Raman Singh government has successfully discharged its responsibilities and the development work being done in Maoist-affected areas has brought a major transformation in the lives of people.

He said that 850 km of roads will be built in Chhattisgarh, and road connectivity in Maoist-hit areas will be expanded.

Maoists are present in as many as 16 of the 27 districts in the state.

Meanwhile, when Hindustan Times asked Rajnath Singh about a notice from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) served to the state government over tribal raped by the security personnel, the home minister remained tight-lipped.

Raman Singh responded to the question, saying, Investigation is going on.

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Last January, PhD student Rohith Vemula killed himself at the University of Hyderabad after alleged caste-based discrimination, triggering protests across India.

Rohiths mother Radhika has been fighting for justice for her son, travelling to different parts of the country to address students and mobilise support to punish the perpetrators and enact a non-discrimination Rohith act.

But focus has remained on Rohiths caste status as government reports have submitted contradictory findings. HTs Sudipto Mondal pieces together the familys ordeal and resistance over the past year:

Guntur June 10, 11am

Rohith Vemulas paternal grandfather Venkateshwarulu Vemula had arrived as promised. Nobody had expected that he would come all the way from his village in Andhra Pradeshs Gurzala to speak against his own son and take the side of his estranged, lowered-caste daughter-in-law.

Venkateshwarulu had come to submit an affidavit to the Guntur collector saying his son and Rohiths father Mani Kumar was an alcoholic who had beaten his wife and abandoned his children before finally being separated legally from them. He had come to declare that the children belonged to the mother, Radhika.

Read | Rohith Vemula: The backstory of the Dalit scholars life

The statement had the potential to turn a case that had not moved forward since Rohiths suicide six months earlier. The police had not taken action against the BJP leaders accused under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for harassing Rohith till he killed himself. Instead, an inquiry was launched to find out whether Rohith was from the Mala Scheduled Caste like his mother Radhika or OBC like his father Mani Kumar. If it could be proved that he was not a Dalit or SC, the case under the SC/ST Act against the politicians would fall.

Mani Kumar was the trump card. One of the highlights of the weeks following Rohiths death was Mani Kumars drunken appearances in television studios and press conferences where he claimed not only that Rohith belonged to him since he was the father but also that he was murdered. His claims were given wide publicity in a section of the media and also got admitted as evidence to contest Rohith Vemulas Dalit identity.

Venkateshwarulu was worried that Mani Kumar would try to stop him and wanted to finish the process quickly. He has tried to kill me many timesjust for alcohol, the panicky old man said. I turned on the recorder as he started dictating to the lawyer: My son did not do anything for his children. Their mother Radhika brought them up. Even I did not do anything for them as their grandfather. The children belong to her. If she is Mala, then they are Mala.

He also explained how Raja Vemula, Rohiths younger brother, was originally given an OBC certificate and listed as a Vaddera like his father and grandfather. Raja was born in my village Gurzala not in Guntur. Radhika, who had separated from Mani two months after Rajas birth, had asked me to help get his birth certificate.

I asked the village revenue officer to fill in the details in the certificate and said that the boy is my grandson. The officer assumed that my grandson will be a Vaddera. But that is not the case. My son broke up his marriage with Radhika Vemula when he discovered that she is a Mala.

Read | PM Modi gives award to Hyderabad univ V-C embroiled in Rohith Vemula row

When we got to the collectors office with Venkateshwarulu, Radhika and Raja, nobody was willing to receive the affidavit. The elderly man was made to go up, down and around the building several times looking for the collector before a peon took pity and revealed that the the bucreaucrat was in his residence across the street. I followed when they rushed to meet him. When they entered his compound, he refused to meet. He gestured to us from his lawn where he was having tea that we should turn around and go away. We went back to the office where one clerk finally agreed to accept the grandfathers affidavit but refused to give a receipt. After another hour of haggling, another clerk in the joint collector s (JC) office put a stamp on a copy of the affidavit but refused to sign on it. It was past sunset by then and everybody decided to settle for the stamp without the signature.

Rohiths closest friend Syed Riyaz, who is always by the familys side for every important event, was missing throughout. I was preventing Mani Kumar from coming in and stopping Venkateshwarulu from submitting the affidavit, Riyaz said when we met later that night.

Mani Kumar had learnt that his father was going to submit the affidavit and had followed him to Guntur. He agreed not to create a scene on the condition that Riyaz buy him his favorite rum and cigarettes and listen to his stories all day.

Mani Kumar maintains a strange ritual with Riyaz. Every time hes in Guntur, he not only makes Riyaz buy him drinks but also insists that he listen to his drunken stories. Riyaz says he doesnt know why he agrees but this has been going on for years. Even when Rohith was alive.

Manis drunken stories mostly run on loop as soon as alcohol enters his system, Riyaz says. They never end without Mani Kumar cursing Radhika for taking away both his sons. Whenever he gets drunk he keeps repeating that his sons are not Mala. He loves to say, I am Vaddera and my sons are Vaddera.

But today, he told some amazing new stories, Riyaz said, He was talking about the time he was hugged on stage by a national-level BJP leader at a rally in Vijayawada; the time when some powerful OBC leaders from the Telugu Desam Party had taken selfies with him; the time a senior female BJP leader from Tirupati had visited him. He kept saying that Rohith will be declared a Vaddera and the compensation from the university and the State government would be given to him, said Riyaz. He refused to divulge the names of the politicians Mani Kumar was bragging about and said he needed to verify things first.

... the value of a man was reduced to his immediate identity and nearest possibility. To a vote. To a number.To a thing. Never was a man treated as a mind. As a glorious thing made up of stardust. In every field, in studies, in streets, in politics, and in dying and living.  Vemulas suicide note

I asked Riyaz if he knew that Mani Kumar had tried to kill his father for alcohol, to which Riyaz suddenly said, Do you know that Rohith almost killed Mani Kumar once? Rohith, who was in his final year BSc then, had received four stitches on his arm. Mani Kumar got eight stitches on his head.

Had Riyaz not interfered that day, Rohith would have surely killed his father. I have never seen Rohith like that. He just kept hitting Mani Kumar on the head like a machine hammer. It was the worst experience of Rohiths life. Maybe it was the worst experience of Mani Kumars life too.

Radhika used to stitch clothes and run a small soda stall from her house in Prakasam Nagar those days. She had been separated for a long time and was living in the only house she could afford, which was next to one of Gunturs most notorious red-light areas. Mani Kumar had hit Radhika and broken her soda bottles. But what was the fight about? Ask Raja or Radhika aunty, Riyaz said.

Hyderabad, November 2, midnight

Anna, Radhikamma is missing! It was one of the Ambedkar Students Association leaders of the University of Hyderabad on the line. Rohith Vemulas mother, Radhika Vemula, was missing. Should I call the police? But I dont know anybody in the Hyderabad or Guntur police. Should I call my editor?

People have been trying to get in touch with Radhikamma since afternoon. Raja (Vemula) and (Syed) Riyaz are also not picking up the phone. They are supposed to take a flight from Hyderabad to Punjab in the morning. Anna, are you there? There was a lot of static and the line kept dropping. Why are the calls dropping so much? Do you think my phone is being tapped? Anna, Najeeb also disappeared like this, the ASA leaders voice was shaking by now, possibly thinking of Najeeb Ahmed, the Muslim student who disappeared from Jawaharlal Nehru University last.

Finally, at around 1am, Raja called. He had to speak over the voices of his sister and mother to be heard. Anna, I am going to Punjab but my mother will not be going, he said even as his sister Nileema could be heard shrieking, You are not going anywhere! Radhika snatched the phone and told me, Nana (Son), Thank you for everything. We dont want anything from anybody anymore. Let us just live our lives in peace. We dont want to talk to anybody She was sobbing.

Raja managed to pacify them and called back. We spoke till dawn.

Radhika, Raja and Nileema had spent the whole day at the Guntur joint collectors (JC) office, getting grilled by revenue department officials over Rohith Vemulas caste. They had reached at 1 pm and had to wait outside till 4 pm for the JC to arrive. When Radhika and her children followed the JC into his office, Mani Kumar was already inside and sliding off a chair. He was drunk. The whole room was smelling of alcohol, Raja said.

The JC left the meeting after 15 minutes and an officer, who didnt reveal his name to the family, took over the meeting which was also attended by about a dozen other revenue officers. We were not offered a chair. The three of us stood in front of those people for the next five hours till about 9 pm. It was like a police interrogation. By the end of it, mother was shivering and barely able to stand. What disturbed the family was that the officer was not reading from a formal list of questions or taking down any notes. He just kept rude questions, many of which had nothing to do with the case.

The officer also allegedly mocked Radhika by reading out a newspaper quote from one of the speeches she had delivered at a protest in Hyderabad saying, All your big talk cannot save you. We know everything about your drama. Your husband told us everything.

The officer, Raja said, asked Radhika why she left her husband when he was quite wealthy. When Radhika explained that he was abusive and and had thrown her and the children out of the house after discovering that she was a Mala (SC), the officer allegedly said, But it must have been difficult to raise three children alone. We have information that you had some other sources of income.

Raja said, The officer said other sources in such a way that it sounded like he was questioning my mothers character. We immediately knew that they had been speaking to Mani Kumar a lot. Mani Kumar will tell anybody who will listen that my mother brought us up through sex work.

Anna, do you know my brother almost killed Mani Kumar once? The soda shop incident? Yes, do you know he tried to sell my mother to one of those men who come to the red light area? That was the reason Rohith broke his hand on Mani Kumars head? Yes.

Members of the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) of Universiy of Hyderabad on Jan 15, 2017, mobilising support for a protest on Jan 17 which marks the first anniversary of Rohith Vemulas death (HT Photo )

Radhika kept it really short when we spoke a few days later over the phone. They are going to give Rohith Mani Kumars caste, she said. The experience at the JCs office had broken her resolve. She had travelled across the country in the last 10 months and addressed hundreds of thousands of people but it had all been in vain. She said she cancelled the trip to Punjab and then another one to Chennai where a major anti-caste agitation was planned. She didnt let Raja go either.

Radhika had decided that the political fight was over and the matter would have to be resolved in the courts. She would no longer travel around and give speeches. As news of what had happened at the JCs office spread, activists from Hyderabad tried to persuade her to file a case against the Guntur officials. She refused.

What was also clear to Radhika by the end of that interrogation was that Mani Kumar, who she and her children had tried to shake off all their lives, was key to the plans of those who wanted to prove that Rohith Vemula was not Dalit. I have fought him in court once (for divorce) and will fight him again, Radhika said, Do you know? Rohith had once almost thrashed Mani Kumar to death.

Read | Rohith Vemula suicide report: More omission than commission

HOW IT BEGAN 2015 JULY 30: Students of Ambedkar Students Union hold a rally in the University of Hyderabad following the hanging of Yakub Memon

Students of Ambedkar Students Union hold a rally in the University of Hyderabad following the hanging of Yakub Memon AUG 3: Reacting to the meeting, ABVP leader Nandanam Sushil Kumar posts a comment on his Facebook wall calling ASA students goondas

Reacting to the meeting, ABVP leader Nandanam Sushil Kumar posts a comment on his Facebook wall calling ASA students goondas AUG 4: A group of 30 to 40 ASA activists allegedly assault Sushil and force him to write an apology. Next day, he is admitted to hospital for severe stomach ache. Sushils parents file a case against Rohith and others for allegedly beating up their son

A group of 30 to 40 ASA activists allegedly assault Sushil and force him to write an apology. Next day, he is admitted to hospital for severe stomach ache. Sushils parents file a case against Rohith and others for allegedly beating up their son AUG 5: The University sets up an inquiry by the Proctorial Board

The University sets up an inquiry by the Proctorial Board AUG 12: Proctorial Board submits interim report issuing warning to warring groups

Proctorial Board submits interim report issuing warning to warring groups AUG 17: Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya writes to then HRD minister Smriti Irani urging action

Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya writes to then HRD minister Smriti Irani urging action AUG 31: Proctorial Board submits final report, recommending suspension of Rohith and three others for the semester

Proctorial Board submits final report, recommending suspension of Rohith and three others for the semester SEPT 10: Suspension revoked, matter again referred to executive council

Suspension revoked, matter again referred to executive council SEPT 21: New V-C Prof Podile Appa Rao constitutes a sub-committee following a letter from Union HRD Ministry

New V-C Prof Podile Appa Rao constitutes a sub-committee following a letter from Union HRD Ministry NOV 27: Hyderabad HC seeks action taken report from the University

Hyderabad HC seeks action taken report from the University DEC 17: Five students, including Rohith, suspended again

Five students, including Rohith, suspended again DEC 20: Suspended students barred from entering academic wings, but allowed to stay in hostel 2016 JAN 3: Rohith and others set up "Velivada" (ghetto of the outcast students) at the shopping complex and start sleeping in the open

Rohith and others set up "Velivada" (ghetto of the outcast students) at the shopping complex and start sleeping in the open JAN 17: Rohith commits suicide

Rohith commits suicide JAN 19: Cyberabad police file FIR against Appa Rao, Dattatreya, 3 others

Cyberabad police file FIR against Appa Rao, Dattatreya, 3 others FEB 2: Centre constitutes one-man committee to look into the suicide

Centre constitutes one-man committee to look into the suicide JUNE 22: National Commission for Scheduled Castes declares Rohith a Dalit, based on the report submitted by Guntur district administration

National Commission for Scheduled Castes declares Rohith a Dalit, based on the report submitted by Guntur district administration AUG 1: Roopanwal Commission submits report stating that Rohith died of personal reasons and that he was not a Dalit as claimed by him and his mother, but an OBC

Hyderabad November 22, 6 am

Anna, did you see the news? It was the ASA leader again. I have WhatsApped you the link. Radhika Vemula had participated in a massive protest in Delhi to show solidarity with Fatima Nafeesa, the distraught mother of JNU student Najeeb Ahmed. The Delhi media had covered the story of the two grieving mothers enthusiastically.

When my call finally got through to her, Radhika said, I am not giving up. I will go on till the BJP is in power. Legally, we will never win against them as the police and the courts are in their control. They have to be fought politically. She excitedly shared her travel plans. She was going to Madhya Pradesh next and then to Kerala.

Hyderabad January 14, 8am

The phone showed several missed calls from Radhika Vemula. She picked up with the first ring. Nana, have you read the news? The Andhra government has sent a report to Delhi saying Rohith was OBC like Mani Kumar, she said without sounding too disturbed. She said she was expecting this and was well prepared to fight back.

So, I have called all the people who I visited in the last one year to come to the university on January 17 and support me. The students are also supporting me. I will lead the protest, she said, The people from Una are coming. Akhlaqs family is coming. The JNU students are coming. Najeebs mother might also come. The plan, she said, was that she would force her way past the campus security to lay a wreath at the Rohith Vemula stupa at the Velivada.

She had a request, Nana, I will be addressing the media. Will you please tell your reporter friends to attend?

Read | Lal Salaam to Jai Bhim: Why Rohith Vemula left Indian Marxists
Alliance with the Congress in the bag, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is now working on a patch-up with father Mulayam, who was dealt a blow on Monday after the poll panel declared the CMs faction the Samajwadi Party, allotting it the party symbol, a bicycle.

Firmly in control of the Uttar Pradeshs ruling party, Akhilesh, met Mulayam at his Lucknow residence on Tuesday, their second meeting after the election commissions decision.

I will take Netaji (Mulayam) along... my relation with him is unbreakable, he told mediapersons, adding he didnt see the poll panel verdict as a victory.

But, it was the EC decision that led to the Congress announcing its alliance with the Samajwadi Party during the day in Delhi even as Akhilesh responded to queries about the tie-up by saying, Give us some time.

I am confident that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh, Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters in Delhi.

The Congress leader who is in charge of Uttar Pradesh said the official announcement was expected within 36 hours and details would be thrashed out in two or three days.

The Congress was demanding 120-130 seats, which the SP was unwilling to concede, sources said. The SP had offered 115 seats for all the partners -- the Congress, Rashtriya Lok Dal of Ajit Singh and the Krishna Patel faction of the Apna Dal. The Congress could get 80-90 seats.

Read | JD(U) keen on Priyanka Gandhi as grand alliance face for UP polls

The alliance also cuts short the role of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, named by the Congress as its CM candidate. Dikshit had offered to withdraw if the alliance worked out.

Akhilesh, who is also the SP president, said the Congress tie-up would be announced in Lucknow and he would issue a fresh list of candidates.

According to sources, Mulayam handed him a list of 38 names that didnt include Shivpal, who had ruled himself out of the election.

However, his son, Aditya, and some of the ministers sacked by Akhilesh are among the people that Mulayam wants fielded.

The fight for party control between Akhilesh and Shivpal virtually split the Yadav clan, with Mulayam picking his brother over his son.

Choice of candidates also led to a bitter fight. Mulayam announced candidates for 397 seats, leaving out several Akhilesh loyalists. Akhilesh came up with his own list of 237 contestants.

Now, I have a big responsibility to shoulder and my entire focus is now on winning the elections, Akhilesh told supporters.

He was to launch the partys campaign January 19 but a new schedule was being drawn, party sources said.

Read | Tie-up with Samajwadi Party may be Congresss only route back to power in UP

Voting for the 403-member UP assembly will be held in seven phases, beginning February 11.

Akhilesh asked the first-phase candidates to wait till January 23 for filing nominations, which opened Tuesday. The last date of filing papers for the first round is January 24.

Even as he reached out to his father, Akhilesh filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, requesting it not to pass orders without giving him a hearing if his father challenged the EC decision.

Mulayams cousin, Ramgopal, who has backed Akhilesh in the family feud, signed the caveat.

Read | Opinion polls divided on 2017 election outcome in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab

(With inputs from Bhadra Sinha)
Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadavs refusal to submit documents to the Election Commission to substantiate his claims of being the party leader with legislative support may well have been the reason for tipping the balance in favour of his chief minister son Akhilesh Yadav.

The commission, while deciding that the faction led by Akhilesh was the real SP, noted that the senior Yadav, did not file any affidavit (except his own affidavit) of any member of Parliament or State Legislature or of any delegates; nor did he make claim of any support among members for his group, despite being directed to do so.

In contrast, the rival faction submitted affidavits of support from MLAs, MLCs, MPs and national executive members.

The poll panel also noted that both the factions were not functioning in accordance with the party constitution in the matter of expulsions and counter expulsions.

Read | Akhilesh gets SP symbol cycle: How it might impact Uttar Pradesh election 2017

It opted to use the 1969 split in the Congress, which saw the dispute over the symbol being resolved on the basis of majority, as a reference point to solve the SP crisis.

Both factions differed on the legality of the national convention on January 1 organised by Akhilesh-loyalist Ramgopal Yadav, with Mulayam dubbing it illegal.

The Election Commission, instead of getting into the question of constitutionality or otherwise of the convention, decided to go with the Supreme Court-backed test of majority applied by it to resolve the dispute in Congress.

Another point of disagreement was acknowledging the split in the party.

The Mulayam camp asserted there was no split in the Samajwadi Party but the rival faction said a split was apparent as Akhilesh was unanimously appointed the national president.

Read | History repeating itself? Mulayam followed Lohia, Akhilesh his father
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday moved a caveat in the Supreme Court urging it not to pass any order in case the rival Samajwadi Party faction files a plea challenging the Election Commissions order granting it the cycle symbol.

Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav moved the caveat in the apex court on behalf of Akhilesh.

The move is to pre-empt the faction led by 77-year-old former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Yadav clan patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav or his younger brother Shiv Pal Yadav moving the top court for stay of the Election Commissions Monday order.

On Monday, the Election Commission recognised Akhilesh as the National President of the Samajwadi Party and allotted the party symbol of cycle to his faction.
Tehran, Iran, Jan. 17

By Mehdi Sepahvand, Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Irans president says many countries, including Kuwait and Iraq, have expressed readiness to mediate between Tehran and Riyadh.

Hassan Rouhani made the remarks during a press conference in Tehran on the first anniversary of implementation of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action aka nuclear deal), Trend's correspondent reported from the event.

We are ready to help Saudi Arabia on Yemen and regional issues if they make a right decision, Rouhani said Jan. 17.

Riyadh started the problem itself by attacking Yemen without any basis, he said, adding that it is in Saudis' interest to stop attacks on Yemen.

Iran does not want to change the regime in Saudi Arabia, nor do we want to intervene in their internal affairs.

However, Rouhani accused the Saudi government of supporting terrorism.

Rouhani said the Saudi government should change its misguided policies, expressing hope to cooperate with Saudis in bringing stability to the region.

Relations between Tehran and Riyadh have been strained over the past years after their conflicting views on regional developments, particularly on Yemen and Syria, became more noticeable.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic relations with Iran after protesters stormed the kingdoms embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad on January 2, 2016 in response to Riyadh's execution of a prominent Saudi Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
Irked by leading e-retailer Amazon selling skateboards and bedspreads with images of Hindu god Ganesha, Hindus in the US on Tuesday urged it to immediately withdraw them from its online platform.

We are disappointed with Amazon.com for continuing to carry skateboards, bed covers, duvet covers and bedspreads showing images of our deity Lord Ganesha on its site. They should be withdrawn, said Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement from Nevada in the south-west state of the US.

As Ganesha is revered in Hindusim and worshipped by millions of Hindus the world over in temples and homes, Zed said it was insult to put the Hindu Gods images on skateboards, used for placing feet, or bed covers for sleeping.

Inappropriate use of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other purposes hurts the sentiments of the faithful, reiterated Zed.

Asserting that Hindusim was the worlds oldest and third largest religion with over a billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought, Zed said symbols of any faith, should not be mishandled or taken frivolously.

Trivialisation of Lord Ganesha is disturbing to the Hindus. Though we are for free artistic expression and speech, faith is sacred and attempt to trivialise it hurt millions of his followers, noted Zed.

The elephant-headed deity in the Hindu pantheon, considered son of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati, is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles. His name is also invoked on auspicious occasions or starting any venture.

Amazon president Jeffery P. Bezos should not only apologise for allowing his online platform to marketing products with images of Ganesha, but also withdraw them immediately as they are offensive to us, added Zed.

The Seattle-based e-commerce player had on January 12 apologised for selling doormats depicting the Indian tricolour (national flag) and removed them from its Canadian website after external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj threatened to revoke visas of its official in India.

Expressing regret for offending Indian sentiments, Amazon India Manager Amit Agarwal wrote to Swaraj that the company was committed to respect Indian laws and customs.

Economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das on Sunday told Amazon to desist from being flippant about Indian symbols and icons after the Indian diaspora in the US brought to the governments notice that flip-flops (beach sandals) with Mahatma Gandhis image were being sold on its American website by a third-party vendors.

Amazons Indian subsidiary is headquartered in Bengaluru.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday observed that there could be cascading effects of allowing Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan (DJJS) to preserve mortal remains of Ashutosh, the sect head, who died three years ago. His body is still in a deep freezer at the dera headquarters in Nurmahal in Jalandhar district, and the followers insist Ashutosh  whom they address as Maharaj  will come back to life.

In Punjab, there is a dera in almost every second village, observed the high court bench of justices Mahesh Grover and Shekher Dhawan, asking what if tomorrow somebody else announces that after death his mortal remains be preserved. This came during the resumed hearing of petitions against an earlier verdict that had ordered Ashutoshs last rites.

The court was responding to arguments raised by the DJJS that no law or custom was violated and thus there was no impropriety in preserving the body.

But there is no case so far of somebody declaring himself to be preserved. Such a thing has not happened in India in the past 500 years. Lets leave it to the future (as to what are effects of allowing preservation of Ashutoshs body), senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi argued for the sect.

Punjab and Haryana high court, however, also observed that the state government did not act in the case as status quo suits its vote bank politics too.

When the bench asked what constitutes disrespect to a body  and whether there are any rules as to how a dead body should be treated  there was no clear answer from the counsels. The government has already told the court that there are no norms for disposal of bodies.

Ashutosh was declared clinically dead on January 28, 2014, after which his body was put in a freezer by the sect management that said he was in samadhi (deep meditative state). But, on December 1, 2015, a single-judge bench of the Punjab and Haryana high court asked the state government to perform his last rites within 15 days.

The order was later stayed by a division bench of the Punjab and Haryana high court.

The sect and a man named Dalip Kumar Jha,who claims to be Ashutoshs son, had filed the appeals against the single-judge order. The arguments will continue on Tuesday.
The Central Information Commission on Tuesday directed the Central Board of Secondary Examination to allow inspection of class 10 and 12 school records of Union minister Smriti Irani, rejecting CBSEs contention that it constituted personal information.

The office of Union minister of textiles and the Holy Child Auxilium School, Delhi, from where she claimed to have passed out, have also been directed by the commission to provide the roll number or reference number of Smriti Zubin Irani to CBSE, Ajmer, which possesses the records for the years 1991 and 1993 to facilitate search from huge records which is yet to be digitised.

The commission rejected the argument that the information was personal information and thus cannot be disclosed.

The commission directs the respondent authority, the CBSE, to facilitate inspection of relevant records and provide certified copies of documents selected by the appellant free of cost, except personal details in admit card and mark sheet, within 60 days from the date of receipt of this order, Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said in his order.

Acharyulu was recently divested of the charge of HRD ministry but retained CBSE by chief information commission RK Mathur barely few days after he ordered inspection of BA records of Delhi University pertaining to 1978, the year in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi passed out.

Chief information commissioner is the administrative head of the Central Information Commission having powers to allocate or reallocate work.

The change comes within two days of Acharyulus order directing inspection of 1978 records becoming public.

On January 8, it was reported that Acharyulu had directed the Delhi University to allow inspection of records of students who had passed BA course in 1978, the year in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to the University, had also cleared the examination.

In his order, dated December 21, on the plea of one Neeraj who had sought to know from the University the total number of students who appeared for Bachelor of Arts examination in 1978, their names and those of their fathers, roll numbers and marks obtained.

Denying the information, the Central Public Information Officer of the University had said the information requested was personal information of the students concerned, the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest.

Acharyulu, however, said, With regard to question whether disclosure of such identification related information causes invasion of privacy, or is that unwarranted invasion of privacy, the PIO has not put forward any evidence or explained possibility to show that disclosure of degree related information infringes the privacy or causes unwarranted invasion of privacy.

If the degree related information sought is about a celebrity or an ordinary man, the access to information has to be provided by the public authority. The PIO did not come up with any basis for considering the degree related information of the students as third party information, except claiming so, he had said.

Observing that the CPIO should have applied her mind before denying information, Acharyulu said the Commission found neither merit nor legality in the contention of the University that the degree related information about students was third party information.
Communal incidents have declined significantly since the Narendra Modi dispensation assumed office and no such major episode occurred in the near 32-month period, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday.

Addressing the inaugural session of the annual conference of state minority commissions here, Naqvi hailed the Modi government for creating an atmosphere wherein minorities are becoming part of the countrys development process.

He, however, cautioned the political establishment of the country to remain alert and work with honesty for empowerment of minorities as he said that its accountability will be tested every six months when elections take place in some or the other parts of the country.

The minister also asserted that the constitutional rights of the minorities are absolutely safe and secure in the country and no one can weaken them.

There is a significant decline in communal incidents in the NDA governments tenure of about 32 months and no major communal incident occurred during this period, he said.

The Narendra Modi-led governments empowerment without appeasement policy has created an atmosphere where minorities are also becoming part of the development process, he said.

To buttress his point, the minister said the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) received 2,638 complaints in 2013-14. During the next fiscal, the number of complaints came down to 1,995.

The Commission received 1,974 complaints in 2015-16 and until December 31, 2016, has obtained 1,288 grievances.

Most of these complaints were related to individual disputes.

Still, we want to stop every single such incident which disturbs social fabric of the country, he said, reiterating that the NDA government has zero tolerance for such incident.

Naqvi said confidence can be created among the people only when communities feel they are equal partners of development of this country.

Naqvi said there are several questions relating to the minority communities which neither the commissions nor the minority affairs ministry can give answer to.

There is a big question: why there is atmosphere of fear? There is government, our country is worlds largest democratic system. There are at least 10-12 elections, in states or local bodies, where people decide on performance of the government.

The accountability (of governments) is being decided in every six months now by states. Hence, political establishment has to remain alert and work with honesty, he said.

Stating there is always a lot of talk about about rights of minorities, Naqvi insisted that no government or party can harm constitutional rights of the communities which, he said, is a matter of pride.

The minister asked NCM and state minority commissions to monitor implementation of initiatives taken by the Centre for the welfare of minority communities even as they discharge their primary duties.

He also pitched for working for empowerment of minorities without appeasement.

Harmony is password of development. It should not be let hacked. The forces which are trying to hurt harmony, those should be isolated. We need to strengthen the unity of the country, he said.

According to a statement issued by the minister later, he also listed schemes the Union ministry has come out with for the minorities.

Stating the ministry has become 100% digital in its transactions, he made mention of the mobile application it has launched for Haj pilgrims to apply online.

We have received 50,000 applications on the mobile app within three days of its launch, he added.
Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a jibe at the BJP for approaching the Election Commission to demand freezing Congress poll symbol by alleging that he had violated the model code of conduct by linking his party symbol hand with religious figures during a speech.

Dear BJP, daro mat (Dear BJP, dont be scared), he wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter.

Dear BJP,   https://t.co/86DEihprtr  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) January 17, 2017

The tweet comes hours after a BJP delegation comprising Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Gandhi and sought freezing of the poll symbol.

The grand old party Congress grand new leader has tried to give communal colour to the elections by his statement in which he co-related the Congress hand with various religious figures. This is a clear cut case of corrupt practice. There should be action against both Congress and its leader, Naqvi told reporters after filing complaint with Election Commission.

At Congress Jan Vedna Sammelan earlier this month, Gandhi had made comments co-relating his partys poll symbol hand with gods, violating the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, model code of conduct and the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court, BJP has alleged in its complaint.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee continued her diatribe against the BJP government on Tuesday, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was responsible for deaths during the demonetisation campaign.

In a tweet, she said Modi babu, you are totally arrogant. You are responsible for 120 plus deaths.

She also listed out the number of deaths caused by demonetisation across various states, with UP topping the list with 32, followed by West Bengal at 13 and Maharashtra at 11.

Banerjee had been vocal against the Centres note ban move right from day one and demanded roll back of the decision as she felt it was hurting the common and the poor man.

She even said that demonetisation is causing many industries to get closed, making people jobless.

The latest provocation for Banerjee to launch the tirade against the Prime Minister was his tweet announcing financial relief to the pilgrims who died while returning from Gangasagar Mela allegedly due to stampede, which the state government vehemently denied saying that they died due to old age and infirmity.
The BJP could face a different contest in the upcoming assembly polls in Uttarakhand. Several leaders of the saffron party are upset on being denied tickets and are now threatening to contest as independent candidates.

Police have been deployed outside the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in Dehradun to avert any untoward incident.

On Tuesday, supporters of three ticket-seekers gathered outside the office and shouted slogans that outsiders will not be tolerated.

The BJP on Monday had announced its first list of 64 candidates that included the names of 10 Congress turncoats and at least six relatives of party leaders.

The party, however, played down the rebellion. Spokesperson Devendra Bhasin said it was obvious that some people get upset when tickets are announced, and that the party would control the situation.

Former state president and sitting MLA Teerath Singh Rawat, who was denied ticket from Chaubattakhal, paving the way for former Congress MP Satpal Maharaj, said he will soon decide his future course of action.

Police deployed outside the BJP headquarters in Dehradun. (Vinay S Kumar/ HT photo)

Three-time MLA Vijaya Barthwal from Yamkeshwar was also dropped to accommodate Ritu Khanduri, daughter of MP and former chief minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri.

Barthwal said she was upset with the partys decision. I am free to take a decision (to contest as an independent). The party has ignored me but I will not let down my supporters, she told HT on Monday.

In Kotdwar, the BJP gave ticket to former Congress MLA Harak Singh.

A strong BJP contender from this seat, Shailendra Singh Rawat, will contest against the party in this Rajput-dominated constituency. Interestingly, sitting Congress MLA SS Negi is also a Rajput.

In Nainital too, the situation is no different. The BJP has fielded Yashpal Arya, the son of a former Congress minister who only joined the party on Monday.

BJP leader Hemchandra, who had contested in 2012, announced that he will fight as an independent against the outsider.

BJP leader and former MLA Om Gopal also declared his intention to contest against Subodh Uniyal, a Congress rebel who has been fielded from Narendranagar.

Interestingly, Om Gopal announced his decision minutes before the party announced the first list of 64 candidates. Candidates for the remaining six seats are yet to be announced.

The scene at the Congress headquarters in Dehradun was also chaotic.

Party workers shattered a photo frame of former Congress leader Yashpal Arya who along with his son joined the BJP.

Arya was the state Congress president between 2007 and 2014, and a cabinet minister in the Harish Rawat government.

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The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday approached the Election Commission of India alleging the Goa government s hostile officials of bias, as it raised the issue of symbols identical to the partys broom being used by some to mislead the people.

AAPs Delhi unit convenor Dilip Pandey also accused many officials of working under the influence of the ruling BJP in Goa.

In a compliant, the AAP has listed out seven instances in the last three months when its volunteers were allegedly threatened and assaulted and yet no action was taken against the culprits.

AAP volunteers are being beaten up. Police stations have threatened our advertising agencies to pull down our advertisements even before the model code of conduct came into force.

Our meetings have been stopped by flying squads even after requisite permission was taken, AAPs national secretary Pankaj Gupta said in his complaint to the ECI.

Of the seven complaints, four have been made against Panaji police station while the rest are against other police stations and officials in the civic administration.

The party said a free and fair election is not possible unless action is taken against these officers.

For the sake of conduct of Goa assembly election in an unbiased manner and also for the sake of high ethical standards held by the Election Commission of India, it is imperative that ECI takes some deterrent steps against erring officials to send a signal that any show of bias and favouritism shall not be tolerated by it, Gupta said.

The party also raised the issue of symbols identical to its broom, like a battery or a torch and claimed that it is being used in the campaign.

Pandey said such identical and misleading symbols had eaten into partys votes in the Delhi Assembly polls in 2013 and 2015 and could hurt the partys prospects in the state.

The torch and the broom symbol are not a part of the free symbols list of the Election Commission. Despite this, an identical battery or torch is used by some candidates during their campaign.

This is being done to mislead the people ahead of the polls, Pandey said.
The Narendra Modi government has cracked the whip on non-performing civil servants by ordering premature retirement of two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers Raj Kumar Dewangan of Chhattisgarh cadre and Mayank Sheel Chohan of Union Territories cadre.

Dewangan is 1992 batch officer while Chohan belongs to the 1998 batch.

Officials in the home ministry, which is cadre controlling authority for IPS officers, said the order for the pre-mature retirement of Dewangan and Chohan was issued following a performance review which found that their services were no longer useful for general administration and they can be compulsorily retired in public interest.

Union home ministry invoked sub-rule 3 of Rule 16 of All India Service (Death-Cum Retirement Benefits) Rules while ordering their premature retirements.

Objective of these rules is to ensure better administration and also to weed out officers who have outlived their utility and have become inefficient or ineffective. It cannot be considered a punishment as the officers get all their pension benefits, said a home ministry official.

The home ministry is expecting a legal challenge from the two officers on the order.

But we have done our homework before taking such a decision, said the officer.

He added that such a performance review takes place at three stages  when the officer had completed 15 years of service, second at completion of 25 years in service or attaining the age of 50 years or if a performance review has not taken place at these two stages, then after a review at the time chosen by the government.

Under the rules, before issuing such an order, the government has to give three months notice to the officer or pay for the same period in lieu of notice.

Dewangan and Chohan had hit headlines earlier for wrong reasons. Around 18 years back when Dewangan was a SP rank officer, he faced inquiry in connection with a loot that took place in his district. Chohan while being posted in Arunachal had gone missing in controversial circumstances few years ago.
Firebrand Patidar leader Hardik Patel will arrive in Gujarat from Rajasthans Udaipur on Tuesday, after completing the six-month exile imposed upon him by the state high court in connection with two sedition cases.

The Patidar Ananmat Anadolan Samiti (PAAS), an outfit founded by Hardik prior to his rise as a political force in Gujarat in late 2015, will welcome him with a massive car rally at the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. It will culminate in a public event at Himmatnagar, located less than 100 km from Ahmedabad.

Later, Hardik will meet former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, Prime Minister Narendra Modis bete noire and founder of the Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP). Although the GPP merged with the BJP in 2014, Keshubhai recently lauded Hardiks efforts at launching the stir for OBC quota in college admissions and government jobs.

PAAS volunteers and other Patidars will drive over 5,000 cars to the Gujarat-Rajasthan border to welcome Hardik, said Dinesh Bambhania, PAAS convenor for Gandhinagar. We will then take our leader to Himmatnagar, where he will address a public rally. More than one lakh people are expected to attend.

Bambhania and four other aides were also arrested for sedition in October 2015.

One of the most significant political meetings Hardik had during his exile was with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in December. Though the Patidar leader invited Kumar to address a farmers rally in Gujarat in late January, the latter politely turned down his request  citing the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

Hardiks OBC agitation has put the ruling BJP government in a fix because it views the Patidar community as a crucial vote bank. The party even lost rural votes in the 2015 local body polls, held in the wake of the Patidar agitation.

A wary BJP then attempted to pacify the agitators by announcing 10% reservation for the economically backward class. However, with the Supreme Court striking down the quota ordinance, the BJP is now trying its best to salvage its position in the assembly polls  the first since Modi moved to Delhi  to be held at the end of this year.

The Patidar agitation, which began in July 2015, culminated in public demonstrations that led to incidents of violence and arson across the state. On October 19 that year, Hardik was booked by Gujarat police under sedition charges for allegedly advising Patidar youth to kill policemen instead of committing suicide.

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Brazil aims to build nearly 30 prisons over the next year to ease chronic overcrowding in its penitentiary system as part of a package of emergency measures to tackle a wave of deadly prison riots, President Michel Temer said on Monday, Reuters reported.

In an interview with Reuters, Temer said Brazil's federal government would build five maximum security prisons to house the most violent convicts, often members of rival drug gangs whose turf war has plunged the prison system into crisis over the past two weeks.

At least 140 inmates have been killed since the start of the year in riots at poorly staffed prisons run by cash-strapped state governments. Many of those killed had their heads cut off and were badly mutilated or burned.

Brazil's penitentiary system, the fourth largest in the world, is home to more than 620,000 convicts and is running more than 50 percent over capacity. Almost all of its 1,400 jails are run by state governments.

Brazil's existing four federal maximum security prisons - which have not seen rioting - are close to overflowing as more and more convicts are being sent from state prisons following the riots.

As part of the package of measures worth more than 1 billion reais ($309 million), Temer said state governments in partnership with the federal government will also build an additional 25 prisons to reduce overcrowding.

"We want to expedite the construction of these prisons because it would take two or three years using traditional methods," Temer told Reuters. "By using pre-fabricated buildings - which has already been done in Espirito Santo state - perhaps we can build all of these prisons in one year."
Firebrand Patidar leader Hardik Patel returned to Gujarat on Tuesday after completing the six-month exile imposed upon him by the state high court in connection with two sedition cases.

Addressing a public rally upon his homecoming at Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district, Hardik said he would continue his struggle to secure OBC reservation for the Patidar community.

In a veiled attack on the states BJP government, the quota stir leader said he would strive to end the rule of fear in Gujarat.

The 23-year-old leader holds the right-wing party responsible for the death of 13 Patidar youths in police firing during a protest following Hardiks detention by the police at the end of massive rally on August 25, 2015 in Ahmedabad.

Hardiks attack came at a time when the state government is trying hard to solder its fractured ties with the Patel community, considered as loyal voters of the BJP.

Hardik, who in the past has referred to BJP president Amit Shah as General Dyer, said he did not blame the police for the deaths of the youths.

I do not blame police(for deaths of Patidar youths). It was not your fault you are servants of your masters. In fact, you too are in the fixed-salary group. I appeal to policemen to come and support our agitation, he said.

He appealed to his community members to get their act together for the second round of dangal. Let us come together again. I want you to reach out to every citizen living in each part of the state. Let us awake them about our cause, he said.

Hardik maintained that he did not have any personal ambition but at the same time said, Tomorrow one of us may become the chief minister , so better we work together. According to Hardik, he could be put in jail again but he assured those gathered that he would not let go of his demands.

I am sure, they will soon put me in jail. At the age of 23 years, I am facing sedition charge, either they will hang me or they will put me in jail under life term, he said.

The Patidar agitation, which began in July 2015, culminated in public demonstrations that led to incidents of violence and arson across the state.

On October 19 that year, Hardik was booked by Gujarat police under sedition charges for allegedly advising Patidar community youth to kill policemen instead of committing suicide.

(With agency inputs)
Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Tuesday presented a report card of her three years in power in Rajasthan where she claimed her government had carried out within a short time, developmental work which the Congress government had failed to accomplish during its term.

From road construction to other development work, we have worked at tremendous pace in both urban and rural areas, said Raje while addressing a function in Alwar.

Raje claimed the state was running into losses when her government inherited it, but unlike the previous government she said they never never spoke about it.

We believed in working and developing the state. We are here to do service and not to rule. We are developing state taking along rural and urban areas, he said.

Raje inaugurated 29 developmental schemes and laid foundation for projects worth Rs 370 crore.

We have developed Grameen and Shehari Gaurav Path of Rs 56.28 and Rs 15 crore respectively. With Rs 32.44 crore, renovation of roads will be done, she said.

The proposed medical college in the city will provide better healthcare facilities to the people, Raje said, while appealing to industrialists in Alwar to come forward for water conservation scheme -- Jal Swavlamban.

Meanwhile, three-time MLA from Ramgarh assembly constituency in Alwar, Gyandev Ahuja, who had recently resigned from seven committees, including chairmanship of Committee of Estimates A, was not seen in Rajes program.

Ahuja had earlier said that he wanted to give time to his assembly constituency and therefore resigned from the committees, maintaining that he would be present in all events when the CM visits Alwar. PTI AG BSA
Protest rallies, high-pitch slogans, emotional speeches and arrests marked the Rohith Vemula Shahadath Din (Rohith Vemula Martyrdom Day) at the University of Hyderabad campus on Tuesday, on the research scholars first death anniversary.

Rohiths mother Radhika Vemula gave a speech at the commemoration meeting. She was later arrested along with her younger son Raja and others while proceeding to Velivada (ghetto of outcast Dalit students at the shopping complex on the university campus) to garland Rohiths statue and pay homage to her departed son.

Addressing the gathering earlier, Radhika called for the unity of Dalits, adivasis, backward classes and Muslims to fight against the upper caste hegemony. She appealed to the students to not commit suicide but continue the legacy of her son in fighting against the caste discrimination.

Students during a meeting in the campus. (HT Photo)

Remember that your mothers are waiting for you at home. No doubt, Ambedkar is our god, but dont forget that your amma (mother) is more important for you. Dont get depressed and resort to extreme steps if you face discrimination. Share your feelings with your mother. My son would have been alive now, had he come to me and shared his grief, she said.

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Tension prevailed at the University of Hyderabad on Tuesday as police stopped AAP activists from entering the campus to participate in a meeting to mark the first anniversary of research scholar Rohith Vemulas suicide.

Aam Aadmi Party workers staged a sit-in at the main gate, demanding that they be allowed to join the meeting.

The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, an umbrella grouping of students bodies demanding justice for Rohith, is holding a meeting in the campus to mark shahdath din (martyrdom day).

The organisers have invited Rohiths mother Radhika Vemula and Jaan Mohammed, brother of Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh over rumours of beef eating.

The university authorities have imposed restrictions on the entry of outsiders into the campus. Security was tightened at the main gate since morning.

Students and employees were allowed only after they produced their identity cards.

The Registrar issued a circular stating that outsiders including media persons, politicians and activists cannot enter the campus.

The university authorities also made it clear that there was no permission for holding any programme on the campus.

However, defying the orders, a group of students gathered at Velivada (Dalit ghetto) on the campus.

Holding pictures of Rohith and placards, they raised slogans demanding the arrest of vice-chancellor P Appa Rao and justice for Rohith.

Protesting against the restrictions over the entry of Rohiths supporters into the campus, the students plan to march to the main gate.

Rohith Vemula, a PhD student, committed suicide by hanging himself in a hostel room on the campus in 2016 after alleged caste-based discrimination, triggering protests across India.
In a goof up, Indian flag was placed upside down on the table during Power Minister Piyush Goyals visit to an energy summit in Abu Dhabi.

Yesterday, Goyal met his Abu Dhabi counterpart at the World Future Energy Summit 2017, and also addressed the first India-specific session on international renewable energy.

A picture showing Indian flag placed upside down during the meeting of two ministers went viral. The picture was released by photo agencies.

A section of media also reported that the Indian flag was seen upside down during Goyals meeting with his counterpart in Abu Dhabi.

A member of delegation accompanying Goyal told PTI, The minister had a bilateral meeting at Abu Dhabis Four Seasons hotel with the Saudi minister. They had made all the arrangements and the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi has taken up the matter with them.

Sources in New Delhi said that Goyal did not notice that flag is placed upside down and thus he did not asked to put it in the right manner.

This is not the first instance when Indian flag was in wrong manner, as an inverted flag was seen at an international meet earlier.

The Indian tri-colour was reportedly placed upside down when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2015 at ASEAN summit in Malaysia. Modi noticed it immediately and asked to place the flag in right manner.
Broadcast journalist Arnab Goswami on Tuesday lamented that country has no presence in global media despite acceptance at the international level that India is a large economy and a growing power.

The former editor-in-chief of Times Now also said that domestic journalists are better than the best to cover the world.

There is a possibility of covering the world because across the world, there is an acceptance that India is a large economy, India is a growing power. India is also the IT capital of the world, but we do not have the presence in the global media and I think that is sad and i would love to bring together some journalists and start covering the world, said Goswami, who recently quit Times Now to start his new venture Republic.

Goswami was the chief guest of the Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad (BCS) in the first session on the topic Freedom of Expression: How Much is Too Much.

The kind of journalism we have done in India, has made a great contribution to the changes of Indian society. We have fought prejudice, religion and corruption in our country and it is not easy for the journalists in India do that.

I think Indian journalists are among the best and the same Indian journalists also think of possibility of covering the world, he told reporters.

During his address, he said, The West should not teach us anymore how to do journalism. Time has come to put the mirror back on western media. We will challenge the dominance of western media from Indian soil.

Talking about Republic, he said, One man cannot change the country, nor even a group of journalists, but we the people can. Many laughed on the dream of global Indian news media. I say, Republic will win and they will lose. Idealism will win and money will lose. Republic is not just a news channel, it is a movement which will put back peoples voices.
More than 200 people were detained by police on Tuesday as protests over a ban on the popular bull-taming sport Jallikattu continued across Tamil Nadu.

The fresh protests were reported from Alanganallur in Madurai district, the nerve centre of Jallikattu which was banned by the Supreme Court in 2014 and subsequently upheld.

The crowd had gathered overnight from different parts of the state, demanding an ordinance allowing the sport that is an integral part of Pongal, the states harvest festival.

Four temple bulls were used on Monday morning to conduct the sport, before local police stopped the celebrations.

Thousands of people are staging protests across the state since last week when the top court refused to pass a verdict on Jallikattu before Pongal.

On Monday, too, people took to the streets in Alanganallur where people hoisted black flags on their homes and kept their shops closed as a mark protest against the ban.

Read More| Actress Trisha heckled by Jallikattu supporters for endorsing PETA
Police in Allanganallur in Madurai broke up a pro-Jallikattu protest early Tuesday morning and took 240 protesters into custody after they staged a night-long vigil demanding the resumption of the traditional sport.

On Monday, police had arrested 32 people after they organized a bull run by releasing 10 animals in defiance of the Supreme Court which has banned Jallikattu.

The police action on the pro-Jallikattu protesters has drawn sharp criticism from political parties while villagers from surrounding areas congregated in Alanganallur town on Tuesday morning seeking the release of the arrested people and facilitation of Jallikattu.

Hundreds of people had sat through the night, cooked and slept on the streets to protest the SC ban on Jallikattu. The protesters also demanded the ban on animal welfare organization PETA.

By Tuesday noon, police had released all those detained in the morning and the 32 people who were arrested on Monday. However, no cases have been filed against any of them.

But even after their release, the protesters were staying put, insisting they would not budge unless their demand for allowing Jallikattu was accepted.

The protesters have been released, but they are not going away, Madurai superintendent of police Vijayendra Bidari said.

Naam Tamizhar Katchi chief Sreeman, who was the first to flout the SC ban three days ago, also reached Alanganallur to lend support to the protesters.

Read: Inside the macho, divisive world of Tamil Nadus bull-taming sport Jallikattu

Protests have broken out all over Tamil Nadu, including in Chennai against the police highhandedness. At Chennais Marina beach, protesters formed a human chain and shouted slogans against central government and PETA. Meanwhile, police cane charged Jallikattu protesters at Attur in Salem district.

The opposition DMK also lent its full support to the protesters.

The ban is an attack on our tradition. At least in the Thai month, the central government must issue an emergency ordinance and facilitate the traditional sport of Jallikattu, DMK working president MK Stalin said.

Bala Somu, one of the prominent Jallikattu campaigners, described the union government and the BJP as dishonest. They have shown how anti-Tamil Nadu they are. Slowly but surely, this entire Jallikattu movement will encompass other issue wherein Tamil Nadu has been shortchanged, he said.

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Bihar police is probing whether the November 21 Kanpur train derailment that killed 148 people was an act of sabotage with possible ties to Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The Indore-Patna Express went off the tracks near Kanpur Dehat in Pukhrayan on November 21. The Bihar police arrested three persons on Tuesday on charges of involvement in the incident.

One of three accused has told investigators that they planted a pressure cooker-based improvised explosive device near the railway track in Kanpur which resulted in the derailment. But his confession needed to be verified by independent corroboratory evidence. They claim to have done it for money, said a central counter-terror official who spoke on the condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The UP anti-terrorist squad (ATS), Lucknow and the National Investigating Agency (NIA) are likely to quiz the three detainees, since there is the suspicion that their handler, identified as Shamshul Hoda of Nepal, may have ISI links.

The official added that it was being suspected that the accused were hired through a chain of handlers sitting in Nepal and Dubai and the Dubai-based handler was connected to those in Pakistan.

East Champaran superintendent of police Jitendra Rana said the trio had been identified as Motilal Paswan of Bakhri village in Adapur PS, Umashankar Patel Gamhariya near Raxaul and Mukesh Rai of Jethkaniyan village in Adapur , all residents of east Champaran. During questioning, Paswan accused the two others of having received money from Hoda of Nepal to plant bombs in public spaces and target the train line between Varanasi and Kanpur, Rana said.

Central counter terror sources said the Nepal police had arrested three people, Brijwasan Giri, Mujahid Ansari and Shambhu on charges of abducting and killing two Indians, from Talaiyya area of Nepal.

After being arrested on murder charges, Giri and others told the Nepal police about their alleged involvement in the Kanpur incident and their associates in Bihar. Acting on the information provided by the Nepal police, the Bihar cops arrested the trio who also accepted about their involvement with the gang.

The Nepal police had informed about the possible connection of Giri, Ansari and Shambhu with the Kanpur case, said Rana. It is suspected that the same group was also involved in planting IED near Ghorasahan-Raxaul rail track along the Indo-Nepal border on October 1, 2016 that failed to go off.
Kashmirs teen Dangal star, Zaira Wasim, whose social media post triggered a controversy, has found support from the states youth.

The youngsters stood by the teenage film star, who posted what she called an open confession/apology after meeting J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti and was trolled, even as they slammed politicians. I am with Zaira, said one of the top trending hashtags that took the virtual world by storm on Tuesday.

Wajahat Farooq Bhat, in a comment, congratulated Zaira saying Kashmiris love her so much and advised her not to forget her people.

Read | Owaisi says pressure on Zaira Wasim to apologise unwarranted and uncalled for

Another post assured her that she has offended no one. There is no one who is offended by you. Its just that expectations are high. Love u, be strong, wrote Faiz Qureshi.

Advises are also pouring in for the young girl. I give you a suggestion Please leave this field because some people will spoil you because you are from Kashmir, wrote Wani Sajid.

Another post by Altaf Shah cautioned her about exploitation by the Indian media, and asked her to remember Kashmirs pain.

The girl, who played wrestling champ Geeta Phogat in the Bollywood movie Dangal, posted on Facebook and Twitter that she apologises for offending people by my recent actions.

Naidu attacks ultra liberals

Information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday hit out at those accusing the government of creating a climate of intolerance questioning their silence on the trolling of Zaira Wasim.

Why is she being questioned on her career choices? Why did she have to tender an apology for meeting the CM of her own state? Why is everyone silent now? Where are the so-called ultra liberals now? the minister said. Naidu said silence on the issue clearly shows the irony of the ultra liberals who vehemently came out together to speak against the flimsy premise of growing intolerance in the country.

Read more | Attack on Dangal actress Zaira Wasim reeks of gender bias, Gambhir slams haters

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The European Parliament lawmakers on Tuesday will elect in a secret ballot a successor to Martin Schulz, who is stepping down in order to focus on the election campaign in his native Germany ahead of this summer parliamentary vote, Sputnik reported.

To win, any of the seven contenders for the highest post in the 751-seat Parliament needs to get an absolute majority. If none manages to obtain the necessary support following three rounds, the fourth round will see two most popular candidates competing simply for the highest number of votes.

Member of the European Peoples Party (EPP) Antonio Tajani considered to be a front runner mostly based on the fact he comes from the largest parliamentary group. Tajani, a former journalist for public broadcaster RAI and newspaper Il Giornale, is still closely associated with ex-prime minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi as once he served as his spokesperson. Besides, Tajani has a serious experience of work in Brussels, having served as a European lawmaker for 14 years and for 6 years as a vice president of the European Commission.

In December, when Tajani was chosen as the EPP candidate, the Groups leader Wanfred Weber called him a bridge-builder between the political forces inside our house and a strong voice outside. But many lawmakers still doubt his credentials in bridge-building, since Tajani became the first candidate within the largest European Parliaments group to stand internal primaries rather than being nominated unanimously by the whole group.

In order to secure the election, Tajani needs the support of 376 lawmakers, while the EPP has just 214 seats.

Tajanis main rival is another Italian national, coming from the second-largest group with 189 seats  Gianni Pitella from Socialist and Democrats (S&D). According to the 2014 power-sharing accord between the EPP and S&D, two groups have ruled in the so-called grand coalition to make the parliaments' work smoother. This deal also prescribed that in 2017 the post currently occupied by S&D member Schulz would go to an EPP candidate.

However, Pitella challenged this unofficial agreement by standing for the top job himself, arguing his candidacy would prevent the concentration of power in the hands of the EPP as both European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, leading the European Council of 28 national leaders, come from the EPP.

Another candidate is Romanian lawmaker Laurentiu Rebega, who originally belonged to S&D but in 2015 defected to Marine Le Pens Europe of Nations and Freedom group and now stands as the smallest parliamentary group's choice for presidency. He thinks that a better Europe can only be built with stronger nations, as Rebega told last week in a statement declaring his bid.

Last but not least is former Belgium Prime Minister and leader of the forth-largest liberal ALDE Group comprising 68 lawmakers Guy Verhofstadt who positions himself as a compromise candidate.

"The most likely winner is Mr. Tajani because he is a candidate from the biggest political group. But we will have a few days to discuss and form alliances and I compare this to sea with high waves and lot of boats and nobody knows which boat will be the first in the harbor," Vice President of the European Parliament Alexander Graf Lambsdorff told Sputnik late last week, suggesting that it may also be Mr. Verhofstadt's boat if the alliances shift".

The vote on Tuesday will be followed by the election of the parliaments 14 vice presidents as well as five quaestors, responsible for administrative and financial matters directly affecting the lawmakers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the second edition of the Raisina Dialogue, Indias flagship geo-political conference organised annually by the Observer Research Foundation(ORF) in association with the ministry of external affairs.

The theme of the three-day dialogue this year is: The New Normal: Multilateralism with Multi Polarity. More than 250 participants from 65 countries are taking part in this years dialogue. The first edition was attended by 120 participants from 40 countries.

Here are the live updates of Modis speech :

* Our strong belief in de-linking terrorism from religion and rejecting artificial distinction between good andbad terror are a global talking point now.

* Those who support violence and terror stand isolated and ignored.

* We have not shied away from shouldering the responsibility for international peace.

* Russia is an abiding friend. President Putin and I have held long conversations.

* In the management of our relationship and for peace and progress, we need to show sensitivity and respect for our core concerns.

* In conversation with President-elect Donald Trump, we agreed to build on the gains in India-US strategic partnership.

* India-China ties have immense opportunities. It is not unnatural for two big countries to have differences, but we should show sensitivities for regional peace.

* India alone cannot walk the path of peace. Pakistan also has to choose the same path. Pakistan should shun violence for peace talks.

* My vision for the region is peace. My vision for our neighbourhood led me to invite leaders of all SAARC neighbours, including Pakistan, for my swearing-in.

* With Bangladesh, India has made headways.

* We have partnered with neighbours. In Afghanistan, despite difficulties, our partnership has yielded results. Our security partnership has deepened...

* A thriving well-integrated neighbourhood is my dream.

* Security of our citizens is of paramount importance.Self-interest alone is not in our culture or behaviour.

* Realism, coexistence, cooperation and partnership build our ethos.

* Non-state actors are significant contributors to the spread of challenges we face.

Our economic & political rise is factor for peace, stability and growth in region and in the world: PM Modi at second Raisina Dialogue pic.twitter.com/mshJntgSN4  ANI (@ANI_news) January 17, 2017

* The world is going through profound changes.

* There is a sentiment against trade and migration in some sections.

* The world needs Indias sustained rise, as much as India needs the world.

* Everyday at work, my to-do list is guided by the zeal to transform India.

* Our desire to change the country has an indivisible link with the external world.

* India voted for a transformation embedded in aspirations and optimism of Indias youth.

* India brought in a change --- to take bold decisions.

* My fellow Indians spoke in one voice to entrust my government with mandate of change.

* In 2014, people of India ushered in a new normal.

(With agency inputs)
From schools to universities, all educational institutions in Madhya Pradesh will have to prominently display pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swami Vivekananda.

They will face disciplinary action if they defy the latest diktat from the BJP-led government.

Higher education minister Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya ordered institutions and offices to put pictures of five personalities on their premises  Prime Minister Modi, President Pranab Mukherjee, Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of Indias Constitution.

The school and higher education departments accordingly sent circulars.

The minister has made it compulsory to display portraits in all government colleges, universities and offices. There are strict instructions for action against officers disobeying the order, said Ashish Upadhyaya, the higher education principal secretary.

The Opposition criticised the move, saying it was done under pressure from the RSS, the BJPs ideological fountain. The RSS has been accused of meddling with government affairs, especially policies on education.

They are promoting Swami Vivekananda as his ideology suits the RSS, state Congress spokesperson KK Mishra said.

In educational institutions, they should display portraits of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Jawaharlal Nehru, who gave new direction to independent India, and great scientist APJ Abdul Kalam.

Social activists too questioned the logic behind the compulsory display of portraits, especially of Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu monk and religious philosopher.

If they want to inspire and motivate students, they should include Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Savitribai Phulle who contributed a lot to education. Why Swami Vivekananda? wondered child rights campaigner Prashant Dubey.

A notice on January 7 stated that the portraits can be obtained from information and broadcasting ministrys photo department in New Delhi.

The school education department referred to a letter from January 2004, released during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayees rule, to make purchases from the ministry mandatory.

This has put principals of upcountry schools in a fix.

The portraits can be purchased from a nearby market, but the department has unnecessarily increased our burden. The portrait costs Rs 200, excluding delivery charges. We are trying to get them to save our job, said the principal of a government middle school, who didnt wish to be named.

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A 25-year-old teacher of a local private school was arrested on Tuesday in Chatarpur village in neighbouring Wardha district for allegedly molesting a girl student, police said.

The accused has been identified as Gajanan Bhalavi, a probationary teacher with the English medium school.

The parents of the girl, a Class 4 student, lodged the complaint against him in wee hours on Tuesday.

Police Inspector NM Pant said, We have arrested the accused from his hideout in Chatarpur village on a tip off.

Yavatmal superintendent of police M Raj Kumar said after visiting the school they will not spare the accused.

Bhalavi has been booked under Sections 354 (A) and 506 of IPC for sexual harassment and punishment for criminal intimidation, respectively and under POSCO Act.

School principal Minal Bhisma said, I have learnt about the incident from the city police only this morning. No parent approached me earlier with such complaint.

School committee chairman Prakash Nandurkar said the concerned teacher has been suspended and that the school management will firmly stand behind the child.

Earlier in the day, anxious parents and people from different parts of city gathered at the school as the word spread about the incident.
Barring eastern India, most parts of the country will witness either rain or snow this month due to two western disturbances and a trough, private weather forecasting agency Skymet has said.

Back to back western disturbances will continue to effect Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand throughout January.

Therefore, rain and snow will also continue over western Himalayas. Models are indicating that few more western disturbances will approach hilly states in the month of February as well, Skymet CEO Jatin Singh said.

Plains of northwest India will also receive good rain from January 24 onward. But isolated rain cannot be ruled out over Rajasthan on January 21 and 22.

An induce cyclonic circulation is expected to form over central Pakistan and adjoining Rajasthan by January 24. This weather system will receive moisture from the Bay of Bengal as well as the Arabian Sea. Simultaneously a trough is expected to form from Haryana to Gujarat.

Punjab, Haryana, West UP, Delhi, North Rajasthan and northern parts of Madhya Pradesh will receive light to moderate rain/thundershowers from January 24 to 27, Pahlawat said.

A trough is expected to form over southwest Bay of Bengal off Tamil Nadu coast around January 20 and easterly wave will also become prominent.

This will give rain over Tamil Nadu from January 21. Intermittent rain will continue till January 27 over many parts of TN, south interior Karnataka and Kerala.

Light rain is possible at a few places over Maharashtra on January 26-27 due to the interaction of weather system of north and south.

So we can say that last 10 days of January are going to be the wettest for most parts of the country, except east India, Singh added.
Information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday hit out at those accusing the government of creating a climate of intolerance and muzzling free speech, questioning their silence on the trolling of young Kashmiri actor Zaira Wasim.

The actor who played a young Geeta Phogat in Aamir Khan-starrer Dangal, was trolled on social media for meeting Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. Indias first gold medal winning wrestler in the Commonwealth Games, Phogat is credited with making the masculine sport popular among girls

Why is she being questioned on her career choices? Why did she have to tender an apology for meeting the CM of her own state? Why is everyone silent now? Where are the so-called ultra liberals now? the minister said.

Now, when this actor is being subjected to ruthless trolls and open accusations on the internet for no seeming fault of hers, doesnt this equate to intolerance?

The 16-year-old Wasim was on Monday forced to apologise for the meeting. She deleted the Facebook post that set off the storm and another that followed it. Some celebrities and politicians have since spoken up for the Srinagar girl, who also stars in Khans next venture, Secret Superstar.

Talking about the intolerance debate triggered by lynching of a Muslim man in Uttar Pradeshs Dadri in 2015 for allegedly slaughtering a cow and eating beef, Naidu said silence on the issue clearly shows the irony of the ultra liberals who vehemently came out together to speak against the flimsy premise of growing intolerance in the country.

Now, when this actor is being subjected to ruthless trolls and open accusations on the internet for no seeming fault of hers, doesnt this equate to intolerance? the minister said in a statement.

Following the Dadri lynching, several state award winners returned their honours in protest against what they alleged was the growing culture of intolerance in the country.

The minister also lashed out at the film industry for protesting against the ban on Pakistani actors at a time when there was a spike in terror attacks sponsored from across the border. The people who had vocally spoken then are conspicuous by their silence now. Why isnt the same magnitude of support being shown now? They had spoken then, why not now? he said.

Referring to Wasim, Naidu said it was a great achievement that children from J&K were coming into the mainstream and showcasing their talent, inspiring thousands of other youngsters.
New Delhi

The Narendra Modi governments public display of traditional Indian support to the Tibetan cause is a welcome move that would send a direct message to China, Prime Minister of Tibetan government in exile Lobsang Sangay said on Tuesday.

The 48-year-old leader said that while all Indian governments followed the stated Indian policy on the issue of a sovereign Tibet, the Modi government has decided to make the obvious public.

Sangay, who had attended the swearing-in ceremony of the Modi government in 2014, said President Pranab Mukherjee hosting of the Dalai Lama at the Rashtrapthi Bhavan last year was an example of this policy.

The President had hosted the Dalai Lama and other Nobel Peace laureates at a conference on childrens rights.

In an interview with HT, Sangay said that political leaders in the past had met Dalai Lama in private but by hosting him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President and Modi government had publically acknowledged the obvious.

China had raised objection to the Dalai Lama being invited to the ceremony as it considers the spiritual leader a splittist.

The Tibetan sovereignty issue continues to remain a speed bump in the India-China ties but Sangay said that sending a direct message to China was the best option. Sending the message upfront to China is the best way For ten years now, countries took up the human rights issues with China in private, in bilateral formats. They didnt want to be seen confronting China in public. The human rights situation in China and Tibet showed no improvement all this while, he said.

Sangay criticised Nepal for being hand in glove with China and said the Himalayan country was behaving like the dragon nations satellite, which has resulted in those trying to escape to India from Tibet being sent back.

He also hoped the new US president Donald Trump would support the Tibetan cause.

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Former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaas niece Deepa Jayakumar is likely to make her political debut next month, potentially throwing up a fresh challenge for the ruling AIADMK and its new chief S Sasikala.

Jayakumar, 42, had hinted at a conspiracy surrounding Jayalalithaas death in December, days after she was barred from entering Apollo hospital where the former chief minister was admitted.

Jayakumar on Tuesday said she cannot accept anyone else in Jayalalithaas position, which could be considered a potential challenge to Sasikala, a long-time aide of Jayalalithaa.

Read | Jayalalithaas niece makes political debut, accuses Sasikala and kin of lying

Sasikala was named the AIADMK general secretary despite stiff opposition from a section of party workers.

What the Sasikala family is claiming is falsethat Jayalalithaa was working based on their ideas, Jayakumar said after paying homage to AIADMK founder MGR on his birth centenary.

Jayakumars statement came a day after a senior AIADMK leader criticised Sasikala for insulting MGR by claiming credit for reuniting the party after his death.

Jayakumar said she will now decide whether to join the AIADMK or float a new party. (I) will discuss with my supporters before making a decision, said Jayakumar, who bears a striking resemblance to Jayalalithaa.

Jayakumar said she will make a detailed announcement on February 24, her aunts birthday .

Read | Jayalalithaa niece Deepa and protege Sasikala imitate Ammas looks

On her part, Jayakumar has also been trying to emphasise her resemblance to Jayalalithaa by dressing in sarees similar to what the late chief minister would have worn and greeting supporters frequently from the balcony of her house at T Nagar.

Jayakumar is the daughter of Jayalalithaas brother and was relatively unknown until last year, when she made headlines after not being allowed to enter Apollo Hospital, where her aunt was convalescing.

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In the politically sensitive Kendrapara district of Odisha, an IIT alumni has quit his job and lucrative career to fight the rural body polls in Dumuka gram panchayat.

Nihar Ranjan Beura (50), an alumni of IIT Kharagpur has set his goal to transform the life of the villagers.

I filed nomination papers for member panchayat samiti from my native Dumuka gram panchayat today. I have earned money and fame. There is a general perception that people get involved in politics to earn money. But I have pledged to prove it wrong, he said.

Nominated myself for MPS(member of panchayat samiti) from my panchayat Dumuka, Marshaghai Block yesterday, first step of my political career pic.twitter.com/bHF2oLZ9bT  Nihar Beura (@ProfNiharBeura) January 17, 2017

Beura did his M Tech in industrial engineering and management from IIT Kharagpur. After having worked in multinational companies in the US, Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands and Denmark, he has now set up a dairy farm in his village from where locals can buy pure milk at a cheaper rate.

I was born and brought up in Dumuka. Time has come to pay back to my ancestral village. It is everyones duty to give back to the society which has contributed to ones success, Beura said.

Despite generous flow of government funds, my village failed to march in the path of progress. If people elect me, I will try my level best to give a facelift to the agrarian economy of the gram panchayat, he said

Villagers, mostly unemployed youths, said for the last two years Beura has been providing career counselling to job-seekers.

We feel he will serve the village better, an unemployed youth said.

I have seen poverty and hunger since childhood. I lost my father and elder brother to the 1996 cyclone. My mother brought me up amid much hardship, Beura said, adding, When was well-established and drawing a fat salary, I made up mind to go back to my roots and serve my village.

Sushant Kumar Jena, a resident of the village said, Unless honest and educated people enter politics, the same age-old corrupt system will continue. We elected representatives in the past, but they siphoned off development grants. We hope Beura will bring in a refreshing change.
Two people were killed and many wounded in clashes that broke out during protests against a power grid project in West Bengals South 24 Parganas district on Tuesday, bringing back memories of the tumultuous days of anti-land acquisition agitations in Singur and Nandigram.

Both victims in Bhangar died of bullet injuries, but villagers said police did not fire at them and alleged the involvement of supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress, which blamed people against development for the violence.

In the previous Left regime, there was an attempt to acquire land in Bhangar, but the state government retreated in the face of fierce protests in Singur and Nandigram led by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who was then the opposition leader.

The situation had been tense in Bhangar from Monday evening, when police picked up two activists --- before releasing them an hour later under the instructions of top officials at the state secretariat.

On Tuesday morning, irate villagers vandalised police vehicles and set at least three buses on fire. They uprooted trees, blocked roads with the trunks and hurled brickbats at the police for hours. Mofijul Khan and Alam Mollah died in the firing that ensued.

Supporters of Arabul Islam (a local TMC leader) shot my brother, alleged Khans brother.

CM Banerjee rushed leaders such as Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy and minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah to talk to the agitators, who demanded the cancellation of the project.

The project, undertaken by the Powergrid Corporation of India, is nearing completion on a 16-acre plot that was acquired a couple of years ago. Villagers are also objecting to high-tension lines passing over their land.

Work on the project stands suspended, power minister Sovandeb Chatterjee told HT.

Sharmistha Chowdhury, one of the leaders of the movement, said the residents gathered at the site in the morning after a huge contingent of police entered the villages of Khamar Ait, Nutanhaat and Machhibhanga.

As the police tried to disperse the gathering by firing tear gas shells and rubber bullets, the situation went out of control, said Chowdhury.

The villagers movement is spearheaded by Jomi, Jibika, Poribesh O Bastutantra Raksha Committee (Committee to protect land, livelihood, environment and ecosystem). The committee is guided by CPI-ML (Red Star), a little-known Naxalite outfit.

Turning the tables on Banerjee, the CPI-M came out in support of the farmers at Bhangar and threatened to hit the streets if police forces were not withdrawn.

Police acted on the orders from the chief minister who herself had organised movements against land acquisition during the Left regime. But now she is busy organising global business summits, said CPI-M state secretariat member Md Salim.

He criticised state minister and local MLA Moollah, who was the land reforms minister during the Left regime, and said: Bhangars uncrowned king was sitting silently while tension was building up.

Echoing what the Left leaders said during their rule, Trinamool Congress vice-president and Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy said: Those creating disturbances are against development.

We are against land being taken away forcibly for any project, said state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury.

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All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday said pressurising Zaira Wasim, the Dangal actor from Kashmir, to tender an apology over a meeting with Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was unwarranted and uncalled for.

Wasim, who played the younger version of Indian wrestler Geeta Phogat in Aamir Khans Bollywood blockbuster Dangal, had on Monday apologised for offending and unintentionally hurting people after her meeting with Mufti on Saturday.

Nobody should be pressurised into doing or not doing something, especially a 16-year-old girl. This is completely unwarranted and uncalled for. This pressure worked on her so much that she was forced to apologise for which there was no need at all, Owaisi told PTI.

At the same time, those people, who are showing sympathy for this little child should introspect where did their sympathy disappear when hundreds of such teenagers lost their eyesight or were partially blinded when they were attacked with pellet guns ? Why these double standards ? he asked.

He said the incident has brought to light peoples lack of confidence in the Jammu and Kashmir government.

This incident has shown clearly how unpopular the BJP-PDP government is in the Kashmir valley. People have no confidence left on this government, Owaisi said.

Zaira took to social media yesterday and tendered an apology apparently over her meeting with Mufti which drew sharp reactions and trolls from the youth in the valley because of the situation during the last few months.

She also played down her performance in Dangal, saying she was not proud of what she was doing and added that she was not a role model for the youth of Kashmir and does not want anyone to follow in her footsteps.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17

Trend:

War in Syria and in other regional countries can be stopped primarily by force, Sputnik reported citing the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Lavrov was addressing his annual press conference on Jan. 17.

"The war may be stopped, and the rights of Christians, Muslims and other people who have lived all their life in Syria, in other regional countries, may be ensured first of all through the use of force, because it is necessary to beat terrorism ruthlessly and completely," Lavrov told reporters. "That is what we are doing, helping the Syrian army and the militia, who jointly with the Syrian army are involved in the fight against terrorism."
In a clear message amidst the chill in bilateral ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked Pakistan to walk away from terror if it wants to have dialogue with India.

Outlining his approach for an integrated neighbourhood, Modi said his vision for countrys neighbourhood puts premium on peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia.

But, India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistans journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India, he said while addressing the participants at the governments geo-political flagship initiative Raisina Dialogue-II.

He also recalled several initiatives taken by him to normalise ties with Pakistan including travelling to Lahore.

There is a deep chill in Indo-Pak ties due to series of cross-border strikes including in Pathankot and Uri by Pakistan-based terror groups.

Read | Raisina Dialogue: PM Narendra Modi slams Pakistan, reaches out to China

In an obvious reference to Pakistan, the Prime Minister also asserted that Indias belief in delinking terrorism from religion, and rejecting artificial distinctions between good and bad terrorism, are now a global talking point.

And, those in our neighbourhood who support violence, perpetrate hatred, and export terror stand isolated and ignored, he said.

Referring to Indias ties with China, Modi, at the opening of the three-day Dialogue, said it was not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences but both sides should show sensitivity and respect for each others core concerns and interests.

I see the development of India and China as an unprecedented opportunity, for our two countries and for the whole world. At the same time, it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences.

In the management of our relationship, and for peace and progress in the region, both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each others core concerns and interests, Modi said, adding he and Chinese President Xi Jinping have sought to tap the vast area of commercial and business opportunities in the relationship.

Asserting that the century belongs to Asia, he said the sharpest trajectory of change is happening in the continent and there are large and vibrant pools of progress and prosperity that dot the landscape of this region.

Read | Highlights: At Raisina Dialogue, PM Modi says Pakistan should take the path of peace

But, rising ambition and festering rivalries are generating visible stress points. The steady increase in military power, resources and wealth in the Asia-Pacific has raised the stakes for its security.

Therefore, the security architecture in the region must be open, transparent, balanced and inclusive. And, promote dialogue and predictable behaviour rooted in international norms and respect for sovereignty, he said.

In his address, the Prime Minister gave a run down of Indias foreign policy priorities, security interests in the Indian Ocean and bilateral engagement with neighbouring countries, Gulf nations and major powers including the US, China and Russia.

He also emphasised that Sab Ka Saath; Sab Ka Vikas is not just a vision for India but a belief for the whole world.
PM Narendra Modi, at the inauguration of second edition of the Raisina Dialogue, said the world is going through profound changes and Indias transformation is not divorced from its external context. Our desire to change our country has an indivisible link with the external world.

Here are top quotes from the PMs speech:

* India-China ties have immense opportunities. It is not unnatural for two big countries to have differences, but we should show sensitivities for regional peace.

* In conversation with President-elect Donald Trump, we agreed to build on the gains of India-US strategic partnership.

* With the US, our actions have brought speed, substance and strength to the entire spectrum of economic, commercial, and security engagements.

* Those in our neighbours who support violence, hatred and export terror stand isolated and ignored.

* India alone cannot walk the path of peace. Pakistan also has to choose the same path. Pakistan should shun dialogue for peace talks.

* Over the past two and half years, we have given a strong momentum to our engagement with US, Russia, Japan and other major global powers.

* Our belief in de-linking terrorism from religion, and rejecting artificial distinction between good and bad terrorism, are now a global talking point.

* We have partnered with neighbours. In Afghanistan, despite difficulties, our partnership has yielded results. Our security partnership has deepened.

* We hold the belief that success of one must propel the growth of many.

* Every day at work, my to do list is guided by the constant drive to reform and transform India, for prosperity and security of all Indians.
Pakistan has to come forward and shun terrorism to ensure productive talks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, stressing that India alone cannot walk the path of peace.

At the second edition of Raisina Dialogue in Delhi where he outlined Indias foreign policy, Modi took a strategic stand on China, considered Pakistans all-weather ally, and said ties between the two Asian giants have immense economic opportunities.

It is not unnatural for two large neighbouring countries to have differences, he said, close on the heels of the US reconfirming Chinas role in blocking Indias membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

In the management of our relationship, and for the peace and progress in the region, both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each others core concerns and interests.

Modi said India had never shied away from shouldering the responsibility for international peace, but accused Pakistan of failing in its fight against terrorism.

Our strong belief in de-linking terrorism from religion and rejecting artificial distinction between good and bad terror are a global talking point now, Modi said.

Those in our neighbourhood who support violence, perpetrate hatred and export terror stand isolated and ignored, he said in a veiled dig at the neighbour.

I see the rise of India and China as an unprecedented economic opportunity for our two countries, and for the whole world. At the same time, it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some difference.

Top ten quotes from PM Modis Raisina Dialogue

Relations between India and Pakistan hit a new low in 2016, with New Delhi blaming the attacks in Punjabs Pathankot and northern Kashmirs Uri on terrorists from across the border.

Pakistan, for its part, accused Indian forces of using excessive force to crush the dissent that swept the Kashmir Valley in the wake of a militant leaders death in July.

Also, repeated ceasefire violations along the border claimed soldier and civilian lives on both sides.

In his speech, Modi outlined his vision for peace with South Asian countries. He mentioned Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal and Maldives, among others, in the same breath, but left out Pakistan.

My vision for our neighbourhood led me to invite leaders of all SAARC neighbours, including Pakistan, for my swearing-in, he continued --- before taking a dig at Pakistan.

In his address, Modi gave a run down of Indias foreign policy priorities, security interests in the Indian Ocean and bilateral engagement with neighbouring countries, Gulf nations and major powers including the US and Russia.

Referring to Indias ties with the US, he said a certain amount of speed, substance and strength to the entire spectrum of economic, commercial and security engagements had been brought to the relationship through sustained engagement.

Over the past two-and-half years, we have given a strong momentum to our engagement with US, Russia, Japan and other major global powers, he said, delving on Indias external engagement and geo-strategic interests.

Modi said Indias economic and political rise represented a regional and global opportunity of great significance.

He said instability, violence, conflict, extremism, exclusion and transnational threats continued to proliferate in dangerous directions.

And, non-state actors are significant contributors to the spread of such challenges. Institutions and architectures built for a different world, by a different world, seem outdated. Posing a barrier to effective multilateralism, he said.

But, India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistans journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India.

The Prime Minister said Indias maritime interests were strategic and significant and that the primary responsibility for peace, prosperity and security in the Indian Ocean rests with those who live in the region.

Ours is not an exclusive approach. And, we aim to bring countries together on the basis of respect for international law. We believe that respecting Freedom of Navigation and adhering to international norms is essential for peace and economic growth in the larger and inter-linked marine geography of the Indo-Pacific, he said without naming any country.

Delving on geo-political developments, he said the sharpest trajectory of change is happening in Asia but at the same time added rising ambition and festering rivalries are generating visible stress points.

The steady increase in military power, resources and wealth in the Asia-Pacific has raised the stakes for its security. Therefore, the security architecture in the region must be open, transparent, balanced and inclusive, he said.

Modi said his government has redefined, in a short span of time, and despite uncertainty and conflict, partnerships with Gulf and West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iran.

We have not just focused on altering the angles of perception. We have also changed the reality of our ties. This has helped us protect and promote our security interests, nurture strong economic and energy ties and advance the material and social welfare of around 8 million Indians, he said.

The Prime Minister said India was pursuing its transformation in unsettled times and talked about sluggish growth and economic volatility.

For multiple reasons and at multiple levels, the world is going through profound changes. Globally connected societies, digital opportunities, technology shifts, knowledge boom and innovation are leading the march of humanity.

But, sluggish growth and economic volatility are also a sobering fact. Physical borders may be less relevant in this age of bits and bytes. But, walls within nations, a sentiment against trade and migration, and rising parochial and protectionist attitudes across the globe are also a stark statistic, he said.

(With agency inputs)

Highlights of PM Modis speech at the Raisina Dialogue
The land mafia in the Jharkhand capital spares nobody, not even the kith and kin of those who have brought glory to the nation in the years gone by.

Police said land grabbers, in connivance with real estate agents, recently tried to acquire 5.12 acres of land belonging to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagores relatives by propping up a fake heir.

The family of Tagores elder brother, Hemendranath, had purchased the land in Ranchis Gari locality about a century ago. It was transferred to his grandson, the late Hridindranath Tagore, over the years. Though Hridindranaths grandson  Himendranath  is now the de facto owner of the land, it is yet to be officially transferred to his name.

The Tagore family has been depositing lagaan (revenue fee) for the land  worth Rs 7 crore  at the Ranchi circle office for decades. However, when I visited the circle office to deposit the lagaan in October 2015, I was told that the money has already been submitted. I couldnt understand how that happened. One has to show the last original receipt to deposit the fee, Himendranath told HT over the phone from Kolkata.

It came to light in July 2016 that the money was deposited by a person identifying himself as Sunondo Tagore. I immediately lodged an FIR with the Ranchi Sadar police station. I also filed complaints with all the departments concerned  including the office of the Ranchi deputy commissioner  proclaiming that nobody called Sunondo Tagore existed in my family, said Himendranath.

Ranchi police investigated the complaint to find that Sunondo Tagore, who claimed to be a descendant of the family, deposited the lagaan by submitting fake documents. He then sold the land to builders for Rs 6.5 crore, taking an advance fee of Rs 5.5 crore for the same. However, police unearthed the scam before they could take possession of the land.

Sunondo had presented a fake khatian (land record) in the name of one Mahindranath Tagore. After cross-checking with the additional collectorate, we found that the land was registered in the name of Hridindranath Tagore, said deputy superintendent of police (Sadar police station) Vikash Chandra Srivastava.

The police officer said Sunondo took advantage of the bad condition of the original land document to get the lagaan receipt. We found that the front page of the land record was torn, and two letters  H and R  were missing. Then we visited Jorasanko Thakur Bari in north Kolkata, where Tagores descendants confirmed that they did not know anybody called Sunondo, he added.

Ranchi police have launched a hunt for the accused.

A board to warn the trespassers outside Rabindranath Tagores family land at Bandhgari locality on Hazaribagh road in Ranchi. (Diwakar Prasad/ HT Photo )

When HT reached the site on Monday, it found a nameplate bearing the name HN Tagore on its outer boundary wall. Two security guards had also been deputed at the spot.

Rabindranath Tagores family enjoys an age-old association with the Jharkhand capital. His elder brother, Jyotindranath, stayed for nearly 13 years at a place now known as Tagore Hill. Captivated by the beauty of the hillock, he settled there in 1912. He built two monuments  Brahma Sthal and Shanti Dham  at the spot before breathing his last at Shanti Dham in 1925.

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Police arrested Rohith Vemulas mother and a few students as protest rocked University of Hyderabad on Tuesday on the first death anniversary of the Dalit research scholar. Students staging demonstration in New Delhi were also detained by the police.

Radhika Vemula was arrested late in the evening soon after she addressed protesting students outside the main gate of the university as she was denied entry into the campus.

Tension prevailed at the main gate as police took Radhika and a few students into custody amid strong protest by dozens of pro-Rohith students.

During her speech, Radhika said she was facing a threat to her life from the central government. She alleged that during the last one year she and her other family members were harassed on false charges that they are not Dalits.

Earlier, police arrested scores of protestors as they tried to defy the ban orders and enter the campus to pay tributes to Rohith and take part in a meeting.

Activists of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), Osmania University Joint Action Committee and other student groups were among those who gathered at the main gate.

Police erected barricades to stop outsiders from entering the campus.

Vijay Kumar, one of the friends of Rohith, said the police were trying to suppress a peaceful gathering.

The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, an umbrella grouping of student bodies demanding justice for Rohith, was holding a meeting in the campus to mark shahdath din (martyrdom day).

The organisers invited Jaan Mohammed, brother of Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh over rumours of beef eating, Fathima Nafees, mother of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, suspended student and Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association leader Rahul Sonpimple.

The university had made it clear that there was no permission to hold any programme on the campus. However, defying the orders, a group of students gathered at Velivada (Dalit ghetto) on the campus.

Holding pictures of Rohith and placards, they raised slogans demanding the arrest of vice chancellor P. Appa Rao and justice for Rohith.

Rohith Vemula, a PhD student, committed suicide by hanging himself in a hostel room on the campus in 2016 after alleged caste-based discrimination, triggering protests across India.

He resorted to the extreme step during a protest along with four other Dalit students over their suspension by the university following a clash with ABVP leader.

The Joint Action Committee is also seeking a legislation named after Rohith to curb caste-based discrimination on campuses.

JNU students shout slogans during the Insaaf march on the first death anniversary of Rohith Vemula in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT PHOTO)

About 250-300 students staging a demonstration to mark his death anniversary were detained when they blocked the crucial Janpath road in Connaught Place area of New Delhi.

Following a protest call from JNU Students Union, around 1,000 students from the JNU, Delhi University, and the Jamia Milia Islamia, among other universities, took out a rally from Mandi House, intending to go to Ministry of Human Resource Department (MHRD), only to be faced with elaborate barricading at Janpath.

The police corralled the students at the red light near Janpath Metro Station and ferried them in three buses to Parliament Street Police Station.
Income Tax department has found that over Rs 1,000 crore were laundered through banking channel post demonetisation in Charkhi Dadri in Haryana, a senior official said on Tuesday.

We have detected hawala entry of over Rs 1,000 crore in Charkhi Dadri in Haryana, Director General of Income Tax (Investigation Wing), Madhu Mahajan said while addressing media here today.

The investigation revealed that over Rs 1,000 crore were allegedly found to be laundered through banking channel.

An entry operator has been identified who provided undue benefits to more than 18 beneficiaries by facilitating deposits, said Mahajan adding that the main accused did not have wherewithal to carry out such transactions.

IT sleuths said the beneficiaries of this scam could be more.

Post demonetisation various hawala accommodation entry operators had come up which would facilitate deposits for a fee. Benami accounts in layers were opened to launder unaccounted cash, officials said.

Meanwhile, after demonetisation, the department had detected Rs 280 crore of undisclosed income in the NWR region including Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir and parts of Haryana.

Different kinds of modus operandi were adopted by alleged tax evaders, the officials said.

IT sleuths found that in case of a company, cash ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 40,000 was deposited in the accounts of employees which could be withdrawn by only HR and accounts men of that company. The role of bank officials also came under scanner and the department referred the matter to CBI and the Enforcement Director, they said.

Similarly, some jewellers allegedly showed huge cash sales to show crores of cash in hand while builders showed backdated cash deposits and agreements to hoodwink authorities, officials said.

IT department also found that some cooperative banks were not following the set standard operating procedure (SOP) in Punjab after demonetisation came into effect in November last.

IT department seized Rs 2.50 crore of cash from cooperative banks and companies which were entrusted with the job of replenishing ATMs with cash, they said.

We came across that some cooperative banks were not following SOPs and guidelines of RBI with regard to transportation of cash, said Mahajan.

In one of such case, a representative of a cooperative bank in Punjab carried Rs 90 lakh of cash in his backpack alone without following SOP, she said.

Meanwhile, DGIT (Investigation wing) informed that in 22 cases, people have come forward to declare Rs 58.56 crore under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.

Out of them, nine persons were from Punjab and rest were from Haryana, she added.
A special court on Tuesday charged former media tycoons Indrani and Peter Mukerjea and her first husband Sanjeev Khanna with murdering her daughter Sheena Bora, setting the stage for start of trial in a sensational case that has gripped the nation.

The special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court also charged the three of conspiring, kidnapping, destroying evidence and giving false information.

The three had allegedly killed 24-year-old Sheena, on April 23, 2012 and burnt and disposed of her body in a forest in Maharashtras Raigad district, around 110 km from Mumbai.

The complex web of lies and deceit came to light after police arrested Shyamvar Rai, the driver of INX Media co-founder Indrani on August 21, 2015, for illegal possession of a weapon. Rai later volunteered to be a prosecution witness and was turned an approver.

The court also charged Indrani, 45, with using forged documents but dropped charges of cheating, forgery for cheating and causing hurt with poison against the accused.

None of the accused has got bail since their separate arrests in 2015.

Sheena was Indranis daughter from her first marriage. She also has a son Mikhail, who also accuse Indrani of trying to poison him during a visit to Mumbai.

Since her marriage with Peter, Indrani had introduced Sheena as her sister to everyone.

Both Indrani and Peter were said to be against Sheenas affair with Rahul, Peters son from an earlier marriage, and is believed to be the motive for the murder.

Read| Sheena Bora murder: Indranis driver got Rs 5 lakh after murder, says witness

Indrani, daughter of a well-known businessman in Guwahati, was married twice earlier before she tied the knot with Peter in 2002. Her earlier husbands include Khanna and Siddharth Das from Tripura. Das is said to be Sheenas biological father.

During the hearing, Peters lawyer Mihir Gheewala challenged the charges invoked by CBI.

There is no evidence or material to show Peters involvement for the charges of attempt to murder, cheating and forgery, Gheewala told the CBI judge.

Gheewala said, The agency has tried to colour the case by adding several emails and messages. The agency by referring to some paragraphs and lines tried to interpret and draw an inference for the involvement of Peter.

While Khannas lawyer Niranjan Mundargi too contested some of the charges, he did not give any arguments at this stage.

Special CBI judge HS Mahajan said the documents submitted by the CBI  including email records, SMS records, call details and statement of witnesses  were enough to frame charges against the accused.

Special CBI judge HS Mahajan reserved his order on the charges for January 17.

The case had seen many twists including the transfer of Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria. On September 18, 2015, the case was handed over to the central agency.

Read| Sheena Bora murder: Indranis lawyer says she did not attempt to kill Mekhail

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Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday said his assumption is that some counterfeit currency in circulation has returned to banks and might have become a legal tender following demonetisation of high value bills last November.

My assumption is that even counterfeit currency has come back (to banks) and become a legal tender under this demonetisation. The SBI official spokesman has already accepted the fact that sometime in mid-December more than Rs 300 crore of counterfeit currency has been received, the AICC general secretary said.

He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modis intention behind demonetisation was to support corporates.

The whole intent of Narendra Modi was to support the digital transaction corporate sector of Master Card, VISA, Paytm, wherein a growing economy like India is service charged and merchant discount rate will run into thousands of crores annually (sic), he said.

Singh said 2-3% of money goes into pocket of service providers on every transaction committed through card.

He (PM) talks of cashless economy, but even in developed countries like USA, more than 45 per cent of the transactions are in cash, the Congress leader said.

He said RBI which is supposed to give weekly figures of currency in circulation has not been releasing them.

...Isnt that a total loss having counterfeit currency in circulation? The whole decision was taken without taking RBI into confidence.

If you see the reply sent by RBI to the parliamentary standing committee, it is that they were asked to give a resolution on November 7, 2016 (a day before demonetisation), Singh claimed.

He said RBI is an autonomous institution founded on trust.

If trust of any national reserve bank is eroded then its a very serious matter. It almost leads to an economic emergency. Even today, restrictions by RBI are in place. I cannot withdraw my own money although they (RBI) have hiked the withdrawal limit, Singh said.
A teenaged girl from this Maharashtra city is off to Washington to attend the new US President Donald Trumps inaugural on Friday and attend a five-day US Presidential Inauguration Leadership Summit.

Oishika Neogi, 17, who is a first-year B.A. student of Symbiosis National University, Pune, will represent India at the global summit of youngsters and attend the inaugural.

I am so excited by this rare opportunity that I couldnt sleep for the past few nights, an excited Oishika told IANS while on way to catch her flight at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Tuesday evening.

Among the other invitees expected for the Trump inaugural are the worlds youngest Nobel Peace laureate, Pakistani girl education activist Malala Yousafzai and her father Ziauddin, besides prominent students and youths from all over the world.

Read | Protests and boycotts loom over Trumps January 20 inauguration

Oishika, along with delegates from all other countries, will make presentations at various conferences from January 18 to 22, speaking about how the new Trump administratio would affect their individual countries.

She plans to attend a special gala evening for delegates on January 21 before travelling to New York and returning home by the month-end -- to prepare for another youth conference in China next June.

The Kolkata-born Oishika got the opportunity to attend the inagural after winning a contest at the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) in the US in June 2015, and following her excellent performance at the Harvard Model United Nations competition in Hyderabad.

The UN Model debates were specially conducted for students interested in international relations to expose them to a global audience. The Model United Nations events are designed for this, she said.

Until 2016, she studied at Mumbais B.K. Gadia A Level Junior College, run by the D.G. Khetan International School, in Malad suburb. It conducts a Mock UN Debate annually which Neogi trumped, and then excelled at the Hyderabad event before travelling to Washington DC and New York that year for the GYLC.

On her future plans, Oishika said she wants to become a television media professional and cover the United Nations sometime, which she considers as a dream assignment.

Besides pursuing undergrad studies and quenching her thirst for knowledge about global affairs, she is training in western dancing and theatre, and does painting. She also loves to gorge alike on continental and spicy Indian cuisine.

She lives with her mother Chumki Neogi in Thanes Mira Road suburb, adjacent to Mumbai.
The morning after securing the Election Commissions stamp on his claim as the national president of the Samajwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav sought to soften the blow on his father and the partys founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, insisting that there were never differences between them.

My work and Netajis face would be the plank on which we will contest the polls, he said.

Relation with my father can never be broken. I never had any differences with him. In fact 90% candidates in our lists are identical.

I will take netaji (Mulayam) along...my relation with him is unbreakable, he told reporters his official 5 Kalidas Marg residence in Lucknow.

And with an expected alliance with the Congress, Akhilesh said, Give us some time. Candidates list and the announcement on alliance will be made in Lucknow.

Akhilesh was talking to workers and supporters at his official residence. Sources said that the national general secretary of the party, Ramgopal Yadav will be in Lucknow later in the day to finalise the list of party candidates, which has been prepared in consultation with alliance partners.

Sources said that Akhilesh has told the party candidates for the first phase of the elections, nominations for which began on Tuesday, to wait till January 23 before filing their nominations. The last day of filing nominations for the first phase of polling is January 24.

Now, I have a big responsibility to shoulder and my entire focus is now on winning the elections, he said while addressing his supporters.

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In one of his final acts before leaving office, President Barack Obama on Tuesday commuted the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former U.S. military intelligence analyst behind the biggest breach of classified materials in U.S. history, the White House said, Reuters reported.

Manning has been a focus of a worldwide debate on government secrecy since she provided more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks - a leak for which she was sentenced to serve 35 years in prison.

Manning, formerly known as U.S. Army Private First Class Bradley Manning, was born male but revealed after being convicted of espionage that she identifies as a woman.

Manning, who is held at the Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, military prison, accepted responsibility for leaking the material, and has said she was confronting gender dysphoria at the time of the leaks while deployed in Iraq. Her sentence will now expire on May 17, the White House said.

Manning was working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad in 2010 when she gave WikiLeaks a trove of diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts that included a 2007 gunsight video of a U.S. Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters news staff.

Her attorney had argued her sentence exceeded international legal norms, and she has twice attempted suicide.
A Jodhpur court will announce its judgement in an arms act case against actor Salman Khan on Wednesday.

Chief judicial magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit will give his verdict on a case against the actor for allegedly possessing illegal arms during the shoot of his film Hum Saath Saath Hain in Jodhpur in 1998. On January 9, the court had reserved its judgement after hearing the concluding arguments from both sides.

The actor is required to be present in court when the judgement is announced.

Khan is accused of carrying and using illegal arms with an expired licence. A case under the Arms Act was registered against him. The actor allegedly had a US-made revolver and a 22-bore rifle with him. The prosecution said the licence of both the firearms had expired on September 22, 1998, but the actor used them to hunt two blackbucks on October 1 and 2, 1998, in Kankani village on the outskirts of Jodhpur.

Actor Salman Khans sister Alvira arrived at Jodhpur airport on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

The prosecution argued that Khan, in 1998, had complained that his revolver had been stolen. However, during a search, police officer Satyamani Tiwari found the firearm in his hotel room. The prosecution also produced post-mortem reports of the two blackbucks killed that night and it shows that gunshot injury was the cause of death.

Mahipal Vishnoi, a counsel in the case, said that the case was registered against Khan under sections 3/25 and 3/27 of the Arms Act. If charges are proven, he could face a jail term up to a maximum of seven years.

In all, the actor is accused in three cases  chinkara poaching, blackbuck poaching and arms act. The Rajasthan High Court acquitted Khan in the chinkara poaching case last July. The trial in the blackbuck case is in its final stage.
At a time when the state government began to breathe easy after near elimination of CPI(Maoist) cadres nn Bengal, a little-known Naxalite faction has emerged to lead a high-profile land agitation near Kolkata giving sleepless night to intelligence officers. CPI(ML) (Red Star), a Naxalite outfit that has contested elections has token presence in Kerala and West Bengal, has become the key organiser of a movement of villagers demanding cancellation of a power grid project designed to transmit electricity through high tension overhead lines.

All the leaders of the movement belong to the CPI(ML) (Red Star). We never monitored their activities because they held little influence, a senior police officer told HT on the condition of anonymity.

Though the project is of Power Grid Corporation of India, a Central PSU, the Mamata Banerjee administration wants to ensure the smooth passage of the project. The villagers are demanding that the land occupied by the transmission towers be returned to them.

The leaders the police are keeping a close watch on are Alik Chakraborty, Sharmistha Chowdhury and Pradip Singh Thakur, all leaders of the Red Star faction of CPI(ML). The leader of the party is K N Ramachandran, who hails from Kerala.

Thakur and Chakraborty are politburo members of the party and Choudhury a central committee member. Chakraborty is also the spokesperson of the committee spearheading the movement.

The movement spearheaded by Jami, Jibika, Poribesh O Bastutantra Raksha Committee (Committee to secure Land, Livelihood, Environment and Ecosystem) started gaining momentum in November 2016. By December, chief minister Mamata Banerjee instructed two influential ministers from South 24-Parganas district, Kolkata mayor cum environment minister Sovan Chatterjee and food processing minister Abdur Rejjak Mollah, a former prominent leader of the district, to speak to the agitators and pacify them.

So far the TMC leaders have failed in their mission, and the movement gained momentum in the past few days. Thousands are gathering whenever the committee gives a call for blockade or gathering. Prominent human rights activist Sujato Bhadra, who also played a role in Singur and Nandigram agitations led by Mamata Banerjee, joined the protesters.

Several human rights groups, university students have also joined the agitation.

The outfits presence in Bengal has been so insignificant that when its candidate Shikha Sen Roy contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Dumdum constituency, she got only 1,544 votes - the least among all candidates.

According to the protesters, 16 acres of land was acquired for the power grid two years ago, mostly without any protest because local toughs were involved in the process. Protests started in October 2016 when farmers refused to allow the authorities to set up electricity towers on their fields.

On Tuesday, thousands of villagers clashed with the police and rained brickbats on them when cops went to disperse agitators blocking a few roads in the area.

The protests are centred around the villages of Khamarait, Machhi Bhanga, Tona and Gazipur of Polerhat-II panchayat in Bhangar assembly constituency. According to local farmer Rahman Ali Mondal, the landowners are not only worried that setting up towers on their land will bring down the price but also fear of extremely harmful effects under the strong magnetic fields created by high tension lines.

The Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd is constructing the Rajarhat 400/220 KV substation to transmit power between West Bengal and Purnia in Bihar. The transmission lines from Rajarhat will pass over 80 villages of seven districts of West Bengal, before entering into Pakur district of the state of Jharkhand.

The nine to twelve transmission lines coming out of the Rajarhat Grid will affect more than 30,000 lives only in South 24 Parganas, Alik Chakraborty told a gathering of nearly 10,000 people who blocked a major road on January 11.

According to Nisha Biswas, a scientist who has joined the movement, High tension lines create strong electromagnetic fields (EMF). The EMF can extend to about 300 meters and is the strongest directly under the power lines, and gradually fades away with increasing distance. Many have experienced mild electric shocks while walking under lines while walking with an umbrella even on a clear day. The field is so high that if one places florescent tube under the current carrying high voltage wire, it lights itself without any electric connection.

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Five days of literature. The most read authors and poets. The most fascinating discussions. Indian literatures mammoth mela, the Jaipur Literature Festival, is never short of excitement. The festival, which will run from January 19 to January 23 this year, creates a problem of plenty for its eager visitors: there is too much to do, too many authors to hear, too many discussions to attend.

So before you make your must-attend-at-JLF lists, take a look at what authors, poets and other participants are looking forward to the most this year.

Sanjoy K Roy, managing director, Teamwork Arts

Sanjoy Roy

Sanjoy K Roy is one of the key people who make sure that the mega-production that is the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) goes off without a hitch -- a few controversies notwithstanding.

For him, the JLF is an education, a boon and about the dissemination and discussion of knowledge; the opportunity to discover new authors and new ideas at the festival each year is just an added bonus. The sheer passion that the authors exude and the ideas that they share is phenomenal. The best part is that it sometimes catches you completely unawares, with such a diverse line-up and topics at the festivals, he says.

Literary festivals are many a times regarded as elitist events, that may not be easily accessible to the common masses; the JLF has been made available to people free of cost to combat this notion, says Roy.

I remember this man four years ago who had visited the festival. He told me that he could not afford to buy his kids books, but he had heard that we were telling stories at the festival and had brought his child along so he could experience it. This was our goal; to reach as many people as possible. Knowledge can really propel you to another dimension; people should be able to access it no matter their socio-economic background. After all, in India, there is great economic fluidity, he said.

He recalls another retired educator who travelled from a village almost 40 kms away from Gorakhpur. The teacher went back home and started his own book club, and five years later, brought six members of his club to the festival.

As for the fear that reading habits are on the decline among the younger generation, Roy holds onto hope. Last year, 61% of our visitors were under the age of 25. If so many young people still read, then there is definitely hope. Even if they take away just one idea, then that is something.

This year, he is looking forward to the many events planned around the theme of 70 years of Indias Independence, where democracy, war, independence and notions of freedom will be discussed. There is this whole series on the freedom to dream. I think I will be spoilt for choice, as will others, he said.

Visitors to the JLF will be able to catch Roy in action on the first day, when he is expected to engage Sadhguru in conversation on Inner Engineering: A Yogis Guide to Joy. Roy said he has been enjoying Sadhgurus book and how he puts across his ideas and principles in very simple terms.

The session will prove to be very interesting, considering that I am not a believer in any sense of the word. But I must say his book removes some of the preconceived notions one might have of a spiritual man, he said.

Swanand Kirkire, lyricist & playback singer

Lyricist and singer Swanand Kirkire

This is going to be my very first time at the Jaipur Literature Festival and Im only too excited about being there! Ive two sessions: One with the brilliant theatre actor and director Manav Kaul, in which Ill read out from my book of poetry that was published by Rajkamal Prakashan. In the other, Ill be in conversation with National chess champion Anuradha Beniwal about her book of travelogues Azaadi Mera Brand. Itll be an interesting session in that well be talking about individual freedom and the need for women in India to reclaim public spaces.

Its great that both my sessions are on the first day of the festival, leaving me ample time over the next couple of days that Ill be there to make the most of other sessions. Ill also be performing one morning and spend another evening reading poetry at the Amer Fort  which will be a very unique experience. Im also excited about meeting my film buddies in such a different setting, surrounded by the famous and revered of the literary world. I look forward to interacting with the authors and getting to be a part of their world.

For more coverage of books, authors and sessions from this years festival, visit our Jaipur Literature Festival page. Follow @htTweets for full coverage and tweet to us which authors you would like us to interview.
Solid waste management of the city would go to a Chinese company soon. The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has decided to replace Jyoti Envirotech  the company responsible for door to door collection of waste in 62 wards and operation of solid waste plant at Shivri village  with a Chinese giant, Ecogreen.

The civic body was not satisfied with the work of Jyoti Envirotech as it was not able to run the solid waste plant properly. The city produces around 1,500 metric tonnes of solid, waste but the company was able to treat only 200 to 400 metric tonnes waste. It was also not able to perform its duty of door to door waste collection properly and did not pay salaries of employees on time. As a result, the staff went on strike for 20 days in the period when Lucknow was battling dengue and other infectious diseases.

Recently too, its employees went on strike for over a month.

On the other hand, Jyoti Envirotech had taken a loan of Rs 25 crore from a bank, which the company was not able to pay. On the recommendations of this bank LMC agreed to replace Jyoti Envirotech with Ecogreen, said additional municipal commissioner PK Srivastava.

However, this will take around 120 days, during which the landfill site of Shivri village would be transferred to Ecogreen. The company would modify the site with its own investment.

Municipal commissioner Udairaj Singh said, The city requires a professional set-up for its solid waste management and we hope that Ecogreen will be able to work professionally in the days to come.

Read more| Gurgaon: Waste piles at Bandhwari plant shrink after experts intervention

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Twenty-two-year-old Bhiwandi resident Piyush Ramesh Lohia bagged the second rank at the final chartered accountancy (CA) exam of November 2016. Lohia, who graduated from the Mulund College of Commerce in 2016, scored 574/800 (71.75%).

Of the 74,096 candidates, who appeared for the final, 7,192 cleared the examination, results of which were announced by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on Tuesday.While Lohia came in second, Eti Agarwal from Lucknow topped the exam with 74.88% and Jyoti Maheshwari from Ahmedabad was third with 70.75%.

A native of Rajasthan, Lohia interns with city-based Gokhale & Sathe Chartered Accountants. Ive worked hard for this and Im happy with the results. Now with the result out of my head, I can focus on my next step, said Lohia, adding that he is yet to decide whether hell continue to work or pursue higher education. I want to work in the finance sector, but Im confused whether to gain work experience first or opt for an MBA.

Of the 70,321 students, who appeared for the Common Proficiency Test (CPT) in December 2016, over 46% (32,650) candidates cleared the paper. According to figures shared by ICAI, 37,200 candidates appeared for Group I test in CA finals, of which 7.14% passed the test, whereas of the 36,896 candidates who appeared for the Group II test, 12.32% passed. 36,768 candidates appeared for both groups and 11.57% cleared both tests.

In 2015, more than 77,442 students had attempted Group I in final CA exam, out of which 12.61% students cleared the exam, whereas 75,774 students had appeared for the Group II exam of which 11.99% cleared.Officials from ICAI could not point at any particular reason for the decline in the number of candidates between 2015 and 2016. Mere 2,440 students had managed to clear both groups of exam held in November 2015.

Also read: ICAI CA final and CPT Nov/Dec 2016 exam results declared, check it here

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A Dombivli resident, who had petitioned the Supreme Court asking for permission to abort her 24-week-old foetus which has a severe abnormality, will undergo the procedure at Parels KEM Hospital on Wednesday.

The abortion was scheduled on Tuesday after the apex court granted permission on Monday.

Dr Avinash Supe, dean of KEM Hospital, told HT that they could not start the procedure on Tuesday as the woman and her husband reached the hospital late. Doctors are evaluating her condition. They will start the procedure on Wednesday morning, he said.

Meera Pal, 22, and her husband wanted to abort the foetus that was diagnosed with anencephaly  a rare condition in which babies are born with parts of their brain and skull missing, at 21.1 weeks.

The law, under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, does not allow abortion beyond 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Pals husband, Santosh, said that they are anxious and are hoping that the procedure gets over safely.

Doctors have told me that it will take 48 hours for the entire procedure. I hope everything goes about smoothly, he said.

What does the law say

The law, under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, does not allow abortions beyond 20 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases where there is a threat to the mothers life.

Any person/ doctor breaching the provisions of the Act can invite imprisonment up to seven years.

What does the 2014, draft Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Bill say?

The draft Bill allows abortion up to 24 weeks

A healthcare provider in good faith can make the decision of aborting a pregnancy between 20 and 24 weeks if:

- The pregnancy involves substantial risks to the mother or child

- If the pregnant woman has alleged the pregnancy was caused by rape

Expert speak

Dr Nikhil Datar, medical director, Cloudnine Hospital, Malad, who was the co-petitioner in the case, said the government must push the abortion ceiling to 24 weeks as soon as possible.

Not every pregnant woman who has crossed the deadline of 20 weeks has access to file a petition in the apex court, he said. One cannot imagine the anxiety the woman goes through when she learns that her baby has a fatal condition but she cannot undergo abortion because she has crossed 20 weeks of pregnancy, said Datar, also a gynaecologist.

Also read

After Supreme Court order, 24-week pregnant woman to abort her foetus today

In Mumbai: Medical panel supports womans plea for abortion
Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will not contest the ensuing Mumbai civic polls scheduled next month.

The party has decided to concentrate on the Punjab and Goa Assembly elections instead, where it has grown as a major force.

According to AAP leader Satish Jain, the decision was taken as both Punjab and Goa looked as the best bets for the party.

AAP has limited resources at disposal. Also, after demonetisation, raising funds has become difficult. So we decided not to contest the BMC polls and utilize all our energies in Punjab and Goa where we stand the good chance of winning, said Jain.

A similar decision was taken in 2014 when AAP did not contest the Maharashtra Assembly polls saying that it wanted to concentrate on the Delhi Assembly polls.

The AAP, which was formed in 2012, did make a mark in its initial days where it was responsible for exposing various scams like the irrigation and Maharashtra Sadan scam. However, on the political front, it was not able to leverage the advantage and this was displayed in the 2014 parliamentary polls , when of the 48 seats it contested, it drew blank. Lack of a strong local leadership and poor organisational network have been AAPs problem in Maharashtra.

The party did launch Mission Vistaar in 2015, which was meant to expand the party at the grassroots level but this hardly made a mark in Mumbai.

In addition, its leaders like Anjali Damania and Mayank Gandhi who steered the party in initial days distanced themselves from the outfit following differences with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

However political analysts have called the decision unfortunate. Elections are the best opportunities for political parties to make their presence felt and they also educate them. It is always a good opportunity for orientation for any party worker, said Surendra Jondhale, political analyst.

There is a section of voters who are dissatisfied with the established political parties and they would have preferred AAP, he added.

What ails AAP

1) No credible face to lead the campaign in the state.

2) No organisational network.

3) The party is run from Delhi and there are a lot of communication issues.

4) AAP does not get funding from various sources unlike other parties.

READ MORE

Turban trumps topi for AAP in Punjab

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The 24-week pregnant woman from Dombivli will reach KEM Hospital, Parel, by 2:00pm, to get her foetus aborted, after the Supreme Court granted her permission to do the same.

We are leaving in some time. Hope the procedure gets over safely, said her husband Santosh Pal, 38, from their residence.

The Supreme Court had, on Monday afternoon, granted permission to 22-year-old Meera Pal to abort her foetus that was diagnosed with anencephaly  a rare condition in which babies are born with parts of their brain and skull missing, at 21.1 weeks of pregnancy.

The present law, under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, does not allow abortion post 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The court had decided to grant her permission, based on a report submitted by a panel of doctors at KEM Hospital.

The couple was extremely relieved with the decision but had wanted to get the procedure done at a private facility. The court has asked her to undergo the abortion at KEM Hospital. I hoped the court would allow us to go to a private facility to maintain anonymity, Santosh told HT.

READ MORE

No guidelines on abortion after 20 weeks disappointing: Mumbai doctors

Supreme Court allows Mumbai woman to abort 24-week-old abnormal foetus
The Bombay high court on Tuesday came down heavily upon the state government for its insensitivity towards survivors of rape and sexual violence. It said that the government must not for a moment think that it was performing charity by providing compensation and legal aid to such survivors.

A bench of Justices Ranjit More and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi said that it was the states duty to come to the aid of survivors of rape, acid attack and sexual abuse and that it wasnt doing any charity by promising compensation and benefits.

The directions came after the state government told the court that it was yet to take a decision on expanding the scope of its Manodharya or the state victim compensation scheme, to apply it retrospectively in compliance with a previous court order.

The government counsel told the high court that the state Women and Child Development department had objected to the scheme citing lack of funds.

The state said that the Centre had released a feeble amount of Rs17 crore towards the Manodharya scheme, and it needed another Rs40 crore to make the scheme applicable retrospectively from 2009 onwards.

The court also took exception to the government counsels submission that in one incident of providing aid to rape survivors, it had provided police protection to the father of one such survivor. This man lives in a slum area where there was no facility for the constable to even get a glass of drinking water. He contracted dengue because he had to stand outside the house for eight hours. So its not like we are not doing anything.

At this, the bench reminded the government pleader that the state had voluntarily announced the Manodharya scheme. Besides, it said, the Supreme Court in its previous order, had mandated that state governments must extend aid to rape survivors.

You are not doing charity by providing compensation to rape survivors. You have a duty to do so, the bench said. Manodharya is a special scheme so, do not defeat its purpose, it said. And about your constable, why do you force him to work even when he has dengue. Why dont you deploy other police officials on a rotational basis? it said.

It also directed the government to ensure that survivors are given the compensation amount as soon as the FIR is registered.

What is the point of making the scheme retrospective if you will make the victims wait endlessly for compensation and legal aid while the trial drags on for years, the bench said.

The court has scheduled further hearing in the case on January 24.

Also read: Bombay HC: Consensual sex on promise of marriage is not rape

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The Congress has decided to announce a flurry of sops, including free water and reduction in property tax,to woo voters ahead of the civic elections in Mumbai. The party will also promise 90 litres of water for every person, daily, if elected to power in the civic body.

Pothole-free roads and a waste-free city also features in the list of promises.

The freebies will be charted in the soon-to-be-released manifesto. They are on the lines of the Aam Aadmi Party announcements during the Assembly elections in Delhi, two years ago.

The partys Mumbai president, Sanjay Nirupam, said that the supply of water was possible if the water tanker mafia menace could be weeded out. He said that when the shortfall of the water in the city was 550 million litre per day (MLD), 750 MLD was taken away by the tanker mafias in connivance with the corrupt politicians and civic officials.

The permissible water supply (90litre per person per day) will be given free of charge; though over and above it will be charged. In most areas, even in buildings at plush localities, water is supplied only for 20-30 minutes as about 27% water gets wasted in leakages. The round-the-clock supply of the drinking water was easily possible if the leakages are plugged and the nexus of illegal sale of the water to tanker mafias was eroded, Nirupam said.

The party has also promised good roads and a cleaner city if elected to power in the civic body. The Rs352 crore road and Rs150 crore disilting scam that erupted in the civic body, had recently eclipsed civic administration. Despite having Rs6,611 crore for the repair of 2,000km roads, the civic body has not been able to give citizens pothole-free roads. Similar is the story with solid waste and dumping grounds. The Shiv Sena has failed to shut down the dumping ground in the city, despite having promised so in its manifesto last time. We will shut down the dumping grounds immediately after being elected to power, said Nirupam.

Mumbai Congress also launched a massive campaign to highlight the corrupt rule of Shiv Sena-BJP over the last two decades. Sanjay Nirupam announced that the party was resorting to traditional and modern mediums to expose the ruling combine. Streetplays directed by noted theatre personality Mandar Shinde will run about 150 plays that will directly hit various scams and irregularities that took place in the ruling regime, including the hardship faced by commoners due to demonitisation and Shiv Sena campaign Did You Know. The party is also launching a campaign on social media, besides advertising in the print media and through outdoor mediums.

READ MORE

Aam Aadmi Party will not contest Mumbai civic polls, focuses on Punjab and Goa

Shiv Sena, BJP begin BMC alliance talks

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The past and the future come together in this new demonstration of high quality contemporary watchmaking created by the Panerai Laboratorio di Idee: the Panerai Lab-IDTM. This new Special Edition of only 50 units is notable for the timeless design of the Luminor 1950 collection and also presents a series of technological innovations. To create this watch, the brand sought inspiration in the infinite potential of carbon.

The Luminor 1950 case  49 mm in diameter  is made of carbotech, a composite material based on carbon fibre, which was introduced into the world of watchmaking by Panerai. As well as ensuring exceptional technical performance, carbotech has a dense, uneven blackness which varies with the cut of the material, making each individual example different from all the rest, and unrepeatable. The structure of carbotech enhances both the appearance and the performance of the material, which is used to make the case and the bridge device with its locking lever protecting the winding crown, thus helping to ensure the watchs water-resistance to 10 bar. To form the sheets of carbotech from which these components are made, very thin sheets of carbon fibre are pressed together at a controlled temperature under very high pressure with the organic polymer PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone), which links the composite material, making it yet more resistant and reliable. The carbon fibres used are very long, so as to achieve great aesthetic uniformity. The sheets are superimposed and pressed together in such a way the orientation of the fibres of each layer is out of phase with the one below or above it. This structure has the effect of increasing the mechanical properties of carbotech compared to those of similar materials or others often used in high quality watchmaking. This material is lighter and more resistant to external stresses, as well as being hypoallergenic and not subject to corrosion.

The dial has the classic sandwich structure invented by Panerai, in which the luminous substance  in this case blue-coloured Super-LumiNova  emerges through the openings made in the dial corresponding to the hour markers and the small seconds dial, ensuring excellent visibility and legibility. On this model these characteristics are further enhanced by the innovative materials used: the dial has a coating of carbon nanotubes, used for the first time for the display dial. The optical properties of this special coating have been specially developed to absorb light, reducing reflection to a minimum and giving the dial a particularly deep black appearance, forming a contrast with the blue of the hour markers and hands.

The new Panerai Lab-IDTM has a P.3001/C hand-wound calibre with a power reserve of three days, now presented for the very first time in an innovative version, semi-skeletonised, completely without additional lubrication and with only four jewels. By using a wide range of solutions, specially devised for the individual parts of the movement and associated with the unique properties of carbon, the plates, bridges, barrels, escapement and anti-shock device use self-lubricating and dry lubricating materials, and are hence exempt from any liquid lubrication. These solutions have revolutionised the need for maintaining and overhauling the calibre, enabling Panerai to guarantee it for no less than 50 years.

Most of the P.3001/C movement can be seen through the sapphire crystal caseback, enabling the power reserve indicator to be read. The skeletonising of the bridges and the barrels makes it even easier to admire the technical excellence and finish of a calibre of extreme reliability and great precision. The movements distinctive features include a balance wheel which is no less than 13.2 mm in diameter, fixed by a bridge with twin supports and oscillating at a frequency of 3 Hz, and the device which stops the balance and returns the seconds hand to zero (seconds reset) when setting the time, so that the watch can be perfectly synchronised with a reference signal.

The new Panerai Lab-IDTM is supplied with a black leather strap, with contrasting sewing in the same blue as the luminous details of the dial.
This is one race bikers in the city won hands down in 2016.

Of the 17.03 lakh traffic offences recorded in Mumbai last year, 8.23 lakh were committed by bikers. With the number of cases against bikers surpassing previous years figures, officials at the Mumbai traffic police are looking at ways to instill a sense of discipline among them. Road safety is a casual subject in India. Death in a road accident has become a casual issue, said RK Padmanabhan, additional director general, highway police, Maharastra, addressing road safety volunteers and traffic police personnel gathered at Road Safety Week 2017 in Mumbai. The problem is people are conditioned to flout rules when a uniformed police person is not in sight, said a traffic police inspector.

The Mumbai traffic police have got hi-tech equipment, including 4,672 CCTV cameras, to keep an eye on traffic violations. But JJ flyover seems to be stuck in time. There are no CCTVs on the flyover. While there is one at the CST-end, it is not able to capture bikers getting on to the flyover. Installing CCTVs will help us identify and issue challans to those flouting norms, said a traffic police officer.

Advocate Mubin Solkar, who challenged the ban, feels with the availability of technology to keep track of violators, the ban should be repealed. It is not right to punish all bikers for a few black sheep. The police can easily catch rash riders on the flyover, Solkar said.

A senior traffic official said there is a need for behavioural change among bikers. Continuous enforcement is not the endgame. Bikers were banned on the flyover to reduce the fatalities. With consistent efforts, we have succeeded in bringing down the number. The bikers need to understand that.

Solkar said, Most accidents take place during wee hours. The traffic police should allow bikes on the flyover during peak hours and deploy police at night. This will save bikers time and fuel and avoid waste of human resources of the police department.

The traffic department has also been conducting seminars at various schools and colleges, as youngsters form a considerable number of bikers in Mumbai. We need to sensitise bikers that they have a licence to ride, but ride responsibly. We will be able to solve the problem only through awareness. Today, through the efforts of the traffic police, motorists consciously stop at a zebra line, I hope others follow suit, Solkar said.

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HT Road safety series: Bikers, beware! Taking JJ flyover comes with a risk

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Countering Shiv Senas Did you know? campaign, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Tuesday unveiled its election catchline It is still not late to position itself as an alternative to the ruling party.

The advertising blitz focusses on the failure of the Sena-BJP government in the state and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said MNS corpoartor Sandeep Deshpande.

Our campaign highlights how the ruling partners have been unable to provide decent civic facilities to Mumbaiites. We appeal to citizens to vote them out and give us a chance, said Deshpande.

Launching the campaign with interaction on Facebook with the electorate, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday asked his workers to expose the Sena-BJP at every forum from rallies to door-to-door campaigning to social media. The MNS, which saw a phenomenal success in the 2012 civic polls with 28 corporators elected to the BMC, is facing its biggest challenge, perpetuated with frequent defections and low morale of its workers.

The party reached its lowest ebb when it faced a rout in the 2014 parliamentary and assembly polls. While Thackeray has dismissed the turncoats as opportunists, experts have blamed him for not capitalising on the success during the 2009 and 2012 elections.

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Can smaller parties sway major players voters?

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To curb the illegal use of mobile phones, the Maharashtra prison department has moved a proposal to procure and install 39 new mobile jammers across the states nine central jails. According to prison department officials, the proposal was approved by the home department and the tendering process has been initiated. The new jammers are likely to be installed over the next few months.

Additional director general (Prisons) BK Upadhyay told HT that the new mobile jammers will mostly be fitted in central prisons.

The illegal use of phones inside jails by undertrials and convicts has been a major headache for jail and police officials, who have often found criminals and underworld operatives running crime syndicates from inside prison walls. Officials added that though there are currently 70 to 80 jammers inside various central and district prisons, the old jammers are not working properly, which has caused them to seek replacements.

There are times when telecom companies increase their frequency. When this happens, a portion of the jail starts receiving signal. Criminals take advantage of this, said an official. Explaining why jammers stop working sometimes, he said central jails are built over a large area and installing a single jammer for the entire area is impossible. He said multiple jammers are used, which sometimes face technical issues . Criminals then take advantage of these loopholes, he said.

Officials said inmates use various techniques to smuggle SIM cards and handsets inside the jail. Despite preventive steps being taken, the criminals still manage to make calls and run rackets from behind bars. Officials, however, said jammers are more useful than most of the methods employed by prison officials to curb the illegal use of mobile phones in jails.

The jails where this problem is most rampant includes Arthur Road Jail, Taloja Jail and Nashik Jail.

In April 2014, Uday Pathak  the main accused in the 2011-Kurar quadruple murders  was found running a gang using a mobile phone he had smuggled into Arthur Road Jail. In June 2013, gangster Abu Salem was shot at in Taloja Jail. It was later found that the shooter, Devendra Jagtap, had spoke to gangster Chhota Shakeel on a mobile phone smuggled into Taloja Jail and accepted a contract to kill Salem.

Read more: Jammers to check smuggling of phones into Haryana jails

Mumbai: 70 jammers to cut off Arthur Road jail from underworld

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Consumers who are forced to pay hefty service charges at restaurants despite the Centres directive against it, can now participate in an online campaign initiated by Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP), the consumer body that is collecting food bills from across the state.

Consumers can now send pictures of their restaurant bills through WhatsApp on 9987555665 before January 23. These bills will be studied by the MGP to understand how service charges and tax is calculated and collected by hotels and restaurants across the state.

This bills will be submitted to ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, department of consumer affairs in the MGPs petition to remove service charges from food bills.

In December, the Union ministry had issued an advisory to all state governments saying that charging service charges in the range of 5%-20% in the food bill is an unfair trade practice. The advisory said that the service charge should be at the customers discretion and they can also ask for the waiver if they are dissatisfied with the service.

But irrespective of the advisory, majority of hoteliers in the state continue to charge the said tax. In fact, their associations have even challenged the Centre saying that those who dont want to pay the charges need not come to their restaurants.

It is mentioned in the advisory that collecting service charges is an unfair trade practice, which means it is illegal. It should be left to the individual as to how much he or she wants to pay for the service or if at all they should pay, said Shirish Deshpande, MGP chairman.

On the contrary, hoteliers are demanding withdrawal of the advisory. Services charges have been levied for many years and it is mentioned on the menu card that the service charges will be applicable. We demand that the Union government withdraw this advisory as it is leading to a lot of confusion, said Dilip Datwani, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India.

The campaign

Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) has started a week-long mobile and online campaign to collect complaints about service charges in food bills.

The campaign started on Monday and will continue till January 23, 2017.

Consumers have been asked to send in restaurant bills through WhatsApp on 9987555665

The consumer body will study the pattern of collecting and calculating the service charges and tax.

This will be submitted to ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, department of consumer affairs to remove the element from food bill

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Deadlock ends: FM Jaitley pushes GST rollout to a more realistic July 1

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The city crime branch on Tuesday seized Rs65 lakh worth old currency from Kurla and arrested three people in connection with the case.

The police came to know about the currency when Kantilal Shah, 33, a mobile shop owner and resident of Kurla approached a police informer and told him that he wanted to exchange demonetised notes worth Rs49 lakh. According to the police sources, Shah had also told the informer that two of his friends also wanted to exchange their notes worth Rs6 lakh and Rs10 lakh respectively. As soon as the informer tipped off the police, inspector Sunil Mane along with his team laid a trap for the trio.

They were called to meet the informant in early on Tuesday in Kurla and as they came along with the cash, the police nabbed them. The accused were carrying money worth Rs65 lakh in demonetised notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000.

The trio was then brought to the crime branch unit 3 for inquiry. We have done a punchnama and the suspects will be handed over to the income tax department for further inquiry said a crime branch officer.

Also read: Black money crackdown: 32 cases of violations lodged till date, says CBI
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court, which framed charges against former media tycoons Indrani and Peter Mukerjea and Indranis first husband Sanjeev Khanna, said it relied on emails, SMSes and call records while doing so. It also relied on the statements of witnesses, particularly those of Rahul Mukerjea, Peters younger son from his first marriage and Sheenas fiance; Kajal Sharma, an employee of Indrani; Shyamwar Rai, Indranis former driver who has turned approver, and a security guard at the Mukerjeas home at Marlow building, Worli.

All three accused were charged with murder, kidnapping, destroying evidence and giving false information. The court also charged Indrani with using a forged document as genuine. However, the court dropped the charges of cheating, forgery for cheating and causing hurt with poison.

Peters lawyer Mihir Gheewala had challenged the charges invoked by CBI and contended that they didnt apply to his client. There is no evidence or material to show Peters involvement for the charges of attempt to murder, cheating and forgery, Gheewala had contended.

Referring to the CBIs charge sheet, Gheewala said, The agency has tried to colour the case by adding several emails and messages. The agency, by referring to some paragraphs and lines, has tried to interpret and draw an inference for the involvement of Peter.

Khannas lawyer Niranjan Mundargi had contested some of the charges levelled against him. Mundargi said he didnt have anything to say about conspiracy and murder charges but added, As far as the instances of forgery or cheating are concerned, Khanna has no role to play. Hence those charges cannot be applied.

The court noted that the SC, in the case of Kanti Bhadrahsha versus the State of West Bengal, had said detailed reasoning was not required when framing charges. Honble Apex court has observed what is required to be looked into is the ground for proceeding against the accused for the offence charged in the matter, the CBI courts order read. It noted the SC had made it clear that at the stage of framing charges, there was no need to consider sufficiency of materials for the purpose of conviction or acquittal. The court said the statements of witnesses left no doubt on pressing charges of murder, kidnapping, tampering with evidence, giving false information to save an offender, and criminal conspiracy. The court, however, held there was not enough evidence to charge the three with intentionally omitting to give information, causing hurt by means of poison, extortion, cheating and forgery for cheating.

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A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court is likely to frame charges on Tuesday against former media tycoons Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, and Indranis first husband Sanjeev Khanna, for allegedly conspiring, killing and disposing the body of her daughter Sheena Bora, on Tuesday.

They are also accused of trying to murder Indranis son Mekhail Bora. Earlier, Peters lawyer Mihir Gheewala had challenged the charges invoked by the CBI and contended that they were not applicable on him. There is no evidence or material to show Peters involvement for the charges of attempt to murder, cheating and forgery, Gheewala had contended.

Gheewala had also argued that unless there was evidence to show Peters proper involvement in the crime, he could not be charged with forgery or cheating or attempt to murder of Mekhail.

Referring to the charge sheet filed by the CBI, Gheewala had contended that the agency has tried to colour the case by adding several emails and messages. The agency, by referring to some paragraphs and lines, tried to interpret and draw an inference about the involvement of Peter.

Khannas lawyer Niranjan Mundargi too had contested some of the charges levelled by the prosecution. He contended, As far as instances of forgery or cheating is concerned, Khanna has no role to play. Those charges cannot be applied.

After the conclusion of the arguments by Mundargi, special CBI judge HS Mahajan reserved the order on charges for January 17.

The case had come to light when on August 21, 2015, when the Khar police arrested Shyamvar Rai, Indranis driver for illegal possession of a weapon. He led them to the spot where the body of Sheena Bora, then believed to be Indranis sister, was burnt in Raigad

Later, on August 25, a murder case registered at the Khar police station under IPC sections 302 (murder), 363 (kidnapping), 201 (tampering with evidence or giving false information to save offender), 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention). Indrani, her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and Rai were named in the FIR.

On August 28, 2015, Khanna was arrested from Kolkata. A controversial turn of events had seen then Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria being shunted out of office with a promotion, and later on September 18, 2015, the case was handed over to the central agency. On November 19, 2015, media baron and former Star TV CEO Peter Mukerjea was arrested. Later, Indranis driver Rai volunteered to be a prosecution witness and was turned approver. None of the accused in the case has received bail.

READ MORE

Sheena Bora murder: Some of CBIs charges dont apply to Peter and Sanjeev, say lawyers

Sheena Bora murder: Indrani out of jail, performs fathers last rites

Sheena Bora murder: Indranis lawyer says she did not attempt to kill Mekhail

Sheena Bora murder: Indrani wants to donate organs, 75% of wealth

Indrani lured Sheena with promise of a diamond ring, claims driver Rai

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Amid seat-sharing talks for the Mumbai civic polls, the Shiv Sena on Tuesday tried to push the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a corner, turning the tables and beating the BJP with the same transparency stick that it was using against its ally.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party said it is fully on board with the BJP when it asks for transparency in administration, but this transparency should be visible in the state and Union governments, too, and even in other municipal corporations such as Nagpur, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Anil Parab, senior Shiv Sena leader, said, Shiv Sena also feels that administration should be transparent. But this should not be limited to a municipal corporation alone. There should be transparency in the Union and state governments too.

Taking a jibe at the BJP, Parab said the way the Union government unilaterally decided to demonetise and suddenly scrap Rs500 and Rs1,000 currency notes without consulting other parties was not a hallmark of transparency.

Despite the jibe, the talks will now resume on Wednesday afternoon at state BJP president Raosaheb Danves residence. After the Sena attack, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis called Thackeray and it is learnt that both the leaders decided that talks should continue.

We are seriously holding the dialogue, said Fadnavis, at a public function in the evening.

Parab, a key leader from Senas side in the seat-sharing talks, said, From what we know, transparency means everything should be open to all. What are the decisions? How are they taken? In the municipal corporation, there are standing committee meetings where corporators of all parties are present, journalists are present and everyone is aware about the decision-making process. If this is the definition of transparency, even in state cabinet meetings the leader of opposition should have a place, journalists should have a place.

Parabs remarks came after Sena leaders held meeting at Thackerays residence, Matoshree, a day after the first round of seat sharing talks were held on Monday. The talks hit a hurdle on the issue of transparency in civic administration that BJP has laid down as a condition for the alliance. However, the agenda smacked of political one-upmanship since the reference was clearly to corruption in the BMC and scams in road works and desilting. It was decided late on Monday night that Fadnavis and Thackeray would bring greater clarity on this issue after which talks would resume.

It is learnt that both the leaders decided that the talks should resume without any further sparring. It is, however, not clear how this transparency agenda would get defined in the campaign for the polls, if the parties join hands.

Both parties are positive about an alliance in Mumbai and across the state, so talks are being held, said Danve. During the Mumbai talks, we said transparent agenda should be there, they also agreed but said there should be clarity on how to define it. Now, talks will resume from tomorrow and we will discuss seat sharing then.

While the BJP is keen on getting 115 of the 227 seats in the BMC, the Shiv Sena is willing to concede 90 to 100 seats. The exact division of wards also remains a sticking point.

Also read: Shiv Sena, BJP begin BMC alliance talks

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This is not the first Mumbai civic election the Shiv Sena is contesting. Neither is it the first civic election when the Sena is in power. The party has ruled the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for three decades since 1985, barring four years (1992-96).

Since 1997, it has held on to its vote share in Mumbais municipal wards and to its position as the largest party in the municipal council.

Despite all this, the civic polls this year are more significant for the Shiv Sena than the previous ones. There is more at stake than just retaining control of the city.

The election on February 21 is Mumbais first civic poll after the Senas bitter ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), dramatically expanded its presence in the state and the country, riding on Prime Minister Narendra Modis popularity and talk of a gleaming development agenda. It is the first election since 1992 when the Sena is facing a serious challenge, that too from an ally, not a rival.

This is also the first BMC election that Uddhav Thackeray will lead the Shiv Sena by himself, without the towering presence of his father Bal Thackeray who founded the party. With much to prove, Thackeray is leaving no stone unturned.

With the Congress in Mumbai not looking strong as yet, the NCPs influence on the wane and the MNS in crisis, it is BJP that is the Senas prime competition. The BJP, which has been the Senas junior partner in the BMC so far, is eyeing exponential growth in Mumbai.

The Sena cannot risk the BJP growing to be an equal in the BMC, for this would hurt not just the Senas bargaining power at the state level, but also Thackerays leadership credentials.

Even as seat-sharing talks are on, with relations having grown frosty of late, the Sena is preparing the ground to contest solo, if need be.

Though it had won the mayorship earlier, the Shiv Sena first wrested control of the BMC in 1985, winning 75 seats, after a campaign harping on Mumbai and the Marathi manoos. More than 30 years later, the party is trying to soften its hardcore pro-Marathi sons of the soil image and paint a more inclusive picture, reaching out to Mumbais non-Maharashtrians, especially Gujaratis and North Indians.

Traditionally in the saffron alliance, wards in Mumbais Marathi-dominated areas would be contested by the Shiv Sena, while the Gujarati and North Indian-dominated wards would go to the BJP. The citys Gujarati community has thus far been mostly loyal to the BJP, while the North Indian votes usually split between the BJP and the Congress.

The Senas started visibly reaching out to the BJPs core voter base in September last year when the party put up posters in Ghatkopar, a largely Gujarati-speaking suburb, in the Gujarati language to woo the community ahead of the release of the states housing policy. The party later inducted Gujarati leaders such as Hemraj Shah from the Bruhad Mumbai Gujarati Samaj, Rajesh Doshi, deputy head of the BJPs Gujarati wing from Kandivali, producer Tejas Gohil and others. Constantly taking on the Narendra Modi-led government over demonetisation, the Sena is also attempting to tap the angst in Mumbais business community, mostly comprising Gujaratis, against the move.

Abhishek Ghosalkar, a Shiv Sena corporator from Dahisar, organised a Chhath Puja this year in his area, which has a significant North Indian population. We are pro Mumbaiites. Our motto is that whoever lives in Mumbai is a Mumbaiite. That was Bal Thackerays statement too right from the beginning, but over the years people developed a sort of misunderstanding about the Shiv Sena. So, some communities are disappointed with us. We are only reaching out to them now and making that extra effort at telling them that we have always been inclusive, Ghosalkar said.

In the 2014 assembly polls when the BJP and the Shiv Sena contested solo after more than two decades of a pre-poll alliance, it was the BJP that had the last laugh in Mumbai, winning one constituency more than the Shiv Sena. Senior Shiv Sena leaders such as Subhash Desai, Vinod Ghosalkar, and Mangesh Satamkar had to cede their strongholds to relatively younger and inexperienced BJP candidates.

The partys immediate priority is to change that equation, be one-up on the BJP in Mumbai, and stamp its influence on areas such as Borivali, Dahisar, Goregaon, Sion Koliwada and Vile Parle, where the BJP triumphed during assembly polls, despite the areas having a significant population that has traditionally voted for the Shiv Sena.

Besides, the party will also have to focus on reclaiming Dadar and Mahim, traditionally bastions of the Shiv Sena that the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena snatched during the 2012 elections, dislodging the Sena from all seven councillor seats. Prior to that, the Shiv Sena had five of the seven wards.

The party first roared from Shivaji Park in 1966 where Bal Thackeray addressed his first Dussehra rally, an annual tradition since then. The partys headquarters, Sena Bhavan, is a stones throw away.

However, it is a prestige issue for the MNS too.

Like the Shiv Sena, the MNS first rally was also at Shivaji Park when Raj Thackeray announced the partys formation in 2006. It steadily ate into the Senas pie, getting a legislator elected from the constituency and wrenching control of all seven corporation wards in 2012.

However, just as quickly as the MNS tightened its grasp over the Dadar-Mahim belt before 2012, the area started to slip from the partys hands, as it lost heavily in the following parliamentary and legislative polls to the Shiv Sena, which now hopes to improve on its performance. The Shiv Sena has even poached Prakash Patankar, the MNS zonal head for the Dadar-Mahim area, with his supporters, and is making a list of all its previously successful and influential leaders from the area such as Milind Vaidya and Vishakha Raut as well as sitting legislator Sadia Sarvankars son, Samadhan Sarvankar, as possible candidates to take on the MNS.

The Shiv Sena, which had the image of being conventional and rather stiff, is suddenly talking the language of an average young Mumbaiite who works hard, hangs out at cafes and restaurants, and lives half his or her life within the virtual confines of social media. The party had given up its opposition to Valentines Day a few years ago.

As per the latest Census data, around 50 per cent of the total voting population in India  378.6 million out of 762 million  falls in the age bracket of 18 to 35 years. Even if the exact figure cannot be extrapolated for Mumbai, young voters are on the rise in the countrys maximum city too.

Over the last two years, the Sena has made a conscious effort to promote Aaditya Thackeray to attract young voters who were fascinated by MNS chief Raj Thackeray for some time.

The 26-year-old Thackeray scion was a major reason why the Shiv Sena stopped its protests against Valentines Day. He talks a language that most young Mumbaiites want to hear, pushing for a proposal for opening up Mumbais nightlife, reserving streets for artists and musicians, roping in personalities such as Dino Morea, Akshay Kumar and Alia Bhatt for his causes, and keeping up a regular dialogue with citys young Twitterati.

The partys latest election campaign comes with an English tagline  #Didyouknow  offering tidbits about everything that the BMC has been doing in the education, infrastructure, health and other sectors. It is a more youthful, cosmopolitan version of its earlier campaign tagline Karun Dakhavla (We did it).

According to Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena parliamentarian from South Mumbai, at least 30 per cent of Mumbais population is in the 18-35 age bracket. The young voters were always with the saffron, and the Sena has always tried to take up their issues. But over a period of time their issues have changed. During Balasaheb Thackerays time, the concerns were employment, stability. Today, those concerns are to an extent redundant, and the younger generation craves for other things. The Shiv Sena is adjusting its vision and moving with the times, he said.

Read

Can underdog Congress get its act together?

Congress to gherao four RBI offices on Jan 18 against note ban

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An icon of an orange juice matched with a happy face means I like orange juice Likewise, one with a sad face means I dont like orange juice. This is how people with speech difficulties can now communicate using images via a free app developed by the Industrial Design Centre (IDC) of the Indian Institute of Technology  Bombay (IIT-B).

The app, called Jellow Communicator, can be used by children with cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome and brain injury, and adults who have lost their speech to a stroke.

The idea to develop such an app originated in 2004 for children with cerebral palsy. Children with cerebral palsy have speech problems, and that affects their ability to communicate and this blocks all channels of learning. It affects social, cognitive and motor development, said Sudha Srinivasan, post-doctoral fellow, IDC, and paediatric speech therapist, who provided clinical content for the app.

Initially, it was conceptualised as a hardware device with each piece costing around Rs13,000. But it turned out to be expensive. And with mobile phones getting cheaper, the idea then moved on to developing a free app instead of carrying a device, said professor Ravi Poovaiah, IDC.

Over the last two years, an interdisciplinary team of therapists, graphic designers, software programmers and animators at the IDC School of Design worked on developing the app. Around 8,200 lines of pre-programmed vocabulary each in English and Hindi enables users to communicate what theyd like to eat for breakfast  from eggs and bread to upma and dosa  or learn about animals and birds through the Google text-to-speech converter app available on playstore. A keyboard feature in the app enables the app to speak out custom-typed sentences. The content, icons and accent of the app are developed bearing in mind the socio-cultural context of India.

The team conceived novel Visual Emotional Language Protocol to enhance the language ability of Jellow, and content was developed following research that involved children, therapists, and parents.

The app can also be used by children who are learning to speak to communicate daily activities such as brushing, going to the toilet and bathing. Toddlers now are interested in mobiles. So when they explore the app, seeing the images and hearing the sounds associated with it will help them improve their vocabulary, said Srinivasan.

The team is now collecting data to document the apps effectiveness, improve it based on user feedback. Next, the vocabulary will be available in Bengali and Marathi. We are waiting for Google text-to-speech engines to be available in other languages to translate the pre-programmee vocabulary, said Srinivasan.

Also read

IIT-Bombay likely to start BSc in Economics from this year

Most IIT-Bombay graduates prefer living in India over abroad

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China Warns to 'Take Gloves Off' If Trump Breaks Away from One China

China issues another threat at Trump and is ready to "take off the gloves." (Photo : Getty Images)

China, through its state media, warned that the country will "take the gloves off" if President Donald Trump insists on breaking its support from the One China policy.



China Daily wrote, "If Trump is determined to use this gambit on taking office, a period of fierce, damaging interactions will be unavoidable, as Beijing will have no choice but to take off the gloves."



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According to Lu Kang from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the One China policy is "non-negotiable." Washington had only maintained unofficial ties with Taiwan since 1979.



In a statement, Lu said, "The government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing China. That is the fact acknowledged by the international community and no one can change."



Trump also said in an interview that "everything is under negotiation, including 'One China.'"



The statement made by Trump indicated that the President is still not convinced that the policy is untouchable.



The interview is the latest indication that Trump could shake up the U.S.-China relationship, particularly on Taiwan, which China considers a core national interest.



Trump then said in a television interview that he didn't feel "bound by a One China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade."



China sees the One China policy as a sensitive issue and the core of its bilateral relations with the U.S.



Reince Priebus, Trump's incoming chief of staff, said that "there are no plans to change the One China policy."



"But certainly that policy is on the table if China doesn't also come to the table and work with us on trade, work with us on the South China Sea and what's happening there," Priebus added.


Now that the bugle has been sounded for the civic polls across Maharashtra, the stakes seem to be the highest for the Shiv Sena. Of the five big corporations going to polls  Brihanmumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik and Nagpur  it does not really matter whether the Sena wins or loses the last four. But its very survival depends on the results to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), where it has ruled for more than two decades and which constitutes both the astitva and the asmita for the party.

Despite concerted efforts by the BJP, with whom the Sena is allied in both the Union and state governments, and the Congress which is in opposition to both the allies, recent surveys show that the Shiv Sena is still holding its neck above water despite charges of incompetence, non-performance and corruption, laid against it by both the parties.

So it is but natural that the party should not want to ally with the BJP for the polls which, after some sabre rattling against its junior partner, is suddenly showing signs of warmth towards the Sena and hinting at a possible alliance with it.

That may be because the surveys indicate that in case all parties go it alone at these polls, the BJP could be in third position, even behind the Congress  that is likely to cause the ruling party in the state a major setback, not just electorally but also in terms of the psychological barriers that both the Congress and the Shiv Sena will overcome.

While the Congress has identified the Sena as its main rival at the polls and might be content with merely maximising its seats in the BMC  given its dismal state and poor show at the two elections in 2014, this would be a shot in the arm for the party  even a few seats more than the BJP could come as a boost to its prospects in 2019. While it is true that it is largely local issues that govern civic elections, one cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that post demonetisation, these elections will be a litmus test for the BJP. Their core voter base in the city are traders and small entrepreneurs and their vote will determine the future of the BJP. For even if these traders decide to side with the Shiv Sena now, their disenchantment with the BJP is likely to open doors for the Congress during the 2019 elections.

For the BJP, thus, the stake is very high at these civic polls although the party is unlikely to be decimated in the way the Shiv Sena can be if either of them fails to do well in February.

A Sena victory, though, will return things to status quo. However, a Shiv Sena defeat is likely to lead to a tectonic shift in the polity of not just the metropolis but also the state. In one fell stroke, the BJP, even in the event of its inability to capture the BMC, would have achieved its purpose of destroying the Shiv Sena, which so far has bounced back from every adversity and continues to be seen as the only party with the guts to take on both the BJP and Narendra Modi.

These five big corporations, along with Aurangabad which went to polls in 2015 and returned the Sena to power, might help gauge the urban mood in the state, though it is already clear that the Sena has an advantage in both Thane and Nashik, while Pune and Nagpur might still go with the NCP and BJP, respectively.

I am placing my bet on the Sena, simply by judging the mood of defectors from other political parties  most have favoured the Shiv Sena, a few the BJP. That brings its own perils for it causes resentment among old timers who see tickets slipping out of their grasp. That is also why workers of all parties do not want an alliance  even if their leaders do  to prevent further reduction of their chances and this is as true now for the Congress, which suddenly finds the NCP cosying up to it as it is of the Sena workers vis-a-vis the BJP. This is now facilitating a rebirth for the principle of friendly fights between the Sena-BJP and Congress-NCP, where they will not attack each other, only the other grouping, in the hope of making up the numbers together at a later date.

The Shiv Sena could then well lead them all in the numbers game.

READ MORE

National Congress Party, the tamest political animal

Nagpur craves more attention from CM Devendra Fadnavis

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Supriya Sule, a Member of Parliament and daughter of Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, on Tuesday kicked off her partys poll campaign to the high-stake Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and criticised the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) double standards on administrative transparency and its alliance talks with the Shiv Sena.

Punning on Senas Did you know? campaign, the NCP also launched its poll catchline: You should know.

On one hand, the BJP is making allegations of corruption over road scam against its partner Shiv Sena; on the other, it has started alliance talks with the same party, Sule said. What kind of transparency does the BJP want? If it has a poll tie-up with the Sena then what will happen to the road scam? questioned Sule, who is the star campaigner of the NCP.

People, including me, are just confused as the road scam was unearthed by the BJP, and the Sena was directly accused in the case. The BJP says they want transparency. Now, if both parties are forging an alliance then it means all corrupt people are coming together. Is this the party with a difference? said Sule, referring to BJPs tagline.

Her questions assume significance as the BJP has been targeting the Sena, which rules the richest civic body in the country, for the road scam for the past few months.

If elected to power, BJP leaders, including CM Devendra Fadnavis, have promised to weed out corruption from the BMC. The stand was adopted as the party was planning to go solo to the polls. However, the alliance talks, which started on Monday, has got stuck on the issue of transparency, a condition laid down by the BJP.

She inaugurated offices of party candidates at Charkop, Kandivali, Malad, Goregaon and Bandra.

READ

Shiv Sena, BJP begin BMC alliance talks

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A section of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers from Dadri, Jewar and Noida in Gautam Budh Nagar district have decided to protest against the partys decision to allot tickets to turncoats. They will stage a protest outside the BJP headquarters in Delhi at noon on Wednesday.

The BJP has decided to field Tejpal Nagar, 58, from Dadri and Dhirendra Singh, 50, from Jewar. Nagar had quit the Bahujan Samaj Party and joined the BJP in 2014 during the general elections, before which he was with the Congress.

Dhirendra Singh quit the Congress and joined the BJP on January 8 after he was assured a ticket from Jewar.

BJP workers said they will protest outside the party headquarters in Delhi as the central leadership is neglecting loyalists and old party workers. They said that the turncoats do not even believe in the partys ideology.

Workers fail to understand the central leaderships policy in giving tickets, ignoring those who gave their life to the party. BJP workers are true nationalists and worked honestly to strengthen the party for years. Now, when it comes to giving tickets, central leaders are naming those who worked to nurture other parties, Inderraj Khatana, 50, the president of BJPs Sector 41 booth, said.

Disgruntled workers on Tuesday held meetings in Sector 41, Agahpur, Dadri and Jewar areas to garner support for the protest. Most of these workers are angry that the BJP did not give the Dadri ticket to Nawab Singh Nagar.

However, Nagar will not participate in the protest. I will not protest as I respect the decision taken by the party leaders. But workers have the freedom to express their anger. I cannot control them, Nagar said. He lost the elections in 2007 and 2012, before which he was elected MLA in 1996 and 2002.

Protesters have planned to gather at the DND Flyway at 11am and then march towards the BJP headquarters in Delhi. Around 400 workers from Jewar have decided to stage a protest. But, I will not join them because I respect the partys decision, said Thakur Harish Singh, former BJP president of Gautam Budh Nagar district.

Gautam Budh Nagar MP and minister of state for tourism and culture, Dr Mahesh Sharma, said, The top brass of the party has taken the decision. They have decided on the Dadri and Jewar candidates because they will win seats for the party. Now, all workers should get together to work for both candidates. Also, I think that the protesters are not more than a handful.

Echoing similar views, BJP candidate from Jewar, Dhirendra Singh, said,Those protesting are very few and do not have any following in the party.

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A control room has been set up at the Jan Suvidha Kendra on the collectorate premises for voters to register complaints. The staff has also been deputed in three shifts of eight hours each. The control room can be reached by dialling toll-free number 18001805326.

On Tuesday, a register was made available for registering complaints. Presently, we are getting calls about voter cards and the inclusion of names in voter lists, an official at the control room said.

Tej Pal Singh, a sub-registrar and in-charge of one of the shifts of the control room, said, The function of the control room is to help voters by forwarding their complaints to the election officer concerned. I have requested voters to lodge complaints, specifically mentioning the violations being done by any candidate, the form of violation and the place of the violation. Complainants should also mention their contact number so that the staff can contact them for the redressal of the complaint.

Singh said, Suppose one finds a candidate distributing saris or other material things, including cash to voters, he/she must immediately inform the control room. We will send the report to the official concerned. As the location will also be specified, a team will reach the place immediately and catch the candidate red-handed, and take action as per election rules.

Even complaints of serving/supplying liquor can be made to the control room. We will forward the complaints to the excise department and the police station concerned, Singh said.

Complaints about intimidation or misbehaviour by candidates can also be lodged. This includes communal speeches that can incite tension. Such incidents must be immediately reported to the control room or even to nearby police or election officers, Singh said.

Besides the shift in-charge, four other employees are on duty to register the complaints.
On the first day of filing nominations in Ghaziabad, on Tuesday, not one candidate showed up to file their papers. However, more than 30 representatives of candidates arrived at the district election office to collect forms on the day.

Of those who visited or sent their representatives to collect forms on Day 1 were both party candidates and Independents. Among the top nominees who had their forms collected on Tuesday were BJPs Nand Kishor and the SPs Virendra Yadav, Rashid Malik and Ram Asre Sharma. While Kishors name was declared on Monday evening, the others were named in the two previous lists released by the SP. They are to contest the Sahibabad, Loni and Modi Nagar assembly seats respectively.

Both Rashid Malik and Nand Kishor not only collected nomination forms on the first day, but also paid their deposit money. The deposit money has to be paid before the filing of nomination, an additional returning officer for Loni assembly segment said.

During the filing of nomination, the candidates are required to bring along their respective proposers before the election officers. While the national and regional party nominees could make do with one proposer, the Independent candidates are required to bring along 10. The proposers should be residents of the same seat that the nominees are to contest, polling officials said.

According to official records, a total of 11 purchased nomination forms for Sahibabad assembly segment, while two each were collected by nominees from Loni and Murad Nagar segments. Ten nomination papers were purchased for Ghaziabad seat and six were collected for candidates from Modi Nagar constituency.

There was heavy police deployment both inside and outside the Ghaziabad district headquarters and the provincial armed constabulary was also kept on standby as the process of nomination filing began at about 11 am. Movement of vehicles and unauthorised persons was restricted.

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For students of Gautam Budh Nagar, lack of safety, poor infrastructure, inadequate modes of transportation and the gap between government and private institutes are some of the issues that should be the upcoming governments priority.

As Uttar Pradesh is headed towards legislative polls, the students of Gautam Budh Nagar feel their issues have always been sidelined by the politicians.

However, as 18,276 new voters have been registered in the age group 18-19 years and a total of 3,26,871 voters fall between 20 and 29 years, the youth vote bank is a major chunk that none of the political parties can afford to ignore.

Lack of safety, especially of girls, is the biggest concern among the students of the district.

I stay in Ghaziabad and I usually take shared autos after college hours. For women, travelling in the NCR is a big safety hazard as every other day we have to bear with eve teasers and perverts. I cannot even think of travelling after sunset. In my opinion, no government can call itself pro people unless they guarantee safety of women, said Devika Yadav, a student of Government Degree College, Sector 39, Noida .

Recently, the UP government launched pink autos to offer safe commute to women. However, many students termed it a failure.

The pink autos have become regular autos and the idea behind such a service has gone for a toss. Auto drivers usually pick up male passengers and many female students have suffered harassment in such autos as well, said Rama Sharma, another student.

Even in institutes located in Greater Noida, safety while commuting is the biggest concern among students.

Students have to depend on buses and autorickshaws for travel to the Knowledge Park. The area is deserted and that increases the vulnerability of getting attacked or groped. Delhi-NCR has a poor reputation when it comes to violence against women, said Alka Kumari, a student of ITS engineering college.

Many students also raised the issue of the gap between government and private institutes or central boards and state boards.

We did our matriculation from UP board where schools never had proper lab facility or infrastructure. When we joined the university, it was extremely difficult to keep up with the pace of our classmates as they studied in Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools, said Chirag Chandiwal, vice president, students union, government PG College.

I stay in Mamura village where many students are first generation graduates. The level of education we receive in government colleges is far inferior to the one given in private institutes. The government should guarantee that education will be free and fair to all sections, said Anup Kumar, a third year student at Government PG College.

Students have also suggested digitalisation of education as one of the primary concerns for the upcoming government.

Our PM is also pushing us towards digitalisation in every sphere of life then why should the government institutes lag behind with paper work and bureaucracy. Colleges should develop apps for students where they can check their attendance, syllabus and inputs from teachers. We should strive towards e-education, said Prakash Yadav, a student of Gautam Budh University.

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For 60-year-old Jiwan Chandra, a retired police as well as army person from Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, the past six months have been extremely difficult as he has lost movement owing to spinal fracture.

After he came to Delhi in September for medical treatment, he discovered that the backache was due to lung cancer. He had metastasis, a medical condition where cancer in his lung was carried through blood to his lumbar spine thereby turning him practically immobile.

I had served in the army for 26 years as a subedar and 18 years in the police as senior constable. I had also been a physical training instructor. When the disorder crippled me, I lost all hopes that I will be able to walk normally again, he said at a press conference in Noida on Tuesday.

Chandra underwent vertebroplasty by a neurosurgical team of the Fortis Hospital in Noida in October last year thereby giving him a new lease of life. The team of doctors used both screws and biological cement to fix the fracture. After the surgery, he was convalescing for a period of three months.

Experts believe that the surgery was crucial as it presented multiple challenges of advanced age, fractured spine and advanced case of lung cancer.

We treated the patient with vertebroplasty which is a medical procedure where the patients bones are strengthened through biological cement injections to erase the pain. The compressed nerves in the back region which contributed significantly to the backache were released by screws fixed in the lumbar spine region, said Dr Devavrat Arya, senior consultant, medical oncology, Fortis Hospital, Noida.

The procedure was unique as screws are generally used in case of fractures in youngsters.

When it comes to senior citizens, their bones are fragile, therefore, we decided to use both screws and biological cement as cement acts as an instant pain reliever. Many senior citizens suffer from osteoporosis and this procedure is much recommended. Even the cost of a biological cement pack costs around Rs 10,000-12,000 making it affordable, said Dr Rahul Gupta, additional director, neurosurgery, Fortis Hospital.

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Samajwadi Partys (SP) probable candidates, declared in the lists by Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, are worried about their prospects after Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday said that the Congress will form an alliance with SP for the elections. It is speculated that Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) could also join the alliance, on being guaranteed tickets from western UP, including Ghaziabad.

SP workers, upon the Election Commissions decision to award the party name and symbol to Akhilesh Yadav, were a relieved lot on Monday evening as they were unsure about the partys direction for the polls till then. However, developments on Tuesday have created more uncertainty among the probable candidates.

I had started my campaign more than a week ago as my name was on both lists released earlier. But now, the situation seems different. I am waiting for the official declaration of the alliance. RLD already has a sitting MLA from Modi Nagar and this would weaken my prospects if the alliance is formed, Ram Asre Sharma, SPs probable candidate from Modi Nagar, said.

Sharma was among the first to purchase a nomination form from the district election office on Day 1 of nominations.

District SP sources said that Sharma is close to the group led by Shivpal Yadav and has also been visiting Bharatiya Janata Party leaders of late, after the family feud and the possibility of an alliance had emerged.

Sources also said that SP candidates from Ghaziabad, having allegiance to Shivpal, are also camping at Akhileshs Lucknow office to confirm their ticket.

Prior to the ECs decision, Mulayam had announced a list of 397 candidates, in which many of Akhileshs loyalists were ignored. Later, Akhilesh also declared a list, of 290 candidates. As many as 140 candidates were common in both the lists.

I think that the alliance is being formed to nullify the anti-incumbency factor. It will also increase SPs chances of forming the next government. This may also be needed to tackle the resentment from the other group (led by Shivpal). The new list may see some new candidates or the seats may be offered to alliance partners, said Madhu Chaudhary, a veteran SP worker.

However, the candidates have started their campaigns already to showcase their work before the release of the final list, she said.

Candidates from Loni and Ghaziabad, mentioned in both the initial lists, are already on the campaign trail. Rashid Malik, a probable from Sahibabad or Loni, has decided to contest from Loni and purchased a nomination form for the same. My campaign is going well. My name was in both the lists. I will abide by the orders from the party leadership, in view of a probable alliance, he said.

Party sources said that Loni and Murad Nagar seats are SP strongholds, but there could be a change of candidate for the Murad Nagar constituency. The sources said that the Congress may also demand the Sahibabad and Ghaziabad tickets, and RLD may also want to contest from its strongholds of Modi Nagar and Murad Nagar, if an alliance is formed.

The Sahibabad seat has gained prominence for the Congress after Bahujan Samaj Party sitting MLA from the constituency, Amarpal Sharma, joined the Congress on Tuesday.

I think that the earlier list (by SP) was designed considering a probable alliance. However, I am still waiting to hear about my prospects after the EC resolved the issue. I have also started my campaign, Virender Yadav, probable SP candidate from Sahibabad, said.

In the 2012 elections, SP did not win any of the seats in Ghaziabad despite bagging 224 seats across the state. Its candidates in Ghaziabad, Sahibabad and Loni came fourth while the Modi Nagar and Murad Nagar candidates secured third and second spots, respectively.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday could not finalise its candidate for the Noida assembly seat in Gautam Budh Nagar district. The district is home to three assembly segments Noida, Dadri and Jewar .

The three constituencies are to poll in the first phase on February 11 and the harvest will be known on March 11.

Though still undecided on their Noida candidate, the BJP has fielded Tejpal Nagar, 58, a teacher and Dhirendra Singh, 50, a farmer, from Dadri and Jewar assembly constituencies.

Union home minister Rajnath Singhs son Pankaj is in the race for a ticket from the Noida seat, which is considered a bastion of the saffron party. The BJP announced candidates for 149 of Uttar Pradeshs 403 constituencies on Monday. BJPs Vimla Batham is the sitting MLA from Noida.

A section of BJP workers have erupted in protest against the partys decision to field turncoats from Dadri and Jewar. Unlike Dadri and Jewar where the BJP has fielded rebels from the opposition camp, party members want a known loyalist to be fielded from Noida .

Having sensed the disquiet in its cadre base over the decision to field turncoats, the BJP leadership is believed to have delayed naming its candidate from Noida seat.

All top central leaders will take a final call on our Noida candidate. Our top leadership will finalise the name very soon. Many names are being discussed (for the Noida seat), Dr Mahesh Sharma, BJP MP from Gautam Budh Nagar and Union tourism minister, said.

On whether the party will hand a fresh ticket to sitting MLA Vimla Batham or field Pankaj Singh, Sharma said, Both of them and few others are being discussed by the top leaders. Our cental leaders are to take a final call at a meeting to be held in Delhi.

Noida was carved as a separate assembly segment in 2012. Earlier, it was a part of the Dadri constituency, which is currently held by BSPs Satvir Singh.

In the 2012 state polls, held after Noida emerged as a separate assembly seat, Sharma secured 77,319 votes as he trounced the BSP nominee who bagged 49,643 votes.

BJPs Vimla Batham, who won in a by-poll in 2014 after Sharma vacated the seat following his election to the Lok Sabha, secured 1,00,433 votes.

Our top leaders are expected to take a final call on the Noida candidate on Wednesday or Thursday. I met with many leaders in Delhi today, who assured the name will be finalised in the next couple of days. I will be happy with whatever my party decides, Batham said.

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As part of the ticket sharing among Samajwadi Party, Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which are likely to form an alliance for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the coveted Noida assembly constituency ticket is likely to go to the Congress.

Discussions over seat sharing could not be finalised among the three parties on Tuesday, at the meeting held in Delhi. Gautam Budh Nagar district that will go to polls on February 11 has three assembly constituencies  Noida, Dadri and Jewar.

Samajwadi Party (SP) has, in principle, agreed to give the Noida seat to the Congress. The SP will field a candidate from Dadri and the RLD will name its candidate from Jewar. However, the candidates and the alliance will be formally announced on Wednesday evening in Delhi. The final discussions are still underway on seat sharing and the names of candidates, Trilok Tyagi, general secretary of RLD, said.

Sources said that Congress is eying the Noida assembly constituency because its workers and central leaders are of the view that the party will do well in an urban constituency.

Of the total 5,10,548 votes, four lakh voters are from urban areas and the rest, from rural areas, where the Congress has a poor base. The two other seats  Dadri and Jewar  are mainly rural areas, where Samajwadi Party and RLD may do better as compared to the Congress, sources said.

Congresss Vijay Pal Singh had won the Noida seat, when it was a part of Dadri constituency, in 1980. Singh remained a Congress MLA till 1985. However, the Congress has never won the Dadri or Noida seat since.

In 2014 by-elections, Congress Rajendra Awana, with 17,212 votes, came in third in the Noida constituency. In the 2012 assembly elections, Dr VS Chauhan came in fourth with 25,482 votes.

As Congress is proposed to get the Noida seat, of the three assembly segments of Gautam Budh Nagar district, many ticket hopefuls have started lobbying with the party leadership in Delhi.

Congress central election committee head Ashok Gehlot is expected to finalise the name of the candidate from Noida on Wednesday. Many Congress candidates from Noida have submitted their applications to Ashok Gehlot, but the candidate will be declared on Wednesday evening only. Congress wants Noida because we are hopeful of winning this seat as a part of the three-party alliance, Mukesh Yadav, president of Noidas Congress unit, said.

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Luosifen, traditional rice noodles cooked with river snails, has become popular from being a street food sold at night markets in Liuzhou, Guangxi Region, to an export commodity entering the global market.



On Friday, this Chinese dish has reached as far as the United States. According to a Xinhua report, a company said that it exported 50,000 packs of Luosifen to the U.S.



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The manager of Liuzhou Luozhuangyan Food Company Ltd., Jia Defa, said that the snail noodle shipment amounted to 600,000 yuan or $87,000.



Luosifen is a dish of rice noodles boiled with pickled bamboo shoots, dried turnip, peanuts and fresh vegetables in spiced river snail soup. Before it became an export product, Luosifen crossed the borders of Guangxi region and penetrated the whole of China.



The popularity of the snail noodles can further be traced from a government project in 2010 which encouraged the opening of more restaurants serving the dish in big cities outside Guangxi.



It was also featured in 2012 in the documentary show "A Bite of China."



There had been issues with the exportation of the dish due to standard compliance, but through quality control and upgraded technology, companies in Liuzhou are already meeting international standards, Xinhua reported.



Many Luosifen companies have applied for export certificates. There are more than 60 manufacturers of instant snail rice noodles playing in the market today--a big leap from just one manufacturer in late 2014.


A day after being expelled from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for anti-party activities, Sahibabad MLA Amarpal Sharma alleged that the BSP leaders had demanded 5 crore to allot him a ticket. Sharma joined the Congress on Tuesday.

The BSP recently declared a list and retained four of its sitting MLAs as contenders from Ghaziabad district for the upcoming assembly elections. However, on Monday, Sharma was expelled from the party. On Tuesday, he held a press briefing in which he made a host of allegations against BSP leaders, including party chief Mayawati and national general secretary Nasimuddin Siddiqui.

Three months ago, my ticket was held and I was asked to pay 8 crore. After demonetisation, I was told to arrange 5 crore in instalments instead. However, I kept stalling on the issue and did not pay. Finally, I was expelled on frivolous pretexts, Sharma said.

He had won the Sahibabad seat for BSP in 2012 and had defeated then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sitting MLA Sunil Sharma.

His entry into the Congress suggests that he is in the running to contest for the Sahibabad constituency. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday also confirmed about a possible alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

Sharma also denied that he was expelled from the party because he did not participate in the event to mark the birthday of BSP chief Mayawati on January 15.

I had arranged for vehicles, 500kg of laddu and LED lights for the function. I even undertook 33 different meetings in my area before the function. However, I was expelled as I did not pay 5 crore for the BSP ticket from Sahibabad. It is not due to any birthday celebration. The birthday celebration is that people come to the event to mark their attendance and possible offer money, he said.

Till yesterday, I was a BSP worker but now, the doors are open for me. Even Nasimuddin Siddiqui bargained with me for the money. Several persons, including BSPs district president, conspired against me. He is an agent of Samajwadi Party who is working with the BSP, Sharma said.

BSPs national general secretary Nasimuddin Siddiqui denied the allegations made by Sharma and also questioned why he made the statements only after he was expelled.

The one who is expelled always makes allegations. If our party was bad, why did he not run away earlier? We have stated our reasons clearly for turning him out and this is to be understood by all. Those expelled from the party or denied a ticket level such charges. All allegations are untrue and baseless, Siddiqui said.

BSPs Ghaziabad district president Premchand Bharti, said, It (the allegations) is not based in fact and he is just venting out his anger and frustration as he was expelled. We deny all the allegations.

The party is expected to announce a new candidate to contest the Sahibabad assembly segment shortly.

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Controversial RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin has been booked for taking a selfie inside Siwan prison that went viral on social media.

"An FIR has been registered against former Siwan MP Mohammad Shahabuddin and an unknown person in the selfie matter," officer in-charge of Muffasil police station Vinay Pratap Singh said on Tuesday.

The FIR has been registered on January 14 but the media was informed by the police on Monday. The case has been registered by superintendent of Siwan divisional jail, Bidhu Bhardwaj, the officer in-charge said.

On the basis of probe report of a two-member team of SDPO and SDO, district magistrate Mahendra Kumar ordered the jail superintendent to lodge an FIR in the case.

Shahabuddin had kicked up a fresh controversy in the first week of January this year when his purported selfie inside the jail showing his new look with shaven head and overcoat went viral on social media.

The four-time RJD MP is currently lodged in Siwan jail after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail granted by the Patna high court in connection with the killing of the prime witness in the murder of two brothers by pouring acid on them.

Notorious and known for muscle-flexing, Shahabuddin is facing over 36 cases, including murder and kidnapping.
Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi has demanded constitution of an all-party committee to probe Saturdays boat tragedy, which claimed 24 lives.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad, on the other hand, has blamed officials for laxity.

Prasad said tourism minister and RJD legislator from Nokha, Anita Devi, was unaware of the kite festival, despite the fact that the event was being organised by the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC).

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a book release function at the state Congress office in Patna, Prasad said, the BSTDC had not made proper arrangements for such a big event.

It should have held meetings with officials concerned as the venue of the event was at a site that connected two districts (Saran and Patna), added Prasad.

He said the tourism minister should have been taken in the loop before hosting such a big event. She was in Bounsi on the day, sources said.

Prasad, however, refused to comment on the officials chosen to conduct the inquiry. He said the BSTDC ought to have changed the venue for the kite festival to Gandhi Maidan, instead of hosting it at Sabalpur diara in Saran district.

BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, however, questioned the probe panel. He said, The probe committee cannot be trusted as it was meant to protect the guilty officers. If the government is serious about unravelling the truth, it should get the matter investigated by an all-party committee headed by a Gandhian leader, added Modi.

He said the committees constituted earlier to probe tragedies related to Dussehra and Chhath festivals, had failed to recommend action against officers.

The BJP leader said, even after a lapse of 48 hours since the boat tragedy, the state administration had not initiated action against any official.

He also reiterated his demand to put off the proposed human chain for publicising prohibition.

If other functions can be postponed in view of the tragedy, then what prevents chief minister Nitish Kumar from postponing the human chain? he asked reporters.

BJP state chief Nityanand Rai had on Sunday demanded chief minister Nitish Kumars resignation, saying the onus on the issue was squarely on him.

Senior Congress leader Sadanand Singh also questioned the states preparedness and said the incident occurred due to administrative lapses.
The FIR registered in connection with Saturdays boat tragedy, which claimed 24 lives near Patna, has left many questions unanswered.

On January 14, the sunset took place at 5.20pm. The fact that the boat tragedy was captured on mobile phone shows that there was enough light to record the heartbreaking scene, with people desperately shouting for help and a steamer, visible in the video footage, doing precious little.

However, the FIR, filed on the basis of statement of Anuj Kumar, circle officer of Sonepur in Saran district, clearly mentions that he was informed about the mishap at 6pm. However, the approximate time of the tragedy is not mentioned in it.

It came to light during the rescue operation that an amusement park had come up close to the site of the kite festival, organised by the department of tourism, that attracted a large crowd. In the evening, an unknown boatman started ferrying a large number of people on his vessel, which sank in the river, reads the FIR by Anuj Kumar, who was deputed at Sabalpur diara, the sandbar area across Ganga in Saran district, where the kite flying fest was held.

It is not clear in the FIR how an unidentified boatman reached the venue where a government function was being held and why there was no one to stop him despite governments clear guidelines about licensing of boats.

While the amusement park is yet to take shape, blaming it for the mishap appears to be an attempt by the Patna and Saran district administrations to shift the blame on a handful, hapless individuals.

How could an amusement park come up in any area without permission? And even if it did, it is more a lapse of the government authorities who could not stop it while preparing for the festival in advance, said an officer.

He said that an amusement park is already running near the indoor stadium in Kankarbagh locality here, but a lot of paraphernalia had to be met to get permission, along with submission of requisite fee.

What is more baffling is that circle officer Anuj Kumar got information about the incident at 6 pm. The programme ended around 3pm, he added, indicating that the officer deputed at the site had left the venue even before the large crowd could safely disperse.

Unfortunately, the FIR, even before completion of any investigation, has put the entire blame for the mishap on the proprietor of the amusement park while remaining silent on why the two steamers, which ferried passengers across the river to the kite festival site, went missing in the evening and why no alternate arrangements had been made to ensure the safe return of people.

The FIR has given clean chit to the organisers of the kite fest - the department of tourism - and the Patna district administration.

Sources said as the dusk started settling, some policemen present there asked people to rush back, adding to the chaos in the absence of any facility by the hosts. An order was also passed earlier that patrols and boats would not be available after 4 pm. Identifying the person who passed such a message is the key to unravelling the negligence and fix responsibility.

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Come January 21 and traffic will remain closed for five hours between 10am and 3pm on all main routes, stretching up to 3,007 kms on national and state highways, for the human chain to create awareness on benefits of prohibition.

The human chain is expected to be 11,292 kms long, covering all panchayats and blocks of the state.

The director-general of police (DGP) has already directed superintendents of police (SPs) to regulate traffic on that day.

The historic human chain will take shape from 12.15pm to 1pm.

The government has made elaborate arrangements to make it a truly historic event, which will exhibit societal support to the governments decision on total prohibition in the state, said education minister Ashok Choudhary.

Chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh said the participants in the human chain would hold each others hands at the Gandhi Maidan in a manner so as to make it appear like the states map, with Bihar written at the centre. Chief minister Nitish Kumar will also be present there, he added.

All teachers and students of schools and colleges are expected to participate in the human chain. Practice sessions are already underway in different parts of the state.

It is a unique event, involving over 2 crore people. It is Bihars event for a big cause and has got support from all quarters. People should join the chain wherever they work or stay, he added.

All district magistrates and SPs have been directed to lead the programme in their respective districts. Civil surgeons have also been directed to ensure adequate deployment of ambulances on specified main routes.

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As Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badals cavalcade criss-crossed villages on Tuesday, the buzz in the air was his bete noire Capt Amarinder Singhs arrival in Lambi for filing his nomination on Wednesday. It reflected in Badals speeches too.

Ae Patiale wale te Dilli wale, Lambi nu lawaris samajhde ne; te iss gal daa saade ilaake vich gussa vi hai (These men from Patiala and Delhi think Lambi has no custodian, and the people of this area are angry over it), Badal said in his public address at Khudian, conveying that both Amarinder, who is also fighting from home seat Patiala, and Aam Aadmi Party candidate Jarnail Singh, who resigned as MLA in Delhi to contest here, are outsiders who do not understand the area.

The crowd of 200-odd at Khudian, mainly poor and landless villagers, silently listened to their CM, who said he was addressing a meeting in this village for the last time in this campaign as he had to remain out of Lambi to campaign in other constituencies too.

A man among the folks just outside the main venue smiled: Badal has been tied to Lambi, he cant afford to leave now, because of Captain and AAP.

At every public meeting, he reminded villagers that Amarinders son, Raninder Singh, had lost the 2009 Lok Sabha contest to his daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal by 1.5 lakh votes from Bathinda parliamentary seat, of which Lambi is a part.

Badal did not even once name Jarnail, who filed his nomination papers on Tuesday. In contrast to Jarnails lambasting of Badal for the sacrilege incidents of late 2015, the CM skipped the issue and lambasted the Congress over Operation Bluestar and the 1984 carnage.

As AAP and Congress flags dotted some lanes of traditional SAD stronghold in Kakkhawali, Fatta Khera, Midda Khera, Bheeti Wala, Hakkuwala, Warring Khera, Luhara and Killianwali, people there did not open up beyond acknowledging a triangular contest this time. Many gave you guess smiles across the road, 500 metres from the CMs address venue at Bheeti Wala, while a group of AAP workers at a barber shop in Ghumiara preferred to stay away.

Of religion and resentment

At Hakkuwala, Badal recited a hymn: Raj bina na dharam chale hai, dharam bina sab gale maley hai (There is nothing more worthy than religion, and religion does not spread without political power).

The SAD has roped in kavishar groups (balladeers) who kept crowds intact before Badals arrival. They recited tales of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his legendary general Hari Singh Nalwa, comparing him with Badal. At Fatta Khera, saffron flags bearing the khanda (Sikh religious symbol) were put on the walls of the local gurdwara. The colour matched with that of the SAD flags with its symbol, scales, on houses in the village.

The CM has to please all. I know that there is a resentment among people for either their works not being done or for reasons such as not getting due recognition and respect within the party (SAD).

He added, But this election is the election of every voter of Lambi. Just like a village unites if even one house is on fire, this is the time to unite as outsiders from Patiala and Delhi are eyeing your constituency, he said.

At one stop, he honoured a landless farm labourer with a siropa, acknowledging lack of implementation of various schemes for the poor.

Security scare

At Ghumiara, a man who talked against the Badal regime was taken away from the venue before the CMs arrival, and made to sit in a faraway ground with cops surrounding him. The National Security Guard (NSG) and Punjab police commandos were on a vigil, not taking any chances after the recent incident of a protester hitting the chief minister with a shoe.

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Visibility will become poor over this week as the weather department has predicted dense fog in the region during the next few days, though Chandigarh will witness moderate fog.

After 2.7 mm rain in Chandigarh on Sunday night, the maximum temperature dipped by 2C. It was 21.1 degree on Sunday; however, it dipped to 19.3 degree on Monday. It was two degree below normal.

Sunday night remained quite warm. The night temperature increased from 7C to 11.9C and it was 5 degree above normal.

The night in Chandigarh was warmest in the region. While the night temperature in Ambala was 11.7C, it was 10.6C in Patiala, 9.8C in Karnal.

The night temperature will witness a dip by 2 degrees and the maximum temperature will remain almost the same, said Surender Paul, director, India Meteorological department, Chandigarh.

The visibility will become poor in the next two-three days, as fog will intensify in the region. Dense fog is predicted in Punjab and Haryana and shallow fog in Chandigarh, he said.

RAIN LIKELY ON JANUARY 23-24

The weatherman said Western Disturbances are expected after January 22. So, there are chances of rain on January 23-24.

FIVE TRAINS DELAYED

Kalka Mail (12311) was late by more than six hours. PatliputraChandigarh Express (13255) got late by more than 2 hours and Yesvantpur-Chandigarh Karnatka Sampark Kranti Express (22685) was late by more than an hour.

Other trains which were late by nearly an hour were Saharsa-Amritsar Jansadharan Weekly Express and Amb Andaura-Ambala DEMU.

WHAT IS FOG?

Tiny water drops hovering in the air are called fog. Fog is like a cloud. Shallow fog is fog on the ground that reduces visibility more in the horizontal than the vertical direction.

12 FLIGHTS DELAYED

A total of 12 flights were delayed on Monday due to poor runway visibility at the Chandigarh International Airport. The SpiceJet 130 between Chandigarh and Srinagar was delayed by one hour 20 minutes, Air India 464 between Chandigarh and Delhi and 9W Jet Airways 2658 were delayed by 17 minutes, Air Asia India 1825 between Chandigarh and Bengaluru was delayed by 46 minutes.

Meanwhile the 6E Indigo 477 between Chandigarh and Srinagar was delayed by 64 minutes, 9W Jet Airways 2654 between Chandigarh and Delhi was delayed by 75 minutes, Vistara 879 between Chandigarh and Delhi was delayed by 25 minutes, Spice Jet 2646 between Chandigarh and Delhi was delayed by 24 minutes, SpiceJet 253 between Chandigarh and Delhi was delayed by 53 minutes.

NEW MUMBAI, PUNE FLIGHTS DEPART ON TIME

Fog did not affect Air Indias new flights as it launched two new direct flights from Chandigarh to Pune and Mumbai. The first-ever flight from Chandigarh to Pune took off from Chandigarh International airport at 10.50am and new ChandigarhMumbai flight took off from Chandigarh at 545pm. Both the flights will run five days a week -Monday to Friday on an A320 aircraft. Officials claimed they received a good response and cultural activities like Bhangra were held.
Actor Trishas mother Uma Krishnan has lodged a complaint with the city police commissioners office seeking protection for her daughter and action against those who hacked into her Twitter account.

Trishas long association with PETA, which is aggressively campaigning against Jallikattu, has earned her the wrath of the supporters of the ancient and popular bull-taming sport.

Last week, angry protesters held up the shooting of her Tamil film Garjanai in Sivaganga district and demanded Trisha to come out of the vanity van where she took refuge.

The angry mob said that they will not allow her to shoot in Tamil Nadu unless she apologises and withdraws her support to the animal rights organisation.

Following the protest, Trisha release an official statement in which she wrote: I have never spoken against Jallikattu at any point. I am a proud Tamilian by birth and I believe and respect in Tamil culture and tradition. I would never go against the sentiments of my own people who had been instrumental in my growth and stature.

Fearing for Trishas safety, her mother has sought police protection.

In her complaint, Trishas mother wrote, She has been a dog lover since she was a child, and PETA associated with her for a photo shoot to adopt strays. Thats where her association with the organisation ends. We are Tamilians and we are not against Jallikattu.

Explaining about the post against Jallikattu on Trishas Twitter page, she said, Someone hacked her account and posted it. Trisha immediately deactivated her account.

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Mumbai

A flying helicopter carrying a jeep across the sea is perhaps the most unusual sight to watch. However, if you are in Kochi, chances are that you will see this spectacle in the backdrop of huge naval war ships and those carrying cargo. What you will also see is fishermens tiny boats bobbing on the waves, sea birds scavenging for food, and smell the distinct air of the place with the fragrances of cinnamon, cardamoms and vanilla pods.

Spiritual road

Start your trip at the charming Jewish Synagogue, which is also known as Paradesi Synagogue or Mattancherry Synagogue. It is a symbol of the multiplicity of the city. Its located in the Mattancherry area and was built in 1568. The term Paradesi (foreigner in many Indian languages) refers to the Jews from Europe and Arab countries who would frequent Kochi for trade purposes.

Even 100 years later, the grandiosity of the synagogue is intact. The grand chandeliers were imported from Belgium in the early 19th century. The floor is made of hand-painted blue porcelain tiles, which was brought from Canton, China, in 18th century. Each tile is painted differently from the other. An oriental rug gifted by the last Ethiopian emperor, Haile Selassie, is one of the prized possessions. The favourite though is a set of fourth-century copper plates with inscriptions in Malayalam, describing the privileges granted to the community by the king of Kochi.

The spice market at Bazaar Road in Kochi sees trucks offload some of the best spices at the warehouses and little shops. (Istock)

Spice trail

A short ride away is a spice heaven  the spice market at Bazaar Road. It is almost meditative to see a number of trucks offload some of the best spices at the warehouses and little shops, where they are sorted and packed for their journey across the globe. It is fascinating to gaze through the old wooden structures where onion dealers and star anise agents go about their business.

Explore a Fort

Almost a kilometre away you will hit the popular Fort Kochi beach and one of the most photographed sights in the country  the famous Chinese fishing nets and the tapering wooden boats. While the fishermen artfully spread out their fishing nets to catch the oceans bounty, people often spend time watching the activities silently.

History says that the Chinese were introduced to the native fishermen by Chinese explorer Zheng He, from the court of the Kubla Khan, between 1350 and 1450 AD. To explore the waters some more, hop onto a traditional houseboat to cruise through rows of coconut trees on either banks, casting a green reflection on the waters, paddy fields and little villages enroute Alleppey.

Food fiesta

Experiencing different cuisines is a must in this coastal city. It offers you spicy coastal dishes, simple idli-dosa, pizzas and pastas, and fish wrapped in banana leaves. Make sure that you also pack some crunchy banana and tapioca chips, freshly ground gun powder and coconut sweets. As the sun sets, another absolute delight to have is the sliced pineapples and papayas, available in jars at grocery stores.

Local flavours

Kochi is that phenomenal city where 30 communities, speaking 16 languages, have co-existed without any major conflicts. There are so many flavours to the city that it is highly recommended that you explore the city on a bicycle or by foot. Kochi is similar to a huge, scenic artwork and therefore, attracts tourists from across the globe. So, pack your bags and head south, to explore a mix of fun, food, history and culture.

Kochi-Muziris Biennale is in its third edition, which will go on till March 29. (HT Photo)

Kochi-Muziris Biennale

This time of the year, you should definitely not miss the acclaimed Kochi-Muziris Biennale. In its third edition, which goes on till March 29, the event exhibits artworks of 97 artists from 31 countries in a space spanning 5 lakh sq.ft across 12 destinations. Thus, making it one of the most desirable times for tourists to be in Kochi. I extended my stay at Kochi from two days to seven days after learning about the biennale, says Geeer Simpsonos, 28, a horticulturist from New Zealand. It is totally worth it to see the installations, and the artists in the process of creating works and engaging with the viewers.
Actor Alec Baldwin had imitated US President-elect Donald Trumps presidential debate in an earlier episode of Saturday Night Live and it drew ugly reactions from Trump. Undeterred, Baldwin recreated Trumps first official press conference as President-elect last week.

Baldwin took a dig at Trumps opaque plan to divest himself from his businesses; and the possibility that Russia possessed unverified compromising information on him, New York Times reported.

One of the highlights of Baldwins recreation was Trumps sons being introduced as Bevis and Buthead who are apparently taking over his businesses, Digitalspy reported Tuesday morning. Look at those two American psychos. You can tell theyre good business men because of how slicked back their hair is, it quoted Baldwin as saying.

The 58-year-old actor is set to be the host of a new 10-episode series of revived game show Match Game in 2017, but has said that despite the commitment he will try to make time for SNL, reported Contactmusic. Im gonna do (my impression) as much as I can. And theres discussions about other venues we might pursue to further express our gratitude and admiration for the Trump administration, Baldwin said.

Baldwin mocked Trump on a range of subjects on Saturday Night Live after his first news conference as president-elect.

Trump took to Twitter to slam the show for poking fun at the his recent press conference. Trump took to Twitter to attack the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. @NBCNews is bad but Saturday Night Live is the worst of NBC. Not funny, cast is terrible, always a complete hit job. Really bad television! he had tweeted.

.@NBCNews is bad but Saturday Night Live is the worst of NBC. Not funny, cast is terrible, always a complete hit job. Really bad television!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2017

In response to this post, director Paul Feig too took to Twitter and asked Trump to stop watching television and start concentrating on running the country. Feig wrote, Okay, now youve gone too far. The cast is brilliant. Stop watching TV and get ready to run the country. Youre the effing President. Grow up. The filmmaker also called Trump, President Snowflake in the following tweet.

Okay, now you've gone too far. The cast is brilliant. Stop watching TV & get ready to run the country. You're the effing President. Grow up. https://t.co/gljHwYHYRf  Paul Feig (@paulfeig) January 16, 2017

(With PTI inputs)

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According to experts, Chinese companies are using Beijings One Belt, One Road initiative to further expansion interests in Pakistan, as the South Asian nation is part of the project. (Photo : Getty Images)

As part of the legitimate military trade between China and Pakistan, two warships have been donated to the Pakistan Navy. The maritime vessels will be used for joint security along the sea route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).



The CPEC is a partnership between the two countries which aims to enhance the geographical linkages, also benefitting neighboring countries like Iran, Afghanistan, India, Central Asian Republic and the region.



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It will facilitate trade along an overland route that connects Kashgar and Gwadar through a construction of a network of highways, railways, optical fiber and pipelines.



"The ships have become part of the Pakistan Navy from today and the navy would become stronger with the induction of these maritime vessels," said Vice-Admiral Arifullah Hussaini, Commander of the Pakistan Navy.



Hussaini received PMSS Hingol and PMSS Basol, which were named after two rivers in the region. China will be providing two more ships to Pakistan in the near future named "Dasht" and "Zhob."



China clarified on Monday that the warships were not donations, but were sold to Pakistan.



"I have learnt that some reports said China has donated these vessels. This is not correct. The report mentioned to surveillance ships. It is normal military trade cooperation with the two countries and complies with the international commitments of the two countries," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.



Aside from joint security measures at Gward Port and along the CPEC sea route, the ships will also be employed in all maritime zones of Pakistan to undertake search and rescue operations.



China has invested $14 billion so far in 30 early harvest project under the partnership.



According to Chinese embassy deputy chief of mission Zhao Lijian, 16 out the 30 projects are currently under construction.



Through this recent deal, China and Pakistan have ensured the security of their partnership from possible threats.


Four people died and nearly 180 are missing, presumed dead, after Saturdays migrant ship capsize in the Mediterranean, officials said on Tuesday after interviewing a handful of survivors.

Humanitarian workers from International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), recounted harrowing details of the latest major tragedy in waters off Libya after talking to four rescued passengers, two Eritreans and two Ethiopians, who arrived last evening in the Sicilian port of Trapani.

The survivors, three men and one woman, were described as traumatised and exhausted. They said their two-tier, wooden boat had left Libya on Friday with more 180 people packed on board, all of them originally from East Africa.

After five hours at sea, the engine cut out and the boat started to take on water. As it slowly sank, more and more of the people on board were submerged under water.

One of the survivors described his desperate effort to find his wife, who had taken a spot in the centre of the ship.

After hours in the water, the survivors were rescued on Saturday 30 nautical miles from the Libyan coast by a French boat operating as part of the European borders agency Frontexs Operation Triton before being transferred to another Frontex ship, the Siem Pilot.

Siem Pilot, provided by the Norwegian coastguard, arrived in Trapani last evening with the four survivors, four recovered corpses and 34 people rescued from another stricken migrant boat.

The latest deaths and rescues follow a record year for the number of migrants trying to reach Europe on the western Mediterranean route from north Africa to Italy.

Some 181,000 people were registered at Italian ports in 2016 while the UNHCR recorded more than 5,000 deaths and presumed deaths on all migrant routes across the Mediterranean.

Despite the mid-winter weather making crossings particularly perilous, the start of 2017 has brought no sign of departures slowing with some 2,300 migrants already registered in Italy since January 1.
An overnight shooting in Jersey City has left three people dead, the Hudson county prosecutors office said on Tuesday.

A person familiar with the investigation says police are trying to determine if the shooting was drug related. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they werent authorised to release information about the incident.

The gunfire erupted at a home on Fulton Avenue around 10 pm Monday. The prosecutors office says it will release more information later Tuesday.
Wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 might never be found after suspension of underwater search

The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has come to an end with passengers families being informed that the effort to find the plane has been suspended.

Next of kin were told in an emailed statement on Tuesday that Australian authorities underwater search of 120,000 sq km in the southern Indian ocean had concluded without success.

The search had been ongoing for more than two years.

The MH370 Tripartite Joint Communique seen by the Guardian was co-signed by the transport ministers of Malaysia, China and Australia, representing the three countries involved in the search. A next of kin told the Guardian it was due to be made public at 2pm Malaysia time.

Today the last search vessel has left the underwater search area. Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has not been located in the 120,000 square-kilometre underwater search area in the southern Indian Ocean, it read.

Read | What happened to them? Kin of missing MH370 passengers reach Madagascar in hunt

Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft.

The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness.

Flight MH370 disappeared on 8 March 2014, vanishing from radar shortly after take-off from Kuala Lumpar en route to Beijing. The plane is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean, claiming the lives of all 239 crew and passengers on board.

The announcement has come six weeks out from the third anniversary of the planes disappearance, with the underwater search effort led by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau in the so-called seventh arc since October 2014 concluding without success.

At a tripartite meeting in July 2016, the three transport ministers had acknowledged the diminishing likelihood of finding the plane . If the full 120,000 sq km area was searched without success, the effort was to not end, but be suspended indefinitely, they said  reiterating the earlier resolution made in April 2015.

In December, the ATSB said they had a high degree of confidence that the wreck would not be found in the tranche of Indian ocean originally pinpointed, instead highlighting a new area of approximately 25,000 sq km  between latitudes 33 degrees south and 36 degrees south  as the area with the highest probability of containing the wreckage of the aircraft.

Read | After 2 years, experts say they were probably looking for MH370 at wrong place

The flight was carrying 152 Chinese nationals and 50 from Malaysia, as well as passengers from Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine and the United States.

A series of pings from what was believed to be one of the black boxes from the plane initially narrowed the search zone to a smaller region of the Indian Ocean. Australias then prime minister Tony Abbott and Malaysian transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein both suggested the plane was close to discovery weeks after the crash .

But the hunt for the plane quickly became one of the worlds greatest aviation mysteries after a lengthy aerial search yielded no results.

In this July 20, 2016 file photo released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), investigators examine a piece of aircraft debris at their laboratory in Canberra, Australia. After nearly three years, the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 ended in futility and frustration on Jan. 17, 2017, as crews completed their deep-sea search of a desolate stretch of the Indian Ocean without finding a single trace of the plane. (AP Photo)

Following the exhaustive aerial survey, the search for the missing plane had a fourth-month hiatus while experts mapped the part of the ocean where the plane was believed to have crashed.

In October 2014 the Australian Transport Safety Bureau began a new phase for the search for MH370, an underwater search effort of 120,000 sq km of the Indian ocean floor.

The search has been a multimillion-dollar effort on the parts of Australia, Malaysia and China. The operation is believed to have cost around AU$180m, paid for by Australia and Malaysia. China donated AU$20m in funding and equipment.

Read | MH370 plunged rapidly, wing flap not out for landing: Report

Progress was frustrated by difficulties in reaching the search zone and the largely uncharted part of the Indian Ocean it was believed to have crashed in. The final 20,000 sq km in particular were delayed by poor weather conditions throughout 2016.

But investigators remained optimistic, with Martin Dolan, the head of the ATSB, expressing confidence in March 2016, the two-year anniversary of its disappearance, that the plane would be found within that 120,000 sq km area.

In July 2015 authorities had a breakthrough in the search, when they found debris on the island of Reunion that was later confirmed to be a flaperon from the flight .

Several more pieces of debris were confirmed to have come from MH370, including a wing flap found on an island off the coast of Tanzania in June and sent to Canberra for analysis that was found to be from a Boeing 777 .

Investigators say the failure to find the wreckage does not mean all search efforts will end. But those seeking answers for the disappearance of the plane  and those on board  now face the prospect that the fate of MH370 might never be known.
Saudi Arabia, one of the worlds most prolific executioners, on Tuesday carried out its first death sentence of the year, after more than 150 in 2016.

Authorities put Mamdouh al Anzi to death following his conviction for shooting dead another Saudi in a dispute, the interior ministry said.

He was executed in Arar, a city near Iraq.

Beheading with a sword is the most common form of execution in the kingdom.

According to an AFP tally based on official announcements, Saudi Arabia executed 153 locals and foreigners last year under its Islamic legal code, down slightly from the previous year.

Rights group Amnesty International said Saudi Arabia carried out at least 158 death sentences in 2015, coming third after Iran and Pakistan.

Amnestys figures do not include secretive China.

Rights experts have raised concerns about the fairness of trials in the kingdom but the government says the death penalty is a deterrent.
An Amazon worker has been fired after allegedly putting a note in a parcel for a Jewish mother in the UK that read Greetings from Uncle Adolf.

The customer found the note in a package of toys for her niece.

The womans friend Liran Meydat, was quoted by metro.co.uk as saying that, When she told us about the note she was shaking -- shes a very gentle and humble lady. She does a lot for charity -- both Jewish and non-Jewish -- and helps all members of the community, that is why she took it very badly.

Liran said his friend freaked out when she discovered the note, which made an apparent reference to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, as she opened the parcel on December 22.

The note was found within the Amazon packaging but not within the product, leading Liran to believe it was placed in there by a member of Amazon staff.

Within 20 minutes of reporting the incident to the police, Liran claims officers attended and took the toy, packaging and note away for forensic testing.

The Met took it very seriously, were very happy about how theyve handled it, Liran was quoted as saying.

An Amazon spokesman was quoted as saying, We take this incident seriously and have apologised to the customer. We have investigated the matter and dismissed the individual involved.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said, Police were called to an address in NW1 at 19:21 hrs on 22 December 2016 to reports of an offence of malicious communications. This is being treated as a hate crime. No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue.
Bahraini authorities ordered an independent newspaper to stop publishing online Monday and said a city hall was set ablaze during clashes between opposition protesters and police.

The suspension of Al-Wasats online operations followed a spike in anti-government protests led by the countrys Shia majority that began Saturday. The demonstrations accelerated after three men convicted of bombing police were put to death Sunday.

Opposition activists allege that the condemned men were tortured and see their executions  the first since 2010  as inflammatory and politically motivated.

Read | Building torched as protest erupts in Bahrain after executions of three Shia men

Bahrains Information Affairs Authority issued an edict barring Al-Wasat from publishing online Monday evening and said the ban would remain in place until further notice. The ban did not appear to affect the print edition of the paper.

It said it acted due to repeated publication of material inciting division in the community, jeopardizing national unity and disrupting public peace, according to a brief statement carried on the official Bahrain News Agency.

The papers editor in chief, Mansoor al-Jamri, suggested the decision had taken the paper by surprise.

Were trying to get information from the authorities on their points of concern, he said.

Al-Wasat is widely seen as the only independent newspaper in Bahrain. It has been ordered shut twice since an Arab Spring-inspired uprising against the Sunni-led government erupted in 2011.

Bahrains Interior Ministry said the blaze at the Northern City Hall appeared intentional and was contained by firefighters.

Hundreds protested Sunday over the three Shia men put to death by firing squad over the 2014 bombing that killed two Bahraini policemen and an Emirati officer. Some youth threw gasoline bombs and clashed with police into the night. Police fired tear gas and birdshot.

Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navys 5th Fleet and an under-construction British naval base.
It may be too early still to judge what US President Barack Obama, who leaves office later this week, meant for India, which could range anything between nothing, as many have argued, and quite a bit, as held by others.

But, here is what a seasoned Indian diplomat who worked closely with the Obama White House had to say, This was a liberal White House, more liberal than many in recent history, and we did fine, with some ups and some downs.

Liberals in the US have given India a tougher time than conservatives, specially on non-proliferation. New Delhi had to work Democrats the hardest on the Civilian nuclear deal. And Obama had alarmed New Delhi with his early enthusiasm as a candidate for US mediation to resolve the India-Pakistan dispute. He didnt pursue that line, but did cause further concern suggesting a Group of Two, or G-2, with China.

Here is a look as some of the highs and lows in relations between India and the US on his watch.

Manmohan Singh and wife first state guests of the Obamas

Outgoing US President Barack Obama (right) and first lady Michelle Obama pose with Indias former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur before a state dinner on the North Portico of the White House November 24, 2009. (Reuters file)

PM Manmohan Singh and wife are the first state guests for the Obamas in 2009, with a state dinner that would make headlines for all the wrong reasons. A wannabe Washington DC couple gatecrashed the strictly-by-invitation event raising serious questions about security at the White House, specially post 9/11.

This would be the last time the Obamas would give an Indian leader a state dinner. Singhs successor Prime Minister Narendra Modi got an informal and intimate dinner on his first visit to the White House in 2015, and a working lunch in 2016, but no state dinner.

The Obamas did give China two state dinners  one for President Hu Jintao in 2011 and the other for President Xi Jinping in 2015.

Obama visits India in 2010

Barack Obama and Michelle Obama pay visit to Humayun's Tomb in New Dehli on November 7, 2010. (AFP file)

President Obama then visited India in November 2010, becoming the first US president to visit in their first term in official in decades, and made it truly historic announcing US support for Indias claim to a permanent seat in the UN security Council. He also announced he end of export control regimes preventing the sale of sensitive technology to India, dismantling the last of the punitive measures imposed after the 1998 Pokhran II nuclear tests.

The lasting images of the trip, however, came from the Mumbai leg of his visit, when First Lady Michelle Obama pulled him on to the floor to dance bhangra with her and performers at an event. Even US presidents can be ordered around.

Obama de-hyphenates India and Pakistan

Barack Obama and Manmohan Singh raise a toast during a banquet hosted by the Indian president in New Delhi. (AFP file)

The Obama had arrived in India for the visit straight from Washington DC, and left days later for Jakarta, Indonesia. They didnt visit Pakistan, breaking from the past practice of US presidents giving Islamabad a balancing visit, even if it was a short one  President Bill Clinton visited Pakistan for just a few hours after a lengthy visit to India in 2000, and President George W Bush was there for 24 hours after an India tour in 2008. Obama did not visit Pakistan during his 2010 visit and once again in 2015, when he was the chief guest the Republic Day parade in 2015. In fact, he never visited Pakistan as president.

The decoupling went deeper than visits, and US officials would go on to contend, it was India that couldnt let go of the us-or-them narrative of the past.

US loses MMRCA deal, deeply disappointed

Just a few months after that Obamas visits, India announced in April 2011 US airplane makers Lockheed Martin and Boeing had not made it to the shortlist of companies the fray for the multi-billion dollar Medium range Multi-Role Combat Aircraft fighter jets America had hoped to bag, not in small measure as a thank-you gesture for ending Indias nuclear isolation with the Civil Nuclear Deal formalised in 2008. Words like betrayal and ungrateful were flung around by angry think-tankers and officials for months till tempers cooled when realisation dawned that India had actually done everything by the book, for a change.

First commercial deal signed under civil nuclear pact

Barack Obama shakes hands with Manmohan Singh at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington September 27, 2013. (Reuters file)

First commercial deal is signed during prime minister Singhs second, and final visit to the US to meet Obama in September 2013, five years after the deal was formalised in 2008, addressing mounting impatience in the US with India long and tortuous ratification of an agreement Americans had believed New Delhi would jump to accept and implement. This was progress, but the ball has hardly moved since till now, with negotiations being concluded only last year on the issue of compensation to be paid in the event of an accident.

As Indian economy stagnated, US turns up the heat

As the Indian growth slid to just over 4% in late 2013 and reforms stalled on the watch of Singhs premiership beleaguered by controversies and corruption charges, the Obama administration mounted pressure on India urging it to open up more of the economy and reform its Intellectual Property Rights regime; mostly in a response to intense lobbying from US companies. Hearings at the US International Trade Commission, an independent body, followed in early 2014 and the US Trade Representatives, a government agency. And as Prime Minister Modi reached the US for his fist visit after assuming office in September 2014, the USTR greeted him with a fresh probe.

Devyani Khobragade, a disaster is averted

Former Indian consul general Devyani Khobragade (centre) leaves with her father Uttam Khobragade from the Maharashtra Sadan state guesthouse to meet Indias foreign minister Salman Khurshid in New Delhi January 11, 2014. (Reuters file)

The Indian consul generals arrest in New York in December 2013 sparked the worst diplomatic crisis in India-US relations in recent memory. Her arrest, for alleged false claims in a visa application for a domestic help who was to stay with her in New York, was followed by a mandatory strip search before being transferred to a holding cell before court appearance. Indians were outraged and demanded her immediate release. As diplomats of the two countries scrambled to diffuse a crisis that had blindsided them completely, Preet Bharara, US attorney for Manhattan, whose office was handling the prosecution of the case, announced the helps family had been secretly brought to the US as they feared harassment in India. Khobragade was allowed to leave the US in January, 2014 ending a crisis that both the Obama administration nor Singhs government were keen to put behind in the past.

Kem cho, Obama greets Modi

Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi waves victory sign to the supporters during a road show after his arrival in New Delhi. (PTI file)

As guest at the residence of then Indian ambassador to the US, S Jaishankar took in the news of the BJPs resounding victory in the parliamentary elections in May 2014, diplomats of the two countries huddled away from public view to set up a call between Prime Minister Modi and President Obama. They spoke and Obama invited Modi, an otherwise formulaic gesture that assumed outsized importance because of the history of the US denying Modi a visa, over the 2002 riots in Gujarat on his watch as chief minster. Modi accepted, of course, and showed up one October night outside the White House for an intimate dinner with Obama, who greeted him in Gujarati, Kem cho (how are you). AS everyone else feasted on dinner of crisped Halibut, Modi nursed a glass of warm water as he was fasting.

India, US crosshair China

The next day, September 30, 2014, India and the US issued a joint statement that appealed to all parties in the South China sea dispute to resolve their differences amicably. That was the first time India and the US had officially, and on the record, projected a joint front against China. A small step that soon led to speculation about India and the US considering joint patrolling of the disputed waters. Both countries denied the move on the record but indicated in background briefings they did consider the possibility.

Twitter diplomacy, Obama returns to India, chews gum

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Barack Obama in New Delhi in 2015. (PTI file)

This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend overinvited President Obama to be the 1st US President to grace the occasion as chief guest, Modi wrote in a Tweet in November, 2014, breaking the news of Obama accepting the invitation, marking a double first for a US president: one, first US president to attend the Republic Day parade and, two, first US president to visit India twice while still in office. As he sat with Modi behind the protective bullet-proof glass barrier, Obama needed a break from an urge to smoke possibly and chewed on a gum to distract himself. People noticed and many of them felt insulted.

Obama calls for tolerance in India, invokes Gandhi

The next day, January 27. 2015, Obama appealed for religious tolerance in a speech from Siri Fort auditorium lobliquely calling into focus Modi governments record on tolerance that had come under attack in recent months. India will succeed as long as its not splintered along religious lines...nowhere is it more important to uphold religious freedom than in India, he said. The fallout was immediate and stunning forcing the White House to try and explain away the presidents remarks as a reiteration of a personal belief system.

Back in DC a few days later, Obama doubled down on his remarks. Michelle and I returned from India -- an incredible, beautiful country, full of magnificent diversity -- but a place where, in past years, religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted by other peoples of faith, simply due to their heritage and their beliefs -- acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhiji, the person who helped to liberate that nation.

Climate change and Paris

Pursuing Obamas legacy move on climate change, the US bore down on India, isolating it from China, with whom New Delhi had ganged up in 2009 to prevent a global deal making every polluter equally responsible. India has argued for developed countries to accept a larger share of the blame and, thus, do more to address the issue. After a meeting between Modi and Obama on the sideline of the UN general assembly meeting in 2015, India announced its own goal for reducing carob emission. And Modi was one of Obamas leading partners at the Paris accord meet in December 2005.

Last hoorah: Major defence partner

During Modis last visit to the US, in June 2016, with the US presidential election poised for a Hillary-Trump face-off, the Obama administration declared India a Major Defense Partner seeking to give a new name to a burgeoning defense partnership that was not as close as the US had with its NATO and NATO-plus allies and Israel but not as remote as India had grown up, on the fringe of Americas sphere of influence, and by its own choosing. India was now entitled to an enhanced degree of cooperation that allowed it previously unknown access to US defense equipment and technology with co-development and co-production as the new frontier of cooperation.
Less than 100 hours before demitting office, outgoing US President Barack Obama today appointed two Indian-Americans to key administration positions.

While Maneesh Goyal has been made Member of the J William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, D J Patil has been named as Member of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council.

Both the announcements came along with several other last days appointments made by the outgoing president.

I am proud that such experienced and committed individuals have agreed to serve the American people in these important roles. I know they will serve the American people well, Obama said.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest defended Obamas decision to make last minute appointments.

President Obama is executing his authority in the best interest of the American people, he told reporters at his daily news conference.
The cockpit crew of a Pakistan International Airlines flight that crashed last month may have been drugged or taken intoxicants, according to reports that have added a fresh twist to the accident that killed all 47 people on board the aircraft.

The bodies of the crew of the ATR 42 aircraft, which crashed near Havelian on December 7, may be exhumed to determine if any of them was incapacitated or poisoned, reports in the local media said on Tuesday.

Islamabad district health officer Najeeb Durrani submitted a letter to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, the countrys main medical facility, suggesting the bodies be exhumed in line with the requirements of the investigation board.

The suggestion followed suspicions the crew may not have been in full control of their senses at the time of the crash. The letter also detailed the procedure for exhuming the bodies and suggested that directions were given by the senior joint director (medical) of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) at Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

Durrani said the letter was part of standard operating procedures in all such air crash investigations.

PIMS administrator Altaf Hussein confirmed receiving the letter on Monday and said exhumation may not be necessary as the hospitals administration had collected samples from the bodies of crew members that can be used to test for drugs.

But investigators have insisted on exhumation, which the PIMS administration has resisted so far. This will be done after orders are received from the deputy commissioner as orders (for) exhuming a body can only be given by him, Hussein said.

All passengers on board flight PK-661 were killed, including 31 men, nine women, two infants and five crew members. Among the dead was well known pop musician-turned-evangelist Junaid Jamshed.

Earlier, the CAA shared its findings from the black box data of the ill-fated flight with the Senate Standing Committee on Rules of Procedures and Privileges. In a statement, CAA secretary Irfan Elahi said both engines of the plane were working at 100% when it took off from Chitral for Islamabad.

However, only one engine was running when the aircraft crashed. According to the black box data, no action was taken to land the plane before the crash, he said.

Elahi said investigations were underway to ascertain why the plane crashed when one of its engines was still working. The pilot was calm when he made his first call to the control room at 4:12 pm.

But the pilot issued a May Day call two minutes later, stating one of the engines was not running. The pilots last communication was recorded at 4:17 pm and after 10 to 15 minutes, it was reported the plane had crashed.

Following the crash, PIA chairman Azam Saigol resigned, citing personal reasons as the reason for his decision. Pressure for his resignation grew after there was a hue and cry, especially on social media, against PIA for not maintaining its planes in line with international standards.
A car bomb blast in southern Baghdad killed at least seven people and wounded 20 on Tuesday, police and medical sources said.

The explosion hit the mostly Shia neighbourhood of Abu Dsheer, the sources said.
China Adds one More Spy Ship to its Growing Spy Ship Fleet

The new Chinese spy ship, CNS Kaiyangxing (856), (Photo : PLAN)

A new Chinese spy ship, the CNS Kaiyangxing (856), was commissioned into the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to support operations of the North Sea Fleet defending Beijing.



Kaiyangxing is a Type 815A electronic surveillance ship (or spy ship) and is among the newest Chinese electronic surveillance ships in service. The word Kaiyangxing is the Chinese word for the star named Mizar. Four of the five named spy ships in the Type 815A-class are named for planets in the solar system or stars.



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Kaiyangxing is only one of five ships in the Type 815A-class. The others are CNS Tianwangxing (853); CNS Tianlangxing (854) and CNS Haiwangxing (852). There is another unnamed Type 815A only identified by its hull number 855.



The CNS Haiwangxing and 855 are assigned to the South Sea Fleet whose area of operations includes the disputed South China Sea.



PLAN also operates another spy ship, the CNS Beijixing (851), the only ship in the Type 815-class. PLAN operates six spy ships with two each assigned to each of the three PLAN fleets.



The Kaiyangxing was delivered to a combat support flotilla of the North Sea Fleet in Qingdao, Shandong province. PLAN held a ceremony commissioning the CNS Kaiyangxing into the navy on Jan. 16.



Kaiyangxing can conduct all-weather, round-the-clock reconnaissance on multiple and different targets, primarily the U.S. Navy. It displaces 6,000 metric tons and has a maximum speed of 37 km/h (20 knots).



In contrast to PLAN's six spy ships, the U.S. Navy deploys at least 15 electronic surveillance ships.



Chinese naval observers note PLAN faces mounting difficulties safeguarding China's maritime interests (including its illegal claim to own the South China Sea).



This means PLAN will need more spy ships to support the PLAN's operations on the open sea. Chinese spy ships are also important to PLAN carrier battle groups as providers of all kinds of theater intelligence.


China will launch a satellite this year to gather electromagnetic data that may be used in monitoring and forecasting earthquakes, the countrys first space-based platform for monitoring tremors.

According to Chinas earthquake administrative agencies, the satellite will be launched in the latter half of this year.

Movements of the Earths crust generate electromagnetic radiation which can be observed from space. By collecting data on the Earths electromagnetic field, ionosphere plasma and high-energy particles, the satellite will be used in real-time monitoring of earthquakes and possible seismic precursors in China and neighbouring regions.

The satellite will be Chinas first space-based platform for earthquake monitoring, providing a new approach for research, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today.

According to Shen Xuhui, deputy chief of the mission, it is designed to remain in orbit for five years and record the electromagnetic situation of earthquakes above 6 magnitude in China and quakes above 7 magnitude all over the world.

Scientists are expecting to find common factors that may be used to develop earthquake forecasting technology, Shen said.

The satellite may also serve aerospace and navigation communication purposes, the report said.
Chinas recent installation of weapons on artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea was very troubling, the Philippines defence minister said on Tuesday, after Manila quietly protested Beijings activities.

The Philippine foreign ministry sent a note verbale to the Chinese embassy last month after confirming a report from the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies about Chinas arms buildup in the Spratlys.

The actions of China in militarising those disputed features are very troubling, defence minister Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement. They do not square with the Chinese governments rhetoric that its purpose is peaceful and friendly.

Lorenzana took a stronger line than foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay, who on Tuesday refrained from criticising China but said the issue had to be handled carefully and the public should know we are not sleeping on the job.

When something happens that can pose us some kind of threats to our sovereignty rights we issue a note verbale so we can talk about it and make sure it is properly addressed, he told ANC television.

Read | China Navy says aircraft carrier conducted routine drills in South China Sea

With billions of dollars of potential Chinese trade and investment at stake, the Philippines has a difficult balancing act in upholding its sovereignty claims while staying on the better terms that President Rodrigo Duterte has established with historic rival China.

Mischief Reef, one of the islands where China has modern weapons, is located within the Philippines 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

For its part, the Philippines has decided to shelve planned upgrades to facilities on islands it controls, such as repairing an eroded runway, to avoid incurring Chinas wrath.

Lorenzana said a diplomatic protest was the correct procedure and despite warming relations with China, the government still had a duty to protect the national interest.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion of goods passes annually. An international arbitration ruling last year invalidated those claims.

Chinas artificial islands became a hot issue last week when the US nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, told a Senate hearing that Beijing should be repelled from, and then denied access to, the controversial islets.

Yasay last week suggested the Philippines would play no part in that, and said of the US, Let them do it.

Read | US will have to wage war to push China off South China Sea, warns tabloid
Controversial Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened over the weekend to impose martial law to prosecute his deadly war on drugs.

His comments triggered deep anxiety in a nation still haunted by the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, which ended in 1986 with a famous People Power uprising.

Duterte frequently makes controversial comments that he or his aides then seek to clarify or quash completely, making it hard to determine the governments position.

With his martial law threats attracting a barrage of criticism, there was a familiar outpouring of contradictory and confusing statements from various officials.

Here are Dutertes quotes, and the various explanations or responses:

- No one will be able to stop me - Duterte on Saturday night:

If I wanted to, and it (the drug war) will deteriorate into something really very virulent, I will declare martial law if I wanted to. No one will be able to stop me.

And for emphasis:

If I have to declare martial law, I will declare it -- not about invasion, insurrection, not about danger. I will declare martial law to preserve my nation -- period.

- Media to blame -

Presidential spokesman Martin Andanar:

The president has categorically said no to martial law. He even made a pronouncement saying that martial law did not improve the lives of the Filipinos.

We therefore decry the latest misreporting that the president will declare martial law simply if he wants to or that no one can stop the president from declaring martial law. Such headlines sow panic and confusion to many. We consider this kind of reportage as the height of journalistic irresponsibility.

- Just an angry expression -

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre:

Its just an angry expression from the president and the public, especially the media, should not be surprised and rather be already accustomed to this mindset of the president.

- Doubtful, but full support -

National police chief Ronald Dela Rosa:

By all means we will support the president if he declare(s) (martial law), but I doubt he would declare it. He only said that because of frustration about the (drug) situation, out of anger, but I doubt he will do that.

- No need -

Military spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla:

Right now were able to operate and catch all the people who have been perpetrating violence and we are operating within the bounds of law. So currently we are able to accomplish our mission without the complexity of needing any kind of special rule applied.

Bristling at the comments by Andanar that reporters took Dutertes comments out of context, the local press also hit back via scathing editorials:

- Fools -

Manila Standard:

It is difficult to imagine how anybody could deny a direct quote, but (Presidential) Palace officials did it anyway. It is not the first time they have made fools of themselves and the president they serve.

- Shut up -

Philippine Star:

The president may be familiar with the wartime admonition that loose lips sink ships. When one is prone to rambling in public, leaving a wide room for different interpretations, there is virtue in circumspection.

If President Duterte sincerely believes imposing martial law is needless and stupid, he should just shut up about it.
Martin Luther Kings daughter said on Monday that God can triumph over Trump, but the slain civil rights leaders son struck a conciliatory tone after meeting with the president-elect on the US holiday that honours their father.

The comments by the children of King, who championed racial justice until he was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39, punctuated an imbroglio involving Donald Trump and African-American congressman John Lewis that broke out over the weekend.

The dispute started when Lewis, 76, a contemporary of Kings who endured beatings and jail time in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, said in a televised interview that he saw Trumps election as illegitimate because of Russian interference in the campaign. That drew a scornful response from Trump.

Bernice King, Kings youngest daughter, told a gathering at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta not to give up hope and Dont be afraid of who sits in the White House.

God can triumph over Trump, she said, drawing a standing ovation, one of several times she was interrupted by thunderous applause.

The service at the church where King once preached takes place every year on Martin Luther King Jr Day, a federal holiday honouring his life. This year the holiday fell days before Barack Obama ends his second term as the countrys first African-American president. Trump takes the oath of office as his successor on Friday.

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama spent part of their last MLK Day in office helping paint a mural in the community room of a Washington shelter, to which they donated a play set used by their daughters when they arrived at the White House in 2009.

Trump, who won only 8% of the black vote, offered praise for King in a Twitter post on Monday, a few hours before meeting Kings oldest son, Martin Luther King III, at his Trump Tower offices in New York.

Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for. Honour him for being the great man that he was! Trump tweeted.

Trump and King III emerged from an elevator together, shaking hands. Trump said goodbye to King, then returned to the elevator without answering questions.

King said they had a constructive meeting to discuss how to improve the US voting system, which King considers broken, but he skirted questions about whether he was offended by Trumps comments on Lewis.

President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Martin Luther King III after their meeting at Trump Tower. (AFP Photo)

First of all I think that in the heat of emotion a lot of things get said on both sides. I think at some point I bridge-build. The goal is to bring America together, King told reporters.

Lewis did not mention Trump in a speech in Miami about the civil rights struggle to honour King, who would have turned 88 on Sunday, but he urged young black Americans to consider voting a sacred act.

We all must become participants in the democratic process. When you get old enough to register to vote, go and register and vote, Lewis said in a half-hour address.

Gunfire during Miami holiday festivities wounded eight people ages 11 to 30 at Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Park, police said. Two people were detained and two weapons seized, and the cause of the shooting is under investigation.

Russian meddling

The Trump-Lewis exchange began when Lewis told NBC News in segments of an interview released on Friday that he would not attend Trumps inauguration in part because I dont see this president-elect as a legitimate president.

Congressman John Lewis should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities of the U.S. I can use all the help I can get!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2017

He referred to the findings of US intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods to try to help Trump, a Republican, defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election.

Trump was withering in his response the following day, saying in tweets that Lewis, a revered figure who risked his life for civil rights, was All talk, talk, talk - no action or results.

While many Democrats and Republicans said they disagreed with Lewis, they also questioned Trumps decision to denigrate an African-American political leader of Lewis stature, especially over the Martin Luther King Jr weekend.

Civil rights leaders have also opposed Trumps nominee for US attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who was denied a federal judgeship in 1986 after allegations that he was racist and harboured sympathies toward the Ku Klux Klan, a violent white supremacist organization.

Workers prepare the West Front of the US Capitol for the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, in Washington, DC. (AFP Photo)

The Senate Judiciary Committee has received letters from 400 civil rights organizations opposing his confirmation to the countrys top law enforcement post, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein has said. Sessions strongly denied that he is a racist during his confirmation hearing in the Senate last week.
A woman from Brighton is waking up to chaos on Twitter after having been singled out by Donald Trump as his daughter.

The US president-elect quoted a praiseworthy tweet directed to him by Lawrence Goodstein, a Twitter user in Seekonk in Massachusetts, that described his daughter Ivanka as a woman with real character and class late on Monday.

But Goodstein had mistakenly put @Ivanka, not @IvankaTrump  not a significant mistake in light of Goodsteins 160-odd followers; of far greater consequence circulated by Trump to his 20.1m.

So Trumps shoutout was instead directed to Ivanka Majic, a council worker from Brighton, England, with just over 2,800 followers.

Ivanka Majic from Brighton, England, is a wonderful woman. Youre right, replied Mark Pygas, a writer for Distractify, to Trump and Goodstein. RIP her mentions though.

I mean, shes probably trying to sleep and her phone is going off the hook but its a hell of a story. (According to a subsequent screenshot tweeted by Pygas, Goodstein blocked him for pointing out the error and made his account private.)

Trump had not deleted his tweet nor acknowledged his mistake at time of writing, though Goodstein made his account private.

It had been retweeted 2,800 times and favourited 15,000 times, with more than 4,600 replies  the vast majority of them including Majic.

@ivanka @sil Over half of American voters would like to apologize to you.  Tickles for Christ (@PastorTickles) January 17, 2017

The Guardian has attempted to contact Majic, believed to be employed as a researcher at the Brighton and Hove City Council.

Her profile suggests she is not as active a user of Twitter as the president-elect, with just six tweets  most of them retweets  in the past week.

Her last activity on Twitter was a retweet encouraging votes in Brightons upcoming restaurant competition and another publicising another residents appeal for return of her lost house keys.

@ivanka you're going to be very, very confused when you wake up tomorrow. Stay strong!  GetOffMyLawn (@bishopwsu) January 17, 2017

On Saturday, Majic had tweeted a link to a news story in The Argus about Brightons thriving food scene: Made the local paper. Fame at last!

Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump seemed oblivious to the compliment paid to her by the Twitter user Goodstein and co-signed by her father, sharing a photo of #datenight  with her 2.74m followers.

Ivanka Trump had been the subject of a special report that broadcast on CNN on Monday night that her father had expressed concerns about.

At 9:00 P.M. @CNN, of all places, is doing a Special Report on my daughter, Ivanka. Considering it is CNN, cant imagine it will be great!

As president, Donald Trump will have the option of taking over the official @POTUS handle or maintaining his own, @realDonaldTrump. With 20.1m followers hanging on his every missive compared to @POTUSs 13.5m, Trump himself has given no indication he will make the switch.

Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, told CNN earlier in January that Trump would probably be tweeting from both, or whatever he chooses.

@ivanka @sil your life if complete, trump picked you. Please go to the white house for your medal.  PhoGent (@JohnSni92393883) January 17, 2017

Last week BuzzFeed News publicised concerns that Trumps shockingly insecure personal Twitter account had no known special security protections and was open to being exploited with potentially devastating impacts for the stock market and geopolitical stability.

It would not be the first time Trumps account has been hacked before -- in 2013, when he was best-known as a real estate tycoon and host of The Apprentice, someone reportedly gained access to his account to tweet Lil Wayne lyrics.

My Twitter has been seriously hacked--- and we are looking for the perpetrators, said Trump at the time.


YK Sinha, Indias new high commissioner to the United Kingdom, has urged the British and western news media to focus on positive stories from India instead of the negative ones appearing here.

I am afraid there are far too many negative stories from India. There is much positive that is happening. In 2015-16, FDI in India was nearly 120 billion dollars. Highlighting positive stories will help both countries, particularly in the area of trade and economy, Sinha said while interacting with the media on Monday.

Speaking at the Nehru Hall of India House where representatives of major British news organisations and Indian journalists, Sinha promised to maintain his media outreach during his tenure in London.

There is a good story to tellThe media here has been harsh on Prime Minister Theresa Mays visit to India. The focus was on visa, but there was much positive happening in other areas; for example, the Newton-Bhabha fund and the UK-India Education and Research Initiative, he said.

Sinha also said Britain needed to sort out the student visa system, which has led to a major drop in the number of Indian students coming to the country: There is a bit of a problem, something going wrong here. Indian students do extremely well wherever they go. We need to see how we can attract good students.

Once the favourite destination for Indian students, the number has fallen from 39,090 in 2010-11 to 16,745 in 2015-16, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

The envoy also raised the issues related to Indian IT professionals. Noting that India and Britain would together celebrate 2017 as the Year of Culture, he sought the support of the media representatives to make it a success and help improve bilateral relations.

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Gene Cernan, the last astronaut to walk on the moon - an experience that he said made him belong to the universe, died on Monday at the age of 82, the US space agency said.

Cernan died surrounded by his family, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said in a statement without providing details.

A separate statement from his family and released by Nasa said his death came after ongoing health issues.

Here are a few facts about him:

 Spacewalk from hell

In addition to being one of 12 men to walk on the moon, Cernan was the third person to walk in space, following Russian Alexei Leonov and American Ed White.

Cernan spent two hours and seven minutes outside the Gemini 9 spacecraft on the 1966 mission but had to come in early because his helmet visor was fogging up due to exertion. Because the spacewalk was shortened, Cernan did not have a chance to test a new jetpack. He recalled the incident in his memoir in a chapter titled The Spacewalk From Hell.

 Fastest man on moon

Cernan holds the moons speed record, having driven the lunar rover at 11.2 miles per hour (18km per hour) on a downhill run.

Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan makes a short checkout of the Lunar Roving Vehicle on the moon. (Nasa via AP File Photo)

 Almost missing the moon

He almost missed out on Apollo 17 because he severely strained a tendon in his leg playing softball with Nasa personnel two months before the launch. He used crutches for a week and willed himself not to limp so Nasa officials would not pull him from the mission but said walking on the moon was painful.

 Security threat

Security at Cape Kennedy had to be increased for Apollo 17 because of the threat of attack from Black September, the Palestinian group that had killed 11 Israelis at the Summer Olympics in Munich three months earlier. Officials also were concerned about the astronauts families, so authorities followed their childrens school buses and federal agents kept an eye on their classrooms.

Former astronaut Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, stands next to a wall of photographs he made on the Apollo 17 mission, at the Museum of Natural History in New York. (Reuters File Photo)

 Nasa reprimand

Less than two weeks after returning from the moon, Cernan and crew mate Ron Evans went to Bimini in the Bahamas for New Years as the guests of the chief executive of Rockwell International. Cernan said the executive was an old friend but there were conflict of interest concerns in Washington because Rockwell manufactured modules for Nasa spacecraft. Cernan was given a letter of reprimand from the agency.

 Third meets first

Cernan met Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, at Purdue University, where they studied in the 1950s.
Gunmen killed eight policemen late Monday in an attack on a checkpoint in el-Wadi el-Gedid province in southwest Egypt, the interior ministry said.

Two of the attackers were killed when security forces fought back, and three other security personnel were injured, the ministry said in a statement.

The attack took place on al-Naqab checkpoint, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from el-Kharga city, the capital of the province, the ministry said.

Jihadists have killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen since the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which was followed by a bloody crackdown on his supporters.

Most of the attacks have taken place in the north of the Sinai Peninsula, which borders Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Attacks have occurred in other parts of the country, including Cairo.

The Islamic State (IS) jihadist group said on January 10 it was behind a car bomb assault on a police checkpoint in the Sinai that killed eight people a day earlier.

IS also claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 28 Christian Copts at a church service in Cairo on December 11.
Saudi authorities declared a health emergency after blaming a small-town restaurant for food poisoning outbreak that struck at least 150 people, media said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in Turabah, about 100km east of Taif in the kingdoms southwest.

The official Saudi Press Agency said 150 people suffered food poisoning because of eating meals at the restaurant.

The online newspaper Sabq, which is close to authorities, said 175 people fell ill after eating shawarma sandwiches, a Middle Eastern staple.

Mecca region governor Prince Khaled al-Faisal ordered an investigation, with the maximum penalties for the perpetrators of the poisoning incident, SPA said.

It added that 45 patients are under surveillance at Turabah hospital and 32 at other medical facilities.

Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in its medical system.

About 15 percent of this years budget is allocated to health and social development spending, including for the setup of hospitals and healthcare centres in all the regions across the kingdom, the budget said.


Ranvir Singh, a prominent broadcaster on British television, will be inaugurated as the chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) at a special ceremony in Preston on Friday, making her the first media person of Indian origin to hold such a post.

Singh will succeed Richard Evans, who held the ceremonial post since 2001. The ceremony will also mark the inauguration of Mike Thomas as the universitys fourth vice-chancellor, the university said on Tuesday.

Singh was brought up in Preston, completing a postgraduate diploma in broadcast journalism at the UCLan in 2000. She has presented programmes such as Good Morning Britain, ITV Evening News and News at Ten, and the Tonight programme.

She also has her own primetime series for ITV, Real Stories with Ranvir Singh. In 2013, she received a UCLan Honorary Fellowship for her contribution to broadcasting and in 2015, she was adjudged Asian Media Personality of the Year.

I am immensely proud to accept the universitys offer of becoming its new chancellor. Im Preston born and bred, I studied for my postgraduate degree in journalism here and the experience helped to shape me and my career, she said.

David Taylor, the universitys pro-chancellor, said: Both Ranvir and Mike bring inspiration and vision at a time of increased competition and change within the higher education sector.

Ranvir continues to make a huge success of her career in broadcasting and journalism. Importantly, she has an affinity with Preston and the university and is someone who cares about our heritage and our future. She is a wonderful communicator with the capacity to inspire and I know she will be a fantastic role model for our students.

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The Rock heads towards the ring at WrestleMania 31 back in 2015. (Photo : YouTube/WWE)

The Rock is the most recognizable WWE superstar in the world since he is the most famous Hollywood actor at the moment. He has appeared on every WrestleMania since he returned in 2011 but what will be his role at WrestleMania 33?



According to Cageside Seats, Vince McMahon has told his creative staff that The Rock is going to be at the Camping World Stadium on April 2 for WrestleMania 33. However, he also reportedly announced that "The People's Champ" is not going to be wrestling in the event.



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When The Rock returned in 2011 for WrestleMania 27, he served as the host but he also got physical when he helped The Miz defeat John Cena in the main event. He then faced Cena in the next two WrestleMania in 2012 and 2013.



For WrestleMania XXX, The Rock opened the show with Stone Cold Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan in one of the most memorable segments in WWE's history. In 2015, "The Brahma Bull" made another surprise appearance to confront Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.



The Rock was told to leave WrestleMania 32 but he made another moment when he invited Ronda Rousey in the ring. The Rock and Ronda got physical with both Triple H and Stephanie, and there were even rumors of a mixed tag team down the line that never materialized.



Finally, The Rock also appeared last year with a flamethrower that was really unnecessary. He was confronted by The Wyatt Family and wrestled Erick Rowan in a six-second squash match. Cena also came out to make the save and beat up The Wyatt Family.



Another possible role for The Rock this year is to become the headliner for the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017 since WrestleMania 33 is in his hometown of Florida, per 24Wrestling. However, the WWE have already announced via ESPN that Kurt Angle is the first legend to be inducted in this year's class.



It seems like The Rock will only appear in a non-wrestling capacity. The best way to use him is in the opening segment wherein hypes his hometown crowd.



Check out the video below for The Rock's appearance at WrestleMania 32. For more WWE news, rumors and updates, just follow me on Twitter @johnnyrundown.






Irans President Hassan Rouhani called on Saudi Arabia to stop its aggression in Yemen and interference across the region, during a news conference in Tehran on Tuesday.

We dont have a bilateral problem with Saudi Arabia. Our problems concern Saudi Arabias aggression in Yemen, its interference in Bahrain, its interference in the region, he said.

Read | 10,000 civilians killed in Yemens two-year conflict: Top UN official

Rouhani said some 10 countries had offered to mediate between Shia Iran and Saudi Arabia, which severed diplomatic relations with the Islamic republic last year.

It was the Saudis themselves who broke relations while we do not wish for that. Since then, several countries have tried to mediate, including Iraq, Kuwait and eight or 10 others, said Rouhani.

Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia broke off relations with Iran after a mob in Tehran stormed its embassy in January 2016 to protest the execution of a prominent Shia cleric.

Tensions had been building between the two regional rivals, which support opposing sides in Bahrain, Syria and Yemen.

Saudi Arabia has itself created problems by attacking a neighbouring country, which had no logic and still has none, said Rouhani said.

Read | Yemens children starve as Saudi-led coalition drags the war

Its in the interests of the region and of Saudi Arabia to stop as quickly as possible these attacks on Yemen.

Iran supports the Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen, while Saudi Arabia backs the internationally recognised government and bombs the Arabian Peninsula country almost daily.

We hope the problems will be resolved at the root so that peace and stability are installed in the region, said Rouhani.

Iran does not want to intervene in the interior affairs of Saudi Arabia.
Iraqi special forces pushed deeper into Islamic State-held districts in eastern Mosul on Tuesday, and army units battled the militants inside a military base in the north of the city, military officials said.

IS has been driven out of most eastern districts of its Iraqi stronghold in the three months since the US-backed campaign began. Iraqi troops have seized large areas along the river, which bisects Mosul from north to south.

Capture of the entire east bank, which military officials say is imminent, will allow the army, special forces and elite police units to begin attacks on the citys west, still fully held by the militants.

Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces pushed into Eastern Nineveh and Souq al-Ghanam districts, which are flanked by areas held by Iraqi troops, spokesman Sabah al-Numan said.

The special forces have now taken control of Andalus and Shurta neighbourhoods, where they were fighting on Monday, Numan told a Reuters reporter in Mosul.

Roughly all the eastern axes for which CTS is responsible will be completed and we will announce the liberation of the entire eastern side, he said, but did not specify when.

A separate military statement said the CTS had seized al-Muhandiseen district, nearly three miles further northwest, a short distance from the river.

In a parallel advance, Iraqi army troops in the north of the city moved into Kindi military base, and were fighting insurgents inside, an army officer said.

More than 60 neighbourhoods in eastern Mosul  out of a total of around 80  had been recaptured since the start of the offensive in October, Numan told state television.

Advances have gathered pace in the new year, thanks to improved battle tactics and coordination between different military branches, US and Iraqi military officials say.

Further south, rapid response units of the Iraqi federal police have secured much of the eastern bank of the Tigris.

A spokesman for those forces, Lt Col Abdel Amir al-Mohammedawi, said some IS fighters had fled by boat across the river, taking civilians as human shields. They fled the eastern bank for the west, and took women and children, he told Reuters.

IS has fought from among crowded residential areas and Reuters witnesses have seen its fighters shoot at civilians in areas they have been driven out of, in apparent efforts to slow the advance of Iraqi forces.

Several thousand civilians have been killed or wounded in fighting since October.

Advances slowed towards the end of last year as the military sought to avoid hitting civilians, Iraqi military officials say.
While fleeing Islamic State rule in northern Iraq three months ago, Laila saw two of her daughters die in front of her. Crippled by grief and the trauma of that night, she now struggles to walk and hardly eats.

Running under the cover of darkness after more than two years under the jihadists harsh rule in Shirqat town, south of Mosul, Lailas children stepped on a mine. The youngest one died on the spot, covered in blood and partially buried in the dirt.

Her 16-year-old daughter had a leg blown off and lost consciousness. Laila tied the girls leg with her own headscarf, then carried her on her back for several kilometres to the Iraqi armys frontline.

I could hear her soul leaving her body, her head on my shoulder, she recounted earlier this month at a nearby camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) where she now struggles with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The battle to retake Mosul, Islamic States last major stronghold in Iraq, is playing out among the citys nearly 1.5 million residents who have spent 2-1/2 years under the ultra-hardline groups repression.

A member of Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces takes his position during a battle with Islamic State militants in Andalus neighborhood of Mosul, Iraq. (Reuters Photo)

The militants have employed extreme violence to impose their strict interpretation of Islamic law in territories they seized in 2014, whipping people for smoking, cutting off hands for stealing, stoning women for adultery, and throwing men off of buildings for homosexuality.

Several thousand civilians have been killed or wounded in the street-to-street fighting since the U.S.-backed offensive began in October.

Nearby camps are full of civilians displaced from in and around Mosul and many suffer from depression and anxiety disorders, aid groups say.

I feel lost, my life has no meaning anymore, said Laila. If your car is stolen, you can buy another one. If your house is destroyed you can build another one. But a life cannot be replaced.

She is taking psychotropic medication and attends weekly counselling sessions run by aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), but she says nothing helps.

Treatment cannot heal a heart in pain, she said.

MASS TRAUMA

In a nearby tent at Debaga sits a young mother of three, from another village south of Mosul. She looks about twice her 20 years and speaks in a monotone, rarely making eye contact.

It was during their escape last autumn that she went into labour, giving birth to twins. The couple declined to go into details about the circumstances of the birth, but the woman has since been diagnosed with depression and PTSD.

An elderly displaced woman who fled the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul sits next her tent at Khazer camp in Iraq on January 17. (Reuters Photo)

A counsellor says she has struck her husband and tried to kill one of her babies. She also has suicidal feelings but refuses medication.

She is talking to you normally right now, but sometimes she chokes the baby and tells me, I dont want him, you take him, her husband said. Their names are withheld by Reuters to protect their safety.

Their flight is just one of a raft of deeply traumatic events suffered by their family in recent years, and by many others like them.

They had not yet fled their village when Islamic State fighters stormed their home, accusing the husband of sedition. A former policeman, he had worked with U.S. forces following the 2003 invasion.

The militants shot in the air around him, then put a machine gun to his head and dragged him off to a mosque where they beat him.

Another time, an air strike destroyed a neighbours house. Their dog picked through the rubble and dragged back human remains.

There were parts left there, a hand or a leg, the woman said. The dog brought them to our front yard and chewed on them in front of our kids.

LIMITED ACCESS TO MEDICATION

Pre-existing mental health conditions affecting IDPs have been exacerbated by limited access to medication under IS rule and the trauma of displacement.

Those still in Mosul have even fewer opportunities for treatment, as is the case for those affected by physical illness and the wounded.

Displaced people who fled the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul receive aid at Khazer camp in Iraq (Reuters Photo)

A resident of Muharibeen district told Reuters last week that his mother fell into a coma more than a month ago when Islamic State fighters stormed their house.

He pleaded in vain for an ambulance to transport her to nearby Erbil, the capital of the relatively peaceful, autonomous Kurdish region, where hospitals treat those of Mosuls wounded civilians who make it there. As of Friday, his mother was still at home in Mosul, and still unconscious.

Another local man said his five-year-old daughter, who has a brain defect due to premature birth, has been unable to obtain medicine for more than two years. She can barely speak.

Treatment of the displaced is hampered by the continued violence in Mosul.

The rate of relapse is very high... because the IDPs on a daily basis receive painful news and stories, said Bilal Budair, MSFs mental health manager.

So we treat and support them, but the bad news has an opposite effect and sets back some of the patients to zero.
The man believed to have killed 39 people on New Years night at an Istanbul nightclub has confessed after Turkish police captured him in a massive operation, a local official said on Tuesday.

The terrorist confessed his crime, Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin told reporters, identifying the suspect as Abdulgadir Masharipov, born in Uzbekistan in 1983.

He was trained in Afghanistan and can speak four languages. Hes a well-trained terrorist, Sahin added.

The suspected mass killer was captured Monday in a police raid on an apartment in the Esenyurt district, which is on Istanbuls European side.

Authorities have been hunting the attacker for over two weeks, following the bloodbath on the glitzy Reina nightclub on the shores of the Bosphorus. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed the attack.

One Iraqi man and three women from Egypt and Africa were also detained at the same apartment, alongside the alleged assailant, the governor said.

It is clear that the attack was carried out on behalf of Daesh, he said, using an Arabic acronym for the IS group, adding that the other four suspects were likely linked to the jihadists.

Turkish media initially reported the killer was captured with his four-year-old son, but the governor said the child was not present during the police raid.

Police confiscated $197,000 (185,000 euros), two weapons and clips at the apartment.

Some 2,000 police officers were involved in the operation backed by Turkish intelligence, according to the official. Police have raided approximately 152 addresses and detained 50 suspects, he said.

Sahin also said the suspected killer illegally entered Turkey from its eastern borders.

Read | The Istanbul attack proves 2017 will not improve Turkeys fortunes
Almost three years after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared with 239 people aboard, the most expensive underwater search in history has been called off, with the whereabout of the plane still a mystery.

Here are some of the key questions still swirling around MH370:

Why has the search been halted?

The Australian-led undersea search, which was suspended on Tuesday, operated on the assumption that MH370 went down somewhere in the remote southern Indian Ocean, based on satellite data.

The Australian, Chinese and Malaysian governments decided last year that once the designated 120,000 square kilometre (46,000 square miles) search zone -- four times the size of Belgium -- was fully scoured, the plug on the operation would be pulled unless promising new leads emerged.

No plane debris was found in the area.

Was the search in the right area?

New research by international experts published in December concluded that the plane was not in the search zone but may be further north.

The zone was determined through analysis of signals from MH370, detected by a satellite, which indicated its last known location as somewhere along an arc sweeping north into Central Asia or south into the Indian Ocean.

Many next-of-kin believed the search was too narrowly focused and wanted it expanded.

Will the search resume?

The December report identified an area of approximately 25,000 square kilometres with the highest probability of containing MH370 wreckage.

But Australia and Malaysia said it did not constitute a strong enough lead to extend the search as it did not offer a specific location for the missing aircraft.

A wing fragment was found on Reunion island, thousands of kilometres from the search zone in July 2015, and later confirmed as being from MH370 -- the first proof the plane met a violent end.

Handwritten notes on how a crew member should report the sighting of debris in the southern Indian Ocean is pictured on a window aboard a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion aircraft searching for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. (Reuters File Photo)

Debris found off Tanzania and Mauritius were last year also confirmed as coming from the missing jet. Several other pieces recovered mostly on western Indian Ocean shorelines have been identified as likely, though not definitely, from MH370.

Authorities have said the finds were consistent with oceanic currents that could have carried the wreckage from the search area.

What caused the disappearance?

Leading theories include a mechanical or structural failure, a hijacking or terror plot and rogue pilot action.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau found the flight was likely out of control when it plunged into the ocean with wing flaps not prepared for landing.

The finding cast doubt on theories a pilot was still in charge.

Read | France finds nothing suspicious about crew, passengers aboard missing MH370 flight

A range of outlandish conspiracy ideas have been advanced. Suggestions have included that the plane was commandeered to be used as a flying bomb headed for the US military installation on Diego Garcia atoll -- and was shot down by the Americans -- or that it was flown to a Russian facility in Kazakhstan.

Why are next-of-kin so suspicious?

Kuala Lumpur and the airline insist they are hiding nothing, but their credibility was damaged in the chaotic initial response.

Besides a series of contradictory early statements, there were miscues such as the revelation that Malaysian immigration allowed two Iranian men aboard on false passports. They were later said to be just illegal migrants.

Malaysias air force also took days to reveal that it had tracked MH370 flying far to the west, wasting precious response time.

Read | What happened to them? Kin of missing MH370 passengers reach Madagascar in hunt

A family member of a passenger aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 reacts during a protest outside the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing. (Reuters File Photo)

Families say the government and airline have routinely stonewalled requests for more information -- a charge they deny -- and many refuse to believe the plane crashed.

This is particularly true in China -- 153 Chinese nationals were aboard -- where distrust of officialdom under the Communist Party is ingrained.

How rare are cases like this?

The Netherlands-based Aviation Safety Network, which tracks air incidents, reports only one other instance where a plane carrying more than 100 people disappeared without a trace.

Read | MH370 plunged rapidly, wing flap not out for landing: Report

That was in 1962 when a turbo-prop operated by US-based Flying Tiger Line and chartered by the US military disappeared en route from Guam to the Philippines with 107 people aboard.

What will be MH370s aviation legacy?

A crucial factor in the mystery was the inability to monitor MH370s movements after tracking features were disabled as it went off course.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has mandated that airlines implement systems by November 2018 to track aircraft at least every 15 minutes.

Some carriers such as Malaysia Airlines have already implemented the move.

The ICAO also plans to impose real-time tracking for aircraft in distress, according to reports.

It also has banned as a fire-risk the transport of lithium batteries in cargo holds -- MH370 carried a consignment of such batteries.

Read | 37 killed as Turkish plane crashes into homes in thick fog in Kyrgyzstan
Former astronaut Gene Cernan, the last person to walk on the moon who returned to Earth with a message of peace and hope for all mankind, died on Monday in Texas following ongoing heath issues, his family said. He was 82.

Cernan was with his relatives when he died at a Houston hospital, family spokesperson Melissa Wren told The Associated Press. His family said his devotion to lunar exploration never waned.

Even at the age of 82, Gene was passionate about sharing his desire to see the continued human exploration of space and encouraged our nations leaders and young people to not let him remain the last man to walk on the Moon, his family said in a statement released by Nasa.

Cernan was commander of Nasas Apollo 17 mission and on his third space flight when he set foot on the lunar surface in December 1972. He became the last of only a dozen men to walk on the moon on December 14, 1972  tracing his only childs initials in the dust before climbing the ladder of the lunar module the last time. It was a moment that forever defined him in both the public eye and his own.

Those steps up that ladder, they were tough to make, Cernan recalled in a 2007 oral history. I didnt want to go up. I wanted to stay a while.

Cernan called it perhaps the brightest moment of my life. ... Its like you would want to freeze that moment and take it home with you. But you cant.

Decades later, Cernan tried to ensure he wasnt the last person to walk on the moon, testifying before Congress to push for a return. But as the years went by he realised he wouldnt live to witness someone follow in his footsteps  still visible on the moon more than 40 years later.

In this December 12, 1972, photo provided by Nasa, Apollo 17 commander Eugene Cernan stands on the moon. (AP File Photo)

Neil (Armstrong, who died in 2012) and I arent going to see those next young Americans who walk on the moon. And God help us if theyre not Americans, Cernan testified before Congress in 2011. When I leave this planet, I want to know where we are headed as a nation. Thats my big goal.

Cernan died less than six weeks after another American space hero, John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. Their flights werent the first or last of the Mercury and Apollo eras. Yet to the public they were the bookends of Americas space age glory, starting with Godspeed John Glenn and ending with Cernans footprints on the moon.

On December 11, 1972, Cernan guided the lander, named Challenger, into a lunar valley called Taurus-Littrow, with Harrison Jack Schmitt at his side. He recalled the silence after the lunar landers engine shut down.

Thats where you experience the most quiet moment a human being can experience in his lifetime, Cernan said in 2007. Theres no vibration. Theres no noise. The ground quit talking. Your partner is mesmerized. He cant say anything.

The dust is gone. Its a realization, a reality, all of a sudden you have just landed in another world on another body out there (somewhere in the) universe, and what you are seeing is being seen by human beings  human eyes  for the first time.

Three days earlier, Cernan, Schmitt and Ronald Evans had blasted off atop a Saturn rocket in the first manned nighttime launch from Kennedy Space Center. Evans remained behind as pilot of the command module that orbited the moon while the other two landed on the moons surface. Cernan and Schmitt, a geologist, spent more than three days on the moon, including more than 22 hours outside the lander, and collected 249 pounds of lunar samples.

In that whole three days, I dont think theres anything that became routine, Cernan recalled. But if I had to focus on one thing ... it was just to look back at the overwhelming and overpowering beauty of this Earth.

To go a quarter of a million miles away into space and have to take time out to sleep and rest ... I wished I could have stayed awake for 75 hours straight. I knew when I left Id never have a chance to come back.

Completing their third moon walk on December 14, Schmitt returned to the lunar module and was followed by Cernan.

We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind, Cernan said.

Gene Cernan is pictured in the Command Module during the outbound trip from the moon during the Apollo 17 mission in this December, 1972 Nasa handout photo. (Reuters File Photo)

He later acknowledged that he had grasped for words to leave behind, knowing how the world remembered Neil Armstrongs giant leap for mankind on stepping on the moon in 1969.

Before heading home, Cernan said he drew the letters TDC  the initials of his then 9-year-old daughter, Teresa Dawn  with his finger on the dusty gray lunar surface. He said he imagined someone in the distant future would find our lunar rover and our footprints and those initials and say, I wonder who was here? Some ancient civilization was here back in the 20th century, and look at the funny marks they made.

Eugene A. Cernan was born in 1934 in Chicago and graduated from Indianas Purdue University in 1956 with a degree in electrical engineering. (Armstrong also was a Purdue grad.)

He had been a Navy attack pilot and earned a masters degree in aeronautical engineering when Nasa selected him in October 1963 as one of 14 members of its third astronaut class.

Cernan had the looks of an astronaut from central casting. Hes your classic sort of handsome debonair flyboy, said space historian Roger Launius, associate director of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

In 1966, he was pilot of Gemini 9, a three-day flight with command pilot Tom Stafford where they used different techniques to rendezvous with a docking adapter that was previously launched. On the flight, Cernan became the second American to walk in space, spending more than two hours outside the Gemini spacecraft.

Cernan would later call the mission, that spacewalk from hell.

It was very serious, said Launius, the historian. He lost all kinds of water, his equipment did not work effectively. He overheated. His visor glossed over with water, he could barely see. He barely got back in the spacecraft.

Cernans sweat so much he lost 13 pounds. The space agency was forced to go back to the drawing board.

That was a really important learning experience, Launius said. The difficult thing about that is they put an astronauts life at great risk there. They learned the lesson.

With the Apollo program under way, Cernan flew on Apollo 10 in May 1969. It was a dress rehearsal for the lunar landing on the next flight and took Cernan and Stafford, aboard the lunar module Snoopy, to within 9 miles of the moons surface.

The mission was marked by a glitch when the wrong guidance system was turned on and the lunar module went out of control before Stafford righted it by taking manual control.

Cernan often joked that his job was to paint a white line to the moon that Armstrong and the rest of the Apollo 11 crew could follow. Yet Cernan was one of only three people to voyage twice to the moon  either to its surface or in moon orbit. James Lovell and John Young are the others.

Gemini IXA astronauts Eugene Cernan (left) and Tom Stafford arrive in the white room atop Launch Pad 19 at Cape Kennedy Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral. (AP File Photo/Nasa)

In 1973, Cernan became special assistant to the program manager of the Apollo program at Johnson Space Center in Houston, assisting in planning and development of the U.S.-Soviet Apollo-Soyuz mission. He was senior U.S. negotiator with the Soviets on the test project.

He retired from Nasa three years later. He worked for a Houston energy firm, Coral Petroleum, then in 1981 began his own aerospace consulting company. He eventually became chairman of an engineering firm that worked on Nasa projects. He also worked as a network television analyst during shuttle flights in the 1980s.

A documentary about his life, The Last Man on the Moon was released in 2016.

Teresa was Cernans only child with his wife Barbara. The couple married in 1961 and divorced 20 years later. In 1987, he married again, to Jan Nanna, and they lived in Houston.

Neil Armstrong (left) is congratulated by fellow ex-astronaut Gene Cernan following the dedication ceremony of the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette. (AP File Photo)

In all, Cernan logged 566 hours and 15 minutes in space, more than 73 hours of them on the moons surface.

I can always walk on Main Street again, but I can never return to my Valley of Taurus-Littrow, and that cold fact has left me with a yearning restlessness, he wrote in his 1999 autobiography, also entitled The Last Man on the Moon.

It was perhaps the brightest moment of my life, and I cant go back, he said. Enriched by a singular event that is larger than life, I no longer have the luxury of being ordinary.

Cernan is survived by his wife, Jan Nanna Cernan, his daughter and son-in-law, Tracy Cernan Woolie and Marion Woolie, step-daughters Kelly Nanna Taff and husband, Michael, and Danielle Nanna Ellis and nine grandchildren.

Read | Nasa study says humans to live on moon by next decade
Nepal has extended an invitation to new Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat to visit the country in February, which is expected to be his first foreign trip.

A cabinet meeting recently approved the invitation to Rawat, who assumed office on December 31.

A special function will be organised at the Presidents Office to award Rawat the honorary title of army chief of Nepal for his commendable military prowess and immeasurable contribution to fostering Indias long-standing and friendly ties with Nepal.

With Nepal and China set to hold their first military exercise in Nepal in the first week of February, Rawats visit assumes significance in the context of bilateral strategic and military ties.

The proposed military drill with China, which will focus on counter-terrorism and disaster management, has raised eyebrows in strategic circles in New Delhi, mainly because of the close military ties with Kathmandu.

Nepal Army spokesperson Brig Gen Tara Bahadur Karki told Hindustan Times that Rawats proposed visit had been approved recently and the itinerary would be made public soon. Rawat will be conferred the title of honorary Chief of the Army Staff by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Karki said.

It has been a custom between the armies of the two friendly neighbours to confer the title to each others army chiefs since 1950 to signify the close military-to-military ties.

Rawat will also hold meetings with his Nepalese counterpart, Gen Rajendra Chhetri, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and defence minister Bal Krishna Khad.
A Nigerian air force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp on Tuesday, killing more than 100 refugees and aid workers, a Borno state official said.

Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed an accidental bombardment in the northeastern town of Rann, near the border with Cameroon, saying some civilians were killed.

It was believed to be the first time Nigerias military has admitted to making such a mistake in a region where villagers have in the past reported civilian casualties in the near-daily bombings targeting the Islamic militants.

The Borno state official, who was helping to coordinate the evacuation of wounded from the remote area by helicopters, said more than 100 refugees and aid workers were among the dead. He spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Doctors Without Borders said its team based in Rann counted 52 bodies and were treating 120 wounded.

This large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable, said Dr. Jean-Clement Cabrol, the aid groups director of operations. The safety of civilians must be respected.

The International Committee for the Red Cross said six workers with the Nigerian Red Cross were among the dead and 13 were wounded. They were part of a team that had brought in desperately needed food for over 25,000 displaced persons, spokesman Jason Straziuso said in a statement from Nairobi, Kenya.

People walk at the site after a bombing attack of an internally displaced persons camp in Rann, Nigeria January 17, 2017. (REUTERS Photo)

Two soldiers were also wounded, as well as Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders, Irabor said, without giving a precise figure.

The general, who is the theater commander for counterinsurgency operations in northeast Nigeria, said he ordered the mission based on information that Boko Haram insurgents were gathering in the area, along with geographic coordinates.

It was too early to say if a tactical error was made, he said, adding that the bombing would be investigated.

Doctors Without Borders spokesman Etienne lHermitte in Geneva urged authorities to facilitate cross-border land and air evacuations.

Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients. We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following the event, the statement said.

Villagers have in the past reported some civilian casualties in near-daily bombardments in northeastern Nigeria.

Some of the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 and freed last year have said three of their classmates were killed by air force bombardments, according to the freed girls parents. Of the nearly 300 schoolgirls who were abducted, 196 remain missing.

The bombings have helped drive Boko Haram out of many towns and villages and, according to Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari, the insurgents last stronghold in the Sambisa Forest last month.

Boko Harams 7-year-old Islamic uprising has killed more than 20,000 people and forced 2.6 million from their homes, creating the continents worst humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning some 5.1 million people face starvation.
Chinese net users have expressed sympathy for the families of 153 Chinese citizens who were on the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which went missing in March 2014, after it was announced on Tuesday that the search for the aircraft had been suspended indefinitely.

The Australian-led underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been suspended indefinitely, the Australian, Malaysian and Chinese governments said in a joint statement on Tuesday, Chinas official Xinhua news agency reported.

It said that despite almost three years of scouring the southern Indian Ocean for the missing Boeing 777 jetliner, no new evidence was found in the official 120,000-square kilometre search zone.

One internet user wrote: The whole world has given up. The victims family members would never give up. Another said: Three years have gone by so fast.

Yet another user recollected events from three years ago: I remember the wife who was waiting for her husband. I felt so heartbroken when I read about her.

Surprisingly, there were not many comments from the families of Chinese citizens reported missing in the incident that shocked the world. It wasnt immediately clear whether the government was censoring comments about the decision to suspend the search for the airliner that had a total of 239 crew and passengers on board.

All the governments know the truth, but there must be something they want to hide, said one user of Weibo, Chinas Twitter.

In the days after the flight went missing, angry relatives of Chinese passengers had marched through the streets of Beijing and clashed with police during a rare public protest in the heart of the Chinese capital.

There was some criticism of the decision to suspend the search, with Voice370, an organisation for families of the missing, calling it irresponsible.

In our view, extending the search to the new area defined by the experts is an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interest of aviation safety, the organisation said in a statement.
Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday outlined the contours of what she called a Global Britain after Brexit in a major speech that confirmed her government will take the country out of the European single market, delighting and dismaying many in equal measure.

Leaving the single market has major implications for Britains economy and that of the European Union. It will also affect more than 800 Indian companies that use Britain as a base to operate across Europe, and many are already working on alternatives.

May mentioned India twice in the speech as one of the key countries with which Britain will seek free trade agreements and forge closer engagement. She said initial talks on free trade with India had already started.

While the decision to leave the single market dismayed many, including MPs from Mays Conservative Party and trade and industry, her announcement that the final Brexit deal at the end of the two-year exit process will be placed before Parliament was welcomed, strengthening the pound.

Since the membership of the single market comes with the obligation of freedom of movement of EU citizens, Mays announcement implies similar restrictions on the entry of EU citizens into Britain as those applicable to India and other non-EU countries. It reiterated Mays hardline approach on the issue of immigration as home secretary and prime minister.

Mays former cabinet colleague, MP Nicky Morgan, said she was disappointed by the single market exit plan, while the bid to forge a free trade deal with the EU, according to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, was akin to having the cake and eating it too.

Mrs May has said she will leave the single market and, at the same time, has said she wants to have access to it. I am not quite sure how that is going to go down in Europe...She seems to be wanting to have her cake and eat it," Corbyn said.

As business leaders said they were no wiser on the post-Brexit scenario, senior Labour MP Chuka Umuna said: The PM fails to understand if we leave the EU single market we'd have no say over the rules applying to almost half our exports.

Noting the tough stand taken by some EU member states on Brexit, May warned: Britain wants to remain a good friend and neighbour to Europe. Yet I know there are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path.

That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe. And it would not be the act of a friend. Britain would not - indeed we could not - accept such an approach. And while I am confident that this scenario need never arise - while I am sure a positive agreement can be reached - I am equally clear that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain.

Stating explicitly that her government will not try to hold on to parts of the EU, she told envoys of various countries at Lancaster House: We seek a new and equal partnership  between an independent, self-governing, Global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU. Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out. We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries.

We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave. The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. My job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do, she said, confirming Brexit will also end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

Insisting that Brexit did not mean cutting off Britain from European neighbours, particularly on the issue of terrorism, she said: We will continue to be reliable partners, willing allies and close friends. We want to buy your goods, sell you ours, trade with you as freely as possible, and work with one another to make sure we are all safer, more secure and more prosperous through continued friendship.

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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Photo : Getty Images)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan will provide Vietnam with six more patrol boats and will do its part to strengthen the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG), moves seen as an attempt by Abe to quickly undermine any goodwill generated by China when it hosted Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, last week.



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VCG already operates five Teshio-class patrol vessels, each of 500 tons, provided by Japan a few years ago. The boats are used for littoral water patrols.



The six new coastguard patrol boats are valued at $338 million and Vietnam will receive a concessional loan to pay for them.



Abe is now in Vietnam on the last leg of a four-nation Asian tour that has seen him visit Japan's traditional allies -- Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines -- at a time when China holds fast to its illegal claim to own most of the South China Sea despite an international court declaring this claim illegal and void in a decision reached July 12, 2016.



China also lays claim to ownership of Japan's Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.



"We will strongly support Vietnam's enhancing its maritime law enforcement capability," said Abe.



He emphasized the dispute over the South China Sea should be settled through talks and in accordance with international law, something which China has refused to do as it has refused to accept as lawful the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.



Maritime security and trade have been the common talking points during Abe's visit to Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia.



The easy access to the six patrol boats comes immediately after Trong's visit to China ended on Jan. 16.



China and Vietnam issued a polite joint communique on Trong's final day in China by declaring their intent to manage their maritime differences but without addressing China's occupation of islands in the South China Sea owned by Vietnam.



The forward-looking statement papered over vast differences under diplomatically correct language.



"A candid exchange of views" on maritime issues led both countries to promise to seek basic and long-term solutions they can accept via negotiation. They also agreed to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea, and strive for the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct on the basis of consensus in the framework of the DOC.



Trong was in China for an official visit that lasted from Jan. 12 to 16. He met with President Xi Jinping, who is also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.



During their first meeting, Xi hailed the growth of the all-round strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China, citing progress in friendship, political trust, cooperation and cultural exchanges.



As for their maritime disputes, Xi said both sides must increase communication and consolidate mutual trust to lay a solid political foundation for the settlement of disputes and work together on maritime exploration and cooperation.


Seeking to end speculation about hard Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday set out her stall to negotiate Britains departure from the EU by stating her government would make a clean break and not try to hold on to bits of the bloc.

Delivering a major speech to envoys of various countries at Lancaster House, May, who has faced criticism from bureaucrats and others over muddled thinking on Brexit, sought to put more details about the process in the public domain.

We seek a new and equal partnership  between an independent, self-governing, Global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU. Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out. We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries, she said.

We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave. The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. My job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do, said added, confirming Britain will leave the European single market and end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

Critics immediately said the speech did not give enough detail. Senior Labour MP Chuka Umuna said: The PM fails to understand if we leave the EU single market wed have no say over the rules applying to almost half our exports.

Final deal will be placed before Parliament

May announced a major concession to MPs and others: the final deal reached at the end of two-year negotiations will be placed before both houses of parliament for approval before Britains exit from the EU is formalized.

Most MPs and lords are said to be against Brexit but Mays remarks immediately strengthened the pound on the financial market.

Insisting that Brexit did not mean cutting Britain off from European neighbours, particularly on the issue of terrorism, May said: We will continue to be reliable partners, willing allies and close friends.

We want to buy your goods, sell you ours, trade with you as freely as possible, and work with one another to make sure we are all safer, more secure and more prosperous through continued friendship.

May added, Our vote to leave the European Union was no rejection of the values we share. The decision to leave the EU represents no desire to become more distant to you, our friends and neighbours.

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The British governments plan for leaving the European Union is economically catastrophic and Scotland must have the option of voting for independence if its views on Brexit are rejected, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Tuesday.

Sturgeon, who leads the pro-independence devolved government, was speaking after British Prime Minister Theresa May signalled Britain would quit the European Union single market and impose immigration limits whilst seeking fair trade deals across the globe.

Read| PM May outlines plans for Global Britain, closer engagement with India

Sturgeon said Scots, who voted by a clear majority against leaving the EU in last Junes referendum, were now more likely to want independence.

She has submitted a series of proposals on Scotlands position to the UK government, including the option of Scotland maintaining its EU single market links from within the UK.

Many see that as impractical but the Scottish government argues that as Brexit is unprecedented, a creative approach should be considered.

Sturgeon said she wanted evidence that Scotlands voice was being taken into account by the government in London.

The UK government cannot be allowed to take us out of the EU and the single market, regardless of the impact on our economy, jobs, living standards and our reputation as an open, tolerant country, without Scotland having the ability to choose between that and a different future, she said.

With her comments today, the prime minister has only succeeded in making that choice more likely.

Ruth Davidson, leader of the Mays Conservative Party in Scotland, said Sturgeon should back off the threat of independence.

(Sturgeons) Scottish National Party should have the good grace to accept that many of its own demands - including the protection of workers rights, and the protection of rights for EU citizens in Britain and cross-border cooperation on tackling crime - have been recognised by the UK government, she said.

The Scottish government is due to meet UK counterparts on Thursday in London as part of negotiations for Brexit.
A five-year-old Sikh boy has been denied school enrolment in Australia for wearing turban as it does not align with its uniform policy, despite a landmark ruling in 2008 against a private institution on the issue.

It is disappointing that my son has been forced to abandon his religious practices and identity to access to an education in Melbournes Melton Christian College (MCC), Sagardeep Singh Arora was quoted as saying by the SBS TV.

We have lodged a claim with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC).

I believe having a common school uniform is important in promoting school identity and integration, Arora said.

Students should be able to wear their significant religious symbols and articles of faith. Its immoral for a school to not allow students to practice their beliefs.

We were in discussions regarding the importance of hair & turban in Sikhism and acceptance of turban as uniform by different organisations (like schools, army, and police) in Australia and the other countries, says Arora. Yet, the college has refused to review their uniform policy.

Given the long history of the Sikh community in Australia, Arora says its disappointing that they still struggle with issues such as this.

While practising our religious beliefs, we wish to show an expression of solidarity with the wider Australian community, he added.

MCC has provided a written response to the VEOHRC in which the school refused to include any additional items amid the existing permitted uniform protocol, the report said.

Our colleges history represents over thirty years of inclusive religious tolerance. For thirty years our children have been in classrooms and playgrounds, learning, growing, and playing side by side wonderfully oblivious to their families extensive religious diversities. We are proud of that heritage of inclusiveness.

We acknowledge the disappointment that Sagardeep and his family feel. We respectfully recognise his disappointment that the uniform protocol of this school mean that non prescribed items are not permitted to be worn in addition to the school uniform. The result is that we have agreed that college uniform will be maintained as it is, without permitting additional items.

Sikhism is a small but growing minority religion in Australia that can trace its origins in the nation to the 1830s. Australia is home to more than 72,000 Sikh, a population that is expected to rise in this years census.

In a landmark case in September 2008, a Brisbane private school was forced to back down on a strict uniform policy that would have forced a Sikh boy to cut his hair and remove his turban.
A virulent social media campaign to paint five disappeared Pakistani activists as blasphemers deserving execution has spotlighted how right-wing efforts to muzzle liberal voices using the countrys draconian laws have found a powerful new platform online.

The five men had stood against religious intolerance and at times criticised Pakistans military, with several of them running progressive Facebook pages.

They vanished within days of each other earlier this month, sparking fears of a government crackdown. No group has claimed responsibility. Security sources denied being involved.

As publicity surrounding their disappearances grew, with protests in major cities, observers such as Digital Rights Foundation founder Nighat Dad began to notice a worrying trend online.

There are people trying to label these missing bloggers blasphemers. And the people supporting...(them) are being labelled blasphemers, Dad told AFP.

The allegation can be fatal in deeply conservative Muslim Pakistan, where at least 17 people remain on death row for blasphemy.

Rights groups have long criticised the colonial-era legislation as a vehicle for personal vendettas. Even unproven allegations can result in mob lynchings.

And now such accusations targeting the disappeared activists are multiplying on Facebook and Twitter.

The group of atheists committing blasphemy on Facebook... have been defeated, said a recent post by Pakistan Defence, a powerful pro-military Facebook page run by anonymous right-wing elements which has 7.5 million likes.

The post, liked more than 5,400 times, triggered a flood of threats including one suggesting the activists bullet riddled corpses should be found beside any gutter.

Other pages such as ISI Pakistan1, with 192,000 Facebook likes, called for such enemies of Islam to be eliminated.

Self-censorship

The attacks are perpetuated by right-wing trolls such as 25-year-old Farhan Virk, who admits he has few real friends but has 54,000 followers on his verified Twitter account.

By re-tweeting the blasphemy charges against the activists, Virk gives them a prominence on social media that can influence the mainstream news agenda.

A number of NGOs and observers believe the campaigns to silence progressive voices are carefully coordinated.

Members of the Institute for Peace and Secular Studies gather around portraits of assassinated provincial governor Salman Taseer in Lahore, during a ceremony marking his death anniversary. Pakistan police arrested 160 people on January 4, 2017 at a rally to celebrate the assassination of a liberal provincial governor who called for the country's tough blasphemy laws to be reformed. (AFP File Photo)

Digital rights activist Dad points to what she says is a periodic surge of new right-wing Twitter accounts with just a handful of followers whose only purpose is to attack us.

The end result is often self-censorship, with the online attacks following a well-worn pattern.

Journalist Rabia Mehmood criticised Pakistan online after human rights activist Sabeen Mahmud was assassinated in 2015.

Mehmood received a barrage of death and rape threats on Twitter and Facebook, including many from newly created accounts, accusing her of being anti-state and an enemy of Islam.

Overnight there were tweets warning me that there were bullets with my name on them for criticising the military and the intelligence agencies, she said.

Since then I have started watching what I say.

The new wave of blasphemy charges that followed the activist disappearances prompted a number of liberal online commentators to close their accounts completely.

Shrinking space for dissent

Pakistan used its legal agreements with Facebook and Twitter to temporarily remove a slew of left-wing accounts in 2014, and enacted a cybercrime law last year that critics say will stifle genuine dissent.

Meanwhile, pages such as Pakistan Defence appear to operate freely, despite content that would appear to contravene basic community standards.

A Twitter spokesperson said support teams have been retrained on enforcement policies, including special sessions on cultural and historical contextualisation of hateful conduct.

Facebook said it routinely worked to prohibit hateful content and remove credible threats of physical harm.

Observers say the blasphemy allegations against the missing activists have already put their lives in danger of vigilante attack.

In 2011 a liberal governor who criticised the laws was gunned down in Islamabad, while in 2014 a Christian couple falsely accused of desecrating the Koran were killed by a mob, their bodies burned in a brick kiln, to cite just two examples.

If they come back I dont think they have a life in this country, said Shahzad Ahmed, director of campaign group Bytes For All. They will have to leave.
President Vladimir Putin cracked raunchy jokes on Tuesday as he poked fun at claims that Russian secret services filmed US president-elect Donald Trump with prostitutes.

Showing he is familiar with the claims in the explosive dossier, Putin launched into a series of ribald jokes about prostitutes, riffing on Trumps former role as owner of the Miss Universe beauty contest.

The unsubstantiated dossier published by American media last week alleged that Russia had gathered compromising information on Trump, namely videos involving prostitutes at a luxury Moscow hotel, supposedly as a potential means for blackmail.

In his first public comments on the claims, Putin rubbished the idea that Russian secret services would have spied on Trump during his 2013 visit to Moscow for the Miss Universe final, as alleged in the dossier.

Trump when he came to Moscow... wasnt any kind of political figure, we didnt even know of his political ambitions, Putin said, responding to a journalists question at a news conference.

Does anyone think that our special services chase every American billionaire? Of course not, its just completely ridiculous.

Putin also questioned why Trump would feel the need to hire prostitutes, given his opportunities to meet beautiful women at the Miss Universe contest.

Hes a grown-up for a start and secondly a man who spent his whole life organising beauty contests and meeting the most beautiful women in the world, Putin said.

I can hardly imagine that he ran off to a hotel to meet our girls of lowered social responsibility, said Putin, adding jokingly although they are of course the best in the I doubt Trump fell for that.

Putin went on to compare those behind the dossier unfavourably with prostitutes.

The people who order falsifications of the kind that are now circulating against the US president-elect -- they are worse than prostitutes, they dont have any moral limits at all.

The fact that such methods are being used against the US president-elect is a unique case: nothing like this has happened before.

This shows a significant level of degradation of the political elite in the West.
The nearly three-year search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 ended Tuesday, possibly forever  not because investigators have run out of leads, but because the countries involved in the expensive and vast deep-sea hunt have shown no appetite for opening another phase.

Late last year, as ships with high-tech search equipment covered the last strips of the 120,000-square kilometer (46,000-square mile) search zone, experts concluded they should have been searching a smaller area immediately to the north. But by then, $160 million had already been spent by Malaysia, Australia and China, who had agreed over the summer not to search elsewhere without pinpoint evidence.

The transport ministers of those countries reiterated that decision Tuesday in the joint communique issued by the Joint Agency Coordination Center in Australia that announced the search for Flight 370  and the 239 people aboard the aircraft  had been suspended.

Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modeling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft, said the agency, which helped lead the hunt for the Boeing 777 in remote waters west of Australia.

Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended. The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness.

This file picture taken on March 6, 2015, shows a board bearing solidarity messages during a gathering to mark the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in Kuala Lumpur. (AFP)

Read | Search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 called off

Relatives of those lost on the plane, which vanished during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, responded largely with outrage. A support group, Voice 370, issued a statement saying that extending the search is an inescapable duty owed to the flying public.

Without understanding what happened to the plane, theres a good chance that this could happen in the future, said K.S. Narendran, a member of the group.

But last year, Australia, Malaysia and China  which have each helped fund the search  agreed that the hunt would be suspended once the search zone was exhausted unless new evidence emerges that pinpoints the planes specific location. More than after of those aboard the plane were Chinese.

Since no technology currently exists that can tell investigators exactly where the plane is, that means the most expensive, complex search in aviation history is over, barring a change of heart from the three countries.

There is the possibility that a private donor could offer to bankroll a new search, or that Malaysia will kick in fresh funds. But no one has stepped up yet, raising the bleak possibility that the worlds greatest aviation mystery may never be solved.

For the families of the aircrafts 227 passengers and 12 crew members, thats a particularly bitter prospect given the recent acknowledgment by officials that they had been looking for the plane in the wrong place all along.

In December, the transport bureau announced that a review of the data used to estimate where the plane crashed, coupled with new information on ocean currents, strongly suggested that the plane hit the water in an area directly north of the search zone.

Read | Malaysia Airlines MH370 mystery: What happened to flight, where did it go down?

Officials investigating the planes disappearance recommended that search crews head north to a new 25,000-square-kilometer (9,700-square-mile) area identified in a recent analysis as where the plane most likely crashed. But Australias government rejected that recommendation, saying the results of the experts analysis werent precise enough to justify continuing the hunt.

A family member of a passenger aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which went missing in 2014 reacts during a protest outside the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing. (Reuters)

Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft, the transport ministers of the three countries involved said in their statement Tuesday.

The lack of resolution has caused agony for family members of the flights passengers, who have begged officials to continue the hunt for their loved ones.

The whole series of events since the plane disappeared has been nothing but frustrating, said Grace Nathan, a Malaysian whose mother was on board Flight 370. It continues to be frustrating and we just hope they will continue to search. ... Theyve already searched 120,000 square kilometers. What is another 25,000?

Investigators have been stymied again and again in their efforts to find the aircraft. Hopes were repeatedly raised and smashed by false leads: Underwater signals wrongly thought to be emanating from the planes black boxes. Possible debris fields that turned out to be sea trash. Oil slicks that contained no jet fuel. A large object detected on the seafloor that was just an old shipwreck.

Read | Everything you need to know about the Malaysia Airlines MH370 mystery

In the absence of solid leads, investigators relied largely on an analysis of transmissions between the plane and a satellite to narrow down where in the world the jet ended up  a technique never previously used to find an aircraft.

Based on the transmissions, they narrowed down the possible crash zone to a vast arc of ocean slicing across the Southern Hemisphere. Even then, the search zone was enormous and located in one of the most remote patches of water on earth  1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) off Australias west coast. Much of the seabed had never even been mapped.

For years, search crews painstakingly combed the search area in several ships, largely pinning their hopes on towfish, small vessels equipped with sonar that sent information back to the boats in real-time. The ships slowly dragged the towfish through the ocean just above the seabed, hoping the equipment would detect some trace of the plane. Unmanned submarines were used to examine areas of rougher terrain and objects of interest picked up by sonar that required a closer look.

In this March 31, 2014 file photo, HMAS Success scans the southern Indian Ocean, near the coast of Western Australia, as a Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion flies over in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. (AP)

In pics | Off the radar: The mystery of missing Flight MH370

The search zone shifted multiple times as investigators refined their analysis, all to no avail. Some began to question whether the plane had gone down in the Southern Hemisphere at all.

Then, in July 2015, came the first proof that the plane was indeed in the Indian Ocean: A wing flap from the aircraft was found on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar. Since then, more than 20 objects either confirmed or believed to be from the plane have washed ashore on beaches throughout the Indian Ocean. But while the debris proved the plane went down in the Indian Ocean, the location of the main underwater wreckage  and its crucial black box data recorders  remains stubbornly elusive.

If the plane is never found, the reasons for its disappearance and crash will probably never be known, though Malaysia has said the planes erratic movements after takeoff were consistent with deliberate actions.

The sister of the pilot, Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, slammed authorities for ending the search without settling the mystery, saying her brother will not be absolved of suspicions he deliberately crashed the plane.

How can they end the search like that? There will be finger-pointing again, Sakinab Shah said.

The transport ministers praised the efforts of the search crews and said the search had presented an unprecedented challenge.

Todays announcement is significant for our three countries, but more importantly for the family and friends of those on board the aircraft. We again take this opportunity to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives and acknowledge the enormous loss felt by their loved ones, the ministers wrote. We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located.
The global elite begin a week of earnest debate and Alpine partying in the Swiss ski resort of Davos on Tuesday, in a week bookended by two presidential speeches of historic import.

One will be by Xi Jinping, the first Chinese president to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos. He is expected to seek to turn the page on the US-led polity for trade that has governed since World War II in favour of a multipolar approach.

The other speech will be by Donald Trump when he is inaugurated in Washington as the 45th US president on Friday. His barnstorming conquest of the White House has left many in the globetrotting Davos crowd agog at his repudiation of all that they stand for -- liberal thought, free trade and open borders.

Around 3,000 government leaders, captains of industry, stars of screen and agenda-setting thinkers are braving heavy snow and the chill winds of an anti-globalisation revolt by Western voters to congregate in Davos for the 47th World Economic Forum.

Conscious of the revolt, organisers are billing the four days of discussions as A call for responsive and responsible leadership, and top business executives agree that they must not appear oblivious to public anger.

The advantages of globalisation are more clear in emerging markets then in developed countries. We have to listen, to help people that are concerned, Sergio Ermotti, chief executive of Swiss banking giant UBS, told AFP.

A World Economic Forum study said that within advanced economies, median per capita income fell on average 2.4% over the past five years, helping to explain why disaffection is so high across the West.

And the scale of the chasm between the richest and poorest was laid bare by an Oxfam report that said eight men own the same wealth as the poorest half of the worlds population.

The eight include Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who is speaking at the forum this week, and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, which like several other companies has remodelled a Davos shop as a promotional pop-up venue.

Perils and parties

Other research presented by the consultancy Edelman found public confidence in institutions including in governments, business, the media and NGOs slumping across the rich world.

There is growing despair about the future, a lack of confidence in the possibility of a better life for ones family, chief executive Richard Edelman said.

The sense that the world is at an inflection point is apparent in the topics of debate at Davos, across hundreds of different panels.

One panel Tuesday will discuss Why facts dont unify us any more. Another will ask whether the future of work is pregnant with Promise or peril, given the impact of technology on jobs, a theme that is resonating loudly on the electoral front with Trumps victory, Britains vote to quit the European Union and the rise of far-right parties across Europe.

China, meanwhile, is selling itself as the future as it touts new types of trade agreement shorn of US influence.

But China is in fact a self-serving mercantilist power that is not interested in crafting a beneficial new order, IHS Markit chief economist Nariman Behravesh said.

So after Mr Xis warm words, what is China actually going to do differently? Im not going to hold my breath, he told AFP.

Away from debates on weighty issues such as reform of capitalism, artificial intelligence and a cure for cancer, Davos attendees including Chinas richest man Jack Ma and Hollywood star Matt Damon will get to unwind at exclusive apres-ski events dotted around the town.

But the party for Davos Man may be drawing to a close if the anti-elite backlash intensifies.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will address the World Economic Forum on Thursday, two days after outlining her vision for Brexit in another keenly-awaited speech. Her predecessor David Cameron is also attending Davos, and will no doubt offer some rueful remarks on how he so badly misjudged the mood of British voters.

But the weeks most consequential speech will come in Washington as Davos winds down Friday. What response, if any, that Trump offers in his inaugural address to Xis vision for an alternative world order will provoke much soul-searching among the forums great and good.
Turkish police on Monday captured the suspected jihadist who slaughtered 39 people on New Years night at an Istanbul nightclub, detaining him in a raid on a residential area of the city after a long manhunt.

The alleged assailant was found along with his four-year-old son in an apartment in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul after a massive police operation, state-run TRT television reported.

The attacker had been on the run for over two weeks, after slipping into the night following the attack on the glamorous Reina nightclub on the Bosphorus.

Reports had previously suggested he never left the Turkish metropolis, despite a tightening of borders in a bid to stop him escaping, triggering fears that a dangerous killer was on the loose in the city.

The Islamic State (IS) group took responsibility for the bloodbath, the first time it has ever openly claimed a major attack in Turkey.

It had previously been blamed for several strikes including triple suicide bombings at Istanbul airport in June.

The suspect was caught in an operation jointly carried out by the Turkish police and the spy agency MIT, Turkish TV said.

Turkish media published a picture of the detained man with blood on his face and T-shirt, his neck gripped by a policeman.

Television images showed him being roughly led away, his head bent low.

Tracked for 3 days

There had been confusion over the identity of the attacker in the wake of the massacre, with reports initially suggesting a Kyrgyz national and then a Uighur from China.

But reports on January 8 said intelligence services and anti-terror police in Istanbul had identified him as a 34-year-old Uzbek who was part of a Central Asian IS cell.

The state run Anadolu news agency identified the detained man as Abdulgadir Masharipov, while the Dogan news agency said he used the code name of Ebu Muhammed Horasani within IS. These are the same names given in the January 8 reports.

The suspect was living in an apartment rented by a Kyrgyz in Istanbul who was also detained, TRT reported. Anadolu said a total of five people were detained in the operation, including three women.

Anadolu added the suspected attacker had been brought to the Istanbul police headquarters for questioning. It said other raids took place on IS targets in the city, without giving further details.

NTV television said the attacker was captured at a quarter past midnight (2115 GMT). The police had spotted his location three days earlier, but preferred to track him to identify his contacts.

The son is under protection, the reports said.

Turkish media reports had said that the gunman was a well-trained killer who had fought for IS in Syria and had gained weapons expertise there.

The investigation had also focused on the central Turkish city of Konya where the attacker was reported to have lived for several weeks after returning from Syria before moving to Istanbul.

At least 35 people have been detained before the latest raid in connection with the attack, according to Anadolu.

Of the 39 killed in the attack on the glamorous nightclub, 27 were foreigners including citizens from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq and Morocco who had been hoping to celebrate a special New Year.

The attack, just 75 minutes into 2017, rocked Turkey which had already been shaken by a string of attacks in 2016 blamed on jihadists and Kurdish militants that left hundreds dead.

Turkey had been accused by its Western allies of not doing enough to halt the rise of IS but the charges are denied by the Turkish authorities, who note the group has been listed as a terror organisation in the country since 2013.
A police officer fatally shot a Virginia man who shot two people and kept a hostage barricaded inside a house even after he set it on fire Monday afternoon, officials said.

Two men called 911 about 2:40pm Monday and said they had been shot at a home in Herndon and were driving themselves to a hospital, Fairfax County police chief Col. Edwin C Roessler Jr. said.

Officers arriving at the townhouse in suburban Washington heard gunshots inside and saw smoke coming from its third floor, the chief said at a news conference.

Roessler said a man saying he was being held hostage called 911 to report that he couldnt breathe, but firefighters werent able to enter the house because someone kept shooting a gun inside.

Police negotiators were talking to the suspect by phone, but the chief said he refused to cooperate with them.

The suspect opened the front door and was holding what appeared to be a knife, Roessler said. Thats when an officer shot the man, who died at a hospital.

Firefighters put out the blaze and the hostage was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation. Roessler said no officers were hurt.

The two men shot at the beginning of the incident were being treated at a hospital for injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, police said.

Roessler said that details and the sequence of events were still being investigated.

Police did not release information about the relationship of the people involved or the race of the suspect and the officer who shot him.
At 0655 hours on March 30, 1922, the heavily laden Fairey IIID floatplane bound for Rio de Janeiro. At the controls in the open cockpit was 40-year-old Portuguese navy Commander Artur de Sacadura Cabral, with Rear Admiral Carlos Viegas Gago Coutinho, 53, as his navigator and occasional copilot. If they reached Rio within one week, the airmen would share a 4,000 Portuguese government prize for the first flight by Portuguese or Brazilian aviators between the two capital cities.

Cabral and Coutinho planned to make the flight in four main stages. The first would take them from Lisbon to the Canary Islands, off the West African coast. From there they would fly to the Cape Verde Islands. The third and most difficult stage would carry them to the Brazilian archipelago of St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks, where a Portuguese warship with refueling facilities would be stationed. Locating this tiny speck in the equatorial ocean would be a supreme test of Coutinhos navigational abilities. If all went well, the final stage, after reaching the island of Fernando de Noronha and flying down the east coast of Brazil, would land them in Rio and earn them a place in the record books.

Their British Fairey IIID was a tried and tested floatplane with a record of dependable service in the RAF and Fleet Air Arm. Powered in this instance by a 375-hp Rolls-Royce Eagle engine, it had a top speed of about 106 mph and a normal still-air range of 550 miles. Lusitanias wingspan had been extended from 46 to 62 feet and its fuselage lengthened to accommodate extra fuel tanks in the center section. Additional fuel would also be carried in the floats, extracted via wind-driven impeller pumps.

Taking off fully loaded with 330 gallons aboard would require all of Cabrals skill, as the Faireys floats were of a very basic design, with no step to induce separation from the water. Whats more, the plywood-covered floats tended to leak.

Pilot Commander Artur de Sacadura Cabral (left) and navigator Rear Adm. Carlos Viegas Gago Coutinho (right) sit in the cockpit of the floatplane Lusitania at Lisbon Naval Base, shortly before their departure. (National Air and Space Museum)

Coutinho planned to use naval techniques to navigate across the featureless ocean, relying primarily on a specially modified sextant with an artificial horizon of his own invention when the actual horizon was invisible. Smoke bombs would be employed to calculate drift. They were hoping for, but not relying on, help from favorable trade winds on either side of the equator.

The first day went well, with the airmen alighting at Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands, at 1530 hours after covering 900 miles in 8hours. But then the weather turned against them. It was April 2 before the flight resumed, though storms soon forced them down again into the nearby Bay of Gando.

Two more bad weather days passed before they could continue, heading out across the 800 miles of ocean to St. Vincent in the Cape Verde Islands, which they reached after almost 11 hours. Adverse weather forced them to remain in St. Vincent until April 17, by which time they had exceeded the one-week requirement for the Portuguese governments prize. On, then, for the short flight to Porto-Praia, another of the Canaries, before heading south the next day on the long transoceanic stage to St. Peter and St. Paul Rocksassuming they could find them in the vast South Atlantic.

Cabral later described what happened several hours into the flight: The wind continued to weaken and the fuel consumption remained, at least, around 20 gallons per hour.We must have been about 690 miles from the Rocks and we didnt have more than eight and a half hours of fuel left. To get there we needed to make 80 miles per hour and our speed was 72 miles per hour. The logical, the prudent thing to do would have been to turn back, but that would have left a bad impression. I confess that for me this was the most bitter part of the Lisbon-Rio trip, because for nine and a half hours I was never sure we had enough fuel to complete the trip.

Cabrals doubts proved to be unfounded. After a 1,045-mile, 11 hour 20 minute flight, with their fuel almost exhausted, they located the rocky archipelago. But while alighting on the heavy seas one of Lusitanias floats was damaged and the aircraft began to sink. Fortunately their guardian angel, the Portuguese navy sloop Republica, was close at hand to rescue the exhausted airmen. The sloop then took them to Fernando de Noronha to await the arrival of a replacement floatplane that, with national prestige now at stake, was hurriedly shipped from Portugal.

Patria, a slightly modified Fairey IIID, arrived on May 6. Five days later, intent on completing the whole distance, Cabral and Coutinho left Fernando de Noronha and backtracked to St. Peter and St. Paul Rocksonly to run into a major storm that forced them to turn around 15 miles short of the archipelago. While the airmen were battling atrocious conditions on their return to Fernando de Noronha, their engine failed, forcing them to ditch in the ocean. As the floats began taking in water, they were surrounded by a posse of hungry sharks. Fortunately, as Coutinho recalled, When they realized that the plane wasnt edible, they went away.

Lusitania comes to grief on April 18. (National Air and Space Museum)

Meanwhile Republicas crew had transmitted a wireless distress call requesting all ships in the area to keep an eye out for the missing floatplane. Nine long hours passed before the increasingly desperate airmen were found by the British freighter Paris City, which took them on board and Patria in tow. Next day the freighter rendezvoused with Republica, which tried unsuccessfully to winch the damaged floatplane aboard.

Back yet again at Fernando de Noronha, it was not until June 5 that the indomitable pair resumed their flight, this time in another Fairey IIID, Santa Cruz, sent out on presidential orders aboard a Portuguese warship. By stages they then flew down the east coast of Brazil, via Recife, Salvador de Bahia, Porto Seguro and Vitoria, finally arriving in Rio de Janeiro to a heroes welcome on June 17.

The replacement floatplane Santa Cruz arrives in Rio de Janeiro at the conclusion of the flight across the South Atlantic on June 17, 1922. (National Air and Space Museum)

In their various aircraft, Cabral and Coutinho had covered some 5,200 miles in 79 days, but with an actual flying time of 62 hours and 26 minutes and an average speed of 83.5 mph. They had completed the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic Ocean. Moreover, they had also made the first east-to-west crossing of the Atlantic using a heavier-than-air craft. It was a magnificent feat of courage, endeavor and, decisively, navigational expertise.

Britains Flight magazine trumpeted: Our old allies the Portuguese were ever good navigators at sea. They have now proved to be equally to the front in air navigation and we feel proud to think that two British firms have been associated with them in the historical flight to South America. King George V sent a fulsome message of congratulations to the Portuguese president.

Sacadura Cabral did not survive very long to enjoy his celebrity. In November 1924, Flight reported that the pilot had disappeared over the English Channel while on a delivery flight from Holland to Portugal in the single-engine Fokker floatplane he had intended to use in a round-the-world flight attempt. Although wreckage from the Fokker was found, the bodies of Cabral and his mechanic were never recovered.

As for master navigator Gago Coutinho, he lived on, loaded with honors, until 1959.

Their achievement has been largely forgotten, though not in Portugal. The meticulously restored Santa Cruz, which carried the airmen on the final phase of their flight, is now on display at the Museo de Marinha in Lisbon. There is also a commemorative full-size replica of a Fairey IIID floatplane close to the waterfront of the Tagus River, where it all began.

Frequent contributor Derek OConnor writes from Amersham, Bucks, UK. For further reading, he recommends: Through Atlantic Clouds, by Clifford Collinson and Captain F. McDermott; and The 91 Before Lindbergh, by Peter Christopher Allen.

Originally published in the May 2015 issue of Aviation History. To subscribe, click here.
BTS arrive for the 24th Seoul Music Awards at the Olympic Park on January 22, 2015 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo : Getty Images/Chung Sung Jun)

BTS started 2017 on the right foot, gaining various accolades in the first month of the year. Recently, the seven-member group was identified as the most talked about Kpop boy band and even reached high brand value scores that bested EXO and Big Bang.



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Originally built in Canada, Phil Lawtons Hawker fighter incorporates backstories from Britain, the USSR, Rhodesia and Finland.

Built in Canada and restored in England, a Hawker Hurricane returned to the sky in July 2014 sporting markings utterly alien to anyone who associates the fighter with its iconic role as the Royal Air Forces mainstay during the Battle of Britain. Instead of British cockades, it wore blue swastikas on white disks, and the serial number of the last Hurricane to serve in the Finnish air force.

By now youve probably asked, What the hell? If so, take a deep breath and ask a more pertinent question: How on earth?

The answer begins at the Canadian Car and Foundry, which built Hurricane Mark XIIB R30040, a license-produced version of the British Mark IIB, in mid-1941. This variant upgraded the Hurricane Mk. Is 880-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin III V-12 engine to a 1,280-hp Merlin XX, and was produced in two versions: the Mk. IIA with eight .303- inch Browning machine guns in the wings, and the Mk. IIB with 12 wing-mounted weapons. Given the Royal Canadian Air Force serial no. 5487, this particular Mk. XIIB flew coastal defense sorties from Gander, Newfoundland, with No. 127 Squadron until a night training flight on November 22, 1942, in which Flight Sgt. A.R. Taylor crashed into a snowdrift near Indian Bay Pond. Taylor suffered minor injuries; the airplane was written off in March 1943.

After decades on the scrapheap, the Hurricanes remains were bought by Hawker Restorations in 1990 and shipped to Classic Aero Engineering at Thruxton, in Hampshire, England, which worked on them from 2002 to 2011, when the firm went out of business. At that point Phoenix Aero Services, also at Thruxton, took over.

As a kid I used to put together scale model aeroplanes, said Phillip Lawton, who as director of Phoenix Aero Services now assembles the real thing. In 2006 he had purchased a partly completed Mk. XIIB, but found the previous restorers work so substandard that the whole project, which included a large quantity of original Canadian parts and spares, was put into storage. Components from that plane were combined with the fuselage, center section and engine bearer of the newly acquired Canadian Hurricane to produce a flyable aircraft. Lawton had considered cannibalizing a British Mk. IIB hed also acquired (Z5207), but found it to have so many more original parts than the Canadian that the decision was made to start afresh on Z5207 and rebuild an English Hurricane.

The Gloster-built Hurricane had been flown from the aircraft carrier Argus on September 7, 1941, to land at Vaenga, Russia, where it served in No. 81 Squadron, 151 Wing, before being presented to the Soviets. Long after the war ended, a Swiss buyer purchased the Hurricane, but it was subsequently returned to Britain under the civil registration G-BYDL. In 2009 Phil Lawton acquired the plane and also met Dave Anson, whose father, Peter Anson, had flown Z5207 off Argus, and who still had his fathers flight log, with a wealth of useful information.

The Canadian Hurricanes cockpit was restored to its original appearance, but Lawton had a 1,650-hp Merlin 24/500 installed as the power plant, driving a Hamilton Standard 23E50 airscrew. The project required the work of six mechanics and cost 1.5 million Euros. Finally, having been cleared by the Civil Aviation Authoritys Safety Regulation Group, the Hurricanein an aluminum finish with Rhodesian Air Force markings and civil registration G-CBOEtook off with Stuart Goldspink at the controls on July 16, 2014.

The idea of painting CBOE in Rhodesian colors was that it was low cost, different and would allow a potential customer to repaint it at minimal cost, Lawton explained. So why the change to a Finnish finish? I have lived in Finland since 2008, he said. From a marketing point of view its easier to get airshow bookings with a unique color scheme.The plane flew for the first time on July 16 in Rhodesian colors, was repainted over the following weekend, completed its test program the following week, received its permit on the 25th and was ferried to Finland the following week.

The markings temporarily applied to the Hurricane authentically represented the only Mk. IIB ever to serve in the Finnish air force, bearing the national code HC-465. And therein, too, lies a tale.

Late in Finlands Winter War with the USSR, Britain belatedly sold the Finns 12 Hurricane Mk. Is in March 1940. Two crashed en route, and the rest fought in the Continuation War, scoring 5 victories for the loss of one to groundfire, three in fatal crashes and two damaged. Hurricane I HC-452, in which 2nd Lt. Resko Ruotsila scored 2 victories, survived to go on static display at the Aviation Museum of Central Finland in Tikkakoski.

As for HC-465, it has as dual a pedigree as the plane representing it. Hurricane Mk. IIA Z2585 flew with Nos. 56 and 316 (Polish) squadrons, RAF, before it was shipped to Russia and assigned to the 152nd Fighter Aviation Regiment (IAP). During a reconnaissance flight on February 16, 1942, Lieutenant Feodor G. Zadorozhny suffered engine failure, force-landed on Lake Tuoppajarvi and made his way back to friendly territory. Soviet aircraft strafed the plane two days later, putting 25 bullet holes in it, but the Finns recovered it. Their State Aircraft Factory replaced its engine and eight-gun wings with the engine and 12-gun wings of Z3577, a Hurricane IIB of the 769th IAP that had been downed on April 6, along with a de Havilland propeller salvaged from one of the Mark Is.

By the time HC-465 became operational, the Finns had retired their Hurricanes from first-line service. It was used as a trainer and target tug at Kotka from March 16 through May 31, 1944, then grounded to waste away like all but one of its Mk. I cousins.

Clive Davidson flew Lawtons Finnish marked Hurricane from England to Finland, accompanied by the owner flying a T-6 Texan as a support plane. Besides working out a flight itinerary of several days, they had to deal with some European countries ban on swastikas as provocative Nazi symbols, notwithstanding Finlands adoption of the blue swastika as an air force marking in 1918, long before Adolf Hitler came to power. By 2014, however, Germany had relaxed its ban, provided the swastika was displayed in a historically correct context.

On August 9, then, Hurricane HC-465s Anglo-Canadian surrogate made its public debut at Finlands Tour de Sky International Airshow, an annual two-day event that is rotated among various Finnish airports. It was hands down the star of the show, surprising and delighting the air-minded Finns, a good many of whom had forgotten that their air force had ever used Hurricanes.

Afterward Lawton put the fighterback in Rhodesian liveryup for sale, but took it off the market in late August, planning on selling the project Hurricane G-BYDL to finance its running. Then, however, he reported: In November 2014 G-CBOE was sold to a German collector, along with G-BYDL and all the spares, plus my Texan. Im closing Phoenix Aero, and probably restarting restoration work in Finland at some time. One can only speculate on what rara avis will turn up as his next project.

Originally published in the May 2015 issue of Aviation History. To subscribe, click here.
NATURAL-BORN AVIATORS ARE EXTREMELY RARE. Humans arent designed to operate in three dimensions, and learning to adapt to the vertical normally requires study, determination and practice. The innate ability to excel in flight is a gift granted to very few. Marion Eugene Carl had that gift.

Descended from Scandinavian immigrants, Marion Carl was born in a tent near tiny Hubbard, Ore., in November 1915. He lost his father as a youngster, and as the familys second son, assumed many of the duties on the family farm. But Carl soon began envisioning a future far beyond the Willamette Valley. As he later said, I never had any affection for a cow.

Carl enrolled in Oregon State College in nearby Corvallis, studying aeronautical engineering while in Army ROTC. Along the way he earned a private pilots license, soloing a Taylor J-2 Cub in the nearly unheard-of time of 2 hours.

Upon graduation in 1938, he resigned his Army commission to apply for Navy flight training. At the time, this was an all-or-nothing gamble, as students who washed out went to the fleet as sailors. But Carl possessed a brand of confidence just this side of arrogance, and he felt certain he could complete the course. He received his wings of gold and a Marine Corps commission in December 1939.

Marion wanted fighters, and he literally raced to Quantico, Va. to take the only available seat in Fighting Squadron One (VMF-1). He reveled in flying Grumman F3F biplanes, especially aerobatics, tactics and gunnery. Though he impressed commanders with his exceptional ability, his laid-back attitude occasionally caused problems. Carl once told the story of supervising a detail at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during a gunnery exercise. Apparently while overseeing the bore-sighting of some F3Fs guns, he did what wise lieutenants have always done: said Carry on, Sergeant. With that he lay down for a nap, ignoring the engine noise and gunfire.When the squadron CO came by, the result was additional noise directed in Lieutenant Carls direction.

After a year in Fighting One, Carl returned to Pensacola, Fla., as a flight instructor. While he didnt relish his new assignment, he recognized that a year of teaching nascent golden-wingers could enhance his own mastery of his craft. As an instructor, he would leave indelible impressions on many of his students, including Dakota farm boy Joe Foss, who at one point cadged a ride with Carl during an unscheduled night hop. As Foss later recalled, Carl indulged in some nocturnal aerobatics, then asked the aviation cadet how he liked it. Fine, sir, Foss burped. Then, as he related, I upchucked the soles of my shoes. Their paths would cross again far, far from Pensacola.

Carls next orders proved more to his liking. He joined VMF-221, where he again served under Captain Harold Bauer, whom he had known at Quantico. Flying Brewster F2A-3 Buffalos on the West Coast, their earlier relationship had been coolly professional, and by this time both were mature aviators. Indian Joe Bauer was considered perhaps the finest talent in Marine aviation, which meant there was a face-off to determine the pecking order. As Carl recalled it, I finished inverted below the crest of a hill without either of us having gained an advantage. Thereafter, mutual respect grew into friendship.

On being promoted to major, Bauer rolled out to command his own squadron and VMF-221 continued training. On December 7, 1941, Major Verne McCauls unit was alerted for immediate transfer to Midway Atoll. The Buffalos rode USS Saratoga to Midway later that month.

The ensuing period, involving hours of dull patrols, was pure boredom for then-Captain Carl. To liven things up, he once slow-rolled for an entire circuit of the lagoon. His wingman, obliged to follow him, was not pleased.

Late in May 1942, things began to perk up. VMF-221, then under Major Floyd Parks, received some F4F-3 Wildcats, and Carls division took four of them. As it happened, he only had a few hours in the Grumman fighter before the Japanese arrived.

Early on June 4, more than 100 Japanese carrier aircraft staged an attack to neutralize Midways defenses, anticipating seizure of the atollpart of a wider scheme to draw the U.S. Pacific Fleets carriers into a decisive battle. Radar gave the Marines enough warning to scramble before the enemy planes arrived, with the Wildcats and Buffalos clawing for altitude.

By then a 26-year-old professional with 1,400 hours in the air, Carl would need all his expertise to survive that day. After the initial interception, he was jumped by an A6M2 Zero. As he later noted, The metallic resonance of bullets striking your airplane cannot be mistaken for anything else. He pulled into a tight turn, gaining enough time to dive vertically for a cloud. The Zero followed, and Carl abruptly slewed his Wildcat into an uncoordinated skid, forcing the enemy pilot to overshoot. Carl got a quick sight picture and triggered a burst. Under negative Gs all four guns jammed, but the Japanese pilot disengaged.

Carl tugged on the charging handles and got three guns working, then began stalking a lone Zero, diving into its pilots blind spot. Closing the range, he recalled, The fighter took a concentrated cluster of .50-caliber hits and dropped into a spin. It never recovered. Decades later, historians concluded that his victim was an enlisted pilot from the carrier Kaga.

When the Americans landed again, Midway was a wreck. The fuel storage tanks were ablaze, and the squadron area had been leveled. Carls F4F was holed but still operational, as was one Buffalo that returned undamaged. The others were unserviceable. Worse, 15 of the 25 fighters that had scrambled that morning were missing. Red Parks and 13 of his pilots were gone forever.

Later that day Carl and Captain Bill Humberd scrambled in response to another alerttwo planes against an unknown enemy. This time it turned out to be a false alarm: Douglas SBD-3s from the carrier Hornet were coming to roost at Midway. Word soon got around that squadrons from Yorktown and Enterprise had destroyed all four Japanese carriers and sunk a cruiser before the enemy withdrew. Yorktown succumbed to damage on June 7, but overall the Battle of Midway was a stunning victory for the Americans and a turning point in the war.

Though VMF-221 had been decimated, Carl demonstrated the emotional fortitude that would sustain him throughout his combat career. On the 6th he confided to his journal, Feeling ready for another fight. That next fight was 10 weeks away.

Carl and a few other Midway survivors were quickly reassigned to VMF-223, formed by John L. Smith, a tough, rawboned Oklahoman. Smith, the newly promoted major who had never commanded a squadron, a faced a serious challenge: preparing a new, mostly green outfit for combat before the end of August. The squadron focused on the basicstactics and gunnerywhile sorting out the new F4F-4 Wildcats. Additionally, the Marines qualified for carrier operations, an indication that they would likely be headed for a forward deployment in the near future.

On August 20, Major Smith led 19 Wildcats off the short deck of the escort carrier Long Island with Lt. Col. Richard Mangrums dozen SBD Dauntlesses of VMSB-232. The flying leathernecks duly arrived over their advanced base on the northern plain of Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands, becoming plank-owners in the Cactus Air Force.

Cactus was Guadalcanals code name during Operation Watchtower, Americas first offensive of World War II. The Solomons were strategically positioned either to interdict or protect sea lanes from Samoa to Australia, and the Allies aimed to prevent the Japanese from expanding their bases in the area. When Carl arrived, however, the new airfield on Guadalcanalnamed for Major Lofton Henderson, who had died at Midwaywas within range of enemy artillery. Land-based bombers frequently attacked from Rabaul, some 600 miles northwest. Smiths men lived under tents or shelter halves, eating canned food and Japanese rice, and performing aircraft maintenance in the open.

On the 24th VMF-223 tied into a formation of Nakajima B5N2 Kate bombers from the light carrier Ryujo plus twin-engine G4M1 Betty bombers. In a prolonged engagement, Carl gunned down four enemy airplanes, becoming the Marines first ace. Later that day planes from Saratoga sent Ryujo to the bottom.

In all, Smith and company claimed 20 kills and probably got 12, losing one pilot. That day set the pattern for the CAF, which relied on coast watchers for warnings of inbound raiders. As Carl explained: We needed about 45 minutes to start up, take off and climb to altitude to intercept the bombers. I liked to attack from an overhead position because directly above the target you were mostly immune to return fire. The tail gunner might get a shot at you as you dived past, but if you did it right, by then he was dead.

On August 26, Marion was entering Henderson Fields landing pattern when he was attacked by an audacious Zero pilot. Antiaircraft gunners protected the Wildcat, but as the enemy fighter made off Carl firewalled the throttle and cranked his wheels back up, determined to chase down the Japanese pilot. The Zero reversed course, approaching the F4F from overhead.

The Marine flier accepted his challenge. He pulled into a near-vertical climb with maximum power, tracking the Zero for a full deflection shot. It was an all-or-nothing gamble: If he missed, the Zero would have him cold. But Carl didnt miss. The enemy fighter exploded, showering parts along the beach. Later reports would show the pilot was Lt. j.g. Junichi Sasai, a 27-victory ace of the Tainan Kokutai (naval air group).

Carl and Smitty were soon engaged in a friendly rivalry for top score in the Cactus league. By September they were neck and neck at about a dozen each when Marions plane was hit by an unseen Zero, and he had to bail out. Five days later he returned to Henderson, reportedly demanding that Brig. Gen. Roy Geiger ground Smith for a comparable period.

Besides his natural skill and frequent opportunities for combat, much of Carls success at Guadalcanal was based on his ability to sleep anywhere, ignoring ambient noise as he had at Guantanamo. That knack, combined with rugged Nordic stamina, kept him alert and eager for combat.

When VMF-223 rotated out of Guadalcanal in early October, Smith and Carl were Americas leading aces, with 19 and 16.5 victories, respectively. John L. received the Medal of Honor, while Carl, promoted to major in early 1943, took over the squadron.

Back at El Toro, Calif., Carl re-formed VMF-223, which was reequipped with Vought F4U-1 Corsairs. By that time he had married 19-year-old model Edna Kirvin, whom he met during a bond tour in New York. Their time together was limited. The squadron returned to the Pacific in July 1943, arriving at Vella Lavella, in the Solomons, in November. Late that year the Allies began a campaign against the Japanese naval air bastion at Rabaul, on New Britain, in which VMF-223 regularly participated.

Carl downed two more planes in December, running up his total to 18.5. But after the loss of noted Marine aces Greg Boyington (captured in January 1944) and Bob Hanson (killed in February), Carls tour was cut short. He was assigned to the first class at the Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Md., where he remained through the end of the war.

By then Carls cockpit skills were legendary. While flying an F7F Tigercat at Patuxent River in 1945, he was jumped by an F8F Bearcat. The two Grummans chased each other around for a time, neither managing to gain an advantage. After landing, the Bearcat pilot, Lieutenant Alexander Vraciuthe Navys fourth-ranking acecalled operations and asked who had been flying that F7F. On hearing it was Lt. Col. Carl, he said, Oh, that explains it! It shouldnt have been possible for the bigger, heavier Tigercat to maneuver with a well-flown Bearcat, but Carl had managed it.

Carl relished testing a variety of aircraft. He became the first Marine to land a jet on a carrier and the second leatherneck to fly helicopters, though he didnt apply for an official helo rating until much later in his career. During the late 1940s, when the Navy and Air Force were competing to become the first to exceed the speed of sound, Carl was among the naval aviators assigned to the Douglas D-558-1 project, flying the red Skystreak to a world record 650 mph in August 1947. He and Douglas designer Ed Heinemann were confident they could exceed Mach 1, but the Navy was unwilling to spend another $50,000 per flight. Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager broke Carls record in the Bell X-1 two months later.

Carl went on to command the Marine Corps first jet squadron, VMF-122, flying McDonnell FH-1 Phantoms in 1948. But he later returned to flight testing, and in 1953 piloted Douglas sleek white D-558-2 to a record 83,235 feet and an unofficial speed record of 1,100 mph.

What could be considered Carls ultimate test came one night in 1949, when he lost his electrical systemradio, lights and most instrumentswhile flying an F9F-2 from Los Angeles to San Diego. Then the engine quit. Rather than point the nose west and pull the handle, he accepted the challenge. He took advantage of excess altitude to buzz the North Island tower, hoping operators would illuminate the runway. But when there was no response from the tower, as he explained, I pulled up from my pass at the tower and wrapped the Panther into a 270-degree turn. Everything was alright until the base leg, when the windscreen froze over. I had to skid the plane so I could look out one side, but I made a successful deadstick landing.

Carl hiked back to the tower and told the crew to arrange for a tow. The duty officer laconically answered, Oh, I thought that was just somebody flat-hatting!

With additional success came the inevitable setbacks. In April 1952, Carl logged his second emergency jump while testing the Grumman AF-2 Guardian anti-submarine aircraft. Without a recovery tail chute, the plane entered a flat spin. He pulled the handle, but the ejection seat failed, forcing him to bail out manually. It took him two attempts before he got out at the last second. He landed in the splash of the Guardian, and was initially thought to have died in the incident.

Later that same year Carl landed short in an F9F-5 that was beset by fuel and flap problems, fracturing a vertebra. He recovered from that mishap, but the Panther had to be written off.

Carl also became a player in the covert action integral to the Cold War. Commanding VMJ-1 in 1954, he was tasked by the Pacific Fleet with conducting clandestine recon missions over China, watching for hostile actions toward Taiwan. The squadron flew photo versions of the McDonnell F2H Banshee, and though Carl had no experience with the mission, he trusted his subordinates. He flew armed escort for the photo Banos, which were intercepted by MiG-15s on one occasion. After exercising some world-class evasive aviating, he was surprised to find his wingman still with him. Later that lieutenant confided,Colonel, I wasnt about to lose you over China!

While leading Marine Air Group 33 in 1956, Carl enjoyed dogfighting all comers in free-for-alls over Southern California, even though full colonels were officially discouraged from indulging in such frivolities. He favored Douglas sporty F4D Skyray for its climbing power and agility. At one point he was busted when a junior birdman reported a particularly aggressive Ford pilot wearing a red flight suita gift from Grumman test pilot Corky Meyer. Carl never wore it again.

In the late 1950s Marion became interested in the nascent manned space program. Given his flight test background, he was more than qualified, but his NASA career was scuttled before it began because at 6-foot-2 he was too tall for the cramped confines of a Mercury capsule. The Marine slot went to John Glenn.

As a brigadier general, Carl took the 1st Marine Brigade to South Vietnam in 1965. While there, he continued flying nearly everything in the inventory: A-4s, F-4s and F-8s, but mainly H-34 helicopters and UH-1 gunships. He relished the opportunity to support Marine infantry, but like most military professionals was not impressed with President Lyndon Johnsons conduct of the war. Long afterward Carl commented, My biggest job was preventing us from doing something stupid.

Carl always insisted Edna got him his first star, but he liked to think that he earned the second on his own. In 1967 he assumed command of the 2nd Aircraft Wing at Cherry Point, N.C. Disappointed with the 9-to-5 attitude he found there, he tightened up the discipline considerablyresulting in some resentmentbut also continued flying.On occasion, for example, he would transport the wings band to performances via a Douglas C-54 transport.

His final assignment was as inspector general of the Marine Corps from 1970 to 1973a dead-end position engineered by rivals competing for a third star. Major General Carl retired with 13,000 hours in the cockpit, about twice as much flying time as his most active contemporaries.

In retirement, he settled into life as an avid outdoorsman in his native Oregon near Roseburg, enjoying hunting, fishing and hiking. Those who met him then were usually astonished to learn about his military background, in part because he was extraordinarily quiet, almost to the point of shyness. In fact, Carl described aerial combat and milking cows in the same tone. He answered the phone with This is Marion, and seldom if ever described himself asGeneral Carl.

Approaching age 80, Carl showed signs of impending Alzheimersa concern to Edna, as well as their daughter and son.Though his condition worsened as time went on, it didnt prevent him from rescuing a boater who nearly drowned in the Umpqua River near the Carls home.

On the night of June 28, 1998, a 19-year-old intruder broke into their house. When 82-year-old Marion confronted the criminal while trying to protect Edna, he was killed by a shotgun blast.The murderer was caught in California, brought back to Oregon,convicted and sentenced to death. In 2012, however, Oregons governor suspended all executions, and the following year a judge ordered a new sentencing hearing.

Wearing his dress blues, Maj. Gen. Marion Carl was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He rests there among fellow illustrious Marines, including Joe Foss, Ken Walsh and Greg Boyington.

Roseburgs municipal airport was subsequently renamed Major General Marion E. Carl Memorial Field. In 2001 Carl was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. MCAS Kaneohe, Hawaii,was also rededicated in his name in 2009.

The late generals impressive honors21 combat decorations, triple-ace status and all the flight-test recordsremain an inspiration to modern aviators. But even taken as a whole, they cant define the man. Had Marion Carl never flown in combat or strapped into an X-plane, he would still have been that rare phenomenon: a natural-born airman. And a natural gentleman.

Arizona-based aviation writer Barrett Tillman has authored more than 50 books and 650 magazine articles. His latest book is Forgotten Fifteenth: The Daring Airmen Who Crippled Hitlers War Machine. With Maj. Gen. Marion Carl he penned Pushing the Envelope: The Career of Fighter Ace and Test Pilot Marion Carl, which is recommended for further reading.

Originally published in the May 2015 issue of Aviation History. To subscribe today.

Want to add Carls Guadalcanal F4F-4 Wildcat to your collection? Build your own here!
When arrested on Jan. 13, 1902, hired assassin and stock detective Tom Horn had in his possession a Model 1894 .30-30 Winchester rifle. That weapon was believed to be the one he used to murder 14-year-old Willie Nickell the previous July near Iron Mountain in Wyomings Platte County  a crime for which he was convicted and hanged in Cheyenne in 1903.

But did Horn really use that Winchester for the murder that ultimately ended his own life?

Did Tom Horn Kill Willie Nickell?

Many historians believe that Horn, a former Army scout, didnt commit that particular murder but did kill others. He is suspected of assassinating at least two rustlers in northwest Colorado in 1900 and was the alleged triggerman in the extinction of two cattle thieves in Wyoming in 1895.

Even if Horn did kill young Nickell, he very well could have used a rifle other than his 1894 Winchester (which Horn gave to friend Charles B. Irwin days prior to his execution and which remains in the possession of the Irwin family). Horn is said to have used other rifles at times while patrolling Wyomings cattle ranges. A Winchester 1876 Centennial .45-60 rifle is believed to have been one of his choice weapons.

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During Horns October 1902 trial, doctors who had conducted the autopsy on Nickell generated pages of testimony indicating there was no clear evidence of what caliber had hit him. Two bullets, either of which would have been fatal, had struck the boy on the left side of his back. Dr. Amos Barber stated that the higher entrance wound was three-eighths of an inch in diameter and that it was caused by a .32- to .40-caliber bullet. Dr. George Johnston went so far as to say a .45-caliber bullet probably caused the wound.

More Recent events

In the 1980 Western Tom Horn, starring Steve McQueen, the title character uses an 1876 Winchester Centennial and says he prefers to use that rifle because .45-60 ammunition is readily available. When authorities arrested the real Tom Horn, he had several cartridges in his pockets, one of which was a .45-60. McQueens production company researchers no doubt saw these in the Wyoming State Museums collection, likely leading McQueens screenwriters, Thomas McGuane and Bud Shrake, to incorporate language about the .45-60 into the script.

Recently, a vintage Winchester Centennial .45-60 with ties to Horn has come to light in a private collection (the owner chooses to remain anonymous). The rifle, Serial No. 475XX (shipped from the factory Sept. 10, 1885), was given him by his father. The father claimed he had purchased it from a Laramie County museum, with no accompanying provenance.

Attached to the rifle is a crude leather sling engraved JC Coble, Bosler, Wyoming. Cattle baron John Coble was Horns chief employer and benefactor; he paid for Toms legal costs, purchased his coffin and grave marker, and had his Life of Tom Horn: Government Scout and Interpreter published in 1904. The buttstock of the rifle contains a cleaning rod around which was wrapped an envelope of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. The lyrics of Lifes Railway to Heaven (the hymn sung by Charles and Frank Irwin at Horns hanging) are handwritten on the envelope with a notation it was written by GMK (Glendolene M. Kimmell, the schoolteacher with whom Horn was romantically linked). Expert handwriting analysis indicates, however, it was not Kimmell who copied the lyrics.

A well-used 8-foot bullwhip is part of the collection. A note by Amy Irwin, Charles Irwins daughter-in-law, states Horn had braided the whip for Charles. Other articles with the rifle include a $26 bill of sale dated July 6, 1936, for one of 2 Winchester rifles from the Coble ranch, Jack Linscott, Rock River, WY. Buyer = J.B. Burke [or Burkett]. Also included is a note stating that Jim Earl of Albany County had one of two Colt revolvers belonging to Horn.

OUr Verdict: Tom Horn Was Innocent (of the Nickell Murder)

As a longtime Tom Horn researcher and the author of Tom Horn: Blood on the Moon and Tom Horn: Killing Men Is My Specialty, I contend that neither the Model 1894 .30-30 Winchester nor the Winchester Centennial .45-60 was the murder weapon. Further, it is highly unlikely Horn murdered Nickell.

A descendant of a prominent family of Platte County pioneers who were neighbors of the Nickell family emphatically told me she would not say who actually had killed the boy because that would make some people in our family very, very upset.

Originally published in the February 2015 issue of Wild West. To subscribe, click here.
We had to fight our way across the Pacific in order to obtain island bases close enough to bomb Japan. We also launched relatively ineffective raids from China. But the USSR was our ally, it seems its land mass is close to Japan, and of course Alaska is not far from the USSR.

Why didnt we send planes to bases in the USSR, to bomb Japan?

Tony Dean

???

Dear Mr. Dean:

The United States did not stage bombers from the Soviet Union for the simple reason that as of April 13, 1941, the Soviets had signed the USSR-Japanese Neutrality Pact, in which the two powers (which had last clashed in Mongolia in September 1939, with the Japanese army taking the worst of it) pledged to a state of mutual non-aggression. This freed Josef Stalin to focus his attention on the coming conflict Nazi Germany (which, in spite of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact signed on August 23, 1939, both he and Adolf Hitler knew was inevitable), and also freed the Japanese to pursue their plans of conquest in China and against the British Commonwealth, the United States and the Dutch East Indies. It was in both powers interests to adhere to the pact for most of the war, but once Germany was teetering on the brink of defeat, on April 5, 1945 Soviet Foreign Minister Vyachislav M. Molotov denounced it on the grounds that it made no sense in view of the USSRs alliance with the Western Allies. This was a warning to the Japanese of what was to come and the other shoe dropped on August 8, 1945, when the USSRhaving had time to move its battle-seasoned military forces to the Far Eastdeclared war.

It might be added that technically, as of December 8, 1941 the United States was only at war with Japan, but on December 11, after some thought on the matter, Hitler declared war on the United States, much to satisfaction of Franklin D. Roosevelt (who still had the downfall of Nazi Germany as his first priority) and to the horror of most German generals fighting in Russia. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared war on the same day and Hungary and Romania soon followed suit, saving Roosevelt the trouble of declaring war on the European Axis.

Although the Soviet Union spent most of the Great Patriotic War avoiding conflict with Japan, it played a canny game with the Americans in the Pacific. For example, when a North American B-25B Mitchell bomber involved in Lt. Col. James H. Doolittles carrier-launched raid on the Japanese Home Islands landed in Vladivostok, the Soviets impounded the plane and interned its crew. Over the following months, however, they were moved southwestward from one camp to another until they reached the frontier with Persia (Iran), at which point the Soviets looked the other way as they simply slipped across the border. For another, the United States arranged for Soviet pilots to ferry thousands of Lend-Lease warplanes from Alaska to Siberia.

Sincerely,

Jon Guttman

Research Director

World History

www.historynet.com

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On Tuesday a Nigerian Air Force fighter jet mistakenly bombed a refugee camp, the jet was on a mission in opposition to Boko Haram extremists. The incident killed more than 100 refugees and wounded aid workers along with 20 volunteers from the aid group.

It has been a tragic mistake as it is the first time Nigeria's military had admitted to being a cause for the incident. The Borno state official spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, they also helped in the evacuation of the wounded from the remote area by helicopters as per Fox News.

The accidental bombing was confirmed by military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor in the northeastern town of Rann. The doctors with the team in Raan counted around 52 bodies and were attending to 120 wounded at that time.

According to AP News, two soldiers were also wounded along with Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders. The aid group director of operations Dr. Jean Clement Cabrol said that this large attack on vulnerable people who have fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable.

The general who carried out the mission said that it was based on information that Boko Haram insurgents meeting in the area, together with geographic coordinators. He further stated that it was early to say if the tactical error was made but the bombing will surely be investigated.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari said that the bombings have helped to drive Boko Haram out of many town and villages. As per reports the insurgent's stronghold was in the Sambisa Forest last month.

Doctors Without Borders are in close contact with their teams in Cameroon and Chad, they are ready to treat the wounded patients who are in shock following the event. The incident was certainly tragic and more than 100 lives were lost leaving behind wounded workers.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
H ead south from suburban Bromley and you quickly reach the wooded valleys of the rolling Kent Downs, barely 15 miles from Charing Cross.

William Pitt, who became Britains youngest prime minister at just 24, had a country estate in this part of the world and it was here in 1788, while gazing across the vale of Keston, that he and philanthropist William Wilberforce agreed to fight for the abolition of the slave trade.

There remains a rich legacy of historic houses, some of which are being converted to grand flats aimed at prosperous downsizers and affluent City traders.

Helena Bonham Carters ancestors had a family seat at Keston until the Thirties. The actress is the great-granddaughter of former prime minister Herbert Asquith.

Prices from 1,245,000: the Bonham Carter familys Victorian mansion has been split into grand flats / Ravensbourne

The familys Victorian mansion has been split into seven flats, while four townhouses are being built in its grounds. Known as Ravensbourne Collection, prices start from 1,245,000. Call estate agent Alan de Maid on 01689 813333.

Waters Edge at Keston Ponds is a scheme of 13 flats in a restored Tudor-style manor house that was built by the Earl of Dartmouth. Prices from 395,000. Call Millgate Homes on 0118 9348046.

Keston has a common and a medieval village and is a great start and end point for country walks.
The Saint Benedict Institute will explore The Catholic Priesthood: Why Is It Reserved for Men? on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. in Winants Auditorium of Graves Hall at Hope College.

The public is invited. Admission is free.

Pope St. John Paul II once declared that the Catholic Church has no authority to confer priestly ordination on women. Sister Sara Butler will argue that the unbroken tradition of the Catholic Church is not discrimination against women but related to the doctrine of Holy Orders as a sacrament. Dr. Jim Brownson of Western Theological Seminary will provide a response.

Sister Sara Butler, M.S.B.T., Ph.D., S.T.L. is professor emeritus of dogmatic theology at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, Illinois. She has served on the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission and the International Theological Commission (a papal appointment). She is past president of the Academy of Catholic Theology and is currently a consultant to the U.S. Catholic Bishops Doctrine Committee. She is the author of many scholarly articles and of The Catholic Priesthood: A Guide to the Teaching of the Church (Hillenbrand Books, 2007).

Dr. Jim Brownson is the James and Jean Cook Professor of New Testament at Western Theological Seminary (Holland, MI), where he teaches courses on Scripture, church governance, and womens ordination. Hes the author of several books, including most recently Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Churchs Debate on Same-Sex Relationships (Eerdmans, 2013).

The event is being co-sponsored by Western Seminary and the Department of Religion and the Womens and Gender Studies program at Hope College.

The Saint Benedict Institute is a ministry of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Holland. It seeks to promote and nurture intellectual work done from the heart of the Catholic Church, to foster an ecumenical community of Catholic Christians and friends committed to the renewal of culture, and to aid in the formation of intellectually and spiritually mature Christians by making available the riches of the Catholic tradition to Hope College and the wider community. More information can be found at saintbenedictinstitute.org.

Graves Hall is located at 263 College Ave., between 10th and 12th streets.
Hugo Barra, vice president of global operations at Xiaomi Corp., speaks during the launch of the company's Mi 5 smartphone in New Delhi, India, on March 31, 2016. (Photo : Getty Images/Prashanth Vishwanathan)

Xiaomi's Mi 6 may finally arrive in March after company co-founder and Vice President Li Wanqiang revealed that a surprise is in store for the month. The Xiaomi Mi 6 price has also been teased.



While Samsung and Apple are battling for smartphone sales supremacy, Xiaomi has slowly grown into a much larger company than before. The Chinese tech company is now one of the largest players in their home country.



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A new leak now claims that there will be three variants of the upcoming Android smartphone. The Xiaomi Mi 6 leaked photos were uploaded on Weibo, as cited by GSM Arena.



The user who uploaded the photos also claims that each variant will have a different chipset. One variant will sport the Helio X30 SoC and will have a price tag of $290.



Another variant will sport the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 which will obviously be more expensive. The last variant will sport the latest Qualcomm chipset which was unnamed but the price is expected to go for $434. It will also feature a dual-edge curved display similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge.



The leak is consistent with one statement from the Xiaomi VP. There will be a product reveal in March that will cost $290 which may be one of the Xiaomi Mi 6 variants, Android Headlines quoted Wanqiang as saying in a recent Geek Park innovation conference. This is close to the price of the Xiaomi Mi 5 which sold well across the world.



Other Xiaomi Mi 6 specs include an Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner which is expected to read faster than others. The position of the scanner has not been disclosed yet but it may be placed on the front end of the device.



Xiaomi may reveal Mi 6 specs, price and release dates at the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. The smartphone is expected to take on the mainstream Android market.



Watch a Xiaomi Mi 6 concept render video below:






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Please use the navigation or search above to find content on Hospitality Net.

Go back to home
The Resort at Pedregal, Los Cabos premier Five Diamond destination resort, is pleased to announce the appointment of Isaac Novoa as director of food and beverage. Having been a part of the team for six years upon opening, Novoa has returned to The Resort at Pedregal where he will extend his passion for exceptional food, beverage experiences and service towards the continued success of the resort. He will be responsible for overseeing all food and beverage operations on property including Don Manuels, El Farallon, Crudo, and the Beach Club. Novoa is a dedicated and accomplished food and beverage professional with over a decade of experience in restaurants, catering services, leading hotels and Five Diamond resorts. Throughout his extensive tenure in the hospitality industry, he has proven his ability to lead luxury hotels while simultaneously focusing on revenue, growth, concept improvement, employee development, creativity, personalized service and cost control. Prior to his position at The Resort at Pedregal, Novoa spearheaded the food and beverage programs at various hotels including Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa, Thompson Playa del Carmen, and Moon Palace Sunrise. Novoa is originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, and attended the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Guadalajara. Novoas dual passions include caring for his family and the evolving world of Mexican gastronomy.
Indians Livid with Anger as Amazon Sells Flip Flops with Gandhis Face on Them

The insulting Gandhi flip flops sold on Amazon. (Photo : amazon)

American online retail giant Amazon.com came under withering criticism from Indian citizens and the Indian government for selling insulting flip flops with the image of the revered Mahatma Gandhi, the "Father of the Nation."



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The derisive flip flops were posted as being on sale two days ago but were taken down yesterday following a firestorm of criticism taking Amazon to task for another massive insult directed against India.



Only last week, Amazon was pilloried for selling doormats bearing images of the Indian flag. In June 2016, Amazon was condemned for selling doormats illustrating Hindu gods. The doormats have since been removed from Amazon's website. Desecration of the Indian flag is punishable with fines and imprisonment in India.



The string of Amazon faux pas comes at a time when Amazon is desperately fighting to increase its paltry share of India's online market against stern competition from Indian online retailer, Flipkart.



Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted to demand Amazon "apologize unconditionally" or its officials would not be given visas.



Amazon India vice-president Amit Agarwal replied saying the doormats had been offered by a third-party seller on its Canadian website and there had been no intent to offend.



Agarwal said Amazon was "committed to respecting Indian laws and customs."



The flip-flops, which cost $16.99, were described on Amazon as "professionally printed" and a product that "will look great and make someone smile."



Indians were not smiling, however.



"Try imagining your footwear featuring your own parents or grandparents & how comfortable would you be with that kind of a 'respect' & 'affection' shown to them," wrote an irate Indian on Amazon's Customer Reviews board.



"Shameless Amazon first it was Indian flag and now Mahatma Gandhi looks like Jeff Bezos is losing his mind," wrote another.



And as for the flap over Amazon's doormats with the Indian flag, Delhi said its Ambassador in Washington "has been instructed to convey to Amazon that while providing a platform for third party vendors, they should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments."


As Donald Trumps presidency has been mostly opposed by the black community, and as he has been accused of racial insensitivity throughout his road to the White House, there was much scrutiny on his actions and words today, it being Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Earlier today, Trump sent out a seemingly agreeable tweet, asking all Americans to honor the civil rights icon for being the great man that he was, and it turns out that he also held a meeting with Dr. Kings eldest son at Trump Tower.

Just as he was leaving, 59-year-old Martin Luther King III spoke to TMZ about his meeting with Trump, saying, Its a good first step. He went on to say that he and Trump had a constructive meeting about the broken voting system.

Voting rights seems to be the primary focus of their discussion. King III explained that the right to vote was one of the most seminal rights that was achieved in the modern Civil Rights Movement, but suggested that there is still much work to be done, saying, Clearly the system is not working at its maximum. He seemingly found agreement with the president-elect on there being a broken voting rights system, even though the majority of those disenfranchised would not have supported Trump.

King III was also asked about what his father would have thought about his discussion with Trump, to which he said, Had my father lived, we probably wouldnt be dealing with these issues. May he rest in peace.

Martin Luther King III
Lamar Odom completed a 30-day stint at a San Diego rehab facility a little over a week ago and he has already made an appearance on The Doctors, in which he spoke about how grateful he is that Khloe Kardashian stayed by his side throughout his drug addiction and recovery.

Although the two are now divorced, and Khloe has since started a relationship with Tristan Thompson, Odom says he wants his wife back.

Honestly, I want my wife back. Khloe is important to me, Lamar said. Shes been through all of this with me and she stood right by my side so I just wanna repay her.

Lamar also had a few words for the rest of the Kardashian family and expressed his deep regret for how he acted during his addiction.

I just want to tell them Im sorry for all that wasted time and wasted energy that in my addiction I didnt know who I was  so I couldnt take care of myself. I damn sure couldnt take care of anyone else.

Check out some of the footage from Lamars appearance on The Doctors below.

Odom
Jim Fouts, the independent mayor of Warren, MI, has come under fire for a new set of recordings of highly offensive comments that have been alleged to have been uttered by him. The new audio leaks were posted by the independent journalist site Motor City Muckraker, and they find a voice comparing black people to chimpanzees, using the n-word, and also making disparaging remarks about women.

Find the offensive comments as well as the audio recordings of each one below. WARNING: Graphic language

You know, blacks do look like chimpanzees. I was watching this black woman with her daughter and they looked like two chimps. Their mouths were elongated up, duck-ish like.

I remember this one kid in my class, I told you, some years ago he said  we were at a party store  he says my dad had rules: only two niggers at a time.

Think I want to date a fucking 60-year-old hag? Fuck that shit. Im not interested in any old ugly hag. I think after a certain age they are dried up, washed up, burned out.

They are pussies when they are young, and when they get older, theyre just mean, hateful dried-up cunts.

Fouts responded to the damning recordings earlier today, after he had taken part in Warrens 4th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ceremony, in which he announced the new appointment of the citys diversity coordinator. In a statement released via his Facebook page, he called the recordings vile, vitriolic, and phony, and suggested they had been doctored by Mark Hackel, the County Executive of Macomb County, and other political rivals in order to compromise his outstanding record as mayor.

Shame on them and shame on Mark Hackel for this transparent attempt at character assassination, he wrote. Right after the MLK Day ceremony, WXYZ-TV Detroit briefly caught up with Fouts and asked him about the tapes, and he once again claimed them to be fraudulent. That is an engineered tape inspired by Mark Hackel, just like the last one, said Fouts. It is not me. A black man angrily calls for Fouts resignation as he rushes out of the building.

The latest tapes are not the first objectionable recordings that have been raised against Fouts. Last month, a recording that alleged to come from him contained hateful comments made about mentally disabled people, whom were referred to as retards and not even human beings. After that recording, Fouts was fired from his weekly show on 910AM Radio Superstation.

According to Motor City Muckraker, audio experts have verified that the latest recordings come from the mayor.

Jim Fouts
After nearly three years since its disappearance, the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has been indefinitely suspended. Family members of those lost in the crash, which is suspected to have occurred somewhere in the Indian Ocean, were notified of the halted search effort via an emailed statement on Tuesday. The decision was made on behalf of the transport authorities of Malaysia, China, and Australia, the countries responsible for conducting and funding the search.

Today the last search vessel has left the underwater search area. Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has not been located in the 120,000 square-kilometre underwater search area in the southern Indian Ocean, reads the statement.

MH370 disappeared shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, as it was en route to Beijing Capital International Airport. There were 12 crew members on board as well as 227 passengers from 15 nations. None of the 239 persons on the plane are thought to have survived.

The statement acknowledges that the search effort was futile despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field.

The latest focus of the search was an underwater area 120,000 sq km in the southern Indian ocean. The decision to suspend the search mission was not taken lightly nor without sadness, said the statement. Though the search has not necessarily been wholly abandoned, the statement admits, Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft.

Funded primarily by Australia and Malaysia, as well as AU$20m from China, the hunt for the missing plane is believed to have cost around AU$180m.

Debris from the plane, determined to be a flaperon, was first found on the island of Reunion in July 2015. Several more pieces of debris that have been verified as coming from MH370 have since been found. A large piece of an outboard flap was discovered off the coast of Tanzania in June.

[via The Guardian]

Malaysian Airline
The internationally-acclaimed trumpeter will embark on his first tour, "My Funny Valentine," in February.

Niall O'Sullivan has played with such acts as Amy Winehouse, Michael Buble and Tom Jones, but now he's taking to the stage as a solo act for his first Irish tour. The tour will kick off in Belfast on February 4, before coming to a close on Valentines Day at the Civic Theatre, Tallaght. To keep up with the romantic theme of the tour, Niall will be playing with "his own valentine," vocalist Shona Henneberry. Other guest vocalists include Simon Morgan and Cormac Kenevey. According to Niall himself, 2016 was a fantastic year for me and I am very excited to start 2017 touring with "My Funny Valentine." This tour will allow people to be taken away by beautiful arrangements of timeless classics. The show will offer something different for Valentine's and get people in the mood for the the most romantic day of the year.

The music of the tour will span genres, as Niall has been playing everything from jazz and classical to new pop favourites. His most notable cover was of Damien Rice's "The Blower's Daughter," which was performed at Sunday Miscellany Live at Christmas this past year.

See full dates of the tour below.

4th February - Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast

12th February - Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge

13th February - Solstice Arts Centre, Navan

14th February - Civic Theatre, Tallaght
Picture This. Two lads. One online music video. Dozens of sold-out concerts and thousands upon thousands of fans. This is the world that Ryan Hennessey and Jimmy Rainsford inhabit. From out of absolutely nowhere, the two gentlemen dropped like a hydrogen bomb onto the Irish music scene; and while theyve been a fixture in the charts ever since, theyve also been confounding industry experts and business suits at the same time. Picture This are homegrown DIY luminaries with their very own army of followers.

When I meet Ryan and Jimmy, bouncing out of Warner Music Studios, Ive just enough time to chat to the lads before they head out to do a secret-location gig (at Doyles Ruby Sessions, as it turned out). In a matter of hours, the Athy duo will go on to sell out five consecutive Olympia Theatre gigs, as well almost every Irish show on their summer tour, then a few days later theyll release their Yuletide song This Christmas. All in all, not a bad seasonal gift.

This has just been one incredible year, says a beaming Rainsford. Theres been too many highlights this year to name. Weve had so many sell-out shows and played at some of Irelands best venues and festivals. But for me one of the best things we did was play a gig in our hometown in Athy  which has a population of 10,000 by the way  and 5,000 people turned up for it. Thats a moment Ill never forget.
Milla Jovovich on 'Resident Evil: The Final Chapter' co-star: 'It's a privilege to work with Lee Joon-Gi'

Actors Lee Joon-Gi and Milla Jovovich attend the press conference for 'Resident Evil: The Final Chapter' on January 13, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo : YouTube/TongTongTv )

Milla Jovovich, 41, is in awe of his "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" co-star Lee Joon-Gi's ability to bring the fight scene to a whole new level. The former is returning in the shoes of Alice, while the South Korean actor plays the Umbrella Corporation's Commander Lee.



On Jan. 13, Friday, "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" held a promotional press conference in Seoul, South Korea with Lee, Jovovich, and director Paul W.S. Anderson in attendance, Daily Mail reported. There, the American actress said Lee is one of the greatest actors she had the pleasure to work with.



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"It was such an incredible privilege to work with this incredible actor, and he's also such a wonderful human being," All Kpop quoted Jovovich as saying before a predominantly Korean crowd. "I was so impressed when I first met Lee Joon Gi because I have a lot of respect for people who are talented in martial arts."



Jovovich then went on to compliment Lee's ability to shoot his own stunts, citing that Hollywood actors usually use doubles. It just gave her so much more respect for the Hallyu star since he does all of it without any help.



"He's a master at what he does," Jovovich stressed. "I felt like I can just watch and learn from him."



Lee and Jovovich, who will be seen clashing with each other in the sixth and final installment in the "Resident Evil" series, recently showed off their off-screen friendship on Instagram. Just before a hearty dinner on Jan. 12, Thursday, the South Korean actor surprised Jovovich and director Anderson with a plate of sauteed pig's feet (Jokbal).



A photo posted by Milla Jovovich (@millajovovich) on Jan 12, 2017 at 4:28am PST





Also starring Iain Glen, Shawn Roberts, Eoin Macken, Ali Larter, Ruby Rose, and William Levy, "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" is scheduled to be released on Jan. 27. Check out the trailer here:






Dublin duo We Cut Corners begin 2017 by releasing their new track, Of Whatever, which also goes to radio today.

Dublin duo We Cut Corners begin 2017 by taking their track, Of Whatever to radio today.

Its the third track to be taken from the duos widely acclaimed album, The Cadences Of Others, which was last week shortlisted for the prestigious RTE Choice Music Prize.

The accompanying video was created and directed by Jon Hozier-Byrne of Stoneface Films, and features the model/actress Megan O'Malley sleeping, before drowning in her own bed.

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"Jon draws from such a deep well of knowledge and nous that he instantly articulated as concise a vision for this song as we could have ever imagined," says John Duignan of We Cut Corners. "The idea of 'sleeping through' the pivotal moments of your life is the ultimate expression of apathy, the major theme underpinning the song."
Noble Energy's plan to buy out a smaller rival will nearly triple its footprint in a section of the Permian Basin in West Texas that transfixed oil drillers since summertime.

The Houston driller's $2.7 billion cash-and-stock deal to purchase Midland-based Clayton Williams Energy, announced on Monday, marks the energy industry's first major corporate acquisition of the year. It is the most any company has shelled out to get access to the Delaware Basin, the western section of the prolific Permian, since a flurry of land deals began there last year.

The land that comes with the acquisition of Clayton Williams is right next to the acreage Noble got when it bought Rosetta Resources two years ago.

"It's an area we've kept our eye on," David Stover, chairman, president and chief executive of Noble, said in an interview.

In the last few months, as crude prices have risen and U.S. oil companies have laid plans to accelerate drilling, the Delaware Basin has emerged as a touchstone of the energy industry's nascent recovery after a two-year bust that cost Texas about 100,000 jobs, a third of its oil and gas workforce.

Drillers, seduced by thick stacks of oil-soaked rock, have poured billions into the region and since May dispatched 135 rigs there to develop the nation's next generation of oil wells. They put up an average $32,500 for an acre there, 10 times more than what they paid just five years before, according to IHS Markit, a research firm.

"The deal flow has been incredible in the Delaware Basin," said Irene Haas, an analyst at Wunderlich Securities in Houston.

Oil companies have spent more than $23.7 billion in more than 30 transactions in the region since June. It's gotten to the point, Haas said, that soon, large swaths of high-quality oil land will become harder and harder to come by. "The really good stuff has already been taken," she said.

Noble paid an average of about $32,000 per acre for the most productive land. All told, it has about 4,200 possible drilling locations, and it has resources of 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent. As part of the deal, the Houston company is also acquiring $500 million in net debt from Clayton Williams, which it plans to pay off.

Noble expects to close the deal in the second quarter. The driller, which already has about 47,200 acres in the Delaware Basin, will acquire about 71,000 more acres when it completes the transaction. In some places, the companies' acreage overlaps.

"We like the fact it's in the same fairway that we're in," Stover said. "It's been at the top of our list for some period of time."

The expansion will make Noble the second-largest operator in the southern part of the Delaware Basin, behind Midland-based Concho Resources, and ahead of Houston's Occidental Petroleum Corp. and Midland's Diamondback Energy.

Stover said it's too early tell whether Noble will have to cut jobs as part of the merger.

But at some point, Noble will have to start hiring more workers as it expands its operations in the region, he said.

Noble plans to put two more rigs in the Delaware Basin this year, bringing its fleet to six active rigs in the region. It believes it could boost oil and gas production in the fields it bought from the current 10,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day to 60,000 barrels a day by 2020.

Stover said he could not yet discuss in detail how the two companies began talking about the acquisition, but he said Noble has constantly evaluated opportunities in the region for the past two or three years, including conducting technical studies of the oil potential.

In 2015, Noble bought out Rosetta Resources, a transaction that marked its entry into the West Texas play with some 40,000 acres. It recently acquired about 7,200 acres earlier this year.

"It's just a matter of, when the opportunity becomes available, are you ready to move quick?" Stover said. "Just like we did with Rosetta, we were able to do that here, too."
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Private jet company Million Air will throw the "soberest Super Bowl party in the city" just 11 miles from NRG Stadium and Super Bowl LI. Its guest list consists of pilots, mechanics and front desk employees awaiting the post-game rush.

They'll watch the kickoff with food and non-alcoholic beverages, but they won't see the final play. Million Air's roughly 100 employees at Hobby Airport - plus those brought in from other locations - will be directing aircraft, fueling planes and assisting customers. Even the company's CEO and chief financial officer will be on hand to park vehicles or check aircraft before departure.

"Guess what happens Sunday night?" asked Sandy Nelson, chief brand officer for Million Air based out of Hobby Airport. "They all want to leave at once."

To avoid commercial flights and airport crowds, celebrities and other high-rolling Super Bowl-goers are expected to arrive in droves, many of them by private plane. Kyle Chank, director of transportation and operations for the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, said about 1,100 such aircraft will descend upon the area between the Thursday before the Feb. 5 big game and on Sunday itself.

That's roughly 700 more planes than typical, added Ryan Jorgenson, senior aviation data analyst for Houston-based FlightAware.

"We're basically prepping them for, historically, the busiest day of the year," Chank said.

This will provide Million Air and other fixed-base operators, FBOs, a spike in fuel sales and the opportunity to showcase their facilities to new customers. The Houston Airport System gets exposure, too, and will receive a percentage of the fee that FBOs charge each aircraft.

The Houston Airport System will be able to accommodate about 1,200 private aircraft. In addition, its commercial airlines are expecting between 100,000 and 125,000 daily passengers starting the Monday before Super Bowl and continuing through the Monday after.

"It gives, certainly, the opportunity to showcase the efficiency of the entire Houston Airport System, which I think is really well prepared for this," said Janine Iannarelli, who sells and rents private aircraft as the president and founder of Houston-based Par Avion.

Super Bowl perks also trickle down to companies that will stock private planes with food or shuttle people from the airport to their hotels, Iannarelli said.

Million Air has worked with sponsors to provide customers landing in Houston with free samples of Tito's Handmade Vodka and an opportunity to test drive a Bentley. It has more than 40 reservations and expects that will increase exponentially in the next two weeks. Several of those reservations are from Latin America, Nelson said.

"We want to put the front door to the city of Houston at the airport," Nelson said.

Surrounding airports and FBOs are also expecting a boost in business. Adam Arceneaux, airport manager of Pearland Regional Airport, expects 15 to 20 planes for Super Bowl festivities. He said a regular Friday sees two or three planes, not counting aircraft based there.

"There's no shortage of destinations," Arceneaux said. "Pearland is on the smaller side of that, but we are still expecting to be quite busy."

While the airport has made its predictions and preparations, Arceneaux said there is a certain cloud that won't lift until the teams are decided. Some people go to the Super Bowl regardless, but others wait to see which teams are playing.

"Plans change depending on who wins that last game," he said.

Pearland Regional, he added, is a quiet airport that appeals to those wanting more privacy. Its amenities, however, can't compete with other regional airports.

Sugar Land Regional Airport and its FBO GlobalSelect, for instance, spent between $60,000 and $70,000 to spruce up ahead of Super Bowl. Officials there cleaned the quartz floors, pressure-washed the building's exterior and remodeled the bathrooms. Last Wednesday, artwork was installed outside the terminal.

The approaching Super Bowl accelerated the improvements.

"We're really just trying to make a really good impression on our customers," said Elizabeth Rosenbaum, assistant director of Sugar Land Regional Airport and GlobalSelect.

The airport is expecting 300 to 350 planes during that week, which is about double its normal traffic. It will have two additional fuel trucks, bringing its total to five, each filled with 5,000 gallons of fuel. It has rented an additional ice machine and refrigerating unit for catering.

More than 30 trained volunteers will work alongside the airport's 44 employees to help with catering, keeping the terminal tidy, parking cars and assisting airport staff out on the ramp.

"A lot of them are aviation enthusiasts," Rosenbaum said.
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DAVOS, Switzerland - At the Davos economic conference, "it's important to listen to the populists," the founder of the annual gathering of movers and shakers says, adding that he hopes to welcome U.S. President Donald Trump "expressing his ideas" at the Swiss forum one day.

Critics often accuse the yearly World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps of being a snow-covered playground for well-heeled business and political elites.

But founder Klaus Schwab said this year's event, which opened Monday before a public start Tuesday, is reaching out to populist politicians who have ridden a wave of discontent among the masses.

Taking it seriously

"It's important to listen to the populists, and actually we have several sessions where we deal with these issues, and we have representatives of populist parties here with us. We have to take it seriously, " Schwab said of populism in an interview with the Associated Press.

For a forum that strives to take the pulse of the world each year and produce "a real hub of a global discussion," Schwab said "it would be soundly unrealistic and far from realities if we did not integrate the concerns of populists very much into our own deliberation."

For this 47th Davos conference, a record turnout of some 3,000 people will gather around the theme of 'Responsive and Responsible Leadership," alluding to the challenge of wise decision-making during a time of populist fervor.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first Chinese head of state ever to attend the forum, is perhaps the standout among 46 heads of state expected to be on hand.

Xi's visit to Davos during an official visit to Switzerland is important, Schwab said, because it shows how the world is moving from a "unipolar to a multipolar world."

Trump adviser

As for the United States, the incoming Trump administration will be represented by adviser Anthony Scaramucci, a financier who has attended Davos in the past.

Schwab said WEF organizers knew Trump wouldn't attend this year because his inauguration Friday is on the conference's last day.

Trump has never attended the forum, "and I'm looking forward to having him here, and having him expressing his ideas," Schwab said. "I hope he will join us. I cannot predict that, it depends very much on the future of the politics of the U.S. administration."

At the Swiss ski resort itself, snow blowers were out, setup crews were drilling their last rivets and audiovisual technicians were putting the final touches on big screens set to welcome glitterati like Shakira, Matt Damon, will.i.am and Forest Whitaker.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry will also be attending the forum at the nearly mile-high Alpine village.

Rightly or wrongly, Davos has become one of the most potent symbols of a growing disparity between the haves and the have-nots since the global financial crisis of 2008.

Trump's election in November, Britain's June vote to leave the European Union and rising populist movements from Poland to the Philippines testify to a rising disgruntlement with ruling elites seen as detached from the people.

"This is among the most important meeting in the WEF's history because business has to take up the challenges that exist in a populist world," said Richard Edelman, president and CEO of the Edelman marketing firm.

Being paid 'fairly'

Edelman said social and economic fears have been "allowed to fester" - and businesses are best-placed to address them "by paying their employees fairly, talking with and empowering their employees."

John Drzik, president of global risk and specialties at insurance broking and risk management firm Marsh, said Davos can be useful if it helps to identify and address problems.

"Probably the most positive thing is that there is a collective recognition of something," he said. "People who are there certainly have the power to lead and can shift course."
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Oil exploration and production companies are showing renewed interest in South Texas' storied Eagle Ford oil field, which was all but abandoned by drillers during the two-year energy bust as companies hunted for the most economical acreage.

Two big Eagle Ford deals this month have drawn price tags of about $15,000 per acre - roughly three times higher than last year's average.

Deal values and activity there, said Chris Sheehan, a research director at research firm IHS Markit, are "beginning to revive with the recovery in crude prices."

Clay Lightfoot, an analyst at the energy research company Wood Mackenzie, agreed. "It could be a big year for the Eagle Ford," he said.

Almost 10 years ago, Eagle Ford drillers perfected techniques in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in shale fields that helped reshape U.S. oil production. But as crude prices fell in 2014 toward last year's $26-a-barrel low, the costs of drilling the Eagle Ford became prohibitive. As prices came off the bottom, but remained low, companies moved operations to more productive fields, particularly the Permian Basin in West Texas, where they could drill more efficiently and profit at lower prices.

Oil has traded above $52 a barrel recently.

The number of active drilling rigs in the Eagle Ford plummeted from 259 in 2012, as the shale revolution was booming, to 29 in June last year, according to the Houston oil services company Baker Hughes. Since the bottom, drillers have returned 18 rigs to the Eagle Ford, compared with more than 130 in the Permian.

The sales of Eagle Ford land this month reveal both why some companies are getting out of the play and why some are focusing there.

Denver-based oil and gas producer SM Energy said two weeks ago that it was selling 37,500 net acres in the Eagle Ford for $800 million to Austin-based Venado Oil and Gas, so SM could focus cash on the Permian.

That price worked out to about $16,350 per acre, according to IHS Markit, far more than the $3,500, on average, companies received last year in the play.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp., which is also concentrating on the Permian, made a similar announcement last Thursday: The Woodlands-based oil explorer said it will sell 155,000 net acres to Houston oil company Sanchez Energy Corp., backed by the New York private equity firm Blackstone Group, for $2.3 billion - or just under $15,000 per acre.

All of that is far less than the $33,000 per acre the Permian averaged last year. And far less than the $35,000 the Eagle Ford averaged in 2012.

But the two 2017 prices still put Eagle Ford deals on track for their best year since 2013.

Sanchez executives called the Anadarko purchase "transformative." With the new land, Sanchez will hold 400,000 contiguous acres and could increase production to 100,000 barrels of oil and gas a day.

"It's like so many things in life: location, location, location," chief financial officer Howard Thill said.

Venado did not return a call seeking comment.

Shares of Sanchez Energy rose $2.54, or 29 percent, on Friday to close at $11.24.
Civic leaders love to talk about how Houston is a city of opportunity. It's on banners at the airport. It's been used to sell the General Plan. The Greater Houston Partnership uses it as a tagline. Mayor Sylvester Turner used the word "opportunity" five times in his inauguration speech last year.

But opportunity for whom, exactly?

Opportunity for businesspeople and entrepreneurs, certainly. Houston prides itself on having low taxes and loose regulation, access to international markets, and all the other resources that help private enterprise grow and thrive.

Whether Houston offers opportunity for people who don't have much to start with, however  that's less clear. Mayor Turner's decision to block a subsidized housing development in a well-to-do neighborhood near the Galleria certainly raises that question: The federal government said last week the decision-making process violated the Civil Rights Act, my colleague Rebecca Elliott reported.

Turner's response? "I do not believe that only wealthy areas can provide what our children need," he said in a statement. "I have chosen to stay in the neighborhood where I grew up and I will not tell children in similar communities they must live somewhere else."

Of course, communities projecting the appearance of decay and neglect can also offer networks of support. Those neighborhoods deserve great schools and jobs and access to healthy groceries just as much as rich ones do.

The problem is, they often don't offer those things right now, and the research is getting increasingly clear that kids do better if they grow up in wealthier areas. The younger they move, the better, to maximize access to better schools, low crime rates, and a vision of economic success that seems achievable, rather than remote.

Turner says that families should be able to live in different kinds of neighborhoods. But as the five-month investigation by the federal department of Housing and Urban Development found, out of 91 projects the city allowed to move forward with low-income housing tax credits, 85 percent were in Council districts with a non-white majority population. The rest tended to be for elderly residents, which do not serve families with young children.

"The evidence indicates that the city's process for approving and siting LIHTC developments reinforces and perpetuates existing patterns of segregation," wrote Garry Sweeney, director of the HUD's Fort Worth office for fair housing and equal opportunity.

That makes it less likely that kids in public housing will graduate from college and earn more money than their parents  exactly the type of opportunity that Houston supposedly promotes. And Houston has a lot of work to do in this regard. It's the third most economically segregated city in the nation, according to the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto. Researchers from Harvard and the University of California-Berkeley found Harris County is worse than 65 percent of counties when it comes to income mobility for poor kids.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that the Texas state government had pushed too many low income tax credit projects to minority neighborhoods. Housing advocacy groups warned Turner in April that opposing the project near the Galleria, 2640 Fountain View, would put the city in violation of federal housing law. Take a look at housing developments overlaid on a map of racial concentration, like this one from the city's 2015 analysis of impediments to fair housing:

The specific rationale that Turner offered in blocking the Fountain View project, cost per unit, was refuted by the HUD letter, which said the city has approved projects at similar expense in poorer neighborhoods.

In reality, HUD argued that the development was scuttled simply because of the opposition of wealthy residents who, as the letter documented, didn't want poor kids going to school with their own.
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"If you think going to the moon is hard," said Barbara Cernan Butler, "try staying at home."

Back in the day, Butler was married to astronaut Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon during Apollo 17, in 1972.

She was part of an elite group of wives, pioneers in their own right during the early, heady years of the space program. Now a dishy new page-turner by New York author Lily Koppel - thick with vivid descriptions of "Mad Men"-era fashion, architecture and cuisine - tells their side of the story.

"The Astronaut Wives Club" cracks the shiny veneer of the "astrowives," the women behind the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions who raised children and forged friendships while their husbands trained for space.

Then and now: The first ladies of space

Last week, five wives from Koppel's book - Cernan Butler, Sue Bean, Jeannie Bassett Robinson, Beth Williams and Harriet Eisele - joined the author and paying guests at Ouisie's Table for a sort of free-form book-signing/reunion/tea party. Jane Moser Presents organized the party.

Nibbling on deviled eggs, tea sandwiches and pastries - the same fare the astrowives might have served or eaten 45 years ago - Koppel and the wives mingled with the crowd. Eventually, the author stood to talk about her book.

More Information 'The Astronaut Wives Club' By Lily Koppel. Grand Central Publishing, 272 pps., $28. See More Collapse

"This is a classic American story," said Koppel, 32, who wore a red and pink dress with a filmy red, white and blue scarf around her neck. "I still can't believe it hasn't been told before this time."

Koppel's inspiration came three years ago as she leafed through a re-release of "MoonFire," Norman Mailer's book about Apollo 11. She saw familiar photos of the lunar surface, of Buzz Aldrin in his spacesuit and then turned a page to find a snapshot of several astronaut wives gathered around a TV in 1969, celebrating the Apollo 11 splashdown.

Koppel discovered these were ordinary women, many of them military wives. When their husbands were selected to be astronauts, their respective worlds began to spin more quickly. They were suddenly cast into the public eye, with TV and print reporters camped out on their lawns and, sometimes, in their living rooms. They were expected to face the cameras with the same steely optimism and resolve their husbands exhibited - no matter what. They met presidents and posed for Life magazine.

"In a singular Houston neighborhood known as Togethersville," Koppel writes, "this diverse group of women - over coffee and cigarettes, champagne and cocktails, tea and Tupperware, society balls and splashdown parties - shared laughter and tears, triumph and tragedy, as their husbands streaked through space."

But there was a dark side to the moon.

Eight men from the first three groups of astronauts lost their lives reaching for the moon. And space was a tough act to follow. Many of the marriages fell apart once the missions were over.

The wives who appeared at Ouisie's were part of the third wave of astronauts, 14 in all, slated to crew the Gemini and Apollo missions:

. Harriet Eisele, mother of four, filed for the first space divorce from Donn Eisele.

. Sue and Alan Bean divorced in 1977.

. Beth Williams lost husband C.C. Williams in a trainer-jet crash in 1967. At the time she had a toddler and another baby on the way.

. Barbara Cernan Butler ended up divorcing her husband, Gene Cernan. "But we're wonderful friends," Butler said. "I love him."

. Jeannie Bassett Robinson lost her first husband, Charlie Bassett, in 1966, when his trainer jet, piloted by fellow astronaut Elliot See, crashed in Missouri. She had two young children.

"When I met Charlie, I was 8, and he was 12," said Robinson, who grew up in North Hollywood, Calif., and now lives in San Antonio. "He came to visit his aunt who lived across the street."

He was a good dancer, she said. He took her to the Hollywood Palladium to dance when she was 18, and he was 22.

"He proposed to me in the neighbor's swimming pool before he left for Korea," she said.

About a year after she lost her husband, Robinson moved away from Houston with her young children. But she remained close to the tight-knit circle of women who supported and comforted her.

A large chunk of Koppel's book focuses on the wives of the original seven astronauts. These are the women in pastel shirtwaist dresses - except for Rene Carpenter, who wore a form-fitting print splashed with cabbage roses - smiling from the cover of "The Astronaut Wives Club." The photo, taken by Life photographer Ralph Morse, arranged the wives around a model of the Mercury capsule their husbands would ride into space.

Koppel's book lays bare the challenges of astrowife life. There were the ever-present physical and technological dangers that came with space travel to consider, but there were also "Cape Cookies" to worry about - young female groupies who hung out around Cape Canaveral, Fla., where the men trained.

In the 41 years since the final mission of the lunar-landing program, though, some of the pain and heartache has ebbed.

The wives have been getting together for reunions for more than two decades. They call themselves the KITs (for Keepers-In-Touch), and some wear a golden whistle charm around their wrists as a symbol of their bond.

"We were like a big family," Cernan Butler said. "We lived in Nassau Bay, in a brand-new subdivision. Out of 14 of us, 11 lived right there. We were very young, and so was NASA ... We had a lot of wonderful times during those years, and we had a lot of sad times. We've lost husbands. We've lost children. But we've all stayed together."
Chef Kiran Verma has been working since April, when she closed her longtime restaurant on Westheimer, to prepare for the opening of her grand new home at 2925 Richmond. Everything's bigger: kitchen, staff, seating (the new restaurant can accommodate 175 guests instead of about 100 in the original Kiran's). Everything's grander, too, even from the moment diners enter: they must pass through a giant golden door of hammered brass with metal pull handles that suggest florid letters of the Hindi alphabet.

Those gilt portals will swing open to the public on Wednesday, Jan. 18, the official debut of Kiran's on the ground floor of the new mixed-use development Levy Park.

"I'm nervous. I'm excited. I have the jitters," said chef Verma about the prospect of the first restaurant she's opened designed for her from the ground up. "I've literally have been working on this for nine months. I could have had a baby in that time. A big baby."

FIRST LOOK: Local Foods opens downtown location

This particular bundle of joy has brought an even bigger smile to Verma's face. She's thrilled about Gensler's architecture and design  a plush, modern expanse of glass and warm wood interspersed with panels of mother of pearl etched in filigree design and shot through with pops of burnt orange and gold. And she's beaming with pride over a kitchen staff that she said is helping her realize new paths for her menu of modern Indian invested with classic technique and flavor.

In the kitchen she's aided by chef Arun Kakkar, who was chef at her first restaurant Ashiana, who moved from Cananda to join forces with her at the new Kiran's. She also hired two new executive sous chefs, Edgar Hernandez, formerly of Peska, and Dominick Lee, whose resume includes work with John Besh and Brennan restaurants in New Orleans.

Kiran's very much remains a fine dining restaurant. But the larger kitchen and the addition of daily lunch and afternoon tea service (as well as a new bar menu) have allowed her to stretch her repertoire. At dinner there's a new entree featuring Indian spiced duck confit that has been blasted crisp in the tandoor oven and then plated with citrus-fig relish and apricot biryani. Likewise, Gulf snapper gets a hot flash in the tandoor and is then topped with crab and wild mushrooms and served with red quinoa.

The dinner menu offers Indian street food starters such as pappadum and house-made chutneys; pani poori puffs filled with potato, garbanzo beans and pomegranates; lentil dumplings with yogurt, mint and tamarind chutney; and various kebabs, samosas and pakoras. Classic Indian dishes abound: chicken tikka masala; butter chicken; lamb rogan josh; seafood curry; chicken or lamb korma; chicken or lamb vindaloo; and bison kofta (tandoori meantballs in a curry sauce). In the searing tandoori ovens she cooks Texas quail; Cornish hen in a tamarind and honey glaze; black bass with charred poblano peppers served in a coconut broth; rack of lamb; and Maine lobster tail. Biyani dishes, naan, and a slew of vegetarian side dishes complete the dinner menu.

For lunch she's offering various curry dishes served with saffron basmati rice; tandoori meats and vegetables in roti wraps; egg dishes; and a new bison burger with fennel and mint chutney and onion jam on a brioche bun served with chaat masala fries.

The cocktail and wine programs have been greatly expanded. The wine program has been put together by Dr. Jagdish Sharma, a family friend who also curated the original Kiran's wine list. "I'm really excited about the wine. He's truly put a lot of love in it," said Verma standing in her new wine room within the restaurant that will feature 20 private wine lockers for customers.

At the bar there's a new emphasis on single malt scotch, American whiskey, and Japanese whiskey. And a new cocktail list capitalizes on kitchen flavors and spices with drinks that include green cardamom syrup, chai, tamarind syrup, garam masala syrup, and other Indian spices.

Kiran's fetching new bar area -- with generous seating at the bar as well as a communal bar table  means there's also a bar bites menu: Kingfisher beer batter-fried calamari with vindaloo aioli; kale and spinach chips with tamarind chutney; lamb or chicken hot dogs with spicy tomato chutney; vindaloo meatballs; stuffed naans; vegetarian pakoras; and sliders served with chaat masala fries.

And Verma plans to offer her special afternoon tea service weekdays; and on Weekends for groups of eight or more by reservation.

Kiran's, 2925 Richmond, 713-960-8472; kiranshouston.com. The restaurant will be open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch; 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner; Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m.; closed on Sunday. Afternoon tea is served Monday through Friday from 3 p.m.
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Alexandra Franceschi was born in Caracas, Venezuela, where New Year's Eve is celebrated in grand style, much like Carnivale. La Hora Loca - or "crazy hour" - involves whistles, boas and confetti.

So when she wed Chris Miller at the Houstonian Hotel on Dec. 31, they rang in the new year and life as a married couple la Hora Loca-style.

"We had been thinking about a New Year's Eve wedding and incorporating the Venezuelan tradition. That's why there are pictures of everyone in really crazy hats," she said of the hour-long transitional disco between the reception and after-party.

Creating such a vibrant scene at such a traditional Texan venue proved a winning move. Wood-paneled walls, cowhide rugs and oversize antlers anchor the Memorial-area retreat's decor.

"I've always loved the grounds at the Houstonian. The oak tree, especially when it's all lit up, is the most beautiful thing in the world," Franceschi-Miller said.

Five years ago, the couple met on Capitol Hill. At the time, both held positions in the office of U.S. Rep. Francisco Canseco, R-San Antonio.

Alexandra, 29, managed vote recommendations, state of affairs and policy areas. Legislative research, constituent response and answering queries from Canseco's district, Texas 23, were Chris' domain. There were just 10 people in the congressman's office.

"We worked really closely together," she said.

They didn't start dating until after the 2012 presidential election. Chris, who is from Cypress, was working in Colorado; one night, when he was back in D.C., they stayed up all night talking.

"I realized that he liked me when he sent a gorgeous bouquet for my birthday," she said. "I remember thinking, 'Why else would this boy send me flowers?' "

She booked a flight to Colorado the weekend after Election Day; Canseco had lost the election, but romance had blossomed for the two.

Alexandra, 29, who was raised in New Hampshire, moved to Houston the following September.

"It was the best decision I ever made," she says.

The couple traveled to Costa Rica, Germany and Austria together during their courtship. They explored Vienna in a horse-drawn carriage. They rented a car and toured Bavarian castles.

The rental car was tiny. "And Chris is a very large man," she says, laughing. (He's 6 feet 2 inches tall.)

After four years of dating, the Noble Energy land man, 31, treated her to dinner at Chama Gaucha, a Brazilian steakhouse, and then suggested that they go on a walk upon returning to their Rice Military apartment.

"We stopped on the Buffalo Bayou Bridge overlooking downtown," she said. "It's funny because I'd always thought that was the perfect place for a proposal."

Friends Barbara and Billy McGough, who were hiding in bushes with a camera, captured the moment Chris popped the question. He had stashed a bottle of champagne and Bordeaux from Chateau Kirwan, a vineyard his fiancee and her father had visited the previous year, for the foursome to toast the occasion.

The bride, despite beginning the University of Texas' MBA at Houston program, says that everything simply fell into place; even finding her wedding gown was seamless.

"It was the third wedding dress I tried on at Weddings by Debbie," she said. "It was designed by Pronovias, and since I'd studied abroad in Barcelona, I loved that it was a Spanish designer."

The Millers wanted to show off an authentic local spot, so they chose Saint Arnold's Brewery for the rehearsal dinner. On the big day, bridesmaids swapped college and "young Alex" stories over mimosas.

"I don't think that I started getting nervous until hair and makeup time. That's when I realized that I was getting married," she said. "It was like, 'Oh this my wedding!' "

The mother of the bride, who still lives in New Hampshire, read Mark Twain's "A Marriage" for the ceremony.

During the reception, just shy of midnight, the newly crowned Mr. and Mrs. Miller kicked off crazy hour the Venezuelan way: with the bride in a towering feathered headdress and her groom, a former Longhorn, in a burnt-orange, bedazzled top hat.

Their "mini-moon" was in Colorado, where the friendship grew into forever.

"I had MBA school the following weekend, so we had to rush back," Alexandra says of their honeymoon. "We hadn't been back to Colorado since we started dating and became official. It felt good to go back there, it was fundamental."

And perhaps the beginning of a crazy new tradition.
Robbing Peter to pay Paul is never a good thing. But that's what's going on in Houston's growing and competitive restaurant-workforce marketplace.

Across the board - from fine dining to ultra casual - restaurants are hiring from the same pool, both for positions in the kitchen and front of the house. Now more than ever, the quest for workers has reached a critical point as dozens of restaurants are on the board to debut ahead of Super Bowl LI.

"We saw this coming a year or two ago," said Jonathan Horowitz, president of the Greater Houston Restaurant Association. "There's just not enough labor to go around - certainly qualified labor in the higher-end, more full-service restaurants.  And there's no sign of it letting up."

On the flip side, it's a fine time to work in the industry. "If you've got a good resume in fine dining and you have good references," said Michael Fulmer, a career waiter who recently joined the team at Killen's STQ, "you definitely have some good options right now."

Dominick Lee knew there would be a lot of chef opportunities in Houston when he began looking for a new job last year. But he specifically sought out chef Kiran Verma, who was planning to open her namesake Indian restaurant in a new location. With kitchen credentials from both the Besh and Brennan restaurant groups in New Orleans, he likely could have worked anywhere here.

"There's a lot of cool things going on in Houston right now," the 28-year-old Kiran's executive sous chef said.

The demand for restaurant workers outpaces supply in Houston, industry watchers say. The competition has forced establishments to get creative and invest in various strategies to lure potential staff.

Yauatcha, a restaurant set to open in the Galleria in March from international hospitality powerhouse Hakkasan Group, was so intent on finding qualified staff that it held a three-day job fair in December to fill about 120 positions (it's holding another in February). The original Yauatcha, which opened in London in 2004, earned a Michelin star in 2005; this will be the second U.S. outpost of the modern Chinese dim sum teahouse known for sophisticated design, exacting service and a menu of Chinese dumplings and European patisserie goods.

Hakkasan, which has a sizable presence in Las Vegas, felt the job fair was an essential step for getting acquainted with the level of Houston's workforce. "The market is not as abundant here as Las Vegas" in terms of a ready talent pool, said Yannick Augy, director of restaurant projects. "We are a company that believes in raw talent."

Job fairs are one method restaurant operators are employing to attract workers. Outreach pop-ups at local universities, referral bonuses, employee perks (extended benefits, vacation time and cellphone allowances) and social media strategies are at play as well.

"People at this point are doing anything and everything they possibly can to attract qualified candidates," Horowitz said.

Chris Tripoli, a principal at Houston-based A La Carte Foodservice Consulting Group, said that simply hanging out a "help wanted" sign doesn't cut it any longer. In the past couple of years, restaurants have become more savvy on social media by positioning their businesses as good places to work and advance.

Training and staff development are being expanded, too, Tripoli said. "It's not just hiring but an ongoing focus about keeping them engaged and keeping them developed so they're not going elsewhere," he said. "The more staff feels comfortable and the more they learn about the industry, the more confident they are in their jobs."

Some operators are filling their staffing needs by traditional methods of promoting in house and by staff referrals. Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught said many of the new workers for their upcoming Xochi restaurant at the Marriott Marquis Hotel are coming from within their existing workforce; likewise, The Breakfast Klub owner Marcus Davis, who soon will open Kulture at the George R. Brown Convention Center, said many referrals are coming from his staff.

Other restaurateurs are concerned not just about finding workers but finding the right workers. "What restaurants are going to have to do is rely on developing really good training programs, as opposed to having someone come in off the street with good credentials," said Adam Dorris, chef/partner in the upcoming Presidio restaurant in the Heights.

"It's going to be a difficult task to find good, consistent people in the kitchen," said Ryan Hildebrand, chef/owner of Triniti restaurant, who soon will open FM Burger in the Heights. "This business is very transient in nature. People are always shuffling around. It's always been a challenge. In the last three years or so, it's been really difficult to get a staff together."

Chris Shepherd, chef/owner of Underbelly, said he needs about 75 workers for his new One Fifth restaurant opening this month in Montrose.

"Staffing is always a difficult thing. I don't know if it's just because of the Super Bowl, but people are moving around, shifting and changing," Shepherd said. "You see a buyer's market for homes, and now there's a waitstaff market. They can pick and choose."

Though he has not found all the staff he needs for One Fifth, Shepherd said he's confident he'll fill the spots. And that certainty may stem from advance buzz about One Fifth making his high-profile restaurant a desirable place to work.

Still, there are plenty of restaurants that might find themselves competing for the same workers. Soon-to-open restaurants include Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen and Bud's Pitmaster BBQ at the convention center; Potente and Osso & Kristalla at 500 Crawford downtown; Kiran's in Upper Kirby; Brasseri du Parc at One Park Place downtown; Field & Tides in the Heights; Bosscat Kitchen & Libations in River Oaks; Bernie's Burger Bus in the Heights; and Bayou & Bottle at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston. They will join a slew of just-opened restaurants, including Killen's STQ, Local Foods Downtown, Beaver's Westheimer, Pinkerton's Barbecue, Night Market, Grotto, Biggio's and Walker Street Kitchen at the Marriott Marquis Houston, Agu Ramen, Riel and Bebidas.

But what happens after the Super Bowl pulls out of town?

There might be some inevitable closings, Tripoli said. "The restaurants that aren't unique and different may be the casualties," he said. "The more average or common operations will get a good spike when the Super Bowl is in town. After the Super Bowl, they may be wondering how to make it."

Even so, Horowitz doesn't predict a downturn in the Houston restaurant market. There will still be plenty of new restaurants opening, he said, and with that the need for workers.

"It's not slowing down just because it's tough to find workers," he said. "It's just another challenge in the restaurant business. And there are many."
Horrific smog in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. (Photo : Getty Images)

China, through its National Energy Administration, announced that its 85 planned coal power plants are being deferred as they do not fit in China's five-year plan.



The government is setting its capacity at 1,100 gigawatts of electricity, but the coal power plants in progress could produce 1,250 GW.



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Although the move is not due to China being concerned about public health or the state of the environment, it was taken positively.



Most cities listed as air pollution contributors are found in China. A research on air pollution in China as published by Bloomberg in 2015 indicated deaths of around 4,000 people happen daily, attributing coal-burning activities as the main culprit.



The study conducted by Berkeley Earth said deaths are due to heart attacks, lung cancer, strokes, and asthma caused by PM2.5, a tiny hazardous particle.



The Chinese government acknowledged China's air pollution levels have reached a seriously alarming level.



The latest move from China in suppressing construction of coal power plants has also been supported by officials who are said to have been worried about the excess of electricity the plants may generate.



Many of these officials told officials in the provinces not to approve any more coal power plant projects as early as the first quarter of 2016.



In October last year, ongoing construction projects were shut down after 90 percent of to-be-implemented projects were similarly axed in April.



But the policy on suppressing coal power plants does not mean China is shifting its resources from coal, according to a report from The Independent United Kingdom.



Earlier, however, China announced it is exerting efforts in fighting the effects of global warming. And while it does not do away with fossil fuels and coal for energy resources, it is investing more in renewable energy, specifically, wind power plants.


An estimated 400,000 Americans are currently living with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease where the bodys immune cells attack a fatty substance called myelin in the nerves. Common symptoms are gait and balance disorders, cognitive dysfunction, fatigue, pain and muscle spasticity.

Colorado has the highest proportion of people living with MS in the United States. It is estimated that one in 550 people living in the state has MS, compared to one in 750 nationally. The reason for this is unknown, but could be related to several factors, such as vitamin D deficiency or environment.

Currently available therapies do not sufficiently relieve MS symptoms. As a result many people with the condition are trying alternative therapies, like cannabis. Based on several studies, the American Association of Neurology states that there is strong evidence that cannabis is effective for treatment of pain and spasticity.

Although there are many anecdotal reports indicating cannabis beneficial effects for treatment of MS symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness, anxiety and sleep deprivation, they have not been scientifically verified. This is because clinical trials  where patients are given cannabis  are difficult to do because of how the substance is regulated at the federal level.

To learn more, my Integrative Neurophysiology Laboratory at Colorado State University is studying people with MS in the state who are already using medical cannabis as a treatment to investigate what MS symptoms the drug can effectively treat.

Not a prescription drug

Marijuana, or cannabis, contains over 100 compounds, but THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (Cannabidiol) are believed to have the most medical relevance.

However, there is currently no information about the most effective ratio of THC and CBD, which form of ingestion (smoking or eating, for instance) is best, or how often people with MS should use cannabis products.

The main reason for the limited scientific evidence about how well cannabis can treat MS symptoms is because it is a Schedule 1 substance. This means that it has no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. This classification makes it very difficult to study cannabis in clinical trials.

Because cannabis is on Schedule 1, doctors cant prescribe it, even in the states with medical marijuana laws, like Colorado. In those states doctors can provide patients with a permission slip for cannabis, which has to be approved by a state agency.

Because of the lack of scientific evidence, doctors cant recommend a specific strain and dosage of cannabis to patients. Patients are left to choose on their own. Moreover, a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that out of 75 cannabis products, only 17 percent were accurately labeled. And 23 percent contained significantly more THC than labeled, possibly placing patients at risk of experiencing adverse effects.

How we're studying marijuana and MS

My labs long-term goal is to determine whether cannabis can safely and effectively treat MS symptoms. But because of current federal regulations our lab can conduct only observational studies at this time. To conduct clinical trials with a Schedule 1 substance, investigators much have a special license, which my lab is in the process of applying for. At the moment, this means we study only people who are or are about to use cannabis and we do not provide cannabis to anyone for our studies.

We recently completed an online survey of 139 MS patients currently using cannabis to learn what types of products they used, how often they used those products and for how long.

Our results, which have not yet been published, found that 91 of our respondents (66 percent) reported that they currently use cannabis, and 56 percent of the cannabis users reported using either smoked or edible products. Seventy-eight percent of the cannabis users also indicated that they reduced or even stopped other medications as a result of their cannabis use.

The survey respondents who are using cannabis reported lower disability scores on the Guys Neurological Disability Scale, a clinical scale used to evaluate neurological disability in people with MS, and they seem less likely to be obese. However, these data are self-reported, which means objective longer clinical trials are required to confirm these results.

We are also conducting an ongoing observational study, set to be completed in mid-2017, on the effects of regular cannabis use on physical function and activity levels in people with MS. There are many studies on the influence of cannabis on cognitive function in healthy and diseased populations. However, no study to date has used objective measures of motor function in people with MS who are using cannabis, such as muscle strength and fatigue tasks, walking performance and postural stability tests.

Our preliminary results indicate that people with MS using cannabis have greater physical activity levels, leg strength and walking speed, while also having less spasticity, fatigue and a lower perceived risk of falling. It is of note that these individuals are rarely using only cannabis to help control their symptoms. They are often using cannabis alongside traditional medications.

Importantly, cannabis users did not perform worse than nonusers on any of our measurements. These are very promising results, and we are expecting significant positive effects of cannabis at the end of this observational study.

Researchers may have to leave the U.S.

The outcomes of these observational studies will be the foundation for larger randomized clinical trials, where some patients are treated with cannabis and others arent. These types are studies are needed to truly show the benefits and risks of consequences of cannabis use in this population.

Applying for the special license that investigators must have to conduct clinical research with a Schedule 1 substance is a lengthy process. Once granted, the DEA requires on-site inspections of the investigators facilities. Furthermore, it is also very difficult for these types of experiments to be approved and performed. These policies make conducting research on the medical benefits and side effects of cannabis in the United States extremely hard. As a sad result, top researchers are looking to export their ideas outside the country.

We want to conduct clinical research to understand what cannabis products MS patients should use, in what dosage and in what form of ingestion. We also want to find out whether long-term cannabis use is safe, and if the effectiveness changes overtime due to increased tolerance. Fortunately, our first intervention study, which will investigate the effects of different marijuana strains on motor and cognitive function in people with MS, has been approved by the CSU Institutional Review Board. This means that my lab can begin this research once our license is approved.

The answers to these questions will provide guidelines for health care providers and people with MS on cannabis use. If these studies can demonstrate that cannabis effectively relieves and treats MS symptoms, they could help establish the medicinal value of cannabis. That could make a case for rescheduling cannabis, making it easier for physicians and researchers to establish cannabis true benefits and risks.

Thorsten Rudroff is an assistant professor and the director of Integrative Neurophysiology Lab at Colorado State University.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Bookmark Gray Matters. We do not provide cannabis to anyone for our studies.


The Houston Women's March to City Hall this Saturday, January 21, is an act of patriotic citizenship, a collective call for our voices to be heard, and a statement that our votes matter.

Why do we march? When women don't lead, we lose. But why we march is even more than that: When American citizens don't lead, we all lose.

In the aftermath of the 2016 election, citizens have been confronted with accusations and unprecedented data regarding political manipulations, voter suppression, and even collusion with foreign entities. There are questions about controversial software used in 27 states that deleted as many as 7 million registered voters from official state databases. The American citizens removed and unable to vote were overwhelmingly black, Hispanic, and Asian.

The movement called the Women's March on Washington is, at its core, a call for all of us to re-engage our rights and responsibilities as citizens. The March is open to men as well, open to every American who understands "and justice for all" means justice for all.

"And justice is really love in calculation," Dr. Martin Luther King said. "Justice is love correcting that which revolts against love."

We paraphrase Dr. King and say "Justice is love in action." We are taught to love our neighbors. Loving our neighbors means wanting for our neighbors the rights, privileges, and benefits we ourselves enjoy. Loving our neighbors means seeking equality and justice for all.

The Houston Women's March says we are neighbors, fellow citizens: Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Christian, atheist, other. We march with you and for you. African, Latina, Hispanic, Asian, White, every race and ethnicity. We are neighbors. We march with you and for you. Lesbian, gay, straight, female, male, transgender... LBGTQIA and heterosexual, we are neighbors. We march with you and for you. Whenever you and we arrived here, we became neighbors. We march with and for you.

Saturday's Houston Women's March culminates in a noon rally at City Hall as a peaceful free speech assembly. This is not a ticketed, heavily sponsored event. No port-o-potties. No tables. No chairs. Just neighbors peacefully gathering to exercise First Amendment Rights and let Houston, Texas, and America know that equality and justice matter to us.

As a nonpartisan, patriotic free speech gathering, we've invited Mayor Sylvester Turner, Judge Ed Emmett, City Council Members, and other Houston leaders, hoping their schedules permit. You're invited, too. Details are online at www.HoustonWomensMarch.org.

The League of Women Voters US Board of Directors voted unanimously on Tuesday, Jan. 10, to participate officially in the D.C. march as well as state and local marches. Why is the League  renowned for hosting nonpartisan debates and producing well-respected voter guides  officially supporting this local and national group of citizen marches and rallies? Because League members are patriots dedicated to educating voters and facilitating voter engagement. Does your organization want to inspire more people to vote? Join us!

A primary goal of Saturday's Houston March is to provide participants with opportunities to make their voices heard and make their votes count. Voter registration is encouraged, and several groups have volunteered to register new voters. Voter education is a continual process, not something that happens once every four years. There are more than 2,000,000 voters in Harris County, and of these, fewer than 11 percent of Harris County voters cast their primary ballots for the Democratic presidential nominee, and fewer than 16 percent of its voters cast their primary ballots for the Republican Presidential nominee. Does this sound like a democracy?

Whose votes matter? All. Whose health deserves insuring? All. Whose minds and bodies should be valued? All. Whose voice should be heard? All. Who should be leading? All.

The march continues after Saturday, as we educate ourselves on the responsibilities of our elected officials. How? Follow them in their committee hearings. Listen to them when they testify about bills before their legislative bodies. Call them when you agree and call them when you don't agree. Let them hear your voices on matters of importance to you, and make note of how you are received. All of these things are necessary for you to make an informed decision in the primary election and the general election.

Why do we march? You are why we march.

Robin Paoli is lead organizer of the Houston Women's March. Aimee Mobley Turney is president of League of Women Voters of the Houston Area. They wrote this on behalf of the Steering Committee of the Houston Women's March.

Bookmark Gray Matters. No port-o-potties. No tables. No chairs.


Crossing FM 2978 in southern Montgomery County is a bit like passing through one of those portals between parallel dimensions in a science fiction story.

To the east lies The Woodlands, a study in suburban serenity with its carefully landscaped roads, trails winding through woods and businesses marked with small, street-level signs rather than hulking billboards. On the west side, narrow lanes pass through dense forests dotted with houses on acreage lots where horses graze in lush pastures. You might pass a feed store as you drive around this area, but you won't see a McDonald's.

Few places in greater Houston offer such a sharp contrast between the suburbs and the country. And few provide such a vivid reminder of how rapidly the region's rural landscapes are disappearing.

When roads are built or expanded through lightly developed areas, new subdivisions and strip centers tend to follow. In part because of this trend, Texas is losing rural land more rapidly than any other state, according to a Texas A&M University study reported by the Texas Tribune in 2014.

Yet the implications of this loss have been absent, for the most part, from the years-long debate over a proposal to extend Woodlands Parkway from The Woodlands' western edge to the Magnolia area. This controversy has focused almost entirely on concerns about traffic congestion in The Woodlands.

No one enjoys being stuck in traffic. But a thorough analysis of the merits of this project - or of any big transportation investment - should consider the likely development impacts: the loss of trees and open space, the potential that more hard surfaces will increase flooding, the reduction in water trickling into aquifers that fuel the state's water supply, the environmental effects of all those vehicles.

The Montgomery County dispute flared anew last week when county commissioners approved two contracts related to a proposed new connecting road south of Woodlands Parkway. Commissioner Charlie Riley, whose precinct includes the route of the proposed road, clarified details in an article published a few days later in the Conroe Courier.

Off the table

Riley wrote that his plan called for building a road from Mansions Way, which intersects FM 2978 just south of Woodlands Parkway, to Dobbin-Huffsmith Road, slightly east of Texas 249. An apartment complex on the east side of FM 2978, he wrote, would prevent traffic from entering The Woodlands.

Riley wrote that the idea of extending Woodlands Parkway was off the table. "All of the concerns have been addressed by this new road," his article states.

'Unpopular project'

Well, not quite. Commissioner James Noack, in his own piece in the Courier, wrote that Riley and County Judge Craig Doyal had not provided enough details to properly assess the new proposal. And Gordy Bunch, the new chairman of The Woodlands Township board, called the new plan "an interesting attempt to rebrand an unpopular project."

Bunch, whose role in the opposition to the parkway extension helped him win election last November to a position akin to mayor of The Woodlands, said Riley's alternative could still cause serious traffic problems. Nor does he share Riley's view that the apartment development would protect The Woodlands from cut-through traffic.

"If this new road opens additional high-density apartment complexes  it will do zero to mitigate traffic," Bunch told me via text message.

New development

In another text, Bunch noted that a new road could increase flooding risks "as the additional concrete changes the absorption of rainwater and increases the velocity of the runoff." This concern would apply to any new road through the area or to expanding the capacity of an existing road.

In a political dispute that shows no sign of abating, Bunch's observation about flooding was a rare mention of an issue other than the convenience of motorists in The Woodlands. But more than that is at stake. New roads lead to new development, and new development has effects that surely deserve a more prominent role in the discussion.
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He was immortalized as "the last man to walk on the moon," but in 1972, shortly after completing the Apollo 17 mission, astronaut Gene Cernan predicted many others would follow.

He didn't want the title. He wanted others to feel the rush of stepping onto the lunar surface.

The thrill of gazing back at Earth.

"Now here we are today, and I've accepted the fact that it's going to be a while longer now than I anticipated," Cernan told the Houston Chronicle in 2011. "I'm probably not going to be around when that happens, which is a little disappointing. But it will happen, because there are all kinds of good reasons to do it."

On Monday, more than 44 years after tracing his daughter's initials into the moon's surface and climbing aboard the lunar module for the last time, Cernan died surrounded by family in Houston.

He was 82.

In a statement, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden called Cernan "a patriot and pioneer who helped shape our country's bold ambitions to do things that humankind had never before achieved."

A month ago, Cernan had mourned the death of fellow astronaut John Glenn, calling it "a great loss" for the country. Like Glenn, he too had been battling "ongoing health issues," Cernan's family said in a statement, sharing no additional details.

More Information 12 men who walked on the moon NASA's Apollo space program stretched from 1961 to 1972, culminating in a dozen men walking on the moon in its final years. Gene Cernan, who died Monday, was the 11th man to set foot on the moon - but the last to leave the lunar surface at the end of his third and final moonwalk with Harrison "Jack" Schmitt. The moonwalkers were, in order: Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11, 1969. (Died in 2012.) Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Apollo 11, 1969. Charles "Pete" Conrad, Apollo 12, 1969. (Died in 1999.) Alan L. Bean, Apollo 12, 1969. Alan Shepard, Apollo 14, 1971. (Died in 1998.) Edgar D. Mitchell, Apollo 14, 1971. (Died in 2016.) David Scott, Apollo 15, 1971. James B. Irwin, Apollo 15, 1971. (Died in 1991.) John Young, Apollo 16, 1972. Charles M. Duke Jr., Apollo 16, 1972. Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 17, 1972. (Died in 2017.) - Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, Apollo 17, 1972. Associated Press See More Collapse

He had struggled quietly. Out of the spotlight. After a lifetime in the public eye, that's where Cernan liked to spend much of his time in recent years, said Mark Craig, a filmmaker who told Cernan's story in the 2014 documentary, "The Last Man on The Moon." Craig and his team spent months filming Cernan in Houston, where he had lived since 1964, and at his secluded ranch in Kerrville, where he liked to get away.

Craig didn't know Cernan, the astronaut, he said. He only knew Cernan, the gray-haired man in a dusty ball cap and blue jeans who liked to ride horses and walk with his dogs through the Texas Hill Country.

"He told me once that he understood that to technically qualify as a Texan, you had to be born there," Craig said of Cernan, who was born in Chicago. "As far as he was concerned, he was a Texan in his own mind. He loved the state."

Elder Bush was a fan

President George H.W. Bush issued a statement, calling him a true friend: "By his courage, Gene Cernan secured a place in American history that, like the footprints he left on the moon, will never fade."

Like Bush, Cernan remained active well into his 70s and early 80s, Craig said.

"I flew with him in his plane," he said. "He was still flying aircraft. He was still riding horses. Still hanging out with the guys and drinking beers and such a lot of fun. He just refused to be limited or restricted by age or health issues."

Eugene A. Cernan was born in 1934 and graduated from Indiana's Purdue University in 1956 with a degree in electrical engineering. He was serving as a Navy attack pilot in 1963 when NASA selected him as one of 14 members of its third astronaut class.

Cernan had the looks of an astronaut from central casting.

"He's your classic sort of handsome debonair flyboy," said space historian Roger Launius, associate director of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

In 1966, Cernan was pilot of Gemini 9, a three-day flight with command pilot Tom Stafford where they used different techniques to rendezvous with a docking adapter that was previously launched. On the flight, Cernan became the second American to walk in space, spending more than two hours outside the Gemini spacecraft.

With the Apollo program underway, Cernan flew on Apollo 10 in May 1969. It was a dress rehearsal for the lunar landing on the next flight and took Cernan and Stafford to within 9 miles of the moon's surface.

Cernan often joked that his job was to paint a white line to the moon that Neil Armstrong and the rest of the Apollo 11 crew could follow. Yet Cernan was one of only three people to voyage twice to the moon - either to its surface or in moon orbit.

Moon footprints still visible

At the end of his second visit during the Apollo 17 mission, on Dec. 14, 1972, he became the last person to walk on the moon, saying as he left: "We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind."

It was a moment that forever defined him in both the public eye and his own.

"Those steps up that ladder, they were tough to make," Cernan said in a 2007 oral history. "I didn't want to go up. I wanted to stay a while."

Decades later, Cernan tried to ensure he wasn't the last person to walk on the moon, testifying before Congress to push for a return.

But as the years went by, he realized he wouldn't live to witness someone follow in his footsteps, which are visible on the moon more than 40 years later.

In 1973, Cernan became special assistant to the program manager of the Apollo program at Johnson Space Center, assisting in planning and development of the U.S.-Soviet Apollo-Soyuz mission.

He retired from NASA three years later. He worked for a Houston energy firm, Coral Petroleum, then in 1981 began his own aerospace consulting company. He eventually became chairman of an engineering firm that worked on NASA projects. He also worked as a network television analyst during shuttle flights in the 1980s.

In a statement Monday, Cernan's family said he had been "a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend."

In the final passage of his 1999 memoir, Cernan wrote about trying to explain his experience walking on the moon in terms his then 5-year-old granddaughter could understand.

"Your Popie went to heaven," he'd told her. "He really did."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A judge Monday ordered federal oversight of the city of Pasadena's election system for the next 6 years, the latest development in a landmark voting rights case that has highlighted contentious racial politics in the blue-collar suburb and beyond.

In a final judgment issued Monday, Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal said the court would keep jurisdiction over Pasadena until June 30, 2023, to ensure "the city cannot immediately return to a map and plan that thwarts Latinos on the cusp of an electoral majority."

The ruling - issued on a federal holiday recognizing the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., whose civil rights crusade led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 - said the city must seek "preclearance" from the U.S. attorney general or from the court before changing its election system.

"Voting is a fundamental right," Rosenthal said in the five-page judgment. "The vote dilution irreparably injures the plaintiffs' right to vote and to have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process."

The judgment came just two days before registration begins for candidates in the May city elections, where all the council positions and the mayor's seat are on the ballot.

The case has drawn national interest as a test case for voting rights as the country has grown increasingly diverse.

City officials could not be reached for comment Monday, and have not said whether they intend to appeal the judge's decision.

Attorneys with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of Latino voters, said the decision would ensure oversight of any changes to electoral maps or procedures brought on by the 2020 U.S. Census.

"You definitely have to make sure that Latinos are able to have more representation under a plan that would be passed in 2021," said Ernest Herrera, a MALDEF attorney on the case.

Redistricting scheme

Rosenthal ruled earlier this month that the city intentionally violated the voting rights of its burgeoning Hispanic and Latino population in a redistricting scheme pushed through three years ago by longtime Mayor Johnny Isbell, who is facing term limits and cannot run again for office.

That scheme was pushed through shortly after a far-reaching U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2013 removed federal oversight over local changes to election procedures in Texas and other states with a history of discriminatory practices.

"It's great to see the court continuing to recognize the importance of the act even its more limited form," said Deuel Ross, a staff attorney at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund who studies and litigates such cases around the country.

The new election system was adopted in 2014 and replaced eight single-member districts with six single-member and two at-large districts that the judge said did not give Latino residents a chance to elect candidates of their choice.

She reiterated in her order Monday that the city must use an older map of eight single-member districts drawn in 2011 for the May elections to give Latino residents "an equal opportunity to elect their preferred candidates." Registration for the city elections begins Wednesday and continues through Feb. 17.

The Latino population in Pasadena has grown rapidly in recent decades. Almost two-thirds of Pasadena residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, up from less than one-third in 1990 when whites dominated both population and politics.

Attorneys for the city argued that the changes to the election system did not negatively impact the Hispanic vote. In a court filing Friday, the city indicated that it "strongly disagrees" with Rosenthal's findings of voting rights violations.

In that filing, the city had also attempted to propose an alternate six single-member and two at-large seat scheme for the May elections. Rosenthal rejected that plan.

"The map proposed by the City's counsel on Friday, January 13, 2017, proposes redrawing the border of every voting district with no input or approval from the City Council or City electorate, and with no opportunity for the plaintiffs or the parties' experts to evaluate the maps and plans," according to the judgment. "The City's proposed new map creates significant population disparities between districts. In contrast, the City's previous eight single-member district plan received the considered approval of the City Council and City electorate; has been scrutinized by experts on both sides; and maintained proportionate population figures across districts, clearly satisfying a one-person-one-vote standard."

'Split the baby'

The city had also requested that the court maintain jurisdiction over changes to voting procedures only until 2021, while the plaintiffs had wanted court oversight until 2027.

In the end, Rosenthal granted jurisdiction until 2023, covering the next four election cycles in the city.

"It sounds like the judge kind of split the baby," Ross said.

Ross said there is not much precedent for how long such jurisdiction could last, with the Pasadena case being one of the first localities to be put back under the oversight provision in the wake of the 2013 Supreme Court case.

Ross said the move was particularly significant because of the 2020 U.S. Census, which could prompt redistricting moves across the country without any oversight.

"In theory, Texas could eliminate all of its Latino majority districts," Ross said. "The same thing could happen in cities and counties across the country."

Barring an appeal, Rosenthal's ruling Monday means that at least in Pasadena, such moves would face federal or judicial challenges before they are enacted.
A news story, a rescuer's heart and a thoughtful strategy converged Monday morning to finally locate a mentally ill man missing since November.

Ultimately, Daniel Almendi's unusual gait gave him away to a longtime friend who spent two days scouring Hermann Park for traces of him.

The 34-year-old, who was discharged from the UTHealth Harris County Psychiatric Center six weeks ago, was found on the edge of the greenspace, his relieved brother, George Ruano, told the Houston Chronicle.

Almendi was found by Moises Lopez, a family friend who spent the long weekend - which included Monday's federal holiday - searching after reading about the disappearance online.

A Chronicle article published in Saturday's print edition and on chron.com about the missing man said several people reported seeing Almendi in Hermann Park.

"I thought I had lost him forever," Ruano said. "It was God, the Holy Spirit, that guided that man to approach him in the right way."

The incident reveals the struggle people with mental illnesses and their families face in dealing with conditions that affect mood, thinking and behavior. Efforts to balance the privacy and agency of adults with loved ones' concerns for their safety can leave people unaccounted for and relatives frustrated.

Almendi, who has been diagnosed as schizophrenic with paranoia, had been missing since his Nov. 30 release from the hospital. Ruano had been visiting Houston soup kitchens, homeless shelters, bus stops and highway underpasses, frantically posting fliers in hopes that someone had seen his brother.

'His walk gave it away'

Lopez, 40, read the news story early Sunday afternoon, then decided to leave his League City home and search Hermann Park on foot. He canvassed the area for more than six hours until 9 p.m., flashing his cell phone screen to share Almendi's photo and receiving tips from homeless people as well as a park employee about sightings of the missing man.

He returned on Monday around 9 a.m. and starting driving around the park.

"I figured this guy is going to come out in the morning. He's going to be here somewhere in the morning looking for food," said Lopez, who works in cash operations for the Houston branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and is a volunteer firefighter.

As he drove into the heart of the Texas Medical Center along Fannin and began to take a left on Cambridge by Memorial Hermann Hospital, he noticed a large man with a scraggly beard and another distinctive trait.

"His walk gave it away," Lopez said. "And when I turned, I yelled his name. He looked back, and I knew it was him."

That's when the emergency responder training in his bones took over. He called 911.

While Lopez was on the phone, Almendi made it clear that he wouldn't be taken away again by authorities.

"I didn't want him to know I was looking for him because I didn't want him to lose trust and run away. So, I kind of played it off. I don't want him to stop talking to me," Lopez said. "He told me he had slept all night on the bench right there at Hermann Park, right on Fannin Street by the Metro train."

Lopez ended the call, parked and asked Almendi to watch his car while he went to a Starbucks within eyeshot to get both of them food and coffee.

While inside, Lopez asked a barista to call 911 about a missing man who was located outside. He returned to the car and shared breakfast with Almendi until Houston police arrived. Officers did not apprehend Almendi but said they would contact his brother.

Mixture of emotions

Almendi was wearing gray pants, a gray sweatshirt, a black hoodie and blue shoes - not the attire described in missing person alerts.

He agreed to accept shelter in a hotel room. Lopez promised to bring clean clothes and take him out to dinner on Monday.

"He said that he's been praying a lot and thinks this is a miracle," Lopez said. "He's happy, but he doesn't want to go home right now."

Almendi was not available for comment.

Ruano obtained a mental health commitment to have his brother hospitalized two weeks after Almendi stopped taking his medication. The family was not notified when Almendi was released from the psychiatric center.

On Monday, Ruano was overjoyed but lamented that his brother remains upset about being forced into treatment.

"He's mad at me for putting him in the hospital," Ruano said. "My goal is to get him to take his medicine and get him back to the clinic."

Lopez was among several church members who had searched independently for the missing man hoping to reunite the brothers and get Almendi help. Both Ruano and Lopez said Almendi has agreed to receive counsel from congregation elders.

"He is like my little brother. I've known him since he was like really young, and I know he's been going through a lot," Lopez said. "And I'd seen his brother desperate  and it just touched my heart. I had to do something to help him."

Ruano said he doesn't have guardianship of Almendi, but hopes to get power of attorney.

"I have to wait until he's in the right frame of mind," Ruano said. "I have to do a lot of praying for wisdom for me to deal with this situation the right way."
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? Not this company.

Houston-based IJR Capital Investments ended up on the sinking side of a trademark lawsuit over a proposed restaurant with the same name as a famous fictional greasy spoon featured in the popular kids' show "SpongeBob SquarePants."

The nautical mess started after IJR applied to trademark Krusty Krab restaurant in 2014, with locations slated to open in Kemah and Los Angeles.

But the Krusty Krab has long been a staple of Bikini Bottom lore, a place where the beloved porous, yellow title character and his bitter buddy Squidward hung out in more than 200 episodes.

'Consumer confusion'

Viacom International, which owns Nickelodeon, took issue with the encroaching crustacean-inspired culinary offering but, as it turned out, the media conglomerate hadn't specifically trademarked Krusty Krab.

Nonetheless, in 2015, Viacom sent IJR a cease-and-desist letter. But the maritime-minded investment group refused to stop using its controversial name, disputing Viacom's allegation of possible "consumer confusion," according to court papers.

In response, Viacom launched a lawsuit in January 2016, splashing IJR with nine claims including trademark infringement, false designation, unfair competition and refusal of recognition.

Eventually, Viacom moved for summary judgment on eight of those claims and, on Wednesday, a federal judge in Houston found IJR in violation of trademark infringement in a ruling that included at least one tongue-in-cheek "SpongeBob" reference in a footnote.

A judge's humor

"On the balance, the court finds that Viacom has presented compelling evidence that there is a likelihood of confusion between Viacom's and IJR's marks," U.S. District Court Judge Gray H. Miller wrote in his decision, citing the similarly distinctive spelling of the fictional and would-be real establishments.

"In response to IJR counsel's remarks at the hearing that IJR's spelling of 'The Krusty Krab' is because Ks are prettier than Cs, the court believes that Cs can be as aesthetically pleasing as Ks," Miller added in a footnote.

In another footnote, the judge observed that SpongeBob's reaction to parts of the decision not favorable to Viacom might be, "Aw, tartar sauce!"

The judge did not rule in Viacom's favor on the dilution, false designation, unfair competition and refusal of registration claims.

A lawyer for IJR declined a request for comment, but they may still be a little salty about the suit's outcome.
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After Curtis Evans Jr. watched the Black Heritage Society's Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Monday, he walked along Texas Avenue, reflecting on unity.

The theme was particularly significant to Evans, 26, after a weekend reading social media responses to President-elect Donald Trump's attacks on Rep. John Lewis, the Democratic congressman from Georgia and civil rights leader.

After Lewis questioned the legitimacy of Trump's presidency, the businessman said in two Twitter posts that Lewis "should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not tomention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk - no action or results. Sad!"

Trump's supporters, including Vice President-elect Mike Pence, said Trump was elected fairly and criticized Lewis for doubting the election's results.

"When (Lewis) makes a comment about the illegitimacy of an election and the illegitimacy of the president, I think that really undermines the work that John Lewis has done because he's been such a champion and a hero of voting rights and working to get more people to vote," incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer told CBS on Monday.

On Monday, Trump met with King's eldest son in an effort to smooth tensions with black citizens, the New York Times reported.

Still, Houstonians attending parades honoring King decried Trump's insults, fired off days before the federal holiday, as they celebrated with dancing and music.

"It's a slap in the face for all Americans to have an incoming president saying that about a civil rights icon," said Evans, who works in hospitality.

Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis said Trump's words were on his mind as he volunteered at Finnigan Park and Evergreen Cemetery and marshaled the Black Heritage Society's parade on Monday morning.

He had considered attending inaugural events in D.C. but decided this weekend that he would not go.

"I was very offended by (Trump's) comments," Ellis said. "Today is a day of reflection and a time not just to reflect on how far we've come but also reflect on how far we have to go."

Amid the crowds lining San Jacinto were images of President Barack Obama printed onto T-shirts and hats. Dancers and cheer squads moved down the street in formation, cheered along by attendees.

To Donald Fowler Sr., 68, Lewis was right to question the election's results. Fowler, who is retired, said he saw Trump's reaction as a sign that the president-elect would not try to appeal to those who voted for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, the candidate Fowler preferred.

The parade to honor King, said government employee Angel Patton, was especially significant this year because it was the last under Obama's presidency.

Patton, 37, liked that Obama "didn't respond to every little criticism" and said Trump's response to Lewis showed skewed priorities. "We've got more pressing things," she said. Dennis Strang, 43, said he didn't want Trump's election to fray racial unity.

A member of Lewis' fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, Strang teaches Texas history to students at Cy-Fair's Hopper Middle School and hopes events like Monday's parade bring the civil rights movement alive for kids.

Lewis, he said, fought for Americans, regardless of race and gender.

"It's disgraceful," Strang said of Trump, "to have a president divide us right off the bat."
Lawyers at the Capitol in Austin are busy turning Houston's landmark reforms to the police and municipal pensions into legislation, but negotiations between Mayor Sylvester Turner and the firefighters' pension fund have not reached that point.

The fire pension board, having cancelled a special meeting to discuss the reforms last Friday, didn't do a whole lot to clear up their timeline at a Tuesday meeting. The board did, however (with city appointee Arif Rasheed opposed) approve the following motion:

"The fund's objectives are (A) to give appropriate support to measures to accomplish reasonable benefit reductions and member contribution increases that can lessen the fractional part of total firefighter benefits costs contributed by the city consistent with providing secure benefits, and (B) to continue to discuss with the city the possibility of reaching agreed terms and legislative language that would legally and constitutionally accomplish the objectives stated in Part A of this motion."

That's a mouthful, but it seems the most relevant six of those 73 words are "continue to discuss with the city."

Fire pension board chairman David Keller said there are significant issues that need to be resolved between the two sides before it can be said a final deal has been reached, but he stressed that his board has continued to negotiate in good faith.

"There was this big expectation that there was some nefarious thing going on," Keller said. "We'll continue to discuss it with them as long as they're willing to discuss it with us."

There were no negotiating sessions scheduled with city officials as of Tuesday morning, however, Keller said. He also said, "We don't feel the same time constraints that they do."

Just as fire pension leaders have felt stymied by the city in negotiations ("They're not being as cooperative on the language as we'd expect them to be," fire board vice chairman Stephen Whitehead said), city officials have thought fire pension leaders have moved sluggishly.

It's not clear exactly how long the mayor is willing to continue talks before deciding whatever language is in progress must be turned into legislation, but he did express a sense of urgency after last week's council meeting on the topic.

"Let me be very clear: We are moving forward. There's no veto here at all," Turner said last Wednesday. "We all recognize in every legislation there are adjustments you make along the way. But we are moving forward."

--
Kim Go Eun and Gong Yoo star in the tvN fantasy drama 'Goblin.' (Photo : YouTube/tvN Drama)

The phenomenon of South Korea's "Hallyu" cultural wave, which saw the rise of many Kpop stars and celebrities around the world, has captured the global fans' interest in the said Asian country. Recently, the various filming sites of the tvN fantasy drama "Goblin" saw an influx of tourist activity over the previous weeks.



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"Goblin," also known as "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," became one of the hit TV dramas in South Korea given its unique storyline and star-studded cast that includes Gong Yoo, Lee Dong Wook, Kim Go Eun, Yoo In Na and more. The tvN production even topped a local TV popularity chart and posted strong viewership ratings since its premiere.



Gong's fantasy drama also featured several scenic locations in South Korea that captivated many fans. A breakwater area in Gangneung's Jumunjin Beach saw an increased number of tourists who wanted to witness the beauty of the said location and recreate an iconic scene from "Goblin," according to news outlet Antara, as cited by The Jakarta Post.



Moreover, the old bookstore that Shin (Gong) frequented while waiting for Eun Tak (Kim) also became a popular tourist attraction, as indicated in the same report. Named Hanmi, the Incheon-based bookstore saw an increased number of local and foreign visitors.



Visitor count tripled during weekdays and grew more than 10 times on weekends, according to Hanmi owner Jang Won Hyek. He added that given the tvN drama's popularity, the area surrounding the bookstore also saw a boost in tourist activity.



Other "Goblin" scenes that were filmed in Incheon included the park where Shin and Eun Tak would often meet, as well as the long stretch of road where Shin and the Grim Reaper (Lee) came to rescue Eun Tak from her loan shark abductors. The snow blanketed area where Eun Tak's mother lay dying before Shin saved her life was also filmed in Incheon, including some of the drama's street scenes.



With the tvN drama's popularity and the numerous productions that used Incheon as a filming location, city officials revealed its plans to build a filming complex in the port city. In a recent announcement, as obtained by Korea Herald, government officials stated that they are targeting to complete construction of several filming sets and studios by 2020.



"Goblin" will air episode 14 on Jan. 20, Friday, and its final two episodes on Jan. 21, Saturday, on tvN. Watch the cliffhanger ending of episode 13 below:






A Houston woman faces possible felony drug charges after apparently inadvertently returning methamphetamine to the Houston Walmart.

According to a Houston Police Department report, an officer responded to Walmart on Jan. 1 regarding a report of a woman who had brought a box of cologne containing drugs to the service counter for an exchange.

The officer reported that a Walmart employee stated that the woman, 44, of Houston, had presented the cologne box to her and when she checked its contents a small plastic bag containing a white crystalline substance fell out. Investigation revealed that the substance field-tested positive as methamphetamine.

The officer spoke to the woman  who was still shopping inside the store  about the situation, and she said the meth wasnt hers and she must have been set up by a man. The bag was sent to the Missouri State Highway Patrol lab for testing, and a probable cause statement was sent to the county prosecutor seeking a felony drug possession charge against the woman.
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Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook star in the tvN drama 'Goblin.' (Photo : YouTube/tvN Drama)

With "Goblin" set to cap off its 16-episode run with a three-part finale, the tvN drama's cast and crew will soon embark on a special Thailand trip to celebrate the series' success. However, lead stars Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook's participation in the said vacation treat is still unclear.



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The cast and crew members of "Goblin" have been hard at work completing filming activities and trying to meet broadcast timelines for the tvN fantasy drama. Given the prevailing winter season in South Korea, the production staff and cast even had to endure the cold weather when shooting outdoor scenes.



However, the cast and crew members will soon have the chance to enjoy a warmer climate in a beach setting with an upcoming reward trip to Thailand's Phuket. A representative from the tvN production told local reporters that the "Goblin" staff and some of its cast will be traveling to the said Asian country on Feb. 6,Monday.



The Phuket reward trip will give the tvN production team and its cast members some vacation time to relax and recharge themselves, All Kpop quoted the representative as saying. The trip will also provide them the chance to further bond with each other.



Meanwhile, Gong's representative told South Korean news outlet SPOTV News that the actor is also planning to join the upcoming reward trip. However, the "Coffee Prince" star's participation has yet to be confirmed.



Moreover, Lee's representative gave a similar response and shared that they are trying to move some of the actor's scheduled commitments so he could also join the Phuket trip. As for the tvN drama's other cast members such as Kim Go Eun and Yoo In Na, their representatives have yet to reveal the two actresses plans for the upcoming Thailand reward trip.



"Goblin" will air its final episodes on Jan. 20, Friday and Jan. 21, Saturday, on tvN. Watch one of the funny clips from the drama below:






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A school district employee in Maryland was fired last week after some light-hearted banter with a student on Twitter.

Katie Nash was let go as the web experience co-ordinator with Frederick County Public Schools Friday after she responded to a student's tweet by correcting his spelling, according to The Frederick News-Post.

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In tweets from earlier this month that have since been deleted but captured by someone on Reddit, a student named Nathan tweeted at the Frederick County Public Schools Twitter account, begging for school to be closed "tammarow."

Nash responded cheekily by pointing out his spelling mistake.

"But then how would you learn how to spell 'tomorrow'? :)" she wrote.

Nash told The News-Post that she had similar exchanges with other students who wanted school closed.

She also said that she and Nathan kept tweeting back and forth, and he even said he didn't take the joke personally.

@FCPSMaryland same i just thoght it was funny  Nathan (@linganoreRocket) January 6, 2017

i didn't take it like personaly  Nathan (@linganoreRocket) January 6, 2017

But the district did. Nash told WHAG that she was called into a four-minute meeting on Friday and told she was fired, effective that same day. She was still on probation at the time.

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Frederick County Public Schools official said the student received a personal apology from the district.

Students wanted more Twitter engagement

But Nash said she was confused by the reaction.

"As a new employee, I think I sort of would have expected that there would have been some counselling or some suggestions on how to improve," she told The News-Post.

She told WHAG she'd heard from students in a focus group that they wanted some more engagement from the district on Twitter.

"They were looking for us to tweet back at them and I really took that to heart because I know that I am a little bit older and maybe not as hip as some of the students are," she said.

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Ridiculous Things Parents Have Said To Teachers See Gallery
Chinese fishermen will face stricter regulations as marine resources are depleting. (Photo : Getty Images)

A study recently published by Stanford University revealed that there are opportunities that the Chinese government can use to control the loss of marine resources in the country's seas.



Global fish stocks are continuously depleting and the low levels in China have been an issue for decades. According to the paper, Ling Cao and Rosamond Naylor recommended that the government take serious reforms.



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"The goal of our research was to explore the opportunities for marine fisheries reform in China that arise from their 13th Five-Year Plan and show how the best available science can be used in the design and implementation of fisheries management in China's coastal and ocean ecosystems," said Cao, a research scholar with Stanford's Center on Food Security and the Environment (FSE) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.



The study examined the progress of work and the loss of fish stock since the establishment of China's 1978 economic reform. Since then, the government tried to implement changes in conserving marine resources but lacked in the proper approach.



Both Cao and Naylor recommend that for marine resources to be sustainably managed, more research should be in place.



They also said that fishing access should be monitored and stakeholders in the industry should be educated about preserving the sea.



According to William Wrigley, a professor of Earth System Science at Stanford University, "Understanding cultural differences will promote a stronger international community in marine science and China will follow its own cultural norms in governing its fisheries resources."



However, other experts argue that China's attempt to regulate fishing might lead to fishermen stretching to disputed waters with the Philippines and Vietnam.



According to the research of Vida Macikenaite of Keio University, "such observations confirm that recently China might be using fisheries as an excuse to reinforce its territorial claims in the South China Sea."


Only six Canadian companies cracked the top 100 in a ranking of the worlds most sustainable corporations  compared to 12 in 2015  and lax government policy may be to blame.

We still have a strong position, but its weaker than it was, Toby Heaps, the CEO of Corporate Knights, told the Globe and Mail.

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While other countries require companies to report on their environmental impact, the Canadian government has sat back, Heaps said. And were seeing the consequences of that.

The Canadian firms that made the Corporate Knights Global 100 list this year are: Royal Bank of Canada, Enbridge, Sun Life Financial, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Bank of Montreal, and Cameco.

Two years ago, Tim Hortons was ranked the most sustainable company in Canada, coming in at number 11 worldwide. But this year, Canadas top company  RBC  was listed number 37.

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Companies from the United Kingdom and Europe dominated the list, accounting for 59 of the top 100. The UK was the first nation to require companies to include emissions data in their annual reports, and the EU will introduce a similar requirement next year.

I wont sell the future for short-term profit.

The top company was Germanys Siemens, thanks to its renewable energy projects and ambitious plan to be carbon neutral by 2030, Corporate Knights said in its report. The company was founded in 1847 by Werner von Siemens, who said, I wont sell the future for short-term profit.

Companies like Siemens prove that doing better by society and the planet can be financially rewarding as well, Heaps said in a press release. The winning companies were chosen from a list of nearly 5,000 and were ranked on 14 variables.

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Pub patrons dissatisfied with a venues offerings can leave a bad review on Yelp, but they can also get them in trouble in another way  by reporting them to the federal government.

In what is potentially the most Canadian law ever, bars that advertise a pint of beer or cider must pour the customer 20 fluid ounces, with a half-ounce limit of error. (Head doesnt count.)

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The Fairness at the Pumps Act, which came into effect Aug. 1, 2014, means that businesses stiffing customers by more than half an ounce can be fined, from $250 for each minor offence to $2,000 for a major one.

If you happen to bring a measuring cup along to the pub and determine that youre being cheated, you can file a complaint with Measurement Canada.

A number of details are needed to submit a complaint, though  info on how you tried to resolve the problem, a photo of the ad or menu showing the quantity you were supposed to get, and a receipt.

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Many people may be under the impression that a pint is 16 ounces, but thats the American measurement. While our southern neighbours use a different system to measure their pints  16 U.S. fluid ounces equals 473 millilitres as opposed to 455 millilitres in imperial fluid ounces (which we use)  we still get more booze than they do.

But many Canadian bars may be serving you less than you deserve. Two investigations from 2014  one conducted before the new law came into effect  found that many establishments were withholding beer, with one Vancouver bar even serving 14 ounces.

Fines are rarely handed out: feds

Its hard to know whether the bars listed in both of those stories have cleaned up their acts.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, which oversees Measurement Canada, told The Huffington Post Canada in an email that no monetary penalties have been handed out for inaccurate beer measurement so far.

Whenever a business breaks the rules, inspectors opt for a graduated enforcement approach, starting with education instead of slapping a fine on the business right away.

"The vast majority of non-compliances related to beer measurement are resolved in this manner," Hans Parmar from media relations wrote in the email.

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So a cheating venue may not be fined right away, but a visit from a government inspector is still intimidating, as is your customers' disapproval. So, note to Canadian bars: don't mess with the beer drinkers of this fine nation.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story failed to distinguish between imperial and U.S. fluid pints. This version has been corrected.

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A pair of Dalhousie University students made the most of an encounter with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week by pressing him to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

Trudeau is currently on a cross-country tour, chatting with Canadians in town hall meetings and at coffee shops. On Monday, Trudeau swung by Java Blend Coffee Roasters in Halifax where Alex Ayton and Kathleen Olds, both 19, asked him for a selfie.

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The students belong to Divest Dal, an environmental group campaigning to have their school pull it investments in the world's top 200 fossil fuel companies.

Thanks for the selfie, Justin! We'll hold you to your promise.  Members of Divest Dal ask PM JT about his promise to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) Posted by Divest Dal on Monday, 16 January 2017

Are you planning on implementing UNDRIP? Olds asked the prime minister.

Absolutely, yes, Trudeau replied. For sure.

Does that mean requiring consent for natural resource projects? Ayton asked, in a clip posted to the groups Facebook page.

Absolutely. We need to engage with a broad range of voices and as weve seen, the indigenous communities have positions on both sides of just about every different project, Trudeau replied.

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Ayton told The Huffington Post Canada on Tuesday that the pair wanted to challenge Trudeau on one of the promises that he has broken.

George Smith, the NDPs director of media relations, also helped draw attention to the exchange.

Trudeau's face when Dal students ask him a serious question while taking a selfie. "Will you implement #UNDRIP?"#SelfieInterruptedpic.twitter.com/unmPEkyNAS  George Smith (@GeorgeNDP) January 17, 2017

UNDRIP, adopted in 2007, describes the rights that constitute the minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world.

The declaration notes indigenous peoples have a right to self-determination, and to the territories and natural resources they traditionally owned or occupied.

Canada joined Australia, New Zealand, and the United States in voting against the declaration 10 years ago because of concerns about language addressing resources and land. Canada was the only nation to file its objections against the landmark document in 2014.

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Though Canada removed its objector status to the declaration last May, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has since said UNDRIP cannot be adopted word for word into Canadian law.

Wilson-Raybould told First Nations leaders in September "the hard and sometimes painful truth is that many of our current realities do not align with the standards of the United Nations declaration, and as such they must be systemically and coherently dismantled.

'A little bit sad' about PM's response

In an interview with HuffPost, Ayton suggested the federal governments approval of the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project clashed with both its commitment to fighting climate change and fostering a new relationship with First Nations. Only 39 of the 120 aboriginal groups consulted on the project by Kinder Morgan have given their support, Ayton noted.

She did not think much of Trudeaus response.

We thought it was really funny, for one. And then, after thinking about it, it was also a little bit sad, she said, adding the prime minister opted for a scripted response instead of a candid discussion.

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We want him to stick to his promises.

Ayton admits she had some nerves in the moment, but suggested the exchange shows young people are paying attention to politics, too.

We want him to stick to his promises, she said. And we are active and engaged.

Ayton also highlighted how, at a town hall in Dartmouth on Monday night, a Mikmaq woman asked that oil be left in the ground. In his response, the prime minister reportedly referenced that 39 indigenous communities back the Kinder Morgan project.

We have to listen to the First Nation community, Ayton said. Theyve been on this land longer than we have.

The full adoption and implementation of UNDRIP was also one of the 94 recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in its report on the painful legacy of Canadas residential school system.

Liberals have also pledged to work with provinces and First Nations to enact all 94 of those recommendations.

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With files from The Canadian Press

Also on HuffPost
We've all been dealing with Donald Trump's face filling our timelines and newsfeeds on the daily since he kicked off his presidential campaign by calling Mexicans rapists. And there's no end in sight for the next four years.

Thankfully, a bunch of programmers have been busy creating browser extensions and add-ons to help us maintain our mental health, ranging from replacing Trump's face with kittens to fact-checking his tweets on the fly to removing the world's new orange overlord from the Internet altogether.

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This Chrome extension, created by coder and tech journalist Tom Royal, "replaces images of Donald Trump with kittens, because seriously, f*** that guy."

It was initially made back in February when, as he writes in the FAQ, "Trump was merely an annoyance; a particularly vile and shouty cartoon clown making a nuisance of himself ahead of the Republican primaries when, I hoped, he'd get knocked back to his career of real estate fuckery and reality TV bellowing."

Royal has since expanded the extension's reach to also block pics of VP-elect Mike Pence, Brexit champion Nigel Farage of the UK Independence Party, French xenophobe Marine Le Pen of Le Front National and Dutch far-right Party for Freedom founder Geert Wilders.

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But while the extension is a tremendous idea, even its maker admits that "we're looking down the barrel of four years of horror. No Chrome extension's going to fix that, sadly."

Trump recently announced that rather than moving over to @POTUS, he plans to keep tweeting from his 20 million followers-strong @realDonaldTrump account. Well, that will save some coding effort for the Washington Post.

Last month, the newspaper launched RealDonaldContext, an app for Chrome and Firefox that addresses the fact that "his tweets aren't always entirely accurate, by mistake or by design." So the Post's Fix team decided to "ensure that the public receives the most accurate possible information by creating this extension, which will add more context or corrections to things that Trump tweets."

This live fact-checking may take a few minutes to update Trump's tweets but will try to prevent the president from sending out fake news to his millions of followers.

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I set up my web browser to automatically change "political correctness" to "treating people with respect" pic.twitter.com/yvNnqUWpNm  Byron C Clark (@byroncclark) August 4, 2015

Trump, of course, is only the embodiment of what Van Jones famously dubbed a "whitelash" which has been building for some time. The right-wing push back against civil rights initially targeted what they dubbed "political correctness," so in 2015, New Zealand developer Byron C Clark created PC2Respect, dubbing it a "software-as-social-commentary app."

Much like the kitten one, it searches through website code and changes the term "political correctness" to a more accurate descriptor  "treating people with respect."

The idea was inspired by a 2013 quote from cult novelist Neil Gaiman, who blogged:

"I was reading a book (about interjections, oddly enough) yesterday which included the phrase 'In these days of political correctness' talking about no longer making jokes that denigrated people for their culture or for the colour of their skin. And I thought, 'Thats not actually anything to do with 'political correctness'....I started imagining a world in which we replaced the phrase 'politically correct' wherever we could with 'treating other people with respect,' and it made me smile."

It was later updated to change "politically correct" to "respectful" and "politically incorrect" to "disrespectful."

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Make America's Hands Tiny Again! Swap "Trump" for "Someone with Tiny Hands" in Chrome. YAY https://t.co/B5F1F7YmIBpic.twitter.com/LVrbVUfW19  dan sinker (@dansinker) March 4, 2016

Trump has been famously insecure about his hand size since 1988 when current Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter described him in Spy magazine as a "short-fingered vulgarian."

Carter addressed the issue in the fall of 2015, noting that he did it "just to drive him a little bit crazy" because "like so many bullies, Trump has skin of gossamer."

Given that it still drives him crazy enough to address it in a Republican debate, while also incredibly defending his penis from hand size innuendo, he'd probably hate the Internet automating that insult. That's exactly why Dan Sinker, who became infamous a few years back for antagonizing Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel with a fake Twitter account, developed it.

Useful browser extension that replaces "Trump" with Jezebel's descriptions of him: https://t.co/JiOdDygUNmpic.twitter.com/0NQQu2F0jx  Jon Malesic (@JonMalesic) June 15, 2016

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But what if the tiny hands thing just isn't insulting enough for you? Enter Detrumpify, an extension created by Tools of Our Tools and available for Firefox and Chrome, which replaces Trump's name with a random selection of more creative insults.

While initially using Jezebel originals like "Sentient Hate-Balloon," "Neo-Fascist Real Estate Golem" and "New Superfood Made of Finely-Ground Clown Wigs" from this collection, "because of our national tragedy, I will continue to add new insulting names as I come across them, at least four more years."

Maybe none of these are enough for you. Maybe it's not about replacing his photo, fact-checking or insulting him. Maybe you sometimes need a Trump-free Internet. The Trump Filter has you covered.

This Chrome extension identifies parts of a web page about Donald Trump and "erase them from the Internet," offering three filter levels based on your mood and how much you want to avoid Trump news. It was initially created as "part of the antidote for this toxic candidacy [because] the only way to deflate Trump's political star is through suffocation."

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That obviously didn't work. But now that he's been elected, the Trump Filter can function as a from of self-care.

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Premier of Ontario Photography

On December 7th, Premier Wynne was joined by four of her cabinet colleagues for an announcement about a unique agreement for "Community Benefits" for the Eglinton Crosstown transit project. The room was crowded with representatives from Metrolinx, the builder, community groups and unions. Most importantly, a number of young men who are hoping to enter a career in the trades sat behind her as she spoke of setting goals of ten per cent of the work hours to be performed by apprentices or journeypersons from diverse communities.

On the same day, a court in Toronto sentenced one of the shooters from the 2012 Danzig tragedy. He was 17 at the time he pulled the trigger, and the incident sparked a massive debate about youth violence and how to address it.

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In a column shortly after the shooting, John Lorinc posed a question: if there are many young black males who don't see a future for themselves and fall into destructive lifestyles, but at the same time we will need thousands of workers to build the massive transit projects in Toronto -- why can't someone put those things together and come up with a plan?

Four years later, the announcement at a packed training workshop was exactly what Lorinc had called for. It represented four long years of organizing by the Toronto Community Benefits Network (TCBN), a community-labour coalition that started in the Weston-Mt. Dennis neighbourhood after the Kodak plant closed. The original focus was to secure jobs for local residents at a planned TTC maintenance garage. But after Metrolinx took over the site as part of the Eglinton Crosstown line, a broader conversation started with their CEO Bruce McCuaig. There had already been strong commitment by building trades unions to diversity training. Could that become the part of Metrolinx approach?

The inspiration came from Los Angeles, where a referendum passed in 2008 to raise $40 billion for transit funding through a small increase in sales tax. A key piece of the argument by the proponents was that the investment would do double-duty. As well as bringing much needed rapid transit to poorer areas of the city, there would be careers opened up for African-American and Latino youth in the construction workforce. That brought a chorus of voices in support -- community groups, faith leaders, politicians, unions and anti-poverty organizations. A project agreement was put in place that set goals for hiring from historically disadvantaged communities, and a monitoring system created to ensure the goals were met.

The concept of Community Benefit Agreements spread to other cities in the U.S., and has a growing level of support from civic leaders and charitable foundations. After the initial Framework Agreement was signed between Metrolix and TCBN, the government of Ontario introduced legislation to require large infrastructure projects to support both apprenticeships and community benefits. At the federal level, York South Weston MP Ahmed Hussen's private member's Bill 227 is making its way through the parliamentary system with the same objective.

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There is one significant difference between the U.S. precedents and the agreement reached on the Eglinton project. All of the previous versions addressed blue-collar jobs in the trades. In Toronto, for the first time, there is an addition of white-collar careers in the professional, administrative and technical occupations associated with the project. To date over 40 people from diverse communities -- either internationally trained or recent graduates -- have been hired. In fact, three of them were in the back of the room, smiling with pride, as the premier made the announcement on December 7th.

There's really only one unresolved question. It's in the numerical value of community benefits. Are the project dollars doing double-duty, or, given that building transit reduces Toronto's carbon footprint, is this really an innovative investment in shifting to a triple bottom line? Either way, hundreds of lives are being changed and local economies strengthened. Sometimes, it turns out, that when there is a will, there can be a way.

John Cartwright is the President of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council and co-chair of the Toronto Community Benefits Network.
Kristen Marano

When I shop, I want to know how the pieces I like are made. I look at the tag. I ask where the fabrics are from. I read about the designer. These details reveal the process of a piece that earns a hanger in my closet.

In my travels through South East Asia I've been disappointed by the remnants of Canadian fast fashion. At a market in Bangkok, I walked by a pile of denim shorts with Joe Fresh tags for $7 each. In Hanoi, stores named Made in Vietnam are packed with locals shopping for endless dresses, skirts and blouses, which clearly have gone unnoticed by factories making clothes for retailers like Zara and Forever 21.

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I'll never know where the denim is from and who made the shorts. Large retailers can't and won't reveal the details unless they're obliged by a tragedy, leaving customers uneducated in the origin of their clothes and accessories. To openly reveal process gives due diligence to the customer and strengthens the authenticity of the designer.

This type of sharing is what separates Heather Smith's designs of Laos-based shop Passa Paa from fast fashion retailers and puts a value on owning her pieces. Smith is debuting her designs in San Francisco at the upcoming Renegade Craft Fair on July 19.

When I visited the Passa Paa studio -- meaning the language of cloth -- in mid-June, Smith, London-born and dressed in faded gray skinny jeans and a butter-yellow spaghetti strap shirt, was working tirelessly to prepare for the fair. Her production team of a local tailor, printer and weaver create accessories from tribal traditions of Laotian weaving and dying using hemp and indigo processes, which begin with Smith's eye for modern and edgy aesthetic.

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Smith inside her studio. Photo credit: Kristen Marano

A walk down a short set of stairs reveals a bright, white-walled studio anchored by a cherry red floor. Got Vilasing, Passa Paa's Laotian printer was swabbing thick black paste onto a large rectangular screen. She pressed firmly on a rough cut of hand-woven Lao hemp and lifted the screen to reveal a print of bold interlocking crosses. This print, once dried, would be the main design for clutches, which also come in royal blue and sky blue. Three to four inches of supple black leather sourced from Bangkok would make the base of the bag. The inside of the bag would be lined with 100 per cent cotton. From studio to shop, this was the first time I experienced the process of clutch making. I now appreciate how Smith's one-off designs can cost upwards of $100USD.

Photo credit: Kristen Marano

When I ask why she's based in Laos despite her roots and more access to Western shoppers, Smith tells me she's passionate about helping provide locals, particularly youth, with an opportunity to exercise their creativity in a small country where resources and opportunities are limited. In fact, Smith's team is compensated more than three times the minimum wage in Laos and given benefits, further reinforcing the value of everything in her shop.

Smith, educated at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, says her pieces attract two personalities of women: the smart, sophisticated older woman, who carries her oversized tote bag through the streets of New York City. The other personality is a bohemian and free-spirited younger traveler, who finds comfort and chic in the infinity scarf. Smith adds that local Laotian women and expats will also stop by her shop to pickup a fun clutch for the weekend.

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Clutches getting final touches at the Passa Paa studio

Photo credit: Kristen Marano

Her Laotian organic cotton hobo messenger bags, chic hemp, leather clutches and tote bags, and bright orange and aqua textile art pieces, among other items, will be on sale at the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco from July 19 to 20 and in Los Angeles from July 26 to 27. Prices range from $45-$150.

For more information and to order online visit Passa Paa website. The Passa Paa studio is located at 79 Ban Vat Sene in Luang Prabang, Laos.

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Sophie NoAl de Tilly via Getty Images MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 22: Joseph Boyden attends the Unis pour l'action Montreal at Theatre Saint Denis on February 22, 2016 in Montreal, Canada. . (Photo by Sophie Noel de Tilly/Getty Images)

Debate and even arguments over who is indigenous and who isn't have long been had. Recently an APTN investigation called famous novelist Joseph Boyden's indigenous ancestry into question.

I am not here to judge Mr. Boyden, as he has his own story and I don't know it. But the broader issues raised in his situation are what drew my attention -- issues such as distinguishing who has lived experience as an indigenous person (on or off reserve), who has traced and verifiable connections to First Nation communities, and who has compassion for the history of indigenous people and is genuinely trying to contribute.

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I'll start with the latter group and say I see nothing wrong with anyone who brings to light the issues that indigenous communities are dealing with. It needs to be put out there in order to effect change. Indigenous people are often embarrassed or guilted into feeling that they somehow deserve their suffering. In reality, the government of Canada should be the one who is embarrassed.

Anyone claiming to be indigenous when they do not have lived experience that has shaped their lives is offensive.

Let's move to the other two groups -- those with lived experience as an indigenous person and those with credible connections to First Nation communities. These are really important because, frankly, between the rapes and/or other unions of indigenous people and multiple colonizers over hundreds of years, many people in Canada will have an indigenous connection somewhere in their genealogy.

But anyone claiming to be indigenous when they do not have lived experience that has shaped their lives is offensive. It is, for whatever their reasons, stealing some hoped-for gain or status from the real, tragic and painful losses of First Nation people.

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I will use my family as an example to talk about lived experience. My father was taken from his indigenous parents by child welfare, in Toronto, when he was just a small child. He didn't speak or use utensils to eat and so he was slated to go to Huronia Regional Centre, a huge institution at the time for developmentally delayed individuals. There was a wait list and so he was placed in foster care with a non-indigenous family.

I'll fast forward through the details, but he stayed with the foster family till he was about 13 and then an Ontario government policy kicked in, which basically said all foster children should have permanent homes (e.g. be adopted). Nice concept, except it ripped my father from the only family he had known and gave him over to another non-indigenous couple -- one that used him as slave labour in their restaurant, beat him and sexually abused him.

He ran away from the adopted parents many times, eventually making it to Toronto at age 15. He lived on the streets by his wits and hard work in low-paying, abusive work situations. He was lucky in that a chance meeting with his former foster brother re-engaged him with his foster family, got him off the streets and supported him for college education. He was forever grateful, yet always knew something had been taken from him and that the foster family could never truly touch what it was.

He had a successful career and was an early entrepreneur. But the feelings of being treated differently because he was Indian (and that is the term he always used for himself), of not being worthy, of not belonging and not knowing who he was haunted him always.

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He took the steps to piece together information and what he remembered. He only knew that his father was Mohawk and his mother was Ojibwe. And he tackled the bureaucracy of the time to get access to child welfare and adoption records. His search led him to Henvey Inlet First Nation, where he gained status and I hold status today as a result of his efforts.

An interesting result as he searched for his culture and history is with me today -- he only knew how to sound out what he believed was his indigenous last name, and hence there is an incorrect spelling of my legal name. But the point was, he wanted the indigenous name on my birth certificate to declare where I came from. Many of his and my searches to find lost aunts, uncles and other family have led to discovering that they are dead, or that a further connection cannot yet be found.

My father found a connection to others, his loss and his lived experience of being Indian through his music. His lyrics are brilliant, insightful, painful and inspirational. And he found connections to indigenous communities, bringing supplies to both Oka and Ipperwash. He always helped any other First Nation person he met, whether that meant getting into a fight to support their dignity or safety, provide some cash or talk and respect their story.

There are real indigenous people who do not know where they belong because their culture and communities have been taken from them.

It is hard to explain the sense of not belonging. Unlike my father I did not experience the horror of being tormented for being indigenous. For a host of reasons, I was able to confidently stand my ground. But I do have the legacy of struggling to understand my identity and wondering why people didn't like us. This is one of the reasons I created a clothing label to give youth a sense of identity in a minor way and something to be proud of.

There are real indigenous people who do not know where they belong because their culture and communities have been taken from them by colonization, inter-generational trauma, victimization, racism and oppression. Like my late father, they may spend a lifetime of pain trying to make sense of what happened to them and wondering what the love of a mother and father was like.

There are many ways people can support, point out injustice and take part in indigenous culture. But trying on the outfit of "indigenous" when it doesn't belong to you is always a horrible idea.

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Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Michelle Obama gives her final speech as first lady at the 2017 School Counselor of the Year ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Jimmy Fallon did a tribute to Michelle Obama the other day in which people were supposed to stand in front of a photograph of the First Lady and record a message for her to view at a later date.

Not surprisingly, Mrs. Obama and Mr. Fallon were listening behind a curtain, and then came out to greet each of the participants after they delivered their heartfelt messages. Mrs. Obama gave every one of these people the warmest hug. There were tears galore.

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One of the people speaking made the observation that the thread running through all of Mrs. Obama's speeches was kindness, and that this is the one value he most wants to teach his own children.

Interestingly, when I think about the past eight years with Michelle Obama as First Lady, kindness is exactly the word that comes to mind.

This was a First Lady who, above all, cared about the people in her country -- all of the people.

Although extremely fashionable, Mrs. Obama was far less interested in wearing couture than in helping her fellow Americans to live their very best lives and to be the very best that they could be.

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As a mother of two young girls, Michelle Obama exemplified loving-kindness and a powerful concern for their welfare.

Both Michelle and Barack Obama have tremendous integrity, compassion and authenticity. It's obvious to everyone that Mrs. Obama's Let's Move initiative to get people exercising and eating healthy sprang from a sincere concern for the welfare of the people of the United States of America.

Every speech she made, every initiative in support of education, for example Let Girls Learn, and every bit of work she did with Joining Forces to raise awareness and money for US veterans, demonstrated to us all that Mrs. Obama was motivated by a deep and abiding empathy for her fellow Americans and her fellow human beings.

As a mother of two young girls, Michelle Obama exemplified loving-kindness and a powerful concern for their welfare. In rejecting the idea of running for president herself, Mrs. Obama put the needs of her daughters first and foremost, not wanting them to have to deal with the stresses of being the daughters of the president, all over again.

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Michelle Obama never used her position to lord it over others. She was more humble than haughty, more elegant than arrogant, more serene than snobbish, and inclusive rather than exclusive. She always wanted to hear from the American people in the important conversations.

Mrs. Obama was always beautiful and dignified in her role as First lady, but she was also unpretentious, delightfully warm and prone to giving hugs.

She inspired Americans to be more caring and respectful toward one-another, as she never treated anyone with less than the utmost respect. For that reason, she won the love, respect and admiration of her fellow Americans. Many First Ladies are respected and admired, it's true, but few were as deeply loved as Mrs. Obama has been.

Lately I've been writing about the difference between being "nice" and being kind. It's a simple yet important distinction, as niceness comes out of a need to please others and gain their approval, while kindness comes from an outpouring of the love in someone's heart.

She's a role-model, an educator and an inspiration to everyone around the world.

People who are nice tend to be motivated by insecurity, inadequacy or anxiety within themselves. They need other people to make them feel good about themselves. People who are kind have an open heart. They care about other people and want the best for them.

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It's obvious that Michelle Obama is a genuinely kind, caring person whose loving-kindness overflows from her very full heart.

We've all been extremely lucky to have such an uplifting, inspiring and wonderfully kind First Lady of the United States. She's a role-model, an educator and an inspiration to everyone around the world.

In the coming months and years, we should remember Michelle Obama's legacy of kindness and not allow the negativity, divisiveness and cynicism of the incoming administration to make us forget that love should always be our guiding principle, and kindness should always be our first choice.

Sign up here for my free monthly wellness newsletter. February is all about having more love in your life.

My new book, Be Kind, Not Nice: How to Stop People-Pleasing, Build Your Confidence and Discover Your Authentic Self is now available.

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Pia Wurtzbach is back in the Philippines, confirms attendance to Miss Universe 2016 Ancillary event in Davao

Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach attends Fashion 4 Development's 6th Annual Official First Ladies Luncheon at The Pierre Hotel. (Photo : Craig Barritt/Getty Images)

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach is back in her home country Philippines to grace various events prior to the much awaited coronation night. In a press conference on Jan. 13, Friday, the country's Department of Tourism secretary Wanda Teo confirmed Wurtzbach's presence at the 65th Miss Universe Ancillary event, which will be held at SMX Convention Center, Lanang, Davao City on Jan. 19.



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"They (Miss Universe organizers) first said that only 12 candidates will be coming in the city, I reacted," Sun Star Davao quoted Teo as saying in a press conference at the Waterfront Insular Hotel. "I really pushed for more candidates to be coming here because I want them to see the beauty of Davao."



Wurtzbach arrived in the Philippines late on Jan. 14, Saturday. She will join around 20 to 30 Miss Universe candidates in Davao for the Ancillary event which features a fashion show and tour of the Eden Nature Park in Toril.



Aside from the Ancillary event in Davao, Wurtzbach also attended the Governor's Ball on Jan. 16, Monday, evening at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. The special gala and fundraising event aimed to bring together the staunchest pageant supporters all over the world. It was named after former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, the main man who reportedly brought Miss Universe to the Philippines.



The Miss Universe 2016 candidates will also be visiting other parts of the Philippines including, Baguio, Batangas, Boracay, Cebu, Manila and Vigan. Moreover, the contestants will pay a courtesy call with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacanang.



In an interview with ABS-CBN News, the outgoing Miss Universe 2015 Wurtzbach confirmed that she is ready to crown the new winner. She revealed that she will still be working with the organization as an ambassador even after her reign.



"I'm ready to pass on the crown to the new winner, and I'm happy and relieved that I'll still be working closely with the organization even after I pass on the crown," Wurtzbach said. "I'm excited because I'm ready to move forward."



The 65th Miss Universe pageant will be held at SM Mall of Asia-Arena, Pasay City on Jan. 30. American comedian and host Steve Harvey will return as host.



Watch the video below to see Pia Wurtzbach as looks back at her reign as Miss Universe 2015.






Blend Images/Trinette Reed via Getty Images

You only have to re-watch your favourite road trip movie to know that road trips are about many things but most of all the journey. The where, who, why and how play into the big what, that is, what each participant learns, feels and experiences. Recently, Girls' Flight Out embarked on a road trip in northern California. Here's the lowdown and the highlights. Of course, we invite all you virtual hitchhikers out there to hop on our video and come along for the ride.

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The Lowdown

Where: Napa Valley, San Francisco and Sonoma Valley in that order. We figured that although the two wine regions are neighbours and easily doable in a single ride, we'd sandwich the City in between for some urban antics, and to break things up so we could better recognize the differences between the valleys. Sort of like a major palate cleansing between tastings.

Who: As many of our Girls' Flight Out followers may know, I'm a Toronto-based writer and my daughter is a Brooklyn-based videographer. Several times a year we meet up at a cool destination to celebrate, collaborate and connect. Sharing a passion for travel is a good thing. Sharing a hotel room sometimes isn't ... but it adds to the what.

Why: For me, a culinary and travel writer, I'd never been to Napa or Sonoma, two of the top wine regions of the world. It was my job to go. Sam was pumped to explore San Francisco, especially Harvey Milk's hood, The Castro.

How: When we were offered a Lincoln Continental 2017 for the first leg of our trek, we snatched the keys. We reasoned a luxe trip deserves a luxe ride and, sure enough, the sedan's sleek exterior allowed us to pull up at posh venues in style; its state-of-the-art safety and navigational systems ensured no wrong turns; and the ever-so-comfy 30-way-adjustable seats' massage function proved to be ideal for waiting out traffic. Best of all, the interior was designed by a woman -- Detroit dynamo, Soo Kang. For a girls' getaway, how apropos is that?

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What: The thing about road trips is you never know what's going to happen. The last night of our trip was the U.S. election night when we anticipated witnessing the election of the first-ever female President. It was not to be. Our shock was cushioned by the fact that we'd met so many wonderful women during our adventure from fellow travellers to movers-and-shakers to wine makers. We raised a glass to that.

The Highlights

Napa Valley

Just over an hour from San Francisco, Napa Valley is a small region with a big rep and home to 400+ wineries. Stop in any or all of the towns along Highway 29 including:

Yountville, the culinary capital of Napa, and home to several accolade-loaded restaurants including Chef Thomas Keller's Michelin-star bestowed The French Laundry, and Bouchon.

St. Helena, the perfect stop 'n shop billed as Napa Valley's Main Street thanks to its boutique-lined downtown.

STAY: Calistoga Ranch in Calistoga, a peace-meets-posh resort nestled in a secluded canyon with gorgeous guest lodges and a stellar spa.

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San Francisco

Rolling hills, staggering views, eclectic architecture. In one of the most walkable cities in North America, not surprisingly, guided walking tours abound.

Wild SF Walking Tours: Castro + Mission, for insights into the history and hopes of the gay rights movement

Avital Tours: Union Square Craft Cocktail Experience for a taste of the exploding SF cocktail scene

Local Tastes of the City Tours: Chinatown, for a tasting spree through the oldest Chinatown on the continent

Other great ways to get around:

GoCar Tours, which saw Sam and I hunkered into a rented tiny GPS-guided storytelling car driving about town in real traffic

SF Muni, the city's public transit system, which includes cable cars, America's only historical landmark that moves.

Blue & Gold Fleet and other boat tours will get you out on SF Bay, passing by iconic landmarks such as Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.

STAY: InterContinental Mark Hopkins drips history and modern splendor from the grand lobby to every corner of your suite. Unwind at its rooftop bar, Top of the Mark, a celeb-sighting hotspot with panoramic views.

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Sonoma Valley

Known for its diversity of wines, farm-to-table fare and laid-back culture, Sonoma Valley lies within the sprawling Sonoma County.

Sonoma Plaza, in the city Sonoma, features more than 100 shops, dozens of tasting rooms and restaurants including The Girl and the Fig, renowned for its rustic French cuisine.

Gloria Ferrer, the first sparkling wine house of Sonoma, Carneros, offers tours, tastings and a stunning view of the vineyards

Chateau St. Jean, a 1920s chateau on a 270-acre lush property and vineyard with winemaker Margo Van Staaveren at the helm

STAY: Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa where after being greeted with a glass of bubbly you can check into your beautifully appointed room, and then check out its acclaimed Willow Stream Spa. Wine tastings held daily in the main lobby.
Chris Helgren / Reuters Rooftops of houses in the Kitsilano neighbourhood and the downtown core are seen in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada January 7, 2017. REUTERS/Chris Helgren

The number one issue in every corner of B.C. this year is affordable housing. However, that is a big term that means different things for different people. Here are the 10 things we will be watching for in 2017.

1. The B.C. Election: In May British Columbians will head to the polls with a rising class of young people wondering if they'll ever own a home, Gen Xers considering leaving B.C., and seniors telling their seniors advocate that housing is the number one issue for them. Homeless counts are at staggering heights around the province while rental vacancy rates drop to historic lows. And homeowners don't know what will happen to housing prices this year. Expect housing to be the focus of political platforms, doorway conversations and debates.

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We'll be looking at all data closely in 2017 and will also get the results of homeless counts and the resurrection of purpose-built rental housing.

2. The National Housing Strategy: Expectations are that the 2017 federal budget will include funds to support a national housing strategy. Starting under the Pierre Trudeau era to the early 1990s, Canada built over 600,000 units of non-profit and co-op housing, and incentivized the creation of private market rentals. However, for a generation we've largely sat on our hands and that has led to a national crisis. Justin Trudeau seems poised to make housing affordability his key domestic priority in 2017, but it will take both specific supports for renters, new supply, innovation, and a homelessness strategy.

3. The Fentanyl & Overdose Epidemic: Why is this on the list? Well, social housing and shelter staff are on the front lines of a national crisis of massive proportions. On a daily basis workers are saving lives and watching people die. It's traumatic for everyone involved, including emergency workers. This has put a spotlight on our need to address things like addiction, mental health and housing more holistically. Somebody is likely knowingly killing hundreds of our neighbours, and we'll all be watching to see if there's a break in this crisis in 2017 or if it spreads to other major cities.

4. Data: Data made headlines in 2016: from foreign investment to our first year back to the mandatory long-form census. We'll be looking at all data closely in 2017 and will also get the results of homeless counts and the resurrection of purpose-built rental housing. At Housing Central we are compiling a bunch of data to create an Affordable Housing Plan for B.C. that can help identify what we need to build, where, and for whom, and how much all this will cost.

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5. The B.C. Budget(s): There's a chance B.C. could end up with two provincial budgets in 2017. Likely, one in early 2017 that funds the government's housing plans should Christy Clark's B.C. Liberals be re-elected. Should John Horgan win, it's likely we'll see a different budget in the fall. Both seasons ended up being important to housing in 2016 as nearly a billion dollars was announced for new affordable rentals, tax breaks for people buying homes up to $750k, implementation of a 15 per cent foreign buyers tax, and a new lending program for first time home buyers was introduced.

6. Co-operation: Thom Armstrong, Executive Director of the Co-op Housing Federation of B.C. will tell you this is the most important thing that needs to happen in housing. In his words: "The big question we need to ask is whether the various levels of government are finally willing to coordinate strategies, resource allocations and priorities to do something about housing (Thom Armstrong, Housing Central Conference 2016). As cities like Vancouver, New Westminster and Victoria get aggressive in contributing land and cash to housing projects, the power dynamic between each level of government and the non-profit sector is starting to equalize, leading to more collaboration between partners.

We seem to have unlimited money for expensive jails, shelters, hospitals and treatment centres, but not enough for the cheapest and best option: social housing.

7. Housing Central: This innovative partnership includes a new shared office for B.C.'s affordable housing sector and ownership of a private mutual fund company that serves the sector, called Encasa. Buffy Ste. Marie and Shelagh Rogers also created an unforgettable kickoff for over 1,200 delegates at the first "Housing Central" conference last year. Look for this partnership to expand in 2017, examining the use of land trusts to preserve affordable housing for renters and potentially homeowners. Is B.C. ready for partial home ownership? Collective living? Tiny Homes? More modular and container homes? Let's innovate and see what works.

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8. Northern Exposure: There's no urban-rural split in suffering during B.C.'s housing crisis. Gord Downie has raised awareness of what's happening in indigenous communities, but most Northern municipalities are also facing troubles. Some are packed with job seekers and speculators that have filled up their deteriorating rentals and hotels. In Prince George, homeless shelters are full, even in the summer, and in Terrace, where 11,000 people live, over 100 are now homeless. Conversely, in places like Fort St. John, Alberta's struggles have led to a vacancy rate exceeding 30 per cent.

9. Tent Cities: As B.C.'s homeless population climbs into the thousands, tent cities have become a dramatic visual symbol of our housing crisis. We seem to have unlimited money for expensive jails, shelters, hospitals and treatment centres, but not enough for the cheapest and best option: social housing. Tim Richter, CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness believes we need a by-name list of everybody who is homeless, sorted by urgency like we would do in an emergency room, and then help the most vulnerable person get a home now, and start building our way out of this.

10. Millennials: Some of B.C.'s biggest companies are saying they can't retain young workers due to the rising cost of housing. Students can't find enough campus housing, and youth homelessness is surging. A whole generation of people are wondering if this province has forgotten about them. UBC's Paul Kershaw has created Generation Squeeze to funnel some of this discontent into advocacy, but can he tap into the many different types of frustrated Millennials? If the economy tails off here or picks up elsewhere, more young parents, students, artists and innovators may set down roots elsewhere.

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The five things you need to know on Tuesday, January 17

1) TEASER MAY

Cometh the hour, cometh the plan? Well, not quite. Theresa Mays big speech at Lancaster House today will certainly be more than Brexit means Brexit or red, white and blue Brexit. Described by insiders as a long speech, we will get the PMs 12 negotiating priorities and four key principles driving them.

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After weeks of ministerial Brexit sub-committee meetings, the full Cabinet gets to approve the strategy and tactics this morning when it meets. No10 was very coy yesterday about whether May would make a formal Commons statement after her speech, which is strange given that voting Leave was all about restoring the sovereignty of the British Parliament. It looks now like David Davis will deliver the statement. It may well be that the speech itself is the plan that MPs have been promised will be published before Article 50 is triggered at the end of March. After today's teaser, I suspect the PM will say little more for fear of harming her negotiating strategy and a steel trap will snap shut on further detail.

Perhaps because of fears of market reaction, initially Downing Street wasnt going to brief any extracts at all overnight. But in the knowledge that the media will fill a vacuum if you dont do it yourself, they changed tack and hence all the front pages about a clean break from the EU. You can bet some Tory MPs will be citing medical advice that at least a clean break leads to a quicker recovery than a fragmented fracture.

In the overnight extracts, the best line was this: "Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union or anything that leaves us half in, half out. That was taken as a signal that we will be quitting the single market, but its still far from clear that we will quit the customs union too. It may be that we come out of the customs arrangement, then opt back in on our own terms. Theres a neat irony that Vote Leave raised Turkey as a bogeyman in the referendum, but we could be heading for a Turkish-style future: membership of customs union while being out of the EU.

Mays four principles are like a Motherhood and Apple Pie menu - certainty and clarity, a stronger Britain, a fairer Britain, a truly global Britain - but the key question is whether the 12 negotiating priorities give us specific objectives. Will we want to join the EEA (not under the ECJ but pretty close to it)? Are we prepared to pay for continued access to crucial markets like cars? Will we want a transitional deal and for how long? Theres chatter that there could be a two-year bespoke arrangement for the City, not least as EU negotiator Michel Barnier let slip last week to MEPs he wants a special deal on financial services. The buzzword in Whitehall and Brussels is equivalence - a set of new arrangements that replicates the best regulatory and trade rules.

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If the briefing is right and May does opt for the brutal logic of a bold, do-your-worst approach to the EU, she will certainly be embarking on a high stakes gamble that the other 27 states will be forced by self-interest to give us what we want. Former Remainer ministers may hope this is all bravado. But as we all know by now, most Remainers are not that good at hard politics. Apart from one: T May.

2) CAR WARS: ROGUE ONE

While Donald Trumps Times interview may have pleased Eurosceptics here, it caused shockwaves across the EU, and Germany in particular. And theres no more salient example of possible trade wars ahead than over car manufacture.

The President Elect warned BMW it could face duties of 35% on cars imported from a new factory being built in Mexico. He also complained that more German cars could be seen on the streets of New York than US cars on German streets. Sigmar Gabriel, who is Merkels vice-chancellor and economy minister, had the Rejoinder Of The Day: the US will have to build better cars. He added: It does not help to make others weaker, you do not yourself get stronger by doing that.

Trump may have picked the wrong example with BMW. Its South Carolina factory is the biggest exporter of cars in the US. Audi and Daimlers own plans for Mexican plants could be more vulnerable. And dont forget Trumps Tweets do have an impact: after his election, Ford announced that it was abandoning its $1.6 billion plans to build a plant in Mexico and would create 700 jobs in Michigan instead.

The Germans are trying to calmly explain that free trade is better for consumers and growth, but will Trumpism move from going rogue to being in vogue? Once America slaps tariffs on, others may well not turn the other cheek. Thats the real fear in Whitehall as much as European capitals.

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Meanwhile, Ted Malloch, the man tipped to be either Trumps ambassador to the EU or the UK, has given an interview to HuffPost. He said there is now he potential to re-engender the US-UK special relationship with Theresa May. Trump is a little bit like a white knight in this case. Shes like the damsel in distress. See, he really did mean re-engender, not re-gender.

3) GOING NUCLEAR

Last nights Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) meeting with Jeremy Corbyn was very calm and civilised, MPs told me. The leader faced just eight questions, on topics such as migration, Coepland and Stoke by-elections, defence and Brexit. But whereas a year ago there was a confrontational edge to such queries, last night there was an air of resignation (in both senses of the word).

As with Mrs May, Corbyns MPs just want more clarity and their questions were more about communications and messaging than necessarily substance. Wes Streeting asked, for example, how JCs comms team could suggest he didnt back UK troops in Estonia (a Labour spokesman stressed afterwards that Defence Secretary Nia Griffiths was not at all furious once shed seen his actual words).

Yet while the PLP didnt go nuclear, the issue of Corbyns stance on nuclear power is very much alive in Copeland. As I report HERE, local Labour activists and trade unionists urged him in a private meeting on Sunday to be clear about backing a new Moorside power plant. With the NHS their strongest campaign point, party members think nuclear is the partys Achilles heel.

What worried Labour in Cumbria was Corbyns refusal to say hed back Moorside. When asked on a local BBC programme he replied: I dont know what the circumstances will be at that time. And last night he told the PLP he backed continued nuclear (the party policy). But there is a bit of wriggle room still. After the meeting with MPs, a Labour spokesman said of Moorside: The particular proposals will need to be scrutinised, but Labour is committed to new nuclear power capacity as part of the overall energy mix.

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As for Tory claims Corbyn is toxic on the doorstep, the Labour leader laughs that off. Hell be up in Copeland this weekend to prove it.

BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR

Watch this superb clip by comedian Micky Flanagan. A reminder that Theresa May didnt want out of the EU, but now shes very much out out.

4) CLEGGING IT

We had the surreal spectacle yesterday of Gove being repeatedly interviewed about his interview, as he went beyond Trumps acutal quotes (themselves never a true guide to his actions) to surmise the President Elects next moves. It was meta-journalism on steroids.

Former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg is one of the few politicians in the Commons whose previous day job included negotiating EU trade deals. Now installed as Tim Farrons Brexit spokesman, Cleggs stock is rising again among some, as he reminds them why he gained traction in those distant pre-tuition-fees days.

The former Deputy PM has done a video inteview with HuffPost in which he warns that the UK could become a hapless pawn in attempts to destroy Europe if British politicians ape Michael Gove and sycophantically rush to Trump Towers. He fears that both Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin want to see the break up of the EU  and could use Britain to make it happen.

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With an echo of their battles in the Coalition, Clegg tells us: Michael does have a fantastic talent, for a winning phrase and for arresting prose, but both of them have in my experience, certainly Michael, has a slightly erratic grip on the truth sometimes.

5) NATO NO MATES

Donald Trump upset Francois Hollande by calling Nato obsolete in his Times interview. Never forget that the French pulled out of Nato because De Gaulle didnt want French troops under US command, though Sarkozy reversed that historic break. Still, you can bet the Baltics were more than a little alarmed by Trumps talk, which was of course pounced on by Moscow.

Here in the UK, its David Cameron who looks like Davey No Mates. Last night Tory MP Julian Lewis, the chairman of the Defence Select Committee, used the Speakers Lecture to give a scathing verdict on rumours that the ex-PM was being considered as the next Nato Secretary General.

After all those years of Cameroons taunting Lewis, it was payback time. Cameron was a man of charm and ability, but there was a big BUT: But those talents do not include wisely judging strategic issues, whether when toppling Arab dictators in places like Libya, increasing military commitments whilst cutting the armed forces, predicting a Third World War in consequence of Brexit, or dangerously delaying the renewal of Trident for the sake of coalition politics - as he did.

If youre reading this on the web, sign-up HERE to get the WaughZone delivered to your inbox.
Take one step forward with your left foot -- a small step suffices. Oh, no flip flops from this point on, please. Feel that delicate texture embracing your foot with such warmth and subtle sounds of acceptance. Another step forward with your right foot, and you experience a marvelous balance. Savour that sensation.

You tilt your head slightly, feel your long hair lifting and swinging in harmony with the 7:00 AM breeze, and admire the tranquil Cadiz seashores. The sandy beaches extend their extremities there, flat, smooth, free from footprints or any other tell-tale traces of prior visitors who had visited the most ancient town in Spain over the course of centuries, as if unexplored...

I enjoy these early morning strolls across Victoria Beach. In fact, my favourite route is parallel to the ever-shifting intersection points -- parabolas, though often much more unruly in a way that would be mathematically difficult to model, perhaps -- where the ocean kisses the land. This kiss must have been planted with much anticipation, for they say that the water is relatively cold here because across the ocean, you will not find land again until you reach all the way to Antarctica. Playful yet graceful as she is, the ocean never forgets to alters her colours, getting lighter and lighter from the brilliant shades of blues to a mild form of whiteness, as she approaches the land.

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Image of the Sea: An Open Invitation

That precious Andalusian beach scene that I just painted for you is yearned for by many: in fact, the very image of it is gold. Yet, the picture that lingers on in my mind is a little more complex, and symbolic to a certain degree. Beaches are summer escapes, meant to be relaxing and fun: to that I concur whole-heartedly as a fan of building sand volcanoes, floating in the water while the waves push and pull me up and down with the magic of gravity, reading a book with a pair of sunglasses on, etc.

Simultaneously, beaches provide a perfect setting to ruminate. After all, I was not in Spain purely for the sake of admiring its magnificent seashores this summer. Cadiz was the starting point for one of my college-funded independent academic research projects, for which I investigated the country's gastronomic evolution in relation to its shifting regional and national identities as well as external influences such as globalisation. Sounds like quite a mouthful? Well, literally, I was there to get a 'taste' of Spain.

As I reflect on this trip and piece together memories of my three main sites (Cadiz, San Sebastian, and Barcelona: despite how different these places surely are, they share one commonality at least -- the ocean) along with places I passed by but did not get to explore in more depth this time (including Valencia, Caceres, Salamanca, and Bilbao), I saw some interesting parallels between the ocean image and my findings. Rather than debriefing everything in dry, academic writing (please don't get me wrong here: I enjoy academic writing as well, but thanks to the nature of the grant, I can choose the creative option here), I will be alluding to the ocean scene as a visual symbol that will guide us through this brief journey of rumination: one that reconstructs, deconstructs, and re-reconstructs the day-to-day findings that could otherwise become fleeting memories so readily. Join me in this stroll, then, along the Iberian shorelines -- at our own pace.

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On Slowness and Lateness, Ebbs and Flows

"No necesito fast, necesito food" ("I do not need fast, I need food"). Or so says the country's official tourism promo-video, launched in 2010. A key feature of eating in contemporary Spain, indeed, is that everything is a little late and a little slow at once. From literary works such as "Vuelve usted manana" (which translates directly to "Come Back Tomorrow") to contemporary nonfictions like A Late Dinner: Discovering the Food of Spain, slowness and lateness seem to define traditional stereotypes of Spaniards and their modern lifestyles alike. On highways, for instance, one can seldom see fast food chains in the service joints.

There is a parallel between this feature of Spanishness and the evolution of food itself, almost in a way that resembles the ebbs and flows of the ocean. Like waves that come and go, there are always new ideas and innovation. Yet, they are not completely free - from tensions, resistance, and opposition. Like any other form of free discourse, the culinary arts intrinsically involve many different possible perspectives. You may advocate for change, tradition, or modernity blended with tradition, etc. Spain, it seems, does not always want to compromise its original identities for the new. This is surely not to say that Spain is resistant to change, however: no -- Spain is such an innovator in so many fields, such as Gaudi's architecture, Ferran Adria's culinary philosophy, contemporary highstreet fashion brands (ZARA and Mango, among others), etc. My project strived to find out the balance between Spain's regional vs. national vs. international culinary identities, as well as its traditions vs. modernity.
Matt Crossick/Matt Crossick

For the second time in under a month, Jeremy Corbyn has been presented with a resignation from a moderate Labour politician, piling further pressure on his bitterly divided party. Following Jamie Reed, who at the end of January will stand down as the MP for Copeland, Tristram Hunt on Thursday announced that he will be leaving politics to become the director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, resulting in yet another by-election that could cause significant problems for Labour.

Hunt's resignation means the fight for Stoke-on-Trent Central is firmly on, and it's one that should play out in a fierce and frantic battle between three parties that, for different reasons, are desperate for a win. Once a comfortably safe seat for Labour (no other party have won in this part of the city since the constituency's creation in 1950), the party are now looking nervously over their shoulders, with insiders privately voicing concerns over their chances of holding the seat.

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In the landslide general election victory of 1997, Labour won two-thirds of the vote to extend their grip on Stoke-on-Trent Central. Since then, their share has dropped by almost 30%. The party's struggles under Corbyn, which have manifested themselves in poor council election results and a lost deposit in December's Richmond Park by-election, could intensify in Stoke-on-Trent, where they will face a significant challenge in a once safe seat that voted overwhelmingly to leave the European Union. If Richmond Park represented a battle for the 48%, then the Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election could expose the true nature of Labour's struggles with the 52% and will point towards the difficulties they could be set to face in post-Brexit Britain.

Despite enjoying a 16.7% majority at the last general election - a slight decrease from the 17.1% they gained in Hunt's first electoral outing in 2010 - Labour's lead of 5,000 votes looks far more precarious than the figures first suggest. Stoke-on-Trent Central, like several other constituencies in the Midlands and north-west England, is one of 120 seats in which UKIP finished in second place in 2015. In terms of individual votes cast, it represented their fifth-best performance, with their 18.3% increase knocking the Conservatives down to third place. Only 33 votes separated the two parties, but UKIP, who also enjoyed considerable gains in neighbouring Stoke-on-Trent North and Stoke-on-Trent South, have clearly tapped into a feeling of anger and frustration that, prior to the EU referendum, was reaching fever point. It's no surprise that, as a whole, 69.4% of the city's residents voted for Brexit, the highest of any British city.

Local dissatisfaction with Labour has also been evident in council results, with the party first shedding votes to the far-right British National Party before losing overall control of the Stoke-on-Trent city council in 2015. The loss of 15 councillors left Labour with just 21, paving the way for a coalition involving the Conservatives, UKIP and City Independents to take charge.

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This lack of enthusiasm for Labour, coupled with their impressive showing in 2015, has the UKIP leadership licking their lips. In a constituency that overwhelmingly voted to leave the EU, they clearly fancy their chances against a divided Labour Party that are still yet to decide where it is they stand on the issue of Brexit. Whereas the Liberal Democrats' victory in Richmond Park was largely thanks to frustrated Remainers, who abandoned the Eurosceptic Zac Goldsmith and drove him out of office, the opposite could prove to be the case in Stoke-on-Trent Central, where Labour (who officially campaigned for Remain but, through Corbyn's muddled message, have offered mixed rhetoric since the referendum) are in serious danger of losing a large number of votes to UKIP.

The opportunity offered to UKIP has resulted in there being murmurs about the possibility of Paul Nuttall, the party's new leader, standing as their candidate, and the by-election will certainly present an early test for his leadership. Nuttall campaigned on and subsequently won the last UKIP leadership contest by putting forward a strategy to target Labour-held seats, and, with Stoke-on-Trent Central being one of the most likely to produce a swing towards them, the Eurosceptic party now have a great opportunity to double their representation in the House of Commons.

It won't be entirely straight-forward for UKIP, however. Despite the constituency, on paper, representing one of their best chances of dealing a hammer blow to Corbyn, the party have failed to build a strong local presence in the area, something that could prove to be a significant barrier to electoral success. Years of hard work and intense campaigning in what is now seen as their Kent heartland resulted in victories in Clacton and Rochester and Strood - not to mention a second-place finish for Nigel Farage in South Thanet - in 2014 and 2015, but, despite making impressive gains, their presence in Stoke-on-Trent has been poor. The party only have two councillors on the city council, although they did wrest one ward away from Labour in the most recent election to earn a place on the governing coalition.
The fact that the future president of the United States, Donald Trump, took the unprecedented decision NOT to ask Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, Frank Klotz, and his deputy, Madelyn Creedon, to stay on until he finds their replacement is disturbing, to say the least.

I understand his dislike for protocol, after all he does describe himself as a political outsider. But to risk having some of the most important posts in defence potentially vacant for an unknown period of time is quite scary.

Representatives have denied claims that Donald trump fired the two advisors and instead say that this has not been discussed yet. What an issue to leave undiscussed! The President's inauguration is in just a few days and with defence being a priority, why would he not want to remove this uncertainty regarding who will be guarding the world's biggest nuclear arsenal?

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I could go into my whole argument about how nuclear weapons are ineffective in deterring anything, key example; the U.S. and the U.K. possessing them has not stopped them from being attacked. In fact, the very country that the U.S. felt the weapons were useful for (as a deterrent) is now best friends with Donald Trump and his Secretary of State nominee; Rex Tillerson. Surely the Cold War standoff these weapons once represented has been dissolved.

How are nukes going to combat the increase in 'home-grown terrorists' (U.S. citizens committing acts of terror)? This type of threat can come from citizens who cannot be easily profiled, I'll never forget the mislaid shock of seeing blonde-haired, blue-eyed American dubbed 'jihadi jane' implicated in acts of terror and others like this since then.

But I won't go into all that again. Instead, I'll just revel in the fact that every cloud has its silver lining; Donald Trump tweeted recently that he would like to strengthen U.S. nuclear capabilities. With two incredibly important strategic posts potentially vacant, this plan to increase the number of nukes is currently at a halt. Perhaps we should hope the posts aren't filled so quickly after all, as without these two officials, funding proposals for an expansion of their nuclear arsenal will be slowed down.
We've got this wonderful thing called democracy, but only some of us seem to be using it. In the EU referendum, only 64% of young people felt the urge to vote, and in general elections that figure sinks even further. The numbers are particularly bad among young people, but as a nation, we still only managed a 66% turnout in the 2015 General Election.

The beautiful thing about living in a democracy is the freedom of choice that comes with it, and that of course includes the freedom to abstain from voting, but why are so many people choosing not to vote? Talk Politics is a group I've co-founded with the aim of reducing apathy, and we've identified three key areas that lead to lacklustre voter participation: lack of political education, the labelling that arises from politics, and its bad image. Many agree with our central aim and we've been endorsed by many high-profile politicians including Nicky Morgan MP - the former Secretary of State for Education, Tim Farron MP - leader of the Lib Dems, and Sir Vince Cable - former Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

"Politics matters and TalkPolitics is a welcome voice in challenging everyone, but particularly younger voters, to make sure they take an active interest in what politicians are debating and deciding and don't let others have a say for them." - Nicky Morgan MP, former Secretary of State for Education

Political education and making politics more accessible is a defining part of what we're trying to achieve. The EU Referendum is a perfect example of when voters felt as though they hadn't been given all the facts - or had been misled over the key issues. That's why we're calling for more political education in schools and also running our own "Politics Put Simply" series on our blog. In these articles, we put partisan politics to one side and try to strip down debates to the facts and also evaluate the functions of key institutions and figures in British politics. This should help voters make a more informed vote. Our work is more important now than ever with the tide of "fake news" that's making its way into politics. That's why we have a "Mythbuster" series on out blog which seeks to separate fact from fiction. One week we debunked myths about Jeremy Corbyn, the next Lady Thatcher.

"I fully support this extremely worthwhile campaign. Politics affects virtually every thing, person and place you encounter on a daily basis, and it's absolutely essential that as many people get engaged in the political process as possible." - Tim Farron MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats

Talk Politics is also concerned by much of the safe space culture that has arisen in debates and political conversation. We believe these attitudes are detrimental to progress and debate. Conservative voters shouldn't be labelled "bigots," just as Labour voters shouldn't be decried as loonies. Everyone is entitled to their view and we want to promote that attitude by campaigning for the protection of free speech. At the same time, we recognise some views are irrational but believe these should be engaged with through rational debate instead of swept under the carpet in the naive hope that they'll go away.

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Both these campaigns should, in turn, help improve the image that Westminster currently has. We cut through the political jargon and media bias through our articles and interviews because we want to challenge the notion that what happens in Westminster won't affect you. It will, and the best way to control it is by voting.
POOL New / Reuters

With the Prime Minister's speech on Brexit today, Britain took another important step down a historic road - out of the EU, destination unknown. It is the British public's bad luck that we are being driven by a Government which is voluntarily making its negotiating hand worse and enthusiastically talking up the prospect of its negotiation failing, publicly advertising a Plan B that would be catastrophic for working people and their families.

The British people, as the Chancellor has so rightly said, did not vote in the referendum to become poorer. Leave campaigners decried economic warnings made during that campaign as "scaremongering", and promised that the UK would remain part of a free trade area "stretching from Iceland to the Russian border". This implied membership of the Single Market. The Prime Minister herself, during the referendum campaign, said that preserving our place in the Single Market was the best option for growth and jobs in our country.

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This is why it is so extraordinary that the Prime Minister today ruled out Single Market membership for Britain after we leave the EU. Europe buys 44% of everything we sell as a country, from services to cars and agricultural products. Leaving the Single Market will put up new barriers to trade that will damage businesses, cost jobs, and increase prices. Before she has even entered negotiations with our European partners, the Prime Minister has ruled out the best deal for our economy. This is self-harm, not statesmanship.

The Prime Minister's rationale is that this is the only way we can gain greater control over immigration. But there is much we could do to increase control over immigration without losing control over our economy. The EEA treaties - which allow membership of the Single Market while being outside the EU, like Norway - gives the countries involved greater power over migration. There are things we can do on a domestic level, like reinstating the Migration Impact Fund, which was so short-sightedly abolished by the Tories. And we can have a real Europe-wide debate about changing free movement, for which the appetite on the Continent is growing, as comments by senior figures like the Dutch Deputy Prime Minister have shown.

Even more incomprehensible than her rejection of the Single Market was the Prime Minister's blase attitude towards negotiations breaking down, and Britain leaving the EU without any trading arrangement whatsoever. As I told the Brexit Secretary David Davis in the House of Commons today, such an outcome would be disastrous for jobs and growth. Every car we export to Europe would become 10% more expensive; every item of clothing, 12%; every joint of British lamb, 40%. UK goods would be priced out of competitiveness in the European market, leading to loss of market share and loss of jobs here at home. So the Government's number one priority must be to prevent this nightmare scenario from happening, rather than cheerfully admitting the possibility.

The Government would have us believe that they possess a cunning back-up plan. This would be, as Philip Hammond said recently, a total reimagining of our economic model - one that would put the top 1% of earners first, and working people last. A Britain of lower taxes for the super rich and less help for struggling families; of fewer rights for working people, and more tax breaks for multinational corporations. Right-wingers might salivate at the prospect of this country becoming Europe's off-shore tax haven, but it would be immensely harmful for working people, and would do nothing to rebalance our economy. Theresa May has rightly promised to protect and enhance workers' rights. She should stick to that, and reject Hammond's foolish plan.

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It was sadly inevitable today that Theresa May would say nothing about the many promises made by her Leave campaign ministers in Government - spending 350 million for the NHS, abolishing VAT on fuel bills, spending more money on primary schools. Indeed, she admitted that Britain would continue to pay into some EU programmes after Brexit; the final death knell for the fictitious figure on Vote Leave's big red bus.

We need a pragmatic approach to Brexit that puts working peoples' living standards first, while making the changes to immigration that voters want. That means not throwing away our best chance for prosperity before negotiations have even begun. It means doing everything to reach a deal with the EU, not taking the massive gamble of walking away without one. And it means rejecting utterly the hard-right fantasy of a Britain with lower taxes for the rich and fewer rights at work for the poor. Only a pragmatic and smart approach can ensure that our country reaches its destination unscathed.
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Young people care about how they look. I know what you are thinking and, yes, this is a relatively unsurprising fact, particularly to me when I recall how long I used to take to get ready as a teenager and when I look today at my own daughters' behaviour where very similar traits appear to be on show.

However, where there are perfectly innocent and healthy responses to issues such as looks and appearance, there can also be actions that are more sinister and harmful. Body image anxiety encompasses a wide spectrum of emotions that at the more severe end can lead to dangerous changes to a young person's physical and mental health.

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It is for this reason that the Be Real Campaign, of which YMCA and Dove are founding partners, and which is sponsored by bareMinerals, N Brown, New Look and Superdrug, has recently been looking at the impact of body image anxiety, specifically among 11 to 16 year olds going through secondary school. At the core of our campaign is to 'create a body confident nation' and where better to start than with young people who are not only most exposed to modern day culture but also most at the mercy of changing hormones and the extremities of peer influence?

And our findings, released today in Somebody Like Me, are stark and demanding of action. Speaking to 2,000 young people and 500 teachers, we have found that 52% of young people worry about how they look while almost a third (30%) isolate themselves or withdraw from activities because of body image anxiety. Beyond these stats, we've also spoken to young people at YMCAs and found further worrying evidence of the dangerous results of low body confidence. We've heard of young people being pushed into self-harm; stories of young men, in particular, being too embarrassed to seek help for fear of bullying; and instances of young people who have taken up to 25 minutes to take a photo of themselves in order to achieve the 'perfect' image that matches all the ideals to which TV and advertising say they should aspire.

It is beyond doubt that for young people in this country today, who are caught up in an increasingly celebrity-idealised culture with 24-7 social media connectivity, that the impact of body image anxiety is incredibly worrying. Something needs to be done and in understanding what this needed to be, we at the Be Real Campaign went back to our research.

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Because, in addition to learning about the impact of low body confidence, we also asked young people where they thought help should be made available. Unsurprisingly, parents were the first port of call but we saw most possibility for action in schools where, of those young people surveyed who had been taught about body confidence (less than half), 76% said they felt better about themselves as a result.

It is from these findings, that the Be Real Campaign is proud today to launch the Body Confidence Campaign Toolkit for Schools.

Informed by our research and created in partnership with those who work closely with young people, this toolkit provides support, guidance and advice to schools that wish to teach young people about body confidence both in class and as part of a whole-school approach. It is designed to support those young people who are in most need of help and create environments and safe spaces in schools where students can lead the discussions themselves and provide much-needed peer support to each other.

A number of schools and YMCAs have already taken on the mantel and engaged with our toolkit ahead of its launch and the feedback from them has been fantastic. Many in education were already aware of the issues relating to body image anxiety, with 70% of teachers in our research saying they considered body confidence to be a serious issue among students. However, we hope this free toolkit will provide some great extra resources and support for pupils to now run their own campaigns within schools.

I hope schools take the time to download our research and resources and begin to implement it within the classroom. Only then, can we hope to finally become a body confident nation that truly puts health above appearance.

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Schools can download a copy of the Body Confidence Campaign Toolkit for Schools on the Be Real Campaign website.
Landspace Technology office. (Photo : Landspace Technology)

A really unknown one-year old Chinese company has grandioise dreams of becoming China's version of SpaceX with nothing to prove it exists except for a story in the People's Daily and a hard to access website.



The company calls itself Landspace Technology Corporation and identifies its CEO as Zhang Changwu. Its website (www.landspacetech.com/) takes forever to load while its Facebook page contains nothing more than renderings of its logo.



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Despite these red flags, the company merited a story in the People's Daily (China's largest English-language newspaper) that said Landspace might one day compete against Elon Musk's SpaceX because it will be China's version of SpaceX.



Founded In 2015, Landspace Technology said it's "committed to offer new options for global clients seeking launch services." It claims to have anywhere from 11 to 50 employees, and it seems strange for a company not to know how many employees it has.



To prove it's a legitimate business firm, the company claims it's landed a contract to launch a satellite for the Danish company, GomSpace.



A check on its website shows GomSpace is a space company situated founded in 2007. Its mission "is to be engaged in the global market for space systems and services by introducing new products, i.e. components, platforms and systems, based on innovation within professional Nanosatellite technology."



Zhang said his company could not have won recognition from this overseas client "without decades of efforts by Chinese workers in the aerospace industry, which has been developing for 60 years."



He noted the Chinese government will choose a spaceflight company founded by Chinese to launch Chinese satellites before it chooses foreign companies like SpaceX. Very few companies like Landspace exist in China.



He also believes Beijing could block SpaceX and other international satellite rocket firms from establishing a foothold in China, giving competing Chinese firms a huge edge.


"My fellow Americans: I'm proud to stand before you as the winner of The Presidential Apprentice. On this momentous day in history, I give you my inaugural address: West Lawn, US Capitol, Washington DC 20004.

I'm honored to be here in the company of so many former presidents: President Bush, President Carter and of course President Clinton, who I see brought Crooked Hillary. Lock Her Up! Seriously, who let her in? I also pay tribute to my fellow GOP nominees: Little Marco, Lyin' Ted and Low-energy Jeb. I trampled those suckers real good!

So, esteemed guests, haters and losers - welcome. Or as my friend Putin says, ! Sadly, he couldn't make it today, and neither could my new friend Tsai Ing-wen, but she promised to call me later.

Now, down to business. Firstly, I would like to thank President Obama for his eight years of service. For a man who wasn't born here, Barack did an okay job. But there's only room for one CEO of America Incorporated. Obama - you're fired!

I am the 45th President to take the presidential oats and... what does that say? Sorry folks, I hate teleprompters. What I really wanted to say is that this is a very, very big job and I'm going to do some really terrific, tremendous work to Make America Great Again! I say that, not in a braggadocius way, because as you know, I am one of the most humble people around, as well as one of the richest.

Caricature: DonkeyHotey, CC BY SA 2.0

As your new President, the challenges I face are huge. With the help of Vice-President Pence, I will begin my first most important task - decorating the Trump House. Melania wants to keep the decor the same way Michelle had it, but I have a whole team of Mexicans lined up to paint the place gold.

My second most important job will be solving the problems of the WORLD! I find the best place to do this is Twitter. I've invented my own Presidential handle "Donald's Oval Office Facts, United States" and you can follow me @DOOFUS. My wife Melania is so excited, she just sent her first tweet as @FLOTUS! It says: "So proud of @POTUS and all that we've accomplished together. An incredible journey filled with remarkable people. I love you Barack. -mo".

When you elected me, I promised to Drain The Swamp of corruption and build a whole new administration. I went through thousands of resumes until finally, I found my millionaire son-in-law Jared Kushner and my daughter Ivanka - she's hot, right? Ivanka will do the women's issues and childcare, and Jared will do peace in the Middle East. Some people have accused me of nepotism, but I can assure you, I am not a nepot. Never have been, never will be.

In a moment we will hear 'The Star Spangled Banner' sung by 16 year old Jackie Evancho. Just think, in a couple of years I could be dating her! Later, you're welcome to join us at the inauguration ball, where America's greatest recording artists will appear in my honor. I don't know who they are yet, but I'm waiting to hear from Rebecca Black and David Hasselhoff. My great friend Scott Baio will sing the theme tune from Happy Days and my British buddy Nigel Farage will be serving the beer. There's still lots of tickets left people, so bring your family and friends! But remember, Muslims will not be admitted.

OK folks, it's time for me to stop talking and get to work as America's CEO. To quote from President Coolidge, "The Business of America is Business." So let's grab this opportunity by the pussy and Make America Great Again!"
POOL New / Reuters

How often must we hear the lie that immigration causes low pay to fall? Or that migrants are to blame for the monumental strain facing our public services? Today Theresa May stood in front of the cameras of the world and said that Brexit "must mean control of the number of people" coming to our country. She said: "When the numbers get too high, public support for the system falters."

But she is not talking about numbers on a spreadsheet - she is talking about people. People who come to Britain to make a home, to travel, study, work, love, or for a hundred other reasons - and people from the UK who move to other European countries for a hundred more. I am proud to be co-leader of the only party standing up for those people, but I am also saddened that today the Prime Minister was so determined to stand against us.

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Not only has Theresa May made those lives into mere "numbers" - she has in fact got her figures wrong. In her Brexit speech the Prime Minister said that immigration puts downward pressure on low pay. This is a myth that Labour appears to have rolled over and accepted too. Yet the Centre of Economic Performance tells us that there is in fact no evidence that EU migrants affect the performance of those who were born in the UK. Since 2004 the impact of migration on the semi/unskilled sector has been the equivalent of a loss in earning of about just one penny an hour.

Don't misunderstand me, I am not claiming that the quick movement of people can't affect wages temporarily - but what we need is the right policies in place to protect people. Not a blame game. If the Government really wants to help low paid workers in Britain it should give the country a real living wage - this would effectively be a pay-rise for those earning the least and it would protect both EU and UK workers from the race to the bottom currently facing low paid work. If public support for free movement has faltered, as Theresa May said today, then it is because she has failed to protect workers' rights while blaming migrants for the hardship people are facing as a result.

The Prime Minister also claimed that immigration is to blame for faltering public services - this despite the clear evidence that free movement boosts them. Theresa May knows as well as you and I that when we go to hospital we are far more likely to be treated by an EU migrant than we are to stand behind them in the queue. And we all know older people who are cared for by people from across the continent every single day. On top of this, University College London has found that between 2001 and 2011 European migrants from countries that joined the EU in that time contributed almost 5billion to our economy. Meanwhile in that same time frame British citizens received more in public spending than they paid in tax - we would be a poorer country in every sense without EU nationals.

Theresa May appears so determined to end free movement she will sacrifice our economy and our welllbeing at its altar. Not only does this utterly fail to acknowledge the economic and social value of the right to live and work across Europe - a right which is ours to share - but it is also a reckless gamble with the odds firmly stacked against us all. Our businesses, big and small, will lose membership of a market of 500million customers, and we all stand to lose the crucial environmental and social protections that come with the Single Market. We will all suffer for Theresa May's appeasement if the Brexiteers.

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A friend of mine is upset. My friend is a blogger. She is a parent of two children with autism, amongst various other conditions. Today, my friend saw a link posted on Facebook by a long-standing close friend of hers, pointing to an article written by a disabled woman about how parents and parent bloggers are often guilty of oversharing inappropriate details about their children online. This fairly blatant public slating of my friend's blogging about her children (and it isn't the first time the so-called friend has mentioned it) has really stung not only my friend, but some of us other 'special needs parent bloggers'.

The writer of the post linked discusses that, although these parents mostly mean well, their writing about the details of their children's conditions may well be detrimental in the child's future. She discusses how she would like to see fewer stories about disabled people told by others, but rather the disabled people themselves should tell their own stories and decide what should and should not appear on the internet. She implies that we parents write too much about how our children are burdens, or inspirations, and that this makes her uncomfortable.

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Of course she does make a few valid points. Yes, it's not a good idea to share absolutely everything about your children and the ins and outs of their conditions; some things do need to remain private - children deserve dignity like anyone else, especially if the child can be identified in any way by others that may know them, now and in the future. Yes, disabled people should be able to use their own voice to tell their own story in the way that they want others to perceive it. If they can. Yes, we need to be very careful about expressing negative feelings and experiences, particularly if other people relating to those can be identified. And yes, once out there on the world wide web, it's there for all eternity and we must consider the repercussions of this as the child grows and develops their own identity.

However, for this writer to imply that parents should not be writing about their children until they're of an age to be able to consent to it denigrates my right as a parent of a disabled child to be a voice for her until such a time as she can advocate for herself.

My blog began the day after Tink was diagnosed with autism, when I was feeling confused, worried, doubtful, hopeful, and a multitude of other emotions. I wanted somewhere to let it all out. Surely, that's my right? Just because it's my daughter with the condition, it doesn't make my emotions invalid. Yes, she is directly affected by it, but so am I. So is the rest of my family. And to suggest I can't share that with the thousands of others out there in a similar boat is, frankly, short-sighted and rude.

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If I had not started my blog, I wouldn't have come into contact with many other parents all living a similar life, particularly other bloggers. I wouldn't have made friends, both virtually and in 'real' life with many other parents with whom I can share experiences, concerns and good times. I wouldn't have received the many messages via the blog and my Facebook page from other parents, thanking me for writing about sometimes difficult subjects that they thought they were alone in experiencing. I wouldn't have been able to use my online presence to ask for advice from others, both for me and for those that message me asking if I know about this or that. If I hadn't started my blog, I would most likely have bottled it all up and imploded.

As far as I am concerned, writing about my child is my prerogative. Obviously, I don't use her real name, because I do use photographs of her. Yes, there are readers of my blog who know Tink in real life and know some of the other people mentioned in my blog so I try to be careful about what I say. There are things I don't talk about in great detail because I know it's inappropriate for whatever reason. I might mention that Tink has a meltdown, but I would never post a video of it as it's not something I feel others need to see.

I write to share the ups and sometime downs of life with an autistic child. I do this because not enough people know about it. I write to change perceptions of autistic people; there's simply not enough acceptance and we need to change society, because I sure as hell am not changing my child! I write to keep those that care about us updated about Tink's progress (or not, as the case may be!). I write to share the funny things she does, the little things that amaze me or worry me. She's awesome and I want the world to know!

At this present time Tink is four years-old. I can speak for her. I am her mother. I live her life with her every single day. As she grows older, and if my blog is still going, I hope she will contribute to it herself, with her own thoughts and opinions, or, even better, start one of her own. And if she decides she'd rather not discuss her life online for all to see then that's absolutely ok with me. But for now, I'll keep on writing, advocating and sharing.
'We're looking for the house with a big cactus outside,' our guide Isi tells us. We're driving through the little town of Kounavi, about nine miles south of Iraklion, the capital of Crete. We've hired Isi for one of the private tours he offers through his company, Go Crete, in our case with an emphasis on food and drink. Today he's going the extra mile, literally, and on our way to a planned vineyard tour and tasting is squeezing in a visit to someone who makes petimezi.

We'd discovered this delicious Cretan syrup the evening before at dinner at the Goules Taverna, where mouthwatering dishes like pork in a wine and honey sauce, and rooster in a white wine sauce with cinnamon, cost a paltry seven or eight euros and were followed by a complimentary dessert which surely came not from the kitchen but from heaven. Grapes that had been preserved in a sugar syrup were served over thick creamy yoghurt and doused in what we learned was petimezi.

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Next day, after a few phone calls, Isi's arranged for us to meet Spiros and Rena Paspati, who make petimezi in their house, which really does have a huge prickly pear cactus outside. They don't do tours and it's the wrong time of year so they won't actually be producing any right now, but Rena's happy to show us how it's made.

The town of Kounavi has always been associated with wine, and the Paspatis collect grape must from the vineyards and farmers all around.

'We only use organic grapes,' Rena says, 'and we use the leaves for making our dolmades: stuffed vine leaves. Traditionally petimezi was made out of the kind of grapes called soultani, which were brought to Greece in 1922 when there was an exodus of Greeks from Turkey. They brought the wine and the petimezi recipe with them. Other producers use other types of grape but we use soultani and the taste and smell are much better.'

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The must from the grapes is heated on a simple gas stove, but to the pan they add a chalk-like white stone called asproxoma that's found locally and removes any imperfections from the must, acting as a kind of natural disinfectant.

'After thirty minutes you start to see a foam forming,' explains Rena, 'and this has to be removed with a big spoon, without mixing the must. You keep going until there's no foam left. Then it's added to a bigger pot for twelve hours. It's cone-shaped at the bottom to remove the last imperfections. Then it goes back into smaller pots over a low heat, and you wait twelve hours or so. The longer you leave it, the thicker the result, so it's up to the maker what kind of petimezi you want.

'But there are two important things. You never cover it, and you never touch it. You check the solution and the colour. When it becomes dark brown, almost black, it means it's almost ready.'

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All you need to do then is let it cool and bottle it. One great virtue of petimezi is that there's no expiry date. It lasts for years. Unfortunately you won't find Rena's petimezi in the main tourist shops as their production is small and they distribute it through friends, into specialist shops selling organic produce, and, as it happens, through her friend Manolis Igoumenakis, whose organic farm is where we're going to be spending the night. Ah, now we know who one of Isi's Mr Fix-It phone calls was to.

'If petimezi gets cold,' Rena says, 'it can start to solidify, like honey, so you just warm it up in a bain-marie... or in the sunshine! Its uses are like honey too. You can have it on yoghourt, in herb tea as a sweetener, or mix it with vinegar to make a dressing like balsamic vinegar. You can marinate food in it, mainly meats. You can also use it to make sweets and pastries, and in cakes, instead of sugar. It goes well with tahini on bread - it's a superfood!'

Visiting the Petimezi Makers

Spiros and Rena Paspati don't normally accept visitors but a behind-the-scenes look can be arranged through www.gocrete.net.

Staying Nearby

Hilltop Villas near Agios Sillas, about nine miles west of Kounavi, can be booked through www.i-escape.com.

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Photos

All photos (c) Mike Gerrard.

The Author

Mike Gerrard is an award-winning travel writer and author of the National Geographic Guide to Greece. He is also an editor at 101 Holidays.
In December 2016, the Met's anti-cyber crime unit arrested a 55 year-old man on suspicion of "racially aggravated malicious communications" aimed at Gina Miller, the woman behind the Brexit court case. The arrest joined various incidents in 2016 that highlighted the proliferation of hate speech, yet it was one of the first to flag that there are legal implications of the 'post-truth' era that we are now apparently living in.

The implications of post-truth, especially in relation to hate-speech, are particularly interesting in British law. The crux of the issue lies in the problematic nature of prosecution given that freedom of speech is generally considered to be one of the bedrocks of modern democracy. However, as a society, we cannot ignore hate-speech, and the targeting of vulnerable communities represents a huge challenge to a stable democracy and the rule of law.

In the 21st century, technological developments are not only benefiting populist figures (such as Trump) but also encouraging inflammatory and extreme speech, which then spreads rapidly online. The so-called 'alt-right' movement has come under fire for peddling fake news stories on social media, under the guise of rejecting the biased mainstream media-agenda, but that has not stopped them. Facebook, Twitter et al. have been used to spread hateful messages, inflicting psychological and physical harm on minorities.

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So where does the law stand? In the UK, freedom of expression is protected under Article 10 of the ECHR as a qualified right. It's protection is wide in scope, and includes communications that 'offend, shock and disturb'. A number of key pieces of UK legislation seek to sanction extreme bigotry. For example, under Section 127 of the Communications Act (2003), it is illegal to send by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive. Such an offence can result in a custodial sentence, and a person can be found guilty under the act irrespective of their intention.

Convictions under the Communications Act have been controversial due to this disregard for intention. In 2012, 28 year-old Paul Chambers was prosecuted for posting on Twitter about "blowing up" Robin Hood airport, after his travels were disrupted due to its closure. When Chambers was later found guilty and ordered to pay a fine, public outcry ensued. A High Court appeal subsequently quashed the conviction, on the basis that the message was not menacing in character - it was 'banter' and intended for a small group of recipients.

As this case demonstrates, when it comes to determining what constitutes hate speech, context is crucial. Part 3 of the Public Order Act criminalises displaying or distributing threatening or insulting language where the intent is to stir racial hatred. Anthony Norwood, a member of the British National Party, was convicted under the act for displaying a poster depicting the Twin Towers in flames and the words "Islam out of Britain - Protect the British People".

Norwood claimed this was a violation of his human rights, under article 10 of the ECHR which provides the right to the freedom of expression. However, his appeal to the European Court of Human Rights failed. In the judgement, The Court referred to the fundamental principle that no one has any right to engage in activity that would undermine the ethos under the European Declaration of Human Rights (Article 17, ECHR). Simply put, the protection of one's freedom of expression is curtailed by the overriding right to maintain or safeguard a stable, open and inclusive society.

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Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters

As it stands in 2017, you may be forgiven for feeling that we've teleported 70 years into the past. In the latest maelstrom to engulf American politics, a new McCarthy style witch hunt is taking place. Do the Russians have something on Trump? Did they hack the DNC? Did they win the election for Trump? There are many questions and almost no answers, all hinging on one dubious source, an ex MI6 agent, now in hiding, who supposedly weaned the information out of a Russian intelligence agent from the FSB. Obviously the claims on their own are incredibly serious and deserve some investigation, but I can't help feeling that the all-important man, Putin, is sat in the Kremlin smiling, a figurative Nero playing the violin as Washington burns.

What many fail to understand about Putin are his tactics. Spy thrillers and fiction would have us all believe that evil foreign governments sabotage our elections with money, entering their own puppeted candidate whom they could control at their whim, but this idea is a complete fantasy. In the modern world, power is won through disinformation. Any observer who knows anything about Putin knows this is his signature move. For those of you that pay attention to the documentaries of Adam Curtis, you'll be aware how Putin used his ally, Vladislav Surkov, to command massive popularity in Russia. He did this through an incredible campaign of false information and deception, most notably funding opposition parties in his own country, only to announce that they received government funding, thus throwing into disarray the oppositions supporters and activists. Surkov knew that by doing this, its members would question who to believe, whether the government was using them, and even whether they were supporting the right group in the first place, and the population of the country would follow suit. This is a new type of warfare, one that aims at causing maximum confusion and fear, with only one winner, the man with the answers, Vladimir Putin.

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Putin doesn't give a damn about Trump. For all he cares, Hilary could've won and it wouldn't have made the slightest bit of difference. What he cares about is his own power, and the only way to defeat a hegemony on the scale of the United States is from within. Putin's success is to promote enough disinformation and lies, that American democracy itself is undermined. Think of these events for a moment: Hilary is shown to have compromised the safety of top secret emails, emails from the hacked DNC show her manipulative tactics against Bernie Sanders, Trump is supported by ex KKK David Duke, a recording of Trump is released stating he can grab women, in cleaner terms, in their private areas. Now think of current events. Trump is purported to have paid hookers to urinate on each other, and to have secret ties with the Kremlin. Doesn't it seem a little too good to be true? You could be sure that if Hilary won, similar information would've leaked about her deals with Saudi Arabia, who I should say it is no secret funded her campaign. Putin's brand is chaos. Do you really think an FSB agent was coaxed out of such high level information, probably known by only the top members of the Kremlin? The truth is this is exactly what Putin was aiming for. Why is there any reason to believe anyone when everyone is hiding a secret?

Unfortunately for all of us, the damage has already been done. The seed of doubt has been placed. Intelligence agencies are warring with their commander in chief, and the public is once again divided, all the while Putin solidifies control over his neighbours and weakens his greatest opposition. This is the reality of our modern world. Now more than ever it is important to remember one simple thing. If America and the Western democracies are to be brought down, it is to be by ourselves, no foreign actor. Putin may hand us the tools, but it is we who choose to use them. Whether it be through thoughtless articles, poor journalism, or worse, misinformed citizenry, who would rather squabble over party politics and pointless issues than rally to the defence of our democracies, against a man who seeks to create a new world order.

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A democracy is only as strong as its people, and we are proving ourselves to be truly weak.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." Abraham Lincoln.
Corbyn, in his role as leader of the Labour party, began as a symbol of change, but has since then been reduced to the image of a useless idealist. The election served as his greatest challenge, but also provided him with the opportunity of a few more years to redeem himself - some more time in which the Conservatives are already losing public support by the masses with Theresa May's determination to form allegiances with countries with questionable human rights ethics, and with cuts in basically every public service that is essential to the functioning of the average civilian's daily life. This would be the ideal time for Corbyn to demonstrate his leadership skills by suggesting alternative, more practical and humane strategies that could aid the British government in its leadership. However, instead of grasping this chance, ever since the election he has only issued empty promises that are becoming increasingly unrealistic in the possibility of actually coming to fruition. For instance, on the 10th of January, Corbyn announced that introducing a wage cap could bring about the end of inequality in society. This idea, by all accounts, is completely illogical. How can a wage cap possibly put an end to inequality? Two obvious results can be anticipated by such a scheme: firstly, the rich would pay less tax due to the cap on their wealth that would prevent them from offering up more money to the government; secondly, the super-rich would simply leave the country to avoid being affected by the cap in the first place. The reality is that, until we have a completely equal society, we need the rich. We need the rich to create jobs and to fund individual and collective causes because, as of yet, there is a notable lack of alternative means of doing these things - we can't exactly rely on the government to use the tax payer's money to do it; if we trusted the government to do it then we wouldn't have any issue with the government in the first place, and it is not a novel idea that the government is both untrustworthy and unreliable in implementing the policies it sugar coats over various Party manifestos.
Copyright: Solange Berchemin

Cirque du Soleil is in town, bringing with it, its fair share of expectations. Now in its second decade at the Royal Albert Hall, Cirque du Soleil presents its most popular show to date Amaluna. On Premiere night, the Canadian circus institution should have brought the stained glass ceiling down but, in spite of the exceptional and perfectly executed acrobatic stunts, the show which should have evoked imagination and invoked senses seemed soulless and left me cold.

Loosely based on Shakespeare's Tempest, the story takes place on Amaluna, an enchanted, tropical island where goddess Prospera's daughter is coming of age. The celebrations were going smoothly until a shipwreck, washed up Romeo on the shore of the mysterious island. Not the strongest of plots but if you throw in the mix, sorceresses, amazons, human lizards and loads more magical creatures in glitzy costumes, it made for a beautiful show.

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Copyright: Cirque du Soleil

A show which started well enough with golden unicyclists executing thrilling spins and acrobatics. The theme we were told from the outset is of female empowerment. The cast is composed of 70% women, including an all-female rock band who gave their all, throughout. It contains some rather entertaining role reversal spins too, such as Romeo displaying amazing strength while contorting his body, in extra-ordinary ways around a vertical king-sized pole.

There is no denying the cast incredible performance. You could almost feel the audience holding their breath as Miranda hand-balanced upside down on stilts before diving in a giant water bowl closely akin to a burlesque prop. However, if these moments displayed mind-boggling skills on the part of the artists, they appeared void of feeling, something in the direction was lacking.

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Copyright: Cirque du Soleil

I should mention the half-man half-lizard, Cali, whose impersonation skills were mesmerizing and the aerial acrobats managed to cover the entire Royal Albert Hall cavernous space as they spun around in giant hula-hops, suspended mid-air by an invisible force had me gasping at the sheer magic of their acts.

My Verdict:

I'd always wanted to see Le Cirque du Soleil. After-all, it's the circus which reinvented and revived a declining industry. I was prepared to be dazzled. I was left disappointed. The muddled direction and the weak narrative took a lot away from the beautiful set and the magical acrobatics. It may not be as good as it once was but, it is still worth catching a show while Cirque is in town.

Fact Box:

Cirque du Soleil has partnered with Oxfam to raise awareness and funds for their campaign to help women living in extreme poverty.

Amaluna runs at the Royal Albert Hall until the 26 February 2017

Tickets start at 20
So at present we've got President Elect Trump fighting with most of the US press, fighting with some of his own party and all of the Dems, ("sleazebag political operatives" were his exact Twitter words), falling out with the Russians, picking fights with the Chinese, and Tweeting about Meryl Streep and of course, Hillary Clinton.

Doesn't the phrase 'choose your battles' come to mind? You know, the one we use when dealing with tantrum-throwing toddlers and teenagers. His parents obviously forgot to drum that one into Donnie's little skull, and thus, my list of parenting misses committed by Mr. and Mrs.Trump -

Choose your battles - Trump's parents clearly encouraged Donnie's red-faced rages when they forgot to teach him which battles just weren't worth his attention. A few sessions of: 'now Donnie, is this really going to enhance your profile, win friends or influence people?' might have spared us a tirade or two and probably added a few years to the orange one's lifespan. He claims to sleep 3-4 hours per night but you'd think all that tirade-ing would tire him out.

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Know your subject - Trump assures us (daily) that he's the best builder and brander there ever was, and although he's typically closely inspected by the tax man, (wink), I'll let that one pass. What mom and pop forgot to tell him was that you should know something about every area you wander into, no matter how casually. He demonstrates all-too-often that he has no working knowledge of The Constitution, the US political system, or international matters. One wonders exactly what they taught him in those fancy schools. (And boy, must they be proud right now.)

Don't fib - Oh dear, where to start? He should have "pants on fire" stamped on his forehead, although the coconut matting would probably hide it. Such is his passion for the half truth (or just no-truth), the Pulitzer-prize winning website Politifact named him their 2015 Liar of the Year. Just 9% of what he said checked out.

Don't exaggerate - When he's not fibbing, Donnie can usually be heard beefing up his numbers or bigging himself up. Examples include-

"We are the highest taxed nation in the world." (Not so.)

When asked who he consults on foreign policy matters - "I'm speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain and I've said a lot of things" (Donald - you merely have a brain. Let's not get carried away.)

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And unbelievably - "Our problems can all be fixed... but only by me."

Oh and back in June there was "I will be the greatest jobs President that God has ever created". I'll just leave that one there.

Be kind - Again, where to start? Not only is he caught on camera mocking a disabled person, but he has a history of not paying people (mainly small business owners) who have done work for him, often resulting in extreme financial distress for said people. He also has a sketchy record of donating to charities even though he brags about how much he gives away. At the 2016 white-tie Al Smith dinner, where the Presidential candidates typically make fun of themselves, he mocked his wife for plagiarising Michelle Obama rather than taking a pop at himself.

Lovely, isn't he?

Look in the mirror- And this should have been literally as well as metaphorically. Because he's so good-looking (cough, cough) he just can't empathise with people who don't share his facial fortune. When Carly Fiorina was running against him for the republican nomination, he was quoted as saying - "Look at that face!... would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!... I mean, she's a woman, and I'm not s'posedta say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?"

So yes, mom and pop Trump, you had some serious gaps in your parenting skills and if you're looking down right now, I hope you're as galled as everyone else.
By Anthony Allport, Founder & CEO, FomoVino

The New Year brings in resolutions  new fitness regimes, travel plans, cooking classes, learning languages  new. December, being the jammed-pack month that it always proves to be, has a habit of leading consumers to Dry January due to endless holiday parties, too much champagne, dinners with colleagues, and the stress of traveling over the break. Before you know it consumers are aiming to restart by hitting their internal refresh button and setting a new tone that will inevitably lead to their Best Year Yet. Insert Equinox.

Then comes week two of the New Year.

Millennials drink more than half of the wine in the U.S. and this trend doesnt stop because of a new gym membership or goal for 2017. Research has taught us that people are creatures of habit. And while goals are always impressive to set, havent we learned that balance is key?

Now consumers are settled back in work and their social calendars are looking similar to last year. Marketers are beginning to notice that their audience is re-evaluating their New Years Resolutions in a realistic manner. This time provides brands with an opportunity to speak to their target in an inviting and open way. Millennials, specifically, need to be invited by companies to be contributors to the overall brand story, forming an emotional connection and creating a believer.

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We are all storytellers. It is in our blood. And nothing goes better with wine than a good story. It is the best pairing. How often do you hear a good story over a bottle of Gamay or make a big business decision over a bottle of Bordeaux?

As the Millennial wine consumer reassess their drinking habits in the New Year, the education process from brands becomes even more important. The target wants to be in the know - they want to learn about where the wine comes from, why they are drinking it, how it is different from the wine that the person next to them is consuming. The more information that they are powered with from the brand, the more the consumer is able to speak to it and enjoy their experience with it  while telling the story about the wine with their own personal connection to it. When brands spend time on the education process, it allows the consumer to understand what theyre drinking and truly be a part of the conversation. By fostering an opportunity for the consumer to understand the product, they are able to LEARN which often times is the underlining goal for their New Year Resolution anyway.

At FOMOVINO, the wine stories are the backbone of the company. Visitors are able to learn about a featured winery or explore the region behind the bottle, and they can sign-up to be a part of Wine Skoold, an education program held in an intimate 16 seat classroom on a weekly basis. Wine brands reach Millennials in multiple ways - explaining the celebrity behind it or the new packaging for the bottle. The power behind teaching the consumer about the grapes and the history of it, will lead to a consumer that becomes a believer. Think of the wise saying, knowledge is power.

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Consumers will continue to shoot for Dry January in some way, shape or form, and the marketers that challenge their target to aim for balance, exploring opportunities like enjoying the world of wine in a new way - a way that allows the target to feel like they are still staying true to aspects of their New Year Resolution, through educating them on the category and the products - those marketers will ultimately win.

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Dalian coherent light linear accelerator. (Photo : DCLS)

Chinese scientists have announced the development of the Dalian Coherent Light Source (DCLS), a VUV FEL (Vacuum Ultra Violet, Free Electron Laser) light source that can deliver world's brightest FEL light in an energy range from 8 to 24 eV (electron volts).



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DCLS is unique in that it only operates in the VUV region. VUV FEL light sources have wide applications in the study of basic energy science, chemistry, physics and atmospheric sciences.



VUV light sources are especially useful for sensitive detection of atoms, molecules and clusters. It can also be used to probe valence electronic structures of all kinds of materials.



The development of high-gain FEL has captured the attention of the scientific community in the last decade. High-gain FELs can provide the brightest light sources from VUV to the X-ray region, which conventional laser technology can't reach.



A series of high-gain FEL light source facilities in the X-ray and soft X-Ray region have been successfully developed across the world.



The facilities include LCLS in the U.S.A; SACLA in Japan; FLASH in Germany and FERMI in Italy. Other facilities are currently under development.



The LINAC based Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center will allow scientists to make new scientific discoveries in many frontier research areas.



No dedicated high gain VUV FEL light source facility for basic research has been developed in the world thus far, however.



Led by Prof. Yang Xueming (Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, DICP); Prof. Zhao Zhentang and Prof. Wang Dong (Shanghai Institute of Applied Source, SINAP), the team of scientists and engineers succeeded in developing DCLS.



During the last two months, this team has successfully commissioned the new FEL facility operating in both High-gain, Harmonic Generation (HGHG) and Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE) modes.



A photon flux of 1.4x1014 photons per pulse was achieved by applying the undulator tapering technology in the HGHG mode,



The project began in early 2012 and was a partnership between research scientists and engineers from DICP and SINAP (Home Institute of the Shanghai Light Source), which are two institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.



"We expect that the new facility will become a new machine for important scientific discoveries and international scientific collaborations," said Prof. Yang.



DCLS is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and jointly developed by Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics and Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.


A version of this article originally appeared on Inc. Sign up for my newsletter to get my articles straight to your inbox.

I dislike myself.

I fear the worst.

I change my mood a lot.

I am easily disturbed.

I get stressed out easily.

I am full of doubt.

I feel threatened easily.

These are sample statements from the scale that most consistently predicts poor job performance: neuroticism.

Neuroticism is the tendency to respond to threats, frustration and loss with negative emotions. Neurotic people blow things out of proportion, act compulsively and exhibit paranoia. Clinically, neuroticism is associated with mood and anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addiction. It's even correlated with cardiac disease, asthma and irritable bowel syndrome.

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Emotional stability has increasingly positive effects on performance as a job gets harder and more complex. Neuroticism, on the other hand, has increasingly negative effects as pressure increases. "Experiencing low levels of state neuroticism may be most beneficial in high demanding tasks," researchers write. In fact, one study found that low neuroticism can be twice as important for performance in situations requiring emotional stability.

We're all a little neurotic sometimes, but our success hinges on keeping calm when stakes are highest. Below are three ways to remain emotionally level-headed under pressure:

1. Channel your anxiety.

One study found that situations requiring caution, self-discipline and threat anticipation occasionally benefited from worrying. Interestingly, this finding only applied to individuals with high cognitive ability. Researchers speculated that their reasoning ability could act as an "intermediary between the situation and the emotional impulse." If you have expertise or innate ability in a given scenario, channel your anxiety toward constructive reasoning (not helpless panic).

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If you don't have experience, focus less on thinking through things and more on learning what you need for a situation to go smoothly. Julia Pimsleur, entrepreneur and author of Million Dollar Women: The Essential Guide for Female Entrepreneurs Who Want to Go Big, suggests, "Channel anxious energy into preparing. Every time you get nervous, prepare."

If I'm nervous for a job interview, I shouldn't try to calm my nerves by just telling myself I'll do great. Instead, I need to learn about the interviewer, write down questions, research the company and investigate the position. "Have you really done everything you can to prepare?" says Pimsleur.

2. Don't get ahead of the story.

Anxious people are more likely to jump to conclusions. This instinct can sometimes yield positive results, like enhanced emotional intelligence. Other times, it causes us to "go down the rabbit hole," as Pimsleur calls it:

"She's going to reject my idea, and then I'm not going to get a promotion, and then I'm going to be out of a job, and then I won't be able to pay my rent, and then I'll have to move back in with my parents."

Sound familiar? Stop yourself. "Do you actually have that data yet?" Pimsleur describes receiving a letter from a civil action group in California threatening to sue her new company for $50,000. Rather than pulling her hair out, Pimsleur gathered as much information as she could. After three days, a lawyer told her that these groups rarely sue companies with under 10 employees. Pimsleur's company had eight. "When we got to that piece of data, the problem went away."

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Freaking out doesn't just compromise our clear-thinking capacity; it wastes time. "Really stop and think before you go into panic mode," Pimsleur told me. "You never get that time back."

3. Practice not reacting.

Research shows that rumination ruins wellbeing. Every day is an opportunity to take life as it comes. "The more you over-think things, the more you go into catastrophe mode--which can be your worst enemy, especially in terms of negative self-talk," says Pimsleur. Over-thinking can be a particular problem for women, who at any given time have 30% more neurons firing than men.

Replace obsession with hope. One study (among dozens) found that more hopeful sales employees, mortgage brokers and managers had higher job performance when measured a year later--even after controlling for cognitive ability. Hopeful executives also produce more and higher quality solutions to problems.

Rather than viewing a particular crisis as our life's defining catastrophe, we can see it as a chance to cope. "Build up this muscle of gathering data and not reacting, not going down the rabbit hole. These are great skills to have in life," says Pimsleur. Over time, we can accumulate stories of resilience and a personality that can calmly handle anything thrown our way.
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) asks questions during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) for attorney general on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on January 11, 2017. / AFP / Tasos Katopodis (Photo credit should read TASOS KATOPODIS/AFP/Getty Images)

The recent media kerfuffle between civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis and President-elect Trump should not distract us from "the fierce urgency of now."

Both men exhibit a certain amount of naivete or sheer ignorance about the reality of past contests between the United States and Russia's predecessor, the Soviet Union.

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The United States government through our CIA and other foreign intelligence entities routinely injected cash and other forms of economic benefit to a candidate or party in countries we thought was in our best interest. These included, but were not necessarily limited to elections or the selection of a political leader we favored in countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Iran, Lebanon, Angola, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Zaire (Republic of The Congo), Chile, Nicaragua, Syria, just to mention a few.

Applying Congressman Lewis's standard of preferential intervention by Russia in our recent presidential election could also be said about the prime ministers or presidents of those countries in which our CIA and money, presumably made them "illegitimate" political leaders in their respective countries.

ALL OF THIS IS SECONDARY AND SUBORDINATE, however, to the principal issues, we should remember about our recent presidential election:

1. An overwhelming majority of the print and TV media favored and expected Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to handily defeat Donald Trump. The Campaign Committee had ordered fireworks to celebrate their election victory over Donald Trump at their Brooklyn campaign headquarters.

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2. Most establishment Black Democratic members of Congress and members of the Congressional Black Caucus and many Democratic party leaders in African-American communities were confident their candidate would win.

3. They were and remain in a state of disbelief that in fact Donald Trump won by amassing more electoral votes than Mrs. Clinton. Thus, evidence that Russia engaged in clandestine cyber acts to influence the outcome by using the new social-digital-mobile media against Clinton and in favor of Trump's election is the only thing to them that explains their candidate's loss.

4. President-elect Trump, therefore is an interloper "illegitimately" elected, notwithstanding he received more electoral votes than Clinton

New York Times columnist Charles Blow framed the current dispute between Trump and John Lewis best:

"A lecher attacking a legend; a man of moral depravity attacking a man of moral certitude; an intellectual weakling attacking a warrior for justice. This on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, no less."

"Trump attacks Lewis as, "All talk, talk, talk -- no action"; Lewis, who repeatedly thrust his body unto the breach for justice, who was arrested, beaten and terrorized, including during the time that young Trump was at his well-heeled schools, receiving draft deferments from the Vietnam War."

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The challenge GOING FORWARD, now, however is how can Congressman Lewis, and especially other Black civil rights leaders and other leaders in African American communities "get comfortable" and develop any rational good faith belief that a "President "Trump" will take the time to learn and understand and then, address problems systemic to their constituents.

Trump is an innovative builder with a celebrated management style and way of doing business: Everything is negotiable and can be achieved. It's just a matter of striking a pragmatic financial balance between previous deeply embedded idealism AND a pragmatic "business" resolution.

The essence of who Martin Luther King, Jr, is was his commitment to non-violence and the building of a "Beloved Community."

Rather than publicly excoriating and criticizing President-elect Trump, why doesn't Congressman John Lewis and members of the mostly Democratic Congressional Black Caucus initiate conversations with a President Trump, and offer to meet and take him to several of their respective communities? Let him see and hear, first hand, those issues that must be confronted and resolved before we can engage him to "deal" pragmatically with issues such as gun violence, sub-standard housing, under performing schools, and inadequate affordable health care.

To boycott or not actively engage the participation of our new president in addressing major issues within and affecting African-Americans and other disadvantaged people of color would constitute a major failure of leadership on behalf of millions of our brothers and sisters. We need first rate and first class community services directly backed by the powers of our new president.
Donald J. Trump has made bold promises to help "the forgotten man and the forgotten woman," and he recognizes the link between global security and world hunger. Based on progress over recent decades, it is possible to cut hunger in half within eight years if our incoming president decides to make it a goal.

Here are the seven steps Trump can take as president to cut hunger in half:

Job creation and his infrastructure initiative , with emphasis on communities that have high levels of persistent or concentrated poverty. A good job is the best way out of hunger and poverty, and improving the nation's infrastructure is critical to staying competitive. The cost of concentrated poverty is high - in terms of violence, policing and safety, poor nutrition and health, low productivity, and despair.

, with emphasis on communities that have high levels of persistent or concentrated poverty. A good job is the best way out of hunger and poverty, and improving the nation's infrastructure is critical to staying competitive. The cost of concentrated poverty is high - in terms of violence, policing and safety, poor nutrition and health, low productivity, and despair. Health care . Trump should continue to insist that the replacement to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) not take health insurance coverage away from millions of Americans. Health and hunger are interconnected. Widespread hunger in America contributes to poor health and adds a staggering 160 billion a year to healthcare costs. Before the ACA was made law, 1 out of 3 people with chronic medical conditions had to choose between treatment and food for their families.

. Trump should continue to insist that the replacement to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) not take health insurance coverage away from millions of Americans. Health and hunger are interconnected. Widespread hunger in America contributes to poor health and adds a staggering 160 billion a year to healthcare costs. Before the ACA was made law, 1 out of 3 people with chronic medical conditions had to choose between treatment and food for their families. Immigration . Violence, hunger, and poverty push people from their homelands to the United States. Addressing the factors that cause people to uproot themselves and risk their lives will reduce immigration. The economy and morality of this nation are tied to our treatment of immigrants. A great America welcomes immigrants.

. Violence, hunger, and poverty push people from their homelands to the United States. Addressing the factors that cause people to uproot themselves and risk their lives will reduce immigration. The economy and morality of this nation are tied to our treatment of immigrants. A great America welcomes immigrants. Global development . World hunger is a threat to global security. In his first year in office, Trump can strengthen the U.S. government's response to states on the brink of disaster. Investing in self-help development and humanitarian approaches could make the world and the U.S. a safer place.

. World hunger is a threat to global security. In his first year in office, Trump can strengthen the U.S. government's response to states on the brink of disaster. Investing in self-help development and humanitarian approaches could make the world and the U.S. a safer place. Criminal justice reform . With more than two million people incarcerated in our country, costing a total of 45 billion, support for criminal justice reform has grown in both political parties. The reduction of mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenders would save millions of dollars, and those dollars could fund safety-net programs for people who are transitioning from prison into jobs. This would lower the risk of their return to crime in order to eat or pay for a place to stay.

. With more than two million people incarcerated in our country, costing a total of 45 billion, support for criminal justice reform has grown in both political parties. The reduction of mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenders would save millions of dollars, and those dollars could fund safety-net programs for people who are transitioning from prison into jobs. This would lower the risk of their return to crime in order to eat or pay for a place to stay. Global nutrition . Malnutrition permanently stunts the bodies and brains of one-fourth of the children in developing countries. Recent knowledge gives us inexpensive ways of reducing malnutrition. Every dollar invested in nutrition for mothers and children yields a return of 16 - and getting nutrition to hungry babies is sacred work.

. Malnutrition permanently stunts the bodies and brains of one-fourth of the children in developing countries. Recent knowledge gives us inexpensive ways of reducing malnutrition. Every dollar invested in nutrition for mothers and children yields a return of 16 - and getting nutrition to hungry babies is sacred work. Budget and appropriations. Trump did not talk about broad cuts to poverty-focused programs during his election campaign; neither did House Republicans in their election-year poverty plan. The financial decisions of 2017 should be consistent with the God-given possibility of rapid progress against hunger in our time.

The U.S. is hobbled by sharp divisions. Racism, demonizing immigrants, and promoting deep rifts in society are contrary to God's love and contribute to the persistence of hunger and poverty. So we look to Trump to live up to our nation's ideals of inclusion and to foster respect for all people.

The world as a whole has been making unprecedented progress against hunger, poverty, and disease in recent decades. Impressive progress has taken place in all kinds of countries - from Bangladesh to Brazil to Great Britain. Our country has made progress against hunger and poverty in recent decades too, but much more needs to be done.

Pope Francis, Bill Gates, and the World Bank all agree that it's possible to end hunger and extreme poverty by 2030. So if Trump accelerates economic growth and pursues these seven steps, we could cut hunger in half in the U.S. and around the world in the next eight years.
On a recent trip to Brazil, we flew over the Amazon. Looking out the plane window, I saw an ocean of trees blanketing the ground below. But I also saw large patches of land that had been deforested to make way for farmland. And as much as I like to see farmland, since our business depends on sourcing crops from farmers worldwide, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a real sense of loss at that sight.

Protecting forests is clearly the right thing to do. Primary forests are irreplaceable. They contain troves of biodiversity, many millions of people depend on them directly for their livelihoods, and they are an important buffer against climate change. As a leader in agriculture, food and nutrition, Cargill knows preserving forests is imperative.

Although estimates vary, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that deforestation accounts for roughly 12 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. As a company, Cargill wants to do the right thing for the planet, and we have to do what we can to end deforestation, beginning with our own supply chains.

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In 2014, at the U.N., we endorsed the New York Declaration on Forests, pledging to do our part in halving deforestation by 2020 and eliminating it by 2030. With that target in mind, we knew where we were going. But to know how to get somewhere, you first have to know where you are. That meant we had to establish a baseline.

Over the last year, we partnered with World Resources Institute (WRI) and Global Forest Watch (GFW), whose expertise in protecting forests is widely recognized, to develop that baseline across our global operations and see where our business stands on forest loss. Using satellite photography, extensive mapping and on-the-ground field visits, we looked at more than 1,900 sourcing locations, both Cargill-owned and third-party operated, and 166 million hectares of land surrounding them. To give you an idea of the scope of the project: That's an area about the same size as the American states of Texas, California and Montana combined. What we found is that on the 119 million hectares of forested land in the area we looked at, there was about 1.46 percent tree cover loss in 2014.

That analysis gave us a basic view of what's happening on the ground. What we don't know yet is how much of that tree cover loss was directly related to our own activity. That's because we are not the only company that operates in those areas, and a number of our own suppliers also sell to other buyers. The next step is to determine what exactly caused the deforestation, and what we can do to develop solutions, either by ourselves or working with others.

You can read more about this in Cargill's new Report on Forests, along with the progress we have made protecting forests in global supply chains like palm oil and cocoa, soy in Brazil and Paraguay, and cotton and maize in Zambia. We also just launched a policy that will ensure the companies we buy wood-fiber-based packaging from make their products responsibly.

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Of course, we can't do all these things by ourselves, if only because we don't grow most of the crops we trade and ship - we buy them from farmers and other companies. That's why, in our actions to stop deforestation, we have always placed a special emphasis on collaboration. To get where we're going, we are working with governments, NGOs, business partners and - most importantly - farmers around the world.

Take Paraguay, for instance. The country is a significant exporter of soy beans, which account for half of its agricultural output and 12 percent of its GDP. We already had years of experience in making the soy trade more sustainable. Ten years ago, we were one of the founders of the Soy Moratorium in Brazil, which contributed to an 80 percent drop in the rate of deforestation in the Amazon and was recently extended indefinitely.

Building on the lessons we learned there, we set out to equip Paraguayan farmers with sustainable approaches. We also rolled out a certification program based on three pillars: increasing the use of best agricultural practices, protecting worker welfare and managing greenhouse gases.

Similar collaborations with farmers have been going on in other countries. And although every place and every supply chain is different, we've managed to reach more than 148,000 farmers and suppliers around the world, including 15,000 small- and large-scale soy farmers in Brazil, 21,000 palm oil small farmers in Indonesia, 1,000 soy farmers in Paraguay and 90,000 cocoa farmers and cooperatives in West Africa.

All of this goes to show that stopping deforestation has to happen on multiple fronts. It's not just shoes on the ground or satellites 100 miles up in space, it's both - and more. Making our 2030 target will take significant amounts of research, cooperation, education, and yes, money. But we are fully committed to making that investment, and we are confident we can get there.

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To be sure, there is still a lot of work to be done. But with effort, dedication and a willingness to listen to sometimes unlikely allies, we as an industry can protect forests, do business and ensure farmers' livelihoods at the same time.
As we speed toward January 20th, and the inevitable inauguration of Donald Trump, I find myself increasingly numb. Somehow, I imagined that the disgust and shock I felt on Election night would soften with time. While I felt certain that I would never feel good about the outcome of this election, I somehow believed that things would simmer down and perhaps Mr. Trump would make an effort to act... well, more presidential. In my mind, that would include not reacting to every thing he doesn't like; or not tweeting ridiculous things day in and all night, and it would mean working on reaching out to all Americans, as he promised to do. None of that has happened. In fact, since the election, Donald Trump seems determined to shock, incite, and agitate, more than anything else. And the more he does this, the more I feel committed to stand up.

For a man who promised to "drain the swamp," he seems determined to make the waters even murkier. Though I never agreed with his tactics, I understood why some Americans were disillusioned and feeling hopeless. If nothing else, this election brought so many issues to the forefront of our nation's awareness, as demonstrated by the Bernie Sander's movement, Hillary Clinton's campaign, and Donald Trump's rise and win. The drain the swamp slogan was brilliant, in that it galvanized so many people. It's a term that people could run with, and they did. But how do Trump's supporters feel now that he's about to take office. How do they feel about about all of the super wealthy (billionaires!) cabinet members Trump has named? Is there any concern that he pursued Hillary Clinton relentlessly for ties he claimed she had to Goldman Sachs, and now Trump has nominated Steven Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs top partner, as head of the US Treasury? Do Americans who voted for Trump really really believe that the close friends and financial supporters he's chosen are better, or less self-serving than the people they wanted out? The hypocrisy is staggering. Witnessing these things, I can't sit quietly or just complain to friends.

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The issue of the Russians, and their potential role in our national election, and ties to Trump, is beyond disturbing and should be to anyone who believes in American freedom. As a 53-year old woman, who grew up during the final years of the Cold War era, I am utterly gobsmacked that all Americans are not demanding answers. While Trump initially, and repeatedly, stated that he didn't believe our country's national Intelligence Agencies' findings, last week he turned around and threw the Russians under a swamp boat, after accusations surfaced regarding very unsavory behavior by Mr. Trump in Russia. It's dizzying and disgusting on every level, to keep track of the accusations against the president elect, and the excuses he throws out there. But where there's smoke, there's usually fire, and clearly no one ever taught him that the more you protest, the guiltier you look.

Each time disturbing accusations about Trump are revealed, he uses the same whiny responses: "It didn't happen," "not fair," and "fake news." He is entirely incapable of showing the most basic levels of integrity or self-control. There are no apologies; there is no humility. It's like watching a toddler... who has not had their nap... and is hungry... and has dirty-pants... without the cuteness factor. It's disgusting; it's deeply disturbing, and it's about as far from Presidential as anyone can defend. This, from the same man who has leveled countless attacks and accusations at others! The fact that so many Americans and the Republicans are willing to dismiss audio tapes of Trump, talking about "grabbing pussy" and having sex with a married woman is shocking enough, but that the Russians are talking about "golden showers," and hookers, in terms of our incoming president, is just stunning. Again, his response is one of complete denial, but if a portion of our country was so up in arms about the "birther" accusations that Donald Trump lodged against President Obama, how can all of this filth be ignored? I can't ignore it; can you?

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I'm stunned over and over again, that so many Americans are willing to pretend that Trump didn't openly and unflinchingly taunt a reporter with physical disabilities, on tape and with no apologies. It troubles me; I can't un-see that recording. It's hard to condemn hate crimes or express concerns about teens committing suicide, from cyber bullying, when our next President and the Republican party who nominated him, let this kind of thing slide? It's unbelievable that voters were willing to ignore that Trump taunted John McCain, a former Vietnam POW and political icon, and the Kahn family, who lost their son in service to this country. Now he's attacked John Lewis, highly respected Representative and Civil Right's icon -- ironically, just in time for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr holiday. Trump supporters chose to ignore the fact that the man they hoped would drain the swamp has talked about their daughters and wives in the most disgusting terms -- and I firmly believe that when he talks about any woman the way he has, time and time again (calling them fat, or sex objects and conquests), every American woman is assaulted. How do those voters look at their own daughters and dismiss this behavior as a joke? How do they teach their sons that this is wrong on every level, when their future president laughs at and dismisses this garbage as "locker room talk?" Is the "great again" voters want? Each of these events make us all look ridiculous, given that we've chosen him to lead our country. I am not ridiculous, and I can't sit quietly and pretend these things are harmless.

It doesn't matter that Trump lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.5 MILLION votes; he won the election in Electoral votes. He will be our 45th president -- an office I have always respected, regardless of my political differences. However, Donald Trump stands for everything I find reprehensible. He does not represent my idea of America, and while he will legally be our nation's president, I will not use his name or that title together, for the next four years. It's a small and simple protest, but one I can do to acknowledge all of the things that outrage me, as an American. His indifference to the state of our planet and environment, and denial of global warming is horrifying. His intention to ignore promises made to the world, as a nation, at the Paris Climate agreement, makes all Americans look untrustworthy and small. His lack of concern for Americans who are struggling to access health care and make a living wage, and for anyone who isn't as wealthy as him -- short of empty promises, that will not be very hard to fill, is sobering. I believe that the spike in Tweets this week, from Trump voters who are just realizing that they will lose critical health coverage, is a sign of much darker things to come. These Americans struggling to meet health costs deserve better, and I believe Trump is completely cut off from any reality outside his gold-gilded home. His arrogant disregard for our Constitution, as demonstrated by his endless conflicts of interest in business, and his position as president, is something that will no doubt be as source of endless analysis over the weeks and months to come. I can't help but think that while so much damage is already done, it will only escalate, and we as a country will face humiliating laser focus from around the world.

When I heard that women were organizing a Million Woman March in Washington, DC, for January 21st, the day after Trump's inauguration -- to stand against all of these things, and protest the election of Trump, I was hooked. It was empowering, in those shocking hours just after the election, to know that others felt the same concerns, and were already organizing. I had already purchased airline tickets to visit my daughter, son-in-law and grandson overseas, and would not be returning until after that date, and I wasn't willing to change my tickets until I was sure it would happen. As soon as the March was confirmed, that's what I did. I won't sit quietly; I will not accept what I find unacceptable; or simply boycott an inauguration. Instead, I'm flying home on January 20th to attend the March on Washington. I've traveled enough to know that my middle-aged self will be bone-tired and jet lagged, but I'll be wearing my pussy hat and marching along side men and women from all over the country who feel these same things. I'm marching to show my opposition to all of the hateful things that Trump has said and done, and for all of the behaviors that I believe diminish us as Americans. I know that our country is better than the things Trump paints us as. I believe there's a middle, where those who wanted change, and those who are disgusted by the messenger, can meet. I embrace every incredible word that the great Meryl Streep uttered, at the Golden Globes last week, and I will March to stand for those principles, on January 21st.

I'll be marching to stand in support and solidarity of women, Muslims, Blacks, Native Americans, and other minorities that have been impacted or targeted by Trump's ignorance and hateful rhetoric. I'm marching for immigrants -- who have always been an integral part of the American fabric and who are especially vulnerable right now, having been attacked and threatened by Trump, over and over. I'll be marching in support of the Press, in the hopes that they will hold this man accountable, and stand firm and in witness of behavior that attacks or defiles American freedoms and rights. I am marching for my self and my commitment to be a person of integrity and conviction. I'm owning the title feminist and embracing my role as a woman- who is a daughter, sister, mother, and wife, and who has felt assaulted and traumatized by Trump's abhorrent behavior and remarks to and about all women. I'm marching because this is something I can and must do.

I know that I'm fortunate to be able to make this trip; not everyone can. While there will be marches in many US cities, in support of these same things, I'm excited to do it in our nation's capital. I want Donald Trump to hear us, and see us in that important center of American history, and know that we are watching him, and that we are not backing down. I'm excited, anxious, scared, energized and empowered by the decision. It will be electrifying to join arms with hundreds of thousands of other Americans, who stand for these same values. I've joked with friends and family that I planned my return ticket for three days after the march to: A) get out of jail; B) get out of the hospital, or C) to visit museums. I hope it's the latter, but either way: Mr. Trump, we will not sit back and be silent. To borrow some advice from the divine Betty Davis: buckle up; you're in for a bumpy ride.

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Are you going to the March on Washington? How do you feel about Donald Trump, as a person and as the leader of our country? Please leave a comment.
One of the lines the Republicans often used to attack Obamacare was complaining that it would lead to a massive switch to part-time work. The argument was that employers would cut all their workers to less than 30 hours a week. This would exempt them from the employer mandates in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The line "part-time nation" was a regular refrain on Fox News and other conservative news outlets.

It didn't turn out that way. The share of workers who are employed part-time is virtually the same today as it was when the ACA was fully implemented at the start of 2014. It turns out that covered employers, those with more than 50 workers, have more important issues to consider in scheduling their workforce than avoiding the ACA requirements. Of course, since more than 90 percent of these employers already provided health care for their workers, it is not surprising that they didn't change their behavior.

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However the aggregate numbers on part-time work conceals an important shift that has largely gone unnoticed. While total part-time employment has changed little over the three years the ACA has been in effect, there has been a huge shift from involuntary part-time work to voluntary part-time work.

The number of people who report that they are working part-time involuntarily -- they could not find full-time jobs -- has fallen by 2.2 million since December of 2013, the last month before the ACA took full effect. By contrast, the number of people who report that they are working part-time because they have chosen to work part-time has risen by more than 2.4 million. Both parts of this picture are good news and almost certainly are attributable to the ACA.

The reason the ACA increased voluntary part-time employment is that the exchanges allowed people to get insurance without having to rely on an employer. Typically employers require people to work full-time in order to get health care insurance.

As a result, many people who would rather work part-time jobs, such as parents of young children and older workers nearing Medicare age, were forced to work full-time jobs to get health care insurance. This was especially likely if they or someone in their family had a serious medical condition that would make insurance very expensive or unobtainable.

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In an analysis done the first year after the exchanges were in operation, Cherrie Bucknor and I found that voluntary part-time employment was up by more than 8.0 percent among young mothers. A separate analysis found that voluntary part-time employment was up by almost 5.0 percent in 2014 for the workers between the ages of 55-64 who are still too young to qualify for Medicare.

This is one of the major unsung successes of Obamacare. Millions of people who wanted to work part-time jobs so they could spend more time with young children now have the option to do so. Similarly, many older workers, some who are in bad health, now have the ability to cut back their hours and still get affordable health care insurance.

The flip side of the movement to voluntary part-time employment was also good news. The decision by millions of people to voluntarily leave full-time jobs to take part-time work opened up these jobs for people seeking full-time employment. Since the ACA, the rise in voluntary part-time employment closely mirrors the decline in involuntary part-time employment. People who needed full-time jobs were now much more likely to get them.

We can expect this story to go in reverse with the Republicans' repeal of Obamacare. Young parents and older people in bad health who would prefer to work part-time will again be forced to get full-time jobs so that they can get insurance through their employer. When these workers take full-time jobs, it will displace workers who want and need full-time employment. There may be little net change in part-time employment under the Republican plan, but fewer of the people who will be working part-time will be people who actually want part-time employment.

Extending health care insurance to 20 million people was a really big deal and an important driver for the ACA. Arguably an even bigger deal was providing security to people who already had insurance.

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Over the past few days, five persons have gone missing in Pakistan. Nothing should be considered unusual about these particular disappearances since people go missing for various reasons across the country; ranging from separatists in Balochistan, political workers in the largest metropolitan city of Karachi, children from the city of culture Lahore, anti-military Islamist activists from KPK and Hindu girls from rural Sindh province. Many of them do eventually turn up, some with broken bodies and souls, marred with torture marks, whilst others as dead bodies, with execution style bullet holes. Then there are those "lucky ones", found alive and intact, such as the Hindu girls who return as having suddenly embraced Islam out of their free will since their disappearances, married to their abductors (aka saviours), or vice versa, depending on which angle one views their ordeal. And that is the key behind disappearances in Pakistan; a matter of perception.

What makes these missing persons different isn't just the fact that they are all liberal-minded secularists, lumped together as "social media / human rights activists", it's the negative perception carefully and systematically being crafted about them by Islamist leaning anchors, analysts, scholars and religious elite. It's the time tested narrative being deployed against them, that these activists are "blasphemers", having insulted Prophet Mohammed PBUH, sold their souls to the atheists and wish to "secularise" Pakistan. Please note that secularism has no equivalent word in Urdu other than atheism, in other words apostasy from Islam. It's being craftily pushed out into the media that these misguided souls challenge the word of Allah, owing to their criticism of certain laws built into the Constitution. One of the targets of these activists is the Blasphemy Law which does nothing but used as a tool at the hands of the land mafia to throw minorities out of their homes releasing lucrative prime estate land, religious zealots to take control of their mosques to claim as their own or neighbours to settle petty scores conveniently sending alleged blasphemers behind bars for years without trial, tainted for life as outcasts, left fearing for their lives.

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This type of negative perception and toxic propaganda has already claimed the life of one prominent secularist Salman Taseer, whose murderer hanged last year by the state, has now been elevated to the status of a Saint, revered by Islamists across Pakistan including those in the UK. This is the very rhetoric that has led to several mobs attacking individuals and entire neighbourhoods resulting in the deaths of alleged blasphemers who later turned out to be innocent. Yet these unsuspecting victims couldn't be saved from the enraged crowds provoked by fiery speeches by mullahs from their pulpits, their hate filled speeches broadcast over loudspeakers from minarets.

The same modus operandi is being used by media savvy Islamists in staged televised talkshows with secular activists lured into such debates. With subtly slipped in phrases and blatant proclamations about the seculars having insulted the Prophet PBUH, maligned and mocked Islam, therefore considered outside of the folds of the religion. Sadly, no contradictions or subsequent clarifications by the secular human rights activists would be acknowledged or even pondered over by the masses, having felt the immediate effects of the blasphemy allegations. The disgust against them multiplies as each programme is aired solidifying the notion that somehow they deserved what they're experiencing.

Whilst dictator Field Marshal Ayub Khan perhaps initiated the trend of "picking up" anti-government activists in Pakistan, during his time they were given A-class cells in prisons and eventually put on trial. It was the latter day civilian Martial Law administrator Z. A. Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto's daddy, who perfected the art of activists' and political opponents' disappearances. He set up a holding facility called Dalai Camp in the lawless, semi-autonomous region of FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) where the missing persons would be taken and upon being questioned by the judiciary, any police officer could swear under oath, that they had no knowledge of such a person's presence "inside" the territory of Pakistan. Perhaps one of the Bush advisors had read up on Pakistan's history, to have advised him to set up a similar facility, in nearby Cuba, known as Gitmo. Yet the Americans could go only as far as holding folks they couldn't readily put on trial, but with their names known to the rest of the world. In Pakistan, a disappearance is often without trace.

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Today, there is no rumour of the existence of a place like Dalai Camp inside Pakistan. However in addition to deep state agencies' hospitality venues, there are places like the Binori Town mosque, Lal Masjid, and many other areas across southern Punjab where banned outfits have their strongholds and where their leaders roam freely. They somehow render the requirement redundant for a state-run one-stop-shop for holding certain types of activists such as those who have gone missing during this past week.

There have been some protests to put pressure on the government to find the activists. However they have been insignificant in terms of the number of people who turned up, as compared to perhaps the protests last year calling on the state to set Taseer's murderer free. Therefore in the prevailing situation, if there is any hope for the recovery of these free thinkers and the future of Pakistan, it is for enlightened individuals to counter the venomous narrative being disseminated against them by using their own Facebook pages, twitter feeds, whatsapp conversations, Instagram imagery and all else at their disposal. People may be afraid to come out onto the streets of Pakistan to protest but they can still reach millions across the world to raise awareness about this issue and the repercussions it can have on the country and the freedom of thought for the future generations. It is the global awareness campaign and the pressure it will exert on the establishment in Pakistan, that will help free the free thinkers.
To kill large predators such as bears, mountain lions, and wolves for the purpose of protecting and expanding hoofed animal populations was a mistake in the nation's early days. Indiscriminate slaughter in the Nineteenth Century decimated predators' numbers in the Rocky mountain region and threw the balance of nature out of whack.

Unfortunately, the lessons of the past have not always taken hold. The state of Colorado is a recent case in point. It has decided to allow 135 mountain lions and 225 bears to be killed above and beyond regular hunting quotas over a nine year period. It is a plan supposedly to facilitate an increase in the estimated 400,000 mule deer in the region. Licenses to hunt these animals generate substantial revenue for the state and officials believe 560,000 would be an optimum population to support the sporting life.

Let's not dwell on the fact that 400,000 mule deer roaming the region doesn't seem like a desperate shortfall.

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By contrast, the health of the far smaller population of large predators is problematic. Indeed, Colorado officials admit they have no solid estimate of the predators' numbers and rely largely on anecdotal sightings of the elusive creatures.

What is clear is that the decline in the overall mule deer population in the area has been caused by loss of habitat from human development, not a predator killing spree. Indeed, under natural conditions, populations of the hunted and hunter species in the wild fluctuate in synergistic fashion to create an equilibrium.

Rather than being typecast as villains, large predators should be credited with sustaining the biodiversity and fluidity of ecosystems. Without their significant presence, their prey's numbers would explode and overrun the environment. An unsustainable proliferation of hoofed animals leads to overgrazing that destroys native vegetation on which birds and other creatures rely.

Humans can suffer too from predator imbalance. Eradication of virtually all large predators in the eastern third of the country has resulted in the unchecked spread of the deer population. These animals are carriers of the tick that transmits Lyme disease, a potentially debilitating malady that has become a threat where it was previously a rarity.

Conversely, reintroduction of large predators can revive the health of an ecosystem. In Yellowstone National Park, the return of wolves trimmed an overabundance of elks and their excessive browsing. As a consequence, a comeback occurred of depleted aspen and willow stands and the animal life they supported.

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It is true that predators can stray and cause losses to ranchers' livestock, but if prey is plentiful in the wild, such conflicts are greatly diminished.


The bloody show is part of the birthing process and it might be a good subtitle for "Artemisia Gentileschi et il suo tempo" at the Museo di Roma which deals with the career one of the great woman artists of all time. Artemisia might not have been " "untimely ripped" from her "mother's womb" but there are heads everywhere in the iconography of the world in which she would eventually make her mark. Her father Orazio was a noted painter in his own right who did "David Contemplating the Head of Goliath" (1610-12). Nicholas Regnier would take on the same subject (1625-6). Artemesia painted "Judith Slaying Holofernes" (1614-20) as did Cristophano Allori (1620) and Bartolomeo Manfredi (1618-20). Giovanni Baglione did "Herod, Herodias and Salome With the Head of John the Baptist" (1615-20). It was a heady time, filled with both violence (Artemisia had been raped by the painter Agostina Tassi) and beauty. The influence of Caravaggio is unmistakeable; in fact Artemisia painted her Judith the year of his death. But heads were not all that was cut. The exhibition includes Simon Vouet's "The Circumcision" (1620) and Mario Balassi's "Ghismonda Receiving Guiscardo's Heart" (1635). However, it's important to remember that that this was also a period in which the humanistic spirit soared to great new heights. Cosimo II di Medici was one of Artemesia's patrons and it was at his court that Artemisia met Galileo. Paintings with titles like "Time Reveals Truth and Unmasks Deception" and "Intelligence, Memory and Will" (1624) are noteworthy. The painter Crisofano Allori was also the author of "The Poetics of Affection." Roland Barthes is quoted thusly by the curators,
"The motto of the healthcare professions is to first do no harm," says Deb Friedland, who has been a registered nurse for 23 years at St. John's Episcopal Hospital in Queens, New York. "That's why I can't believe that the first priority of the new Congress is to repeal the Affordable Care Act, because it would be devastating to the hard working people in our community, our local economy and our hospital."



If Congress pushes forward with destroying the ACA, over 2.7 million New Yorkers would lose their health insurance, the state budget would be slashed by $3.7 billion, and 27 hospitals throughout the state would be in danger of closing.



With all the struggles facing working Americans -- stagnant wages, increasing student and consumer debt, lack of job security -- it is staggering that Congress would choose as its first move the repeal the Affordable Care Act. The ACA has expanded health insurance to more than 22 million people overall, 70 percent of whom can purchase plans through the online insurance markets for less than $75 a month because of subsidies. Large companies are required to provide healthcare to employees, and Medicaid has expanded to working families near the poverty line. Nationally, the number of uninsured has fallen from 16 percent to 8.9 percent, the lowest in history. In our state we have done even better, and now 95 percent of New Yorkers are covered.



The act also created important patient protections, such as the ban on discriminating against patients with pre-existing conditions, allowing young people to stay on their parents' plans until age 26, and preventing insurance companies from charging women more than men for the same coverage.



But the Affordable Care Act's goals, which were just beginning to be realized, were even loftier than providing affordable healthcare to all Americans. The ACA sought to bring about a sea change in how healthcare is delivered in the U.S., so that patients are given the medical advice, tools and support to live longer, healthier lives.



The U.S. spends more on healthcare per person than any other country, but we have worse health and mortality rates, and our wasteful healthcare spending has been threatening other vital programs such as Medicare and Social Security. The ACA put in place a system that began moving us away from a "fee-for-service" model -- which encouraged unnecessary procedures and inefficiencies -- to a "value-based" model which spurs healthcare providers to promote the comprehensive well-being, health and satisfaction of their patients.



In other words, the Affordable Care Act rewards doctors for keeping their patients healthy and out of the hospital -- through disease prevention, pain management and guidance on healthy lifestyles -- instead of just admitting patients to the hospital after they are already severely ill.



"Before the Affordable Care Act, our emergency room was always gridlocked with long waits, because that's how people without insurance would get their healthcare, and they would come in really sick with diabetes, liver failure, asthma, cancer, you name it," says Deb. "But since the ACA was passed, our emergency room isn't as overloaded because more people have insurance, and they're able to get preventative care and advice on healthy living from their doctors."



The right-wing politicians who have been railing against the ACA will find themselves on the wrong side of history. Across party lines, working Americans support lowering the amount individuals pay for healthcare, and guaranteeing a certain level of health coverage for seniors and those with lower incomes.



What's more, the torpedoing of the Affordable Care Act is not smart strategically for Congressional Republicans, because it is an attack on the very working people that Trump purported to want to help during his campaign. Millions of Republican voters in states all around the country stand to lose their health insurance due to the repeal. 56 percent of those who would lose coverage are white, and 80 percent have less than a college degree.



Yes, there are ways the ACA needs to be improved, such as reducing the cost of premiums and prescriptions, but this should be done through a process of adjusting, rather than repealing, the law. That's why leading physician groups, including the American Medical Association, have called on Congress to create a replacement before repealing the Affordable Care Act. Our union has demanded that any replacement must meet the standards of maintaining coverage for the 22 million who have gained insurance, preserving patient protections and continuing Medicaid funding.



"I went into nursing because it's a trusted and respected profession and I believed I could make the greatest positive impact on the patients in my community," says Deb. "So please trust me now when I say as a lifelong nurse, a mother and a grandmother: call your Congress members and tell them this is a matter of life and death. Having affordable health insurance is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue, it's a human issue."



George Gresham is president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest healthcare union in the nation.
The attack took place in New Valley governorate, more than 600 kilomtres southwest of Cairo

Eight policemen were killed and three others injured after militants attacked a security checkpoint in Egypts New Valley governorate, near the Western Desert, the interior ministry said late on Monday.

The attack on the Naqb checkpoint took place some 80 kilometers away from the provincial capital of Al-Kharga, and more than 600 kilometres southwest of Cairo.

State TV said earlier that the attack took place at 8:15pm Cairo Local Time.

Two of the assailants were killed as security forces responded to the assault, the ministry added.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Egypt is battling an Islamist insurgency based in parts of North Sinai, which has occasionally hit mainland cities.

The militancy has mainly targeted police and troops, killing hundreds in the past three years. The army has also killed hundreds of militants in its campaign to root out the insurgency in the border region.

This is not the first time New Valley (Al-Wadi Al-Gaded) governorate has been targeted by militancy.

In July 2014, militants firing machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades killed 21 soldiers in an attack on a border checkpoint in the Farafra Oasis.

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The United States has not scored victories in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Could the missing element in those fights be the lack of competition which would have motivated an American military force to succeed?

Is it time to create "charter armies", "charter air forces," and "charter navies"? Similar to the reasoning for charter schools, wouldn't competition get better results than a monopoly?

President Trump believes that greater competition among schools will improve education. His pledge is to spend $20 billion in federal funds, creating charter schools and paying for tuition at private schools.

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Charter schools are public schools that are freed from many rules affecting regular schools. Parents must choose to send their children to those schools instead of regular public schools. Private schools (both religious and non-religious) operate independently of the government, and again parents choose those institutions for their children.

State and federal funding enables charter schools and private schools to draw students from regular public schools. Research shows that charter and private schools are not generally better than regular public schools, but they are popular with parents who like the choice of school for their children.

If competition is good for education, why shouldn't it be good for our armed forces? The American military now has a monopoly on defending the country and waging our wars. Public education used to have a monopoly before privatization appeared. A monopolistic military has not always been successful, similar to the record of the public schools. So, why not bring the same improvement to the military as Trump proposes for education?

Let's take a possible example of how this could work. In Afghanistan, the Pentagon would set aside half of the billions of dollars now designated for the regular armed services. Contracts would be awarded for "charter armies" to compete with the regular American forces fighting in that country.

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Companies and organizations would be chosen by the Pentagon. All sorts of American corporations would be interested, and perhaps other countries, such as Russia which had some recent experiences in Afghanistan.

Few regulations would limit the use of public funds for this task, since creativity is needed to bring about more success than resulting from the current monopoly. Charter schools were conceived as laboratories to bring creative approaches to education, which would then change regular public schools. This has rarely occurred, but it might with the military.

The other element that could be taken from the school sector is that the Afghan people should have a say in which corporations are chosen since they will be the most affected by the battles being waged in their areas. Just as parental choice makes charter schools popular, this involvement of the local people will win wide support.

With the Afghan people's advice, the Pentagon would choose the "charter armies" to fight in competition with the regular armed services. The contracts would be for several years, and then the results of the battles fought by the contracted companies would be evaluated. Were the "charter armies" more successful than the regular armed services in conquering territory with the fewest deaths?

Few charter schools are shut down if they show low student test scores, as was originally promised. But, presumably the Pentagon would want a higher standard. If the "charter armies" are successful, then they should receive more of the regular forces' funds; and if not, contract with others.



Another element that might be considered for the military is to peg salaries in the charters and in the regular military to the degree of success. An extension of this idea would be to link performance of the charters to the salaries of the Pentagon generals and others choosing the contractors. A similar education reform would tie teachers' salaries to student test scores.

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This new concept for the military based on breaking up the current monopoly should succeed since it brings the virtues of competition to national defense. President Trump's support for more competition in education would be extended to include the military. As a proponent of the free market, he will undoubtedly jump -- or tweet -- to endorse this idea once it is brought to him. He might even say that he thought of it first.

Since the Congress is controlled by Republicans who take competition as an article of political faith, there should be little opposition to applying that concept to the military.http://ackjenningsdc.com/politics-sides-hampering-public-education/ To speed up the process, one congressional bill should be used to create "charter armies, navies, and air forces," as well as "charter schools."

A competition should be announced that the congressional committees promising to move the legislation the fastest would have that honor. President Trump could judge that competition based on his experiences as a judge in various TV programs.

Wouldn't citizens regain faith in their government since competition would produce both the best schools and the most successful military in the world?
I watched much of President Obama's Farewell Address from 30,000 feet. I was flying home from Los Angeles where I'd gone for a meeting to discuss ways to change the lens through which independents -- the nearly 40 percent of Americans who consider themselves other than Democrats or Republicans -- are seen. Of course, the technology that makes it possible to watch live TV while six miles above the earth is mind-blowing. I grew up watching black and white TV at sea level, with a funny looking antenna on top that had to be periodically adjusted to clear the picture. That I could view the President bidding farewell to the nation in real time while JetBlue flew me home at 600 miles an hour seemed improbable, even though it was happening before my very eyes.

Nowadays, the subject of what each of us sees is hotly debated. Supposedly, about half the country sees one thing and the other half sees something else, at least as far as politics is concerned. Surely, that is an oversimplification. Maybe we need a national conversation about how we see what we see. Of course, we'd have to find a way to conduct such a conversation, given that we seem to see things so differently. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Back to Obama's Farewell.

I liked the end of the President's speech the best. I thought his "love poem" to Michelle was deeply touching. And, unlike the rest of the talk, it was self-revealing. I admired how she was able to take it in, with millions of people watching. Accepting public expressions of love can be difficult, because it can be raw, even rough, to feel the vulnerability of the expresser. Coincidentally, I was with my father, Murray Harold Salit, last weekend to celebrate his 90th birthday where many friends and family proffered their love for him. He amazed me with the grace of his acceptance. As Michelle did. I thought the Obamas' public display of deep affection for one another was a gift to the nation.

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Most of the President's speech was, I thought, rather ordinary and, ironically, flew too far above the felt experience of the turmoil that the country is going through. Unlike the cynics and critics, I believe he believed his words could be healing. I don't think they were. Obama likes to focus on the beauty that is the "American idea," on the Enlightenment values it embodies. But it seems to me that the country is grappling much more with its ugliness than its beauty right now.

Hold on a minute. Before you jump to conclusions, that is not a statement about Donald Trump or about his supporters. It's a statement about our country. America has always had its ugliness. The grit and desperation of the frontier. The violence and sadism of slavery. The extermination of native peoples. Brother fighting brother in the Civil War. The human cost of building the railroads. Sending our young men -- and now women -- off to war where unspeakable things happen. Not to mention the profound conflictedness of being a nation that loves freedom while inflicting a profound sexual and cultural shame on its people. America the Beautiful. America the Ugly. America the Conflicted. Part of what made Donald Trump the perfect candidate was the part of his message that said America shouldn't hide its ugliness. After years of politically correct framings of our values, and a denial of the conflictedness of the American experience, the cork simply popped.

In his speech, Obama said that politics in our country has always been a battle of ideas. That inequality corrodes our democracy. That we are in this together and that we rise and fall as one. Strangely enough, when I listened to these words, I heard their opposite. We might like to thrive off of a battle of ideas but our idea of battle has gone awry. Our democracy -- as it is practiced in the hardball fumes of partisan politics -- is corroding any semblance of equality. And many Americans feel that we are being forcibly prevented from acting as one by a partisan system that is corrupt to the core. This presidential election delivered that message loud and clear. Obama could not say that, though.

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The liberal power brokers and spin makers insist that what happened on Election Day was an "aberration," a violation of America the Beautiful. I personally have to resist and refuse that characterization. Any political assessment of the state of our nation that leads irrevocably to the resurrection of the Democratic Party-in-power is not an honest assessment. It is not a "fact" akin to global warming. It is spin. Everyone has a right to spin. But as Obama remarked ruefully in his Farewell speech, quoting his mother, "Reality has a way of catching up with you." Reality is catching up to America, isn't it? We have "homegrown" terrorists now. We see important alliances forming -- such as Russia and Turkey -- from which we are excluded.

We have white working class people in the Rust Belt who voted for Trump and more than a million black Americans who had voted for Obama but did not come out to vote for Hillary Clinton. Liberals, leftists and even Marxists worry deeply over this -- how can people vote against their interests? I'd find this position laughable if it weren't such a mind f**k. First the liberal elites define what everybody's interests are. Then they castigate people for violating the definitions they have imposed on them.

Obama, to his credit, tried to steer clear of the blame game in his talk. Even so, when it came time to quote from George Washington's Farewell Address, he avoided the passages that were the most prescient. Washington warned his post-revolutionary fledgling nation about parties, about their inexorable path to factionalism and their power to divide the country. I wish Obama would have included those lines. He came into office as an independent, not as a Democrat. He seemed unable or unwilling to hold his party accountable for its role in the extreme polarization of our politics. I would have liked to see him leave office the way he came in -- as an independent. Even if that is an oversimplification, it still has meaning in these times of partisan strife. 39 percent of the country are independents today, based on the latest Gallup poll. This is down from 43 percent a year ago, though the drop cannot be attributed to the rise in popularity of political parties. Their "unfavorables" are sky-high. The drop has more to do with voters being coerced into joining a party in order to cast a ballot in a primary. Even so, independents are the largest community of voters in the country, and they have yet to receive the recognition and respect that is warranted.

Not long after Obama first took office, I interviewed the public philosopher Fred Newman as part of our ongoing weekly conversation series called "Talk/Talk." In this particular dialogue, we discussed a book by Joshua Cooper Ramo called The Age of the Unthinkable, about the disconnect between the old ways of thinking about the world and the dramatic changes underway in the world. According to Ramo, we were ill-equipped to understand and respond to the increasing wealth gap because of that disconnect. We were having an existential crisis more than a financial crisis.

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Newman strongly agreed. I asked him, then, what would be the new ways of looking at the rising inequality? He replied, "How could you know what the new ways of thinking about that are in advance of the actual building of what it is that we have to build to intervene on the problems that are happening? If something new or alternative which gives you a different vantage point hasn't been built, you can't know the answers ... you have to abandon 'knowing' and the traditional understanding of that conception as a condition for creating the changes." This approach, this radically methodological approach, in my opinion, needs to ground the movement for political alternatives to the bipartisan authoritarians. Otherwise, we will not be able to create anything new.

A small postscript: After Obama's speech was done, he walked out into the audience to connect with friends and fellow travelers, to immerse himself in the faithful. Watching the tiny screen from my perch at 30,000 feet, and tuned to CNN, I listened as a gaggle of commentators offered their spectacularly un-insightful remarks about the evening. There was no audio on Obama's encounters, just a visual. At one point, Obama found himself standing alongside Jesse Jackson. The two embraced, Jackson now carrying a lot of extra weight, making him seem out of place, while Obama is wiry and taut. It appeared, at least to me, that Obama was eager to move away, to move on to his next hug or handshake, but Jackson wouldn't let him go. He seemed to have something more he wanted to say to Obama, something he couldn't let go of. Their interaction was strained, the way someone who opened a door and someone who walked through it are never at peace with each other.

Somehow the scene brought to my mind Jackson's speech to the Democratic Party Convention in 1984 in San Francisco. I was there, working with a team of African American independents who had come to persuade Jackson to either back a black independent for President or lead a walkout of his delegates and to continue his presidential run as an independent. Neither happened. In Jackson's primetime speech, he offered an apology for his references to "Hymietown," a slur to the Jewish community. Jackson explained to the crowd that he had stumbled and he had been hurtful. Yet, he insisted, he was not done being a leader. "God is not finished with me yet," he said.

After my plane landed as I was riding home from the airport, I reflected on everything I had seen earlier, and on all the things I couldn't see, that we can't see because we don't yet have the tools with which to see. I thought about America, my country, our country, and the painful and angry and fearful and joyful and uncertain juncture we are at. I thought, whether or not there is a God, there is an America. That's a "fact" that crosses the ideological divide. And as for our people -- we're divided and we're divisive. We're full of anger and full of love. We're searching for leadership suitable for this time in history and there is none. We're using the tools we have, even as they are pitifully inadequate. America the Beautiful. America the Ugly. America the Conflicted. We're not finished creating our country. Not yet.
At the end of last year, in an investigation of the Facebook pages of Colorado state legislators, I revealed that then State Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt (R-Colorado Springs) posted a fake-news item claiming that Wikileaks documents proved the "assassination of Scalia" was orchestrated by the Clintons.

The day after Klingenschmitt posted the Scalia item, Snopes showed it to be false, concluding, "An e-mail published by WikiLeaks referenced not the literal assassination of Antonin Scalia, but what appeared to be a coordinated smear of Bernie Sanders."

Yet the item remains on Klingenschmitt's Facebook page to this day, along with this comment, "Anybody have a comment on this? Scalia dies same weekend after Podesta (for Hillary Clinton) sends this 'wet works' email? Hmmmm."

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I asked "Dr. Chaps," as Klingenschmitt calls himself, why he hasn't removed the fake news.

Klingenschmitt: "As an aspiring journalist, truth is my stock and trade, so I do not intentionally re-post items on Facebook if I know they are false," Klingenschmitt told me via email. "If I remember the actual news article going around months ago, it did not allege that Hillary Clinton killed Justice Scalia, of course that would be fake news. Instead it merely compared the timelines of two true events: 1) Hillary's staffer John Podesta's actual emails about planning to conduct "wet works" operations the same weekend that 2) Scalia died suspiciously without autopsy, and the only witness initially said Scalia's body had a pillow over his head. So far as I know, these two events are still true and both happened within days of each other, raising more than a few eyebrows by their proximity. But fake newsers in the mainstream media are afraid to offend, so their liberal omissions make them less credible than conservatives who report the facts, and let the public draw their own conclusions."

I wrote back to Klingenschmitt and told him that the Podesta email actually referred to a smear campaign against Bernie Sanders, and had nothing to do with an attack on Scalia, according to Snopes.

Still, I wrote to Chaps, I hoped he and I could agree that facts matter, and so I was wondering if he would sign my Fake News Pledge for citizens. See it and sign here.

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The pledge, essentially identical to the one for elected officials, relies on mainstream-media fact checkers, like Snopes, as arbiters, but it allows signers to ignore the fact checkers if they disagree with them and explain why.

So in this case, if you signed the Fake News Pledge, I told Chaps, you would not have to take down your Scalia post, even though it's been disproven by Snopes. Instead, I told him he could post an explanation on his Facebook page of why he disagree Snopes--like the one provided me.

"Do you think this is fair?" I asked Chaps. "Will you sign the Fake News Pledge?"

"I try to avoid pledges, but I also try to avoid fake news, so we're on the same page, but I can't sign sorry," he wrote.

So, my investigation identified eight fake-news items, posted on Facebook by five Colorado state legislators, Rep. Polly Lawrence (R-Roxborough Park) and Rep. Tim Neville (R-Littleton), as well as then Representatives Klingenschmitt and Kit Roupe (R-Colorado Springs) and then Sen. Laura Woods (R-Arvada).
When it comes to the politics of climate change Sacramento must become the new DC.

After much hand wringing, weeping and gnashing of teeth climate hawks will watch the equivalent of a funeral for federal climate action January 20th. There is no hope, no optimism to be found in the depths of Mordor on the Potomac. Because while clean tech markets will continue to transform our world the importance of high-level political signals be it in Paris or DC have an intangible and utterly fundamental importance. We just lost that bat signal for at least four years and Trump will do his level best to steal the last eight back as well.

But since time is the only variable that truly matters we can't sit by and simply accept this loss. We have children and grandchildren we will need to face. Which is why we need to go on the offense and not get distracted by the hordes at the gates, or lunatic ravings on twitter. We can do that by taking progress to the states, cities and the private sector to create a new pole of power, a new center of climate progress. A new Washington DC.

Sacramento Is The New DC

California is the fifth largest economy in the world home to a majority of American solar home systems, a power grid that is drenched in solar and wind energy helping it to rapidly exceed its 33% clean energy target, and quietly driving an electric vehicle revolution accounting for 50% of national sales. It is also an engine of innovation and prosperity and home to the world's most valuable company, Apple,which just led the Greenpeace Clean Energy Report for the third year in a row. Retreating to California, pulling up the drawbridge at Donner pass and preparing to launch strategic incursions is not a retrenchment, it's a power move.

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More importantly California's leaders are not reluctantly rising to the occasion, they relish the opportunity. Reaction in the halls of Sacramento to inaction on climate has been quick and decisive. From the governor through to the legislature the entirety of California government ain't going backwards. Perhaps most importantly it was visceral - Sacramento knows what is at stake. Oh and did we mention they have a Democratic supermajority in the state Legislature?

But outside of knee-jerk reactions to medieval scientific witch hunts how can Sacramento truly step up and make good on their climate progress? By taxing the bad stuff, exporting the good stuff, and filling the vacuum of leadership at both the national and international level.

Brown's Climate Legacy - A Price On Carbon



Let's start with the clear and present opportunity - AB32 and now SB32, the Global Warming Solutions Act. The ground-breaking passage of SB32 in 2016 which established the 2030 goal of reducing emissions 40% also includes the authority to adopt ambitious policies ranging from zero emission vehicles mandates to low carbon fuel standards. It is the ambitious policy response to the threat climate change poses that you wish Washington had. Combined with the innovative pilots California utilities are now deploying to build out electric vehicle charging infrastructure it helps to redraw political faultlines, the 'power around power.' A shift that weakens fossil fuel commodity providers (oil, and coal companies) by providing utilities a way to benefit from the transition.

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Next up - pricing carbon. Last year with SB32 Gov. Brown came tantalizingly close to fending off attacks to his landmark cap and trade program but time ran out in the legislature. Fast-forward to 2017 and the Democratic supermajority is poised to finish the job with the governors budget clearly indicating his desire to finish what he started. That's incredibly important for creating not only the precedent that carbon can and will be priced but for creating a permanent source of revenue to fund our inevitable transition.

Already carbon funds are flowing into some of California's poorest communities, making homes more weather proof, creating new construction jobs, and cutting energy bills to free up tight funds for things like groceries. One thing to watch will be whether or not this morphs into a straight carbon tax. Regardless of the form it takes, with Gov. Brown sending two of his top lieutenants to the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and the 2018 race looming large, he is set to cement his climate legacy.

California's Multi Lateral System

Brown's legacy however is not just about getting California's house in order. This also sets the state up to launch strategic incursions at home and abroad to help spread and finance the cleantech revolution. California can and should find creative ways to finance cleantech exports to support the wide array of cleantech and clean car companies headquartered in California. For instance, California could expand the offerings of its infrastructure bank, funded by cap and trade or carbon tax revenue, in a way that enables its own version of a multilateral development bank focused on providing state aid to other states seeking to replicate the economic prosperity clean energy is driving in California. California could in fact show the MDB's how to do it right by devoting its capital to derisking (loan guarantees, etc), and letting the private sector do the actual funding thereby stretching and leveraging its scarce dollars to create billions in investment. Not only will this financially benefit the state it will create a new power base - the new energy super majors of the 21st century capable of doing battle with the dark forces currently trying to mire us in the 19th century.

But perhaps the most powerful export for California is climate policy including those that have reliably driven renewable deployment, electric-vehicles, and energy efficiency. These policies have driven tens of billions of dollars of private investment, technology innovation, and job creation and they are easily transferable and scalable to other states and countries. That includes a long tradition of collaborating with China as the country stands up its cap and trade program as well as a potential electric vehicle mandate to decarbonize. This needs to be a priority for the state and everyone who cares about climate.

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All of these opportunities will generate ample political opportunity for aspiring young politicians. What better conditions for the next California Governor then to be the brave knight doing battle with the dark forces of DC for the next 2-6 years? This at a time when progressive Democratic leadership at the national level has a vacuum of its own it's seeking to fill. Indeed, for the next generation of California climate leaders not only could they create a new pole of power in US politics they could leverage this platform to once and for all take the climate revolution to DC.
We are super excited to announce the introduction of our Travelistas column, where we ask advice from a savvy group of tastemakers and designers, picking their brilliant brains for ideas on where to go, what to do and what to bring. We are delighted to present an article on Libby Fitzgerald, entrepreneur, designer, philanthropist and mother of three, who as you will read below, has had a life enriched by travel. Feeling a need for a chic beach shoe that could be worn in the water, on deck and all around town, Libby and her partner Michael Leva, created Sea*Star Beachcomber Espadrilles. We love this shoe and pack it even on cold-weather holidays when we wear them as slippers! Let's find out where Libby's next adventure will be. Cannot wait to see the upcoming lines from Sea*Star Beachwear.

Why do you like to travel? I like to travel with my family and friends to learn and share new experiences and places with people I love. I will go almost anywhere to discover compelling history, fascinating cultures and beautiful art work. If I can take a swim in a beautiful sea while I am there, all the better!

Favorite familiar places? Southampton. By far! I have only been going to Southampton for the last three summers, but it is my preferred familiar destination to rest and relax with family and friends. I love swimming in the Atlantic Ocean and taking long walks with my dog on the beach. The roads are flat and I can go miles on my cruising bike. The light at sunset is like no other

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Where would you like to go next? As I grow older, I have a strong desire to explore places that are remote and exotic. The more unfamiliar the culture and landscape, the better. If it's balmy with a rich history and interesting people, it's on my bucket list! Specifically, I would like to spend more time in Southeast Asia. I have been to Myanmar and Thailand, but would like to return to Northern Thailand, Viet Nam and Cambodia.
By contributing writer Husnaa Hashim for KidSpirit's Human Dignity issue.

"I don't want learning, or dignity, or respectability. I want this music, and this dawn, and the warmth of your cheek against mine."

-- Jalaluddin Rumi, "A Thirsty Fish"

The Rumi quote above suggests a longing to live in the present moment, love your fellow human beings, and appreciate the beauty of today rather than worrying about the mystery of tomorrow. Upon walking into Temple Rodeph Shalom one particularly crisp autumn afternoon, I feel welcome to appreciate the beauty of today. The windows of this sanctuary are stained glass, allowing the slightest distillation of light to shine through. I do not know exactly why I am here, but I do know that we are placed where we are meant to be, at the time we are meant to be in that place.

Proceeding to the basement of the synagogue, the large group of high school students and mentors of various religious backgrounds and traditions form a circle. I take my place. During this particular session we go on learn about food insecurity, de-poverty, and reformed Judaism. We make challah bread, my brown hands dipping into white flour and braiding a strand that will be baked and shared with the other students.

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Little did I know this introduction to The Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia's "Walking The Walk" program nearly three years ago would result in my love of interfaith work. "Walking the Walk" is an interfaith youth initiative that provides teenagers with the experiences, skills, and resources necessary to live in a diverse world, deepen their own identities, and break through walls that distance and divide them from people of other religious, cultural, and economic backgrounds.

The Interfaith Center's slogan is "Dare to Understand." I believe that once you take that initial step on the path of universal societal realization, the human condition becomes easier to bear.

This work is tough, and important. It causes me, an African American Muslim girl, to grapple with many of my values and the teachings of my tradition, as well as encourages conversation among teenagers of Baptist, Catholic, Muslim, Mennonite, reformed Jewish, conservative Jewish, Baha'i, Lutheran, and Hindu backgrounds (to name a few). This work is fulfilling. From volunteering with wheelchair-bound individuals to walking the streets in song at the Philadelphia Interfaith Walk for Peace and Reconciliation, I have explored what it means to be a person and the many different ways there are to exist.

Dignity in short is being worthy of respect as well as respecting oneself. Dignity is the courage and will to overcome the obstacles of social division in favor of equality. My tradition has taught me that the Creator has bestowed upon us an existence that is above that of plants and other animals, and that we are meant to use this status for the fulfillment of ourselves as well as others. By having been giving the gift of life and breathing into our bodies of the Creator's own ruh, or spiritual energy, we are inevitably dignified. The omnipresent dignity found in the Creator is shared with us as the soul.

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Interfaith interactions have only enhanced and illuminated these teachings. By standing in community and being welcomed to hold a Torah scroll, watching as it winds around the room touching everyone's hands, by feeling the reverberation of prayerful voices standing in pews donned in colorful Christmas garb at White Rock Baptist Church, I have been able to acknowledge teachings followed by my Christian and Jewish peers. At the end of the day, we are created in the image of God, and we are walking in that light. Interfaith interactions have helped shape my understanding of human dignity, in that I have had the opportunity to recognize the overwhelming similarities in beliefs about respecting others as well as myself. A quintessential example of this would be the comparative analysis of each faith tradition's "Golden Rule." The rules are so similar that being asked to match each definition with each faith tradition is tricky. They all emphasize universal respect and appreciation for life.

There is a Quranic verse that reads: "We have dignified the children of Adam, and carried them over land and sea, and provided them with good and pure things for sustenance, and favored them far above a great part of Our creation" (17:70). It is up to us to uphold and recognize this dignity in our fellow human beings. This can be manifested as a striving for social justice - an equal distribution of societal recognition, respect, and amenities. It is this spirit of revolution that might cause us to stand in solidarity with indigenous Americans in their protection and preservation of water, a vital necessity for human life, or might cause us to respond to bigotry and fascism with candlelit vigils and protests.

Now, more than ever, we need to reflect upon the teachings of all of our various traditions in order to cultivate and sustain respect. My tradition has taught me that I am not this body; I am a soul, inhabiting a body, and will therefore be judged by my actions and inactions regarding how I treat my fellow human beings. Interfaith interactions have beautifully helped me to humanize the beliefs and practices of others. The willingness of others to respect me, grab my hand, and show me the most sacred parts of their lives has enabled me to be appreciative and extend that same respect and warm cheek in return.
Back in June 2016 Sanders carried CA-34 by a narrow margin over Hillary Clinton, 51% to 48%. In the new poll of 400 likely primary voters, 72% said a Sanders endorsement would make them more likely to consider voting for a candidate - the highest mark of any potential endorser. Today, one of Sanders' campaign deputies who campaigned vigorously for Bernie across California hopes to carry his movement forward as a member of Congress. Arturo Carmona, who served as deputy political director for the Sanders campaign has the highest favorability ratings, and holds a narrow lead among the top prospects to replace Becerra. Still, it is very early in the campaign and most voters are still getting to know the twelve challengers vying for the open seat in a majority-Latino district in Los Angeles.

It wasn't just Sanders name, but many of the themes from his political movement that voters in CA-34 also supported. For example, 49% said they would prefer an outsider, community organizer for Congress compared to 27% who said they supported a career politician. Likewise, 51% want a candidate who thinks the Democratic party needs fundamental reform versus 33% who like the idea of candidate who represents the California Democratic establishment. And by a 53% to 34% margin the voters in the district thought Bernie would have defeated Trump last November.

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In the very early stages of this campaign there are four candidates among the twelve that seem to be somewhat better positioned through their fundraising, endorsements, and political experience - however things can change quickly as voters learn more about each candidate. Among these four, the poll finds Carmona leads State Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez 30% to 19% with 9% supporting Sara Hernandez, a former aide to L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar, 8% supporting former LAUSD board member Yolie Flores and 31% undecided and 5% for someone else (full poll results here)

While Carmona's ties to Bernie Sanders may sound good to voters over the phone, leading a sample of 400 potential voters is different than winning a special election. Gomez has already received numerous high-profile public endorsements from 5 members of Congress, 20 current and former state legislators and the Mayor of L.A. Eric Garcetti. If Carmona is going to capitalize on the apparent pro-Bernie mood in the district he will need his former boss to not just endorse him, but he may need Sanders to campaign with him in Los Angeles where Bernie is still wildly popular. If that happens, then Angelinos will see one of the more closely contested and exciting special elections in a very long time with the Sanders movement once again taking on the political establishment.

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Ibeth Villafana, left, catches raindrops with a cousin after a rainstorm under an eave near her home in Colombia. Photo by Sara A. Fajardo for Lutheran World Relief.



Now that an agreement has been reached between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the current generation of Colombian youth will have a chance to see something they've never fully experienced before - peace.

The agreement seeks to end a conflict that dates back to 1964. It has claimed 220,000 lives and forced approximately six million people from their home and land, a national total second only to Syria.

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The end to the conflict presents an opportunity to make an investment in rural areas and to build a viable peace dividend for those who suffered most in the war: the third of Colombia's population who live in the countryside, 90 percent of whom are mired in poverty. Many have been forced from their ancestral land.



Engaging in sustainable rural development in what is referred to as the "new Colombian countryside" is essential to building peace because it addresses the root causes of inequality and land tenure that drove the conflict. It is so important that it was the first issue agreed upon by the government and FARC in peace negotiations.

"It's our job to, little by little, reconstruct the social fabric that was broken by displacement," Ricardo Sabogal, director of the office of land restitution, told Bloomberg News.

Lutheran World Relief (LWR), in line with other interested observers, sees this as a pivotal moment for Colombia and the region. LWR staff in Colombia are focusing on supporting this investment in the new Colombian countryside, which will build on and preserve the newly won peace by promoting innovative programs with the private sector that promote family food security in former conflict areas.

One project involves helping the Arhuaco - one of four indigenous tribes living on the slopes of the pyramid-shaped Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains on the northern tip of the Andes in northern Colombia - as they repossess their tribal homeland. The war and encroaching development forced them from the lowlands of the Sierra Nevada, and their land was seized by civilian landlords and armed groups that planted coca and grazed cattle.

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The tribe has been systematically buying farms in the region and relocating families as part of a strategy to recover the traditional Arhuaco territory. They have already purchased more than 170,000 acres, with a plan to buy in excess of 320,000 more.

While living on the mountain, the Arhuaco grew coffee, which thrives in the lower temperatures and wetter climate of the higher elevation. But conditions in the new territories are hotter and drier, making coffee cultivation untenable. LWR is assisting these Arhuaco farmers as they transition to producing cocoa - a crop that thrives in the new conditions - by supplying technical knowledge to better maintain their cocoa plantations. LWR is also linking the Arhuaco farmers with buyers, including Pacari Chocolate, a world-renowned luxury confectioner based in Ecuador.

"They're doing quite well, given the circumstances," said Emilio Huertas, LWR's Colombia country director. Those conditions include water scarcity and adaptation to change. "Cocoa as a crop is new for them," says Huertas. "It's not a traditional crop, so this has been a cultural adaptation."
"The trains are sold out from New York to Washington on the morning of January 21st," Paula Miller, a lawyer, reported excitedly, on her attempt to get to the Women's March that is taking place in Washington the day after Trump's inauguration. "My guess is there are many women going to the march and we'll all march from the station together." In case you haven't heard, women are marching on Washington as a reaction to the outcome of the election.

It started out as a spontaneous reaction to the election results and has morphed into a rally cry for women who have felt castrated individually and now have a place to connect with others. "It's historic. Women across diverse groups are banding together and raising their voices. The mere size of the anticipated numbers means the issues cannot be ignored or glossed over. What you have for the first time in decades is a focal point for issues women talk of privately and that have lacked a forum for expression." Says a Californian immigrant who asked not to be named and who is flying to Washington to participate.

Many are inspired by Trump's campaign rhetoric that they feel will undermine issues relevant to women; policies of inclusion, reproductive rights, voting rights, free press, affordable health care, racial and gender equality, equal pay and higher minimum wage are just some of the issues that have galvanized women. The climate of hate, and bullying that is visible in our political discourse, the supreme court's move toward conservatism, the exclusion of groups, all of these are issues that are particularly noisome to women. The march organizers published Unity Principals on January 12th as a response of talk of exclusion related to race. White women were feeling uncomfortable with talk of 'privileged white women' not owning that they were an entitled group in relation to women of color and the LGBT community. The organizers did what more people would like government to do, they listened, adjusted and included. However, they have also noted that the march is not an 'anti-Trump' march. It is a pro-women march. A quote on the website states: Women's rights are human rights and human rights are women's rights.

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Desiree Aragon, who identifies herself as a woman of Spanish heritage, had not heard of the march, but expressed no surprise it was happening. "You never know what's going to inspire people," She said. "Who knew the election results would be a lightening rod for women to gather and raise our voice." Sabrina K Garba, a woman of color and CEO of 'Glass Ladder', feels the march demonstrates that women can "come together over issues that are important to us. For a long time society has seen women as not having opinions or being politically active. This shows we have the ability to make change that will impact policy. If we don't unite we will continue to be seen as second class citizens."

Denise savage posted on the official Women March on Washington Facebook page, that she is driving up from Florida with her sister in law - both are senior citizens but feel they MUST attend as they are fighting for their children and future grand children. There are comments like Jon Rosendall's joke, 'Who is going to make me a sandwich?', but men are lending their voices and participating too. One woman wrote: My husband is supporting the march by staying home and looking after the children so I can march. As of January 16th there were 386 marches scheduled to take place around the world, and every state has a sister march planned. 196K women say they are attending the march in Washington.

No doubt celebrities will lend their voice. Interviewing Idina Menzel for Lifetimes remake of the movie, Beaches, the Broadway star noted, "I am not sure if I am going to go to DC and do it or here in LA, it depends on my son's schedule. But I plan on marching somewhere." When asked the relevance of the Women's March on Washington she summed up what many feel, "There's just been so much degradation and demeaning of women. I think that we feel the need to, we want to feel active and like we are doing something and it's just important for us to all come together to be together, and to stand for many different things that we all believe in, whether it's women's rights, equality, health issues, whatever it is. I think we are fighters and we feel belittled and frankly betrayed. And underestimated I think. So I don't know what will come out of it, but if you put all of those women and all of that energy all over the country, it's got to stand for something."

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We saw a deep contrast between President Obama's farewell speech in Chicago and President-Elect Trump's first press conference in Washington. With Obama, saw heard the soaring rhetoric that we have become accustomed to over the past eight years. We have also listened as the outgoing president recounted many of the policy successes over the past two terms, along with an acknowledgement of policy defeats that will be passed to future administrations.

In the case of Donald Trump, we are now observing a complete departure of anything that resembles presidential behavior. We are seeing a complete shredding of presidential norms observed by any American leader elected to high office since the dark days of Watergate. We are also heading into a dangerous chapter of American history and we will actually discover if our democratic institutions can withstand a president with a strong authoritarian predisposition during our time of great peril.

There are those who think Donald Trump will magically transform himself into a moderating presence of how an American leader should behave--but they are seriously deluding themselves. In Donald Trump, what you see if what you get; he has behaved like this since he emerged during the mid-1970's as a Manhattan developer.

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Last week's press conference is a Rosetta Stone for Donald Trumps' future behavior and we remain unsure about his corrosive nature on the Great American Experiment.

Excelling at the Presidency is about doing your homework. It's all about going through reams of issues-based political binders and getting daily security briefings to better understand the state of the world. Throughout this campaign, Donald Trump has essentially "winged it" and has successfully leveraged his questionable business talents, sidestepped his numerous bankruptcies closures, but at no time did he take the office with any seriousness. Perhaps he was among the most surprised on Election Night when he actually discovered that he defeated Hillary Clinton. However, he has failed to take the preparatory piece seriously and he now enters into the White House as one of the least prepared people in modern history.

Running as a WWE wrestler as opposed to something that underlines the cool demeanor of a statesman on the make, Donald Trump now will have to work with the very same people he has humiliated along the campaign trail. Governing is all about addition--the counting of votes--and regardless of a President's political affiliation, humiliating partisan allies will only incur the first of many self-inflicted wounds as Trump stumbles through his first term.

He will soon discover that Lindsay Graham, Marco Rubio, or Ted Cruz may have faded as presidential candidates, but these Republican Senators continue to sit in powerful committee slots. Marco Rubio has the potential to hijack the Secretary of State selection through a variety of committee maneuvers in order to exact his revenge. Since Rubio was recently re-elected to another six-year term, he will not face the voters again until long after Trump's first term. Senators Lindsay Graham and John McCain--another American hero that Trump ceaselessly mocked--have roamed the hallways of Congress long enough to how to maneuver and bend the President's agenda to their will.

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However, the presence of Donald Trump has unified members of the Democratic Party like nobody in recent memory. Any squabbles between the Hillary and Bernie factions have long been put aside because the incoming president is hell bent upon replacing Obamacare with something that remains a complete mystery to anybody who covers Trump with any regularity. We are now seeing the largest mass protests since the height of the Vietnam War--and Trump has not even taken the oath of office yet.

However, Trump's foreign policy inexperience and his willingness to tweet at all hours of the night should give everyone a great deal of concern. His love for Vladimir Putin wanders into very dangerous ground. Calling NATO, the most important American alliance as antiquated and outdated is certainly music to Vladimir Putin's ears. Offering to lift American sanctions on Russia because of the military incursion and illegal annexation of the Crimean region is a desire that comes straight from Putin's lips. Questioning the One-China policy, which has guided the most important global relationship of the United States since President Nixon landed in Beijing on Air Force One, can become a precursor for an actual shooting war.

As for Nixon, he once said that domestic policy can damage you politically but screwing up foreign policy can have unthinkable consequences. Jaws hit the floor when Trump questioned military briefers why nuclear weapons were not actually used in current battlefield scenarios. He has run away from his promises on the trail. The Great Wall promised by Trump early in the campaign now will be fronted with American dollars and somehow repaid by the government of Mexico. Trump behaves like a high school sophomore in his first history class who is trying to fake his way to finals with borrowed copies of Cliff-Notes.

History is repeating itself. Countries that have experienced a period of ultra-nationalism often find that it is the final step before they stumble into a long and corrosive war. Ultra-nationalism was the rage in the aggressor-nations just before each of the two World Wars that ravaged the 20th century began. Tyrants emerged from the political margins and by demonizing enemies either internal or abroad, they whipped up such a frenzy that the world plunged into a horror of great darkness. While Trump supporters might feel that these concerns are silly, it was what many Americans believed before both world wars were fought in faraway places.

So we now stand on the precipice of great danger but as citizens, we have to take risks of our own in order to preserve what makes America a special place and a moral force on the world scene.

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Donald Trump won this election and he will be President of the United States--but we don't have to like it. He might place his hand on a family bible or one borrowed from one of his hotels, but we don't have to be complicit in his madness. He might bear down with an authoritarian impulse, but he must be reminded that power comes from the people not from above.
Egyptian parliament speaker Abdel-Aal said in his first-ever TV interview on Monday that it is parliament that will have the final say on the Red Sea island agreement with Saudi Arabia, despite the recent court ruling voiding the deal.

I insist that it is parliament that will finally decide whether this agreement goes in line with the constitution and whether Egypt would be ceding part of its land, Abdel-Aal told the DMC TV channel on Monday evening.

Abdel-Aal's interview came hours after Egypt's High Administrative Court ruled that the two Red Sea islands should remain in Egyptian hands and should not be transferred to Saudi Arabia.

The maritime border demarcation agreement, which would relinquish control of the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia, was signed by the governments of the two countries during a visit by Saudi King Salman to Cairo on 8 April.

Abdel-Aal explained that international agreements signed by the president of the republic should be discussed and voted on by parliament in accordance with Article 151 of the constitution.

In line with article 151 and with full respect for the Egyptian judiciary, I insist that it is parliament that still has the final say on international agreements, including the maritime border demarcation agreement with Saudi Arabia, said Abdel-Aal.

According to Abdel-Aal, international agreements should pass through five stages.



They have first to be negotiated and signed by the government, referred to parliament for discussion and voting, ratified by the president of the republic and finally published in the official gazette, said Abdel-Aal, adding that these stages are basic and necessary for any international agreement to be put into effect.

I also want to point out that it is parliament that will decide whether such an agreement goes in line with the constitution, whether Egypt would be ceding part of its land, and whether it should be put to a public referendum, said Abdel-Aal.

Article 151 of the constitution is clear in that it allows the president to sign international agreements that will be officially ratified only after being approved by the House of Representatives.

So, as you see, this is a basic role that Egypts parliament must exercise for any international agreement to become effective and binding for all state authorities, said Abdel-Aal.

However, Abdel-Aal also said that the final ruling issued by the High Administrative Court on Monday will be studied and reviewed by parliament when the agreement comes up for debate in parliamentary committees.

From a personal point of view, I have full confidence in the state authorities that negotiated and signed this agreement, and this confidence stems from the fact that those who fought in wars never accept ceding part of their land in any way, said Abdel-Aal.

Abdel-Aal explained that when the Egyptian-Saudi agreement comes up for debate in parliament, MPs will be keen to listen to all different points of view.

We will listen to all institutions and individuals who voiced different opinions on this agreement, not to mention that parliamentary hearing sessions will be held to allow all to express their viewpoints and present their documents in a fruitful dialogue, said Abdel-Aal.

Abdel-Aal stressed that given that the Egyptian-Saudi deal has become a matter of public opinion, parliament will be sure to summon all kinds of experts and international law specialists to give their opinions.

Abdel-Aal also said he does not fear a showdown between parliament and the judiciary.

The constitution has indicated in clear-cut terms the roles of each authority and what should be done to settle disagreements that might arise among them  that is taking the issue to the Supreme Constitutional Court to give a final and binding judgment, said Abdel-Aal.

Abdel-Aal concluded by saying he is not sure when and for how long parliament will discuss the Egyptian-Saudi deal.

All I can say is that parliament might take one month, two months, three months or even an entire legislative season until the discussion of the agreement is finalised and put to a final vote, and we will be keen on doing this without putting any political considerations into account, said Abdel-Aal.

Egypt's law-makers are still divided over whether the agreement should be reviewed by parliament.

While some parliamentarians insist that the House of Representatives has the final say over the matter, others welcomed the High Administrative Courts verdict on Monday.

The opposition 25/30 bloc said in a statement after the court ruling that the parliament no longer has the right to discuss the controversial maritime re-demarcation deal, and called on state institutions to respect the court ruling.

The bloc described today's court ruling as a death sentence that ended the deal forever.

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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump appears at a campaign event in Toledo, Ohio, U.S., October 27, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Escalation Watch

Cross-posted with TomDispatch.com

Within months of taking office, President Donald Trump is likely to face one or more major international crises, possibly entailing a risk of nuclear escalation. Not since the end of the Cold War has a new chief executive been confronted with as many potential flashpoints involving such a risk of explosive conflict. This proliferation of crises has been brewing for some time, but the situation appears especially ominous now given Trumps pledge to bring American military force swiftly to bear on any threats of foreign transgression. With so much at risk, its none too soon to go on a permanent escalation watch, monitoring the major global hotspots for any sign of imminent flare-ups, hoping that early warnings (and the outcry that goes with them) might help avert catastrophe.

Looking at the world today, four areas appear to pose an especially high risk of sudden crisis and conflict: North Korea, the South China Sea, the Baltic Sea region, and the Middle East. Each of them has been the past site of recurring clashes, and all are primed to explode early in the Trump presidency.

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Why are we seeing so many potential crises now? Is this period really different from earlier presidential transitions?

Its true that the changeover from one presidential administration to another can be a time of global uncertainty, given Americas pivotal importance in world affairs and the natural inclination of rival powers to test the mettle of the countrys new leader. There are, however, other factors that make this moment particularly worrisome, including the changing nature of the world order, the personalities of its key leaders, and an ominous shift in military doctrine.

Just as the United States is going through a major political transition, so is the planet at large. The sole-superpower system of the post-Cold War era is finally giving way to a multipolar, if not increasingly fragmented, world in which the United States must share the limelight with other major actors, including China, Russia, India, and Iran. Political scientists remind us that transitional periods can often prove disruptive, as status quo powers (in this case, the United States) resist challenges to their dominance from revisionist states seeking to alter the global power equation. Typically, this can entail proxy wars and other kinds of sparring over contested areas, as has recently been the case in Syria, the Baltic, and the South China Sea.

This is where the personalities of key leaders enter the equation. Though President Obama oversaw constant warfare, he was temperamentally disinclined to respond with force to every overseas crisis and provocation, fearing involvement in yet more foreign wars like Iraq and Afghanistan. His critics, including Donald Trump, complained bitterly that this stance only encouraged foreign adversaries to up their game, convinced that the U.S. had lost its will to resist provocation. In a Trump administration, as The Donald indicated on the campaign trail last year, Americas adversaries should expect far tougher responses. Asked in September, for instance, about an incident in the Persian Gulf in which Iranian gunboats approached American warships in a threatening manner, he typically told reporters, When they circle our beautiful destroyers with their little boats and make gestures that... they shouldnt be allowed to make, they will be shot out of the water.

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Although with Russia, unlike Iran, Trump has promised to improve relations, theres no escaping the fact that Vladimir Putins urge to restore some of his countrys long-lost superpower glory could lead to confrontations with NATO powers that would put the new American president in a distinctly awkward position. Regarding Asia, Trump has often spoken of his intent to punish China for what he considers its predatory trade practices, a stance guaranteed to clash with President Xi Jinpings goal of restoring his countrys greatness. This should, in turn, generate additional possibilities for confrontation, especially in the contested South China Sea. Both Putin and Xi, moreover, are facing economic difficulties at home and view foreign adventurism as a way of distracting public attention from disappointing domestic performances.

These factors alone would ensure that this was a moment of potential international crisis, but something else gives it a truly dangerous edge: a growing strategic reliance in Russia and elsewhere on the early use of nuclear weapons to overcome deficiencies in conventional firepower.

For the United States, with its overwhelming superiority in such firepower, nuclear weapons have lost all conceivable use except as a deterrent against a highly unlikely first-strike attack by an enemy power. For Russia, however, lacking the means to compete on equal terms with the West in conventional weaponry, this no longer seems reasonable. So Russian strategists, feeling threatened by the way NATO has moved ever closer to its borders, are now calling for the early use of tactical nuclear munitions to overpower stronger enemy forces. Under Russias latest military doctrine, major combat units are now to be trained and equipped to employ such weapons at the first sign of impending defeat, either to blackmail enemy countries into submission or annihilate them.

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Following this doctrine, Russia has developed the nuclear-capable Iskander ballistic missile (a successor to the infamous Scud missile used by Saddam Hussein in attacks on Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia) and forward deployed it to Kaliningrad, a small sliver of Russian territory sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania. In response, NATO strategists are discussing ways to more forcefully demonstrate the Wests own capacity to use tactical nuclear arms in Europe, for example by including more nuclear-capable bombers in future NATO exercises. As a result, the firebreak between conventional and nuclear warfare -- that theoretical barrier to escalation -- seems to be narrowing, and you have a situation in which every crisis involving a nuclear state may potentially prove to be a nuclear crisis.

With that in mind, consider the four most dangerous potential flashpoints for the new Trump administration.

North Korea

North Koreas stepped-up development of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles may present the Trump administration with its first great international challenge. In recent years, the North Koreans appear to have made substantial progress in producing such missiles and designing small nuclear warheads to fit on them. In 2016, the country conducted two underground nuclear tests (its fourth and fifth since 2006), along with numerous tests of various missile systems. On September 20th, it also tested a powerful rocket engine that some observers believe could be used as the first stage of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that might someday be capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the western United States.

North Koreas erratic leader, Kim Jong-un, has repeatedly spoken of his determination to acquire nuclear weapons and the ability to use them in attacks on his adversaries, including the U.S. Following a series of missile tests last spring, he insisted that his country should continue to bolster its nuclear force both in quality and quantity, stressing the need to get the nuclear warheads deployed for national defense always on standby so as to be fired at any moment. This could mean, he added, using these weapons in a preemptive attack. On January 1st, Kim reiterated his commitment to future preemptive nuclear action, adding that his country would soon test-fire an ICBM.

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President Obama responded by imposing increasingly tough economic sanctions and attempting -- with only limited success -- to persuade China, Pyongyangs crucial ally, to use its political and economic clout to usher Kim into nuclear disarmament talks. None of this seemed to make the slightest difference, which means President Trump will be faced with an increasingly well-armed North Korea that may be capable of fielding usable ICBMs within the coming years.

How will Trump respond to this peril? Three options seem available to him: somehow persuade China to compel Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear quest; negotiate a disarmament deal directly with Kim, possibly even on a face-to-face basis; or engage in (presumably nonnuclear) preemptive strikes aimed at destroying the Norths nuclear and missile-production capabilities.

Imposing yet more sanctions and talking with China would look suspiciously like the Obama approach, while obtaining Chinas cooperation would undoubtedly mean compromising on trade or the South China Sea (either of which would undoubtedly involve humiliating concessions for a man like Trump). Even were he to recruit Chinese President Xi as a helpmate, its unclear that Pyongyang would be deterred. As for direct talks with Kim, Trump, unlike every previous president, has already indicated that hes willing. I would have no problem speaking to him, he told Reuters last May. But what exactly would he offer the North in return for its nuclear arsenal? The withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea? Any such solution would leave the president looking like a patsy (inconceivable for someone whose key slogan has been Make America Great Again).

That leaves a preemptive strike. Trump appears to have implicitly countenanced that option, too, in a recent tweet. (North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It wont happen!) In other words, he is open to the military option, rejected in the past because of the high risk of triggering an unpredictable response from the North, including a cataclysmic invasion of South Korea (and potential attacks on U.S. troops stationed there). Under the circumstances, the unpredictability not just of Kim Jong-un but also of Donald Trump leaves North Korea in the highest alert category of global crises as the new era begins.

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The South China Sea

The next most dangerous flashpoint? The ongoing dispute over control of the South China Sea, an area bounded by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the island of Borneo. Citing ancient ties to islands in those waters, China now claims the entire region as part of its national maritime territory. Some of the same islands are, however, also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Although not claiming any territory in the region itself, the U.S. has a defense treaty with the Philippines, relies on free passage through the area to move its warships from bases in the Pacific to war zones in the Middle East, and of course considers itself the preeminent Pacific power and plans to keep it that way.

In the past, China has clashed with local powers over possession of individual islands, but more recently has sought control over all of them. As part of that process, it has begun to convert low-lying islets and atolls under its control into military bases, equipping them with airstrips and missile defense systems. This has sparked protests from Vietnam and the Philippines, which claim some of those islets, and from the United States, which insists that such Chinese moves infringe on its Navys freedom of navigation through international waters.

President Obama responded to provocative Chinese moves in the South China Sea by ordering U.S. warships to patrol in close proximity to the islands being militarized. For Trump, this has been far too minimal a response. Chinas toying with us, he told David Sanger of the New York Times last March. They are when theyre building in the South China Sea. They should not be doing that but they have no respect for our country and they have no respect for our president. Asked if he was prepared to use military force in response to the Chinese buildup, he responded, Maybe.

The South China Sea may prove to be an early test of Trumps promise to fight what he views as Chinas predatory trade behavior and Beijings determination to resist bullying by Washington. Last month, Chinese sailors seized an American underwater surveillance drone near one of their atolls. Many observers interpreted the move as a response to Trumps decision to take a phone call of congratulations from the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, shortly after his election victory. That gesture, unique in recent American presidencies, was viewed in Beijing, which considers Taiwan a renegade province, as an insult to China. Any further moves by Trump to aggravate or punish China on the economic front could result in further provocations in the South China Sea, opening the possibility of a clash with U.S. air and naval forces in the region.

All this is worrisome enough, but the prospects for a clash in the South China Sea increased significantly on January 11th, thanks to comments made by Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil and presumptive secretary of state, during his confirmation hearing in Washington. Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 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. Since the Chinese are unlikely to abandon those islands -- which they consider part of their sovereign territory -- just because Trump and Tillerson order them to do so, the only kind of "signal" that might carry any weight would be military action.

What form would such a confrontation take and where might it lead? At this point, no one can be sure, but once such a conflict began, room for maneuver could prove limited indeed. A U.S. effort to deny China access to the islands could involve anything from a naval blockade to air and missile attacks on the military installations built there to the sinking of Chinese warships. Its hard to imagine that Beijing would refrain from taking retaliatory steps in response, and as one move tumbled onto the next, the two nuclear-armed countries might suddenly find themselves at the brink of full-scale war. So consider this our second global high alert.

The Baltic Sea Area

If Hillary Clinton had been elected, I would have placed the region adjoining the Baltic Sea at the top of my list of potential flashpoints, as its where Vladimir Putin would have been most likely to channel his hostility to her in particular and the West more generally. Thats because NATO forces have moved most deeply into the territory of the former Soviet Union in the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. Those countries are also believed to be especially vulnerable to the kind of hybrid warfare -- involving covert operations, disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, and the like -- that Russia perfected in Crimea and Ukraine. With Donald Trump promising to improve relations with Moscow, its now far less likely that Putin would launch such attacks, though the Russians continue to strengthen their military assets (including their nuclear war-fighting capabilities) in the region, and so the risk of a future clash cannot be ruled out.

The danger there arises from geography, history, and policy. The three Baltic republics only became independent after the breakup of the USSR in 1991; today, they are members of both the European Union and NATO. Two of them, Estonia and Latvia, share borders with Russia proper, while Lithuania and nearby Poland surround the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Through their NATO membership, they provide a theoretical bridgehead for a hypothetical Western invasion of Russia. By the same token, the meager forces of the three republics could easily be overwhelmed by superior Russian ones, leaving the rest of NATO to decide whether and in what fashion to confront a Russian assault on member nations.

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Following Russias intervention in eastern Ukraine, which demonstrated both Moscows willingness and ability to engage in hybrid warfare against a neighboring European state, the NATO powers decided to bolster the alliances forward presence in the Baltic region. At a summit meeting in Warsaw in June 2016, the alliance agreed to deploy four reinforced multinational battalions in Poland and the three Baltic republics. Russia views this with alarm as a dangerous violation of promises made to Moscow in the wake of the Cold War that no NATO forces would be permanently garrisoned on the territory of the former Soviet Union. NATO has tried to deflect Russian complaints by insisting that, since the four battalions will be rotated in and out of the region, they are somehow not permanent. Nevertheless, from Moscows perspective, the NATO move represents a serious threat to Russian security and so justifies a comparable buildup of Russian forces in adjacent areas.

Adding to the obvious dangers of such a mutual build-up, NATO and Russian forces have been conducting military exercises, often in close proximity to each other. Last summer, for example, NATO oversaw Anaconda 2016 in Poland and Lithuania, the largest such maneuvers in the region since the end of the Cold War. As part of the exercise, NATO forces crossed from Poland to Lithuania, making clear their ability to encircle Kaliningrad, which was bound to cause deep unease in Moscow. Not that the Russians have been passive. During related NATO naval exercises in the Baltic Sea, Russian planes flew within a few feet of an American warship, the USS Donald Cook, nearly provoking a shooting incident that could have triggered a far more dangerous confrontation.

Will Putin ease up on the pressure hes been exerting on the Baltic states once Trump is in power? Will Trump agree to cancel or downsize the U.S. and NATO deployments there in return for Russian acquiescence on other issues? Such questions will be on the minds of many in Eastern Europe in the coming months. Its reasonable to predict a period of relative calm as Putin tests Trumps willingness to forge a new relationship with Moscow, but the underlying stresses will remain as long as the Baltic states stay in NATO and Russia views that as a threat to its security. So chalk the region up as high alert three on a global scale.

The Middle East

The Middle East has long been a major flashpoint. President Obama, for instance, came to office hoping to end U.S. involvement in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet U.S. troops are still fighting in both countries today. The question is: How might this picture change in the months ahead?

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Given the convoluted history of the region and its demonstrated capacity for surprise, any predictions should be offered with caution. Trump has promised to intensify the war against ISIS, which will undoubtedly require the deployment of additional American air, sea, and ground forces in the region. As he put it during the election campaign, speaking of the Islamic State, I would bomb the shit out of them. So expect accelerated air strikes on ISIS-held locations, leading to more civilian casualties, desperate migrants, and heightened clashes between Shiites and Sunnis. As ISIS loses control of physical territory and returns to guerilla-style warfare, it will surely respond by increasing terrorist attacks on soft civilian targets in neighboring Iraq, Jordan, and Turkey, as well as in more distant locations. No one knows how all this will play out, but dont be surprised if terrorist violence only increases and Washington once again finds itself drawn more deeply into an endless quagmire in the Greater Middle East and northern Africa.

The overriding question, of course, is how Donald Trump will behave toward Iran. He has repeatedly affirmed his opposition to the nuclear deal signed by the United States, the European Union, Russia, and China and insisted that he would either scrap it or renegotiate it, but its hard to imagine how that might come to pass. All of the other signatories are satisfied with the deal and seek to do business with Iran, so any new negotiations would have to proceed without those parties. As many U.S. strategists also see merit in the agreement, since it deprives Iran of a nuclear option for at least a decade or more, a decisive shift on the nuclear deal appears unlikely.

On the other hand, Trump could be pressured by his close associates -- especially his pick for national security advisor, retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, a notoriously outspoken Iranophobe -- to counter the Iranians on other fronts. This could take a variety of forms, including stepped-up sanctions, increased aid to Saudi Arabia in its war against the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, or attacks on Iranian proxies in the Middle East. Any of these would no doubt prompt countermoves by Tehran, and from there a cycle of escalation could lead in numerous directions, all dangerous, including military action by the U.S., Israel, or Saudi Arabia. So mark this one as flash point four and take a deep breath.

Going on Watch

Starting on January 20th, as Donald Trump takes office, the clock will already be ticking in each of these flashpoint regions. No one knows which will be the first to erupt, or what will happen when it does, but dont count on our escaping at least one, and possibly more, major international crises in the not-too-distant future.

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Given the stakes involved, its essential to keep a close watch on all of them for signs of anything that might trigger a major conflagration and for indications of a prematurely violent Trumpian response (the moment to raise a hue and cry). Keeping the spotlight shining on these four potential flashpoints may not be much, but its the least we can do to avert Armageddon.
WASHINGTON, USA - January 11: Representative John Lewis testifies against President-elect Trumps nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General during the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, USA on January 11, 2017. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

All praises go to John Lewis for becoming the first nationally recognized political figure to question the legitimacy of Donald Trump's presidency. He will hopefully not be the last. Lewis dared to say out loud what millions of Americans have been thinking.

Lewis -- who studied at the American Baptist Theological Seminary; led the first Freedom Rides; registered poor southern African Americans to vote; was almost killed when Alabama State Troopers beat his head in while leading the historic Selma Civil Rights March; chaired the Student Non Violent Coordinating Committee; and spoke at the historic March on Washington with Martin Luther King, before running for elective office -- is the closest living figure America has to a Nelson Mandela or a Dalai Lama.

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As Bill Moyers -- a man of old-fashioned grace not normally taken to insults and, like Lewis a graduate of Baptist Theological Seminary -- wrote after Trump tweeted attacks on Lewis over Martin Luther King's Birthday weekend, "Trump isn't fit to be a carbuncle on John Lewis's posterior."

In a manner that only a man of John Lewis's moral stature could articulate, he clothed his critique of Trump's legitimacy in the language not only of politics but of spiritual prophecy. In Lewis's usual soft-spoken, but morally firm, manner, he told Meet The Press's Chuck Todd,

" I believe in forgiveness. I believe in trying to work with people. It's going to be hard. It's going to be very difficult. I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president... "[W]hen you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to do something. You cannot afford to be quiet or to be silent. We have to continue to work, continue to speak up and speak out".



Lewis critique of Trump's legitimacy was both moral and political. Morally and spiritually, he seemed to be saying that a man of Trump's narcissism, ignorance, bigotry, misogyny, and xenophobia could never have the moral authority to be the leader of the land of the free and the home of the brave.

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Politically, Lewis focused his critique on Russian efforts to interfere in the American election to aid Trump.

"I think there was a conspiracy on the part of the Russians and others that helped him get elected. That's not right. That's not fair. That's not the open, democratic process."

If anything , in focusing on Russian interference in American democracy, Lewis didn't go far enough in articulating the reasons why Trump's election is illegitimate. Here are more two reasons:

First and foremost, voter suppression, something John Lewis, who spent much of his life fighting for voting rights, knows something about.

The NYU's Brennan Center for Justice reports that since 2010, 20 states have enacted new restrictions on voting Since 2010, 10 states have enacted more restrictive voter ID laws (and six states have strict photo ID requirements), seven have laws making it harder for citizens to register, six cut back on early voting days and hours, and three made it harder to restore voting rights for people with past criminal convictions.

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These restrictions are intended to, and/or have the effect of, disproportionately disenfranchising groups like African Americans, Latinos, and young people who tend to vote Democratic. For example, 25 percent of African Americans lack a government issued photo ID while only 8 percent of whites don't have one.

The man The Guardian has described as the "most important investigative reporter of our time -- up there with Woodward and Bernstein," Rolling Stone investigative reporter Greg Palast, has done exhaustive research which offers up the proof that voter suppression swung the election to Trump. Palast writes,

"Before a single vote was cast, the election was fixed by GOP and Trump operatives. "Starting in 2013--just as the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act--a coterie of Trump operatives, under the direction of Kris Kobach, Kansas Secretary of State [and a key member of the Trump transition team] created a system to purge 1.1 million Americans of color from the voter rolls of GOP-controlled states."

Kobach's list is called "Crosscheck" and contains the names of 7.2 million people with the same first and last names who are registered to vote in more than one state. For example, if you have a common name like James Brown, or Jose Hernandez, and that name appears on the voter rolls in both Michigan and Wisconsin, your named could be purged from the voter rolls in both states.

US Census data shows that minorities are overrepresented in 85% of common last names. According to Palast, "If your last name is Washington, there's an 89% chance you're African American. If your last name is Hernandez, there's a 94% chance you're Hispanic."

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According to Palast's statistical analysis, 1.1 million voters were purged from the rolls, overwhelmingly voters of color and the poor.

It was enough to swing the Electoral Votes in a number of states from Clinton to Trump. Here are a few examples:

Trump victory margin in Michigan: 13,107

Michigan Crosscheck purge list:449,922

Trump victory margin in Arizona: 85,257

Arizona Crosscheck purge list:270,824

Trump victory margin in N. Carolina:177,008

N. Carolina Crosscheck purge list:589,393

Michigan has 16 Electoral Votes, Arizona has 16, and North Carolina has 15 for a total of 42 Electoral Votes. Trump officially won the Electoral Vote by 306-232. Switch 42 electoral votes from Trump's column to Clinton's and Clinton would have won the Electoral vote by 274-264. And that doesn't even take into account that Trump officially won Wisconsin's 10 Electoral Votes by 22,748 popular votes and Pennsylvania's 20 Electoral Votes by 44,292 popular votes.

Without bothering to account for other voter suppression measures, Palast concludes that by using Crosscheck to wrongfully purge voter rolls of minority voters, Trump stole the election.

How's that for illegitimacy?

And then there was FBI Director Comey's letter, only 10 days before the election, announcing, in violation of longstanding rules, that the FBI was reopening the investigation of Hillary Clinton's emails because emails from her aide Huma Abedin to Clinton were found on a laptop belonging to Abedin's disgraced ex-husband, Anthony Weiner. You can call Comey many things, but stupid isn't one of them. He surely knew that headlines with the words "Clinton," "emails," and "Weiner" could impact the election. Of course the day before the election, after the impact of his announcement was baked into the results, Comey announced that his new investigation had found nothing.

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Polling guru Nate Silver concluded that the Comey letter swung the election from Clinton to Trump, tweeting "Clinton would almost certainly be President-elect if the election had been held on Oct. 27 (day before Comey letter)."

And finally, as John Lewis alluded to, multiple US intelligence agencies concluded that Vladimir Putin personally "ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election," and turned from seeking to "denigrate" Hillary Clinton to developing "a clear preference for President-elect Trump." Putin "aspired to help President-elect Trump's election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him."

So there you have it, three reasons why Donald Trump is not only morally an illegitimate president, but actually an illegitimate president who would not have won, but for (1) voter suppression, (2) Comey's letter, and (3) Russian intervention aimed at swinging the election to Trump.

There's little question that Trump's victory was ill gotten and illegitimate. The only remaining question is whether the Trump campaign communicated with the Russians about their efforts to influence the elections -- which would be a crime -- and whether Russian intelligence has compromising dirt on president-elect Trump. It remains to be seen if there will be an honest investigation to answer these questions.

There's nothing that can be done now to prevent Trump from being sworn-in on Friday. But for multiple reasons, John Lewis is right to call Trump's election illegitimate

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A week before Christmas, I, along with other dedicated volunteers from ADFA (A Demand For Action) NGO, a group of which I am a founder, went to Lebanon again to help our sister organization, Syriac League, with its Christmas events. We brought with us 17 boxes of ward and care material that one of Stockholm's largest hospitals and other health care centers had donated. We also had fundraised on social media, which helped us purchase enough for 200 boxes of groceries, 400 sets of winter clothes for children, two large Christmas parties for refugee children and hospital costs for the neediest.

At the events, we met hundreds of children, most of them Christians, namely Assyrians/Syriacs/Chaldeans and Armenians, whose parents were forced to flee from their homes. Every child endured some sort of trauma. But during the visit, we also witnessed miracles wherein children became children again, playing, singing, teasing and dancing with each other. Many of these children spoke about Yacoub Shaheen and mimicked him when they sang.

Back in Sweden, while having Christmas Eve lunch and discussing our holiday roots, a friend told me about a new light from Bethlehem. Of course not as bright as Jesus's light, and not to compare either, but a different light, born in the city 23 years ago. And then I heard the name Yacoub Shaheen again - he is one of the favorite contestants on this season of "Arab Idol," a very popular TV-program.

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After having heard his name also in Sweden, I researched him on social media and across the Internet. I have seen several video clips of him. In some of them, he even speaks the same mother tongue as Jesus did. He speaks Aramaic, the Western Syriac dialect that is spoken by indigenous peoples in Northeast Syria and Southeast Turkey. In the same language, he is asking fans all over the world to help him win the singing contest.

This is unique: an Arabic TV-show that is benefiting and being marketed by someone speaking Syriac!

I myself could understand him, since I also speak the same mother tongue daily. It gives me goosebumps to listen to this young man asking for help in one of the languages that so few people in the world understand, with perhaps billions not even knowing it still exists. So, yes, he has my vote. Not just because we share the same ethnicity and religion, but because he also speaks about peace and love in his performances. He is charismatic and talented. In several of the contests he has participated in, the judges have stood up and applauded him to show how much they appreciate his singing.

According to mutual friends of his relatives, I learned that he is a deacon at a local Syriac-Orthodox Church in Bethlehem, and a very popular member of the church's Boy Scout group.

On Friday, it's time for the next episode of "Arab Idol." Twelve competitors from eight different countries are left competing with their passionate voices. While Christians are persecuted in Syria, Iraq and Egypt, "Arab Idol" and its shining star Yacoub Shaheen, unleash light in the face of darkness. They prove that art is one of the most important tools to make the world a better place.

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Exterior view of the famous Sultan Ahmet or Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

So here's the news. Read it and weep.

1. Eight people aged between 11 and 30 were shot while celebrating MLK Jr Day in Miami. We are living in a nightmare world at the moment. More here.

2. The gunman who killed 39 in a nightclub in Istanbul was been captured. His actions were in behalf of ISIS. When will this nightmare end? More here.

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3. Repealing Obamacare will result in huge tax breaks for the wealthy. Which explains why Republicans want to repeal without a plan. More here.

4. If Trump can't even fact check a tweet how can we trust him with classified information? The question is rhetorical. We can't. More here.
Flags fly at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels during a NATO ambassadors meeting on the situation in Ukraine and the Crimea region, March 2, 2014. Russia is threatening peace in European via its military actions in Ukraine and must immediately de-escalate tensions, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Sunday. REUTERS/Yves Herman (BELGIUM - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT MILITARY)

Europe and the United States face three main challenges together.

As a new Congress convenes and Donald Trump becomes the new president of the United States, it is important that the U.S. and Europe focus on the challenges facing us.

During the Cold War and the fight against terrorism, the United States and Europe were close allies defending their common values: democracy, freedom, rule of law and human dignity. The U.S. stood side by side with its European allies when Western Europe faced the threat of the Soviet Union. European allies in NATO stood side by side with the U.S. after 9/11 in fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. We as Germans remain grateful to the U.S. for the support we received after the fall of the Berlin Wall and during German reunification.

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Our transatlantic alliance is not merely something to admire in history books, however. It needs to stay robust and resilient in the future as well. In an interview with several European newspapers the president-elect has elaborated on his positions. I see three main challenges facing Europe and the U.S.:

Countering terrorism and stabilizing the Middle East.

The instability in the region has directly affected the security of the U.S., Europe and Israel. The spread of the so-called Islamic State has led to ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks in America and Europe, including recently in Berlin, which threaten our common way of life. The immense influx of refugees has been a huge challenge for Europe.

There is no easy fix for the problems in Syria and Iraq, but together we can fight back against ISIS. Germany, for example, is playing an important role in training and arming the Kurdish peshmerga, who are a formidable fighting force against ISIS. Together, we can also mitigate the suffering of refugees by helping the countries that host them. We can rebuild the cities retaken from ISIS and make them resilient against the ideology of radical Islamists. Germany is a key contributor here and has gained valuable experience from helping Iraqis liberated from ISIS.

We saw Iran's nuclear ambitions threaten our security and security in the region. The nuclear agreement helps significantly to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. But we remain very realistic about Iran's problematic role in the region.

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Dealing with Russia and reassuring Eastern Europe.

The new assertiveness of Russia is a challenge both to Europe and the U.S. Its illegal annexation of Crimea was an unprecedented land grab in Europe. Russian efforts to weaken democratic societies in its vicinity and in Europe as a whole threaten all the freedom, stability and economic prosperity gained since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Chancellor Merkel is the Western leader who has had the closest contact with President Putin, in a straight and candid dialogue. Germany will always advocate engaging with Moscow. We would welcome efforts to improve U.S.-Russian relations to ease tensions and help solve regional conflicts, such as in eastern Ukraine, where we have embarked on negotiations. But it is important that this dialogue remain focused on the security needs of Eastern Europe and Ukraine. In this situation, engaging Russia on the one hand and staying determined and resolute -- through targeted sanctions, for example -- on the other hand is the right strategy to deal with Russia.

We know that discussion about burden-sharing in NATO will reemerge, and we are ready for it. Germany is prepared to take on more responsibility. We have increased our defense budget by 8 percent in 2017 alone and are among the NATO countries leading troops on the ground to reassure Poland and the Baltic countries about our alliance.

Creating growth and jobs.

Europe is America's largest trading and investing partner. We already are one integrated transatlantic economic area. Germany is an economic powerhouse in Europe. Thousands of German companies invest in the U.S., creating almost 700,000 jobs for Americans, building cars and planes, making chemicals and tires. The engineering and manufacturing hubs in Germany and the tech world in Silicon Valley are cooperating closely to create a driverless car and the factory of the future.

Germany never abandoned its manufacturing base, so after the financial crisis German companies continued to create millions of well-paying jobs. Germany has the lowest youth unemployment in Europe, one reason being the German apprenticeship system, where young people learn their skills while earning money at a company. In the last couple of years, German companies have been bringing this system to the U.S. with considerable success, reducing youth unemployment here as well.

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Germany's transition to renewable energies like wind and solar has created more than 350,000 jobs in Germany, especially in rural areas. There are great opportunities in this sector. Germany currently holds the presidency of the Group of 20 world's leading industrialized and emerging economies. This gives us, the U.S. and Germany, the opportunity to shape the future of the world economy together. It should be Europe and the U.S. that shape the norms and standards of this globalized world. Anything that obstructs free trade and investment across the Atlantic hurts jobs in the U.S. and in Europe.
It's a very simple issue.

Since even Donald Trump now admits that Russia intervened in The 2016 Election the only question is "Did the intervention affect the election?"

Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Kellyanne Conway, Reince Priebus, Sean Spicer and everyone else on Team Trump are adamant that the Russian hack of The DNC had "zero" effect on the election.

They have to say that. It's their only argument for legitimacy.

Because if, for example, Russia had swung an election in favor of their chosen candidate in, say, The Ukraine or Poland or even The Maldives, wouldn't the entire world be screaming about it and calling that election "illegitimate."

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This is not complicated stuff.

If a foreign nation intends to and does, indeed, choose a candidate and get their candidate elected, then that election is not legitimate. Right?

In fact, America cares so very deeply about foreign nations and even foreign citizens influencing elections we have made it blatantly illegal for a Presidential candidate to accept any money from any foreign source whatsoever. We don't want them, or their money affecting our sovereignty. Russia, for example, could not legally donate even $1 to Donald Trump, a Russian corporation could not legally donate even $1 to Donald Trump and a Russian citizen could not legally donate even $1 to their chosen candidate, Donald Trump.

Those donations and those attempts to "influence" our sovereign election, under our laws, must be refused or returned. They are illegal and "illegitimate" and to keep them could subject the candidate and the donors to serious penalties, including jail time.

And if an "illegal alien" or anyone else actually "voted illegally" then, of course, those voters and those votes would be "illegitimate." This we know for sure because Donald Trump made a special point of telling us that in his November 27 tweet:

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"In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally,"

So let's look at the facts.

Disregarding allegations by Rolling Stone journalist Greg Palast and others that significant votes and voters were suppressed, purged and not even counted in these swing states, Donald Trump won the 2016 election by:22,748 votes in Wisconsin44,312 votes in Pennsylvania9,528 votes in Michigan.

That means that out of 135,657,507 Americans voting, Donald Trump won the presidency by 76,588 votes, or 0.056 percent of those voting.

Not exactly the dictionary definition of a "landslide", but fair enough. A margin of 537 votes in Florida gave George Bush the election in 2000. In America a margin of even 1 vote constitutes a valid and legitimate win.

Let's break it down a bit further.

In Michigan, for example, out of 4,799,284 votes cast, a margin of victory of 9,528 represents 0.19 percent of the vote. To put that into context, that means that in a representative room full of 1,000 Michigan voters, 501 would have voted for Trump and 499 would have voted for Hillary Clinton. In other words, if only 2 out of 1,000 voters had liked Hillary a bit more, or Trump a bit less, the election in Michigan, and all of their 16 electoral votes, would have gone to Clinton instead.

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To say that less than 2 out of every 1,000 Michiganders, and similar numbers in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, were not affected by the constant drip, drip, drip of negative Wikileaks email revelations over the course of many months of the Presidential campaign, accentuated by Donald Trump's amplification of those leaked emails, accentuated by ads and constant news stories amplifying the worst aspects of those leaked emails, constantly taking Hillary Clinton's messaging and campaign off course and throwing them, relentlessly, into "Defense" mode instead of taking their own message to the people of Michigan and America . . . is to literally call Vladimir Putin stupid.

The former head of The KGB is not stupid and the effort to get incriminating emails and information about The DNC and Hillary Clinton was not stupid, nor the strategy of publishing little bit by little bit over the course of many months.

There is no question that these emails and this strategy had a devastating impact on the impression voters across America had about Hillary Clinton.

Let's turn the tables. Had Russia, or anyone, been able to get into Donald Trump's emails (or the emails of Kellyanne Conway or Cory Lewandowski or Paul Manafort or anyone else in the Trump campaign), does anyone believe that there would be "zero" impact on the vote?

And in addition to reinforcing negative impressions about Hillary Clinton amongst Independents and those who would ultimately go and "hold their nose" to vote for Donald Trump, there is no question that these emails and this strategy had a devastating impact on the enthusiasm of Democratic voters to go out to the polls and vote for Hillary.

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For months and months my own very Progressive and Bernie loving friends would fill my Facebook page with quotes from these very hacked emails along with remarks of disgust about Hillary Clinton and The DNC saying that they would "never" vote for her as a result.

Yes, this is speculative and anecdotal but let's be real.

To say that there were not 76,588 voters in those critical 3 swing states that were not affected by the number one most persistent story of the entire election is preposterous.

To say that Vladimir Putin is not a brilliant political strategist is even more preposterous.

It is counterintuitive and highly illogical to assume that a Russian hack, conducted by a former KGB officer and brilliant global strategist "intended to benefit Donald Trump" did not affect at least 76,588 out of 135,657,507, or 0.056% of the voters in Election 2016.

Given that, it is not John Lewis' job to defend his statement, it is Donald Trump's job to prove his legitimacy in the face of overwhelming logic that says that but for an illegal act of foreign influence that threatens Democracy and the very sovereignty of The United States of America itself, Donald Trump would not be taking the Oath of Office on January 20, 2017.

Richard Greene is a Political Communication Strategist and author, and a former attorney, radio show host and Fellow of The Constitutional Rights Foundation who has been a consultant to many political campaigns, including 7 Presidential campaigns in 5 countries.


Obama's qualities will be sorely missed in the years ahead.

He is someone you would trust with your children as well as the nuclear launch codes. Someone who does not need you to love him, who feels no compulsion to fire back at every insult. Someone who can coolly deliver one-liners at a fancy dinner after green-lighting a mission to nab America's top enemy. Someone who brings informed questions to his morning security meeting because he already studied the President's Daily Brief. Someone who can lead mourners in "Amazing Grace" for a martyred pastor and Bible study class and light up the north front of the White House in rainbow colors for marriage equality on the same day. His only rival in quality and class is his wife.

President Barack Obama is preparing to repeat a great American tradition: the peaceful transfer of power set by George Washington in 1797. He leaves with no trace of scandal having touched his office, and holds his head high even as he is scorned and cheated by men who are not fit to hold his coat. He had to be twice as good as everyone else because he was African American, though many resent this painfully evident truth being mentioned.

My admiration for the man does not blind me to his faults. I think he should have been slower to trust his detractors and quicker to fight. I think he should have done more to build and strengthen his party. But his virtues outweigh his shortcomings.

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His legacy, I suspect, is more secure than people imagine. He won a global climate change agreement; won a multilateral accord to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons; won healthcare for millions of Americans who did not have it before; saved the auto and banking industries; restored relations with Cuba after more than fifty years of a failed policy; and made sure, as he put it, "that a Marine can serve his country without hiding the husband he loves."

If his adversaries reverse some of these achievements, the harm and shame will be on them. You might say Obama is the telltale bloodstain in the right's horror movie: they cannot erase or diminish him, however frantically they try. His success shows up their smallness.

The finest president of my lifetime is about to be replaced by a kakistocracy, a government by the worst. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the American people will not tolerate obstruction of the president-elect's choices. Setting aside such stunning hypocrisy, how do you claim a mandate for someone who got three million fewer votes despite massive vote suppression on his behalf? Obama twice won popular majorities, yet was obstructed at every turn. McConnell demands respect he never gave. He will inherit the wind.

Republicans make up their own facts and rules to the point that the conversation in Washington resembles the trial over who stole the tarts in Alice in Wonderland. We who believe that Republicans are hell-bent on wrecking the country have little reason to cooperate and every reason to emulate the resistance that won for them in 2016.

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Part of wisdom is learning that all is not about you. The noisy hubris of incoming White House staffers notwithstanding, members of Congress are sent to Washington to defend their constituents' interests, not to prostrate themselves before a blustering ignoramus who lied and incited his way into office. The job of journalists is to investigate the truth, not serve as stenographers to the powerful.

Any self-assertion by a voice from a historically subordinated population meets with a backlash. As actor and author Keith Hamilton Cobb recently said in discussing his incisive play American Moor, the humanity whose foibles Shakespeare so acutely observed is the same humanity we have now. We resist seeing beyond our own experience. The extraordinary talents and skills that our 44th president brought to his historic moment are in greater supply than we choose to recognize.

We will always have that electrifying election night in Grant Park, and the eight years that followed, with lessons in toughness, grace, and vision from a man who connected easily with children and who spoke to voters, in a triumph of hope over experience, as if they were adults.

This piece originally appeared in the Washington Blade and Bay Windows.
Amid speculation that Donald Trump's pick for Labor Secretary, Andrew Puzder, may have lost his appetite for the job, the fast food CEO's personal financial disclosure documents are being kept from public view.

When -- and if -- the Office of Government Ethics releases these documents, we'll get a clearer picture of the grand fortune Puzder has built up in his 16 years as the chief of CKE, the company behind the Hardee's and Carl's Jr. chains. But even the incomplete data CKE has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission make clear that Puzder has received massive rewards for exploiting his low-wage labor force.

In just the four-year period of 2009-2012, SEC filings show Puzder made $27.5 million in total compensation, with a peak haul in 2011 of $10.1 million. (After 2012, CKE no longer had to report executive compensation data because it had become privately held.) Special executive "perks" made up just a small portion of his pay, and yet these rewards dramatically illustrate the hypocrisy of Puzder's positions on labor issues.

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For example, Puzder opposes mandatory sick leave policies for workers and wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. At the same time, he himself has enjoyed huge reimbursement checks from his company for medical and dental costs -- above and beyond his regular employer-provided health insurance benefits. In just one year, 2009, these reimbursements totaled an astounding $61,000. In contrast, only 9 percent of CKE non-managerial staff have access to any health care benefits at all through their employer.

As CKE CEO, Puzder has been so hostile to his employees that he famously once said he'd like to replace all of them with robots who "never take a vacation." Meanwhile, he has pocketed as much as $11,000 per year from the company to cover the cost of his personal leisure trips. CKE has also reimbursed him for personal income taxes related to those trips.

To make sure Puzder travels in style, the company has forked over as much as $60,000 per year for his transportation via company car or jet. For leisure time closer to home, the company covers the tab for private social and recreational club dues, which ran more than $3,000 one year.

In California, where the firm has been headquartered for most of its history, Puzder bristled at state worker protections, including regulations that require a 30-minute meal break for a worker putting in a shift of five or more hours and a 10-minute break for a shift of more than four hours. Puzder has made clear he will work to strip workers of the right to even these small windows for rest or perhaps a personal phone call. By contrast, his own personal cell phone is covered by the company, at a rate that must be one of the highest in the world -- as much as $4,424 per year.

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CNN has quoted an unnamed Republican source saying that Puzder "may be bailing" because he's "not into the pounding he is taking" from those critical of his labor practices at CKE. Some of that pounding took place at an emotional public forum on Capitol Hill on January 10, where three individuals with experience working for Carl's Jr. restaurants told U.S. senators about routine incidents of wage theft and other abuses. Two days later, the Fight for $15 campaign helped organize protests against Puzder in more than a dozen cities.

It's not hard to believe that the rumors about Puzder having second thoughts might be true. Given the level of imperial coddling he's grown accustomed to at CKE, such public scrutiny would no doubt be a bit unsettling.
Watching the presidential transition from what I hope is a safe distance, I continue to find the process to be the strangest I have ever seen. Despite Russian hacks, FBI interference, and a three million vote loss in the popular vote, Trump won the Electoral College and that makes him president. While his birther nonsense was designed to question the legitimacy of Barack Obama's presidency and the attacks on Trump's legitimacy are a little ironic, the attacks on legitimacy miss the point. Trump will soon be the president, and that is a simple fact. The odd part is that I suspect he knew that the legitimacy of President Obama's election was established. He knew Obama was born in the U.S.A. These are distractions and deceptions. His tweets are not random and it's time that we learn the strategy behind his messages. His misguided and ill-informed attack on Congressman and civil rights hero John Lewis on the eve of the King Holiday is the kind of head fake we should be getting used to from our soon-to-be president. When the political attacks on him are starting to hit home, he always manages to pull the media away from substance, to some absurd symbolic fire, ignited by his latest tweet. The media can't resist covering a train wreck, so Trump just attacks an icon: John McCain, John Lewis, the family of a deceased veteran--whoever's handy. The page is changed, the station flipped, the agenda moves on.

Last week the Republicans in Congress began the process of dismantling the Affordable Care Act, with no discussion of how they would ensure that parents could continue to keep their 26-year-old kids insured, or how they would guarantee that insurance companies couldn't drop coverage for people with "preexisting conditions." Forget about how the 20 million newly insured will maintain coverage, let's focus the media's attention on an unverified report about the President-elect's alleged personal misconduct. Trump attacks the CIA and hopes to draw attention away from health care policy. Obamacare is far from perfect, but this circus in Washington is incapable of fixing it.

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As the confirmation process for the Trump cabinet gains momentum, I expect more disinformation and distraction, all of which adds to the sense of unreality about the process. In my own field of environmental policy and sustainability management, I feel like I am watching EPA enter an alternative reality that bears little resemblance to the America I think I know. In my America, families pay attention to the air, water and food their children ingest, and environmental protection is seen as a basic policing function of government. I agree that some environmental regulators are incompetent bureaucrats and sometimes the government can be too aggressive. But then we have companies like VW that will lie and cheat on compliance until they finally get caught. We need to strike a balance between assertive policing of environmental compliance and reasonable accommodation to businesses trying to adjust to new conditions and rules. But the fact is, we need the rule of environmental law or we will end up with air like China or India.

So, who is the President-elect proposing to run the U.S. EPA? Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt. Pruitt has a habit of suing the U.S. EPA. He's not alone; many states sue EPA, often to get the federal government to more aggressively enforce federal environmental laws. Not Mr. Pruitt. Pruitt wants the rules on local companies lifted. In fact, according to a recent report by Eric Lipton and Coral Davenport of the New York Times:

"In total, Mr. Pruitt filed 14 lawsuits challenging federal environmental regulations. In 13 of those cases, the co-parties included companies that had contributed money to Mr. Pruitt or to Pruitt-affiliated political campaign committees."

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I don't know what they call it in Oklahoma, but in New York and New Jersey we call that pay for play. The piece notes that Mr. Pruitt and his supporters believe that the best place to make and enforce environmental rules is at the state and local level and that the best way to assure a clean environment is to work with companies to achieve compliance. I agree, and that is actually how most environmental rules are administered. The exceptions include companies whose pollution crosses state lines making it difficult for the affected state to regulate pollution caused in other places; or when we are trying to influence companies like VW, whose sophisticated methods of noncompliance require the resources of the national government. The best analogy is law enforcement. In my home town, the NYPD takes care of nearly all the crime we endure. But some cases require the FBI or Homeland Security. In New York, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are often all we need. But sometimes we need EPA.

Removing the possibility of national enforcement of environmental rules is a very bad idea. Suing EPA in response to the wishes of campaign donors is an even worse idea. It is astonishing that a 21st century American president would trust this man with formulating and enforcing national environmental law.

What is truly strange about this approach to policy and to the environment is that it is decades out of date. Modern, sophisticated management these days includes sustainability factors in routine operations. Competent manufacturers, retailers, nonprofits, real estate developers, and investors are asking these questions about companies they run and about the organizations within their supply chain:

Do they use energy, water and other raw materials as efficiently as possible?

Do they manage their waste flow to ensure low potential environmental damage and minimal risk of costly environmental liability?

Do they recycle and reuse materials they produce or consume?

Are they working with customers to ensure that products at the end of their life cycle are recovered?

Does sustainability make or cost money?

Does the organization have a reputation for environmental stewardship--of increasing importance in the marketplace--especially to millennials?

Companies that pollute and then pay elected officials to lobby for them remind me of that Gary Larson cartoon, "Why Dinosaurs Became Extinct"...the one that shows dinosaurs lighting up and puffing away. It's true that cigarettes came after the dinosaurs, but you get the point: well-managed companies can and should comply with environmental rules. It's weird when companies think that pollution is acceptable. We are way past the point that Americans actually believe we have to tolerate pollution to grow economically. The President-elect is a real estate developer; he certainly understands that you can't sell apartments if people can't see the view they paid for, they can't breathe the air without getting sick, and their tap water is unfiltered sludge.

Appointing Scott Pruitt to run EPA is like making a pacifist the head of the Department of Defense. It makes no sense and it will not work. While one can hope the process of Congressional advice and consent will stop this appointment, there is no assurance that the next nominee will be any better. The problem is this outmoded idea that environmental protection is a luxury and that we have too many cumbersome, bureaucratic rules holding back economic growth in order to protect the environment. If anything, we need to do more to develop advanced technologies that allow us to enjoy the benefits of modern life, without damaging the planet's ecosystems. Environmental protection is not the enemy of economic growth; it is a prerequisite for that growth.

When we develop our economy, and ignore environmental impacts, eventually we pay the costs of that damage. Clean-up is always more expensive than prevention. And that is before we pay the cost of health care, lost productivity and the emotional damage suffered when our children get sick or, god forbid, die from the wanton poisoning of the planet. The individual who runs EPA needs to understand this fundamental fact of modern life. They need to understand it deeply and be able to communicate it to the President.
The world is your oyster. We think of this every year about this time...

There's something about the beginning of a new calendar year that forces you to take stock of the past and look forward to the future. (Never mind that it will take us at least two months to simply remember that it is now 2017.)

Despite the nastiest political campaign either of us can remember, 2016 was a good year for us. We were fortunate to be able to spend a good amount of time visiting with family and friends on three continents. Travel is one of those things that almost everyone puts on their bucket list for the coming year and if it's on yours, we'd encourage you to make it happen.



Cotacachi, Ecuador

(If you think you can't afford to travel, see this past article about budget accommodation, or this one for finding budget airfares.)

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It's a bonus that for those of us from the U.S., today's strong dollar is making travel more affordable than ever. And while the "getting there" part of traveling (long lines, surly security personnel, crowded flights, and so on) is painful, the "being there" part of it is as pleasurable as it has always been.

Thanks to mobile apps, it's easier than ever to find your way around, find the best restaurants, sites and tour guides, and even--if you choose--to stay in touch with "back home." If you need to work, many of you can do that, too--for good and bad--with a laptop from wherever you are in the world.

The best of travel, though, is seeing the world through someone else's eyes and experiencing life as lived by the locals... It's the best way to learn to appreciate other cultures and better understand those who live differently than we do. And that's something we surely need more of in this world.



Ajijic on the north shore of Lake Chapala in Jalisco, Mexico

But back to those oysters... Did you know that it's possible for an oyster to contain more than one pearl? A couple of years ago, a story made the rounds of a woman eating in a Tennessee restaurant who found 51 pearls in an oyster--the only thing missing was a string...

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Our point is that you never know what you might find. Even when you're not looking for it, you can find magic. And it may happen to you more than once in your lifetime.

That's been our experience. And as we take stock of 2016, we count our lucky stars for having lived in Ecuador. It's one of the best places to retire or start a new life.

Far from the maddening pace of life in the States, Ecuador is a peaceful, gentle place of gorgeous scenery and sweet people that will tug at your heartstrings. Having said that, Ecuador is not for everyone. In some ways it may be too "rustic" for some.

It's hard for us to imagine what you, personally, might not like about Ecuador, because it appeals to us on so many levels.

(We love working on our Spanish skills and we don't mind that it can be chilly in the Andes of an evening or that supermarkets aren't stocked with 30 varieties of every item... Inside joke--we actually like the local peanut butter.)

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Ecuador has changed a lot in the time we've lived there...and mostly for the better, we'd say. In Cotacachi, the little village in northern Ecuador where we've lived, for instance, we've watched the retirees and other foreigners who have made homes there contribute in many positive ways.

Some have started foundations and many volunteer to help schoolchildren and families, the elderly, those who need medical care, animals, and more. Some have also started much-needed businesses that provide local employment.



Malecon along Lake Chapala, Mexico

But again, back to those oysters... Just as an oyster can be full of pearls, the world is awash with beautiful, wonderful, exciting places to explore and to live.

If you're thinking of retiring overseas, you really are spoiled for choice. In so many of the world's most exotic destinations, you can save money and live healthier and happier than ever, all while having the adventure of a lifetime. (And isn't that what you well deserve after all the years of putting others' needs before your own?)

The first thing on your action list if you're considering retiring overseas, of course, should be finding the place that's right for you. It all depends on your calculated wish list. It's personal.

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For us, Ecuador fit the bill perfectly...until, that is, our granddaughter was born nearly three years ago. Everyone warned us that becoming grandparents would change our lives. Still, we weren't prepared for the magnetic force she created. We longed to see her more and more often...and beyond the magic of video calls over the internet. It's not just face time we're after. We need snuggle and play time.

And so now, at the start of a new year, it is also a time of new beginnings for us. We've found another pearl in our oyster.

We're spending the first half of 2017 at Lake Chapala, Mexico, with an eye to relocating here. At a reasonable morning hour, we can leave from the Guadalajara airport just 30 minutes away, and we can be in Phoenix with our granddaughter well before lunchtime. We recently picked up a round-trip airfare to fly there for her birthday for just $205.

Best of all, life in Mexico is very good. The lakeside climate (same altitude as Denver, same latitude as Hawaii) is as perfect as it gets anywhere in the world. Flowers bloom year-round and birdsong fills the air. (Roosters are birds, right?)

This particular area of Mexico has been a popular destination for U.S. and Canadian retirees for generations--well over 100 years now. At our fingertips are all the valuable services anyone might want, including top-notch medical care, easy public transportation options, lots of choices for home rentals or purchases in all budgets, well-stocked big-chain supermarkets, excellent international-fare restaurants, and much more.

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It helps that our strong dollar goes farther in Mexico today than at any time in recent history. We're loving the 30-cent bus fares, the $12 mani-pedis, our $6 sit-down lunches and $20 evening meals...that's the total for two, beer or wine included. We love the Mexican people and their joyous (yes, sometimes loud--especially at holidays) approach to life.

We're settling in. And so are plenty of other foreign retirees. It's a trend we expect will continue. For so many worthy reasons, Mexico has just been named the #1 retirement destination on International Living's Global Retirement Index. You can read all about it here.

Will we live here forever? Who knows? There are many pearls in our oyster. And you know what they say about the aphrodisiacal power of oysters... There are so many places in the world to love...

This article comes to us courtesy of InternationalLiving.com, the world's leading authority on how to live, work, invest, travel, and retire better overseas.

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Egypt is working to return home 14 fishermen stopped in Tunisia last week near Sfax Port for illegally fishing in the countrys territorial waters, the Egyptian ambassador in Tunisia said on Tuesday.

Ambassador Nabil Habashy said that two other crewmen, however, will remain in Tunisia until investigations are completed and the problem is solved.

The fishermen were not interrogated by prosecutors as they are awaiting reconciliation attempts with Tunisian authorities, the fishermens lawyer Adel bin Mahmoud told Ahram Online.

Tunisian agriculture ministry official Abdulla Al-Rabehy said the fishermen are not being held in detention and are moving freely at Sfax Port, adding that a committee tasked with reviewing reconciliation requests will soon convene do address the matter.

Al-Rabehy expressed concerns over what he described as the growing number of Egyptian boats that fish in Tunisian territorial waters without a license.

Fishermen face fines between 30,000 and 300,000 Tunisian Dinars for fishing without a permit, Al-Rabehy said, adding that in this case only the minimum fine is likely to be imposed given that no other serious violations were committed.

In October, 16 fishermen were held by Tunisian authorities for illegal fishing, 13 of whom were later released. Three other crew members remain in detention and are being prosecuted before a Tunisian tribunal.

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One afternoon at one of my "Nanny Know-How" events in New York City, a young woman stood up and introduced herself to the group.

"Hi, my name is Karen," she began. "And I just wanted to say that I am the poster child for how not to go about finding a nanny...

"Our daughter is six months old, and we started looking for a nanny, which was our first choice for childcare, several months ago. We thought we had plenty of time before I had to go back to work, but now I'm actually starting back at work next week, and our daughter is going to daycare because we never found the right person. We went about our search in completely the wrong way; we didn't really know what we wanted, so we just started bringing people in and talking to them, thinking that we'd have an emotional connection with someone and that would mean everything else was right. We didn't understand how uncomfortable talking about money would be, so we met with a ton of nannies without really discussing salary, and then when we finally found someone we liked, she said wanted to be paid 'on the books.' We did all this research before figuring out that on-the-books wasn't financially possible for us--so after all that legwork, we couldn't agree on salary and the nanny took another job.

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"Now our daughter is starting daycare and I have to do the nanny search all over again. I'm here because this time, I want to do it right."

I immediately understood Karen's experience, because it is typical of the way that most parents go about finding nannies: They feel their way through this most important process with only their gut instincts to guide them, which means they are essentially flying blind. Many, like Karen, approach the process backwards: they round up a random assortment of nannies referred to them by friends and friends-of-friends, interview the nannies first, decide which ones they like, and then try to figure out who can match their actual, logistical needs. Or they do what I call Nanny Speed-Dating: they pick a day, invite ten candidates to meet them at Starbucks, interview each one for an hour, and then hire the person they like best. I also know plenty of parents who don't even bother to interview multiple candidates--they just hire the cousin of their best friend's nanny, or a neighbor's former nanny, because they become overwhelmed and don't want to bother with an extensive search.

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Unfortunately, all of these too-common approaches are rife with pitfalls. The problem with the interview-first approach, as Karen learned, is that it wastes a lot of time. Unless you figure out your exact needs and job criteria at the outset, you will spend a lot of energy meeting with candidates who ultimately, for one reason or another, aren't right for the job. No parent--especially an exhausted parent with a newborn--wants to spend any more time on their nanny search than is absolutely necessary. But if you try to rush things, as with Nanny Speed-Dating, you are not going to be able to gather sufficient information about each candidate to truly assess them and make the smartest, best choice. Even referrals are not a sure bet: As many parents will tell you, referrals may mean a lot--or they may mean nothing. Just because a nanny was wonderful for your friend does not automatically mean she will be wonderful for you. When it comes making a successful match, you need far more information than can be gleaned from a single interview, a single day of meeting nannies, or a single reference to know whether a nanny is right for you and your child.

Avoiding the wrong match is also critically important. There are many bad or even mediocre nannies out there who will meet you armed with years of experience and decent references. Mediocre nannies often fly under the radar, and the truth is that many parents don't actually know what their nannies are doing all day long while they're at work. There are many supposedly good nannies who commit what I call "Benign Neglect"--that is, they do the physical aspects of the job, such as feeding and dressing, but neglect the emotional ones, such as playing, interacting, and being affectionate with the child. And a lousy nanny can have an impact: activities like play stimulate brain cell activity and can actually increase your child's IQ, so if you have a nanny who is disengaged or refuses to play at the park because she's on her cell phone or too busy chatting with other nannies, your child will be missing an opportunity for cognitive growth. Similarly, if you have a caregiver who is the wrong personality match for you or your child, the resulting stress and tension in the home will affect your child's emotional development. Nanny searches are tricky, because you're not only trying to find the good nannies--you're also trying to identify and weed out the bad ones.

Fortunately, that's where I come in. Because I've worked with hundreds of parents through my nanny agency in New York and been on the front-lines for all of their nanny search ups and downs, I know what works and what doesn't when it comes to making a successful match. My process takes all of my first-hand experience and translates it into a sure-fire system that any parent can use to find and hire a great nanny. It starts with a detailed Family Needs Assessment, which draws on my background in psychology and child development to provide a 360-degree, in-depth look at your family and child, and helps you to identify your wants and your needs. We then translate those needs into an actual job description, and use five key points of interaction--Basic Screening, Reference Checks, Interviews, Background Checks, and Trials--to match that description to a strategically selected pool of candidates who have a high probability of being exactly what you want.

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The Gold Standard Selection process breaks down into nine simple steps:

Doing a Family Needs Assessment Deciding How and What to Pay Finding Candidates Basic Screening Reference Checks Interviews Background Checks Trials Making the offer

While many parents do these steps in some form already--for example, almost all parents do reference checks--the way we approach them is unique, as you will see in future posts. The sequencing of the steps is also very important; for example, we do reference checks before meeting candidates face-to-face, because I know from experience that when the check is done correctly, what you can learn from former employers far more telling than an interview.
The approaching Donald Trump presidency has taken quite a battering from historians. Comparisons have abounded with the 20th century's greatest villains, including Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, even if some have questioned how useful such parallels are.

But there is an era that lends itself rather closer to comparison than the tired fascist comparison. And it may have a far more useful message for us today.

Rise of a demagogue

Picture a superpower, once unquestioned, but now increasingly challenged by the rise of new powers. After political and financial crises, it tries to jumpstart its economy with international free trade, which, though it makes major cities and certain sectors of society very wealthy, also increases the strain on everyone outside these societal and geographical groups.

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This leads to resentment towards both foreigners and elites, while those elites continue to focus on constraining rising powers abroad and, in particular, to extend their influence in the Middle East, the Balkans, and Crimea. This ends with the rise of a popular demagogue, who rules chaotically. But the people support him as they see his measures against foreigners and elites as justified in what they see as a broken system.

Sound familiar?

What will be less familiar is the setting: the 12th century Byzantine Empire (the surviving eastern part of the Roman Empire) during the Crusades. The outsider politician: an ageing prince named Andronicus Komnenos (1118-1185).

This is not a "warning from history". The 2010s are not a rerun of the 1930s even if they share some similarities, and neither are we reliving the 1180s. But where events do not repeat, processes do.

Though these events contain horrors in the best traditions of a medieval caricature, so too one can see why people supported such a regime in spite of those horrors. And, in particular, to understand why people change course in such dramatic ways.

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Early career

To describe the colourful man himself: Andronicus Komnenos was born around 1118, the grandson of an emperor. He was a prince, but far down the line of succession. He had two passions: his military career, and a series of high-profile seductions.

Andronicus' record as a soldier bears more than a few similarities to Trump's business career, in that he sold himself as hugely successful, but his actual record was mixed.

The Turks had taken the 23-year-old Andronicus captive in battle in 1141, but he was ransomed and came to the court of his cousin, the Emperor Manuel I Komnenos.

At court, Andronicus took up with his own niece, Eudoxia, making her his mistress, but they escaped her angry brothers when he was given military command in Cilicia in 1152. There, he failed to capture the rebel stronghold of Mopsuestria, was recalled and given another provincial command. But he appears to have left this one hurriedly as well, to avoid Eudoxia's family.

At court, he was implicated in a plot against Manuel and imprisoned, but after escaping in 1165, Andronicus embarked on a grand tour of foreign courts, interspersed with short reconciliations with Manuel. He swanned into positions at court in Kiev, at Crusader Antioch and then Jerusalem.

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At Antioch he seduced Philippa, sister of Manuel's own wife Maria, compelling him to flee when Antioch succumbed to diplomatic pressure from Manuel to cease hosting this renegade prince. Andronicus was then welcomed in Jerusalem by King Amalric, who made him lord of Beirut, but then, at the age of 56, he seduced Amalric's sister-in-law Theodora (who was also Manuel's niece).

Andronicus then fled with Theodora to Damascus and the court of Sultan Nur al-Din. They moved on from there to Georgia. Though given estates and military command in Georgia too, in the late 1170s he was living on family estates by the Black Sea, where Manuel finally collared him. He was forced to submit to the emperor before being allowed to retire quietly.

His career may have ended here, were it not for the political situation when Emperor Manuel died in 1180, leaving ten-year-old Emperor Alexios II in charge, under a regency headed by Manuel's widow, the western Empress Maria.

Political and economic turmoil

To understand the political climate, we need to go back to the crises of the late 11th century, which also echo modern times. The era was dominated by two previous geopolitical events: the Byzantine civil wars that followed the 1071 battle of Manzikert, which allowed Turks to occupy much of Anatolia, and the subsequent appeal of the civil war's victor Alexios I Komnenos to the Papacy, which replied in the form of the First Crusade in 1097.















Well chronicled as these events are, there are comparatively fewer accounts of their results - politically, socially, or economically. Such a focus on the invasion itself and a comparative lack of interest in its fallout is equally something we can recognise as a typical historical error in these days of post-invasion Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Similarly, the chaos that the mass movement of peoples across continents can cause is not something of which a modern audience needs much convincing.

In the wake of these events, the Emperor Alexios, his son John and his grandson Manuel, found the empire's economic and political situation shot to hell. Many of its provinces were occupied by Turks and Normans, and far from the western Christians helping it reclaim lost territories, they set up Crusader States that opposed any return to imperial hegemony.

At the same time, new powers were rising: Vladimir Monomakh of Kiev ruled over an increasingly powerful "Rus" in the north; Serbs and Hungarians increasingly found their feet in the Balkans; and the arrival of the Crusaders encouraged various movements among the Islamic powers to repel them.

The Italian merchant republics - foremost among them Venice, Genoa and Pisa - began to operate vast trading networks across the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, the western European kingdoms of England, France and others took an increasing interest in what was occurring in the Middle East.

To compete in this new world, Alexios allied himself with the rising commercial power of Venice. He granted it sizeable tax breaks from trading tariffs in exchange for a military alliance, while at the same time granting its people a district in Constantinople to call their own.

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Tax breaks to Genoese, Pisan and other western merchants followed, and their presence appears to have enriched the imperial state treasury and cities across the empire. Cities became hubs of production and consumption, rivalling their classical Roman forebears. At the same time, the rural tax burden was increased to make up for the loss of traditional trading revenue.

Cities prospered while rural areas stagnated. The rural merchant was at a vast disadvantage both to his city-dwelling cousin, who gained tax breaks from trading with the foreigners, and, of course, to tax-free foreign merchants.

Andronicus rising

With this wealth, the Byzantine government focused on retaking its lost territories; Manuel pushed the empire through the Balkans to Croatia (1167) in the west while also attempting invasions of southern Italy (1155) and Egypt (1169). At the same time, the empire took on western cultural practices, with Manuel known to have held western European-style jousting in the ancient Hippodrome of Constantinople.















Constantinople became particularly cosmopolitan in this era. Italian merchants had their own quarters, as did Africans from Nubia; there were two rival Jewish communities; and the imperial bodyguard was composed of Vikings and Anglo-Saxons. Constantinople had a mosque for Islamic traders and prisoners of war, and Romany Gypsies are known to have entered the empire at this time.

There are many more examples, but overall the picture that emerges is familiar: cosmopolitan, affluent cities and a struggling countryside. And elites focused culturally and politically on global affairs, rather than local concerns.

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So by 1180, we have a foreign Empress-regent in charge of an empire that has vast differences in wealth, a large foreign population in its cities, continuing challenges from abroad (especially with the rise of Saladin), and the new economic and political power of western Europeans.

After years of Manuel's pro-western policies and military adventures, this situation led to rioting and civil unrest across the empire, such that in 1182 Andronicus (now aged 64) ended his retirement and marched on Constantinople with a small army.















He was allowed into the city by an admiral and a general, and immediately inflamed passions against elites and westerners in the city. This led to a bloody massacre of westerners in the streets, while Andronicus himself arranged the assassination of the young emperor after he had signed over power to him. Before this, the young emperor was forced to sign death warrants for his own mother, sister and the latter's western husband.

Andronicus capped this off with marrying Alexios' fiancee, the 12-year-old Agnes of France, daughter of the crusading French King Louis VII.

Bloody reign

Having taken power in so bloody a fashion, Andronicus did not completely break the wheel. His marriage to Agnes was an olive branch to the west, and in 1184 he compensated the Venetians 1,500 gold pieces for the massacre of their citizens and destruction of their property.

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Despite this, he continued to persecute foreigners and the aristocracy. The people of the empire tolerated him because they saw the previous regime as corrupt and broken, even if Andronicus himself is likely to have acted mainly to eliminate rivals.

These measures began a vicious circle against his critics - real and imagined - as the harsher he got, the more rebellions broke out. He descended into paranoia, at one point blinding a bishop for supposedly not being able to see any rebels in his town.

In the end, his reign was cut short, after only three years, in 1185. His continuing purge of the aristocracy on slim pretences led one of his henchmen to try to arrest a nobleman called Isaac Angelos. But Isaac escaped, and fleeing to Hagia Sophia, he appealed to the people of Constantinople.

After three years of Andronicus's cruelty and increasingly personal tyranny, despite his actions against the hated foreigners and elites, enough people wanted another change that rioting again broke out. When Andronicus returned from a military campaign, he found his son John had been murdered by his own troops and Issac had been declared emperor.

Andronicus was thrown to the mob and tortured publicly for three days, culminating in him being ripped apart by two western soldiers stabbing him by turns in the Hippodrome.

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National Library of France





In the aftermath

Three years of Andronicus did immense damage to the empire: new states emerged from rebellions in Bulgaria, Serbia and Cyprus, and all control over the crusaders was lost. His successors were more focused on retaining their own power than holding the empire together.

One of them appealed to cash-strapped soldiers of the Fourth Crusade, promising money for military support. When he couldn't pay, the crusaders sacked Constantinople and ended the empire that had ruled there since the fourth century. For those wanting all the gory details, I recommend Umberto Eco's historical novel Baudolino, which chillingly portrays these events.

Though Andronicus' reign was full of "medieval" horrors, the point here is how an outsider politician, with known serious flaws, was supported by a populace deeply disenchanted by government policies that had left a deep divide between affluent cosmopolitan elites and everyone else.

I am not arguing that we should watch out else there will be massacres of foreigners and the end of America; Trump is not Andronicus. But the situation that led to their rise is similar, and it is this lesson that we should learn from history.

In Act IV Scene I of Shakespeare's play, Titus Andronicus, Titus' brother says:

O, why should nature build so foul a den, Unless the gods delight in tragedies?

Neither then nor now is it "nature" that has "built so foul a den". Historical contexts are built by people facing a certain set of circumstances. If we are to prevent future "tragedies", and the rise of demagogues, we should look at fixing the processes that lead to them.

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Maximilian Lau, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Byzantine History, Hitotsubashi University


Edgar Su/Reuters

Fear of and misunderstanding about free trade and globalisation brought us a turbulent 2016. And the last few months have been a wake-up call about the dramatic slowdown in international trade, presaging a major change in global policies.

In its September forecast, the World Trade Organization (WTO) warned that it was worried world trade would only grow by 1.7% (in volume) in 2016. This is its lowest growth since 2009, the year of the global financial crisis, when international trade started retreating.

Worse still is the phenomenon of international trade growing at a slightly slower pace than global production. The ratio of international trade-to-GDP, which indicates the relative importance of international trade in the economy of a country, has been falling sharply since 2009 except a gradual recover in 2010-2011.

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According to the October 2016 IMF World Economic Outlook, international trade in goods and services has grown at the mediocre rate of around 3% a year since 2012, less than half of the growth of the previous three decades. Between 1985 and 2007, world trade increased, on average, twice as fast as world production, whereas for the past four years it has just kept pace.

This is an historic change. If the WTO forecast for 2016 were to be confirmed, world trade would have risen less rapidly than world GDP, which grew between 2.2% and 2.9% in the first half of 2016.

The end of globalisation?

This could indeed be evidence for the beginning of globalisation going in reverse. The globalisation of trade means that countries trade more and more with each other, and that trade between them increases faster than their national production.

Has globalisation, which is the modern form of the international division of labour, reached its peak? Those good old times when companies, mainly multinationals, achieve production efficiency and generated more revenue through outsourcing their labour-intensive work abroad than manufacturing at home.

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The IMF suggests three explanations for the decline in trade regimes: the slowdown in global economic growth; the halt in trade and investment liberalisation agreements (which started long before the freezing of the Trans Pacific Partnership or the Trans Atlantic Trade and Partnership agreements); and the maturity of international production chains that would have exhausted their advantages.

Geopolitical competition in global trade agenda-setting among the US, the European Union and emerging powers, such as China and India, and increasingly popular protectionism rhetoric in national trade debates also explain the failure or lack of cooperation in the multilateral trading system.

Three types of explanations

IMF experts estimate that the slowdown in economic growth since 2012, after the temporary catch up in 2010 and 2011, explains by itself "about three-quarters of the dramatic slowdown trade".

Proof of this, they argue, is that it's investment products, and secondarily, durable household goods, such as cars, whose trade has slowed down the most. They note that slowdown of goods consumption affects 143 countries out of 171 under review, including China, Brazil and the nations in the Euro area, among others.

In this respect, the period between 2012 and 2016 will have been particularly volatile in terms of world trade, resulting from the collapse of oil and commodity prices. The IMF notes that this fall itself resulted in a 10.5% contraction of all international trade in 2015, when looking at all products.

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This has resulted in considerable loss of purchasing power for many countries and billions of consumers, and thus a reorientation of demand at the expense of durable goods, which have become inaccessible to many. Added to this are national trade imbalances - the surpluses of some countries and the deficits of others - that have also acted as a brake on trade.

The second explanation for shrinking international trade stems from the general global climate, which has become more protectionist. The IMF notes that, in the 1990s, an average of 30 trade liberalisation agreements were signed annually between countries. But barely ten such agreements have been signed each year since 2011.

Free trade agreements include deeper provisions that go beyond trade barriers and more partners can significantly reduce the cost of trade, which, in turn, helps boost trade flows.

The third reason for the brake on trade is the decline in the growth of global value chains, which is the idea that the process of production consists of many stages and occurs across borders. But this phenomenon, which developed at a very high rate after China's accession to the WTO in 2001 as the country emerged as a global supplier, has now reached cruising pace.

Similarly, the fall in the cost of cross-border transportation and international cost of telecommunications, which had contributed so much to trade, would also have met its limit. And they probably contribute modestly to the decline of global trade.

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But even as they worry about the disappointing numbers, countries remain very divided on what to do next. In fact, we may be witnessing the return of an economic nationalism that threatens withdrawal from the global market.

Prospects for 2017

It seems, then, that the only diagnosis is that the global economy is slowing down and the risks to recovery are picking up. Challenges range from Brexit to the slowdown in emerging markets, from the collapse of commodity prices to rising geopolitical tensions.

Part of the problem is that the level of public debt of countries is too high for them to have significant room for manoeuvre. And countries that have the means, such as Germany, refuse to spend more.

At least, in the last months of 2016 the G20 leaders' communique recognised the impact excess capacity has had on the global economy and there's now a chance of focusing on this problem. Excess global capacity in steel and other industries is mainly a result of falling demand, rising production and excessive government subsidies.

The impact of the crisis has been so severe on market demand that all G20 leaders are turning to overcapacity, following the example of China. Until current overcapacity is absorbed, the recovery will be slow.

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But the remedy has the social cost of job loss, and that could fuel the already high risk in the United States and Europe of fragmented national politics.

On the bright side is the noteworthy G20 Guiding Principle for Global Investment Policymaking reached under Chinese presidency and endorsed by G20 heads of state. It lays out a roadmap for future investment policy and the correlation between investment and sustainable development.

In the 19th century, debates over drivers of economic growth - tariffs or free trade - dominated the political scene. Mercifully, the idea of free trade has persisted but it now faces serious challenges.

It seems that, at best, 2017 will be another difficult year. The most we may be able to hope for is that national trade-restriction measures will be compatible with WTO rules.

In any event, we have not finished paying for the consequences of the financial crisis. If history is any indication, trade deals, which are always better in the multilateral format (such as under the WTO), are the world's best hope for avoiding another global recession.

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Trump: 'I'd bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.' Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

There can be no doubt that the swearing in of Donald Trump on January 20 will usher in a new era for the United States. But the president-elect's open support for torture and waterboarding could mean his inauguration also marks a return to what President Barack Obama has called a "dark and painful chapter" in US history.

Trump and his team have not hesitated in their support for waterboarding. On the campaign trail in 2016, Trump said:

I would bring back waterboarding, and I'd bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding. We're like a bunch of babies, but we're going to stay within the laws. But you know what we're going to do? We're going to have those laws broadened. They say, what do you think about waterboarding? I said I like it a lot. I don't think it's tough enough. You have to fight fire with fire.

The dark and painful chapter

Waterboarding, as described by NPR, "involves choking the victim by filling their throat with a steady stream of water - a sort of 'slow-motion drowning'." It is best known for being used by the CIA during the Bush administration's "war on terror". To use the technique, the Bush administration argued for a very restrictive legal definition of torture.

A series of memos from 2001 and 2002 show the Bush administration effectively made waterboarding legal by changing the definition of torture. On August 3 2002, CIA Headquarters first informed one of their "black sites" that they had approval to begin waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques". Black sites were secret overseas prisons maintained by the agency in countries as diverse as Poland, Egypt and Thailand.

Over the next few years, waterboarding was used hundreds of times on what the CIA called "high-value detainees".

In July 2007, under pressure from a series of torture and mistreatment scandals involving detainees, President Bush issued an executive order that CIA detainees would be covered by the Geneva Conventions. President Obama subsequently issued an executive order revoking all of the Bush administration orders relating to the interrogation of detainees and prohibiting waterboarding.

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Under pressure

As far as we know, Trump's position on torture has not changed. In an interview with The New York Times, he said his defence secretary nominee, General James M Mattis, surprised him by coming out against torture.

Still, Trump explained, "I'm not saying it changed my mind. Look, we have people that are chopping off heads and drowning people in steel cages and we're not allowed to waterboard."

Of course, just because a president supports a policy does not mean he will be able to implement it. President Obama's multiple attempts to close down Guantanamo Bay are a good example of how support for a policy and its successful execution can diverge.

Individual presidents are subject to many competing political pressures that both help and hinder them in realising their agendas. Understanding these political pressures is vital if we want to know whether Trump's desire to reintroduce torture is likely to materialise.

Pressure from the American public

The opinion of the American public is central to Trump's ability to institute waterboarding. He has said he takes the public mood about torture seriously. In his conversation with General Mattis, he said, "If it's so important to the American people, I would go for it. I would be guided by that."

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But the American people do not, in general, disagree with their president-elect. The US public generally supports torture in the context of the terrorism and security.

In December 2016, an ICRC poll showed that 46% of Americans believed torture could be used on an enemy combatant, with 30% believing the opposite. In a March 2016 poll, 63% of Americans claimed that torture is often or sometimes justified, and only 15% claimed that it is never justified.

Throughout Obama's presidency, Americans have consistently supported the use of torture. This has been part of a longer-term trend starting in the Bush presidency where, perhaps counter-intuitively, the support for torture began making gains after the scandals of Abu Ghraib and the revelations of torture at CIA black sites in 2005 and 2006.

If Donald Trump wishes to reinstate waterboarding, there is evidence to suggest that he could command at least a plurality, if not a majority, of support among the American people for his policies. From the perspective of electoral politics, there would be little preventing him from implementing such a policy and, indeed, he is likely to find support from large sections of the American public.

Pressures within the US government

If he tried to reinstate Bush-era policies, Trump would face both support and opposition from within the US government.

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Institutional opposition from some sectors of government to the use of waterboarding has a long history. During the Bush administration, the US military and state department were opposed to removing the Geneva Convention rights from Taliban prisoners that would protect them from torture, though Bush eventually decided to ignore these recommendations.

This time around, the mere possibility that Trump would allow waterboarding led ex-CIA director Michael Hayden to declare that the CIA's position would be: "If you want somebody waterboarded, bring your own damn bucket."

The current CIA director, John Brennan, asserted that he would not comply with orders to waterboard prisoners as long as he was the head of the CIA. But Trump's current pick for CIA director, Mike Pompeo, previously denounced Obama's decision to close CIA black sites, where torture took place, and rein in government interrogators. Top generals in the US military have also come out against a return to waterboarding.

Members of Congress have spoken out on both sides. Some Republican senators, such as John McCain, have spoken openly against it. In November 2016, he said, "I don't give a damn what the president wants to do ... we will not waterboard. We will not torture people."

Other Republicans, such as Tom Cotton, have argued that waterboarding isn't torture.

The US government is seemingly split on the issue, so Trump can certainly expect political and legal resistance. This is particularly the case since it will be more difficult to rely on secrecy in the same way that the Bush administration did.

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Trump's open support of the practice will almost certainly lead torture opponents to be more vigilant in uncovering potential misdeeds.

Pressure from abroad

In addition to pressure from within his own executive and government, Trump might face pressure from international leaders. We can see these effects if we look back to the Bush administration. Many countries were openly opposed to Bush's use of torture, and this opposition strengthened between 2001 and 2008.

The cooperation that the United States did achieve with countries that hosted black sites, such as Poland, Lithuania, Romania, and Thailand, required both the transfer of large sums of money and consistent diplomatic effort to maintain highly unstable cooperative relationships - even when the programme was secret. Once it was revealed in 2006, it became almost impossible for the CIA to maintain existing partners or find new ones.

Assuming that international conditions are relatively similar, there is little to suggest that Trump's waterboarding policy would find much international support among traditional American allies.

This is particularly the case since, unlike George Bush, Trump openly uses the word "torture", which is unambiguously in violation of the laws of armed conflict and international human rights law.

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Trump will almost certainly need to consider the diplomatic fallout of open waterboarding policy, particularly with respect to intelligence-sharing and joint military activities. In both of these areas, American allies are likely to be highly resistant to finding themselves involved in cooperation that involves the use of torture.

Counting the costs

In Trump, we have a president-in-waiting who openly advocates for torture, supported by the American public.

Though he will face opposition from within the US government and legal system, if there are more successful terrorist attacks on American soil, the pre-existing public support for torture, combined with the momentum for the president to "do something", might be difficult to overcome.

Reversing the support for torture among the American public is almost certainly going to be a long-term process. Until then, there is an important role for US allies to be clear about their disapproval, to make the international diplomatic costs of using torture clear.

Foreign leaders must stand up and add their voices to the domestic opponents of torture to make Trump think twice before instituting waterboarding. Statements such as that made by Angela Merkel, who stressed close cooperation based on "the dignity of each and every person", need to be reinforced by other leaders.

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With the public and some domestic lawmakers onside, president-elect Trump must be made fully aware that any attempt to reinstate torture will carry a great international cost.

Vincent Charles Keating, Assistant Professor at the Center for War Studies, University of Southern Denmark
The United States is the world's largest seafood importer, purchasing about US$20 billion worth every year. It is also a global leader in seafood sustainability, with some of the world's strongest laws and policies designed to prevent both overfishing of target species and incidental harms to other species.

One of the major global challenges to harvesting seafood sustainably is that marine mammals like dolphins, whales and sea lions are often killed incidentally in fishing operations. This problem is called "bycatch." Bycatch is known to affect at least two-thirds of the world's marine mammal species. It was largely responsible for the recent extinction of the Yangtze river dolphin in China, and it is pushing the vaquita porpoise toward extinction in Mexico.

On Jan. 1 the United States started enforcing a new import rule, which requires fisheries exporting seafood to the United States to protect marine mammals at standards comparable to those required for U.S. fisheries. This rule aims to leverage American market power to reduce marine mammal bycatch worldwide. It also aims to level the playing field for U.S. fishermen, who currently face monitoring costs and fishing restrictions to reduce marine mammal bycatch - unlike some of their foreign competitors.

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If this rule succeeds, it could serve as a model for responsible globalization by demonstrating that countries can be competitive in global trade without "racing to the bottom" in their environmental standards. But to make this happen, the United States will have to set the right standard, work with other countries that need help to comply and possibly defend the rule in international courts.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act and the import rule

Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, enacted in 1972, federal regulators monitor marine mammal bycatch in U.S. fisheries. They also develop plans to ensure bycatch remains within well-defined limits that will not threaten marine mammal populations. If a fishery exceeds these limits, regulators can require fishermen to change their fishing gear or methods, or even close the fishery temporarily.

The MMPA is one of the world's strongest marine mammal protection laws, and has greatly improved the status of Pacific dolphins, harbor porpoises and California sea lions. But it also has made U.S. fisheries less competitive by imposing fishing restrictions and monitoring costs that vessels in many other countries do not face.

The new rule, administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, gives countries that want to export seafood to the U.S. a five-year grace period to prove that their exporting fisheries monitor and limit marine mammal bycatch as effectively as U.S. fisheries are required to do under the MMPA. The idea is to level the playing field for U.S. fishermen by encouraging other countries to raise their environmental standards, rather than lowering U.S. standards. By benefiting both U.S. trade competitiveness and marine mammal conservation, this rule should have bipartisan appeal.

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Keys to success

The key question is how NOAA will define standards that are "comparable in effectiveness" to U.S. requirements for monitoring and limiting bycatch. A low standard will make the new rule toothless and fail to reduce the number of marine mammals killed in fisheries that sell into U.S. markets. Success at the highest achievable standard depends on three factors, some of which we discussed in a recent article.

First, other countries must want to comply with the new standard, which means they must believe that access to the U.S. market is worth the cost. As the world's largest seafood importer, the United States has a lot of market power. Pressure from U.S. consumers has already made "dolphin-safe" tuna fishing practices a near-global standard.

But if NOAA sets the equivalence bar too high - for example, requiring monitoring systems so sophisticated that they cost nearly as much as fishermen would earn from their catch - other countries may choose to sell their catch into other markets, such as China, rather than investing in new scientific and regulatory infrastructures to meet the U.S. standard.

Second, other countries must either have or be able to quickly obtain the monitoring and enforcement capacity they will need to comply. Five years is not much time for countries to gather enough evidence to show that their fisheries do not cause unsustainable marine mammal bycatch. And the longer the U.S. takes to formulate clear equivalency standards, the less time countries will have to meet them.

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Data from Table S1 in Williams et al. Science 354, 1372 (2016).





While countries like Canada, China and Indonesia export the largest quantities of seafood to the U.S., the countries that are most economically dependent on exporting seafood to the United States - and thus have the potential to be most severely impacted by the new rule - are Small Island Developing States and some small Latin American countries, such as Guyana and Suriname.

Seafood exports from each of these countries come mostly from one or two fisheries. Improving management in one or two fisheries in a small country within five years is a challenging but tractable problem. U.S. aid and development agencies and philanthropic organizations can help capacity-poor countries comply within the grace period by providing them with funding and technical advice. And since most marine mammal populations span multiple jurisdictions, countries could save resources by coordinating monitoring efforts regionally.

Third, this rule needs to be able to withstand legal challenges in the World Trade Organization and under other international laws. NOAA asserts that the rule complies with international law because the rule requires standards of effectiveness, rather than specific policies or practices. But NOAA may have to defend this assertion in international courts. Some experts are less optimistic that import bans could survive a WTO challenge.

Banning imports from some fisheries that fail to comply with the new rule could, in theory, increase prices for U.S. seafood-importing companies and consumers. But NOAA has concluded that these effects are likely to be very small. Import bans would affect only noncomplying fish products, which NOAA hopes will be few. And the U.S. imports its highest-volume import products like tuna, shrimp and salmon from many different countries, so U.S. buyers should have plenty of time to find new sources for products facing bans during the five-year grace period.

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Race to the top

NOAA has taken a bold step with this rule and should be applauded. If it succeeds, the rule will demonstrate that environmental protection does not have to conflict with global business competitiveness, and that market-based incentives can maintain high environmental standards even where international treaties do not yet exist.

Businesses, labor unions and conservation advocates have warned that global trade may cause a "race to the bottom," in which countries progressively lower their environmental, labor, taxation or corporate accountability standards to keep their producers competitive in globalizing industries. This new rule could be a rare blueprint for racing to the top.
By Al Olsen

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) rope-a-doped his way through two days of grilling during his confirmation hearing without suffering anything close to a knockout blow, or really saying much about legal marijuana.

President-elect Donald J. Trump's embattled nominee for Attorney General, an ardent opponent of legal marijuana, provided vague answers to questions about his approach to the issue. Despite the grilling from Democratic senators, Sessions suggested that he would not radically shake the status quo. But there is a lot of tea-leaf reading in between the lines.

"I won't commit to never enforcing federal law," said Sessions, responding in a double negative when asked if he would spend precious federal dollars and manpower to prosecute people for consuming cannabis in accordance with state laws. "But absolutely it's a problem of resources for the federal government."

Sessions also suggested that the guidelines provided by his predecessors Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch were "truly valuable" in maintaining an appropriate balance.

The testimony that made the biggest headlines occurred on Tuesday when Sessions challenged Congress to do its job as the legislative branch of the federal government and pass a law if it wants to put an end to the incongruity of state and federal policies. Until then, he maintained, he was adamant that he would follow current law "in a just and fair way."

RELATED STORY: 6 Reasons Why Marijuana Wins No Matter Who Becomes Attorney General

"It is not so much the Attorney General's job to decide what laws to enforce," Sessions said. "We should do our job and enforce laws effectively as we are able."

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Some policy wonks and marijuana legalization advocates were cautious in their criticisms of the testimony. On one hand, his answers were innocuous and non-threatening. But on the other hand, Sessions has a decades-long reputation of anti-marijuana rhetoric.

Marijuana Majority: "It's a good sign that Sen. Sessions seemed open to keeping the Obama guidelines, if maybe with a little stricter enforcement of their restrictions," said Tom Angell, chairman of Marijuana Majority. "The truth is, his answer was skillfully evasive.

"It's a good sign that Sen. Sessions seemed open to keeping the Obama guidelines, if maybe with a little stricter enforcement of their restrictions," said Tom Angell, chairman of Marijuana Majority. "The truth is, his answer was skillfully evasive. Drug Policy Alliance: "Jeff Sessions is a nightmare. He is a threat to progress, especially marijuana reform, sentencing reform, and asset forfeiture reform," said Bill Piper, senior director of national affairs for the DPA. "It is clear that he was too afraid to say the Reefer Madness things he said just a year ago, but he left the door open to interfering in the states. I think he will follow Trump's lead, whichever way that goes" Piper said, adding that Sessions' performance was "wishy-washy at best."

"Jeff Sessions is a nightmare. He is a threat to progress, especially marijuana reform, sentencing reform, and asset forfeiture reform," said Bill Piper, senior director of national affairs for the DPA. "It is clear that he was too afraid to say the Reefer Madness things he said just a year ago, but he left the door open to interfering in the states. I think he will follow Trump's lead, whichever way that goes" Piper said, adding that Sessions' performance was "wishy-washy at best." National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: "If anything, his comments are a cause for concern and can be interpreted as leaving the door open for enforcing federal law in legalized states," said Erik Altieri, executive direction of the NORML. "If Sessions wants to be an Attorney General for ALL Americans, he must bring his views in line with the majority of the population and support allowing states to set their own marijuana policies without fear of federal intervention," he said.

"If anything, his comments are a cause for concern and can be interpreted as leaving the door open for enforcing federal law in legalized states," said Erik Altieri, executive direction of the NORML. "If Sessions wants to be an Attorney General for ALL Americans, he must bring his views in line with the majority of the population and support allowing states to set their own marijuana policies without fear of federal intervention," he said. Marijuana Policy Project: Sessions "chose not to commit to vigorously enforcing federal prohibition laws in states that have reformed their marijuana laws. He also recognized that enforcing federal marijuana laws would be dependent upon the availability of resources, the scarcity of which poses a problem," said Robert Capecchi, director of MPP.

During a Senate hearing in 2016, Sessions vehemently urged the federal government to act against the legalization efforts, declaring that "good people don't smoke marijuana." He also took a swing at Obama's pragmatic approach to the issue, saying:

"We need grown-ups in Washington to say marijuana is not the kind of thing that ought to be legalized, it ought not to be minimized, that it is in fact a very real danger. To make it socially acceptable creates increased demand and results in people being addicted and being impacted adversely."

Even more alarming is his belief that America's $1 trillion War on Drugs was a success.

If confirmed -- which seems almost a forgone conclusion at this point -- Sessions would run the Department of Justice, the agency that enforces federal marijuana law. He would have the authority to roll back decades of progress in marijuana policy.

But would Sessions -- of Trump for that matter -- want to wage a battle against eight states that have legalized full adult recreational use and another 29 states with medical marijuana programs? Cannabis is even legal in Washington D.C. It would appear to be a waste of resources to re-engage in this battle.

Polling is clear that the American people are in favor of legalization. States are collecting huge revenues from fees and taxes on marijuana sales. It is conceivable that Sessions would take a tepid, hands-off approach to the issue. At least one Congressman thinks so.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), a legalization proponent, believes it would not be in Sessions' best interest to interfere with states that have legalized marijuana on the books.

Rohrabacher is co-author of the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment, which prohibits the Justice Department from spending federal funds to enforce the federal prohibition laws in states where medical marijuana has been legalized. Some legalization advocates express worry that there will be pressure applied to Congress to eliminate or change this rule. Rohrabacher dismisses such chatter.

"Jeff Sessions is a loyal man with integrity, he will do what his boss wants him to do," Rohrabacher said. Trump, during the wildly contentious presidential campaign stated that he believes states should decide on marijuana legalization for themselves

"In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state by state," Trump said.

Incoming press secretary, Sean Spicer, agrees. "When you come into a Trump administration, it's the Trump agenda you are implementing, not your own, and I think Sen. Sessions is well aware of that," Spicer said.


By Cynthia Johnson

From the moment we are old enough to speak, it seems that we are being pushed to pursue a career that can bring us financial stability. We live in a world where happiness comes second to income, or is completely dependent on it. I am guilty of this myself.

It is so easy to be constantly busy and to forget about what we really care about. Meeting and working with people that have taken a leap to pursue their dreams against the odds (and leaving success behind to do so) has always inspired me to take risks in my own life. A friend of mine, Dane Maxwell, did just that when he left his successful businesses to build a career that was truly calling to him.

A few years ago, Maxwell started The Foundation, an entrepreneurial lifestyle movement that helps students grow successful software businesses. Before that, he created seven software products and nine other businesses. One of his most successful was Paperless Pipeline, a real estate transaction and commission management system.

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"I thought making lots of money would make me feel valuable, so I got really good at it," he said, reminiscing about a record week in 2010 when he made $40,000. I am sure this is a feeling that most of us can relate to.

Pursuing a Passion

Now, Maxwell has decided to walk away from his thriving businesses to pursue his true passion: music. Ironically, the principles he used to build six- and seven-figure businesses are the same he used to break away from.

"It was fun for the first eight years, but then I felt like I was dying in business," he said. "Sure, I made money while I wasn't working. But I got great at something I cared little about."

The transition from entrepreneurship to music has not been easy, but like many entrepreneurs and artists, Maxwell isn't afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. "[Making music] has felt impossible this entire time," he said. "I woke up every morning for eight months feeling hopeless. I cried for maybe an hour a day just to get through the overwhelm, but thankfully I got my heart back in the process."

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Music is something that followed him throughout his life but always lurked somewhere in the shadows. His first seven-track EP was released in October, and talks about the fear of following your dreams and finding value in yourself and the spark inside of you. Though he jokes each song on his first EP is "terrible" and that he "just wanted to get the first one out of the way," reception has been positive and his next album is due for a February release.

Understanding Internal Limitations

Maxwell believes success is limited by a subconscious lack of self-confidence and inherent fear of defeat. In the food chain of prosperity, success grows from failure: Failure leads to experience, experience leads to progress, and progress leads to success. Maxwell wears his own failures like a badge of honor. One of his biggest mistakes was an impulsive $12,000 website purchase that Google AdSense shut down within weeks. This left him with $123 in his bank account and a desire to flip his fate.

Through trial and error, he found a way to predict the success of his companies before building the product. These are the principles The Foundation was founded upon. It teaches others how to break out of their comfort zone, eliminate insecurities, realize their full potential and focus on offering a product that solves a specific issue. "If I could do it, and I'm not really built for business, then I think anyone can," said Maxwell. During the six-month program, students learn to build a lucrative software business that, upon completion, has at least 10 paying customers.

His segue from business to music was a calculated one, and he had to surpass personal limitations before taking action. He participated in a music program at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he found inspiration in the musicians around him. Unlike business, creating art wasn't outcome-oriented nor was it measurable. This was a challenging change of pace. Here, students practiced for the sake of practicing and for the love of the craft, not to get something.

Getting Good to Ensure Long-Term Success

"There's a difference between being passionate about something and being good at something," he says. "I'm passionate about music; I'm good at creating businesses." This is the crux of what his EP is about -- finding room to breathe in a cluttered, result-driven industry. For Maxwell, the days of wanting nothing more than a passive income are gone. Now, his results are measured (or not) on how deeply happy he is doing work that he loves.

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The fate of The Foundation and his other businesses are in the hands of their successors, but Maxwell believes he's built well-oiled machines that will continue to succeed long after he's gone.

"People were very encouraging with my desire to pursue music, largely due to my success with my businesses," he says. "When I was 22 and just starting out, things were much different as many people were telling me to quit what I was doing and get a job. These days, I've proven to those people (and more importantly to myself) I can achieve whatever I put my mind to. So people encourage whatever I'm doing now."
By Dan Ouellette, ZEALnyc Senior Editor, January 17, 2017

When Miho Hazama headlined Jazz Standard on September 30, 2015 in celebration of her spirited second album, Time River, her authentic music and graceful poise as the conductor of her 13-piece chamber band called m_unit proved to be the proclaiming of an engaging new voice on New York's jazz scene. As such, the award-winning composer and arranger who grew up in Tokyo and now lives in Harlem represents the energetic next generation of the large ensemble leaders, ably joining the continuum of such established orchestra leaders as Maria Schneider and Ryan Truesdell.

In fact, Schneider in many ways has served as a mentor. "Maria has helped me a lot, including helping me to get my first dream show at Jazz Standard," says the 30-year-old Hazama who graduated with a Masters in Composition from the Manhattan School of Music in 2012 studying with the influential Jim McNeely after previously earning her Bachelor in Classical Composition from Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo in 2009. "I heard Maria's music for the first time when I played in a big band in Tokyo. Later I met her at MSM where she taught a master class, then later I interviewed her for a Japanese jazz magazine. I gave her my first CD [2013's Journey to Journey] and she loved it. Since then, she has supported and encouraged me."

While her Jazz Standard date was a thrill, Hazama's bigger dream show in New York was to be showcased at Jazz at Lincoln Center's classy club Dizzy's. As a result of meeting the nightspot's bookers and passing along her recorded music, she scored a gig there (January 25) with m_unit, which this year will include saxophonist Steve Wilson, who had been a guest on Journey to Journey. "I get my inspiration as a composer from people who are in my band," she says. "So I'm writing a piece for Steve to solo on. I'm dedicating it to him. I love his timbre and originality on the saxophone."

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Hazama's music is complex, teeming with unexpected twists and jolting turns as well as pockets of frenzy that lead into wonder. Case in point: the opening tune of Time River, the uplifting "The Urban Legend." It has an element of swing in 5/16 time but also features horns darting over lush strings, a scampering rhythm that leads to a rolling piano solo and a tenor saxophone sprint before the band returns to the tune's catchy motif that appears, disappears and reappears throughout the song. "The inspiration for this comes from the music I compose when I travel," Hazama says.

The music at Dizzy's will included tunes from her past two albums, including "Dizzy Dizzy Wildflower," which, she says, has nothing to do with jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, but seems appropriate for the date. She's also working on three new compositions, two of which she will debut at the show. "Writing a composition for 13 people takes a long time," she says, talking about her upcoming show in a conversation at Lincoln Center's Atrium three weeks before the big date. "When I compose on the piano, I hear a lot of improvisation in my head, musical ideas that take a long time to get from my brain to my hands. It's part of the reason why I'm not focusing as much as I should on my piano playing. Right now with m_unit, it's about composing, arranging and leading the orchestra."

Hazama has been garnering impressive stature as a remarkable composer. In 2011 she received an ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award, and in 2014 she garnered the Japanese 24th Annual Idemitsu Award, the first time a jazz composer has won the prestigious prize. In 2015 she was awarded the 16th Annual Charlie Parker Jazz Competition Prize for her work "Somnambulant," and last year she was also acknowledged by DownBeat as one of "25 for the Future."

*

Starting to play the piano when she was 5, Hazama grew up in a household rich in music. "My parents listened to a lot of classical, but they also loved all genres," she says. "They were into rock, disco, Japanese pop, and they also loved jazz. When I was 8 and learning piano through the Yamaha Method, I had a composition teacher who told me this is what you have to do, and he played a 10-minute improvisation." That planted the seed for jazz even though she continued to study classical music.

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When she joined in with her undergrad college big band on piano, Hazama experienced jazz in the midst of the contemporary classical and rock music it was playing. But she didn't fully plunge into jazz until she came to New York--not focusing on being a pianist but as a composer. "My composition process starts on the acoustic piano and I tried out some of my early pieces in a jazz trio," she says. "But I chose to be a composer because I was interested in geometry and logical concepts I could explore."

Even so, in delving into math-inspired jazz, Hazama concluded that her music needed a more soulful depth. "The first time I showed some of my earlier music to my mother, she was shocked," she says. "She didn't understand it. That's when I realized that I have to keep in mind that I want to entertain as well as be an artist. So, I began to express things emotionally, and instead of focusing on harmony only, I needed to keep melody in mind to make my music memorable to the listener."

As revealed in her Standard show, Hazama exuded confidence--so much so that she doesn't shy away from asking marquee artists to guest on her recordings. For Journey to Journey, she enlisted Wilson and vibraphone ace Stefon Harris. For Time River, she sent email requests to sax titan Joshua Redman and accordionist/arranger Gil Goldstein--both musical heroes. "I just emailed Joshua," she says. "I had never met him, but he emailed me back and said he wasn't sure. I had already completed the tune I wanted him to play on, so I sent him the score and a demo. He replied right back and said, 'This is beautiful and challenging.'" Indeed Redman's buoyant and bold voice uplifts the gentle-to-riveting title track.

Hazama's musical introduction to Goldstein came from his producing and arranging Michael Brecker's 2003 Quindectet recording Wide Angles, one of her favorite albums. While she was working as an arranger/orchestrator with Ryuichi Sakamoto, she discovered that he had worked with Goldstein and knew him well. So she emailed him and sent him a copy of her first album. He replied that it was great and that he was now a fan. He sent her a link to a YouTube song he performed on which reminded her of a song, the emotive "Under The Same Moon," that she had written when she was 20 but never recorded. "It's one of my favorites that I had written for a quintet, so I rewrote it so that Gil could play it with m_unit," she says.

"Miho wants to make her big band not sound like a big band," he said. "She brings the aesthetic and sensibility from Mike's work to herself, and she's special in how she knows how to compose the licks and nuances. She does what all grown-up composers do: express a distinctive idea and develop and unfold it. It's that unfolding that makes her part of that young generation of artists that are wiser than their years. A lot of jazz musicians are interested in covering old territory, but she's someone who's taking the development of jazz a step further into the future. She's so gifted, she could write a piece for 12 accordions and it would sound great."

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While Hazama composed eight of the nine pieces on Time River, like with Journey to Journey, she covered a pop tune arranged in her distinctive voice. For the latter, it was a hip take on Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi." Then she wanted to close Time River with something that originated in classical or church or rock or maybe even metal. She opted for the heavy stuff by turning the alternative metal band A Perfect Circle's gripping tune about a stripper, "Magdalena," into a wildly hook-laden, swinging take with sirens of horns and an exciting jump-for-joy ending.

"I liked that band when I was in high school," she says. "I came across the song again when I listened to a tape I had a long time ago that my parents kept in a box of my stuff and hadn't thrown away. Almost all the songs on my album are in a minor key, so I wanted to end in a major key and have lots of bright colors. I wanted to make a closer, like a bonus track. So this is perfect. It's the happiest song ever!"

For her Dizzy's date, she's taking a pass on performing those tunes so that she can focus the show on her originals.

Meanwhile Hazama has upped the ante as a vital young artist who is delivering a singular style of music steeped in a variety of idioms. Not to be too fenced in by her large ensemble, Hazama has also broadened horizons, performing with other musicians in creative endeavors. She's presently working on a commissioned composition for New York City Ballet principal Ashley Bouder for a performance with a big band at Symphony Space, March 17-18. "I'm really excited about this," Hazama says. "I used to take ballet classes when I was younger, so this is another dream--to write a piece for ballet and conduct the band."

Recently she stretched in another direction: performing on piano a collective project with Argentina-born bandoneon player and composer J.P. Jofre that featured String Quartet from the New Asia Chamber Music Society. At Joe's Pub on January 2, this unique ensemble of artists performed distinctive originals and compositions/arrangements inspired by jazz, tango and classical. Hazama says that this was fully collaborative. "We wrote a lot of new compositions," she says. "Some I would start and he would finish, some he started and I finished. We had been playing together as a duo but wanted to collaborate with strings too, to make them more a part of developing the music." Last year Hazama and Jofre performed some of their works in a sold-out show in Japan using a local classical string quartet.

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An added benefit for this project was that it gave Hazama the opportunity to play the piano and improvise more. "I love playing the piano," she says. "I have a classical music background and working with J.P. brought me back to that because most of his music was written out fully, while mine was written out but also included room for improvisation. With m_unit, I don't get a chance to do that because I'm conducting."

So that focus on piano will be a part of her future, Hazama says. In fact, she says she really owes it to her piano mentor in Japan, renowned free jazz pianist Yosuke Yamashita who formed a well-regarded trio with bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Pheeroan akLaff that played regularly from 1988-2001 at the now defunct New York club Sweet Basil. He also toured as an opening act in 2006 for Ornette Coleman and even sat in with him for tunes. "I've known Yosuke for a long time, and he's been a special personal friend who's always been helpful and supportive," says Hazama. "My career as an orchestrator started when he asked me to orchestrate one of his piano concerto pieces [2008's "Piano Concerto No. 3 Explorer"]. Yosuke is an encourager, but he's always asking me when I'm going to be playing more piano. So, I need to get back to that, and I would love to record in a few years a solo piano album that I will dedicate to him."

________________________________

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Read more from ZEALnyc below:
The Egyptian parliaments Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee approved on Tuesday a bill to amend the protest law in accordance with a Higher Constitutional Court verdict stating that the interior ministry must petition the courts before attempting to block legal street protests.

The committee, headed by MP Bahaaeddin Abu Shoqa, approved the cabinet-proposed amendment to the protest law's Article 10 following the 3 December court ruling.

The new draft law  which is yet to be presented to the House for a vote  stipulates that the interior minister and the concerned security director has the right to present a request to a court to cancel a protest or transfer it to another area if it presents a security threat.

The organisers of the protest have the right be know the judge's reasoning for approving the ban, and will have the right to file an appeal against the decision.

The December court ruling said that if authorities see the need to prevent a protest from taking place, they are to raise the issue with the judiciary, which will then decide if there are interests, rights and freedoms that should be put before the right to protest.

The court said that those looking to organise street protests or gatherings are merely obliged to notify authorities beforehand and present all needed documents as required by law, and are not required to obtain prior approval.

Last week, a planned protest  set to take place in front of the cabinet building in Cairo  against the now-void Egyptian-Saudi maritime border demarcation deal moved to Fustat Park after interior minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar asked a court to move the protest.

Since it was passed in late 2013, the controversial protest law has led to the detention of thousands of youth activists as well as secular and Islamist protesters.

The law has been widely criticised by local and international rights groups.

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Egypt has been witnessing a heated political and legal debate over the future of the Cairo-Riyadh Red Sea island deal following the High Administrative Court ruling on Monday saying the islands are Egyptian, with many questioning the validity of having parliament debate the matter after the deal has been struck down by the courts.

The deal, which was first announced in April, would hand to Saudi Arabia the two Egyptian-controlled Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir, which the government argues are rightfully Saudi.

On Tuesday, Egypt's Minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Magdy El-Agati insisted that, despite the court ruling, parliament should discuss the deal in accordance with Article 151 of the constitution, which stipulates that the president shall represent the republic in its foreign relations and conclude treaties and ratify them after the approval of the House of Representatives.

However, Article 151 also states that in all cases, no treaty may be concluded which is contrary to the provisions of the constitution or which results in ceding any part of state territories, though the government has previously argued that the deal does not constitute a ceding of state territories as the islands were never Egyptian to begin with, but were merely being administrated by Egypt.

The statements by El-Agati came one day after mainstream media outlets and social media saw much debate among opponents and supporters of the deal.

Last month, the deal was submitted to parliament for debate even though the case had not yet been ruled on by the High Administrative Court, which eventually gave its verdict on 16 January.

Hours after the court ruling, parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal told DMC TV channel that parliament has the right to vote on the agreement.

Abdel-Aals made the comments during his first-ever TV interview.

However, parliament has been witnessing division over whether the House should debate the deal, which sparked widespread criticism and public outcry when it was first announced in April during a visit by Saudi King Salman to Cairo.

The opposition 25/30 bloc said after the court ruling on Monday that parliament no longer has the right to discuss the deal, and called on state institutions to respect the court ruling.

However, the Support Egypt parliamentary bloc said in a statement that the court ruling does not change the fact that parliament has the right to vote on the deal.

The head of the Support Egypt bloc, Mohamed El-Sewedy, told reporters that while there should be a separation among powers, parliament still has the absolute right to give final say on foreign agreements signed by the president of the republic.

A debate has also been taking place between legal experts after the Monday court ruling.

Prominent constitutional law expert Nour Farahat told Ahram Online that parliament can neither review nor discuss the deal as the agreement no longer exists.

The court cancelled the deal. You cannot review what has been annulled, Farahat argued.

The government filed a case in front of the Supreme Constitutional Court in November arguing that the High Administrative Court has no jurisdiction in matters related to sovereignty.

The case in front of the Supreme Constitutional Court has nothing to do with the deal, says Farahat.

The challenge is related to a legal dispute especially after a previous ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court that international accords are related to sovereignty and thus shall not be heard in court, he added.

Senior judge and the former head of Egypt's State Council Mohamed Hamed El-Gamal said the administrative court should not have been tasked with ruling on the matter in the first place according to the constitution, which stipulates that the signing of international agreements is considered a "sovereign act" made by the country's executive authority.

He also stressed that Egypt's lawsuit authority has put forward documents that prove Saudi Arabias right to the Islands.

Regarding the legal course to be taken to resolve this dilemma, El-Gamal said that the Supreme Constitutional Court is the authority to resolve disputes between legal authorities, though it has no jurisdiction to rule over whether the islands are rightfully Egyptian or Saudi.

"There is already a Court of Urgent Matters verdict last December [overturning a previous] administrative court ruling stipulating that the two Red Sea islands belong to Egypt," says El-Gamal.

El-Gamal says that parliament is the sole entity entitled with approving or rejecting the agreement.

El-Gamal added that if the parliament rejects the agreement, which he says is an unlikely scenario, Saudi Arabia could not resort to international arbitration without Egyptian approval.

According to El-Gamal, if parliament approves the agreement and it is ratified by the president, it would go into effect despite any court rulings.

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5 Dead, 15 Wounded In Shooting At BPM Music Festival

At least five people were killed and 15 wounded in a shooting during the closing hours of the BPM electronic music festival at the Mexican coastal resort of Playa del Carmen early Monday, police said.



According to the Associated Press, Mexican authorities do not believe the incident was related to terrorism and instead resulted from a dispute at the Blue Parrot nightclub. Del Angel said that gunfire appeared to have erupted after festival security moved to try to contain the dispute, the Associated Press reported.

Miguel Angel Pech, the attorney general of Quintana Roo, said four of the dead  two Canadians, an Italian and a Colombian  appear to have been part of the festival's security team. Pech told the AP that police have recovered more than 20 bullet casings from three different weapons at the scene.

Five of the injured, including two U.S. citizens, were treated and released from local hospitals, AP reported.

"We are overcome with grief over this senseless act of violence and we are cooperating fully with local law enforcement and government officials as they continue their investigation," Organizers for the BPM festival said in a statement posted on their website.

via CelebrityAccess

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Major Music Manager Accused Of Direct Secondary Market Sales

It's been a dirty little secret of the music business for decades. Some artists' teams skim the best tickets and profit from reselling them on the secondary market. Now we're closer to getting proof, as Robbie Williams management team is accused of reselling them for $79 above face value.

_______________________________

Robbie Williams management team is reported to have placed tickets to see the star on resale sites such as Get Me In for 65 ($79/75) more than their face value.

The BBCs Victoria Derbyshire show alleged that ie:music put tickets for Robbie Williams 2017 tour on Get Me In and Seatwave. It said one of the tickets offered was for 65 more, before fees, than a similar ticket on Ticketmaster.

Because the tickets came straight from the artists management team, all the profit goes directly to them.

Tickets on Ticketmaster for seats on level one, block 126  for Williams gig at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, on Friday June 2  were found by the Victoria Derbyshire programme to be priced at 95, before fees. But on Get Me In, for platinum seats on level one, block 125, at the same gig, seats were priced at 160 before fees  65 more expensive.

Promoter Harvey Goldsmith said the position Williams's team were taking made him "angry".

"I think it is wrong, but hopefully most of the people who have signed the [2015] petition are acting honourably and are doing everything that they can do to prevent tickets being sold on the secondary market," he said.

ie:music, Williams management company, has previously called on the government to take stronger action against resale sites. The BBC said Ie:music has not responded to repeated requests for a statement.

Sharon Hodgson MP, the co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ticket Abuse, said the allegations were further evidence that regulation of the secondary ticketing market is required.

Hodgson, in a tweet earlier today, added: Its not illegal but he [Williams] needs to be transparent and honest with his fans. His fans may think this is greedy  he doesnt need the money!

A statement to the BBC from Ticketmaster, which owns Get Me In and Seatwave, said: Platinum tickets are a very small percentage of the best seats that are priced according to demand, in consultation with our clients, the event organisers.

The UK live events industry has been successfully using platinum for many years so that the full value of these tickets goes back to the rights holders and not to resellers.

via CelebrityAccess

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We are made constantly aware of the gender gap in software development. The profession is so male dominated as to be a deterrent to many potential entrants, both male and female. HackerRank has now done an analysis of the data it collects through the programming contests to reveal which country has the most skilled female developers.

As its name suggests HackerRank runs coding challenges and assigns scores based on a combination of accuracy and speed. We've already reported its findings on Which Universities Have the Best Coders and the results of its quest to find the country with the best developers. Now HackerRank turns the spotlight onto the gender gap in coding.

HackerRank doesn't ask for the gender of participants in its contests and so relied on first names for distinguishing between males and females for its data analysis. After discarding unclassifiable names and those with equal gender distributions they we able to assign a gender to about 80% of its users and found that only 17% were female, noting:

Though the gender balance is far from equal, its a significantly more balanced than the 5.8% female StackOverflow survey result.

Seventeen percent female participation on HackerRank is likely to underestimate the number of woman programming professionals. However it is a useful basis for making comparisons between countries.

Looking at the geolocation statistics, only five countries of the 50 with the most developers on HackerRank have an above average number of female developers. Top of the list is the country that contributes nearly 40% of HackerRank users overall, India, with 23%. United Arab Emirates and Romania come next with 21%, closely followed by China (20%) and Sri Lanka (19%).

The United States, with 15%, falls just outside the top 10 countries, while the UK with10% is 23rd in the list. Half the top 50 countries have a proportion of women less than 10% and the bottom five are Hungary 5%, Argentina and Czech Republic 4%, Denmark and Chile 3%.

HackerRank next looked at the type of challenges popular with female contestant and found a preference for mainstream topics with Java, SQL and C++ topping the list and AI and Security at the very bottom:

HackerRank comments:

Women account for 21% of users in tutorial and Java challenges. The tutorials domain includes our 30 Days of Code Challenge, which is heavily Java-based.

It also suggests that women participants on HackerRank are relatively novice programmers.

The final analysis presented by HackerRank was to discover which country has he best female developers, restricting the search to the 20 countries with the most female users in order to maximize sample size. They looked at womens average scores on algorithms challenges, which account for more than 40% of all HackerRank tests taken and in which 17% of participants are female. Scores on these tests, which include sorting data, dynamic programming, searching for keywords, and other logic-based tasks, typically range from 0 to 115 points, although they can reach as high as 10,000.

Russia, which came top in Algorithms challenges in HackerRank's quest for the country with the top developers reported last August, now tops the women's list. Similarly Poland which had the 3rd position in that table occupies it again. Italy is the surprise inclusion as runner up.

Despite having the largest quantity of female developers India is only just above the midpoint in terms of quality. However Indian women do better than their male counterparts as India ranked only 31st out of 50 in the previous report.

This is in keeping with HackerRank's parting conclusion:

[We] see an encouraging sign for women who find themselves working in a male-dominated industry. Relatively few women in Belarus, China, and Russia participate in coding challenges. But their female developers - despite these challenges - are still crushing it.

More Information

HackerRank

Which Country Has the Most Skilled Female Developers?

Related Articles

HackerRank Reveals Which Universities Have Best Coders

HackerRank Reveals Where To Find Programming Talent

HackerRank - Advance Your Coding Through Problem Solving

Russian Students Break Contest Records

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Recreational marijuana is becoming legal in more jurisdictions throughout the US and is being used medically at an even greater rate.The push has driven Vicente Sederberg LLC to create the International Cannabis Practice Group for the potential onslaught of weed related legal issues to arise from the regulatory adoption.Public perception of marijuana is rapidly shifting around the world, and the cannabis industry is poised to become a large, mature marketplace with a host of legal needs, Brian Vicente, partner and founding member of Vicente Sederberg said.Vicente Sederberg also announced its partnership with Spains top cannabis law firm Soriano Fernandez Abogados (S&F Abogados) to launch a Spanish language website providing legal advice.Partnering with like-minded leaders around the world like S&F Abogados will expand our global footprint and help ensure that the regulation of cannabis, including marijuana and industrial hemp, is implemented in a fair, ethical, and responsible way, Brian Vicente said.Both moves, announced Thursday, are a foray into the global market for the Denver, Colorado, based Vicente Sederberg.S&F Abogados, from Madrid, said it is committed to ensuring the equitable exercise of marijuana legislation throughout the world.(Were) thrilled to partner with Vicente Sederberg as we work together on cutting-edge legal issues and cannabis policies in Spain and in other countries around the world, Bernardo Soriano, founding partner, S&F Abogados said.This collaboration creates important synergies and encourages innovative solutions from both sides of the Atlantic at a time when the international cannabis industry is growing faster than everThe idea behind the partnership, the two companies say, is to help clients navigate a shifting patchwork of regulations in the US and Spain.Part of that navigation is brokering international technology transfers, imports and exports of industrial scale hemp and taking part in draft legislation processes.Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, and Czech Republic have all decriminalized weed, making those countries a prime target for the International Cannabis Practice Group along with emerging markets like Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and in the legal marijuana nation of Uruguay.As more societies throughout the world recognize that the current approach to cannabis has failed and the data overwhelming shows that responsible regulation reduces crime, generates substantial tax revenues, and has demonstrated to have many therapeutic effects, Vicente Sederberg said in a release, (it) will help leaders in other countries take a more responsible approach to the regulation of cannabis.The company also wants to address marijuana in direct relation to Americas Latino community, including the disproportionate number of arrests being doled out against people of color.Recognizing that these failed laws and policies harm our communitiesand in particular men and women of color - is something that we should no longer whitewash, but rather collectively acknowledge and responsibly address. Vicente said.The time has come to end the war on cannabis. We look forward to working to address issues that impact the Hispanic community, as well as other communities, in the US and abroad.
When asked to single out what he considers QBE s greatest achievement since he assumed the top job, John Neal, CEO of the global insurance giant, doesnt hesitate.I would say that QBE in 2016 is a far more focused business than it was four years ago, he says. While we boasted significant global reach, we were really a very federated business, each division operating largely geographically and independently of each other. I would say now, whether you talk to our customers, our brokers or our business partners, theres a very strong understanding of QBEs purpose, its vision, what it can stand for for its customers and how relevant we are in a global marketplace.And thats a lot harder than it sounds  to actually get the business to think and behave and act as one company. Its a business Neal described recently to investors as one thats transformed into a distinctive top 20 property & casualty insurer  one of only 15 companies, he says, that operates truly globally. In total, QBE wrote approximately $11.51 billion in premium worldwide in 2015.Under Neals leadership, QBE has also substantially turned around the fortunes of its North American operations, realizing a profit last year. Its combined operating ratio has improved substantially in recent years as well, from 111.5% in 2013 to 99.2% in 2015.But getting there wasnt easy  Neal considers North America his greatest challenge as CEO.I think the good news is that weve made really significant progress in that division, notably in returning it to underwriting profit, in particular building a meaningful US specialty business and really improving the quality of our leadership there, he says.Going forward, QBE will pursue significant opportunities it sees in the North American specialty market.The statistic that always amazes me is that one dollar [of every] two dollars of the worlds gross written premium for commercial and specialty insurance is written in North America, Bermuda or London. Its still that important, Neal says. The North American specialty market is worth between [$61 billion and $69 billion]. Even narrowing North America down, its still a vast place, and its not as complex as people think  but youve got to have the underwriting expertise, the claims expertise, the risk management capability to play in that market, all of which weve developed and built.And where exactly do Neal and QBE see prime opportunities in specialty lines? Were looking quite hard at professional liability. Were looking at healthcare, marine, general aviation and classic specialty product sets, he says. And I think were adding value.Were adding to a marketplace that isnt congested, where there is opportunity and brokers are looking for choice.Its not been easy to grow the business, he continues, but we had a five-year plan, and that five-year plan is in year four and is nicely on track with where we thought it would be. So were excited. Its a good place to be in North America at the moment.Twelve percent of QBEs business is sourced from its emerging markets division, encompassing 22 countries across Latin America and Asia Pacific.I think the good news for me, coming in as CEO, was that wed been in some of the Asian markets for over 100 years, Neal says. Weve not had the complication of needing to acquire or buy into the markets, which is very expensive and very complex.What we did do was take a step back and say, What geographies do we want to be in? What products do we think we can sell? How do we distribute? And our base analysis that we undertook in 2012 was telling us that we were way under par in terms of who we were, and therefore what our penetration should be, by anywhere between 20% and 25% of who we could be.However, there are still some emerging markets in those regions where QBE is working to grow its presence.In Asia, for example, our focus has been around Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia  particularly around commercial and specialty products, and also with some bank assurance leverage, Neal says. Our sense is that we can maintain a healthy degree of performance profi tability in that respect, and our intent is to see across the emerging markets if we can double the size of the business over a fi ve- to seven-year period.I say that without growth being the overarching objective. Getting the right margins the objective. But those markets certainly create greater opportunities for growth than developed markets.Of course, before devising and executing any grand plans, an organization to ensure that it has the right people leading those endeavors. But who are the ideal insurance employees today and in times ahead?I think were looking at well-qualified people that are coming into our industry  that probably wasnt the case 10, 15, 20 years ago, Neal says. I think individuals  are a lot more data-oriented and data-literate, which I think is important for our business.He adds that broadening your horizons is key to remaining relevant and innovative in todays insurance industry  and thats something QBE is certainly willing to do when it comes to recruiting employees.Were prepared to be a little bit disruptive to ourselves around the gene pool and say, Lets look at individuals who might not classically find themselves in the insurance space; lets look at people who wouldve gone into Fintech to see if theyre a bit smarter in the way in which they develop technology solutions; lets look at people who wouldve gone into the media route.And then when you get to data, weve got anything from a data scientist at one end of the spectrum to a statistician at the other. Theyre not classic insurance people, so were also trying to ensure that youre getting different perspectives and diversity of thought and ideas coming into the business.
Williams junior Naomi Francois talks about the true meaning of Christianity. Shawna Patterson-Stephens, director of Williams' Davis Center, speaks to the crowd at the Paresky Center. PreviousNext

King, Kingdom of God Remembered at Williams



The Williams College Gospel Choir performs 'Lift Ev'ry Voice.'

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Attendees at Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration at Williams College were reminded of King's humanity and the divine message he preached.



Williams junior Naomi Francois of the school's Black Campus Ministries group told the crowd gathered in the Paresky Center that, as a Christian, she was offended by the way the name Christian is co-opted by people in who society who are anything but.



Francois referenced the Lord's Prayer, the foundational prayer of Christianity found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.



She said when she hears people pray the words, she wonders if they realize what they're actually saying  particularly when it comes to the second line.



" 'Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth, as it is in Heaven,' " she repeated. "People aren't really thinking about what the Kingdom is."



Francois reminded her audience that the Kingdom that Jesus was talking about was described throughout the Gospel through sermons and parables, and, as described, looks remarkably different than some of what one hears being preached in Jesus' name today.



"Not one of those stories ever described a Kingdom where all the people came from the same culture or spoke the same language," she said. "None of the stories described a scenario where some people are worthy to be present in the Kingdom based on whether they clung to the status quo or if they were narrow-minded or if they shunned people based on their race, class, gender or orientation.
North Adams Library Trustees To Address Building Issues



The trustees plan to list building priorities in a letter to the mayor's office.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The library trustees plan to meet with the city administration to go over some maintenance concerns.



Library Director Mindy Hackner told the trustees Wednesday that the city is now completely in charge of addressing structural issues with the library.



"I am a librarian and that's what I do and I think this whole thing greatly took my attention away from the work that I should be doing," Hackner said. "I have carried it as far as I can ... this is a conversation that I can no longer have and the city is handling it now."



Late last year, Hackner notified the trustees that the original building has major structural issues that need to be addressed and the trustees agreed to pursue Massachusetts Historical Commission grants to repair. The trustees discussed creating funding campaigns and were prepared to solicit Mass Historic with the blessing of the city but Hackner said the city has asked to take it over.



"I am concerned about the building and I have expressed my concern," Hackner said. "The folks at City Hall are the people we need to talk to if we are having building concerns. Those are the people who need to deal with it."



The trustees agreed that Hackner should not have to be involved in directly addressing maintenance issues but were concerned the city may drop the project.



"The only thing I worry about is once it gets down to the corner office it might just be swept aside," trustee Hulda Jowett said. "Someone needs to keep reminding them."



Trustee Rich Remsberg said he also wanted to be sure that the city was aware of grant opportunities and asked that the trustees write a letter stating their concerns.



Hackner added that there have been some lighting issues in the library and she can no longer buy CFL four-pin lights so when some lights go out they will be hard to replace. She added that many of the ballasts have also gone bad.



"We replace what we can but we have many places that are going dark," she said. "We can't get ballasts for the fluorescents, and there have been some lights out in the children's room for seven years now because the ballasts are not replaceable."



She said these lights cost nearly $500 to replace but she was asked not to replace these lights on her own by the city.


Israel said Tuesday it has finished raising the height of an electronic fence along part of its border with Egypt to shut down irregular migration routes.

The 242 kilometre (250 mile) barrier, stretching from the Gaza Strip to the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat, was completed in 2014.

The Israeli government hoped it would tackle illegal migration, drug and weapons trafficking and infiltration by "terrorists".

It slashed the number of African migrants arriving in Israel, but at least 213 still managed to breach the fence in 2015, the defence ministry said.

That prompted authorities to raise its height from five to eight metres (15 to 25 feet) along a 17-kilometre (10-mile) stretch, it said.

That, plus additional detection devices, had "significantly curbed the flow of illegal infiltration into Israel, with only 11 successful attempts to cross the fence throughout 2016," it said.

The United Nations says Israel hosts 53,000 refugees and asylum seekers including 36,000 Eritreans and 14,000 Sudanese.

Most reached the country via Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Israel rarely grants them refugee status.

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Civil Rights Leader John Lewis Speaking at MCLA Commencement



Anne W. Crowley and BHS CEO David E. Phelps will also receive honorary doctorates.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts will celebrate its 118th commencement exercises on Saturday, May 13, beginning at 11 a.m., in the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium.



This year's keynote speaker will be U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, a leader of the Civil Rights Movement who, as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was one of the "Big Six" leaders of groups to organize the 1963 March on Washington. Lewis will receive an honorary doctor of public service.



In addition, Anne W. Crowley, an MCLA alumna and a corporate executive and communications strategist who enjoyed a lengthy career in both the public and private sectors, which included serving as a senior advisor to former New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters. David E. Phelps, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems, will receive an honorary doctor of public service.



In recognition of their awards, the honorary degree recipients will have books placed in MCLA's Freel Library in their names.



MCLA President James F. Birge said he is pleased to recognize Lewis, Crowley and Phelps with honorary degrees. The campus looks forward to hearing from Lewis as this year's keynote speaker.



"We are honored that Congressman John Lewis, Anne Crowley and David Phelps will join us at our 118th commencement. Their achievements and contributions will inspire the members of the Class of 2017 as they move forward to assume positions of responsibility throughout Massachusetts and beyond," Birge said.



MCLA Board of Trustees Chair Susan Gold commended those who will be honored.



"We are delighted to welcome Rep. John Lewis as our keynote speaker at this year's Commencement ceremony. Often called one of the most courageous people produced by the Civil Rights Movement, for his dedication to protecting human rights and securing civil liberties, John Lewis is known for the many key roles he played to end segregation in America," Gold said.



"We also will be pleased to recognize Anne Crowley, who specialized in crisis, reputation and issue management throughout her 35-year career, and Pittsfield native David Phelps, who has served as the president of Berkshire Health Systems and Berkshire Health Care Systems since 1993," Gold said.



Lewis was elected to Congress in November 1986 and has served as U.S. representative of Georgia's Fifth Congressional District since. He is senior chief deputy whip for the Democratic Party leadership in the House, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, a member of its Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, and ranking member of its Subcommittee on Oversight.



In August 1963, at the age of 23, Lewis was an architect of and a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington. On March 7, 1963, he led more than 600 peaceful, orderly protestors across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., to demonstrate the need for voting rights in the state. Confronted by Alabama state troopers in what became known as "Bloody Sunday," this event helped hasten the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.



Lewis is the recipient of numerous awards from eminent national and international institutions, including the Medal of Freedom, the Lincoln Medal from the historic Ford's Theatre, and the Golden Plate Award given by the Academy of Excellence. He received the only John F. Kennedy "Profile in Courage Award" for Lifetime Achievement ever granted by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.



Lewis is co-author of the number-one New York Times-bestselling graphic novel memoir trilogy, "MARCH." He also co-wrote "Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change," the winner of the 2012 NAACP Image Award for Best Literary Work-Biography.
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal speaks with a high school history class at Hoosac Valley on Tuesday. The Springfield Democrat also addressed an assembly of middle school students about the recent election and politics. PreviousNext

Neal Visits Hoosac Valley, Says Will Attend Inauguration



Hoosac Principal Jeremiah Ames welcomes Congressman Richie Neal to a student assembly on Tuesday.

CHESHIRE, Mass.  U.S. Rep. Richard Neal says he will attend Friday's presidential inauguration of Republican Donald Trump.



The Springfield Democrat and staunch Hillary Clinton supporter told students at Hoosac Valley High School on Tuesday morning that while disappointed with the results of the election, he felt it important to be at the transition of power.



"What the inauguration represents is the peaceful transition of power and as much as I was for Secretary Clinton, as much as I campaigned for her in New Hampshire and in Pennsylvania  and as much as I was disappointed in the outcome I am going to be there," Neal said. "I will be there with a lot of my colleges  and I feel the institution of the president commands my attendance."



Neal spoke to sophomores and juniors in a history class and then at an assembly for middle school students to discuss the election and answer questions.



Principal Jerimiah Ames said he asked Neal to visit the school after witnessing the disappointment of many of the students after the election and tension between students who supported separate parties.



"Not unlike many other schools, we were having a difficult time helping kids understand what happened with the election and helping them come to terms with their roles in our democracy in the context of their disappointment," Ames said. "Congressman Neal has visited the school a few times and it is wonderful to see how he interacts with our students. It is clear that he sees them as an active part of his constituency."



Some 60 Democratic congressmen have indicated they will not attend because the president-elect launched a Twitter attack on civil rights icon John Lewis, a Georgia representative, after he questioned Trump's legitimacy.



Neal said that although many have decided not to attend the inauguration, past presidents will be there including Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He added that even though Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 3 million votes, she will still attend the inauguration.



He, like many of the students, was unsettled by the election results and the entire campaign.



"I think the charges that went back and forth were very personal and I have not seen anything like it before," Neal said. "I also thought a candidate's goal should be to raise the aspirations of the American people ... and now we see the coarsening of the dialogue and the harshness of the rhetoric and I think it is amplified by social media."



He added that he hopes debate honoring the 1st Amendment is preserved and deliberation going forward is not tainted by the rhetoric heard during the campaign.



"I still like complete sentences, finished paragraphs and deliberation and I don't think you can tweet your way or insult your way through complicated solutions," Neal said. "The cornerstone of our constitutional system is the 1st Amendment in its genius guarantees a second opinion. It is my right not just to say something, but it is your right to hear and vice versa."



He also provided the students with some perspective and noted that in our history controversial inaugurations are nothing new and pointed to the election of 1800, when Thomas Jefferson defeated John Adams and Adams did not attend the inauguration.



"In his wagon on his way back to Quincy, Adams came to that conclusion that Alex Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson had successfully stolen the presidency of 1800 from him," Neal said. "So, this idea that all of the sudden that there is controversy in the presidential inauguration is I think a bit overcharged."


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Montreal, 17 January 2017  The Council President and the Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) expressed the UN agencys deepest condolences today for the families and friends of the victims of ACT Airlines Flight TK6491, a scheduled cargo flight from Hong Kong to Istanbul, Turkey, which was lost due to unknown causes on 16 January 2017.



An accident investigation into the loss of Flight TK6491 has now been launched by Kyrgyzstan authorities, as per the associated provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).



"On behalf of ICAO, I would like to express our compassion for the victims and the communities affected by this tragic accident. We will work with the global civil aviation community on any associated risk mitigation recommendations appropriate to our role, declared the UN agencys Council President, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu.



"Any accident or incident resulting in loss of life is always a matter of utmost regret and concern to ICAO and to the entire air transport community. ICAO offers our condolences as we await the Annex 13 accident investigation Preliminary and Final Reports to learn more about the causes and contributing factors of this event, added ICAOs Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu.

Resources for Editors



About ICAO



A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency, capacity and environmental protection, amongst many other priorities. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 191 Member States.



Background: International Accident Investigations



This Fact Sheet explains how accident investigation participating States are determined, as well as the process leading to the issuance of an accident investigation Preliminary Report (within 30 days of the event) and Final Report (asap or within 12 months of the event) following completion of the investigation.



Final Reports ultimately provide as much official information as possible on an accidents contributing causes and factors, as well as any official recommendations on how applicable aviation safety frameworks should be amended in the future.



ICAO does not normally participate in aircraft accident investigations, except when the State or States with due authority under Annex 13Accident Investigation request its assistance directly. In those exceptional circumstances, said assistance normally involves ICAO acting as an official observer and/or clarifying various Annex 13 technical requirements when requested.

The ICAO Aviation Safety website

Contacts

Anthony Philbin

Chief, Communications

aphilbin@icao.int

+1 514-954-8220

+1 438-402-8886 (mobile)

Twitter: @ICAO

William Raillant-Clark

Communications Officer

wraillantclark@icao.int

+1 514-954-6705

+1 514-409-0705 (mobile)

Twitter: @wraillantclark




Haiti - DR : 20 Haitians arrested for unknown reasons





On Monday, January 16, around the middle of the day, some twenty Haitians who came to trade at the border market of Elias Pina, bordering the town of Belladere, were arrested by migration agents accompanied by Dominican soldiers and forced to board a bus that left with them in the neighboring Republic.



Until now nobody can explain the reason for this arrest or the fate reserved for our compatriots. The Group of Support for Returnees and Refugees (GAAR) calls on the Haitian authorities to demand explanations from the Dominican State.



TB/ iciHaiti


















We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector
Turkish authorities have captured the gunman who killed 39 people in a mass shooting at an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day after a two-week nationwide manhunt, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim confirmed on Tuesday.

State-run Anadolu news agency earlier said the alleged attacker, whom it and other media named as Abdulgadir Masharipov, was detained in Istanbul's outlying Esenyurt district.

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Istanbul's governor says that the New Year's nightclub attack that killed 39 people was executed on behalf of the Islamic State group.

Vasip Sahin told reporters that "It is clear that this was carried out in the name of Daesh." He was using an Arabic acronym for the militant group.

Sahin also confirmed the identity of the suspected gunman, who is now in custody and being questioned, saying he is an Uzbekistan national who had trained in Afghanistan.

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This Isnt Our Last Love Letter



Dear Don Don,

Way back in 92



I walked into the room and knew



Never felt this way before



I shook your hand while gazing into your eyes



And the feeling grew



As I took a seat I knew



A love that would have my heart



Forever



I knew



Way back in 92





They say love at first sight doesnt always last or isnt true



We were the exception to that rule



Our love had no where to hide



A spark set fire



As if this is how the universe started





I never doubted our love or what we could do



Together we grew



Forming a bond everlasting



That became our glue



My euphoria was YOU



Im eternally grateful for the love and life we shared



For how fortunate we were :



to have and to hold

through sickness and in health

Til death do us part



Until we are together again



This isnt our last love letter



I love you with all my heart and soul



Yours forever,



Deirdre (Mrs. Hank Snow)





Im fortunate to have fallen in love with, marry and make a life with the sharpest, coolest, funniest, most rare, bad ass, tender loving, loyal man on the planet, my husband Don Imus.









A True American Hero

I dont know why it has been so hard for me to write about my dear friend Don Imus.



I certainly know what he meant to me, my family, my charity, my hospital and the millions of fans that listened and loved him for so many years.



I keep reading all the beautiful condolences that people are writing about how much a part of their lives were effected by listening to him over the years.

But what most people dont talk enough about is what he did for all of us.

In every sense of the word, he was an American Hero. His work with children with so many different illnesses and his dedication to their future was unmatched by anyone I have ever known or heard about.



Besides raising over $100,000,000 for so many causes, he took care of young people for over 20 years in a state where he could not breathe. Along with his incredible wife Deirdre, he created a world where children were not defined by their disease. That was a miracle! He was a miracle.

I will miss him ever day for the rest of my life.

I was blessed to be a part of his and Deirdes life.

No one will ever do what he did.

I love you Don Imus - A TRUE AMERICAN HERO





David Jurist

IMUS IN THE MORNING

FIRST DAY BACK!
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Three conscientious objectors have been awarded the Medal of Honour, the United States of America's highest military honour: three men who have been distinguished by their country for saving countless lives without firing a single bullet. One of them, Desmond Doss, is the subject of a new film, Hacksaw Ridge. Directed by Mel Gibson, Andrew Garfield (now Bafta-nominated for his role) plays Doss in a cinematic tribute to his incredible bravery in the face of a hail of death, saving 75 lives during the Battle of Okinawa.

During the Second World War, the US allowed conscientious objectors to serve in noncombatant military roles; with most working as medics within the army, allowing them to serve without wielding a weapon. Doss was such an individual; a Seventh-day Adventist drafted into the military in April 1942 and given the status of conscientious objector, enrolling as a medic in the 77th Infantry Division.

Doss faced harassment from his fellow soldiers, with his commanding officer attempting to initiate a Section-8 discharge (used when a serviceman is judged mentally unfit for service); though Doss refused: Id be a very poor Christian if I accepted a discharge implying that I was mentally off because of my religion, he said.

He first entered into the midst of combat in the summer of 1944, serving on both Guam and Leyte in the Philippines, and receiving the Bronze Star. Hacksaw Ridge, however, focuses on the events which took place when his unit landed on Okinawa. After Dosss prayers, the 77th managed to almost miraculously capture the intimidating, 400ft Maeda Escarpment without a single death and only one minor injury. When a photographer arrived at the scene to capture the moment, asking how the feat was pulled off, the soldiers answered: Doss prayed!

However, things would take a dark turn for the unit in the coming month. On 5 May, the Japanese launched a counterattack, driving the Americans off the Escarpment; leaving stranded behind a known 75 wounded soldiers.

Corporal Doss receiving the Medal of Honour from President Harry S Truman on 12 October 1945

But Private Doss remained. Amongst the constant threat of enemy fire, he tended to the wounded and carried them, one by one, to the edge of the ridge; lowering them down on a rope-supported litter, tied with the double bowline knots he had learned as a young man. He returned unscathed that day, engaging in additional rescue efforts over the next two weeks, eventually being wounded by a grenade that embedded him with shrapnel, though he carried on alone for a further five hours with his injuries.

His Medal of Honour citation  presented to him by President Harry S Truman on 12 October 1945  credits him with having saved the lives of all 75 men that day.

 Hacksaw Ridge Official Trailer

Two conscientious objectors would later receive the same honour during the Vietnam War, Thomas W Bennett and Joseph G LaPointe Jr; both, like Doss, held religious convictions which posed a moral crisis in the face of their call to military service  choosing also to serve as medics on the field. Bennett and LaPointe, however, did not survive their experiences.

Bennetts platoon was ambushed in the midst of the thick, triple-canopy jungle; everyone dived for cover, except Bennett, who rushed to aid the injured. Under near-constant assault, he aided and comforted his wounded comrades over the next day or so; before being shot as he jumped up to dart the 30 feet to an injured platoon, choosing to risk exposing himself to heavy rifle fire.

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Films to get excited about in 2017 Show all 13 1 /13 Films to get excited about in 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Star Wars: The Last Jedi Director: Rian Johnson Rian Johnson Cast: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Lupita Nyong'o Plot: No details yet, but it will continue directly on from Rey coming face-to-face with Luke at the end of The Force Awakens. Release Date: 15 December 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Thor: Ragnarok Director: Taika Waititi Taika Waititi Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, and Mark Ruffalo Plot: Story details are minimal as of now, but Thor's third return to screen has already been teased to feature a loose adaptation of the famous 'Planet Hulk' storyline. Release Date: 27 October 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 You Were Never Really Here Director: Lynne Ramsay Lynne Ramsay Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Alessandro Nivola Plot: A war veteran's attempt to save a young girl from a sex trafficking ring goes horribly wrong. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Annihilation Director: Alex Garland Alex Garland Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, and Oscar Isaac Plot: A biologist's husband disappears. She thus puts her name forward for an expedition into an environmental disaster zone, but does not quite find what she's expecting. The expedition team is made up of the biologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist, and a surveyor. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Wonderstruck (image from Far From Heaven) Director: Todd Haynes Cast: Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, and Amy Hargreaves Plot: The story of a young boy in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Mother (image of Darren Aronofsky) Director: Darren Aronofsky Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson, and Ed Harris Plot: A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Killing of a Sacred Deer (image from The Lobster) Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Cast: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, and Alicia Silverstone Plot: A surgeon forms a familial bond with a sinister teenage boy, with disastrous results. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Blade Runner 2049 Director: Denis Villeneuve Denis Villeneuve Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, and Jared Leto Plot: Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years. Release Date: 6 October 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Lady Bird (image of director Greta Gerwig) Director: Greta Gerwig Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, and Lucas Hedges Plot: The adventures of a young woman living in Northern California for a year. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara (image of director Steven Spielberg and star Mark Rylance) Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Mark Rylance, Oscar Isaac Plot: The Kidnapping Of Edgardo Mortara recounts the story of a young Jewish boy in Bologna, Italy in 1858 who, having been secretly baptized, is forcibly taken from his family to be raised as a Christian. His parents' struggle to free their son becomes part of a larger political battle that pits the Papacy against forces of democracy and Italian unification. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 How to Talk to Girls at Parties Director: John Cameron Mitchell John Cameron Mitchell Cast: Elle Fanning, Ruth Wilson, and Nicole Kidman Plot: An alien touring the galaxy breaks away from her group and meets two young inhabitants of the most dangerous place in the universe: the London suburb of Croydon. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Dark Tower Director: Nikolaj Arcel Nikolaj Arcel Cast: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, and Tom Taylor Plot: Gunslinger Roland Deschain roams an Old West-like landscape in search of the dark tower, in the hopes that reaching it will preserve his dying world. Release Date: 28 July 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Suburbicon Director: George Clooney George Clooney Cast: Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Josh Brolin, and Oscar Isaac Plot: A crime mystery set in the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, where the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and betrayal. Release Date: 24 November



Joseph G LaPointe was a medical aidman attached to the 101st Airborn Division; his patrol coming foul of an enemy bunker while assisting with a combat helicopter assault mission. Hearing the call for aid, LaPointe crawled through enemy fire  in plain view of the bunker  to assist two wounded comrades, shielding them with his own body.

Repeatedly wounded and knocked down, each time LaPointe would return to his position and continue to administer aid to the two soldiers while shielding them with his body. All three were killed by an exploding enemy grenade before LaPointe could stabilise them and evacuate them to safety.

Both Bennett and LaPointe were awarded their Medal of Honours posthumously, in 1970 and 1971 respectively. Doss, Bennett, and LaPointe may have found their place in the historical records; but its up to us to keep their memory, and the memory of their actions, alive.

Hacksaw Ridge is in UK cinemas from 27 January
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Nao summed it up beautifully at this year's Brit Award nominations.

The one thing about Britain is how amazingly diverse it is. We are all in this melting pot together.

Music is made by everyone and it's for everyone. Pull all of us on the stage, black, white, fat, skinny, whatever.

Recommended Brit Award 2017 nominees revealed

The last few years at the Brit Awards have contained few surprises, but an overhaul of the voting academy to create a better representation of the diversity of British music appears to have worked.

Britain's fantastic grime resurgence is represented by nods for Skepta, Kano and Stormzy while trans artist Anohni was nominated alonside Nao, Emily Sande, Lianne Le Havas and Ellie Goulding for Best British Female 11 years after she was nominated for the Best British Male category.

For the international nominations, Beyonce will compete with her sister Solange, Christine and the Queens, Rihanna and Sia. A Tribe Called Quest earned a nod for Best International Group alongside Drake and Future, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Kings of Leon, and Twenty-One Pilots.

Skepta already beat Bowie for the Mercury Prize in 2016, and many fans of the latter made it clear they felt he had been robbed.

It's likely that this will happen again if Bowie is not given this year's Best Male award  apparently some have already forgotten that the 2016 ceremony was dedicated to his honour.

But both Bowie and Cohen championed new and young artists, inspired them and were inspired by them.

You can hear the emotional strings from Cohens Who By Fire on the loop for Wu-Tang Clans Execute Them, and a distorted echo of that same song in A$AP Rocky (featuring Joe Fox)s tribute to Max B.

Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up

Cohen had spoken in interviews about his prowess at spitting rhymes, and observed that the people doing it best were rappers and hip hop artists.

Bowies Fame inspired Dr Dres song of the same name. Rapsodys For Everything, which makes observations of racism, her family and money troubles, samples Soul Love, as does J Dillas Take Notice and El-Ps Innocent Leader.

In turn, some of music's best and brightest young artists were credited with influencing Bowies Blackstar.

Collaborator Donny McCaslin told Uncut that experimental rap group Death Grips, along with electronic outfit Boards of Canada, were strong influences  Bowie spoke about the latter's song Alpha and Omega (which McCaslin recorded) as an approach for his song Somewhere.

Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly was also an enormous influence. Producer Tony Visconti told Rolling Stone: We loved the fact that Kendrick was so open-minded and he didnt do a straight-up hip hop record. He threw everything on there, and that's exactly what we wanted to do.

The goal, in many, many ways, was to avoid rock and roll.

Bowie was an innovator. He realised that traditional rock music no longer best represents the social, cultural and political goings on in the world.

Grime, rap and hip hop  providing political and social commentary whilst also sampling heritage music to give it new meaning  are the genres that speak for and to younger generations. Bowie, always adapting, wanted to pay tribute to that.

Skepta's manager Grace Ladoja wrote: They have to accept us as equals.... They have to accept there is a new blueprint in music.

Bowie and Cohen would not have been the leading voice on issues like Donald Trump, racism, social injustice and the failings of UK Government, but the likes of Kano, Stormzy, Skepta and Nao can be.

What would giving Bowie the Best Male Award achieve? If we gave a Brit award to every great artist who had died that year then living artists would never get a look-in.

Introduce a lifetime achievement award, sure, but the Brits should be about looking forward, not back.

Giving Best Male to an artist like Skepta is to celebrate someone who can and will go onto inspire new artists to lead change and champion culture for what it is in Britain today  diverse, vibrant, challenging, and new.
A visit to a Russian aircraft carrier by Libya's Khalifa Haftar has given the eastern-based commander a symbolic boost while also signalling Moscow's interest in a greater role in the region following its intervention in Syria.

Haftar is a figurehead for east Libyan factions who harbours national ambitions, and his renewed engagement with Russia comes at a time when the U.N.-supported government in Tripoli that he has shunned is once more in crisis.

Russian support could embolden Haftar in making a play for power in Tripoli, a move likely to fuel conflict and represent a major setback for genuine unity government in Libya.

Western states say the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) provides the best chance of reversing Libya's slide into anarchy and warfare.

But as splits and resistance have weakened the GNA in the capital, Haftar has gained momentum in the east, with support from foreign allies who back his fight against Islamist groups.

He enjoys close ties to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and has cultivated his friendship with Russia, visiting Moscow twice last year to ask for help in his anti-Islamist campaign.

His tour of the Admiral Kuznetsov in the Mediterranean on Wednesday was Russia's most overt show of support to date.

In a video-conference call from the ship reported by Russian media, Haftar and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the fight against "terrorist groups", also one of Moscow's stated targets in its Syria campaign.

Haftar's advisers declined to comment on the aircraft carrier visit and what it might mean for relations with Russia.

But following its intervention in Syria, Russia sees Libya as a way to anchor its return to the Middle East, said Alexei Malashenko, the chief researcher at Dialogue of Civilizations Institute, a think-tank with close ties to the Russian leadership.

"One single Syria is not enough. That's why we need one more state for the Russian presence not only in Syria but generally in the Middle East. Libya is a convenient territory for it. It's complete chaos and you can always say that Russia helps to fight terrorism."

Russian President Vladimir Putin may also take an interest in restoring his country's influence in Libya, analysts say. Before he was overthrown, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had been a long-standing Russian ally and Putin opposed the NATO campaign that helped to topple him.

Russia did not use its U.N. Security Council veto to block the resolution authorizing military action, and Putin, who was out of presidential office at the time, took the risk of demonstrating a split in Russian leadership by publicly criticising it.

CONTRACTS

Russia has outwardly backed U.N. mediation in Libya, and says it will abide by an arms embargo on the country. But it could eventually stand to recover billions of dollars worth of weapons and energy deals lost when Gaddafi lost power in 2011.

A parliament and government in eastern Libya that are allied to Haftar have no direct control over oil revenues. But they have maintained rival branches of the central bank, which has had Libyan dinars printed in Russia, and the National Oil Corporation (NOC), which has tried unsuccessfully to circumvent U.N. resolutions and sell oil independently of Tripoli.

"We hope for a return of the Russian state to its role as a support of Libya's armed forces, which have been abandoned by most countries in their war against terrorism," said Abdallah Bilhaq, a spokesman for the eastern parliament, citing some $4 billion in pre-2011 arms contracts.

Naji al-Maghrabi, appointed to head the NOC by the eastern government, told Reuters his office had signed 29 contracts, including recent ones with major states such as Russia and China. He did not give details.

So far, Russia's support for Haftar appears to be mainly symbolic, said Karim Mezran, a fellow at the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, though that could change if Haftar tries to take Tripoli, as his opponents in western Libya fear he is actively preparing to do.

"If he is getting signs of possible tribes or groups or militias who are really ready to switch to his side he might take the Russian encouragement and move," he said.

The GNA has been hamstrung by its failure to win endorsement from Haftar's allies, and its leaders have appeared increasingly isolated and dependent on Western backing since arriving in Tripoli in March.

At the start of January, one of its deputy prime ministers resigned, citing a failure to unite rival factions and tackle a collapse in living standards.

On Thursday, the head of a self-declared government sidelined by the GNA claimed he had regained control over several ministry buildings.

A general electricity blackout in western and southern Libya, on top of chronic security and economic problems, has pushed public frustration to new highs.

Haftar, a one-time ally of Gaddafi who returned from exile to join the uprising that toppled him, has largely shunned attempts to shore up the U.N.-mediated deal that created the GNA just over a year ago, accusing the government of aligning itself with some of the Islamist-leaning forces that took control of Tripoli in 2014.

In the east, his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) has been tightening its grip, ousting Islamist-led opponents from most of Benghazi, appointing military governors, and extending its control over oil facilities.

As the LNA's profile has risen, Western envoys have begun to recognise its gains, while publicly insisting that the U.N. agreement is the only way to bring stability to Libya.

Hoping for more support for his anti-Islamist stance from incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, Haftar is positioning himself to talk to the new U.S. administration from a position of strength, said Mezran.

"He expects this political agreement to fail and in his mind he thinks the only solution will be a military takeover, and in the end he thinks the West will side with him," he said.

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Suspended over a landscape picked out in orange and emerald green, a distant town sparkling white against the brilliant blue of the mountains, you would hardly know that this is the middle of a bombing raid. Nearby aircraft are of no more consequence than birds in the sky, and a plume of smoke blends in with the rich brown of the fields below.

Like many artists posted to more far-flung locations during the First World War, Sydney Carline (1888-1929), a top fighter pilot and from 1918 an official war artist attached to the RAF, was delighted by his unfamiliar surroundings. Part of the expeditionary force sent to assist the Italian Army after its defeat at Caporetto in October 1917, Carline was capable of drifting into a landscape-inspired reverie while on a bombing mission. As official war artist he flew his Sopwith Camel with a drawing board across his knees, although his instincts as a fighter pilot meant that he always kept his machine guns loaded.

Marking its reopening after a five-month refurbishment, a new exhibition at the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art explores British experiences in Italy through the eyes of three artists. Rediscovered by art historian Dr Jonathan Black in the archives of the Imperial War Museum, paintings and drawings by the fighting painter Sydney Carline join works by official photographers Ernest Brooks (1878-1941) and William Joseph Brunell (1878-1960).

These three very different men offer a vivid impression of the British presence in the Veneto, where soldiers lived among poverty-stricken civilians, many of whom had had to flee their homes, and managed a sometimes delicate relationship with the Italian Army.

Of course it wasnt just artists who were susceptible to the thrill of unfamiliar surroundings and a culture very different from their own. For the average Tommy, sent to Italy after months of deadlock on the Western Front, the prospect of a spell in the sunshine must have felt akin to a holiday. In his book With the Mad 17th in Italy, one Major Hody describes the excitement that met rumours of a move south: From Flanders to Italy. What a contrast indeed! From a country of seething slush and mud, with dark skies and continual dampness, rain and depression, to a land of warmth, sunshine and blue skies.

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Libido!(London!) Chastity!" at a preview of the Turner Prize in London REUTERS Culture news in pictures 27 September 2016 A technician wearing virtual reality glasses checks his installation in three British public telephone booths, set up outside the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, Netherlands. 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The event also features various photo exhibitions EPA Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A woman looks at 'Blue Poles', 1952 by Jackson Pollock during a photocall at the Royal Academy of Arts, London PA Culture news in pictures 19 September 2016 Art installation The Refusal of Time, a collaboration with Philip Miller, Catherine Meyburgh and Peter Galison, which features as part of the William Kentridge exhibition Thick Time, showing from 21 September to 15 January at the Whitechapel Gallery in London PA Culture news in pictures 18 September 2016 Artists creating one off designs at the Mm6 Maison Margiela presentation during London Fashion Week Spring/Summer collections 2017 in London Getty Images Culture news in pictures 18 September 2016 Bethenny Frankel attends the special screening of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" to celebrate the 25th Anniversary Edition release on Blu-Ray and DVD in New York City Getty Images for Walt Disney Stu Culture news in pictures 17 September 2016 Visitors attend the 2016 Oktoberfest beer festival at Theresienwiese in Munich, Germany Getty Images Culture news in pictures 16 September 2016 Visitors looks at British artist Damien Hirst work of art 'The Incomplete Truth', during the 13th Yalta Annual Meeting entitled 'The World, Europe and Ukraine: storms of changes', organised by the Yalta European Strategy (YES) in partnership with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation at the Mystetsky Arsenal Art Center in Kiev AP Culture news in pictures 16 September 2016 Tracey Emin's "My Bed" is exhibited at the Tate Liverpool as part of the exhibition Tracey Emin And William Blake In Focus, which highlights surprising links between the two artists Getty Images Culture news in pictures 15 September 2016 Musician Dave Grohl (L) joins musician Tom Morello of Prophets of Rage onstage at the Forum in Inglewood, California Getty Images Culture news in pictures 14 September 2016 Model feebee poses as part of art installation "Narcissism : Dazzle room" made by artist Shigeki Matsuyama at rooms33 fashion and design exhibition in Tokyo. 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The reality was less idyllic and Italy proved a punishing terrain. After the mud of Flanders the swamps north of Venice provided little respite and the mountains presented a harsh new challenge, with one Red Cross volunteer comparing the slopes to the steepest faces of Arthurs Seat. Even so, in memory at least, the lure of the Mediterranean seems to have prevailed, with tales of the impoverished but welcoming Italians throwing figs and oranges to the troops as they passed through on trains. As the historian Mark Thompson writes in the exhibition catalogue: Working-class men, experiencing the sensuous romance of the south for the first time, were as captivated as their carriage-borne predecessors had been on the Grand Tour.

Of the three men featured in the exhibition, Brooks was probably the hardest to impress. A former soldier with a distinguished record in the Second Boer War and one of the first official war photographers, Brooks took a dim view of the ill-disciplined and demoralised Italian Army. It is testament either to the charms of the place, or perhaps just to the close-knit living conditions, that Brooks was tempted away from purely military subjects to capture the day-to-day interactions between soldiers and civilians, including a beautiful picture of British soldiers sitting down to eat with an Italian family. By all accounts, the British were slow to take to pasta and gnocchi, but adapted more readily to vino rosso.

Italian women were employed by the British Army Service Corps to an extent unprecedented in the Italian military, and photographs of women cooking and washing clothes give a sense of an unlikely, makeshift community. Pictures of women loading and unloading barrels are an astonishing testament to the importance of rum as a British Army staple, still more to the logistics of ministering to some 70,000 troops.

When Brooks left Italy to return to the Western Front in September 1918, he was replaced by Brunell, an unknown quantity whose poor health prompted him to volunteer as a photographer to avoid conscription. Brunell lacked Brookss military background and sensibilities, and his pictures of picturesque ruins, curious arrangements of objects and dignified portraits suggest a sensitive and romantic disposition. Italian peasant women with their olive complexions were clearly fascinating, perhaps a little awe-inspiring for a young soldier, and Brunells portrait of a young Italian woman employed by the British Army could pass for a Renaissance Madonna.

While it offered a degree of exoticism, Italy also offered a comforting reminder of how England might once have been, the womens timeless clothing and the animals put to work on the land evoking a bucolic paradise that chimed with a nostalgic vision of home. Photographs of oxen and donkeys recall drawings made by Stanley Spencer in Macedonia, where he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps. For Spencer, nicknamed Cookham by his Slade School peers because of his peculiar attachment to his home village, his posting to Macedonia was, as for so many soldiers, his first experience of travelling abroad. For a devout Christian, the blazing sunshine, simple clothing and apparently primitive farming methods seemed to be straight out of the Bible, and he described in his notebook a spiritual world, with oxen under yokes; men passing slowly on mules; distant, rugged mountains.

While the most famous images of the First World War convey its horror, the impulse to find beauty was an instinctive, frank response to the novelty of lands and people encountered in a fluke of circumstance. Spencer, a man who would surely never have left Cookham were it not for the war, conceded: I would not have missed seeing the things I have seen since I left England for anything, and it is the sheer humanity of an inquisitive spirit undented by war that gives the pictures of Carline, Brooks and Brunell their appeal.

The fighting painter Sydney Carline was never without a drawing board, even when flying the notoriously difficult Sopwith Camel (Imperial War Museum)

The British Army employed women in non-combat roles (Imperial War Museum)

Italian women were much admired by British soldiers, Brunells dignified portrait recalling a Renaissance Madonna (Imperial War Museum)

Carline found that watercolour sketches were impossible to make while flying his Sopwith Camel with his knees. He eventually concluded that a pencil or charcoal sketch made in the air should be worked up in watercolour within 30 minutes of landing (Imperial War Museum)

For a young British soldier, Italian women were fascinating and possibly rather terrifying (Imperial War Museum)

While the British were initially rather disparaging of the Italian Army, they soon came to recognise their bravery in what was a particularly harsh terrain. Resting in a rocky landscape, Carline's group of Alpini, an elite mountain corps, is imbued with timeless romance (Imperial War Museum) (Imperial College London)

A very different character to his predecessor, Brunell saw beauty in the many ruined buildings of the Italian campagna (Imperial War Museum)

The exhibition is open until 19 March 2017. Visit estorickcollection.com for more information
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Piers Morgan has said that a viral video of a Taylor Swift impersonator is "creepy", after a clip was shown on Good Morning Britain.

7-year-old Xia Vigor was filmed performing on a Filipino talent show, Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids, where she sang Swift's song 'You Belong With Me' and wore similar outfits and makeup to the pop star.

Watching a clip with Richard Arnold and Susanna Reid on GMB, Morgan said: "It's one of the creepiest things I've ever watched."

Arnold added that he found it "slightly unsettling... that we're celebrating that sort of thing and it's trending worldwide".

"How old is she?" Morgan asked. "It's not good. The whole sexualisation of young girls like this, I don't like it at all I'm afraid, and the is my withering verdict.

"Everyone is saying 'Oh it's so cute'... it's not cute. Don't like it. It just means that millions of young girls are going to be slapping on makeup and lipstick and all that. It's not right."

Xia's performance on the show became a sensation on social media and was praised in publications around the world, with the original clip receiving more than 1.4 million views.

Mimicking Swift's mannerisms, hair toss, facial expressions and outfits proved a hit with judges.

Xia, who is a child actress, also covered Selena Gomez's 'Love You Like A Love Song' on the same show.
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In the geographical heart of Africa lies a huge wetland. After years of exploring these remote swamps, our research shows that the region contains the most extensive tropical peatland on Earth.

Astonishingly, 145,500 sq km of peatland  an area larger than England  went undetected on our crowded planet until now. We found 30 billion metric tonnes of carbon stored in this new ecosystem that nobody knew existed. Thats equivalent to 20 years of current US fossil fuel emissions. Here we describe how we did it, and our struggles against sabotage, arrest, and losing our own minds.

Peat is usually associated with cold places, not the middle of the hot, humid, Congo Basin. Its an organic wetland soil made of partially decomposed plant debris. In waterlogged places those plants cant entirely decompose, and are not respired as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The peat thus builds up slowly, locking up ever-more carbon. The amounts involved are huge: peat covers just 3 per cent of Earths land surface, but stores one-third of soil carbon.

We knew that peat can be formed under some tropical swamp forests. Might the worlds second largest tropical wetland, known as the Cuvette Centrale, overlie peat?

After the eureka moment of asking the right question, we searched to see if somebody else already knew the answer. About once a decade since the 1950s some obscure report would mention in passing that there was peat in the Congo Basin. Not one gave a grid reference, village or river to locate it. It was important to confirm whether it was present, though, as peatlands in southeast Asia have been targeted for palm oil and other industrial agricultural projects, leading to huge carbon emissions and catastrophic wildlife losses. Palm oil is now on the march in Africa.

For our Congo search, we had nothing to go on. Given the Congo Basin is slightly larger than India, it is not practical to just turn up and begin your search on foot. To pinpoint where to go, we combined data from different satellites to identify year-round waterlogged areas with the right sort of plants. In 2012, with researchers from Congo and UK universities plus NGO Wildlife Conservation Society, we began to look for peat in northern Republic of Congo.

What we now know: the peatlands lie on either side of the Congo River, spanning an area more than 500 km across (Dargie & Lewis et al/Nature, Author provided) (Dargie & Lewis et al / Nature, Author provided)

Life in the swamps

No one was really prepared for the reality of life in the swamps. The forest is quite open, which increases the equatorial heat, but humidity is still 100 per cent which makes it extremely sweaty. Your feet are wet and your new world is filled with insects.

Walking through the swamps is only possible in the dry season. Wading is the mode of transport at all other times. But then when it is dry, there isnt any free-flowing water. We often had to filter drinking water from the pits that crocodiles excavate and live in. Dry land and water kept us leashed near the edges of the swamp. But, happily we found some peat.

Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary

There were various hiccups. The team allegedly did not have the right papers, and was put under town arrest, confined to the provincial capital Impfondo. A week in and still no movement, but a friendly BBC journalist asked if the government had any comment on the arrested UK student. The next day everyone was free.

On another occasion, a curious panther unearthed and broke our instrument measuring the water table. But, as the work progressed, we learned more and more about the swamp from the local villagers who made the expeditions possible. We would see elephant feet and gorilla hands imprinted in the peat. We were increasingly in awe that a remote, almost unknown, wilderness such as this could still be found on Earth today.

Into the wild

We were then able to undertake our biggest expedition yet: a 30km walk to the centre of what we suspected was one of the largest single areas of peatland in the region.

Ekous Moniobo, of Itanga village, who helped the authors learn to live in the swamp (Simon Lewis, author provided) (Simon Lewis, Author provided)

In February 2014, our team of three scientists and five assistants from local village Itanga, with the blessing of their chief and elders, began its trek to the middle of the swamp. With all our food and equipment on our backs, the days were spent advancing our way through (or sinking into) the forested swamp, sampling the peat and overlying vegetation every 250 metres, then doubling back to pick up more food and equipment.

In the evenings, we made wooden platforms, on which we could pitch freestanding mountaineering tents. We washed in one of the many muddy pools of water on offer. The team would then sit round the fire  on a platform, to be out of the water  and enjoy a meal of cassava and smoked-dry fish.

After 17 days, covering just 1.5km a day, we finally reached the centre of the swamp between two of the major rivers. Our reward was not only the knowledge that these peatlands are indeed vast. We also found ever-deeper peat, reaching up to 5.9m, roughly the height of a two-storey building.

Yet being in such a remote location was mentally disconcerting. We knew that tree roots would always stop us sinking into the peat up to our necks. And we knew that the rain in a single torrential storm was not enough to flood the swamp and erase our path out. But our senses informed our brains that this was a dangerous place. Days later, wading the last river, we appeared blinking into the bright sunlight of the savanna, all eight of us sank to our knees, elated to have survived.

A carbon reservoir

Our field measurements revealed that just two specific forest types have peat underneath: a year-round waterlogged swamp of hardwood trees and a year-round waterlogged swamp dominated by one species of palm. We then used satellite data to map these two specific peat swamp forests to determine the boundaries of the Congo Basin peatlands. Combining this area with peat depth and peat carbon content from our laboratory analyses allowed us to calculate that just 4% of the Congo Basin is peatland, but it stores as much carbon below ground as that stored above ground in all the trees of the other 96%.

And now what? In policy terms, while the area is not under immediate threat, it needs protecting: as well as being critical habitat for gorillas and forest elephants, the Congo peatlands are only a carbon-rich resource in the fight against climate change when left intact.

The good news is that the Republic of Congo government is considering extending the area of protected swamp by expanding the Lac Tele Community Reserve by up to 50,000 square kilometres. And for us scientists? Now we know that this vast new ecosystem exists, wed like to know how it works.

Simon Lewis is professor of global change science at the University of Leeds and UCL; Greta Dargie is postdoctoral researcher in tropicalpPeatlands at the University of Leeds. This article first appeared on The Conversation (theconversation.com)
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A leopard has been caught on camera in snow leopard territory, high on the Tibetan plateau, for the first time in a discovery that has alarmed conservationists trying to save the latter.

There are fears that, as the climate warms, leopards will increasingly compete with their endangered cousins.

Snow leopards are classed as endangered after losing at least 20 per cent of their population in just 16 years due to habitat loss, poaching and a lack of prey to eat, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The global population is estimated at between 4,080 and 6,590.

Leopards are widely distributed in Africa and Asia, according to the IUCN, but are themselves classed as vulnerable with evidence of dramatic reductions in their populations because of persecution, hunting, loss of habitat and other largely human-caused factors.

They normally inhabit forests, while snow leopards tend to be found above the tree line.

Byron Weckworth, China programme director at conservation group Panthera, told BBC News that the latter were losing territory as the temperatures rise.

Recommended Large wild leopard causes panic after wandering into family home

In a changing climate, we expect the tree line to move up the slopes and that's encroaching into the snow leopard's habitat, he said.

The bigger threat is the snow leopards' habitat loss and its fragmentation.

The ordinary leopard was caught on a camera trap in Chinas Qinghai province in July last year, when the same camera also filmed a snow leopard.

It is unclear how the two species will interact. Some local people believe the two types of cat have mated, but Mr Weckworth said it was unlikely they would be able to produce any offspring because they are too far apart genetically.

Animals in decline Show all 8 1 /8 Animals in decline Animals in decline Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) Where: Orkney Islands. What: Between 2001-2006, numbers in Orkney declined by 40 per cent. Why: epidemics of the phocine distemper virus are thought to have caused major declines, but the killing of seals in the Moray Firth to protect salmon farms may have an impact. Alamy Animals in decline African lion (Panthera leo) Where: Ghana. What: In Ghanas Mole National Park, lion numbers have declined by more than 90 per cent in 40 years. Why: local conflicts are thought to have contributed to the slaughter of lions and are a worrying example of the status of the animal in Western and Central Africa. Animals in decline Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) Where: Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Costa Rica. What: Numbers are down in both the Atlantic and Pacific. It declined by 95 per cent between 1989-2002 in Costa Rica. Why: mainly due to them being caught as bycatch, but theyve also been affected by local developments. Alamy Animals in decline Wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) Where: South Atlantic. What: A rapid decline. One population, from Bird Island, South Georgia, declined by 50 per cent between 1972-2010, according to the British Antarctic Survey. Why: being caught in various commercial longline fisheries. Alamy Animals in decline Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica) Where: Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. What: fall in populations has been dramatic. In the early 1990s numbers were over a million, but are now estimated to be around 50,000. Why: the break up of the former USSR led to uncontrolled hunting. Increased rural poverty means the species is hunted for its meat Animals in decline Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) Where: found worldwide in tropical, subtropical and temperate seas. Why: at risk from overfishing and as a target in recreational fishing. A significant number of swordfish are also caught by illegal driftnet fisheries in the Mediterranean Animals in decline Argali Sheep (Ovis mammon) Where: Central and Southern Asian mountains,usually at 3,000-5,000 metres altitude. Why: domesticated herds of sheep competing for grazing grounds. Over-hunting and poaching. Animals in decline Humphead Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) Where: the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to South Africa and to the Tuamoto Islands (Polynesia), north to the Ryukyu Islands (south-west Japan), and south to New Caledonia. Why: Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing and trading of the species

Koustubh Sharma, an expert with the Snow Leopard Trust, said: How are these two cat species already managing to live together  or will the interface be difficult when their habitats are changing with climate change?"

The pictures from our camera trap make these questions more relevant and pressing.

The situation echoes the increasing interactions between grizzly and polar bears as temperatures warm in North America.

They are capable of mating and produce a hybrid known as a grolar or pizzly, which geneticists said would hasten the demise of the world's largest land predator. Polar bears genes are expected to be gradually lost from the gene pool as the two animals mate, with hybrids becoming more and more like grizzlies over time.
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Saudi Arabia, one of the worlds biggest oil producers, is seeking up to $50bn (about 40.1bn) of investment in solar and wind energy, while also drawing up plans for the countrys first nuclear power stations.

Oil minister Khalid al-Falih, who has spoken of his ambition to turn the petrochemical state into a solar powerhouse, said they would start issuing tenders for major renewable projects within weeks, the Financial Times reported.

The decision comes amid a slump in oil revenues that has forced the Government to drawn on more than $100bn of its reserves and increasing concern that climate change is becoming a more pressing problem.

Mr Falih said the tenders would be worth between $30bn and $50bn by 2030.

Speaking earlier this month, he said: We are committed to expanding renewables, we are committed to turning Saudi Arabia into a solar powerhouse.

John Sfakianakis, economic research director at the Gulf Research Centre, told Arab News that Saudi Arabia was currently using a lot of fossil fuels but could make a lot of energy from its abundant sunshine.

Saudi Arabia wants to balance economic needs against environmental goals as it has considerable solar power potential and is eager to reduce its use of fossil fuels, he said.

The country ranks high in per capita greenhouse gas carbon dioxide emissions.

Mr Sfakianakis said the Saudi economy could benefit from the plan to significantly increase renewables by 2030.

By creating an entirely new sector for the economy, jobs will be generated as it moves into more advanced areas of the production chain, he said.

Job creation for Saudis and a cleaner environment are important goals of Vision 2030 for better quality of life values.

Mr Falih said the renewable programme would ultimately produce about 10GW of power while it was hoped two new nuclear power plants would add 2.8GW.

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

However energy expert Mohamed Ramady said the Saudi government would have to take a view on whether nuclear power, which creates almost no carbon emissions, had a future.

If nuclear energy option is the preferred option, then Saudi Arabia has to assess whether current leaders using such energy like France, South Korea and Finland are still committed to this renewable energy source in the long term and whether their technology transfer and nuclear waste programs can be safely transferred, he told Arab News.
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South-east Asia has undeniably had its fair share of war and torment through the centuries, from colonisation in Malaysia to communist rule in Cambodia and civil war in Vietnam.

But in the 21st century, the countries are recovering from their pasts and are instead known by nicknames such as Cambodias The Land of Smiles and the Philippines moniker, The Pearl of the Orient Seas.

There are beautiful beaches, incredible mountains and welcoming people. You have super-modern cities and ancient temples, which combined form the fascinating area we call South-east Asia.

And if you cant get there to see it for yourself, read about it. We selected eight books covering the region. This list includes a mix of new releases and some older titles that have become classics of their genre.

1. First They Killed my Father by Loung Ung: 7.99, Mainstream Publishing

Loung Ungs story caught the attention of Angelina Jolie, who is currently directing a film for Netflix of her harrowing early life. Ung was forced to leave the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh to become a child soldier at just five years old when Pol Pots Khmer Rouge army captured the city. This non-fiction book graphically retells the story of a family  and nation  torn apart. She vividly describes the sight and smell of rotting corpses and being forced to eat whatever scraps they could get their hands on, and the terror and loss suffered by so many. Its a story of survival that will grip you and not let go, even after youve turned the final page.

Buy now

2. Smaller and Smaller Circles by FH Batacan: 7.99, Soho Press

First published in 2002 and released as a film last year, this engrossing, fast-paced tale is considered by many as the first Filipino crime novel. Its set in Payatas, a vast 50-acre dump north-east of the capital Manila where communities scavenge to survive, and theres little police protection. When disembowelled bodies of young boys begin to appear among the rubbish, two Catholic priests take up the cause to attempt to bring justice to this corrupt and poor neighbourhood. The cleverly written book won the Philippine National Book Award when it was first published.

Buy now

3. Evening is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan: 9.99, Harper Collins

Samarasans first novel immerses the reader in 1980s Malaysia. At its heart is the Rajasekrharan family, who live in the big blue house on Kingfisher Lane. Heading the family is Raju, a rich lawyer and his unhappy wife Vasanthi. Their daughter, Uma, flees to America for university, while Suresh, 11, and six-year-old Aasha are left behind. Using flashbacks, the narrative delves into the familys secrets  the mysterious dismissal of the familys servant girl and the death of Aashas grandmother who died shortly before the start of the novel. As the years leading up to the suspicious events unravel, each character is pulled apart and relationships between parents and children, and employers and employees, rich and poor are laid bare.

Buy now

4. Indonesia, Etc: Exploring the Improbable Nation by Elizabeth Pisani: 9.99, WW Norton & Company

Elizabth Pisanis compelling and humorous travelogue uncovers what the etc in Indonesias declaration of independence really meant. (The first president, Sutan Sjahrir said in a proclamation: The details of the transfer of power etc. will be worked out as soon as possible. That was in 1945.) Covering a year-long journey and almost 26,000 miles via boat, bus and bike, Pisani finds 80 million people still without electricity and a country which has not shaken its cloak of corruption. The little matter of etc still looms as the country struggles to find its independent identity. This book gives the reader a clear window into Indonesian society and politics.

Buy now

5. The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien: 8.99, HarperCollins

Tim OBriens third novel, The Things They Carried, is based on his own experiences of the Vietnam War, and the men in his own troop, Alpha Company, 23 Infantry Division. It is brought together by interlinking short stories, but the narrative does much more than just depict the brutalities of the war. Instead, it also looks at how soldiers were affected by the terrible loss of their fellow men, and the lasting physical and emotional impact the fighting had on them.

Buy now

6. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen: 8.99, Grove Press

The debut novel from Nguyen  an American Vietnamese professor  won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2016. The protagonist is a communist double agent, only ever known to the reader as the Captain. Hes the illegitimate child  of a young Vietnamese woman from a village, and a French catholic priest  who struggles with a sense of a double identity from a young age. But his character gives a voice to the Vietnam War from a non-American perspective. After being educated in America in the 1960s, he returns to Vietnam, but the fall of Saigon forces everyone out, and he later seeks refuge in California. This thriller of a novel draws on immigration, war and politics, but at its heart, it explores the idea of a dual identity.

Buy now

7. Catfish and Mandala by Andrew Pham: 11.99, Flamingo

Andrew Pham sold his life possessions and embarked on the journey of a lifetime  a solo year-long bike trip around the Pacific Rim around the US, through Japan and ending in his native Vietnam. After settling in California at the age of 10, he was foreigner. But as a hybrid, he faces racial discrimination in Vietnam too, where he is instantly labelled an outsider by the immigration officer who calls him viet-kieru  foreign Vietnamese. His soul-searching return powers him through his family history  seen through his childhood eyes  from the fall of Saigon to his fathers imprisonment by the Viet Cong.

Buy now

8. The Silk Merchants Daughter by Dinah Jefferies: 12.99, Penguin

Following on from her best-selling novel The Tea Planters Wife, this anti-colonial rule novel is Malaysian-born Dinah Jefferies third book. It tells the story of Nicole, a young half-French and half-Vietnamese woman in 1947s Indo-China, who has spent her life living in the shadows of her elder sister. After meeting a young rebel, she is opened up to the corruption of colonial rule and leaves her family behind her, only to find shes made a mistake. Jefferies portrays the time period beautifully through evocative descriptions and creates a strong heroine readers can relate to.

Buy now

The Verdict: Books on South-east Asia

For a first-person historical insight into one of the worlds least-known mass murders, First They Killed My Father is a harrowing but compulsive read. If its engrossing and thought-provoking fiction youre after, The Silk Merchants Daughter paints a picture of how opposing colonial rule opens news doors for suppressed women.
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A drone company apparently made the most futuristic flying camera ever made  but has now been hit with disappointed customers and lawsuits.

Lily announced this month that it was winding itself down and would refund everyone who pre-ordered his drone in the middle of 2015.

It was the ignominious end of an 18 month period that saw the company soar to the top tech world with its stunning features. But it slowly dawned on many of its customers over the following months that it actually was.

Drone Photography Contest winners Show all 9 1 /9 Drone Photography Contest winners Drone Photography Contest winners 1st Prize Winner  Category Travel Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, Umbria, Italy by fcattuto Drone Photography Contest winners 2nd Prize Winner  Category Travel Cable Beach by Todd Kennedy Drone Photography Contest winners 3rd Prize Winner  Category Travel Summer camp of Gran Canaria by Karolis Janulis Drone Photography Contest winners 1st Prize Winner  Category Sports Adventure Moab Rock Climbing by Maxseigal Drone Photography Contest winners 2nd Prize Winner  Category Sports Adventure Complejo Acuatico Norte de Santander by losmanesdeldrone Drone Photography Contest winners 3rd Prize Winner  Category Sports Adventure Chugach Mountain Range, Alaska by High Angle Shot Drone Photography Contest winners 1st Prize Winner  Category Nature Wildlife Kalbyris forest Denmark by Mbernholdt Drone Photography Contest winners 2nd Prize Winner  Category Nature Wildlife Swarm of sheep by Szabolcs Ignacz Drone Photography Contest winners 3rd Prize Winner  Category Nature Wildlife Piton de la fournaise, Volcano by Jonathan Payet

Now its customers claim that it had duped them with the flashy and splashy video that introduced the technology.

A new lawsuit alleges that videos used to bring in the pre-orders  which saw tens of thousands of people pre-ordering the drone for as much as $899  was actually filmed using far more expensive drones that were being manually flown. The video suggested that the drone would be able to follow people, go under water, and land on users hands; but all of those were shown as part of a video that the new case alleges were actually faked.

The case alleging such was filed in the wake of the news that the company would be shut down and all of the people who pre-ordered the drone  the only way to buy it, and which left people having invested hundreds of dollars without any guarantee of when it would arrive  would have their money refunded.

If the case, filed by the San Francisco District Attorneys office, is successful then the customers will receive perhaps much more cash from the company.

One customer, Richard Tatnell, told The Independent that he had initially been excited when he pre-ordered the drone in May 2015. But while he had still been hoping the drone would arrive, he was less excited as time passed and the technology in the drone became less new.

Ultimately I'm just disappointed, Mr Tatnell said. Having followed the progress of the camera's development since pre-ordering in May 2015 and accepting the constant delays to shipping dates, it's disappointing to now not be getting the finished product.

That said technology has come a long way since I ordered it and so while the Lily camera was cutting edge back then, it did slowly lose its appeal as other drones came on the market.

Those who had pre-ordered received a message with the subject line "The End of our Journey". Inside that message, two members of the team explained that they are "planning to wind down the company and offer refunds to customers, and gave details on how that it could be done.

It claimed that the company had gone under because of ever-diminishing funds, and that it didnt have enough money to ship its first drones.

In the past year, the Lily family has had many ups and downs, the email read. |We have been delighted by the steady advancements in the quality of our product and have received great feedback from our Beta program.

At the same time, we have been racing against a clock of ever-diminishing funds. Over the past few months, we have tried to secure financing in order to unlock our manufacturing line and ship our first units - but have been unable to do this.

The end of the email apologised and thanked pre-order customers for their support.

After so much hard work, we are sad to see this adventure come to an end, Antoine and Henry wrote. We are very sorry and disappointed that we will not be able to deliver your flying camera, and are incredibly grateful for your support as a pre-order customer.

Thank you for believing in our vision and giving us the opportunity to get this far. We hope our contribution will help pave the way for the exciting future of our industry.
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Norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug, is on the rise again, according to a report in the BMJ. A familiar set of warnings about ward closures and avoiding visits to patients in hospital was also issued, but why does this one virus cause the NHS such difficulty?

While norovirus does occur year-round, cases peak in winter and this clashes with the winter rush on the NHS. The symptoms of norovirus  diarrhoea and vomiting  typically last a day or two. While you may spend those days wishing you were dead, the chances of long-term harm from the infection are extremely low if you are otherwise healthy. Those most at risk from norovirus are the very young, the elderly and people with impaired immune systems (those said to be immunocompromised). Unfortunately, these are exactly the groups most likely to find themselves in hospital.

As a result of advances in transplant medicine and cancer treatment (which can suppress or affect the immune system), these immunocompromised patients make up an increasingly large portion of the population. While norovirus only lasts a few days at most in healthy people, those with suppressed immune systems can struggle to clear the infection; it can linger for weeks, months or even years. Fortunately, it is rare that full-blown norovirus symptoms are experienced for this long. But the virus does make it hard to absorb food and gain weight, which is a worry after major surgery and can make recovery much more difficult. As such, these patients are a particular concern.

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Norovirus is very easy to pass ion. One tablespoon of diarrhoea from a single patient can contain enough virus to infect everyone in the world many times over. To make things worse, like many other viruses, people may remain infectious for several days after symptoms have resolved and not every infected person may be symptomatic. Many cases are traced back to food handlers who may appear well and have no idea they are infectious. The virus can be spread through touching infected surfaces or material and a lack of suitable handwashing or hygiene.

Outbreaks tend to occur in closed environments, such as hospitals, cruise ships, schools and retirement homes, as these all share common dining and social areas and have many people eating food prepared by others. In the case of hospitals, many have a food court or canteen which is shared by staff, patients and visitors. In summer, many escape outdoors on lunch breaks to enjoy the weather. But in winter, when norovirus peaks, everyone crowds together inside, away from the cold.

Norovirus (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

An expensive virus

Hospital staff are at an increased risk of catching norovirus themselves as they deal with large numbers of patients. This is not only unpleasant for the individuals concerned, but also means its possible for asymptomatic staff to spread the virus to patients and so exacerbate the problem. For this reason, hospitals are very careful about decontamination, staff training, and discouraging unwell staff from working for up to 48 hours after symptoms have resolved.

For an organisation which runs 24/7, and relies on a great deal of shift work, this can be very disruptive. All these disruptions come at a cost  lost hospital beds and closed wards, at a time when beds are already at a premium. In the two weeks before Christmas 2016, there were 15 hospital outbreaks of norovirus in the UK, 14 of which resulted in closed wards or restrictions on patient admissions. Past estimates of the costs of norovirus to the NHS put the total at over 100m (in 2002-03 prices). This is the same as employing over 3,000 extra specialist nurses, or around a third of the total cancer drugs budget.

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The cost to the global economy of norovirus has been estimated at a whopping $44bn (36.5bn), with $4.2bn of that to healthcare systems. At a time when NHS budgets are stretched, and hospitals are in debt, these additional costs are ones that hospitals can ill afford. For other seasonal and highly contagious diseases such as influenza, the NHS is able to offer and encourage its staff to take up free vaccinations in order to try and reduce the impact on staff, patient and visitor health. However, the absence of a vaccine means this is not yet an option for norovirus.

Vaccine trials are underway

Although no drugs or vaccines are available yet, several vaccine candidates are in clinical trials. Sadly, immunity to norovirus does not last for long, so, much like the flu vaccine, it is expected that regular vaccinations would be needed to make sure people remain immune. This would still be a huge benefit, and allow vaccination of workers at particular risk, or most likely to transmit the virus, such as NHS staff or those in the catering industry. The recent discovery of a means of growing different human norovirus strains in the lab, rather than having to rely on related animal viruses for research, will also boost efforts to find antivirals to help treat infection.

If you have norovirus, there is little your GP or hospital can do for you. The most a visit in person is likely to achieve is to spread the virus to other people. The NHS recommends that you stay at home, drink lots of water and, if you are concerned, phone your GP or NHS 111 for further advice.

Edward Emmott, research associate in virology, University of Cambridge. This article first appeared on The Conversation (theconversation.com)
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When Audrey Hepburn gazed wistfully though the windows of Tiffanys on Fifth Avenue in 1961, she was unobstructed by police, protesters, or a President-elect.

Flash forward to 2017 and the iconic store of blue boxes is right beside Trump Tower, the hub of political activity, the house of President-elect Donald Trump and the eye of all international news correspondents.

As a result, the jewelry companys flagship outlet suffered heavily over the Christmas period, with sales at the Manhattan branch down by 14 per cent over November and December compared to a year ago.

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Alongside the police officers, metal barriers, and flank of television crews, passersby and potential shoppers have to approach the store from round the side of the building.

Walking around Fifth Avenue has become a nightmare for tourists who may not be familiar with the area.

Tiffany warned in late November about some adverse effect on traffic and softness at the Fifth Avenue store due to the impact of recent election-related activity.

A company spokesman told The Independent that the flagship location represents less than 10 per cent of its $4 billion worldwide sales. It has employed several staff to stand outside and help direct shoppers to the Fifth Avenue or the 57th Street entrances.

"it's not quite the way it used to be," he said. "But both entrances are open."

Would shoppers be tempted to navigate this crowd? (AP)

Tiffany CEO Frederic Cumenal said on Tuesday that he did not expect any significant improvement in 2017 due to macroeconomic challenges facing the company.

Some other luxury brands, such as Richemont, reported an uptick in sales over the holiday season. Others, however, like Michael Kors and Nordstrom have fallen over the past year.

The President-elect has promised to cut taxes and regulation, a boon for large corporations. He has not spoken about the companies suffering on his doorstep, however.

Mr Trump is moving to Washington DC soon to receive his inauguration before he steps into the White House, which may relieve the police and security presence on Fifth Avenue.

His wife, Melania Trump, and his son, Barron, will remain in New York, however, at least until the end of the school year.

Tiffany shares fell around 9.2 per cent from 9 December to 6 January, but have since rebounded. They are up 4.6 per cent year to date.
Syria's UN ambassador will head the government delegation to upcoming peace talks, a Syrian daily reported Tuesday, while the opposition said it would be represented by rebel negotiator Mohammad Alloush.

Talks on the nearly six-year-old conflict, organised by Turkey, Russia and Iran, are set to begin on January 23 in the Kazakh capital Astana.

The Al-Watan daily, which is close to the government, reported on Tuesday that the regime's delegation "will be led by Syrian diplomat and permanent representative to the United Nations Bashar al-Jaafari."

The government's team will also include "figures representing the military and the Syrian judiciary, so that the delegation will represent the whole Syrian state," the newspaper wrote.

Chief rebel negotiator Mohammad Alloush, a leading figure in the Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) faction, will represent the opposition, according to National Coalition member Ahmad Ramadan.

The opposition delegation will include around 20 people, Ramadan told AFP.

Rebel groups announced on Monday that they would send a "military" delegation to Astana, as well as legal and political advisors from the High Negotiations Committee umbrella group.

Alloush and Jaafari headed opposing teams at UN-hosted peace talks in Geneva last year, trading accusations throughout the ill-fated negotiations.

Jaafari described his rival as a "terrorist," while Alloush accused the regime of committing "massacres" in Syria.

The Astana talks will aim to build on a nationwide truce in place since December 30 that was brokered by rivals Ankara and Moscow.

Although they back opposing sides in the war, the two powers have worked closely in recent months to bring an end to the conflict.

In announcing their participation, rebels said that the talks would focus on strengthening the truce, while discussions on Syria's political future would be left for talks in Geneva in February.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday said "one of the goals of the Astana meeting is, first, reinforcing the ceasefire."

But Al-Watan on Tuesday reported that the government's delegation would head to Astana in pursuit of a "political solution" to the war.

"No one thinks Damascus is going to Astana to discuss a halt to military operations, as some want to suggest, or to reinforce the so-called ceasefire," the paper said.

"Damascus is attending in the framework of its vision for a comprehensive political solution to the war on Syria... and to re-impose the hegemony and sovereignty of the state on all Syrian territory," it wrote.

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The chairman and chief executive of Bank of America says major companies like his need clear rules before deciding how much business to maintain in Britain after it quits the European Union.

Brian Moynihan and other top bankers and executives gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos are eagerly awaiting details about the UK exit plans from British Prime Minister Theresa May in a speech Tuesday.

Moynihan, speaking to The Associated Press, said Bank of America is working on all kinds of scenarios to possibly shift activities out of London after Brexit, but insisted it's still not clear what that would do, or wouldn't do.

He said: It's still premature to say what anybody's going to do until you have one set of rules. London will be an important part of our company no matter what happens with the British economy.

Noting a mass sense of dislocation in the British and US electorate because of fast technological change, he said, The No. 1 job for the leader of any enterprise, whether civil political or business, is to be responsive to the people they serve.
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In a thinly veiled dig at US President-elect Donald Trump's policies, Chinese President Xi Jinping used his speech at the World Economic Forum to spurn protectionism, but also warn that theres no point blaming the worlds problems solely on globalisation.

In the opening plenary session in Davos, Mr Xi  the first Chinese head of state ever to attend the event in the Swiss alpine town  cautioned world leaders and global executives of inadequate governance in the financial markets and worrying levels of economic inequality.

He said that rather than globalisation, many of the worlds problems are caused by war, conflict and regional turmoil. He admitted that the flow of refugees from the Middle East and Africa is, indeed, a global worry, but also maintained that it is not one caused by opening up markets.

In one of his many passages peppered with analogies, he likened the world economy to an ocean. Any attempt to cut off the flow of capital, goods, and people between economies and channel the waters in the ocean back into isolated lakes and creeks is simply not possible, he said.

In remarks that commentators said may have been targeted at US President-elect Donald Trump, Mr Xi also issued a scathing criticism of trade wars, saying that no one will emerge [from them] as a winner.

Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room, Mr Xi said. Wind and rain may be kept outside, but so are light and air.

Scores of organisations have warned of the perils of protectionism, especially in the aftermath of Mr Trumps election victory. Mr Trump, who is due to be sworn in as President on Friday, in last years highly divisive election campaign argued that international trade agreements had damaged US workers and the country's competitiveness.

For a report published ahead of the event, the WEF surveyed 750 risk experts and found that rising income and wealth disparity  that the organisation argues already helped spur the Brexit vote and Mr Trumps election victory  were cited as the most important trends expected to shape world developments over the next decade.

Social polarisation and climate change were cited as the second and third most-important threats by respondents in the report, both risks also alluded to by Mr Xi.

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The Chinese President ended his speech by focusing on domestic matters.

He argued that Chinas moves to opening up its economy have been advantageous to the economy globally.

After years of double-digit growth, he said that the countrys aim is to achieve a medium-to-high level of expansion.

China will keep its door wide open, and not close it, Mr Xi said.
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Shares in British engineering company Rolls-Royce rose more than 5 per cent on Tuesday morning, after the group said that 2016 profit would beat expectations and announced that it had agreed to pay 671m to British, US and Brazilian authorities to settle bribery and corruption claims.

Rolls-Royce, which is in the midst of a cost-cutting programme launched back in 2015, said in a statement that it has reached a so-called deferred prosecution agreement with the UKs Serious Fraud Office.

That agreement is subject to final approval by the High Court on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, the company reached similar agreements with the US Department of Justice and, what it calls a leniency agreement with Brazils Ministerio Publico Federal.

Rolls-Royce, whose customers include airlines, armed forces and navies in more than 150 countries, said that these agreements relate to cases of bribery and corruption involving intermediaries in a number of overseas markets, concerns about which the company passed to the SFO from 2012 onwards.

These are voluntary agreements which result in the suspension of a prosecution provided that the company fulfils certain requirements, including the payment of a financial penalty, the company added.

Rolls-Royce is expected to report full-year 2016 results on 14 February and said on Tuesday that an appropriate update on the implications of these agreements will be provided at that time.

It added, however, that early indications are that the Group has had a good finish to the year with both profit and, in particular, cash expected to be ahead of expectations.

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Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Rogue trader A French court cut the damages owed by rogue trader Jerome Kerviel from 4.9bn (4.2bn) to just 1m (860,000). The court ruled on that Kerviel was partly responsible for massive losses suffered in 2008 by his former employer Societe Generale through his reckless trades. Kerviel has consistently maintained that bosses at the French bank knew what he was doing all along. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Barclays CEO under investigation for trying to identify whistleblower - Monday Paril 10 Authorities have launched an investigation into Barclays chief executive officer Jes Staley for trying to identify a whistleblower, the bank said on Monday. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) are both investigating Mr Staley after the bank notified them that Mr Staley had tried to identify the author of two anonymous letters, which were sent to the board and a senior executive in June 2016. 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On Monday, the three were convicted at Southwark Crown Court on accounts including bribery, fraud and money laundering. Mark Dobson, another manager at HBOS, Alison Mills, and John Cartwright were also convicted. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Lloyds chief apologises for damage caused by affair allegations - August 2016 Antonio Horta-Osorio, the chief executive of Lloyds Bank, has broken his silence over allegations about his private life admitting he regrets any "damage done to the group's reputation". In a message sent to the bank's 75,000 employees, the banker said that anyone can make mistakes while insisting that staff had to maintain the highest professional standards. 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The ruling puts on guard future whistle-blowers, Deltour told reporters.The LuxLeaks revelations sped beyond Luxembourg, causing European Union regulators to expand a tax-subsidy probe and propose new laws to fight corporate tax dodging, while EU lawmakers created a special committee to probe fiscal deals across the 28-nation bloc. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Goldman Sachs dealmakers lavished Libyan officials with prostitutes to win contract - June 2016 A former Goldman Sachs dealmaker trying to persuade Gadaffi-era Libya to invest $1 billion with the investment bank procured prostitutes and invited Libyan officials to lavish parties in the hope of winning the business, the High Court heard on Monday June 13.The Libyan Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund is suing Goldman Sachs for inappropriately coercing its naive staff into giving its sovereign wealth fund cash to the bank to invest in products they did not understand. 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The company founder said that workers were paid less than the statutory minimum because of bottlenecks at security in an admission that could result in sanctions from HMRC. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Mitsubishi admits improper fuel tests - April 2016 Mitsubishi has admitted to using false fuel methods dating back to 1991. The scale of the scandal is only just coming to light after it was revealed in April that data was falsified in the testing of four types of cars, including two Nissan cars. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Quindell, the scandal-ridden insurance firm Quindell was once a darling of AIM but its share price fell in April 2014 when its accounting practices were attacked in a stinging research note by US short seller Gotham City. In August the group was forced to disclose that the 107 million pre-tax profit it had reported for 2013 was incorrect, and it had in fact suffered a 64million loss. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Toshiba Accounting Scandal The boss of Toshiba, the Japanese technology giant, resigned in disgrace in the wake of one of the countrys biggest ever accounting scandals. His exit came two months after the company revealed that it was investigating accounting irregularities. An independent investigatory panel said that Toshibas management had inflated its reported profits by up to 152 billion yen (780m) between 2008 and 2014. Biggest business scandals in pictures FIFA Corruption Scandal Fifa, football's world governing body, has been engulfed by claims of widespread corruption since the summer of 2015, when the US Department of Justice indicted several top executives. It has now claimed the careers of two of the most powerful men in football, Fifa President Sepp Blatter and Uefa President Michel Platini, after they were banned for eight years from all football-related activities by Fifa's ethics committee. A Swiss criminal investigation into the pair is ongoing. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Libor fraudster City trader Tom Hayes, 35, has become the first person to be convicted of rigging Libor rates following a trial at London's Southwark Crown Court. Hayes worked as a trader in yen derivatives at UBS before joining the American bank Citigroup in Tokyo. He was fired from Citigroup following an investigation into his trading methods. He returned to the UK in December 2012 and was arrested following a two-and-a-half year criminal investigation by the SFO. Getty

For 2015, the company booked underlying revenue of 13.4bn.
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The head of the Health Select Committee has said Theresa May must apologise for trying to scapegoat GPs over overwhelming pressure faced by the NHS.

Conservative MPs have turned on the Prime Minister after she said the lack of surgeries offering extended opening hours was causing patients and overstretched A&E departments to suffer.

Former GP Sarah Wollaston told The Independent the Government was failing to take responsibility for a system-wide issue which is not just about primary care.

I do feel this is going to backfire, I think it was the wrong thing to say, and I think frankly they should apologise, said Dr Wollaston, MP for Totnes who has been health committee chair since June 2014.

Downing Street has said GP surgeries are not doing enough to meet NHS commitments to see patients twelve hours a day, seven days a week amid a growing crisis leaving hospitals unable to cope with demand.

In a statement, Ms Mays office expressed its frustration at the failure of GPs to offer services every day from 8am to 8pm unless they can prove the demand from patients is not there.

It is increasingly clear that a large number of surgeries are not providing access that patients need  and that patients are suffering as a result because they are then forced to go to A&E to seek care, said a Downing Street source.

It's also bad for hospitals, who then face additional pressure on their services.

But Dr Wollaston hit back at the comments and said blaming GPs for the pressures facing the NHS fails to grasp the complexity of the issue.

To portray this as if only GPs were open a bit more is to completely fail to understand the problem, she said.

I cant see that theres anything to be gained by trying to scapegoat a section of the primary care community at a point where they are understaffed, under pressure, and frankly demoralised.

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Dr Wollaston said compared to health systems in other countries, the NHS was very efficient, very fair and very much loved by the British public and Downing Street needed to show they understood the scale of the problem instead of turning on GPs.

She accused the Government of using smoke and mirrors to deflect from a drop in NHS funding in real terms at a time of unprecedented demand.

Downing Street said it had committed an extra 528m a year for general practice by 2020/21 and Jeremy Hunt has outlined plans to shift some of the emergency care burden on to GPs, saying that around a third of patients in A&E departments were in hospital unnecessarily.

The Health Secretary suggested temporarily releasing time for family doctors to support urgent care work, while echoing Ms Mays promise of seven-day access to a GP from 8am to 8pm.

But Jeremy Lofrey, MP for Stafford, told The Independent it was not physically possible for most GP surgeries to extend their hours due to a critical shortage of doctors.

To have all GP surgeries open 12 hours a day, seven days a week is just not physically possible if you want a GP there at all times, he said.

If you want more hours worked by GPs, you effectively need to have more GPs. Well there arent any more GPs at the moment, there are some coming through the system  that will take a while  but there are also a lot of GPs who are within five years of retirement.

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Mr Lofrey said a close family member of his was a GP, so he had seen first hand the long hours family doctors were often required to work due to pressures on the system.

Youve got to find more GPs, because its physically impossible for people to work 60 or 70 hours a week when they are already working 50 to 60 hours Monday to Friday, he said, adding that the public should be better informed of already existent non-emergency services such as the NHS 111 number.

A ComRes poll for The Independent showed 43 per cent of people said they had struggled to get a GP appointment in the past 12 months.

Recommended Everyone the Conservative government has blamed for NHS crisis

The overall number of GP consultations have increased by 15 per cent over the past five years  three times the rate of increase in the number of GPs, according to The Kings Fund.

And a BMA survey of 3,500 GPs in England found around a third of practices had vacancies for doctors they had been unable to fill for at least a year.

James Davies, the Conservative MP for the Vale of Clwyd, told The Independent he had been working as an NHS GP himself until he was elected in 2015 and had experienced a workload which was becoming progressively more difficult and complex.

I would like to see the GP input to resolving pressures on the NHS increase, but we have to be realistic and realise that will depend on workforce becoming available, he said, but added this cant be achieved today, immediately, because the workforce isnt there to sustain it.

Its not right when certain people try to suggest that GPs are having it easy, theyre not working as hard as they should be and they dont care, he said. Its not all about coughs and colds. There is a danger of a slightly outdated perception of what general practice is and how it works.

Nearly half  46 per cent  of GP surgeries were still closing at some point during core weekday working hours, according to a recent finding by the National Audit Office (NAO).

This was in spite of three-quarters of them having received extra funding to provide extended cover.

But Dan Poulter, doctor and Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, said he was somewhat confused by Ms Mays proposals for GP practices to remain open out-of-hours.

I am a little mystified by this. Many smaller practices may need to stop appointments in early afternoon to allow for home visits, he wrote on Twitter.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said the Prime Minister's intervention was extremely unfortunate and the plans were misguided.

She added: In terms of practices closing temporarily during core opening hours there are often very good reasons for doing so, related to ensuring high quality patient care, including mandatory staff training.

Just because the surgery may seem closed, it does not mean that care isn't being delivered.

ComRes interviewed 2,038 Great British adults online between the 11 and 13 January. Full details on ComRes website
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A new species of moth has been named after US President-elect Donald Trump.

The moth, called Neopalpa donaldtrumpi, lived in a densely population part of southern California and is struggling to cope with the loss of its natural habitat.

The researcher who discovered the new species said he hoped that named it after the 45th US President would boost its profile and the need to conserve fragile environments.

The scales on the head of this newly discovered moth made the researcher who found it think of Donald Trump's hairstyle (Dr Vazrick Nazari)

But Dr Vazrick Nazari also said N. donaldtrumpi had markings that were similar to the billionaire Republicans famous hairstyle.

Writing in the journal ZooKeys, Dr Nazari said: The new species is named in honour of Donald J Trump, to be installed as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, 2017.

The reason for this choice of name is to bring wider public attention to the need to continue protecting fragile habitats in the US that still contain many undescribed species.

The specific epithet is selected because of the resemblance of the scales on the frons (head) of the moth to Mr Trumps hairstyle.

He made the discovery while looking through moth specimens kept at the Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis.

He noticed some did not match any previously known species and, after a thorough analysis, realised they were a new species.

N. donaldtrumpi is a distinct type of twirler moth, which are believed to be seriously threatened with extinction because of habitat loss.

"The discovery of this distinct micro-moth in the densely populated and otherwise zoologically well-studied southern California underscores the importance of conservation of the fragile habitats that still contain undescribed and threatened species, and highlights the paucity of interest in species-level taxonomy of smaller faunal elements in North America," said DrNazari.

"I hope to bring some public attention to, and interest in, the importance of alpha-taxonomy in better understanding the neglected micro-fauna component of the North American biodiversity.

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

The news comes a month after a type of fish was named after President Barack Obama.

The Tosanoides obama is found only on coral reefs in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument off Hawaii, a nature reserve which 44th US President expanded to become the largest protected marine area in the world.
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Theresa May has outlined plans for a so-called hard Brexit  one in which the UK leaves the EU single market and customs union.

It means many of the workers rights that have been won over many decades will no longer be protected by EU law and could potentially be abolished at any point. According to the House of Commons Library, a substantial component of workers rights in the UK comes from EU law.

In truth the current government is unlikely to scrap many, if any, of the rights  not least because Theresa May has promised that workers existing protections will be guaranteed while she is Prime Minister. The Governments Great Repeal Bill will also convert all EU laws, including the ones relating to employment rights, to UK law  at least for now.

Recommended Chancellor Philip Hammond announces Britain will quit EU single market

The risk is how easy it would be, in theory, for a future government to get rid of those rights. Many hard-fought protections could be scrapped with just a simple vote of Parliament. Others stem from decisions made by the European Court of Justice and will no longer be relevant after Brexit because British courts will no longer have to follow ECJ decisions. The EU prevented any UK government overriding workers rights  Brexit means that protection will no longer be there.

Here are ten of the rights that could be under threat.

Limits on working hours

Introduced in the UK in 1998, the EUs working time regulations mean employees cannot be forced to work more than an average of 48 hours a week. Workers can choose to opt out, and there are some exceptions - including emergency service workers, soliders, servants in private households and fishermen - but this EU law helps stop bosses forcing their employees to work unhealthy hours. It also prevents young people being exploited by stating workers under the age of 18 cannot work more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. The UK government resisted the controversial working time laws during EU negotiations and a future government could amend them.

Time off

The Working Time Directive also made days off a legal requirement. Companies have to give staff a minimum of 48 hours off work per fortnight and a rest time of at least 11 consecutive hours (12 hours for young people) every day. This is designed to stop workers being exploited and becoming unwell because of being overworked. The rules also include protections for night workers, ensuring they cannot work an average of more than eight hours a day and must be offered free health checks.

Annual leave

EU rules also secure British workers legal right to paid annual leave. According to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the introduction of these laws gave six million Britons better rights to paid leave, including two million workers who had previously not been entitled to any paid leave at all. EU directives say workers must be given at least four weeks (20 days) of paid leave per year. This is less than the UKs legal requirement of 28 days of annual leave, but the EU rules acted, until now, as a safeguard against any future government scrapping or reducing annual leave requirements.

Equal pay

Equal pay between men and women has been enshrined in EU law since 1957. It was also part of UK law before Britain joined the EU but in a more minimal way. The British government had refused to incorporate into law the idea that pay should be based on value, meaning a woman doing a more valuable or senior job could legally be paid only the same as a more junior male colleague. The UK government amended this only after enforcement action by the EU Commission.

Maternity rights

EU law guarantees women a minimum of 14 weeks maternity leave. The 1992 EU Pregnant Workers Directive also gave women the right to take time off work for medical appointments relating to their pregnancy. It placed a duty on employers to look after pregnant women, including putting them on paid leave if the nature of their work was unsuitable during pregnancy  for example, if it was overly physical and potentially dangerous.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has made clear any discrimination towards a woman because of her pregnancy or maternity leave is sexism and should be treated at such. The ECJ also ruled that employers must give women on maternity leave the same contractual rights as they do to other employees, for example by continuing to pay in to pension schemes.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

Parental leave

EU law says parents must be allowed to take 18 weeks of unpaid leave from work to look after a child. It also says workers must be allowed additional time off for other family reasons, such as an ill child.

Anti-discrimination laws

UK laws banning discrimination on the grounds of age, religion or sexual orientation come directly from the EUs Equal Treatment Directive. EU laws have also made it easier for people claiming discrimination to get justice, by placing the burden of proof in discrimination cases on the alleged perpetrator rather than the alleged victim.

Compensation for discrimination victims

Under EU law, there is no cap on the amount an employer found guilty of discrimination can be ordered to be pay in compensation. This could change after Brexit. The last government commissioned a report on employment law, by venture capitalist Adrian Beecham, that recommended introducing a cap on compensation payments for discrimination. Until now, EU rules have prevented UK government ministers from doing so. Critics say the current law can be crippling for employers but others say it is a reasonable reflection of the huge consequences discrimination can have.

Agency worker protections

EU rules adopted in 2008 say temporary workers must be treated equally to directly-employed staff, including being given access to the same amenities or collective facilities. They also say EU member states should do more to improve agency workers access to training and childcare facilities. These regulations are not popular with employers and were resisted by the UK government during EU negotiations. They could be some of the first EU rules to be scrapped post-Brexit.

Health and safety

The EUs Health and Safety Framework Directive forces employers to assess and act to reduce workplace risks. Other rules cover issues such as disabilities, noise and specific regulations for staff working with chemicals, asbestos or other potential hazards. The TUC says 41 of the 65 new health and safety regulations introduced in the UK between 1997 and 2009 came from EU laws.
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A leading economist has warned that British businesses face a "significant" new red tape burden after Brexit because of potential changes to immigration rules.

Companies will bear the responsibility of confirming whether potential employees have the right to work in the UK according to a proliferation of new worker categories if European freedom of movement is ended, Professor Jonathan Portes said, calling the process "border controls in the workplace".

The King's College London academic told The Independent it was "a bit of a fantasy" that Brexit would mean less red tape for industry, regardless of whether the UK remains in the customs union.

He said: "There are new opportunities, potentially new flexibilities. It's up to us to make the best of it.

"But it's foolish to ignore the very real practical problems that are likely to hit us in the short term.

"In the future employers will have to check the right of Europeans to work in this country. There will be all these different categories of Europeans.

"Employers are going to have to check through and sort out all these categories every time a European moves jobs, even if they've been here 10 years.

"The idea that Brexit is going to mean less red tape is a bit of a fantasy at the moment."

Currently employers have only to check a European worker's passport but in future potential documentation could be linked to "at least" five different statuses, he said, including permanent residents, those with "transitional leave to remain", immigrants with work permits and people claiming a human rights-based entitlement to work like a family connectionas well as those who have no technical right to employment.

Prof Portes added: "His passport's not going to show all that. Europeans will be more complicated."

Asked how he would feel if he was the leader of a small or medium-sized company, he said: "At least in the short to medium term, I would be quite worried that the decisions taken now may lead to quite significant administrative and regulatory burdens over the next few years, likely to outweigh any gains from reducing European red tape."

He added: "I think the civil servants understand these issues. I imagine that some politicians have grasped it, but lots haven't."

Government guidance for employers, released in May 2015, says: "All nationals from European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland, with the exception of Croatia, are free to live and work in the UK. They may demonstrate their right to work through their EEA (or Swiss) passport or national identity document."
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This is the full text of Theresa May's speech setting out the plan for Brexit negotiations.

A little over six months ago, the British people voted for change.

They voted to shape a brighter future for our country.

They voted to leave the European Union and embrace the world.

And they did so with their eyes open: accepting that the road ahead will be uncertain at times, but believing that it leads towards a brighter future for their children  and their grandchildren too.

And it is the job of this Government to deliver it. That means more than negotiating our new relationship with the EU. It means taking the opportunity of this great moment of national change to step back and ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be.

My answer is clear. I want this United Kingdom to emerge from this period of change stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than ever before. I want us to be a secure, prosperous, tolerant country  a magnet for international talent and a home to the pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead. I want us to be a truly Global Britain  the best friend and neighbour to our European partners, but a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe too. A country that goes out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike.

I want Britain to be what we have the potential, talent and ambition to be. A great, global trading nation that is respected around the world and strong, confident and united at home.

That is why this Government has a Plan for Britain. One that gets us the right deal abroad but also ensures we get a better deal for ordinary working people at home.

It's why that plan sets out how we will use this moment of change to build a stronger economy and a fairer society by embracing genuine economic and social reform.

Why our new Modern Industrial Strategy is being developed, to ensure every nation and area of the United Kingdom can make the most of the opportunities ahead. Why we will go further to reform our schools to ensure every child has the knowledge and the skills they need to thrive in post-Brexit Britain. Why as we continue to bring the deficit down, we will take a balanced approach by investing in our economic infrastructure - because it can transform the growth potential of our economy, and improve the quality of people's lives across the whole country.

It's why we will put the preservation of our precious Union at the heart of everything we do. Because it is only by coming together as one great union of nations and people that we can make the most of the opportunities ahead.

The result of the referendum was not a decision to turn inward and retreat from the world.

Because Britain's history and culture is profoundly internationalist.

We are a European country  and proud of our shared European heritage - but we are also a country that has always looked beyond Europe to the wider world. That is why we are one of the most racially diverse countries in Europe, one of the most multicultural members of the European Union, and why  whether we are talking about India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, countries in Africa or those that are closer to home in Europe  so many of us have close friends and relatives from across the world.

Instinctively, we want to travel to, study in, trade with countries not just in Europe but beyond the borders of our continent. Even now as we prepare to leave the EU, we are planning for the next biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2018  a reminder of our unique and proud global relationships.

And it is important to recognise this fact. June the 23rd was not the moment Britain chose to step back from the world. It was the moment we chose to build a truly Global Britain.

I know that this  and the other reasons Britain took such a decision  is not always well understood among our friends and allies in Europe. And I know many fear that this might herald the beginning of a greater unravelling of the EU.

But let me be clear: I do not want that to happen. It would not be in the best interests of Britain. It remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's national interest that the EU should succeed. And that is why I hope in the months and years ahead we will all reflect on the lessons of Britain's decision to leave.

So let me take this opportunity to set out the reasons for our decision and to address the people of Europe directly.

It's not simply because our history and culture is profoundly internationalist, important though that is. Many in Britain have always felt that the United Kingdom's place in the European Union came at the expense of our global ties, and of a bolder embrace of free trade with the wider world.

There are other important reasons too.

Our political traditions are different. Unlike other European countries, we have no written constitution, but the principle of Parliamentary Sovereignty is the basis of our unwritten constitutional settlement. We have only a recent history of devolved governance  though it has rapidly embedded itself  and we have little history of coalition government. The public expect to be able to hold their governments to account very directly, and as a result supranational institutions as strong as those created by the European Union sit very uneasily in relation to our political history and way of life.

And, while I know Britain might at times have been seen as an awkward member state, the European Union has struggled to deal with the diversity of its member countries and their interests. It bends towards uniformity, not flexibility. David Cameron's negotiation was a valiant final attempt to make it work for Britain - and I want to thank all those elsewhere in Europe who helped him reach an agreement - but the blunt truth, as we know, is that there was not enough flexibility on many important matters for a majority of British voters.

Now I do not believe that these things apply uniquely to Britain. Britain is not the only member state where there is a strong attachment to accountable and democratic government, such a strong internationalist mindset, or a belief that diversity within Europe should be celebrated. And so I believe there is a lesson in Brexit not just for Britain but, if it wants to succeed, for the EU itself.

Because our continent's great strength has always been its diversity. And there are two ways of dealing with different interests. You can respond by trying to hold things together by force, tightening a vice-like grip that ends up crushing into tiny pieces the very things you want to protect. Or you can respect difference, cherish it even, and reform the EU so that it deals better with the wonderful diversity of its member states.

So to our friends across Europe, let me say this.

Our vote to leave the European Union was no rejection of the values we share. The decision to leave the EU represents no desire to become more distant to you, our friends and neighbours. It was no attempt to do harm to the EU itself or to any of its remaining member states. We do not want to turn the clock back to the days when Europe was less peaceful, less secure and less able to trade freely. It was a vote to restore, as we see it, our parliamentary democracy, national self-determination, and to become even more global and internationalist in action and in spirit.

We will continue to be reliable partners, willing allies and close friends. We want to buy your goods and services, sell you ours, trade with you as freely as possible, and work with one another to make sure we are all safer, more secure and more prosperous through continued friendship.

You will still be welcome in this country as we hope our citizens will be welcome in yours. At a time when together we face a serious threat from our enemies, Britain's unique intelligence capabilities will continue to help to keep people in Europe safe from terrorism. And at a time when there is growing concern about European security, Britain's servicemen and women, based in European countries including Estonia, Poland and Romania, will continue to do their duty.

We are leaving the European Union, but we are not leaving Europe.

And that is why we seek a new and equal partnership  between an independent, self-governing, Global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU.

Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out. We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave.

No, the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. And my job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do.

So today I want to outline our objectives for the negotiation ahead. 12 objectives that amount to one big goal: a new, positive and constructive partnership between Britain and the European Union.

And as we negotiate that partnership, we will be driven by some simple principles: we will provide as much certainty and clarity as we can at every stage. And we will take this opportunity to make Britain stronger, to make Britain fairer, and to build a more Global Britain too.

1. Certainty

The first objective is crucial. We will provide certainty wherever we can.

We are about to enter a negotiation. That means there will be give and take. There will have to be compromises. It will require imagination on both sides. And not everybody will be able to know everything at every stage.

But I recognise how important it is to provide business, the public sector, and everybody with as much certainty as possible as we move through the process.

So where we can offer that certainty, we will do so.

That is why last year we acted quickly to give clarity about farm payments and university funding.

And it is why, as we repeal the European Communities Act, we will convert the acquis  the body of existing EU law  into British law.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

This will give the country maximum certainty as we leave the EU. The same rules and laws will apply on the day after Brexit as they did before. And it will be for the British Parliament to decide on any changes to that law after full scrutiny and proper Parliamentary debate.

And when it comes to Parliament, there is one other way in which I would like to provide certainty. I can confirm today that the Government will put the final deal that is agreed between the UK and the EU to a vote in both Houses of Parliament, before it comes into force.

A Stronger Britain

Our second guiding principle is to build a stronger Britain.

2. Control of our own laws

That means taking control of our own affairs, as those who voted in their millions to leave the European Union demanded we must.

So we will take back control of our laws and bring an end to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Britain.

Leaving the European Union will mean that our laws will be made in Westminster, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. And those laws will be interpreted by judges not in Luxembourg but in courts across this country.

Because we will not have truly left the European Union if we are not in control of our own laws.

3. Strengthen the Union

A stronger Britain demands that we do something else  strengthen the precious union between the four nations of the United Kingdom.

At this momentous time, it is more important than ever that we face the future together, united by what makes us strong: the bonds that unite us as a people, and our shared interest in the UK being an open, successful trading nation in the future.

And I hope that same spirit of unity will apply in Northern Ireland in particular over the coming months in the Assembly elections, and the main parties there will work together to re-establish a partnership government as soon as possible.

Foreign affairs are of course the responsibility of the UK Government, and in dealing with them we act in the interests of all parts of the United Kingdom. As Prime Minister, I take that responsibility seriously.

I have also been determined from the start that the devolved administrations should be fully engaged in this process.

That is why the Government has set up a Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations, so ministers from each of the UK's devolved administrations can contribute to the process of planning for our departure from the European Union.

We have already received a paper from the Scottish Government, and look forward to receiving a paper from the Welsh Government shortly. Both papers will be considered as part of this important process. We won't agree on everything, but I look forward to working with the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to deliver a Brexit that works for the whole of the United Kingdom.

Part of that will mean working very carefully to ensure that  as powers are repatriated from Brussels back to Britain - the right powers are returned to Westminster, and the right powers are passed to the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

As we do so, our guiding principle must be to ensure that  as we leave the European Union  no new barriers to living and doing business within our own Union are created,

That means maintaining the necessary common standards and frameworks for our own domestic market, empowering the UK as an open, trading nation to strike the best trade deals around the world, and protecting the common resources of our islands.

And as we do this, I should equally be clear that no decisions currently taken by the devolved administrations will be removed from them.

4. Maintain the Common Travel Area with Ireland

We cannot forget that, as we leave, the United Kingdom will share a land border with the EU, and maintaining that Common Travel Area with the Republic of Ireland will be an important priority for the UK in the talks ahead.

There has been a Common Travel Area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland for many years. Indeed, it was formed before either of our two countries were members of the European Union. And the family ties and bonds of affection that unite our two countries mean that there will always be a special relationship between us.

So we will work to deliver a practical solution that allows the maintenance of the Common Travel Area with the Republic, while protecting the integrity of the United Kingdom's immigration system.

Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past, so we will make it a priority to deliver a practical solution as soon as we can.

The third principle is to build a fairer Britain. That means ensuring it is fair to everyone who lives and works in this country.

5. Control of immigration

And that is why we will ensure we can control immigration to Britain from Europe.

We will continue to attract the brightest and the best to work or study in Britain  indeed openness to international talent must remain one of this country's most distinctive assets  but that process must be managed properly so that our immigration system serves the national interest.

So we will get control of the number of people coming to Britain from the EU.

Because while controlled immigration can bring great benefits  filling skills shortages, delivering public services, making British businesses the world-beaters they often are  when the numbers get too high, public support for the system falters.

In the last decade or so, we have seen record levels of net migration in Britain, and that sheer volume has put pressure on public services, like schools, stretched our infrastructure, especially housing, and put a downward pressure on wages for working class people. As Home Secretary for six years, I know that you cannot control immigration overall when there is free movement to Britain from Europe.

Britain is an open and tolerant country. We will always want immigration, especially high-skilled immigration, we will always want immigration from Europe, and we will always welcome individual migrants as friends. But the message from the public before and during the referendum campaign was clear: Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe. And that is what we will deliver.

6. Rights for EU nationals in Britain, and British nationals in the EU

Fairness demands that we deal with another issue as soon as possible too. We want to guarantee the rights of EU citizens who are already living in Britain, and the rights of British nationals in other member states, as early as we can.

I have told other EU leaders that we could give people the certainty they want straight away, and reach such a deal now.

Many of them favour such an agreement  one or two others do not  but I want everyone to know that it remains an important priority for Britain  and for many other member states  to resolve this challenge as soon as possible. Because it is the right and fair thing to do.

7. Protect workers' rights

And a fairer Britain is a country that protects and enhances the rights people have at work.

That is why, as we translate the body of European law into our domestic regulations, we will ensure that workers rights are fully protected and maintained.

Indeed, under my leadership, not only will the Government protect the rights of workers' set out in European legislation, we will build on them. Because under this Conservative Government, we will make sure legal protection for workers keeps pace with the changing labour market  and that the voices of workers are heard by the boards of publicly-listed companies for the first time.

But the great prize for this country  the opportunity ahead  is to use this moment to build a truly Global Britain. A country that reaches out to old friends and new allies alike. A great, global, trading nation. And one of the firmest advocates for free trade anywhere in the world.

8. Free trade with European markets

That starts with our close friends and neighbours in Europe. So as a priority, we will pursue a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement with the European Union.

This agreement should allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and the EU's member states. It should give British companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets - and let European businesses do the same in Britain.

But I want to be clear. What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the Single Market.

European leaders have said many times that membership means accepting the four freedoms of goods, capital, services and people. And being out of the EU but a member of the Single Market would mean complying with the EU's rules and regulations that implement those freedoms, without having a vote on what those rules and regulations are. It would mean accepting a role for the European Court of Justice that would see it still having direct legal authority in our country.

It would to all intents and purposes mean not leaving the EU at all.

And that is why both sides in the referendum campaign made it clear that a vote to leave the EU would be a vote to leave the Single Market.

So we do not seek membership of the Single Market. Instead we seek the greatest possible access to it through a new, comprehensive, bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement.

That Agreement may take in elements of current Single Market arrangements in certain areas  on the export of cars and lorries for example, or the freedom to provide financial services across national borders  as it makes no sense to start again from scratch when Britain and the remaining Member States have adhered to the same rules for so many years.

But I respect the position taken by European leaders who have been clear about their position, just as I am clear about mine. So an important part of the new strategic partnership we seek with the EU will be the pursuit of the greatest possible access to the Single Market, on a fully reciprocal basis, through a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.

And because we will no longer be members of the Single Market, we will not be required to contribute huge sums to the EU budget. There may be some specific European programmes in which we might want to participate. If so, and this will be for us to decide, it is reasonable that we should make an appropriate contribution. But the principle is clear: the days of Britain making vast contributions to the European Union every year will end.

9. New trade agreements with other countries

But it is not just trade with the EU we should be interested in. A Global Britain must be free to strike trade agreements with countries from outside the European Union too.

Because important though our trade with the EU is and will remain, it is clear that the UK needs to increase significantly its trade with the fastest growing export markets in the world.

Since joining the EU, trade as a percentage of GDP has broadly stagnated in the UK. That is why it is time for Britain to get out into the world and rediscover its role as a great, global, trading nation.

This is such a priority for me that when I became Prime Minister I established, for the first time, a Department for International Trade, led by Liam Fox.

We want to get out into the wider world, to trade and do business all around the globe. Countries including China, Brazil, and the Gulf States have already expressed their interest in striking trade deals with us. We have started discussions on future trade ties with countries like Australia, New Zealand and India. And President Elect Trump has said Britain is not at the back of the queue for a trade deal with the United States, the world's biggest economy, but front of the line.

I know my emphasis on striking trade agreements with countries outside Europe has led to questions about whether Britain seeks to remain a member of the EU's Customs Union. And it is true that full Customs Union membership prevents us from negotiating our own comprehensive trade deals.

Now, I want Britain to be able to negotiate its own trade agreements. But I also want tariff-free trade with Europe and cross-border trade there to be as frictionless as possible.

That means I do not want Britain to be part of the Common Commercial Policy and I do not want us to be bound by the Common External Tariff. These are the elements of the Customs Union that prevent us from striking our own comprehensive trade agreements with other countries. But I do want us to have a customs agreement with the EU.

Whether that means we must reach a completely new customs agreement, become an associate member of the Customs Union in some way, or remain a signatory to some elements of it, I hold no preconceived position. I have an open mind on how we do it. It is not the means that matter, but the ends.

And those ends are clear: I want to remove as many barriers to trade as possible. And I want Britain to be free to establish our own tariff schedules at the World Trade Organisation, meaning we can reach new trade agreements not just with the European Union but with old friends and new allies from outside Europe too.

10. The best place for science and innovation

A Global Britain must also be a country that looks to the future. That means being one of the best places in the world for science and innovation.

One of our great strengths as a nation is the breadth and depth of our academic and scientific communities, backed up by some of the world's best universities. And we have a proud history of leading and supporting cutting-edge research and innovation.

So we will also welcome agreement to continue to collaborate with our European partners on major science, research, and technology initiatives.

From space exploration to clean energy to medical technologies, Britain will remain at the forefront of collective endeavours to better understand, and make better, the world in which we live.

11. Cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism

And a Global Britain will continue to cooperate with its European partners in important areas such as crime, terrorism and foreign affairs.

All of us in Europe face the challenge of cross-border crime, a deadly terrorist threat, and the dangers presented by hostile states. All of us share interests and values in common, values we want to see projected around the world.

With the threats to our common security becoming more serious, our response cannot be to cooperate with one another less, but to work together more. I therefore want our future relationship with the European Union to include practical arrangements on matters of law enforcement and the sharing of intelligence material with our EU allies.

I am proud of the role Britain has played and will continue to play in promoting Europe's security. Britain has led Europe on the measures needed to keep our continent secure - whether it is implementing sanctions against Russia following its action in Crimea, working for peace and stability in the Balkans, or securing Europe's external border. We will continue to work closely with our European allies in foreign and defence policy even as we leave the EU itself.

12. A smooth, orderly Brexit

These are our objectives for the negotiation ahead  objectives that will help to realise our ambition of shaping that stronger, fairer, Global Britain that we want to see.

They are the basis for a new, strong, constructive partnership with the European Union  a partnership of friends and allies, of interests and values. A partnership for a strong EU and a strong UK.

But there is one further objective we are setting. For as I have said before  it is in no one's interests for there to be a cliff-edge for business or a threat to stability, as we change from our existing relationship to a new partnership with the EU.

By this, I do not mean that we will seek some form of unlimited transitional status, in which we find ourselves stuck forever in some kind of permanent political purgatory. That would not be good for Britain, but nor do I believe it would be good for the EU.

Instead, I want us to have reached an agreement about our future partnership by the time the two-year Article Fifty process has concluded. From that point onwards, we believe a phased process of implementation, in which both Britain and the EU institutions and member states prepare for the new arrangements that will exist between us will be in our mutual self-interest. This will give businesses enough time to plan and prepare for those new arrangements.

This might be about our immigration controls, customs systems or the way in which we cooperate on criminal justice matters. Or it might be about the future legal and regulatory framework for financial services. For each issue, the time we need to phase-in the new arrangements may differ. Some might be introduced very quickly, some might take longer. And the interim arrangements we rely upon are likely to be a matter of negotiation.

But the purpose is clear: we will seek to avoid a disruptive cliff-edge, and we will do everything we can to phase in the new arrangements we require as Britain and the EU move towards our new partnership.

So, these are the objectives we have set. Certainty wherever possible. Control of our own laws. Strengthening the United Kingdom. Maintaining the Common Travel Area with Ireland. Control of immigration. Rights for EU nationals in Britain, and British nationals in the EU. Enhancing rights for workers. Free trade with European markets. New trade agreements with other countries. A leading role in science and innovation. Cooperation on crime, terrorism and foreign affairs. And a phased approach, delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit.

This is the framework of a deal that will herald a new partnership between the UK and the EU.

It is a comprehensive and carefully considered plan that focuses on the ends, not just the means  with its eyes fixed firmly on the future, and on the kind of country we will be once we leave.

It reflects the hard work of many in this room today who have worked tirelessly to bring it together and to prepare this country for the negotiation ahead.

And it will, I know, be debated and discussed at length. That is only right. But those who urge us to reveal more  such as the blow-by-blow details of our negotiating strategy, the areas in which we might compromise, the places where we think there are potential trade-offs - will not be acting in the national interest.

Because this is not a game or a time for opposition for opposition's sake. It is a crucial and sensitive negotiation that will define the interests and the success of our country for many years to come. And it is vital that we maintain our discipline.

That is why I have said before  and will continue to say  that every stray word and every hyped up media report is going to make it harder for us to get the right deal for Britain. Our opposite numbers in the European Commission know it, which is why they are keeping their discipline. And the ministers in this Government know it too, which is why we will also maintain ours.

So however frustrating some people find it, the Government will not be pressured into saying more than I believe it is in our national interest to say. Because it is not my job to fill column inches with daily updates, but to get the right deal for Britain. And that is what I intend to do.

I am confident that a deal  and a new strategic partnership between the UK and the EU  can be achieved.

This is firstly because, having held conversations with almost every leader from every single EU member state; having spent time talking to the senior figures from the European institutions, including President Tusk, President Juncker, and President Schulz; and after my Cabinet colleagues David Davis, Philip Hammond and Boris Johnson have done the same with their interlocutors, I am confident that the vast majority want a positive relationship between the UK and the EU after Brexit. And I am confident that the objectives I am setting out today are consistent with the needs of the EU and its Member States.

That is why our objectives include a proposed Free Trade Agreement between Britain and the European Union, and explicitly rule out membership of the EU's Single Market. Because when the EU's leaders say they believe the four freedoms of the Single Market are indivisible, we respect that position. When the 27 Member States say they want to continue their journey inside the European Union, we not only respect that fact but support it.

Because we do not want to undermine the Single Market, and we do not want to undermine the European Union. We want the EU to be a success and we want its remaining member states to prosper. And of course we want the same for Britain.

And the second reason I believe it is possible to reach a good deal is that the kind of agreement I have described today is the economically rational thing that both Britain and the EU should aim for. Because trade is not a zero sum game: more of it makes us all more prosperous. Free trade between Britain and the European Union means more trade, and more trade means more jobs and more wealth creation. The erection of new barriers to trade, meanwhile, means the reverse: less trade, fewer jobs, lower growth.

The third and final reason I believe we can come to the right agreement is that cooperation between Britain and the EU is needed not just when it comes to trade but when it comes to our security too.

Britain and France are Europe's only two nuclear powers. We are the only two European countries with permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. Britain's armed forces are a crucial part of Europe's collective defence.

And our intelligence capabilities  unique in Europe  have already saved countless lives in very many terrorist plots that have been thwarted in countries across our continent. After Brexit, Britain wants to be a good friend and neighbour in every way, and that includes defending the safety and security of all of our citizens.

So I believe the framework I have outlined today is in Britain's interests. It is in Europe's interests. And it is in the interests of the wider world.

But I must be clear. Britain wants to remain a good friend and neighbour to Europe. Yet I know there are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path.

That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe. And it would not be the act of a friend.

Britain would not  indeed we could not  accept such an approach. And while I am confident that this scenario need never arise - while I am sure a positive agreement can be reached  I am equally clear that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain.

Because we would still be able to trade with Europe. We would be free to strike trade deals across the world. And we would have the freedom to set the competitive tax rates and embrace the policies that would attract the world's best companies and biggest investors to Britain. And  if we were excluded from accessing the Single Market  we would be free to change the basis of Britain's economic model.

But for the EU, it would mean new barriers to trade with one of the biggest economies in the world. It would jeopardise investments in Britain by EU companies worth more than half a trillion pounds. It would mean a loss of access for European firms to the financial services of the City of London. It would risk exports from the EU to Britain worth around 290bn every year. And it would disrupt the sophisticated and integrated supply chains upon which many EU companies rely.

Important sectors of the EU economy would also suffer. We are a crucial - profitable - export market for Europe's automotive industry, as well as sectors including energy, food and drink, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. These sectors employ millions of people around Europe. And I do not believe that the EU's leaders will seriously tell German exporters, French farmers, Spanish fishermen, the young unemployed of the Eurozone, and millions of others, that they want to make them poorer, just to punish Britain and make a political point.

For all these reasons - and because of our shared values and the spirit of goodwill that exists on both sides - I am confident that we will follow a better path. I am confident that a positive agreement can be reached.

It is right that the Government should prepare for every eventuality - but to do so in the knowledge that a constructive and optimistic approach to the negotiations to come is in the best interests of Europe and the best interests of Britain.

We do not approach these negotiations expecting failure, but anticipating success.

Because we are a great, global nation with so much to offer Europe and so much to offer the world.

One of the world's largest and strongest economies. With the finest intelligence services, the bravest armed forces, the most effective hard and soft power, and friendships, partnerships and alliances in every continent.

And another thing that's important. The essential ingredient of our success. The strength and support of 65 million people willing us to make it happen.

Because after all the division and discord, the country is coming together.

The referendum was divisive at times. And those divisions have taken time to heal.

But one of the reasons that Britain's democracy has been such a success for so many years is that the strength of our identity as one nation, the respect we show to one another as fellow citizens, and the importance we attach to our institutions means that when a vote has been held we all respect the result. The victors have the responsibility to act magnanimously. The losers have the responsibility to respect the legitimacy of the outcome. And the country comes together.

And that is what we are seeing today. Business isn't calling to reverse the result, but planning to make a success of it. The House of Commons has voted overwhelmingly for us to get on with it. And the overwhelming majority of people - however they voted - want us to get on with it too.

So that is what we will do.

Not merely forming a new partnership with Europe, but building a stronger, fairer, more Global Britain too.

And let that be the legacy of our time. The prize towards which we work. The destination at which we arrive once the negotiation is done.

And let us do it not for ourselves, but for those who follow. For the country's children and grandchildren too.

So that when future generations look back at this time, they will judge us not only by the decision that we made, but by what we made of that decision.

They will see that we shaped them a brighter future.

They will know that we built them a better Britain.

PA
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Michael Gove might have appeared visibly elated for landing the first UK interview with President-elect Donald Trump but that has not stopped him from drawing criticism. As the Vote Leave campaigner made his way round UK news outlets on Monday, he was pressed about his inability to ask the billionaire property developer any difficult questions or challenge him on his inconsistencies.

But this is not the only criticism Mr Gove has received for the Trump Tower meeting. The former Justice Secretary has been rebuked for describing the lift attendant in Trump Tower as an immensely dignified African-American attendant.

Mr Gove's description was labelled excruciating and cringeworthy, with people suggesting the Conservative politician appeared surprised the lift attendant was dignified.

My colleague Kai Diekmann, of the German newspaper Bild, and I were whisked up to the president-elects office in a lift plated with reflective golden panels and operated by an immensely dignified African-American attendant kitted out in frock coat and white cotton gloves, Mr Gove, who returned to The Times last year as a columnist, wrote in his piece.

It was as though the Great Glass Elevator from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory had been restyled by Donatella Versace then staffed by the casting director for Gone with the Wind.

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

Guardian columnist, Marina Hyde, took Mr Gove apart for his column by sharing a screen shot of the piece.

I've read Gove's 'immensely dignified African-American attendant' six times and it doesn't get any less excruciating, she said on Twitter.

Comedian Frankie Boyle drew attention to Mr Goves description of the attendants cotton gloves, appearing to hint it was a reference to the cotton plantations during slavery.

He must know what he's doing - is it some spectacularly misplaced attempt to be arch? Or has he suffered a major head trauma? added Hyde.

It's funny how if you remove the 'immensely dignified' it immediately stops sounding racist and comes to sound deeply critical, noted Giles Coren.

The lift Mr Gove appears to be referring to is the one which Mr Trump and Nigel Farage famously took a photo in front of last November after their meeting.

According to an update in the Register of Members Interests, Mr Gove is working eight hours a week for The Times, for which he will pocket 150,000 a year.

Mr Gove was fired in the wake of the Brexit vote after running against Theresa May in the race to be Conservative leader.
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Britain is continuing to support the Libyan coastguard despite accusations its members have killed refugees and attacked international rescue boats attempting to take them to safety, it has emerged.

One organisation is pursuing a legal case against the force for allegedly causing the deaths of up to 25 migrants, while aid workers on another ship say they were shot at in a serious and worrying attack.

Amnesty International also accuses the force of shooting, beating and torturing refugees who are caught trying to flee Libya and forced back to land, warning that EU nations supporting the operations risk fuelling rampant ill-treatment and violations of international law.

Recommended Aid workers recount Libyan coastguard attacks on refugee rescue boats

But the harrowing tales emerging from asylum seekers who survive the treacherous journey to Europe have garnered no public response from governments supporting the coastguard as attempts to slow boat crossings continue.

The UK is conducting a three-month training programme seeing Royal Navy personnel deployed to pass on naval expertise, including how to safely approach, board and inspect vessels.

Sir Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said the Government was aiming to prevent people smuggling in the Mediterranean and save lives.

 Desperate journeys: Rescued at sea, refugees detail abuse in Libya

To help prevent more lives being lost, the Royal Navy will provide training support to the Libyan coastguard, he said, announcing the start of operations on 28 October.

Fighting the smuggling of people and arms will save lives and make Britain safer and more secure.

But one humanitarian organisation accuses the coastguard of causing up to 25 refugees to drown when members boarded an overcrowded migrant dinghy and started beating people on 21 October.

A Libyan navy representative told local television the Sea-Watch boat was not attacked but admitted there was an incident, claiming the NGO was in Libyan waters  an allegation denied by the charity.

It was the second potentially deadly incident involving the Libyan coastguard in months, following an attack on a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) ship that was fired at and allegedly boarded as international staff took cover in August.

A spokesperson for the Libyan navy claimed the Bourbon Argos was mistaken for an oil smuggling vessel and accused its crew of failing to respond to calls.

In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea Show all 7 1 /7 In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A baby being taken on to MSF's Bourbon Argos ship from a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A refugee boat carrying 101 people being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A refugee boat carrying 101 people being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos all images by Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A baby among refugees on a boat carrying 185 people off the coast of Libya Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea Migrants and refugees sleeping after being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos ship Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A crew from MSF's Bourbon Argos ship rescuing a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees off the coast of Libya, at sunrise Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A woman in a stretcher being lifted onto MSF's Bourbon Argos ship from a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees off the coast of Libya Lizzie Dearden

The ship, marked clearly with MSF banners, is one of several humanitarian vessels conducting rescue operations outside of Libyan territorial waters as more refugees drown attempting treacherous journeys to Europe than ever before.

The passage between Libya and Italy has become the deadliest in the world, claiming the majority of more than 5,000 migrant lives lost in the Mediterranean Sea last year.

But the real total may be far higher, as the number who drown inside Libyan waters or wash up on the countrys beaches is not routinely released.

A report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights found that migrants were being imprisoned, robbed, raped and subjected to force labour after dangerous, life-threatening interceptions by the Libyan coastguard.

Survivors said they had seen coastguards shoot, murder and torture other migrants, leading the UN to urge Britain and other countries conducting training to ensure its human rights component is comprehensive.

Relations between Libya and other European nations have also been thawing, with Italy's decision to reopen its embassy in Tripoli sparking speculation it may be aiming to replicate the controversial EU-Turkey deal to slow crossings.

A repaired hole from a bullet fired by the Libyan coastguard in a bathroom used by refugees on MSF ship the Bourbon Argos (Lizzie Dearden)

The EU Turkey agreement cannot be a blueprint for Libya, Vincent Cochetel, the UN Refugee Agency's Europe director told MEPs.

First there is no government in Libya, so let's not even talk about it.

A spokesperson for the EU told The Independent it was backing legitimate Libyan authorities to develop their capacity at sea but had no direct involvement in coastguard operations.

The EU is aware of the reported incidents which have allegedly occurred, she added.

The EU's programme of capacity delivery to the Libyan coastguard places particular emphasis on humanitarian and migration issues, as well as on women's rights issues.

When asked under what circumstances the support would stop, she said the EU was ensuring correct standards are maintained, without providing details.

The Ministry of Defence declined to comment. It is aware of the reported attacks but is understood not to be leading investigations into alleged abuses as it continues its training programme.

Representatives of Libyas Government of National Accord did not respond to The Independents request for comment.
Jordan on Tuesday charged eight people including a former lawmaker with inciting opposition against the regime over statements posted on social media, a judicial source said.

"The prosecutor charged a former parliamentarian and seven others with incitement against the political regime in the kingdom," the source said.

Those charged include former lawmaker Wasfi al-Rawashdeh, two retired generals, a lawyer and journalist, and four activists, the source said.

The state security court prosecutor had decided to detain all eight for a renewable period of 14 days.

"They were detained after those charged published comments on Facebook" including incitement against the regime, the source said.

Authorities announced they had detained the eight on Sunday over "incitement intending to influence public opinion".

"Freedom of opinion and speech do not mean incitement or chaos," Prime Minister Hani Mulqi told the press.

On January 5, Rawashdeh posted comments on Facebook criticising tough economic conditions in Jordan, asking "Does the king know?"

"Speak and say something, we're hoping for a speech to explain" possible new taxes and price hikes, he wrote, addressing the country's King Abdullah.

In recent days, media has reported the government is planning another tax hike on some basic goods and fuel.

Jordan, which says its meagre resources have been stretched by hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, is facing a public debt of about $35 billion.

Unemployment has jumped to 14 percent of the kingdom's population of 9.5 million, with the young the worst hit, according to the government.

In August, the International Monetary Fund said it had approved a $723 million three-year credit line to support Jordan's "economic and financial reform programme".

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Theresa May has made 12 promises about the Brexit process in her speech laying a plan for a "global Britain".

The Prime Minister said the vote for Brexit was "no rejection of the values we share" and that Europeans "will still be welcome in this country, as we hope our citizens will be welcome in yours".

Her 12 key promises in the plan were:

- "Provide certainty wherever we can"

- Laws will be made in Westminster, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast

- To strengthen the union between the countries of the UK. Ms May said this would involve devolved powers

- A practical solution for maintaining the Common Travel Area with the Republic of Ireland

- Immigration controls on the number of Europeans coming into Britain

- To guarantee the rights of EU citizens in Europe and the rights of Britons in other member states

- Build on the rights of workers that are currently enshrined in EU law

- A "bold and ambitious free trade agreement" with the EUnot membership of the Single Market, but the "greatest possible access" to it

- Create new trade agreements with other countries. Ms May name-checked US President-elect Donald Trump and said Britain was "front of the line" for a deal with America. She spoke of "old friends and new allies"

- "Collaborate with our European partners" on science and technology while building the UK's capacity in the field

- Continue to work with the EU on fighting terrorism, "including practical arrangements on matters of law enforcement and sharing of intelligence materials", and on defence policy

- A "phased process of implementation" of changes to give "businesses enough time to plan and prepare". Ms May wants a "smooth and orderly Brexit"

On regaining control of the border, Ms May said: "While controlled immigration can bring great benefits, filling skill shortages, delivering public services, making British businesses the world beaters they often are, when the numbers get too high, public support in the system falters."

And she said that if the EU offers Britain a "punitive" Brexit deal "that would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe, and it would not be the act of a friend". "No deal for Britain is better than a bad deal," she added.

But she said in response to a journalist's question: "I think there is good will on both sides."
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Theresa May has been urged to end the uncertainty affecting millions of EU citizens living in the UK by guaranteeing their right to remain in the country after Brexit.

Responding to the Prime Ministers keynote speech outlining the Governments negotiating position on exiting the EU, campaigners called on Ms May to immediately and unilaterally protect the status of Europeans residing in Britain.

A joint statement issued by the3million  which campaigns to preserve the rights of British citizens in Europe and Europeans in the UK after Brexit  and several migrant rights groups called for a guarantee to be made before Article 50 is triggered.

Ms May has set a deadline of the end of March to begin renegotiating Britains position in Europe.

But activists fear the rights of EU workers could be used as a bargaining chip in the upcoming Brexit talks.

 Theresa May warns EU over 'punitive' Brexit deal

The statement, issued hours after Ms May ruled out guaranteeing EU workers status in the UK, read: It is extremely disappointing that the Prime Minister has not used this speech as an opportunity to unilaterally guarantee that all European citizens or those living in the UK under the protection of EU treaty rights will have the right to remain here after Brexit.

All EU citizens resident in Britain should get a firm assurance in law that they will be able to continue living in the UK, with exactly the same rights of residence as they have now.

This should happen no later than the moment at which Article 50 is triggered to end the uncertainty that millions of our family members, our friends, our colleagues and our neighbours are experiencing."

Ms May said in her speech that she hoped to deal with the issue of protecting rights for EU nationals in Britain as soon as possible.

I have told other EU leaders that we could give people the certainty they want straight away, and reach such a deal now, she said.

Many of them favour such an agreement - one or two others do not - but I want everyone to know that it remains an important priority for Britain - and for many other member states - to resolve this challenge as soon as possible. Because it is the right and fair thing to do.

What experts have said about Brexit Show all 11 1 /11 What experts have said about Brexit What experts have said about Brexit Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit One of Britains great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the worlds leading international financial centre. Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Yanis Varoufakis Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Michael OLeary Ryanair boss says UK will be screwed by EU in Brexit trade deals: I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how the world will want to trade with us. The world will want to screw you  that's what happens in trade talks, he said. They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade Getty What experts have said about Brexit Tim Martin JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea" PA What experts have said about Brexit Mark Carney Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: I am absolutely serene about the  judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Christine Lagarde IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Inga Beale Lloyds chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe EPA What experts have said about Brexit Colm Kelleher President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London will suffer as result of the EU referendum: I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much What experts have said about Brexit Richard Branson Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and thats happening all over the country" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Barack Obama US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Kristin Forbes American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been less stormy than many expected following the shock referendum result: For nowthe economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up  and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction Getty

But former shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper criticised the Prime Minister's stance on EU workers' rights.

The Labour MP tweeted: "Start of May speech says protect workers rights. End threatens to ditch them/UK model if we don't get deal we want. So much for protection!"

The statement released by a coalition of organisations, which includes the Migrant Rights Network and think tank the New Economics Foundation, said the group rejects the notion that no guarantees can be given until the European Union offers the same guarantees to British citizens living in Europe.

It added: The UK voted to leave the EU, so the onus is on our Government to take the lead in resolving this issue, which stems directly from that vote.

We know the vast majority of Britons support our call, whether they voted Leave or Remain in last years referendum, so if the Government takes action now it will help to unite the country.

A spokesman for the Department for Exiting the EU said: "We have been clear that we want to protect the status of EU nationals already living in the UK and the only circumstances in which that wouldn't be possible is if British citizens' rights in the EU were not protected in return.

"As the PM said, she has told other leaders that we could reach a deal now, but some do not favour an agreement at this stage.

It's an important priority for us and we'll continue to proactively engage with our European counterparts to resolve this as early as we can.
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Former Tory Chancellor Ken Clarke has asked why any country would enter a trade agreement with the UK if Britain insisted on dictating the terms.

The veteran Conservative was speaking during a Commons debate following Prime Minister Theresa May's speech setting out her 12 negotiating objectives for Brexit.

Ms May said the UK would leave the Single Marketthough attempt to maintain the "greatest possible access" to itwhile forging a "bold" trade deal with the EU and similar new agreements around the world.

The final Brexit deal will be put before Parliament, Ms May promised, but warned European leaders that trying to impose a "punitive" settlement would be "an act of calamitous self-harm" and said "no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal".

To laughter, cries of "More!" and a smattering of applause from the opposition benches, Mr Clarke said: "Which country in the world is going to enter into a trade agreement with this country on the basis that the rules are entirely what the British say they're going to be, on any particular day, and if there's any dispute about the rules it's going to be sorted out by the British Government?"

Brexit Secretary David Davis replied: "Of course there will be agreements between us, and they will be arbitrated by an organisation which we agree between usnot normally the European Court of Justice."

During her speech Ms May talked up "the spirit of goodwill that exists on both sides" even as she asserted the UK's prerogative to respond to any deal that would keep it from accessing the Single Market by changing "the basis of Britain's economic model", including "the freedom to set the competitive tax rates and embrace the policies that would attract the world's best companies and biggest investors".

She warned: "For the EU, it would mean new barriers to trade with one of the biggest economies in the world.

"It would jeopardise investments in Britain by EU companies worth more than half a trillion pounds. It would mean a loss of access for European firms to the financial services of the City of London.

"It would risk exports from the EU to Britain worth around 290 billion every year. And it would disrupt the sophisticated and integrated supply chains upon which many EU companies rely."

Jonathan Portes, economics professor at King's College London, said: "Optimistic references to trade deals with third countries are all very wellbut those are a long way off.

"Meanwhile, the civil servants in Whitehall actually doing the donkey work of Brexit are focused far more on the minutiae of the upcoming negotiations with the EU."
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Prime Minister Theresa May has announced the UK will pull out of the European single market, fuelling fears over the future of the economy after Britain leaves the European Union.

Her landmark Brexit speech comes after the World Economic Forum's Inclusive Growth and Development Report 2017 found the UK has one of the world's worst advanced economies.

Of the 30 advanced economies listed in the report, the UK ranks 21st.

 Theresa May's Brexit speech - five key points

Here are the 10 most inclusive advanced economies in the world, according to the report:

Norway Luxembourg Switzerland Iceland Denmark Sweden Netherlands Australia New Zealand Austria

Norway came at the top of the World Economic Forums Inclusive Development Index (IDI), which ranks economies based on their performance against key performance indicators, ranging from poverty and inequality to public debt and environmental factors.

The report said Norway's ranking is due to its high and rising living standards, effective social protection and low inequality.

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Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

Countries in northern Europe dominate the top 10 rankings.

The economies of Luxembourg and Switzerland are driven by robust growth and employment, high living standards and low public debt, the report says.

Iceland has shown greatest improvement over past five years.

It is followed by Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, whose economies are buoyed by high living standards and good social protection.

Australia and New Zealand are said to rank particularly high for fostering an entreprenurial culture.
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Britain will leave the EU regardless of whether Parliament backs the particular Brexit deal that Theresa May strikes with Brussels.

Ms May managed to placate some critics in the Commons and Lords by promising Parliament a vote on the Brexit terms she agrees, but sources indicated the country will leave the bloc even if her particular deal is rejected by MPs and Peers.

Such a move would probably mean the hardest kind of Brexit, with the UK leaving the EU without any successor agreement and reverting to World Trade Organisation rules - meaning MPs could be more likely to back whatever terms Ms May manages to achieve.

The landmark speech also saw the Prime Minister announce that the UK would leave the single market and try and negotiate a new free trade agreement with the European Union from the outside.

Addressing diplomats at Lancaster House she said: "When it comes to Parliament, there is one other way in which I would like to provide certainty.

"I can confirm today that the Government will put the final deal that is agreed between the UK and the EU to a vote in both Houses of Parliament, before it comes into force."

Government sources later said that the Prime Minister was "clear, we are leaving the EU" when asked what would happen if Parliament rejected the deal Ms May strikes.

The Prime Minister was also unequivocal in her speech, while urging EU leaders to strike a mutually-beneficial deal with the UK, that she was not afraid of leaving the bloc without any deal at all.

 Theresa May warns EU over 'punitive' Brexit deal

She said: "I am equally clear that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain."

At the end of last year a leaked Treasury document warned Britain could lose up to 66bn a year if it pursues a hard Brexit option of losing access to the single market and leaving the EU customs union.

The Government's figures suggested the UK's gross domestic product could fall by as much as 9.5 per cent if it leaves the EU and reverted to World Trade Organisation rules.

One Tory said: "At the moment most people are pleased that the Commons has been given a vote on the deal.

"But what Theresa May has offered is a choice between on one hand, whatever she puts forward, or on the other most costly, unattractive type of Brexit. It might not be much of a choice."
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Theresa May will finally try to kill criticism that her Brexit vision is too vague by setting out a list of her "negotiating priorities" for EU withdrawal talks.

Downing Street sources said todays long-anticipated speech from the Prime Minister will shed new light on the critical question of Britains single market membership and the EU customs union.

But critics in her own party who have attacked Ms Mays ambiguous approach to date piled on the pressure by warning of big problems if she fails to give real detail of her approach ahead of an expected Commons vote on launching Brexit talks.

The major speech also comes as an exclusive BMG Research poll for The Independent revealed more people believe Ms May is handling Brexit preparations badly than well.

Ms Mays enigmatic speeches and interviews on Brexit up to now have been met with constant claims that she has no real Brexit plan, but in the speech at Lancaster House she has promised to set out 12 negotiating priorities and the four key principles driving them.

She will say: We have 12 objectives that amount to one big goal: A new, positive and constructive partnership between Britain and the European Union.

And as we negotiate that partnership, we will be driven by some simple principles. We will provide as much certainty and clarity as we can at every stage. And we will take this opportunity to make Britain stronger, to make Britain fairer, and to build a more global Britain too.

To date the Prime Minister has rejected interpretations of her words that suggest she is taking the UK towards a hard Brexit, with the UK leaving the single market and customs union, by claiming she does not even recognise the term. But extracts of her speech will further fuel speculation over the matter.

 What to expect from Theresa May's big Brexit speech

She will say: We seek a new and equal partnership  between an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU.

Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half in, half out. We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave.

The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. My job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do.

A No 10 insider said the speech would bring more clarity to questions over the single market and customs union, but some MPs were not convinced.

 Theresa May avoids directly answering four questions in a row on Brexit

Over the next two weeks the Supreme Court is set to rule whether Ms May must give Parliament a vote on triggering Article 50, something even ministers expect it to do.

MPs have been promised details of her approach to Brexit to inform the vote. But many were expecting a separate document in addition to Ms Mays speech, which they suspect will be nebulous.

With No 10 sources suggesting Ms Mays speech will be all they get, one senior Tory backbencher told The Independent: If Downing Street think that this speech is going to be the plan that will be voted on by the House of Commons they will have big problems with that.

A bunch of us will take a very dim view of that and the Labour party is expected to as well. They promised a plan, a speech is not a plan.

Another Tory MP demanded more clarity over the Prime Minister's approach to the single market, adding: If its this idea that we leave and arrange preferential access for certain sectors, then which?

If its cars or pharmaceuticals, then what about other industries? What about aerospace, for which parts of their products are manufactured all over Europe? The customs union is important to them too. Thats what we mean by certainty.

Conservative MP Neil Carmichael, a leading supporter of the Open Britain campaign, said: The Prime Ministers commitment to trading as freely as possible with the EU is welcome, but the best possible trading arrangement with the EU is full participation in the single market.

No other arrangement is comparable, and so if the Government abandons membership of the single market, they will start the negotiations opting for second best.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

Tory peer Patience Wheatcroft, who has led calls for Parliament to have more say on Brexit, said: Im not expecting a great deal of detail beyond control of our borders and we will be looking for the best possible terms of trade within the single market.

There will no doubt be quite a lot about what good news it is that President-elect Trump is keen to see us doing a lot of business with the US, but that doesnt amount to a great deal. I would like to hear we wont be triggering Article 50 until after the French and German elections, because whats the point until you know who will be on the other side of the table? I hope, but dont expect, that she will promise a vote in Parliament on the terms of the deal she gets.

An exclusive poll for The Independent by BMG Research found that when people were asked, In your opinion, is Theresa May doing a good job, or bad job, preparing the UK for Brexit?", just 25 per cent said she is doing a good or very good job.

Meanwhile almost a third, 30 per cent said she is doing a bad or very bad job, 27 per cent said she is doing average and 18 per cent said they did not know.

Last night a YouGov poll also showed more people supported some form of soft Brexit, 47 per cent, than the hard Brexit approach apparently being pursued by the Prime Minister, which had the support of 30 per cent of those surveyed.

Chancellor Philip Hammond has indicated the UK could become a 'tax haven economy' on the shores of the European Union (Reuters)

Ms Mays speech also comes after Chancellor Philip Hammond suggested in an interview that Britain could transform its economic model into that of a corporate tax haven if the EU fails to provide it with an agreement on market access after Brexit.

Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer told The Independent: "Tomorrow the Prime Minister has the chance to finally provide some clarity over her Brexit strategy and reassure the country.

"Having spoken to businesses, trade unions and communities across the UK it is clear what they need to hear; that the Prime Minister will put jobs and the economy first, ensure companies are able to trade without tariffs or additional impediments, that there will be no watering down of key employment or environmental rights; and that we will form a new cooperative relationship with the EU. That is an ambitious approach to Brexit but we should expect nothing less.

"The Prime Minister also needs to recognise that a one-off speech is not the same as a plan for Brexit. The House of Commons voted overwhelmingly for a Brexit plan to be published before Article 50 is triggered and Labour will hold the Government to it."

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron claimed the kind of Brexit Ms May is exploring would be destructive.

He said: Hard Brexit and the consequences will be felt by millions of people through higher prices, greater instability and rising fuel costs.

Theresa May can say everyone must come together, but when she delivers a message like this no one will believe her.
 Close Theresa May: 'I want be clear, what I am proposing cannot mean access to the single market'

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Theresa May has delivered her much-anticipated speech on Brexit. Here are the latest updates and reaction:

She told those gathered at Lancaster House that she did not want an outcome which left the UK half-in, half-out of the European Union. Extracts released by Downing Street in advance of the much-awaited address are likely to fuel speculation that the Prime Minister is ready to take Britain out of the European single market and customs union, though it remained unclear whether she will give a definitive answer on the question.

Downing Street had said Ms May would set out 12 negotiating priorities for the upcoming EU withdrawal talks, driven by the principles of certainty and clarity and the aims to make Britain stronger, fairer and truly global.

Ms May said: I want this United Kingdom to emerge from this period of change stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than ever before.

I want us to be a secure, prosperous, tolerant country - a magnet for international talent and a home to the pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead.

I want us to be a truly Global Britain - the best friend and neighbour to our European partners, but a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe too.

A country that gets out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike.

I want Britain to be what we have the potential and ambition to be: a great, global trading nation that is respected around the world and strong, confident and united at home.
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The UK government has been heavily criticised by European and Palestinian officials for what they see as a British ditching of decades old policy towards the Middle East in order to please Donald Trump.

On Monday, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson blocked the the EUs foreign affairs council from passing a resolution in favour of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"The UK is changing a 20-year policy on the Middle East and settlements for the sake of a good trade deal with Donald Trump," a European diplomat told The Financial Times. "They're basically changing 20 years of international consensus."

Recommended Russia to talk to Trump about nuclear weapons

In his interview with The Times Donald Trump said he would like to see the UK exercise their UN security council veto on resolutions that are critical of Israel. In December, the Obama administration abstained on a resolution calling Israeli settlements illegal that was in the end, carried, a decision Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called "shameful".

Mohammad Shtayyeh, a senior Palestinian official and adviser to Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas said: Obviously, the British government is using this [issue] as a bridge with Trump, and I think this is really not appropriate.

The resolution vetoed by Mr Johnson had been agreed at a conference at the weekend in Paris attended by representatives at more than seventy countries. The UK did not take part.
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Workers need to be reassured that taking the UK out of the Single Market will not impact on their rights after Brexit, a union leader has said.

Frances O'Grady, the general secretary of the TUC, welcomed Theresa May's announcement that MPs and peers will be given a vote on the eventual Brexit deal but demanded more detail on jobs.

She said: "Working people are worried they will end up paying the price of leaving the single market. There is real concern that it will be bad for jobs, bad for rights at work, and bad for the living standards of British people.

"We are pleased the Prime Minister has committed to a parliamentary vote on the final deal, but before that vote, we will need to know exactly what the new framework she promised for workers' rights and jobs will be."

In her speech at Lancaster House Ms May said workers' rights would be "fully protected and maintained" as EU law is translated into domestic rules.

She said: "Under my leadership, not only will the Government protect the rights of workers' set out in European legislation, we will build on them.

"We will make sure legal protection for workers keeps pace with the changing labour market, and that the voices of workers are heard by the boards of publicly-listed companies for the first time."

Ms May also said that while Britain would leave the Single Market she hoped to retain the "greatest possible access" to it.

The Institute of Directors reacted favourably but cautiously to the Prime Minister's speech.

Allie Renison, the group's head of Europe and trade policy, said: "We welcome the level of detail provided in the PM's speech and her commitment to providing certainty wherever possible, which is absolutely vital for business if they are to navigate and make the best of Brexit.

"While we do not expect a running commentary, firms hope to get periodic updates to maintain confidence as we make our way towards the exit.

"We now know that we will be leaving the Single Market, and while there will be firms who regret this, they will at least be able to plan on that basis."

However, the head of the British Chamber of Commerce has criticised Theresa May for failing to cast much new light on her stance on divorce proceedings and the implications of an exit.

"While businesses now have a clearer sense of the Prime Minister's top-line priorities, they will come away from her speech knowing little more about the likely outcome of the Brexit negotiations than they did yesterday," Adam Marshall, director general of the business group, told the Press Association.

"The simple fact is that businesses all across the UK are carrying on. Directly affected companies are being pragmatic, and are preparing for a range of possible outcomes," he added.

When it comes to hiring European workers, a leading economist has warned that British businesses face a "significant" new red tape burden after Brexit due to potential immigration rule changes.

Companies will bear the responsibility of confirming whether potential employees have the right to work in the UK according to a proliferation of new worker categories if European freedom of movement is ended, Professor Jonathan Portes said, calling the process "border controls in the workplace".

The King's College London academic told The Independent: "In the future employers will have to check the right of Europeans to work in this country. There will be all these different categories of Europeans.

"Employers are going to have to check through and sort out all these categories every time a European moves jobs, even if they've been here 10 years."

Currently employers have only to check a European worker's passport but in future potential documentation could be linked to "at least" five different statuses, he said, including permanent residents, those with "transitional leave to remain", immigrants with work permits and people claiming a human rights-based entitlement to work like a family connectionas well as those who have no technical right to employment.

Prof Portes added: "His passport's not going to show all that. Europeans will be more complicated."
Tunisian and Libyan parties on Tuesday struck a deal to resume vital trade through the Ras Jedir crosspoint after a week of unrest, a source close to the negotiations said.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the agreement was reached at a fresh talks between the two sides.

Lawmaker Ahmed Laamari, who took part in earlier negotiations on the issue, said separately that the deal should come into force on Sunday.

The terms of the accord were not immediately clear and the interior ministry was not available for comment.

Ras Jedir is the main crossing between western Libya and southeastern Tunisia, a region largely dependent on cross-border trade, both legal and illegal.

For around a week, social unrest has rocked the Tunisian border town of Ben Guerdane, with demonstrators demanding the free flow of trade through the frontier.

On Tuesday, protesters were still blocking the road from Ras Jedir to Ben Guerdane, where calm had returned after the clashes between demonstrators and the police.

A previous deal for a new customs system was signed in May 2016 after a previous wave of unrest over paralysed trade at the border, but was never implemented.

Tensions have been high in recent months, with a part of the population accusing the authorities of ignoring their plight.

Tunisian authorities have said the issue is thorny in view of the political chaos and fighting between militias in Libya.

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David Cameron's military policy failures mean he must be ruled out of the running in the race to become the next Nato chief, the Tory chairman of the Defence Select Committee has said.

The former prime minister is a man of charm and ability but lacks the wisdom to take on the role of Nato Secretary General, according to Julian Lewis.

Mr Cameron has been tipped as a possible replacement for current post-holder Jens Stoltenberg, whose term is due to end within the next two years.

But Mr Lewis said the ex-premier's military intervention in Libya, which MPs have since criticised for lacking a coherent strategy, as well as his decision to drastically cut troop numbers and claim that Brexit could put peace in Europe at risk, meant he was not the right man for the job.

In a speech as part of the Speaker's Lecture series, Mr Lewis said: During the Christmas recess, an obviously planted story appeared in a tabloid newspaper suggesting that our most recent former prime minister should be the UK's candidate as next Nato Secretary General.

It was duly taken up by the wider media, with heavy hints suggesting that No 10 was actively considering the proposal.

David Cameron is a man of charm and ability. He deserves to find a role commensurate with his talents, and I am sure that he will; but those talents do not include wisely judging strategic issues, whether when toppling Arab dictators in places like Libya, increasing military commitments whilst cutting the Armed Forces, predicting a Third World War in consequence of Brexit, or dangerously delaying the renewal of Trident for the sake of Coalition politics - as he did.

In an interview with The Times, Donald Trump branded Nato obsolete but also said the military alliance was very important to him.

Mr Lewis warned that if the US turned away from organisation, Europe would have little chance of deterring non-nuclear threats.

But he claimed the US president-elect was trying to strengthen the alliance by confronting the free-riders who failed to spend more than 2% of GDP on defence.

Mr Lewis said: It seems to me far more likely that, by confronting the 'free-riders' within the Alliance, he actually aims to strengthen Nato by ensuring that all its members properly fund their armed forces in the future.

Mr Lewis also renewed his calls for reforms to stop troops facing prosecutions over action during The Troubles, insisting any system that allowed legal aid to be used as a weapon against its own personnel had surely taken leave of its senses.

He called for a statute of limitations to cover incidents in Northern Ireland that took place before the Belfast Agreement to be introduced to restore some semblance of justice and fairness to the process.

Without protection, hundreds of veterans face court action while amnestied terrorists - including mass murderers - freely walk the streets of Ulster, he said.

PA
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Labours Brexit spokesman provoked surprise by telling MPs that Theresa Mays strategy would fall short of hard Brexit if she achieves her aims.

Sir Keir Starmer broke with the Liberal Democrats and Greens by arguing the Prime Minister had tempered her plans and accepted some of Labours demands.

The comments came despite Ms May threatening to quit the EU with no fresh trade agreement, saying: No deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain.

And they were in stark contrast to the anger of some Labour MPs, who warned of Britain crashing out with no replacement for the single market  at huge cost to the economy.

One, Pat McFadden, asked Brexit Secretary David Davis what assessment had been made of the effect of leaving the single market on trade, jobs and prosperity  but got no answer.

He told Mr Davis: Today is what you get when you let immigration policy dominate economic policy.

Another, Chuka Umunna, warned that Britain could be on a path to trading with the EU on World Trading Organisation rules with ten per cent, 13 per cent and up to 40 per cent tariffs on cars, clothes and meat.

But Sir Keir seized on the Prime Minister suggesting she wanted Britain to retain a form of associate membership of the customs union, rather than leave outright.

Most business leaders are desperate not to leave the union, which allows exporters to sell in the EU without having to fill in forms or go through customs checks.

Sir Keir also said a promised comprehensive trade agreement with the EU would require independent jurisdiction, probably by the European Court of Justice  regardless of Ms Mays pledge to pull out of it.

He said: For many months, we in Labour have been demanding the fullest possible access to the single market, emphasising the risks of leaving the customs union, arguing for a collaborative relationship with our EU partners, emphasising the need for transitional arrangements and the need for entrenchment of workers rights.

Today the Prime Minister has rightly accepted these in her plan. I acknowledge that.

Sir Keir said the plan had given little detail, but added: If the Prime Minister achieves all she has set out to achieve, she will fall short of hard Brexit that many in business and trade unions have feared.

Instead, Sir Keir - like Jeremy Corbyn - focused his fire on what he called the threat to destroy the current economic model, by turning Britain into a tax haven, saying: That would be an act of huge self-harm.

Sir Keir pulled his punches despite Mr Davis making clear there would be no white paper published to fully flesh out the Brexit plan  as Labour has demanded.

The Brexit Secretary made clear todays speech was the plan, saying: I said we would present a plan as quickly as possible - and thats what weve done.

Mr Davis also told MPs: There is no circumstance in which we will rip up workers rights  before admitting he could only make that commitment while he was in the job.

And he did not rule out an immigration deal to allow in EU citizens if - as one Labour MP phrased it  they have a job offer in the UK.
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Evan Davies has ridiculed Michael Gove for giving his "weakest answer" he has given to a question about his interview with Donald Trump.

The Newsnight presenter criticised the Vote Leave campaigner for his response to a question on how the world should respond to the President-elect.

"Should the world just say 'OK Mr Trump, you're a big man you can do what you want' or should the world frame a response to the person who breaks up the international trade system?" he asked.

"What should the world do?"

World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Show all 29 1 /29 World reaction to President Trump: In pictures World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty Images World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mosul , Iraq Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures New Delhi, India Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Karachi, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kabul, Afghanistan AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem. Israel Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Moscow, Russia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Seoul, South Korea AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Peshawar, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Hyderabad, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kolkata, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Aleppo, Syria Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem, Israel EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Baghdad, Iraq Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Tokyo, Japan Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico Getty

Mr Gove replied: "Take it one step back. Trump is making the first move in a negotiation. And one of the things about a negotiation, certainly with a deal maker like Trump, is that his starting position is not going to be the end position.

"So I think the first thing to do is to use the skills that we have in the foreign office and the political connections that we have in order to be able to ensure that we are in a position to shape and to frame American policy in a way that recognises Donald Trump's desire to boost jobs and growth in America without necessarily going down the path that would not be in all our intersts."

Mr Davies interrupted Mr Gove to say: "I've listened to a lot of your interviews today Michael. I think that is the weakest answer you have given.

"What do we do when this bloke [Mr Trump] does stuff that we really, in our Atlantic tradition, have come to not like? I mean, he called Nato obsolete."

Mr Gove then defended his answer, saying he was not Mr Trump's general secretary, adding "trade is not an area where I have a Regis professorship".

He also said: "But I do think when it comes to Nato... This is one of the interesting things about Trump, is that candidate Trump and President Trump occupy different positions."

He went on to reiterate Mr Trump's two concerns about Nato, which the President-elect said was "obsolete because it wasn't taking care of terror" and was marred by member organisations not paying their "fair share".

I said a long time ago that Nato had problems," Mr Trump said in an interview with Mr Gove for The Sunday Times. "Number one it was obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago. Number two the countries arent paying what theyre supposed to pay."

He added: "A lot of these countries arent paying what theyre supposed to be paying, which I think is very unfair to the United States. With that being said, Nato is very important to me."

During the Newsnight interview, Mr Gove also laughed off a suggestion he could be the next UK ambassador to America.
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An ecstatic Nigel Farage hailed Theresa May for stealing Ukips phrases and words, within minutes of her landmark Brexit speech.

But the apparent confirmation that a hard Brexit is coming was branded a theft of democracy by the Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the speech carried an implied threat that Britain will become a low-tax bargain basement economy on the offshores of Europe.

Recommended The moment Theresa May announced the UK is leaving the single market

And the Irish Government said, in a quickly-issued statement: This will inevitably be seen by many as a hard exit.

In a single tweet, Mr Farage summed up the delight among Brexit supporters that many of the doubts about Britains EU exit had now been removed.

He said: I can hardly believe that the PM is now using the phrases and words that I've been mocked for using for years. Real progress.

And the chief executive of the Vote Leave campaign, Matthew Elliott tweeted: Superb speech from PM - everything we campaigned for @vote_leave. Inspiring vision for #GlobalBritain. Loved "Take Back Control" reference.

But TUC leader Frances OGrady said Ms Mays strategy would be bad for jobs, work rights and living standards  while helping tax dodgers, hedge funds and vulture companies eyeing up the NHS.

She accused the Prime Minister of throwing in the towel on Britains single market membership before negotiations have started, adding: British people want a deal that serves the many not the few.

Caroline Lucas, the co-leader of the Green Party, said: Theresa May has confirmed today that she is willing to take an extreme gamble with our countrys future.

The Prime Minister has morphed a close-run referendum into a mandate for an extremely hard Brexit which will see our economy harmed as part of her desperate desire to end free movement.

Mr Farron said the Prime Minister had found Nigel Farages plan and adopted it - which is really bad for Britain.

He added: This is a theft of democracy, a presumption that the 51.9 per cent of people who voted to leave meant the most extreme version of Brexit available.

The Irish government welcomed the greater clarity Ms May had provided, but also signalled its intention to exploit the clean break to woo investment from London to Dublin.

A spokesperson said there were now economic opportunities that may arise for Ireland following the UKs decision.

But the SNPs Pete Wishart tweeted: She now seems to be issuing threats to the EU - 'Don't do what's in your interest our I'll ruin the UK even further'.
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Theresa May has set Britain on course for a hard Brexit - but failed to address the issue of what happens if Parliament blocks her deal with the EU.

The Prime Minister outlined the 12 principles that will govern her EU negotiations for the next two years, including confirmation that Britain will be giving up its membership of the European single market.

In a key development, Ms May said the final deal she reaches with EU leaders will be put to a vote in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

But it immediately raised questions as to what happens if Parliament votes to reject the deal, two years after the UK triggers Article 50.

Follow our live blog on the latest reaction to Theresa May's Brexit speech

ITV's Robert Peston asked "would we still be in the EU" if there is a no vote in Parliament.

Ms May appeared to dodge the question, saying: "What does it mean? There would be a vote for the British Parliament when it comes to the deal, as I've said.

"If you think about it, the British Parliament voted overwhelmingly for this to be the decision of the British people," she said. "The British Parliament voted recently effectively for the Government to get on with it.

"I'm sure that the British Parliament will want to deliver on the views of the British people and respect the democratic decision that was taken."

Ms May warned the EU against trying to "punish" the UK as a warning to others who might seek to leave the bloc.

She said seeking a punitive Brexit deal with the UK would be "an act of calamitous self-harm", adding that "no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain".

Ms May said she did not want a long transitional period to move towards Britain's new relationship with the EU.

But she said that once a deal is agreed, it will be implemented with a "phased approach, delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit".

She said: "We will seek to avoid a disruptive cliff edge and we will do everything we can to phase in the new arrangements we require as Britain and the EU move towards our new partnership."

Listing her key objectives for the Brexit negotiations, Ms May said: "These are the objectives we have set:

"Certainty wherever possible. Control of our own laws. Strengthening the United Kingdom.

"Maintaining the common travel area with Ireland. Control of immigration. Rights for EU nationals in Britain and British nationals in the EU. Enhancing rights for workers.

"Free trade with European markets. New trade agreements with other countries. A leading role in science and innovation. Co-operation on crime, terrorism and foreign affairs. And a phased approach, delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit."

And she added: "This is the framework of a deal which will herald a new partnership between the UK and the EU. It is a comprehensive and carefully considered plan that focuses on the ends, not just the means, with its eyes fixed firmly on the future and on the kind of country we will be once we leave."

The Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, attended Ms May's speech at Lancaster House. He said the "powerful" address would be "well received" by EU nations.

"Because it's negotiable, this is something that I think will be good for the UK and good for the rest of the EU as well," he said.

Asked why the EU would give the UK a "free lunch", Mr Johnson said: "As the Prime Minister said, I think it's going to be good for both sides."

He went on: "We very strongly think this is in our mutual interest. We're not leaving Europe, we're disentangling ourselves from the treaties of the EU. We can remain powerfully committed to Europe with a new European partnership ... whilst also going forward with an identity as Global Britain."

Additional reporting by PA
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Britain will pull out of the single market when it leaves the European Union, Theresa May said today - finally ending months of uncertainty and confusion.

In her landmark Brexit speech, the Prime Minister said the deal she would be pursuing when the negotiations get underway "cannot mean membership of single market".

She pointed to the EU's demand that all members comply with four freedoms  including, crucially, freedom of movement of EU citizens.

Follow our live blog from Theresa May's key speech on Brexit

It would also mean complying with EU rules and regulations that implement those freedoms without having a vote on what those rules and regulations are," Ms May told her audience at London's Lancaster House.

The Prime Minister said single market membership would also mean the European Court of Justice having direct legal authority in our country.

In her most significant comments on her Brexit strategy yet, she said: What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market.

She added: "It would, to all intents and purposes, mean not leaving the EU at all.

Ms May claimed that both sides in the referendum debate had made clear that a No vote would mean leaving the single market.

She said her aim would be the greatest possible access to EU markets through a comprehensive free trade agreement  although, critics say, that could take many years to achieve.

Britain would continue to pay into the EU budget for specific EU programmes of its choosing, adding: The days of making vast contributions to the EU every year will end.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

On the customs union, the Prime Minister suggested the UK could negotiate some sort of "associate member" access while retaining the right to carry out its own deals with non-EU nations - in other words, becoming exempt from the "common external tariff".

Ms May said full customs union membership would prevent the UK from striking its own comprehensive trade deals.

"I want Britain to be able to negotiate its own trade agreements but I also want tariff-free trade with Europe, and cross-border trade there to be as frictionless as possible.

"That means I do not want Britain to be part of the common commercial policy and I do not want us to be bound by the common external tariff.

"These are the elements of the customs union that prevent us from striking our own comprehensive trade agreements with other countries. But I do want us to have a customs agreement with the EU."

She highlighted Donald Trump's recent comments, in which he said he is keen to do a trade deal with the UK.

"Countries including China, Brazil and the Gulf states have already expressed interest in striking trade deals with us," she said.

"We have started discussions on future trade ties with countries like Australia, New Zealand and India. And President-elect Trump has said that Britain is not at the back of the queue for a trade deal with the United States, the world's biggest economy, but front of the line."
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European politicians have responded negatively to Theresa Mays major Brexit speech, with one German MEP claiming the Prime Minister had effectively told the EU to go f*** yourself.

Ms May used the address to announce the UK would leave the single market and EU customs union and warned European leaders she is willing to contemplate not making a deal with the EU, saying no deal is better than a bad deal for Britain.

A number of European politicians took to social media to condemn the Prime Ministers remarks.

Recommended May threatens to ditch free trade deal with EU

Jan Philipp Albrecht, a Green MEP for northern Germany, tweeted: "May: Go f*** yourself EU but please don't let us down. *whine* *whine*"

Mr Albrecht also accused the Prime Minister of daydreaming in her claims about what will be possible for Britain when it leaves the EU, saying: "Sad: Everything what May tells her British people to achieve would be possible inside the European Union but will be daydreams outside it."

MEPs from several other nations were equally critical of the speech. Kathleen Van Brempt, a Belgian socialist, tweeted: "The European Union is not a menu where the UK can freely pick and choose to their liking.

Swedish Moderate MEP Christofer Fjellner wrote: "UK leaving the single market will come at a large cost. Negotiating new free trade deals with others to compensate won't be any easy task!"

Despite the initial reaction, Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, said European countries would be quietly pleased with the speech.

I thought it was a terrific speech, it was very powerful, it had a great internal-external logic, he said.

I think it will be very well received around the world and with our European friends, no matter what they may say.

What experts have said about Brexit Show all 11 1 /11 What experts have said about Brexit What experts have said about Brexit Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit One of Britains great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the worlds leading international financial centre. Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Yanis Varoufakis Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Michael OLeary Ryanair boss says UK will be screwed by EU in Brexit trade deals: I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how the world will want to trade with us. The world will want to screw you  that's what happens in trade talks, he said. They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade Getty What experts have said about Brexit Tim Martin JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea" PA What experts have said about Brexit Mark Carney Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: I am absolutely serene about the  judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Christine Lagarde IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Inga Beale Lloyds chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe EPA What experts have said about Brexit Colm Kelleher President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London will suffer as result of the EU referendum: I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much What experts have said about Brexit Richard Branson Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and thats happening all over the country" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Barack Obama US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Kristin Forbes American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been less stormy than many expected following the shock referendum result: For nowthe economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up  and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction Getty

Ms May used the speech  her biggest on Brexit to date - to outline a 12-point plan for negotiations with Europe. She also warned against a Brexit deal that punishes Britain.

I know there are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path, she said.

That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe. And it would not be the act of a friend.

Britain would not - indeed we could not - accept such an approach. And while I am confident that this scenario need never arise - while I am sure a positive agreement can be reached - I am equally clear that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain.

 Theresa May announces Britain will not remain full member of EU customs union

British politicians lined up to oppose Ms Mays announcement that Britain will leave the single market.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron told the BBC the speech was a theft of democracy because the Prime Minister had assumed people want an extreme Brexit.

It is incredibly disappointing for anybody who thinks democracy matters, he added.

Labours Chuka Umunna tweeted: PM seems determined to tank the economy, which no one voted for, but no mention of the 350m extra [per week] for the NHS people did vote for.

Caroline Lucas, joint leader of the Green Party, said of the Prime Minister: "Her plan for Britain to be out of the Single Market and out of the Customs Union, without any guarantees on the kind of bilateral trade deals well have, is extremely risky.

"The Prime Minister has morphed a close-run referendum into a mandate for an extremely hard Brexit which will see our economy harmed as part of her desperate desire to end free movement.

Business groups welcomed the increased clarity given by the Prime Minister and her commitment to provide certainty but said some companies would be unhappy at the decision to leave the single market.

Read Theresa May's Brexit speech in full.

Additional reporting by agencies.
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Theresa May has said she will not seek a long lasting transitional period as Britain leaves the European Union.

The Prime Minister said she aims to reach a deal with the EU by the end of the two-year maximum timetable allowed by Article 50.

But she said once a deal is arranged, it will be implemented with a "phased approach, delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit".

 Theresa May calls Brexit a 'great moment of national change'

Ms May said she wanted to avoid a "disruptive cliff edge" for businesses when Britain leaves the EU.

"It is in no one's interests for there to be a cliff edge for business or a threat to stability as we change our existing relationship to a new partnership with the EU," Ms May said in her speech.

"By this I do not mean that we will seek some form of unlimited transitional status in which we find ourselves stuck forever in some kind of permanent political purgatory," she said.

She wanted to have struck a new deal with the EU by the end of a two-year period for negotiations to leave the bloc.

"From that point onwards, we believe that a phased process of implementation, in which both Britain and the EU institutions and member states prepare for the new arrangements that will exist between us, will be in our mutual self interest," she added.

She said: "We will seek to avoid a disruptive cliff edge and we will do everything we can to phase in the new arrangements we require as Britain and the EU move towards our new partnership."

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

The Prime Minister was listing her "12 principles" which will guide Britain's negotiating position after it triggers Article 50 at the end of March, beginning the two-year process of leaving the bloc.

She said: "These are the objectives we have set:

"Certainty wherever possible. Control of our own laws. Strengthening the United Kingdom.

"Maintaining the common travel area with Ireland. Control of immigration. Rights for EU nationals in Britain and British nationals in the EU. Enhancing rights for workers.

"Free trade with European markets. New trade agreements with other countries. A leading role in science and innovation. Co-operation on crime, terrorism and foreign affairs. And a phased approach, delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit."

And she added: "This is the framework of a deal which will herald a new partnership between the UK and the EU. It is a comprehensive and carefully considered plan that focuses on the ends, not just the means, with its eyes fixed firmly on the future and on the kind of country we will be once we leave."
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Theresa May has said Britain will not remain a full member of the EU customs union after Brexit, saying the UK wants to open up to negotiate its own trade deals with the rest of the world.

The Prime Minister suggested Britain would prefer to retain a form of "associate membership" of the union, limiting the increase in red tape for businesses who export to continental Europe.

"I do not want us to be bound by the common external tariff," Ms May said, proposing a new relationship with the members of the bloc that involves a preferential form of access to the union.

Follow the Independent's live blog on Theresa May's major Brexit speech

She highlighted Donald Trump's recent comments, in which he said he is keen to do a trade deal with the UK once it is outside the customs union, which prohibits members from negotiating their own external deals.

"Countries including China, Brazil and the Gulf states have already expressed interest in striking trade deals with us," she said.

"We have started discussions on future trade ties with countries like Australia, New Zealand and India. And President-elect Trump has said that Britain is not at the back of the queue for a trade deal with the United States, the world's biggest economy, but front of the line."

Recommended Economic experts react to Theresa May Brexit speech

Ms May said full customs union membership would prevent the UK from striking its own comprehensive trade deals.

"I want Britain to be able to negotiate its own trade agreements but I also want tariff-free trade with Europe, and cross-border trade there to be as frictionless as possible.

"That means I do not want Britain to be part of the common commercial policy and I do not want us to be bound by the common external tariff.

"These are the elements of the customs union that prevent us from striking our own comprehensive trade agreements with other countries. But I do want us to have a customs agreement with the EU."

She said she had an open mind whether that meant a "completely new" agreement, becoming "an associate member of the customs union in some way" or "remaining a signatory to some elements of it".

But she said: "I want to remove as many barriers to trade as possible and I want Britain to be free to establish our own tariff schedules at the World Trade Organisation, meaning we can reach new trade agreements not just with the EU but with old friends and new allies from outside Europe too."

The BBC's Nick Robinson described an attempt to retain partial membership of the customs union as a "cake eating bid". "May pitches to retain barrier-free benefits of customs union without accepting common external tariffs," he said.

Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Show all 13 1 /13 Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Supreme Court Brexit Challenge People wait to enter the public gallery outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Gina Miller, co-founder of investment fund SCM Private arrives at the Supreme court in London on the first day of a four-day hearing Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A man waves the EU flag in front of the Supreme Court Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Satirical artist Kaya Mar poses with two of his paintings in front of the Supreme Court Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Pro-Europe protestors dressed as Supreme Court Justices stand outside the Supreme Court ahead of the first day of a hearing into whether Parliament's consent is required before the Brexit process can begin. The eleven Supreme Court Justices will hear the government's appeal, following the High Court's recent decision that only Parliament can trigger Article 50 Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge The eleven Supreme Court Justices will hear the government's appeal, following the High Court's recent decision that only Parliament can trigger Article 50 Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Businesswoman Gina Miller arrives at the Supreme Court ahead of the first day of a hearing into whether Parliament's consent is required before the Brexit process can begin Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Attorney General Jeremy Wright arrives at the Supreme Court in London EPA Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Protesters outside the Supreme Court in London, where the Government is appealing against a ruling that the Prime Minister must seek MPs' approval to trigger the process of taking Britain out of the European Union PA wire Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A protesters wearing a judge's wigs and robes stands outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A protester holds up a placard outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Pro-Europe protestors dressed as Supreme Court Justices stand outside the Supreme Court Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A man waiting to enter the public gallery waves a European Union flag outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters

It comes after Ms May said Britain would definitely be leaving the EU single market, rejecting the idea of a "half-in, half-out" Brexit deal.

"Being out of EU but a member of single market would mean complying to rules and regulations without having a vote on what they are.

"It would to all intents and purposes mean not leaving the EU at all."

The Prime Minister said she did not believe the UK would leave the EU without a trade deal, but if it did, Britain could turn the situation to its advantage.

She said: "Because we would still be able to trade with Europe. We would still be free to strike trade deals across the world. And we would have the freedom to set competitive tax rates, and embrace the policies that would attract the world's best companies and biggest investors to Britain.

"And if we were excluded from accessing the single market, we would be free to change the basis of Britain's economic model. But for the EU, it would mean new barriers to trade with one of the biggest economies in the world."
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Former Government Minister Andrew Mitchell has warned that Britain is heightening the risk of terror attacks at home by assisting Saudi Arabia in its bombing and blockade of Yemen.

Mr Mitchell, a high profile campaigner on the ongoing civil war in Yemen, said the UKs role in the Saudi led coalition risked it becoming complicit in the destruction of a sovereign state.

Yemen is not starving, Yemen is being starved and Britain is part of a coalition that is blockading this country by both land and sea, Mr Mitchell told The Daily Telegraph. People are horrified about what is happening and we are stoking hatred in this generation and particularly the next generation.

More than 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen, since Saudi Arabia began bombing the country in March 2014 after Houthi rebels rebelled against the Yemeni government.

The UK government continues to sell arms to Saudi Arabia, even after recent reports indicated that now-banned British-manufactured cluster munitions sold to the Saudi government decades ago have been dropped in civilian areas.

Mr Mitchell is not in favour of ending arms sales, as several opposition groups have called for, but suggested Britain could intervene to stop Yemen being pounded back into the Stone Age.

There is no way the coalition is going to win in Yemen, where attitudes every day are hardening, he added.

We are supporting President Hadi, who has virtually no support in Yemen and is the only president I have ever come across who has to make an official visit to his own country.
Donald Trump's comments about NATO being "obsolete" reflect how the world has changed, but should not be interpreted as meaning that it needs to be consigned to history, a senior adviser to the U.S. president-elect said on Tuesday.

Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Monday that Trump's comments had aroused concern across the 28-member alliance. Trump, who is due to be sworn in on Friday, criticised NATO for not defending against terrorist attacks.

"NATO is working but there are things about it that need to change and there are parts of it that are, in the words of Trump, 'obsolete'", Anthony Scaramucci, a hedge fund manager who is joining Trump's White House staff as an adviser, told an audience at the World Economic Forum (WEF).

NATO has been seen since the 1950s as the keystone of western European defences, extending its zone of activity in the post-Cold War period to the borders of Russia.

"We have to think about changing the (NATO) treaty to front face the 21st and 22nd centuries," Scaramucci said, adding the focus should now be on finding common cause with Russia.

"Let's try to find a way to get along better (with Russia). We need to focus less on combatting Communism and more on rejecting radical Islam," he said.

Trump's comments about countries needing to pay their way in NATO reflected his background as a businessman and property developer and made sense, Scaramucci said.

Scaramucci also said the United States wanted to create more symmetry in trade agreements and have a "phenomenal relationship" with China, calling on Beijing to "reach now towards us and allow us to create this symmetry".

In Washington, Trump's views on NATO are not shared by many fellow Republicans. John McCain, the influential Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, noted how NATO allies sent their troops to fight in the war on terrorism declared by then President George W. Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacked plane attacks on New York and Washington.

"I don't think we should ever forget that - that they were willing to send their young people to Afghanistan to fight, not because they were attacked, but because we were attacked," McCain told CNN on Tuesday.

Addressing concerns that have been raised about the way Trump has communicated his ideas and thoughts so far, Scaramucci said people should not be worried or alarmed by the president-elect's tweets.

As for his own business interests, Scaramucci said he had signed a deal for the sale of his Skybridge hedge fund.

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Kenyan women have been urged to withhold sex from their husbands until they register to vote in the August elections.

Mishi Mboko, an MP in the African country, said it was the best strategy to adopt to increase the number of votes in opposition strongholds.

The womens representative for the city of Mombasa told local media that sex was a powerful weapon and would serve as a bargaining chip for those reluctant to register.

Women, this is the strategy you should adopt. It is the best. Deny them sex until they show you their voter's card," she said.

Registration for the general election, when the country will select its next President, ends on 17 February.

Ms Mboko said her own husband would be spared from the boycott as he had already registered to vote, the The Standard newspaper reported.

Current President Uhuru Kenyatta will seek a second term in the upcoming vote.

However, he is expected to be challenged by an opposition candidate representing an alliance of opposition parties, including Ms Mboko's party the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Ms Mboko said it had reached the point where the elections needed to be taken seriously and called on women to take the step.

Sex boycotts are common in Kenya. In 2009, women activists held a week-long sex strike to get then President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga and their allies to reconcile after falling out.

The activists encouraged the wives of the politicians to participate and offered to compensate prostitutes in the country for lost earnings if they agreed to join in.
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The largest humanitarian rescue ship in the Mediterranean Sea was patrolling calm waters on 17 August when sailors spotted a boat approaching from the Libyan coast.

It was coming too fast to be one of the flimsy dinghies used by hundreds of thousands of migrants to attempt the treacherous crossing to Europe, and was not responding to contact.

Staff on the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) ship activated their code red protocol, taking cover in the Bourbon Argoss mess.

Recommended Government continues support for Libyan coastguard despite attacks

Aid workers, used to false alarms over local fishermen, started to relax, making cups of coffee and snacking on biscuits until they could get back to work. But then the gunfire started.

Benjamin Hargreaves, the Bourbon Argos's British deck manager, described how the chartered ships crew ran downstairs from the bridge shouting: Shooting! Shooting!.

Staff fled to a fortified room below decks as the unidentified gunmen boarded the ship. Some sat down to write letters to their families, fearing the messages could be their last.

We didnt know who they were, why they were here and what they were going to do, Mr Hargreaves said, recounting the traumatic two hours before staff got the all-clear to venture out from their hiding place.

 A day rescuing refugees from the Mediterranean Sea

They emerged to find the Bourbon Argos riddled with bullet holes. One went through glass windows on the bridge, inches from where a security officer had been watching the approaching boat through binoculars.

Another passed through the back of the vessel, through the door of the mens toilets, the mirror above the womens sink and another partition wall before entering the on board hospital.

Evidence of the bullets path through the ship  a series of holes filled in during emergency repairs  was examined by The Independent in November.

With no refugees on board at the time, the Bourbon Argos was largely empty, and no one was injured.

The armed men left without removing anything from the ship, sparking fervent speculation over whether they may have been from one of the numerous armed groups fighting in the continuing Libyan civil war or even Isis, which controls part of the countrys coast.

But they were revealed to be from the Libyan coastguard  a supposed ally of Britain in the EU in the ongoing refugee crisis  which claimed staff mistook MSF for a gang of oil smugglers.

The attack on the Bourbon Argos is among several serious incidents involving the force, which is accused of shooting, beating and torturing refugees trying to reach safety in Europe.

One charity had one of its rescue boats confiscated and the German volunteers on board detained, while another organisation is pursuing a legal case against the Libyan coastguard for allegedly causing the deaths of up to 25 migrants.

Ruben Neugebauer, from Sea-Watch, said the German charity is attempting to launch legal action over the incident on 21 October.

In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea Show all 7 1 /7 In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A baby being taken on to MSF's Bourbon Argos ship from a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A refugee boat carrying 101 people being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A refugee boat carrying 101 people being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos all images by Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A baby among refugees on a boat carrying 185 people off the coast of Libya Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea Migrants and refugees sleeping after being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos ship Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A crew from MSF's Bourbon Argos ship rescuing a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees off the coast of Libya, at sunrise Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A woman in a stretcher being lifted onto MSF's Bourbon Argos ship from a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees off the coast of Libya Lizzie Dearden

He told The Independent the Libyan coastguard interrupted an ongoing rescue operation, cutting off the charitys boat as it handed out life jackets to around 150 people on board.

One of them boarded the refugee boat and he was hitting them with an object we cant define, Mr Neugebauer said. In the ensuing panic, up to 25 refugees are believed to have fallen into the sea and drowned.

Recommended A day rescuing refugees from the Mediterranean Sea

Sea-Watch was only able to pull four unconscious people from the water, with distraught staff salvaging four dead bodies.

We had a feeling it was an attempt to push back this vessel because there was no other reason for them to interfere with our rescue, Mr Neugebauer said. Im sure that no one would have died if we had been able to carry on handing out life jackets.

A Libyan Navy representative told local television the Sea-Watch boat was not attacked but admitted there was an incident, claiming the boat was in Libyan waters  an allegation denied by the charity.

The Libyan coastguard is known to have forcibly returned thousands of migrants caught attempting to flee the country to land, with asylum seekers describing being beaten and tortured at detention camps where they are kept in horrific conditions.

A report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights found that migrants were being imprisoned, robbed, raped and subjected to force labour after dangerous, life-threatening interceptions by the Libyan coastguard.

A 17-year-old boy from Guinea told the UN the coastguard shot at migrants randomly when his boat was intercepted in March, killing at least three people dead and injuring several more.

 Desperate journeys: Rescued at sea, refugees detail abuse in Libya

A girl from Eritrea, aged just 14, claimed officials killed a man presumed to have steered a dinghy she was travelling and beat the other passengers after they were taken to land.

And the horrific account is not an isolated one. Abdurrahman, a 23-year-old Eritrean man, told Amnesty International he was among asylum seekers beaten with hoses and wooden sticks.

Recommended More than 200 refugees drown and freeze to death in first days of 2017

They then shot one man in the foot  he was the last one coming off the boat so they asked him where the driver was, he added. When he said he didnt know, they said that means you are the driver and they shot him.

The UNs mission in Libya also says it has received reports indicating some members of the coastguard have worked with armed groups, smugglers and traffickers to exploit migrants for profit, as well as selling on the engines of seized migrant boats.

It is urging Britain and other countries training the Libyan coastguard to ensure its human rights component is comprehensive and that migrants are protected.

Amnesty International warned that the EUs expanding cooperation with Libya risks fuelling rampant ill-treatment and violations of international law.

Europe shouldnt even think about migration cooperation arrangements with Libya if it results, directly or indirectly, in such shocking human rights violations, said Magdalena Mughrabi, the groups interim deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa.

A repaired hole from a bullet fired by the Libyan coastguard on MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos (Lizzie Dearden)

The EU has repeatedly shown it is willing to stop refugees and migrants from coming to the continent at almost any cost now, with human rights taking a back seat, she said.

A spokesperson for the EU told The Independent it was backing legitimate Libyan authorities to develop their capacity at sea but had no direct involvement in coastguard operations.

The EU is aware of the reported incidents which have allegedly occurred, she added.

The EUs programme of capacity delivery to the Libyan coastguard places particular emphasis on humanitarian and migration issues, as well as on women's rights issues.

When asked under what circumstances the support would stop, she said the EU was ensuring correct standards are maintained, without providing details.

A spokesperson for the Libyan Navy claimed the Bourbon Argos, sails under several large red and white MSF banners, was mistaken for an oil smuggling ship.

The guards shot in the air to warn them but because our boat is small and was swaying due to heavy waves there might have been a hit to their boat, he said. I confirm that it was not directly targeted.

The Ministry of Defence is aware of the reported attacks but is understood not to be leading investigations into alleged abuses as it continues its training programme.

Representatives of Libyas Government of National Accord did not respond to The Independent's request for comment.
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A Nigerian military jet has mistakenly bombed a refugee camp, killing more than 100 people, a government official has said.

The incident took place in Borno state in northeastern Nigeria, where the military has been waging a military campaign against the militant group Boko Haram.

Aid organisations and the local military said the strike hit a camp for internally displaced people in Rann, part of the Kala-Balge local government area on the Cameroon border. Regional military commander Major General Lucky Irabor told the Reuters news agency he did not know how many people were killed.

Many civilians including personnel of International Committee of the Red Cross and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) were wounded, he said.

MSF said it was treating 120 wounded, while the Nigerian military said more than 100 had died (MSF)

Major General Irabor said he had ordered the mistaken attack, based on intelligence that Boko Haram fighters were in the region. It is believed to be the first time the Nigerian military has admitted to such an error.

An employee with the International Committee of the Red Cross, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press 20 Red Cross volunteers were among the dead.

The bombing was condemned by MSF, which described the incident as shocking and unacceptable.

A spokeswoman for MSF told The Independent the organisation was indeed active in the Kala Balge area, but was unable to verify whether its employees were among the victims.

The rise of Boko Haram Show all 20 1 /20 The rise of Boko Haram The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram The leader of the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau delivers a message. Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the mass killings in the north-east Nigerian town of Baga in a video where he warned the massacre was just the tip of the iceberg. As many as 2,000 civilians were killed and 3,700 homes and business were destroyed in the 3 January 2015 attack on the town near Nigeria's border with Cameroon AFP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram People displaced as a result of Boko Haram attacks in the northeast region of Nigeria, are seen near their tents at a faith-based camp for internally displaced people (IDP) in Yola, Adamawa State. Boko Haram says it is building an Islamic state that will revive the glory days of northern Nigeria's medieval Muslim empires, but for those in its territory life is a litany of killings, kidnappings, hunger and economic collapse The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Nitsch Eberhard Robert, a German citizen abducted and held hostage by suspected Boko Haram militants, is seen as he arrives at the Yaounde Nsimalen International airport after his release in Yaounde, Cameroon on 21 January 2015 The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Officials of the Nigerian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) visit victims of a bomb blast in Gombe at the Specialist Hospital in Gombe. According to local reports at least six people were killed and 11 wounded after a bomb blast in a marketplace in Nigeria's northeastern state of Gombe on 16 January 2015. Islamist militant group Boko Haram has been blamed for a string of recent attacks in the North East of Nigeria The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram People gather at the site of a bomb explosion in a area know to be targeted by the militant group Boko Haram in Kano on 28 November 2014 The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram People gather to look at a burnt vehicle following a bomb explosion that rocked the busiest roundabout near the crowded Market in Maiduguri, Borno State on 1 July 2014. A truck exploded in a huge fireball killing at least 15 people in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the city repeatedly hit by Boko Haram Islamists The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram President Goodluck Jonathan visits Nigerian Army soldiers fighting Boko Haram Getty Images The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Displaced people from Baga listen to Goodluck Jonathan after the Boko Haram killings AFP/Getty The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan speaking to troops during a visit to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State; most of the region has been overrun by Boko Haram AFP/Getty The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Members of the Nigerian military patrolling in Maiduguri, North East Nigeria, close to the scene of attacks by Boko Haram EPA The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Boko Harams leader, Abubakar Shekau, appears in a video in which he warns Cameroon it faces the same fate as Nigeria AFP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Nana Shettima, the wife of Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima (C) weeps as she speaks with school girls from the government secondary school Chibok that were kidnapped by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, and later escaped in Chibok The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram South Africans protest in solidarity against the abduction of hundreds of schoolgirls in Nigeria by the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram and what protesters said was the failure of the Nigerian government and international community to rescue them, during a march to the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Boko Haram militants have seized the town in north-eastern Nigeria that nearly 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped from in April 2014 AFP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram A soldier stands guard in front of burnt buses after an attack in Abuja. Twin blasts at a bus station packed with morning commuters on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital killed dozens of people, in what appeared to be the latest attack by Boko Haram Islamists, April 2014 The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram The aftermath of the attack, when Boko Haram fighters in trucks painted in military colours killed 51 people in Konduga in February 2014 AFP/Getty Images The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau (with papers) in a video grab taken in July 2014 AFP/Getty The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Ruins of burnt out houses in the north-eastern settlement of Baga, pictured after Boko Haram attacks in 2013 AP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram A Boko Haram attack in Nigeria, 2013 AFP/Getty Images The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau, Boko Harams leader AP

She said MSF teams had seen 52 dead and 120 wounded as of Tuesday evening.

Teams are trying to provide emergency first aid in its facility and are stabilising patients to evacuate wounded, she said.

We are asking the authorities to put all measures in place in order to facilitate the emergency evacuation of the wounded. Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients.

Jean-Clement Cabrol, Director of Operations at MSF, said: This large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable.

The safety of civilians must be respected.

Major General Irabor, commander for counterinsurgency operations in northeast Nigeria, said the Air Force had been given coordinates for where Boko Haram militants were alleged to be meeting. He said it was unclear what had caused the error and that an investigation was under way, but that the military would not deliberately target civilians.

Villagers in the past have reported some civilian casualties in near-daily bombardments in northeastern Nigeria.

Some of the nearly 300 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 and freed last year have said three of their classmates were killed by Air Force bombardments, according to the freed girls' parents.
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Nine days before Barack Obama delivered a eulogy at Charlestons Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Dylann Roof entered the historic black institution, sat for a while, and then opened fire with a Glock handgun. The white supremacist, who liked to pose for photographs on the sites of former slave plantations, murdered nine people.

The attack stunned the nation. The fact that Roof was just 21 was the starkest of proof that the toxic racism of previous generations was alive and well.

The Presidents job on 26 June 2015 was to offer solace not just to the people of Charleston, but to the nation. He spoke of the role of the church within African-American history as a place of strength and defiance. He said it was also a place of grace.

Watch Obama sing 'Amazing Grace':

Many relatives of those who had been killed had already displayed such strength, offering forgiveness to Roof and including him in their prayers, even as they were mourning their loved ones.

Mr Obama had apparently been unsure whether to sing the words to the hymn "Amazing Grace". As it was, his delivery  inexpert, apparently unrehearsed  was nothing less than startling.

Full transcript below:

Giving all praise and honour to God.

The Bible calls us to hope. To persevere, and have faith in things not seen.

They were still living by faith when they died, scripture tells us. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on Earth.

We are here today to remember a man of God who lived by faith. A man who believed in things not seen. A man who believed there were better days ahead, off in the distance. A man of service who persevered, knowing full well he would not receive all those things he was promised, because he believed his efforts would deliver a better life for those who followed.

To Jennifer, his beloved wife; to Eliana and Malana, his beautiful, wonderful daughters; to the Mother Emanuel family and the people of Charleston, the people of South Carolina.

I cannot claim to have the good fortune to know Reverend Pinckney well. But I did have the pleasure of knowing him and meeting him here in South Carolina, back when we were both a little bit younger. (Laughter.) Back when I didnt have visible grey hair. The first thing I noticed was his graciousness, his smile, his reassuring baritone, his deceptive sense of humour  all qualities that helped him wear so effortlessly a heavy burden of expectation.

Friends of his remarked this week that when Clementa Pinckney entered a room, it was like the future arrived; that even from a young age, folks knew he was special. Anointed. He was the progeny of a long line of the faithful  a family of preachers who spread Gods word, a family of protesters who sowed change to expand voting rights and desegregate the South. Clem heard their instruction, and he did not forsake their teaching.

He was in the pulpit by 13, pastor by 18, public servant by 23. He did not exhibit any of the cockiness of youth, nor youths insecurities; instead, he set an example worthy of his position, wise beyond his years, in his speech, in his conduct, in his love, faith, and purity.

Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Show all 11 1 /11 Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Barack Obama's best moments in the White House May 19, 2009 The President was leaving the State Floor after an event and found Sasha in the elevator ready to head upstairs to the private residence. He decided to ride upstairs with her before returning to the Oval Office, Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Oct. 26, 2012 President Barack Obama pretends to be caught in Spider-Man's web as he greets the son of a White House staffer in the Outer Oval Office Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House A National Security staffer, Carlton Philadelphia, brought his family to the Oval Office for a farewell photo with President Obama. Carltons son, Jacob, softly told the President he had just gotten a haircut like President Obama, and asked if he could feel the Presidents head to see if it felt the same as his. Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House March 21, 2010 The President, Vice President and senior staff applaud after watching on television the House vote on H.R. 4872 for health care reform, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Dec. 3, 2009 President Barack Obama fist-bumps custodian Lawrence Lipscomb in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building following the opening session of the White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Sept. 22, 2015 "The Obama family and Biden family greet Pope Francis as he arrives in the United States for the first time at Joint Base Andrews," Sept. 22, 2015. Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Feb. 21, 2014 President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden participate in a "Let's Move!" video taping on the Colonnade of the White House, Feb. 21, 2014 Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Feb. 18, 2016 President Barack Obama watches First Lady Michelle Obama dance with 106-Year-Old Virginia McLaurin in the Blue Room of the White House prior to a reception celebrating African American History Month, Feb. 18, 2016 Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Jan. 21, 2013 "The President and First Lady wave to supporters as they ride in the inaugural parade. I had asked the President if I could ride in the presidential limousine and the President joked, 'But Michelle and I were planning to make out," Jan. 21, 2013. Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama share a private moment in a freight elevator at an Inaugural Ball, January 2009 all pics: Pete Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Barack Obama rests his hand on the bible that President Lincoln used for his swear-in, being held by his wife Michelle Obama as he is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America Rex

As a Senator, he represented a sprawling swath of the Lowcountry, a place that has long been one of the most neglected in America. A place still wracked by poverty and inadequate schools; a place where children can still go hungry and the sick can go without treatment. A place that needed somebody like Clem.

His position in the minority party meant the odds of winning more resources for his constituents were often long. His calls for greater equity were too often unheeded, the votes he cast were sometimes lonely. But he never gave up. He stayed true to his convictions. He would not grow discouraged. After a full day at the capitol, hed climb into his car and head to the church to draw sustenance from his family, from his ministry, from the community that loved and needed him. There he would fortify his faith, and imagine what might be.

Reverend Pinckney embodied a politics that was neither mean, nor small. He conducted himself quietly, and kindly, and diligently. He encouraged progress not by pushing his ideas alone, but by seeking out your ideas, partnering with you to make things happen. He was full of empathy and fellow feeling, able to walk in somebody elses shoes and see through their eyes. No wonder one of his senate colleagues remembered Senator Pinckney as the most gentle of the 46 of us  the best of the 46 of us.

Clem was often asked why he chose to be a pastor and a public servant. But the person who asked probably didnt know the history of the AME church. As our brothers and sisters in the AME church know, we don't make those distinctions. Our calling, Clem once said, is not just within the walls of the congregation, but the life and community in which our congregation resides.

He embodied the idea that our Christian faith demands deeds and not just words; that the sweet hour of prayer actually lasts the whole week long  that to put our faith in action is more than individual salvation, it's about our collective salvation; that to feed the hungry and clothe the naked and house the homeless is not just a call for isolated charity but the imperative of a just society.

What a good man. Sometimes I think that's the best thing to hope for when you're eulogised  after all the words and recitations and resumes are read, to just say someone was a good man.

You dont have to be of high station to be a good man. Preacher by 13. Pastor by 18. Public servant by 23. What a life Clementa Pinckney lived. What an example he set. What a model for his faith. And then to lose him at 41  slain in his sanctuary with eight wonderful members of his flock, each at different stages in life but bound together by a common commitment to God.

Cynthia Hurd. Susie Jackson. Ethel Lance. DePayne Middleton-Doctor. Tywanza Sanders. Daniel L. Simmons. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton. Myra Thompson. Good people. Decent people. God-fearing people. (Applause.) People so full of life and so full of kindness. People who ran the race, who persevered. People of great faith.

Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Show all 9 1 /9 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Protesters clash and several are injured White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. A state of emergency is declared, August 12 2017 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Trump supporters at the protest A white nationalist demonstrator walks into Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Hundreds of people chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays on each other Saturday after violence erupted at a white nationalist rally in Virginia. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville State police stand ready in riot gear Virginia State Police cordon off an area around the site where a car ran into a group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Militia armed with assault rifles White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' with body armor and combat weapons evacuate comrades who were pepper sprayed after the 'Unite the Right' rally was declared a unlawful gathering by Virginia State Police. Militia members marched through the city earlier in the day, armed with assault rifles. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' during the 'Unite the Right' rally 12 August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. They are protesting the removal of the statue from Emancipation Park in the city. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Racial tensions sparked the violence White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' exchange insults with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the 'Unite the Right' rally Getty Violence on the streets of Charlottesville A car plows through protesters A vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The incident resulted in multiple injuries, some life-threatening, and one death. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into a large group of protesters after an white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville President Donald Trump speaks about the ongoing situation in Charlottesville, Virginia from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He spoke about "loyalty" and "healing wounds" left by decades of racism.

To the families of the fallen, the nation shares in your grief. Our pain cuts that much deeper because it happened in a church. The church is and always has been the centre of African-American life  a place to call our own in a too-often hostile world, a sanctuary from so many hardships.

Over the course of centuries, black churches served as hush harbours where slaves could worship in safety; praise houses where their free descendants could gather and shout hallelujah  rest stops for the weary along the Underground Railroad; bunkers for the foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement. They have been, and continue to be, community centres where we organise for jobs and justice; places of scholarship and network; places where children are loved and fed and kept out of harms way, and told that they are beautiful and smart  and taught that they matter. Thats what happens in church.

Thats what the black church means. Our beating heart. The place where our dignity as a people is inviolate. And theres no better example of this tradition than Mother Emanuel  a church built by blacks seeking liberty, burned to the ground because its founder sought to end slavery, only to rise up again, a phoenix from these ashes.

When there were laws banning all-black church gatherings, services happened here anyway, in defiance of unjust laws. When there was a righteous movement to dismantle Jim Crow, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached from its pulpit, and marches began from its steps. A sacred place, this church. Not just for blacks, not just for Christians, but for every American who cares about the steady expansion of human rights and human dignity in this country; a foundation stone for liberty and justice for all. Thats what the church meant.

We do not know whether the killer of Reverend Pinckney and eight others knew all of this history. But he surely sensed the meaning of his violent act. It was an act that drew on a long history of bombs and arson and shots fired at churches, not random, but as a means of control, a way to terrorise and oppress. An act that he imagined would incite fear and recrimination; violence and suspicion. An act that he presumed would deepen divisions that trace back to our nations original sin.

Oh, but God works in mysterious ways. God has different ideas.

He didnt know he was being used by God. Blinded by hatred, the alleged killer could not see the grace surrounding Reverend Pinckney and that Bible study group  the light of love that shone as they opened the church doors and invited a stranger to join in their prayer circle. The alleged killer could have never anticipated the way the families of the fallen would respond when they saw him in court  in the midst of unspeakable grief, with words of forgiveness. He couldnt imagine that.

The alleged killer could not imagine how the city of Charleston, under the good and wise leadership of Mayor Riley  how the state of South Carolina, how the United States of America would respond  not merely with revulsion at his evil act, but with big-hearted generosity and, more importantly, with a thoughtful introspection and self-examination that we so rarely see in public life.

Blinded by hatred, he failed to comprehend what Reverend Pinckney so well understood  the power of Gods grace.

This whole week, Ive been reflecting on this idea of grace. The grace of the families who lost loved ones. The grace that Reverend Pinckney would preach about in his sermons. The grace described in one of my favourite hymnals  the one we all know: amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now Im found; was blind but now I see. (Applause.)

According to the Christian tradition, grace is not earned. Grace is not merited. Its not something we deserve. Rather, grace is the free and benevolent favour of God  as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings. Grace.

As a nation, out of this terrible tragedy, God has visited grace upon us, for he has allowed us to see where weve been blind. He has given us the chance, where weve been lost, to find our best selves. We may not have earned it, this grace, with our rancour and complacency, and short-sightedness and fear of each other  but we got it all the same. He gave it to us anyway. Hes once more given us grace. But it is up to us now to make the most of it, to receive it with gratitude, and to prove ourselves worthy of this gift.

For too long, we were blind to the pain that the Confederate flag stirred in too many of our citizens. Its true, a flag did not cause these murders. But as people from all walks of life, Republicans and Democrats, now acknowledge  including Governor Haley, whose recent eloquence on the subject is worthy of praise  as we all have to acknowledge, the flag has always represented more than just ancestral pride. (Applause.) For many, black and white, that flag was a reminder of systemic oppression and racial subjugation. We see that now.

Removing the flag from this states capitol would not be an act of political correctness; it would not be an insult to the valour of Confederate soldiers. It would simply be an acknowledgment that the cause for which they fought  the cause of slavery  was wrong. The imposition of Jim Crow after the Civil War, the resistance to civil rights for all people, was wrong. It would be one step in an honest accounting of Americas history; a modest but meaningful balm for so many unhealed wounds. It would be an expression of the amazing changes that have transformed this state and this country for the better, because of the work of so many people of goodwill, people of all races striving to form a more perfect union. By taking down that flag, we express Gods grace.

But I don't think God wants us to stop there. (Applause.) For too long, weve been blind to the way past injustices continue to shape the present. Perhaps we see that now. Perhaps this tragedy causes us to ask some tough questions about how we can permit so many of our children to languish in poverty, or attend dilapidated schools, or grow up without prospects for a job or for a career.

Perhaps it causes us to examine what were doing to cause some of our children to hate. (Applause.) Perhaps it softens hearts towards those lost young men, tens and tens of thousands caught up in the criminal justice system  and lead us to make sure that that system is not infected with bias; that we embrace changes in how we train and equip our police so that the bonds of trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve make us all safer and more secure.

Maybe we now realise the way racial bias can infect us even when we don't realise it, so that we're guarding against not just racial slurs, but we're also guarding against the subtle impulse to call Johnny back for a job interview but not Jamal. So that we search our hearts when we consider laws to make it harder for some of our fellow citizens to vote. By recognising our common humanity by treating every child as important, regardless of the colour of their skin or the station into which they were born, and to do whats necessary to make opportunity real for every American  by doing that, we express Gods grace.

For too long, for too long, weve been blind to the unique mayhem that gun violence inflicts upon this nation. Sporadically, our eyes are open: When eight of our brothers and sisters are cut down in a church basement, 12 in a movie theatre, 26 in an elementary school. But I hope we also see the 30 precious lives cut short by gun violence in this country every single day; the countless more whose lives are forever changed  the survivors crippled, the children traumatised and fearful every day as they walk to school, the husband who will never feel his wifes warm touch, the entire communities whose grief overflows every time they have to watch what happened to them happen to some other place.

The vast majority of Americans  the majority of gun owners  want to do something about this. We see that now. And I'm convinced that by acknowledging the pain and loss of others, even as we respect the traditions and ways of life that make up this beloved country  by making the moral choice to change, we express Gods grace.

We dont earn grace. We're all sinners. We don't deserve it. But God gives it to us anyway. And we choose how to receive it. It's our decision how to honour it.

None of us can or should expect a transformation in race relations overnight. Every time something like this happens, somebody says we have to have a conversation about race. We talk a lot about race. Theres no shortcut. And we dont need more talk. None of us should believe that a handful of gun-safety measures will prevent every tragedy. It will not. People of goodwill will continue to debate the merits of various policies, as our democracy requires  this is a big, raucous place, America is. And there are good people on both sides of these debates. Whatever solutions we find will necessarily be incomplete.

But it would be a betrayal of everything Reverend Pinckney stood for, I believe, if we allowed ourselves to slip into a comfortable silence again. (Applause.) Once the eulogies have been delivered, once the TV cameras move on, to go back to business as usual  thats what we so often do to avoid uncomfortable truths about the prejudice that still infects our society. (Applause.) To settle for symbolic gestures without following up with the hard work of more lasting change  thats how we lose our way again.

It would be a refutation of the forgiveness expressed by those families if we merely slipped into old habits, whereby those who disagree with us are not merely wrong but bad; where we shout instead of listen; where we barricade ourselves behind preconceived notions or well-practiced cynicism.

Reverend Pinckney once said, Across the South, we have a deep appreciation of history  we havent always had a deep appreciation of each others history. What is true in the South is true for America. Clem understood that justice grows out of recognition of ourselves in each other. That my liberty depends on you being free, too. That history cant be a sword to justify injustice, or a shield against progress, but must be a manual for how to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past  how to break the cycle. A roadway toward a better world. He knew that the path of grace involves an open mind  but, more importantly, an open heart.

Thats what Ive felt this week  an open heart. That, more than any particular policy or analysis, is whats called upon right now, I think  what a friend of mine, the writer Marilyn Robinson, calls that reservoir of goodness, beyond, and of another kind, that we are able to do each other in the ordinary cause of things.

That reservoir of goodness. If we can find that grace, anything is possible. If we can tap that grace, everything can change. Amazing grace. Amazing grace.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me; I once was lost, but now Im found; was blind but now I see.

Clementa Pinckney found that grace.

Cynthia Hurd found that grace.

Susie Jackson found that grace.

Ethel Lance found that grace.

DePayne Middleton-Doctor found that grace.

Tywanza Sanders found that grace.

Daniel L Simmons, Sr. found that grace.

Sharonda Coleman-Singleton found that grace.

Myra Thompson found that grace.

Through the example of their lives, theyve now passed it on to us. May we find ourselves worthy of that precious and extraordinary gift, as long as our lives endure. May grace now lead them home. May God continue to shed His grace on the United States of America.
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President Barack Obama has commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former army intelligence analyst who was convicted of providing classified military documents to WikiLeaks.

The 29-year-old whistleblower, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison in August 2013, will now be released in four months, on 17 May of this year, instead of 2024.

Prominent Republicans have reacted with outrage to the decision, with House Speaker Paul Ryan accusing Mr Obama of "leav[ing] in place a dangerous precedent".

But the Obama administration defended commuting Mannings sentence by arguing that her case was fundamentally different from that of Edward Snowden, who fled to Russia after leaking documents exposing the National Security Agency's spying program.

Chelsea Manning is somebody who went through the military criminal justice process, was exposed to due process, was found guilty, was sentenced for her crimes, and she acknowledged wrongdoing, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told The New York Times.

Mr Snowden fled into the arms of an adversary, and has sought refuge in a country that most recently made a concerted effort to undermine confidence in our democracy.

Since her incarceration the former low-level soldier, who was known as Bradley Manning before she came out as transgender in 2013, attempted suicide twice last year and went on a hunger strike at the US Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Recommended Julian Assange to be interviewed at Ecuadorian embassy in London

She continued her protest for less than a week until doctors allowed her to receive gender reassignment surgery. A military doctor has nonetheless refused to change her gender on her military records.

In the final days of his presidency, Mr Obama commuted a total of 209 sentences, pardoning 64 people at the same time. Over the course of his eight years in office, he has commuted the sentences of 1,385 peoplethe most issued by any president in US history. Hes also granted a total of 212 pardons.

While the mercy the President has shown his 1,597 clemency recipients is remarkable, we must remember that clemency is an extraordinary remedy, granted only after the President has concluded that a particular individual has demonstrated a readiness to make use of his or her second chance, White House Counsel Neil Eggleston wrote in a statement.

Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence Show all 12 1 /12 Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence torbakhopper/Flickr Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence Garry Knight/Flickr Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence People hold signs calling for the release of imprisoned wikileaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning while marching in a gay pride parade in San Francisco, California June 28, 2015. Manning has appealed to an Army court to overturn her court-martial conviction, a court filing released on Thursday said. Reuters Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence Around twenty activists associated with the Chelsea Manning support group rally in front of the White House in Washington DC, Sunday May 11, 2014. Stephen Melkisethian/Flickr Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence Daily Chalkupy/Flickr Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence Around twenty activists associated with the Chelsea Manning support group rally in front of the White House in Washington DC, Sunday May 11, 2014. Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence Twitter Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence Abigail Edward holds up a sign advocating the release of WikiLeaks whistle blower Chelsea Manning along the Gay Pride parade route in San Francisco, California on Sunday, June, 26, 2016. Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence Demonstration for Chelsea Manning in London, England, United Kingdom. Chelsea Manning (born Bradley Edward Manning) is a United States Army soldier who was convicted by court-martial in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses, after disclosing to WikiLeaks nearly three-quarters of a million classified or unclassified but sensitive military and diplomatic documents. Manning was sentenced in August 2013 to 35 years imprisonment, with the possibility of parole in the eighth year, and to be dishonorably discharged from the Army. Manning is a trans woman who, in a statement the day after sentencing, said she had felt female since childhood, wanted to be known as Chelsea, and desired to begin hormone replacement therapy. From early life and through much of her Army life, Manning was known as Bradley; she was diagnosed with gender identity disorder while in the Army. Mike Kemp/Getty Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence Chelsea M Queer Friends/Twitter Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence Instagram Protesters urge Obama to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence Jil Love Revolution/Instagram

Only Congress can achieve the broader reforms needed to ensure over the long run that our criminal justice system operates more fairly and effectively in the service of public safety.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing Manning, has pressured the current administration to commute her sentence for months. Her counsel has cited the dangers she faces as a transgender woman serving her sentence in an all-male detention center.

Im relieved and thankful that the president is doing the right thing and commuting Chelsea Mannings sentence, ACLU attorney Chase Strangio said in a statement.

Since she was first taken into custody, Chelsea has been subjected to long stretches of solitary confinementincluding for attempting suicideand has been denied access to medically necessary health care. This move could quite literally save Chelseas life, and we are all better off knowing that Chelsea Manning will walk out of prison a free woman, dedicated to making the world a better place and fighting for justice for so many.

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The documents Manning provided to WikiLeaks revealed video footage of airstrikes from two US helicopters in 2007 that killed a dozen people in Baghdad, including two staffers with the Reuters news agency22-year-old photographer Namir Noor-Eldeen and his 40-year-old assistant Saeed Chmagh.

Just last week, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange agreed to be extradited to the United States if President Obama commuted Mannings sentence. If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case, WikiLeaks said on Twitter.

Now, the website addressed the statement, claiming that Assange is confident of winning any fair trial in the states and if Obamas Justice Department prevents the public interest defense and provides a fair jury.

In another tweet, the website thanked everyone who supported Manning: "Thank you to everyone who campaigned for Chelsea Manning's clemency," WikiLeaks wrote on Twitter. "Your courage & determination made the impossible possible."

President-elect Donald Trump is yet to comment on Mr Obama's decision, but Republicans who criticised it included Mr Ryan, Arizona Senator John McCain, and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton.

This is just outrageous," the Speaker said. "Chelsea Mannings treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nations most sensitive secrets.

President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security wont be held accountable for their crimes, Mr Ryan added.

Senator McCain argued that the commutation was a "grave mistake" that may "encourage further acts of espionage and undermine military discipline." Senator Cotton added that the Americans should treat Manning like a traitor instead of a martyr.

"When I was leading soldiers in Afghanistan, Private Manning was undermining us by leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks," he wrote in a statement. "I don't understand why the president would feel special compassion for someone who endangered the lives of our troops, diplomats, intelligence officers, and allies. We ought not treat a traitor like a martyr."
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In a last minute action, President Barack Obama significantly commuted the sentence of incarcerated whistleblower Chelsea Manning.

The outgoing administration had been under enormous pressure to grant Ms Manning clemency before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. She was included in a list of 209 commutations and 64 pardons.

Ms Manning, 29, had been serving a 35-year sentence in a prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for leaking classified military and diplomatic documents.

She will be released on 17 May 2017.

Why was Chelsea Manning in prison?

Ms Manning was convicted of espionage and theft in July 2013 after leaking information obtained while serving as an intelligence analyst in the US Army in 2009. She was stationed at Forward Operating Base Hammer in Iraq, during which time she gained access to such classified information. Among the information that shocked Ms Manning was video depicting the US military killing unarmed civilians.

She passed along the information to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in 2010 after failed attempts to contact the Washington Post and the New York Times. Wikileaks released video in April 2010 showing a US helicopter gunning down civilians  including a Reuters journalist  in Iraq.

Soldiers could be heard in the video, titled Collateral Murder, ridiculing the victims.

The most alarming aspect of the video to me, however, was the seemingly delightful bloodlust the aerial weapons team, Ms Manning said in a statement read in court. They dehumanised the individuals they were engaging and seemed to not value human life by referring to them as dead bastards, and congratulating each other on the ability to kill in large numbers.

Ms Manning, who was then known as Bradley Manning, revealed she was behind the leaks to former hacker Adrian Lamo in an online forum, under the handle bradass87. Mr Lamo subsequently turned her into the Department of Defense.

The DoD arrested Ms Manning in May 2010.

Gender identity

A day after her 2013 sentencing, Ms Manning announced her transgender identity in a statement given to NBC.

As I transition into the next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female, she said. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition.

She petitioned the court to be legally referred to as Chelsea Manning. The court granted the petition in 2014, and began undergoing hormone therapy.

Failed appeals and subsequent suicide attempts

Ms Manning filed an appeal to her sentence in May 2016. In an unclassified portion of her 250-page appeal, Ms Manning rebuked her sentencing as harsh and unjust.

No whistleblower in American history has been sentenced this harshly, she said, adding that the 35-year sentence is perhaps the most unjust sentence in the history of the military justice system.

Lead counsel for the Chelsea Manning Legal Defence Team called for the full overturn of Ms Mannings punishment.

A war against whistleblowers is being waged in this country and this case represents how this country treats anyone who reveals even a single page of classified information, said attorney Nancy Hollander. We need brave individuals to hold the government accountable for its actions at home and abroad and we call upon this court to overturn the dangerous precedent of Chelsea Mannings excessive sentencing.

Ms Manning attempted suicide twice in 2016 following her rejected appeal. After the first attempt in July, she faced disciplinary action and was sentenced to further solitary confinement. In October, when placed in solitary, she attempted to kill herself once more.

Clemency

The White House made the announcement of Ms Mannings clemency Tuesday afternoon.

While the mercy the President has shown his 1,597 clemency recipients is remarkable, said White House counsel Neil Eggleston, we must remember that clemency is an extraordinary remedy, granted only after the President has concluded that a particular individual has demonstrated a readiness to make use of his or her second chance.
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After Donald Trump threw his hat in the ring for the White House, now speculators and pundits alike can participate in the national guessing game that is: How long will the President-elect last?

Mr Trump has frequently talked about the "next eight years", suggesting he will be re-elected in 2020, but the odds are literally stacked against him.

Ladbrokes said that odds he will be impeached or resign before his first term ends are 50-50.

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Paddy Power is offering a more conservative 20 per cent chance that Mr Trump will be impeached in the first six months of his Presidency.

Although betting is not a reliable or predictable science, given that bookies were in favour of Hillary Clinton winning the election, there is pretty solid evidence to back up a gamble that Mr Trump will not last the full four years.

Mr Trump recently prompted outrage when he gave his first press conference after six months alongside a stack of paper folders, the proof of his plans as to how he would separate official and commercial duties. The papers appeared to be blank.

The President-elect, who has still not released his tax returns, claimed he would hand his businesses over to his older two sons, instead of liquidating all holdings and placing them in a blind trust.

 How the 25th Amendment can stop a Donald Trump presidency

Richard Painter, a University of Minnesota law professor who was chief ethics counsel to George W Bush, told Think Progress that Mr Trump could breach the Emoluments Clause in the US Constitution, which prohibits presidents from buying influence with federal officials or receiving special treatment.

Mr Trump recently hosted a group of foreign diplomats at his new hotel in Washington DC. If the diplomats pay more than fair market value for a room, for example, it could breach the clause. Suites cost thousands of dollars per night. Foreign leaders could also be arguably staying in his hotel to benefit from the added value of doing business with the President.

Laurence Tribe, professor of law at Harvard University, as well as Norm Eisen, former ethics counsel to President Barack Obama, both agreed that Mr Trumps business ties cloud the water over his Presidency.

For gamblers who want to take a longer-term view, Bet At Home is offering odds on who will win the 2020 election. There is a 40 per cent chance Mr Trump will win a second term, according to this betting house.

The highest pay-out with the lowest odds is 500/1 from Paddy Power - if the Republican paints his entire White House gold.
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Donald Trump might be adamant his forthcoming inauguration is going to be a very, very elegant day but it has not been without hiccups. In fact, the most high-profile names associated with the President-elects big day have been the A-listers, such as Elton John and Celine Dion, who have expressly declined invitations to perform.

More generally, the atmosphere on the inaugural route this year is set to be very different to previous years. Many law companies and lobbying firms on the parade route are scaling back their parties or cancelling them altogether.

The general feeling is said to be very different to that of Barack Obamas inauguration in 2009 which saw a swathe of events and parties hosted at the firms in honour of him. According to local press, many of the balconies along the parade are expected to be empty.

The billionaire property developer won just four per cent of the Washington DC vote in the presidential election.

Washington is a blue state, Charese John, creative director of Revive Events & Catering, told The Independent.

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

Inauguration celebrations are going to be very different this year. There are far less events this year. A lot of people arent hosting inaugural parties like usual.

The 45-year-old, who has worked in the events industry for over 20 years, said heightened security was another factor making it difficult for there to be a celebratory atmosphere in the inaugural zone.

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Each year is a different tone, with Obama it was celebratory, but now there are more protests. Its a very hard transition going from Obama to Trump. With Obama the inauguration felt young, urban, open and inclusive.

Cooley LLP, a law firm on the inaugural route, told The Independent it would be closed due to security concerns.

Miller & Chevalier, a law company which invited 800 guests in 2009, told The Washington Examiner there would be no party this year. Kirkland & Ellis LLP, which hosted a catered event for 1,000 guests in 2009, said the firm will be closed this year and therefore there will be no reception.
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They are some of the biggest names in the Republican national security firmament, veterans of past GOP administrations who say, if called upon by President-elect Donald Trump, they stand ready to serve their country again.

But their phones arent ringing. Their entreaties to Trump Tower in New York have mostly gone unanswered. In Trump world, these establishment all-stars say they are PNG - personae non gratae.

Their transgression was signing one or both of two public Never Trump letters during the campaign, declaring they would not vote for Trump and calling his candidacy a danger to the nation.

One letter, with 122 names, was published by War on the Rocks, a website devoted to national security commentary, during the primary season in March. The other, with 50 names, including some repeat signatories, was published by the New York Times during the general-election campaign in August.

Now, just days before Trump is sworn in as the nations 45th president, the letter signers fear they have been added to another document, this one private - a purported blacklist compiled by Trumps political advisers.

Former Pennsylvania Gov. and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge (Cheryl Senter/AP)

Before he won, the conversation was, We really would love for you to change your mind and join us, Peter Feaver, a National Security Council special adviser under President George W. Bush, said of informal talks with Trump aides. Feaver, who signed both letters, added that, Since he won... the conversation is, There likely will be a blacklist of people who signed the letters who wont themselves be eligible for a post.

Trump transition aides did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

The President-elect has virtually no experience in national security and foreign policy, and his transition team could presumably benefit from the broadest pool of applicants for the influential appointive positions in the State Department, Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security.

But the purportedly blacklisted figures report to their jobs at Washington law firms and think tanks in a state of indefinite limbo as their colleagues, some working in the same offices, are flirting with potential administration jobs.

Last week, the Trump transition held a private briefing for Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson to prepare him for his Senate confirmation hearing. One former Bush national security official who works at a Washington think tank said that some of his younger staff assistants were invited to participate but that he was not. He assumes it was because he signed the letter.

Its hostile, said this person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of further retribution. Its not just that were frozen out... I was told they said there was an enemies list.

Among those who signed at least one of the letters are Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff, the first two secretaries of the Department of Homeland Security; two former US trade ambassadors, Carla Hills and Robert Zoellick; two former heads of US intelligence agencies, John Negroponte and retired Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden; a former ambassador to NATO; and several former deputy secretaries of various US government agencies.

Not everyone who signed the letters wants a job, and some remain vocal critics of Trump. But many stand ready to serve or offer guidance if asked.

The letters were explicit in their denunciations of Trumps professed support for torture of terrorism suspects, his pledge to build a wall along the border with Mexico, his anti-Muslim rhetoric and his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The letters also attacked Trumps character and temperament, asserting that he lacks self-control and acts impetuously, has demonstrated erratic behavior and is fundamentally dishonest.

Former Bush administration lawyer John Bellinger III, who organised the letter published in the Times, said that many have not given up and are trying to help from the outside.

Theyre seeing how it goes and trying to provide advice, counsel, support to our friends who go into the administration, said Bellinger, who has served as legal counsel at the State Department and the National Security Council.

The scenario was set up by Trumps unorthodox candidacy and then his upset victory. The threat the New York business moguls populist campaign posed to the establishment of his party caused some of the Republicans leading lights to oppose him, even after he had clinched the nomination.

The question after Election Day was how quickly Trump loyalists and the onetime GOP resistance would reconcile.

In some cases, the process has gone fairly smoothly. Congressional leaders who had been lukewarm toward Trumps campaign have made nice with the president-elect, and they have vowed to work together on a conservative policy agenda.

In other cases, it has been painfully awkward, as with Trumps flirtation with Mitt Romney for Secretary of State. Romney had called Trump a phony and a fraud last March, but the 2012 GOP presidential nominee called to congratulate Trump on his election victory. After a courtship that included a dinner of frog legs and lamb chops in New York, Romney was passed over for Tillerson, the head of ExxonMobil.

During a national security forum last week at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, K.T. McFarland, who was named Trumps deputy national security adviser, opened her remarks by referring to the elephant in the room.

Most of the people in this room didnt support Donald Trump - maybe not at first or maybe ever, she said. And I suspect most of the people in this room didnt think hed win. But he has.

Some of the Never Trump letters signers fear they are at the bottom of the pecking order, below those who expressed verbal opposition to Trumps campaign but did not sign either of the letters.

The conflict was exacerbated shortly after the election when Eliot Cohen, a State Department counsellor during the Bush administration who had helped organise the War on the Rocks letter, aired new criticism of the Trump transition. In an opinion column for The Washington Post in November, Cohen said that a friend on the transition team had asked him to provide names of potential job candidates - with the stipulation that he include no one who signed either of the letters.

Cohen wrote that he became convinced there were pent-up resentments among members of the Trump team, and he warned young policy experts against working for the administration. Cohen has had no further communications with the transition team.

Believe me - my phone is not ringing, he said in a recent interview.

Other letter signers said Cohen had misinterpreted emails from the transition official and overreacted, and some of them expressed a sense of regret.

Mary Beth Long, who served as assistant secretary of defence in the Bush administration, signed the War on the Rocks letter. But, she said, her opinion of Trump improved as he began to moderate his rhetoric and selected Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate.

Long attended a Pence rally in Charlotte in October, during which, she said, a local GOP official announced that a Never Trump letter signer in the audience had changed her mind and was now supporting Trump. The crowd cheered.

But her about-face hasnt thawed the ice. Long said her inquiries to the Trump transition team to get clarity on some of his foreign policy positions have gone unanswered. She said that she has spoken with retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, Trumps designee for national security adviser, whom she knows from the Pentagon, but that she isnt expecting a job.

If I were asked to sign a letter like that again, I would be much more careful about the verbiage that related to the candidate himself, she said.

Some letter signers said the Trump transition might be overwhelmed and could reach out more broadly in the coming weeks. Some hoped that Cabinet nominees, such as retired Marine Gen. James N. Mattis, Trumps pick to head the Pentagon, could potentially have the freedom to hire them. Many jobs below the Cabinet level remain unfilled.

But others are resigned to waiting until some of Trumps initial appointees begin leaving his administration.

Frances Townsend, a former Bush homeland security adviser who signed the War on the Rocks letter, is friendly with Flynn. A few weeks after the election, she received an email from the transition team inviting her to meet with the president-elect.

Ahead of the meeting, she thought over how to explain her past actions if Trump raised the letter - but he did not, she said.

But others are resigned to waiting until some of Trumps initial appointees begin leaving his administration.

Frances Townsend, a former Bush homeland security adviser who signed the War on the Rocks letter, is friendly with Flynn. A few weeks after the election, she received an email from the transition team inviting her to meet with the president-elect.

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Ahead of the meeting, she thought over how to explain her past actions if Trump raised the letter - but he did not, she said.

I took that as a sign of maturity and graciousness, said Townsend, who has not taken a job with the administration and declined to say whether she was offered one.

As I was leaving, I said I was privileged and humbled to come in and speak to him, she said. It was a veiled reference [to the letter]. Given the circumstances, I didnt expect to be there.

The Washington Post
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A woman accidentally mentioned by Donald Trump in a tweet praising his daughter has urged the President-elect to take more care on Twitter.

Ivanka Majic, a council worker from Brighton, found herself at the centre of a social media furore after Mr Trump quoted praise for his daughter including the @Ivanka handle, rather than @IvankaTrump.

The tweet, which went out to the President-elects 20.1 million followers late on Monday night, appeared to be quoting a user called @drgoodspine, from Massachusetts.

Recommended Donald Trump tweets Ivanka from Brighton instead of daughter

It read: @drgoodspine: @realDonaldTrump @Ivanka Trump is great, a woman with real character and class.

The message has since been shared by 4,800 people and liked by 25,000 more.

Ms Majic replied on Tuesday morning with a graphic attacking Mr Trumps position in climate change, showing the miniscule number of American scientists who oppose the concept of human-induced global warming.

And you're a man with great responsibilities. May I suggest more care on Twitter and more time learning about #climatechange, she wrote.

In 2012, Mr Trump tweeted that the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive.

He denied claiming climate change was a hoax during a presidential debate with Hillary Clinton but has cast doubt on the issue in a series of other tweets and also opposes the landmark Paris Agreement.

Mr Trump had quoted praise for his daughter Ivanka from Twitter user Lawrence Goodstein, repeating his use of Ms Majics @Ivanka hande.

The researcher at Brighton and Hove City Council is the Labour Partys former acting director of digital, and now has just over 3,900 followers.

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Ivanka Majic from Brighton, England, is a wonderful woman, replied Mark Pygas to Mr Trumps tweet. You're right. RIP her mentions though.

I mean, she's probably trying to sleep and her phone is going off the hook but it's a hell of a story.

He said he was blocked by Mr Goodstein, who has now made his account private, after pointing out the error.

Hi Ivanka! Surprise - you're famous! said one Twitter user. Another responded: England isn't far enough, poor girl, she went to sleep a Majic and woke up a Trump.

Ms Trump did not respond to the furore on social media, tweeting a photo of herself with the caption bright, lights, big city #datenight.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Tuesday condemned an accidental air strike by the Nigerian military on a camp for people displaced by Boko Haram, saying it killed 52.

"This large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable," said MSF director of operations Jean-Clement Cabrol in a statement.

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A growing group of Democratic lawmakers will boycott President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration on Friday as a protest of Trumps worldview and his criticism of civil rights icon John Lewis, congressman of Georgia.

There are now more than 40 House Democrats - 42, at last count - who have declared that they will not attend the inauguration on Capitol Hill this week. The number rose sharply after Trump tweeted Saturday that Lewis is all talk, talk, talk and should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities.

Lewis, who sees Trumps November 8 win as illegitimate because of Russias alleged interference in the election, is best known for leading civil rights protests in the 1960s, including the 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in which state troopers brutally attacked the crowd. Lewis will not attend the inauguration, he told NBC News in an interview for Sundays Meet The Press.

Heres a list of some of the other lawmakers who will not attend, starting alphabetically with Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), whose spokesman confirmed her decision in an email. Bass had asked constituents to vote about the inauguration on Twitter:

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.):

Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.):

Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.):

Rep. Katherine M. Clark (D-Mass.):

Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.):

Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.):

A spokesman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Clay will be back home in St. Louis speaking to school kids.

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.):

Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.):

Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.):

DeFazio typically avoids pomp and circumstance events in Washington, he said in a statement to Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.):

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.):

Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.):

Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.):

Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-Ohio):

Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.):

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.):

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.):

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.):

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.):

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.

Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.):

Will not attend, per the Los Angeles Times.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.):

Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.):

Will not attend, per the Los Angeles Times.

Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine):

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.):

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.):

Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.):

A real president doesnt attack the press because they ask tough questions, Ruiz told the Desert Sun. A real president doesnt insult and bully celebrities or everyday Americans because they disagree with him.

Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.):

Im just not a big Trump fan, Schrader told Oregon Public Broadcasting. 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.

Rep. Jose E. Serrano (D-N.Y.):

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.):

As the House of Representatives is not in session the week of Inauguration, Congressman Smith will spend the District Work Period at home in Washington state meeting with his constituents, a representative for the congressman said in a statement to Seattle NBC affiliate KING 5 News.

Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.):

I am deeply disappointed with Trumps attacks against civil rights hero John Lewis and will not be attending the inauguration as a result, Soto told Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV Channel 9.

Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.):

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.):

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.):

Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.):

Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.):

For the last ten weeks, President-elect Trump has continually denigrated the office of the President by using his bully pulpit for insult and ridicule, Yarmuth said in a statement. This is not normal. It is an embarrassment to our country and to the office of the presidency, and we must send the message that this behavior is not acceptable from the leader of our nation. Not attending the Inauguration is one way for me to do that.

The Washington Post
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A woman has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump, accusing him of sexual assault.

The womans lawyer, Gloria Allred, told the press her client filed a lawsuit on Tuesday.

At least a dozen women previously accused the President-elect of sexual assault and he strongly denied all the claims. Only one person filed a lawsuit against him but dropped the case shortly after she failed to reveal her identity at a press conference.

The claims were made following the leak of a 2005 Access Hollywoood tape, which showed Mr Trump bragging to host Billy Bush about grabbing women's genitals and saying he could get away with it because he was a "star".

The Trump team could not be immediately contacted for comment.

Ms Allred represented several of the women who made claims against the President-elect, including former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos, adult film performer Jessica Drake and former Miss USA contestant Temple Taggart.

She and her client will both be present at a press conference at 2.30 ET to reveal the details of Mr Trump's alleged inappropriate sexual misconduct and the lawsuit.

The 2005 video, which leaked in October and prompted outrage from Democrats and Republicans alike, forced Mr Trump to release a filmed statement near midnight that day to apologise for the remarks he made to former Access Hollywood host Billy Bush.

"I've said and done things I regret, and the words released today in a decade-old video are one of them," he said.

"Anyone who knows me knows these words don't reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong, and I apologise."

While his aides profusely apologised on his behalf, Mr Trump did not make any further apologies for his comments in the 2005 video.

 Donald Trump caught on tape talking about sexually assaulting women: "Grab 'em by the pussy"

Mr Bush was suspended from his job.

House speaker Paul Ryan cancelled a campaign event with Mr Trump that weekend and said, although he would not withdraw endorsement, he would no longer defend him.

"I am sickened by what I heard today," he said in a statement. Mr Trump's Vice President-elect Mike Pence was reportedly "beside himself" about the news.

Mr Trump continued on the campaign trail, blasting his accusers as "disgusting", fame-hungry liars who were "sick" in the head and flatly denying any sexual misconduct.

The accusations dated back decades to when the President-elect was a rich businessman in Manhattan.

His wife, Melania Trump, dismissed the allegations, including one accusation that her husband assaulted a journalist from People magazine at his Mar-a-Lago resort while she, pregnant at the time, was in the house.

Mr Trump dismissed the claims from Natasha Stoynoff, telling the crowd at a Florida rally, "Look at her", suggesting she was not attractive enough to be assaulted.

Mr Trump's elder daughter, Ivanka Trump, insisted that her father "was not a groper". She denied allegations that her father assaulted business partner Jill Harth in Ivanka's room, while she was not in the house, in 1997.

Beauty pageant contestants accused Mr Trump of walking into their dressing room when they were not fully clothed, an activity that Mr Trump admitted to during an interview with radio host Howard Stern.

More than 50 per cent of white American women voted for Mr Trump in the election, suggesting they were willing to cast aside the comments and the lawsuits, but far fewer women of colour voted for him.
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Three quarters of Americans - including half of Donald Trump's supporters - want the President-elect to release his tax returns, according to a new survey.

A poll from ABC/Washington Post found that a majority of respondents accept his business plans when he is in the White House, but they still want to see his tax forms.

Last week, at his first press conference in six months, Mr Trump said he would not release his returns as they were "still under audit".

He has consistently said they were under audit, therefore his lawyer advised him against releasing them, despite people like billionaire investor Warren Buffett claiming that was not a valid reason to hide the returns.

"The only ones that care about my tax returns are the reporters," Mr Trump said.

He added that he won the election, suggesting Americans did not need his transparency on that matter.

"You learn very little from a tax return," he said.

Yet four in 10 people polled cared "a lot" that he release his tax records.

Almost half - 49 per cent - of his supporters agree he should release his returns, and 94 per cent of Hillary Clinton supporters agreed.

 Donald Trump points to business papers that appear to be blank

The result is a jump up from just 63 per cent of people who wanted to see the tax returns in September.

Releasing the tax documents would clarify whether or not the President-elect has paid taxes on his commercial empire, and any business deals with Russia.

The President-elect admitted during a debate before the election that he had taken advantage of a tax loophole and used a loss of almost $1 billion in 1995 to avoid paying federal income tax for the next two decades.

The survey was carried out by land line and mobile telephones between 12 and 15 January, among a random national sample of 1,005 people. It has a margin of error of 3.5 points.
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Will Wikileaks founder Julian Assange now hand himself over to be extradited to the US?

Last week, Mr Assange said on that he would give up his sanctuary in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for more than four years, if Barack Obama showed "clemency" to whistleblower Chelsea Manning.

If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case, WikiLeaks said on Twitter.

Mr Assange has been in self-imposed exile at the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces sexual assault charges. Mr Assange could also face possible espionage charges in the United States.

Ms Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who is serving a 35-year sentence for leaking classified material, had been on a shortlist for a possible sentence commutation by Mr Obama.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Ms Manning was among 273 individuals to either be pardoned or receive commutations.

Her lawyers said Ms Manning was had already served the longest sentence of any whistleblower in American history. The Hill said she attempted suicide twice in 2016 and went on a hunger strike to get the military to provide gender reassignment surgery.

 Julian Assange questions Seth Rich death

In December, a petition asking Mr Obama to commute Ms Mannings sentence gathered more than 100,000 signatures.

Today, 273 individuals learned that the President has given them a second chance, wrote Neil Eggleston, Counsel to the President.

With todays 209 grants of commutation, the President has now commuted the sentences of 1,385 individuals  the most grants of commutation issued by any President in this nations history.

On Tuesday night, there was no immediate word from Mr Assange. However, in a tweet, Wikileaks, wrote: "VICTORY: Obama commutes Chelsea Manning sentence from 35 years to 7. Release date now May 17."

Meanwhile, fellow whistleblower Edward Snowden, said: "In five more months, you will be free. Thank you for what you did for everyone, Chelsea. Stay strong a while longer!"
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under investigation for a holiday he took on a private island belonging to a billionaire spiritual leader.

Canadas federal conflict-of-interest and ethics office said it was probing whether the visit to the island, which took place over the new year, broke rules preventing ministers from accepting bribes.

Mr Trudeau said he was more than happy to answer the commissioners questions.

The island is owned by Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan - leader to the worlds 15 million Ismaili Muslims, a denomination of Shia Islam.

He also heads a foundation that is a registered lobbyist that has received hundred of millions in grants from the federal government in recent decades

The 71-year-old is a close family friend of the Canadian Prime Minister and was an honorary pallbearer at the funeral of Mr Trudeau's father, Pierre.

 Justin Trudeau vows to defend women and stick up to Trump

He chairs a development network, which promotes investment in Asia and Africa, and is considered the worlds 11th richest royals  just ahead of the Queen  according to Forbes.

Mr Trudeau was accompanied on the trip to the billionaire's island by his family and two fellow Liberal politicians: MP Seamus O'Reagan and Party President Anna Gainey.

Recommended Obama makes the same crap joke every time he sees Justin Trudeau

The destination of the visit was initially kept secret, with the Prime Minister's office claiming it was necessary to protect the Trudeau family's privacy.

But after news of the location leaked, Mr Trudeau went on the record about the vacation, admitting using the Aga Khan's private helicopter.

Mr Trudeau defended the secrecy shrouding the visit at a press conference: "This was our personal family vacation and the questions you're asking, I allow you to reflect on them."

Yet the helicopter ride the prime minister admitted to taking may violate rules introduced underhis own leadership, which bans government ministers from accepting sponsored travel on private aircraft without permission from the ethics commissioner.

The Canadian leader is also under investigation for separate allegations that he broke conflict-of-interest laws by attending Liberal Party fundraisers where small groups met with him after making 1,500 Canadian dollar (946) donations.

Justin Trudeau Show all 8 1 /8 Justin Trudeau Justin Trudeau Day out The family get in the boat with climate change AP Justin Trudeau Keeping fit Jogging over the Alexandria bridge with the Mexican president AP Justin Trudeau Family comes first Sophie inspires me every day to be better. I wouldnt be here tonight if it werent for her leadership and her example." AP Justin Trudeau Three-way handshake Trudeau has vowed to strengthen international relations. Twitter Justin Trudeau Bromance Friendship with the White House The White House Justin Trudeau Pandas Just because. Twitter Justin Trudeau Yoga The plank became an internet sensation Twitter Justin Trudeau Making history Trudeau's gender-balanced cabinet was the first of its kind AP

The two inquiries, which are the first time Mr Trudeau has been investigated for breaching such ethics rules, threaten to undermine Mr Trudeau's claims of leading an "open and transparent" government.

Yet fall-out from the probes will only be political, since the ethics office can only hand out small fines.

The investigation comes Mr Trudeau turned down a visit to the annual World Economic Forum in Davos so he could travel around Canada, in what has been seen as a move to connect to ordinary Canadians.
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It is an understatement of some measure to say that Vice President-elect Mike Pence is not thought of favourably by many members of the LGBT community.

Over the years, the congressman and governor has claimed same-sex couples represented societal collapse, he has opposed laws to prohibit discrimination against gay people, supported so-called conversion therapy, and said that being gay was a personal choice.

Now, activists in Washington are organising a queer dance party outside his home, as the city prepares for the inauguration of Mr Pence and Donald Trump.

The party has been organised by the group WERK for Peace (Facebook)

The homo/transphobic Mike Pence has graciously invited us to shake our booties and bodies in front of/around his house in Chevy Chase, says a message posted on the Facebook page of WERK for Peace.

We plan on leaving behind [biodegradable] glitter and rainbow paraphernalia that he can NEVER forget. #WeAreQueer #WeAreHere #WeWillDance That's right, get ready to WERK it and tell Daddy Pence: homo/transphobia is not tolerated in our country.

 Putin calls creators of Trump dossier 'worse than prostitutes'

The dance party is scheduled for Wednesday January 18 from 6-9pm. It is due to take place outside the property that Mr Pence and his family are renting in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of the city.

One of the organisers, Firas Nasr, told The Independent: "We are sending a clear and simple message to Mike Pence and other homo/transphobic individuals: Your bigotry is not welcome or tolerated in our city or in our country. What is welcome, on the other hand, is love, courage, connection, movement, progress, healing, and justice. This is what we stand for."

Once he becomes vice president, Mr Pence will move into his official residence at the US Naval Observatory.

Pink News reported that last month a man who looks like Mr Pence, said he would use his looks tight hot pants to raise money for pro-LGBT group.

Mike Hot-Pence, whose real name is Glen Pannell, (above) wears a suit and tie on top, and hot pants below.

He has been collected hundreds of dollars for the LGBT charity the Trevor Project, Planned Parenthood and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
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For me, my faith informs my life. I try and spend a little time on my knees every day. But it all for me begins with cherishing the dignity, the worth, the value of every human life.

These are the words of Indiana Governor-turned-Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who outlined during a debate last year why he did not agree with a womans right to choose.

He is often described as softly spoken, with an almost pained, apologetic facial expression when he talks. Yet the Governor who has been propelled to the second highest spot in government is not so soft or apologetic when it comes to eroding constitutional protections for women.

Jennifer Dalven, director of the reproductive freedom project at the American Civil Liberties Union, told The Independent that Mr Pence was extraordinarily hostile to womens rights.

Its very nervous-making to have him in the position of Vice President, she said. But Im hopeful. We are seeing a groundswell of opposition.

With Mr Pence in government, an advocate of state law rather than federal law, abortion rules in each state could be gradually dismantled over the next decade.

The hangover of 2016 had hardly passed in the Kentucky court room, for example, before the gavel came down on a new, offensive attack on womens reproductive rights.

 Mike Pence is told We are the diverse Americans anxious you will not protect us

So-called HB2 will force doctors to describe an ultrasound to a woman seeking an abortion. Even if she objects, the doctor must describe the shape of the foetus to her in detail. The woman can cover her ears and eyes, but the law states that the doctor must continue, even if he or she believes such a description would cause more harm than good.

The bill, said Ms Dalven, was designed to shame and stigmatise women.

She added that states have been very emboldened to act against womens rights in recent years, especially since the election of Mr Trump.

Across the country, there have been 238 restrictive actions taken by states since 2010, and 50 in the past 12 months alone, according to the ACLU.

Clinics across the US are being required to obtain stringent and strict and nonsensical requirements, such as for all doctors to have hospital admitting privileges within 20 miles, or for the clinic to be set up to the same standards as an operating theatre  even if all the woman needs is a pill and a cup of water. Women who work, caring responsibilities and low incomes are being forced to travel for longer distances, back and forth, to obtain a procedure.

There are now 15 states that ban abortions on pain-capable unborn children, as described by pro-life groups. As abortion laws crumble, so is there a degradation of paid family leave, affordable childcare and general healthcare, say activists.

Mr Pence will not be unfamiliar with the raft of legislation and attacks against Roe v Wade, the 1973 law that guarantees women the right to an abortion. In his own home state of Indiana, he has spent a significant proportion of his career in fighting against a womans right to choose.

When these laws restrict womens rights, the results can be catastrophic. The most extreme scenario can be credited to Mr Pence.

 Ohio legislator who wants to ban abortion has no idea why women would want to have abortions

Purvi Patel of Indiana was sentenced to 20 years in prison for feticide and child neglect. She allegedly induced her own abortion as she did not want to admit having sex outside of marriage to her conservative family. She turned up to her local emergency department, bleeding heavily, and told staff she had placed the foetus in a dumpster outside the hospital.

Her charges were overturned by the court of appeals in September. If the charges had not been overturned, she would have been the first woman to be charged, convicted and sentenced for feticide.

Amy Friedrich-Karnik, senior federal policy adviser at the Centre for Reproductive Rights, told The Independent that Mr Pence has an awful record regarding womens access to healthcare.

Pence and his government represent potentially the greatest threat to women's reproductive rights in a generation, she said.

Mr Trump is close to picking a conservative Supreme Court nominee who would tip the court towards pro-life policies, and could ultimately threaten Roe v Wade.

Overall there is a concerning trend around criminalising pregnant women and those women who want safe and legal abortions, said Ms Friedrich-Karnik.

I think that it was highlighted well in debates when Trump was a candidate and he said he would punish women. The anti-choice movement doesnt talk about punishing women  they dont think its wise  but they do still go after women and punish them.

Most of the cabinet surrounding Mr Trump and Mr Pence is of the same mindset.

Incoming attorney general Jeff Sessions said he still believed that Roe v Wade was a colossal mistake and the most erroneous decision from the Supreme Court.

 Donald Trump's controversial cabinet

Tom Price, the soon-to-be secretary of human health and services, opposes the Affordable Care Act and wants to retract the contraceptive coverage requirement, which has allowed millions of women to no copay access to contraception.

The new Department of Labour Secretary, Andy Puzder, has history in the 1980s of defending anti-abortion protesters and pushing anti-abortion legislation.

Although a key battle was won in Texas last summer  the Supreme Court struck down a bill that was trying to close down clinics  activists and campaigners are uncertain of the future.

The ACLU, in partnership with Planned Parenthood, filed its first wave of three lawsuits in three states last November, and is gearing up to file more across the US.

Its hard to say where we will end up in four years time, said Ms Friedrich-Karnik.

I am alarmed and scared by all the threats we face. There will be rights to reproductive access that will be rolled back, whether its abortion or contraception, at the state and federal level. We will have some losses.

But I am encouraged by the reaction since the election. I have seen so many people come forward who never have been involved before, so while I am scared about we will face, Im also excited to see a movement which will rise up and fight.

And the fight is far from over.
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President-elect Donald Trump's pick for a top national security position stepped down amid allegations that she had plagiarised significant portions of her book and other writings.

Conservative writer Monica Crowley was tapped to be the senior director of statregic communications at the National Security Council, but a scathing report from CNN's KFILE found that she had allegedly plagiarised passages in her 2012 book What the (Bleep) Just Happened.

Two days after that report, Politico uncovered similar issues of apparent plagiarism in her PhD dissertation.

Recommended Bruce Springsteen cover band pulls out of Trump inauguration

"After much reflection, I have decided to remain in New York to pursue other opportunities and will not be taking a position in the incoming administration," Ms Crowley said in a statement to the Washington Times, the conservative blog to which she regularly contributes. "I greatly appreciate being asked to be a part of President-elect Trump's team and I will continue to enthusiastically support him and his agenda for American renewal."

Ms Crowley would have worked alongside incoming National Security Adviser, Gen Michael Flynn.

"The NSC will miss the opportunity to have Monica Crowley as part of our team," said Mr Flynn. "We wish her all the best in her future."

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

HarperCollins, the publisher of Ms Crowley's book, announced that they would cease sales after learning of the plagiarism accusations.

"The book, which has reached the end of its natural sales cycle, will no longer be offered for purchase until such time as the author has the opportunity to source and revise the material," the publisher said.

Ms Crowley is the second person to decline a position in the incoming Trump administration.

Jason Miller was offered the role of communications director, but decided against taking it  an announcement that took the political press by surprise.

"After spending this past week with my family ... it is clear they need to be my top priority right now, and this is not the right time to start a new job as demanding as White House communications director," he said. "My wife and I are also excited about the arrival of our second daughter in January, and I need to put them in front of my career."
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Protestors have stormed a shopping centre to protest against the sale of a T-shirt carrying the slogan: Grab America by the p****.

The demonstration at the Lloyd Center in Portland, Oregon, was prompted by a photograph of the T-shirt that was circulated widely online.

Spencer's, a US chain that sells novelty gifts, has refused to take the T-shirts off sale and claimed the clothing is political satire".

T-shirt (right) was displayed in the front of the shop alongside pro-Trump merchandise (Mary Numair)

But Mary Numair, who originally posted the photo of the T-shirt, said she shared the image as a "plea for decency".

"Sharing that image wasn't done to spark fights or create outrage," she said in a Facebook post. "It was a plea for decency, for basic human safety.

"If we are to ever make any progress going forward, there has to be some concrete boundaries understood by both sides."

After posting the photo on Facebook Ms Numair told The Independent she had received a torrent of rape threats online.

In a separate interview with US broadcaster Kato2, she said was not outraged at the fact that the shop was selling pro-Trump merchandise, but that the T-shirt was "making light" of the incoming President's infamous lewd statement.

"It's gross and it's infuriating, and for sexual assault survivors like myself it's disrespectful," she added.

Her friend Eric Ahlstrom, said he was with Ms Numair when they noticed the T-shirt and he too, insisted that it was "absolutely not a political issue".

"This is a moral issue." he said in a separate Facebook post. "The message this sends to people who frequent the mall [is:] This is okay. you can sexually assault women. deal with it.'

"Tiny moments of misunderstanding like these are what add up to normalisation."

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

But Kevin Mahoney, a vice president at Spencer Gifts LLC which sells the T-Shirt, insisted it was intended as "satire" similar to Alec Baldwin's portrayal of President-elect Trump on Saturday Night Live.

"The shirt originates with the comment made by the President-elect," he told Oregon Live. "The purpose of that shirt was to address that controversy and that news, and not in any way to condone that type of activity."

He added,"It was addressed at America and not towards women in particular."

Spencer's has refused to stop selling the T-shirts, although the manager of the Oregon shop which sparked the protest has reportedly moved them to the back of the shop.
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Former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos has filed a defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump, accusing him of failing to admit the truth about his alleged sexual assault.

Mr Trump could not be immediately reached for comment. He has previously denied all claims of sexual assault and sexually inappropriate behaviour with women.

Mr Trump was accused of "repeatedly kissing and groping" Ms Zervos around the time she was taking part in the fifth series of The Apprentice.

Recommended Donald Trump to be sued by woman who accused him of sexual assault

Just days before Mr Trump is about to be inaugurated, her lawyer, Goria Allred, led Ms Zervos by the hand into the Los Angeles-based press conference and read out a statement, accusing Mr Trump of behaving like a "sexual predator" and victimising her and many other women.

"There is no good time [to file the lawsuit]. There is no bad time. We were patient. But time is up," she said.

"Time to face the consequences," she added. "Women are not a footnote to history."

She alleged that her client had been subjected to unwanted sexual contact by Mr Trump and that she had told family and friends about the incidents not long after they occured.

She did not go public at the time, her lawyer said, as she "decided Donald Trumps behaviour had been aberration, a test, or he may have even regretted or been ashamed of his behaviour".

Ms Zervos decided to pursue her case after she saw the leaked 2005 Access Hollywood video in which Mr Trump bragged to host Billy Bush about grabbing womens genitals. She said his words were consistent with what she had experienced with him.

The President-elect then told CNNs Anderson Cooper during a debate that he had never acted inappropriately towards women. Those two factors convinced Ms Zervos to go public, Ms Allred said.

Ms Zervos said she would be willing to immediately retract the lawsuit with no monetary compensation or legal fees if Mr Trump would admit his alleged crime. She added she only wanted to repair her "reputation".

 The audience had to be told to stop laughing when Donald Trump said he has respect for women

The lawyer said she would subpoena NBC for out-takes of Mr Trump on The Apprentice to obtain evidence of his alleged behaviour and crude comments to Ms Zervos during the making of the show.

The lawsuit was filed in New York on 17 January, three months after Ms Zervos first spoke publicly about the alleged mistreatment.

They sued for a "minimal, jurisdictional" amount of damages, because "what we really want is to prove defamation", said Ms Allred.

Her client is also suing for emotional distress, but is not suing Mr Trump for alleged sexual assault.

Ms Allred said her client could no longer rationalise or excuse Mr Trumps alleged behaviour.

Mr Trump had no shame, said Ms Allred.

At least 13 other women have accused Mr Trump of sexual assault, and he has denied all of these claims, accusing the women of lying, being hungry for fame and being sick.

The lawsuit is the first to be filed since another unidentified accuser dropped her lawsuit which accused Mr Trump of raping her when she was a child. He strongly denied this allegation.

"Truth matters. Women matter. Those that allege they were victims of sexual assault or sexual misconduct by Donald Trump matter," said Ms Allred at the press conference.

She added that her client had volunteered to take a polygraph test about her statement, and she passed it.

Ms Allred said Ms Zervos was "brave" and she knew she would receive "unwarranted attacks" by Mr Trump.

Ms Zervos and Ms Allred are attending the women's march in Washington DC on Saturday, along with other accusers.

When asked if Ms Zervos' case would be Ms Allred's last case against the President-elect, the lawyer replied: "I certainly hope not".
While Gounod's Romeo and Juliet will be the fourth Met Opera screening to be held at AUC this academic year, it is the first public performance provided by this institution

Related Bibliotheca Alexandrina Arts Centre launches Met Opera live transmissions

In its first public screening of the public transmission of the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD, the audience will be treated to Romeo and Juliette by Charles Gounod.

The opera will be conducted by Gianandrea Noseda and will feature renowned German soprano Diana Damrau as Juliet and Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo as Romeo.

"While this will be the fourth Met Opera screening to be held at AUC this academic year, it is the premiere public performance, further strengthening AUCs role as a cultural hub for the New Cairo community," reads the AUC's press release.

John Baboukis, director of the music programme in the Department of the Arts at AUC, adds that with the public screenings, the university aims at creating opportunities for more people to go to the opera.

"There are so many people moving out to this area, and it is more feasible for them to come here than downtown. We want to develop the audience that is right here. We also want to make sure that when people come and see the opera, they know about all the other amazing things happening on campus, such as our concert schedule, theatre program and film series.

The AUC screening will be preceded by brief introductory remarks about the opera presented by Baboukis.

AUC is the fourth institution in Egypt to participate in the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD programme.

Cairo Opera House launched the screenings in 2010 alongside screenings at the Red Seas El-Gouna.

In October 2015, Bibliotheca Alexandrina joined the international network.

Met Opera's international live HD transmissions were launched in December 2006 and became very popular, gaining a total of almost one million viewers worldwide in its second season.

Today, over 70 countries across six continents  over 2,000 screens, including 750 in the USA  have joined the network making it one of the most successful projects of the renowned opera.

Today audiences in the hundreds of halls across the world have an opportunity to watch the best operatic productions with the renowned soloists and conductors.

Programme:

Saturday 21 January, 7,50pm



Locations:

- Cairo Opera House, Cairo

- Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria

- American University in Cairo - New Campus (Please check the hour of the presentation of the opera by John Baboukis, prior to the screening)

- El-Gouna, Red Sea

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:


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France has accused the UK of improvising its handling of Brexit, after Theresa May gave a landmark speech outlining her plans for leaving the EU.

Frances finance minister, Michael Sapin, described the British Government as helpless in the face of its departure from the EU, saying it was clear clear from Britains fluctuating position that some of them dont want to leave the union.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mr Sapin said: It has been a few months since the referendum took place. You might have thought that certain people had prepared for this.

No-one was prepared. You can see very well that they are improvising, with flip-flopping between accommodating positions... and harder positions, even a 'hard' Brexit.

All of this shows how helpless the British government is in the face of a situation that some of them didn't want, and that it has created debates within the government which are clearly very difficult."

The comments came as Ms May said in her speech that Britain will pull out of the single market when it leaves the EU, because not doing so would mean not leaving the EU at all.

On the customs union, the Prime Minister suggested the UK could negotiate some sort of associate member access while retaining the right to carry out its own deals with non-EU nations  in other words, becoming exempt from the common external tariff.

In October, French President Francois Hollande  who called the likely hard Brexit the biggest crisis in the EUs history  demanded that Britain must pay a heavy economic price for leaving the EU.

Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Show all 13 1 /13 Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Supreme Court Brexit Challenge People wait to enter the public gallery outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Gina Miller, co-founder of investment fund SCM Private arrives at the Supreme court in London on the first day of a four-day hearing Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A man waves the EU flag in front of the Supreme Court Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Satirical artist Kaya Mar poses with two of his paintings in front of the Supreme Court Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Pro-Europe protestors dressed as Supreme Court Justices stand outside the Supreme Court ahead of the first day of a hearing into whether Parliament's consent is required before the Brexit process can begin. The eleven Supreme Court Justices will hear the government's appeal, following the High Court's recent decision that only Parliament can trigger Article 50 Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge The eleven Supreme Court Justices will hear the government's appeal, following the High Court's recent decision that only Parliament can trigger Article 50 Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Businesswoman Gina Miller arrives at the Supreme Court ahead of the first day of a hearing into whether Parliament's consent is required before the Brexit process can begin Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Attorney General Jeremy Wright arrives at the Supreme Court in London EPA Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Protesters outside the Supreme Court in London, where the Government is appealing against a ruling that the Prime Minister must seek MPs' approval to trigger the process of taking Britain out of the European Union PA wire Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A protesters wearing a judge's wigs and robes stands outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A protester holds up a placard outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Pro-Europe protestors dressed as Supreme Court Justices stand outside the Supreme Court Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A man waiting to enter the public gallery waves a European Union flag outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters

Mr Hollande said at the time: We need to remain strong. If not, we will threaten the very principles of the European Union. That could lead to other countries or regions wanting to leave the EU to gain so-called benefits but without any inconvenience or rules.

There must be a threat, there must be a risk, there must be a price. Otherwise we will be in a negotiation that cannot end well.

Just before the EU referendum, Frances economy minister Emmanuel Macron, who is now running as an independent in the French presidential elections, warned leaving the EU would make Britain a little trading post as insignificant on the world stage as Guernsey.
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The European Commissions chief Brexit negotiator has said he is ready to begin talks as soon as the UK is.

Reacting to Theresa Mays speech in which she confirmed Britains intention to leave the single market, Michel Barnier said negotiations could only begin when Article 50 was officially triggered.

Ready as soon as UK is. Only notification can kick off negotiations. #Brexit, wrote Mr Barnier on Twitter.

Agreement on orderly exit is prerequisite for future partnership. My priority is to get the right deal for EU27, he added in a second message.

Mr Barnier, 66, was named the EUs chief negotiator in July following Britains decision to leave the union. He formally took up the role on 1 October.

The French politician and former vice president of the European Commission was chosen by current EU president Jean-Claude Juncker because he wanted an experienced politician for this difficult job, Mr Juncker said at the time.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

He is likely to be a tough negotiator and take a hard stance on EU rules, and is seen as a nemesis of the City of London, having backed new financial regulations against the UKs will while he was Market Commissioner.

Mr Barnier will go head-to-head with the UKs Brexit Secretary David Davis to establish the terms of the future relationship between Britain and the EU.

Mr Davis requested a meeting with Mr Barnier in November to reestablish their relationship and the pair reportedly spoke for around 30 minutes.

 Theresa May's Brexit speech - five key points

They had met before decades ago, having both been European affairs ministers during the 1990s at the same time.

In her landmark speech, Ms May said the deal she would be pursuing when the negotiations get underway cannot mean membership of single market.

But she emphasised that Britain wants to remain a good friend and neighbour to other European countries.
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Theresa Mays Brexit speech has finally given Europe a bit more clarity, Germanys foreign minister has said.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the Prime Minister's willingness to engage in a positive partnership with the European Union had been noted.

Ms May confirmed the Governments intention to pull out of the single market when Britain leaves the EU, ending months of uncertainty and confusion following the June referendum.

In her landmark speech, she said the deal she would be pursuing when the negotiations get underway cannot mean membership of single market.

But she emphasised that Britain wants to remain a good friend and neighbour to other European countries.

 Theresa May: 'I want be clear, what I am proposing cannot mean access to the single market'

Finally a bit more clarity, said Mr Steinmeier in a statement, adding that the other 27 EU countries want close and trusting relations with Britain and will aim for constructive negotiations.

[Ms May] emphasised that Great Britain is seeking a positive and constructive partnership, friendship with a strong European Union. Thats good, he said.

Angela Merkel is due to meet with German ministers tomorrow to discuss Germanys position on Brexit.

Not all Germany's politicians had such a measured reaction, however.

May: Go f**k yourself EU but please dont let us down. Whine whine, tweeted Jan Philipp Albrecht, Green Party MEP for northern Germany.

Many of the 52 per cent of Brits voting leave clearly believed that they would stay in a common European market. Theyre f**ked together with the 48 per cent, he added.

European Council president Donald Tusk said Ms Mays speech meant the EU had a more realistic view of Britain's hopes and said the remaining states were united and ready to negotiate.

In a message on Twitter, Mr Tusk said: Sad process, surrealistic times but at least more realistic announcement on Brexit. EU27 united and ready to negotiate after Article 50.

Ms May said it would be in other countries' best interests to cooperate with the UK once it had left the EU.

I know there are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path, she said.

That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe. And it would not be the act of a friend.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

Ireland has also welcomed Ms Mays outline of the Governments approach to negotiations with the EU.

In her speech, Prime Minister May highlighted the specific and historic relationship between Britain and Ireland, said the Irish government in a statement, reported RTE.

In this context, she made clear that her priorities include maintaining the common travel area and avoiding a return to a hard border with Northern Ireland, both of which are welcome.

The Prime Minister is understood to be planning to speak personally about her plan with Ms Merkel, French president Francois Hollande, Mr Tusk and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in the coming days.

Ms May spoke to Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones ahead of her speech this morning.
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The European Parliament's point man for Brexit negotiations has said Theresa May is creating an illusion after she outlined Britain's plan for leaving the European Union.

Guy Verhofstadt said the United Kingdom would not be allowed to cherry pick the benefits of the EU but said it was important that clarity had been given on the country's position.

The former Prime Minister of Belgium made the statement at the European Parliament and also said it was not very helpful that there had been discussions about Britain becoming a tax haven.

I think it creates an illusion that you can go out of the single market and the customs union and you can cherry pick and still have a number of advantages.

I think this will not happen. We shall never accept a situation in which it is better to be outside the single market than be a member of the European union, Mr Verhofstadt said.

If you want the advantages you of a single market and customs union, you have to take the obligations, he added.

Mr Verhofstadt added that the 22 committees of the European Parliament would now scrutinise and analyse the proposals that had been put forward by Ms May.

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 British Prime Minister said the United Kingdom would not remain a full member of the EU customs union after Brexit, and instead would negotiate its own trade deals with the rest of the world.

Ms May suggested Britain would prefer to retain a form of "associate membership" of the union, limiting the increase in red tape for businesses who export to continental Europe.
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Hundreds of child refugees in Serbia face freezing to death as temperatures plummet to -16C, Save the Children has warned.

Many of the children, some as young as eight years old, have no gloves or proper shoes, and several refugees have already suffered frostbite in the perishing conditions, the charity said.

Up to 2,000 refugees living in makeshift shelters in the Serbian capital of Belgrade are at risk, with some lighting indoor fires to keep warm, resulting in migrants suffering respiratory problems from the toxic smoke.

Conditions are truly gruesome, these buildings don't have heating, windows, toilets, they don't have water, Tatjana Ristic, spokesperson for Save the Children Serbia, told The Independent.

The numbers sleeping rough in Belgrade and squatting in buildings behind the train station started to grow in 2015 and at the moment, this could be the biggest unofficial refugee camp in Europe.

Ms Ristic said up to 300 children were facing perishing conditions in the camps, many being unaccompanied minors who have already faced unimaginable hardship leaving their home countries.

Some of these children are very young - nine years old. One boy I met travelled with his uncle who is 15 years old from Afghanistan. They were sleeping in a tent with two friends - one 10-year-old and one 11-year-old, she said.

According to the charity, up to 100 migrants arrive in Serbia each day, with children accounting for up to 40% of new arrivals.

Recommended Our responsibility for refugees should not be forgotten

The migrants are arriving on the Balkans Route, which was officially closed in March 2015 but remains in active use by those hoping to make it to Europe.

More than 61 people  including several refugees and migrants - have reportedly died across the continent as a result of the Arctic weather, with children and babies being particularly vulnerable to hypothermia without proper access to heat and shelter.

The EUs continued failure on the refugee crisis is leaving thousands of people, including lone children, literally out in the cold," Kirsty McNeill, Save the Children's campaigns director, said.

"The lack of political will to offer asylum or reunify separated children and families, means these human beings, who have survived years of war, violence and deadly journeys to safety - are now freezing to death on Europes doorstep.

It came as MPs called on the British government to do more to help child refugees in other parts of Europe, as winter temperatures dropped to treacherous lows.
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Criticism of German Chancellor Angela Merkel by Donald Trump cannot be accepted by Europeans, the French Minister of Finance has said.

Michel Sapin said the President-elect's criticism of Europe only serves to reinforce European solidarity.

"The more he [Mr Trump] makes this sort of statement, the more Europeans close ranks," Mr Sapin told reporters.

 Dress rehearsal takes place ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Mr Trump said Ms Merkel had made a "catastrophic mistake" with her open door policy on refugees.

Recommended 10 important things Donald Trump said in his Times interview

Mr Trump also suggested the Christmas market attack by a Tunisian man in Berlin was one effect of Ms Merkel's policies and described Syrian refugees as "all these illegals".

Mr Sapin said such criticism by the President-elect was unacceptable.

"The attack on the Chancellor is not an argument we can accept as Frenchmen or as Europeans," he said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry also said it was inapprorpiate for Mr Trump to weigh directly into the politics of another country by attacking Ms Merkel.

"I thought frankly it was inappropriate for a President-elect of the United States to be stepping into the politics of other countries in a quite direct manner, and he will have to speak to that," Mr Kerry told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

"He will have to speak to that, as of Friday he is responsible for that relationship."

Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didnt know the air conditioner didnt work and sweated like dogs, and they didnt know the room was too big because they didnt have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall  and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me and Ill build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY

Ms Merkel is working to set a date this spring for a meeting with Mr Trump, who will be sworn in as US president on Friday, German government sources told Reuters on Monday.

The German Chancellor had offered to meet Mr Trump in the United States in her capacity as chairman of the Group of 20 leading economies, the sources said.

She has spoken with Mr Trump only once, shortly after his election to succeed US President Barack Obama.

Following Mr Trump's remarks, Ms Merkel said that even though his positions had been well known, "I think we Europeans have our fate in our own hands."

"I'm personally going to wait until the American president takes office, and then we will naturally work with him on all levels," she added.

When asked whether Europe would have to react if the US decided to slap a 35 per cent tax on imports, Mr Sapin said: "We will all have time to see whether there's a difference between the content of a tweet and the laws that will be passed."

Mr Trump told German newspaper Bild he would impose a 35 per cent levy on German-made cars imported to the US market.

"I would tell BMW that if you are building a factory in Mexico and plan to sell cars to the USA, without a 35 per cent tax, then you can forget that," Mr Trump said, in remarks translated into German.
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A former Italian Air Force officer has been elected the new president of the European Parliament.

After four rounds of voting Antonio Tajani was victorious, receiving 351 votes and beating his fellow countryman Gianni Pittella who achieved a total of 202.

The 53-year-old is a member of the European Peoples Party (EPP), a pro-European centre-right political party whose current leader is Jean-Claude-Juncker, the president of the European Commission.

In his victory speech he devoted the result to the victims of the Italian earthquake.

This was as democratic process and as I said today, I will be the president of all, I will respect all members of parliament and all groups, Mr Tajani said.

He was previously one of 14 vice-presidents of the European Union and will succeed German socialist MEP Martin Schulz who served as president for five years.

Before his career in politics he was an officer in the Italian Air Force and was also editor of parliamentary affairs for Il Settimanale, a weekly magazine.

His election came on the day Theresa May outlined her plans for Britain to leave the European Union.

The British Prime Minister said the United Kingdom would not remain a full member of the EU customs union after Brexit and instead would negotiate its own trade deals with the rest of the world.

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. 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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. 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Ms May suggested Britain would prefer to retain a form of "associate membership" of the union, limiting the increase in red tape for businesses who export to continental Europe.

Mr Tajanis victory is likely to have an impact on Ms Mays plans as the European Parliament must approve the withdrawal treaty.

The British Parliament must give their consent to any new treaty that is agreed.
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Germanys supreme constitutional court has rejected a proposed ban on a far-right party accused of neo-Nazi links because its members are deemed too ineffective to pose a real threat to democracy.

The Federal Constitutional Court rejected a historic attempt by all of Germanys 16 states to outlaw the National Democratic Party (NPD), which has been described by intelligence services as racist and anti-Semitic.

In its unanimous judgement, the court agreed that the NPD wants to eliminate existing democratic freedoms in favour of an authoritarian state housing an ethnically defined national community.

Their political concept disregards human dignity and is incompatible with the principle of democracy, it continued.

Supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement PEGIDA (hold up a banner with the logo of the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) (Reuters)

The NPD also works in a well-planned way and with sufficient intensity to achieve its goals against the liberal democratic order.

However, there is (currently) a lack of concrete evidence showing it is possible for these actions to lead to success.

The courts judgement said the NPD had an essential affinity with national socialism [Nazism], including using the phrase Volksgemeinschaft, which has strong anti-Semitic and Nazi associations.

Judges said the party employs the vocabulary, songs and symbolism of the Third Reich, and that some of its supporters display intimidating and criminal behaviour.

The ban, which was applied for in 2013, would have been the first of its kind since 1956.

It was the second attempt to prohibit the NPD, which officials say violates the constitution of the state that funds it.

It states: Parties that, by reason of their aims or the behaviour of their adherents, seek to undermine or abolish the free democratic basic order or to endanger the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany shall be unconstitutional.

 Angela Merkel calls for burqa ban 'wherever legally possible' in Germany

The NPD celebrated the verdict with a cartoon depicting its leader, Frank Franz, celebrating with the caption: "The German Bundesrat has lost the second attempt to ban the NPD. We are now the only party in Germany legitimised by the supreme court."

Founded in 1964, the party calls itself a patriotic organisation and openly lists British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley among its former supporters.

Its policies oppose the rising flood of migrants, the devastating consequences of globalisation and multiculturalism and calls integration genocide, writing in its manifesto that Germany must remain the country of Germans.

The NPD cites both Americanisation and Islamisation as risks to national identity and calls for Germanys exit from the EU and Nato, while opposing same-sex marriage, equality laws and calling for the castration of convicted paedophiles.

Some of its members and former leaders have been convicted of Holocaust denial or incitement, but the party denies any involvement in violence.

The NPD is highly visible in Germany due to its frequent political rallies, where Nazi symbols and gestures have been reported, but has little official influence.

1.3% of voters chose the NPD in 2013 (Reuters)

The party holds a single seat in the European Parliament but is not represented in the German Bundestag, winning just 1.3 per cent of the vote in the last national election in 2013.

Its fortunes have declined further since then, losing its last seats in state legislatures in September.

The Federal Constitutional Court said the NPDs situation made the achievement of its aims impossible, adding that there is no prospect of members either winning elections or operating within coalitions.

The chance discovery of the National Socialist Underground (NSU) in 2011, blamed for killing nine immigrants and a police officer between 2000 and 2007, prompted politicians to explore a legal ban. The first public hearing took place in March 2016.

Only two parties have been outlawed in West Germany and reunited Germany - the neo-Nazi Socialist Reich Party in 1952 and the German Communist Party in 1956.

Germany's domestic intelligence agency says the NPD has about 6,000 members in a country of 82 million, causing judges to classify it as a limited campaigning capacity and low impact on society.

Heiko Maas, the justice minister, said the verdict would not take the confrontation with right-wing extremism off our hands.

Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Show all 13 1 /13 Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Women protest against sexism outside Cologne Cathedral on 5 January after the assaults Oliver Berg/EPA Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Women protest against sexism in Cologne following the rash of sex attacks on New Year's Eve Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police initially failed to mention the assaults in report the following morning EPA Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police officers patrol in front of the main station of Cologne, Germany AP Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks German far-right supporters demonstrate at Cologne`s train station (Reuters) Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement Pegida in Cologne, Germany, January 9, 2016. Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police used pepper spray to control supporters of Pegida, Hogesa (Hooligans against Salafists) and other right-wing populist groups as they protested against the New Year's Eve sex attacks on 9 January, 2016 in Cologne, Germany Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police use a water cannon during a protest march by supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement Pegida in Cologne, Germany, January 9, 2016 Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police use pepper spray against supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement Pegida, in Cologne, Germany, January 9, 2016. Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Artist Mira Moire protests naked in Cologne against the mass sex attacks on New Year's Eve AP Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks A demonstrator holds a sign in German that reads 'No violence against women' during a demonstration in the wake of the sexual assaults on New Year's Eve, outside the cathedeal in Cologne, Germany, 09 January 2016. EPA Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Counter demonstrators hold up a sign reading "Against sexism, against racism" as they protest against a demonstration of the islamophobic movement PEGIDA at the train station in Cologne, Germany, on January 9, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Demonstration by a womens group on Saturday (AP) AP

Even if the NPD were banned, that unfortunately does not mean there are no right-wing extremists in Germany, he told Die Welt.

Some experts argued that allowing the fringe NPD to exist would legitimise it and send a signal that its right-wing views are acceptable, while others warned a ban could be counterproductive and push its members underground.

The first attempt to ban the NPD came in 2003, when the bid was rejected because paid government informants within the party were partially responsible for evidence against it. Officials say there was no evidence from informants this time around.

There are fears over rising support for right-wing groups in Germany, amid tensions over the refugee crisis and a series of terror attacks, as well as mass sexual assaults in Cologne.

The nationalist Alternative for Germany party, which has chipped away the NPDs support while attacking Angela Merkel for opening Germanys border to refugees in 2015, has enjoyed unprecedented success in local elections.

Protest movements like the anti-Islam Pegida have drawn thousands of supporters at marches, while asylum centres and mosques have been attacked.

A homemade bomb emblazoned with a swastika was found in the latest plot uncovered, which had links to the neo-Nazi Oldschool Society (OSS).

Additional reporting by agencies
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The captured suspect behind the deadly Istanbul nightclub attack on New Year's Eve has reportedly admitted to carrying out the crime, the city's governor had said.

Abdulgadir Masharipov, a 34-year-old Uzbek citizen, was apprehended by police late on Monday, Vasip Sahin said.

Turkish media published pictures and video of a man with a black eye and wearing a white t-shirt covered in blood being led by plain-clothes police officers to a vehicle.

 Footage shows gunman unleash wave of bullets outside Istanbul nightclub

He has allegedly confessed to entering the upmarket Reina nightclub and shooting partygoers in the early hours of New Year's Day, reloading an automatic rifle six times to target those who were lying the ground. The attack killed 39 and injured 70.

Mr Masharipov trained in Afghanistan as part of an Isis cell before illegally entering Turkey in January 2016, and his fingerprints matched those found at the scene, Mr Sahin said.

"He knew four languages and is well educated," the governor added.

He was arrested along with four other suspects - two Iraqi men and two African women whose nationalities were not disclosed - in an outer suburb of the city. Mr Masharipov's four-year-old son was also with him at the time of the arrest.

Earlier, Turkey's prime minister said that the man was being questioned by police and expressed hope that the interrogation would unveil the "forces" behind the attack, which Isis claimed as revenge for Turkey's role in the Syrian conflict.

Mr Sahin did not provide any further details on the arrest or the investigation. He said the authorities would provide details "in time."

The arrest comes after a 17-day manhunt across the country in which dozens of people were arrested on suspicion of helping Mr Masharipov plan the attack.

On Monday, Turkey's deputy prime minister Norman Kurtulmus said that investigators believed that the shooting was "not just a terrorist organisation's act" but that an intelligence organisation had also been involved.
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Norway is deploying hundreds more troops to the remote region of Finnmark, bordering Russia, as part of a plan to expand defences within the Arctic Circle.

The bolstered military presence in the far north of the country comes as the UK, US and Norway begin to revive a Cold War-era pact to monitor Moscows activities in the North, Norwegian and Barents seas.

The deployment is part of a plan approved by the Norwegian government late last year to significantly increase defence spending.

Describing the move as historic, the political adviser to Norwegian Defence Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Sreide said Norway would further increase our land forces in the northernmost county, Finnmark, by establishing a new company sized ranger unit at the Norwegian-Russian border of around 200 troops.

 Former Mi6 Chief says we're entering an era more dangerous than Cold War

Audun Halvorsen told The Independent that providing a deterrent in Finnmark, which shares a remote land border with Russia, continues to be high on the agenda of the Norwegian government.

We do not consider Russia a direct military threat to Norway today," he said.

But we pay close attention to the Russian military activity in the High North.

The deployment comes as Norway looks to revive a Cold War surveillance pact covering international waters stretching from the Arctic Circle to the UK.

Oslo and London are buying new maritime surveillance aircraft  five and nine new Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft respectively  in a deal that British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said would allow the UK to step up cooperation with Norway on maritime patrol.

A decade ago the Pentagon announced it was withdrawing from an Icelandic air base used to house its P-3 aircraft.

Joint maritime surveillance efforts were further harmed when the UK scrapped its equivalent to the P-3  the Nimrod  in 2010.

But Magnus Nordenman, director of think tank the Atlantic Councils Transatlantic Security Initiative, said a surveillance triangle operated by the US, UK and Norway was being brought back.

He told Defense News: During the Cold War there was this triangle between the US flying missions out of Keflavik, the Brits flying out of Scotland and the Norwegians flying P-3s out of Andoya.

That triangle that existed in the Cold War is coming back.

Questioned on the revived surveillance pact, Mr Halvorsen said: The procurement of new maritime surveillance aircraft is necessary to enable the continuation of monitoring of Norwegian and adjacent waters.

Norways old P-3 aircraft are approaching the end of their lifespan.

The surveillance of the North Atlantic has traditionally been subject to close cooperation with the US and UK.

The cooperation will be strengthened by the fact that all three countries will operate the same aircraft.

In a separate development on Monday, 300 US Marines landed in Norway for a six-month deployment, the first time since the Second World War that foreign troops have been allowed to be stationed there.

American soldiers will remain in Norway for a year, with a second batch of Marines replacing the first deployment in six months time.

Mr Halvorsen said training missions undertaken by Nato allies would be increasing in future.

US Marines disembark after landing on January 16, 2017 in Stordal, Norway (Getty)

The senior Norwegian official added: The long term plan also underlines the importance of further allied participation in training and exercises in Norway, especially in the North.

We consider such activities as an important part of Natos collective defence, demonstrating allied solidarity and providing useful experience in operating in the northern region of the alliance.

We are improving our ability to receive allied forces, and we will train and exercise together with them more frequently when they are in Norway.

US and UK are both key allies, and we maintain longstanding and close relationships; allied training in Norway is increasing.
The longlist includes 16 novels chosen from 186 entries by authors from 19 countries

The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) announced on Monday the longlist of candidates for the 2017 prize  known as the Arabic Booker  including Egyptian authors Youssef Rakha, for his novel Paolo, and Mohammed Abdel Nabi for his novel In the Spider's Chamber.

Also included on the list were renowned Arab novelists Elias Khoury (Lebanon), Sinan Antoon (Iraq), and Amir Tag ElSir (Sudan).

The longlist included 16 novels chosen from 186 entries from 19 countries, all published within the last 12 months. Selections were made by a panel of five judges, chaired by Palestinian novelist Sahar Khalifa.

Of the 16 authors chosen, three have been shortlisted for the Prize previously, including Mohammed Hasan Alwan, Sinan Antoon and Amir Tag Elsir, and a further five previously longlisted, including Renee Hayek, Ismail Fahd Ismail, Abdul-Kareem Jouaity, Elias Khoury and Mohammed Abdel Nabi.

IPAF said in a statement that these authors' "repeated recognition by the Prize demonstrates the enduring quality of their writing."

Yassin Adnan, although a well-known poet, made his first appearance on the list with his debut novel, Hot Maroc.

Sultan Al-Ameemi began writing his longlisted book, One Room Is Not Enough, at the 2014 Nadwa  an annual writing workshop for talented, emerging writers organised and supported by the Prize.

Other Nadwa attendees on the list included Ali Ghadeer and Mohammed Hasan Alwan  the youngest writer to be selected. This years successful authors represent 10 countries across the Arab world and range in age from 37 to 76.

The full 2017 longlist, with author names in alphabetical order, is as follows:

Yassin Adnan , Hot Maroc, Morocco

Sultan Al Ameemi , One Room Is Not Enough, UAE

Mohammed Hasan Alwan, A Small Death, Saudi Arabia

Sinan Antoon, Index, Iraq

Najwa Binshatwan, The Slaves' Pens, Libya

Amir Tag Elsir, The Resort of the Enchantress, Sudan

Ali Ghadeer, Swastika, Iraq

Renee Hayek, The Year of the Radio, Lebanon

Zuheir al-Hiti, Days of Dust, Iraq

Ismail Fahd Ismail, Al-Sabiliat, Kuwait

Abdul-Kareem Jouaity, The North Africans, Morocco

Tayseer Khalf, The Slaughter of the Philosophers, Syria

Elias Khoury, Children of the Ghetto  My Name is Adam, Lebanon

Mohammed Abdel Nabi, In the Spider's Chamber, Egypt

Saad Mohammed Rahim, The Bookseller's Murder, Iraq

Youssef Rakha, Paolo, Egypt

The 2017 judges are: Palestinian novelist Sahar Khalifa (Chair); Palestinian translator Saleh Almani; Libyan academic, novelist and broadcaster Fatima al-Haji; Egyptian novelist and academic Sahar ElMougy; and Greek academic and translator Sophia Vasalou.

Khalifa said "The longlist novels are hugely varied in their subject matter and imagined worlds, embracing history, political and social themes and fantasy. As a whole they express the interactions, struggles and defeats, as well as the hopes and dreams, of the Arab world today."

The Arabic Booker  recognised as the leading prize for literary fiction in the Arab world  is now in its tenth year.

Professor Yasir Suleiman CBE, chair of IPAF's board of trustees, said in a statement after the revelation of the longlist "this tenth anniversary longlist presents new writers and established ones who have reached the longlist before. This combination is testimony to the Prize in its search for creative voices whose provenance extends from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Gulf."

"The longlist novels for this year speak to the pressing concerns of the Arab World, doing so in different voices and styles that give texture and nuance to their narrative material," Suleiman added.

The 2017 shortlist will be announced at the Palace of Culture in Algiers, Algeria on Thursday 16 February.

The winner of the prize will be announced at an awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday 25 April, the eve of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. The six shortlisted finalists will receive $10,000, with a further $50,000 going to the winner.

Last years winner of the Prize was Destinies: Concerto of the Holocaust and the Nakba by Rabai al-Madhoun.

The International Prize for Arabic Fiction is an annual literary prize for prose fiction in Arabic. It is run with the support of the Booker Prize Foundation in London and funded by the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) in the UAE.

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Some 300 US Marines landed in Norway on Monday for a six-month deployment, the first time since the Second World War that foreign troops have been allowed to be stationed there, in a deployment which has irked Norway's Arctic neighbour Russia.

Officials played down any link between the operation and Nato concerns over Russia, but the deployment coincides with the U.S. sending several thousand troops to Poland to beef up its Eastern European allies worried about Moscow's assertiveness.

Marines from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina landed a little after 10am local time at a snow-covered Vaernes airport near Trondheim, Norway's third-largest city.

US troops are to stay in Norway for a year, with the current batch of Marines being replaced after their six-month tour is complete.

A spokesman for the Norwegian Home Guards, who will host the Marines at the Vaernes military base, about 1,500 km (900 miles) from the Russian border, said the U.S. troops will learn about winter warfare.

For the first four weeks they will have basic winter training, learn how to cope with skis and to survive in the Arctic environment, said Rune Haarstad, a Home Guard spokesman. It has nothing to do with Russia or the current situation.

In March the Marines will take part in the Joint Viking exercises, which will also include British troops, he added.

The Russian Embassy in Oslo did not immediately reply to a request for comment by Reuters on Monday. It questioned the need for such a move when it was announced in October.

Taking into account multiple statements of Norwegian officials about the absence of threat from Russia to Norway we would like to understand for what purposes is Norway so ... willing to increase its military potential, in particular through stationing of American forces in Vaernes? it told Reuters at the time.

A spokeswoman for Norwegian Ministry of Defence also said the arrival of US Marines had nothing to do with concerns about Russia.

However, in a 2014 interview with Reuters, Norway's Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said Russia's annexation of Crimea showed that it had the ability and will to use military means to achieve political goals.

Reuters
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More than 200 refugees have died in the opening days of 2017, drowning in desperate crossings over the Mediterranean or freezing to death in deadly weather conditions across the continent they hoped would bring them safety.

At least 226 asylum seekers have lost their lives attempting to reach Europe so far this year  more than double the figure for the same period in 2016  and many more remain at risk as rough seas and the extreme cold continues.

Greek border police had to dig through more than a metre of snow to find the body of one man who died after crossing over the River Evros near the Turkish border  one of several asylum seekers to be killed by sub-zero temperatures in recent weeks.

Officials found two suspected smugglers nearby with seven other asylum seekers, including one who was still wearing wet clothes and had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

They were discovered near Feres, where the land border between Turkey and Greece is being used by migrants diverted from crossing the Aegean Sea by the controversial EU-Turkey deal.

It followed the deaths of two Iraqi men and a Somali woman in snow-covered Bulgarian mountains, and another Afghan man in Greece.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said refugees had also been killed by hypothermia while in flimsy dinghies launched from North Africa towards Italy, with three bodies found inside a boat rescued and taken to Lampedusa at the weekend.

In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea Show all 7 1 /7 In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A baby being taken on to MSF's Bourbon Argos ship from a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A refugee boat carrying 101 people being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A refugee boat carrying 101 people being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos all images by Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A baby among refugees on a boat carrying 185 people off the coast of Libya Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea Migrants and refugees sleeping after being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos ship Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A crew from MSF's Bourbon Argos ship rescuing a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees off the coast of Libya, at sunrise Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A woman in a stretcher being lifted onto MSF's Bourbon Argos ship from a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees off the coast of Libya Lizzie Dearden

On Saturday, at least 180 migrants drowned when their vessel capsized in rough seas around 30 miles from the Libyan coast.

The death toll was originally believed to stand at around 105 but interviews with survivors have revealed that the boat was larger and more crowded than initially thought.

Only a handful or survivors were found in search operations by ships including Italian Navy vessels, which recovered the bodies of eight migrants.

While the circumstances of the shipwreck will be further explained when the survivors are brought ashore, it seems likely that this incident resulted in the death of over 100 people, said Federico Soda, from the IOM in Rome.

We still do not know the nationalities or if there were women or children on board. It is a tragic start to the new year.

More than 1,100 rescued people, mostly from Western Africa, were taken ashore on the Italian islands of Lampedusa and Sicily on Monday.

 Refugee crisis: More than 500 migrants rescued in single day in Mediterranean Sea

Survivors told IOM workers they attempted the sea crossing to flee violence and abuses in Libya, feeling they had no option but to put themselves in the hands of smugglers who forced them onto boats in treacherous sea conditions.

Many people have told us that when they get to the beach, those who change their mind and don't want to go are forced to get on board, sometimes with violence, said Ms Soda.

Around 25 more refugees are believed to have drowned attempting to cross from Morocco to Spain, with several bodies washing up over the weekend. Two women and a baby are among those reported missing.

Just over 3,000 asylum seekers, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Nigeria, have entered Europe so far this year according to UN figures, compared to more than 73,000 in July 2016.

But death rates have been rocketing since the Central Mediterranean became the main route following attempts to stop comparatively shorter and safer crossings over the Aegean Sea by detaining anyone arriving on Greek islands under threats of deportation.

Thousands of migrants are still being held in makeshift tent camps, with several being covered in snow, sparking emergency measures from Greek authorities aiming to find safer accommodation in empty hotels or on a navy ship.

Many more are stranded by closed borders and security crackdowns across Europe, sleeping in makeshift shelters or on the streets in cities including the Serbian capital of Belgrade, where temperatures have reached -20C.

A migrant washes himself outside (AP)

Rescue workers warn that people will continue to arrive as the crisis shows no sign of slowing in the Central Mediterranean, which has become the deadliest sea crossing in the world since the start of the refugee crisis.

At least 550 refugees were rescued on Friday alone off the coast of Libya, where continuing conflict and lawlessness since the British-backed defeat of Muammar Gaddafi has allowed the smuggling and exploitation of migrants to thrive.

Recommended The stories of the refugees rescued from the Mediterranean

More than 5,000 refugees were drowned, suffocated or crushed while attempting to cross the Mediterranean and Aegean seas in 2016, making it the deadliest year on record  a tragic benchmark 2017 is already on course to beat.

The Unravelling the Mediterranean Migration Crisis project partly blamed Britain and EU nations for spiralling death rates, concluding that the refusal to open up legal routes for those seeking safety in Europe has increased demand for people smuggling on ever more dangerous routes.

Operations to combat the thriving trade have driven the use of smaller and less seaworthy boats, which are harder for ships patrolling as part of the EUs Operation Sophia and authorities in north Africa to spot.

Poorly-made dinghies are now being loaded with more than 150 people a time, creating the risk of sinkings, capsizings or the inflatable bursting under the strain, as well as deadly fuel spills.

More than 3,000 migrants and refugees have arrived by sea in Europe so far this year. The vast majority of those arriving in Italy are from countries including Nigeria, Eritrea and Guinea, while most of the much lower number of asylum seekers reaching Greek islands are predominantly Syrian, Afghan or Iraqi.
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Ukraine has filed a case against Russia for acts of terrorism and unlawful aggression at the United Nations highest court.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry launched the action at the International Court of Justice on Monday, claiming that Russia was supplying weapons and other assistance to rebel groups operating in eastern Ukraine.

As part of its unlawful aggression in Ukraine, the Russian Federation has displayed contempt for the basic human rights of the people of Ukraine, said foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin.

We have tried to resolve the disputes through negotiation as required by conventions for more than two years, but the Russian Federation has been unwilling to cease its violations of international law.

 Evidence of possible Russian involvement in downing of MH17

Therefore, we have filed our case to hold the Russian Federation accountable for these violations and to vindicate the fundamental rights of the Ukrainian people under these treaties, to which the Russian Federation is a signatory.

The separatists have committed acts of terrorism with Russian weapons, including the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, a statement from his ministry said.

Bombardment in the cities of Mariupol and Kramatorsk, the shelling of a civilian bus in Volnovakha, and the bombing of a protest in Kharkiv were among other atrocities listed.

The lawsuit alleges that Russia is violating international conventions on financing terrorism and racial discrimination with a campaign against non-Russian communities living in the annexed Crimean Peninsula including enforced disappearances, murders and restrictions on languages and the media.

It calls for compensation in the form of full reparations for victims of the downing of MH17 and all listed attacks, as well as of action in Crimea.

Ukraine asked the International Court of Justice to impose measures preventing Russia from compounding its human rights abuses, although it is unclear what they would be.

The filing itself has no direct consequences, though a finding by the court in Ukraine's favour could be enforceable in some national courts, theoretically triggering legal steps to freeze or seize Russian assets.

The Hague-based International Court of Justice confirmed it had received the application but offered no further comment.

Kiev is also challenging Moscow's actions on its territory at the European Court of Human Rights, while Ukrainian energy firms Ukrnafta and Stabil have asked the UN's Permanent Court of Arbitration to compensate them for investments lost when Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

In pictures: MH17 final report Show all 7 1 /7 In pictures: MH17 final report In pictures: MH17 final report Getty Images In pictures: MH17 final report Getty Images In pictures: MH17 final report Almaz-Antei director Yan Novikov, center, looks at the screen during a news conference in Moscow. Almaz-Antei air defense consortium, the builder of Buk missiles, presented its vision of the MH-17 air crash based on a new modeling of the disaster they recently conducted AP In pictures: MH17 final report A graphic and a skin element of a passenger airplane which was used in a full-scale experiment by Almaz-Antey simulating shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine is displayed during a Russian missile manufacturer Almaz-Antey news conference dedicated to the MH17 crash in Moscow EPA In pictures: MH17 final report Almaz-Antei director Yan Novikov, seated center, attends a news conference in Moscow AP In pictures: MH17 final report Projectiles with thecharacteristic "double tee" formation of components of the warhead of a Buk missile 9?38?1, are displayed during a news conference in Moscow AP In pictures: MH17 final report Almaz-Antei director Yan Novikov, attends a news conference in Moscow AP

Russia has repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine, despite evidence published by Nato. In Moscow, its foreign ministry said Russia would use all available means of legal defence against the suit.

A spokesperson added that it had studied Ukraine's claims but that Kiev had not shown interest in dialogue with Moscow, hitting back with claims it had raised concerns over the rights of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in Ukraine.

The conflict followed the ousting of Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych in what Vladimir Putin has characterised as an international conspiracy.

Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014 as fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine between separatist rebels who seized swathes of territory and Ukrainian government forces.

Almost 10,000 people have been killed in the continuing conflict, which has sparked waves of sanctions and counter-sanctions between the EU and Russia.

The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team found rebels used a Russian Buk missile launcher to shoot down MH17 in July 2014 after apparently mistaking it for an army plane, killing all 298 people on board.

Separatist groups have since denied any involvement in the disaster, while Russian officials have continually dismissed allegations of soldiers or equipment being deployed in Ukraine.

Amid fighting in densely populated areas, civilians have been killed by shelling, mines and bombs, as well as an unknown number dying from a lack of food, water, medicine or healthcare.

Monitors have also recorded reports of human rights abuses including torture, ill-treatment and incommunicado detention, committed with very limited accountability and concern over fair trials.
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French presidential candidates have backed a plan to introduce a universal basic income of 750 (655) a month, in what they described as a bid to combat the threat of robots taking over three million jobs.

Two of the seven candidates for the French Socialist Party leadership have proposed the measure, which would see every French citizen over 18 receive the monthly pay-out, regardless of their employment status.

The prospect of universal income became a predominant topic of discussion in a debate between socialist candidates last week.

Benoit Hamon, former education secretary and one of the front-runners in the socialist primary, is a firm supporter of a payment of between 700 (613) and 800 (700) a month for all French adults. He said basic income was essential given the probable erosion of employment as a result of the digital revolution, which he argued would see more automation of jobs.

Mr Hamon, who resigned as education minister in 2014 in protest at what he saw as the Socialist government's rightward drift, said: It's been several decades since weve seen economic growth. We must examine the nature of the policies we are implementing.

We live in unprecedented upheavals. The way we consume and work has been transformed. It is necessary to turn the page. I want to propose a path where there will be a new pillar for our welfare: the universal basic income, the ecological transition.

A second socialist candidate, Jean-Luc Bennahmias, who is standing for the hard left, also backed the concept of universal income for French citizens, describing the measure as a safety net which allows citizens to face the unforeseen circumstances of work and personal life.

Recommended Marine Le Pen establishes lead in first round French election poll

Rival candidates argued that such a measure would be of high cost to the state. Vincent Peillon, MEP and former minister of education under Francois Hollande, described the idea as a beautiful idea, but not practical at a cost of 400 billion a year.

Mr Hamon and Mr Bennahmias put the cost at 300 billion (263 billion), and rejected claims that it was an incitement to laziness.

Manuel Valls, who resigned from his position as Prime Minister to run in the primary, dismissed the measure as contrary to his vision of a society of work. Francois de Rugy of the Left Radicals, meanwhile, argued it was distracting from the debate on how to create jobs.

In an interview with Le Monde at the start of this year, Mr Hamon said universal income was the new social protection. He said: The question is not to know if there will ever be a universal income, there will be one. This is the new social protection."

The only question is how universal income will be set up in the years to come in France. I do not question the importance of work, but I relativise its place, because it is becoming scarce. Digital technology will revolutionise our lives.

We must master this transition and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity... less work and live better.

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

A system of universal income is already being tested in Finland, while a report tabled by MEPs recently warned European countries must seriously consider the measure to prepare for the mass unemployment that could come as a result of robots taking over manual jobs.

The draft report, tabled by a socialist MEP Mady Delvaux-Stehres, warned preparations must be made for what it describes as the technological revolution currently taking place, including provisions for the possible effects on the labour market of robotics. It passed by 17 votes to two and will be put in front of the entire European Parliament in February.

The left-wing primaries will be held on 22 and 29 January, and the winner will face front-runners Francois Fillon, a Catholic conservative former prime minister, eurosceptic Marine Le Pen, head of the far-right National Front party and independent candidate Manuel Macron, in the race for French presidency.
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Vladimir Putin has claimed there is a conspiracy to delegitimise Donald Trump and said the people who ordered a dossier of compromising personal information on the President-elect were worse than prostitutes.

The Russian President claimed reports of Russia gathering intelligence on Mr Trump were false, adding: Our security services do not chase every US billionaire.

I don't know Mr Trump, I have never met him, I don't know what he will do in the international arena, so I have no reason either to attack him, criticise him or defend him, he added, according to a translation by the state-owned Sputnik news agency.

Following Mr Trumps shock election victory in November, he vowed to meet the Russian leader soon to repair relations badly damaged by the Ukrainian and Syrian conflicts.

The pair have made several warm overtures towards each other, with the President-elect repeating praise for his counterpart even after American intelligence agencies accused Russia of being behind hacking to interfere in the US election.

Mr Putin compared the situation in America to that during the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, when Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted by waves of protest.

President Trump protests Show all 20 1 /20 President Trump protests President Trump protests Patrons hold a sign as people march by while protesting the election of Republican Donald Trump as the president of the United States in downtown Los Angeles, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators rally following the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators march following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests Thousands of protesters rallied across the United States expressing shock and anger over Donald Trump's election, vowing to oppose divisive views they say helped the Republican billionaire win the presidency AFP/Getty Images President Trump protests Demonstrators protest outside the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois Getty President Trump protests A police officer aims a launcher after demonstrators threw projectiles toward a line of officers during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests An officer examines a vandalized police vehicle as demonstrators riot in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators take over the Hollywood 101 Freeway just north of Los Angeles City Hall in protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests A woman holds up a sign reading 'Trump you are an Idiot' as demonstrators gather during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump outside the City Hall building in Los Angeles, California EPA President Trump protests A masked demonstrator gestures toward a police line during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, near the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada Reuters President Trump protests Musician Lagy Gaga stages a protest against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on a sanitation truck outside Trump Tower in New York City Getty President Trump protests A woman yells as she takes part in a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A man dressed in red-white-and-blue sits on the curb during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A protester sets off fireworks during a protest against President-elect Donald Trumpin Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests University of California, Davis students protest on campus in Davis, California, U.S. following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests An Oakland police officer checks out damage after a window was broken by protesters at a car dealership in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests A protester faces a police line in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests President-elect Donald Trumpis victory set off multiple protests AP President Trump protests A fire burns during protests in Oakland, Calif AP

It seems that they practiced this in Kiev and now are ready to organise a Maidan in Washington not to let Trump assume office, he said, implying the methods were part of an international conspiracy to delegitimise Mr Trump.

The Kremlin previously denied gathering compromising information on Mr Trump after the allegations were released in a dossier compiled by former MI6 agent Christopher Steele.

He was hired by the Republican candidate's political opponents but decided to pass the information to both British and American intelligence services.

Among the colourful claims was an allegation that Mr Trump had paid prostitutes to carry out an obscene sex act in a hotel room formerly used by Barack and Michelle Obama.

He's a man who has been organising beauty competitions, he's met the most beautiful women in the world," Mr Putin said. "I find it hard to imagine he ran to a hotel to meet our girls of low social responsibility, though they are of course also the best in the world."

The Russian President called prostitution an "ugly social phenomenon, adding: But people who order such fakes which are now used against the elected President of the United States, fabricate information and use it in the political struggle, they are worse than prostitutes, they have no moral limits.

The Kremlin has stated that it does not collect compromising material on foreign politicians or businessmen, and has denied any role in cyber attacks during the US election.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said he doesnt believe that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump met with prostitutes in Russia, calling the accusations part of a campaign to undermine the election result.

Unsubstantiated allegations made against Trump are obvious fabrications, Putin told reporters in the Kremlin on Tuesday. People who order fakes of the type now circulating against the U.S. president-elect, who concoct them and use them in a political battle, are worse than prostitutes because they dont have any moral boundaries at all, he said.

Putin said that Trump wasnt a politician when he visited Moscow in the past and Russian officials werent aware that he held any political ambitions. Its complete nonsense to believe that Russian security services chase after every American billionaire, he said.

 Putin calls creators of Trump dossier 'worse than prostitutes'

The Kremlin has denied that it holds any compromising material on Trump after U.S. intelligence officials informed the president-elect about unsubstantiated reports that Russia had compiled potentially damaging personal information on him.

Trump in a press conference on Jan. 11 lashed out at some media organizations for publishing the unverified material about alleged Russian intelligence gathering on him and Democrat Hillary Clinton. The Russian aim was to leverage the information to shift U.S. policy toward Russia, including by potentially blackmailing Trump, according to memos shown to the president-elect and outgoing President Barack Obama by U.S. intelligence agencies.

Trump said it was disgraceful that intelligence agencies had allowed fake information out, comparing this to the actions of Nazi Germany.

Vladimir Putin and the people Show all 11 1 /11 Vladimir Putin and the people Vladimir Putin and the people 561608.bin Vladimir Putin and the people 561611.bin GETTY IMAGES Vladimir Putin and the people 561614.bin EPA Vladimir Putin and the people 561615.bin REUTERS Vladimir Putin and the people 561617.bin AP Vladimir Putin and the people 561618.bin GETTY IMAGES Vladimir Putin and the people 561620.bin PA Vladimir Putin and the people 561621.bin AP Vladimir Putin and the people 561622.bin GETTY IMAGES Vladimir Putin and the people 561624.bin GETTY IMAGES Vladimir Putin and the people 561625.bin EPA

The U.S. tycoon-turned-politician was last in Moscow in 2013 for the staging of the Miss Universe contest that he owned. He hoped unsuccessfully to meet Putin, tweeting in June that year about the possibility the Russian leader would attend the beauty pageant.

Trump is a grown man, and secondly hes someone who has been involved with beauty contests for many years and has met the most beautiful women in the world, Putin said. I find it hard to believe that he rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world.

Copyright: Bloomberg
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A Cairo high court has upheld a previous ruling to stop the planned transfer of two Egyptian-controlled islands in the Red Sea back to Saudi Arabia.

Cheers erupted in the High Administrative Court as a government appeal against a lower courts decision was upheld on Monday.

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi decided to transfer tiny uninhabited Tiran and Sanafir in the Gulf of Aqaba, which ships must pass on their way to Jordan and Israel, in April last year.

The fate of the two islands has been at the heart of recent friction between Riyadh and Cairo over a string of regional issues, including the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

Egyptian troops have been stationed on the islands since the 1950s, when Saudi Arabia asked Egypt to protect them during possible skirmishes with Israel.

The decision to hand them back was met with widespread anger and protests across Egypt in which hundreds of people were arrested.

Many said they saw the islands as part of their country, pointing out school textbooks and the countrys constitution said as much.

President Sisi was accused of selling the islands in return for a multi-billion dollar aid and financial bailout package from Saudi Arabia, announced shortly before the transfer.

File aerial picture showing the Red Sea's Tiran (foreground) and Sanafir (background) islands in the Strait of Tiran between Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Saudi Arabia (AFP/Getty Images)

The Gulf kingdom has been a strong backer of Mr Sisis government since he led the military coup that overthrew democratically elected Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

Last June human rights activists took the government to a lower court over the proposal, which ruled that changes to Egypts maritime borders could not be amended in favour of another state.

The high courts decision dismissed the governments appeal to transfer the islands on the grounds that it did not provide sufficient evidence that they had originally belonged to Saudi Arabia.

A 1906 maritime treaty between Egypt and the Ottoman Empire was irrefutable evidence that Egypt has sovereignty over the islands, the court found, as the kingdom of Saudi Arabia was not established until 1932.

The ruling could be subject to a further court appeal.
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The gunman suspected of killing 39 people in an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day has been arrested, according to local media reports.

Abdulkadir Masharipov was reportedly arrested by police in the Esenyurt district of the Turkish capital, the Hurriyet newspaper said.

Unconfirmed reports by local media say the man was operating under the cover name Ebu Muhammed Horasani, and was caught in a special police operation with his son on the European side of the city.

The Uzbek national was to undergo medical checks before being taken to a police headquarters for questioning, the reports said.

Dozens of people have been detained in connection with the attack for which Isis has claimed responsibility, citing revenge for Turkish military involvement in Syria as the motive.

Turkish police launched a nationwide man hunt for the suspect after he opened fire at the crowded Reina nightclub, in an assault lasting several minutes.

Recommended Istanbul attack offers glimpse of terrorism in Central Asia

The attacker killed a policeman and another man outside the nightclub in the early hours of 1 January, before entering and firing at an estimated 600 people partying inside, unleashing more than 100 bullets.

He was also reported to have reloaded his weapon half a dozen times and to have shot at the wounded as they lay on the floor.

Citizens of Israel, France, Tunisia, Lebanon, India, Belgium, Jordan and Saudi Arabia were among the victims, and 69 people were injured.

Additional reporting by agencies.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has branded the former British spy believed to have compiled a dossier on Donald Trumps alleged links to Russia a runaway crook, as he hit out at claims the Kremlin was behind cyber attacks on the US election.

Russias most senior diplomat said those in the US intelligence agencies who tried to prove the President-elect had ties to Moscow should be fired.

The barbed comments were aimed at Christopher Steele, a retired MI6 agent, who was last week named as the author of a document that contained explosive claims about the incoming US president.

 US President-elect Donald Trump on recent allegations

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Mr Lavrov said "some runaway crook from the MI6" was behind the dossier, without naming Mr Steele.

He said the file was a "rude provocation" containing "absurdities" and "fakes" that were aimed at hurting Mr Trump.

The document, made public last week after it was briefed to Barack Obama and Mr Trump, alleged that the President-elects inner circle had close ties with the Kremlin.

The file also claimed Russian officials held videos of the New York businessman taking part in unusual sexual activities.

Russia and Mr Trump have continuously denied the claims contained in the dossier.

"These are convulsions of those who realise that their time is running out," Mr Lavrov said.

"That is why various fakes are being fabricated."

He also said Moscow was ready to hold talks with the incoming president, including over nuclear weapons, missile defence and the weaponisation of space.
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British Airways says it will cancel only 24 flights during the second round of industrial action by some Heathrow-based cabin crew.

Members of the Unite union working for BAs Mixed Fleet operation are to strike from Thursday to Saturday, 19-21 January. The dispute is over what the union calls poverty pay. Unite claims many staff are reporting for duty while unfit, rather than lose the 3 per hour allowance they earn while on duty.

During the 48-hour strike last week, The Independent identified 44 cancelled flights, representing 2.75 per cent of the total schedule. BA says all but 1 per cent of flights will operate as normal during the next stoppage.



Recommended No one can agree what the latest British Airways strike is about



The 16 cancellations are of short-haul flights. BA says: Customers affected will be able to fly slightly earlier or slightly later.

Affected passengers also have the option to change the date of departure to avoid the strike days, switch to an alternative city within 300 miles of the original destination, or claim a full refund.

Some flights will be operated by aircraft chartered in by British Airways to cover for its own grounded planes. The airline says: We will inform customers on those flights in advance. Were finalising these details.



Recommended We took one of the first BA flights where you have to buy your food



Unites 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.

The two sides cannot agree about current pay levels nor the effect of the last strike.

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.

Mixed Fleet work on about 30 per cent of flights from Heathrow. Services from Gatwick, Stansted and London City are unaffected.
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I cried my first tears of joy when, one Tuesday night in 2008, Barack Obama took the stage of Grant Park in Chicago; he just won the election. I watched his speech from a bar in downtown San Francisco, as fellow patrons stared at the TV screens, stunned.

Never had I felt such a sense of simultaneous relief and satisfaction after the political theatrics of a presidential election. I had developed my political consciousness during the second Bush administration and, irrespective of the never-ending war and devastating economic collapse, began to believe that perhaps the country was not interested in moving in a progressive direction.

As a person of colour, Obamas election gave me a reason to feel optimistic about the course of the nation when he became President-elect. He proved possible what people from minority communities could previously only imagine  never attain  as the barriers of white supremacy were still well intact. But in turn, the new President was assigned a task that was doomed from the start: that he, by virtue of being the first black man to occupy the White House Oval Office, would somehow absolve the United States of its racist history.

Even in his optimism  heroically maintained in the gloomy final days of his administration  President Obama conceded that, although race relations are better than they were 10 or 20 or 30 years ago, the hurdles of racism still have yet to be cleared.

After my election there was talk of a post-racial America, he said in his farewell speech earlier this month. Such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic. Race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society.

It would have been naive to think that one president could dismantle centuries of American white supremacy in only eight years. Thats simply not how history, let alone the US political system, works. And the moment Obama took office, he faced opposition from the stalwarts of that system in Congress  stymied by conservative-voting Blue Dog Democrats when he had a supermajority, and ultimately held by Republicans after the midterm election in 2014.

He was met with racist criticism and resistance from his campaign, when a Fox News commentator referred to a fistbump between Obama and now First Lady Michelle Obama as a terrorist fist jab. While speaking at a joint session of Congress, a white Republican congressman heckled the President, shouting You lie!, when he said his proposed healthcare reform legislation would not insure undocumented immigrants.

The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 Show all 10 1 /10 The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama thank supporters during the Commander in Chief Inaugural Ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. President Obama was sworn in for his second term earlier in the day. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama arrive for the Inaugural Ball at the Walter Washington Convention Center January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. President Obama started his second term by taking the Oath of Office earlier in the day during a ceremony on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama arrive for the Inaugural Ball at the Walter Washington Convention Center January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. President Obama started his second term by taking the Oath of Office earlier in the day during a ceremony on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 U.S. President Barack Obama dances with first lady Michelle Obama during the Inaugural Ball January 21, 2013 at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States. Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama ride in a golf cart an Inaugural ball 1/20/09 Official White House Photo by Pete Souza Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama dance during the Youth Inaugural Ball at the Hilton Washington in Washington, DC, January 20, 2009. Obama was sworn in as the 44th US president earlier in the day. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 (L-R) US President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Michelle Obama and president-elect Barack Obama stand outside the Diplomatic entrance of the White House on November 10, 2008 in Washington. Obama is visiting the White House at the invitation of Bush ahead of his January 20, 2009 inauguration as the next president. AFP PHOTO/Tim SLOAN (Photo credit should read TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images) Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 (L-R) US President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Michelle Obama and president-elect Barack Obama stand outside the Diplomatic entrance of the White House on November 10, 2008 in Washington. Obama is visiting the White House at the invitation of Bush ahead of his January 20, 2009 inauguration as the next president. AFP PHOTO/Tim SLOAN (Photo credit should read TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 US President George W. Bush and president-elect Barack Obama make their way through the Colonnade on November 10, 208 to a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Obama is visiting the White House at the invitation of Bush ahead of his January 20, 2009 inauguration as the next president. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 performs during MTV & ServiceNation: Live From The Youth Inaugural Ball at the Hilton Washington on January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. President Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States today, becoming the first African-American to be elected President of the US. Getty Images

In my life, I had not witnessed that sort of treatment of a sitting President, and felt it was no coincidence that Obama, whose portrait stands in stark contrast to the 43 men before him, seemed to attract the boisterous protests of angry white elected officials.

Obama was restrained for much of his first term when it came to the topic of race. The administration did not want to appear to promote a black agenda so soon after taking office, White House insiders told The New York Times.

At a minimum, that would have been tone deaf, former Attorney General Eric Holder said, and at worst, would have created a reaction in the larger community that would have prevented the things you wanted to do.

However, that restraint would ultimately lead to disappointment for some during the Ferguson protests, when a white police officer shot and killed unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in August 2014.

 The most important passage of Barack Obama's speech

In his statement in the wake of the massive demonstration and riots, sparked by the mobilisation of a heavily militarised local police force, quick to pull the triggers of their tear gas launchers, Obama tried to maintain a balanced tone that defended rights of the protesters to peacefully assemble while also maintaining support for law enforcement.

There is never an excuse for violence against police or for those who would use this tragedy as a cover for vandalism or looting, he said. Theres also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protests or to throw protesters in jail for lawfully exercising their First Amendment rights.

A Justice Department investigation, released in March 2015, found that nearly every aspect of Fergusons law enforcement system disproportionately impacted the African American community.

The mobilisation of activists in the wake of Ferguson prompted a national call for police reform, answered by the Presidents executive action to launch the Task Force on 21st Century Policing. The task force promoted more community engagement from police departments, de-escalation training, and oversight. Of course, cities must voluntarily adopt the guidelines, and a majority of US cities have yet to implement such community policing strategies.

Obama made his progressive values clear in the numerous other executive actions he ordered throughout the latter half of his administration  as evidenced through Daca, which protected undocumented immigrants brought to the US as minors from threat of deportation; and the directive to allow transgender public school students to use bathrooms according to their gender identities.

I want to know if my hair is just like yours, the son of a White House staffer said to Obama, who bent down to let him find out (Pete Souza/White House)

But the significance of Obama lies in his experience as a person of colour in America  something literally no other president of the United States has had. While President, he first explicitly conveyed that connection, after a self-appointed neighbourhood watchman shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin as he walked home from a convenience store with a can of fruit juice and package of Skittles candy.

If I had a son, hed look like Trayvon, Obama told reporters in 2012.

Two years later, weeks after Ferguson, Obama described his shared experience with young civil rights activists in an interview with BET.

When they described their own personal experiences of having been stopped for no reason, or having generated suspicion because they were in a community that supposedly they didnt belong, my mind went back to what it was like for me when I was 17, 18, 20, Obama said.

And as I told them, not only do I hear the pain and frustration of being subjected to that kind of constant suspicion, but part of the reason I got into politics was to figure out how I can bridge some of those gaps in understanding so that the larger country understands this is not just a black problem or a brown problem. This is an American problem.

 Obama's best speeches: on race and union, March 2008

I first learned of that suspicion at the age of 11, when a police officer put me in a headlock after a white friend gave him a derogatory shout; the countless times Texas state police pulled me over while driving on country roads at night. To know that the President had walked down the street at some point in his life and fell victim to the same stereotypes that millions of black and brown Americans feared gave me some solace. It also served as a reminder that the countrys problems go way beyond one man, one administration.

Racism, we are not cured of. And its not just a matter of it not being polite to say n***** in public. Thats not a measure of whether racism still exists or not, Obama told comedian Marc Maron on his podcast in 2015. Societies dont overnight completely erase everything that happened 200 to 300 years prior.

For years, well before Barack Obamas name would grab the attention of a young Latino from Texas, the concept of a president who wasnt white seemed like an impossibility. Not in our lifetime, my 12th grade government teacher, a white man, told my classroom. He suggested that the USs legacy of whiteness was too powerful still to elect somebody from outside of those constraints.

And still, persistent white supremacy in the US sparked a rabid backlash to the first black President  taking shape in gerrymandering to virtually rig elections in favour of state Republicans, racist voter identification laws that largely targeted black voters, the overt racism directed at Obama and the First Lady, and intimidation of Latino voters. All this resulted in a Republican stronghold of Congress, the majority of US statehouses, and a racist business mogul taking over the White House.

Despite this, Obama issued his optimistic call to action to people who wish to change the course of the US, to bend the proverbial arc toward justice.

Show up, dive in, stay at it, he said during his farewell, as he readies to leave office far more popular than the President-elect. Sometimes youll win, sometimes youll lose. Presuming a reservoir in goodness, that can be a risk. And there will be times when the process will disappoint you.

But for those of us fortunate enough to have been part of this one and to see it up close, let me tell you, it can energise and inspire. And more often than not, your faith in America and in Americans will be confirmed.

Mine sure has been."
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No more Theresa Maybe? Maybe. There was certainly some welcome clarity in what the Prime Minister said, although her message was, though clear, equally extremely unwelcome.

She is promising an extreme, damaging and undemocratic Brexit as a policy aim, rather than an unfortunate outcome of negotiation  and there is no mandate for her to do so. We know that nothing will stand in the way of reducing migration and removing any role for the European Court of Justice  not even severe damage to the British national economic interest.

The terms she is talking about were not promised by the Leave campaign in the referendum. Indeed, Ms May goes so far as to suggest that no deal is better than a bad deal, in which case the UK will be thrown back on world trade rules, the worst possible outcome for these talks, and something that no one voted for on 23 June. Within a decade the City of London, the car industry, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and our food and drink industry  to take the most egregious examples  will suffer a progressive loss of investment, loss of jobs, loss of profitability and, thus, loss of prosperity for millions of British families.

As decisions are taken by banks for their next big expansion, they are much more likely now to make their next move in Frankfurt. For the carmakers, locations such as Slovakia or Romania will seem even more attractive. Incremental investments in new plants will be lost. The loss of migrants from Europe will raise costs for British business, and further reduce profitability. When the Prime Minister and the Chancellor talk euphemistically about a new economic model for the UK, they should say what they mean  an ultra-low-tax economy with few if any funds for welfare, school and health services, relaying for its success on a massive programme of deregulation and destruction of workers rights (despite Ms Mays promises to the contrary) and a race to the bottom on corporate taxation. Britain is set to try to become the Singapore of Europe.

 Theresa May says Parliament will have a vote on the Brexit deal

Yes, some of the ambiguities and the cake-and-eat-it strategy have been swept away; but some chunks of wishful-thinking pastry remain on the prime ministerial plate. We now know that the UK cannot remain a member of the single market, though we would still like financial services and the auto industry to somehow be inside it. We know that Ms May wishes to retain the Common Travel Area with Ireland, but simultaneously take control of the UK-Ireland border, the only land frontier with the EU.

We know that she would like early settlement of the issue of the rights of EU nationals in Britain and British expats in Europe, but that is contingent on the rest of the deal, and not an absolute unilateral pledge on the UKs part (which would be the right thing to do). So Europeans in Britain remain bargaining chips, disgracefully.

We know that UK membership of the EU customs union will go, at least in its present form, though we might be associate members of it. What body will adjudicate on any disputes about the way these new arrangements with the continuing EU will work? It would have to be a supranational body, even if it is not the European Court. And, while the current subventions to the EU budget have been ruled out, smaller subscriptions or fees for membership of elements of the EU are still on the table.

Perhaps most telling of all, Ms May has committed her Government to obtaining the consent of both houses of Parliament to the eventual terms of exit. According to the spin, though, the option to remain within the EU will not be on the table. For Parliament and people, that is unacceptable. She should, of course, have pledged a referendum for the whole of the British people on such a momentous move, just as the people had a say last year and in 1975 on the UKs relationship with Europe.

The Prime Ministers rhetoric tried to summon up Britains glorious past as a freewheeling trading and imperial power, suggesting for a moment that the Commonwealth could be a renewed economic force in the world. The ghosts of Raleigh and Drake, of Rhodes, Joe Chamberlain and Imperial Preference were flitting around Lancaster House as she told some no doubt dismayed diplomats and industrialists that her bold, global Brexit means leaving the UKs largest single export market in favour of striking new deals with exciting new partners from New Zealand and the US.

What experts have said about Brexit Show all 11 1 /11 What experts have said about Brexit What experts have said about Brexit Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit One of Britains great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the worlds leading international financial centre. Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Yanis Varoufakis Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Michael OLeary Ryanair boss says UK will be screwed by EU in Brexit trade deals: I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how the world will want to trade with us. The world will want to screw you  that's what happens in trade talks, he said. They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade Getty What experts have said about Brexit Tim Martin JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea" PA What experts have said about Brexit Mark Carney Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: I am absolutely serene about the  judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Christine Lagarde IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Inga Beale Lloyds chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe EPA What experts have said about Brexit Colm Kelleher President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London will suffer as result of the EU referendum: I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much What experts have said about Brexit Richard Branson Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and thats happening all over the country" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Barack Obama US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Kristin Forbes American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been less stormy than many expected following the shock referendum result: For nowthe economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up  and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction Getty

Those new deals will almost certainly be more about goods and services, and that is far from suitable for a country such as Britain where three-quarters of its exports are in the service sector, not manufacturing. Service sector agreements usually work best as a single market arrangement, where professional qualifications and movement of people are important elements; that is going to be extremely difficult to secure. In science, in higher education, in pharmaceutical research, in tourism and much else, the movement of people is even more important than it is in goods. It has taken decades to secure that with our closest geographical neighbours; it is unlikely to happen any more quickly, if at all, with nations such as China or India. In any case, our trade with those countries is far smaller than with Germany or France, and would take decades to approach the same volumes and value.

Defiant, but destructively foolish, Ms May promised more certainty, and she has delivered that: for it is more certain than ever that she leading the country and her party into a certainly disastrous economic future  and will ignore the popular will.
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The difference in numbers between the Leavers and the Remainers was 1.27 million, and it would only take 635,000 to switch from Leave to Remain and the so called will of the of the British people would find itself in the minority.

There is some evidence to suggest that a large number of people have changed their minds having seen through the lying and mis-selling perpetrated by the Leave side, not to mention the constant bickering that has gone on over the last six months, especially in terms of the complexity of unpicking the legislation. They may even have asked themselves what the economy would be like in one, two, or five years time even though the predicted immediate economic apocalypse hasn't happened, yet.

They may be questioning whether sovereignty and immigration does in fact trump individual prosperity. Also, does the country have a proper functioning government at present? The 37 per cent of the electorate who voted to leave was not enough, in my view, to effect such a major constitutional change.

Theresa May has been pushed precipitously by the headbangers in Government to trigger Article 50 by the end of March when she should have really awaited the outcome of this year's various European elections. It may be that reform is in the air and remaining in the EU might well help that process. She would also do well to commission surveys of public opinion to try and establish what the British people really want.

If she gets this wrong, the country will never forgive her.

Robert Hubbard

London, N10

Can we trust business forecasts on Brexit?

As an anxious Remainer I felt brief reassurance when I read your report that a PwC survey found that 89 per cent of British company bosses were confident about their company's prospects despite Brexit.

But then I leafed back a few pages and read Andreas Whittam Smith's article where I learnt that the BOE Chief Economist Andy Haldane has criticised the performance of 75 to 90 per cent of British companies.

Could there be some correlation there?

Andrew Jackson

Cardiff

We need to approach Nato with suspicion

An obsolete Nato is also dangerous given its unipolar premise that the only legitimate near-abroad is that of the west and its client states. Needless to say, this is everywhere and anywhere. Such overstretch with its maze of article five tripwires not only renders foreign policy incoherent but is potentially destabilising. Turkey's continuing Nato membership, for instance, is far from reassuring and, at the other extreme, tiny Montenegro's forthcoming membership is worthy of a light opera.

Then there is the Russian threat to the Baltic states. What is amazing is Moscow's temperate response to Estonia and Latvia's gross violation of international norms in denying citizenship to those of its Russian minority who are not conversant in Estonian and Latvian respectively. Nato turned a blind eye when it granted membership to these two states. So much for the European Convention on Human Rights.

As for Ukraine, Nato and the west made matters worse by not acknowledging that it was a classic example of a young state that didn't naturally command the allegiance of all its peoples. Other examples are Georgia, Moldova and Azerbaijan.

Nato needs critical assessing more than unflagging support.

Yugo Kovach

Dorset

Michael Gove and Donald Trump are welcome to each other

It is interesting to note that the Oxford English Dictionary defines the verb to gove simply as to stare stupidly  it may now be supplemented with a definition for the similarly named noun as a self-seeking, oleaginous opportunist.

The OED, of course, defines the verb to trump (inter alia) as to break wind audibly.

I guess they were made for each other.

Graham Powell

Cirencester

Older Remainers are being ignored

Just a note about recent Letters concerning who voted remain and who did not, and the various analyses of that vote. There is comment about the youth vote versus the older.

In 2015 I joined a political party for the first time. I pay my dues but had not been active until the referendum vote. I gave out leaflets on the street. I spoke with and debated with anybody who stopped to talk.

The people who joined me, I don't think any of them were less than 30 years old. Most would have been over 50. I am 66. I and my colleagues voted Remain.

The suggestion that there is a youth vs old division on this, itself creates division.

The idea of remain is that we are in it together.

Terry Evans

London, W2

We should support John Lewis

Last Friday, Georgia congressman, civil rights icon, John Lewis, echoed what millions of Americans are thinking, namely that President-elect is not a legitimate president. Trump can hardly cry foul when he was the architect of the birther movement which falsely accused Obama of being a non-citizen.

If the Russians actively participated in hacking Clintons emails to tilt the election in Trumps favour, then his legitimacy comes into question. FBI Director, Comey failed to explain why he chose to remain silent on the ongoing investigation of Russian hacking but felt no hesitation commenting on Clintons emails investigation which turned out to be inconsequential. Perhaps of even greater significance is whether the Trump campaign team colluded with the Russians. An investigation by Salon found 50 Republican electors in the Electoral College were illegally appointed, which casts further doubt on the legitimacy of Trumps election.

Predictably, Trumps criticism of John Lewis has created a firestorm. Contrast Lewiss heroism in non-violent actions for justice leaving him close to death, with Trumps highly pampered life.

During the height of the Vietnam War, Trump used his wealth and family connections to escape the draft. During this period, Trump and his father were sued by the Department of Justice for violating the Fair Housing Act of 1968 for discriminating against people of colour at his rental units.

Trumps accusation that Lewis is all talk underscores his appalling ignorance. Under Lewiss leadership Atlanta has become a thriving metropolis.

Jagjit Singh

Los Altos, California
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he welcomed the clarity in the UK Prime Minister's landmark speech laying out Britain's plans for leaving the European Union

Enda Kenny is being told to step up Ireland's response to Brexit amid warnings Theresa May's blueprint will reimpose a hard border on the island.

The Taoiseach said he welcomed the clarity in the UK Prime Minister's landmark speech laying out Britain's plans for leaving the European Union, adding that Europe will now have to respond.

In the Dail, Opposition leader Micheal Martin told him Ireland should not be welcoming what he described as "negative clarity".

"Britain is speaking softly but behaving and acting differently," said Mr Martin, whose Fianna Fail party props up Mr Kenny's Fine Gael-led minority administration.

"I get a real sense we are heading down a very difficult road and hence the need for Ireland to argue robustly now to protect our interests, our jobs and companies."

Mr Martin said Mrs May's Brexit speech was disappointing and contained very little about Irish concerns.

"There is no mention of any special status from Northern Ireland, for example," he said. "In fact, it is going in the opposite direction."

Sinn Fein say Mrs May's plan will create a new hard border along the 310-mile frontier that separates Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but which is virtually invisible since the peace process.

John O'Dowd, the party's Brexit spokesman, accused the Tory leader of ignoring the 56% majority of people in Northern Ireland who backed remaining within the EU.

"Exiting the single market and customs union would create a hard border on the island of Ireland and soft words from Theresa May mean nothing," he said.

Mr O'Dowd has also urged Mr Kenny to step up efforts towards a special EU status for Northern Ireland after Brexit.

Moments after the UK Prime Minister's landmark speech, Ireland signalled it will "vigorously pursue" businesses and EU agencies to move to Dublin.

"The Government notes that the British approach is now firmly that of a country which will have left the EU but which seeks to negotiate a new, close relationship with it," a government spokesman said.

"While this will inevitably be seen by many as a 'hard exit', the analysis across government has covered all possible models for the future UK relationship with the EU."

The government said it is "very aware of the potential economic opportunities that may arise for Ireland" from Mrs May's planned hard Brexit.

This included shifting investment, business and job creation as well as luring EU agencies currently located in London - including the European Medicines Board and the European Banking Authority.

Junior finance minister Eoghan Murphy has already predicted a wave of UK-based financial services companies will announce full or partial relocations to the Irish capital over the coming months.

Ireland said its priorities as one of the 27 EU countries in the Brexit negotiations remain its economic and trading arrangements, the peace process and border issues as well as the common travel area.

"In her speech, Prime Minister May highlighted the specific and historic relationship between Britain and Ireland," the government spokesman said.

"In this context, she made clear that her priorities include maintaining the common travel area and avoiding a return to a hard border with Northern Ireland, both of which are welcome.

"The alignment between our concerns regarding the economy and trade, and the UK objective of the UK to have a close, and friction-free, economic and trading relationship with the EU, including with Ireland is also very important."

Mr Kenny is to meet Mrs May in Dublin later this month.
Secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation Liam Doran said they are preparing for industrial action

Nurses have warned health chiefs they have until the end of the month to come up with substantial ideas to end staff shortages or face a strike.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) deferred its decisions on industrial action, including walk outs and work-to-rule, but said they wanted to offer management a last chance to resolve the crisis.

The immediate strike threat was lifted as the union's latest trolley watch report revealed the overcrowding crisis in the country's hospitals had soared again to 527 patients waiting for a bed.

The numbers included 372 people on trolleys or chairs in A&E units and another 155 people held on wards waiting access to a proper bed.

The worst overcrowding was in Letterkenny General Hospital, with 38 people waiting for a bed, followed by Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, which had 32 patients waiting.

The INMO has given health chiefs two weeks to develop plans to tackle staffing issues.

Union president Martina Harkin-Kelly said it was the last chance for management to prove they want to tackle the issues of recruitment and staff shortages and retention.

"Management must clearly understand that the decision of my executive council provides them with two weeks within which to demonstrate, after years of neglect and disrespect, that they are now committed to recognising that patient care is being compromised, nurses/midwives are completely overworked and their health and safety is being neglected," she said.

INMO general secretary Liam Doran said: "The INMO, while affording management the opportunity to engage and bring forward all initiatives necessary to address the crisis, will continue, at workplace level, to prepare for industrial action to protect the health and safety of our members."

Nurses are also being told to submit statement of concern forms to management in their hospitals which sets out professional judgment and issues about conditions where they work.

"They will be presented to management, as part of this campaign, with a demand for concrete measures, including the closure of beds if necessary, to ensure nurses/midwives can practice safely," Mr Doran said.

INMO will hold talks with health chiefs over the coming days and meet on January 30 to review the final proposals.

The union said a timeframe for industrial action will be finalised at the end of the month if substantial ideas are not produced.
Keeping the common travel area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland will be a priority in EU divorce talks, British prime minister Theresa May has said.

Mrs May used a keynote address on Britain's Brexit strategy to stress any deal on the sensitive border issue would have to respect the "integrity" of the UK's immigration system.

The UK prime minister said: "We cannot forget that, as we leave, the United Kingdom will share a land border with the EU, and maintaining that common travel area with the Republic of Ireland will be an important priority for the UK in the talks ahead.

"There has been a common travel area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland for many years.

"Indeed, it was formed before either of our two countries were members of the European Union. And the family ties and bonds of affection that unite our two countries mean that there will always be a special relationship between us.

"So we will work to deliver a practical solution that allows the maintenance of the common travel area with the Republic, while protecting the integrity of the United Kingdom's immigration system.

"Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past, so we will make it a priority to deliver a practical solution as soon as we can."

Responding to the speech, the Irish Government said its key objectives were securing trade and preserving the peace process, which included border issues.

"For Ireland, the priorities for the negotiation process that lies ahead are unchanged: our economic and trading arrangements, the Northern Ireland peace process, including border issues, the common travel area, and the future of the European Union.

"The Government notes that the British approach is now firmly that of a country which will have left the EU but which seeks to negotiate a new, close relationship with it.

"While this will inevitably be seen by many as a "hard exit", the analysis across government has covered all possible models for the future UK relationship with the EU.

"The Government is acutely aware of the potential risks and challenges for the Irish economy and will remain fully engaged on this aspect as the negotiations proceed.

"The Government is under no illusion about the nature and scale of the Brexit challenge. But it is ready," a statement by the Government said.
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech on leaving the European Union at Lancaster House in London, January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has made her most comprehensive statement to date on the relationship she thinks Britain should have with the rest of the EU after Brexit.

Here are eight key points that we've learned from her speech.

1) UK will leave the European single market

May insists that the Brexit agreement should allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and the EU's member states.

The deal should give British companies the freedom to trade with and operate within European markets, and let European businesses do the same in Britain.

"But I want to be clear: What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market," she said.

2) Ireland is special

Theresa May said specifically that maintaining the Common Travel Area with Ireland is an important priority for the UK in the talks ahead.

Its important to the Government here too, which means any threat to the Common Travel Area would have to come from elsewhere in Europe.

May said the UK government will "make it a priority to deliver a practical solution to the question of the shared land with the Irish State.

Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past, she said.

3) Brexit means Brexit - and May wants a 'truly global Britain'

May is not seeking partial or associate membership - the UK is not looking to be half in and half out of the EU.

It plans to exit the European Single Market and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

May seeks "a new and equal partnership between an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU".

"We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave," she said.

The UK wants to negotiate a free trade deal with the rest of the EU, but be free to do similar deals with others. Theresa May made a big point of saying Britain remains open to the world  a global Britain.

She said she wants the UK to emerge from this period of change "a stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking country than ever before."

"I want us to be a truly global Britain, the best friend and neighbour to our European partners, but a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe too. A country that goes out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike," she said.

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4) There will be investment in economic infrastructure

May said that the UK government has a plan for Britain; to pay the deficit down and to take a balanced approach by investing in the economic infrastructure.

"It can transform the growth potential of our economy and improve the quality of people's lives across the whole country," she said.

5) EU nationals will still be welcome

Brexit will mean control of immigration to the UK, so full free access to EU workers will end.

But Theresa May says the UK will be open to the best and brightest.

"You will still be welcome in this country as we hope our citizens will be in yours," she said.

6) Brexit does not mean the UK is 'turning inward'

May said that the UK is European and proud - that the decision to leave the European Union does not mean that they are turning inward.

"But we are always a country that has looked beyond Europe to the wider world. That is why we are one of the most racially diverse countries in Europe," she said.

7) UK does not want EU to unravel

May acknowledged that many fear the beginning of a "great unravelling" of the EU.

She has insisted that she does not want that to happen.

"It would not be in the best interest of Britain, it remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's best national interest for the EU to succeed," she said.

8) Transitional phase after Brexit deal desired

Theresa May said she wants a period after a Brexit deal has been negotiated when the new regime will be gradually phased in  rather than a cliff edge.

When the deal is done in March 2019, May wants to allow time to disentangle UK from EU.
British Prime Minister Theresa May is to deliver a speech, finally outlining her vision on how Britain will leave the European Union.

All the indications are that she wants Britain to go 'full Brexit' - here's five things to look out for.

1. Theresa May is expected to say Britain will not have partial membership of the EU that leaves us half-in, half-out. This will please the UK's Eurosceptics. It's going to be a hard Brexit.

2. Border control is expected to be central to Ms May's strategy. This obviously has implications for our border with Northern Ireland amid fears of new controls and tariffs on goods. It will be interesting to see if she references the situation in Ireland.

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3. It's not clear what her plans are for a post Brexit immigration policy but it'll be at the forefront of the minds of Irish citizens living and working in Britain. It's understood that she favours a work permit system, meaning EU migrants will only be able to come to the UK to live or work if they have a job offer. We'll have to wait an see what she says.

4. Taoiseach Enda Kenny takes leaders questions in the Dail at 2pm. It's likely that he'll be asked about Brexit and may offer the first official Irish response to Ms May's speech.

5. It'll be early morning in New York when the British Prime Minister is speaking. US President-elect Donald Trump may not be watching live. But keep an eye out on Twitter as the afternoon wears on. Trump, a fan of Brexit, is unlikely to remain silent on his favourite social media platform.
The Good Friday Agreement is under threat because of Theresa Mays plans to enact a Hard Brexit, a leading Northern Irish politician has warned.

Colum Eastwood, leader of Stormonts main nationalist opposition group, the Social Democratic and Labour Party, says the British government is blindly ignoring the interests of Northern Ireland in order to pursue the Prime Ministers pledge to leave the European Union.

His warning comes as power-sharing in Northern Ireland collapsed after Sinn Fein withdrew from joint rule at Stormont. The parliament will now be dissolved, with an election scheduled for 2 March to elect a new government.

Speaking to The Independent, Mr Eastwood said: Our institutions and our Good Friday Agreement are under threat because of Brexit... we think it will be hugely damaging to the peace process in Northern Ireland. Im not convinced that the British Government are all too concerned about that.

He added: The European context and the European Union and our joint membership of that with our colleagues across the border is fundamental to the peace process, fundamental to the Good Friday Agreement, fundamental to nationalisms ability to democratically advance our wishes, so the idea that we can just rip all that apart and it wont be destabilising  I think thats fairly naive of the British government to think thats possible.

He added: The British government have taken its eye off the ball here. Theyve done that at their peril.

Northern Ireland is expected to be particularly affected by Brexit as it shares a land border with another EU country, in the form of the Republic of Ireland. It is unknown if the border will be affected by EU withdrawal, such as a physical barrier or check point being erected.

In addition, Northern Ireland receives a number of EU subsidies for peace process projects as part of cross community relations to repair social discord from the Troubles conflict.

Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU, by a margin of 56pc.

Announcing Stormonts collapse and imminent dissolution, Secretary of State James Brokenshire said the Northern Irish political crisis would not delay Brexit and re-affirmed that Ms May remains committed to triggering Article 50 by the end of March, the formal processes by which EU withdrawal occurs.

Sinn Fein withdrew from power-sharing at Stormont last week, citing concerns about the Democratic Unionist Partys arrogant response to allegations their leader had misspent more than 490m of public funds. On Monday, the term period for them to return to government elapsed, meaning power-sharing has officially collapsed after more than a decade of joint rule between unionists and nationalists.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has insisted that Irish people will not only travel to Britain for social reasons after Brexit, but they will also continue to work there.

Speaking on RTE News, Mr Kenny outlined there will be no return of a hard border between Ireland and the UK.

We agreed when I went to Downing Street that we will preserve the common travel. It doesnt just mean travelling for social reasons; Irish people will travel to Britain and British people will travel to Ireland, not just for social reasons but to work.

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Therell be no return to the hard border which I call it, or as she says, the borders of the past where there were customs posts every 100 yards.

He also emphasised how Theresa May outlined Britain is not leaving Europe, it is leaving the European Union, and acknowledged how they had a testy relationship with the EU.

Britain has always had a testy relationship with Europe over many years so they are withdrawing and moving from the single market. They want a friction free trading relationship with the EU, so we will negotiate from an EU perspective, he said.

He welcomed the clarity brought by the British Prime Ministers speech and said he was looking forward to meeting her for further discussions.

Earlier today, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin raised the matter in the first leaders questions of the new Dail term.

Responding to Mr Kenny's remarks that he welcomed Mr May setting out what Britain wants, Mr Martin said: "I don't think we should be welcoming a negative clarity".

Earlier Mr Martin warned that Ms May's speech "constitutes an agenda for a very hard Brexit" and "very difficult negotiations ahead".

In reference to her intention to leave the European Union single market and customs union he said: "No matter what kind of gloss it means tariffs on goods between Britain and Ireland and Britain and EU."

He said her speech means the government needs to "change the nature of its response to Brexit".

Mr Martin said that aside from Ms May's remarks on the CTA there was "not a whole lot in the speech in terms of an Irish perspective"

He said there was "no mention of a special status for Northern Ireland" adding, "in fact it goes in the opposite direction".
IRELAND will be reassured by British Prime Minister Theresa May stressing the need to avoid a return to the Border - and also keep the Ireland-UK common travel area.

But her insistence that the UK will leave both the EU Single Market  and full membership of the EU customs union  underlines the difficulties of keeping things as they are between these two islands in a post Brexit world.

This was the British Prime Ministers first formal outline of her governments hopes for the upcoming EU-UK divorce talks which will start at the end of March and take some two years.

In it Mrs May spelt out some key points:

* The UK cannot stay in the full EU Single Market, which since January 1993 has guaranteed free movement of capital, goods, services and people. Brexit means London wants to control migration and therefore people movement. It also plans to reject EU Court of Justice powers to settle single market disputes.

* It equally wants to end full EU customs union membership. This provides free movement of goods. But it bans making trade deals with others  which Britain wants to do. The use of the words full membership suggests she may be open to some partial deal  possible for some trade sectors.

* Mrs May said Britain may try to stay with some EU programmes and try for a transition period to avoid hurling business off a cliff-edge. But this would have to be for a limited period. She also said the British parliament would vote on any final EU-UK deal.

The tone of the comments about the Irish situation will appear helpful. She noted that Brexit meant an EU-UK land border on this island.

No-one wants to return to the borders of the past. So we will make it a priority to have a practical solution as soon as possible," she said.

She also said the government would work to maintain the "common travel area" between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland.

The British Government had up to this revealed few details about what it wants to secure from the Brexit talks due to start in six weeks. Even now we only have four general principles, spelt out in 12 key aims, and Mrs May insisted the details are for the negotiations themselves.

Ireland goes into this process with three clear inter-linked aims, all of which were touched upon by this speech. Firstly, we want no return of the Border with identity or customs checks, which applied up to 20 years ago.

We want to keep the common travel area which is 90 years old. It is good to hear Mrs May concurs  but we must await the outcome of negotiations with the other 26 member states to find out what will happen.

And we also want to keep tariff-free UK-Irish trade which is worth a total of 1.2bn per week. How we do that with Britain outside the Single Market and customs union remains the biggest puzzle of all.
Theresa May will finally try to kill criticism that her Brexit vision is too vague by setting out a list of her "negotiating priorities" for EU withdrawal talks.

Downing Street sources said todays long-anticipated speech from the Prime Minister will shed new light on the critical question of Britains single market membership and the EU customs union

But critics in her own party who have attacked Ms Mays ambiguous approach to date piled on the pressure by warning of big problems if she fails to give real detail of her approach ahead of an expected Commons vote on launching Brexit talks.

The major speech also comes as an exclusive BMG Research poll for The Independent revealed more people believe Ms May is handling Brexit preparations badly than well.

Ms Mays enigmatic speeches and interviews on Brexit up to now have been met with constant claims that she has no real Brexit plan, but in the speech at Lancaster House she has promised to set out 12 negotiating priorities and the four key principles driving them.

She will say: We have 12 objectives that amount to one big goal: A new, positive and constructive partnership between Britain and the European Union.

And as we negotiate that partnership, we will be driven by some simple principles. We will provide as much certainty and clarity as we can at every stage. And we will take this opportunity to make Britain stronger, to make Britain fairer, and to build a more global Britain too.

To date the Prime Minister has rejected interpretations of her words that suggest she is taking the UK towards a hard Brexit, with the UK leaving the single market and customs union, by claiming she does not even recognise the term. But extracts of her speech will further fuel speculation over the matter.

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She will say: We seek a new and equal partnership  between an independent, self-governing, global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU.

Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half in, half out. We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave.

The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. My job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do.

A No 10 insider said the speech would bring more clarity to questions over the single market and customs union, but some MPs were not convinced.

Over the next two weeks the Supreme Court is set to rule whether Ms May must give Parliament a vote on triggering Article 50, something even ministers expect it to do.

MPs have been promised details of her approach to Brexit to inform the vote. But many were expecting a separate document in addition to Ms Mays speech, which they suspect will be nebulous.

With No 10 sources suggesting Ms Mays speech will be all they get, one senior Tory backbencher told The Independent: If Downing Street think that this speech is going to be the plan that will be voted on by the House of Commons they will have big problems with that.

A bunch of us will take a very dim view of that and the Labour party is expected to as well. They promised a plan, a speech is not a plan.

Another Tory MP demanded more clarity over the Prime Minister's approach to the single market, adding: If its this idea that we leave and arrange preferential access for certain sectors, then which?

If its cars or pharmaceuticals, then what about other industries? What about aerospace, for which parts of their products are manufactured all over Europe? The customs union is important to them too. Thats what we mean by certainty.

Conservative MP Neil Carmichael, a leading supporter of the Open Britain campaign, said: The Prime Ministers commitment to trading as freely as possible with the EU is welcome, but the best possible trading arrangement with the EU is full participation in the single market.

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No other arrangement is comparable, and so if the Government abandons membership of the single market, they will start the negotiations opting for second best.

Tory peer Patience Wheatcroft, who has led calls for Parliament to have more say on Brexit, said: Im not expecting a great deal of detail beyond control of our borders and we will be looking for the best possible terms of trade within the single market.

There will no doubt be quite a lot about what good news it is that President-elect Trump is keen to see us doing a lot of business with the US, but that doesnt amount to a great deal. I would like to hear we wont be triggering Article 50 until after the French and German elections, because whats the point until you know who will be on the other side of the table? I hope, but dont expect, that she will promise a vote in Parliament on the terms of the deal she gets.

An exclusive poll for The Independent by BMG Research found that when people were asked, In your opinion, is Theresa May doing a good job, or bad job, preparing the UK for Brexit?", just 25 per cent said she is doing a good or very good job.

Meanwhile almost a third, 30 per cent said she is doing a bad or very bad job, 27 per cent said she is doing average and 18 per cent said they did not know.

Last night a YouGov poll also showed more people supported some form of soft Brexit, 47 per cent, than the hard Brexit approach apparently being pursued by the Prime Minister, which had the support of 30 per cent of those surveyed.

Ms Mays speech also comes after Chancellor Philip Hammond suggested in an interview that Britain could transform its economic model into that of a corporate tax haven if the EU fails to provide it with an agreement on market access after Brexit.

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Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer told The Independent: "Tomorrow the Prime Minister has the chance to finally provide some clarity over her Brexit strategy and reassure the country.

"Having spoken to businesses, trade unions and communities across the UK it is clear what they need to hear; that the Prime Minister will put jobs and the economy first, ensure companies are able to trade without tariffs or additional impediments, that there will be no watering down of key employment or environmental rights; and that we will form a new cooperative relationship with the EU. That is an ambitious approach to Brexit but we should expect nothing less.

"The Prime Minister also needs to recognise that a one-off speech is not the same as a plan for Brexit. The House of Commons voted overwhelmingly for a Brexit plan to be published before Article 50 is triggered and Labour will hold the Government to it."

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron claimed the kind of Brexit Ms May is exploring would be destructive.

He said: Hard Brexit and the consequences will be felt by millions of people through higher prices, greater instability and rising fuel costs.

Theresa May can say everyone must come together, but when she delivers a message like this no one will believe her.
Commercial property specialists CBRE expect to see continued appetite from investors for Irish real estate in 2017, but a scarcity of prime product will prove to be the biggest challenge to the market following the record-breaking performances of the last two years.

Some 223 transactions greater than 1m were completed in the Irish market in 2016, bringing the total value of investment spend to over 4.5bn according to CBREs Outlook 2017 annual report.

Speaking at the reports launch at Dublins RDS this morning, CBRE Ireland managing director Enda Luddy grounded his firms predictions for the coming year in what he termed the seismic events of 2016. Mr Luddy said the unexpected outcome of both the UK referendum on Brexit and the US presidential election would by default have implications for the Irish property sector.

In terms of overall investment, CBRE expects to see total returns, rental growth and investment spend lower in 2017 than last year.

As the first meaningful improvement in new office supply becomes evident, CBRE are anticipating that prime office rents in Dublin will reach the peak of the current cycle in 2017. Any deterioration in office demand from the USA this year will however be compensated for by an increase in Brexit relocation activity from the UK, the firm predicts.

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While the hotel sector is expected to see a slowdown in transactional activity compared to 2016 and 2015, CBRE believes that some Dublin hoteliers may look to capitalise on the demand for hotels in the capital and bring hotels to the market in advance of an increase in new supply coming on stream from 2017 onwards.

Up to 40 Dublin pubs are expected to change hands this year, and at average prices above the 1.44m average achieved in sales in 2016.

CBRE believes the retail sector has potential for further rental growth on high streets, in shopping centres and at retail schemes, albeit at a more subdued rate than in 2016, due to strong competition.

The industrial sector would appear to show the greatest potential for growth according to CBREs analysis. While noting the 25pc increase in prime rents recorded in 2016, their report suggests there is potential for prime industrial rents to rise by another 14pc in 2017 off the back of considerable appetite from distribution and logistics operators and data centres in particular.

On the development front, CBRE sees a meaningful improvement in residential delivery from this year onwards following a range of housing market interventions by the Government in 2016.

An increased appetite for sites for PRS (Private Rented Sector) and student accommodation will dominate in 2017, according to the report.
Swiss President Doris Leuthard stands next to China's President Xi Jinping as they launch the Swiss-Sino year of tourism next to a panda ice sculpture on the side line of the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Laurent Gillieron/Pool

Economic globalisation has become a "Pandora's Box" for many, but global problems are not caused by it, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.

Xi told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that international financial crises were caused by the excessive pursuit of profits, not globalisation

Xi's appearance, a first for a Chinese leader at the annual meeting of political leaders, CEOs and bankers in Davos, comes as the part the United States plays as a force for multilateral cooperation on issues like trade and climate change is in doubt following the election of Donald Trump.

Europe, meanwhile, is pre-occupied with its own troubles, from Brexit and militant attacks to the string of elections this year in which anti-globalisation populists could score gains.

This has left a vacuum that China seems eager to fill.

"It is no coincidence that Xi chose this year to make the trip up the magic mountain," said Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, a U.S.-based political risk consultancy.

More than half a dozen senior Chinese government figures will be in Davos this week, far more than in past years. And a large number of sessions are focused on Asia, including one entitled "Asia Takes the Lead".

WEF founder Klaus Schwab said Xi's presence was a sign of the shift from a uni-polar world dominated by the United States to a more multi-polar system in which rising powers like China will have to step up and play a bigger role.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Colombian singer Shakira and U.S. actor Forest Whitaker are pictured during the Crystal Awards ceremony of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 16, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Swiss police patrol outside the congress center of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 16, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich FILE PHOTO: A general view of Davos during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 22, 2016. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich/File Photo German violinist Anne Sophie Mutter receives the Crystal Award by Hilde Schwab, wife of World Economic Forum (WEF) Executive Chairman and founder Klaus Schwab during the annual meeting of the Forum in Davos, Switzerland January 16, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich U.S. actor Forest Whitaker walks off stage after receiving the Crystal Award during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 16, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Belgium's Queen Mathilde (L) listens to Former Danish Prime Minister and CEO of Save the Children International Helle Thorning-Schmidt druing the Crystal Awards ceremony of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 16, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Colombian singer Shakira speaks after receiving the Crystal Award during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 16, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Colombian singer Shakira, U.S. actor Forest Whitaker and German violinist Anne Sophie Mutter pose for the media after receiving the Crystal Award at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 16, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Ruth Porat, Senior Vice-President and CFO of Alphabet attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting of the Forum in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Tidjane Thiam, CEO of the Credit Suisse bank attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting of the Forum in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Andrew Liveris, Chairman and CEO The Dow Chemical Company attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich REFILE - CORRECTING HEADLINE Martin Sorrell CEO of WPP attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Anthony Scaramucci, Assistant to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Director of Public Liaison attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Li Daokui, Dean of Schwarzman College Tsinghua University attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Two armed Swiss police officers stand on a roof top during the 'World Economic Forum' in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Business and world leaders are gathering for the annual meeting 'World Economic Forum ' in Davos. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) CEO of WPP Plc Sir Marin Sorrell gestures as he speaks during a panel 'Size matters: The Future of Big Business' at the 'World Economic Forum' in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Business and world leaders are gathering for the annual meeting 'World Economic Forum ' in Davos. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) Thoma Jordan, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich John Cryan, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Bank, speaks during a panel session on the first day of the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP) Axel Weber, Chairman of the Board of Directors of UBS bank attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich CEO of Credit Suisse Tidjane Thiam gestures as he speaks during a panel 'Size matters: The Future of Big Business' at the 'World Economic Forum' in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Business and world leaders are gathering for the annual meeting 'World Economic Forum ' in Davos. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of the Carlyle Group attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Anthony Scaramucci, Assistant to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Director of Public Liaison attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Carmen Reinhart, Minos A. Zombanakis Professor of the International Financial System at Harvard Kennedy School attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich Swiss President Doris Leuthard stands next to China's President Xi Jinping as they launch the Swiss-Sino year of tourism next to a panda ice sculpture on the side line of the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Laurent Gillieron/Pool Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and his wife Peng Liyuan attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich (L-R) Swiss President Doris Leuthard, her husband Roland Hausin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan stand in front of a panda ice sculpture as they launch the Swiss-Sino year of tourism on the side line of the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 17, 2017. 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"We can hope that China in this new world will assume a responsive and responsible leadership role," Schwab told Reuters. "So in some ways it is very symbolic to have the president of China here."

"TAKE OFF THE GLOVES"

Xi's appearance comes amid rising tensions between Beijing and president-elect Trump, who will be inaugurated on Friday, the final day of the Davos meeting.

Trump campaigned on a promise to confront China more aggressively on trade and broke with decades of precedent last month by taking a congratulatory telephone call from the president of Taiwan, which Beijing sees as part of China.

He has not toned down his rhetoric since, saying only last week that America's "One China" policy was up for negotiation, triggering a furious response from state-run Chinese newspapers.

"If Trump is determined to use this gambit in taking office, a period of fierce, damaging interactions will be unavoidable, as Beijing will have no choice but to take off the gloves," the English-language China Daily said.

Xi is not expected to wade into the tit-for-tat with Trump in Davos. Speaking in the Swiss capital Bern on the eve of his speech, he stressed the importance of cooperation.

"Protectionism, populism and de-globalisation are on the rise. It's not good for closer economic cooperation globally," Xi said.

China, the world's top exporter, is heavily dependent on free trade and could be hit hard by a new wave of protectionism.

Fears of a hard economic landing in China roiled global markets during last year's Davos.

And while those concerns have eased, the International Monetary Fund warned on Monday of ongoing risks to the economy, including its high reliance on government spending, record lending by state banks and an overheating property market.

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"China is still one of the biggest risks, and I think the only reason it is not at the top of the list is that the United States has become such a locus of uncertainty," Kenneth Rogoff, an economist at Harvard University, told Reuters.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Brexit presents the most serious threat to Irish farming and our agri-food sector for half a century, according to the IFA President, Joe Healy.

Speaking at the Associations AGM in Dublin, he said that with 40% of Irish food exports going to the UK, no other Member State and no other sector is as exposed in these negotiations.

Agriculture and food cannot become a battleground between Brussels and London. There are too many farm livelihoods and jobs at stake.

Politics cannot be allowed override our fundamental economic interests.

Healy also said that the Irish Government must use the strong relationship it has with both EU and UK leaders to influence a constructive approach to these difficult negotiations.

In Brussels, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Phil Hogan, must make the retention of free trade in agriculture and food products between the EU and UK a priority, Healy said.

In the short term, uncertainty has led to the weakening of sterling putting serious pressure on prices and exports.

Healy, who was elected IFA President last April, after a long, drawn out campaign, said farmers have taken most of the pain resulting from the weakness of sterling.

Beef farmers took a hit of 150m last year from this alone and mushroom farmers saw their margins wiped out.

These losses are a direct result of a political decision outside farmers control and cannot be tolerated.

Healy also said that the CAP post 2020 must work for Irish farmers, while there must be a reduction in bureaucracy and red tape, with supports for young farmers and improved volatility and safety net market measures.

I want to warn politicians today against any reduction in the CAP budget as a result of Brexit.

He said that at home, we will continue to press Minister for Enterprise, Mary Mitchell OConnor, on the appointment of an independent retail Ombudsman and a ban on below cost selling.

Farmers need to have confidence that the Grocery regulations introduced last year to protect suppliers will be enforced.

And while he welcomed the increased promotional funding for Bord Bia in Octobers budget, to diversify and grow our exports into non-UK markets, he said that the Department of Agricultures market access unit must be strengthened, with increased resources to deliver new markets, for our processed and live export trade.

However, opening markets must be more than media announcements. We must be able to achieve a price return for farmers.

Healy said that 2016 was a difficult year on cattle prices and that after the Brexit referendum, factories took advantage of the uncertainty and seriously undermined market confidence to get prices down.

Farmers took a hit of up to 100 per head in the Autumn, with a knock on impact on weanling and store producers.

Irish cattle prices have fallen below the EU average, and an unacceptable price gap has opened up with our main export market in Britain.

He said that there must be an immediate and substantial price lift and a willingness to offer forward contracts to farmers.
A collapse in the volume of land available for short-term leasing will see last year's price levels maintained, auctioneers have claimed.

Estate agents report strong interest for both grassland and tillage lettings, but they maintain that sufficient land to meet demand will not be available.

Between 150/ac and 250/ac is being quoted for grassland, while tillage ground varies from 150/ac to 230/ac.

Up to 80pc of ground that was traditionally available for con-acre and short-term lettings has been converted into long-term agreements over the last few years, auctioneers estimate.

Roscommon estate agent, John Earley, said he usually had around 150 farms to let at this time of the year but close to 100 of these properties were now tied up in long-term leases.

He said the fact that leases of over five years duration were tax free up to a value of 40,000 was a major attraction for land owners.

While Mr Earley accepted that long-term leases weren't "without their hiccups", he said they generally worked well.

They gave security to both the land owner and the farmer and were a better system overall than short-term leases, the Roscommon auctioneer pointed out.

However, Eddie McQuinn claimed the severe hit milk prices took last year had knocked the gloss off long-term leases for many land owners.

The Tralee-based auctioneer and farm advisor said a lot of tenants reneged on their rents when milk prices tanked last spring and summer, and the attractiveness of long-term leases had taken a battering as a result.

Mr McQuinn said this was the first year that he hadn't any farms to let on his books, despite having plenty of customers for any ground that were to come available.

"I haven't an acre to let - not one," he said. A lot of land that was generally available for letting was now tied up in long-term leases, added Mr McQuinn.

More ground had been planted, he explained, while some land owners who shied away for the five- and seven-year deals were opting to keep the minimum stocking levels on their holdings and harvest the direct payments.

It was a similar story in the southeast, where David Quinn - who is based on Wexford-Wicklow border - was renewing leases at last year's levels.

He said good quality tillage ground with entitlements was making 180-230/ac, while lands without use of entitlements were making 150-170/ac.

Good grazing ground was making 180-250/ac, he said, with heavier ground at 150-180/ac.
South East Women in Farming, a new farming group dedicated to the role of women, will officially launch in Carlow tonight.

Hundreds are expected to attend the event which will feature a special panel discussion on agricultural media and farm women.
Hundreds of farms face repossession this year as so-called vulture funds swoop on indebted properties, agri-finance experts have warned.

Industry sources say that as many as 200 farmers may be affected by the sale of a 2.5bn Ulster Bank loan portfolio to US vulture fund Cerberus last October. Hundreds more could also come under pressure if the anticipated sale of other Irish mortgage portfolios to global funds goes ahead.

Mortgage debt experts are calling on farm organisations to ramp up efforts to protect those affected, most of whom have been in financial difficulty since the economic crash.

The IFA and the ICMSA have called on banks to "engage constructively" with farmers and to offer realistic restructuring options.

Matt Carey, a debt resolution advisor who represents many farmers, said the Ulster Bank portfolio to Cerberus is causing "severe anxiety" for many of his clients.

"They do not know how to deal with a vulture fund. There is huge anxiety out there, while Ulster Bank walk away pretty happy."

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The vulture funds' primary interest is in the assets, not the debt, said Mr Carey. "They are attracted to the agricultural property and lands that secure debts."

Mr Carey, a former bank manager who worked at the former ACC bank for 37 years, said farmers are now struggling to get loans from other banks to pay back to the hedge funds.

"They have very few options, Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Bank essentially aren't understanding at all that farmers are finding it very difficult," he said.

"It is tolerable now that if you fail to pay, you lose. Unless the pressure comes from somewhere like the IFA and the other farm organisations to help these people, there will be a free run for the vulture funds. In other words, there will be blood on the floor in 2017."

He said the only way some debts will be repaid is by repossession and sale.

David Hall, CEO of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation (IMHO) revealed that his company is exploring options for indebted farmers with a national bank.

"This year we are going to see a very significant increase in vulture fund activity against everybody, including farmers," he said.

"It is a very unemotional transaction. These guys have ice in their veins, this is a raw commercial gig," he said.

Mr Hall also claims that banks are also failing to address the issue.

"We're exploring options that would allow us to do what has been done successfully with homeowners. We want to set up a system with specialist advisors with a knowledge of farmers, and we have explored the option of a mobile desk clinic in a van that could be accessible in farming communities where we would go to them," he said.

IFA president Joe Healy said: "IFA is very clear, as part of our ongoing engagements with both the banks and agencies dealing with distressed loans, we will not tolerate the stripping of assets with no regard for the family farm."

ICMSA president John Comer said: "Farmers are, by nature, conservative and cautious in their approach to borrowing and huge stress would be laid upon the relationship with 'their' bank. The idea that their business arrangements could be 'bundled up' and sold to some anonymous offshore outfit who bluntly care only about 'sweating their asset' is one that most farmers will find deeply alarming."
Waterford farmer Shane Fitzgerald had an amazing start to the calving season when one of his cows gave birth to hale and hearty triplets.

And what is even more amazing, is that the wonder dam calved the triplets herself.

Shane, who farms at Portlaw with his father John, had housed the cow in a straw-bedded shed because she was lame. However, he switched her to a nearby slatted house because he was doing maintenance work in the bedded unit.

"I was only at the other side of a wall from her but I never knew she was calving until I heard one of the calves," he explained.

He couldn't believe his eyes when he reached the slatted shed to find three healthy Holstein-Friesian calves - two bulls and a heifer. "It's amazing they all survived, and that they're all healthy," Shane commented.

The calves were 10 days premature and only as big as "medium-sized dogs" but Shane got three litres of colostrum into them shortly after being born and they have thrived since.

And how about the dam? "She's thin enough. It took a lot out of her," he said.

The Holstein-Friesian cow, which Shane described as "real quiet", is in her fourth lactation. The calves are by the popular sire Maestro.

Shane and John, who milk 160 cows in partnership, are unsure what they will do with the calves - but they have ruled out selling them.

"It's a great boost to get at the start of the calving season. These are the days you farm for," Shane said.

Wicklow-based vet Tommy Heffernan described triplet calves surviving as extremely rare. "Over the last 15 years I have calved three sets of triplets and none survived," he said.
The best that can be said about last weeks lamb and hogget trade was that prices remained steady, a trend that has continued this week with quotes generally around the 4.60/kg plus bonuses mark.

The one bright spark is the price of cull ewes which yesterday morning moved up to 2.50/kg at Kepak Athleague.

Returning to lamb prices, the two ICM plants are quoting a base price of 4.50/kg plus a bonus of 10c/kg.

Dawn Ballyhauais and Moyvalley Meats are on 4.60/kg, with Kepak Athleague on 4.65/kg plus 5c/kg quality bonus, while the two ICM plants are on that 4.50/kg plus 10c/kg, and Kildare Chilling on 4.60/kg plus 10c/kg.

The line from the factories is that the trade is a mess with a lot of British lamb potentially available to go on the French market now that sterling has again begun to soften against the euro.

It stood at 0.88p to the euro yesterday morning having been 3-4p stronger at 84-85p two weeks ago.

Factory bosses are worried that continental buyers may start to use British lamb prices in a world of devalued sterling as the benchmark for all deals.

When I put it to one factory agent that factory-retailer relations entail more than just cheaper prices, he replied that French supermarkets view Irish, British and anybody elses lamb as just all foreign product.

However, I dont quite buy that. Continuity of quality supply is a major issue not to be ignored at the first bend in the road. Bord Bia reported that the market in France has become slow following the festive period with an abundance of competitively priced UK lamb on the market.

Carcase weight

Both IFA and ICSA however paint a different picture with both quoting lamb prices up to 4.75/kg up to 23kgs.

John Lynskey of the IFA said a cut of half a kilo carcase weight cut to 22.5kgs amounts to 119 on a batch of 50 lambs.

The ICSAs John Brooks was equally scathing on the proposed weight cut but he reminded the industry that last years proposal to expand production by upwards of one million ewes was now obviously a dead duck from the farmers point of view.

Only in the last year we heard calls from the meat industry for farmers to increase production and that there is huge potential for growth and potential for markets to be exploited. At the moment the only ones being exploited are lamb producers as meat plants try to reduce prices and reduce weight limits in order to feed their greed for huge profit margins, the ICSA man said.
Grain farmers will protest outside the Dail tomorrow ahead of a private member's motion on emergency aid.

The IFA claims that 250 grain farmers have suffered losses running into the millions on the back of one of the most difficult harvests in recent years.

Grain losses are said to be close to 3m, while straw losses push the total write-off closer to 4m.

"Many tillage farmers are facing severe financial difficulties, such was the scale of crop losses experienced by individual growers in 2016," said an IFA statement.

Its survey showed that the growers worst affected were in counties Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Mayo, Meath, Roscommon and Tipperary.

Cork was by far the worst, accounting for the vast majority of the 16,400ac affected. This translated into over losses of 20,000 tonnes and close to 80,000 4x4 round bales.

The grain was valued at 142 and 13 per bale. The volume of grain and straw losses calculated for each farm was based on the five-year average yield for the individual farmers.

Over 40 Fianna Fail TDs have tabled a motion to establish a crisis support fund to provide direct payments to farmers impacted by the severe crop loss in 2016.

They want the EU's state aid to be made available as tailored support payments for farmers - up to a level equal of 15,000 per producer over a three year period.

The submission notes "the appalling vista" that the Department of Agriculture underspent its 2016 budget by 86m, despite the "absolute necessity" to support tillage farmers and the rural communities that rely on this sector.

"The continual trend of low grain prices, increased input costs and poor margins over the last number of years has intensified the income crisis and financial hardship in this sector," said the statement to be presented to the Dail.

Teagasc calculated that the average net margin on tillage farms in 2016 was minus 130/ha.

The motion also looks to progress the IFA's demand for a temporary suspension of EU import tariffs on fertilisers to reduce input costs for farmers.

It also seeks to promote the use of native grain and Irish malt in the manufacture of Irish whiskeys, spirits and beers.

In addition, the private members notice called on the Government to open a TAMS investment scheme immediately for the sector.

Weather data from September 2016 shows that all the counties along the western seaboard endured a minimum of 25 days with rain during what was a critical month for completing the harvest.
Fyffes is a global player in fruit distribution, with sales of 1.2bn and profits of 46m. Photo: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

Shareholders voted overwhelmingly to sell Fyffes to Japanese investment giant Sumitomo Corporation at a meeting in Dublin yesterday.

A motion to back the 751m sale of the Irish company was backed by more than 99pc of Fyffes shareholders who voted at an extraordinary general meeting.

Sumitomo shareholders also approved the scheme, which was announced on December 9, paving the way for the transaction to close in the second half of February.

The final timing will depend on regulatory approval and sanction by the High Court in Dublin of a scheme of arrangement to execute the transaction.

The overwhelming support from Fyffes shareholders reflects the 37pc premium being paid by Sumitomo, relative to the share price prior to the announcement.

The sale will mean a payout of around 87.5m to the McCann family who have led the business for six decades.

Fyffes is a global player in fruit distribution, with sales of 1.2bn and profits of 46m.

It distributes about 47 million cases of bananas a year in Europe, and a US subsidiary distributes 10 million a year in America. Fyffes also distributes 10 million cases of pineapples a year, and 17 million cases of winter melons in the United States.

The sale to Sumitomo is not expected to lead to immediate changes at Fyffes though over time it is likely to be absorbed into the new parent's own Asia-focused fruit business.

Shares in Fyffes traded at the 2.23 offer level yesterday, after the sale was approved by shareholders.
Fast food giant McDonald's has hit back in the brand war with Supermac's, by accusing the Irish firm of seeking to take unfair advantage of the US company's world-wide brand.

In a fresh twist in the ongoing European brand war between the makers of the Big Mac and the Snack Box, McDonald's has also accused the Galway firm of trying to benefit from McDonald's long-established brand by making the trademark application for Supermac's to the EU.

The charges are contained in McDonald's objection to Supermac's application to register its trademark to sell its curry chips, snack boxes and other fast foods in EU locations outside Ireland.

It is now almost one year since the EU Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) rejected a previous application by Supermac's. That followed strident opposition from McDonald's.

In a 24-page ruling, the OHIM agreed with McDonalds that Supermac's application for a trade-mark was likely to confuse the public over the two different fast food brands and their fast food products.

In the David and Goliath struggle - in 2015 it took less than two days for McDonald's to earn Supermac's entire revenues of 116m for that year - Supermac's subsequently appealed that decision before withdrawing the appeal and instead lodging a fresh application.

Now, in response, McDonald's has lodged a raft of documents with the OHIM supporting its case opposing the Supermac's trademark application.

The curry chip and snack box are synonymous with the Supermac's brand, which was built up over almost 40 years by Supermac's boss Pat McDonagh, and the war doesn't affect Supermac's booming Irish business.

However, it does threaten to halt the firm's international expansion plans.

In the comprehensive objection, McDonald's has told the EU that the Supermac's brand clearly fits into the McDonald's family of 'Mc/Mac' trademarks.

McDonald's said its products including the McFlurry, McNugget, McSalad and McCrispy - and they also have registered trade-marks.

McDonald's state: "Due to McDonald's long and continuous use of the 'Mc' and 'Mac' terms, these terms have become widely and exclusively associated with McDonald's by consumers throughout the European Union."

The US giant states that when being confronted with the Supermac's brand in relation to contested goods and services, the public will inevitably believe the goods come from McDonald's.

The maker of the Big Mac states: "Even if the public were able to distinguish between the marks themselves, it is likely that the public would believe that the Supermac's mark is used to identify a new service from McDonald's offerings of 'Mc'/Mac' products."

The fast food giant states that as a result of its well-known "Mc" or "Mac", it is likely that the public would believe that the use of the Supermac's brand simply identifies a new service in the "Mc/Mac" product line of McDonald's.

McDonald's state that the "new" application by Supermac's is identical to the one that was rejected last year.

The US corporation states that the reasons in that EU decision apply equally in the current case.

Supermac's founder and managing director Pat McDonagh was unavailable for comment yesterday.

On lodging the revised application in August, Mr McDonagh said he was optimistic that the application would succeed this time around. He said: "We will keep fighting until we succeed."
Irish mineral-exploration firm Kenmare Resources enjoyed a record year of production at the company's Moma mine in Mozambique in 2016.

Kenmare reduced its net debt by 87pc over the course of the year, to $44.9m (42.2m), down from $353.5 (333m) in 2015.

Ilmenite production increased 18pc while zircon production increased by 32pc.

"2016 saw Kenmare deliver a record year of both production and shipments of all products," said Kenmare managing director, Michael Carvill.

"The final quarter of 2016 was another record quarter, continuing the increasing production trend and improving on the record set in the prior quarter.

"Production in 2017 is expected to rise further as mine optimisation continues, while unit costs of production are anticipated to fall further."

The company added that it had a total of $102.6m in outstanding bank loans.

Kenmare said the outlook for ilmenite prices remains positive for 2017, with demand from China set to remain robust in the year ahead.

In December, the company was forced to pay 5m in compensation to a South African engineering firm in a dispute over the handling of contracts from a 2010 deal.

Shares in Kenmare traded up 2.3pc on the back yesterday's announcement.
Here's a look at what it says in this morning's business pages

Irish Independent

*House buyers are to be offered renovation grants to restore properties in small towns and villages as part of the Government's long-promised plan to revive rural Ireland.

The scheme is aimed at luring all house buyers, but specifically older people and first-time buyers, back into rural communities damaged by unemployment during the recession.

Meanwhile, figures from the Central Statistics Office show prices across the country were up 8.6pc in the year to November. The rises were strongest outside Dublin.

*One of the central planks of Donald Trump's economic policy was his intention to slash the US corporate tax rate from 35pc to 15pc, which could hamper the attractiveness of Ireland's low corporate tax regime.

Mr Trump has vowed to pursue a policy that will put American multinationals under pressure to keep their operations in the US, with the threat of heavy penalties weighing over those who are seen to send American jobs abroad.

*Fast food giant McDonald's has hit back in the brand war with Supermac's, by accusing the Irish firm of seeking to take unfair advantage of the US company's world-wide brand.

McDonald's has also accused the Galway firm of trying to benefit from McDonald's long-established brand by making the trademark application for Supermac's to the EU.

*SuperValu has regained the title of Irelands biggest grocery retailer, snatching the position from rival Dunnes Stores during what was a record Christmas for the grocery market, the latest figures for the sector show

Data from research group Kantar Worldpanel published this morning shows that SuperValu  controlled by the Cork-based Musgrave group - had a 22.8pc share of Irelands multi-billion euro grocery market during the 12 weeks to January 1.

Irish Times

*Shareholders voted overwhelmingly to sell Fyffes to Japanese investment giant Sumitomo Corporation at a meeting in Dublin yesterday.

A motion to back the 751m sale of the Irish company was backed by more than 99pc of Fyffes shareholders who voted at an extraordinary general meeting.

*Conor McGregor is one of a number of Irish people to have been included in the annual Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Europe this year.

Other Irish people name checked on this year's list include transgender rights campaigner, Sam Blanckensee, the co-founder of Foodcloud Iseult Ward, Patrick Carton, a designer with McLaren Automotive and tech brothers John and Patrick Collison.

*Some of the worlds top executives are shrugging off concerns about the global economy as new research shows that business confidence is up this year despite the threat of political instability across the world.

Some 38pc of those surveyed were confident about their companys growth prospects compared with 35pc last year, according to the PwC survey.

*Ireland has performed better than Germany, France and the UK in an index that ranks employment opportunities, pay, living standards and social inclusion.

According to a new report from the World Economic Forum, WEF Inclusive Growth and Development, Ireland places 12th out of 30 advanced economies for inclusive development.

Irish Examiner

*The renewed slump in sterling is hurting key Irish businesses hard as the turmoil caused by the uncertainty of the UKs new relationship with Europe will persist for a long time, analysts here have warned.

UK prime minister Theresa May later today outlines her governments plans over the divorce talks with the EU.

*SuperValu has come out on top of the Christmas supermarket shopping league in the Republic, edging out rival Dunnes Stores.

The two Irish giants were level at the beginning of December at 22.5pc each.

*French lensmaker Essilor has agreed to buy Luxottica, the maker of Ray-Ban sunglasses, for about 22.8bn in shares, combining the largest manufacturer and retailer in eyewear.

Luxottica makes frames for luxury brands such as Armani, Chanel, and Prada, and is the biggest eyeglass retailer, with chains including Lenscrafters, Pearle Vision, and Sunglass Hut.

*AIB is pursuing a Dublin solicitor, Barry Lyons, for a 4.7m judgment over alleged unpaid loans. The case against Mr Lyons, of Garville Road, Rathgar, Dublin, was admitted to the Commercial Court yesterday.
House buyers are to be offered renovation grants to restore properties in small towns and villages as part of the Government's long-promised plan to revive rural Ireland. Photo: Getty Images

House buyers are to be offered renovation grants to restore properties in small towns and villages as part of the Government's long-promised plan to revive rural Ireland.

Cash grants for refurbishing old buildings in rural communities are to form a central plank of the Government's Action Plan for Rural Development, which is being brought before the Cabinet today.

The scheme is aimed at luring all house buyers, but specifically older people and first-time buyers, back into rural communities damaged by unemployment during the recession.

Young people buying houses in designated rural towns would be given cash grants to renovate their new homes along with the tax relief available under the first-time buyer scheme.

The renovation grant would also incentivise older people living alone in isolated parts of the country to move into town centres where more services are available. The cash incentive would allow older people to refurbish houses and make them more accessible for their later years.

The Government hopes renovation grants will lure people into small towns and villages where house prices are far lower than major towns and cities.

A senior Government source said the scheme would be introduced on a pilot basis before being rolled out nationwide.

"We want people to convert centre of town buildings into modern properties," the source said. "We also want to attract people living in extremely rural areas back into towns so they will have easy access to amenities and human company."

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The scheme is at an early stage of development but there is a commitment in the soon-to-be-published Action Plan for Rural Development to encourage increased residential occupancy.

The action plan was developed by Rural Affairs Minister Heather Humphreys (pictured) and Regional Economic Development Minister Michael Ring.

Expand Close The action plan was developed by Rural Affairs Minister Heather Humphreys (pictured) and Regional Economic Development Minister Michael Ring. Photo: Tom Burke / Facebook

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Whatsapp The action plan was developed by Rural Affairs Minister Heather Humphreys (pictured) and Regional Economic Development Minister Michael Ring. Photo: Tom Burke

The plan sets out more than 250 actions aimed at winning back rural voters who turned their back on Fine Gael during the General Election.

A memo on the report said the key message is rural Ireland is a "modern, dynamic and integral part of our identity and economy".

The action plan has five pillars aimed at "unlocking the potential" of rural communities:

Supporting sustainable communities

Supporting enterprise and employment

Fostering culture and creativity

Maximising potential for tourism and recreation

Improving infrastructure and connectivity

Ms Humphreys' proposal commits to creating 135,000 jobs in rural Ireland within the next three years and increasing foreign direct investment in those areas by 40pc in the same period. There is also a commitment to increase the number of tourists visiting rural parts by 12pc.

More than 50m will be invested in sports, recreation and cultural facilities, according to the action plan.

The minister also promises to improve rural job opportunities by increasing the number of apprenticeships and traineeships available locally.

There are also commitments to improve local GP services and protect rural schools.

Making communities feel safer and improving social cohesion, especially for older people living alone, are central to the plan.
SuperValu has regained the title of Ireland's biggest grocery retailer, snatching the position from rival Dunnes Stores during what was a record Christmas for the grocery market.

Data from research group Kantar Worldpanel confirms that SuperValu - controlled by the Cork-based Musgrave group - had a 22.8pc share of Ireland's multi-billion-euro grocery market during the 12 weeks to January 1.

Dunnes Stores saw its market share slip to 22.7pc. Tesco had 22.4pc - a percentage point more than in the previously reported 12-week period. The Kantar Worldpanel figures measure the percentage share of the value of sales.

The average household spent 193 on Christmas groceries, 35 more than they did in the previous festive season.

"After a turbulent 2016, shoppers really chose to treat themselves this Christmas," said David Berry, director with Kantar Worldpanel.

"Irish families spent 9pc more on seasonal confectionery than last year, making sure they had plenty of sweet treats to keep them going over the festive period," he said.

"More were in the mood for a Christmas tipple too, with alcohol experiencing double-digit growth. This was partially down to more multi-buy promotions in stores tempting shoppers to up their spend."

Mr Berry said that the grocery market remained competitive.

"Despite a return to second place, Dunnes Stores continued to perform well," he added. "Sales for the Christmas period were almost 5pc higher than in 2015, and the average spend per trip reached a new high of 41.60, significantly ahead of any other retailer."

He said that Tesco's 'Finest' range also did well over Christmas.

Aldi posted the strongest growth of all supermarkets here, with its sales up 5.3pc. The retailer lured 37,000 new shoppers over Christmas, boosting its market share to 10.5pc. Lidl saw its festive sales rise 2.3pc compared to the corresponding period in 2015, giving it a 10.3pc share.
Never before has the gap between Davos Man and the real world yawned so widely.

The top executives, financiers, academics and politicians making their way up the Swiss mountain to the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum will be talking a lot about such non-establishment leaders as US President-elect Donald Trump, France's National Front chief Marine Le Pen and Italian populist Beppe Grillo of the Five Star Movement.

But they won't be meeting them. Not one of the leaders bent on overturning the world order as Davos has designed it will be present.

In an extraordinary twist it falls instead to Mr Xi Jinping, president of nominally communist China to addresses business elites at Davos.

The Chinese president will find himself an unlikely champion of the trade-based global order Mr Trump has derided. His new role could prove to be one of his biggest tests.

Today, Mr Xi will become the first Chinese head of state to address the World Economic Forum, a speech a top diplomat said would give a "blueprint for the future progress of human society".

His remarks in the Swiss ski town come days before Mr Trump's inauguration as US president, after an election that called into question America's commitment to free trade and threw the business world into a bout of soul-searching.

Mr Xi's presence marks a chance to cement China's clout after decades of US economic and military dominance. Facing a more protectionist, inward-looking Mr Trump administration and a disruptive British exit from the European Union, Mr Xi has been offering assurances that the world's largest trading nation will defend the structures that have fostered globalisation and economic growth.

What remains to be seen is how far Mr Xi will go toward filling any gap left by Mr Trump on the world stage.

Because it is Mr Trump, and the other Western political upstarts who will loom over the proceedings. The incoming US president won't have an official representative there, but has expressed strong feelings about some of the countries sending delegations, including his own.

Europe's populist leaders, for their part, have their own view of the annual gathering of the rich, the powerful, the famous and the sycophantic.

Attendees appear to be less focused on Mr Trump's presidency or on upcoming elections in France, the Netherlands, Germany and possibly Italy than on other global concerns.

The forum's annual survey of members on the most likely risks for 2017 found that "extreme weather events" was the top worry. "Failed national governance", the closest category to such surprise events last year as Brexit and Mr Trump's election, wasn't in the top five, although it placed third in 2015.

What attendees will be paying attention to is the delegation from China, the largest yet to attend the forum.

One thing that's not new at Davos: the share of female attendees. At 20pc, it's marginally higher than in previous years, but progress has been slow.

One thing that's up: revenue for the WEF itself. Payments from partnerships - the corporations and consulting firms that take centre stage at Davos - was up 25pc over the previous year.

Memberships and participation income was flat but the organisation enjoyed an overall increase of 14pc.
Former UK cabinet minister Michael Gove interviewed the controversial tycoon, and afterwards said Britain has a 'special place' in Mr Trumps heart. Photo: GETTY

Downing Street has welcomed Donald Trump's pledge to work to secure a rapid trade agreement with Britain.

In an interview with 'The Times' and German newspaper 'Bild', the US president-elect said he would be inviting British Prime Minister Theresa May for early talks in Washington following his inauguration on Friday and predicted that leaving the European Union would be a "great thing" for the UK.

In contrast to Barack Obama, who said Britain would be at the "back of the queue" when it came to a trade deal with the US, Mr Trump made clear it would be a priority for his administration.

"We're going to work hard to get it done quickly and done properly. Good for both sides," he said. "I will be meeting with (Mrs May). She's requesting a meeting and we'll have a meeting right after I get into the White House. I think we're going to get something done very quickly."

Responding to the comments, Mrs May's official spokeswoman said: "We welcome the commitment from the president-elect to engage with the UK on this, to work together to agree a deal quickly.

"That highlights one of the opportunities of the UK leaving the EU."

The spokeswoman said Mrs May's expected visit to Washington in the spring would provide an opportunity for "early discussions" on a UK-US trade deal.

She said it would be possible to hold "scoping discussions" before Brexit takes place on possible measures to bring down barriers to UK-US trade.

"We welcome the enthusiasm and energy the president-elect and his team are showing for engaging with the UK," she said.

Former UK cabinet minister Michael Gove interviewed the controversial tycoon, and afterwards said Britain has a "special place" in Mr Trump's heart.

Mr Trump's "aggressive" public persona is at odds with his warmer private side, Mr Gove said.
The head of South Korea's giant Samsung Group faces a long day in court as a judge decides whether he should be arrested for bribery in a corruption scandal that has engulfed President Park Geun-hye's administration.

Investigators questioned Jay Y. Lee for 22 hours last week as a suspect in the scandal which led to parliament impeaching Park in December and throwing the country into crisis.

Park, 64, remains in office but has been stripped of her powers while the Constitutional Court decides whether to make her the country's first democratically elected leader to be forced from office.

She is likely to undergo "face-to-face" questioning by early next month, the special prosecutor's spokesman said.

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The prosecutor's office has accused Lee, 48, of paying bribes totalling 43 billion won to organisations linked to Choi Soon-sil, a friend of the president who is at the centre of the scandal, to secure the 2015 merger of two affiliates and cement his control of the family business.

Lee, who has denied wrongdoing, is also accused of embezzlement and perjury. Lee's lawyer could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Seoul Central District Court will hold the hearing to decide on his arrest warrant. A court official told Reuters that Lee and his lawyer would attend the hearing.

A spokesman for the special prosecutor's team said Lee would then be held in detention until the court had made its ruling.

"A judge's examination of a suspect normally finishes in 30 minutes at the earliest, but can take longer than two hours for complicated matters, which is likely to be the case," the court official said.

"Then, after the examination, the judge goes back to his office to review records and evidence and deliberate arguments of the prosecution's side and the suspect's side," said the official, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

"A final decision is more likely to be made at dawn on Thursday, as there are tons of records, evidence and lots of things to review."

There is a long history in South Korea of convicted bosses of family-run conglomerates, known as "chaebol", being released or having their sentences suspended, raising doubts among investors seeking tighter corporate governance.

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Business lobby groups worry that arresting Lee could undermine confidence in the economy, Asia's fourth-largest, but public anger persists over the influence-peddling scandal, with protests each weekend drawing hundreds of thousands of demonstrators demanding Park's immediate resignation.

Lee can apply for bail or appeal if the court grants the arrest warrant.

Kim Kwang-sam, a former prosecutor who is currently in private practice, said public emotion weighs heavily when making decisions in such high-profile cases.

"The case is big and there is still enormous anger toward the Choi Soon-sil scandal, so it can be difficult for the court to release Lee on appeal," Kim said.

Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the special prosecutor, said Park would be questioned by early February.

"I cannot comment specifically on the timing of a face-to-face investigation of the president, but I believe it will need to happen by no later than early February," he told reporters.

"The president has said she would submit to face-to-face questioning, but if she refuses to comply there is no realistic way to force it."

Choi, the president's long-time friend without any government title, is in jail on trial for abuse of power, attempted fraud and bribery. She has denied wrongdoing.

She has also been accused of meddling in state affairs using her personal connections, even, according to media, of exerting her influence to choose a new, unpopular police uniform which bleached in the wash.
Uncertain economic growth is seen as the biggest threat to companies. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

More than two-thirds of chief executive officers (ceos) around the globe are concerned about the implications for their businesses from changes to international tax law.

Ireland has been at the centre of the developing row over how much tax big companies should pay, and where.

The last 12 months saw the European Commission dramatically order Ireland to collect 13bn plus interest from Apple that Brussels says is owed to the Government here in back taxes, while Donald Trump says he will slash tax to get US firms to relocate jobs back to America.

Almost seven out of 10 ceos (68pc) surveyed by accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) expressed concern that the global crackdown on tax avoidance will force multinationals to pay more.

PWC asked 1,379 ceos in 79 countries their views on a range of topics.

Uncertain economic growth is seen as the biggest threat to companies, with 82pc of ceos revealing they were concerned by the issue.

That was followed by over-regulation (80pc) and the availability of key skills (77pc), while 62pc said that reducing costs would be a priority this year in order to boost balance sheets.

More than half of ceos (53pc) said the world was moving into a more nationalistic phase.

Just under two-thirds (64pc) of those questioned in the survey said they believed that globalisation had helped to provide full and meaningful employment around the world.

More than half (52pc) said they were intent on hiring new employees in the year ahead, while only 16pc said they would be cutting head counts.

"It is time to raise the role of business in society, to step forward with their own solutions and collaborate with multiple players in society to boost trust and build the world we need for the future - because if executed properly, business is a force for good," said PWC global chairman Bob Moritz.
She has kept Heather's secret for too long and now Farrah is set to reveal the truth on tonight's Fair City.

Viewers were left reeling when they saw the mentally unwell mother attack Farrah and take her daughter to a shopping centre, where she dragged her to the edge of a stairs.

Farrah can't stand her family defending Heather's actions while commending her for being a great mother. She finally snaps and tells Sheena that Heather has drugged her young daughter Ellie.

However, Farrah is then met with denial from her family, with Renee telling her that it looks like she is the one who is in need of help, not Heather.

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Eventually, Farrah forms an uneasy truce with her family when they start to believe Heather poisoned her daughter.

After Heather discovered Ciaran was Katie's kidnapper, he is growing increasingly worried about his secret being blown.

He becomes wary of Sheena Hannigan, who is eager to question Ellie about what she has been through and worries Ellie could tell her about Katy.

He tries to confide in the woman he has kidnapped but, as she realises he is not letting her out and Heather has not come to rescue her, she grows bitter and wants nothing to do with him.

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Meanwhile, Dr Cara Delahunt tells Dermot Fahey he will need to come back for regular visits to track his recovery from cancer once he leaves hospital.

He realises he might need Robbie's help to get medication for his plan to go on the run. Robbie refuses and explains he can't guarantee the drugs will be legit.

Robbie is told by Jane that Dermot could die and leave his son Ben fatherless if he does not get the medication and he finally agrees to help.

Fair City airs tonight on RTE One at 8pm
Hughie Maughan and Emily Barker performing during the Live performance of RTEs Dancing with the Stars. Photo: Kyran O'Brien

Hughie's tan was trending on Twitter during the show

A make-up artist from Dancing with the Stars has hit back at contestant Hughie Maughan for claiming she was behind his heavily bronzed appearance on Sunday night's episode.

Lisa O'Connor, who runs the make-up company WarPaint, claims she had nothing to do with his mahogany appearance.

"I can't believe he is blaming me," she told the Irish Daily Mail.

The make-up artist said that Hughie came to the studio and "kept piling more and more tan" and refused to listen to her advice when she told him he looked "ridiculous".

She added: "It is devastating to have people blame me. It's a shame that such a handsome, funny, charismatic man feels the need to make a mockery of himself on TV for more attention."

The make-up artist, who lists Sharon Corr, Rachel Stevens and Una Healy among her clients, said that she did everything in her power to stop Hughie from walking on stage with his face plastered in bronzer.

Pity Hughie is busy doing Dancing with the Stars! He'd be brilliant in this series of #cbb. pic.twitter.com/U9caWEMIIF  Kim Cashel (@KimCashel) January 15, 2017

Catching up on Dancing With The Stars. Who wore it best? Robert Downey Jr or Hughie? #DWTSIrl pic.twitter.com/eKInouxgDT  Eoghan McDermott (@eoghanmcdermo) January 15, 2017

#Dancing with tHe stars Hughie just came from wonkas chocolate factory or what?  hipster martin (@mbuicke2gmailc1) January 15, 2017

Hughie on dancing with the stars looks like he's slept in a sun bed #DancingWiththeStars  Ruairi Breen (@ruairi_breen) January 15, 2017

Hughie definitely used this tonight as tan on dancing with the stars pic.twitter.com/YRupzVvYYz  Anna Grehan (@AnnaGrehan) January 15, 2017

Irelands dancing with the stars. Check out the tan on @hughie_maughan pic.twitter.com/KMAhcQeu89  Danny O'Carroll (@BbMrsbrownsboys) January 15, 2017

2 down, 10 to go! Question is, will there be enough fake tan in Ireland to last Hughie the duration of the competition? #DWTSIrl #Ronseal  Michael Barrett (@MichaelBarrettt) January 16, 2017

Time to add another layer of tan to hughie. pic.twitter.com/BzdWNFKQu0  Shane Barrett (@hatman1212) January 15, 2017

I mean l love @hughie_maughan to bits on Cbb and now dancing with the stars but slight overkill on the tan sill brilliant tho pic.twitter.com/enib8JKXy2  Joseph (@jlarkin246) January 15, 2017

Speaking to Ryan Tubridy on RTE Radio One on Monday, he said his make-up artist used a foundation that was a few shades darker than his skin.

"I sprayed on tan I normally use myself but when I got to the studio yesterday I started sweating [under the lights] and I wiped my face and I ended up looking like a Dalmatian."

He then said his make-up artist, who had worked on The Voice, applied the same foundation on him that she had used on Jamelia.

There was nothing I could do, I had to go out looking as I did as they didnt have any other colour left. It was a tan they used on Jamelia when she was doing The Voice two years ago.

"When we put it on we realised how dark it was but it was two minutes to air so I had to walk out wearing it."

His claims were met on social media with calls for his make-up artist to be sacked.

Video of the Day

The fake tan disaster was picked up by an American chat show, something which has been "upsetting" for Ms O'Connor.

Hughie took to Twitter on Monday night to take responsibility for his fake tan disaster.
Claire Byrne and husband Gerry Scollan arriving on the red carpet for the IFTA Gala Television Awards at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel, Dublin. Photo: Michael Chester

Television presenter Claire Byrne has announced that she is pregnant with her third child.

Ms Byrne, who married husband Gerry Scollan in a private ceremony in June of last year, spoke of her joy at the announcement.

"I feel really lucky that this is the way my life has worked out, she said. I look at my children [Patrick, 3 and Jane, 2] and am constantly surprised that I have them, because I had reached a point where I thought that I really wouldnt have children in my life.

"If this baby had not come along I would still have been very happy, but we thought it would be lovely if we had number three, Ms Byrne told Independent.ie.

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The 41-year-old is due to give birth in the summertime, after the end of the current season of Claire Byrne Live, but is keeping mum on her due date. She is also keen to keep the sex of the baby a surprise for everyone, including herself.

"We didnt find out if it was a boy or a girl on the other two so probably wont find out on this one. I enjoyed the surprise element of the birth. When you are in the midst of it all, just having a healthy baby is the most important thing."

So is three the magic number? Byrne says, "yes".

"I didnt really want a big family but Gerry comes from a big family and wanted a big family - the number in his head was always four - but Ill stick with three as good compromise, she says. Gerry is a great dad. He loves babies, loves children, and he cant wait.

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Byrne suffered "brutal" morning sickness in the first three months of the pregnancy, but now it is "flying along". She said that between now and the birth, she will not be overloading her work schedule. "I am 41, Ill take all the advice on not pushing it too hard. Ill do my work but take my foot off the pedal with out-of-work engagements."

After the birth, Byrne said she and her husband plan on getting the supports right for their family before she goes back to work to "do what Ive always done".

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"Experience has taught me that in the early stages of motherhood it is easier for me to go back to work quickly. The problems start when the children are older and they need you more. Gerry is generally at home with the children when Im at my busiest in work. It is always going to be difficult. I might be busy, but its busy with two anyway," she said.

Byrne dismissed recent reports criticising Irish women for leaving it later to have children.

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"The decision to have children is such a personal decision. No one needs to be hearing from me when they should have children. I look at people who dont have children - those who have made a conscious decision not to have them - and they are having a great life  its all very personal," she said.

With a "fairly obvious bump" already, Byrne said she has a big problem - she gave away all her maternity clothes after baby number two. However, apart from a few staples, she says she will be making no big investments" in new maternity wear.

Byrne said she has not broached the fact there is a sibling on the way with Patrick and Jane.

"I dont want them to sit and wait for months and months to hear about a sibling that they cant meet yet. Although my son did ask me the other day did I have a baby in my tummy, and I nearly fell over!"
U2 will play second dates in London, Rome, Paris and Amsterdam but the Irish band will not be performing for a second night in Dublin.

Tickets for the band's gig in Dublin on July 22 were snapped up in just six minutes on Monday, with many speculating that a second date would be added.

However, fans who missed out on tickets were left disappointed when a spokesperson announced that there would be "only one date" in Dublin for the European leg of their Joshua Tree Tour.

Now the band has announced it will play four more gigs at Twickenham, London on July 9, the Olympic Stadium in Rome on July 16, the Stade de France in Paris on July 26 and the Amsterdam Arena on July 30.

Tickets for these shows will go on general sale next Monday January 23.

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Meanwhile, a number of U2 tickets became available on official and black market websites last week after diehard fans with access to pre-sale tickets chose to sell them on for a profit.

Tickets for the July 22 gig are priced from 39.05 (including booking fee) right up to 186 but they are now appearing on SeatWave for almost 13 times above face value.

Sources in the industry said a flurry of activity has seen fans splash out to guarantee their places at the gig.

A spokesman for Ticketmaster said the Seatwave prices are not set by the company but by the person who is selling the tickets on.

"The thing about Seatwave is that it is a safe and secure market so tickets would be genuine. The ticket prices are set by the seller, which in this instance is not Ticketmaster, but that price may not necessarily be secured by the seller.

"Ticketmaster is just facilitating the sale."

Fine Gael TD Noel Rock, who has prepared a bill that would ban ticket touting, criticised the ticket retailer.

Video of the Day

"We need this law to be enacted as soon as possible," he said. "Right now, the present situation suits touts, it suits Ticketmaster-owned Seatwave and as they make a commission from both buyer and seller, it suits Ticketmaster as it drives up early demand."
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he welcomed the clarity in the UK Prime Minister's landmark speech laying out Britain's plans for leaving the European Union

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has welcomed the "clarity" brought by British Prime Minister Theresa May in her landmark Brexit speech today.

In his first public remarks since Ms May indicated she wants a hard Brexit Mr Kenny highlighted her stated wish to maintain the Common Travel Area (CTA) with Ireland.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin raised the matter in the first leaders questions of the new Dail term.

Responding to Mr Kenny's remarks that he welcomed Mr May setting out what Britain wants, Mr Martin said: "I don't think we should be welcoming a negative clairity".

Earlier Mr Martin warned that Ms May's speech: "constitutes an agenda for a very hard brexit" and "very difficult negotiations ahead".

In reference to her intention to leave the European Union single market and customs union he said: "no matter what kind of gloss it means tariffs on goods between Britain and Ireland and Britain and EU."

He said her speech means the government needs to "change the nature of its response to Brexit".

Mr Martin said that aside from Ms May's remarks on the CTA there was "not a whole lot in the speech in terms of an Irish perspective"

He said there was "no mention of a special status for Northern Ireland" adding: "in fact goes in the opposite direction".

Mr Kenny said there has been a lot of "discussion" and "confusion" since the Brexit vote.

On Ms May's speech he said: "I welcome that it brings clarity in a number of areas".

He said that he had spoken to Ms May by phone last night and that he "mentioned the issues of priority to us here in Ireland".

He listed these as the economy and trade, the future of the border and the Good Friday Agreement.

He said the EU is going to have to decide how to respond to the statement made by Ms May.

Mr Kenny welcomed her remarks on the CTA and "her willingness to look at the most effective outcome in a practical sense of the border situation".

He warned that Brexit negotiations may not be completed in two years.

Mr Martin said that while Ms May will "speak softly to you", he didn't get the impression Ireland was high on her priorities.

"Ireland must act to protect our interests and our jobs," he said.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said: "There was never going to be a soft Brexit". He added: that the "Taoiseach has a big job of work to do" for the people of the whole island.
Gardai are closely monitoring the activities of a 24-year-old drug dealer who has become the new kingpin of organised crime in the capital.

The Herald can today exclusively reveal the Kinahan cartel gangster, who has a penchant for designer clothes, is now considered top dog in north Dublin. He had previously been under the radar, until a notorious hitman fled the country.

Our special investigation reveals:

He is earning more than 25k-a-week from his drugs trafficking business.

Over 20 key associates are working directly as his henchmen.

He regularly wears trainers worth more than 300.

He is now attacking other criminals on his patch.

The Finglas-based hood, who has very close links to Daniel Kinahans crime syndicate, has emerged as a major player in north Dublins drug trafficking scene over the past 12 months.

Sources say that gardai believe he is making huge amounts of money from his control of a vast drugs operation, which includes dealing in cocaine, cannabis and heroin.

He is very possessive of his patch now and has made it be known that he is top dog, a source told the Herald. Gardai are aware of one incident before Christmas, in which he threw an object, believed to be a rock, at an SUV vehicle in which Finglas crime figure Wayne Bradley was sitting.

It is not believed that anyone was injured in the incident, but sources say that the dealers motivation was to show Bradley who was the boss, even though Bradley is not suspected of involvement in the local drugs trade.

In fact, Bradley (37) has been keeping his head down since being released from Portlaoise Prison in December 2015.

He served a five-year jail sentence for his role as a look-out during a 2007 raid on a Tesco store in Celbridge under the direction of slain gang boss Eamon The Don Dunne, while his older brother Alan  nicknamed Fatpuss  served a six-and-a-half year sentence and was released last year.

The Wayne Bradley incident is not the only one linked to the drugs trafficker in recent months.

He is also suspected of shooting at a womans car in Finglas.

Sources say that the new kingpin likes to flaunt his wealth and has been regularly seen wearing trainers worth more than 300, as well as expensive designer clothes.

He has a core network of at least 20 loyal associates, all of whom are regularly stopped and searched by gardai.

The forces heavily armed Emergency Response Unit (ERU) has been involved in a number of raids targeting the gang and has observed bulletproof windows and doors in many of the rented north Dublin properties connected to the mob.

The Finglas property in which he himself lives is also bulletproof.

Despite all of the garda activity against him in recent months, the major drugs trafficker has so far managed to evade serious charges.

Fled

He has taken over a drug dealing patch belonging to one of his closest associates, who fled the country months ago.

The on-the-run gangsters home has been raided, and he was arrested and questioned about the murder of Eddie Hutch Snr in Dublins north inner city last February 8.

Gardai have also been investigating if the exiled criminal was involved in the murder of Noel Kingsize Duggan

(55), who was shot dead outside his home in Ratoath last March.

Business has been booming in his absence, however, because of the activities of his younger associate.

The major criminal is also a close friend of a notorious hitman from Cabra, who is linked to a number of feud murders and used to be pals with senior Hutch gang members.
Passengers face the prospect of fresh disruption after the company stunned unions yesterday with talk of more cuts on top of those already signalled for its Expressway services. File photo

Bus Eireann management has warned it would do "whatever is necessary" to save the company as unions vowed to block the latest round of proposed cutbacks.

Passengers face the prospect of fresh disruption after the company stunned unions yesterday with talk of more cuts on top of those already signalled for its Expressway services.

Management told unions that urgent cost-cutting was needed to avoid insolvency.

Acting CEO of Bus Eireann Ray Hernan said management was "determined to do whatever is necessary to address the current financial crisis" to give the firm a "sustainable future".

The company has proposed a raft of reforms, including a ban on all unplanned overtime.

Mr Hernan informed staff it was essential that spending cuts be implemented "to achieve immediate savings".

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"However, further savings will also be required to make us more efficient and competitive," he said.

Unions are believed to be very wary of Mr Hernan's remarks about further cuts, which were not stipulated in yesterday's extensive list of proposed cost savings.

Read more: Bus Eireann chief: 'Expressway will stay' but company is facing insolvency in 18 months without changes

National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) general secretary Dermot O'Leary said: "Forcing staff into bringing the entire service to a shuddering halt by incrementally cutting terms and conditions is not conducive to finding a resolution."

He warned that cuts outside of an agreed forum would be "tantamount to a dereliction of the political responsibility which this situation demands".

Mr O'Leary said NBRU members will not co-operate with changes to current terms and practices in the absence of a forum to discuss all the issues which have contributed to the crisis at Expressway.
A DATE has been set for the trial of a son of late billionaire hotel boss Jim Mansfield who is facing ammunition charges.

Jim Mansfield Jr (49) will be tried at Dublin District Court in June, accused of unlawful possession of ammunition at his home in the south of the county.

A similar case against his brother PJ Mansfield related to a separate search was adjourned.

The accused are sons of Jim Mansfield Snr, who passed away in January 2014.

He was the businessman behind the Citywest Hotel, Weston Airport and a number of other high-profile ventures. Several of these other businesses collapsed in the recession.

Jim Mansfield Jr is charged with having 180 rounds of .22 Walther ammunition without a firearms licence at his home at Tassaggart House in Saggart. He has pleaded not guilty.

Today, defence barrister Tony McGillicuddy said the hearing would take a full day and would require video viewing equipment for CCTV evidence.

Judge Bryan Smyth adjourned the case to June 12 and remanded Jim Mansfield Jr on continuing bail.

In the case of PJ Mansfield, another judge had previously refused jurisdiction to deal with his charge at district court level. He is facing trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, which has tougher potential sentencing powers on conviction than the district court.

PJ Mansfield (39) is accused of possession of 1,257 rounds of Walther ammunition without a firearms licence at his former home at Coldwater Lakes in Saggart on January 29, 2015.

He has also pleaded not guilty.

PJ Mansfield had been excused from attending court today. Mr McGillicuddy said a letter had been furnished to the Director of Public Prosecutions for consideration before the book of evidence is served.

He asked the judge to adjourn that case for four weeks, for mention on the next date.

Judge Smyth remanded PJ Mansfield on continuing bail in his absence to appear in court next month. He said the accused had to be present on that date.

Mr McGillicuddy said Mr Mansfield would be notified by his solicitor.

Previously, the court heard it was alleged gardai found a total of 1,557 .22 Walther bullets in a search of PJ Mansfields house at Coldwater Lakes.

Ammunition was found in a gun safe, a wardrobe and a garage, gardai said.

Of the Walther bullets found, a total of 1,257 was in excess of what was permitted under licence, it was alleged.

Gardai also found a Walther pistol loaded with one bullet behind a picture hanging above the bed in the master bedroom, the court heard.

A shotgun was found in A shotgun was found in the gun safe and both firearms were legally licenced.

No details of the allegations against Jim Mansfield Jr have been heard yet.
A graphic designer caught spraying graffiti on a Starbucks shutter has been told by a judge he should go back to college because what he painted was not artistic.

Gareth Merrin (25) had drunk too much after an exhibition when he caused 150 worth of damage by tagging the premises on his way home.

Judge Anthony Halpin left him without a criminal record after he paid compensation.

Merrin, of Kimmage Road West pleaded guilty to criminal damage and possession of three spray paint cans at Lower Liffey Street on December 4, 2016.

Dublin District Court heard Merrin sprayed graffiti on the closed shutters of a Starbucks befor walking off. Gardai saw him and he had spray cans on him when he was stopped. It cost 150 to clean the property.

The accused had no previous convictions.

What was the nature of the graffiti? It wasnt a work of art was it? Judge Halpin asked.

A garda sergeant said it was tagging and a photograph of the graffiti was handed up to the judge.

The judge remarked that it was not even artistic.

Merrin was a graphic designer by occupation, his lawyer said.

He has to go back to college then because its not even artistic, it doesnt even say anything of intellectual merit, the judge said.

Merrin had been to an exhibition on the day and brought his equipment for spraying t-shirts, his lawyer said.

He had gone from the exhibition to a nightclub with friends and consumed too much alcohol.

Merrin was absolutely mortified by what he did and he had returned to Starbucks the following day to apologise and offer compensation. The gardai advised him not to speak to witnesses.

Merrin had his whole life before him and very much regrets what happened.

He had 150 compensation in court and his lawyer asked Judge Halpin to leave Merrins record unblemished.

He had lost his job as a result of the incident and had worked over Christmas in the Capuchin Centre.

Judge Halpin struck the charges out after the money was paid, adding: I wont graffitify his unblemished record.
A Cork father-of-nine who brutally raped his teenage daughter on a weekly basis when she was aged between 16 and 17 has been jailed for nine years.

Patrick O'Driscoll (42) with an address in Codrum, Macroom, Co Cork, was found guilty by a jury of 61 counts of raping his eldest daughter, Ellen O'Driscoll, between 2008 and 2009. He had denied the charges.

In Central Criminal Court on Tuesday, Mr Justice Paul Butler said O'Driscoll's abuse of his daughter tore the family apart.

Her mother, sisters, grandparents, uncles and aunts all took her father's side, he said. I hope it is of some small consolation to Ms O'Driscoll that in the teeth of her father's denial...a jury of 12 citizens have found by unanimous verdict that he was guilty of 61 counts of rape.

Sentencing O'Driscoll to 10 years in prison with the final year suspended, Mr Justice Butler took into account the fact that O'Driscoll has led an otherwise blameless life and appears to be rearing the rest of his family properly.

He suspended the final year on a number of conditions, including that O'Driscoll have no contact with his daughter. Ms O'Driscoll (24), who was not in court for the sentence, previously waived her right to anonymity.

In a victim impact statement previously handed in to court, she said she continues to serve a life sentence since coming forward with the allegations against her father. Her entire family, including her eight siblings, have turned against her and she is now isolated from her community.

It has torn my family apart, Ms O'Driscoll said. My mam, sisters, brothers, uncles and aunts all took his side. So I have no family now.

I don't blame my brothers and sisters as I know what it's like to have someone messing inside your head. But I will never forgive my mam.

The week-long trial last November heard Ms O'Driscoll was the eldest child of a large Traveller family that moved around frequently, but was living in Cork city in 2008 and 2009.

She told the court her father raped her on a weekly basis from the time she turned 16, when her mother was out shopping and she was minding her younger siblings.

Ms O'Driscoll broke down several times as she told the court that on the first occasion, her father ordered her into her parents' bedroom and raped her.

He said, 'I've missed this. I won't go without it anymore', she said. Afterwards, her father acted like nothing had happened.

He just acted like a normal loving father, when he was far from that, she said.

The trial heard Ms O'Driscoll wasn't allowed go to school. I had to stay at home, clean, cook, look after the kids, behave like a housewife, she said.

She said he threatened her not to tell anyone about the alleged abuse, telling her he would kill her and kill himself. He used to threaten that I would never see my brothers and sisters if I told anybody and that's what happened, she said. To this day, I don't see them.

When Ms O'Driscoll was in the stand during the trial, both her father and mother loudly refuted her allegations, moving the judge to warn against future outbursts. At one point, the woman's mother called out, that's a load of shit from the public gallery.

In her victim impact statement, read out by Garda Michael Dolan, Ms O'Driscoll said she missed her brothers and sisters very much.

We were very close siblings but it was taken away by a very sick man, she said. I feel I'm serving a life sentence, even though I didn't do anything wrong. I will be living half a life for the rest of my life.

Defence barrister, Thomas Creed SC said O'Driscoll's family supported him and they were shocked and saddened by his conviction.

They still love him very much and miss him very much, he said.

After he was sentenced, O'Driscoll waved to family members before being led away.
A paramedic with over 30 years experience broke down in court on Tuesday as he described finding a glassy-eyed baby girl lying on a settee and realising she was not breathing.

The rapid response paramedic said the look on the youngster's young face, was known as "porcelain doll", adding "it was a glazed look of a child not breathing".

The medic was giving evidence at the Craigavon Crown Court trial of west Belfast man Christopher O'Neill who denies murdering his three-month-old baby daughter, Caragh Walsh nearly four years ago.

The 26-year-old from Belfast's Whiterock Road, denies the murder of his infant daughter who died on February 7, 2014, two days after being rushed to hospital from her Glasveigh Park home in Twinbrook.

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Prosecution QC Toby Hedworth told the court, sitting in Armagh, that baby Caragh had been left alone in her father's care, but within half an hour or so, a distressed sounding O'Neill was making a 999 call for help because she had stopped breath.

The prosecution barrister said that O'Neill later claimed he had lifted the 14-week-old toddler and shook her, but that subsequent investigations revealed that the infant not only suffered brain injury, but also had a number of fractured limbs and bruises.

They were not consistent with limited shaking, but were more akin to swinging by the arms and legs and with impacts on the child's head.

Mr Hedworth told the jury of 10 men and two women that was the reason O'Neill was before the court because it was the prosecution case he must have caused the injures, and by doing so, even if only momentary, he must have intended to cause really serious harm.

"Perhaps he had snapped because she was crying and he could not get her to settle, only he knows that," said the lawyer who added later that it was not his case, nor was it suggested that O'Neill intended to kill his baby daughter, but that being unable to quieten her, he "must have lost self-control and that he caused those catalogue of injuries".
Two men and a woman have appeared in court charged in connection with alleged theft and human trafficking offences.

The three people appeared before Meath district court this afternoon.

In a statement, gardai confirmed that the males, aged 41 and 58, and a 41-year-old woman were charged with both Human Trafficking and Theft offences.

The charges relate to an investigation into the alleged false imprisonment that occurred at Castletown, Kilpatrick, Navan, County Meath on August 18.

The 58 year old male was remanded in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court on January 24 and the second man was remanded on bail to appear before Trim District Court February 28.

The 41 year old female was remanded on bail to appear before Trim District Court on January 24.
Mr Bruton says he wants to limit or remove the role of religion in school admissions. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins

Catholic bishops have been working on a compromise to the controversy over who gets priority admission to their schools.

The proposal centres on giving first choice to Catholic children within the local area, and second choice to children of a different, or no, faith within the area, ahead of Catholic children from elsewhere.

Details of their recent discussions emerged as Education Minister Richard Bruton announced plans to tackle the so-called "baptism barrier" that gives Catholic children priority admission to most primary schools.

Mr Bruton says he wants to limit or remove the role of religion in school admissions. He has set out four options for discussion, and says he will draw up legislative proposals by June.

An option involving the use of catchment areas to decide priority is closest to the thinking of the Catholic bishops.

The minister's announcement drew a mixed reaction. It was described by a leading educationalist, Professor Aine Hyland of University College Cork, as "a historic day".

The multi-denominational school body Educate Together applauded it as a "first step towards repealing the 'baptism barrier'".

The move was also supported by Equate, a campaign group, whose director Michael Barron saw it as a "firm commitment to resolve the issue".

But another lobby group, Education Equality, expressed concern that the announcement of public consultation was "a worrying indication that progress will be further delayed, and that three of the four options the minister has outlined would allow for continued discrimination on religious grounds".

David Quinn, director of the Iona Institute, a Catholic think-tank, said it was "part of a wider pattern of moves against faith schools, a pattern that amounts to an attitude of hostility".

The Church of Ireland was cautious, reflecting concern that any move to limit the role of religion on school admissions could have a severe impact on their sector.

The protection of minority religion schools is the major issue of concern for policymakers.

While the focus is to address the dominant position of the Catholic Church in education - it runs 90pc of primary schools - any move to tackle that could have unintended consequences for minority religion schools, because the minister cannot discriminate in favour of, or against, any denominational group.

The Church of Ireland Board of Education said it was grateful for the minister highlighting the "important position of religious minority schools".

Adrian Oughton, from the board, told yesterday of a small Church of Ireland primary school in Drogheda, Co Louth, whose pupils come from eight to nine miles away in each direction.

The Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA) said what Mr Bruton was proposing to address occurred in only the small number of schools that were oversubscribed, mainly in Dublin and small pockets in the commuter belt near the capital.

CPSMA general secretary Seamus Mulconry said that the issues arising from it may well affect minority groups adversely and urged that these be taken properly into account. He said the Catholic Church was already engaged in this issue.

Labour Party education spokesperson Joan Burton welcomed the statement but said urgency was sadly lacking, while Fianna Fail education spokesperson Thomas Byrne accused Mr Bruton of a "kiteflying" PR exercise.
Gay men will from this week be able to donate blood if they meet the other blood donor selection criteria. Photo: GETTY

The ban on gay men who want to donate blood has been lifted.

Gay men will from this week be able to donate blood if they meet the other blood donor selection criteria - including a one-year deferral for men who have sex with men.

Health Minister Simon Harris announced that the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) has introduced the change to the blood donor deferral policy.

However, from yesterday there are stricter rules in place for donors who have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease. They cannot give a blood donation for five years after completing treatment for the infection.

Mr Harris said: "The IBTS provides a safe, reliable and robust blood service to the Irish health system and has the necessary programmes and procedures in place to protect both donors and recipients of blood and blood products. Furthermore, the IBTS will continue to keep all deferral policies under active review."

The change to a one-year deferral for a man who had sex with men is supported by the most current scientific evidence.

Ireland is in line with similar policies in the UK, Canada and elsewhere.

Only 3pc of the eligible population of Ireland are active blood donors - yet one-in-four people will require a blood transfusion at some time.
A BUSINESSMAN jailed last week for shoplifting to order had previously posed as a Spanish Duke and pretended to be state witness against the Dutch Hells Angels in a series of crimes, Independent.ie can reveal.

Last week Anthonie Van Wilderoden (44) was jailed in Dublin for a professional shoplifting scheme where he stole high value household goods to order.

The Circuit Criminal Court heard that he used an improvised buggy to steal the high-end items which he then sold on the Donedeal website to unsuspecting customers.

Our exclusive pictures show the Dutch man with his modified Bugaboo buggy in one Dublin store.

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But now it can be revealed that Van Wilderoden has a long and chequered history as a fraudster in central Europe.

It has emerged that Van Wideroden:

Previously acted as a state witness against members of a Dutch motorbike gang but the case collapsed when it emerged that he had fabricated his entire testimony;

Was admitted into the Dutch witness protection programme where he changed his surname and began calling himself the Duke of Aragon

Arranged to marry a French-trained chef in a lavish ceremony but was arrested on the morning before his wedding after it emerged that he hadnt paid the contractors;

Moved to Co Wicklow with his wife but following a split he carried out a spate of robberies across the country;

Now looks set to be the subject of a major European movie.

This week Van Wilderoden is getting settled into his new surroundings at Mountjoy prison. Jail will seem quite familiar for the Dutch conman who has 19 previous convictions across the continent.

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But if you were to meet him you could be mistaken for thinking he was a high-flying businessman.

Dutch journalist Jos Verkuijlen, who has followed the case for Omroep Brabant, explained: "I saw Anthonie as a well dressed man. He was very polite and very believable. I can understand he fooled a noble family and the justice department in his past."

Born Anthonie de Bruin, the Dutchman claimed he was sexually abused as a child and became a male prostitute in his teens.

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At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last week evidence was heard that 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.

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De Bruin had a taste for the expensive lifestyle and the first reports of his alleged frauds started to emerge around 2005. According to Mr Verkuijlen, De Bruin pretended to be a millionaire and ordered expensive things.

"He fooled the most luxurious restaurants and helicopter rental companies," the journalist explained.

It wasnt long before the law-enforcement agencies caught up with him and he was jailed.

Around the same time three members of The Nomads, a Dutch version of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, were murdered.

Authorities suspected that members of the same gang were responsible for the killings but they had no clear way of proving this. Enter Anthonie De Bruin.

He claimed to have had long conversations in prison with the prime suspect in the case and he wrote detailed descriptions of these in his diary.

The authorities thought that the case was sown up but they hit a pretty serious snag when it emerged that De Bruin had fabricated the entire thing.

The case collapsed and now the justice department were left with the headache of what to do with the fantasist jailhouse snitch.

Although he had lied to him they felt compelled to put him into witness protection and he was given the new name of Anthonie Van Wilderoden (sometimes spelled Van Wilderode).

Sometime between then and 2010 he used forged documents to change his name again, this time choosing Anthonie van Wilderoden dAragon. He claimed to be of old Spanish nobility and in the papers he claimed to be an earl. But in public he referred to himself as a duke.

He resurfaced in November 2009 when he asked Tara Elliott - a French trained chef born in Belfast and raised in Dublin - to marry him. His taste for the expensive lifestyle hadnt receded and, according to reports, he proposed to Ms Elliott with a platinum ring encrusted with 108 diamonds.

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The pair had a civil ceremony on April 15, 2010 in Bruges, Belgium and two months later they were planning to have the official wedding. No expense would be spared.

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According to reports it was due to be one of the largest weddings in the history of the state - as big as the marriage of Dutch King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima.

The ceremony was going to be in the basilica of Oudenbosch - a replica of Saint Peters Basilica in Rome - and some 250 guests were invited. Dozens of bouquets of flowers were ordered with Dutch and Belgian musicians arranged for the event.

Afterwards guests were to be invited to a large dinner and party in the former royal Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn. The dinner was going to be made by one of the most famous cooks in The Netherlands.

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If it all seemed too good to be true, then thats because it was. Van Wilderoden had not paid a number of the suppliers who had become concerned and contacted police.

The groom-to-be was arrested on the day before the wedding, just as the couple were putting the finishing touches to the ceremony.

It was discovered that there was an outstanding warrant against him for time not served and the wedding was cancelled, leaving the brides father to pay the massive bills.

Van Wilderoden was tried for the wedding fraud a year later. Prosecutors asked for a 2-year sentence. Most of the case took place behind closed doors to protect his safety - he was still in the witness protection programme. Instead, he got just a year for forgery.

Afterwards the Dutch authorities lost track of him until he popped up again in Co Wicklow.

His wife had travelled to Ireland to set up an edible insect company called Eddiebug with the help of a government loan. The company sold insects as a speciality foodstuff. Van Wilderoden followed her here.

Although it was claimed in court that Van Wilderoden was involved with the firm his wife completely denies it.

She told Independent.ie: "Anthonie Van Wilderoden (sometimes spelt Wilderode, Antonie de Bruin, Marc-Anthonie van Wilderoden d'Aragon, or any other names he may have operated under) is not, and never has been, involved in any aspect of Eddiebug, which is at an embryonic stage of development.

"Tara Elliott (Eddiebug founder and owner) is the estranged wife of Mark Anthonie Van Wilderoden."

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Van Wilderoden is listed as the director of a chocolate making company in Wicklow.

In court evidence was heard that he began his shoplifting enterprise because had built up heavy debt and his by now 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.

A source, familiar with the case, said Van Wilderoden used a modified Bugaboo baby's pram to steal the high-value items from stores like Arnotts, Curries and Harvey Norman.

He was spotted on CCTV cameras in stores across the country before he was eventually caught by an eagle-eyed security guard in Arnotts, Dublin in 2015. The security worker became suspicious when he spotted the Dutch man wheeling a pram with no baby inside.

In court evidence was heard that the guard stopped the Van Wilderoden 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 to putting advertisements online and stealing 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.

Sources said that the Belgian authorities were more than happy to help gardai out with the case.

Last week Judge Cormac Quinn imposed a sentence of two years - suspending the last six months.

A source, who was once close to the conman, said he will be lonely behind bars: "I'm sure he is very lonely without a friend in the world, apart from his two sons in the Netherlands no one will be visiting him in prison."

His life and crimes now look set to be documented in a movie called Basilica.

A source said: "This movie will be a hit but, in order to do this fellow justice, it would need to be a trilogy."

Mr Verkuijlen likened it to the Leonardo di Caprio and Tom Hanks classic. "It will be like Catch me if you Can... only this guy keeps getting caught."
A man who bought a cup of tea from a fast food outlet before robbing the manager was caught after his DNA was found on the paper cup he left at the scene.

Hugh McWeeney (44) of Roseglen Road, Kilbarrack, Dublin was sentenced to five years on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of 8,865 from Eddie Rockets, on Dublin's South Anne Street on August 6, 2013.

He has 33 previous convictions, including one for armed robbery which he carried out with the actor, Stephen Clinch (49), who played "Noely" in RTE's Love/Hate.

He is still serving this sentence.

Garda Brendan Kearns told Tom Neville BL, prosecuting that McWeeney bought a cup of tea in the restaurant before sitting outside to drink it.

When the manager was on his way to the bank to lodge four days worth of takings McWeeney jumped on him and tried to grab the bag.

A second robber then arrived on the scene and the victim was kicked and punched while he lay on the ground before his bag was stolen. Both men managed to get away.

Gda Kearns said the staff alerted gardai to the paper cup that had been left and McWeeney's DNA was later found on it, leading to his arrest.

Pieter Le Vert BL, defending said his client was the primary carer for his bedridden elderly mother for a number of years before he went into custody.

He said he started inhaling solvents at eight years old and began taking heroin and crack cocaine in his 20s.

Counsel told Judge Melanie Greally that McWeeney stopped all drugs at the age of 39 and went "cold turkey."

He said he had not only rehabilitated himself in terms of drug use but had also been of assistance to others in similar situations. He handed a number of reports and references into court.

McWeeney took the stand and told Judge Greally that one of his biggest regrets in life was not being there for his older sons. He said he now wanted to be a better father for his nine-month-old son with his new partner.

"I'm tired with this way of life. I have had enough. There is something else out there," McWeeney said.

He told the court he wanted to apologise to all his victims. He outlined how he got clean but was under duress due to drug debts and had to commit crime to pay them off.

Judge Greally noted that McWeeney's release date from his current sentence is January 2019. She suspended the final 18 months of the five year term, meaning he will spend an additional six months in jail.

She accepted that the assault on the manager was short-lived but described it as violent and noted that McWeeney had "bided his time" in order to mug the man.

Judge Greally said McWeeney had established connections with "unsavoury characters" during his drug addiction who kept a hold over him for years. She accepted he made genuine efforts to stay clean and is "motivated to continue with his rehabilitation".
Brendan Ogle has defended his trade union's decision to get an exemption from social housing for an apartment development at its former HQ.

The building on Dublin's Merrion Square owned by the Unite union has been empty for nearly three years at a time when campaigners including Mr Ogle had been calling for the use of vacant properties to ease the homeless crisis.

In December, a trust connected to the union applied to be exempted from social housing in the development for a house and four apartments. Dublin City Council granted the exemption on December 16 - a day before the campaign, led by Mr Ogle, took over Apollo House.

Mr Ogle said yesterday: "You cannot meet the social housing provisions on developments of 10 units or less, increased from five by (former housing minister) Alan Kelly. So in this case application for the exemption is compulsory."

Read more: Brendan Ogle: 'You'd have to be sociopathic to enjoy this - and I am not'

A spokesperson for the union said it was seeking to sell the property, which had been up for sale in 2012 with a 2m price tag, and the planning permission would "maximise the value of the property for members throughout Ireland".

Expand Expand Previous Next Close 15 Merrion Square North. Photo: Steve Humphreys The rear of 15 Merrion Square North. Photo: Steve Humphreys / Facebook

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"It is Unite's understanding that, following legislative changes introduced by the previous government, the planning permission applicant (Unite the Union Trustee Company), had no legal option but to seek a social housing exemption," a representative said.

"If it should transpire that this was not appropriate in the case of 15 Merrion Square, the application will be withdrawn.

"Unite regards attempts to draw a parallel between 15 Merrion Square and Apollo House as, at best, disingenuous and, at worst, mischievous. As a Nama (controlled) property, Apollo House belongs to the people of Ireland."

The union insisted it remained committed to the aims of the homelessness campaign.

All new developments are required to provide 10pc social or affordable housing under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

But this development in Merrion Square is planned for just five properties, meaning it would be unable to meet the social housing requirements.

The site has had a complicated planning history, but the latest application is to convert the original five-storey protected Georgian structure into a single dwelling and to build a five-storey apartment block at the rear with three three-bed and one one-bed apartments.

The address is a few doors down from the American College, once home to Oscar Wilde. Daniel O'Connell and WB Yeats are among the other well-known names to have once lived on the square.

Unite was formed in 2007 by the merger of the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union (ATGWU) and Amicus.

Number 15 Merrion Street is the former HQ of the ATGWU.
UK prime minister Theresa May said the UK will commit to maintaining the common travel area with Ireland.

Outlining her Brexit plan, Mrs May said the UK government will "make it a priority to deliver a practical solution to the question of the shared land with the Irish State.

Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past, she said.

The family ties and bonds of affection that unite our two countries mean that there will always be a special relationship between us."

She added that maintaining the common travel area with Ireland would be an important part of the talks.

The Irish Government welcomed this saying that for Ireland, "the priorities for the negotiation process that lies ahead are unchanged: our economic and trading arrangements, the Northern Ireland Peace Process including border issues, the common travel area, and the future of the European Union".

The Government said it "is under no illusion about the nature and scale of the Brexit challenge... But it is ready".

Britain will leave the European single market

In her speech, Mrs May said that Britain will leave the European single market when it quits the European Union.

Mrs May said that her plans for Brexit cannot allow continued membership of the single market, which would require free movement of people and accepting the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

Instead, she said that she will seek "the greatest possible access to the single market on a reciprocal basis, through a comprehensive trade agreement".

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Mrs May said that she wanted to remain part of a customs agreement with the remaining 27 EU states, but said she had an "open mind" over whether this would be through associate membership of the Customs Union or through some other arrangement.

Her announcement came in a high-profile speech in London setting out her objectives for post-Brexit Britain.

Final Brexit Deal will be put to vote at Parliament

She also revealed that the final Brexit deal reached between the UK and European Union will be put to a vote of both Houses of Parliament.

Mrs May did not make clear whether a vote against the agreement would result in the UK remaining in the EU or in Britain crashing out of the 28-nation bloc without a deal.

Speaking at Lancaster House, Mrs May said: "When it comes to Parliament, there is one ... way in which I would like to provide certainty. I can confirm today that the Government will put the final deal that is agreed between the UK and the EU to a vote in both Houses of Parliament before it comes into force."

Two-years to negotiate deal

Under Article 50 of the EU treaties, Britain will have two years to negotiate a deal after it informs the European Council of its intention to quit - something which Mrs May has said she will do by the end of March.

Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier has suggested that an agreement must be concluded by October 2018 to allow time for ratification before Britain leaves in March 2019, meaning that the Commons and Lords votes are likely to come during that six-month period.

Mrs May said that Britain will maintain "practical arrangements on law enforcement and the sharing of intelligence material" with its former EU partners, as well as continuing to work as closely with European allies on foreign and defence policy as it now does with the EU.

Border control

Mrs May said the UK would regain control of its borders.

"We will get control of the number of people coming to Britain from the EU. Because, while controlled immigration can bring great benefits, filling skill shortages, delivering public services, making British businesses the world beaters they often are, when the numbers get too high, public support in the system falters."

The PM said Britain would no longer be under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice after Brexit.

Single market agreement

Mrs May said remaining in the single market would mean "to all intents and purposes" not leaving the EU.

"As a priority we will pursue a bold and ambitious free trade agreement with the EU.

"This agreement should allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and the EU's member states.

"It should give British companies the maximum possible freedom to trade with and operate within European markets and let European businesses do the same in Britain.

"But I want to be clear: what I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market."

European leaders had stressed that single market membership meant accepting free movement of goods, services and people.

Being out of the EU but remaining in the single market would also mean being bound by the rules and regulations without having a say in how they are drawn up.

"It would, to all intents and purposes mean not leaving the EU at all," she said.

"That is why both sides in the referendum campaign made it clear that a vote to leave the EU would be a vote to leave the single market."

Mrs May said the UK would seek the "greatest possible access" to the single market through a "new, comprehensive, bold and ambitious free trade agreement".

The deal could take in elements of single market arrangements in areas such as the automotive industry or financial services, she said.

"An important part of the new strategic partnership we seek with the EU will be the pursuit of the greatest possible access to the single market on a fully reciprocal basis through a comprehensive free trade agreement," she said.

The Prime Minister added that leaving the single market would mean no longer having to pay "huge sums" to the EU budget - but the UK could continue to pay to participate in some programmes.

British Citizens within the EU

Mrs May repeated her desire to reach an early deal on the status of British citizens in the EU and those from the continent living in Britain.

She also vowed to ensure workers' rights are "fully protected and maintained".

Mrs May warned the EU against trying to "punish" the UK as a warning to others who might seek to leave the bloc.

She said seeking a punitive Brexit deal with the UK would be "an act of calamitous self-harm", adding that "no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain".

New relationship with EU

Mrs May said she did not want a long transitional period to move towards Britain's new relationship with the EU.

But she said that once a deal is agreed, it will be implemented with a "phased approach, delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit".

She said: "We will seek to avoid a disruptive cliff edge and we will do everything we can to phase in the new arrangements we require as Britain and the EU move towards our new partnership."

Key objectives

Listing her key objectives for the Brexit negotiations, Mrs May said: "These are the objectives we have set:

"Certainty wherever possible. Control of our own laws. Strengthening the United Kingdom.

"Maintaining the common travel area with Ireland. Control of immigration. Rights for EU nationals in Britain and British nationals in the EU. Enhancing rights for workers.

"Free trade with European markets. New trade agreements with other countries. A leading role in science and innovation. Co-operation on crime, terrorism and foreign affairs. And a phased approach, delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit."

And she added: "This is the framework of a deal which will herald a new partnership between the UK and the EU. It is a comprehensive and carefully considered plan that focuses on the ends, not just the means, with its eyes fixed firmly on the future and on the kind of country we will be once we leave."

On the customs union, Mrs May said she wanted a new relationship in order to allow the UK to strike trade deals around the world - and highlighted Donald Trump's comments on a possible agreement with the UK.

"Countries including China, Brazil and the Gulf states have already expressed interest in striking trade deals with us," she said.

"We have started discussions on future trade ties with countries like Australia, New Zealand and India. And President-elect Trump has said that Britain is not at the back of the queue for a trade deal with the United States, the world's biggest economy, but front of the line."

Mrs May said full customs union membership would prevent the UK from striking its own comprehensive trade deals.

"I want Britain to be able to negotiate its own trade agreements but I also want tariff-free trade with Europe, and cross-border trade there to be as frictionless as possible.

"That means I do not want Britain to be part of the common commercial policy and I do not want us to be bound by the common external tariff.

"These are the elements of the customs union that prevent us from striking our own comprehensive trade agreements with other countries. But I do want us to have a customs agreement with the EU."

She said she had an open mind whether that meant a "completely new" agreement, becoming "an associate member of the customs union in some way" or "remaining a signatory to some elements of it".

But she said: "I want to remove as many barriers to trade as possible and I want Britain to be free to establish our own tariff schedules at the World Trade Organisation, meaning we can reach new trade agreements not just with the EU but with old friends and new allies from outside Europe too."

Deep connections with EU

Mrs May insisted that she was "anticipating success" in the Brexit talks, as she believed that the deep connections between Britain and its European neighbours meant that it would be in the EU's interests to strike a favourable deal.

"I do not believe that the EU's leaders will seriously tell German exporters, French farmers, Spanish fishermen, the young unemployed of the eurozone and millions of others that they want to make them poorer just to punish Britain and make a political point," she said.

"For all these reasons, and because of our shared values and the spirit of goodwill that exists on both sides, I am confident that we will follow a better path. I am confident that a positive agreement can be reached.

"It's right that the Government should prepare for every eventuality, but to do so in the knowledge that a constructive and optimistic approach to the negotiations to come is in the best interests of Europe and the best interests of Britain."

Mrs May said she believed that Britain's prospects in the Brexit negotiations were bolstered by "the strength and support of 65 million people willing us to make it happen"

She acknowledged: "After the division and discord, the country is coming together. The referendum was divisive at times and those divisions have taken time to heal."

But she insisted that the strength of Britain's democracy ensured that "when a vote has been held, we all respect the result".

And she claimed that the "overwhelming majority of people - however they voted - want us to get on with it".

Trading with Europe

The Prime Minister said she did not believe the UK would leave the EU without a trade deal, but if it did, Britain could turn the situation to its advantage.

She said: "Because we would still be able to trade with Europe. We would still be free to strike trade deals across the world. And we would have the freedom to set competitive tax rates, and embrace the policies that would attract the world's best companies and biggest investors to Britain.

"And if we were excluded from accessing the single market, we would be free to change the basis of Britain's economic model. But for the EU, it would mean new barriers to trade with one of the biggest economies in the world."

Post-Brexit

Mrs May said that the Government's plan for post-Brexit Britain would not only secure a "good deal abroad" but also "a better deal for ordinary working people at home".

She said the Brexit referendum result did not signal a "retreat from the world" but was partly due to British cultural and political history and the inflexibility of the EU in the face of David Cameron's renegotiation.

She said: "It is important to recognise this fact: June 23 was not the moment Britain chose to step back from the world, it was the moment we chose to build a truly global Britain.

"I know that this, and the other reasons Britain took such a decision, is not always well understood among our friends and allies in Europe.

"I know many fear that this might herald the beginning of a greater unravelling of the EU. But let me be clear: I do not want that to happen."

She said the UK's constitutional arrangements meant that the public expect to be able to directly hold those in power to account "and as a result supranational institutions as strong as those created by the European Union sit very uneasily in relation to our political history and way of life".

Mr Cameron's attempt to strike a better deal was a "valiant final attempt to make it work for Britain".

But she added: "The blunt truth, as we know, is that there was not enough flexibility on many important matters for a majority of British voters."

Following Mrs May's speech, Brexit Secretary David Davis will make a statement to MPs in the House of Commons on the Government's plans for leaving the EU.

Dangers

Mrs May, who had backed the Remain cause in the referendum and warned about the dangers of leaving the single market, said the economy had performed better than expected.

Answering questions from British and European reporters, she said: "Just look at what has happened in terms of the economic information we have seen since the Brexit vote. What we have actually seen is that all the economic indicators have been more positive than people had predicted."

The PM said she wanted an immigration system that allowed the "brightest and best" to come to the UK but "what was clear from the June 23 vote is that as we leave the EU people want us to be able to make those decisions ourselves as to what our immigration system is for people coming in from the EU, and we will be doing just that".

Asked what would happen if Parliament rejected the deal, Mrs May said: "I am sure the British Parliament will want to deliver the views of the British people and respect the democratic decision that was taken."

Pressed on whether the main "weapon" in her armoury was the threat of turning the UK into a tax haven off the coast of mainland Europe, she said: "This is not about a 'weapon', this is not about a confrontation.

"This is about two sides coming together to negotiate and to agree a deal that is going to be in the interests of both sides."

Mrs May said the UK would always want immigration, but added: "Brexit must mean control of the number of people coming to Britain from Europe, and that is what we will deliver."

Reaction

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Mrs May's "powerful" speech will be "well received" by EU nations.

Speaking to reporters at Lancaster House, he went on: "Because it's negotiable, this is something that I think will be good for the UK and good for the rest of the EU as well."

Asked why the EU would give the UK a "free lunch", Mr Johnson said: "As the Prime Minister said, I think it's going to be good for both sides."

He went on: "We very strongly think this is in our mutual interest. We're not leaving Europe, we're disentangling ourselves from the treaties of the EU. We can remain powerfully committed to Europe with a new European partnership ... whilst also going forward with an identity as Global Britain.

The PM will be hoping to speak personally about her plan with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, European Council president Donald Tusk and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in the coming days, it is understood.

Mrs May spoke to Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones ahead of her speech on Tuesday morning.

She also spoke to DUP leader Arlene Foster and Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny on Monday, although those talks mainly focused on the political crisis in Northern Ireland.
The scene at Hunterstown, close to Ardee, where two women died after being knocked down last night. Photo: Ciara Wilkinson

The scene of the fatal accident at Ardee this morning. Photo: Colin O'Riordan

The closed off N2 near the scene of the fatal accident at Ardee this morning.Photo: Colin O'Riordan

The scene of the fatal accident at Ardee this morning. Photo: Colin O'Riordan

The scene of the fatal accident at Ardee this morning. Photo: Colin O'Riordan

The scene of the fatal accident at Ardee this morning and inset Josie Duff (79)

The two women who were tragically killed near Ardee in Co Louth yesterday evening had both been in Dublin because one of them had a doctors appointment.

Josie Duff (79) and Kathy McDonald (70) were also first cousins, and would always accompany each other for medical appointments to lend support.

Speaking at the family home today, Josies heartbroken daughters Fiona and Mary told of how she was a powerhouse of energy and the most selfless woman they knew.

She helped with the hospice in Ardee and with the Irish Wheelchair Association too. There's even a room named after her in the Wheelchair Association, said Fiona.

She met President Mary McAleese as well because of her work there.

She had great energy, you couldn't keep up with her. She volunteered out of the kindness of her heart, it wasn't like any of us are wheelchair users or anything, said Mary.

We have two brothers, Peter and Kevin, and a sister, Loretta, in the States and they are getting flights now to come home. It will be a long journey for them, Fiona explained.

Josie is also survived by her husband John, who used to drive a minibus for the Wheelchair Association.

She also has eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

She loved the garden too. She and daddy would be out doing it together, they said, looking down on the neat lawn and trimmed bushes in the garden that slopes down to the River Dee.

Mammy and Kathy were in Dublin because Kathy had a doctors appointment. They would always go with each other if one of them had an appointment. Mammy collected Kathy and they parked at the pub and got the bus to Dublin.

It was when they got off the bus and were crossing back over to the car that they were hit, said Fiona.

The women had alighted from a bus and were in the process of crossing the road when they were hit by a car.

It is believed the women were crossing the road to reach a parked car.

Both women were pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident happened close to the Hunterstown Inn, south of Ardee, on the N2 at about 6.30pm.

The car park of the Hunterstown Inn is used by people who park there and then get the bus to Dublin.

Emergency services quickly responded to the accident and vehicles from the fire brigade and ambulance service went to the scene.

Gardai sealed off the road and a Garda spokesman said that the road would remain closed overnight and would probably remain closed for sometime today to facilitate the work of a Garda investigation team.

Paramedics and fire fighters were also at the scene.

The remains of the deceased were removed at around 9pm and taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda where post-mortem examinations will be carried out.

The road remained sealed off this morning so garda forensic crash investigators could assess the area.

Diversions were put in place to take traffic around the crash site.

It is a 100km zone of the N2, the old main road from Dublin to Derry, and although the road is in good condition there are no street lamps on it at that point.

The car park of the pub is floodlit however.

A car, which has been covered with a tarpaulin, could be seen at the side of the road facing the direction of Dublin on the Southside of the Hunterstown Inn this morning.

Parish priest Fr Peter Murphy was last night calling to the homes of the families of the deceased and said: "It is a terrible shock for everybody."

Another man, who did not want to be named, said: "The news is just coming through now.

"Everybody is in shock. They were two lovely ladies.

"One of them did a lot for the community, they were just lovely, we are all in shock," he added.

Councillor Jim Tenanty said he saw several emergency vehicles at the scene as gardai diverted traffic.

He said: "People are shocked, absolutely.

"The road is just after being reopened on December 22 after they took the dangerous junction out of it to make it safer."

Local man Aaron McCabe was in the area at the time.

"I didn't see it happen but I just went up and saw four ambulances and a fire brigade. It happened just outside the Hunsterstown Inn," he said.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses with information to come forward and contact Ardee garda station on 041-6871130.

In 2016, there were 187 road deaths, a 15pc increase when compared to 2015.

The highest numbers of fatalities were recorded in counties Cork and Dublin with 21 each, followed by Limerick with 16.
Clinical psychologist David Coleman offers parenting advice in his weekly column.

Q. My 16-year-old daughter has hearing and visual difficulties and was also diagnosed with ADD. She has always been bullied and has no friends. This is her second secondary school. She is in Junior Cert but I wonder if home-schooling would be an option next year? She has very low self-esteem and is on the brink of tears every day. She suffers from severe anxiety about exams but always procrastinates and never prepares. I think homeschooling would nurture her brittle spirit. What do you think?

David replies: I was very taken by your description of your daughter as having a "brittle spirit". Given all the difficulties she has, it seems to be a very apt phrase, encompassing both the hardship she experiences and her potential vulnerability.

She must be finding it so challenging this year. Facing a State exam is hard at the best of times, but if you are already at a low ebb, emotionally, it can seem like a daunting prospect. My heart goes out her. The one thing most teenagers (indeed most of us at any age) desire is to feel connected and accepted by friends and family.

Building our identity is hugely influenced by those connections and is all the more difficult if we feel outside of the "norm" or if we feel exposed or helpless because of some disability or perceived difference.

While she sounds like she needs to be nurtured and minded, there is also the danger that too much "minding" might increase her sense of helplessness. Most of us would do anything to help our children, but we sometimes run the risk of disempowering them if we do too much.

Be careful to understand the depth of your own feelings as they may be driving how you respond to her and how you engage with her. I could imagine that you feel quite powerless, anxious, protective and distressed as you watch her struggle.

You have a tricky job of finding the balance between supporting her enough that she doesn't disintegrate, emotionally, without taking over from her.

Has she given any clear indication that she wants to leave school? Is she looking for alternatives to her current situation or does this idea come from you? While leaving school might be the right course of action, do take lots of time to discuss it with her.

In those discussions, be very aware of what your own motivations are, such that you give her the space (unencumbered by your need to protect her, for example) to really consider what she'd like to do.

Has she any support in her current school? Do the adults actively encourage her, or help her, with making friends, for example? Could they set up some kind of buddy system for her where one, or several, of the boys or girls in her year takes her under their wing a bit? Before considering removing her from school it might be worth seeing what practical help they can offer in this regard.

Your daughter needs practical opportunities to feel good about herself. Often this comes from doing things for other people, even more than focusing on ourselves. Have you, or she, considered volunteering? I don't know how severe her hearing and visual difficulties are, but could she offer support, guidance, or just a "big-sisterly ear" to other children with similar, or more severe disabilities?

What strengths does she have? What are her talents? What are the positive aspects of her temperament or personality (even if she doesn't currently have a chance to show them)? Might she excel at sport, or does she connect with animals, or younger children? Can you find any passions or desires that she wants to pursue?

Often youngsters who have been, on the face of it, rejected or excluded from things that seem easy, natural or normal, to their peers lose hope that there is anything that is worthwhile about them or their lives.

Sometimes the biggest job we have as parents is to give our children back that hope. We might inspire them ourselves, or we may connect them with the right person, organisation or experience that inspires them and reignites their hope that there is something positive, in life, for them.

If you have parenting queries for David Coleman please email dcoleman@independent.ie. Please note that David can not reply to individual correspondence
In 2016, more than 12,000 Irish women considered going under the knife to increase the size of their breasts.

Jessica Kavanagh (28), Lindsey Kelly (29) and Audrey Green (35) explain the reasons why they decided to first book their consultation and also the impact the surgery has had on their lives.

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Name: Jessica Kavanagh

Age: 28

From: Carrickmines, Dublin

Profession: Fitness trainer and RIBBF (Republic of Ireland Bodybuilding Federation) competitor

Expand Close Jessica Kavanagh is a fitness trainer and RIBBF (Republic of Ireland Bodybuilding Federation) competitor / Facebook

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Whatsapp Jessica Kavanagh is a fitness trainer and RIBBF (Republic of Ireland Bodybuilding Federation) competitor

I have always been very flat-chested and it was something that really used to bother me in my teens but once I was in my early twenties, it became something I didn't really mind about myself. It's only when I began competing that I became conscious of my boobs again. I had worked so hard to get to the stage, getting really lean and also getting body fat right down. Any boobs I did have disappeared and I was left with just skin on my chest.

You're not judged on your breasts at all during competitions, but I do feel it can give you a more polished look overall. In Ireland, it's 50/50, about half of the competitors would have them done, but in competitions abroad, the majority of female competitors would have had breast augmentation. In September 2015, I competed abroad and I felt odd without them. On the flight home I made the decision to just do it. My partner was delighted, of course!

I sold my car to be able to afford it and I booked the procedure at the Avoca Clinic the following November. I'm quite petite, I'm 5'2 and my chest is quite narrow, so I went for implants that were narrow at the base so they would look more natural, and be in line with my shape. Now I'm a DD.

I'm a complete sissy and I had never been put to sleep before so that aspect was quite nerve-wracking but it was a breeze. I was in and out in a day and it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I was quite tender for a few weeks and I had to take it easy for a while but 12 weeks on I was back doing the tough training I had been doing before the surgery.

Last October, I won the RIBBF bikini title which was wonderful. Obviously, the ambition for many competitors would be to go professional, and it would be a dream of mine to go all the way with this. Outside of the competitions, it's also given me a bit of my femininity back and I feel a lot more confident.

Name: Audrey Greene

Age: 35

From: Dublin but lives in Wicklow

From: Picture-framer

Expand Close Audrey said she hated her body before she underwent cosmetic surgery / Facebook

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Whatsapp Audrey said she hated her body before she underwent cosmetic surgery

I loved my boobs, I always did. It sounds weird to say but they were my pride and joy. After battling with my weight for most of my twenties, I made the decision to have gastric band surgery and ultimately I lost more than 8 and half stone (54.1 kg).

While it was great to lose the weight, my boobs went totally south and I was devastated. Everyone was telling me how great I looked but I hated my body. I would look at myself and say 'That is not me'. I just wanted them to go back to where they were and not spent evenings crying about my body.

It's all well and good losing weight but what's the point if you feel just as bad as you did before. If there's a problem, why wouldn't you go ahead and fix it?

I made the decision to get an uplift and implants and it was something I just had to do for me. It is expensive but I don't drink, I don't smoke and I don't go out that much so this was my luxury.

I didn't find the surgery in Enhance Medical to be as tough as they say it is. I was told horror stories about the pain and the scarring and the things that could go wrong but I healed all according to plan. I've had two kids without pain relief and that was a million times worse.

Of course some people voiced their opinions before I went and got them done, 'Oh you'll look like a bimbo', 'You'll look so fake', but my mum and auntie were all for it. They could see how much it was getting me down.

Before I lost the weight, I would have been a 40F and now I'm a 34D or DD. Before I would have been so anxious in changing rooms, terrified someone would catch a glimpse of me, but now I'm so much more confident in myself.

People think cosmetic surgery is all about vanity but it is so much more than that. I wouldn't think twice about doing it again.

Name: Lindsey Kelly

Age: 29

From: Kildare

Profession: CIT Carlow student

Expand Close Lindsey Kelly underwent breast augmentation in 2015 / Facebook

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Whatsapp Lindsey Kelly underwent breast augmentation in 2015

I suppose I decided to get the surgery done for the same reason a lot of other women do. I had always been completely flat chested - I was hardly able to fill an A-cup. I've never been someone obsessed with my body, but when it came to wearing a bikini on holidays or even in my underwear, it was something I felt really self-conscious about.

My mum always said she was the same as I was, always very petite and flat-chested and then in her twenties, she filled out a little bit and I thought 'That will happen for me'. But even after I had my little boy, I didn't see any difference in my body shape. I would have bigger hips and I just felt that I was out of proportion.

I fell into a bit of money a few years ago and I thought, look it's now or never. I never wanted to have massive boobs, I wanted something that would be really natural.

I didn't tell anyone that I was getting it done, except my mum and a close friend. I felt that everyone would be looking at my chest if I did.

Before I looked into it, I always thought it was a massive deal, but it was all so quick and easy, I didn't even stay over night in the Avoca Clinic. I've spent longer roaming around Penneys or in the bath.

Your breasts have a lot to do with your confidence and it really was the best thing I ever did. I was a bit concerned about the message it would send to my son, that if you don't like something about yourself, just change it, but it is a decision I don't regret.
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Colette Browne Opinion Every effort must be made to retrieve oral histories of mother and baby home survivors

With three days to go until the Mother and Baby Homes Commission ceases to exist as a legal entity, we are being told that audio recordings of hundreds of witnesses which were deleted may not actually be gone forever. It is another usual twist in a most emotional saga. For decades, survivors of mother and baby homes have been denied a voice and denied autonomy. When they fell pregnant, many through rape and abuse, they were marched to the doors of religious institutions.
How the tables have turned.

Yesterday, it emerged the Unite trade union sought a social housing exemption for its former Dublin headquarters.

A trust connected to the trade union applied to be exempted from social housing for a development at the building on the upmarket Merrion Square in Dublin city centre, one of the capital's most salubrious addresses.

At the same time, one of its top officials, Brendan Ogle, was planning the occupation of Apollo House in the city centre last month.

Unite's application for a Social Housing Exemption Cert was granted by Dublin City Council on December 16, the day after its official, Mr Ogle, and others, gained access to Apollo House to begin a four-week occupation by homeless people and volunteers. What's more the Merrion Square building has been empty for almost three years.

Now, nobody is suggesting the building on Merrion Square was suitable accommodation for homeless people.

But neither was an ageing office block in the middle of the city centre, which was never intended as accommodation.

At no point, though, did Mr Ogle mention his union having an empty building available just a mile away.

These tales are not always black and white.

One can easily understand Unite's position in this case. The union is selling off its old headquarters and seeking to get the best possible price to spend on services for its members.

All new developments are required to provide 10pc social or affordable housing under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

In reality, though, changes to the law mean a development envisaged on the site of Unite's old headquarters would be difficult to reconcile with the social and affordable housing provision.

There are exemptions for small-scale developments and building conversions. Unite argues the development cannot meet the social housing provisions on developments of 10 units or less, so an application for the exemption was virtually compulsory.

The application for private residential development within the building is legitimately intended to make it more attractive to be sold.

Unite can easily be accused of feathering its own nest and not practising what it preaches in relation to the homeless. But that would just be lazy commentary, which failed to take into account the complicated aspects of such developments.

The debate prompted by the Home Sweet Home organisation's occupation of Apollo House did highlight the issue of homelessness.

However, there was scant regard shown for property rights and the law of the land when Apollo House was illegally occupied and a court order was required to remove the group from the building.

And the notion that an office block was suitable accommodation for the homeless was simplistic.

The experience with its own headquarters shows Unite needs to be more open to listening to the arguments put forward by the opposing side, instead of just making demands.

Unite and Mr Ogle will have to learn that both sides of the story do actually matter.
US TV presenter Chelsea Handler wrote in The Hollywood Reporter that 'women are under a right-wing political assault'

US TV star Chelsea Handler has urged people to join her in a march following Donald Trump's inauguration in order to fight against those who "wish to turn back the clock to the Dark Ages".

Handler is leading a women's solidarity march in Park City, Utah, on Saturday, to coincide with similar demonstrations in Washington and all over the world. She has encouraged both men and women to take part to exercise their "constitutional rights".

The comedienne is fronting the event to take a stand against Trump and the Republican party's plans to take funding away from national reproductive healthcare provider Planned Parenthood.

She described these plans as a "right-wing political assault" on the women and girls of the country, and also men, who benefit from services provided by the 100-year-old organisation.

Handler wrote in The Hollywood Reporter: "Women are under a right-wing political assault, and I intend to fight back with all my might against a Republican president, a Republican Congress, and the radical, religious right who are drooling to defund Planned Parenthood health services nationwide."

She said there is "a movement happening" and a "groundswell of passion and conviction rising among women and men".

"Let's teach our Predator-In-Chief a lesson that he can't do anything he wants, and that he can't trample all over the rights of America's 162 million women and girls," she wrote.

"Men and women, please march with me, register to vote and make sure our democracy can be heard loud and clear as we stand together and fight for women's rights, individual rights and our American rights against those who wish to turn back the clock to the Dark Ages.

She said citizens of the US need to take the opportunity to "stand together and use our voices to fight for the very rights women fought for and won years ago.

"By exercising our constitutional rights, we will fight for the future of an America that treats women and men with real respect and respects the privacy of a woman's body."

Video of the Day

Handler used her comedic tone to tell Republicans to "get your heads away from the nation's bedroom windows, and go get some treatment for your vaginitis at Planned Parenthood."

Handler has also said that the US has "turned into a reality show" and said that Trump's being voted into power was the fault of reality TV family the Kardashians.

She told Variety magazine: "(The media) were treating him as an entertainer first. It was a reality show. We've turned into a reality show.

"I blame the Kardashians, personally; the beginning of the end was the Kardashians. The way these people have blown up and don't go away - it's surreal."

Celebrities including Scarlett Johansson, Katy Perry, Amy Schumer, Cher, America Ferrera and Julianne Moore will take part in the Washington march, one day after the inauguration of Trump as the 45th president of the United States.
People walk at the site after a bombing attack of an internally displaced persons camp in Rann, Nigeria January 17, 2017. MSF/Handout via Reuters

An injured person is comforted at the site after a bombing attack of an internally displaced persons camp in Rann, Nigeria January 17, 2017. MSF/Handout via Reuters

Injured people are comforted at the site after a bombing attack of an internally displaced persons camp in Rann, Nigeria January 17, 2017. MSF/Handout via Reuters

An injured child is carried at the site after a bombing attack of an internally displaced persons camp in Rann, Nigeria January 17, 2017. MSF/Handout via Reuters.

Nigeria's air force killed 50 people and injured 120 in an air strike on a refugee camp in the northeast on Tuesday, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said. The military said the strike had targeted Boko Haram.

MSF said the strike occurred in Rann in Borno state, the epicentre of the jihadist group's seven-year-old bid to create an Islamic caliphate. Regional military commander General Lucky Irabor located it at Kala Balge, a district including Rann.

Irabor, who said it was too early to determine the cause of the mistake, told journalists an unknown number of civilians had been killed, adding that humanitarian workers from MSF and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were injured.

"MSF teams have seen 120 wounded and 50 dead following the bombing," said Charlotte Morris, a spokeswoman for the medical charity. "Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients. We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following the event."

Expand Close Covered bodies are seen at the site after a bombing attack of an internally displaced persons camp in Rann, Nigeria January 17, 2017. MSF/Handout via Reuters / Facebook

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Whatsapp Covered bodies are seen at the site after a bombing attack of an internally displaced persons camp in Rann, Nigeria January 17, 2017. MSF/Handout via Reuters

A spokeswoman for ICRC said six Nigerian Red Cross members were killed and 13 were wounded.

The insurgency has killed more than 15,000 people and forced two million to flee their homes, many of whom have moved to camps because it has been too dangerous to return home.

The air strike came amid an offensive against Boko Haram by Nigeria's military over the last few weeks. President Muhammadu Buhari said last month a key camp in the jihadist group's Sambisa forest base in Borno state had fallen.

A statement issued by the presidency said the air strike was a "regrettable operational mistake" that happened during the "final phase of mopping up insurgents in the northeast".

Boko Haram has stepped up attacks in the last few weeks as the end of the rainy season has enabled its fighters to move more easily in the bush.
Workers clear up after muck was sprayed on the steps of Derby Crown Court

A man has been released on bail after muck was dumped on the steps of a court.

Officers received reports of a tractor and muck spreader pulling up outside Derby Crown Court at 7.10am on Tuesday.

Police said a red Massey Ferguson was abandoned on the pavement on Morledge along with a teal spreader, while council workers were seen clearing dirt from the steps throughout the morning.

A note was seen in the window of the tractor's cab which suggested the muck spreading was a protest against a "severely flawed judicial system".

It read: "What a shame!!! What a shame to have to resort to this.

"Today is a personal protest against the severely flawed judicial system that has consistently failed to listen to simple truth and reason.

"Sorry for any inconvenience caused (to the general public)."

Derbyshire Police said a 49-year-old man arrested on suspicion of criminal damage has been bailed while the investigation continues.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.
The scene of the plane crash on Middle Island in Queensland Photo via: LifeFlight

Emergency services at the scene of the plane crash in Queensland in which an Irishwoman was seriously injured. Photos: LifeFlight

The scene of the plane crash in Queensland in which an Irishwoman was seriously injured.

An Irish backpacker who was left with head injuries after a plane crash in Australia is in a "critical but stable" condition.

The woman (21) was one of four people travelling aboard a light aircraft when it crashed onto a beach at Middle Island in Queensland last Tuesday, January 10.

A British woman, aged 29, was pronounced dead at the scene following attempts by rescue personnel to revive her.

A spokeswoman for the Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital said the Irish woman remains in the intensive care unit of the hospital but is stable, a week on from the tragedy.

A 13-year-old boy, Jesse Lonnon, who was also travelling in the plane and the plane's pilot, Les Woodall (60s) were also injured in the crash.

Jesse's dad, Jason, was on the scene shortly after the crash and revealed how he watched the plane go down from another plane and then climbed into the wreck to try and cut his son out of the plane.

"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.

"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."

An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway and initial indications suggest that engine failure may have caused the crash.

The plane belonged to a tour company called 1770 Castway, which offers adventure tours.

The tour company expressed sympathy with the family in a post on it's Facebook page.

"On behalf of everyone at 1770 Castaway, we offer our deepest condolences to the families and all the loved ones of those involved in the Middle Island tragedy," the company said.
Barack Obama has commuted the sentence for 209 inmates (AP)

President Barack Obama has commuted the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, allowing the former Army intelligence analyst who gave classified documents to WikiLeaks to go free nearly 30 years early.

Manning, who will leave prison in May, was one of 209 inmates whose sentences Mr Obama shortened.

The outgoing president also pardoned 64 people, including retired General James Cartwright, who was charged with making false statements during a probe into disclosure of classified information.

White House counsel Neil Eggleston said: "These 273 individuals learned that our nation is a forgiving nation where hard work and a commitment to rehabilitation can lead to a second chance."

Manning has been serving a 35-year sentence for leaking classified government and military documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.

She asked Mr Obama last November to commute her sentence to time served.

Manning was convicted in a military court in 2013 of six violations of the Espionage Act and 14 other offences for leaking more than 700,000 documents and some battlefield video to WikiLeaks.

She was known as Bradley Manning at the time of her 2010 arrest and is being held at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Manning was an intelligence analyst in Iraq and has acknowledged leaking the documents, but has said it was done to raise public awareness about the effects of war on civilians.

She attempted suicide twice last year, according to her lawyers, citing her treatment at Leavenworth.

Chase Strangio, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer representing Manning, said the president's action "quite literally save Chelsea's life.".

"We are all better off knowing that Chelsea Manning will walk out of prison a free woman, dedicated to making the world a better place and fighting for justice for so many," Mr Strangio said in a statement.

The US Army declined to comment.

Cartwright, the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, received a pardon, the White House said.

He pleaded guilty in October to making false statements during an investigation into a leak of classified information about a covert cyberattack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Prosecutors said Cartwright falsely told investigators he did not provide information contained in a news article and in a book by New York Times journalist David Sanger, and said he also misled prosecutors about classified information shared with another journalist, Daniel Klaidman.

The Justice Department sought a sentence of two years, saying employees of the US government are entrusted each day with sensitive classified information.

Commutations reduce sentences being served but do not erase convictions. Pardons generally restore civil rights, such as voting, often after a sentence has been served.

Most of the other people receiving commutations were serving sentences for non-violent drug offences.

AP
Detectives have appealed to parents and local residents for information after the attempted murder of 35-year-old man near a primary school by a hitman pushing an empty buggy.

Ross Monaghan, 35, was shot in the back moments after dropping his child off at St George's Primary in the Penilee area of Glasgow at around 9.05am on Monday.

He was approached by a man pushing an empty buggy who pulled out a gun and shot him before fleeing along Hollybush Road.

Mr Monaghan was cleared of killing gangland figure Kevin ''Gerbil'' Carroll in 2012 after a judge ruled there was no case to answer due to insufficient evidence.

Police Scotland said Mr Monaghan had been treated at the city's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for a shoulder injury but was later discharged.

Specialist search officers remain at the scene.

Officers are continuing door-to-door inquiries and reviewing CCTV footage from in and around the area for additional information about the incident.

They are also trying to locate the collapsible buggy used by the attacker. It has four wheels with a rain hood attached.

Detective Chief Inspector John Kennedy said: "There's no doubt that this incident has shocked local people and the wider community, but people can be assured that every effort is being made to trace whoever is responsible for this crime.

"Our inquiries so far have shown that the suspect is believed to have been in the area, outside the school, on Friday January 13 2017 with the buggy, so I'm appealing to parents, local residents, or anyone who was in the area that day and who may have seen something to contact us.

"It's possible the suspect made off in a vehicle and I'm asking people in the surrounding areas to think back and consider if they noticed anything unusual or suspicious.

"Did you see the man with the buggy, did you see him get into a vehicle? Any small detail could prove significant to our inquiries, so please do pass it on."
German tabloid Bild Zeitung, featuring an exclusive interview with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, lies on display at a kiosk in Berlin, Germany. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Germany sought to calm European anxieties over Donald Trump's presidency yesterday after he dismissed Nato as "obsolete" and said he believed the EU would break up.

"I believe we Europeans have our fate in our own hands," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in Berlin.

"I'm personally going to wait until the American president takes office, and then we will naturally work with him on all levels and see what kind of agreements we can reach."

Mrs Merkel spoke out after comments by Mr Trump in a joint interview with the UK 'Times' and Germany's 'Bild' newspaper unnerved governments across the continent and caused panicked meetings in Brussels.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, spoke of "astonishment and anxiety" among European leaders at the president-elect's comments.

"I've spoken not only with EU foreign ministers but Nato foreign ministers as well and can report that the signals are that there's been no easing of tensions," Mr Steinmeier said.

Just days before his inauguration, Mr Trump praised Brexit as a "great thing" and said he believed other countries would follow Britain out of the EU.

Speaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, France's Jean-Marc Ayrault said the best response to Mr Trump's interview was a united Europe.

But it was Mr Trump's comment that Nato is "obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago" that caused most concern among European leaders, reigniting fears that the US could split the alliance under his leadership.

"Since World War II, the presence of US troops has been a prerequisite for rebuilding the continent, safeguarding peace and ensuring security," Dalia Grybauskaite, the Lithuanian foreign minister, said.

"We expect continuity from the new US administration.

"Mr Trump must maintain this leadership role, to ensure security, stability and peace."

Mr Trump's comments were in stark contrast to those of James Mattis, his newly-appointed defence secretary, at his senate confirmation hearing last week.

"If we did not have Nato today, we would have to create it," Gen Mattis said, and EU leaders were pinning their hopes on his view prevailing.

"We are working on the basis that Mr Trump will listen to Gen Mattis, Rex Tillerson (the incoming secretary of state) and foreign policy Republicans," a senior EU diplomat told Reuters.

Gen Mattis also accused Russian leader Vladimir Putin of seeking to "break the North Atlantic alliance", and Russia was quick to support Mr Trump's latest comments.

"Nato is, indeed, a vestige of the past and we agree with that. We have long been speaking about our views on this organisation," Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said.

Mrs Merkel's office said she was working to set up a meeting with Mr Trump.

But the German chancellor's relations with the new American president appear to have started poorly after he accused her of a "very catastrophic mistake" in opening Germany's doors to asylum-seekers.

Mrs Merkel said Mr Trump was confusing taking in refugees fleeing war with being soft on terrorism.

"The majority of Syrians left their country because of the civil war, because of the fight against Assad or the oppression from Assad," she said.

John Kerry, the outgoing US secretary of state, came to Mrs Merkel's support, describing her refugee policy as "extremely courageous".

It was "inappropriate" for Mr Trump to interfere in the internal politics of another country by criticising the policy, Mr Kerry told CNN.

There was further evidence of future turbulence in US-German relations after Mr Trump threatened to impose a 35pc tax on German car-makers if they sought to import cars made elsewhere to the US.

"I would tell BMW that if you are building a factory in Mexico and plan to sell cars to the USA, without a 35pc tax, then you can forget that," Mr Trump said.
Revelations from an inquest into the Tunisian terrorist attacks in 2015 that killed three Irish citizens were "horrendous", according to a friend of one of the victims.

Evidence from the inquest shows that police deliberately delayed their arrival on the scene of the terrorist attack in Sousse.

Three Irish citizens were killed in the June 2015 attack when extremist Seifeddine Rezgui Yacoubi launched a deadly assault on a popular beach resort.

The UK hearing into the deaths of 38 tourists heard that a local investigation into the slaughter criticised some police for stalling as they made their way to the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel.

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Amongst the people killed in Sousse was Lorna Carty from Co Meath.

"It is horrendous and it's terrible to think that more lives could have been saved," said Fine Gael Senator Ray Butler, who knows Ms Carty's family.

"I'm sure the revelations won't help the family, who are very private people. I spoke to Lorna's husband at the time and he was just devastated."

Mr Butler said he would help "push for the family" if they wanted a similar inquest to take place in Ireland.

"I'd like to see what the families would think of an Irish inquest and I would have no problem pushing for the family if they wanted one.

"I would be totally behind them," he said.

Athlone couple Larry and Martina Hayes were also killed in the deadly attack and Athlone Parish Priest Fr Liam Devine said the revelations were "another twist" in the tragedy.

"The news will only further add to all the grief felt by the family," he said.

"It is still very raw and I remember talking to a brother of the family at the time and they were just devastated so this will not help matters now."

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said the Irish Embassy in Madrid, which is responsible for Tunisia, had been involved in providing active and ongoing assistance and support to the families of the three Irish citizens who lost their lives in the attack.

The inquest heard that a local investigation into the attack criticised police for stalling as they made their way to the hotel.

Rezgui "systematically" gunned down the innocent tourists on the hotel's beach before going into the grounds and the building and killing more, the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London was told.

CCTV footage played to the packed courtroom, full of relatives of those who died, showed the killer as he approached the hotel with his gun hidden under a parasol.

More graphic scenes showed him enter the building and shoot at least one tourist.

Samantha Leek QC, counsel to the inquest, said a report by Tunisian Judge Akremi had identified failings by local units which could have ended the slaughter before more police arrived and shot Rezgui dead.

She said the inquest would hear evidence from that report citing an unnamed interior minister as saying some Tunisian security officers nearby had consciously slowed down their arrival.

"He said the units that should have intervened in the events deliberately and unjustifiably slowed down to delay their arrival at the hotel," Ms Leek said.

"They had the ability to put an end to the attack before the police arrived but wasted a considerable amount of time in getting to the hotel."

Footage shown to the inquest included the shooting of 72-year-old grandfather Bruce Wilkinson, from Goole, East Yorkshire.

A woman, believed to be a family member, left the room before it was shown.

Ms Leek said that on June 26, 2015, Rezgui "entered the hotel from the beach, carrying an automatic weapon and a number of explosives".

"He systematically took the lives of 38 people who had travelled to Tunisia for enjoyment, luxury and relaxation," she said.

An armed guard on the beach opened fire on Rezgui, but fell to the ground "seemingly unconscious" after the gunman threw a grenade at him, she added.

This led to a local speedboat driver, named as AI, picking his gun up and attempting to confront Rezgui. However, he was unable to work the weapon.

She said Rezgui was thought to have acted alone on the beach - albeit with an accomplice in a van nearby - and AI brandishing the gun may have sparked reports at the time of a second gunman involved in the shooting.

The hearing, scheduled to last for seven weeks, will also examine security in place at the hotel by tour firm TUI and the travel advice issued for Tunisia by the UK government.

The Sousse atrocity came months after a terror attack at the Bardo National Museum in the capital, Tunis, in March 2015 in which 24 people were killed.
French prime minister Manuel Valls said "today we have to live with a kind of permanent state of emergency"

European counter-terrorism measures have been eroding basic human rights throughout the continent over the past two years, Amnesty International said.

The group's report echoed what other rights groups fear - that Europe has traded away its rights in exchange for a false sense of security.

It examined 14 countries and eight categories, including emergency laws, privacy rights, and efforts to strip nationality from people convicted of terrorism.

"We have to dismantle the paradigm that says there is the state of emergency or nothing in the fight against terrorism, that security equals restriction of rights equals state of emergency," said Dominique Curis, Amnesty's director in France.

The report comes as France's top constitutional court was given three months to consider one of the most criticised aspects of the country's state of emergency: its ability to keep people considered a threat under house arrest as long as the state of emergency lasts.

Renewed five times since the attacks in Paris that killed 130 people, the state of emergency has come under criticism from rights groups as one of the most extreme examples in a growing European trend towards draconian anti-terrorism laws.

However, French prime minister Manuel Valls, who is now running for the presidency, told Le Parisien newspaper last week: " Let's be clear: This terrorist threat will last a generation.

"Today we have to live with a kind of permanent state of emergency."

Britain's recently passed Investigatory Powers Act law - which offers officials a no-warrant-needed access to the intimate details of citizens' online lives - is among the most severe in Europe, but its implementation has been derailed by a recent European Court of Justice ruling.

Even without the act, the UK government has a range of surveillance powers - many of them used to police pedestrian issues, including parents suspected of sneaking their kids into better school districts, people dumping rubbish on the street or renegade dog walkers who refuse to pick up their pets' poop.

Reporters and leakers are another popular target - in 2015, Britain's interception watchdog revealed that police had used their surveillance powers to monitor the calls and emails of 82 journalists over a three-year period.

In Germany, where a radicalised Tunisian hijacked a truck and mowed down a Christmas market on December 19, the government recently announced measures to force some people labelled potential threats to wear ankle monitors even if they have not been convicted.

Truck attacker Anis Amri's asylum request had been denied and he had been flagged as a danger, but paperwork problems delayed his deportation from Germany.

A government's political persuasion matters little when considering rights issues, said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty's director in Europe.

"You give the power to one government, the government changes, and it's very difficult to get it back," he said.

The European Union, whose anti-terrorism directive was singled out in the Amnesty report, said human rights remained paramount and disagreed with its conclusions.

"Fundamental rights are precisely what the terrorists attack.

"And measures adopted in the field of security should not, do not and must not in the future reduce the standards of protection of fundamental rights, which is one of the pillars on which the EU is built," said EU spokeswoman Tove Ernst.

AP
A man pay tribute during a candlelight gathering outside the Blue Parrot club, where five people were killed in early morning gunfire (AP/Rebecca Blackwell)

Gunfire broke out in a crowded beachfront nightclub in Mexico, causing five deaths and setting off a bloody stampede by screaming concert-goers.

The attack happened in the Caribbean resort of Playa del Carmen before dawn on Monday.

At least one person died in the crush to escape and some of the 15 people wounded or injured were hurt as people rushed out, the authorities said.

Quintana Roo state Attorney General Miguel Angel Pech ruled out any terrorism motive, and the state's governor said it involved a personal dispute.

Mr Pech said the shooting erupted at about 2.30am local time when security personnel tried to stop a man from entering the Blue Parrot club with a gun.

The gunman began to exchange fire with another person, and festival security personnel who tried to stop the shooting came under fire.

Mr Pech said 20 bullet casings apparently from three different pistols were found at the scene, but it was unclear if the security detail was armed or fired any of the weapons.

Three of those killed were part of the security detail at the 10-day BPM electronic music festival, he said. The gunman apparently fled.

He said three people were detained nearby. It was not known if they had been involved in the shooting.

Quintana Roo Governor Carlos Joaquin attributed the shooting to "a personal conflict" between two people who exchanged gunfire.

New Zealand tourist Tyler Klee was outside the club when shots rang out.

He said: "I was thinking it was the same thing that happened in Paris, some guy just walking in and shooting people at a restaurant, bang bang bang, a terrorist attack.

"Everyone ran, everyone was terrified, looking for their friends ... We were running away and then you hear more shots fired, like you don't know if you're going to be shot in the back or not."

Officials released a list of the dead, who included one Canadian, one American, two Mexicans and one Italian.

Canada's Global Affairs Department identified its dead citizen as Kirk Wilson of Toronto.

Neil Forester, a friend, said Mr Wilson was a veteran bouncer and was working with security at the festival to lend a hand to the Canadian organisers.

"He was just a genuine, one-of-a-kind guy," Mr Forester said. He said Mr Wilson was 49 and was married with two children.

The Quintana Roo state prosecutor's office identified the US citizen who died as Alejandra Villanueva Ibarra.

The office said she died in the crush to escape the shooting.

It identified the Italian victim as Daniel Pessina and said he was part of the BPM staff.

The Mexican victims were identified as Rafael Penaloza Vega and Geovanni Ruiz Murillo. The prosecutor's office said Mr Ruiz Murillo was wearing a BPM shirt.

Mr Pech said a Mexican woman was seriously injured, and that eight of those hurt were treated at hospital and released.

The shooting occurred near the largest exit, causing chaos as concert-goers had to scramble over a metal fence to escape to the beach.

Jeffrey Castelein, 33, a fork-lift operator from Belgium, said he heard 15 to 20 shots before he and his friends leapt the fence.

"At first we didn't realise, and then everybody fell down and you had to hide a little bit. And then we went out the back by the sea."

Playa del Carmen has largely been spared the violence that has hit other parts of Mexico.

The state tourism department said the shooting was an "isolated act of violence" and stressed that "the situation in Playa del Carmen is under control and Mexican and foreign tourists can feel protected and safe".

AP
General Motors chairman and chief executive Mary Barra, as it was reported that the company will announce a major investment in its factories (AP/Paul Sancya)

General Motors will on Tuesday announce a huge investment in its factories that will create or keep around 1,000 jobs.

A company source told The Associated Press that the 1 billion dollar (830 million) investment is part of the normal process of equipping factories to build new models, and it has been planned for months.

The source said that multiple factories will see investment, but GM does not plan to say where the new jobs will go.

The company plans to use the announcement to underline both the blue-collar and white-collar US jobs it has created in recent years, the source said.

President-elect Donald Trump has attacked GM and other carmakers for building vehicles in Mexico and shipping them to the US.

Earlier this month, Mr Trump threatened on Twitter to tax GM for importing the compact Chevrolet Cruze.

While GM builds hatchback Cruzes in Mexico, most Cruze sales are sedans built in the US, in Ohio.

On the eve of the Detroit motor show press day last week, GM chief executive Mary Barra said the company has no plans to change where it produces small cars due to Mr Trump's threats.

She said the car business has long lead times for where it produces vehicles, with decisions made two to four years ahead.

Ms Barra, who is part of a Trump economic advisory group, said it is too early to talk about a possible tariff.

She said the company has more in common with Mr Trump's goals on trade and jobs than differences.

AP
Peter Marx, executive of the NPD parliament faction in the state parliament in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, left, flashes a victory sign at the German constitutional court in Karlsruhe (Uli Deck/pool photo via AP)

Germany's supreme court has rejected a bid by politicians to outlaw a far-right party accused of pursuing a racist and anti-Semitic agenda.

Andreas Vosskuhle, chief justice of the Federal Constitutional Court, said that while the party's goals run counter to the German constitution, "there are currently no concrete indications... that its actions will lead to success".

The German parliament's upper house had applied for the ban at the end of 2013.

It was the second attempt to ban the National Democratic Party, better known by its German acronym NPD.

In 2003, the court rejected a previous application because paid government informants within the group were partially responsible for evidence against it.

Mr Vosskuhle, in explaining the verdict, cited the party's political irrelevance, pointing out that it has only a single seat in the European Parliament and that the NPD's election results have in recent years been "on a low level".

He said that a party's questionable ideology alone was not reason enough for a ban.

A party would need to be actively working to abolish Germany's free and democratic order, he said, adding: "There's no evidence for this here."

The rise of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, which has attacked Chancellor Angela Merkel for allowing large numbers of migrants into the country and appeals to a much broader range of protest voters, has eroded the NPD's support in recent years.

The party is not represented in the Bundestag after winning just 1.3% of the vote in the last national election in 2013.

Parties need to pass a 5% threshold to win seats in the federal parliament.

It is still represented at the local level, though, and receives money just like other parties based on its electoral performance.

The NPD could not immediately be reached for comment, but celebrated the verdict on Facebook saying it was "now fully back in business".

Only two parties have been outlawed in West Germany and reunited Germany - the neo-Nazi Socialist Reich Party in 1952 and the German Communist Party in 1956.

AP
Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin, left, accompanied by Police Chief Mustafa Caliskan, talk to the media during a news conference in Istanbul (AP)

The suspected gunman who attacked an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Eve, killing 39 people, has confessed and his fingerprints are a match, Turkish authorities said.

They identified him as an Uzbek national who trained in Afghanistan and staged the attack for the Islamic State group.

The gunman shot a policeman and a civilian outside the Reina nightclub before entering the building on the banks of the Bosporus and unleashing a hail of bullets on hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the end of 2016.

A total of 39 people lost their lives and dozens of others were wounded.

Most of the victims came from the Middle East.

The suspect, who switched clothes during the attack, fled the scene by blending into the crowd of survivors.

He succeeded in evading police for more than took weeks, reportedly collecting his son in a working-class neighbourhood of Istanbul before hiding out in a luxury apartment at another low-income district.

Photographs widely published in the Turkish media showed a bruised, black-haired man in a bloodied shirt being held by his neck.

NTV television said the gunman had resisted arrest.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced that "the vile terrorist" who attacked the nightclub had been captured.

Speaking to reporters in Ankara, he said the "forces behind (the attack) would be revealed in time".

Moments later, in separate remarks, Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin gave a full portrait of the suspected killer and the efforts that went into securing his capture.

He named the alleged killer as Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national who was born in 1983 and also operated under the alias Ebu Muhammed Horasani.

Turkish media have reported the suspect's first name as Abdulgadir.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency said Masharipov travelled to Afghanistan from his home country six years ago and claimed he was on a wanted list in Uzbekistan for membership in a terror group.

The suspect, according to the governor of Istanbul, had trained in Afghanistan and was believed to have entered Turkey in January 2016.

He described him as a highly educated terrorist who speaks four languages and had clearly carried out the attack in the name of IS.

Masharipov, who was taken into custody late on Monday, confessed to carrying out the massacre and his fingerprints matched those of the attacker, Mr Sahin said.

He can be held for up to 30 days under Turkey's state of emergency, which was introduced after a failed coup attempt in July, before he is charged and formally arrested.

It could take prosecutors several months to prepare for a trial.

The police operation to apprehend him drew on the review of 7,200 hours of security camera footage and about 2,200 tip-offs from the public.

Police searched 152 addresses and 50 people were taken into custody.

Authorities seized nearly 200,000 US dollars (165,000), two guns and two drones during the suspect's arrest.

"Together with the terrorist, an Iraqi man was detained as well as three women from various countries - from Egypt and from Africa," Mr Sahin said.

"There is a high chance that they may be connected (to IS) because they were staying in the same house."

The governor said it was believed that they arrived three days earlier at Esenyurt, a low-income neighbourhood of Istanbul that has witnessed a construction boom.

AP reporters visited the suspect's apartment on Tuesday, finding doors with broken locks, food and garbage on the floor and clothes outside of the closets.

They also saw a woman's purse and money of various currencies including Egyptian and Sudanese pounds.

Neighbours of the alleged attacker were in shock to learn of his identity and find their building at the heart of a large-scale police operation.

Ali Haydar Demir said he came out of his apartment when he heard the commotion only to be turned back by police officers who told him to close his door.

Mr Demir, who lived on the same floor of the Istanbul complex as Masharipov, said he felt "very bad living in the same building with a person like that".

Another resident, Sezer Aras, described the situation as a nightmare. He told the AP "he was very close to us, but we had no idea".

The state-run Anadolu Agency said that the gunman's four-year-old son was taken into protective custody.

The Hurriyet newspaper earlier reported that the suspect's wife and one-year-old daughter were caught in a police operation in the neighbourhood of Zeytinburnu, a working class district of Istanbul, on January 12.

In another report citing police officials, the newspaper said the gunman had picked up his son from Zeytinburnu after attacking the nightclub.

Mr Sahin said the boy was not with the gunman on the night of the police operation, although he had taken the child with him and left his daughter with his wife.

IS has claimed responsibility for the nightclub massacre, saying the attack in the early hours of January 1 was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria.

The man identified as the suspect had been on the run since the attack.

Days after the attack, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said an intelligence agency may have been involved, an assertion he reiterated on Monday.

However, Mr Sahin declined to comment, saying: "It is too soon to say anything about such connections."

Anadolu said police have also carried out raids on members of a suspected Uzbek IS cell in five Istanbul neighbourhoods, and detained several people.

Photographs from raids, widely published in the Turkish media, showed a bruised, black-haired man in a bloodied shirt being held by his neck.

NTV television said the gunman had resisted arrest.

Turkish media also circulated a photograph of the suspect lying on the floor, hands bound behind his back with the boot of an unidentified man pressed to the back of his head.

Turkey, a member of Nato and a partner in the US-led coalition against IS, has endured multiple attacks attributed to the extremist group.

The country has also witnessed an increase in violence linked to the resumption of conflict between the Turkish state and Kurdish militants.

AP
The image of the attack suspect released by Dogan news agency after his arrest. Image: Depo Photos via AP

A gunman who killed 39 people during an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year's celebrations has been caught in a police operation, Turkish media reports said last night.

The suspect was caught in a special operations police raid on a dwelling in a housing complex in Istanbul's Esenyurt district, private NTV television said.

The report said he had been staying in the house belonging to a Kyrgyz friend.

Isil claimed responsibility for the nightclub massacre, saying the attack was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria.

The man identified as the suspect had been on the run since the attack. 'Hurriyet' newspaper and other media have identified the gunman as Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national.

The suspect was to undergo medical checks before being taken to a police headquarters for questioning, the paper said in its online edition.

Dogan news agency published what it said was the first image of the attacker.

It showed a bruised, black-haired man in a grey, bloodied shirt being held by his neck.

Private NTV television said the gunman had resisted arrest.

Citizens of Israel, France, Tunisia, Lebanon, India, Belgium, Jordan and Saudi Arabia were among the victims of the New Year's Eve attack, and dozens of people were injured.
A pendant nearly identical to one worn by Anne Frank has been discovered by researchers excavating a Nazi death camp in Poland, raising the possibility that the young girl who wore it was related to the famous diarist.

The triangular pendant was found in the remains of the Sobibor camp and bears a striking resemblance to a necklace worn by Anne before her death in 1945.

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Experts at Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust memorial, said the pendant probably belonged to Karoline Cohn, a young Jewish girl who is believed to have died in the camp. The triangular piece found has the words "Mazal Tov" written in Hebrew on one side along with Karoline's date of birth. The other side has the Hebrew letter "heh", an initial for God, as well as three Stars of David.

Both Anne and Karoline were born in 1929 in the German city of Frankfurt and the similarities between their pendants have led researchers to suggest they may have been related or at least knew each other.

While Anne's family fled to Holland when the Nazis rose to power, Karoline's family stayed in Frankfurt and were eventually deported to Minsk in Belarus.

The young girl may have died in the horrors of the Minsk ghetto but her pendant somehow reached the Sobibor camp. It appears to have fallen through floorboards on the path to the gas chambers and remained buried for 70 years.

Anne died at the Bergen-Belsen camp in 1945.

"This pendant demonstrates once again the importance of archaeological research of former Nazi death camp sites," said Yoram Haimi, an archaeologist from the Israel Antiquities Authority.

"The moving story of Karoline Cohn is symbolic of the shared fate of the Jews murdered in the camp." ( Daily Telegraph London)
Rebel fighters on the outskirts of the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, Syria. Photo: Reuters

Isil launched a large-scale attack in eastern Syria yesterday, in an attempt to secure another stronghold as it loses territory in neighbouring Iraq.

Jihadists stormed and captured parts of Deir Ezzor, leaving at least 150,000 residents in the government-controlled areas of the city surrounded.

The exchanges began on Friday, when Isil cut off roads to the nearby airport.

At least 82 people have been killed so far in the fighting, which is the heaviest in the city for a year, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Isil has held most of Deir Ezzor and the surrounding area since 2015, but the government had until now retained control of the airport and neighbouring districts in the city.

Deir Ezzor, located on the Euphrates river just south of the group's self-declared capital Raqqa and next to Iraq, is strategically important for the group.

Forced

It is thought Isil may be trying to establish it as a stronghold, looking to secure territory for senior leaders forced out of Iraq by the army's offensive on Mosul.

The US-led coalition, as well as the Russians, have been bombing the jihadists in Deir Ezzor for the past 18 months but have been unable to dislodge them.

The US had trained a group of moderate rebel fighters to take on Isil in Deir Ezzor, but most were either captured or killed.

It is thought the terrorist group sent in reinforcements from other areas to bolster their numbers for the latest attack.

Isil has increasingly been on the offensive in central and eastern Syria, which some experts say is to compensate for its losses in Iraq's second city.

Last month, fighters managed to storm Palmyra in a surprise attack, recapturing the Unesco heritage city with little resistance from the beleaguered Syrian army.

Its recent gains demonstrate Isil's continuing military threat.

Meanwhile, Syrian rebel groups yesterday agreed to attend peace talks in Kazakhstan, in a boost to Russia's diplomatic attempts to end the war.

The talks are expected to build on a nationwide truce that began on December 30 and initially saw a drop in violence across many of Syria's battlefronts.

"All the rebel groups are going. Everyone has agreed," Mohammad Alloush, a leading figure in the Jaish al-Islam rebel group, said.

"We want to end this series of crimes." ( Daily Telegraph London)
Villagers have reported some civilian casualties in near-daily bombardments in north-eastern Nigeria in the past

Cameroon soldiers stand guard at a lookout post as they take part in operations against Boko Haram near Nigeria's Borno state, where a refugee camp was mistakenly bombed (AP/Edwin Kindzeka Moki)

A Nigerian air force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists has mistakenly bombed a refugee camp, killing more than 100 refugees and aid workers, a Borno state official said.

The state government official was helping to coordinate the evacuation of the wounded from the remote area by helicopters.

Military commander Maj Gen Lucky Irabor confirmed the accidental bombardment in north-east Rann, near the border with Cameroon, saying "some" civilians were killed.

It is believed to be the first time Nigeria's military has admitted to making such a mistake.

The International Committee for the Red Cross said six staff members and volunteers with the Nigerian Red Cross were among the dead and 13 were wounded.

"They were part of a team that had brought in desperately needed food for over 25,000 displaced persons," spokesman Jason Straziuso said in a statement from Nairobi, Kenya.

Two soldiers were also wounded as well as Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders, Maj Gen Irabor said, without giving a precise figure.

Doctors Without Borders said its team based in Rann had counted 50 bodies and treated 120 wounded.

A statement from spokesman Etienne l'Hermitte in Geneva urged authorities to facilitate cross-border land and air evacuations.

"Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients. We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following the event," the statement said.

Maj Gen Irabor said he ordered the mission based on information that Boko Haram insurgents were gathering in the area, along with geographic coordinates. It was too early to say if a tactical error was made, he said.

The general, who is the theatre commander for counter-insurgency operations in north-east Nigeria, said the air force would not deliberately target civilians but there will be an investigation.

Villagers in the past have reported some civilian casualties in near-daily bombardments in north-eastern Nigeria.

Some of the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 and freed last year have said three of their classmates were killed by air force bombardments, according to the freed girls' parents. Of the nearly 300 schoolgirls who were abducted, 196 remain missing.

The bombings have helped drive Boko Haram out of many towns and villages and, according to Nigeria's president, Muhammadu Buhari, the insurgents' last stronghold in the Sambisa Forest last month.

Boko Haram's seven-year Islamic uprising has killed more than 20,000 people and forced 2.6 million from their homes, creating the continent's worst humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning some 5.1 million people face starvation.

AP
Chelsea Manning , formerly known as Bradley Manning. Picture: US Army/AP

President Barack Obama has commuted the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former US military intelligence analyst who is serving 35 years in prison for passing classified files to WikiLeaks, the White House said.

Manning, formerly known as U.S. Army Private First Class Bradley Manning, was born male but revealed after being convicted of espionage that she identifies as a woman.

She accepted responsibility for leaking the material, has said she was confronting gender dysphoria at the time of the leaks while deployed in Iraq.

She was sentenced to 35 years in prison but now, under the terms of Obamas commutation announced by the White House on Tuesday, Ms Manning is set to be freed in five months, on May 17 of this year, rather than in 2045.

The White House says Manning is one of 209 inmates who sentences Mr Obama is shortening.

He is also pardoning 64 people, including retired General James Cartwright, who was charged with making false statements during a probe into disclosure of classified information.

Most of the other people receiving commutations were serving sentences for non-violent drug offences.
Ivanka Majic, a council worker from Brighton, found herself at the centre of a social media furore after Mr Trump tweeted her in error

A woman accidentally mentioned by Donald Trump in a tweet praising his daughter has urged the President-elect to take more care on Twitter.

Ivanka Majic, a council worker from Brighton, found herself at the centre of a social media furore after Mr Trump quoted praise for his daughter including the @Ivanka handle, rather than @IvankaTrump.

The tweet, which went out to the President-elects 20.1 million followers late on Monday night, appeared to be quoting a user called @drgoodspine, from Massachusetts.

It read: @drgoodspine: @realDonaldTrump @Ivanka Trump is great, a woman with real character and class.

The message has since been shared by 4,800 people and liked by 25,000 more.

Ms Majic replied on Tuesday morning with a graphic attacking Mr Trumps position in climate change, showing the miniscule number of American scientists who oppose the concept of human-induced global warming.

And you're a man with great responsibilities. May I suggest more care on Twitter and more time learning about #climatechange, she wrote.

In 2012, Mr Trump tweeted that the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive.

He denied claiming climate change was a hoax during a presidential debate with Hillary Clinton but has cast doubt on the issue in a series of other tweets and also opposes the landmark Paris Agreement.

Mr Trump had quoted praise for his daughter Ivanka from Twitter user Lawrence Goodstein, repeating his use of Ms Majics @Ivanka hande.

The researcher at Brighton and Hove City Council is the Labour Partys former acting director of digital, and now has just over 3,900 followers.

Ivanka Majic from Brighton, England, is a wonderful woman, replied Mark Pygas to Mr Trumps tweet. You're right. RIP her mentions though.

I mean, she's probably trying to sleep and her phone is going off the hook but it's a hell of a story.

He said he was blocked by Mr Goodstein, who has now made his account private, after pointing out the error.

Hi Ivanka! Surprise - you're famous! said one Twitter user. Another responded: England isn't far enough, poor girl, she went to sleep a Majic and woke up a Trump.

Ms Trump did not respond to the furore on social media, tweeting a photo of herself with the caption bright, lights, big city #datenight
Donald Trump has said that Britain has "a lot of problems" and should "investigate" the former spy who made lurid allegations about the president-elect in a dossier.

Downing Street has insisted that no concerns have been raised by the team around Mr Trump after the allegations emerged in a the dossier prepared by former MI6 agent Christopher Steele last week.

However, Mr Trump made clear that he expects the UK to take action over the affair.

"That guy is somebody that you should look at, because it was false," he said.

Mr Trump added that "if this guy is a British guy, you got a lot of problems".

Mr Steele (52) fled from his home in Surrey last Wednesday after realising his name would become public knowledge.

Mr Trump reacted furiously to the release of the documents, which contain lurid but unsubstantiated allegations about his conduct in a Moscow hotel room.

Read more: Donald Trump highly likely to face impeachment within first 18 months as US President, expert warns

Asked who he thought was behind the dossier, Mr Trump said: "I think probably could be intelligence or it could be the Democrats."

According to a full transcript of his interview with UK MP Michael Gove, Mr Trump said: "It's fake news, it was totally made up and I just got a letter from people that went to Russia with me. Very rich people, they went with me, they said you were with us, I was with them, I wasn't even here when they said such false stuff.

"I left, I wasn't even there. I was there for the Miss Universe contest, got up, got my stuff and I left - I wasn't even there - it's all, so if this guy is a British guy, you got a lot of problems."

Mr Steele's status as an ex-UK spy has threatened a diplomatic row, with the Russian embassy in London suggesting he was still working for Britain to damage both Mr Trump and the Kremlin.

Mr Steele had originally been hired by political operatives eager for information that could damage Mr Trump.

He went to the FBI without their permission after deciding his information was "sufficiently serious".
Donald Trump's spokesman shrugged off the protest by Democrats and indicated they would give away the seats (AP/Seth Wenig)

The number of House Democrats planning to boycott President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration has grown to more than 40 in protest over his policies and his repeated criticism of civil rights activist John Lewis.

The Georgia congressman made headlines over the weekend for challenging Mr Trump's legitimacy to be the next president and erroneously claiming that Mr Trump's inauguration would be the first he will have missed since coming to Congress three decades ago.

In fact, Mr Lewis had missed George W Bush's inauguration in 2001.

Mr Trump struck on Tuesday morning, as is typical, on Twitter: "WRONG (or lie)!" Trump tweeted, citing a 2001 Washington Post report that noted Mr Lewis had skipped George W Bush's inauguration.

Mr Lewis' office confirmed that the congressman had missed Mr Bush's swearing-in.

"His absence at that time was also a form of dissent," said spokeswoman Brenda Jones. "He did not believe the outcome of that election, including the controversies around the results in Florida and the unprecedented intervention of the US Supreme Court, reflected a free, fair and open democratic process."

Mr Lewis said last week that he would skip Mr Trump's swearing in on Friday, telling NBC News that he did not view Mr Trump as a legitimate president.

"I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton," Mr Lewis said in an interview.

His comments drew angry tweets from Mr Trump at the weekend, who wrote that "rather than falsely complaining about the election results", Mr Lewis should focus on his congressional district.

The number of Democrats boycotting Mr Trump's inauguration continued to increase, including Minnesota's Keith Ellison, a top contender to lead the Democratic National Committee, as well as many black and Hispanic politicians.

Top Democrats such as House minority leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, of New York, will attend, however, and none of the Senate Democrats said they will skip the inauguration.

Mr Trump's spokesman, Sean Spicer, shrugged off the protest and indicated they would give away the seats.

"We'd love for every member of Congress to attend but if they don't, we've got some great seats for others to partake in. It's a shame that these folks don't want to be part of the peaceful transfer of power," Mr Spicer said.

On Tuesday, Democrats such as Alma Adams of North Carolina, Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania and Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire joined the growing ranks boycotting the inauguration.

"I cannot in good faith and consciousness pretend to celebrate the inauguration of someone who has spoken so horribly about women, minorities and the disabled," Mrs Adams said.

Mr Trump and other Republicans have dismissed the boycott and complaints, saying Democrats are sore losers who need to accept the results of the election and move on. Democrats control 194 House seats.

While many Democrats were furious with the outcome of the drawn-out 2000 election in which George W Bush defeated Al Gore after recounts and a Supreme Court ruling, they generally attended Mr Bush's inauguration.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump is making his first Washington trip in weeks later, as his inauguration festivities approach and his focus turns to the nation's capital.

Mr Trump planned to fly in for a dinner honouring Tom Barrack, his long-time friend and head of the Inauguration Committee. The president-elect will return to New York after the dinner.

He will make his final trip to Washington on Thursday to attend a concert at the Lincoln Memorial and to stay, as is custom for incoming presidents, at Blair House, the presidential guest quarters, the night before he is sworn in.

AP
Law enforcement officials work at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando following the mass shooting (AP)

The widow of the Orlando nightclub gunman has been charged with helping her husband in the months leading up to the massacre that left 49 people dead.

Noor Salman, 30, is due in federal court in Oakland on Tuesday, following her arrest a day earlier on the Florida charges.

The two-count indictment accuses her of knowingly aiding and abetting her husband, Omar Mateen, in providing material support and resources to the Islamic State group between April and June of last year.

It also says she knowingly misled police and the FBI after the June 12 attack at the Pulse nightclub.

The charging document does not give additional details on Salman's actions.

Salman is from the San Francisco Bay Area and in the aftermath of the Orlando attack that also left her husband dead she returned there with their son, whose name she has since sought to change.

She was repeatedly questioned by FBI investigators over whether she had any knowledge of her husband's plans.

Her lawyer Linda Moreno said after her arrest that she "had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night".

Salman told The New York Times in an interview published in November that she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but was "unaware of everything" regarding his intent to shoot up the club.

Salman also said he had physically abused her, which her lawyer reiterated on Monday.

"Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands," Ms Moreno said.

"We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonours the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person."

The San Francisco office of the FBI said Salman was taken into custody in Rodeo, which is the small Bay Area community where she grew up and where her family lives.

Jail records, however, say she was arrested about 30 miles away in Dublin. The reason for the discrepancy was not clear.

US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in an interview with MSNBC that "from the beginning, we were going to look at every aspect of this, of every aspect of this shooter's life to determine not just why did he take these actions - but who else knew about them? Was anyone else involved?"

Salman met Mateen online and the two married in 2011.

They lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the time of the shooting.

Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a 911 call during the three-hour standoff that ended in his death.

Forty-nine patrons were killed and another 53 were taken to hospital.

"Nothing can erase the pain we all feel about the senseless and brutal murders of 49 of our neighbours, friends, family members and loved ones," Orlando Police Chief John Mina said on Monday.

"But today, there is some relief in knowing that someone will be held accountable for that horrific crime."

AP
Wen Wanchang, whose son was on board the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, reacts as he arrives at a train station in Beijing (AP)

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has ended after the countries involved in the expensive and vast deep-sea hunt decided not to open another phase.

Late last year, as ships with high-tech search equipment covered the last strips of the 120,000-square kilometre (46,000-square mile) search zone, experts concluded they should have been searching a smaller area immediately to the north.

However, by then, 160 million US dollars (130 million) had already been spent by Malaysia, Australia and China, who had agreed over the summer not to search elsewhere without pinpoint evidence.

The transport ministers of those countries reiterated that decision on Tuesday in a joint communique issued by the Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre in Australia that announced the search for Flight 370 - and the 239 people aboard the aircraft - had been suspended.

"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly-skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," said the agency, which helped lead the hunt for the Boeing 777 in remote waters west of Australia.

"Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended. The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness."

Relatives of those lost on the plane, which vanished during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 2014, responded largely with outrage.

A support group, Voice 370, issued a statement saying that extending the search is "an inescapable duty owed to the flying public".

Without understanding what happened to the plane, there is a "good chance that this could happen in the future", said KS Narendran, a member of the group.

However, last year Australia, Malaysia and China - which have each helped fund the search - agreed that the hunt would be suspended once the search zone was exhausted unless new evidence emerges that pinpoints the plane's specific location.

Since no technology currently exists that can tell investigators exactly where the plane is, that means the most expensive, complex search in aviation history is over, barring a change of heart from the three countries.

There is the possibility that a private donor could offer to bankroll a new search, or that Malaysia will kick in fresh funds.

However, no one has stepped up yet, raising the bleak possibility that the world's greatest aviation mystery may never be solved.

For the families of the aircraft's 227 passengers and 12 crew members, that is a particularly bitter prospect given the recent acknowledgment by officials that they had been looking for the plane in the wrong place all along.

In December, the transport bureau announced that a review of the data used to estimate where the plane crashed, coupled with new information on ocean currents, strongly suggested that the plane hit the water in an area directly north of the search zone.

Officials investigating the plane's disappearance recommended that search crews head north to a new 25,000-square-kilometre (9,700-square-mile) area identified in a recent analysis as where the plane most likely crashed.

However, Australia's government rejected that recommendation, saying the results of the experts' analysis were not precise enough to justify continuing the hunt.

"Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft," the transport ministers of the three countries involved said in their statement.

The lack of resolution has caused agony for family members of the flight's passengers, who have begged officials to continue the hunt for their loved ones.

"The whole series of events since the plane disappeared has been nothing but frustrating," said Grace Nathan, a Malaysian whose mother was on board Flight 370.

"It continues to be frustrating and we just hope they will continue to search. They've already searched 120,000 square kilometres. What is another 25,000?"

Investigators have been stymied again and again in their efforts to find the aircraft.

Hopes were repeatedly raised and smashed by false leads: Underwater signals wrongly thought to be emanating from the plane's black boxes, possible debris fields that turned out to be sea trash, oil slicks that contained no jet fuel, a large object detected on the sea floor that was just an old shipwreck.

In the absence of solid leads, investigators relied largely on an analysis of transmissions between the plane and a satellite to narrow down where in the world the jet ended up - a technique never previously used to find an aircraft.

Based on the transmissions, they narrowed down the possible crash zone to a vast arc of ocean slicing across the Southern Hemisphere.

Even then, the search zone was enormous and located in one of the most remote patches of water on earth - 1,800 kilometres (1,100 miles) off Australia's west coast.

Much of the seabed had never even been mapped.

For years, search crews painstakingly combed the search area in several ships, largely pinning their hopes on towfish, small vessels equipped with sonar that sent information back to the boats in real-time.

The ships slowly dragged the towfish through the ocean just above the seabed, hoping the equipment would detect some trace of the plane.

Unmanned submarines were used to examine areas of rougher terrain and objects of interest picked up by sonar that required a closer look.

The search zone shifted multiple times as investigators refined their analysis, all to no avail.

Some began to question whether the plane had gone down in the Southern Hemisphere at all.

Then, in July 2015, came the first proof that the plane was indeed in the Indian Ocean: A wing flap from the aircraft was found on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar.

Since then, more than 20 objects either confirmed or believed to be from the plane have washed ashore on beaches throughout the Indian Ocean.

However, while the debris proved the plane went down in the Indian Ocean, the location of the main underwater wreckage - and its crucial black box data recorders - remains stubbornly elusive.

If the plane is never found, the reasons for its disappearance and crash will probably never be known, although Malaysia has said the plane's erratic movements after take-off were consistent with deliberate actions.

The sister of the pilot, Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, criticised authorities for ending the search without settling the mystery, saying her brother will not be absolved of suspicions he deliberately crashed the plane.

"How can they end the search like that? There will be finger-pointing again," Sakinab Shah said.

The transport ministers praised the efforts of the search crews and said the search had presented an "unprecedented challenge".

"Today's announcement is significant for our three countries, but more importantly for the family and friends of those on board the aircraft.

"We again take this opportunity to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives and acknowledge the enormous loss felt by their loved ones," the ministers wrote.

"We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located."

AP
Summer Zervos is suing President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Friday, for defamation after he dismissed her allegations as false.

A former contestant on the US version of The Apprentice who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault has filed a lawsuit against him.

Summer Zervos is suing the president-elect, who takes office on Friday, for defamation after he dismissed her allegations as false.

In the final weeks in the race for the White House, Ms Zervos was one of a number of women to make claims about the Republican billionaire's behaviour.

The ex-reality television star said she would drop the legal action if President-elect Trump admitted she told the truth.

Ms Zervos told reporters: "Today I filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump for defamation. On November 11, 2016, I called on Mr Trump to retract his statements about me calling me a liar.

"I also called upon him to state that what I said about his behaviour towards me was true.

"More than two months have gone by and he has not issued that retraction.

"I wanted to give Mr Trump the opportunity to retract his false statements about me and the other women who came forward.

"Since Mr Trump has not issued a retraction as I requested, he has therefore left me with no alternative other than to sue him in order to vindicate my reputation.

"I want Mr Trump to know that I will still be willing to dismiss my case against him immediately for no monetary compensation if he would simply retract his false and defamatory statements about me, and acknowledge that I told the truth about him."

Ms Zervos, who was a contestant in the show led by the property tycoon in 2006 , had accused the president-elect of making un wanted advances on her the following year.

After inquiring about a job, they met at a Beverly Hills hotel where she claims he became sexually aggressive and touched her breast.

It followed claims by other women that they had been groped by the businessman.

But Mr Trump dismissed all of the allegations against him as ''100% made up'' and insisted his accusers were "sick" people looking for ''fast fame''.
The Guantanamo Bay detention centre in Cuba will still be open when President Barack Obama leaves office, the White House said.

The administration acknowledged publicly for the first time that Mr Obama will be unable to fulfil a core campaign promise.

Although it has long been clear he would not be able to shut the prison, the White House had continued to maintain he was working towards closing it.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said it became clear Mr Obama could not fulfil the goal after the administration entered its final 30 days.

By law the president must give Congress 30 days' notice of detainee transfers.

Congress repeatedly blocked Mr Obama from closing it. Mr Earnest said politics in both parties was to blame.

AP
The day after Donald J. Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, a crowd of women and women's allies, anticipated to be as large as 250,000 strong, will march on the nation's capital to make their presence known. And not just in Washington, DC. There are spin-off marches in every state of the union  at least two in North Carolina  and more marches are scheduled across the world.

Organizers say it's not a protest, but an opportunity for women to be seen and heard. Their website says, The Womens March on Washington will send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world, that women's rights are human rights. We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us.

Concord and Cabarrus County will be well-represented in the both the Washington march and a spin-off march held Saturday in Charlotte.

Susan Smith of Concord, is one of them. She's riding up to DC with her friends Sue Cunningham and Ashley Cunningham Fischer. Smith said her desire to go and have her voice heard felt more like a need than a want.

I feel like we need to support one another now more than ever. We need to let others know we care. We care about our country, and many of us don't like the direction our country is going, she said.

Smith grew up in the 1950s, and during her coming of age she saw great strides in civil rights and women's rights, she said. I feel like we're letting go of those gains we made. And we've forgotten how hard it was to achieve those rights we earned.

She said she feels that now people are more concerned about their personal needs than the good of the whole community. We are more concerned with 'What have you done for me recently?' and not, 'How we can serve the greater good?'... I fear we are losing our soul as a country in everyone's race to see how we can improve our personal situation.

Liberty & Justice for all

Melissa McGuire and her daughter Ashley, 15, echoed those sentiments. Monday night found the duo at their Sheffield Manor home with Ashley inking a sign with the words, Liberty & Justice for All.

She plans to carry it when she marches in DC Saturday with her mom. They're meeting her sister, Amanda, there. Amanda is a student at George Washington University. In addition, Melissa's mother and several friends from her hometown of San Francisco are joining them for the march.

Melissa said Ashley was very disappointed at the election results in November, and she wanted to show her daughter a positive way to express her feelings. This is not a protest, the mother said. This is a march for human rights.

Ashley put it this way: This is a way to show the new president we're not going to let him say all this derogatory stuff and spread hatred.  We want him to see we're watching him.

We are holding him accountable, Melissa added.

Stephanie and Grace Olson of Concord, another mother-daughter duo, are attending the DC march, and plan to meet friends and family from across the country there.

Stephanie Olson wanted to make it clear that it's not a protest, she said. It started as an awareness for women's issues. But it has evolved to include any group that could be disenfranchised by the new presidential administration.  People want to be heard.

Because of Trump's campaign rhetoric and talk of building a wall, and from the appointments he's made who have expressed anti-LGBT sentiments, to those who want to limit women's access to abortions and healthcare decisions and dismantle the Affordable Care Act, many people in minority groups feel threatened, said Olson.

She said as a white woman, with her child-bearing days behind her and good insurance through her workplace, she is part of a protected class. But that doesn't mean she wants to sit on the sidelines. You can't take the attitude of, 'I'm taking care of myself, and forget everyone else.'

She said she's never participated in any kind of march but she felt called to do this with her daughter, Grace, 15.

Grace Olson said she wants to stand up for people who are being discriminated against. I feel like it really important that we show up and fight for something that is important to a lot of people, especially women's rights.

She said taking to the streets to march with thousands of other people makes her feel like her voice will be heard. It makes me feel very powerful. Even though there are people who don't agree with me, I don't care about their opinion. This is my opinion, and how I support other people's rights is my business. I don't judge others for their opinion, and they shouldn't judge me for mine.

Katie Warlick of Harrisburg, is taking her daughter Hannah to the Charlotte march on Saturday. Hannah is 13 years old, and was also distressed about the election results, perhaps, Katie said, because the youngster heard her parents' hyperbole with regard to what they'd do if their candidate didn't win.

The morning after the election she asked me, 'Mommy, are we really moving to Canada?'

It was the perfect opportunity for a discussion, Warlick said. I told her, 'No, we're not moving to Canada. Instead, we are going to say something.

She told her daughter that as white people in the United States, they could use their voices to speak up for people who are being marginalized.

My daughters' best friend in elementary school was Muslim. We have close family members who are LGBT. And there are things that we can do.

She said when she heard about the march, she knew she had to go and take her daughter. She said she wants to show Hannah there are things you can do to make your voice heard.

I think these marches are going to continue to draw attention, maybe to some divisiveness and discord, but hopefully it will show the people who have lost their voice and who are scared, I hope this will show them that they are not alone.

Nows the time for civil rights

Warlick said she saw something on Facebook recently that made her realize she's doing the right thing. It was a meme that asked the question, If you've ever asked yourself if you would have taken part in the Civil Rights Movement, you need to take part in it now.

Dylan Halloway and Yara Quezada are both Concord High School students who are attending the march in Charlotte on Saturday. Each has a band of friends who are all going together.

Halloway is a freshman and at 15 years old found himself volunteering in the Hillary Clinton campaign this past fall, even though he's not yet old enough to vote. He made phone calls and knocked on doors for the candidate he believed in so passionately.

He said Mrs. (Angela) Morton's civics class at Concord turned him into a feminist, and that's why he's hitting the streets to march for women's rights Saturday. After his class had an assignment to read Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg, I found myself fascinated by the politics of gender equality, he said. While most of his class complained about boring statistics, he said he was was provoked by the inequities that women face.

My whole life I was raised to support everyone, but it wasn't until I read that book that I fully became a feminist, he said. Halloway is marching because he wants to see more women in Congress. It isn't fair that men get to make decisions on women's issues, such as abortion or the wage gap.

Quezada, a senior at Concord High, is attending Davidson College next year. Her involvement with a peer education/teen advocacy group through Planned Parenthood is what has her marching in Charlotte Saturday.

We really want to show an alliance with the Women's March on Washington. We want to show that wherever you are you can show solidarity with the minority groups that expect to face challenges under the Trump administration.

Quezada, a Latina, said she has seen Trump and his supporters put a lot of blame for societal ills put on minority groups, especially Latinos and Muslims, and she sees prejudice against LGBT people from Trump's closest allies.

People are afraid their rights are going to be revoked, Quezada said.

She said she's seen fear from both documented and undocumented immigrants surrounding Trump's plans to deport illegal aliens.

And she said lately the United States is a lot less friendly than she always knew it to be. People are saying hateful things on Twitter on other social media outlets, because, They see our president-elect saying all these things and it gives the people freedom to voice those hateful thoughts that they have.

Quezada doesn't like it. The United States and the America that I know and have loved so much is better than that.

Concord's Old Courthouse Theatre icons Anne Wilson and Becky Porter are also attending the March on Washington Saturday, as is Anne's daughter, OCT veteran Heather-Wilson Bowlby.

They happen to be marching with a delegation from South Carolina because a friend who lives in Murrell's Inlet treated them to red-eye bus tickets. They are to leave from Murrell's Inlet Friday night at 10 p.m., arrive on the outskirts of DC around 7:30 the following morning, then the whole busload is taking the Metro train into town for the march. Then they're coming straight back to SC on Saturday night.

Porter is not a fan of the president-elect and she doesn't care who knows it.

I'm so tired of people telling me to suck it up and deal with it, she said. Because I'm gonna suck it up just like y'all sucked up President Obama.

Porter is not new to the protest scene. She grew up in the Vietnam era and wore a black armband to Central Cabarrus High School to protest the war. She was asked to remove it, but she didn't. She also marched in at least one protest rally in Charlotte back then.

Her friend, Anne Wilson, said she is the opposite.

I have never been a real political person. I didn't believe in the Vietnam War, but I didn't protest it, and I supported our troops. I just believe what I believe. I do not like injustice. I do not like cruelty. I believe in human rights.

Wilson said Trump making fun of a disabled reporter bothered her immensely.

She said though she's never been one to shout her political leanings through a bullhorn, she now feels it's necessary to be heard. I've never protested, but I've always spoken my mind. Now I feel it's more necessary than ever.

Porter said it's important that people be heard. I don't want to go down on the wrong side of history. I'm just one voice.  But I'm terrified of the way this country is heading.

Wilson's daughter, Heather Wilson-Bowlby said she's marching as a tribute to her mother, and the other strong women who came before her.

I feel I have reaped the benefits of what my mother and her friends navigated through before me, and I by no means want our country to backslide on women's rights. Wilson-Bowlby said.

By marching, I'm declaring with my mother that we are watching and we have a voice. We will be heard. Equality for women is equality for all Americans.

Beth McLaughlin is an artist and free-lance writer in Concord.
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After being threatened and bullied on social media for meeting Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, Dangal actor Zaira Wasim took to her social media accounts to apologize. Hinting at people's backlash because of the people she had met., it clearly suggested that Zaira got intimidated. One day after Zaira's apology, many from the film fraternity came out in support of her.

From real Geeta Phogat to Anupam Kher, people pointed out the hypocrisy of people and how they didn't even spare a 16-year-old kid. The latest celebrity who has extended support to Zaira is none other than her on-screen father and superstar Aamir Khan. Aamir not only extended his support for Zaira but he even urged people to leave her alone. He wrote,

"I want you to know we are all with you kids like you are a role model for kids not only in India, but across the world. You certainly are a role model for me. I have read Zairas statement, and I can understand and imagine what lead her to make the statement. Zaira, I want you to know that we are all with you. The beauty is that bright, young, talented, hardworking, respectful, caring and courageous kids like you are a role model for kids not only in India, but across the world. You certainly are a role model for me! May god bless you. Love. Aamir. PS: I appeal to everyone to now leave her alone and respect the fact that she is just a 16 year old girl trying her best to deal with life.

Here is Aamir's full post:
Exactly a year ago on this day, the life of Raja Vemula changed for ever. His brother Rohit Vemula, a PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad committed suicide, triggering nation-wide protests.

BCCL

The Dalit research scholar along with four others were suspended by the university authorities allegedly under pressure from the then HRD minister Smriti Irani.

Following his death the family has gone through a lot, from grieving their loss to forced to 'prove that they are dalit'.

The family which converted to Buddhism last year had emerged as the face of the protest against attacks on Dalits across the country.

Now with reports doing the rounds about the AP government planning to declare Rohith to be from the OBC community, his brother Raja Vemula said, "Even if the Guntur district administration declares Rohith a BC, we will not stop our fight. We will march ahead and challenge this in court." He also said he would do all that he can to ensure the enactment of a Rohith Act to curb caste-based discrimination in educational institutions.

Raja, himself post graduate from Puducherry University is now driving a goods autorickshaw to earn a livelihood.

BCCL

An aspiring scientist, Raja, who did M.Sc in Applied Geology had rejected Grade-IV job offer by the Delhi government.

Raja said he rejected the offer as he didn't want to tow their political line.

Many people offered me a job, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. But if I take up the job from politicians, I will be forced to toe the line with them, which my brother hated. Now that I am on a mission to seek justice and also spearheading a movement I will try for a job later.

BCCL

Not letting go his academic ambitions, Raja said right now his priority is to stay close to his mother and help her.
Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif on Monday warned India of a "befitting response" if it dared to carry out surgical strikes inside his country. Asif also claimed India does not want to continue the process of negotiation with Pakistan and reduce the tension.

BCCL

"If India conducts a surgical strike such a response would be given that the country would not even dream of it," Asif said in a fiery speech during the Senate session.

He was speaking on a motion moved by Senator Sehar Kamran regarding the situation arising out of the alleged Indian violations of the Line of Control and ceasefire on the working boundary, resulting in the loss of precious lives.

"A befitting response would be given if India dared to carry out surgical strikes inside Pakistan," he said, adding India's claims of surgical strikes were "baseless and false."

He claimed that India was making failed attempts to link the Kashmir insurgency with cross border infiltration and terrorism, Radio Pakistan reported. The minister claimed that India carried out 330 ceasefire violations including 290 on LoC and 40 on the working boundaries till December last. He said 45 Pakistani civilians were killed and 138 injured in the violations.

BCCL

He said the frequency of the violations have been reduced after December. The minister said the violations were effectively responded by the armed forces of the country. He said these violations were reported to United Nations Military Observer Group at the Line of Control and working boundaries to appraise the UN for investigations.

The ministry of foreign affairs also raised the issue at the diplomatic and bilateral levels, he added.

He said that Pakistan would continue "extending political, diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris in their struggle for their right to self-determination."

Earlier this month, Pakistan's army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had said his forces are fully geared to respond to "any aggression" by India.

"Pakistan's armed forces are fully geared to respond to any aggression by India," army spokesperson Major Gen Asif Ghafoor had quoted Gen Bajwa as saying.

AFP

Ghafoor also tweeted that General Bajwa rejected the "self defeating claims" of Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat about 'so called surgical strikes' and its possible recurrence. India maintains that its forces in September last year conducted surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, targetting terrorists and destroying their training camps.

General Rawat, who took over as the 27th chief of Indian Army on December 31, had said India will give a calibrated "hard" response to terror activities that will compel Pakistan to completely rethink its strategy on supporting insurgency and terrorism. General Rawat was actively involved in the surgical strikes on terror camps across the LoC.
Undetected, unknown to anyone or those around him, a tailor in Delhi confessed to sexually abusing close to 500 children. What is even more shocking is that this had been going on for close to 12 years without anyone knowing, or reporting it. He also admitted that he attempted to assault 2,500 kids - something that shows just how much of a free run he had and just how casually we as a country treat child abuse.

The 38-year-old tailor was arrested for attempting to molest two minor girls who finally reported him.

On being arrested, he reportedly told police that he had sexually abused around 500 kids almost unchecked over a 12-year period. Police said pedophile, Sunil Rastogi, claimed to have attempted assault on more than 2,500 minors during this period. He was also jailed for six months in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, for an offense in 2006, but that didn't do anything to stop the rampant child abuse.

amazonaws.com

Rastogi preyed on victims in Delhi, west UP and Uttarakhand, mostly targeting girls walking home from school, police said. He had worked for some time at a tailoring shop in east Delhi and used to frequently return to the area looking for work.

Delhi Police have now linked Rastogi to six cases, three in Delhi, two in Rudrapur and one in Bilaspur district. How the serial offender got away with his crimes for so long must come as a wake-up call for the cops, particularly since Rastogi was known to be a sexual deviant. In 2004, he and his family were thrashed and forced to leave Mayur Vihar after he had tried to assault a neighbour's daughter. The countdown to Rastogi's arrest began on December 13, when a 10 year-old girl was sexually assaulted on her way back from school. The child did not complain about it till her parents got suspicious of her behaviour and counselled her.While the cops had launched a search to nab him based on the child's description, another case of two children being abducted in a similar way was reported at the New Ashok Nagar police station on January 12.

BCCL

The girls aged 9 and 10, who were returning from tuition classes, were lured by Rastogi on the promise of new clothes.He took them below the stairs of an under-construction building and tried to assault them, but they had raised an alarm after which he fled.

"A team led by sub-inspector Sandeep from New Ashok Nagar police station was tasked to track him down thereafter and he was arrested from a hideout near the Kondli village," said DCP , east Omvir Singh Bishnoi.

While being interrogated, Rastogi revealed that he has been committing the crimes since 2004. He had come to Delhi in 1990 with his parents and started aiding his father at a tailoring shop. Later, he took up a job and worked at a shop near Mayur Vihar before being hounded out for his deviant behaviour.

jansatta.com

Rastogi said he had since shifted based to Rudrapur, where he sold off his ancestral land and property to make ends meet. He was arrested and jailed for six months in 2006 for sexually assaulting a girl while she was working at a farm. The family was ousted from the locality and had started living in a rented house in Bilaspur. He used to travel to Delhi on weekends to look for jobs. Rastogi said after identifying his victim, he used to lure them on some pretext, take them to isolated spots and sexually assault them.

If the girls resisted, he would let them off and leave the city. He would also blackmail his victims into returning to him time and again.

Delhi Police has set up a special investigations team to look for other victims since they suspect that most some his crimes went unreported.
Food rations provided to Indian soldiers at high altitude do not appeal to their tastes, a new army report revealed. The report was unveiled much before a recently video clip of a BSF soldier questioning the standards of food served to the forces.

The 119-page report was compiled by the Army Design Bureau (ADB), and addresses not only food, but also body armour, outdated night fighting gear, winter clothing and lack of situational awareness systems.

Use Social Media To Whine, And We Will Punish You, Army Chief Tells His Soldiers

Last week, General Bipin Rawat cited the report, promising the best standards of gear and technical know-how to address these problems. Food rations, the army says, is intended for soldiers at high altitude areas, in tinned and MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) form. "These are not adhering to Indian tastes and have issues related to shelf life." the report says, adding that better food would enhance soldier morale.

General Rawat said the army is consulting with industry and academia from IITs to help devise solutions.

BCCL

Food complaints are now new to the Indian army.

It was in 2011 that army jawans were allowed access to as much non-vegetarian food as army officers, shortly after bringing parity in egg and fruit rations. This came a year after the CAG revealed that numerous scams in food rations, involving several officers, had led to the army jawans surviving in sub-standard food, often past its expiry date.

After Seven Long Years, Indian Army Finally Gets First Lot Of 50,000 Bulletproof Vests
Amid the news of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj taking Amazon to task for selling doormats with the indian flag printed on them, here is something that could be of embarrassment to the government.

SPA/ Twitter

Coal minister Piyush Goyal was in Abu Dhabi last week for an official visit. The Saudi Press Agency has released the images of the meeting - but it has problem, a huge problem.

The Saudis managed to goof-up the Indian flag. In the official release images the Indian flag is seen upside down.

SPA/ Twitter

While it is not Mr Goel's fault, it is surprising that he didn't notice the mistake.

No, this is not the first time this is happening.

ANI

In November 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was snapped meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the ASEAN Summit, with the indian flag on the background which was upside down.
On November 8, 2016, the world came crashing down for many when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his demonetisation move. Over two months later, even as the nation limps towards some semblance of normalcy, there are those who remain relegated to the margins of the digital payment world, for whom e-wallets and ATM cards are an entirely alien concept.

Of these, perhaps the most wretched are commercial sex workers  the stigma of their profession barring them from the education and awareness required to use alternatives to cash.

In a bid to bring these workers into the cashless arena, a group of civil service aspirants from the city decided to take this learning to the sex workers at Budhwar Peth and make them aware of their options.

BCCL

A basic survey was carried out last week, following which a group of 13 civil service aspirants started working with sex workers on Saturday.

Said Swapnil Sanap, who has a BSc in computer science and is preparing for civil services, I had read about various workshops which organisations, banks and the government had organised on going cashless. It got me thinking about people from red light areas, carrying the apparent taint of their profession and thus forced to remain uninformed. I figured that the only way was to go and meet them ourselves and help them.

Simple as the solution seemed, Sanap found few takers for his plan. Some of my close friends and I contacted around 200 civil service aspirants. Most of them were reluctant to work in a red light area. In the end, only 13 of them agreed, he said ruefully.

Representational Image



Satish Thakare, another civil services aspirant, pointed out, Preparing for civil services is so much more than just reading books. Working with different sections of society is such an essential part of learning. We surveyed an entire area and found out that most sex workers from Bangladesh and Nepal do not have bank accounts while those from India have accounts, but no ATM or debit cards.

Sujit Bhasme, an engineer and civil service aspirant, said, Mingling with the sex workers was not easy. They are wary of accepting any kind of assistance and didnt really want to talk to us. Finally, we contacted some activists working in the area and with their help, started our work.

BCCL



The group wanted to focus on government schemes targeted towards creating a cashless economy such as *99#  the USSD code for mobile banking services and the RuPay card launched by the National Payment Corporation of India, along with ATM and debit cards and e-banking facilities offered by nationalised banks. The group also met bank officials, made notes, prepared PowerPoint presentations and went to different houses in the area with their computers. An NGO, Kayakalpa, working in the area, also made their hall available to the group for presentations.

The sex workers seemed more than happy to receive this education. One of them said, Last month, my father was admitted to a hospital in Sangli. After the demonetisation move, as banks were hugely crowded, I had to wait for two days before I could deposit money. Had I known all these things, I would have been able to use my options.

Another sex worker from the area, said, I have noted down the mobile numbers of these students. My daughter is 16 years old. It is difficult for me to comprehend this information, but I will ask my daughter to call the students and get an ATM card and RuPay Card for us.

BCCL

The students are aware that their efforts may bear fruit only for a small number of people. But, they say, change has to begin somewhere.

We will continue to spread awareness, share our mobile numbers and even accompany them to the banks if they want our help there. Were not claiming that we will be able to make an entire area cashless, but at least awareness will be created. If even 10 commercial sex workers start using the cashless system, it would be worth it, Sanap concluded.

Last month, my father was in hospital. Had I known all these things, I would have been able to use my options, rather than waiting for two days in crowded banks to deposit cash
There's a mysterious piece of rock floating around in our solar system that could be worth $10,000 quadrillion dollars, we don't know how much is that. NASA is planning a mission to visit it. This asteroid measures about 210 kilometres in diameter. Take the distance from the Sun to the Earth, and triple that - that's how far away '16 Psyche' is located.

According to Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the lead scientist on the NASA mission and the director of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration, the asteroid's iron content would be worth US $10,000 quadrillion.

However, NASA isn't planning this mission to the nickel and iron asteroid for business reasons, but to assess if Psyche is a "protoplanet," or the exposed core of an early planet that lost its outer layers to numerous space collisions.

"This is an opportunity to explore a new type of world - not one of rock or ice, but of metal," said Psyche Principal Investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University in Tempe in a news release.

16 Psyche is the only known object of its kind in the solar system, and this is the only way humans will ever visit a core. We learn about inner space by visiting outer space. Psyche, also a robotic mission, will be arriving at the asteroid in 2030, following an Earth gravity assist spacecraft manoeuvre in 2024 and a Mars flyby in 2025.

The mission will help scientists understand how planets and other bodies separated into their layers - including cores, mantles and crusts - early in their histories.
Turkish police said they have arrested man, identified as Abdulgadir Masharipov, who is believed to be the gunman who killed 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub.

AFP

Masharipov, A Kyrgyzstan national was detained on Monday from an apartment in Esenyurt district of Istanbul with his four-year-old son.

Four others, including the man who is said to have sheltered the attacker, all foreign nationals were also arrested.

Reuters

The apartment where he was hiding was less than 30 kilometers away from the Reina nightclub, where he unleashed a carnage on unsuspecting partygoers on New Year's eve.

There was a nationwide hunt for him, amid reports that Masharipov may have fled the country after the attack.

Reuters

Local media quoting police sources said Masharipov who entered the club dressed as sant was still at the scene when police reached there following the shooting. He is said to have got away through the backdoor, inspected after removing his jacket.

Masharipov had entered Turkey just three months ago along with his wife and four year-old son looking for job.

Reuters

The Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was revenge for Turkish military involvement in Syria. With Masharipov captured alive, Turkish authorities hope to establish the ISIS link and involvement of sleeper-cells, mostly centered around foreign nationals in the country.
Speaking wtih The Times of London and Germany's Bild newspaper, Trump had said on Sunday that NATO is obsolete "because it was designed many, many years ago." He also repeated his complaint, frequently voiced during the election campaign, that NATO "countries aren't paying what they're supposed to pay."

She added that Trump's views on Europe are well known. "The president-elect has outlined his views, so once he is in office - which he isn't at this point in time - we will cooperate obviously with the new American administration and we will then see what sort of accord we can achieve."

Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, she said the EU members will work together on "fighting against terrorism, securing the external borders of the European Union and ensuring internal security and also working for a truly digital single market, for creating jobs."

"I think that we Europeans have our destiny in our own hands and I would very strongly argue that we all stand together," Merkel said of the 27 European Union members that will remain after Britain's departure.

Merkel's comments came in response to a weekend interview in which Trump alarmed some European leaders by repeating longstanding criticisms of the NATO alliance and suggesting Germany's response to the European migration crisis had been a historic mistake.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised Monday to seek agreement with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump once he is sworn in later this week, but insisted that Europe will chart its own path forward in spite of differences with the incoming American leader.

Earlier Monday, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Trump's comments prompted "surprise and anxiety" among NATO member countries. "We have to wait and see what will be the consequences for American policy," he said.

Jens Stoltenberg, the head of the 28-member alliance, issued a statement through a spokesman saying he is looking forward to working with Trump. "He is absolutely confident that the incoming administration will remain committed to NATO," read the statement.

"A strong NATO is good for the United States, just as it is for Europe," Stoltenberg said.

In the Sunday interview, Trump hit on a wide range of European topics. He praised Britain's decision in June to leave the EU, and predicted that others would follow. He also suggested he would be willing to drop sanctions against Russia in exchange for an agreement to reduce nuclear arms.

Moscow, which appears to benefit from many of Trump's proposals, said Monday it was too early to comment on the president-elect's policy decisions. "Let's wait until he assumes office before we give assessment to any initiatives," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

German officials also shot back at Trump's suggestion that the country's auto makers could face a 35 percent tariff on auto imports to the United States. Trump has made similar threats before, seeking to pressure companies to move or retain manufacturing facilities in the U.S. in order to create or protect American jobs.

German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said the tariff would make the U.S. auto industry weaker and more expensive. And in response to Trump's criticism that the president-elect sees more German cars in the U.S. than American cars in Germany, Gabriel said the solution is for the U.S. to build better cars.

Trump also said he had "great respect" for Merkel, but faulted her for Germany's acceptance of more than 1 million migrants who had fled their countries because of war, political instability or economic conditions.

"I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals, you know, taking all of the people from wherever they come from," Trump said.

He blamed the refugee crisis for Britain's decision to leave the European Union, calling it "the straw that broke the camel's back."

"If they (the EU) hadn't been forced to take in all of the refugees, so many ... I think that you wouldn't have a Brexit," he said.

Trump offered to quickly reach a fair trade deal with Britain, which drew praise Monday from British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson.

"I think it's very good news that the United States of America wants to do a good free trade deal with us and wants to do it very fast, and it's great to hear that from President-elect Trump," Johnson said. "Clearly it will have to be a deal that's very much in the interest of both sides, but I have no doubt that it will be."
A tug-of-war between European creditors, the IMF and Greece over the latter's bailout program continued to intensify this week, in light of German FinMin Wolfgang Schaeuble's latest comment of a need for a new program if the current one collapses with the Fund's departure.
British Prime Minister Theresa May is set to appear in the American edition of Vogue magazine.

May's Downing Street office says the pictures for the April edition were shot by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Downing Street says there's no connection between the photographs and May's visit to the United States, which is expected in the next few months.
January 16, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Eight men own the same wealth as the 3.6 billion people who make up the poorest half of humanity, according to a new report published by Oxfam today to mark the annual meeting of political and business leaders in Davos.

Oxfams report, An economy for the 99 percent, shows that the gap between rich and poor is far greater than had been feared. It details how big business and the super-rich are fuelling the inequality crisis by dodging taxes, driving down wages and using their power to influence politics. It calls for a fundamental change in the way we manage our economies so that they work for all people, and not just a fortunate few.

New and better data on the distribution of global wealth  particularly in India and China  indicates that the poorest half of the world has less wealth than had been previously thought. Had this new data been available last year, it would have shown that nine billionaires owned the same wealth as the poorest half of the planet, and not 62, as Oxfam calculated at the time.



Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International, said:

It is obscene for so much wealth to be held in the hands of so few when 1 in 10 people survive on less than $2 a day. Inequality is trapping hundreds of millions in poverty; it is fracturing our societies and undermining democracy.

Across the world, people are being left behind. Their wages are stagnating yet corporate bosses take home million dollar bonuses; their health and education services are cut while corporations and the super-rich dodge their taxes; their voices are ignored as governments sing to the tune of big business and a wealthy elite.



Oxfams report shows how our broken economies are funnelling wealth to a rich elite at the expense of the poorest in society, the majority of whom are women. The richest are accumulating wealth at such an astonishing rate that the world could see its first trillionaire in just 25 years. To put this figure in perspective  you would need to spend $1 million every day for 2738 years to spend $1 trillion.

Public anger with inequality is already creating political shockwaves across the globe. Inequality has been cited as a significant factor in the election of Donald Trump in the US, the election of President Duterte in the Philippines, and Brexit in the UK.



Seven out of 10 people live in a country that has seen a rise in inequality in the last 30 years. Between 1988 and 2011 the incomes of the poorest 10 percent increased by just $65 per person, while the incomes of the richest 1 percent grew by $11,800 per person  182 times as much.

Women, who are often employed in low pay sectors, face high levels of discrimination in the work place, and who take on a disproportionate amount of unpaid care work often find themselves at the bottom of the pile. On current trends it will take 170 years for women to be paid the same as men.

An Economy for the 99 percent also reveals how big business and the super-rich are fuelling the inequality crisis. It shows how, in order to maximize returns to their wealthy shareholders, big corporations are dodging taxes, driving down wages for their workers and the prices paid to producers, and investing less in their business.

Oxfam interviewed women working in a garment factory in Vietnam who work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week and still struggle to get by on the $1 an hour they earn producing clothes for some of the worlds biggest fashion brands. The CEOs of these companies are some of the highest paid people in the world. Corporate tax dodging costs poor countries at least $100 billion every year. This is enough money to provide an education for the 124 million children who arent in school and fund healthcare interventions that could prevent the deaths of at least six million children every year.

The report outlines how the super-rich use a network of tax havens to avoid paying their fair share of tax and an army of wealth managers to secure returns on their investments that would not be available to ordinary savers. Contrary to popular belief, many of the super-rich are not self-made. Oxfam analysis shows over half the worlds billionaires either inherited their wealth or accumulated it through industries which are prone to corruption and cronyism.



It also demonstrates how big business and the super-rich use their money and connections to ensure government policy works for them. For example, billionaires in Brazil have sought to influence elections and successfully lobbied for a reduction in tax bills while oil corporations in Nigeria have managed to secure generous tax breaks.

Byanyima said: The millions of people who have been left behind by our broken economies need solutions, not scapegoats. That is why Oxfam is setting out a new common sense approach to managing our economies so that they work for the majority and not just the fortunate few.



Governments are not helpless in the face of technological change and market forces. If politicians stop obsessing with GDP, and focus on delivering for all their citizens and not just a wealthy few, a better future is possible for everyone.



Oxfams blueprint for a more human economy includes:

Governments end the extreme concentration of wealth to end poverty. Governments should increase taxes on both wealth and high incomes to ensure a more level playing field, and to generate funds needed to invest in healthcare, education and job creation.

Governments cooperate rather than just compete. Governments should work together to ensure workers are paid a decent wage, and to put a stop to tax dodging and the race to the bottom on corporate tax.

Governments support companies that benefit their workers and society rather than just their shareholders. The multi-billion Euro company Mondragon, is owned by its 74,000 strong workforce. All employees receive a decent wage because its pay structure ensures that the highest paid member of staff earns no more than 9 times the amount of the lowest paid.

Governments ensure economies work for women. They must help to dismantle the barriers to womens economic progress such as access to education and the unfair burden of unpaid care work.
NATO Is Obsolete - Donald Trump Sets Out Foreign Policy Goals Video and Transcript Brexit is going to be a great thing, Germanys Angela Merkel is Europes most important leader and the lifting of sanctions against Russia could happen.



These are the views of US President-elect Donald Trump who has been giving details of his foreign policy goals in an interview with British and German newspapers, The Times and Bild. Posted January 16, 2017 On the Brexit issue Trump said Britain was smart in getting out of the EU and that hed work hard to get trade deal with the UK.



I think Brexits going to end up being the great thing. And I predicted it  but the heat I took was unbelievable. And I said  its because people dont wanna have other people coming in and destroying their country. I thought the UK was so smart in getting out.



Trumps own way to deal with immigration into the US is well known. He intends to build a wall on the US-Mexican border. In the interview he said uncontrolled immigration had been Chancellor Angela Merkels achilles heel.



I have great respect for her (Merkel), I felt she was a great great leader. I think she made one very catastrophic mistake  and that was taking all of these illegals, taking all of the people wherever they come from  and nobody really knows where they come from.



Trump says Merkels catastrophic mistake was taking all of these illegals. (Refugees arent illegals.) https://t.co/zoLNJr8JRA Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 16, 2017



Trumps negative attitude towards NATO has alarmed the USs traditional allies, so his claims that the organisation is important to him will have been welcomed, even though he remains critical.



And I said long time ago that NATO had problems and the one of them it was obsolete because it was designed many many years ago. And, number two, the countries werent paying what they were supposed to pay.



Trump: NATO obsolete, Brexit a great thing: President-elect Donald Trump, in remarks published on Sunday, https://t.co/sUAerOMMNm Paris Journal (@Paris_Journal) January 16, 2017



Throughout the interview Trump distanced himself from previous US foreign policy, in particular his future dealings with Moscow. His aim there is to end sanctions imposed on Russia over its annexation of Crimea, in return for nuclear arms reductions.



Trump Open to Lifting Sanctions on Russia https://t.co/ECjg0D03Tj via intelligencer Bill (gmmachado1) January 16, 2017 Putin says 'no' to Trump's nukes for sanctions offer: Moscow will not consider reducing nuclear weapons in exchange for the US lifting sanctions. This has been stated by the Russian presidents press secretary, Dmitry Peskov.
How Pure is Your Hate?



By Paul Street January 16, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Counterpunch " - Fellow workers and citizens, how pure is your hatred? Its easy to hate on openly authoritarian, loathsome, right-wing political personalities and institutions like Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Donald Trump, the Koch brothers, Paul Ryan, the Republican Party, the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, Breitbart News, and FOX News. Theres no serious mystery over what those malicious people and entities are about: the ever upward distribution of wealth and power. The bigger tests are supposedly liberal and progressive personalities and institutions like Barack Obama, the Clintons, Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Party, George Soros, the Brookings Institution, the Center for American Progress, the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), the Washington Post, MSNBC, and the New York Times. These people and organizations are no less committed than the nations more transparently right-wing counterparts to the nations unelected deep state dictatorships of money, empire, and white-supremacy, but their allegiance and service to the nations reigning oppression structures and ideologies is cloaked by outwardly multicultural, liberal, and even progressive concern for the poor and nonwhite. Whats the Something Much Better? I was reminded of this distinction for the five thousandth time last Thursday while watching Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) member and PBS NewsHour host Judy Woodruff interview the longtime Senior Obama Advisor and intimate Obama family mentor and confidant Valerie Jarrett. Read the following passage from the interview last week and then tell me, please, to quote Alexander Cockburn, is your hate pure? Judy Woodruff, CFR and PBS: Just last night, the United States Senate took another step toward repeal of Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act. There was a budget vote, which is going to lead to other steps, which will lead to repeal. Just yesterday, the president-elect called Obamacare a complete and total disaster. Valerie Jarrett, White House: I think its very easy to say repeal and replace, but we have been encouraging the Republicans, since the president first started embarking on this effort, to put in place a plan for affordable care to come up with their best ideas. And they have had, what, 50, 60 votes to repeal, and not a single replacement plan. So Woodruff: Well, they say thats what theyre going to do. Theyre going to get rid of whats there now and replace it with something much better. Jarrett: Well, whats the something much better? Thats my question. Thats the question the president has been asking for eight years right now. So, if there is a something better, lets hear it. Whats the secret? Obama, 2003: What Id Like to See After this exchange, Woodruff moved off the health care topic, with no follow up. That was a statement in itself. Surely any reasonably informed public media journalist would be aware that national Canadian-style single-payer health insurance  Improved Medicare for All  has long been backed by most Americans. Such a journalist would know that single-payer would provide comprehensive coverage to all the nations many millions of uninsured and under-insured while retaining free choice in doctor selection and being the most cost-effective way to go thanks to the elimination of private for-profit insurance corporations parasitic control over the system. A knowledgeable public journalist might even know that then state senator Barack Obama endorsed single payer on these very grounds as late as the summer of 2003, when he said the following to the Illinois AFL-CIO: I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care program I see no reason why the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, spending 14 percent of its Gross National Product on health care cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody. And thats what Jim is talking about when he says everybody in, nobody out. A single payer health care plan, a universal health care plan. And thats what Id like to see. Obama would quickly drop those sentiments in the interest of getting campaign backing from the nations giant insurance and drug companies and their Wall Street investors on his path to the U.S. Senate and the presidency. Right after he entered the White House Obama set up a health care reform task force chock full of big insurance company representatives. Not one of the more than 80 U.S. House of Representative members who had endorsed single payer  not even the veteran Black Congressman John Conyers, author of a House single payer bill  was invited to participate. A Sicko Game The outcome was the so-called Affordable Care Act (later dubbed Obamacare), a complicated and corporatist bill based on a Republican plan drawn up by the right-wing Heritage Foundation. Since it left the price- and premium-gouging and profit-taking power of the big insurance and drug syndicates intact, the ACA condemned a vast swath of the nation to continuing inadequate and unaffordable coverage  this while the right-wing noise machine has absurdly railed against socialized health care. Along the way, the new neoliberal president played a sicko (yes, Michael Moore) game to sell his Heritage Foundation bill, promising citizens that his plan would include a public option while having already traded that policy away to get for-profit hospitals to back the ACA. As Miles Moguiescu reported on Huffington Post and as the New York Times confirmed, Obama made a backroom dealwith the for-profit hospital lobby that he would make sure there would be no national public option in the final health reform legislationEven while President Obama was saying that he thought a public option was a good idea and encouraging supporters to believe his healthcare plan would include one, Moguiescu noted, he had promised for-profit hospital lobbyists that there would be no public option in the final bill. We can be certain that the veteran agent of neoliberal mendacity Valerie Jarrett advised Obama to take this deeply duplicitous path. The Memory Hole Its quite remarkable how completely the dominant mainstream media-politics culture manages to throw majority-supported social-democratic policy proposals down George Orwells memory hole. Listening to the Woodruff-Jarrett conversation, youd think Bernie Sanders had never spoken to giant and enthusiastic crowds on behalf of single payer last year. Youd think Conyers had never drafted single-payer legislation backed by a considerable number of U.S. Congressman. Youd think that Canada and most of the industrialized world had never successfully implemented a widely popular nation-wide systems of universal governmental health insurance. Youd think single-payer didnt have millions of citizen backers  including many thousands of doctors and National Nurses United  from coast to coast. You wouldnt imagine that even Donald Trump has mused that single-payer might be the best way to fund health insurance for all.  So, if there is a something better, lets hear it. Whats the secret? Unreal. It reminds me of Hillary Clintons response as head of newly elected U.S. President Bill Clintons health care task force when Dr. David Himmelstien, the head of Physicians for a National Health Program, told her about the incredible possibilities of a comprehensive, single payer Canadian style health plan, supported by more than two-thirds of the U.S. public and certified by the Congressional Budget Office as the most cost-effective plan on offer. David, Hillary (Michael Moores heart throb) commented with fading patience before sending him away in 1993, tell me something interesting. Thats right: tell me something interesting. Along with the big insurance companies the Clintons deceptively railed against, the co-presidents Bill and Hill decided from the start to exclude the popular health care alternative  single payer  from the national health care discussion. What she advanced instead of the system that bored her was a hopelessly complex and secretly developed program called managed competition. Interesting. Obama would have more success with his Heritage Foundation-developed update in 2009 and 2010. And they wonder why Trump won. Paul Streets latest book is They Rule: The 1% v. Democracy (Paradigm, 2014)
The Issue Is Not Trump, It's Us By John Pilger Under Obama, the U.S. extended secret "special forces" operations to 138 countries, or 70 percent of the world's population. January 16, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " teleSur " - On the day President Trump is inaugurated, thousands of writers in the United States will express their indignation. "In order for us to heal and move forward," say Writers Resist, "we wish to bypass direct political discourse, in favor of an inspired focus on the future, and how we, as writers, can be a unifying force for the protection of democracy." They continue, "We urge local organizers and speakers to avoid using the names of politicians or adopting 'anti' language as the focus for their Writers Resist event. It's important to ensure that nonprofit organizations, which are prohibited from political campaigning, will feel confident participating in and sponsoring these events." Thus, real protest is to be avoided, for it is not tax exempt. Compare such drivel with the declarations of the Congress of American Writers, held at Carnegie Hall, New York, in 1935, and again two years later. They were electric events, with writers discussing how they could confront ominous events in Abyssinia, China and Spain. Telegrams from Thomas Mann, Cecil Day-Lewis, Upton Sinclair and Albert Einstein were read out, reflecting the fear that great power was now rampant and that it had become impossible to discuss art and literature without politics or, indeed, direct political action. "A writer," the journalist Martha Gellhorn told the second congress, "must be a man of action now ... A man who has given a year of his life to steel strikes, or to the unemployed, or to the problems of racial prejudice, has not lost or wasted time. He is a man who has known where he belonged. If you should survive such action, what you have to say about it afterwards is the truth, is necessary and real, and it will last." Her words echo across the unction and violence of the Barack Obama era and the silence of those who colluded with his deceptions. That the menace of rapacious power  rampant long before the rise of Trump  has been accepted by writers, many of them privileged and celebrated, and by those who guard the gates of literary criticism and culture, including popular culture, is uncontroversial. Not for them, the possibility of writing and promoting literature filled with politics. Not for them, the responsibility of speaking out, regardless of who occupies the White House. Today, false symbolism is all. "Identity" is all. In 2016, Hillary Clinton stigmatized millions of voters as "a basket of deplorables, racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic  you name it." Her abuse was handed out at an LGBTQ rally as part of her cynical campaign to win over people of color by abusing a white mostly working-class majority. Divide and rule, this is called; or identity politics in which race and gender conceal class, and allow the waging of class war. Trump understood this. "When the truth is replaced by silence," said the Soviet dissident poet Yevtushenko, "the silence is a lie." This is not a U.S. phenomenon. A few years ago, Terry Eagleton, then professor of English literature at Manchester University, reckoned that "for the first time in two centuries, there is no eminent British poet, playwright or novelist prepared to question the foundations of the western way of life." No Shelley speaks for the poor, no Blake for utopian dreams, no Byron damns the corruption of the ruling class, no Thomas Carlyle and John Ruskin reveal the moral disaster of capitalism. William Morris, Oscar Wilde, H.G. Wells, George Bernard Shaw have no equivalents today. Harold Pinter was the last to raise his voice. Among today's insistent voices of consumer-feminism, none echoes Virginia Woolf, who described "the arts of dominating other people ... of ruling, of killing, of acquiring land and capital." There is something both venal and profoundly stupid about famous writers as they venture outside their cosseted world and embrace an "issue." Across the review section of the Guardian on Dec. 10 was a dreamy picture of Barack Obama looking up to the heavens and the words, "Amazing Grace" and "Farewell the Chief." The sycophancy ran like a polluted babbling brook through page after page. "He was a vulnerable figure in many ways ... But the grace. The all-encompassing grace: in manner and form, in argument and intellect, with humour and cool ... (He) is a blazing tribute to what has been, and what can be again ... He seems ready to keep fighting, and remains a formidable champion to have on our side ... The grace ... the almost surreal levels of grace." I have conflated these quotes. There are others even more hagiographic and bereft of mitigation. The Guardian's chief apologist for Obama, Gary Younge, has always been careful to mitigate, to say that his hero "could have done more," oh, but there were the "calm, measured and consensual solutions." None of them, however, could surpass the U.S. writer, Ta-Nehisi Coates, the recipient of a "genius" grant worth US$625,000 from a liberal foundation. In an interminable essay for the Atlantic titled, "My President Was Black," Coates brought new meaning to prostration. The final "chapter," titled, "When You Left, You Took All of Me With You," a line from a Marvin Gaye song, describes seeing the Obamas "rising out of the limo, rising up from fear, smiling, waving, defying despair, defying history, defying gravity." The Ascension, no less. One of the persistent strands in U.S. political life is a cultish extremism that approaches fascism. This was given expression and reinforced during the two terms of Barack Obama. "I believe in American exceptionalism with every fiber of my being," said Obama, who expanded the United States' favorite military pastime: bombing and death squads ("special operations") as no other president has done since the Cold War. According to a Council on Foreign Relations survey, in 2016 alone Obama dropped 26,171 bombs. That is 72 bombs every day. He bombed the poorest people on earth, in Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan. Every Tuesday  reported the New York Times  he personally selected those who would be murdered by mostly hellfire missiles fired from drones. Weddings, funerals, shepherds were attacked, along with those attempting to collect the body parts festooning the "terrorist target." A leading Republican senator, Lindsey Graham, estimated, approvingly, that Obama's drones killed 4,700 people. "Sometimes you hit innocent people and I hate that," he said, "but we've taken out some very senior members of Al Qaeda." Like the fascism of the 1930s, big lies are delivered with the precision of a metronome, thanks to an omnipresent media whose description now fits that of the Nuremberg prosecutor: "Before each major aggression, with some few exceptions based on expediency, they initiated a press campaign calculated to weaken their victims and to prepare the German people psychologically ... In the propaganda system ... it was the daily press and the radio that were the most important weapons." Take the catastrophe in Libya. In 2011, Obama said Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi was planning "genocide" against his own people. "We knew ... that if we waited one more day, Benghazi, a city the size of Charlotte, could suffer a massacre that would have reverberated across the region and stained the conscience of the world." This was the known lie of Islamist militias facing defeat by Libyan government forces. It became the media story and NATO  led by Obama and Hillary Clinton  launched 9,700 "strike sorties" against Libya, of which more than a third were aimed at civilian targets. Uranium warheads were used; the cities of Misurata and Sirte were carpet-bombed. The Red Cross identified mass graves, and UNICEF reported that "most (of the children killed) were under the age of ten." Under Obama, the U.S. extended secret "special forces" operations to 138 countries, or 70 percent of the world's population. The first African-American president launched what amounted to a full-scale invasion of Africa. Reminiscent of the "Scramble for Africa" in the late 19th century, the U.S. African Command has built a network of supplicants among collaborative African regimes eager for U.S. bribes and armaments. Africom's "soldier to soldier" doctrine embeds U.S. officers at every level of command from general to warrant officer. Only pith helmets are missing. It is as if Africa's proud history of liberation, from Patrice Lumumba to Nelson Mandela, is consigned to oblivion by a new master's Black colonial elite whose "historic mission," warned Frantz Fanon half a century ago, is the promotion of "a capitalism rampant though camouflaged." It was Obama who, in 2011, announced what became known as the "pivot to Asia," in which almost two-thirds of U.S. naval forces would be transferred to the Asia-Pacific area to "confront China," in the words of his defense secretary. There was no threat from China; the entire enterprise was unnecessary. It was an extreme provocation to keep the Pentagon and its demented brass happy. In 2014, the Obama administration oversaw and paid for a fascist-led coup in Ukraine against the democratically-elected government, threatening Russia in the western borderland through which Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, with a loss of 27 million lives. It was Obama who placed missiles in Eastern Europe aimed at Russia, and it was this winner of the Nobel Peace prize who increased spending on nuclear warheads to a level higher than that of any administration since the cold war, having promised, in an emotional speech in Prague to "help rid the world of nuclear weapons." Obama, the constitutional lawyer, prosecuted more whistleblowers than any other president in history, even though the U.S. constitution protects them. He declared Chelsea Manning guilty before the end of a trial that was a travesty. He has refused to pardon Manning who has suffered years of inhumane treatment which the U.N. says amounts to torture. He has pursued an entirely bogus case against Julian Assange. He promised to close the Guantanamo concentration camp and didn't. Following the public relations disaster of George W. Bush, Obama, the smooth operator from Chicago via Harvard, was enlisted to restore what he calls "leadership" throughout the world. The Nobel prize committee's decision was part of this: the kind of cloying reverse racism that beatified the man for no reason other than he was attractive to liberal sensibilities and, of course, U.S. power, if not to the children he kills in impoverished, mostly Muslim countries. This is the Call of Obama. It is not unlike a dog whistle: inaudible to most, irresistible to the besotted and boneheaded, especially "liberal brains pickled in the formaldehyde of identity politics," as Luciana Bohne put it. "When Obama walks into a room," gushed George Clooney, "you want to follow him somewhere, anywhere." William I. Robinson, professor at the University of California, and one of an uncontaminated group of U.S. strategic thinkers who have retained their independence during the years of intellectual dog-whistling since 9/11 wrote this last week, "President Barack Obama ... may have done more than anyone to assure Trump's victory. While Trump's election has triggered a rapid expansion of fascist currents in U.S. civil society, a fascist outcome for the political system is far from inevitable ... But that fight back requires clarity as to how we got to such a dangerous precipice. The seeds of 21st-century fascism were planted, fertilized and watered by the Obama administration and the politically bankrupt liberal elite." Robinson points out that "whether in its 20th or its emerging 21st-century variants, fascism is, above all, a response to a deep structural crisis of capitalism, such as that of the 1930s and the one that began with the financial meltdown in 2008 ... There is a near-straight line here from Obama to Trump ... The liberal elite's refusal to challenge the rapaciousness of transnational capital and its brand of identity politics served to eclipse the language of the working and popular classes ... pushing white workers into an 'identity' of white nationalism and helping the neo-fascists to organize them." The seedbed is Obama's Weimar Republic, a landscape of endemic poverty, militarized police and barbaric prisons, the consequence of a "market" extremism which, under his presidency, prompted the transfer of US$14 trillion in public money to criminal enterprises in Wall Street. Perhaps his greatest "legacy" is the co-option and disorientation of any real opposition. Bernie Sanders' specious "revolution" does not apply. Propaganda is his triumph. The lies about Russia  in whose elections the U.S. has openly intervened  have made the world's most self-important journalists laughing stocks. In the country with constitutionally the freest press in the world, free journalism now exists only in its honorable exceptions. The obsession with Trump is a cover for many of those calling themselves "left/liberal," as if to claim political decency. They are not "left," neither are they especially "liberal." Much of the United States' aggression towards the rest of humanity has come from so-called liberal democratic administrations such as Obama's. The U.S.' political spectrum extends from the mythical center to the lunar right. The "left" are homeless renegades Martha Gellhorn described as "a rare and wholly admirable fraternity." She excluded those who confuse politics with a fixation on their navels. While they "heal" and "move forward," will the Writers Resist campaigners and other anti-Trumpists reflect upon this? More to the point: when will a genuine movement of opposition arise  angry, eloquent, all-for-one-and-one-for all. Until real politics return to people's lives, the enemy is not Trump, it is ourselves.
Indian authorities rescued more than 6,000 turtles from a local smuggler in one of the countrys largest wildlife seizures.

Rahul Srivastav of Uttar Pradesh Police Special Task Force shared photos of the thousands of soft shell and flap shell turtles rescued in the town of Amethi.

We have recovered such a huge amount of turtles from one single location. We are investigating this further and looking at the involvement of more people, especially smuggling rings, Senior police officer Arvind Chaturvedi told NDTV

The 6,430 endangered turtles, protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, were discovered stuffed inside of sacks and on the ground during a raid of the alleged smugglers home.

One person was arrested while two others escaped and the turtles are awaiting a court order from the Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttar Pradesh to return to their natural habitat.

The turtles are currently kept under observation, Chief Wildlife Warden Umendra Sharma said. We will release the turtles back into the wild once we receive a court order.

Wildlife SOS CEO Kartick Satyanarayan thanked the Special Task Force for their help and offered to rehabilitate the turtles.

We commend the STF for intercepting this consignment. We have offered our assistance to the Chief Wildlife Warden to help rehabilitate these turtles and place them back in the wild, Satyanarayan said. Mostly traded for body parts believed to have medicinal properties, these turtles are protected under Indian law.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has given president of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, till Friday midnight to vacate office and hand over power to the countrys President-Elect, Adama Barrow, or be ousted by force.

Jammeh has refused to step down and has challenged the election result in the West African countrys supreme court despite his opponent being declared winner of the December 1, 2016 presidential election.

According to Thisday, Gambias ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) filed an application on Thursday for an injunction seeking to stop the inauguration of Barrow as President on January 19, but the Chief Justice of the Gambia, Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle refused to grant the application.

African leaders are suing for a peaceful transition in the country hoping it wont lead to crisis.

The African Union (AU) and ECOWAS have pledged to withdraw their recognition of Jammeh as President after Thursday.
Hundreds of ex-cattle rustlers in Katsina State on Sunday surrendered about 97 Ak47 rifles, 217 dane guns and others weapons to Katsina State Amnesty Committe which has recovered about 28,000 cows and sheep from the repentant rustlers.

The chairman of the committee who is also the Secretary to the Government of the State, Dr. Mustapha Inuwa, made this disclosure at Kankara where the weapons were handed over to the committee.

Inuwa said the gesture was part of the measures initiated by the present administration to end the spate of cattle rustlers attacks on herdsmen and farmers in the state.

According to him, no fewer than 24,567 of the recovered animals had been returned to their rightful owners, 3513 dead before their came forward while 99 were yet to be reclaimed.

Speaking on the occasion, the State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, who initiated the programme, noted that 95 per cent of cattle rustlers resorted to the act to protest against different circumtances and their raw deals in the hands of indiviuals and groups.

Masari said the epoch- making event will go a long way in further alleviating the sufferings of beneficiaries, adding that his administration is committed to ameliorate the plight of the ex-cattle rustlers and herdsmen in the state by demarcating grazing reserves and providing more earth dams among others this year.

He ordered vigilante groups and herdsmen in the state to desist from intimidating or harassing anyone with weapons, warning that they should report any suspicious character in their areas to security agencies for prompt action.

He also directed traditional and community leadersto monitor the movement of suspected persons in their areas in order to assist in preventing crimes in the state.

The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdumumini Kabir Usman, and his Daura counterpart, Alhaji Umar Farouk Umar, who graced the occasion, showered praises on the restoration pogrammes being undertaken by the Masari adminitration in different sectors of Katsina economy.

The royal fathers however warned the amnesty programmes ccess story would be shortlived if other states in the North West did not adopt similar measures as President Muhammadu Buhari was quoted by Masari to have directed them.

In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police, Katsina State, Abdullahi Usman, who spoke on behalf of the heads of security agencies in the state, assured their commitment to the peace intiative of the Masari administration.

Source: Leadership
The Oyo State Police Command has disclosed that it is presently interrogating a fleeing suspected Boko Haram member who was arrested in Ibadan.

The suspected terrorist, who simply identified himself as Alkali, according to the police, was arrested by security operatives after he confessed that he fled from Sambisa forest.

Confirming the arrest on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Adekunle Ajisebutu stated that the man was arrested on Sunday night of January 1st by the men of the state police command from Iyaganku Division.

Alkali, according to the police, was apprehended around Alalubosa GRA, Ibadan metropolis, following a tip-off from residents.

Ajisebutu said the suspect who was still in detention at the state CID confessed to being a key member of the sect.

He said Yes, a man was arrested on the night of Sunday January 1st 2017. It is true. He was arrested. The man is still at the state CID for further interrogation.

The matter is still under investigation at the state CID. Thank you.

Our correspondent learnt that Alkali claimed that he ran from Sambisa Forest after the place was captured by the military.

According to Daily Post, the suspect (Alkali) was found roaming about at the Alalubosa GRA.

A source who begged not to be named said Alkali confessed that he fled from Sambisa Forest in Borno State and got to Mobil, Ring Road, Ibadan on foot.

He was immediately accosted by some Hausas who are plying their trade there.

They immediately called the attention of their leader who subjected him to a round of interrogation.

He, however, fled from them, only to be seen at the Alalubosa GRA area by some residents who were curious of his appearance and way of dressing.

The residents of Alalubosa GRA immediately notified the Iyaganku Division of the state police command.

The command, thereafter, sent a team of security personnel to effect his arrest and he was eventually taken to the police station.

Source: Daily Post
Trump told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Friday that "everything is under negotiation, including 'one China.'" It was the latest sign that Trump could shake up the U.S.-China relationship, particularly regarding Taiwan, which China considers a core national interest.

"Whoever attempts to harm the one-China principle out of any motive or uses the principle as a bargaining chip will definitely be facing broad and strong opposition from the Chinese government and people, as well as the international community," Hua said.

"Not everything in the world can be bargained or traded off," Hua told reporters at a daily briefing.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters that anyone attempting to use Taiwan's status in a negotiation would be "smashing their feet by lifting a rock."

Responding to remarks by Donald Trump, China's Foreign Ministry on Monday said the country's "one-China principle" regarding Taiwan is not negotiable and any attempt to reconsider the issue would be self-defeating.

The one-China principle holds that Taiwan is part of China and the Communist government in Beijing is China's sole legitimate government.

The U.S. acknowledged that stance when it formalized diplomatic relations with Beijing in 1979, but continues to maintain robust unofficial ties with Taiwan. Washington also provides weaponry to the self-governing island democracy to help it guard against China's threat to use force to end their division dating from a civil war in 1949.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to upend that status quo since winning the November election.

Also Monday, the Chinese nationalist tabloid Global Times published an editorial blasting Trump's strategy and saying China would have a strong response to any reconsideration of Washington's long-standing "one-China policy."

"In the past, Trump infuriated us, but now we find him risible," said the tabloid, which is published by the People's Daily, the ruling Communist Party's newspaper. "With a skyrocketing ascent in his political life, he has been stunningly confident in his ostensible knowledge of the job, though he speaks like a rookie."

The English-language China Daily ran an editorial Monday accusing Trump of "playing with fire."

"If Trump is determined to use this gambit on taking office, a period of fierce, damaging interactions will be unavoidable, as Beijing will have no choice but to take off the gloves," the newspaper said.

China was already angered by Trump's Dec. 2 phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, the first time an American president or president-elect has publicly spoken to Taiwan's leader in nearly four decades. Beijing considers any reference to a separate Taiwanese head of state to be a grave insult.

Trump then said in a television interview that he didn't feel "bound by a one-China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade."

On Sunday, Reince Priebus, Trump's incoming chief of staff, said that "there are no plans to change the one-China policy."

"But certainly that policy is on the table if China doesn't also come to the table and work with us on trade, work with us on the South China Sea and what's happening there," Priebus said on ABC's "This Week.''

After attacking China repeatedly during his campaign, Trump has continued to disparage China on his Twitter account over its military buildup in disputed areas of the South China Sea, its alleged currency manipulation to put American companies at a disadvantage, and what he says are its inadequate efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear program. He has also announced that a new White House trade council will be led by economist Peter Navarro, a sharp critic of Chinese economic policy who wrote a book titled "Death By China."

Trump told The Wall Street Journal that he would not label China a currency manipulator as soon as he takes office, though he repeated his contention that China is manipulating its currency, the yuan.

So far, Beijing has reiterated its refusal to negotiate on Taiwan and has pushed for positive cooperation with the U.S., though state-run media have printed several strongly worded editorials attacking Trump.

Chinese political observers said Sunday that they expect Beijing's response to change once Trump is inaugurated next week. "Trump has not taken office yet, so he is an ordinary person now," said Shen Dingli, a professor of international relations at Fudan University. "Therefore, there's no need for China to take his remarks seriously or further respond to what he said."
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), on Tuesday said 13,000 Closed Circuit Television cameras would be installed at major locations across the state to boost security.

A statement issued by the agencys Head Public Affairs Unit, Mr Adebayo Kehinde, noted that the move was in line with the state government efforts to improve emergency and disaster management.

The General Manager of LASEMA, Adesina Tiamiyu, was quoted as saying in the statement that the CCTV camera installations would encourage effective and efficient response system.

He said that the state government also plans to step up a Monitoring and Surveillance Unit across the state.

Additional dispatch centres with CCTV cameras would be established across the state to complement the emergency call numbers.

With the CCTV, analysts could adequately monitor activities from the Command and Control Centres across the State.

This is aimed at activating emergency response where and when necessary. These combined efforts can only make Lagos safer, Tiamiyu said.

The general manger said that Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, has approved the establishment of three dispatch centres at Lekki, Ikorodu Road and Badagry.

He said that the centres would complement the existing dispatch points located at the LASEMA Response Unit, Cappa, Oshodi, and the Command and Control Centre, Alausa.

The agency is stepping up the activities of Monitoring and Surveillance Unit in preventing and militating against unnecessary loss of lives and properties in the state.

The operation will include monitoring and surveillance activities in domestic, industrial and public facilities, which is a paradigm shift from the orthodox strategy of waiting for emergency to occur and then respond.

The approach is a practical way of reducing emergency and disasters thereby reducing the huge expenses borne by the state government on emergency intervention and relief assistance to victims of various emergencies, he said.

Tiamiyu, however, called on the general public to partner with the state government in mitigating, preventing and reducing hazards.

He urged the public to call the agency free toll line (112/767) whenever there is emergency for prompt intervention.
A lawyer and rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has urged a Federal High Court in Lagos to restrain Ibrahim Magu from parading himself as acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In his new suit filed on Monday, Adegboruwa is also asking the Senate not to entertain any further request for the confirmation of Magu as EFCC Chairman.

The defendants in the suit are The Senate, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the EFCC and Ibrahim Magu.

In a 39-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Adegboruwa, he traced the appointment of Magu back to Nov. 9, 2015, contending that he had been functioning in acting capacity as EFCC Chairman, beyond the six months allowed by law.

Adegboruwa contended in his suit that since the Senate had rejected Magu as substantive chairman of EFCC, he could not thereafter be illegally functioning in acting capacity.

Citing the provisions of Section 2 (3) of the EFCC Act, Adegboruwa argued that the section makes confirmation by the Senate, a condition precedent to the appointment of the EFCC chairman.

He argued that since the provision of section 2 (3) of the EFCC Act was activated by forwarding the nomination of Magu to the Senate, he could not defy the decision of the Senate, which rejected him for the substantive appointment.

Adegboruwa stated that notwithstanding the clear decision of the Senate not to confirm Magu, he has continued to parade himself in office as EFCC Chairman.

He said that an example of such act was when he met with representatives of the United States Embassy on Jan. 6, 2017, clearly defying the decision of the Senate.

Adegboruwa is therefore, asking the court to restrain the EFCC and all other authorities, from recognising, treating or in any other manner, dealing with Magu as the Chairman of EFCC, either in acting or substantive capacity.

He also seeks a declaration that given his conduct in office so far, he is not a fit and proper person to function in office as chairman of EFCC.

Consequently, Adegboruwa is asking the court to give an order forthwith directing Magu to vacate and relinquish his office as EFCC Chairman, whether in acting or substantive capacity.

The lawyer also wants the court to declare void, all actions taken by the EFCC under the tenure of Magu, especially charges and information preferred in court.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the new suit.

Source: Leadership
An American man is giving his kidney to his wife for their 20th wedding anniversary.

For six years, Scott Chafian from Virginia had wanted to donate his kidney to his wife, Cindy, who suffers from polycystic kidney disease and has been on dialysis for almost two years.

She wouldnt take it until her condition deteriorated.

I hit kind of rock bottom, and I looked at him and I said OK, Im ready, Cindy Chafian told WTKR-TV.

To know that hes kind of giving me that ability is even more of an amazing gift, she told the TV station. He powers me in so many ways  he is literally going to give me life. So its an amazing gift.

The transplant surgery is scheduled for Jan. 24, the day before their 20th anniversary.

The Chafians learned the date five days before Christmas.

He called me and he told me that everything was a go. He gave me a date and that was the first time I allowed myself any emotion and I actually cried, she said.

A doctor said Scott is the cleanest donor he has seen in five years.

The couple is accepting wedding gifts in the form of donations at GoFundMe, a crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money. They need money for the surgery and through Monday, a total of $1,835 of their $5,000 goal was raised.

The posting on the website says: This is a beautiful milestone in marriage. Usually couples get to throw a big party or maybe renew their vows. But they wont be getting to do any of that. In fact theyll both be in separate hospital rooms recovering.
No fewer than six academic staff of Isa Kaita College of Education, Dutsinma, Katsina State, have been dismissed by the authority of the institution for gross misconduct.

Also, the collge has demoted another staff and issued warning letters to two others for violating its rules and regulations.

Dr. Abdu Maigari, Provost of the college, who made this known to newsmen yesterday, said the dismissal was part of the recommendations of the disciplinary committee set up to investigate the alleged offences of the affected staff.

He added: The college has its rules and regulations and any staff that violates them would be punished. We have a committee that monitors the conduct of staff and students because we will not allow any staff or students to compromise our standard.

He said about 26 lecturers in the college are pursuing doctorate degrees while 38 are attending masters degree courses as part of efforts to enhance the academic performance of the staff.

Dr. Maigari also commended the state governments commitment to the progress of the college, saying 23 courses offered by the institution had been fully accredited by the National Council for Colleges of Education.

Inaddition, the college has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ahmadu Bello University Zaria to commence degreee programmes beginning from the current academic session, said Maigari.

Source: Leadership
Nigerian newspaper headlines January 17, 2017.

Punch

Economic and financial experts have said the naira may reverse this week the loss it recorded against the United States dollar last week.

Vanguard

It was a hectic one-day visit to Delta State for Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as he witnessed the explosive nature of the region, yesterday, with the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups disagreeing on the ownership of the site of the Nigerian Maritime University, NMU, Okerenkoko, whose take-off is a major demand by the Ijaw of Gbaramatu Kingdom.

Guardian

A Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday granted an application by the Federal Government, to amend processes in its suit against Total Exploration & Production Nigeria Plc, over alleged under-declaration of crude oil exports to the tune of $245 million.

Thisday

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has given the embattled President of The Gambia, Mr. Yahya Jammeh, till midnight tomorrow to vacate office and hand over power to the countrys President-Elect, Mr. Adama Barrow, or be ousted by force, THISDAY has learnt.

Leadership

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is looking into the petition requesting the anti-corruption body to urgently begin a thorough, transparent and effective investigation into the allegation that N500 million Safe School funds for Chibok girls, commissioned by former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to rebuild the Government Girls School in Chibok, is missing and cannot be accounted for.

Premium Times

Estate agents have decried the drop in the price of landed property across Nigeria as a result of the economic recession plaguing the country.

The Sun

Federal Government, yesterday, disclosed it has lined up 14 witnesses to prove its case against Justice Ademola Adeniyi of the Federal High Court Abuja, his wife, Olabowale and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joe Agi.

The Nation

Two Air Force Beechcraft planes yesterday flew military officers, government officials and leaders of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) campaigners on a surveillance of the Sambisa forest  the former stronghold of the terrorist group Boko Haram.
Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has left Nigeria early hours of Tuesday for Davos, Switzerland to participate in this years World Economic Forum holding in Davos, Switzerland. He is leading the Nigerian delegation made up of ministers and special advisers.

They included Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okey Enelamah, Minister for Agriculture & Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister for Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu and the Special Adviser on Economic Matters to the President, Dr. Adeyemi Dipeolu.

A statement from Osinbajos office on Tuesday stated that At the forum the Vice President would lead a discussion on Business in Nigeria, where ministers from the Federal Cabinet who are members of the Nigerian delegation would also feature.

It added that the The yearly forum which draws together governmental and business leaders around the world to discuss economic issues and review developments, is normally composed of such panel discussions, country/continent-specific themes and other subjects.

Besides, the session on Business in Nigeria, the Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo, will feature in a number of other discussions alongside world leaders including presidents and prime ministers.

For instance, he will be discussing on the theme Building Africa with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Mr. Hailemariam Dessalegn, among others.

The Vice President would also feature on a panel discussion on Terrorism. While in Davos, the Vice President would also hold meetings with some of the global companies and other leaders attending the forum.

He is expected back to Abuja on Friday.
A Pakistani woman, Perveen Rafique has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani court for burning her daughter alive for bringing shame to the family in what is commonly referred to as a honor killing.

18-year-old Zeenat Rafique was strangled to death and then her body burnt by her mother and her brother after she eloped without their blessing. She had lived with her husband for a month before she returned to attempt a reconciliation with her family in June 2016.

Her mother and brother then tied to a bed and set her on fire before Perveen Rafique went to police and turned herself in, offering no remorse or regret over her actions.

Zeenats brother, Ahmer Rafique was also sentenced to life in prison.
The Police in Lagos have arrested a senior Pastor at the Ministry of the Holy Ghost, Joe Akan, and four of his accomplices for their involvement in the snatching of a Toyota Highlander SUV in Agege area of Lagos State.

According to reports by Vanguard, the alleged mastermind of the car theft, Uche, who is on the run, planned the robbery sometimes last week with one Charles Lekan and Pastor Akan.

They invited two other suspects, Obi Isaac, 33, and Wasiu Jamiu, 26, to perfect their operation which took place last Friday.

Meanwhile, trouble started after they were unable to sell the car at an initial price of N800,000.

It was gathered that, they enlisted the services of another accomplice, Olufemi Emmanuel, 39, believed to be agent to assist in selling the car.

The car was taken to three prospective buyers at Owode, Ogun State, Ladipo and Fagba area of Lagos, where the buyers wanted to pay N300,000.

While others agreed to sell it at the give-away price, Lekan refused, an action that led to a misunderstanding between them, with Olufemi (agent) threatening to report them to the police if they sold it for N300,000.

It was further gathered that the suspects removed some parts from the vehicle which they sold at Ladipo. They were alleged to have given Pastor Akan N50,000.

Pastor Akan while speaking denied his involvement in the car theft, saying I was at the mechanic workshop (last Wednesday), servicing my bus when I was apprehended by some policemen over my involvement in a car robbery I never participated in.

I resisted at first, but after they showed me their ID cards and a gun, I followed them to the station, where they told me that my conductor mentioned my name during interrogation.

In his statement, Charles who reportedly shared the same working place with the leader of the gang, Uche, blamed his involvement on hunger.

Uche and I worked together at Atogba garage in Agege. I decided to assist him to snatch the highlander SUV, which he said would be sold for N800,000 because I needed money to feed my family as customers are no longer coming as they used to.

This is my first time of doing this. We did not use any gun or weapon on the owner; we only took the car and sped off, he said.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmus, while speaking with journalists over the matter said officials are already on the trail of the escaped leader, Uche.

According to her, the suspects would soon be charged to court where they will face the wrath of the law.
The Kano State Police Command have arrested 11 members of staff of the Kano State Radio, including the Director, Engineering services over alleged vandalism of transmitter at the station.

The vandalized transmitter which is located at Jogana Village in Gezawa Local Government Area of the state has made the station to be off air for three days and counting.

Confirming the arrests in an interview with reporters in Kano on Monday, the state Police Spokesperson, Magaji Majiya said the suspects were apprehended on Thursday, January 12 after the management of the station reported the matter to the police.

According to him, those currently in police custody include five security guards, two engineers and two generator operators among others.

Mr. Majiya stated that the suspects vandalised the transmitter when they tried to remove something from it.

Our investigation will determine whether it was a sabotage or not. So the suspects are now in our custody assisting us in the investigation, he said.
Two trucks conveying not more than 145 stolen underage kids from Bauchi and Jigawa states were on Monday intercepted by the Plateau State Police Command

Terna Tyopev, the Spokesperson of the Police in the state disclosed this while speaking to newsmen.

According to him, the children, aged between four and eight years, were to be shared to Plateau, Kaduna and Nasarawa States.

Our investigation has revealed that these children, who are all male, were to be taken to places that even coordinators of the movement did not even know, he said.

Tyopev stated further that the police were liaising with the Plateau chapter of Jamaatu Nasril Islam, (JNI) and other critical stakeholders, to establish contact with Bauchi and Jigawa governments for the return of the children to their parents.

He however, gave the assurance that the police would ensure those behind the evil act are arrested and charged to court to serve as a deterrent to others.

This trend, if not checked, will cause embarrassment to Plateau State, North-central states and the nation at large, he added.

The Police Public Relations Officer urged the public to report the presence of strange children in their environment and also to cooperate with the force to rid the society of such negative acts.
President Yahya Jammeh has declared a 90-day state of emergency in The Gambia just one day before he is expected to hand over power to President-elect, Adama Barrow.

Jammeh lost the Presidential elections of December 2016 and despite conceding defeat initially, he made a turnaround and said the elections were fraught with irregularities. Talks with an ECOWAS delegation have achieved nothing, with Jammeh insisting he would stay in power past January 19.

He cited foreign interference in his televised declaration of the emergency and warned against any acts of disobedience to the laws The Gambia, incitement of violence and acts intended to disturb public order and peace

ECOWAS leaders are now thought to be considering a military intervention to bring an end to the political uncertainty.
West Ham have turned down a second bid from French club for their attacking midfielder, Dmitri Payet. Payet, who only signed a five-year contract with the club in February 2016 missed training last week in an attempt to force a move away from the club.

However, Slaven Bilic and West Hams hierarchy have insisted that Payet will not be sold regardless of the bid and rejected a first offer of 19 from Olympic Marseille.

29-year-old Payet has been dropped from the first team and will be hoping to join Marseille, the club from which he joined the Premier League club in 2015.
As China starts its New Year's celebration, Baidu Chairman Robin Li announced that Qi Lu will become the companys chief operating officer, in charge of products, technology, sales, marketing, and operations.

For those of you who arent familiar with Baidu, its huge, with a market capitalization of $61 billion (compared to Alphabet/Google at $556 billion). The company has had financial difficulties this past year as a result of complying with shifting Chinese government regulations, but Alexa pegs Baidu.com as the worlds fourth most-commonly visited website, behind Google, YouTube, and Facebook.

Lu joins former Google Brain Trust alumnus and Stanford adjunct professor Andrew Ng at an increasingly international Baidu. Straddling both East and West, Baidu walks an increasingly complex middle path.

Like Alphabet/Google, Baidu is furiously building artificial intelligence into all of its products.The financial press in general, and Bloomberg in particular, bills Lu as an AI specialist, but thats a narrow niche. A little more than eight years ago, Lu was working for Yahoo. As I wrote last September:

He moved from Yahoo to Microsoft in December 2008, and then-CEO Steve Ballmer put him in charge of three hard-charging engineers: Brian McAndrews (advertising and publisher solutions), Yusuf Mehdi (product manager for MSN and marketing), and one Satya Nadella (search, the Microsoft portal, and the advertising platform). Elevated to president of online services in July 2009, Lu was the only top exec who survived the Ballmer-Nadella transition. Seven years ago, Nadella was working for Lu. By all accounts, Lu wasnt interested in taking over Ballmers job.

Then quite suddenly, Lu left Microsoft. Four months ago, Kara Swisher and Ina Fried reported in Recode that he left Microsoft following medical issues that arose from a bicycle accident that took place several months ago, according to sources. At the time, I was skeptical, as the sources werent identified, and I couldnt found independent confirmation.

Now it looks like we have the answer: Lu fell off his bicycle in Seattle last summer and somehow landed in Beijing.

I dont know why Lu left Microsoft, but my guess is that the reorganization announced last September had something to do with it. Prior to Lus departure, he was in charge of the Applications and Services Group -- one of only three operating groups in the company. After he left, Office and Skype split into a new group headed by Rajesh Jha, and the AI part (Cortana and Bing) was grafted onto the Microsoft Research/Information Platform/Robotics effort, to form Harry Shums technology and research group.

Although the Baidu press announcements about Lus new position emphasize that hell be involved in AI efforts, the job description encompasses all of Baidus day-to-day operations, which include plenty of nuts and bolts. Ive seen no explanation how his new position will interact with Andrew Ngs long-standing Baidu Research efforts in Sunnyvale, Calif., for example. It appears that Robin Li is shedding his operational duties, to concentrate on setting Baidus direction.

Lu is diving into a competitive environment entirely unlike the one at Microsoft or Yahoo. He has his work cut out for him.

The discussion continues on AskWoody.com.
Terrorist groups are embracing a huge number of digital tools to recruit members and plan attacks, putting them a step ahead of governments trying to combat them, a group of counterterrorism experts said.

Twitter removed about 250,000 accounts connected with ISIS in one year, but the terrorist group uses 90 other social media platforms, Rob Wainwright, the director of Europol said Tuesday. Terrorist groups have begun to live stream their attacks, and they are using the internet to launch innovative crowdfunding campaigns, he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

The technology is advanced, Wainwright added. They know what to do, and they know how to use it.

Its imperative that countries start working more closely together to combat terrorism and to develop an online counternarrative that dissuades potential members from joining groups like ISIS, said members of a panel on terrorism in the digital age.

Governments need to trust each other more and be willing to share their terrorism intelligence, said Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, former director of national intelligence in Saudi Arabia. Terrorist is a cancer, he said. The terrorist cell uses these online methods to metastasize.

Raheel Sharif, former chief of staff for the Pakistani army, called for a combination of tough penalties for violent terrorists and deradicalization education efforts for others. Pakistan, in recent years, has cut the number of terrorist attacks in the country dramatically, he said.

But Prince Turki emphasized the need for a stronger counternarrative, on the internet and in schools, churches, and mosques. Tough penalties for terrorists need to avoid collateral damage to innocent people, he said. Counterterrorism efforts cannot eliminate the terrorist and create 10 others, said Prince Turki, now chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.

Counterterrorism efforts cannot eliminate the terrorist and create 10 others, said Prince Turki, now chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.

Some panelists suggested that a culture of free speech online complicates efforts to fight terrorism. The international community needs to find a balance between freedom of expression and safety, said Yemi Osinbajo, vice president of Nigeria.

Each person has a ... digital device, and it has tremendous power, he said. They dont even require any formal agreements. [Anyone] can reach millions of people.

Europols Wainwright also seemed to suggest some limits on free speech. We want to enjoy, we want to protect the freedom of the internet, but not to such an extent that there are absolutely no rules of governance, he said.

Panelists disagreed about the effectiveness of current online efforts to craft a counterterrorism message. Efforts in the U.S. and elsewhere to counter online terrorism campaigns have been singularly unsuccessful, said Louise Richardson, vice chancellor at the University of Oxford.

But Wainwright disagreed, saying some counternarrative efforts appear to have reduced the number of Europeans and U.S. residents joining ISIS. But more efforts are needed to counter the fake news terrorist groups are putting out about themselves, he added.
Cocoa Futures Head to Mid-Year Levels RJO Futures - 1 hour ago At the moment, everything is coming together for cocoa bulls. Production levels are coming in lower than expected in key areas of Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Livestock Report Walsh Trading - 1 hour ago Hogs press lower

Grain Spreads: King Corn Walsh Trading - 1 hour ago Big Report on 11/9

Nat-Gas Prices Rally on Weather Barchart - Fri Nov 4, 2:30PM CDT Dec Nymex natural gas (NGZ22 ) on Friday closed up +0.425 (+7.11%). Dec nat-gas prices Friday rallied sharply on the -1.7% sell-off in the dollar index and on colder weather forecasts. The Commodity Weather... NGZ22 : 6.400s (+7.11%)

Shootin' the Bull about inflation Swift Trading Company - Fri Nov 4, 2:12PM CDT In my opinion, this week saw inflation heating back up with employment, energy, grains, and money all higher. Cattle feeders ended the week with input costs higher and fat cattle futures price lower. ...

Crude Jumps on Dollar Weakness and China Reopening Hopes Barchart - Fri Nov 4, 2:10PM CDT Dec WTI crude oil (CLZ22 ) Friday closed sharply higher by +4.44 (+5.04%), and Dec RBOB gasoline (RBZ22 ) closed +4.09 (+1.52%). Crude oil and gasoline prices rallied sharply on a -1.7% sell-off in the... CLZ22 : 92.61s (+5.04%) RBZ22 : 2.7348s (+1.52%) DXY00 : 110.788 (-1.90%)
Actor Park Joong-hoon recently started hosting a radio show, breaking his long hiatus.

The last time Park hosted a radio show was in 1990, and he hasn't acted in a film since 2011 as he was working on becoming a director. He was a huge star in the late 1980s and early 1990s, appearing in various films including the megahit "Two Cops" (1993) and Hollywood film "The Truth About Charlie" (2002).

The two-hour show starts at 6 p.m. every day, playing mostly American and British pop songs from the 80s and 90s for target listeners in their 40s and 50s.

"I don't know much about pop music, but that might make an easy approach in appreciating songs sometimes. I just want to make my listeners feel comfortable while on their way home after a long, hard day at work," Park said.
Update 7/24/17  Frogel Properties intends to double the size of the Brainerd CubeSmart self-storage facility when the neighboring Dollar General store closes at the end of August. The $2 million project will add another 280 storage units. Opened in April, the location is already at full occupancy, according to the source.

"Chattanooga has really taken to the CubeSmart brand," Frogel told the source. "I think being near the airport and on a road where more than 40,000 motorists a day pass by, this is still a good location. Unfortunately, the retail appeal went down when the airport tore down the properties near the end of the runway [across Brainerd Road].

Frogel installed new LED lighting in the shopping center as part of the first phase of the self-storage project. A U.S. Money Shop pawn store also operates in the center.

1/17/17  Bernard Frogel, president of Frogel Properties Inc., is converting a former Big Lots store in Brainerd, Tenn., to self-storage. The property at 5952 Brainerd Road will be managed by self-storage real estate investment trust (REIT) CubeSmart and branded under its name. The REIT operates seven storage facilities in Tennessee, but this will be its first in the vicinity, according to the source.

Frogel, who owns the 50,000-square-foot retail space, plans to build 250 indoor, climate-controlled units during the first phase. The development will cost about $3.5 million and should be complete in four months, the source reported. Frogel hopes to eventually expand the facility to more than 100,000 square feet of storage space.

Customer amenities will include package acceptance and a retail store that sells moving and packing supplies. The facility will also include a business center with free Wi-Fi and workstations, as well as and printing, copying and fax services. Moving and organization services will be offered through affiliated service providers, Frogel said.

The property is in the Hill's Plaza Shopping Center, which was originally built for a Hill's Department Store. Frogel has owned the shopping plaza since 1996.

"Since the airport pulled down most of the retail development across the street, the retail centers in this area have about disappeared; so we figured having a storage facility near the airport would be appropriate," Frogel told the source.

Frogel also developed and once owned the East Ridge Flea Market and the Abe Shavin Ace Hardware Stores. He currently owns two commercial centers in Chattanooga, Tenn. Frogel Properties is based in Palm Desert, Calif.

CubeSmart owns or manages 762 self-storage facilities across the United States. Its operating portfolio comprises 50.6 million square feet.
WI Self Storage in Appleton, Wis., has launched a year-long food drive to benefit Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin (FAEW), the local chapter of Feeding America, a U.S.-based hunger-relief organization. The goal of Operation Tame the Hangry! is to acquire 2,017 pounds of donated items by Jan. 1, 2018, according to the operators blog. Tenants who donate non-perishable items at 1117 W. Washington St. will also be entered into drawings to win prizes.

FAEW has food banks in Fox Valley, Wis., and Milwaukee. The nonprofit works with a network of more than 550 member organizations in 36 counties in Eastern Wisconsin, including food pantries, soup kitchens, meal programs, emergency shelters, and day-care and senior centers, according to its website. Each year, it serves about 400,000 people, including 124,000 children and 41,000 seniors.

In addition to its food drive, WI Self Storage started a Take a Book/Leave a Book initiative to encourage reading by adding a bookcase to its office. Tenants who donate a book are invited to take another.

The company is also hosting a contest on its Facebook page and website this month. Tenants who leave a review on either site will be entered to win one of two free, three-month memberships to Xperience Fitness, a local gym. The winners will be announced on Jan. 30, the blog stated.

WI Self Storage is managed by States Self Storage Management Co. LLC.
Leah St. Hilaire, 23, was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) on Sunday after she crashed her vehicle into a building at Eastern River Self Storage in Dresden, Maine. St. Hilaire was driving a 2001 Volkswagen Passat east on Patterson Road near River Road when she failed to stop at the intersection and collided with the building, according to Lt. Rand Maker of the Lincoln County, Maine, Sheriffs Office. Investigators believe the incident was alcohol-related.

St. Hilaire was alone in the car and sustained an injury to her knee. She declined medical attention at the scene, Maker told the source. The vehicle was damaged on its drivers side. The storage building received damage to its siding and stonework, though the severity appears minor based on published photos.

In addition to DUI, St. Hilaire was charged with violating conditions of release. Both are misdemeanors. She was transported to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset, Maine.
Although he may have spent past holidays hobnobbing with the rich and powerful, perhaps including soon-to-be-president Donald Trump, legendary investor George Soros rang in the New Year this year not with a bang but with a whimper. In an op-ed published December 28, Soros shared the holiday greeting he sent to friends: These times are not business as usual. Wishing you the best in a troubled world.

To casual observers, the sight of American voters electing an elderly, conservative Caucasian man to the Oval Office may not seem out of the ordinary. To Soros, however, Trumps victory invoked memories of his childhood, growing up Jewish in Nazi-occupied Hungary, and driving him to insist that democracy and capitalism as we know them need defending. In 2016 the 86-year-old returned to the trading desk at his $30 billion family office, Soros Fund Management, to bet big against various stocks and buy gold. His bearish outlook reportedly cost him nearly $1 billion when the market rallied on the November 8 election results.

Soros Fund Management kicked off 2016 on a sour note when Scott Bessent, the chief investment officer since 2011, left to start his own hedge fund. In April portfolio managers David Rogers and Joshua Donfeld staged a team lift-out after a disagreement with Bessents successor, Ted Burdick. In August news broke that Burdick would step down after only eight months on the job.

In his year-end op-ed, Soros brooded over the wave of right-wing populism creeping across the globe, embodied by the Brexit vote and Trumps election. Open societies are in crisis, and various forms of closed societies  from fascist dictatorships to mafia states  are on the rise, he wrote. How could this happen? The only explanation I can find is that elected leaders failed to meet voters legitimate expectations and aspirations and that this failure led electorates to become disenchanted with the prevailing versions of democracy and capitalism. Quite simply, many people felt that the elites had stolen their democracy.

Proving once again that its lonely at the top, the ruling party of Soros native Hungary has shunned the billionaire philanthropist. Szilard Nemeth, a vice president of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party, pledged last week to sweep out nongovernmental organizations funded by Soros Open Society Foundations, which has poured more than $1.6 billion into Eastern Europe for democratic development. A spokesman for Soros did not respond to requests for comment.
Australians are spending more but getting less cover from their private health insurance as insurers deal with rising premium costs, it has been reported.According to the latest figures from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, there has been a 6% decline in payouts for dental, chiropractic, physiotherapy, and optical extras, Herald Sun reported.Laura Crowden, iSelect Health spokeswoman, said reducing benefits in new policies is a way in which some private health insurers regulate rising costs.Premiums have increased by 18% over the past three years, and are set for another increase on April 01.Rising medical costs and our ageing population have put the funds themselves under increased cost pressures, Crowden told Herald Sun.Funds have been shutting down existing products to new customers, and instead replacing them with new products without specific features, such as no pregnancy cover or excluding psychiatry.Medibank, the nations largest health fund, said it had been bringing value back into products in the past year, such as improved dental check-up benefits, extending accident coverage to all hospital policies, and unlimited emergency ambulance for all customers, the report said. Bupa also spoke on the matter saying our approach has been to include as much cover as possible in our cheaper policies, but with certain restricted benefits.Last Friday, Sussan Ley stepped down from her role as health minister after becoming embroiled in a scandal over a taxpayer-funded trip to the Gold Coast where she bought an $800,000 investment property, Herald Sun said.Lance Northey, spokesman for acting health minister Arthur Sinodinos, said Ley's resignation would not impact discussions on health care premiums or on the gold, silver, and bronze policy, which was designed to simplify health insurance for consumers.Decisions on the Ministry are a matter for the Prime Minister, he told Herald Sun.
ASIC has announced the cancellation of the Australian Financial Services (AFS) licence of a Sydney-based insurance firm.Core Insurance, which trades as Ferme, specialises in farm and business insurance and has held its AFS licence since October 2012.ASIC has moved to cancel the license due to failure to lodge financial statements and auditor reports for a period of two years.The cancellation comes as the regulator continues to crack down on licence-holders who fail to meet their obligations. Peter Kell , deputy chair of ASIC, said that licence-holders need to fulfil their obligations or face the consequences.Licencees are required to lodge financial statements and auditor reports with ASIC to demonstrate their capacity to provide financial services, Kell said.Failure to comply with financial reporting obligations can be an indicator of a poor compliance culture. ASIC won't hesitate to act against licensees who do not meet these important requirements.Ferme has been contacted by Insurance Business for comment.RELATED ARTICLES:
Natural therapies have claimed the fifth spot among the most commonly claimed for health insurance cover extras amid uncertainty over the clinical effectiveness of unconventional interventions and the broader impact of rising costs in the health sector.Data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority ( APRA ) for the September quarter showed that massage and yoga had the fifth highest number of services covered, following dental, physiotherapy, optical, and chiropractic services, The Australian reported.Natural therapy has joined the four long-dominating extras cover - also known as ancillary or general treatment cover - in the top five with an unrivalled growth rate of 1,873% over the last 20 years.Natural therapies have their share of controversies, however. The former Labor government, concerned that the government rebate might be subsidising low-value healthcare, had initiated a review which found little evidence that natural therapies actually work.The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) was commissioned by then chief medical officer Chris Baggoley to examine published evidence on 17 natural therapies, including Alexander technique, massage, tai chi and yoga, aromatherapy and ayurveda.Overall, there was not reliable, high-quality evidence available to allow assessment of the clinical effectiveness of any of the natural therapies for any health conditions, the review concluded.The government can save an estimated $32 million a year if it were to drop rebates from policies covering natural therapies.Covering natural therapies remains under the spotlight especially during this period of government cutbacks. Insurers argue, on the other hand, that it works to attract younger, healthier members, whose premiums are needed to offset the costs of older members, The Australian said.
The soft market has been taking its toll on the insurance industry for years, but one broker is now confident that the market is beginning to turn.David Coe, managing director of Northwest Insurance, said that while 2016 was a tough year for the majority of the broker market, 2017 has the chance to be a lot better.Coe has already seen some of the biggest insurers in Australia harden rates in certain markets, with both CGU and QBE highlighted as leaders of the pack with the green shoots of a hardening market begin to break through.For brokers, while this could mean an all-important uptick in income and earnings it will also mean they have to explain their worth to clients as premiums rise for the first time in years.The rates are hardening, Coe told Insurance Business.Yes, we have been through a soft market which is great for customers but we take a hit. We have now got to explain to clients that their premiums are going up and it is a challenge to explain those cycles to people.With competition between brokers and the direct insurers intensifying, now is the time for brokers to go on the offensive to win back customers and retain those that they already have.For Coe, brokers need to put themselves front and centre of a clients insurance buying habits. Using tools like social media and search engine optimisation (SEO) brokers are able to match the rising online demands of insurance customers and their migration online.We need to be marketing ourselves better, Coe continued.Our job is to be able to differentiate ourselves from the direct market and explain why a client comes to us. At the end of the day, its an industry problem and our own problem.For brokers that have been successful throughout one of the most difficult markets in recent memory, Coe hopes it could finally be time to reap rewards.
Republican Governor Chris Christie said that he will focus in his final year in office on New Jerseys drug epidemic, promising to limit the supply of opioid drugs doctors can initially prescribe and seeking legislation to require insurers to pay for at least six months of drug treatment.

Christie turned the majority of his seventh state of the state address, usually a speech about the governors various priorities, into an impassioned plan to tackle a drug crisis that is claiming hundreds of lives a year.

I will not have the blood of addicted New Jerseyans on my hands because we waited to act, Christie said. I will not willingly watch another 1,600 of our citizens die and watch their families mourn and suffer.

Nearly 1,600 people in New Jersey died from drug overdoses in 2015, an increase of about 20 percent over 2014, according to data from the state medical examiners office. Most of those came from opioids, including heroin and fentanyl.

Democratic leaders applauded Christies focus on drug treatment, but also said that there are other major issues facing the state that lawmakers and Christie need to deal with, including school funding.

If you closed your eyes, you would think you were hearing a Democrat giving a speech, said Democratic senate President Steve Sweeney. We welcome this conversation on addiction. We need conversations on a whole host of other issues.

Christie has focused much of his time in office on the issue of drug addiction, and also made addressing the opioid epidemic a key plank in his unsuccessful presidential campaign. While in office, he has expanded drug courts and signed measures that include expanding the use of the overdose-prevention drug naloxone and a prescription monitoring program.

Among Christies policy proposals outlined Tuesday:

He said that he was having his attorney general put together regulations to require that doctors only initially prescribe a five-day supply of opioid drugs for acute pain, instead of a 30-day ration. A handful of states, including Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine, have enacted similar restrictions in the past year.

Christie said that he was changing rules so that 18- and 19-year-olds can be considered children to cut down on waiting lists for treatment beds.

He called on state lawmakers to approve a change to require insurers to pay for at least six months of drug treatment. The states largest health insurer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, said its willing to work with him on the idea.

He said that the state will put together a school curriculum to teach children starting in kindergarten about avoid opioid abuse.

Christie also announced a new phone and online helpline at reachnj.gov and 1-844-ReachNJ.

The speech drew praise from advocates in the states drug treatment community. Debra Wentz, chief executive of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, called Christies speech inspirational and powerful.

Its extremely powerful to take ownership of eliminating the stigma against addiction and to expand multiple (ideas) addressing that, Wentz said. The stigma is there. But when you have someone who is the governor who repeatedly makes this their platform, its powerful and its strong.

Associated Press writer Josh Cornfield contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation New Jersey Drugs
Korean and Japanese builders are vying for a massive bridge project that is to link Europe and Asia across the Dardanelles Strait. Bidding for the 3.7-km suspension bridge closes on Jan. 26.

The Turkish government hopes to open the bridge in 2023, the centenary of the modern republic. The longest span between towers will be 2,023 m.

Once completed, it will be the longest suspension bridge in the world after the 1,991-m Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Kobe, Japan. The project will cost W4 trillion (US$1=W1,185).

Daelim Industrial and SK Engineering and Construction formed a consortium with two Turkish builders, while on the Japanese side Itochu Corporation and IHI launched their own consortium.

Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn on Jan. 2 pledged to "pool the efforts of the government and the private sector to win as many overseas orders as possible." But the government is rudderless amid the ongoing impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, whereas Japan has a thrusting and fully functioning administration.

Back in May 2013, Korean builders narrowly lost out to a Japanese consortium in the bidding for a nuclear power plant in Turkey's Sinop.


Legislative leaders have made clear they are not through with making changes to the voter-approved recreational marijuana initiative, but it remains to be seen whether future action amounts to an overhaul of or a mere tinkering with the new law.

A committee of House and Senate lawmakers will soon be named to consider potential revisions and make recommendations to the full Legislature.

Marijuana backers are watching closely to see whether the panels makeup tilts toward members who opposed the November ballot question, or those who were supportive. That could offer a hint as to how significant any changes might be.

The Legislature bought itself more time last month by postponing key deadlines related to retail sales of recreational marijuana by six months.

A look at just some of the issues the committee might weigh:

Taxes

The law calls for a 3.75 percent excise tax on recreational pot sales. Marijuana products will also be subject to the states 6.25 percent sales tax and a local option sales tax of 2 percent, making for an effective maximum tax rate of 12 percent.

Many critics of the law say thats too low, and wont even cover regulatory costs.

States where recreational marijuana was previously legalized have substantially higher tax rates: Colorado, 29 percent; Washington, 37 percent; and Oregon, 25 percent.

Ballot measures recently passed by California and Nevada voters establish 15 percent tax rates, while Maines new law is more in line with Massachusetts, imposing a 10 percent sales tax on marijuana.

Backers of the current Massachusetts law say theyre open to higher taxes in the future, but argue that lower taxes initially will strengthen the legal marijuana market while weakening the illegal market.

They also note that some legal states in the west have lately been reducing, not raising their taxes.

Local Controls

While a few Massachusetts communities have signaled a willingness to put out the welcome mat for marijuana businesses, others are far more hesitant. So lawmakers may well debate how much control local officials should have over pot shops.

The law allows cities and towns to place reasonable safeguards on the operation of marijuana establishments, but they cannot, without voter approval, prohibit stores totaling fewer than 20 percent of the liquor stores in their community. For example, if a town has 10 liquor stores, it must allow at least two pot shops.

One possibility would be to reverse the procedure and require local voters to opt in if they want retail marijuana stores, rather than opt out if they dont want them.

Homegrowing

Democratic Senate President Stan Rosenberg, who supported passage of the ballot question, is among those calling on lawmakers to reconsider how much pot people can grow in their homes. The law allows individuals to grow up to six marijuana plants in their homes, with a household limit of 12 plants.

Rosenberg has suggested those ceilings be lower, though he hasnt said by how much. Arguments against home growing include the potential for the pot to be sold to the underground market.

One emerging consensus, however, is that lawmakers will have a much tougher time changing parts of the law that have already taken effect, including homegrown pot.

Potency and Edibles

The law is silent on potency restrictions for legal marijuana products. Will it remain silent?

Many studies have pointed to marijuana being more potent than when baby boomers were toking in their college days.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker is among those suggesting the Legislature consider limits on the concentration of THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana, in edible forms of the drug that will be legal to sell in Massachusetts. Marijuana-fused edibles, including such products as brownies and candy, are considered the fastest-growing component of the recreational market.

Sponsors of the ballot question say legislators need not take action because the law empowers the yet-to-be-appointed Cannabis Control Commission to adopt strict rules for the sale, packaging and labeling of recreational pot.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Cannabis Massachusetts
Global shipping insurers have devised a way to ensure nearly full coverage for Iranian oil exports from next month after striking a deal to provide cover without involving U.S.-domiciled reinsurers, officials in Tokyo and London said.

Restrictions on U.S. firms handling Iranian goods had greatly limited the number of reinsurers of cargoes, but the new arrangements  which essentially allow reinsurance of ships without the involvement of U.S. firms  should boost the number of eligible shipments.

That will provide a boon to Iran, which is trying to raise oil exports after most sanctions were lifted last year, though banking restrictions that remain in place that could cap any major rise in exports.

There will be no U.S.-domiciled reinsurer participation on the 2017 IG reinsurance program, Andrew Bardot, secretary and executive officer at the International Group (IG) of P&I Clubs in London told Reuters on Tuesday.

The new arrangements take effect on Feb. 20, he and other officials said.

This will substantially address the potential shortfall in reinsurance recoveries in the event of Iranian-related claims, Bardot said in an email.

The sanctions were lifted after a landmark deal in 2015 with world powers that put constraints on Irans nuclear activities.

But some prior U.S. sanctions remain in place, which had meant U.S. reinsurers could not participate in covering Iranian cargoes.

To plug the shortfall by U.S. insurers, the group of the worlds top 13 ship insurers created so-called fall-back insurance last year, under which tankers carrying Iranian oil were insured up to around $830 million per ship.

That was below normal coverage for a tanker and risk-averse shippers refrained from lifting cargoes. However, it still allowed Iran to more than double crude exports from as low as about 1 million barrels per day (bpd) at the height of the sanctions. Irans exports were as high as 3 million bpd before the sanctions.

From next month, normal coverage will apply up to $3.08 billion and compensation beyond that up to $7.8 billion for accidents and oil spills would be collected from shipping companies insured by P&I group members.

Obstacles Remain

Other obstacles to lifting Iranian oil remain though, including the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has described the nuclear deal as a disaster and threatened to scrap it, which could mean new oil export sanctions.

Additionally, owners may still not call on Iran because they could be banned from Saudi Arabian ports on subsequent voyages, a European supertanker broker said.

Saudi Arabia has banned tankers if they have previously carried Iran crude due to tensions between the countries over the conflict in Yemen, the shipbroker said.

There is a premium of between $4,000 to $12,000 per day for foreign-owned ships hired to transport Iranian crude compared with rates to transport crude from other Middle East countries, a Singapore-based supertanker broker said. That could also limit Iranian liftings.

Banking restrictions under the remaining U.S. sanctions are also likely to stay in place for some time and constrain Irans trading activities, said Jonathan Hare, general counsel with Norwegian P&I club Skuld.

I think the main obstacle for everyone remains the banking system, he said.

The government of Japan, one of the biggest buyers of Iranian crude, is working to extend a sovereign insurance scheme it started in 2012 to continue Iranian oil imports in the year starting in April, to cover any shortfalls from the P&I insurance, a senior government official told Reuters.

Iran has complied with a deadline under the 2015 accords to remove nuclear equipment called centrifuges from one of its atomic sites, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday.

(Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori in Tokyo and Keith Wallis in Singapore; additional reporting by Jonathan Saul in London; writing by Aaron Sheldrick; editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Christian Schmollinger)

Topics Carriers USA Energy Reinsurance Oil Gas London
International insurance brokerage and risk management services firm Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., based in Itasca, Ill., promoted James W. Durkin Jr. and William F. Ziebell in its employee benefit division.

Durkin, currently president of Gallaghers employee benefits division, will assume the newly created position of chairman of Gallaghers employee benefit division. Durkin will focus his time developing the next generation of leadership at the company and supporting the divisions continued business momentum priorities.

Ziebell has been promoted to president of the employee benefits division and will report to Durkin. Ziebell currently is a regional leader in the benefits division. He will assume the day-to-day management for the employee benefit consulting and brokerage business across the United States and internationally.

Topics A.J. Gallagher
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider whether companies can head off costly class action lawsuits by forcing employees to give up their right to pursue work-related legal claims in court as a group.

The justices took up appeals of three lower court rulings, including one involving global professional services giant Ernst & Young, that dealt with the legality of agreements signed by workers requiring them to arbitrate disputes with their employers individually rather bring class action lawsuits with their co-workers.

At stake in the consolidated case is the future of the so-called class-action waiver, which employers have increasingly required employees to sign as part of their arbitration agreements to guard against the rising tide of worker lawsuits seeking unpaid wages.

Many companies say that resolving workplace disputes through arbitration with individual employees is a speedy and cost-effective alternative to class action litigation that can result in large damages awards by juries and is harder for businesses to fight than cases brought by individual plaintiffs.

Nearly 40 percent of employers reported using such waivers in their employee arbitration agreements in 2015, up from 16 percent in 2012, according to a survey conducted by the law firm Carlton Fields Jorden Burt.

But workers have fought back against the practice, arguing that the cost of pursuing their cases individually in arbitration is prohibitively expensive. The prospect of winning a large damages award in a class action can be the only way for workers to find lawyers to take their cases, they contend.

Dozens of companies, including Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc. and Jack in the Box Inc., have faced challenges by employees trying to invalidate class action waivers.

Most courts that have considered these cases have upheld the waivers. But employers could no longer count on the waivers being enforced nationwide following a pair of appeals court rulings handed down in 2016.

The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit found that class-action waivers are prohibited by a law protecting workers rights to act together. Those rulings clashed with decisions by three other federal appeals courts that found the waivers must be enforced.

The Supreme Court will review the 9th Circuits decision involving Ernst & Young and the 7th Circuits ruling involving Epic Systems Corp. It will also consider the New Orleans-based 5th Circuits judgment enforcing Murphy Oil USA Inc.s waiver, which was challenged by the National Labor Relations Board.

The cases are Epic Systems v. Lewis, 16-285; Ernst & Young v. Morris, 16-300; and NLRB v. Murphy Oil, 16-307; all at the U.S. Supreme Court.

(Reporting by Robert Iafolla; Editing by Will Dunham)

Topics Lawsuits USA
Nearly every technology startup wants the same thing: more data.

But in the rush to collect all manner of information about customers, tensions are rising in Silicon Valley over whether such practices amount to a form of surveillance that customers will ultimately find invasive.

Whether ordering an Uber, streaming music, shopping online or tracking a health condition, consumers are giving an unprecedented amount of information to technology companies.

The data that companies  have on you is significantly greater than you appreciate, Mark Suster, managing partner at venture capital firm Upfront Ventures, said in an interview at a conference in Santa Barbara, California, sponsored by CB Insights, a business data firm.

Discussions during the two-day conference centered on the importance of big data, the catchphrase referring to massive information sets that are stored and analyzed by companies.

Collecting big data helps Airbnb, for instance, know whether its customers prefer to travel to the beach or mountains, and Uber knows popular drop-off locations and how to price trips.

Collecting large amounts of data is also paramount to developing artificial intelligence (AI), among the most highly sought technologies in Silicon Valley, which teaches machines to make decisions that humans previously had. AI can, for example, help a shopper decide on a new pair of shoes, help a doctor diagnose a disease and enable a car to drive itself.

But questions loom about how much personal information startups are collecting and how securely they store the data, with whom they share it and how they intend to use it.

We are going to become comfortable with a level of surveillance that we never would have previously been comfortable with, because it makes things just a little easier, said Jeremy Liew, a venture capitalist with Lightspeed Venture Partners.

Some startups have overstepped. Uber Technologies Inc. faced an investigation by New Yorks attorney general into a feature known internally as God View, which allowed employees to access and track the location of individual Uber riders without obtaining permission. Uber settled the matter and agreed to encrypt customers geo-location data.

Peter Coles, head economist for Airbnb, said the data his company guards is fairly benign. I think it is very unlikely that we would be collecting anything about users that they would be surprised to know.

But the tension was pronounced in one on-stage discussion at the conference.

Matthew Zeiler, founder and chief executive of Clarifai, a visual recognition tool used in healthcare, suggested creating a Wikipedia-style database of anonymous patient data that was open to the public.

That can be very harmful, especially to the patients, argued Gabriel Otte, founder and CEO of Freenome, a cancer-detection startup. Patients would be loath to tell the truth, he said, if they knew their most private health information was going to end up on the internet, even without their name attached.

Still, it is unclear if younger generations, who have grown up with apps such as Facebook and Snapchat that encourage sharing, view privacy in the same way.

People dont care as much as they profess, Dave McClure, founding partner of 500 Startups, said in an interview. Convenience is generally going to win over privacy.

(Reporting by Heather Somerville; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Bill Rigby)

Topics InsurTech Tech Data Driven
The giant media firm Hearst has acquired Work-Loss Data Institute (WLDI), a provider of healthcare data and guidelines to the workers compensation industry.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

WLDI will become part of Hearsts MCG Health division, led by President and CEO Jon Shreve, which supplies care management guidelines and software for health insurers and providers.

WLDI is the publisher of the web-based Official Disability Guidelines, known primarily as ODG, a widely used treatment guidelines for workers compensation and disability in the U.S., primarily utilized by insurance companies, employers, healthcare providers and state-run agencies. It provides evidence-based decision support for managing medical treatment, disability duration, and utilization review in workers compensation and disability cases.

Phil LeFevre, WLDI senior vice president of business development, will join MCG in a leadership role and report to Shreve.

Phil Denniston is stepping down as president and CEO of WLDI and will continue in a consulting position. Co-founder Pat Whelan will also continue in a consulting position.

Hearsts major interests include cable television networks such as A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime and ESPN; global ratings agency Fitch Group; 30 television stations; newspapers such as the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle and Albany Times Union, and nearly 300 magazines.

MCG, which will now include WLDI, is part of the Hearst health network that also includes FDB (First Databank), Zynx Health, Homecare Homebase and MedHOK, Hearst Health International, Hearst Health Ventures and the Hearst Health Innovation Lab.

Bailey Southwell & Co. served as strategic and financial advisors to WLDI.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Profit Loss Workers' Compensation
A judge has dismissed the largest civil case that had been brought against South by Southwest, the city of Austin and others from victims of a 2014 crash during the music festival that killed four people and injured 20.

The Austin American-Statesman reports the lawsuit had been brought by six plaintiffs, including people injured and family members of those killed.

The lawsuit accused organizers of safety lapses.

Rashad Owens, who crashed into the victims while fleeing police during a traffic stop, was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 after being convicted of capital murder.

Trey Crawford, a Dallas attorney who represented victims, said he would appeal.

South by Southwest attorney Peter Kennedy said the festival has the deepest sympathy for the victims.

A couple of lawsuits still remain.

Topics Legislation
Police in Columbus, Miss., have launched a criminal investigation into whether a fast-food worker intentionally served contaminated food.

The Commercial Dispatch reports that a Tupelo resident who may have received contaminated food contacted Police Chief John Lewis.

The state Health Department and Jacks Family Restaurants of Homewood, Ala., say theyve already started investigating. A woman claims her daughter saw a fellow restaurant worker lick and wipe bodily fluids on an order before serving it.

Tabatha Hollins of New Hope first aired her 16-year-old daughters story about a Dec. 7 incident in a Facebook post. Hollins says her daughter was fired Tuesday for reporting the incident. Hollins says the restaurant told her daughter she was terminated for making a false report.

Hollins says her daughter recorded another employee admitting to the act.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Mississippi
A University of Oregon student seeks $3 million in a lawsuit against medical providers who she says failed to properly diagnose her with meningococcal disease in 2015.

The Register-Guard reported that Christina Jenkins lawsuit is the second from the disease outbreak that struck the campus in 2015.

The lawsuit asserts a physicians assistant at an Oregon Medical Group clinic administered a nasal swab test for the flu. When that test came back negative, she advised Jenkins to drink more fluids and get some rest.

When Jenkins started feeling worse, her mother insisted see visit another clinic. There, Jenkins was properly diagnosed. She was rushed to a Portland hospital, and remained there for more than two weeks.

The lawsuit states that as a result of the delayed diagnosis, Jenkins went into septic shock, causing permanent damage to her heart and lungs.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Education Oregon Universities
A Great Falls, Mont. lawmaker has introduced a bill that would prevent local governments from placing bans on talking or texting on a cellphone while driving.

Republican Rep. Jeremy Trebas tells the Great Falls Tribune that studies have not shown such bans result in fewer crashes or insurance claims.

Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, said hand-held cellphone and texting bans do change driver behavior, but the institute has not found any evidence there is a corresponding reduction in crashes in states that enact the restrictions.

Montana does not have a statewide ban, but 10 cities and towns do, including Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Personal Auto
Korea on Monday asked German authorities to check whether the daughter of President Park Geun-hye's longtime crony Choi Soon-sil used a university certificate of attendance to obtain a German visa in August last year.

The independent counsel investigating the scandal believes that this could expedite the extradition of Chung Yoo-ra, thought to be a major beneficiary of an extortion racket her mother allegedly ran with the connivance of Cheong Wa Dae.

She has been held in the northern Danish city of Aalborg since she was arrested on Jan. 1. She told reporters the next day that she has a German visa for athletes. Chung is an equestrian.

The counsel suspects that she used an attendance certificate from Ewha Womans University, where she was admitted under brand-new special rules for equestrians, to get her visa.

If Germany confirms this, the independent counsel will inform it that she has since been expelled because her attendance records were fake and her admission fraudulent.

The counsel asked German authorities last week to cancel her Schengen visa, which also allows her to stay in Denmark and elsewhere in the EU. That would remove one more obstacle to her extradition from Denmark.

A source in the counsel's team said, "It's a little discourteous to ask a country to cancel someone's visa since that is completely at its discretion, but we expect that if German authorities learn that she is no longer a student it will encourage them to take us more seriously."


Atlanta, GA, January 17, 2017- National ConnectForce Claims, Inc. a leading provider of property claims handling services, announced this week it has streamlined its name to National Claims Connection (NCC), effective immediately.

Our new name emphasizes our commitment to providing innovative claims solutions, yet keeps the NCC tag by which clients have come to know us, said Matt Anderson, NCCs chief operating officer. And our updated logo reflects the strength of our service offerings as shown by our outstanding record in 2016.

National Claims Connection utilizes a robust geographic spread of independent adjusters. Solutions include catastrophe services, claims administration and vendor management, inspection, estimation and re-inspection programs.

We offer the vast knowledge, industry experience and capability of a large adjusting firm, yet our size allows us to retain the quality and personal service commitment our clients desire, said Carrie Richardson, NCCs Director of Claims.

NCC will officially unveil its new look at its annual adjusters conference, the 2017 Difference Makers Adjuster Conference. The conference will be held March 5-7 at the Charleston Harbor Resort in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

National Claims Connection (NCC) provides property claim services focusing on clients needs and expectations. NCC has a proven track record of industry-leading cycle times, indemnity accuracy and dedication to customer service for clients nationwide. For more information, please visit www.nccclaims.com.

Media Contact

Betsy Rogers

Sales & Marketing Manager

678.492.3688

BRogers@NCCClaims.com

Topics Claims
Jeremy D. Morley concentrates on International Family Law. The firm works with clients around the world from its New York office, with a global network of local counsel. Mr Morley is the author of "International Family Law Practice", the leading treatise on international family law in the U.S., and "The Hague Abduction Convention", published by the American Bar Association. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and a former law professor.
Un ottobre da sogno per Antonio Conte: lex ct della Nazionale italiana, attualmente alla guida del Chelsea, nelle ultime quattro gare di Premier League ha collezionato solo successi, conditi da 11 reti segnate e addirittura nessuna incassata. Numeri da record che non sono certo passati inosservati alla Federazione inglese, la quale ha conferito al tecnico leccese lambito premio di Manager del mese.

Unavventura oltremanica iniziata in sordina, quella di Conte, pur a fronte di tre vittorie nelle prime tre gare di campionato. A far vacillare, anche se solo per un momento, le certezze del patron del club londinese, Roman Abramovich, i risultati conseguiti tra la 4a e la 6a giornata, coincisi con un pareggio sul campo dello Swansea City e, soprattutto, con le due pesanti sconfitte subite dal Liverpool, sul terreno casalingo di Stamford Bridge, e dallArsenal. In particolare, la debacle interna coi Reds, aveva irritato non poco il numero uno russo, poiche occorsa proprio nel giorno della sua 250esima partita da presidente della societa.

Come detto, solo un momento. Dopo lincontro dellEmirates, il tecnico salentino cambia modulo, adottando un piu equilibrato 3-4-3 e inserendo elementi di corsa come lo spagnolo Pedro. Una svolta totale perche, di li in poi, il Chelsea inanellera solo e soltanto vittorie: 2 gol allHull City e al Southampton in trasferta, 3 ai campioni dInghilterra del Leicester e 4 allo United in casa, con un meraviglioso numero zero nella casella delle reti subite. Un fantastico poker, ottenuto tra l1 e il 29 ottobre. Un cambio di marcia sbalorditivo, confermato dal 5 a 0 rifilato ai toffees dellEverton nel primo match di novembre, e una scalata che, man mano, ha portato i blues al secondo posto in classifica, a soli 2 punti dal Liverpool capolista.

E allora, non poteva mancare il riconoscimento di migliore allenatore del mese, ottenuto surclassando tecnici del calibro di Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) e Mark Hughes (Southampton). Tanta, ovviamente, la soddisfazione: E un grande onore e voglio condividerlo con i giocatori e con la societa  ha dichiarato Conte sul sito ufficiale della Premier League -. E la prima volta che lavoro in un altro Paese, con una cultura diversa, e portare la propria filosofia non e facile, ma ora sono contento di questa scelta.

A completare la festa, la premiazione del fantasista belga, Eden Hazard, come miglior giocatore di ottobre. Due risultati importanti per il club, ottimo incentivo per la rincorsa al trono dei campioni, occupato dal Leicester di Ranieri. Il prossimo appuntamento per l11 di Conte sara al Riverside Stadium, tana del Middlesborough neopromosso. Il tempo di festeggiare e gia finito.
On July 18, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amended version of the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, which would gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and has not been increased since 2009.

The bill died in the Senate, however, as the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions declined to vote on the legislation (or to discuss any increase in the minimum wage, for that matter). As a result, the debate about whether to lift the minimum wage rages on.

With Joe Biden winning the presidential election in November 2020, a federal minimum wage of $15 an hour might be closer, as it is one of his policy agendas. The discussion around the increase in the federal minimum wage brings both pros and cons.

Key Takeaways Despite efforts to raise the minimum wage, no bill has successfully passed both chambers of Congress.

Proponents of raising minimum wages argue that changes are needed to help incomes keep pace with increasing costs of living, and a higher minimum wage will lift millions out of poverty.

Opponents of raising the minimum wage believe that higher wages could have several negative repercussions: leading to inflation, making companies less competitive, and resulting in job losses.

Pros

The primary argument advanced in favor of raising the minimum wage is that higher earnings would improve the overall standard of living for minimum wage workers by providing them with a more appropriate income level to handle the cost of living increases.

A 2019 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report projected a significant improvement in the standard of living for at least 17 million people, assuming a minimum hourly wage of $15 by 2025, including an estimated 1.3 million people being elevated above the poverty line.

While some proponents of raising the minimum wage estimate that a much larger number of individuals and families will move out of poverty if they earned more money, a related potential benefit is a projected reduction in the need for federal and state government expenditures on financial aid for poor and low-income individuals.

Meanwhile, an intangible benefit that could translate into tangible benefits for both companies and employees is improved employee morale resulting from higher wages. Business owners frequently note the challenge of providing sufficient encouragement to spur workers to put maximum effort into their job duties, and that this is particularly problematic with low-wage workers who feel that their job efforts aren't keeping them out of poverty.

Increasing employee morale could easily translate into more tangible benefits, such as increased employee retention and reduced hiring and training costs. Employees who are more inclined to stay with a company longer could benefit from greater advancement and from an overall reduction in job-related relocation expenses.

A boost to economic growth is another potential advantage of increasing the minimum wage, as consumer spending typically increases along with wages. A higher minimum wage would put more discretionary dollars in the pockets of millions of workers; money that would then flow to retailers and other businesses.

Cons

Among the disadvantages of increasing the minimum wage is the probable consequence of businesses increasing prices, thus fueling inflation.

Opponents argue that raising the minimum wage would likely result in wages and salaries increasing across the board, thereby substantially increasing operating expenses for companies that would then increase the prices of products and services to cover their increased labor costs.

Increased prices mean a general increase in the cost of living that could essentially negate any advantage gained by workers having more dollars in their pockets.

Though the current federal minimum wage in the U.S. is $7.25 per hour, 30 states and D.C. have approved higher minimum wages.

Another projected problem resulting from an increased minimum wage is that of potential job losses. Many economists and business executives who point out that labor is a major cost of doing business argue that businesses will be forced to cut jobs to maintain profitability.

The 2019 CBO report estimates that raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 would result in the loss of approximately 1.3 million jobs. The numbers could be substantially higher if companies made a major move toward outsourcing more jobs to less expensive labor markets outside the country.

One potentially negative impact that is less readily apparent is the possibility that a higher minimum wage would result in increased labor market competition for minimum wage jobs.

The net outcome of an increased minimum wage might be a large number of overqualified workers taking minimum wage positions that would ordinarily go to young or otherwise inexperienced workers. This could impede younger, less experienced entrants to the job market from obtaining work and gaining experience to move their careers forward.

The Bottom Line

Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour is a policy goal for many lawmakers. Increasing the minimum wage is expected to lift individuals out of poverty and improve work ethic, however, it also comes with many possible negative implications, such as inflation and a loss of jobs.
Led by Elon Musk, the new age rocket company Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) achieved another milestone by successfully landing its first Falcon 9 rocket back at the California base after around 8 minutes of lift-off.

The feat was achieved on Sunday evening as the company launched an earth-imaging commercial satellite for Argentina called SAOCOM 1A. The successful launch marked the companys 17th such mission of the year. The Falcon 9 rocket took off from the Vandenberg Air Force Base on Californias central coast at around 7:21 pm local time, according to LiveMint. The rockets first stage successfully returned and landed at the Vandenberg base eight minutes after taking off, while the second stage accomplished the successful deployment of SAOCOM 1A after around 12 minutes of the launch.

SpaceX Continues with Successful Launches

The success achieved in the safe return of the first stage is significant for SpaceX as the company is looking at a reduction in launch cost through such measures. It has already achieved success in the recovery of rocket boosters several times during the past missions, both on earth and on drone ships at the sea. Boosters are shorter-burning rocket motors/engines that are used alongside the main rockets to augment the space vehicle's takeoff thrust and payload capacity during initial stage launch.

The privately held SpaceX is headed by Elon Musk, who is also the CEO of the publicly-listed electric car company Tesla Inc. (TSLA). Though the various issues at Tesla have been giving Musk a hard time this year which recently saw him being ousted from Teslas board of directors, the continuous run of positive developments at SpaceX come as a sigh of relief. (For more, see Elon Musk Out as Board Chair of Tesla, Settles With SEC.)

SpaceXs valuation has reached around $28 billion as it continues to make successful launches and aims to increase its market share through the innovative use of technology and new age initiatives. SpaceX now ranks third among the most valuable venture-backed startups in the U.S. after Uber Technologies Inc. and Airbnb Inc. The company had made a record 18 successful launches last year and remains on track to surpass that figure this year.

The company also has a contract with NASA under the agency's Commercial Crew program through which it will ferry American astronauts to the International Space Station. Though the first flight has been postponed a couple of times, the company has finalized the latest schedule with plans to have the first demonstration fight by January next year and transport American astronauts by June. (See also, Musk Succeeds with SpaceX's Falcon 9 Launch.)

Last month, the company announced that Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa plans to fly around the moon on the companys BFR rocket in 2023. (For more, see SpaceX Has Signed Its First Passenger to Fly Around the Moon.)


Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) is a global leader in defense-related products. Formed after a merger of Lockheed Corp. and Martin Marietta in 1995, the company's largest customer is the U.S. government, which in 2021 represented 71% of net sales. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., the company employs roughly 114,000 workers and generates almost $67 billion in revenue annually.

Lockheed Martin makes the F-35 fighter jet, with the U.S. government being the largest contract. Several other countries have also lined up to place orders. On June 18, 2017, Reuters reported that Lockheed reached a $37 billion deal with 11 different countries (including the U.S.) for sales of 440 F-35 fighter jets. In late August of that year, it was awarded a long term contract worth up to $8 billion with the U.S. government.

Key Takeaways Lockheed Martin is a defense company with substantial contracts with the U.S. military.

71% of Lockheed's revenue comes from the U.S. government.

In addition to fighter jets, the company makes cargo jets, hypersonic missiles that travel one mile per second, and space capsules for NASA.

Lockheed's main competitors include Boeing, BAE Systems, General Dynamics, and Raytheon.

Beyond fighter jets, Lockheed Martin is also experiencing increased orders for its C-130 cargo planes. With its $9 billion purchase of Sikorsky Aircraft from United Technologies Corporation (UTX) in 2015, Lockheed Martin also witnessed an increase in sales of its Black Hawk helicopters.  In 2018, it received two large orders ($928 million and $480 million) for hypersonic missiles from the Air Force. It received a $4.6 billion order for Orion space capsules from NASA in 2019.

Lockheed Martin competes with several other aerospace and defense companies at home and abroad.

Boeing Company

Boeing Company (BA) generates more than twice Lockheed Martin's revenue, but just over one-third comes from defense contracts. The century-old aerospace company is one the worlds largest, and a leading manufacturer of commercial and government aircraft. It is also heavily involved in advanced technology solutions for defense, space, and national security. On the defense side, it manufactures fighter jets, helicopters, and the B-52 bomber.

BAE Systems Plc.

BAE Systems Plc. (BA.L) is a British defense contractor that generates more than $20 billion in annual revenue, of which the vast majority comes from defense contracts. The company manufacturers naval ships and submarines for governments around the world. It produces military aircraft and guided weapons systems as well.

Raytheon Co.

As the worlds premier missile builder, Raytheon Co. (RTN) is one of the biggest beneficiary of increased tensions around the world. Countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe are ramping up their defenses with Raytheons Patriot missile system, but domestic sales are growing as well. The company also builds a variety of other types of air-to-air, air-to-surface, and surface-to-surface missiles.

General Dynamics Corporation

General Dynamics Corporations (GD) history dates back to the late 19th century as a naval producer for the United States and a variety of other countries. The company is considered a diversified manufacturer of defense systems, technology, aircraft, and marine systems. Although it stopped production of F-16 jet fighters, the company's fighter-bomber is still considered the workhorse of air forces around the world. The company is also one of the largest contractors for the Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine and Zumwalt-class destroyers.
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Government has been urged to ban the repossession of tens of thousands of homes across the country because at-risk families may not have been given a full breakdown of their rights by Irish courts, writes Fiachra O Cionnaith, Political Correspondent.

The Green Party issued the demand as it warned the issue potentially poses "serious financial implications" to the State unless an immediate moratorium is placed on the house repossessions.

Speaking to reporters outside Leinster House, Greens TD Catherine Martin said a recent High Court ruling in the AIB v Counihan case found that European consumer law must be considered in any home repossession in Ireland.

However, while this means judges and county registrars must carry out an assessment of whether the deals involved were "fair and appropriate" and must ensure home owners are fully informed of their rights, this has not happened in all cases.

Ms Martin said the situation, which would render thousands of repossessions technically illegal and leave the State liable for any financial implications involved, must be addressed and called for Government to effectively ban repossessions until the legal problem is resolved.

"The latest Central Bank figures show over 79,562 private home mortgages are in arrears. Of these, 34,551 are in arrears over 720 days.

"On the December 21, 2016 the Cork Circuit Court dealt with 40 cases alone.

"Many of the cases decided since that date may now be in conflict with EU law, and would therefore be unlawful repossessions.

"There is a potential financial risk for the State here. If the Irish courts were not properly implementing EU law in these cases, and homeowners suffered a loss because of this, the State may be liable to pay them damages," she said.

The repossessions ban request - which is due to be made during the topical questions section of the Dail's business this evening - comes amid claims from mortgage rights campaigner David Hall that up to 20,000 families are on the verge of losing their homes.

A private members bill motion from the Anti-Austerity Alliance/People Before Profit calling for strict new laws to regulate vulture funds is also due to be heard tonight.

While the AAA-PBP bill is likely to be defeated as it is due to be opposed by Government, it will demand that receivers and vulture funds are re-classified as landlords and for a new ban preventing tenants from eviction because their home is being sold, among other measures.
In a fresh twist in the ongoing European brand war between the makers of the Big Mac and the Snack Box, McDonalds has also accused the Galway firm of trying to benefit from the long established McDonalds brand by making the trademark application for Supermacs to the EU.

The charges are contained in the McDonalds objection to Supermacs application to register its trademark to sell its curry chips, snack boxes and other fast foods outside Ireland and across the EU.
Gas prices will also likely tick slightly higher despite storage and stocks only recovering by the spring, said Keith Donnelly, analyst at Vayu Energy, of Spanish utility Gas Natural Fenosa which also supplies industrial and commercial customers in the UK and the Netherlands.

Opecs pledge to curtail supply will, however, remain a key factor in determining Irish power and gas prices this year, Mr Donnelly said.

The average wholesale price of electricity slid almost 18% last year, according to Vayhu.

Meanwhile, the cold snap across the continent has sent electricity prices to the highest level in almost a decade, in a market already characterised by power plant outages and worker strikes.

German and Belgian power prices for next-day delivery jumped to the highest since 2008, while those for France rose to a six-week high.

Temperatures in northwest Europe are forecast to drop to 5C below the 30-year average this week.

The cold is set to push French maximum electricity demand up 17% by Thursday from yesterdays level and coincides with low hydro availability after the driest December since 1959 and extended nuclear reactor outages.

Freezing weather had already forced flight cancellations in Frankfurt, triggered blackouts in Switzerland and restricted shipping traffic on ice-choked rivers.

German power rose to 90.50 per megawatt-hour, the highest since November 2008 for day-ahead prices, broker data show. Belgian prices climbed to the highest since May 2008, at 110 per MW-hour.

German and Czech day-ahead rates settled at the highest since February 2012 at auctions held yesterday.

Scandinavia polar air is set to bring icy conditions to some areas in Germany, with temperatures seen falling to -20C in some mountain regions, Germanys national forecaster said.

Temperatures in northwestern Europe are forecast to average -0.5C today, 4.25C below temperatures over the past 10 years. German wind generation is set to plunge.

Output is forecast to average 3.9 gigawatts per day over the next seven days compared with a one-month daily average of 15 gigawatts.

* Additional reporting Bloomberg
It followed similar recent decisions by Washington in relation to beef imports from Ireland, Lithuania, and the Netherlands.

The US market was closed to beef, sheep, and goats from the EU in 1998, following the BSE crisis in some member states.
The rule change means that men whose last sexual contact with another man was more than 12 months ago will be eligible to donate if he meets the other donor selection criteria.

Tomas, 25, from Castlegar, Co Galway, was a student when he took a High Court action over the donation ban in July 2015. He dropped his legal challenge a year later when the changes he had sought were announced.

Tomas, who began donating blood shortly after turning 18 in 2010, made his 11th donation yesterday at the IBTS blood donor clinic in DOlier Street, Dublin.

He last gave blood in December 2012 and had argued in court that the permanent deferral on lood donation imposed on him was discriminatory, disproportionate and contrary to EU law.

I found myself in the High Court as a 23-year-old student, fighting the State simply to be able to perform my civic duty and engage in this extremely important act to help improve and save lives., he said.

The lifetime ban for men who have sex with men was imposed by the IBTS when HIV emerged in the 1980s and the blood bank decided to lift the ban when other countries changed their deferral criteria.

Tomas said yesterday was a big day for him  he wanted to continue being an active blood donor but had to go to the High Court to fight to win that right.

Health Minister Simon Harris welcomed the lifting of the lifetime ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men.

The relaxation of donation policies for men who have sex with men followed a two-year consideration by the IBTS and was approved by the minister last June.

The change to a one-year deferral for men who have sex with men in supported by the most current scientific evidence available and brings Ireland into line with similar policies in the UK, Canada and elsewhere, said Mr Harris.

The minister also welcomed the introduction of an additional deferral from blood donation of those with a history of specific notifiable sexually transmitted infections for five years from completion of treatment.

Mr Harris said the IBTS would continue to keep all deferral policies under ongoing review in the light of scientific evidence, emerging infections and international experience.

Only 3% of the eligible population are active donors.
The company, which has forecast losses for last year of 8m and which could be insolvent within 18 months unless it turns around its financial position, issued the immediate actions to trade unions yesterday. Bus Eireann acting CEO Ray Hernan warned that further savings would be necessary.

In the accompanying letter Mr Hernan said we are facing a very uncertain future and that a review of every cost line was already underway.

He asked for full co-operation in implementing the immediate cost-saving measures, which include:

Banning all non-essential or discretionary spending;

All unplanned bus hire will no longer be sanctioned;

A general ban on all unplanned overtime;

A recruitment ban;

Other measures including no carryover of annual leave, fuel efficiency targets and changes to flexitime arrangements.

The union response was swift, with the general secretary of the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU), Dermot OLeary, saying: Our members at Bus Eireann will not be co-operating with any changes to current terms and conditions or work practices in the absence of an agreed forum being convened to discuss all the issues which have contributed to the crisis at Expressway: The notion that tinkering around the edges of staff entitlements will resolve this problem is simply ludicrous and will only serve to further antagonise workers at Bus Eireann.

A report by consultants Grant Thornton had recommended the ditching of the Expressway service, but the company has since signalled that it plans on retaining it while making changes to ensure it is viable.

Mr OLeary had warned that any cuts to ad hoc overtime would almost certainly impact on services, while Siptu hit out at what it called the threat hanging over the free travel scheme, with the Department of Social Protection refusing to provide extra funding for transport providers to cover the costs of the public service.

Irish Rural Link also warned that the elderly and vulnerable will bear the brunt of any attempts to trim Bus Eireann services if the company has to restructure because of its financial woes.

Seamus Boland, CEO of Irish Rural Link, said: As usual when companies providing a nationwide service or supplying goods lose money, there is a knee-jerk reaction to cut those provided in areas of scattered population.

Mr OLeary claimed the negative intervention of the regulator [National Transport Authority] over recent years had, despite protestations to the contrary, led to an oversupply of seat capacity and had adversely affected Expressway services.

Forcing staff into bringing the entire service to a shuddering halt by incrementally cutting terms and conditions is not conducive to finding a resolution to this crisis and is tantamount to a dereliction of the political responsibility which this situation demands, he added.
The billionaire said the deal would be good for both sides as he committed to meeting British prime minister Theresa May soon and insisted Brexit is going to end up as a great thing.

In an interview with Conservatives MP and Leave campaigner Michael Gove for the The Times of London newspaper days before his inauguration on Friday, Mr Trump predicted other countries will leave the EU.

However, while a two-year IMF forecast yesterday said Mr Trumps policies should boost the US economy, it said a trade war would be quite destructive for the global economy.

Brexit is going to end up as a great thing. Were going to work very hard to get it [a trade deal with the UK] done quickly and properly, it will be good for both sides, said Mr Trump, before claiming Brexit was caused by German chancellor Angela Merkel bringing thousands of refugees to Europe.

During the same interview Mr Trump also said he believes Nato is now obsolete and that he may only allow the US to come to the aid of other countries if they are reasonably reimbursed.

The incoming US president said he wants to cut good deals with Russia and may put fresh restrictions on European citizens ability to travel to the US, adding he now couldnt care less about his failed golf resort in Doonbeg, Co Clare, blaming environmental tricks for stopping the project.

The potential US-UK trade deal is likely to increase concern within the Government and the EU due to the economic damage it could cause.

And while the situation has been downplayed by the Government, concerns will be fueled after Mr Trump said US firms have five trillion dollars in Europe and the money will come back.

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan yesterday dismissed Mr Trumps comments as a colour piece and criticised interviewer Mr Gove, saying he is not an impartial reporter.
That was the warning from senior Irish figures last night as the Stormont executive in Belfast collapsed after the cash for ash scandal and elections were announced for early March.

After 10 years of partnership between the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein, the assembly was dissolved following the resignation of deputy first minister Martin McGuinness over the row. The deadline for Sinn Fein to re-nominate a minister passed at 5pm yesterday.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams pledged the crisis would not derail the peace process. But he put part of the blame at the door of the Irish and British governments. What I would be concerned about is that another generation, which has grown up free from conflict, is now seeing the negativity of sectarianism, the negativity of intolerance, the negativity of disrespect.

Mr Adams said there was an onus on Taoiseach Enda Kenny to help resolve the impasse. Mr Kenny last night spoke to British prime minister Theresa May by phone and afterwards said both hoped the election would be respectful and that the Norths institutions would be back up and running as soon as possible.

But others warned about what the collapse of the power-sharing executive might mean. Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the elections might not make a huge difference: I think it is going to generate a lot of bad feeling and enmity and animosity as elections in Northern Ireland tend to do and that will feed into negotiations that have got to take place on the other side of the election.

Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire also said: No one should underestimate the challenge faced to the political institutions here in Northern Ireland and what is at stake.

But Sinn Fein insists there will be no new executive unless DUP leader Arlene Foster steps aside while the cash for ash inquiry proceeds. The renewable heat incentive scandal is set to cost Stormont 490m (556m). Mr Adams escalated the row by suggesting Ms Foster was a backwards person and would never be first minister again.

Another roadblock once elections are over will be the triggering of Brexit.

Mr Adams and deputy party leader Mary Lou McDonald said yesterday they had no plans to run in the North and that Mr McGuinness would announce shortly whether he would contest the elections. The former IRA commander left his hospital bed in Derry yesterday to attend the chamber before the executive was later dissolved.
Darren Weldon, aged 45, a native of Kilbarrack, Dublin, with an address at Drinadaly in Trim, Co Meath, was convicted last month of being a member of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on October 14, 2014.

During the trial, the court heard evidence that on February 22, 2010, a car bomb exploded outside Newry courthouse. In the aftermath, within the debris, PSNI officers found the cars registration plate.
Campaign groups have welcomed his commitment to deal particularly with the baptism barrier, which forces many families to baptise children to ensure access to local schools, although uncertainty remains over the timeframe.

However, the removal of religious persuasion as a possible criteria for over-subscribed primary schools to select pupils is one of just four options on which the minister is seeking submissions over the next three months.

The Catholic Primary Schools Management Association welcomed the consultation process, but played down the extent of the issue.

The vast majority of Catholic schools are not oversubscribed, and enrol all applicants. The issue mainly arises in areas of Dublin and in small pockets of the commuter belt surrounding the capital, said the CPSMA general secretary, Seamus Mulconry.

Mr Bruton said one approach would be to adopt catchment areas, outside of which a denominational school could not enrol children of its own faith if children of a different religion, or none, had also sought admission. Two variations would be to limit the proportion of places reserved for children of the schools religious ethos, or to give preference to those living nearest to a school.

Another approach is that you take religion away altogether. But even as we heard here this morning that does throw up problems and we need to tease out those problems, the minister said after outlining the process at a seminar in Dublin.

Concern was raised on behalf of Church of Ireland primary schools, that they might no longer be able to cater for pupils who have to travel longer distances for a faith-based school of their familys preference.

Mr Bruton said this highlighted the merit of using catchment areas, and that different catchment sizes could be used for different religious denominations.

The Church of Ireland General Synod board of education welcomed the ministers acknowledgement of the important position of religious minority schools, and said it is vitally important their key role in educational provision is safeguarded.

The board looks forward to reiterating at [the] consultations the importance of the ability to prioritise entry for students from Church of Ireland, Protestant and other minority religious traditions into the relatively small number of religious minority schools that exist in the State, it said.

Michael Barron, director of campaign group Equate which organised yesterdays seminar, welcomed the ministers commitment to deal with the issue. However, he said, the matter is really urgent for parents who are unclear of the situation for children approaching school-going ages.

We still believe the act can be amended to remove the baptism barrier, and that it could be done in time for [enrolments] next September, he said.

Humanists Association of Ireland spokesman Brian Whiteside said removing the baptism barrier entirely would be the best move towards Ireland becoming a truly secular society. The other options may be open to a wider interpretation and possible manipulation.
Dale Creighton was assaulted at the footbridge over the Tallaght bypass between Saint Dominics Rd and Greenhills Rd in 2014.

He died in hospital the following day. The cause of his death was blunt force injury to his head and face.

Six men and one woman were charged with murder and went on trial at the Central Criminal Court in October, after pleading not guilty. However, those charges were dropped on the 15th day of the trial, after they pleaded guilty to lesser charges and had their new pleas accepted.

The seven accused, who are from Tallaght, had all rung in the new year in a local nightclub.

They are 23-year-old Aisling Burke and her 28-year-old brother David Burke, both with a current address at Beechpark, Collinstown, Co Westmeath; Graham Palmer, aged 26, current address at Park Avenue, Portarlington, Co Laois; Ross Callery, aged 23, currently of Gortlum Cottages, Brittas, Co Dublin; James Reid, aged 26, currently of Glen Aoibhinn, Gorey, Co Wexford; Jason Beresford, aged 23, with an address at Coill Diarmuida, Ard a Laoi, Castledermot, Co Kildare; and Gerard Stevens, aged 27, currently of Grosvenor Square, Rathmines in Dublin.

They were before the court for sentencing yesterday.

Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy said they were not evil or bad people but described the assault as prolonged and vicious. She noted that, following a claim he had stolen Aisling Burkes phone, Mr Creighton was marched up the steps onto the footbridge and mercilessly kicked and beaten in a kangaroo court.

Not one of the young people shouted stop, she said.

She said it would be of comfort to society had such a crime been committed by people with a known or proven propensity for violence. However, these were all pretty normal, average young people. She said this was particularly frightening for society.

She said courts regularly encountered people sorting out their differences in this way. A person, deemed to have offended a member of the group, might be given a hiding as punishment.

Rough justice is no justice, she said. No one is entitled to take the law into their own hands. Our society is governed by the rule of law.

She accepted that Aisling Burkes bag was stolen as she walked home alone and she raised the alarm with her brother, David Burke.

Three men ran past a witness, who gave chase. CCTV showed Mr Creighton being followed to the bridge by this man and Reid. The deceased was seen with a knife.

David Burke arrived with a pole and confronted the deceased. They all disappeared off camera and Reid reemerged with the knife. He and the witness then left.

David Burke and the deceased remerged as a car appeared.

An eighth person, James OBrien, got out of the car, kicked the deceased twice and punched him nine times to his head. OBrien, who was later jailed for a year for that assault, then left.

Callery was next on the scene and struck the deceased a heavy blow, sending him backwards. Mr Creighton could be seen running from Callery and Burke, but fell at the bottom of a tree. They caught up with him and one took a phone from him. He got up but they followed him up the steps of the bridge.

Following calls from passersby, gardai in Tallaght Garda Station were able to turn the CCTV camera on to the bridge and capture the remaining four minutes of the attack. Palmer, Reid, Beresford and Aisling Burke were on the bridge by the time the camera was turned.

Its clear that by that time, Dale Creighton was in a very serious condition. His body is visibly limp, she said, adding this was particularly noticeable when one person was trying to force him up. He resembled a rag doll, who had no independent power of movement.

Jason Beresford: Jailed for six years for manslaughter.

She said the most shocking incidents were perpetrated by Beresford. While Palmer tried to lift him, Beresford was seen kicking him full in the face as if his head were a football. He was also seen stamping on him while prone and grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and flinging him down the steps, she said.

Ross Callery was unable to resist a kick while Dale Creighton lay prone, she said.

She noted that during Stephens one minute at the scene, he gave a number of kicks and slaps to his upper body and head.

The assault effectively ended when Jason Beresford flung the limp body of Dale Creighton down the steps, she said.

He had been dragged back up by the time gardai arrived and all were seen fleeing.

Palmer, Callery, Stevens, Beresford and David Burke had changed their pleas to guilty of manslaughter and were sentenced yesterday.

The judge sentenced each of the five killers to 10 years, suspending various portions, depending on their culpability and circumstances.

Palmer was jailed for a total of five years. Callery received a six-year jail term. David Burke received seven and a half years. Stephens received the shortest term, at three years. Beresford, the youngest of the five killers, was jailed for six years.

Aisling Burke pleaded guilty to violent disorder. The judge said she would impose a five-year sentence, with the last four years suspended for two years. She adjourned imposing the sentence for a week to give the single mother time to arrange childcare.

James Reid pleaded guilty to possession of a knife. The judge noted he had not brought the weapon to the scene and had not used it. She imposed a two-year sentence, suspended fully.

Some members of the victims family expressed their upset in court at the various suspensions. They had all left by the time Reid entered the witness box and entered a 1,000 bond to be of good behaviour for two years Mr Reid, youre free to go, said the judge. Be careful.
The Law Society of Irelands diploma centre runs a programme called Street Law for trainee solicitors, who then pass on this knowledge in the school classroom.

The idea of teaching practical law to grassroots audiences originated at Georgetown University Law Center, in Washington, DC, in 1972.

Street law is our legal literacy programme, where trainee solicitors go out to the community, to schools and prison.

Our trainees get to see that they can do some good and it brings an increased awareness about the law, and peoples rights, to students and prisoners, said Freda Grealy, head of the Law Societys diploma centre.

Its done through small groups using lesson plans that involve games, video, and mock trials.

Its about bringing the law to the level of student, to where theyre at and discussing issues that theyre dealing with, issues like consent, cyber-bullying, employment law and human rights, said Ms Grealy.

Were not prescriptive with our trainee solicitors. They dont have a rigid syllabus, she added.

One trainee solicitor, who has brought the Street Law programme to a Dublin secondary school and to inmates at Wheatfield prison, is Ruth Walsh, of KOD Lyons.

We went with a lesson plan that we developed in our training programme, so the first week we covered human rights and then we moved on to the criminal justice system, said Ms Walsh.

We did a lesson around the Serial podcast (which investigated a murder conviction in America in 2000) and also around the issues of assault and consent in sport.

Some colleagues in other schools created lesson plans around privacy and the sharing of images [online] and students were really interested to learn about the legal issues around it.

It struck a note with them, she added.

Twelve schools in the Dublin area received the Street Law programme last year.

The trainee solicitor said she was blown away by the massive level of engagement from students.

A huge positive for Ms Walsh was when she realised that secondary school students felt that they could now consider a career in law, having spent time with the trainee solicitors.

For school students, it took away the notion that you need super-high points to study law and that, instead, there were a number of different routes in, she said.

NUI Galway has now established its own Street Law programme and Letterkenny IT is following suit.

Ms Grealy said the Law Society of Ireland will be running another training programme this September.

If there are any other law schools nationwide that are interested in joining our orientation programme in September, wed be happy to hear from you, she said.

Once a trainee solicitor has taken part in the programme, they go out to the community and deliver six or more sessions via interactive learning.

At the end of the six-week period, students will often make a trip to the criminal courts or to the Law Society of Ireland.

In Ireland, the programme has been running for four years and, in 2015, 600 secondary school students took part.
The then 17-year-old boy had pleaded guilty earlier at the Dublin Childrens Court in November to stealing a Rhino iguana valued at 1,600, a Mexican Red Knee tarantula spider which cost 85 and an Asian forest scorpion worth 65 from the Lucan library on July 21 last.

He also admitted attacking a male Garda sergeant as well as a male garda and a female garda on the same date at two locations nearby.

In December, Judge John OConnor had adjourned sentencing until yesterday for an updated probation report and for a psychiatric assessment of the youth to be completed.

However, when the case resumed, defence solicitor Paula Egan explained her client was not present and she was instructed he left his family home on Saturday telling his mother he would be back in three days.

Judge OConnor agreed to a garda application to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the now 18-year-old youth.

At an earlier hearing, the judge had said: I dont know what he was on or what he was doing but it wasnt right.

Garda Sergeant Paul Moran had said a wildlife lecture had taken place at the library and some exotic animals were on display. Afterwards the owner of the animals David Griffin was bringing them back to his car via a lift in the building. He put the boxes in a lift but the door closed and it descended to the car-park without him.

When the door opened at the bottom, the accused removed the box containing the creatures and left, said Gda Sgt Moran.

Gardai found the youth at a park in Lucan carrying a plastic box.

There was a short foot chase and he was caught. Gda Sgt Moran said the youth just went berserk and began kicking and lashing out at gardai.
IT WAS one of 2015s biggest TV hits, and with a second season about to land, Fortitude  the gripping Arctic thriller centred on the deadly fictional town of the title  is on the hunt for its next batch of sightseers.

How can the coldest place on Earth create such warm memories? asks cast newbie, Dennis Quaid, in Sky Atlantics promo video.

Go and experience the warmth of this charming little town for yourself, and freeze your precious memories in the ice. You will feel so at home, youll never leave...

But dont be fooled.

For while icy vistas and roaring volcanoes make for a breathtaking backdrop, viewers who enjoyed the first run have witnessed the turmoil  and murderous shocks  beneath the mask. And, for its lively locals, little is about to change.

As we rejoin the island, perched on the Arctic Circle, the residents have overcome the parasites that previously tore their peaceful community apart. But their respite is set to be short-lived, with the mainland cutting off funding and supplies, a threadbare police force, and another mysterious death rocking the community.

Quaid  who joins cast members, Richard Dormer and Sofie Grabol, as well as Irish actors, Robert Sheehan (Misfits, Love/Hate) and Michelle Fairley (Game Of Thrones)  invites us to take a closer look...

JOINING THE TEAM

Pegged as Sky Atlantics most ambitious project yet, it didnt take the Texas-born star  whose previous credits include movies, The Parent Trap, Far From Heaven, and The Big Easy  much convincing to join the international cast. He was sold after watching just one episode.

The imagery was incredible, the actors were really good, and it seemed to be centred around the characters, and a story that even the characters didnt understand, the 62-year-old says of the big-budget hit. Its the kind of show I like to watch.

PLAYING THE PART

Quaid plays Michael Lennox  a fisherman in search of a lucrative King Crab catch, in order to bring in some desperately needed money for him and his ailing wife, Freya (Fairley).

I guess hes an expat from the US, notes the father-of-three (he has a son, the 24-year-old actor, Jack Quaid, with ex-wife Meg Ryan). Hes been here for quite a long time  enough to marry a girl and have kids.

His wife is going through health problems, which is life-changing for everyone, and its his mission to save the love of his life, he adds.

ON LOCATION

The setting, with its wilderness and stark environment, cant go unmentioned.

Im playing a fisherman, so I worked it so I could go out on the Arctic Sea for research. How many times do you have a chance to do that? Quaid says. It was just glorious!

But there were hairy moments amid the Nordic noir, the actor admits: Just getting to work could be daunting. We had to take what they call a Super Jeep every day. It was a wild ride.

I love being in locations like that, he adds, confessing to doing all that stuff the insurance company says Dont you dare do!

Its one of the most fascinating, exotic places. I say that Iceland is like Hawaii in the Arctic.

SCREEN TIME

Recognised worldwide  If youve done 100 movies, youve been around for 40 years, somebodys grandmother knows me  Quaid is no stranger to screen time. And the divide between TV and film, he says, is closing fast.

It used to be quite a wide gap for actors who were doing film. They didnt really want to do television, because of the care and quality of the writing and production. But [since] about five years ago, thats all changed. Its the new independent film, only, hopefully, following a 50-hour format over five seasons, he says of small-screen work.

It gives them a great chance to unfold a character and do some very interesting work.
The article notes that a patent Microsoft applied for back in October 2016 and was granted in January this year contains plans for a mobile computing device having a flexible hinge structure, and is described as a foldable phone-to-tablet mobile device.

Experts believe that the upcoming Surface Phone could be the device in question.
Interview KIA General Gun Maw: To Talk and Live as Equals, That is Genuine Peace

General Sumlut Gun Maw, vice chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization. / The Irrawaddy

Following the first meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference in August, fighting intensified in northeastern Burma, and negotiations between the government and the ethnic alliance United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) stalled. Informal talks between the two sides resumed last Friday, but it remains to be seen whether the non-signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) will attend the next Panglong meeting, which is slated for February.

The Burma Army continues to wage an offensive against ethnic armed groups, adding to the number of lives lost and people displaced from their homes in Kachin and northern Shan states near the China border.

General Sumlut Gun Maw, vice chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), recently met with The Irrawaddys reporters Nyein Nyein and Kyaw Kha in Chiang Mai, Thailand for an exclusive interview, in which he discussed the ongoing conflict and ethnic perspectives on the peace process. This is the first interview granted by the KIO since intense fighting broke out on Nov. 20 in northern Shan State.

What can you say about the loss of key Kachin Independence Army (KIA) outposts such as Gideon and Lai Hpawng during the Burma Armys offensive?

The Tatmadaw [Burma Army] has waged a military offensive against us for more than four months, and weve lost some of our positions. It seems like they are forcing us to decisively choose between engaging in military or political affairs.

Have you reached a decision about that?

We are discussing it in the [KIO] central committee. If needed, we will call for a party conference to consider it.

What is your view on the criticism that State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Htin Kyaw have been silent about the Tatmadaw offensives in Kachin and northern Shan states?

We think the government should be talking about it. I dont want to make any critical comments. But as the government does not say anything, it appears that it is encouraging the offensives.

Could you explain why the KIA, together with the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Arakan Army (AA), and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), initiated the Northern Alliance attack on Nov. 20?

We call the groups that are included in northern region operations the Northern Alliance. But also there is another collaboration known as the Northern Alliance Army in which three groupsthe TNLA, AA, and Kokang [Taang]are members. The whole KIA has not joined them; only KIA Brigade 4 and Brigade 6 are in the alliance, because we [Brigades 4 and 6] are their allies, and also our regions are connected. Most importantly, if we did not join this operation, it could affect the trust between groups and could lead to an unnecessary political mess.

Ethnic leaders have always said they want to solve political problems through political means. Isnt the current fighting the reverse of that?

If we look at one particular clash, then yes, the meaning could be reversed. But we have said that we will try to avoid using military pressure in our many press releases and public statements on the negotiations and in peace talks with the government.

Gideon, for example, had been under Tatmadaw attack for almost three months, and so we conducted a counter-offensive in one place, which lasted only 15 days, and which started on Nov. 20. If you criticize this particular KIA counter-attack, then you also must be aware of how the government army has been initiating offensives in the region for many months and with much greater military strength. It is important to not look only at one particular place.

Following the Nov. 20 attacks, the government and Tatmadaw have started using the terms terrorists and insurgents widely. What do you think about this?

I would like to answer this in two parts. At the moment, the government is not officially defining us as insurgents. But the Tatmadaw, including the commander-in-chief, is using the term everywhere. Still, the term is not becoming real even though they are saying it all the time.

Only the people can decide whether or not we are a terrorist group. Therefore, we are not terrorists or insurgents as long as our ethnic Kachin people and all the local people do not consider us terrorists. And we, the KIO, do not commit any violent acts, so I can courageously guarantee that the people support us.

Do you think that peace is becoming more distant? Given the terrorist term that the Tatmadaw is usingincluding army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing himselfis it harder to negotiate for peace in Burma when your main negotiating partner is the Tatmadaw?

This is the main cause of the standstill in negotiations. When we met U Aung Kyi [advisor to the government Peace Commission, on Friday, Jan. 13], we raised this issue. We told him that it was impossible for us to participate in peace talks because the commander-in-chief himself has been calling us terrorists.

In that meeting, you also reiterated the UNFCs eight-point proposal, which mentioned a potential unilateral ceasefire. What kind of unilateral ceasefire do you want?

Our main point was that the UNFC demands that all of its members be included as signatories. [This would include the TNLA and the MNDAA, groups that are currently excluded by the Tatmadaw. The AA, which is not a member of the UNFC, is also excluded from signing the NCA.]

Our demand is that when all of our members have signed [the NCA], then the government will announce a unilateral ceasefire within 24 hours. Then we, the ethnic armed organizations, will also announce our cessations within 48 hours. The government says they cant do thatthey will only announce a ceasefire with the groups who they allow to sign.

The governments delegation repeated this point in the meeting on Friday. We said, on the subject of the NCA, the government must allow all groups into the process. The government would not agree to that, so its become an obstacle to signing the NCA.

What is your reaction to the criticism that the current fighting is more about protecting the personal benefits of ethnic armed group leaders rather than fighting for the ethnic groups original aim of equality?

It is groundless to say we are fighting for personal benefits. In the KIO, for instance, tax collections are handled through a specific department. There is no one man who controls it. So if someone talks about protecting benefits, we are protecting benefits for our nationality. These are not personal benefits.

Following the capture of your KIA outposts and the subsequent fighting, many internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the border areas attempted to escape into China. Allegedly, these IDPs were beaten and pushed away by the Chinese. What is the KIO doing about this, and do you have any channel through which you can talk with the Chinese authorities?

We negotiate with the local Chinese authorities, not with the national government. And when the Kachin locals faced these hardships, we could not deter them from fleeing to China. They tried to cross the border to protect themselves. We could only approach the Chinese authorities to offer assistance.

Last week, two peopleincluding a childdied when a stray artillery shell landed on a civilian house in Namhsan Township during a clash between TNLA soldiers and the Tatmadaw. Regarding such incidents, the public wants to know, can ethnic national liberation only be achieved through armed conflict?

For the KIO, we have our policy. We strive to solve our problems through the political process. On that basis, we came to the negotiation talks, despite the fact that there was intense fighting still happening on the ground. If we did not have this policy, then I would not have come to negotiate.

Why should the armed struggle still continue?

The key things are equality and federalism. We must have equal rights. We need equal treatment and equality in negotiations. Then we must continue genuine political negotiation. The result of that genuine political talk must be stated officially in the Constitution. Now, the current deadlock is that no one is talking about the amendments of the [2008 military-drafted] Constitution.

We also talked about this on Fridaywhether we can follow the example of Chile, as they worked to amend their Constitution for 16 years. If we signed the NCA, then how do we amend or change the Constitution? Or do we draft a new Constitution? We raised this issue, and we have not received an answer.

As a negotiator, do you believe the current peace process led by the NLD government is fading away? Or do you have hope that it will work?

We believe the new government has the will, but they have no ability yet for the implementation. For instance, when the first 21st Century Panglong was held in August, we joined the talks in order to show respect to the new government. We attended because we want to reach the point where we are having genuine political talks. But we were not satisfied with the first 21st Century Panglong conference. So, we see the implementation of the process as being very weak.

Why were you not satisfied with the first Panglong meeting?

First, if a conference is held, it must correspond to the normal characteristics of a conference. Second, as the name is 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference, Union affairs should be prioritized, and we must discuss the Panglong promises and the Panglong Agreement. If those terms that were agreed to at the [1947] Panglong are not acknowledged and not discussed, then we need to delete the word Panglong from the title. We suggested other names.

The government wants you to sign the NCA first, and then to join the second 21st Century Panglong meeting in February. Will you attend? And if you attend, what should the government do to include you in the peace process?

This answer comes in two parts. Now everyone is trying to say there is one issue, but really there are two issues: Onethe 21st Panglong, and twothe signing of the NCA.

Actually, signing the NCA is an ordinary issue. It is true that we have to move forward after signing, but we have to first carefully discuss how we are going forward because we want to see this agreement last a long time.

As I said before, if the 21st Century Panglong is a conference, there must be genuine delegates who attend, and the conference must be held with its full characteristics. If the conference is not meaningful and does not meet these requirements, then we wont attend.

What is your view on the framework for political dialogue?

Regarding the framework, I think political dialogue should only happen after reviews are done on the whole framework. It should not be done piece by piece.

In the beginning of [drafting] the NCA, we specifically requested a point about building a democratic federal union. But the [then] government representatives said that it would be in the agenda of the political dialogue. Then we thought about it, and we hoped that we would have the tripartite-talks, after we signed the NCA and formed the joint committee. But now things are different, and there is no joint leadership and no tripartite talks.

So we have to reflect on how we are moving forward with this framework. I think only after the framework is done should we convene the conference. Right now we are doing both things in parallelconvening the conference and doing the framework reviewso there are difficulties.

Do you think your stances might prove difficult for the government, since the State Counselor has said she will act as the negotiator between the Tatmadaw and the ethnic armed groups?

It is complete nonsense to say the government and the Tatmadaw are separate. We believe when we say the government, that means the government and the Tatmadaw together. But Burma is different, and we have two separate sectors.

If you asked me who wants peace more, I think the answer would be all of us. Our differences are in regards to how we approach the peace process. We, the ethnic armed groups, talk about equalityto talk as equals and to live as equals. I think that is genuine peace.

If there is no equality, there is no genuine peace. This is how we measure it.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

People want to know why the UNFC members have not signed the NCA yet. This is not the right question to ask, and we do not have a direct answer. Instead, we have our own criteria for the conditions in which we would sign a ceasefire.

For instance, as you all know, the UNFC has put forward nine points (originally eight but one more was added), and we told the governmentboth in writing and verballythat we would sign all of the points. The ninth point says the UNFC will sign the NCA when both sides agree to all eight demands. We want to sign a substantial agreement; and for that we must negotiate carefully for the long-term future.

Therefore, I dont want people to think that we do not have the will to sign. We do, but we are negotiating to reach long-term, sustainable peace.
Lifestyle Ten Things to do in Rangoon This Week

Ten Things to do in Rangoon This Week

Where the Land and Water End | January 14-February 2

German artist Wolfgang Laib, considered one of the top 100 artists in the world today, has installed his new art exhibition inside the cavernous spaces of the historic Secretariat building in downtown Rangoon. The conceptual artist creates large minimalist installations often using natural materials such as milk, pollen, beeswax, rice, and marble.

Jan. 14-Feb.2, 10am-5pm. The Secretariat Building, Theinbyu St. Admission Free.

Paperless Job Fair | January 22

Thirty-six companies will have dozens of jobs on offer Sunday at Burmas first paperless job fair. Applicants can hunt for jobs across several different business categories. And remember! Dont bring your paper resumes.

Jan. 22, 9am-4pm. International Business Center (IBC), No. 88, 6.5 mile, Pyay Road, Hlaing Tsp.

Yangon Zoos 111th Anniversary | January 21-25

The Yangon Zoo celebrates its historic 111th birthday with lots of games, an unplugged music show, a magic show, a painting competition, and so many other things. The first 111 visitors to the zoo will receive a special present.

Jan. 21-25, 8am-6pm. The Yangon Zoo, Bo Min Kaung St.

Building Personal and Community Wellness | January 21

This conference will promote personal and community wellness, and it will look specifically at the topic of psychosocial health within communities in Burma. Conference objectives are (1) to define what psychosocial wellness means in Burma and to explore the challenges of attaining this wellness, and (2) to build the capacity for promoting wellness and health in individuals and communities, both at the grassroots and the systemic levels. Register by email at: [email protected]

Jan. 21, 9am-4pm. Parami Institute of Liberal Arts and Science, 3rd Floor of Shwegone Plaza, Shwe Gon Tine Junction, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 09-778516070. Admission free.

Khin Zaw Latt: A 15 Year Story | January 20-22

The artist Khin Zaw Latt will showcase paintings that he has assembled over the past 15 years. In July, he will also hold an exhibition in France.

Jan. 20-22. Yangon Gallery, Peoples Park and Peoples Square.

Chinese New Year Dragon Dance | January 18-22

Chinese New Year will be celebrated, and dragon and lion dance competitions will be held to welcome the upcoming Year of the Rooster on the Chinese calendar.

Jan 18-22. Junction Square, near Hanthawaddy Circle.

Nobel-Myanmar Literary Festival | January 20-22

Addressing the theme of creative literature, the Nobel-Myanmar Literary Festival will feature paper-reading sessions, poem recitals, cartoon shows, and book sales.

Jan. 20-22. The National Theater, Myoma Kyaung St.

Artist Soe Naing | January 21-25

Artist Soe Naing will showcase his works in multiple galleries simultaneously.

Jan. 21-25. Pansodan Scene on Pansodan St, Pansuriya on Bogale Market St., Anya Ahtar Restaurant on 37th St., Ahla Thit Gallery on University Avenue Road, Think Art Gallery on Nawaday St., and Myanmar Ink Art Gallery on Alan Pya Pagoda St.

Yangon Books Street | January 21-22

This weekly book sale is organized by the Ministry of Information and features more than 100 book shops in the same place. Many shops will offer special discounts.

Every weekend, Theinbyu St.

Artist Shein Myints First Memorial Show | January 18-22

This memorial art exhibition will showcase the works of late artist Shein Myint, including more than 30 canvases in acrylic, oil paints, and watercolors.

Jan. 18-22. The Myanmar Artists and Artisans Organization, inside Bogyoke Market.
News Amendments to Myanmar Companies Act up for Parliamentary Discussion

U Aung Naing Oo, secretary of the Myanmar Investment Commission, pictured in June 2016. / Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters

RANGOON  Suggested amendments to the Myanmar Companies Act have been written and submitted by the Ministry of National Planning and Finance to the government for discussion in upcoming Union Parliament sessions.

The Myanmar Companies Act was established in 1914, when Burma was under British rule. The National Planning and Finance Ministry has, in a new draft, modified information now considered out-of-date and added relevant details for investors.

We sent this to the government early this month and it will be sending it to Parliament too, said U Than Aung Kyaw, deputy director general of the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration.

He added that the amendments are intended to benefit all investors.

Its old, and thats why it should be updated for everyone, U Than Aung Kyaw said.

The updated act will include suitable clauses relevant to local and foreign investors, as well as updated policies on economic trends.

U Aung Naing Oo, secretary of the Myanmar Investment Commission, told local media last week that the draft Myanmar Companies Act would propose allowing foreign companies to join the Yangon Stock Exchange.

Lower House lawmaker Mi Kon Chan said that Parliament is expected to discuss the law in February.

We still dont know which laws and acts will be discussed at which time, but this Companies Act should be discussed as it can help the business industry, she said, adding that laws enacted during Burmas colonial era are out of date.

According to parliamentary processes, after the modified version of the law has been received by the draft law committee, lawmakers will discuss which amendments are suitable.

Dr. Maung Maung Lay, Vice President of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said he hoped the Myanmar Companies Act would be approved as soon as possible after a discussion is held in both Houses of Parliament.

Quick approval is good, but it should also be carefully discussed too. After that, I hope local and foreign investors will get better opportunities for doing business here, he said.

The enactment of appropriate orders and notices will be required following the approval of any amendments, he added.
News Schools Shut, Families Flee Amid Namhsan Clashes

Residents of conflict-torn Namhsan Township, Shan State, take refuge at Myin Wun Min Gyi Monastery in Mandalay. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

MANDALAY  Some one hundred people fled ongoing battles between the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Burma Army in northern Shan States Namhsan Township, arriving in Mandalay on Sunday over concerns for their childrens education.

A high school and a middle school in Namhsan town and three primary schools in nearby villages have shut due to the instability and lack of students, Namhsan Constituency (2) lawmaker Daw Khin Myint Swe told The Irrawaddy.

We are afraid that our childrens education will be stalled, said Daw Nan Hla Yee, a Namhsan local taking refuge at Za Yan Kyaung of Myin Wun Min Gyi Monastery in Chanmyathazi Township, Mandalay. Their end of year exam is on Feb. 13, but we had to run away from our home.

Among the displaced persons was a primary school teacher from Namhsan named Daw Myint Myint Khaing who said that students had stopped coming to school as they left the area to seek refuge with their families.

We still dont know how authorities will take care of the children who have run away from the area, she said.

Clashes between the TNLA and the Burma Army broke out in Namhsan on Jan. 10 and so far two civilians have been reported killed and 12 injured.

According to locals, many displaced persons have sought refuge in Kyaukme, Hsipaw and Pyin Oo Lwin townships, as well as the city of Mandalay, where there are currently 94 refugees in Myin Wun Min Gyi Monastery.
News Human Rights Activist Denied Bail Again in Arakan State

Khine Myo Htun faces charges for accusing the Burma Army of committing war crimes in Arakan State. / ERI

Sittwe Township Court in Arakan States capital denied bail for the second time to human rights activist Khine Myo Htun on Friday despite bad health, according to his lawyers.

The activist has been detained since July last year and will appear in court for his next hearing on Jan. 27.

U Oo Kyaw Thein, one of Khine Myo Htuns lawyers, told The Irrawaddy that he applied for bail on Dec. 30 last year. The defendant is taking medicine for weak nerves and has collapsed three times in the prison, his lawyer said.

U Oo Kyaw Thein has said he plans to appeal the bail decision to Sittwe district court. By law, he said, a defendant should be granted bail if they are in ill health and can guarantee that they will not flee the authorities.

Earth Rights International (ERI), an environmental group that Khine Myo Htun has worked for, criticized the courts decision and called for charges to be dropped in a statement released Monday.

We are deeply disappointed by the decision, because of which Khine Myo Htuns health will continue to deteriorate, executive director of ERI Ka Hsaw Wa said in the statement.

A letter from Khine Myo Htuns doctor showing evidence of his health problems was also submitted to the judge, he said.

Khine Myo Htun, deputy-spokesperson for the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), was arrested on July 25 in Sittwe on charges of sedition and incitement under sections 505(b) and 505(c) of Burmas Penal Code.

In April, the ALP incited controversy when it accused the Burma Army of violating the Geneva Conventions by targeting civilians for forced portering and torture.

The charges against Khine Myo Htun were filed by Lt-Col Tin Naing Tun from the Sittwe-based Regional Operations Command of the Burma Army on May 5.

The Arakan Liberation Army, the military wing of the ALP, was one of eight non-state ethnic armed groups that signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) last October with the former government.

ERI maintains that charges against Khine Myo Htun are politically motivated due to his work in human rights and environmental activism.

This is yet another attempt to silence human rights advocacy and deter activists from exposing ongoing violations in Myanmar. We cannot revert back to the tactics used when our country was under military rule, now that the National League for Democracy controls the government, said Ka Hsaw Wa.

ERI has reviewed the evidence supporting the ALPs allegations against the Burma Army and has deemed them credible.

Additional reporting by San Yamin Aung.
News Rangoon Chief Minister Urges Patience During Public Transit Reform

Rangoon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein urged commuters to be patient during public transit reform. / Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy

RANGOON  As Rangoon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein visited a bus terminal in Ahlone Township on Tuesday, he urged the citys commuters to be patient during public transit network reform and called for greater cooperation from individual bus owners.

The chief minister stopped at a bus terminal in Ahlones Thakhin Mya Park and took a mini-bus downtown to assess the newly reformed network.

The old bus network dates back to 1962, U Phyo Min Thein said. I myself, our [regional] government, or the Yangon Region Transport Authority (YRTA) alone wont be able to reform such a system immediately. We need public collaboration.

He added that stakeholdersbus owners and daily commuters are key players in the new system and called for constructive criticism.

The new Yangon Bus Service (YBS) replaced the former capitals notorious bus systemthe Rangoon Motor Vehicles Supervisory Committee, also known by the Burmese acronym Ma Hta Thawith 69 bus lines on Monday. The regional government announced last week that the new bus lines would serve the citys commuters from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily with nearly 4,000 vehicles.

However, long waits were observed at bus stops and many pointed to an insufficient number of buses traversing the routes on the first day of the new system. Many buses were not ready on time and did not serve commuters on the first day.

The regional government hopes the new system will relieve some of the traffic congestion in the hub of the city, limiting the bus lines that serve downtown.

About 4,000 volunteers from different philanthropic and charity organizations led by regional lawmakers were present at some 2,000 bus stops across the city on Monday, helping commuters with directions.

The chief minister said he appreciated that the citys commuters and volunteers eagerly supported the reform with patience, and that the bus reform represented an important transition for the country. The volunteers will be present until Friday assisting commuters with the shift to the new system.

Its just a system reform and we still have to improve the condition of the vehicles, the chief minister added.

He again pledged on Tuesday to enforce regulations pertaining to bus conductors and drivers and promised serious action for any violations. He added that the YRTA would review all public suggestions and recommendations received so that a sustainable bus network system is established.

According to the Japan International Cooperation Agencys 2014 survey on public transportation in Rangoon, 61 percent of Rangoons population relies on public transportation and 49 percent of all commuters use the busapproximately 2.6 million people.
News UN Rapporteur Satisfied with Arakan Tour

Yanghee Lee at a press conference in Rangoon on July 1, 2016. / The Irrawaddy

RANGOON  UN Special Rapporteur to Burma Yanghee Lee said her tour of northern Arakan State was very useful despite a number of hitches as she wrapped up her four-day visit to assess the human rights situation in the conflict-torn area.

I was granted full access without security to most of the places I asked for, she told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday, adding that there were a couple of places she was not granted access to.

In a meeting with the state chief minister U Nyi Pu last week, Ms. Lee and her team had stressed that to fulfill their mandate they wanted to freely visit Arakan State, also known as Rakhine.

After coordinated attacks on border guard posts in October last year, Burma Army clearance operations in northern Arakan have been accompanied by allegations of human rights abuses of the Muslim Rohingya minority and sent 65,000 northern Arakan State residents across the border to Bangladesh, according to the UN.

Ms. Lee began her trip to Arakan State last Friday and visited the Muslim area of Aung Mingalar in state capital Sittwe, according to state media. Over the weekend and on Monday she met with officers at police posts that had been attacked on or since Oct. 9.

The rapporteur also visited a number of Rohingya villages in Buthidaung, Maungdaw, and Rathedaung townshipsvisits by foreign visitors are rarely granted to the area, which has been under military lockdown since October 2016.

Ms. Lee confirmed that she had visited Rathedaung Townships Koe Tan Kauk village where footage of police beating Rohingya villagers in November last year went viral and prompted disciplinary action against the officers.

Reports surfaced online that the rapporteur had been duped into visiting another village believing it to be Koe Tan Kauk, which she denied. I saw a lot of misinformation on Twitter, she told The Irrawaddy.

The UN representative had wanted to meet with representatives from the Arakan National Party (ANP) during her trip but the ANP reportedly refused, according to local media, stating that their spokesperson was out of town and that they did not agree with previous human rights reports from Ms. Lee.

Its their choice to meet or not to meet with me, she said when questioned by The Irrawaddy.

The UN envoys visit coincided with an announcement on Monday from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that the World Food Programme had distributed aid to 4,690 people in northern Maungdaw Township over Jan 13-14. The report stated that around half of those reached had not received assistance since the military crackdown begun on Oct. 9 last year.

The UN Special Rapporteurs fifth information-gathering visit to the country will end on Jan. 20. Ms. Lee also traveled to conflict-torn northern Shan and Kachin states where she expressed frustration at having her travel restricted by Burmese authorities.
In Switzerland, a woman had her citizenship application denied twice because her neighbors were annoyed at how "loud" she was with her advocacies on animal rights. It just so happens that inputs of the citizens are also a factor in their country to grand application for citizenship.

Vegan Woman Denied Of Application For Swiss Citizenship After Citizens Do Not Approve

42-year-old Nancy Holten is a Dutch national and has been living in Switzerland for over 30 years. However, her application for permanent citizenship for the country has been denied twice allegedly over the opinions of the members of her community, claiming that her advocacies on animal rights are too much for them to bear as reported by CNN. Since one of the requirements for the citizenship is for the applicant to be integrated and adopt him or herself in the way of life of the Swiss, their customs and traditions.

However, that is exactly where the people of the community have issues with Holten since she has not adapted into their way of life despite having been living there for 30 years already. Despite her knowledge on the requirements of the application to be a Swiss national, she continues to broadcast against the cowbells, hunting, other traditions and the like of the residents there. These activities are considered of high value to the people in Switzerand and having someone go to the ends of the earth to loudly broadcast against it definitely does not fit into their culture or way of life.

Woman Goes Against And Insults Values Of Swiss Nationals

There are many other Swiss values that she has decided to against, just prior to her application for citizenship. She decided to do all these on media, which has insulted the Swiss nationals at the very least. If she wants to be a permanent citizen of their country, she has to at least learn how to respect their values and traditions rather than loudly broadcast how much she is against them. Although she has met the criteria of being an official part of their community, she still does not meet the approval of the citizens which is a great factor in their application.
The Lenovo-owned company has sent an event invitation to the media. It details a Moto smartphone casting a shadow in the shape of the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona. The company has scheduled its event there for 26 February 2017. The most likely scenario is that Motorola will reveal a new Moto G and there have been plenty of speculations pointing to the Moto 5G.

Nokia announced its Nokia 6 smartphone recently, but for the time being, only China will be able to purchase the phone when it launches later this month. HMD Global, the company that now has the rights to use the Nokia brand on smartphones, is wide believed to unveil a flagship Nokia Android phone at Mobile World Congress, where it is hosting an event.

Moto G5 Rumored Specs And Features

According to a source, the device isn't the upcoming Moto X but is codenamed Cedric and also the XT1670. Another device having the same design appeared on a Romanian site OLX, called the Moto G5 Plus. The OLX listing has been ditched but it did announce specs that include a 5.5-inch FHD display, powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor. A whopping of 4GB RAM. Comes with 32GB of internal storage, microSD card support, to feature a 13MP rear camera, a 5-megapixel front camera, and under the hood is a 3,080mAh battery. Said to run Android 7.0 Nougat and will include a fingerprint scanner. The Moto G5 Play will more likely be the cheapest phone in the range as the G4 Play.

Upcoming Nokia Smartphone

Specifications of the leaked flagship Nokia Android phone have been leaked online several times. It is set to be powered by a new Snapdragon 835 processor and a massive memory of 6GB RAM. Also, it is said to sport a 23-megapixel camera with Zeiss optics, a metal unibody design and a water-resistant body. Furthermore, it will run on Android 7.0 Nougat. The screen size of the Upcoming Nokia smartphone is said to be either 5.2-inch or 5.5-inch. Additionally and will be working closely in an AI-based virtual assistant called Viki, and the flagship Nokia Android phone will be the prime candidate to unveil this digital helper with.
Of every single detail regarding the highly expected Samsung Galaxy S8, the release date is practically the most important among the customers, given the fact that this promises to be one of the most spectacular flagships that were going to see this year, not only because of Samsungs greatness, but also because this has been the biggest bet from the South Korean giant in order to restore its reputation after the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. Fortunately, the day in which this smartphone is going to be released has been confirmed by several sources in South Korea, but it wont be exactly good news for Samsungs lovers.

The Galaxy S8 Release Date Could Be Quite Unpopular

According to Express, the Galaxy S8 will be released on April 15th at an event in New York City, which is a place in which the South Korean giant has already unveiled some of its most famous devices. Naturally, this confirmed the previous rumors that suggested that Samsung would launch its flagship in April, which was something that customers didn't like considering that it was expected that the mobile device could be released at the Mobile World Congress in Spain. The company usually launches the next entry in its Galaxy S smartphone series in this event, which is going to be held from February 27 to March 3rd this year.

A Spectacular Phone That Could Excel Expectations

Nevertheless, as reported in a previous article, the Galaxy S8 is expected to be one of the greatest mobile devices ever released, thanks to a number of specs and features that would blow customers minds and achieve the goal of restoring the brands reputation. In fact, one of the phones major changes will be the removal of the home button, and the way in which the user will have to become accustomed to pressing on-screen virtual buttons.

As reported by UberGizmo, even when is not known how reliable is the information regarding the release date of the Galaxy S8, many suggest that this could be the exact moment when the flagship will be finally shown to the smartphone world. Lets just wait and see what happens.
The parent company of Doom creator id Software and of the Fallout publisher Bethesda, ZeniMax Media, has the intent to prove that Facebook-owned Oculus VR has been build based on stolen tech.

ZeniMax Sued Oculus In 2014

Back in May 2014, Rockville, Maryland-based ZeniMax sued Oculus, alleging that in the development of the Oculus Rift headset the VR startup has been misappropriated certain trade secrets. The lawsuit was filed weeks after John Carmack has been publicly accused by ZeniMax of providing technology to Oculus. Carmack, occupying at present the position of Oculus chief technology officer, used to be the chief executive at id Software.

ZeniMax Vs. Oculus Trial Begins

ZeniMax has accused Oculus that it deliberately destroyed evidence in an attempt to cover up the theft of tech behind Oculus Rift VR headset and some of its foundational elements.

The $2 billion 2014 lawsuit goes to trial in a Dallas courtroom. The trial is set over who actually created the tech behind the popular Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. According to Polygon, Oculus did confirm that Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify on Tuesday, Jan. 17.

Others expected to testify in the trial are tech and forensic experts, as well as the former id Software co-founder and chief tech officer Carmack. Oculus co-founder and Rift inventor Palmer Luckey will also take the stand later in the week.

According to Venture Beat, this is one of biggest trials in underway in the gaming industry, with billions on the line. More exactly, in the trial, ZeniMax is seeking in damages the same amount that Facebook bought Oculus for in 2014, $2 billion. This means that in case the court decides in favor of ZeniMax, Oculus could lose a great amount of money.

Positions Of The Two Companies

In the year 2016, the new VR industry came alive with the release of the PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift, but this lawsuit adds drama to the emerging market. ZeniMax says in its statement that the company welcomes the opportunity to present substantial evidence of misappropriation of its intellectual propriety with the start of the trial in Federal District Court in Dallas against defendants Oculus and Facebook. That evidence includes the theft of highly confidential information and trade secrets, including computer code. ZeniMax is also ready to present evidence of the defendants' intentional destruction of evidence.

On its turn, Oculus also released a statement, in an attempt to counter Zenimax's claims. According to Oculus, the company is eager to present its case in court and it is disappointed that another company is attempting to take credit for VR technology by using litigation. Oculus and its founders have invested money and time in developing VR with the aim to fundamentally transform the way people interact and communicate, that statement says.

Previously, in August 2016, Oculus told GamesBeat that the complaint filed by ZeniMax conveys only ZeniMax's interpretation of the story and it is one-sided. According to Oculus, the case has no merit and the company is waiting to address all of the allegations in court.
When cell phones first started to gain mass popularity, Nokia and BlackBerry were some of the biggest names in the industry. But with the introduction and development of smartphones, these two brands were somewhat forgotten and began to be remembered on nostalgic whims. But neither company is going anywhere and have already released two well-regarded devices, the Nokia 6 and the BlackBerry Mercury.

The iPhone was first introduced by the late Steve Jobs in 2007, a debut that changed the platform of communication. But since then, tech giants like Apple and Samsung have mastered the technology and have therefore dominated the market. Nevertheless, Nokia and BlackBerry never really disappeared - and this year is estimated to be both companies' comeback year.

As C|Net notes, the Nokia 6 and the BlackBerry Mercury are both expected to launch globally at the Mobile World Congress in February. The event has been an annual staple that showcases the most exciting and most modern items and technology. It might also work well for the companies as the units will get the necessary media attention without the pressure of a stand-alone launch.

Nevertheless, the publication continues on to point out that neither Nokia nor BlackBerry is actually stamping their names on the handhelds. The Nokia 6 is technically licensed by HMD and manufactured by Foxconn FIH Mobile. Meanwhile, Blackberry still has control of its software like the BlackBerry Hub, but TCL owns the license to manufacture the phone. The pressure of a successful smartphone is thereby not carried by one company alone.

Another change that is coming to the Nokia 6 and the BlackBerry Mercury is that both tech companies have welcomed Android as an operating system. At the beginning, Nokia partnered up with Microsoft to launch the Lumia line while BlackBerry used its own OS. The Nokia 6 will be the company's first foray into Android territory, but the BlackBerry Mercury will run on a combination of Android and the company's own security software.

The similarities, however, seem to end there as both handhelds cater to different target audiences. While the Nokia 6 is considered to be a midrange phone, the BlackBerry Mercury is targeted to compete with higher end models. Nokia's flagship sells for about US$250 in China. The price for BlackBerry's contender is still unknown at this point, but TCL does have plans in place for a range of devices that hit all ranges, with Mercury topping it all off.

Nokia's smartphone branding has always fought against other mid-range devices, but this does not mean it will succeed in doing so. However, adopting the Android OS is sure to boost its popularity from the onset. Meanwhile, BlackBerry looks to be holding on to past strengths as it reintroduces its classic QWERTY keyboard.

As Mirror UK notes, the both devices were announced at the recently concluded Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. But while the Nokia 6 will be released in China exclusively, very little was actually divulged about the BlackBerry Mercury. More is expected to be learned at MWC 2017.
It is known that there are vast resources to be mined in space. The resources that could be harnessed could supply our demands. NASA plans to mine asteroid that could supply us with minerals worth quadrillions. One of the potential asteroid is Psyche. The asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter is thought to be rich in metals. It was first identified by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis and named Psyche after the Greek word for soul in March 1852.

Earlier this week, NASA funded a robotic mission to Psyche. The mission is scheduled to launch in 2023. This will be the first mission to visit a metallic asteroid, an extremely rare object in our solar system. Previous missions from NASA visited icy planets and rocky worlds such as the Vesta and Ceres. It was thought that Psyche could have grown into Mars-like mass but its rocky outer layers have been stripped away by collisions some billions of years ago. The core that remains is thought to be made out of nickel and iron and is about the size of Massachusetts.

The psyche mission led by scientists from Arizona State University will launch in 2023 and will reach the asteroid by 2030. The spacecraft will collect data about Psyche's topography and composition. The robotic mission will also send GIF-able images of the asteroid. By studying Psyche, researchers hope to be able to better understatnd our own iron core and how planets form. Psyche is the only round metal body in our solar system. According to some scientists, the price tag of the Psyche asteroid could be $10,000 quadrillion as reported SF Gate.

Other missions from NASA will include the Lucy mission which will be exploring the Trojan asteroids. The Lucy mission will be launched in 2021. This week NASA also announced that it would fund the Near Earth Object Camera project for another year which will launch an infrared telescope to track potentially dangerous asteroids near Earth in 2021.

Although the prospect of asteroid mining seems farfetched today NASA plans to mine asteroid and some companies are already looking into the development of technology that would one day allow us to mine asteroids. One such company is Planetary Resources. The potential for asteroid mining is very big and although it is still in its infancy, some companies and governments are looking into this possibility as reported in an article by The Atlantic.
Back at the CES 2017 held in the first week of January, Qualcomm supposedly revealed a Nokia device that has yet to be announced.

Nokia itself was highlighting its first-ever Android phone in the Nokia 6 but Qualcomm inadvertently ruined the surprise for Nokia fans. The American telecommunications equipment manufacturer was showing the difference between two of its products using the yet-to-be-revealed Nokia 8.

The video below was taken by Total Tech at the Qualcomm booth at the CES tech trade show. It clearly shows two smartphones side by side and connected to some sort of device under the stand. As the stand vibrates, one of the phones' screen is also vibrating while the other remains stable.

Qualcomm was actually trying to show the difference between its Snapdragon 821 and Snapdragon 835, particularly the 835 processor's real-time image stabilization. The person behind the camera loudly states that the phones are actually a pair of Nokia 8 phones or what is also referred to as the Nokia Supreme.

Qualcomm has gone on record to deny the rumors and expressed that the company is not in the habit of disclosing "details of our reference design". In an email sent to Nokiamob by Catherine Baker, Qualcomm's Senior Manager of Public Relations, Qualcomm clearly states that the reports are "not accurate". Qualcomm also stated that the Snapdragon 835 tests were conducted using its own reference design. The company went on to say that it uses its own reference design devices in its demos every year.

The man behind Total tech, however, stands by what he reported. He insists that a staff member at the exhibit told him that the reference hardware was manufactured for Qualcomm by Nokia.

With Nokia 8 rumors clipped in the wings, the focus falls back on the current handset that Nokia will soon release in China. The Nokia 6 is the follow up to HMD and Nokia's recent releases, the Nokia 150 and 150 Dual Sim.

According to PC Advisor, the Nokia 6 will be officially introduced at the Mobile World Congress this February.
Water in space has been discovered in several planetary bodies. The most recent discoveries on Ceres, Mars and Pluto that these planets have water ice on their surfaces have sent the scientific community abuzz. The new discovery could mean that life could be supported outside of our planet.

A study published in the journal Nature Astronomy claims that Ceres, the largest asteroid in our solar system has ice hidden in its craters similar to that of the moon and mercury. The asteroid is located between Mars and Jupiter. The study reveals that Ceres has slightly angled poles which play a crucial part in the presence of water. By using images taken by the Dawn Spacecraft, scientists were able to identify around 634 craters that are safely shielded from the sun's rays.

Another study done by NASA on the planet Pluto revealed that it has a slushy ocean of liquid water beneath the planet's Tombaugh region. Scientists also reported that on Mars, an area bigger than the state of New Mexico is made up of an ice layer that is covered by 10 meters of soil. It contains as much water as Lake Superior on Earth. This is being studied as a possible resource for astronauts in future Mars explorations as reported in an article by Tech Times.

Farther away, scientists have found the oldest and largest body in existence in space. Around a black hole 12 billion light years away, an unimaginable vapor cloud of water exists. This cloud could supply the entire planet's worth of water. The official NASA news release estimates the water supply at around 140 trillion times of all the water in the world's oceans. According to the release, this water cloud could supply 28 galaxies with water.

With our current technology however, this discovery of water vapor clouds in space is a mere discovery. We do not have the means to harness water resource from 12 billion light years away. The announcement from NASA will serve as a reminder that the universe is full of surprises and our understanding of the universe is evolving as reported in the Fast Company.
A few years ago, most CIO searches entailed looking for IT leaders who could juggle Big Bang projects, such as data center consolidations and ERP overhauls. Companies asked prospective candidates how many people theyve led and inquired about their management style.

Those traits remain important but most CEOs today seek CIOs who can harness digital technologies to transform their businesses and boost revenue growth, says Heidrick & Struggles partner Matt Aiello. They demand forward-thinking change agents with a nose for serving digitally savvy customers.

When you get at what makes a CIO successful  its about mobilizing resources and driving a customer-centric organization, Aiello tells CIO.com.

Heidrick & Struggles Matt Aiello, partner at Heidrick & Struggles,

But CIOs talented and fortunate enough to land a gig crafting a digital transformation stand on the razors edge between opportunity and risk. Success can result in a promotion such as Goldman Sachs recent elevation of CIO Marty Chavez to CFO. Failure can lead to replacement with another CIO or even a chief digital officer.

One thing is certain: Strong appetites for emerging technologies, with all of their potential risks and rewards, coupled with a willingness to fail fast and move forward, are essential for CIOs navigating the digital era, in which innovation is no longer a dilemma but an imperative.

Innovators dilemma has become the innovators imperative

CIOs can look at virtually any business sector and grasp the portents of the situation. Sears, Macys, Wal-Mart and countless other retail stalwarts are shedding staff and closing stores as Amazons ecommerce tendrils grow longer. Financial services companies are automating jobs through artificial intelligence technologies. The reminders of disruptive services travel with CIOs as they Uber around a city, fully aware of the risks facing their businesses.

Villanova University Stephen Andriolem, professor at Villanova University.

The potential for disruption of a business model or an entire industry is at an all-time high, says Villanova University professor Stephen Andriole, who teaches undergraduate and graduate students about the role technology plays in business strategy and execution. Companies have to be looking over their shoulders constantly because they may be disrupted by technology they dont even understand and a business model they dont understand.

In 2016, Andriole surveyed 150 CIOs, CTOs and other tech decision-makers and found that these leaders are throwing validated business requirements out the window and piloting technologies they believe might help their companies, regardless of how well they understand the problems these technologies might solve.

Only 33 percent of respondents have a defined process for adopting emerging technology and 68 percent were very or somewhat comfortable with a technology first/requirements second approach to emerging technology adoption. Moreover, less than 30 percent have processes in place to measure the return-on-investment of their emerging technology pilots.

Andriole says that fear of being lapped by competitors is motivating companies to quicken their development velocity. Watch and wait has been replaced by a full-speed ahead mentality. This piles risk onto the already dicey proposition of playing with new technologies.

Andriole says that companies can mitigate the risk of disruption by designating staff to scan the horizon for disruptive technologies, testing new solutions and quickly deciding to adopt or abandon the work. There needs to be a new core competency around rapid tech adoption so you can succeed fast or fail fast, Andriole says.

The new burning platform is  the CIO?

Andrioles position has merit when you consider that youd be hard-pressed to find a CIO who isnt building software in agile and DevOps methodologies to get minimally viable products out the door.

Ultimately, the CIO is still the best person to guide their companies through these tectonic shifts and drive change, right?

Perhaps, but the reality is that enterprises are littered with numerous IT transformation failures. Heidrick & Struggles Aiello says such disasters have cracked open the door for chief digital officers, chief data officers and even CMOs, who use digital, data and obsess over customers, respectively, to shepherd change.

The notion that the CIO is the be-all, end-all of technology in an organization I think those days are over, Aiello says.

What isnt in question is that large companies are warming to the CDO role, based on developments over the past two years. In a bold organizational change triggered by General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt, GEs transformation into a multi-billion-dollar industrial software enterprise is shepherded by its global CDO, Bill Ruh. In the waning months of 2016, Volvo Cars replaced a senior IT leader with CDO Atif Rafiq, Emaar Properties hired Alaska Airlines CIO Veresh Sita to inject digital into its real estate developments and Sprint hired Comcasts Rob Roy as its CDO while Kroger named Yael Cosset as its new CDO.

Regardless of the current CIO-CDO shuffling, some say that digital transformations, however sweeping and comprehensive, are just the latest Big Bang projects. Once they are completed, the CDO-CIO shuffling will subside.

Korn/Ferry International Gerry McNamara, global managing director at Korn/Ferry International.

Gerry McNamara, global managing director of the information officers practice at Korn/Ferry International, says that companies will always employ a senior leader responsible for IT assets.

Some will be known as the CDO and others CIO, McNamara says. Because IT budgets are increasing and IT assets can have a greater impact on an organizations ability to conduct its mission the influence of a CDO or CIO will only increase.
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Most kids get into the entrepreneurship at an early age by either selling cookies door to door or setting up lemonade stands in front of their homes. But few have attained the success of 12-year-old Mikaila Ulmer. At a tender age, is the founder and CEO of Me & The Bees Lemonade.

According to Time, Ulmer started her business with a 1940s lemonade recipe from her grandmother that uses flaxweed and local honey as sweetener. Last year, she received a $60,000 investment from Daymond John when she appeared on Shark Tank.

Soon, Whole Foods saw the potential in Ulmers product and has signed a deal with the tween to sell the beverage in 55 stores across Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Though this level of success may cause other entrepreneurs to grow careless with their finances, Ulmer is making sure to take control of her business with a few simple tips.

Ulmer told CNBC that entrepreneurs should track their numbers using technology. She recommends using an online tool, such as a spreadsheet that can be shared with team members, to allow anyone involved in the business with access to the data.

The CEO said that her father has taught her to be aware of her numbers, and that putting together a budget, listing her expenses, and estimating her income is a must to succeed.

Ulmer revealed that her schoolmates often come to her asking for money advice.

We love to come up with different ideas to make money or different ways to solve a problem, she said.

Apart from her savvy business skills, Ulmer has gained admiration for giving back to her community and for raising awareness for an important cause. The massive decline of honeybees has raised concern even in the White House, and the young CEO has pledged to invest both her time and resources to save the bees. A portion of the profits from her sale of her lemonade is given to organizations fighting hard to save the honeybees.

With young innovators like Mikaila Ulmer at the helm of the growing kidpreneur movement, the future looks bright for aspiring young entrepreneurs in America.

For more, check out Jobs & Hires report on 13-year-old entrepreneur Asia Newson.
The resignation of the Federal Trade Commissions chairwoman may signal that Herbalife faces a lower-wattage federal spotlight with the Trump administration, according to analysts.

Edith Ramirez, known for putting multi-level marketing companies in her regulatory bulls eye, announced Friday her plans to resign from the FTC on Feb. 10. She will have served as chairwoman for nearly four years at that time.

Herbalife agreed July 15 to pay a $200 million penalty to the FTC as part of a settlement, as well as a $3 million penalty to the Illinois Attorney Generals Office. All of the companys restructuring changes to accommodate FTC requirements are set to be in place by May.

The agency cited the Herbalife settlement among Ramirez top accomplishments, along with a $10 billion settlement with Volkswagen Group of America for its clean diesel advertising campaign.

Ramirez said July 15 that Herbalife is going to have to start operating legitimately, making only truthful claims about how much money its members are likely to make.

Although Ramirez said the FTC purposefully avoided using the term pyramid scheme in reaching the settlement, she added individuals can draw their own conclusions on what Herbalife should be called.

Investors responded to Ramirez resignation news Friday by sending Herbalifes share price up 4.5 percent, or by $2.26, to close at $52. The 52-week share price range is $42.26 to $72.22.

Timothy Ramey, an analyst with Pivotal Research, has been among the most bullish on Herbalife with a share-price target of $90.

With the departure of Chair Ramirez, the FTC will have three empty seats (out of five), which means the Trump administration and its appointees will clearly influence the future course of the FTC for many years, Ramey said.

Ramey cautioned investors not to put too much emphasis on Ramirez departure.

We knew the Trump administration generally would be more business-friendly and less activist than the Obama administration, Ramey said.

As example, Ramey cited Betsy DeVos nomination as Education secretary as a very strong signal that the Trump administration had no real issue with the MLM (multi-level marketing) world since DeVos counts as a billionaire because of the familys ownership of Amway.

Ramey also noted that Carl Icahn, Herbalifes largest shareholder at 24.18 percent, or 22.5 million shares, has been named as a Trump adviser on regulatory reform issues.

On Jan. 10, the FTC said refund checks are on the way to nearly 350,000 individuals who lost money running Herbalife businesses. The compensation criteria include Herbalife participants between 2009 and 2015 who paid at least $1,000 to Herbalife and generally got little or nothing back from the company.

Although the FTC said most partial refund checks would range from $100 to $500, the most could be worth more than $9,000.

The agency separately posted Jan. 10 a blog in which it listed lessons learned both by the FTC and the multi-level marketing industry  from settlements with Herbalife and Vemma Nutrition Co., an Arizona multi-level marketing company.

Tony Plath, a finance professor at UNC Charlotte, said the FTC is likely to act less hostile toward corporations under the Trump administration.

Just how much less aggressive and more friendly remains to be seen, Plath said. Trump has indicated that hes giving agency heads and cabinet-level appointments wide latitude to run their respective agencies as they see fit.

At this point, however, its clear that there will be some sort of regulatory relief for the company, less scrutiny of its business model, and less vigorous enforcement of the regulatory sanctions placed on the company last summer, Plath said.

Herbalifes $130 million manufacturing plant in Winston-Salem serves as a pivotal global production facility.

The company has expressed confidence it will fulfill its July 2015 pledge to double its local workforce to more than 800 full-time employees by the end of 2018. The workforce was at 615 at last count in November.

Accusations of Herbalife operating as a pyramid scheme were made public by billionaire hedge-fund activist Bill Ackman the same day  Dec. 19, 2012  that Herbalife said it would take over the closed Dell Inc. computer-assembly plant in Winston-Salem. There has not been any confirmation that Ackman timed his campaign against the company to counter the plant announcement.

Michael Johnson, Herbalifes chairman and chief executive, said in a statement on the FTC settlement that it is an acknowledgment that our business model is sound and underscores our confidence in our ability to move forward successfully. Otherwise, we would not have agreed to the terms.

Johnson will step down as chief executive June 1 to concentrate on his role as executive chairman.

Other remaining regulatory and legal investigations involving Herbalife include the U.S. attorneys office in Manhattan, the FBI, the New York Attorney Generals Office, the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
N.C. set to gain $18M

in Moodys settlement

North Carolina will receive $16 million from an $863 million settlement announced between the U.S. Justice Department and 21 attorneys general with Moodys Corp.

The settlement, reached Friday, also affects Moodys Investors Service Inc. and Moodys Analytics Inc.

The focus of the settlement was an investigation into Moodys conduct and representations of independence in the rating of mortgage-backed securities. This type of activity, specifically structured finance securities backed by subprime mortgages, was at the center of the 2008 financial crisis.

Moodys was accused of altering its rating process so that the Aaa ratings it assigned to structured finance securities made up of residential mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations did not accurately convey the risk of those securities.

As a result, Moodys assigned inflated credit ratings to toxic assets the Wall Street investment banks packaged and sold between 2001 and 2007.

Moodys has agreed to an annual certification, for a four-year period, by its chief executive that Moodys has maintained the compliance measures.

Richard Craver

Local businessmen offer securities for SneeZ

A former Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. executive and two Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center doctors have filed to raise $250,000 in securities for a company known as SneeZ LLC. The filing was submitted Friday.

SneeZ was founded in 2016, according to the filing. Steve Lineberger was listed as chief executive and a director. Other listed directors are Dr. Steve Hodges, Charles Johnson and Dr. William Satterwhite.

The filing did not describe SneeZs operations other than it is a technology company. A Google search did not turn up a company website.

Richard Craver

First Citizens takes

over failed N.J. bank

First Citizens BancShares Inc. said Friday that its subsidiary, First Citizens Bank, has entered into an agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to take over a failed New Jersey bank.

Harvest Community Bank, based in Pennsville, N.J., has four branches. First Citizens acquired the bank, branches and $126.4 million in total assets on Saturday.

Since July 2009, First Citizens has become a preferred acquirer of failed banks through FDIC agreements, having completed at least 10.

During 2016, it gained banks in Wisconsin (North Milwaukee State Bank in March) and Pennsylvania (First CornerStone Bank in May). In September, First Citizens completed its $35 million purchase of Cordia Bancorp Inc. of Midlothian, Va., where it gained $353.8 million in total assets.

First Citizens now has more than 550 branches in 21 states and total assets of $32.9 billion.

Richard Craver
A 22-year-old man was listed in serious, but stable, condition Monday after being shot in the parking lot of Chipotle Mexican Grill near Hanes Mall.

Xavier Antonio Odom of Fiddlers Court, Winston-Salem, was shot once in the leg while he was inside a white Chrysler 200, according to a news release from the Winston-Salem Police Department. The shooting happened about 4 p.m.

"It looks like they were having a normal conversation, and then the suspect shot the victim," Lt. Rick Newnum said.

Witnesses told police they heard one gunshot and saw the victim get out of the Chrysler. He then got into a vehicle parked nearby that had brought him to the location before he got into the Chrysler, police said. That vehicle and the unknown driver drove Odom to Forsyth Medical Center. He was later transferred to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

The Chrysler 200 left the scene before police arrived.

This does not appear to be a random shooting, police said. All the parties involved appear to have known each other or had prearranged a meeting at the restaurant for an unknown reason.

Police closed the parking lot for a couple of hours after the incident.

The police department requests that anyone with information regarding this crime contact CrimeStoppers at 336-727-2800.
CHRISTIANSBURG, Va.  A court hearing scheduled for Tuesday in Montgomery County is expected to set the stage for the trial of Natalie Marie Keepers, one of two former Virginia Tech students accused in the killing of Blacksburg teen Nicole Lovell.

Keepers, 19, is charged with being an accessory to first-degree murder and with concealing a body.

At a motions hearings scheduled to start Tuesday and run all week in circuit court, lawyers will argue about what evidence can be presented to a jury. Even the locality where the jury would be selected to hear the case is being disputed, with Keepers attorney arguing that she cannot receive a fair trial in Montgomery County.

Keepers trial is presently scheduled for five days beginning March 27.

Her co-defendant, David Edmond Eisenhauer, 19, has his own motions hearings scheduled for Feb. 8 and 9, and a 10-day jury trial set for March 6. He is charged with first-degree murder, abduction and concealing a dead body.

County Commonwealths Attorney Mary Pettitt declined to comment on the motions Monday. Keepers lawyer, Kris Olin of Blacksburg, did not respond to a message asking about the case.

The charges against Eisenhauer and Keepers stem from the January 2016 slaying of Lovell, a 13-year-old who left her home in the middle of the night to meet Eisenhauer.

In earlier hearings, an account has emerged of Keepers regard for Eisenhauer as a sort of mentor  Keepers said that Eisenhauer was a sociopath and she was a sociopath in training, Blacksburg police Det. Ryan Hite testified.

According to investigators and prosecutors, Eisenhauer had exchanged messages with Lovell for about a month, thinking that she was 16 or 17. A friend of Eisenhauers told The Roanoke Times last year that Eisenhauer told him that he was worried that an underage girl hed met would expose him.

The prosecutions version of the case, as laid out so far, is that Eisenhauer persuaded Lovell to meet him on Jan. 27, then slit her throat. He and Keepers eventually hid Lovells body in Surry County, North Carolina, and discarded some of her belongings in West Virginia.

Eisenhauer has denied killing Lovell. He has said he met her on Jan. 27, realized how young she was and left.

Olin argued in a motion filed last month that incriminating statements that Keepers made to police on Jan. 30 and 31 should be discarded because she was questioned for more than 15 hours before being read her Miranda rights  statements that she had the right to remain silent and to seek the advice of an attorney.

On Jan. 31, Keepers signed a statement saying that she had not wanted to talk to an attorney before being questioned. But Olin argued that she did not understand the waiver, or another she signed later that day, because she was exhausted and intimidated.

This week, Olin filed a motion asking for a change of venue in the case. Other motions in Keepers case dispute details of witness subpoenas.
They were taking names after the Martin Luther King Kr. commemoration here on Monday, after black leaders asked people to become active in improving the educational, political and economic standing of black people in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

The president of the local branch of the NAACP and leaders of the Ministers Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity appealed for people to sign up to become active in the efforts by the two groups, which are pursuing similar goals. Hundreds of people attending the commemoration filled Union Baptist Church on North Trade Street, and many crowded into the lobby afterwards as they filled out forms.

We have great committee leaders who have committed themselves to rebuild black power, to rebuild black political power, to rebuild black businesses (and) to strengthen our sons and daughters in the educational system, the Rev. Alvin Carlisle, the president of the Winston-Salem Branch of the NAACP, said during the commemoration speeches.

Keynote speaker Bishop Todd Fulton, the immediate past president of the Ministers Conference, told Mayor Allen Joines, present for the event, that organizational efforts will include making politicians accountable.

If you make sure that some of the money moves from downtown to all over the city ... you are going to get an A, Fulton said.

Fulton appealed for white sympathizers to back their words with dollars and do more business on the eastern side of Winston-Salem where blacks are in the majority.

Singing We Shall Overcome doesnt pay the bills, Fulton said.

The noon commemoration, held Monday for the 37th year, followed the traditional march that starts each year from the site of a breakfast event.

Singing songs, some carrying signs, the marchers made their way north on Trade Street from the vicinity of the Embassy Suites hotel to Union Baptist Church.

Nicole Rhinehardt, walking with her children Kia, Khloe and Kennedie, said it was her first-ever march and she saw the event as a lesson for her kids.

I thought it would be a good thing to give the girls something to participate in and not just sit at home on this special day, Rhinehardt said. I think this is great. As I walk, I reflect on how they (civil rights marchers) walked on the Selma bridge and how generally they walked because of injustice.

John Strong, whos taken part in the march a number of times, said that it is important for white people such as himself to show support for people who have been oppressed or who have gotten the short end of the stick.

Coming just days before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump  a Republican who gained little black support in the recent election  there was more than a little political commentary on hand at the commemoration. Fulton blasted Trump for criticizing civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis (who made a remark questioning Trumps legitimacy) and for vowing to repeal President Barack Obamas signature health care law.

But Fulton quickly pivoted to local concerns, especially education, calling the schools a pipeline for prison, and calling on blacks to organize to force school improvements. The school system, communities and churches have failed on education, Fulton said, though he also mentioned the role of parents:

Black parents have got to get involved, Fulton said, calling on parents to read to their children and volunteer at their childrens schools.

Keeping health care available was on the mind of one marcher, Pat Jordan, on Monday: She said the effort to end Obamas health care plan was a discredit to the human race.

Everybody doesnt have the money that other people have, Jordan said. There are obstacles that keep people from succeeding and having everything that they need to live, and it is our job as Christians and as children of God to move things forward and help those who cannot help themselves.

Lamont Williams, the current president of the Ministers Conference, said that while both his group and the NAACP are trying to organize people, each group has a different focus:

The NAACP is more social-action driven, Williams said. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. also had a spiritual side, which is where the faith-based voice comes in through the Ministers Conference.

Carlisle told Mondays gathering at Union Baptist Church that the local NAACP chapter will be showing a higher profile than it has in the recent past:

In case you havent heard, we are back, Williams said. It is important for you to understand that we are back, we are organized, and we need you to come be with us.

In the audience at Union Baptist was Kalvin Michael Smith, who was freed from prison last year after years of proclaiming his innocence in the 1995 brutal assault of Jill Marker, an assistant manager at the Silk Plant Forest Store on Silas Creek Parkway. Smiths release came after a court ruling that his trial attorney failed to present mitigating factors that could have led to a shorter prison sentence. He and his current attorneys are still trying to clear his name in the assault.

Smith didnt speak at Mondays event, but people applauded a call for his exoneration and compensation for what many believe was a wrongful conviction.

Also at the event, former Winston-Salem City Council member Joycelyn Johnson received the Dare to Make a Difference award for her many years of community involvement.

Meanwhile, an ad-hoc group that wants Winston-Salem to become a so-called sanctuary city for undocumented aliens was busy marching in the King parade and collecting signatures they plan to bring to the Winston-Salem City Council tonight. A sanctuary city is considered to be one that does not cooperate with federal officials in the enforcement of immigration law.
A federal judge has agreed to address Friday the legal complaints addressing Gov. Roy Cooper's attempt to expand the state's Medicaid program.

Judge Louise Flanagan said late Monday she will review by teleconference the injunction request of Republican legislative leaders and the motions to dissolve the request that was made Monday by federal and state health officials.

Attorneys for Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, and House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, have been directed to state any opposition to the dissolution motion by Wednesday.

Flanagan said that following the teleconference, she will "quickly will set any hearing dates on motions as necessary for the continued, efficient administration of the case."

Officials with the U.S. and N.C. Departments of Health and Human Services filed their dissolution motions Monday.

Flanagan's temporary injunction order, issued Saturday, has put the expansion attempt with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on hold at least through Jan. 24.

Both the motions by U.S. Health Sec. Sylvia Burwell and interim state Health Sec. Dempsey Benton ask the court to dissolve the order immediately.

Cooper declared Jan. 6 his proposal to expand Medicaid. He had planned to submit his formal Medicaid waiver amendment request to CMS by Thursday.

Coopers plan amends the Medicaid reform waiver request submitted June 1 by the McCrory administration. That plan focuses on creating a hybrid oversight solution involving for-profit insurers and not-for-profit health care systems with no expansion.

On Friday, Berger and Moore sued the two departments. In a statement, they referred to the state Medicaid program as a welfare entitlement program, and Coopers request as an expansion ploy.

The Benton motion claims the Republican lawsuit suffers from numerous flaws, including an inability to prove they face immediate harm since the expansion would not take effect until Jan. 1, 2018. They also claim the lawsuit targets the powers conferred to the executive branch.

The Burwell motion claims that the legislators' lawsuit does not belong in federal court since it is a state dispute.

"In describing their dispute to this court, the legislators have seriously misstated it," attorneys representing Burwell said.

"Far from asserting a 'dictatorial theory of executive power,' the governor has recognized that he could only implement the proposed amendment if the General Assembly grants budgetary and legal authority before the amendment's contemplated Jan. 1, 2018, effective date.

"It is difficult to think of a greater intrusion on state sovereignty that when a federal court instructs state officials on how to conform their conduct to state law."

Expansion supporters, as well as several academic studies, have determined such a move could benefit more than 500,000 North Carolinians  potentially raising that total to 2.4 million recipients.

North Carolina will miss out on more jobs and better health care without Medicaid expansion, Cooper said. Its frustrating and disappointing that were having to fight our own legislature in court to get it done.

Tax dollars already paid by North Carolinians are funding Medicaid expansion in other states and we want to bring that money back home to work for us here.

CMS would cover 95 percent of the states annual Medicaid expansion administrative costs through 2019, and 90 percent from 2020 onward. Cooper said he would include funding for the states portion in his 2016-17 and 2017-18 state budget proposals.

Berger and Moore claim Coopers request represents an unprecedented effort and an open defiance of the law that the GOP-controlled legislature passed in 2013.

The law prohibits the executive branch from making any expansion attempt without the General Assemblys approval. The law signed by former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory is being challenged by Cooper.

The legislative leaders accuse Cooper and the Obama administration of pressing forward with a state Medicaid expansion in the final days before the Trump administration takes control of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Jan. 20.

Burwell was quoted by McClatchy on Jan. 9 as saying, We will process the governors proposal as expeditiously as possible when we get it.

Even if it is pushed through in the final days of President Obamas tenure, Gov. Coopers plan could ultimately be overturned by the new presidents administration, Berger and Moore wrote.

But state taxpayers could not recoup the millions of dollars in upfront implementation expenses the governors reckless action could cost them.

Nine of the states 10 House Republicans, including Reps. Virginia Foxx (5th District), Mark Walker (6th) and Ted Budd (13th), signed a letter to CMS requesting that officials reject the waiver amendment request from Cooper. The only House Republican not to sign the letter was Rep. Walter Jones (3rd).

On Jan. 10, the state's three Democratic House representatives responded with their own letter to CMS in which they said expansion could save the lives of hundreds of North Carolinians. The representatives are G.K. Butterfield (1st), David Price (4th) and Alma Adams (13th).

Rick Glazier, a former Democratic legislator and executive director of left-learning N.C. Justice Center, called the lawsuit frivolous and groundless.

It turns a solely state law dispute over the power of the governor  one fully capable of being decided, and one that must be decided, by state judges under state law  into a federal case, Glazier said.
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IMEMC |  

Israeli soldiers started, on Monday morning, the illegal uprooting of hundreds of olive trees, as part of a plan to uproot hundreds of Palestinian trees to pave a new road for an illegal colony, east of Qalqilia, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.

The WAFA Palestinian News Agency said the orchards that are being attacked and uprooted by Israel are owned by Palestinians from Nabi Elias, Ezbet at-Tabib and Azzoun town.

It added that the soldiers closed the entire area, after declaring it a closed military zone, and prevented locals, international peace activists and even reporters, from entering it.

Local nonviolent activist Mousa Tabib said the army initiated the uproot and removal of hundreds of olive trees, using a major Israeli construction company.

He added that the attack is just the beginning of the implementation of the Israeli plan to pave a new road that would be used by colonists living in illegal colonies in the district. Israel is uprooting Roman olive trees that date back thousands of years, Tabib added, The Israeli offensive will last for several days and targets more than 3 kilometers of lands.

The planned 3-kilometer-long colonialist road is planned to be 40-70 meters wide, and will lead to the uprooting of more than 2000 olive trees that were planted at least 500 years ago.

Bayan Tabib, a member of the Revolutionary Council of Fateh movement, told the Maan News Agency that the Israeli attack targets the existence of the Palestinian people on their lands, to build and expand colonies, declared illegal by the International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Bayan added that the Israeli Supreme Court recently allowed the illegal confiscation of 104 Dunams (25.6 Acres) of Palestinian land, after rejecting appeals filed by the Palestinian owners of these orchards.

This is an Israeli court that serves and protects the illegal Israeli colonialist occupation of Palestine, he said, Israel must be held accountable for its crimes and escalating violations  it will never be able to uproot us from our lands, such violations just make us stronger and more steadfast.

The planned illegal colonialist road aims at linking many colonies with Israel, while Tel Aviv is claiming the Palestinians will also be able to use it.

Via IMEMC



Related video added by Juan Cole:

TeleSur: Palestines Olive Tree: A Symbol of Resistance
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

Donald Trump picked a fight with almost everyone but his buddy Vladimir Putin this weekend. His continued tweaking of China over its claims on Taiwan produced a sharp rebuke from Beijing. John Brennan, head of the CIA, pushed back against Trumps branding of the agency as a Nazi institution after the golden shower Russian dossier on him was leaked.

Trump gave an interview Monday with the German publication Bild in which he rampaged around like a bull in a China shop, insulting Chancellor Angela Merkel over her immigration policies, threatening BMW with a trade war, putting Merkel and Putin on the same plane with regard to his respect for them, dismissing NATO as outmoded, harming investment, and putting a scare into Eastern Europe that hell abandon them to Putin the way he seems to have acquiesced in the aggression on Ukraine. (See the interview, linked at the bottom of this page, which is in English with German subtitles).

Trump also went again after the Bush administration and his own Republican Party, calling the decision to invade Iraq in 2003 the worst foreign policy decision that the US ever made. It was like, he exclaimed, throwing stones at a beehive.

Asked whom he respected more, Merkel or Putin, Trump said both. Merkel is a treaty ally of the United States. Putin is a frenemy.

Trump said he likes Germany and respects Merkel, but that he disagreed with her decision to admit large numbers of what he called illegals from Syria (he then backed up and said he didnt know where they were from because they werent vetted), and suggested that the decision opened Germany to more terrorism. He also dismissed the European Union as a German project, hinting that it was some sort of money-making scam for Berlin, and complained about a chronic US trade imbalance with the EU, which he said is going to stop. In November, the US exported $21 billion worth of goods to the EU countries and imported $34.8 billion. Trump shrugged and indicated that he didnt care if the EU survived or not, since he saw it as a means for Germany to gain unfair trade advantages over the United States. Trump doesnt understand macro-economics or the function of a trade deficit over time.

Merkel replied curtly, I think we Europeans have our destiny in our own hands. She also said that while the issue of terrorism is a great challenge for everyone, it is a separate question from that of immigration.

Several terrorist attacks by Muslims in Europe have actually been carried out mainly by European-born individuals, mostly petty criminals. A recent attack by truck was perpetrated by someone whose asylum application was rejected but who went into hiding. It wasnt as though he were unvetted.

Most terrorism in Europe in the past decade has been carried out by separatists or far-right groups, not by Muslims.

Trump again slammed NATO, demanding that European countries pony up more funds for it and stop freeloading off the United States. The Bild interviewer tried to get him to understand that this sort of talk was spooking the new eastern European members of NATO. Trump said he knew what was going on, but he declined to back down from his attack.

He also went after BMW, which is building a big new auto plant in Mexico. Trump warns that they wont be allowed to export those cars to the US unless they pay a 35% tariff.

This threat caused BMW stock to drop 2.2% at some points Monday, leveling off at 1%, representing a lost of billions of dollars. Finance specialists warned that Trump is creating an atmosphere in which investors are jittery and putting off investing, which could slow economic growth. They also point out that the US is a member of the World Trade Organization, which would certainly not allow the abrupt imposition of a big new tariff on goods coming in to the US from Mexico. Further, were Trump to follow through on his threats, Germany would retaliate with its own tariffs, which could push the fragile world economy into a Depression.

As for the refugees given asylum in Germany, they are not illegals. Human beings cannot be illegal, for one thing. But the immigration to Germany has typically been through legal channels, and those denied asylum are leaving in ever greater numbers. Germany accepted about a million asylum seekers in the past two years.

Germanys population has been declining and was expected to spiral down from 82 million to 60 million by 2050. This decline threatens the ability of elderly Germans to receive government services, since there are so many fewer workers in the next generation and they cannot generate the same amount of tax returns to the state as did the previous cohort. In part, Merkels decision to let the asylum-seekers in was taken out of charity, but she and her team may also have calculated that the immigrants who brought skills (the majority) could contribute to the economy over time and slow the countrys population decline.

The German Interior Ministry revealed that some 280,000 migrants applied for asylum in 2016. Germany only admits about half of the applicants to full refugee status. Some 70,000 of those rejected have returned home in the past two years. The largest groups of applicants are Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis, Iranians, Eritreans and Albanians.

The US admits roughly 1 million legal immigrants and 70,000 asylees annually, so that Germanys applicants for the past year are exactly proportional to the numbers actually processed by the US, since it is 1/4 as populous. That is, Germany is just behaving more like the US recently, not doing something unheard of, as Trump (who deeply dislikes immigrants from anywhere to anywhere, apparently) said.

The 890,000 asylum applications received by Germany in 2015 are therefore something extremely unusual. That situation derived from a crisis of immigration across the Mediterranean, in which many lives were at stake (some 5,000 attempted immigrants died on the sea last year). In addition, however, it now seems clear that people smugglers set up shop in Turkey and flooded immigrants into Europe, with its open borders, for a fee, taking advantage of the sympathy of the European public for the boat people. Turkey has made an agreement to police its own borders better (and likely to crack down on these coyotes) in return for a payment of $3 billion from the EU. While Europe clearly needs to do something about its border security, Merkels act of compassion and of population policy will certainly benefit the German economy and German dynamism over time. Trump is wrong.

See the Bild Interview with Trump here
[JURIST] The Special Prosecution for the Republic of Kosovo [official website] has filed an indictment against former Kosovo Liberation Army guerrilla Remiz Shala. He is charged [Balkan Insight report] with detaining an Albanian civilian suspected of collaborating with Serbia for several days before he was found dead. The indictment for war crimes against Shala, known during war time as the Red Apple, has been outstanding since October, but was only recently made public. The prosecution was launched when the son of the detained civilian gave a statement saying he witnessed the abduction in 1998.

In January 2016 a special court was set up [JURIST report] in The Hague to investigate and try alleged war crimes committed during 1998-99. In July 2015 11 Kosovo Albanian men were sentenced [JURIST report] to prison for war crimes. In February 2014 Serbias war crimes court convicted [JURIST report] nine former paramilitaries for their involvement in the genocide of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo in 1999. Two former Serbian secret service officials were arrested [JURIST report] under suspicion that they planned the 1999 killing of an anti-government journalist. In 2013 Amnesty International accused [JURIST report] the UN Mission in Kosovo of failing to adequately investigate war crimes committed during the conflict. Kosovo held its first local elections [JURIST report] in November 2013 since it seceded from Serbia in 2008. Serbia still does not recognize the secession.
Omans Foreign Ministry [official website, in Arabic] announced that it has accepted 10 detainees from Guantanamo Bay upon request from the Obama administration. However, there has been no official statement released by the US Defense Department [official website] on the transfer nor has the Oman Foreign Ministry released the names of the detainees. US President-Elect Donald Trump recently called for a halt to the releases, stating [WP report] that the remaining detainees are too dangerous to be allowed back onto the battlefield. Trump currently intends to keep Guantanamo Bay open during his term.

Last month a detainee was transferred [JURIST report] from Guantanamo Bay to the government of Cape Verde, a small country off the Western coast of Africa. In September the Obama administration shut down [JURIST report] Camp 5 of Guantanamo Bay, which was a 100-cell maximum security prison. In August Vice President Joe Biden stated at a press conference in Sweden that he hoped and expected [JURIST report] that the Guantanamo prison would be closed before President Barack Obama leaves office. Also in August the DOD announced the transfer [JURIST report] of 15 Guantanamo detainees to the United Arab Emirates. Earlier in August a US Senator released a Pentagon Report [JURIST report] detailing the profiles of those currently detained in and recently released from the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) concluded that closing the facility would not be in the US best interests and would pose a safety risk.
[JURIST] South Koreas special prosecutor is seeking a warrant [Reuters Report] to arrest Samsung Groups chief Jay Y. Lee [Forbes profile] after accusing Lee of bribing a friend of South Koreas President, Park Geun-hye [BBC profile]. The special prosecutors office claims that Lee paid a total of $36.42 million in bribes to secure the 2015 merger of Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries [corporate websites]; a move which secured Lees position as the head of Samsung Group. Lee is also accused of embezzlement and perjury. Lee is scheduled to appear in the Seoul central district court on Wednesday where the court will decide whether the arrest warrant will be issued.

In November, the Parliament of South Korea appointed a special prosecutor [JURIST report] to investigate Geun-hye for allegedly allowing individuals to influence state affairs. Following the launching of the investigation, Choi Soon-sil, a friend of Gun-hye, and two of her aides were charged with [JURIST report] abuse of power, fraud, and coercion. In December, South Korean lawmakers voted to impeach [JURIST report] Geun-hye for sharing confidential information and extorting millions of dollars from large corporations.
The Turkish Grand National Assembly [official website] approved [Reuters report] on Sunday the final article of a constitutional reform package, which opponents fear will take the country closer toward authoritarianism. Five of the 18 articles were already approved [JURIST report] in the first round on Friday with the support of 340-343 lawmakers. With the approval of the 18th and final article, the first round of voting on the constitutional reforms is now complete. These reforms will essentially turn the government [DW report] from a parliamentary system of governance into a presidential one, thereby increasing the powers of President Tayyip Erdogan [BBC profile] and weakening the powers of the legislative branch. The opposing party, CHP, and the pro-Kurdish HDP party are strongly opposed to these reforms and CHP members came to blows with the ruling AKP party members in the parliament on Friday. Two additional rounds of voting are still needed before the reforms take effect with the final round being a public referendum. The second round is set to begin on Wednesday where each article of the reform package will be debated one at a time.

Since the failed coup in Turkey in July, where Turkish military forces tried to overthrow the Government, the Turkish Government has taken several controversial steps to strengthen its power. In November, Turkey significantly restricted the activities of NGOs [JURIST report] like human rights organizations and childrens groups and arrested opposition party leaders [JURIST report] alleging they were connected to terror organizations. In October, Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] warned [JURIST report] that the emergency decrees put in place after the failed coup, had resulted in serious human rights violations. In July, Amnesty International [advocacy website] condemned [JURIST report] Turkey for attacking the freedom of the press by issuing arrest warrants for 42 journalists.
[JURIST] Ukraine filed suit [press release, PDF] against Russia in the International Court of Justice [official website] on Monday for alleged acts of terrorism and discrimination. The case has been filed for violations under the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism [text] and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination [official website]. Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin [official profile] said: [press release]

As part of its unlawful aggression in Ukraine, the Russian Federation has displayed contempt for the basic human rights of the people of Ukraine.  We have tried to resolve the disputes through negotiation as required by Conventions for more than two years, but the Russian Federation has been unwilling to cease its violations of international law. Therefore, we have filed our case to hold the Russian Federation accountable for these violations and to vindicate the fundamental rights of the Ukrainian people under these treaties, to which the Russian Federation is a signatory.

Russia has repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment. Russias foreign ministry stated [Reuters report] that it would use all available means of legal defense against the suit. The filing itself has no direct consequences for Russia, but other countries could enact penalties against the country if it were found in violation of these accusations.

Russia and Ukraine have been in conflict since the annexation of Crimea [JURIST backgrounder] in March 2014. In December the Amsterdam District Court ruled [JURIST report] that Crimean gold artifacts are to be returned to Ukraine and not Crimea. The artifacts, including gems, helmets and scabbards, were on loan to Amsterdams Allard Pierson Museum when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. A UN report [JURIST report] in December stated that failure by parties in eastern Ukraine to implement the Minsk Agreements has led to numerous human rights violations against Ukrainian civilians.
In a speech before a meeting of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, a senior UN human rights official said Monday that children around the world face ongoing poverty, violence and discrimination [press release]. Kate Gilmore [official profile], the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said [speech] that the worsening migrant crisis was one of the key circumstances leading to widespread human rights abuses. Gilmore said that 26 million children around the world have been displaced from their homes by conflict.

Violations of childrens rights were a serious cause for concern in 2016. In November the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said [JURIST report] that the governments of France and the UK were failing in their obligation to protect refugee children in the Calais Jungle refugee camp. This accusation came on the heels of an administrative court in Lille, France rejecting requests from almost a dozen aid groups and permitting the closure process [JURIST report] of the migrant camp to continue, a decision that forced [CNN report] thousands to seek refuge elsewhere. In October a UN spokesperson said [JURIST report] that Syrias continued infliction of harm on children is a brutal abdication of human rights obligations they have committed to respect. In August Human Rights Watch reported that children from Iraq were being recruited to serve in Iraqi militias. The Convention on the Rights of the Child [official website] was created in 1990 to help mitigate human rights abuses against children.
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) [official website] reported [text, PDF] on Tuesday that a violent period in July 2016 left hundreds of civilians dead, along with more than 200 incidents of sexual assault. The report details violence that occurred between July 8 and July 12, 2016, in the midst of a conflict between the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO). UNMISS recorded 217 instances of rape by both armed groups, as well as many arbitrary arrests. Further, the government of South Sudan clamped down on journalists during and after the conflict; journalists were harassed and intimidated through arrests, threats of violence, and some media houses were shut down.

South Sudan has spent much of its brief history as a nation in civil war. In December the UN Security Council failed [JURIST report] to pass an arms embargo against South Sudan. Two weeks earlier, a UN spokesperson warned [JURIST report] that South Sudan teeters on the brink of disaster. The UN also said [JURIST report] in December that ethnic cleansing was occurring in South Sudan. In September the UN announced, and South Sudan accepted [JURIST report], that it would increase UN peacekeeping forces in the nation from 14,000 to 18,000 in an attempt to stop civilian killings, sexual assaults, and destruction of both public and private property. South Sudan was officially recognized [JURIST report] as an independent nation in July 2011. Conflicts over natural resources, ethnic tensions, and political power have plagued the nation since its inception.
[JURIST] Three UN human rights experts on Tuesday urged Iran to halt the possible execution of a juvenile [press release] that was sentenced to death for fatally stabbing a man. In February 2014 the minor was granted a retrial because of new juvenile sentencing provisions of the 2013 Islamic Penal Code [text, PDF]. However in June 2015 the Provincial Criminal Court of Kermanshah Province ruled that he was mature enough at the time of the crime to understand his actions and rejected his argument of self-defense from a rape attempt. The three experts stated [press release], Iran must observe its international obligations by putting an end to the execution of juvenile offenders once and for all. They also condemned alleged executions of those who are drug offenders. Under international law, countries which have retained the death penalty may only impose it for the most serious crimes, that is, those involving intentional killing. Drug related offences do not meet this threshold.

The UN has placed significant pressure on Iran in recent months for its human rights violations. The UN human rights experts on cultural rights and on freedom of expression called in October for the release of artists [JURIST report] jailed by the Islamic Republic of Iran. In August Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran Ahmed Shaheed expressed outrage [JURIST report] regarding Irans execution of 12 people for drug-related charges on Saturday. The day before the execution, Shaheed had publicly appealed [JURIST report] to the Iranian authorities not to proceed with the planned executions.
[JURIST] Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson [official profile] stated during a news conference [press release] on Monday that legislation has been proposed to abolish the death penalty. The states stance on capital punishment has recently been under question, though lawmakers have historically been reluctant [AP report] to allow votes on bills ending executions. The conversation shifted dramatically when Governor Jay Inslee [official profile] took office in 2014 and issued a moratorium halting all executions during his term. Inslee and other politicians have stressed that the lengthy death penalty appeals process reflects a broken and unjust system. Ferguson was joined by Inslee and fellow Democrats and Republicans in calling for a change to current legislation. The currently proposed bill would not be retroactive and therefore would not affect the states eight death row sentences currently standing. Should the bill succeed, Washington would become the twentieth state to abolish the death penalty.

Capital punishment [JURIST op-ed] remains a controversial issue in the US. Earlier this month the Florida Supreme Court issued an order [JURIST report] informing judges and prosecutors that the states death penalty procedure is unconstitutional, marking the second such order in three months. In October the US Supreme Court vacated [JURIST report] the death sentence of an Oklahoma man convicted of killing his girlfriend and her two children in a case where the trial judge permitted family members to recommend the sentence to the jury. In September in Oklahoma, after a botched execution in 2014 and numerous drug mix-ups in 2015, Attorney General Scott Pruitt refused [JURIST report] to set execution dates until new protocols have been approved. In May the Supreme Court upheld a stay [JURIST report] of execution for Alabama inmate Vernon Madison. A few days before that a Miami judge ruled [JURIST report] that Floridas revamped death penalty law is unconstitutional because it does not require a unanimous agreement among jurors to approve executions. In April Virginias General Assembly voted [JURIST report] to keep secret the identities of suppliers of lethal injection drugs.
Extra help to relieve financial loss caused by death of a child

From:Shanghai Daily | 2017-01-17 01:46

THE city government is looking into how to provide better support and care to families who have lost their only child  and thereby a principal means of support.

Such support would help with medical treatment and insurance, as well as senior care, said Shanghai Vice Mayor Weng Tiehui.

The city had about 15,000 families whose only child had died, and this group of people was a priority for the government, said Weng. The citys civil affairs authorities would also work on extra support policy for seniors needing care services, she said.

Weng was responding to calls from members of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference Shanghai committee who said these families needed more support with medical expenses and senior care services.

Middle-aged or senior people who obeyed Chinas family planning policy at the time and lose their only child face financial, senior care, psychological and medical treatment problems and they urgently need the societys care as they feel lonely and have concerns over who can provide care to them when they are old, Zhang Huaiqiong, a CPPCC member, said.

Current policy mainly covers financial subsidy, which was not enough, and how to help them get through the sorrow and enjoy the rest of their life was important because of their lack of a sense of security, said Zhang.

The biggest problem confronting this group of people is medical treatment and senior care, thus their medical expenses should be covered and senior care homes with a good care system should give priority to them, he added, noting that a medical treatment plan or long-term care insurance was also necessary.

Huang Qi, another member, called for more nursing homes for children under 3 years old to be established.

The nursing problem for such children was urgent as China had now relaxed its one-child policy, Huang said.

She added that about 75 percent of employees wanted to send their children aged under 3 years old to nurseries, according to a survey, but there was often no nursery near their home, and some companies that had opened nurseries for employees had not obtained the necessary licenses.

Most companies, however, were not willing to host nurseries due to a lack of space and funds, while service agencies providing such care were operating in a grey area, she added.

Huang suggested authorities should release specific policies and standards on nursery facility construction and management for children under 3, and encourage companies to develop or co-host nursery agencies for employees.

Zhou Beihua, another CPPCC member, suggested a subsidy to help to pay housing rent for out-of-town young pediatricians.

The number of new pediatricians leaving Shanghai had increased in recent years because of the high rents in Shanghai, she said.

Vice Mayor Weng said the city planned to research setting aside more public rental housing for young teachers and health-care providers.
Beijing strengthens fight against air pollution

From:Xinhua | 2017-01-16 11:44

Beijing will spend 18.2 billion yuan (US$2.6 billion) to fight air pollution in 2017, according to the city government.



This year, the city will strengthen air pollution treatment, replace coal with clean energy for 700 villages, phase out 300,000 high-polluting old vehicles, close or upgrade 2,570 polluting factories, said acting mayor Cai Qi while delivering the city government work report to the annual session of the Beijing Municipal Peoples Congress, which opened on Saturday.

Cai said Beijing will take tougher measures to improve the citys air quality in 2017.

The city will strictly implement emission standards, enhance the environmental law enforcement and establish an environmental protection police force, he said in the work report.

Acts of excessively or secretly discharging pollutants will be severely punished, Cai added.

According to an official of the Beijing Public Security Bureau, the 150-strong environment, food, drug and tourism safety police force has been created and will be officially inaugurated soon.

The environment police squad can detain suspects in serious environment-related cases, Cai told municipal lawmakers.

The environment police will work with the citys environmental protection authorities to crack down on violations in environmental protection, Fang Li, head of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, told qianlong.com, a major news portal in the capital.

Beijings environmental watchdog handled 13,127 environment-related cases in 2016, with fines totaling 150 million yuan, including 40 million yuan for nearly 1,400 air pollution cases.

Last year, Beijing had 198 days with good air quality, up 12 days in 2015.

The city aims to control the annual average density of PM2.5 to around 60 micrograms per cubic meter this year, according to Lu Yan, head of the Beijing Development and Reform Commission.
Photos Credit: Corinthia Hotels

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Concern over childrens education burden

From:Shanghai Daily | 2017-01-16 11:43

Aisin Gioro Dezhen (right), a lawmaker from the Pudong New Area, reports to Shanghai Party chief Han Zheng yesterday on a cleanup campaign which has dredged 14 polluted waterways and demolished 35 polluting factories.  Dong Jun



Educational institutes for children must be regulated and purified, Shanghais Party chief Han Zheng told local lawmakers yesterday.

As well as the legal and authorized institutes that have been appearing in the city in greater numbers, there were misleading and even illegal ones, Han said during a group discussion at the annual session of the Shanghai Peoples Congress.

We will disappoint the citizens and our children if the government failed to regulate and purify the education training market, Han said.

Many parents are pushing their children to attend such classes in the hope of making them more competitive, according to the Shanghai Education Commission.

Children are spending more hours doing homework than their parents are working, Hang said. The parents are also exhausted because they have to accompany and teach their children.

He urged officials to listen to the concerns of parents, especially those whose children are preparing for exams.

He also called for better treatment of teachers at local schools.

The citys education commission has been encouraging parents to stop sending children to academic training classes. Some experts have also criticized the practice as putting unnecessary pressure on children and families.

However, the training institutes are proving popular with local parents who are anxious for their children to get ahead with their studies.
Casting a vote on behalf of the people of Nebraskas 3rd District is a great privilege. Much of the work to dig deeper into legislative issues and prepare bills for votes on the House floor takes place in committees.

Since 2011, I have served on the House Ways and Means Committee, which puts me on the front lines of the debate on how to create jobs, promote economic growth and impact tax policy.

My priority in Congress has always been to secure greater opportunity for Nebraskans. I am honored to be taking on a new role as chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources, which has jurisdiction over a wide range of anti-poverty, welfare and social services programs, as well as foster care and adoption.

The Subcommittee will examine our countrys anti-poverty programs to ensure the end goal is helping people meet their potential through independence and productivity. Rewarding work and addressing reverse incentives in these programs is crucial to helping Americans escape poverty. I look forward to leading our efforts to demand positive results that break the cycle of government dependency and empower people with greater freedom and economic opportunity.

This new role also provides another avenue for Nebraska producers to help shape Americas agriculture policy. The Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee works closely with the House Agriculture Committee on issues related to the farm bill, namely the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). We must look carefully at the programs effectiveness, ensuring it is focused on those in need while enabling our agriculture producers to provide more Americans with nutritious food.

As we begin work on the next farm bill, I look forward to many conversations with producers in the 3rd District to seek their input and expertise. I will also be collaborating with Nebraskas new Second District Representative Don Bacon in his role on the House Agriculture Committee.

I will continue working on the Ways and Means Committee to open new markets for Nebraska agriculture producers, simplify our tax code and pursue patient-centered health care. Under a unified government, I am optimistic we can come together on these issues and overhaul our regulatory system to provide needed relief.

I have also been selected to join the Committee on House Administration. The focus of the committee is to make government work for the people through its oversight of the Houses daily operations as well as federal elections. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on this important panel to ensure efficient and responsible operations in the House and help preserve the integrity of our election system.

We have an exciting and productive year ahead. I hope you will keep in touch with me as we tackle a full slate of issues in Congress. If you have not joined my e-newsletter list to receive regular updates, I encourage you to sign up on my website at AdrianSmith.house.gov/Newsletter. Thank you for sharing your ideas, stories and questions to help me better represent you.

Rep. Adrian Smith represents Nebraskas 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Smiths district spans 68 counties and is the largest rural district in the House.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer Joe Smyth takes the stand at the Commission of Inquiry into the death of Donald Dunphy in St.John's on Monday, January 16, 2017 for his first day of questioning. Smyth, who shot Dunphy in his house in April 2015, is the only witness to the event and is expected to be on the stand for the next three days. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly
LIVE Razboi in Ucraina, ziua 254: Putin ordona evacuarea populatiei din Herson / Ucraina se teme ca pierde accesul la reteaua Starlink / Sute de mii de locuinte din Kiev nu au electricitate / Inca o zi cu pierderi foarte mari pentru rusi
An Irish Australian family are desperately trying to shed some light into their grandfather's past and reveal his identity.

The man in the photograph was called Daniel Peter Molloy and his family are trying to trace his roots.

His grand daughter, Karen Thorn contacted The Kilkenny People looking for help in unearthing her Irish ancestors.

Our grandfather was from Kilkenny, that's what he told us. He said that he was from a farming family and was the eldest of 15 children.

Now er know that the Irish are great at spinning yearns and maybe stretching the truth just a little.

We now know after many years and fruitless attempts to trace our family history, that he was probably not, who he said he was. That our family name is not truely ours. But, there is alway an ounce of truth buried in lies and deception, isn't there, his granddaughter, Karen said.

We were told that his mother's name was Mary Brett and that he knew the Castlecomer area well. He maintained in his later years that he was born in 1888 in Kilkenny and said that he had done an awful thing once. He arrived in Australia in 1916/1917 on a Navy Merchant Ship but there are no records of his arrival. We knew him as Pa Molloy, while everyone else knew him as Daniel Peter Molloy. We are asking anyone with information to contact us and help us to piece together the puzzle, added Karen.

Anyone with information can contact Karen Thorn at thorn_karen@yahoo.com.au
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
Perhaps Ive been spending too much time with my young kids, but Ive gotten to be quite good at wagging my finger and speaking in a stern, fatherly voice. I love my kids dearly, but at times the rascals need a little discipline. And chances are, when it comes to making full use of your 401(k) plan, you do too. So, as my glasses slide down my nose, Im going to put on my slippers, roll up my Financial Times newspaper and shake it in your general direction.

So, you  yes, you there! Sit down and listen up because this is important. And dont you dare click out of this column. What Im about to tell you is for your own good.

If youre not taking full advantage of your 401(k) plan  well, shame on you. Those things arent free, you know. Your employer spends a lot of money administering the thing  for your benefit. So, if you cant be bothered to log in or fill in the forms to participate, youre just a derned fool. Do you know how many starving children in Ethiopia would love to have a 401(k) plan like yours?

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

At my first job, we didnt have 401(k) plans. I had to settle for the measly $2,000 I was allowed to contribute to an IRA at the time. Well, I maxed out that IRA, and I loved it! But what I wouldnt have done for a proper 401(k) plan. So, show some gratitude, would ya?

I know, I know. Money saved in a 401(k) plan is money you cant spend on some newfangled gewgaw. But if you make decent money, a huge chunk of it is just going to end up going to the tax man.

Stop and use your head for a minute. If youre in the 28% tax bracket  and if youre still single (at your age!), you would be in the 28% bracket at an income of just $91,150  then you effectively earn a 28% return on every dollar you contribute, as of Day One. Would you rather that 28% go to the government? Yeah, thats what I thought.

You can save $18,000 in a 401(k) plan in 2017. Thats $692 per paycheck. You can do that. Your grandmother used to feed a family of seven growing kids on $692 per year and never complained. So stop your whining, log in to your plan or call your HR department now and get your contributions on track.

Dont make me come over there and swat you with my newspaper.

And matching  dont even get me started on matching. When I was your age, I was lucky if my cheapskate boss matched me even 2%. These days, Ive seen companies match as much as 6% or 7%. If youre too big of a sissy to contribute the full $18,000 in salary deferral to your 401(k) plan, then for crying out loud, at least contribute enough to get the full matching amount from your employer. If you dont, youre leaving money on the table. And I dont know about you, son, but I dont have a money tree in the backyard. When someone offers me free money, I take it.

OK, Im going to unroll the newspaper and push my glasses back into place for a moment. In all seriousness, this is the time of year to make changes to your 401(k) plan. If youre not already maxing out your 401(k) for the full $18,000 (or $24,000 if youre 50 or older) you really should make that a priority. Even if the stock market fails to return a single red cent, the tax savings and employer matching alone make it more than worthwhile.

I realize that not everyone can realistically defer $18,000 of their annual pay. If youre young, recently started a family or have a non-working spouse, that might not be an attainable goal. But here are a few tips to get you closer.

If you got a raise to start the year, I strongly encourage you to allocate the difference to your 401(k) plan. You were already surviving at your previous pay rate; continue to live your current lifestyle a little longer, and push the salary increase into your retirement plan. Years from now, youll be happy you did.

If you generally get large tax refunds every year, consider chatting with your HR department about increasing the number of exemptions you claim. This will cause you to withhold less in taxes, which will boost your paychecks. You can then use your higher effective pay to contribute more to your 401(k) plan.

And finally, consider living more modestly. If you rent an apartment, consider getting a roommate or downgrading to a cheaper place. Money spent on rent is effectively money wasted. Its better to use that money to build your future.

Listen to me, son. Its for your own good.

Charles Lewis Sizemore, CFA is chief investment officer of Sizemore Capital Management LLC, a registered investment adviser based in Dallas. Charles is a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg TV and Fox Business News, has been quoted in Barron's Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post and is a frequent contributor to Yahoo Finance, Forbes Moneybuilder, GuruFocus, MarketWatch and InvestorPlace.com.
The countdown continues, as now only three days remain until Donald Trump becomes the 45th President of the United States. Although there continues to be many uncertainties as to what this new administration will accomplish, Trumps hands on leadership style is beginning to emerge. We are witnessing his unique methodology even before he takes the oath of office.

How Trump Views US Dollar Strength

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said that the US dollar was, too strong. Our companies cant compete with them [Chinese companies] now because our currency is too strong. And its killing us.

At the same time, we are also beginning to see his senior advisers advance his message and ideology. Anthony Scaramucci, who will become a White House senior adviser in three days, spoke at the World Economic Forum today and cautioned about the downsides of a stronger US dollar. According to Reuters, he said it could make it tough for the President-elect to deliver on a promise of a revitalization for the US economy.

We need to be careful about the rising currency, not just because of what is going on internationally but it will have an impact internally to the United States as well.

A Year for Gold to Shine as the US Dollar Drops

Since January 3, traders have witnessed a roughly 3% decline in the value of the US Dollar Index. At the same time, we have seen gold prices rising dramatically, moving from approximately $1143 at the beginning of January to $1215 per ounce currently.

We are certainly beginning to see a major shift from bearish to bullish market sentiment in regards to gold prices. More so a continuation of US dollar weakness will provide a long-needed tailwind. This would be a key difference from last years dramatic US Dollar Index rise, and could certainly add to the current upward momentum we are witnessing in gold prices.

For those who would like a deeper analysis, I invite you sign up for a free trial of our daily video newsletter, The Gold Forecast. Simply use the link at the bottom of this report to sign up.

Wishing you as always, good trading,

Gary Wagner

Thegoldforecast.com
HANOI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official market and indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi at 0126 GMT.

Jan 17 Jan 16 USD/VND mid-point 22,168 22,161

USD/VND interbank 22,570/22,572 22,568/22,575 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.40/36.72 36.45/36.77

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)
(Kitco News) - Jan 17  With just days to go before the U.S. inauguration of Donald Trump, shock waves are beginning to filter through financial markets. The U.S. dollar index tumbled and gold prices surged Tuesday morning, in part, fueled by concerns about the stability of Europe and U.S. support of the European Union.

Gold, long considered a safe-haven asset, especially in times of political, economic and military uncertainty or action, has climbed sharply in recent weeks.

European leaders were jolted on Monday amid President-elect Trump's comments regarding NATO and the future of the European Union opened the door to a potential breach in transatlantic relations, the Washington Post reported.

Europe faces a number of key elections in 2017 in France, Germany and the Netherlands. As rising populism continues to sweep across the continent, economic and political stability in Europe is at risk.

Gold Technical Outlook

The macro backdrop is improving for gold as heightened uncertainty of all stripes moves to center stage.

The Bullish Take:

The short-term trend has improved as the Comex February gold futures contract is trading above its 20-day and 40-day moving averages.

Key Challenges for Gold Bulls

Looking ahead, the gold market faces a number of key technical challenges. In order to firmly shrug off the post-election sell-off and shift the focus firmly back to the upside, the burden is on gold bulls to:

Climb back above the 100-day moving average at $1,247.20

Scale the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of the post-election sell-off at $1,258.20.

Daily momentum is nearing overbought levels, with the 14-day relative strength index (RSI) at 69% on Tuesday. The current rally wave may be moving higher on fumes.

Support Zones: On the downside, support lies at $1,201.00 and then $1,187.50. Technically, a pullback and consolidation phase would be "healthy" for the short-term rising uptrend in gold. Backing and filling action would allow gold to work off its nearly overbought momentum readings and leave the market better positioned for an attack on the larger resistance levels.

Big picture: Gold bulls, don't fret  2017 is just getting started.

By Kira Brecht, Kitco.com

Follow @KitcoNewsNOW
By Davide Scigliuzzo

NEW YORK, Jan 17 (IFR) - A committee of Belize creditors has rejected proposed changes to terms in the country's US$530m super bond that were put forward by the government last week.

The bondholder group - appointed by a majority of holders of the 2038 notes and recognized by the trustee, Bank of New York Mellon - said in a statement on Tuesday that the changes would reduce the net present value of the bond by over 40%.

Belize launched a consent solicitation on January 12 to amend the amortization schedule and lower the coupon on the note, which local authorities say the country is unable to pay. The solicitation is all but certain to fail without agreement by the committee members as it requires approval from holders representing 75% of the bond.

The committee said the economic measures that Belize has put forward so far are "unlikely to reduce future risks to debt sustainability or to the stability of the country's currency peg in a sufficient manner."

The creditors have asked the government to seek technical assistance in developing "a comprehensive home-grown adjustment program" that could receive the endorsement of multilateral lenders.

The committee was formed at the end of last year by Greylock Capital Management, Grantham Mayo van Otterloo, Steadfast Insurance Company and Capital Markets Financial Services.

(Reporting by Davide Scigliuzzo; Editing by Natalie Harrison and Jack Doran)
* Budapest, Warsaw stock indices shed about half a percent

* May's upcoming Brexit speech weighs on sentiment

* UK accounts for small part of CEE foreign trade

By Sandor Peto

BUDAPEST, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Central European stocks mostly eased slightly on Tuesday ahead of a speech by British Prime Minister Theresa May in which she will set out her priorities for Brexit divorce talks with the European Union.

May is expected to indicate she is prepared for Britain to leave the EU's single market so it can take full control of immigration, seen as a main driver of June's vote to leave.

Changes in trade rules can affect Central Europe's export-driven economies, although Britain accounts for only a few percentage points of the region's foreign trade, said Monika Kiss, analyst of Equilor brokerage in Budapest.

"The impact on stock markets is sentiment-based," she said.

The zloty and the forint eased a shade against the euro by 0929 GMT. The main stock indices in Budapest and Warsaw were about half a percent lower.

Shares in Hungarian pharmaceuticals firm Richter gained an initial 0.5 percent after the firm and Allergan announced positive clinical test results for a new medicine to treat uterine fibroids. "The news is as expected, but we see it as mildly positive," Erste analysts said in a note.

But they were down 0.3 percent by mid-morning as Richter joined the decline of other stocks in the region.

In Warsaw, copper producer KGHM led the fall, shedding 1.7 percent as copper prices slid for the second day. Dziennik Gazeta Prawna newspaper said Polish pension funds may be forced to sell shares worth 2 billion zlotys ($486.97 million) this year due to planned changes in the pension system.

Poland's stock index remains near 14-month highs and Hungary's near record highs, however, supported by regional economic growth of around 3-4 percent and sound fundamentals of some Hungarian blue-chips.

Czech and Slovak figures confirmed on Tuesday that car production, a key driver of exports and industrial output, is picking up. Czech car production grew 8 percent to a record high 1.344 million last year while in Slovakia, a country of 5.4 million, vehicle output topped 1 million in 2016. CEE SNAPS AT 1029

MARKETS HOT CET

CURRENCIES

Lates Previ Daily Chang

t ous e

bid close chang in

e 2017 Czech crown 27.02 27.02 +0.0 -0.05

00 55 2% % Hungary 307.7 307.8 +0.0 0.36% forint 100 850 6% Polish 4.377 4.375 -0.05 0.60% zloty 6 5 % Romanian 4.502 4.502 -0.01 0.72% leu 5 0 % Croatian 7.529 7.530 +0.0 0.35% kuna 0 5 2% Serbian 123.7 123.8 +0.0 -0.32 dinar 400 000 5% % Note: daily calculate previ close 1800 change d from ous at CET

STOCK

S

Lates Previ Daily Chang

t ous e

close chang in

e 2017 Prague 926.9 927.1 -0.03 +0.5

0 4 % 7% Budapest 32829 32996 -0.51 +2.5

.32 .94 % 8% Warsaw 2016. 2025. -0.42 +3.5

79 25 % 4% Bucharest 7141. 7142. -0.01 +0.7

19 13 % 9% Ljubljana 732.6 732.3 +0.0 +2.1

5 2 5% 0% Zagreb 2069. 2070. -0.05 +3.7

79 73 % 6% Belgrade <.BELEX15 712.5 712.1 +0.0 -0.67

> 6 7 5% % Sofia 605.7 607.3 -0.26 +3.3

7 6 % 0%

BONDS

Yield Yield Sprea Daily

d

(bid) chang vs chang

e Bund e in Czech sprea Republic d 2-year <CZ2YT=RR -1.09 0 -036b +1bp

> 7 ps s 5-year <CZ5YT=RR -0.34 -0.04 +018 -3bps

> 4 5 bps 10-year <CZ10YT=R 0.468 0 +018 +4bp

R> bps s Poland 2-year <PL2YT=RR 2.009 -0.01 +275 -1bps

> 5 bps 5-year <PL5YT=RR 2.889 -0.02 +341 +0bp

> bps s 10-year <PL10YT=R 3.607 -0.02 +332 +2bp

R> 1 bps s

FORWARD RATE AGREEMENT

3x6 6x9 9x12 3M

inter

bank Czech Rep < 0.17 0.11 0.11 0

PRIBOR=> Hungary < 0.35 0.43 0.52 0.3

BUBOR=> Poland < 1.76 1.79 1.87 1.73

WIBOR=> Note: FRA are for quotes ask

prices ************************************************** ************

(Additional reporting by Robert Muller in Prague; Editing by Catherine Evans)
(Kitco News) - Gold prices are solidly higher and hit a nearly two-month high in early U.S. trading Tuesday. Worries about the U.K. leaving the European Union have resurfaced. British Prime Minister Theresa May is giving a speech on the matter today. She said the U.K. ostensibly wants completely out of the EU, which is causing uncertainty among many European market participants. A weaker U.S. dollar index Tuesday is also working in favor of the precious metal market bulls. February Comex gold was last up $17.40 an ounce at $1,213.70. March Comex silver was last up $0.265 at $17.03 an ounce.

Donald Trump will be inaugurated as U.S. president on Friday, and thats also adding some uncertainty to the world marketplace, which favors safe-haven gold. Trumps stated ambitious economic growth plans have so far lacked specifics, which is worrisome to many market watchers.

The other key outside market on Tuesday morning sees Nymex crude oil prices trading higher on bullish remarks from Saudi Arabias oil minister, who said that by mid-year the OPEC oil-production cuts will rebalance the world supply and demand situation for oil. There remain stiff technical chart resistance layers that lie just above the crude oil market.

In other overnight news, the German government auctioned a two-year note (Schatz) at a record average low yield of minus 0.75%. The record-low German note yield underscores the keener uncertainty in the European marketplace at present.

U.S. economic data due for release Tuesday includes the Empire State manufacturing survey. The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland also takes place starting today.

(Note: Follow me on Twitter--@jimwyckoff--for breaking market news.)

Technically, February gold futures bulls and bears are now back on a level overall near-term technical playing field but the bulls have good upside momentum. Prices are in a four-week-old uptrend on the daily bar chart. Bulls next upside near-term price breakout objective is to produce a close above solid technical resistance at $1,250.00. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is closing prices below solid technical support at $1,175.00. First resistance is seen at the overnight high of $1,218.90 and then at $1,225.00. First support is seen at 1,200.00 and then at $1,187.50. Wyckoffs Market Rating: 5.0

March silver bears still have the overall near-term technical advantage, but the bulls have momentum on their side as prices hit a four-week high overnight. Silver bulls next upside price breakout objective is closing futures prices above solid technical resistance at $17.30 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at the December low of $16.25. First resistance is seen at todays high of $17.125 and then at $17.30. Next support is seen at the overnight low of $16.805 and then at $16.50. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 4.0.

By Jim Wyckoff, contributing to Kitco News; jwyckoff@kitco.com

Follow @KitcoNewsNOW
HANOI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0603 GMT.

Jan 17 Jan 16 USD/VND mid-point 22,168 22,161 USD/VND interbank 22,565/22,570 22,568/22,575 USD/VND unofficial 22,710/22,750 22,710/22,750 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.40/36.72 36.45/36.77

Interbank offered rates Overnight 4.8-5.5 4.0-5.4

1 week 5.0-5.5 4.5-5.4

1 month 5.2-5.4 5.0-5.4

3 months 5.2-5.4 5.2-5.4

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)
COLOMBO, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The Sri Lankan rupee traded marginally higher on Tuesday in light volume as foreign banks sold dollars, but the market expects the currency to weaken after the central bank allowed flexibility in the exchange rate, dealers said. The rupee has been under pressure due to rising imports and net selling of government securities by foreign investors, while the central bank adjusted the spot reference rate to a record low of 150.15 rupees per dollar on Friday.

The spot rupee , which did not trade for nearly a month, started trading on Monday and was at 150.10/15 per dollar at 0503 GMT, slightly firmer from Monday's close of 150.15/18, dealers said.

"Spot (rupee) started trading since last evening as we see some foreign banks selling (dollars)," a currency dealer said, asking not to be named.

Dealers said both one-week and one-month forwards also traded.

The rupee was under pressure with foreign investors exiting government securities. Foreign investors sold a net 16.1 billion rupees ($107.3 million) worth of government securities in the week ended Jan. 11, latest central bank data showed.

The market shrugged off Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake's comments on Thursday announcing higher returns and immediate residence visas to foreigners who invest at least $300,000, in a move to ease pressure on the rupee. The central bank's moral suasion in early January prevented a sharp decline even as the monetary authority signalled a change in its intervention policy.

Central Bank Governor Indrajith Coomaraswamy said earlier this month that defending the rupee with foreign exchange reserves "doesn't seem sensible" as it has always been followed by a sharp depreciation in the currency. Sri Lankan shares traded down 0.15 percent at 6,192.45 as of 0519 GMT. Turnover stood at 47.6 million rupees ($317,333). ($1 = 150.0000 Sri Lankan rupees)

(Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez)
ANKARA, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Turkish central bank will open a forex depot market with the aim of increasing the flexibility and diversity of lira and forex liquidity management, it said on Tuesday.

The central bank will hold tenders to lend forex to banks with a certain maturity, which bankers say is effectively a form of swap transaction.

The amount and maturity of tenders have not been announced yet by the central bank.

(Reporting by Nevzat Devranoglu; Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Alison Williams)
(New throughout, adds information from more sources)

By Gabriela Mello and Ana Mano

SAO PAULO, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Brazil's government and homebuilders are nearing an agreement on new industry rules giving companies the right to keep a defined share of the value of the home in the event of a canceled purchase, according three people briefed on the matter.

A meeting to confirm the potential agreement was scheduled to take place on Tuesday in Brasilia but was delayed until Jan. 26 by the Planning Ministry, according to another person, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Under the proposal most likely to be adopted, homebuilders may be allowed to retain an average of 9 percent to 15 percent of the value of units if buyers cancel a purchase, one of the industry sources said on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not finalized.

A Planning Ministry official said there was no meeting scheduled on the matter.

The talks underscore attempts to define clearer rules, and mitigate the impact of sales cancellations on real estate companies amid Brazil's harshest recession on record. The potential agreement on new industry rules was first reported by newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo on Saturday.

"Sales cancellations battered the companies and made the government worried," said the second industry source.

Through October, sales cancellations reached 37,702 units, according to real estate developers group Abrainc.

According to the third industry source, the cancellations provoked a surge of litigation. Aside from the liabilities arising from contradictory court rulings, cancellations have caused companies to miss sales targets, while raising the risk that banks could cut financing for projects, the same source said.

Another proposal under consideration would give builders the right to retain 10 percent of the value of the contract depending on the size of the payments buyers already made, the third industry source said.

Shares of Brazilian homebuilders rose on Tuesday after Reuters reported on the likely accord between the government and homebuilders.

An index tracking real estate firms listed in the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange rose 0.93 percent on Tuesday afternoon, trading at a nearly three-month high.

Once the companies and the relevant government agencies agree on the new set of rules, a decree or bill will have to be approved in Congress before they can be enforced, one of the industry sources said.

(Reporting by Gabriela Mello and Ana Mano; Editing by Chris Reese)
The Herald reports:

Prime Minister Bill English would have been entitled to feel quite cock-a-hoop when he rolled up to 10 Downing St for his meeting with Theresa May early this morning.

The Times newspaper has run a joint opinion piece from English and May in which they pledged their troth to one another by vowing to sign a free trade agreement once May had triggered Brexit and removed Britain from the European Union.

The speed with which New Zealand pelted up the aisle the minute the UK announced it was to be single was almost unseemly. But it paid off.

The opinion piece talked up the possibility of a Commonwealth trade area as well as committing to a bilateral New Zealand  UK agreement.

In it the leaders say that, as Britain prepares to leave the European Union, we are determined to open a new and exciting chapter in the close friendship between our two countries.

That will involve working towards a bold new UK-NZ Free Trade Agreement. And, while the UK is part of the EU, it will continue to support an EU-NZ FTA.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Rain likely. Thunder possible. Low 32F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch..

Tonight

Rain likely. Thunder possible. Low 32F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch.
By Kim Tae-gyu





Employees of Samsung Electronics go to work at the firm's office in southern Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap

Analysts expressed concerns about the adverse impact the possible arrest of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong would have on business sentiment and the overall economy.

The Seoul Central District Court will review today the special prosecution team's request to allow it to detain Lee on charges of offering bribes to Choi Soon-sil, the central figure in the scandal involving President Park Geun-hye.

"As head of the country's top business group, Lee should convene Samsung strategy conferences and meet incoming U.S. President Donald Trump to boost the moribund economy instead of spending time in jail," said Yoo Jang-hee who chaired the Presidential Commission on Shared Growth for Large and Small Companies in the early 2010s.

"If Lee is imprisoned, the world will see him as a criminal. Who would want to do business with a criminal? The court is required to consider various economic conditions in its determination."

Yoo, also a renowned economist, added that without Lee, Samsung would be facing tremendous trouble in making significant decisions such as mergers. Lee is the grandson of the late Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul and son of bed-ridden Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

Prof. Yun Chang-hyun at the University of Seoul concurred.

"Now, the whole country is focused on the Choi scandal. But we should also think about what will happen when the current anger regarding it dies down later," Yun said.

"We will probably talk about the economy. Then, why we are trying to put the leader of our top conglomerate behind bars, not making him work for Korea Inc? For me, it does not make sense and most economists would agree with me."












European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) President Christoph Heider speaks at presentation of a Business Confidence Survey 2016 at Seoul Square in downtown Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of ECCK

By Park Jae-hyuk

European business leaders here will call on the next president to reduce ambiguous regulations and to reform the labor market, both of which have been halted since the political turmoil from the scandal involving President Park Geun-hye.

Releasing the results of a survey of 131 European companies operating here, Tuesday, the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) said that 60 percent of its member firms have felt more difficulty in doing business in Korea compared to previous years.

"Labor reform was originally expected to be implemented in the first half of 2016," said ECCK President Christoph Heider. "Since the second half of the year, deregulation has not been pursued anymore, I think we have to wait and see the next president about deregulations."

The survey indicated that about half of the participating companies were dissatisfied with the government's reform policy last year and are not confident that it will start to implement meaningful reforms anytime soon.

According to the European chamber, the results might have been affected by the recent political crisis, noting that the survey was conducted between Nov. 14 and Dec. 2 last year.

However, some business leaders said the recent political situation may positively influence Korea, as the whole world has witnessed the peaceful public months-long candlelit rallies and the next president will know the people are watching.

Heider also said the political situation will not have much impact on foreign investment in the short term, so the country should focus more on alleviating the so-called "Galapagos regulations" that are isolated from global standards.

"It is more important how Korea will implement reforms after the political situation is stabilized," he said, "and how fair and transparent the business environment becomes."

The European firms said the discretionary enforcement of regulations and the unpredictable legislative environment are the top two obstacles when doing business here, which have been criticized for several years in previous surveys.

Those businesses urged the Korean government not to discriminate against foreign companies in public procurement as well. But still, the European business leaders emphasized that Korea is and will continue to be an important market for them.
By Nam Hyun-woo



Conglomerates are wary of a possible drop in their stock prices as the special prosecutors' team investigating the scandal of President Park and her confidant Choi Soon-sil may turns its sights on them.



In a Monday briefing, the team said it will "deal with other companies after investigating whether they were involved in corruption."



The remark came after they sought an arrest warrant for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong on charges of bribery, embezzlement and perjury connected to the scandal.



The stock price of Samsung Electronics fluctuated, shattering earlier market expectations that the request for an arrest warrant may not heavily affect the stock price. Analysts expected it to continue to rise on the company's sound semiconductor performance.



The price once fell to 1.816 million won and ended at 1.833 million won, down 40,000 won or 2.14 percent from a session earlier  a stark contrast to its earlier rally marching toward 2 million won per share. Counting all Samsung affiliates, 6.5 trillion won ($5.54 billion) of the conglomerate's market cap vanished on the day Lee's arrest was requested.



The benchmark KOSPI was heavily swayed by the decline of the market kingpin, contracting by 12.62 points to end at 2,064.17.



As the investigation team dropped hints at a broad range of investigations on conglomerates, more than 50 firms which were found to have "contributed" to two suspicious foundations controlled by Choi  Mir and K-Sports  fear the investigators' probe.



Especially, nine chaebol, whose heads were known to have met with President Park, are paying keen attention to the team's moves, concerned that their market cap may be affected.



The nine conglomerates are Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor, LG, Hanwha, Hanjin, GS, CJ and Lotte.



Of them, SK and Lotte are especially worried they may be the next targets.



SK allegedly gave 11.1 billion won to the foundations in early 2015 in return for Group Chairman Chey Tae-won's presidential pardon. With special prosecutors believing they found evidence proving the connection, former presidential secretary An Chong-bum said President Park was "directly involved" in Chey's release.



SK is denying the allegation that the pardon has nothing to do with Chey's pardon and its contribution was as much as it gives to other public foundations.



Lotte is also allegedly involved in the political scandal.



In November 2015, Lotte lost its license to run a duty free outlet in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul, after it was cut off from a Korea Customs Service (KCS) screening for downtown duty-free shop operators. In March last year, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin had a private meeting with Park, and the KCS announced a plan to select extra operators a month later.



In March, Lotte made a significant contribution to the foundations and it managed to earn back its rights to resume the operation of the Jamsil outlet in December last year.



The special prosecutors' team suspects that the extra selection has to do with a Shin-Park meeting, though the group claims the agenda of extra selection surged before their meeting.



Other firms are reportedly considering various measures against a potential investigation.



Analysts said the impact of a broader investigation may not be limited to just a ripple, given the proportion of conglomerates in the local capital market.



"Given the fallout of the scandal is uncertain to estimate, it is a mix of both sentimental and fundamental risks," said Kim Yong-goo, a Hana Financial Investment analyst.



"Also, the special prosecutors' team heralded a broader range of investigations of major conglomerates, so it is hard to ignore the possibility of the impact to shake up the entire market, which is a discouraging event for the Korean stock market which made a strong start this year."



As of Monday, Samsung Electronics' market cap accounted for 16.77 percent of the KOSPI market. SK hynix accounted for 2.33 percent, Hyundai Motor 2.16 percent, Samsung Electronics' preferred shares 1.96 percent, LG Chem 1.2 percent and Lotte Chemical 0.86 percent.



On Tuesday, shares of Samsung Electronics closed at 1.848 million won, up 0.82 percent from a session earlier. SK hynix remained unchanged at 49,300 won.




South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Monday called for continued efforts to induce North Korea's denuclearization through "across-the-board" pressure amid growing threats from the communist country.

During a meeting of top security and diplomatic officials, Hwang also stressed the need for earnest efforts to strengthen policy coordination and cooperation with the incoming U.S. government slated to take office Friday.

The meeting was held as the Seoul government seeks to squelch concerns that there could be a foreign policy vacuum in the wake of the parliamentary impeachment of President Park Geun-hye over a corruption scandal last month.

"(We) have to continue efforts to induce North Korea's denuclearization by capitalizing on the current framework of across-the-board diplomatic pressure," Hwang said, noting instability on the Korean Peninsula continues to increase due to Pyongyang's growing nuclear and missile threats.

"We have taken special steps (to deal with nuclear threats) based on the three pillars -- the U.N. Security Council (sanctions) resolutions, stand-alone sanctions of major countries and global pressure on the North," he added.

Hwang also pointed to the possibility that the recalcitrant regime could engage in provocative acts or launch a "deceptive" campaign for dialogue in time for the swearing-in of the new administration in Washington.

The acting president, in addition, directed top officials to continue close cooperation with the United Nations and major countries to address Pyongyang's human rights violations, saying the resolution of the issue is required to open the future of a unified Korea.

The participants in the meeting included South Korea's ambassadors to the four major powers -- the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

At the meeting, they were expected to discuss an array of security and diplomatic issues, including Pyongyang's continued military threats, escalating friction with Beijing over the planned deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system to the peninsula and a rekindled row over Tokyo's wartime sexual slavery. (Yonhap)
By Choi Ha-young



National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun said Monday he will push for talks with parliamentary leaders from the six nations involved in the stalled six-party negotiations over North Korea's nuclear program this year.



"The parliamentary talks, if realized, will be an opportunity to make a breakthrough on the North Korean issue," Chung said in a speech at the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum held in Fiji.



"The parliamentary talks can exert flexibility compared to governmental diplomacy. We need to vitalize parliamentary-level talks on politics and security, on the aspect of supplementing and facilitating intergovernmental talks."



The six-party talks involving the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan have remained stalled since 2007.



Calling for "creativity," Chung proposed a two-track approach involving both sanctions and engagement in handling North Korea. "Sanctions are tools, not an ultimate purpose," he said.



Chung has called for dialogue with North Korea to find solutions to the nuclear issue. In his Constitution Day speech last July 17, Chung demanded the Park Geun-hye administration drop its hostile policy toward North Korea.



Following the proposal, the Assembly formed the Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue for Peace and Cooperation in Northeast Asia, composed of six lawmakers across the conservative and liberal parties. Rep. Chung Dong-young of the People's Party, an ex-unification minister, heads the group.



In September, the group sent letters to the legislative bodies of the other countries except North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly.



"The four countries' legislatures are interested in our proposal," an aide to Chung told The Korea Times. "It is not clear yet what kind of agreement in the Assembly is required for the talks."



The lawmakers visited Washington, D.C. and New York in November to meet President-elect Trump's diplomatic aides and dispel worries about a leadership vacancy after President Park's impeachment.




By Choi Ha-young



Americans consider North Korea a bigger security threat than Russia, despite Moscow's alleged cyberattack that interfered in the U.S. presidential election, according to a survey released Friday.



North Korea ranked highest with 86 percent of the recipients selecting it as a threat, beating other options: Russia, Iran, Syria, China, Saudi Arabia, Cuba and Yemen, the poll conducted jointly by Reuters and Ipsos said.



Russia stood at 82 percent behind the totalitarian nation followed by China and Iran with 80 percent each.



Recently, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un boasted of his regime's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capacity. Pyongyang's KN-08 mobile ICBM with a range of more than 10,000 kilometers, is in theory able to hit the United States mainland.



"We have been vibrant in developing advanced weapons and finally reached the final stage of our preparations for test-firing an intercontinental ballistic rocket," Kim said in his New Year's message.



In response, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Twitter, "It won't happen."



"Pyongyang aims to negotiate with the U.S. by using nuclear weapons and ICBMs, in order to lift sanctions," Thae Yong-ho, the former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, said at a press conference in the National Assembly, Tuesday.



Last September, North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test only eight months after the fourth one. This implies rapid nuclear development despite international sanctions.



The Reuters and Ipsos poll included 1,169 American adults from all 50 states, contacted between Jan. 9 and 12.




Korean has been designated an official foreign language subject for college entrance exam in France. / Yonhap



By Hong Dam-young

Korean has been designated an official foreign language subject for college entrance exam in France, according to the French Embassy in Korea.

An embassy official said on Sunday that France's Ministry of Education included Korean among foreign languages for the Baccalaureat  an academic qualification test that French high school students must pass to graduate and enter university  late last year.

Korean is Baccalaureat's 23rd language to be selected as an official exam subject.

Other languages include English, Spanish, German, Russian, Chinese, Arabic and Japanese.












By Kim Se-jeong



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has come under fire for indifference to the safety of Korean citizens abroad, after a tourist in Taiwan was raped last week.



A Korean woman was allegedly raped by a taxi driver Thursday night after being drugged, during a visit to Taipei with her friends.



The unidentified woman claimed on a Taiwan tourism online community that she called the Korean Mission in Taipei for help, but the response was: "Why are you calling so late, I was sleeping?"



The ministry denied this was what happened Monday. "The official who was on the phone didn't say that," said another official who refused to disclose his name.



The ministry said in a statement that the official who received the call at 3:40 a.m. Saturday, told the victim to decide whether to report the case to the local police, telling her to let him know if she reported it. It said as the victim did not call again, they attempted to contact her multiple times before finally reaching her. "After learning she was at a police station, officials at the mission went there to meet her," the ministry said.



The victim could not be reached for comment.



The incident happened around 8 p.m. on Thursday in Taipei. Three girls in a local tour taxi arrived at the popular Shilin Night Market. Earlier, the driver, Chan Yuju, had given them yogurt drinks that apparently contained a sleep-inducing drug and two of them fell asleep on the backseat.



When the third woman got off the taxi to take a look around the market, Chan allegedly drove the taxi to a secluded spot near the market and assaulted one of the two who were sleeping. The third tourist returned to the taxi after one hour, and they were driven to the hotel.



The next morning, the two realized something was wrong. On Friday, they left a message on the online community for help and called the Korean Mission at 3:40 a.m. Saturday.



By Saturday evening, the 41-year-old suspect turned himself in, admitting that he drugged them. The suspected was detained Sunday afternoon, according to the China Post, a local English news outlet.



The suspect was married and had no previous criminal record. The local police were quoted as saying that he could face up to 17 years in prison if convicted. Sexual assault is a crime punishable with up to 10 years in prison in Taiwan. Drugging someone can be punished with up to seven years in prison.




By Kim Bo-eun





Seen is mobile passport from Lord System

Mobile passport and tax payment systems have been developed to make shopping and tax refunds easier for foreign tourists.

Currently, tourists have to present their passports when making purchases at shops that provide tax refunds. And the shops need passport readers that share the purchaser's information with the Korea Customs Service.

But Lord System, a mobile payment company, has developed a mobile passport system. A user takes a photo of his or her passport with a phone camera after downloading the passport application, and the passport is stored as a barcode that can be read at shops and transmitted to the customs agency without the need for a reader.

Lord has another application  Tax Pay  that allows users to store credit so they can pay without using cash or credit cards.

With the apps, users can have their passports recognized, make payments and receive tax refunds.

"The automated tax refund process can help both tourists and tax refund companies and shops save time without hassle," Lord Systems CEO Jang Yang-ho said.

Lord Systems is signing partnerships with tax refund businesses, card companies and travel agencies to introduce the apps. The service, which will start at several shops on Jan. 31, will be offered first for package tours.

"I hope the world's first mobile passport system and tax refund system will be promoted to foreign tourists so it can help the domestic tourism industry and self-employed businesses," Jang said.

There are 14,000 shops across the country now providing tax refunds. The government revised the rules in January 2016 so the shops could offer immediate refunds, subject to certain limits. Previously, tourists got their refunds at the airport when they were leaving.
The head of cash-strapped Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. was questioned by prosecutors Tuesday over allegations the company cooked the books to cover up its losses.

Jung Sung-leep, 66, appeared before the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office as a suspect on charges of violating the Act on External Audit of Stock Companies.

Jung, who took office in May 2015, is suspected of ordering the company to underreport some 120 billion won ($101 million) in business losses that year, despite his original pledge to break away from the past and to run the company transparently.

Ko Jae-ho, who headed the company from 2012 to 2015, is awaiting a court's ruling Wednesday over allegations he overreported some 5.7 trillion won in net assets between 2012 and 2014.

Ko's predecessor Nam Sang-tae is also standing trial on bribery charges.

South Korean shipbuilders have been under severe financial strain since the 2008 global economic crisis, which sent new orders tumbling amid a glut of vessels and tougher competition from Chinese rivals.

The country's top three shipyards -- Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries Co. and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. -- suffered a combined operating loss of 8.5 trillion won in 2015, with Daewoo Shipbuilding alone posting a 5.5 trillion-won loss.

The shipbuilders have drawn up sweeping self-rescue programs worth 11 trillion won in desperate bids to overcome the protracted slump and mounting losses. (Yonhap)
A South Korean man who was kidnapped in the Philippines last year was recently found dead, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

The 50-something man surnamed Ji was abducted on Oct. 18 and seems to have been strangled to death on that same day, a ministry official said, quoting the Philippine police agency's recent notice. (Yonhap)
The council plans to erect the statue on Dec. 14 to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the first statue, placed in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, in 2011. / Graphic by Cho Sang-won



By Lee Han-soo

Japan's Foreign Minister called South Korea's easternmost island of Dokdo a "Japanese territory" on Tuesday, in an angry reaction to a provincial council's move to erect a controversial "comfort women" statue on the island.

"Takeshima is Japanese territory," Kishida Fumio said, referring to Dokdo's Japanese name, during a meeting with reporters.

The remark comes a day after the 34 members of Gyeonggi Province Council said they will start a fund to build a comfort women statue on the island. "Comfort women" refers to Korean women Japan put into sexual slavery before and during World War II.

The council plans to erect the statue on Dec. 14 to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the first statue, placed in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, in 2011.












By Kim Hyo-jin



Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida claimed Tuesday that South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo belong to Japan, causing a strong backlash from Seoul.



"Takeshima is our inherent territory from the historic aspect and in accordance with the international law," Kishida said during a press briefing, referring to Dokdo by its Japanese name.



In response, Seoul's foreign ministry urged that "Japan should stop its useless claims over Dokdo immediately."



The remarks may add fuel to the rising tension over comfort woman statues symbolizing Japan's wartime sex slavery.



The Gyeonggi Province council launched a fundraising campaign, Monday, in a bid to erect a comfort woman statue on Dokdo.



The council said it plans to set up the statue on Dec. 14 to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the first comfort women statue erected in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.













In a press briefing, Kishida said such a move is "unacceptable" as the territory belongs to Japan.



The move has fueled uneasiness among Japanese media outlets and politicians.

Kyodo News reported Tuesday, "Gyeonggi provincial members' activity appears to have further upset the relations between Japan and Korea though it is unclear if it would actually lead to the erection of the statue."



The right-wing Sankei Shimbun echoed the same view, noting, "Setting up an additional girl statue, not long after setting up one in Seoul and one in Busan, is likely to develop as a new diplomatic issue between the two countries."



Japan's main opposition Democratic Party Secretary-General Yoshihiko Noda also raised his voice against Korea, saying "Korea has to reflect more on what it has done."



Seoul and Tokyo have been at odds over the erecting of a new statue outside Japan's Consulate General office in the port city of Busan.



The Abe administration recalled its ambassador to Seoul Yasumasa Nagamine last week, in protest of the statue in Busan. Yasuhiro Morimoto, the consul general in Busan, was also recalled.



Amid rising expectations that their homecoming may be extended with no signs of resolution, Kishida said "Nothing has been decided yet."



Japan has long claimed its sovereignty over Dokdo while South Korea argues such claims are tantamount to its denial of Korea's independence from Japan's 1910-45 occupation of Korea considering Seoul reclaimed sovereignty over all of its territory, including Dokdo, upon its independence.
By Celeste Kriel





Laura Wachs

A group of expat poets and actors are coming together this Saturday for an evening of spoken word poetry to raise funds for the Korean Unwed Mothers Families Association (KUMFA) which advocates for the rights of unwed mothers and their children in Korea.

Featured writers from all over Korea are to participate in the event which will include a special performance by KUMFA founder Megy Kim. KUMFA's goal is to enable unwed Korean women to have sufficient resources and support so they can keep their babies if they choose.

The event will take place at G-15 Sonnendeck in Itaewon-dong, Seoul, 6.30 p.m. Saturday. The night will feature performances from a number of talented expat and Korean poets. After the show, there will be an after (birthday) party with drinks and DJ's. The suggested donation is 15,000 won at the door.

Statistics released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare from 2007 show that 96 out of 100 pregnant unwed women in Korea will have abortions and only four will give birth.

KUMFA said that it's not far-fetched to assume that the four women who give birth to their children, choosing to face social stigma and family rejection, likely want to raise their own child.

KUMFA was founded to support unwed mothers in Korea who are subject to socially and financially challenging conditions where the Korean government's rate of support is often not enough.



According to KUMFA, since the 1990s, 90 percent of the children adopted both internationally and domestically each year are the children of unwed mothers. Laura Wachs, a KUMFA member who is a Korean adoptee, and a talented poet, decided to celebrate her birthday by hosting the poetry event to raise awareness and funds while bringing spoken word artists together for the cause.

Before moving to Korea, Wachs was funded for a KickStarter project, "The Voices of Korean Adoption." It was set to be a poetry anthology written by adoptees from around the world.

"At the time I had no knowledge of Korea, Korean adoptee organizations or activism work already taking place and the politics. I learned later that adoptees already had a platform and a poetry book wasn't innovative or new," said Wachs.

However, in 2014 she was introduced to KUMFA through the adoptee organization KoRoot and participated in a march with them at City Hall. While in Korea, she had the idea to highlight the plight of single mothers.

"While on a vacation trying to find inspiration and motivation for my KickStarter project, I had an idea. I wanted to shift the narrative to also incorporate voices of single moms, as they were a group I hadn't heard from. In that, I wanted to teach them to express themselves in the medium of poetry and use the book to help spread awareness, and fight for social welfare from the government."



Along with this project, she volunteers with KUMFA, helping where she can.

Of the founder, Megy Kim she says, "Megy is a courageous woman I admire and respect. After our work together, we now call each other "sister", and I hope with my heart to stand in solidarity with her and fight for women's rights to keep their children with adequate resources and no shame."
By John Redmond

The House of Sharing (HoS) Museum of Japanese Military Sexual Slavery will offer English tours beginning Saturday.

The purpose of the HoS visit is to learn the history of former "comfort women," women forced into sexual slavery before and during World War II by the Japanese military.

The House of Sharing was created as a home for some of the surviving elderly comfort women. The tour of the museum is conducted in English every third Saturday by volunteers from the HoS International Outreach Team.

The tour schedule begins with a gathering at Gangbyeon Station exit 1 at midday and includes an HoS introduction and video at 1:30 p.m. followed by a museum tour at 2:15 p.m.

At 3:30 p.m. there will be a Q&A session, followed by a survivors' meeting at 4 p.m. The group will depart at 4:45 p.m.

The cost is 5,000 won, and concessions are 3,000 won. Visitors with disabilities and senior citizens may attend free of charge. Round-trip transport from the subway station costs 10,000 won.

To join the tour please email nanum365@gmail.com with your name, mobile phone number, date of the tour, and the number of guests you will be bringing (not including yourself).

Please make sure to bring some snacks with you as there is nowhere to purchase them at the HoS.

For more information, visit http://nanum.org/eng/index.html.
Rebecca Davis films "Future Flu" on location in Seoul. / Courtesy of Rebecca Davis



By John Redmond

American musician and indie filmmaker Rebecca Davis is seeking cast members for a crowd scene for her short film debut "Future Flu" at V Lounge in Haebangchon, Seoul, on Saturday night.

A graduate of Bard College in New York originally from Greenville, South Carolina, she plans to shoot a concert scene featuring the band DEALRIGHT.

A lot of the filming will take place during the band's set and participants are expected to dance.

"There will be a short choreographed fight scene in the middle of the crowd, that you can react to the way you might react to a real fight, but beyond that, you've got an easy job," the filmmaker said.

"During the shoot there will be a few moments when we ask for quiet so we can record dialogue. We will grab these in between the sets, and try not to keep you quiet for too long."

The Korea Times spoke to Rebecca Davis about her inspiration for shooting a film in Korea and how she secured funding.

Q: What inspired you to direct a movie?

A: I majored in filmmaking in college. Since graduating in 2004, I've been involved in filmmaking in one way or another. I started working on films in New York right after school. Eventually, I moved away from New York and began making my own short-form films.

I've been doing that wherever I've gone ever since. When I came to Korea, I knew one goal was to shoot a film here. It has taken me two years to build up to it, but we're finally making it happen.

Q: What has been the response with the Korean and expat film, music and expat communities and venue managers?

A: I would say that the expat film scene here is even more tight-knit than the expat music scene. Everyone has been very supportive. Like other small film communities I've been a part of, everyone tries to help everyone else out when they can.

For this film, I've been more in contact with the Korean music community. The soundtrack is completely comprised of one band's music, Korean indie punk band DIEALRIGHT. They are also going to be featured in the scene we are shooting on Jan. 21. Both they and the other acts we have performing that night seem very excited to be involved.

I'm not sure how often indie bands get called for things like this. Music always plays an important role in my films. I like to be able to include local musicians, as they can add a lot to the feel of the film. I don't want an American band for a film set and shot in Korea.

We are shooting the final scene in V Lounge in Haebangcheon. The guys there have been very supportive. When I asked them about shooting there back in December they were totally fine with it. Since it's a show as well, and we're hoping to draw a big crowd for the scene, I hope we can give them a good night of sales too.

Another group I relied on for the making of this film is the Seoul Sci-fi and Fantasy Meetup group. I went to several meet-ups of the writing and critique group. There, I met my writer, Ahimsa Kerp. We came up with the story together over several weeks, and then he wrote the actual English script (which was later translated to Korean). Without this group, the film would not have been made. The group also critiqued the script and gave us some great advice.

Q: How did you deal with funding? Was it self-financed?

A: The film has been self-financed and crowdfunded. I paid for many of the pre-production costs. Originally I was going for a smaller budget, but I decided if I was really going to do this I should do it right. A few weeks before the first weekend of shooting in December I launched a KickStarter campaign asking for $500. This helped with the cost of equipment rental for both that weekend and the upcoming shoot.

Q: Where do you see this going?

A: I plan to submit the film to festivals throughout the coming year. We will also premiere the film in Korea in March.

Q: What advice would you give to future filmmakers undertaking a similar project?

A: Make sure to build up your contacts within the film community here. Help out on other people's projects. Get involved, as much as you can. And if you're shooting as an expat in Korea make sure you or someone helping with the shoot speaks fluent Korean! You don't want a breakdown in communication between you and venues, rental places, actors, etc.

"Future Flu" is set in the near future in Seoul. Ms. Kim (Veronica Lee) has not left her apartment in 12 years, ever since a virus outbreak killed many people throughout Asia. Instead, Ms. Kim has her service android (Heather Moore) run errands for her. But when her android glitches, Ms. Kim must decide to face her fears and the outside world. The film will be in Korean with English subtitles.

Other musicians on the line up include T.C. Costello at 8 p.m. and REDDOT at 9 p.m. Shooting DIEALRIGHT will be at 10 p.m.

Visit facebook.com/futureflu for more.
The Korea Times has partnered with Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in Evanston, Illinois, the United States, under which graduate journalism students at Medill's newsroom in Washington D.C. will write various articles related to Korea that will be published every two weeks. This is the first such piece under the partnership.  ED.



By David Jordan



George Washington University inaugurated a program that will expand Korean language and cultural studies at its new Institute for Korean Studies, Thursday, part of an expanded program funded by the South Korean government, officials said.



The university established the institute after receiving a grant from the Academy for Korean Studies, a division of the South Korean Ministry of Education.



The grant expands the university's existing Korean language minor into an academic major and will host a lecture series. The grant will also help the university establish a newly endowed professorship.



GW officials said the Korean studies institute is one of few such programs in the country, and the first in the Washington, D.C., area.



Ahn Ho-young, South Korea's ambassador to the United States, said the grant was intended to promote cultural understanding.



"Maybe we can have stronger relations on (a) global partnership on the basis of a stronger partnership in the humanities," Ahn said at the inaugural event.



Douglas B. Shaw, the university's senior associate provost for international strategy, said that cultural understanding would enhance economic and diplomatic relations.



"Future American leaders will need Korean friends," Shaw said.



University officials said the institute is a good fit because of the school's historical connection to Korea. Steven Knapp, the president of George Washington, said that South Korea is the largest source of international students at the university and that the country maintains the largest alumni group outside the United States.







Korean Wave in US



The Korean language has been taught at GW for more than three decades, and the program has steadily grown over that time, officials said. Kim Seong-kon, president of the Korean Literature Translation Institute, said American students are expressing increased interest in Korean culture.



"Thirty-eight years ago, when I was studying in the United States, I saw American students put up posters of The Beatles and Che Guevara," said Kim Seong-kon. "Today I notice that they put up posters of Psy and Girls' Generation," popular South Korean K-pop artists.



Jisoo Kim, the newly named director of the Korea institute, said the university competed with several academic institutions in the United States and internationally to win the grant.



"We were very fortunate that we were able to get it this time," Kim said. The school and the South Korean government did not specify the amount of the five-year grant.



Kim said she hopes the institute will reach beyond academia. The Washington, D.C., area is home to roughly 100,000 Korean-Americans.



"Our aim is not just to develop scholarship of Korean studies and curriculum for our students, but also to reach out to the community, especially professionals and policymakers," Kim said.




By Mohamed Yahya



ADDIS ABABA  Africa bears the brunt of lives lost, economies ruined, and relationships fractured by terrorism. It is the continent where al-Qaeda launched its war against the United States in 1998, by bombing the US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; where Boko Haram kidnapped 276 Nigerian schoolgirls in 2014; and where 147 students were killed in their sleep at Kenya's Garissa University in 2015.



While these attacks did garner the world's attention, most people do not realize that, in the past five years alone, 33,000 people have died in terrorism-related violence in Africa. Violent extremism and groups espousing it are threatening to reverse Africa's development gains not only in the near term, but also for decades to come.



African countries are particularly vulnerable to violent ideologues, owing to the prevalence of weak institutions and ungoverned territory where extremist groups can germinate. Add to this the mismanagement of ethnic and religious diversity, stir in a large and growing cohort of unemployed and digitally connected youth, and the continent offers ideal conditions for mayhem.



Emulating countries elsewhere, African governments have responded to violent extremism primarily by putting "hard" security first. But this strategy has not reduced extremist groups' potency or limited their reach. In fact, there is evidence that an exclusively military response can be a waste of resources, or even do more harm than good. What is missing is a deeper examination of root causes, particularly underlying development challenges.



Some people claim that the connection between socioeconomic conditions and violent extremism is specious, because most poor and marginalized communities do not join terrorist groups. But this argument fails to address the relevant issue: poverty, social marginalization, and political disenfranchisement are the fertilizers extremist groups need to take root and grow. Around the world, policies and operational responses to violent extremism are largely informed by theory, rather than drawing on thorough empirical evidence of the personal motivations and structural factors that drive people to commit terrorist acts.



I recently visited Galkayo, in North Somalia, to interview captured al-Shabaab fighters as part of an ongoing United Nations Development Programme study of the roots of African extremism. What struck me was that, apart from their being imprisoned, these young men seemed entirely normal, and their individual journeys toward extremism were not particularly informed by religion.



Rather, what united the young al-Shabaab militants I spoke to was a shared experience of deprivation. They had all grown up surrounded by conflict, and none of them had ever been given a good reason to view the government as a positive force in their lives. When I asked whether they went to public school, most could not even fathom the idea of free education or health care. These children and young adults are by-products of a failed state and society; they have spent their entire lives in an environment that is ripe for terrorist recruitment and exploitation.



Just as tuberculosis infects a body already compromised by HIV, extremism thrives under the right conditions, such as those created by the conflict in Somalia, or the political fragility and social neglect in northeastern Nigeria, where many interviewees cited scarce access to both religious and secular education.



The UNDP's primary research into extremists' personal motivations  based on more than 350 interviews with formerly active violent extremists in prisons and transitional centers in Cameroon, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, and Uganda  is the most extensive project of its kind in Africa, if not globally.



Our preliminary results suggest that the ideology behind violent extremism is delivered with a flexible marketing strategy, whereby extremist groups tailor their message for potential recruits. For the unemployed or the poor, they offer paid jobs; for marginalized ethnic and religious minorities, they offer recourse through violence; and for the middle class, they offer an adventure, a sense of "purpose," and an escape from mundanity. The ideology mutates to exploit its intended recruit's vulnerabilities.



Our research, which will be completed in early 2017, aims to shed light on individual journeys to extremism, through the words and perspectives of people who have been involved in terrorist organizations in Africa. It will also provide communities, other researchers, and policymakers with empirical evidence on which to base their future interventions.



One thing we already know for certain is that poverty and underdevelopment can no longer be ignored if we are ever to combat violent extremism effectively. Addressing these issues, rather than just strengthening military and law-enforcement capacity, must be a high priority for any plausible strategy.





Mohamed Yahya is Africa regional program coordinator for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate.




Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his wife Yoo Soon-taek make their way past protesters during a visit to Bongha Village in South Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday. / Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo

Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Bongha Village in South Gyeongsang Province to pay his respects to former President Roh Moo-hyun, Tuesday.

However, supporters of Roh protested his visit, calling him a "betrayer" and an "ungrateful politician." They claimed Ban has been negligent in paying tribute to Roh although the latter helped Ban become the U.N. chief in January 2007 which he served as for the next 10 years.

This was the first official visit by Ban to Bongha Village, Roh's hometown where he is buried, since Roh committed suicide in May 2009. As the U.N. chief, Ban visited Korea numerous times, but never went there officially.

Ban's supporters said Ban did visit the South Gyeongsang Province village and met Roh's widow Kwon Yang-sook in December 2011 privately without revealing it to the media.

Roh supporters raised doubts over Ban's sincerity, saying this time he came with a pack of reporters.

Calling Ban by his nickname "slippery eel," a banner put up by some Roh loyalists read, "What led the ungrateful slippery eel to come here?"

Other protesters welcomed Ban's trip with sarcasm, holding a banner that read "We won't call you a betrayer."

Ban visited Roh's graveyard and wrote on the visitors' book, "I pay homage to the late President Roh endlessly for his contributions to making a better society."

Ban then moved to Kwon's house and talked with her privately for 35 minutes.

Kwon congratulated him for completing his U.N. tenure in December and returning home last week, according to Lee Lee Do-woon, one of Ban's supporters who deals with the media on his behalf.

"She also asked Ban to take good care of his health because he is a precious person for the country," Lee told reporters. "Ban responded that he is aware of Roh's support for him to serve as the U.N. chief and that he will strive to carry on Roh's unfinished work."

In a separate meeting with the reporters, Ban said Roh's words and leadership are still remembered by the people.

He mentioned Roh's call for fundamental reform in politics, in what is seen as a move to link Roh's political philosophy with his own calls for a "change in politics."

"The people crave a fair society which Roh stressed, and the politicians listen to the people in a sincere manner," he said. "And I reminded myself of Roh's words while paying tribute to him today."

Rep. Kim Kyoung-soo of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), who was present during the meeting between Ban and Kwon, said they talked in "a harmonious atmosphere."

"There were no words of regret or anything like that," Kim said.

Since his return to Korea, Ban has been stepping up his nationwide tour in an apparent attempt to woo voters, especially the progressive-minded.

Later Tuesday, Ban stopped by Paengmok Port in Jindo, South Jeolla Province, which is close to the site of the deadly Sewol ferry disaster on April 2014.
Former UN chief's win likened to extension of old evils'



By Jun Ji-hye



Moon Jae-in, the leading opposition presidential hopeful, criticized his biggest potential rival, former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Tuesday, saying a win by him in the election will only extend the "old evils" of the Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak governments.



"Ban's win can be considered an extension of the Park administration and the revival of Lee Myung-bak," Moon told reporters during an event to celebrate the publication of his book, Tuesday.



The book, "A completely new nation  questions from the Republic of Korea and answers from Moon Jae-in," contains his future vision for the country.



"Ban might have more experience and knowledge than me as he is older, but the important thing now is to change those in power," he said.



Moon, the former chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), stressed that he is the most qualified candidate who can renovate the nation in compliance with the people's wishes expressed at recent candlelit rallies.



The comments came as massive rallies have been taking place nationwide every Saturday, calling for the removal of President Park after her corruption and influence-peddling scandal broke in late October. This led to her impeachment by the National Assembly, Dec. 9.



Moon's comments also referred to the situation that a number of officials, who worked for the former Lee Myung-bak administration, are joining Ban's campaign camp.



According to Lee Do-woon, the leader of Ban's supporters, Kwak Seung-joon, an economics professor at Korea University who served as the head of the Presidential Council for Future and Vision, will lead Ban's economic team.



In addition, Lee Dong-kwan, a former presidential spokesman and chief press secretary; Kim Doo-woo, Lee Myung-bak's former senior secretary for political affairs; and Sohn Jie-ae, a former CNN bureau chief who served as secretary for overseas public relations, are reportedly planning to join the former U.N. chief.



Moon called the Park and Lee governments "evils of the old era and system," saying that their biggest failure was dividing the people into conservatives and liberals, and suppressing the latter.



He also said Park, along with her conservative predecessor Lee, should be held responsible for abusing power for their personal interest.



"The people have just a modest wish. It is not a matter of conservatism and liberalism. What they call for during the rallies is just a normal and commonsense country," Moon said. "The mission of a politician at this time is to completely clean up such old evils and renovate the nation. I am well prepared and qualified for that."



Moon, who ran as a presidential candidate in the 2012 election in which he lost to Park 51.6 percent to 48 percent, stressed that he reflected on his defeat and took some time for introspection to better prepare for the next election.



In the book, Moon said the Park administration's decision in July last year to deploy a U.S. anti-missile battery here was made too "hastily and unilaterally," noting that the next South Korean leader should seek renegotiations with Washington, if possible, in consideration of the protests from China, instead of only focusing on North Korea's nuclear weapons.



"As the agreement between Seoul and Washington has already been reached, I can hardly say I am totally opposed to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. But I do not think it is impossible to make a change in the agreement," he said.



On the controversial deal to share military intelligence with Japan, signed in November, Moon said the next government can reconsider it as the two nations need to extend the term of validity annually.



The deal provoked huge controversy here as the government rushed into the signing of the sensitive deal despite objections from the opposition parties and negative public sentiment toward the nation's former colonial ruler. At the time, criticism was abounding that the defense ministry pushed for the deal while the public attention was focusing on the high-profile political scandal involving the President.



The potential candidate also pledged to have the prosecutor's office hand over more authority to the police in regards to investigations to promote balance in law enforcement.




By Bernard Rowan





It gladdened me to read the comments of the South Korean foreign minister. The Busan comfort woman statue location needs further thought. South Korea has every right to memorialize this monstrous injustice committed by the Japanese military. However, all parties must remember the recent agreement with Japan and the age-old truth that old enemies become new friends. Japan and South Korea share many more interests. The comfort women issue continues to divide. The statue needs to be moved. Why?

There's more to learn from this historic evil than pedestrian discussions and denunciations. This statue sets up nonverbal behavior that doesn't heal. The welcoming intent of South Korea to foreign representatives and peoples of other countries is an overriding interest. It recommends against vulgar, "in your face" reminders of past problems.

The evils committed on the comfort women in Korea and other Japanese colonies during the last century deserve admissions, compensation, documentation and communication. Japan's conduct of war perpetrated distortions of human reason that rationalized group rape in the service of the Emperor of Japan. The behavior and actions of the Japanese military and others objectified victims of rape. Military rapists blessed themselves as members of a cult of nationalism, using wartime risk, health, and racial and gender stereotypes to prosecute inhumanity.

Military men violated the comfort women, while state honor, devotion and sacrifice controlled them. This complex construction of the Japanese state and military systematically devalued human beings. It led the perpetrators and victims to ignore humanity in a daily observance of sexual perversion trumped up as a rite of war survival and merit.

There are deep lessons to analyze and learn from the comfort women injustice. They include the inherent tendencies of nationalism and militarism to commit violence against innocents. They include the misanthropy laden in traditional understandings of gender roles. They also include the need for new and just descriptions of this chapter in human history.

About nationalist and militarist thinking, the meaning of women having to sacrifice themselves for men should continue to prompt further actions about the continuing possibility and reality of rape cultures in national military contexts. The comfort women displayed a spirit of survival. They stand against prostituting human beings, beginning with women but extending to many others too.

In gender terms, any context that places women in a second position to men makes rape possible. War is a problem. It's connected to the problem of rape as a problem of men. Their common denominator is the use of violence by men.

Historians (and not just those of the comfort women subject) should continue to explore the correlation between military and political ideologies and policies justifying violence in time of war. Studies of war and states should increase understanding that "normal" and "legitimate" military and state accounts and speeches often perpetuate unjust violence. They can work to degrade innocent lives. Accurate and reflective treatments should be part of educating all citizens, including young people in school.

A statue representing the comfort women near the Japanese consulate doesn't carry out much. Create better ways and places to encourage sober thinking on the topic. Perhaps a national museum on comfort women and how to move humanity forward should happen, and put the statue there. Korean governments and organizations have created many fine museums on what arguably form less important subjects. Given the continuing and enduring concern of Korean people about this topic, do it right and build a proper center for educating Koreans and people from all over the world about this subject.

However, don't throw the past in the face of a national ally. Don't stoke this reaction. The 2015 agreement between Korea and Japan made up perhaps the greatest hope coming from this tragedy and evil that it won't occur again. It showed two maturing democratic societies and governments working practically. With all due respect to the serious and genuine sympathies, concerns, and memories of those involved and their families, this statue s location steps backward.





Bernard Rowan is associate provost for contract administration and a professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and a former visiting professor at Hanyang University. Reach him at browan10@yahoo.com
The Boeing 747 was said to have crashed in bad weather during its landing approach.



Disaster killed four pilots and at least 28 people on the ground



By Danny Lee, Naomi Ng





The Boeing 747 freighter jumbo jet slammed into a residential neighbourhood  killing many people on the ground  near the country's main airport in the capital Bishkek. Flight TK6491 attempted to land on Monday morning, with a temperature of minus 11 degrees Celsius outside and the airport immersed in thick fog.

The country's deputy prime minister said preliminary tests suggested pilot error caused the accident, but said terrorism could not be ruled out.

"Now we cannot say who is guilty of the accident. According to preliminary estimates of experts, it was pilot error," Mukhammetkaly Abulgaziyev said, according to local news agency 24.kg.

"Everything will be known after the investigation," he said, adding that he could not rule out whether the plane had been overloaded.

At least four pilots  reportedly all Turkish nationals  were on board and died in the crash. The rest of those killed were on the ground when the plane crashed. The crew had flown to the airport before and was familiar with the weather conditions, officials said.





The scene of the crash in Kyrgyzstan



Prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation, citing possible safety violations.

The country's health minister Talantbek Batyraliev told local media that in total 32 people had died including 12 minors, and several more were in hospital.

The aircraft was operated by ACT Airlines, also known as myCargo Airlines, on behalf of Turkish Airlines. In 2011, the Chinese conglomerate HNA Group bought a 49 per cent stake in the cargo operator.

The flight took off from Hong Kong for Bishkek at 3.12am on Monday and crashed at 7.31am local time. It had been scheduled to continue to Istanbul.

Parts of the plane were strewn across a radius of 1km, with many houses damaged or demolished.

On Monday evening, officials were hunting for the aircraft's "black box" flight data and voice recorders.

A Kyrgyz news agency reported that a local resident had written on Facebook that the plane's impact had "blown away" many structures.

"Many homes simply burned," she wrote. "People were sleeping and didn't have any idea."

The plane's manufacturer Boeing said it was standing by to help investigators, and extended "its deepest condolences to the families of those who perished."

In a statement on Monday, ACT Airlines said the cause of the accident was "unknown at this time" and that they would provide further details as they became available.

Pilot error appeared to have caused the crash of a cargo plane in Kyrgyzstan that departed Hong Kong International Airport, killing at least 32 people, local officials said.
Paper-craft covered robots in various colors made by 3.14 are on display. / Courtesy of 3.14



By Kim Tae-gyu

In the age of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, high-end robots with prohibitively high price tags are not the only ones which exist, but there also affordable paper covered ones.

A Korean upstart dubbed 3.14, named after the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, created paper-craft covered robots last year to gain global popularity.

The robots, called kamibots, are available at $198 through Amazon, the world's largest online retailer. Offshore companies knocked on the door of the Daegu-based firm to get exclusive distribution rights in their regions.

"Kamibot is a programmable robot for children, who can customize it with their own codes and colors," said the firm's founding CEO Chae Deok-byeong, who established the venture firm in June, 2015.

"The codes of the educational robots are based on online game-like graphics enabled by drag-and-drop programming language, not on complicated texts. Hence, seven-year-old boys can easily make changes to its codes to remotely control them with mobile phones, tablets or laptops."

Kamibot has sensors so that it can roam around. When programmed, it can carry out autonomous missions. Equipped with wheels connected to motors, it also moves its heads through a rotating pad on top.

Currently, it has six cartoon character skins and the number will grow to roughly 30 in the near future, which can be downloaded from the website of 3.14.

The robots debuted last August and the 35-year-old chief executive said that Amazon contacted his company soon after its launch to sell them at the U.S. giant's online platform.

Recently, a Mexican entity proposed that the Korean company ink contracts on exclusive sales rights in all Latin American states. Negotiations are currently underway.

"We tested kamibot in local schools last year to receive good feedback from all parties involved including students, teachers and parents," said Chae who previously worked at an enterprise on automotive simulators.

"Thus far, we have signed contracts with some 40 kindergartens and we plan to more than double the figure to 100 this year under business alliances with toy companies."

Kamibots' target audiences are kindergarten and elementary school students as well as teenagers. But Chae said that even adults including robot enthusiasts have shown interest in the new-concept products.

"Our eventual goal is to emulate great companies like Lego, which brings fun and education together. Toward that end, we will continue to put forth our best efforts," Chae said.
A South Korean fabric manufacturer has launched a clinical trial of its heat-generating clothes to help diabetic patients keep their blood sugar levels under control, company officials and doctors said Tuesday.

ReTend Co., the fabric maker, developed its own heat-generating clothes with a high-tech fabric named "TempUp" and let two diabetic patients wear the clothes for about three months.

The results showed that their amounts of glycated hemoglobin dropped by an average 1.2 percent, according to Cecil Internal Medicine, a Seoul-based hospital which conducted the test.

For people who don't have diabetes, their amount of glycated hemoglobin stands at between 4 and 6 percent. People who have diabetes are advised to keep their amount of glycated hemoglobin below 6.5 percent.

Hong Kwan-soo, director of Cecil Internal Medicine who conducted the test, said he was confident that the heat-generating clothes would help diabetic patients better control their blood sugar levels, although the test was conducted for only two patients.

"The patients say that their overall conditions get better when their bodies get warm," Hong said.

Lee Kyu-sang, chief executive of ReTend, said the company will carry out more clinical trials.

Lee said the "TempUp" fabric has proved to help patients better treat their diabetes, endocrine and cardiovascular diseases throughout its own tests over the past two years.

"We will prove the efficacy (of the fabric) throughout clinical trials," Lee said.

Korea University Anam Hospital is conducting a clinical trial using the heat-generating clothes for people who suffer from backaches.

Lee Sang-heon, vice director of the hospital, said it is difficult to comment about the efficacy because the clinical trial is not finished. (Yonhap)
Choi Yun-kyung, head of Casamia's design institute, unveils the company's new brand message, "Tree: 35 Years of Memory," at her office in Seoul, Tuesday, to mark the firm's 35th anniversary this year. / Courtesy of Casamia



By Lee Hyo-sik

Casamia has unveiled its new brand message to celebrate its 35th anniversary this year. As part of its thank-you campaign, the home furnishing and interior company began giving out picture frames for free to the first 35 customers at its flagship store in southern Seoul, Tuesday. The promotion will continue until this Saturday.

Casamia's new brand message, "Tree: 35 Years of Memory," is designed to highlight its 35-year history and what it plans to achieve in the next 35 years with its business partners and customers, company officials said.

"Through the message, we would like to emphasize that Casamia is a household goods name cherishing the sharing of life between humans and nature," said Choi Yun-kyung, head of the firm's design institute. "Furniture and other products at Casamia have been loved by consumers for the past 35 years, particularly for their unique designs. This year we will introduce trendier and easier-to-use furniture and other home interior products."

Choi said the company has been spending substantial amounts of money over the years to conduct various studies on trees to find optimal wood materials for its furniture. "We will continue to invest in designing and manufacturing trendier and more user-friendly home interior goods."

Casamia, which runs 70 outlets across the country, has been a trendsetter in the nation's home furnishing design industry.
The United States should exercise "outside pressure" on Japan to get the ally to put aside its complaint over a South Korean statue symbolizing Tokyo's wartime sexual slavery and work hard to mend ties with Seoul, a former State Department official said.



Mintaro Oba, a former diplomat handling Korea-Japan relations, made the remark in an article to The Diplomat, strongly criticizing Tokyo for overreacting to the establishment by civic activists of the girl's statue in front of Japan's consulate in the South Korean port city of Busan.



Japan has demanded the statue be removed, calling it a violation of the 2015 agreement that the two countries reached on resolving the sexual slavery issue. In protest, Tokyo has also recalled its ambassador and consul general from the South and put currency swap talks on hold.



"Japan's high-level response to an action by a civic group outside of Seoul's control makes a mountain out of a mole hill. It's an appalling error in strategic judgment that will endanger Korea-Japan relations at a time when unity among U.S. allies is critical to deterring regional aggression," Oba said.



"The United States must steer Japan toward a stance that reduces tensions and advances Korea-Japan relations," he said.



He also said that the next U.S. ambassador to Japan should actively make the case to Japan's ruling party leaders that further historical reconciliation serves Japan's security interests. Effective "outside pressure" from the U.S. is critical to move the two key allies toward reconciliation, he said.



Japan could have limited its response to diplomatic channels or lodged a public protest, rather than recalling its ambassador and cutting cooperation, Oba said. Such overreaction stoked "Korean doubts about Japan's sincerity in addressing its wartime wrongs and empowers critics of Japan," he said.



The renewed tensions came at a bad time when the Korea-Japan ties have become more vulnerable as uncertainty has grown for the fate of the 2005 agreement in the wake of the impeachment of South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Oba said.



"Japan is an easy mark in Korean politics, and the comfort women agreement's association with the unpopular Park makes it even more likely to become a campaign issue. Leading candidate Moon Jae-in has already called for renegotiation of the agreement," he said.



Stronger Korea-Japan relations are also more important than ever as North Korea steps up its nuclear and missile threats, and China continues to build military fortifications in the South China Sea outposts it has occupied, the former diplomat said.



"If others can divide and conquer the U.S. alliance system over a statue, we are in trouble," he said.



If Japan is serious about the relationship with South Korea, it should demonstrate it by going above and beyond the letter of the comfort women agreement to explore "additional reconciliation gestures and facilitate real reflection on Japan's history among scholars and in textbooks," Oba said.



"At the very least, Japan should avoid stoking tensions during a Korean electoral cycle. The Abe government should reverse course immediately and work to expand cooperation while keeping discussion of the statue in diplomatic channels." (Yonhap)




Doctors now say we've got to expose our beloved little peanuts to peanut proteins before they are 6 months old, even the ones who are allergy-prone.



These new guidelines from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are a huge shift from the old recommendations to keep children  particularly those with eczema or egg allergies considered to be at high risk of peanut allergies  away from peanut products until they were at least 3 years old. Peanut avoidance for infants and toddlers had become an unquestioned mantra for most parents, but it turns out that avoidance mostly led to a massive increase in the peanut allergy, which can lead to anaphylactic shock and, in rare cases, death.



Between 1999 and 2010, the prevalence of peanut allergies in the United States quadrupled, from less than 0.5 percent of kids to about 2 percent. A similar increase was seen in Britain. But scientists noticed that Israeli children eat a lot of products with peanuts, including a popular puffed corn and peanut treat called Bamba. Those kids were 10 times less likely to have peanut allergies than children of similar backgrounds in Britain. Researchers began a study that flipped the recommendations.



A trial in England showed that allergy-prone children who avoided peanuts from 4 to 11 months of age were six times more likely to develop the allergy by age 5 than allergy-prone kids introduced to peanut proteins. Even babies known to be sensitive to peanuts were 3.5 times less likely to develop a full-blown allergy if exposed carefully.



Doctors still warn that high-risk infants need to be exposed only with the supervision of a doctor. Toddlers shouldn't be given peanuts themselves, which can be a choking risk. Studies need to continue, and there will always be a few people who are dangerously allergic to peanuts.



But it's a relief to see a way out of this health problem, even if it's a cautionary tale about a situation largely caused by overly careful official recommendations that instilled fear in parents.





This editorial appeared on Newsday and was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.




Diplomats' indifference to the safety of Korean nationals abroad is not new as many travelers have complained of their dereliction of duty. This time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs faces criticism for poorly handling a sexual assault case in Taiwan.



On Sunday, Taiwanese police detained a taxi driver for allegedly drugging three young Korean women touring Taipei and sexually attacking at least one of them. The 39-year-old driver reportedly gave them yogurt drinks mixed with sedatives on their way to the Shilin Night Market Thursday night. Two of the Korean women passed out after drinking the beverage, but the third one who just took a sip of the drink remained awake.



The incident is deplorable, given that our young female travelers have fallen prey to such a nasty crime. But what is even more lamentable is how officials in the Korean Mission in Taipei reacted.



A woman who claims to be one of the victims posted on a travel website that she was told, "Why are you calling at this time of night?" when she called the mission for help early Saturday morning. The victims insisted that they received help not from Korean diplomats but Korean residents in Taipei when they reported the case to Taiwanese authorities.



The foreign ministry denied the victims' allegations, saying in a statement Monday that the official at the mission received a phone call from one of the victims at around 3:40 a.m. and informed her that in the case of sexual assault, it is up to the victim to report to the police.



The ministry's argument can make sense if that is the established rule in the mission. But one must question the mission's failure to send officials to the scene immediately to help the victims. This betrays the ministry's avowal that Koreans can receive help whenever they inform embassies of their troubles abroad and calls into question why overseas missions must be maintained at great expense.



This incident is a good testament to the lax discipline prevalent in the public sector following the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. The foreign ministry should get to the bottom of the case and punish those responsible harshly.




Business leaders should not be victimized by political scandal



Samsung and the rest of the business circle are in shock after special prosecutors requested a local court to issue an arrest warrant for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Monday. An independent counsel investigating the Choi Soon-sil scandal that led to the presidential impeachment sought a detention warrant for the third-generation leader of Samsung on charges of giving bribes, embezzlement and perjury at a parliamentary hearing last month.



Lee is accused of paying or promising to pay 43 billion won ($36.3 million) in bribes to the President's jailed friend Choi in return for Cheong Wa Dae exerting its influence for a merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015.



Assistant independent counsel Lee Kyu-chul said that the decision to seek the detention warrant was based on their belief that justice was more important than economic impact. In a statement, Samsung Group said that it could not agree with the special prosecutor's decision because it did not make contributions to get business favors in return.



The independent counsel team's decision to seek an arrest warrant for the leader of the nation's largest conglomerate is somewhat questionable. The counsel team stated in the warrant request that Choi was the money recipient, but it said that money can be seen as a bribe for the President because it had substantial evidence to confirm that Park and Choi shared economic interests. Since the counsel team has yet to question the President, its decision to seek an arrest warrant for Lee seems hasty. It will be extremely hard to prove that Park was the ultimate recipient of the bribes and that she made any financial gain from Samsung through Choi since they are not related.



The counsel team has determined that the "contribution" Samsung made to the two non-profit foundations under Choi's control were bribes. This means that it could come to a similar conclusion for all the 53 firms that also made contributions to the two organizations. The counsel team is likely to investigate other tycoons in the coming weeks. If it is proved that they committed any wrongdoing, they should be duly punished. But the counsel team must verify that they made illegal requests after thorough investigations.



The conglomerates are at fault for resorting to the 1970s style collusion between government and businesses. But it is undesirable for the national economy that the nation's business leaders should be victimized by a political scandal brought on by an incompetent president. The counsel team should not be swayed by public opinion, but proceed with the investigation based solely on the facts and concrete evidence.




Samsung Electronics Co. plans to announce the results of its investigation next Monday into what caused the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones to overheat and catch fire, company officials said Monday.

Details of the results were not known. However, a failure in the inspection and measurement of the batteries used in the Note 7 is believed to be blamed for the problem, despite the Note 7's ambitious design with advanced features such as an iris scanner and curved display.

An industry observer said Samsung might have failed to change the inspection process for the batteries when it changed the manufacturing process for the Note 7.

Samsung decided to discontinue the Note 7 in October last year after recalling millions of the devices worldwide over safety concerns.

Koh Dong-jin, head of Samsung's smartphone business division, will announce the results of its probe into the Note 7, a company official said.

"To regain confidence from consumers, we will clearly point out what caused the Galaxy Note 7 to catch fire and announce follow-up measures," the official said. (Yonhap)
By Lee Min-hyung



Samsung Electronics will likely scrap its plan to unveil its new flagship Galaxy smartphone at the world's largest mobile exhibition next month. Given this, emerging and once-dominant handset giants are expected to fill the void left by the Seoul-based tech firm.



The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 in Barcelona was a major boost for the world's largest smartphone vendor, with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg making a surprise appearance for Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge launch event.



At that time, he hyped up Samsung's technological expertise in emerging areas, introducing Facebook's partnership with Samsung in virtual reality (VR) wearable devices.



But as Samsung will not launch the upcoming Galaxy S8 smartphone at this year's MWC, other handset industry players are accelerating their bids to steal the limelight from the world's leading smartphone giant.



The de facto Samsung absence comes as the firm has yet to unveil the exact cause of reported battery fires in its ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 smartphone which debuted in mid-August. Ko Dong-jin, the firm's mobile chief, is expected to hold a press conference next week to announce detailed reasons behind the unconfirmed battery explosions of the 5.7-inch handset.



Over the unexpected absence of the industry-leading player, other handset manufacturers  including LG Electronics, Huawei and emerging Chinese makers such as Oppo and Vivo  will intensify their marketing efforts for the upcoming mobile tradeshow.



"LG's upcoming flagship smartphone  the G6  will become the biggest beneficiary of Samsung's absence at the MWC," a mobile industry source said. "Handset manufacturers here and abroad will make all-out efforts and prepare for a special surprise event there, as Samsung had done at last year's event."



Aside from the traditional handset giants, once-dominant mobile players  Nokia and Motorola  also plans to launch their new smartphones at the upcoming event. It remains to be seen whether they can regain their mobile luster from about a decade ago before smartphones were introduced. But a comeback of the nostalgic brands, in itself, is already making headlines in the global smartphone industry.



"Because of the technological gap over the past 10 years, it will be very tough for the two once-leading mobile players to wow audiences with innovative handset functions," said the source. "They will not cast a massive impact on the existing smartphone market. But their return has a symbolic connotation, giving people a moment to look back on the early to mid-2000s when they dominated the global handset market."



In particular, Nokia has succeeded in reshaping its portfolio into network equipment manufacturing.



"The MWC is also a venue to showcase new telecom equipment in such areas as the 5G network. For this reason, Nokia's decision to launch new smartphones appears to come as part of its portfolio diversification strategy, not aimed at revenue expansion."




ZE: A's Kwanghee sets to join a list of pop artists who are due for a mandatory enlistment in South Korea's military. This is in compliance with the requisite service that the country demands of its citizenry.

It comes at age of 18. Anyone reaching the required age needs to fulfill the citizen duty before he passes 35 years of age. The resident engagement stretches up to two years. It can take about twenty-two to 36 months. At this status, as a citizen, an artist lives in a military barracks, drops the civilian life and gets used to very little personal effects as possible. He likewise fits to be under the constant scrutiny of a superior.

The routine a citizen qualifies for while awaiting the outcome of a five-week basic preparation program per BrownPoliticalreview. At this time, amongst those ripe for drafting in the military service like ZE: A's Kwanghee include: Super Juniors Kyuhyun, Lee Min Ho, Akdong Musician's Chanhyuk, Joo Won and JYJs Junsu. They are just a few of the artist due for active duty soon.

And how do the fans react to his recruitment recently announced? The fandom land in the social media is loaded with reactions, about the next chapter of the artist's life. Some followers have labeled him a fighting Kwanghee. Others muse at Hyungsik, (his close buddy in the Zea all- male- band) missing him.

These reflections add to the record of how followers of artists leaving for more than two years feel. It normally happens when the artists' time to pack up comes along. Some enthusiasts express wonder how a group would function should the lead or the main rapper leave any boy group. An overlapping enlistment among idols seems very unbearable to most followers.

On the other hand, artists' patrons are likewise concerned about their idols coming home safely after the military fighting stint. Notably striking is their attention to the order by which members of a group go into military duty. It can count to as long as five years before they convert as a group again.This early the actor has been doing advance practice before he switches to active duty per Koreaboo.

ZE: A's Kwanghee has been in the cast of ' Infinite Challenge' that started in 2015. That leaves behind an act he needs to clear. Specifically, the program will settle the six-man challenge with just five-member- cast to operate on. This early, the artist expects to join other contemporaries like Taecyeon, Junsu, and T, OP T.O.P, who are now active members of the military enlistment.
The episode 19 of "Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim" proved to be exemplary as it showcased different emotions befitting to be the second to the last episode of the hit medical drama. Here are the highlights of this episode.

HIGHLIGHTS

1. Seo Jung Talked to Dong Joo's Mother

The romantic side of this medical drama was revived when Seo Jung finally had an unexpected conversation with the mother of her boyfriend, Dong Joo. Han Cinema actually noted this scene as well. Moreover, Dong Joo's mother kept on calling his phone while he's on surgery so Seo Jung answered the phone thinking that it might be because of an emergency. Fortunately it's not an emergency and Dong Joo's mom just misses his son.

As a way to lighten up the mood, Seo Jung praised the delicious side dishes of Dong Joo's mother and the two grew closer in a span of seconds. When Seo Jung brought this up to Dong Joo, Dong Joo can't believe that Seo Jung can bear such conversation about side dishes.

2. The Hidden Truth

Since Teacher Kim doesn't want to share the entire story to Dong Joo because he thinks that Dong Joo might only think he's creating an excuse, Doctor Nam got the courage to do it on his stead to clear misunderstandings.

Doctor Nam revealed that Teacher Kim chose to be kicked out of Geosan Hospital despite his fame there because he wanted to protect the lives of the seven staff who worked under Jang Hyun Joo's failed surgery. Apart from this, Teacher Kim also protected the young boy who wreaked havoc in the emergency room that day who caused around 200 million won worth of damages. Apparently, that young boy was Kang Dong Joo.

3. The Moment of Truth

In the earlier part of episode 19, President Do released an official article on Geosan Hospital's website that the hospital just had a successful artificial heart surgery. This news caused a major outrage from Doldam Hospital since they are the ones who conducted the surgery. Even if President Do included the names of the surgical staff in the article, he left Doldam Hospital's name alongside Teacher Kim's name.

All of the surgical staff were invited to the victory party in Seoul except for Teacher Kim. Everyone turned the invitation down knowing that Teacher Kim won't be with them. However, Teacher Kim just received some important documents from Reporter Sung Jae which will be his weapon to destroy President Do, so to everyone's surprise, he suddenly wanted to come to the victory party. This scene was also highly noted by Dramabeans.

Catch the final episode of "Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim" on January 16 and the special episode of the highly rated drama on January 17 only on SBS.
Girl's Generation Seohyun is finally a solo artist! Seohyun has released her debut song "Don't sday No" and its music video.

It seems like the shy and innocent maknae is ready to try other things as she is sexy and super gorgeous in her "Don't Say No" music video. Allkpop has reported that Seohyun has revealed her solo music video and she looks gorgeous rocking the retro look while her powerful vocals attract both eyes and ears of the viewers.

The "Don't Say No" music video is a total shock to some viewers especially to those who knows Seohyun's personalities. There are even scenes of Seohyun with some guy and they were very intimate with each other.

Many Girl's Generation fans are super happy and proud of Seohyun's solo debut. They have witnessed the complete transformation of Seohyun from being the shy and strict girl to this gorgeous and talented young lady.

In a Netizen Buzz article, people were all praise for her. Many comments were saying the song is so good. One commenter said, "The song is really daebak," while another said, "The song's better than I thought... do well, Seohyun!"

Other comments are talking about Seohyun showing off her great body. A comment said, "It really has been a waste to not show off her great body off more." Another comment stated, "Her body has always been great since she was younger. Can't wait for the stage, don't say no!"

Meanwhile, other comments are happy that Seohyun can now really work on the type of music she likes. "It's really great to see her pursuing the type of music that she wants after 10 years by participating in composing and writing the lyrics," the comment stated.

Meanwhile, there are some international fans who are comparing Seohyun solo debut to Ariana Grande. However, a YouTube comment said, "Just because someone sings high notes, has a ponytail, dances with back dancers doesn't mean she's trying to be ariana grande lol." Watch Seohyun's solo debut "Don't Say No" music video below.
The former Pakistan PM, who survived an assassination attempt on Thursday, delivered an address from a Lahore hospital on Friday.
The man accused of killing 39 people in a nightclub in Turkey on New Years Eve has been captured by Turkish police in Istanbul.

Alleged ISIS militant Abdulkadir Masharipov was wanted in connection with the shooting spree which left nearly 70 injured.

Police arrested five people, including the alleged gunman, state-run Anadolu news agency says.

Masharipov is said to have been caught in the Istanbul district of Esenyurt.

Cops seized the suspect in a raid at the home of a friend in the city.



He was due to undergo medical checks before being taken in for interrogation at a police headquarters.

A photo being circulated on Turkish media shows what appears to be Masharipov in a bloodstained t-shirt with cuts and bruises to his face, being held by the neck.

He was reportedly pinned down by officers next to his four-year-old son after Turkish security forces finally tracked him down.

Its claimed Masharipov fought in Syria for the terror group and was specially selected to carry out the nightclub rampage.

He reportedly moved to Turkey from Kyrgyzstan with his wife and two kids on November 20 and spent some time in Konya province before returning to Istanbul just days prior to the terror attack on December 15.

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Firstly, youve been hearing about several coins, Bitcoin, Ripple coin,Onecoin, Blackcoin etc. These are cryptocurrencies or digital money. Governments hardly like them *wink* simple because they dont control them. Back to the topic. But these currencies can be traded in pairs the way you trade Naira to Dollar etc infact more easily because there are no middle men.No banks or organization to intermediate in the trade.

Why is there so much money in cryptocurrency today?

All over the world cryptocurrency is new and governments arent sure what hit them with this blockchain thats working without them, without even the banks and most countries have decided to play along.



As of 2016, over 24 countries are investing in distributed ledger technologies (DLT) with $1.4bn in investments. In addition, over 90 central banks are engaged in DLT discussions, including implications of a central bank issued digital currency.

Canada



The Bank of Canada have explored the possibility of creating a version of its currency on the blockchain.

The Bank of Canada teamed up with the nations five largest banks  and the blockchain consulting firm R3  for what was known as Project Jasper. In a simulation run in 2016, the central bank issued CAD-Coins onto a blockchain similar Ethereum. The banks used the CAD-Coins to exchange money the way they do at the end of each day to settle their master accounts.

China

A deputy governor at the central bank of China, Fan Yifei, wrote that the conditions are ripe for digital currencies, which can reduce operating costs, increase efficiency and enable a wide range of new applications.. According to Fan Yifei, the best way to take advantage of the situation is for central banks to take the lead, both in supervising private digital currencies and in developing digital legal tender of their own.

Denmark

The Danish government proposed getting rid of the obligation for selected retailers to accept payment in cash, moving the country closer to a cashless economy. The Danish Chamber of Commerce is backing the move. Nearly a third of the Danish population uses MobilePay, a smartphone application for transferring money.

Netherlands

The Dutch central bank is experimenting with a bitcoin-based virtual currency called DNBCoin.

Russia

Government-controlled Sberbank of Russia owns Yandex.Money  electronic payment service and digital currency of the same name.

South Korea

South Korea plans national digital currency using a Blockchain. The chairman of South Koreas Financial Services Commission (FSC), Yim Jong-yong, announced that his department will Lay the systemic groundwork for the spread of digital currency.

Switzerland

In 2016, a city government first accepted digital currency in payment of city fees. Zug, Switzerland added bitcoin as a means of paying small amounts, up to SFr 200, in a test and an attempt to advance Zug as a region that is advancing future technologies. In order to reduce risk, Zug immediately converts any bitcoin received into the Swiss currency.

Swiss Federal Railways, government-owned railway company of Switzerland, sells bitcoins at its ticket machines.

United Kingdom

Ukraine

Nigeria

All of these event impacted cryptocurrency in such a way that a shift in a pair caused so much margin when trading with a leverage.

Let us tage the pair above BTC/LBC with 44.57% change within 24hours.

If a trade is effected with $10,000 with 1 : 10 leverage meaning $100,000 worth of volume is moved as much as $4,800 can be made after all commission has been paid.Now there exists over 200 pairs

that can be executed. With the right leverage and right move on a platform like POLONIEX, that is in a single trade.

HOW TO GET STARTED

1) Open a Bitcoin Wallet and Fund it.

For the experienced blockchain.info is great. For those who love the Naira www.luno.com former www.bitx.co

When you have a Bitcoin Wallet.

2) Join our trade.

By opening your account on www.cryptofxadvantage.com

You would have taken a long stride into the world of cryptocurrency and earn guaranteed yield between 20  40% within 30days because we handle the trade for you. From 10$ and above you can take part actively in real trades, we also from time to time conduct trainings that will provide a guide to cryptocurrency progressively.

Still need more guidance. Join our discussionWhatsApp

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Nov. 30

11:48 a.m.: An officer responded to the 100 block of Geneva Square for a report of shoplifting. Donald L. Sobieski, 46, Genoa City, was cited for retail theft.

Dec. 4

3:50 p.m.: An officer responded to the 200 block of North Edwards Blvd. for a report of shoplifting. Amber L. Nerge, 28, Lake Geneva, was cited for retail theft.

Dec. 9

2:34 a.m.: An officer conducted a traffic stop on Mill Street at Geneva Street. James M. Odom, 51, McHenry, Illinois, was cited for operating while under the influence as a first offense.

6:43 p.m.: Officers were dispatched to the 200 block of North Edwards Blvd. for a report of shoplifting. Kylie F. Hass, 18, Elkhorn, and a girl, 17, Genoa City, were cited for retail theft.

Dec. 12

2:10 p.m.: An officer was dispatched to the 100 block of East Geneva Square for a report of shoplifting. Hayley K. Halpin, 37, Sharon, was cited for retail theft.
Cover illustration at The Atlantic by Alex Petrowsky.



Geoff Manaugh, the writer behind BLDGBLOG whose penetrating posts about Los Angeles include the hidden ghost streets embedded in the cityscape, has a long read in The Atlantic all about the insides of Los Angeles International Airport. He details how LAX came to have its own international intelligence-gathering team, and talks about the project to build a private, out-of-the-way terminal for VIPs and celebrities that is being sold as a way to keep the rest of us safer. He goes inside an anti-terrorism security exercise, revisits the the so-called Millennium Bomber who was nabbed before reaching LAX in 1999, and makes the case that these days an airport such as LAX is such a crucial part of the city and national infrastructure that of course would employ its own anti-terrorism unit. He even discusses Surfridge, the ghost former suburb squished between the runways and the beach.

Above all his story is a great read. Sampling:

In the summer of 2014, Anthony McGinty and Michelle Sosa were hired by Los Angeles World Airports to lead a unique, new classified intelligence unit on the West Coast. After only two years, their global scope and analytic capabilities promise to rival the agencies of a small nation-state. Their roles suggest an intriguing new direction for infrastructure protection in an era when threats are as internationally networked as they are hard to predict.

McGinty, 54, is a retired D.C. homicide detective now living in Pasadena. McGintys tenure in the nations capital, where he attained the rank of detective first grade, coincided with that citys worst era for crime, in the early 1990s, when it was known as the murder capital of the United States. A Marine veteran who was stationed variously in Okinawa, Kosovo, Honduras, and the Mediterranean, and, as a reservist, served in the second Gulf War, McGinty is quiet, keeps his hair shorn close to his scalp, and bears a slight resemblance to actor J.K. Simmons LAX is a city within a city. At more than five square miles, it is only slightly smaller than Beverly Hills. More than 50,000 badged employees report to work there each day, many with direct access to the airfieldand thus to the vulnerable aircraft waiting upon it. More than 100,000 passenger vehicles use the airports roads and parking lots every day, and, in 2015 alone, LAX hosted 75 million passengers in combined departures and arrivals. His partner Sosa, 37, graduated with a degree in international relations from Boston University in May 2001. Trilingual in French, Spanish, and English, Sosa did not immediately know what sort of career to pursue. As a student, she had often flown cross-country from Boston to Los Angeles to visit her father, who works for the airline industry. When the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred only four months after she graduated, Sosa realized that one of the planes, hijacked by ringleader Mohamed Atta, was on the same Boston-to-Los Angeles route Sosa herself had flown so many times before. No longer confused about what to do with her degree, Sosa was moved by the attacks to apply for a federal intelligence job. Six months later, she disappeared into the labyrinth of U.S. intelligence, toiling as an analyst over the course of the next decade in both Florida and D.C., where she was often a youthful, even glamorous presence in a world of fluorescent lights and office cubicles. Her move out west to Los Angeles was not only professionally motivated: Sosa wanted to live near her family again, to ensure that her now 7-year-old daughter could grow up in the company of her grandparents. As McGinty describes it, their current operation falls somewhere between a start-up and a think tank. Because she came from an intelligence background, Sosa had an eye for big-picture narratives; McGintys 25 years as a street detective and war veteran gave him tactical insights and a deep knowledge of police culture. Together, the two of them have brought classified in-house intelligence analysis to one of the worlds busiest airports, augmenting traditional beat-police operations with an investigatory agenda previously only associated not just with a federal agency but with the power and reach of a sovereign nation. [skip] LAX is also policed like a city. The airport has its own SWAT teamknown as the Emergency Services Unitand employs roughly 500 sworn police officers, double the number of cops in the well-off city of Pasadena and more than the total number of state police in all of Rhode Island.



There's an audio version of the story at the Atlantic link. Manaugh lives in New York but has a gig as a Discovery Fellow at the USC libraries. The fellowship has led to two exhibitions, Los Angeles To Be Determined and more recently 500 Years of Utopia, an exploration of Thomas Mores political fantasy, "Utopia."
If you're working in corporate America, chances are you've experienced your fair share of stress. Whether it's meeting deadlines, managing projects, or dealing with difficult co-workers, the workplace can be a breeding ground for stress. reducing stress from completing a project Once you've identified your triggers, it's important to take a step back and assess the situation objectively. LewiLink.com provides an in-depth article on reducing the stress from meeting deadlines at work. Bong a la noi ma ta co the hoa nhip ban than vao, noi ma nhung cam xuc uoc dang trao, that tuyet voi khi xem bong a cung ban be va xem tai nhung kenh truc tiep tuyet voi nhat cakhiatv Chung toi noi khong voi quang cao, luon ua trai nghiem cua nguoi dung len hang au, truc tiep nhung tran bong kich tinh nhat e phuc vu cho tat ca fan bong a .
PRESS RELEASE

Aggressive Russians Allow Ukraine Inspectors on Russian Bases

Jan. 16, 2017 (EIRNS)Vice President Joe Biden was in Kiev today, where he said that "the international community" must stand up against Russian aggression, and urged the incoming Trump Administration to be a strong supporter and partner of Ukraine.

"Youre fighting both the cancer of corruption ... and the unrelenting aggression of the Kremlin," Biden ranted to reporters, with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko at his side, reports Reuters.

But if Russia is so "unrelentingly aggressive," why is it allowing Ukrainian inspectors to survey Russian military units in the Rostov region of Russia itself? The head of the Russian National Center for reducing nuclear danger, Sergei Ryzhkov, said that the inspection of Russian military units in the Rostov region, to be held under the Vienna document on confidence-building measures of 2011 from Jan. 16-19, was meant to determine the size or confirm the absence of any military activities there. None of the previous such inspections by Ukraine have shown any evidence of any "Russian aggression" against Ukraine.

"The inspectors can record the presence or absence of personnel, staffing and movement of troops, stockpiles of weapons and ammunition,"

Ryzhkov said. The inspection team will include two Ukrainians as well as Canadian and Danish experts.

A similar inspection of Russian military units by Ukrainian experts in February 2016 revealed

"no military activity by the Russian Armed Forces in the given region and found Russia in full compliance with the provisions of the Vienna accords,"

Ryzhkov said.
PRESS RELEASE

China Wealth Fund Wants To Turn Treasuries to U.S. Infrastructure

Jan. 16, 2017 (EIRNS)In a speech to the Asia Financial Forum in Hong Kong today, China Investment Corporation chairman Ding Xuedong said that CIC wants to change its holdings of U.S. Treasury debt, into an investment in building of new infrastructure in the United States. Dings speech was reported in the South China Morning Post, Reuters, and other media.

Dings estimate of the investment needed to build a new and modern economic infrastructure in America was a very large $8 trillion, which, he said, would not be invested by the U.S. government and private investors alone. "According to our estimate, the United States needs at least $8 trillion in infrastructure investment; theres not sufficient capital from the U.S. government or private sector. It has to rely on foreign investments."

Ding said the CIC also wants to invest in American manufacturing capacity.

The vehicle CIC is seeking, in fact, does not yet exist; it would be a "Hamiltonian" national credit institution for infrastructure and manufacturing investments, as specified in EIR Founding Editor Lyndon LaRouches "Four Laws To Save the United States Economy" in 2014.

CIC now holds $50 billion in U.S. Treasuries, a part of $1.14 trillion in Treasuries held by Chinese institutions. Ding called the return on those Treasuries too low, and said "the returns in public markets are falling." CIC wants alternatives, and wants to convert those holdings into investments in new U.S. infrastructure projects. Ding is also chairman of the China International Capital Corporation, which has substantial U.S. Treasury holdings as well.

Ding called the Chinese and U.S. economies "complementary" in this respect.
PRESS RELEASE

Trump Calls for Nuclear Arms Deal with Russia; Backs Leaving EU

Jan. 16, 2017 (EIRNS)The Transatlantic Establishment has been thrown into another round of rug-chewing by U.S. President-elect Donald Trumps first interview with European media, a joint interview granted to The Times of London and the German tabloid, Bild Zeitung, published Jan. 15 and 16. Leaders from France to Britain and beyond expressed outrage that Trump dared to suggest lifting Russian sanctions in return for a nuclear arms deal, to again call NATO obsolete, and to suggest that not only was Great Britains Brexit from the European Union a "great thing," but, "if you ask me, more countries will leave, too."

"They have sanctions on Russialets see if we can make some good deals with Russia. For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, thats part of it,"

Trump told his interviewers.

Changes will also occur at NATO, Trump announced: "Its obsolete, first because it was designed many, many years ago," secondly, European "countries arent paying what they should," and also, because the NATO Alliance "didnt deal with terrorism."

Trumps criticism of Russias intervention into Syria as a "very bad thing" that led to a "terrible humanitarian situation," did not outrage the trans-Atlantic elite, nor his repeated statement that it was "a big mistake" for Germany to have taken in Syrian refugees.

But the same cannot be said for Trumps reminder that what created this crisis in the first place, was the U.S. intervention into Iraq.

"This whole thing should have never happened. Iraq should not have been attacked... Its like throwing rocks into a beehive. Its one of the great messes of all time,"

Trump said. His priority for the military as commander-in-chief? "ISIS," Trump answered.

Obamas Ambassador to the European Union, "leveraged finance" expert Anthony Gardner, was already apoplectic that the first question EU officials the Trump transition team had spoken to were asked was "What country is about to leave [the Eurozone] next after the U.K.?," thus spreading the idea "that 2017 is the year in which the EU is going to fall apart." (Time magazine, Jan. 13, 2017).

Now from Trump himself, came the assertion that "Brexit is going to end up being a great thing."

The fact that The Times interview was conducted by Michael Gove is driving City of London circles wild. Gove is the leading Brexit supporter in the Conservative Party. Since he was sacked last year by Prime Minister Theresa May, it is considered another tweak, similar to Trumps having met with Nigel Farage, founder of the anti-EU U.K. Independence Party (UKIP). Trump rubbed that one in, too, asking Gove at the end, "How is our Nigel doing?... I think hes a great guy."

What was reported in The Times and not Bild was his references to Germany and its Chancellor.

"You look at the European Union and its Germany. Basically a vehicle for Germany. Thats why I thought the U.K. was so smart in getting out,"

he told the two editors. "I believe others will leave. I do think keeping it together is not gonna be as easy as a lot of people think."
Kevin Starr mastered the stage whisper. At a stiff faculty or committee meeting, and with twinkle in his eye, hed bring a hand or a book to his mouth, and, thus poorly disguised, offer a thought, a bon mot, an impertinent question, or even a joke. It was his version of sotto voce, but it came out basso profundo, since he raised, instead of lowered, his voice when he spoke in this way. He sometimes began laughing even before hed finished speaking.

I knew Kevin Starr only as profundo. He was big, his voice was big, his persona was big, his books are big, his ideas are big, his influence is big. Some, and only some, of this has now been silenced by his death Saturday. Kevins outsize impact and his sheer significance to both our regional and our national culture, will continue long hence. Death has robbed us of the most important guide we have ever had to our states history and culture, our ingenious interpreter of the elusive and many meanings of the California Dream over several centuries.

Half a century ago, Starr wrote a doctoral thesis in the American Civilization program at Harvard. Under the supervision of Alan Heimert, Harvards brilliant young scholar of 18th century American religion, Kevin set out to write on a Great Awakening of a different sort: Californias imaginative hold on the American psyche. The thesis became Americans and the California Dream, 1850-1915. That book launched an intellectual pilgrimage based on a deceptively simple query: What is the meaning  and the condition  of the California Dream through time?

Advertisement

Each of the more than half-dozen sequels is another illumination of the history of California. The whole is more than the parts. Each book is pinned, across eras or decades, to the California Dream at this or that moment in time. A redemptive California, a civilization made of the best hopes and dreams of the young nation, embodies the first book, and this idea animates the full series. Californians, Starr insists, can rise above the worst impulses of greed, violence or racism and, in so doing, render the state as a city upon a hill for the rest of the nation and the world.

Kevin loved institutions with an infectious faith. He was not naive: He knew institutions could be cold, and his commitment was not slavish. He loved them for their traditions, their histories, their devotion to mission. He delighted in studying them. First among them (my alpha, my piety, I can hear him say) came the Catholic Church, an institution that inspired more dreaming in him than even his beloved California. His book Continental Ambitions: Roman Catholics in North America: The Colonial Experience, the first of a multi-volume history, appeared a few months ago, and Kevin was hard at work on the next at the time of his death.

Others that shaped and inspired him: the Army, libraries ancient and modern, universities here and abroad, venerable publishing houses and book clubs. He spoke often and devotedly about the California State Library, an institution he ran for a decade, and about USC, where he held the distinguished title university professor. Through his work, California itself became an institution that invited study: its rules, its leaders and its people, its institutional cultures, its historical trajectories. Kevin knew institutions, and he knew how to illuminate them by his words, how to praise them and how to insist that they could do and be better.

Kevin Starr (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times )

But he also knew individuals. Thomas Aquinas. Herodotus. The Marquis de Lafayette. John Adams. Anne Hutchinson. James Fenimore Cooper. John Foster Dulles. St. Francis. Junipero Serra. Martin Luther. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Lunch with Kevin could include quotations, references and clairvoyant discussions with these figures and so many others. In English, mostly, although Latin phrases rolled off his tongue effortlessly. One went away from an hours discussion as if exiting the confessional after a session with the monsignor. You were inspired by the majesty of it all  History with a capital H  but you also had pangs of guilt for obviously not studying hard enough in graduate school. Kevin had a secular rosary exercise always at ready, penance offered as exhortation. You must read Prescott, hed insist. Or Irving, the collected works. What? He would thunder in that profundo. You have not read all of Toynbee? You must, Bill, you must. Another day, another conversation, and it might be Tacitus, Gibbon or Carlyle. Or hed open with Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres. None of it, or at least not very much of it, was for show. It was just Kevin.

Over the last several decades, Kevin and I often appeared on the dais together. When that began, I was in an apprentice role, and that deepened into a kind of senior/junior partner arrangement. No one was better in expository speaking than Kevin, though repetition crept into his remarks in recent years. He never failed to smirk that he wanted to title his volume on 1960s California Smoking the Dream. But it was a good line, and it was funny.

I was there at a conference in which Kevin was the keynote speaker and others of us were minor academic accompaniment. In the green room ahead of time, the organizer graciously thanked Kevin, remarked that the event had sold out, and asked Kevin if he wanted to take questions after his address. Address? Kevin asked. I was under the impression that this was a question and answer panel.

The organizer blanched. Oh, Dr. Starr, he said nervously. You are our keynote speaker.

How long shall I speak? Kevin asked, pulling (really) a folded envelope out of his breast pocket. It had a few notes written on it.

We have you down for an hour, the organizer stammered.

No trouble, sir, Kevin said, writing an additional two lines on his envelope. He spoke, flawlessly, for an hour.

Kevin Starr will never be replaced.

Imagine the want ad: Seeking brilliantly educated, generous, old-school academic. Mr. Chips in Brooks Brothers seersucker, conversant in Latin and the post-Inquisition role of Catholicism in the New World. Courtly manners preferred, along with cane. Mischievousness in a healthy dollop desired, alongside equal parts the more mature raconteur version of it. Applicants must evince an abiding love for California and all that it promises in myth and reality, ideally tinged by the melancholy of understanding expectations unmet and promises unfulfilled. Competitive candidates will have read everything and written nearly the same amount, thanks to ferocious discipline.

Those who knew him well knew that, behind the manners and the kindness, a furnace burned in Kevin Starr. He was possessed of remarkable drive and energy, a work ethic that called up some of the saints he oft quoted and so revered. Write every day, he told me dozens of times. Your writing, both whats good and whats not, will outlive you, so believe in that, believe in yourself, and write the best that you can. And, remember, write every day. His was a gentle fury burning, but burn it did.

Kevin Starr also had Sheila Starr, his beloved partner and, as his acknowledgments always made clear, the other half to their whole and his indispensable right hand in all that he did, all that he wrote, all that he published.

The man who loved institutions became one. A human institution of tradition, of mission and of personified venerability. We have lost one of our giant trees with his passing. There is solace in yet having his work, of course, and he would appreciate and understand that. But more than that, theres comfort in a collective dedication to affirm his clear-eyed, irrepressible faith in this place. Old in error, he wrote as he finished the book that launched his epic, his monument, and his legacy, California remains an American hope. I will miss him a great deal.

William Deverell is director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West and a professor of history at USC.
A whole generation of space scientists are mourning what may be the lost opportunity of a lifetime: Earlier this month, when NASA compiled its roster of planetary probes to be launched over the next six years, Venus was left off the list  again.

According to Paul Voosen of Science Magazine, it could be another decade before NASA again turns its sights on a planet that for a brief time was the most actively explored in the Solar System. Given that the last U.S. probe reached Venus in 1994, that would make for a 30-year gap. Were losing a whole generation, geophysicist Patrick McGovern told Science.

Venus fell off the exploration map for several reasons. Although its Earths closest planetary neighbor  25.7 million miles away, or roughly half the distance to Mars  its shrouded in thick clouds, obscuring features that might have inspired interest. That also makes dropping half-billion-dollar probes to the surface more of a crapshoot than flying by objects without atmospheric interference, such as asteroids that will be targeted in the two missions that got NASAs green light on Jan. 4.

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I could see in that one image that there was something really strange about Venus.  Astrobiologist David Grinspoon, referring to the Crater Farm

In this century, Mars has overtaken Venus as an object of Earthbound curiosity. The last U.S. Venus mission was Magellan, which used radar technology to map the surface. (See image above.) Magellan was launched from the space shuttle Atlantis in 1989 and burned to a crisp in the Venusian atmosphere, its work completed, in October 1994.

Mars missions continue to proliferate, driven in part by the dream of colonization. (Elon Musk, were talking about you). Conditions on Venus are pitiless, with a mean surface temperature estimated at 863 degrees Fahrenheit. On Mars, the temperature on the equator at noon can reach a balmy 68 degrees. Astronaut Mark Watney of The Martian wouldnt last seconds on Venus before being vaporized.

Yet Venus experts say theres a lot to learn from their mysterious quarry. There are signs that the Venusian atmosphere bears enough similarity to Earths to suggest the planets were primordial cousins, even twins. There may be active volcanoes on the surface. Venus scientists say the few details theyve gleaned about the planets surface from NASA radar imaging and pictures from the Soviet Venera probes of the 1970s and 1980s leave them thirsting for more.

I remember when I first laid my eyes on a press release image from early on in the Magellan mission of an area informally called the Crater Farm,  recalls astrobiologist David Grinspoon, of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, on NASAs website. I could see in that one image that there was something really strange about Venus. I remember looking at that picture and thinking that there is something weird going on here and that it has important implications for the whole history of the planet, its climate, its atmosphere, its geology. And I still think that that is true.

Most intriguing, there are indications that the Venusian atmosphere is the product of a runaway greenhouse effect, Voosen reports. Understanding what happened could be relevant to research into climate change here on Earth. Of course, given the hostility in a climate change-denying Congress to research by NASA that bears any relevance to Earth science, that could be exactly the wrong pitch for funding just now.

Venus science is yet another victim of congressional budget-cutting that seeks to put a leash on scientific curiosity. U.S. scientists, and American scholarship, are the real losers.

Theres still hope, Science reports. Venus is one of the targets in the running for NASAs upcoming New Frontiers mission, which will be open to proposals until the end of April. Theres a possibility that NASA could partner with the Russians for a revived Venera program, which would allow the Russians to relive their brief moment of space exploration supremacy while allowing NASA some relief from stringent budget limitations. And then theres the lure of novelty: Its been so long since Venus has been an object of interest, shouldnt it again have its day in the sun?

Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com.

Return to Michael Hiltziks blog.
The California Department of Insurance says State Farm is not moving fast enough to lower its rates for homeowners and renters and it could face billions of dollars in fines if it doesnt speed up the process.

The threat of hefty fines, sent Friday to State Farm, escalates an increasingly bitter fight between the department and the Bloomington, Ill., insurance giant.

Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones ordered a rate cut as of Dec. 8, but State Farm has challenged that order in court and does not plan on cutting rates until Feb. 13.

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The legal notice alleges that State Farm is violating the states insurance code because it is continuing to charge rates deemed by Jones office to be too high.

The company could be fined as much as $10,000 for each act of overcharging policyholders. Michael Levy, an attorney for the California Department of Insurance, estimated that about 4,000 State Farm policies in the state are up for renewal every day, meaning that in the time between Dec. 8 and Feb. 13, more than 250,000 policyholders could be overcharged  and that State Farms fines could top $2.5 billion.

In a statement Monday, State Farm spokesman Sevag Sarkissian said the company has taken steps to comply with the ordered rate cut but that, because insurance renewal bills must be sent at least 45 days early, customers wont see the new rates until February.

State Farm believes it is in full compliance with the California Department of Insurance rate making process, Sarkissian said in an emailed statement.

State Farm should charge customers the lower rate approved by the department, not whats printed on a policy renewal, Levy said.

Fridays notice and threat of fines are the latest in a two-year battle between the California Department of Insurance and State Farm over the insurers rates and the limits of Californias landmark insurance law, Proposition 103, which requires the department to sign off on any increase or decrease in insurance rates and allows outside groups to challenge rate changes.

State Farm in late 2014 asked the department for permission to raise its homeowners, renters and condo insurance rates an average of 6.9%. Two advocacy groups, Consumer Watchdog and the Consumer Federation of California, challenged the increase.

After more than a year of proceedings, an administrative judge last year recommended that Jones not only reject State Farms proposed increase but also order the insurer to cut rates an average of 7%  less for homeowners, more for renters and condo owners  and to make those cuts retroactive to July 2015.

Jones signed off on that recommendation in November, marking the first time since Proposition 103 was approved in 1988 that any insurance commissioner had ordered a retroactive rate cut. The order called for refunds totaling about $100 million to 1.7 million customers.

State Farm is fighting Jones order in state court in San Diego, arguing first that the state erroneously determined its rates were too high.

When determining whether rates are appropriate, the state is supposed to look at whether insurers have enough money to cover potential claims, estimating revenue from premiums and income from insurers investment portfolios. The company has argued that the administrative judge improperly took into account investment income earned by State Farm subsidiaries unrelated to its California operations.

The insurer also argues that Proposition 103 does not give the insurance commissioner authority to change rates retroactively. Last month, San Diego County Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal put the refunds on hold until the court challenge is decided, but ordered State Farm to cut rates per Jones order.

Consumer advocacy groups and other insurance companies are watching the case closely because the outcome could strengthen or weaken the insurance commissioners power under Proposition 103.

Insurance trade groups in a court filing last month called Jones refund order a sudden reversal in how Proposition 103 is interpreted and that if the state can order retroactive rate cuts, it could destabilize the states insurance industry. Insurers, the trade groups argue, could charge what they believe are permissible rates only to be ordered years later to reduce rates and pay big refunds.

Such a momentous and sudden change stands in contrast to 26 years of consistent application of the law, and has huge repercussions for the industry, the trade groups, including the Personal Insurance Federation of California and the Assn. of California Insurance Companies, wrote.

james.koren@latimes.com

Follow me: @jrkoren
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to add about 10,000 retail jobs in the U.S. this year as it opens new stores and expands existing locations, including in California. The worlds biggest retailer said Tuesday that its plans will also generate about 24,000 construction jobs.

The jobs will come from the opening of 59 new, expanded or relocated Wal-Mart stores and Sams Club outlets as well as from e-commerce services that were previously announced, the company said.

Wal-Mart will open several new stores in California this year, including one in Compton this month, spokesman Scott Markley said. He said the company also is planning to remodel more than 30 of its 300 stores in the state, although the schedule has not been finalized.

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Nationally, Wal-Mart is opening fewer new stores this year than last, but it is still adding jobs as it offers more positions in online grocery pickup, trainers for its new academies for hourly workers and construction jobs for remodels.

The rate is consistent with previous hiring in recent years, company spokesman Lorenzo Lopez said. Media reports have also said, however, that Wal-Mart plans to cut hundreds or even about 1,000 jobs at its corporate headquarters by the end of the month.

Wal-Mart typically announces job plans early in the year, analysts say. Tuesdays announcement marks the latest in a series of announcements from companies that may want to get into the good graces of President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office Friday and has called out companies for not keeping jobs in the U.S., analysts say.

Everyone is trying to curry favor with the new administration, in part wanting a better corporate tax landscape, said Ken Perkins, president of the research firm Retail Metrics.

General Motors Co. announced plans Tuesday to invest $1 billion in U.S. factories and add white-collar jobs, moves that have been in the works for years but were made public after attacks from Trump.

Read more: GM announces $1-billion investment in its U.S. factories and thousands of new jobs 

And Amazon.com Inc. announced last week that it would add 100,000 full-time jobs over the next 18 months. The increased hiring was tied to previously announced plans to build more warehouses and other facilities. Amazon said its U.S. workforce has grown to more than 180,000 by the end of last year from 30,000 in 2011. By comparison, Wal-Mart employs about 2.4 million people worldwide, including 1.5 million in the United States.

Trump thanked Wal-Mart and General Motors on Twitter for starting the big push back in the U.S. and took credit for bringing jobs back into the U.S. However, Wal-Mart store jobs and construction jobs would not have moved elsewhere anyway.

Wal-Mart has been looking to trim costs and expenses as it tries to be more nimble and compete more effectively with Amazon. It announced early last year that it would close 154 U.S. stores, and last summer it eliminated 7,000 back-office positions.

Other retailers have recently announced store closings and layoffs. Macys, for example, is closing nearly 70 stores, cutting 10,000 jobs.

Wal-Mart reiterated that it plans $6.8 billion in capital investments in the U.S. in the fiscal year that begins Feb. 1. Wal-Mart, which imports a majority of its goods from China and other countries, has been publicizing efforts to bring some of the manufacturing back in the U.S. over the past few years. In 2013, it committed to an additional $250 billion in American sourced and assembled goods through 2023.

It announced Tuesday that the Walmart Foundation, its nonprofit arm, would provide grants to six universities toward innovations in the textile industry.

Wal-Mart has 11,593 stores in 28 countries. The Bentonville, Ark.-based chain saw its online sales improve in the third quarter and its profit beat Wall Streets expectations. It also raised the low end of its full-year profit outlook.

Times staff writer Jim Puzzanghera contributed to this report.

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UPDATES:

1:25 p.m.: This article was updated with information about General Motors announcement and President-elect Donald Trumps reaction.

This article was originally published at 9:20 a.m.
Insurance companies are playing the odds, patient advocates say. Theyre counting on people not having the stamina to challenge every denied claim, even when theres a valid medical reason for a drug or treatment being covered.

Its intimidating, said Betsy Imholz, special projects director for Consumers Union. Its hard to understand the process and many people feel that the default answer from insurers is no.

Today Ill provide some tips on jumping through the myriad hoops the insurance industry might throw your way if you choose to appeal a denied claim.

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While the appeals process is time-consuming and frustrating, its often worth putting up a fight. A 2011 study by the Government Accountability Office found that for the relatively small percentage of denied claims that were challenged, about half ended up being reversed.

I wrote on Friday about Simi Valley resident Bill Waxman and his repeated run-ins with insurers and pharmacy benefit managers that denied claims for his 24-year-old daughter, Alison, who suffers from a variety of autoimmune disorders.

It usually takes him weeks of effort, but he routinely prevails.

If the claim is for something out of the ordinary, their first answer is almost always no, Waxman, 66, told me. I dont think they even look closely at the claim. They just say no.

Ive learned never to take no for an answer.

The insurance industry insists that denials result from a rigorous process of evaluating the medical soundness of prescribed drugs or treatments. However, the GAO report said many denials can be traced to billing errors or missing information. Something as simple as an incorrect code submitted by a doctors office can trigger a denial.

The bottom line is that its entirely possible youll be able to get a denial reversed. But youll have to be thorough and diligent and very patient in persuading an insurer that youre right and its wrong.

Insurers make money when you pay in through premiums and copays, and they lose money when they pay out, said Chuck Idelson, a spokesman for the California Nurses Assn., which supports a Medicare-for-all insurance system. So they do everything possible to deny claims.

The first thing you need to do in mounting an appeal is to understand why the claim was denied.

Start small. Contact the insurer or pharmacy benefit manager and see if theres any paperwork missing or an erroneous code. The fix might be as simple as resubmitting a certain document.

If that doesnt work, youll need to delve more deeply and take a crash course in medical/insurance jargon. It wont be easy.

Heres actual language from a denial letter received by Waxman from the pharmacy benefit manager Navitus Health Solutions. The claim was for a heart drug called Corlanor that a cardiologist believed would ease his daughters postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, which prevents sufficient blood getting to the brain.

Based on the information we have received, Navitus wrote, you do not meet number 2 and 3 of the prior authorization criteria because you do not have NYHA Class II-IV or ACCF/AHA Class C or D chronic heart failure and a baseline OR current left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than or equal to 35%.

What that means in English is that Corlanor is intended for a different heart disorder and Navitus isnt open to other uses.

Waxmans appeal thus began with him deciphering the denial. He then arranged for a peer-to-peer conversation between his daughters cardiologist and a health official at Navitus.

When that got nowhere, he set about gathering information on the growing off-label use of Corlanor to treat POTS, including academic papers indicating the drugs efficacy in addressing the disorder.

Google is your best friend in surveying the medical landscape. But a website such as PubMed, operated by the U.S. Library of Medicine, can be helpful in chasing down studies on specific drugs and ailments.

After Waxman got all his ducks in a row, he wrote up his findings and sent them to the head of Navitus. This month he was informed that the companys medical director and pharmacists have reviewed your appeal and have made the decision to approve the Corlanor for one year.

A Navitus spokeswoman declined to comment.

Remember, a successful appeal is an exercise in organization. Keep notes of all your phone conversations with company reps and files of all documentation.

Try not to lose your cool. The system is designed to wear you down and to weed out the weak from the strong. An insurer has nothing to lose and everything to gain from putting barriers in your path.

Something to keep in mind: Insurers are so unhappy about paying claims that the percentage of premiums received they have to pay back to policyholders is known as the medical loss ratio. Seriously. To them, covering your healthcare is considered a financial loss.

If you need a helping hand, a cottage industry of patient advocates exists to help guide you through the healthcare wilderness. Start with the Patient Advocate Foundation and their guide to the appeals process. Or check out the Alliance of Claims Assistance Professionals.

Still stuck? Your next move is turning to the state Department of Managed Health Care. Even if they cant advance your cause, theyll probably be able to suggest fresh approaches.

Or you can file a complaint with the California Department of Insurance. The departments website has instructions for doing so.

The system is structured so that insurers make money, said Idelson at the California Nurses Assn. What you need to remember is that youre paying for care. You ought to be able to get it.

David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.

Click here for a Spanish version of this story

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Los Angeles Opera will announce on Tuesday that its 2017-18 season will include an unprecedented collaboration with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Joffrey Ballet and the Hamburg State Opera of Germany.

The Lyric Opera and L.A. Opera will co-produce the 1774 Paris version of Christoph Willibald Glucks Orpheus and Eurydice. The Joffrey will appear in the production, presented in French with English translations and directed, choreographed and designed by Hamburg Ballet Artistic Director John Neumeier.

Placido Domingo, L.A. Operas general director, called working with Neumeier a longstanding dream for his company.

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We have long admired the power of his visual storytelling, the refinement of his aesthetic taste and his supreme emotional sensitivity in his acclaimed work with the Hamburg Ballet, Domingo said. I know that John will bring a uniquely insightful, humane and poignant emotional interpretation to one of the operatic repertoires most enduring tragedies.

Domingo added that the tale of Orpheus represents only the second time that his company and the Lyric Opera have come together to create a production. We are also especially thrilled to partner for the first time with the Joffrey Ballet, Domingo said, whose participation will make Orpheus a truly magical experience for our audiences.

L.A. Opera Music Director James Conlon will conduct the Los Angeles staging of the production, which will feature Russian tenor Maxim Mironov as Orpheus and American soprano Lisette Oropesa as Eurydice.

Orpheus and Eurydice will open the 2017-18 season at the Lyrics Civic Opera House in Chicago in September; it will then come to Los Angeles Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in March 2018 and the Hamburg State Opera during the 2018-19 season, with appearances there by the Hamburg Ballet.

In Chicago, the title roles will be filled by Russian tenor Dmitry Korchak as Orpheus and Canadian soprano Andriana Chuchman as Eurydice. English conductor Harry Bicket will conduct.

deborah.vankin@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @debvankin

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To appreciate how an actor artfully navigates the constant, bicoastal demands of awards season, its helpful to peek inside Annette Benings takeout coffee container.

Not long ago, the four-time Oscar nominee breezed into the lobby of the London Hotel in West Hollywood, trailed by Warren Beatty, her husband of 24 years. They were there in the late evening to participate in an intimate Q&A supporting Beattys latest movie, Rules Dont Apply. Bening looked remarkably fresh for someone who had been in New York attending the Gotham Awards just the night before.

Her secret? Bening smiled, opening the plastic lid of the coffee cup, revealing the red wine inside.

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You get the hang of these things when youve been around for a while, Bening, 58, said. Beatty cocked his head, looked in the cup and nodded. Listen to her. She knows what shes talking about.

 Annette Bening discusses her 20th Century Women character and working with young costars including Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning.

Thats so Annette. She has this rebellious Cheshire cat quality to her. You never know what shes going to be up to.  Mike Mills

That much, it seems, just about everyone can agree on. Mike Mills, who directed Bening in 20th Century Women, a movie he also wrote, laughs uproariously when told the furtive wine story.

Thats so Annette, Mills said by phone. She has this rebellious Cheshire cat quality to her. You never know what shes going to be up to.

Mills did not write the character of Dorothea, the mysterious single mother  free-spirited at times, controlling at others  at the heart of 20th Century Women, with Bening in mind. The melancholy film, set in Santa Barbara circa 1979, largely focuses on Dorothea enlisting the help of two younger women (played by Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning) to teach her teenage son (Lucas Jade Zumann) how to be a good man.

Mills based Dorothea on his late mother, Jan Mills, a woman he calls a mix of Amelia Earhart and Humphrey Bogart  but heavier on the Bogart.

When Bening responded to his script, he was thrilled. And because of the way she, as Mills puts it, took the character and digested it and made it hers, he can no longer think of Dorothea as anything but Bening.

Casting is like finding a lover  you dont know why you picked a person until a month into working with them, Mills said. And then it was like, Oh. You really are so much like my mom. Theyre both Geminis. And theyre both allergic to the obvious. My mother would never do what you thought she would do and neither does Annette.

Over a long conversation at the London, a few weeks after the Rules Dont Apply event, Bening exuded the sort of inscrutability that Mills described (shes a very secretive person in a lot of ways), amiably avoiding queries about parallels between her own mothering and Dorotheas approach.

But she would allow that one of the things she really responded to in Mills screenplay was the bittersweet reality that parents rarely see their children authentically because the elders presence always changes the dynamic in the room. Parents want to know their children, Bening says. And, at some point, the kids want to understand what their parents are all about, if only to help themselves sort through lifes vagaries.

That longing is there, even in very good relationships filled with love, Bening said. And its probably a longing that can never be fully erased. I mean, do we ever really fully know ourselves?

Benings own parents are still alive  her father is 90, her mom is 87  and live in the same five-bedroom, east San Diego Spanish ranch house they bought when she was a kid. Their age, along with the questions 20th Century Women raises, has her thinking about having a conversation with them to fill in some of the blanks about their lives. Or she might do what a friend did and have someone else conduct a taped interview with them. (With parents, there are certain things they would tell a stranger that they wouldnt tell you, Bening said.)

For her own offspring, she believes whats most important is for them to see you as someone whos trying.

Bening and Beatty have four children together, ranging in age from 25 to 16. Beatty has taken to describing them as four small Eastern European countries that live in our house, though in reality, their youngest daughter is the only one officially still living at home. Bening called her husbands description hilarious and true, to a degree.

The tables have definitely turned to where you think youre there to teach them when theyre little and now its all about learning from them.  Annette Bening

The tables have definitely turned to where you think youre there to teach them when theyre little and now its all about learning from them, Bening said. And I like that shift. I like them out there doing their own thing.

What she doesnt particularly like is the pressure that she believes many millennials feel to constantly be chronicling their lives and curating their images on social media. In 20th Century Women, Dorothea looks at the liberated young women coming of age in late 70s Southern California, like the one handing her son a copy of Our Bodies, Ourselves, and wonders what itd be like to grow up as part of that generation.

Bening harbors no such thoughts about her own daughters era.

Recently, especially, having been out in the press more, I feel really grateful that Im in the generation Im in, Bening said. Im not into social media. I dont have a Facebook account. And Im glad. Thats not my world. She pauses a moment, considering, and her curiosity starts to get the better of her. I mean, it would be fascinating. Theres many positive parts. The way theyre connected to people and can stay connected to people. Thats a profound change. What are the ramifications? We dont know yet.

But I really think privacy is a precious thing, she continued. In my profession, privacy gives me more freedom. My responsibility is to be as open as I can in my work. But beyond that, I have my boundaries. We all have our ups and downs, but I dont think we have to share them on social media to make them meaningful. Another pause. Not that Im judging that. But I couldnt do it and maintain my own sanity. And thats a precious thing, too  sanity. Especially these days.

See the most-read stories this hour 

glenn.whipp@latimes.com

Twitter: @glennwhipp
Stop by the movie theater this awards season and you might wonder exactly what decade were living in. From Fences to Hidden Figures, The Founder to Loving  and even on some level 20th Century Women  the mid- to late-20th century remains compelling turf to filmmakers. Consider the number of Oscar nominees set at least partially in the 1950s just last year: Carol, Brooklyn, Trumbo and Bridge of Spies.

Yet whats interesting about this years crop of films is that the stories are shifting. They seem to be digging a little deeper into that era and offering up details we havent seen before, particularly in the areas of women and African Americans.

Youve seen the fire hoses [on protesters] and the KKK and the dogs, that type of thing in cinema forever, says Ted Melfi, director of Hidden Figures, about the roles key black women played in the NASA program in the 1960s. What you havent seen is the corporate racism, the everyday effects of segregation in the workplace.

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 Ruth Negga discusses finding the right accent, attitude and speaking voice for the fact-based historical drama Loving.

Producer Peter Saraf, whose Loving examines the lives of Mildred and Richard Loving, a Virginia couple whose interracial marriage was ultimately litigated up to the Supreme Court in 1967, agrees that were getting to a more micro-level of stories . We might expect the men in white cloaks or the burning crosses, but [Loving] is more about emotional violence: the emotional violence of a pregnant woman thrown in jail for the weekend, the emotional violence of where is the next moment of legal action against us going to come from? he says.

Historically, films have trended toward whitewashed versions of history, from the Old West cowboy myths to our understanding of the roles nonwhite men played in the 20th century. The question remains, though: As we gain a greater understanding of the diversity of those periods, will we start seeing a more realistic version of history?

The film business has been very good for the first century of its existence at telling stories from a straight white male perspective, Saraf says. Were only starting to open up to the business of a more inclusive body of storytellers. That will inevitably lend itself to a more diverse palette of stories  and there will be more perspectives, so you dont always have to have the white protagonist and we can tell the stories of all people, which is exciting for the culture at large.

And by telling stories that are more diverse in both big ways and small, says 20th Century Women director Mike Mills, we are able to share a more truthful version of the world. People we havent normally seen doing things we dont normally see them do goes hand-in-hand with a story being more realistic, he says.

As he notes, his film features a mom who aspired to be a pilot. Even in her mom-ness theres a lot of dimension I gave her that traditional filmmaking doesnt really like, he says. Commercial filmmaking is slightly allergic to that.

Yet if this is coming to a boil now, its less about what went on back then than about our current place in history, says The Founder production designer Michael Corenblith, whose film follows the rise of McDonalds magnate Ray Kroc in the 1950s and 60s.

 Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch star in The Founder.

Period films ultimately tell you more about the period in which they were made than the period they depict, he says. A picture about High Noon tells you more about America in the 1950s than America in the 1870s. We cannot escape the little chunk of the space-time continuum we ride on, and many things are not going to be revealed until time does its job.

One thing seems clear, though: Now that movies like Hidden Figures and Loving are bringing to light major historical facts that had remained out of general sight for so many years, its hard to imagine Hollywood turning back.

I no longer use the word diverse, Melfi says. I use truth. Theres no good reason to say in a movie that there was no black person, or Asian person, or Latin person around  its just untrue.

Loving happened within my lifetime, Saraf says. That feels like very current history. Were still struggling with these issues today, but I do think we will continue to tell these stories, reinterpreted through the modern perspective. The particularly fertile periods of history, I think, will remain relevant  and as our culture continues to make history every day, we create new and exciting stories to tell.

calendar@latimes.com

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A woman dries her hair with a towel. Who emerges from underneath that towel is the same woman, but many years later and now played by a different actress. That elegant act of transformation, an evocative vision of the ways in which we change over time but also in many ways stay the same, is the centerpiece of Pedro Almodovars Julieta.

The film marks something new from the veteran Spanish filmmaker, a two-time Oscar winner who has been a pillar of the international festival and art-house scene since he emerged in the 1980s with provocative films such as Dark Habits and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

Though Almodovar is known largely for his riotously overheated melodramas and recent excursions into genre deconstruction, Julieta is an adaptation of three short stories by the Canadian author Alice Munro and a sincere, straightforward drama, minus the air of self-conscious referentiality that comes with the melo prefix.

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For a baroque director such as myself I have actually deprived myself of many of the gestures I would have deployed in some of my others films, Almodovar, 67, said during a recent interview in Los Angeles. And this restraint is how I have made Julieta an austere drama. Now it doesnt matter if other people dont experience it as an austere drama, what matters for me is thats what it is.

Its much easier for me to make a melodrama. I feel much more comfortable. But it was a very good experience to be dry, he added. You can make something different for yourself and it is really welcome. I would like to make always things I have never done in the past.

In the film actresses Emma Suarez and Adriana Ugarte both play the title character. As the movie begins, Suarez plays Julieta as a woman estranged from her adult daughter Antia but desperate to reconnect. Then in flashback, Ugarte plays Julieta when she was younger, as the story explains the complicated past that led to their estrangement, and then leaps forward to find her still struggling to reconcile with Antia.

The film was submitted as Spains official entry for the foreign-language Academy Award but surprisingly failed to make the shortlist of nine titles competing for the final five nominations. It was likewise not nominated for the foreign-language Golden Globe, a prize Almodovar has won twice before.

The film has nevertheless been playing since late last month in Los Angeles and continues to open around the country. An ongoing Almodovar retrospective at L.As Cinefamily has been drawing sellout crowds, building toward a screening of Julieta on the 22nd.

Though the changes in Julieta could be read as ongoing signs of maturity on the part of Almodovar and his skillfully assured sense of storytelling, the film feels fresh, not autumnal or like a more typical artists later work.

I was very surprised when I read Julieta, because I saw that it was really a drama and not a melodrama, said actress Rossy de Palma, who first worked with Almodovar on his 1987 film Law of Desire and returns with a supporting role in the new film. Im surprised that Pedro held onto all his preoccupations, held onto his universe and made it much more minimalist. And I love that: the restraint of including only the essential things.

In conversation Almodovar is exuberant and charming, switching between English and Spanish. He retains a film-lovers hunger for new movies, asking where a few recent releases he wanted to catch up on might be playing.

He noted that the central image of one woman going under a towel and emerging as an older version of herself had been with him from the screenplays very first draft.

When I speak of simplicity, thats exactly the kind of thing Im talking about, trying to avoid any complex visual rhetoric, he said. Its a moment that on the one hand is very human, just two people drying a feminine body, but theres also something of an element of religiosity in that moment.

As references of overall tone and performance for his actresses, he referred them to Joan Didions book The Year of Magical Thinking as an examination of loss and grief, the iconic actress Jeanne Moreau for her walk and the way she held the screen, as well as the recent German film Phoenix starring Nina Hoss. Almodovar noted that he wrote the film listening to the abstract music of composers Steve Reich and Philip Glass, but was at first reluctant to share it with the actresses.

For Ugarte, a television star in Spain, the chance to work with Almodovar was genuinely a childhood dream come true. During an interview in Los Angeles alongside De Palma, Ugarte recalled how she once saw Almodovar out at the movies in Madrid when she was young girl who then only harbored fantasies of being an actress.

You can make something different for yourself and it is really welcome.  Pedro Almodovar

Almodovar purposefully did not want Ugarte and Suarez to see each other performing, as he worked with them separately; they only overlapped on set for one day. For Ugarte, finally seeing how her costar approached the same role was a shock for all the subtle shadings of continuity.

When I saw all the film, I realized we were just one, Ugarte said. I didnt miss myself when it was Emma and she said the same thing. It felt like one part. It was like magic. Maybe Pedro brought us to the same way to understand how Julieta suffers.

Almodovar has long had an interest in not only Munros work  a copy of the short-story collection Runaway can be seen on a bookshelf in his 2011 film The Skin I Live In  but also the possibility of finally making an English-language film. There is one moment in every decade where I decide to try, Lets make my first movie in English, Almodovar said.

At one point it was reported that Almodovar was going to adapt the Munro stories in English, set in New York with a cast that would include Meryl Streep. But as has happened before, Almodovar got cold feet and temporarily shelved the project before refashioning it to take place in Spain.

Even with the somber, reflective tone of Julieta already staking out new territory for him, Almodovar wondered aloud what would be gained, or lost, if he were to work in English, his own creative curiosity taking hold.

The difference would be in the way I behave during the shooting, said Almodovar. I usually change many things at the last minute. Im also the writer of the movie and I dont have to ask anybody. I invent new lines when we are rehearsing and at the last minute in front of the camera. And this is something Im afraid I will miss, that ultimate touch is very important in my movies.

Id be curious to see if I could do it in English and have that chance to intervene in the last moment as I always do, he added. Id be curious to see what kind of movie I would make. Because surely it would be a different kind of movie, but Id also to be interested to see what it might be.

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Mark.Olsen@latimes.com

Follow on Twitter: @IndieFocus

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Theres a bold new youth movement in the Los Angeles music scene. Led by the Regrettes and Cherry Glazerr, each band, with songwriters still in their teens, takes a warts-and-all, open-book approach to music-making, all while being unafraid to take a stance.

Or to mess with a reporter.

Whats your agenda? Clementine Creevy asks moments after arriving at a Chinatown diner for an interview. At 19, shes been around long enough to be suspicious of the press. Her Cherry Glazerr project has existed in various incarnations since she was about 15.

Creevy proceeds to say shes not a fan of the job-required question-and-answer sessions, and she lists, as affably as possible, topics she wants to avoid: her work in the fashion industry, the bands association early on with Orange Countys acclaimed indie Burger Records and her youth.

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 Cherry Glazerr is a teen rock band whose members met through a Craigslist ad for shelving.

She laughs, and then comically stages a mock interview with herself.

Tell me about Burger Records. Tell me about Saint Laurent. Tell me about being young and being in a band. Tell me about being in high school and being in a band. Tell me about being a girl and being in a band, she says. Thats usually the interview. Thats not a question. Yes, Im young and in a band. Thats a fact, sir or maam.

Later, shell joke, Im not good at parties.

Yet answering endless questions about youth is a reality both bands have had to face. When youre a teenager and youre in a band, people always feel the need to just jab-jab-jab-jab, says Lydia Night, the Regrettes 16-year-old lead songwriter

But theres vital work being done here.

The Regrettes Genessa Gariano, for instance, discovered what had been missing from her middle- and high-school life when she met Night.

Night had a song, A Living Human Girl.

Or, rather, she had a 2-minute manifesto that points a middle finger at our cultures unrealistic view of femininity. Stretch marks, acne, greasy hair, a disinterest in exercising  Night turns them all into causes for celebration, with a 1960s-inspired girl group stomp and a punk-rock snarl.

Im not a bitch for saying what is real, Night snaps, delivering the lyric moments after mocking her breast size and just before she broadcasts news of her period.

A Living Human Girl is the centerpiece of the Regrettes debut album, Feel Your Feelings Fool! As a whole, the 15-song work turns the confusion and frustration of modern times into high-energy blasts rooted in freedom of expression and individuality.

It also sends a message, arguing that Hollywoods pop music machinery has long failed to capture the mixed-up, muddled and angry feelings of adolescence. Cherry Glazerr is apt to decorate its stage with images of female anatomy, while the Regrettes, on song after song, bluntly and sarcastically tackle ignorance and stereotypes.

The Regrettes, from left: Lydia Night, Sage Chavis, Maxx Morando and Genessa Gariano. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times )

I heard that shes a feminist, so she must not shave her pits, Night hollers late on Feel Your Feelings Fool! and, at a record release party Friday night at the Echo, she took a moment to dedicate the bands most aggressively explicit song to incoming President Donald Trump.

It isnt lost on either act that they each have albums hitting at a time when womens rights are a matter of debate on Capitol Hill and our president-elect has been heard on tape demeaning women. In turn, theres another, perhaps unintentional, underlying message to Feel Your Feelings Fool! and Cherry Glazerrs Apocalipstick, each out this month. Maybe the grown-ups dont have it figured out, after all.

Gender set aside, just by being a kid, people automatically assume youre dumb, Night says. When you think of someone younger, you think, Oh, Im smarter than you. It feels horrible. No, take me seriously. Please, take me seriously.

A Living Human Girl seems to have accomplished that plea. The song helped secure management and a record deal with Warner Bros. for Night and the band.

That was the song that made me want to do this, Regrettes guitarist Gariano, 19, says of forming the band.

When I was in middle school and high school, I didnt have that song, Gariano says, seated with her bandmates at a West L.A. rehearsal spot. I felt all those feelings. I felt alone in those feelings. I felt really alone. I was shy. I didnt have a Lydia singing that song to me. Im so glad girls have that song now. I wanted to make sure everyone heard this song. Its important.

::

If the Regrettes, appearing at Hollywoods Amoeba Music for a free show on Jan. 26, are relative newcomers on the local scene, having only played their first show last February, Creevy is a wizened veteran.

Her personality  half-serious but a little wry and cynical  is all over Cherry Glazerrs Apocalipstick, which the Secretly Canadian label will release on Friday. Ask Creevy to explain the songs, and shell give one-word answers (death, drugs) or seemingly completely made-up ones, such as the moment she describes Told You Id Be With the Guys as a document of fish pedicures.

Maybe, maybe not.

The song opens Apocalipstick with sharply pointed guitars that wind up and down while Creevy, with a cutting upper register, slices through the stutter-step melody. She details being a loner, then hanging with the boys, and then a rush of noise arrives in the songs final moments to release the tension as she appears to find solace in female solidarity. Its necessary, to give a lady love, she sings.

Women are so highly competitive with each other, Creevy says. Men are competitive in a different way. Theyre competitive for the whole world. The whole world is available to them. But women are competitive to each other on such a small scale. Theyre vicious little animals competing for the attention of a man.

Its such a small-scale thing, and its self-defeating, she continues. The end is close when youre a woman. You can see it. With men, you have the whole world. You may be competitive with your fellow man, but its competition for all the opportunities that the world offers you. Women dont have that.

Cherry Glazerr and the Regrettes, who have shared bills together, including a recent benefit for Planned Parenthood, live on different ends of the punk-inspired spectrum.

Im constantly contradicting myself every day with my quote-unquote philosophies, Creevy says, but the only things I take seriously  and the only things that energize me  are music and feminism.

Still, theres silliness to both  check the Regrettes fuzzy and propulsive Picture Perfect, which quotes Salt-N-Pepas Push It, or Cherry Glazerrs light-stepping Trash People, in which Creevy brags about wearing underpants three days in a row.

The Regrettes deliver it all with a retro-infused enthusiasm. Maxx Morandos drums are already arena-size, and the bass of Sage Chavis feels lifted from Phil Spectors Wall of Sound. Nary a putdown or a kiss-off is delivered without a winning melody or soaring harmonies.

In turn, Nights lyrics envision a world where impulsiveness and insecurities always get an invite to the dance. When she deals with, say, casual everyday sexism, as she does on the snappy Seashore, its with a sense of glee (And no, I wont give you a little twirl, she sings with a raspy bite). And she also has no patience for generational fears of commitment, hollering, I dont need your maybes on the explosive, roller-rink-ready Lacy Loo.

Ive noticed in high school, people are so scared of being vulnerable and not looking cool, Night says. Its so sad. Being in denial about your feelings is only going to make you unhealthy. Thats the No. 1 thing my parents have drilled into my brain since I was 5  never hold things in. Get it out.

Thats why therapy rocks, she adds.

By contrast, theres a darker, doomier side lurking in Cherry Glazerr, which will headline the Teragram Ballroom on Feb. 16. Both bands are ready to call out immaturity  Time to be a ladys man/Time to knock out Peter Pan, Creevy sings casually on Lucid Dreams. Sasami Ashworths synths counter Creevys blown-out guitar with panicked, carnivalesque notes, while Tabor Allens rhythms jolt indirectly between both.

Even more intense is Instagratification, which tackles the emotional roller coaster of a life plugged in to social media, complete with a freaked-out, psychedelic breakdown. And then there are the subterranean and dancy grooves of Trash People, in which Creevy invites listeners into her head-space and swears shes not kidding.

Im just a trashy person, Creevy says. Ive always been that way. I shower once a week. Its not my priority. Cleanliness in its most basic term is just not something I prioritize. I want to have a clean room. I want that. But I cannot achieve it. Even when I clean my room, the next day it looks like something exploded in there.

Im just dirty, she adds. Im nasty.

Clementine Creevy during a Cherry Glazerr rehearsal. (Jessica Chen / Los Angeles Times )

::

A shared love of forthrightness permeates both bands.

I think that our parents like the fact that we speak our mind, says the home-schooled Night, whose father runs the Hicksville Trailer Palace in Joshua Tree and whose mother manages a sober-living facility. She met her bandmates at the instructional School of Rock in Burbank.

For Mike Elizondo, the veteran producer and Warner Bros. executive whos worked with Eminem, Fiona Apple and more, the Regrettes passed an important listening test: They won the approval of his daughters.

They would tell me that Lydias songs are stuff teenage girls talk about at school or at lunch, but that no one ever writes songs about, he says. That was telling. She was an open diary to not only teenage girls but youth in general, and what this generation of teenagers are going through. I felt like even if you arent a teenager, you were once a teenager who felt like that.

I wasnt going to try and change her or make her write with A-list songwriters in town, he adds. What she was doing on her own was special.

Shes also wanted to be a musician since she was 5, the age at which her parents took her to see the Donnas, the all-female pop-punk band.

Creevy, meanwhile, says she broke her parents hearts, informing them that, in order to give Cherry Glazerr a shot, she would not be attending New York University. The band for Apocalipstick signed with esteemed indie label Secretly Canadian, part of the Secretly Group, whose roster includes Bon Iver, Anohni and more.

Its definitely not something you want to hear as a parent. Im going to be a musician with no back-up plan, Creevy says. Both her parents are artists and writers, and her father, Nicholas Wootton, has had success as a television producer/writer on such shows as Scorpion and Chuck.

They really wanted me to go to NYU. I did well in school. They did well in school. Theyre financially set, Creevy says. They were scared, but completely supportive of my creative endeavors.

Already, the two bands anchors have experienced some only in L.A. moments. Night, for instance, once performed in the choir of Ryan Goslings band Dead Man Bones, and Creevy has dabbled in modeling and acting (she appeared on Transparent).

Though Creevy talks at length about the political and social ramifications of music  or lack thereof  shes also quick to argue that her own opportunities disqualify her from being a generational spokeswoman.

Thats easy to say as a privileged white girl with a band and a lot of awesome aspects to my life, Creevy says. Ive had a generally easy life. I think that music is not inherently political, but a civil society puts meaning on it depending on the social-political climate.

So when it comes to relating to those who are older, the artists think they have cracked the code: just be direct.

Be nice, be dumb, clean the floors and wash your pores, Night sarcastically muses near the end of Feel Your Feelings Fool! before making it clear she wont be doing any of that.

The honesty is what makes it mature, says Gariano. When youre younger, being honest is harder. You dont really know what youre feeling, so being able to articulate that is what makes it mature.

Todd.Martens@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @toddmartens

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Whatever your political point of view, it seems impossible to dispute that, on the eve of a Donald Trump presidency, the country is intensely divided.

But how did we get here?

Divided States of America, a four-hour Frontline special premiering Tuesday, tackles that provocative question by taking a sometimes critical look at Obamas presidency and the bitter partisanship that defined it.

The central thesis of the two-part special is that Obama, who was elected partially on a promise to heal the rift between red and blue America, instead helped usher in an era of unprecedented gridlock that gave rise to Trumps insurgent candidacy. Likewise, despite the sense that Obamas victory represented the dawn of a post-racial era, his presidency only helped expose a lingering black-white divide.

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Divided States is equally about the transformation of the GOP from the party of John McCain to the party of Trump, tracing the rise of conservative populism beginning with vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in 2008.

What emerges from Divided States is the sense that extreme political polarization poses a grave threat to the country, but theres little sense of how we might overcome it.

The miniseries takes a timeline approach, examining in roughly chronological order the flashpoints over healthcare, government spending, race and gun violence that shaped Obamas White House tenure.

Director-producer Michael Kirk and his team have assembled an impressive array of interview subjects, including top administration officials such as former Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner; leading intellectuals like Ta-Nahisi Coates; and a whos who of political journalists from the Washington Post, the New York Times and the New Yorker.

The first half begins with the 2008 campaign and covers in meticulous detail the first two years of Obamas presidency. It argues that the seeds of our current division were sown in a tumultuous period that saw the financial crisis, bank bailouts and the passage of a stimulus package and the Affordable Care Act. Palin, with her divisive brand of prairie populism, was a harbinger of the anti-elite tea party movement, which helped Republicans gain control of the House of Representatives in the 2010 midterm elections.

The second hour moves along at a brisker pace, recounting the birther movement, the 2012 election, legislative skirmishes over the federal budget and the seemingly endless series of mass shootings and racially charged killings that marred Obamas second term in office.

It also delves into the civil war within the Republican Party, torn between tea party insurgents and so-called establishment figures like former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and former Speaker of the House John Boehner. (Divided States is especially sympathetic to Boehner, who is portrayed as an old-fashioned deal maker and pragmatist unfairly vilified by both parties.)

Trump sensed the growing resentment among some white voters the Archie Bunkers who were uncomfortable with an African American president, as author Michael DAntonio puts it  and gained influence by embracing the birther issue, which most mainstream Republicans had chosen to ignore. (He also read the tea leaves earlier than most, submitting a trademark application for his slogan Make America Great Again just six days after Mitt Romney lost the 2012 election.)

Divided States isnt afraid to lay some of the blame at Obamas feet. The president is portrayed as both overreaching, passing healthcare reform and a stimulus package without a single Republican vote, and overly cautious, declining to chastise bank executives after the financial crisis. And despite his vows to reach across the aisle, Obama was naive about the extent of partisan rancor and uninterested in the back-slapping necessary to get things done on Capitol Hill. Part of the problem, it suggests, is that Obamas meteoric rise led to an unrealistic level of confidence.

His biggest misunderstanding about American politics is that it wasnt polarized, says New Yorker staff writer Ryan Lizza.

But the series also points to Republican obstructionism, beginning with a strategy dinner days after Obamas inauguration where top GOP lawmakers, including Cantor and Rep. Paul Ryan, plotted to block the presidents agenda at every turn.

Divided States does an excellent job pinpointing the moments that helped deepen the partisan divide. As a behind-the-scenes account of legislative battles and backroom negotiations, it is deeply reported and impressive in its range, covering a host of complicated matters in a relatively short time. (Oddly, though, it focuses entirely on domestic issues, with no mention of foreign policy.)

The special is also particularly illuminating when it comes to Obamas complicated legacy as the nations first black president. Its a distinction that, ironically, forces him to be cautious when speaking out on matters of perceived racial bias, from the death of Trayvon Martin to the murder of nine churchgoers at Emmanuel A.M.E. church.

Perhaps necessarily, given the constraints of time and budget, Divided States focuses only on Obamas presidency, though President Clintons time in office was also marked by toxic clashes between left and right. Whats missing from the documentary is the historical and ideological context.

Partisan gridlock is a problem that has been with us since the beginning, but when did governing turn into a zero-sum game? How has D.C. become so dysfunctional that a modest gun control bill sponsored by an NRA-friendly Democrat and a conservative Republican wasnt able to pass in the Senate following the Newtown, Conn., massacre?

In this regard, Divided States underplays the role of TV news and social media. We hear numerous clips from conservative talk radio, and theres a brief mention of Rick Santellis infamous 2009 CNBC tea party rant, but theres virtually no mention of Fox News -- or for that matter, MSNBC -- and the growing partisan echo chambers.

The specials play-by-play focus, though gripping, means some of this broader perspective is lost. What Divided States of America provides is a detailed breakdown of how we got here, but not necessarily why.

Then again, it might take a few more years to figure that out.

Frontline

Where: KOCE and KPBS

When: 9 p.m. Wednesday

Rating: TV-PG (may be unsuitable for young children)
Their mother had briefly left the house Monday night, leaving her three sons and one daughter  ages 2 to 7  inside and alone when the fire broke out.

Neighbors saw smoke and flames at the 432-square-foot bungalow in South Los Angeles and called firefighters, who arrived to see the dwelling fully engulfed.

A sheriffs deputy managed to break a window, without bars, along the alley. A firefighter climbed in and pulled out the four children from the back bedroom.

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Moments later, the bedroom was consumed by flames, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said.

The children were taken to hospitals with severe burns and are fighting for their lives.

Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the fire, which left neighbors stunned.

Less than a month ago in another South L.A. neighborhood, a house fire killed 2-year-old twins and left their father in critical condition. Security bars made it difficult for firefighters to get into the house.

Monday nights fire broke out on the 800 block of West Manchester Avenue. When firefighters arrived at about 11 p.m., bystanders shouted that several people were trapped inside the home, Humphrey said.

When the firefighter found the children, they were nearly lifeless, Humphrey said. The firefighter was able to escape unharmed before the room spiraled to a temperature that would have assuredly taken the childrens lives.

Its unclear where the childrens mother was when the fire broke out. Originally, fire officials said she was running a short errand. Later, they said only that she was not inside at the time. Some neighbors reported she had gone to get something out of her car.

She returned to find her house in flames and watched as paramedics provided care for them, Humphrey said.

On Tuesday, the burnt remains of the home laid scattered on the sidewalk behind yellow police tape. Arson investigators combed through charred clothes, children books and a box of Luvs diapers.

A woman who identified herself as a family friend stormed onto the scene in tears. She said she normally drives by and checks for her friends car but instead she saw news cameras and police vehicles so she stopped.

Who would do this? she wailed, her face buried in her hands.

Denise Weeks, a 45-year-old mother of two, tried to comfort her. Weeks said she was also drawn to the news cameras. When she learned of the fire and the injured children, she said she was overcome with emotion.

I was thinking about what I was doing last night, listening to a track I had just laid vocals on, and [meanwhile] there were kids fighting for their lives, she said with tears streaming down her cheeks. I was in a happy state and now I feel so bad for these kids.

Weeks said didnt want to condemn the mother, who authorities said was not inside the structure at the time of the fire, until more information is released. She said she knows what its like to leave the kids briefly, but hopes this tragedy might serve as a smack in the face to others.

I did that and I thank God I never had to go through this, she said.

Humphrey said though the 93-year-old home had at least one smoke alarm, it was not clear whether it was working at the time of the fire.

There was no electricity to the home at the time of the blaze, fire officials said.

The names of the children have not been released, nor have details of their conditions. LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said they had been stabilized.

LAFD spokesman Peter Sanders said the lack of security bars in the bedroom where the children were rescued made a big difference.

We didnt in this case have problem with ingress and egress with the bars, he said.

The burnt remains of the home in the 800 block of West Manchester Avenue are scattered on the sidewalk Tuesday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times )

brittny.mejia@latimes.com

Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia

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UPDATES:

7:50 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the rescue and comments from fire officials.

3:25 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the home and comments from witnesses.

9 a.m.: This article was updated with details on the conditions of the children.

This article was originally published at 5:45 a.m.
A confidential estimate by federal regulators that the cost of Californias bullet train project could jump significantly has prompted critics of the $64-billion Los Angeles-to-San Francisco rail effort to call for new investigations and proponents to disclaim reports that project costs are growing.

The federal estimate has been the most troubling assessment of the rail project to surface, particularly as it was produced by the Federal Railroad Administration, an agency that has strongly supported the state. The estimate, formally a risk analysis that was presented to top state rail authority executives on Dec. 1 in Washington, D.C., was obtained by The Times from individuals close to the project and disclosed last week.

State officials have accused The Times of mischaracterizing its findings. In a letter to members of the Legislature, the California High-Speed Rail Authority accused The Times of incorrectly using internal deliberations to suggest cost overruns and delays that are not borne out by facts.

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But critics of the project said the federal analysis validates their concerns that the state will be saddled with multibillion-dollar unbudgeted costs for the foreseeable future.

Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock), chairman of the House rail subcommitee, said he would call for hearings and an audit in the near future. Critics in the state Legislature said they would redouble efforts to seek new oversight of the project, which was approved by the Assembly and Senate last year but vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The Times reported Friday that the confidential risk analysis said that the total cost of building a 118-mile initial segment from Merced to Shafter could rise from an original budget of $6.35 billion to a range of $9.5 billion to $10 billion. The report cited significant delays in land acquisitions and environmental approvals, warning that the construction work could be delayed by as much as seven years past its original completion date of this year.

In disputing the story, the rail authority letter cites its own plan to build the partial segment for $7.8 billion, which would include electrical wiring, signalling systems and track. But the federal risk analysis showing a higher cost covers less work.

The federal analysis is based on tasks that were detailed in a 2010 grant agreement statement of work and does not include the electrical systems, signals or stations, according to individuals close to the project and knowledgeable about the federal estimate. It means the federal estimate is much higher than the state estimate. The federal risk analysis explicitly makes clear that its estimates are based on the grant statement of work. Asked for a clarification, a rail authority spokeswoman said the documents speak for themselves.

The rail authority also said The Times overstates the risk that California could lose federal funds, because it can not meet spending deadlines in one of the grant agreements. But the risk analysis was clear that the state is expected to invoice $2.33 billion by a deadline later this year and that amount is $220 million short of invoicing all available [Obama administration stimulus act] funding. The story quoted rail authority Chief Executive Officer Jeff Morales asserting that the state is on track to spend all of the money.

The Times story noted that the authoritys internal audits last year identified a number of management problems. The rail authority said in the letter that it has corrected issues uncovered in a 2012 audit, but the letter did not mention the issues in the more recent audits.

I am not surprised that the cost problems exist or that the rail authority is denying them, said Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno), whose bipartisan bill to increase oversight on the project was vetoed last year. They have denied problems and denied and denied. This is shaking the confidence of a lot of people who support high-speed rail. The more we learn about high-speed rail, the less we like it.

Patterson said he intends to reintroduce his legislation that would require greater transparency at the rail authority.

The more we learn about high-speed rail, the less we like it.  Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno)

In response to the Times story, state Sen. Andy Vidak, a Central Valley Republican, said he has asked for the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to authorize the California state auditor to immediately initiate an audit of the rail authority, the first in several years. A similar request by Vidak was voted down last year.

Other members of the Legislature did not respond to a request for comment.

Stuart Flashman, an attorney who has sued the rail authority to block the sale and expenditure of bond funds, said the new federal cost estimates may be too low. Flashman noted that the Caltrain commuter rail system recently committed to converting its operations to electric power, a plan that would erect wiring over 40 miles for $2 billion. Its advanced signalling system cost another $2 billion. Such equipment for a bullet train segment over 118 miles could cost far more, Flashman said, even though the budget is far less.

The high-speed rail authority is trying to muddy the waters so you cant see what is going on, Flashman said.

ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @rvartabedian

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A Los Angeles lawmaker called Monday for the city to move to a public financing system for local elections, saying it would help address fears that wealthy donors buy influence at City Hall.

Councilman Mike Bonin said he wants voters to consider a proposal next year that would allow candidates to rely on taxpayer money rather than private contributions to fund their campaigns.

Under the voluntary system, candidates seeking public funding would have to gather a minimum number of small donations from their constituents to show that their campaigns are viable, then forgo any further fundraising. They would also have to promise not to heavily bankroll their own campaigns.

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Bonin, who is running for reelection in the March 7 election, made his announcement a week after several council members proposed banning campaign contributions from real estate developers seeking city approvals. Although he signed on to that proposal, Bonin said the city should do more.

Instead of tweaking the system, lets fix it and replace it with a better one, he said.

The city already has a public matching funds system that allows candidates to tap a limited amount of taxpayer money. For example, council candidates can obtain up to $225,000 in public funds as long as they comply with certain requirements, such as raising at least $5 apiece from 200 residents in their district.

Bonin, who represents coastal neighborhoods, pointed to Maine and Arizona as possible models for what Los Angeles could do next. In Maine, candidates for governor can tap taxpayer funds if they show they have raised 3,200 donations of at least $5 from state voters. The donations must go to the state fund that provides financial support to candidates. Once a candidate begins to receive public funds, he or she can no longer receive private contributions.

Public financing is the absolute right direction for Los Angeles to be moving, said Kathay Feng, executive director of California Common Cause, an open government group. Candidates will spend a lot more time talking to constituents  and not just raising money from outside special interests.

Mark Ryavec, one of the candidates running against Bonin, described the proposal as an attempt to divert voter attention from the donations the councilman has taken from developers and others with business at City Hall.

If Bonin wants to get developer cash out of City Hall decision-making, he should start by returning the hundreds of thousands of dollars he has raised from special interests over the last four years, said Ryavec, who heads a Venice group that advocates for slow growth.

The councilman declined to respond, saying his proposal is not a campaign thing.

Bonin is reviving an idea put forward in 2005 by his former boss, Councilman Bill Rosendahl, that was studied for years then abandoned. During that debate, a top city analyst warned that full public financing would be very costly, requiring either funds from the city budget or voter approval of a new tax.

Bonin said this time around, the city should consider seeking development fees or taxes on oil and gas production to pay for the public financing system. He also argued that presidential candidate Bernie Sanders had helped create a groundswell of popular support for reform.

Caney Arnold, a supporter of the Vermont senator who is running against Councilman Joe Buscaino in a district that spans from Watts to San Pedro, said the proposal would still put too many obstacles before candidates, who already must turn in petitions to get on the ballot.

Five dollars doesnt sound like a lot, but getting signatures is tough enough, said the retired Air Force program manager.

Bonins proposal has drawn support from Money Out Voters In, a nonprofit group that focuses on decreasing the influence of money in politics. Such a system would go a long way in addressing voter apathy and disaffection, its co-founder Michele Sutter said.

People really feel like their representatives arent listening to them, she said. This will give them the idea that, Hey, my vote, my voice, has no less weight than Mr. Moneybags on top of the hill.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

@LATimesEmily

david.zahniser@latimes.com

@DavidZahniser
A former contestant on TVs The Apprentice on Tuesday filed a defamation lawsuit against President-elect Donald Trump, whom she has accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward her.

Summer Zervos announced the lawsuit at a downtown Los Angeles news conference with her attorney, Gloria Allred, three days before Trumps inauguration.

Zervos, who appeared on the fifth season of the reality show, said Trump had tried to seduce her at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 2007, kissing her on the mouth without her consent and pressing himself against her. In October, she tearfully described darting around a hotel room to avoid physical contact with Trump, even as she sought employment from him.

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Zervos said she felt compelled to go public with the accusations after seeing recordings on the set of Access Hollywood that had been released days earlier, in which Trump made crude comments about grabbing women by the genitals.

For the first time, Summer Zervos saw Mr. Trumps behavior towards her for what it was: a sexual predator who had preyed on her and other women, the suit says.

On Tuesday, Allred said her client had voluntarily taken a lie detector test regarding the allegations and had passed.

The suit was filed in New York.

More of the same from Gloria Allred, Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Trump, said of the lawsuit in an email to The Times. There is no truth to this absurd story.

In October, Trump denied Zervos allegations and said he vaguely recalled her from the reality-television show he hosted for more than a decade.

To be clear, I never met her at a hotel or greeted her inappropriately a decade ago. That is not who I am as a person, and it is not how Ive conducted my life, Trump said in a statement.

Days later, Trump threatened to sue women who had accused him of sexual assault.

Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign, Trump said during a speech. Total fabrication. The events never happened. Never. All of these liars will be sued after the election is over.

Zervos lawsuit says Trump used his national and international bully pulpit to disparage Zervos and other accusers and that he knew that his false, disparaging statements would be heard and read by people around the world, and that these women  would be subjected to threats of violence, economic harm, and reputational damage.

In a November news conference after Trump won the election, Zervos called on Trump to retract his statements about her. She said Tuesday that she would drop the lawsuit if Trump did so.

I would still be willing to dismiss my case against him immediately for no monetary compensation if he will simply retract his false and defamatory statements about me and acknowledge that I told the truth about him, Zervos said.

Allred said the suit opens the possibility that Trump will be forced to testify under oath and that recordings and video from The Apprentice could be subpoenaed.

Zervos gave Trump two months to retract his statements about her, Allred said, and the timing of the suit the week of the inauguration came simply because his time is up.

This was in Mr. Trumps hands, Allred said. This lawsuit did not need to be filed.

The suit says Zervos suffered emotionally and financially from Trumps statements about her after she made her accusations public.

Being branded a liar who came forward only for fame or at the manipulation of the [Hillary] Clinton campaign has been painful and demoralizing, the lawsuit states.

Allred said she and Zervos, and possibly other Trump accusers, will be in Washington, D.C., for the Womens March on Washington.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybranson

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4:15 p.m.: This article was updated with a response from Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks and with more information about the lawsuit.

This article was originally published at 2:05 p.m.
A grandfather was credited with fighting off a woman who tried to kidnap his 3-year-old granddaughter on Saturday at a Northern California park.

Lindsay Frasher, 28, was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and is being held on $200,000 bail in the Placer County jail, according to the Auburn Police Department.

Police Sgt. Gary Hopping told KTXL-TV that the man and his two grandchildren were visiting Ashford Park in Auburn, about 35 miles northeast of Sacramento, at 1:42 p.m. when Frasher approached them.

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The Auburn, Calif. woman then grabbed one of the children, a 3-year-old girl, and tried to pull her from her grandfather, police said.

As Frasher tried to carry the toddler away, the man fought her off and engaged in a tug of war over the little girl, Hopping told the TV station.

The grandfather held on to his granddaughter and stopped Frasher from running away, police said.

Police did not have a motive for the alleged kidnapping attempt and said Frasher was not known to the child or family members involved. She was not believed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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A San Bernardino County judge Tuesday ruled that prosecutors can call numerous journalists to testify in the ongoing public corruption trials of a former county supervisor and others.

However, attorneys in the case reached an agreement that would allow at least two journalists to avoid taking the stand.

Duffy Carolan, an attorney for the journalists, said she was hopeful similar agreements could be reached for the remaining reporters.

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Ten Southern California journalists had been fighting an effort by prosecutors to compel them to take the witness stand in the trials.

Prosecutors want the reporters to testify about 56 statements contained in numerous articles published starting in 2005, as the corruption scandal unfolded.

Attorneys representing the journalists had argued they were protected from testifying by Californias Shield Law. That law, a provision of the state Constitution, provides legal protections for journalists who seek to keep from disclosing sources and unpublished information that is obtained while gathering news.

The attorneys accused the government of overreaching when they called such a large number of reporters and said prosecutors were trying to use the resources of the press to prove their case. They had asked the judge to reject the subpoenas or to strictly limit questioning of the reporters to certain published statements.

On Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Michael Smith said the journalists could be asked about the statements, which were published in articles in the Riverside Press-Enterprise, San Bernardino Sun and other local newspapers.

He said prosecutors would have to establish, through questioning, whether a statement was made directly to a reporter. If it was not, he said, that would end the inquiry.

However, prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed that certain quoted statements in articles written by former San Bernardino Sun reporter Jeff Horwitz and former Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reporter Mason Stockstill could be entered into the record without them taking the stand.

Carolan said the agreement was a good indication that the same treatment would apply to the other reporters. Carolan had argued that the judge should strictly limit the journalists testimony only to statements in quotes and in articles where a single reporter was the author, arguing that going beyond that would force the reporters to divulge unpublished information, in violation of the journalists constitutional protections.

The judge declined to make that distinction.

In explaining his decision, Smith said the law is clear that unpublished information and confidential sources and material are immune from being elicited. However, he said, it is equally clear that when it comes to published information a reporter can be called to testify.

Prosecutors had argued that the information they sought did not fall under the protections of the Shield Law.

Subpoenas were issued to Horwitz and Stockstill along with Southern California News Group Executive Editor Frank Pine, Sun reporter Joe Nelson and Press-Enterprise reporters Imran Ghori and Mark Muckenfuss. Muckenfuss was later released from the subpoena.

In addition, subpoenas were also issued to former Press-Enterprise reporters Cassie MacDuff, Sharon McNary and Jim Miller, and former Sun reporter Guy McCarthy.

Southern California News Group includes those three publications as well as the Los Angeles Daily News, the Orange County Register and other newspapers.

Prosecutors sought the testimony to bolster their case in the public corruption trials of developer Jeff Burum, former Supervisor Paul Biane and former county officials James Erwin and Mark Kirk, which got underway this month. The case is being jointly prosecuted by county prosecutors and the state attorney generals office.

The four were indicted in 2011 on multiple charges stemming from a land dispute between the county and Rancho Cucamonga-based investor group Colonies Partners.

Prosecutors have alleged that they participated in a bribery scheme designed to settle the matter in favor of the company. In 2006, county supervisors agreed to a $102-million settlement with Colonies, over the objection of county legal staff.

paloma.esquivel@latimes.com

For more Inland Empire news follow me @palomaesquivel

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UPDATES:

6:10 p.m.: This article was updated to indicate that journalist Mason Stockstill was also named in an agreement that would allow him to avoid taking the stand.

This article was originally published at 1:05 p.m.
A Massachusetts man is in police custody after soliciting nude photos from a Los Angeles County minor while posing as pop star Justin Bieber, authorities said this week.

Bryan Asrary, 24, was arrested in Revere, Mass., on Dec. 18 when a search warrant was served on his home by L.A. County sheriffs detectives with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police.

Detectives from the Sheriffs Department human trafficking bureau launched the investigation in November after learning that an 11-year-old girl had been extorted for sexually explicit pictures.

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The victim told detectives that two years before, when she was 9, she was viewing the Instagram page of Bieber when she received a direct message from another Instagram user who said he knew Bieber and offered to arrange a text meeting with the victim.

Excited at the proposition to text with Justin Bieber, the young victim accepted the offer and was directed to set up an account on the social media site, KIK, the department said in a news release.

The girl then communicated with someone on KIK, who she believed was actually Bieber. Asrary, posing as Bieber, began demanding nude photos of the girl and threatened harm if she didnt cooperate, authorities said.

The victim sent nude selfies and videos, and after sending the pictures the victim deleted the texts between herself and the suspect and kept it a secret.

In 2016, Asrary contacted the victim twice and threatened to publish and broadcast the photos she had sent earlier if she didnt send more nude photos and video, authorities said. The victim told her mother, who contacted authorities.

Detectives served several search warrants for information from social media sites and were able to identify the suspect as Asrary, of Revere, according to the department.

The department said that during an interview the suspect confessed to extorting the victim for sexual images and videos and also implicated himself in similar crimes against other young girls throughout the country.

Asrary was arrested by state troopers on suspicion of possessing child pornography. Police said they found the images on Asrarys cellphone and computer. His bail was set at $20,000.

In addition to the local charges, Asrary will face multiple charges in California, including extortion, manufacturing child pornography and communicating with a minor with the intent to commit a sex act, authorities said.

Investigators established that Asrary had no actual connection to Bieber, but simply fabricated the relationship to influence his young victims, the department said.

brittny.mejia@latimes.com

Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia

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Two years ago, in a tough race for the Los Angeles City Council, health clinic executive David Ryu made a promise that helped propel him to victory: He swore off campaign contributions from real estate developers.

That promise, Ryu said, was meant to reassure voters that community needs, not political donations, would guide his decisions on new building projects.

Now, with concerns over development and campaign cash taking center stage in the March 7 election, an array of candidates are embracing the same strategy as they look to topple incumbents, some of whom have a steep financial advantage.

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Public affairs consultant Mitchell Schwartz, waging a long-shot bid to unseat Mayor Eric Garcetti, said he wont take campaign funds from real estate developers. Council candidates in races from Echo Park to Westchester have made similar promises, singling out that money as a symbol of City Hall corruption.

Schwartz contends that developers who face community opposition get their projects approved by making hefty campaign contributions. Since making his pledge, the Windsor Square resident says he has returned $2,200 in developer donations.

Forgoing that money removes any question about whether Ill be beholden to the people who give me donations, he said.

Some of the candidates running against Councilmen Mike Bonin, Mitch OFarrell and Paul Koretz have made developer donation pledges of their own. In response, the mayor and those incumbents have insisted that political contributions have nothing to do with their votes.

I make my decisions based not on any donations I ever receive, but on the strength of peoples proposals, Garcetti said last week. Ive had people who have donated to me whose proposals Ive rejected, and vice versa.

Some of the campaigns have dismissed the pledges as a gimmick. Political consultant Parke Skelton, who is running the Koretz campaign in a Westside-to-Encino district, recently called the idea of declining all developer money ridiculous.

There are zillions of different kinds of developers. People who build affordable housing and are good developers, Skelton said. Everyone knows the city needs a certain amount of development in order to exist.

Nevertheless, Koretz was among a handful of council members who recently proposed banning donations from developers currently or recently seeking city approvals. That proposal was an acknowledgement that many Angelenos think campaign money drives such decisions at City Hall, even as elected officials insist it doesnt.

Accusations that City Hall has a pay to play system for approving development are being made by backers of Measure S, a bitterly contested proposal also on the March ballot that would restrict some large-scale real estate projects.

Two candidates said their pledges were also spurred, in part, by The Times investigation into Sea Breeze, a 352-unit apartment project approved by Garcetti and the City Council in 2015. The Times found that donors with ties to the Sea Breeze developer gave more than $600,000 to L.A.-area politicians while his project was being considered.

For the challengers, swearing off developer donations is a way of turning the advantages held by incumbents against them. Most of the candidates who have promised not to accept developer donations have raised only a small fraction of the money that the incumbents have garnered. Schwartz, for example, has taken in roughly one-eighth of the amount collected by Garcetti, reports show.

Jaime Regalado, a professor emeritus of political science at Cal State Los Angeles, called the challengers strategy good politics.

Developer money is largely going to the incumbent, he said. What have they got to lose?

Campaign donations were also a major issue when Garcetti ran for mayor four years ago. But that year, in the wake of a major budget crisis, the debate revolved around contributions by city employee unions, some of which had fought efforts to reduce pension benefits and cut the size of the city workforce.

During that campaign, Garcetti attacked his opponent, then-City Controller Wendy Greuel, for her support from the Department of Water and Powers largest employee union, which poured money into a campaign committee set up to support her candidacy.

This time around, with new multi-story building projects being proposed in Hollywood, Koreatown and the Westside, many candidates are turning their focus to developers.

In an Echo Park-to-Hollywood district, at least two candidates trying to unseat City Councilman Mitch OFarrell, Sylvie Shain and Jessica Salans, have pledged not to accept developer donations. Shain, a tenant activist, said the pledge will restore confidence.

Attorney Jesse Creed, who is battling Koretz, said developer donations are corrupting to the process. Mark Ryavec, a Venice slow-growth advocate who is running against Bonin to represent coastal neighborhoods, said the zoning process is driven by campaign cash.

The public is rightfully disgusted, Ryavec said. Both Creed and Ryavec have promised not to take donations from developers with projects pending at City Hall.

Such allegations infuriate some housing activists who say the city needs much more development to drive down rents. The demonization of developers is a disturbing trend that stunts growth, said Mark Vallianatos, spokesman for the advocacy group Abundant Housing L.A.

The idea that this business is especially evil turns people against the very important economic activity that we need much more of, said Vallianatos, who is also an opponent of Measure S.

Vallianatos and his allies say much more scrutiny should be placed on the political clout of homeowner groups, which prevent large projects from getting approved and dissuade city leaders from changing zoning laws so that denser developments can be built.

OFarrell said he sees nothing intrinsically wrong in accepting donations from real estate developers, since the practice is allowed under city laws.

My choice is to follow the Ethics Commission guidelines, and then make [development] decisions based on the criteria, he said. Is there community support? Is there a planning department recommendation? Is there a planning commission recommendation? How do local residents feel about a particular project? Thats always my criteria.

Bonin said he too makes his development decisions on the merits. I have accepted money and then voted against peoples projects continually, he said. I have a long history of that.

As for any candidate telling him he should give up developer money, Bonin said: See you on the ballot.

Times staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: LATimesemily

david.zahniser@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidzahniser

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Roughly 20 people took to downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday and called on the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department to immediately suspend plans to deploy a drone in emergency situations, saying they feared the device will be used for warrantless surveillance.

Hamid Khan, founder of the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, said his group rejected the use of drones in all forms, even in response to bomb threats or hostage crises. In announcing the pilot program last week, Sheriff Jim McDonnell said the drone would not be used for surveillance, but Khan said he feared the agency could change that policy at any time.

What this represents is the rapid escalation and militarization of police, Khan said.

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Vanessa Deleon speaks against the use of drones by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department during a news conference outside the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times )

Last week, sheriffs officials said they would use the drone only to help deputies gain crucial advantages when dealing with barricaded suspects, suspicious devices, hazardous materials situations and similar scenarios in which it would be dangerous for a deputy to approach on foot. The department will also use the drone during search-and-rescue operations and arson investigations, McDonnell said.

The departments written policy also expressly forbids use of the drone for random surveillance missions or missions that would violate the privacy rights of the public.

Sheriffs officials also claimed last week that their agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration prevented the drones use for surveillance, but an FAA spokesperson said the agency regulates drone flights based only on safety, not purpose.

Khan and others on Tuesday expressed concern about mission creep, pointing out that the department could change its policy on a whim and begin using the drones for surveillance.

Public opposition to drones has forestalled their use in the city of Los Angeles. Khan led protest efforts against the LAPD when the agency was considering using a pair of drones in 2014, and those devices have remained under lock and key since then.

Khan also raised the Sheriffs Departments past use of surveillance, reminding attendees that the agency used a plane to surveil Compton residents for nine days in 2012 without first seeking public approval. He called on the County Board of Supervisors to step in and stop the sheriffs new drone program, criticizing McDonnells decision to approve use of the device without public input.

In response to the protest, the Sheriffs Department repeated its promise that the drone would be used only to help protect deputies in potentially deadly situations.

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Special Enforcement Bureau responds to high-risk tactical incidents, high-risk rescues, bomb threats, and hazardous material incidents. The unmanned aircraft system (UAS) will only be authorized for use in these extremely dangerous and threatening situations, Capt. Jeff Scroggin, an agency spokesman, said via email.

Patrisse Khan-Cullors, one of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement, expressed concern that police surveillance could go unchecked under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. She warned that the administration has taken a decidedly pro-police stance, pointing to opposition by Jeff Sessions, Trumps pick for attorney general, to federal police reform. And she said she fears citizens would have no recourse if the Sheriffs Department began to expand its use of unmanned aerial systems.

It further erodes community-police relations, she said. When Los Angeles and California move on something, we set the precedent for the rest of the country.

In a bizarre bit of political theater, Khans news conference was briefly delayed by half a dozen Trump supporters who began screaming America First! as he tried to speak. The group, whose members were attempting to counteract a nearby pro-immigrant event, stood their ground for about 15 minutes before realizing they were at the wrong event. Some then apologized and walked away.

james.queally@latimes.com

For more breaking crime and cops news in Southern California, follow me on Twitter: @JamesQueallyLAT

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UPDATES:

4:40 p.m.: This article was updated with comment from the Sheriffs Department.

This article was originally published at 2:50 p.m.
University of California President Janet Napolitano has been undergoing treatment for cancer and was hospitalized Monday after experiencing side effects, school officials said Tuesday.

Napolitano was diagnosed in August, officials said, and her treatment is nearly complete.

She has kept the chair of the UC Board of Regents informed throughout the course of her treatment and has consistently performed her wide range of duties at full capacity, without interruption or impact, the university said in a statement.

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Napolitano is doing extremely well, officials said Tuesday, and is expected to be discharged this week and back to work in full force soon.

While she is recuperating, UCs senior leadership will continue to support President Napolitano in the management of the UC system and in advancing the universitys key priorities, the statement said.

Napolitano had a previous diagnosis of cancer that was successfully treated. The university did not provide further details out of respect for her privacy, UC spokeswoman Dianne Klein said.

rosanna.xia@latimes.com

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The U.S. intelligence community recently reaffirmed its conclusion that senior officials in Russia were behind hacks during the 2016 presidential campaign into the Democratic National Committee and emails belonging to associates of Hillary Clinton.

But what exactly is the intelligence community? Its not just an amorphous term for all U.S. intelligence officials. Its a veritable alphabet soup of 17 agencies and offices. The group includes agencies strictly focused on intelligence as well as the intelligence arms of other government agencies and of the military. Its total budget in 2015 was $66.8 billion.

Here are the 17 offices:

1. Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Created by Congress in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the office coordinates intelligence collection and sharing among U.S. intelligence agencies. The director is the head of the intelligence community and the principal advisor to the president, National Security Council and Homeland Security Council on intelligence matters related to national security.

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2.Central Intelligence Agency

The CIA is the most recognized intelligence agency, known for spying on foreign governments and conducting covert operations, including funneling money to opposition groups in other countries to sway elections or oust certain foreign leaders.

3. National Security Agency

Once so secret it was referred to as No Such Agency, the NSA is the largest and perhaps most technologically sophisticated of all the intelligence agencies. It focuses on signals intelligence  monitoring, collecting and processing communications and other electronic information  and cracking secret codes. It also protects U.S. information systems from outside penetration. The NSA oversees PRISM and other mass surveillance programs revealed by Edward Snowden in 2013. It is believed to employ more mathematicians than any other organization in the country  a fact not all math whizzes are happy about.

4. Defense Intelligence Agency

The Pentagons top spy agency, the DIA is the primary entity responsible for collecting and analyzing intelligence on foreign militaries, with support from the intelligence offices of all the military branches. The DIA shares this information with military leaders, fighters and defense policy makers in order to prevent and decisively win wars, according to its mission statement.

5. Federal Bureau of Investigation

The FBI has both law enforcement and intelligence functions. On the intelligence side, it aims to protect the U.S. against terrorism, cyberattacks and foreign intelligence operations and espionage. It maintains the governments terrorist watch list and has been involved in the interrogation of high-value detainees, sometimes clashing with the CIA.

6. Department of State  Bureau of Intelligence and Research

This bureau collects and analyzes intelligence on global affairs and advises the secretary of State and other diplomats. It conducts foreign opinion polls and tracks and analyzes issues that may undermine U.S. foreign policy objectives, such as weapons proliferation, human trafficking and drug smuggling. Though its one of the smallest intelligence agencies, its assessment on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was not as inaccurate as that of other agencies.

7. Department of Homeland Security  Office of Intelligence and Analysis

The scope of homeland security includes emergency preparedness, border control, transportation security and biodefense (Ebola and SARS, for example), among other issues. The Office of Intelligence and Analysis is charged with gathering intelligence in these areas and sharing it with state, local, tribal, territorial and private sector partners through a network of fusion centers.

8. Drug Enforcement Administration  Office of National Security Intelligence

The DEA is the governments watch guard for drugs that are illegally manufactured, distributed or dispensed. It is also responsible for the seizure and forfeiture of assets connected with illicit drug trafficking. The Office of National Security Intelligence assists law enforcement with investigations and prosecutions. Most recently it has focused on the threat posed by a surge in heroin and counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl.

9. Department of the Treasury  Office of Intelligence and Analysis

Intelligence gathering at the Treasury dates back to its beginning, when Secretary Alexander Hamilton sent a tax official in disguise to investigate the whiskey rebellion underway in western Pennsylvania. Today the Office of Intelligence and Analysis sits within the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, which works to prevent sanctioned countries, money launderers, terrorists, drug kingpins and purveyors of weapons of mass destruction from parking or moving their money through the U.S. financial system.

10. Department of Energy  Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence

Even the Department of Energy has an intelligence office. It traces its origin to the Manhattan Project, when the Atomic Energy Commission was charged with analyzing the Soviet Unions atomic weapons program. Today the offices role is to provide technical intelligence on foreign nuclear weapons, energy security, science and technology, and nuclear energy, safety and waste.

11. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Supporting the Defense Department, this agency is the principal provider of geospatial intelligence  analysis and information about Earths natural and man-made features and geo-tagged activities. This GEOINT is used for combat, humanitarian and disaster relief, border and transportation security and security planning for special events. One of the agencys claims to fame is pinpointing the Abbottabad, Pakistan, compound where Osama bin Laden was hiding; another is operating the reference system for GPS.

12. National Reconnaissance Office

The NRO was a secret agency for 31 years, until its existence was declassified in 1992. The office designs, builds and operates the nations reconnaissance satellites, providing the Pentagon, CIA and others precision navigation, early warning of missile launches and near real-time imagery to support anti-terrorism activities. On the civilian side, the satellites help survey damage from natural disasters and support environmental research.

13. Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance

The Air Forces intelligence branch, organized into the 25th Air Force, uses airplanes, drones and satellites to identify hideouts, bunkers, mobile launchers and weapons caches. It is also responsible for code-breaking activities within the Air Force. All that surveillance takes up a lot of digital space  in 2013, one wing alone received 20 terabytes of data daily, processed 460,000 hours of video and disseminated 2.6 million images.

14. Army Military Intelligence

The Armys intelligence branch intercepts electronic communications and provides maps, ground imagery and information on foreign forces to assist fighters in the battlefield.

15. Office of Naval Intelligence

The Navys intelligence branch keeps tabs on foreign scientific and technological research, analyzes the structure, tactics and readiness of foreign naval forces, and tracks merchant shipping to identify illicit activity.

16. Marine Corps Intelligence

The Marine Corps intelligence officers create military maps, intercept and translate radio and electronic signals, analyze images collected from sensors and carry out counterintelligence.

17. Coast Guard Intelligence

The Coast Guard, part of the military and the Department of Homeland Security, protects and defends more than 100,000 miles of coastline and inland waterways. On an average day, the Coast Guard conducts 45 search-and-rescue cases, seizes 874 pounds of cocaine, interdicts 17 migrants and helps move $8.7 billion worth of goods, according to its website. Its intelligence office helps with criminal investigations and provides other national agencies with intelligence from domestic and foreign ports, coastal waters and offshore.

nina.agrawal@latimes.com

Twitter: @AgrawalNina

Click here for a Spanish version of this story

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The widow of a terrorist who gunned down dozens of people at a Florida nightclub in June stood solemnly before a judge, her hands clasped together in front of her waist.

Noor Zahi Salman, 30, had been sleeping Monday morning when FBI agents burst into her mothers home in Rodeo, a working-class community in Contra Costa County.

Appearing in a federal courtroom in Oakland on Tuesday, Salman stood next to a federal public defender and listened to charges that she had known in advance of the attack on the gay nightclub and had lied to federal investigators about it.

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Her husband, Omar Mateen, was killed during the shooting that left 49 patrons of the Pulse nightclub dead and dozens of others injured.

Salman, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, wore a wrinkled, baggy, mustard-colored T-shirt, gray trousers and a grim expression during her brief appearance.

She turned around twice to gaze at the packed courtroom, but spoke only once, to reply with a one-word answer to a question from U.S. District Judge Donna M. Ryu.

A federal prosecutor from Orlando read the charges against Salman and indicated the government would oppose her release on bail.

An indictment delivered by a grand jury in central Florida charged that Salman, as early as April, knowingly aided Mateens attempt to provide material support or resources to Islamic State in the Middle East. The indictment did not give more details.

A second count accused her of obstructing justice by lying to FBI investigators and police in Fort Pierce, Fla.

One of her attorneys, Linda Moreno, said in a statement that Salman didnt have advance knowledge of the attack, adding, We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonors the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person.

Salman grew up in Rodeo, about 25 miles northeast of San Francisco.

She was divorced when she met Mateen online. The couple later married, moved to Florida and had a son.

Her uncle, Al Salman, attended Tuesdays court appearance and spoke emotionally to reporters afterward.

He said after his brother, Salmans father, died, he helped raise her. Speaking in accented English, Al Salman repeatedly described his niece as simple and unsophisticated.

Mateen physically abused her and threw her against a wall, he said, but she stayed in the marriage for her son.

If his niece had known what that crazy guy would do, he said, she would have taken her son and run away from him.

The uncle conceded that a more sophisticated person might have figured out Mateens plans, but said his nieces whole life had been centered around her young boy, the one person she lived for. The boys grandmother is now caring for him.

She had no idea of Mateens plans, he said over and over again.

Mateen got what he deserved when he was killed, the uncle said, but his widow is just a poor, innocent girl.

The uncle said he had been in regular contact with the FBI and agents knew his telephone number. But instead of arranging for his nieces arrest, the agents showed up at her mothers home unexpectedly, and young children in the house were scared to death, he said.

Tuesdays court session was mobbed by media. Reporters had to stand outside the courthouse in a line to be admitted one by one.

Ryu postponed Salmans arraignment until Wednesday. A federal public defender who stood beside Salman in court indicated she would probably be represented by Charles Swift, a Texas-based lawyer who directs the Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America.

Swift, a former Navy officer, previously challenged the legality of a military tribunal on behalf of detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

Salman has previously denied any advance knowledge of Mateens attack on the Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016, during which he pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Mateen was killed in a shootout with police after a long standoff.

The FBI had been examining whether she knew of her husbands plans, and she was questioned extensively after the shooting. Officials said she had accompanied Mateen at least once to the nightclub where he later carried out the massacre, and also drove with him to shop at a gun dealership.

Salman had previously told the New York Times that Mateen was volatile and had often beaten her. She also said he had watched jihadist videos.

Salman said she was at home in bed during the attack and that Mateen had texted her during the ensuing standoff with police to ask her whether she had seen what happened. I love you, babe, he added.

I was unaware of everything, Salman told the newspaper. I dont condone what he has done. I am very sorry for what has happened. He has hurt a lot of people.

Pearce reported from Los Angeles and Dolan from Oakland.

maura.dolan@latimes.com

@mauradolan

matt.pearce@latimes.com

@mattdpearce

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UPDATES:

3:30 p.m.: The story was updated with additional details and editing.

10:30 a.m.: The story was updated with details of the court hearing.

The story was originally published at 8:35 a.m.
Jan. 17, 2017, 10:04 a.m. Pointed questions await Ryan Zinke, Trumps nominee for Interior secretary, at confirmation hearing

Ryan Zinke (Richard Drew / Associated Press)

Should the federal government transfer land to states or private ownership?

Should it roll back environmental regulations put in place by the Obama administration so that coal mining, oil and gas development and logging can expand?

Should the government consider the impact on climate change when it makes decisions about whether to allow development on public land or, say, protect endangered species?

And, for that matter, do you believe that human activity is the primary cause of climate change?

Those are among the questions Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) may face later Tuesday when he goes before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for his confirmation hearing to be Interior secretary.

Zinke, a former Navy SEAL who was one of Donald Trumps early supporters in the House, met with the president-elect at Trump Tower last month amid speculation he could be under consideration for Secretary of Veterans Affairs or for a national security or foreign policy post.

Instead, Trump offered Zinke the job of running the Interior Department, which oversees the federal governments vast holdings of public land, most of it in the West. It includes the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and agencies that regulate mining, logging and oil and gas development, hydroelectric power and water management in the often drought-stricken region.

The selection of Zinke, a former Navy SEAL, to head the department caught many people off guard. One of his House colleagues, Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, had appeared to be the leading candidate. Since then, the confirmation process has raised a host of questions and concerns about precisely where Zinke stands on an array of contentious issues.

Conservation groups have largely condemned his nomination, pointing to Zinkes support for mining, oil and gas development on public and tribal lands, his efforts to limit the use of the Endangered Species Act and his statements expressing doubts about climate change.

Zinke has also broken ranks with some Western conservatives over proposals to turn over federal public lands to states, which he has opposed.

Zinke has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry. He has also faced questions about his use of government money for personal travel when he was a SEAL, which prompted discipline that slowed his advancement in the Navy.

Zinkes confirmation, however, is not likely to be in doubt on the Republican-controlled committee, which is led by Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who backs expanded energy development on public land.

Zinke casts himself as Teddy Roosevelt Republican -- an avid outdoorsman who believes public lands should be preserved for multiple uses, including hunting, fishing, recreation and energy development.

He has boasted of defying conservatives in his party on some environmental issues, including last summer when, running for reelection, he announced that he opposed Republican plans to transfer federal land to states. Then again, earlier this month, he voted for a measure that could make such transfers easier.

In a statement Tuesday morning, Zinke promised to work closely with states and local communities. I fully recognize that there is distrust, anger, and even hatred against some federal management policies, he acknowledged. Being a listening advocate rather than a deaf adversary is a good start.

Zinke also vowed to address what he called a $12.5-billion backlog of maintenance and repair in our national parks.

Without question, our public lands are Americas treasure and are rich in diversity, Zinke said in the statement. I fully recognize and appreciate that there are lands that deserve special recognition and are better managed under the John Muir model of wilderness, where man is more of an observer than an active participant.

I also recognize that the preponderance of our federal holdings are better suited to be managed under the [Gifford] Pinchot model of multiple use using best practices, sustainable policies, and objective science.

Sally Jewell, the current Interior secretary, made battling climate change a signature issue. In his statement, Zinke did not mention climate change. In the past, he has called the science on the topic unsettled.
College, we like to think, is a time of intellectual inquiry. But it is also, as anyone who has spent any time on a campus knows, a time of boundary-testing, experimentation and alcohol-fueled parties. Not exactly the kind of place where it makes sense to let folks wander around carrying hidden weapons.

Yet that is exactly what gun-rights advocates are pushing for around the country. They succeeded most recently in Texas with a law that allows people licensed to carry concealed weapons to do so on college campuses. With no apparent sense of irony, lawmakers made the effective date of the law Aug. 1, 2016, the 50th anniversary of the incident in which Marine-trained sniper Charles Whitman climbed to the top of the University of Texas at Austin clock tower and, over a period of more than 90 minutes, killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others in what is considered the nations first campus mass killing.

With that law, Texas became the eighth state to allow campus carry (some of those states limit weapons to employees and faculty). Nearly half the states  23  leave the decision up to college and university officials, and 19 more  including California  ban the practice. But campus-carry drives, building on state-level Republican election wins in November, are underway in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.

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It is the presence of firearms that makes violent encounters more likely to become deadly encounters.

As the nation has learned so painfully, there is little that can be done once someone has armed himself  and it is almost always a him  and starts shooting up a school or a workplace or a neighborhood, intending to kill as many people as possible. Lax gun control and the pernicious influence of the NRA have made access to military-style firearms far too easy, thus making people with a violent impulse  born of mental illness, anger or an insatiable grudge  all the more deadly.

Frankly, mass shootings are not the biggest gun violence problem afflicting American society; more deadly are the daily shootings and killings that kill fewer people per incident and attract less attention. According to statistics gathered by the Gun Violence Archive, there were more than 50,000 firearm incidents last year, in which more than 15,000 people were killed and 31,000 more were wounded  and that doesnt include some 22,000 suicides by gun.

Meanwhile, according to the gun-control group Everytown for Gun Safety, there were 76 shootings on college or university campuses from 2013 to 2015.

Campus-carry advocates say that an armed America is a safer America. The NRA and its statehouse allies adhere to the disproved theory that a good guy with a gun will stop a bad guy with a gun, and thus the more firearms carried around, the safer society becomes. In fact, the opposite is true. Studies have found a correlation between higher statewide restrictions on access to guns and lower levels of gun violence in those states. Similarly, women in households where firearms are present are more likely to be shot to death by an intimate partner than they are to use it in self-defense. The presence of a gun makes an act of domestic violence much more likely to end in death.

It is the presence of firearms that makes violent encounters more likely to become deadly encounters. So why would anyone think its a good idea to add concealed firearms to college campuses? In its 2008 Heller decision, in which the Supreme Court for the first time recognized a 2nd Amendment right to possess a firearm in the home for self-defense, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that the decision should not be taken to cast doubt on  laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings. States should recognize the unique nature of college campuses and keep the guns out.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Nearly 50 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, or about a quarter of the minority partys caucus, plan to skip Fridays inauguration of the 45th U.S. president. Their ranks include at least 15 members from California, whose districts voted overwhelmingly for the candidate who wont be taking the oath of office that day.

Its more subtle than showing up in pink pussy hats, unquestionably. But no less inappropriate.

For the record: The original version of this post incorrectly identified Rep. Adam Schiff as a Democrat from Glendale. Hes from Burbank.

Bear in mind that these lawmakers chosen candidate  Hillary Clinton  will be in attendance when Donald Trump is sworn in because shes a former first lady, and by tradition former presidents and their spouses are included in the countrys ritual transfer of power. So are members of Congress, whether their party won or lost.

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Just because Trump was wrong about so many things, that doesnt mean Democrats should go about trashing the rituals of the federal government too.

Many of the boycott-minded Democrats say they cant bring themselves to celebrate the elevation of a man whos disparaged so many of the people he will be leading. Some others cite things that Trump has done or failed to do during the transition, and others  most notably Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)  have questioned the legitimacy of his election.

I suspect that if you asked each of these members what the Houses biggest problem over the past eight years, they would all say something along the lines of Republican intransigence. And if you asked them why they were seemingly engaged in total war against the new president, they would all argue that the GOP did that to President Obama first.

Perhaps Jared Kushner can stop this cycle of retributive political violence after he ends the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Admittedly, its ironic to complain about decorum and convention being flouted by Democrats, given that Trump, the least decorous candidate of the modern era, derided convention as a tool of corrupt Washingtons status quo. But just because Trump was wrong about so many things, that doesnt mean Democrats should go about trashing the rituals and institutions of the federal government too.

The inauguration ceremony sends an important message to the world about the durability of the American democracy. Thats even more true after a close and bitterly contested campaign such as the last one, whose results still sting great swaths of the countrys voters.

With this ritual, we say that we unite as a country behind the Constitution and the institutions it created. Its not about the results so much as the process; even when the Oval Office is handed to the candidate we didnt support, we have faith in the checks and balances that the founders designed.

A number of the boycotting Democrats say they respect the ceremonys symbolism and the importance of the peaceful transition of power. But theyre trying to have it both ways. And the symbolism of their own actions is unmistakable: By turning their backs on Trumps swearing-in, they are rejecting the choice of the voters who made Trump president.

Heres where I insert the obligatory but probably unnecessary disclaimer, given the fact that Im a member of the editorial board at the Los Angeles Times: I am decidedly not a fan of The Donald. We wrote in early March that Trump was unfit for the presidency, and hes done nothing since then to change my mind.

And I recognize that, to some people, Trump is such a threat to so many Americans, the only proper course of action is unrelenting resistance  to pull a Mitch McConnell, as it were. Yet the inauguration is exactly the wrong forum for that kind of partisanship.

Theres one other irony to acknowledge here. Im many of the things Trump railed against  not just a member of the media elite, but also a defender of the ingrained ways of Washington. And my colleagues on the board and I are pushing back hard against Trumps many departures from those ways, such as his refusal to remove fundamental conflicts of interest and his Cabinet nominees who seem to hate the departments they were chosen to lead.

But I recognize the difference between an institution and the people who happen to occupy it at any given moment. Trumps opponents need to pick their battles better.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) just announced that he would attend the inauguration, and he offered a lengthy explanation on Facebook. Heres the money paragraph:

Like many of you, I was appalled when candidate Trump wouldnt commit to respecting the result of the election if he lost. I feel I would be doing the same thing if I boycotted the ceremony in which the office of the Presidency is passed from one occupant of the office to the next. Theres a reason why Senators Feinstein, Harris, Sanders and others are attending the Inauguration, and it is out of respect for the office, even if the man who is taking the oath has demonstrated little understanding of what that means. If former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton can demonstrate the grit to attend the Inauguration after Trumps slanderous attacks on her, then so can I.

jon.healey@latimes.com

Twitter: @jcahealey
Does the ability to share the feelings of another person make us better human beings?

Fans of empathy describe it as working like a spotlight, focusing us on specific individuals, driving us to feel as they do, and making us care. This sounds good, but it has its perils. Spotlights illuminate what theyre pointed at, and since we find it natural to empathize with those close to us, decisions driven by empathy tend to be tribal. Spotlights have narrow focus, and so empathy is innumerate, favoring the one over the many, the specific over the statistical. It is because of empathy that we often care more about a baby stuck in a well than about a large-scale crisis such as climate change.

There are many examples of how empathy can steer us wrong. When it comes to decisions about criminal justice, foreign aid and whether to go to war, we are better off without it. But what about our personal lives? Here empathy seems valuable. Isnt it essential to share the experiences of those we love, our friends, our children and our romantic partners?

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The best doctors and therapists dont immerse themselves in the pain of others. To do so would ... make them less effective at helping.

I used to think so. But evidence from a range of sources, from Buddhist theology to neuroscience studies, suggests a more complicated picture. Empathy  in the sense of feeling what we believe other people feel  can be meaningfully distinguished from caring about other people and loving them, often called compassion, or, in the Buddhist tradition, loving-kindness.

To get a feel for this distinction, note that the best doctors and therapists dont immerse themselves in the pain of others. To do so would lead to exhaustion and burnout and would make them less effective at helping others. Nobody wants a therapist who freaks out when youre anxious. As the essayist Leslie Jamison put it when describing a doctor who treated her, his calmness made her secure; he provided the opposite of my fear, not its echo.

Similarly, were often better at comforting our children if we dont indulge in an empathic connection, if we dont suffer along with them. Think about being the parent of a teenager who is panicked because she left her homework to the last minute. Its hardly good parenting to panic along with her.

Good parents love their children and understand them, but dont necessarily mirror their emotions. A parent who channels too closely the feelings of his or her child will be overly protective. Good parenting involves coping with the short-term suffering of your child  actually it involves sometimes causing the short-term suffering of your child, if thats what you need to do to improve his or her life in the long run.

What about friends and lovers? We want compassion and understanding. But if you care for another, you shouldnt always try to mirror that persons moods. As Cicero said about friendship, it improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief. I would prefer that those who care about me greet my dark moods with calm and support. If Im depressed and my empathic friend feels depressed along with me, I now have two problems, not just one.

Also, just as too much empathy leads to burnout in medical professionals, it can lead to similar problems in relationships. Psychologists describe a syndrome called unmitigated communion, in which a failure to establish boundaries with an intimate partner leads to a host of physical and psychological difficulties on the part of the empathizer.

Empathy does have it pluses, though, particularly for more positive emotions. It can be a source of closeness. My favorite example comes from the philosopher Michael Slote, who imagines a father whose daughter enjoys stamp collecting. It might be nice for the father to tell her that he approves of the hobby and that he respects it. But wouldnt it be better if he could empathize with her  if he could actually share her enthusiasm?

And empathy can be a source of pleasure. It can amplify sexual experience. The bedroom is an excellent place to try to experience the feelings of another. More generally, it can be wonderful to empathize with the positive feelings of someone close to you. One of the many joys of having children is that you can have experiences that youve long become used to  eating a hot fudge sundae, watching Hitchcock movies, riding a roller coaster  for the first time all over again.

Perhaps we should think of empathy on a par with emotions such as anger, pride or envy. They are part of a fulfilling human life, so long as theyre kept in their proper place.

Paul Bloom is the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology at Yale University and the author, most recently, of Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion.

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To the editor: So, Donald Trump and the GOP want to repeal and replace the ACA, or Obamacare, quickly?

I see a very simple solution that could be implemented as soon as tomorrow without any new bumps in the road. Congress should pass a law that simply renames the ACA as the ATA, or the Affordable Trumpcare Act (Trumpcare.)

( Democratic allies gird for battle to save Obamacare, Jan. 11 )

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I think our president-elect would be overjoyed, as he always is when he sees his name in print.

Then Congress could do what it should have done years ago (with a program the GOP opposed because Obama implemented it): start to implement fixes to it that would actually be of benefit to the American people.

Robert Rosen, Granada Hills

::

To the editor: Repeal and replace ACA is easy, I say: just give America the healthcare coverage that all members of Congress have (for life at taxpayer expense). Cant do that?

Then Congress should be required to accept any healthcare system it creates for the American public for its own.

If the coverage is good and complete enough for me, it should also be fine for my representatives in government.

Marion Brockett, Fullerton

::

To the editor: I suggest that one reason the Republicans are so intent on destroying Obamacare is the name. It will be a constant reminder that a Democrat, our first African-American president, has made something relevant to all Americans, something important and lasting for which he will always be remembered.

Michele Hart-Rico, Los Angeles

::

To the editor: Here is my open letter to Paul Ryan and his cronies:

You had six years to improve the ACA. You had six years to cross the aisle and work with your Democratic counterparts to work out the bugs. Instead, you wasted six years and refused to help the people of this country.

Now you have a strange creature ostensibly on your side and you will try to repeal once again. You will deny women healthcare, you will deny pre-existing conditions, you will deny keeping children up to 26 on their parents coverage?

My question is: Why do you hate women, the disadvantaged and the vulnerable? What have any of these types of people ever done to you? Will you next harm Medicare and show your hatred of the elderly?

Jenny Law, Orange

::

To the editor: If Republicans succeed in repealing Obamacare without a viable replacement, there goes health insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions. Many people who were born with disabilities or diseases wont be able to obtain necessary treatment. Also, it is not uncommon to develop a chronic illness, or to suffer an accident that leads to disability. Health problems are largely not within strict individual control.

Why dont Republicans care about the health needs of people who have chronic health problems?

Kari Tervo, Redondo Beach

::

To the editor: It is outrageous that an insurance companys bottom-line be the determinate factor in the care of our sick citizens. It is inhumane that mega moneymaking corporations such as Anthem Blue Cross and Navitus Health Solutions make ailing patients and their loving caretakers run through an obstacle course of denials before a chance to receive the treatments and medications to sustain and improve their lives.

David Lazarus column is a solid argument in support of a Medicare-for-all type healthcare system. Nations with such a system have better outcomes at lower costs.

Ben Miles, Huntington Beach

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
In the 2018 governors race, Gavin Newsom leads the pack in fundraising Gavin Newsom, the first major candidate to jump into CA's 2018 governor's race, narrowly lead the pack in 2016 fundraising w/ $4.27 million  Phil Willon (@philwillon) February 1, 2017 Facebook

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Democrats in the California Legislature move to condemn President Trumps immigration orders Facebook

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra takes a jab at the Trump administration when asked about the battles to come Facebook

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 Supreme Court, hearing arguments Tuesday in a California deportation case, signaled it may make it harder for the government to forcibly remove legal immigrants with certain kinds of crimes on their record.

The case involves a native Filipino and longtime legal resident of the Bay Area who was convicted of breaking into a garage and an empty house in separate incidents.

At issue is whether crimes such as home burglary, fleeing from the police, money laundering or child abuse can be considered crimes of violence that trigger mandatory deportation under federal law.

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The ruling could set new rules for the Trump administration if it seeks to forcibly remove legal immigrants who have criminal records.

James Garcia Dimaya was charged with residential burglary under California law and served more than five years in prison. U.S. immigration officials said those crimes were enough to trigger his deportation under the law.

But in their questions, the justices cast doubt on whether his crimes were properly classified as aggravated felonies.

If they conclude they were not, their ruling could complicate efforts by the Trump administration to speed up deportations. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to accelerate the deportation of immigrants here illegally who have been accused or convicted of crimes.

The law in this area is not entirely clear. Beginning in 1988, Congress ordered deportation for noncitizens who are convicted of an aggravated felony, and it cited specific examples such as murder and rape. Later the law was expanded to include a general category of crimes of violence. This was defined to include offenses that involve a use of physical force or a substantial risk that force would be used.

Judges have been divided as to what crimes call for deportation. Looming over Tuesdays argument was an opinion written two years ago by the late Justice Antonin Scalia. He spoke for an 8-to-1 majority in striking down part of a federal law known as the Armed Career Criminal Act. It called for extra years in prison for people convicted of more than one violent felony.

In that case, the extra prison term was triggered by the defendants possession of a shotgun. In frustration, Scalia and his colleagues said the law was unconstitutionally vague because they could not decide whether gun possession is itself evidence of a violent crime.

You could say the exact same thing about burglary, Justice Elena Kagan said Tuesday. A midday burglary of a home could result in violence, she said, but perhaps not if it were an empty garage or an abandoned house. So it seems like were replicating the same kind of confusion, she said.

Justice Stephen G. Breyer said judges have no way to decide which crimes typically or usually involve violence. Were just left guessing, he said, suggesting a better approach would be look at what the person did.

But Deputy Solicitor Gen. Edwin Kneedler said a home burglary poses a risk of violence. And he said the court should defer to the government on matters of immigration. The law, he said, calls for a broad delegation of authority to executive officials.

This is the argument government lawyers made in defense of President Obamas use of executive authority to try to shield millions of immigrants from deportation. It is also the argument that would call for upholding an aggressive deportation policy if pursued by the Trump administration.

In their legal briefs, government lawyers said a ruling in favor of Dimaya, the Philippine burglar, could have a domino effect and prompt judges to block deportations that were triggered by a host of other crimes.

Dimaya was born in the Philippines and came to the United States in 1992, when he was 13 years old. He went to high school, became a lawful permanent resident and settled in Hayward.

He was convicted and sent to state prison for the burglaries of a garage in 2007 and an empty house in 2009.

Immigration judges agreed with deporting Dimaya because his burglary convictions were crimes of violence that qualified as aggravated felonies.

But the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed in a 2-1 ruling and said this provision was unconstitutionally vague. Judge Stephen Reinhardt in Los Angeles cited Scalias opinion and said the immigration law had the same flaw as the Armed Career Criminal Act. Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw agreed to form the majority, while Judge Consuelo Callahan dissented.

The 7th Circuit Court in Chicago handed down a similar ruling, while the 5th Circuit in New Orleans ruled in favor of the government.

The split prompted the high court to decide the case of Lynch vs. Dimaya. By the time the decision is handed down, the case will probably be relabeled Sessions vs. Dimaya, to reflect expected change of attorney general.

Still pending before the court is a class-action suit from Los Angeles challenging whether immigrants facing possible deportation may be arrested and jailed for more than six months without a bail hearing.

Trumps victory assures a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. 

For the 4th time, the Electoral College picks the loser of the popular vote. 

david.savage@latimes.com

On Twitter: DavidGSavage

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UPDATES:

3:20 p.m.: The article was updated after arguments.

The article was originally published at 6:15 a.m.
As top California Democrats plot their future career moves, a critical piece of information is missing: Will Sen. Dianne Feinstein seek reelection? Speculation about the 83-year-old senators plans took on new urgency this year, as ambitious statewide politicians decide whether to run for governor with Gov. Jerry Brown termed out.

News that Feinstein was fitted with a pacemaker last week reignited the parlor game, with California political circles discussing anew what the procedure might mean for the veteran lawmaker as she evaluates her options.

Historically, she has kept people guessing about her plans, said Darry Sragow, a Democratic strategist who managed Feinsteins first statewide campaign, an unsuccessful run for governor in 1990. My experience has been that she prefers to play her cards very close to her chest  and now the consequence of that is very significant because California is a gigantic place with a lot of very politically competent and ambitious players who really dont have a lot of places to go.

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The upward mobility of a generation of Democratic politicians in California has been stymied by a lack of vacancies in the states top offices, which were dominated by veteran lawmakers. Brown, who has spent decades in public life, has been governor since 2011. Feinstein has been senator since 1992. Barbara Boxer, also elected senator in 1992, was the first to create a vacancy when she decided not to run for reelection in 2016. Former California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris won that seat in November.

Youve got these septuagenarian and octogenarian Democrats who have been holding these seats for some period of time, and there have been a couple generations of young, eager Democrats who have come and gone and didnt have an opportunity to run for these seats, so 2018 is kind of crunch time, said Democratic strategist Garry South. There is a synergy obviously here between the governors race and that Senate race. Those are the two big plums that are up in 2018. The longer Feinstein waits, the more indecision it creates with a lot of Democrats who would potentially be eyeing that seat.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Treasurer John Chiang have already announced their plans to run for governor in 2018, and have raised millions of dollars each.

Other top Democrats who have their eyes on higher office, such as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon and billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer, have a critical decision to make  jump into the governors race, or await Feinsteins decision. If they forgo the gubernatorial contest and Feinstein does run for reelection, their next opportunity for an open major statewide post could be in 2024, an eternity in politics.

One option for these Democrats could be to enter the governors race and then jump over to the Senate race if Feinstein decides to retire, said Rose Kapolczynski, a longtime advisor to Boxer. Though the jobs are different, the groundwork to run for either role is similar.

In a way, preparing for governor and preparing for Senate require a lot of the same fundamentals  you need to be visible, you need to raise money, you need to make the rounds with Democrats and labor and other important constituencies, she said. Statewide relationships, name ID and money are the key.

Another option, seen as fairly unlikely for any top Democrat given Feinsteins popularity and ability to self-finance a campaign, would be to run against the senator.

Feinstein, the oldest member of the Senate, has repeatedly demurred when asked whether she will run for reelection. Last March, she told The Times to check with her in a year. She said then that she would base her decision on whether she could continue to be productive.

My health is good, Feinstein said at the time. I can work hard and continue it. Being effective is the key for me.

Feinstein has raised money for a bid for a fifth term. In November, supporters wrote checks of up to $1,000 to Feinstein for Senate 2018 to attend a campaign dinner at Charlie Palmers Steakhouse in Washington, D.C, according to an invitation obtained by The Times. She has planned two reelection kick-off fundraisers in San Francisco and Los Angeles in mid-March, according to a Democrat with knowledge of the events.

Updates from Sacramento 

But fundraising, by itself, is not absolute proof that she is planning to run for reelection. Elected officials often raise money for their campaign accounts to fund their political efforts. And not raising money would be an obvious red flag that would lead to her being labeled a lame-duck senator, costing her relevance and power.

Political observers point to other clues to argue that Feinstein does not feel her work is done. She is passionate about intelligence matters and national security, issues that will be at the forefront of President-elect Donald Trumps tenure.

She fought to become the ranking Democrat on the judiciary committee, which will be in the spotlight during confirmation hearings for Trumps Supreme Court nominees, and she holds senior posts on the intelligence and appropriations committees.

Although Feinsteins decision to have a pacemaker implanted in the middle of confirmation hearings last week took some by surprise, she was at work Tuesday, the day of the procedure, to question Trumps selection for attorney general and back at Capitol Hill on Thursday to grill the president-elects selection for CIA director.

I did not see a senator [during the confirmation hearings] that was anywhere close to retiring, pacemaker or not, said Michael Trujillo, a Democratic strategist in Los Angeles who is close with Villaraigosa. This senator still has a lot more legacy policy moves that she wants to get through and  I think shes going to feel this great sense of patriotic duty to be there and to be a check on Donald Trump.

There is also Feinsteins reputation as fiercely headstrong.

My observation of Feinstein over the last 25, 30 years, has been that she is a pretty resolute person and does not like to be told by others what she can and cannot do, South said. I think all this public speculation  Oh my God, shes going to be 85, she cant possibly run  may just give her the resolve to say, Screw all these people who are talking about me being too old. Im going to run anyway. 

seema.mehta@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATSeema

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Updates from Sacramento
Democratic leaders on Monday urged Californians to fight GOP efforts to dismantle Obamacare, saying lives and jobs were at stake.

We are not going back. Understand that, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said of Republican efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act, President Obamas healthcare overhaul law. They want to go from affordable care to chaos. They want to make America sick again. We are not going to let that happen.

Pelosi was one of 15 Democratic lawmakers from California who participated in an event at the California Endowment, a nonprofit healthcare foundation in downtown Los Angeles. It was tied to the observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

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Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Downey), who hosted the forum along with Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), said that though Republicans long have called for repealing and replacing the bill, they have not offered any substantive replacement plans.

It is irresponsible and outrageous and dangerous, because as a result, 20 million Americans will lose their healthcare coverage, Roybal-Allard said before quoting King: Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman.

The event was one of many held across the nation over the weekend as Democrats fight to preserve the Affordable Care Act.

Getting rid of the healthcare law has been a top GOP priority since Obama signed it in 2010. But with Republican Donald Trump taking over the White House on Friday and the GOP in control of both houses of Congress, the possibility is real.

Last week, the House of Representatives and the Senate took the first steps toward overturning the law by passing a budget blueprint along party lines that sets a timetable to draft a repeal bill.

Some Republicans have acknowledged the quandary they face if they do not propose a replacement: In California, more than 5 million people have received coverage through the Affordable Care Act, either through Medicaid expansion or the states health insurance marketplace. And, Bass said, 63,000 jobs in California would be lost if the healthcare law were repealed.

But many in the GOP also argue that Democrats have failed to acknowledge major problems with Obamacare  such as high deductibles for consumers, and doctors who no longer take health insurance so they dont have to deal with the bureaucracy and low reimbursement rates.

Harmeet Dhillon, a member of the Republican National Committee from San Francisco, on Monday called for a bipartisan effort to craft a replacement. She noted that many in her party support preserving some popular parts of the program, such as allowing children to remain on their parents plans until they are age 26 and coverage for people with preexisting conditions.

I dont think rallying to crowds does anything more than serve as talking points and footage for campaign ads, she said. It doesnt actually solve the system, which any reasonable consumer can tell you is broken.

Pelosi said Democrats would consider a GOP replacement to Obamacare if it met three tests: not reducing the number of people who are currently covered, not increasing the cost to people who are covered and not diminishing benefits.

If they have a good idea, lets hear it, she said.

Pelosi urged voters with personal stories of how the law has affected their lives to contact their elected representatives.

Three Californians were on hand Monday to tell theirs: a woman who lost her insurance when her husband, a safety officer at Los Angeles International Airport, died unexpectedly; a self-employed musician who was diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes and two forms of cancer; and Maryann Hammers, a self-employed woman who was diagnosed three years ago with advanced ovarian cancer.

I had a tumor the size of a watermelon, Hammers said, adding that she had multiple surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy and suffered side effects.

I lost all my hair, much of my income, most of my white blood cells and a fair amount of my dignity, Hammers said. Having cancer is hard. Its scary, its sad and its stressful. But there was one thing I didnt have to stress about  that was health insurance.

Hammers said she is healthy now, but her cancer is not curable and is likely to recur. If the Affordable Care Act is repealed, she said, she might not qualify for insurance because the preexisting conditions provision and the elimination of lifetime spending caps on medical coverage might be gone.

The Affordable Care Act is my lifeline. Without it, what will happen to me? Hammers said.

seema.mehta@latimes.com

For the latest on national and California politics, follow @LATSeema on Twitter.

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Trumps pick for Education secretary could put school vouchers back on the map
Fifteen years ago, a controversial question about Americas schools dominated headlines, prompted ballot measures in California and other states and led wealthy philanthropists to dig deep into their pockets in the name of educational reform.

Should government money pay for students to attend private  even religious  schools?

Betsy DeVos, Donald Trumps pick for Education secretary, whose confirmation hearings begin Tuesday, was one of the biggest backers of the yes camp.

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But after voters in some states, including California, gave vouchers a resounding no, the issue fizzled in all but a few, mostly conservative places.

DeVos nomination  and the president-elects backing  could put vouchers back on the map in a major way.

DeVos, a Republican fundraiser from Michigan, has backed school vouchers across the country. And although Trump said little about education on the campaign trail, he did at one point suggest legislation to create a major school voucher program as one of his priorities for his first 100 days.

The plan calls for $20 billion in federal money  combined with $110 billion from the states  to give the nations poor students $12,000 each toward private school tuition, provided enough funding is collected, according to Trumps team. The tuition could pay for religious schools as well as boarding schools and academies that focus on a specific subject areas or philosophies.

Vouchers have long been a political wedge issue. Advocates, who are largely conservative, describe them as a chance to break up a failing education system and give students more options, as well as a way to strike back at court decisions that keep religion out of schools.

Foes fear vouchers will destroy traditional public schools and erode the separation of church and state. And there are questions about regulations: Private schools arent required to offer bilingual education, classes for English learners or the same level of services as public schools for students with disabilities.

As of 2017, only 14 states and Washington, D.C., had voucher programs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. There are 61 programs at the state and district level, according to the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, a pro-voucher group. California has none.

Getting more states to jump on the vouchers bandwagon likely would be a tough sell. Mike Kirst, president of the California State Board of Education, said any such presidential push is going to cause a lot of tension.

Because there has yet to be a major voucher program that approaches the size of Trumps proposal, research on school vouchers is inconclusive. At best, it has found small gains for some groups of students and the public school systems they leave  and at worst, studies show that students who used vouchers have lost ground academically.

But we have no idea what would happen if those voucher programs get big, said David Figlio, an education and social policy professor at Northwestern University who has evaluated voucher systems.

In Florida, he said, students who move to private schools as part of a statewide voucher program dont do better or worse, but the schools they leave improve a little because the voucher program inspires them to compete. In Ohio and Louisiana, students who use vouchers sometimes score worse than their public school peers on state tests.

DeVos got involved with vouchers in the 1990s, when she and her husband, a billionaire investor who is the son of Amways founder, began managing a small national organization that gave scholarships to low-income children to attend their schools of choice.

Religion was a draw. DeVos told the Philanthropy Roundtable in 2013 how a visit when her own children were school-aged to Potters House, a private Christian school in Grand Rapids, Mich., that served low-income families, led her to start supporting the school.

To DeVos, vouchers offered not just help for the disadvantaged but a way to advance Gods kingdom, she told a group of evangelicals 15 years ago at a meeting called the Gathering, as Politico first reported.

A Wall Street Journal article in 2000 described her as a political volunteer who spent time crisscrossing Michigan in a huge Lincoln Navigator with a Bible in the seat pocket. She started and ended some meetings with voucher supporters in prayer.

The Rev. Robert Sirico met DeVos through her husband, who invited him to a fundraiser for a group that screened Christian films. Over the years, Sirico saw DeVos in many personals settings  when her father died as well as at family weddings.

The Roman Catholic priest described DeVos political work as guided or contextualized by faith, but added that shes not this jihadist. Shes not a fundamentalist who wants to withdraw from the world and condemn everybody else.

To advance her educational causes, DeVos founded in 2000 the Great Lakes Education Project, a nonprofit and advocacy group that advances school choice. In 2010, DeVos created the American Federation for Children, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that gave Trump advice on his voucher plan. The group has poured money into the coffers of voucher-friendly candidates in such states as Louisiana and Indiana. In 2014, it reported spending $4.5 million on 243 races.

It probably would not be difficult for DeVos, as Education secretary, to spur the growth of existing voucher programs, such as those in Milwaukee, Ohio, Florida or Louisiana. Some experts say DeVos might be able to find a way to adjust funding regulations to allow money earmarked for educating poor children to pay for private school, although thats an idea that has bounced around Congress without action for decades.

Still, regardless of the relatively large size of the Title I fund, given current funding levels, distribution per child likely would be less than the average private school tuition and thus unlikely to cause a major national shift.

With the election of Donald Trump and his support of school choice, school vouchers will move in states where people want to have them, said Gerard Robinson, a former Florida and Virginia schools chief who served on the Trump transition team and is a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

But what about states that are less-hospitable to vouchers?

California  like DeVos  has been here before. On two occasions, initiatives to start school voucher programs have appeared on state ballots. Twice, residents have voted no.

The most recent attempt was in 2000, when Menlo Park venture capitalist Timothy Draper pushed a proposal that would have given school-aged children about $4,000 each toward private school tuitions. He found an ally in DeVos, who that year was bankrolling and stumping for a similar initiative in Michigan.

DeVos and Draper fed each other tips on how to convince voters. We helped each other to the extent we could. We each had a mission, Draper said, recalling phone conversations with DeVos and her husband.

In California, 71.3% voted against vouchers; in Michigan, 69.1% said no.

In promoting the Michigan initiative, DeVos faced a setback. A longtime ally, then-Gov. John Engler, did not support the measure, leading DeVos to resign from her party chairmanship. He said the ideas time had not yet come, and he didnt think the public was ready to vote yes.

Now, DeVos may get to float the idea again  on a much bigger scale.

You can reach Joy Resmovits on Twitter @Joy_Resmovits and by email at Joy.Resmovits@LATimes.com.

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Will the Newport Beach City Council vote to censure Councilman Scott Peotter Tuesday, as was discussed at the July 14 special council meeting?

Readers may remember the July meeting was called to deal with the controversy surrounding an email sent by Peotter. In it he expressed opposition to the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage and questioned the LGBT movements use of the rainbow flag. The email used a photographed image of the city seal, giving it the color of authority.

Blurring the lines between personal opinions and those of the citys continues to be the real issue here  not Peotters freedom of speech rights, as some have suggested.

Mayor Ed Selich made it clear at that July meeting that the city is welcoming to all people, and Peotter stated his opinions were his own, not those of the city.

But even though Peotter agreed not to use the city seal again, and remove it from his website, in cyber space nothing ever really disappears. Peotters original email still can be found with the seal in place, as can his anti-gay-marriage message.

Taking a step back for a moment, is there a bigger public relations picture here that this council should be considering when it decides whether to censure him?

The act of censuring a council member doesnt have teeth. It is merely a statement of what we believe in as a city government. It is an official position rejecting that kind of thinking in the community, says City Manager Dave Kiff.

I think there are bigger reputational issues for the city as a whole. Newport would not want to be branded as anti-gay.

Gary Sherwin, president and CEO of Newport Beach & Co., whose board members include representatives from American Express, Newport Dunes, the Newport Film Festival, and hotel chains like the Marriott, Hyatt and Radisson, says the traveling LGBT community is important to local tourism.

Since the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, Sherwin says his office has received many calls from couples looking to plan weddings in Newport.

We are a destination open to all and always considered ourselves a gay-friendly community, says Sherwin.

Though Visit Newport doesnt specifically track gay travel dollars spent here, it indirectly markets the city to this community. And for good reason: LGBT travelers spend an estimated $65 billion annually in the U.S. alone, according to Forbes.

Sherwin worries that if the council doesnt make a strong public statement it could find Newport boycotted by the LGBT traveler  as Indiana was when it reignited a debate with its Religious Freedom Restoration Act earlier this year.

Many felt that measure permitted gay discrimination on religious grounds, and though an amendment was hastily revised, When it comes to the states travel and tourism industry, the damage  at least in a public relations sense  has already been done, according to an article in AD Week.

In the wake of the Indiana travel boycott, Outright divestitures such as Angies Lists cancellation of its planned $40 million expansion in Indianapolis demonstrated that even a perceived anti-gay bias is damaging, AD Week said.

Selich tells me the next council meeting will be an opportunity for the City Council to have a thoughtful and open public discussion on the issues raised at the July 14 City Council meeting and decide what, if any, action is appropriate.

Kevin S. OGrady, executive director of the LGBT Center of Orange County, says their actions must be clear.

The City Council has a responsibility to censure Peotter, he says. They must send an important message to the City Council member, city employees, residents of Newport Beach and the broader community, that Newport Beach is an open, affirming community and not a community willing to tolerate hate speech from its highest elected officials.

OGrady says censuring is not at attempt at censoring Peotters right to free speech.

It is a reminder that the exercise of free speech is not without consequences, OGrady says. Peotter is free to make hateful statements, just as we are free to call for censure. Hate shouldnt find a home in Newport Beach, and the City Council must clearly send this message.

Oddly enough, The Center is taking donations in Peotters name.

The LGBT Center OC wanted to show him and others who agree with him that we can turn his bigotry on its head and use his name to encourage donations to fight the very bigotry he espouses, says OGrady.

So far the group has raised $700. Donations are being made online at lgbtcenteroc.org/donate-now.

Will OGrady call for a boycott of Newport Beach, if the council votes not to censure Peotter?

He wouldnt say, but my sense is thats a real possibility.

And should that happen, making national news, those on the wrong side of history here can pretty much kiss their political careers goodbye. Especially if the financial fallout hurts Newports reputation and a travel industry vital to our local economy.

BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com.
On a December night in a town on South Africas south coast, Reshall Jimmys car burst into flames.

The 33-year-old was on vacation. A video of the incident that aired in South African media showed fire shooting out of the front of the car on the drivers side as passers-by stopped their cars, frightened to approach. Within a minute, the front of the car was engulfed in fire. The observers desperately tried to call police and emergency services.

Is there anyone in the car? one man asked.

We dont know, another shouted, his voice thick with worry.

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When Reshalls body was pulled from the car, he was unrecognizable. Only the soles of his feet remained unburned.

After more than a year and nearly 50 fires involving Ford Kuga SUVs, Ford South Africa on Monday announced that it was recalling 4,556 1.6-liter Kugas manufactured in Spain. Jimmys family announced Tuesday that it plans to file a class-action lawsuit against Ford over its failure to get the faulty vehicles off the road more swiftly.

The model is equivalent to the Escape in the U.S., which has been subject to several recalls in recent years, including one in 2012 for an engine fire problem.

The Kuga is also sold throughout Europe. Ford has blamed the problem in part on the hotter weather in South Africa, but also said that cars are configured differently for different countries.

Fords action came after a campaign by South Africans on Twitter and in an online petition demanding a recall, and reports in South African media last year that insurance companies had alerted Ford to the problem.

A police report blamed an electrical problem behind the dashboard for the fire that killed Jimmy. Ford South Africa has claimed the fire began in the back of the car.

A Johannesburg businessman, Warren Krog, said he plans to join the class action against Ford. He was driving to work Thursday when he saw wisps of white smoke coming from his engine, stopped and opened the hood.

Under the [windshield] area, I could see fire. I got a tremendous fright, he said in a phone interview Tuesday. I ran around the car getting things out. I got my laptop, my house keys, anything I could think of. I was panicking.

Flames had engulfed the front of the car before a fire brigade arrived 15 minutes later and doused them.

After the fire was put out, one of the firemen told me I was extremely lucky I got out of the car so quickly. If the fire had taken hold of the electrical components of the engine bay, it locks your vehicle. It messes up your electrics and you cant open your windows or doors, he said.

I really think my guardian angels were with me. I was supposed to take my daughter and her friend to school that day. It makes me shudder to think that we all could have been trapped in a burning vehicle.

Scores of fires have been reported since January 2016, including 11 so far this January. In one incident, a Pretoria woman, Zane Verhoef, was trapped in a burning Kuga in January 2016 when her feet were caught, according to South African media. Her 11-year-old daughter flagged down a driver, who managed to drag Verhoef out of the burning car.

As fires continued to break out in January, pressure on Ford mounted on Twitter.

Its very disturbing to see @fordsouthafrica selling people that ticking time bomb #fordkuga. Still no recall. Very disappointing. pic.twitter.com/UgKDGUj7jf  Kay (@K_Dibatana) January 13, 2017

Asked at a press conference Tuesday what he wanted from Ford, Reshall Jimmys brother, Kaveen said, For a start, to stop making a mockery of my brothers death. He called on Ford to accept responsibility for the death and to apologize to their mother.

I can account for every minute from the 4th of December that weve lost him and everything weve done for the last year and thats what Fords forced us to do. Theyve forced us to relive this loss every day, and it gets heavier and heavier for us to deal with, he said.

Ford sent text messages to drivers in December calling on them to bring cars in for an urgent maintenance check, but Jimmys sister, Renisha, said cars continued to catch fire after being checked.

For me, they should have taken these cars off the road, she said Tuesday.

Krog said he emailed the address given in the text message and also tried to call the number supplied but there was no response. He contacted a Ford dealer in early January, and was given an appointment on Jan. 18.

I said, Is it safe for me to drive my car until the 18th? The gentleman said, Just check the coolant and if theres liquid in it, its fine. Thats absolute negligence.

Company chief executive Jeff Nemeth said in a radio interview Monday that the fires were believed to be caused by overheating due to lack of coolant circulation, leading to a crack in the cylinder head, causing oil to leak onto the hot engine and ignite. The recall involves cars being checked by Ford dealer staff and having certain components replaced.

Nemeth said a Ford forensic investigator from Detroit examined Reshall Jimmys car in December 2016 and concluded that the car didnt burn due to an engine fire.

We believe that that incident is a separate incident, unrelated to the causes of these Kugas that were recalled today, he said. He added that he only knew of 39 fires that Ford owners had reported to the company.

Asked why Ford took so long to recall the vehicles, Nemeth said the company was trying to understand what was going on with the vehicles.

Whats really important is we look at a body of data, right? And so were constantly trying to understand whats happened to these vehicles and, as you can imagine, as a fire occurs, just the physical act of the fire consumes the evidence of why it happened.

So weve been investigating. We shipped 15 engines back to the U.S. and Europe in the course of 2016 so our engineers could start understanding what was going on.

robyn.dixon@latimes.com

Twitter: @RobynDixon_LAT

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Responding to remarks by President-elect Donald Trump, Chinas Foreign Ministry on Monday said that the countrys one China principle regarding Taiwan is not negotiable and that any attempt to reconsider the issue would be self-defeating.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters that anyone attempting to use Taiwans status in a negotiation would be smashing their feet by lifting a rock.

Not everything in the world can be bargained or traded off, Hua told reporters at a daily briefing.

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Whoever attempts to harm the one-China principle out of any motive or uses the principle as a bargaining chip will definitely be facing broad and strong opposition from the Chinese government and people, as well as the international community, Hua said.

Trump told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published Friday that everything is under negotiation, including one China. It was the latest sign that Trump could shake up the U.S.-China relationship, particularly regarding Taiwan, which Beijing considers a core national interest.

The one-China principle holds that Taiwan is part of China and the communist government in Beijing is Chinas sole legitimate government.

The U.S. acknowledged that stance when it formalized diplomatic relations with Beijing in 1979 but continues to maintain robust unofficial ties with Taiwan. Washington also provides weaponry to the self-governing island to help it guard against Chinas threat to use force to end their division, which dates to a civil war in 1949.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to upend that status quo since winning the November election.

Also Monday, the Chinese nationalist tabloid Global Times published an editorial blasting Trumps strategy and saying China would have a strong response to any reconsideration of Washingtons long-standing one China policy.

In the past, Trump infuriated us, but now we find him risible, said the tabloid, which is published by the Peoples Daily, the ruling Communist Partys newspaper. With a skyrocketing ascent in his political life, he has been stunningly confident in his ostensible knowledge of the job, though he speaks like a rookie.

China was already angered by Trumps Dec. 2 phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, the first time an American president or president-elect has publicly spoken to the islands leader in nearly four decades. Beijing considers any reference to a separate Taiwanese head of state to be a grave insult.

Trump then said in a television interview that he didnt feel bound by a one-China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.

On Sunday, Reince Priebus, Trumps incoming chief of staff, said that there are no plans to change the one-China policy.

But certainly that policy is on the table if China doesnt also come to the table and work with us on trade, work with us on the South China Sea and whats happening there, Priebus said on ABCs This Week.

After criticizing China repeatedly during his campaign, Trump has continued to disparage China on his Twitter account over its military buildup in disputed areas of the South China Sea, its suspected currency manipulation to put American companies at a disadvantage, and what he says are its inadequate efforts to curb North Koreas nuclear program. He has also announced that a new White House trade council will be led by economist Peter Navarro, a sharp critic of Chinese economic policy who wrote a book titled Death By China.

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Nearly three years after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared over the Indian Ocean, Australia, China and Malaysia on Tuesday called off the underwater search, saying no new information has been discovered to solve what has become one of aviations greatest mysteries.

A statement by the Joint Agency Coordination Center in Australia, which has helped lead the $160-million effort, said the deep-sea search was suspended after failing to find a trace of the Boeing 777 in a 46,000-square-mile zone in remote waters west of Australia.

Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modeling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft, the statement said.

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The news prompted anger from family members of the 239 passengers and crew members from 14 countries who were traveling aboard the aircraft when it disappeared on March 8, 2014. The plane left from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and was en route to Beijing.

A statement by Voice370, a group made up of family members of the missing, pleaded with the governments to reconsider, saying that commercial planes cannot just be allowed to disappear without a trace.

The group pointed to a December report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau that suggested the search was focusing on the wrong place.

A review of the planes likely trajectory as well as new information about ocean currents led experts to conclude that the aircraft might have crashed into the Indian Ocean north of the search zone, and that crews should have been hunting in a 15,000-square-mile zone to the north.

The Australian government rejected that recommendation, saying the findings were not precise enough to warrant moving the search. Australia, China and Malaysia, which have funded the search, said last year that the operation would be called off once all of the 46,000-mile zone had been investigated.

It is obvious that the search should be to the north, Ghislain Wattrelos, a 52-year-old Frenchman whose wife and two children were aboard the aircraft, said in an interview.

There have been few clues to the aircrafts whereabouts over the last three years. Pieces of wreckage identified as belonging to the plane have been located on the eastern coast of Africa  in Tanzania, the island nation of Mauritius and the French island of Reunion.

Without a new source of funding, it seems unlikely the costly search will resume.

Still, the decision leaves Australia, China and Malaysia open to criticism after officials promised previously that the aircraft would be found.

In August 2015, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said in an unusual late-night address that his government would do everything within our means to find out the truth of what happened to the aircraft. At the time, Razak faced criticism for using the crash investigation to deflect attention from a widening corruption scandal that threatened his government.

The head of the Australian transport board, Martin Dolan, said in July 2015 that the aircraft will be found within the next year.

It feels like a betrayal as there have been repeated commitments to find out what happened, said K.S. Narendran, 53, a business consultant from Chennai, India, whose wife, Chandrika Sharma, was aboard the flight.

The hunt took search vessels from Australia, China, the United States and other countries into some of the stormiest, loneliest waters on Earth, rocked by 30-foot waves 1,000 miles off Australias west coast.

Tony Abbott, Australias prime minister at the time of the disappearance, called it as close to nowhere as its possible to be.

Blaine Gibson, an American lawyer and self-described adventurer, embarked on a self-funded quest to comb East African coastlines for wreckage, turning up several pieces of debris linked to the plane. Gibson has accused officials of being slow to respond to his discoveries.

He has done significant service to the families and the public, and it is unfortunate that this has been a solo effort, not complemented by the governments, Narendran said.

The planes flight path was due to take it north over the Gulf of Thailand and Vietnam, but about an hour after takeoff, it banked sharply west, back toward Malaysia and out across the Indian Ocean. Before changing course, one of the pilots told air traffic controllers, Good night Malaysia three seven zero, and after that the planes communications systems were deactivated.

Without locating the flight-data recorders in the planes wreckage, investigators have not been able to rule out any potential cause of the crash, including a mechanical failure, fire in the cockpit, pilot error or terrorism.

Wattrelos and some other family members of the missing accuse the governments involved of withholding information.

We just want to know what happened, he said.

Special correspondent Roughneen reported from Jakarta and staff writer Bengali from Mumbai, India.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia

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UPDATES:

5:17 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with staff reporting.

This article was originally published at 5 a.m.
The Nigerian air force accidentally bombed a camp for displaced people Tuesday, killing at least 52 in what the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders called a shocking and unacceptable tragedy.

More than 100 others were wounded when air force bombers mistook the camp for a hide-out of Boko Haram, the Islamist extremist group that has waged an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria for more than 13 years.

The casualties included both displaced people and aid workers, including six people with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the ICRC said.

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The bombing occurred at a camp in Rann, northeastern Nigeria, near the Cameroonian border about 9 a.m. The Red Cross said its team had been bringing desperately needed food aid to 25,000 people there.

Doctors Without Borders, which also had workers present at the bombing, put the number of deaths at 52, but some reports suggested the casualties were significantly higher.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari received news of the bombing with deep sadness and regret.

President Buhari condoles with the families of the dead, wishes the wounded divine succor, leading to full recovery and sympathizes with the Borno state government, a statement from the presidency said.

He said it was a regrettable operational mistake in what he called the final mopping up stages of the governments battle against Boko Haram. The militant group, which is affiliated with Islamic State, wants to establish an Islamist state in Nigeria.

Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed the accidental bombardment, saying some civilians were killed. He said there would be an investigation into what went wrong.

The bombing occurred as Nigeria faces a humanitarian catastrophe in the northeast of the country, where 2.1 million people have been displaced by conflict and 4.7 million people are in dire need of humanitarian aid.

Aid agencies have faced serious difficulty in reaching remote areas, mainly because of the danger of attack by extremists.

U.N. agencies have warned that remote parts of northeastern Nigeria face possible famine in coming months.

This large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable, Jean-Clement Cabrol, Doctors Without Borders director of operations, said in a statement. The safety of civilians must be respected. We are urgently calling on all parties to ensure the facilitation of medical evacuations by air or road for survivors who are in need of emergency care.

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said humanitarian agencies needed to be able to do their work safely.

We renew our call for aid workers to be able to operate safely and be allowed to deliver assistance where its needed most, the organization tweeted.

Doctors Without Borders released photographs of bombed shelters and patients affected by the blast. In one picture, two men carry a wounded child, with a bandaged head.

Peter Lundberg, U.N. deputy humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, said the U.N. had evacuated eight wounded Red Cross workers by helicopter to Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

We are in total shock over todays airstrike on Rann IDP [internally displaced persons] camp, he tweeted. We are preparing to airlift more lifesaving medical supplies and medical staff tomorrow to Rann.

Nigerians reacted with horror to news of the bombing. One key critic of the military, Oby Ezekwesili, who led a campaign to press the previous government to do more to free nearly 300 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in 2014, said Tuesdays bombing was a major tragedy and blamed intelligence failures.

Bombing of an IDP camp by our fighter jet is an example of how COSTLY Intelligence failure can be for military action. Theres a BIG LESSON, she tweeted.

Nigeria has made significant strides against Boko Haram in recent months, but critics question whether the extremist group has been crushed, as claimed by the government. The group continues to mount regular suicide bomb attacks, mainly using teenage female bombers.

Analyst Ryan Cummings said airstrikes were usually used in attacks on territory controlled by enemy forces, rather than in final mopping up operations, suggesting the government didnt have full control of northeastern Nigeria.

Cummings, with the Signal Risk security analysis company, said in a tweet that this kind of tragedy could happen when insurgents still held territory and the military lacked the local intelligence to distinguish an IDP camp from a Boko Haram camp. He added that the tragedy indicated that humanitarian agencies were forced to operate in unsecured areas, despite the governments insistence it was in control.

Cummings wrote in a recent analysis that Nigeria faced difficulties repopulating and defending the vast northeastern area where Boko Haram has been operating. Nigerias military had complex logistical problems with food, supplies and ammunition, he wrote.

It is also held back by the prevalence of corruption: There are allegations that military officers have been selling weapons and supplies to Boko Haram members, and that the sect may even be privy to military intelligence such as the movements of commanders spearheading the fight against the Islamist movement.

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UPDATES:

3:25 P.M.: Updates throughout with staff reporting, details, quotes.

11:20 a.m.: This article was updated with a revised casualty report for Red Cross workers.

9:45 a.m.: This article was updated with a report that 20 Red Cross volunteers are among the dead.

This article was originally published at 9:05 a.m.
The Turkish parliament has given preliminary approval to a series of constitutional amendments that, if ratified in a national referendum, would mark the most significant shift in the countrys governance since its founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, abolished the Ottoman caliphate nearly a century ago.

The 18-amendment package, expected to pass a final vote this week before the referendum, would consolidate power in the presidency, currently held by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

His supporters say the new system created by the amendments will resemble the kind of executive government seen in the United States, and bring much needed stability to the country at a time of frequent terrorist attacks.

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But critics say it will grant legal cover to Erdogans increasingly authoritarian style of leadership, taking vital powers away from the judicial and legislative branches and handing them to a populist leader who could rule for decades without challenge.

Erdogans ruling Justice and Development Party holds 317 of 550 seats in parliament, and it has allied itself with the Nationalist Movement Party, which holds 39 seats, to push through the amendments in contentious, often violent, debates over the last week that have gone into the wee hours of the morning.

Its a very serious danger that our country will turn into the kind of dictatorial regimes we see all around us in the region.  Fatma Hurriyet Kaplan, a lawmaker from the secular Republican Peoples Party

This new constitution will form a dictatorial government, a one-man government, like Hitler, said Fatma Hurriyet Kaplan, a lawmaker from the secular Republican Peoples Party, which holds 133 seats and is opposed to the amendments.

On Jan. 11, dozens of lawmakers from the ruling party confronted Kaplan, some raining blows on her head and neck that left bruises, after she attempted to videotape the group as members showed one another their ballots in favor of an amendment. According to parliamentary rules, the votes are to be done in secret.

Ruling party lawmakers were going up one by one and showing each other their ballots to prove they were loyal, she said. Its illegal. I was recording them, and they didnt like it.

While members of Kaplans party voted against the amendments, the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party, whose leadership has been jailed over charges of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, boycotted the vote altogether.

Brawls involving scores of lawmakers erupted at nearly every debate over the last week, with potted plants, notebooks and other stationery being hurled on live television. A ruling party lawmaker, brandishing a grisly wound on his shin he claimed was a human bite mark, demanded every Republican Peoples Party member take a DNA test so he could determine who bit him.

The next day, members of the ruling Justice and Development Party, also known as the AKP, carried signs into parliament reading No dogs allowed, prompting Republican Peoples Party members to bring their pet dogs along for the day.

The proposed amendments would eliminate the office of the prime minister, and transfer powers to appoint a Cabinet to the president, an office that is currently a ceremonial one, barred from maintaining a relationship with any political party.

The president would able to issue official decrees, legislation that would be legal as long as it does not infringe on individual rights enumerated in the current constitution. But the Constitutional Court, the bench that would decide the legality of the decrees, would also be controlled by the president under the new system, as would a body that appoints judges and prosecutors nationwide.

Erdogan, who led the country as prime minister from 2003 to 2014 and has been president since then, has long said a new constitution that accurately reflects the will of the countrys majority is the end goal of his political career.

No one can stand in front of the new Turkeys rise, Erdogan said Saturday.

If the changes are approved in a referendum, which could come as early as March, Erdogan could rule the country with vast constitutional powers until 2029.

Its a very serious danger that our country will turn into the kind of dictatorial regimes we see all around us in the region, said Kaplan.

But in Istanbuls Kasimpasa neighborhood, where Erdogan grew up, residents have strung up banners welcoming the Presidential Turkey.

I dont see any danger with this system, its only dangerous if the person in charge is a traitor to our people and our religion, said Mustafa, a shopkeeper in the conservative Fatih district who declined to give his last name. Look at what Erdogan has done for us. He has transformed our economy, he is leading the Muslims. Let him rule for another 15 years, or longer. Who cares?

At the heart of the campaign for handing Erdogan power is a populist desire to see the country in the hands of the pious, said Mustafa Akyol, a senior visiting fellow at the Freedom Project at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. The system created by Ataturk was fiercely secular, but Erdogan is an Islamist who has loosened restrictions on religion as part of a broader set of reforms. More recently, Erdogan has cracked down on dissent and is seen by some as a budding autocrat.

Erdogans political narrative, said Akyol, has worked on a clear us-versus-them dichotomy, where us is the real nation made up of conservative religious Turks, and them are [a] secular, Westernized, degenerate elite. The presidential system is now offered as the final coffin on the hegemony of the old secular elite  or, in reverse, a guarantee that now the masters of Turkey will be religious conservatives spearheaded by Erdogan.

But even among conservatives in Turkey, the proposed presidential system does not enjoy outright support.

Basic non-negotiable conditions of separation of powers will be lost if these amendments are made, said Temel Karamollaoglu, head of the ultra-conservative Saadet Party.

Saadet, which does not hold seats in parliament, was formed in 2001 by Islamist hard-liners after Erdogans more moderate cadre split from a parent Islamist party to form the AKP.

In letters as well as at a meeting with Erdogan before the parliamentary debate, Karamollaoglu said he conveyed to the president that these changes will end up creating an authoritarian system that could harm us all.

Farooq is a special correspondent.

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First Case of Zika Infection in a New Born Child with Microcephaly Confirmed in Travis County

staff@latinoshealth.com By Qudsia Ibrahim Jan 16, 2017 08:40 PM EST

The first case of Zika virus is reported in Travis County in a new-born kid who had apparent signs of microcephaly. The test reports have confirmed that the child is born with Zika virus. But, the case is not locally transmitted as the mother of the child is reportedly a migrant from Central America in August 2016.

The pregnant mother who most probably has transmitted the Zika virus to her unborn child traveled to Travis County in August 2016 had already lived there in Central America for a long time. Most of the time of her pregnancy is also spent there. The congenital disease that the child has suffered from developed during the early stages of the pregnancy.

Travis Count has the record of 20 positive Zika infection cases among which 6 are pregnant women. The entire cases are a result of traveling to areas where the infection is widely spread.

The main cause of the Zika spread is sexual intercourse other than the mosquito bite. On 30th December, the number of patients suffering from the fatal infection had reached 294 in Texas. 20 of these were women and only 2 infants.

There is no vaccine for Zika and also no treatment. The only successful method to avoid Zika is prevention. Disabling breeding ground for mosquitos and avoiding mosquito bites is the best means to prevent the infection. Having protected and restricted sex is another fast and effective way of keeping the infection at bay, reports Texas Zika.

The symptoms of the infection are rash, fever, joint pain and conjunctivitis. The infected patient needs to stay away from infecting other people by fully abandoning the sexual intercourse. The greatest danger of the infection is for pregnant women when the virus leaves the unborn child life-long head and brain deformation in the form of microcephaly, according to Austin Texas.

The mosquito-spread virus is also linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome. This is a nervous system ailment in which the immune system of the body damages the nerve cells. Weak muscles and nervous could lead to paralysis.

Zika is also linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome, which is a nervous system ailment that shows the immune system damaging nerve cells. This results in the muscle becoming weak, which could lead to paralysis.

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New Bill To Prevent Food Stamp Users From Buying Junk Food: Tennessee Legislators Want Strict Law

staff@latinoshealth.com By partha das Jan 17, 2017 06:38 AM EST

Tennessee legislators are preparing to introduce a new bill that will prevent the food stamp users from buying soda, ice cream, and other junk foods. The bill was mainly proposed by the state GOP Rep. Sheila Butt. The food stamp users avail the government benefits while purchasing a list of grocery items.

On Thursday the bill was tabled by the state Representative Sheila Butt. Sheila Butt requests permission from the USDA to prohibit a number of items, like soda, ice cream, cookies and others. USDA is the key federal agency that monitors this program.

Sources from the NBC affiliate WCNC report that Butt wants the food stamp users should not buy the junk foods using the government benefits. She even wants to impose penalties on those retailers who sell banned items to the people who are under the SNAP. SNAP means the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and it is also called food stamps.

She clearly utters that any individual or businessman will face the penalty if they want to violate the measure. The offenders would be fined $1,000 for the first offense. For the second offense, they have to pay $2,500 and $5,000 for the third offense. The whole process will be monitored within a five-year time frame.

Previously New York City, Maine, and Minnesota also tried to create one such bill. They even tried to limit the food items that the SNAP recipients actually buy. But the federal government rejected the proposals as no additional restriction is allowed on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

A recent survey report from the USDA reveals that the food stamp recipients spend 9.3 percent of their total grocery budget on soda than on bread, fruit, and other food items. The survey includes 26 million US families. Sources of UPI clearly reveal the whole story.

Sheila Butt also opined that a huge amount of money from the taxpayers is utilized every year to provide the facility to the SNAP recipients. She even uttered that when a SNAP recipient purchases soda, ice cream, cookies, then the recipient actually promotes high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and other health problems. In a word, taxpayers are actually subsidizing an unhealthy lifestyle for the users of food stamps.

More than one million people in Tennessee were distributed the benefits of SNAP in November last year. The total amount of the aid was more than $ 134 million. It is a true fact that the poor families use food stamps to purchase sugary drinks and unhealthy foods.

Even USDA also understands the fact. The US Department of Agriculture is encouraging people to buy healthy food items. The department wants to create more awareness among the people to limit the purchase of the unhealthy food items.

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The National Academics of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in Washington, DC. released a report that calls for extending research on potential medical utilization of cannabis and its elements that include marijuana and its chemical compounds which called cannabinoids.

Business Insider reported that the board of committee represents the top universities around the nation that is more than 10,000 reviews for its examination from which it could move almost 100 conclusions. The recommendations from the 16-members of the board which created the report come during a period of elevated acceptance of marijuana and its related substances. Cannabis has been legitimate in medical treatment in 28 states as well as the District of Columbia, and eight of those states used it for recreational.

Raul Gonzales, a psychologist from Florida International University in Miami said that the legalization and commercialization of cannabis have permitted in the market to get beyond science. Gonzalez also noted that it is likewise emphasized negative results of a normal cannabis use that includes certain respiratory and mental issues. For several days before the report has seen, Staci Gruber, a chief of Marijuana Investigations said that the policy has been outpaced science, and it is truly terrible.

According to ScienceNews the report also concluded that the Cannabis and cannabinoids show an indication to have a potential to become a medicine in which the proof indicates that these substances significantly decrease the chronic pain for adults. Cannabis subsidiaries are consumed in pills by different sclerosis patients that temporarily lessen the self-reported muscle spasms, however, cannabinoids likewise help to prevent and reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in adults. Less conclusive confirmation that suggests cannabis and cannabinoids can enhance sleep for adults who has sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, continuous pain, and numerous sclerosis.

Marijuana is a common name for a couple of plants that utilized for its psychoactive properties around the globe. The Marijuana also is known as weed that is likewise been generally used to treat inflammatory issues.

What is more is that it is difficult to direct a research on marijuana because of its regulatory hindrances, including marijuana's Schedule I classification by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the fact that the specialists are frequently cannot get the similar sorts of marijuana that individuals usually use.

Indeed, even in states where it is lawful to purchase marijuana where the federal regulations forbid the researchers from utilizing that the same product. However, Karen Wright of Lancaster University in England said that if cannabis can be classified as a medicine, then it should be tested thoroughly just like the every single medicine.

Wright hopes that the new report spurs the researchers to establish a standard for the synthetic composition of cannabis products to be tested as conceivable therapeutic medicines. Despite cannabis's therapeutic guarantee, the researcher has a bigger number of inquiries than answers about how it is used which influence the physical and psychological well-being.
Fiat Chrysler has been allegedly violated the Clean Air Act by neglecting to reveal its engine-management software that allows to excess diesel emissions. As the allegations go on, the shares of Fiat Chrysler have been fallen to 12.1 percent on the New York Stock Exchange. However, Moody's Investors Service said that the fallout is probably not going to be as damaging to Fiat Chrysler as Volkswagen AG's emission scandal.

According to Reuters, Italy's transport ministry made a statement that the tests had been conducted on Fiat Chrysler vehicles which indicate that they are compliant with the regulations and contains no emissions defeat gadgets as alleged by Germany. With the German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said that Fiat Chrysler will be taken off the roads as it breaks emissions rules, but because of that statement the pressures have ascended amongst Rome and Berlin over the issue.

A year ago, Germany raised their worries over a certain Flat Chrysler models, including the Fiat 500X, Fiat Doblo, and Jeep Renegade that has been alleged about hidden software that permits excessive emissions by their diesel engines. However, Fiat Chrysler denied its allegations, until the issue re-emerged to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and accused Fiat Chrysler of controlling emissions tests in its Jeep Grand Cherokee sport-utility vehicles and Ram 1500 pick-up trucks.

Fortune stated that after Italy rejected Germany's assertions a year ago, Berlin requested that the European Commission negotiate in the conflict. Italy's transport ministry said that it did the essential checks and sent an accurate answer to the German authorities which demonstrates that the Fiat 500X, rather than what is guaranteed by Germany, is in consistency with its regulations. It is also included that the European Commission did not seem to have conducted any tests of its own that would affirm the German assertions.

A week ago, the European Commission approached Italy to give confirmation against Germany's assertions. However, Rome rejected the Commission's allegations that are kept on dragging its feet in the case, as it always acknowledges to demands from Brussels in a reliable way. Under an emission testing administration which the Commission is currently looking to modernize, though the national watchdogs affirm new autos and have the selective energy to police manufacturers- however once endorsed in one nation, vehicles can be sold over the alliance.
No longer contented as one of the most influential people in the world, Mark Zuckerberg is planning to go into politics to add to his long list of achievements. There have been rumors that the Facebook founder will be running for US President in 2024 and so will Kanye West.

Mark Zuckerberg Running For President?

There have been rumors that Zuckerberg is planning to enter the Presidential race in 2024. The tech icon has published a post on Facebook a couple of weeks ago detailing his plans for 2017. According to Daily Mail, the post is an alleged ice breaker for Zuckerberg's plans to run for President in the 2024 election.

The outlet adds that Zuckerberg's inner circle believe that the Facebook CEO has what it takes to become a US President someday. They use the phrase "he wants to be emperor" to describe Zuckerberg's drive and style as a leader and the kind of person he wants to be.

Zuckerberg has yet to comment or address the rumors of him running for US President in 2024 but the fact that he stated that he plans to meet people from every state does not help refute the rumors.

Mark Zuckerberg to Run Against Kanye West for US President in 2024?

Kanye West has been vocal about running for the Presidential position. In fact, the rapper has tweeted about his supposed intentions with the hashtag "#2024." According to Hollywood Life, the tweet was the result after meeting with President Elect Donald Trump last year.

Reports from the past say West intended to run for the office on 2020 but has relented to 2024 instead. No one knows why he chose that year or if he is going to push through with his political aspirations.

Do you think Mark Zuckerberg and Kanye West will run for the US Presidential Office in 2024? If so, what do you think the results will be if one of them is elected by then? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Daniel Amartey played the full 90 minutes as Ghana started their Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Gabon with a 1-0 victory over Uganda on Tuesday.

- Daniel Amartey played the full 90 minutes as Ghana won 1-0 against Uganda in Gabon on Tuesday

- The Leicester City midfielder helped the Black Stars start the Africa Cup of Nations with three points

- Amartey is joined at the competition by Algerian internationals Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani

- For more from the Club's trio of representatives, check back to LCFC.com over the next month





Daniel Amartey played the full 90 minutes as Ghana started their Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Gabon with a 1-0 victory over Uganda on Tuesday.

The Leicester City midfielder was utilised at centre-back for the Black Stars at the Stade de Port Gentil with the match ultimately being settled by Andre Ayews solitary strike from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute.

Amartey, making his 11th appearance for Ghana, delivered a typically industrious and combative display for his country, who next face Mali on Saturday 21 January before taking on Egypt four days later.

The 22-year-old has proven to be a key figure for City this year after winning the Premier League title on his debut campaign with the Foxes towards the end of the 2015/16 season under Claudio Ranieri.

Amarteys Club team-mates Islam Slimani and Riyad Mahrez, meanwhile, got off and running with a 2-2 draw against Zimbabwe on Sunday.

Mahrez scored both goals for the Desert Foxes at the Stade de Franceville with encounters against Tunisia on Thursday 19 January and Senegal on Monday 23 January to look forward to over the coming days.

For all the latest on the progress of Amartey, Mahrez and Slimani, check back into LCFC.com over the coming days.
BMW X7 taking shape ahead of 2018 introduction

Jan 17, 2017, 9:44am ET

We\'ve learned a few more details about BMW\'s X7 SUV.

New details have emerged on BMW's upcoming X7 flagship SUV. The BMW X7 is expected to debut sometime next year.

When it arrives in 2018, the X7 could share components with Rolls-Royce's upcoming Cullinan SUV. Original reports suggested that the X7 would be closely tied to the BMW 7 Series sedan, but Auto Express claims the big SUV could actually have more in common with the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

Six-, eight- and twelve-cylinder engines have been confirmed for the X7. Although not yet official, BMW is also said to be developing a new plug-in hybrid system for the X7. That gas-electric setup would be shared with the smaller X5.

Although the X7 might share some powertrains with the X5, don't look for the flagship SUV to borrow too much from the X5 in terms of overall styling. "There's very little resemblance to the X5, so it's not an extended wheelbase X5. It's very different - we wanted it to have its own identity, BMW AG sales and marketing director Ian Robertson said of the X7.

The X7 will reportedly list from 70,000 in the UK, which would roughly translate to $86,000. That would put the X7 ahead of vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz GLS and on par with the Land Rover Range Rover. Upper-end versions of the X7 will stretch easily into the six-figure range.

BMW is also considering an X8 variant of the X7, which would adopt a sleeker roofline and potentially an even higher asking price.

Look for the BMW X7 to debut next year before going on sale in 2019.
Jan 17, 2017, 5:53am ET

General Motors to create 1,000 jobs in the U.S.?

The company could formally announce the investment later today.

General Motors is preparing to make a $1 billion investment in the United States, according to a new report.

Anonymous sources familiar with the automaker's plans told industry trade journal Automotive News that the investment will create over 1,000 new jobs. However, additional details -- such as precisely where the investments will be made -- haven't been announced yet.

The sources who spoke to Automotive News stressed GM isn't investing money into the United States in response to president-elect Donald Trump's recent criticism. Trump made headlines earlier this year when he called out GM on Twitter for sending Mexican-made examples of the Chevrolet Cruze to the United States. He threatened the Detroit-based automaker with a "big border tax" which could be as high as 35 percent per vehicle sent over the nation's southern border.

GM isn't the only American automaker bringing jobs back to the United States. Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) recently announced a $1 billion investment directed at factories located in Michigan and in Ohio. Part of the money will be used to re-tool the plants in order to produce new models like Jeep's Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, and Wrangler pickup truck. The updates will also give Ram the opportunity to shift production of its heavy duty pickups from Mexico to the United States.

General Motors hasn't commented on the rumor. However, sources indicate it could officially announce the investment later today.
Jan 17, 2017, 9:56am ET

Germany, Italy spar over Fiat Chrysler emissions recall

Italian officials are striking back over Germany\'s insistence that FCA vehicles are non-compliant and must be recalled.

The EPA's allegations of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles emissions violations appear to have rekindled a simmering dispute between officials in Germany and Italy.

German officials last year accused FCA of selling cars with illegal emissions systems. An earlier report claimed a Fiat model began to emit excessive pollutants after running for 22 minutes, suspiciously close to the typical 20-minute lab test cycle.

A petition was sent to the European Commission and Italy's Transport Ministry, demanding a recall for any vehicles that break emissions regulations, but Italian officials have disputed the allegations.

The Transport Ministry now says it has "carried out the necessary checks and sent a detailed report to the German authorities which shows that the Fiat 500X, in contrast to what is claimed by Germany, is in compliance with regulations," according to quotes published by Reuters.

The European Commission recently asked Italy to submit evidence contradicting Germany's claims. The Commission is said to have tested the 500X, though the lab results have not been made public.

Aside from the 500X, the allegations also list the Fiat Doblo van and Jeep Renegade. In the US, the EPA's actions focus on the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500.
Jan 17, 2017, 8:01am ET

Hyundai, Kia weigh $3.1B U.S. investment

Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia will invest heavily in the U.S. market.

Hyundai and corporate partner Kia announced on Tuesday a new plan that will see the automotive companies invest $3.1 billion in the United States over the next five years.

Although exact details of Hyundai-Kia's investment strategy are unknown at this time, the Korean automaker says the money could be used to build a new car factory in the U.S. or expand one of its existing facilities. Also on the table is a plan to build the company's new line of luxury Genesis models in the U.S., along with a new SUV.

"We expect a boost in the U.S. economy and increased demand for various models as President-elect Trump follows through on his promise to create one million jobs in five years, Hyundai Motor President Chung Jin-haeng told Bloomberg. "We will actively consider introducing new models that have increasing demand and profits.

Hyundai-Kia's announcement comes amid threats from president-elect Donald Trump to slap vehicle imports with a 35 percent tax. The announcement could be a play to appease the incoming administration. Although Hyundai-Kia makes about 730,000 vehicles in the U.S. each year at two different plants, Kia recently opened a $3 billion facility in Mexico that will export some production to the U.S.

Despite the optics of the announcement, Chung downplayed the influence of the incoming Trump administration over the company's business decisions. "The U.S. market is strategically a very important market for us and success or failure there is a barometer of our success globally, Chung said. "Our interest in the U.S. market is consistent regardless of the government of the day.

Over the last five-years Hyundai-Kia has invested $2.1 billion in the U.S.
Jan 17, 2017, 11:33am ET

UK investigating Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel emissions

The UK is now looking into the emissions levels of the Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel.

The United Kingdom says it will carry out its own emissions tests on the Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel after the Environmental Protection Agency discovered "undisclosed software in the SUV's emissions system.

"We have instructed our Market Surveillance Unit to undertake testing on one of these vehicles at the earliest opportunity," a spokesman at the Department for Transport told Reuters.

There about about 3,700 Jeep Grand Cherokee diesels registered in the UK.

Despite the findings by the EPA, Jeep parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles denies any wrongdoing. "FCA US looks forward to the opportunity to meet with the EPA's enforcement division and representatives of the new administration to demonstrate that FCA US's emissions control strategies are properly justified and thus are not 'defeat devices' under applicable regulations and to resolve this matter expeditiously, the company said in a statement.

The news of FCA's potential cheat device comes in the wake of Volkswagen's massive diesel emissions scandal. As a result of VW's scam, governments the world over are now taking a much closer look at diesel engine emissions.
UPDATE: S. Whitehall Verizon store robbery leads to Easton search

Pennsylvania State Police along with Easton and Palmer Township police converged Monday night on a neighborhood in the city's West Ward.

Easton and Pennsylvania State police the night of Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, scour the 1000 block of Spruce Street in the city, in what police described as an assist to South Whitehall Township police, who had an incident unfolding at a Verizon Wireless store on Tilghman Street. (Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Bearing AR-15 rifles, authorities in Easton focused their investigation in the 1000 block of Spruce Street, an alleyway, between South 10th and Warren streets.

The investigation came as police in South Whitehall Township simultaneously probed yet another incident at a Lehigh Valley cellphone store.

Easton police Lt. Steve Homoki said authorities in Easton were assisting South Whitehall Township police, but few other details could be immediately confirmed.

No one was in custody in Easton about 9:30 p.m. as police began wrapping up their operation, which began about 8:20 p.m. in the city.

Asked whether anyone was sought, Homoki deferred comment to South Whitehall police.

South Whitehall police were not immediately available for comment. A Lehigh County 911 dispatcher would only confirm police activity was ongoing in the township as of about 9:30 p.m.

Police in South Whitehall were seen Monday night at The Cellular Connection Verizon Wireless retail store at 3075 Tilghman St. in the township.

South Whitehall Township police respond about 8:30 p.m. to The Cellular Connection Verizon Wireless store at 3075 Tilghman St. in the township. Police in Easton later said they along with Pennsylvania State Police were assisting South Whitehall police at an investigation in Easton's West Ward. (Mike Nester | Lehighvalleylive.com contributor)

Cellphone stores in Lehigh and Northampton counties have been related to a number of crimes in recent months, including the homicide Nov. 21 of Michael Davis outside his Palmer Township home.

The 25-year-old worked at Verizon at 301 Town Center Blvd. in Forks Township, which was robbed at gunpoint Oct. 29. The store manager was assaulted and robbed Nov. 22 outside his home, also in Palmer. In both Palmer incidents, the assailants were two unknown males.

Then the night of Jan. 5, the AT&T Authorized Retailer at 3859 Nazareth Pike in Bethlehem Township was robbed by two unknown males, one of whom brandished a handgun, according to police.

Authorities have not announced arrests in the Palmer, Forks or Bethlehem township incidents.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Staff at a Catasauqua charter school helped police catch a man with a screwdriver who ran into the school's gym Tuesday morning.

Catasauqua police said a man with a screwdriver Tuesday morning ran into the Innovative Arts Academy Charter School. No one was injured, police said. (Mike Nester | For lehighvalleylive.com)

No one was injured in the 8 a.m. incident at Innovative Arts Academy Charter School, 330 Howertown Road, and no students were involved, said Catasauqua police Chief Douglas Kish.

Staff were waiting outside the school for students to arrive, when they intercepted the man, who was not wearing a shirt and was carrying a screwdriver, Kish said.

The man, who police believe was high on cocaine, broke free from the staffers and ran into the school's gym, where he was restrained by school staff until police arrived, the chief said.

The man was taken by ambulance to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg and was being evaluated a little after 9 a.m., Kish said.

The school was open Tuesday morning. A message for the school's CEO was not immediately returned.

The chief said he did not believe charges would be filed in connection with Tuesday's incident, but that the man was wanted on a warrant for a previous incident in Catasauqua. Once the man was finished at the hospital, he would be arrested in connection with the warrant, Kish said.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A South Whitehall Township Verizon Wireless store was robbed Monday night and a pursuit led investigators to Easton, according to police and on-scene accounts.

It was one of several robberies in recent weeks at cellphone stores, including one that's being probed as tied to a Palmer Township homicide.

Two men armed with handguns and dressed in dark clothing entered the Cellular Connection store about 8:06 p.m. Monday at 3075 Tilghman St., South Whitehall police said. The men forced employees into an office area and made off with an undetermined amount of merchandise, police said.

Pennsylvania State Police, along with officers from Easton and Palmer Township, converged a short time later in an alley in Easton's West Ward. No one appeared to be taken into custody after heavily armed police searched the area.

A silver Hyundai was eventually towed from the 1000 block of Spruce Street and a neighbor explained what she saw of the two men in the vehicle.

The car pulled up and parked outside 1023 Spruce St., she said. Two men sat inside as Pennsylvania State Police cruisers drove by, she added.

After a short time, the men -- one was about 6 feet 2 inches tall and dressed in dark clothing, the other was about 6 feet tall -- got out and calmly strolled toward 10th Street, she said. The driver apparently used the key fob to lock the doors and a light flashed, said the witness.

Easton and Pennsylvania State police the night of Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, scour the 1000 block of Spruce Street in the city, in what police described as an assist to South Whitehall Township police, who had an incident unfolding at a Verizon Wireless store on Tilghman Street. (Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com)

"We were out here when they pulled up," she said, but she and others didn't think much of it as they chatted about 15 feet away. "A few minutes later they just casually walked off. For a few minutes they were standing by the pole at 1016 (Spruce). Then they walked off down the street. ... We weren't paying much attention to them" because it's not terribly unusual for someone to park in the alley and then walk away. "We actually thought it was somebody, one of the neighbors," she said.

She didn't get a good look as the men moved away to get a good description.

Unlike the shooting last summer on nearby Lehigh Street between 10th and 11th, she said, this time "we all basically went in(side). Then we seen everybody coming back" and police descended on the neighborhood.

South Whitehall Township police respond about 8:30 p.m. to The Cellular Connection Verizon Wireless store at 3075 Tilghman St. in the township. Police in Easton later said they along with Pennsylvania State Police were assisting South Whitehall police at an investigation in Easton's West Ward. (Mike Nester | Lehighvalleylive.com contributor)

Easton police said they were working with South Whitehall police, but wouldn't provide further details.

At about 10:15 p.m., a young woman was brought by a plainclothes South Whitehall officer to the silver car in Easton and could be heard saying, "Yup. Yup." as she looked inside, a witness relayed.

Cellphone stores in Lehigh and Northampton counties have been related to a number of crimes in recent months, including the homicide Nov. 21 of Michael Davis outside his Palmer Township home.

The 25-year-old worked at Verizon at 301 Town Center Blvd. in Forks Township, which was robbed at gunpoint Oct. 29. The store manager was assaulted and robbed Nov. 22 outside his home, also in Palmer. In both Palmer incidents, the assailants were two men.

Then the night of Jan. 5, the AT&T Authorized Retailer at 3859 Nazareth Pike in Bethlehem Township was robbed by two unknown males, one of whom brandished a handgun, according to police. Police after that robbery said they were investigating to see if it was tied to the Forks Township crime.

Authorities have not announced arrests in the Palmer, Forks or Bethlehem Township incidents.

If anyone has information on the investigation into Monday's robbery, they are asked to contact South Whitehall Police Department Detective Chad Moyer at 610-398-0337.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
David Volk in 2014 announced a search to find his biological mother on Facebook by posting a photo of himself holding a sign that read: "Please help me! I'm looking for my birth mother."

The 39-year-old Plainfield Township man decided to mark the end of the search on Monday in similar fashion.

His latest Facebook posting shows a picture of him holding a sign that reads: "I would like to announce I found my birth family."

It came as a surprise to some of his Facebook friends, especially considering the circumstances in which he became separated from his birth mother.

Volk was abandoned as a newborn in the bathroom of a Newark McDonald's on Dec. 20, 1977. A manager at the fast-food restaurant rescued him and alerted authorities.

Volk was adopted about a year later and would eventually settle with his adoptive family in the Slate Belt; he attended Pen Argyl Area High School.

In 2014, media accounts of a South Whitehall Township woman who took to social media to find her birth mother 27 years after being abandoned in a Burger King inspired Volk to start his own search.

Within months, the effort connected him with his rescuer, Wilhelmenia Dinkins, the former McDonald's manager who'd long since retired and was living with her family in Texas. The two forged a relationship.

But the relationship he originally set out to get didn't come as easy. In June 2015, he tracked down a man believed to be his second cousin through a DNA testing service. Last year, he tracked down his brother, sister and mother, but waited to go public with the discovery until seeing DNA test results, he said.

Those test results came back late last month and confirmed the three are in fact his biological family, Volk said.

"I'm relieved that the search is over," Volk said in a phone interview on Monday.

He said he has already met his brother and sister, but has not yet met his birth mother face to face. He said the two have only exchanged a couple emails, but he's hopeful they will meet soon.

He said there are still "a lot of unanswered questions" and wished to keep the identity of his biological family private until he's at least had a chance to meet his mother. Volk acknowledged she may not want to be publicly identified given the situation.

Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Laois TD and Minister Charlie Flanagan says figures released showing over 5,000 visits by prisoners to hospital, prove that a round the clock medical service is essential.

There were 4,255 visits from the Midlands Prison inmates to hospital, and 1,075 from Portlaoise Prison, over the past three years. Having considered the figures, I am satisfied that there is a real need to ensure there is a general medical service in close proximity to the prisons, and it is important that it is around the clock. The medical care and attention provided at Portlaoise hospital is essential, the Minister for Foreign Affairs told the Leinster Express.

The Fine Gael minister said the HSE had understated the prisons use of the hospital to him.

I am not happy with the information given to me by the HSE. They have been understating the importance of the hospital to the prison, he said.

Last Monday January 9, he accompanied the Minister for health Simon Harris on a visit to Portlaoise hospital, and a meeting afterwards he had with councillors and the two other Laois TDs Brian Stanley and Sean Fleming.

The Fine Gael Minister met with the Minister for Health Simon Harris again the next day he said, as well as Minister for Justice and Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald.

He raised concerns about the numbers, and potential problems if prisoners have to be brought further afield for treatment.

I have expressed concern to the Minister for Justice at the high cost of prison escorts, in the event of Portlaoise hospital not continuing to provide a service. I have sought details of figures regarding prison escorts and added costs, should patients be taken to alternate locations, Minister Flanagan said.

He is also concerned about added security risks of bringing prisoners up to Dublin hospitals for treatment.

I have spoken to Frances Fitzgerald about the serious risks involved.
A Portarlington resident was jailed for five years on Monday for his part in the killing of a young man in Dublin on New Year's Eve three years ago.

Graham Palmer (26) with an address at Park Avenue, Portarlington was among five men jailed for the killing of Dale Creigton in Tallaght on January 1, 2014.

The 20-year old was attacked at a footbridge over the Tallaght bypass in the early hours of New Year's Day, 2014. He died in hospital the following day as a result of injuries to his head and face.

Six men and one woman went on trial in the Central Criminal Court last October after pleading not guilty. The charges were dropped two weeks into the trial when they pleaded guilty to lesser charges and had their new pleas accepted.

Palmer and four other men changed their pleas to guilty of manslaughter.

Justice Deirdre Murphy said they were not evil or even bad people, but described the fatal assault as prolonged and vicious. Mr Creighton had been kicked and beaten in a "kangaroo court."
Nearly 900,000 is to be spent on new addiction services for Laois and other midlands counties but approval has yet to be given for a new addiction clinic in Portlaoise.

The Health Service Executive confirmed in December that contracts were signed with two agencies to provide services to adults, teenagers and children.

Extern has been awarded the contract to provide a Community based Drug & Alcohol prevention and treatment support service for individuals under 18 years and their families in Longford, Westmeath, Laois & Offaly.

The Health Service Executive says this service will complement and enhance existing services currently operating in the region and provide appropriate interventions to both under 18s and their families in line with best international research and standards.

The service will be required to deliver an under 18 prevention and treatment support service to include family support services. The service will provide a range of interventions using a holistic approach.

Earlier in December Merchants Quay Ireland was awarded the contract to provide a Community based Drug & Alcohol treatment support service for people over 18 years and their families.

The HSE said both services were contracted following an evaluation of drug and alcohol treatment support services in the Midlands, HSE CADS (Community, Alcohol & Drug Services) and the Midlands Regional Drug & Alcohol Task Force (MRDATF). This concluded in a "roadmap for the optimum use of resources and service delivery for the region".

Both service will be funded from existing MRDATF & HSE CADS financial allocated resources. The under 18 service will cost 427,500 annually while the adult service will cost 444,000 each year.

Laois County Council granted permission for a new addiction clinic off the Dublin Road in Portlaoise. Work has yet to proceed on the site. The HSE told the Leinster Express that it is awaiting approval from its Estates Corporate section before proceeding to tender. It said this is in keeping with the capital approvals process.
Taking a career break from teaching, Jenny Miller has bravely embarked on a exciting new adventure by opening a boutique in Athy.

Joining her mother, Mary in the trade, Jenny explained how it all started.

We first opened our store in Portarlington in September 2003. In our early years trade was great, but we have come through some very tough years in the retail trade during the recent recession, as everyone can understand.

I, myself, was 13 when mam opened the shop, but have always taken a very keen interest in the business. I completed my education and graduated in 2012 as a second level teacher of Irish and Geography, completing my teaching practice in Ardscoil na Trionoide Athy.

Jenny went travelling in 2014 and having returned home in December 2015, she decided to take a break from teaching and give the second branch of Fifty Seven a shot.

We chose Athy, as we felt it has seen the closure of a few exceptional boutiques in recent years, that were never fully replaced. I personally felt there was a gap in the market, along with the slight upturn in the economy, and good timing personally for me, where I had no major commitments holding me back. I felt such an opportunity would never come around again and I didn't want to die wondering.

She said many people think she must be mad to be taking such a risk. I am fully aware and accept that, despite my best efforts, which I fully intend on giving to this for as long as I can, there is the reality that it just wont be good enough, and that is the harsh reality that all sole traders have to face up to.

I also am a believer that small independently owned shops like Fifty Seven have a role to play in the future of retail in Ireland. We need to offer something that the large multinationals don't. Here in Fifty Seven we aim to source and offer a range of products that are not widely available in some of the larger stores and that little bit different."

Jenny emphasised how smaller stores also offer a personal service, which enhances customers' shopping experiences.

"They should feel good about going shopping in their local town and always feel that their custom is greatly valued by the store owner. There is also a very important role for the customer to play however, they do need to recognise and understand that when they make a conscious effort to support their local traders and shop in their local towns, wherever that may be, they will keep the shops and services in their towns. My message is always simple....keep it local."

Fifty Seven Boutique's Monster Opening Sale is now on. The new Spring Summer 2017 collections will be arriving soon from many of the leading Irish and European fashion labels including Avalon, Via-Veneto, Personal Choice, Kate Cooper, Naya, iSay, Miss Via and many more.

The outside of the new Fifty Seven Boutique at Leinster Street, Athy
As Leitrims food producers and places to eat prepare for 2017, Local Enterprise Office Leitrim and Leitrim County Council have commissioned a fresh and innovative review of the food sector leading to the Preparation of a Food Strategy 2017- 2021 for County Leitrim.

The news comes as Leitrim County Council were recently awarded REDZ funding of 200,000 to invest in food tourism projects in Leitrim in 2017. A number of engaging projects planned include festival investments, a new Taste Leitrim food experience and new marketing campaign, a shared distribution project and community education projects.

The feedback of the trade is absolutely vital to the formation of the Plan. Two important consultation workshops are planned and those with an interest in food and food tourism, community food and education are invited to attend on either Thursday, January 19 at 4.30pm at the Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon or on Wednesday, February 1 at 4.30pm the Organic Centre, Rossinver.

The food and food tourism sector is a vital component of the local economy in Leitrim. The recent Taste Leitrim project established the county as a must visit food destination. Leitrim may be Irelands smallest populated county but we certainly pack a culinary punch. Frank Curran, LCC Chief Executive, Leitrim County Council explains the development of initiatives such as the Taste Leitrim with its county wide focus and our micro enterprises are powerful economic drivers within the county.

"Leitrim is known for its clean, outdoor living and supporting lifelong learning though continuing education. It is recognised at strategic level that there is considerable potential for Leitrims food sector if it is progressed in a planned, timely & innovative way. Our securement of significant REDZ funding gives us the resources to really progress the sector in 2017.

Joe Lowe, Head of Enterprise at Local Enterprise Office outlined the context of the new Plan, noting: The Food Hub, Drumshanbo, The Organic Centre, initiatives such as Taste Leitrim and Leitrims recent award as a top 10 foodie destination 2016 has introduced the wider public to our fantastic producers, chefs, food entrepreneurs, distillers, brewers, baristas and farmers. Our local food economy and our food education programme is a driving force for rural regeneration and connectivity and can make our towns & villages come alive and be more attractive to live in! Amazing slow food events and farm to fork ethos is not just a catchphrase in Leitrim, it is a way of doing business and standing out from the crowd.

Orla Casey of Momentum Consulting explains that It is clear that a decade of food industry focus in Co Leitrim has brought the culinary sector to a very exciting place. Pro active nurturing of local food companies through mentoring, training and grant aid support have led Leitrim in becoming a model of best practice within the food sector in Ireland."
Fine Gael T.D. for Sligo  Leitirm, Tony McLoughlin has once again called on the HSE, the Minister for Health Simon Harris and the Saolta Hospital Group CEO, Mrs. Ann Cosgrove to urgently speed up the process of delivering a fixed Cardio Cath Lab Service to Sligo University Hospital.

Deputy McLoughlins comments come just days after it was announced that additional Cath Lab services are to be provided at University Hospital Waterford.

McLoughlin vented his frustration at the delays with this development for Sligo University Hospital given the fact that a fixed Cardio Cath Lab Service is not operational anywhere in the North-West of Ireland at present, let alone are there plans for additional services to be provided here.

An application for a fixed Cardio Cath Lab Service to serve the entire Northwest region from Sligo University Hospital have been with the HSE since 2011. I have no idea what can be taking so long to grant this decision.

Cardiovascular disease is the single largest cause of death in Ireland today and a fixed Cardio Cath Lab Service is vital for patients who suffer a cardiac arrest and their chances of survival. At present if someone has a cardiac arrest in Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal and parts of Cavan, Roscommon and Mayo today and they need urgent access to Primary PCI and other specialist cardio treatment within the recommended 90 mins time period, they will not be able to achieve this without the support of helicopter transport.

Whilst Sligo University Hospital was the first hospital in Ireland to introduce the concept of a visiting Cardiac Catherer Lab in 2000, a service which provides a diagnostic service for patients with suspected heart disease or heart attack and is still operational today on just one day per week, it is clear from speaking with the Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Donal Murray that this is not enough to cover the demand in this region.

This is a scenario which cant be allowed to continue into the future and we need urgent action from the HSE and the Hospital Group on this issue in 2017. I have had several written and verbal assurances that this service for Sligo and the North-West would be progressed in 2016. It is now time to see real action on this issue..

There is a clear case of having the required population for the service to be viable here and it makes sense in terms of geography, medical need, but also in terms of finances. On this basis, I am calling on the HSE and the Minister for Health to ensure that this process is accelerated and that this service is delivered as quickly as possible to the people of the North-West.

I dont want to see this kicked down the road any longer and I will be speaking with the Minister about this on Tuesday concluded McLoughlin.
Addressing the 62nd Annual General Meeting of the Irish Farmers Association in Dublin today, IFA President, Joe Healy, said the biggest threat to Irish farming in half a century is the impact of the Brexit negotiations on farm incomes.

In 2017, Joe Healy said IFA will also be focused on the review of the ANC and the opening of the CAP post-2020 negotiations, together with commodity prices and profitability in all sectors.

The IFA President also welcomed Damian McDonald, who takes over as Director General of the IFA at the close of todays AGM from Acting General Secretary Bryan Barry.

Brexit

Speaking on Brexit, Mr Healy said with 40% of our food exports going to the UK, no other member state and no other sector are as exposed in these negotiations.

Agriculture and food cannot become a battleground between Brussels and London. There are too many farm livelihoods and jobs at stake. Politics cannot be allowed override our fundamental economic interests," he told the AGM today.

He said farmers expect the Taoiseach and the Irish Government to use the strong relationship they have with both EU and UK leaders to influence a constructive approach to these difficult negotiations adding: In Brussels, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Phil Hogan, must make the retention of free trade in agriculture and food products between the EU and UK a priority.

The IFA President stressed that politicians in Dublin and Brussels cannot ignore the ongoing impact of the sterling devaluation, and direct aid for the farmers and sectors affected must be on the agenda.

Farmers have taken most of the pain resulting from the weakness of sterling. Beef farmers took a hit of 150m last year from this alone and mushroom growers saw their margins wiped out. These losses are a direct result of a political decision outside farmers control and cannot be tolerated," he pointed out.

Mr Healy also warned politicians against any reduction in the CAP budget as a result of Brexit, saying if EU solidarity means anything, then the budget shortfall must be made good so that farmers are not hit with CAP cuts when the UK leaves.
Theresa May's speech outlining plans for a 'hard Brexit' has set out objectives that pose serious threats to small business in Ireland according to Patricia Callan, Small Firms Association Director.

"By embracing a hard Brexit, Theresa May has signalled very difficult times ahead for those firms that rely on selling to the UK market or are part of a sub supply chain connected to the UK. The broader economy will also face substantial challenges as the UK considers changing its economic model, making it even more tax competitive," said Ms Callan.

41% of SFA members reported in November that Brexit had already had a negative impact on their firms. 68% expect a negative impact in the next six months. With Prime Minister Mays confirmation that the UK will leave the Single Market and the Customs Union, we can expect these figures to continue to rise as the negative effects of Brexit become permanent, Callan continued.

Todays speech intensifies the need for action from the Irish Government. The uniquely negative implications for Ireland must be heard at EU level, and exemptions must be made to state aid rules and our common travel area must be maintained. Small businesses, especially exporters, are extremely vulnerable to the downsides of Brexit and urgently need the Government to step in to support them. Financial support schemes targeting the exporting sectors should be made available immediately. A new export financing offering is another important element of Irelands response to Brexit, along with assistance to diversify their markets. Going forward it is critical that the Government improves its taxation offering to entrepreneurs to make it at the very least competitive with what's already on offer in the UK, including a 10% CGT entrepreneurial rate on gains up to the first Stg10mn. 
Ive listened to two speeches in the last 24 hours. One motivated me to redouble my efforts to support a cause Ive long supported. The other left me depressed and worried about the future direction of our country. It was a rather dry lecture from a philosopher that gave me hope. It was the Prime Minister who gave me cause for worry. Prof AC Grayling told an audience in Bristol that Brexit was a national emergency to which we should respond with all forms of peaceful resistance. Theresa May set out her Brexit plan and its much harder to bear than I feared.

After losing my seat in the 2015 general election it would have been easy to have melted into the political background. But the calling of the EU referendum meant that I quickly rediscovered my political mojo. I threw myself into campaigning for a Remain vote in Bristol. I worked with Liberal Democrat colleagues but also was one of the founders of Bristol Stronger In. Working with people from other parties and none was uplifting. But in the early hours of 24th June I was despondent again. The ballot papers in front of me showed that Bristol had voted comfortably (62%) for Remain and my former Bristol West constituency had done so with an emphatic 80% vote. But the TV screens at the counting centre told a different story. Once again I was to leave a count just after dawn with a heavy heart.

What came next took me by surprise. First there was an influx of new members into Bristol Lib Dems. Then I was asked by a Labour member if I would meet with some people who wanted to fight together against the madness of Brexit. In the last six months I have been involved in the growth of a small band of people meeting every Friday evening to plan protest rallies, a march and petitioning. Some of the core group were political animals, most were new to politics. Now Bristol for Europe has over 2000 signed up supporters. At our Saturday street stalls we meet people with a real worry about where our country is going and a desire to do something to stop a hard Brexit. Theres also the occasional row with an unforgiving Leaver, which livens things up!

Hundreds of people have turned out to our rallies on Bristol College Green to hear speeches from me and Labour and Green Party representatives. We brought Bristol City Centre to a halt with our march, well supported despite the torrential rain. Last night we held our first evening speaker meeting. I was sceptical as to whether people would turn up to listen to a philosopher and whats more, pay 5 to get in. But the Lantern Room at Bristols Colston hall filled to its 250 capacity and we could have let in many more. The lucky audience got quite a treat.

Prof Anthony Grayling is a well-established philosopher and media commentator. He is Master of the New College of Humanities, a London college set up as a result of the reforms put in place by Vince Cable and David Willets during the Coalition. Being his own boss clearly gives him the freedom to speak clearly and fearlessly, without the on the one hand and then on the other guff we often gets from academics worried about institutional reputation.

Grayling certainly spoke his mind. Each sentence was like a perfectly crafted arrow directed at our government, as someone put it to me in the bar afterwards. Grayling speaks with a soft voice so a velvet fist might be a better description of his duffing up of Theresa May, her government, the Labour Party and indeed the majority of the political class. His main charge was of the cowardice of Parliament to stand up for its own sovereignty. The referendum was advisory. MPs had been told so by the (superb) House of Commons Library. Now every letter he writes to MPs, asking them to do their jobs, is met with replies of the country has voted or the people have spoken.

But Grayling believes that the people have not spoken, at least not in sufficient numbers to force MPs to capitulate and wave through Brexit. He quoted the statistic that only 37% of those given the opportunity to vote had supported the Leave option. He went on to say that the opportunity to vote was denied to millions of people who would be profoundly affected by the outcome. These included 16 and 17 year olds (many of whom had voted in the Scottish independence referendum) plus EU nationals living in Britain and many British ex-pats living elsewhere in the EU.

So on the basis of an advisory vote that excluded many people and showing minority support for Vote Leave, Grayling said Britain is being hustled out of the EU with undue haste by Theresa Mays government. He went on to say that we are all being hijacked by our own government!

Grayling believes the rush to the Brexit door is a national emergency. In a democracy those of us who disagree have the right and the responsibility to offer peaceful resistance. He offered three approaches. First, bombard all MPs with letters. He believes MPs and Ministers eventually crumble under the weight of correspondence from angry constituents. Second, theres the recourse to law via the courts. At the time of writing we await the Supreme Courts verdict on whether MPs must be given a vote on the triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the opening of our departure negotiations. His third suggestion was less orthodox. He would like to see various forms of civil disobedience. He was not advocating a general strike, as had been reported in the press. Indeed, he joked that many of us in the audience probably did things that might not be missed by the public if we went on strike. Perhaps he thought we were mainly academics

There is something in Graylings third suggestion. He pointed out that the communist regimes in Eastern Europe crumbled in the face of civil disobedience that often started with a regular city centre gathering of dissidents that grew into an unstoppable force. I will certainly explore this with Bristol for Europe colleagues at this weeks meeting.

However, my personal experience makes me doubt the impact of Graylings plea for mass letter writing. This may once have been true. In my early years as Bristol Wests MP I read most of the incoming letters. That was because they were usually paper based and signed by a constituent. But soon the volume of emails became too great for me to read more than a selection. The staff team read them all and drafted replies that came from me. Once the likes of 38 Degrees started to bombard MPs offices with standard emails and repetitive phone calls I think MPs became immune to the force of numbers and saw it as simple bullying. After the meeting I advised Anthony that it was far more effective to meet MPs in person, in their surgeries or Central Lobby. Remain supporting MPs will appreciate the personal encouragement. Leavers or those Remainers resigned to the finality of Brexit, need to see the whites of the eyes of constituents whose lives will be blighted by Brexit. He promised to incorporate this advice into his next talk.

Grayling gave me renewed determination to resist Brexit. This morning I listened live to Theresa May as she finally gave us some details of her plan. Her words were so damaging that she has had even more of an effect on me than Grayling. We know now that we are to jump out of the Single Market and probably the Customs Union too. Yet the Prime Minister says she wants a comprehensive free trade deal with the EU. Is she really so blind to the fact that our existing arrangement is the best deal we could possibly hope to secure? She went on to say that we would refuse to abide by European Court rulings on trade rules and that we would not pay (like Norway and Switzerland) for market access. This is a cake and eat it negotiation opening gambit. It will surely be met by a giant raspberry from the other 27 EU members.

At least we know that Brexit means Hard Brexit. Those of us who think this is a dangerous threat to the liberties of our citizens and will undermine our national prosperity, cannot stand idly by. Hard Brexit must be met by Hard Resistance.

* Stephen Williams was the Liberal Democrat MP for Bristol West 2005-2015 and was Minister for Communities in the Coalition Government.
I was surprised when the BBC in its TV news bulletins yesterday (Monday 16th of January) interviewed our Nick Clegg by way of reaction to the infamous Trump interview by Gove and Bild Zeitung. Nick said that Britons and Europeans need to realize that from Trumps Inauguration, Europa has two big powers presidents who wish the EU to disintegrate; his words were who wish the EU ill.

In a previous posting, I enumerated how Socialist parties in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain have withered away; and how leaders of such parties like Corbyn and the Dutch Lodewijk Asscher (presented as a May ally in the BBC evening News, Friday 13th) are withdrawing or flip-flopping on the support their parties have given for 30 years to the Four Freedoms of the Common Market.

Today I look at the history and state of some Social Liberal parties in the EU.

In the Netherlands, D66 from 2006 survived and recovered from a serious internal crisis by unifying and battling the emergence of Geert Wilders and his PVV political party (formally launched in that years general election; see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrats_66#1986-present ). From 3 seats in parliament (with 150 seats; about the proportion of the LibDems in the Commons) weve surged to 12 seats in the 2012 general elections; and pollsters give us plenty of extra potential.

In Spain, part of the political and social revolt against the corrupt and paralyzing duopoly of PP (conservative, catholic) and PSOE (social-democratic), which had crushed the 1980s social liberals CDS of ex-prime minister Adolfo Suarez (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_and_Social_Centre_%28Spain%29 ), was the emergence not only of the leftwing radicals of Podemos, but also the social liberals of Ciudadanos (Citizens), now a supporting party of the second Rajoy government (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_%28Spanish_political_party%29 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Rajoy_Government#Investiture ).

In Austria, the formally Liberal FPOe showed its true colors in the years around 1990 when Jorg Haider became its leader and convinced the OeVP Christian Democrats to form a government (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Party_of_Austria#Haider_leadership_ ). In 1993, the true liberals in the FPOe resigned from the party over a xenophobic petition drive, and founded Liberales Forum (LiF; see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Forum; and its German Wikipedia equivalent), which immediately got parliamentary party-status in the Austrian parliament. FPOe left the Liberal International and LiF took its place. But LiF struggled to gain seats in parliament and councils because the old Duopoly-parties SPOe (socialists) and OeVP, and the rapidly surging FPOe (with neonazi undercurrents) diminished the available electoral space, and also because of the Austrian electoral thresholds. After not gaining any seats in the 2010 Vienna city council, it switched course and merged (2013-14) with other liberals to form NeOs ( das Neue Oesterreich; New Austria). LiF had joined the ELDR/ALDE party in the European Parliament from 2005; NeOs gained a euro-seat in 2014 as ALDE member. In 2015 it gained seats in the councils of Vienna and its suburbs, and some provincial cities. In 2016 it was part of the coalition which got the Green politician Van der Bellen elected as Austrian President, against a FPOe opponent. NeOs has consistently advocated a EU-federalist future, in 100% contradiction with the FPOe.

I dont have to tell you how you LibDems again are fulfilling the promise of your Phoenix bird party logo after the May 2015 electoral disaster. Congratulations!

In Denmark, the social-liberal Radikale Venstre (RV; see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_Social_Liberal_Party ) steadfastly refused to follow or copy the rightist-Liberal Venstre party in accepting a supporting role of the xenophobic, ultra-nationalist Danish Peoples Party, DF) for its governments, but like D66 put itself as the 100% opponent of the DF (DF and Geert Wilders are old allies). In 2011-15 when Venstre was in opposition, RV joined the Social Democrats (its usual ally since the 1990s) in a government which showed that you dont have to accept DFs xenophobic dictats to govern well. RV party leader Margrethe Vestager (in 2011-14 cabinet minister) became European Commissioner for Competition and started harassing the big boys in international business.

In Belgium, the liberal PVV (founded in the 19th century) switched from being rightist- to social-Liberal due to the conversion of its leader, Guy Verhofstadt in 1987-91; he re-branded the party as VLD (Flemish Liberals & Democrats; from 2007 Open VLD; see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Vlaamse_Liberalen_en_Democraten ). During its transformation, it absorbed the progressive wing of the Volksunie (VU), which split up and disappeared (the other wing, the Flemish-nationalist NVA, dominates Flemish regional politics). Both PVV and especially (Open) VLD firmly opposed the Vlaams Blok, extreme Flemish nationalists with family ties to Nazi collaborators in both World Wars. Verhofstadt and VU liberals like Sven Gatz (who in 2001 co-edited a volume of articles about the social-liberal tradition in Belgium and Holland; see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sven_Gatz ) have been EU-federalists and staunch opponents of Vlaams Blok, the Le Pens and Farage.

In the continental countries with strong Fascist or Nazi parties in their past (Austria, Holland, Belgium, Spain) we presently see a resurgence of social-liberal and EU-federalist parties. And in the UK, the Liberals and LibDems were the only federal party with a staunchly pro-European line, and a tradition of opposition to rightist, xenophobic extremists like Enoch Powell, the Referendum Party of James Goldsmith, and UKIP after that.

D66 in the Netherland has launched its campaign for the General Elections in March 2017 with (in the polls) 150% of the number of seats of Asschers Labour party (PvdA). The LibDems are successfully fighting a reconstruction struggle to replace Labour like Labour replaced the Liberals in the 1920s. In Spain Ciudadanos does (and PSOE and Podemos dont) have influence on government. And the Radikale Venstre is again in the forefront of the opposition to a Venstre-DF coalition strengthening their previous anti-immigrant and xenophobic laws. And now Trump is signaling to anti-EU populists all over Europe that he will support their destructive politics.

My proposal: lets unite as social-liberal parties and try to become the nucleus, hard core of a pro-EU fightback against Populists, Trumpists and of course Putin and his (social) media trolls. We dont want to break up ALDE; but we can co-operate more strongly to consolidate each others anti-Brexit, anti-EU breakup, and anti-Populist stands.

* Dr. Bernard Aris is a historian, a D66 parliamentary researcher and a LibDem supporting member.
PLANS by Mr Binman to construct a waste facility on the edge of Limerick city have been given the go-ahead by Limerick Council.

Valcroft, trading as Mr Binman, has secured conditional planning permission to construct a waste transfer facility on a four-acre site at the Dock Road, close to the M7 exit.

The move could bring 30 permanent roles and 100 construction jobs, Mr Binman has previously said.

But the proposals  which will see up to 90,000 tonnes of waste handled yearly  have attracted opposition from almost 40 groups and individuals, including the Brothers of Charity, and residents associations in Grange and Inis Lua.

And local Fine Gael councillor Daniel Butler thinks its likely the decision will be appealed to An Bord Pleanala.

There are concerns from people in Raheen, Dooradoyle in Mungret about their having a large amount of refuse in their environment. They are very worried about rodent control and odour problems which may become an issue for the area, he said.

For its part, Mr Binman says it has already done a significant amount of work to assess the environmental impact of the project.

Mr Binman is seeking to construct the facility in two stages. Phase one will see a 1,180 square metre administration building, a civic amenity area and associated office. Phase two will bring a modular waste transfer building, with a floor area of 5,102 square metres.
CLAIMS that Limerick is the 17th most expensive city in Europe  and even more expensive than Dublin - have been dismissed by the local authority, Limerick Chamber and the IDA.

However, the figures for Limerick compiled by Numbeo, which describes itself as "the worlds largest database of user contributed data about cities and countries worldwide," is based on submissions from just 54 contributors.

The online guide claims that the cost of living in Limerick is 7.77% higher than in Dublin  based on the data received. Groceries prices in Limerick are 31.03% higher than in Dublin is another claim, which too has been challenged.

It also states that consumer prices in Limerick are 15.57% higher than in Cork, while rent prices in Limerick are 37.89% lower than in Cork.

Among its statistics is that consumer prices in Limerick are 3.03% higher than in Paris, and groceries prices in Limerick are 3.52% higher than in the French capital.

It is not so, according to those driving business and investment in the region.

Laura Ryan, the head of communications and marketing with Limerick City and County Council, said that data on the website is unreliable due to it being user generated and it cannot be taken as a reflection of actual living costs in Limerick.

There is no evidence to suggest that Limerick is a more expensive city to live, rent and buy groceries in than European capitals of Dublin, London, Paris and when analysed in further detail it is evident that many of the prices for the consumer products listed on the Numbeo website are incorrect, she said.

Ms Ryan pointed out that Limerick is the most affordable place to buy a home out of 367 cities, according to the 12th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey.

House prices in Limerick are 30% lower than the national average and residents in Limerick have one of the highest disposable income per capita outside the greater Dublin region.

Limerick City and County Council will shortly commission an international report examining the wider investment picture for Limerick. Caroline Kelleher, head of policy with Limerick Chamber said there are major inaccuracies in the data.

It is unclear what, if any, quality checks are performed by Numbeo and for that basis the data could be skewed by any number of outlier values, she said.

Cost competitiveness is a significant part of the value proposition which has resulted in record numbers of IDA Ireland client investments into the Mid-West over the past two years, along with talent and infrastructure amongst others, said Niall OCallaghan, regional manager for IDA Ireland.

Given the qualified statistics published regularly for the Mid-West region, with Limerick at its core, there is clear evidence we are in a unique position as a low cost centre  for both company and employee alike. There is no doubt Limerick is one of the most cost effective cities in the world to do business, he said.
THE emergency department at University Hospital Limerick exceeded the fire safety threshold for the number of people on trolleys, elected representatives were told this week.

At this Mondays metropolitan district meeting, held at Limerick City Gallery of Art, Cllr Malachy McCreesh called on the councils chief fire officer to continue to monitor the overcrowding levels to ensure its compliance with fire regulations.

Chief fire officer Michael Ryan said at the meeting that after an initial assessment by the fire service at the emergency department last October, if the number of trolleys and beds exceeded 44, swift measures would have to be put in place to avoid a fire hazard.

There have been concerns as the numbers have been exceeded, he told city councillors.

He said that the levels of trolleys and beds does not include those moved to the wards.

On Monday morning, there were 31 patients waiting to be admitted to a bed at UHL; 17 treated on trolleys in the A&E and 14 treated on extra beds or trolleys in the wards.

Mr Ryan noted during the council meeting that the current emergency department facility did not require a fire certificate, as it was built prior to 1990. The new A&E, which it is hoped will open by May 2017, will require a fire certificate.

A spokesperson for the UL Hospitals Group said: UL Hospitals Group is engaging with the Fire Authority in Limerick on the management of patients within the emergency department. Every effort is being made to ensure compliance with the recommendations of the Fire Authority in this regard and this is continuously monitored.

Regular fire safety training is provided to management and staff at UL Hospitals Group, including staff in the ED.

UL Hospitals Group takes all matters of safety with the utmost seriousness and this includes having a robust fire safety management system in place for all of UHL, including the ED.

Cllr Malachy McCreesh, concerned, considered any more than 44 patents on trolleys a hazard at UHL A&E.
LIMERICK has received its first major jobs boost of 2017, with Canadian firm Optel Vision announcing 100 new roles in Raheen.

The high-tech company, which provides solutions to the manufacturing industry, is more than doubling its local workforce.

And hundreds more jobs could be created at its base in the former ONSemiconductor factory, as company bosses plan to make Limerick a hub of its global activity.

We are investing a lot of money here. A lot of good people are going to be here, well-trained with a lot of experience, explained Etienne Pellerin, the hardware design and configuration director with the firm.

The roles on offer at Optel Vision in Limerick include jobs for process engineers, process assembly technicians, field service engineers, and technical support specialists.

Timmy Hayes, the firms human resources and recruitment manager, said the filling of the jobs will kick off immediately.

Optel Vision will hold an open day on February 2, where it will outline the positions on offer.

Mr Hayes added that Optel Visions parent company, Optel Group is expanding into other areas, including the fields of pharmaceutical, medical devices and technology, taking advantage of the citys strong community of companies in these fields.

The company has identified Limerick as a potential hub from the medical devices point of view," he explained.

Mr Pellerin added: The skillset of the people in Limerick is in line with what we are going in terms of the company. There is a strong pool of talent here. This centre is key to our future.

Founded in Quebec, Canada, Optel Vision initially opened its European headquarters in Limerick back in 2014, and has 72 people on its books in Raheen at present.

Globally, it employs some 720 people across four sites.

Separately, local councillors have set the wheels in motion for a further expansion at General Motors operation at Dooradoyle.

They unanimously voted through plans to lease office space to the motoring giant at this Mondays metropolitan district meeting.

Sources have indicated that this decision will pave the way for a doubling of its workforce locally.

The firm already employs around 100 people in logistics and technical support.

Fine Gael councillor Daniel Butler has welcomed the decision by members, saying: It means more jobs, and it has to be welcomed. And it's a double-whammy as it means were getting revenue from General Motors."

Cllr Joe Leddin added: General Motors is a well-known multinational company, and we should do everything we can to facilitate them.

Kieran Lehane, the metropolitan district manager at Limerick City and County Council endorsed the move by GM, saying that it will encourage staff to spend more in the locality, adding that the move is a "terrific vote of confidence".

Metropolitan mayor Michael Hourigan hailed the announcement as being incredible news for Limerick
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At the Sobibor Nazi death camp, archaeologists found a silver pendant that is almost identical to a medallion that belonged to Anne Frank. This necklace likely belonged to a German Jewish girl named Karoline Cohn.

Archaeologists have discovered a German Jewish girl's pendant  nearly identical to the one that belonged to Anne Frank  in the ruins of a Nazi death camp in German-occupied Poland.

The discovery has sent researchers looking for more information about the young girl who once owned the medallion and her possible links to the Frank family.

The silver pendant was unearthed at the Sobibor extermination camp, where some 200,000 people were killed between 1942 and 1943. Archaeologists have been digging at the site since 2007 to salvage and study the remains of the camp before a memorial center and museum are built over parts of the site. [See Photos of the Nazi Camp Excavations and Pendant]

The excavations are aimed at helping historians more accurately reconstruct the atrocities committed at Sobibor, as the Nazis covered up the evidence of their crimes, demolishing all the buildings at the site and burning all related documents. So far, archaeologists have revealed once-hidden gas chambers and crematoriums. They have also found thousands artifacts, including personal items such as eye glasses, jewelry, dentures, hairpins and even a Mickey Mouse ceramic cup.

The Nazis tried to demolish all evidence of this extermination center in the woods of eastern Poland, but archaeologists have found the traces of gas chambers, crematoriums and barracks for the prisoners. (Image credit: Yoram Haimi, Israel Antiquities Authority)

In October 2016, the archaeologists were digging in an area that they believe was once the barracks where female prisoners were undressed and had their heads shaved before being sent to walk on the cynically named "Himmelfahrtsstrasse," or "road to heaven," a path that led to the gas chambers.

One of the leaders of the project, Yoram Haimi, an archaeologist from the Israel Antiquities Authority, told Live Science that the remains of this building are in poor shape, with only the base of a few pillars surviving. But by sifting through the soil in this area, Haimi and his colleagues found a lot of jewelry  earrings, watches, rings and pendants  that were likely dropped by the women and girls forced to strip there 75 years ago.

The silver pendant found among these personal items is inscribed with a birthday  July 3, 1929  along with the words "Mazal Tov" in Hebrew, and the city "Frankfurt A.M." (A.M. stands for "am Main," referring to the Main River.)

Using Yad Vashem's (The World Holocaust Remembrance Center) deportation database, researchers linked the pendant to a girl named Karoline Cohn, who was born on July 3, 1929, and deported from Frankfurt on Nov. 11, 1941, when she was 12 years old. The Cohn family was sent to the Minsk ghetto (in modern-day Belarus). Some records indicate that Karoline died in Minsk, Haimi said. The discovery of the pendant suggests she might have been among the 2,000 Jews who were sent to Sobibor to be killed after the Minsk ghetto was liquidated in October 1943. Or, if Karoline was already dead by that time, perhaps her mother or another relative brought the pendant to the extermination camp, the researchers suggested.

Anne Frank, the Holocaust victim famous for the diary she wrote while in hiding, was also born in Frankfurt in June 1929 (on the 12th) and had the same type of pendant.

"It's exactly the same, but only with a different birth date," Haimi told Live Science. "One of the possibilities is that maybe Cohn and Frank were relatives."

Haimi said researchers are still investigating whether there is really any connection between the two girls. He said there is a Cohn branch on the Frank family tree, but it does not appear to be same Cohn family. Haimi also said he doesn't know of any other pendants like these two, but perhaps by publicizing the latest finding, more examples will surface in private collections.

Yad Vashem and the Israel Antiquities Authority are now searching for living relatives who might have more information about Karoline Cohn; the team already has some leads in New York and Jerusalem, Haimi said.

Original article on Live Science.
Artist's illustration of Planet Nine, a world about 10 times more massive than Earth that may lie undiscovered in the far outer solar system.

Planet Nine may be even more exotic than astronomers had thought.

The putative world, which some scientists think lurks unseen far beyond Pluto's orbit, could be a former "rogue planet" that was captured by our solar system at some point in the past, a new study suggests.

"It is very plausible" that Planet Nine is a captured rogue  a world that cruises through space unattached to a star  lead author James Vesper, an undergraduate at New Mexico State University (NMSU), said Friday (Jan. 6) during a news conference at the 229th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Grapevine, Texas. [The Evidence for Planet Nine in Images (Gallery)]

Vesper and his mentor, NMSU math and physical science professor Paul Mason, performed computer simulations of 156 encounters between our solar system and rogue planets of various sizes and trajectories.

Such encounters may not be terribly uncommon; some studies indicate that rogue planets outnumber "normal" worlds circling host stars throughout the Milky Way galaxy.

The simulations suggest that, in about 60 percent of the encounters, the incoming rogue planet would be flung out of the solar system. Most of the time, this would be a relatively simple "rogue in, rogue out" affair, Vesper said. But 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.

In about 40 percent of the encounters, however, 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. Such a big intruder probably would have stirred up the inner solar system greatly, but it remains orderly and tightly packed today, he said.

Planet Nine is thought to be perhaps 10 times more massive than Earth. (For comparison, Neptune's mass is about 17 times that of Earth.) The undiscovered world's existence was first seriously proposed in October 2014 by astronomers Scott Sheppard and Chadwick Trujillo, of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., and the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii, respectively.

Sheppard and Trujillo noted that the gravitational influence of an undiscovered giant "perturber" in the outer solar system could explain oddities about the orbits of a handful of distant objects, such as the dwarf planet Sedna.

In January 2016, astronomers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena found further evidence for such a planet in the orbits of several additional bodies in the outer solar system. Batygin and Brown dubbed the hypothetical world Planet Nine, and calculated that it likely possesses a highly elliptical orbit that takes it as much as 1,000 astronomical units (AU) from the sun.

For perspective, 1 AU is the Earth-sun distance, about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers). Neptune lies about 30 AU from the sun, and Pluto never gets more than 49 AU from our star.

Planet Nine's putative orbit is consistent with that of a captured rogue, Vesper said. But the new simulation results don't prove anything about the origins of the hypothetical world, he stressed.

Indeed, astronomers have yet to confirm the planet's existence (though this milestone could come by early 2017, Brown has said). And other studies have deemed the rogue-planet explanation unlikely, suggesting instead that Planet Nine is a native of the solar system, or that the sun ripped the world away from another star during a long-ago close stellar encounter.

So, as can be said about pretty much all Planet Nine news and speculation, stay tuned!

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
Here, the remains of children buried in pots at a cemetery in Adaima, Egypt, dating to the Pre- to Early Dynastic period (5500 to 2700 B.C.).

Ancient Egyptians who buried their deceased kin in pots may have chosen the burial vessels as symbols of the womb and rebirth, scientists argue in a new paper.

Pot burials in ancient Egypt have long been considered the domain of the very poor. In a paper published in the journal Antiquity, however, archaeologists Ronika Power of the University of Cambridge and Yann Tristant of Macquarie University in Australia assert that pots weren't just a last-ditch choice for the desperate. Instead, they wrote, pots may have symbolized eggs or the womb, and their use may have indicated beliefs that the dead would be reborn in the afterlife.

"[I]t is hard to dismiss the visual similarities between pots laden with human bodies with limbs contracted into the so-called 'foetal' or 'sleeping' position and gravid uteri or eggs," the researchers wrote. "It is clear that further study is required to untangle the symbolic meaning of this particular mode of burial, which has clear associations with gestation and (re)birth." [25 Grisly Archaeological Discoveries]

High-status dead?

Children, infants and fetuses in ancient Egypt are often found buried in pots, and for that reason, researchers have downplayed the importance of this ritual as mere rubbish disposal, according to the study researchers. But being buried in a recycled household pot doesn't necessarily indicate that the babies and children interred in this way were considered nothing more than garbage, Power and Tristant wrote. Ancient cultures recycled everything, they said, and even high-status people were sometimes buried in reused tombs or sarcophagi.

Pot burials in a cemetery in Adaima, Egypt, held the remains of infants and children. (Image credit: Adaima excavation. Crubezy & Midant-Reynes, IFAO)

"[If] an object was no longer viable for its initial function, it was not immediately disposed of, but rather repaired, functionally or symbolically transformed, stored for future reuse, or broken down to be integrated into another object," Power and Tristant wrote.

What's more, the researchers wrote, many adults were buried in pots, too. Pot burial sites are found up and down the Nile River. At least four sites featured adult pot burials throughout the Greco-Roman period of Egyptian history (332 B.C. to A.D. 395), Power and Tristant wrote. At five sites, including the quarry town of Gebel el-Silsilaon the banks of the Nile, only pot burials of adults  none of children  have been reported, they added.

Nor is it clear that families who chose pot burials were universally poor, the researchers wrote. In one case, they said, an infant buried around the end of the Old Kingdom period and the beginning of the First Intermediate period (approximately 2181 B.C.) was found in a pot along with many expensive beads, including seven covered with gold foil.

Born again?

If pots weren't just something used by the poor because they had nothing else, they may have had symbolic value in their own right, Power and Tristant said. There are a few references to the womb as a pot or vessel in ancient Egyptian scrolls and wall carvings, they wrote, including a wall carving in a chapel in the Saqqara necropolis that shows dancers chanting, "See the pot, remove what is in it!" in reference to birth.

Pots may have also reminded ancient Egyptians of eggs, which were sometimes associated with the inner coffin of a burial, Power and Tristant wrote.

"As the symbols of life par excellence, it is hard to recommend a more fitting means to facilitate the transition into the afterlife," they wrote.

Original article on Live Science.
Many adults diagnosed with asthma may not actually have the disease, a new study from Canada suggests.

Researchers found that about one-third of adults in the study who were previously diagnosed with asthma did not meet the criteria for an asthma diagnosis when they were retested several years later. This group continued to test negative for asthma over multiple retests in the study, and they showed no signs of worsening symptoms when they stopped taking asthma medications.

These findings may mean that these people were originally misdiagnosed, or that their asthma went away on its own, the researchers said. [8 Strange Signs You're Having an Allergic Reaction]

The results show that, for some adult patients diagnosed with asthma, "reassessing that diagnosis may be warranted," the researchers wrote in today's (Jan. 17) issue of the journal JAMA.

The findings also suggest that some people may be taking asthma medications when they don't need to be, meaning they are unnecessarily paying for a medication, and putting themselves at the risk of possible side effects from the drugs, the researchers said. "Use of asthma medications in these patients presumably provided only risks for medication adverse effects, and cost," without clear benefit, they wrote in their study.

Asthma is a condition in which people's airways become inflamed and narrowed, which can lead to coughing, chest tightness, wheezing and trouble breathing, or a combination of these symptoms.

In the study, researchers analyzed information from more than 600 adults in 10 Canadian cities who had been diagnosed with asthma in the past five years. About 45 percent of participants said they were taking daily medications to control their asthma, according to the study, which was led by Dr. Shawn Aaron, a respirologist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and a professor at the University of Ottawa in Ontario.

To see if these patients really did have asthma, participants first underwent a lung function test used to diagnose asthma, called spirometry. This test measures how much air people are able to blow out of their lungs, and how quickly they do this.

If patients tested negative on this first test, they then underwent a second test used to diagnose asthma. During this test, they inhaled a chemical called methacholine, which is a common trigger for asthma.

Patients who still tested negative for asthma were asked to lower the dose of their asthma medications, and were tested again three weeks later. Those who had a third negative test were asked to stop taking all of their asthma medications, and undergo a fourth and final test in another three weeks.

People who had negative results on all of these tests were then assessed by a doctor to determine whether they had a condition other than asthma.

The study found that about 200 of the participants, or 33 percent, didn't have asthma, because they had negative results on the diagnostic tests, and didn't show a worsening of symptoms when they stopped taking medications. About 35 percent of these 200 participants were taking daily asthma medications at the start of the study. [9 Myths About Seasonal Allergies]

To see if asthma might return, these 200 participants were followed for an additional year, but more than 90 percent continued to show no signs of asthma, despite not taking any medications for it, the researchers said.

More than half of these participants had not undergone a lung function test when they were originally diagnosed with asthma, the researchers said. Still, about 12 percent of participants did have medical records showing a previous positive test for asthma using a lung function test, and so these patients may have experienced a spontaneous remission of the disease, the researchers said.

When the participants without asthma were evaluated by the study doctors, about 60 percent were diagnosed with other conditions, such as seasonal allergies, acid reflux or breathing difficulties that were due to obesity. But a fraction of participants  2 percent of the overall study group  were diagnosed with serious conditions, such ischemic heart disease and bronchiectasis, a condition in which the lungs' airways are damaged and become enlarged, making it harder to clear mucus.

The researchers noted in their study that some people with asthma may experience long periods of remission before they have a recurrence of their asthma. This means that, even though the study participants were followed for 15 months, it's still possible that some could experience a recurrence of their asthma after the study ended, they said.

Original article on Live Science.
The official search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 was called off today (Jan. 17), nearly three years after the plane mysteriously vanished over the Indian Ocean.

The Boeing 777 aircraft went missing on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing with 239 people onboard. Most of the passengers were from China.

While some pieces of debris have been discovered, the aircraft's body was never found, and investigators have never been able to say what caused the crash. [Flight 370: Photos of the Search for Missing Malaysian Plane]

"Today, the last search vessel has left the underwater search area," said a joint statement from the Australian, Chinese and Malaysian officials who conducted the search. "Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modeling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft."

With the help of scientific studies, researchers have continued to refine areas of probability for where the plane is likely to be found, the statement said, but a specific location remains elusive. The underwater search team that looked for the aircraft said that it had scoured more than 46,300 square miles (120,000 square kilometers) of the seafloor during the search.

"The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness," the joint statement said. "We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located."

The disappearance of MH370 has baffled aviation experts and spawned dozens of theories about what happened to the plane (including conspiracy theories), ranging from a hijacking to a loss of oxygen to a power interruption.

Investigators do know that the flight dropped communication with air traffic control less than an hour after takeoff, but then it flew south, off course, for several hours. After examining wing wreckage and satellite data, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) concluded in November 2016 that there was probably no one at the aircraft's controls when MH370 crashed.

The agency determined that the last signals from MH370 were consistent with "a high and increasing rate of descent," which suggests that the pilots were not able to  or did not attempt  an emergency water landing, according to the analysis.

Members of Voice370, a support group for families of the victims, were not pleased with the decision to call off the search.

"In our view, extending the search to the new area defined by the experts is an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interest of aviation safety," the group said in a statement that responded to the announcement.

Original article on Live Science.
The "hairstyle" of new moth species <i>Neopalpa donaldtrumpi</i> inspired its scientific name.

A miniscule moth with a wingspan of just 0.4 inches (9 millimeters) is the first species to be named for the soon-to-be president of the United States, Donald Trump.

Yellow and white scales topping the moth's head resemble Trump's signature hairstyle, inspiring the name Neopalpa donaldtrumpi, wrote evolutionary biologist Vazrick Nazari, a researcher from Ottawa, Canada, in a new study.

The moth's habitat extends from Southern California in the U.S. through Baja California in Mexico. The wall that the president-elect has proposed building along the border between the two countries could divide that stretch. [Starstruck: Photos of Species Named After Celebrities]

Nazari discovered the new species while examining moth specimens from the Bohart Museum of Entomology in California during an investigation of the North American moth family Gelechiidae, also known as twirler moths.

"Its distinctive wing pattern and its unique DNA bar code immediately flagged it as a new and undescribed species," Nazari told Live Science in an email.

The shapes of certain folds and pouch-like structures on N. donaldtrumpi's genitalia were also unique to the species, Nazari wrote in the study.

Twirler moths earned their common name from a habit of twirling in circles when disturbed. This is the second twirler moth species to be described in the Neopalpa genus, though the family includes more than 4,830 described species, and there may be as many as 10,000 species in that family worldwide, according to the "Encyclopedia of Entomology (opens in new tab)" (Springer Netherlands, 2008).

Hair today, gone tomorrow

Nazari examined seven N. donaldtrumpi specimens: six males and one female. Average body length was approximately the same as their wingspans, about 0.4 inches (9 mm), he told Live Science.

Distinctive wing patterns, genetic evidence and genital shape identified Neopalpa donaldtrumpi as a new species. (Image credit: Vazrick Nazari)

The moth's head scales are yellowish-white and "often rough," with additional orange-yellow coloration that Nazari described as "distinctive." Their miniscule bodies are off-white, and their wings are brown or grayish-brown, Nazari wrote in the study.

While this is the first species to bear the president-elect's name, Trump's hairstyle also inspired the informal moniker "Trumpapillar" in September 2016, for the extremely hairy orange-yellow caterpillars of the flannel moth, native to the Peruvian Amazon.

Lending a recognizable name to a new species can help inspire public interest  not only for the newly discovered animal, but also for the ecosystem it inhabits and the threats it might face, Nazari said. Scientists have named new species after "Star Wars" characters, musical icons like Johnny Cash and Beyonce, and actor Johnny Depp, to name just a few.

President Barack Obama has inspired more species names than any other president  nine in total, including a coral reef fish native to Hawaii, a trapdoor spider and a type of lichen.

Though small, the yellow-headed moth N. donaldtrumpi could have a big impact on biodiversity awareness  for the general public and perhaps for the president-elect himself, Nazari said.

"I hope that the president will make conservation of such fragile ecosystems in the U.S. his top priority," he told Live Science. "These ecosystems still contain many undiscovered and undescribed species, and deserve to be protected for future generations."

The findings were published online today (Jan. 17) in the journal ZooKeys.

Original article on Live Science.
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Habitat for Humanity of Laredo staff led by AmeriCorps Service members hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event at the El Cenizo Volunteer Fire Department on Monday.

The project was dubbed Igniting the Flame of Service.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is a way to transform Kings life and teachings into community service that helps empower and strengthen local communities. King once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'

Each year, Americans across the country answer that question by coming together on the King holiday to serve their neighbors and communities as part of United We Serve, the presidents national call to service initiative. As part of their service, AmeriCorps members have coordinated a service project to make much-needed improvements to the El Cenizo Fire Station.

A recent visit to the station exposed the need for shelving for the fire departments equipment, which includes uniforms, protective gear and other firefighting tools. AmeriCorps members along with Habitat staff and volunteers built and installed shelving for the fire station equipment as well as other minor improvements.

Habitat for Humanity of Laredo-Webb County is a locally based affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. It was incorporated with a mission to eliminate substandard housing by building simple, decent, and affordable houses for hardworking low-income families in Laredo and Webb County.
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Laredo police have identified the man who was fatally shot Sunday in the 2600 block of North Arkansas Avenue.

Authorities identified the deceased as Sergio Ramirez Jr., 27.

LPD identified another person who was seriously injured in the shooting as Leonel Maldonado Jr., 21. Police said Maldonado remains in critical condition.

Guillermo Capetillo, 28, was arrested in connection with the shooting. He was charged Sunday with murder and aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury with a firearm.

Webb County Jail records show Capetillo remained behind bars as of Monday.

At about 5 a.m., police and the Laredo Fire Department responded to a shooting reported by the intersection of North Arkansas and Price Street.

EMS encountered two men, Ramirez and Maldonado.

Paramedics treated Maldonado for multiple gunshot wounds sustained to his chest and right bicep area. He was alert and oriented, according to the Fire Department. He was rushed in critical condition to Laredo Medical Center, authorities said.

Ramirez had at least gunshot wound to his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to reports.

Police said they learned that an altercation had occurred inside a home on Arkansas and it escalated into a shooting outside in the street. Authorities said they seized several .40-caliber casings from the crime scene.

Ramirezs death marked Laredos first homicide this year.
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By Long Island News & PR Published: January 17 2017

The Governor's 2017 agenda is a bold, comprehensive set of proposals that aim to drive economic growth, strengthen the middle class, bolster the states vital infrastructure and create a more sustainable environment.

Albany, NY - January 12, 2017 - The Governor's 2017 agenda is a bold, comprehensive set of proposals that aim to drive economic growth, strengthen the middle class, bolster the states vital infrastructure and create a more sustainable environment. This agenda will continue New Yorks legacy as a national leader in advancing and safeguarding progressive values and social justice and ensuring opportunity for all.



New York knows that our progressive principles of acceptance and diversity are not the enemy of our middle class and we know that the middle class success is not the enemy of our progressive beliefs. In fact, it was the progressive policies that created the nations middle class in the first place, Governor Cuomo said. This year New York will enact a new middle class economic program and institute a New York Promise agenda to protect and advance our progressive values and principles of social justice.

Proposal 1: Make college tuition-free for New Yorks middle class families at all SUNY and CUNY two- and four-year colleges. The Excelsior Scholarship will be the first of its kind in the nation and will help alleviate the crushing burden of student debt while enabling thousands of bright young students to realize their dream of higher education.



More information is available here.



Proposal 2: Transform JFK International Airport into an airport equipped to meet the demands of the 21st century and worthy of the State of New York. The vision plan lays out a comprehensive, airport-wide framework to create a unified, world-class airport in order to accommodate the dramatic expected growth at the airport in the coming decades and keep New Yorks economy moving forward.



More information is available here.



Proposal 3: Create a new Enhanced Middle Class Child Care Tax Credit that will help more than 200,000 middle class families make their child care more affordable. For many families, limited access to these programs can force parents to choose between providing safe, quality child care arrangements and work.



More information is available here.



Proposal 4: Protect New Yorkers, as well as government entities, from the ever-growing threat of cyber-attacks. The package includes the strengthening and modernization of cybercrime and identity theft laws, as well as the creation of a new Cyber Incident Response Team to provide cybersecurity support to state entities, local governments, critical infrastructure and schools.



More information is available here.

Proposal 5: Protect senior citizens throughout New York from financial exploitation and foreclosure. The plan includes establishing an Elder Abuse Certification Program for banks located in New York State, amending the banking law to empower banks to place holds on potentially fraudulent transactions, and strengthening legislation that will protect senior homeowners with reverse mortgages.



More information is available here.



Proposal 6: Further protect consumers from egregious and deceptive behavior in the financial services industry by pushing to empower the state Superintendent of Financial Services to ban certain bad actors from the banking and insurance industries for misconduct like that seen in the Wells Fargo scandal.



More information is available here.



Proposal 7: Further strengthen New York's efforts to crack down on wage theft by holding the top 10 members of out-of-state limited liability companies personally financially liable for unpaid wage. Further, the Governor will advance legislation to empower the Labor Commissioner to directly enforce all wage liabilities on behalf of workers with unpaid wage claims. Combined, these measures will get more money back into the hands of the hardworking New Yorkers who earned it.



More information is available here.



Proposal 8: Promote electric vehicle use in New York through the construction of 500 new workplace charging stations and 69 new charging stations along the Thruway. Creating an expansive network of electric vehicle charging stations is key to increase adoption of zero-emitting electric vehicles.



More information is available here.



Proposal 9: Launch the Democracy Project to modernize New Yorks voting system. The action would allow early voting, and adopt both automatic voter registration and same day voter registration to streamline voter registration services, remove unnecessary barriers that prevent participation in elections and increase accuracy within the voting process.



More information is available here.



Proposal 10: Close the Indian Point Energy Center by April 2021. The aging 2,000 megawatt nuclear power plant, located 25 miles north of New York City has presented numerous threats to the safety of over 20 million residents and the environmental health of the area. The state will continue to closely monitor Entergy to ensure public safety and mitigate safety risks associated with the plant, including for storage of spent nuclear fuel.



More information is available here.



Proposal 11: Invest $650 Million to Fuel the Growth of a World-Class Life Sciences Cluster in New York. The state will provide $17 million in capital funding to launch JLABS @ NYC  a collaboration between Johnson & Johnson Innovation and the New York Genome Center to build a 30,000 square foot incubator with capacity for up to 30 life science startups.



More information is available here.



Proposal 12: Launch the New York Promise Agenda to Advance Social Justice and Affirm New Yorks Progressive Values. The agenda includes a sweeping, unprecedented package of reforms to advance principles of social justice, affirm New Yorks progressive values, and a set a national standard for protections against all forms of discrimination.



More information is available here.



Proposal 13: Create a $35 million pilot program to create 22,000 new after-school slots in high-need areas across the state.



More information is available here.



Proposal 14: Lower the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Cap by 30 Percent Between 2020 and 2030.



More information is available here.



Proposal 15: Invest in regional projects throughout New York City to focus on the health and future growth of communities, from preserving affordable health care to promoting urban recreation to moving economic development projects forward.



More information is available here.



Proposal 16: Invest $500 million to expand of the Buffalo Billion initiative to continue building on the renewed economic engines and reinvigorated civic spirit throughout Buffalo and the entire Western New York region.



More information is available here.



Proposal 17: Launch the Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017 to invest a record $2 billion in critical water infrastructure across New York State.



More information is available here.



Proposal 18: Expand access to ridesharing services throughout New York. Currently, a number of ridesharing companies have successfully operated as livery services in New York City over the last several years, however, these companies are not authorized to provide ridesharing anywhere else in the state.



More information is available here.



Proposal 19: Establish a $10 million, multi-year Photonics Venture Challenge in Rochester. This business competition will aim to support start-up companies that commercialize these rapidly developing technologies through a business accelerator program and a top award of $1 million to the most promising start-up company.



More information is available here.



Proposal 20: Complete the Hudson River Valley Greenway and Erie Canalway trails by 2020 to create the Empire State Trail, the largest state multi-use trail in the nation. To achieve this, the state will develop 350 miles of new trail in three phases to create a 750-mile pathway for hiking and biking along scenic vistas and through charming, historic communities.



More information is available here.



Proposal 21: Build the Town of Woodbury Transit and Economic Development Hub. The project, which will create nearly 600 jobs, will expand the Route 32 corridor, replace the Route 32 bridge over Route 17, reconfigure the ramp leading to the New York State Thruway, and add a solar-powered bus station and a commuter parking lot and an interconnected traffic system to improve access and allow for increased commercial activity.



More information is available here.



Proposal 22: Extend the Empire State Excellence in Teaching Awards to honor 60 additional teachers.



More information is available here.



Proposal 23: Reduce property taxes by empowering voters to approve locally-designed plans that eliminate duplicative services to lower the cost of local government.



More information is available here.



Proposal 24: Invest $160 million in transformative projects on Long Island. The proposal includes $120 million for the LIRR - to provide state-of-the-art enhancements to 16 stations and improve system connectivity - and $40 million to build sewers that will support economic growth and environmental sustainability in Smithtown and Kings Park.



More information is available here.



Proposal 25: Build a 90 megawatt offshore wind project 30 miles southeast of Montauk and develop up to 2.4 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030. The project will be the nation's largest offshore wind farm and the plan will outline the path forward for this unprecedented commitment to offshore wind and will be completed by the end of 2017.



More information is available here.



Proposal 26: Combat every angle of the heroin and opioid crisis in New York State and build on the success of the legislative package the Governor signed in June. The proposals aim to eliminate insurance barriers and further expand access to effective treatment, curb overprescribing, and get fentanyl and other synthetic opioids off the streets.



More information is available here.



Proposal 27: Implement the nations strongest mandate for the purchase of American-made products by state entities. Under the Governors Buy American plan, all state entities will be required to give preference to American-made goods and products in any new procurements more than $100,000. This will be the strongest commitment to growing the manufacturing sector, and supporting the men and women who work in it, nationwide.



More information available here.



Proposal 28: Saab will invest $55 million to relocate the North American headquarters of Saab Defense and Security USA, LLC, to East Syracuse, Onondaga County. 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 in Central New York.



More information is available here.



Proposal 29: Undertake a new, independent study to determine the feasibility of tunnel options to replace the aging I-81 viaduct in Syracuse.



More information is available here.



Proposal 30: Award Syracuse Hancock International Airport with $35.8 million in funding to drive forward a $45.1 million transformation of the airport. This investment will turn an archaic facility into a state-of-the-art transportation hub that meets the needs of the 21st century traveler.



More information available here.



Proposal 31: Grow New Yorks burgeoning industrial hemp industry and host the first-ever Industrial Hemp Summit in the Southern Tier to bring manufacturers, farmers, researchers and other stakeholders together to identify challenges and opportunities to grow the industry and boost the agricultural economy throughout the state.



More information is available here.

Proposal 32: Award $38 million through Round Two of the Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition to jumpstart Plattsburgh International Airports $43 million overhaul of the North Country aviation gateway.



More information is available here.



Proposal 33: Protect New Yorkers from the soaring prices of prescription drugs by: preventing prescription drug prices from gouging in the Medicaid program; imposing a surcharge on drug manufacturers that charge exorbitant prices; and regulating intermediaries in the industry to protect taxpayers.



More information is available here.



Proposal 34: Launch the Empire Star Public Service Award  a $5,000 professional development scholarship for public employees who have distinguished themselves through meaningful contributions to state government



More information is available here.



Proposal 35: Advance strong ethics and good government reforms to rebuild the publics trust and restore confidence in New Yorks elected representatives.



The 2017 State of the State Book is available here.

More information is available here.
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By Long Island News & PR Published: January 17 2017

Attorney General Eric. T Schneiderman shared remarks at the National Action Networks annual King Day Public Policy forum.

New York, NY - January 16, 2017 - Attorney General Eric. T Schneiderman shared the following remarks at the National Action Networks annual King Day Public Policy forum:

"Thank you. Thank you Rev, thank you to the National Action Network, thank you for uniting us so many times in so many struggles. To all my colleagues, my colleagues in government, but especially to the activists, especially to the activists who are here with us today, our brothers and sisters in labor, the clergy.

Listening to peoples remarks this weekend about Martin Luther King, it occurred to me that today I would say something a little bit different than what I had planned to say. And I want to raise what, for some, may be an uncomfortable point. To a certain extent we have allowed the commemoration of Dr. Kings life to become a kind of homogenized, pasteurized version of Dr. King, right. Theres been an effort to rewrite history, to make it seem as though he was respected and beloved by all  rich and poor, black and white, and that the civil rights movement was a big feel good experience of hundreds of thousands of people celebrating. That is a disservice to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King.

So let us remind ourselves  he was a revolutionary. He was a revolutionary. He was a peaceful revolutionary, but he was a revolutionary in the tradition of a nation founded by revolutionaries. And it is an insult to his legacy to do this kind of Hallmark-card version of Dr. King as someone who everybody loved and who went, you know, was just a gentle man. He was a nonviolent man, but he led an incredibly aggressive movement of resistance. And today, in 2017, as we people are upset and people are distraught, let us look at the odds he faced and look at the revolutionary approach he took. Refusing to yield to oppression no matter what the personal cost and refusing to let off the hook those who would turn their eyes away and avoid the conflict.

So, let me say that people remember him as preaching nonviolent resistance and they remember the term nonviolence and thats instilled into us. But the level of resistance was incredibly aggressive. Dr. King was jailed fourteen times. He was assaulted. He was bombed. He was stabbed in the chest. He knew that resistance brings violence from oppressors. He understood that. And we have to understand that too. The challenge to America right now is people are waking up, distraught with the prospects of a president who many feel will seek to undermine our fundamental commitment to justice, equality and freedom. People are upset and wondering what to do and looking for a quick fix. There is no quick fix. There is the long hard road Dr. King showed us how to follow.

Today let us commit ourselves as he did to never backing down from aggressive resistance to oppression. Senator Schumer leads the opposition, but behind the back of the opposition must be a resistance. Theres a big difference. And today I would like to share with you my notion that this is not a time to despair and point fingers at each other. But, this is a time to honor the revolutionary tradition Martin Luther King so well embodied. Thomas Jefferson said, Every generation of Americans needs its own revolution. Now I suppose the President-elect might say Thomas Jefferson was all talk and no action, but his words are important now than ever because, brothers and sisters, the tradition of America is not to remain static. Its not to try and preserve the status quo. The tradition of America is a tradition of movements that have sought to bring us ever closer to our national ideals of freedom and justice and prosperity. The abolition movement, the womens suffrage movement, the labor movement, the civil rights movement  all were met with resistance, with oppression, with violence, and yet generations of Americans stood up with much longer odds than we face right now in 2017. So lets not feel sorry for ourselves and lets not bemoan the fact that were in this situation. This is the true legacy of Dr. King and this is our obligation as Americans.

Never forget that Dr. King wrote that the real threat to racial progress came not from vicious racists, but from those who remained passive, who were quote more devoted to order than to justice, who preferred a negative peace which was the absence of tension to a positive peace, which is the presence of justice.

Get ready for some tension. Relax into the tension. There is nothing wrong with standing up for the principles that make our country great and offering an active resistance to those who would turn the clock back and move us towards less equality and less justice. That is an un-American tradition that we must reject at every turn.

Now, now, ladies and gentlemen, I am your lawyer. I believe in the rule of law, but I understand that our laws were designed and our constitutional system to move forward. Uniquely among all nations we were designed with a system where we knew we had to make the laws better as we started this project. And through these different movements we have made advance after advance. Weve become more equal, become more just. In the last thirty years or so, I feel that of too many Americans have lost that zeal for the perpetual revolution that Thomas Jefferson envisioned and that Dr. King embodied. It is time to get back on that path.

Now I will use every tool in our legal and constitutional toolbox to protect New Yorkers. As the Rev said, if the federal government retreats, there is a lot we can do at the state level and New York must unify as a model. I am proud of the fact that I was the lead sponsor of, a number of years ago, when we repealed the Rockefeller drug laws and then New York has seen crime go down while our prison population has dropped by thousands and recidivism has gone down. Im proud of being the, uniquely in the country, a special prosecutor who takes cases where unarmed civilians are killed by law enforcement officers. So theres an independent statewide unit, free of any charges of bias or conflict of interest that have played some local prosecutions. And I am proud of the fact that if the Labor department, whose nominee to be Secretary of Labor appears to have run a business whose business model was wage theft, stops protecting American workers - we will step into the frame. We have recovered millions of dollars for thousands of workers who were victims of wage theft in fast food restaurants, like those run by the Secretary of Labor nominee. We will not back down from this fight.

And ladies and gentlemen, let us remember Dr. King. Not as the benign statesmen revered by all that they would have us believe, remember him as. Let us remember him as someone who was an activist, who was an agitator, who aggressively stood up to oppression and refused to back down.

Theres only so much that the law can do and we need a movement to propel the law forward. Dr. King famously said, It may be true that the law cannot make the man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me and thats pretty important.

So let us use every legal tool available to us, let us say no to violence, let us say no to discrimination. Let us adhere to these truly American principles of moving forward together. And as we build the next great American movement for social and economic justice, let us reach out to those who may not have voted the way we did. This is an important point and I want to conclude with this, because Dr. King preached this relentlessly. There are those who see division where they should see unity. There are those who are going to see their healthcare going away, theyre losing their homes, their schools declining  we have to be open to bringing them along with us. We have to invite them to join our movement.

When he was in the Birmingham jail, Dr. King would talk to his white jailers and ask them, How much are you getting paid? And when theyd tell him, hed say, thats how much youre getting paid? You should be marching with us. Even in jail, he opened the door to building and expanding a broader coalition. So we have to march, we have to pray, we have to speak up. We have to have the backs of all those who do speak up and send the message that we will not allow this new rhetoric to become normalized. We will step. We will stand. We will walk. Remember the words of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who marched alongside Dr. King in Selma. He once wrote, Even without words, our march was worship. I felt that my legs were praying.

So ladies and gentlemen, as we honor the revolutionary American in the great tradition of American revolutionaries that was Martin Luther King, let us limber up because our legs are gonna have to do a lot of praying in the months ahead. And I promise that I will be there with you every step of the way. Thank you very much. God bless you all."
Salimullah Khan. Image from the Talibans Voice of Jihad website.

The Afghan Taliban mourned the death of the leader and founder of a Pakistani Islamic university known to have supported al Qaeda and other jihadist groups in the region. Mawlana Salimullah Khan, the Pakistani cleric, was also the president of Pakistans largest confederation of Deobandi seminaries and schools. His son and grandson were deported from the United States for immigration violations after the FBI linked them to an al Qaeda plot in California.

It is with great sadness to have learnt that a famous scholar of the Islamic world, the head of Wifaqul Madaris al-Arabiya Pakistan and a renowned scholar of Hadith and Tafsir, Hazrat Mawlana Salimullah Khan Sahib (may Allah have mercy on him) passed away due to an ongoing illness, the Taliban announced yesterday in a statement released on Voice of Jihad, its official propaganda website.

Salimullah has rendered unforgettable services in social and intellectual fields and shall forever be remembered for his extensive services in the promotion and growth of religious Madaris (seminaries) and centers of learning.

His death is an irreparable loss for the entire Muslim world and specifically for the followers of knowledge, Dawah [preaching] and Jihad. The Taliban thanked him for providing Jihadi services.

Salimullah was one of the founders of Jamia Farooqia, an Islamic university in Karachi, Pakistan known to have strong connections to the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, according to The Los Angeles Times. Syed Saleem Shahzad, the Pakistani journalist who was murdered by Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate for exposing ties between jihadist groups and the state, described Jamia Farooqia as one of several pro-Taliban seminaries in the country.

Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden counted the scholars of the Farooqia school among his supporters during his infamous 1998 press conference where he declared war on the United States and the West, The Sacramento Bee reported in 2005.

Salimullah son, Muhammad Adil Khan, and grandson, Muhammad Hassan Adil, were arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2005 and ultimately deported for immigration violations. The two were arrested and linked to an al Qaeda plot tied to the Farooqia Islamic Center in Lodi, California. According to The East Bay Times, government officials said that Jamia Farooqia was a haven for mujahideen fighters and Salimullahs son hoped to create a similar school in Lodi to train future jihadis.

In addition to his ties to al Qaeda and the Taliban, Salimullah also had at least a historical connection to Harakat-ul-Mujahideen, one of many Pakistani jihadist groups aligned with al Qaeda, according to The Los Angeles Times. Harakat-ul-Mujahideen was listed by the US government as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in Oct. 1997. Harakat-ul-Mujahideen was founded by Fazlur Rehman Khalil, who signed Osama bin Ladens 1998 fatwa. Pakistani intelligence had used Khalil as an emissary to communicate with al Qaeda. Asim Umar, the current emir of al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, was also a leader in Harakat-ul-Mujahideen [See FDDs Long War Journal reports, Osama bin Ladens Files: The Pakistani government wanted to negotiate and US adds Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, leader to terrorism list.]

Salimullah also served as the president of Wafaq ul Madaris Al-Arabia Pakistan, a confederation of more than 18,000 Deobandi seminaries and schools throughout the country. Many Pakistani madrassas are fertile recruiting grounds for jihadist groups and some are known to actively recruit, indoctrinate, and train students to wage jihad throughout south and central Asia and beyond. In 2013, Salimullah and Wafaq ul Madaris Al-Arabia proposed a cease-fire between the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan and the Pakistani government. The Pakistani Taliban has taken advantage of peace deals to regroup and rearm for the next wave of fighting.

The Pakistani government has done little to stop schools like Jamia Farooqia and Salimullah from supporting jihadists.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

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Culture / Art Republik

In 2017, the Netherlands will celebrate the centenary of the Dutch art and design movement De Stijl with a series of events including three major exhibitions at the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague that will kick off in February.

Jan 01, 2017 | By AFP Relaxnews

Known for its iconic red, yellow and blue colour palette made famous by the artist Piet Mondrian, the De Stijl movement began in the Netherlands in 1917.

In the same year, painter, poet and critic Theo van Doesburg launched the magazine De Stijl (The style) to provide a platform for avant-garde artists, designers and architects. The publication attracted contributors including Gerrit Rietveld, Bart van der Leck and Vilmos Huszar.

De Stijl, which is also referred to as neo-plasticism, aimed at pure abstraction by reducing visual compositions to the bare essentials: straight lines and primary colors. Piet Mondrians abstract paintings in primary colours with black lines on a white background quickly became famous and helped orient the movement.

De Stijl artists aimed to achieve a better and more modern society, and their aesthetic was applied across design, fashion, architecture and advertising. Examples include Gerrit Rietvelds Red and Blue chair, kitchens by Piet Zwart for Bruynzeel, Jan Wils Papaverhof housing complex and Jan Duikers Nirwana apartment block in The Hague.

For the De Stijl centenary, the Netherlands is launching a year-long program of events under the title Mondrian to Dutch Design: 100 Years of De Stijl.

Gemeente Museum Den Haag will be at the center of the festivities, with plans to present its entire Mondrian collection  more than 300 works in all  in a single retrospective.

On February 11, 2017, the museum will present the first of its three exhibitions timed to mark the De Stijl centenary. Piet Mondrian and Bart van der Leck: Inventing a New Art will look at the genesis of De Stijls iconic palette through the friendship and mutual influence of two of the movements foremost painters.

Running through May 21, that exhibition will be followed by The Discovery of Mondrian, a major retrospective running from June 3 to September 24, 2017. The show of more than 300 works will trace the early history of modern art and the artists life in Amsterdam, Paris, London and New York.

A concurrent exhibition beginning June 10, 2017 will examine De Stijls influence on design. The Architecture and Interiors of De Stijl will show how De Stijl artists designed the modern city, street and home, shedding new light on a movement typically seen as austere. The exhibition runs through September 17.

Find out more at: www.gemeentemuseum.nl/en
Style / Jewellery

If youre ever confused about the provenance of time-honoured favourites and newly popular gems, this general guide can help.

Dec 20, 2016 | By Yanni Tan

In todays kaleidoscopic gemstone and jewellery industry, the discovery of new mines mean fine emeralds are no longer just Colombian; impeccable rubies are not only Burmese; and top-grade sapphires do not hail solely from Sri Lanka (Ceylon). A cursory glance at the fine jewellery collections by international brands would already throw up various countries of origin for one gemstone alone. Since the industry does not always adhere to the same guidelines, some terms used to describe gemstones may range from colours to localities to mineral varieties.

Apart from old versus new, there are also antique or heirloom gemstones whose origins are unknown or hark back to ancient lands whose boundaries or territories simply do not exist anymore. Youd imagine that examining large, fine gemstones put out by the worlds top maisons would clear the air up, but the fact that these jewellers only select the best specimens means it is difficult for the layman to easily differentiate gemstones of different regions or sources. Nevertheless, being armed with some basic knowledge could help us make better and wiser buying decisions, if not sound more intelligent or interesting over the dinner table.

OPALS

Opals are commonly found throughout the world, but precious and gem-quality varieties only come from very specific localities. Australians famous mines in the Outback produce over 90 per cent of the worlds fine opals of all colours, with Coober Pedy being the location where the worlds largest and most valuable opal was found, and Lightning Ridge being the most prestigious and frequently featured in high jewellery collections for its rare and stunning black opals.

Ethiopia had traditionally produced poor-quality opals until as recently as 2008, when a fine gem-quality deposit was found in the Wollo province. Called Welo opals, these specimens are mostly white and display very vivid play-of-colour.

An up-and-coming type of opal adored by jewellers is the fire opal, the best examples of which have a transparent to translucent bright, fiery orange colour. The only country where significant deposits are found is Mexico, which has been mining it from the highlands since 1835 and eventually adopted it as the national gemstone.

RUBIES

Due to their extreme scarcity, sheer beauty, as well as huge demand, the finest rubies from Burma (or Myanmar) are dearer than the best sapphires and emeralds, and even diamonds. Burmese rubies also command a premium over other rubies because of their special qualities. They have a glorious legacy as royal gems that pre-date recorded history; boast a pure, intense red called Pigeons Blood that holds its colour under all lighting conditions; and display a super-charged fluorescence under ultraviolet light (and also sunlight) due to their high chromium content.

While there are many ruby mines in Burma, the prized variety hail from Mogok in Upper Burma and possess very fine silk inclusions that maximise their brilliance. Unfortunately, the old mines have been all but nearly depleted, and the new Burmese specimens produced typically do not match up to their predecessors, although the name Burmese would already command a premium in prices.

Apart from Burma, historic rubies came from mines in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Cambodia that have all been exhausted.

Since the 1960s, East Africa has been the newest source for fine rubies, with Mozambique, Madagascar, and Tanzania being the main suppliers. Because the African specimens are iron-rich, they tend to be darker in red or have a purple undertone, while some display a slightly lighter pinkish red.

Since the 1980s, mines in the north of Vietnam have also produced some rubies and pink sapphires that arent as fine and clean as those of Mogoks. Meanwhile, Greenland is touted to become the next big locality for high-quality rubies and pink sapphires after mining operations began last year.

EMERALDS

Colombia is the global leader and brand for emeralds, being responsible for the lions share of the precious stones production in the world since antiquity. Due to the prestige of heritage and legacy, Colombian emeralds still command the highest price per carat.

Another South American country that also produces emeralds is Brazil, which only started doling out top-grade stones in the 1980s after many decades of mining affordable mid-range specimens. Zambia, located in the landlocked southern part of the African continent, is the newest kid on the block for emeralds. It is also rich in other gemstones such as tourmalines and aquamarines, and has attained the status of the second largest producer of fine emeralds in the world in recent decades.

The trace elements colouring the emeralds are chromium for Colombian specimens; vanadium for Brazilian; and iron for Zambian. The green of Zambian stones tend to be more saturated than the Colombians, and could even appear bluish due to the presence of iron. However, the famous Chivor old mines also produced emeralds with a deep, blue-tinged green.

The Brazilian stones, meanwhile, typically display a slight brown or grey cast. The type of inclusions present in emeralds also varies by their origin. Colombian emeralds are likely to have more inclusions than Brazilian and Zambian emeralds.

Very recently, the remote emerald mines of Panjshir Valley in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan are coming under the spotlight as a potential source for emeralds of excellent colour and clarity, rivalling the best Colombians and Zambians.

Antique Russian emeralds are prized for their colour and lucidity, and were mined from the Urals in the 1800s up until the 1990s. However, they are extremely rare today due to sporadic production and eventual mine closure.

SAPPHIRES

While the most legendary blue sapphires originated from Kashmir, the northern Indian region has stopped production for so long that most of the existing specimens you see today are over 100 years old, and so exceedingly rare they usually take pride of place in a museum or auctions. These sapphires are where the term cornflower blue came from, displaying a desirable striking and vibrant hue similar to that of cornflowers. Due to a certain type of rutile inclusions, Kashmir sapphires also possess a beautiful velvety quality.

Next on the prestige scale are Mogok sapphires, which are also highly limited due to the depletion of the Burmese mines. They are typically darker blue and more transparent than the Kashmir stones, with the best ones displaying a deep, rich midnight blue.

Sri Lanka (Ceylon), meanwhile, is also reputable for astounding sapphires of not just blue, but every known sapphire colour. Hues for the blue sapphire range from a pale, almost cornflower blue to the highly regarded intense royal velvet blue. Among its famous stones include the largest blue star sapphire in the world, called the Star of Adam, which was found in 2013 and weighs some 1404.49 carats; as well as Princess Dianas 12-carat blue sapphire engagement ring, which now belongs to Kate Middleton.

And in addition to other lust-worthy sapphire colours such as brilliant pinks and glowing yellows, Sri Lanka is also well known for its highly coveted Padparadscha sapphires, which are an ethereal, delicate pink-orange akin to the shade of the lotus flower.

Frequently featured by Tiffany & Co. are Montana blue sapphires, which were discovered in Montana state in 1865 by a gold miner working along the Missouri River. The blues are typically not large, and lighter in hue than the Sri Lankans and Burmese. Other colours, including orange, yellow, green, pink, and colourless, have also been found in Montana although the mining there is still small-scale.

Other countries where fine sapphires are found include Vietnam, Tanzania, Thailand, Cambodia, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Australia.

TOURMALINES

Of the many terms used to describe tourmalines, the colour prefix is usually the most common, since the gemstone is one of the most colourful on Earth. The shades adored by high jewellers are blue, green, and pink, but even tourmalines of the same colour are not equal.

Among blue and green tourmalines, an expensive and valuable subset is the neon greenish-blue Paraiba tourmaline, which was first discovered in the Brazilian state of Paraiba in 1989. With its lively hue, electrifying swimming pool effect, and limited supply, the radiant Paraiba quickly became a darling in the industry. In 2001, similar stones of outstanding quality were discovered in Nigeria and Mozambique, which led to the term Paraiba-like, or simply Paraiba, being used for these African stones.

While debate rages over the use of the name Paraiba, some dealers and jewellers use other descriptive terms. For instance, Tiffany & Co. uses the prefix Cuprian Elbaite: cuprian meaning copper bearing, which is the element that imparts the greenish-blue to the tourmaline; while elbaite is tourmalines specie name. An even rarer blue tourmaline is the indicolite tourmaline, an iron-bearing elbaite variety that displays a purer light to dark saturated blue; while the elusive chrome tourmaline, coloured by chromium and vanadium, possesses an intensely saturated forest green.

There is also the superstar among pink tourmalines: the rare rubellite, named for its luscious, ruby-like hue. To be worthy of the name, a pink tourmaline has to display a saturated pink or crimson tone, and must hold its colour regardless of the light source. Sometimes, when tourmalines display two or more colour zones, such as green and pink, they are called watermelon tourmalines.

In general, apart from Brazil, Nigeria, and Mozambique, tourmalines are found in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Burma, Sri Lanka, the US, Madagascar, Namibia, and Tanzania.

This article was first published in WOW.
Butterfield & Robinson in Bermuda for America's Cup

As the world's best sailors compete for yachting's biggest prize, travellers join a seasoned skipper out in the Great Sound to watch as the Defender and the Challenger go head-to-head.Beyond the screaming 50 ft. catamarans almost flying by, the collection of volcanic islands that make up Bermuda have much to offer. Travellers will view the race aboard a 61 ft. privately chartered boat, visit the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art for a fascinating look at life in Bermuda, explore the territory's collection of islands by boat and by foot, and top off the week with a private dinner hosted at George Butterfield's family home.The choice of Bermuda as host is an inspired one, as the region's relationship with the sea is strong, even by island standards, says Trip Designer Jonathan Lansdell. This, coupled with George's strong connection to the isle, allows us to deliver a very personal experience in what promises to be an exhilarating America's Cup race. Bermuda America's Cup runs from June 23-28, 2017 (from US$8,495 per person). Travellers stay at the luxurious Fairmont Southampton, perched on Bermuda's stunning south shore surrounded by miles of pink sand beaches.
New Seabourn Ovation Maiden Season Now Open for Sale

Scheduled to join the Seabourn fleet in spring 2018, the ship will sail on a variety of voyages in and around Europe between May and November 2018, hailing at ports throughout Northern Europe, the United Kingdom and Mediterranean.Following the ship's delivery in spring 2018, Seabourn Ovation will embark on an 11-day inaugural voyage departing May 5, 2018, from Venice, Italy, to Barcelona, Spain. The ship will sail along the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas, visiting charming towns and cities in Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Malta, Italy, France and Spain.Seabourn Ovation will spend the majority of its maiden season cruising the waters of Northern Europe, exploring the Baltic, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom. The ship will offer a series of seven-day Baltic and Scandinavia cruises between Copenhagen and Stockholm, which will include the line's signature three-day stay in St. Petersburg, Russia. Seabourn Ovation will also sail on longer 14-day voyages, visiting the majestic Norwegian fjords and British Isles.Seabourn Ovation will be the second new ship to expand and build on the line's award-winning and highly acclaimed fleet of Odyssey-class ships, which revolutionized ultra-luxury cruising with enhanced accommodations and innovative amenities when they were introduced between 2009 and 2011. Sister ship Seabourn Encore was introduced in Singapore on January 7, 2017.Like the rest of the Seabourn fleet, Seabourn Ovation will maintain the line's high ratio of space per guest, along with highly personalized service for each guest on board from an exceptional crew. The addition will further designate Seabourn with the youngest and most modern ultra-luxury fleet in the industry.Designed by hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany, Seabourn Ovation will feature modern design elements and innovations in keeping with Seabourn's reputation for understated elegance. Like Seabourn Encore before it, the 40,350-GRT ship will be configured with one additional deck and new expanded public areas, and will carry just 600 guests, based on double occupancy. In addition, every suite will feature a private veranda.For more details about the award-winning Seabourn fleet, or to explore the worldwide selection of Seabourn cruising options, contact a professional travel advisor, call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visit www.seabourn.com
The great Gold Rush Music Festival returns to the township of Waihi, with the first nuggets of gold dropping for the highly anticipated return of the 2023 festival.
Cecilia Falconi Cecilia Falconi

Cecilia Falconi describes herself as a latecomer to the IP profession having joined as a 29 year old, a wife and a mother to young children in 1987. Now, she is partner and a multidisciplinary lawyer at Falconi Puig Abogados, a firm founded by her father and fellow owner of the firm, Miguel Falconi. She describes heritage and passion as her main motivations for stepping into the IP profession. When I was studying law at university, the IP area of the firm had already started, says Falconi. Although I knew nothing about the field, I started travelling to different conferences. I started learning more about the topics I had heard about. While Falconis practice mostly consisted of trade mark searches and patents in the early days, she had a passion for geographical indications (GIs).

Being objective, in those days, GIs were not a profitable IP field so I started looking in trade mark, distinctive signs and copyright, says Falconi. After completing a course in copyright law at the University of Buenos Aires, Falconi developed an interest in IP litigation.

Legacy

For 10 years, Falconi worked alongside her late brother, also called Miguel. Remembering her brother and mentor in IP who died in 1997, Falconi says: He was a brilliant and well-recognised young attorney. In only 10 years of practice and in addition to founding the firms IP practice, Miguel taught at the local university and wrote several publications on topics such as software protection, which was then considered as an emerging area of expertise in Ecuador and neighbouring countries.

After 20 years, Falconi still cherishes her brothers legacy in a way that has influenced her own practice: Miguel taught me how to understand IP law, interpret regulations and norms and be successful in litigation. He was a very bright guy. I am very proud to have had him not only as a brother, but as a boss and a mentor.

Today, Falconi Puig Abogados, traditionally known as a corporate law firm, has developed a notable IP department. Falconi works on a range on IP issues with support from her team, comprising fellow partners and junior associates. Her main areas of expertise are patent, trade mark, design and regulatory law.

Changes in IP landscape

In over 25 years in practice, Falconi remains amazed by how things have changed. To better her practice, Falconi likes to stay abreast of issues in global IP: Although Im very conscious that Ecuador is not a huge country, the strategy of multinationals is very important for me to understand - where they are, where they want to be and where their competitors are.

Since the signing of the TRIPs Agreement in Ecuador, Falconi says that she has witnessed the gradual fortification of trade mark law through a chain of reforms including those related to community regulations, the Paris and Berne conventions.

Mostly recently, the Organic Code of Social Economic Knowledge, Creativity and Innovation  also known as the Code of Knowledge or Codigo Ingenios  was introduced in November 2016 to simplify IP law in Ecuador.

While the Codigo Ingenios has introduced changes that will influence copyright law, collective rights societies and the burden of proof in counterfeit cases, Falconi does not predict that the Ecuadorian landscape will change too drastically. However she says that the new laws indicate that the IP rights in the constitution are well recognised and a step towards innovation in our country". She continues: This is nice because we have a solid court of law that establishes and recognises IP rights.

New challenges

Last year, Falconi took on a brand new challenge, moving to Paris to support her husband who had been appointed as the Ecuadorian ambassador at UNESCO. She did this all while remaining an active partner at the firm.

Speaking on the move, Falconi says: It hasnt been easy, but it has been fun! She adds: It was a difficult decision to move from Ecuador and leave my family behind, but when it came to my profession, I was always determined to work out of office. Falconi says she has not felt any negative impacts of working abroad: Technology helps a lot. If it were 20 years ago, I would not be in the same scenario.

Falconi says that Paris has given her several opportunities including admission into the French society of patent and trade mark lawyers, APRAM, and the opportunity to study French, a language she has always loved.

To those who are considering a similar adventure or breaking new ground in their career, Falconi says: Take opportunity as it comes, life is too short and its perfectly doable. Though sometimes changes bring us a sense of insecurity, Falconi urges women to rise to step up and out of their comfort zones: Women are a very important part of society right now. I see them being more active and having leading roles every day, both in the industry and law firms.
Rebecca Burn-Callendar Rebecca Burn-Callendar

More patents are being created each year than ever before and yet we live in a world of innovation that is steeped in corporate secrecy. Patents and other IP rights may be public disclosures - a way to tell the world about your innovation - but the opacity of the existing system and a corporate unwillingness to adopt IP transparency means that we know very little about who owns what, and how those inventions are being managed, defended and monetised.

By this, we mean disclosures about the IP owned, and how it is licensed or protected through litigation, even how it is described to outside stakeholders such as investors, be that on the balance sheet - which is very rare - or even internally.

Why the secrecy?

In Aistemos exclusive research, business leaders and IP specialists from some of the worlds most innovative companies were split straight down the middle over whether increased transparency would be beneficial to their organisations.

This polarisation is indicative of several issues: that many business leaders may conflate transparency over patents, trade marks and other IP rights - their protected innovations, which are already in the public eye - with future R&D, trade secrets and business strategy - their secret sauce.

It may also suggest that the lack of understanding about IP - an industry renowned for its complexity - could be creating a culture of dont ask, dont tell within corporations. The results are alarming: according to ORoPO, an independent - and voluntary - register of patent ownership, as many as one in four IP records are inaccurate.

Innovation in the age of technology

Over the past decade, technology has reshaped every conceivable industry. But technology start-ups are slightly different from the businesses that were born 10 or 50 years ago. Their competitive advantage relies on their speed to market and their ability to crack complex problems faster than rivals, rather than simply how much money they have behind them, or their ability to do one thing well ad infinitum. As Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, wrote back in 2015: In the new world, it is not the big fish which eats the small fish, its the fast fish which eats the slow fish.

Bo Heiden Bo Heiden

In the past we had revolutions - perhaps they would be better described as evolutions - that came at a relatively slow pace, like long waves in the ocean, he added. The impact of the first Industrial Revolution, which began in Britain in the 1780s did not fully begin to be felt until the 1830s and 1840s. Today technological change happens like a tsunami. You see small signs at the shore, and suddenly the wave sweeps in. According to Bowman Heiden, deputy director of the internationally renowned Centre for Intellectual Property, business leaders reluctance to shout about their innovations can be explained by the dominance of technology-first firms in this latest industrial age.

Most technology companies start from the position of secrecy concerning their innovation activities in general, and invention in particular, given the importance of protecting legal novelty as well as planning the timing of announcing new market offerings, he explained. This is a rather rational strategy for most firms given the competitiveness in tech industries.

The benefits of greater disclosure

Innovation is hailed by business leaders, academics and governments alike as a crucial asset, one to be celebrated and encouraged rather than hidden, neglected or crippled through inaction. Yet by refusing to commit to increased IP transparency, companies are hiding their light under the proverbial bushel.

Patents, for example, not only protect new innovations, they enable companies to generate extra revenue from their investment in R&D, either through licensing or litigation. In a recent report entitled Can patent data predict the success of start-ups? experts from MINES ParisTech, one of the most prominent and prestigious engineering schools in France, claimed: Patents in particular are not only legal fences against competitors: they make it possible to license out technology, to build up partnerships or negotiate access to potentially blocking positions of competitors. They can also be sold on a stand-alone basis, and therefore provide security for investors.

Jennifer Wuamett Jennifer Wuamett

Jennifer Wuamett, Deputy General Counsel for IP and Litigation at NXP Semiconductors, who took part in the Aistemos research, noted that by having more data on the patent landscape in a market space can provide insight into the strength of a companys IP position in key areas and help identify potential partnering and/or M&A opportunities. But Heiden points out that there is a cognitive dissonance in the world of IP over whether shouting about innovation, even when it helps build a brand or make money, is worth the risk.

For patents, the quid pro quo of disclosure in return for exclusivity is in the public interest but not necessarily in the private interests of the firm, depending on their business strategy, he explained. "Some firms looking to assert their patents may benefit from the element of surprise, for example.

This view was echoed by the head of IP at one of the worlds leading pharmaceutical and life sciences organisations: I dont believe there should be greater transparency when it comes to data about licensing. Early licences, for example, are strategic. Why would you open up that information to your competitors and tell them where you are heading?

A new direction of travel

Transparency is now rising up the corporate agenda. Be it corporate remuneration, the gender pay gap, women on boards, sustainability or corporate social responsibility, companies are increasingly being either required, or gently encouraged, to show their hand. IP could well be one of the next facets of corporate life to be illuminated by the transparency spotlight.

Many studies have shown that companies demonstrating improved transparency tend to outperform their peers in a wide range of areas, from staff retention to investor engagement - all the way through to increased revenue and profit.

Many of the high-level executives interviewed for the Aistemos research also said that any move that helped to bring IP into the public domain, and generally demystify the area, would be positive.

Even the head of IP who expressed concerns about excessive IP transparency accepted that: Greater transparency on the patents covering a product would avoid situations where companies inadvertently infringe on our patents. His main caveat was: For this to work, the whole industry will need to embrace the idea, and not all companies are open to greater transparency.

The barriers to change

Transparency, in any facet of corporate life, is neither cheap nor easy. It may involve establishing a dedicated team to manage disclosures, could meet resistance from the wider organisation - especially if adding further duties to already heavy workloads - and it could take months, even years, to show any real benefit.

Ian McClure Ian McClure

Ian Cass, managing director of the Forum of Private Business (FPB), one of the leading voices of private enterprise in the UK, stressed that education will be key in creating a wholesale transparency movement. If we truly are moving to a knowledge economy where the intangibles are the key areas of value, then we are moving to new territory, he said. Some companies will have thought about this but the majority will not; this highlights the need for educated discussion and sharing of information. Without this companies will take the safe option, which is keep your cards close to your chest and be overly cautious and secretive.

Yet more businesses must take the plunge into transparency if we are to observe and measure the benefits. At the very least, a further move towards transparency could help meet the pressing need to tackle the publics mistrust of big business.

Corporate scandals have eroded consumers faith in large organisations - according to the 2014 Edelman Trust Barometer, 42% of people around the world do not trust corporations. Concerted efforts to adopt more transparent business practices across the board may help rebuild this trust.

Staying ahead of lawmakers and regulators

Nigel Swycher Nigel Swycher

Another reason that many business leaders are keeping a watchful eye on the evolution of IP transparency is to avoid falling foul of the law. Recently, we have seen the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposing changes to disclosure requirements about intellectual property. But progress is slow, and many companies have become adept at revealing less and less about their IP, while staying on the right side of the rules. Ian McClure, a leading IP strategy adviser, wrote recently that while public companies in the US may appear to be required by law to disclose any and all information that may affect their value - which includes data about intangible assets such as IP - most skirt the issue. It is not manifest that companies perceive any ethical or other obligation to provide more information about these assets or risks than blanket and boilerplate statements in their disclosures, he said.

They may not get away with this strategy for much longer, he claimed: Shareholders are becoming activists around intellectual property at an increased rate and additional transparency can make those activities less adversarial.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office, a powerful voice in the global IP community, also remains in favour of greater transparency so there may be value in embracing a culture of openness before it becomes mandatory.

This topic is not one where there is a clear direction of travel. Nigel Swycher, CEO of Aistemos, thinks that things will change: These is an increasing amount of publicly available data about IP and its strategic role within a business. As companies see that there is much to be gained, and little to lose from increased transparency, I predict more openness - and this openness will increase the value, and decrease the risk associated with IP rights.

This article is the fourth part in a series commissioned by Aistemos. Read the other parts, and future articles, on the Aistemos website.

Aistemos is partnering with Managing IP on the IP Strategy Forum to be held in London in April 2017. Take advantage of our early bird registration offer here.
My father says my grandmother knew Barack Obama was going to win the election. She called it, he tells me. That was like her  to know things before they happened, to have faith in things that the rest of us werent sure about, to be the calm in a relentless, unwavering storm.

Until I sat down to write, to reflect on her, I didnt remember any of that. I simply recall that she was tickled pink when it happened. There was a flurry of phone calls and text messages, a collection of photos my sister sent of our mother drinking champagne in a purple ball gown on our living room couch. I asked how my grandmother mustve felt. Tickled pink.

At that point, the cancer hadnt sprouted in her ovaries or sucked the weight from her limbs. At that point, she may have very well thought, like I did, that she would live forever.

Before my grandmother died, my cousin told me she was giving us each a fur stole. Days later, I pulled mine out of the plastic Marshalls bag and examined it: five glassy-eyed foxes sewn together, their 50-year-old fingers and toes dangling over my lap.

At the time, I felt like a vulture picking over my grandmothers things. I didnt want to accept the gift. It felt like admitting she was dying.

My grandmother didnt talk to me much about what I liked to do or about what I was thinking, but she listened a lot. She knew what my favorite dessert was. She knew that even though I was shy, I was talkative. She knew I loved fashion.

For an opinionated young woman whose voice is small, dressing up is like a megaphone. For a woman whose color and class make her invisible, a gravity-defying hat, glittery clip-on earrings or a pelt with a dozen little legs give her the gift of visibility.

My grandmothers name was James Annie. She was born in Senatobia, Mississippi and her parents were sharecroppers. She and her sisters all had male first names because their father thought those names would make them strong. She hated being called James and asked that she be referred to as Annie, but I thought her name was beautiful and, even though he may have been misguided, I thought her father was right.

She was one of the strongest people Id ever met.

Annie was tall, dark-skinned and thick. She had a white, gap-toothed smile and short hair. She never went to high school. Shed become a mother several times over by the time she was my age. She didnt take medicine  not even Advil when she had a headache. She rarely complained and I never saw her cry. Id hear her thanking God from her kitchen when she faced challenges.

Her name meant something, even if it was just that she was born with an expectation of invincibility.

My grandmother was not considered beautiful by mainstream America, but she liked the way she was. And that was one of the strongest things she ever did.

It is only now, after a black family has lived in the White House for eight years and a black woman, as tall and unwavering as my grandmother, has been first lady, that young women of color around the country are realizing how little those mainstream standards matter. If beauty only looks one way, if women only have one role, who is Lupita Nyongo? Who is Taraji P. Henson or Viola Davis?

I didnt know it when I watched her parade through Washington, as confident and unapologetic as my grandmother or my aunts, in her chartreuse leather gloves, that Michelle Obamas presence, alone, would mean something.

Having visibility means something.

There is not a moment or speech or White House event that Mrs. Obama attended as important as her visibility. That she carved out space for herself, rather than changing to suit the environment she was placed in, is incredibly meaningful. Facing the world with courage and confidence though you may be taller than standard, darker than standard, curlier than standard, curvier than standard (or all of the above), isnt only part of life, its living.

As a result of Mrs. Obamas visibility, it is becoming less and less remarkable for a black woman to wear an expensive fur, to know that she is beautiful, to believe that she is as worthy of acclaim as the women she sees in the media, because at least one of those women looks like her.

Its no coincidence that in recent years, black women have been making the big chop and going natural, practicing body acceptance, embracing and applauding one another for their melanin.

We are brave enough to exist in our skin because she has had the guts to exist so visibly in hers. It takes guts to flaunt your style when merely baring your arms is deemed shocking. It takes guts to sit down for an interview in a Gucci gown the weekend after a story breaks referring to you as an ape in heels.

There is audacity in hope, Mrs. Obama told Oprah, quoting her husband, in that December interview, but there is also audacity in buying yourself a fox stole, a hat, declaring yourself beautiful and believing in the future, even though the past may be filled with sadness.

After my grandmothers funeral, I paged through a family album and found pictures of her, standing in her impeccable living room, hands folded, wearing the fur she would give me. She was surrounded by her sisters, dressed up, ready to go somewhere.

The gift that my grandmother gave me is so similar to what Michelle Obama has given our country. I know what it looks like to love myself.

Lead photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/ via Getty Images; inserted photo by Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images.
Damage Inflicted by Precious Metals Manipulation Is in the Multi Billions - Keith Neumeyer

Mike Gleason (Money Metals Exchange): It is my privilege now to bring in Keith Neumeyer, founder and CEO of First Majestic Silver Corp, one of the top silver mining companies in the world. Keith has an extensive background in the resource and finance sectors and has also been an outspoken voice about the manipulation that has been occurring in the futures market pricing of silver.

It's a real privilege to have him on with us again today. Keith, thanks so much for joining us and welcome back.

Mike Gleason: It is my privilege now to bring in Keith Neumeyer, founder and CEO of First Majestic Silver Corp, one of the top silver mining companies in the world. Keith has an extensive background in the resource and finance sectors and has also been an outspoken voice about the manipulation that has been occurring in the futures market pricing of silver.

It's a real privilege to have him on with us again today. Keith, thanks so much for joining us and welcome back.

Keith Neumeyer: Thanks Mike. I think we have got lots of juicy things to talk about.

Mike Gleason: Yeah, we certainly do. To start off here Keith  and before we get into the subject of manipulation, which I definitely want to cover with you today  next week Donald Trump will be sworn in as the next president here in the United States and it will mark a new era in American politics. It will also mark the first time in nearly a decade that we don't have a democrat in the white house. It's a new environment here for metals investors. We know many are wondering what a Trump presidency is likely to mean for metals and commodities as a whole. What are your thoughts on the subject? Will Trump and his policies ultimately be good or bad for precious metals?

Keith Neumeyer: I'm not even sure who in the office as the presidency really matters. We've gone through decades of presidents. Donald Trump, he talks a good story and I know there's lots of optimism around him taking on the presidency. It's interesting that during the election campaign everyone is saying doom and gloom if Trump gets in. Now everyone's saying it's going to be great for the world that he's coming in. He's going to industrialize the United States, it's going to be great for metals and copper, uranium's moving, everything seems to be moving. The Dow's setting new highs or close to new highs. S&P's doing the same thing.

So, there's a ton of euphoria surrounding all of this. I think we're just going to go back to the normal thing that we've been noticing or witnessing for the last decade where the Federal Reserve continually does what it does and manipulates markets and prints money. And I think all that will be very supportive for precious metals.

Mike Gleason: Keith, you have been an outspoken advocate for more honest metals markets and price discovery for years now. The people at GATA, the Gold Anti-Trust Action group, yourself, and many others have been making the case for manipulation. And it was certainly well supported with plenty of evidence but it wasn't until recently that we got smoking gun evidence turned over by Deutsche Bank as part of their settlement in a civil class action suit. There are chat logs and voice recordings of metals traders at major bullion banks planning and executing schemes to cheat their own customers and other players in the market. So I'm sure none of this was surprising you Keith, but what went through your mind when you saw the transcripts and read up on this information which was recently released?

Keith Neumeyer: I think vindication would be the simplest way of describing it. I think that people sometimes put me in a bit of a quack category even though I don't look at myself that way at all. Being an ex-trader myself and knowing how the financial markets work and seeing a lot of things that are happening on a daily basis with my own eyes. I know that this stuff happens and has been shocking to me that there's been so many people that are saying, "No, no, it's not possible. There's no manipulation."

We see the LIBOR scandal, we've seen other scandals where manipulation has been proven. There's been billions and billions of dollars in fines paid by the banks for manipulating a variety of different markets. Yet, for some reason people have said, "Oh, no the gold and silver market are unique. They're not manipulated." Which is a complete joke and of course they are manipulated and have been manipulated for over thirty years. It's nice to see that one of the banks has come out and actually admitted to it. And I think that's going to create a whole series of events occurring over the next couple of years. I'm optimistic that the banks will get out of the market and we will see true price discovery as a result.

Mike Gleason: You spoke directly with one of the attorneys leading the class action suit against Deutsche Bank and a handful of others. Tell us what you can about that conversation. Are you expecting First Majestic to join that class or would you expect to form a new class, perhaps represent producers specifically? What did you learn that you can share with us publicly?

Keith Neumeyer: I actually have thought of doing something specifically from the producers but unfortunately the mining companies for the most part aren't very supportive of this. I don't really know why. Whether they just don't want to waste their time or feel like they're wasting their time in dealing with lawyers or paying legal bills or spending management time on these types of issues. I just can't speak for them. I know it's important to me personally, it's important to our shareholders, it's important to our employees and the communities that we're active in. So I feel that it's our responsibility, it's my responsibility to at least try to do something to create change and that's what I've been doing.

I did reach out to the lawyers that are involved in this particular case. It is a bit of a long process. It's not been deemed a class action lawsuit yet. I know a lot of the headlines have been misquoting the actual lawsuit. They're trying to get it elevated to a class action lawsuit. Once it does get elevated, assuming they're successful in doing it, then that's the time where other plaintiffs such as First Majestic will then jump onto the case. I've made it quite clear to the lawyers involved in this that First Majestic would be willing to join if they felt it would help the situation either prior to it being elevated to a class action lawsuit or as it gets elevated to a class action lawsuit were available in either case. We're basically just on hold and waiting to see how this all transpires.

Mike Gleason: Do you have an opinion about the settlement amount Deutsche Bank roughly a hundred million dollars combined for rigging in gold and silver. Is it reasonable? Will the evidence that they provided likely yield much larger settlements or damage awards for other banks involved?

Keith Neumeyer: What is reasonable really? When you see these markets get whipped around the way they do and these banks are making hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars in profits over several years basically manipulating these markets. Now they may not call it manipulation but as far as I'm concerned it is manipulation. Nevertheless, how do you put a value on that type of profit? Do you go back 20, 30 years? I think it almost becomes impossible to put an actual value on the damage that they've created. The amount of jobs worldwide that get lost as a result of metal prices dropping and the way they have over the last five years. Market caps that have been erased by 50% or more in some cases. The list goes on and on and on. So the damage is in the multi multi billions. I just don't know what a judge would actually deem a true value of such activity.

Mike Gleason: I know you've been trying to recruit others in your space to come out against these price manipulation schemes  you spoke about that a moment ago. And you decided to hold back some of your production in the past, not release it onto the market because you believe the price was being suppressed. It's confusing to us how you can be getting so little support from your mining executive colleagues when it comes to raising a stink about the manipulation that is so clear. Now we're not in the industry ourselves but we do follow it fairly closely.

It seems to me if I were running a business that was being adversely affected by the schemes being carried out by some of these low-life traders and trading institutions to suppress the price of the product my company sells that I would be doing whatever I could to shine a light on these practices. But that's not the case and it's really just you that's talking about this manipulation publicly. Why is that, Keith? Are they beholden to the same banks that were asking them to speak out against here? What is it?

Keith Neumeyer: I just think it's the characters of the individuals that run many of these mining companies. I've said multiple times that the executives that run mining companies tend to be conservative. The mining industry is a very conservative industry. It's been an industry that's always got its head down and trying to always do what's right because often the mining industry does come under some extra scrutiny because its deemed a dirty business by some individuals. So, I think that mining executives tend to shy away from things that could put a spotlight on them or their companies.

I'm just not of the same ilk. I think that it's very important to speak up and it is frustrating for me that there aren't more executives out there that are joining the fight because I do think it's important.

Mike Gleason: As one of our recent podcast guests, Bill Holter said, "It's no longer conspiracy fiction, it's conspiracy fact," this whole manipulation scheme. Yeah, it'd be great to see others really recognize that there's something that needs to be done here and obviously it's truly happening.

Now in another interesting story that's come out recently, WikiLeaks published a memo sent from London to the U.S. Treasury Department in 1974 before the futures market for gold and silver were established. It discussed the expectations that the futures markets would discourage ownership of physical metal. They anticipated that paper trading would dwarf physical trading and that there would be tremendous volatility. It certainly looks like they got exactly what they were expecting. What is your take on whether we can expect government regulators to ever take action? Have you by chancing any indication that the CFTC is looking at the evidence turned over by Deutsche Bank and considering charges themselves? What can you say there?

Keith Neumeyer: In my discussion I had with the lawyers that are involved in the case, they did say that there is a variety of different government agencies looking into this. It's not just one agency. They didn't want to give me too much specifics and nor should I probably repeat exactly what they said, but they did say that it is being looked at very seriously and theyre confident or at least have some confidence that there will be some action taken, but what that is at the end of the day, who knows? Because we all know that, unfortunately, the banks are very powerful and the governments quite often don't even understand what the banks are doing.

Because with all the spoofing and high frequency trading that takes place around the world, it's very complex and it's very difficult to monitor and very difficult to police. Even the best regulators have a challenge monitoring it all. So there is that, but I try to be optimistic even though that Wikileaks that came out  which I did actually re-tweet on my Twitter account, which, for interests sake, is ;@keith_neumeyer.

I shouldn't have been surprised when I read it, but I was actually quite surprised when I read it. It was very clear that the paper trading that was created back in the 70s was created for the purpose of dissuading Americans particularly from owning physical metal. You put all these pieces together, the unlimited short positions that institutions and banks can carry in the metals environment for precious metals and look at the governments are not wanting people to actually own metal. So there's a lot of reasons why there's a game that continually goes on and on and on. But I am confident that there is change afoot with individuals like Trump and some of the new government officials in Europe who've lost their old posts. So, we are seeing a bit of changing in the guard worldwide. So, I'm hopeful that over time that as new politicians come in and start running these governments in a more transparent way that we will get proper and true price discovery in markets.

Mike Gleason: What can the average metals investor do here, Keith? For instance, should shareholders of mining companies be calling in to the investor relations departments and urging the managements to speak out about the manipulation and strongly encourage the executive team to join Keith Neumeyer in the fight against futures market manipulation? What can people do, Keith?

Keith Neumeyer: Well its frustrating to me is my name in the headlines by myself. I would like to see "mining companies are fighting against  have a collective group of companies get together and fight the faction. But the will out there just doesn't seem to be there. And as I said it is quite frustrating for me and for investors or shareholders out there who are listening to this podcast, feel free to do that. We, at First Majestic, get regular emails for the last several years from investors demanding that we take action. And of course send us all the stuff that you can imagine. It's printed or broadcast, we get everything from our shareholders. We know what people are saying out there.

And I would imagine if First Majestic's getting all this information and all this pushing from our investors, I'm sure other mining companies must also be getting the same kind of emails from their people as well but I just don't see it having an effect unfortunately.

Mike Gleason: Last year there was a fantastic but brief run up in prices during the first half of the year in the mining sector, but here we are with prices back at or below the cost of production for miners with marginal deposits. Nevertheless prices are certainly well above their late 2015 lows. We know First Majestic has some great properties and a low cost of production compared to many others in your space, but talk generally about how miners are doing? Are people able to raise capital where needed? Are enough operators profitable at current prices? What's the state of the industry here and give us your outlook for this year, both for the miners and then also for the bullion itself?

Keith Neumeyer: Well I suppose it depends on what country your in. If you're a producer in the United States you've got more challenges because the currency that your costs are based in has gone up substantially. Your revenue is also based on U.S. dollars so it could be a wash. But in countries like Mexico for example or many other countries around the world, operators in those countries even Canada have done much much better because the currency. We're selling metals in U.S. dollars and our costs are in pesos or Canadian dollars or what have you, depending on where you're located.

In addition to this currency moves, the mining industry has improved itself quite a lot over the last five or six years, out of necessity obviously. The miners are resilient and we do often sometimes in bull markets go out on spending sprees and that's exactly what happened. A lot of debt was accumulated and marginal assets were brought or purchased or brought into production. And that is now open and unwound. The balance sheets of mining companies are much healthier positions today. First Majestic for example got more cash in the bank today than it ever has in the history of the company, and it's been in business for 15 years. So, the profits are coming in the door. Not that silver at 16 bucks is that exciting but nevertheless we're making money at $16 an ounce. I can tell you clearly four or five years ago if silver was at 16 bucks we would of been losing money. So, I think we've done a great job in reducing our costs and then the miners across the board have.

Every dollar makes a huge difference, particularly for First Majestic and many other larger companies. If you're producing 20 million ounces in silver a year, an extra dollar an ounce that's 20 million extra dollars that most of that just drops right to the bottom line. So, the leverage is pretty good. We've seen silver go from $13.30 low in February to $21 high in August. Now it's back to $16. It's been a very volatile year. It's hard for investors or shareholders to stomach the move. The miners are doing okay so I'm optimistic. Once we get a little bit of fire under this market and this bull market is actually moving as we expect it. It's going to be moving over the next year or two. I think the mining stocks are going to do very very well just because of the fact that they're much much healthier today than they were previously.

Mike Gleason: Well, as we begin to close here Keith, any final comments on maybe the supply situation in silver? I know we've been reading some interesting things about that and how we're dipping into further into a deficit there. Any other closing comments here before we wrap up?

Keith Neumeyer: Yeah. Silver's always been in a deficit, at least for the most part. It's in another deficit it's just continually in deficit and that's been burning away at the above ground supplies of the metal. Which really hasn't shown up in price which is surprising to me. So, it hasn't really caught on that there is actual supply issues with silver. Quite interestingly everyone's hearing about the zinc story and zinc's gone from basically 80 cents to 1.25, it's corrected a little bit now but that's a pretty major move on zinc. The whole talk behind that is how zinc is in a shortage. It is in a shortage because a couple mines did close. But it's not in a deficit. Also, that shortage is going to fix itself by 2018 with another couple of mines opening. So, this is very short term phenomenon yet people are all getting excited about this zinc story which is fine short term but longer term it really doesn't make much sense to be getting too excited about zinc.

With silver, mind you, every single year we have a deficit and it's been going on and on and on. Consumption of the metal continually rises. We've had a couple years of consecutive production decreases on a global scale. And we're mining, as I said many times, nine to one. For every one ounce of gold, we're only mining nine ounces of silver. We're trading at about 70 to one which just does not make any sense to me. So, I think there's going to be a huge supply squeeze in silver. Investors should be looking in the silver space quite seriously in my view.

Mike Gleason: Yeah, we certainly agree that it should get very exciting for silver at some point. Not if, but when. And when it does it'll be certainly great for all of us who have been following the space and have long since been investing in the metals and in the miners. I think that day will come at some point here before long.

Well Keith, we certainly want to thank you for your efforts and for you sharing your comments with us today and we wish you and your business's continued success. Great to hear about where you're at here right now with First Majestic. And to that end, before we let you go, please tell listeners about how they can get more information on First Majestic and also First Mining Finance, we didn't get a chance to speak about that today. So for anyone wanting to potentially invest in either of those companies can find out more. Tell them how they can do that.

Keith Neumeyer: I have a Twitter account, First Mining Finance, First Majestic Silver are both on Twitter as well. Look them up there for regular announcements on the happenings of those companies. Obviously, our websites, FirstMajestic.com or FirstMiningFinance.com. Please feel free to call the 1-800 numbers, ask for investor relations, Derek at First Mining and Todd Anthony at First Majestic Silver. They're both there to answer any questions and I would suggest to people that if they're looking at these companies they should call the companies for due diligence.

Mike Gleason: Excellent stuff, thanks again Keith. We sincerely appreciate it. We hope we can catch up with you again before long. Also wish you a great weekend and take care.

Keith Neumeyer: Well thanks very much and Happy New Year. And I hope that we get to see much much higher metal prices by the end of 2017.

Mike Gleason: Absolutely. Well that will do for this week. Thanks again to Keith Neumeyer, founder and CEO of First Majestic Silver Corp, ticker symbol AG on the New York Stock Exchange. One of the largest and most successful primary silver producers in the world.

Check back next Friday for our next Weekly Market Wrap Podcast. Until then, this has been Mike Gleason with Money Metals Exchange. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend everybody.

By Mike Gleason

MoneyMetals.com

Mike Gleason is President of Money Metals Exchange, the national precious metals company named 2015 "Dealer of the Year" in the United States by an independent global ratings group. A graduate of the University of Florida, Gleason is a seasoned business leader, investor, political strategist, and grassroots activist. Gleason has frequently appeared on national television networks such as CNN, FoxNews, and CNBC, and his writings have appeared in hundreds of publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Detroit News, Washington Times, and National Review.

 2016 Mike Gleason - 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.




Trump anti-Communist Counter Revolution

The century anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution occurs this year. Any serious examination of The Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union must conclude that the systematic eradications of millions and the ruthlessness of the Communist commissars rule was a miserable failure, even by Marxist postulates. Russia today is quite different from the Gulag Archipelago that Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn experienced and wrote about. And those who, like you and me, dear reader, go there to die, must get there solely and compulsorily via arrest.

Yet with all the moronic obsessions that proliferates the warmonger establishment and the mass media, the true Fake News echo chambers, the world is being pushed into the danger zone of oblivion. Any well schooled observer of geopolitics understands that conflicts are instituted or fabricated to achieve certain contrived political objectives. Ideology of theoretical and academic distinctions among varied systems for the social order, are as remote to the thinking of abused sheeple as any intellectual integrity among ivory tower hypocrites.

Nevertheless, the gradual indoctrination of the non critical public, absorb the cultural socialism of the last century, while distorting their debased brains into thinking they are anti-communists. Sorry my fellow Americans, the Communist Manifesto , has long ago been adopted by countless collectivist betrayers. Totalitarianism has been accepted as the official implementation conduct to perpetuate and expand the globalist empire.

How did this happen and what awaits a nation that refuses to face reality? James Perloff lists several developments in the methodical destruction of Russia and asks DO AMERICANS FACE A RED TERROR?

Though America would never have accepted outright communist revolution, it is now adopting measures accurately termed socialism. The Illuminati are employing a timeworn principle: To boil a frog, dont toss him in boiling water  hell jump out. Instead, put him in lukewarm water and gradually raise the heat; the frog never realizes hes been boiled. This slow warming is Fabian socialism (gradual communism).

Oh, what a succinct description why Bernie Sanders comrades drank the hemlock of Bolshevik progressivism.

Radio Free Europe, not exactly a friendly surrogate outlet of Russia Today asks, A Century After Russian Revolution, Will Putin Bury Lenin?

Putin has drawn on aspects of both the tsarist and Soviet eras in his efforts to shape Russia. Many critics accuse him of echoing practices of Soviet times -- and even of dictator Josef Stalin -- in his quest to tighten his grip over Russia.

But he has done more to link his image to the long history of tsars than to the relatively brief, badly checkered Soviet experiment -- seven oppressive decades that began with the kind of upheaval Putin seems bent on ensuring does not threaten his rule.

"We've seen a long-term buildup of the sense that the real model is to be found not so much in the Soviet times, but actually in tsarist times," says analyst Mark Galeotti, a senior policy fellow at the Institute of International Relations in Prague.

"And I can't help but wonder if while once upon a time Putin was willing to say that the collapse of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century, he might well now actually be saying that 1917 was," Galeotti adds.

When Senator Bomber John McCain wants to sabotage any Donald Trump initiative to engage in a non belligerent foreign policy with Russia, one has to conclude that his globalist masters use their Manchurian Candidate stooge to keep and expand NATOs brinkmanship and deployed encirclement of Russia.

Vladimir Putin Nemesis of the New World Order poses The essential question that has existential consequences is whether Russia (or much of the non-NWO governance bodies) is willing to revert to their serfdom heritage and accept a technocratic subservient peasantry.

The NeoCons, NeoLibs and careerist State Department globalists have abandoned any semblance of a traditional non-interventionist foreign policy. Justin Raimondo is always consistent to articulate the argument. In Trumps Revolution he states Trump rode into office promising that well get along with everybody who wants peace with the United States, as he said in his victory speech. He campaigned on a platform of America First that his enemies derided as isolationist and which was, in reality, simply the foreign policy of the Founders of this country.

The necessary inquiry that will be resolved over the course of the Trump administration is whether a serious anti-Communist Counter Revolution will come out of his stewardship? In a recent Reign of Terror essay Trump's Self-Inflicted Policy Failures , the obvious influence of placing a tribal faction of Wall Street banksters in charge of monetary authority and a fraternity of dual loyalists and Israel First followers in key policy positions for foreign policy was made.

For doubters in the wisdom of this position, read Michael Scheuer, an ex CIA alumnus who no longer appears in the corporate media. Just maybe they cannot handle the truth or allow the public from hearing the uncensored reality. Mr. Trump, stop being an ass. America First and support for Israel are polar opposites.

The American republic was not formed to be the cats-paw of any foreign power  especially one irrelevant to U.S. interests, like Israel  or any disloyal gaggle of Americans. Neither is there anything manly or self-respecting in you authorizing such Israel First goals as are signified by your ambassadorial choice and the plan to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Remember that the supporters of both goals are the same people and organizations who hysterically vilified you, lied about you, and advised all Americans to vote for Hillary Clinton. You owe them nothing, Mr. Trump, and America owes neither them nor Israel another dollar or another military life. It is time, Mr. Trump, to stop playing the fool for Israel, Israel First, the Neoconservatives, and at U.S. Congress that is controlled by all three.

Whether Trump can maintain his promise of establishing a counter revolution will be judged by this acid test of shifting away from globalist governance and putting forth a genuine nationalism that breaks the chains of internationalism.

Purging the popular culture of their fellow traveler sentiments and apparatchik subversives is not likely when the country is contaminated with an authoritarian censorship assault coming from not just the usual suspects, but adopted by the very pillars of the crony establishment elites.

The overwhelming and vocal voice from forgotten loyal Americans in the last election put Trump in office. Taking his oath of office is not a mere detail of showmanship. It is probably the last opportunity to put into motion an honest attempt to implement rightful truth to power.

President Trump will be confronted by a junta or status quo collaborators, whose identity is indistinguishable from the imperial hegemony that dominates the world. Most of the spooks in the intelligence community are devoted globalists and view an America at peace as a threat to their power.

A Counter Revolution to the tyrannical Communist overseers that attend Davos will not get support out of the beltway crowd. The populist movement needs to be based upon authentic conservative principles that are founded upon a limited government, not a corporate dominated playing field of privileged titans.

The people who rallied to put Trump in the White House must not be stonewalled from seeing and experiencing real world economic improvements to their lives and circumstances. Only a revitalized economy that produces widespread prosperity for those who are willing to improve their own plight can win this war against the welfare state.

Trump has the potential of being the greatest domestic proponent in history if the opposition from the establishment would get religion and become patriotic. Nonetheless, the forces of malicious wickedness are prepared to unleash their pandemic coup against the peoples of our republic.

It is so obvious that the shadow state has declared war against Donald Trump. The panic that has overtaken the power elite should be evidential proof that Trump represents a terminal threat to their feudal system of perdition. The bourgeois has been explicitly stripped of their wealth and independence over the last century. Now elites within our own country, not the post Soviet Russians would become the U.S. version of the Bolshevik Cheka.

When the conspirators in the corridors of sedition want to charge that Trump is a Putin agent, we get into the area of rarified delusional vilification. The malady of disinformation knows no bounds when it comes out of the mouth of a government hired gun. Can Trump survive from such an onslaught? Especially, when the character assassins have little hesitation to go ballistic, can the next hundred years chronicle the success of the Trump movement counter revolution?

The Red Terror that imperils our constitutional republic is home grown; much like the merchants of death came out of the money-lender NYC offices that financed the Bolshevik Revolution. Continuity of Government requires that Donald Trump is the legitimate president. Those who advocate violence or a coup to prevent him from governing are traitors. Judas was the keeper of the finances. So too his same fate should apply to any snakes of our nation.

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OPEC Oil Deal Already Showing Signs of Stress

Even though Saudi Arabia was quick to proclaim a victory at the outset of the year after reducing its own oil production to levels agreed upon in Vienna, there are numerous threats to the outlook for crude prices. Despite claims that the move to reduce OPEC output will be enough to drain the approximate 300 million barrels in global oversupply within six months, a move by the Cartel and non-OPEC members to ramp up production afterwards could beckon the resurgence of global oversupply.





Besides the focus on OPEC, ex-OPEC production is on the climb, driven in large part by efforts to restart shuttered US shale production. With many projects now breaking even or modestly profitable at current oil prices, the revival of American productions stands as a significant threat that could offset the gains following the output freeze. Now that many of the formerly indebted companies declared bankruptcy and have now cleaned up their balance sheets, several of these projects operate on razor-thin margins, adding significant production capacity that could readily overwhelm all the OPEC gains.In a surprising development on Monday, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih sent oil prices tumbling following remarks that implied the Saudis were not expecting to maintain production cuts after six months. Although he reiterated Saudi Arabias commitment to observing the terms of the deal, Al Falihs assurances were not enough to assuage markets that see the potential for the glut to reemerge during the second half of the year if cuts are not maintained. Originally, when the deal was agreed upon in November, OPEC determined that the cuts could be extended after six months depending on market conditions. However, Saudi comments seem to suggest that they are unwilling to go any further than the 6 months promised. Al-Falihs comments were predicated on the 1.800 million barrel per day decline in output agreed upon with 24 nations back in December. Based on these figures, the broad idea was to eliminate oversupply to the tune of an approximate 300 million barrels sitting in reserves, onshore storage, and offshore storage vessels. However, this would be contingent on OPEC members and other nations respecting their output agreements and not exceeding quotas. Furthermore, if global demand is unable to grow as forecast by OPEC, any move not to extend the deal framework could result in similar conditions that first brought oil price to multi-decade lows in 2016. However, besides the Saudis, the big looming problem is resurgent production from tight oil projects.The United States should be a primary focus for oncoming production considering the countrys producers were not a party to the OPEC and non-OPEC deal and could readily upset the delicate balance that OPEC has most recently achieved. The number of operational oil rigs continues to climb despite a minor setback last week which showed a decline of 7 oil rigs to 522 active rigs after 11-straight weeks of increases. However, the material development that should not be ignored was the surge in US production, which climbed by 175,000 barrels per day in the span of the last week of December and the first week of January. Should production continue to climb, OPECs cuts could prove negligible, sinking oil prices once more.Since reaching the most recent multi-year highs at the outset of 2017, oil prices have come under renewed pressure, with the last move higher looked upon as slightly overbought according to certain momentum indicators. The Stochastic Oscillator, for instance, implies that the after being modestly overbought at the end of 2016, prices have since been pulling back, bringing the oscillator as low as oversold territory earlier in the month of January. Although the crude oil trend on a medium-term basis has been largely positive, with prices trending within a bullish equidistant channel formation, the bounce from the upper channel line implies an ongoing correction in prices.

Standing in the way of any deep pullback in prices are both the 50 and 200-day moving averages. Although the 50-day moving average is unlikely to hold up as a significant support level, the 200-day moving average neatly coincides with the lower line of the equidistant channel. Any fall through this point could be viewed a channel-based breakout. If confirmed by a candlestick close below the lower channel line accompanied by heightened volume and downward momentum, crude oil prices could find themselves testing the mid-$40s per barrel over the near-term. On the upside, however, WTI faces resistance near $56.00 per barrel. However, any rise to this level would be reliant on more focused, long-term efforts to kill prevailing market oversupply.



Looking Ahead



Based on the abundance of risk factors threatening the most recent gains in oil prices, it is hard to foresee a situation in which the upside risks outweigh the potential downside. Despite OPEC taking real and serious steps to reduce the glut and end oversupply, as Saudi Arabia has shown, the deal will be given six months and is not considered a longer-term solution. Further threatening the deal is resurgent output from other key regions such as the United States. If production continues to climb on the back of higher prices, the fragile market equilibrium that was reached in the post-Vienna deal could fade rapidly. With all the factors that could go wrong relative to what could be positive, it will be difficult to remain bullish through the end of the first half of 2017.

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#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...
SANDY LEVEL-On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, about 300 people participated in the seventh annual Stop the Violence walk in the Sandy Level community.

The two-mile walk began Monday morning at Cross Road Baptist Church and concluded at St. John Baptist Church, where it was followed by a program with the theme Living the 360 Degree Life, which featured speakers, music and dance.

The annual walk is in memory of the members of the Sandy Level community who lost their lives to violence. It is organized by Garrett Dillard, whose brother Glen Dillard was fatally shot in his home on Dec. 27, 2010.

Its so exciting to see so many people here to support the seventh annual Stop the Violence Walk, said Martinsville City Councilwoman Jennifer Bowles, who also participated in the walk. This event shows our communitys dedication to breaking the cycle of violence that affects not only our area, but cities all throughout the United States of America. Whats so brilliant about this walk is that it is not about a specific act of violence, but about any act of violence that disrupts our cohesion as a society. It displays a sense of unity and the idea of loving your fellow man or woman. How symbolic it is to have this on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to honor one of our nations greatest leaders and proponents of nonviolence who has inspired us all.

Bowles said that the theme of the walk  Living the 360 Degree Life  is about finding purpose in life and achieving full potential.

Whatever your dream may be, you must go out there and get it, Bowles said. There will be days when you may feel discouraged that your dreams are too big and unattainable, and when you have those days, reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how others must have felt during the Montgomery bus boycott. For a little over a year, they protested against the segregation of buses.  For 381 days, African-American men and women refused to ride them.  They walked miles to and from work, to church, to the grocery store.  They believed in the cause, and now we have many freedoms today because of their perseverance. That just goes to show that you, too, can have that same drive and accomplish your dreams as well.

While there are always naysayers, Bowles said, people should remember the words of King: Faith is taking the first step even when you dont see the whole staircase.

Teresa Terry of Concerned Citizens of Sandy Level commended the Henry County Sheriffs Office for helping the community improve Sandy Level. The Sheriffs Office also provided an escort during the walk to make sure the walkers were kept safe from traffic.

Terry said that the Sandy Level community had eight high school graduates last year, all of whom have since started college.

In an interview with the Martinsville Bulletin, Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry said that there has been a major turn-around in Sandy Level since he started with the sheriffs office almost 25 years ago.

Although there was a really good group of people (in Sandy Level), there were acts of violence and an open-air drug market, Perry said. Over the course of time, the community took ownership of it. They started fighting it. They became invested in the Sheriffs Office. There were a number of years that they had some murders. Sons and daughters of this community died because of the drug violence. But for several years now, they have gone without any murders and the open-air drug markets are gone. They have had some struggles along the way, but they have maintained persistence and they have maintained community investment.

Perry said that Concerned Citizens of Sandy Level meetings are well-attended, and that the community has come together to support its young people and celebrate their achievements. He added that he wished every community could be as proactive as Sandy Level.

We support them wholeheartedly, he said. I think weve built some good relationships with people.  They understand that were here working with them.  Were their servants, just like were everyones servants.
What restaurant makes the best chicken wings in Massachusetts? We asked and readers answered with over 70 Bay State chicken wing spots. Now it's time to thin the herd with a vote for the top 10 in the state.

In the poll below, you can vote for up to 10 restaurants per day until Tuesday, Jan. 24 at noon ET. Voting is restricted to one vote per IP address per 24 hours, so be sure to come back every day to cast a vote for your favorites.

A map splitting Massachusetts in half, using I-395, I-290, I-190 and Route 13 as a dividing line. Everything to the left of the line will be considered west, and everything to the right will be considered east.

This contest's top 10 will consist of the top five most popular Western Massachusetts wings restaurants and the top five most popular Eastern Massachusetts wings restaurants. For the purpose of voting, we are splitting the state into two halves, using I-395, I-290, I-190 and Route 13 as a dividing line.

After this poll closes, our panel of judges will hit the road and rank the top wings places.

All that is left is your vote. Cast your ballot in the poll below, and come back every day until Tuesday, Jan. 24 at noon to push your favorites forward.
Growing up, Jason French of Wilbraham said he does not recall his grandfather, Dick McDonald, talking too much about Ray Kroc, the legendary CEO of McDonald's Corp.

"I remember him saying once, when I was a teenager, 'That guy really got me,'" French said. "My grandfather invented the fast food business. Kroc turned it into what it is now."

Dick and brother Maurice ("Mac") McDonald, launched McDonald's, a drive-in restaurant in the late 1940s in San Bernardino, Calif., built on the concept of turning out orders quickly at an affordable price. Their success caught the eye of salesman Kroc, who joined them in 1952. But nine years later, Kroc bought out the brothers for $2.7 million after they voiced concern that the chain's rapid expansion was at the expense of quality. (Kroc later reneged on a handshake deal to pay the brothers a percentage of the revenue from the franchises.)

The story of Kroc and the McDonald brothers is recalled in "The Founder," a new movie which opens nationwide on Friday.

A registered nurse at Baystate Medical Center, French and his younger brother, Corey, were approached five years ago by producer Don Handfield, who wanted to make a movie about the birth of the fast food giant.

French and his brother, who resides in Japan, attended the premiere in Los Angeles last week. He said he was impressed with the film and the portrayals of Kroc (Michael Keaton) and Dick and "Mac" McDonald (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch).

"They took a little creative license, but they stuck very close to the story," French said. "(Offerman and Lynch) were spot on. They conveyed the charismatic New Englanders that they were."

Dick McDonald returned to his native New Hampshire in the late 1960s. He remained there with his wife until his death in 1998 at the age of 89. (His stepson, Col. Gale French, was a noted Air Force pilot stationed at Hanscom AFB and later Westover.)

"Mac" McDonald died in 1971 - 10 years before Kroc. Dick McDonald, the man who conceived the iconic Golden Arches, eventually renewed his bond with the company he founded.

The fast food giant, now available in 36,000 locations worldwide, once said of the men who built it: "Dick and 'Mac' were the pioneers of McDonald's and helped to found the fast-food industry. Mr. Kroc was the entrepreneur who founded what today is known as McDonald's Corporation.''

French hopes that the movie will educate the public on the brothers behind McDonald's.

"I want people to know Ray Kroc is not 'the founder' of McDonald's or fast food," French said. "It was my grandfather and his brother... Ray Kroc took an idea someone else had come up with."
This story elaborates on an article published at 5:12 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017: Chipotle fundraiser benefiting victims of deadly Holyoke fire

HOLYOKE -- The City Council will be asked to establish a trust fund to receive and disburse donations for the victims of the fire Jan. 1 that killed three people and destroyed 49 tenants' homes today at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Once the Holyoke Disaster Relief Trust Fund is formed, and the fundraising campaign for the fire victims reaches its $100,000 goal, Mayor Alex B. Morse will appoint a three-member board subject to City Council confirmation. The board will decide how much money each of the tenants and victims' families will receive from the fund, Morse said Monday.

Morse spoke at Chipotle restaurant at 235 Whiting Farms Road, which was scheduled to donate 100 percent of proceeds paid by customers from noon to 9 p.m. Monday to the Holyoke Mayor's Fire Relief Fund.

"I think it's wonderful and my office worked really hard to set it up," Morse said. "I think they're definitely a good corporate citizen in the community. I think this is just another example of the community coming together."

More than 50 disbursements likely will be made once the $100,000 goal online at gofundme.com is reached. That consists of the 49 tenants displaced by the fire and family members of the three people who died to help them with funeral expenses, he said.

The disaster relief trust fund will stay in place and continue receiving donations after the money is distributed to victims of the New Year's Day as a mechanism to help in future emergencies, he said.

State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said on Jan. 4 that investigators had determined the cause of the fire was an electrical problem in a wall outlet in the living room of a third-floor apartment.

The property that included the five-story building, now demolished, is owned by

Irshad Sideeka of Naviah Investments of Brookline, Massachusetts.

Tenants Maria Cartagena, 48, and Jorge Munoz, 55, both of Holyoke, and Trevor R. Wadleigh, 34, of Easthampton, were killed as a result of the fire.

The Chipotle Mexican restaurant opened here July 30. The 60-seat, 26-employee restaurant was experiencing steady business from customers glad to help with the fundraiser, General Manager Dan Bergeron said.

"It's going very well. We have people coming in saying that they're here for the fundraiser," Bergeron said.

Steven Beck of Marlborough, New York, and Matt Smethurst of Saratoga, New York, both of whom are students at Western New England University in Springfield, said they welcomed the chance to participate in the fundraiser for the fire victims by buying meals at Chipotle.

"I think it's good. I know Chipotle does lots of things like fundraisers, things like that, so it really helps the community," said Smethurst, 22.

"It's really cool," said Beck, 22.

Steven Beck of Marlborough, New York, left and Matt Smethurst of Saratoga, New York, right, both of whom are students at Western New England University in Springfield, ate at Chipotle restaurant at 235 Whiting Farms Road in Holyoke on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017 and were glad in doing so to participate in the restaurant's fundraiser for victims of a deadly New Year's Day fire at 106 North East St.

Teresita Castano of Holyoke came to Chipotle because she said it was important to help families experiencing such pain from the fire.

"There are no words to imagine their pain. The mayor's relief fund is a very tasty way to help," Castano said.

Chipotle does hold such events to help the community, but this one was unique, said Becky Mitchell, New England marketing strategist for the company.

After being contacted by Morse's office, Chipotle officials agreed to help. Usually the company donates 50 percent of proceeds from four to five hours of business to a cause. The devastation of the fire led Mitchell to talk to company officials and the decision was made to donate the full day's proceeds, she said in a phone interview.

"I felt like this was a unique situation," Mitchell said.

Regarding the Holyoke Disaster Relief Trust Fund, the members of the trust fund board will be appointed to staggered terms. One will have a one-year term, another two years and the third three years. Members then will be appointed annually to three-year terms, according to the City Council agenda item.

Board vacancies will be filled by the mayor with approval of the City Council.

The city treasurer will be responsible for holding the money collected in the trust fund.

Upon receipt of a request for funds, the board will consider and vote on the request. An affirmative vote of at least two of the three commissioners would be needed to grant a request.

The board would be required to keep written records of names and addresses of people who get funds and how much they receive.
libscene.jpg

((Wikimedia Commons))

SPRINGFIELD -- Surrounded by undercover police cruisers, Ivan Santiago decided his best chance to escape would be ramming one head-on, police said.

He was wrong.

His pickup truck was not only crippled by the collision, it was quickly surrounded by plainclothes detectives flashing badges and yelling "police, open the door," according to the arrest report.

Santiago refused, but his 81-year-old passenger eventually opened his door, ending the standoff Thursday afternoon on Liberty Street, the report said.

Santiago, 53, pleaded not guilty Friday in Springfield District Court to nine charges, including three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (motor vehicle), and two counts of heroin possession with intent to distribute, subsequent offense.

Before the excitement began around 4 p.m. in Liberty Heights, detectives had spent hours watching Santiago run errands and attend a lengthy medical appointment. The surveillance was part of a broader investigation into heroin sales by Santiago and another man from a Langdon Street home, the report said.

By late afternoon, after allegedly conducting a drug sale on Cherrelyn Street, Santiago found himself boxed in at a traffic signal by undercover cruisers with flashing blue lights, the report said.

When one cruiser pulled in front of him, Santiago backed up, striking one behind him. Pulling onto the sidewalk, Santiago struck a second cruiser before swerving into heavy traffic on Liberty Street, the report said.

The third collision occurred moments later as Santiago accelerated into the path of an oncoming cruiser, the report said.

The impact left Santiago's vehicle "disabled and rendered inoperable" and the officer in the the cruiser with minor injuries. Santiago declined medical attention, the report said.

Armed with a search warrant, police seized 845 bags of heroin and $352 in cash from Santiago's vehicle and the Langdon Street apartment, according to the report.



In court, Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski asked for $100,000 bail, citing the new charges and Santiago's past record of drug offenses. Judge John Payne granted the request and continued the case for a pretrial hearing on Feb. 9.

A native of Santurce, Puerto Rico, Santiago is single and employed as a personal care attendant, court records show.
BOSTON  After a month-long listening tour with stops in Springfield, Boston and Lawrence, members of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus will now work to add community suggestions into its 2017-2018 Communities of Color Agenda.

"It is important for us to start the new legislative session by meeting constituents where they are. Many familiar issues were highlighted and new issues that need our attention," MBLLC chairman Rep. Russell Holmes, D-Boston, said in a press release.

Throughout December, the listening tour made stops at the Rebecca Johnson Elementary School in Springfield, Hibernian Hall in Boston and the Lawrence Public Library to hear from activists, advocates and residents on issues most affecting black, Latino and Asian communities.

Legislators heard from close to 100 speakers and several others who submitted their thoughts in writing.

"In the coming months, the MBLLC will be reviewing submitted testimony and identifying major themes that we heard. Based on that information and feedback provided from community leaders, we will turn it into action by building a Communities of Color Agenda," Holmes said.
Bryan Asrary DMV.jpeg

A driver's license photo of Bryan Asrary was provided by the LA Sheriff's Department.

(LA Sheriff's Department)

Detectives from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department traveled more than 3,000 miles this week to arrest a man in Massachusetts who they say admitted to impersonating Justin Bieber on social media in order to convince young girls to send him nude photos.

Bryan Asrary, of Revere, was taken into custody on Dec. 18 with help from Massachusetts State Police. Authorities said Asrary, 24, confessed to extorting young female victims across the country and to possessing child porn.

The LA Sheriff's Department first began investigating the cyber sextortion scam after receiving reports of an 11-year-old girl being extorted for sexual pictures over the internet.

The victim told detectives that two years ago she received a direct message from someone who said they knew Justin Bieber. The user told the victim that they could connect them with Justin Bieber over KIK, a social media messaging site.

Authorities said Asrary then represented himself as Justin Bieber and demanded nude photos of the victim, allegedly threatening to harm her if she didn't cooperate. The victim sent nude photos and video. Afterwards, they deleted all of the texts and kept the incident a secret.

However, two years later, in 2016, the suspect began contacting the victim, demanding they send more photos and threatening to publish previous ones if they didn't comply.

The victim contacted her mother, who then alerted the police.

The LA Sheriff's Department began investigating the identity of the person pretending to be Justin Bieber. During their investigation, they discovered that Asrary had been committing this sextortion scam across the country, authorities said.

Asrary faces charges in California and Massachusetts, including possession and manufacturing of child pornography, extortion and communicating with a minor with the intent to commit a sex act.
oscar.jpg

Oscar Lopez Rivera is seen in a photo from the Free Oscar Lopez Rivera Now Facebook page.

(IMAGE FROM FACEBOOK PAGE)

Updated at 5:36 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017 to add details from an International Business Times story about Oscar Lopez Rivera's pardon, including that he will be released from federal prison May 17, 2017.

HOLYOKE -- City Councilor Nelson R. Roman has scheduled a celebration for today at 5:30 p.m. regarding reports that President Barack Obama has pardoned Oscar Lopez Rivera, a Puerto Rican national some have called a political prisoner and others a terrorist.

"We are elated as a community," Roman said.

The celebration will be at Salsarengue Restaurant, 392 High St.

Roman, the Ward 2 councilor, has championed the release of Lopez Rivera because he said he had served 35 years of a 75-year sentence and nothing was served by requiring that the 73-year-old U.S. military veteran die in prison.

Rivera was sentenced to prison for "seditious conspiracy" related to his participation in a Puerto Rican nationalist group. He is currently in the United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.

According to an International Business Times story posted at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017 by Bruce Wright, Lopez Rivera was among 200 who received commuted prison sentences:

"Oscar Lopez, aka Oscar Lopez-Rivera - Chicago, IL

Offense: 1. Seditious conspiracy; interference with interstate commerce by threats or violence; possession of an unregistered firearm; carrying firearms during the commission of violent crimes; interstate transportation of firearms with the intent to commit violent crimes; interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle (four counts); Northern District of Illinois

"2. Conspiracy to escape, to transport explosives with intent to kill and injure people, and to destroy government buildings and property; aiding and abetting travel in interstate commerce to carry on arson (two counts); using a telephone to carry on arson (two counts); Northern District of Illinois

"Sentence: 1. 55 years' imprisonment (August 11, 1981)

"2. 15 years' imprisonment (consecutive) (February 26, 1988)

"Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 17, 2017."

Obama issued numerous pardons today, and Chicago media reports said Lopez Rivera was among them. Roman has been in touch for months with people in Chicago who have been communicating with Lopez Rivera in prison.

Chip Mitchell is a reporter with Chicago Public Media, 91.5 FM, according to his Twitter account.

This is a developing story and details will be added as reporting continues.
James Morales, who spent nearly a week on the run from authorities earlier this year after escaping federal custody, has been indicted.

A federal grand jury returned the indictment Tuesday, charging Morales with escape from the custody of the attorney general, according to a statement from the office of U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha in Rhode Island.

Morales, 35, was being held at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island, on charges that he stole 16 weapons from the Lincoln W. Stoddard United States Army Reserve Center armory in Worcester in November 2015.

The former Army reservist escaped on Dec. 31 by cutting a hole through fencing and scaling down the side of the facility. Court documents state that his escape was caught on surveillance video, but that he was not reported missing until hours later.

Morales was caputed in Somerville on Jan. 5 and taken back into federal custody. He allegedly tried to rob two banks that day.

Morales is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan at 11 a.m. on Thursday. The arraignment is in Providence.

The charge against Morales is punishable by statutory penalties of up to five years imprisonment as well as a fine of up to $250,000, according to the statement.
UPDATE, Jan. 17, 2017, 6:42 p.m.: Granby officials have changed the day of the meeting to Monday, Jan. 23, and this story was updated accordingly.

GRANBY  Selectmen here have scheduled a meeting Monday where they plan to name a new fire chief.

Selectmen interviewed three finalists last week: South Hadley resident John E. Mitchell Jr., Rockland resident David B. Hutchinson, and Loving, New Mexico, resident James A. Cleveland, Jr.

Resumes of the men provided by the town on Tuesday show Mitchell serves as fire chief for the Massachusetts Air National Guard at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, a position he has held since 2013.

From 2004 to 2013, Mitchell's resume states he was an airport firefighter/police officer, training officer at Worcester Regional Airport.

He graduated in 2006 with an associate's degree from Middlesex Community College in Bedford, majoring in fire protection and safety technology.

According to Cleveland's resume, he has been deputy fire services director of Eddy County Fire Service in Carlsbad, New Mexico, since 2014. He was fire chief from 2005 to 2013 in Pritchard, Idaho.

His bachelor's degree is "pending" in fire service administration at Waldorf University in Iowa.

Hutchinson's resume shows he currently holds three positions, including two in Germany and one as a paramedic based in Concord for the New Hampshire Metropolitan Medical Response System.

Hutchinson has been the CEO of International Firefighters EHH in Landstuhl, Germany, since September, and fire chief/senior consultant in Dresden "of the Oil & Gas and Municipal Fire Division of Strategic Fire Solutions." In 2015, he earned a master of science in emergency management from Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

The Jan. 23 selectmen's meeting will be at the senior center, 10 West State St., but the time was not yet set.

Bruce Carpenter is Granby's acting fire chief.
Lois Ahrens MCS photo.jpg

Lois Ahrens, founder of The Real Cost of Prisons project. Northampton Mass., Jan 16, 2017.

(Mary Serreze photo)

NORTHAMPTON -- Massachusetts, with its blue-state reputation, is far from progressive when it comes to criminal justice and incarceration, a leading advocate said Monday.

Lois Ahrens is director of The Real Cost of Prisons Project, and spoke during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day symposium at the Edwards Church sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee.

It was not long ago that a federal judge ruled in favor of 178 female inmates at the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee, Ahrens said. In his 2014 decision, Judge Michael Ponsor wrote that the jail's strip search procedures, which involved male prison guards operating video cameras, "clearly transgressed the Constitution."

In Arkansas and Massachusetts, prisoners can legally be placed in solitary confinement for up to 10 years -- locking them "in a concrete box the size of a parking space for 23 hours a day, seven days a week," said Ahrens.

People of color are disproportionately represented among the prison population, she said, because of race-based policing and prosecution, mandatory minimum sentencing, drug laws that criminalize possession, poor access to lawyers and a state Legislature that has resisted criminal justice reform.

As for roadblocks to reform, Ahrens cited "the unchallenged power of district attorneys," the lobbying power of police and police unions, guards and guard unions and "professional victims rights organizations."

The state's 2012 "three strikes" law, supported by leading Democrats, prohibited parole for repeat violent offenders and eliminated judicial discretion in sentencing for dozens of crimes. Ahrens said it also increased the power of district attorneys to extract plea bargains from indigent defendants.

"If every person pressured to accept a plea bargain said they wanted to go to trial, we would see a complete breakdown of the court system," she said.

Massachusetts taxpayers spend more than $1 billion a year to keep around 22,000 people incarcerated. Around half are under lock and key while awaiting trial, most because they could not make bail, according to Ahrens.

"The solution to overcrowded prisons is to let more people go free," she said, citing California and New York, which have closed state correctional facilities and taken steps to reduce their inmate populations.

Ahrens said she worked last session to defeat a bill to site a new women's prison in Middlesex County. She said there is a coalition ready to challenge any prison construction or siting bill that should arise on Beacon Hill this year.



"Our position is that no new jails should be built until bail reform and alternatives to incarceration are passed and implemented," she said. "We will be fighting this bill again in the current session."

She said she is also leery of a "justice reinvestment" effort being pushed by the Council of State Governments, or CSG. While billed as a "data-driven approach to reduce recidivism, avert costs and invest in public safety," Ahrens said she believes the approach only offers "the illusion of reform" while shifting costs, funding police budgets and enriching vendors.

Gov. Charlie Baker in 2015 formed a 25-member working group to partner with CSG and "explore opportunities for policy consensus and reform." The group's leadership consists of Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Sen. Pres. Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, and Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants.

Ahrens said advocates statewide will push to "expand the legislative focus" of the working group to include consideration of racial inequities in the criminal legal system. "It's important to get involved now," she said.

She said "progressives" are obsessed with local agriculture, war and peace and the environment while turning a blind eye to the issue of criminal justice reform.

"Massachusetts remains a deeply segregated state," Ahrens said. "Therefore the concerns that deeply impact and hurt African-American and Latino communities are not known to most white people in a visceral way."

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com
SPRINGFIELD  The spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was alive and well Monday in the MassMutual Center as a large crowd gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of the iconic activist.

City officials and Springfield residents gathered for the 2017 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and event that was a co-hosted by Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, Community Music School of Springfield, DREAM Studio and Springfield College.

With the theme of "Lifting the Spirit of Healing and Unity," hundreds of Springfield youth echoed ideals of the late civil rights leader on the holiday named in his honor through song, dance and oratory that pulled the audience together and out of their seats.

"We wanted to do something that ... really focused on young people," Ronn Johnson, CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, said about the genesis of the event. "So I asked partners to join with us and some of the corporate sponsors so we can make it happen from the financial perspective, and people embraced the vision that I had. So now we are five years and five programs later, running what has now become a centerpiece event for the Pioneer Valley."

Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services is a Springfield organization that offers housing, health and family stabilization programs along with youth development and enrichment programs.

Performers included members of the Sonido Musica School Partnership programs, which featured students from public schools in the city. The Sonido Musica Partnership is part of the Community Music School of Springfield, a nonprofit organization that unifies youth of different ages and backgrounds through performing arts education.

Johnson said King's lessons of unity and civil rights make him regarded by many as a 20th century prophet.

"A prophet is someone who can forecast what the future may be and gives us a prescription for how we can alleviate or address the issue that may cause for serious concern, so we got back to some of the readings and teachings of Dr. King," Johnson said. "He already told us what we needed to do in terms of being a society that would be more just. That we would elect political leaders who would truly have the heart of the people in their heart and in their mind. So it's not a big stretch for us to be able to go back to some of those teachings and then try to live them out in our daily lives, and that's at every level."

A musical selection from the Springfield Community Chorale, a culturally diverse gospel choir, and a dramatic performance from DREAM Studio got people out of their seats and moving, receiving standing ovations as they inspired the audience with messages of unity and hope.

A celebration of King would not be complete without a selection of speeches to feed the soul, and Waleska Lugo DeJesus, of the Healing Racism Institute, and Wesley Days Jr., winner of the 2016 Senator Edward W. Brooke III Oratorical Competition, both spoke to civil injustice, discriminatory practices and the need for change in today's society.

Bishop Talbert Swan II, President of the Greater Springfield NAACP, in a recent interview said that while King was one of the most inspiring figures in modern history, he was also largely misunderstood. Swan said many people who remember King's legacy tend to focus in on bits and pieces of it, particularly his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963.

"When you look at the 19 minutes of that speech, people really don't get the total significance of what he said in that speech, because they focus on a few catchphrases, and that's the world we live in now, where everything is about 140 characters or less or a soundbite," Swan said. "They focus in on 'I have a dream that one day my four children will be judged not by the color of their skin but of the content of their character,' and those are wonderful phrases from that speech, but they don't quote him talking about, in that same speech, that America has written African Americans a 'bad check, a check which has come back marked ''insufficient funds,' in terms of the American promise. They don't talk about the part of that speech that says 'let freedom ring,' and there is so much more in that speech than 'I have a dream.'"

Swan said that along with the side of King that preached nonviolence to the masses, there was also the side of the late civil rights leader that taught lessons of protesting and unifying to challenge systemic racism and civil injustice.
Springfield Orange Street fire

The Red Cross is assisting 18 people displaced Monday night by a fire in a two-family home in Springfield's Forest Park neighborhood. Jan. 16, 2017.

(Brian Steele, The Republican)

SPRINGFIELD - The Red Cross is assisting 18 people displaced Monday night by a fire in a two-family home.

The fire was reported just before 6 p.m. at 137-139 Orange St. in the city's Forest Park neighborhood.

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said there is damage to the cellar and the first and second floors, but it's not clear yet where the fire started or what caused it.

Leger estimated the damage at $35,000 to $40,000.

Everyone in the house made it out safely.

A firefighter suffered a hand injury and was taken to Baystate Medical Center to receive stitches.
SPRINGFIELD - Police are investigating after a man was shot in the leg Tuesday afternoon on Massachusetts Avenue.

Springfield Police Lt. John Delaney told Western Mass News, media partner of The Republican/MassLive, the victim was taken by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center and is expected to survive.

The victim told police that he was walking home when an SUV pulled up and someone shot him. The SUV took off toward King Street, Delaney said.

No arrests have been reported so far.
Massachusetts State Police troopers used force nearly twice as much in 2016 as in 2015, a development attributed to new equipment, specifically Tasers, according to The Boston Globe.

Troopers deployed force in 402 situations in 2016 versus 208 in 2015, data compiled by a state police review committee. In 2014, force was used by state troopers in 356 circumstances.



However, due to reporting requirements, more than 100 of these incidents never saw suspects struck, rather troopers either drew or warned of using a Taser, the Globe reported. More than 32 percent of the total use of force incidents involved a trooper using a Taser.



Use of force protocol among state police has not changed in recent years, spokesman Dave Procopio told the Globe.

Half the number of troopers were injured in 2016 as compared to 2015 -- four versus eight.



State troopers used police dogs against suspects in more scenarios and injured eleven more suspects -- 44 -- in 2016 than in 2015, the data also shows.
NORTH ADAMS -- A small public college in Berkshire County will host a legendary fighter for civil rights at its 118th commencement ceremony.

U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, will be keynote speaker at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on May 13, and receive an honorary Doctor of Public Service. Lewis was elected to Congress in 1986 and represents Georgia's 5th Congressional District.

At the age of 23, as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Lewis helped organize the 1963 March on Washington and delivered remarks at the historic event.

In 1965, Lewis and minister Hosea Williams led more than 600 peaceful protesters across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Lewis, Williams and others were tear gassed and beaten by state troopers in what became known as "Bloody Sunday." The Selma to Montgomery march helped hasten the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

The commencement announcement comes on the heels of a showdown between Lewis and Republican President-elect Donald Trump.

After Lewis on Sunday questioned the legitimacy of Trump's presidency on NBC's "Meet the Press," Trump fired back on Twitter. Trump condemned Lewis as "All talk, talk talk - no action or results" and described the congressman's district, including the Atlanta metro area, as "crime-infested" and "falling apart." The exchange occurred over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.

Lewis has announced he will skip Trump's inauguration. More than 50 Democratic lawmakers have made the same decision, according to the Washington Post.

Trump, who during his campaign boasted of his "great relationship with the blacks," garnered 8 percent of the African-American vote.

In 2015, Lewis delivered the commencement address at the 84th graduation from Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday called Lewis "an American hero" while saying that he plans to travel to Washington Friday for the Trump inaugural.
36 summer st blackstone.jpg

A police investigation is ongoing at 36 Summer St. in Blackstone.

(Blackstone assessor's office)

The 48-year-old Blackstone man who is a person of interest in his 83-year-old father's killing is refusing to return to Massachusetts after his arrest in New Jersey, officials said.

Glenn Armstrong was named a person of interest in his father's killing on Wednesday by Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr.

Walter Armstrong was found dead in his 36 Summer St., Blackstone home on Wednesday. His son, who also lived there, had fled the area. An autopsy determined that the elder Armstrong was murdered.

The younger Armstrong was captured in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, on Thursday night. He was driving his father's pickup truck, which had run out of gas.

Armstrong was arrested on a warrant out of Uxbridge District Court for failing to give a DNA sample after being convicted of a felony. In 1994, Armstrong threatened to kill then-President Bill Clinton.

"At his arraignment in New Jersey, Mr. Armstrong told the court that he would not voluntarily return to Massachusetts," said a statement released by Early's office on Tuesday.

Armstrong is being held on $300,000 bail. His case is continued to Feb. 10.

Early's office is preparing a governor's warrant requisition application, the statement said. Early will apply to Gov. Charlie Baker to requisition a governor's warrant from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Armstrong remained in New Jersey.

Up to 90 days is allowed for a governor's warrant to be served to a defendant who is out of state.
Luis Santos

Luis Santos was arraigned on human trafficking charges in Worcester Central District Court on Jan. 17 with a Spanish interpreter.

(Melissa Hanson | MassLive.com)

Prosecutors say that Luis Santos paid to have a 14-year-old girl smuggled from El Salvador to Worcester "to be his woman and have sex with her."

But Santos' attorney, Jose Rosario said his client completely denies any allegations of sexual assault against the victim.

"He has no consciousness of guilt because he didn't commit a crime," Rosario said of Santos, who has lived in Worcester for a year but is also from El Salvador.

Santos, 22, was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing at his arraignment in Worcester Central District Court on Tuesday. He is charged with kidnapping, rape of a child with force, human trafficking of a minor, and three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older.

A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. He will return to court on Jan. 23.

There was also a restraining order filed on the victim's behalf, ordering Santos to have no contact with the victim and stay 100 yards away from her.

Santos forced the victim to sleep in the same bed as him and sexually touched her against her will on more than one occasion, police said. The victim told Santos that she did not want a romantic relationship with him.

Prosecutor Lina Pashou said that Santos touched the girl inappropriately with his hands and groin.

Authorities said Santos paid $5,000 to have the 14-year-old girl illegally sent from El Salvador to the United States.

The victim was held in customs in Texas before being sent to live with Santos inside a Kingsbury Street apartment, according to court records. She arrived in mid-December.

The girl was enrolled in school, but school officials became concerned when she stopped going to class regularly. The Worcester Public Schools filed an initial report, which alerted police to the situation.

Police said Santos wasn't allowing the victim to go to school. He allegedly locked her in a bedroom and didn't let her use the phone.

"I asked Luis if he held her in her room not allowing her to leave and he denied this," court records state. "I asked Luis if he refused to let her use the phone to reach out to family and he denied this. Luis did admit that this female was not happy and he did not know why."

The girl was allowed to attend school after three weeks. She reached out to family and friends who now live in Worcester, but like her, are originally from El Salvador.

Santos reportedly first made contact with the victim through Facebook messages while she was still in El Salvador. The restraining order would prevent him from contacting the girl through social media.

According to court documents, Santos admitted to being in the country illegally, telling police that his brother paid an unknown amount of money to have him smuggled here.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer was not requested during the arraignment.

Rosario said Santos has no criminal history in the U.S. or El Salvador. He completed high school in El Salvador and now works here in sanitation at a meat processing plant.
Kevin Cabrera

Kevin Cabrera (pictured above) was found dead inside his Fitchburg apartment on Dec. 3, 2016. Two men have been charged with murder in his killing.

(Facebook.com)

The second man accused of murder in the Dec. 3 killing of 24-year-old Kevin Cabrera inside his Fitchburg apartment was held without bail after his arraignment in court Tuesday.

Ramon Millan, 37, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, was arraigned on murder and home invasion charges in Fitchburg District Court. He was held without bail after his arraignment, according to the Worcester County District Attorney's Office.

The second suspect in the case, 32-year-old Jose Crespo of Newark, New Jersey, and Bridgeport, Connecticut was arraigned in court last week and held without bail on the same charges.

Millan will return to court on Feb. 17.

Cabrera was found dead inside his apartment after firefighters were called to 122 Laurel St. in Fitchburg on Dec. 3. Firefighters arrived around 10:35 p.m. for a two-alarm fire and found Cabrera's badly burned body in a front bedroom apartment.

Firefighters discovered Cabrera on his stomach with his hands tied behind his back, according to court records.

The two suspects are accused of grabbing Cabrera's girlfriend in the apartment building's hallway about an hour before the fire. State Police investigators said the girlfriend and Cabrera were tied up. Cabrera was then beaten, according to search warrant affidavits.

The couple's young son was ordered to go inside a bedroom during the attacks, police said.





Authorities said the two suspects wore masks, but Cabrera's girlfriend recognized Millan. She knew Crespo by a nickname, State Police Trooper Charles Murphy said in court records.

Millan and Crespo allegedly demanded money and were given $2,700. The girlfriend was able to free herself and hid inside a bathroom. She told investigators she could hear Cabrera being beaten.

When the suspects left, the girlfriend saw smoke and flames. Cabrera was on the floor and bleeding from the head. The girlfriend escaped the fire with her child.

Crespo and Millan were arrested the following day in Connecticut.
For a Clark University student, paying $132 to retrieve his car after it was towed in violation of a city parking ban was a burden on his wallet. It eventually became the city's burden, as more than 100 residents were reimbursed for towing fees after the city failed to announce a parking ban on time last winter.

When a snowstorm rolled into the region on Jan. 17, 2016, the city declared a winter parking ban around 11:30 p.m. But it wasn't announced on the city's social media accounts until 1 a.m., and Alert Worcester, the city's emergency messaging system, did not notify residents of the ban until 8 a.m. on Jan. 18, eight and a half hours after it went into effect.

Because of the late hour, many people were asleep when the ban was announced and as cars began getting hooked up and towed away. Tows and tickets accumulated in the hundreds.

Worcester ended up paying back $20,672.84 to residents for the tow fees. The city also voided tickets.

"I want the money back from the tow because it wasn't my fault that the parking ban was released too late to move my car and I feel that if the parking ticket has been removed then the tow should be removed as well," Tyler Hutchinson wrote in his appeal for reimbursement. "I am a college student at Clark University and 132 dollars is especially a hefty price for me to pay. Considering the city of Worcester has admitted to the failure of their part then the tow was also due to the failure of them."

Hutchinson wasn't the only resident frustrated over having to shell out money for a tow without a warning beforehand.

Two Birch Street residents told the city the whole situation could have been easily avoided.

"If the ALERTWorcester notification had been issued before or at the time the parking ban was declared, as is standard procedure, this entire situation would have been avoided," read an identical note attached to claim forms submitted by Kenneth Vo and David LeBouef.

The letter given to the city by Birch Street residents.

MassLive submitted a public record's request in 2016 to obtain invoices and receipts for the refunded tows.

The city treasurer's office could not say exactly how many cars were towed during that parking ban. MassLive counted more than 100.

"We are very cognizant of making sure that something like that doesn't happen again," city spokesman John Hill said in an interview. Worcester officials are now announcing parking bans earlier, as soon as there is a hint of plowable snow in the forecast.

According to the city contract, tows cost $90 and storage is $35 after three hours. But each of the city's four contracted towing companies - Direnzo Towing & Recovery, Belsito Towing, Boulevard Towing and Early's Towing - can charge different fees for a fuel surcharge.

The surcharges changed the bills slightly for each tow company. Including those fees, tows ranged from $125 to $140.

A few residents picked up their cars within three hours, making their bill as little as $90. Storage fees increased to $70 for people who did not pick up their cars until the next day.

James Early, the owner of Early's Towing, told MassLive at the time that it was the shortest notice of a parking ban that he had ever received in his 20 years of working with the city.

This incident was not the only time the city apologized for a mistake with snow protocols.

City Manager Edward Augustus in December 2015 issued an apology to residents after plowing was delayed during another storm.
EPAs Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) has created an exciting new

grant program called the "Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem

Solving Grant Program."

(Thanks to Tod Kasten of the Eastern Montana Listserve for passing this along- Russ)

The grant program provides financial assistance to community-based

organizations who wish to engage in capacity-building initiatives, and

also utilize constructive engagement and collaborative problem-solving

to seek viable solutions for their communitys environmental and/or

public health issues.

Only non-profit, 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible to apply. If an

organization does not already have the 501(c)(3) status, they need to

obtain it before submitting a grant application (see information below).

The grants are due September 30, 2003, and will be awarded at $100,000,

for a project period of up to three years.

Attached are PDF versions of the Request for Applications (RFA),

Frequently Asked Questions, and the Fact Sheet for the new Collaborative

Problem-Solving Grant Program. This information and other info

resources are also available online at:

http://www.epa.gov/compliance/recent/ej.html

A hardcopy of the RFA can be requested by calling 1-800-962-6215 or send

an e-mail (which includes your complete mailing address) to: Ms. Rosa

Moore, US EPA/OEJ, MC-2201A, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC

20460.

Eligible community-based, non-profit organizations must have state

certification or federal 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. The information

on how obtain federal 501(c)(3) tax exempt status can be found in the

official Internal Revenue Service website for organizations looking to

file under 501(c)(3) tax exempt status:

http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96109,00.html

Applications must be date stamped by courier service or postmarked by

the U.S. Postal Service by 12 midnight (EDT), September 30, 2003. Use

the appropriate address below, depending on your method of delivery.

Via U.S. Postal Service

U.S. EPA/Office of Environmental Justice (MC 2201A)

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20460-0001

Attention: Linda K. Smith,Project Officer

Via Federal Express, Airborne, United Parcel Service or other courier

service

U.S. EPA/Office of Environmental Justice

Ariel Rios Building South, Room 2232

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20004

Attention: Linda K. Smith, Project Officer

Phone: 202-564-2602
U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced today that the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) will receive more than $1.3 million to continue funding its Tribal Wraparound Project, which addresses mental health issues in Indian Country.

"Our children are our future," said Tester, a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. "We have to make sure they have every resource they need to succeed and thats exactly what this funding will do for youth that attend public schools across Indian Country."

Since 2010, the Tribal Wraparound Project has improved the mental health and wellbeing of tribal youth and their families by providing high-quality support services beyond classroom instruction on reservations around the state, including the tribal communities of Frazer, Heart Butte, Hays-Lodgepole, Brockton, Lame Deer and Pryor.

The funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Mental Health & Substance Abuse Service Grant Program, which Tester supports as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Yellowstone Foreverformerly the Yellowstone Association and Yellowstone Park Foundationis the official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone Forever (YF) connects people to Yellowstone through outstanding visitor experiences and educational programs, and translates those experiences into lifelong support and philanthropic investment to conserve and enhance the park for the future. Our educational programming, products, and services help people enjoy, understand, and appreciate the wildlife, geology, and cultural history of the park.

Our operations include 11 educational Park Stores with gross sales of over $4.9 million; the Yellowstone Forever Institute which offers more than 600 in-depth programs each year; and a supporter program of over 50,000 Yellowstone enthusiasts raising funds to support critical park priority projects. The opportunities Yellowstone Forever provides for volunteerism and community relations develop and engage new stewards for the park.

Through thoughtful cultivation and stewardship of people who love the park, Yellowstone Forever is building a broad network of philanthropic supporters dedicated to preserving the park. YF has provided over $93 million in cash aid and over $46 million of in-kind support since 1933. Yellowstone

Forevers mission of engagement and support through education and fundraising for the park will ensure Yellowstone remains for generations to come. We connect people to Yellowstone today and work to protect it for tomorrow.

Opportunities  https://www.yellowstone.org/who-we-are/jobs/

Wed be very grateful if youd mention that you found this opportunity on MATR.net Thank you.
As part of the latest push to get more state money for public schools, thousands of sign-waving parents, students and school employees jammed the steps of the Capitol Monday morning then streamed into legislative office buildings to lobby their lawmakers.

As the crowd estimated by state officials as some 5,500 dispersed, many lined up behind numbers for each of the states 49 legislative districts. They marched to drums and verses of "We Shall Overcome" around the domed Legislative Building, into the hallways and stairwells of the House Office Building.

By Jim Camden

Full Story: http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/spincontrol/2017/jan/16/thousands-call-lawmakers-spend-more-schools/
Donald Trump met Monday with Martin Luther King III, who said he used his time with the president-elect to discuss strategies to fix the U.S.'s "broken voting system."

The oldest son of the civil rights leader trekked to Trump Tower amid renewed tensions between the incoming president and African Americans over Trump's weekend twitter attack on another civil rights icon, Georgia Congressman John Lewis. King told reporters his conversation with Trump focused on boosting voting rights for those who feel their freedoms are under threat.

"We did have a very constructive meeting," said King, who arrived at Trump Tower on the U.S. holiday honoring his father. Trump has said that he is going to represent all Americans and "I believe that is his intent," King added.

Trump didn't take questions from reporters following the meeting.

King III has advocated for the government to issue free photo-identification cards that citizens could use to vote if they lack a driver's license or another form of official ID. He said he would like Trump to direct the Social Security Administration to put a photo on the Social Security card of anyone who seeks such identification, or to direct the State Department to waive the $55 passport card fee for low-income Americans.

"Either approach is within the president's authority and would impose minimal costs to secure the most fundamental right for all Americans -- a right that most people consider priceless," King wrote in a Washington Post commentary.

King wrote that minority vote totals had fallen from previous elections in battleground states that were key to Trump's victory, including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. The declines may be attributable to legislative efforts intended to make it harder to vote, King wrote.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said on Twitter Monday morning that the meeting with King III was intended to discuss his late father's legacy. Trump was initially planning to travel to Washington Monday to visit the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture, but canceled because of scheduling issues, ABC News reported, citing transition sources.

A growing number of Democratic lawmakers have said they won't attend Trump's inauguration later this week following his criticism of Lewis, whose district includes much of Atlanta. The incoming president posted on Twitter Saturday that Lewis "should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk -- no action or results. Sad!"

The tweets came after Lewis, 76, said he didn't consider Trump a "legitimate president" because Russians helped him get elected. Lewis, who worked closely with Martin Luther King during the 1960s and suffered a cracked skull protesting for voting rights, made the comments in an interview with NBC News.

"In the heat of emotion, a lot of things get said on both sides," King III said in response to reporters' questions about the spat between Trump and Lewis.

Trump has repeatedly rejected suggestions that hacking by Russia or other actors helped him win. He did concede last week that the Russian government was behind the hacking of Democratic Party computers and the leaking of internal e-mails, as U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded.
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by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, January 4, 2017

While digital media startups are hardly rare, its probably safe to say that few executives have co-founded, incubated and been instrumental in driving the growth of as many visible ventures as Josh Engroff has in 16 years.

Engroff  selected as one of MediaPost's 2016 Online All Stars, in the media category  currently balances two extremely demanding roles. On the one hand, he serves as managing partner of KBS+ Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of advertising agency KBS and its holding company, MDC Partners. On the other, he serves as digital media officer at The Media Kitchen, the media planning and buying arm of KBS, with clients including Vanguard, Victoria Secrets Pink, Vail Resorts, Stanley Black & Decker, Seventh Generation and Noosa Yoghurt.

In his three years at KBS+  an early-stage investor in martech, ad tech and SaaS startups that talks to 500 startups a year  Engroff has led 13 deals in 10 companies, including Entrypoint VR, msg.ai, PlaceIQ, Indicative, AdsNative, Dextro and Mezzobit. Those deals ran the gamut of hot, emerging martech areas: AI and personalization, VR distribution, video analysis and computer vision, and mobile messaging, to name a few.

Its like having a front-row seat to the future, says Engroff  who is relishing the chance to be a venture capitalist himself, having pitched innumerable VCs during his earlier career.

His path began in the late 1990s, working for friends at e-commerce startup Dash.com. The venture raised a huge amount of money quickly, which led me to believe  for a short while  that being an entrepreneur was easy, he shares.

But the company, hit hard by the crash of April 2000, folded about a year later. Engroff left with important friendships, including ones with Jeremy Levine (a VC legend now at Bessemer Venture Partners), Rob Goldman (head of ad products at Facebook), and Jeff Brooks (president of Huge New York).

He also left with a deep love of the Internet, a knowledge of programming and core programs like Flash and Photoshop, the insight that raising too much money could be as disastrous for a startup as raising too little, and an understanding that being an entrepreneur is actually grueling  but a perfect fit for his personality.

There is nothing romantic or glamorous about being an entrepreneur, he says. In my experience, great ideas are a dime a dozen. The hard thing is execution. Its messy, unsexy and gritty. In fact, the one quality nearly all successful entrepreneurs have in common is grit: the determination and perseverance to keep moving forward despite physical, psychological, or financial pain.

Engroff warns would-be entrepreneurs that 90% of startups fail, and the 10% that survive take six to eight years, on average, to pay off with a sale or exit.

But relentless curiosity, along with a drive to create, keep the pain in context.

Creativity is about bringing something new into the world, he says. Creating a new company is a full-on commitment to an original endeavor that carries a risk of total failure.

Since Dash.com, he has co-founded three other startups. Two  digital music company Jango and design consultancy Marching Ant  are going concerns. Another, mobile programmatic DSP EveryScreen Media, was acquired in 2013 by Media6Degrees, since rebranded as Dstillery. He also led that companys mobile platform business unit for a time, driving 700%+ YOY revenue growth through product and business development, marketing, analytics and operational honing.

Engroff also spent a few years leading product and business development for Billboards mobile apps and online properties. (He won a National Magazine Award for best Web design for Billboard.com.) Later, under new owner Prometheus Global Media, he added digital oversight for The Hollywood Reporter and Adweek.



Engroff says his current dual roles at KBS+ and The Media Kitchen complement one another. Ive had the privilege of working with amazing people at some truly cool brands. Maintaining connections with clients keeps me tuned into marketers real challenges, he says. This helps me vet whether the startups were talking to are actually solving real problems.

Under his digital media leadership, The Media Kitchen won MediaPost's Mobile Agency of the Year in both 2015 and 2016, and Programmatic Agency of the Year in 2014.

He and his team contribute a winning media edge to numerous successful campaigns each year. In 2016, examples included a Noosa tool on Spotify that is inspiring thousands of consumers to generate custom playlists, and a campaign for the Justice tween fashion brand that generated 96% of its sales revenue and conversions from Instagram and Facebook.

In addition, Engroff plays a critical thought leadership role at the agency which, under president Barry Lowenthal, this year focused on emerging issues and areas, including VRs distribution problem, local programmatic TV, the Snapchat API, the bot problem, AI, and mobiles transformation of marketing, among others.

His influence is also very much felt In the broader industry. Hes a prolific, insightful writer for MediaPost and other business media, and hosts the annual Digital Media Venture Capital Conference, which attracts the biggest names in VC and Silicon Valley.

MediaPost's 2016 Online All Stars, celebrating nine outstanding achievers in online media, advertising and marketing, will be celebrated at an awards presentation on Jan. 19, in New York City.
by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, January 17, 2017

Prepare to be bombarded this week with hours and hours of commentary and analysis on TV about Donald Trump.

Its the run-up to Fridays peaceful transfer of presidential power, which for most of last year was anything but peaceful (although it was mostly non-violent).

The election drama of 2016 (and much of 2015 too) will be rehashed in detail all this week on the news shows and news channels where you expect to encounter this kind of endless and repetitive jibber-jabber.

While it sometimes seems as if this cacophony stands at the center of American life, it really doesnt. Despite all the hours, news resources and money thrown at all those million-dollar anchors and talk-show hosts -- and the attention given to them by journalists on the television beat -- the majority of Americans are not tuning in to all that noise.

With viewership in the low millions for even the highest-rated of the cable news talk shows (The OReilly Factor, for example), its clear that the panel discussions that pass for news these days on the news channels are not even faint blips on the radar screen for many, many more millions of Americans.

This might be why the prattling panelists of political punditry seem more and more like they are talking to each other these days. The discussions often seem to play like conversations between insiders.

The environment in which these people work and interact with each other is often described as a bubble -- in this case, one located at the intersection of news media and politics.

But a bubble suggests a potential for penetrability. Bubbles can be popped, right? I like to describe this insular class of media and political types as more like a gated community, where guards are on-hand to make sure the riff-raff and their unwanted opinions are kept out of the neighborhood and the conversation.

This weeks onslaught of commentary will consist mainly of talking heads talking to each other. Many of these commentators are the same people who got it all wrong while the campaign was underway, but will now offer their expertise once again to explain what happened. Take what they say with a grain of salt.

While most of the rehashing will take place in real time on the live talk shows on Fox News Channel, MSNBC and CNN this week, one lengthy look back will play out over two nights on PBS in a two-part Frontline starting Tuesday night (Jan. 17) and concluding on Wednesday.

Subtitled Divided States of America, this Frontline -- weighing in at about three hours in total length -- traces last years divisive politics all the way back to the beginning of Barack Obamas presidency, which started at a time when the U.S. economy was in meltdown.

The show reports on the rise of various political insurgents -- Sarah Palin, the Tea Party movement, young conservative Republicans such as Paul Ryan and Eric Canter, and others -- to set the stage for the biggest insurgent of them all, Donald Trump.

Tuesday nights Part I ends just after the 2010 midterm elections in which the Republicans won back the House and installed Rep. John Boehner as Speaker. Part II deals with everything that happened afterward, up through Trumps election.

The show posits that more than anything else, President Obamas healthcare legislation is the root cause of the divisiveness that characterizes government in Washington today. In support of this view, the story of the Affordable Care Acts evolution is retold in great detail.

Along the way, numerous talking heads are on hand to describe how ordinary Americans began to repudiate the influencers who hold sway in Washington -- from the entrenched political classes to elite news organizations.

Ironically, the great majority of the talking heads in this Frontline come from the very government and media institutions that voters are said to have repudiated -- the Obama administration, Congress, The New York Times and the Washington Post.

Once again, outsider voices -- perhaps representing the vast community of voters who swept Trump and the Republicans into office last November -- are missing.

Frontline: Divided States of America airs in two parts Tuesday (Jan. 17) and Wednesday (Jan. 18) at 9 p.m. Eastern on both nights, on PBS.
by Bob Garfield , Featured Columnist, January 17, 2017

There is no surprise in the news that FTC Chair Edith Ramirez is leaving the agency. And not just because a Republican will take the chair. It is because the FTC will basically cease to exist.

The regulatory agencies still have not entirely regained the momentum lost in the Reagan administration, when GOP foxes were appointed to guard the henhouses of government and feasted on chicken dinner for the next 12 years.

Of course, Donald Trump has trumped even The Great Deregulator, offering the Department of Education to Betsy DeVos, who wishes to dismantle public education via white-flight vouchers; the Environmental Protection Agency to Scott Pruitt, a climate-change denier; the Department of Labor to fast-food tycoon Andy Puzder, who has agitated against a higher minimum wage; and the Department of Energy to Rick Perry, who campaigned on disbanding it.

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It's a conservative wet dream and a societal nightmare. But even among those ongoing catastrophes, the Federal Trade Commission will stand out. Because Trump personally violates the most fundamental rules for consumer protection almost every day.

For starters, of course, he is a pathological liar. If he were Procter & Gamble selling soap instead of a demagogue selling fear, he would be tied up in enforcement actions for all eternity.

Let me tell you: the miners in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, which was so great to me last week and Ohio and all over, they're going to start to work again, believe me.

No, I don't believe you, because it isn't true. Even if there were a growing market for coal (which there is not and never will be again because of uncompetitive financial and environmental costs), the jobs disappeared decades ago, when strip mining replaced subterranean mining. It was the emptiest of promises and a naked lie, but Appalachia bought his goods.

Voters equally bought his angry-sounding tirades about China's trade cheating and U.S. corporate offshore manufacturing when he used Chinese steel in his own developments and manufactured his Trump apparel in China. What the FTC calls this sort of behavior is consumer deception.

Then there is his sordid history of actual consumer fraud. Trump University was a scheme built on a foundation of fabrication, not least of which the guaranty that Trump handpicked the instructors who would teach enrollees the secrets of real estate. In a 2012 deposition in the fraud case against him, Trump could not identify a single instructor. That's but one reason the man who never settles paid $25 million to get the lawsuit behind him.

Sad! And illegal.

One area in which the FTC has been active in the past 8 years is the regulation of commercial endorsement on social media. It has cracked down on celebrity tweets that are undisclosed or insufficiently disclosed as paid endorsements. Now, there is more than one way to be paid. Quid pro quo is not measured only in cash money. (Although, you know, sometimes unlawful cash contributions from foundations do work wonders to make Florida criminal fraud allegations -- like Trump U. tuition money -- just disappear into nothingness.) This can express itself in many ways, from sudden reversals in foreign policy regarding Russian tyrants to a sudden love of the outdoors for a man who never stepped on earthly soil unless between tee and green.

Donald J. Trump 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

It is, of course, highly irregular and probably unprecedented for a president to explicitly endorse a business. But it's not as though Bean were a vocal Trump booster who had donated a fortune to his campaign.

Oh, wait. Yes, she was. Yet somehow Trump did not label his bizarre tweet as a paid endorsement. Warner Bros. and Lord & Taylor did the same thing, and got their ears boxed for their omission.

So, no, there is no earthly reason for Edith Ramirez to remain in the FTC henhouse. To paraphrase Shakespeare very slightly: When good manners shall lie in one or two men's hands and they unwashed too, tis a fowl thing.
by Aaron Baar , January 16, 2017

Trust in institutions such as the media, government and business leaders continues to decline all over the world.

According to Edelmans Trust Barometer, faith in the media is at an all-time low in 17 countries out of 28 surveyed, while trust in government dropped in 14 markets across the world, and is the least-trusted institution in half of all countries evaluated. Trust in business leaders is also imperiled, dropping in every market surveyed.

Indeed, more than half (53%) of the global respondents felt the system was working against them, offering little help for the future. (Only 15% believed it was working for them; the remainder felt uncertain.) Although trust was higher among informed members of the public, more than half of them said the system was failing.

We see a growing and continuing disparity in trust levels between the mass population and the informed public, with the mass substantially less trusting than those with higher levels of income and education, Kathy Beiser, global chair of Edelman's corporate practice, tells Marketing Daily. This crisis in trust has profound implications for institutions and their leadersthe mass population simply doesnt believe the system works for them anymore.

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The decline in institutional faith suggests the organizations need to adopt a new operating model that moves beyond the traditional top-down, siloed structure to one that suggests shared responsibility in creating solutions, Beiser says. For business, it requires a long-term mindset that looks beyond quarterly numbers, she says.

For marketers, the implications mean a continued need to work on consumer engagement, rather than top-down marketing. According to the research, consumers find a companys social media channel more believable than its advertising. With employees now the most credible spokesperson for an organization on any topic, business needs to empower and leverage these individuals to reach their stakeholders, a trend that has profound implications for how marketers approach consumer engagement, Beiser says.

They also need to spend time explaining the thinking behind innovations and take steps to ensure people dont get or feel left behind by them.

Marketers have done an excellent job telling people about the benefits of their innovations, but we believe they have to also address the downsides, Beiser says. If we remove cashiers from stores and drivers from cars, for example, what kind of commitment is business going to make with regards to the jobs that are lost as a result? Business must partner with government and its peers to help find solutions to these issues; otherwise, we believe that trustand the corresponding stability of our societies  will continue to diminish.
by Chase Martin , January 16, 2017

NASAs Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida just launched three virtual reality experiences in an effort to appeal to younger demographics and increase general interest in space.

The three experiences include a virtual space walk around the International Space Station, an educational tour of the solar system and a virtual tour of the Space Center Visitor Complex itself.

Each experience is contained within an individual smartphone app that works in conjunction with custom-branded NASA VR headsets, dubbed Space Visors, which are purchasable online or in the giftshop at the complex. The experiences were developed by Florida-based brandVR.

This was really intended to be something that would allow the visitors to be able to take a piece of space back home with them, Mahmoud Mattan, co-founder and CEO of brandVR, told the IoT Daily.

We worked with physicists and astronauts at NASA to make sure everything that we showed in the experience was actually true, Mattan said.

The goal of this campaign and reason for using VR and immersive experiences is to attract younger demographics to increase their excitement for space, according to Mattan.

Kennedy Space Center was having a huge problem attracting the youth to the Space Center; there was sort of an age gap that you would see when you would go to the Space Center, Mattan told the IoT Daily.

After sending a team of game developers to do an audit of the Kennedy Space Center, using virtual reality as the platform was determined to be the best route, mostly due to its immersive and engaging nature, Mattan said.

The experiences are interactive, to a degree. The headsets dont have any physical controllers or triggers, which are common in other mobile-based VR viewers. Rather, the experiences utilize so-called gaze UI, which triggers interactive elements when the user pauses on content for a certain period of time.

Kiosks with the headsets are located throughout the complex for visitors to get a sense of the experience, in addition to offering the headsets for purchase at the gift shop.

Two of the experiences are fully computer generated VR and the virtual tour of Kennedy Space Center utilizes a combination of CGI content and 360 photo and video content captured at the Space Center.

Integrating VR and AR into marketing efforts, especially for experiential activations, is going to become more popular with brands moving forward, according to Mattan.

Virtual reality and augmented reality, these technologies are really going to be influential this year as the headsets are getting more adoption and brands are willing to spend a little bit more money on this sort of experiential marketing, Mattel told the Daily.

Youve seen a lot of brands kind of dipping their toes in it and theyve seen some early success, he said. Eventually, I think well see full-on AR/VR marketing teams inside companies.
by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, January 17, 2017

Donald Trumps inauguration this Friday is becoming an ominous microcosm of his campaign. It will likely preface an unstable and contentious four years.

Masses of demonstrators are expected to descend upon Washington, D.C., in protest. City officials report that significantly more buses have applied for parking spots in the capitals largest lot for Saturday, when the womens march is taking place, than have been sought for Trumps inauguration on Friday.

The protests wont be limited to the streets.

A number of lawmakers have made their feelings about the president-elect crystal clear. As of today, at least 40 Democratic lawmakers plan to skip, or as some have said, boycott the inauguration of our 45th president.

Donald Trump had a chance to lower tensions after Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) spoke out against the president-elect, calling him illegitimate, citing Russian interference in the election. Instead of reacting on Twitter, Trump could have ignored Lewis claim in a dignified manner.

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He especially should have refrained from making uninformed and stereotypical comments about the Congressmans district.

The Lewis-Trump feud has thrown even more kindling on the fire of what will prove to be a volatile inauguration weekend. Lewis is being joined by various other legislators in his boycott of Donald Trumps inauguration. Some are choosing to skip proceedings precisely because of how Trump handled the Lewis comment.

Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) told Don Lemon on CNN last night that she decided to miss the inauguration because of Trumps conduct over the weekend. When I heard that Trump denigrated and disrespected the greatest civil rights leader of our time, I couldnt believe it. Having the fight on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend was the last straw.

The country is in for a wild ride on Friday and over the weekend, an apt foreshadowing of what many expect the Trump presidency to be: an endless battleground on the domestic and global stage.

These inaugurations tend to reflect the character, personality and aspirations of the person preparing to occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian at New York University, told The Washington Post. It would be un-Trumpian for there not to be some spectacle.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, January 17, 2017

Baidu has named Qi Lu group president and COO in charge of products, technology, sales, marketing and operations, effective immediately. The former Microsoft EVP will further China's top search engine work in artificial intelligence.



"Dr. Lu possesses a wealth of leadership and management experience, and is a leading authority in the area of artificial intelligence," said Robin Li, Baidu's chairman and group CEO, in a prepared statement,

Artificial intelligence is a key strategic focus for Baidu during the next decade. At Microsoft, Lu ran search, productivity, communications, education and other services for products such as Office, Skype and Bing.

Lu received bachelor and master's degrees in computer science from Fudan University in Shanghai and a PhD in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University . He holds more than 40 U.S. patents.

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One of the patents that went up for sale in the Excalibur portfolio held by Yahoo describes a search system and method with an integration of user annotations. Users can annotate and view their annotations for any document they encounter while interacting with the collection of written text, including queries returned in a search.

The patent also describes how users can search their annotations or limit searches to documents they have annotated. Metadata from annotations can also be aggregated across users and aggregated metadata applied in generating search results.

Lu joined Yahoo in 1998 and later became SVP in charge of search and advertising technologies, and subsequently became EVP in 2007. In 2009, he joined Microsoft as president of its Online Services Group, and shortly after was appointed g lobal EVP in charge of its Office business.
The writing has been on the wall for some time. But where it once spelled out Yahoo, it now says Altaba.

The Yahooligans are no more. Bereft of life, they rest in peace. Marissa Mayer may be riding off into the Silicon Valley sunset with her golden parachute trailing behind. The parking lot attendants at 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, California could soon be sandblasting her name off the CEOs reserved parking spot. And, predictably, we Internet codgers are mourning the loss of yet another digital pioneer.

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But heres the thing. For the last 150 years the point of a corporation is not to be a permanent fixture. In this world, thats truer than ever. So wed better get used to stepping around a growing pile of corporate corpses.

The notion of a corporation has been around since Roman times. The name comes from the Latin corpus (body) and means body of people. The original idea was that a corporation would live on beyond the lifespan of any of its members. This has certainly been true of the Stora Kopparberg, a mining community in Sweden, the oldest corporation in the world. It started in 1347.

But things changed in 1855 with the passing of the Limited Liability Act in England. This flipped the idea of the perpetuity of a corporation on its head. This legislation allowed shareholders to walk away from the wreckage of a failed corporation without assuming any personal liability. It enabled serial entrepreneurialism and lowered the threshold of tolerable risk.

In short, corporate limited liability law made it okay for business people to try and possibly fail.

In the century and a half since the passing of the Limited Liability Act (and similar legislation in most U.S. states) we somehow believed that corporations existed to build size and scale, as befits a market thats preoccupied with mass. Economist Ronald Coase said the reason corporations exist is that because in imperfect markets, there is less friction doing things inside an organization than outside, making corporate structures more profitable than open markets. That was true in markets that built physical things from raw materials scattered around the world and then also had to distribute those things to distant markets.

But thats not the world we live in. The world we live in is the world of rapid iteration and Eric Ries Minimum Viable Product. Increasingly, these products are not made of physical stuff but of digital bytes, where there is very little in the way of transactional costs.

I think we have to start thinking of the Minimum Viable Company: companies that can be assembled quickly around a market need, but also can be disassembled and repurposed quickly. In todays world, thats the purpose of an organization: Its a transitory thing.

In their book "Creative Destruction," Richard Foster and Sarah Kaplan envision a new corporate structure more like a venture capital fund. A corporation should be made up of a number of transitory operating units that explore market opportunities in a Darwinian fashion. Arguably, this is closer to the model adopted by Google with Alphabet and, ironically, the new corporate structure of Altaba.

But even here, corporate hubris tends to get in the way. At some point, inevitably, the powers that be begin to believe theyre smarter than the market and build an illusion of sustainability. As economist Joseph Schumpeter said, The problem that is usually being visualized is how capitalism administers existing structures, whereas the relevant problem is how it creates and destroys them.

Corporations have a vested interest in the status quo. Cognitive biases being what they are, well always favor what we have rather than what we should build. For this reason, I think Coases justification for the corporation might be on its last legs.

That was definitely true of Yahoo. It was a corporation that lived beyond its time. Sooner or later, that had to catch up with it.
by P.J. Bednarski , Staff Writer @pjbtweet, January 17, 2017

Following Donald Trumps surprise election, ad executive Lena Petersen kicked around what it meant with her Chicago colleagues at MediaLink. We joked Trump was our first O-T-T candidate.

But it is no over-the-top joke. Petersen, MediaLinks chief brand officer, was appearing on a MediaPost panel Tuesday that asked the provocative question: Is Donald Trump really something like President Uber, a disruptive brand who filled a market void the rest of the politicians never noticed existed?

With her was Andrew Kasprzycki, EVP and managing director at Starcom Worldwide, and Joe Mandese, MediaPost editor.

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The answer seems to be yes, with one big asterisk.

Kasprzycki, whose clients include disruptive lodging app Airbnb, says brands like Uber, Spotify, Airbnb and Dollar Shave Club fill gaps in the market, but their urgent need is to ring the cash register every darn day. That gives those famous but brand-new brands a sustainability requirement that might differ than Trumps.

Its too early to know if hes a massive shift or a bit of a fad.

Added Petersen later: You have to have a great product.

Mandese asked: So bottom line, does he make America great again?

The ad agency panelists gave Trump good marks for navigating the disrupted waters relatively flawlessly. Petersen said Trumps camp was nimble enough to recognize polling data that rushed him to Wisconsin on the weekend before the election, while Democrat Hillary Clinton kept a more conventional campaign schedule.

As Democrats kept their eyes on data like likely voters, Trumps side played a direct-to-consumers angle.

If you cant act fast, youre soon to be disrupted, she said.

Petersen, Kasprzycki and Mandese are part of a one-day Politics Marketing confab in Washington.

Earlier in the day, Robert Aho, partner at BrabenderCox, a Republican political consultant firm, chatted with two other political advertising pros that usually work with conservative candidates and issues. He discussed what was learned in 2016 from down-ticket strategies.

Ben Angle from National Media Research, and Elizabeth Kalmbach from KSM Media agreed that in 2016, it no longer seemed risky or odd to put money into digital ad venues.

Something had to give and frankly, it was about time, said Kalmbach, KSM vice president and group media director. Angle said media analysts who try to measure the tone and substance of political ads often miss the action going on in local markets.

Kalmbach said her clients gave her maximum flexibility about where to place ads, offsetting minimal budget.

Running a campaign for a right-to-life issue in Michigan, Kalmbach had two particularly strong commercials that went against conventional online ad rules. They were 120-seconds long, for one, and soft-themed as opposed to many Right to Life ads that are more negative. Those ads got earned media traction and performed so well with audiences, she also booked them on TV.

Her takeaway is that sometimes, agencies hired to create ads for online video go about it differently and come up with ads that are more thoughtful than TV spots that by now are more formulaic.

pj@mediapost.com
by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, January 17, 2017

President-elect Donald Trump reportedly is considering appointing Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes as the new chairman of the Federal Trade Commission.

If so, the move could bode poorly for Google. Last year, Reyes and D.C. Attorney General D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine wrote to the FTC to urge the agency to reopen an investigation into whether Google wrongly promoted its own services in the search results.

The FTC closed its probe in 2003 after concluding that Google's main reason for touting its own offerings was to improve consumers' experience, as opposed to harming competitors.

Last February, Reyes asked the FTC to weigh reopening the investigation based on new developments, including antitrust charges against Google in Europe. "The issue of local search result fairness is an evolving issue in a fast paced digital economy," he wrote.

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Reyes also pointed to a 2015 study -- funded by Yelp, a critic of Google -- which concluded that Google potentially degrades its search results, to the detriment of users. Our findings suggest that Google is -- in some instances -- actually making its overall product worse for users in order to provide favorable treatment to Google content, states the paper, which was co-authored by legal scholar and net neutrality proponent Tim Wu and Harvard Business School's Michael Luca.

Reyes previously served as general counsel for the technology company eTAGZ, according to Politico, which first reported that he was a candidate to head the FTC.
Children whose parents considered them to be 'overweight' tended to gain more weight over the following decade compared with children whose parents thought they were a 'normal' weight, according to analyses of data from two nationally representative studies published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The findings indicate that children whose parents identified them as being overweight perceived their own body size more negatively and were more likely to attempt to lose weight, factors that partly accounted for their weight gain.

"Although parents' perception that their children are overweight has been presumed to be important to management of childhood obesity, recent studies have suggested the opposite; when a parent identifies a child as being overweight, that child is at increased risk of future weight gain," psychology researchers Eric Robinson (University of Liverpool) and Angelina Sutin (Florida State University College of Medicine) write in their paper.

"We argue that the stigma attached to being an overweight child may explain why children whose parents view them as being overweight tend to have elevated weight gain during development," they add.

Drawing from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, Robinson and Sutin examined data for 2,823 Australian families. As part of the study, researchers measured the children's height and weight when they began the study as 4- or 5-year-olds. At that time, the children's parents reported whether they thought the children were best described as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or very overweight.

Later, when they were 12 or 13, the children used a series of images depicting bodies that increased in size to indicate which image most resembled their own body size. The children also reported whether they had engaged in any behaviors in an attempt to lose weight in the previous 12 months.

Researchers took height and weight measurements again when the children were 14 or 15 years old.

The results indicated that parents' perceptions were associated with children's weight gain 10 years later: Children whose parents considered them to be overweight at age 4 or 5 tended to gain more weight by age 14 or 15.

And this association could be accounted for, at least in part, by the children's beliefs and behaviors. That is, children whose parents thought they were overweight perceived their own body size more negatively and were more likely to report attempts to lose weight.

The results were the same for boys and girls, and they could not be explained by other possible factors, such as household income, presence of a medical condition, and parents' weight.

Importantly, the link between parents' perceptions and children's later weight gain did not depend on how much the child actually weighed when they began the study.

When Robinson and Sutin examined data from 5,886 Irish families participating in the Growing Up in Ireland study, they saw the same pattern of results.

Using these data, the researchers cannot determine whether parents' perceptions actually caused their children's weight gain, but "the findings of the present studies support the proposition that parents' perception of their children as overweight could have unintended negative consequences on their children's health," Robinson and Sutin conclude.

E. Robinson was funded by the Medical Research Council. A. R. Sutin was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Grant 1R15-HD083947.

Article: Parents' Perceptions of Their Children as Overweight and Children's Weight Concerns and Weight Gain, Eric Robinson, Angelina R. Sutin, Psychological Science, doi: 10.1177/0956797616682027, published 13 January 2017.
A study shows that a certain intervention called testimony therapy plus ceremony reduced symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression among Khmer Rouge torture survivors from across Cambodia.

Testimony therapy included individual counselling, whereby the clients told their life stories, including traumatic events, and counselors provided support and documented the details of the narratives. After sessions, the counselors transcribed the narratives, which were compiled into books for the clients. Next, a culturally adapted ceremony involved a Buddhist ritual and a truth-telling event to which community members and non-governmental organization representatives were invited.

"We found that testimony therapy was effective at reducing the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD among Khmer Rouge survivors. This is especially notable because the intervention was brief (five days), culturally adapted (and adaptable), and was conducted in a low resource context," said Dr. Jennifer Esala, co-author of the Journal of Traumatic Stress study. "We hope that these findings encourage researchers to continue to study testimony therapy more closely and for practitioners to consider its applicability in their work."

Co-author Sopheap Taing noted that participants often shared their experiences related to the ceremony component of the intervention. "[It] is a healing process that allows us to honor the deceased person and to feel forgiveness towards the perpetrators and to let it go," said one participant. "When it comes to our suffering, [it] means taking the thorn out from our heart. If we keep it there, it will still hurt us."
It is beneficial to systematise the exchange of information between parents, preschool and child care centres (CHCs) to increase the focus on young children with mental health problems. This is shown in a recently conducted study from Uppsala University, published in the journal PLOS One.

" All three groups in our study - nurses, preschool teachers and parents - thought that the systematic approach works well and that the routine with questionnaires provides more knowledge about the children for both preschool and child healthcare services. However, the use of standardised questionnaires is a controversial issue among preschool teachers," says Elizabeth Falt, PhD student and district nurse, who carried out the study.

Although it is the child healthcare system's task to monitor children's health, behaviour and development, it is preschool teachers that possess much of the information needed to make a comprehensive assessment of the child. Their knowledge is not systematically utilised within child healthcare since there is no established channel for information sharing between the healthcare and preschool systems.

The ongoing study "Children and Parents in Focus" was launched in Uppsala, Sweden, in 2013. The study evaluated a method to enhance communication between parents, preschool and child healthcare, regarding children's mental health.

When the parents of all 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds in Uppsala receive the invitation letter for the child's annual visit to the child health centre, they also receive an additional form with 25 questions. This form, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), is widely used internationally and contains questions about the child's behaviour, emotions, and social relationships.

The parents receive three SDQ forms. If the family agrees to participate in the study, the parents each complete a separate form and take the third questionnaire to their child's preschool for the teachers to complete. The completed forms are then returned to the CHC nurse and reviewed during the child's regular visits to the CHC.

All stakeholders were in favour of the new procedure, though all stakeholders also noted some problems.

CHC nurses think the forms are important for their assessment and constitute a good basis for a more complete evaluation of the child. CHC nurses acknowledge that they gain knowledge of the child that they would probably have missed without the form. They also feel that it is valuable to get information from both parents and preschool teachers, since they see the child in different environments that make different demands. Unfortunately, CHC nurses finds that socially vulnerable families, and families with a child where problems are suspected, refrain from completing the forms more often than other families.

Preschool teachers want to identify and help children with difficulties and most preschool teachers think that the transfer of information using the SDQ can be a good tool for that. But the interviews also showed that the use of structured forms to assess children's social and emotional development is a controversial issue among preschool teachers. "They argue that the use of structured (normative) forms is regarded as outdated in preschool and that such tools are contradictory to preschool's policy documents. They fear the children might be labelled and thus affected negatively in the future if they are assessed with standardised forms. Nevertheless, preschools have a responsibility to offer all children adequate support in their development and to collaborate with parents, so there is a conflict there," says Elizabeth Falt.

The preschool teachers also feel worried about parents' reactions to the preschool assessment. At the same time, they acknowledge that the information transfer benefits the preschool, as the new routine can contribute by giving the preschool a more detailed picture of each child and can result in good collegial discussions.

Parents look forward to learning about part of the preschool's assessment at the child healthcare centre visit. They think that the forms get them to reflect on their child's situation and behaviour, which they perceive as positive. They also think that the questionnaire can lead to valuable discussions with the other parent, as the points initiate discussions they would not otherwise have. Nevertheless, parents have some concerns about how personal information is handled and used; like the preschool teachers, they are afraid that the information they provide through SDQ might have negative consequences for the child in the long run.
Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, have found a way to reprogram mouse embryonic stem cells so that they exhibit developmental characteristics resembling those of fertilized eggs, or zygotes.

These "totipotent-like" stem cells are able to generate not only all cell types within a developing embryo, but also cell types that facilitate nutrient exchange between the embryo and the mother.

For now, the new stem cell lines UC Berkeley researchers have created will help scientists understand the first molecular decisions made in the early embryo. Ultimately, however, these insights could broaden the repertoire of tissues that can be generated from stem cells, with significant implications for regenerative medicine and stem cell-based therapy.

A fertilized egg is thought to possess full developmental potential, able to generate all cell types required for embryo gestation, including the developing embryo and its extra-embryonic tissues. A unique feature of placental mammals, extra-embryonic tissues such as the placenta and yolk sac are vital for nutrient and waste exchange between the fetus and mother.

By contrast, most embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells are more restricted in their developmental potential, able to form embryonic cell types, but not extra-embryonic tissues. The ability of a fertilized egg to generate both embryonic and extra-embryonic tissues is referred to as "totipotency," an ultimate stem cell state seen only during the earliest stages of embryonic development.

"Studies on embryonic development greatly benefit from the culture system of embryonic stem cells and, more recently, induced pluripotent stem cells. These experimental systems allow scientists to dissect key molecular pathways that specify cell fate decisions in embryonic development," said team leader Lin He, a UC Berkeley associate professor of molecular and cell biology. "But the unique developmental potential of a zygote, formed right after the sperm and egg meet, is very, very difficult to study, due to limited materials and the lack of a cell-culture experimental system."

He's new study not only reveals a novel mechanism regulating the "totipotent-like" stem cell state, but also provides a powerful cell-culture system to further study totipotency.

She and her colleagues reported their research online in advance of print publication in the journal Science.

MicroRNAs and stem cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells, harvested from three-and-a-half-day-old mouse embryos or five-and-a-half-day-old human embryos, are referred to as pluripotent because they can become any of the thousands of cell types in the body. They have generated excitement over the past few decades because scientists can study them in the laboratory to discover the genetic switches that control the development of specialized tissues in the embryo and fetus, and also because of their potential to replace body tissues that have broken down, such as pancreatic cells in those with diabetes or heart muscle cells in those with congestive heart failure. These stem cells can also let researchers study the early stages of genetic disease.

As an alternative to harvesting them from embryos, scientists can also obtain pluripotent stem cells by treating mature somatic cells with a cocktail of transcription factors to regress them so that they are nearly as flexible as embryonic stem cells. These artificially derived stem cells are called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

Neither ES nor iPS cells, however, are as flexible as the original fertilized egg, which can form extra-embryonic as well as embryonic tissues. By the time embryonic stem cells are harvested from a mouse or human embryo, the cells have already committed to either an embryonic or an extra-embryonic lineage.

MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that do not translate into proteins, yet have a profound impact on gene expression regulation. He and her colleagues found that a microRNA called miR-34a appears to be a brake preventing both ES and iPS cells from producing extra-embryonic tissues. When this microRNA was genetically removed, both ES and iPS cells were able to expand their developmental decisions to generate embryo cell types as well as placenta and yolk sac linages. In their experiments, about 20 percent of embryonic stem cells lacking the microRNA exhibited expanded fate potential. Furthermore, this effect could be maintained for up to a month in cell culture.

"What is quite amazing is that manipulating just a single microRNA was able to greatly expand cell fate decisions of embryonic stem cells," He said. "This finding not only identifies a new mechanism that regulates totipotent stem cells, but also reveals the importance of non-coding RNAs in stem cell fate."

Additionally, in this study, He's group discovered an unexpected link between miR-34a and a specific class of mouse retrotransposons. Long regarded as "junk DNA," retrotransposons are pieces of ancient foreign DNA that make up a large fraction of the mammalian genome. For decades, biologists assumed that these retrotransposons serve no purpose during normal development, but He's findings suggest they may be closely tied to the decision-making of early embryos.

"An important open question is whether these retrotransposons are real drivers of developmental decision making," said Todd MacFanlan, a co-author of the current study and a researcher at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Bethesda, Maryland.

Co-authors with He are graduate student Yong Jin Choi, postdoctoral fellows Chao-Po Lin and Davide Risso, graduate student Sean Chen and undergraduate Thomas Aquinas Kim, along with statistics professor Terence Speed of UC Berkeley. Meng How Tan and Jin Li of Stanford University, Yalei Wu of Thermo Fisher Scientific in South San Francisco, Caifu Chen of Integrated DNA Technologies in Redwood City, Zhenyu Xuan of the University of Texas at Dallas, Weiqun Peng of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Kent Lloyd of UC Davis and Sang Yong Kim of the New York University School of Medicine, all contributed to this work.

He's work was funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (RN2-00923-1), National Cancer Institute (R01 CA139067), National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01GM114414) and a faculty scholar award from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Asthma

Advertisement

Identifying Asthma

Re-diagnosis of Asthma Patients

Many of the study participants had minor health issues that ranged from heart burn to allergies

28% of the participants had nothing wrong with them

2% had serious conditions like heart disease or pulmonary hypertension which was misdiagnosed as asthma. These patients were then guided for more appropriate treatment.

"Not Surprised"

Previous Study by Dr. Aaron

30% of asthma patients were misdiagnosed

A Canadian survey from 2010 showed that

8.5% of Canadians over 12 years of age were diagnosed with asthma

Request their doctor for a breathing test (spirometry) to identify if they have asthma or some other chronic pulmonary disease.

Take their medication regularly

Asthma is a long-term illness associated with the airways which include bronchial tubes. Asthma results in the airways becoming inflamed and swollen with the muscles tightening when symptoms are triggered. This restricts the passage of air moving in and out of the lungs, leading to symptoms that include wheezing , chest tightness, shortness of breath as well as coughing.The study involved 613 random patients who were from 10 different Canadian cities who were diagnosed with asthma during the last five years. They were made to undergo a series of detailed breathing tests after which they were checked by lung specialist who ruled out asthma in a third of the patients.The medical records of 530 of the study participants were analyzed and the original diagnosis was determined. One of the significant aspects of the study was that in nearly 49% of the study participants the physicians did not order air flow tests, a test that was deemed necessary according to medical guidelines.When the study participants were re-diagnosed, it was found thatDr. Aaron said that most patients, who received the news that they did not have asthma, were not surprised at all. Some people felt that their "puffer" wasn't working while others believed that they had a more serious condition. Most of the conditions that were diagnosed as a result of this study were not serious and could be treated easily.The study also details the situation of Becky Hollingsworth who is a 72-year-old retired nurse who was diagnosed to have asthma about two years ago. During the course of the study, she found out that she suffered a temporary breathing problem which led to shortness of breath, remnants of her bout with pneumonia. Becky said that she was happy that she did not have asthma and though she was falsely diagnosed, she had to deal with problems associated with chronic illness, like increased insurance while traveling and the need to take medications.This study is not the first time that Dr. Aaron has been studying the gross misdiagnosis of asthma. In a previous study conducted in 2008,Asthma is a life-long condition, though it could become less intense or could completely go away.Dr. Aaron said that there was a need to educate physicians and that public had a right for correct diagnosis. The public who suffer from persistent breathing difficulty should:The severity of asthma necessitates appropriate medical attention but misdiagnosis could result in unnecessary medication as well as increased insurance costs.Source: Medindia
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Stephen Beverley et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; (2017)

An ongoing infection constantly reminds the immune system what the organism looks like and keeps the immune system on alert against new encounters, even while it carries the risk of causing disease later in life, the researchers found.This understanding could help researchers design vaccines and treatments for persistent pathogens."People had been thinking of the role of the immune system in persistent infection in terms of mowing down any pathogens that reactivate in order to protect the body from disease," said Stephen Beverley, PhD, the Marvin A. Brennecke Professor of Molecular Microbiology and the study's senior author."What was often overlooked was that in the process of doing this, the immune system is constantly being stimulated, which potentially promotes protection against future illness." Beverley added.A small population of microbes remains in the body in persistent infections, long after the patient's symptoms are gone.Microbes including bacteria responsible for tuberculosis and viruses that lead to herpes and chickenpox can also cause persistent infections."A lot of pathogens cause persistent infections, but the process was something of a black box," said Michael Mandell, PhD, the first author on the study. Mandell, who conducted the research for the study as a graduate student, is now an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico. "Nobody really knew what was going on during persistent infection and why it was associated with immunity."Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis studied leishmaniasis, to explain the seemingly paradoxical connection between long-term infection and long-term immunity.Leishmaniasis is caused by leishmania, a group of parasites that cause ulcers on the skin and can infect internal organs. It can lead to disfigurement and kills an estimated 250 million people every year. Approximately 12 million people have active disease.Once a person is infected, he or she is protected from getting sick a second time. In other words, infection confers long-term immunity.This is because, people continue to harbor the parasite at low numbers for years after they recover from the disease, which benefits them.The researchers used fluorescent markers to distinguish different types of mouse cells, and found that most of the parasites harbor in immune cells that are capable of killing the parasites.The parasites appeared normal in shape and size and continued to multiply, yet the total number of parasites stayed the same over time and did not increase."Mike Mandell called it the 'Jimmy Hoffa effect' because we couldn't locate the body," Beverley said. "We were unable to show directly that the parasites were being killed. But some of them must have been dying because the numbers weren't going up."The immune cells that houses the parasites are responsible for killing pathogens and activating a more robust immune response."It seems that our immunologic memory needs reminding sometimes," Mandell said. "As the persistent parasites replicate and get killed, they are continually stimulating the immune system, keeping it primed and ready for any new encounters with the parasite."The research is published inSource: Medindia
Microsoft has filed a patent in which it details that they are currently working on a foldable Surface phone that converts into a Surface Tablet. In general, patents feature some of the craziest concept art we have ever come across and some of them never even make it to the production line.

However, there are many patents that actually become a reality and Microsofts own Surface Studio is a prime example. Microsoft filed for a Mobile Computing Device patent in February 2016 and it later turned out to be the newly launched Microsoft Surface Studio.

 US Patents and Trademark Office

Last year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that the company was only three years away from making phones that could double up and function as a PC. Microsoft has been pushing the envelope and we showed you all, last week, how they are more innovative than Apple today.

Microsofts patent for a Mobile Computing Device Having a Flexible Hinge Structure shows how they will achieve what they are aiming for.

 US Patent and Trademark Office

Thanks to hinges, the phone will fold out flat and also double up as a tablet when required.

 US Patent and Trademark Office

The phone could even have three screens in total

 US Patent and Trademark Office

Screen resolution sizes are also detailed

 US Patent and Trademark Office

It can also be folded like this to view two screens at once

 US Patent and Trademark Office

A foldable phone is no longer a gimmick as every company is now investing their time in developing a one. We can expect the first models from Samsung, Xiaomi and LG very soon.

If Microsoft is successful in manufacturing a foldable device like they have proposed, we can assume that they will be dealing out a dose of tough competition to the market leaders and might even take over the smartphone market as we know it.
JOURNALIST: Mr. Minister, let me start with all of the latest developments following the Geneva Conference, with everything we've heard about you from your Turkish counterpart Mr. Cavusoglu, who said that you left the negotiating table, and then regarding the latest report from an international news network, which got a lot of play, about your role in the negotiations from here on.



N. KOTZIAS: It is well known that the Greek government and I, as Foreign Minister, are striving persistently for a solution to the Cyprus problem. What we are also doing persistently is defining what the solution to the Cyprus problem is. We are not trying to solve a mathematical equation, nor are we considering how a house is to be built. We are trying to solve a political international problem that arose from the illegal occupation of Cyprus by Turkish armed forces in 1974. Consequently, the solution to the Cyprus problem is for the Turkish armed forces to leave through a process that we have proposed and discussed, and for the elimination of the status being invoked by Turkey, from the Zurich and London Treaties, according to which -- and illegally in my opinion -- they can intervene in Cyprus whenever they see fit because they are a guarantor power.



This issue -- the guarantees, the rights of intervention and the continued presence of the army -- is the core of the Cyprus problem. It is well known that the Greek government wants to see the Cyprus issue settled, and, among other things, this means the maximum rights for the Turkish Cypriots and the maximum sense of security for the Greek Cypriots. In other words, for the armed forces to leave. A lot of people don't like this, and that's why, every time there is a meeting on Cyprus, they accuse me because I represent this line, which is the line of the Greek government, in consultation with the Cypriots.



JOURNALIST: Are you referring to the Turks? To the Turkish side?



N. KOTZIAS: It's not just the Turkish side. There are also other international players who think it is good for there to be some sort of occupation of Cyprus, because their interests are in line with Turkish interests.



JOURNALIST: Who are you referring to?



N. KOTZIAS: That's easy. You are a good journalist. You can figure it out. So, the substance of the matter is that their stance is reflected in the types of news reports you referred to. And it is important for us to make a clear distinction. We had an invitation to come to Geneva for political consultations on the Cyprus issue on Thursday and Friday. As soon as we arrive on Thursday, we receive a text from the UN regarding the type of political consultations for Friday. And suddenly they come to us, on Friday, and say they can't have political consultations and that we'll carry out the consultations through technical teams. We responded that, in order for the technical teams to convene, the political leaderships -- that is, the leaderships of the Foreign Ministries and the leaders of the two Cypriot communities, the Turkish Cypriot leader and the President of the Republic of Cyprus -- need to have agreed on how these teams will work, with what content, with what questions and to what end. And there, suddenly, Mr. Cavusoglu responded -- of all things -- that he had arranged to leave. We told him not to leave on Friday, but to stay so we could talk for three or four hours based on the scheduling we had. He left. He went to Ankara and said we had run out on the negotiations -- while we were still in Geneva -- and that he had accomplished a major feat.



JOURNALIST: I want to focus a little on the guarantees. You say from the outset -- and this is the firm Greek stance -- that the occupation forces must withdraw. But after the Conference, Mr. Erdogan came out and claimed that this will never happen. So, do you think there are still grounds for talks?



N. KOTZIAS: There is a saying: "Never say never."



JOURNALIST: But he said it. So, do these statements indicate to you that they want a solution at this stage?



N. KOTZIAS: They will show the extent to which they want a solution at the negotiating table. And I must say -- with the experience I have of negotiations, for decades now, and the knowledge I have accumulated on the subject of Cyprus -- that when someone wants a solution, they will show it in the discussion of the core of the problem. If someone doesn't want a solution, they may not let the talks get to that point where they will have to show their true intentions. We will reach that point, and Turkey has to show its true intentions. Does it want a solution, or does it want legal coverage for its illegal actions?
Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go.

Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune...
President Barack Obama has commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who leaked information to the website WikiLeaks, the White House announced Tuesday.

Manning, 29, is imprisoned at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas as part of a 35-year sentence she received in August 2013 after pleading guilty to multiple charges under the Espionage Act. She will now be freed May 17 rather than in 2045, according to a release from the White House.

Manning was among 209 inmates whose sentences were shortened by Obama. The president also pardoned another 64 people facing crimes, including retired Marine Gen. James Cartwright, the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who pleaded guilty in October to lying to federal investigators about discussing the Iranian nuclear program with reporters.

"With 209 commutations and 64 pardons, @POTUS just gave 273 Americans a second chance," stated the White House Twitter account.

Manning's attorney, David Coombs, didn't immediately return a call requesting comment.

"After this case, I had to tell Chelsea: 'I've represented murderers. I've represented rapists. I've represented child molesters. And none of them received 35 years,' " Coombs recently told NBC News.

Edward Snowden, who was notably missing from the list and whose own high-profile leak case some say played a role in Manning's sentencing, recently tweeted on the matter, "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."

Manning, who was from Oklahoma City and previously known as Bradley, has sought to undergo gender reassignment surgery in prison. She attempted suicide twice last year -- once in July, and again in October while in solitary confinement -- and also underwent a hunger strike.

She became a lightning rod for controversy after her 2010 arrest while serving as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. She faced 20 charges for illegally passing several hundred thousand documents, including military and diplomatic cables, to the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks.

Specifically, Manning's crimes included one charge of wrongful and wanton publication to the internet intelligence belonging to the United States; five charges of stealing, purloining or knowingly converting U.S. government records; six charges of willful communication of information relating to the national defense; one charge of willful communication of information in unlawful possession; one charge of willful communication of information relating to the national defense by exceeding authorized access to a U.S. government computer; one charge of willful communication of information relating to the national defense obtained by accessing a U.S. government computer; and five charges of failure to obey order or regulation, according to the White House.

Manning's supporters have called her a hero, her detractors a traitor.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, blasted Obama's decision. "This is outrageous," he said, The Washington Examiner reported. "Chelsea Mannings treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation's most sensitive secrets."

Rep. William "Mac" Thornberry, a Republican from Texas and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, also criticized the decision.

"Inmate Manning was convicted of multiple acts of espionage against the United States and other serious military misconduct," he said in a statement. "These actions potentially put our country and fellow soldiers at serious risk. The president's commutation of Manning's sentence sends a terrible message to the world that the penalties for damaging our security can be swayed by politics."

Even Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, an Obama appointee, disagreed with the move, NBC News reported, citing an unnamed U.S. official.

Some Military.com readers said they weren't surprised by the presidential action.

"It wasn't unexpected," Tom Butz, an Army veteran of Vietnam who retired from the service in 1988, said in a telephone interview. "And, in fact, my brother and I have a bet on whether he's going to commute or pardon Snowden too."

Butz added, "I find it ironic that the Democrats themselves are fussing and screaming about the Russian hack [of the presidential election] and here you have an American citizen who gave all this stuff to WikiLeaks at the peril of our soldiers in the field and there doesn't seem to be any outcry  It's kind of speaking out of both sides of the mouth."

-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
President-elect Donald Trump's renewed criticism of NATO widened a potential rift with Defense Secretary-designate James Mattis on the need to shore up the alliance against the threats of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a joint interview Sunday with The London Times and Germany's Bild publication, Trump recycled charges from his campaign that NATO is "obsolete," questioned the worth of the European Union and said that Germany was wrong to admit refugees fleeing Syria's civil war.

In his Senate confirmation hearing last week, retired Marine Gen. Mattis said, "If we didn't have NATO today, we'd need to create it. NATO is vital to our interests."

"I think right now the most important thing is that we recognize the reality of what we deal with [in] Mr. Putin," Mattis said. "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."

"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," he said.

Mattis also suggested that Trump is willing to hear opposing arguments on NATO. "I have had discussions with him on this issue," he said. "He has shown himself open, even to the point of asking more questions, going deeper into the issue."

Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and Trump's choice to become national security adviser, also supports bolstering NATO and other U.S. global commitments.

In a speech last week at the U.S. Institute of peace, Flynn said, "Alliances are one of the great tools that we have, and the strength of those alliances magnifies our own strengths.

"As we examine and potentially re-baseline our relationships around the globe, we will keep in mind the sacrifices and deep commitments that many of our allies have made on behalf of our security and our prosperity," Flynn said.

'It's Obsolete'

After meetings at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Monday, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Trump's criticism of NATO is "in contradiction" of Mattis' vision of a strengthened alliance and U.S. support of NATO's Article 5, which considers an attack on any member as an attack against all.

"Obviously, the comments from President-elect Trump that he views NATO as obsolete were viewed with anxiety," Steinmeier said.

In his remarks to The London Times and Bild, Trump said of NATO: "It's obsolete, first because it was designed many, many years ago." He renewed his charges that most members of the 28-nation alliance are not living up to their responsibilities under the treaty.

The U.S. provides about 70 percent of the funding for NATO while other nations "aren't paying their fair share, so we're supposed to protect countries," Trump said. "There's five countries that are paying what they're supposed to -- five. It's not much."

Under agreements reached in 2014, when Russian-backed separatists launched attacks in eastern Ukraine, NATO members pledged to devote at least two percent of their budgets to defense and outlined steps to reach that goal.

Despite the criticism of NATO, Trump's remarks could also be seen as a prod to get members to pay their dues. "NATO is very important to me," he said.

However, Trump's views that NATO is obsolete are in line with those of Putin, who has for years denounced NATO's expansion to Russia's borders. In response to Trump's remarks, Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that "NATO is indeed a vestige of the past and we agree with that."

A Deal With Putin

Trump also expressed interest in a deal with Putin that would lift sanctions against Russia in return for a mutual reduction of nuclear arsenals.

"They have sanctions on Russia -- let's see if we can make some good deals with Russia,'' Trump said, according to the Times. "For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially; that's part of it.''

The Trump interview came as U.S. troops and tanks were arriving in the Polish town of Zagan in a historic move to shore up NATO's eastern flank that has infuriated Putin. In addition, 300 U.S. Marines landed in Norway on Monday to join in training exercises.

In a ceremony as snow fell over the weekend, Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz told the first contingents of the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Carson, Colorado, "We have waited for you for a very long time."

"We waited for decades, sometimes feeling we had been left alone, sometimes almost losing hope, sometimes feeling that we were the only one who protected civilization from aggression that came from the east," Macierewicz said.

Reassuring Europe

To counter Russia, the Obama administration, with the support of Congress in the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act, recommended boosting the budget for the European Reassurance Initiative from $789 million to $3.4 billion.

ERI was established in the fiscal 2015 budget to "reassure allies of the U.S. commitment to their security and territorial integrity as members of the NATO alliance." It supported increased U.S. investment across five categories: presence, training and exercises, infrastructure, pre-positioned equipment, and building partner capacity.

To expand presence across the region, the U.S. Army began periodic rotations of armored and airborne brigades to Poland and the Baltic states; the Air Force added additional F-15 Eagles to NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission; and the Navy cycled ships through the Black Sea. The U.S. also spent $250 million to improve bases in Europe.

In a welcoming ceremony in Germany earlier this month for the 4,000 troops of the 3rd ABCT, Air Force Lt. Gen. Tim Ray, the deputy commander of U.S. European Command, said that its presence showed that the U.S. commitment to NATO is "rock solid."

"I can assure you, this [ABCT] does not stand alone -- it is integrated and combined with forces and other equipment in space, cyberspace, the air, land and sea, with our allies and partners," Ray said. "A joint persistent rotational presence of American land, sea and air is in the region as a show of support to our allies and in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine."

"Let me be very clear -- this is one part of our efforts to deter Russian aggression, ensure the territorial integrity of our allies, and maintain a Europe that is whole, free, prosperous and at peace."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Ann Arbor resident Tommy Kennedy knew he wanted to do something different with his life when he reached his 34th birthday.

His new venture has come in the form of HOMES Brewery, 2321 Jackson Ave. on Ann Arbor's west side. Kennedy says he's close to opening the brewery in what was previously a Culligan water company location.

He's had help from former Right Brain Brewery head brewer Nick Panchame and Noe Hang, the head chef of the No Thai! restaurants in Ann Arbor and East Lansing, who Kennedy said have been putting in long hours alongside him.

From the garage door where ingredients are received, to the shiny metal barrels and colorful art installation painted on the walls by Detroit street artist Paolo Pedini, Kennedy is looking to make the nearly 5,000-square-foot space a comfortable and relaxing environment for patrons.

"The space, it feels like a brewery," Kennedy said, pointing out a basement area where Culligan stored salt and where he now plans to install racks and store containers of barrel-aged sour beers. "It's a perfect environment."

The brewery's moniker is an anagram for the Great Lakes-Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior- as well as an homage to the connection of the building to water and Michigan, Kennedy said.

Walking around the building, he points out areas where he plans to have lounge or bench seating and areas where patrons can order food during busier times at the bar. Three large garage doors can be propped open during good weather, and a 28-foot bar offers space for patrons to sit down and enjoy a pint.

"It's a hidden gem; there's a lot of things about the building I thought was cool," Kennedy said.

The business is nearly complete: the brewing equipment arrived in August but some work still remains on the inside of the building. Kennedy said he plans to establish outdoor dining spaces with fire pits and tables once the weather becomes more favorable. One section will be enclosed against the elements.

"We hope to be able to use it the vast majority of the year," Kennedy said.

During the beginning stages, Hang suggested adding a kitchen and offering food at the brewery and is currently developing a menu of street-style Asian dishes for HOMES Brewery. Around 100 people can be seated in the main dining areas, Kennedy said, and another 60 to 80 in the outside areas.

While the barrel-aged sour selections Panchame is working on need to age anywhere from eight months to two years, he will have a variety of hoppy beers and kettle sours for customers to discover once HOMES Brewery opens.

"It's all pretty exciting," Panchame said, discussing the types of hops he and Kennedy are trying ("really fruity and citrusy") and the pilot batches that have led to successful recipes.

Both Panchame and Kennedy want a variety of beers for customers of all preferences, and plan to start with some kettle sours and IPAs, a beer made with coffee beans, a stout along with some session beers.

During his four years as head brewer at Right Brain in Traverse City, Panchame said he learned how to run a production line and manage his time while also being schooled through word of mouth.

"We're not trying to repeat the same beers," Panchame said of Right Brain's styles. "We really put in the time and effort to resource ingredients, and are refining every single step."

"We're brewing beers we love," Kennedy added. "These are all beers I'd want to order from somewhere."

The brewery is currently set up to offer 20 beers to flow through a tap system out to the bar, where Kennedy hopes to welcome customers for a spring opening, possibly by the end of March.
Returning automotive jobs to the United States is the theme of the announcement by General Motors this morning that it is investing $1 billion in its American-based manufacturing.

The company says about 7,000 jobs will be created or retained by the investment, many resulting from 'insourcing' decisions that moved jobs from other countries.

They include:

* 450 new jobs when it moves axel production for its next-generation full-size pickups from Mexico to Michigan.

* 1,500 new and retained jobs are tied to multiple new vehicle, advanced technology and component projects that will be announced throughout 2017.

* 5,000 jobs expected in coming years, including in finance and advanced technology, following previous insourcing of 6,000 IT jobs and consolidation of engineering operations to the core center in Warren.

GM also is confirming that one of its suppliers has committed to make components for full size pick-up trucks in Michigan, moving 100 jobs from Mexico to the U.S. - and that it's encouraging other suppliers to do the same.

"As the U.S. manufacturing base increases its competitiveness, we are able to further increase our investment, resulting in more jobs for America and better results for our owners," said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said in a statement.

"The U.S. is our home market and we are committed to growth that is good for our employees, dealers, and suppliers and supports our continued effort to drive shareholder value."

The investments follow $2.9 billion announced in 2016 and more than $21 billion GM has invested in its U.S. operations since 2009, according to the company.

It also follows the movement of thousands of jobs from other countries to the U.S., the company says: "GM reduced more than 15,000 positions outside the U.S., bringing most of those jobs to America. During that period, the company moved from 90 percent of its IT work being outsourced to an insourced U.S.-based model."

The announcement comes two weeks after Ford Motor Co. announced plans to scrap a $1.6 billion assembly plant in Mexico and move jobs to its Flat Rock facility.

On the same day, a Tweet by President-elect Donald Trump noted GM was building the Chevrolet Cruze in Mexico and importing it to U.S. dealerships without paying a border tax. "Make in U.S.A.or pay big border tax!" Trump said in his Tweet.

Meanwhile, the statement from GM this morning indicates the Lansing area may be the beneficiary of some of the new jobs and investment.

GM is "executing a strategy to create supplier parks adjacent to its U.S. manufacturing sites," the company said, "... and will continue to expand this effort."

It noted that already has been accomplished at GM's Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas, Spring Hill Assembly Plant in Tennessee, Fort Wayne Assembly Plant in Indiana, and Lordstown Assembly Plant in Ohio.

Those facilities are operated by NorthPoint Development of Kansas City, the company that put four Lansing-area sites under contract in November. They are being sold by RACER Trust, which is selling off former GM properties shed during its bankruptcy.

NorthPoint "plans to build a mix of manufacturing, warehouse and distribution facilities, primarily for companies in the automotive sector," according to a news release announcing the intended purchase.

According to GM, supplier parks locating near assembly plants "result in significant savings from reduced transportation costs, higher quality communications and continuous improvement activities as suppliers are located closer to the final assembly location."
DETROIT, MI - General Motors announced it will move production of axles for its next-generation full-sized pickup trucks to Michigan, creating 450 new jobs.

The Detroit News cited unnamed sources that said the production is coming to GM's Grand Rapids Operations plant at 1600 Burton Street SW. That's where GM announced in 2015 it would 300 new jobs and expand production in an unused portion of the sprawling factory.

GM's announcement on Tuesday, Jan. 17, said the automaker will invest a total of $1 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations. The company announced $2.9 billion in investments in 2016 and said it has invested more than $21 billion in its U.S. operations since 2009.

Without naming a plant, GM said it would begin work on "in-sourcing axle production for its next generation full-size pickup trucks, including work previously done in Mexico, to operations in Michigan, creating 450 U.S. jobs."

The Detroit News reported the axle production work was being shifted to the Grand Rapids Operations plant from American Axle and Holding Co.'s plant in Mexico. GM officials did not return calls seeking to confirmation of the report.

In June, 2015, GM executives said they would reactivate a vacant portion of its Wyoming plant for a yet-to-be-named product line that would create 300 new jobs and a $119 million investment. That product line was never identified during the ensuing 18 months.



In December 2015, GM announced it would will invest $43.3 million, create 55 new jobs and retain another 15 jobs when it added a new powertrain components line at the plant, which employed 400 hourly employees and 130 salaried workers.

"The new investments cover multiple new vehicle, advanced technology and component projects," GM said in its latest announcement. "A combination of 1,500 new and retained jobs are tied to the new investments. Details of individual projects will be announced throughout the year."

"As the U.S. manufacturing base increases its competitiveness, we are able to further increase our investment, resulting in more jobs for America and better results for our owners," said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra in the press release.

"The U.S. is our home market and we are committed to growth that is good for our employees, dealers, and suppliers and supports our continued effort to drive shareholder value."

GM also announced another supplier has committed to make components for GM's next-generation full size pick-up trucks in Michigan, moving 100 supplier jobs from Mexico to the U.S.. The supplier was not identified.
KALAMAZOO, MI - The president of First National Bank of Michigan has added chief executive officer to that title.

First National Bank of Michigan has promoted Daniel Bitzer to president and CEO of the Kalamazoo-based bank.

Bitzer, who joined the bank in December of 2011 as Grand Rapids market president, assumed responsibilities of CEO of First National Bank of Michigan effective Jan. 1, 2017.

A 30-year veteran of commercial banking in West Michigan, he was promoted to executive vice president and senior lender in July of 2014 after successfully leading the bank's expansion into the Grand Rapids market.

He was named president of the bank in December of 2015. As such, he has been responsible for overseeing the activities of all the bank's locations, including operations in the downtown Kalamazoo headquarters and its branches in Portage, West Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids and a lending office in Holland.

He fills a post that has been held by Larry Lueth, who continues with the bank as senior executive and co-chairman of the board of directors.

"Dan's promotion to President and CEO reflects his proven performance and follows the board-approved management succession plan," Lueth stated in a press release. "I have tremendous confidence in his leadership skills and trust he will continue the bank's legacy of success."

First National Bank of Michigan is a privately owned and locally controlled bank that was opened in downtown Kalamazoo in 2006. It expanded into Portage in 2008 and to the west side of Kalamazoo in 2010. Bitzer led its expansion into the Grand Rapids market in 2011.

Through the first three quarters of 2016, it had more than $432.5 million in assets under management. It had a total of 53 employees.

Jefra Groendyk remains the bank's senior lender and market president for the Grand Rapids area. John M. Schreuder serves as senior executive and co-chairman.

"Becoming president and CEO of First National Bank of Michigan is a great honor," Bitzer stated in the release. "I look forward to building upon our longstanding investment in the community and commitment to delivering unmatched customer service."

Bitzer has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Ferris State University and a master's degree in business administration from Western Michigan University. His many volunteer involvements in the community include serving on the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival Board of Trustees and as a member of the Commissioning Committee for the USS Gerald R. Ford CVN 78.

He is an active member of the Economic Club of Grand Rapids and the Elks Lodge.
AAPS Jessica Kelly.JPG

Jessica Kelly takes the oath of office for the Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education after being appointed on Dec. 16, 2016. The school board will welcome its new members and elect officers for 2017 at a meeting on Jan. 18, 2017.

(Lauren Slagter | The Ann Arbor News)

ANN ARBOR, MI - The Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education will join other Michigan school boards in electing their leadership for 2017.

The AAPS regular board meeting is 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Forsythe Middle School, 1655 Newport Road, following an executive session meeting at 5:30 p.m. as allowed under attorney-client privilege.

The first order of business will be to have new trustees Jeff Gaynor and Harmony Mitchell take the oath of office, as well as incumbent Simone Lightfoot, who was elected to another term in November 2016. Gaynor and Mitchell take the seats of Andy Thomas and Deb Mexicotte, whose terms expired in December 2016.

Jessica Kelly also is a new face on the board, after being appointed in December to take the seat left vacant by Donna Lasinski's resignation. Kelly took the oath of office on Dec. 16 immediately after the trustees appointed her to the board.

The trustees are expected to elect their officers for 2017, including president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. The board parliamentarian will be appointed.

Also at Wednesday's meeting, the board will vote on the 2017 meeting schedule, hear a first briefing on the renewal of liability insurance and a sinking fund millage proposal and take action to accept the Washtenaw County Board of Canvassers report for the Nov. 8, 2016, election.

Check back for live updates from the meeting in the comment section.
Deb Mexicotte.jpg

Deb Mexicotte is pictured at a 2014 school board meeting. Mexicotte served on the Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education for 13-and-a-half years, and she was president for seven of those years. Her term expired on Dec. 31, 2016.

(The Ann Arbor News file)

ANN ARBOR, MI - In her 13-and-a-half years on the Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education, Deb Mexicotte received all sorts of feedback about the board's decisions on behalf of the school district. One recent email has stuck with her.

It came during Mexicotte's campaign for re-election in November 2016, telling Mexicotte her "personal depredation on the district could no longer be tolerated," she said.

Mexicotte was not re-elected in November, and her decision to apply for a vacant board seat later that month drew another round of criticism.

After receiving that email, Mexicotte said she looked up the word depredation: an act of attacking or plundering.

"Whether people agree with how you (made decisions as a trustee) or not, the idea that it was depredation on the district over that period of time, I think speaks to my dismay and my sadness about our discourse at this point," said Mexicotte, whose time on the board officially came to a close Jan. 1. "Like I say, you can think I'm the worst trustee ever. But 'trustee' - I can't tell you how seriously I have taken that and every person on the board takes that."

That person's response to what Mexicotte saw as her dedication to the school district illustrates the complicated, sometimes fraught relationship between the school board and school staff or the broader community.

Distrust between the community and the school board prompted Mexicotte to run for the board in the first place, and in recent years, she has found the trustees again working to regain the public's trust.

A passion for public education

Mexicotte, 57, spent the past seven years as the school board president, making her one of the longest serving board presidents in AAPS history. She and her husband of 35 years, Brian Chambers, sent their three children - Olivia Chambers, 27; Fletcher Chambers, 25; and Elinor Chambers, 23 - through the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

Mexicotte's involvement with the school district began on a committee on redistricting Pittsfield Township's school boundaries in the mid-90s. She also became active advocating for special education services for her son, who has autism. In 2000, Mexicotte became the first chair of the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee for Special Education, and the group is still active today.

With encouragement from other AAPAC parents, Mexicotte decided to seek a seat on the school board. She unsuccessfully applied to be appointed to a vacant seat twice before winning election to the board in 2003, and she went on to serve for four terms.

"I have a real passion for open access public education," Mexicotte said. "I believe in it so strongly, because I know what it did in my life and what it's done in the lives of others. ... The other thing about the school board that I've always liked is that it's a non-partisan position. Although I have a party that I care about a great deal, the idea is that (the school board) is for the public good. It's community-based and it's about having a stake with others - who may or may not agree with you, but we all can agree that education for kids is a good thing."

Mexicotte discovered a distrust of the school board in the community groups she met with after her election. At that time, the board needed the public's support for a bond to fund improvements across the district and build a third comprehensive high school.

"I came in in 2003 when there was a lot discord in the community around the superintendent, around the way that the board was handling the budget, around whether to build a third high school," Mexicotte said. "I think that these things run in cycles. There was a lot of concern that things were not transparent enough."

Seeing voters approve a $240 million bond and a sinking fund in 2004 was a sign of the progress made in improving relations between the school district and the community, in Mexicotte's mind. But that trust would be tested again and again over the years, as the board made at-times unpopular decisions about privatization, staff contracts, teacher evaluations and student testing.

"There were lots of things to do in the job, but the job is about community trust," Mexicotte said.

"It's a balance," she continued. "You need to tell the community the truth and make sure they understand what your challenges are and what you're dealing with, because you need their help to fix things. But then you also have to show the community your confidence and that you're in control and that you're moving forward. Because they can't lose confidence in your ability to lead against these challenges."

It's a tightrope every trustee walks.

Difficult decisions

Mexicotte can easily outline the forces that have shaped public education in the past decade: changing state and federal mandates, reductions in state funding for public schools combined with rising operational expenses, new academic standards and standardized tests and changing student enrollment trends.

She also is quick to point out why she's proud of how Ann Arbor Public Schools responded to various challenges over the years, and where she still sees room for improvement as the district moves forward. The work of the school board continued to fascinate her for 13 years, Mexicotte said, and her priority was the financial survival of the school district.

Christine Stead, who has served on the AAPS board alongside Mexicotte for nearly seven years, said Mexicotte helped the trustees maintain a big picture perspective in challenging times.

"It's easy to get really focused on an issue or a moment in time when what's going on seems like a big deal," said Stead, the school board's vice president. "She maintained a really good perspective about the broader roles not only of a trustee but the Ann Arbor Public Schools as a whole."

During Mexicotte's tenure on the school board, Ann Arbor Public Schools built Skyline High School, passed numerous bonds and millage extensions or enhancements, operated under four superintendents and an interim superintendent and adopted a new teacher contract in 2015-16 for the first time in six years.

The school district privatized food services in 2006, outsourced transportation in 2010 and privatized custodial services in 2014. AAPS has expanded its magnet programs in recent years to offer Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math curriculum plus International Baccalaureate programs, among other specialized offerings. The district has seen rounds of staff layoffs, recalls and hiring surges.

Implementing each of those changes required support from the majority of the trustees, and each board member brings a unique perspective and their own opinions to the table, Mexicotte said. As president, it was her job to build consensus and represent the entire board to the community.

Mexicotte also is proud of the board's contributions to reducing the student achievement gap, growing enrollment while lowering class sizes, investing in arts and music, building up the district's fund balance to 10.2 percent from 4.6 percent in two years and advocating for Ann Arbor Public Schools' district-wide gun ban, which resulted in a precedent-setting decision issued in December 2016 by the Michigan Court of Appeals.

Stead said Mexicotte's leadership as AAPS advocated for its right to prohibit guns in schools was a great example of her contributions to the school board.

"I think that was a really shining moment for her that highlighted really all the skills you learn over time as the leader of any organization," Stead said.

Even if people disagree with some of the decisions the school board has made, Mexicotte hopes those positive metrics restore their faith in the direction the district is progressing.

"When you talk about sort of book-ending pieces, that renewal of trust such that we were able to maintain our infrastructure (through the 2004 bond) and this precedent-setting bit of court ruling (on the gun policy lawsuit) that others can use to keep their kids safe and then all the millions of things that we've done in between, I'm very proud of my board service," Mexicotte said.

Since 2015, when the school board canceled the teacher contract, there's been more tension between the board and constituents. Unfair labor practice charges resulted from the contract disputes in 2015, teachers and parents accused the school board of a lack of transparency during that time, and the new teacher evaluation tool the district adopted in November 2015 caused further dissent among staff.

In December 2016, people questioned the ethics of allowing a sitting board member to seek a vacant seat. Much of the criticism of the board's past decisions related to privatization and a policy to discourage students from opting out of standardized tests - among other issues - was pointed at Mexicotte personally during the public comment portion of the Dec. 7 board meeting.

After the trustees were unable to choose between Mexicotte and Steve Norton for the vacant board seat, both Mexicotte and Norton decided to withdraw from consideration in order to allow the school board to move forward.

Two days after the gridlock vote - the deadline for the school board to appoint its newest trustee - Mexicotte was back at the board table participating in the decision making process, which led to the appointment of Jessica Kelly.

"Even those that I have adamantly disagreed with, I have a role in not just working with, but working on their behalf. And that's my philosphy," Mexicotte said.

Life after the school board

As the AAPS board plans to hold its organizational meeting on Jan. 18, Mexicotte would like to see the trustees take some time to integrate their three new members - Kelly, Jeff Gaynor and Harmony Mitchell - into establishing a new, unified vision for the school board.

Board secretary Andy Thomas decided not to seek re-election after serving on the board for six years, and former board treasurer Donna Lasinski resigned her seat after being elected to the state House of Representatives.

"If I were advising the board I would say take the time to reform this board around the district and all the things that the old people know and all the things that the new people are coming into," Mexicotte said. "And re-engage the community and say 'OK, you have this sense that we haven't been transparent or open enough, that we haven't somehow been listening.' ... Take the time you need to re-engage to get everyone back on the same page."

Mexicotte says she will keep busy with her responsibilities as associate director of ArtsEngine, an interdisciplinary arts integration program at the University of Michigan's North Campus. She's held that position for about 1.5 years after spending more than 20 years working for the university in various capacities.

She'll also spend more time with her family and on her own creative pursuits that have been set aside as she focused on the school district's business.

Already, she's feeling a psychological weight lifting. And she's open to finding new ways to be useful to AAPS and public education in general.

"You think about the time that it takes (to be a trustee) - 10 hours a week, 12 hours a week, 15 hours a week," Mexicotte said. "But you don't realize the psychological work that has nothing to do with those hours. ... There is a great deal of psychological attention to pay all the time. You're never not a trustee. ... What has freed up for me is mental space. That worry is lifting - it's not lifted entirely, but it's lifting. That attention to those relationships, to the requirements, to the wordsmithing ... That burden is released now."
HOWELL, MI - The pilot of a small jet that crashed while landing at the Livingston County Airport on Monday, Jan. 16 is identified as Peter Zeliff, a businessman from Batavia, New York, according to the Batavia-based The Daily News.

The 60-year-old, who survived the crash and was the jet's lone occupant, reportedly was flying to Michigan on business, according to the newspaper.

The Aviation Safety Network reported that Zeliff's Cessna 525C Citation CJ4 jet experienced an "apparent runway excursion" when attempting to land on the airport's 5,000-foot-long runway.

After skidding off the runway and traversing about 390 meters of airport terrain, the jet careened through a fence and crossed Tooley Road, where after its wings were shorn off and caught fire, the ASN reported.

Zeliff was pulled from the upside-down cockpit of the jet prior to the arrival of emergency responders by witnesses and transported to the University of Michigan Hospital thereafter, according to officials from the Livingston County Sheriff's Office.

Zeliff's wife, Kathy Zeliff, told the Livingston Daily News that her husband fractured his back in the accident.
coldandflu

Numerous factors play into parents' decision of whether to keep their child at home from school, a new C.S. Mott Children's Hospital national poll indicated, from the severity of the symptoms the child is showing to the possibility of the illness getting worse, making the decision a complex problem parents face every winter.

(Grand Rapids Press Photo l Becca Leonard)

ANN ARBOR, MI - Should they stay home or should they go to school? That is the question many parents face during cold and flu season and the subject of a new national poll conducted by the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

Numerous factors play into parents' decision, the poll indicated, from the severity of the symptoms the child is showing to the possibility of the illness getting worse, making the decision a complex problem parents face every winter, Mott poll co-director Dr. Gary Freed said.

The poll revealed that 75 percent of parents reported at least one sick day for their child in the past year, with concerns about the child's illness getting worse if they went to school and not wanting the child's classmates to get sick among the most important factors in the decision-making process.

Sixty percent of parents said concerns about the illness getting worse if the child attended school was a very important factor in deciding whether to send their child to school, while 47 percent indicated not wanting the child's classmates to get sick was a very important factor in their decision.

"I think the most important issues parents consider in making the decision of whether or not their child stays home is whether they might get sicker if they went to school," Freed said. "There's also the concern about the other kids getting sicker.

"Even though parents might be concerned about missing work, the biggest issues are the health of their child and the health of other children," he added.

The child's symptoms also were an important factor in deciding whether to send their child to school, according to the poll. Among the symptoms likely to prevent parents from sending their child to school were diarrhea (80 percent), vomiting once without showing any other symptoms (58 percent) and a slight fever (49 percent).

Red, watery eyes (16 percent) and a runny nose, dry cough and no fever (12 percent), were the least likely to keep students out of the classroom.

"Some symptoms will cause kids to be more likely to not have a successful day at school," Freed said. "Frequent diarrhea and vomiting can obviously interfere with their ability to do work in class. It can also be upsetting and embarrassing for children who have those types of symptoms, and parents are sensitive to that."

The report, based on responses from 1,442 parents who had at least one child age 6-18 years, also indicated what the child might miss on a given day was a significant factor in their decision to send their child to school. Nearly two out of five parents noted the importance of their child missing tests or class instruction, particularly for high school-age children, while only 6 percent of parents considered missing after-school activities was "very important."

Parents also indicated their own responsibilities played a factor in the decision-making process. Eighteen percent of those polled said not being able to find someone to stay home with their sick child was a very important factor, while 11 percent said not wanting to miss work was considered "very important."
DETROIT -- A NASA astronaut captured a nighttime photo of Detroit, Ann Arbor, Toledo and Cleveland from space over the weekend.

Commander Shane Kimbrough, who is part of NASA's Expedition 50 on the International Space Station, posted a photo showing the lights of all four cities and part of Lake Erie on Sunday, Jan. 15.

Flint, Saginaw, Lansing and Jackson are visible in the photo.

He's been posting shots of major cities in the U.S. and across the world since he arrived at the station in October.

Good morning USA! Detroit - Toledo - Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/bXwKdRLzRs  Shane Kimbrough (@astro_kimbrough) January 17, 2017

Kimbraugh will return to Earth in late February.

The Expedition 50 crew members are contributing to more than 250 experiments in fields including biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences and technology development, according to NASA.

In 2015, astronaut Scott Kelly tweeted a daytime photo of Detroit during his year in space.
DETROIT -- In three weeks, southbound I-75 will close downriver for two years in a Michigan Department of Transportation project to repair the crumbling Rouge River bridge.

MDOT's $149 million project will repair a stretch of highway that leads from Detroit to downriver communities, including the 50-year-old I-75 bridge over the Rouge River.

The work starts Feb. 4.

I-75 will close from the I-96 interchange in Detroit to Dix Highway.

The I-75 bridge over the Rouge River is the largest bridge in Michigan by deck area. It's 1.63 miles long and eight lanes wide, creating an area the size of 20 football fields. About 37 million vehicles traverse the bridge each year, according to MDOT.

To get around the construction, drivers can take westbound I-96 past Livonia, merge onto southbound I-275 and then return to I-75 in Monroe County. It would lengthen the 45-minute trip from Detroit to Monroe by about 20 minutes under normal traffic conditions.

Northbound I-75 will remain open through the construction, although with some lane closures starting in 2018.

Crews will replace all the concrete on the Rouge River bridge deck and the I-75 bridge at Fort Street, replace the Goddard Street bridge over I-75 with two smaller bridges and repair 13 other bridges along I-75 in the downriver communities.

MDOT will provide updates on the project at www.75rougeriver.com.
Detroit's activist community converged in downtown Detroit Monday afternoon for this year's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Freedom March that drew more than 150 people.

According to a program for the march, the action was intended to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Detroit riots, referred to in the program as the "Detroit rebellion," and the 50th anniversary of King's historic Riverside Church address in New York City condemning the war in Vietnam.

The 1967 Detroit riots broke out June 23, 1967 on 12th Street in Detroit after a police raid at an alleged illegal bar known as a "blind pig." The riots lasted until June 27 and resulted in 43 deaths, 1,189 injuries and over 7,000 arrests. There was large-scale property damage, looting and arson. The riots are pegged as a turning point in the demographics of Detroit and one of the causes of "white flight," in which a large portion of Detroit's white population moved from the city to its suburbs.

The 14th annual MLK Day march and rally called for "jobs, peace and justice," and included numerous factions of protesters wanting attention for various causes, including police brutality, the Flint water crisis, anti-Syrian refugee sentiments and plans for oil pipelines in Michigan.

The march began near Grant Circus Park in Detroit following a number of speeches and a rendition of "This Little Light of Mine" sung by the Deep River Choir.

The march was expected to end at St. Peters Episcopal Church in Trumbull in Detroit, said Jake, McGraw, a 33-year-old Detroit resident who participated.

"It's in solidarity with a lot of different issues today," McGraw said. " ... It's been a wide variety of issues."

Some of them included: A lack of clean drinking water in Flint, Detroit water shutoffs, the Black Lives Matter movement, oil pipelines and showing solidarity with Dakota Access Pipeline protesters at Standing Rock and police brutality in Detroit, McGraw said.
Mary Barra

FILE- In this Jan. 10, 2017, file photo, General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra speaks about the financial outlook of the automaker in Detroit. General Motors will announce a $1 billion investment in its factories that will create or keep around 1,000 jobs, a person briefed on the matter said Monday, Jan. 16. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

(Paul Sancya)

The Associated Press reports that General Motors will announce a $1 billion investment in factories, which in turn will either create or keep 1,000 jobs.

A.P. adds that multiple factories are expected to receive a portion of the investment, but specific factory locations are not expected to be named in the expected Tuesday morning, Jan. 17 announcement.

This news comes on the heels of President-elect Donald Trump threatened GM and Toyota with import taxes through Twitter. The reported GM announcement would come two weeks to the day after Ford Motor Co. said it would scrap plans for a Mexico plant, and instead invest $700 million in the Flat Rock Assembly Plant.

The A.P. report states that this investment from GM is part of the normal process in preparing factories for new vehicle models, "and it's been planned for months." The source feeding A.P. with this information has reportedly asked to remain anonymous.

When the Chevrolet Traverse was revealed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, GM said that the new model would be built in Lansing.

On Jan. 3, the same morning of the Ford announcement, Trump targeted GM by threatening to tax the automaker for importing cars to the U.S. from Mexico.

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

The automaker did import Cruze sedans from Mexico last year, but all sedans are now made stateside, according to GM spokesperson Patrick Morrissey.

The spokesperson told A.P. that the number of cars imported from the Mexico plant only amounts to a small percentage of the some 172,000 sold through November 2016. The automaker reports it only sold around 4,500 of the Cruze hatchbacks in the U.S. last year.

In early December, GM CEO Mary Barra was selected for Trump's economic advisory group, which will offer the president-elect ideas on how to create jobs and economic growth.

When Barra was asked about the president-elect's tweets at the Detroit auto show, she told A.P. that the automaker did not have plans to change where it makes small cars.
IMG_5892.JPG

Trader Joe's "coming soon" sign placed outside of the CPA building in Corktown is not legitimate, company spokesperson confirms.

(Khalil AlHajal | MLive.com)

DETROIT -- Sorry, it's not happening.

A sign placed outside of the long-vacant CPA building in Corktown indicates that Trader Joe's is "coming soon" to the area.

But it appears to be hoax.

Company spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki confirmed Tuesday afternoon that a Detroit Trader Joe's location is not part of the company's two-year plan.

Detroit city officials also said after the signage raised questions that the store was not on any agenda or set of plans.

A plan to demolish the dilapidated CPA building last year raised concerns from preservationists who convinced the city to issue a historic designation.

The historic designation prohibits demolition for at least a year.

The building was set to be studied for historic relevance and safety, but developers are already eyeing the structure for potential projects.

In October 2016, a Holiday Inn Express "coming soon" sign was placed outside of a vacant lot in Woodbridge on the corner of Rosa Parks Boulevard and West Forest in another apparent hoax.

BLAC Detroit Magazine confirmed with InterContinental Hotels Group, the entity that owns Holiday Inn Express, that the company had no plans to invest in that property.
FLINT, MI -- It's been 365 days since Amir Hekmati walked out of an Iranian prison.

The Flint native and Marine Corps veteran was held captive in Iran for more than four years before he was released on Jan. 16, 2016 and arrived five days later at Bishop International Airport where he professed his love of the Vehicle City for its continued support.

In a message on the Free Amir Hekmati Facebook page dedicated to trying and secure his release, Hekmati spoke of his struggle for freedom "One that so many of my family, friends, and community endured with me."

"So I want everyone to know how grateful I am, and that my family and I wouldn't have been able to get through these difficult times without all of your support," he said. "Finally, for any of you who are struggling with difficulty, there is always hope, and please never give up."

1 year ago today, a near 5 year struggle ended. One that so many of my family, friends, and community endured with me. ... Posted by Free Amir Hekmati on Monday, January 16, 2017

Hekmati spoke of his ordeal at a May 2016 Rotary Club of Flint meeting, recalling the cries and screams of his fellow prisoners after being sentenced to death in August 2011 on accusations of being a spy.

"Those (memories) will stay with me forever, but I thought about what would happen had you not made sacrifices, had you all not done this service to your community, to your county, military," said Hekmati, a Flint Central High School graduate. "We might be living under the same tyranny they are over there."

One of those fighting to secure his release was U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, that began the #freeamir campaign and traveled along with Hekmati's family to Germany last January to meet him for the first time.

"I will never forget the moment that I found out Amir was free. I will always be grateful to the thousands of people across the world that stood with us demanding his release," said Kildee on the one-year anniversary.

Hekmati was one of four Americans freed by the Iranian government, in exchange for clemency of seven Iranians over trade sanction violations.

He's discussed returning to the University of Michigan-Flint to complete a master's degree being pursued before his imprisonment Hekmati compared to "being born again."

Kildee said Hekmati's "strength and perseverance still amazes me," along with the optimism and hope he's kept in spite of the years that were lost.

Hekmati pointed out Kildee, Montel Williams, Emily Grim, Scott Gilbert, Amy Mueller among others for securing the day, at times, he couldn't envision happening while counting the days behind prison walls.

"They say after every dark night is a bright morning and there were times I never thought I'd be able to survive, but I did," Hekmati previously said. "I'm just grateful to be home and I'm looking forward to continuing my education and finding new ways to serve my community and my country."
FOREST TOWNSHIP, MI -- Someone intentionally started an August fire at a church in northeast Genesee County, but authorities say the investigation into who started the blaze has gone cold.

State fire investigators said an accelerant was used to set fire to Otisville Church of Christ, but that's about all the Michigan State Police has said about the arson.

"We know there was an accelerant used, we're just not able to prove who dumped the accelerant," said Lt. Dave Kaiser, spokesman for the state police. "Right now it's a cold case. We don't have enough to prove who did it, but they're still working it."

At least eight fire departments responded to the fire with 10 tanker trucks around 4 p.m., Aug. 17 at the church near East Lake Road and M-15 in northeastern Genesee County.

Forest Township Fire Chief Dave Lutze previously said the fire was difficult to put out as the building had multiple roof levels. Water also had to be hauled in on tankers as there are no fire hydrants immediately available in the area.

After an arson K-9 detected an accelerant in the rubble, investigators were able to confirm with the state police crime lab that the blaze was intentionally set.

Police would not say what type of accelerant was used.

"That's something that only two people know -- the person who started the fire and the fire investigator," Kaiser said.

Meanwhile, the church moved its service inside Otisville Elementary.

Pastor Jeremy Hoover could not be reached for comment.

The Michigan State Police is asking anyone with information to call 1-855-642-4847 or click here.
MONTROSE, MI -- Harry Lamar Thomas still remembers the night a Spanish freighter struck his launch boat in the Barcelona harbor.

He remembers the freighter's hulking hull emerging from the early morning darkness, moments before it tossed the smaller boat's bulkhead up into the air, and with it, he and his 18-year-old shipmates, who were returning to their ship to practice maneuver drills after a weekend on leave.

He remembers surfacing in the murky waters, the bodies floating around him as he, a newly-minted Marine, sought refuge on an overturned lifeboat.

And, on the 40th anniversary of the accident on Tuesday, Jan. 17, he remembers his 49 fellow servicemen from the U.S.S. Guam and U.S.S. Trenton who died that night in 1977.

Over the past year, Thomas and his wife, Lisa, of Amarillo, Texas, have scoured the nation, looking for survivors of the accident and the next-of-kin of those who perished in the peacetime crash. They hope to unite the families and survivors, connect them with resources and remind them that "they're not alone."

The search has led the couple 1,300 miles northeast from Amarillo to Montrose, Michigan, the burial site of Charles Leroy Minnick, who perished in the crash.

"We know that he was 18 when he was killed, that he was an SHSA in the Navy, that he's buried in the Montrose Cemetery, and that's about it," said Lisa. "There's not a lot of information about him, but everyone has their own story, and we want to reach out to his family."

One goal of the couple's outreach, said Lisa Thomas, is to let Minnick's family know that they're eligible to become a Gold Star Next of Kin family and receive the lapel pin, a benefit that has become available since the accident.

"For a long time, people who lost their lives in active duty -- if it wasn't in battle -- it was forgotten," said Lisa Thomas. "But even peacetime can be hazardous. One of the good things that has happened since this, is that you can now become a Gold Star family, and we can help put you and your family in touch with a Gold Star coordinator."

Since the Thomas', who have been together since 1980, began their search for survivors and families of those a part of the U.S.S. Guam and U.S.S. Trenton maritime crash, they have been able to locate about a third of the 124 servicemen involved in the accident.

Through Facebook messages, emails, writing to newspapers, churches, cities and on obituary websites, the two have been able to connect with families and survivors across the country, but some -- like Minnick, who would have turned 59 this year -- remain a mystery.

"What I'd really want to say is that you're not alone and we haven't forgotten," said Lisa Thomas of the message she and her husband hope to send Minnick's survivors. "Especially the men that were on the boat -- the ones I've talked to in this process mostly think people have forgotten this accident. But their loss hasn't been forgotten and never will be."

On the 40th anniversary of the accidental crash between the Spanish freighter and the launch boat, around 80 people --including Lisa and Harry Thomas -- will gather in Barcelona at a monument to the tragedy, reading remarks and the names of the men who perished. A similar ceremony will be held in Norfolk, Virginia at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, the last sight of America that most of those involved in the crash ever saw.

"There's a plaque at the chapel [in Norfolk], and they're going to enlarge that and have another ceremony remembering the accident in September," said Lisa. "These men are not forgotten."

Lisa and Harry Thomas ask that anyone who may have information the surviving family of Charles Leroy Minnick contact them at ussguamtrenton1977@gmail.com.

They also have a Facebook page and a website, for more information.
FLINT-- Teenage boys and girls came to a free clipper cutting class on Monday at the Teach 2 Reach School of Cosmetology, but left the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event learning much more than just about cutting hair.



The fifth annual Dr. MLK Day Positive Youth Initiative is a one day event for teenagers, ages 14 to 18, meant to create a positive exchange between youth in the Flint community.

Teach 2 Reach School of Cosmetology owner Kesha Norman created the event in 2011. "We wanted to give back to the community to help inspire the young people," Norman said. "We want to inspire them to do something positive in our community."

The Dr. MLK Day Positive Youth Initiative program also focused on the topics of entrepreneurship, finances, budgeting and professionalism.

The event included local business owners, community leaders and parents providing support, guidance and life lessons to the teenagers.
Police lights.JPG

(MLive file photo)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A man has been taken to the hospital with unknown injuries after being stabbed in a McDonald's parking lot.

The incident occurred around 8:15 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16 outside the restaurant at 415 28th St. in Grand Rapids.

A witness saw the 60-year-old male victim in the parking lot, said Grand Rapids Police Lt. Joseph Trigg.

The victim was stabbed at least once in the upper torso, according to a release from GRPD.

GRPD is looking for two male suspects who are believed to have taken off on foot. They were last seen running north on Madison Avenue.

Police on scene attempted to track the suspects with a K-9 team, but were unsuccessful.

The man was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The incident is being investigated by GRPD's Major Case Team. Anyone with information is asked to call GRPD at (616) 456-3400 or Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345.
Grand Rapids, MI -- In the fire suppression business, James Golinveaux is a star.

He holds 50 patents for building sprinklers including ones designed to fight fires in cramped attics and storage spaces. Two major trade association have bestowed Golinveaux with their top awards, and he is often demand as a keynote speaker for industry conferences.

James Golinveaux is the new president and chief executive officer of Viking Group, Inc, one of the world's biggest fire suppression companies.

He is succeeding Kevin Ortyl, Viking Group's CEO for the past decade, who will continue as chairman of the Grand Rapids company headquartered at 3033 Orchard Vista Dr.

"Stepping in for Kevin Ortyl is no easy task," said Golinveaux, 52, in a statement. "I believe my passion for this industry and 35 years of experience can translate into the continued growth and success of Viking Group companies."

Previously, Golinveaux worked for competitor Tyco Fire & Building Products, a global fire and security provider that last year announced it was merging with Johnson Controls.

His nearly 35 years of fire protection industry experience draws from both the contracting and manufacturing sides of the business.

A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Golinveaux began his career in 1982 as a trainee in fire sprinkler design at Allied Fire Protection. In 1991, he joined Central Sprinkler as director of technical services. Golinveaux spent the next 25 years at the firm, acquired by Tyco in 1999, rising through the ranks until departing in late 2015. He worked in plant operations, technical services, R&D, product management before ascending to executive leadership.

'Respected' in the industry

A significant aspect of Golinveaux's career has been his work in the development of new technology. He holds 21 U.S. patents and 29 foreign.

"I'm one of the inventors," Golinveaux told Sprinkler Age magazine in 2014. "There are always multiple inventors involved in a patent and I share credit with those who worked alongside me."

The National Fire Sprinkler Association gave him the Russell P. Fleming Technical Service Award in 2016, and the American Fire Sprinkler Association's highest honor, the Henry S. Parmelee Award, in 2014, for advancement of the fire sprinkler industry.

"There are few people in our industry that are more respected than James Golinveaux," Mike Meehan, current AFSA chairman, told the trade publication for the 2014 story. "He has a rare combination of vast technical knowledge coupled with the ability to simplify and articulate complicated issues.

Viking has deep roots in West Michigan. The fire protection systems company was founded in 1921 in Hastings, as an offshoot of Tyden Corporation, which started in 1897. Both companies were started by the Gross family, longtime philanthropists of Barry County's largest city, which has a population of about 7,300.

Tyden Seal disappeared from Hastings in 2006, a year after the security seal producer, and parent company, Tyden Group Inc., were bought by private equity firm, Crimson International, for $95 million, according to a Grand Rapids Press story. Crimson shuttered the plant and eliminated 40 jobs to move operations overseas to better serve clients such as U.S. firms Ford Motor Co. and Caterpillar Co. and Japan-based Honda Motor Co., that had set up manufacturing operations in China.

Major Hastings employer

In 2009, German competitor Minimax acquired the largely family-owned Viking Corporation, forming Minimax Viking Group, one of the world's biggest manufacturers and distributors of fire protection and life safety systems.

Viking remains a major employer in Hastings. It's campus, at 210 North Industrial Park Dr., is made of a manufacturing plant, technical center and fire test laboratory. Viking also operates a smaller automated manufacturing facility 50 miles northwest in Holland.

Viking products are sold through Viking SupplyNet, the company's distribution arm that operates 31 distribution locations across North America and 59 worldwide that supply sprinkler system installers. Another arm of the company, Viking Fabrication Services, has 13 locations nationwide, where fire suppression systems are built and customized.

Klaus Hofmann, CEO of Minimax Viking GmbH, described Golinveaux as a good fit for the privately-owned company with 7,000 employees worldwide.

"James has a great reputation as a business leader, sprinkler engineer, and entrepreneur and we are pleased to welcome him as a key member of our management team," Hofmann said in a statement.

He also praised Ortyl as one of the "most charismatic and successful leaders I have ever met," adding Viking's former CEO would be responsible for helping his successor adjust to the company.

Golinveaux, who began his duties in December, said he intended to visit Viking's customers and employees as quickly as possible. The Viking Group employs about 1000 nationwide, with 380 working in West Michigan.

"I hope they will find that I do listen and more importantly, care," said Golinveaux. "I am the youngest of 12 children and listening was a survival skill, not an option."
Betsy DeVos

FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2016, file photo, Betsy DeVos, selected for Education Secretary by President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a rally, in Grand Rapids, Mich. Democratic senators on Dec. 14, called DeVos to ensure that a political action committee she controlled pays $5.3 million in fines and penalties owed for campaign finance violations in Ohio eight years ago. DeVosaEU All Children Matter PAC broke Ohio election law by funneling $870,000 in contributions from its nationwide PAC to its Ohio affiliate in 2008. The state of Ohio later fined the group $5 million, but the fine has not yet been paid. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

(Paul Sancya)

West Michigan native Betsy DeVos is set to go before a U.S. Senate Committee late Tuesday afternoon to help determine whether she'll become the next U.S. Secretary of Education.

DeVos, a longtime Republican donor and activist with an extensive history of funding school reform initiatives in Michigan and other states, was nominated to the post by President-elect Donald Trump in late November. She is popular among Republicans, but has drawn criticism from Democrats and many public school proponents.

The issues she's championed with her voice and wallet -- including school choice, vouchers, charter schools and state legislation funding Detroit Public Schools -- are likely to come up at the hearing, in addition to her experience in the world of education and her financial interests.

Here's the details on the hearing and a few places you can follow along:

Location: 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.

Time: 5 p.m. Eastern

How to watch: The hearing will be live streamed on the committee website. PBS NewsHour and C-SPAN are also live streaming the event.

What to expect: DeVos has already responded to a questionnaire from the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and is working with the Office of Government Ethics on its review of DeVos' financial holdings.

The hearing gives senators the chance to fill in the blanks on DeVos' views on education policy and her background.

Senate Democrats have been gearing up for a fight, writing letters to DeVos in advance of the hearing and questioning her ability to effectively serve as the top-ranking education official in Trump's cabinet.

Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn, said in a statement last week that he's "fully confident she will be swiftly confirmed by the full Senate."

DeVos requires a simple majority vote in the full U.S. Senate to be confirmed as Education Secretary.

Below is the live stream hosted by PBS NewsHour:
LANSING, MI -- U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, is among those urging Gov. Rick Snyder to focus on Flint ahead of his State of the State speech on Monday night.

"I would ask the Governor to return to that moment where it felt as if this was his top priority, a year ago today," Kildee said.

Snyder last year spent the bulk of his speech talking about government failures that led to the Flint water crisis and pledging to fix that. To date, the state has appropriated $234 million to aid Flint's recovery.

But Kildee, who helped secure $100 million in federal aid for the city, said it's not just numbers on a sheet. Flint residents are still unable to safely drink tap water without filtration.

"I want to encourage the governor to do what he said it would do. To fix it. To make sure that Flint has the resources it needs," Kildee said.

On the capitol steps, a handful of protesters gathered ahead of the governor's address. Arthur Woodson, a Flint resident, said it was important to "let everyone remember that Flint is still in a crisis, not a project."

He said the governor could help the city by sending more hands-on, direct resources - such as qualified personnel for the water department -- or more money.

"The water is still not safe. Until we can drink out of the tap, it's not safe," Woodson said.

Kildee said he'd like to see long-term commitments on things like early childhood education for all Flint residents who may need it.

"Promises and apologies have very little currency in Flint, Michigan. You've got to show up with help, and so far it's not been enough," said Kildee.

The protest is planned to continue throughout the address, which begins at 7 p.m. The Governor is expected to address the Flint water crisis again, and the broader state's infrastructure as well.
STURGIS, MI -- A 33-year-old Sturgis man was lodged at the St. Joseph County jail Friday on several outstanding warrants and pending charges after fleeing from police at speeds of up to 100 mph in a Cadillac Escalade, authorities said.

Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Office were called to reports that the driver was driving through fields and passing people on the right shoulder at high rates of speed, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver fled, leading deputies on a high speed pursuit which lasted approximately 20 minutes, authorities said.

Details about where and when the pursuit began and ended are not immediately available.

During the pursuit the driver continued to drive through fields, ending when the driver crashed into a large irrigation culvert while driving through a field, leaving the vehicle partially submerged in water.

The driver was apprehended a short distance away as he was attempting to hide in a drainage pipe nearby, authorities said..

Deputies were assisted by the Michigan State Police and the Sturgis Police Department.
VANDALIA, MI -- Two of three runaway teens returned home Tuesday afternoon of their own accord but Cass County Sheriff's deputies brought in a tracking dog to find the third when adverse weather set in.

At 5:13 p.m. Jan. 17 deputies responded to the 15000 Block of Quaker Street in Newburg Township to help locate a runaway juvenile from Goshen City, Ind., according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

They brought a tracking dog to the area. Approximately 40 minutes into the track, the department's dog Faust located the 17-year-old hiding in the wooded area.

Cass County Deputies transported the teen back to Indiana and turned him over to his grandmother.
LakeMi.jpg

Lake Michigan Presidential candidate finalist, l-r, are Trevor A. Kubatzke, Jon Mandrell, and Rebekah S. Woods.

BENTON HARBOR, MI -- Lake Michigan College invites the public to attend interviews this week with three presidential candidate finalists to give input before the board of trustees makes its hiring choice.

Finalists in the running for the job are visiting the community college based in Benton Harbor for community tours, meetings with students and staff and public interviews before the board of trustees this week, the college reports.

Ninety-two people applied for the position and a search committee narrowed the field to interview about eight candidates by video conference to select four finalists, Lake Michigan College Interim President Bob Harrison said. One finalists has since withdrawn.

The board will allow question and answer sessions with students and staff at forums and consider input from the public before making a hiring decision, Harrison said.

"There's always some information that comes drifting in," he said.

It differs from a search in progress at nearby Western Michigan University, which chose a confidential search process for a new president that prevents public vetting of finalists before a hiring decision is made.

"I think in the community college arena, individuals that want to be a college president know at some point during the search their name will be

out in the community," Harrison said, and that rules are different for presidential searches at four-year institutions like WMU and two-year colleges like Lake Michigan College.

Harrison said the college is using a similar search process as the one used to hire Jennifer Spielvogel in January 2016, but has switched search firms and is now using Pauly Group of Springfield, Illinois.

Spielvogel was hired as president with a base salary of $163,961 and fired after about four months on the job when university officials alleged $20,000 in unauthorized spending. Spielvogel filed a federal lawsuit against the college, which is still in progress, alleging wrongful termination. She was later hired as interim vice president for academic affairs at Terra State Community College and was to assume the role Oct. 1, the News-Messenger reported.

Here's a look at the three remaining finalists for Lake Michigan College's president search:

Trevor A. Kubatzke is Vice President of Student Services at Milwaukee Area Technical College in Milwaukee. He is a board member for the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee, and a member of the Milwaukee Power Squadron. He has also served on the Taylorville Community School District board and the Illinois School Board Association. In addition to his community college experience, Kubatzke worked as a police officer in West Union, Iowa, according to Lake Michigan College.

He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Education Administration in Community College Leadership from Walden University, a Master of Science in Education Administration from Missouri State and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Lake Michigan College reports.

Rebekah S. Woods is the Provost of Jackson College in Jackson, Michigan. She serves on the Board of Governors for the Jackson Preparatory and Early College, and on the Workforce Intelligence Network for Southeast Michigan board. She is on the American Association of Community Colleges' Commission on Research, Technology and Emerging Trends, and is a peer-reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission, according to Lake Michigan College. She has mentored young women through the Daughters of Promise and Jackson College Sisters of Strength, and participates in 100+ Women Who Care, and the United Way Women's Leadership Council. She has also worked as an attorney in the public sector, the college said.

Woods holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership and a Doctor of Law from Regent University, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Albion College, Lake Michigan College reports.

Jon Mandrell is Vice President of Academics and Student Services at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, Illinois. He currently serves on the boards of the Dixon Family YMCA, Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, Sauk Valley Leadership Program and is a member of the Twin Cities Rotary. He has served on the Illinois Workforce Investment Board Youth Subcommittee and on the Oregon Chamber of Commerce Board. Prior to his community college career, Mandrell served as a police officer in Oregon, Illinois, according to Lake Michigan College.

Mandrell holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Community College Leadership from Ferris State University, and a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration from Western Illinois University, Lake Michigan College reports.

The Lake Michigan College Board of Trustees will conduct interviews of each candidate open to the public at the following dates and times:

* Rebekah S. Woods: 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 18, at the Mendel Center North Training Room

* Jon D. Mandrell: 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Mendel Center North Training Room

* Trevor A. Kubatzke: 5:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 20, at the Mendel Center South Seminar Room, 3rd Floor

The interviews will not include questions from the audience, Lake Michigan College said. People attending the interviews will be given instructions for submitting input.

Visit www.lakemichigancollege.edu/president for more information.

Harrison said the new president should have an understanding of higher education, ability to bring about change, manage diverse populations and multitask, and be good role model.

"A nice blend of background, education and experience and an ability to get things done," he said, "not only within the organization, but in the communities we serve."

Lake Michigan College is based in Benton Harbor and also has campuses in Allegan, Niles and South Haven.
school busses.jpg

Many Muskegon-area school districts announced they will be closed today, Jan. 17.

(MLive File Photo)

MUSKEGON, MI - Hazardous travel conditions, especially on the secondary roads in the Muskegon area, have led to the cancellation of school today, Jan. 17, for many area school districts.

Students in Muskegon County school districts from Montague in the north to Mona Shores in the south will be able to go back to bed.

For some students, it has become quite common as of late. This is the third "snow day," although this time it is about icy roadways rather than snow, for some area districts over the last two weeks.

Muskegon and Muskegon Heights school districts in the urban core, along with Ravenna and Oakridge in the eastern part of the county, also are closed today.

School districts in Oceana and northern Ottawa counties also announced closings today.

For a complete rundown of school closings, see the WZZM list.
SAGINAW, MI -

- Saginaw Medical Federal Credit Union is recognizing January as Pet Awareness Month by collecting items for Amazing Grace Animal Rescue.

Donations can be dropped off through Tuesday, Jan. 24. Items requested include dog and cat food, treats, toys, blankets, towels, bleach, cleaning supplies, money and more. The Saginaw Medical Federal Credit Union has offices located at 4500 State St. in Saginaw Township. and 1430 N. Michigan Ave. in Saginaw.

Amazing Grace Animal Shelter is a nonprofit animal rescue that has saved the lives of many abandoned, forgotten or abused animals and placed them in homes. Amazing Grace Animal Rescue is located at 3365 Freeland Road in Saginaw and may be reached by calling (989) 792-0346. For a complete list of requested items, please visit

.
SAGINAW, MI -- The Saginaw chapter of the NAACP plans to ramp up its advocacy efforts for social justice.

Chapter leaders announced their intentions at a press conference Tuesday, Jan. 17, at the Andersen Enrichment Center in Saginaw.

"In short, social justice advocacy on our part will include a series of tactical actions that will be undertaken to impact issues that will change the 'what is' into a 'what should be,'" said Terry Pruitt, a co-chairman of the local branch's political action committee.

Pruitt, committee co-chairman Carl Williams, and local branch President Leola Wilson addressed about 30 community members during an approximately 45-minute event. They did so in the wake of President Barack Obama's farewell address and in advance of upcoming "State Of" addresses from Saginaw Mayor Dennis Browning and Saginaw County Board of Commissioners Chairman Carl Ruth.

"All too often," Wilson said, "these (addresses) are loaded with platitudes pertaining to infrastructure developments, economic development projects, crime activity summaries, and other civic highlights but seldom mention the plight of many of our citizens in the area."

Pruitt added that while the NAACP "gladly celebrates and champions" those efforts, "in many instances, our elected leaders in their ... addresses leave most of us with an incomplete picture of the real plight of many of our residents' continuous struggle to be a part of the progress we typically hear detailed in much of the commentary."

Terry Pruitt, co-chair of the NAACP Political Action Committee, addresses the crowd during the annual NAACP State of the Community address at Andersen Enrichment Center in Saginaw on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017.

The Saginaw chapter of the NAACP, Pruitt said, is seeking "steps and plans that promote and encourage diversity, inclusion, and equality."

"Quite simply stated," Pruitt said, "too many of our leaders are either reluctant to talk about race, poverty, and the lack of diversity in our various institutions and the fact that we see too little progress in making sure that everyone has an opportunity to participate in the community's 'dream.'"

Pruitt mentioned a September 2014 summit during which more than 200 minority men "identified three priority issues:" expanded meaningful employment opportunity, improved education and training opportunities, and improved relationship with law enforcement.

"The challenge on the table for all of us is to unify our efforts to begin to seriously address these issues," Pruitt said.

Pruitt emphasized that the NAACP, as an advocacy organization, "has a strong local history of partnering with other organizations."

"We do not seek to be adversarial, but [rather] a supportive partner in attempting to achieve fairness and equality for all," Pruitt said. "We recognize that sometimes, agitation is required to gain the attention of those in authority."

Williams, the former state representative for the 95th District, outlined how the local chapter will go about its advocacy efforts in the areas of education, health care, civic engagement, economic opportunity, criminal justice, and environmental injustice.

"We will continue to work to ensure that every disadvantaged student and student of color graduates ready for college or a career by ensuring access to great teaching, fair discipline, equitable resources, and challenging curriculum," Williams said. "We must be dedicated to eliminating the severe racial inequities that continue to plague our education system."

Carl Williams, co-chair of the NAACP Political Action Committee, addresses the crowd during the annual NAACP State of the Community address at Andersen Enrichment Center in Saginaw on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017.

Williams added that the NAACP will monitor the development of Delta College's downtown Saginaw campus, including seeking to have minorities fairly represented in the workforce involved in the construction and in the faculty and staffing of the campus.

"We need to see that we are part of the $12 to $13 million in taxpayer funding that is to be invested in this project," Williams said.

As for health care, Williams said minorities "continue to have the highest incidence and prevalence of mortality rates from chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease [and] diabetes and obesity, and issues like HIV/AIDS continue to overwhelm the black community more so than any other racial or ethnic group." Williams said the chapter will seek increased resources to combat HIV and AIDS and increased training for local law enforcement officials.

The local chapter also will remain "actively engaged" in voter education, voter registration, and voter turnout, Williams said.

"We will aggressively push back on attempts to curtail or suppress the ability of citizens to participate in the democratic process," Williams said.

Williams said local chapter leaders intend to meet with "many of our elected leaders" in the next two to three months to address their priorities. But Williams also lauded "the success of our community."

"Our region has come a long way in its revitalization efforts," Williams said. "Many here today believe that the future for the region is bright. I simply remind each of you that we are not there yet."
MIDLAND, MI -- Area residents who are not attending a national march the day after President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration have a more local option.

The Women of Michigan Action Network, or WOMAN, is hosting a solidarity march from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, near downtown Midland.

The march begins at the corner of Eastlawn and Saginaw roads.

"We will be there to be visible to the community," according to a WOMAN press release. "We will be there because many of the plans Trump has for the country are contrary to democratic ideals. We will be there to support the poor, LGBTQ people, women, people of color, immigrants, Muslims, and others who are vulnerable under this new administration."

WOMAN is based in Midland and was formed in response to Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton in the November general election. One of its founders, Jody Liebmann, helped organize the efforts to transport Michigan residents to Washington for the Women's March on Washington.

That march begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, which is the day after Trump takes the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building.

Liebmann said local bus seats for the trip now are sold out.
Belgium EU Foreign Minister

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, right, talks with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, left, and Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn during an EU foreign ministers meeting at the EU Council in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

BRUSSELS (AP) -- European Union nations bracing for the looming Donald Trump presidency showed defiance Monday in the face of the president-elect's stinging comments on everything from NATO and German cars to the crumbling of the EU itself.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the U.S. president-elect's view that NATO was obsolete and his criticism that European allied members aren't paying their fair share had "caused astonishment."

Trump also said Britain's decision to leave the 28-nation European Union would "end up being a great thing," and he predicted that other countries would also leave.

At a meeting of EU ministers, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the best response to such comments was simple -- "it is the unity of the Europeans."

In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted: "We Europeans have our fate in our own hands."

"I'm personally going to wait until the American president takes office, and then we will naturally work with him on all levels," she told reporters.

Some EU officials fear Trump's frequent, often acerbic Twitter postings might be the prelude to a caustic presidency after Friday's inauguration.

"We are going to move away from, I guess, a kind of Twitter diplomacy, and then into a reality," said Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen, adding that reality could be "perhaps more difficult than what is going on on Twitter."

EU foreign ministers were already worried what Trump might do beyond their continent. They came out against any plan by Trump to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and warned that it could ratchet up tensions with the Arab world.

"It is very important for us all to refrain from unilateral actions," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said. "We hope that there can be reflection on consequences of any move that is taken," she said.

Although Trump had made similar statements about NATO during his election campaign, his recent comments still came as a bit of a surprise since his choice for defense secretary, retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, stressed his support for the NATO military alliance in his U.S. congressional confirmation hearing last week.

Trump's views, in an interview published Monday with German daily Bild and The Times of London, contradict Mattis, Steinmeier said.

"If one compares the positions of the designated president and the future foreign and defense ministers, then one can't discern a common foreign policy line among the new U.S. government," he said.

There have even been fears the U.S. military commitment to Europe would wane under Trump. A German newspaper group reports that Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite has urged Trump to continue meeting the U.S.'s financial obligations toward the alliance.

"Since World War II, the presence of U.S. troops has been a prerequisite for rebuilding the continent, safeguarding peace and ensuring security," she told the RND network of some 30 German papers.

"We expect continuity from the new U.S. administration. Trump must maintain this leadership role, to ensure security, stability and peace," she was quoted as saying.

Trump indicated he was indifferent to whether the EU stays together or not, a sharp break from the Obama administration, which encouraged British people to vote to remain in the EU in the June referendum.

"I believe others will leave ... I do think keeping it together is not gonna be as easy as a lot of people think," Trump said in the interview.

The British exit from the EU would "end up being a great thing," he said.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said it's "very good news that the United States of America wants to do a good free trade deal with us and wants to do it very fast."

Trump was less kind to German industry officials, saying car manufacturers including BMW could face tariffs of up to 35 percent if they set up plants in Mexico instead of in the U.S. and try to export the cars to the U.S.

Such tariffs would make the American auto industry "worse, weaker and more expensive," Sigmar Gabriel, Germany's economy minister, told Bild.

Gabriel suggested Europeans should exhibit more self-confidence in dealing with Trump. "We're not weak and inferior," he said.

Whatever his goal, Trump's comments were strong enough to make him the talk of the town in European capitals.

"It is clear that we are discussing this issue all the time," Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said at the EU meeting in Brussels.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- She may not be working in the White House, but that doesn't mean Ivanka Trump is staying out of politics.

Although she has said she will have no official role in her father's administration, Ivanka Trump has been quietly laying the groundwork for an effort that could make her perhaps the best-connected policy advocate in Washington. Trump, who has made clear she wants to push for policies benefiting women and girls, last week sought the advice of a group of female executives and media stars in New York City. And transition aides have reached out to congressional staff on child care policies, an area she has urged President-elect Donald Trump to prioritize.

In a Facebook post detailing her next moves, Ivanka Trump thanked people who had reached out on such issues and added that she is determining the "most impactful and appropriate ways for me to serve our country."

It is not clear if Trump will establish herself independently or if she will eventually enter the White House. But operating from the outside may take her into uncharted territory, as there are few recent examples of a first family member without a White House office advocating for policies. The closest model is the first lady, who has an office in the East Wing.

For now, the businesswoman has said only that she is stepping away from executive roles at the Trump Organization and her lifestyle brand and is moving her family to Washington so that her husband, Jared Kushner, can take a job as a senior adviser. She has also stressed that she wants to focus on settling her three young children in a new home.

But Ivanka Trump is also thinking beyond that.

On Thursday, she attended a dinner with female executives at the home of her friend Wendi Deng, ex-wife of media executive Rubert Murdoch. The dinner was put together by Dina Powell, a Goldman Sachs partner who is joining the Trump administration as an assistant to the president and senior counselor for economic initiatives. Powell has been advising Ivanka Trump and is expected to continue working closely with her.

Other guests included MSNBC "Morning Joe" co-host Mika Brzezinski, model Christy Turlington Burns, former White House press secretary Dana Perino, Xerox Chairperson Ursula Burns, Deloitte CEO Cathy Engelbert, Glamour Editor-in-Chief Cynthia Leive and Time Managing Editor Nancy Gibbs. Another attendee, Pattie Sellers, executive director of Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summits, wrote on Fortune.com that Ivanka Trump "explained that she wanted to learn from the efforts of leaders in their fields."

Also there was Sheila Marcelo, founder of www.care.com, a website that connects families with caregivers, said an attendee who spoke on condition of anonymity because it was a private dinner. Marcelo spoke about the high cost of caregiving, both for children and adult family members.

The attendee said the group also discussed the Trump transition team's recent outreach to the House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee staff about Trump's child care proposals. Asked about news reports about the outreach, Ivanka Trump noted that these were priorities for the president-elect, the attendee said.

Inauguration in sight, Trump continues Twitter assault

A Trump Transition spokesperson declined to comment on the event.

Ivanka Trump's interest and influence on these issues was clear during the campaign. Encouraged by his daughter, Donald Trump offered a child care plan in September, which includes guaranteeing six weeks of paid maternity leave for new mothers, as well as some incentives to encourage employers to provide child care to workers.

The policy would require congressional approval -- a considerable hurdle. Such proposals are not a high priority for Republican leadership and it's not clear how well they'll be received by conservatives in the GOP-controlled Congress.

Ivanka Trump has already made some outreach to lawmakers, including meeting with Republican women back in September. But it is not clear if, moving forward, she will lobby Congress directly.

There is little precedent for a president's adult child seeking to have that sort of influence, said University of Minnesota law professor Richard Painter, who served as ethics counsel for President George W. Bush.

The closest comparison would be the policy work by first ladies, like Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign. Painter said that first ladies are generally not subject to conflict of interest laws, though in the past they complied voluntarily like past presidents.

But Painter said to avoid conflicts, Ivanka Trump should, like her husband, follow federal ethics laws. For example, he said she should not offer her father advice on international trade if she continues to have a financial stake in her clothing business. He said he did not think Ivanka Trump would need to register as a lobbyist if she was a policy advocate if she was not paid.

Ivanka Trump has said she will 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. Her company will be run by the current president and a board of trustees.

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. No details have been released on her financial arrangement with the lifestyle brand.

Women's march in DC an echo of the past

Who are the 8 richest people? All men, mostly Americans
Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York last week. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday. The Ethics and Religion Talk panel offer this advice as it relates to their religious upbringing.

(Evan Vucci)

By Rabbi David Krishef

ethicsandreligiontalk@gmail.com

The past two weeks, members of the Ethics and Religion Talk panel have taken a look at the legacy of President Barack Obama and how it relates to their religion. As President-elect Donald Trump becomes the 45th president of the U.S., we offer this advice to him as a leader and regarding his policies. The final installment of this four-part series will publish Jan. 24 online.



What advice would your religious tradition offer to President-elect Donald Trump regarding his priority-agenda items, such as repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, extreme vetting of Muslim immigrants, deporting illegal immigrants, rolling back climate change rules, anything else I have not mentioned, or other advice you would like to share?

Fred Wooden, the senior pastor of Fountain Street Church, responds:

"While hoping for reasonable and responsible choices, I am not optimistic given his rhetoric and behavior during the campaign.

"In the liberal religious community, we expect government to be for all the people, to protect liberty and justice for all. Many of his proposals strike me as being good for some of the people and not very good for most of the people, potentially divisive along ethnic and religious lines, and indifferent to the consequences our children will have to bear.

"If I am wrong, we all win. If I am right, most will lose."

Fred Stella, the Pracharak (Outreach Minister) for the West Michigan Hindu Temple, responds:

"I am pleased to say that exit polls showed that only 7 percent of Hindu-Americans voted for Mr. Trump.

"Those who did will tell you that it was his anti-terrorism rhetoric that sold them. Unfortunately, they actually believe that his policies will improve our situation. I strongly disagree.

"The Donald, if he maintains his stated goals, will only help breed more home-grown terrorists. It is through encouragement of young Muslims that they are a valuable asset to our nation, as opposed to isolating them, that we will defeat this movement of extremism.

"Instead of going over each policy point and commenting, I can say that political movements are only as good as the moral center from which they are created. Sadly, I believe that this administration's center is quite hollow.

"The only bright light is knowing that many of the campaign promises of this last election were merely chunks of raw meat thrown to rouse baser passions. Now that this was accomplished, the President-elect has decided that they are no longer in his sights."

R. Scot Miller, who writes from an Anabaptist and Quaker Christian perspective, responds:

"I have simple advice for the President-elect, but it comes from Jesus, rather than me. 'One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' No man or woman of faith should seek the power of the presidency, but instead serve others rather than Lord over others as the non-believers do."

Aly Mageed, a Shura member (roughly equivalent to an elder) of the Islamic Mosque and Religious Institute of Grand Rapids, responds:

"As a fellow American and stemming out of my faith tradition as a Muslim, I would like to advise you to observe one of our forefather's greatest tradition; equality under the law.

"Equality is rooted in all great traditions; divine or human. All the transforming revolutions throughout human history, including Islam, French and American revolutions, have put this universal human value at the forefront of their strife for change.

"In fact, one of the main objectives of divine revelations is to establish the principles of justice and equality. Equality is the stipulation that we as co-citizens all have essentially equal rights and are viewed the same regardless of our appearance; belief, spoken language or any other variable unrelated to the issue at hand. If my, or any other's rights are accidentally violated, I would like to see your and your cabinets' greatest efforts to uphold justice in rectifying the injustice.

"Guarding against the vulnerability of any and all minority populations is one of the main demands upon the shoulders of all the branches of the government; executive, judicial and legislative. Even the hatred or the enmity for someone or some group should not deviate us from the path of justice, fairness and equality. In addition, preservation of our inalienable and inviolable rights is the basis of citizenship as prescribed in our constitution."

My response:

My advice to President-elect Trump is simple.

I urge you to stop thinking of those who disagree with you as your enemies. Remember, you are becoming the President of every citizen of the United States, those who support you and those who don't.

It is time for you to begin reaching out to your political opponents with understanding and trying to work with them, instead of attacking them.



The Ethics and Religion Talk panel is looking for questions! Your question should be able to be answered by multiple members of the panel in 200-300 words. The views expressed are those of the panelists and do not necessarily represent the official perspectives of their congregations or denominations. Please submit questions from your own day-to-day encounters to EthicsAndReligionTalk@gmail.com.
Donald Trump visits Grand Rapids as part of 'thank you' tour 19

Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump's choice for education secretary, speaks at a post-election rally in Walker. DeVos' efforts in Michigan to promote school vouchers and for-profit charter schools show she only wants to corporatize and undermine public education, the author argues.

(MLive.com files)

Steven Cook is president of the Michigan Education Association. If you have a guest column to share, email Opinion Curator Dan Hawkins. And be sure to check out our guidelines for submission.

Steven Cook

By Steven Cook

For those of us who cherish public education among our democracy's greatest civic institutions, these are trying times.

We strive every day to support the American vision for a strong and inclusive public education system that ensures that all students can succeed, regardless of their ZIP code.

That's why it is so disappointing to see President-elect Trump's choice of Betsy DeVos to head the U.S. Department of Education. Her confirmation hearing begins today.

DeVos has no experience or expertise in public education. In fact, her sole qualification seems to be using her family's billions to fund relentless efforts to dismantle America's public school system, while promoting failed private vouchers and unaccountable for-profit charters.

Her efforts have been laser-focused on undermining our public schools and, in doing so, have harmed students. She wants to spend tax dollars on private school tuition, and she pulled the strings that freed for-profit corporate charters to run rampant in our state.

In no way do these failed schemes support opportunity for all students. Instead, they siphon public tax dollars from traditional neighborhood schools to fund for-profit charters and private schools -- thereby speeding up privatization of our public education system.

That's especially worrisome here in Michigan, where we've experienced destructive DeVos policies firsthand.

Michigan spends $1 billion a year of public money on charter schools. These schools don't disclose their financial dealings and are completely unaccountable to the public. These schools have not improved learning and have done nothing to help our most vulnerable students by closing glaring opportunity gaps.

And we have DeVos to thank for this.

Last year's investigation of Michigan's charter school system by the Detroit Free Press found wasteful spending, double dipping, contract steering, overall poor academic performance and no state standards for how to deal with it all.

Voucher schemes haven't proved any better. Vouchers have failed to bridge the achievement gap in any of the 30 states where they have been tried, while continuing to drain resources away from the traditional schools that educate the vast majority of students.

Trump and DeVos want to corporatize public education to its destruction. They can do damage, but they can't destroy it alone. They can't pass a radical $20 billion voucher plan to dismantle our nation's public education system without the support of Congress, the courts and the American people.

And that is where you come in. Those of us who cherish and support public education must stand and fight to defend it.

We are united by our commitment to public education. We -- parents, educators and students across the country -- share bonds that connect us to schools and communities everywhere. The future depends on our will to stand up together for what we believe in.

We must resolve to build coalitions in our communities with parents and civic leaders who share our desire for investment in quality public schools.

Let's speak up with friends and neighbors to raise awareness about what is happening to scapegoat and weaken public education, and what's at stake if we don't stop it.

Let's stand ready to lobby lawmakers in Lansing and Washington if they attempt to implement voucher and privatization schemes that voters nationwide -- including in Michigan -- have rejected many times.

Let's redouble our efforts to tell the story of public education -- from the challenges we face to the incredible drive and determination school employees show every day.
Donald Trump visits Grand Rapids as part of 'thank you' tour 34

Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump's choice for education secretary, speaks at a post-election Trump rally in Walker in December. Her efforts in Michigan for school choice, quality and accountability make her suited to lead the work to improve U.S. schools, the author argues.

(MLive.com files)

Jim Barrett is chairman of the Great Lakes Education Project, and he was president and CEO of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce for 32 years. If you have a guest column to share, email Opinion Curator Dan Hawkins. And be sure to check out our guidelines for submission.

Jim Barrett

By Jim Barrett

Much has been written in the national media about President-elect Donald Trump's selection of Betsy DeVos to become U.S. education secretary, and the role she has played in education reform in Michigan. Most of these accounts are overly simplistic and just wrong, and as someone who has worked closely with Betsy DeVos for decades, I'm here to set the record straight as her Senate confirmation hearing opens today.

We must begin with a common understanding of how poorly our school systems are performing. Today, less than 50 percent of Michigan's K-8 students are proficient in any grade or any subject, and less than 40 percent of our high school juniors are considered prepared for college or meaningful careers. Despite the fact Michigan is a top 10 state for education spending, we're more like a bottom 10 state in terms of performance.

For nearly 30 years, Betsy DeVos has been leading the charge for expanded choice, improved quality and enhanced accountability in education.

On choice, DeVos supported Proposal A in the early 1990s, which changed K-12 funding and introduced school choice and charter schools. We later fought to remove the artificial cap on charter schools and allow for online learning.

On quality, DeVos and the Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP) supported Gov. Jennifer Granholm's proposed Michigan Merit Curriculum and having all high school juniors take a college entrance exam. We continue to defend and support high standards and high expectations for all students. GLEP was also the driving force behind the new K-3 reading bill, which will provide support and assistance for struggling readers but will also end social promotion.

On accountability, DeVos and GLEP have been pushing for a simple A-F letter grading system for school performance, so that parents receive meaningful information to make informed decisions. We support local control, but w e also believe failing schools should get better or be closed. Period.

Most of misinformation being distributed is about DeVos and the role she and GLEP played in the recent legislation to rescue the Detroit Public Schools. We opposed the anti-choice Detroit Education Commission, which was intended to prop up the new traditional district by limiting enrollment in charter public schools. What we did support, and it was included in the final bill, was tough accountability for all schools, and for the first time any district or charter in Detroit on the "Bottom 5 Percent" list for three consecutive years will be closed, as well as all failing charters throughout the state.

As secretary of the Education Department, the rest of the country will soon see the discipline and passion of Betsy DeVos. And the country will be better off because of her service.
DETROIT - The Detroit Red Wings accomplished something they haven't done in some time Monday - win consecutive games at Joe Louis Arena.

Thomas Vanek scored his team-leading 12th goal and Jared Coreau made 18 saves for his second shutout as the Red Wings defeated the Montreal Canadiens 1-0.

The last time Detroit (19-19-6) won back-to-back games at home was Oct. 22-25, the final two of a four-game winning streak at the Joe.

It is the first time the Red Wings have won consecutive games anywhere since Dec. 4-6.

Coreau, who has started seven of the past 11 games due to Petr Mrazek's struggles, has shutouts in two of his past four starts.

It was just the Red Wings' third win in their past 13 (3-7-3) vs. the Atlantic Division-leading Canadiens (27-12-6).

Carey Price, who faced 20 shots, dropped to 10-4-1 lifetime against Detroit.

The Red Wings went 0 for 4 on the power play, but it didn't cost them in the end. Montreal had just one power play.

Vanek broke the scoreless tie with 1:46 remaining in the second period with his team-leading 12th goal. He was battling with Alexei Emelin at the net front when he tipped in Danny DeKeyser's shot from the point.

Vanek extended his points streak to six games (five goals, four assists).

Each team had one power play chance in a scoreless first period in which Detroit held a 6-4 edge in shots. Andreas Athanasiou had the best opportunity, getting denied by Price's glove save on a breakaway.
[January 17, 2017] Equinox Payments Integrates Android Pay's Seamless Payments and Loyalty Feature

Equinox Payments ("Equinox"), announced that all Equinox terminal solutions are now integrated with Android Pay, allowing retailers to provide an improved checkout experience to their loyalty customers. Equinox is the first terminal provider to implement Android (News - Alert) Pay's newest version of this technology across all its product lines, including the L5300 multi-lane terminals used by Walgreens, the first retailer to integrate its loyalty program with Android Pay on the L5300s in its stores nationwide. Members of retailers' loyalty programs, such as Walgreens Balance Rewards, seamlessly add information into their Android Pay wallet. Once at the point of sale, a simple tap of their phone at the terminal onveys loyalty, coupon or gift card information so members can earn points or have discounts applied. A second tap applies payment from the card of their choice. Alternatively, retailers can choose to have loyalty and payment information conveyed in a single tap.



"Integrating our Balance Rewards loyalty program with Android Pay on all of the Equinox checkout terminals in our stores nationwide is another example of how we are always looking to enhance our customers' in-store experience," said Abhi Dhar, Chief Digital Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance & CIO, Walgreens. "It was evident just last month during the holiday shopping season that many of our Balance Rewards members enjoy the benefits of linking our loyalty program with mobile payments. We're offering a convenient and secure way for our members to earn and redeem loyalty points in-store, eliminating the need to separately scan or enter their Balance Rewards card." "The migration from cards to mobile wallets intensifies the demand for a quick and easy payment experience, and our integration with Android Pay makes this possible," said Rob Hayhow, Vice President, Equinox. "Shoppers can simply tap their phones at the terminal, which replaces the time-consuming process of entering loyalty program information, inserting a chip card for payment, and waiting for the transaction to complete."

"It's our goal to make in-store payments simple for everyone, so we've worked with Equinox to implement these latest Android Pay enhancements with all of their terminals, starting with the L5300 used by retailers like Walgreens. Android Pay customers who shop at stores equipped with Equinox terminals can have instant, frictionless access to their loyalty card when they pay," said Pali Bhat, Global Head of Payment Products at Google (News - Alert). Retailers and software partners that develop solutions on Equinox's Apollo, L5000 and Luxe terminal lines are eligible to use this latest Android Pay technology since Equinox has integrated Android Pay to its baseline software. A few steps must be performed to implement the technology and activate features aligned with specific loyalty programs. About Equinox Payments Brookfield Equinox LLC (dba Equinox Payments) was founded in 2014 as a result of an acquisition of assets from Equinox Payments, LLC. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, Equinox is looking beyond product features to rethink and reimagine the customer payment experience. Equinox is owned by NBS (News - Alert) Payment Solutions (NBSPS), based in Toronto and a leading provider of electronic payment solutions for over 25 years. NBSPS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management, a global asset manager with over $225 billion of assets under management. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170117005044/en/

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business 75% ATMs dispensing cash; expect normalcy in a month: Axis Bank Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Rajiv Anand, Executive Director at Axis Bank, said he expected all limits on cash withdrawals to be lifted by April 1.
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January 17, 2017

How The U.S. Enabled ISIS To Take Deir Ezzor

The city of Deir Ezzor (Deir ez-Zur) in east-Syria is on the verge of falling into the hands of the Takfiris of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). More than 100,000 civilian inhabitants of Deir Ezzor and thousands of soldiers defending them are in immediate danger of being murdered by the savage ISIS forces. The current situation is a direct consequence of U.S. military action against the SAA and non-action against ISIS.

Deir Ezzor is besieged by ISIS since September 2015. But the city was well defended by its garrison of Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and all further attacks by ISIS were repelled. Supply to the city was hauled in by air through the Deir Ezzor airport and through air drops by the Syrian and Russian airforces. Relief by ground forces and ground supplies are not possible as Deir Ezzor is more than 100 km away from the nearest SAA positions west of Palmyra and as the desert in between is under the control of ISIS.



Google map - bigger

Four days ago a new attack by ISIS on Deir Ezzor was launched and has since continued. ISIS reinforcements and resupplies had come over months despite air interdiction from the Russian and Syrian airforces. Yesterday ISIS managed to cut off the airport, where the local SAA command and its main supplies are hosted, from the city proper. It is now attacking in full force from all sides. Bad weather makes air support from the outside sporadic and difficult. Unless some unforeseen happens it is only a question of time until the airport and the city fall to ISIS.



Map by Peto Lucem - bigger

The U.S. has condoned and/or even actively supported the imminent ISIS taking of Deir Ezzor by (at least) three measures:

a massive U.S. air attack on SAA forces in September 2016 enabled ISIS to take a controlling position and to cut off SAA resupplies

a U.S. attack against a power station in January disabled the last electricity supplies to the city

U.S. non-intervention enabled ISIS reinforcements from Mosul and west Iraq to Deir Ezzor in east-Syria

On September 16 2016 an hour long U.S. led air attack on SAA positions on the Tharda hills to the south of the airport killed over 100 SAA soldiers, destroyed a big SAA supply dump and several SAA tanks and artillery pieces. Immediately after the U.S. attack ISIS took the hills and has since held them. The positions allow for fire control over the airport of Deir Ezzor.

The U.S. military claimed that the attack was a mistake but a thorough reading of the investigation report of that "mistake" shows that the U.S. military attack was intentionally targeting the SAA to make a political point against an announced U.S.-Russian cooperation agreement to fight ISIS. (Danish airforce F-16 planes and drones under U.S. command had taken part in the attack. After the report was published, the Danish government pulled all air elements from its participation in the U.S. coalition against ISIS.)

Since the U.S. attack in September no significant air supplies have reached Deir Ezzor. Even helicopter landing at the airport is only possible at night and by taking very high risks. The city inhabitants and their defenders are completely cut off.

Early January U.S. airforce attacks destroyed the electricity plant at the Omar oilfield near Deir Ezzor. The plant was the last one to supply the city of Deir Ezzor. Since then only a few military generators and dwindling fuel supplies are left for medical and communication equipment.

When the Iraqi Army plans for retaking the ISIS held city of Mosul were developed and commenced in October the U.S. insisted on leaving a western corridor open for ISIS forces inclined to flee from Mosul into the direction of Deir Ezzor. Hundreds if not thousands of ISIS fighters used the corridor. The U.S. controlled Kurdish forces in north Iraq let ISIS pass from Iraq to Syria. Fearing (correctly) that an ISIS move out of Mosul towards Deir Ezzor would mean the fall of Deir Ezzor Russia and Iran intervened with the Iraqi government. Despite U.S. wishes the Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi ordered his Popular Mobilization Forces (PMU) to cut off the western exit:

Iran was not the only country pressing for the escape to be closed west of Mosul. Russia, another powerful Assad ally, also wanted to block any possible movement of militants into Syria, said Hashemi. The Russian defence ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. One of Assads biggest enemies, France, was also concerned that hundreds of fighters linked to attacks in Paris and Brussels might escape. The French have contributed ground and air support to the Mosul campaign.

...

Still, the battle plan did not foresee closing the road to the west of Mosul until Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi agreed in late October to despatch the Popular Mobilisation militias.

Despite a fast advance by the PMU from the south against Tal Afar to cut off the escape road many ISIS fighters in west Iraq were able to flee across the border and towards Deir Ezzor with their equipment in tact. They reinforced the ISIS troops now attacking Deir Ezzor. The U.S. has uncontested air superiority over west Iraq and east Syria but did not once intervene against the large scale move.

If ISIS takes Deir Ezzor it will likely kill (as it did on other occasions) all captured SAA troops and anyone it believes to have cooperated with them. The soldiers know this. They will fight down to the last bullet. But without any reinforcements and resupplies their chances are slim.

When the Syrian government besieged al-Qaeda forces in east-Aleppo the "western" media and the various "Syrian opposition" propaganda outlets were running an all out campaign in support of the besieged Takfiris. There is no such campaign in support of the civilians and soldiers in Deir Ezzor. In their few reports about the imminent fall of Deir Ezzor "western" publications even resort to outright lying. Thus claims the Daily Telegraph:

The US-led coalition, as well as the Russians, have been bombing the jihadists in Deir Ezzor for the last 18 months but have been unable to dislodge them.

No significant U.S. air attacks have been flown against ISIS forces around Deir Ezzor at all. All attacks flown by the U.S. in the area have been against Syrian government troops or their supporting infrastructure.

The U.S. official rhetoric about fighting ISIS is not supported by observable facts on the battle field. One can only conclude that the U.S. military does not only condone but supports ISIS in gaining control over Deir Ezzor despite the extreme high risk for anyone left in the city.

This likely to further the larger long term plan of installing a "Salafist principality" in western Iraq and eastern Syria that creates a justification for the U.S. military to stay in the area to "fight ISIS" and which can be activated against the Syrian and Iraqi government whenever convenient. U.S. President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry have both admitted that they earlier allowed ISIS to grow in Iraq and Syria for exactly such political purposes.

Posted by b on January 17, 2017 at 11:53 UTC | Permalink

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Gavilan College is now offering an Esthetician program for its students starting in the spring semester, which runs Jan. 30 through May 26.

The class will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays. It will be at Gavilans Gilroy campus, located at 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd.

The comprehensive skin care program meets all requirements from the State of California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Barbering and Cosmetology requirements for licensure. State Licensing requires 600 hours for the practice of esthetics. Two courses are offered to meet the requirements for Licensure: Scientific Skin Care and Advance Scientific Skin Care.

After completing the Certificate of Achievement for Esthetics, students must pass the State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology examination for licensure and employment.

For more information, contact Delva Zamarron at (408) 848-4884 or email at [email protected]
VALDESE  Folks in town hankering for some Mexican soon wont have to drive to Morganton or Hickory for it.

Los Compadres Mexican Restaurant is planned for the former Flowers auto building at 508 Main St . in Valdese. In December, the town council approved a resolution for the town to sell the building for $120,000 to Donna Zamora.

Restaurant Owners Donna and Roger Zamora are shooting for an early April opening, Donna said.

We are very excited to be opening soon in Valdese, Roger said. It's a town full of character, good people and that we have always loved.

The restaurant will serve traditional Mexican food, Donna said. Roger said the eatery will offer authentic Molcajetes, Chile rellenos, seafood and fajitas, along with other traditional foods.

We will also be adding a little surprise from the "Taco truck menu" as well, Roger said.

The eatery will have a full bar, including Mexican beers and one craft beer on tap every month, Donna said.

In addition to indoor seating, the restaurant will have a patio area with about six tables, she said.

The couple, who currently live in Catawba County, used to live in Valdese. Donna said her husband always noticed the former Flowers building and thought it would be a good place for a business.

This isnt the first business the Zamoras have owned. The couple owned a business in Mexico and Roger has always worked in restaurants, Donna said.

And the eatery will be a family affair. Roger has recruited his mother and some cousins to work at the restaurant, Donna said. They plan to start out with 10 workers, she said.

The restaurant will be open seven days a week, serving lunch and dinner, Donna said.

Were really excited, Donna said.

Sharon McBrayer is a staff writer and can be reached at smcbrayer@morganton.com or at 828-432-8946.
Despite a significant stock market rally in 2016, investors remain wary of China. A looming debt problem and a slowdown economy are cause for concern, but experts argue that they could be manageable by the countrys government

Chinese debt has risen to 250% of GDP since the global financial crisis in 2008. This level of domestic debt to GDP is considerably higher than other emerging markets levels of around 100-150%. The average developed markets domestic credit to GDP is at 289%.

That high level of borrowing, together with a slowdown economy, are placing stress on Chinas financial system  and raising worries about its impact on the global economy. However, according to Jan Dehn, head of research at emerging markets investment manager Ashmore, concerns regarding Chinese debt are exaggerated.

China has borrowing levels almost as high as those in developed markets, but there is a very important difference between China and most of the western economies  China has a 49% saving rates, said Dehn.

What that means in practice is that every single month when every Chinese worker opens his pay check half of that goes into the bank. And year after year, you end up building up a large amount of domestic deposits in China, of which the stock of domestic deposit to GDP is about 180%.

Imagine you have a banking system with zero leverage, in other words, the bank only lends out exactly what it has in in the vault. Apply that metric to China it has about 180% deposits to GDP simply by virtual of having a very high saving rate. When you compare 250% domestic debt to a rate of 180% domestic deposits, China is like a very low leveraged bank, while in typical western banks, you put in one deposit and they lend out 10 times that amount.

Watch Out for Growing Private Debt Levels

However, according to Supriya Menon, senior multi-asset strategist at Pictet Asset Management, it is not the government debt levels investors should be worried about, but the expansion in Chinas private sectors borrowing is particularly worrying.

Chinas private sector debt, known as excess debt, is now equivalent to more than 30% of the countrys output. This amount has proved a reliable predictor of serious financial problems, as evidence shows economies tend to slump once excess debt reaches 10% of its GDP, said Menon.

Chinas excess debt first breached 10% of GDP in the second quarter of 2012. When other countries reached the same threshold, their growth rates tended to collapse, said Menon.

In Chinas case the slowdown has been more controlled. Yet the net effect has been more dramatic. Growth has slowed from an average annual rate of 11% in the years before the critical debt threshold to below 7% now. We estimate that China annual pace of real GDP expansion will drop to between 4% and 5% by 2020, she added.

Can China Manage its Debt Problem?

Looking into Chinas December data, new loans and total social financing were much higher than expected, mainly due to higher medium-long term credits to corporates, according to Julius Baers economist Susan Joho.

This likely represents government support in the form of infrastructure and public projects. We expect credit growth to be maintained around current levels in order to support growth, which could soften somewhat due to a property market cooling following restrictions, said Joho.

Pierre-Yves Bareau, head of emerging market debt at JP Morgan echoes Johos views, saying that Chinas credit-to-GDP levels will continue to increase until the indebtedness and industrial overcapacity of state-owned enterprises are addressed through the implementation of structural reforms.

But Pictets Menon believed that China could manage the countrys corporate debt problem.

Chinese corporate default rates are a mere 0.3% currently. Generally, economies can handle rates of around 2% without significant spill-overs, said Menon.

Menon added that while two thirds of outstanding corporate debt is held by state-owned enterprises, it would be a natural solution for the Chinese government to make good on these firms bad debts.

While Menon does not expect China to trigger the sort of global catastrophe that followed the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, Menon warned that even if Chinese government correctly diagnoses the problem in years, there is no guarantee it will avoid missteps.
In this world of increased automation and commoditisation, passive funds are expected to be ultra-cheap. So much so that there are those who argue it is only a matter of time before the funds tracking mainstream indices such as the FTSE 100 and S&P 500 are given out for free.

Over five years, you could be losing 560 on a 10,000 investment in unnecessary fees

This may sound like an exaggerated claim, but in the United States one can already buy the whole U.S. stock market for a rock-bottom annual fee of 0.03%. In the UK, fees are not quite so low, but they are not far off.

Source, an ETF provider, charges 0.05% for its S&P 500 ETF, while a UK equity index fund would cost you 0.06%.

Fierce competition and greater economies of scale have pushed fees for these particular funds close to zero, while creating pressure in the wider passive fund industry for ever lower fees.

Active managers look expensive in comparison. Many continue to charge annual fees of more than 1%, which means that they need to clear a high hurdle every year in order to generate outperformance after costs.

Some ETFs Remain Unjustifiably Expensive

While the headlines in recent years have been focused on passive providers slashing costs, investors should be aware that there is still a wide price disparity between index-tracking funds, including those available on popular investment platforms, such as Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell Youinvest. Some offerings remain unjustifiably expensive.

Two of the biggest offenders are the Halifax UK FTSE 100 Index Tracking Fund and the Virgin UK Index Tracking Trust, with combined assets of 3.7 billion. They charge a mind-blowing 1% annual fee to blindly follow the ups and downs of the FTSE 100 and FTSE All Share, respectively.

Holders of these trackers are leaving more than 0.9% of performance on the table every year compared to a scenario where they would have bought the cheapest options offered by companies like BlackRock, L&G and Fidelity. Over five years, this represents a cumulative loss of 560 in unnecessary fees for anyone investing 10,000, assuming a 5% annual growth.

Less exorbitant but equally unjustifiable is the iShares S&P 500 ETF (IDUS), the fourth largest ETF in Europe with 8 billion of assets under management. This dividend-distributing fund charges an annual fee of 0.40%. While not high in absolute terms, this is very expensive relative to directly comparable options. The vast majority of S&P 500 ETFs cost now less than 0.15%.

Global ETF leader iShares enjoys vast economies of scale, but is selective in the way it shares them with investors. In fact, the firm also offers the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (CSP1) for a much lower fee of 0.07%. The core fund re-invests dividends, so may not be suitable for investors seeking income. For these investors, Vanguards flagship S&P 500 ETF (VUSD), which charges an identical fee of 0.07%, is a good alternative.

In a similar fashion, the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEEM), which boasts 3.9 billion in assets, comes with a hefty price tag of 0.75%. This is three times as costly as its non-income-sharing sister; the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets IMI.

Do Your Homework Before Investing

The funds highlighted here are by no means the only expensive trackers currently in sale in the UK; but they certainly stand out by their size. If anything, they serve as a reminder that passive investing isnt always low cost  even though the majority of passive funds are still cheaper than their average actively-managed equivalents.

Not all index-tracking funds are created equal, so it is crucial that investors do their homework before making a decision.

As for the investors stuck with shares of expensive trackers, they have two options. They can either sit tight in the hope that the fund company starts feeling the heat and cuts fees, or switch to cheaper alternatives. In the latter case, fund holders must weigh up the cost savings against the transactions costs they will incur by switching funds.

A version of this article appeared in Money Observer magazine
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.
As Vancouver smarted from its greatest 3-month decline in home prices since 2012, latest housing data suggested that Ontario is now the main contributor of strength and activity to Canadas residential real estate sector.Fresh data from Teranet noted that Torontowhich saw 20 per cent growth in housing sale prices last yearwas one of the only two Canadian markets that exhibited gains in the second half of 2016, along with Victoria.The Canadian Real Estate Association supported this observation, with only Toronto and Victoria showing increases of more than 1 per cent in the quarter ending November 2016, Bloomberg reported.Statistics Canadas latest study supported these observations, with only 3 of the 13 major markets apart from Ontario posting gains greater than 2 per cent in new construction of low-rise housing.Earlier this month, the Toronto Real Estate Board announced that average home prices in the city have jumped up by 20 per cent year-over-year in December (up to $730,472)a development that has been accompanied by sustained low levels of inventory in the GTA.Taking into account the ever-increasing demand from would-be buyers, this confluence of factors will keep up Torontos status as one of the countrys strongest sellers markets, the Board added.
Legal and Regulatory Update; Credit Risk Transfers; 2016 Non-Agency Issuance Stats

Well, we have 24 business days until our next Federal holiday (Presidents Day on February 20). Sigh. Much worse is this very, very sad, troubling statistic: News came out that drug overdoses are involved in more deaths than car crashes and guns. U.S. deaths from drug overdoses (driven by heroin and prescription painkillers) were up 11 percent in 2015, claiming 52,404 lives, per the annual statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Terrible.

Legal & Regulatory Matters

Remember TARP? Last week the GAO announced the release of its report providing an update on the status and condition of Treasury's TARP-funded housing programs as of October 31, 2016. Per the report, Treasury had disbursed nearly 60 percent or $22.6 billion of the $37.51 billion assigned to TARP for helping struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. The report also notes that the GAO's latest review yielded no new recommendations and that only five of the 29 recommendations GAO has previously made related to the TARP-funded housing programs remain open or not fully implemented. The report states that the GAO will continue to monitor and assess the status of these recommendations.

The Dodd-Frank Act is critical in strengthening the financial system and preventing another crisis, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said. While there is room for improvement in reducing the regulatory burden for small banks, the law should not be dismantled, she said.

Hank Davis with MetaSource writes, "Hi Rob, I thought your readership would find this White Paper on QC findings and TRID informative. I would pass this along to you to send out to your readership. We find our clients like to see how the industry is performing on the Quality Control side of the business and compare their performance to their peers. We are coming out with Peer to Peer performance metrics later this quarter but this is a good start.

It isn't the first, and won't be the last...Moody's has settled with the Justice Department and the attorneys general for 21 states and the District of Columbia for $864 million to settle federal and state claims it gave inflated ratings to risky mortgage investments in the years leading up to the financial crisis. It is certainly tough to have a security rated fairly when the rating agency is being paid by the entity wanting a high rating... That penalty is about a third of the $2.5 billion that Moody's earned in the four years leading up to the crisis. Recall that Standard and Poor's, after fighting the U.S. in court for two years, settled similar claims with the U.S. for $1.5 billion in 2016. While Moody's failed to abide by its own standards in rating some securities per the government, it said the settlement doesn't contain a finding it violated the law or any admission of liability. "Moody's has agreed to maintain, for the next five years, a number of existing compliance measures and to implement and maintain certain additional measures over the same period." What happens after five years?

Law firm BuckleySandler LLP kept us up to date on the CFPB machinations. Over the objections of the CFPB, the D.C. Circuit granted the request of PHH Corp. to file a supplemental brief responding to arguments in support of en banc review that were raised for the first time in a brief filed by the U.S. Solicitor General on the December 22, 2016. PHH's supplemental brief is due on or before January 27, 2017. For additional background, please see our summaries of the panel decision, the CFPB's petition for rehearing, and the D.C. Circuit's order directing PHH to respond and the Solicitor General to provide views.

What about foreclosure cases? I was sniffing around rulings from last year, and found this one that includes all kinds of infamous mortgage names. In June 2005, a borrower obtained a loan in the amount of $620,000 from WAMU. In April 2009, the servicer of the loan (Chase) recorded an assignment of the loan and transferred it to Deutsche. In that same month, the borrower began defaulting on the loan. Chase began foreclosure proceedings. In November 2009, Chase recorded another assignment of the loan and transferred the loan to BoA, notwithstanding the fact that it had already been assigned to Deutsche. On the same day, the trustee recorded a Trustee's Deed Upon Sale on behalf of BoA naming BoA as the foreclosing beneficiary. Confused yet? The Trustee's Deed noted that BoA was winner at the foreclosure pursuant to a credit bid. In December 2009, Chase recorded another assignment of the loan purporting to correct the assignment made in April. Prior to the foreclosure sale, the borrower filed a lawsuit in federal court. In May of 2012, that case was dismissed.

In February 2013, the borrower once again filed a law suit in state court alleging that Bank of America was not the lender of record for the loan as Chase had transferred the loan to Deutsche. In response, BoA filed a demurrer to the complaint alleging that the case was barred by the previous federal case and because the borrower did not allege any harm. The complaint/demurrer process continued.

The decision? The California Court of Appeals for the Fourth District reversed the lowers courts' ruling and held a borrower is automatically prejudiced by a foreclosure by a third party and does not need to specify any other damages. The court noted that the California Supreme Court's decision in Yvanova v New Century Mortgage Corp. has largely held that a foreclosure by a third party is actionable. While it may be true that the borrower would be unable to pay the loan, that was not relevant to the analysis of whether the borrower had been damaged. Given cases such as these, it would stand to reason that lenders should be more careful in making assignments of the loan. Although it is unclear why Chase recorded the second and third assignment in this particular case. Lenders will likely work to clean up the recording issues and work with each other to prevent further cases such as this from happening.

Turning from legal & regulatory matters to the secondary markets...

Are stated income mortgages returning to the residential mortgage-backed security bullpen? Certainly, with overall volumes sliding somewhat, lenders may become interested in other products in 2017. And yes, even as far back as October there were some noticing an increase in stated income loans in the capital markets.

One somewhat controversial topic is that of how best to transfer credit risk away from taxpayers, since we are "supporting" Freddie and Fannie's risk since they are wards of the state. Is the process a means to an end, as Faith Schwartz wrote a few months ago? Ms. Schwartz penned a second piece titled, "Credit Risk Transfer - Front and Back End Execution. Why Does It Matter?"

And a write-up by Lew Sichelman explains the how the process of credit risk transfer is drawing mixed reactions.

John Bancroft with IMF writes that non-agency production (measured by securities in the capital markets, not production that flowed into portfolios) fell sharply last year. "In 2016, a mere $42.93 billion of non-agency MBS were issued, down 38.9 percent from the previous year, per a new Inside MBS & ABS ranking and analysis. It was the second-lowest annual output since 2012."

"The picture would look a bit brighter if Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac credit-risk transfer deals were included, as well as single-family rental securitizations, which both compete for the investors that might be interested in non-agency MBS. But the government-sponsored enterprise CRT deals are debt issues and they couldn't be any more 'agency,' while the SFR securitizations look a lot more like commercial MBS than residential MBS.

"The prime jumbo market hit a four-year low with just $9.32 billion in new issuance, and that included a pair of non-agency MBS issued by JPMorgan Chase that were backed by agency-eligible home loans. It's safe to say, that until something gives, the prime jumbo sector looks to be good for about $10 billion a year in new issuance. Chase, Redwood Trust, Shellpoint Partners and Social Finance (SoFi) are the only active issuer-aggregators in the sector." Thanks John!

Recall that MBS prices and the 10-year worsened about .125 on Friday (closing yielding 2.38%). This morning we've seen Empire Manufacturing (-2.5 to 6.5, whatever that means). Wednesday, we can look forward to the MBA's application data for last week, the Consumer Price Index, the Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization duo, and NAHB Housing Market Index from the builders. Thursday, we have Initial Jobless Claims, the Housing Starts and Building Permits couplet, and the Philly Fed figures. The 10-year is yielding 2.34% and agency MBS prices are better by .250 versus Friday's closing levels.



Jobs and Announcements

Turning to more optimistic news, companies are hiring. Orange Coast Title Company, "an industry leader since 1974 and one of the largest independently owned title insurance companies, is growing again and has an excellent opportunity for a National Sales Executive. As our National Sales Executive, you will acquire, build, and maintain strong, long-lasting client relationships with the top mortgage lenders in the country. The ideal candidate will possess a broad knowledge of the loan origination and servicing space, have sales experience with a proven track record of exceeding goals, and be self-motivated to succeed in a fast-paced, competitive environment." Interested candidates should send their resumes to Tim Curtis, National Sales Manager.

In retail job news, Utah-based Castle & Cooke Mortgage, LLC is "kicking off 2017 with optimism, continuing its trend of accelerated expansion after a banner year in 2016. Despite its tremendous, rapid nationwide growth, Castle & Cooke Mortgage has stayed true to taking care of its employees and has been repeatedly recognized as a top employer, most recently by Utah Business Magazine as one of the 50 Best Companies to Work For. Company President, Adam Thorpe, discussed in a recent article how smaller lenders struggling with industry complexity might benefit from the company's culture of excellence. If you're a branch manager or loan officer looking for a new opportunity, want to be part of the success story and are curious why employees love working for Castle & Cooke Mortgage, contact Heidi Iversontoday!"

Republic Bank, a publicly traded Bank headquartered in Louisville KY, is expanding its retail mortgage operations and actively seeking seasoned sales managers and loan originators to join its Louisville, Nashville and Tampa Bay markets. Republic's goal is to make banking easier for its clients, so a focus on creating a great customer experience, while offering an expanded credit box with competitive pricing, and unrivalled service! Offering an expanded credit box, nationwide footprint, portfolio products, and more allow you to maximize your earning potential! Republic Bank enables the mortgage professional to serve the home buyer on a local level, while having the power, resources and flexibility to meet customer's needs. So, if you are a manager or LO who is committed to excellence, driven and focused we want you! Resumes can be submitted online at Republic Careers www.republicbank.com/careers look for the Mortgage Lending tab. Republic Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Minorities/Females/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.

In wholesale job news, First Community Mortgage is looking for an established account executive for the IL, PA, FL, MD, ARK & LA markets. "At First Community Mortgage, we offer our Account Executives the ability to sell Delegated Correspondent, Non-Delegated Correspondent and Wholesale. By focusing on our Human Mortgage approach, we can connect with our clients and provide specific service models for each client, which gives FCM a great advantage in today's competitive marketplace. First Community Mortgage is a direct Fannie, Freddie & Ginnie seller servicer, and FCM's new Specialty Lending Group division features niche products like bank statements, foreign nationals, non-warrantable condos and multiple investment properties, so our AEs can offer mortgage services to more borrowers in more markets. Please send resumes to Dennis Patchett.

Assurance Financial continues to expand after increasing production by 29% in 2016 while opening several offices in new markets throughout the country! The company has a solid reputation for closing loans on time, appealing to anyone wishing to grow their origination business. Our back office supports its mortgage loan originators and branch managers so they can focus on originating more new loans rather than worrying about closing their pipeline. Assurance plans to expand its footprint further this year by selectively hiring producing branch managers and MLOs in good markets. For more information, contact Paul Peters, CMB at 225-239-7948 or visit LendTheWay.com/Careers.
Before Daliyah Marie Arana was even born, her parents say, she was learning how to read.

While she was pregnant with Daliyah, her mother would read books to her other young children on a daily basis. When Daliyah was an infant, she would hear her older brother reading chapters of books out loud in their Gainesville, Georgia, home. And by the time she was about 18 months old, she was recognizing the words in the books her mother read her.

"She wanted to take over and do the reading on her own," her mother, Haleema Arana, said in an interview with The Washington Post. "It kind of took off from there. The more words she learned, the more she wanted to read."

So it was no surprise when, at 2 years and 11 months - the age that most children barely understand the concept that text carries a message - Daliyah read her first book on her own.

Now 4 years old, Daliyah has read more than 1,000 books and has managed to read certain college-level texts. And the preschooler's skilled reading and passion for literature impressed even the leader of the nation's library, Carla Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress. On Wednesday, Hayden hosted Daliyah at the Library of Congress, giving the 4-year-old a chance to shadow her as "librarian for the day." Wearing her glasses, pink dress and matching pink bow, Daliyah walked the sprawling hallways of the world's largest library and sat in on executive roundtable meetings - as any high-profile librarian would do.

Hayden, who made history this year as she became the first woman and the first African American to run the nation's library, tweeted photos of Daliyah's visit from the library's official account. One showed Hayden and Daliyah walking precisely in step, both holding their hands behind their backs, with Daliyah looking up at Hayden with eyes of wonder.

"She just kept saying how the Library of Congress is her most favorite, favorite, favorite library in the whole wide world," Haleema Arana said.

Of course, the young bookworm is no newcomer to libraries. As she told the Gainesville Times, Daliyah has her own library card, and is a regular at her local library, the Hall County Library in Gainesville.

"I like to check out books every day," Daliyah said. "And I want to teach other kids to read at an early age, too," Daliyah told the Gainesville Times.

Through the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, Haleema Arana got the idea to start counting the number of books Daliyah read. She was about 3 years old at the time, and had likely already read about 1,000 books with the help of her mother. In the year or so since, Daliyah has met the program's 1,000-book goal, and aims to reach 1,500 by the time she enters kindergarten next fall, when she hopes to "help the teacher teach the other kids how to read," her mother said.

Her parents have never tested her exact reading level, but Daliyah is capable of reading books that her 10- and 12-year-old siblings bring home from school on her own, seeking help only when she gets stuck on a big word, Haleema Arana said. Her favorite writer is Mo Willems - author of the "Pigeon and Elephant" and "Piggie" series - and she has a special interest in dinosaurs, her mother said. She can spit out numerous facts about dinosaurs and dreams of someday digging up dinosaur fossils as a paleontologist. (Yes, the 4-year-old knows the definition of the word "paleontologist.")

To give her a challenge - and to cater to her love of books - her mom gave her a college-level text, a speech called "The Pleasure of Books" by William L Phelps. Daliyah learned to read the speech so well, pronouncing words such as "punctiliousness" and phrases like "annihilates formality," that her mother posted a video of her reading it on YouTube.

"And there is no doubt that in these books you see these men at their best," the 4-year-old reads. "They wrote for you. They 'laid themselves out,' they did their ultimate best to entertain you, to make a favorable impression. You are necessary to them as an audience is to an actor; only instead of seeing them masked, you look into their innermost heart of hearts."

Her mother hoped that by posting the video, she could encourage other parents to teach their children how to read at a young age, she said. Exposing her children to books from infancy has made all the difference, Haleema Arana said.

"She's able to just absorb so much and retain so much so fast," Haleema Arana said.

Daliyah's vocabulary and reading comprehension has perhaps also benefited from her bilingual home - her father, Miguel Arana, is Mexican, and often speaks to Daliyah in Spanish. Although the 4-year-old cannot yet speak the language fluently, she can understand many words and hopes to work toward learning how to read in Spanish, her parents said.

The avid reader has already gained recognition in her home town, serving as a "librarian for a day" at the local library and even being asked to recite the famous "I Have a Dream" speech at an upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.

Her mother decided to reach out to the Library of Congress to see if she could take her daughter's "librarian" experience to a new level. The library responded, inviting the family to spend the day with Hayden.

As she toured the children's section of the library Wednesday, Daliyah read books to Hayden and met other members of the library staff. When they asked the 4-year-old librarian for recommendations, an idea immediately came to her mind. She suggested they install whiteboards in the library hallways, so that children like her can practice writing on them.

"They said they would try to make that happen," her mother said.
New members inducted into Institute of ...
Microphone and US Flag View Photos

Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) talked about repealing Obamacare in this weeks Republican address.

Fischer was Tuesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are her words:

Hi, Im Deb Fischer, United States Senator from the great state of Nebraska.

When I hear from patients and their families about Obamacare, they tell me the law is a broken promise. They couldnt keep the plan they liked. Or the doctor they trusted. Their costs shot up, not down.

Jim, a grandfather from Grand Island, Nebraska, says this: Our kids new insurance premiums went up 36 percent, which is over 50 percent of their incomeThis leaves my grandkids with no insurance. Tim from Kearney, Nebraska saw his health insurance premium jump 60 percent.

Obamacares financial cost is well-known. But it has another, hidden cost. One you cant count with dollars and cents. Its an emotional toll. The worry that comes from a lack of control.

How many of you have seen your health care costs increase? How many of those you know have lost their health care? In November, the American people said, Enough. They asked us to stop the hurt.

This week, the Senate answered: we voted to put the tools in place to repeal Obamacare. Now, we will begin the process of putting the American people in charge of their health care.

Congress will work with the President-elects administration to put patients and families first  not Washington. We will work for a stable transition period to protect families. We will fight for patients with pre-existing conditions, children, parents, and people who need to be protected. Our goal is a long-term, sustainable solution that gives patients flexibility and choices in their coverage.

Obamacare failed because it took choices away from patients and families. It took choices away from all of us. Well, its time to get our choices, our control, back so we can promote our health and wellness.

We Americans believe in freedom. Of speech. Of religion. Why not in health care too? Freedom is powerful. It made thirteen tiny colonies the greatest nation on earth. It took a man to the moon. It cured polio.

Were on the path now to giving families freedom in health care. To restoring choice and control. To delivering compassionate, hassle-free, personalized care that treats people like people, not numbers.

Sadly, Democrats in Washington have stated their plan is to frighten Americans about this process. That kind of scorched-earth attitude, peddling dread and pushing anxiety, will not help the American people.

Its time to move forward. Lets put this failed law behind us and focus on making life easier for families. The American people deserve health care reform done the right way and for the right reasons.

I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to deliver the results the American people need and deserve. Its the right thing to do.

Thanks for listening. Thank you, and God bless.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
Tree Work sign View Photos

Sonora, CA  Tuolumne County leaders will formally vote on accepting $2.4 million in grant money to benefit private property owners struggling to remove dead and dying trees.

It is on the agenda for Tuesdays meeting. The CAL Fire funding will be available to help remove hazard trees within 300 ft. of a habitable structure or to remove logs and debris within 300 ft. of a home. County staff is currently developing an application that the property owner must fill out to sign up for the program. Participants would pay a percentage of the cost of the tree removal based on the applicants annual income.

In other business, at 11:30am the Supervisors will take time to pass a resolution honoring outgoing Community Resources Agency Director Bev Shane for her 36 years of service. Later in that afternoon the Supervisors will recess and then reconvene at 3pm for an official ribbon cutting at the new Tuolumne County Child and Family Visit Center at 101 Hospital Road in Sonora.

The regular session starts at 9am in the Board Chambers. You can watch live video of the meeting in the multimedia section of myMotherLode.com.
Snow on HWY4 in Arnold View Photos

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the Sierra Nevada above 5,000 feet from 2 PM Wednesday to 2 PM Thursday.

Total snow accumulations of four to eight inches is forecast above 4,500 feet. Half-a-foot to one foot of snow is expected above 5,000 feet. Up to a foot-and-a-half of snow is likely above 7000 feet.

Snow will begin around 5,000 to 8,000 feet early Wednesday afternoon. Snowfall will become heavy at times Wednesday night with the snow level lowering to around 4,000 feet by mid-day Thursday.

The heavy snow will make many roads impassable and may produce power outages due to the weight of the snow on tree limbs and power lines. Strong winds will lead to blowing snow, reduced visibility and additional power outages.

Winds of twenty-five to thirty-five mph are forecast with gusts ranging from forty to sixty mph.

This is the first in a series of winter storms that will impact Northern California.

It will bring between three quarters and one-and-a-half inches of rainfall to the Northern San Joaquin Valley from mid-day Wednesday to mid-day Thursday. Winds gusts up to thirty mph are forecast for the Central Valley. Some Mother Lode Locations could see up to 3 inches of rainfall.

After a break on Thursday afternoon and evening another storm system will hit Northern California on Friday. This system will be similar to the previous system in precipitation amounts and wind, but will come with lower snow levels generally between 3000 and 4000 feet.

Another Pacific storm is forecast to move through around Sunday bringing still more rain, wind and mountain snow but with even lower snow levels between 2,000 and 3,000 feet.

Local flooding potential will return as well especially as rainfall accumulation totals rise with each storm. Those that may be impacted by this series of storms should continue to monitor the latest forecasts.

A Winter Storm Warning means severe winter weather conditions are expected or are occurring. Significant amounts of snow are forecast that will make travel dangerous. Only travel in an emergency. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.
The first lady has historically played a number of roles in the White House, from hosting state dinners, interacting with children, presiding over holiday decorations and launching personal initiatives.

WHAT: President-elect Donald Trump and VP-elect Mike Pence swearing-in

WHERE: West front of the US Capitol building

WHEN: Friday, Jan. 20. Ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m., swearing-in at noon

WATCH: Watch the swearing-in live on our TV station Jan. 20, or watch us on our live stream (authentication required). Stay tuned for live updates throughout the day

COMPLETE COVERAGE: Schedule of events, photos, quiz, how to attend

But when it comes to Inauguration Day, the focus on the first lady tends to revolve around one thing: Fashion.

For example, for her husband's first inauguration in 1981, Nancy Reagan wore a bright red sheath and top coat with matching hat. She went on to wear the color so much, it became known as "Nancy Reagan Red."



In 2009, Michelle Obama wore a white silk chiffon inaugural gown that put designer Jason Wu on the national stage. She later donated the gown to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, as part of a tradition.



In 2005, for her husband's second inauguration, Laura Bush wore a white dress and coat combination, along with white gloves. It was the first time a first lady had worn that color for the inauguration.

Outside of the fashion focus, the first lady has played other parts in the big day:

In 1965, Lady Bird Johnson began a new tradition of holding the Bible while her husband took the oath of office.

In 1909, Edith Roosevelt began a tradition that continues to this day when she gave incoming first lady Helen Taft a personal tour of the White House.
He frequently took jabs at pomp, sparred with circumstance and flat-out deflated folks too full of themselves, determined never to join the group. In all of this and more, he smiled, confidently moored to Christian linchpins that kept him focused on the main thing being the main thing.

Dr. Paul Powell was felled by a stroke last month. He was 83. Pews were packed in the chapel of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler. (It was formerly the sanctuary where he preached more than a thousand sermons and conducted hundreds of funerals and weddings during his 17-year tenure.)

Family members, friends and associates werent sure whether the service would be remembered more for proper funeralizing or gentle roasting. It may have been -- youll pardon the expression -- a dead heat, and why wouldnt it? Officiants at the service say he planned it all in advance, including participants, hymns, scriptures and obituary photograph. While perusing photograph albums, he even selected the photo he thought best to use with wife Cathys obituary up the way.

They say he was retired, and they were wrong. This mountain of a man served with distinction in so many different ways, he didnt know how to cold turkey his way out. Instead, he plugged along, preaching when invited, sharing the Gospel and lending mature observations gleaned from a long life of rich experiences as a former pastor of five churches, denominational executive, seminary dean and all-around Mr. Texas Baptist.

Somewhere in this piece, his literary efforts should be lauded. He was author of more than 50 books; God Works in Mischievous Ways was published in 2016. The title nutshells how Paul did life.

He smiled his way through situations of all kinds -- serious and humorous. They said he asked longtime friend Russell Dilday, Have you read my last book? Paul said Dr. Dilday responded, Oh, I hope so.

His keen humor usually was laced with self-deprecation. He claimed he journeyed from the backwoods of East Texas, to the back alleys of Port Arthur, to the back of the class in school. Ken Camp, who wrote a detailed obituary, called Dr. Powell the always quotable.

Powells wife of 62 years -- and throngs of others across the years -- wondered what he would say next, particularly at banquets. One evening, a banquet host expressed regret that Mrs. Powell was unable to attend. Oh, shes here, Paul assured. Cathy is still in the car, applying lipstick . . . preparing her body for viewing.

Tributes poured in from the greats, near greats and ordinaries throughout the nation. (He would have included himself among the latter.) Dr. Bill Pinsons tribute summed it up: He was unapologetically Baptist in his beliefs and at the same time an unashamed member of the larger Christian family of faith . . . a Baptist statesman who remained a down-to-earth, approachable servant leader.

Noted for his courage kept close at hand, Dr. Powell is remembered for his response to critics of investment policies when he was President and CEO of the Southern Baptist Conventions Annuity Board. In his 1994 annual report, he stated: Since we are in the home of Disney World, I need to tell you that the Annuity Board is not a Mickey Mouse operation, and it is not being run by Goofy and his friends.

He mentored hundreds of young ministers. They, and their elders, will long share Paul Powell stories, both hither and yon. When they gather, theyd best be prepared to sit a spell. Dr. Powell was one-of-a-kind, and a description the late colorful sportswriter Blackie Sherrod once wrote of a long-ago friend likewise fits Paul Powell: Before God made him, He broke the mold.

The hem-of-the-garment service spanned some 50 minutes. Smiling, Paul might have concluded, As per instructions, they kept it under an hour.

Dr. Don Newbury is a speaker in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Send inquiries/comments to newbury@speakerdoc.com.
PLAINVILLE  U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty attempted to clear up misconceptions about manufacturing jobs Tuesday while touring Connecticut Tool and Manufacturing.



Its not dirty, dark and dangerous, said Esty, a Democrat representing the 5th Congressional District. Were trying to get the word out.



Esty recently authored the Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act to encourage women to enter science and technology fields, including manufacturing. The bill passed the House last year. She also worked to pass the Manufacturing Universities Act to help schools with manufacturing programs collaborate more with local companies.



We focus so much on book smarts and quick retention, Esty said. The people that work with their hands, weve kind of lost that.



Mike Greenwald, executive vice president of Connecticut Tool and Manufacturing, said the Corporate Avenue company hires graduates from local schools such as Manchester Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Students are also given opportunities to get experience while still taking classes.



Were not looking for perfection, were looking for aptitude, he said.



The Plainville facility produces parts for the aircraft industry. Sikorsky is one of its main customers.



Its not about costs, its about value, Esty said while viewing parts made by the company. Its got to be quality.



Greenwald said the company was primarily a supplier for military contracts when it moved to Plainville in 2001, but has since branched out. The company had $42 million in revenue last year and expects revenue of over $50 million this year.



Young kids dont know what we do, Greenwald said.



For the last two years, the company has been reaching out to high schoolers and middle schoolers about career opportunities. Greenwald said Plainville High School has had students visit the company.



Its exciting and empowering for people to see what theyre capable of doing, Esty said.



In touring the plant, Esty said she had never seen so many young faces working at a manufacturing company.



A 3D printer on site helps the company develop tools before using more expensive metals.



Were investing in technology, Greenwald said.



Esty said she is working on reaching out to guidance counselors and parents to break the misconceptions about manufacturing careers.



Theyre keeping the jets in the air, she said of the industry. We should be growing our own talent.






The legislature must decide whether to support the judicial renomination of two Meriden residents after their bids for a second term cleared the Judiciary Committee.



Judge Corrine L. Klatt was unanimously approved by the committee last Wednesday following a public hearing, while the committee voted 33-7 to approve Judge Gerard I. Adelmans nomination. Both were first appointed in 2009 by former Gov. M. Jodi Rell. The legislature could vote to approve their nominations as early as Wednesday, when the House and Senate are scheduled to go into session.



Adelman received some criticism about his handling of family cases by committee members opposed to his nomination, including complaints that he is biased against women.



Lawmakers questioned Adelman, a family court judge in Hartford Superior Court, about complaints from women that he ruled against them or treated them unfairly. The Womens Coalition, an international organizations focused on womens rights, used a Facebook post earlier this month to urge members to object to his nomination.



Adelman acknowledged that he has more complaints against him than most judges, but said that was largely due to his volunteering to preside over unresolved child custody cases, which he described as being more emotionally charged than most other judicial matters.



He also said many of the complaints against him are by people who read blog posts that portray him negatively, but have never had a case before him. Adelman added the complaints from litigants who have actually been before him are equally from men and women, indicating he has no gender bias.



Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, a committee co-chairman, said he couldnt just dismiss the number of complaints against Adelman as being merely a product of the emotional nature of his cases.



It would be strange to me when there was never a time when what these sheets tell us just wasnt correct, he said, referring to background information provided to committee members.



Adelman, though, said he believes many of the litigants he sees are combative because of a miscarriage of justice earlier in the judicial process.



Theres very little that cant be corrected over time, but what happens with some litigants is that they become enmeshed in their case, he said. The fight becomes more important than the outcome.



Winfield, one of seven committee members who voted against Adelman, also voiced concerns when Adelman expressed skepticism that litigants who struggle to follow proper decorum in the courtroom will be able to abide by a judges order outside it.



Adelman said in-court decorum is only one factor when he makes rulings, but also defended his comment by saying he has found an overlap with violations of court orders.



Rep. Minny Gonzalez, D-Hartford, also voted against Adelman, saying she didnt think he acted appropriately when she sat in his courtroom. She told Adelman he has a temper, and criticized his handling of specific cases.



Klatt faced little criticism during her testimony, although Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford, a committee co-chairman, urged her to be more active in the community in order to improve the publics image of the judicial system.



Tong said committee members find it important that people can see and hear and get to know people who will be making very difficult judgments about their lives.



Klatt currently presides over family matters in Meriden Superior Court.



msavino@record-journal.com 203-317-2266 Twitter: @reporter_savino






Zhang Yu carries on his family's craftsmanship of clay figurine making. The owner of a gallery in Beijing and a workshop in Tianjin, he is dedicated to the evolution of the age-old craft. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A folk-figurine brand founded in imperial days looks to its future. Wang Kaihao reports.

A sculpture gallery in Beijing's 798 Art Zone seems at first glance to be a contemporary art workshopthe light is soft, and the design is simple yet exquisite.

A mysterious atmosphere prevails. A banner hung in the gallery says: "To retreat" in Chinese, which may arouse philosophical contemplation.

But looks can be deceiving. The space is a center for promoting Niren Zhang, a folk-art brand of clay figurines from nearby Tianjin municipality that has survived for nearly two centuries. It's a household name nationwide.

Niren Zhang's traditional craftsmanship was inscribed on the first national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.

The owner of the gallery, which opened in October, is the sixth generation of his family to fashion the figurines.

"It's like Walt Disney," 39-year-old Zhang Yu says.

"The original pursuit remains but has been updated several times on the technical level.
H-E-B Chairman and CEO Charles Butt announced Tuesday that he will invest more than $100 million in creating a leadership institute dedicated to supporting and training public school leaders across Texas.

The Holdsworth Center, based in Austin, will work with districts over a five-year period to develop and empower leaders, including superintendents and principals.

Klein ISD in northwest Houston participated in a pilot version of the program last year.

Butt said Texas, which educates about 10 percent of all students in the country, was an obvious place to launch the center.

With our size comes a tremendous responsibility to provide the highest quality education to all students, Butt said. The Holdsworth Center will help to ensure we have inspired and enlightened leaders at every level within the education system making daily decisions that positively impact the future of our students and the state.

The centers inaugural class will begin in June with six school districts that will be invited to apply by Feb. 1 and notified of selection by the end of March. The first group is by invitation only, but in future years the application process will be open to all districts.

Holdsworth officials said applicants with a commitment to talent development and a well aligned vision among their superintendents, board of trustees and other key leaders will have the best chance of being accepted.

The center will be governed by a 17-member board chaired by Dr. Ruth Simmons, who served as president of Smith College from 1995 to 2001 and as president of Brown University from 2001 to 2012.

Simmons, who spent her school years in Houston, said the centers opening comes at a time when confidence in public schools continues to erode.

As a proud alumna of Texas public schools, I owe my career to the excellence and strong leadership of public school educators, for which I and so many others remain grateful, Simmons said. Mr. Butt's generous gift to the children of Texas demonstrates the level of commitment necessary to ensure a more hopeful future for our schools. I am grateful to work with him in developing and supporting leaders for our public schools."

Robert Gates - a Holdsworth Center board member, chancellor of the College of William & Mary, former secretary of defense and director of the CIA and former president of Texas A&M University  said the endeavor is a vote of confidence in public education.

We have great admiration for the work of superintendents and principals around the state and owe them a debt of gratitude for dedicating their lives to educating, inspiring and mentoring our children, Gates said. There is no more important job. The Holdsworth Centers mission is to provide them with the tools and resources to be able to serve our students even more powerfully.
An off-duty Contra Costa County sheriffs deputy and blues musician was arrested and later fired after shooting a handgun outside a party in Sacramento, authorities said Monday.

Kyle Rowland, 23, a rookie deputy who lives in Sacramento and recently started commuting to his new job in the Bay Area, was attending a small gathering late Thursday at a home in his downtown neighborhood. He left the party briefly, possibly after a dispute, only to return after midnight with two firearms, according to the Sacramento Police Department.

His return to the party created a disturbance and a confrontation ensued between Rowland and others at the house, police said. During the ruckus, Rowland fired a handgun multiple times, police said.

Thankfully no one was struck by the gunfire, said Officer Matthew McPhail. One of the people at the party immediately intervened and attempted to physically restrain him, which is a pretty courageous thing to do if youre not armed.

When Sacramento police arrived at the home on the 1100 block of G Street, Rowland was being held down by the man who intervened. His mugshot taken after his arrest showed his face, particularly his right eye, bruised and bloodied.

Rowland was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and was still being held Monday in Sacramento Countys main jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Sacramento County Superior Court on Tuesday afternoon.

The Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office said Sunday that Rowland was terminated after the arrest. He had been on the job since October.

Detectives were looking into whether the guns he allegedly brought to the party belonged to him or the sheriffs office.

Rowland is a harmonica player and frontman for the Kyle Rowland Blues Band. The band is popular on Californias blues festival circuit and regularly plays gigs in the Sacramento and San Francisco areas.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
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A young woman with Down syndrome turned rejection into motivation to start her own cookie baking business following rejections from Boston bakeries.

Collette Divitto, 26, was rejected by bakeries who told her she had great skills, but was not "a good fit," according to her website.

CHASING DREAMS: Down syndrome model featured in ad with Oshkosh B'Gosh

So instead of being discouraged, she decided to start her own business. Not only is her goal to show that she is able to run her own business, but ultimately she wants to open production factories and to employ thousands of disabled people.

Divitto received orders for more than 50,000 cookie deliveries for the 2016 holidays and over 65,000 letters from people all over the world after being interviewed by WBX Boston and going viral.

Throughout December 2016, Divitto had numerous news organizations reach out to her to cover her inspiring story and over 9.5 million people viewed her story on Facebook, according to Divitto.

Since going viral, Divitto has begun to increase production and build her professional team at The Commonwealth Kitchen in Boston and has a GoFundMe account set up to fund her first private warehouse kitchen to increase production. Within a month, over $14,000 had been raised of the $125,000 goal.

Click through the gallery above to see Divitto in the kitchen baking her viral "Amazing Cookie."

FAMILY TIES: Family of 15 seeking help in by wheelchair-accessible van
High tech equipment and unmanned aircraft systems provider Valmie Resources will relocate its headquarters to a larger office in Houston's Galleria area.

The company in February plans to move to a 2,309-square-foot space "in a boutique Class A office building" in that area, according to a company statement. Valmie did not specify an address for the 16-story building, but company officials said they're finalizing the lease.

RELATED: Majority of Houston tech execs plan to hire in 2017, survey says

"In addition to strategic location, this building offers a lot of value and is on par and comparable to most top-tier properties in the Galleria area," Valmie Resources President and CEO Gerald Hammack said in a statement.

"Valmie is entering a sharp expansion phase in 2016 and with this relocation we are ensuring the required corporate resources are positioned early in the year to facilitate this growth," Hammack continued.
A week after it filed court papers to have its bankruptcy case reinstated, Bill Hall Jr. Trucking GP LLC has withdrawn the request.

At a court hearing before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Craig Gargotta on Tuesday, no explanation was given for why one of the companies of the late trucking tycoon Bill Hall Jr. didnt want the case reinstated. Nonetheless, the judge signed off on the request to withdraw the motion to reinstate the case.
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Finally, a bipartisan issue Texans can come together on: Free chips and salsa.

When Texas musician Rich O'Toole suggested on Twitter that every restaurant in the state be required to serve free chips and salsa, the last thing he probably expected was a note from Gov. Greg Abbott himself.

RELATED: Magazine names Greg Abbott one of fittest U.S. governors

"In the State of Texas, it should be required that every restaurant serve free chips and salsa," O'Toole said.

"I'm writing my emergency legislation list right now," Abbott responded.

His tweet has amassed hundreds of retweets and over 1,000 likes, proving O'Toole and Abbott are not alone in the quest for free chips and salsa, a staple of Tex-Mex restaurants across the state.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5
The Inventions of Louvre exhibition in Beijing features Egyptian stele. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

The National Museum of China will host an exhibition of the art from the Louvre, it announced on its WeChat channel on Jan 6.

The social-media announcement, which included photos of artworks, was viewed about 80,000 times within a week.

Many left comments declaring anticipation. Some who'd visited the Paris museum hoped to view more of its trove. Some from other parts of the country planned to travel to Beijing for the show, Inventions of Louvre, which opened on Thursday.

The show Inventions of Louvre displays 126 paintings, sculptures and antiquities from the museum's eight curatorial departments and the affiliated National Museum of Eugene Delacroix.

The exhibition reviews the Louvre's evolution from a military fortress to a royal palace and finally to a modern museum that's one of the planet's most popular tourist sites.

It also examines how its assembly of arts and crafts has been built, researched, conserved and toured as the Louvre has expanded.

The exhibition, which runs through the end of March, expects an influx of visitors since it'll coincide with China's Spring Festival holiday from Jan 27 to Feb 2.

The last time Chinese had such a spectacular opportunity to view French art was 2014, when the National Museum hosted a special exhibition to mark 50 years of Sino-French diplomatic relations.

On show were 10 paintings by eight masters on loan from five renowned French museums. The Louvre brought three pieces.

The two-month show drew 93,500 viewers. The National Museum extended its hours so that more people could visit.
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A San Antonio woman's dog videos are gaining recognition online, but there's much more to her story than flips and tricks.

Felicia Foy said she relocated to the Alamo City a little more than a year ago to free herself from a troubled life in New York. In tow was her service dog, a 2-and-a-half-year-old Australian border collie named Super Nova.

Foy, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and diabetes, said she doesn't have much family, but the dog is her "best friend" and "everything."

RELATED: From stray to officer: battered S.A. pit bull now award-winning narcotics K-9 in New York

"I was abused as a child, but I really connected with dogs," Foy said, adding that she first realized her "knack" for dog training when she was 11 and brought home her first dog.

Two years ago, Foy began training Super Nova to do tricks. The most-impressive stunt involves Super Nova balancing on Foy's foot in a handstand. As far as Foy knows, Super Nova is the only dog who can pull off the trick.

Foy said in teaching Super Nova how to catch Frisbees and nail handstands, she has learned life lessons herself.

"I never thought I'd be able to perform in front of people," Foy said. "But Nova gets me through that and makes it a possibility for me, she's opened a whole new world, she brought out a skill in me that I didn't even know I had."

RELATED: Texas K-9's impressive drug busts have made him a 'local celebrity'

Their performances have created opportunity to travel across the country, to Mexico, Canada later this year and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in March.

Foy, who calls being around dogs "therapeutic," has added four more to her family. Super Nova is now the leader of the trick-performing troupe "Super Nova and The Fur-tastic K9s."

Foy and her dogs have a schedule of upcoming events and she keeps fans updated with on the group's Facebook and Instagram pages. She hasn't booked a San Antonio appearance yet, but is open to the opportunity.

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye
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DANBURY - One afternoon in mid-December, Meghan Henriques-Parker visited with her grandfather at his Bethel nursing home. Jim Gaboardis dementia was getting worse, and the man who had once been so gregarious had barely said anything during their lunch.

Then one of the workers began passing out residents mail.

Gaboardi, who had worked for decades as a mailman in Danbury, turned to Henriques-Parker and said, Its been a long time since Ive received any mail.

Henriques-Parker began to cry. She decided that Gaboardi, who turned 89 last week, would not go another day without getting mail.

She posted on Facebook, asking friends and family to send him a Christmas card.

Now, lets deliver mail to a man who delivered it to us for so many years, she wrote.

Henriques-Parker expected a few friends to send cards. But after more than 100 people shared her post, mail began streaming in from across the country.

A little more than a month later, Gaboardi has received some 250 cards. Most of them hang on the wall in his room at Maplewood at Stony Hill, where he moved in August, shortly after Dorothy, his wife of 65 years, passed away.

Some cards are from those who knew him as a postman and others from his friends at the Danbury Drum Corps, who attached photos of Gaboardi when he was young. Many are from schoolchildren and strangers, including a postal worker who described what her workday was like and a woman living in an Alzheimers facility elsewhere in the country.

Before the mail began arriving, Henriques-Parker said, it had been like the light had left his eyes.

Now, she said, All of sudden he's talking again. Hes eating again. Its like they inspired him. It's like he was ready to die and now he just woke up.

At times, Gaboardi received 20 to 30 cards a day, along with fruit baskets, cookies and other treats. He shared the goodies with the other residents, and if they didnt get mail of their own, he let them open one of his.

He kind of became their little local celebrity, Henriques-Parker said.

The family described it as their Christmas miracle.

Gaboardis daughter, Debbie Henriques, said he had been unable to come home for Thanksgiving and the family doubted he could manage more than an hour on Christmas Day. He stayed eight hours, sneaking cookies throughout the day.

We sang, he sang, he was just very engaging and he never slept at all, Henriques said. He enjoyed the whole day.

Although the holidays are over, Henriques-Parker said, the cards show no signs of stopping. People have contacted her about sending letters for Valentines Day and Easter.

Many cards include photos of senders and their families. Some are from Gaboardis old customers, who remember him from when they were children.

People were writing, Mr. Gaboardi, you used to be my postman. I moved to Virginia and Ill never forget you, Henriques-Parker said. Some letters were so personal. You dont realize the impact that someone has on your life.

Gaboardi and his wife were also well-known in the community and enjoyed going out to eat. They had dinner at Pizza Hut every Friday night for 30 years and got the employees Christmas gifts each year, Henriques-Parker said.

Gaboardi, a World War II veteran, was involved with the Catholic War Veterans, Lions Club and Danbury Drum Corps. After getting out of the Navy, Gaboardi was a hatter before working at the post office, a job Henriques said he loved.

I think he liked the personal touch, being able to say Hi to people that hed see, she said.

That part of his personality has remained, despite his dementia, Henriques said. He still says Thank you and Hello to people who walk by.

Everyone says, Your father is such a gentleman, she said. And you know what, that's the one thing hes never lost. Hes very kind. Hes very gentle.
Washington

Calvary Baptist Church, a progressive Baptist landmark in the heart of downtown Washington, has named a gay couple as co-pastors.

Sally Sarratt and Maria Swearingen were presented to the congregation during worship services Jan. 8 and are set to begin their new jobs on Feb. 26.

A spokeswoman for the congregation said she didn't know whether a gay couple leading a church was a first for Baptists.

"We look for the best people in the world and that's who they were," said Carol Blythe. "We're very excited."

The 155-year-old church severed ties with the Southern Baptist Convention in 2012: It found itself at loggerheads with the group on several issues, including the SBC's stance against homosexuality. Calvary Baptist still affiliates with American Baptist Churches USA.

American Baptist Churches USA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sarratt and Swearingen come to Calvary from Greenville, S.C., where Sarratt has been serving as associate chaplain for behavioral health in the Greenville Health System and Swearingen as associate chaplain at Furman University, according to a news release from the church.

"We have found it so easy to fall in love with Calvary and its longstanding commitment to be a voice of justice and compassion for those who perpetually find the wholeness of their humanity disregarded and maligned," the couple said to the congregation, according to the church.

Sarratt has also been filling the role of part-time associate minister at Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

The women met in the First Baptist Church of Greenville, and were both ordained there after it adopted and implemented a nondiscrimination policy in 2015.

Sarratt, who holds an MBA from the University of Virginia, left the corporate world after she felt called to ministry and obtained her master's in theological studies from Emory University.

Swearingen, who is fluent in English and Spanish, earned a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School, where she won an award for her preaching.
GREENWICH  The Greenwich High School team, Girls Who Code, was chosen as one of 24 Best in Region winners of the Verizon Innovation Learning app challenge on Tuesday.

Captained by juniors Cassandra Marcussen and Michelle Woo, the Girls Who Code team proposed an app concept called Under My Wing to help women feel safe. The app features self-defense videos and allows women to call or text the police or other emergency contacts through the app. App users can preset times to receive a phone call if they think they will be in trouble and may need the call as an excuse to remove themselves from a dangerous situation.
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The aging and declining membership of local VFWs  part of a national trend  continues to be a major issue in Fairfield County.

One has to look no further than the noon start time of the VFW meetings in Trumbull, where the majority of its members, Korean War and World War II veterans, are just too old to drive once the sun goes down.

Most of them are retired and dont want to drive at night, said John Alberghini, quartermaster for Trumbull VFW Post 10059.

Not only has the pool of members continued to age, the overall dedication to the group has also slowed down.

Despite having 78 members - slightly higher than the national average of 68 - about 10 to 12 of those members are considered active, said Alberghini, a Vietnam veteran.

Its not easy, he said. We used to have 12 people for a quorum. Now, if we have five or six, we can vote on something.

John Schmidt, commander of the Connecticut VFW, said four posts in the state lost their charters in the past year because older members died and younger veterans have not replaced them. The state lost 500 VFW members in each of the last two years, Schmidt said.

The VFW  The Veterans of Foreign Wars  was established in 1899 for soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen who served oversees for the U.S. The organization has lost 400,000 members in the last decade, said Randi Law, spokeswoman for the groups national headquarters.

National membership now stands around 1.3 million, she said.

Once known for producing several different events and having a large membership that impacted the community, the Trumbull VFW continues to find it difficult to do the same with its current crop of members.

That nationwide trend has come home to neighboring Newtown VFW Post 308, which draws from that town and from Monroe and Easton veterans.

(Theyre) too busy. I know thats the case for young men and women that are coming out of the service these days, said Jim Lewis, commander of the Newtown VFW.

Although shrinking numbers are a problem in Trumbull, several core community services have survived  most notably the college scholarship that is given each year through the VFW.

One of the ways to solve the problem of dwindling numbers is to offer more amenities for younger veterans, members said. Amenities like a bar.

But the Trumbull posts building at 1 Veterans Circle is owned by the town and rented out to the VFW. Meaning the branch is not allowed to have a bar, Alberghini said.

We get a young guy that comes in, we dont have a bar or a pool table, he said. Theres not much to keep them interested.

Although the Newtown post has been able to keep membership going at an even pace, participation is a problem.

Our membership increases steadily every year, Lewis said. (But) something that has never changed is you have a very selected core group that is active.

Only about 12 to 15 of the 170 members are active and involved, Lewis said.

Trumbull also has dealt with a slew of other issues, including a loss of its non-profit status for about six or seven years, Alberghini said.

Were really not running on a lot of people, he said. Were going to do it for as long as we can.

It took about three years for the post to get its non-profit status back, but under the circumstances it still faces a long road ahead.

By the way its going now, Alberghini said, in 10 years Post 10059 might not exist.

AJohnson@hearstmediact.com;
Schenectady

Many in the crowd of several hundred stood up and roared with approval Sunday afternoon when Mayor Gary McCarthy made a surprise announcement that he was issuing an executive order to rename as "Martin Luther King Jr. Way" the stretch of Albany Street from Veeder to Brandywine avenues.

But the well-guarded secret apparently isn't sitting as well with some City Council members who blasted the mayor for waiting so long to act on the ceremonial street renaming.

"I was very disappointed that the mayor did not reach out to the council, and I was very disappointed that the mayor waited until the 11th hour to publicly announce this when he could have alleviated the stress and pain from the Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition that they experienced over six weeks trying to figure out how they were going to get this done," said City Council President Leesa Perazzo Tuesday. "Nobody on the council knew this was an alternative."

She and all but one of her fellow council members attended the 30th anniversary Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at the GE Theatre at Proctors on Sunday, but none of them knew about the announcement in advance.

The executive order short-circuits a recently passed ordinance that would have required the collection of 500 signatures and would have restricted the ceremonial street renaming to two blocks as stipulated by that law.

McCarthy's executive order calls for Martin Luther King Jr. Way to extend 11 blocks.

Councilman John Polimeni defended McCarthy's right to issue the order and doesn't have a problem with the way he did it.

McCarthy is in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. Conference of Mayors winter meeting and did not return calls Tuesday seeking comment.

Perazzo was quick to emphasize she is pleased with the outcome for the Schenectady County Human Rights Commission's Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition, which is sponsoring an April 11 street renaming ceremony as one of the events marking the 30th anniversary of its annual celebration for the civil rights leader.

Executive Director Angelicia Morris said the coalition was "surprised and ecstatic" by McCarthy's declaration.

"The mayor's action was both the right and just thing to do in light of the ongoing resistance by the City Council to do so," Morris said.

"We commend Mayor McCarthy for his strong action and being a true leader of integrity and courage for keeping the dream and legacy of Dr. King alive in the city of Schenectady."

The commission had petitioned city leaders to waive the ordinance because of King's stature as an international figure, but city officials insisted they couldn't override the law. Perazzo said she plans on asking city attorney Carl Falotico to look into the legality of McCarthy overriding an ordinance with the executive order. "I would like to know if it's legal in this circumstance, how would it be legal in other circumstances," Perazzo said.

Falotico declined comment Tuesday when asked about the legality of the executive order.

City Councilwoman Marion Porterfield said "there was a lot of controversy that didn't have to happen."

pnelson@timesunion.com  518-454-5347  @apaulnelson
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Troy

An alleged drug dealer fled on foot and assaulted two city officers before SWAT officers arrested him Friday morning, police spokesman Capt. Daniel DeWolf said.

The Troy police tactical team, known as the Emergency Response Team, arrested Shakeim S. Francis, 34, about 10 a.m. on Hill Street after a lengthy investigation by the firearms and narcotics unit, DeWolf said. The injured officers were treated and have returned to work, he said Monday.

Francis is charged with burglary, two counts of assault and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, all felonies, as well as misdemeanor resisting arrest.

The arrest was part of a spate of incidents city police handled on Friday.

About 3 a.m., patrol officers working with the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision arrested a parolee inside a Fifth Avenue residence, DeWolf said.

Savieon Jones, 22, of Troy is charged with two felony counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, violation of parole and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation.

Later that day, a neighbor called 911 at 9:50 a.m. to report someone had burglarized 36 Ford Ave. The caller gave police a detailed physical description of the man, who had fled on a bicycle, police said.

Officers found a man fitting the description on Congress Street near 13th Street, but when they tried to stop him, he fled, DeWolf said. Officers captured the bicyclist two blocks away and arrested him, DeWolf said.

Mark E. Dion, 44, of Cohoes is charged with burglary and criminal possession of a controlled substance, both felonies, as well as possession of burglar tools, criminal mischief, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration, all misdemeanors.

All three men were arraigned in Troy City Court and taken to Rensselaer County Jail.

emasters@timesunion.com  518-454-5467  @emilysmasters
As pressure from the court mounts, Montrose Management District hasn't budged in its position that it will not pay back assessments to area business owners that Harris County District Judge Halbach called "void" while the suit - brought by Robert Rose in 2012 against the district - is pending.

But even though Rose and attorneys are waiting, they're not taking time off from making their case.

Attorneys for Rose filed a new lawsuit in Harris County, but this time under class certification, Jan. 4 on behalf of thousands of business owners involved that were collectively assessed $6.5 million since the district was established.

"Despite the filing of a previous lawsuit ... on the this exact same issue, and despite that Trial Court's findings that all of the MMD assessments which derived collected from 2011-2016 are illegal, void, paid under duress, and must be reimbursed to those who paid them, the District ... arrogantly continue to ignore these findings and instead engage in this unconstitutional and illegal conduct until the present time," stated court documents.

Judge Halbach made the initial judgement that the payments were void in November, but a handful of commercial property owners who say they should be reimbursed haven't received any correspondence from the court or from the management district.

But an attorney for the plaintiffs told the Houston Chronicle after the filing, "We want all of it back, irrespective if they've spent it," said Andy Taylor, the attorney representing the property owners.

And that is precisely the worry of some who say they are owed.

"I should be getting a refund, but they're not going to give it, they've already spent it is my understanding," said Shawn Baksh, commercial property in Montrose and real estate broker.

Baksh said that most of the board members are neighbors and fellow-business owners to those under the tax, and he doesn't understand how the board can continue to act in what he calls an unethical practice by not responding to the resistance they've shown to the establishment of the district.

In reference to the $500,000 the district spent on decorative markers that continue to go up around the area, and their price-tag, the real estate professional says he could have built a brand-new building for that.

The only response MMD has made since the Jan. 4 filing is on their website, and have not responded to requests for interviews.

"Unless and until the trial court issues a final judgment that orders a refund of any assessments, which will not occur until after all additional activities in the trial court have taken place, and after any appeal has been concluded, the District will have no obligation to refund any assessments collected," said the post.
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Cy-Fair ISD has worked extra hard to make its rich history available to the public.

A big piece of that history is the Carverdale School, a segregated school that began in one room and grew to become the centerpiece of a close-knit community of the same name, located where Highway 290 meets Beltway 8.

According to the district website, the school for black students first opened in 1925 in a one-room farmhouse that was donated by a dairy farmer. Since the building was a church on the weekends, students changed out pews for desks and vice versa every Monday morning and Friday afternoon.

75th ANNIVERSARY: See what Cy-Fair High looked like in 1942

In 1938, the school, then called Fairbanks Colored School, had its first official graduating class under the instruction of Clara Scott, who was the only teacher at the school from 1928 to 1951. After the 7th grade students graduated, they went to Harper Middle School and Booker T. Washington High School in Houston ISD.

In 1951, the school's name was changed to Fairbanks Elementary School and got its first principal, E.S. Waddy, and its teaching staff grew to three people. In 1955, the school grew to accommodate grades 1 through 12 and was renamed Carverdale School after the community.

BETTER IN COLOR: Artist's work brings famous events to life

The school became "the life's blood of the community," according to a Cy-Fair ISD page created in large part by 1968 valedictorian LaFaye Johnson Lee, who died in June 2016. Lee spent her life working for the district, first as a teacher, then a counselor, then an academic administrator.

The Carverdale School shut down in 1970 after the district was ordered by the federal government to desegregate in 1967. It later served as a facility for the Houston Community College System before it was demolished.

The school district offers more Carverdale details on its website than one could consume in a day, with yearbook pages, programs from special events, teacher biographies and class reunion timelines.

Click through the slideshow for more history and a fascinating look at life in the Carverdale School.
A new Lions club comes to the Katy area on Feb. 18 when 24 charter members celebrate the charter night of the Katy-Cinco Ranch Club at Rudy's BBQ, 21799 Katy Freeway, Katy, starting at 7 p.m.

During the ceremonies, Lions District Governor Mark Roth, along with other district dignitaries, will present the new club members with their official charter. Members of the Royal Oaks Lions Club, who sponsored the new Katy-Cinco Ranch Club will participate.
The Houston West Chamber of Commerce will celebrate a successful 2016 by welcoming its 2017 board of directors and recognizing volunteers.

The chamber also will celebrate the Committee Members of the Year, honor the overall Volunteer of the Year and feature a Mini Business Expo.
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Sugar Land gives State of the City

Join Mayor Joe Zimmerman and City Manager Allen Bogard for the annual State of the City: Sugar Land at the new state-of-the-art Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land, 18111 Lexington Blvd., on Jan. 19, from 7-9 a.m. They will give an in-depth review of the city's accomplishments in 2016 and insight toward plans for 2017. Behind the scenes tours of the Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land will be available upstairs immediately following the program. Visit www.fortbendchamber.com to register and pay online.

Richmond presents

Coffee with a Cop

The Richmond Police Department will hold its first Coffee with a Cop event on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at the Whataburger, 5400 FM 1640 from 8-10 a.m. Coffee with a Cop provides an opportunity for community members to ask questions and learn more about the department's work in Richmond neighborhoods.The majority of contacts law enforcement has with the public happen during emergencies, or emotional situations. Those situations are not always the most effective times for relationship building with the community. Some community members may feel that officers are unapproachable on the street. Coffee with a Cop breaks down those barriers and allows for a relaxed, one-on-one interaction. No agenda or speeches, just a chance to ask questions, voice concerns, and get to know your officers.

Culinary Club to discuss salads

The Culinary Book Club at Fort Bend County Libraries' University Branch Library, 14010 University Blvd., in Sugar Land, will meet at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18. The theme of the month is "Salad Wars."

The club meets on the third Wednesday of every month, and different cooking genres are explored each month. Cooking enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels - from beginners to advanced - are invited to join the free program. Those attending are welcome to bring their own cookbooks and recipes, or they may browse the library's collection of cookbooks. Share tips, get ideas, and enjoy the camaraderie of other individuals who have an interest in cooking and good cuisine. Call the University Branch Library at 281-633-5100.

JOIN GOP Women for inauguration

Join Spirit of Freedom Republican Women in its first meeting of 2017 as Donald J. Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America. The ceremony will be live-streamed beginning before the regular meeting time of 11 a.m. until 11:35 a.m.

Speaker Jonathan Saenz of Texas Values will discuss legislative priorities of the 85th Texas Legislature and how people can help get the bills passed into law. The Jan. 20 meeting will start at 11 a.m. and conclude at 1 p.m. at Sugar Creek Baptist LYF Center, 13444 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land. A catered Lunch is available for a $10 donation to SFRW PAC (check or cash only).RSVP to President Phyllis Worsham by calling or texting 281-755-2063 or email at info@spiritoffreedomwomen.com. Specify if you will be attending only or would like to have lunch.

For up-coming meetings and/or more information about the Club, check the SFRW website: www.spiritoffreedomwomen.com or email Phyllis Worsham at info@spiritoffreedomwomen.com.

'Into the Woods' staged at Austin

The Austin High School Department of Fine Arts will present "Into the Woods" at 7 p.m. Jan. 19-21 and Jan. 23 in the school's auditorium, 3434 Pheasant Creek Drive, Sugar Land. Tickets may be purchased at www.theaustinplayhouse.com for pre-sale rates, or at the door. For more information, including group rates, email cory.kelley@fortbendisd.com.

Winter book sale planned in Sienna

Sienna Branch Library's Friends Group will sponsor a Winter Book Sale January 19-21, at the Library, 8411 Sienna Springs, Missouri City. Thousands of gently used books for children and adults as well as CDs and DVDs will be priced 50 cents to $1. The sale will be open Thursday, Jan. 19, 6-8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 20, noon-4 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 21, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Proceeds fund Library programs for children and adults. Contact: friendsofsiennalibrary@yahoo.com for information.

Free Legal Clinic set for Veterans Jan. 21

Veterans who need legal advice or assistance can visit a free legal clinic on Saturday, Jan. 21, from 9 a.m. until noon, at the Richmond VA Outpatient Clinic, 22001 Southwest Freeway, Suite 200, Richmond. The clinic is a public service of Fort Bend Lawyers Care, the Fort Bend County Bar Association and the Houston Bar Foundation's Veterans Legal Initiative, a coalition of local bar associations that provide pro bono legal services to U.S. veterans in 18 counties in Texas.

No appointment is necessary. Any veteran, or spouse of a deceased veteran, can receive one-on-one advice and counsel from a volunteer attorney in any area of law, including family, wills and probate, consumer, real estate, and tax law, as well as disability and veterans benefits. Veterans who need ongoing legal representation and who qualify for legal aid may be assigned a pro bono attorney.

Contact the Veterans Legal Initiative at 713-759-1133 or visit www.hba.org for more information.

Food, Nutrition workshop Jan. 21

The final Food & Nutrition Workshop in the Explore 4-H Series, will be 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Bud O'Shieles Community Center, 1330 Band Road in Rosnberg. This workshop will focus on food safety, cross-contamination and nutrition while cooking proteins such as meat, eggs and tofu. Hands-on cooking will accompany instruction. This free workshop is open to all Fort Bend County families. Visit http://agrilife.org/ftbend4h/ to make a reservation.

Program focuses on human trafficking

The Fort Bend Alumnae Panhellenic Association will present a free community awareness event in conjunction with The Creative Dreams Center of Stafford, featuring Kerri Taylor, executive director of UnBound Houston about human trafficking and the impact it has on the community. The Jan. 23 presentation is open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. at 1622 Staffordshire Road, Stafford. RSVP to fbpanhellenic@gmail.com.

guardianship session at library

Brazos Bend Guardianship Services is hosting a Guardianship and Alternatives to Guardianship information session from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, at University Branch Library, 14010 University Blvd., Sugar Land, in Meeting Room 2. The session is designed for families who need information on obtaining legal guardianship of an incapacitated loved one. Alternatives to guardianship will also be discussed. An attorney will answer any legal questions related to guardianship and alternatives to guardianship.

RSVP to: Kirk Monroe at 281-232-7701 or by email: kmonroe@brazosbendguardianship.org or at www.brazosbendguardianship.org.

Food handlers class organized

A food handlers course accredited by the Texas Department of State Health Services is being offered by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Fort Bend County. "Food Safety: It's In Your Hands" is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 27, starting at 9 a.m. at the Extension office, 1402 Band Road, Rosenberg.

This 2-hour course will now be required for all food service employees to help promote the service of safe food. To register, call 281-342-3034. Registration can also be done in-person the day of the course. The cost is $20 per person (check or money order only) and must be paid in full before the course begins.

Fairgrounds hosts vintage festival

Twice each year since 2013, Junk Hippy has transformed the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds into a vintage festival. More than 125 vendors from all over Texas and several surrounding states fill three buildings with vintage, handmade and antique goods.

Junk Hippy will take over the fairgrounds from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25. Admission is only $5 at the gate, kids 13 and under are free. Food trucks, a mimosa trailer and live music complete the festival. Purchase wristbands at junkhippy.com/shop.
Tim Hardage, presiding Tuesday over his first Plainview Chamber of Commerce board meeting as president, welcomed five directors to the board  Covenant Plainviews CEO Bob Copeland, Amegos Manager Rebekah Bernal, Rosa Padilla of Wal-Mart Distribution Center, Kevin Walker of Mouser Agency and Debbi Wilkins of Roberts & Wilkins ERA Realtors.

In addition to Hardage, the 2017 Chamber Executive Committee includes Brandon Ahrens, first vice president; Lezlie Hukill, second vice president; Andrea Glenn, secretary/treasurer; Dr. Bobby Hall, immediate past president; Wendell Dunlap, Plainview mayor; and Linda Morris, Chamber executive director.

Hardage reminded directors of two upcoming events, the annual Chamber Banquet and the Farmers Appreciation Breakfast.

The banquet, where Plainviews 2016 Man and Woman of the Year will be introduced, is 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Laney Center on the Wayland Baptist University campus. Tickets are $25 per person and available at the Chamber. Keynote speaker is Cece Smith, president/owner of Toolbox Studios in San Antonio.

In connection with the banquet, Hardage said the deadline for nominations for Man and Woman of the Year is Jan. 30, with recipients selected during a luncheon that day by secret ballot by past recipients. They wont know who won until the names are announce at the banquet.

Nomination forms are available at the Chamber, and several have already been returned.

Local and area agricultural producers will be recognized for their contribution to the local economy at the Second Annual Farmer Appreciation Breakfast 8-9 a.m. Friday, March 24, at the Ollie Liner Center. The free breakfast is sponsored by local farm implement dealers.

Chamber directors on Tuesday voted to host a Business Success Luncheon to introduce South Plains College-Plainviews certification program in customer service. Morris explained that SPC can bring its innovative program onsite to individual businesses to train employees on improved customer service.

Directors also voted to award two $500 Raymond Akin Memorial Scholarships this year for graduating high school seniors. The annual scholarship memorializes Akin, a local auctioneer and longtime Chamber member.

Hari Kotaiya, Chamber Ambassadors Committee chair, reported on the groups recent activities including ribbon cuttings at Harvest Church, CPR Cellphone Repair, Texas Car Worx and Plainview Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. He anticipates a busy 2017 with a number of new businesses expected to open related to wind energy and other industries.

Morris reported the availability of several Business After Hours opportunities during the coming year. Cost to sponsor a Business After Hours mixer is $350, which covers printing and mailing postcard invitations and newspaper and radio advertising. Businesses are asked to provide light refreshments while the Chamber provided door prizes. The Chamber is now seeking someone to chair the committee to replace retiring Chairman Danny Andrews.

Andrea Glenn, reporting on Main Street for Director Melinda Brown, said the free downtown carriage rides canceled prior to Christmas due to inclement weather, have been rescheduled for Feb. 11 Saturday prior to Valentines Day, with the Chamber providing free hot chocolate. Glenn added that the stage at the Fair Theatre has been repaired. Among upcoming events is Ash School Open House Jan. 19.

Mike Fox, executive director of the Plainview/Hale County Economic Development Corp., reported that the Hale Community Wind Project is on schedule with construction on the first of four phases to begin during the first quarter of 2017. Starting area Petersburg before continuing northward, the wind project will eventually include 1,200 megawatts of capacity.

Once work on the project begins, Fox anticipates activity at the BNSF Logistics rail facility in east Plainview will pick up significantly.

He noted that both the City of Plainview and Hale County have approved economic development agreements with General Electric in connection with turbine components moving through the logistics terminal. That agreement to reduce property taxes on those components should help stimulate activity. Getting that rail center busy again is good for sales in our restaurants, convenience stores and motels, and will drive local sales tax activity. Getting the pilot cars and truck drivers back in here will be a great economic boost.

Fox reported that unemployment is 5 percent, which is lower than when Cargill was in operation. He noted that sales tax receipts in recent months have fallen behind the torrid pace set in 2015, but are still showing growth over a five-year period.

Eighteen industrial leads were generated at the FabTech conference in Las Vegas, and the former Jimmy Dean and Cargill facilities are shown on a regular basis to site selectors. I feel like we are one day closer to a major announcement, Fox said.

The EDCs annual meeting is at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 26 at the Plainview Country Club, with V.O. Ortega presiding as new president. During that meeting, EDC will award Norman Wright its Jack Morris Leadership Award.
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On perhaps the coldest day of December 2016, Sally Hightower rushed out without a jacket to welcome staff members of Little Forks Conservancy to the Twisted Oak Tree Farm. Before going inside the house she shares with her wife, Linda Caldwell, Hightower led them to one of her favorite spots  a high ridge overlooking the Tittabawassee River.

Hightower had made the decision to purchase her 37.5 acre property after standing in almost that exact same spot in 1979.

Hightower hadnt been looking for this beautiful property with acres of forest and 600 feet of the West Branch of the Tittabawassee River.

I was looking for 10 acres on a trout stream, she said. When I stood on this ridge and looked down at the river, I had this feeling of peace come over me. I knew this was where I was supposed to be.

On that brisk December morning, she brought the Little Forks staff back to that spot before signing a conservation easement with Little Forks Conservancy.

Conservation easements are permanent legal agreements that are tailored for each property, said Elan Lipschitz, Little Forks director of land conservation, said. The agreement will vary based on the property and the landowners goals for conserving their land.

A Chicago city kid with a love of nature, Hightowers teaching career brought her to Michigan.

There was a reason I was sent places, she said.

After starting her teaching career in the Appalachian Mountains, Hightower moved to Clare and then was offered a position in Gladwin. Hightower recalled, A couple years later, I found this place and said, This is it.

Shortly after purchasing the land, Hightower was approached by Dow Corning Corp.

They had a wood-burning generator, and they wanted to take the poplar and the birch off the property, she said.

The Dow Corning forester contacted her about the property, and also introduced her to the American Tree Farm System certification program.

Since purchasing the property, Hightower has devoted herself to learning about forest management and caring for the tree farm.

I had to learn, she said. I was a city kid, but you read and you ask people questions. You find out and you educate yourself. Being a teacher, thats what we do.

Hightower took the same approach when considering a conservation easement for her land. Elan has answered a whole lot of questions of mine, shes said. She also consulted Dave Spencer, Kernie Gilliam, Dick Shellenbarger and Bill Shellenbarger, who have worked with Little Forks to conserve their properties.

Theyre on a different river system, but we all go into the Tittabawassee River, and on down to the Saginaw River and out to the Bay, Hightower said. Through them, it got me thinking. I thought about it for years.

Lipschitz has worked with Hightower since she first contacted Little Forks. He explained that its common for landowners to carefully consider what a conservation easement means for them, their family, and their land.

We work closely with each of our landowners to make sure the agreement reflects their vision for the future of the land they love, he said.

Hightower said the process gives you the time to really think through every step. Its not cut-and-dried; youve got to do the whole thing at once. It gives you the time to make those decisions.

Hightower now hopes that she can help other people considering conserving their land.

I want to be the seed in this area to start and say, This is what Ive done. You could do something similar with your property. You still have control over it, but you can keep what you like about it, Hightower said.

To learn more about conservation easements, contact Little Forks Conservancy at (989) 835-4886 or visit www.littleforks.org
FAIRFIELD  Police arrested three members of a New Haven gang they say have been involved in the rash of car thefts in Fairfield and in other communities.

The early morning arrest Monday came about after an officer on patrol spotted a car parked on Pease Avenue around 2 a.m. The stolen car was running and there were several people inside.

They are suspected in a rash of car thefts and other criminal activity, Lt. Robert Kalamaras said. He said they are known to carry guns, but added no guns have been found at this time.

The officer on patrol Monday called in the marker number of the parked Honda, then got out and approached the car. When he did, the driver and passengers got out and ran from the scene. Police dogs from Fairfield, Norwalk and the State Police joined in the search.

Police grabbed James Harris, 18, when he tripped and fell after running into some nearby woods. They said Harris, and the others, are members of the Starr Block gang out of New Haven.

Harris told police he was just a passenger in the car and did not know who the others were. Another of the cars occupants, a 16-year-old, was located hiding in some bushes.

Another 16-year-old was tracked by Fairfield K-9 Maverick and found hiding under a car at Fairfield Automotive. He was curled up in a ball underneath the car and refused to come out or show his hands until the police dog bit him on the thigh. He was taken to St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport for evaluation of the small puncture wound.

All three were charged with third-degree larceny and interfering with an officer. The Honda they had been driving was stolen out of Berlin. Inside there were several credit cards that did not belong to them.

A fourth suspect, a 17-year-old, was found hours later when police received a call about a suspicious person in front of the Andros Diner on the Post Road. Police said the teen approached someone outside of the diner and claimed to have been kidnapped and dropped off there.

Police, however, said he was one of the stolen cars occupants and will be seeking a warrant for his arrest.

Harris was held on a $20,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Bridgeport Jan. 30. The juveniles were turned over to their parents and will have to appear in Juvenile Court Jan. 23.

Since November, police here have received reports of 15 stolen cars in Fairfield and numerous car break-ins. The majority of the thefts involved cars that were unlocked, with the keys inside.

greilly@ctpost.com; @GreillyPost
HARBOR BEACH  Roughly six months after one of Huron Countys country schools announced its closure, a nearby school district has continued to keep its interest in taking over the duties of the vacant schoolhouse.

On Wednesday night, the Harbor Beach School Board is scheduled to discuss a resolution that, if passed, would continue the annexation process with Kipper School. The board will meet at 7 p.m. in the high school library.

The former schoolhouse was a one-room, kindergarten through eighth-grade school located halfway between Harbor Beach and Bad Axe. Kipper closed its doors after the 2015-16 school year.

The annexation first came to light at the boards September meeting where board members discussed the steps the district needed to take to complete the process.

We had a wonderful meeting with myself, the HISD Superintendent (Joe Murphy) and the Kipper School Board, Harbor Beach Superintendent Lawrence Kroswek told the Tribune. We talked about making sure this is exactly what they wanted to do  annex to Harbor Beach  and they were pretty solid on that choice.

To annex, the revised school code, in part, states, A school district shall be annexed to another school district if the board of the annexing school district adopts a resolution approving the annexation and a majority of the school electors of the district to be annexed approve the annexation.

If the resolution passes, Kroswek said the Kipper School Board will meet Feb. 2 to place the decision to annex on the May election ballot. Electors from the Kipper School District would then either approve or deny the decision at the polls.

The new district would include roughly four square miles of what was once Kipper School. If Kipper voters approve the annexation, it will be implemented on July 1, according to the unapproved resolution.

A decline in enrollment was one reason behind the school closing. Last school year, Kipper enrolled a dozen students, but that number would have been significantly less this year.

Some of the Kipper students have joined Harbor Beach Community Schools for this school year based on school of choice.

Also on Wednesdays school board agenda, Michigan Leadership Institute representative Charles Andrews will address the board on finding the districts new superintendent. Kroswek plans to retire at the end of this year and MLI was selected to help find his replacement.
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STAMFORD  On Saturday, Donald Trumps first day in office, more than 200,000 people are expected to participate in the Womens March on Washington, which is shaping up to be one of the largest demonstrations in U.S. history.

The number doesnt count the more than 600 sister marches scheduled for cities large and small, including New York; Boston; Chicago; Los Angeles; Seattle; Fairbanks, Ala.; Dubuque, Iowa; Grand Forks, N.D.; Midland, Mich.; Pensacola, Fla.; Greensboro, N.C.

And Stamford.

Reasons for the massive display of dissent vary. Protesters believe the Trump administration threatens gender and racial equality, voting and workers rights, ethical government, a free press, gun safety, the environment, and more.

Stamfords sister march is scheduled to begin at noon with speeches at the University of Connecticuts downtown campus. At 1 p.m., protesters will leave UConn to walk the blocks that circle the citys tallest building, the Trump Parc luxury condominium high-rise, which has become a lightning rod for the president-elect resisters at the corner of Broad Street and Washington Boulevard.

About 800 marchers are expected, organizer Lisa Boyne said, but the number could grow by Saturday.

I would say a hundred people a day are calling to ask me for tickets, which are free, though organizers hope for donations to offset the costs of logistics, Boyne said.

There is strength in numbers, Boyne said. Two people show up and theyll say, Youre crazy. A crowd shows up and they cant ignore you.

Pink power

Boyne, 50, said she disagreed with things Trump said from the start of his presidential campaign, but it wasnt until a video surfaced in October that she felt compelled to act.

The video caught Trump bragging to former Access Hollywood host Billy Bush that, as a celebrity, he can freely grab women by a part of the body he described using a derogatory word.

Within weeks after the video aired, the Pussyhat Project began in Los Angeles. Across the country, pink yarn flew off the shelves as women knit hats with cat ears, saying they are taking back the derogatory term by employing two things traditionally considered feminine  the color pink and knitting.

Trump didnt say he was sorry  he said he apologized to anyone he might have offended, but it was just locker-room talk, Boyne said. That was the jumpstart point for me to not accept Trump as someone worthy of the office of president, which I hold in high esteem.

There will be plenty of pink at the Washington and sister marches, Boyne said.

Stamford resident Samantha Lobo, 25, is helping organize the march to Trump Parc. She thinks Trump and many of his cabinet selections have that traditional mindset of what is acceptable and what is not, Lobo said. I dont think they can understand our concerns as millennials.

As a female minority, she grew up hearing women jokes, racial jokes  it was OK to say these things, Lobo said. I didnt always know how to respond.

Now she is speaking up.

If you dont, you do an injustice to yourself, she said. Trump has not denounced the things he has said. But you cant become discouraged. Nothing gets done that way. You have to push.

Moved to march

For Boyne, its been a three-week push to organize the Womens March on Stamford. She rented the space at UConn, met with city officials, coordinated with police and obtained insurance, among other preparations. Besides donations, money was raised through the sale of T-shirts.

Videographers, some volunteer and others working at reduced fees, will document the Stamford march, which will be posted on Facebook.

Weve had conservative presidents before, but we have not seen women jumping into action like this since the 1960s and 70s, Boyne said.

She is concerned, for example, about Trumps refusal to divest from his $3.7 billion empire. Instead, Trump will allow his sons and business partner to control his companies, and place his assets in a trust they oversee.

Ethics experts have said that does not preclude the Trump Organization from potentially profiting from the presidency, since Trump, through the trust, retains ownership of his companies and benefits from their financial dealings. Government ethics experts are concerned Trump has not revealed his global business holdings.

The rationalization he gave was that people knew he had all these things when they elected him, and they still elected him, so he doesnt need to divest as other presidents have done, Boyne said. He has rationalized being above ethics.

Another concern of marchers is voter rights. There is fear the Trump Administration will continue recent attacks on the Voting Rights Act, which have resulted in voter ID restrictions and cutbacks in the number of polling places and early-voting opportunities.

Jack Bryant, president of the Stamford chapter of the NAACP, will be among the speakers who launch Saturdays march from UConn.

We want to make sure no one is left out in this new administration, that rights are not taken away, Bryant said. The issues they are marching for affect more than just women.

Starts with a protest

Tickets are needed to get into UConn, but people may join the march once it begins. Its not known how many more may participate, said Ernie Orgera, director of the Stamford Office of Operations.

As long as the marchers stay on the sidewalks and dont obstruct vehicular traffic, they should be OK, Orgera said. Police officers will accompany them.

After the divisive presidential campaign and Trumps controversial statements about women, immigrants, NATO, China, Russia and more, people are looking for ways to protest, according to Stamford resident Nina Sherwood, founder of Progressive Activists of Fairfield County.

People have a good idea about what they believe in, and rallies help them see they are not alone, that they have a voice and they can do something, Sherwood said. It starts with a protest.

Sister marches are taking place in Hartford, East Haddam and Salisbury in Connecticut, all 50 states and nearly 60 countries. Protesters view the marches as a first step in uniting people who want to create change from the grassroots up.

It bodes for a contentious Trump presidency. Lobo said she wants Trump to hear the message.

I hope he realizes that things he says and stands by are not how the majority feels. He lost the popular vote by 3 million. He does not represent the majority, Lobo said. Maybe its time to change his tune.

angela.carella@scni.com; 203-964-2296; stamfordadvocate.com/angelacarella.
ELKTON  Take a moment this month to thank Phyllis Podlaskowski for her many years of service to the village of Elkton.

Village President Randy Haley recently proclaimed January as Phyllis Podlaskowski Appreciation Month.

During the entire month of January, please join me in thanking Phyllis Podlaskowski for all her time and effort put forth effort to better our village over the past 22 years, reads the proclamation issued late last year.

Podlaskowski served on the Elkton village council for many years, and was village president for two years.

Probably in the 22 years, shes served on every committee we had, Village Clerk Lonna Fisher told the Tribune.

Ever since Podlaskowski moved here 40 years ago with her husband, Conrad, and daughters, Bridgette and Kelly, she has enjoyed her role in the community.

I was involved in almost every club we had in Elkton, Podlaskowski told the Tribune.

She and Conrad were inspired to move there from Detroit when they were vacationing near Oak Beach one summer.

My husband decided to go through each town, she recalled. There was a horse parked in front of Buds Bar (in Elkton). He just thought that was the coolest thing in the world. It took two years for him to move me up here.

Her daughters then were ages 4 and 8.

Joining Elktons Extension Club was Podlaskowskis first experience in local public service.

She was also president of a bowling club, and president of the Elkton Chamber of Commerce for 10 years.

One of her favorite memories was when the Chamber started a bank account for a woman who had cancer, to help her pay bills.

Shes doing wonderful today, Podlaskowski said.

She been active in planning Elktons annual AutumnFest, and also participated in the formation of the Huron Youth Center.

I like being involved in everything and trying to help people, she said.

Her daughter, Bridgette McCarty, said that while she was growing up, her mother always seemed to be headed to a meeting.

I think its wonderful. Shes really given a lot of time to the town of Elkton. Shes given it her all, McCarty said.

Podlaskowski worked for 30 years a Rons Party Store, at the Elkton Post Office for 2 years, and now works at the Village Market.

She said this is her third attempt at retiring in a village where they like to do things for everybody.

Although she lost her bid to return as village president in November to Haley, she said that Elkton has a good council.

Everybody cooperates. Its just a nice little village, she said.
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(Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama on Tuesday commuted the 35-year sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who was convicted of leaking classified material in 2013.

She will be released in May 2017, according to a statement from the White House.

The move was part of a final push of pardons and commutations in the closing days of the administration, and Obama has now shortened the sentences of more federal inmates than any other president.

Manning was arrested in 2010 after leaking 700,000 military files and diplomatic cables to Wikileaks, and her sentence exceeded that received by other individuals recently convicted of releasing classified material. She has twice attempted to commit suicide while incarcerated, and went on a hunger strike in an effort to get the Army to allow her to undertake gender reassignment surgery.

Obama also pardoned former Marine General James Cartwright, who was convicted of making false statements to federal investigators as they probed whether he leaked details of a cyberattack on Iran's nuclear program. He pleaded guilty in October, and prosecutors have requested a two-year prison sentence.

A commutation shortens a convict's sentence, but unlike a pardon, does not forgive the crime.

Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who leaked his cache of documents detailing U.S. intelligence efforts around the same time as Manning's crime, advocated for her clemency.

"Mr. President, if you grant only one act of clemency as you exit the White House, please: free Chelsea Manning," Snowden tweeted. "You alone can save her life."

Obama accelerated the use of his clemency power over his final years in office, focusing primarily on reversing decades of drug-war punishments.
UPPER THUMB  U.S. Rep. Paul Mitchell will sit on three committees in the 115th Congress.

They are:

 Transportation and Infrastructure

 Education and the Workforce

 Oversight and Government Reform.

The Dryden Republican represents Michigans 10th Congressional District, which includes Huron, Tuscola, Sanilac, St. Clair, Lapeer and northern Macomb counties.

The work of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has great significance for Michigan. Mitchell said in a press release. The 10th district boasts critical infrastructure connecting and powering us, including the Blue Water Bridge, access to the Great Lakes, and I-69, all of which are impacted by the work of this committee.  

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania said Mitchells knowledge, insight, and perspective as a Michigander will be an asset to help us continue the good work of strengthening Americas infrastructure to support and grow the economy.

Mitchells career in workforce training, as CEO of Ross Medical Education Center, will contribute to his work on the Education and the Workforce Committee.

I spent my career in workforce training, Mitchell also said in the release, And the challenges that working families, students, and employers face is of utmost importance to me. I am eager to join with my new colleagues on the Education and the Workforce Committee in furthering policies to strengthen our workforce, put parents and individuals in charge of their education, and provide working families with more flexibility.

Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Fox of North Carolina praised Mitchells background in workforce education.

Mitchell said the Oversight and Government Reform Committee is responsible for keeping government accountable and exposing and eliminating government waste.

That committee Chairman, Jason Chaffetz of Utah, also welcomed Mitchells input in the press release.

Hes a champion of fiscal responsibility and I look forward to working alongside him this Congress, Chaffetz said.
Washington

President-elect Donald Trump and congressional Republicans appear to have accomplished a feat that President Barack Obama could not in the past seven years: They have galvanized outspoken support for the Affordable Care Act.

People who benefit from the law are flooding Congress with testimonials. Angry consumers are confronting Republican lawmakers. And Democrats who saw the law as a political liability in recent elections have suddenly found their voice, defending the law now that it is in trouble.

Thousands of people across the country held rallies over the weekend to save the health care law, which Republicans moved last week to repeal with a first but crucial legislative step. Rallies on Sunday to save the health law drew robust crowds around the country.

And progressive groups are planning a two-month cross-country bus tour to fight the repeal effort, starting Tuesday.

With their quick strike on the law in the first days of the new Congress, Republicans had hoped to begin the repeal process before a backlash could develop or opposition could be organized. But congressional Republicans are at risk of losing the message war, especially since they are fighting on two fronts.

On one side, the president-elect has repeatedly lobbed disruptive demands at them, such as his insistence that they prepare a replacement health bill almost immediately. To that, he added a new promise over the weekend: that the Republican version would provide "insurance for everybody."

On the other front, Democratic lawmakers have taken to quoting grateful constituents to personalize what can be an arcane legislative fight. The focus of public attention appears to be shifting from the defects of the health care law to the plaintive pleas of people terrified of losing insurance if the law is repealed.

Republicans acknowledge their constituents' concerns, but they say supporters of the health law are manufacturing them. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., blamed Democrats for "amping up anxiety" with "scare tactics and fear mongering."

"The anxiety is real," Woodall said, "but it's real based on the failures of the president's health care law."

Republicans will face a new challenge: maintaining anger at "Obamacare" without Obama in the White House to stir their passions.

The health law's support has received scant attention until now.

Some Democrats put distance between themselves and the Obama administration after HealthCare.gov crashed on its debut in 2013. More recently, with premiums soaring and insurers defecting from the Affordable Care Act marketplace in many states, Democrats were hard put to defend the law, which was passed without any Republican votes.
New York

Days before taking office, President-elect Donald Trump attempted to navigate the fallout of his flap with a civil rights leader and colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while also losing a member of his incoming administration to accusations of plagiarism.

Trump on Monday met with one of King's sons on the holiday marking the life of the slain American icon just days after the president-elect attacked Rep. John Lewis on Twitter. Lewis and the elder King were among the Big Six leaders of the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Trump accused Lewis, D-Ga., for being "all talk" after Lewis questioned the legitimacy of Trump's election. The president-elect also advised the veteran congressman to pay more attention to his "crime ridden" Atlanta-area district. Trump's comments drew widespread criticism and have done little to reassure those uneasy about the transition from the nation's first black president to a president-elect still struggling to connect with most nonwhite voters.

Martin Luther King III downplayed the slight, saying that "in the heat of emotion a lot of things get said on both sides." King, who said he pressed Trump on the need for voting reform to increase participation, deemed the meeting "constructive." King said that while he disagreed with the president-elect's comments, he believed "at some point in this nation we've got to move forward."

"He said that he is going to represent all Americans. He said that over and over again," King told reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower after the nearly hourlong meeting. "I believe that's his intent, but I think we also have to consistently engage with pressure, public pressure. It doesn't happen automatically."

Trump, who struggled for support from minority voters on Election Day, briefly joined King in the lobby but ignored reporters' shouted questions about his comments about Lewis.

Lewis had suggested that Trump's November victory was delegitimized due to Russian interference and said he would boycott Friday's inauguration. More than two dozen Democratic members of Congress have said they will sit out the Trump ceremony. Among them is Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen, who said Monday that "this president 'semi-elect' does not deserve to be president of the United States. He has not exhibited the characteristics or the values that we hold dear."

The Martin Luther King holiday is meant to honor community service and volunteerism, and many Americans, including President Barack Obama, spend part of the day doing a service project of some kind. Trump, who canceled a planned trip to Washington, spent the day inside the Manhattan skyscraper that bears his name.

Meanwhile, conservative media commentator Monica Crowley will not be joining the Trump administration following accusations of plagiarism, according to a transition official.

Crowley, a frequent on-air presence at Fox News Channel, had been slated to join Trump's National Security Council as a director of strategic communications. On Monday, she withdrew her name from consideration after CNN reported last week that several passages in a 2012 book Crowley wrote were plagiarized. Publisher HarperCollins then pulled the book.
Washington

The wife of the Orlando nightclub shooter, who was extensively questioned by federal agents in the days after the massacre, has been arrested by the FBI in connection with the attack, authorities said Monday.

Noor Salman was taken into custody Monday morning in the San Francisco Bay area and is facing charges in Florida including obstruction of justice. A Twitter post from the United States attorney's office in Orlando said Salman will make her initial court appearance Tuesday morning in Oakland, Calif.

Noor Salman moved to California after her husband, Omar Mateen, was killed in a shootout with SWAT team members during the June 12 massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando that left 49 dead and 53 people hospitalized.

FBI agents repeatedly questioned Salman in the aftermath of the shooting about whether she had advance knowledge of her husband's plans.

Salman told The New York Times in an interview published last fall that she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but that she was "unaware of everything" regarding his intent to shoot up the club. She also said he had physically abused her.

"Noor Salman had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night," her attorney, Linda Moreno, said in a statement.
Jan. 18, 1937: Reinkens semi-annual clothing sale featured mens suits for $17.85.

--A Plainview doctor, E. Lee Dye, M.D., has won of free trip to Beverly Hills, Calif., by writing a letter explaining the importance of having life insurance.

--Mrs. J.W. Walker, president of the Seventh District Federation of Womens Clubs, gave the main address at the district conference.

Jan. 18, 1967: Homer Garrison resigned from the school board so his wife, Marie, could accept the position of substitute librarian at Coronado Junior High School.

--Ken McEachern has been named assistant cashier at American State Bank in Lubbock.

--Mobil Oil Carl Laney #1 was officially plugged and abandoned Saturday. The Hale County wildcat well, 3 1/2 miles west of Hale Center, was the first prospective oil well drilled in the county in 16 years.

Jan. 18, 1977: A bird count held in Caprock Canyons State Park listed a number of birds including a Pied-Billed Grebe, Great Blue Herons, Canadian Geese, American Widgeons and American Coot.

--Johnny Sherrod will head the installment loan division of First National Bank. He is a graduate of Hale Center High School and Texas Tech.

--The United States Reading Lab will teach a speed reading course at Wayland Baptist University.

Jan. 18, 1997: Swisher County Extension Agent David Gibson says he enjoys judging stock shows.

--Bryson Mannin showed the Grand Champion Pig, a Chester White, at the Plainview Community Stock Show on Thursday.

--A letter to the editor from the Plainview Symphony Debutantes thanked Mike Carter, Chuck Dorrity and Broadways for having a role in their best winter dance ever.
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Beaumont school board candidates, including ousted trustees hoping to reclaim their seats, can begin filing for the district's first election since 2011 on Wednesday, though they will have to wait for word from the state on when the winners will take office.

The district's managers, appointed by the state in 2014, called for a trustee election on May 6 and announced in July their plan to collectively resign by the end of May.

That would leave the district with 14 new leaders this spring - the seven newly elected trustees and the seven replacement managers Education Commissioner Mike Morath plans to install, whose terms will run at least through July 2018.

Morath said in August the managers would be identified using an open application process. He plans to announce manager appointments early this year and determine how and when the trustees will be phased in, as state law requires.

That has left potential candidates for both boards in the dark about term lengths, the transition and the timing of the district's return to local control after the 2014 state takeover.

Trustee election Jan. 18 - 8 a.m.

Filing begins Feb. 17 - 5 p.m.

Filing deadline March 11 - 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Optional TEA BISD Candidates' Workshop at Region 5 April 24-May 2

Early voting May 6

Election Day Note: Candidate Information Packets and Applications for Place on the Ballot are available at the administration building or on BISD's website. See More Collapse

More details could be released soon. Board president Jimmy Simmons said he hopes to have more information by the end of the week, after Thursday night's board meeting.

"This is such an important election for the city of Beaumont," said Malcolm Bales, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas during investigations of the district.

"There was such a divisiveness between not just the school board members but the entire community. The polarization in Beaumont over the schools and the direction of schools and the way the money was being spent in the schools was just extraordinarily toxic in my view, and just kind of a fog over Beaumont," he said.

"The way the money was being spent" will come to light at least partially later this month when District Attorney Bob Wortham anticipates releasing BISD's forensic audit, which has been underway for more than a year.

"Taxpayers' dollars have to be guarded very jealously by the district, they can't waste money, abuse money, overpay people, do all kinds of crazy things, which I think will be evident have been issues in the past" Wortham said.

The audit, which BISD likely will release by the end of January, "does talk about how poorly the district was run," he said.

Bales, who said many of the district's problems stemmed from a "circle the wagons" mentality to protect the status quo, said "it's a good thing an election has been scheduled" after six years without one.

"I sure hope the voters take a deep breath and do not return to the same sort of entrenched perspectives that were guided by old history and in large part, I think race, which is not a recipe for success for the 21st century for Beaumont," he said. "I hope the city gets what they deserve, which is a top-flight board and a top-flight superintendent."

Running

May's trustee ballot will have familiar names. Several likely candidates have previously run for the board or other county-wide offices.

Ousted trustee Woodrow Reece said he intends to run to return to the District 3 position.

He has stayed away from the district for the past three years, he said, and hasn't closely followed the redistricting process. This summer, he called his time away from the board "a fun vacation."

If elected, he said his goal would be to focus on preparing more students for college and careers. He defended the board's actions under Superintendent Timothy Chargois, saying that dishonest people were removed and taken to court as necessary.

"We need to go forward from here," he said.

The return of ousted trustees caused issues in North Forest ISD, where the state ultimately voted to dismantle the district, where Carroll Thomas was superintendent before coming to BISD.

"They had ongoing problems for many years," TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said of North Forest ISD in 2014. "We'd send in a team to get them on the right track and when we left, the same people would come back into power and the same problems would happen."

Shedrick Evans, administrative assistant to Precinct 4 County Commissioner Everette "Bo" Alfred, plans to run for the District 4 seat.

Evans, who attended an October workshop run by TEA employees for potential BISD candidates, said he has done extensive research on the role of board members, including their primary responsibility of hiring the superintendent. A former elementary school teacher, he said he is running out of a desire to serve the taxpayers, students and educators of the district. He's not concerned about a potential waiting period before being seated, he said.

Joe Evans, who ran for county commissioner in 2015, plans to run for one of two new at-large seats, created when the board of managers approved a long-debated redistricting map that will have five representative districts and two citywide positions.

"I think I can serve as a force of unity, to run city-wide," he said. "It's something I've been thinking about for a while," since before the May election was announced, he said.

At the October workshop, Deputy Commissioner of Governance A.J. Crabill asked attendees, "Did you do everything you could have done to help the district achieve more academically, to be a better force for the community?"

"That really resonated with me," said Joe Evans, who has three children attending BISD. About 35 people attended the training session, which was requested by community groups and run by TEA employees.

Undecided

Crabill's question has been on Thomas Sigee's mind, too. "When he asked that question, it was something that weighed heavy on my heart. I could not say that I had done much to prevent BISD from falling into turmoil," he said.

A 2014 candidate for tax assessor-collector, Sigee said he hasn't decided if he'll run for trustee in District 3.

"I think I have some skill sets that are unique that would allow me to be very helpful," as well as experience volunteering at BISD, he said, "but I haven't quite made up my mind."

Nathan Cross, a retired accountant and treasurer for the Beaumont Public Schools Foundation, is in the same place.

"I'm giving it very strong consideration," he said.

He said he is waiting to hear who else might be running in District 5. "I think I can be of some benefit to the board, but I don't want to get in there and compete against somebody I'd support."

Two other former trustees are still making up their minds as well: Gwen Ambres, who lost her 2015 bid for city council, and Zenobia Bush, who attended the October workshop.

Bush said she plans to "decide by next week," while Ambres said "I haven't given it much of a thought" and hasn't made a decision yet.

Another longtime fixture of Beaumont ISD, Odom Academy principal Tillie Hickman, said she is considering a run. She's been an administrator at the school since 1993.

Speaking after school on Friday, Hickman said she would have to choose between continuing as principal or running for trustee, which would rest on "deciding which way to serve the students."

She said the polarization that has dominated BISD politics in recent years lingers, but she is optimistic about rebuilding trust.

"I would like to think that Beaumont will move into it with a good heart and assume the best for everybody until we have some reason to not trust folks," she said.

Not running

Donna Forgas, Marcelino Rodriguez and Kellie Fowler, who ran for board seats in 2011, said they don't plan to enter this spring's race.

"I am not considering running for anything ever again," said former trustee Janice Brassard, recalling the investigations and tension of being removed by former commissioner Michael Williams three years ago. She urged whoever is elected to "take every ounce of training they can from the TEA and the Texas Association of School Boards," to better understand their responsibilities as trustees.

Mike Neil no longer lives in Beaumont, and Tom Neild, who supported the state takeover alongside Neil, said the unclear transition plan is a deterrent.

Asked if he planned to run, Neild said, "not at this juncture in my life."

"It's kind of discouraging for people to want to invest the time and money and effort to go out and run a campaign and get elected and then sit on the sidelines and not be able to participate," he said.

If Morath announced a plan, "I would possibly reconsider," he said, "but if it's going to be just for namesake only, no I'm not interested."

Former trustee Terry Williams could not be reached for comment.

New faces

Forgas said she anticipates new people getting involved in the district and running, adding that few people have attended board meetings for the last several months.

"I think you're going to see a bunch of people that we've never heard of before," she said.

Last January, State Rep. Dade Phelan (R-Nederland) said he planned to introduce a bill that would disqualify trustees removed in a state takeover from running again.

"My fear is the group of individuals who got us into this mess will be re-elected," he said, but as of Friday, he had not filed that bill.

Rep. Joe Deshotel (D-Beaumont) questioned its legality because it would ban people who have not been convicted of a crime from seeking office.

Beaumont ISD will be the state's first district to transition from managers to trustees under legislation passed in 2015 that allowed Morath to extend the managers' terms and mandates that one-third of the trustees be seated at a time.

That's an unpopular process for many who hoped to see the district return to elected leaders sooner rather than later.

"The current Board of Managers has worked very hard, they've put the hours in," said Greg Sholl, president of the Beaumont Teachers Association union. "But at some point, local citizens should have control of their local school board."

"We intend to have a candidates' forum and form a committee to possibly issue endorsements," he said, in order to "have a bigger voice" in this election.

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/LizTeitz
Two area school districts and an early childhood program are finalists in H-E-Bs annual Excellence in Education awards, the biggest awards ceremony for education in Texas.

Alamo Heights Independent School District, nominated for best school board last year, is a finalist this year for best small school district. Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City was nominated for best school board, and Pre-K 4 San Antonio, a nationally-recognized preschool program, is a finalist in the category of early childhood education facilities..
High school senior Hanna Walker doesnt mind being the youngest student in some of her classes. For her, the experience will be worthwhile when she earns both a high school diploma and an associate degree this spring.

Its one of the best feelings to be in a college class with 18- and 19-year-olds when youre 17, Walker said. Its an amazing feeling to graduate with an associate degree ahead of my peers.

Walker, who attends Early College High School at Midland College (ECHS), is one of an increasing number of high school students taking dual-credit courses at the college. MC administrators said the options help students reach higher education goals and strengthen the relationship between the college and Midland ISD.

Through dual enrollment, high school students take courses that allow them to earn both high school and college credit for free. MISD students can choose traditional dual credit or other options, including ECHS, Advanced Placement (AP) and early admissions.

The dual-credit options at MC have expanded from choices available in the 1980s, when MC became one of the first institutions in the state to have the offering. Executive Vice President Richard Jolly said dual credit doesnt fit every student, but its a route parents should consider.

Each student and each family needs to be educated, informed and knowledgeable not only about the options but whats best for their child, he said.

Dual-credit students constitute about 20 percent of overall enrollment at MC, according to Jolly. And 32 percent of students enrolled in dual-credit courses in 2013-2014 later returned as full-time students at the college for at least one semester, according to MC Institutional Research.

William Feeler, dean of Fine Arts and Communications and Dual Credit, said the options help high school students think about pursuing further education.

Dual-credit students on high school campuses gain a new seriousness about high school education, Feeler said. Its used as recruitment for students who might not be interested in going to college. Theyre going for bachelors or masters degrees.

After years of decline in dual-credit enrollment, the number of students enrolled in 2015-2016 increased from the previous academic year, according to MC Institutional Research. The number of dual-credit students increased again this academic year, reaching 1,233.

In fall 2015, more than 133,000 Texas high school students were enrolled in dual-credit courses, a jump from about 42,000 students a decade earlier, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board data.

At MC, Feeler said one factor contributing to higher enrollment is the popularity of ECHS, which started in 2009. The high school is designed so low-income, at-risk and other underrepresented students can earn a high school diploma and an associate degree in four years.

About 96 percent of 2016 ECHS graduates earned associate degrees, according to Principal Renee Aldrin. She expects more teenagers will apply to the school in the future.

The word is out that our students are successful and they have diplomas and associate degrees, Aldrin said.

The ECHS model was appealing to Walker, who chose to forgo extracurricular activities and time with friends to study at the academically focused high school.

Im a first-generation college student, Walker said. This school pays for everything. It would be hard for me to get a college education.

Walker is working toward an associate of science degree and wants to become a math teacher. After graduation, she plans to start as a junior at Sul Ross State University at MC.

Im so impressed with these kids, school counselor Terre Arnett said. They come in as freshmen, and we build them to be structured. When I was 14, I wasnt prepared for it. Thats why I call it academic boot camp.

The ECHS model hasnt only made a difference for MISD. The students tend to outperform others in MC classes, Jolly said.

The difference with Early College High School is supportive rigor, Jolly said. Theyre coming eight hours a day. When theyre not in college, theyre back in the high school wing in study hall or the library.

For MISD students attending traditional high schools, MC partners with the school district to offer classes that meet the colleges academic standards. The dual-credit courses are taught at Lee and Midland high schools by professors or teachers.

Feeler said students have expressed interest in the option, but schools sometimes cant provide enough classes to fill the demand.

The legislature is wanting to open dual credit more to high school instruction, Feeler said. The issue is high school instructors have to be qualified in order to teach dual credit.

When teachers arent available, MC has online and on-campus dual-credit classes for students attending MISD and other local schools. Students at Midland Christian School, Midland Classical Academy, Premier High School, Richard Milburn Academy and Trinity School have enrolled, according to Feeler.

Feeler said the students perform at about the same level as others at MC. He said offering dual credit for career and technical fields has helped strengthen relationships with MISD schools.

The faculty working with Early College High School students on campus and instructors and high school students on [MISD] campuses form the seamless relationship we have, Feeler said.

MC works less directly with Advanced Placement (AP), another option for high school students seeking college credit. Through AP, students take college-level coursework that cumulates in an exam. High AP exam scores transfer more widely than traditional dual-credit courses, according to Judy Bridges, director of advanced academic services for MISD.

The main difference our students have noticed is within the state of Texas, Bridges said. Midland College dual credit transfers out to other state colleges and universities. With the AP exam, you have to get the right score of 3, 4 or 5. AP courses have the advantage if students are going to private schools or outside the state.

MISD offers pre-AP courses in junior and freshman high schools and AP courses at Lee, Midland and Early College high schools. Students enrolled in AP courses receive credit at MC while learning at MISD campuses.

Bridges said the dual-credit setup can influence exam scores.

It depends on how much students study, Bridges said. Theres a disconnect with dual credit and AP for some classes. They think if theyre going to school within Texas, its already accepted. They find its hard to study for the AP exam.

Despite some apathy toward the exam, Bridges said interest in AP classes has remained steady, with 44 classes offered between Lee and Midland high schools.

But another dual-credit choice at MC is losing popularity, according to Jolly. He said fewer high school students have opted for early admissions recently.

They can come out here for classes, Jolly said. Some students do that  they used to do it more. We have summer school and winter and spring interim classes, when students take one course over three weeks.

Three decades after the first dual-credit classes at MC, Jolly said local high school students have influenced the college.

They changed us as a college, and we changed the community, Jolly said. Were supposed to affect and effect the community we serve. We had to adapt and adjust where we teach it and how we teach it.
Editors note: Texas Aspires is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization working in partnership with education, business and community leaders to provide greater opportunity for Texas children by improving education in the state.

Texas preliminary A-F ratings were released Jan. 6, ahead of the convening of the 85th Texas legislative session on Jan. 10. The ratings offer a glimpse into how districts would have performed in the 2015-2016 school year under current legislation that requires school and district ratings to be made public in 2018 based on 2016-2017 school data.

Education is a fiercely personal issue in Texas. The vast majority of Texans, no matter where they grew up, attended public schools at one point or another, so we all think we know how well schools are doing. But times are changing. The truth about the quality of our schools is a mystery to most, but shouldnt be.

An A-F accountability system would transition the state from a system that rates campuses met standard or improvement required. Under the current system, 93.7 percent of campuses were labeled as met standard, while only 5.5 percent were labeled improvement required.A number of superintendents and school boards have publicly opposed the A-F accountability system.

Hearing that your local schools arent as good as you thought they were isnt pleasant in the short run. But glossing over opportunities for improvement in the long run is tantamount to abuse. Its our responsibility at the state level to protect our children, and any system that masks the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of a school, such as the one proposed by many superintendents, is a waste of time.

District leaders have their own interests at heart, which is why they are intentionally painting an incomplete and incorrect picture of A-F. Thats why we created TruthonA-F.com: to provide parents and communities the information they need to make informed decisions about a system that is being disparaged for adult reasons at the expense of student outcomes.

To learn more about Texas A-F system, visit our new website at TruthonA-F.com.






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It's puzzling what an Arkansas women had in mind when she set out to "rescue" hundreds of shelter animals.

According to The Dallas Morning News, police found eight dead dogs in the property of Whitney Smither and her boyfriend, Brian Moore.

Last year, Smither began adopting more than 100 dogs and cats from a Fort Worth animal shelter, and seemed genuinely passionate about saving the animals.

VIDEO: Central Texas dog suffers grisly case of neglect

"I will set an alarm every morning to get up before euthanasia lab starts at Fort Worth ... I will continue to make countless trips to pick up animals," she wrote on Facebook.

Now, along with eight dead dogs, authorities said they also found at least one dead cat and pieces of other dead animals throughout the property -- with some of the original animals missing or abandoned.

Authorities said Smither's boyfriend shot the dogs because they had heart worms or might pose a threat to livestock and people.

DISTURBING: Texas man charged with animal cruelty, dragged puppy

Moore was charged with eight counts of animal cruelty, while Smither is listed as a suspect, but has not been charged.

Click through above to see how different Houston groups rescued dogs in 2016.

Check out the video above to see how the City of Houston rescued "Sewer Sam."
Four people died Saturday morning after a two-car accident 6 miles southeast of Midland on State Highway 158, according to information released Monday by the Department of Public Safety.

Kantrell D. Hires and three teenagers also from the Gulf Coast community of Portland died after their 2004 Chevrolet Impala collided with a truck that, according to DPS, had been traveling in the opposite direction but hydroplaned and crossed into their lane on 158.
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Hundreds of people quietly filed into San Fernando Cathedral on Tuesday morning as the doors opened at 8 a.m. for the final day of services for Archbishop Emeritus Patrick Flores.

Flores died last week at 87.

Dressed in his episcopal robes, the prelate will lie in state Tuesday until 11 a.m., when the cathedral will close briefly to everyone except family to prepare for his 1 p.m. funeral.

The faithful

Genevieve Lopez, a parishioner at St. Timothy Catholic Church, was among the earliest visitors.

"He was our father," said Lopez, who came to pray a rosary for Flores because she could not attend any of rosaries said throughout the day Monday. "He was like our pope but in a smaller version

"He helped a lot of the West Side communities. He was our king."

Lopez will join members of her church later today when they gather on Castroville Road to pay their final respects to Flores, the first Mexican American bishop in the United States.

Street closings

The funeral procession is expect to leave the cathedral at about 3 p.m. and make its way to San Fernando Cemetery No. 2, where he will be buried. Streets will be closed along the route. From the cathedral, the procession will head south on Flores Street, go past the Bexar County Courthouse, take a right on Guadalupe Street and continue on to San Fernando Cemetery No. 2, which is at the point where Guadalupe becomes Castroville Road.

Flores will be buried alongside other bishops in an area of the cemetery called Calvary Circle.

The funeral Mass will be televised on Catholic Television of San Antonio, Time Warner Cable Channel 15.

Streets also will be closed from Santa Rosa to Flores from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Taxi and rideshare vehicles will be allowed to drop off passengers on Flores between Commerce and Travis. The south lane of Commerce Street from Bridge to Main Avenue will be closed as will the north lane of Dolorosa Street adjacent to Main Plaza.

Advocate for the poor

Flores was the first Mexican American bishop in the United States and a revered figure in and outside the Catholic Church for his advocacy for the poor and disenfranchised and his support for the civil rights movement.

A noon Mass on Monday packed the cathedral. It was followed by a series of rosaries prayed every half-hour until a 7 p.m. vigil Mass. It was followed by more rosaries Monday night.

Throughout the day, San Antonians lined up to pay their respects, passing by the open casket and pausing a few seconds to say a prayer.

9:55 a.m.

Gloria Flores Gonzalez, one of the archbishop's many nieces, took her seat early in the section of the cathedral marked for his family. Several mourners stopped to offer their condolences; one woman in tears stopped to show Flores Gonzalez photos of Flores with Pope St. John Paul II during his visit to San Antonio in 1987.

"He spent a lot of time with us when we were teens," she said. "He'd ask us what our dreams were."

While her mother would make Flores aware of his nieces' and nephews' shortcomings, Flores Gonzalez said the archbishop never spoke to them as children. "He treated us with respect."

She also remembered what the archbishop called his "conscience money," funds that others would gift him.

"Everything they gave him," she said, "he gave to others."

10 a.m.

By 10 a.m., uniformed members of the Knights of Columbus were steering a steady stream of mourners who entered the cathedral doors, signed guest books and stood in line to pay their respects.

As it was throughout the day Monday, Archbishop Flores' casket remained open for the visitation.

10:11 a.m.

Mary Wisniewski, who served as director of mission awareness for the Archdiocese of San Antonio under Flores, remembers that fund, too.

"One of my most vivid memories," she said was about a $50,000 donation the archbishop received."

Flores told her his wish that it go to orphans in Mexico and Africa --- $5,000 each to 10 of the most in need. Checks were typed and put in the mail.

The reaction was immediate, she said.

Soon after the money was received, nuns in Mexico began pilgrimages to Flores by bus, Wisniewski said.

In tears, one nun showed Flores photographs of the impact the archdiocese's money would make at an orphanage of children with HIV whose mothers had died of AIDS. "That's the most moving (memory) for me," she said.

10:32 a.m.

One half of the cathedral was marked by yellow flyers, reading "family of Archbishop Emeritus Patricio Flores." Many members of the family wore buttons adorned with Flores' photo and a motto he often cited, "I work not for myself but for others."

Flores hailed from a large family but only two of his siblings survive him --- a sister Viola Gonzales and a brother Guadalupe Flores.

The archbishop is also survived by 20 nieces and 17 nephews and numerous great nieces and nephews, said niece Berdie Sanchez.

10:44 a.m.

Judge Ron Rangel recalled Flores as a brave, forgiving man who continued to trust people after he was briefly held hostage.

"The one thing that really strikes me is the case of Nelson Escolero who kidnapped the Archbishop and threatened to kill him with a hand grenade around 2000," said Rangel, who presides over the 379th state District Court. "What an experience! The archbishop handled the whole episode calmly, with grace, never panicked, and never indicated any ill will toward the defendant, who received 99 years from a jury and later died in prison."

Rangel said that experience never changed the fact that Flores always mingled with people freely, with no fear.

10:47 a.m.

Facebook users also were paying tribute to Archbishop Flores today. Diana Aguirre Martinez, who works for the Old Spanish Missions, for example, made note of the rainy weather.

"I remember my Mom saying that if it rained on a person's funeral it just meant that the sky just opened up to receive them," she wrote. "I think he's already there and is sending back our own tears to bless us."

10:50 a.m.

It was announced that the cathedral would be closed to all but family members until the scheduled start of the funeral Mass at 1 p.m.

11:30 a.m.

In a 11:30 a.m. press conference, several of the bishops who most knew him spoke of Flores' mentorship and leadership among Hispanic clergy.

"We all know how popular Pope Francis is," said Bishop Emeritus Joseph Fiorenza of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, who studied with Flores in seminary. "Archbishop Patrick Flores was like Pope Flores..... We can compare him to Pope Francis. The archdiocese is missing this disciple of Jesus."

11:42 a.m.

As mourners could be seen gathering at the cathedral from across the street at the Bexar County Courthouse, officials inside fondly recalled Flores as a man of grace and mercy.

Judge Peter Sakai remembered Flores for always thinking of those who were less fortunate.

"What most impressed me about the Archbishop was his humility and commitment for the least of our community," said Sakai, who presides over the 225th state District Court and heads Bexar County Children's Court. " He was passionate and committed to those who were disenfranchised and weren't fully engaged in the governance of our community."

Sakai touted Flores, a champion of civil rights, and the first Mexican-American archbishop, as a man for all people.

"It's ironic, his passing, as civil rights is again at the forefront in our country," Sakai said.

Judge Steven Hilbig smiled as he recalled being a high school student when Flores was installed as Archbishop.

"I was going through my high school stuff recently and found the program," said Hilbig, who went to St. Gerard Catholic High School and presides over the 187th state District Court.

The cathedral was packed. Mayor Ivy Taylor and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff were in attendance, as was Sheriff Javier Salazar, District Attorney Nico LaHood, City Councilman Roberto Trevino and Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales. Arturo Chavez, president of the Mexican American Catholic College, which Flores co-founded, was there. Numerous faith leaders from congregations across the city, including two Muslim imams from the Raindrop Turkish House and retired Methodist bishop Joel Martinez, were in the crowd.

LaHood said he was glad to have met Flores, whom he called a man of faith who always demonstrated kindness.

"What I saw and observed was that he truly reflected the love of Christ," said LaHood, a graduate of Central Catholic High School and St. Mary's University. "I believe he is in heaven, and although it is bittersweet and we mourn the passing, we celebrate him being with the Lord."

12:33 p.m.

Frances Rodriguez, 64, sat with her back to brisk winds in a reception tent outside of San Fernando Cathedral after attending the viewing of Archbishop Emeritus Patrick Flores.

She wasn't alone, she came with her pet dog, Lucky, a 3-year-old Corgi mix.

Rodriguez rose early and drove from Helotes to be one of 10 people waiting in line when the cathedral doors opened at 8 a.m.

She recalled the archbishop as a man who impacted her life and many others in the city.

"He was a person who had an aura," Rodriguez said as she cradled Lucky in her arms. "He was just a good person and so open."

Rodriguez first heard Flores speak in Bay City, Michigan during a mass for migrants in 1970. She said she was impressed by his drive and concern for the plight of the disenfranchised.

"He was just a very simple man," she said, "but very intelligent."

12:35 p.m.

Archbishop Joseph Tamayo of the Diocese of Laredo, which Flores helped form from parts of the San Antonio archdiocese, was another among the bishops who spoke at the press conference.

"San Antonio was witness to the joys of living with a wonderful shepherd," he said "The Diocese of Laredo comes to honor a great shepherd."

"It won't be the same without him," Tamayo added. "But now in heaven he is interceding for us."

1:27 p.m.

As the funeral mass began, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller welcomed the audience as different brothers and sisters of different religions and thanked health officials who took care of Flores in recent years.

He recognized those assembled outside in the tents, the ones who who paid their respects over the past several days. He honored those who waited along the procession route and at San Fernando Cemetery No.2, where he would find his final rest.

As cool breezes swirled around them, they listened and some nodded as Siller called Flores a "humble and noble mariachi"

The cathedral was packed. Mayor Ivy Taylor and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff were in attendance, as was Sheriff Javier Salazar, District Attorney Nico LaHood and City Councilman Roberto Trevino. Arturo Chavez, president of the Mexican American Catholic College, which Flores co-founded, was there. Numerous faith leaders from congregations across the city, including two Muslim imams from the Raindrop Turkish House, were in the crowd.

2:03 p.m.

The outside crowd sat beneath a multi-paneled tent, in rows of plastic folding chairs, their eyes riveted at the funeral mass streaming on several video screens.

They were bundled in coats, their hoods upon their heads, their hands thrust in side pockets and snug in gloves to ward off temperatures that felt lower than the low 50's posted by weather forecasters.

They raised their palms in response to the gospel that the priests read. They bowed their heads in prayer and closed their eyes in private thought about the man they called a champion of the poor.

Despite dipping temperatures and sweeping winds, they stayed in their seats, listening to stories and watching photos of Flores' long career.

They wiped away sniffles brought on by the cold. They tapped shoes on the concrete plaza to keep their feet warm.

And they stood as one, shouting Viva! for the fourth archbishop of San Antonio.

2:30 p.m.

The cathedral bells rang when the bishops and priests walked the casket outside through the throng.

Mourners walked up to the shiny, gray hearse, parked on the side of the cathedral, offering heartfelt goodbyes.

An older woman pressed a crucifix to her lips as she peered into the reflective window for a glimpse of the casket. A woman wearing a scarf and brown poncho brushed a gloved hand upon a door.

As the hearse pulled on to street for a motorcycle escort, a steady rain fell upon the procession.

Raul Vasquez, 88, was among the people who lined the sidewalks, waving as the procession passed onto North Flores Street. He'd come for confession at the cathedral, but he learned that the sacrament of penance had been rescheduled for Wednesday.

So he joined the crowds bidding farewell to Flores.

"He did a lot of good," Vasquez said. "A multitude of the people he helped came out today."

3:05 p.m.

About 15 kids piled out of a white bus parked at the corner of Picoso and Guadalupe on the West Side. The group from St. John's Berchman's School played Simon Says to pass the time as they waited for the funeral procession to pass by.

Samuel Garcia, 13, was there with his mother Nora Garcia, who happens to be the school's assistant principal.

While she didn't know him personally, she wanted to bring her son to pay their respects, to "remember how much the Archbishop has done for us."

"When I moved here I heard a lot of good things about him," she said. She moved to San Antonio 21 years ago.

The students, along with about 15 parishioners from the church, unfurled signs and waited.

3:17 p.m.

"He was an icon of the city," said Steve McGowan, one of two San Antonio police officers enforcing the Flores and Guadalupe street intersection during the march.

He and his colleague waited at the corner in their florescent uniforms for over an hour before the procession to make sure they didn't miss their duty to divert traffic.

"It's really hard because people grew up knowing what kind of man of faith he was, what he did for them," he said.

While McGowan isn't catholic, he said the archbishop meant a lot to the people of San Antonio regardless of religion.

3:25 p.m.

Gabriel Gonzales attended the funeral mass downtown and rushed back to St. Timothy Catholic Church to pick up signs so he could get in place at the corner of Barclay and Guadalupe before the procession drove by.

He was there with about 20 other members of his church. Flores became archbishop around the time Gonzales graduated from high school, an event Gonzales said "opened doors for all of us."

He stood with a wooden 8-foot cross painted orange with pink, red and blue streamers hanging from it.

"He fought for people," he said.

The Archbishop encouraged him to serve the community as well, he said. He went to UT-Arlington to get a degree in architecture, but came back to San Antonio to fulfill another one of his goals in life, "to be a giving person."

Some sat in folding chairs while most stood. A few cars driving by waved and honked at the group.

3:30 p.m.

The somber procession of cars and buses made its way downtown, windshield wipers turned on and off through the intermittent rain.

Officers in motorbikes with red and blue lights flashing led the pack, followed by a silver hearse and then four large buses of people from the earlier mass.

Likely because of the dreary weather, no one was outside to see the procession downtown, though residents gathered at the San Fernando Cemetery No. 2 around 3 p.m to witness Flores' burial.

4 p.m.

About 200 people gathered at the cemetery for a service that included a mariachi performance of several melancholy tunes that Flores enjoyed singing.

Msgr. Larry Stuebben recalled how Flores could interact with popes and Fidel Castro and still maintain his humility.

"He did his own laundry, he cooked his own meals, he drove his own car and he shopped at Dollar General," Stuebben said. "He was a Pope Francis before there was a Pope Francis."

Flores is the second archbishop to be buried at San Fernando.

He is now among roughly 100 Catholic clerics buried there, his grave next to that of the city's second bishop, John Claude Neraz, and near that of San Antonio's first archbishop, Arthur J. Drossaerts of the Netherlands.
SAN ANTONIO  An area motorist drove a pickup into a moving train early Tuesday on the far Northeast Side, according to police.

The crash occurred at about 4 a.m. near the intersection of Loop 1604 and Green Mountain Road.
Trash Collection Change will take effect Monday, March 6, for Cedar Springs and Helotes Crossing. Instead of picking up trash on Monday and Thursday, C6 Disposal will pick up trash in those subdivisions on Wednesday and Saturday.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance will be offered at Cody Library, 11441 Vance Jackson: 1 p.m.- 5 p.m. Jan. 18-19, Jan. 24-26 and Jan. 31; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 20 and Jan. 27; 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Jan. 21 and Jan. 28. Free tax preparation for individuals and families earning $60,000 or less. Check mysapl.org or call 207-9100 for times and details.

Wednesday, January 18

Astronomy in the Park with the San Antonio Astronomical Association starts at 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot at Raymond Rimkus Park, 6440 Evers Road. Come learn about the night sky. Open to the public. Its believe to be the longest running free public star party in the San Antonio metro area. If the weather is iffy, check the groups Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SanAntonioAstronomy/ Contact: 262-8384

Thursday, January 19

Second Chances Thrift Shop, which benefits the Helotes Humane Society, is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its new location, 10671 Shaenfield Road. Volunteers are needed; donations are welcome. Some items cant be accepted, however, See list at hhsanimals.org Contact: 372-1255

Friday, January 20

Lions Club Bingo is at 7 p.m. at the Helotes Lions Club, 14690 Bandera Road, on the east side of the highway between Floores Country Store and El Chaparral. Contact: 695-2356

Saturday, January 21

Explore the Government Canyon State Natural Area, 8:30 a.m.-noon. Open to all ages; minors must be accompanied by an adult and able to hike three to five miles over rugged terrain. No pets. Wear sturdy footwear; sunscreen and hat recommended. Bring two liters of water and a snack. Meet at the Visitor Center, 12861 Galm Road, by the rainwater harvesting tower no later than 7:30 a.m. Space is limited; reservations are required. Go to http://friendsofgc.org/events/ to make a reservation. Contact: 688-9055, ext. 2009

Pet Volunteer/Foster Orientation is set for 10 a.m.-11 a.m. at the Helotes Humane Societys office at 10675 Shaenfield Road This event is for new volunteers and those willing to foster cats and dogs as they wait for their permanent homes. Minimum age is 16; cost $20, which includes insurance and T-shirt. Contact: 422-6242

Friends of GNW Library book sale is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Great Northwest Library, 9050 Wellwood. The sale offers books for all ages and interests and benefits the library. Contact: 207-9210

Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage is the theme for Our Lady of Guadalupes marriage ministry gathering, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. at the Annex, 11762 FM 1560. All married couples are invited. Child care is provided free; bring a potluck dish. The church provides drinks. Reservations requested. Call 399-5150 or email rudy_mendez@sbcglobal.net List the number of children, their ages and any special needs they may have and what dish you will be bringing. Contact: 695-8791

San Antonio Romance Authors meets 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Igo Library, 13330 Kyle Seale Parkway. The public is invited to learn about creative writing, especially romance novels. Contact: 207-9080

Pet adoptions will be conducted by the Helotes Humane Society at Petco at Bandera and Loop 410 from noon to 3:30 p.m. Contact: 422-6242.

Wine to Coffee Art Walk is 4 p.m.-9 p.m. in Old Town Helotes, 14743 Old Bandera Road. Stroll between Wine 1010 Wine & Tapas Bar and The Cracked Mug coffee house, enjoying wine, coffee, art and crafts. Meet the artists! Contact: KTCAwinetocoffee@gmail.com

Sunday, January 22

Lions Club Bingo is at 2 p.m. at the Helotes Lions Club, 14690 Bandera Road, on the east side of the highway between Floores Country Store and El Chaparral. Contact: 695-2356

A Celebration of the Life of Fiddlin Frenchie Burke starts at noon at John T. Floores Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Road. Free; open to all ages. Contact: 695-8827.

Family night and free dance at John T. Floore's Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Road. Doors open at 6 p.m. Live music by Texas Rimshot. Contact: 695-8827

Monday, January 23

Creative Cooking for Teens will be offered 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at Great Northwest Library, 9050 Wellwood. For teens ages 13-18. Make galaxy donuts and watch a space movie. Contact: 207-9210.

Tuesday, January 24

Grey Forest City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. at Grey Forest City Hall, 18502 Scenic Loop. For the agenda, go to greyforest-tx.gov/government/agendas-minutes/

Coming up

Wellness on Wheelz Mobile Vet Clinic will be at the Helotes Humane Society, 10671 Shaenfield Road, from 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 26. Contact: 422-6242

Helotes City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Jan. 26 at the council chambers, 12951 Bandera Road. For details, go to www.helotes-tx.gov and click on agendas .

Mobile Mercado from the San Antonio Food Bank will be open 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 27 at Great Northwest Library, 9050 Wellwood. The unit is a unique combination of a mini-grocery store and food truck offering healthy fare. There will be culinary tastings and seasonal fruits and vegetables available for purchase at reasonable prices. WIC food items will be available for sale and Lone Star cards are accepted. Contact: 207-9210

Why I Love a Country that Once Betrayed Me will be presented 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 27 at Igo Library, 13330 Kyle Seale Parkway. Watch this recorded talk by author George Takei of Star Trek fame, whose family was held in an internment camp during World War II. After the show, there will be a discussion. This is part of the Mayors Book Club. Contact: 207-9080

Historical Society of Helotes general meeting is set for Feb. 7, noon-2 p.m. at Salt Grass Steakhouse at Bandera Road and Loop 1604. The guest speaker is Clinton Haby. Open to the public; RSVP required. Send email to info@historicalsocietyofhelotes.org $5 donation for nonmembers.

All numbers have a 210 area code unless otherwise noted. To have your event listed, send the details, including date, time, place and contact phone number, to dfuentes@express-news.net
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SAN ANTONIO  Police are investigating whether multiple reports of women being sexually assaulted in the Medical Center area are linked to a single suspect, who is currently at large.

San Antonio Police Department spokesman Jesus Salame described the suspect as a black male in his 20's who is about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a slender build.

RELATED: BCSO searching for suspect who allegedly shot homeowner after argument

Salame said police have received multiple reports of a suspect matching that description stalking women in parking lots.

Police are currently investigating whether the suspect stalking the women is the same man responsible for the reported sexual assaults in the area.

Numerous reports claim the suspect was armed with a knife, while others say he was not armed, according to Salame.

Managers of apartment complexes in the area have been notified of the threat, according to police.

RELATED: Austin DJ says bar owner stabbed him with Katana sword, dagger

"Right now the main thing is for people to be aware of their surroundings," Salame said. "Pay attention to when you're coming and going from your residence."

Police have yet to release information on exactly how many reports they've received, as well as when and where the reports were made.

But a post circulating on Facebook this week lists several of the apartments where the suspect has reportedly been spotted. MySA.com could not independently verify the location of the alleged sightings.

In the post, residents of the area are warned to not open their doors if they hear anyone knocking "or scratching."

RELATED: 2 women jailed after sting at South Texas spa listed on Backpage.com

"This is a threat localized in a very specific area of [San Antonio] and the police are actively working to catch the suspect," the author of the post, which was recently deleted, writes.

Salame declined to comment on exactly what steps police are taking to monitor the area, but he said police are taking the reports "very seriously" and that they're actively working to find the suspect.

"Safety is our number one priority," Salame said. "Apprehending the suspect is right behind that."

Salame asks residents of the area to immediately call 911 if they witness any suspicious activity.

Text "Breaking" to 48421 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, put rumors to rest Tuesday morning by announcing he would not be attending the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump this Friday, adding himself to a list of more then 40 lawmakers refusing to attend the event.

"I come from a family and a place, Texas, where respect is a fundamental value  respect for people regardless of what they look like, where they were born, or whether they share your view of the world. Donald Trump has shown an utter lack of respect for so many Americans," he said in a news release.
AUSTIN  The state budget battle started in earnest Tuesday, when lawmakers filed starting-point spending plans for government services in the face of a revenue squeeze.

A budget proposal filed by Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, would spend $103.6 billion in state general revenue over the next two years, a trim from the $106.8 billion budgeted for the current fiscal period despite a growing population.

A proposal from House leaders, by contrast, would spend $108.9 billion, which is $4 billion more than state Comptroller Glenn Hegar has said would be available in general revenue.

There are other resources available besides general revenue, including a state rainy day fund that can be tapped with a politically difficult supermajority vote, but House leaders didn't identify how they would cover the gap.

My big message is, this is the starting point, said Nelson, anticipating the pain of those who'd feel cutbacks in the initial document filed in the Senate.

There will be some tough decisions, but we are going to meet our needs. We are going to prioritize, Nelson said before filing Senate Bill 1.

Nelson said the Senate Finance Committee will begin budget hearings Monday.

House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, said his chamber's document is "the first step toward producing a balanced budget that reflects the priorities of the Texas House and does not raise taxes."

"We keep overall spending low while making investments in children and our future," Straus said.

Budget writers face a tough task after Hegar last week projected theyll have less state money to spend for general purposes in the upcoming budget than they have in the current two-year spending plan.

Thats because of an economy affected by the struggles of the oil and gas industry and their own decisions two years ago to cut taxes and to dedicate big money to transportation.

Nelson highlighted key areas that would get additional funding under her initial proposal, including child protective services. But the proposal would make cuts including a 1.5 percent across-the-board budget reduction, exempting the Foundation School Program. It doesn't include such items as Medicaid caseload growth.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
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A Dallas woman was arrested Saturday after she allegedly confessed to running over her lover of 10 years to stop him from physically abusing her, according to a police report.

Lakinta Cosby, 39, now faces one count of murder. She remains in the Dallas County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.

RELATED: Austin DJ says bar owner stabbed him with Katana sword, dagger

According to court documents obtained by The Dallas Morning News, Cosby ran over Sherron Berry, 36, around 12:30 p.m. Saturday in a white Mercedes-Benz SUV in the 3000 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Berry later died at a nearby hospital.

Cosby was caught on surveillance video attempting to run over Berry, according to Dallas police. She drove up and down the street several times until she saw him walk past.

Security camera footage later released by police appears to show Cosby intentionally make a U-turn, then drive onto the sidewalk towards Berry. The edge of the building hides the moment of contact, but police say Cosby hit Berry, dragging him under her vehicle for one block.

RELATED: SAPD: NW Side homeowner shot after catching neighborhood car break-in attempt on camera

According to the affidavit, Cosby fled the scene and parked her car at a vacant residence in the 2100 block of Prichard Lane.

Police located and staked out the vehicle, to which Cosby later returned. She told police she was the owner of the white Mercedes.

Through tears, she told police Berry had beaten her before his death and that she had "had enough of the physical abuse" Berry had put her through. She confessed to killing him and was arrested on a charge of murder.

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns
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A Tennessee lawmaker on Thursday proposed a new bill that would ban food stamp recipients from buying junk food.

Republican Sheila Butt says those on public assistance shouldn't be allowed to purchase foods high in calories and fat but low in nutritional value, like ice cream, cookies and candy.

GOOD EATS: The healthiest and tastiest restaurants in Houston

"When you're receiving taxpayer dollars, it's not money that you've have earned. It's money that other people have earned and is redistributed to you. Strings come along with that," Butt said in a statement on her website."At the end of the day, if you're on public assistance, you shouldn't be using taxpayer dollars to consume junk food that leads to additional health problems and more taxpayer assistance to address those problems."

(Story continues below.)

The controversial measure would include steep fines for those who violate the law. First-time offenders would have to pay $1,000 and those with three or more offenses in five years would be fined $5,000.

Butt compares consuming these kinds of foods to other harmful vices.

"We don't allow people to buy alcohol and cigarettes with welfare dollars, why should we allow people to buy junk food that leads to just as many health problems as the aforementioned?"

Linda Williams, the president and CEO of the RISE Foundation in Memphis, told the Tennessean this sort of behavior shouldn't be regulated at the government level. She believes the bigger problem relates to a lack of information made available to families.

IS IT WORTH IT? 13 health foods that aren't worth the terrible taste

"It's not really a legislative issue; it's an educational issue," she said.

Dr. Manny Sethi, the co-founder of nonprofit Healthy Tennessee, which aims to encourage preventative healthcare, agrees.

"You can pass laws all day long that you want, but until people understand that they shouldn't eat three pints of ice cream a day (things won't change)," he told that outlet. "I don't think Capitol Hill telling people what they can eat is the right thing."
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Shocking photos taken after the arrest of the gunman suspected of killing 39 people during a New Year's attack on an Istanbul nightclub give insight to how the man spent 17 days on the run.

The accused perpetrator, identified as Abdulkadir Masharipov, has confessed and his fingerprints are a match, Turkish authorities said Tuesday.

The suspect was captured in a special operations police raid on a house in Istanbul's Esenyurt district, a private NTV television reported. The broadcaster said he had been staying in the house belonging to a friend from Kyrgyzstan.

Neighbors of the Istanbul nightclub attacker were shocked to learn of his identity and find their building at the heart of a large-scale police operation.

Ali Haydar Demir says Tuesday he came out of his apartment when he heard the commotion only to be turned back by police officers who told him to close his door.

Demir, who lived on the same floor of the Istanbul complex as the alleged attacker, said he felt "very bad living in the same building with a person like that."

Another resident, Sezer Aras, described the situation as a nightmare. He told the AP "he was very close to us, but we had no idea."

The gunman shot a policeman and a civilian outside the Reina night club before entering the swanky building on the banks of the Bosporus and unleashing a hail of bullets on hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the end of 2016.

A total of 39 people lost their lives and dozens others were wounded. Most of the victims came from the Middle East.

Authorities identified Masharipov as an Uzbek national who trained in Afghanistan and staged the attack for the Islamic State group.
(Corrects JAN 16 story to show LetterOne does not hold majority stake in Vimpelcom, paragraph 12)

By Angus Berwick and Toby Sterling

MADRID/AMSTERDAM, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Spanish police arrested prominent Dutch corporate lawyer Peter Wakkie at Madrid airport on Monday in an investigation into the insolvency of Russian-Spanish telecom firm ZED+, a judicial source said.

A spokesman for Wakkie, who is ZED+'s interim manager, said he could not immediately comment on the arrest at Barajas Airport after a flight from the Netherlands, where the company is domiciled.

The source from the Spanish investigation said Spain's anti-corruption prosecutor's office was seeking to charge Wakkie with belonging to a criminal organisation and making false claims of insolvency.

The source, speaking anonymously to confirm a report in news outlet El Confidencial, declined to elaborate on either charge and said the proceedings were secret.

Further calls to Wakkie's spokesman on the charges went unanswered. A spokeswoman for the Spanish High Court declined to comment on the arrest.

Wakkie was named interim top manager of ZED+ by the Amsterdam Commercial Court in November 2014 pending an inquiry into the company's previous management, whose infighting had brought it close to bankruptcy, according to Dutch court documents.

In February 2016, the court suspended ZED+ Co-President and Chief Executive Javier Perez Dolset from its board of managers after the London Court of International Arbitration found in 2015 that he had forged documents, the court documents show.

Dolset and an associate named in the UK hearing denied any wrongdoing or fraud.

Dolset, whose family founded the Zed group, remains in control of Spain-based Zed Worldwide, in which ZED+ has a controlling stake. A Zed spokeswoman in Spain did not respond to emails and phone calls from Reuters and Dolset did not respond to a message sent on Linkedin.

ZED+ controlled 379 million euros in assets in 2014 and reported 10.1 million euros of profit on 385 million euros of sales, according to a filing with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce.

Story continues

The Dolset family has a 30 percent stake in the firm through their holding company Wisdom, the documents show, plus additional smaller stakes via several other firms.

The investigation source said the arrest was not related to an ongoing U.S.-Spanish investigation into Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman, whose investment vehicle Letter One indirectly holds a small stake in ZED+. LetterOne owns 47.85 percent of Vimpelcom, and Vimpelcom has a 5.32 percent stake in ZED+, according to Dutch court filings.

(Reporting by Angus Berwick in Madrid and Toby Sterling in Amsterdam; Editing by Paul Day, Julien Toyer/Mark Heinrich)
Republicans can argue until their last breath that Trump objectors are sore losers, but isnt more at stake than mere politics? This phrase has been rendered quaint by serious issues such as: Russian hackers apparently trying to tilt the election toward Donald Trump; the FBIs possibly politically motivated practices; Trumps initial resistance to the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence community; Trumps refusal to release tax records, which might mollify concerns about his relationship with Russia.

These arent partisan issues, or shouldnt be, as evidenced by the Justice Department inspector generals decision to investigate how FBI Director James Comey handled the probe of Hillary Clintons email and private server. The focus will be on Comeys statement in July that Clinton and her colleagues were extremely careless with classified information but that he wasnt recommending criminal charges  as well as his announcement to Congress just a week and a half before Election Day that, because of new information, he was reopening the investigation.

This fresh look pertained to new emails found on the laptop of Carlos Danger, aka Anthony Weiner, estranged husband of top Clinton adviser Huma Abedin. The emails subsequently were found to be inconsequential, but if there were any fence-sitters left at that point, many of them probably toppled into Trumps camp, from sheer exhaustion if not outright disgust.

Let me help you: Eleven days to go and the man who had said theres nothing to see here suddenly says, Hey, there might be something after all! And no ones supposed to think this affected the election?

How could it not have? I can report at least a dozen friends who say, That was it for me. But polling, too, suggests a consequential voter shift in the final days of the campaign.

FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silvers polling/analysis group, reported that Clinton had an 81 percent chance of winning in mid-October. About a week after Comeys announcement, that number dropped to 65 percent. This rapid shift didnt occur because people suddenly recognized that Trump is a brilliant foreign policy strategist.

While its impossible to prove that Comey had any impact, theres enough reason for dissatisfied Americans to continue to protest the results  even on Inauguration Day. For certain, Comey acted against bureau policy never to interfere politically or discuss investigations so close to an election. If theres any justification, Comey may have felt that the information would be leaked anyway.

Adding suspicion to skepticism, the hacking and release of Democratic National Committee emails also may have affected election results, though, again, its impossible to know how much since, as far as Im aware, we cant read peoples minds (yet). Thus, were left to draw inferences from suppositions from what little else we know.

We do know that our intelligence community concluded that Russia hacked the DNC, and Trump finally accepted this last week. To concede that Russia was behind the hacking was, presumably, to admit that Russia helped him win. Well, didnt it? Didnt Trump loudly call on Russia to hack Clintons emails?

For the undecided (or the unpersuadable), lets pose a hypothetical: What if Clinton had publicly asked Russia to hack Trumps records and release his tax returns  and Russia did? And what if the FBI announced less than two weeks before Election Day that it was going to investigate fraudulent practices at Trump University despite Trumps settlement and the appearance of a done deal? Lets say that Trumps number dipped dramatically and he lost.

Do you reckon Republicans would be a tad upset?

The inspector generals investigation into Comeys conduct, as well as Congress investigation into Russias apparent interference in the election, are urgent, overdue and probably useless. Mostly, Comey is guilty of poor judgment. And Russia is being Russia  a fact best quickly absorbed by the soon-to-be president.

We may never know precisely who sowed the wind, but to be sure, were all going to reap the whirlwind.

kathleenparker@washpost.com
School choice is a good thing, right? School vouchers are good for students, right? Who wouldnt want free money from the state to help pay for private school, even for those who can easily afford it?

But consider this: Dont you find it strange that the rollout of a flawed A-F accountability system conveniently coincides with the start of the 2017 legislative session  and with Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks push for vouchers? Private schools have to be better than public schools, dont they?

To find the answers to these questions, lets take a closer look at school vouchers and see what they do. (By the way, other labels for vouchers include school choice, tax credit scholarships and education savings accounts, so dont get confused when you hear these other terms.)

First, how many private schools, with $12,000 in tuition per year, do you think will accept a child with only a $5,000 voucher in his or her pocket? And how many private or charter schools will accept a special-needs child, a child with behavioral issues, or a child with differing religious beliefs?

No doubt, some will accept these children (if they can afford it), but most will not. Private, as well as charter schools, get to choose whom they let through their doors. So where do all the remaining children go? Thats right, public schools.

Public schools will end up with all the special-needs children, children with behavioral problems and uninvolved parents, and children from lower socioeconomic families. And the public schools will continue to be graded on how well the remaining students perform on a high-stakes tests given one day out of the year, while private schools will not be given A-F grades nor any of the other accountability requirements that public schools currently have.

Also, lets say a school district loses 100 students who use their $5,000 vouchers to go elsewhere. The district will lose $500,000 in annual funding, but its expenses will not decrease proportionately. Removing one or two students from each classroom does not have a considerable fiscal impact on teacher and staff payroll and benefits, utility costs, buses, textbooks or technology.

So who really loses when the state takes away that $500,000 from the district? Students.

The Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836 listed the failure of the Mexican government to establish any public system of education among the reasons for severing political ties with Mexico. And, beginning in 1876, the Texas Constitution requires that every child receive an education by stating that it shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.

Nowhere in our Constitution is there any provision for private schools. I would argue that sending taxpayer money to private schools is unconstitutional. The last thing our founders wanted is a state with poorly educated people.

And we havent even discussed how families could see windfalls with handouts of $5,000 for each home-schooled child. We will see a lot more parents (most highly unqualified, uncertified and untested) entering home-school teaching careers at the taxpayers and students expense.

According to the National Education Association, Texas ranked 38th nationally in the amount spent per student in the 2014-15 school year. Texas spent $10,602 per student while the national average was $12,578 per student. Contrast this with the $27,962 that Vermont spent.

Texas cannot afford to adequately fund one school system. How can it afford to fund two systems?

Unless we want to destroy the public school system altogether, I suggest we fix the one we have before we start funding and replacing it with another one.

Randy Sedlacek is president of the Denison Independent School District board of trustees.
Zero. That is the most important number for the pilot program to collect trash in Camelot II.

After more than a year of operation, no one in the 600-home pilot program area is in arrears on their trash bills, city of San Antonio officials have said.

That, coupled with the dramatically cleaner streets and alleys in Camelot II, makes the Bexar County-city of San Antonio trash service pilot program a dramatic and uplifting success.

It also means Bexar Countys legislative delegation must unite in a bipartisan effort to address the broader issue of trash collection in unincorporated Bexar County. The problem is bigger than Camelot II. Well return to this point soon, but first some important background and context about trash in Camelot II.

For years, garbage has plagued the Northeast Side neighborhood. The Camelot II town-home area, roughly 600 homes and dominated by landlords, has been particularly foul. Its streets and alleys have been lined with mounds of waste, in which children play. It was grotesque and heartbreaking.

These Third World conditions perpetuated largely from political and bureaucratic indifference but also the complications of boundaries.

Camelot II is just beyond the city of San Antonios border in unincorporated Bexar County. It feels like the city, dense and urban, but it is not. However, because Camelot II is in the citys extraterritorial jurisdiction, essentially a 5-mile buffer to help control growth, the county had said it could not mandate trash service. And so, trash plagued the neighborhood for years. Eventually, following exhaustive reporting by Express-News columnist Josh Brodesky, the county contracted with the city to provide mandatory trash service.

One of the prevailing concerns was Camelot II residents would not pay their trash bills, which are included in CPS Energy electrical bills. That concern has proved unfounded. San Antonio Deputy City Manager Peter Zanoni has said no one living in the pilot program is in arrears.

All told, the pilot program has only cost Bexar County about $32,000. That was for extra cleanup work when the pilot program launched in November 2015. For perspective, between fiscal 2010 and 2014, Bexar spent $233,000 on big trash cleanups in the Camelot area. County taxpayers are saving money, and Camelot II residents have a cleaner neighborhood with lasting service.

This brings us to the Texas Legislature and its role in helping prevent future Camelot II situations. There are many neighborhoods around Bexar County with similar, albeit less severe, trash problems. One way to prevent such trash from festering and becoming a public health crisis is by requiring landlords to provide trash service.

The county desperately needs some kind of enforcement power  and the Legislature can grant it. By bracketing a bill to either population or density, state lawmakers could provide Bexar County with that enforcement mechanism without trampling rural counties. This is, after all, an urban problem. The only people affected by such legislation would be landlords who refuse to have trash service at their properties.

The pilot program was a first step. The city of Converses recent decision to annex Camelot II and other Northeast Side neighborhoods, thereby providing crucial city services, was the second step. But the third and final policy solution lies with state lawmakers.

The Bexar County delegation should be united and vocal on this issue. None of our neighborhoods should be blanketed in trash.
Almost 50 years ago, a group of community leaders, including myself, envisioned a bright future for San Antonio. We hosted HemisFair, which elevated not just how others thought of us but also what we thought of ourselves.

Supporting the Broadway Cultural Corridor, Hemisfairs Civic Park and Zona Cultural will go a long way to keeping San Antonio the world-class destination spot it has become.

In 1968, we thought big. Now we need the next round of big projects. These types of projects are just that, big ideas, that deserve to be included in the 2017 bond.

Rosemary Kowalski, chairman emeritus, the RK Group

Under his thumb

I watched in fascination as Donald Trump and the GOP won the election with simplistic answers to complex problems that could never withstand minimal scrutiny.

The FBI, CIA, NSA and other intelligence agencies agree that Russia and Vladimir Putin supported Trump through sophisticated hacking and fake news about his opponent. Trump insists Russian support made no difference because the Russians did not (hopefully) succeed in changing vote totals in computer systems. Another simplistic answer to a complex question.

American politics are ruled by money. Generally, the winning candidate spends the most. International espionage and hacking are not cheap. Putin contributed vast sums to the Trump campaign through these acts. And, of course, Trump was given $2 billion-plus in free publicity from the media. All politicians know negative ads work. Russian fake news and negative claims smeared Hillary Clinton and created serious doubts in the minds of undecided voters.

President-elect Trump consistently praises Putin for being very smart. Clearly, he is. Nobody gives millions to a presidential campaign without expecting a huge benefit. Very smart, perhaps genius.

And what do we have? A puppet who praises Putin and does not know hes been suckered.

C.A. Roberts

Bad, bad Trump

President-elect Donald Trump is bringing jobs back, but we dont want jobs; we want welfare. Who wants to work for money when we can vote for it?

He is even going to build a wall on the southern border and keep illegal drugs from coming in. Yes, a sad day indeed when illegal drugs will cost us more. Only the wealthy will be able to afford them. What will our kids do? Yep, hes against the pore, all right.

Trump is even for the government allowing people to own guns. Can you imagine how dangerous it is to break into a home? One could get shot. That stuff in those homes belongs to us, not those ol rich homeowners. We have a right to it.

Billy Glenn, Lubbock
The city Zoning Commission unanimously approved a hotly contested low-income apartment complex in Ingram Hills after its developer agreed to a long list of concessions from neighborhood residents.

Mike Phillips, president of the Ingram Hills Neighborhood Association, adopted a neutral stance on the 288-unit complex after developer Mike Hogan said he would market it toward senior citizens to reduce its affect on traffic and nearby schools. Hogan also agreed to build fences and a grass berm to separate the complex from the rest of the neighborhood, among other infrastructure improvements.
Many investors like to look for momentum in stocks, but this can be very tough to define. There is great debate regarding which metrics are the best to focus on in this regard, and which are not really quality indicators of future performance. Fortunately, with our new style score system we have identified the key statistics to pay close attention to and thus which stocks might be the best for momentum investors in the near term.

This method discovered several great candidates for momentum-oriented investors, but today lets focus in on Alaska Air Group, Inc. ALK as this stock is looking especially impressive right now. And while there are numerous ways in which this company could be a great choice, we have highlighted three of the most vital reasons for ALKs status as a solid momentum stock below:

Short Term Price Change for Alaska Air Group

A great place to look for finding momentum stocks is by inspecting short term price activity. This can help to reflect the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand right now. It is especially useful to compare it to the industry as this can help investors pinpoint the top companies in a particular area.

With a one week price change of 7% compared to an industry average of 0.5%, ALKis certainly well-positioned in this regard. The stock is also looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the four week price change compares favorably with the industry at large as well.

Longer Term Price Change for Alaska Air Group

While any stock can see a spike in price, it takes a real winner to consistently outperform the market. That is why looking at longer term price metricssuch as performance over the past three months or year-- and comparing these to an industry at large can be very useful.

And in the case of ALK, the results are quite impressive. The company has beaten out the industry at large over the past 12 weeks by a margin of 25.3% to 11.2% while it has also outperformed when looking at the past year, putting up a gain of 37.2%. Clearly, ALK is riding a bit of a hot streak and is worth a closer look by investors.

Story continues

Alaska Air Group, Inc. Price

Alaska Air Group, Inc. Price | Alaska Air Group, Inc. Quote

ALK Earnings Estimate Revisions Moving in the Right Direction

While the great momentum factors outlined in the preceding paragraphs might be enough for some investors, we should also take into account broad earnings estimate revision trends. A nice path here can really help to show us a promising stock, and we have actually been seeing that with ALK as of late too.

Over the past two months, three earnings estimates have gone higher compared to none lower for the full year, while we are also seeing that four estimates have moved upwards with no downward revision for the next year time frame too. These revisions have helped to boost the consensus estimate as two months ago ALK was expected to post earnings of $7.03/share for the full year, though today it looks to have EPS of $7.08 for the full year now, representing a solid increase which is something that should definitely be welcomed news to would-be investors.

Bottom Line

Given these factors, investors shouldnt be surprised to note that we have ALK as a security with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and a Momentum Score of A. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

So if you are looking for a fresh pick that has potential to move in the right direction, definitely keep ALK on your short list as this looks be a stock that is very well-positioned to soar in the near term.



Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2017



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest tickers for the entirety of 2017?



Who wouldn't? These 10 are painstakingly hand-picked from 4,400 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. They are our primary picks to buy and hold. Be among the very first to see them >>







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



Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
TWO men from Chikuti near Chinhoyi were bludgeoned to death using machetes Thursday after artisanal miners engaged in a bloody battle over a well-endowed woman.

The deceased have been identified as Tinashe Nyanguwo (38) and Joshua Kadungure (37).

Two other men involved in the row, and still at large, are now wanted for murder.

Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident.

ZRP Murereka is investigating a case of murder which occurred on September 29, 2022 at Village 19 shops, Chikuti, he said.

Two artisanal miners, Tinashe Nyanguwo (38) and Joshua Kadungure (37) were attacked with machetes by the suspects, only identified as Rasta and Peter after an argument over a girlfriend.

Tinashe Nyanguwo died on the spot while Joshua Kadungure died upon admission at a local clinic. Anyone with information to contact any nearest police station.

 NewZimbabwe

Breaking News via Email
How Does Big Ben Keep Accurate Time? YouTube (furzy)

Kangaroo attacks Melbourne jogger like a damn truck Guardian :-(

Prehistoric shrimp emerge from Australian desert after heavy rain TreeHugger (resilc)

ISIS is dropping bombs with drones in Iraq PopSci. Tony K: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, wonder where they got that idea from.

Contrary to decades of hype, curcumin alone is unlikely to boost health MedicalXpress. Dr. David flagged this as fake news, specifically the claim: No double-blinded, placebo controlled clinical trial of curcumin has been successful. This is the underlying study. His observation:

A quick review of the literature turns up numerous counterexamples to that statement. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3998827/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4202229/

http://www.cghjournal.org/article/S1542-3565(06)00800-7/abstract?cc=y=

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/037887419190167C

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032714003620

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00975

HSBC: These are the 21 countries where expats have the best lifestyle Business Insider. Canada is higher than Oz, which surprises me. Wonder if this has to do with how expensive Oz has become.

Press releases you hope you never have to issue, Indian central bank independence edition FT Alphaville

Trump broadside stuns Europe The Times

Trump attack on Merkel rebuffed by French president BBC

Brexit

Rolls-Royce to pay 671m over bribery claims The Register (Dan K)

Syraqistan

Imperial Collapse Watch

Trump Transition

That Free Men May Live: Martin Luther King, Jr. Thirteen Video (Kevin C)

Barack Obama: a noble failure Angry Bear. I am sure most readers will find this to be far too charitable. Obama was a neoliberal and successfully sold a lot of people on the idea that he had to make big concessions to those nasty Republicans. Anyone who watched him would see Obama repeatedly go 75% of the way to the position of the other side as his first move, a clear signal he was never even slightly committed to his original position. He even traded away deal points and got nothing back, as when he gave up on single payer.

Obamacare

The economics of corporate crime Washington Post (Dr. Kevin)

Big Apple Circus Assets Going Up For Sale In Bankruptcy Auction Consumerist

What Oxfams misleading stat gets wrong about inequality Felix Salmon, Fusion (J-LS). Im glad Felix did the heavy lifting. The annual Oxfam study always reaches screechy conclusions based on an indefensible methodology and refuses to clean it up (I assume because Oxfam gets headlines that then help in fundraising). Income and wealth inequality are already extreme, yet Oxfam seems to feel the need to make stuff up.

Class Warfare

My cat Blake died a year ago today. I still miss him.

Antidote du jour (Robert H):

And a bonus because so many readers have been sending Antidotes (but dont expect extras!). This from Tracie H: Sir Winston the cat, asking why Im disturbing his rest.

And a bonus video. Bob likes the raccoon feint.

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
More than 50 killed and 120 injured after a bomb landed on this refugee camp in Nigeria.

Nigerias military has confirmed it has mistakenly killed civilians after bombing a refugee camp in the countrys troubled northeast, close to the Cameroonian border. The death toll, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says, is at least 52 people. Another 120 were reportedly injured in the accidental bombing. Among the casualties are Red Cross workers, BBC reports.

Lucky Irabor, an army commander in Borno, confirmed the attack to local media saying the airstrike had been ordered based on intelligence reports which suggested the presence of Boko Haram fighters in the area. The tragic mishap prompted a quick response from the presidency with Nigerias president Muhammadu Buhari sending out condolence messages via his Twitter account.

I received with regret news that the Air Force,working to mop up BH insurgents, accidentally bombed a civilian community in Rann,Borno State  Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) January 17, 2017

I sympathize with the families of the dead, and with the injured, and the Government and people of Borno State.  Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) January 17, 2017

The presidency also says it will fully support the state government as it deals with what it describes as a regrettable operational mistake.

With a majority of those killed being displaced people who fled their homes in fear of Boko Haram attacks, the accidental bombing is drawing fury from around the world.

Jean-Clement Cabrol, MSF Director of Operations, strongly condemned the attack in a statement. This large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable, he said.

Story continues

Over the past seven years, the Boko Haram terrorist attacks have claimed over 20,000 lives and displaced over a million people from their homes. Although the Nigerian Army has managed to quell the Islamist group in the the last year, it has struggled to completely defeat Boko Haram and there continue to be surprise attacks on innocent people.

Sign up for the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief  the most important and interesting news from across the continent, in your inbox.

Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news.

More stories from Quartz:
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.
Bancorp of New Jersey in Fort Lee removed one its own directors after suing him over a defaulted loan.

The $835 million-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing Friday that Carmelo Luppino Jr. was disqualified from serving on its board after going into default as borrower and guarantor on about $6.5 million in credits owed to its bank.

The bank filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of New Jersey last week in an effort to collect. That lawsuit triggered the disqualification.

Luppino is a real estate developer, general contractor and managing member of Luppino Homes. He is also the nephew of Rosario Luppino, another Bancorp of New Jersey director.
(NaturalHealth365) Finally, someone has stepped forward to hold Monsanto  the most hated corporation in the world  legally responsible for the crop devastation caused by drifting of its toxic herbicide. A Missouri peach grower has filed a lawsuit against Monsanto, claiming that illegal use of the herbicide dicamba caused extensive damage to his peach trees  along with millions of dollars in losses.

The plaintiff, Bill Bader of Bader Farms in Campbell, Missouri, alleges that dicamba  illegally sprayed over crops of GMO cotton and soy in the area  drifted onto his peach orchards, causing the loss of more than 7,000 peach trees in 2015 alone, and representing $1.5 million in losses. In 2016, Bader added, the situation worsened  the farm lost over 30,000 trees, with losses estimated in the millions.

And the damage is not confined to Baders peach crop; he states that up to 500 farmers in the region have been affected. Without compensation, Bader estimates, 60 percent will have to go out of business within two years.

Courage fighting Monsanto: This lawsuit is the first of its kind

The lawsuit, filed in Dunklin County, MO., in November 2016, is the first to claim damages against Monsanto for devastation to non-GMO crops resulting from the illegal spraying of dicamba on genetically modified soy and cotton crops.

Although it is the first suit to be filed, it is almost definitely not the last. A representative for the law firm representing Bader said that similar lawsuits from area farmers are expected to follow.

Dicamba suspected of damaging crops throughout the heartland

Dicamba, also known as diglycolamine salt, is an older herbicide meant to target weeds such as bindweed, milkweed, ragweed and dandelion. It is considered extremely volatile, and is subject to drift, a phenomenon in which a pesticide can be picked up by the wind and delivered to neighboring properties.

Dicamba is suspected of causing widespread damage to non-target crops in ten different states across the nations farm belt. This is outrageous: where are the local politicians on this issue? (Plus, do you notice how quiet the media is about this?!)

Lawsuit targets irresponsible and premature release of genetically modified seeds

At the heart of the lawsuit is the accusation that Monsanto knowingly marketed and sold a dicamba-tolerant soybean  called Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybean  to growers in 2016, and a dicamba-tolerant cotton seed  designated Bollgard XtendFlex cotton  in 2015, all before getting federal approval for the herbicide intended to be used on them.

Greed over public safety: The mantra of corporate giants like Monsanto.

Monsanto chose to sell these seeds before they could be safely cultivated, says Bev Randles of Randles and Splittgerber, the law firm representing Bader Farms. Randles adds that it is against industry standards  and indeed, against Monsantos own protocol  to release a seed without a corresponding herbicide to protect the crop from destruction. By doing so, Randles says Monsanto chose greed over public safety.

Low-drift version of dicamba not yet available

XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology, the herbicide meant to accompany the GMO seeds, only received EPA approval a few months ago. Intended to target superweeds that have become impervious to glyphosate  the active ingredient in Monsantos Roundup  and also intended to be less volatile and subject to drift, XtendiMax has not yet been approved by individual states, and wont even be on the market before next years growing season.

In the meantime, many growers of the Monsanto-produced GMO crops sought protection against weeds by illegally applying an older, third-party, drift-prone version of dicamba  which Monsanto insists they were warned against using.

Hence the problem  while Monsantos crops are genetically engineered to tolerate dicamba, non-GMO crops in neighboring farms and fields  including tomatoes, cantaloupes, watermelon, rice, peas, peaches and non-GMO cotton and soy  are not, and can be greatly damaged.

Monsanto cries foul, dodges blame

Monsantos response to the lawsuit is to point the finger at the neighboring farmers, saying that the individual growers, dealers and applicators who refused to heed warnings  and sprayed older versions of dicamba to control weeds  are to blame for the disaster.

With his lawsuit, Bill Bader is pointing the finger squarely back at Monsanto, where he says it belongs. We need to go after Monsanto, said Bader. These farmers are being hung out to dry.

Low-drift clearly does not mean no-drift

Even though ExtendiMax is purported to be low drift, the product label clearly states that ExtendiMax may cause damage to desirable trees and plants, particularly non-Roundup Ready 2 Xtend fruit trees and broadleaf plants, particularly in their development and growing stage.

The EPA has released explicit and detailed instructions on the application of ExtendiMax, warning it is meant to be applied only when chance of drift is minimal. Other instructions warn against applying it from an aircraft, or when wind speed exceeds 15 mph. Proper application of XtendiMax also involves specific Monsanto-manufactured nozzles and the use of buffer zones  if this herbicide were truly low-drift, would these warnings even be necessary?

Meanwhile, stronger and stronger pesticides continue to be developed in response to glyphosate-resistant superweeds  to the disgust of environmentalists and natural health experts.

We cant spray our way out of this problem. We need to get off the pesticide treadmill, stated Nathan Donley, a senior scientist for the Center for Biological Diversity. Donley went on to warn that fighting evolution was a losing strategy.

Regardless of the outcome of the lawsuit, it is the environment  as well as the farmers who try to raise non-GMO crops in the vicinity of dicambra-resistant crops  that is emerging as the real loser in this scenario.

References:

https://www.ecowatch.com/missouri-peach-farm-sues-monsanto-dicamba-drift-2133507960.html

https://www.rt.com/usa/366812-epa-monsanto-dicamba-herbicide

https://www.monsanto.ca/products/Documents/XtendiMax%20with%20VaporGrip%20Label.pdf
(Natural News) A recent AP article attempts to present Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy as Kooks for talking about an investigation of the efficacy and safety of vaccines. (Article by Jack Mullen from TheGovernmentRag.com)

The article titled, Trump asks skeptic to probe vaccine safety, alarming doctors is a carefully crafted vacuous Argument From Authority and Intimidation defending the $41 billion dollar a year vaccine industry from any reasonable attempt to independently and reputably investigate the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

The Associate Press presents Donald Trumps willingness to question and even investigate the effects and safety of vaccines as reviving long debunked attempts to link vaccines to autism. The Associated Press (AP), presenting Donald Trumps meeting with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to discuss chairing a commission on vaccination safety, as the act of an ignorant naive who has neglected to read Big Pharmas bible and last word on vaccine safety and its connection to Autism.

The article then, invoking an Argument From Intimidation cautions the reader a move that alarmed child health experts. Experts, of course, being paid disciples and priests of the religious pharmaceutical dogma.

AP attempts to connect the opinions of licensed, as Allopathic Medical Doctors, by medical monopoly organizations benefiting and controlling access to medical professions and procedures  to the safety and efficacy and the sensibleness of the decades old enforced-by-law practice of vaccinating children.

According to AP, Kennedy met with the Trump and stated the President-elect Trump has some doubts about the current vaccine policies and he has questions about it, Kennedy added, we ought to be debating the science.

AP then attempts (using an argument of authority) to cast the idea of debating the science as something only scientists should do, quoting selected pediatricians, To pediatricians, theres nothing left to debate, continuing, 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.

Again, there is nothing in this statement except appeals to Blind Loyalty and a thinly veiled Appeal to Tradition. Furthermore, there is no mention of any studies done to show vaccine efficacy or the attempt to verify or refute the claims of people like Dr. William Thompson, the so-called CDC Whistle Blower who has asked for a congressional investigation into claims he made saying the CDC deliberately destroyed statistical data showing increased risk of Autism as a result of Vaccines.

Robert Kennedy Jr., attorney for Yates Hazlehurst, a boy developing Autism shortly after receiving vaccines, is seeking testimony from William Thompson about CDC misconduct. However, the CDC has blocked Thompson from providing testimony in the case of Yates Hazelhurst, saying, in accordance with the Whistle Blower Protection Act and other federal regulations, Dr. Thompson can not testify under oath without the permission of the director of the CDC, Dr. Thomas Frieden.

But the real story of vaccines and Autism can be found by talking to people. I recently spoke to the mother of a child who told me her daughter became autistic almost immediately after receiving vaccines  changing like day and night within a few hours from a normal developing baby girl into a child with symptoms of autism.

Read more at TheGovernmentRag.com
(Natural News) Monsanto.

Just the name itself inspires terrifying images of organically mutated super vegetables with a potential for causing sickness and even death. It has been a hotbed of discussion and debates for at least the past decade, despite continued federal government support from various agencies. It seemed as though the giant was unstoppable, at least on a national level, until recently. Unfortunately, it isnt the companys genetically modified farming that is drawing judicial backlash, although the foundation could be laid for larger future accountability.

This month the city of Portland, Oregon has filed a federal lawsuit against Monsanto over waterways being contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs are tasteless, odorless, lab-created chemicals which contain chlorine, carbon and hydrogen atoms. While the manufacture of PCBs has been banned since 1979, it was produced in mass quantity for at least 50 years prior. (RELATED: Read more news about the environmental impacts of toxic chemicals at Environ.news)

PCBs have a broad range of consistencies, from light colored liquids to dark waxy solids. The initial benefits of PCBs include their electrical insulating properties, chemical stability and being non-flammable. Due to these capabilities, PCBs were used in a broad spectrum of industrial and commercial instances prior to 1979, such as: pigments and dyes, plasticizers in paint and rubber products, and electrical and heat transfer equipment.

Because these chemicals do not easily break down easily, they can remain for years and even decades circulating through the environment. Because of this, PCB materials can still be found present in many products and materials that were manufactured prior to the 1979 ban. Many common items, often found in homes or businesses, could possibly contain PCBs. Some of these items include caulking, cable insulation, floor finish, transformers and capacitors, plastics and even fluorescent light ballasts. This list represents just a portion of possible places that PCB contamination can still be found in modern daily life.

The Portland lawsuit alleges that Monsanto produced more than 1 billion pounds of PCBs and then knowingly discharged them into Portland area waterways and landfills. City attorney Tracy Reeve made the following statement regarding the issue: Portlands elected officials are committed to holding Monsanto accountable for its apparent decision to favor profits over ecological and human healthMonsanto profited from selling PCBs for decades and needs to take responsibility for cleaning up after the mess it created.

The agricultural giant fired back, continuing their stance that they had stopped producing PCBs in any capacity following the 1979 ban. This is in stark contrast to released documents stating that Monsanto actually had knowledge that PCBs were contaminating fish, oysters and birds a decade prior in 1969 and that global contamination would endanger human health. The city of Portland is taking this one step further, contending that Monsanto had full knowledge as far back in time as 1937 that the products they were manufacturing would contribute to the degradation of a human beings health.

Monsanto also released a statement that PCBs had not been produced in the United States for four decades and that Portlands lawsuit against them was experimental with previously unheard of grounds. The response from Portlands Port Deputy Director, Curtis Robinhold, is a reminder that the company did in fact generate incredible amounts of revenue and profit from products manufactured with PCBs and should therefore be held accountable for the cleanup of their contaminants.

Should Portland win this lawsuit, it will be an uphill battle as Monsanto has proven time and again that their influence in the government is strong and unwavering. It could also be the first domino to fall against the corporate giants as six other West Coast cities have also taken to holding Monsanto accountable through federal lawsuits. Should Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Berkeley, San Diego, San Jose and Oakland win their lawsuits, it would be the first steps toward victory over a company that has consistently bought its way out of regulations. (See also MonsantoMafia.com)

Sources:

NaturalBlaze.com

EcoWatch.com
(Natural News) In case you thought that reporting on the rapidly diminishing number of bee colonies around the country was being over-hyped, this should tell you that prior warnings were spot-on, and indeed, prophetic.

For the first time ever, a rare bee species is being placed on the endangered species list, giving them special legal protections enshrined in U.S. code that, hopefully, will save them from extinction and billions of people from starvation.

As reported by Agence France Presse (AFP), U.S. officials with the Fish and Wildlife Service said in recent days that the decision was made following major declines in the rusty patched bumblebee population.

Monsanto, as weve reported in the past, has a hand in this. Fish and Wildlife Service officials say that the precipitous decline in the bee population is due to pesticides, disease and climate change (okay, so two of the three causes are real). The primary ingredient in Monsantos widely used Roundup herbicide, glyphosate, was tied to declining bee populations more than three years ago. (RELATED: How is glyphosate affecting the environment? Keep current on the issue at Glyphosate.news.)

The federal agency says that the once-common bumblebees are now balancing precariously on the brink of extinction, according to a statement released by the department and cited by AFP.

Abundance of the rusty patched bumble bee has plummeted by 87 percent, leaving small, scattered populations in 13 states and one province, said the statement. This is down from 28 states in the 1990s, the Fish and Wildlife Service noted.

AFP reported that the final rule listing the rusty patched bumble bee as endangered was published in the January 11 edition of the Federal Register. The designation becomes official on February 10.

The news agency noted further:

Experts say the bees are important because they pollinate economically important crops such as tomatoes, cranberries and peppers across the central and northern United States, as well as parts of Canada.

The decline of the population, officials say, is likely tied to a number of factors, including loss of habitat, disease, parasites, use of pesticides and extremely small population size.

The designation as endangered means that the remaining bees are in danger of becoming extinct throughout all or a portion of their range, FWS said in their statement. The agency added that its number one priority is to act quickly to prevent total loss of the species, according to FWS Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius.

Listing the bee as endangered will help us mobilize partners and focus resources on finding ways right now to stop the decline, he added.

Late in 2016, seven species of bees found in Hawaii were the first to be placed on the U.S. list of endangered and threatened species. The yellow faced or yellow masked bees are now endangered thanks to a host of factors in that state, including loss of habitat, according to wildlife experts.

The pervasive use of pesticides is most likely one of the top causes, if not the top cause, as we have reported. A study published in September 2014 in the Journal of Experimental Biology demonstrated for the first time both chronic and acute effects in honeybees that had been exposed to Roundup.

A joint laboratory and field analysis that was conducted by researchers from the University of Buenos Aries in Argentina discovered that Roundup exhibited harm at sub-lethal levels  meaning that the exposure did not kill bees necessarily, but otherwise still affected them.

In August, we reported further that 57 different herbicides were linked to rapidly declining bee populations, and were responsible for poisoning European honeybees.

What are the implications of the extinction of entire species of bees? According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, every third bite of food you take was pollinated by bees or other pollinators. Research indicates that at least 30 percent of food crops are pollinated by bees, as are 90 percent of wild plants.

Without bees to spread seeds, many plantsincluding food cropswould die off, the organization said in a fact sheet on bees.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for Natural News and News Target, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources:

Yahoo.com

NaturalNews.com

NRDC.org[PDF]

BigGovernment.news

NaturalNews.com
Everybody is well aware that the nuclear accident in Chernobyl is the worst nuclear accident in modern history. It directly caused the deaths of 50 people, with an additional 4,000 fatalities that were caused by exposure to radiation.



This all occurred in 1986 at the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine. This also resulted in a lot of land to be contaminated by the nuclear fallout within a 30-kilometer exclusion zone.



However, according to China Daily, two companies from China plan to build a one-gigawatt solar power plant from the 2,500-hectare of land within the exclusion zone to the south of the planet.



Officials from Ukraine said the companies estimate they will be spend up to $1 billion on the project for the next two years.



A subsidiary of the Golden Concord Holdings (GLC), one of China's biggest renewable energy concerns, will be supplying and installing solar panels at the site. While a subsidiary of the state-owned China National Machinery Corporation (Sinomach) will build and run the plant.



In a report from The Guardian, Ostap Semerak, Ukraine's minister of environment and natural resources, said the Chernobyl area is cheap land with abundant sunlight, which constitute a solid foundation for the project.



In addition, the remaining electric transmission facilities are ready for reuse. In a press release, the GLC stated that work on the solar plant may more or less start this year.



Shu Hua, chair of the GLC subsidiary, said there will be remarkable social benefits and economic advantages by the time they renovate the damaged area with green energy.



Radiation that escaped as a result of the explosion reached as far away as the mountain and hills of Wales in the U.K. A substantial portion of the dust released also fell on farmlands in Belarus, north of Ukraine.



Up until now, the exclusion zone including Pripyat, has been out of bounds for most people. Only limited farming activity is permitted on the lands that are still regarded as contaminated.



A lot of former residents of the area are allowed back only once or twice a year for visits, especially to their old homes or to tend the graves of their relatives. Although a lot of tourists are now seen touring the land.



Still, this proves that there is renewed interest in Chernobyl due to recent major engineering work at the plant. Ecologists also said the exclusion zone has an abundance of wildlife, with substantial populations of elk, deer, wild boar and wolves.
The researchers of the National Center for Scientific Research and Grenoble Alpes University in France found out that baboons can make vowel sounds which is previously thought to be impossible.

This discovery provides clues to the evolution of human speech and suggests that our fundamental language started to evolve as early as 25 million years ago.

Science Mag said it was previously known that most primates, except humans do not have the ability ro produce vowel sounds because they do not have the anatomy for it. Monkey larynxes are set much higher than our own. However, this new research proves otherwise.



"It was thought that in order to pronounce vowels, you had to have a low larynx [voice box], as humans do," Joel Fagot, a primatologist at Aix-Marseille University in France and an author of the new study told the website.

How did they discover it? Tech Times said the researchers recorded and reviewed 1404 vocalizations of 15 Guinea baboons (Papio papio) living at a primate center in France. These included almost all types of vocalizations. They focused their observations on mouths from where the sounds are produced. During which they have detected five vowel sounds in their calls.



Meanwhile, Philip Lieberman, a linguist and cognitive scientist, and professor emeritus at Brown University told Christian Science Monitor that while the baboons' anatomy may be physically capable of producing vowel sounds, that doesn't mean they are capable of speech.

Fagot and the other researchers understand and agree to it, saying in the paper that what the baboons need to speak like human is a cognitive ability which they lack of.

"To be able to speak, you need much more than this," he said. "But clearly they seem capable of at least having some of the building blocks of speech, which is the ability to form vowel-like sounds," Fagot added. The study was published in journal PLOS One.
The California Public Utilities Commission will hold public meetings Tuesday in two East Bay cities to explain how and when a proposed new area code would be added to the region.

Oakland and Berkeley will host the meetings at various times and locations to discuss the proposed new area code.

The CPUC expects that available numbers in the 510 area code will be exhausted by June 2019, and they plan to add a new area code to the 510 service area by December of this year.

The 510 area code consists of portions of western Alameda and Contra Costa counties, including the cities of Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Hercules, Newark, Oakland, Piedmont, Pinole, Richmond, San Leandro, San Pablo and Union City.

No one with an existing 510 phone number will have their area code changed. Instead, anyone requesting new phone numbers in the region will receive the new area code once it's implemented.

The commission has not yet said what the new area code would be. The 510 area code was itself split from the 415 area code in 1991 and the 925 area was created from the 510 area in 1998.

The Oakland meeting is slated to take place at 1 p.m. in the Elihu Harris State building located at 1515 Clay St., with the Berkeley meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Central Library located at 2090 Kittredge St.

Hayward is scheduled to host a similar meeting in February.

For those unable to attend in person, written comments can be sent to: CPUC Public Advisor, 505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102 or via email at public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent much of Tuesday on a Dallas federal court witness stand defending his firm against claims it stole intellectual property for the Oculus virtual reality headset.

Zuckerberg said Facebook invested around $3 billion to buy Oculus as a way of moving rapidly into virtual reality technology, a figure higher than what was reported at the time of the 2014 deal.

He said he was so anxious to see Facebook move into VR that he pushed completion of the deal in just a matter of days over a weekend. But he denied any technology was stolen.

"The idea that Oculus technology is based on someone else's work is just wrong," Zuckerberg said.

ZeniMax Media, which owns id Software, based in Richardson, Texas, filed the lawsuit claiming former employee John Carmack took secrets with him when he joined Oculus.

In Court Mark Zuckerberg says "I believe they are false" about allegations of Facebook stealing Oculus VR tech. @NBCDFW #NBCDFWNow pic.twitter.com/M1uMpG4611  Ken Kalthoff (@KenKalthoffNBC5) January 17, 2017

A lawyer for ZeniMax confronted Zuckerberg with emails and documents suggesting there were concerns about Oculus technology before the deal, but Zuckerberg said the accusations surfaced later, were not credible and were not pursued by Facebook.

ZeniMax is seeking $2 billion in damages.The trial began Jan. 10 and could last two more weeks.

[NATL] 10 Years of Facebook: A Decade in Review
Businesses along the Peninsula looking to expand into new spaces may have a more difficult search as available space is getting more expensive and harder to find.

"We've seen rental rates go up over the past year or two," said Mark Bodie, executive vice president of JLL, a property management company on the Peninsula. "Tenants are expanding, companies are hiring. It's generally good, but it limits options for companies as they want to grow so they have to look a little further."

Vacancies for commercial space are now at just 3.7 percent. The number of vacant space was at nearly 8 percent last year and more than 16 percent two years ago.

The changing landscape can be seen throughout the Peninsula as new hotel developments respond to increases in business tourism, mature technology companies like Google buy nearly a million new square feet of office space and cities readjust allotments for commercial space in response to new demand.

The quick change in available space contributed to an increase in costs similar to the early 2000s.

"I hate to say it's different this time, but it kind of is different this time. In 2000, 2001, we had a fair amount of companies that were really well-funded, but based on a business plan that wasn't proven," Bodie said."They were taking more space than they needed today or tomorrow just in anticipation of future growth. So, it was phantom demand."

After the drastic spike in vacant space in 2001, financial analysts wrote that they expected to see a recovery over the next year. However, the fallout subsisted longer than expected.

The 14.5 percent of vacancies in commercial space climbed to nearly 23 percent the following year.

"The office rental market is glutted with space," the analysis showed. "Empty and semi-empty buildings are visible in every community."

The return to higher asking prices and fuller commercial spaces more than 15 years later is a good thing for the Peninsula, according to San Mateo County Controller Juan Raigoza.

"Everything thats out there is being utilized," Raigoza said. "What that reflects, is that the economy and the jobs are doing well."

The full report by Colliers International, Inc. showed industrial commercial spaces at record highs and the county leading in employment growth within California.

Bodie also emphasized that the increase in price per square foot won't necessarily reflect higher costs for a company leasing space as, on average, companies have readjusted and are also leasing less space per employee than they were 15 years ago.

"This time, we have really healthy companies that are mature, are being very thoughtful about how they utilize their space," he said. "[They] are being more efficient in the square footage that they end up leasing and buying."

Those sentiments were echoed by Andew Tang, CEO of Hero City, a co-working space and incubator in downtown San Mateo.

"They dont need to have a lot of space. They just need an Ethernet and monitor - and maybe a keyboard." Tang said. "Ten years ago, this idea of incubators and co-working spaces didnt exist, so people took out spaces that they didnt need or could handle."

Fueled by a 'millennial mindset,' Tang said shared economy solutions such as Uber and Airbnb have led people to consider co-working offices.

His co-working and incubator space has had a waiting list in recent years, according to Tang, which they attribute to a number of factors.

"We attribute a lot of it to our entrepreneur members looking for a place that is right between San Francisco and Palo Alto," Tang said.

That midpoint has shifted in recent years, according to Tang and the report by Colliers International, Inc., leading Mid-Peninsula cities such as San Mateo and Redwood City to be considered ideal locations.

The demand for Mid-Peninsula commercial spaces have been reported to contribute to shifts in telecommuting trends, residential real estate, traffic and business tourism in the county over the last five years.
A broken water pipeline in Santa Cruz was successfully repaired Friday after its leak caused an emergency water shortage, city officials said.

The first pipeline repair attempt last Tuesday was unsuccessful.

Residents who were asked to cut back last week can now resume normal wintertime water use.

The Newell Creek Pipeline sprung a leak on Jan. 9 and proceeded to lose 1,500 gallons of water per minute.

The pipeline is the main artery from the Loch Lomond Reservoir to the Graham Creek Water Treatment Plant, city officials said.

During powerful storms, the flowing rivers and streams from which the city normally gets 95 percent of its water become too turbid, and reservoir water becomes a necessity.

After the pipeline broke, Santa Cruz Water Department officials urged their 96,000 customers to reduce nonessential water use by 30 percent.

Between Jan. 9 and the next day, residents cut their water use from 5.7 million gallons to 5.3 million gallons. However, the city was only able to produce 4.8 million gallons, including 1.1 million imported from the Soquel Creek Water District.
The uncle of Noor Salman, who is charged with aiding her husband before he massacred 49 people at an Orlando nightclub, defended her on Tuesday outside a federal court in Oakland.a

"She didn't care about him," Al Salman of Rodeo, California said his niece felt of her late husband, Omar Mateen, who was killed in a police firefight on June 12 after the attack at the Pulse nightclub. "I guarantee it. The evidence will show it. She is an innocent person....That guy, he get what he deserves."

Speaking to a bank of reporters, Al Salman said he believes in her "100 percent." He added he thought his niece was a victim under Mateen's abusive hand, although he didn't provide specifics. "All these years living that kind of life," he said, his voice trailing off. "He asked for her hand once, I met him at the wedding, and twice, all these years." He said he had assumed Mateen was nice because he came from a good family.

Al Salman also told reporters that he felt awful for the family members who lost relatives in Orlando. But he said that his niece, whom he raised, was not to blame. "We believe in her," he said. "When she said she's innocent, 'I have no idea what that crazy guy is doing,' we know that."

He described Noor Salman as a "soft, sweet girl" who "never thinks about herself," he said. She only thinks about her 4-year-old son, who is now being cared for by his grandmother. "What am I going to do for my son? What school am I going to pick for my son?" Al Salman said of his niece.

Last month, Noor Salman petitioned a judge to have her sons name changed because his middle and last name are Omar Mateen, the Contra Costa County Times reported.

For now, Al Salman said the family told the young boy that his mother was off buying him toys.

NBC Bay Area

Instead, Noor Salman was being held without bail in Santa Rita Jail before she is likely extradited to the U.S. Central District Court in Florida where the case is being prosecuted. Without saying anything, Noor Salman did not enter a plea Tuesday. Her arraignment was delayed until Wednesday, when her Florida attorneys were expected to arrive. A provisional federal public defender told U.S. District Court Judge Donna Ryu the defense team was hoping for her release. Noor Salman appeared disheveled in court; her hair unbrushed. She scanned the room looking for supporters.

NBC Bay Area obtained exclusive video of the moments before her arrest at her family's Rodeo, California home at 7:30 a.m. Monday. Her uncle said she was sleeping at the time and had no idea the agents were coming for her.

Linda Moreno, a Tampa, Florida attorney sent a statement to NBC News on Monday, hours after the 30-year-old mother's arrest: "Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands. We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonors the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person."

Charging documents made public Tuesday morning show that Salman was indicted on Jan. 12, four days before her arrest.

In court, away from the cameras, federal prosecutor Roger Handberg said Salman knew her husband "was going to conduct an attack."

Federal prosecutors in Florida allege Salman was helping her husband, the late Omar Mateen, since at least April. That's two months before the June 12 attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, where he killed 49 people and wounded 53.

The first count alleges she "knowingly" aided and abetted her husband by providing him "material support or resources" to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Before he was killed in a shootout, Mateen told a police hostage negotiator that he was a soldier of ISIS and that the United States had to stop its bombing in Syria and Iraq, according to police transcripts.

Salman was also charged with obstructing justice, specifically against the Fort Pierce police and the FBI. The remaining details of the case have been sealed.

Al Salman, the uncle of Noor Salman, who is charged with aiding her husband before he massacred 49 people at an Orlando nightclub, defended her on Tuesday outside a federal court in Oakland.

In the days after the attack, law enforcement sources told NBC News that Noor Salman told investigators she was with him when he bought ammunition but tried to dissuade him from violence. When asked how Noor Salman couldn't have known about the attack, especially since she knew about the ammunition, Al Salman got defensive. He didn't answer the question, and told reporters to "look at the file," meaning the police report on her.

In June, a source close to the family told NBC News that Mateen sent his wife a text message during the rampage, asking her, "Do you see what's happening?" After swapping texts, she allegedly tried to call him.

But on Tuesday her uncle explained his niece's side of it: On the day of the shooting, Noor Salman's mother-in-law called her to say, "Where is Omar?"

Noor Salman replied, "He's not here, let me call him," her uncle recalled.

When she reached him, Mateen asked his wife if she had seen the news.

Noor Salman replied: No.

Mateen replied, "I love you baby," the uncle recalled. "And then he hung up."

NBC News' Andrew Blankstein and NBC Bay Area's Shawn Murphy and Pete Suratos contributed to this report.

[[410962835, c]]


Senator Elizabeth Warren gathered with demonstrators in Boston today to express show support for the Affordable Care Act.

Warren hosted the Save Health Care Rally at Faneuil Hall along with Senator Ed Markey. Both senators are at the forefront of the fight against Republican plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation along with Bostons Mayor Marty Walsh showed their support by attending todays event.

Previous talk of dismantling the Affordable Care Act has consistently been met with a promise of veto from President Barack Obama. Now, ahead of a Trump presidency, Warren wants to make sure these services remain in effect.

If Republicans try to rip healthcare out of the hands of millions of Americans we will fight them every step of the way, Warren said.

Carla Lievano, a single-mother, is worried about losing her health benefits if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.

I could lose my health benefits, Lievano said. Im very low income. I dont know how I would take care of [my daughter]. Shes on MassHealth.

The uncertainty of coverage, even among those using MassHealth, is augmented by stories from Sarah Grow. Grows mother exhausted her insurance policy during her battle with cancer. She spoke at the rally and told the crowds that the Affordable Care Act saved her mothers life.

My mom was able to be released from her current policy and buy a hefty plan to cover all she needed, Grow explained.

The cost of the Affordable Care Act is still a concern for many, something Congressman Richard Neal says Democrats acknowledge.

We all knew there would be bumps, Neal said. But it has also been very successful so lets smooth out the bumps and sand out the edges.

Todays rally was just one of the dozens held around the United States supporting the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Social Security.
Thousands of demonstrators are expected to take to city streets this weekend for the Women's March on Chicago, one day after Donald Trump's inauguration.

The event will likely mean street closures in downtown Chicago Saturday as the group marches from a rally site near the city's Grant Park to Federal Plaza.

Originally slated to be held at the Petrillo Bandshell Saturday, the event will now begin at 10 a.m. on Columbus Drive near Jackson Drive.

From 9 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Saturday, Columbus Drive will be closed from East Monroe Street to East Balbo Avenue and East Jackson Drive will be closed from Michigan Avenue to Lake Shore Drive. Congress Parkway from Columbus to Machigan and Congress Circl will also be closed.

Michigan Avenue will be closed from Randolph to Harrison once the march steps off, officials said.

Organizer noted that East Congress and Balbo Avenue will also be closed from Michigan Avenue to Lake Shore Drive and Monroe will be closed from Michigan Avenue to Columbus, but those closures were not reported by Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communication.

The event will begin with the rally near Grant Park, featuring speeches and performances from several people including Ari Afsar, Karen Olivo and Samantha Marie Ware from the cast of Hamilton.

The march is expected to step off at 11:30 a.m. and continue west on Jackson Boulevard before ending at Federal Plaza.

The Chicago gathering is among more than 150 sister marches planned around the country and the world in conjunction with the Womens March on Washington.

As of Monday, nearly $40,000 had been raised to fund equipment needed for the downtown event.

We will mobilize as women and supporters of women to protect our rights and civil liberties, organizers wrote on the fundraising page. We stand in solidarity with other womens marches planned across the country and the world on January 21 and WE WILL BE SEEN AND HEARD by the new administration. We are of varied races, ethnicities, ages, religions, sexual and gender identities, economic situations, politics, and countless other diversities. We share space on January 21 to express our diverse and similar concerns and protect our rights and our humanity.

The marches nationwide are expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people on Saturday.

Chicago police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on plans for security or potential traffic disruptions during the event.
Three people were killed and another person was critically injured in a single-vehicle crash early Tuesday on the Eisenhower Expressway.

All four people were inside a Buick LaCrosse traveling in the outbound lanes of I-290 around 2:15 a.m. when the car slammed into a pole near the California Avenue exit, according to Illinois State Police. No other vehicles were involved, police said.

Two people were pronounced dead on the scene, police said. Two others were extricated from the vehicle and taken to Stroger Hospital, where another was pronounced dead, police said.

The sole survivor in the crash was listed in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, police said. All outbound lanes were temporarily closed to traffic as authorities investigated the crash scene.

At 6 a.m., two lanes were reopened for traffic, police said.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Alt. to deadly IKE crash... forced off at Oakley, all lanes at Western still blocked. @nbcchicago@KyeMartinNBC pic.twitter.com/TSJqnLNGB1  Kye Martin (@KyeMartinNBC) January 17, 2017
Mental health crisis intervention training is now being given to Chicago police, fire and Office of Emergency Management and Communication personnel in the wake of several high-profile deadly incidents.

The training, held in a Chicago Fire Department facility in the citys South Loop, includes crisis simulation scenarios observed by instructors through two-way mirrors. In the scenarios, responders learn how to identify and respond to those with mental health issues.

Chicago Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago stressed the importance of the new training initiative Monday.

This program will help assure that we understand and address the unique needs of a very important segment of our societythose who suffer from altered mental status, Santiago said.

Leslee Stein-Spencer, of the Chicago Fire Department, echoed that sentiment.

When the person calls in with a medical emergency, the dispatcher knows what type of questions to ask, what type of information to illicit from the patient, so that information goes out to our team, Stein-Spencer said.

Ninety percent of 911 operators have received the training, officials say, and 35 percent of police will have taken the eight-hour course by the end of the year.

The goal for us is to insure we have enough officers in every district trained, said Chicago police Supt. Eddie Johnson. So that when a call comes out and they are identified, we have an adequate number of officers who can respond to these patrols.

Advocate Illinois Masonics Dr. Eddie Markul expressed great optimism over the training program.

I am confident, that in the very near future, we will be seen as a national leader in care for people in crisis, he said.
A suburban Chicago man is back in the United States after surviving a mass shooting that left five dead Monday in a nightclub in Mexico.

Ninmar Malk, of Niles, was attending the last night of the BPM Music Festival and was planning to fly home only hours later when gunfire erupted in the Blue Parrot Night Club.

"About 2 a.m. you hear what sounds like a firework and you're not sure if it's part of the music," Malk said of the confusion that ensued.

Rodolfo Del Angel, director of police in the state of Quintana Roo, told the Milenio TV station that the shooting was the result of "a disagreement between people inside" the nightclub and said security guards had come under fire when they tried to contain the dispute.

"Within 10 seconds everyone hits the ground and the music cuts off," Malk said, adding that he hid behind a pole and avoided eye contact with the gunman.

"Everyone was on the ground, so you're laying on top of other people," he said.

Four men  including three security guards  died from gunshot wounds and a woman was trampled. She was identified as Alejandra Villanueva, an 18-year-old from Denver.

Cellphone video shows the chaos as festival goers fled from the club.

"It took me a good 10 to 15 minutes to get out of there," Malk said. "I saw people dead on the ground as I was running back."

At least 15 others were injured, authorities say.

Authorities have detained four people for questioning in relation to the shooting. Another shooting was reported around the same time, but it's unclear if the two are connected.
President Barack Obama met with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Monday during the World Series champion Chicago Cubs' visit to the White House, capping off two terms of a close relationship between them.

Emanuel, a former White House staffer in the Clinton administration, was named Obamas first chief of staff in November 2008 after winning his own reelection to U.S. House of Representatives earlier that month. He ultimately resigned the seat in January 2009.

During Emanuels time as chief of staff, the future mayor was a key player in the passage of the president's namesake healthcare reform act. Emanuel reportedly pushed for a scaled back version of the law to gain bipartisan support, according to the New Yorker.

In a June 2012 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Emanuel admitted that his instincts about the measure were wrong.

I gave him my advice. I told him many times (about) the political cost of doing this, Emanuel told the Tribune. And thank God for the country, he didnt listen to me.

In September 2010, Obama announced that senior advisor Pete Rouse would be named chief of staff to replace Emanuel, who was stepping down to run for Chicago mayor.

Emanuel won his 2011 mayoral campaign, as well as a 2015 reelection bid, which Obama personally endorsed.

Just months after being reelected, the mayor faced a lasting controversy when dashcam footage was made public of the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke.

Protests erupted in Chicago, with demonstrators calling for the resignations of Emanuel, Police Supt. Garry McCarthy and States Attorney Anita Alvarez. McCarthy was ultimately fired by the department in December of 2015, while Alvarez lost her 2016 reelection bid to Kim Foxx.

Through the controversy, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough defended his predecessor on Meet the Press last January, claiming Obama was still confident in the mayors leadership.

The city looks great, the opportunities there are boundless, McDonough told Chuck Todd. And so, I think what the president sees is a city and a people of Chicago and a mayor of Chicago that continue to do very good work.

Last August, Emanuel and other city officials announced that the Obama Presidential Center would be built in Chicagos Jackson Park, signaling a continued relationship between the mayor and president.

This is a unique opportunity historically and a unique opportunity and I want to make sure the entire city of Chicago, specifically the South Side of Chicago, benefits from the once-in-a-lifetime cultural and educational investment, Emanuel told reporters at the time.

In his farewell address at Chicagos McCormick Place last week, Obama puctuated his ongoing message of hope. Before the speech, Emanuel posted a video to YouTube commemorating the president's time in office.

Thank you for eight great years, Emanuel said. "Thank you for your dedication to this country and thank you for the dignity and integrity in which you brought to the office of the President of the United States."
Chase Bank automated teller machines will be replaced by Citibank ATMs at Chicago-area Walgreens stores, the Chicago Tribune is reporting.

An agreement was announced Tuesday between Walgreens and Cardtronics, an ATM service provider, to brand more than 1,000 ATMs in multiple marketsincluding local Walgreens locations.

[NATL-CHI] Photos Show Inside Creepy Abandoned Edgewater Hospital

"ATM service is an important convenience for our customers," said Moe Alkemade, group vice president and general merchandise manager for Walgreens, in a news release. "We are pleased these agreements mean that millions of payment card users will have surcharge-free access to ATMs in our stores. It's another customer-focused service we're happy to provide."

Cardtronics said the rebranding of ATMs from Chase to Citibank will begin immediately and aims to finish the transition by spring 2017.

Additionally, through the bank's agreement with Cardtronics, the Tribune reports, ATMs in CVS and Target stores throughout the country will be free to Citi customers, though not Citi-branded, Cardtronics said.
A Nigerian air force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp on Tuesday, killing more than 100 refugees and aid workers and wounding 200, a government official and doctors said.

Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed an accidental bombardment in the northeastern town of Rann, near the border with Cameroon, saying "some" civilians were killed.

It was believed to be the first time Nigeria's military has acknowledged making such a mistake in a region where villagers have in the past reported civilian casualties in the near-daily bombings targeting the Islamic militants.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari expressed deep sadness and regret at "this regrettable operational mistake."

A Borno state government official, who was helping to coordinate the evacuation of wounded from the remote area by helicopters, said more than 100 refugees and aid workers were among the dead. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Doctors Without Borders said its team based in Rann counted at least 52 bodies and was treating 200 wounded, many in critical condition, and the death toll was expected to rise.

"This large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable," said Dr. Jean-Clement Cabrol, the aid group's director of operations.

As night fell, the group's team struggled to stabilize the seriously wounded. "We hope that during the night not many more people will die," said the group's head of emergency programs, Hugues Robert, describing a complex evacuation because the area is insecure.

Photographs of the carnage showed a man carrying a wounded child, his clothing stained with blood, as well as bloodied victims being treated on the ground outside a tent clinic overflowing with the wounded. Nearby, corpses lay covered by blankets and prayer mats, alongside mounds of hastily dug graves.

After the attack, the charred remains of makeshift corrugated iron lean-tos and mud homes filled the landscape.

The International Committee for the Red Cross said six workers with the Nigerian Red Cross were among the dead and 13 were wounded. "They were part of a team that had brought in desperately needed food for over 25,000 displaced persons," spokesman Jason Straziuso said in a statement from Nairobi, Kenya.

Two soldiers were also wounded, as well as Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders, Irabor said, without giving a precise figure.

The general, who is the theater commander for counterinsurgency operations in northeast Nigeria, said he ordered the mission based on information that Boko Haram insurgents were gathering in the area, along with geographic coordinates.

It was too early to say if a tactical error was made, he said, adding that the bombing would be investigated.

Doctors Without Borders spokesman Etienne l'Hermitte in Geneva urged authorities to facilitate cross-border land and air evacuations.

"Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients. We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following the event," he said in a statement.

Villagers have previously reported civilian casualties in airstrikes on Boko Haram positions in northeastern Nigeria.

Some of the schoolgirls kidnapped by the insurgents in 2014 and freed last year have said three of their classmates were killed by air force bombardments, according to the freed girls' parents. Of the nearly 300 schoolgirls who were abducted, 196 remain missing.

The bombings have helped drive Boko Haram out of many towns and villages and, according to Buhari, the insurgents' last stronghold in the Sambisa Forest last month.

Boko Haram's 7-year-old Islamic uprising has killed more than 20,000 people and forced 2.6 million from their homes, creating the continent's worst humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning some 5.1 million people face starvation.
NBC Connecticut is connecting you with a cool way to give back to the community! Were freezing for a reason at the 2017 Penguin Plunge, supporting Special Olympics of Connecticut!

Participants raise funds to run into the chilly waters of Connecticut. The Plunges take place in five locations throughout Connecticut at lakes and beaches across the state. The events take place throughout the winter season, from January through mid-March. Your participation provides funding to support over 13,000 athletes who participate in Special Olympics Connecticuts year-round training and competition in 27 sports. Costumes are encouraged  there are even awards for the best costumes! Many Penguins form teams to band together and share in this one-of-a-kind experience.

Come meet the NBC Connecticut team at Winding Trails on January 29! Some on-air talent taking the plunge are Ryan Hanrahan, Heidi Voight, Ted Koppy, Bob Maxon, Hanna Mordoh, Max Reiss, Kaitlyn McGrath, and Tara Joyce!

Farmington  Winding Trails - January 29, 2017

Winsted - Highland Lake - February 4, 2017

Middletown  Crystal Lake - February 25, 2017

Shoreline Plunge - Ocean Beach Park, New London - March 5, 2017

Westport  Compo Beach - March 25, 2017

Interested in taking the Plunge? Click here for more information http://www.soct.org/ways-give/penguin-plunge
New London police arrested a man on assault charges after another man was seriously injured in a stabbing Sunday night.

Police said they received a 911 call reporting a disturbance and stabbing at 200 Montauk Ave. around 7:45 p.m. When officers arrived they found a man, identified as Terry Pipkin, 51, with blood on him. Police detained Pipkin at the scene.

When officers entered an apartment they found a male victim with cuts to his face, neck and stomach. The 48-year-old victim was taken to L&M Hospital for treatment of serious injuries, then transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital for further treatment. As of Tuesday the victim remained hospitalized.

Pipkin was arrested and charged with first-degree assault and carrying a dangerous weapon.
A Fairfield Warde High School teacher has been charged with risk of injury and public indecency after he was accused of exposing himself to a female student in school, according to Fairfield police.

Jeff Iwanicki, 44, of Milford, turned himself in to Fairfield police on Monday.

Police began investigating him after a female Fairfield Warde student reported two incidents of inappropriate behavior. Police said both alleged incidents happened "within the school facility, during school hours," but there was no physical contact.

After the second, the student told her parents who contacted the school, which contacted police.

"We take very seriously that special bond and trust between a student and a teacher and we investigate rigorously any allegations," Deputy Chief Chris Lyddy said.

Iwanicki is charged with risk of injury/impairing the morals of a minor, public indecency and breach of peace. He was released on a $50,000 bond.

Iwanicki is listed as a tech teacher at Fairfield Warde High School.

Supt. Dr. Toni Jones said in a statement that when school officials learned of allegations about one month ago and Iwanicki was immediately placed on administrative leave, and that he has not had any contact with students at the school since then.

NBC Connecticut has reached out to Iwanicki's attorney but have yet to hear back.

Iwanicki posted bond and scheduled to appear in court in Bridgeport on Jan. 27.
Norwalk Police are investigating two armed robberies of different delivery drivers that happened within a week.

Both times, the suspects contacted food delivery and requested to bring to a location that ended up being not a real address. Both times the deliverymen were approached by two individuals, armed and robbed food and cash. This last one on (January) 14, the deliveryman was shot twice and stole his car, said Lt. Terry Blake with the Norwalk Police Department.

On Jan. 14 around 11 pm, China Town Express delivery driver, Fen Yan Chen, was delivering food for the Chinese restaurant to an address on the corner of Kent and Derby Road. When two armed masked suspects robbed and shot him and then took the food, cash and his car.

Hes on the bed he cant really walk he needs help he has crutches and the bullet is still inside his leg, said his sister, Jing Chen, who added that her brother is recovering at home.

Police are investigating whether her brothers incident and a second armed robbery on Jan. 9 are connected.

Police were called to the scene at around 11:30 in East Norwalk  but that driver was not shot, and his car was not stolen.

As police search for the suspects, theyre also visiting restaurants that offer delivery services.

They passed out a flier with all the peoples information, what they look like, what kind of car it was and stuff like that and just to inform us not to go to anyones car, said Dave Kuban, owner of Planet Pizza in Norwalk.

Norwalk isn't the only place where a violent crime against food delivery drivers have happened.

In August of last year, a woman was killed while delivering food for a Chinese restaurant in Waterbury. Waterbury Police are taking their own steps when it comes to safety measures they have met with some businesses, including those that deliver food to talk about safety on the job.

While the Norwalk Chinese restaurant is still taking deliveries, they're taking precautions on who they deliver to.

I just hope this gets a little bit more noticed where people should be, you know, appreciating that were doing our job delivering the food that this should not be happening around you know to anybody, said Chen

Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to call Norwalk Police.
Connecticut State police are trying to identify a suspect accused of robbing a Citgo gas station in North Stonington Monday night.

Police said around 7:20 p.m. the suspect pictured above entered the store at 324 Clarks Falls Road and demanded money and cigarettes from an employee. The suspect reportedly lifted his shirt and showed a back pistol multiple times during the incident.

The suspect fled on foot toward Clarks Falls Road with an undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes.

This suspect was about 5-foot-10 with a medium building, wearing a red body suit, black pants, a gray jacket, a mask and red gloves. A state police K9 tracked the suspect east along Route 216 into Ashaway, RI.

Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call state police at 860-848-6500 or text TIP711 and the information to 274637.
The highest profile Democrats in Connecticut will all attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Gov. Dannel Malloy had made his intention public last week. He is being invited since he is a sitting governor.

Both U.S. Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal said Tuesday they would attend.

Murphy said he wants to be in the audience to send a quiet message of sorts to the Republican.

I want him to be surrounded by people who are going to fight him tooth and nail as he pursues these damaging and divisive policies that he has previewed during his campaign," Murphy said.

He even said the year ahead will be, "the most important in my career in public office," referring to the upcoming legislative battles over the Affordable Care Act, taxes and Trump's signature campaign promise to build a wall along the American border with Mexico.

Blumenthal echoed those sentiments, and added that the recent attacks by Trump of Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat from Georgia whom was beaten in Selma during civil rights protests, crossed a line for him.

This is going to be a tough time and I respect the people who will not be at the inaugural.

Malloy shares that view, and poked fun at Trump's twitter habits when asked about what he hoped to hear in his first address as president.

I hope we hear better things than we read from his phone messages, his tweets. Ive said this once, Ill say it again, For Gods sakes somebody take his phone away.

One of the most vocal Trump supporters in Connecticut, Joe Visconti, curried enough favor with the campaign and the transition that he was granted tickets to the inauguration, and one of the official balls.

Visconti says he feels like it's a reward for helping in a state where no one gave him a chance, and said Connecticut will benefit from the GOP victories.

Everybody knows that he will have to work within the structure of government and he will, but its just that the political correctness era will be over.
Its an opportunity that very few people can say theyve witnessed in person: the chance to see history made as the power of the presidency is passed to the next leader of the free world.

The inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump will draw many people from Connecticut to Washington D.C.

Its just a remarkable part of history that if youre able to go down to be part of, its truly an honor to be a part of it, said Susan Hatfield of Pomfret.

Hatfield will leave for Washington D.C, later this week, for her second shot to see history in the making.

Hatfield attended the 2001 inauguration of former President George W. Bush. This time, shes expecting a more electric celebration.

I think there will be a little more energy and the reason I saw that it because of my experiences being a volunteer, she said.

Hatfield also attended the Republican National Convention as a delegate. She looks at Fridays inauguration as coming full circle. This time, she even gets to attend the inaugural ball.

People that werent involved with politics really came out in full force to become part of this specific election, so I think theres going to be a lot more pomp and circumstance with this inauguration.

Evelyn Mantilla of West Hartford is looking forward to the day after the inauguration.

We do have close to 80 buses that have been completely filled, she said of the Connecticut contingency headed to the nations capital.

Mantilla will join thousands of others for the Womens March on Washington. She said its not an anti-Trump event, but a pro-rights rally.

Not just responding to the rhetoric that occurred during the campaign but also moving forward sending a very strong message that all human rights matter, said Mantilla.

As Connecticuts first openly-gay legislator, elected in the late 1990s, Mantilla said she wants to show her daughters the importance of being part of the political process.

Im also looking forward to connecting with all the women, men, and families that are committed to the same issues that cover all communities: women, childrens rights, LGBT rights, the rights of immigrants, she added.

Like Mantilla, Hunter Vooys was hoping a different candidate would take the oath of office on Friday.

I was really interested in the political campaigns this year and I followed them a lot. I was a Hillary supporter and I was a little bit upset when she lost, said Vooys.

Last April, the 13-year-old signed up to join a youth leadership summit at the inauguration. He decided he wanted to attend no matter who won the election.

It wasnt exactly an orthodox political campaign that he ran, so Im really excited for whats going to happen, he explained.

I think its really interesting that hes going to get the opportunity to see the transition of power how our democracy works, added his mother Lisa.

Vooys leaves Wednesday and will also have the chance to hear speakers such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Former Republican Presidential Candidate Carlie Fiorina, and 19-year-old Nobel Prize laureate and human rights activist Malala Yousafzai during his visit.

John and Patricia Ferreira just found tickets to the inauguration, last week. Theyre still not sure where theyll be sitting, but they know theyre going.

A self-described independent, Ferreira said he looks forward to being surrounded by the same energy he felt when Donald Trump visited Hartford as a candidate.

Ive never felt support before for someone in my life, like I do for this guy, said Ferreira. I just went right for him. He was speaking to me. Thats how I felt.

The couple says they have no idea what to expect. Ferreiras wife Patricia says shes concerned about her safety.

Im a little nervous about there being protestors and being issues, she said.

However, those worries dont outweigh her excitement. The couple says theyre excited to witness history with their own eyes.

I just want to be part of it, added Ferreira.
West Haven High School, like several other schools across the state, is showing a raw, graphic and honest look at opioid addiction.

On Tuesday, students will be watching "Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict" after a math midterm.

The FBI and DEA released the documentary to educate young adults about the dangers of addiction and the reality of a drug-dependent life.

We wanted to keep them in school and make sure they understood that this is a vitally important message, Pamela Gardner, the principal, said.

Opiate addiction is a problem consuming the country, yet one the FBI feels many are turning a cold shoulder too.

Everyone feels, 'Its not me. It wont happen to me. It doesn't affect me and it's someone elses issues,' until in comes home, FBI Community Outreach Specialist Charles Grady said.

Grady said Connecticut is the thick of it. The state averages anywhere from 40 to 45 deaths per month from opioid use, he said.

When faced with difficult decisions, Grady hopes students will think about the pain families of addicts feel, which is depicted in the film.

I really hope that kids see what it does to their body, see what it does to those around them and will really think twice about this and really think twice about helping others, Gardner said.

The FBI hopes this movie will make its way into more and more communities. They said progress is only possible with support from local law enforcement, local high schools and most importantly students and parents.

If we can get them talking at the dinner table about seeing the film and what affect it has on their lives moving forward, then we have succeeded, Grady said.

Parents and community members are being encouraged to attend the screenings at West Haven High School.

"Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict" will air in the schools auditorium at 9:55 a.m. from Jan. 17 until Jan. 20.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, on a last foreign trip before leaving office, has met with Ukraine's president and called on the impending Donald Trump administration to retain Ukraine-related sanctions against Russia.

Biden's comments Monday at a briefing with President Petro Poroshenko came after Trump indicated in a Times of London interview that he could end sanctions imposed in the aftermath Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal.

"The Crimea-related sanctions against Russia must remain in place until Russia returns full control to the people of Ukraine," Biden said.

Other U.S. sanctions are connected to Russia's involvement in the separatist war in eastern Ukraine. Biden said that Russia must fulfill its obligations under the 2015 Minsk agreement on ending that conflict.

The visit came days after President Barack Obama awarded a teary-eyed Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In surprising Biden with the nation's highest civilian honor, Obama praised the vice president on Thursday as an "extraordinary man with an extraordinary career in public service."
A day after President Donald Trump's inauguration, hundreds of thousands of people will converge on the National Mall for the Women's March on Washington.

Here's everything you need to know if you're attending -- or want to avoid the area:

When and Where Is the Women's March?

The event Saturday, Jan. 21 began with a rally from 10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. near the Capitol, at Independence Avenue and 3rd Street SW.

Participants then will march toward the White House.

What's the Purpose of the March?

March organizers said in a mission statement posted to their website that participants will unite to end violence and promote rights for women, LGBT people, workers, people of color, people with disabilities and immigrants.

"The Women's March on Washington will send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women's rights are human rights. We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us," the site says.

A pop-up shop called The Outrage, on 18th Street in Adams Morgan, is outfitting people in town for the Womens March on Washington with feminist apparel. Its your source for everything from Nasty Women Unite sweatshirts to The Future is Female t-shirts. And the line Thursday afternoon stretched around the block. News4s Aimee Cho reports.

While's Trump name does not appear in the group's mission statement, opposition to the president-elect appears to be what unites participants.

Go here to read why several women said they would march.

Here's a recap of what's happened since President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey.

Who Is Organizing the March?

After Trump won the presidency, a retired attorney in Hawaii posted to Facebook about marching in Washington, The Washington Post reported. By the time Teresa Shook went to sleep, 40 women said they wanted to march. By the time she woke up, that number had ballooned to 10,000, the Post reported.

The idea for the march took off, and Shook and the initial organizers handed the reins to a group of experienced activists: Bob Bland, a fashion industry entrepreneur; Tamika Mallory, an organizer and gun-control advocate; Carmen Perez, executive director of the Gathering for Justice, a criminal-justice-reform group; and Linda Sarsour, executive director of the Arab American Association of New York.

How Many People Are Expected to Attend?

The deputy mayor of D.C. said 500,000 people were expected in the National Mall area for the march.

Christopher Geldart, the director of D.C.'s homeland security agency, said he expects that even more people will attend, based on bus registrations and train bookings.

As of Jan. 13, D.C. had received about 1,800 requests for permits to park tour buses on Jan. 21, Councilmember Charles Allen told News4. Just about 200 permits had been requested for Inauguration Day itself.

As of 1 p.m. Jan. 17, more than 203,000 Facebook users indicated on the Facebook page for the march that they would attend.

How Can I Get There?

The Metrorail system opened early and ran additional trains on Saturday. The system opened at 5 a.m., instead of the usual 7 a.m. Riders can expect trains every 4 to 6 minutes on every line.

Anyone taking Metrorail to the march is advised to use the L'Enfant Plaza or Capitol South stations, to avoid crowding.

See Metro's website for full details on how to use the system. Anyone who needs a Metro card is advised to buy it in advance to avoid long lines.

Metrobus will run on its regular Saturday schedule. Buses will detour around road closures on Independence Avenue between 2nd and 14th streets NW.

The D.C. Streetcar system will run from 5 a.m. Saturday until 2 a.m. Sunday.

The D.C. Circulator won't be running its National Mall route. All other routes will operate on their normal weekend schedules. (Note: The Union Station-Navy Yard and Potomac Avenue-Skyland routes don't run on the weekends during winter.)

Capital Bikeshare, which had closed its stations within the security perimeter for Trump's inauguration, will reopen those stations on a rolling basis Saturday. Check Capital Bikeshare's website or the SpotCycle app beforehand to see which stations are available, D.C. officials said.

Capital Bikeshare will have a bike corral at 4th and E streets SW Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. A bike valet will be available at 10th Street and Independence Avenue SW. Find more information online here.

People from many states are planning to get to the march by bus. March organizers have a bus finder webpage to help people find buses to take them to Washington.

Anyone who plans to drive to the march is advised to expect heavy traffic and extremely limited parking.

Will Any Roads Be Closed?

Several roads near the National Mall will be closed from 3 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, including 3rd Street NW from Constitution Avenue NW to C Street SW, and Independence Avenue SW from 1st Street to 6th Street SW.

Go here to see the full list of street closures.

As D.C.s homeland security office prepares for the safety of the Inauguration Day crowd, protesters are practicing tactics they hope will be disruptive. News4s Tom Sherwood reports.

Is the March Free? Do I Need to Register?

The march is free. Organizers are asking people who expect to attend to fill out a brief online registration form to help the hosts plan the event.

Will the March Be Safe?

D.C. police and the National Park Service have been in communication with march organizers about the planning of the event.

Organizers say they have hired a private security firm and will have "numerous professional security workers" at the event.

What's the Weather Forecast?

Saturday is expected to be mild and partly sunny, with temperatures in the 40s and 50s.

NBC Washington

Where Can I Stay?

Some hotel rooms and Airbnb rooms in the region are still available, just don't expect a bargain.

Some groups, such as MarchBNB, are organizing to help march attendees find lodging. The list of those resources can be found on the march's FAQ page.

A gym in the Cleveland Park neighborhood is opening its doors to host a sleepover.

Can I Participate If I Use a Wheelchair or Have Mobility Issues?

March organizers say there will be a limited seated section and that more information will be available soon.

The ADA-accessible route will be 4th Street SW from C Street to Independence Avenue.

"It is our mission to make sure that this march is as accessible as possible," Sarsour said in a Facebook video.

What Am I Allowed to Bring?

All bags will be subject to search, and size restrictions will be in place. Folding chairs will not be allowed, nor will anything that could be construed as a weapon, including signs with sharp wooden handles. See the march website for full details.

It started as one womans angry Facebook post in the hours after the 2016 presidential election. Now, her idea has mushroomed into the Womens March on Washington, which is expected to draw 200,000 demonstrators to the national mall on Saturday, the day after the inauguration. News 4s Julie Carey reports.

Are Men Allowed?

March organizers say the march "is for any person, regardless of gender or gender identity, who believes womens rights are human rights."

Which Celebrities and Public Figures Will Be There?

A long list of stars are expected to attend the march, including America Ferrera, Katy Perry, Cher, Scarlett Johansson, Zendaya and Julianne Moore.

The organizers of the event announced its performance lineup Wednesday. The list of performers includes Janelle Monae, Maxwell, The Indigo Girls and Angelique Kidjo.
President Barack Obama on Tuesday commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst serving a 35-year sentence for leaking classified material. Her sentence is now set to expire May 17.

Manning  then known as Bradley  was locked up in 2010 after swiping more than 700,000 military files and diplomatic cables and giving them to Wikileaks.

Manning was born male but revealed after being convicted of espionage that she identifies as a woman. She is being held at the Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, military prison and attempted suicide twice last year.

Last week, Wikileaks pledged that if Obama granted Manning clemency, the group's founder Julian Assange would agree to be extradited to the United States.

If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case https://t.co/MZU30SlfGK  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 12, 2017

Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012, and if extradited to the U.S., would likely be prosecuted for his involvement in the publication of a trove of secret diplomatic cables. Wikileaks tweeted Tuesday that Assange is "confident of winning any fair trial in the U.S. Obama's DoJ prevented public interest defense & fair jury."

The White House says Manning is one of 209 inmates whose sentence Obama is shortening in one of his final acts before leaving office on Jan. 20. Another 64 people also received pardons, including retired Gen. James Cartwright, who was charged with making false statements during a probe into disclosure of classified information.

News of Manning's commutation was criticized by many on Capitol Hill. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and House Speaker Paul Ryan called Obama's action "outrageous."

"Chelsea Mannings treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nations most sensitive secrets," Ryan said in statement. "President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security wont be held accountable for their crimes.

Sen. John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also condemned the commutation of Manning's sentence.

"I think it's so inappropriate to pardon someone who put the lives of other men and women in uniform in danger," McCain said. "I'm stunned."

A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, tells NBC News that Secretary of Defense Ash Carter did not support the commutation of Manning in his recommendation to the president.

All told, Obama has granted 1,385 commutations  which includes 504 life sentences  and 212 pardons. It is fewer pardons than some presidents, but more commutations than the past 12 presidents combined, the White House said.

[[410993355, C]]

Presidents have two clemency options: commutations, which reduce sentences being served but don't erase convictions, and pardons, which generally restore civil rights  like voting  often after a sentence has been served.

In the past, presidents have made a splash with clemency on their way out. Former President Bill Clinton ignited a major controversy with a last-minute pardon for fugitive financier Marc Rich, the ex-husband of a major Democratic fundraiser. But Obama has viewed clemency as a tool to promote policy goals, not to "clean out the barn" on his way out, a White House official told The Associated Press.

Earlier in his presidency, Obama was unsatisfied with the cases he was receiving, officials said, and so in a 2014 initiative the Justice Department created specific criteria focusing on nonviolent individuals like drug offenders who have served 10 years and, if convicted under today's more lenient sentencing guidelines, would have received shorter sentences.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More

Obama's goal in taking on the commutations project was to spur action in Congress on a criminal justice overhaul. That seemed initially promising, but the momentum petered out.

Most of the people receiving commutations Tuesday were serving sentences for nonviolent drug offenses.
The Texas cattle industry is a multibillion dollar revenue source and according to the state Department of Agriculture, it makes up around half of the Texas agriculture-related cash receipts.

There is now technology designed to gather information with a Fit Bit type tracker for cattle. Beyond the obvious novelty of the idea, developers hope it can revolutionize the industry worldwide.

This week, 11 pregnant cows in Parker County were tagged with the HerdDogg technology on their ears.

"It could save the lives of calves. It could save the lives of cows. It could improve the efficiency of time management," cattleman Ron Gill said.

Gill, who is also a professor at Texas A&M University, is testing out the tags on his livestock.

We need to take our time to look at these technologies, he said, I'm a skeptic of everything that comes out and it is part of my job to see if it is going to work.

Gill can now monitor the mothers-to-be from a smartphone.

"Since they can't talk to you, we can look at what their behavior is and their movements and their lack thereof," he said.

The owner of the HerdDogg, Melissa Brandao, explained the technology will do more than just track motion.

"We got body temperature off of the ear shaft, we get activities," she said.

Texas is one of five states testing the technology.

"Well, the cattle industry is the largest agricultural commodity in the state and as such it returns $12 [billion] to $18 billion, Gill said.

Its thought that the more precise and efficient our farmers can be, the better the bovine and possibly in the future more meat.

"Research shows that the better you understand your animals, the better you treat them. It improves the food supply, Brandao said. "Our food supply, our ability to really know what's going on with the livestock. is imperative.

Brandao explained the farmers can watch an app for changes.

It could be medically, vitally, predators. There's a lot of different things that can come into play," Gill said.

It would allow illnesses to be caught and treated before it becomes too late.

"Typically an animal isn't going to show that it is sick for two to three days, so this provides this data sooner, Brandao said. They will be able to know sooner if that animal is well or not ."
There were Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations all across North Texas on Monday, including in Fort Worth, a city marked by racial tensions in recent weeks. NBC 5 spent the day there hearing about people's concerns and their hopes.

There was celebration in Fort Worth, but also remembrance of what's happened on those streets both long ago and today.

Money Culton attended the city's MLK parade.

"It's something new every day, and I'm just waiting for it to change," Culton said.

Many in the crowd watching the parade saw racial motivations in the recent arrest of a black Fort Worth woman and her teenage daughters by a white officer. The incident was caught on camera and sparked major controversy.

"Racism is one of those things that nobody wants to touch," said parade attendee Quantence Walker. "Black people say it's happening and white people say it's not happening. At some point in time we all have to come together and unify. We have to address that there's a problem, and once we address there's a problem we can move on from it."

On the Near South Side of town, music and art offered a way to begin those hard conversations.

"We're going to span the whole wall," said artist Katie Murray.

She created a mural covering a wall on West Magnolia Avenue with dreams. Folks in the community wrote their dreams on a chalk board and Murray added them to the wall.

The messages included a young man's hope to be a police officer and Jonathan Morris' wishes for a more inclusive Fort Worth.

"In order to grow and be more inclusive we've got to be intentional," Morris said. "We've got to be thinking about how we make for a more diverse, better Fort Worth, better community and a better America."

It was a chance for anyone to add their voices to Dr. King's central dream that's always a work in progress.

"Today, we see artists, we see people, a community of mixed backgrounds and demographics, and that's exactly what the dream is," said Fred Willis. "We're working toward it. We're still working toward it."

Every dream starts with one person, and you have to name it to reach it.

"I feel like it's something to aspire to," Murray said. "If we don't have dreams, then what are we living for?"

Murray plans to continue adding dreams onto the mural, hoping people passing by while stop to think and talk about what they see.

Tensions Continue

There was also a reminder of the city's tensions outside the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo Monday. Supporters of Jacqueline Craig, the mother arrested in the viral video, picketed outside. They're calling for a boycott of the event and other Fort Worth businesses until there are harsher consequences for the officer, and charges dropped against the Craigs.

Day of Service

Meanwhile, people from nearly 50 Fort Worth churches chose to honor MLK Day through a day of service. More than 400 volunteers fanned out in the community.

NBC 5 caught up with one group at University Christian Church, where they were packing meals for "Kids Against Hunger." Supplies for more than 10,000 meals will be sent to children in need.

Volunteers also took the time to reflect on Dr. King's message of unity.

"Martin Luther King was a great guy, and that we need to do good back to the community because he did good to us," said 10-year-old volunteer Addison Hinckley.

The Rev. Dr. Melinda Veatch added, "Every time something happens, we look at it and go, 'Oh.' We need to change that. But the deal is, it doesn't change that way. What changes is ongoing practice, ongoing relationship, ongoing coming across racial lines."

The volunteers began their day with a worship service bringing together people from different congregations, neighborhoods and backgrounds.
Police said a man is dead and another was detained after a fatal shooting at a grocery store in Bedford Monday evening. [[410910075,C]]



Bedford police said the shooting happened at the Kroger in the 2100 block of Harwood Road just after 5 p.m.



The victim  later identified as 28-year-old Sam Phillip Smith, of Haltom City  was talking to another man about a door ding in the man's vehicle.



Police said the discussion "deteriorated" and both men told each other they were armed.



Police said the man, who was sitting in his vehicle, told them Smith was standing outside his vehicle and reached behind his back. The man, who has a handgun license, thought Smith was reaching for a gun and shot him.



Smith was not armed, according to police.



Authorities said Smith was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital in critical condition. He was later pronounced deceased at the hospital.



Bedford police said they arrested the man at the scene on suspicion of murder. He was released from jail Tuesday, pending further investigation of probable cause.
DailyFX.com -

Talking Points

The Australian Dollar fell despite a return to strength for home loans in November

Investment lending hit a 17-month high

Still, banks have raised borrowing rates since then, and the numbers may simply be too historic

The Australian Dollar slipped in Tuesdays early Asia/Pacific trade despite the release of data showing that home loans were in rude health as 2016 wound down.

Investment lending for home purchase rose 0.9% on the month in November, smashing the expected rate of 0.3% and banishing memories of Octobers 0.8% fall. Still, while the numbers look pretty punchy, with investment lending at a 17-month high, there could be some headwinds for the market which have blown stronger since November.

For one thing, all of Australias big four major banks raised their mortgage rates in the last two months. National Australia Bank was the last, following its rivals which moved in December. The bank didnt go into specifics as to why it was taking this action, but the move reportedly reflects banks concerns about market stability in the wake of economic deceleration in China, Australias key trading partner.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has also warned about a glut of inner city apartment supply, built in response to years of rising prices, with analysts at Morgan Stanley reportedly predicting an excess of 100,000 flats by 2018.

AUD/USD slipped in the wake of the numbers, to 0.74699 from 0.74802 just before them. Its not clear that the data should have had this effect, although of course given all of the above perhaps they now just look too historic to the market.

Not impressed: AUD/USD

Australian Dollar Slips Despite Strong Home-Loans Beat

Chart compiled using TradingView

Whats in DailyFX analysts sights right now? Visit the webinarpage to find out.

--- 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.
Carrollton police are searching for a woman who allegedly stole a credit card from a woman who died in her car at a DART station.

A 70-year-old woman was traveling to visit her terminally-ill husband at the Dallas VA Medical Center on New Year's Eve when she died of natural causes at 1717 West Frankford Road, according to a Carrollton police Facebook post.

The thief then broke into the woman's car and stole the credit card out of her purse.

Surveillance video captured the woman using the stolen credit card at a Dallas dollar store located at 8417 Lake June Road.

If anyone has information about the theft, police ask them to call (972) 466-3333. [[410984305,C]]
General Motors is planning to invest $1 billion in U.S. factories and add thousands of new white-collar jobs.

The measures have been in the works for years, but were announced today after criticism from President-elect Donald Trump.

In all, GM says it will create or keep 7,000 jobs in the next few years, including about 7,000 at factories.

Another 5,000 new positions will be created at its auto financing arm, and to develop new technologies.

Trump has demanded that the auto industry build more cars in the United States. GM says these latest actions were planned well before the election -- but a spokesman acknowledged that it's a good time to announce new jobs in the U.S.

An analyst for Kelley Blue Book says the GM announcement is "mostly theater" to take advantage of the attention generated by Trump's tweets.

Still, Trump claimed credit for bringing auto jobs this morning on Twitter.
Three Democratic U.S. Representatives say they will boycott President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington on Friday.

Reps. Al Green and Joaquin Castro were the first to announce they were skipping the ceremony. Rep. Lloyd Doggett announced Tuesday afternoon he was also planning to skip the event.

They are joining around 50 House Democrats nationwide in skipping Trump's swearing-in. More Texas congressional Democrats may yet follow suit.

Green, who represents much of southwestern Houston, and Castro, of San Antonio, both hail from safely Democratic districts.

In a statement, Castro said Trump "has shown an utter lack of respect for so many Americans."

Castro cited Trump's "attack on civil rights hero John Lewis," a Democratic congressman from Georgia who Trump attacked over the weekend after Lewis questioned Trump's legitimacy as president.

Green also cited Trump's reaction to Lewis in saying he too was planning to skip the inauguration.

Doggett said he was skipping the inauguration to send a message to the president-elect that respect is a two-way street.
President-elect Donald Trump was supposed to be in Washington, D.C. Monday at the National Museum of African American History.

However, after a very public feud with Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, Trump canceled the trip.

NBC 5 political reporter Julie Fine, who is in D.C. to cover Trump's inauguration, spoke to people heading into the museum.

"I don't quite understand how he thinks he can spar with an individual with so much great history with the African American community, said Kevin Williams of Virginia.

Lewis, a very well-known civil rights leader, questioned the legitimacy of a Trump presidency during an interview on NBC.

Trump then fired back with tweet saying Congressman John Lewis should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities of the U.S. I can use all the help I can get!

After that, several democratic representatives have decided to boycott the inauguration.

Robin Hall, who flew in from New Jersey to see the museum, thinks the President-elect should have made the trip, regardless of the feud between the two men.

I really think that he needs to come down and see the full effect of all of the history of all of the people that he intends on representing, said Hall.

Just a few blocks away on the grounds of the Capitol, preparations are underway.

There is plastic covering the ground of the National Mall, where more than 800,000 people are expected to watch the inauguration.

Michael Falk, who lives nearby in Virginia, is planning to attend.

I would like to see a businessman enter into it. He is not a politician, said Falk.

The official inauguration activities begin on Thursday.

I think it's time that we need to have some positive change, said Leisa Smith of Virginia.
With the passage of Proposition 64, investors are hoping to cash in and take advantage of California's growing marijuana industry.

Hundreds of investors looking to cash in on the state's growing marijuana industry traveled to West Hollywood on Monday to tour MedMen, a West Hollywood dispensary.

The dispensary refers to itself as the "Whole Foods of Cannabis" and its goal is to normalize marijuana now that the industry no longer needs to hide.

"We want people to feel like they can explore and really take their time looking at all our products," said Jocelyn Pettway, director of facility design. "It's really just like any other store."

MedMen told NBC4 they expect California's cannabis industry to more than double to $8 billion in the next few years and investors are seeing potential with legalization.

Lori Ferrara is one of those investors.

Investing in marijuana got personal for Ferrara after she and her husband both got sick and she became a medical marijuana patient.

"It's a little less scary," Ferrara said. "Before, there were raids going on."

But now, there's no sense of operating in the shadows.

"California is huge. There's a lot of money to be made in California," Ferrara said.

MedMen CEO Adam Bierman described the newfound interest in the marijuana industry as the "end of a prohibition."

With many local restrictions still in place, no one expects stores like MedMen to proliferate in the next few years, but investors like Ferrara seem convinced California will change for the better.

"I've seen a lot with marijuana and the benefits far outweigh the negatives," she said. "And if we all come together, it's going to help a lot of people."

MedMen and other dispensaries can still only sell medical marijuana. Retail sales of recreational marijuana won't be legal until 2018.
A clerk at a Chevron gas station in the Los Feliz area was fatally wounded Tuesday while apparently trying to comply with the demands of a gunman who robbed the business, police said.

The employee, who was about 25, managed to call 911 after the shooting, which occurred about 3:30 a.m. in the 2100 block of North Vermont Avenue.

The clerk, who died at a hospital, had come to the United States from Bangladesh to study, his manager told reporters. His name was withheld pending family notification.

A collegue told NBC4 the victim was a college student from Bangladesh studying international business. Candles and flowers from customers lined the door of the gas station Tuesday night.

"He was a really sweet guy," said a customer named Rochelle. "He always let me bring my dogs in. It's just really sad."

The suspect, described only as a man in his early 20s, fled in a light-colored vehicle, the Los Angeles Police Department reported.

The suspect made a purchase and stayed in the business while another customer entered, bought something and left, according to LAPD Detective Meghan Aguilar.

"The original ... suspect approached the cashier again," she said. "He appeared to be making another transaction, although before that began, he pulled out a handgun and gave some orders to the cashier. The cashier appeared to be cooperating, although at that time the suspect fired multiple shots at the cashier."

The suspect then took the cash drawer and fled, Aguilar said. Anyone with information on the case was urged to call (877) LAPD-247.

Beverly White contributed to this report.
A fifth grader who was initially suspended for drafting a "kill list" made up of classmates names will not return to his elementary school for the remainder of the school year, the district said Wednesday.

After parents in Riverside County found out about the list, many expressed concerns for students' safety and dozens of parents kept their children home from school Wednesday.

Lake Mathews Elementary Principal Pamela Williams wrote a letter to parents Monday saying school officials first learned of the list last Thursday and contacted law enforcement. She says officials investigated and concluded no one at the school was in danger.

"These types of behaviors are ALWAYS taken seriously by RUSD and therefore we immediately began an investigation, convened our site threat assessment team and notified law enforcement," Williams wrote in the statement. "As a result of this comprehensive process, it was determined that there was, and is, no danger to any of Lake Mathews' students."

A 5th grader is suspended for two days after "Kill List" is found at elem school in Riverside. School dist. says there is no threat. @nbcla pic.twitter.com/wUo0ouNCIX  Jonathan Gonzalez (@JonathanNBCLA) January 17, 2017

The Riverside County Sheriff's Office spoke with the child, the child's parents and school officials and determined the child did not have means or access to guns or "weapons of that nature," said Sgt. Chris Durham of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

"We believe that the school is safe, and there's a lot that goes into saying that a school is safe," said Justin Grayson of the Riverside Unified School District. "We wouldn't want to, we would never say that a school is safe when we felt that it wasn't."

The school has about 900 students.

The Riverside Unified School District confirmed to NBC4 the child's suspension would end Wednesday, but could not confirm when the child would return to school.

Some parents said suspending the boy from school for two days was insufficient and wanted him expelled. They sent a petition signed by 86 parents to the district's superintendent saying they won't send their children to school if the boy returns.

"I think that child shouldnt go to that school anymore, maybe be put in, I don't know, some other kind of school that  can take care of somebody," said parent Melanie Reck.

Other parents were upset they found out about the incident on social media, because a letter was not sent from the school until Monday.

"I think the learning experience from this is to get information out sooner to parents to avoid all the hysteria," said Jennifer Stinnett, a parent of a kindergartner and a first grader at the school.

District officials tried to ease parents' worries at a school board meeting Tuesday night. Many parents attended the meeting to voice their concerns about a lack of information from the district, but most were concerned about whether or not the boy would return to the elementary school.

Lake Mathews Elementary school officials told NBC4 Tuesday the child had not been expelled and could come back to school, but noted the district was working with the child's parents to explore other schooling options. The school district said they have procedures in place to monitor the child, and will be giving the child extra attention and care moving forward.

The district says they are barred from talking about the student due to confidentiality laws, but Grayson released the following statement to NBC4 Wednesday morning.

"Right now district officials are at huddled at Lake Mathews Elementary working to determine the course of action for continuing student in question's education," Grayson wrote Wednesday. "Alternative educational opportunities are being discussed, but no final determination had been made yet."

Several parents told NBC4 that school officials said the child was not in school Wednesday morning.

Later on Wednesday, the Riverside Unified School District released a statement and noted they take a "safe schools guarantee" in the California Constitution "very seriously."

"For that reason, the Districts Child Welfare and Attendance Department has determined that the student recently accused of threatening communications will not be returning to Lake Mathews Elementary School for the remainder of the 2016-17 school year," read the statement from the district.

The statement did not mention the child's future schooling plans, or whether or not the child would attend another school in the district.

Jessica Rice and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
A million descriptive terms, or seemingly, can be applied to a single painting, from "stunning" to "dreamlike" to "humorous" to "offbeat."

But the painting probably won't be called "three-dimensional," as canvases in frames have a notable knack for holding fast to two dimensions.

On occasion, however, a person can actually step inside a painting, if a special three-dimensional room has been constructed to pay homage to an artist and his vision. And such a space is on view, at the Skirball Cultural Center, through March 12, but here's the tantalizing twist: Not only can you walk inside this painting, but it honors two artists, and not just one.

The dots and stripes and comic book-like lines of the space reveal that Roy Lichtenstein, that pop titan of the mid-century painting world, is one of the artists honored, and the second is revealed by the theme: A simple bedroom.

If Vincent Van Gogh just sprung to mind, thank your mind, because it is correct. The Skirball Cultural Center's take on an enterable Van Gogh's "Bedroom at Arles," with loads of Lichenstein levity applied, is one of the most unusual art experiences in some time.

The space is part of a larger exhibit called "Pop for the People: Lichenstein in L.A.," and it explores how the artist "...made fine art accessible to the American public in ways that had not been achieved before."

Screen print workshops, tours, and other happenings are on the exhibit's schedule. And, yes, the show also contains more traditional pieces, beyond the walk-in space, though Roy Lichtenstein's eye-amazing, color-huge pieces weren't described as "traditional" when he first created them a half century ago, nor are they thought of in that vein today.

If you're longing for a three-dimensional art experience, but one that is built around the notion of a painting, that longtime two-dimensional form, you can find such a semi-surreal experience at the Skirball.

All while getting better acquainted with a visionary who saw how common ads, everyday design, and the newspaper comics section could be elevated into something museum-ready.

Mr. Lichtenstein's revolutionary ideas first flowered over a half century ago but feel as fresh, and surprising, as stepping inside a painting.
A SWAT team found a man and woman dead inside a home in Sylmar where someone earlier reported a homicide had occurred on Monday.

Officers were sent about 4:50 p.m. to the home in the 13600 block of Gavina Avenue after someone reported that a homicide had just occurred at that location, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police were unable to make contact with the person who called authorities or anyone else inside the home, which was then surrounded.

A SWAT team was called to the scene, some neighboring homes were evacuated and other residents were kept from entering the area.

The SWAT team entered the home about 9 p.m. and found the man and woman dead, according to Officer Mike Lopez of the LAPD's Media Relations Section.
The B Street Band, a Bruce Springsteen tribute band from New Jersey, has announced it is withdrawing from performing at Donald Trump's inauguration gala.

The band announced its withdrawal from the event on its Facebook page Monday afternoon, citing its respect for Bruce himself.

"With deepest apologies to our fans and the New Jersey Inaugural Ball committee, the B Street Band is withdrawing from performing at this year's inauguration Gala," it said.

"Our decision is based solely on the respect and gratitude we have for Bruce and the E Street Band."

"The Boss" is a high profile Democrat who appeared with Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail.

In a recent interview he questioned whether the president-elect was ready to take office.

During the interview on Marc Maron's "WTF" podcast, Springsteen said he questioned whether Trump "is simply competent enough to do this particular job."

The B Street Band said it would not exist without the talents of Springsteen and his primary backing band the E Street Band, and it looked forward to performing their music for years to come.
In just a one-block stretch of Brickell Avenue, in the heart of the citys financial district, 16 people have registered to vote using business addresses.

A few blocks north, 11 people are registered to vote out of tiny mailboxes in a DHL mail office at 444 Brickell.

And at the Marriott Hotel in Dadeland, seven people are registered to vote out of hotel rooms where they do not live  or even currently stay.

Those are just some of more than 100 Miami-Dade County voter registrations the NBC 6 Investigators connected to commercial  and not residential  addresses.

This comes as the state attorneys office continues investigating whether any laws were broken when 22 voters were found to have registered to vote in Doral by using the commercial property addresses.

But while the law does require one to register using his residential address, former federal prosecutor David Weinstein says that does not mean a prosecutor would seek to criminally prosecute someone who happens to use a business or temporary address.

Youre entitled to be a little bit careless when you do anything, said Weinstein, now a defense attorney. But in order for it to then become criminal, you have to have the criminal intent in your mind to have intentionally, knowingly, willfully committed this crime.

Theres no evidence the few voters registered at the Doral office complex were conspiring to affect the latest mayoral election, which was won by JC Bermudez with 67 percent of the vote  2,343 more than his opponent, Luigi Boria.

And the NBC 6 Investigators findings, Weinstein said, also do not point to any kind of criminal activity.

One hundred, 102 names -- that doesnt strike me as a large scale conspiracy to potentially alter a particular election, Weinstein said. Especially when there are nearly 1.4 million registered voters in the county.

The NBC 6 Investigators found the discrepancies by obtaining and comparing two databases: one containing the addresses provided by every voter in Miami-Dade; the other, the addresses and zoning for more than half a million parcels in the county. When the two were compared, more than 100 addresses tied to commercial properties were found to be used by voters.

Where a voter lives can determine whom they can vote for, when based on congressional or commission district lines, or city limits.

Among the voters we found using a business address was the owner of Prana Yoga in Coral Gables.

Ive been here for almost 20 years and my business address stays the same and sometimes my residence moves, said Dona Piza, noting her home is just a few blocks from the business.

But, informed by a reporter that could be a problem, she said she probably would change her address now to her current home.

I think its very important to make sure everythings on the up and up, she said.

But to those who would cite a few incorrect addresses to allege voting frauds or conspiracy, the yoga instructor offers a few words of wisdom.

Take a deep breath, Piza said. Relax.
A Key Largo volunteer firefighter who tried to rescue three road workers trapped underground Monday remains hospitalized in Miami  with some reports he is fighting for his life.

Volunteer Fire Department Chief Don Bock told The Miami Herald there was no update on Leonardo Moreno's condition Tuesday, while a GoFundMe page set up by the eight year veterans family says he is in critical condition at Ryder Trauma Center in the ICU.

Officials say Moreno was among several people who tried to help four men who were affected by fumes inside a drainage hole at a construction site. Three workers  34 year old Elway Gray of Fort Lauderdale, 49 year old Louis OKeefe of Little Torch Key and 24 year old Robert Wilson of Summerland Key  were killed in the incident, while a fourth was treated at the scene along with several others who responded to help.

Elway was a good guy and this was such a tragic accident, said Amber Wynn, the niece of Grays one year old daughter. His life ended too soonHe should still be here. Its not fair. None of those men should have been taken so soon."

Sheriff Rick Ramsay told reporters the firefighter had thought the hole was too small for his breathing apparatus, while authorities believe the men inside the hole inhaled a poisonous mixture of methane gas and hydrogen sulfide. Ramsey also said drainage holes typically are designed to vent gases, but this one wasn't vented.
One animal rights group is hoping star power from a well-known Latina actress will help in their calling for the retiring of Lolita at the Miami Seaquarium.

At a scheduled press conference Tuesday, Mexican actress Kate Del Castillo will urge tourists to boycott the attraction until the park releases the orca into a coastal sanctuary.

The event will come with the premiere of a new video the actress filmed for the animal rights group PETA promoting their efforts.

Seaquarium officials released a statement Tuesday saying it would be "reckless and cruel to jeopardize Lolita's health and safety by moving her from her home of 46 years."

"An actress looking for publicity and an activist organization committed to the elimination of zoos and aquariums are not experts when deciding what is best for Lolita the killer whale. She is healthy and thriving in her home of almost 46 years where she shares her habitat with Pacific white-sided dolphins. There is no scientific evidence that the approximately 50 year-old post-reproductive Lolita could survive if she were to be moved from her home at Miami Seaquarium to a sea pen or to the open waters of the Pacific Northwest," Seaquarium General Manager Andrew Hertz said in a statement.

The 20-foot long, 7,000 pound creature has been living at the park since 1970, when the then six year old orca was captured off the coast of the state of Washington. Protesters have argued that Lolita is being treated cruelly by the Seaquarium  including being housed in a tank that is smaller that guidelines set for her size.

Several lawsuits against the park have been filed over the past few years, with each being dismissed. In 2015, Orca whales were placed on an endangered species list  but Lolita was exempt from that ruling since she is a captive animal.

"Miami Seaquarium is not willing to experiment with her life in order to appease a fringe group. These individuals will never be satisfied with the care she receives," Hertz said in the statement. "Lolita is part of the Miami Seaquarium family and is as active and healthy as ever, a true testament to her care."
The number of congressional democrats boycotting the inauguration of Donald Trump continues to rise and two South Florida politicians now join the list.

More than 40 House Democrats announced their plans to skip Friday's inauguration in a protest against Trump's controversial stance on many issues and his attack on civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis.

Rep. Frederica Wilson and Rep. Alcee Hastings announced Tuesday their decision to not attend the swearing-in.

Wilson's office told NBC 6 that "after much deliberation" the congresswoman opted to miss Friday's festivities. Rep. Wilson gave no further comment.

Longtime Rep. Hastings released a statement explaining why he's joining the democratic protest against Trump. "This decision is not a protest of the results of the Electoral College, but rather, an objection to the demagoguery that continues to define the incoming administration," said Hastings.

The growing list of democrats boycotting Trump's inauguration grew after Georgia Rep. John Lewis made headlines for challenging the president-elect's legitimacy. In response, Trump blasted the civil rights icon which drew harsh criticism from democrats.

Hastings said he sides with Rep. Lewis and cannot support the incoming president. "I choose to stand with Rep. John Lewis, and every American that expects our President to serve with compassion and humility," Hastings said in a statement.

However, there are a few congressional democrats who plan on attending the inauguration, including South Florida Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Ted Deutch.
Already taking aim at Mexico, President-elect Donald Trump is now warning he might enact a 35 percent "border tax" on Canadian and German automobile imports, NBC News reported.

"You can build cars for the United States, but for every car that comes to the USA, you will pay 35 percent tax," Trump told the German newspaper Bild, in an interview published Monday.

"In the long term, the United States would be shooting itself in the foot by imposing tariffs or other trade barriers," said Matthias Wissmann, president of the German automotive industry association VDA.

Trump specifically focused on BMW, noting that it is building a plant in Mexico that would produce vehicles for the U.S. market. But BMW would not be alone among German automakers. Audi last year opened a Mexican plant that is now the sole global source for the newly redesigned Q5 sport-utility vehicle. And Mercedes-Benz is preparing to set up a joint venture with Nissan's Infiniti brand in the Mexican city of Aguascalientes, where it will produce some of its new entry-luxury models.
What to Know The search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 officially ended Tuesday in mystery

Trump's pick for education secretary, charter school advocate Betsy DeVos, has a Senate hearing

Officials in Turkey confirmed that they have caught the gunman behind a New Year's nightclub attack that killed 39 people

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.

Trumps Education Pick Gets Hearing

Charter school advocate Betsy DeVos is widely expected to push for expanding school choice programs if confirmed as education secretary, prompting pushback from teachers unions. But Democrats and activists are also raising concerns about how her conservative Christian beliefs and advocacy for family values might impact minority and LGBT students. DeVos financial and political clout will be on display on Tuesday as she goes before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which has members who have benefited from her largesse.

Trump Meets With MLKs Son

Donald Trump met with one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s sons on the holiday marking the life of the slain American icon just days after the president-elect attacked Rep. John Lewis on Twitter. Lewis and the elder King were among the Big Six leaders of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Trump accused Lewis, D-Ga., for being "all talk" after Lewis questioned the legitimacy of Trump's election. Martin Luther King III downplayed the slight, saying that "in the heat of emotion a lot of things get said on both sides." But the timing of the attack was particularly unfortunate for Trump. Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin played Trump again on Saturday Night Live after the shows holiday hiatus. Watch it here.

Turkish Officials: Gunman Captured

Turkish police captured the gunman who carried out the deadly New Year's nightclub attack in Istanbul, with officials saying Tuesday that he's an Uzbekistan national who trained in Afghanistan and confessed to the massacre. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters in Ankara that the man was being questioned by police. Istanbuls governor said the man, captured late Monday, confessed to carrying out the massacre and that his fingerprints matched those of the attacker.

Search for Flight MH370 Ends

After nearly three years, the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 ended in futility and frustration Tuesday, as crews completed their deep-sea search of a desolate stretch of the Indian Ocean without finding a trace of the plane. The reason the aircraft vanished from radar in the early hours of March 8, 2014, remains a mystery. Last year, Australia, Malaysia and China  which have each helped fund the search  agreed that the hunt would be suspended once the search zone was exhausted unless new evidence emerges.

Wife of Pulse Gunman Arrested

The wife of Orlando mass shooting gunman Omar Mateen was arrested on Monday in the San Francisco Bay Area months after her now-dead husband committed what's believed to be the country's deadliest gun massacre at Pulse nightclub. Noor Salman, 30, was arrested at her family's home outside San Francisco on charges of providing material support to a terrorist organization and obstruction of justice. In June, a source close to the family told NBC News that Mateen sent his wife a text message during the rampage, asking her, "Do you see what's happening?"

Last Man to Walk on Moon Dies

Former astronaut Gene Cernan, the last of only a dozen men to walk on the moon who returned to Earth with a message of "peace and hope for all mankind," has died. He was 82. NASA announced that Cernan died Monday surrounded by his family. Cernan, commander of NASA's Apollo 17 mission, set foot on the lunar surface in December 1972 during his third space flight. "Those steps up that ladder, they were tough to make," Cernan recalled in a 2007 oral history. "I didn't want to go up. I wanted to stay a while."
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. BRK.B recently announced that it will now offer reinsurance services in Malaysia. Per a media release, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company (BHSI), which is part of Berkshire Hathaway's National Indemnity group of insurance companies, has established an office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to provide non-life reinsurance services.



We note that Asia has now become a lucrative growth market for insurers intending to expand their business internationally. Notably, Asias contribution to global gross domestic product (GDP) has increased and is expected to continue rising. While Berkshire Hathaway already has operations in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau, the recent establishment in Malaysia will further expand its presence in the Asian markets.



We note that other insurance companies too have been eyeing strategic opportunities in the Asian market for business expansion. Canadian insurer Sun Life Financial Inc. SLF is focusing on the emerging economies of Asia for higher return and growth than the North American markets. The company has a strong presence in China, Philippines, India, Hong Kong and Indonesia, and has also forayed into Malaysia and Vietnam. This has taken the count to seven Asian markets in which it has a presence. Over the past three years, net income from Asian operations has doubled while the value of new businesses have tripled. Other stalwarts like Manulife Financial Corp. MCF and Chubb Corp. CB also have strong presence in Asia and consistently seek growth opportunities there. Notably, the Asia business now contributes one-third of the Manulife Financials earnings.



Berkshire Hathaway  a conglomerate with nearly 90 subsidiaries  engages in businesses ranging from ice-cream to insurance. Though the company runs heterogeneous businesses/operations, its property and casualty insurance business generates the maximum return on equity. The company leaves no stone unturned in capitalizing on growth opportunities. The recent expansion in Asia bears testimony to its sustained efforts on improving the growth profile.



Shares of Berkshire Hathaway has outperformed the Zacks categorized Property, Casualty and Title Insurance industry in the last three months. While shares of Berkshire Hathaway gained 28.35%, the industry improved by 25.88%. The company did not witness any estimate revisions in the last 60 days. The Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) beat expectations in three of the last four quarters. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Story continues

Nonetheless, Berkshire Hathaway is expected to benefit from its growing Insurance, Manufacturing, Service and Retailing, and Finance and Financial Products segments amid an improving economy. Its acquisitions will also drive growth. The expected long-term earnings growth is currently pegged at 7%.

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What to Know Christie's second-in-command has mostly stood by his side for seven years

She publicly disagreed with him last year over his support of Donald Trump and an increase in the state's gas tax

Guadagno joins Republican Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, among others, competing in the June 6 primary

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno launched her gubernatorial campaign on Tuesday, pledging to cut taxpayers' burdens and accusing Democrats of making those burdens worse.

Supporters and local officials - but not incumbent Gov. Chris Christie - gathered at a restaurant in Keansburg as Guadagno announced she was seeking the Republican nomination for this November's election.

Christie's second-in-command mostly stood by his side for seven years, before publicly breaking with him last year over his support of Donald Trump and an increase in the state's gas tax. She repeatedly referred to the idea that New Jerseyans were some of the most taxed people in the country.

"That's simply unacceptable. We can do better," Guadagno told supporters.

She also launched a new website to back her campaign, pledging there to address three primary issues: lowering property taxes, improving education and growing jobs.

"Simply put, I will make New Jersey better," she said.

Guadagno is an attorney who served as a federal prosecutor in New York and later moved to New Jersey, where she served as Monmouth County sheriff.

She joins Republican Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, among others, competing in the June 6 primary. Ciattarelli is scaling back his campaign while undergoing treatment for cancer in his neck.

On the Democratic side, former Goldman Sachs executive, Democratic National Committee finance chairman and U.S. ambassador to Germany Phil Murphy is facing off against Assemblyman John Wisniewski. Most of the state's key Democrats at the local and national level have endorsed Murphy.
What to Know Authorities say a BMW fled police in New Jersey before taking off into the Holland Tunnel and crashing into a Corvette in lower Manhattan

The driver of the BMW got out of his mangled vehicle and ran away on foot after the crash, police said

The driver of the Corvette suffered minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital

Police were searching for a man on the run Tuesday morning, hours after he allegedly fled police in a stolen vehicle, sped through the Holland Tunnel and crashed into another car in SoHo, authorities said.

The two cars collided just minutes after a New Jersey State trooper tried to stop a cream-colored BMW X5, which authorities later learned had been stolen, for speeding in Newark. The BMW was traveling on I-78 at about 1:53 a.m. and sped away eastbound as the trooper followed with lights and sirens on, according to police.

The BMW dashed into the Holland Tunnel and the New Jersey trooper called off the pursuit. Police later said that the BMW was stolen from Long Hill Township, New Jersey.

After exiting the Holland Tunnel in lower Manhattan, the BMW crashed into a white Corvette near Broome and Greene streets around 2 a.m. The force of the crash sent the BMW flying into 470 Broome Street, where it slammed into the front of an art museum.

The BMW was left mutilated  its front completely mangled and its hood wrapped around a pillar. The Corvette was down the street, its top sheared off.

Police said the driver of the BMW broke the windshield and fled the area after the crash. He was last seen running westbound on Broome Street towards Wooster Street.

A task force is being assembled to search for the driver, who is believed to be injured, police said.

The 28-year-old driver of the Corvette was taken to Bellevue Hospital with minor injuries.

There was a heavy police presence at the scene just before 5 a.m. as a search for the man and an investigation into the crash continued.
The inauguration has been a key event at the start of each presidency since George Washington took the first oath of office in 1789.

Certain features have remained fairly constant over the years, including the oath and the inaugural address. Other aspects, such as the date, have changed. The event has grown and evolved with the times, and there have been some mishaps along the way.

Inaugural Addresses and Botched Oaths

The inaugural address has been an important staple of the ceremony. Presidents use the speech to inform the country of their intentions. George Washington was able to convey his in 135 words during his second inauguration, the shortest inaugural address on record.

William Henry Harrison set the record for longest speech at 8,495 words, which he delivered over nearly two hours without hat or coat in the middle of a snowstorm. His death has long been attributed to his prolonged exposure to bad weather at his March 4 inauguration, but modern historians and public health specialists believe he died due to sewage-contaminated water at the White House.

At least five times during a presidential swearing-in ceremony, either the incoming president taking the presidential oath or the justice administering it has stumbled over the words, according to Jim Bendat, author of Democracys Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President 1789-2013.

One of the most awkward moments in inauguration history occurred in 2009, when Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed the oath during President Barack Obamas swearing-in ceremony, putting the word faithfully in the wrong place. Though it was a minor slip of the tongue, concern was raised that Obama may not have been properly sworn in. They later repeated the 35-word oath, in the right order, at the White House.

President Lyndon B. Johnson, however, takes the prize for the most botched oath. During President John F. Kennedy's inauguration, then-Vice President Johnson pledged to accept his post without any mental reservation whatever, instead of without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. At the time, no one seemed to notice or care.

So Help Me God

Prior to his swearing-in ceremony on March 4, 1933, President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor, attended a service at St. John's Episcopal Church, near the White House. The couple repeated the ritual before Roosevelts 1937 and 1941 inaugurations, and arranged for a private service at the White House the morning of his fourth inauguration.

Following his custom of attending church on each anniversary of his first inauguration on March 4, 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt went to prayer services at St. Johns Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. on March 4, 1942. As he left the church he stopped to chat with the Rev. Endicott Peabody, left, headmaster emeritus of Groton school. At right is Major General Edwin M. Watson, presidential secretary and military aide.

The Roosevelts set a precedent that has been followed by every president since, with nearly all making their morning worship stop at St. John's Episcopal.

Passing the Torch

In 1789, George Washington was elected as the first president of the United States. As we prepare for President-elect Joe Biden's swearing-in, here is a look at our country's very first presidential inauguration.

The president-elect and the outgoing president proceed together to the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremonies. It's an image that helps convey the peaceful transfer of power. This tradition has endured, with few exceptions, since 1837, when Martin Van Buren and Andrew Jackson rode together in a carriage made from wood taken from the U.S.S. Constitution.

Outgoing President John Quincy Adams did not attend the ceremony of his successor, President Andrew Jackson, in 1829. The relationship between the two men was damaged by the bitter campaign of 1828. Jackson blamed the verbal attacks made by Adams and his political allies for the death of his wife.

History could repeat itself on Jan. 21. President Donald Trump, who has refused to accept his electoral defeat, is expected to skip the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, NBC News reports.

President George W. Bush escorts President-elect Barack Obama out of the North Portico of the White House to the limousine they will share on their ride to the Capitol on January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC.

President Andrew Johnson did not accompany President-elect Ulysses S. Grant to the Capitol, nor did he attend the inaugural ceremonies. Instead, he remained at the White House signing last-minute legislation.

Pomp and Circumstance

After his second inauguration, in 1805, President Thomas Jefferson rode on horseback from the Capitol to the White House amid a spontaneous gathering of members of Congress and citizens, accompanied by music performed by the Marine Band  a procession that grew into the present-day's inaugural parade. The Marine Band has played at every presidential inauguration since.

Over the years, the parades have become more elaborate. In 1837, Martin Van Buren became the first president to have floats at his parade. Nearly two centuries later, in 2009, more than 10,000 people from all 50 states marched in President Barack Obama's first inauguration.

A band marches in President Barack Obama's second inaugural parade, Jan. 20, 2009.

And though turnout to witness the inauguration of the first black president of the United States shattered records, it was Dwight D. Eisenhower's first inaugural parade in 1953 that takes the cake for most extravagant. That one had 25,000 marchers, 73 bands, 59 floats, horses and elephants, and went on for more than four hours. The Texas-born president was even lassoed in the reviewing stand by a cowboy who rode up to him on horse.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, center, seems to be getting a big kick out of being lassoed by Monte Montana, dressed in cowboy style, as he reviewed the inaugural parade from presidential stand in front of the White House, Jan. 20, 1953, Washington, D.C.

It was that excess that forced a cap on the number of marchers at 15,000.

President-elect Biden's inauguration will be mostly virtual to deter large crowds from gathering and possibly spreading the coronavirus era. It will include a "virtual parade across America" and a pared-down gathering of government officials and dignitaries for his swearing-in.

A Ball of a Time

While some tickets for President Donald Trump's Washingtonian Inaugural Ball  one of three he held  went for as much as $1,250 a pop, the 400 tickets to James Madisons celebration went for $4 each.

The Inaugural ball is a highlight of Washington society. Over the years, organizers have increased the number of events due to a high demand for tickets. Obama attended 10 official balls for his first inaugural in 2009. President Bill Clinton's second inauguration in 1997 had an all-time high with 14.

PHOTOS: First Ladies' Inaugural Ball Gowns Through the Years

The most riotous inauguration reception goes to President Andrew Jackson. After Jackson was sworn-in on March 4, 1829, he invited the American public to the White House for a celebration. Overwhelming crowds ruined many White House furnishings, and forced the new president to make a getaway through a window. White House staff reported the carpets smelled of cheese for months afterward.

Crowd in front of White House during Andrew Jackson's first inaugural reception in 1829.

A Stormy History

President Franklin Pierce awoke to heavy snow on his inauguration day on March 4, 1853. Though the skies looked to be clearing by noon, it began to snow again as he began his inaugural address. It came down heavier than ever, dispersing much of the crowd and ruining plans for the parade. Abigail Fillmore, first lady to outgoing President Millard Fillmore, caught a cold as she sat on the frigid, damp platform during the swearing-in ceremony. The cold developed into pneumonia and she died at the end of the month.

The day before President William H. Taft's ceremony, a blizzard pummeled Washington, D.C. Strong winds toppled trees and telephone poles, trains were stalled and city streets were impassable. Sanitation workers shoveled sand and snow through half the night. It took 6,000 men and 500 wagons to clear 58,000 tons of snow and slush from the parade route.

Despite the freezing temperatures, a large crowd gathered in front of the Capitol to view the inauguration, but the weather forced the ceremony indoors. Just after the swearing-in, the snow tapered off.

In 1985, President Ronald Reagan's second swearing-in ceremony, on Jan. 21, had to be held indoors and the inaugural parade canceled because of record low temperatures  the coldest inauguration ever. Medical and military authorities had warned Reagan that "exposed flesh can freeze within five to 10 minutes, triggering considerable danger to many of the parade and ceremony participants, spectators and the general public."
The two-count federal indictment against the wife of the Orlando nightclub gunman was unsealed Tuesday morning, hours before she was set to appear in federal court for the first time.

Salman appeared federal court in Oakland on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. PT, although the case is being prosecuted in the U.S. Central District Court in Florida. Her case was delayed until she could be assigned a federal public defender.

Her uncle defended her outside court, saying she was an innocent victim.

Federal prosecutors in Florida allege Salman was helping her husband, Omar Mateen, since at least April, months before the June 12 attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. He killed 49 people and wounded 53, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, before dying in a shootout with police.

Charging documents made public Tuesday morning show that Salman was indicted on Jan. 12, four days before her arrest on Monday. Her Florida-based attorney has denied she had advance knowledge of the mass shooting.

NBC Bay Area obtained exclusive surveillance footage taken in the neighborhood of the moments before her arrest.

The short clip of black-and-white video shot at 7:36 a.m. Monday shows two Alameda County sheriff's deputies standing on the sidewalk as at least three men in plain clothes walk by quickly on the sidewalk.

Salman was taken into custody shortly afterward, although the video does not show that moment. A woman declined to comment through a screen door at Salman's mother's home on Monday, where she moved after the massacre.

The first count of the indictment alleges Salman "knowingly" aided and abetted her husband by providing him "material support or resources" to a designated foreign terrorist organization, ISIS. Before he was killed in a shootout, Mateen told a police hostage negotiator that he was a soldier of ISIS and that the United States had to stop its bombing in Syria and Iraq, according to police transcripts.

Salman was also charged with obstructing justice for officers in the Fort Pierce police and FBI investigation. The details of the case have been sealed.

In June, a source close to the family told NBC News that Mateen sent his wife a text message during the rampage, asking her, "Do you see what's happening?" After swapping texts, she allegedly tried to call him. The charging documents allege that Salman had been helping her husband since at least April.

But in a statement sent to NBC News, Salman's Tampa-based attorney, Linda Moreno, said in a statement that Mateen's widow had no advance knowledge of what her husband would do that night at the Florida gay club.

"Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands," Moreno said in the statement. "We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonors the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person."

A neighbor told NBC Bay Area she was surprised that Salman had been arrested. "I thought she was not a suspect, I thought she was fine," the neighbor said.

Another neighbor, Tony Torres, said he didn't think Salman was any type of killer mastermind: "I think she was just along for the ride."

In November, Salman told the New York Times in an interview that she was "unaware of everything."

I dont condone what he has done," she said then. "I am very sorry for what has happened. He has hurt a lot of people.

Since the massacre, Salman was said to have been cooperating with the FBI. It is not clear what changed.

Salman's parents live in Rodeo, California, and the FBI has previously visited that location to interview her, NBC News reported. Rodeo is a small city, with a population of 8,600, in Contra Costa County near the San Pablo Bay, about 45 minutes from San Francisco.

Her mothers neighbors in Rodeo have told NBC Bay Area that Salman was the daughter of Ekbal Zahi and Bassam Abdallah Salman, who died of a heart attack several years ago. Salman's mother still lives at the home with her youngest child but has not spoken out publicly about the shooting.

According to neighbors, Salman attended John Swett High School in nearby Crockett, California. Salman married Mateen, neighbors said, and moved to Florida about five years ago. She moved back to the Bay Area with her son after the massacre.

NBC Bay Area's Shawn Murphy, Pete Suratos and Chuck Coppola contributed to this report.
Days before taking office, President-elect Donald Trump attempted to navigate the fallout of his flap with a civil rights leader and colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while also losing a member of his incoming administration to accusations of plagiarism.

Trump on Monday met with one of King's sons on the holiday marking the life of the slain American icon just days after the president-elect attacked Rep. John Lewis on Twitter. Lewis and the elder King were among the Big Six leaders of the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Trump accused Lewis, D-Ga., for being "all talk" after Lewis questioned the legitimacy of Trump's election. The president-elect also advised the veteran congressman to pay more attention to his "crime ridden" Atlanta-area district. Trump's comments drew widespread criticism and have done little to reassure those uneasy about the transition from the nation's first black president to a president-elect still struggling to connect with most nonwhite voters.

Martin Luther King III downplayed the slight, saying that "in the heat of emotion a lot of things get said on both sides." King, who said he pressed Trump on the need for voting reform to increase participation, deemed the meeting "constructive." King said that while he disagreed with the president-elect's comments, he believed "at some point in this nation we've got to move forward."

"He said that he is going to represent all Americans. He said that over and over again," King told reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower after the nearly hourlong meeting. "I believe that's his intent, but I think we also have to consistently engage with pressure, public pressure. It doesn't happen automatically."

Trump, who struggled for support from minority voters on Election Day, briefly joined King in the lobby but ignored reporters' shouted questions about his comments about Lewis.

Lewis had suggested that Trump's November victory was delegitimized due to Russian interference and said he would boycott Friday's Inauguration. More than two dozen Democratic members of Congress have said they will sit out the Trump ceremony. Among them is Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen, who said Monday that "this president 'semi-elect' does not deserve to be president of the United States. He has not exhibited the characteristics or the values that we hold dear."

The Martin Luther King holiday is meant to honor community service and volunteerism, and many Americans, including President Barack Obama, spend part of the day doing a service project of some kind. Trump, who cancelled a planned trip to Washington, spent the day inside the Manhattan skyscraper that bears his name.

Meanwhile, conservative media commentator Monica Crowley will not be joining the Trump administration following accusations of plagiarism, according to a transition official.

Crowley, a frequent on-air presence at Fox News Channel, had been slated to join Trump's National Security Council as a director of strategic communications. On Monday, she withdrew her name from consideration after CNN reported last week that several passages in a 2012 book Crowley wrote were plagiarized. Publisher HarperCollins then pulled the book.

Crowley's retreat was first reported by The Washington Times. The transition official confirmed the decision on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

Trump has continued to lash out at his critics in the intelligence community and questioned whether the CIA director himself was "the leaker of fake news" in a Sunday night tweet.

The extraordinary criticism from the incoming president came hours after CIA chief John Brennan charged that Trump lacks a full understanding of the threat Moscow poses to the United States, delivering a public lecture to the president-elect that further highlighted the bitter state of Trump's relations with American intelligence agencies.

"Now that he's going to have an opportunity to do something for our national security as opposed to talking and tweeting, he's going to have tremendous responsibility to make sure that U.S. and national security interests are protected," Brennan said on "Fox News Sunday," warning that the president-elect's impulsivity could be dangerous.

Trump shot back in a Twitter post Sunday, saying: "Oh really, couldn't do much worse - just look at Syria (red line), Crimea, Ukraine and the buildup of Russian nukes. Not good! Was this the leaker of Fake News?"

Additionally, European Union nations bracing for Trump's ascension showed defiance Monday in the face of the president-elect's stinging comments on everything from NATO and German cars to the crumbling of the EU itself.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the U.S. president-elect's view that NATO was obsolete and his criticism that European allied members aren't paying their fair share had "caused astonishment."

Trump also said Britain's decision to leave the 28-nation European Union would "end up being a great thing," and he predicted that other countries would also leave.

At a meeting of EU ministers, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the best response to such comments was simple  "it is the unity of the Europeans."

In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted: "We Europeans have our fate in our own hands."
Call them rebels with a cause. Or two. Or three. Or 10.

When throngs of women from around the nation converge on Washington for a march on the day after Donald Trump's inauguration, they will arrive driven by a multitude of motivations.

Gay rights, gun control, immigrant rights, equal pay, reproductive freedom, racial justice, worker rights, climate change, support for vaccinations: They all make the list of progressive causes that are attracting people to the Women's March on Washington and its sister marches across the country and the world this coming Saturday.

"We are not going to give the next president that much focus,'' says Linda Sarsour, a national march organizer and executive director of the Arab American Association of New York. "What we want from him is to see us in focus.''

But while Trump's name may not literally appear in the march's "mission and vision'' statement, the common denominator uniting the marchers appears to be a loathing for the president-elect and dismay that so much of the country voted for him.

"This march feels like a chance to be part of something that isn't pity, isn't powerlessness,'' says Leslie Rutkowski, an American living in Norway who plans to fly back for the march. "I hope it is unifying. I hope it flies in the face of Trump's platform of hate and divisiveness.''

Adds Kelsey Wadman, a new mom in California who's helping to organize a parallel march in San Diego: "It's not just about Donald Trump the person. It's about what he evoked out of the country.''

The march in Washington is set to start with a program near the Capitol and then move toward the White House. It probably will be the largest of a number of inauguration-related protests.

Christopher Geldart, the District of Columbia's homeland security director, said he expected the march to draw more than the 200,000 people organizers are planning for, based on bus registrations and train bookings.

The focus of the march has been a work in progress since the idea of a Washington mobilization first bubbled up from a number of women's social media posts in the hours after Trump's election.

The group's November application for a march permit summed up its purpose as to "come together in solidarity to express to the new administration & Congress that women's rights are human rights and our power cannot be ignored.''

That phrasing rankled some who thought it was tied too closely to Hillary Clinton, the defeated Democratic nominee, whose famous Beijing speech as first lady declared that "women's rights are human rights.'' The fact that the initial march organizers were mostly white women also generated grumbling, this time from minorities. Gradually, the march's leadership and its mission statements have become more all-inclusive.

Recent releases from march organizers state the event "intends to send a bold message to the incoming presidential administration on their first day in office, to leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and to the world, that we stand together in solidarity and expect elected leaders to act to protect the rights of women, their families and their communities.''

America Ferrera, leading the celebrity contingent for the march, rolled out a long list of concerns in a statement announcing her role.

"Immigrant rights, worker rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQIA rights, racial justice and environmental rights are not special interests, they affect us all and should be every American's concerns,'' she wrote.

Other prominent names involved with the march have put a spotlight on one concern - or another.

Actress Scarlett Johansson, who plans to participate, put her focus on the incoming administration's intentions of "reducing the availability of women's health care and attacking her reproductive rights.'' Actress Debra Messing, listed as a supporter of the march, wrote of the need to protect Planned Parenthood.

Expect thousands of the marchers to turn up wearing hand-knitted pink "pussyhats'' - sending a message of female empowerment and pushing back against Trump's demeaning comments about women.

Scan #WhyIMarch posts on social media, and you'll find a wide-ranging list of reasons. A sampling: equal pay for women veterans, fighting chauvinism, empowering daughters, renouncing racism, higher pay for women who are college presidents.

Wadman, the California mom, tweeted a #WhyIMarch photo with her 4-month-old son and this note: "Because when my son asks me about this era of American history I don't want to tell him that I did nothing.''

Rutkowski, the American living in Norway, emailed that she's "not completely satisfied'' with the mixed messages attached to the march.

"I also don't like - from what I've seen in the news and on Facebook - the proclivity for infighting,'' she wrote. "But I believe that a quarter of a million female bodies - hopefully more, hopefully men, as well - will make the incoming administration and new Congress aware that we are watching, we are listening and we will resist.''

Carmen Perez, one of the march's national organizers, sees beauty in the many messages attached to the march: "Women don't live single-issue lives and we are thrilled to be joined by women who understand and reflect the intersecting issues for which we stand.''
A New Jersey man accused of stabbing his estranged wife to death in front of their 12-year-old appeared before a judge Tuesday morning, at times interrupting proceedings by loudly whispering to his attorney during an arduous hour-and-a-half hearing.

The 32-year-old Cedarville man is charged with murder, weapons offenses and violating a restraining order in the death of 35-year-old Tara O'Shea, who was killed at her Commercial Township home on Dec. 18. He evaded police for two weeks after the killing.

At one point during Tuesday morning's detention hearing, the judge asked Monell if he understands and the 32-year-old just stared back at the judge, not answering, said NBC10's Cydney Long who was in the courtroom. At other points, Monell loudly whispered to his public defender, causing court to be delayed.

At another point, it was revealed that the couple's 12-year-old witnessed his mother's death.

After the hearing, Monell was returned to Cumberland County Jail without bail.

O'Shea-Watson's family didn't make any comment after court Tuesday.
A school bus rear-ended a NJ Transit bus in East Brunswick Monday morning, injuring a child on the school bus and four passengers on the NJ Transit bus, officials say.

The NJ Transit commuter bus was stopped on Route 18 near Eggers Street, picking up passengers just before 9 a.m., when the Kensington Company school bus hit it, East Brunswick police say.

A child on the school bus suffered a broken leg and cuts as a result of the crash, police said. Four passengers on the NJ Transit bus were treated for minor injuries and pain.

Police are investigating. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact police at 732-390-6969.
More than 3,000 chicks died in a chicken house fire at a south-central Pennsylvania farm, a fire chief reports.

A malfunctioning heater caused the fire Monday afternoon at the farm in West Donegal Township, about 20 miles southeast of Harrisburg, Rheems Fire Chief Charles Stanford said.

Farm hands worked to hold the fire in check until firefighters arrived, but it wasn't enough to save the 3,600 chicks, the chief said.

The fire caused about $16,000 damage to the building.
The Philadelphia Ethics Board doled out a $62,000 fine to District Attorney Seth Williams for his failure to disclose five sources of income and 89 gifts, the board said in a statement Tuesday.

The fine is the largest in the board's 10-year history and includes a first-of-its-kind recovery clause as well, the statement said.

In addition to the fine, Williams must pay the city $2,840 for the value of the gifts he received.

"Among the gifts District Attorney Williams failed to disclose in his Original Statements were 20 gifts from individuals who had a financial interest that the District Attorney was able to substantially affect through official action at the time they gave the gifts," the Ethics Board said.

Williams is also required to amend his statements of financial interest to the city within 30 days.

After the fine was announced, Williams put out a statement in which he said he "will work every day to earn back the trust and respect of all of you."

"It was wrong to fail to fully and accurately disclose the payments and gifts I received," he said in the statement. "I apologize to the people of Philadelphia, the hardworking and talented staff of the District Attorneys office, my supporters, the friends who supported me and asked nothing in return and most of all to my family, who have had to endure unwarranted attacks for my shortcomings."

Williams has been under investigation by the ethics board since August. He also has reportedly been under investigation by the FBI since September for a charitable foundation in his name.

Williams first told NBC10 in September that he was cooperating with the ethics board.

"I want to say I made a mistake in not reporting gifts from very close friends and very close family," Williams said in an interview Sept. 21. "And because of that I sincerely and humbly apologize to the citizens of Philadelphia."
Temple University asked students and staff to avoid the area near the colleges engineering building Tuesday morning as the Philadelphia Police Bomb Squad investigated a pair of suspicious items.

The Philadelphia university sent out a "TU Alert" around 9:15 a.m. urging people to avoid the area around the College of Engineering at N 12th and W Norris streets in North Philadelphia due to a suspicious device. [[410935165, C]]

No injuries were reported as about 300 students and staff evacuated the building, said Philadelphia Police.

Police actually found two devices: one a 4x4 wrapped package with orange and red wires exposed found on a loading dock and the other found inside a trash truck, said investigators.

The Philadelphia Police Bomb Squad gave the all clear around 10:30 a.m.

All other classes on campus continued as normal Tuesday, said Temple.
President Barack Obama used Abraham Lincolns and Martin Luther King Jr.s Bibles at his swearing in ceremony in 2013, two presidents used a chair George Washington sat in at his inaugural and George W. Bush wore his father's cufflinks at the ceremony.

Donald Trump will use his Bible, as well as same Lincoln Bible Obama used, when he is sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts as the 45th president of the United States, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Tuesday.

In his first inaugural address, President Lincoln appealed to the better angels of our nature, said PIC Chairman Tom Barrack. As he takes the same oath of office 156 years later, President-elect Trump is humbled to place his hand on Bibles that hold special meaning both to his family and to our country.

Trump received his Bible from his mother upon his graduation from Sunday Church Primary School at First Presbyterian Church in New York on June 12, 1955, the committee said in a statement. The front cover is embossed with his name and the inside cover is signed by church officials and is inscribed with Trump's name and the details of when it was presented, the statement said.

The Lincoln Bible, part of the collections of the Library of Congress, "was purchased for the first inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln by William Thomas Carroll, Clerk of the Supreme Court," the committee said in a statement. "The Bible is bound in burgundy velvet with a gold-washed white metal rim along the edges of the covers."

The Presidential Inaugural Committee's director said on Jan. 11, before details about about the Bibles Trump will be using were released, that the 58th presidential inauguration on Jan. 20. will be full of symbols.

[NATL] First Ladies' Inaugural Fashion Through the Years

Boris Epshteyn said the parade will be shorter than in years prior because Trump wants to get to work as soon as possible. Trump plans to attend three balls, in contrast with Obama who went to 10 balls in 2009 and former President George W. Bush who attended eight balls to celebrate his first inauguration. Epshteyn said a shorter parade and a smaller numbers of balls  one of the three will salute the armed forces and first responders  symbolize Trumps commitment to the American people and getting to work right away.

The President-elect is representative of the people, Epshteyn said. "This inaugural is all about the people and the armed forces ball will be saluting the first responders so the EMTs, the firemen, the police, who help save lives in this country every single day. So thats symbolic about thinking and honoring those responders across the country.

He later added, This inaugural is of the people by the people and for the people.

[NATL-DC] IMAGES: Tickets, Map Unveiled for Trump Inauguration

Jim Bendat, one of the nation's leading experts on presidential inauguration history and author of Democracy's Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President, 1789-2013 said including objects of historical importance in the inauguration is symbolic of how our country has evolved but also illustrates what traditions we want to continue.

Take a look at examples of symbolism from past inaugurations:

1: George Washingtons Bible: The Bible used by the nations first president during his oath in 1789 has been kept at the archives of the St. Johns Masonic Lodge in New York City. That Bible is still on display and four other presidents have used it during their swearing in: Warren Harding in 1921, Dwight Eisenhower in 1953, Jimmy Carter in 1977 and George H. W. Bush in 1989. George W. Bush also wanted to use that Bible in 2001, and it was brought in from New York to D.C. the day before the ceremony. But the inauguration day was cold and rainy and the St. Johns members who transported the Bible from New York would not allow for it to be brought outside in those weather conditions. So George W. Bush used a family Bible, instead. Its a link to the past," Bendat said of the president's use of a Bible.

2. Washington's Chair: George Washington sat in a particular chair during the 1789 inauguration and that exact chair was preserved and then used in later inaugurations. Ulysses S. Grant used it in 1873 and James Garfield sat in it, too, at the 1881 ceremony.

White House Historical Association

3. Bible Not Required: Theres no requirement that a Bible be used during a presidential swearing in. John Quincy Adams, who was a lawyer, placed his hand upon a book of constitutional law when he took the oath in 1825. There were also some sudden inaugurations after the death of a president where no Bible or other book was used. Chester Arthur was sworn in 1881 in his own home following the death of James Garfield and there was no Bible at the house. When Theodore Roosevelt became president after William McKinleys assassination in 1901, the oath was administered at a friends home where no Bible could be found. After Warren Harding died in 1923, Calvin Coolidge was sworn in without placing his hand on a Bible, though a Bible was on the table in his fathers home where the ceremony took place.

White House Historical Association

4. Lincolns Hair: In 1905, Teddy Roosevelt was sworn in as president and close to him was a lock of Abraham Lincolns hair. John Hay, Roosevelts secretary of state who worked under Lincoln 40 years earlier, sent him a locket that contained the former presidents hair. Roosevelt had been a great admirer of Lincoln and was so inspired by Hays gesture that he took the locket with him to the ceremony.

White House Historical Association

5. Open White House: Andrew Jackson, considered the first real Washington outsider to become president in 1829, took the term "open house" seriously on inauguration day. He invited the public to the White House and his supporters strolled in wearing muddy boots. They ruined the carpets, tore down the curtains and trashed the residence. The story goes that someone put a tub of whiskey out onto the White House lawn and the drunken party slowly left the White House. Opening up the White House was a pretty common occurrence in the 19th century, Bendat said. On Abraham Lincoln's inauguration on March 4, 1865, it was estimated the president shook hands with about 6,000 people in just 3 hours. Among them was Frederick Douglass, who told Lincoln that his speech, trying to bring the country together at the end of the Civil War, was "a sacred effort." According to Bendat, "That was the first time in U.S. history that the president had greeted and sought the opinion of a free, black man inside the White House."
A 23-year old Army soldier from Hemet was killed in a non-combat related incident in Kuwait, the Pentagon announced Saturday.

Spc. John P. Rodriguez died while "supporting U.S. Army Central (Command)" as a combat engineer in Kuwait as part of Operation Inherent Resolve at the time of his death, according to Gil Telles, an Army spokesperson. The operation comprises of a U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

The circumstances surrounding his death were not disclosed due to an ongoing investigation.

Rodriguez had been assigned to the 2nd Engineer Battalion, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, of the 1st Armored Division headquartered in Ft. Bliss, Texas.

A post on the 2nd Engineer Battalion's Facebook page said a memorial ceremony for the families at Fort Bliss would be scheduled in the near future.

"A son, a husband and a friend to everyone around him, 'Rod' was an amazing person that we all loved," the post said. "Our most heartfelt condolences go out to his family back home."
When border officials find drug tunnels that lead to the U.S., they are filled with cement and sealed off.

But that doesnt necessarily seal off their future use.

According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, the tunnels arent completely closed off across the border in Mexico. While the entry is sealed, the rest of the tunnel is left alone.

Over the last decade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has spent roughly $9 million to block off the entry points of illegal tunnels.

The Mexican government says it lacks to funds to do the same. This allows drug cartels to dig up a new path within the tunnel and re-direct a passageway to the U.S.

Since some of these sophisticated tunnels have lighting, ventilation and even a rail system, it makes them even more attractive for drug cartels because the infrastructure is mostly installed.

Until 2007, the U.S. didn't fill in the tunnels either, said Ev Meade, director of the University of San Diegos Trans-Border Institute. We just capped the entry points and left them alone, and Mexico basically did the same."

Back in November 2010, an underground tunnel that led to a warehouse in Otay Mesa was discovered by border officials. The 600-yard tunnel ran from Mexico to the U.S.

It was filled up on the U.S. side, but in 2014 authorities discovered that drug traffickers had dug up a new path from inside.

Theres so much talk about the border wall," Meade said. It misses all the other ways in which people and goods get into the U.S. without permission. The tunnels are one of them, theres also airports and sea port entries.

Complicating things even further is the political tension between the U.S. and Mexico.

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to build a wall along our southern border to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking. But tons of drugs have been trafficked into the U.S. through border tunnels.

"We spend $18 to $20 billion a year, Meade said. Thats more than all the rest of federal law enforcement combined. Thats excluding the money we spend on the drug war in Mexico. Depending on how you count it, its another billion dollars or so a year. Through collaboration, theyve been able to arrest the heads of the most important drug cartels in Mexico  the problem is that hasn't done much to go after the underlying business.
An employee at a mechanic shop was in critical condition after he was repeatedly struck with a hammer in an unprovoked attack Sunday evening in North Park, confirmed San Diego Police (SDPD).

According to police, the employee of Jack's Muffler Mechanic was inside the shop alone when the suspect approached him.

The incident occured at approximately 8:39 p.m.

Police said the suspect produced a hammer and struck the victim in the head seven times, until he collapsed on the floor.

After the initial attack, the suspect went into the office for less than a minute but did not take anything, SDPD said.

Surveillance video appears to show the suspect coming back to the victim and striking him six more times in the head with the hammer.

Then, the suspect walked away westbound on the 2100 block of University Avenue, police said.

A passerby later saw the injured victim and alerted the authorities. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital.

When officers arrived they found a bloody crime scene, where the violent act took place, police said.

The suspect is described to be a man between 30 to 40 years old, with balding, short blonde hair. He was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and carrying a black backpack.

Police say the victim suffered brain bleeding, a skull fracture, multiple facial fractures, the possible loss of his left eye, multiple facial lacerations and missing teeth.

His condition was described by doctors as critical but not life-threatening.

Anyone with information on this crime can call the San Diego Police or Crime Stoppers at (888)580-8477.
A United Airlines flight from San Diego to Denver, Colorado was searched for a possible security threat, according to officials.

The pilot of United Flight 231 reported the incident Monday evening as the plane was landing at Denver International Airport, according to our affiliate station in Denver.

A spokesperson for United Airlines said they had received a "non-credible" threat and everyone was taken off the plane as a precaution.

FBI officials conducted a search of the plane and gave the all-clear around 10 p.m., the spokesperson said.

The plane was parked in a remote area of the airfield during the search, according to FBI officials.

Passengers were driven back to the airport gate.

No other information was available.

Please check back for updates on this developing news story.
Hundreds of people gathered at City Hall in Downtown San Diego to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. during a march and a rally on Monday.

The group, organized by the National Action Network (NAN), also included members of organized labor and civil rights activists.

It was focused on a wide-range of social issues, organizers said.

Were very concerned about racial profiling by the police. Were concerned about the homeless people, the way theyre being treated as that they are being kicked away from where they are trying to sleep and establish themselves," said Christina Imhoof from Women Occupied San Diego.

But the march also had a strong focus on the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump and how it may impact civil rights.

NBC 7 spoke to teacher Kesha Borden who said she believes the issues Dr. King fought for in his day are still relevant.

Today are the things that Martin Luther King marched for 50 years ago. Were still fighting for workers rights, womens rights, homelessness, poverty, police brutality. Were fighting for the same things," said Borden.

Some marchers carried signs reading "Black Lives Matter" while others marched for a $15 minimum wage.

Led by Reverend Shane Harris, a group of marchers chanted, "We shall not be moved."

At the end of the march, organizers posted a list of 10-demands on the front door of City Hall that included dropping charges against Robert Branch and redirecting city resources from sport complexes to housing.
A 23-year-old found on the side of the road in Escondido is being remembered as a loving sister and kind soul.

Antonia Herrera, whose body was found on Thursday on an embankment off Champagne Boulevard in unincorporated Escondido, was identified as the victim in the homicide.

Antonia's family told NBC 7 San Diego that their sister and cousin was a beautiful person.

She was so lively and energetic, so happy," said Antonia's sister, Tinamarie Herrera. "She loved to dance, she loved to entertain and she loved to make friends. She has millions of friends everywhere from every zip code."

Antonia was one of seven siblings, the family said.

She was originally from Chula Vista, but spent time in transitional group foster homes all over San Diego. She most recently lived in one in the San Marcos area.

According to her family, Antonia had recently told them she was scared for her life and also made comments that she thought a person was going to kill her over an item she accidentally took.

Detectives said, based on the investigation so far, it doesn't seem like the woman was killed in the area where her body was found. They also don't know how long the body was there.

Antonia's family just hopes the person responsible for the crime is found.

She was a person. She was not a piece of trash," said her cousin, Nicole Leon. "She was somebody's daughter, somebody's sister, somebody's cousin and did not deserve to be thrown out like that. We have no answers."

The manner of death has been ruled a homicide. The autopsy has been sealed, homicide investigators said.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Detail at (858) 974-2321/after hours at (858) 565-5200. You can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 and be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum is mourning the passing of the last astronaut to walk on the moon, Gene Cernan, who was placed on the International Air and Space Hall of Fame in 2007.

Cernan flew to the moon not once but twice, and was revered for being the second person to walk in space and the last person to leave his footsteps on the moon, said museum officials.

"Gene Cernan was a true American hero who served his country with great distinction as a highly decorated Naval Aviator and astronaut, including one of only a dozen people to walk on the moon," said Jim Kidrick, President and CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum, in a statement.

"As a member of the International Air & Space Hall of Fame, a Naval Aviator who trained right here in San Diego, and as a regular visitor to our Museum, Gene will always hold a special place at the San Diego Air & Space Museum," said Kidrick.

The Education Director at the museum recounted Cernan passionately retelling his experience exploring the moon to captivated audiences.

"As the last person to stand on the surface of the Moon, Gene Cernan spent the rest of his life conveying his vivid experiences in ways that brought a tear to the eye of most audience members," explained Francis French, Education Director at the San Diego Air & Space Museum and space historian, in a statement.

"He felt a responsibility not only to share his memories, but also to inspire young people to become explorers. He dearly hoped that he would live to see someone else take his unwanted title of the last person to stand on the moon: It is very saddening that he did not live to see this happen," said French.

In February, the San Diego Air & Space Museum will open an exhibit called "Be the Astronaut," featuring a fun, interactive space adventure, said museum officials. It will involve launching a rocket, piloting a spaceship and driving a rover.
Dennis Muilenburg, CEO of The Boeing Company, arrives at Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith

By Alwyn Scott and Doina Chiacu

(Reuters) - Boeing Co's chief executive said on Tuesday that he and President-elect Donald Trump "made progress" on lowering the cost of the Air Force One presidential aircraft fleet and on a potential sale of Boeing fighter aircraft, and suggesting a deal could be struck soon.

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg's visit to Trump Tower on Tuesday marked another step in Trump's efforts to use his bully pulpit to cut better deals with defense contractors. It also showed Boeing's adroit use of the meetings to pursue its own sales and herald its importance to the U.S. manufacturing economy.

Trump has been pressuring defense companies on prices through Twitter posts and meetings. Last month he said a $4 billion contract for Air Force One was too expensive and should be canceled. Boeing has said it so far has a $170 million contract for design work on the heavily modified Boeing 747 planes and that no final figure for the fleet of planes had been established.

Trump also last month asked the Chicago-based aerospace and defense company to price a contract for Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet to compete with Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter, which is famously over budget.

While not offering details, Muilenburg said the "excellent conversation" with Trump could lead to a deal "in the very near term."

"We made some great progress on simplifying requirements for Air Force One, streamlining the process, streamlining certification by using commercial practices," Muilenburg told reporters after the hour-long meeting. "That's going to lead to substantial cost reductions."

On fighter jets, he said, "we were able to talk about options for the country and capabilities that will, again, provide the best capability for our war fighters most affordably."

Muilenburg praised Trump's approach to negotiations.

"I think Mr. Trump is doing a great job of engaging business," he said, noting that as the U.S.' top exporter, Boeing supports 1.5 million U.S. manufacturing jobs and 13,000 small and mid-sized supplier companies.

Story continues

"If you want manufacturing jobs, aerospace is the place to invest," he said. "We're proud to take on that mission and I think Mr Trump's engagement with industry is going to help us grow manufacturing jobs in this country."

"I appreciate the teamwork approach on this - I think it's the right way to do business."

Boeing's stock was down 0.6 percent at $157.87 in afternoon trade.

(Reporting by Alwyn Scott in Seattle and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Marguerita Choy)
San Diego Police have arrested a man accused of attacking a North Park auto shop worker with a hammer, leaving the victim in critical condition.

Louis Cedarholm, 29, was booked in the county jail Monday night on four felony counts including attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

Surveillance video captured the attack at Jack's Mufflers on University Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

Louis Cedarholm was arrested for allegedly brutally attacking a man with a hammer outside a muffler shop in San Diego. NBC 7s Nicole Gomez speaks with the owner of the shop, who said the attack comes as a total surprise.

In the video, the suspect produced a hammer and struck the victim in the head seven times, until he collapsed on the floor.

After the initial attack, the suspect went into the office for less than a minute but did not take anything, SDPD said.

Then, the suspect walked away westbound on the 2100 block of University Avenue, police said.

A passerby later saw the injured victim and alerted the authorities. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital.

The suspect in the video has been identified by police as Cedarholm.

Investigators say the attack appears to be random.

NBC 7s Nicole Gomez reports on the arrest of a man in what appears to be a random attack on a mechanic in North Park.

Police say the victim suffered brain bleeding, a skull fracture, multiple facial fractures, the possible loss of his left eye, multiple facial lacerations and missing teeth.

His condition was described by doctors as critical but not life-threatening.

The 52-year-old victim was having a snack while he worked at a muffler shop when the suspect approached him and attacked him with a hammer. NBC 7s Rory Devine has more on the disturbing incident.
Three winter storms will move into San Diego, beginning Wednesday evening, and lasting through Monday night. Heavy rainfall and possible thunderstorms will be enough to cause flooding.

The first storm will move in, late Wednesday, and bring rain Thursday. Another storm will move in Friday. There is a chance of showers on Saturday and Sunday. The final storm in this series is expected Monday.

Monday should be the biggest storm, said NBC 7 Meteorologist Jodi Kodesh. Check the NBC 7 forecast here.

Preliminary rainfall totals following the weekend are estimated to be 2 to 4 inches along the coast with 3 to 5 inches in the valleys.

In the mountains, we could receive 5 to 10 inches of rainfall with snow predicted above 5,000 feet. Snowfall could measure between an inch and five inches in some areas with the higher peaks receiving 7 inches to a foot of new snow.

Farther east, residents in the upper desert areas could see an inch to 3 inches of rain with slightly less (1 to 2 inches) in the lower deserts.

My concern is, after the first and second storms move through, our ground will be saturated, Kodesh said. That means, when the final storm rolls in, the ground wont be able to absorb much, and we run a really high risk of run-off and flash flooding.

Wednesday: A sun and cloud mix, with a high of 61.

Wednesday evening: A chance of showers after 10 p.m., with rain becoming likely after 4 a.m. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 53. West wind, 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday: Rain before 10a.m., then showers likely for the remainder of the day. There is a chance of thunderstorms. High near 60. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Thursday evening: Showers likely. Low around 53.

Friday: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. High around 58.

Friday evening: Mostly cloudy, with showers. Low around 52.

Saturday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high around 58.

Saturday evening: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 50.

Sunday: A slight chance of rain. Partly cloudy, with a high around 61.

Sunday evening: Rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Monday: Rain is likely. The rain could be heavy at times. High around 59.

Monday evening: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.

Tuesday: A slight chance of a morning shower. Partly cloudy, with a high around 59.

Make sure to download NBC 7s free news app. Weather alerts, like flood advisories warnings are issued through the app. There is also a local, interactive radar.
A mother of two who moved to San Diego days ago for a fresh start lost nearly all her possessions - and her beloved six-month-old puppy - in a devastating Oceanside condominium fire.

On Sunday, Nitra Jones went to dinner with a friend to celebrate her moving into her new condo, located on the 5600 block of Boot Way in Oceanside.

When Jones came back, she tried to open the door to her place and was greeted by a cloud of smoke as flames burst out from the house.

The fire appears to have started on the bottom floor and quickly traveled upstairs. Investigators are still trying to figure out which room the fire started in, and how the fire started.

The blaze caused the second floor to partially collapse onto the first floor. The flames spread to the two units next to Jones' condo.

Firefighters could not save Jones' puppy, Captain.

"I was for calling for Captain, and he never came, and they told me that they found him on the second floor, and I asked to see him and they told me it wasn't a good idea," Jones said, in tears.

Though she lost nearly everything she owns, Jones said the biggest loss was her best friend, Captain.

"So sad. My puppy is the worst thing," Jones said, crying. "Everything else, it doesnt matter, but he was my puppy and I had him since he was a baby and he didnt deserve to go like this and I feel so bad."

Jones had just rented the condo and moved in the day before the fire.

"My mom is devastated," said Mariano Cuellar, her 19-year-old son, on Sunday. "She lost all of the furniture she recently just bought. She moved cross country to stay with her kids and the worse thing that could happen, happened tonight."

Jones had not even slept in her new place yet - she had just moved all her clothes, belongings and new furniture in when she decided to go out to dinner with a friend to celebrate.

Based on the damage to her home, investigators say the fire was most likely burning without detection for a period of time before anyone became aware.

As Jones walked through the place Monday, she was brought to tears by the loss of her beloved dog and her new belongings - her fresh start after living in Virginia for six months.

"I just ask God, what is the plan for me?" Jones said.

It is unclear at this time how the fire started. An investigation is ongoing. No other information was immediately available.

If you wish to donate to the family, you can visit their GoFundMe page.
Inauguration isn't until Friday, but three days of events kicked off Thursday, with concerts around the National Mall and a wreath-laying at Arlington Cemetery.

Here's what to know about the events:

Thursday, Jan. 19



'Voices of the People,' JFK Hockey Fields south of the Reflecting Pool

-- 1:30 p.m.

Voices of the People was set to feature groups such as the D.C. Fire Department Pipes and Drums, the King's Academy Honor Choir, the Republican Hindu Coalition and the Montgomery Area High School Marching Band, among others.

Wreath-Laying Ceremony, Arlington National Cemetery

-- 3:30 p.m.

President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence participated in a private ceremony at the military cemetery.

'Make America Great Again!' Welcome Celebration, Lincoln Memorial

-- 4 p.m.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) called this the "official kickoff to the inaugural events." Trump will give his first major speech here, PIC spokesman Alex Stroman said in an interview with News4.

Country music star Toby Keith, actor Jon Voight and rock band 3 Doors Down are among the participants. Military bands will also participate, and a fireworks show will follow. See the full list of participants online here.

The event begins at 4 p.m., with Trump scheduled to speak at 5:50 p.m. Fireworks will begin at 6 p.m.

Tickets will be required for special viewing areas but not for general public viewing areas.

Friday, Jan. 20

In line with tradition, before Trump is sworn in, he will stay at Blair House, known as the president's guest house. On the morning of Inauguration Day, he will have coffee with President Barack Obama and attend a service at St. John's Church.

Inaugural Swearing-In Ceremony, the U.S. Capitol

Trump will be sworn in as president on the west side of the Capitol building.

Security screening gates will open at 6 a.m., music will begin about 9:30 a.m. and opening remarks will begin at 11:30 a.m.

The 16-year-old soprano Jackie Evancho, who was a contestant on the reality show "America's Got Talent," will sing the national anthem.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which is renowned for its soaring renditions of religious and patriotic music, and the Radio City Rockettes also are set to perform.

Six prominent clergy members will give readings at the ceremony, The Washington Post reported: Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Rev. Franklin Graham, Rabbi Marvin Hier, Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez and Pastor Paula White.

Tickets will be required for special viewing areas located east of Fourth Street NW but not for general public viewing areas west of Fourth Street NW.

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has issued nearly 250,000 color-coded tickets to the ceremony. Tickets were released to members of Congress -- who are considered the hosts of the event -- earlier this month. Every person headed to a ticketed area needs a ticket, including children.

Inaugural Parade, Pennsylvania Avenue

Forty organizations, including several military and veterans groups, will march in the inaugural parade.

Seven high school marching bands are set to perform. It was a longstanding tradition for a D.C. high school marching band to play in the parade, but not one school applied to participate this time.

The parade will move from the Capitol to the White House. It is expected to be shorter this year, at about an hour and a half.

"That's probably a testament to this president's willingness and eagerness to get to work for the American people," Stroman said.

Tickets will be required for special viewing areas but will not be required for general public viewing areas.

Official Inaugural Balls

Trump is expected to attend three official inaugural balls.

Tickets will be required.

Saturday, Jan. 21

National Prayer Service, Washington National Cathedral

An interfaith prayer service will be held the day after Trump becomes president.

For updates, stay with News4 and NBCWashington.com, and download the NBC Washington app.
Conservative media commentator Monica Crowley will not be joining the Trump administration following accusations of plagiarism.

That's according to a transition official.

Crowley had been slated to join Trump's National Security Council as a director of strategic communications. Her decision comes after CNN reported that several passages in a 2012 book written by Crowley were plagiarized. Publisher HarperCollins then pulled the book, titled "What the (Bleep) Just Happened?"

Crowley's withdrawal from her position was first reported by the Washington Times. The transition official confirmed the decision on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
Cesare, a 3-year-old Italian sheepdog rescued from a burning home in Northwest Washington Monday afternoon, has died.

The owner of the dog said on his Facebook page that Cesare died Tuesday morning. He said a second dog, Pepper, was doing great and out of the Friendship Heights Animal Hospital.

Firefighters found the dogs in a two-story house in the 4500 block of Klingle Street, Northwest, and began life-saving efforts on Cesare at the scene to get the dog breathing, D.C. Fire and EMS said.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, D.C. Fire and EMS said. No one else was inside the house at the time of the fire.

Working fire 4500 blk Klingle St NW. Fire 1st flr large 2 story house. Fire knocked down. Rescued 1 dog we are working to resuscitate. pic.twitter.com/rxok3SqP40  DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) January 16, 2017

Klingle St fire under control. We have got the rescued dog breathing and are providing additional care. No one else found during search. pic.twitter.com/DICYhvvaT3  DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) January 16, 2017
Baltimore in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray will be the subject of an upcoming HBO documentary titled, "For the Love of Baltimore.''

The cable channel announced the documentary over the weekend on the Television Critics Association press tour in Los Angeles, The Baltimore Sun reports.

HBO says in a statement that the production "explores a city divided'' and is "told through the journeys of local activists, police officers, community residents and gang affiliates.''

Actress Sonja Sohn, who played Detective Shakima Greggs on "The Wire,'' will direct the film. Sohn was in Baltimore in 2015 following the death of Gray conducting classes with residents in the neighborhood where much of the civil unrest following Gray's death took place.

The film will debut sometime this year.
A Prince Georges County, Maryland, Council member returned donations from liquor businesses as the FBI investigates a bribery conspiracy.

First-term Council member Deni Taveras replaced Will Campos on the council. Campos pleaded guilty for his role in a pay-to-play scheme involving county liquor businesses.

After learning the details of his case, Taveras decided to return some donor money "as an overabundance of caution," she said, adding she didnt feel comfortable. Giving the money back was her own decision, Taveras said.

"Some of the individuals that were named in the initial affidavit donated to my campaign, such as some of the liquor stores, and that's the money that I gave back," she said.

How much money she gave back is unclear.

Last week the FBI unsealed the arrest of Campos, revealing he funneled county money into nonprofit organizations that was later returned to him in kickbacks.

In a statement Campos admitted his wrongdoing and said that he cooperated with the FBI and even wore a wire.

Campos was elected to the General Assembly in 2014 and resigned in September 2015.

As part of his plea agreement, Campos will be required pay restitution of at least $340,000. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 10.

Campos campaigned for Taveras.

"Even when people started to mention his name, I was in the position where I just didn't believe that," she said.

On opening day of the Maryland legislature, now former Del. Michael Vaughn submitted his letter of resignation citing health concerns. State Senate President Mike Miller said Vaughn also is under investigation by the FBI and is expected to be arrested.
Donald Trump will be sworn in as the country's 45th president on Friday and thousands of his supporters from across the country will attend to witness the historic event. They hope his presidency will be the start of an American revival that will bring greater prosperity to the country.

Here's a recap of what's happened since President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey.

The next day thousands of women, many dismayed by the president-elect's crude references to them and his embrace of policies they believe will hurt them and their families, will march in the capital. Many will wear pink hats with cat ears, in a reference to Trump's now famous statement that he could grab women "by the pussy."

Hear from some of those planning to attend.

Voices of men and women headed to D.C. for Trump's inauguration:

David J. Pelto Jr.

[[410682895, l]]

Pelto Jr., 35, will attend the inauguration with his two sons to witness history and what he called the return of "common sense" to the White House. For Pelto, who owns a truck and hauls oil, taxes are an enormous issue. At one point he owned several trucks until a drop in oil prices, and his business was further hurt by employment taxes he had to pay for drivers who worked for him, he said. "It costs on average 15 percent on top of an employee's wage," he said. "Depending on the state it can go much higher." Pelto, who lives in Arkansas, said that he hoped that entrepreneurs would benefit from the $1 trillion that President-elect Donald Trump has proposed spending on infrastructure. Pelto, who describes himself as fiscally conservative and socially liberal, also thinks the country should be less resistant to fracking. The increase in earthquakes in Oklahoma, which has been linked to wastewater disposal wells, do worry him, but he believes fracking is safe elsewhere. As far as green energy, "Why don't we allow what we have now to continue working for us while we grow slowly into green energy?"

Myke Shelby

NurPhoto via Getty Images

Myke Shelby, the owner of the San Diego Harley-Davidson dealership, which has about 150 employees, is in Washington as part of the Bikers for Trump. He flew to Washington, but was with other bikers protecting Donald Trump supporters headed to the DeploraBall from protesters. The event was named after Hillary Clinton's "basket of deplorables" comment. "I'm a veteran. I fought for their right to protest. Don't get me wrong. This country was born in a revolutionary war," said Shelby, 72. "But they don't have the right to be violent and to threaten harm." For Shelby, regulations are a key issue  ones covering the environment and labor and those from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). "Regulations, they stifle business, but they catch us when we're not looking and we end up with big fines and big legal fees," he said. OSHA regulations might have made sense when the administration was created, but they no longer protect workers the way they were meant to, he said. "It's gotten to be an overbearing bureaucracy that forces us to do things that really don't make a lot of sense," he said. Shelby said he became a Trump supporter when he heard the President-elect talk about onerous regulations. "I said 'Hello,'" he said. "Hallelujah, somebody gets it because I don't think too many politicians ever understood that."

John Hikel

Hikel, 58, a former New Hampshire legislator and the longtime owner of an auto-repair business in Manchester, said he had supported Donald Trump since meeting him three months before the president-elect decided to run. "He had never been elected to an elected office before and he wasn't an attorney and that was my minimum," Hikel said. He said he wanted to see fewer regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency and the IRS, among agencies, particularly those governing clean air, which he said he thought were too stringent. "When Mr. Trump talked to me about trimming all of these agencies, I couldn't agree more," he said. Hikel said he was looking forward to a manufacturing revival under Trump, whom he viewed as a strong-willed leader. "More and more (customers) are coming into my shop not being able to spend $100 or $200 or $300 even to fix their vehicles," he said. "People are living paycheck to paycheck. I know they have for a long time but that's a problem that our government has handed down to us."

Erin Sullivan

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Sullivan, 20, a junior at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, voted for the first time in November and she picked President-elect Donald Trump. The country needs a revival, and Trump's tax and immigration policies and his ideas for creating more jobs in America will help rebuild the country, Sullivan said. An example: his urging automobile manufacturers to build cars in the United States and not in Mexico or elsewhere, she said. "Trump is really focusing on the American dream, and looking at the people who worked really hard and sometimes don't necessarily have a voice," she said. As a young woman, she found his lewd comment about grabbing women to be disgusting, but thought everyone at some point was bound to say something stupid. In his favor, Trump hired women for spots in his campaign, among them SMU alumna Hope Hicks as his director of strategic communications, she said. Sullivan, who is from Wilton, Connecticut, will attend the inauguration with other students from SMU and will volunteer at the Texas State Society's Black Tie and Boots Ball.

Austin Yang

[[410682615, l]]

Yang, 14, a student at La Jolla Country Day School in La Jolla, California, will attend the inauguration with a group of schoolmates. "It's such an important event in our American government," he said. Too young to vote, Yang nonetheless had a preferred candidate, Donald Trump. "We thought that Trump would be better toward the Chinese," said Yang, whose mother was born in China. Trump instead threatened a trade war with China over the value of its currency. "The exact opposite of what we thought would happen," Yang said. "I'm not very happy with it but I guess we can only deal with it now since he's our president." Yang, who expects to study medicine, remains hopeful that Trump will moderate his views once he meets with Chinese officials.

Joseph Locke

[[410692205, r]]

Locke, 21, works in construction, attends Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts full time and will soon start classes at the Massachusetts state reserve police academy with the goal of joining a town police force. He believes that Trump will ensure the military is better prepared to defend the country and cut back spending to tackle the country's debt. "Seeing it from a businessman's perspective where you can see where you can make cuts and not have detriment to the country," he said. Locke ran a Trump campaign office in his hometown Easton, Massachusetts, where he organized volunteers making phone calls and as part of the Bridgewater State University's College Republicans, he reached out to college students. "He didn't seem just like a regular politician," he said of Trump. "I like that he actually says what he feels and what he thinks."

The day after Trump's inauguration, thousands of women are expected on the Mall for the Women's March on Washington.

Voices of women headed to D.C. for the women's march:

Krista Suh

[[411251775, C]]

When Krista Suh, one of the originators of "The Pussyhat Project" steps out for the Women's March on Washington on Saturday, she will likely be surrounded by the handiwork of women from across the country: pink cat-eared hats, a rebuke to Donald Trump over his comment that he grabs women "by the pussy." Women from coast to coast knitted hats for themselves, friends and neighbors and sent them to Washington for other women to wear, even if they cannot be there. "But its about so much more than Trump using the word," Suh, 29, said. "It's about us reclaiming the word." She said that she had always been ambitious about the project, which she began with her friend Jayna Zweiman, but was taken aback by the feelings it sparked.

"I just wasnt prepared for the emotional depth of this project  the notes that accompanied the hats have made me cry and the people who have reached out to me saying that this project has lifted them out of the grief and depression," she said. "That I didn't anticipate and that's been really humbling." Suh, a screenwriter who lives in Los Angeles, knew the minute she heard about the Women's March that she would attend and quickly thought about what sign could she hold up or what could she wear. "Honestly I was willing to strip naked for this," she said. But then she considered Washington's colder temperatures and settled on a hat  the cat ears to give it a distinctive silhouette. Her knitting teacher named it with her comment: "It's the pussy power hat."

Kica Matos

Matos, 50, plans join the Womens March on Washington the day after Donald Trumps inauguration to show her 11-year-old son what is possible in a democracy. A former deputy mayor in New Haven, Connecticut, she wants to impress on him that he should be an engaged citizen, that he can participate in peaceful protests and fight for what he believes in. Matos, the director of immigration at The Center for Community Change in Washington, D.C., said she feared that Trump's election would undermine advances made in racial justice, immigrant rights and women's rights. His campaign, with attacks on immigrants, Muslims and people of color, brought out the worst in many Americans, she said. Of her son, she said, "I want him to believe that we are better as Americans and that we should always strive for a world that respects others, regardless of difference," she said. "And to me this march, the idea of women from all walks of life coming together in solidarity and in support of a better, more just world is incredibly appealing."

Laura Noe

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Noe, 50, will participate in the Women's March on Washington, the first she has ever gone to, because she believes the country must re-think its values. Americans are becoming insulated and isolated, mean and judgmental and are losing the ability to empathize with others, she said. "It becomes an us and them, black and white, win lose," she said. After her divorce, she sold her home so that she and her son could travel and see first-hand how other people lived. "We're all about our stuff, buying and buying, consuming and gobbling up," she said. "I decided I wanted to spend my time and money on experiences." Noe, who owns a marketing and communications company in Branford, Connecticut, wrote about their trips to France, the Czech Republic, Morocco and Turkey in "Travels With My Son: Journeys of the Heart." She is now writing about her brother, Ed, who became homeless, was diagnosed with mental illness and after many years is getting treatment. They celebrated Thanksgiving together for the first time in 17 years.

Chloe Wagner, Morenike Fabiyi

[[411144035, C]]

Wagner and Fabiyi, both 16 and juniors at Francis W. Parker High School in Chicago, worked with the Illinois chapter of the Women's March on Washington and Chicago Women Take Action to put together a group of teenagers from their school to attend the march. They call their organization the Illinois Youth Chapter. Wagner is particularly concerned with LGBTQ rights and reproductive rights; Fabiyi is focused on immigration rights and education reform. Wagner said that after Trump's win, she at first felt powerless. "There wasn't anything happening for a few days and then all of a sudden we just came back full force and that's when we really starting getting passionate about bringing Illinois Youth to Washington," she said. Fabiyi said that she also felt lost but quickly realized that she needed to do something. "I can't just be mad and sad and complain about it all the time," she said. Wagner said one of the goals of the march was to tell the Trump administration that "we will not be walked over, and we will fight for all rights we are given under the Constitution." Said Fabiyi, "Just because I can't vote yet doesn't mean that my voice shouldn't be heard."
Donald Trump's choice to head the Interior Department on Tuesday rejected the president-elect's claim that climate change is a hoax, saying it is indisputable that environmental changes are affecting the world's temperature and human activity is a major reason.

"I don't believe it's a hoax," Rep. Ryan Zinke told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee at his confirmation hearing.

"The climate is changing; man is an influence," the Montana Republican said. "I think where there's debate is what that influence is and what can we do about it."

Trump has suggested in recent weeks he's keeping an open mind on the issue and may reconsider a campaign pledge to back away from a 2015 Paris agreement that calls for global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

In contradicting Trump, Zinke cited Glacier National Park in his home state as a prime example of the effects of climate change, noting that glaciers there have receded in his lifetime and even from one visit to the next.

Still, he told Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., that there is debate about how much humans have influenced the climate.

Likely to win Senate confirmation, Zinke, 55, sketched out a variety of purposes for the nation's vast federal lands, from hiking, hunting, fishing and camping to harvesting timber and mining for coal and other energy sources.

The Interior Department and other U.S. agencies control almost a third of land in the West and even more of the underground "mineral estate" that holds vast amounts of coal, oil and natural gas.

An admirer of President Theodore Roosevelt, Zinke said management of federal lands should be done under a "multiple-use" model set forth by Gifford Pinchot, a longtime Roosevelt associate and the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service.

Zinke also pledged to tackle an estimated $12 billion backlog in maintenance and repair at national parks, saying parks and other public lands should be a key part of Trump's infrastructure improvement plan.

But the former Navy SEAL said his most important task at Interior will be to "restore trust" between the agency and the states and Indian tribes it serves.

"One of the reasons why people want to sell or transfer public land is there's no trust, because they feel like they don't have a voice," Zinke said, referring to elected officials and residents of many Western states. "They feel like they don't matter. Well, they should matter."

Zinke has said he would never sell, give away or transfer public lands  a crucial stance in his home state of Montana and the rest of the West where access to hunting and fishing is considered sacrosanct. Zinke feels so strongly that he resigned as a delegate to the Republican National Convention last summer because of the GOP's position in favor of land transfers to state or private groups.

Even so, Zinke's position on public lands came under fire this month after he voted in favor of a measure from House Republicans that would allow federal land transfers to be considered cost-free and budget-neutral, making it easier for drilling and development.

The Interior nominee "says he's against transfer of federal lands, but there's a big gap between what he says and what he does in that regard," said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, the nation's oldest and largest environmental group.

Zinke told senators Tuesday that he flatly opposes all sales or transfer of federal lands.

Indeed, his support for public lands was a crucial reason why Zinke was chosen by Trump. The president-elect and son Donald Trump Jr. both oppose sale of federal lands. The younger Trump, an avid hunter, has taken a keen interest in Interior Department issues and played a key role in Zinke's selection.

Zinke also reiterated his support for coal production on federal lands as part of an all-of-the above energy strategy.

Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state, the top Democrat on the energy panel, asked Zinke about modernizing the federal coal program, saying it was important "to make sure American taxpayers aren't short-changed for the benefit of corporate interests."

Zinke promised to review the coal program and said he thinks taxpayers "should always get fair value," whether it's coal, wind power or other energy sources.

Zinke also pledged to work with members of Congress on proposed national monuments such as the Bears Ears monument recently designated in Utah. The state's Republican delegation fiercely opposes the monument created by President Barack Obama.

"I think a monument, when it falls in a state, I think the state should have a say on it," Zinke said.
Fire officials in Sudbury, Massachusetts, say a home sustained serious damage after a three-alarm fire Monday night.

Sudbury Fire says the fire at 15 Whitetail Lane, a 2.5-story home, broke out around 7:30 p.m.

A father and his son were home at the time. The son heard the smoke alarm and alerted his father. The two made it out safely. The mother and daughter were running errands at the time.

The fire was knocked down around 8 p.m. The family was displaced overnight by the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Before the inspiring speeches and marches for justice, Martin Luther King was a doctoral student at Boston University.

Boston University was very empowering to him said Vita Paladino an MLK scholar at the university.

King enrolled in 1951 studying ethics and philosophy and would finish his studies at BU in 1955.

The civil rights icon donated his personal papers to his Alma mater in 1964. During a news conference King explained the decision.

It was this university that mean so much to me in terms of the formulation of my thinking and the ideas that have guided my life, he said.

Those papers and his academic records now part of a special collection in the MLK reading room at the Boston University Library.

During Kings time at BU studying Boston Personalism also known as Personal Idealism was instrumental in guiding his growth from a pastor to an activist.

During the news conference King said, The whole doctrine of personal idealism philosophically is the philosophical position that guides my theology.

More information on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Archive can be found on the Boston University website.
A driver is lucky to be alive after a bullet went through her car window in Lynn.

The sound was like a wet thud, Lorraine DePietro told NBC Boston. I was looking around to see if there was like a water balloon stain or a tomato smashed against the window.

DePietro, 51, was driving on Goodridge Street when she heard the noise and then turned her head and looked at the drivers side window.

I saw the bullet hole, I was like Oh my God, Ive been shot, Ive been shot.

She quickly pulled over and called police.

They were checking me for bullet entry, for blood, said DePietro. And nothing, they were amazed.

The bullet hit the window and her seat, but somehow missed her.

Id say millimeters, said DePietro. All that was protecting me from the bullet was the leather seat cover and my thin fleece jacket. Thats it.

She was left with just a red mark on her back.

I got a burn mark and a bruise from the pressure of the bullet going by, said DePietro.

DePietro grew up in Lynn, and was visiting from Georgia for the weekend.

She knows how fortunate she was to narrowly miss being hit.

Very lucky, said DePietro. I feel loved by God, very protected by my daughter whos an angel up in Heaven. Wow this is the first interview that Im actually starting to well up, its taken a while for it to hit me.

The driver in front of DePietro was shot but survived.

Lynn Police said there were at least five different shootings over the weekend. One of them turned fatal.

No arrests have been made in any of the shootings.
Kathleen Desilets was found naked on the grass outside of her Massachusetts home five years ago, and prosecutors are working to convince a jury her husband pushed her.

She suffered serious injuries, including a tear in her heart, when she went out the window of the Princeton house she shared with her husband, prominent dentist Roger Desilets.

In Worcester Superior Court, the trial was underway Tuesday, more than five years later.

The 71-year-old is accused of shoving his 65-year-old wife out of a third-floor window in 2011. The prosecution and defense both say the couple's 44-year marriage was shattered earlier that year.

"Roger Desilets had an affair that was off-and-on-again, and his wife found out about it," said defense attorney Michael Wilcox.

But the night before her death, Assistant District Attorney John Bradley told jurors, Kathleen Desilets learned her husband believed she was cheating and hired a private investigator to follow her.

"They had a violent confrontation on the third floor of the house," Bradley argued.

Roger Desilets' attorney says the defense will prove that it was his wife who initiated the violence.

"She was highly intoxicated and under the effects of Valium that she took that night," Wilcox said.

After opening arguments, the jury visited couple's home in Princeton.

Witness testimony will begin Wednesday, as long as the weather allows.
They are used to learning inside a classroom at Attleboro High School, but this week, history lessons will come to life for 23 Massachusetts students heading to President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration.

The trip was planned long before the election results were decided and before seniors Meghan Cooper and Kortnie Wheaton were eligible to vote, but that only made them want to go even more.

Before I decided to sign up I really sat down with myself and said will I be okay no matter which way the race goes, Cooper said.

It makes me a little nervous, but super excited, Wheaton said.

They are attending along with four chaperones, including history teacher Katie Rego who helped organize the trip.

Principal Bill Runey says it is part of a new focus on experiential learning opportunities in the district, giving students the chance to learn not just in a seat in the classroom, but also with a front row seat to history.

This is history in the making here and no matter what you feel about it this is something that were going to remember for years on, Cooper said.

The group leaves Thursday morning and will spend the rest of the week touring monuments and attending a student-only inaugural ball.
A Worcester, Massachusetts man faced a judge for human trafficking and rape charges after police say he paid $5,000 to smuggle a 14-year-old girl into the country, held her captive and sexually assaulted her.

Twenty-two-year-old Luis Santos was ordered to be held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing by a judge on Tuesday following his arrest last week.

Police say the girl apparently began talking with Santos on Facebook from El Salvador. She arrived in Worcester last month.

Police say she was forced to live in Santos' apartment and share his bed. The girl accused Santos of touching her on multiple occasions.

Police say she was locked in a room and wasn't allowed to use a phone or attend school most of the time.

In court, Santos' attorney denied the charges, and said he has lived with his family in the area for a year since moving from El Salvadore himself.

A judge also granted the teen, who has been placed into DCF custody, and her guardian a restraining order against Santos.

Santos' next court date is Jan. 23.
A search will be conducted in connection to a 1981 missing person cold case at New Hampshire home by state, local and federal authorities, the state's AG announced Tuesday.

New Hampshire AG Joseph Foster's office said investigators will search a home at 925 Hayward St. in Manchester in connection with the disappearance of Denise Beaudin, who was last seen November 1981.

She and her boyfriend, Robert "Bob" Evans, lived at the home when she went missing.

Officials say the search, which could last for several days, will start Tuesday morning, and will require a section of Hayward Street - from Cyprus Street to Foster Avenue - to be closed to traffic in order to allow equipment and investigators access to the site.

Beaudin's family say they last saw her Thanksgiving day with her boyfriend and her infant daughter. When relatives went to visit her a few days later, the couple was gone, and her family assumed they had left town to avoid financial troubles, investigators said.

Her daughter, now in her 30s, is alive and well, and investigators say they know Evans' whereabouts.
One thousand people attended this year's 47th Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast in Boston, an event that had Massachusetts leaders calling on citizens to follow the lessons of King and rise up to make their voices heard during the Trump presidency.

"Like many of you, this year I am less focused on the celebration and more focused on the fight," Senator Elizabeth Warren said.

Warren and others used the breakfast as a platform to outline how Massachusetts should move forward under the leadership of Trump.

"And now, more than ever, it is time for us to cause necessary trouble."

Quoting civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis, currently battling with Trump after Lewis called Trump's presidency illegitimate, Warren said it was up to Americans to set the conscience and character of the nation, not the President.

"John Lewis is a man who has earned the right to have his view of Donald Trump's presidency and legitimacy."

Other prominent Massachusetts leaders echoed Senator Warren's comments.

"John Lewis is an American hero and an American patriot and I think suggesting that he's all talk is just simply, a, not true and b, Unfortunate," Governor Charlie Baker said.

"A person who would attack a person of such honor, of such courage, of such conscience. Donald Trump can't even tie John Lewis's shoes," Attorney General Maura Healey said.

Despite their concerns over the Trump presidency, Baker and Warren plan to travel to Washington D.C. for the inauguration.
Brexit could boost the U.K.'s ability to create the next several-hundred-billion-dollar technology firm, according to a top Silicon Valley venture capitalist and former Apple executive.

Last year, Britain voted in a referendum to leave the European Union and on Tuesday, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May gave a speech suggesting that any deal reached with European lawmakers will be put to a parliamentary vote.

It's unclear how this could play out, but May said that Britain would leave the single market. Joe Schoendorf, a VC at Accel, said getting rid of EU regulation could help the country's start-up sector grow bigger.

"I think if you had to pick one country to invest in Europe today, you'd pick Great Britain  and the reason you'd do it is because of Brexit. One of the things that the U.S. government has been really good at  is leaving Silicon Valley mostly alone," Schoendorf said during a panel discussion at a CNBC-hosted event.

"Government regulation and free enterprise and start-ups trying to be something are pretty incompatible. And so with Brexit and Great Britain pulling the EU out of the loop, I think you will be surprised with the momentum with that sector in particular."

Britain's start-up funding environment has remained strong despite Brexit, attracting 6.7 billion ($9.5 billion) into U.K. tech firms in 2016, according to London & Partners, a promotional firm for the Mayor of London's office, citing data from PitchBook. This was more than any other European country.

On the whole, European VC funding hit a seven-year high, according to data from KPMG. Other U.S. VCs were optimistic about the growth of tech firms in the market.

"We're seeing phenomenal technical talent coming out of Europe," Zachary Bogue, co-founder of Data Collective, said during the CNBC panel.

Fintech firm will be the next big thing

The VC panel also deliberated about the future companies that could be big. Schoendorf spoke about how when he first came to Davos 22 years ago, the biggest tech firms by market capitalization were very different from today. Now Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook take the crown.

Story continues

Schoendorf said that the ability for these companies to reach multi-hundred-billion-dollar valuations has "set a new baseline for what real long-term valuations are" and said another five companies will join the ranks of these firms over the next 10 years.

Bogue said the next big firms could come from start-ups applying new technology to established industries.

"I think we'll increasingly see the next five will come from companies applying the technology  applying them to real world deep vertical industries like agriculture, biotech, like digital health, like genomics," Bogue said.

Jeff Schumacher, the chief executive of BCG Digital Ventures, said blockchain technology would be a big deal. Blockchain is the underlying technology of the digital currency bitcoin, which could potentially be used to disrupt a number of industries from finance to insurance.

"We've got a really big bet on blockchain, that is some of the most disruptive technology we've seen since electricity. When that starts to come, I think there's going to be a host of new models that come out of that  that's where we probably get excited about what's the next bet," Schumacher said.

Schoendorf added that a fintech firm could be one of the companies to reach the level of Google or Apple.

"If I was going to pick a company that was in that five list, one of those is going to be in fintech. It's going to have figured out how it all comes together. We are going to be sitting here with a multi-billion-dollar valuation company in that space," Schoendorf told CNBC.





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A man suffered life-threatening injuries after crashing his vehicle into a pole in Carver, Massachusetts, on Monday.

Police said it happened just before 4 p.m. on Tremont Street.

The crash involved only one vehicle, which only had the 36-year-old driver inside.

State police said the driver, a Plymouth resident, was trapped inside and had to extricated. He was transported to Tobey Hospital and then taken by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital.

Authorities believe the driver may have suffered some type of medical condition before the crash.

Carver Police and the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis Team are working to determine the exact cause of the crash.
A Quincy police officer is on administrative leave after he barricaded himself inside a home in Raynham, Massachusetts, on Monday night.

Authorities responded to the Britton Street home of Officer Keith Wilbur, a dispatcher, just after 10:30 p.m. for a domestic call.

Police tell us a woman came to door to speak with police and Wilbur was inside.

Police say they attempted to talk to Wilbur, 51, when they received two shots fired through a door. Both police officers took the woman and exited the house.

Quincy police say Wilbur has been with the force for 18 years and has no significant incidents on his record. A law enforcement source says Wilbur is a retired Air Force veteran.

Police blocked roads to the quiet neighborhood and told neighbors to stay inside. K9 units and a negotiator also responded to the scene, where a large police presence formed both on the street and at a command center at a gas station nearby.

There were no reports of any hostages.

Wilbur surrendered to police at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The exact motive for the call has not been revealed.

Wilbur will appear in Taunton District Court Tuesday. It's unclear if he has an attorney.
A developing area of low pressure emerging from the Great Lakes moves into New England this evening, bringing rain south, a wintry mix to the interior and snow to the North Country.

Precipitation begins as a wintry mix of sleet and snow across the Berkshires later this afternoon, reaching central Massachusetts early evening and the coast by late evening.

Right now, were focusing on elevations from 500 ft to 1,000 ft+ for the greatest impact of wintry mix, including the Berkshires and north-central Massachusetts. Any wintry mix will impact the evening commute as untreated roadways remain slick.

As a result, the city of Worcester has declared a parking ban that takes effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday, and Worcester Public Schools has declared all after school and evening programs at its facilities canceled.

Highs today will reach into the mid 30s across the north and the lower 40s south.

Most locations transition over to plain rain or snow overnight as the low pressure system strengthens south of Long Island. Temperatures will drop into the mid 20s north and the low 30s south tonight.

Precipitation will begin to taper tomorrow afternoon as drier air works in across New England. A coastal front expected to setup across eastern Massachusetts will allow rain and snow showers to continue into the afternoon before ending early evening.

Highs tomorrow will reach into the low 40s south to low 30s north.

Partly cloudy skies prevail on Thursday as high pressure noses into southern New England from the Mid-Atlantic. A weak wave of low pressure dropping out of Canada will bring the chance of snow showers or flurries to the north during the day. Temperatures will reach into the upper 30s north and the mid 40s south.

High pressure crests overhead on Friday, resulting in dry weather and partly sunny skies across the region. Looking ahead into this weekend, another low pressure over the Mid-Atlantic skirts south of our area on Saturday, ushering in building clouds across southern New England. Temperatures remain in the low 40s south to 30s across the north as another high moves into the region.
The roster of House Democrats planning to boycott President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration grew to more than 50 on Tuesday in a protest of the New York businessman's policies and his repeated criticism of legendary civil rights activist John Lewis.

The Georgia congressman made headlines over the weekend for challenging Trump's legitimacy to be the next president and erroneously claiming that Trump's inauguration would be the first he will have missed since coming to Congress three decades ago.

In fact, Lewis had skipped President George W. Bush's inauguration in 2001.

Trump struck on Tuesday morning, as is typical, on Twitter: "WRONG (or lie)!" Trump tweeted, citing a 2001 Washington Post report that noted Lewis had skipped George W. Bush's inauguration.

Lewis' office on Tuesday confirmed that the congressman had missed Bush's swearing-in.

"His absence at that time was also a form of dissent," said spokeswoman Brenda Jones. "He did not believe the outcome of that election, including the controversies around the results in Florida and the unprecedented intervention of the U.S. Supreme Court, reflected a free, fair and open democratic process."

Asked about the error after an appearance Tuesday at the Thomas Edison High School in Miami, Florida, Lewis said he did not attend Bush's first inauguration "like so many other members of Congress did not," adding, "But President Bush is a friend of mine."

Lewis said last week that he would skip Trump's swearing in on Friday, telling NBC News that he didn't view Trump as a legitimate president.

"I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton," Lewis said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday.

Lewis' comments drew angry weekend tweets from Trump, who wrote that "rather than falsely complaining about the election results," Lewis should focus on his congressional district.

The number of Democrats boycotting Trump's inauguration continued to increase, including Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, a top contender to lead the Democratic National Committee, as well as many black and Hispanic lawmakers. Top Democrats like House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York will attend, however, and none of the Senate Democrats said they'll skip the inauguration.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer shrugged off the protest and indicated they would give away the seats.

"We'd love for every member of Congress to attend but if they don't, we've got some great seats for others to partake in. It's a shame that these folks don't want to be part of the peaceful transfer of power," Spicer told reporters on a morning call.

On Tuesday, Democrats such as Alma Adams of North Carolina, Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania and Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire joined the growing ranks of lawmakers boycotting Trump's inauguration.

"I cannot in good faith and consciousness pretend to celebrate the inauguration of someone who has spoken so horribly about women, minorities and the disabled," Adams said.

Trump and other Republicans have dismissed the boycott and complaints, saying Democrats are sore losers who need to accept the results of the election and move on. Democrats control 194 House seats.

While many Democrats were furious with the outcome of the drawn out 2000 election in which George W. Bush defeated Al Gore after recounts and a Supreme Court ruling, they generally attended Bush's inauguration as the nation's 43rd president.

The House is out of session most of this week and roll call votes are not anticipated, so other lawmakers in both parties may skip the trip.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the rest of the high court are expected to attend Trump's inauguration, says Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg.

Ginsburg criticized Trump in interviews with The Associated Press and other news organizations in July, then apologized for her comments a few days later. Trump fired back at Ginsburg on Twitter.

Chief Justice John Roberts will swear in Trump, as is customary. Mike Pence has chosen Justice Clarence Thomas to administer the vice presidential oath.

Obama repeatedly faced questions during the 2008 campaign about the widely debunked claim that he was not a U.S. citizen and that his birth certificate was a fake. Trump, in fact, perpetuated that notion for many years before a brief statement last year that Obama was a citizen. Republicans attended Obama's two inaugurations.

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., said he will not be part of the "normalizing or legitimizing" of a man whose election may be the result of "malicious foreign interference of Russian leaders," a reference to U.S. intelligence's assessment that Russia meddled in the election to help Trump win.
Chinese takeaway chain opens new store in Newbury

A Chinese takeaway and delivery chain will be serving up freshly-made dishes to the people of Newbury after the opening of its newest store.

Hotcha, founded in 2011 by entrepreneurs James Liang and Andy Chan, opened its doors at the London Road restaurant on Monday as it continues to expand across the South of England.

Offering takeaway and delivery, Hotcha simplifies the mass-cooking process by preparing all core ingredients, including meat, fish, marinades and sauces, off-site before they are shipped to the individual stores.

The dishes are then put together in line with Hotchas house recipes and presentation styles.

Co-founder and chief executive, James Liang, said: We are delighted to be opening this store in Newbury, enabling us to cook for customers in this thriving town.

He added: Our ambition is to become the first national Chinese takeaway chain in the UK and the opening our 13th store in Newbury is a natural step as we continue our rapid growth from our beginnings in Bristol five years ago.

The outlet will employ a 15-strong team and the company is also looking to recruit more staff from the local area.

Hotcha opens daily at 11am until 11pm with seating for up to 10 customers inside the store.
As brick and mortar retailers retrench, IKEA sticks to basicsand commits to US growth

In the world of "big box" retail , there arguably are few bigger "boxes" than home goods behemoth IKEA.

For consumers who live in an apartment, or just graduated from school, chances are they've probably assembled something from a large flat box that came from a massive IKEA store.

While some major retailers are shuttering physical stores and shifting to a digital strategy, the Swedish-based global giant explained to CNBC's "On the Money" recently it is still growing in both areas.

"We're expanding our e-commerce business, but we are also building more brick-and-mortar," IKEA's U.S. President Lars Petersson told CNBC in an interview.

"It's very important to be accessible," Petersson said. Getting customers in the store enables them to experience furniture and other items "in a three-dimensional way," the executive added.

The furniture retailer saw nearly $38 billion in total salesa 7 percent year over year jumpin fiscal year 2016.

Worldwide, IKEA has 380 stores in 48 countries, and 43 of those are in the U.S.and remain wildly popular with Americans in spite of high profile furniture recalls last year.

Yet Petersson told CNBC there's more work for IKEA to do.



"We are still small on the American market," Petersson said, adding that there are "still, many people we are not reaching here in the U.S."

IKEA's touchstone is easy to assemble furniture, which helps them maintain what Petersson called "a very broad customer base. We are really obsessed by people's life at home regardless of the size or the income of the people living there."

He added: "We see everything from people living in extreme small spaces in inner cities to the suburbs coming to IKEA."

IKEA began in Sweden in 1943, but the first U.S. store opened in 1985, in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. The retailer is expanding at a rapid clip to other key areas.

"We are already close to the coasts, and we are moving into the center," Petersson said, citing stores that have broken ground in the heartland, such as Kansas City and St. Louis. New locations are on tap for Columbus, Indianapolis and Jacksonville.

Story continues

The Lone Star state is also on IKEA's radar, Petersson said, adding that Texas is where the retailer is "underrepresented[and] we are working really hard to get more opportunities there."

Today, the global company is the world's largest furniture retailer. That may change if the incoming White House administration realizes President-elect Donald Trump's pledge to tighten U.S. free trade.

"Being a global company, we are very much for a liberal trade policy, because that helps also the customers to better prices and better quality," Petersson said.

Still, IKEA produces a large slice of its goods here in the U.S. It has about 9,500 products, a fourth of which and Petersson said is made domestically. "And we would like continue to expand that production" in ways that shorten transportation needs and help the environment, he added.

IKEA employs about 13,000 workers in the U.S. and this year implemented a more generous parental leave policy. The retailer will give workers with one-to-three years' experience up to three months paid leave . Those with three or more years are eligible for four months leave to care for a new child.



Those benefits have more in common with Silicon Valley or tech companies, not retailers.

"We are trying to create a better everyday life for the many people, and that includes our employees," Petersson said, calling the new policy "a good investment for us in the future."



The company expects "lower staff turnover [and] we will have coworkers who feel better who won't need to switch jobs just because they're welcoming a new member to their family," he added.





On the Money airs on CNBC Saturday at 5:30 am ET, or check listings for air times in local markets.


Thatcham woman and unborn twins died after seizure on Christmas Eve 2015

MORE than 15,000 has been raised to improve awareness of epilepsy after the tragic death of a heavily pregnant Thatcham woman on Christmas Eve 2015.

Popular Kirsty Walker was just eight weeks away from giving birth to twin girls when tragedy struck.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics, who performed an emergency caesarean, Miss Walkers seizure  caused by her epilepsy  also claimed the lives of her unborn twins.

Following her daughters death, Miss Walkers mother, Debbie, said she wanted more people to become aware of epilepsy and what to do in the event of a seizure to prevent other families going through the same pain.

Over the past 12 months, she has made television appearances, attended talks and spoken openly about the condition.

Almost 11,000 has been raised through the Remembering Kirsty Walker JustGiving page.

Tadley Rugby Club, where Kirstys father, Ady, is a player, provided its facilities free of charge for several fundraising functions throughout 2016.

The club also recently presented a cheque for 2,250 and has unveiled a bench with three stars on it  in memory of Miss Walker and her twin girls.

Mrs Walker said: This last year has been hard, weve been up and down but we have tried to keep focussed.

Since Kirstys death we have had so much support and people we dont even know, from all over the world, have been donating and contacting us to say they have heard about what happened.

Ive had messages from Australia, Cyprus, America.

I just want to say a big thank you to everyone.

It is a comfort to know that people are being made aware of epilepsy through Kirstys story.

Miss Walker grew up in Burghfield Common with her two sisters, Cheryl and Saffron, and attended The Willink School before moving to Thatcham.

After leaving school, she worked at The Body Shop and did courses on wedding makeup and later worked as a PA to the director of education at Capita in Reading.

She was engaged to her partner Kris Smith and wanted to get married in Christmas 2016.

After finding out Miss Walker was pregnant with twins, the pair decided they wanted to wait until New Years Eve 2015 to find out the gender.

Sadly, Miss Walker died seven days before.
DailyFX.com -

Talking Points

- The UK is leaving the Single Market but hopes for amicable divorce.

- PM May says that final Brexit deal will be put to both Houses of Parliament

- See the DailyFX Economic Calendar and see what live coverage for key event risk impacting FX markets is scheduled for the week on the DailyFX Webinar Calendar.

The British Pound pushed higher Tuesday as UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that the UK will leave the Single Market, leaving no doubts about a hard Brexit ahead. In a prepared speech that had been seen before May spoke, the UK PM laid out her plans for Britains future post-Brexit, including new trade agreements, control over migration and the repatriation of powers back from Brussels. The PM also made it clear to the audience that 'no deal' would be better than a 'bad deal' for the UK and would also be against the European Union's self-interests. The final Brexit deal will also be put in front of both Houses of Parliament to vote on.

The governments 12-point plan also included a promise of clarity on Brexit dealings wherever possible, although not a running update, while the UK will pursue a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement with the European Union. PM May also said that she wants to guarantee rights of EU citizens living in Britain and the rights of British Nationals in other member states as early as we can.

The speech was widely seen as a plan for a hard Brexit and, counter to recent moves, drove GBPUSD higher and EURGBP lower as the markets now have a clear framework of the UK governments plans. GBPUSD gained nearly two cents, rallying up to 1.2347 from a pre-speech level of 1.2160, while the EUR weakened against GBP, falling to 0.86680 from 0.87900.

Chart: GBPUSD 5-Minute Timeframe (January 6-17, 2017)

British Pound Rallies as UK PM May Confirms Hard Brexit

--- Written by Nick Cawley, Analyst

To contact Nick, email him at nicholas.cawley@ig.com

Don't trade FX but want to learn more? Read the DailyFX Trading Guides



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.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: A 28-year-old constable of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle while he was on duty at Kempegowda International Airport on Monday. The deceased is Suresh Vijay Gaekwad, a native of Solapur in Maharashtra. Preliminary investigations revealed that Gaekwad had gone to his native two weeks ago to attend the court for his divorce.

This is suspected to be the reason for his suicide. However, no suicide note was found at the spot and police is yet to talk to his family members. His family has been informed about his death. Medical procedures will be carried out only after the family members reach the city.

His duty was supposed to be over around 1.30pm. He was staying alone in the CISF quarters near the airport.

The spokesperson of CSIF officials from Delhi said an internal enquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact reason behind the suicide. He also denied allegations that work related stress was the reason Gaekwad killed himself. He said that there is no shortage of staff and no one is allowed to work for more than eight hours. Gaekwads duty was from 6 am to 1.30 pm.

Police said there are 25 watch towers in the airport premises and CISF personnel are deployed in three shifts. They are also investigating whether he was given enough leaves by the department.

Officials said that he had been home twice in December. And after he returned, he himself cancelled nine days of leave that he had applied for.

However, when Express spoke to the deceaseds colleagues, they alleged that Gaekwad felt pressurised by work and that the officials were diverting the focus by claiming family issue to be the cause behind his death. They also questioned why Gaekwad ended his life on duty after returning from his native. One of them said that if he had a personal or a family crisis, he might have written a suicide note.

Seniors treat us badly, we are overworked& stressed

Suicide of CISF jawan Suresh Vijay Gaekwad has opened a Pandoras box. Seven CISF personnel on duty at Bengaluru airport Express spoke to on Monday were upset following the death of their colleague.

They complained lack of professionalism at their workplace.Work pressure must have prompted Gaekwad to take the extreme step, they said.Senior officers treat us very badly and several times we are allowed to sleep only for two hours.

We have also been threatened not to speak to media over the incident, said two of them. Rajdeep, (name changed), who works at control room office in the airport alleged that officials force them to overwork, telling that we are here to serve the nation and not sleep.Gaekwad was not allowed to take leaves.

Four days ago, he had shared his problem with one of us who was deployed at the same watch tower, he said. Another CISF jawan said, Sometimes we are forced to work at watch towers even without water. I cannot take the work pressure further and have hence decided to resign.

Those who are not married are compelled to work beyond their normal working hours as they live in nearby barracks, he added.

BENGALURU: A 28-year-old constable of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle while he was on duty at Kempegowda International Airport on Monday. The deceased is Suresh Vijay Gaekwad, a native of Solapur in Maharashtra. Preliminary investigations revealed that Gaekwad had gone to his native two weeks ago to attend the court for his divorce. This is suspected to be the reason for his suicide. However, no suicide note was found at the spot and police is yet to talk to his family members. His family has been informed about his death. Medical procedures will be carried out only after the family members reach the city. His duty was supposed to be over around 1.30pm. He was staying alone in the CISF quarters near the airport. The spokesperson of CSIF officials from Delhi said an internal enquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact reason behind the suicide. He also denied allegations that work related stress was the reason Gaekwad killed himself. He said that there is no shortage of staff and no one is allowed to work for more than eight hours. Gaekwads duty was from 6 am to 1.30 pm. Police said there are 25 watch towers in the airport premises and CISF personnel are deployed in three shifts. They are also investigating whether he was given enough leaves by the department. Officials said that he had been home twice in December. And after he returned, he himself cancelled nine days of leave that he had applied for. However, when Express spoke to the deceaseds colleagues, they alleged that Gaekwad felt pressurised by work and that the officials were diverting the focus by claiming family issue to be the cause behind his death. They also questioned why Gaekwad ended his life on duty after returning from his native. One of them said that if he had a personal or a family crisis, he might have written a suicide note. Seniors treat us badly, we are overworked& stressed Suicide of CISF jawan Suresh Vijay Gaekwad has opened a Pandoras box. Seven CISF personnel on duty at Bengaluru airport Express spoke to on Monday were upset following the death of their colleague. They complained lack of professionalism at their workplace.Work pressure must have prompted Gaekwad to take the extreme step, they said.Senior officers treat us very badly and several times we are allowed to sleep only for two hours. We have also been threatened not to speak to media over the incident, said two of them. Rajdeep, (name changed), who works at control room office in the airport alleged that officials force them to overwork, telling that we are here to serve the nation and not sleep.Gaekwad was not allowed to take leaves. Four days ago, he had shared his problem with one of us who was deployed at the same watch tower, he said. Another CISF jawan said, Sometimes we are forced to work at watch towers even without water. I cannot take the work pressure further and have hence decided to resign. Those who are not married are compelled to work beyond their normal working hours as they live in nearby barracks, he added.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: In a major embarrassment to the Siddaramaiah government, Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala has returned the file recommending the name of retired Karnataka High Court judge P Vishwanath Shetty for the post of Lokayukta. The governor has asked the government to select a person with an impeccable track record.

P Vishwanath Shetty

The governor, according to sources in the Chief Ministers office, has expressed his displeasure at the way the high-level committee headed by Siddaramaiah selected Justice Shettys name without proper scrutiny of his personal record and antecedents.

It is learnt the governors reluctance comes in the wake of complaints in the civil society against Justice Shetty of getting a site allotted in the Judicial Layout by allegedly furnishing false information. Social activist S R Hiremath had raised the issue and also submitted a memorandum to the governor requesting him to reject the state governments recommendation.

Hiremath has also alleged that Shetty had appeared for mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy before the Supreme Court. Reddy was indicted by the Karnataka Lokayuta in the illegal mining case.

Apart from Siddaramaiah, who is the chairman of the high-level committee to select the Lokayukta, the meeting was presided over by Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court S K Mukherjee.

Earlier too, the governor had refused to give his assent for the state governments recommendation of Justice S R Nayak for the Lokayuktas post.

The anti-corruption agency has remained headless since the ignominious exit of former Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao in December 2015.

BENGALURU: In a major embarrassment to the Siddaramaiah government, Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala has returned the file recommending the name of retired Karnataka High Court judge P Vishwanath Shetty for the post of Lokayukta. The governor has asked the government to select a person with an impeccable track record. P Vishwanath ShettyThe governor, according to sources in the Chief Ministers office, has expressed his displeasure at the way the high-level committee headed by Siddaramaiah selected Justice Shettys name without proper scrutiny of his personal record and antecedents. It is learnt the governors reluctance comes in the wake of complaints in the civil society against Justice Shetty of getting a site allotted in the Judicial Layout by allegedly furnishing false information. Social activist S R Hiremath had raised the issue and also submitted a memorandum to the governor requesting him to reject the state governments recommendation. Hiremath has also alleged that Shetty had appeared for mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy before the Supreme Court. Reddy was indicted by the Karnataka Lokayuta in the illegal mining case. Apart from Siddaramaiah, who is the chairman of the high-level committee to select the Lokayukta, the meeting was presided over by Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court S K Mukherjee. Earlier too, the governor had refused to give his assent for the state governments recommendation of Justice S R Nayak for the Lokayuktas post. The anti-corruption agency has remained headless since the ignominious exit of former Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao in December 2015.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: The wall collapse incident at Mantri Mall, where several people escaped by a whisker, could have been triggered by various factors. Both experts and officials are uncertain about the exact cause of the frightening incident.

M N Reddi, Director General of Police, Department of Fire and Emergency Services, told Express that they were yet to ascertain what triggered the collapse. This is a structural issue, he said.

Mantri Mall was one of the 18 malls to be issued notices by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services in January last year over alleged violation of the National Building Code. As per the notice in the first week of January, the malls were instructed to ensure that all conditions were fulfilled, failing which water and power supply to the malls would be discontinued after 15 days.

The shortcomings highlighted in the notice were addressed within the stipulated deadline. The incident could not be due to those factors, Reddi said.

Chandra Kishen, Chairman, Center for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transport and Urban Planning, Indian Institute of Science, said that such a wall collapse could be triggered by several factors. Different types of walls, such as load-bearing or partition wall react in a different manner to physical phenomenon. It would be too premature to say what caused it, he said. He ruled out the possibility that the collapse could be caused by the movement of Metro trains. If that was the case, other walls inside the mall would have been affected too, he added.

BENGALURU: The wall collapse incident at Mantri Mall, where several people escaped by a whisker, could have been triggered by various factors. Both experts and officials are uncertain about the exact cause of the frightening incident. M N Reddi, Director General of Police, Department of Fire and Emergency Services, told Express that they were yet to ascertain what triggered the collapse. This is a structural issue, he said. Mantri Mall was one of the 18 malls to be issued notices by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services in January last year over alleged violation of the National Building Code. As per the notice in the first week of January, the malls were instructed to ensure that all conditions were fulfilled, failing which water and power supply to the malls would be discontinued after 15 days. The shortcomings highlighted in the notice were addressed within the stipulated deadline. The incident could not be due to those factors, Reddi said. Chandra Kishen, Chairman, Center for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transport and Urban Planning, Indian Institute of Science, said that such a wall collapse could be triggered by several factors. Different types of walls, such as load-bearing or partition wall react in a different manner to physical phenomenon. It would be too premature to say what caused it, he said. He ruled out the possibility that the collapse could be caused by the movement of Metro trains. If that was the case, other walls inside the mall would have been affected too, he added.
Sinduja Jane By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: What started as a mere forwarding of WhatsApp texts and social media posts in support of Jallikattu, the traditional bull-taming sport banned by Supreme Court, swelled into a huge gathering on the sands of the Marina beach on Tuesday morning.



With hardly a few people at around 7 AM in the morning at the beach, the crowds swelled as time passed and by estimates it could go over a thousand by noon.

Strangers to each other, the people who received WhatsApp messages on various groups, arrived since morning at the beach. People from different walks of life - students, office goers and house wives- they are bound only by their solidarity on conducting the sport.



Besides WhatsApp messages, various members of online Facebook Pages such as Chennai Pasanga, Chennai Memes and others have also been campaigning for Jallikattu and encouraging people to go out to the streets. K Suresh, one of minds behind this Marina campaign, said that he started to send out this message asking people to come to Marina only at around 10 PM on Monday night. "I have very few contacts on my phone but I posted the message in one group and then it started to get passed on and now so many people have come together," he said



The group protested against PETA, the organisation fighting the legal battle against Jallikattu, and demanded its ban claiming that they had a Western agenda and did not understand Tamil culture. K Prabhakar, 19, from Tirunelveli, a civil engineering student said that the government has to take a stand on Jallikattu. "The sport is being banned because of some agenda to help corporates, PETA only supports Western ideas because of which farmers in our State are suffering. So many lives have been affected by this ban, the Supreme Court should revoke it," he explained.



The protesters who do not share any political background said that they were there just to support the age old sport. "How can they ban a 500-year-old sport this way. The bulls will perish and so will our culture. Government should bring in regulations but should allow the sport to continue," Prabhakar added.



The crowd included a few small time cine actors too. Opposition party leader M K Stalin also paid a visit at the beach expressing his support for the gathering.

CHENNAI: What started as a mere forwarding of WhatsApp texts and social media posts in support of Jallikattu, the traditional bull-taming sport banned by Supreme Court, swelled into a huge gathering on the sands of the Marina beach on Tuesday morning. With hardly a few people at around 7 AM in the morning at the beach, the crowds swelled as time passed and by estimates it could go over a thousand by noon. Strangers to each other, the people who received WhatsApp messages on various groups, arrived since morning at the beach. People from different walks of life - students, office goers and house wives- they are bound only by their solidarity on conducting the sport. Besides WhatsApp messages, various members of online Facebook Pages such as Chennai Pasanga, Chennai Memes and others have also been campaigning for Jallikattu and encouraging people to go out to the streets. K Suresh, one of minds behind this Marina campaign, said that he started to send out this message asking people to come to Marina only at around 10 PM on Monday night. "I have very few contacts on my phone but I posted the message in one group and then it started to get passed on and now so many people have come together," he said The group protested against PETA, the organisation fighting the legal battle against Jallikattu, and demanded its ban claiming that they had a Western agenda and did not understand Tamil culture. K Prabhakar, 19, from Tirunelveli, a civil engineering student said that the government has to take a stand on Jallikattu. "The sport is being banned because of some agenda to help corporates, PETA only supports Western ideas because of which farmers in our State are suffering. So many lives have been affected by this ban, the Supreme Court should revoke it," he explained. The protesters who do not share any political background said that they were there just to support the age old sport. "How can they ban a 500-year-old sport this way. The bulls will perish and so will our culture. Government should bring in regulations but should allow the sport to continue," Prabhakar added. The crowd included a few small time cine actors too. Opposition party leader M K Stalin also paid a visit at the beach expressing his support for the gathering.
Express News Service

CHENNAI: What had started as mere forwarding of WhatsApp texts and social media posts in support of Jallikattu, the traditional bull-taming sport that was banned by the Supreme Court, transformed into a sea of enthusiastic supporters by the end of the day, at the Marina Beach in Chennai.

It started with a handful of people at around 6 AM in the beach opposite the Vivekananda Cultural Centre. But as the day progressed, the social media campaigns swelled the crowds. There were no signs

of the crowds dispersing even as the sun began to set.

The bull-taming sport lovers had a variety of reasons for the gathering and the most predominant of their demands was the lifting of the ban on the Jallikattu, which many saw an identity of Tamil culture. Other reasons for the protest included the lathi-charge on villagers who protested at Alanganallur on Monday over the same issue.

"We have to protest!" cried 26-year-old R Malik, who said she works at Standard Chartered Scope International. "Jallikattu is our tradition. PETA (the NGO which is legally fighting against Jallikattu) is trying to uproot it and we have to protect it."

Over 1k youngsters continue sit in at Marina, say will go on till protest at #Alanagnallur is called off @Ram_TNIE #JusticeforJallikattu  gopu mohan (@gopumohan_TNIE) January 17, 2017

As the day progressed, not only did the number of protestors increase but also the crowd's impatience. Fervent cries were made to the chief minister O Panneerselvam to address the gathering. The atmosphere was too charged and black flags were waved furiously by some, while others displayed charts carrying captions calling for a ban on the animal welfare organisation, PETA or lifting the ban on Jallikattu.

"We have been here since 6 AM and there were only five people then," said R Madhukar, who had come from Thiruvottiyur. "We are here for three things --- the wrongful arrests in Alanganallur, to preserve our tradition of Jallikattu and to demand a ban on PETA." His friend V Dilip Kumar is a student of Velammal Engineering College and had taken the day off to be part of the agitation.

As a movement that gained traction primarily because of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, protestors made it a point to keep the internet buzzing with the updates by posting photos and videos.

There were many who heard about the protest through friends and took time out from work to be there. S Saimeenakshi Shankar is one of them. She works at an MNC in Shollinganallur and asked her boss for a little time off just to come and be part of the protest, even if it was only for an hour or so.

"I don't want someone teaching me my tradition and culture," she said emphatically. "We all know what humanity and animal welfare is about. We don't need PETA to teach us that."

Further, she said she was there to show her contempt for what happened in Alanganallur. "It was a democratic procession," Saimeenakshi stated. "Why did they have to remove the protestors using force? It is against our Constitution."

The agitation in Chennai, however, should not be dismissed as a purely student-driven rally. There were people of all ages, from various professional backgrounds who had travelled from different corners of the city, just to show their solidarity.

"We do not like the Indian government's silence over these issues," said 41-year-old S. Shankarvelu who works for a travel agency. "We have always obeyed the Indian government but now we are against them

because they are not taking a stand. Let them decide if they need us or PETA."

K Prabhakar,19, from Tirunelveli, a civil engineering student said that the government has to take a stand for Jallikattu, "The sport is being banned because of some agenda to help corporates, PETA only supports Western ideas because of which farmers in our State are suffering. So many lives have been affected by this ban, the Supreme Court should revoke it," he explained.

There were others who had come for lesser spoken about reasons.

"I want my child to get natural food and pure milk," said P Vaduganathan, a 33-year-old who has his own software business. "We need these cows. If this tradition is not there, farmers might lose incentive to breed them as they are not easy to maintain."

The people who benefitted from the congregation were the vendors selling short eats, food and beverages. This was a bright day in an otherwise gloomy, post-demonetisation time where customers had stopped frequenting their stalls as they did not want to part with change.

"Today was a good day for my business after a long time," said Mangalam, who sells water and other beverages by the beach. "I came at 7 AM and there were about 30 people. I never imagined that so many people would come," she exclaimed.

Another beverage-seller, S Mani agreed. "I came at 10 AM but did not expect it to last. I came back after lunch and it was so crowded," he said ruefully, thinking it was an opportunity he missed out on.

As the sun begun to set, the crowd showed no sign of exhaustion.

Opposition party leader M K Stalin also paid a visit at the beach expressing his support for the gathering. A section of the crowd seemed angry at the media and threw water bottle on the TV cameramen.

CHENNAI: What had started as mere forwarding of WhatsApp texts and social media posts in support of Jallikattu, the traditional bull-taming sport that was banned by the Supreme Court, transformed into a sea of enthusiastic supporters by the end of the day, at the Marina Beach in Chennai. It started with a handful of people at around 6 AM in the beach opposite the Vivekananda Cultural Centre. But as the day progressed, the social media campaigns swelled the crowds. There were no signs of the crowds dispersing even as the sun began to set. The bull-taming sport lovers had a variety of reasons for the gathering and the most predominant of their demands was the lifting of the ban on the Jallikattu, which many saw an identity of Tamil culture. Other reasons for the protest included the lathi-charge on villagers who protested at Alanganallur on Monday over the same issue. "We have to protest!" cried 26-year-old R Malik, who said she works at Standard Chartered Scope International. "Jallikattu is our tradition. PETA (the NGO which is legally fighting against Jallikattu) is trying to uproot it and we have to protect it." Crowd at Marina seems to be increasing @Ram_TNIE #JusticeforJallikattu pic.twitter.com/gXZ6pW3cbk  gopu mohan (@gopumohan_TNIE) January 17, 2017 Over 1k youngsters continue sit in at Marina, say will go on till protest at #Alanagnallur is called off @Ram_TNIE #JusticeforJallikattu  gopu mohan (@gopumohan_TNIE) January 17, 2017 As the day progressed, not only did the number of protestors increase but also the crowd's impatience. Fervent cries were made to the chief minister O Panneerselvam to address the gathering. The atmosphere was too charged and black flags were waved furiously by some, while others displayed charts carrying captions calling for a ban on the animal welfare organisation, PETA or lifting the ban on Jallikattu. "We have been here since 6 AM and there were only five people then," said R Madhukar, who had come from Thiruvottiyur. "We are here for three things --- the wrongful arrests in Alanganallur, to preserve our tradition of Jallikattu and to demand a ban on PETA." His friend V Dilip Kumar is a student of Velammal Engineering College and had taken the day off to be part of the agitation. As a movement that gained traction primarily because of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, protestors made it a point to keep the internet buzzing with the updates by posting photos and videos. There were many who heard about the protest through friends and took time out from work to be there. S Saimeenakshi Shankar is one of them. She works at an MNC in Shollinganallur and asked her boss for a little time off just to come and be part of the protest, even if it was only for an hour or so. "I don't want someone teaching me my tradition and culture," she said emphatically. "We all know what humanity and animal welfare is about. We don't need PETA to teach us that." Further, she said she was there to show her contempt for what happened in Alanganallur. "It was a democratic procession," Saimeenakshi stated. "Why did they have to remove the protestors using force? It is against our Constitution." The agitation in Chennai, however, should not be dismissed as a purely student-driven rally. There were people of all ages, from various professional backgrounds who had travelled from different corners of the city, just to show their solidarity. "We do not like the Indian government's silence over these issues," said 41-year-old S. Shankarvelu who works for a travel agency. "We have always obeyed the Indian government but now we are against them because they are not taking a stand. Let them decide if they need us or PETA." K Prabhakar,19, from Tirunelveli, a civil engineering student said that the government has to take a stand for Jallikattu, "The sport is being banned because of some agenda to help corporates, PETA only supports Western ideas because of which farmers in our State are suffering. So many lives have been affected by this ban, the Supreme Court should revoke it," he explained. There were others who had come for lesser spoken about reasons. "I want my child to get natural food and pure milk," said P Vaduganathan, a 33-year-old who has his own software business. "We need these cows. If this tradition is not there, farmers might lose incentive to breed them as they are not easy to maintain." The people who benefitted from the congregation were the vendors selling short eats, food and beverages. This was a bright day in an otherwise gloomy, post-demonetisation time where customers had stopped frequenting their stalls as they did not want to part with change. "Today was a good day for my business after a long time," said Mangalam, who sells water and other beverages by the beach. "I came at 7 AM and there were about 30 people. I never imagined that so many people would come," she exclaimed. Another beverage-seller, S Mani agreed. "I came at 10 AM but did not expect it to last. I came back after lunch and it was so crowded," he said ruefully, thinking it was an opportunity he missed out on. As the sun begun to set, the crowd showed no sign of exhaustion. Opposition party leader M K Stalin also paid a visit at the beach expressing his support for the gathering. A section of the crowd seemed angry at the media and threw water bottle on the TV cameramen.
Ram M Sundaram By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: It has been six years since a sum of Rs 32 crore was earmarked for the construction of two bridges at Thiruvottiyur. But the State government agencies have not made much progress on the projects for varying reasons, a delay that has caused great inconvenience for the local residents.

While the one under construction by the Highways Department at Sadayankuppam is getting delayed due to land acquisition issues, the other one by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) replacing the 40-year-old foot over iron bridge at Burma Nagar has not even commenced.

Delay in these infrastructural facilities has forced people to walk miles to reach out even for emergency services including ambulances.

Bringing in boats to rescue people from flooded areas was a matter of routine for nearly 30,000 people residing in and around Sadayankuppam at Thiruvottiyur in November-December every year, the period when maximum rainfall is recorded in the State.

To put an end to the connectivity woes, the Tamil Nadu government in 2010 laid the foundation stone for construction of a two-lane bridge more than one km long at a cost of Rs 16.46 crore. The bridge connecting Sadayankuppam with Manali Oil Refinery Road would reduce at least four km of travel.

But even today, locals can be seen using a narrow rickety wooden structure to cross the river. Unable to complete the project, the Highways Department recently installed temporary iron ramps to support pedestrian movement.

Construction which began a year later was put on hold after acquisition of necessary land for the project turned problematic. A Highways official said that out of the 10,286 sq.metre (3,862 sq.m in Thiruvottiyur and 6,424 sq.m in Sadayankuppam) of land required, payments were pending only for 20 per cent of land owners. The five pending cases will be resolved soon and construction of approach road will begin at the earliest, the official added.

The optimism, however, is not shared by local residents, who are forced to use the unfinished structure.

S Mahalakshmi, a resident, said that without approach roads in place, they had to trudge through sludge and slime to reach the ramps connecting the bridge whenever it rained. Its dangerous to walk at the night as there were no street lights on this path, she added.

Residents also said they were forced to use the narrow causeway to reach the main road and this was congested during rush hour. We otherwise have to take a detour of three km through Burma Colony to reach the arterial road, said R Paechiselvam, another resident.

However, this route also didnt come to their rescue during the 2015 December floods leaving the entire locality disconnected. An iron bridge constructed four decades ago across Puzhal lake surplus water canal at Burma Nagar got flooded.

Only two-wheelers and autorickshaws can travel along this 1.4-metre-wide riveted structure with rust and wear. Following a series of protests and petitions from the locals, the Greater Chennai Corporation announced that a Rs 15-crore overbridge would be constructed replacing the 10-metre bridge.

While the Corporation would shell out Rs 9 crore, a private agency will bear the remaining cost, said a Corporation official. Senior civic body officials and former Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy visited the locality last year after funds were sanctioned. No progress was reported following this.

Even ambulances or fire tenders cant enter inside our area during emergencies through this narrow bridge. We had to either take the detour through Manali New Town or carry sick patients in stretchers for two to three km to reach the main road, said N Pazhani from Burma Nagar. A Corporation official said that works were in progress and construction would begin soon.

CHENNAI: It has been six years since a sum of Rs 32 crore was earmarked for the construction of two bridges at Thiruvottiyur. But the State government agencies have not made much progress on the projects for varying reasons, a delay that has caused great inconvenience for the local residents. While the one under construction by the Highways Department at Sadayankuppam is getting delayed due to land acquisition issues, the other one by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) replacing the 40-year-old foot over iron bridge at Burma Nagar has not even commenced. Delay in these infrastructural facilities has forced people to walk miles to reach out even for emergency services including ambulances. Bringing in boats to rescue people from flooded areas was a matter of routine for nearly 30,000 people residing in and around Sadayankuppam at Thiruvottiyur in November-December every year, the period when maximum rainfall is recorded in the State. To put an end to the connectivity woes, the Tamil Nadu government in 2010 laid the foundation stone for construction of a two-lane bridge more than one km long at a cost of Rs 16.46 crore. The bridge connecting Sadayankuppam with Manali Oil Refinery Road would reduce at least four km of travel. But even today, locals can be seen using a narrow rickety wooden structure to cross the river. Unable to complete the project, the Highways Department recently installed temporary iron ramps to support pedestrian movement. Construction which began a year later was put on hold after acquisition of necessary land for the project turned problematic. A Highways official said that out of the 10,286 sq.metre (3,862 sq.m in Thiruvottiyur and 6,424 sq.m in Sadayankuppam) of land required, payments were pending only for 20 per cent of land owners. The five pending cases will be resolved soon and construction of approach road will begin at the earliest, the official added. The optimism, however, is not shared by local residents, who are forced to use the unfinished structure. S Mahalakshmi, a resident, said that without approach roads in place, they had to trudge through sludge and slime to reach the ramps connecting the bridge whenever it rained. Its dangerous to walk at the night as there were no street lights on this path, she added. Residents also said they were forced to use the narrow causeway to reach the main road and this was congested during rush hour. We otherwise have to take a detour of three km through Burma Colony to reach the arterial road, said R Paechiselvam, another resident. However, this route also didnt come to their rescue during the 2015 December floods leaving the entire locality disconnected. An iron bridge constructed four decades ago across Puzhal lake surplus water canal at Burma Nagar got flooded. Only two-wheelers and autorickshaws can travel along this 1.4-metre-wide riveted structure with rust and wear. Following a series of protests and petitions from the locals, the Greater Chennai Corporation announced that a Rs 15-crore overbridge would be constructed replacing the 10-metre bridge. While the Corporation would shell out Rs 9 crore, a private agency will bear the remaining cost, said a Corporation official. Senior civic body officials and former Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy visited the locality last year after funds were sanctioned. No progress was reported following this. Even ambulances or fire tenders cant enter inside our area during emergencies through this narrow bridge. We had to either take the detour through Manali New Town or carry sick patients in stretchers for two to three km to reach the main road, said N Pazhani from Burma Nagar. A Corporation official said that works were in progress and construction would begin soon.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Specialists at Apollo Hospitals performed a minimally invasive abdominal surgery on a 50 year old patient from Somalia, Mahmud, suffering from a bullet injury, which he sustained nine months ago. Dr P Siva Charan Reddy, Consultant Surgical Gastroenterologist, Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, and his team said they performed a critical laparoscopic surgery to retrieve the bullet with minimal damage to the liver, where it was deeply entrenched.

The patient reportedly came to Apollo Hospitals with a complaint of continuous pain in the abdomen, which he was enduring since the injury. The excruciating pain prevented him from performing his regular routine and lead a normal life. His visits to several doctors and hospitals both within his country and India, proved futile. He was advised surgical removal of the bullet through the conventional open surgery, which needed cutting open of the abdomen and slicing of a part of the liver. Considering the high risk involved and the prolonged period of recovery, the doctors and the patient were reluctant to proceed.

At Apollo Hospitals, Dr Reddy on evaluating the patient opted to perform a laparoscopic surgery to remove the bullet and limit any damage to the liver. Two small holes of 0.5 cm were made in the abdomen, with the help of specialised instruments the exact location of the bullet was identified and it was removed preserving the liver and the surrounding important structures. The surgery was done with minimal blood loss and scars and the patient was discharged within 24 hours. The conventional or open surgery would have left a large scar of about 15 - 20 cms in length and post operative recovery would have taken about a week to ten days, said Dr Reddy.

HYDERABAD: Specialists at Apollo Hospitals performed a minimally invasive abdominal surgery on a 50 year old patient from Somalia, Mahmud, suffering from a bullet injury, which he sustained nine months ago. Dr P Siva Charan Reddy, Consultant Surgical Gastroenterologist, Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, and his team said they performed a critical laparoscopic surgery to retrieve the bullet with minimal damage to the liver, where it was deeply entrenched. The patient reportedly came to Apollo Hospitals with a complaint of continuous pain in the abdomen, which he was enduring since the injury. The excruciating pain prevented him from performing his regular routine and lead a normal life. His visits to several doctors and hospitals both within his country and India, proved futile. He was advised surgical removal of the bullet through the conventional open surgery, which needed cutting open of the abdomen and slicing of a part of the liver. Considering the high risk involved and the prolonged period of recovery, the doctors and the patient were reluctant to proceed. At Apollo Hospitals, Dr Reddy on evaluating the patient opted to perform a laparoscopic surgery to remove the bullet and limit any damage to the liver. Two small holes of 0.5 cm were made in the abdomen, with the help of specialised instruments the exact location of the bullet was identified and it was removed preserving the liver and the surrounding important structures. The surgery was done with minimal blood loss and scars and the patient was discharged within 24 hours. The conventional or open surgery would have left a large scar of about 15 - 20 cms in length and post operative recovery would have taken about a week to ten days, said Dr Reddy.
V Nilesh By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Rohith Vemulas suicide served to spread awareness of Dalit identity issues nationwide, but on the campus of the University of Hyderabad itself, the student groups that came together to participate in the movement have since been riven by differences and have drifted apart.



With Dalit student organisations divided, it is the left and right wing organisations that dominate campus politics. This was amply evident in the UoH students union elections held after Vemula's suicide.

The suicide brought together student organisations - except ABVP -- under one umbrella to steer the protests. However, when it came to the elections, differences between the Left and Ambedkarite ideologies and among Dalit student groups themselves came to the fore.

In the aftermath of the suicide, the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) -- to which Rohith Vemula belonged -- came together with the Dalit Students Union (DSU), Tribal Students Forum (TSF) and Bahujan Students Front (BSF) to form a Joint Action Committee for Social Justice. It was very active on social media and organised visits of political personalities to the campus.



However, once the students union elections were announced, the JAC disintegrated. While SFI and ABVP maintained their voters in the polls, groups representing students from SC, ST and OBC communities were divided. The DSU, BSF and TSF could not come to an understanding with the ASA and chose to align with the SFI.

The ASA contested the elections in tandem with the Congress-backed National Students Union of India (NSUI) -- which has only a negligible presence in UoH - and fielded Vijay Kumar Pedapudi, one of the Dalit scholars who had been suspended along with Rohith Vemula, for the presidents post. The United OBC Forum on the other hand allied with the ABVP.

The outpouring of support seen on campus for the five suspended Dalit scholars -- Rohith Vemula, Dontha Prashanth, C Seshaiah, Vijay Kumar Pedapudi and V Sunkanna -- did not result in electoral support for the ASA-NSUI combine and it failed to win a single post whereas the SFI-TSF-BSF-DSU coalition won handsomely.

The Rohith Vemula suicide had implications for the faculty of UoH too. The debate on caste discrimination left it deeply divided. While one group came out openly against vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile, another group maintained silent support for the VC.

The SC/ST Faculty Forum of UoH demanded the resignation of Appa Rao until he clears his name from charges framed against him under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. Members of the forum even stepped down from their positions, and were joined by teachers from other social groups.

However, many members of the University of Hyderabad Teachers Association continued their support for Podile and the riot at the VCs lodge in March -- some faculty members were left holed up in the VC's lodge for a few hours - only cemented that support.

The non-teaching staff of the university too were inclined towards the VC. After the riot, the non-teaching staff went on a strike which resulted in a shutdown of the hostel messes and stoppage of power and water supply.

HYDERABAD: Rohith Vemulas suicide served to spread awareness of Dalit identity issues nationwide, but on the campus of the University of Hyderabad itself, the student groups that came together to participate in the movement have since been riven by differences and have drifted apart. With Dalit student organisations divided, it is the left and right wing organisations that dominate campus politics. This was amply evident in the UoH students union elections held after Vemula's suicide. The suicide brought together student organisations - except ABVP -- under one umbrella to steer the protests. However, when it came to the elections, differences between the Left and Ambedkarite ideologies and among Dalit student groups themselves came to the fore. In the aftermath of the suicide, the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) -- to which Rohith Vemula belonged -- came together with the Dalit Students Union (DSU), Tribal Students Forum (TSF) and Bahujan Students Front (BSF) to form a Joint Action Committee for Social Justice. It was very active on social media and organised visits of political personalities to the campus. However, once the students union elections were announced, the JAC disintegrated. While SFI and ABVP maintained their voters in the polls, groups representing students from SC, ST and OBC communities were divided. The DSU, BSF and TSF could not come to an understanding with the ASA and chose to align with the SFI. The ASA contested the elections in tandem with the Congress-backed National Students Union of India (NSUI) -- which has only a negligible presence in UoH - and fielded Vijay Kumar Pedapudi, one of the Dalit scholars who had been suspended along with Rohith Vemula, for the presidents post. The United OBC Forum on the other hand allied with the ABVP. The outpouring of support seen on campus for the five suspended Dalit scholars -- Rohith Vemula, Dontha Prashanth, C Seshaiah, Vijay Kumar Pedapudi and V Sunkanna -- did not result in electoral support for the ASA-NSUI combine and it failed to win a single post whereas the SFI-TSF-BSF-DSU coalition won handsomely. The Rohith Vemula suicide had implications for the faculty of UoH too. The debate on caste discrimination left it deeply divided. While one group came out openly against vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile, another group maintained silent support for the VC. The SC/ST Faculty Forum of UoH demanded the resignation of Appa Rao until he clears his name from charges framed against him under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. Members of the forum even stepped down from their positions, and were joined by teachers from other social groups. However, many members of the University of Hyderabad Teachers Association continued their support for Podile and the riot at the VCs lodge in March -- some faculty members were left holed up in the VC's lodge for a few hours - only cemented that support. The non-teaching staff of the university too were inclined towards the VC. After the riot, the non-teaching staff went on a strike which resulted in a shutdown of the hostel messes and stoppage of power and water supply.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Radhika Vemula, who has been appealing for support seeking justice for her son Rohith Vemula which in turn has spiraled into a movement in the last one year, on Tuesday, said the University of Hyderabad authorities have 'imprisoned' the bust and stupa erected in memory of her son inside the campus by not letting anyone enter the campus on his first death anniversary.

Before heading to the university, and while speaking at another event in the city, she said: "When I go to the university, I want to see the statue of my son. Please come with me and support me in getting inside".

The university, she said, has imprisoned Rohiths statue inside and is not allowing anyone inside. "I demand the withdrawal of the police force deployed at the varsity gate. If the police lathicharge students who are going to commemorate his martyrdom, we will sit on indefinite hunger strike," she stated.

Shesaiah, one of the research scholars who had faced disciplinary action along with Rohith said Rohith used to talk about Dalits, atrocities against them and political philosophy to emancipate them. Till his last breath, he stood as a radical Ambekarite". Further, recalling his association with Rohith, he said: "He used to criticize the parliamentarians. He read Ambedkar, Marx, poets like Shiv Sagar."

According to him, the State was trying to curtail a mothers freedom to cry by denying her entry into the university. "Modi said that Rohith is the son of Bharat Mata and he gave Millennium Plaque Honour

to Appa Rao. We should continue our struggle and war against Hindutva brigade and for annihilation of caste, he added.

They were speaking at a national seminar held by the Kulanirmulana Porata Samithi (KNPS), Telangana at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram on Tuesday morning. It saw the participation of Rohiths friends, family,

academicians and organisations fighting to resist Hindutva attacks on Dalits, Muslims, and minorities.

KNPS president Bandari Laxmaiah who presided the programme said, Even a small initiative by the Dalits in declaring themselves as equal human beings is resulting in violence. Caste is always treated as

something which is exhibited in villages but the cases of HCU such as that of Madari Venkatesh reveal that caste exists in the modern institutions as well.

Professor K Laxmi Narayana from UoH, Profesor Surepalli Sujatha from Satvahana University and Professor Biju Mathew were also present at the programme.

HYDERABAD: Radhika Vemula, who has been appealing for support seeking justice for her son Rohith Vemula which in turn has spiraled into a movement in the last one year, on Tuesday, said the University of Hyderabad authorities have 'imprisoned' the bust and stupa erected in memory of her son inside the campus by not letting anyone enter the campus on his first death anniversary. Before heading to the university, and while speaking at another event in the city, she said: "When I go to the university, I want to see the statue of my son. Please come with me and support me in getting inside". The university, she said, has imprisoned Rohiths statue inside and is not allowing anyone inside. "I demand the withdrawal of the police force deployed at the varsity gate. If the police lathicharge students who are going to commemorate his martyrdom, we will sit on indefinite hunger strike," she stated. Shesaiah, one of the research scholars who had faced disciplinary action along with Rohith said Rohith used to talk about Dalits, atrocities against them and political philosophy to emancipate them. Till his last breath, he stood as a radical Ambekarite". Further, recalling his association with Rohith, he said: "He used to criticize the parliamentarians. He read Ambedkar, Marx, poets like Shiv Sagar." According to him, the State was trying to curtail a mothers freedom to cry by denying her entry into the university. "Modi said that Rohith is the son of Bharat Mata and he gave Millennium Plaque Honour to Appa Rao. We should continue our struggle and war against Hindutva brigade and for annihilation of caste, he added. They were speaking at a national seminar held by the Kulanirmulana Porata Samithi (KNPS), Telangana at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram on Tuesday morning. It saw the participation of Rohiths friends, family, academicians and organisations fighting to resist Hindutva attacks on Dalits, Muslims, and minorities. KNPS president Bandari Laxmaiah who presided the programme said, Even a small initiative by the Dalits in declaring themselves as equal human beings is resulting in violence. Caste is always treated as something which is exhibited in villages but the cases of HCU such as that of Madari Venkatesh reveal that caste exists in the modern institutions as well. Professor K Laxmi Narayana from UoH, Profesor Surepalli Sujatha from Satvahana University and Professor Biju Mathew were also present at the programme.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: On the first death anniversary of Rohith Vemula, the University of Hyderabad Dalit scholar who committed suicide at the UoH hostel after facing disciplinary action, his mother Radhika Vemula, brother Raja, and close to a dozen friends -- including Sudipto Mondal, a journalist from Hindustan Times -- were detained by the Cyberabad police near the universitys main gate at 8 pm.

It may be recalled that the UoH issued a statement on Monday reiterating that the campus was closed to outsiders. In spite of the restrictions, members of Joint Action Committee seeking justice for Rohith had called for support in commemorating 'Rohith Shahadath Din' at Velivada or Shopcom inside the campus. Participants scheduled to speak at the event included Dalits who were victims of the public whipping in Una, Gujarat, relatives of Mohammad Akhlaq who had been lynched to death in Dadri, UP as well as Fathima Nafees, mother of missing JNU student Najeeb.

However, early in the evening, with the University administration refusing to let outsiders enter the campus as per the directions of Hyderabad High Court, tension prevailed at the shut gate. Large numbers of students rushed towards the gate and threw it open. Barricades were thrown to the ground as students from other universities and activists poured through the gate only to be detained by the police standing guard. As many as 17 students were taken into preventive custody by Gachibowli police.

After a melee which lasted for more than 30 minutes, students stayed at the gate and invited Radhika and others to address the gathering from there, the Rohith Shahadath Din programme thereby starting two hours later than scheduled outside the campus. Radhika Vemula wanted to garland Rohith's memorial: Radhika, who said she had travelled from Guntur to Hyderabad solely to garland her sons memorial -- a stupa -- on campus, requested to be allowed into the campus. She said that she wanted to speak to the UoH VC Appa Rao Podile and requested the police to let her in, for a peaceful talk, even saying she would sit on a hunger strike.

When entry was still denied, she and others decided to proceed in a candlelight rally to the memorial, escorted by professors. As students started to form a human chain and began distributing candles, a scuffle began and barricades were quickly set up by the police. Fifteen of the protesters including Radhika, Raja, Ambedkar Student Association leaders Kumar, Kavya, Pramila, Prabhakar and Student Union leader Ravali were detained by the police and escorted into a police van. Mondal was part of the group. Earlier in the day, Frontline reporter Kunal Shankar was detained and taken to Gachibowli police station. Based on a complaint from UoH authorities, the police registered a case against the scribe on charges of trespass.

HYDERABAD: On the first death anniversary of Rohith Vemula, the University of Hyderabad Dalit scholar who committed suicide at the UoH hostel after facing disciplinary action, his mother Radhika Vemula, brother Raja, and close to a dozen friends -- including Sudipto Mondal, a journalist from Hindustan Times -- were detained by the Cyberabad police near the universitys main gate at 8 pm. It may be recalled that the UoH issued a statement on Monday reiterating that the campus was closed to outsiders. In spite of the restrictions, members of Joint Action Committee seeking justice for Rohith had called for support in commemorating 'Rohith Shahadath Din' at Velivada or Shopcom inside the campus. Participants scheduled to speak at the event included Dalits who were victims of the public whipping in Una, Gujarat, relatives of Mohammad Akhlaq who had been lynched to death in Dadri, UP as well as Fathima Nafees, mother of missing JNU student Najeeb. However, early in the evening, with the University administration refusing to let outsiders enter the campus as per the directions of Hyderabad High Court, tension prevailed at the shut gate. Large numbers of students rushed towards the gate and threw it open. Barricades were thrown to the ground as students from other universities and activists poured through the gate only to be detained by the police standing guard. As many as 17 students were taken into preventive custody by Gachibowli police. After a melee which lasted for more than 30 minutes, students stayed at the gate and invited Radhika and others to address the gathering from there, the Rohith Shahadath Din programme thereby starting two hours later than scheduled outside the campus. Radhika Vemula wanted to garland Rohith's memorial: Radhika, who said she had travelled from Guntur to Hyderabad solely to garland her sons memorial -- a stupa -- on campus, requested to be allowed into the campus. She said that she wanted to speak to the UoH VC Appa Rao Podile and requested the police to let her in, for a peaceful talk, even saying she would sit on a hunger strike. When entry was still denied, she and others decided to proceed in a candlelight rally to the memorial, escorted by professors. As students started to form a human chain and began distributing candles, a scuffle began and barricades were quickly set up by the police. Fifteen of the protesters including Radhika, Raja, Ambedkar Student Association leaders Kumar, Kavya, Pramila, Prabhakar and Student Union leader Ravali were detained by the police and escorted into a police van. Mondal was part of the group. Earlier in the day, Frontline reporter Kunal Shankar was detained and taken to Gachibowli police station. Based on a complaint from UoH authorities, the police registered a case against the scribe on charges of trespass.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: University of Hyderabad (UoH) authorities on Tuesday blocked student groups from holding events on campus in memory of Dalit student Rohith Vemula who committed suicide this day last year.

Massed security personnel held off student groups who planned to conduct a protest programme, titled Rohith Vemula Shahadat Din, at the spot where the research scholar staged a protest against caste discrimination before he took his own life.

Among the people who gathered at the gates to participate in the commemorative event were the family members of Rohith Vemula and Fatima Nafees, mother of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed.

Earlier in the day there was mild tension at the gates as students attempted to break through. As many as 17 UoH students who tried to march out of campus in an attempt to hold the scheduled programme at the university entrance were taken into preventive custody by the Gachibowli police. However, they managed to open the gates and hunkered down there.

In the afternoon, a Frontline magazine correspondent Kunal Shankar was detained by the police. The university maintained that no outsiders would be allowed to enter the campus anc cited orders issued by the Hyderabad High Court. Police have reportedly registered a case of trespass against the Frontline correspondent.

Speaking at the Rohith Shadat Din event in the evening, Rohith Vemulas brother Raja said, "Even today they are not allowing me to see Rohith's stupa inside the university. The police are saying they will arrest me if I go inside.

Among the participats was Jaan Mohammad, brother Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched by a right wing mob in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh for stocking beef in his refrigerator. Jaan Mohammed said his brother was falsely accused of consuming beef. We dont even slaughter a chicken in our house. Some anti-social elements planted beef in our fridge. It was a scandal.

Dontha Prashant, an Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) leader and one of the scholars who faced disciplinary action along with Rohith Vemula, said: "When I went to meet Radhika Amma in the morning, she was in a lot of pain. She said they killed my son, now they are after me. She said they are pushing me towards a state of resignation. Today, her words are a reminder that if we don't stand with her we will be responsible for losing another Rohith."

Another of the speakers at the event was Rahul, who was a participant in the protests at JNU last year. He likened JNU to a village where lower caste students are discriminated against. We examined data on marks awarded to students in viva voce examinations. We found that Dalit students don't get beyond 10-15 marks. He added that the JNU authorities suspended students who questioned the discrimination.

Further, he explained that it has not been mentioned till when they were suspended. "Rohith left this world opening our eyes. Regarding atrocities, we wanted the campus to thunder with voices of resistance. Modi, I want to tell you that outside RSS office in Nagpur, Hindutva extremist dharmashatra will be burnt," he thundered.

HYDERABAD: University of Hyderabad (UoH) authorities on Tuesday blocked student groups from holding events on campus in memory of Dalit student Rohith Vemula who committed suicide this day last year. Massed security personnel held off student groups who planned to conduct a protest programme, titled Rohith Vemula Shahadat Din, at the spot where the research scholar staged a protest against caste discrimination before he took his own life. Among the people who gathered at the gates to participate in the commemorative event were the family members of Rohith Vemula and Fatima Nafees, mother of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed. Earlier in the day there was mild tension at the gates as students attempted to break through. As many as 17 UoH students who tried to march out of campus in an attempt to hold the scheduled programme at the university entrance were taken into preventive custody by the Gachibowli police. However, they managed to open the gates and hunkered down there. In the afternoon, a Frontline magazine correspondent Kunal Shankar was detained by the police. The university maintained that no outsiders would be allowed to enter the campus anc cited orders issued by the Hyderabad High Court. Police have reportedly registered a case of trespass against the Frontline correspondent. Speaking at the Rohith Shadat Din event in the evening, Rohith Vemulas brother Raja said, "Even today they are not allowing me to see Rohith's stupa inside the university. The police are saying they will arrest me if I go inside. Among the participats was Jaan Mohammad, brother Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched by a right wing mob in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh for stocking beef in his refrigerator. Jaan Mohammed said his brother was falsely accused of consuming beef. We dont even slaughter a chicken in our house. Some anti-social elements planted beef in our fridge. It was a scandal. Dontha Prashant, an Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) leader and one of the scholars who faced disciplinary action along with Rohith Vemula, said: "When I went to meet Radhika Amma in the morning, she was in a lot of pain. She said they killed my son, now they are after me. She said they are pushing me towards a state of resignation. Today, her words are a reminder that if we don't stand with her we will be responsible for losing another Rohith." Another of the speakers at the event was Rahul, who was a participant in the protests at JNU last year. He likened JNU to a village where lower caste students are discriminated against. We examined data on marks awarded to students in viva voce examinations. We found that Dalit students don't get beyond 10-15 marks. He added that the JNU authorities suspended students who questioned the discrimination. Further, he explained that it has not been mentioned till when they were suspended. "Rohith left this world opening our eyes. Regarding atrocities, we wanted the campus to thunder with voices of resistance. Modi, I want to tell you that outside RSS office in Nagpur, Hindutva extremist dharmashatra will be burnt," he thundered.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: A former MBA student from Harvard Business School was arrested by the central crime station police of Hyderabad for cheating a businessman from city to a tune of about Rs 1.4 crore on the pretext of establishing a solar power projects. The accused collected over Rs 100 crore from investors across the country and cheated them, said the police. Accused Boaz Augustin is a native of Madurai in Tamil Nadu and has completed electrical engineering at Anna Univeristy in Chennai, took admission at Harvard Business School to pursue MBA. During his stay, he met one Narsi Reddy, a Hyderabad native, who was also doing a course at Harvard.

On his return to India, Boaz did solar power plant installation business, but he could not get more profits. With a plan to earn more, Boaz took help of his friend and started a company Borg Inc at Texas in USA. He then registered two companies in India and publicised that the Indian companies were subsidiary of the US company to install solar power projects across the country. Boaz lured the businessmen stating that he will help in getting 90 per cent of the loan for the amount that will be invested in establishing the power plants and took advance of 10 per cent from the victims.

He collected around 100 crore from victims across the country, said Additional Commissioner (Crimes & SIT) Swati Lakra. Victims from all across the country: The case in Hyderabad is registered in 2016 September based on a complaint from a resident here. Further, on investigation, it came to light that he had duped two persons in Andhra Pradesh and several from New Delhi, Chennai and other cities. An investigation is on. When the teams went to Madhurai, he managed to escape twice. Andhra Pradesh police also went to nab him, but did not succeed. With specific inputs, Boaz was nabbed in Chennai on Monday and brought to Hyderabad.

He opened around 50 bank accounts in various places and diverted the money. We seized the bank accounts, but only Rs 2 crore is present in them. He is arrested and reamnded. Boaz will be taken into custody for further investigation, she said.

HYDERABAD: A former MBA student from Harvard Business School was arrested by the central crime station police of Hyderabad for cheating a businessman from city to a tune of about Rs 1.4 crore on the pretext of establishing a solar power projects. The accused collected over Rs 100 crore from investors across the country and cheated them, said the police. Accused Boaz Augustin is a native of Madurai in Tamil Nadu and has completed electrical engineering at Anna Univeristy in Chennai, took admission at Harvard Business School to pursue MBA. During his stay, he met one Narsi Reddy, a Hyderabad native, who was also doing a course at Harvard. On his return to India, Boaz did solar power plant installation business, but he could not get more profits. With a plan to earn more, Boaz took help of his friend and started a company Borg Inc at Texas in USA. He then registered two companies in India and publicised that the Indian companies were subsidiary of the US company to install solar power projects across the country. Boaz lured the businessmen stating that he will help in getting 90 per cent of the loan for the amount that will be invested in establishing the power plants and took advance of 10 per cent from the victims. He collected around 100 crore from victims across the country, said Additional Commissioner (Crimes & SIT) Swati Lakra. Victims from all across the country: The case in Hyderabad is registered in 2016 September based on a complaint from a resident here. Further, on investigation, it came to light that he had duped two persons in Andhra Pradesh and several from New Delhi, Chennai and other cities. An investigation is on. When the teams went to Madhurai, he managed to escape twice. Andhra Pradesh police also went to nab him, but did not succeed. With specific inputs, Boaz was nabbed in Chennai on Monday and brought to Hyderabad. He opened around 50 bank accounts in various places and diverted the money. We seized the bank accounts, but only Rs 2 crore is present in them. He is arrested and reamnded. Boaz will be taken into custody for further investigation, she said.
By Online Desk

Actor Aamir Khan has come out in support of actor Zaira Wasim, who was trolled online for her meeting with J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. The 16-year-old actor from Kashmir played the role of younger Geeta Phogat in Khan's 'Dangal'.

Khan tweeted that a bright, young, talented, hardworking, respectful, caring and courageous kid like Zaira is a role model for kids not only in India, but also across the world. He also appealed to everyone to leave Zaira alone and respect the fact that she is a 16-year-old girl and trying her best to deal with life.

Zaira's meeting with Mehbooba had irked many, as numerous people took to social media to condemn her, even for her choice of career. On Monday, she had posted an apology on her Twitter handle, apologizing for her actions.

She had written that she want to apologize to all those who she had unintentionally hurt and that she understood their sentiments considering the unrest in Kashmir during the past six months. She went on to request people to not consider her as a role model and it would be a disgrace to do so.

The actor's action brought to light the effect of cyber bullying and the disturbing tone with which she had to concede to the attack.

Actor Aamir Khan has come out in support of actor Zaira Wasim, who was trolled online for her meeting with J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. The 16-year-old actor from Kashmir played the role of younger Geeta Phogat in Khan's 'Dangal'. Khan tweeted that a bright, young, talented, hardworking, respectful, caring and courageous kid like Zaira is a role model for kids not only in India, but also across the world. He also appealed to everyone to leave Zaira alone and respect the fact that she is a 16-year-old girl and trying her best to deal with life. Zaira's meeting with Mehbooba had irked many, as numerous people took to social media to condemn her, even for her choice of career. On Monday, she had posted an apology on her Twitter handle, apologizing for her actions. She had written that she want to apologize to all those who she had unintentionally hurt and that she understood their sentiments considering the unrest in Kashmir during the past six months. She went on to request people to not consider her as a role model and it would be a disgrace to do so. The actor's action brought to light the effect of cyber bullying and the disturbing tone with which she had to concede to the attack. pic.twitter.com/Ynu3VvdRs0  Aamir Khan (@aamir_khan) January 17, 2017
By PTI

BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh Government has decided to shut 58 liquor shops located within five kilometers from the banks of river Narmada. "State cabinet has given the nod to shut 58 shops located within five kilometers from the banks of river Narmada. These shops are located across 12 districts of the state," MP Public Relations Minister Narottam Mishra told journalists after the cabinet meeting today. "Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had earlier made an announcement in this regard during the ongoing 'Namami Devi Narmade - Sewa Yatra.'

These shops will not be auctioned for next financial year," he added. The state cabinet also approved the liquor policy for financial year 2017-18 today. Shops to be shut include Dindori (two shops), Mandla (6), Jabalpur (3), Narsinghpur (7), Raisen (3), Hoshangabad (12), Sehore (7), Harda (2), Dewas (2), Khandwa (4), Dhar (4) and Khargone (6). In addition, 1427 liquor shops located on national highways and state highways would also be shifted following the apex court's order in this regard, he added. On December 15 last year, the Supreme Court had ordered to shut all the liquor shops within 500-meters of national and state highways, setting the deadline of April 1, 2017 for its implementation. "State's excise department has identified 1427 shops coming under the purview of SC directives. These shops will be shifted to other places, beyond 500-meters of such highways," the minister added.

In addition, 572 other liquor shops would also be shifted in compliance with the court's orders, the minister informed. Asked whether the government is heading for a 'complete prohibition' in the state, Mishra replied "Chief Minister's intent seems to be leading in that direction." "No new liquor shop will be opened in the state in year 2017-18," he added.

The minister said new liquor policy also suggested seeking breathe analysers from companies running breweries. Mishra informed that a provision for suspending the driving license for six months, if caught in a drunken driving case for the first time, has been made in new liquor policy. "Those caught in drunken driving for second time would be penalised with the suspension of driving license for two years. If caught for the third time, the transport department would be told to cancel the license," he added. P

BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh Government has decided to shut 58 liquor shops located within five kilometers from the banks of river Narmada. "State cabinet has given the nod to shut 58 shops located within five kilometers from the banks of river Narmada. These shops are located across 12 districts of the state," MP Public Relations Minister Narottam Mishra told journalists after the cabinet meeting today. "Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had earlier made an announcement in this regard during the ongoing 'Namami Devi Narmade - Sewa Yatra.' These shops will not be auctioned for next financial year," he added. The state cabinet also approved the liquor policy for financial year 2017-18 today. Shops to be shut include Dindori (two shops), Mandla (6), Jabalpur (3), Narsinghpur (7), Raisen (3), Hoshangabad (12), Sehore (7), Harda (2), Dewas (2), Khandwa (4), Dhar (4) and Khargone (6). In addition, 1427 liquor shops located on national highways and state highways would also be shifted following the apex court's order in this regard, he added. On December 15 last year, the Supreme Court had ordered to shut all the liquor shops within 500-meters of national and state highways, setting the deadline of April 1, 2017 for its implementation. "State's excise department has identified 1427 shops coming under the purview of SC directives. These shops will be shifted to other places, beyond 500-meters of such highways," the minister added. In addition, 572 other liquor shops would also be shifted in compliance with the court's orders, the minister informed. Asked whether the government is heading for a 'complete prohibition' in the state, Mishra replied "Chief Minister's intent seems to be leading in that direction." "No new liquor shop will be opened in the state in year 2017-18," he added. The minister said new liquor policy also suggested seeking breathe analysers from companies running breweries. Mishra informed that a provision for suspending the driving license for six months, if caught in a drunken driving case for the first time, has been made in new liquor policy. "Those caught in drunken driving for second time would be penalised with the suspension of driving license for two years. If caught for the third time, the transport department would be told to cancel the license," he added. P
By Express News Service

PATNA/MUMBAI/BENGALURU/NEW DELHI: In a day of assaults on students by teachers, a 12-year-old student of a government school was allegedly gangraped by the principal and three teachers in Bihar. Also, a 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her teacher in Maharashtra. This was apart from other incidents of rape across the country.

A 12-year-old mentally challenged girl was gangraped at her school in Jehanabad district allegedly by the principal and three other teachers.

Police said the girl, a student of a government-run Urdu middle school at Kako, was raped one by one by the four men on the terrace of the school on Sunday afternoon, when the school was kept open on the order of the headmaster. The gangrape came to light after the victims mother, also a teacher at the school, and some girl students found her lying in a pool of blood on the terrace.

Kusum Bharti, the station house officer of Kako police station who registered the FIR, said the victim is currently under treatment at the hospital and out of danger. She is slightly mentally challenged and comes to school regularly with her mother, said Bharti. Raids are being conducted to arrest the four accused. An investigation is on into find out the veracity of several complaints received about their misconduct, said Srivastava.

Meanwhile, a 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her teacher in a village in Pathardi tehsil in Maharashtra. The accused has been identified as Raviraj Dattatray Chaudhari (34), who used to teach in a government-run school in Jat Devale village. In another incident, a 30-year-old man has been booked for allegedly harassing a woman school teacher and stalking her on social media. The accused followed the 24-year-old woman on a social networking site. He later called up the victims mother, demanding that the woman be married to him or else he would kidnap her and throw acid on her.

Meanwhile, a Delhi court sent a 21-year-old youth to five years in jail for sexually assaulting and threatening his neighbours minor daughter.

The court also awarded a compensation of `2 lakh to the 9-year-old girl while observing that the concept of welfare and wellbeing of children is basic for any civilised society.

In yet another incident, a 50-year-old assistant sub-inspector was on Monday arrested for allegedly raping a mentally-challenged woman in the Tumkur district of Karnataka.

The victim, a 30-year-old mentally challenged woman, had stepped out of her house on Sunday and lost her way. She was reportedly offered help by ASI Ramesh who, seeing an opportunity, raped her in his car.

On the other hand, in a reprieve to men falsely accused of rape, a man, accused of raping a woman on the pretext of finding her a job, has been let off by a court in New Delhi which held it as a false case. Many of the cases are being reported by those women who have consensual physical relationship but when the relationship breaks the woman uses the law as a weapon for vengeance, the court said.

PATNA/MUMBAI/BENGALURU/NEW DELHI: In a day of assaults on students by teachers, a 12-year-old student of a government school was allegedly gangraped by the principal and three teachers in Bihar. Also, a 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her teacher in Maharashtra. This was apart from other incidents of rape across the country. A 12-year-old mentally challenged girl was gangraped at her school in Jehanabad district allegedly by the principal and three other teachers. Police said the girl, a student of a government-run Urdu middle school at Kako, was raped one by one by the four men on the terrace of the school on Sunday afternoon, when the school was kept open on the order of the headmaster. The gangrape came to light after the victims mother, also a teacher at the school, and some girl students found her lying in a pool of blood on the terrace. Kusum Bharti, the station house officer of Kako police station who registered the FIR, said the victim is currently under treatment at the hospital and out of danger. She is slightly mentally challenged and comes to school regularly with her mother, said Bharti. Raids are being conducted to arrest the four accused. An investigation is on into find out the veracity of several complaints received about their misconduct, said Srivastava. Meanwhile, a 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her teacher in a village in Pathardi tehsil in Maharashtra. The accused has been identified as Raviraj Dattatray Chaudhari (34), who used to teach in a government-run school in Jat Devale village. In another incident, a 30-year-old man has been booked for allegedly harassing a woman school teacher and stalking her on social media. The accused followed the 24-year-old woman on a social networking site. He later called up the victims mother, demanding that the woman be married to him or else he would kidnap her and throw acid on her. Meanwhile, a Delhi court sent a 21-year-old youth to five years in jail for sexually assaulting and threatening his neighbours minor daughter. The court also awarded a compensation of `2 lakh to the 9-year-old girl while observing that the concept of welfare and wellbeing of children is basic for any civilised society. In yet another incident, a 50-year-old assistant sub-inspector was on Monday arrested for allegedly raping a mentally-challenged woman in the Tumkur district of Karnataka. The victim, a 30-year-old mentally challenged woman, had stepped out of her house on Sunday and lost her way. She was reportedly offered help by ASI Ramesh who, seeing an opportunity, raped her in his car. On the other hand, in a reprieve to men falsely accused of rape, a man, accused of raping a woman on the pretext of finding her a job, has been let off by a court in New Delhi which held it as a false case. Many of the cases are being reported by those women who have consensual physical relationship but when the relationship breaks the woman uses the law as a weapon for vengeance, the court said.
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday afternoon filed his nomination papers from the Patiala Assembly constituency to launch the countdown to his last electoral battle.

He was accompanied by wife and Patiala MLA Preneet Kaur and other family members. Amarinder stopped en route to offer prayers and take blessings at the Gurdwara and temple at Burj Baba Ala Singh at the historic Qila Mubarak of his ancestral home, followed by the Kali Mata Mandir, built by his family, as well as Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib.

Amarinder will file his papers from Lambi, the other seat from which he is contesting the Assembly polls, on Wednesday. At Lambi, he is taking chief minister Parkash Singh Badal head-on in what he himself has dubbed as the grandfather of all battles.

After filing his nomination, Amarinder said he was determined to defeat Badal from Lambi in order to teach a lesson to all future chief ministers misusing their powers for personal and family gains. He trashed AAP convener Arvind Kejriwals charge that he was fighting from chief minister Badals home turf of Lambi to help him win, and challenged Kejriwal to enter the electoral contest in the same constituency.

Amarinder also ruled out an alliance with any party, asserting that the Congress would sweep the Assembly elections with 2/3rd majority.

Dismissing the charges levelled by Kejriwal, Amarinder said the AAP leader was talking through his head without a rational thought in his mind. He had said earlier that I should fight Badal and now he says Im helping the chief minister by contesting against him, he said.

He ruled out any serious threat to him from former army chief Gen JJ Singh (Retd) (he refused to call him a General, which he said was a fluke caused by his seniority and not the result of merit), whom the Shiromani Akali Dal has pitted against him in Patiala.

After filing the nomination papers, Amarinder kicked off his road show from a flower-decked open jeep, going through the lanes and bylanes of Patiala, while interacting with the huge crowds lined up along both sides of the road.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday afternoon filed his nomination papers from the Patiala Assembly constituency to launch the countdown to his last electoral battle. He was accompanied by wife and Patiala MLA Preneet Kaur and other family members. Amarinder stopped en route to offer prayers and take blessings at the Gurdwara and temple at Burj Baba Ala Singh at the historic Qila Mubarak of his ancestral home, followed by the Kali Mata Mandir, built by his family, as well as Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib. Amarinder will file his papers from Lambi, the other seat from which he is contesting the Assembly polls, on Wednesday. At Lambi, he is taking chief minister Parkash Singh Badal head-on in what he himself has dubbed as the grandfather of all battles. After filing his nomination, Amarinder said he was determined to defeat Badal from Lambi in order to teach a lesson to all future chief ministers misusing their powers for personal and family gains. He trashed AAP convener Arvind Kejriwals charge that he was fighting from chief minister Badals home turf of Lambi to help him win, and challenged Kejriwal to enter the electoral contest in the same constituency. Amarinder also ruled out an alliance with any party, asserting that the Congress would sweep the Assembly elections with 2/3rd majority. Dismissing the charges levelled by Kejriwal, Amarinder said the AAP leader was talking through his head without a rational thought in his mind. He had said earlier that I should fight Badal and now he says Im helping the chief minister by contesting against him, he said. He ruled out any serious threat to him from former army chief Gen JJ Singh (Retd) (he refused to call him a General, which he said was a fluke caused by his seniority and not the result of merit), whom the Shiromani Akali Dal has pitted against him in Patiala. After filing the nomination papers, Amarinder kicked off his road show from a flower-decked open jeep, going through the lanes and bylanes of Patiala, while interacting with the huge crowds lined up along both sides of the road.
Sajjan Kumar By

Express News Service

With the formal election process only just begun in UP, early pointers to the strategies employed by various parties are evident in their early posters and propaganda material. And a look at political advertisements across UP gives us an insight into the minds of the new crop of professional election-management experts employed by the political parties.

The BJPs campaign strategy is being managed by the Association of Billion Minds (ABM), many of whose members started their electoral management career with Narendra Modis 2014 blitzkrieg campaign executed by Prashant Kishors Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG). For the coming elections, the BJP is carpet bombing public spaces with its political ads hoping to gain a perception advantage vis a vis its rivals.

The BJPs strategy is a repetition of its approach to the 2014 Lok Sabha election and the 2015 Bihar Assembly election. Perception advantage is a strategy by the BJP to use the faces of a chosen few leaders to construct the central narrative of the election around them. Thus, the BJPs posters, banners, billboards and stickers placed at market squares, important public spaces, along streets of towns show Narendra Modi and Amit Shah occupying the central space, while Rajnath Singh (Rajput), Kalraj Mishra (Brahmin), Uma Bharti (Lodh, OBC) and UP BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya (Kushwaha, OBC) find place too albeit in miniscule sizes.

Curiously, the face of Atal Bihari Vajpayee is missing from these ads  for the first time since 1980 when the party came into existence. The fact that UP was Vajpayees political turf and the BJP needs the numerically significant Brahmin vote, makes the strategy of leaving out his image all the more puzzling. At the party headquarters in Lucknow, we see one lone poster of L K Advani and not one of Vajpayee.

This exclusion of the partys elders seems to be driven by the partys twin desire (a) to build the narrative exclusively around Narendra Modi against the backdrop of not projecting any chief ministerial face lest it alienate some castes/communities; and (b) to send a message to the non-Yadav OBC vote bloc promising a joint leadership of Modi at the Centre and Keshav Prasad Maurya in the State. Confident of winning the support of upper castes, the BJP is investing its energies on bidding for this vote bloc by various means, including 200 Pichhda Varg Sammelans (backward class conclaves). Interestingly, it doesnt have any such programme for the Dalits, which indicates a strategy to focus primarily on castes/communities that are more likely to be won over rather than sections that are already committed to other parties.

The posters indicate the BJPs strategy to privilege the non-Yadav OBC vote over others in this election. This is a result of the party deciding to end its overdependence on harping on the goonda-raj image of the Samajwadi Party because Akhilesh Yadav has emerged as a claimant to the plank of change against lawlessness and hooliganism. Similarly, demonetisation has emerged as an electoral liability that has dented the BJPs strategy of asking for a mandate in the name of development. Finally, the Ram temple-centred grand Hindutva agenda has reached electoral saturation.

The Akhilesh faction of SP  which in popular perception has emerged as the winner of the tussle within that party  is trying to match the campaign intensity of the BJP by enlisting the services of political consulting company SJB Strategies International, headed by its CEO Steve Jarding, who also happens to be a lecturer at Harvard University where he teaches courses on Campaign Management and Making of a Politician. Reportedly, SP too has adopted the BJPs standard model of demographic and issue profiling down to the polling booth level, besides privileging the image of its supreme leaders over others. Hence, much before the inner feud in the Mulayam Singh Yadav family unfolded, the image of Akhilesh had already eclipsed the father in the partys political advertisements. The partys new posters make personalised appeals to social constituencies like youth, women, farmers, artisans and even businessmen in the name of Akhilesh rather than the collective leadership of the party.

This approach shares the assumption that politics, and elections particularly, are manageable and marketable by mapping the specific grievances of various sections and employing a targeted mix of positive and negative propaganda around those grievances, thereby converting elections as much into psychological warfare as political.

However, these strategies work effectively only when a party or leader has an off-the-blocks advantage over others, as happened in the 2014 LS election. Then, non-BJP parties were not prepared to counter the first-ever 360-degree campaign of the BJP which was centred around Modi and meticulously planned while appearing natural and spontaneous.

Tomorrow: The crowd of poll strategists

(Sajjan Kumar, a PhD from Centre for Political Studies/JNU, is associated with Peoples Pulse, a Hyderabad based research organization specialising in fieldwork-based political and electoral studies).

With the formal election process only just begun in UP, early pointers to the strategies employed by various parties are evident in their early posters and propaganda material. And a look at political advertisements across UP gives us an insight into the minds of the new crop of professional election-management experts employed by the political parties. The BJPs campaign strategy is being managed by the Association of Billion Minds (ABM), many of whose members started their electoral management career with Narendra Modis 2014 blitzkrieg campaign executed by Prashant Kishors Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG). For the coming elections, the BJP is carpet bombing public spaces with its political ads hoping to gain a perception advantage vis a vis its rivals. The BJPs strategy is a repetition of its approach to the 2014 Lok Sabha election and the 2015 Bihar Assembly election. Perception advantage is a strategy by the BJP to use the faces of a chosen few leaders to construct the central narrative of the election around them. Thus, the BJPs posters, banners, billboards and stickers placed at market squares, important public spaces, along streets of towns show Narendra Modi and Amit Shah occupying the central space, while Rajnath Singh (Rajput), Kalraj Mishra (Brahmin), Uma Bharti (Lodh, OBC) and UP BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya (Kushwaha, OBC) find place too albeit in miniscule sizes. Curiously, the face of Atal Bihari Vajpayee is missing from these ads  for the first time since 1980 when the party came into existence. The fact that UP was Vajpayees political turf and the BJP needs the numerically significant Brahmin vote, makes the strategy of leaving out his image all the more puzzling. At the party headquarters in Lucknow, we see one lone poster of L K Advani and not one of Vajpayee. This exclusion of the partys elders seems to be driven by the partys twin desire (a) to build the narrative exclusively around Narendra Modi against the backdrop of not projecting any chief ministerial face lest it alienate some castes/communities; and (b) to send a message to the non-Yadav OBC vote bloc promising a joint leadership of Modi at the Centre and Keshav Prasad Maurya in the State. Confident of winning the support of upper castes, the BJP is investing its energies on bidding for this vote bloc by various means, including 200 Pichhda Varg Sammelans (backward class conclaves). Interestingly, it doesnt have any such programme for the Dalits, which indicates a strategy to focus primarily on castes/communities that are more likely to be won over rather than sections that are already committed to other parties. The posters indicate the BJPs strategy to privilege the non-Yadav OBC vote over others in this election. This is a result of the party deciding to end its overdependence on harping on the goonda-raj image of the Samajwadi Party because Akhilesh Yadav has emerged as a claimant to the plank of change against lawlessness and hooliganism. Similarly, demonetisation has emerged as an electoral liability that has dented the BJPs strategy of asking for a mandate in the name of development. Finally, the Ram temple-centred grand Hindutva agenda has reached electoral saturation. The Akhilesh faction of SP  which in popular perception has emerged as the winner of the tussle within that party  is trying to match the campaign intensity of the BJP by enlisting the services of political consulting company SJB Strategies International, headed by its CEO Steve Jarding, who also happens to be a lecturer at Harvard University where he teaches courses on Campaign Management and Making of a Politician. Reportedly, SP too has adopted the BJPs standard model of demographic and issue profiling down to the polling booth level, besides privileging the image of its supreme leaders over others. Hence, much before the inner feud in the Mulayam Singh Yadav family unfolded, the image of Akhilesh had already eclipsed the father in the partys political advertisements. The partys new posters make personalised appeals to social constituencies like youth, women, farmers, artisans and even businessmen in the name of Akhilesh rather than the collective leadership of the party. This approach shares the assumption that politics, and elections particularly, are manageable and marketable by mapping the specific grievances of various sections and employing a targeted mix of positive and negative propaganda around those grievances, thereby converting elections as much into psychological warfare as political. However, these strategies work effectively only when a party or leader has an off-the-blocks advantage over others, as happened in the 2014 LS election. Then, non-BJP parties were not prepared to counter the first-ever 360-degree campaign of the BJP which was centred around Modi and meticulously planned while appearing natural and spontaneous. Tomorrow: The crowd of poll strategists (Sajjan Kumar, a PhD from Centre for Political Studies/JNU, is associated with Peoples Pulse, a Hyderabad based research organization specialising in fieldwork-based political and electoral studies).
By IANS

NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Tuesday said it will contest the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in alliance with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party.

"The Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told media persons.

Azad said the nitty-gritty of the alliance, particularly seat sharing, was being worked out.

He declined to comment on the possibility of forming a Bihar-style Grand Alliance.

NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Tuesday said it will contest the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in alliance with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party. "The Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told media persons. Azad said the nitty-gritty of the alliance, particularly seat sharing, was being worked out. He declined to comment on the possibility of forming a Bihar-style Grand Alliance.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and state governments made significant progress at the ninth meeting of the GST Council with an agreement to allow states control over most of small taxpayers. However, the rollout date has been pushed back by three months to July 1, 2017. GST Council has finally found some beginning for the GST roll out. After 4-5 years of struggle for implementation, the teething problems are getting resolved, says Aman Agarwal, Professor at the Indian Institute of Finance.

According to the deal reached on Monday, states will have powers to assess and administer 90 per cent of the tax payers under Rs 1.5 crore annual turnover while the remaining 10 per cent would be controlled by the Centre. For tax payers with more than Rs 1.5 crore turnover, states and the Centre will control and administer them in 50:50 ratio.

The Finance Minister said each tax payer would be assessed only once and by only one authority. For small and medium traders this is a very good sign and assurance, says Amairulla Khan, visiting professor at the Amity International University. The Centre also agreed to the demand of coastal states, allowing them to tax economic activity within 12 nautical miles, even though constitutionally, the Centre has jurisdiction over territorial waters. This is a significant headway, Jaitley said.

The GST Council will take up the draft of Integrated GST(IGST), the tax which will be levied by the Centre on inter-state movement of goods and services, as well as State GST and Central GST in the next meeting of the Council on February 18. In its previous meeting, the Council agreed to a four-rate tax slab of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent.

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and state governments made significant progress at the ninth meeting of the GST Council with an agreement to allow states control over most of small taxpayers. However, the rollout date has been pushed back by three months to July 1, 2017. GST Council has finally found some beginning for the GST roll out. After 4-5 years of struggle for implementation, the teething problems are getting resolved, says Aman Agarwal, Professor at the Indian Institute of Finance. According to the deal reached on Monday, states will have powers to assess and administer 90 per cent of the tax payers under Rs 1.5 crore annual turnover while the remaining 10 per cent would be controlled by the Centre. For tax payers with more than Rs 1.5 crore turnover, states and the Centre will control and administer them in 50:50 ratio. The Finance Minister said each tax payer would be assessed only once and by only one authority. For small and medium traders this is a very good sign and assurance, says Amairulla Khan, visiting professor at the Amity International University. The Centre also agreed to the demand of coastal states, allowing them to tax economic activity within 12 nautical miles, even though constitutionally, the Centre has jurisdiction over territorial waters. This is a significant headway, Jaitley said. The GST Council will take up the draft of Integrated GST(IGST), the tax which will be levied by the Centre on inter-state movement of goods and services, as well as State GST and Central GST in the next meeting of the Council on February 18. In its previous meeting, the Council agreed to a four-rate tax slab of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent.
LONDON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Carlyle Group has agreed to acquire Johannesburg-based ratings agency Global Credit Ratings (GCR), a spokeswoman for the U.S. buyout fund said on Tuesday.

Terms of the acquisition, which was first reported by the Financial Times, were not disclosed.

Carlyle raised $698 million for its Africa buyout fund in 2014, exceeding its $500 million target.

In November, Carlyle, which has $169 billion of assets under management, agreed to acquire a majority share of CMC Networks, a pan-African telecommunications business.

In September, it agreed to buy a majority share of Amrod, a supplier of promotional products and clothing in South Africa and neighbouring countries.

(Reporting by Dasha Afanasieva; editing by Jason Neely)
By IANS

LUCKNOW: The class X and XII examinations of students of the UP Board will be held between March 16 and April 21, an official said.



While the official schedule and time table is yet to be released, officials confirmed that the Election Commission has approved the dates, which were earlier deferred due to the state assembly polls.



The High School (Class X) examinations will go on for 15 days while the class XII (Intermediate) exams will be spread out in 25 days, the official informed IANS.



Chairman of the UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, Amarnath Verma said that details like timings etc. are being worked out and will be announced soon.



Generally these exams are held between February and March but this year due to the assembly polls had to be shifted to mid-March and would conclude in April. In fact, the Board had announced on December 8 last year the schedule of the examinations from February 16 to March 20 but the poll panel had put brakes on it and asked to defer it.



Nearly 26.24 lakh students are to appear for intermediate exam while 34.4 lakh students will take the high school exam. The total number of students appearing for the UP Board exam has however dwindled from previous years and has this year fallen short by 63,882.



The exams have been marred in the past by charges of mass copying and the Board this time is making arrangements to ensure minimum copying, an official said while informing that 31 districts have been declared 'sensitive' this time. These include Sambhal, Hardoi, Shahjahanpur, Moradabad, Gonda, Agra, Aligarh, Haters, Etah, Mainpuri, Firozabad, Azamgarh, Sultanpur, Bhadohi, Allahabad, Kanpur among others.



LUCKNOW: The class X and XII examinations of students of the UP Board will be held between March 16 and April 21, an official said. While the official schedule and time table is yet to be released, officials confirmed that the Election Commission has approved the dates, which were earlier deferred due to the state assembly polls. The High School (Class X) examinations will go on for 15 days while the class XII (Intermediate) exams will be spread out in 25 days, the official informed IANS. Chairman of the UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, Amarnath Verma said that details like timings etc. are being worked out and will be announced soon. Generally these exams are held between February and March but this year due to the assembly polls had to be shifted to mid-March and would conclude in April. In fact, the Board had announced on December 8 last year the schedule of the examinations from February 16 to March 20 but the poll panel had put brakes on it and asked to defer it. Nearly 26.24 lakh students are to appear for intermediate exam while 34.4 lakh students will take the high school exam. The total number of students appearing for the UP Board exam has however dwindled from previous years and has this year fallen short by 63,882. The exams have been marred in the past by charges of mass copying and the Board this time is making arrangements to ensure minimum copying, an official said while informing that 31 districts have been declared 'sensitive' this time. These include Sambhal, Hardoi, Shahjahanpur, Moradabad, Gonda, Agra, Aligarh, Haters, Etah, Mainpuri, Firozabad, Azamgarh, Sultanpur, Bhadohi, Allahabad, Kanpur among others.
Santwana Bhattacharya By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Repeatedly snubbed, refused and challenged by father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was finally allotted the Samajwadi Partys cycle symbol by the Election Commission in a crucial victory on Monday. This brings the curtains down on one chapter of a bitter family feud that could easily be termed as one of the toughest battle of nerves in recent politics.

Akhilesh Yadav triumphed over many odds in this struggle for the Samajwadi legacy, fighting off canny manoeuvres by family toughies like uncle Shivpal Yadav and never-say-die political broker Amar Singh -- including an unprecedented expulsion, and public humiliation by party patriarch and father Mulayam.

He won the first round by getting himself elected the SP national president in a huge open convention, the second by procuring affidavits from over 50 per cent of the partys elected members -- which eventually won him the last round as he was declared the legitimate heir to the party symbol. The EC went by the abiding principle of democracy and a key clause of its own Symbol rule -- majority support.

Mulayams counsel Mohan Parasarans argument challenging the validity of the SP convention, where Akhilesh was chosen the national party chief fell through in the face of the sheer numbers put forth by the Akhilesh faction, represented at the EC hearing by legal counsel Kapil Sibal and a political counsel in the shape of uncle Ram Gopal Yadav.

Unlike the moody and sulking Mulayam, Akhilesh played it firm, but clever and safe. He desisted from the temptation of making a public appearance against his father at the EC hearing, and instead deputed uncle Ram Gopal to battle it out. On Monday too, the first move of Akhilesh after the EC uploaded its verdict on the website was a visit to father Mulayam--a symbolic tribute by the CM-saab walking over to pitajis residence next door. By contrast, Mulayam on Monday alleged that his son was anti-Muslim.

On Monday, the first move of Akhilesh Yadav after the EC announced its verdict was a visit to father Mulayam Singh Yadav  a symbolic tribute by the CM-saab walking over to pitajis residence next door to his. This humble overture toned down the blow of the new nameplate that appeared at the Samajwadi Party HQ in Lucknow earlier in the day: Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Adhyaksh (president) and Mulayam Singh, Margdarshak (mentor). Almost pre-emptively declaring Akhilesh as the new Netaji of the Samajwadis.

By contrast  even for those who were willing to bet that all this was a game the wily old wrestler played to establish his son as his heir  Mulayam appeared rather plaintive before his handful of supporters, to whom he complained Akhilesh mera sunta nahi hai aajkaal (Akhilesh does not listen to me these days).

Though Mulayam has promised he will abide by the ECs decision, SP insiders hope he would not make loose statements like Akhilesh is not looking after the Muslims, like the way I took care of them.

However, 46-year-old Akhilesh, having wrested control of the party through a trial by fire, is unlikely to let his father puncture his cycle ride into the Assembly elections. The alliance talks with the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress and Ajit Singh-led RLD, held up over the symbol dispute, will now take off in right earnest.

With Ajit Singh, Akhilesh clearly wants to harvest emotions in the restive Jat belt of western UP in his favour, while an alliance with the Congress may help him arrest any further splintering of Muslim votes. Plus, if the Congress manages to garner a small fraction of the 11 per cent Brahmin votes, it would be an add-on in the Varasani belt. Of the six regions of UP, in Awadh his own popularity would suffice. And in poverty-ridden Bundelkhand, his direct transfer of welfare may garner him some gains.

That the family feud could turn into Akhileshs advantage  making it an SP versus BJP contest  became evident from Ram Gopal Yadavs statement that we are thankful to EC for its ruling in our favour, now we will go on to win the elections. Many feel the extensive coverage Akhilesh received in the process of his battle with his father and his manipulative cohorts helped enhance his image.

Mulayams refusal to make peace with his son, despite leaders like Azam Khan trying to broker truce, made him look like a prisoner in the hands of a few conspirators, and Akhilesh a victim, which may help him gain sympathy.

In the midst of this high-decibel tussle, BSPs Mayawati seems to have been relegated to the background, while Akhilesh has grown out of his fathers shadow to take on the BJP. A direct fight with none other than Modi.

NEW DELHI: Repeatedly snubbed, refused and challenged by father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was finally allotted the Samajwadi Partys cycle symbol by the Election Commission in a crucial victory on Monday. This brings the curtains down on one chapter of a bitter family feud that could easily be termed as one of the toughest battle of nerves in recent politics. Akhilesh Yadav triumphed over many odds in this struggle for the Samajwadi legacy, fighting off canny manoeuvres by family toughies like uncle Shivpal Yadav and never-say-die political broker Amar Singh -- including an unprecedented expulsion, and public humiliation by party patriarch and father Mulayam. He won the first round by getting himself elected the SP national president in a huge open convention, the second by procuring affidavits from over 50 per cent of the partys elected members -- which eventually won him the last round as he was declared the legitimate heir to the party symbol. The EC went by the abiding principle of democracy and a key clause of its own Symbol rule -- majority support. Mulayams counsel Mohan Parasarans argument challenging the validity of the SP convention, where Akhilesh was chosen the national party chief fell through in the face of the sheer numbers put forth by the Akhilesh faction, represented at the EC hearing by legal counsel Kapil Sibal and a political counsel in the shape of uncle Ram Gopal Yadav. Unlike the moody and sulking Mulayam, Akhilesh played it firm, but clever and safe. He desisted from the temptation of making a public appearance against his father at the EC hearing, and instead deputed uncle Ram Gopal to battle it out. On Monday too, the first move of Akhilesh after the EC uploaded its verdict on the website was a visit to father Mulayam--a symbolic tribute by the CM-saab walking over to pitajis residence next door. By contrast, Mulayam on Monday alleged that his son was anti-Muslim. On Monday, the first move of Akhilesh Yadav after the EC announced its verdict was a visit to father Mulayam Singh Yadav  a symbolic tribute by the CM-saab walking over to pitajis residence next door to his. This humble overture toned down the blow of the new nameplate that appeared at the Samajwadi Party HQ in Lucknow earlier in the day: Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Adhyaksh (president) and Mulayam Singh, Margdarshak (mentor). Almost pre-emptively declaring Akhilesh as the new Netaji of the Samajwadis. By contrast  even for those who were willing to bet that all this was a game the wily old wrestler played to establish his son as his heir  Mulayam appeared rather plaintive before his handful of supporters, to whom he complained Akhilesh mera sunta nahi hai aajkaal (Akhilesh does not listen to me these days). Though Mulayam has promised he will abide by the ECs decision, SP insiders hope he would not make loose statements like Akhilesh is not looking after the Muslims, like the way I took care of them. However, 46-year-old Akhilesh, having wrested control of the party through a trial by fire, is unlikely to let his father puncture his cycle ride into the Assembly elections. The alliance talks with the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress and Ajit Singh-led RLD, held up over the symbol dispute, will now take off in right earnest. With Ajit Singh, Akhilesh clearly wants to harvest emotions in the restive Jat belt of western UP in his favour, while an alliance with the Congress may help him arrest any further splintering of Muslim votes. Plus, if the Congress manages to garner a small fraction of the 11 per cent Brahmin votes, it would be an add-on in the Varasani belt. Of the six regions of UP, in Awadh his own popularity would suffice. And in poverty-ridden Bundelkhand, his direct transfer of welfare may garner him some gains. That the family feud could turn into Akhileshs advantage  making it an SP versus BJP contest  became evident from Ram Gopal Yadavs statement that we are thankful to EC for its ruling in our favour, now we will go on to win the elections. Many feel the extensive coverage Akhilesh received in the process of his battle with his father and his manipulative cohorts helped enhance his image. Mulayams refusal to make peace with his son, despite leaders like Azam Khan trying to broker truce, made him look like a prisoner in the hands of a few conspirators, and Akhilesh a victim, which may help him gain sympathy. In the midst of this high-decibel tussle, BSPs Mayawati seems to have been relegated to the background, while Akhilesh has grown out of his fathers shadow to take on the BJP. A direct fight with none other than Modi.
Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: The train derailment in Kanpur on November 21, in which 150 passengers were killed, might have been planned and funded by anti-India elements based in Dubai, according to a sensational disclosure by police in Bihars East Champaran district on Tuesday.

The arrest of three criminals linked to the planting of a bomb on the rail tracks in Bihars Raxaul district on October 1 has allowed police in East Champaran district a glimpse into a network of anti-India elements with likely links with Pakistans ISI paying money to criminals in India to carry out blasts and sabotage action on rail tracks in the country.

The recovery of an improvised explosive device on on Raxaul-Sitamarhi route near Ghorasahan railway station on October 1, which disrupted train services for more than 12 hours, was funded by a Dubai-based trader from Nepal named Shamshul Hoda, said East Champaran SP Jitendra Rana. There is a possibility that the derailment of Indore-Patna Express and the Shealdah-Ajmer Express were also carried out by these people. Efforts are on to find out more details from the ongoing interrogation, he added.

Moti Paswan, a criminal who is the main accused in the Ghorasahan case, and two others who were arrested have reportedly confessed to police that they were paid a big amount by Hoda to carry out blasts on rail tracks in north India. Police stumbled on the racket while investigating the murder of two Raxaul residents in Nepal.

Three people arrested in Nepal  Brijkishore Giri, Muzahid Ansari and Shambhu  and two other men were active in this group. Giri, the kingpin, had paid money to these people to carry out blasts on rail tracks near Ghorasahan. Umashankar Patel, Mukesh Yadav and Moti Paswan, who have been arrested, had received the money and given the bomb planting task to two other men, said Rana.

After police detected and recovered the powerful IED and averted a major accident, the two men were punished for their failure. They were taken to Nepal and brutally killed in a jungle there. Investigation into these two murders unravelled the sinister network, said Rana.

Police are taking help of ATS and intelligence agencies to explore the entire extent of this network. The involvement of some agencies from across the border has been detected. Further probe will expose the exact role of these agencies and the likelihood that they were behind the Kanpur derailment, said Rana.

PATNA: The train derailment in Kanpur on November 21, in which 150 passengers were killed, might have been planned and funded by anti-India elements based in Dubai, according to a sensational disclosure by police in Bihars East Champaran district on Tuesday. The arrest of three criminals linked to the planting of a bomb on the rail tracks in Bihars Raxaul district on October 1 has allowed police in East Champaran district a glimpse into a network of anti-India elements with likely links with Pakistans ISI paying money to criminals in India to carry out blasts and sabotage action on rail tracks in the country. The recovery of an improvised explosive device on on Raxaul-Sitamarhi route near Ghorasahan railway station on October 1, which disrupted train services for more than 12 hours, was funded by a Dubai-based trader from Nepal named Shamshul Hoda, said East Champaran SP Jitendra Rana. There is a possibility that the derailment of Indore-Patna Express and the Shealdah-Ajmer Express were also carried out by these people. Efforts are on to find out more details from the ongoing interrogation, he added. Moti Paswan, a criminal who is the main accused in the Ghorasahan case, and two others who were arrested have reportedly confessed to police that they were paid a big amount by Hoda to carry out blasts on rail tracks in north India. Police stumbled on the racket while investigating the murder of two Raxaul residents in Nepal. Three people arrested in Nepal  Brijkishore Giri, Muzahid Ansari and Shambhu  and two other men were active in this group. Giri, the kingpin, had paid money to these people to carry out blasts on rail tracks near Ghorasahan. Umashankar Patel, Mukesh Yadav and Moti Paswan, who have been arrested, had received the money and given the bomb planting task to two other men, said Rana. After police detected and recovered the powerful IED and averted a major accident, the two men were punished for their failure. They were taken to Nepal and brutally killed in a jungle there. Investigation into these two murders unravelled the sinister network, said Rana. Police are taking help of ATS and intelligence agencies to explore the entire extent of this network. The involvement of some agencies from across the border has been detected. Further probe will expose the exact role of these agencies and the likelihood that they were behind the Kanpur derailment, said Rana.
Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: In an attack on Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for the State administrations alleged apathy that led to the death of 24 people in the Ganga boat mishap, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday said Kumar seems to have lost his grip on some crucial government departments.

The chief minister said he had no idea about which department had organised the kite-flying festival on the Ganga diara in Patna during Makar Sankranti in which 24 people drowned. All indications implicate the state tourism and transport departments for their lack of caution and interest. Has Nitish Kumar stopped monitoring these two departments? asked Modi, who was Bihars deputy chief minister for eight years when BJP and JD (U) ran an alliance government.

Both the tourism department, which had organised the festival on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, and the transport department, which looks at operation of boats in Bihars rivers, are with RJD. Tourism minister Anita Devi and transport minister Chandrika Rai are yet to issue statements about the mishap.

I have been seeing for the past one year that it is RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and not chief minister Nitish Kumar who has been monitoring the functioning of departments held by ministers belonging to RJD. This is a serious matter, said Modi.

He also said that ministers from RJD and bureaucrats of those departments have been reporting directly to Lalu Prasad Yadav. They attend durbars (decision-making meetings) held at Lalu Yadavs residence. They also discuss issues pertaining to those departments and take policy decisions at the RJD chiefs residence. Is it why the chief minister does not interfere in those departments? asked Modi.

Senior RJD leader and Maner MLA Bhai Birendra vehemently protested against Modis statements. These are baseless charges leveled at our government by frustrated leaders in the Opposition, said Birendra.

Meanwhile, the two-member probe panel visited the site of kie-flying festival in Ganga diyara near NIT Ghat in Patna and spoke to several people present during the festival on January 14. The two members principal secretary, Disaster Management department, Pratyay Amrit and Patna DIG Shalin  said all aspects of the mishap are being examined. The State government had on Monday removed Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agrawal from the original three-member team following protests by RJD.

PATNA: In an attack on Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for the State administrations alleged apathy that led to the death of 24 people in the Ganga boat mishap, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday said Kumar seems to have lost his grip on some crucial government departments. The chief minister said he had no idea about which department had organised the kite-flying festival on the Ganga diara in Patna during Makar Sankranti in which 24 people drowned. All indications implicate the state tourism and transport departments for their lack of caution and interest. Has Nitish Kumar stopped monitoring these two departments? asked Modi, who was Bihars deputy chief minister for eight years when BJP and JD (U) ran an alliance government. Both the tourism department, which had organised the festival on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, and the transport department, which looks at operation of boats in Bihars rivers, are with RJD. Tourism minister Anita Devi and transport minister Chandrika Rai are yet to issue statements about the mishap. I have been seeing for the past one year that it is RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and not chief minister Nitish Kumar who has been monitoring the functioning of departments held by ministers belonging to RJD. This is a serious matter, said Modi. He also said that ministers from RJD and bureaucrats of those departments have been reporting directly to Lalu Prasad Yadav. They attend durbars (decision-making meetings) held at Lalu Yadavs residence. They also discuss issues pertaining to those departments and take policy decisions at the RJD chiefs residence. Is it why the chief minister does not interfere in those departments? asked Modi. Senior RJD leader and Maner MLA Bhai Birendra vehemently protested against Modis statements. These are baseless charges leveled at our government by frustrated leaders in the Opposition, said Birendra. Meanwhile, the two-member probe panel visited the site of kie-flying festival in Ganga diyara near NIT Ghat in Patna and spoke to several people present during the festival on January 14. The two members principal secretary, Disaster Management department, Pratyay Amrit and Patna DIG Shalin  said all aspects of the mishap are being examined. The State government had on Monday removed Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agrawal from the original three-member team following protests by RJD.
Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: In a twist to the reported scandal at a government school in Bihars Jehanabad district, police said on Tuesday that medical examination of the 12-year-old girl has confirmed that she was not raped.

We investigated the allegations and the charge of rape was not confirmed. The medical examination report of the girl that came on Tuesday has clearly confirmed that she was not raped. Further probe is in progress, said Aditya Kumar, superintendent of police of Jehanabad district.

The government-run Urdu middle school at Kako had shot to shame after it was reported that the schools headmaster and three male teachers had raped the mentally challenged girl student on the schools terrace on Sunday afternoon when classes at the school were on.

The four accused  headmaster Ajju Ahmed and assistant teachers Attaur Rahman, Abdul Bari and Mohammad Shakaut  have been absconding after an FIR about rape was lodged by the girls mother, who also happens to be a teacher at the school.

The girls mother had said in the FIR that on Sunday, when the school was kept open on the headmasters order, her 12-year-old daughter did not return to her classroom after recess was over. Some girls then saw her lying in a pool of blood on the terrace and alerted her, she said in the FIR.

Further action is currently on. The SDPO has been asked to complete the probe in two days. If the case is found to be false, we will recommend appropriate action against the complainant, said the SP.

The rape charges, coming a week after a 14-year-old schoolgirl was murdered after being gang-raped in her hostel in Vaishali district, had painted a woefully bad picture of the educational institutions in Bihar. We are trying to find why the girls mother had lodged a complaint of rape against her four male colleagues at the school, said a police official in Jehanabad.

PATNA: In a twist to the reported scandal at a government school in Bihars Jehanabad district, police said on Tuesday that medical examination of the 12-year-old girl has confirmed that she was not raped. We investigated the allegations and the charge of rape was not confirmed. The medical examination report of the girl that came on Tuesday has clearly confirmed that she was not raped. Further probe is in progress, said Aditya Kumar, superintendent of police of Jehanabad district. The government-run Urdu middle school at Kako had shot to shame after it was reported that the schools headmaster and three male teachers had raped the mentally challenged girl student on the schools terrace on Sunday afternoon when classes at the school were on. The four accused  headmaster Ajju Ahmed and assistant teachers Attaur Rahman, Abdul Bari and Mohammad Shakaut  have been absconding after an FIR about rape was lodged by the girls mother, who also happens to be a teacher at the school. The girls mother had said in the FIR that on Sunday, when the school was kept open on the headmasters order, her 12-year-old daughter did not return to her classroom after recess was over. Some girls then saw her lying in a pool of blood on the terrace and alerted her, she said in the FIR. Further action is currently on. The SDPO has been asked to complete the probe in two days. If the case is found to be false, we will recommend appropriate action against the complainant, said the SP. The rape charges, coming a week after a 14-year-old schoolgirl was murdered after being gang-raped in her hostel in Vaishali district, had painted a woefully bad picture of the educational institutions in Bihar. We are trying to find why the girls mother had lodged a complaint of rape against her four male colleagues at the school, said a police official in Jehanabad.
Ankur Sharma By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A day after the arrest of Sunil Rastogi, an alleged serial rapist, families of more survivors have come forward to file complaints against the accused. According to the police, so far they have got evidences of attempt of molestation and sexual assault in eight cases and are expecting this figure to rise.

Victims families whose daughters were targeted by Sunil claimed that he used to target girls during the day especially after 2pm. According to families, they were aware since December that a man roamed the area luring schoolgirls, but no one informed the cops. New Ashok Nagar area, situated in East Delhi, housing factory workers from Noida.

In December, my 11-year-old daughter said that a man asked her name and asked her to come along. Sunil told her that he had to deliver some dresses given for stitching. When he took her into a dark room, she ran away. Now, I will officially inform the police, Suresh (name changed), father of a survivor, said.

Families who have daughters are mostly aware that a man tries to lure girls to molest them. But no one files any complaint. Most thought of the hearsay as rumours, but when he was caught, more people came out to complain. Ashok Nagar is aware of him and in panic as he targeted hundreds of girls, Suresh said.

A day after Sureshs daughter was targeted, the rapist allegedly targeted another girl. A mother of another 13-year-old victim said that Sunil tried to lure her daughter in December, but she ran away after noticing a weapon, probably a knife, in his hand.

He targeted her when she was out to buy some groceries. He asked her to come with him so that he could hand over clothes ordered by her father. But, she noticed a weapon and immediately ran away. After the incident, we didnt allow her to go out alone, but didnt file any complaint,Sunita (name changed), her mother, said.

Meanwhile, Sunil Rastogi was sent to 14 days judicial custody by a Delhi court on Monday.

NEW DELHI: A day after the arrest of Sunil Rastogi, an alleged serial rapist, families of more survivors have come forward to file complaints against the accused. According to the police, so far they have got evidences of attempt of molestation and sexual assault in eight cases and are expecting this figure to rise. Victims families whose daughters were targeted by Sunil claimed that he used to target girls during the day especially after 2pm. According to families, they were aware since December that a man roamed the area luring schoolgirls, but no one informed the cops. New Ashok Nagar area, situated in East Delhi, housing factory workers from Noida. In December, my 11-year-old daughter said that a man asked her name and asked her to come along. Sunil told her that he had to deliver some dresses given for stitching. When he took her into a dark room, she ran away. Now, I will officially inform the police, Suresh (name changed), father of a survivor, said. Families who have daughters are mostly aware that a man tries to lure girls to molest them. But no one files any complaint. Most thought of the hearsay as rumours, but when he was caught, more people came out to complain. Ashok Nagar is aware of him and in panic as he targeted hundreds of girls, Suresh said. A day after Sureshs daughter was targeted, the rapist allegedly targeted another girl. A mother of another 13-year-old victim said that Sunil tried to lure her daughter in December, but she ran away after noticing a weapon, probably a knife, in his hand. He targeted her when she was out to buy some groceries. He asked her to come with him so that he could hand over clothes ordered by her father. But, she noticed a weapon and immediately ran away. After the incident, we didnt allow her to go out alone, but didnt file any complaint,Sunita (name changed), her mother, said. Meanwhile, Sunil Rastogi was sent to 14 days judicial custody by a Delhi court on Monday.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: In a huge relief to a 22-year-old woman in her 24th week of pregnancy from Mumbai, the Supreme Court on Monday granted her the permission to undergo termination of pregnancy after medical reports found the foetus to be without a skull.

A bench of Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao said, a woman can abort if foetus poses danger to mothers life and said, Woman has the right to preserve her life.

We consider it appropriate and in the interest of justice, particularly the right of the petitioner to preserve her life by permitting her to undergo the termination of pregnancy under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP), the bench said.

The court also directed that the termination of pregnancy be performed by a team of doctors of the hospital which shall maintain a complete record of the procedure adopted in the matter.

The court referred to the report of the seven-member medical board and said, The medical evidence clearly suggests that there is no point in allowing the petitioner to run in full course since the foetus would not be able to survive outside the uterus without a skull.

In her petition, the woman had claimed that the foetus was diagnosed with anencephaly in the 21st week of gestation when she had a sonography done at a private clinic in the western suburbs of Mumbai. Anencephaly is a congenital defect, with the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull and scalp. In her petition, the woman called the ceiling unreasonable because determination of foetal abnormality in many cases can only be done after the 20th week. In 2016, the court had also allowed a 24-week pregnant rape victim in her 20s, also carrying a foetus with anencephaly, to terminate her pregnancy after an examination by the same expert panel.

The Supreme Court had asked the same committee of doctors from KEM Hospital that had given its opinion in the rape survivors case in July 2016, to look into the current case.

An amendment in 2014 to the MPT Act sought to increase the abortion time limit from 20 weeks to 24 weeks. Additionally, the draft bill also recommends that termination be allowed without a time limit in cases where doctors detect a foetal anomaly.

NEW DELHI: In a huge relief to a 22-year-old woman in her 24th week of pregnancy from Mumbai, the Supreme Court on Monday granted her the permission to undergo termination of pregnancy after medical reports found the foetus to be without a skull. A bench of Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao said, a woman can abort if foetus poses danger to mothers life and said, Woman has the right to preserve her life. We consider it appropriate and in the interest of justice, particularly the right of the petitioner to preserve her life by permitting her to undergo the termination of pregnancy under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP), the bench said. The court also directed that the termination of pregnancy be performed by a team of doctors of the hospital which shall maintain a complete record of the procedure adopted in the matter. The court referred to the report of the seven-member medical board and said, The medical evidence clearly suggests that there is no point in allowing the petitioner to run in full course since the foetus would not be able to survive outside the uterus without a skull. In her petition, the woman had claimed that the foetus was diagnosed with anencephaly in the 21st week of gestation when she had a sonography done at a private clinic in the western suburbs of Mumbai. Anencephaly is a congenital defect, with the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull and scalp. In her petition, the woman called the ceiling unreasonable because determination of foetal abnormality in many cases can only be done after the 20th week. In 2016, the court had also allowed a 24-week pregnant rape victim in her 20s, also carrying a foetus with anencephaly, to terminate her pregnancy after an examination by the same expert panel. The Supreme Court had asked the same committee of doctors from KEM Hospital that had given its opinion in the rape survivors case in July 2016, to look into the current case. An amendment in 2014 to the MPT Act sought to increase the abortion time limit from 20 weeks to 24 weeks. Additionally, the draft bill also recommends that termination be allowed without a time limit in cases where doctors detect a foetal anomaly.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday emphasized on quid pro quo when it comes to relations with Indias neighbours on the Eastern and Western flank. Underlining unprecedented economic opportunity in rise of India and China, he asked both the countries to have mutual respect; whereas he asked Pakistan to move away from terror to have before dialogue could take place.

The Prime Minister was speaking at the inaugural address of the Raisina Dialogue 2017 setting tone of the Governments flagship geopolitical brain storming event in Delhi that will see attendance 0f 490 representatives of 69 countries. The dialogue is modeled on Singapores Shangri La Dialogue.

I see the rise of India and China as an unprecedented economic opportunity for our two countries, and for the whole world, PM Modi told the gathering, while admitting that the rising ambitions were visible stress points.

India has been striving to reason with China on several issues of utmost national importance  entry to the nuclear trade regulatory group Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and proscribing of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Chief Masood Azhar at the UN Security Council Committee. In both the cases Beijing has been unrelenting in its blocking of Indias aspirations. New Delhi has also responded by using the presence of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama to needle Beijing. The move has not gone unnoticed in the Eastern neighbour that termed it as shortsighted.

The Chinese media too, has taken a belligerent stance, warning India against using what it called the "Dalai Lama card" and said New Delhi was "shortsighted".

Obliquely hinting at the unaccommodating stance of Beijing towards New Delhis interests, Modi said: At the same time, it not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences. In the management of our relationship, and for peace and progress in the reigon both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests."

For Pakistan, with whom India has been embroiled in a bitter wrangling for better part of the year 2016 over terror attacks, Prime Minister Modi gave a tough message  walk away from terror.

India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan's journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India, the Prime Minister said. They Narendra Modi government has opted for a muscular foreign policy when it came to Pakistans unheeding to Indias call for abandoning terrorism.

The PM said that Indias strategic intent has been shaped by our civilization ethos- realism, co-existence, cooperation and partnership.

This years attendees will include former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday emphasized on quid pro quo when it comes to relations with Indias neighbours on the Eastern and Western flank. Underlining unprecedented economic opportunity in rise of India and China, he asked both the countries to have mutual respect; whereas he asked Pakistan to move away from terror to have before dialogue could take place. The Prime Minister was speaking at the inaugural address of the Raisina Dialogue 2017 setting tone of the Governments flagship geopolitical brain storming event in Delhi that will see attendance 0f 490 representatives of 69 countries. The dialogue is modeled on Singapores Shangri La Dialogue. I see the rise of India and China as an unprecedented economic opportunity for our two countries, and for the whole world, PM Modi told the gathering, while admitting that the rising ambitions were visible stress points. India has been striving to reason with China on several issues of utmost national importance  entry to the nuclear trade regulatory group Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and proscribing of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Chief Masood Azhar at the UN Security Council Committee. In both the cases Beijing has been unrelenting in its blocking of Indias aspirations. New Delhi has also responded by using the presence of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama to needle Beijing. The move has not gone unnoticed in the Eastern neighbour that termed it as shortsighted. The Chinese media too, has taken a belligerent stance, warning India against using what it called the "Dalai Lama card" and said New Delhi was "shortsighted". Obliquely hinting at the unaccommodating stance of Beijing towards New Delhis interests, Modi said: At the same time, it not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences. In the management of our relationship, and for peace and progress in the reigon both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests." For Pakistan, with whom India has been embroiled in a bitter wrangling for better part of the year 2016 over terror attacks, Prime Minister Modi gave a tough message  walk away from terror. India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan's journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India, the Prime Minister said. They Narendra Modi government has opted for a muscular foreign policy when it came to Pakistans unheeding to Indias call for abandoning terrorism. The PM said that Indias strategic intent has been shaped by our civilization ethos- realism, co-existence, cooperation and partnership. This years attendees will include former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
By Online Desk

The formation of a secular alliance in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh has inched closer to reality with the Congress declaring it has decided to tie up with the Samajwadi Party and the shape of the formation would be announced in the next two days.

"I am confident that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is in-charge of party affairs in UP, told reporters confirming about the much talked about tie up.

Congress announcement came close on the heels of reports from Lucknow where SP chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said a decision on tying up with the Congress will be taken in a "day or two".

"Decision on alliance (with Congress) will be taken in a day or two," he said, buoyed by the Election Commission's order recognising him as the President of Samajwadi Party and allowing him to retain the 'bicycle' symbol.

Talks about such an alliance had intensified since last week when Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had significantly remarked at the 'Jan Vedna Sammelan' that the elections in the key state will be an "exciting affair".

Interestingly, media reports on Tuesday evening indicated that Mulayam Singh Yadav had redone the list of 38 unavoidable candidates, which he had given to Akhilesh, to include his brother Shivpal Yadavs name. The first list was reportedly missing Shivpals name but included his sons name, Aditya Yadav.

The SP founders brothera known voice in the party is believed to have his own set of problems with Akhilesh whose decisions he has often challenged. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh assembly poll process on Tuesday kicked off with the EC issuing notification for the first phase of voting on February 11 which will cover 73 constituencies spread over 15 districts in Muslim-dominated Western UP.

Uttar Pradesh has 403 Assembly constituencies where Akhilesh's party would be contesting the majority of seats.

With the poll process set in motion after the issue of notification today, hectic efforts are underway to hammer out such an alliance, with Congress being offered 90 to 100 seats by the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party, which is also

trying to rope in Ajit Singh's RLD as a junior partner. Nitish Kumar's JD-U is also said to be a minor partner.

It is noteworthy that the outcome of the UP elections will have a huge impact in the next Lok Sabha polls which is the reason why the Congress and SP want to deter the Narendra Modi-led BJP from winning the Assembly elections.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit, who has been projected by Congress as the UP CM candidate, even said if the alliance takes place, she would step aside in favour of Akhilesh.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu today dubbed the talks of Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) coming together as a "natural alliance" of the "rejected and dejected" people.

"Both of them together formed disorderly allies during UPA regime and ruined the country. Now they want to experiment UPA two in Uttar Pradesh. Best of Luck to them," Naidu told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.

Reassesing strategies

It is important to note that the internal factional war within the SP founder and his son over the party symbolCycle was being keenly watched by other parties. Mayawati projected her party, the BSP, as the only force to take on the saffron brigade in the face of a weakened Samajwadi Party.

BSP had even expected Muslims to leave SP and join its core votebank of Dalits to give it the requisite numerical advantage to bring it back to power. BJP on its part was seeking to capitalise by promising development and law and order.

But, the latest development could drive the BSP supremo to think of a fresh strategy, especially in the communally sensitive western UP - where she anticipates a keen contest with BJP - which goes to polls in the first two phases.

SP and Congress together will seek to offer a stronger and cleaner alternative to the crucial Muslim electorate which will be looking for a party that could defeat BJP.

This is because divided Muslim votes translate to gains for BJP while a consolidation will change the poll arithmetic as minorities play a crucial role in at least 125 of the 403 constituencies.

This would also mean that the extent of Muslim support to BSP will not be up to its expectations to see its candidates through.

Working on this equation, Mayawati gave tickets to Muslims in as many as 97 constituencies, but her old record of allying with BJP for power in UP often returns to haunt her.

The formation of a secular alliance in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh has inched closer to reality with the Congress declaring it has decided to tie up with the Samajwadi Party and the shape of the formation would be announced in the next two days. "I am confident that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is in-charge of party affairs in UP, told reporters confirming about the much talked about tie up. Congress announcement came close on the heels of reports from Lucknow where SP chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said a decision on tying up with the Congress will be taken in a "day or two". "Decision on alliance (with Congress) will be taken in a day or two," he said, buoyed by the Election Commission's order recognising him as the President of Samajwadi Party and allowing him to retain the 'bicycle' symbol. Talks about such an alliance had intensified since last week when Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had significantly remarked at the 'Jan Vedna Sammelan' that the elections in the key state will be an "exciting affair". Interestingly, media reports on Tuesday evening indicated that Mulayam Singh Yadav had redone the list of 38 unavoidable candidates, which he had given to Akhilesh, to include his brother Shivpal Yadavs name. The first list was reportedly missing Shivpals name but included his sons name, Aditya Yadav. The SP founders brothera known voice in the party is believed to have his own set of problems with Akhilesh whose decisions he has often challenged. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh assembly poll process on Tuesday kicked off with the EC issuing notification for the first phase of voting on February 11 which will cover 73 constituencies spread over 15 districts in Muslim-dominated Western UP. Uttar Pradesh has 403 Assembly constituencies where Akhilesh's party would be contesting the majority of seats. With the poll process set in motion after the issue of notification today, hectic efforts are underway to hammer out such an alliance, with Congress being offered 90 to 100 seats by the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party, which is also trying to rope in Ajit Singh's RLD as a junior partner. Nitish Kumar's JD-U is also said to be a minor partner. It is noteworthy that the outcome of the UP elections will have a huge impact in the next Lok Sabha polls which is the reason why the Congress and SP want to deter the Narendra Modi-led BJP from winning the Assembly elections. Former Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit, who has been projected by Congress as the UP CM candidate, even said if the alliance takes place, she would step aside in favour of Akhilesh. Meanwhile, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu today dubbed the talks of Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) coming together as a "natural alliance" of the "rejected and dejected" people. "Both of them together formed disorderly allies during UPA regime and ruined the country. Now they want to experiment UPA two in Uttar Pradesh. Best of Luck to them," Naidu told reporters on the sidelines of an event here. Reassesing strategies It is important to note that the internal factional war within the SP founder and his son over the party symbolCycle was being keenly watched by other parties. Mayawati projected her party, the BSP, as the only force to take on the saffron brigade in the face of a weakened Samajwadi Party. BSP had even expected Muslims to leave SP and join its core votebank of Dalits to give it the requisite numerical advantage to bring it back to power. BJP on its part was seeking to capitalise by promising development and law and order. But, the latest development could drive the BSP supremo to think of a fresh strategy, especially in the communally sensitive western UP - where she anticipates a keen contest with BJP - which goes to polls in the first two phases. SP and Congress together will seek to offer a stronger and cleaner alternative to the crucial Muslim electorate which will be looking for a party that could defeat BJP. This is because divided Muslim votes translate to gains for BJP while a consolidation will change the poll arithmetic as minorities play a crucial role in at least 125 of the 403 constituencies. This would also mean that the extent of Muslim support to BSP will not be up to its expectations to see its candidates through. Working on this equation, Mayawati gave tickets to Muslims in as many as 97 constituencies, but her old record of allying with BJP for power in UP often returns to haunt her.
By PTI

MUMBAI: All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi today said the pressure tactic on Kashmiri teen Zaira Wasim, forcing her to tender an apology over a meeting with J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was "unwarranted and uncalled for". Wasim, who played the younger version of Indian wrestler Geeta Phogat in Aamir Khan's Bollywood blockbuster "Dangal", had yesterday apologised for "offending" and "unintentionally hurting" people after her meeting with Mufti on Saturday.

"Nobody should be pressurised into doing or not doing something, especially a 16-year-old girl. This is completely unwarranted and uncalled for. This pressure worked on her so much that she was forced to apologise for which there was no need at all," Owaisi told PTI.

"At the same time, those people, who are showing sympathy for this little child should introspect where did their sympathy disappear when hundreds of such teenagers lost their eyesight or were partially blinded when they were attacked with pellet guns ? Why these double standards ?" he asked.

He said the incident has brought to light people's lack of confidence in the Jammu and Kashmir government.

"This incident has shown clearly how unpopular the BJP-PDP government is in the Kashmir valley. People have no confidence left on this government," Owaisi said.

Zaira took to social media yesterday and tendered an apology apparently over her meeting with Mufti which drew sharp reactions and trolls from the youth in the valley because of the situation during the last few months.

She also played down her performance in "Dangal", saying she was "not proud of" what she was doing and added that she was not a role model for the youth of Kashmir and does not want anyone to follow in her footsteps.

MUMBAI: All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi today said the pressure tactic on Kashmiri teen Zaira Wasim, forcing her to tender an apology over a meeting with J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was "unwarranted and uncalled for". Wasim, who played the younger version of Indian wrestler Geeta Phogat in Aamir Khan's Bollywood blockbuster "Dangal", had yesterday apologised for "offending" and "unintentionally hurting" people after her meeting with Mufti on Saturday. "Nobody should be pressurised into doing or not doing something, especially a 16-year-old girl. This is completely unwarranted and uncalled for. This pressure worked on her so much that she was forced to apologise for which there was no need at all," Owaisi told PTI. "At the same time, those people, who are showing sympathy for this little child should introspect where did their sympathy disappear when hundreds of such teenagers lost their eyesight or were partially blinded when they were attacked with pellet guns ? Why these double standards ?" he asked. He said the incident has brought to light people's lack of confidence in the Jammu and Kashmir government. "This incident has shown clearly how unpopular the BJP-PDP government is in the Kashmir valley. People have no confidence left on this government," Owaisi said. Zaira took to social media yesterday and tendered an apology apparently over her meeting with Mufti which drew sharp reactions and trolls from the youth in the valley because of the situation during the last few months. She also played down her performance in "Dangal", saying she was "not proud of" what she was doing and added that she was not a role model for the youth of Kashmir and does not want anyone to follow in her footsteps.
By IANS

CHANDIGARH: With three-cornered contests on the cards in a majority of the 117 assembly seats in Punjab this time, younger voters are likely to hold the key for the major political parties -- the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) -- for the crucial assembly elections on February 4.



In a population of over 28 million, there are over 19.7 million registered voters in Punjab -- 10.4 million males and 9.31million females.



Of the total voters, 53 per cent, or nearly 10.5 million, are young voters, including first-time voters, in the 18-39 age group.



Ironically, the young voters have to choose between ageing leaders who are the chief ministerial faces of two parties -- the Akali Dal and the Congress.



Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is 89 years old. His Congress rival, Amarinder Singh, claims that Badal is actually 94 years old, while he himself will turn 75 in March. The AAP is yet to project its chief ministerial face.



All the four major political parties in the fray are focusing on the younger voters through social media, direct interaction with top leaders and door-to-door campaigns.



"Our focus has been to enroll the maximum number of new voters. Special campaigns were carried out in colleges and other places to register new voters," Punjab Chief Electoral Officer V.K. Singh said here.



Compared to the straight contest between the Akali Dal-BJP combine and the Congress for the past few decades, Punjab will witness an interesting contest this time with the AAP breathing down the necks of the traditional opponents.



While the ruling alliance is upbeat about securing a third consecutive term, it faces a 10-year anti-incumbency vote. Allegations of corruption, nepotism, encouraging various mafias dealing in drugs, transport, land, sand, liquor and others, are flying thick and fast against the leaders of both parties.



"The Akalis, particularly the ruling Badal family (headed by Parkash Singh Badal), has thrived in the past decade at the cost of the state. People are fed up with their misrule and the mafia that they encouraged," Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh, who has announced he is fighting his last election, has said.



While rural voters, mostly from an agricultural background in the Green Revolution state, form a substantial vote bank for parties, many of the rural voters are also in the age group of the younger voters.



The four parties have opted for relatively younger leaders on several seats to woo the youth this time.



"The Akalis (who are contesting 94 seats) have their traditional votebank in rural Punjab. The BJP (which is contesting 23 seats) banks mostly on urban votes. The AAP and the Congress have made inroads into the rural vote-bank of the Akalis," Ajmer Singh, an agriculturist from Sangrur district who closely follows Punjab's politics, told IANS.



While the AAP was in a stronger position at the ground level around this time last year, the party continues to have a major role to play in next month's election which could mar the chances of the ruling alliance and the Congress.

CHANDIGARH: With three-cornered contests on the cards in a majority of the 117 assembly seats in Punjab this time, younger voters are likely to hold the key for the major political parties -- the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) -- for the crucial assembly elections on February 4. In a population of over 28 million, there are over 19.7 million registered voters in Punjab -- 10.4 million males and 9.31million females. Of the total voters, 53 per cent, or nearly 10.5 million, are young voters, including first-time voters, in the 18-39 age group. Ironically, the young voters have to choose between ageing leaders who are the chief ministerial faces of two parties -- the Akali Dal and the Congress. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is 89 years old. His Congress rival, Amarinder Singh, claims that Badal is actually 94 years old, while he himself will turn 75 in March. The AAP is yet to project its chief ministerial face. All the four major political parties in the fray are focusing on the younger voters through social media, direct interaction with top leaders and door-to-door campaigns. "Our focus has been to enroll the maximum number of new voters. Special campaigns were carried out in colleges and other places to register new voters," Punjab Chief Electoral Officer V.K. Singh said here. Compared to the straight contest between the Akali Dal-BJP combine and the Congress for the past few decades, Punjab will witness an interesting contest this time with the AAP breathing down the necks of the traditional opponents. While the ruling alliance is upbeat about securing a third consecutive term, it faces a 10-year anti-incumbency vote. Allegations of corruption, nepotism, encouraging various mafias dealing in drugs, transport, land, sand, liquor and others, are flying thick and fast against the leaders of both parties. "The Akalis, particularly the ruling Badal family (headed by Parkash Singh Badal), has thrived in the past decade at the cost of the state. People are fed up with their misrule and the mafia that they encouraged," Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh, who has announced he is fighting his last election, has said. While rural voters, mostly from an agricultural background in the Green Revolution state, form a substantial vote bank for parties, many of the rural voters are also in the age group of the younger voters. The four parties have opted for relatively younger leaders on several seats to woo the youth this time. "The Akalis (who are contesting 94 seats) have their traditional votebank in rural Punjab. The BJP (which is contesting 23 seats) banks mostly on urban votes. The AAP and the Congress have made inroads into the rural vote-bank of the Akalis," Ajmer Singh, an agriculturist from Sangrur district who closely follows Punjab's politics, told IANS. While the AAP was in a stronger position at the ground level around this time last year, the party continues to have a major role to play in next month's election which could mar the chances of the ruling alliance and the Congress.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: After a delay of more than two hours, Rohit Vemula Shahadath Din which was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon began at 5.30 PM at the main gate of University of Hyderabad even as the family members of Rohith Vemula along with Fathima Nafees, the mother of missing JNU student Najeeb, and others were not allowed into the campus.

Earlier, mild tension prevailed at the gate as students attempted to break open the main gate. As many as 17 students who tried to march out of campus in an attempt to hold the scheduled programme at the university entrance were taken into preventive custody by the Gachibowli police.

However, they managed to break open the gates and stayed put there. Further, Radhika Vemula, Una survivors and others were invited to speak.

Rohith's brother Raja Vemula, speaking at the event said: "Even today, they are not allowing me to see Rohith's stupa inside the university. Police are saying they will arrest me if I go inside. Let them arrest me. I will go ahead. I am thankful to all if you and see his face in all if you."

Dontha Prashant, an ASA leader and one of the scholars who had faced disciplinary action along with Vemula, said: "When I went to meet Radhika amma in morning, she was in a lot of pain. She said they killed my son, now they are after me. She said they are pushing me towards a state of resignation. Today, Radhika's words are a reminder that if we don't stand with her we will be responsible for losing another Rohith. The government has awarded institutional murderer Appa Rao."

Rahul, one of the suspended student from BAPSA in Jawaharlal Nehru University said: "There won't be a

2-minute silence, there should be noise until we get justice. Until we don't get justice, be it V-C Appa Rao or govt authority, we will fight against them."

Likening JNU to a village where lower caste persons were refused equal rights, he said: "We took out data of 5 years of marks allocation in viva, we found that Dalit students don't get beyond 10 & 15 marks. Commitee said there is discrimination in viva, when the council agreed to decrease viva weight age we agreed. When a Dalit or minority student performs so well in written exam, why are you giving him mere single digit or ten marks in viva. We received sudden Firmaan after council meet saying that we are suspended."

Further, he explained that it has not been mentioned till when they were suspended. "Rohith left this world opening our eyes. Regarding atrocities, we wanted the campus to thunder with voices of resistance. Modi, I want to tell you that outside RSS office in Nagpur, Hindutva extremist dharmashatra will be burnt," he thundered.

Dadri victim Md Akhlaq's brother Jaan Mohammad, on his part, said: "I salute this mother who lost her son. In my house nobody even slaughter a chicken some anti social elements placed it in our fridge. It was scandal. The accused say they found beef, even police didn't say they found beef. It is neither your nor mine, the country is ours."

Before finishing, he recited Dushyant Kumar's lines,"Mere sine mein nahi toh there seene mein sahi ho kahin bhi aag lekin aag jalni chahiye" Another BAPSA leader from JNU, Mrityunjay, who is also suspended by the administration said: "Rohit is hero. Our V-Cs are scared of what. If we had to thrash, we would have done it long back. Brahmanical agendas happen in university. I salute Akhlaq's brother, Una atrocity survivors. I appeal you all to break the barriers, unite and fight."

In the afternoon, Frontline magazine's Andhra Pradesh and Telangana correspondent Kunal Shankar was picked up and taken to Gachibowli police station after authorities reportedly complained to police.

University had maintained that no outsider would be allowed to enter or stay in the campus following the orders of Hyderabad High Court. Based on a complaint, the police registered a case against the scribe on charges of trespass.

HYDERABAD: After a delay of more than two hours, Rohit Vemula Shahadath Din which was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon began at 5.30 PM at the main gate of University of Hyderabad even as the family members of Rohith Vemula along with Fathima Nafees, the mother of missing JNU student Najeeb, and others were not allowed into the campus. Earlier, mild tension prevailed at the gate as students attempted to break open the main gate. As many as 17 students who tried to march out of campus in an attempt to hold the scheduled programme at the university entrance were taken into preventive custody by the Gachibowli police. However, they managed to break open the gates and stayed put there. Further, Radhika Vemula, Una survivors and others were invited to speak. Rohith's brother Raja Vemula, speaking at the event said: "Even today, they are not allowing me to see Rohith's stupa inside the university. Police are saying they will arrest me if I go inside. Let them arrest me. I will go ahead. I am thankful to all if you and see his face in all if you." Dontha Prashant, an ASA leader and one of the scholars who had faced disciplinary action along with Vemula, said: "When I went to meet Radhika amma in morning, she was in a lot of pain. She said they killed my son, now they are after me. She said they are pushing me towards a state of resignation. Today, Radhika's words are a reminder that if we don't stand with her we will be responsible for losing another Rohith. The government has awarded institutional murderer Appa Rao." Rahul, one of the suspended student from BAPSA in Jawaharlal Nehru University said: "There won't be a 2-minute silence, there should be noise until we get justice. Until we don't get justice, be it V-C Appa Rao or govt authority, we will fight against them." Likening JNU to a village where lower caste persons were refused equal rights, he said: "We took out data of 5 years of marks allocation in viva, we found that Dalit students don't get beyond 10 & 15 marks. Commitee said there is discrimination in viva, when the council agreed to decrease viva weight age we agreed. When a Dalit or minority student performs so well in written exam, why are you giving him mere single digit or ten marks in viva. We received sudden Firmaan after council meet saying that we are suspended." Further, he explained that it has not been mentioned till when they were suspended. "Rohith left this world opening our eyes. Regarding atrocities, we wanted the campus to thunder with voices of resistance. Modi, I want to tell you that outside RSS office in Nagpur, Hindutva extremist dharmashatra will be burnt," he thundered. Dadri victim Md Akhlaq's brother Jaan Mohammad, on his part, said: "I salute this mother who lost her son. In my house nobody even slaughter a chicken some anti social elements placed it in our fridge. It was scandal. The accused say they found beef, even police didn't say they found beef. It is neither your nor mine, the country is ours." Before finishing, he recited Dushyant Kumar's lines,"Mere sine mein nahi toh there seene mein sahi ho kahin bhi aag lekin aag jalni chahiye" Another BAPSA leader from JNU, Mrityunjay, who is also suspended by the administration said: "Rohit is hero. Our V-Cs are scared of what. If we had to thrash, we would have done it long back. Brahmanical agendas happen in university. I salute Akhlaq's brother, Una atrocity survivors. I appeal you all to break the barriers, unite and fight." In the afternoon, Frontline magazine's Andhra Pradesh and Telangana correspondent Kunal Shankar was picked up and taken to Gachibowli police station after authorities reportedly complained to police. University had maintained that no outsider would be allowed to enter or stay in the campus following the orders of Hyderabad High Court. Based on a complaint, the police registered a case against the scribe on charges of trespass.
By PTI

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh assembly poll process today kicked off with the EC issuing notification for the first phase of voting on February 11 which will cover 73 constituencies spread over 15 districts in Muslim-dominated Western UP.

The filing of nominations for these constituencies started at 11 am, immediately after the notification, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office here said. The last date of filing nominations is January 24 while candidature can be withdrawn till January 27. The polling will be held on February 11.

Uttar Pradesh goes to polls in seven phases between February 11 and March 8. The first phase will cover western UP districts, including riot-scarred Muzaffarnagar and Shamli, where BJP had fared well in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The other districts going to polls in the first phase are Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj. The Muslim-dominated areas will also be an acid test for BSP chief Mayawati, who is banking heavily on the Dalit-Muslim vote bank in the region which was once its favourite hunting ground.

This time, BSP is relying on Muslim support by giving them 97 tickets (out of 403). The poll outcome will reflect the extent to which Mayawati has been able to keep her Dalit support base intact amid intense wooing by BJP and also to what extent she can garner more Muslim support than last time.

The Samajwadi Party, now headed by Akhilesh Yadav after the EC decision in his favour, will also face a stern test in this region.

Over 2.57 crore voters, including around 1.17 crore women, will exercise their franchise in this phase. Of these voters, 24.25 lakh are between the age group of 18 to 19 years, the CEO office said.

The turnout of voters, especially minorities, in the first two phases could give an inkling of the mood of Muslims and determine the shape of the contest. The first phase in Muslim-dominated region could also bring out the impact of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi.

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh assembly poll process today kicked off with the EC issuing notification for the first phase of voting on February 11 which will cover 73 constituencies spread over 15 districts in Muslim-dominated Western UP. The filing of nominations for these constituencies started at 11 am, immediately after the notification, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office here said. The last date of filing nominations is January 24 while candidature can be withdrawn till January 27. The polling will be held on February 11. Uttar Pradesh goes to polls in seven phases between February 11 and March 8. The first phase will cover western UP districts, including riot-scarred Muzaffarnagar and Shamli, where BJP had fared well in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The other districts going to polls in the first phase are Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj. The Muslim-dominated areas will also be an acid test for BSP chief Mayawati, who is banking heavily on the Dalit-Muslim vote bank in the region which was once its favourite hunting ground. This time, BSP is relying on Muslim support by giving them 97 tickets (out of 403). The poll outcome will reflect the extent to which Mayawati has been able to keep her Dalit support base intact amid intense wooing by BJP and also to what extent she can garner more Muslim support than last time. The Samajwadi Party, now headed by Akhilesh Yadav after the EC decision in his favour, will also face a stern test in this region. Over 2.57 crore voters, including around 1.17 crore women, will exercise their franchise in this phase. Of these voters, 24.25 lakh are between the age group of 18 to 19 years, the CEO office said. The turnout of voters, especially minorities, in the first two phases could give an inkling of the mood of Muslims and determine the shape of the contest. The first phase in Muslim-dominated region could also bring out the impact of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi.
By Online Desk

LUCKNOW: After winning the symbol war, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said he would take SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav along while describing the ties with the latter as "unbreakable".



"I will take netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) along...my relation with him is unbreakable. I was confident that I will get cycle. Less time is left, I will finalise the list of candidates. It's a big responsibility and I will take everyone with us," he said.



After getting the symbol, Akhilesh had met his father Mulayam late Monday night and had tweeted three old pictures-one with father and two of the January 1 national convention with the message "cycle chalti jayegi, aage badte jayegi" (cycle will run, and keep moving ahead).



In a severe blow to Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Election Commission on Monday had given the symbol 'Bicycle' to the faction headed by Akhilesh Yadav, recognising it as the Samajwadi Party that came as a major boost to the chief minister ahead of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

(With PTI inputs)

LUCKNOW: After winning the symbol war, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said he would take SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav along while describing the ties with the latter as "unbreakable". "I will take netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) along...my relation with him is unbreakable. I was confident that I will get cycle. Less time is left, I will finalise the list of candidates. It's a big responsibility and I will take everyone with us," he said. After getting the symbol, Akhilesh had met his father Mulayam late Monday night and had tweeted three old pictures-one with father and two of the January 1 national convention with the message "cycle chalti jayegi, aage badte jayegi" (cycle will run, and keep moving ahead). In a severe blow to Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Election Commission on Monday had given the symbol 'Bicycle' to the faction headed by Akhilesh Yadav, recognising it as the Samajwadi Party that came as a major boost to the chief minister ahead of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. (With PTI inputs)
O A Antony By

Power corrects; absolute power corrects absolutely. I had come across an instance of this kind, years ago during the halcyon days of matinee idol M G Ramachandran, popularly known as the enthralling three-alphabet-acronym MGR. The crowd-puller gained the sobriquets Puratchi thalaivar, Makkal thilakam and his facets in sword and cane fighting, stunts, dancing and acrobatics had a mass appeal. It was also rumoured that he used to improvise his dance and stunt scenes for the celluloid. In real life also he was considered the same power-pack.

MGR created a legacy in the history of cinema and politics. His words and deeds made him an icon of Tamil people and, at times, his word was the last in all matters of the Tamil population. No voice would be heard against his voice and no word would be uttered against his word and no hands would be raised against his. His swords in the tinsel world and his words in real life mesmerised the people.

I have not heard of his knowledge in film editing. But once, I was stunned to witness his prowess in copy editing. It was known that MGR was a primary school lad when he left his native land Sri Lanka with his mother and elder brother. He had a pedestrian knowledge of Tamil. His English knowledge was restricted to some cinema dialogues. He was a phenomenon nonpareil and an astute practical man.

This was proved at a function in Madras in the 70s that was held to observe the death anniversary of the erstwhile comedian N S Krishnan. For the function, MGR arrived in time in a white ambassador car. Flashing his charismatic smile and cheered by his fans and audience, he entered the packed hall and sat in the middle of the front row.

While the president of the Tamil film actors association was delivering his homily, MGR was seen giving some diktat to a minister (I can only remember that the minister was PhD holder) sitting adjacent to him, to copy down something and the minister was seen hurriedly scribbling that something in his letter pad. The presidents speech was not complete.

Meanwhile, the minister handed over the pad to MGR. MGR, to my amazement, was deftly striking some words or lines of what his minister had written; may be in Tamil, and directed him to make a fair copy. I realised that education or qualification doesnt matter before the hand holding power. In journalistic practice, editing is done by the erudite and experienced hand. Here, that job was done by a school dropout who had then wielded the power to correct.

Today is the 100th birth anniversary of MGR

O A Antony

Email: oodenji123@gmail.com

Power corrects; absolute power corrects absolutely. I had come across an instance of this kind, years ago during the halcyon days of matinee idol M G Ramachandran, popularly known as the enthralling three-alphabet-acronym MGR. The crowd-puller gained the sobriquets Puratchi thalaivar, Makkal thilakam and his facets in sword and cane fighting, stunts, dancing and acrobatics had a mass appeal. It was also rumoured that he used to improvise his dance and stunt scenes for the celluloid. In real life also he was considered the same power-pack. MGR created a legacy in the history of cinema and politics. His words and deeds made him an icon of Tamil people and, at times, his word was the last in all matters of the Tamil population. No voice would be heard against his voice and no word would be uttered against his word and no hands would be raised against his. His swords in the tinsel world and his words in real life mesmerised the people. I have not heard of his knowledge in film editing. But once, I was stunned to witness his prowess in copy editing. It was known that MGR was a primary school lad when he left his native land Sri Lanka with his mother and elder brother. He had a pedestrian knowledge of Tamil. His English knowledge was restricted to some cinema dialogues. He was a phenomenon nonpareil and an astute practical man. This was proved at a function in Madras in the 70s that was held to observe the death anniversary of the erstwhile comedian N S Krishnan. For the function, MGR arrived in time in a white ambassador car. Flashing his charismatic smile and cheered by his fans and audience, he entered the packed hall and sat in the middle of the front row. While the president of the Tamil film actors association was delivering his homily, MGR was seen giving some diktat to a minister (I can only remember that the minister was PhD holder) sitting adjacent to him, to copy down something and the minister was seen hurriedly scribbling that something in his letter pad. The presidents speech was not complete. Meanwhile, the minister handed over the pad to MGR. MGR, to my amazement, was deftly striking some words or lines of what his minister had written; may be in Tamil, and directed him to make a fair copy. I realised that education or qualification doesnt matter before the hand holding power. In journalistic practice, editing is done by the erudite and experienced hand. Here, that job was done by a school dropout who had then wielded the power to correct. Today is the 100th birth anniversary of MGR O A Antony Email: oodenji123@gmail.com
A Surya Prakash By

Now that the Election Commission has announced the schedule for the Assembly elections in five statesUttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipurthe stage is set for yet another bitter electoral battle between the NDA and its political rivals scattered over two other formations and many regional outfits. But, there is much more at stake in this round of elections in these states for the BJP that heads the ruling alliance at the Centre, than just the formation of new governments in these states. To be more specific, the outcome of these polls in the 690 Assembly seats and more particularly in the 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, will determine whether the ruling alliance will have the edge in the presidential election in July.

The electoral college for electing the president is defined in the Constitution. Under Article 54, it comprises of the elected members of both Houses of the Parliament and elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of the states, including the members of Assemblies in Delhi and Pondicherry. Article 55 says that As far as practicable, there shall be uniformity in the scale of representation of the different states at the election of the President.

In order to secure such uniformity among the states inter se and also parity between the states as a whole and the Union, the Constitution has laid down a formula to determine the number of votes which each elected member of Parliament and Legislative Assembly of each state is entitled to cast in this election. The formula says every elected member of the Legislative Assembly of a state shall have as many votes as there are multiples of one thousand in the quotient obtained by dividing the population of the state by the total number of the elected members of the Assembly.

Secondly, as regards MPs, it says each elected member of either House of Parliament shall have such number of votes as may be obtained by dividing the total number of votes assigned to the members of the Legislative Assemblies of the states by the total number of the elected members of both Houses of Parliament. For the calculations, the population of each state will be as per the census held in 1971. The election will be held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

As per this formula, the value of the vote of MLAs varies from state to state. It is lowest in Sikkim(7) followed by Arunachal Pradesh (8), Mizoram (8) and Nagaland (9) and the value of the total votes from these states is also low480 in Arunachal Pradesh, 320 in Mizoram and 540 in Nagaland. However, it is a different story when it comes to large states like UP, Maharashtra and West Bengal. UP has 403 MLAs and the value of vote of each MLA is 208. This accounts for 83,824 votes. Maharashtra has 50,400 votes in its kitty while West Bengal has 44,394.

In the last presidential election held in 2012, there were 4,120 MLAs and 776 MPs in the electoral college. The total value of MLA votes was 5,49,474 while MP votes was 5,49,408. Together, the total value of votes from 4,896 MPs and MLAs in the country was 10,98,882.

The last presidential election saw a contest between Pranab Mukherjee and Purno Sangma. The value of the total votes polled was around 10.50 lakh and Mukherjee won 7.13 lakh votes, way ahead of the number of votes needed for a majority.

Come July, the ruling NDA will have to garner over 5.5 lakh votes if it wants its candidate to safely sail through. Uttar Pradesh is the biggest among the five states going to polls in February-March and is also the state with the maximum number of votes in the presidential election. Its MLA votes (83,824) constitutes around 8 per cent of the total votes in this election. The BJP and its allies will need to have as much of this vote in their bag prior to the election of the president next July, which means it will need to secure at least a majority in the state Assembly election.

While three of the states going to polls now are small states with minor vote shareGoa (800), Mizoram (320) and Uttarakhand (4480)Punjab is better placed. In 2012, it had 117 MLAs with an individual vote value of 116, all adding up to 13,572. Current reports suggest that the BJP-Akali Dal alliance is fighting anti-incumbency and faces an uphill task. If that be so, the NDA will have to reconcile to losing a big chuck of the votes allotted to this state in the presidential election. This will have to be more than made up in Uttar Pradesh.

Prior to this round of Assembly elections, the NDA is estimated to have about 4.5 lakh votes in its bag. The UPA headed by the Congress has 2.3 lakh votes. The BJP and the NDAs advantage comes from the fact that it has majorities in the Assemblies of several large states such as Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Then there are states like Jharkhand, Haryana and Chattisgarh. But, this is not enough because political parties and alliances opposed to it have majorities at the moment in larger states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Among these states, Uttar Pradesh is the only state going to polls prior to July 2017 and is therefore very crucial. Tamil Nadu with 41,184 votes is critical too and a bulk of votes could tilt in favour of the NDA candidate in the post-Jayalalithaa phase of Tamil Nadu politics if the ruling alliance in Delhi plays its cards well.

If all this works out, the NDAs vote share could cross the 5 lakh mark. Thereafter, the NDA will have to do a mopping up operation to secure the support of smaller parties scattered across the land in order to have its candidate succeed Pranab Mukherjee as the Rashtrapati. Until then, we must keep our fingers crossed!

A Surya Prakash

Chairman, Prasar Bharati

Email: suryamedia@gmail.com

Now that the Election Commission has announced the schedule for the Assembly elections in five statesUttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipurthe stage is set for yet another bitter electoral battle between the NDA and its political rivals scattered over two other formations and many regional outfits. But, there is much more at stake in this round of elections in these states for the BJP that heads the ruling alliance at the Centre, than just the formation of new governments in these states. To be more specific, the outcome of these polls in the 690 Assembly seats and more particularly in the 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, will determine whether the ruling alliance will have the edge in the presidential election in July. The electoral college for electing the president is defined in the Constitution. Under Article 54, it comprises of the elected members of both Houses of the Parliament and elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of the states, including the members of Assemblies in Delhi and Pondicherry. Article 55 says that As far as practicable, there shall be uniformity in the scale of representation of the different states at the election of the President. In order to secure such uniformity among the states inter se and also parity between the states as a whole and the Union, the Constitution has laid down a formula to determine the number of votes which each elected member of Parliament and Legislative Assembly of each state is entitled to cast in this election. The formula says every elected member of the Legislative Assembly of a state shall have as many votes as there are multiples of one thousand in the quotient obtained by dividing the population of the state by the total number of the elected members of the Assembly. Secondly, as regards MPs, it says each elected member of either House of Parliament shall have such number of votes as may be obtained by dividing the total number of votes assigned to the members of the Legislative Assemblies of the states by the total number of the elected members of both Houses of Parliament. For the calculations, the population of each state will be as per the census held in 1971. The election will be held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. As per this formula, the value of the vote of MLAs varies from state to state. It is lowest in Sikkim(7) followed by Arunachal Pradesh (8), Mizoram (8) and Nagaland (9) and the value of the total votes from these states is also low480 in Arunachal Pradesh, 320 in Mizoram and 540 in Nagaland. However, it is a different story when it comes to large states like UP, Maharashtra and West Bengal. UP has 403 MLAs and the value of vote of each MLA is 208. This accounts for 83,824 votes. Maharashtra has 50,400 votes in its kitty while West Bengal has 44,394. In the last presidential election held in 2012, there were 4,120 MLAs and 776 MPs in the electoral college. The total value of MLA votes was 5,49,474 while MP votes was 5,49,408. Together, the total value of votes from 4,896 MPs and MLAs in the country was 10,98,882. The last presidential election saw a contest between Pranab Mukherjee and Purno Sangma. The value of the total votes polled was around 10.50 lakh and Mukherjee won 7.13 lakh votes, way ahead of the number of votes needed for a majority. Come July, the ruling NDA will have to garner over 5.5 lakh votes if it wants its candidate to safely sail through. Uttar Pradesh is the biggest among the five states going to polls in February-March and is also the state with the maximum number of votes in the presidential election. Its MLA votes (83,824) constitutes around 8 per cent of the total votes in this election. The BJP and its allies will need to have as much of this vote in their bag prior to the election of the president next July, which means it will need to secure at least a majority in the state Assembly election. While three of the states going to polls now are small states with minor vote shareGoa (800), Mizoram (320) and Uttarakhand (4480)Punjab is better placed. In 2012, it had 117 MLAs with an individual vote value of 116, all adding up to 13,572. Current reports suggest that the BJP-Akali Dal alliance is fighting anti-incumbency and faces an uphill task. If that be so, the NDA will have to reconcile to losing a big chuck of the votes allotted to this state in the presidential election. This will have to be more than made up in Uttar Pradesh. Prior to this round of Assembly elections, the NDA is estimated to have about 4.5 lakh votes in its bag. The UPA headed by the Congress has 2.3 lakh votes. The BJP and the NDAs advantage comes from the fact that it has majorities in the Assemblies of several large states such as Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Then there are states like Jharkhand, Haryana and Chattisgarh. But, this is not enough because political parties and alliances opposed to it have majorities at the moment in larger states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Among these states, Uttar Pradesh is the only state going to polls prior to July 2017 and is therefore very crucial. Tamil Nadu with 41,184 votes is critical too and a bulk of votes could tilt in favour of the NDA candidate in the post-Jayalalithaa phase of Tamil Nadu politics if the ruling alliance in Delhi plays its cards well. If all this works out, the NDAs vote share could cross the 5 lakh mark. Thereafter, the NDA will have to do a mopping up operation to secure the support of smaller parties scattered across the land in order to have its candidate succeed Pranab Mukherjee as the Rashtrapati. Until then, we must keep our fingers crossed! A Surya Prakash Chairman, Prasar Bharati Email: suryamedia@gmail.com
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: The legal cell of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee has taken strong exception to the notice issued to Home Minister G Parameshwara by the National Commission for Women on his alleged statements insulting women. The minister was in the dock in the aftermath of the incidents of alleged molestation that occurred on New Years Eve for his statements where he allegedly said such incidents tend to occur during such events.

The letter addressed to NCW Chairperson by C M Dhananjaya, chairman of KPCC legal cell, says the notice was defamatory.

It states, You have issued the notice to gain political mileage and have done only to please the BJP government who nominated you. Many women party workers and public have approached me and expressed their serious displeasure and anguish for the issue of notice to such a distinguished leader. Hence, I am issuing this notice to you.

The letter also states that failing an apology, a defamation case would be filed.

BENGALURU: The legal cell of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee has taken strong exception to the notice issued to Home Minister G Parameshwara by the National Commission for Women on his alleged statements insulting women. The minister was in the dock in the aftermath of the incidents of alleged molestation that occurred on New Years Eve for his statements where he allegedly said such incidents tend to occur during such events. The letter addressed to NCW Chairperson by C M Dhananjaya, chairman of KPCC legal cell, says the notice was defamatory. It states, You have issued the notice to gain political mileage and have done only to please the BJP government who nominated you. Many women party workers and public have approached me and expressed their serious displeasure and anguish for the issue of notice to such a distinguished leader. Hence, I am issuing this notice to you. The letter also states that failing an apology, a defamation case would be filed.
By PTI

CHENNAI: Announcing her intention to take the political plunge, Deepa Jayakumar, niece of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, today said she would disclose her political roadmap on February 24, the birth anniversary of 'Amma'.

Deepa talked to the media after scores of AIADMK cadre thronged her residence here and appealed to her to assume a leading role.

Days after announcing that she will make a declaration on her political entry on the birth centenary of AIADMK founder MGR today, she merely said she was all set for the political plunge.

However, she did not disclose if she would start a new political party or join any other party.

"So far there have been questions expressing doubts if I would enter politics or not, if I would engage in people's work and whether I will be afraid and run away (from political arena)," she said.

"To end such things, I make it clear on this day (MGR's birth centenary) that I will enter politics, do people's work and I desire that," she told reporters at a crowded press conference, adding, she was "interested in politics. I am waiting to work for the people."

She said she was all set to undertake a state-wide tour to solicit the views of her supporters, a section of whom are in the ruling AIADMK and the public before disclosing her plans on February 24.

"I have decided to enter politics. It will be made known on February 24 on the birth anniversary of J Jayalalithaa, the landmark day. I don't think there is any other day which will be best suited."

"The work left my Amma should be continued, her name and reputation should be guarded," she said, adding she was waiting to make public her landmark announcement on a landmark day.

Asked whether she and AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala should join forces and prevent a break-up in the party, Deepa said, "I have no opinion," adding, she was only considering the aspirations of the cadre and taking into account "Makkal Sakthi (people's power)".

She said she was being given suggestions and recommendation to "join the AIADMK or start a new political party and there are also other views which I would like to analyse and take a decision."

She said she was asked by the cadre to take up a role in the AIADMK. Asked if Sasikala invited her to join the AIADMK, she said, "No. I can only give a direct answer and that is a no."

Answering a question if she will have the support of Sasikala if she chose to join the AIADMK, she said, "It is premature to talk about this...my course of action has to be decided."

On her view in a petition in the high court for a probe into the circumstances surrounding Jayalalithaa's death, she said, "I did not have suspicion. If such doubts had cropped up, I may have been a party (in the case)."

Asked if she concurred with the allegation that AIADMK has been "taken over" by Sasikala and her family, Deepa said, "That is the view of a larger section of people today. But this is not my view. I am only talking about my course of action."

CHENNAI: Announcing her intention to take the political plunge, Deepa Jayakumar, niece of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, today said she would disclose her political roadmap on February 24, the birth anniversary of 'Amma'. Deepa talked to the media after scores of AIADMK cadre thronged her residence here and appealed to her to assume a leading role. Days after announcing that she will make a declaration on her political entry on the birth centenary of AIADMK founder MGR today, she merely said she was all set for the political plunge. However, she did not disclose if she would start a new political party or join any other party. "So far there have been questions expressing doubts if I would enter politics or not, if I would engage in people's work and whether I will be afraid and run away (from political arena)," she said. "To end such things, I make it clear on this day (MGR's birth centenary) that I will enter politics, do people's work and I desire that," she told reporters at a crowded press conference, adding, she was "interested in politics. I am waiting to work for the people." She said she was all set to undertake a state-wide tour to solicit the views of her supporters, a section of whom are in the ruling AIADMK and the public before disclosing her plans on February 24. "I have decided to enter politics. It will be made known on February 24 on the birth anniversary of J Jayalalithaa, the landmark day. I don't think there is any other day which will be best suited." "The work left my Amma should be continued, her name and reputation should be guarded," she said, adding she was waiting to make public her landmark announcement on a landmark day. Asked whether she and AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala should join forces and prevent a break-up in the party, Deepa said, "I have no opinion," adding, she was only considering the aspirations of the cadre and taking into account "Makkal Sakthi (people's power)". She said she was being given suggestions and recommendation to "join the AIADMK or start a new political party and there are also other views which I would like to analyse and take a decision." She said she was asked by the cadre to take up a role in the AIADMK. Asked if Sasikala invited her to join the AIADMK, she said, "No. I can only give a direct answer and that is a no." Answering a question if she will have the support of Sasikala if she chose to join the AIADMK, she said, "It is premature to talk about this...my course of action has to be decided." On her view in a petition in the high court for a probe into the circumstances surrounding Jayalalithaa's death, she said, "I did not have suspicion. If such doubts had cropped up, I may have been a party (in the case)." Asked if she concurred with the allegation that AIADMK has been "taken over" by Sasikala and her family, Deepa said, "That is the view of a larger section of people today. But this is not my view. I am only talking about my course of action."
Sruthi R Mallya By

Express News Service

COIMBATORE: A 38-year-old man, who suffered a fracture in an accident last week, awaits surgery at the Orthopaedic ward of the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. His surgery to set right the broken leg was scheduled for Friday, but was postponed due to lack of water at the operation theatre. Along with him are two others also in the same department awaiting surgery, and many others throughout the hospital that has 16 operation theatres.

One of the surgeons said, We had scheduled six surgeries for Wednesday keeping in mind the long week-end ahead, but by morning when we were done with three surgeries, the water got over. We waited for a couple of hours, and had to reschedule the rest of the operations.

This continued through Thursday and Friday, and on Friday the issue was raised with the hospital authorities, who arranged some water. But the shortage did not end and some surgeries were postponed again. The surgeon said that this was the case with all the operation theatres. According to hospital authorities, the CMCH requires five lakh litres of water daily, with a minimum requirement of three lakh litres. But these days, as a result of drought, they are not getting even one lakh litre. PWD officials who are in-charge of the hospital area, said that this situation has been created due to lack of supply from Siruvani dam.

The last few days, the hospital authorities had arranged water from the city corporation in lorries, but that has been inconsistent due to Pongal holidays. More than six months back, we sent a proposal of Rs 1.5 crore for a sewage treatment plant at the hospital premises to the State administration. If the proposal gets a green signal, the recycle plant will be completed in 3-4 months, said the official. The hospital has nine borewells, of which three has already dried up. But the rest could soon dry up too, and hence they are looking at alternatives.

When asked about the situation, Dean of CMCH, A Edwin Joe said, We are conducting all emergency operations and are rescheduling those that are elective. We are looking at a borewell at Valankulam Tank on PWD land, which will be dug with the help of a sponsor. In the next two days, we will finalise it, and approach the district administration. But that would last only until the depleting water table gives away. After that, its dark times again. Hence, its high time the proposal for the sewage treatment plan is approved and it becomes a reality.

COIMBATORE: A 38-year-old man, who suffered a fracture in an accident last week, awaits surgery at the Orthopaedic ward of the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. His surgery to set right the broken leg was scheduled for Friday, but was postponed due to lack of water at the operation theatre. Along with him are two others also in the same department awaiting surgery, and many others throughout the hospital that has 16 operation theatres. One of the surgeons said, We had scheduled six surgeries for Wednesday keeping in mind the long week-end ahead, but by morning when we were done with three surgeries, the water got over. We waited for a couple of hours, and had to reschedule the rest of the operations. This continued through Thursday and Friday, and on Friday the issue was raised with the hospital authorities, who arranged some water. But the shortage did not end and some surgeries were postponed again. The surgeon said that this was the case with all the operation theatres. According to hospital authorities, the CMCH requires five lakh litres of water daily, with a minimum requirement of three lakh litres. But these days, as a result of drought, they are not getting even one lakh litre. PWD officials who are in-charge of the hospital area, said that this situation has been created due to lack of supply from Siruvani dam. The last few days, the hospital authorities had arranged water from the city corporation in lorries, but that has been inconsistent due to Pongal holidays. More than six months back, we sent a proposal of Rs 1.5 crore for a sewage treatment plant at the hospital premises to the State administration. If the proposal gets a green signal, the recycle plant will be completed in 3-4 months, said the official. The hospital has nine borewells, of which three has already dried up. But the rest could soon dry up too, and hence they are looking at alternatives. When asked about the situation, Dean of CMCH, A Edwin Joe said, We are conducting all emergency operations and are rescheduling those that are elective. We are looking at a borewell at Valankulam Tank on PWD land, which will be dug with the help of a sponsor. In the next two days, we will finalise it, and approach the district administration. But that would last only until the depleting water table gives away. After that, its dark times again. Hence, its high time the proposal for the sewage treatment plan is approved and it becomes a reality.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The cases booked against 26 students and two professors, for ransacking the office of UoH vice-chancellor P Appa Rao on March 23 are still under investigation, said the police.

Students in huge numbers ransacked the VCs house in the university campus. They had smashed doors and windowpanes, computers and electronic equipment, TV sets, furniture, flowerpots and photo frames.

After six days in Cherlapally central prison, all the arrested were granted bail and were released on March 30. When asked about the status, the Cyberabad police said that the cases are still under investigation as some of the accused were still absconding. However, the police also did not file a chargesheet in the case yet.

HYDERABAD: The cases booked against 26 students and two professors, for ransacking the office of UoH vice-chancellor P Appa Rao on March 23 are still under investigation, said the police. Students in huge numbers ransacked the VCs house in the university campus. They had smashed doors and windowpanes, computers and electronic equipment, TV sets, furniture, flowerpots and photo frames. After six days in Cherlapally central prison, all the arrested were granted bail and were released on March 30. When asked about the status, the Cyberabad police said that the cases are still under investigation as some of the accused were still absconding. However, the police also did not file a chargesheet in the case yet.
Xi Jinping

DAVOS, Switzerland  Three days before Donald Trump is set to be inaugurated as the 45th US president, a world power with which he has taken an at-times adversarial approach has become the unlikely leader at the world's most visible gathering of economic elites.

Xi Jinping on Tuesday became the first Chinese president to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"Whether you like it or not, the global economy is the big ocean you can't escape from," Xi said in delivering the forum's opening plenary speech, introduced by the forum's founder and chair, Klaus Schwab.

Xi established himself as an unlikely defender of the trade-based global order that Trump and others have dismissed on the way to electoral victories. He addressed a crowd full of business leaders and politicians, but his message was squarely aimed at one person: Trump, who on the campaign trail excoriated China's trade policies and threatened to slap a tariff as high as 45% on Chinese imports.

"No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war," he said, drawing applause from the crowd.

China and Xi have taken a leading role at this year's forum, with several of the country's biggest business leaders  including Alibaba's Jack Ma and Dalian Wanda's Wang Jianlin  and many of the forum's panels focusing on China's evolving role in the world.

In an unusual turn of events, Xi's speech drew a sharp rebuke to an incoming American administration that has advocated protectionist trade policies and discussed withdrawing from global climate-change agreements. He cast globalization as a solution for various problems in the world, including the refugee crisis in the Middle East and Africa. He said the financial crisis resulted not from economic globalization but from excessive profit-chasing.

"There's no point in blaming economic globalization for the world's problems," Xi said. He spent a portion of his speech directly warning against the path of protectionism, comparing it to "locking oneself in a dark room."

Story continues

"While wind and rain may be kept outside, so too are light and air," he said.

At the same time, representation from the incoming Trump administration was virtually nonexistent at a forum of global elites that represents much of what he campaigned against during his successful presidential run.

Anthony Scaramucci, the prominent New York financier who last week accepted a top post in the White House, was set to speak later Tuesday at the forum. But he is attending in an unofficial capacity, according to event organizers. Most of the US representation at Davos remains from the Obama administration, including Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry.

Xi's high-profile speech also came at a time of burgeoning tensions between China and the new US government. Trump infuriated Chinese leaders last month when he spoke with Taiwan's leader, and he has continued to leave open the US's "One China" policy, which states that Taiwan is part of a single China.

Two leading state-run newspapers threatened earlier this week that China would "take off the gloves" if Trump continued on his current path with respect to Taiwan, calling the One China policy non-negotiable.

NOW WATCH: These are the biggest risks facing the world in 2017





More From Business Insider


By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide a year ago arguably sparked off a movement that made him -- and by extension his family -- symbols of protests against oppression of different kinds, predominantly of caste. In the year since his death, his face and name have been seen and raised at protests ranging from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi when students were arrested for allegedly chanting anti-national slogans to Una in Gujarat where Dalits were publicly whipped by cow protection vigilantes.

The overarching, unifying effect of his life and death can be seen in the list of people expected to attend events marking Vemula's death anniversary in the city on Tuesday. These include victims of the Una attack, the mother of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed and the family of Mohammad Akhlaq who was lynched in Dadri in 2015.

It could be argued that this coming together was sparked by the articulation we saw in Vemula's suicide note. "The value of a man was reduced to his immediate identity and nearest possibility. To a vote. To a number. To a thing. Never was a man treated as a mind. As a glorious thing made up of star dust. In every field, in studies, in streets, in politics, and in dying and living," he had written, expressing an acute despair. His death sparked a national debate. However, within the hallowed spaces of higher education -- presumably the most enlightened -- little appears to have changed with regard to equality and caste.

Professors from UoH, JNU, Osmania University and English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) maintain that caste discrimination is practised in various forms in universities. Individuals dont see students getting reservation to come to the mainstream as equals and that is where it all begins. Students or academicians who are privileged and have no understanding of the struggle their excluded counterparts have gone through have drawn their conclusions. There have been many cases where students and faculty members have told students to go back to doing their occupation, said Professor Laxmi Narayan of the Department of Economics at the University of Hyderabad.



Karthik Navayan, a coordinator of the campaign for the elimination of caste discrimination in educational institutions who got his PhD from EFLU, raised the matter of how five Dalit students were convicted for defaming a faculty member. People from the administration dont have an understanding of caste discrimination. There is no academic discourse that advocates for annihilation of caste... The first page of the judgment where the students of EFLU were convicted for charges of defaming their professor Meenakshi Reddy itself says that Reddy comes from a good family. It is a kind of social normative that the judiciary did not look into the case from the aspect of considering the students identities as equal to that of Reddys.



Birendra Kumar, a student, who is among the Dalit students suspended from JNU for disrupting a council meeting on December 27, said, My name was removed from the list and I was regarded as a former student. However, I am a part of the university still and am yet to finish my PhD. Blatant violation of proctoral norms and discriminatory witch hunting of students who are OBCs, SCs, STs or minorities is being done by the proctors office at JNU.



The professors from these universities underlined that the proctoral board inquiry bodies and probe committees formed to check cases of caste discrimination have participation of Dalit students only in discussions and not in the decision-making process. This is how the results of the committees are so disillusioning and insensitively hold the victims as solely responsible for their demise. An example of this was the conclusion drawn by the Roopanwal Committee in Rohiths suicide case, said Professor K Sathyanarayana of Department of Cultural Studies of EFLU.



Jignesh Mevani of Rashtriya Dalith Adhikar Manch who led a mass movement following the Una violence, said. In our country, caste is endowed in every institution. At present, groups like ABVP are trying to exercise hegemony on campuses. Spaces for free speech are under constraint. Its the need of the hour to break out of these barriers which are like a blot on the education system, Mevani said.

HYDERABAD: Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide a year ago arguably sparked off a movement that made him -- and by extension his family -- symbols of protests against oppression of different kinds, predominantly of caste. In the year since his death, his face and name have been seen and raised at protests ranging from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi when students were arrested for allegedly chanting anti-national slogans to Una in Gujarat where Dalits were publicly whipped by cow protection vigilantes. The overarching, unifying effect of his life and death can be seen in the list of people expected to attend events marking Vemula's death anniversary in the city on Tuesday. These include victims of the Una attack, the mother of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed and the family of Mohammad Akhlaq who was lynched in Dadri in 2015. It could be argued that this coming together was sparked by the articulation we saw in Vemula's suicide note. "The value of a man was reduced to his immediate identity and nearest possibility. To a vote. To a number. To a thing. Never was a man treated as a mind. As a glorious thing made up of star dust. In every field, in studies, in streets, in politics, and in dying and living," he had written, expressing an acute despair. His death sparked a national debate. However, within the hallowed spaces of higher education -- presumably the most enlightened -- little appears to have changed with regard to equality and caste. Professors from UoH, JNU, Osmania University and English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) maintain that caste discrimination is practised in various forms in universities. Individuals dont see students getting reservation to come to the mainstream as equals and that is where it all begins. Students or academicians who are privileged and have no understanding of the struggle their excluded counterparts have gone through have drawn their conclusions. There have been many cases where students and faculty members have told students to go back to doing their occupation, said Professor Laxmi Narayan of the Department of Economics at the University of Hyderabad. Karthik Navayan, a coordinator of the campaign for the elimination of caste discrimination in educational institutions who got his PhD from EFLU, raised the matter of how five Dalit students were convicted for defaming a faculty member. People from the administration dont have an understanding of caste discrimination. There is no academic discourse that advocates for annihilation of caste... The first page of the judgment where the students of EFLU were convicted for charges of defaming their professor Meenakshi Reddy itself says that Reddy comes from a good family. It is a kind of social normative that the judiciary did not look into the case from the aspect of considering the students identities as equal to that of Reddys. Birendra Kumar, a student, who is among the Dalit students suspended from JNU for disrupting a council meeting on December 27, said, My name was removed from the list and I was regarded as a former student. However, I am a part of the university still and am yet to finish my PhD. Blatant violation of proctoral norms and discriminatory witch hunting of students who are OBCs, SCs, STs or minorities is being done by the proctors office at JNU. The professors from these universities underlined that the proctoral board inquiry bodies and probe committees formed to check cases of caste discrimination have participation of Dalit students only in discussions and not in the decision-making process. This is how the results of the committees are so disillusioning and insensitively hold the victims as solely responsible for their demise. An example of this was the conclusion drawn by the Roopanwal Committee in Rohiths suicide case, said Professor K Sathyanarayana of Department of Cultural Studies of EFLU. Jignesh Mevani of Rashtriya Dalith Adhikar Manch who led a mass movement following the Una violence, said. In our country, caste is endowed in every institution. At present, groups like ABVP are trying to exercise hegemony on campuses. Spaces for free speech are under constraint. Its the need of the hour to break out of these barriers which are like a blot on the education system, Mevani said.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: On Monday, the eve of the first death anniversary of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula, the Cyberabad police have little to show in terms of progress in the case registered under the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the aftermath of his suicide. The police says that they are still awaiting an official communication from Guntur revenue officials on whether Vemula belonged to Other Backward Classes (OBC) -- going by his father's caste -- or if he belonged to the Scheduled Caste (SC) as claimed by his mother. However, Guntur districts Gurajala Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO)

E Murali maintains that no request from the Telangana police has been received by officials there regarding Vemulas caste identity. Cyberabad police maintain that delay in investigation is due to the "non-responsiveness" of the Andhra government. Whatever the truth, the reality is that the investigation has not proceeded.

The case was registered soon after Vemula's death against Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and University of Hyderabad vice-chancellor Podile Appa Rao, based on a complaint lodged by the students of UoH.

"We have written three letters to the Guntur collector and joint collector, requesting to give clarification on the caste of Rohith Vemula, but we got no reply. Madhapur ACP and Gachibowli inspector also wrote letters in this matter," Cyberabad police commissioner Sandeep Shandilya told Express.

Further, the police have not questioned the minister and the three others, who are alleged to be responsible for suicide of the research scholar. The commissioner said that police could only probe if they received the letter of confirmation about Rohit's caste, as there has been a lot of controversy on the matter.

Meanwhile, speaking to Express, Murali refused to divulge details of the report which was prepared after the inquiry post Vemulas death. However, it is learnt that a fresh report on Vemula's caste is being prepared and will be sent to the Guntur district collector Kantilal Dande and the the same would be forwarded to the Centre. The Collector was not available for a comment. It is learnt that the fresh report indicates that Vemula is a Vaddera, a caste that comes under the OBC category.

As the case was filed under the SC & ST Act, the matter of Vemula's caste has become pivotal to the investigation, even as his mother and brother maintain that they lived as Dalits. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), after receiving a report from Guntur district administration, has earlier in August 2016 ruled that Rohith Vemula was a Dalit. It has also directed the state government to extend all benefits to the bereaved family as per rules. NCSC Chairman Punia had confirmed receipt of a detailed report from the Guntur district administration which led to the conclusion that Vemula was indeed Dalit. The same report was then submitted to the Centre.

However, Vemula was reportedly declared an OBC by a one-man judicial committee headed by former Allahabad high court judge Justice A K Roopanwal formed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to look into the case. The committee reportedly was of the view that Vemula's mother, Radhika, might have gotten the SC caste certificate to claim the benefits of reservation.



HYDERABAD: On Monday, the eve of the first death anniversary of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula, the Cyberabad police have little to show in terms of progress in the case registered under the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the aftermath of his suicide. The police says that they are still awaiting an official communication from Guntur revenue officials on whether Vemula belonged to Other Backward Classes (OBC) -- going by his father's caste -- or if he belonged to the Scheduled Caste (SC) as claimed by his mother. However, Guntur districts Gurajala Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) E Murali maintains that no request from the Telangana police has been received by officials there regarding Vemulas caste identity. Cyberabad police maintain that delay in investigation is due to the "non-responsiveness" of the Andhra government. Whatever the truth, the reality is that the investigation has not proceeded. The case was registered soon after Vemula's death against Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and University of Hyderabad vice-chancellor Podile Appa Rao, based on a complaint lodged by the students of UoH. "We have written three letters to the Guntur collector and joint collector, requesting to give clarification on the caste of Rohith Vemula, but we got no reply. Madhapur ACP and Gachibowli inspector also wrote letters in this matter," Cyberabad police commissioner Sandeep Shandilya told Express. Further, the police have not questioned the minister and the three others, who are alleged to be responsible for suicide of the research scholar. The commissioner said that police could only probe if they received the letter of confirmation about Rohit's caste, as there has been a lot of controversy on the matter. Meanwhile, speaking to Express, Murali refused to divulge details of the report which was prepared after the inquiry post Vemulas death. However, it is learnt that a fresh report on Vemula's caste is being prepared and will be sent to the Guntur district collector Kantilal Dande and the the same would be forwarded to the Centre. The Collector was not available for a comment. It is learnt that the fresh report indicates that Vemula is a Vaddera, a caste that comes under the OBC category. As the case was filed under the SC & ST Act, the matter of Vemula's caste has become pivotal to the investigation, even as his mother and brother maintain that they lived as Dalits. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), after receiving a report from Guntur district administration, has earlier in August 2016 ruled that Rohith Vemula was a Dalit. It has also directed the state government to extend all benefits to the bereaved family as per rules. NCSC Chairman Punia had confirmed receipt of a detailed report from the Guntur district administration which led to the conclusion that Vemula was indeed Dalit. The same report was then submitted to the Centre. However, Vemula was reportedly declared an OBC by a one-man judicial committee headed by former Allahabad high court judge Justice A K Roopanwal formed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to look into the case. The committee reportedly was of the view that Vemula's mother, Radhika, might have gotten the SC caste certificate to claim the benefits of reservation.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: It's showdown time at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) as Dalit student groups prepare to observe the first anniversary of suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula on January 17.

With Rohith's mother Radhika Vemula, sharing the dais would be Mohammad Akhlaq's brother Jaan Mohammad, JNU's disappeared student Najeeb's mother Fatima Nafees, Piyush Sarvaiya, Rajesh Sarvaiya, Jeetu Sarvaiya from Una in Gujarat, all of whom have been part of the 'anti-national' controversies. The JAC has also sent invitations to media to be present in large numbers to observe 'Rohith Vemula Shahadath Din'.

Meanwhile, the UoH administration has maintained that outsiders would not be allowed inside the campus. In this regard, a press release from the administration stated: "The University has not issued any permission to hold such activities. The university cannot provide a platform for outsiders to participate in the activities called by insiders or outsiders when there is no permission for the same. There is a ban prevailing on the campus on allowing outsiders into the campus and hence the University will not entertain any outsiders directly or indirectly to enter the campus. The High Court vide WPMP No. 15218 of 2016 in WP No. 10124/2016 dated 12.04.2016 has barred entry of all outsiders into the University campus."

Officials from the university too said that no permission was sought about participation of people in the programme to be organised on Tuesday. Media personnel too would not be allowed in the campus.

Shahadat Din would be organised, even if has to be outside campus gate

Meanwhile, members of the UoH JAC said that efforts would be put in to bring in Radhika Vemula, Fatima Nafees and others. "If the university does not allow them inside the campus, we would hold programmes with them outside," said a member of the JAC. Earlier too, when social activist like Medha Patkar and others were not allowed into the campus, there was ruckus outside main gate of the campus and programmes were held there.



HYDERABAD: It's showdown time at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) as Dalit student groups prepare to observe the first anniversary of suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula on January 17. With Rohith's mother Radhika Vemula, sharing the dais would be Mohammad Akhlaq's brother Jaan Mohammad, JNU's disappeared student Najeeb's mother Fatima Nafees, Piyush Sarvaiya, Rajesh Sarvaiya, Jeetu Sarvaiya from Una in Gujarat, all of whom have been part of the 'anti-national' controversies. The JAC has also sent invitations to media to be present in large numbers to observe 'Rohith Vemula Shahadath Din'. Meanwhile, the UoH administration has maintained that outsiders would not be allowed inside the campus. In this regard, a press release from the administration stated: "The University has not issued any permission to hold such activities. The university cannot provide a platform for outsiders to participate in the activities called by insiders or outsiders when there is no permission for the same. There is a ban prevailing on the campus on allowing outsiders into the campus and hence the University will not entertain any outsiders directly or indirectly to enter the campus. The High Court vide WPMP No. 15218 of 2016 in WP No. 10124/2016 dated 12.04.2016 has barred entry of all outsiders into the University campus." Officials from the university too said that no permission was sought about participation of people in the programme to be organised on Tuesday. Media personnel too would not be allowed in the campus. Shahadat Din would be organised, even if has to be outside campus gate Meanwhile, members of the UoH JAC said that efforts would be put in to bring in Radhika Vemula, Fatima Nafees and others. "If the university does not allow them inside the campus, we would hold programmes with them outside," said a member of the JAC. Earlier too, when social activist like Medha Patkar and others were not allowed into the campus, there was ruckus outside main gate of the campus and programmes were held there.
By Associated Press

SYDNEY: After nearly three years, the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 ended in futility and frustration Tuesday, as crews completed their deep-sea search of a desolate stretch of the Indian Ocean without finding a trace of the plane.

The Joint Agency Coordination Center in Australia, which has helped lead the $160 million hunt for the Boeing 777 in remote waters west of Australia, said the search had officially been suspended after crews finished their fruitless sweep of the 120,000-square kilometer (46,000-square mile) search zone.

"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," the agency said in a statement. "Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended."

Officials investigating the plane's disappearance have recommended search crews head north to a new area identified in a recent analysis as a possible crash site. But the Australian government has already nixed that idea.

Last year, Australia, Malaysia and China  which have each helped fund the search  agreed that the hunt would be suspended once the search zone was exhausted unless new evidence emerges that pinpoints the plane's specific location. Since no technology currently exists that can tell investigators exactly where the plane is, that effectively means the most expensive, complex search in aviation history is over.

SYDNEY: After nearly three years, the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 ended in futility and frustration Tuesday, as crews completed their deep-sea search of a desolate stretch of the Indian Ocean without finding a trace of the plane. The Joint Agency Coordination Center in Australia, which has helped lead the $160 million hunt for the Boeing 777 in remote waters west of Australia, said the search had officially been suspended after crews finished their fruitless sweep of the 120,000-square kilometer (46,000-square mile) search zone. "Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," the agency said in a statement. "Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended." Officials investigating the plane's disappearance have recommended search crews head north to a new area identified in a recent analysis as a possible crash site. But the Australian government has already nixed that idea. Last year, Australia, Malaysia and China  which have each helped fund the search  agreed that the hunt would be suspended once the search zone was exhausted unless new evidence emerges that pinpoints the plane's specific location. Since no technology currently exists that can tell investigators exactly where the plane is, that effectively means the most expensive, complex search in aviation history is over.
By AFP

BERLIN: US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel may have got off to a rocky start but his impending departure has sparked a wave of nostalgia and trepidation in Berlin.

As Donald Trump threatens to upend the pillars of the postwar order, few cities have historically symbolised the strength of the transatlantic bond more than the reunified German capital, where Obama held the biggest rally of his 2008 watershed campaign.

Although Merkel barred him from speaking at the Brandenburg Gate, deeming the landmark of German unity too presumptuous a backdrop for the young senator, Obama drew 200,000 cheering fans to the nearby Victory Column monument for a speech about ripping down walls of division.

Now, as Berliners prepare to bid him goodbye, many say Obama left relations far better than he found them, making the impending presidency of Trump who is sworn in Friday a source of widespread anxiety.

"Merkel and Obama are both 21st century leaders, not only because she was the first woman as chancellor and he was the first black president, but because of their modern, intelligent, far-sighted approach," said Antje Pohle, a 33-year-old public relations executive.

"Obama wasn't perfect but he will be missed in Berlin, especially when you look at the Trump insanity."

Clemens Doepgen, 50, who works at US automaker Ford's German unit, predicted "very tough" negotiations on trade, dismissing Trump's protectionist rhetoric as "crude and simplistic".

"America under Obama was a reliable partner -- Trump's erratic approach could be very bad for business."

- Tectonic shift -

In his 2008 address, Obama used the once-divided city's rebirth as a symbol of progress, placing himself in the ranks of former US presidents who saw Berlin as a crucible of epic struggles.

Just months before his 1963 assassination, John F. Kennedy delivered the stirring declaration "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner) to 450,000 people when West Berlin found itself on the frontline of the Cold War.

It offered a crucial message of reassurance a year after the United States and Soviet Union nearly went to war in the Cuban missile crisis, and two years after East Germany's communist regime erected the Berlin Wall.

Obama's speech was also a clear echo of Ronald Reagan's call to then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Berlin in 1987 to "tear down this wall". Two years later, the Cold War barrier would be toppled in a bloodless revolution.

Obama and Merkel, who took power in 2005, developed a strong partnership, despite rifts over revelations of NSA spying on Merkel's mobile phone and Obama's vocal opposition to Germany's austerity-driven response to the European debt crisis.

During Obama's tenure, the US and Germany, along with the EU, racked up a series of policy agreements that Trump has now thrown into question, including the Iran nuclear deal, the Paris climate accord and economic sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

But more fundamentally, Obama's time in office saw a tectonic shift in transatlantic relations.

"For so long in the post-war period Germany was kind of a protectorate -- at least West Germany -- and even after the Wall fell, it was still somewhat of an adolescent. But I think Obama has seen Germany come of age," Sudha David-Wilp, senior transatlantic fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, told AFP.

"At the end of his two terms, we've seen he has come to rely on Chancellor Merkel for advice and discussions and how Germany has come to be seen as an indispensable partner. Germany has come to assume more responsibility in the world and sees itself as a power for good."

- 'Audience that claps' -

On a farewell visit to Berlin in November, Obama praised Merkel as an "outstanding" ally, as the two leaders stressed the need for a strong NATO, free trade and action on climate change.

Trump's inauguration could trigger a dramatic about-face, as he declared in an interview with European newspapers Monday that NATO was "obsolete", the European Union purely a "vehicle for Germany", and Merkel's welcome for refugees a "catastrophic mistake".

Despite the obvious break with Washington policy and tradition, outgoing US ambassador to Germany John Emerson said Trump would be wise to seek "common ground" with Berlin.

"Right at the beginning, he should visit the place his family came from," Emerson said, referring to Kallstadt, the village in the wine country of Germany's southwest where his paternal grandparents were born.

After Obama's two rapturously received addresses in Berlin -- the second in 2013 when Merkel finally offered him the Brandenburg Gate as a venue -- Emerson advised Trump not to set his sights so high.

"It will take some time before he gives a major speech here (in Berlin). After all, you want an audience that claps."

BERLIN: US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel may have got off to a rocky start but his impending departure has sparked a wave of nostalgia and trepidation in Berlin. As Donald Trump threatens to upend the pillars of the postwar order, few cities have historically symbolised the strength of the transatlantic bond more than the reunified German capital, where Obama held the biggest rally of his 2008 watershed campaign. Although Merkel barred him from speaking at the Brandenburg Gate, deeming the landmark of German unity too presumptuous a backdrop for the young senator, Obama drew 200,000 cheering fans to the nearby Victory Column monument for a speech about ripping down walls of division. Now, as Berliners prepare to bid him goodbye, many say Obama left relations far better than he found them, making the impending presidency of Trump who is sworn in Friday a source of widespread anxiety. "Merkel and Obama are both 21st century leaders, not only because she was the first woman as chancellor and he was the first black president, but because of their modern, intelligent, far-sighted approach," said Antje Pohle, a 33-year-old public relations executive. "Obama wasn't perfect but he will be missed in Berlin, especially when you look at the Trump insanity." Clemens Doepgen, 50, who works at US automaker Ford's German unit, predicted "very tough" negotiations on trade, dismissing Trump's protectionist rhetoric as "crude and simplistic". "America under Obama was a reliable partner -- Trump's erratic approach could be very bad for business." - Tectonic shift - In his 2008 address, Obama used the once-divided city's rebirth as a symbol of progress, placing himself in the ranks of former US presidents who saw Berlin as a crucible of epic struggles. Just months before his 1963 assassination, John F. Kennedy delivered the stirring declaration "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner) to 450,000 people when West Berlin found itself on the frontline of the Cold War. It offered a crucial message of reassurance a year after the United States and Soviet Union nearly went to war in the Cuban missile crisis, and two years after East Germany's communist regime erected the Berlin Wall. Obama's speech was also a clear echo of Ronald Reagan's call to then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Berlin in 1987 to "tear down this wall". Two years later, the Cold War barrier would be toppled in a bloodless revolution. Obama and Merkel, who took power in 2005, developed a strong partnership, despite rifts over revelations of NSA spying on Merkel's mobile phone and Obama's vocal opposition to Germany's austerity-driven response to the European debt crisis. During Obama's tenure, the US and Germany, along with the EU, racked up a series of policy agreements that Trump has now thrown into question, including the Iran nuclear deal, the Paris climate accord and economic sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis. But more fundamentally, Obama's time in office saw a tectonic shift in transatlantic relations. "For so long in the post-war period Germany was kind of a protectorate -- at least West Germany -- and even after the Wall fell, it was still somewhat of an adolescent. But I think Obama has seen Germany come of age," Sudha David-Wilp, senior transatlantic fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, told AFP. "At the end of his two terms, we've seen he has come to rely on Chancellor Merkel for advice and discussions and how Germany has come to be seen as an indispensable partner. Germany has come to assume more responsibility in the world and sees itself as a power for good." - 'Audience that claps' - On a farewell visit to Berlin in November, Obama praised Merkel as an "outstanding" ally, as the two leaders stressed the need for a strong NATO, free trade and action on climate change. Trump's inauguration could trigger a dramatic about-face, as he declared in an interview with European newspapers Monday that NATO was "obsolete", the European Union purely a "vehicle for Germany", and Merkel's welcome for refugees a "catastrophic mistake". Despite the obvious break with Washington policy and tradition, outgoing US ambassador to Germany John Emerson said Trump would be wise to seek "common ground" with Berlin. "Right at the beginning, he should visit the place his family came from," Emerson said, referring to Kallstadt, the village in the wine country of Germany's southwest where his paternal grandparents were born. After Obama's two rapturously received addresses in Berlin -- the second in 2013 when Merkel finally offered him the Brandenburg Gate as a venue -- Emerson advised Trump not to set his sights so high. "It will take some time before he gives a major speech here (in Berlin). After all, you want an audience that claps."
By AFP

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted on Monday that "we Europeans have our fate in our own hands", after Donald Trump criticised the EU and praised Britain's decision to leave the bloc.

Merkel also told reporters that she would work towards getting the European Union's 27 remaining member states to strengthen their economies and meet future challenges, including the battle against terrorism.

The German leader's comments came after the US president-elect branded the NATO alliance as "obsolete" and lashed out at a key EU-US nuclear deal with Iran.

In an interview with two European newspapers, Trump also took aim at Merkel's decision to let in refugees fleeing war in mostly Muslim nations, including Syria and Iraq, insinuating that this posed a security risk.

"I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals, you know taking all of the people from wherever they come from. And nobody even knows where they come from," Trump said, adding that he had "great respect" for the chancellor.

But Merkel said Trump had mistakenly conflated two separate issues.

"I would clearly separate (terrorism) from the existence of refugees in relation to the Syrian civil war. The Syrian civil war has been far longer, the majority of Syrians left their country because of the civil war, because of the fight against Assad or the oppression by Assad," she said, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"In addition to this is Islamist terrorism and that concerns all of us, but the civil war as such was in Syria first," said Merkel, who has also come under fire at home after 890,000 asylum-seekers arrived in 2015 alone.

Merkel shrugged off the latest comments, noting that Trump's position "is known".

"When he is in office, and at the moment that's not the case, we will work with the new American government and see what kind of agreements we can reach," she said.

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted on Monday that "we Europeans have our fate in our own hands", after Donald Trump criticised the EU and praised Britain's decision to leave the bloc. Merkel also told reporters that she would work towards getting the European Union's 27 remaining member states to strengthen their economies and meet future challenges, including the battle against terrorism. The German leader's comments came after the US president-elect branded the NATO alliance as "obsolete" and lashed out at a key EU-US nuclear deal with Iran. In an interview with two European newspapers, Trump also took aim at Merkel's decision to let in refugees fleeing war in mostly Muslim nations, including Syria and Iraq, insinuating that this posed a security risk. "I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals, you know taking all of the people from wherever they come from. And nobody even knows where they come from," Trump said, adding that he had "great respect" for the chancellor. But Merkel said Trump had mistakenly conflated two separate issues. "I would clearly separate (terrorism) from the existence of refugees in relation to the Syrian civil war. The Syrian civil war has been far longer, the majority of Syrians left their country because of the civil war, because of the fight against Assad or the oppression by Assad," she said, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "In addition to this is Islamist terrorism and that concerns all of us, but the civil war as such was in Syria first," said Merkel, who has also come under fire at home after 890,000 asylum-seekers arrived in 2015 alone. Merkel shrugged off the latest comments, noting that Trump's position "is known". "When he is in office, and at the moment that's not the case, we will work with the new American government and see what kind of agreements we can reach," she said.
By AFP

A shooting erupted during an electronic music festival at a Mexican beach resort early Monday, leaving five people dead, including one in a stampede as revelers fled in panic.

Fifteen other people were injured in the melee after a gunman opened fire on security guards preventing him from entering the Blue Parrot nightclub during the BPM festival in Playa del Carmen, the Quintana Roo state prosecutor's office said in a statement.

According to the state's governor Roberto Borge the gunfire stemmed from "a personal conflict" between two individuals, which "involved the intervention of security guards."

So far three of the dead have been identified: the Canadian Kirk Wilson, the Italian Daniel Pessina and the Mexican Rafael Penaloza Vega.

The shooting sowed terror in a part of Mexico that has been largely spared from the drug violence afflicting other parts of the country.

Playa del Carmen and nearby Cancun are in a Caribbean region known as the Mayan Riviera, which is popular among American and European tourists.

"We suddenly had to jump over the metal security barriers because they were shooting. It was horrible. We were very scared," Eric Alvarez, a 40-year-old Mexican DJ, told AFP outside the club, which has a blue parrot painted on the facade.

"A lot of people were panicking," said Alvarez, who lost his prosthetic teeth while fleeing.

The Italian man was shot dead while another man died from bullet wounds at a hospital, according to local prosecutors. A woman was trampled to death.

"Witnesses said that a person tried to enter the establishment with a weapon but was blocked by security guards, triggering the attack," said the statement from Pech's office.

Prosecutor Miguel Angel Pech said two people, apparently security guards, had fired back at the assailant.

Four people were detained near the scene of the crime and authorities are investigating if they were connected to the shooting, he added.

- 'Bodies on the ground' -

Rashed Qassem, a Lebanese events promoter who lives in the United States, told AFP he was sitting at a table near the club's exit when the shooting started.

"We thought it was fireworks placed in the club. Then we realized that someone had entered through the exit door and had begun shooting," Qassem said.

Qassem, 36, saw a man fall to the ground after he suffered a head wound. Then one of his friends was shot in the back.

"When it became clear that someone was shooting, everyone went into a state of panic. We immediately threw ourselves to the ground as the gunman continued shooting, after he killed a guard at the entrance," he said.

"He fired more than 10 times before he left via the exit door. We kept lying on the ground until the police arrived and asked us to leave."

Amateur video footage showed people cowering and running down the street.

An editor for London-based music magazine Mixmag who was in the backstage area of the Blue Parrot said at least four or five shots were fired at around 2:45 (0745 GMT) or 3 am.

"People started running because there's an exit in the back. We stopped and hid behind a cement wall, then crawled under a metal table," Valerie Lee, Mixmag's US digital editor, was quoted as saying by the magazine.

"Security guards at first didn't think it was shots and kept claiming it was fireworks, saying everything was OK. Then people kept running and said they saw a gun. We kept hiding until they opened the back gate and we ran outside," Lee said.

Lee wrote on Twitter that the music was so loud that people likely didn't hear the gunshots inside.

She said friends outside the entrance were just six meters (20 feet) from the shooter and that there were "bodies on the ground."

- 'Senseless' violence -

The Colombian foreign ministry said Quintana Roo authorities had informed them that "no citizens of Colombian nationality died in the shooting," as authorities had previously thought.

The BPM festival said in a statement that three of its security guards were killed "trying to protect patrons inside the venue."

The festival said organizers worked with local authorities throughout the event to ensure public safety and were cooperating with the investigation.

"We are overcome with grief over this senseless act of violence," the statement said.

A shooting erupted during an electronic music festival at a Mexican beach resort early Monday, leaving five people dead, including one in a stampede as revelers fled in panic. Fifteen other people were injured in the melee after a gunman opened fire on security guards preventing him from entering the Blue Parrot nightclub during the BPM festival in Playa del Carmen, the Quintana Roo state prosecutor's office said in a statement. According to the state's governor Roberto Borge the gunfire stemmed from "a personal conflict" between two individuals, which "involved the intervention of security guards." So far three of the dead have been identified: the Canadian Kirk Wilson, the Italian Daniel Pessina and the Mexican Rafael Penaloza Vega. The shooting sowed terror in a part of Mexico that has been largely spared from the drug violence afflicting other parts of the country. Playa del Carmen and nearby Cancun are in a Caribbean region known as the Mayan Riviera, which is popular among American and European tourists. "We suddenly had to jump over the metal security barriers because they were shooting. It was horrible. We were very scared," Eric Alvarez, a 40-year-old Mexican DJ, told AFP outside the club, which has a blue parrot painted on the facade. "A lot of people were panicking," said Alvarez, who lost his prosthetic teeth while fleeing. The Italian man was shot dead while another man died from bullet wounds at a hospital, according to local prosecutors. A woman was trampled to death. "Witnesses said that a person tried to enter the establishment with a weapon but was blocked by security guards, triggering the attack," said the statement from Pech's office. Prosecutor Miguel Angel Pech said two people, apparently security guards, had fired back at the assailant. Four people were detained near the scene of the crime and authorities are investigating if they were connected to the shooting, he added. - 'Bodies on the ground' - Rashed Qassem, a Lebanese events promoter who lives in the United States, told AFP he was sitting at a table near the club's exit when the shooting started. "We thought it was fireworks placed in the club. Then we realized that someone had entered through the exit door and had begun shooting," Qassem said. Qassem, 36, saw a man fall to the ground after he suffered a head wound. Then one of his friends was shot in the back. "When it became clear that someone was shooting, everyone went into a state of panic. We immediately threw ourselves to the ground as the gunman continued shooting, after he killed a guard at the entrance," he said. "He fired more than 10 times before he left via the exit door. We kept lying on the ground until the police arrived and asked us to leave." Amateur video footage showed people cowering and running down the street. An editor for London-based music magazine Mixmag who was in the backstage area of the Blue Parrot said at least four or five shots were fired at around 2:45 (0745 GMT) or 3 am. "People started running because there's an exit in the back. We stopped and hid behind a cement wall, then crawled under a metal table," Valerie Lee, Mixmag's US digital editor, was quoted as saying by the magazine. "Security guards at first didn't think it was shots and kept claiming it was fireworks, saying everything was OK. Then people kept running and said they saw a gun. We kept hiding until they opened the back gate and we ran outside," Lee said. Lee wrote on Twitter that the music was so loud that people likely didn't hear the gunshots inside. She said friends outside the entrance were just six meters (20 feet) from the shooter and that there were "bodies on the ground." - 'Senseless' violence - The Colombian foreign ministry said Quintana Roo authorities had informed them that "no citizens of Colombian nationality died in the shooting," as authorities had previously thought. The BPM festival said in a statement that three of its security guards were killed "trying to protect patrons inside the venue." The festival said organizers worked with local authorities throughout the event to ensure public safety and were cooperating with the investigation. "We are overcome with grief over this senseless act of violence," the statement said.
By Associated Press

BERLIN: Germany's supreme court on Tuesday rejected a bid by lawmakers to outlaw a far-right party accused of promoting a racist and anti-Semitic agenda.

Andreas Vosskuhle, chief justice of the Federal Constitutional Court, said that even though the party had unconstitutional goals, "there are currently no concrete indications ... that its actions will lead to success."

The German parliament's upper house had applied for the ban at the end of 2013.

Vosskuhle, in explaining the verdict, mentioned the party's irrelevance, pointing out it had only a single seat in the European Parliament and that the NPD's election results have in recent years been "on a low level."

Vosskuhle said that a possible ban of a party wasn't based on the party's ideology, but its active aim and plan to abolish Germany's free and democratic order.

"There's no evidence for this here," the judge added.

The party isn't represented in the Bundestag after winning just 1.3 percent of the vote in the last national election in 2013. Parties need to meet a 5-percent threshold to hold seats in the federal parliament.

The rise of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, which has assailed Chancellor Angela Merkel for allowing large numbers of migrants into the country and appeals to a much broader range of protest voters, has helped erode the NPD's support.

Only two parties have been outlawed in West Germany and reunited Germany  the neo-Nazi Socialist Reich Party in 1952 and the German Communist Party in 1956.

It was the second attempt to ban the National Democratic Party, better known by its German acronym NPD.

In 2003, the court rejected a previous application because paid government informants within the group were partially responsible for evidence against it.

BERLIN: Germany's supreme court on Tuesday rejected a bid by lawmakers to outlaw a far-right party accused of promoting a racist and anti-Semitic agenda. Andreas Vosskuhle, chief justice of the Federal Constitutional Court, said that even though the party had unconstitutional goals, "there are currently no concrete indications ... that its actions will lead to success." The German parliament's upper house had applied for the ban at the end of 2013. Vosskuhle, in explaining the verdict, mentioned the party's irrelevance, pointing out it had only a single seat in the European Parliament and that the NPD's election results have in recent years been "on a low level." Vosskuhle said that a possible ban of a party wasn't based on the party's ideology, but its active aim and plan to abolish Germany's free and democratic order. "There's no evidence for this here," the judge added. The party isn't represented in the Bundestag after winning just 1.3 percent of the vote in the last national election in 2013. Parties need to meet a 5-percent threshold to hold seats in the federal parliament. The rise of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, which has assailed Chancellor Angela Merkel for allowing large numbers of migrants into the country and appeals to a much broader range of protest voters, has helped erode the NPD's support. Only two parties have been outlawed in West Germany and reunited Germany  the neo-Nazi Socialist Reich Party in 1952 and the German Communist Party in 1956. It was the second attempt to ban the National Democratic Party, better known by its German acronym NPD. In 2003, the court rejected a previous application because paid government informants within the group were partially responsible for evidence against it.
By ANI

PARIS: Women being banned from hanging out at bars and bistros, being told to wear fully covered clothes, being forbidden from mixing with men; such a scene is very easily acceptable in a place like Saudi Arabia where the Sharia law, which is quite clear on the role of the woman in Islam, governs the way of life.

But when similar scenes are witnessed in a neighbourhood of Paris, the city known for its romanticism, fashion, food, art and culture, surely it is a sign of worry.

In Sevran, a commune located just 16.2 km (10.1 miles) from the French capital, women going in a bar is equivalent to breaking a taboo.

Sevran is part of the district of Seine-Saint-Denis, an area inhabited by over 600,000 Muslims, out of 1.4 million people. Already in 2011, a report by the highly respected political scientist and expert on Islam, Gilles Kepel, "Banlieue de la Republique" ("Suburb of the Republic"), showed that Seine-Saint-Denis, as well as other suburbs, were becoming parallel Islamic societies, increasingly cut off from the rest of French society.

And a recent video by France 24 clearly shows how women rights activists are trying to fight this plight and trying to raise an alarm of the creeping gender segregation.

Wearing button-hole cameras, two female volunteers of La Brigade des Meres (the mothers brigade)- an anti-radicalisation group, Nadia Remadna and Aziza Sayah, entered a cafe in the suburb and a male customer tells them It is best to wait outside. There are men in here... In this cafe, there is no diversity."

"In this cafe, there is no mixing. We are in Sevran, not Paris. Here there is a different mentality. It is like back home," said another male customer.

In another suburb of Lyon a woman tells the journalist,  we wear baggy clothes, trousers, no skirts, no obvious make-up, red-lipstick is out of the question. We erase ourself. Try to be most discreet. When asked why, she says, because we are scared. Apparently, scared of being targeted by Muslim men in the neighbourhood.

But some women have decided to fight back by organising regular marches in such affected place, saying that their intention is not to disrespect religious sentiments but promote more camaraderie among the different sects of the society.

This fast-spreading Islamisation, which the elite and politicians still stay ignorant to, is taking over many such suburbs in Western and European countries.

Many analysts have said that this Islamisation has been fuelled and strengthened by Qatar's heavy investments - particularly in mosques - in France during the past five years. These investments currently stand at around USD 22 billion.

Investments in mosques are how Qatar is apparently spreading Wahhabism - a particularly radical form of Islam - around the world.

Considering the subservient role of women in Sharia law, it is only a natural development that those French suburbs that have become Islamised and where Sharia is held in high regard, now resemble Saudi Arabia.

PARIS: Women being banned from hanging out at bars and bistros, being told to wear fully covered clothes, being forbidden from mixing with men; such a scene is very easily acceptable in a place like Saudi Arabia where the Sharia law, which is quite clear on the role of the woman in Islam, governs the way of life. But when similar scenes are witnessed in a neighbourhood of Paris, the city known for its romanticism, fashion, food, art and culture, surely it is a sign of worry. In Sevran, a commune located just 16.2 km (10.1 miles) from the French capital, women going in a bar is equivalent to breaking a taboo. Sevran is part of the district of Seine-Saint-Denis, an area inhabited by over 600,000 Muslims, out of 1.4 million people. Already in 2011, a report by the highly respected political scientist and expert on Islam, Gilles Kepel, "Banlieue de la Republique" ("Suburb of the Republic"), showed that Seine-Saint-Denis, as well as other suburbs, were becoming parallel Islamic societies, increasingly cut off from the rest of French society. And a recent video by France 24 clearly shows how women rights activists are trying to fight this plight and trying to raise an alarm of the creeping gender segregation. Wearing button-hole cameras, two female volunteers of La Brigade des Meres (the mothers brigade)- an anti-radicalisation group, Nadia Remadna and Aziza Sayah, entered a cafe in the suburb and a male customer tells them It is best to wait outside. There are men in here... In this cafe, there is no diversity." "In this cafe, there is no mixing. We are in Sevran, not Paris. Here there is a different mentality. It is like back home," said another male customer. In another suburb of Lyon a woman tells the journalist,  we wear baggy clothes, trousers, no skirts, no obvious make-up, red-lipstick is out of the question. We erase ourself. Try to be most discreet. When asked why, she says, because we are scared. Apparently, scared of being targeted by Muslim men in the neighbourhood. But some women have decided to fight back by organising regular marches in such affected place, saying that their intention is not to disrespect religious sentiments but promote more camaraderie among the different sects of the society. This fast-spreading Islamisation, which the elite and politicians still stay ignorant to, is taking over many such suburbs in Western and European countries. Many analysts have said that this Islamisation has been fuelled and strengthened by Qatar's heavy investments - particularly in mosques - in France during the past five years. These investments currently stand at around USD 22 billion. Investments in mosques are how Qatar is apparently spreading Wahhabism - a particularly radical form of Islam - around the world. Considering the subservient role of women in Sharia law, it is only a natural development that those French suburbs that have become Islamised and where Sharia is held in high regard, now resemble Saudi Arabia.
By Associated Press

ISTANBUL: A gunman suspected of killing 39 people during a New Year's attack on an Istanbul nightclub has been caught in a police operation, Turkish media reports said early Tuesday.

The suspect was captured in a special operations police raid on a house in Istanbul's Esenyurt district, private NTV television reported. The broadcaster said he had been staying in the house belonging to a friend from Kyrgyzstan.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the nightclub massacre, saying the attack in the first hours of Jan. 1 was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria. The man identified as the suspect had been on the run since the attack.

Hurriyet newspaper and other media have identified the gunman as Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbekistan national. The suspect was to undergo medical checks before being taken to police headquarters for questioning, the paper said in its online edition.

Dogan news agency published what it said was the first image of the attacker. It showed a bruised, black-haired man in a grey, bloodied shirt being held by his neck. Private NTV television said the gunman had resisted arrest.

NTV reported that the alleged gunman's Kyrgyz friend and three other people also were detained. His 4-year-old child, who was with him at the home, was taken into protective custody.

Hurriyet newspaper said the alleged gunman's wife and 1-year old daughter were caught in a police operation on Jan. 12.

Police established his whereabouts four or five days ago, but delayed the raid so they could monitor his movements and contacts, NTV reported.

The television channel also broadcast footage showing plain-clothed police taking away a man in a white top and sweat pants, forcing his head down. The station said the images showed the gunman's Kyrgyz friend being taken to a police vehicle.

The state-run Anadolu Agency likewise reported the arrest and identified the gunman, only with a slightly different spelling of his first name, Abdulgadir. It said a Kyrgyz man and three women were detained with him

Anadolu said the suspects were being taken to Istanbul's main police headquarters for questioning. Police were carrying out raids on other suspected Islamic State group cells, the news agency said without providing details.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu posted a Twitter message thanking the interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, police and intelligence organizations "who caught the Reina attacker in the name of the people."

Earlier in the day, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said the Reina nightclub attack had been carried out professionally with the help of an intelligence organization, a claim he had made in the first days after the attack. He did not name the organization suspected of being involved.

Hundreds of people were gathered at the swanky Reina nightclub to celebrate the end of a tumultuous 2016 only to become the first victims of 2017. The gunman shot a police officer and a civilian outside the club, then stormed the premises.

Most of the dead in the attack on the upscale club were foreign nationals, from the Middle East. The gunman had reportedly left Reina in a taxi.

ISTANBUL: A gunman suspected of killing 39 people during a New Year's attack on an Istanbul nightclub has been caught in a police operation, Turkish media reports said early Tuesday. The suspect was captured in a special operations police raid on a house in Istanbul's Esenyurt district, private NTV television reported. The broadcaster said he had been staying in the house belonging to a friend from Kyrgyzstan. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the nightclub massacre, saying the attack in the first hours of Jan. 1 was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria. The man identified as the suspect had been on the run since the attack. Hurriyet newspaper and other media have identified the gunman as Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbekistan national. The suspect was to undergo medical checks before being taken to police headquarters for questioning, the paper said in its online edition. Dogan news agency published what it said was the first image of the attacker. It showed a bruised, black-haired man in a grey, bloodied shirt being held by his neck. Private NTV television said the gunman had resisted arrest. NTV reported that the alleged gunman's Kyrgyz friend and three other people also were detained. His 4-year-old child, who was with him at the home, was taken into protective custody. Hurriyet newspaper said the alleged gunman's wife and 1-year old daughter were caught in a police operation on Jan. 12. Police established his whereabouts four or five days ago, but delayed the raid so they could monitor his movements and contacts, NTV reported. The television channel also broadcast footage showing plain-clothed police taking away a man in a white top and sweat pants, forcing his head down. The station said the images showed the gunman's Kyrgyz friend being taken to a police vehicle. The state-run Anadolu Agency likewise reported the arrest and identified the gunman, only with a slightly different spelling of his first name, Abdulgadir. It said a Kyrgyz man and three women were detained with him Anadolu said the suspects were being taken to Istanbul's main police headquarters for questioning. Police were carrying out raids on other suspected Islamic State group cells, the news agency said without providing details. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu posted a Twitter message thanking the interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, police and intelligence organizations "who caught the Reina attacker in the name of the people." Earlier in the day, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said the Reina nightclub attack had been carried out professionally with the help of an intelligence organization, a claim he had made in the first days after the attack. He did not name the organization suspected of being involved. Hundreds of people were gathered at the swanky Reina nightclub to celebrate the end of a tumultuous 2016 only to become the first victims of 2017. The gunman shot a police officer and a civilian outside the club, then stormed the premises. Most of the dead in the attack on the upscale club were foreign nationals, from the Middle East. The gunman had reportedly left Reina in a taxi.
Express News Service

COLOMBO: The 100th birth anniversary of M.G.Ramachandran, who dominated the Tamil film world as well as Tamil Nadu politics like a colossus till his death in December 1987, was observed in the North Sri Lankan Tamil town of Jaffna on Tuesday with the Indian Consul General, A.Natarajan, as the Chief Guest.

The solemn function organised at the MGR statue by Suntharalingam, an associate of MGRs from the time the actor-politician was shot at and injured by fellow actor and political rival M.R.Radha in 1967.

Influenced by MGRs concern for the welfare of the poorest of the poor, Suntharalingam has been distributing money and clothes to the poor of Jaffna every year to mark his idols birthday. Sporting dark glasses like MGR, Suntharalingam is also a man of few words, who believes in doing rather than talking. He is popularly known as Eelamu MGR or MGR of Eelam.

Gift from Sri Lanka

Speaking on the occasion, Indian Consul General Natarajan described MGR as Sri Lankas gift to India because the screen and political idol was born in Kandy in Central Sri Lanka.

Referring to MGRs concern for the poor, Natarajan said that this was reflected not only on the silver screen through the roles he played, but in real life too in his long career as a political leader and a popular Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. His reel and real life were the same, Natarajan said.

The Indian diplomat drew attention to the fact that MGR had shown a new way to popular film stars by entering politics and emerging as a popular leader. Ronald Reagan had become a political party leader and US President after MGR, Natarajan pointed out.

In India too, many actors became leaders subsequent to MGR, like N.T.Ramarao in Andhra Pradesh. Several stars became Members of Parliament.

Among other Jaffna dignitaries who attended the 100th-anniversary function were P.Ayngaranesan, Northern Province Minister of Agriculture, and M.K.Shivajiligam, member of the Northern Provincial Council.

Ethnic Conflict Brought Lankan Tamils Close to MGR

MGR was always a matinee idol among Sri Lankan Tamils, but he came close to their heart only when he started supporting the Eelam Tamil movement in the early 1980s. Sri Lankan Tamils consider MGR as more sincere in his support for the cause of Tamil Eelam as compared to his Tamil Nadu political rival, M.Karunanidhi.

Though both Karunanidhi and MGR supported the Eelam movement, MGR went the extra mile and gave millions of rupees to the LTTE led by Velupillai Prabhakaran. MGR intuitively felt that the LTTE, led by Prabhakaran, would turn out to be more effective than the other Tamil militant groups which he shunned.

However, given the overwhelming power of the Indian Central government, MGR gave his assent to the India-Sri Lanka Accord in July 1987 though it negated an independent Eelam. Grateful for the assent, the Indian government led by Rajiv Gandhi gave MGR the Bharat Ratna, Indias highest civilian award, in 1988 after his death on December 24, 1987.

Despite MGRs support for the unpopular Accord, Jaffna Tamils continued to adore MGR both as an actor and as a sincere political friend. The Tamil areas in the North Sri Lanka are dotted with MGR statues.

COLOMBO: The 100th birth anniversary of M.G.Ramachandran, who dominated the Tamil film world as well as Tamil Nadu politics like a colossus till his death in December 1987, was observed in the North Sri Lankan Tamil town of Jaffna on Tuesday with the Indian Consul General, A.Natarajan, as the Chief Guest. The solemn function organised at the MGR statue by Suntharalingam, an associate of MGRs from the time the actor-politician was shot at and injured by fellow actor and political rival M.R.Radha in 1967. Influenced by MGRs concern for the welfare of the poorest of the poor, Suntharalingam has been distributing money and clothes to the poor of Jaffna every year to mark his idols birthday. Sporting dark glasses like MGR, Suntharalingam is also a man of few words, who believes in doing rather than talking. He is popularly known as Eelamu MGR or MGR of Eelam. Gift from Sri Lanka Speaking on the occasion, Indian Consul General Natarajan described MGR as Sri Lankas gift to India because the screen and political idol was born in Kandy in Central Sri Lanka. Referring to MGRs concern for the poor, Natarajan said that this was reflected not only on the silver screen through the roles he played, but in real life too in his long career as a political leader and a popular Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. His reel and real life were the same, Natarajan said. The Indian diplomat drew attention to the fact that MGR had shown a new way to popular film stars by entering politics and emerging as a popular leader. Ronald Reagan had become a political party leader and US President after MGR, Natarajan pointed out. In India too, many actors became leaders subsequent to MGR, like N.T.Ramarao in Andhra Pradesh. Several stars became Members of Parliament. Among other Jaffna dignitaries who attended the 100th-anniversary function were P.Ayngaranesan, Northern Province Minister of Agriculture, and M.K.Shivajiligam, member of the Northern Provincial Council. Ethnic Conflict Brought Lankan Tamils Close to MGR MGR was always a matinee idol among Sri Lankan Tamils, but he came close to their heart only when he started supporting the Eelam Tamil movement in the early 1980s. Sri Lankan Tamils consider MGR as more sincere in his support for the cause of Tamil Eelam as compared to his Tamil Nadu political rival, M.Karunanidhi. Though both Karunanidhi and MGR supported the Eelam movement, MGR went the extra mile and gave millions of rupees to the LTTE led by Velupillai Prabhakaran. MGR intuitively felt that the LTTE, led by Prabhakaran, would turn out to be more effective than the other Tamil militant groups which he shunned. However, given the overwhelming power of the Indian Central government, MGR gave his assent to the India-Sri Lanka Accord in July 1987 though it negated an independent Eelam. Grateful for the assent, the Indian government led by Rajiv Gandhi gave MGR the Bharat Ratna, Indias highest civilian award, in 1988 after his death on December 24, 1987. Despite MGRs support for the unpopular Accord, Jaffna Tamils continued to adore MGR both as an actor and as a sincere political friend. The Tamil areas in the North Sri Lanka are dotted with MGR statues.
By Associated Press

WASHINTON: US President Barack Obama on Monday marked the first anniversary of the nuclear deal with Iran by emphasizing its "significant and concrete results" and warning against undoing a pact supported by the world's major powers.

In language that seemed clearly directed at incoming president Donald Trump, who is set to take office on Friday, Obama said "the United States must remember that this agreement was the result of years of work, and represents an agreement between the world's major powers - not simply the United States and Iran."

He said the deal had "achieved significant, concrete results in making the United States and the world a safer place" and "verifiably prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."

Such a diplomatic solution, he added, was "far preferable to an unconstrained Iranian nuclear program or another war in the Middle East."

Trump has often denounced the nuclear deal, and in a Sunday interview with the Times of London and Bild newspaper of Germany he continued his criticism, saying, "I'm not happy with the Iran deal, I think it's one of the worst deals ever made."

But he declined to say whether he intended to "renegotiate" the deal, as he asserted regularly during the

presidential campaign.

Obama insisted yesterday that despite US reservations about other actions by Iran - including its support for "violent proxies" and "terrorist groups" - Tehran was "upholding its commitments, demonstrating the success of diplomacy."

Iran, he said, had "reduced its uranium stockpile by 98 per cent and removed two-thirds of its centrifuges."

"There is no question, however, that the challenges we face with Iran would be much worse if Iran were also on the threshold of building a nuclear weapon," Obama said.

Secretary of State John Kerry, who helped negotiate the deal, said the Iran agreement had "resolved a major nuclear threat without firing a shot or sending a single soldier into combat."

"It was endorsed unanimously by the United Nations Security Council and earned the support of more than 100 countries across the globe," he added.

For all of Trump's sharp criticism of Iran and the nuclear deal, the policy he will embrace once in office remains unclear.

One of his top cabinet nominees, retired Marine general James Mattis, said last week that if he is confirmed as defense secretary, he will support the nuclear deal.

"When America gives her word," he told senators during his confirmation hearing, "we have to live up to it and work with our allies."

The pact was signed in July 2015 by Iran and six major powers - the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany - and led to the lifting exactly a year ago of most international sanctions against Iran.

WASHINTON: US President Barack Obama on Monday marked the first anniversary of the nuclear deal with Iran by emphasizing its "significant and concrete results" and warning against undoing a pact supported by the world's major powers. In language that seemed clearly directed at incoming president Donald Trump, who is set to take office on Friday, Obama said "the United States must remember that this agreement was the result of years of work, and represents an agreement between the world's major powers - not simply the United States and Iran." He said the deal had "achieved significant, concrete results in making the United States and the world a safer place" and "verifiably prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon." Such a diplomatic solution, he added, was "far preferable to an unconstrained Iranian nuclear program or another war in the Middle East." Trump has often denounced the nuclear deal, and in a Sunday interview with the Times of London and Bild newspaper of Germany he continued his criticism, saying, "I'm not happy with the Iran deal, I think it's one of the worst deals ever made." But he declined to say whether he intended to "renegotiate" the deal, as he asserted regularly during the presidential campaign. Obama insisted yesterday that despite US reservations about other actions by Iran - including its support for "violent proxies" and "terrorist groups" - Tehran was "upholding its commitments, demonstrating the success of diplomacy." Iran, he said, had "reduced its uranium stockpile by 98 per cent and removed two-thirds of its centrifuges." "There is no question, however, that the challenges we face with Iran would be much worse if Iran were also on the threshold of building a nuclear weapon," Obama said. Secretary of State John Kerry, who helped negotiate the deal, said the Iran agreement had "resolved a major nuclear threat without firing a shot or sending a single soldier into combat." "It was endorsed unanimously by the United Nations Security Council and earned the support of more than 100 countries across the globe," he added. For all of Trump's sharp criticism of Iran and the nuclear deal, the policy he will embrace once in office remains unclear. One of his top cabinet nominees, retired Marine general James Mattis, said last week that if he is confirmed as defense secretary, he will support the nuclear deal. "When America gives her word," he told senators during his confirmation hearing, "we have to live up to it and work with our allies." The pact was signed in July 2015 by Iran and six major powers - the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany - and led to the lifting exactly a year ago of most international sanctions against Iran.
By Associated Press

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama commuted the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning on Tuesday, allowing the convicted Army leaker to go free nearly three decades early as part of a sweeping move to offer clemency in the final days of his administration.

Manning, who will leave prison in May, was one of 209 inmates whose sentences Obama was shortening, a list that includes Puerto Rican nationalist Oscar Lopez-Rivera. Obama also pardoned 64 people, including retired Gen. James Cartwright, who was charged with making false statements during a probe into disclosure of classified information.

"These 273 individuals learned that our nation is a forgiving nation," said White House counsel Neil Eggleston, "where hard work and a commitment to rehabilitation can lead to a second chance, and where wrongs from the past will not deprive an individual of the opportunity to move forward."

Manning, a former Army intelligence analyst, has been serving a 35-year sentence for leaking classified government and military documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. She asked Obama last November to commute her sentence to time served.

Manning has spent more than six years behind bars. She was convicted in military court in 2013 of six violations of the Espionage Act and 14 other offenses for leaking more than 700,000 documents and some battlefield video to WikiLeaks.

She was known as Bradley Manning at the time of her 2010 arrest and is being held at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Manning was an intelligence analyst in Iraq and has acknowledged leaking the documents, but has said it was done to raise public awareness about the effects of war on civilians.

She attempted suicide twice last year, according to her lawyers, citing her treatment at Leavenworth.

Chase Strangio, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing Manning, said the president's action "quite literally save Chelsea's life."

"We are all better off knowing that Chelsea Manning will walk out of prison a free woman, dedicated to making the world a better place and fighting for justice for so many," Stangio said in a statement.

The U.S. Army declined to comment.

Cartwright, the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, received a pardon, the White House said. He pleaded guilty in October to making false statements during an investigation into a leak of classified information about a covert cyberattack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Prosecutors said Cartwright falsely told investigators that he did not provide information contained in a news article and in a book by New York Times journalist David Sanger, and said he also misled prosecutors about classified information shared with another journalist, Daniel Klaidman.

The Justice Department sought a sentence of two years, saying employees of the U.S. government are entrusted each day with sensitive classified information.

"They must understand that disclosing such information to persons not authorized to receive it has severe consequences," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed this month.

Commutations reduce sentences being served but don't erase convictions. Pardons generally restore civil rights, such as voting, often after a sentence has been served.

Most of the other people receiving commutations were serving sentences for non-violent drug offenses.

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama commuted the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning on Tuesday, allowing the convicted Army leaker to go free nearly three decades early as part of a sweeping move to offer clemency in the final days of his administration. Manning, who will leave prison in May, was one of 209 inmates whose sentences Obama was shortening, a list that includes Puerto Rican nationalist Oscar Lopez-Rivera. Obama also pardoned 64 people, including retired Gen. James Cartwright, who was charged with making false statements during a probe into disclosure of classified information. "These 273 individuals learned that our nation is a forgiving nation," said White House counsel Neil Eggleston, "where hard work and a commitment to rehabilitation can lead to a second chance, and where wrongs from the past will not deprive an individual of the opportunity to move forward." Manning, a former Army intelligence analyst, has been serving a 35-year sentence for leaking classified government and military documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. She asked Obama last November to commute her sentence to time served. Manning has spent more than six years behind bars. She was convicted in military court in 2013 of six violations of the Espionage Act and 14 other offenses for leaking more than 700,000 documents and some battlefield video to WikiLeaks. She was known as Bradley Manning at the time of her 2010 arrest and is being held at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Manning was an intelligence analyst in Iraq and has acknowledged leaking the documents, but has said it was done to raise public awareness about the effects of war on civilians. She attempted suicide twice last year, according to her lawyers, citing her treatment at Leavenworth. Chase Strangio, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing Manning, said the president's action "quite literally save Chelsea's life." "We are all better off knowing that Chelsea Manning will walk out of prison a free woman, dedicated to making the world a better place and fighting for justice for so many," Stangio said in a statement. The U.S. Army declined to comment. Cartwright, the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, received a pardon, the White House said. He pleaded guilty in October to making false statements during an investigation into a leak of classified information about a covert cyberattack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Prosecutors said Cartwright falsely told investigators that he did not provide information contained in a news article and in a book by New York Times journalist David Sanger, and said he also misled prosecutors about classified information shared with another journalist, Daniel Klaidman. The Justice Department sought a sentence of two years, saying employees of the U.S. government are entrusted each day with sensitive classified information. "They must understand that disclosing such information to persons not authorized to receive it has severe consequences," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed this month. Commutations reduce sentences being served but don't erase convictions. Pardons generally restore civil rights, such as voting, often after a sentence has been served. Most of the other people receiving commutations were serving sentences for non-violent drug offenses.
(Repeats with no changes. The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters)

* http://tmsnrt.rs/2iy2wuQ

* http://tmsnrt.rs/2iy5zTG

By Andy Home

LONDON, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The gloves have just come off in the simmering dispute between the United States and China about that country's rising exports of aluminium.

The United States last week launched a formal complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO), taking aim at China's "subsidies to certain producers of primary aluminum".

Such subsidies, the United States claims, have "artificially" increased China's capacity, production and market share leading to depressed prices and causing "serious prejudice" to U.S. interests.

This dispute has been brewing for a long time.

The United States was once one of the world's largest producers with 22 aluminium smelters. The number of operating plants has dwindled from 14 in 2011 to just five now.

China, meanwhile, has lifted its share of global production from 25 percent 10 years ago to over 50 percent today.

That parts of China's giant aluminium sector are subsidized is not news to anyone involved in the aluminium market.

But China is not the only country offering subsidies to its smelters and the problem, if there is one, is arguably not at the primary metal stage of the supply chain but further downstream.

Graphic on global aluminium production; China and the rest of the world: http://tmsnrt.rs/2iy2wuQ

SUBSIDIES - A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD?

The WTO complaint specifically accuses China of providing "artificially cheap loans from banks and (...) artificially low-priced inputs for aluminium production, such as coal, electricity, and alumina."

Some of those targets look a little off the mark. It's questionable, for example, as to whether Chinese smelters are really getting their alumina at below-market prices.

But you don't have to look very hard to see Beijing's influence over parts of the country's aluminium sector.

Chalco, the state-backed producer, recognised 1,769 million yuan (equivalent to $256 million at today's exchange rate) of government grants as income for the financial year to December 2015. The funds were "necessary to compensate costs and facilitate the group's development".

Story continues

Behind that headline figure, moreover, lay a web of transactions ranging from asset swaps to lease arrangements with the state entity, Chinalco, that is the company's largest shareholder.

This is indicative of one of the core problems with China's aluminium smelter sector.

While a new generation of smelters, mostly located in the northwestern province of Xinjiang, are widely believed to be among the most competitive in the world, older, higher-cost plants such as those operated by Chalco have been kept alive by both central and regional governments.

Paul Adkins, founder of the AZ China consultancy, estimates that six or seven Chinese provinces offer rebates on electricity to some smelters in their jurisdictions.

But they're not the only ones doing so to support financially challenged smelters.

One of those five smelters still operating in the United States, Alcoa's Massena West, is only producing metal thanks to subsidies by the state of New York.

In November 2015 the state's power authority committed $30 million in power assistance and its Economic Development Commission $38.8 million in capital and operating funds to modernise the plant.

And right now Alcoa is in talks with both the Australian government and the state government of Victoria aimed at securing financial support to keep open the 30-year old Portland smelter.

Accusing China of providing subsidies via power rebates may prove something of a double-edged sword for the United States.

Graphic on China's exports of aluminium by type:

http://tmsnrt.rs/2iy5zTG

THE CHANGING SHAPE OF EXPORTS

China, meanwhile, is no longer a significant exporter of primary aluminium.

That changed around 2006. Primary exports totalled over a million tonnes in 2004 and 2005. By 2015 exports had fallen to 30,000 tonnes and in the first 11 months of last year the total was just 17,000 tonnes.

Rather, the country's export profile is now in the form of semi-manufactured products, 4.2 million tonnes of them in 2015.

True, there are legitimate concerns as to whether some of this outbound flow has really been "product" or metal transformed just enough to bypass the country's export duty on primary metal.

The issue of "fake" semis certainly warrants a conversation between the United States and China, not least because it disadvantages both.

But most of what leaves China is "real" product and if over-capacity is the problem, it's located in the semi-manufacturing part of the supply chain.

As AZ China's Adkins notes, "some of that over-capacity is supported by government policy" in the form of "zero land tax, help with labour costs or local taxes, and the formation of industrial zones with attractive benefits."

However, he goes on to suggest that "the natural structure of aluminum prices in China lends itself to a lower semi-fabricated cost".

A VAT rebate on exports of "product" of course helps but, again, China isn't the only country using that sort of tax instrument to promote value-added output.

Adkins' view is that relative to other countries, the "additional" help offered to the semi-manufacturing sector by the Chinese government is "minimal".

COMPETITIVE?

The United States in announcing its complaint noted pointedly that it has filed 25 complaints with the WTO since President Obama was inaugurated in 2009 and has so far won all those so far announced.

This one, however, may yet prove trickier.

And even if successful, will it really mean a revival of the country's smelter sector?

"When American aluminum workers and producers can compete on a level playing field, they will outcompete any other workers in the world," according to Representative Dave Loebsack (D-IA), one of the backers of the WTO action.

That's questionable, given the age and cost structure of many U.S. smelters relative to the new capacity coming on line in China.

And which workers in particular?

Because there are more American workers employed in the manufacturing part than in the raw production part of the aluminium supply chain.

They may not welcome their own government's attempt to stem the flow of low-cost Chinese semi-manufactured product upon which they and so many other product makers around the world now rely on.

(Editing by David Evans)
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IIT Madras wins top honours in first season of Samsung E.D.G.E. campus program

New Delhi , Jan.16 : Samsung India conducted the first season of its campus program Samsung E.D.G.E. with participation from the country's brightest minds at leading B-schools and engineering colleges.





(Posted on 16 January 2017, 1667599123 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/education-news.php  (Posted on 16 January 2017, 1667599123 173O212O198O32)

The program has been designed to engage with leading B-school and engineering talent across India with students getting an opportunity to interact with the leadership team at Samsung, work on real-world business problems and come up with their unique solutions.The team from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras emerged as the winner in the National Round of the program. The first runner up was the team from XLRI Jamshedpur while the second runner up was from the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi.Twelve of the top teams that were winners from all zonal rounds competed at the grand finale of the Samsung E.D.G.E. program, which was held in Gurgaon on January 14, 2017.The winning team members received a prize of INR 3 lakh and a Gear S3 smartwatch each while the team that came second got a prize of INR 1.5 lakh. The third team received a prize of INR 75,000.Students from the top two teams were designated Samsung Campus Ambassadors and second year MBA students received a pre placement interview from Samsung.All 12 teams that reached the National Round also received vouchers worth INR 10,000.The winning team from IIT Madras presented a solution on leadership strategy in digital payments using a disruptive technology backbone built around Samsung's mobile payment service Samsung Pay that has been launched globally.Commenting on the successful culmination of the program, Udaiy Khanna, Vice President - Human Resources, Samsung India, said, "The response from students has been overwhelming and we are extremely happy with the success of the first season of the Samsung E.D.G.E. program. At Samsung, we always strive to encourage young minds and nurture the spirit of innovation among them."Launched in December 2016, Samsung E.D.G.E. is a first-of-its-kind campus program, to provide a platform that gives the country's brightest students at leading B-schools and engineering colleges an opportunity to get a head-start in their careers.Samsung E.D.G.E. comprised of three rounds. Three teams per campus were shortlisted for the Zonal Round in which all the teams closely worked on a case study and presented their unique solutions. A total of 45 teams from across 15 campuses were shortlisted for the Zonal Round in which the participants worked on different case studies and presented their unique solutions.
By Tom Hals

WILMINGTON, Del., Jan 17 (Reuters) - The Delaware Supreme Court will hear an appeal on Wednesday in a boardroom battle between former college sweethearts that includes claims of midnight office break-ins and assault, and prompted a lobbying campaign to rewrite the state's corporate law.

The appeal could determine who controls TransPerfect Global Inc, a billion-dollar translation company started by Elizabeth Elting and Philip Shawe, warring co-owners who founded the company in the 1990s in a college dorm.

Shawe wants Delaware's top court to overturn a 2015 ruling by Andre Bouchard, chief of the Court of Chancery, who found the relations between the two were so poisoned that they deadlocked on decisions on hiring, expansion and investment.

Bouchard sided with Elting and ordered the co-owners to sell their stakes and protect the company's future.

The case prompted a campaign by some of TransPerfect's 3,500 employees seeking to curtail the power of the Court of Chancery, which handles disputes involving the state's corporate law for companies all over the United States. They want to limit the court's power to order the sale of a company and are planning a rally outside the Delaware Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Shawe maintains that TransPerfect is growing rapidly and remains profitable and Bouchard should have adopted less draconian steps rather than ordering him to sell his 49 percent stake. Shawe argued that Elting used her lawsuit to get a better deal than he offered for her half of the company.

Shawe also wants the Supreme Court to review $7 million of sanctions that Bouchard imposed on him for violations such as destroying evidence.

Bouchard penalized Shawe for breaking into Elting's office on New Year's Eve to swipe from her computer emails to her lawyers, and for the loss of text messages on an iPhone. Shawe's assistant discarded the phone, saying he feared it was contaminated by rat droppings.

Shawe has said all evidence was preserved. He has argued he entered Elting's office in the middle of the night because she was being investigated for stealing from TransPerfect.

Story continues

A six-day trial revealed years of explosive arguments and harassing behavior, such as Shawe showing up uninvited to Elting's wedding and booking a seat next to her without notice on a transatlantic flight.

Elting kicked Shawe during a fight in her office and he reported her to the police, although assault charges were dropped before she was arrested.

The legal battle may not end with state's Supreme Court.

Shirley Shawe, Philip's mother and owner of 1 percent of TransPerfect, hired famed lawyer Alan Dershowitz, and has raised questions of constitutional law, which could open an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Grant McCool)
Separatists threatened Zaira Wasim to post apology letter: BJP

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) , Jan. 16 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday held the separatists responsible for the shocking apology letter posted by Zaira Wasim, the Kashmiri starlet who gained fame for her role as a young Geeta Phogat on Dangal, while asserting that they had threatened her life under whose duress she made the apology.





(Posted on 16 January 2017, 1667599124 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 16 January 2017, 1667599124 173O212O198O32)

"This is the tragedy of the moment. Now that she has received praise from across the nation and the state, some people having sympathy with Pakistan and with the separatists have threatened her life. It is a very unfortunate moment that on Twitter she posted her apology letter," said BJP leader Ravinder Raina.Raina further assured that adequate security will be provided to Wasim adding that no anti-national elements will be allowed to act against her."Instead of appreciating her role they (separatist) have threatened her life and this is a very tragic moment for all the youth in Jammu and Kashmir, and is an eye-opener to see who is with them and who is not," he said.After issuing a shocking public apology letter for "hurting sentiments" of people, Dangal's Zaira Wasim who played a young Geeta Phogat took to social media yet again to issue another note, clarifying that the she had not been forced into apologising and requested everyone not to blow the matter out of proportion."I have no idea why this has become such a big issue. I just wanted to make sure that I did not hurt anyone's feelings and all of a sudden it has been turned into national news. Again and again I am telling people that I have not been forced into anything by anyone," she said in her letter on Facebook and Twitter.She further said that her earlier post was not meant against anyone and that she was making sure that no one gets hurt by what she is doing."From media to everyone else, please don't blow this out of proportion. Neither was I forced nor am I against anyone," she said.Earlier, Wasim issued an out-of-the-blue public apology letter for hurting the sentiments of people via her Facebook and Twitter account, however, the reasons of the her actions remain unclear and speculations are rife."I know that many people have been offended and displeased by my recent actions or by the people I have recently met. I want to apologise to all those people who I've unintentionally hurt and want them to know that I understand their sentiments, especially considering what has happened (in Kashmir) over the past six months," she wrote in her letter.Wasim also appealed to the people to understand that sometime certain circumstances evolve which cannot be controlled by anyone and added 'whatever' she did was not a deliberate decision."I am being projected as a role model for Kashmiri youth. I want to make it very clear that I do not want anyone to follow in my footsteps or even consider me a role model. I'm not proud of what I'm doing and I want everyone, especially the youth to know, that there are real role models out there whether they be in this time or in our history," she said.However, the reason for the apology letter is not very clear, but it is speculated that Wasim, who posted this note after being trolled on social media for meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti a couple of days ago and allegedly calling her as a part of her film's success.
Phogat sisters call on Zaira Wasim to ignore trolls and focus on her work

New Delhi, , Jan. 16 : Olympian wrestler Geeta Phogat on Monday came out in support of actress Zaira Wasim, who essayed her character in the Bollywood blockbuster flick Dangal, asserting that the Kashmiri starlet must learn to ignore those trying to bring her down and continue to remain focused in her work.





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The 16-year-old actress today, issued an out-of-the-blue apology through her Facebook, Twitter account for hurting people's sentiments, resulting in a spree of reactions and speculations, as the reason for the apology remained unclear.Dubbing the incident as "unfortunate", Phogat expressed concerns, saying, "I want to convey to her that she doesn't need to worry about anything and there is no need to apologise to anyone. Even we, who come from a humble background, had to undergo such difficulties and were finally able to reach what we desired. So she needs to move forward and must ignore such things," Phogat told ANI.Resonating similar views, Geeta's younger sister Babita Phogat who is also an international-level wrestler asked Zaira to continue with her work and not get disturbed by such trolls."I want to say to Zaira that there is no need to fear anyone, every citizen is with you. You are doing a tremendous work and keep doing such work," she said.Earlier today, shock and confusion ensued after Wasim released an apology letter on social media for 'unintentionally hurting' those who were 'offended' by her 'recent actions or by the people she recently met'."I want them to know that I understand their sentiments, especially considering what has happened (in Kashmir) over the past six months," she said.Wasim also appealed to the people to understand that sometime certain circumstances evolve which cannot be controlled by anyone and added 'whatever' she did was not a deliberate decision."I am being projected as a role model for Kashmiri youth. I want to make it very clear that I do not want anyone to follow in my footsteps or even consider me a role model. I'm not proud of what I'm doing and I want everyone, especially the youth to know, that there are real role models out there whether they be in this time or in our history," she said.However, she again issued another note clarifying that the she had not been forced into apologizing and requested everyone not to blow the matter out of proportion."I have no idea why this has become such a big issue. I just wanted to make sure that I did not hurt anyone's feelings and all of a sudden it has been turned into national news. Again and again I am telling people that I have not been forced into anything by anyone," she said in her letter on Facebook and Twitter.She further said that her earlier post was not meant against anyone, adding she was making sure that no one gets hurt by what she is doing."From media to everyone else, please don't blow this out of proportion. Neither was I forced nor am I against anyone," she said.Though the reason for her apology is not very clear, however it is being speculated that Wasim posted this note after being trolled on social media for meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti a couple of days ago and purportedly crediting her for her film's success.
Dalai Lama thanks Nitish Kumar for providing all helps for Kalchakra puja

Patna, Jan 16 (TheBiharPost/IBNS): Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has thanked Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for lending all support and necessary help to the Kalachakra puja, an important ritual of Buddhists.





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The 12-day ritual organized at Bodh Gaya concluded on Jan 14.I convey my deep gratitude to you and your government for the personal attention and generous assistance in providing the necessary infrastructure and facilities for the two-week Kalachakra empowerment, Dalai Lama wrote in his letter to the chief minister.He said the organizational support including the extensive and thorough security arrangements contributed to the efficient and smooth running of this large event.The pilgrims have also been most appreciative of your generosity and hospitality, Dalai mentioned adding the officials also helped much.He also praised the chief minister over the way the overall maintenance of the temple area had greatly improved over the years.I wish you good health and continued success in providing the kind of able leadership to the people of Bihar that will ensure their prosperity and happiness, said the spiritual guru.As per reports, more than 250,000 Buddhist devotes from 92 countries attended the Kalachakra puja.(thebiharpost.com)
TMC supporters attempted to damage my car: Babul Supriyo

Kolkata, Jan 16 : Union Minister Babul Supriyo on Monday alledged that Trinamool Congress supporters attacked his car in West Bengal.





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Supriyo visited Durgapur Steel Thermal Power station in the state.During a regular visit 2 DSTPS, DurgapurAs usual, aggressive TMC goons stone peltingtrying to break my car @amitshah @rajnathsingh, the Union Minister tweeted.Attacking West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he said: WB CM is SOLELY responsible for initiating this rat-race amongst her supportersMore the harassment/attack on BJP or me, More the brownies.Image:www.facebook.com/BabulSupriyoOfficial
Tata Steel's Noamundi Iron Mine conducts pilot launch of Drone Application in Mine Monitoring

Noamundi/ Kolkata, Jan 16 :: Noamundi Iron Mine (NIM) of OMQ (Ore, Mines and Quarries) Division of Tata Steel executed a pilot launch of Drone Application in Mine Monitoring (DAMM), on Monday.





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With this, NIM has become the first mine in the country to introduce drone in mine monitoring.The programme was launched by Balvinder Kumar, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Government of India in the presence of R K Sinha, Controller General, Indian Bureau of Mines, A. B Panigrahi, Controller of Mines (CZ), Indian Bureau of Mines, Rajeev Singhal, Vice President (Raw Materials), Tata Steel and Pankaj Satija, General Manager (OMQ), Tata Steel.{image_1}Speaking on the occasion, Kumar said: We have initiated mining surveillance system using space technology along with a mobile app. This will help in stopping illegal mining, monitoring mining plan, production, dispatch and royalty payment. We requested Tata Steel to demonstrate it in Noamundi iron mine.Speaking about the pilot launch of DAMM, Singhal said: It is a proud moment for all of us. Tata Steel has embarked on the digital journey to leverage benefits of the latest changes in this field. We are trying to keep pace with the global trends of digitalisation in mining industry and this is a step towards that. This technology of mine monitoring through drone will help us to address adequately any bottleneck on the ground with responsive mine administration.Talking about the digital initiative, Satija said: This is one of the initiatives towards being digital. It will be useful for mine monitoring, environment monitoring, lease boundary inspection, reclamation and rehabilitation also.The objective of this application at Noamundi is surveillance of mining area, lease boundary inspection, inspection of safety zone, counting vegetation in reclaimed area and quarry and dump profiling for volume calculations. This trial of DAMM at NIM is being conducted by Skylark Drones, a Bengaluru-based firm. Skylark Drones specialises in drone application in various industries.
Mulayam lost 'cycle' symbol as he did not follow EC directions: Kapil Sibal

New Delhi , Jan. 16 : With the Election Commission allotting the Samajwadi Party symbol 'cycle' to the Akhilesh Yadav-led faction, senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, who represented Akhilesh before the poll panel, said the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led faction lost the claim as they did not follow the panel's direction.





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Sibal further said the poll panel did not go into the nitty-gritty details as to whether the constitution of the party was followed or not, and came to the conclusion that over-whelming majority was with Akhilesh."The Mulayam Singh's group did not respond to the EC's direction and filed individual affidavits. Also Mulayam Singh's group chose not to file in response to our affidavit and that meant that they really have no evidence in support of their claim," Sibal told reporters here.Sibal further informed that on January 4th the Commission issued notice to Mulayam camp, asking them to file an affidavit in response to voluminous documents that were filed by Akhilesh.He further said that on January 9 the Akhilesh group had filed all documents at various Parliamentary levels, because there was an overwhelming support from the Samajwadi Party MP's MLA's and MLC's.The Election Commission today entitled Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav the Samajwadi Party 'cycle' symbol, giving a major shot in the arm for the Akhilesh camp ahead of the assembly polls."The Commission hereby announces that the group led by Akhilesh Yadav is the Samajwadi Party and is entitled to use its name and its reserved symbol 'Bicycle' for the purposes of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968," the order read.Reacting to the developments, Akhilesh's aid and uncle Ram Gopal Yadav applauded the Election Commission for handing out a just and fair order."I would like to laud the Election Commission for giving a just order and the Commission will also be blessed by the people of Uttar Pradesh. I would like to congratulate all the Samajwadi Party workers and ask them to work and make Akhilesh the Chief Minister again," he told the media here.
Would like to be a parent as I have immense love to offer: Karan Johar

Mumbai (Maharashtra) , Jan. 17 : The world is witnessing an all together different side of ace filmmaker Karan Johar, courtesy his biography 'An Unsuitable Boy'.





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In-conversation with author Shobha De at the recently held book launch, the 44-year-old shed light on his nurturing quality, while expressing his desire to become a parent.Karan revealed he realised this quality when he launched Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan in 'Student of the Year'."I feel I have that nurturing quality in me and I saw that most when I launched Alia, Varun and Sid. I can't let them go off even now. It has been nearly five years but I see myself staring at what they're doing, what they're saying. Even for all those at 'Dharma'. The emotion comes from a very strong paternal space," he said."I would like to be a parent. I don't know in what capacity, I don't know how it's going to happen. I don't have answers to those questions. But I do feel the need because I feel I have love to offer," KJo added.Talking about the release of the love he has within himself, the 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' director said, "I feel there is so much within me and the love has to have a release, it is not going into a relationship, it goes abundantly to my mother, friends and company."
Nawaz Sharif leaves for Switzerland to attend World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting

Islamabad [Pakistan], Jan. 17 : Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has left for Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s Annual Meeting at Davos.





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The meeting will be held from 17 to 20 January, 2017.The Prime Minister will hold a number of bilateral meetings with heads of states and governments, as well as with business leaders.Among others, Sharif will also meet the new United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, as well as Swiss President Doris Leuthard at Davos.Sharif will also address a large group of about 60 top business leaders on "Investing in Pakistan: The New Reality".The Prime Minister will also have a meeting with a group of business leaders, where he will share the dramatic economic changes taking place in Pakistan and the immense investment and trade opportunities that are opening up in the country.Sharif's participation in the event would help project Pakistan as a prime destination for business, investment, and trade.A record 3,000 participants will attend the WEF Annual Meeting 2017.The theme for the 2017 WEF Annual Meeting is "Responsive and Responsible Leadership".The World Economic Forum annual meeting provides an unparalleled platform to discuss wide ranging economic and political issues.
UN envoy in Yemen meeting with President, senior officials to push for greater aid access

New York, Jan 17 : The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, is on Monday in Aden, highlighting the need for a truce to allow in humanitarian aid and move along the peace process.





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We are encouraging the parties to commit to restoring the 10 April Cessation of Hostilities and take immediate measures which will prevent further deterioration of the economic and humanitarian situation, the Special Envoy said referring to an agreement by Yemeni parties in 2016, but whose terms and conditions have since been violated.The current political stalemate is causing death and destruction every day, the UN Special Envoy said. The only way to stop this is through the renewal of the Cessation of Hostilities followed by consultations to develop a comprehensive agreement.Yemens political elites have a responsibility to shield people from further harm, protect their countrys future and commit to a peaceful settlement, he continued.Earlier on Monday, Ould Cheikh Ahmed arrived in the eastern Yemeni city for meetings with President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, Prime Minister Ahmed bin Daghr and Foreign Minister Abdel Malik Mekhlafi, according to a UN spokesperson.The visit follows a week of meetings with senior officials from the Governments of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar in Riyadh, Muscat and Doha, respectively.In a meeting with President Hadi, Ould Cheikh Ahmed said he discussed the key elements of a comprehensive agreement, based on consultations in Kuwait, which would help bring an end to the war and Yemens return to a peaceful and orderly transition.I asked the President to act swiftly and engage constructively with the UNs proposal for the sake of the countrys future, Ould Cheikh Ahmed said, stressing that a peace agreement, combined with a well-articulated security plan and an inclusive government formation is the only way to end the fighting.According to the UN spokesperson, the Special Envoy will travel to the capital city of Sanaa in the coming days to share the same message with the Representatives of Ansar Allah and General Peoples CongressUN Photo/Jean-Marc FerrSource: www.justearthnews.com
Ongoing violations of child rights highlighted as UN monitoring body opens annual session

New York, Jan 17 : Children face the ongoing violations of their rights worldwide, including poverty, violence and discrimination against them, a senior United Nations human rights official told the body that monitors implementation of a global treaty on the matter.





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Indeed, your achievements and the challenges you face sit against a disturbing background of ongoing violations of the rights of children, Kate Gilmore, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said at the opening in Geneva of the 74th session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which will run through 3 February 2017.These violations include child poverty, violence against children in all its forms as well as discrimination against girls, children born outside of wedlock, children with disabilities, and migrant, asylum seeking, stateless and refugee children, she added.The Committee is the body of 18 independent experts that monitors implementation of the eponymous Convention by its State parties. It also monitors implementation of the treatys Optional Protocols, on involvement of children in armed conflict, and on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.On 19 December 2011, the UN General Assembly approved a third Optional Protocol on a communications procedure, which will allow individual children to submit complaints regarding specific violations of their rights under the Convention and its first two optional protocols. The Protocol entered into force in April 2014.The worsening of the global migration and refugee crisis has had a devastating impact on the rights of millions of children worldwide, including their rights to life, survival and development, she said. One in every eight migrants is a child, and one in 200 children is a refugee. Moreover, some 26 million children on Monday are displaced by conflict.The scenes of a toddler lying dead in the mud and the body of a boy washed up on a Turkish beach are tragic evidence of the worlds failure to fulfill its obligations to the worlds children, she warned.As for the work of the Committee, she noted that last year the expert body reviewed and adopted its concluding observations on 36 States parties reports, reducing the backlog of pending reports from more than 80 to the current average of 40.Although the Convention is the most widely ratified international human rights treaty, a large number of reservations remain, some of which go against the object and purpose of the Convention, she noted. Ratification of the third Optional Protocol on a communications procedure is still very low, with no new ratifications since last session, she added.As for the global study on children deprived of liberty, commissioned by the UN Secretary-General, support from Member States has been inadequate, despite the number of efforts requesting voluntary contributions for the study.Photo: Dominic Chavez/World BankSource: www.justearthnews.com
Zara Wasim-An inspiration for youth in Kashmir

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir), , Jan. 17 : 'Dangal' girl Zaira Wasim seems to be going places. She recently met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. Her role as Geeta Phogat in the movie has drawn international attention.





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However, instead of celebrating her win, the 16-year-old from Kashmir issued a shocking public apology for hurting the sentiments of people via her Facebook and Twitter accounts.The reason of her actions remains unclear but it is being speculated that Wasim posted this apology letter on the social media after being trolled for meeting Chief Minister Mufti a couple of days ago and allegedly saying she was a part of her film's success.People of Kashmir seem disappointed as according to them, a young talent of the valley was being discouraged from testing herself in the field of acting."If any sort of talent is emerging from Kashmir, we Kashmiris give our negative reviews and comments, which is very unfortunate. In spite of encouraging our talent we discourage them. Earlier also such incidents have taken place in Kashmir. Zaira Wasim performed brilliantly in Dangal, but we started making allegations. She can be an inspiration for other young people. Unemployment is a big issue in Kashmir, and she has helped in opening another window," a local resident said.Shairyad, a local resident, said, "Every individual has a different talent. If somebody is trying to display their talent, never discourage them. Always try to support and appreciate their confidence. In the similar manner, when people can support engineers or doctors, they should encourage the youth to showcase their talent in the acting as well. There are people who compose music and songs. So, this is an inbuilt talent in the people of Kashmir."Speaking about women empowerment, Zaira Wasim questioned the current situation of society. She asked, "Why can't we just educate them?" She also said that she has dreamt of building a society safe for girls to live in and where they would be happy.
SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - January 17, 2017) - Envision Solar International, Inc., (EVSI) ("Envision Solar," or the "Company"), the leading renewable energy, outdoor advertising, EV charging and energy security product company, announced today that its EV ARC product will be featured during a promotional event for the new Chevrolet Bolt in Dublin, Calif. on Jan. 18, 2017.

The EV ARC unit will be equipped with an outdoor advertising panel, which will display Chevrolet promotional materials while the new Chevrolet Bolts are charged using clean solar energy. Visitors to Dublin Chevrolet will be able to experience the all-new 240-mile range Chevrolet Bolt and perform test drives powered by sunshine.

"Dublin Chevrolet has one of the highest rates of EV sales in the Country," said Jessie Dosanjh, General Manager, Dublin Chevrolet. "We are committed to offering San Francisco Bay Area drivers the most competitive opportunity to drive these sustainable, clean and fun vehicles. The advertising equipped EV ARC allows us to charge vehicles anywhere on our lot with pure sunshine and at the same time get the message out about our high-quality vehicles, great service and value."

"We think that the Chevrolet Bolt with its 240-mile range and sub $30k sticker price will be one of the most important vehicles ever," said Desmond Wheatley, CEO of Envision Solar. "We look forward to many more opportunities to leverage our solar powered advertising equipped units to help our customers generate revenue, while offering clean and sustainable EV charging."

Invented and manufactured in California, the EV ARC fits inside a parking space and does not reduce available parking in any way. The system's solar electrical generation is enhanced by the patented EnvisionTrak system, which causes the array to follow the sun, generating 18 to 25 percent more electricity than a fixed array. The energy is stored in the EV ARC product's energy storage for charging day or night. The EV ARC product requires no trenching, foundations or installation work of any kind and is deployed in minutes. EV ARC products are manufactured in the Company's San Diego facility by combat veterans, the disabled, minorities and other highly talented, mission-driven team members.

Story continues

About Envision Solar International, Inc.

Envision Solar designs and manufactures unique, renewably energized, EV charging, Outdoor Advertising and Energy Security products including the patented EV ARC and the patented Solar Tree products. Enhancements include EnvisionTrak patented solar tracking, SunCharge Column Integrated Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and ARC technology energy storage solutions.

Based in San Diego the company integrates the highest quality components into its Made in America products. Envision Solar is listed on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol [EVSI]. For more information, visit www.envisionsolar.com or call 866-746-0514.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Press Release may contain forward-looking statements regarding future events or our expected future results that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements in this Report other than statements of historical facts are forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are generally accompanied by terms or phrases such as "estimate," "project," "predict," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "target," "plan," "intend," "seek," "goal," "will," "should," "may," or other words and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or results. Statements contemplating or making assumptions regarding actual or potential sales, market size and demand, prospective business contracts, customer orders, trends or operating results also constitute forward looking statements. Our actual results may differ substantially from those indicated in forward looking statements because our business is subject to significant economic, competitive, regulatory, business and industry risks which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Our operating results, financial condition and business performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the economy, unavailability of capital or financing for our prospective customers to purchase products and services from us, competition, changes in regulations, a decline in the demand for solar energy, a lack of profitability, a decline in our stock price, and other risks. We may not have adequate capital, financing or cash flow to sustain our business or implement our business plans. Current results and trends are not necessarily indicative of future results that we may achieve.
Publishers from across South Asia participate in World Book Fair

New Delhi , Jan. 17: The World Book Fair 2017 attracted greater a footfall this year as people from all walks of life attended it in New Delhi.





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Writers and publishers from around the world are participating in the event.The fair has also witnessed new and emerging publishers and writers from South Asian countries.Nepal is a land of vibrant culture. The literary scene in the country is highly celebrated as Nepalese literature has flourished, soaking in all the diversity and vibrancy of the nation."I am representing Nepal and we have brought over 100 books here. Various genres in culture, art, history and ethnography can be found in our collection. Nepal is a very vibrant place and there are over 80 book stores in Kathmandu itself. Book culture is huge in Nepal, so probably that's why e-books and the internet are not affecting this culture as much as it has in the Western world," writer and publisher from Nepal, Yuyutsu Sharma said.Due to the advent of new media technologies, the habit of book reading has declined over years. Youngsters prefer to read from Kindle devices, tablets and consume online content in comparison to book reading. But in some south Asian countries like Nepal, books are equivalent with traditional values as people read them to each other and so their value is never going to fade."I don't think that book culture is going to fade because in Nepal we have a big oral tradition in which people recite poetry or read books to others and it's a century-old practice. And because of all these social networking sites and internet services like Amazon etc., we can spread the word about our books, events etc. so I think it is actually complementing it in a way" Sharma described.South Asia is known for its varied ethnicity, history, indigenous democracy and culture. In few places like Bangladesh, however, freedom of writers is restricted.Sri Lanka is known as the land of multiple languages, castes, ethnicities and culture has emerged as one of the countries where writers and publishers are very independent in terms of expressing their views.A renowned writer and publisher from Sri Lanka, Vijitha Yapa, expressed his opinion regarding the freedom of writers in South Asia."I think everybody should have the freedom to write. I myself am the founder editor of three national newspapers in the country so I also feel that freedom of expression is a very important thing. I think some countries where there are problems and especially when it comes to political problems, because politicians are a very sensitive crowd, they don't like criticism and want everybody to show how great they are. So, if something is written about them which they don't like, then problems arise. Other than that, I think that freedom of expression is advancing in south Asia," former president, Sri Lanka book publishers association, Vijitha Yapa said.Along with the courtiers of Nepal and Sri Lanka, Pakistan too participated in the World Book Fair under the publishing banner of Manshurat, which operates from Lahore and have branches in India and other Asian countries.Books in English and Urdu languages were available in the stall in a wide variety of genres.
Mexico: Gunman kills five in nightclub shooting

Cancun, Jan 17 : An unknown gunman opened fire at a night club in Mexico's Cancun, killing at least five people and injuring nine others, media reports said.





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The incident took place on Monday night at a nightclub in the Caribbean coast resort of Playa del Carmen, where a music festival was organised.Two Canadians, a Colombian and an Italian are among the deceased.
Grand alliance in UP will defeat pro-rich forces: Congress

New Delhi , Jan. 17 : The Congress on Tuesday said it looks forward to a grand alliance in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh between the political parties working in the interest of the poor and farmers to defeat the forces favouring the rich and industrialists.





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Congress leader P.L. Punia said there have been positive results post the grand alliance in Bihar."All political parties working in the interest of the poor and farmers joined hands in Bihar. The same is required in Uttar Pradesh as well because the forces favouring the rich and industrialists have grabbed power so far by creating confusion in the minds of the voters," he told ANI.Punia, however, said the top brass of the Congress and Samajwadi Party can better answer as to when the grand alliance will take place in the politically crucial state."Talks and discussions in this regard have been going on since long. I think that a final call in this regard would come to the fore in the next two days as leaders of both the Congress and Samajwadi Party have given indications on the same," he said.Punia's assertion came a day after Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav said he was hopeful his party will forge an alliance with the Congress for the high-stakes assembly polls.Ramgopal, however, said the final decision regarding forging an alliance with the Congress will be taken by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav."It is Akhilesh Yadav who will decide on the alliance, but I am hopeful it will happen," he said.In a major setback to Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Election Commission yesterday recognised the faction led by Akhilesh as the Samajwadi Party and allotted it the 'cycle' symbol.Meanwhile, the poll process for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will begin today with notification for the first phase of voting scheduled on February 11.73 constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh will vote in this phase.The filing of nominations for these constituencies will start today and the last date for the same will be January 24.The withdrawal of candidature could be done till January 27 and polling will be on February 11.The districts going to polls in the first phase are Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj.Uttar Pradesh will have seven-phase polling between February 11 and March 8.The term of the present government will end on May 27.
Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla denies reports of resignation

New Delhi , Jan. 17 : The chief of the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Vijay Sampla, on Tuesday said reports about him resigning from the party were false.





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"The reports regarding me (offering to quit as Punjab BJP chief) are false and nothing else, these are all rumours. I had gone for some work," Sampla said.Earlier it was reported that Sampla had offered to resign because he was unhappy about the way tickets for candidates had been distributed for the upcoming state assembly elections by the BJP's central election committee.The BJP has removed two prospective candidates who are currently ministers in the Punjab government from the list of six candidates for the February 4 state assembly polls.The party has announced 23 candidates for the state elections. The remaining seats will be contested by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).The BJP had on January 12 announced a first list of 17 candidates for state assembly polls. The last date of filing the nomination is January 18. SAD-BJP is locked in a tough battle with Congress and AAP, which has emerged as a formidable third force in the state.
'Gumshuda' Captain Amarinder has no right to judge me: J. J. Singh

Patiala (Punjab) , Jan. 17 : Former army chief General (Retd.) J. J. Singh on Tuesday hit back at Captain Amarinder Singh and said that the Punjab Congress chief has no right to judge a person who has been decorated in every rank.





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"He has no authority to judge me. I've been decorated in every rank. I think he has no idea, he should read my autobiography. And then he will know what I am talking about," he said.General (Retd.) Singh, who is the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP candidate for the Punjab Assembly polls, dubbed Captain Amarinder as a 'gumshuda' leader and said his political career is going to end very soon."A Captain is a Captain and a General is a General, how can he compete and compare with me? I am using the strategy which he cannot match. If he can match, let him come on the ground. l challenge him to come and walk with me," he added.He further said that the Congress leader would lose from both Patiala and Lambi in the assembly polls."He will get tired. I am working 18 hours a day; he cannot even work more than six hours a day. He needs rest...My roots are here and he says I have nothing to do with Patiala. I think he knows nothing," he said.The former army chief's outburst against the Congress leader came after he described him as an average General."He was a year junior to me and I know he was a lacklustre and an average General," he said.Assembly elections in the state will be held on February 4, where the people of Punjab will contest the election for 117 legislative seats.
Raisina Dialogue is 'platform for deliberation on geo-political issues of the day': MEA

New Delhi (India), Jan. 17 : The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said Raisina Dialogue is a platform for deliberation on geo-political issues of the day, adding 69 countries are participating this year.





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"As India expands its diplomatic footprint, our engagement with global leaders, thinkers and strategic experts to drive inputs in our foreign policies formulation becomes a critical element. The Raisina Dialogue is part of this effort to create platforms in India for deliberations on geo-political issues of the day," said MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup.Swarup said that the MEA has over the last two years endeavored to build many such platforms both with individual countries such as the India-China think-tank forum and on the broader canvas like the Raisina Dialogue and the Gateway of India Dialogue."It is clear that there is an appetite for such a dialogue as reflected in the enthusiastic response we have received this year in terms of level and quality participation. The conference will see participation by 69 countries with over 450 overseas participants, a significant increase from last year's event," Swarup told ANI."I think this makes the Raisina Dialogue a leading event of its kind in the international calendar although it is just its second edition. In view of significant events on the global stage in 2016 this year's dialogue will be on theme 'The New Normal-Multilateralism with Multi-Polarity'," he added.Swarup further said the major highlight of the event is the address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a gathering attended by former heads of state and governments, foreign ministers and senior ministers from a number of countries.The dialogue is India's flagship Geo-political conference which is held annually. The dialogue is styled on the Shangri La Dialogue held annually in Singapore.
Manipur's Karang becomes India's first cashless island

Guwahati, Jan 17k (IBNDS) : Karang, an island of Manipur, has become the first cashless island of the country.





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The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has announced it under the digital India programme.The Deputy Commissioner of Bishnupur district said the island of Loktak lake, the largest freshwater lake in North East India, has fulfilled all necessary criteria to become cashless economy.The DC of Bishnupur district said the campaign for cashless economy in the island was launched during January 9-12 and the inhabitants extended their support to it.During the campaign, two organizations had extended their support on cashless transactions. Apart from the two organizations, the people of the island also supported it, the top administration official said.So far over 400 beneficiaries, 16 merchants have registered themselves for cashless transactions. We will provide them a card swipe machine within two weeks, the DC said.After demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed the people of the nation to go for cashless transactions and make a cashless society.Following the PMs appeal, the Assam Government has already announced to go cashless in all Government transactions.(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Why so jittery about advancement of Budget: Naidu to Opposition

New Delhi , Jan. 17 : Casting aside the Opposition parties' assertion that the Centre is trying to sway the impending assembly elections in its favour by advancing the Budget Session, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday wondered as to why the opposition was so jittery about it, since it is being done for the welfare of the people.





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"Don't they want budget, don't they want development of the country. The budget is regular, its annual, it is not state specific, it is for the entire country. Social security and national security are very much needed for the country. Why are so jittery, that's my question to the opposition,' Naidu told media here.Naidu further said the Opposition is rattled as they have sensed that they will not be able win the elections and that is why they are creating hurdles for the Centre to present the Budget earlier."The opposition is rattled because they are losing. The other day the language used some of the opposition parties against the Prime Minister, you may have seen how the public have reacted to that and now they have realised that they are losing election, they are trying to find some alibis," he added.Several opposition parties, including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the DMK and the JD (U), have been against the early presentation of budget as it would give "unfair advantage to the government" and "will misuse the budget presentation"."It is clear that the government will misuse the budget presentation and try to allure the voters just before polls," Congress leader Anand Sharma told ANI."This gives unfair advantage to the government. It will influence the voters. It is clear that the government will misuse the budget presentation and the President's Address to both the houses of parliament which is customary to make announcements, popular schemes, and also try to allure the voters," he added.The Opposition parties had earlier on Thursday approached the Election Commission demanding that the Budget be postponed to a date beyond March 8.It contends that holding the Budget before the Assembly polls will allow the BJP to woo voters through various schemes.
HGS celebrates opening of 4th customer service center in Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica, Jan 17 : Hinduja Global Solutions Limited (HGS), a global leader in business process management, on Tuesday launched a fourth customer experience center in Kingston in Jamaica.





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The first phase of this expansion includes more than 500 new career opportunities to be filled in the first quarter of 2017, with the end target of 1,000 total employees for the center. This growth is due to the companys strong business performance particularly within the healthcare industry, which the Jamaica locations primarily serve.This expansion is testament to the quality of service our Jamaica team delivers for HGSs global clients, said Narasimha Murthy, President of Jamaica and Corporate Shared Services, Americas at HGS.We are excited to grow our footprint here in Jamaica where theres great potential for scale with a large pool of valuable talent to meet HGSs increased client needs. These new additions will help propel us towards greater business success, said Murthy.HGS has three existing centers in Kingston, including on Worthington Terrace, Saxthrope Avenue and Constant Spring Road, which is where the fourth center is also located.HGS will recruit permanent, full-time directors, managers, team leaders, customer care associates, and data management analysts for the new center.These positions are ideal for applicants who enjoy problem solving and helping people within a supportive learning environment.
Mozambique Transport Minister calls on Indian Steel Minister

New Delhi, Jan 17 : Carlos Alberto Fortes Mesquita, Transport Minister, Mozambique called on Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh at Udyog Bhawan on Tuesday.





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He was accompanied by senior officials from Mozambique government. Union Minister of State Vishnu Deo Sai, Secretary, Steel, GOI, Dr. Aruna Sharma and other senior officials were present during the meeting.Chaudhary Birender Singh welcomed the visiting delegation and thanked them for all the support extended to India business interests in Mozambique.He highlighted how rich natural resources of Mozambique and demand potential in India could be mutually beneficial.The Steel Minister sought further support from the Mozambique government through tariff and non-tariff measures for facilitating achievement of economies of scale by Indian companies like ICVL present there.Carlos Alberto Fortes Mesquita assured all possible help from the Mozambique government.He remarked that inspite of challenging geopolitical environment, the Mozambique government is very clear of its long-term vision and the strategy to achieve it.He remarked that energy and infrastructure (transport, public works) are two of the four priority sectors identified by their government based on synergies, the other two being agriculture and tourism.
Tata Steel announces scholarship programme for female students from selected engineering institutes in India

Jamshedpur, Jan 17 : Tata Steel on Tuesday announced a scholarship programme titled 'Women-Of-Mettle', an initiative to encourage gender diversity in the manufacturing industry.





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The programme aims to identify, groom and encourage female engineering talent for a sector that historically has had dis-balanced gender representation. The Women-of-Mettle programme illustrates Tata Steels belief that an organisation should reflect the diversity that is visible in the society we live in.Female students in their 2nd year of engineering from select 45+ engineering institutes across India are invited to be a part of this programme. The interested applicants, post initial stage of profile screening, will undergo a rigorous selection process.The process entails working on a technical challenge (shall be available on - http://www.valueabled.com/women-of-mettle.aspx) and the top 30 female students will present their proposed solution to an esteemed jury of experts and professionals. Post evaluation, top 10 winners will be eligible for the scholarship amount of Rs 1 Lakh each, which will be given in the 3rd and 4th year of the course.The winners also get the opportunity to do a paid internship (3rd year), receive mentorship from the senior leadership of the organization, sponsorship to participate in technical conferences and relevant organizational initiatives, and a pre-placement job offer. The balance 20 candidates will be eligible for pre-placement interviews during the final recruitment process.Speaking on the Women-Of-Mettle Scholarship programme announcement, Suresh Dutt Tripathi, VP HRM, Tata Steel said, At Tata Steel, gender diversity is not about ensuring that we have a certain percentage of women working for the organisation. It is rather about ensuring that we attract the best people into the group, be it men or women, and offer them an equal and fair opportunity to develop their skills and contribute to our growth and success. With the Women-Of-Mettle scholarship programme, we aim to attract more female talent from across the country to join the manufacturing sector. Tata Steel will surely set the trend for the sector to follow.Atrayee S Sanyal, Chief Diversity Officer and Chief of Marketing Sales (BPRS), Tata Steel, added, Tata Steel has proven to be a perfect launchpad for many women leaders in the organization. Building an equitable healthy work culture along with a diverse leadership team is a responsibility Tata Steel takes seriously. The Women-Of-Mettle scholarship programme, part of MOSAIC - Diversity and Inclusion initiative of the Company, is a pioneering step towards inspiring young female talent to work in the sector.Image:twitter.com/TataSteelLtd
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 17, 2017 / Evrim Resources Corp. (EVM.V) ("Evrim" or the "Company") is pleased to announce initial drill results from its Ermitano gold project in Sonora, Mexico. Exploration partner First Majestic Silver Corp. (FR.TO) (AG) ("First Majestic") have received assay results from the first four holes of a ten hole diamond drill program at the Ermitano West prospect totaling 947 metres. The Ermitano West prospect is located approximately 3.5 kilometres southeast of First Majestic's operating Santa Elena gold-silver mine.

Ermitano West Drilling Highlights

Drill Hole EW16-04

18.0 metres grading 11.4 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold and 86 g/t silver including 3.3 metres grading 34.6 g/t gold and 242 g/t silver

Drill Hole EW16-03

9.6 metres grading 1.8 g/t gold and 24 g/t silver including 3.1 metres grading 4.9 g/t gold and 36 g/t silver

Drill Hole EW16-02

13.2 metres grading 1.1 g/t gold and 29 g/t silver including 3.0 metres grading 2.9 g/t gold and 72 g/t silver

Drill Hole EW 16-01

8.8 metres grading 0.8 g/t gold and 9 g/t silver

True widths are estimated to be 70-90% of reported intervals.

Charles Funk, Evrim's Vice President of New Opportunities and Exploration commented, "This is an exciting discovery for Evrim and its partner, First Majestic. The intercepts show significant widths within 240 metres from surface into the principal vein, located in a larger vein field. The mineralization is gold rich (relative to silver) and the high gold grades are evenly distributed across the drill intercepts. This discovery is very close to First Majestic's Santa Elena mine and provides great potential for Evrim to realize Ermitano's value in the near term."

Ermitano West Zone

The Ermitano West zone (see Figure 1 and 2) consists of a network of low to intermediate sulphidation east-west trending epithermal veins and stockwork. The veining covers an area 1,200 metres long by 600 metres wide with 912 rock samples averaging 0.1 g/t gold over widths ranging from 0.1 metres to 3.5 metres and averaging 0.7 metres. The principal east-west striking vein is up to 3.5 metres wide on surface with a hanging wall of sub-parallel east-west striking veins and north-south striking stockwork veining over 200 metres wide. Vein textures, including banded quartz, quartz replacing bladed calcite, and an elevation more than 100 metres higher than the pit at Santa Elena suggest a shallower level of exposure in the epithermal environment compared to Santa Elena.

Story continues

Figure 1 - Location map of Ermitano project and Santa Elena mine

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2604/24539_a1484604978031_82.jpg

Ermitano West Drilling

Drilling targeted the main east-west trending vein at Ermitano West that is interpreted to form the hanging wall to veins and veinlets mapped to the south. The main vein is hosted in rhyolite tuff and drilling intersected competent white, green, clear and amethyst quartz, adularia, manganese oxide and iron oxide veins from 7.5 to 13.1 metres wide. Textures vary from massive crystalline quartz with rare minor colloform and cockade bands at surface and in hole EW-16-01 to strongly developed banding, increased oxides and adularia, abundant replaced bladed calcite rosettes and re-brecciation with increasing depth. Veins have silicified selvages and common vein stringers adjacent to the competent vein with similar grade mineralization.

The results fit a classical epithermal pattern with low gold and silver grades at surface increasing at depth to economic grades where textures indicate a boiling environment within the vein. The increase in grade within the vein beneath the surface and a high gold to silver ratio (~1:10) suggest that ore shoots are fully preserved and the limited drilling shows a system open to the east, west and at depth (Figure 3).

Drilling is ongoing to complete a planned 10-hole program with further assays pending.

Figure 2 - Plan map of Ermitano West showing surface geology and drilling

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2604/24539_a1484604978296_16.jpg

Figure 3 - Ermitano West Long Section

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2604/24539_a1484604978500_11.jpg

Ermitano West Drilling Technical Data

Significant assay results from the drilling program at Ermitano West are shown below.

Table 1 - Ermitano West Significant Intersections.

Hole From To Interval Au Ag

(metres) (metres) (metres) (g/t) (g/t) EW-16-01 96.6 105.4 8.8 0.8 9 EW-16-02 157.1 170.3 13.2 1.1 29 including 165.2 168.2 3.0 2.9 72 EW-16-03 195.8 205.4 9.6 1.8 24 including 199.6 202.7 3.1 4.9 36 EW-16-04 224.5 242.5 18.0 11.4 86 including 233.1 236.4 3.3 34.6 242



*All figures are available in the News Release posted on the Company web page www.evrimresources.com.

Option Agreement

First Majestic can earn a 100% interest in the Ermitano Property by paying Evrim US$50,000 each year and delivering a Production Notice by January 2019, specifying mine and construction plans with accompanying permits. Upon vesting, First Majestic will no longer be required to make the annual payments and Evrim will retain a 2% Net Smelter Royalty ("NSR").

Qualified Person Statement

Evrim's disclosure of technical or scientific information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Stewart Harris, P.Geo. Vice President, Technical Services for the Company. Mr. Harris serves as a Qualified Person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101.

All sample analyses were completed by SGS Labs of Durango, Mexico which has been certified to ISO/IEC 17025. As operator, First Majestic carried out a comprehensive quality assurance / quality control program. This program comprised the insertion of standard control samples, field duplicates and blanks, and was applied to the HQ- and NQ-diameter, half-core samples. Sample preparation and analyses for the 2016 samples were completed at SGS Labs of Durango, Mexico which has been certified to ISO/IEC 17025. Gold was determined by 30-gram fire assay followed by an atomic absorption finish, or by gravimetric finish for samples over 10 g/t. Silver was determined by 2-gram aqua regia digest followed by an atomic absorption finish, or by 30-gram fire assay with atomic absorption finish for samples over 300 g/t.

About Evrim Resources

Evrim Resources is a mineral exploration company whose goal is to participate in significant exploration discoveries supported by a sustainable business model. The Company is well financed, has a diverse range of quality projects and a database in Mexico and portions of southwestern United States. The existing projects, and generation of quality exploration targets and ideas, are advanced through option and joint venture agreements with industry partners to create shareholder value. Evrim's business plan also includes royalty creation utilizing the Company's exploration expertise and existing projects.

On Behalf of the Board

EVRIM RESOURCES CORP.

Paddy Nicol

President & CEO

To find out more about Evrim Resources Corp., please contact Paddy Nicol, President or Charles Funk, VP New Opportunities and Exploration at 604-248-8648, or visit www.evrimresources.com.

Forward Looking Information

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward looking statements". All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Evrim Resources Corp. (the "Company") expects to occur, are forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur.

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 may differ materially from those in the forward looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Evrim Resources Corp.
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.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Windy with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 59F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Windy with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 59F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Higher wind gusts possible.
A gas flare on an oil production platform in the Soroush oil fields is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Persian Gulf, Iran, July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/File Photo (Reuters)

By Osamu Tsukimori and Keith Wallis

TOKYO/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Global shipping insurers have devised a way to ensure nearly full coverage for Iranian oil exports from next month after striking a deal to provide cover without involving U.S.-domiciled reinsurers, officials in Tokyo and London said.

Restrictions on U.S. firms handling Iranian goods had greatly limited the number of reinsurers of cargoes, but the new arrangements - which essentially allow re-insurance of ships without the involvement of U.S. firms - should boost the number of eligible shipments.

That will provide a boon to Iran, which is trying to raise oil exports after most sanctions were lifted last year, though banking restrictions that remain in place that could cap any major rise in exports.

"There will be no U.S.-domiciled reinsurer participation on the 2017 IG reinsurance program," Andrew Bardot, secretary and executive officer at the International Group (IG) of P&I Clubs in London told Reuters on Tuesday.

The new arrangements take effect on Feb. 20, he and other officials said.

"This will substantially address the potential shortfall in reinsurance recoveries in the event of Iranian-related claims," Bardot said in an email.

The sanctions were lifted after a landmark deal in 2015 with world powers that put constraints on Iran's nuclear activities.

But some prior U.S. sanctions remain in place, which had meant U.S. reinsurers could not participate in covering Iranian cargoes.

To plug the shortfall by U.S. insurers, the group of the world's top 13 ship insurers created so-called "fall-back" insurance last year, under which tankers carrying Iranian oil were insured up to around $830 million per ship.

That was below normal coverage for a tanker and risk-averse shippers refrained from lifting cargoes. However, it still allowed Iran to more than double crude exports from as low as about 1 million barrels per day (bpd) at the height of the sanctions. Iran's exports were as high as 3 million bpd before the sanctions.

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From next month, normal coverage will apply up to $3.08 billion and compensation beyond that up to $7.8 billion for accidents and oil spills would be collected from shipping companies insured by P&I group members.

OBSTACLES REMAIN

Other obstacles to lifting Iranian oil remain though, including the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has described the nuclear deal as a "disaster" and threatened to scrap it, which could mean new oil export sanctions.

Additionally, owners may still not call on Iran because they could be banned from Saudi Arabian ports on subsequent voyages, a European supertanker broker said.

Saudi Arabia has banned tankers if they have previously carried Iran crude due to tensions between the countries over the conflict in Yemen, the shipbroker said.

There is a premium of between $4,000 to $12,000 per day for foreign-owned ships hired to transport Iranian crude compared with rates to transport crude from other Middle East countries, a Singapore-based supertanker broker said. That could also limit Iranian liftings.

Banking restrictions under the remaining U.S. sanctions are also likely to stay in place for some time and constrain Iran's trading activities, said Jonathan Hare, general counsel with Norwegian P&I club Skuld.

"I think the main obstacle for everyone remains the banking system," he said.

The government of Japan, one of the biggest buyers of Iranian crude, is working to extend a sovereign insurance scheme it started in 2012 to continue Iranian oil imports in the year starting in April, to cover any shortfalls from the P&I insurance, a senior government official told Reuters.

Iran has complied with a deadline under the 2015 accords to remove nuclear equipment called centrifuges from one of its atomic sites, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday.

(Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori in TOKYO and Keith Wallis in SINGAPORE; Additional reporting by Jonathan Saul in LONDON; Writing by Aaron Sheldrick; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Christian Schmollinger)
A drug that's commonly used to treat high blood pressure is being repurposed for a rare tissue cancer in Europe. The medication, named propranolol, was recently granted Orphan Drug Designation by the European Commission (EC).

The designation signifies that the EC supports the use of a drug to treat patients because of its significant benefit to those living with a rare disease -- in this case, soft tissue sarcoma. The cancer affects approximately one quarter of a million people living in Europe, and is generally considered difficult to treat.

"People with soft tissue sarcomas have a very poor survival rate," says Brad Bryan, Ph.D., a biomedical scientist at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso). "Four out of 10 patients with the cancer will die and are in urgent need of new treatment options."

Propranolol's ability to treat angiosarcoma, a very lethal form of soft tissue sarcoma, was originally discovered by Bryan's TTUHSC El Paso lab. In his study, Bryan used cell lines and animal models to show that propranolol could fight angiosarcoma and remarkably reduce the growth of tumors; the results were published in a 2013 PLOS One paper. Later, in a 2015 JAMA Dermatology article, Bryan described treating a patient with angiosarcoma -- who only had months left to live -- and bringing the tumor down to undetectable levels. What's more, the treatment had little to no side effects.

Several scientists across the world have reported similar results since then, testing propranolol on their own patients with the rare cancer.

A 69-year-old woman with metastatic angiosarcoma made a full recovery after being treated with propranolol by Shripad Banavali, M.D., an oncologist at Tata Memorial Center in Mumbai, India and Eddy Pasquier, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Aix-Marseille. The results were published in ecancermedicalscience. After witnessing the patient's improvement, Drs. Banavali and Pasquier were prompted to go even further; just a year later, the two successfully treated seven patients with inoperable angiosarcoma, as described in EBioMedicine.

"What surprised us the most about this new treatment is the fact that we got 100 percent clinical response, which is defined as either tumor regression or stabilization of the disease," says Pasquier. "This is not a cure in the sense that most patients will eventually see their disease progress, but this level of response is still very impressive, especially in this patient population with a very bleak prognosis; we're talking patients whose prognosis was roughly one year, give or take a few months."

Lab Diagnostics & Automation eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

The results soon caught the attention of the Anticancer Fund. After gathering research on the drug's effects, the nonprofit foundation -- which is dedicated to expanding the range of treatment options available to cancer patients -- applied to have propranolol approved as an orphan drug in Europe.

"Our ultimate objective is to have propranolol, if proven effective, fully licensed as a new standard of care treatment for angiosarcoma," says Pan Pantziarka, Ph.D., an oncology researcher at the Anticancer Fund. "Bryan's research was important because not only did it demonstrate the validity of this approach in animal models, but it also illustrated the effect of treatment in a patient for whom existing treatments are unlikely to be effective. These two elements were important in making the case for the clinical potential of propranolol in this rare and hard-to-treat cancer."

In an age of soaring cancer drug prices, propranolol offers a glimmer of hope for the checkbooks of some cancer patients.

First developed in the 1960s, today, propranolol is a generic drug, meaning it's available for a relatively affordable price. Current prescription drug therapies for sarcomas can cost patients upwards of $10,000 a month. Propranolol, however, costs about $4 a month.

"Treating soft tissue sarcoma can easily top $100,000 to $200,000," Bryan explains. "While propranolol will certainly not replace these treatments, our data show it improves the ability of the treatments to work -- all at the cost of a generic co-pay."

The Anticancer Fund recently formed the Propranolol for Angiosarcoma Task Force to bring together researchers and clinicians who are interested in further developing propranolol treatment options. Bryan, Pasquier and Dr. Banavali have teamed up with collaborators around the world to share research information, helping to reduce the risk of duplicating efforts, and work cooperatively to prove the efficacy of propranolol in treating soft tissue sarcoma.

The Anticancer Fund has plans to meet with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom to discuss the level of evidence required to take propranolol through to relicensing.

If relicensed, propranolol's drug label could be changed to officially indicate its use in treating soft tissue sarcomas. International health guidelines could also be updated to designate propranolol as an official cancer drug, thereby encouraging physicians to use the new form of treatment.
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, the global leader in patient-focused innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring, has received CE Mark for its HemoSphere advanced monitoring platform, which provides greater clarity on a patients hemodynamic status to enable clinicians to make timely, potentially life-saving decisions.

The HemoSphere advanced monitor enables simplified visual clinical support, which is particularly important in the care of our most complex critically ill patients, said Prof. Marco Maggiorini, M.D., head of the medical ICU at University Hospital Zurich. Clinicians can choose the clinical support screens that best suit their needs, enabling proactive decisions on behalf of their patients.

Building on Edwards more than 50 years of experience in providing clinicians with tools to help advance patient care, the HemoSphere advanced monitor represents the next generation of hemodynamic monitoring. The advanced monitor incorporates high-quality visual clinical support screens and an intuitive touchscreen.

The platform is wireless-enabled and provides adaptive modularity, which means that clinical teams can adapt the system to meet the needs of their care environment. The HemoSphere advanced monitor is currently compatible with the Edwards Swan-Ganz pulmonary artery catheter and Oximetry catheters.

The HemoSphere advanced monitor provides a strong foundation for Edwards to continue to innovate and advance new hemodynamic solutions, now and in the future. The design of this monitoring platform enables clinicians to treat their patients using more customized, informative and advanced parameters. Catherine M. Szyman, Edwards corporate vice president, critical care

Hemodynamic monitoring is the measurement of blood circulation and cardiac function that allows clinicians to evaluate whether enough oxygen is being delivered to a patients organs and tissues. Healthcare providers use this information to detect changes or problems in a patient's health, which allows for more informed, immediate treatment decisions.
Davos: Chief executives officers in India are among the most confident lot when it comes to short-term revenue growth and also have ambitious hiring plans for the next 12 months, says a survey released on Monday.



Global consultancy PwC's 20th annual survey of CEOs worldwide showed that as many as 38 percent are very confident about their company's growth prospects in the next 12 months compared to 35 per cent seen in 2016.



Around 29 percent believe that global economic growth would pick up in 2017.



In sharp contrast to 2016, CEO's confidence in their own one year revenue growth is on the rise in nearly every major country across the world ... with India (71 percent), Brazil, where confidence levels have more than doubled (57 percent), Australia (43 percent) and the UK (41 percent) topping the table," it said.



As per the survey released at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting here, while business leaders are more positive in their outlook, their levels of concern about economic uncertainty (82 percent), over-regulation (80 percent) and availability of key skills (77 percent) remain very high.



Worries about protectionism are also growing, with 59 percent of the respondents concerned about it.



Preparing to increase their head count, majority of the CEOs in India have ambitious hiring plans.



"Over half of CEOs (52 percent vs 48 percent 2016) expect to increase head count over next 12 months. The UK (63 percent), China (60 percent), India (67 percent) and Canada (64 percent) are amongst those with the most ambitious hiring plans," the report said.



The findings are based on a survey of 1,379 CEOs between September and December 2016. Out of the respondents, 57 percent worked in privately-owned companies, 43 percent in publicly-listed firms. Around 36 percent of them worked at companies with revenues of more than USD 1 billion per annum.



PwC Global Chairman Bob Moritz said CEOs are concerned that key skill shortages would impair their company's growth potential, relevance and sustainability. And its soft skills that they value the most, he added.



"Managing expectations with stakeholders will help enable the needed trust to survive and thrive. Bottom line -- prioritising the human element in a more virtual world will be a pre-requisite for future success," he said.
Those who shout AZADI from the roof tops don't give an iota of AZADI to others .Poor Zaira Waseem had to apologies for her success Shame !!  Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) January 16, 2017

Last yr,I was shooting with Yami Gautam n other kashmiri girls in valley, they came armed to kill those girls.This is the reality of Kashmir https://t.co/mCqtNnZA78  Vivek Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) January 16, 2017

Dear @zairawasim! Ur apology letter is sad but full of courage. It exposes d cowardice of people who made u write it.But u r my #RoleModel. pic.twitter.com/fCF2zlzvzC  Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) January 16, 2017

Dear @Zairawasim Welcome to the world of Fame,Judgement & Jealousy! Keep Smiling & Shining little one Love Ur work & U#Sweet16 #Liveurlife pic.twitter.com/ecTpDAeeVW  Preity zinta (@realpreityzinta) January 17, 2017

Dichotomy of ultra liberals...evident when Meryl Streep spoke but silent when #ZairaWasim gets trolled,is our zaira's voice not loud enough?  Madhur Bhandarkar (@imbhandarkar) January 17, 2017

Men will be men. Insecure 2 see a girl like @zairawasim get wings. Sadly we think "Maahri Choriyan AAJ B Choron se kum hain." @aamir_khan  Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) January 17, 2017

#ZairaWasim u dont need 2 apologise 2 faceless losers. They r narrow minded cowards. U ARE a role model for ALL young girls & u shud b proud  Swara Bhaskar (@ReallySwara) January 16, 2017

#ZairaWasim we are proud of you dear don't worry and stand strong  pic.twitter.com/6bHQZHXou9  geeta phogat (@geeta_phogat) January 16, 2017

Writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar and Bollywood director Vivek Agnihotri expressed their disappointment with individuals for trolling Kashmiri actress Zaira Wasim for meeting state Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, and they even questioned the ideology of 'azadi' (freedom) in India.After receiving accolades from the film industry and elsewhere for her performance in Dangal, the 16-year-old met Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday, who enquired about her education and interest in other creative fields like acting.However, Srinagar-based Zaira was trolled on social media when photos from the meeting emerged. Later, Zaira took to social media to apologise for hurting the sentiments of fellow Kashmiris, but deleted her post. She posted a justification again, but deleted that too.Both Akhtar and Agnihotri came forward to express their anger on social media about the same.Akhtar tweeted: "Those who shout 'azadi' from the roof tops don't give an iota of azadi to others. Poor Zaira Waseem had to apologise for her success. Shame!"Agnihotri also shared instances from his past and lashed out at individuals for not taking a stand for Zaira."Last year, I was shooting with Yami Gautam and other Kashmiri girls in the valley, they came armed to kill those girls. This is the reality of Kashmir," Agnihotri posted. He added: "I haven't seen Barkha Dutt and other liberals ever raise voice against the suppression of Kashmiri girls who aren't allowed to work. So much talent in Kashmir but suppressed by separatist or terrorists. Why didn't any feminist ever raise voice?"Veteran actor Anupam Kher too took to Twitter to voice his opinion and lend support to the young Dangal actress. He wrote, "Dear @zairawasim! Ur apology letter is sad but full of courage. It exposes d cowardice of people who made u write it. But u r my #RoleModel (sic)."In fact, not just three but several prominent personalities including Preity Zinta, Madhur Bhandarkar and Swara Bhaskar came forward to show their support for Zaira Wasim.Even Geeta Phogat, whose younger version Zaira plays in the movie, supported her.With inputs from IANS.
New Delhi: The BJPs attempt to make surgical strike an issue in the upcoming assembly elections is being questioned by family members of martyrs, including Hemraj Singh.



Hemraj was beheaded by Pakistani terrorists in January 2013.



In an exclusive conversation with CNN-News18 in Hemrajs native village Shernagar in Uttar Pradeshs Mathura district, Hemrajs mother said, Where is the proof that surgical strike happened? Government claimed that the terrorist who beheaded Hemraj has been killed but we only have the governments version. This is no revenge for Hemraj.



In 2013, then Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj had said revenge would be complete if 10 Pakistani heads are brought back for each Indian soldier beheaded.



In Mathura city, 50 km from Shernagar, soldier Bablu Singhs wife echoed the sentiments.



Do we know how many Pakistanis were killed in the surgical strike? They have been killing our men even after the strikes. Where is the revenge? she asked.



Bablu, from the 18 Jat Regiment, was martyred in July 2016 in Nowgam sector of Jammu and Kashmir. He was killed by terrorists while trying to save an injured colleague.



Bablus brother Sonu said, The issue of surgical strike cannot be politicised. Sacrifice of our brother is no issue to demand votes on.



In Shernagar, the three uncles of Hemraj holding the family together claimed demonetisation is the bigger issue this election.



Harkishan Singh, Hemrajs uncle and head of the family said, The bigger issue this election is demonetisation. We had to spend a full day, sometimes 2 days just to get money to buy diesel, khad, seeds etc. The nearest bank is in Kosi which is 18 km away. Even there, they give you Rs 2000 notes. Where do I get the change? I cant buy goods worth Rs 100 because no one is willing to give me change for Rs 2000 if after all this the farmer loans were waived off we would still have forgiven the government.



Amarchand Singh, another uncle of Hemraj, said, I saw Modis speech of 31st December. We were all hoping for a farm loan waiver. Instead he announced Rs 6000 rupees for women. How will our women go alone to a bank which is 18 km away? 



The state government has not been spared too. Virender Kumar, a villager, said, Our issues are roads. To reach the nearest hospital we have to go to Kosi. You have seen the roads. If a pregnant woman is taken on that road, she will either die or go into labour early.



Ajay Singh, the village pradhan, added, Akhilesh Yadav (UP CM) had visited us after Hemrajs death. He promised to build the road but the newly-built road lasted for only one year.



We voted for BJP last time in the name of Modi, we might give him one last chance. But I can tell you, in my village he will lose votes because of demonetisation, Harkishan signed off.


It was indeed the context in which he arrived in the political scene in Tamil Nadu that made MG Ramachandran establish himself as immortal.



The DMK, whose emergence as ruling party in 1967, had run its course. The non-Brahmin rhetoric had shown itself up even in CN Annadurais time when 44 landless agricultural labourers who also happened to be Dalits were burnt alive in Kezhavenmani in the then Thanjavur district.



MGR, very much a part of the DMK, found himself marginalised in the party and wanted to bid farewell and just then asked for the accounts of the partys funds; Karunanidhi thought he was helping MGR by announcing his expulsion from the DMK.



MGR too seemed reconciled for a life in the tinsel world until the then CPI leader, M Kalyanasundaram goaded him into forming a new party and calling him the Puratchi Thalaivan (Revolutionary leader).



It was only a matter of time for MGR to wrest power from Karunanidhi; and the issue, indeed, was corruption.



An enquiry commission headed by Justice Sarkaria had found credible evidence against Karunanidhi. The story, however, will be incomplete if the part about MGRs rise and consolidation is not told.



The Emergency certainly meant an assault on the Constitution and its core. MGR, however, was not concerned about that and was perhaps the only one of those leaders who won the election in 1977 without having had anything to do against the Emergency.



And having wrested power in Tamil Nadu, he seemed to take John Meynard Keynes with all seriousness. Let it be stressed here that there is no evidence, whatsoever, of MGR having cited Keynes or the principles of deficit financing.



The fact is MGR had the luxury of being the Chief Minister of a state that had set out on industrial development as well as induction of technology in the farm sector and thus achieving a robust economic growth (in the same way as some other parts where the green revolution had changed the contours of agriculture) and the foundations of a welfare model laid by K Kamaraj.



He showed the acumen to build on them and expand the scope of the schemes. The noon-meal scheme for school children was the most substantive of these and it was emulated by many others across India.



MGR also made sure that he was not shackled by precepts or isms and this helped his AIADMK make up with the Congress party.



The reversals his party suffered in the general elections to the Lok Sabha in 1980  the party won just two seats out of 39 after the DMK struck an alliance with the Congress (I)  got MGR work on his survival strategy and this got him to send J Jayalalithaa to the Rajya Sabha and with a brief to get the Congress (I) to an alliance with the AIADMK.



It was done and the party retained power in Tamil Nadu in 1984, when elections to the Lok Sabha and the State assembly were held simultaneously. MGRs formula was a small share of seats (just one thirds of the 39) for the AIADMK in the Lok Sabha and two thirds of the 234 assembly seats to his party in the assembly.



The Congress (I), then, was a party with about 16 per cent voteshare in Tamil Nadu and MGR could strike such an arrangement with ease because he did not pretend to be tied to what is termed as ideology.



Well, he did not come into politics with a baggage and he did not accumulate any in his life as a leader. He was, however, committed to governance and that perhaps is what made him click and at a time when the DMK, to which he belonged, seemed to delude itself that its rise was the consequence of its sub-nationalism.



MGR, instead, was convinced that the people expected the government to ensure governance and also that governance meant ensuring the people their basic needs. And it was Keynes at work.



(The author is a Chennai-based political commentator, Views are personal)


Bengaluru: A 26-year-old woman has been arrested by Vijaynagar police for throwing acid and slashing her boyfriends face.



The woman, Lidiya, woking as nurse at Vikram hospital was dejected when her 32-year-old boyfriend, Jaykumar, a cloth merchant rejected her marriage proposal and that led her to take the extreme step.



The severely injured Jaykumar was immediately rushed to the hospital- where he is undergoing treatment.



According to police, the couple had been dating for the past three to four years and Lidiya had expressed her desire several times to get married.



When she came to know that Jaykumar was planning to marry someone else, she threw acid on him and even slashed his face.



Prior to the incident the cops had even counselled the couple when the matter reached the station. Despite that, she did this, police said.



The incident happened around 5pm on Monday around Vijaynagar police station limits.



However the police could only arrest her on Tuesday at 3pm.














South 24 Parganas: The locals in West Bengal's Bhangar on Tuesday protested against the erection of electrical posts on agricultural land leading to clashes with the police and death of a villager, who succumbed to his injuries sustained during the protest.



The situation became tense after large police force entered the area on Monday and allegedly manhandled villagers and harassed them throughout the night. Villagers clashed with the police in phases all day long. The situation went out of control after police, on their way to the region, tried breaking the barricades set up by villagers who tried preventing them from leaving the place.



The villagers, then, resorted to heavy stone pelting on the police; the latter lathicharged and tear gassed the mob. Violence snowballed and villagers torched several police vehicles in the area.



Crude bombs were also reportedly lobbed at the police injuring some policemen. Villagers allege that police opened fire at them and one of the villagers, who sustained injury initially, succumbed later in the evening. He was moved to SSKM hospital in Kolkata where he died. The relatives of the victim alleged that the suspended TMC leader Arabul Islam's men fired at him.



The resistance to setting up of the high tension power grid by villagers (mostly farmers) began in 2014 and the state government had been trying to negotiate with villagers. The protesters maintain that the project poses major environmental hazards and will affect their livelihood which is farming and fishery.



The state power department has already set up a substation in the area stretching over 13 acres of land and towers have been put up. It was in the process of drawing HT cables (440KV), which is part of the 950 km long grid, connecting Rajarhat in the outskirts of Kolkata with Purnia in Bihar.



Fresh agitation against the project started in November 2016 despite repeated assurances by local TMC leaders that the project was for the good of villagers. TMC has alleged that the villagers have been influenced by "outsiders" against this project. A section of students from Jadavpur University has allegedly provided support to the agitators all this while.



The administration has now withdrawn all police personnel from the area to pacify villagers. The government has shelved the project once and for all. However, tension continues to simmer.


Elayna  A photo posted by Sadaf Fawad Khan (@sadaf.f.k) on Jan 15, 2017 at 11:46am PST

Fawad's Sons Birthday! Happy Birthday Ayaan A video posted by Fawad Afzal Khan {F.A.K.O} (@fawad.afzal.khan.ofc) on Jan 14, 2017 at 4:16pm PST

#onourwayto#BritanniaFilmfareAwards A photo posted by Fawad A Khan (@fawadkhan81) on Jan 15, 2016 at 8:50am PST

Fawad Khan and wife Sadaf Khan were blessed with their baby girl  Elayna about three months back. Since then his fans have been waiting for that first glimpse of his daughter, right? The Pakistani actor, who was last seen in Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, flew back to Pakistan in July last year to be his wife during her pregnancy. And after 3 months, Sadaf took to social media to share the first picture of their daughter Elayna. The photo which she shared on Instagram featured Fawad carrying Elayna in his arms.The photo was taken during Fawad and Sadaf's son's birthday party. A video that had the family celebrating Ayaan's birthday was posted by Fawad's fan club on Instagram too.The actor married his childhood sweetheart in 2005 and they've a 6-year-old son, Ayaan.
A 16 year old shouldn't be forced to apologise & that too allegedly for meeting @MehboobaMufti. What are we coming to!!!!! https://t.co/MFz3ZKykV1  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) January 16, 2017

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan took to social media on Tuesday to extend support to his Dangal co-star Zaira Wasim who was trolled for meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.This comes after writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar and Bollywood director Vivek Agnihotri expressed distress about Wasim getting trolled online.Kan said, "I have read Zaira's statement, and I can understand what lead her to make that statement. Zaira, I want you to know that we are all with you. The beauty is that bright, young, talented, hardworking, respectful, caring and courageous kids like you are a role model for kids not only in India, but across the world.""You certainly are a role model for me! May God Bless you. Love. Aamir. P.S.: I appeal to everyone to now leave her alone and respect the fact that she is just a 16 yr old trying her best to deal with life," he added.Wasim, who played the younger version of wrestler Geeta Phogat in the Aamir Khan-starrer Dangal was trolled online after she met Mufti by a group of people who blamed the Chief Minister over recent unrest in the Valley and demanded that she should apologise for her actions.The young actress apologised on Monday after she was trolled on social media for her meeting. Forgive me, I am just sixteen... I want to apologise to all those people who I have unintentionally hurt. People have been hurt by who I meet, she had said."I'm being projected as a role model for Kashmiri youth... I don't want anyone to follow my footsteps. I am not proud of what I am doing," she added.Former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah took to twitter to express solidarity with Wasim. "A 16 year old shouldn't be forced to apologise & that too allegedly for meeting @MehboobaMufti. What are we coming to!!!!!," he wrote on twitter.Wasim will now be seen essaying the role role of a Muslim girl in Aamir Khan's next production Secret Superstar. In the film, she don a burqa to conceal her identity because her father is against her wish to pursue a career in music.
The new promo of Shah Rukh Khans Raees is out and it definitely lives up to the expectations of his fans. With the elements of aggression and fun mixed cleverly, the new promo explains that acting isnt all about glitz and glamour. And with superstar Shah Rukh Khan performing his stunts, the film only looks more authentic and his character a lot more believable. Since the makers of Raees have been creating buzz about the film by releasing promos that feature the main dialogue such as Baniye ka dimaag, Aa raha hoon main, Raees ko nahi chodunga, we arent surprised that the new promo has its focus on Battery nahi bolneka. With people referring to Shah Rukh Khan aka Raees Alam as battery, he reacts to it by thrashing them.In the film, superstar Shah Rukh Khan essays the title role of Raees, a bootlegger. It also marks Pakistani actress Mahira Khan's foray into Bollywood.Also starring Nawazzuddin Siddiqui, it is slated to release on January 25.
Mumbai: Raees makers will be releasing its original sound track separately in the music album. The film's director Rahul Dholakia says the source of inspiration was the Sholay album.



"I was a kid when 'Sholay' released, but I do remember listening to Gabbar's theme and the iconic dialogues on radio. So, when the idea came up about the original sound track (OST) I was most excited," Dholakia said in a statement.



He added: "We have some killer themes and extremely punchy dialogues - imagine the combination of both! That would be really cool as no one has done it before, and we have the substance so why not?"



The makers decided on coming out with OST when the trailer of the film had a complete commercial touch with a foot tapping background score.



Set against the backdrop of the prohibition in Gujarat, Raees touches upon the way the alcohol industry crumbled and several illegal activities followed. Its trailer gives a glimpse of the story backed by heavy duty action sequences, and many thrilling moments.



In the film, superstar Shah Rukh Khan essays the title role of Raees, a bootlegger. It also marks Pakistani actress Mahira Khan's foray into Bollywood.



Also starring Nawazzuddin Siddiqui, it is slated to release on January 25.






New Delhi: Actor Ranbir Kapoor, who has written the foreword to his father's soon-to-be released autobiography Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored, has opened up about the "formal" relationship between him and his father.



The 34-year-old actor, who recently delivered the box-office hit Ae Dil Hai Mushkil says that the father-son relationship is "one of complete reverence" and that he has never crossed a "certain line" with Rishi.



"I am closer to my mother. I feel that Dad modelled his relationship with me on the one he shared with his own father. And it is true that I have never crossed a certain line with him.



"But there is no sense of loss or vacuum here. I do wish sometimes that I could be friendlier with him or even spend more time with him," Ranbir writes in the foreword. The actor goes on on to say that he would not want to share a similar relationship with his own children in the

future and unlike his father, spend more time with them. "Sometimes I wish I could just pick up the phone and ask him, 'Dad, how are you doing?' But we do not have that. We do not have a phone relationship.



"When I get married and have children, I would want to change that dynamic with them. I don't want my relationship with my children to be as formal as the one I have with my father. I want to be friendlier, be more connected, spend more time with them than he did with me," he writes.



Despite the formal set up of their relationship, Ranbir says that he loves his father "dearly", and always looks up to him for inspiration. "I love my father dearly and have immense respect for him. I'm inspired by him and never want to let him down. I know he has only my best interests at heart. He also takes care of the financial side of my work. So we are more connected now.



"His confidence in me and my work makes me take pride in it. I persevere that much harder because of this. His belief and his encouragement are important to me," the Rockstar actor writes in the book.



Ranbir, however, steered clear of commenting on Rishi Kapoor's Twitter personality, but added that his father is a "straight arrow". "I do not have a take on his Twitter personality. All I can say is, so long as he is being honest and having fun, it's his prerogative. Social media is something very personal. "Of course, he gets himself into a spot sometimes with his frank speak, but I know he has no agenda and no hidden motive. My father is a straight arrow," he writes.



The HarperCollins book, co-written by Rishi Kapoor and Meena Iyer, is available for pre-order online and will be launched officially in Mumbai on Tuesday.
New Delhi: Akhilesh Yadav may have reached out to father Mulayam Singh Yadav after snatching the poll symbol cycle but the chief minister is not leaving anything to chance.



The UP CM's camp on Tuesday filed a caveat in the Supreme Court requesting the court not to pass an ex-parte order if the Mulayam camp files a plea.



Samajwadi Party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav requested the apex court not to pass any order without informing and hearing Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav a day after the Election Commission allotted the SP's cycle symbol to the CM's camp.



EC had deliberated on whether to use the Test of Functionality or the Test of Majority before deciding in favour of Akhilesh.



Earlier, sources told CNN-News18, that Akhilesh will directly lead the talks for a Mahagatbandhan between Samajwadi Party, Congress and the RLD for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, and is likely to accommodate a few old loyalists of Mulayam.



Though Mulayam Singh Yadav has not shown any inclination to approach the court to contest ECs order, the act of filing the caveat as a precautionary measure goes to show that the family feud was far from over.
Facebook (FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed in court testimony Tuesday that the company actually paid $3 billion to buy Oculus.

His testimony came in a Dallas courtroom, when game maker ZeniMax alleges that Oculus, bought by Facebook in 2014, stole the company's intellectual property.



ZeniMax's attorney pressed Zuckerberg on the total Facebook paid for the company. Zuckerberg revealed that beyond the $2 billion price tag, that was widely reported, Facebook paid an additional $700 million to retain employees and another $300 million earnout for hitting key milestones.

Nearly three years after the Oculus acquisition Zuckerberg defended against allegations that Oculus stole ZeniMax's intellectual property, also explaining his interest in VR and how it fits into his vision for Oculus.



After being introduced to the technology by famed investor Marc Andreessen , meeting with Oculus made Zuckerberg realize that the shift from television to virtual reality was closer than he thought, prompting him to invest in virtual reality.

Through this intense cross-examination, Zuckerberg revealed more insight into his interest in VR, an investment which many have criticized as too far-flung from Facebook's core mission.

"We want to give people more tools to share their experience  get closer to this kind of perfect representation so you can capture a moment you had," said Zuckerberg.

The case centers around John Carmack, Oculus chief technology officer and founder of a company owned by ZeniMax. Andreessen wrote an email to Zuckerberg in 2013, saying "The key seems to be that ... they have added John Carmack as the CTO ... he is completely obsessed with it and I want to give him all my money on the spot," ZeniMax's lawyer Tony Sammi said.



"We decided that by far this was the best team out there and we wanted to move forward," Zuckerberg said.



ZeniMax alleges that the Oculus Rift was "primitive" until Carmack added numerous improvements to the headset prototype, alongside ZeniMax employees.



Story continues

"Carmack made breakthrough modifications to the Rift prototype based upon years of prior research at ZeniMax," the legal complaint says.



On the stand, Zuckerberg said, "I am here because I believe [these accusations] are false and I think it's important to testify to that."



Sammi asked Zuckerberg to respond to claims that Carmack had code and more than 10,000 documents from before he left ZeniMax.



"No, I wasn't aware of that," Zuckerberg said. "It's something we should investigate."

Zuckerberg also said that Carmack has not been disciplined in relation to the case because "it would be wrong to discipline employees for claims that we believe are wrong."

Zuckerberg told the court he was unaware of whether Oculus founder Palmer Luckey signed an nondisclosure agreement with ZeniMax, nor did he know of one of Oculus' co-founders Nate Miller getting information from ZeniMax.

When asked why the lawsuit between ZeniMax and Oculus wasn't brought to his attention sooner, Zuckerberg said that "it is pretty common when you announce a big deal, all kinds of people come out of the woodwork and make claims."

"I had my legal team look into all claims that would come up and they're going to bring me things they think I need to see," Zuckerberg said.

The lawsuit alleges that Luckey formed Oculus just three days after a gaming convention where ZeniMax displayed the technology behind the Rift headset.

Oculus told CNBC it's eager to respond in court to the suit.

"Oculus and its founders have invested a wealth of time and money in VR because we believe it can fundamentally transform the way people interact and communicate," an Oculus spokesperson told CNBC before Tuesday's proceedings. "We're disappointed that another company is using wasteful litigation to attempt to take credit for technology that it did not have the vision, expertise, or patience to build."

But Sammi asked Zuckerberg "If you steal my bike, paint it, put a bell on it, does that make it your bike?"

"No," Zuckerberg replied.

 Reporting by Lucy Scott and CNBC's Mike Newberg . Additional reporting by CNBC's Julia Boorstin

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.





More From CNBC


The confusion persisted till the very last. On the D-day, when the patriarch went around to take one final look at the party headquarters he had literally built brick by brick, his fusillade against the son was latched on with both hands. Mulayam will contest against Akhilesh, it was said. From where, when, how. Akhilesh is an MLC, a member of legislative council. He's hasn't and needn't contest elections. UP had a bicameral polity. But then who would go into all the details.



In the protracted battle for the symbol and legacy, a battle which lasted more than three months one saw many shades of MSY, the father and a wily politician who spoke to the press only as much was needed. He kept most people guessing.

To sum it all up, MSY did everything to stop his own son from taking over the party. A son whom he groomed to be his political heir. Whom he fielded from Kannauj in 1999. Son whom he made chief minister in 2012.

Politics is in progression. It is never static. Politics is about letting things take a course best suited to serve a purpose or an intent.



A young bespectacled MP with salt and pepper beard accompanied Ram Gopal Yadav during the Election Commission hearing on the Samajwadi Party symbol. One could also see Neeraj Shekhar, former Prime Minister Chandrasekhar's son in the frame when the uncle spoke to the media moments after the EC reserved bicycle for the Akhilesh camp late Monday evening.Ironically, it was Chandrashekar's own party- the Samajwadi Janta Party which Mulayam broke away from to form his own outfit twenty five years back.The only concession MSY made to the party was that he never fielded any candidate from Balia- Chandrashekar's LS constituency till the former PM was alive. Neeraj Shekhar after his father's death contested and won from Balia on SP symbol.But then such is politics. Some would call it the divine comeuppance. Others, vicissitudes of life. Political pundits in the in last four months changed their verdict and punditry as often as Mulayam changed his stand.And then there were conspiracy theorists who had a field day. For them it was as if MSY and Akhilesh met every day in some dark corner of 7 Vikramaditya Marg to plan and rehearse the next act.Mulayam, though coming from the Hindi hinterland, had an early grasp on the importance and impact of media in modern day politics. And most importantly myopic understanding and scope of political journalism in particular.As the chief minister, he unlike most heartland politician didn't confine this relationship he built with the media to Hindi press. He knew full well that for a larger role in national politics, he needed larger political audience. He needed to reach to Left in Bengal and DMK in Tamil Nadu or an NTR in Andhra.He never abandoned brother Shivpal even in most trying times. Mulayam stood by him, never discouraged Shivpal from giving his very best to claim MSY's political legacy.MSY kept Amar Singh by his side. He showed those seeking a larger say in party politics that he tried his level best. To those opposing any truck with the Congress- both within and outside the party- MSY fought a valiant battle.The beauty of this entire endeavour was that despite everything, within a span of three months Akhilesh has both the party and the symbol firmly under his belt.It's a transition Sonia Gandhi has struggled to effect in the last ten years. Or Karunanidhi has attempted to oversee in two decades.And during this period, MSY not for a bit lost his old day charm of seeking out people. In the midst of high stake battle in the EC, he one day postponed his departure to Lucknow to meet a scribe's father. All to discuss the good old days and some teacher's agitation in UP he had supported while in opposition!A senior BJP leader from UP told someone recently that MSY has been able to do what most of his contemporaries couldn't in their lifetime.Settle his legacy and oversee transition of power. It was a bumpy ride though. At the end of the day it was worth it.His son has his cycle now. And Akhilesh is firmly saddled on it.
Chennai: Announcing her intention to take the political plunge, Deepa Jayakumar, niece of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, on Tuesday said she would disclose her political roadmap on February 24, the birth anniversary of 'Amma'.



Deepa talked to the media after scores of AIADMK cadre thronged her residence here and appealed to her to assume a leading role.



Days after announcing that she will make a declaration on her political entry on the birth centenary of AIADMK founder MGR today, she merely said she was all set for the political plunge.



However, she did not disclose if she would start a new political party or join any other party.



"So far there have been questions expressing doubts if I would enter politics or not, if I would engage in people's work and whether I will be afraid and run away (from political arena)," she said.



"To end such things, I make it clear on this day (MGR's birth centenary) that I will enter politics, do people's work and I desire that," she told reporters at a crowded press conference, adding, she was "interested in politics. I am waiting to work for the people."



She said she was all set to undertake a state-wide tour to solicit the views of her supporters, a section of whom are in the ruling AIADMK and the public before disclosing her plans on February 24.



"I have decided to enter politics. It will be made known on February 24 on the birth anniversary of J Jayalalithaa, the landmark day. I don't think there is any other day which will be best suited."



"The work left my Amma should be continued, her name and reputation should be guarded," she said, adding she was waiting to make public her landmark announcement on a landmark day.



Asked whether she and AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala should join forces and prevent a break-up in the party, Deepa said, "I have no opinion," adding, she was only considering the aspirations of the cadre and taking into account "Makkal Sakthi (people's power)".



She said she was being given suggestions and recommendation to "join the AIADMK or start a new political party and there are also other views which I would like to analyse and take a decision."



She said she was asked by the cadre to take up a role in the AIADMK. Asked if Sasikala invited her to join the AIADMK, she said, "No. I can only give a direct answer and that is a no."



Answering a question if she will have the support of Sasikala if she chose to join the AIADMK, she said, "It is premature to talk about this...my course of action has to be decided."



On her view in a petition in the high court for a probe into the circumstances surrounding Jayalalithaa's death, she said, "I did not have suspicion. If such doubts had cropped up, I may have been a party (in the case)."



Asked if she concurred with the allegation that AIADMK has been "taken over" by Sasikala and her family, Deepa said, "That is the view of a larger section of people today. But this is not my view. I am only talking about my course of action."
Delhi: MoS Social Justice Vijay Sampla(who reportedly offered to quit as Punjab BJP Chief) at Social Justice Min TC Gehlot's residence pic.twitter.com/OoKA1Q2aaK  ANI (@ANI_news) January 17, 2017

Expressing his dissatisfaction over ticket distribution in the party ahead of crucial Punajb assembly elections, state BJP unit president and Cabinet minister Vijay Sampla reportedly offered to resign from both the posts.Sampla, who is MoS for Social Justice and Empowerment, sent his resignation letter to BJP president Amit Shah but the party high command has not accepted it yet.Sampla was reportedly upset as BJP ignored his suggestions regarding the selection of a particular candidate for the Fagwara constituency.Assembly elections in Punjab are scheduled to take place on February 4. Election to the 117-member Punjab assembly, promises to be three-way fight between the ruling SAD-BJP combine, Congress and the new entrant AAP.Reacting to Sampla's resignation, Punjab Congress leader Captain Amrinder Singh told CNN News18," It's sad that Vijay Sampla wants to resign."
Sukhbir Badal finds himself in an unenviable position today. Ten years of being at the forefront of the Shiromani Akali Dal, playing the bad cop to his father's good cop routine on occasion, he is the man credited with a powerful turnaround for the Shiromani Akali Dal.



However, the 2017 elections will test him to the limit. There is a new kid on the block, the Aam Aadmi Party. Punjabis are known to be risk takers and supporters of the underdog.

Hitting out at the former BJP MP from Amritsar Navjot Sidhu, Sukhbir Badal says he is a mercenary who is up for sale to the highest bidder.

"Manpreet Badal as CM, Navjot Sidhu as CM, Amarinder as CM, Pratap Bajwa as CM, I wonder how many CM candidates the Congress has projected," quips Badal.

: It is perhaps a crowd of about a 1000 people in Dhuri near Sangrur where Sukhbir Badal was addressing a gathering in support of party candidate Gobind Singh Longowal. Not a mega rally, but the new trend of holding small but numerous meetings across the state.It is almost 5 PM and Sukhbir has not had his lunch. Immediately after the public meeting at the Anaj Mandi in Dhuri, Sukhbir goes over to a party loyalist's house where he is served lunch at a table with supporters crowding from all sides.This meeting at Dhuri must be his sixth or seventh of the day and would be followed by three or four more.Under his watch the Akali Dal managed to break the routine of an alternating political party running the state government. It was always the Congress or the SAD for decades prior to the 2012 victory when the Akalis in alliance with the BJP came in for a second round.And then they managed to do this despite having a lesser vote share than the Congress which garnered 40 per cent of the votes polled.Sukhbir managed to do all this with support from a loyal Akali cadre, his ability to take quick business-like decisions and his astute skill at giving his supporters just about enough to keep them hooked. Not too little, but never too much.No wonder then that the AAP managed to push through four Members of Parliament, the only ones they could muster, from Punjab. Punjabis are quick to support novelty, but also quick to reject it if it does not fulfil their expectations.Despite big ticket projects like beautification of the Golden Temple complex, highways, roadways, flyovers, bridges and infrastructure, seva kendras and a more responsive administration, Sukhbir is also perceived to be the man who presided over a gradual deterioration in the states finances.Allegations of drug abuse and criminalisation and also of growing wealthy at the expense of the state continue to haunt him.It is this dichotomy that will pose Sukhbir the biggest challenge - negotiating anti-incumbency, denying allegations and charges and also continuing to project a progressive future for the state.Sukhbir tells CNN-News18 that it is human nature to always demand more and so is the case with many who say he hasn't done enough.He also denies growing rich at the cost of the state and throws a counter question: "Who does not want to be rich"?Reacting to Navjot Singh Sidhus entry into the Congress party he claims, "The Congress has assured Navjot Sidhu of being the Chief Minister of Punjab as Rahul Gandhi does not like Capt Amarinder Singh."On Monday Navjot Sidhu officially joined the Congress and will contest on its ticket from Amritsar East laying to rest the probability that he might be asked to contest from Jalalabad against Sukhbir Badal. Congress will now be represented by Ravneet Bittu and the Aam Aadmi Party has fielded star campaigner Bhagwant Mann who hates to be called a comedian despite the fact that it is his comic skills that propelled him to stardom and the handed him his political career.Speaking exclusively to CNN News18 Sukhbir continues his tirade against Sidhu saying he is a showman hired to perform till February 4 and goes on to add he suffers from a disease that prevents him from staying in any one party for too long.On Congress candidate Ravneet Bittu standing against him in Jalalabad, Badal says he would be happy to help him find his way around the villages since he is new to the area.Claiming that Amarinder was not serious about fighting Parkash Singh Badal on his home turf of Lambi near Bathinda, Sukhbir challenged Captain to quit his Patiala ticket and contest solely from Lambi.Sukhbir will perhaps have to rely more on his poll strategies, splitting votes, tackling anti-incumbency, last minute campaigning, and even bigger promises in addition to what he admits is vital - blessings from the almighty - to make a comeback in the state.For otherwise, the winds of change or "badlav" as many like to call it are growing stronger.
New Delhi: Former Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Laxmikant Vajpayee, grandson of former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and the party's national secretary Shrikant Sharma are among the 149 candidates whose names the BJP announced on Monday for the state assembly polls.



Most of the seats will go to the polls in the first two phases on February 11 and 15.



Vajpayee has been fielded from Meerut, from where he is the sitting MLA, Singh's grandson Sandeep Singh and Sharma will make their maiden entry in electoral fray from Atrauli and Mathura respectively.



Releasing the list, the party's Central Election Committee's Secretary J P Nadda said it has accommodated

various sections of society. The CEC had met last night to finalise candidates.



It has retained sitting MLAs, including Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana, both accused in Muzaffarnagar riot cases, dismissed as a conspiracy by them, in the list.



However, mystery remained over the fate of Union Home Minister and UP heavyweight Rajnath Singh's son Pankaj Singh whose name did not figure in the list.



BJP has withheld announcement of its candidates for some seats, including Sahibabad and Noida-- two seats from where Pankaj Singh's name has been doing the rounds.



Seven-phase polls for the 403 seats are taking place in UP on February 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, March 4 and 8.

The party's CEC will meet again tomorrow to announce names of more candidates.



While it is buoyant about its prospects in a state where it has been out of power since 2002 and has seen the arrival of sitting MLAs and leaders from various rival parties into its fold, there is speculation that Swami Prasad Maurya, a top BSP leader who had joined the saffron party months back, is unhappy with the leadership over its choice of probable candidates.



The party has been pulling out all stops to capture power in UP, which in terms of political implications is more important than all other four poll-bound states combined.
New Delhi: Akhilesh Yadav will directly lead the talks for a Mahagatbandhan between Samajwadi Party, Congress and the RLD for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and is likely to accommodate a few old loyalists of his estranged father Mulayam Singh Yadav, sources told CNN-News18.



The Uttar Pradesh chief minister on Tuesday met Mulayam, a day after he scored a political coup by snatching the party poll symbol Cycle from the official faction led by his father. Sources told News18 that while Akhilesh reaching out to his father will send a strong message to voters that he would not be alienating the party old guard, he has made it clear to Mulayam that he will be handling the entire election campaign without any interference from anyone.



Sources said that Shivpal Yadav  who led a bitter faction fight against Akhilesh  may not be contesting in the assembly polls slated to begin on February 4. According to the compromise reached, Akhilesh will accommodate Shivpals son Aditya Yadav in the final SP list.



Akhilesh, sources said, has also asked Mulayam not to go to court against the Election Commission order on Monday allotting the party symbol to the faction led by Ram Gopal Yadav and himself. He has also made it clear that Shivpal will not have any say in election management.



Around 25 candidates who are close to Mulayam will be accommodated in the SP list.



CNN NEWS 18 has learnt that the SP-Congress-RLD alliance will be announced soon and SP will retain the lions share of 270-280 seats out of the 403 total seats in the state assembly. Congress is expected to get 80-90 seats, which could rise to 100 too depending on alliance talks with Ajit Singhs RLD.



Sources privy to the talks said SP has conveyed to the RLD and Congress leadership that it would be difficult to give more than 23 seats to RLD, whose area of influence is limited to the Jat belt of Western UP.
New Delhi: As the BJP pads up for the all-crucial Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, there is a sense of deja vu gripping its HQ at 11, Ashoka Road, New Delhi.



Bitter memories of the trouncing at the hands of a last-minute grand alliance in Bihar in 2015 that saw rivals Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar joining hands is back haunting the BJP strategists as Akhilesh Yadav puts final touches to another Mahagathbandhan in Uttar Pradesh.



For one, Akhilesh Yadav is reborn politically after the Election Commission decisively ruled in favour of his claims over party symbol Cycle.



Akhilesh has now put all the ills plaguing his five-year-rule, including deteriorating law and order  the main campaign plank of BJP  behind him, blaming it all on Shivpal Yadav, Amar Singh & Co, who breathed down his neck early on in his stint as chief minister.



Akhilesh can now easily claim his hands were tied for five years and ask voters to focus on the development work he has done.



In one sweep, he has banished the anti-incumbency that plagues every government.



In private, BJP leaders admit that having won the cycle race, Akhilesh is starting with a clean slate.



It is too late in the campaign for BJP to announce a chief ministerial candidate and the only option  acceptable to all in the party  would be to throw their lot behind Home Minister Rajnath.



But that option is off the table now and Singh himself has clarified multiple times he is not interested.



Strategy-wise, what disturbs BJP vis-a-vis the SP-Congress-RLD Mahagathbandhan is the urban vote and the caste vs class divide.



SP sources say that when Akhilesh announced candidates for 235 seats on December 29 he had ensured that many urban constituencies are left for Congress.



During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP swept the state with 71 seats, the Congress had stood second in several urban constituencies.



While Rajnath Singh won the Lucknow Lok Sabha Constituency, Congresss Rita Bahuguna Joshi (now with BJP) polled over 27 percent votes to come in second.



In Kanpur, Congresss Shri Prakash Jaiswal polled 2.51 lakh votes and came second to Murli Manohar Joshi.



In Ghaziabad current UPCC president Raj Babbar stood second while in Saharanpur, Imran Masood lost to BJPs Raghav Lakhanpal for a slim margin.



While the Congress did not contest the Lok Sabha election in Mathura, its ally, Jayant Chaudhary of the RLD, was second to BJPs actor-turned-politician Hema Malini. Besides, Congresss Pradeep Mathur currently holds the Mathura assembly seat.



In Barabanki, Congress veteran PL Punia came in second and Kushi Nagar, RPN Singh was the runner up with 30% of the vote share.



The Grand Old Party won only 28 seats in the 2012 assembly elections but 13 of these seats came from urban centers.



These were key seats such as Shamli, Hapur, Khurja, Mathura, Lucknow Cantt and Allahabad North, many of which have a large concentration of minority voters.



In the 2016 assembly bypolls, the Congress added one more urban center to the list when Maviya Ali won the Deoband seat.

Interestingly, the SPs Meena Rana was second in the seat and the BJP candidate finished a distant third.



BJP sources said the party was concerned about the Congress, SP and BSP putting up Muslim candidates in cities where Muslims are dominant.



In the absence of an alliance, BJP was hopeful of a split in Muslim votes.



In Saharanpur city, for instance, the BJP managed to win in 2012 despite the citys 46% Muslim population. This time, the BJP is concerned that a grand alliance may unify minority votes against it.



Urban centers have traditionally been the BJPs strongholds owing to the partys support among trading communities who form one-third of the population of most major cities in UP.



In the wake of demonetisation, the BJP is worried about the Baniya vote swinging towards the alliance. While traders have been bitter critics of the SP, for its failure to control the law and order situation in the state, the community may not be averse to voting Congress.



Caste, of course, is a decisive factor in the rural areas of Hindi heartland.



At BJPs national executive in New Delhi on January 7, the first one after demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi projected his move as a pro-poor and welfarist.



He struck an emotional note and said he, too, was born into poverty. He then went on to claim that the poor of the country had accepted demonetisation as a means to combat all social ills, including corruption.



That has also been a constant refrain of the PM in his several rallies across Uttar Pradesh. The BJP was hoping that post the move, they will be able to create a new constituency and move away from the image of being a Brahmin-Baniya party.



But now the fear is that in its effort to create a new constituency - the poor - the PMs populist schemes may end up alienating the partys core voter base of traders.



This, many feel, is reminiscent of Indira Gandhis Garibi Hatao campaign, under which she unleashed a slew of populist, anti-poverty policy measures. However, the India of 1970s was perhaps not so sharply divided along caste lines as it is today.



And Indira Gandhis clarion call was seen as a fight for socialism against capitalism. After Mandal politics gained steam in the late 1980s, the political landscape of India in general and UP in particular changed forever.



Elections became less about socialist messaging and more about managing caste combinations.



In 1985 Assembly elections, the Congress finished at the top with 269 Assembly seats but four years later in 1989 after Mandal politics took centrestage the Congress tally was down to 94.

Mulayam Singh Yadavs Janta Dal emerged victorious with 208 seats.



A top source in the BJP says that the partys main talking points for UP polls will be surgical strikes and Pakistan, and pro-poor policies aligned with demonetisation.



What bothers the strategists at 11, Ashoka Road, is if the poor of Uttar Pradesh rise above their caste allegiances and think about themselves as poor first. Also, moderates in the saffron camp fear that Muslims will get goaded to vote en masse for the Mahagathbandhan when partys motor mouths cross the line between anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim.



Many recall this happening in Bihar during the heat of the campaign leading to a consolidation of Muslim votes in favour of the Lalu-Nitish combine.




New Delhi: With Akhilesh Yadav conclusively winning the battle for Samajwadi Party and a Congress-SP alliance for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls just a matter of time, Congress CM candidate Sheila Dikshit is all set to call it quits.



"I am irrelevant. I would plump for Akhilesh and an alliance with him. So why shouldn't he be the CM?" Dikshit had told News18 two weeks ago at her residence in Delhi.



During the conversation, the 78-year-old and a three-time chief minister also admitted what was suspected all along: "I never wanted to become the CM face."



Dikshit's opting out would make things easier for the Congress which would otherwise have had to look for a face-saver in case the alliance takes shape.



Akhilesh Yadav has already made it clear that he is thrashing out a Mahagatbandhan along the lines of the RJD-JDU coming together in Bihar which defeated BJP in the Assembly polls last year. The UP alliance will see SP, Congress and Ajit Singh's RLD joining hands to take on the BJP.



Sources told News18, talks on seat sharing have reached a final phase and the alliance could be announced within 24 hours.



Congress leadership and Akhilesh Yadav were rooting for the alliance but the bitter faction feud that played out in Samajwadi Party had delayed any final deal. SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his faction led by Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh were against any truck with Congress that they suspected will only help the Congress win seats at SP's expense.



However, with the Election Commission ruling on Monday in favour of Akhilesh, decks have been cleared for the grand coalition.



Akhilesh and the Congress high command expects the alliance will be the natural choice for the state's 19% Muslim population and others who are wary of BJP coming to power in Lucknow.
#S8 is READY & will be present to mwc,though NOT showcased to big public.. Little bird told me 3/29 , available w17, from 849 !!! #galaxyS8  Ricciolo (@Ricciolo1) January 16, 2017

A recent leak on Twitter by Ricciolo suggests that the much awaited Samsung Galaxy S8 will just be showcased at the Mobile World Congress 2017 and the real launch date of the phone will be on 29th March 2017.In his tweet, he said that a 'little bird' told him that. This twitter account has been taking credit for putting out some credible information in the past. But we do take this with a bit of scepticism. We think that if Samsung will showcase the phone at MWC 2017, they would want to play it big at the biggest mobile conference in the world.The tweet also suggests that the device will be priced at $849, that's roughly Rs 60,000.Recently Samsung got the smartphone enthusiasts buzzing with two new ads on YouTube. The ads show Samsung's brand-new AMOLED displays.And at the end of these ads there is a mysterious smartphone that shows up. It's believed that the phone is the upcoming Smasung Galaxy S8. The phone has been much talked about in recent months and will be the first major release by the company after the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. The device is expected to launch at Mobile World Congress 2017 that will be held in Barcelona.The Korean promo also suggests a high screen to body ratio and a 4K display. The promo also shows a sharp display and low power consumption. Read the full story here: Samsung Galaxy S8 Revealed: Price, Specs And Everything Else You Need to Know
Cairo: A group of terrorists attacked a security checkpoint at Al-Naqb in southwestern Egypt's New Valley Governorate, 70 km from Kharga city, killing eight police officials and injuring three others.



The attack took place last night in which two of the attackers were killed during the gunbattle between security forces and the terrorists, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.



The forces have launched a hunt for the remaining attackers who managed to escape after the attack, it said.



No terror group has claimed responsibility of the attack so far.



Egypt has witnessed many violent attacks by militants in the last few years and since the January 2011 revolution that toppled the ex-president Hosni Mubarak.



The attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.










: Eugene Cernan, the last astronaut to walk on the moon - an experience that he said made him "belong to the universe," died on Monday at the age of 82, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said.Cernan, who was also the second man to walk in space, died surrounded by his family, the US space agency said in a statement without providing details.A separate statement from his family and released by NASA said his death came after "ongoing health issues."Cernan and fellow Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt became members of the most exclusive club in the universe on December 11, 1972, when they stepped from their lunar landing module onto the moon's surface. Only 10 other people - all American astronauts - had done so before and none since."Oh, my golly," Cernan told mission control in Houston as he touched the moon. "Unbelievable."For three days, the moon was home for Cernan and Schmitt. They rambled more than 19 miles (30 km) in their lunar roving vehicle and gathered more than 220 pounds (100 kg) of rocks during their 22 hours of exploration of craters and hills."I knew that I had changed in the past three days and that I no longer belonged solely to the Earth," Cernan wrote in a memoir titled "The Last Man on the Moon." "Forever more, I would belong to the universe."Cernan was 38 years old when he blasted off for the moon on December 7, 1972, as commander of Apollo 17. With Ronald Evans orbiting above in the command module, Cernan and Harrison Schmitt, a geologist, rode the lunar lander to the moon's surface four days later.They explored for about seven hours each day and Cernan wrote that moonwalking was painful for him because he had injured a tendon in his leg two months earlier playing softball.On the day before returning to the command module, Cernan drove the rover to a point away from the lunar module so that a camera on the vehicle could film their departure. He then paid tribute to his young daughter, Tracy."I took a moment to kneel and with a single finger, scratched Tracy's initials, TDC, in the lunar dust, knowing those three letters would remain there undisturbed for more years than anyone could imagine," Cernan wrote in his memoir.The size 10-1/2 boot prints that Cernan made on his walk back to the module afterward marked the last steps man has taken on the moon. Cernan said he spoke spontaneously as he returned to the lunar module. In this May 7, 2004 file photo, former astronaut Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, stands next to a wall of photographs he made on the Apollo 17 mission, at the Museum of Natural History in New York. (Photo: Reuters)"As we leave the moon and Taurus-Littrow (a deep lunar valley where they had landed), we leave as we came, and God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind," he told mission control."As I take these last steps from the surface for some time to come, I'd just like to record that America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. Godspeed to the crew of Apollo 17."In a 2007 interview for NASA's oral history program, Cernan recalled his final moments before climbing back in the lander."Those steps up that ladder, they were tough to make," he said. "I didn't want to go up. I wanted to stay a while."Apollo 17 was Cernan's last flight as an astronaut after 566 hours and 15 minutes in space.Cernan was born March 14, 1934, and grew up near Chicago. He was in the military officers training program at Purdue University, where he first met Neil Armstrong, who would become the first moonwalker.Cernan became a Navy test pilot and joined the astronaut corps in October 1963. His first space flight came three years later due to a tragedy. Cernan and Thomas Stafford had been designated to be the backups for Gemini 9 and had to take over the three-day mission when the original crew members were killed in a plane crash.Cernan became the third person - following a Russian cosmonaut and U.S. astronaut Ed White - to make a spacewalk on the Gemini mission and set what was then a record by being outside the spacecraft for two hours and nine minutes.In 1969, Cernan was the pilot of the Apollo 10 lunar module that came within 9.6 miles (15.6 km) of the moon's surface after separating from the command module. The descent toward the surface served as a dress rehearsal for Apollo 11, which two months later delivered the first men to the moon, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.Cernan retired from NASA and the Navy in 1976. As a civilian he helped start Air One airline, worked as an energy and aerospace consultant, served as chairman of an engineering company and was a space commentator for ABC News.In 2011, after NASA ended the space shuttle program, Cernan joined Armstrong in testifying before a congressional committee to urge the government not to give up on space exploration. Cernan was particularly critical of the decision by President Barack Obama's administration not to pursue the Constellation program, which aimed to send astronauts to the moon and Mars."I don't think he fully understands what traditional America is all about because he didn't literally grow up here," Cernan said of Obama in a 2012 interview with Fox News.Cernan met his first wife, Barbara, who had been a flight attendant for Continental Airlines, on a plane. They divorced in 1981 after 20 years and one child and in 1987 he married Jan Nanna with whom he had two daughters.Cernan is survived by his wife, Jan Nanna Cernan, his daughter and son-in-law, Tracy Cernan Woolie and Marion Woolie, step-daughters Kelly Nanna Taff and husband, Michael, and Danielle Nanna Ellis and nine grandchildren.
Rome: Four people died and nearly 180 are missing, presumed dead, after Saturday's migrant ship capsize in the Mediterranean, officials said on Tuesday after interviewing a handful of survivors.



Humanitarian workers from International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), recounted harrowing details of the latest major tragedy in waters off Libya after talking to four rescued passengers, two Eritreans and two Ethiopians, who arrived on Monday evening in the Sicilian port of Trapani.



The survivors, three men and one woman, were described as "traumatised and exhausted". They said their two-tier, wooden boat had left Libya on Friday with more 180 people packed on board, all of them originally from East Africa.



After five hours at sea, the engine cut out and the boat started to take on water. As it slowly sank, more and more of the people on board were submerged under water.



One of the survivors described his desperate effort to find his wife, who had taken a spot in the centre of the ship.



After hours in the water, the survivors were rescued on Saturday 30 nautical miles from the Libyan coast by a French boat operating as part of the European borders agency Frontex's Operation Triton before being transferred to another Frontex ship, the Siem Pilot.



Siem Pilot, provided by the Norwegian coastguard, arrived in Trapani on Monday evening with the four survivors, four recovered corpses and 34 people rescued from another stricken migrant boat.



The latest deaths and rescues follow a record year for the number of migrants trying to reach Europe on the western Mediterranean route from north Africa to Italy.



Some 181,000 people were registered at Italian ports in 2016 while the UNHCR recorded more than 5,000 deaths and presumed deaths on all migrant routes across the Mediterranean.



Despite the mid-winter weather making crossings particularly perilous, the start of 2017 has brought no sign of departures slowing with some 2,300 migrants already registered in Italy since January 1.










BEDFORD COUNTY  Lush carpets of fast-growing native flora feed on the landscape, dotted with clusters of blueberry and blackberry plants and mountain laurels, and tulip trees are sprouting everywhere on the land, which happens to feature one of the highest elevations in the nearby countryside.

It sounds like a bucolic scene fit for a painters canvas, but this is actually going to be a busy research center when spring arrives  and a boon to the scientific endeavors of Lynchburg College.

Thanks to a recent 21-acre land donation from an Evington man, the college has expanded its Claytor Nature Study Center. Researchers will benefit because the property has unusually dense concentrations of plants like blueberries, as well as some rare species, according to Gregory Eaton, the centers director.

Bob Kibler gave the land to the college through a deed restricted by a conservation easement that prevents almost any kind of future development. That means the land will be kept almost untouched and used for research purposes only.

So much of the land is being consumed. It would be nice to keep some of it for the future generations to see what it really was like, Kibler said Monday.

The pristine tract  contiguous roughly along the northern boundary of the existing 470 acres of the nature center  expands the Claytor Center in land mass by 4.5 percent. The transfer took place in December.

Professors and students from Lynchburg College studying on the property, situated in the Peaksville area of central Bedford County, will enjoy several opportunities not necessarily (or easily) found on the existing property.

Eaton said Monday there are several plants on the donated parcel that are not usually found anywhere else in the area, providing an opening into new research. He called that the most interesting thing about this addition.

From a botanical point of view, that was one of the most important things, Eaton said; for example, an orchid colony that has been located on the property will allow for expanded studies in that area.

The plot is almost entirely free of nonnative plants.

Also included in the parcel is a hill that could be the new highest elevation point in the nature center, though that has not been established definitively. It offers views of the Peaks of Otter. Eaton said the centers highest known elevation point currently is 980 feet above sea level.

After some log-clearing took place on Kiblers land, numerous plant species have been growing back up that we dont have elsewhere on the property, things like blueberries and mountain laurel, Eaton said. Both of those are unusual.

While some of those plants are known to exist on the centers older land, they are harder to find, he said. If a student or visitor wanted me to lead them to a blueberry plant, he said, now it will be quite easy to lead them to this plot.

Eaton said he is excited about the opportunity for a longitudinal forest study, which tracks plant and tree growth over a long period. Now that this plot has been so recently clear-cut, we can start from a much more clear baseline of vegetation and track how it changes, he said.

The conservation easement blocks any future development of the land, but the college may do some work to build trails allowing easier access to the plants; other than that, it will not require investment, Eaton said. He called the easement one of the beautiful parts of working out here.

The original nature center land was donated by Boyd Claytor, a friend of Kibler, in the 1990s. That later inspired Kibler, who earned his undergraduate and master of business administration degrees from Lynchburg College.

The land newly donated by Kibler is one of two parcels he has placed under conservation easements.

Kenneth Garren, Lynchburg College president, lauded the donation to the nature center in a statement, calling it a significant education asset to the college community and Central Virginia. We are grateful to Mr. Kibler for this gift, stemming from our mutual love for conservation and nature.
GOP gubernatorial hopeful Corey Stewart attacked nomination rival Ed Gillespie on Monday at a pro-gun rally outside the state Capitol because Gillespie wasnt there.

I just saw him up there in the General Assembly Building. But did he even bother to show up and address you? He didnt, Stewart told a crowd of gun-rights backers gathered at the Bell Tower. He sent somebody else  another politician  to come and talk to you. The guys afraid of his own shadow.

Stewart, who was fired in October as Virginia chairman of Donald Trumps campaign after taking part in an unauthorized protest outside the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, has tried to position himself as a Trump-style Republican running against Gillespies establishment brand of GOP politics.

Stewart attacks Gillespie, the former Republican National Committee chairman, on Twitter and recently gave away an AR-15 rifle to raise attention to his campaign.

The politician who spoke for Gillespie was Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Prince William. He said Gillespie is a supporter of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, which organizes the rally annually, and would be accountable for his pro-Second Amendment positions.

He will abolish all of Terry McAuliffes illegal executive orders dealing with our right to keep and bear arms, Lingamfelter said. He will oppose any effort to infringe on our Second Amendment right and he will use his veto pen when he needs to.

Matt Moran, a spokesman for Gillespies campaign, said Gillespie committed to take part in an event at a church Monday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day before he was invited to speak at the gun-rights rally and he did not want to break the church commitment.

He appreciates VCDL President Phil Van Cleave understanding that, and allowing Delegate Scott Lingamfelter to share with the crowd Eds strong support of our Second Amendment rights.

Rally organizers are pushing for constitutional carry in Virginia  or the ability to carry a concealed handgun without a permit. Del. Benjamin L. Cline, R-Rockbridge, is sponsoring such a bill. Similar legislation failed last year.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat and proponent of measures that he says combat gun violence, has vetoed GOP measures on guns. So while gun issues will be debated during the legislative session, proposed changes face an uncertain fate.

During last years session, McAuliffe did compromise with Republicans on several gun laws, agreeing to Virginias recognition of concealed handgun permits from all other states  a priority for gun-rights advocates known as reciprocity. In return, Republicans supported several bills backed by Democrats, including a measure aimed at stopping domestic abusers from possessing guns.

The deal overturned a prior action by Attorney General Mark R. Herring, a Democrat, stopping Virginia from recognizing concealed handgun permits from certain other states whose requirements for permits were not as strict as Virginias.

At a rally later in the day in the same spot, proponents of gun control called for peace and an end to gun violence.

Maat Ahmed, a seventh-grader at Binford Middle School in Richmond, read a quote from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and said that even in 2017 his dream still hasnt become reality.

Wake up. Rise up. Lets put aside barbaric behaviors and put action to his dream so all may live in a peaceful and fearless world, she said. Please, lets put an end to gun violence.

Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, and Herring, who is running for re-election, were among speakers.

You know, were not out here being unreasonable, Northam said. All were asking  all were asking  is that we can live in communities, that we can work in communities, that we can play and that we can raise our children and have them to go to school to be in safe environments where they dont have to worry about being the victims of gun violence. Is that too much to ask?

No! the crowd replied.
Police said on Sunday evening that the man suspected of robbing the First Citizens Bank on Thursday is now in his second stolen vehicle, this time a Ford Escape.

The man, who police said had been in a stolen Lexus SUV when the robbery happened, is suspected of stealing the Escape at about 6 p.m. Friday at the 7-Eleven at 905 Lafayette Blvd., according to a Sunday news release from the Fredericksburg Police Department.

The black 2013 Escape (with a license of JLU-2050) has a circular black-and-white sticker with 718 Venue on the rear window.

Police said surveillance video shows the man wearing a pink knitted stocking cap and a grey sweatshirt at the 7-Eleven.

The gold Lexus RX-300 police say the man had been driving was found in the parking lot of Brock's Bar and Grill at 503 Sophia St.

Police said the man is considered armed and dangerous and that he should not be approached.

The apparent crime spree started on Thursday morning, according to police, who say the man started by stealing the Lexus in Hanover County.

The next point where police pick up the suspect is at a Hanover County 7-Eleven later Thursday morning, where surveillance video shows a man with salt-and-pepper hair wearing a black jacket and olive cargo pants. Police say he is about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and in his 40s or 50s.

Fredericksburg police spokeswoman Sarah Kirkpatrick said investigators also have video from the CVS next to the bank at Cowan Crossing on U.S. 1 prior to the Thursday afternoon robbery showing the man enter the pharmacy and then leave and drive off in the Lexus.

The bank, which is near Cowan Boulevard, was robbed just before 4 p.m. Thursday.

A man entered the bank 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.

Police released a still video image of the smiling robber, who was last seen headed toward the nearby CVS.

Anyone with information should contact police immediately. The police departments number is 373-3122. To make an anonymous tip, send a text to the number 847-411 and text the word FPDtip followed by your tip. Tips can also be sent by using a free FPD Tip app that can be downloaded for Android and iPhones.
Lynchburg-area residents will have a new option for banking starting this summer.

Essex Bank  headquartered in Richmond  is expanding to the area with a new branch at the corner of Timberlake and Waterlick roads in Campbell County.

Slated to open mid-June or early July, according to Essex CEO Rex Smith, the branch will occupy the recently shuttered BB&T building on the busy corner.

Smith, a Lynchburg native, said the areas economic performance and variety of industries encouraged the company to expand westward.

We are really excited about Lynchburg, Smith said. Lynchburg has a good combination of manufacturing, the universities and the service economy. Its diverse, and it has a great growth situation.

Smith said Essexs size allows the bank to offer more services than smaller banks but with more personable service than large bank chains.

Because of our size, we have a little bit better situation with the electronic banking, and well be able to offer a 24-hour live call center, and its tougher for the smaller banks to compete with that, he said. We hope were bringing a good mix of the service quality and the ability to have the product base of a big bank, but we work very hard to make sure that our service level is still very personal.

The bank has operated a loan production office in downtown Lynchburg for the past three years. Following the success of that office, the bank decided to expand further with a full branch.

We set up a loan production office three years ago and have since added two more employees, Smith said. Its done very well.

Essex has been looking for a new location for the past 18 months. The company settled on Timberlake and Waterlick due to the high volume of traffic and proximity to Liberty University, Smith said.

The Lynchburg branch will be the banks 24th branch and located the farthest west. Essex has locations in Baltimore, Annapolis, Northern Virginia, Richmond and the Northern Neck.

Essex stock (Nasdaq: ESXB) closed Tuesday at $7.15 per share, down 1 cent or 1.38 percent from Monday.
Gregory H. Wingfield saw the signs of trouble ahead for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership about five years ago, when the regional economic development agency he led gradually stopped relying on the state to identify promising business prospects for localities in the Richmond area.

Wingfield, who was president and CEO of the Greater Richmond Partnership for 21 years before retiring in mid-2015, said the state authority, known as VEDP, wasnt targeting the industries the region wanted to attract.

It got to the point we really didnt feel comfortable with VEDP because of their lack of focus on the industry targets we wanted to bring in, recalled Wingfield, now a senior fellow at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. We stopped going on some marketing trips with them.

The disconnection between the VEDP and its regional and local partners across the state also caught the attention of state legislators, culminating two months ago in a withering report by the General Assemblys watchdog agency, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. That report is front and center in an escalating political debate over how to reform Virginias high-dollar economic development initiatives during the legislative session that began last week.

I dont think any of us anticipated that it would be as bad as it was, said Del. Kathy J. Byron, R-Bedford, who sponsored the resolution the assembly adopted last year to direct JLARC to conduct a comprehensive study of the partnership.

Byron introduced the resolution almost two months before the assembly convened and The Roanoke Times published a report on a $1.4 million state grant by VEDP to Lindenburg Industry LLC, a Chinese company that the JLARC report described as illegitimate, for a manufacturing operation in Appomattox County that never was built. Lindenburg just really confirmed a lot of my fears, she said.

The report has set in motion competing proposals by Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Republican legislators to reform the partnership, established as a quasi-independent authority in 1995 under then-Gov. George Allen, a pro-business Republican. The partnership is budgeted to receive $27 million in taxpayer money from the state general fund this fiscal year, although Republican legislators threaten to withhold $1.5 million of the appropriation, as the JLARC report suggested.

The legislation to be proposed by the governor and legislators will address shared concerns, such as creating divisions in the partnership to manage incentive grants and an internal auditor to report directly to its board. The most damning findings of the report involve incentives to attract new businesses to Virginia  $384 million in the last 10 years alone.

VEDPs approach to administering incentive grants has been highly unstructured and has left the state exposed to avoidable risk of fraud and poor use of limited resources, the report states.

A debate over the direction of Virginias economic development program  and the use of financial incentives to recruit new businesses  already has emerged as a hot issue in the gubernatorial campaign.

Ed Gillespie, the Republican front-runner, has tried to pin the partnerships problems squarely on McAuliffe, a Democrat who vigorously promotes economic development, and Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam, the Democratic front-runner and a member of the VEDP board of directors.

McAuliffe fired back in his speech to a joint session of the General Assembly last week. Reforming VEDP should not be a partisan issue, he said. Its problems have persisted over the terms of five previous governors and 21 General Assembly sessions.

However, Gillespie has reached beyond partisan targets to attack the states reliance on financial incentives to woo big economic prospects, as McAuliffes Republican predecessor, Gov. Bob McDonnell, did in 2010 by giving up to $12 million to Northrop Grumman to move its corporate headquarters from Los Angeles to Northern Virginia.

For too long, our economic development policies have centered on corporate whale hunting, trying to take our tax dollars to lure a Fortune 500 company to move a headquarters here or open a plant here, Gillespie said in a campaign stop Saturday in Henrico County.

The political rhetoric has overshadowed what has been a concerted effort behind the scenes by the McAuliffe administration and senior Republican legislators to find common ground on what is likely to be the first, but not last, round of reforms to the partnership.

I believe we can come together on a solution, said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd P. Haymore, who previously served as secretary of agriculture and forestry under both McAuliffe and McDonnell.

This is about good governance and making sure we are spending taxpayer dollars as wisely as possible and with the best amount of accountability as possible, Haymore said in an interview.

Republican leaders agree, to a point. This is not a turf issue  its an issue of governance, said House Appropriations Chairman S. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, who will introduce legislation by the end of this week to address some of the three dozen recommendations made in the JLARC report.

But Jones and other legislative leaders are not willing to support reforms McAuliffe proposed that would make Haymore, or his successors as secretary of commerce and trade, the de facto chairman of the VEDP board of directors, or give the governor effective control of the board. They wont even concede that VEDP, established as an authority, is an executive branch agency.

I think its always been an independent agency, said Sen. Frank M. Ruff Jr., R-Mecklenburg, who is working with Del. John M. OBannon III, R-Henrico, to develop legislation in the Senate that he expects to be identical, or very similar to the House bill.

The VEDP board bore much of the brunt of the JLARC reports criticisms of the partnership for lacking an economic development strategy or marketing plan, or even accountability of employees to work the hours for which they were paid. They thought they were advisory, not supervisory, Jones said.

While legislators acknowledge that many of the problems JLARC identified are not new, they point out that the governor now has 12 appointments to an 18-member board, as well as six ex-officio members, including Northam.

You have an obligation to roll your sleeves up, get involved, ask questions, and hold those who work for you accountable, Jones said.

The House approach will be to put representatives of the Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance Committee on the VEDP board. Youve got to have somebody wholl watch the henhouse, said Appropriations Director Robert P. Vaughn, who sits, with Senate Finance Director Betsey Daley, on a number of economic development, capital outlay and revenue boards to provide legislative oversight.

The legislation is likely to scale back the number of directors on the board, while demanding expertise in relevant fields and setting expectations for the partnerships performance.

I think we probably all agree the board is too big and not focused on the economy as we know it today, Ruff said.

McAuliffe shares the legislatures goals in reforming the partnership, but also wants to protect his prerogative over an executive branch agency, Haymore said. The governor clearly believes there needs to be more accountability to the executive branch because we work with VEDP on a daily basis.

The governor and House Republicans also want to delay the scheduled spinoff of the partnerships international trade division into a separate corporation to allow a newly constituted board and its new president and CEO, Stephen Moret, the opportunity to establish a strategic plan that aligns the agencys missions, including trade.

With all they have up in the air, it just seems prudent to not be moving forward at this point, said Del. R. Steven Landes, R-Augusta, who sponsored legislation adopted last year to create the Virginia International Trade Corp., effective April 1.

Haymore, who questioned the proposed spinoff last year as agriculture secretary, supports what he calls a pause that would delay establishment of the separate trade corporation until July 1, 2018. The chairmen of the assemblys money committees formally requested the delay late last year.

However, the Virginia Manufacturers Association strongly opposes the proposed delay. Its president and CEO, Brett A. Vassey, called it the kiss of death for the program.

We did not want trade to get caught up in a two- to three-year restructuring, which is whats going to happen, Vassey said.

McAuliffe and the assembly engaged in a similar battle of prerogatives last year over a new economic development initiative they both supported  GO Virginia, a state entity that would dispense grants for initiatives developed by regional councils to promote economic development.

Ultimately, they reached a compromise over who controlled representation on the GO Virginia board, but legislators already have vowed to restore much, if not all, of the $15 million that McAuliffe proposed to strip from the budget for the initiative last month to help fill a projected $1.26 billion revenue shortfall.

Ive had some initial conversations with the governor, Jones said.

The question is not how much they got cut, he said. The question is how much do they need to do the job at hand.

When corporate leaders were rolling out the GO Virginia proposal a year and a half ago, they approached the VEDP, then led by Martin J. Briley, about collaboration between the two entities. It was coolly received, said Christopher D. Lloyd, a Richmond lobbyist who helped draft companion bills for GO Virginia, as well as the legislation that created VEDP in 1995.

Briley, hired as president and CEO in 2011 under the McDonnell administration, left abruptly in March as the board began to reassert its oversight role and restructure the organization. It hired Moret, former secretary of economic development in Louisiana, last month.

The McAuliffe administration and Republican leaders believe GO Virginia and VEDP should work together to address an overriding concern of the JLARC report about lack of coordination between the state agency and its regional and local counterparts across the state.

To me, GO Virginia is first and foremost to help a region build an infrastructure to help (the) region attract new business and industry, or help existing business and industry grow, Haymore said. GO Virginia should become a very important component of VEDPs efforts.

Jones, a former Suffolk mayor, agrees. Why GO Virginia has so much promise, at the end of the day, is to have local governments work together and have all boats rise with the incoming tide, he said.

In contrast, VEDP has for a long time been a boat without clear direction, said VCUs Wingfield. It just drifted.
RACHAEL STRANGLED

This was the finding of an autopsy done by Dr Hughvon des Vignes yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre in St James. The autopsy showed that someone placed their hands around the 17-year-old girls throat and squeezed until she died from a lack of oxygen. The victim had abrasions over her left eye and on her left and right hip.

Further checks revealed that she was not sexually assaulted in any way prompting police investigators to believe that Ramkissoon may have known her killer and may have put up a fight with the person or persons who killed her.

Yesterday, Homicide Investigations Bureau detectives told Newsday they are working on the theory that Ramkissoon was picked up last Friday by someone she had a close interaction with.

Her cell phone records are being checked to ascertain who she spoke with last Friday before she left her Talparo home clad in school uniform.

Officers of the Police Cybercrime unit are also checking the same telephone records to ascertain who she communicated with regularly and based on this information, persons will be interviewed.

Yesterday, detectives ruled out a theory that Ramkissoon may have been abducted by someone whose intention was to rape or assault her.

On Saturday and Sunday homicide officers went into the Talparo area and began canvassing in an effort to seek out any persons who may have key information to assist them in the investigation.

However all the persons spoken to were unable to assist in any meaningful way to the murder probe. Police returned to the area yesterday and have begun profiling PH (private hire) drivers and taxi drivers in the area to ascertain if any of them may have matters pending in court for serious crimes including rape. On Friday, Ramkissoon missed the school bus and contacted a relative who also attends the same school asking that relative to ask the bus driver if he could pick her up. The driver allegedly refused prompting Ramkissoon to seek public transportation.

The girls relative claimed that she only travelled with drivers she knew prompting police to believe that the person who murdered Ramkissoon may have known her.

Last Friday a hunter stumbled upon the body of Ramkissoon at Balata Trace, San Raphael. She was found fully clad in her uniform, lying face down.

Yesterday, Education Minister Anthony Garcia visited Ramkissoons school, to bring his personal commiserations to students and teachers. He assured that his ministry will do all in its power to ensure the safety of students outside of school hours. This is a tragedy that affects all of is. We must bind together to ensure we do not have a reoccurence of this kind of thing, Garcia told reporters yesterday at the school. School principal Jesslyn Ramlal said that the entire student population and teachers were left traumatised by Ramkissoons murder. We were all left traumatised by Rachaels death. Teachers and students alike, we are all distraught, Ramlal said in a brief interview.
Wise move by Jamaica PM

I am aware of a letter sent to our Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, by a young man who suggested that the PM explores the possibilities of trade with Israel. He also pointed to the advantageous benefits for TT from such a move.

I applaud the relations with Venezuela, but enormously large results will be forthcoming from trade relations with Israel. Food for thought, Mr Prime Minister.

Gertrude Edwards Tacarigua
Moore: This goes to my lawyer

At a rally in Roxborough on Sunday, ahead of next Mondays Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election, Rowley alleged that between January, 2014 and September 2015, Moore was paid $200,000 a month as a NIDCO consultant. He further alleged there was an arrangement between Moore and the PP, before the 2013 THA election, but did not present documents to support his allegation of Moores salary.

He recalled that Moore who at the time, was a member of the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP), had taken a surprisingly keen interest in Tobago politics ahead of the 2013 THA election.

You may recall in 2013, Christlyn Moore appeared here out of the blue, Rowley told supporters.

She entered the Cabinet in Trinidad and the next thing you know she was in Tobago, promoting the UNC. The TOP was a member of the UNC-led Peoples Partnership.

Moore was appointed Justice Minister on September 20, 2012 after Herbert Volney was fired from the PP Cabinet. A year later, Moore was replaced as minister by Emmanuel George. Rowley recalled that when the PNM won the 2013 THA election, and I came back to Trinidad, she (Moore) was out of the Cabinet.

Obviously, she had come into the Cabinet to fight the Tobago elections and since she was found to be useless on that occasion, she was out of the Cabinet. But she didnt go very far. The arrangement was in place and the arrangement was this: Out of the Cabinet and you get the best paying job in the country. I dont know what was the arrangement but because the arrangement was kept, I have to conclude it was made before and regardless of the (THA election) results. So, she ended up with the highest paid job in the country...paid by you taxpayers. Rowley alleged that when Moore returned to Trinidad after the 2013 THA election, she was offered a job as a NIDCO consultant to the tune of $200,000 a month. You understand that and if you say the month has 20 working days, that is $10,000 per day. And you know who was paying that? You the tax payers, he told supporters.

Saying Moore must give Tobagonians an account for her actions, Rowley said the PNM has no real challenge in next weeks election.

I am telling you now in case you do not believe me, the only people we are fighting in Tobago in 2017, are two proxys of the UNC...the Tobago Forwards and Progressive Democratic Patriots, Rowley said.

Contacted for comment yesterday, Moore did not mince her words saying that the Prime Minister had made slanderous allegations against her in public. And I will tell you this, I will refer this matter to my lawyers, Moore said.
Uber hits the road, Transport Ministry expresses concern

But a mere seven hours later, the Ministry of Works and Transport said it was concerned about the legality of (Ubers) operations within this jurisdiction. The ministry is therefore seeking legal advice to determine if the service can continue to operate within Trinidad and Tobagos legislative framework and has ad vised the public to exercise caution and due diligence. The ministry said a major concern regarding Ubers operation in TT is whether private vehicles would be used for hire.

The Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act provides that no person shall drive on any road, a taxi registered as such, unless he is the holder of a taxi drivers licence issued to him by the Licensing Authority under these regulations. When you travel with an authorised taxi, the ministry noted, you are ensuring that the relevant checks and balances have taken place. Further, the use of a private vehicle for hire is contrary to its registration.

The public is advised that no private vehicle should be used for hire. The issue of insurance cannot be overlooked.

Unauthorised vehicles may not have the necessary insurance coverage for all passengers. Therefore, using a vehicle contrary to its registration may have far reaching implications for the driver and passengers, the ministry stated.

Last week, Ubers Communications Associate for Central America and the Caribbean, Julie Robinson-Centella, reminded that Uber is a technology service, not a taxi company so its service cannot be regulated or legislated through the same regulations or laws...but definitely, we are doing everything possible to have the best service in TT and were a legal company established to work here. Uber also issued a statement about insurance coverage prior to the ministrys announcement yesterday evening.

The US-based company said because safety is important to us...

Uber has partnered with Guardian General to provide insurance coverage for the protection of both riders and third-parties using UberX in TT. While users currently have to be in Port-of- Spain or San Fernando to request a ride; you will be picked up at the location of your choosing, the Uber driver can take you to a destination outside of these two zones. The minimum Uber fare is TT 32.50, with the final cost of your trip being based on the following: Base fare: TT $20.00 Per minute: TT $1.20 Per kilometre: TT $1.40 Booking fee: TT $2.50
Former Ambassador challenges PM

Charles has filed an application for leave which will be heard in the Port of Spain High Court on March 14, by Justice Frank Seepersad, who said he did not intend to spend an inordinately long time dealing with the issue of leave.

Representing Charles is attorney Devesh Maharaj while President of the Law Association Reginald Armour SC, and attorney Nadine Nabbie appear for the prime minister.

Armour indicated yesterday when the matter was called that he only received Charles application last Friday and needed time to respond.

Charles was granted permission to file an amended application by this Friday and Rowleys affidavit in response, is to be filed on March 3. In his notice of application, Charles of Union Hall, Cross Crossing, is seeking a declaration that the decision of the prime minister to revoke his appointment was illegal, made in bad faith and is contrary to fundamental human rights provided for under the Constitution.

He says that he was not provided equality before the law and equality of treatment. Charles will also be asking the court to declare that he had a legitimate expectation to maintain his rank and position as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary upon returning to Trinidad and Tobago and therefore the decision of the prime minister to revoke his appointment as ambassador was a deprivation of his legitimate expectation that he would have retained his position.

He also seeks an order quashing the flawed and defective decision to revoke his appointment as the prime minister failed to provide reasons for doing so and an order redirecting his (Charles) appointment in addition to damages.

According to Charles, he was appointed Ambassador in March 2012.

He said he never had any previous interaction with Foreign Affairs Minister Dennis Moses and in September 2015, Moses visited the UN Headquarters in New York to attend the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.

Charles said he and Moses attended a series of meetings in which he briefed the Minister and advised him on several issues including a meeting of CARICOM Foreign Ministers.

Charles said that on September 30, 2015, Moses met with Ghanian Foreign Minister and while it was customary for advisors to attend, the minister did not want him (Charles) present at the meeting.

Charles said he later learned that the Ghanian minister had his advisors present at the meeting which concerned the planned visit by PM Rowley to Ghana in 2016.

Charles said at the end of 2015, he was asked by the acting permanent secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry to submit his resume which he did although this was not the norm. He said that on September 20, 2016, he received an instrument of revocation of his appointment.
The system failed us

This was what relatives of 19-year-old Anfernie Hamilton claimed yesterday days after the aspiring welder was shot dead on the weekend during an altercation near a bar on Cipero Street in San Fernando.

An autopsy yesterday confirmed cause of death was due to multiple gunshot wounds. Relatives expressed disappointment not only in the performance of the police but of medical staff who treated him.

He was only shot in his legs.

How is it he died? He was not shot in the head or heart...he was shot in his legs, cried a relative. It is a big disappointment. All of it, from the first response of the police to the lack of care by hospital officials, the relative added.

It was reported that at about 5.20 am on Saturday, Hamilton and his brother Nathaniel Roberts got into an altercation with a man. Roberts yesterday said that he saw police officers approaching in a marked vehicle but instead of helping to break up the fracas, officers parked their marked vehicle a short distance.

Roberts said he was armed only with a cup which he threw at the man who was fighting his brother. That man later drew a firearm and shot Hamilton.

It was then, Roberts said, that the police intervened yet still the gunman managed to escape. Hamilton was placed in the police vehicle and taken to the San Fernando General Hospital. Relatives said that at 9 pm, Hamilton died at the medical institution.

Hamilton was the youngest of three siblings, Roberts said. It is really hard because they killed my baby brother. He did not deserve to die like that, Roberts cried.

He wanted to make something of himself. I always told him that he had to keep his head on and make money. The murder toll for the year now stands at 21.

Meanwhile, an autopsy done yesterday on the body of mother of two Balmatee Bachan confirmed that she died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds. The CEPEP worker died on Sunday morning at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope after she was shot by a gunman while she and her husband Mahase Lutchman were returning to their El Socorro home at 2.15 am.
Office of the President employees being tested

The tests were done to determine the health status of the employees after the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Limited informed the Office of the President of the presence of asbestos material at Presidents House and its environs. The employees, were transported yesterday by and an Office of the President vehicle.

Communication Advisor to the President Theron Boodhan told Newsday yesterday that once all the staff are tested, it is expected that President Anthony Carmona, his wife Reema and their children will undergo similar tests. He said that the Occupational Safety and Health Agency were informed of the presence of asbestos material at Presidents House and its environs, and were due to visit the precincts.

Asbestos, once employed as a fire retardant in building materials, has been linked to cancer. However, Udecott (Urban Development Corporation) yesterday in a press release denounced reports that lives were put at risk at Presidents House following the disturbance of tiles containing asbestos on the property. The corporation yesterday stated that it, categorically denies that tiles containing asbestos confined to a small storage room at Presidents House were disturbed at the time of this official media release today at 6.21 pm. Furthermore, Udecott added, there is no asbestos at the Office of the President, no asbestos at the Presidents Cottage, no asbestos at Ancillary Office which service the Office of the President and are daily traversed by its staff. The restoration of the Presidents House is currently at the design stage in preparation for the tender process, and to ensure proper planning for the start of works, Udecott by letter dated November, 22, 2016, informed its client, that it is in the process of obtaining a Contractor for the removal of asbestos containing materials within Presidents House which is to be refurbished, the release stated.

In an apparent reference to an article published in another newspaper yesterday, Udecott said, A staffer at Udecott in e-mail correspondence to questions asked, emanating from the Office of the President, was simply relaying the importance of putting arrangements in place to ensure that staff were properly relocated, in line with global best practice, for the start of construction works.
Rowley: Sandals not yet a done deal

Speaking at a Peoples National Movement (PNM) rally in Roxborough, Tobago, Rowley said the project must receive the blessing of Tobagonians before any construction can begin.

Right now I can say to you unless we have proper agreements to satisfy you in Tobago and the national community, there may be no project of the nature but we (Government) are doing everything possible to get a project of that nature in Tobago, he told supporters.

Rowley said he decided to raise the issue of the Sandals project after reading an article in a daily newspaper in which a candidate on an opposing team had objected to what she considered to be his dismissive stance on the issue.

One of the candidates of one of the other groupings is saying that one of the reasons why she is a candidate is something that I said as political leader and Prime Minister upset her so much that she decided to be a candidate in the election, he said.

Here what upset her, that I have said that we have agreed on the Sandals project and the project is going ahead and only after an agreement has been made that there will be consultation with Tobago. Rowley said he never said such a thing.

There is no such record of me saying that.

Now that I have confirmed that I did not say that, will she withdraw (as a candidate)? No, she will go ahead because she really want to fight a seat, he said.

Rowley said long before he became prime minister, he had observed the role that this Caribbean product played in other islands.

And I thought it would be a good thing for the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to encourage that business in our territory. It is big business in Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, Grenada and St Lucia.

And all I did was to outline that this is a Caribbean product of world scale and world class and we think that Tobago stands ready to receive something like that.

But, you know what she said I said, Because those people have it, Tobago must have it. Rowley said: I never said any such thing. In fact, what I said is that we are at the stage now, where we can begin the discussion and the consultations can begin here in Tobago, under the EMA (Environmental Management Authority) to get their approvals and step by step, we will move forward with the project.
Chamber approves licensing office relocation

In a media release yesterday, Sookhai noted that the relocation was a positive indication of Governments commitment to follow through on important policies and programmes which had initially been started under the previous Administration.

I want to express my sincerest congratulations to the Trinidad and Tobago Government for approving this initiative and further congratulations are in order to the Minister of Works and Transport, Rohan Sinanan for ensuring that this project will be fully executed during the month of February, he stated, adding, This move also shows a high level of political maturity and commitment to local economic development.

It may also help with the unbearable traffic situation heading into Port of Spain on mornings, as many motorists would be channelled to the new the location at Caroni, where the roads were widened to cater for greater traffic flow. He added: One of the ways to support diversification is through local economic development. I feel a strong sense of optimism about the governments willingness to continue important projects that will benefit the geographic region of central and southern Trinidad. I endorse the continuation of the construction of the Point Fortin Highway. This highway will definitely open up new physical and economic space not only within the South-Western peninsula, but for Trinidad and Tobago as a whole. Consequently, I also call on government to hasten the process to seek the opening of the Childrens Hospital in Couva, he stated, adding, I agree with the Governments plan to allow for a Public/Private Partnership Model to facilitate the operationalisation of this very important health facility. Having more available health care to citizens will position Trinidad and Tobago as a nation that places human development as a high priority despite the current economic challenges.
Trump: 'I'll Very, Very, Very

Probably Do It Again'
One of the latest, pricey health fads is camel milk, and the FDA has made clear that it's none too pleased. That's because California company Desert Farms has been boasting that its product can cure (or at least mitigate) all kinds of ailments, from allergies to Crohn's disease, reports Vice. In a letter recently made public, the FDA warns 25-year-old founder Walid Abdul-Wahab that his company's "therapeutic claims" try to "establish that these products are drugs because they are intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease," and that Desert Farms needs to stop marketing the milk as a medicinal product. The milk mostly comes from Amish farms.

The FDA and CDC have "standing public warnings" against unpasteurized raw milk, reports Food Safety News. That's because pasteurization kills pathogens like E. coli, listeria, and salmonella. And medicine, however natural, must be subject to federal safety regulations, not to mention scientific rigor. Turns out Desert Farms' claims are "completely unproven," per the Independent. The company replaced the content on its "Science & Research" page with the message: "FDA asked us to remove this pageNo Joke!" However, its "About Us" section notes that camel milk is used across the globe for "complex health problems." Some are still drinking up the $18-a-pint concoction, as Kim Kardashian did on a trip to Bahrain last year. (A recent meta study suggests probiotics may be the latest snake oil.)
Gunfire broke out in a crowded beachfront nightclub throbbing with electronic music before dawn Monday, causing five deaths and setting off a bloody stampede by screaming concertgoers at an international festival in the Caribbean resort town of Playa del Carmen, Mexico, the AP reports. At least one person died in the crush to escape and some of the 15 people wounded or injured were hurt in the rush out, authorities said. Quintana Roo state Attorney General Miguel Angel Pech ruled out any terror attack, and the state's governor said it involved a personal dispute. Pech said the shooting erupted when security personnel tried to stop a man from entering the Blue Parrot club with a gun. Three of those killed were part of the security detail at the 10-day BPM electronic music festival, Pech said. State officials said the dead included two Canadians, an Italian and a Colombian. The gunman apparently fled.

Pech said the 15 people with injuries included a Mexican woman who was seriously injured. He said eight of the injured, including two US citizens, were treated at hospitals and released. Canada's Global Affairs office confirmed at least one Canadian died and said it was investigating the other reported fatality. It said at least two Canadians were injured. Italy's Foreign Ministry confirmed one of its citizens died. The shooting occurred near the largest exit, setting off chaos as concert goers had to scramble over a metal fence to escape to the beach. Pech said the gunman himself apparently escaped, though three people had been detained nearby. It was not known if they had been involved in the shooting. "We know of another shooting incident that occurred near the nightclub, but we are investigating whether that is related" to the deadly shooting, Pech said. (Read more Mexico stories.)
The Marine Corps Recruit Depot at South Carolina's Parris Island hosts nearly 20,000 recruits each year for 12 weeks of basic training. Alex French looks into the journey of one recruit, Raheel Siddiqui, for Esquire's March issue, exploring the 20-year-old Muslim's likely first moments at the depot in March 2016and trying to figure out his last moments just two weeks later. The official Marine line: Siddiqui died after leaping from the third story of his barracks, though Siddiqui's parents maintain he wouldn't have killed himself, and French notes evidence pointing to the young man's demise as part of a "hazing scandal unlike anything Parris Island has endured since the 1950s." Siddiqui, who'd been valedictorian of his high school class in Michigan and been accepted to the University of Michigan on a full ride, wanted to work for the FBI, and the Marines seemed the fastest way to achieve that.

But his mom was wary, and a Siddiqui family attorney thought him "naive" for thinking his Muslim background a non-issue. And another trainee who'd served a few months earlier has told other outlets about physical and mental abuse doled out by drill instructors (DIs), including one DI who tormented a Muslim recruit named Ahmed. Tight-lipped officials and heavily redacted reports from Parris Island have made it hard to cull what happened to Siddiqui: He reportedly threatened to kill himself just six days into his stay, but other evidence shows recruits in his platoon had suffered extreme physical abuse and that Siddiqui had been called a terrorist by a DI. Siddiqui's autopsy also showed he had injuries not from his fallincluding bondage marks and signs of strangulation. "This boy didn't jump. He was killed," his family's lawyer says. More on the mystery at Esquire. (Could an American be second in command for ISIS?)
The fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and the 239 people on board may remain a mystery forever. Malaysian, Australian, and Chinese authorities announced Tuesday that the deep-sea search has ended without finding any trace of the missing plane, Reuters reports. The last vessel has left the search area and "despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology ... unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," authorities said in a statement issued after the families of passengers and crew were notified of the decision. "The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness." The Boeing 777 disappeared nearly three years ago en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.

The three countries said last year that the search would be suspended after the 46,300-square mile search area in the Indian Ocean had been scoured. Australian experts recently recommended searching a 10,000-square-mile area to the north, but authorities appear to have lost confidence in the data, the Guardian reports. Families say they will keep fighting for the search to continue, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. "I never thought this day was going to come. I hoped it wouldn't happen this way," says Danica Weeks, whose husband, Paul, was on the plane. "It just can't end like this. The Malaysian government promised to bring them home. If they think this will go away, it definitely won't." (Read more Flight 370 stories.)
Play Based Preschool Brings Dynamic Curriculum to Waukee, IA

WAUKEE, IA / ACCESSWIRE / January 16, 2017 / Goddard Systems, Inc. (GSI), the franchisor of The Goddard School preschool system, proudly announces the opening of its very first school in Iowa. Located at 80 NE Carefree Ln, Waukee, IA, 50263, the new school is owned by husband and wife duo, Liz and Joe Smith, along with their business partners Josh and Stephanie Masters, and Brian and Marcy Klipfel.

Prior to joining The Goddard School, Liz Smith worked primarily as an elementary school teacher in Johnston, IA while also helping her husband operate his multiple businesses in the roofing industry. Once the couple moved to their new home in Waukee, Liz decided to take a break from teaching to be a stay at home mom to her two kids. Liz knew she wanted to get back into teaching, her real passion, so together with the Masters and Klipfels, decided to open their own preschool franchise. All three couples were introduced to The Goddard School through friends living in different areas of the country. Impressed by The Goddard School's proven system and unmatched curriculum, the partners decided the preschool franchise was exactly what the Waukee community needed to service the area's high volume of families.

"As The Goddard School continues to expand in new markets, we are constantly looking for franchisees that demonstrate our values and have a deep-rooted passion for early childhood education," said Jim DiRugeris, Vice President of Franchise Development of Goddard Systems, Inc., "The Smiths, Klipfels and Masters are not only well-versed in The Goddard School's mission to provide families with the best care and preschool education, they also exemplify the traits we look for in potential franchisees. We couldn't ask for better franchisees to open our first Iowa School."

The Goddard School preschool system prides itself on its unique dual-management system, a distinguisher in the early childhood education industry. Franchise owners are onsite at each location and work alongside an educational director, whose focus is to communicate and work with teachers, as well as to implement The Goddard School curriculum. This dual-management system ensures a hands-on, community-focused approach when it comes to early childhood education. With each school opening, The Goddard School also has a local economic impact, creating an average of 20 to 25 jobs within the community.

Story continues

The Goddard School's play-based approach, called Fun, Learning Experience (or F.L.EX.), is grounded in research on how children learn best: children experience the deepest, most genuine learning when they are having fun.

At The Goddard School, the focus is on building each child's emotional, academic, social, creative and physical skills to provide a well-rounded experience and ensure each one becomes confident, joyful and fully prepared in school and in life.

"With nearly 30 years of experience in early childhood care and education, The Goddard School's unique dual-management system creates lasting community bonds as franchisees are on-site at the Schools to provide support to the communities they serve," said Joe Schumacher, Chief Executive Officer of Goddard Systems, Inc. "We chose to expand to Iowa due to the state's growing need for The Goddard School experience. Our curriculum is designed to teach and reinforce 21st century skills, including social behaviors such as communication, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration. This philosophy fosters a lifelong love of learning and creates meaningful connections at an early age."

Jobs relating to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) are currently the fastest growing segment of the U.S. economy, and a focus on developing 21st century skills such as creativity and innovation as well as the abilities to collaborate, communicate and think critically, is expected to increase over time. By introducing 21st century skill concepts early on, children develop a strong foundation and a passion for STEAM at the very beginning of their education.

"As parents of young, preschool-aged children, we felt strongly that Iowa needed The Goddard School's quality program that is so highly regarded within the other areas it serves," said on-site owner, Liz Smith. "Being owners of The Goddard School's first Iowa School is such an honor, and we are excited to share our passion for making a positive difference in the lives of children within our community."

The Goddard School located in Waukee, IA is located at 80 NE Carefree Lane, Waukee, IA, 50263. To reach this location, please call (515) 297-6555 or email WaukeeIA@goddardschools.com. For general information and franchising opportunities, please visit www.goddardschoolfranchise.com.

ABOUT THE GODDARD SCHOOL FRANCHISE

The Goddard School Franchise, franchisor of The Goddard School preschools, is consistently named one of the top childcare franchises in the United States. Headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, The Goddard School Franchise currently licenses more than 460 franchised Schools with more than 65,000 students in 36 states. The Goddard School's AdvancED- and Middle States-accredited F.L.EX. Learning Program (Fun Learning Experience), a comprehensive play-based curriculum developed with early childhood education experts, provides the best childhood preparation for social and academic success. With a proven system in place and a strong network of dedicated franchisees, The Goddard School Franchise is the acknowledged leader in franchised childcare and a premier educational childcare provider. For more information, visit www.goddardschoolfranchise.com.

For more information, please visit http://www.konnectagency.com

Contact Info:

Name: Emily Johnston

Organization: Konnect Agency

Address: 888 S. Figueroa Street, Ste 1000, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Phone: 2139888344

SOURCE: Goddard Systems, Inc.
Poland isn't the only country in Europe welcoming US troops. About 300 Marines arrived in Norway on Monday, marking the first time since World War II that foreign troops have been stationed in the country, reports Reuters. The mission is to last one year, with the first batch of Marines replaced by another in six months. The New York Times sees it as the latest move by the US and its allies in Europe to try to keep Russia in check, and indeed Moscow isn't happy with the deployment. "The relationship between Norway and Russia is put to a test now," says the foreign ministry. However, a Norwegian official insists it's merely a routine training mission.

"For the first four weeks they will have basic winter training, learn how to cope with skis and to survive in the Arctic environment," says the Home Guard spokesman. "It has nothing to do with Russia or the current situation." The Marines will be in Vaernes, which is about 900 miles from the Russian border. In a separate development, Norway has also sent 200 of its own troops to the border area to monitor Russian activity, reports the Independent. The US, UK, and Norway also appear to be rekindling a Cold War alliance used for maritime surveillance, reports Defense News. All this comes amid the backdrop of President-elect Trump worrying US allies by calling NATO "obsolete" in an interview this week, notes CNN. (Read more Norway stories.)
Maybe if they had just called it Ishmael, none of this would have happened. A British Columbia company has filed a lawsuit against a building council that refuses to let it lease a unit it owns to a Moby Dick Restaurant fish-and-chips franchise in part because the second word in the eatery's name was deemed "offensive," Courthouse News reports. The plaintiff, Mengfa International, has owned the unit since 2010, and it had initially leased the space to an Asian-fusion restaurant. But after that restaurant started having money troubles, Moby Dick Restaurant came onto the scene in May and agreed to a lease-and-purchase arrangement that would seemingly solve everyone's problems. However, that arrangement was rejected by the building in July. It said the "word Dick in Moby Dick was an offensive term, per the lawsuit.

The building council alleges that signs and other markers with the name and logo would sully the brands of other properties in the building and lower property values. The council also worried about litter and restaurant odors. The lawsuit, however, scoffs at claims that the name would somehow cause nearby property values to plummet, noting that it's a seafood restaurant in a waterfront communityright up the name's alley. Mengfa adds it would do its part to keep litter under control and points out it would be using the same kitchen ventilation system as the previous restaurant. As for the name fracas overall: "Moby Dick" is "not offensive to the public, given its literary significance and fame," the suit says. The building council has not filed its defense statement, notes the CBC. (An odd question about Moby Dick answered.)
An American is among the five dead after a shooting and stampede in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, on Monday. Alejandra Villanueva Ibarra of Denver "fell" while trying to escape the Blue Parrot nightclub during a BPM electronic music festival, the Denver Post reports via a GoFundMe page set up by Ibarra's brother. ABC News reports the 18-year-old was "hit," and Ignacio Valencia of Houston, who was shot in the arms, says he was with her when she died. "I was just in shock and I just couldn't move," he says. "Her last words to me [were], 'I don't feel anything. I don't feel anything.'" Like her brother, Valencia describes Ibarra as a provider for her single mother and two younger siblings who was studying to become a teacher.

No other details about Ibarra's death have been released. The four other victims have been identified as Rafael Penaloza Vega and Geovanni Ruiz Murillo, both of Mexico; BPM staff member Daniel Pessina of Italy; and Canadian Kirk Wilson, a 49-year-old security officer and father of two, per the AP. Officials say fifteen others were injured, including four Americans. Eight have now been released from hospital. It isn't clear who among them was shot or trampled. The gunmanwho officials say entered the club and began exchanging gunfire with another personis believed to have escaped. However, three people were arrested near the club after another shooting; officials are trying to determine if the two shootings were related. (Read more Mexico stories.)
Donald Trump isn't the only person making recent claims of phony news stories. Vladimir Putin says an explosive dossier on Trump published by BuzzFeed last week, which included allegations Russia had compromising information on the president-elect, is an "obvious fake" and "nonsense," Russia's Interfax and TASS news agencies report, via Business Insider and the AP. Not only that, but any individuals behind the claims in the dossier are "worse than prostitutes," Putin said at a Tuesday press conference in Moscow. Speaking of prostitutes, Trump "has been with the most beautiful women in the world, so why would he need prostitutes in Moscow? Trump organized beauty contests. I find it hard to believe that he rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world." He further said that Russian spies "don't chase every American billionaire."

Putin called Trump's win in November a "convincing victory" and added that the Obama administration is behind the "ongoing acute political struggle  whose task is to undermine the legitimacy of the president-elect." He also emphasized that he doesn't know Trump personally and so wouldn't have a motive to make moves for or against him. (Read more Vladimir Putin stories.)
One of the final letters Barack Obama will receive during his time as president comes from the man who allegedly planned the Sept. 11 attacks, the Miami Herald reports. According to CBS News, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured in 2003 in Pakistan, tortured by the CIA, then moved to Guantanamo Bay, where he's currently awaiting trial. In 2014, Mohammed wrote a letter to Obama, addressing "Muslim oppression at the hands of" the US and the West, plus events in Gaza, Iraq, and Palestine. But the prison at Guantanamo refused to deliver it.

The judge in Mohammed's case finally ordered the letter delivered earlier this month. He ruled Obama should have the letter before becoming a private citizen. While a White House source confirms the letter has been delivered, it's unclear whether or not Obama has read it. The Pentagon's chief war crimes prosecutor remained opposed to the release of the letter, which he calls propaganda. Mohammed has, in the past, been described as having a deep desire for attention. (Read more Khalid Sheikh Mohammed stories.)
Within 10 years of Republicans dismantling the Affordable Care Act, 32 million more Americans could be uninsured and individual insurance premiums could double, according to a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The report, requested by Democrats, is based on 2015 legislation to repeal ObamaCare passed by Congress but vetoed by President Obama, Politico reports. According to the New York Times, the CBO states the result of repealing major parts of the ACApenalties for not having insurance, expanding Medicaid, ending subsidies for low-income peoplewould have immediate negative consequences that only "worsen over time." The report found that in the first year 18 million people could lose insurance and premiums could increase by 25%.

While the CBO's estimates jibe with those from insurance companies and the Obama administration, Republicans argue the report is one-sided because it doesn't take into account an ObamaCare replacement. A spokesperson for Mitch McConnell tells Politico that repealing the ACA without replacing it is a "situation that simply doesn't exist." However, Republicans in Congress have yet to introduce any sort of replacement plan. And New York Magazine reports Newt Gingrich has already suggested doing away with the CBO overin the magazine's wordsits "inconvenient budget math." (Read more Affordable Care Act stories.)
A Nigerian air force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp on Tuesday, killing more than 100 refugees and aid workers, a Borno state official said. The state government official, who was helping to coordinate the evacuation of wounded from the remote area by helicopters, spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed the accidental bombardment in northeast Rann, near the border with Cameroon, saying "some" civilians were killed. It was believed to be the first time Nigeria's military has admitted to making such a mistake. The BBC says at least 50 were killed and more than 100 injured, citing international aid agency MSF.

The International Committee for the Red Cross said six staff members and volunteers with the Nigerian Red Cross were among the dead and 13 were wounded. Two soldiers were also wounded as well as Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders, Irabor said, without giving a precise figure. Doctors Without Borders said its team based in Rann had counted 50 bodies and treated 120 wounded. A statement from spokesperson Etienne l'Hermitte in Geneva urged authorities to facilitate cross-border land and air evacuations. Irabor said he ordered the mission based on information that Boko Haram insurgents were gathering in the area, along with geographic coordinates. It was too early to say if a tactical error was made, he said. (Read more Nigeria stories.)
Former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who made WikiLeaks a household name in 2010, will be released from prison in May after President Obama commuted her sentence Tuesday, the New York Times reports. Manning leaked classified military documents that revealed, among other things, the Iraqi military abusing detainees and the likely under-reporting of civilian deaths in Iraq. She was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to 35 years in prison, according to USA Today. Manning, a transgender woman being housed in a men's prison, has tried to kill herself twice in the past year. Her commutation was part of 64 pardons and 209 commutations made by Obama on Tuesday.

One of those pardons was of a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who pleaded guilty in October to making false statements during an investigation into a leak of classified information about a covert cyberattack on Iran's nuclear facilities. The AP reports James Cartwright's plea ended a Justice Department investigation into a leak regarding a computer virus called Stuxnet that disabled equipment the Iranians were using to enrich uranium. Cartwright, 67, falsely told investigators that he did not provide or confirm classified information contained in a news article and in a book by New York Times journalist David Sanger, according to charging documents unsealed by prosecutors. (Read more Chelsea Manning stories.)
The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574.
New Delhi:

British multinational tobacco company British American Tobacco on Tuesday agreed to pay almost USD 50 billion for control of US firm Reynolds American, creating the world's largest listed tobacco company.

BAT will purchase the 57.8-per cent of Reynolds American that it does not already own, BAT said, unveiling an improved cash-and-shares offer after the US giant had rejected its previous USD 47-billion bid.

The deal brings together a galaxy of global brands, including BAT products Lucky Strike, Rothmans and Kent, and Reynolds' brands such as Newport, Camel and Pall Mall.

The combined company will have a strong foothold in the United States, and a significant presence in high-growth markets including South America, the Middle East and Africa.

BAT added it would also create a "truly global" business for fast-growing next generation products (NGP) like e-cigarettes or vaping.

"We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with Reynolds and we look forward to putting the recommended offer to shareholders," said BAT Chief Executive Nicandro Durante in a statement.

He added that the blockbuster deal "will create a stronger, global tobacco and NGP business with direct access for our products across the most attractive markets in the world".

"We believe this will drive continued, sustainable profit growth and returns for shareholders long into the future."

Reynolds shareholders will receive USD 29.44 in cash and 0.5260 BAT ordinary shares, under the terms of the transaction.

That represented an increase of 26 per cent compared with the closing Reynolds share price on October 20 -- the day before BAT's unsuccessful bid.

The offer comprises USD 25 billion worth of BAT shares and USD 24.4 billion in cash and values the entire Reynolds group at more than USD 85 billion.

BAT forecasts that it will make at least USD 400 million in annualised cost savings following the purchase, while the deal remains subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals.

The London-listed firm plans to expand further in the vaping and e-cigarette market where it is already the largest international company outside the US adding Reynolds' popular Vuse vapour brand to its portfolio.

Major global tobacco companies are smoking out emerging markets to offset sliding demand in Western Europe, where high taxes, public smoking bans and health worries have persuaded many people to give up or turn to e-cigarettes, battery-powered devices that heat a nicotine liquid.

The world's biggest cigarette producer by market share is the state-owned China National Tobacco Corporation, followed by Marlboro maker Philip Morris International.

However, BAT says the Reynolds deal will create the biggest listed tobacco firm by net turnover and operating profit.

Reynolds is the second biggest player in the US market and has three out of the four top-selling cigarette brands.
Jamshedpur:

In keeping with its commitment to the young generation, Tata Steel on Tuesday announced a scholarship programme titled Women-Of-Mettle, a pioneering initiative to encourage gender diversity in the manufacturing industry.

The programme aimed to identify, groom and encourage female engineering talent for a sector that historically has had imbalanced gender representation, a Tata Steel press release said.

Female students in their second year of engineering from select 45+ engineering institutes across India are invited to be a part of this programme.

The interested applicants, post initial stage of profile screening, will undergo a rigorous selection process, which entails working on a technical challenge and the top 30 female students will present their proposed solution to a jury of experts and professionals.

Post evaluation, top 10 winners will be eligible for the scholarship amounting Rs 1 Lakh each, which will be given in the third and fourth year of the course.

The winners also get the opportunity to do a paid internship (3rd year), receive mentorship from the senior leadership of the organisation, sponsorship to participate in technical conferences and a pre-placement job offer.

Rest 20 candidates will be eligible for pre-placement interviews during the final recruitment process.

Speaking on Women-Of-Mettle Scholarship programme Vice-President, HRM, Tata Steel, Suresh Dutt Tripathi said at the Tata Steel, gender diversity is not about ensuring that we have a certain percentage of women working for the organization.

It is rather about ensuring that we attract the best people into the group, be it men or women, and offer them an equal and fair opportunity to develop their skills and contribute to our growth and success, he said.
New Delhi:

Bigg Boss has been full of twists and turns and Tuesday was no different. Housemates woke up to 'Saajan ji ghar aaye' A as wedding bells rung for Monalisa and her boyfriend Vikrant Singh Rajpoot.

Let's have a look at some of the excerpts from the show:

# Vikrant, Monalisa, Manu Punjabi & Manveer Gurjar tried to sort out their differences!

# Housemates interacted with Vikrant while trying to know more about him!

# Housemates danced and rejoiced while celebrating Monalisa & Vikrant's 'Haldi' ceremony

# ManuPunjabi was upset due to Vikrant Singh Rajpoot's comments about him!A

Looks like another argument is about to heat up as @TheManuPunjabi gets upset with #VikrantSinghRajpoot's comments about him! #BB10 pic.twitter.com/nnq1nw9Zlx a Bigg Boss (@BiggBoss) January 17, 2017

# Vikrant applauded the housemates for surviving for so long in the Bigg Boss house!

# Monalisa couldn't believe the fact that she would be married in the house!

.@MonalisaAntara can't seem to believe the fact that they will be getting married in the house! #BB10 pic.twitter.com/9f82EujyWA a Bigg Boss (@BiggBoss) January 17, 2017

# Manu Punjabi, Lopamudra & Rohan Mehra were the 'Ladkiwale' while VJ Bani & Manveer Gurjar were the 'Ladkewale'!A

# Monalisa and Vikrant's 'haldi' ceremony took place in the house

# Bigg Boss congratulated Monalisa Antara & Vikrant apart from taking responsibility of their marriage

# Housemates jumped with joy as Bigg Boss announced Monalisa Antara & Vikrant Singh Rajpoot's marriage!

# Housemates were very excited upon watching Monalisa Antara flaunting her engagement ring!A

# Housemates were highly excited as they witnessed Monalisa & Vikrant Singh Rajpoot enter the house hand-in-hand!

# Monalisa was left speechless after boyfriend Vikrant Singh Rajpoot went down on his knees and proposed marriage to her!A

.@MonalisaAntara is left speechless after boyfriend #VikrantSinghRajpoot goes down on his knees and proposes marriage to her! #BB10 pic.twitter.com/fWgJstPd6G a Bigg Boss (@BiggBoss) January 17, 2017

# Bigg Boss called Monalisa to the activity room and she was overjoyed upon seeing her boyfriend Vikrant Singh Rajpoot there!

# Housemates lost their first luxury item after it slipped off Rohan Mehra's mouth

# Bigg Boss reduced the activity time to 6 minutes because of the rules broken by few of the housemates!

# Housemates had to shop for the luxury budget items all by themselves

# VJ Bani read Bigg Boss message about their next luxury budget activity!
New Delhi:

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday filed an official complaint against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for allegedly violating model code of conduct by co-relating Congress party symbol hand with Hindu symbol of holy blessing.



"In the recent Supreme Court judgement, no religious figures can be used for the political purposes, here he (Rahul Gandhi) has blatantly misused the column," BJP leader S Prakash told media.



Prakash said the party symbol is not allowed into the poling both but the 'hand' will always be with the voters, so when they enter the polling both their hands will be visible and which is a violation of the code of conduct.



A co-signatory on the complaint Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi revealed that Election Commission has said that they have taken it very seriously and that they'll take necessary steps.



By their statement they're (Rahul Gandhi/Congress) trying to say that if you're voting for their symbol, you are voting for your religion, Naqvi said. He added, This is a case of corrupt practices and a clear violation of model code of conduct. Their symbol (Congress) must be seized.

Also read:

Akhilesh Yadav gets Samajwadi Party and Cycle symbol

EC order on cycle symbol to change dynamics of UP assembly elections 2017

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New Delhi:

BJP leader Nalin Kumar Kateel on Tuesday warned CPI-M against targeting BJP workers and reiterated that the Centre would intervene if they be physically targeted in left-ruled Kerala and would face retaliation in other parts of the country as well.

They (CPI-M) will come to know about the strength of the BJP in other parts of the country if they did not stop violence against the BJP workers in Kerala, Kateel said while addressing a meeting of BJP Kerala state committee here.

He alleged that CPI(M)-ruled state was now known for political killings while other states focused on development and economic growth.

Criticising the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for using the platform of state youth festival being held in Kannur for reportedly politically attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It is a feudal government which is ruling the state. Both the Prime Minister and the BJP are being targeted by those who failed to fight them ideologically.

BJP has emerged as a major political force in the state. That is why the party is treated as number one enemy by two major political fronts--the LDF and UDF, Rajasekharan said.

With PTI Inputs

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

RBI Governor Urjit Patel will on Wednesday brief a parliamentary panel in New Delhi on demonetisation and its impact on the economy and the steps taken by the central bank to deal with the cash crunch.



Besides, representatives of the Finance Ministry, including from the department of Economic Affairs, Financial Services and Revenue will brief the members of the Standing Committee on Finance headed by former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily.



Also, representatives of Indian Banks Association (IBA), State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) are scheduled to be present in the meeting.



The meeting will discuss the demonetisation of Indian currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 and the impact thereof.



The RBI Governor is also scheduled to appear before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on the same issue on January 20.



In a surprise move on November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.



Following the decision, the RBI had put restrictions on withdrawal of cash from ATMs as well as from banks to deal with shortage of new high denomination currency notes. This led to long queues at ATMs and bank branches.



The cash situation has improved gradually with supply of new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes. Yesterday, the RBI increased the daily withdrawal limit from ATMs to Rs 10,000, though it kept the weekly ceiling at Rs 24,000.



All over the country, the banks had to deal with huge rush of people who thronged their branches to deposit the junked notes. The deadline for depositing old notes with banks ended on December 30.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Siwan:

An FIR was on Tuesday launched against controversial RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin for clicking a selfie inside the Siwal jail. The picture had gone viral on social media.



"An FIR has been registered against Mohammad Shahabuddin and an unknown person in the selfie matter," Officer in-charge of Muffasil police station Vinay Pratap Singh said.

The FIR was registered on January 14 with the Muffasil police station. However, the police informed the media on Monday.

Superintendent of Siwan Divisional Jail Bidhu Bhardwaj has registered a case, the OC said.



District magistrate Mahendra Kumar ordered the Jail Superintendent to lodge an FIR in the case on the basis of probe report of a two-member team of SDPO and SDO.

A fresh controversy was sparked earlier in January this year when Shahabuddin's purported selfie inside the jail went viral on social media.

ALSO READ | SC reserves order on plea to transfer Shahabuddin from Siwan jail

The picture showed Shahabuddin's new look with shaven head and overcoat.

The four-time RJD MP from Siwan is currently lodged in Siwan jail after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail granted by the Patna High Court in connection with the killing of the prime witness in the murder of two brothers by pouring acid on them.

Notorious and known for muscle-flexing, Shahabuddin is facing over 36 cases, including murder and kidnapping.

(With PTI inputs)

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Madurai :

In a massive crackdown by Tamil Nadu Police following the protest against the Supreme Courts ban on Jallikattu, more than 500 protestors have been detained by the police in Alanganallur of Tamil Nadus Madurai on Tuesday.

On Saturday too, 149 persons were detained in Madurai district for staging protests against the ban. The Supreme Court on Thursday had said it could not give its verdict on Jallikattu before Pongal.

Thousands of protestors on Monday took to the streets in Madurais Alanganallur town protesting the ban against the ancient and popular bull-taming sport -Jallikattu. They assembled in the town area well known for conducting Jallikattu. A large convoy of police personals have been deployed at the venue to prevent any untoward incidents.

Also Read: Video: Villagers in Tamil Nadu's Palamedu conduct symbolic Jallikattu event defying SC's order

Jallikattu festival: Police warns of action against those defying SC ban



Protestors made black rangoli and held various protests against Peta also. DMK Working President MK Stalin and PETA over the Jallikattu issue, with the leader dubbing the animal rights NGO as anti-national and the group calling the criticism cheap and ineffective.

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has come under severe criticism from pro-Jallikattu groups for its strident opposition to the bull-taming sport associated with the Pongal harvest festivities.

Targeting PETA, which has been in the forefront of anti- Jallikattu protests, Stalin, also Tamil Nadu Opposition leader, said such international NGOs did not realise the diversity of India and aspects of its heritage, and charged them with working with ulterior motives.

Centre should immediately ban the international NGO PETA which is against our culture and is anti-national, he said.

He also favoured replacing Animal Welfare Board of India with a different body with more Tamil representation in it.

Hitting back, PETA said Stalins criticism was cheap and ineffective and that supporting cruelty is un-Indian.

To target an animal protection NGO which is not a law- making body, but rather a law-abiding body, is cheap and ineffective as it can have no bearing whatsoever on the central government laws that prohibit cruelty to bulls, Manilal Valliyate, Director of Veterinary Affairs, PETA India, said.

To stand for kindness is patriotic, to stand for cruelty is un-Indian. PETA India serves animals in respect of our countrys Constitutional mandate, its laws and its Supreme Court, Valliyate said in a statement.

Stalin demanded that the Centre should not allow PETA to function anymore and urged the Union Government to come out with court-approved mechanism for the conduct of the bull-taming sport in future.

(With agencies input)

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New Delhi:

Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla has denied sending resignation to the party high command over the differences on the ticket distribution for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

There were reports that Sampla had offered to quit the post accusing the party leadership of not paying heed to his suggestions in the ticket distribution for the upcoming assembly elections

Sampla met senior BJP leaders in Delhi on Tuesday in this regard.

Sources said that Sampla met BJP president Amit Shah in Delhi but his resignation was not accepted.

However, Sampla later denied that he had any plans to quit and he had gone to meet senior leaders in connection with some important work.

Sampla, who is a cabinet minister in the SAD-BJP government, is reportedly unhappy over partys decision to field Som Prakash from Fagwara constituency.

(With inputs from agencies)

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spelt out India's foreign policy in relation to Asian neighbours during the inaugural address of India's annual international geo-political conference Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.

The prime minister's inaugural address highlighted almost all issues he has been working on since he took over the leadership of the country in 2014, starting from his invitation to SAARC nations for his oath ceremony. However, key highlights of his speech were what he said on Pakistan and China, and their economic corridor. Here are the highlights: (read full coverage here)

Watch PM Modi's full speech here:





PM Modi on India at Raisina Dialogue 2017



# Our economic and political rise has great significance.

# My government has a path of international engagement. Shaping relationship is our priority.

# Realism Coexistence cooperation partnership. This finds place in our national interest.

# Indian transformation can't be separated with foreign policy.

# Our economic growth, markets, all deeply impacted by the world.

# Our desire to change our country has invisible link with the world.

# In India, transformational goal is equally result of human progress.



PM Modi on World Order at Raisina Dialogue 2017



# Multipolarity of world and multipolar Asia is dominant and we welcome it. It accepts the voices of many.

# Focus of conference is multipolarism and multipolarity.

# Changing world is not new situation. The crucial question is friends of nations are shifting rapidly.

# At multiple levels world is going through profound changes.

# We believe respecting freedom of navigation and respecting international norm is necessary.



PM Modi on South Asian nations at Raisina Dialogue 2017



# People of South Asia joined by blood and shared history.

# Interconnected neighbourhood is my dream

# In Afghanistan, despite distance and difficulty we have built institutions. (Read Hamid Karzai's remark on PM Modi's speech)

# With Bangladesh, we achieved "political understanding".

# With Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan we developed infra source of progress.

# India alone can't walk the path of peace.

# Pakistan must walk away from terror of it wants to have dialogue with India.

# Our vision is peaceful of entire South Asia. # With this vision I walked to Lahore.

# For me sabka sat sabka vikas is not only vision of India but needs of world

# The people of South Asia is joint by history geography and shared culture.



PM on China at Raisina Dialogue 2017



# Engagement with China is important.

# Sort to tap areas of commercial partnership.

# There are opportunities for development of relations between India and China.

# It's not unnatural for 2 large neighbouring powers to have differences.

# Both need to show sensitivity and respect for core concerns and interest.

# This century belongs to Asia.

# Rising ambitions visible stress points.

#Security architecture must be open and transparent and should be rooted in international norms and sovereignty.

PM on Talks with Trump at Raisina Dialogue 2017

# We agreed to keep building on gains on strategic partnership.

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New Delhi:

New year may bring troubles for Salman Khan as the CJM court in Jodhpur is all set to pronounce its verdict in the Arms Act case against the Bollywood actor on Wednesday, January 18. If convicted, Salman Khan could face imprisonment for seven years.



While fixing the date of verdict, the court had asked Salman Khan to be present on that date. On January 9, the court of chief judicial magistrate fixed the date of verdict after the final arguments from both the sides were completed.

Magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit directed Mr. Khan to be present in the court during pronouncement of the order. Final arguments of the case had started on December 9 last year.

The case so far:

Salman Khan has been accused in two cases of black buck poaching. Though the High Court has acquitted Salman in both the cases, both these matters are currently in Supreme Court.

The verdict in black buck poaching case is yet to be pronounced. Salman's pistol was stolen from his hotel room, however, a police official had recovered it and handed it over to the actor.

There are still some doubts about these weapons being sent to Mumbai. Both the sides are now making this a base.

Salman may face jail:

A person may get 1-3 years imprisonment for possessing illegal arms. If found guilty of using these arms for poaching may land a person in jail for 7 years.

What is Salman Khan's Arms Act case:

A case against Salman Khan had been registered under the Arms Act by police in October 1998 for alleged use and possession of arms with expired license during alleged poaching of two blackbucks in Kankani village. The case was filed by the forest department.

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New Delhi:

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday asked Indian Embassy in Riyadh to keep her informed about the case of a 32-year-old man from Hyderabad being sentenced to one years imprisonment and 300 lashes by a Saudi court after being convicted in a robbery case.

Swarajs direction came after the family of Mohammed Mansoor Hussain, a resident of Malakpet in Hyderabad who holds an MBA degree, reached out to her through Twitter and told her that they are very poor and cannot afford a lawyer for him.

Pl do not worry. Our Embassy is doing everything, Swaraj replied to the tweet.

Right. Pl keep me informed about this case, she told the Indian mission in Riyadh.

As per reports, Hussain is lodged in Wadi Al Dawasir jail in Saudi Arabia. He had been working as a marketing auditor at Abdel Hadi Abdullah Al Qahtani and Sons Limited in Riyadh since 2013.

Hussains family claimed on August 25 last year he had gone to a bank to deposit nearly one lakh Saudi Riyal when he was allegedly robbed by some miscreants. When he went to a police station to lodge a complaint on the advice of his boss, he was taken to custody.

According to reports, he has been sentenced to one year imprisonment and 300 lashes.

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Durgapur:

BJP slammed Trinamool Congress on Tuesday after its workers allegedly attack the convoy of Union Minister Babul Supriyo's on Monday, when he was traveling with his family and BJP workers in Durgapur (West Bengal). The BJP called the TMC attack '"Jangal Raaj' and has said that the party will hold mass agitation program on Tuesday.

BJP in a statement said " The Jangal Raaj has occurred again in State. On Monday TMC party workers attacked Union Minister Babul Supriyo, with his family and BJP workers while he was visiting the Ondal Powerplant.The TMC workers threw stones towards the Hon'ble Minister and made filthy comments towards his family. In this shameful act two BJP Asansol leaderships are seriously injured and the vehicle of has been vandalised. BJP West Bengal condemns this abominable act and decided to protest against it. There will be a mass agitation program on on Tuesday in front of Asansol commissioner at 02:00PM and this will followed by the deputation".

Union Minister Babul Supriyo's convoy was attacked by alleged activists of the Trinamool Congress on Monday evening while he was on an official visit to a thermal power station in Durgapur but escaped unhurt.

Supriyo, the Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, said that his convoy was attacked by alleged TMC activists when he was on an official visit to Durgapur Steel Thermal Power station in his Asansol constituency during the day."As my car was entering the venue, TMC activists shouted slogans and pelted my car with stones. They tried to break my car," he said.

Supriyo alleged there was no response from the local police though a CISF senior official had informed them after seeing the "huge gathering of aggressive TMC supporters at the gate".

"The CISF commander had requested local police for help but there was no response from the police," Supriyo alleged. District police officials did not elaborate on the incident but said they are looking into the matter.

On January 4, over 100 Trinamool Congress workers had staged a protest outside the house of Supriyo in Kolkata demanding his arrest in the Rose Valley chit fund scam.

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New Delhi:

Two Darjeeling high schools girls, who acted as trafficking decoys leading to busting of a cross-border flesh trade ring and an 8-year-old Arunachal girl, who lost her life while rescuing friends in a river, are among those chosen for the National Bravery Award this year.

For displaying extraordinary valour, Tarh Peeju has been conferred the coveted Bharat Award posthumously while Tejasweeta Pradhan (18) and Shivani Gond (17) from West Bengal have been selected for the prestigious Geeta Chopra Award.

Tejasweeta and Shivani, both volunteers with a rights NGO, first befriended on Facebook a minor girl who had gone missing from Nepal, and who ultimately turned out to be a conduit in the trafficking ring.

Since class 8 I have been a volunteer of Students Against Trafficking Club (SATC), run under MARG, an NGO which works for curbing trafficking. The NGO received a request to trace the missing girl and they wanted me to be part of a plan to bust the flesh trade racket. I and my parents were hesitant in the beginning, but we both decided to be onboard, as it was for a larger cause, Tejasweeta told reporters.

Shivanis brother Vishal Gond, who works for MARG (Mankind in Action for Rural Growth) said, She agreed to be part of the plan to bust the ring, as worked out by the police and CBI and we (NGO) assisted them.

As part of the plan, a fake account was created and we befriended the missing girl, who turned out to be a conduit in the trafficking ring. We then pretended to be Nepalese girls, seeking employment, and we were asked to meet the ring members at a hotel, somewhere on the Indo-Nepal border, Shivani said.

Though there were police officials around, disguised in civilian clothes, we both were scared and terribly frightened. We were even shivering, as they took about four hours to arrive. Our back up plan was that if things went wrong, we would just run for our lives. But, we somehow did not lose our strength, Tejasweeta said.

The ring was ultimately busted and the mastermind was arrested from Delhi last year. We are proud of the two girls. Society should not look at girls as a burden but as gifts. At least in Darjeeling, daughters are always welcomed on their birth, Tejasweetas mother Kamlesh Rai Pradhan said.

Peeju, who died while rescuing two other children when they were swept away by the current in the Pachin River in Arunachal Pradesh, is among the four awardees to have been conferred the honour posthumously.

The Sanjay Chopra Award has been conferred on 18-year-old Sumit Mamgain of Uttarakhand for displaying outstanding bravery in fighting a leopard to save his cousins life.

25 children -- 12 girls and 13 boyshave been selected for the prestigious award, which they will receive from the Prime Minister on January 23 and thereafter participate in the Republic Day parade, officials said.

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New Delhi:

A day after getting hold of Samajwadi Party's election symbol 'bicycle', Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav met his supporters in Lucknow where he reiterated that the relation between him and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav is still intact.

Sources said that Akhilesh also accepted a list of 38 candidates sent by Mulayam.

The list also includes the names of Aditya Yadav and Aparna Yadav.

However, Mulayam's younger brother Shivpal Singh will not fight the election.

Sources said that Mulayam himself is not going to field any candidates on SP's ticket.

"We have a big responsibility. Our focus is on retaining power," Akhilesh said while interacting with journalists at his residence.

Akhilesh also tried to dodge questions over a possible alliance with the Congress in the assembly elections.

"Please wait for some time," UP CM responded after Congress offered to form a pre-poll alliance with the ruling party.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Summit Behavioral Health Outlines Why Mental Illness Stigmatizes Sufferers Preventing Them From Seeking Dual Diagnosis Addiction Treatment

UNION, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / January 17, 2017 / Mental health is just as important as physical well-being, however, many societies still struggle to recognize that mental illness is a medical issue - not a moral failing. Unfortunately, the stigma that so often surrounds mental health sometimes prevents people from seeking treatment for mental illness.

The Link Between Substance Abuse Disorders and Mental Illness

Although drug and alcohol abuse does not necessarily cause mental disturbance (or vice versa), there is a high prevalence of comorbidity between substance abuse disorders and poor mental health.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse1, there are three possible reasons for this:

Drug and alcohol abuse can exacerbate symptoms of mental disturbances, including an increased risk of psychosis.

Individuals who experience mental illness may be more likely to self-medicate by turning to drugs and alcohol.

Conditions like underlying brain deficits and exposure to trauma can contribute to both mental illness and substance abuse disorders.

Because substance abuse and mental health are often closely linked, it's important for substance abuse disorder treatment plans to incorporate treatment for mental wellness. In most cases, this holistic approach is the best way to ensure long-term recovery.

Getting to the Bottom of the Stigma

The history of mental illness2 and the public's perception of it sheds a great deal of light on why negative attitudes persist. Centuries of misinformation and abuse take time to undo, and people today are still experiencing the aftermath of a long history of mistreatment in the area of mental illness.

In various times throughout history, mental illness was regarded as a spiritual issue, with some individuals persecuted as witches or hosts for demonic possession. It's tragic to think that so many innocent people were mistreated and imprisoned for a medical condition beyond their control.

Story continues

Unfortunately, public attitudes didn't improve much over the centuries. In the 1840s, American mental health reformer Dorothea Dix lobbied the government to create special hospitals equipped to treat mental health disorders.

In 1946, President Harry Truman signed the National Mental Health Act, which created the National Institute of Mental Health in 1949.

However, rampant abuse in mental hospitals in the 1940s and 50s led to a call for change. Throughout the 1960s, mental health hospitals throughout the U.S. closed, causing the number of institutionalized mentally ill to drop from a peak of 560,000 to 130,000 by 1980. Studies show that up to 70 percent of mental health patients with schizophrenia showed improvement and stability after the introduction of anti-psychotic drugs in the 1950s.

Although mental health treatment has improved in recent decades, the stigma associated with mental health disorders lingers. Research3 reveals that up to 55 percent of inmates in state prisons and 45 percent of federal prisoners have some form of mental illness. In many cases, these prisoners are forced to live in the general population because there are not enough beds available in mental facilities.

Fortunately, much work has been done in recent years to remove the stigma of mental health care. There are more treatment options than ever before, and people increasingly recognize mental health matters as medical issues, rather than a choice or a lack of good character.

Recovery and Renewal Starts with Summit

Are you interested in learning more about your treatment options? Summit Behavioral Health offers personalized addiction treatment programs. Call today. 1-888-465-4187.

Footnotes:

1 - National Institute on Drug Abuse - www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/comorbidity-addiction-other-mental-illnesses/why-do-drug-use-disorders-often-co-occur-other-men

2 - History of mental illness - www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/nash/timeline/

3 - Research - www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/04/more-than-half-of-prisoners-are-mentally-ill/389682/

Contact:

Media Contact HQ

Rene Williams

(908) 364-5755

SOURCE: Summit Behavioral Health Addiction Center via Submit Press Release 123
London:

Our universe is home to as many as two trillion galaxies, a number which is ten times more than thought previously, a new study has revealed.



Astronomers have long sought to find out the number of galaxies present in the observable universe, the part of the cosmos where light from distant objects has had time to reach us.



Images from the Hubble Space Telescope were used by the scientists over the last 20 years to estimate that the universe has around 100 to 200 billion galaxies.

Scientists are able to study just 10 per cent of these galaxies with the help of current technology. Once bigger and better telescopes are developed, the remaining 90 per cent will be seen, said researchers led by Christopher Conselice from University of Nottingham in the UK.



A PhD student at Nottingham named Aaron Wilkinson carried out the initial galaxy-counting analysis, which was crucial to establish the feasibility of the larger-scale study.

Pencil beam images of deep space from telescopes around the world, and especially from the Hubble telescope were then converted into 3D maps by Conselice's team.

With this, they were able to calculate the density of galaxies as well as the volume of one small region of space after another.

The team by conducting the research managed to establish how many galaxies were missed, much like an intergalactic archaeological dig, researchers said.

The results of the study are based on the measurements of the number of observed galaxies at different epochs - different instances in time - through the universe's history.

Conselice and his team collaborated with scientists from Leiden University in the Netherlands and the University of Edinburgh. The team examined how many galaxies were there at a given epoch and they found that there were significantly more at earlier times.



It appears that when the universe was only a few billion years old there were ten times as many galaxies in a given volume of space as there are within a similar volume today.

Most of these galaxies were low mass systems with masses similar to those of the satellite galaxies surrounding the Milky Way.



"This is very surprising as we know that, over the 13.7 billion years of cosmic evolution since the Big Bang, galaxies have been growing through star formation and mergers with other galaxies," said Conselice.



"Finding more galaxies in the past implies that significant evolution must have occurred to reduce their number through extensive merging of systems," Conselice said.



"We are missing the vast majority of galaxies because they are very faint and far away. The number of galaxies in the universe is a fundamental question in astronomy, and it boggles the mind that over 90 per cent of the galaxies in the cosmos have yet to be studied," he added.



The research appears in The Astrophysical Journal.

(With inputs from PTI)

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London:

An Amazon worker has been fired after he allegedly put a note in a parcel for a Jewish mother in the UK that read "Greetings from Uncle Adolf".

The customer found the note in a package of toys for her niece.

The woman's friend Liran Meydat, was quoted by metro.co.uk as saying that, "When she told us about the note she was shaking -- she's a very gentle and humble lady. She does a lot for charity -- both Jewish and non-Jewish -- and helps all members of the community, that is why she took it very badly."

Liran said his friend "freaked out" when she discovered the note, which made an apparent reference to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, as she opened the parcel on December 22.

The note was found within the Amazon packaging but not within the product, leading Liran to believe it was placed in there by a member of Amazon staff.

Within 20 minutes of reporting the incident to the police, Liran claims officers attended and took the toy, packaging and note away for forensic testing.

"The Met took it very seriously, we're very happy about how they've handled it," Liran was quoted as saying.

An Amazon spokesperson was quoted as saying, "We take this incident seriously and have apologised to the customer. We have investigated the matter and dismissed the individual involved."

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said, "Police were called to an address in NW1 at 19:21 hrs on 22 December 2016 to reports of an offence of malicious communications. This is being treated as a hate crime. No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue."

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Islamabad:

Pakistans Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday warned India of a befitting response if it dared to carry out surgical strikes inside his country.

Asif also claimed India does not want to continue the process of negotiation with Pakistan and reduce the tension.

If India conducts a surgical strike such a response would be given that the country would not even dream of it, Asif said in a fiery speech during the Senate session.

He was speaking on a motion moved by Senator Sehar Kamran regarding the situation arising out of the alleged Indian violations of the Line of Control and ceasefire on the Working Boundary, resulting in the loss of precious lives.

A befitting response would be given if India dared to carry out surgical strikes inside Pakistan, he said, adding Indias claims of surgical strikes were baseless and false.

He claimed that India was making failed attempts to link the Kashmir insurgency with cross-border infiltration and terrorism, Radio Pakistan reported.

The minister claimed that India carried out 330 ceasefire violations including 290 on LoC and 40 on the Working Boundaries till December last. He said 45 Pakistani civilians were killed and 138 injured in the violations.

He said the frequency of the violations have been reduced after December.

The minister said the violations were effectively responded by the armed forces of the country.

He said these violations were reported to United Nations Military Observer Group at the Line of Control and Working Boundaries to appraise the UN for investigations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also raised the issue at the diplomatic and bilateral levels, he added.

He said that Pakistan would continue extending political, diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris in their struggle for their right to self-determination.

Earlier this month, Pakistans Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa had said his forces are fully geared to respond to any aggression by India.

Pakistans armed forces are fully geared to respond to any aggression by India, army spokesperson Major Gen Asif Ghafoor had quoted Gen Bajwa as saying.

Ghafoor also tweeted that Gen Bajwa rejected the self-defeating claims of Indian Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat about so called surgical strikes and its possible recurrence.

India maintains that its forces in September last year conducted surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, targetting terrorists and destroying their training camps.

Gen Rawat, who took over as the 27th chief of Indian army on December 31, had said India will give a calibrated hard response to terror activities that will compel Pakistan to completely rethink its strategy on supporting insurgency and terrorism.

Gen Rawat was actively involved in the surgical strikes on terror camps across the LoC

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Washington :

Indian-American Balaji S Srinivasan, a successful Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur and CEO of a bitcoin startup, is under consideration for Trump Administrations pick to lead the Federal Drug Administration after he met the US President-elect.

Balaji Srinivasan met Trump at the Trump Towers in New York on Thursday. No official announcement has been made yet.

But the incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer confirmed that Balaji is under consideration for the position of heading Federal Drug Administration (FDA), the all-important federal agency for drug and pharma industry.

Srinivasan along with Jim ONeill, managing director of Mithril Capital Management are being considered for positions in the FDA, Spicer told reporters.

Spicer said Srinivasan currently serves as the CEO and co-founder of 21.co and is a partner in Andreessen Horowitz.

He has won FDA approval as a genomics entrepreneurial, he said.

I am broadly interested in new technology, with a particular focus on real world applications where digital bits interface with physical atoms and substantive problems, such as quantified self (healthcare), MOOCs/ed tech (education), Bitcoin (finance), drones, and 3D printing, Srinivasan wrote on his LinkedIn profile.

He has also been a lecturer at Departments of Statistics, and Computer Science at the prestigious Stanford University.

He is currently teaching Stanfords Bitcoin Engineering course at bitcoin.stanford and the Startup Engineering MOOC at coursera.org/course/startup.

On his website, Balaji describes himself as a computer scientist, investor, entrepreneur, and academic. He holds a BS, MS, and PhD in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford.

He was the CTO and co-founder ofCounsyl, a genomics startup that began in a Stanford dorm room and now tests four per cent of all US births.

After ten years in genomics and five years at Counsyl, he stepped back from an executive role in November 2012 to work on other areas of technology.

Media reports said Srinivasan is closely associated with Peter Thiel, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist and co-founder of PayPal.

He was among the few Silicon Valley leaders to have supported Trump in his presidential campaign.

Srinivasans parents are from Chennai, who came to the US in early 70s.

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New Delhi:

Nigerian state officials on Tuesday said that Military jet has mistakenly bombed refugee camp and has killed more than 100 people.

A Nigerian Air Force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp Tuesday, killing more than 100 refugees and wounding aid workers, a Borno state official said.



According to report in the Associated Press, the state government official was helping to coordinate the evacuation of wounded.

The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.



Military commander Maj Gen Lucky Irabor confirmed the accidental bombardment in northeast Rann, near the border with Cameroon. Among the wounded were two soldiers and Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee of the Red Cross, he said to the news agency.



Irabor said he ordered the mission based on information that Boko Haram insurgents were gathering, along with geographic coordinates. It was too early to say if a tactical error was made, he said.



The general, who is the theater commander for counterinsurgency operations in northeast Nigeria, said the Air Force would not deliberately target civilians but there will be an investigation.



Some of the nearly 300 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 and freed last year have said three of their classmates were killed by Air Force bombardments, according to the freed girls' parents.

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Cancun :

A shooting erupted at an electronic music festival in the Mexican resort of Playa del Carmen early on Tuesday, leaving at least five people dead and sparking a stampede, the mayor said.

Fifteen people were injured, some in the stampede, after at least one shooter opened fire before dawn at the Blue Parrot nightclub during the BPM festival, Mayor Cristina Torres told a local radio channel.

Three of the dead are foreigners, said Torres, mayor of the municipality of Solidaridad, which includes the popular beach resort.

For the moment we have indications that one person opened fire, Torres said, adding that authorities were contacting the US, Canadian and Colombian consulates to provide information about their citizens conditions.

She said the shooting appeared to have taken place inside the club, causing people to flee in panic. Other witnesses said it happened outside the club.

Playa del Carmen is 68 kilometers south of Cancun. The region, popular among American and European tourists, has been largely spared from the drug violence plaguing other parts of Mexico.

An editor for the London-based music magazine Mixmag who was in the backstage area of the Blue Parrot said at least four or five shots were fired at around 2:45 (local time) or 3 am, indicating that it happened in front of the club.

People started running because theres an exit in the back. We stopped and hid behind a cement wall, then crawled under a metal table, Valerie Lee, Mixmags US digital editor, was quoted as saying by the magazine.

Security guards at first didnt think it was shots and kept claiming it was fireworks, saying everything was OK. Then people kept running and said they saw a gun. We kept hiding until they opened the back gate and we ran outside, Lee said.

Lee wrote on Twitter that the music was still playing five minutes after the shots were heard. The music, she said, was super loud, likely those inside didnt even hear.

She said friends outside the entrance were just six meters from the shooter.

Bodies on the ground. Didnt seem like shooters tried to enter the party, Lee wrote.

Police took over 10 minutes to arrive. Victims likely include tourists/party goers, poss (possibly) a security guard.

Images shared on social media showed people cowering or running down the street.

The BPM Festival issued a statement on Facebook saying the attack was perpetrated by a lone shooter in front of the club.

The violence began on 12th Street in front of the club and three members of the BPM security team were among those whose lives were lost while trying to protect patrons inside the venue, the statement said.

The festival said organisers have been working with local authorities throughout the event to ensure public safety.

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Western Connecticuts congressional delegation pledged its support Tuesday for an effort to save young immigrants from deportation.

The lawmakers were responding to a letter signed by all 17 presidents of Connecticuts state universities and colleges, seeking support for a bill introduced in the Senate last week that would defer deportation for Dreamers for three years.

As you know, Connecticut believes in accessible and affordable public higher education for all our citizens, including those who are undocumented, read the letter, written by Mark Ojakian, president of Connecticuts college and university system.

Our institutions welcome students from all walks of life, and support their educational goals and dreams, not only because it is the right thing to do, but because investing in all our students improves the sustainability of our communities and the economic competitiveness of our state.

Ojakian estimated there were 5,000 such students in Connecticut. Nationwide, there are as many as 750,000.

Dreamers represent some of the best of America. Brought to the U.S. by their parents when they were small children, they grew up as American as anyone, said Sen. Chris Murphy. Im committed to making sure Dreamers are protected, whether the new administration repeals DACA or not.

The Senate bill, introduced by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-IL, and Lindsey Graham, R-SC, would also restrict information in DACA applications from being used by federal immigration officials.

These Dreamers have voluntarily reported personal information about themselves, and deporting them would be a blatant violation of fundamental fairness and due process, not to mention a grave disservice to communities and our country because they have immense talents, gifts and contributions to make, Sen. Richard Blumenthal said on Tuesday.

U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty agreed.

Dreamers are young people who came to this country before the age of consent, and this is the only country they know, said Esty, who represents greater Danbury and the Fifth Congressional District. We have invested in them, and they consider themselves Americans. To pull the rug out from under Dreamers would be un-American, inhumane, and foolish.

Camila Bortoletto, who co-founded the statewide group CT Students for a Dream with her twin sister in Danbury, and has organized students at Western Connecticut State University, said the fight only begins with Dreamers.

CT Students for a Dream is committed not only to the protection of DACA, but also to fighting mass deportation, the militarization of our border, and other atrocious policies that aim to criminalize communities of color, Bortoletto said in a prepared statement. Immigrant youth will continue to fight to protect the victories we have won and to keep organizing until we win.

On the one hand, one could say with all the anti-immigration rhetoric weve been hearing, comprehensive immigration reform would be impossible, said Esty, noting the hard line President-elect Donald Trump has taken on the issue. But maybe there will be a Nixon to China moment here.

Esty was referring to the political coup President Nixon pulled off with his visit to Communist China in 1972. She said Trump could achieve a similar surprise victory by supporting Dreamers - the name for immigrants who entered the U.S. without permission as children, and have been protected from deportation under the Obama administrations Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

Blumenthal agreed.

The most predictable point about the Trump transition so far is that it has been unpredictable, said Blumenthal, a two-term Democrat. So a Nixon to China moment is within the realm of possibility - especially for the Dreamers, who I believe Trump has called beautiful people.

rryser@newstimes.com; 203-731-3342
NEW FAIRFIELD  The Board of Selectmen have agreed to spend more than $52,000 for chemical treatments of growing weed and algae problems in Candlewood Lake.

The chemicals would target the invasive Eurasian watermilfoil, an aquatic weed that has been spreading in the lake for years, as well as blooms of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, that pose a danger to swimmers.

The treatments using herbicides and algaecides will be done by Solitude Lake Management, a consulting company that presented at a September forum organized by First Selectman Susan Chapman.

Under the proposal, the company would apply a herbicide once in mid-May to about 50 acres in Town Park Cove and 10 acres in Shelter Harbor Cove to treat the watermilfoil. It would also make up to four applications of copper sulfate to treat the cyanobacteria when a bloom occurs or is about to occur.

Were looking forward to seeing if this pilot program produces the results were looking for, Chapman said. If its an effective plan we can consider it moving forward.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection must approve permits for the work before the proposal can advance. The permitting process includes public input.

We want people to understand what were doing, Chapman said.

The work would cost about $52,400. Of that total, $30,000 would come from the towns budget surplus from last year and the rest, town officials hope, from FirstLight Power Resources, which owns Candlewood Lake.

Chapman said she is concerned there might be more milfoil this summer because lakewater levels are not being drawn down this winter by FirstLight as much as originally planned. The drawdowns help kill the milfoil by exposing it to winter cold.

Candlewood Lake Authority Executive Director Larry Marsicano was disappointed that New Fairfield went forward with the chemical treatment plan without consulting the authority. He said he is concerned about the possible effects on sterile grass carp introduced into the lake in 2015 to eat the milfoil.

We have competing management techniques and when you overmanage a lake, you have other issues, Marsicano said.

Chapman said she will keep the authority informed about the project, but noted that only the New Fairfield shoreline will be affected.

The town of New Fairfield is trying to see if it can find an effective solution for these issues at the lake, she said. New Fairfield does have the biggest part of the lake.

The authority hopes to add more carp this year, Marsicano said, and there could be problems if there isnt enough milfoil for them to eat.

That will clearly throw a wrench into the number of carp we have in the lake in the future, he said.

Chapman said the carps safety has been taken into consideration.

This herbicide has been used in other lakes around the state, so were not putting a product out there for something that hasnt been effective in Connecticut, she said.

She said Solitude has experience with working with lakes with fish, but has agreed to replace carp if they are affected by the treatment.

Dennis Schain, a Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesman, said it was too early to comment on the proposal and the effect it would have on the lake.

We have not had an opportunity to review this proposal, he said. This is a matter that would require careful review and evaluation before a decision could be made on whether to grant a permit for these types of activities.

kkoerting@newstimes.com; 203-731-3345; @kkoerting
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RIDGEFIELD - Town officials are about to begin the search for a new fire chief to replace Kevin Tappe, who resigned earlier this month after an unspecified policy violation.

First Selectman Rudy Marconi said Tuesday that the town will likely follow protocols similar to those used two years ago when Tappe was hired.

Tappes resignation was accepted earlier this month after the Board of Selectmen reviewed the report of an investigation by Human Resources Director Laurie Fernandez. Both Marconi and Fernandez have refused to release the report or discuss its contents.

Marconi said the document was a draft and therefore not subject to Connecticuts public records law. Hearst Connecticut Media, of which the News-Times is a part, is preparing to file a complaint contesting that claim with the state Freedom of Information Commission.

Tappe will be on paid administrative leave with full pay and benefits until his resignation takes effect April 30. During that time, Tappe, who will also retain all of his retirement benefits, is forbidden to contact fire department employees or enter the firehouse.

Marconi said it likely will take some time to hire a new chief and the process probably wont be completed until April or later. Assistant Chief Jerry Myers is serving as acting chief in the meantime.

Having someone new in the position by April 30 would be a pretty quick timeline and I dont see that happening at this point, Marconi said.

Marconi said the search would be open to both internal and external candidates.

Tappe had served as the fire departments assistant chief for more than seven years before being appointed to lead the department in June 2014. The search process, which included a panel of area fire officials to screen the finalists, took about six months to complete.
John Kerry

DAVOS, Switzerland  US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday made a subtle joke suggesting that President-elect Donald Trump may not serve out his full term in office.

During a discussion in front of some of the economic elite here at the World Economic Forum, Kerry was explaining why he thought a Trump administration could not unilaterally pull out of the multinational nuclear deal with Iran, an action that was one of Trump's most pronounced campaign promises on foreign policy.

"It will hurt for the endurance of a year, two years, whatever  while the administration is still there," Kerry said, referring to what he said would be the consequences of pulling out of the multilateral deal. The remark drew laughter from the crowd, prompting a smile from Kerry.

The Iran deal was one example Kerry pinpointed to suggest that Trump would not be able to undo some of the Obama administration's signature foreign-policy achievements  at least not right away or without help. The deal was negotiated by Iran and a group of world powers known as the P5+1  China, France, Russia, Germany, the UK, and the US.

"I'll bet you that our friends and allies who negotiated this will get together  and that Russia, China, Germany, France, and Britain will say, you know what, this is a good deal. We're going to keep it," Kerry said. "And Iran will keep it. And we'll have made ourselves the odd person out. We'll have injured our credibility in [a] conceivably irreparable way."

Kerry clarified that he thought the description "irreparable" was too dramatic, saying instead that the US would be doing a "great injury to ourselves" if it were to back away from the deal.

Kerry's remarks at Davos were his final planned in his official capacity at the State Department. Trump is set to take office Friday. His discussion with moderator Tom Friedman of The New York Times was wide-ranging, touching on some of the Obama administration's biggest legacy points, including its relationship with Israel and the future of the Paris climate agreement.

Story continues

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CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- New nationwide rules to curtail the practice of burning off excess natural gas from oil and gas wells on federal land took effect as scheduled Tuesday after a judge said he saw no urgent reason to block them while a lawsuit moves ahead.

U.S. District Judge Scott Skavdahl in Casper said Monday that he couldn't immediately conclude the Interior Department had overstepped its authority with the rules, which seek to reduce air pollution and waste by requiring gas to be captured and sold rather than flared.

Certain provisions in the rules don't take full effect for a year, Skavdahl pointed out. That allows time for the lawsuit contesting the rules filed by Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, the Western Energy Alliance and Independent Petroleum Association of America to be resolved  assuming Donald Trump and his administration don't revoke the rules after he takes office Friday.

Environmentalists praised Skavdahl's decision, saying it will allow the government to begin collecting royalties on gas currently going to waste. Those royalties could be used for schools and infrastructure, Environmental Defense Fund lead attorney Peter Zalzal said.

Petroleum developers flare excess gas from newly drilled wells while they assess productivity and install pipelines to carry the gas off to sale. The practice costs the government about $23 million a year in lost royalties, according to a 2010 U.S. Government Accountability Office report.

Forty percent of the gas could be captured economically with existing technology, said the report referred to by Skavdahl in his decision not to suspend the rules.

Though Skavdahl rejected its request to suspend the rules, the Western Energy Alliance predicted the judge ultimately would agree with the three states and industry groups that the rules exceed Interior's proper authority. The petroleum industry has done much on its own to reduce methane emissions, alliance President Kathleen Sgamma said.

Story continues

"Federal regulation in the form of delayed pipeline and gas gathering line permits often leads to producers having to flare methane for longer periods of time than would otherwise be necessary," Sgamma said in a release.

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead said in a statement that he was disappointed Skavdahl didn't suspend the rules but appreciated the judge also was skeptical about the Bureau of Land Management's "attempt to regulate matters outside its expertise."

Last summer, Skavdahl struck down rules for hydraulic fracturing on public lands, ruling Congress hadn't given the U.S. Bureau of Land Management such authority.

How Trump and his nominee for Interior secretary, Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke, will approach the flaring rules remains to be seen. Zinke has advocated for more oil and gas drilling and coal mining on Western lands.

___

Follow Mead Gruver at https://twitter.com/meadgruver
- Regulatory compliant, FDA-audited facility based in Mollet des Valles, Spain

- The only facility in Europe solely dedicated to meglumine production

BILLERICA, Mass., Jan. 17, 2017 /CNW/ -- MilliporeSigma, a leading science and technology company, today announced the opening of a facility in Mollet des Valles, Spain dedicated to the manufacture of meglumine, an FDA-approved excipient for pharmaceuticals and a component of medical imaging contrast media.

The facility, validated by the FDA, is the only location in Europe that manufactures meglumine, an amino sugar derived from glucose. The facility in Spain is solely dedicated to the production of meglumine, thereby ensuring continuity of supply to customers as well as meeting increasing demand for the excipient. As an excipient, meglumine interacts directly with active pharmaceutical ingredients to increase solubility. Therefore, the manufacture of meglumine must meet the same stringent regulatory and quality requirements as APIs.

"Our new facility was optimized around the manufacturing process to achieve greater efficiencies and meets the most stringent quality standards for manufacturing meglumine," said Andrew Bulpin, Head of Process Solutions Strategic Marketing & Innovation, MilliporeSigma. "The result is a high level of confidence in quality and security of supply for our customers."

All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany news releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the EMD Group website. In case you are a resident of the U.S. or Canada please go to www.emdgroup.com/subscribe to register again for your online subscription of this service as our newly introduced geo-targeting requires new links in the email. You may later change your selection or discontinue this service.

About the Life Science Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

The life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada, has 19,000 employees and 65 manufacturing sites worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 300,000 products enabling scientific discovery. Udit Batra is the global chief executive officer of MilliporeSigma.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany completed its $17 billion acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich in November 2015, creating a leader in the $125 billion global life science industry.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in healthcare, life science and performance materials. The company has six businesses  Biopharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, Allergopharma, Biosimilars, Life Science and Performance Materials  and generated sales of 12.85 billion in 2015. Around 50,000 employees work in 66 countries to improve the quality of life for patients, to foster the success of customers and to help meet global challenges.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company  since 1668, the company has stood for innovation, business success and responsible entrepreneurship. Holding an approximately 70 percent interest, the founding family remains the majority owner of the company to this day. The company holds the global rights to the name and the trademark "Merck" internationally except for the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

SOURCE MilliporeSigma

For further information: Karen Tiano, [email protected], +1 978 495 0093, [email protected], http://www.emdgroup.com/emd/products/life_science/life_science.html

Related Links

http://www.emdgroup.com/emd/products/life_science/life_science.html


120 West Strategic Communications of Reno, Nev., engaged by Company

VANCOUVER, Jan. 17, 2017 /CNW/ - Rye Patch Gold Corp. (TSX.V: RPM; OTCQX: RPMGF; FWB: 5TN) (the "Company" or "Rye Patch") announced today that it has engaged 120 West Strategic Communications LLC ("120 West") to provide investor relations and corporate communications for the Company. 120 West is a Nevada-based company which provides value for its clients through strategic marketing and communication plans.

Pursuant to the investor relations agreement, Ira M. Gostin, MBA, president and chief marketing officer of 120 West, will oversee all investor relations services on behalf of Rye Patch, which include marketing, strategic communications and public relations, for a 12-month period.

"We are thrilled to be working with Ira and his team to assist us in promoting Rye Patch to the investment community," William C. Howald, Rye Patch president and CEO, said. "With the Florida Canyon mine approaching production, this is a critical time for the Company to be effective with our messaging and communications."

Mr. Gostin has over 25 years' experience in corporate communications and has a bachelor's degree from California State University, Long Beach, has a master's degree in business from the University of Phoenix, is a graduate of the Columbia University Leadership Program and has completed executive continuing education programs at the Colorado School of Mines and NYU. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and the National Investor Relations Institute. Prior to founding 120 West in 2016, Mr. Gostin was a founding executive of Tahoe Resources Inc. (TSX: THO) ("Tahoe") and oversaw all communications and investor relations for Tahoe beginning with its 2010 initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

In consideration for the services provided, Rye Patch will pay 120 West a total fee of USD $139,000, payable in monthly installments of USD$11,583.33, in addition to reimbursement for expenses. There are no stock shares or options granted as compensation in the arrangement.

About Rye Patch Gold Corp.

Rye Patch Gold Corp. is a Nevada based, Tier 1, mining company engaged in the mining and development of quality resource-based gold and silver mines and projects along the established Oreana trend in west central Nevada. Leveraging its strong financial position and cash to acquire the operating Florida Canyon Gold Mine, Rye Patch Gold Corp. now controls a trend-scale platform with operations, replacement assets and exploration upside. The combination of operations and exploration concentrated along a major Nevada gold trend positions Rye Patch as an emerging mid-tier gold producer with tremendous value added potential. For more information, please visit our website at www.ryepatchgold.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

'William Howald'

William C. (Bill) Howald, CEO & President

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Rye Patch Gold

For further information: For additional information contact: Rye Patch Gold Corp, [email protected], Tel.: (604) 638-1588, Fax: (604) 638-1589

Related Links

http://www.ryepatchgold.com


$1 million annual fund supports local access to community mental health care

annual fund supports local access to community mental health care Almost 350 groups around Canada have received Community Fund grants since 2011

Visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk to learn more and apply for a grant

MONTREAL, Jan. 17, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell today announced the launch of the annual $1-million Bell Let's Talk Community Fund for 2017. Grant applications are now being accepted for local mental health initiatives that improve access to care in communities around the country.

"Over the past 6 years the Bell Let's Talk Community Fund has supported 344 grassroots mental health initiatives in communities all around Canada," said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk. "As part of our broader national initiative, the Community Fund takes a localized approach to improving the lives of people who struggle with mental illness in every region. We look forward to supporting many more local organizations doing great work on the front lines in 2017."

Registered charities are invited to apply for a grant up to $25,000 to help fund local mental health programs, and all submitted applications are reviewed by a committee of mental health experts from across Canada. The 2017 application period runs until March 31 and all 2017 grants will be disbursed before December 31, 2017.

"As Minister of Health, I know how important it is that we take action to reduce stigma around mental illness, and improve access to mental health care," said the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health. "I congratulate Bell, its partners and all Canadians who are taking part in Bell Let's Talk. By sharing personal stories and struggles, Canadians are bringing mental wellness into the spotlight and helping to end the stigma by engaging in a national conversation. Remember, there is no health without mental health."

"Madison Community Services supports a large number of refugees who come to Canada," said Madison's Executive Director Jean Stevenson. "As was recognized in the recent Senate Committee on Human Rights Report, post-traumatic stress disorder further complicates what is already a challenging transition for many refugees coming to Canada to make a new life. With the Bell Let's Talk Community Fund grant, Madison is ensuring that refugees with mental health challenges receive the counseling and mental health care they need to make a successful transition to their new country."

To learn more about the Bell Let's Talk Community Fund and to apply for 2017 funding, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

Bell Let's Talk Day is January 25

On January 25, Bell will donate 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for each of these interactions at no extra charge to participants:

Every text message, mobile and long distance call made by Bell Canada and Bell Aliant customers.

and Bell Aliant customers. Twitter: Every tweet using #BellLetsTalk

Facebook: Every view of the Bell Let's Talk Day video at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk

Instagram: Every post using #BellLetsTalk

Snapchat: Every use of the Bell Let's Talk Snapchat geofilter

Bell's donations are made at no extra charge to Bell Let's Talk Day participants, though normal long distance or text charges. if any, apply.

With Bell Let's Talk Day 2016 setting new records with 125.9 million messages of support, Bell increased its funding for Canadian mental health by $6,295,764.75 last year. With its original anchor donation of $50 million and the results of the first 6 Bell Let's Talk Days, Bell's total funding commitment for mental health now stands at $79,919,178.55, and is expected to surpass $100 million in 2020.

About Bell Let's Talk

The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day, and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace initiatives. To learn more about the Bell Let's Talk campaign, and to download the Bell Let's Talk toolkit to help get the conversation started, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

About Bell

Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and business customers with wireless, TV, Internet, home phone and business communications services. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home, and digital media. Bell is wholly owned by Montreal's BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For more information, please visit Bell.ca

Media inquiries:

Jacqueline Michelis

(613) 785-1427

[email protected]

@Bell_News

SOURCE Bell Canada

Related Links

www.bell.ca


Donald Trump,Betsy DeVos

President-elect Donald Trump, left, applauds after his pick for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, right, finishes speaking at a rally at DeltaPlex Arena, Friday, Dec. 9, 2016, in Grand Rapids, Mich.

(Andrew Harnik | AP Photo)

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- The Plattsburgh school board voted to opposed President-Elect Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. secretary of education.

Board members stated that they view nominee Betsy DeVos as a threat to public schools and their financial stability, The Plattsburgh Press Republican reported.

DeVos' confirmation hearing is scheduled to begin Tuesday.

DeVos is a school choice and charter school advocate from Michigan. She is a frequent Republican campaign donor, and has founded and served on several school choice groups' boards, according to a report by mlive.com.

DeVos' nomination was celebrated by Republicans and advocates who support Trump's plan to create a national school voucher program using $20 billion in federal funds.

Trump's plan would give poor students $12,000 each toward school tuition, to be funneled to the school of their family's choosing, whether it is a public, private, charter or religious school.

Teachers unions and education advocates have denounced the nomination. These groups have said DeVos and the proposed voucher program would harm public schools.

While these groups often comment on political appointees and policy decisions, it is rare for a school board to weigh in, let alone through a formal resolution.

The Plattsburgh city school board voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to oppose DeVos.

The resolution was proposed by board member Rod Sherman, who said the board has an obligation to ensure financial stability, according to the Press Republican. DeVos' history in Michigan suggests she would be a threat to that stability, Sherman said.

In its resolution, the board calls upon the U.S. Senate to oppose DeVos for education secretary, criticizing her record, which does not include any experience with the public schools she would be charged with overseeing as national education secretary.

The resolution calls DeVos a "... candidate apparently lacking any credentials as an educator, public school parent or experience in the administration and management of public schools ..."

Trump cited DeVos' education advocacy work as her relevant experience when he announced her as the nominee. DeVos with her husband founded the charitable Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, which mostly gives toward education causes.

Local education advocates have joined the Plattsburgh school board in its opposition of DeVos. Local teachers union officials said they planning a rally for this Thursday near City Hall.

Organizers said in a statement that they were also concerned about DeVo's record.

"At a time when we in the North Country are already dealing with tight school budgets, limited resources and more students than ever struggling to afford college and vocational training, having a 'reformer' like DeVos in charge of the agency that not only sets education policy, but also oversees this country's student loan programs would be devastating," the statement said.

Reporter Julie McMahon covers Syracuse University and Syracuse city schools. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan 17, 2017) -

Lower Phoenix Footwall mineralization has demonstrated high-grade continuity and down plunge extension with the return of the following drill intercepts:



1,429 g/t Au (1) over 15.15m, including 21,490 g/t Au (1) over 0.6m in hole UDH1817 356 g/t Au (1) over 7.2m, including 1,339 g/t Au (1) over 1.85m in hole UDH1943 83.9 g/t Au (1) over 3.5m, including 234 g/t Au (1) over 0.65m in hole UDH1941





Eagle high-grade mineralization has been extended down plunge with a recent drill intercept returning:



15.97 g/t Au (1) over 11.35m, including 195 g/t Au (1) over 0.45m in hole UDH1890A



(1) Visible gold present in drill intercept, all drill results are presented in Table 1

Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. ("KL Gold" or the "Company") (KL.TO) is pleased to report extensions of high grade mineralization at depth and new high-grade intercepts, including a record high grade drill result in hole UDH1817 from underground drilling at its Fosterville Gold Mine in Australia.

Underground resource definition drilling has continued to target down-plunge extensions of the Lower Phoenix and Harrier South gold systems to assess the potential of Mineral Reserve expansion. Recent drill results returned from 20 underground holes totaling 6,471 meters (m) into extensions of the Lower Phoenix gold system include the highest-grade drill intercept ever recorded at Fosterville. Results continue to demonstrate the continuity of exceptional high-grade visible gold mineralization on both the newly discovered west dipping Lower Phoenix Footwall and Eagle Structures in the Lower Phoenix gold system.

A drill program of 7 holes totaling 2,670m in the Harrier South gold system has reaffirmed the Mineral Reserve conversion potential of this area. Recent drill results continue to support the potential to expand Fosterville's Mineral Resources and Reserves and confirm continuity of high-grade gold mineralization down plunge on the Harrier South gold system.

Story continues

Underground Drilling Highlights at Fosterville Gold Mine

Drilling into the newly discovered west dipping Lower Phoenix Footwall Structure intersected record high-grade gold mineralization of 1,429 g/t Au (1) over 15.15m (Estimated True Width "ETW" 4.97m) in hole UDH1817 (Including 21,490 g/t Au (1) over 0.6m [ETW 0.24m]). Additional high grade results returned on this structure include 356 g/t Au (1) over 7.2m (ETW 6.01m) in hole UDH1943 (Including 1,339 g/t Au (1) over 1.85m [ETW 1.69m]) and 83.9 g/t Au (1) over 3.5m (ETW 3.18m) in hole UDH1941 (Including 234 g/t Au (1) over 0.65m [ETW 0.46m]). This structure has now been defined over a strike extent of 200m and vertical extent of 160m.





Eagle Fault underground definition drilling continues to return high-grade mineralization and has now been defined over a strike length of 790m and vertical extent of 450m with the return of key drill intercepts including 15.97 g/t Au (1) over 11.35m (ETW 6.47m) in hole UDH1890A (Including 195 g/t Au (1) over 0.45m [ETW 0.24m]) and 9.71 g/t Au over 4.5m (ETW 1.99m) in hole UDH1940.





Drilling on the Harrier Base Structure continues to return high-grade mineralization. Key intercepts include 15.84 g/t Au over 1.65m (ETW 1.6m) in hole UDH1908 and 8.58 g/t Au over 3.05m (ETW 3.0m) in hole UDH1871A. These results increase the level of confidence in a high-grade zone of mineralization which has the potential to provide an independent mining front from the Lower Phoenix South.





(1) Visible gold present in drill intercept, ETW - Estimated True Width, all drill results are presented in Table 1

Mr. Tony Makuch, President and Chief Executive Officer, Kirkland Lake Gold commented: "We are very pleased to report continued positive results from our drilling programs on the Lower Phoenix and Harrier South gold systems at our Fosterville Gold Mine. 2016 proved to be a significant year for the Fosterville operation delivering record production of 151,755 ounces of gold with a record mill grade and recovery of 7.55 g/t Au and 90.1% respectively. The mining of high-grade visible gold bearing structures in the Lower Phoenix gold system has largely contributed to the record production result.

"Recent down plunge drilling of these structures has returned exceptional results, including the highest result ever returned from the Fosterville Mine of 1,429 g/t Au over 15.15m (ETW 4.97m) including 21,490 g/t Au over 0.6m (ETW 0.24m), in hole UDH1817. We have been able to successfully demonstrate that high grade mineralization extends at depth on both the Lower Phoenix Footwall and Eagle structures ahead of the current mining area and excitingly, both of these high grade structures remain open down plunge. In addition, we continue to see strong drill results in the Harrier gold system, which we believe demonstrate the potential for a high-grade independent mining front to the Lower Phoenix South mining area.

"We continue to invest strongly in Fosterville with 9 rigs in operation, focused on our objective of extending mine life and realizing the full potential of the asset. We look forward to providing an update to our Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves estimates in Q1 2017 for both the Canadian and Australian operations".

2016 Underground Definition Programs at Fosterville Gold Mine

Lower Phoenix Gold System Underground Resource Definition Drilling Program

Since the November 8, 2016 Newmarket News Release, drilling from four diamond drill rigs have continued to focus on resource definition and understanding of multiple gold targets including the Lower Phoenix Footwall (LPFW) and Eagle Faults. Reported drill results from 20 holes (6,471m) are from intercepts through the Lower Phoenix Footwall and Eagle resource target areas outside of the December 31, 2015 Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources. Mining production continues on the upper-plunge areas of the Lower Phoenix gold system structures including the high-grade Eagle Fault, which has largely contributed to Fosterville's 2016 record gold mill grade of 7.55 g/t.

All drill assay intercepts are provided in Table 1 and drill collars in Table 2.

Lower Phoenix Footwall Structures

A total of 12 drill holes intercepted significant gold mineralization associated with Lower Phoenix Footwall Structures. The most significant mineralization contains visible gold and occurs in the newly discovered west dipping lode as reported on the November 8 2016 Newmarket News Release, where new drilling results include a record drill intercept at Fosterville 1,429 g/t Au(1) over 15.15m (ETW 4.97m) in hole UDH1817 (Including 21,490 g/t Au(1) over 0.6m [ETW 0.24m]). Additional intercepts confirming the continuity of high-grade mineralization on this structure include 356 g/t Au(1) over 7.2m (ETW 6.01m) in hole UDH1943 (Including 1,339 g/t Au(1) over 1.85m [ETW 1.69m]), 83.9 g/t Au(1) over 3.5m (ETW 3.18m) in hole UDH1941 (Including 234 g/t Au(1) over 0.65m [ETW 0.46m]), 25.03 g/t Au(1) over 4.35m (ETW 3.48m) in hole UDH1949 (Including 52.2 g/t Au(1) over 1.95m [ETW 1.34m]), 21.14 g/t Au over 4.7m (ETW 3.56m) in hole UDH1945 (Including 85.9 g/t Au over 0.65m [ETW 0.4m]) and 15.39 g/t Au over 5.75m (ETW 3.93m) in hole UDH1944 (Figure 2).

These intercepts are located approximately 20 to 140m vertically below and 20 to 150m laterally along strike from current Mineral Reserves (Figure 2). The defined size of this high-grade mineralized structure is now 200m in strike length and 160m in vertical extent. The mineralized zone appears to adjoin the high-grade Eagle structure at its lower edge and is untested down-plunge. Continued drilling from the hangingwall drill platforms during 2017 will continue to advance the understanding of size and scale of this attractive resource growth target.

Eagle Fault

The high-grade Eagle Fault system has now been defined over a strike length of 790m and vertical extent of 450m. Recent drilling continues to return significant high-grade gold intercepts and supports the view that the Eagle Fault system remains open for expansion down-plunge. Recent drill results into the Eagle Fault below the 4020mRL include 15.97 g/t Au(1) over 11.35m (ETW 6.47m) in hole UDH1890A (Including 195 g/t Au(1) over 0.45m [ETW 0.24m]) and 11.36 g/t Au(1) over 1.9m (ETW 1.51m) in hole UDH1865 (Figure 3). These results continue to confirm the continuity and high-grade tenor of the Eagle Fault down plunge and clearly demonstrates Mineral Reserve growth potential on this structure.

Recent definition drilling into the east dipping Eagle Fault structure from the Central Decline and Phoenix 4190 Drill Drive have also continued to define a series of east dipping splay faults which host significant gold mineralization. Holes UDH1940 and UDH1901 intercepted these splay structures returning results of 9.71 g/t Au over 4.5m (ETW 1.99m) and 9.32 g/t Au over 1.9m (ETW 1.86m) respectively (Figure 3). These intercepts are located within 40 vertical meters of December 31, 2015 Mineral Reserves. The Eagle zone remains untested and open at depth below the 3940mRL and south of 6360mN and drilling is planned to target beyond this extent during 2017.

Harrier South Gold System Underground Resource Definition Drilling Program

Since the November 8, 2016 Newmarket News Release, drilling from two diamond rigs have continued to focus on resource definition and understanding of multiple gold targets including the Harrier Base Fault in the Harrier South gold system. Reported drill results from seven holes (2,670m) are from intercepts though the Harrier Base resource target area and are outside of the December 31, 2015 Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources.

All drill assay intercepts are provided in Table 1 and drill collars in Table 2.

Harrier Base Structure

Drill results returned on the Harrier Base Structure contain high-grade intercepts including 15.84 g/t Au over 1.65m (ETW 1.6m) in hole UDH1908, 8.58 g/t Au over 3.05m (ETW 3.0m) in hole UDH1871A and 8.91 g/t Au over 1.95m (ETW 1.6m) in hole UDH1863 (Figure 4).

Results from holes UDH1871A and UDH1870 lie within a previously identified zone of high-grade, visible gold mineralization between 4750mN and 4900mN and 4280mRL to 4350mRL which includes previously reported results of 129 g/t Au(1) over 6.95m (ETW 6.2m) in hole UDH1868 (Including 877 g/t Au(1) over 1m [ETW 0.9m]), 14.57 g/t Au(1) over 6.8m (ETW 5.9m) in hole UDH1869 and 10.69 g/t Au over 8.0m (ETW 6.4m) in hole UDH1830 (Including 15.73 g/t Au over 5.05m [ETW 4.0m]) as discussed in the (November 8, 2016 Newmarket News Release. Planned drilling for 2017 will test the down plunge extensions of this identified high-grade zone to 4650mN, approximately 100m beyond the current extent of drilling. Holes UDH1861-UDH1863, UDH1908 and UDH1911 intercept the Harrier Base structure immediately north of this high-grade zone and have demonstrated widths and grade amenable to mining.

To view a PDF of the tables and figures as referenced in this News Release, visit the links below:

http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1082937-T1-2.pdf - tables

http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1082937-F1-4.pdf - figures

Qualified Persons

Troy Fuller, MAIG, Geology Manager, Fosterville Gold Mine, is a "qualified person" as such term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information and data included in this News Release.

QAQC information is provided at the bottom of Table 1.

About Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd.

Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. is a new mid-tier gold producer targeting +500,000 ounces in tier 1 mining jurisdictions of Canada and Australia. The production profile of the company is anchored from two high-grade, low-cost operations including the Macassa Mine Complex located in northeastern Ontario and the Fosterville Gold Mine located in the state of Victoria, Australia. KL Gold's solid base of quality assets is complemented by development and district scale exploration projects, supported by a strong financial position with extensive management and operational expertise.

For further information, visit the website www.klgold.com

To receive KL Golds news releases by email, register on the website at www.KLGold.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of KL Gold with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions and include information regarding: (i) the potential to expand mineral resources and mineral reserves at the Fosterville Gold Mine; (ii) the potential for a high grade independent mining front to the Lower Phoenix South mining area; and (iii) the anticipated timing for the release of the Company's updated mineral reserve and mineral resources estimates and the potential impact thereof.

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect KL Gold's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although KL Gold believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the combined company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: the ability of KL Gold to successfully integrate the operations and employees of its Canadian and Australian operations, and realize synergies and cost savings, and to the extent, anticipated; the potential impact on exploration activities; the potential impact on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors; the re-rating potential following the consummation of the merger; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws; and compliance with extensive government regulation. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of KL Gold and market conditions. This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in filings made by Kirkland Lake Gold Inc. and Newmarket Gold Inc. with the Canadian securities regulators, including Kirkland Lake Gold's and Newmarket's respective annual information form, financial statements and related MD&A for the financial year ended December 31, 2015 and their interim financial reports and related MD&A for the period ended September 30, 2016 filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although KL Gold has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. KL Gold does not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.
In an apparent shift in perception of persistent agitation in the Niger Delta by the Buhari administration, the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has stressed that nobody could rightly be proud of the very poor level of development of the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria.Osinbajo, who spoke on Monday during a fact-finding visit to Delta State, including the Ijaw Gbaramatu area in Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state, decried years of palpable neglect of the region.He however charged the people of the Niger Delta to ensure stability of the region in order to engender speedy development of the area since violence and insecurity were inimical to any meaningful development as they create instability.Addressing stakeholders at the conference hall of the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, near Warri, during a fact-finding mission to the state, the vice-president described as unfortunate the fact that there was little evidence to justify the huge contribution of the Niger Delta to the development of Nigeria.According to Osinbajo No Nigerian can be proud with the state of development in the Niger Delta; we are all beneficiaries from resources from the region. However, we cannot have instability and be able to carry out speedy development of the region.He nevertheless urged all stakeholders to join in the effort to bring about the desired stability in the Nigeria Delta, noting that President Mohammadu Buhari was committed to the development of the region.He said, The issues at stake are very clear, this is not time for negotiation, it is time to act and we know the issues, we must all prepare for a future that will not be dependent in oil resources.The Lagos-Calabar railway project is in the 2017 budget and when completed, it will benefit all the people of the Niger Delta, the Maritime University will come on stream, I can assure you that it is a done deal, we must do it. Ports are revenue generating, so plans are on to develop them but the issue is, how do we fund the projects?The President is an honest man and my coming here for this programme is clear evidence that the Niger Delta is being carried along.Osinbajo, during the visit to Gbaramatu Kingdom, had a closed-door meeting with the royal father, Oboro Gbaraun II Aketekpe, Agbdagba the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom and had a town hall meeting with the people of the kingdom.Accompanied by his chief host, Governor Ifenayi Okowa, the vice-president also inspected the facilities at the controversial Maritime University, Okerenkoko.Earlier, he paid a courtesy call on the Itsekiri monarch, the Olu of Warri Kingdom, HRM Ogiame Ikenwoli I, in his palace in Warri, Warri South Local Government Area.Representatives of different ethnic nationalities as well as youth organizations made presentations on their expecting from the federal government at the several places visited by the vice-president.With Dr Okowa to welcome Osinbajo, who arrived Warri via Osubi Airstrip, were the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu and other top federal and state government functionaries.
At least 52 aid workers and civilians were killed on Tuesday when an air force jet accidentally bombed a camp in northeast Nigeria instead of Boko Haram militants, medical charity MSF said.The incident happened at about 9:00 am (0800 GMT) in Rann, in the far north of Borno state, the epicentre of the jihadists insurgency, as food was being distributed to displaced people.There was no official death toll from the military, which blamed the fog of war for the mistake, but one senior commander described the casualties from the air strike as huge.One local resident, Abba Abiso, told AFP: At least 25 were killed and many more injured. The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said at least 120 people were wounded and 52 killed following todays bombing, calling the attack shocking and unacceptable.The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said six Nigerian Red Cross members were among those killed while 13 others were injured.Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement he received with regret news of the bombing and said he sympathised with the families of the dead and injured.The bombing comes as Nigerias military claims further gains against the Islamic State group affiliate, pushing them out of captured territory and their remote bases in Borno.Last month, the army said the conflict was in its final stages after nearly eight years of violence that has killed at least 20,000 and left more than 2.6 million others homeless. Fog of war Nigerian Army Major General Lucky Irabor, who heads operations against the militants, said the air force had been given coordinates of Boko Haram terrorists in the Kala-Balge area.Unfortunately the strike was conducted but it turned out that the locals somewhere in Rann were affected, he told reporters at a briefing in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.Irabor did not give casualty figures but said local staff from MSF and the ICRC were among those wounded.These are the result of fog of war, he added. It is unfortunate. That is the reason why this war must come to an end.Defence spokesman Rabe Abubakar in Abuja described the incident as a mistake, adding: We are actually in grief. Its unfortunate and its really not intended.Rann resident Abba Abiso suggested the error occurred as the military was targeting rebel fighters who had been flushed out of Boko Haram camps in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno.In recent weeks Boko Haram has moved base to Kala from Sambisa Forest and obviously a military jet mistook Rann for Kala and bombarded, killing many civilians, he added.MSF and the ICRC said its teams were trying to provide emergency first aid at its facility in the camp and were stabilising patients to evacuate the wounded from the scene.But Jean-Clement Cabrol, MSFs director of operations, condemned the error.This large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable. The safety of civilians must be respected, he said. Previous blunders Northeast Nigeria and particularly Borno state has faced severe food shortages as a result of the conflict and food distribution is vital, particularly in hard-to-reach rural areas.In November last year, the United Nations warned that 75,000 children risked starving to death within months in the region if nothing was done.Accidental bombings have occurred in the past: in March 2014 an air force jet killed five and wounded several others when it mistakenly hit Kayamla village in the Konduga area of Borno.The fighter jet mistook the village for a Boko Haram camp during a night raid.In January that year, the convoy of a Nigerian senator was fired on by an air force jet which mistook the six-vehicle convoy under police and military escort for Boko Haram fighters.No one was hurt and the military described the incident as an operational blunder.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has sympathised with the family of Tope Afolayan, a civil servant who committed suicide...

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has sympathised with the family of Tope Afolayan, a civil servant who committed suicide over non-payment of salary and Ekiti workers in general.The party attributed the death by suicide of Tope Afolayan, in Ado-Ekiti to the insincerity of Governor Ayodele Fayose in the application of the two tranches of bailout cash approved by the Federal Government to pay workers salaries.It said the governors penchant for telling lies, insincerity, greed and despotic conduct to corner the states resources while Ekiti people suffer in hopelessness has created uncertainties and gloom, forcing on the populace life-threatening emotional shocks and other despondent conducts hitherto strange to the culture of Ekiti people.Media reports said Afolayan, a Grade Level 12 officer in the office of the State Accountant General and final year Law student of the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, hanged himself in his Olorunda area home in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, last Thursday after alleged bouts of family responsibility failures and debts repayment defaults arising from months of unpaid salaries.In a statement in Ado-Ekiti, Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, blamed the unfortunate incident on the callousness of the governor, who, he said, collected more than enough to pay workers salary arrears but allegedly kept the money in private accounts to yield interests for personal use.Fayose was owing one month salary when he collected the first bailout of N9.6b, which he diverted to other purposes known only to himself and refused to use it for salaries, pensions, gratuity and severance allowances as approved by the Federal Government.The last bailout of N8.8b he collected, Fayose fixed N5.3 billion of this money in Skye Bank so that he can benefit from the interest that will accrue on the deposit while the remaining N3.2 billion is in the JAC Account, even as he has refused to pay the beneficiaries of the bailout as approved by the Federal Government.This is after he raised the hopes of workers that he would make life easier for them through regular payment of salary from bailout cash, but today, workers are rarely seen in their offices, as they are on their farms planting to make ends meet while those who do not have lands to farm stay away from their offices.Now, unfortunate incidents of stealing pot of soup on fire, shop-lifting and burglary to steal food items for survival have suddenly become the means through which Ekiti workers survive while the governor takes N250m monthly security vote without spending kobo on security and over-bloated capital projects costs to short-change the people to enjoy himself, including keeping millions of Ekiti money at home from which his mistresses and aides stole N75m cash, he explained.Accusing Fayose of insincerity in dealing with the workers to endure pains while he enjoys his life, Olatunbosun also berated the governor for deceiving the workers and the general public that he had promoted 15,000 workers as part of Christmas package even though no worker has received his promotion letter as we speak.He added: Fayose created an impression that he is a lover of workers by misleading the general public that he had promoted 15,000 workers, whereas as we speak, no single worker has been promoted.What the governor is doing right now is the compilation of the names of qualified workers that will sit for promotion examinations and those he is selecting are those he believes will support his political aspiration contrary to the public perception that he had promoted workers encase.As we speak, majority of workers know nothing about those Fayose has purportedly promoted, or those to be promoted because it is only selected workers that are being given forms to fill for screening to sit for promotion examination, meaning that the few that will be promoted should not expect any elevation until April or May on the condition that they pass the examination, even though Fayose had lied to Nigerians that he had promoted 15,000 workers in December.Asking workers to demand for their right, Olatunbosun urged EFCC and Central Bank (CBN) to apply the law over reckless misapplication of bailout cash in Ekiti State.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned in strong terms the bombing that took place on Monday at the University of Maidug...

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned in strong terms the bombing that took place on Monday at the University of Maiduguri, commiserating with the families of the victims and optimistic the menace will become history.Three suicide bombers reportedly sneaked into the institution and detonated Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, at three different locations, at a mosque near Gates 4 and 5 of the institution, killing Professor Aliyu Mani, six others including the suicide bombers while 15 people suffered multiple injuries.The CAN President, Rev. Dr. Samson Olasupo A Ayokunle in a statement he issued and personally signed said only satanic agents amidst us could perpetrate such dastardly acts and wondered when worshipping God has become a crime.The Christian Association of Nigeria condemns the wicked and criminal bombing of people worshipping in the mosques at the University of Maiduguri recently.What offence did these worshippers commit to warrant this? Only the demon possessed individuals can be behind this type of act, he stated.The statement which commiserates with the bereaved, prays for divine comfort and wishing those recuperating in the hospital a quick recovery. The Christian Association of Nigeria commiserates with the family of the victims of the terrorist attack and prays for the comfort of the Holy Spirit for them. The Association as well prays for quick recovery for those that were injured.The organization tasks the security agencies to go after the terrorists who have been dislodged from their strongholds but going about attacking the soft targets with a view to ending the menace as soon as possible.It also advises members of the public to compliment the efforts of the security operatives by reporting suspected people to them.We urge the Federal Government through the law enforcement agents not to relent in going after these evil men in our midst. They are already dislodged from Sambisa forest and are scattered all around to target public places and unsuspecting people to perform their heinous enterprise.We urge all Nigerians to be watchful and quickly report suspicious moves and individuals to the law enforcement agents. We would soon overcome completely terrorism in Nigeria in the name of Jesus, Ayokunle who is also the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention stated.
The Christian Association of Nigeria and the Jamaatu Nasril Islam as well as individuals and groups have faulted a statement by the Nobel...

The Christian Association of Nigeria and the Jamaatu Nasril Islam as well as individuals and groups have faulted a statement by the Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, that religion will kill Nigeria if it is not tamed.CANs National Director, Legal and Public Affairs, Kwamkur Samuel, and the Secretary-General of the JNI, Dr. Abdulkadir Khalid-Aliyu, stated this in separate interviews with newsmen.Soyinka had, at a book presentation in Abuja, on Thursday, warned that religion would kill the country if it was not tamed.Condemning killings in the name of religion, the Nobel laureate stated, I would like to transfer that cry (by President Muhammadu Buhari on corruption) from the moral zone to the terrain of religion. If we do not tame religion in this nation, religion will kill us.The Nobel laureate also said the President and the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, were wrong in their approach to the Southern Kaduna killings.Reacting to Soyinkas statement on religion, Samuel, in an interview with The PUNCH, said religion was not the problem of Nigeria.The CAN leader stated, With due respect to Prof. Soyinka, it is not true that religion is the bane of Nigerias stability. No genuine religion promotes killings and destruction of lives and property. It is unfair for the Nobel laureate to project religion as a problem when it is the faithful believers that are praying and sacrificing to keep the nation moving.Christianity preaches peace in all its ramifications. I challenge the professor to identify one attack on any community in Nigeria that was reported to have been carried out by Christians. Let him show any terrorist group by whatever name that shouts the name of Jesus before attacks or claim they are fighting for Jesus.We are sad that the so-called religious killing is persisting because our prominent leaders are not ready to call a spade by its real name.Samuel lamented that Nigerias security agencies appeared to use a different template in performing their functions at home from the one they adopted when on international mission.He stated, I wonder how Nigeria would have been without the coming of the Christian missionaries. This nation has the security agencies that present heavy budgets, undergo serious training both nationally and internationally, perform very highly on foreign assignments. Yet, when they are dealing with Nigeria, they seem to be very lost as to knowing what is happening in Nigeria, let alone finding any lasting solution.He urged respected Nigerians like Soyinka to ask relevant authorities some questions as to why for years, killings had continued with no single prosecution of perpetrators.Why a woman will be murdered in cold blood by known neighbours, yet they will be set free without prosecution like it happened in Kano? Nigeria will be far from getting to any solution, he said.The Secretary-General of the JNI, Dr. Abdulkadir Khalid-Aliyu, said depending on the context from which Soyinka made the statement, the retired dons position was most uncharitable.He called on Nigerian leaders to guard their utterances, especially on religion because of its sensitive nature.Khalid-Aliyu stated, Is Prof. Soyinka saying religion is bad? It is important that we really have to be decorous and be respectful of the sensibility of the people.Even in advanced countries, people respect religion and adhere to religion.Until we are able to separate the chaff from the grain; there is a difference between religion and people of religion. Such assertion coming from somebody who doesnt believe in religion is uncharitable.If he is talking about moderation and the need to really purge ourselves of extremism in the practice of religion or of being used to advance considerations that are inimical to peace and development, then, that could be understandable.The former Secretary-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said religion was positive, admitting that positive things could be abused.In an interview with The PUNCH, he said, It depends on the perspective from which he was speaking. Anything, no matter how positive, if negatively good, will be negative and it is the other way.Religion, as far as I am concerned is positive. But that does not mean that anything positive cannot be negatively good. So, it depends on the context from which Soyinka spoke.Also, the Vice-Chancellor, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Prof. Taofeek Ibrahim,disagreed with the Nobel laureate that religion should be tamed.In an interview with journalists in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, Ibrahim said religion had been pivotal to the development and peace of many countries.He stated that people, who were using religion to cause mayhem rather than religion should be held responsible for the killings and wanton destruction of properties.He warned that going against the dictates of religion could be counter-productive and even destructive, adding that it was important to ensure peaceful co-existence of different religious faithful.Ibrahim said, I strongly disagree that we have to tame religion. For most of the developed world and everywhere, where there is sanity today, religion has been the basis of development and peace over the centuries.It is those that show themselves as religious but are actually not religious and for selfish reasons, which they impose in the name of religion, are the ones that cause the troubles we have been witnessing in this country.When you look at the history of America and Europe, you will appreciate the role of the church in the building of such nations. Similarly, where you still have relative peace in the Muslim world, you will see the contribution of Islamic religion in these areas.As a matter of fact, it is when we go away from the dictates of religion that we get into further problem. Whether Muslim or Christian, the problem is for people taking advantage of religion; it is for minimal personal issue that they destroy the picture of the role religion should be playing.The Al-Hikmah VC urged religious leaders to place greater priority on spirituality, morality and ethics rather than on materialism.Ibrahim said, Our religious leaders, the heads of the church and the mosque have a lot of roles to play. As we preach and eulogise the issue of mundane things, then there will be problems. We need to go back to preach moral and ethics.It is amazing that people in government, who claim to be Muslims and Christians will take all the funds they steal from the public or government to the churches and mosques. It makes nonsense of the whole claim of our being religious.The VC agreed with the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who, at the book presentation, lamented the non-prosecution of perpetrators of religious violence and other high-profile murder cases in the country.
Gambia Supreme Court yesterday declined to stop Thursdays inauguration of President-elect Adama Barrow. The Supreme Court ruling foll...

Gambia Supreme Court yesterday declined to stop Thursdays inauguration of President-elect Adama Barrow.The Supreme Court ruling followed a petition by President Yahya Jammeh, seeking an injunction aimed at blocking Barrows swearing in.Jammehs constitutional term in office is expected to end on Wednesday after he lost to businessman Barrow, in the December 1, 2016 poll.Although he initially accepted defeat, he has since lodged a case before the Supreme Court requesting the result be annulled.But the court is unable to hold a hearing until May  as most of the judges come from neighbouring countries  and Jammeh has said he is going nowhere until then.Barrow, who has received the support of the international community, has said he would go ahead with his inauguration on Jan. 19 despite Jammehs rejection of the result.Supreme Court Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle told Jammehs lawyer that he could not make the order being sought to stop the January 19 inauguration.Fagbenle said he was unable to preside over the motion filed because he was named in the petition.Already, thousands of people have begun fleeing Gambia amid growing signs that ECOWAS could invade the former British colony within days.Regional leaders have signalled their determination to mount a rare African defence of democratic principle by using force to ensure that Jammeh, Gambias president of 22 years, gives up power.Ferry terminals on the River Gambia are recieving passengers hoping for safe passage into Senegal. The United Nations refugee agency says it is assessing the situation.
Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade on Tuesday met behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential villa, Abuja.





Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade on Tuesday met behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential villa, Abuja.It was learnt that the governor was at the Villa to discuss the N700 billion Bakassi seaport project proposed by his administration.The deep seaport and the 260 kilometre superhighway projects in the state are estimated to cost about N700 billion.The Federal Government had given the state government the approval to recruit a transaction advisor for the project.
A former official of the Sokoto State branch of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHUN), Bello Arzika, has been kidnapped ...

A former official of the Sokoto State branch of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHUN), Bello Arzika, has been kidnapped by gunmen in Sokoto, it was learnt yesterady.Chairman Abdullahi Aliyu, who spoke to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said: Arzika was travelling to Isa when the suspected kidnappers struck.They were reportedly attacked by a group of armed men at Gidan Sala village and they took only Arzika into the Gundumi Forest.They were going to Isa town, headquarters of Isa Local Government Area, to conduct the verification of local government workers which began yesterday.The details are scanty as at now, but you will hear the details later.But police spokesman Elmustapha Sani said the command had not been formally notified.We only heard about the incident unofficially. We have not received any report from either the Isa Police Division or Goronyo Division where the forest is located.We will provide you with details as we get them, Sani said.
Scores of people were killed on Tuesday when an air force jet accidentally bombarded a camp in northeast Nigeria for those made homeless...

The incident happened at about 9:00 am (0800 GMT) in Rann, in the far north of Borno state, the epicentre of the jihadists insurgency, as aid workers distributed food to civilians who were forced to flee the violence.A local resident, Abba Abiso, told AFP by telephone: This morning a military jet mistakenly bombarded Rann, instead of (nearby) Kala.In recent weeks Boko Haram has moved base to Kala from Sambisa Forest and obviously a military jet mistook Rann for Kala and bombarded, killing many civilians.At least 25 were killed and many more injured.The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said in a statement: MSF teams have seen 120 wounded and 50 dead following the bombing.A senior military source in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, said the casualties were huge, adding: A fighter jet hit the wrong target.MSF said its teams were trying to provide emergency first aid at its facility in the camp and were stabilising patients to evacuate the wounded from the scene.Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients. We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following the event, it added.The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which also had teams in the area, said only there were a number of people wounded and some killed, without specifying figures.We are currently in contact with the relevant authorities to organise medical assistance and evacuations, an ICRC spokeswoman in Abuja said.Major General Lucky Irabor, who heads the military operation against the militants, said the air force had been given coordinates of Boko Haram terrorists in the Kala-Balge area.Unfortunately the strike was conducted but it turned out that the locals somewhere in Rann were affected, he told reporters at a briefing in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.Irabor did not give casualty figures but said local staff from MSF and the ICRC were among those wounded.These are the result of fog of war, he added. It is unfortunate. That is the reason why this war must come to an end.The bombing comes as Nigerias military claims further gains against the Islamic State group affiliate, pushing them out of captured territory and their remote bases in Borno state.Last month, the army said the conflict was in its final stages after nearly eight years of violence that has killed at least 20,000 and left more than 2.6 million others homeless.There have been friendly fire incidents in the conflict.In March 2014 a military jet killed five civilians and wounded several others when it mistakenly bombarded Kayamla village in Konduga district of Borno.The jet mistook the village for a Boko Haram camp during a night raid.In January that year, the convoy of a Nigerian senator was fired on by an air force jet which mistook the six-vehicle convoy under police and military escort for Boko Haram fighters.No one was hurt and the military described the incident as an operational blunder.AFP
The Head of the Funds Transfer Unit of the Guaranty Trust Bank, Mr. Amazi Nwachuckwu, appeared before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Tues...

The Head of the Funds Transfer Unit of the Guaranty Trust Bank, Mr. Amazi Nwachuckwu, appeared before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Tuesday, giving details of how the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, funded his offshore accounts between 2009 and 2012.Nwachukwu, who had within the period served at the Central Clearing and Foreign Operations Units of the bank, appeared before the CCT as the second prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Saraki on charges bordering on asset declaration.Saraki was the governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011 after which he was elected to the Senate.The prosecution had alleged that the Senate President did not declare the foreign accounts to the Code of Conduct Bureau while being governor and a Senator during the period.While being led in evidence by the lead prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), he said the Senate President transferred funds to his foreign accounts between 2009 and 2012.The witness confirmed that Saraki was keeping dollar, pounds sterling and naira accounts domiciled in the Ilorin, Kwara State branch of the GTB.He said Saraki transferred over $3m from his dollar account to his foreign account during the period.He also said Saraki transferred the sum of $73,223.28 to America Express Services Euro Limited, New York, through their bank, America Express Bank, New York.He said, Dr. Saraki filled the form in Kwara State Government House, Ilorin.He gave instruction to transfer the sum of $73,223.28 to the beneficiary America Express Services Euro Limited, New York, through their bank, America Express Bank, New York to account number 730580 maintained by America Express Service Euro Limited.The purpose of payment was funding for amounts utilised on AMEX (American Express) cards issued to the customer (dollar credit card no. 374588216836009).For his dollar account number 441/441953/2/1/0, the customer signed the fund transfer form. The form was received from the account officer in Ilorin branch. We then processed it and transferred it to our corresponding bank abroad.The corresponding bank then transferred it America Express Bank Limited.He said the transfer was for the funding for amount utilised on the payment cards issued to Saraki.He said the former Kwara State Governor transferred the total sum of 1,526,194.53 from his pounds sterling account to his Fortis Bank, London account in three instalments within two days on February 15 and 16, 2010.He also said the GTB also offered a N375m loan to Saraki through a letter dated February 10, 2010.According to the witness, Saraki instructed GTB to transfer the pounds sterling equivalent of the loan to fund mortage on a London property.He said, In Exhibit 7 is a letter dated February 10, 2010.In the 14th out of the 16 counts preferred against the Senate President, Saraki was said to have failed to declare his interest in an American Express Service Card with No: 374588216836009 wherein you (Saraki) transferred huges sums of money in dollars from your Guaranty Trust Bank domiciliary account No441441953210 in Nigeria to the American Express Service, Europe, whilst you Executive Governor of Kwara State.The offence is said to be contrary to section 15 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, CAP. C15, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and as incorporated under paragraph 11(1) and (2), Part I o the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.It is said to be punishable under section 23(2) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act as incorporated under paragraph 18, Part I of the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.
Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday refused an application by former Minister of Aviation Chief Femi Fani...

Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday refused an application by former Minister of Aviation Chief Femi Fani-Kayode to hold a private meeting in his chambers.Fani-Kayode, through his lawyer Norrisson Quakers (SAN), had sought to meet with the judge in private to discuss certain issues pertaining to the case, which he said were not meant for the public.Quakers, while arguing the application, said the facts he has could embarrass the judge should he say them openly.He said the prosecution counsel should also be allowed to be present during the private meeting.The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Fani-Kayode and former Minister of State for Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, on a 17-count of laundering about N4.6 billion.They pleaded not guilty.The 17-count borders on conspiracy, unlawful retention of proceeds of theft and corruption and money laundering.They were charge along with former National Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and ex-Chairman of Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State Mr. Yusuf Danjuma and a company said to belong to him, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited.Quakers, who said he was just briefed by Fani-Kayode on Sunday evening, said he needed some time to study the case-file so as prepare adequately for his clients defence.He is taking over from Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), who represented Fani-Kayode when he was arraigned.Quakers said: Im coming into this matter for the first time. I was briefed yesterday (Sunday) evening. I need time to study the case.That aside, I had applied to enable I and the prosecution counsel to see the judge in chambers. Its imperative that parties approach the court in chambers.It is our duty to protect the dignity of the court. The rules allow the court to hear certain applications in chambers. We owe it a duty to protect the court from embarrassment.I have at my possession facts that will assist the court to determine whether to proceed or not, he said.Usmans lawyer Chief Ferdinand Orbih and Danjumas lawyer S. I. Ameh (SAN) did not oppose the application.They urged court to give Quakers time to prepare for the case, having just been briefed.But EFCCs lawyer, Nkereuwem Anana, said while Fani-Kayode reserved the right to change counsel at any time, it should not impede trial.Citing Section 396 (3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, he said trial ought to be day-to-day once a defendant has been arraigned.Being briefed yesterday should not stop the trial. We have our witness in court and we are ready to proceed, he said.On the prayer to meet the judge in chambers, Anana said: Everything should be done in open court. Nothing should be done in secret.He added that it was not a decision he would take on his own without his superiors approval.Ruling, Justice Hassan adjourned until today to enable Quakers study the file.He, however, refused the Senior Advocates application to meet him in chambers, urging him to file a formal application.The judge said: In respect of the application to meet the court in chambers, with respect to the learned Senior Advocate, this court will not oblige that request.Learned senior counsel is at liberty to file a formal application and forward his observations.In respect of his application for an adjournment, since learned senior counsel has just been briefed and is appearing for the first time in this matter, and this case was adjourned for three consecutive days for trial, on grounds of fair hearing, I will oblige him an adjournment to come back tomorrow (today) for continuation of trial.After the ruling, the judge joked that by virtue of his training, he had shock absorber and therefore could cope with whatever is said against him in open court.Justice Hassan was a former federal prosecutor before his appointment as a judge. He worked at the Federal Ministry of Justice and was later seconded to the EFCC.There was an indication that Quakers may ask the judge to disqualify himself.Before the case was formerly called, Quakers had briefed the judge on his application.He cited an instance of a Justice of the Court of Appeal, who withdrew from a case to avoid a conflict of interest because the judge had handled the case at the lower court before he was elevated to the appellate court.
The Managing Director of Julius Berger, Wolfgang Goetsch has said that the Abuja airport doesnt need to be closed for repairs.

The Managing Director of Julius Berger, Wolfgang Goetsch has said that the Abuja airport doesnt need to be closed for repairs.The Federal Government plans to shut down the airport for six weeks to enable it to repair the runway.Goetsch made the revelation on Tuesday, January 17, while appearing before the Senate.It can be shut down in the night. The spot can be repaired in the morning and temporarily given back for usage. But the state of the runway in Abuja, extent of damage and deterioration. The whole runway from one end to the other end is damaged, he said.This means that if the method of spot repair is loose, you start from one side of the runway, lock it in the night and in the morning to open it up for traffic. There is absolutely no option than to close the runway for these six weeks because it is not a repair work. It is a new construction of the whole surface of the building.On our end, we guarantee that within the 6 weeks, the repair work is done. This is subject to the fulfilment of the obligation of all stakeholders. Under the leadership of the Minister of State for Aviation, all stakeholders are on board. Everything is going on very smoothly according to plan and there is no doubt that the obligation of all stakeholders is fulfilled, he added.The Senate had earlier rejected plans to close the airport and summoned Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika who said that there was no other option.The Abuja airport will be shut on March 8 and flights will be diverted to the Kaduna airport.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has described as unfortunate and highly regrettable the accidental bombing of an Internally Displaced Person...

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has described as unfortunate and highly regrettable the accidental bombing of an Internally Displaced Persons Camp in Rann, Borno state on Tuesday.In a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, the NAF said it will keep updating the public as soon as investigations are concluded.Famuyiwa said: The NAF is saddened by todays accidental air strike by its fighter jet at Rann in Kala Balge area of Borno State in which some innocent lives were lost. While available information is sketchy, the Theatre Commander OPERATION LAFIYA DOLE is taking appropriate steps to avail us with details of the incident.The loss occasioned by this unfortunate incident is deeply regretted. The NAF commiserates with those affected and their families and would update the public as soon as detailed facts emerge from the investigation, NAF stated.
The Nigerian army, Tuesday, offered some whistle-blowers a whopping sum of N500,000 as reward for providing information about suicide ...

Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maiduguri- 09064823221 Commander, 7 Division Garrison Maiduguri-08022375305 General Officer Commanding 7 Division Maiduguri-09078599985.



Others are: Commander, 28 Brigade, Mubi-08065504576 Commander 26 Brigade, Gwoza-+234 809 721 1700 (WhatsApp), Director, Army Public Relations FCT-07080217992 and Commander, 7 Div Military Intelligence Brigade Maiduguri-09021668444.

The Nigerian army, Tuesday, offered some whistle-blowers a whopping sum of N500,000 as reward for providing information about suicide bombers.The army offered the reward to the whistle-blowers for providing the information that led to the killing of the third suicide bomber in the University of Maiduguri blast that killed a professor of veterinary medicine and four others.The army also gave out phone numbers to be contacted by whistleblowers when such pieces of information are available.The numbers are:
Several people are feared dead after a military plane mistakenly dropped a bomb inside the Rann IDP camp in Borno State.

The Rann IDP camp in Kala-balge Local Government Area caters for thousands of persons displaced by Boko Haram.A source at the camp told revealed that at least hundred people were injured and needed to be evacuated to hospitals.At least two people are feared dead from the incident and the injured included officials of the Doctors without Borders, MSF.The military spokesperson, Rabe Abubakar, a brigadier general, confirmed the incident but explained that it was an error that the military deeply regretted.He explained that soldiers got information of movement of Boko Haram members and deployed ground troops and air cover to tackle the terrorists.It was the air support that mistakenly dropped the bomb, he said.It was learnt that the state government has already ordered all hospitals in Maiduguri to be prepared to receive and promptly treat the injured.Also, an International Red Cross, ICRC, helicopter has been deployed to the camp to evacuated the wounded to the various hospitals.The Theatre Commander of Nigerian forces in Borno, Lucky Irabor, a major general, also confirmed the attack at a press conference.This morning today, we received reports about gathering of Boko Haram terrorists somewhere in Kala Balge Local Government area of Borno State. We got a coordinate and I directed that the air should go to address the problem.Unfortunately the strike was conducted but it turned out that the locals somewhere in Rann were affected.We are yet to get the details of the casualties. But we have some civilians that have been killed, others are wounded and we also have two of our soldiers that were also wounded. Among some that are wounded are local staffs of the Medicine Sans Frontiers as well as ICRC, he said.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki operated foreign between 2009 and 2012 while serving as a public officer, a witness said on Tuesday at h...

Senate President, Bukola Saraki operated foreign between 2009 and 2012 while serving as a public officer, a witness said on Tuesday at his resumed trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja.Saraki was Kwara State Governor between 2003 and 2011 and has since 2011 been member of the Senate.Among the 16 counts on which he is being tried for false assets declaration is that he operated foreign accounts and failed to declare them, acts which offend public service rules.At the resumption of proceedings before the CCT, the Head of Funds Transfer Unit, Guaranty Trust Bank, Amazi Nwachuckwu confirmed that the Senate President did operate and fund foreign accounts as a public officer.Nwanchukwu, who was led in evidence by lead prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said Saraki kept dollar, pounds sterling and naira accounts domiciled in the Ilorin, Kwara State branch of the GTB.The witness, who was asked to read the documents including Sarakis bank statements, said Saraki transferred over $3m from his dollar account to his foreign account between 2009 and 2012.The witness said Saraki transferred $73,223.28 to America Express Services Europe Limited, New York, through the America Express Bank, New York card account.Dr Saraki filled the transfer request form in Kwara State Government House, Ilorin.He gave the instruction to transfer the sum of $73,223.28 to the beneficiary, the America Express Services Europe Limited, New York, through the America Express Bank, New Yorks account number 730580 maintained by America Express Service Europe Limited.The purpose of the payment was funding for amounts utilised on AMEX (American Express) cards issued to the customer (dollar credit card no. 374588216836009).For his dollar account number 441/441953/2/1/0, the customer (Saraki) signed the fund transfer form. The form was received from the account officer in Ilorin branch.We then processed it and transferred it to our corresponding bank abroad. The corresponding bank then transferred it to America Express Bank Limited, the witness said.The witness said Saraki authorised the transfer of a total of 1,526,194.53 from his pounds sterling account to his Fortis Bank, London, account in three instalments within two days on February 15 and 16, 2010.He added that his bank  GTB  offered a N375m loan to Saraki through a letter dated February 10, 2010.Nwanchukwu said Saraki instructed GTB to transfer the pounds sterling equivalent of the loan to fund his mortgage on a London property.Exhibit 7 is a letter dated February 10, 2010. -t is a letter of offer of facility. From the letter, the borrower was Dr. Bukola Saraki. The sum of N375m was offered to him.The purpose of the offer was for the purchase of the property in London. From Exhibit 9 (bank statement), there was part payment of mortgage redemption.On February 15, 2010, there was second part payment for mortgage redemption. (The amount remaining to be paid was 1,394, 415.53).On February 16, 2010, there was full and final payment for mortgage redemption. Total amount payment was 1,516,194.53. The transfers were done within two days on February 15 and 16, 2010, Nwanchukwu said.He admitted lacking full knowledge of the procedure of fund transfer in London, but insisted that by his experience with GTB, a customer can only give instruction to transfer money to another account in another bank, that customer must be maintaining an account in that another bank.The witness said a telex was usually generated and sent to the customer who gave the transfer instruction as confirmation for the transfer of funds to foreign accounts.Nwanchukwu, who testified as the 2nd prosecution witness, said the telexes with respect to Sarakis pounds sterling transfer were burnt in a fire incident that engulfed the Funds Transfer Unit at the GTB headquarters.As I explained, when you debit a customer, he receives a debit alert. When the transaction is consummated by transfer of the money abroad, a telex confirmation is generated and sent to the account officer who will now forward it to the customer.The three telexes with respect to the Sarakis transactions) were destroyed by fire incident that happened in the unit. I am not aware of any complaint that the (Sarakis) London account did not receive the money, he said.During cross-examination, the defence lawyer, Paul Usoro (SAN), tendered the statement made by Nwachukwu to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on September 10, 2015.Nwanchukwu said as at when the telexes of February 15 and 16, 2010, were generated, he was not working at the Funds Transfer Unit of the GTB.The witness said between 2009 and 2012 he was working at the Central Clearing and the Foreign Operations unit of the bank.He said he played no role in the documentation relating to Sarakis transactions.I did not see the documents. But I know the existence of the documents because the process is standardised. I am here to testify based on the banks record, he said.The witness said he did not mention anything about the burnt telexes in his statement because he made the statement based on the questions asked by the EFCC interrogator, whom he said did not raise any question concerning the fire incident.He said the mortgage redemption for which Saraki transferred the 1.5m to a foreign account meant payment for house purchase.He admitted not having deep knowledge on mortgages.Nwanchukwu said he did not have knowledge of the relationship between Saraki and Fortis Bank as well as the American Express Europe Limited and American Express Europe Bank.
The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has asked the Federal Government to tell Nigerians the true state of the nations security.

The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has asked the Federal Government to tell Nigerians the true state of the nations security.Governor Fayose made the call on Monday while addressing reporters in Ado Ekiti, the states capital in southwest Nigeria, hours after a suicide attack led to the death of four persons.He claimed that contrary to claims by the government that it was winning the war against the insurgents, happenings in the past few weeks have clearly shown that Nigeria was being governed by propagandists.The governor maintained that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remained the only party which had better solution to the nations challenges.His call was in reaction to the blast at a mosque in the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in Borno State, in Nigerias northeast.The Borno State Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu, confirmed the death of Professor of Veterinary Medicine, Aliyu Mani, and three others to reporters after the suicide attack in the early hours of Monday.Survivors said the attack was carried out by a seven-year-old boy who detonated the bomb while some Muslim faithful were praying at the Junior Staff Quarters Mosque in the school premises.Following the incident, the UNIMAID authorities announced the postponement of all examinations earlier scheduled to take place on the day of the blast.While President Muhammadu Buhari sympathised with the families of the departed, Senate President Bukola Saraki has call for strengthen security presence in schools to avert subsequent attacks.
Mansur Ismailia is one of the best graduating students of the University of Lagos, with a CGPA of 4.59. Two weeks to his final examination...

Mansur Ismailia is one of the best graduating students of the University of Lagos, with a CGPA of 4.59. Two weeks to his final examination, Mansur dropped out of medical school after 10 years at the University of Ilorin.He was in the University of Ilorin, where he studied Medicine and Surgery for a total number of 10 years, precisely between 2001 and 2011.According to Mansur, who spoke with PUNCH in an interview said, ''UNILORIN was hellish for me. I never wanted to become a medical doctor in the first place. While I was at the institution, the course was made unbearable, and I think unnecessarily difficult then. Tens of us were failing and repeating serially, and several colleagues were withdrawn in shocking circumstances; some at 500 level and even final year! But I was different, in that, despite the fact that I repeated 200, 300, 500 and 600 levels and spent a total 10 years instead of six years at the UNILORIN Medical School, I really never wanted to become a doctor.Deep down in me, I really was never a doctor. My heart was always somewhere else; in journalism or law. I chose journalism after I voluntarily withdrew from medical school in my 10th year, that was two weeks to my second attempt at the final MBBS exams. The rest is history.''Asked on why he dropped out of medical school, he said: ''I was originally pressured into studying Medicine by my father. But he made an innocuous, and I must say, a well-intentioned error. Like many Nigerian parents, he wanted me to be in science class in secondary school and proceed to study the best course in the world.For several other personal, and seemingly justified reasons, he pushed me into medical school and kept me there, paying lots of money year after year to sustain me, for 10 years. Unfortunately, I was quite brilliant in secondary school and I didnt fail badly enough to send warning signals then. Trouble only started in the second year of MBBS.Unfortunately again, I had zero interest in medicine, and very strong feelings for the news, the media, reading and public speaking. Then and now, I remain a voracious consumer of the news, and the common complaint of my friends has always been that I talk too much.Today, I talk for money (laughs). I dropped out of medicine because I could not take it no more. It was killing me. It destroyed my cognitive acumen, and turned me into a sad, depressed man; a perpetual failure. Essentially, I spent the 10 years studying medicine and discovering myself. The experience subconsciously prepared me for a new life of success in Mass Communication.
The architect who designed the collapsed Reigners Bible Church building, Mr. Abimbola Oke, has told the commission of enquiry sitting in...

The architect who designed the collapsed Reigners Bible Church building, Mr. Abimbola Oke, has told the commission of enquiry sitting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, that he stands by his original design for the church.Oke, who was cross-examined by the commissions lawyer, Mr. Friday Oke, recalled that when he visited the site to check on the churchs founder and General Overseer, Apostle Akan Weeks, the design had been altered.According to him, during his visit, he told Weeks that what was implemented was at variance with the original design.Oke said he advised the cleric on the importance of adhering to the original design.The architect, who is also a lecturer at the University of Uyo, said when he checked the building, he also noticed that not all the structural elements had been put in place. including the gallery floor.The lecturer said he did not supervise the building project, as speculated, adding that if he did, the church would have paid for it, having given the church the design, valued at N11.5 million without charging a dime.'Asked why he rendered the service free, Oke said: That was not the first time I was doing that kind of a thing. It is my belief that God can bless me. It is my act of service to God, and it has been proven over and over again.Asked if he designed the roof and the trusses, the architect said he was not the designer.He said: Apostle Weeks asked me to design a round or diagonal 5,000 sitting capacity auditorium plan for him. After the design, I took it to him and he said it was all right. As regards altering the design, I did not redesign any part of the building. I stand by my original design, which included the basement floor.The apostle later asked me if I could supervise the building, but the churchs building committee chairman said they were going to build their church by themselves.Afterwards, I visited Weeks at a certain point in time and told him that what was in the design was not implemented. I also informed him of the importance of adhering to the original design.Oke added that he understood that the site was slopy and that it was the reason he introduced the basement floor to suit the site.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has left Nigeria early hours of Tuesday for Davos, Switzerland to participate in this years World Economic F...

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has left Nigeria early hours of Tuesday for Davos, Switzerland to participate in this years World Economic Forum holding in Davos, Switzerland.He is leading the Nigerian delegation made up of ministers and special advisers.They included Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okey Enelamah, Minister for Agriculture & Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister for Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu and the Special Adviser on Economic Matters to the President, Dr. Adeyemi Dipeolu.A statement from Osinbajos office on Tuesday stated that At the forum the Vice President would lead a discussion on Business in Nigeria, where ministers from the Federal Cabinet who are members of the Nigerian delegation would also feature.It added that the The yearly forum which draws together governmental and business leaders around the world to discuss economic issues and review developments, is normally composed of such panel discussions, country/continent-specific themes and other subjects.Besides, the session on Business in Nigeria, the Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo, will feature in a number of other discussions alongside world leaders including presidents and prime ministers.For instance, he will be discussing on the theme Building Africa with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Mr. Hailemariam Dessalegn, among others. The Vice President would also feature on a panel discussion on Terrorism.While in Davos, the Vice President would also hold meetings with some of the global companies and other leaders attending the forum.He is expected back to Abuja on Friday.
EGG HARBOR CITY -- Dec. 1, 2015 was supposed to be the end of Nina Saria's struggle. It would take exactly 365 more days before the cross-continent culmination of her search for a kidney had a happy and healthy ending.

From left, Nina Saria, 34, of Egg Harbor City, Christopher Saria, 8, and U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez at his Barrington office, Jan. 17, 2017. (Greg Adomaitis | For NJ.com)

Saria can thank U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, who stepped in and argued that the 34-year-old Egg Harbor City woman's mother was a perfect match and needed safe passage from Eastern Europe.

"The fact that you're standing here strong is a testament to your unflinching will to live and thrive," Menendez said Tuesday at a gathering at his Barrington office accompanied by Sarin's mother, 50-year-old Nana Gulua from Georgia. "Nina could have curled up and silently suffered."

But Saria didn't curl up. She kept searching and found the perfect match within her own mother who was continents away. Menendez stepped in after a travel visa was denied, appealing to the American consulate in Georgia saying it was "life or death" situation.

When that failed, the longtime Democratic legislator sought humanitarian parole from the U.S. Department of State. More than 1,000 such applications are made annually and three out of four are denied -- but this wouldn't be one of them.

It was Nov. 2015 when a Camden County contractor in search of building supplies on Craigslist stumbled upon a post pleading for a kidney. Saria had been languishing on dialysis and a donor list for more than a year when the prospective donor -- who lost his wife to the same medical condition -- stepped up.

It was Dec. 1, 2015, the day of the long-awaited surgery, when it was revealed that the donor had Cirrhosis of the liver and couldn't donate his kidney after all.

So on Dec. 1, 2016 -- one year to the day after the crushing revelation that her struggle would continue -- mom and daughter went under the knife and Saria got a new lease on life.

"It has been difficult for us but we kept fighting," said Saria, who is studying to become a nurse and happy to "be back to normal."

Calling the episode a "moment of high calling and personal satisfaction," Menendez said it epitomizes what being a public servant is all about.

"We need more compassion and less bureaucratic red tape," the senator said.

None may have been happier than Christopher, Sarin and husband Kay's 8-year-old son.

"I'm so glad my mom does not have dialysis any more," the second grader said. "Now we can swim and have snowball fights."

Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
HACKENSACK - Two dentists who worked together in Englewood Cliffs are embroiled in a lawsuit with one practitioner claiming the other posted defamatory reviews about him online in an effort to destroy his reputation, according to a lawsuit filed in Bergen County.

Dong Hyun Lee, 52, claims in court papers that former colleague Catherine Chen, 40, posted a fake review about his practice on the Heath Grades website in January 2016, disguising herself as "Q.T. from Palisades Park."

"This is the worst dental experience I have ever encountered in my life!" the post states, according to the lawsuit.

"From the long waiting time to the rough and painful handling while working on my teeth to insurance fraud for charging my insurance for work that Dr. Dong Lee never did, I can't imagine any other dental office can be as terrible as this one!" the suit claims the poster wrote. "Run as fast as you can from this place!"

Lee and Chen worked together for a time at Lee's practice, Sylvan Dental, which serves clients in North Jersey and several counties in New York, according to the suit. Chen is identified in court papers as a tenant in Lee's practice.

"Over time, the name 'Sylvan Dental' and 'Dong Lee' have become synonymous with high quality dental care provided to the Korean-American community and to the community at large," the suit states.

But the working relationship between Lee and Chen fell apart after Chen allegedly requested an early termination of her lease, according to the lawsuit, which was filed recently in Bergen County Superior Court.

Chen allegedly claimed she had a family emergency and needed to return to Taiwan, the suit states.

After Lee agreed to break the lease and waive Chen's rent, the two went their separate ways, the suit states. Lee then rented the space to another dentist, according to the suit.

And, unknown to Lee at the time, Chen did not visit Taiwan, but instead opened another practice in Fort Lee and resumed her business, the suit states.

After the Health Grades review, other "defamatory and libelous" reviews appeared on Yelp during the spring and summer of 2016, according to the suit.

"I would give ZERO star if possible!" a reviewer claiming to be QTC stated on Yelp in September, according to the lawsuit.

"The owner, Dr. Dong Lee, saw me and holy ---- that was the most painful dental experience I ever had in my life!! He was extremely rough, pushing my face left and right, and he was cutting my gum when adjusting my temporary crown," the poster allegedly stated.

The suit states the poster also claimed Lee had been fined $80,000 by an insurance company for fraud and referred to Lee as "this dishonest horrible dentist."

The lawsuit states that after "a thorough review of the facts," Lee and his lawyers "have come to know the posting had not been done by any former or existing patient."

"Instead, the posting had been done by defendant Chen," the suit claims.

The suit claims Chen intended to harm Lee and his practice "using evil, false, defamatory, outrageous lies (and that she) cowardly shielded herself behind the cloak" of Yelp and Heath Grades reviewers.

The suit alleges libel, slander, defamation, trade libel, tortious interference, and interference with prospective relations. Lee claims in court papers his business sustained irreparable harm and is seeking an injunction from future posts.

The lawsuit seeks a retraction of the reviews, along with unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

Chen could not be reached for comment.

Attorney Michael S. Kimm, who filed the suit, said Chen requested her malpractice carrier defend her against the allegations.

The carrier appointed a lawyer who "just filed (an answer) days ago, generally denying the allegations," Kimm said.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
FORT LEE -- The borough paid $75,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a man arrested in 2013 for having illegal bath salts, when in fact he had legal, bathtub bath salts.

Anthony Small, of the Bronx, N.Y., was a passenger in a vehicle on I-95 south in Fort Lee on Oct. 28, 2013, according to his suit filed against Fort Lee, Police Chief Ken Bendul and several Fort Lee police officers.

He and two others in the vehicle were coming back from a meeting with producers of "a popular VH1 television show" that was going to feature Small's clothing line. Police stopped the vehicle for alleged minor motor vehicle violations.

Three officers removed them from the vehicle and questioned them at length by the side of the road, the suit says. Officer Richard Hernandez saw a plastic bag in the vehicle containing a blue granular substance the thought was illegal bath salts.

The salts were in their original packaging, which displayed the brand name "Soak," marketed to athletes to aid with muscle recovery, according to the product website.

Small explained that his girlfriend got the bath salts at a promotional event for the NFL. Hernandez asked to search the vehicle based on the presence of the bath salts and because the suspects came from what the police report called "a source city."

The three men gave permission for the search, the suit says. Police arrested Small and his companions based on the belief that the bath salts were the illegal kind.

Small was charged with distribution of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of narcotic paraphernalia.

A judge set Small's bail at $25,000 with no option to pay 10 percent cash. Police strip-searched him and sent him to Bergen County Jail when he couldn't make bail immediately.

Small stayed in jail until posting bail Oct. 31, the suit says. Because of this, he missed a follow-up meeting with the VH1 producers, "losing a significant business opportunity."

Though Small eventually got his clothing on the show, his line could have appeared on five more episodes if not for the arrest, the suit says.

Meanwhile, Hernandez submitted the bath salts to a New Jersey State Police lab. The report came back Nov. 19, 2013 showing they were legal bath salts used to mix in water when bathing.

The charges were dismissed in court March 20, 2014.

Small's suit accused Fort Lee of violating his right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure and his right to due process.

Small, who is black, also accused Fort Lee of violating state laws against discrimination.

The borough settled with Small on Sept. 22, 2016. Open records advocate John Paff first posted the agreement on his NJ Civil Settlements website.

Incidents involving bath salts--the stimulant--plummeted in 2012 after the state banned them the prior year. They were previously sold legally at gas stations and convenience stores.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
PHILADELPHIA -- A $7,000 reward is being offered for information on the New Year's Day beating of U.S. Army soldier Austin Freni, a South Jersey native who had to be hospitalized as a result of an encounter with at least 10 assailants.

The reward, offered by the local Citizen Crime Commission, is in exchange for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those involved in the brawl at 3rd Street and Oregon Avenue in South Philadelphia on the night of Jan. 1.

Freni, 19, was on the phone with a nearby hotel after attending the annual Mummers parade and in the process of booking a room when he mentioned that he was a member of the U.S. Army. A group passing by made disparaging remarks about the military and Freni, his girlfriend, his mother and younger brother got into a physical alternation with the group.

"I miss all my brothers over there," Freni, who suffered a broken jaw during the fight, told NJ Advance Media during an interview at his Waterford Township home prior to his return to Fort Benning, Georgia.

The military is covering Freni's medical costs, but approximately $11,000 raised via a GoFundMe page established by a family friend will help his mother pay for mounting personal medical bills.

Philadelphia police weren't immediately able to track down any witnesses or video recordings of the incident. Freni's mother said the attackers appeared to be in their late teens or early 20s.

Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Wawa

A file photo of a Wawa store sign. (Matt Rourke | AP Photo)

CAMDEN -- A group of former Wawa employees filed a lawsuit against the chain claiming they were wrongfully denied overtime pay as assistant managers and required to do work that didn't fit their job description.

The suit, filed on Thursday in federal court in Camden, calls for overtime pay and financial damages for more than 100 Wawa employees from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland stores.

The four employees who filed the lawsuit -- Anthony Gervasio, of Riverside; Richard Bongiovanni, of Morrisville, Pa.; Michael Dinse of Brick; and Jame Cloud, of Maryland -- claim that the store's overtime policy for assistant general managers violates federal and state laws because it insists that assistant general managers are exempt from overtime pay.

In the lawsuit, the men alleged that Wawa "willfully [failed] to provide enough money in its store-level labor budgets for its non-exempt employees to perform their duties and responsibilities."

This lack of budget forced assistant general managers to handle tasks "that did not include managerial responsibilities" such as working registers, making sandwiches, stocking shelves and cleaning.

These extra duties caused Gervasio, Bongiovanni, Dinse and Cloud, as well as many other employees in similar positions, to work anywhere between 50 to 60 hours away numerous times without receiving pay or overtime compensation, according to court documents.

Wawa representatives did not immediately return requests for comment.

Caitlyn Stulpin may be reached at cstulpin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitstulpin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Trains will no longer be the only public transportation option for New Jersey residents headed to the area of Philadelphia around 30th Street Station.

Limited rush hour bus service will begin this morning and include one new route and two existing routes, NJ Transit announced.

The new 555 route will depart from Avandale Park and Ride in Sicklerville three times each weekday morning and travel along JFK Boulevard and Market Street before ending at 30th Street Station.

The 414 from Moorestown winds through Maple Shade and Merchantville three times during each morning hour en route to 30th Street. Meanwhile, the 417 from Mount Holly offers four buses each morning through Willingboro, Delran, Cinnaminson and Pennsauken before ending at 30th Street and JFK Boulevard.

Each line offers the same number of trips back to New Jersey during the evening rush.

More than 48,000 people commute from Burlington and Camden counties to Philadelphia daily, according to 2104 U.S. Census estimates.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
WATERFORD TWP. -- While still on leave from his job as a superintendent of the Waterford Township School District, Jason "Jay" Eitner is applying for other employment.

Eitner, who has been on paid administrative leave since Oct. 19 and has had complaints filed against him by at least three teachers, said he has applied to be the superintendent of schools in Bayonne.

"As a father and progressive superintendent, I have a responsibility to not only provide for my family but pursue districts where I can make a positive difference with all learners," he said in an email Friday.

Dan Fox, the Waterford Schools' business administrator who has been serving as interim superintendent, said the district learned of the application to Bayonne, but not from Eitner.

The news came out in a Jersey Journal article that named Eitner among the 12 candidates being considered for the interim superintendent job in Bayonne, after the district opted not to renew the contract of current interim superintendent Patricia McGeehan.

However, Eitner said his application was for the permanent position, not the temporary one.

"I would love the opportunity to come into a district that has its unique challenges and help the students and staff move forward," he said.

McGeehan was paid a salary of $177,500, the Jersey Journal reported. Eitner's salary is $135,000.

The Waterford Township Board of Education has paid an investigative firm and then a conflict attorney to investigate grievances brought against Eitner in 2016, according to the Board of Education and public records.

Three of those who filed complaints, Deborah Borrelli, Daniel Bittner and Patricia Chiodi, have also complained to the state and notified the school of their intention to sue for damages of over $100,000 each.

They claimed in complaints that Eitner is ageist and harassed them due to their seniority and because they cooperated with investigators who were looking into other complaints against them.

Eitner has denied he is prejudiced against older teachers, but said he cannot respond to the specific allegations because of the ongoing litigation.

He has said that teachers and some Board of Education members are against him because they don't like his push for changes or his direct leadership style, something the teachers deny.

He acknowledged that he had the same experience with some teachers at Lower Alloways Creek Township School, where he previously worked as chief administrator for two years.

Borrelli said in her complaint that over two dozen teachers have filed grievances against him, but that cannot be verified because grievances are not public records. The three teachers' filings with the state that are now before the Office of Administrative Law are public records, however.

Borrelli accuses him of sexual harassment, Chiodi claims he revealed information from her personnel file, and Bittner alleges Eitner has harassed him about his age and tried to transfer him.

Eitner maintains he has changed the district for the better.

"Due to immediate and long-term changes, the district test scores have risen by double digits, my budget last year was the lowest increase in over 27 years, and we've received national attention for all of the wonderful activities our students and staff are partaking in," he said.

The Board of Education first voted to put him on administrative leave for 60 days in October, then extended it until the end of December after a four-hour closed-door meeting Dec. 19.

The board voted Dec. 21 to keep him on leave until the end of February, and a board attorney said the members needed that time to "take certain action" that they had decided on in private session.

Eitner said that while he waits on the board's decision, he finds the prospect of working in North Jersey appealing. He is from North Jersey and spent most of his earlier career there.

"There were fantastic opportunities for me down here and I have been blessed to take them on and help all students and staff get what they're entitled to, regardless of socioeconomic backgrounds," he said. "That being said, my leadership style and pace has been very different from my predecessors and I've hit some roadblocks along the way. Now that my twins are older, we would like to move closer to our families back home."

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
BRIDGETON -- The man accused of stabbing his estranged wife to death and then eluding police for more than two weeks will remain in Cumberland County Jail awaiting trial without bail, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Jeremiah Monell, 32, of Cedarville, allegedly killed 35-year-old Tara O'Shea-Watson on Dec. 18 in her Commercial Township home. According to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office, their 12-year-old son witnessed the stabbing.

Monell appeared in Cumberland County Superior Court Tuesday for a detention hearing before Judge Cristen D'Arrgio. Per bail reform, it was up to the judge to decide whether an offender is fit to be released while awaiting trial -- based off three guidelines stating whether the accused is a danger to the community, what the likelihood is of the accused not appearing for court and whether the accused could interfere with the legal process. On all three grounds, D'Arrigo ruled that Monell should remain in jail.

"This was a rather brutal homicide done in the presence of minors and, there in and of itself, shows a grave risk to the community," said Assistant Prosecutor Mike Ostrowski to the judge. "I think that the act speaks for itself and this was, as I stated, multiple lacerations and stab wounds into various parts of the body."

Monell was charged with murder, violating a restraining order and weapons offenses for the death of O'Shea-Watson. The two were married, but estranged, with two children together. According to Ostrowski, O'Shea-Watson had a restraining order against Monell since May 2016.

O'Shea-Watson was found dead in her residence on Raymond Drive in the Laurel Lake section of Commercial Township on Dec. 19. A recording of a 911 call indicates that her son ran to the neighbors for help and that Monell was at the residence earlier to help fix her brake line. Police responded to the scene and spoke with the son.

"There was an interview with a 12-year-old minor who indicated that that person actually witnessed his father stab his mother to death," Ostrowski said.

"That father being Monell?" D'Arrigo said.

"Yes, judge," Ostrowski said.

In addition to the statement from their son, authorities also have video of what appears to be Monell's truck leaving from Laurel Lake after O'Shea-Watson was killed.

Monell was charged on Dec. 19 with O'Shea-Watson's death on Dec. 19 and he remained on the run for two weeks. According to Ostrowski, Monell was camping out in a tent in the woods avoiding arrest. New Jersey State Police arrested him in a wooded area off the Black Horse Pike in Folsom, Atlantic County.

Monell was previously indicted on charges of burglary and violating an order to stay away from O'Shea-Watson. According to Ostrowski, Monell burglarized her Raymond Drive residence in April and assaulted her -- leaving broken glass in her residence and injuring her neck and nose. A Cumberland County Grand Jury indicted Monell in August but O'Shea-Watson dropped the charges against Monell in November, weeks before she was killed.

According to Lindsey Seidel, his court appointed attorney, O'Shea-Watson would invite Monell over to her residence, despite the restraining order. D'Arrigo argued, however, that the restaining order still needs to be honored.

"Even if he's invited, it doesn't matter because the obligation that Monell has is not to the victim but to the court," D'Arrigo said. "The prosecution is indicating that his inability to comply with that order, even if, hypothetically, the victim invited him over, that only establishes that he is willing to obstruct a court order."

In addition to D'Arrigo ruling that Monell remain in jail, the judge also said that he is forbidden from coming into contact with his 12-year-old son, because the son is a witness and Monell may attempt to influence the case.

Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Hunan Taste in Denville is New Jersey's best Chinese restaurant, according to The Daily Meal.

"This upscale Chinese restaurant is ornately decorated and a great place for a night out, and has been pulling in the crowds since it was first opened by the Hsiung family in 1986,'' says The Daily Meal, which picked the best Chinese restaurant in each state.

The best Chinese restaurant in New York is Xi'an Famous Foods in New York City, while the best Chinese in Pennsylvania can be found at Han Dynasty in Philadelphia.

Daily Meal used its own ranking of America's 30 Best Chinese Restaurants, plus regional and local publications, social media, and crowd-sourced reviews to compile the list.

Travel to just about any American town, The Daily Meal adds, "and odds are there'll be at least one Chinese restaurant (in fact, that's pretty much a global truism). Convenient, inexpensive, and full of flavor, Chinese food is one of the country's great adopted cuisines.''

My favorite Chinese restaurant? Chengdu 23 in Wayne, by Willowbrook Mall.

There are 41,000 Chinese restaurants in the country, according to Chinese Restaurant News.

Peter Genovese may be reached at pgenovese@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PeteGenovese or via The Munchmobile @NJ_Munchmobile. Find the Munchmobile on Facebook and Instagram.
NEWARK -- One person is dead and another is in stable condition following a shooting on the 100 block of Seymour Avenue Monday afternoon, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office confirmed.

Witnesses reported hearing two or three shots in the fatal shooting, which occurred a few blocks from 5th Precinct police headquarters on Clinton Avenue.

It was the second fatal shooting in Newark so far this year. On Wednesday, a 16-year-old was killed at an East Ward housing complex.

On Monday, residents near West Bigelow Street said this is at least the second fatal shooting on the block since September, when someone was killed by a shooter from across the street. The remnants of a makeshift sidewalk memorial of candles and artificial flowers for the victim in that earlier shooting could still be seen Monday.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK - If Camden Street School's principal Samuel Garrison had to describe his campus in a phrase, it'd be this: "We're the school that cares, that's who we are," he said.

On Monday the Central Ward school officially launched its new "cares room" which offers parents free use of a brand new washer and dryer, provides donated clothes and shoes for students who need them and a space for families to read or play together.

Marketsmith, a New Jersey-based market services agency, donated $20,000 to help maintain the cares room and also create a new science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) lab.

"By having these rooms it gives us the capability to care even more," Garrison said. "I know the kid needs to do math and language arts but can we feed him first? Can we make sure that his feet aren't killing him because his shoes are too small? Then the doors open up for other things."

More than 90 percent of students at the pre-k through eighth grade school are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Sharmaine Williams, family advocate for the school's Head Start program, said staff noticed a drop in attendance last year and realized a lot of kids didn't have a clean uniform to wear to school.

"This gives them a little peace," Williams said in the Camden Cares Room, decorated in bright orange and yellow. "They'll know that the school isn't just politics; it's more love, care and understanding."

The school celebrated the new rooms on Martin Luther King Jr. day inviting volunteers to beautify the campus as students danced and sang for the community. Health care providers were on hand for free flu shots or dental screenings.

Garrison said the private donations along with grant dollars will give students new technology tools, fund filed trips and help struggling families.

"People are doing the best that they can. However, we do have kids living in shelters," Garrison said. "The most important thing for our families is to give them the respect and the dignity they deserve as they fall on hard times, to help them get back on their feet."

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.
MAPLEWOOD -- The South Orange Maplewood Community Coalition on Race (SOMA) commemorated the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday during its 16th annual MLK Observance and Volunteer Fair at Columbia High School in Maplewood.

Hundreds of people filled the auditorium at the high school to honor Dr. King through music, a sharing of interfaith readings, and an affirmation of his call to action and service.





This year's guest speaker was LaShawn Y. Warren, the newly appointed Vice President of Faith and Progressive Policy at the Center for American Progress in Washington DC. She has also worked as Oversight Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary. She has been a public interest attorney for nearly 20 years.

The event included jazz selections by the Bufford School of Music Faculty Band. Theresa Desir, a Columbia High School student sang, "To Be Young, Gifted and Black." The Children's Chorus entertained the crowd as they sang "Freedom is a Constant Struggle."

The celebration concluded with all participants joining hands and singing "We Shall Overcome."

Following the observance, sponsors hosted a Volunteer Fair, which featured local community groups providing information about ways to serve the community. The opportunities included helping with housing and feeding the poor and mentoring and tutoring young people.

Patti Sapone may be reached at psapone@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @psapone. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
ORANGE -- When about two-dozen federal agents rolled up in their black-tinted SUVs to Orange City Hall this past week, forcing the government to shut down for the day as they combed through its files, few people gave much notice - and none seemed all that surprised.

There were no flashing lights or police lines. Passersby shrugged and continued to their cars with their shopping bags. A make-shift sign on the front door said city hall would reopen the next day, and a janitor politely turned people away.

"It's going to be a long day," he said.

But records show it's a day that's been a long time coming.

An NJ Advance Media review shows that, for at least five years, a tightly knit web of political operators has left behind a trail of financial problems in Orange, a city of about 30,000 where playing fast and loose with taxpayer funds appears to be the norm.

The three-month review - including hundreds of pages of city and court records, as well as interviews with current and former city officials - found nearly every city department has been cited since 2011 for violating some of the most basic spending rules.

Among other things, auditors have warned that residents may have been over or under-billed on their taxes, that grant money was not properly monitored, that pay-to-play laws may not have been followed, and that contracts might have been improperly bid.

Despite the warnings, many of the problems recurred year after year.

Those practices appear to have bled into two of the city's oldest institutions - the YWCA and public library - which are now also under scrutiny for their financial practices, and their connections to some of the same people responsible for running city government.

In addition, Mayor Dwayne Warren's administration has been hobbled by fights with city council over his hiring of top administrators to highly paid jobs that weren't on the books. When one was forced to resign, he was then given another line of work - with the library.

The tangle of troubles have left many residents asking, "What took so long?"

"I wasn't surprised at all," said Bruce Meyer, a 30-year resident and former member of the city's budget advisory committee. "I'm just surprised the FBI didn't come to Orange sooner."

The investigation

About Orange

Total population: 30,373

72.67% black

21.17% Hispanic

2.71% white

1.48% Asian

Median Income: $33,233

Population living below poverty line: 25.46%

*Based on 2015 Census estimates

With an annual budget of $60 million, the small city struggles with many of the big issues other urban centers face - violence, unemployment, a poor tax base and a lack of resources. In the shadow of neighboring East Orange and Newark, its problems often fly under the radar.

"We get overlooked," Meyer said. "But, I'd say the issues in Orange have been here for years."

The tale is all too familiar.

In September 2007, then-mayor Mims Hackett was one of 11 New Jersey mayors busted in an FBI bribery sting. He pleaded guilty to accepting a $5,000 bribe and falsifying expense receipts and served about a year in prison before being released on probation.

In the current investigation, federal search warrants name two senior members of Warren's administration, without officially accusing them of any crimes: Willis Edwards, the former deputy business administrator, and Tyshammie Cooper, his chief of staff.

The search warrants sought documents at city hall, the YWCA and the library relating to a host of suspected crimes, including theft, fraud, conspiracy, extortion and money laundering. They also seek records that might show city officials tried to cover up their actions.

Federal agents are focusing on the city's water supply and general spending practices, its purchase and maintenance of the YWCA's Main Street building, as well as the library's use of grant money and its hiring of vendors and contractors, among other things.

Warren, a Democrat in his second term, said in a statement his administration "continues to make itself available to assist in this investigation." The FBI declined comment, and no one has been accused of any wrongdoing.

Fishy finances

The city's financial audits, a mundane annual review of its books, read like a laundry list of how not to handle taxpayer money. In at least the past five years, the city has received hundreds of audit comments outlining bad financial practices, sloppy bookkeeping and a lack of oversight over its spending.

Among the most notable:

Residents may have under- or over-paid their taxes for at least two years because the amount the city billed them did not match the amounts approved by Essex County. The auditors noted "inadequate controls" over the city's property tax accounts.

Money from grants awarded to the city was not properly monitored and tracked, making it difficult - if not impossible - to ensure it was properly spent.

Not all spending could be accounted for because accounting records and bank accounts in city departments were not reconciled, and did not match the finance department's records.

Contracts were awarded without using the proper bid process. Auditors have noted several other bidding issues, including the city not obtaining political contribution information on its vendors - a possible violation of pay-to-play laws.

Vouchers laying out the approved scope of work and pricing for contracted services were sometimes prepared after vendors had already performed the work.

"This tells you that there are issues," said Judy Tutela, a municipal accountant and auditor with the Spire Group in Livingston, who was asked by NJ Advance Media to review two of the audits and comment on the irregularities noted in the reports.

Though she said audits don't give enough information to get a full picture of the finances in Orange, they indicate fiduciary management in the city is in "disarray," which allows for "things to fall through the cracks."

Before the Jan. 11 raid of city hall, Warren, the mayor, said he believed the city was in "good financial condition."

And, though the state Department of Community Affairs requires the city to adopt and submit a corrective action plan each year on how it will address each problem noted by the auditors, the records show many of the same problems recur annually.

Responsibility for fixing the problems rests with the administration and city council, said Tammori Petty, a spokeswoman for the community affairs department. Asked if the state could force a fix, Petty said the department has "very limited" enforcement powers.

"Many urban centers face financial challenges," she said.

The YWCA

Scenes from the new Orange Rec Center, (the former YWCA building) in Orange. Wednesday, September 28, 2016 (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The YWCA of Essex and West Hudson, located in Orange, was deep in bankruptcy last year when the state community affairs department delivered the city a $2.5 million grant that would help bail it out. The money would be used by the city to buy and rehab the YWCA's headquarters on Main Street, officials said.

When council voted to accept the grant, records show its president, Donna Williams, recused herself. That's because it was Williams who had presided over the YWCA's demise in the first place.

The non-profit organization filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August of 2013, court records show, largely the result of failing to pay years of payroll taxes. The YWCA also faced liens as a result of failing to pay contractors for work, and owed nearly $500,000 to several creditors.

Williams was the president of the organization's board of trustees.

In early 2014, on the verge of shutting its doors, the YWCA received a lifeline in the form of a $175,000 grant from a private foundation. Lillie Moore, who had just returned to her hometown to become executive director at the organization and turn it around, said in an interview she remembers depositing the check, thinking it symbolized a new start.

But that same day, Moore said, $35,000 of the grant was inexplicably withdrawn from the YWCA's bank account. For months, she said, she had suspected someone was misusing the organization's money.

"That's when I really knew," she said.

Later that year, Moore filed suit against Williams and the YWCA, claiming a review of the group's books and records revealed misspending and missing funds. Though there were nearly 50 paid employees on the books, only about 10 worked, Moore claimed.

On July 11, 2014, bankruptcy attorney Jay Lubetkin was assigned as the trustee to oversee the YWCA during its bankruptcy case. Moore dropped the lawsuit and remained in charge. Williams and the other YWCA board members were eventually forced to resign, Lubetkin said.

Moore would not say why she did not pursue the case, and Williams did not respond to requests for comment; neither did the national YWCA organization.

Lubetkin said he did not audit the YWCA's spending, but noted it was "unusual" for a trustee to be appointed in such a proceeding because debtors usually manage themselves. He was named after the YWCA had allowed its insurance policy to lapse, court records show.

Lubetkin said the bankruptcy judge had "concerns about the existing management (satisfying) its fiduciary duties to the best interest of its creditors."

The three-year bankruptcy process ended Nov. 17 when U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Rosemary Gambardella approved a final plan for the organization to repay its creditors.

Bailed out

The pool at the YWCA building purchased by the city last year. (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The YWCA dug itself out of the hole largely by selling off its holdings, essentially, to taxpayers. Before filing bankruptcy, City National Bank foreclosed on the YWCA's annex building on Park Ave. In 2013, the Orange Board of Education purchased it for more than $1.6 million, and converted it into an early childhood education center.

Then, in May of 2016, the city closed on a $1.5 million purchase of the Main Street building, using money from its $2.5 million Department of Community Affairs grant.

Today, the building that once saw hundreds of people in and out of it on a daily basis is mostly empty. Visitors to the 47,000-square-foot facility can see the need for major repairs - the pool is unusable, there are holes in the floors of some rooms and sagging ceilings in others.

City spokesman Keith Royster said in October that the city was in the "planning stages" of renovations that were set to begin by the end of last year. It is unclear if those have started.

According to a city budget log obtained by NJ Advance Media, since the purchase of the building, the city has spent about $74,600 on architectural and engineering work, sign printing, and a locksmith. Combined with closing and other costs related to the purchase of the building, the city had a little less than $715,000 left of the grant to spend on renovations, as of Oct. 28.

The mayor, Warren, said in a statement the YWCA's pool will be renovated into an Olympic-sized swimming pool at the newly named Orange Recreation Center, a "welcome addition to the amenities and services which will soon be available to the families and children of Orange."

But the federal search warrant obtained by NJ Advance Media suggests the FBI thinks the YWCA deal might have resulted in a losing situation for taxpayers. The agency has requested all documents related to the grant money used to purchase the building, and information on the vendors and contractors who have done any work there since the building changed hands.

Search warrants have not named Williams, the former board president.

The library

The FBI is also scrutinizing another historic institution in the city, the Orange Public Library, and ties to two members of the mayor's administration: Edwards, the embattled former deputy business administrator; and Cooper, his current chief of staff and a member of the library's board.

Shortly after his election in 2012, Warren attempted to appoint Edwards, a former state Assemblyman, as business administrator, but council blocked the move. A convoluted series of moves to keep Edwards in the administration followed, including a brief job swap with Cooper, and Warren appointing Edwards deputy business administrator.

During that time, records obtained by NJ Advance Media show, Edwards was reimbursed $12,392 in tuition to take courses in administration at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Under continuing pressure from council, Edwards stepped down in late 2015, and a few months later was ordered by a state judge to repay about $268,000.

Edwards said in an interview that, after he left his city jobs, the library hired him and his firm, Strategic Ace Solutions, for $50,000 worth of consulting work. He said $25,000 was paid before the library ran out of money to pay him.

According to federal search warrants, the FBI now wants to know more about those payments, as well as the reimbursement he was paid by the city for his tuition.

Edwards said his work in the city consisted of "nothing improper on my part."

There are also questions about a $48,000 federal Department of Housing and Urban Development grant, awarded through Essex County to the library in 2014 and intended for replacing the heating and cooling system. But, the money was never used for those repairs.

County officials raised questions about library spending in 2015 when they noticed the library had submitted a request for reimbursement for work on the HVAC chiller without providing an invoice from the contractor. So, they asked for the paperwork to back it up.

Instead of providing it, county spokesman Anthony Puglisi said, the library told the county it, too, had questions about the contractor's work. When the county asked the library to put those concerns in writing, it instead responded by saying that it was abandoning the HVAC project.

The county demanded repayment within 90 days of the $18,239 that had already been spent. But Puglisi said it took 216 days to recoup the funds and pay back the federal government. The library only returned the money after it had been raided by the FBI, county officials said.

The administration

The administration has tried to distance itself from the library's troubles. Royster, the city spokesman, said it was wrong to "assume that the City of Orange Township is responsible for the overall operation of the Orange Public Library--when in fact, it is not."

But the library receives most of its budget from local tax dollars distributed by the city, and the federal search warrant executed at the library and city hall both sought records related to Cooper, who serves as a member of the library's board of trustees.

Cooper earns $109,000 a year as chief of staff. But, similarly to Edwards, council contends Warren hired her even though it's illegal and not in the city budget. The council, however, has not sued over the matter.

Board officials have declined to comment on the investigation. Cooper has not responded to requests for comment.

Though library budgets are typically small compared to that of cities and towns, there's almost no oversight of their spending beyond their own boards of trustees, said James Lonergan, deputy librarian at New Jersey's state library. They are trusted to operate within the law, Lonergan said.

Lonergan said the state library is not responsible for making sure libraries don't misspend public money. Neither are municipalities or counties, he said. Libraries are independent and they manage themselves.

They were set up that way to ensure "intellectual freedom" - so that political interests could not be used to prohibit or slant the distribution of information, Lonergan said.

"By and large, the statutes work, and libraries follow them," he said.

For his part, Warren, the mayor, said the library was "growing as a community center and technology hub" and should receive more funding from city council.

But that may have to wait, as the latest FBI raid - the second in six months -- shows federal agents are only expanding their probe of the city and his administration.

Thomas Calcagni, who has worked as both a state and federal prosecutor and is now in private practice, said indictments are probably only a matter of time.

"Once a search warrant is executed, brace yourself -- charges generally follow," Calcagni said.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY -- A passionate sermon by the Rev. Dorothy Patterson on the difference between what is right and what is righteous dominated a two-hour, interfaith service this afternoon at Jersey City First Wesleyan Church honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Patterson, of Paterson's Wallace Temple A.M.E. Zion, recited a chapter from 2 Kings that tells the story of lepers who come to an empty camp during a famine, eat and drink from what was left behind, then realize they should share with others so they send a message to the rest of the city.

Keeping food that was left behind for themselves may have been right, Patterson said, but it would not have been righteous.

"And that's what he stood on," she said, tying the Biblical story to the slain civil rights leader. "He stood on that which was righteous. Yes, we can justify what we do and we call it right, because ... maybe it's legal and it's right, but it can be legal and right but not be righteous."

About 120 people gathered inside the Woodlawn Avenue church for today's service, hosted by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Jersey City & Vicinity.

Bishop Kevin E. Knight, of Heavenly Temple Church of God in Christ, recalled seeing King speak in Jersey City. King appeared at Saint Peter's University in September 1965, when he received an honorary doctorate from the college, and on March 27, 1968, a week before his assassination, he spoke at Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church.

"A mighty, mighty man of valor," Knight said of King.

The final book King wrote before he was gunned down was called "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?" U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, speaking briefly before today's service ended, said the title makes him think about today.

Menendez, a Democrat, never mentioned this week's inauguration of Republican Donald J. Trump as the nation's 45th president, but he made it clear what he thinks of some of Trump's policy positions.

"It is neither right nor righteous to take people's health care away without knowing what will come in its place," he said, to applause. "It is neither right nor righteous to have a criminal justice system that ultimately treats some far more harshly than others. It is neither right nor righteous ultimately to turn back the clock on the ability of all of us, regardless of the color of our skin, or the happenstance of where we were born, to have the basic voting rights of each and every American in this country. And it is neither right nor righteous to see some children graduate across a graduation stage and others cross a prison courtyard.

"We can do better in our country," he added.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
Most retirement advice has a flaw: It's being given by people who haven't yet retired.

So I asked money experts who have quit the 9-to-5 for their best advice on how to prepare for retirement.

They still faced curveballs when it was their turn. Making the right financial moves is important, they said, but so is getting ready mentally, emotionally and socially.

YOU CAN'T PLAN FOR EVERYTHING

A central retirement decision is when to do it. Working longer can reduce the odds of running out of money, but delaying retirement too long could mean missing out on the good health or companionship to fully enjoy it.

That trade-off came home to financial planner Ahouva Steinhaus of San Diego when her life partner, Albert, died suddenly last year, just before she was scheduled to hand over her business.

Steinhaus, 69, says she's grateful she's not working now, while grieving the loss, but still wonders what might have been if she'd started the process of selling her practice earlier.

"You can't know those things," Steinhaus says. "It's a balance between wanting to make sure that you have enough socked away that you feel confident that you're going to be OK, and not wanting to spend the rest of your life working."

What helps, Steinhaus says, is having many supportive friends and projects. She's remodeling her kitchen after wanting to do so for 18 years, and she's active in various causes, including San Diego EarthWorks . She also knows from having watched her clients and friends that adjusting to retired life can take a while.

"It does seem like a lot of people do cast around a bit after they retire to figure out what their life is going to look like," Steinhaus says.

GET YOUR RETIREMENT HOUSE IN ORDER

Theoretically, you can get a better return investing your money than paying off a mortgage. In reality, your biggest asset in retirement could be a paid-off, appropriately remodeled home that allows you to age in place, says financial literacy expert Lewis Mandell, emeritus professor of finance at the State University of New York, Buffalo.

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Not having a mortgage allows you to withdraw less from your retirement accounts, which could make them last longer, and your equity could be a source of income later through a reverse mortgage, says Mandell, 73, who wrote his latest book, "What to Do When I Get Stupid," after moving to Bainbridge Island in Washington.

If you plan to relocate, spending time in your new community before you retire can help you acclimate. Financial planner Bill Bengen and his wife, Joyce, at first divided their time between their home in San Diego and their vacation house in La Quinta, California. They wound up moving five years before they retired.

"We feel plugged into the community now," says Bengen, 69. When moving to a new area, he says, "it's strange: You don't know anybody, you don't know the ropes. Now we're part of the ropes."

FIND AN OBJECTIVE ADVISER

Bengen has not one but two advisers: an investment manager and a financial planner. He appreciates their objectivity  and the fact that he doesn't have to fret over the details.

An objective review of your retirement plans is crucial before you retire, since the decisions you make in the years immediately before and after may have irreversible consequences, planners say. A too-large withdrawal rate, for example, can increase the chances of running out of money. (Bengen should know: His research led to the "4 percent rule" widely used in financial planning to determine sustainable withdrawal rates.)

FIND WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED

Peggy Cabaniss of Moraga, California, learned from retired clients that staying active in a field where you're recognized can help prevent the feeling that you've lost part of your identity.

"It's really easy to become a nobody," says Cabaniss, 72.

Cabaniss counsels other planners about selling their businesses, serves on the boards of three nonprofits and works on a committee that encourages more women to become financial planners.

Cabaniss' big surprise is how much she's enjoying her new life. Before she retired, Cabaniss thought her work wasn't stressful, because she loved it. Within a few months of selling her practice, though, she noticed her shoulders were in a new position  down where they should be, instead of tensed up around her ears.

"I didn't realize that I felt such a great deal of responsibility," Cabaniss said. "Now my kids say, 'Mom, you look so happy.'"

This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet .

_______

Liz Weston is a certified financial planner and columnist at NerdWallet. Email: lweston@nerdwallet.com . Twitter: @lizweston.

RELATED LINKS:

NerdWallet: Retirement Planning: https://nerd.me/2ibGlO1

CNN Money: Should you follow the 4% retirement rule?: http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/20/retirement/retirement-4-rule/
LILONGWE (Reuters) - Armyworms have destroyed 2,000 hectares of crops in Malawi, spreading to nine of its 28 districts in the last few weeks, the agriculture minister said on Saturday, Malawi, which was hit by a crippling drought last year, has become the third Southern African nation to report an outbreak of armyworms, a voracious pest that devours maize and other crops. "The latest is that the invasion is spreading very quickly than we thought and this week nine districts have been affected destroying 2,000 hectares of crop fields," agriculture minister George Chaponda told Reuters. A year ago, Malawi successfully contained an armyworm invasion that affected seven districts across the country. Malawi's maize crop, the staple grain for the impoverished nation, was devastated last year by a drought triggered by El Nino. About 6.5 million Malawians, more than a third of the population, are dependent on food aid until this year's harvest in March, according to the United Nations' World Food Programme. Malawi's outbreak follows one in neighbouring Zambia, where the military has been deployed to battle the bugs, and Zimbabwe. The armyworms are caterpillars that "march" across the landscape in large groups feasting on young maize plants, wiping out entire fields. (Reporting by Mabvuto Banda; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Malaysia's Employees Provident Fund (EPF) will allocate a further 50 billion ringgit ($11.20 billion) to its Islamic fund in 2018, potentially boosting the domestic Islamic finance market.

The additional injection was more than the 20 to 30 billion ringgit the fund had estimated it would allocate for 2018.

Malaysia is a leading market in the global Islamic finance industry in terms of regulation, standardisation and sukuk issuance. The country issues more than half of the world's sukuk in the first half of 2016.

For 2017, the retirement savings fund has already allocated 100 billion ringgit for the fund, which is equivalent to about 15 percent of the EPF's total investments of 681.71 billion ringgit as of March 2016.

Of the initial 100 billion ringgit allocated, a total of 59.03 billion ringgit have been taken up, the pension fund said in a statement on Tuesday.

Chief executive officer Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said the fund had anticipated that at least half of the initial 100 billion ringgit fund to be taken up.

"For (the 2018 shariah fund), we have allocated 50 billion ringgit as further injection," Ridzuan said in the statement.

He said that about 45 per cent of EPF's total investment assets are shariah compliant and the fund expects to grow these assets by at least 25 billion ringgit a year on average. ($1 = 4.4650 ringgit) (Reporting by Liz Lee; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
Oyster culture in New Orleans is richer than anyplace in the country
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Malaysia's Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), operator of some of the world's biggest palm oil plantations, may sell shares in publicly listed firms and some hotels in London in a review of investments to raise funds, its chairman said.

"We are looking at various assets we own," Shahrir Abdul Samad told reporters on Tuesday. "You will see disposals, particularly overseas assets."

"We have been mandated to sell some of the shares in our investment portfolio... to raise a certain amount of money. We have to sustain socioeconomic activities for our settlers," Shahrir said, referring to small landowners.

He did not say how much state-owned Felda was looking to raise.

Shahrir - who took over as Felda chairman this month - said the funds raised from possible asset sales will be used for settlers' activities.

Felda trimmed its stake in Malaysia's biggest lender by assets, Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) on Monday, raising about 280 million ringgit ($62.71 million), Shahrir said.

It also owns shares in plantation firms Felda Global Ventures Berhad, Kuala Lumpur Kepong and Sime Darby, among others.

Through its investment arm, Felda Investment Corp, it has also acquired and invested in properties abroad, including the Grand Plaza Kensington Hotel in London.

Earlier this month, a local daily reported that Felda was considering privatising Felda Global Ventures, which later said it was not aware of any such plans.

Felda drew widespread criticism with its December announcement that it would buy a 37 percent stake in Indonesian palm oil firm PT Eagle High Plantations Tbk for $505.4 million, which critics saw as overpriced.

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 Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

An opposition lawmaker has claimed Felda's debts are growing and that it doesn't have enough funds to pay small landowners, or Felda settlers as they are known.

The government will finance Felda's Eagle High stake purchase, Shahrir said on Tuesday, but he did not give any details. ($1 = 4.4650 ringgit) (Reporting by Emily Chow, Writing by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
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 Andy Bruce LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May has finally outlined what Brexit really means for her: Britain going it alone, fully disentangled from the European Union while hoping the bloc will agree to a comprehensive trade deal. Britain will exit the EU's vast internal market for goods and services and will instead try for a "bold and ambitious" free trade agreement (FTA), rejecting the kind of arrangements some other European countries, such as Norway and Switzerland, have for trade with the world's biggest economic region. In her speech on Tuesday, May called for a deal to be done within two years, emphasised cooperation with the bloc and called for a "phased-in" transition to Brexit. The value of the pound reversed recent losses and staged its biggest single-day rally against the U.S dollar since at least 1998. But there was a lukewarm reception from political leaders in EU countries, a reminder that agreeing the kind of trade deal May wants will be an arduous - even painful - task. "Where is the give for all the take?" asked the Czech Republic's secretary of state for EU affairs, Tomas Prouza, on Twitter. Ireland's government said it was under no illusion about the scale of Brexit. May outlined 12 negotiating priorities, including limiting immigration, exiting jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, and ending full membership of the customs union that sets external tariffs for goods imported into the bloc. Aiming for a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) means she can enter negotiations with an almost blank canvas, largely free of politically unpopular compromises around freedom of movement or large payments into the EU's budget. FTA CHANCE But the process of agreeing an FTA is fraught with risk. May has said she wants to agree Britain's future relationship with the EU within two years, followed by a period of implementation. Free trade deals usually take far longer than two years to agree -- Canada's FTA with the EU will have taken seven years by the time it is expected to come into force. "(The) prolonged uncertainty over forming agreements will present a significant challenge to the economy and one from which consumers cannot be called upon to buy our way out," said Jagjit Chadha, director of Britain's National Institute of Economic and Social Research. Consumer spending has been a main driver of Britain's economy recently, with other sources of growth like trade and investment lagging. Getting rid of barriers to trade in services, the dominant sector in Britain's economy, is also likely to be hard, although those backing Brexit argue barriers already exist within the EU. And the deeper the trade agreement, the more EU regulation Britain would have to abide by, according to the Centre for European Reform think tank. Supporters of the FTA option argue this would allow Britain to trade with the EU largely as before while also leaving it free to agree trade deals directly with other countries such as the United States, its biggest individual export partner, and emerging markets such as Brazil and India. Brexit supporters also point to Britain's large goods deficit with the EU -- a record 8.59 billion pounds in November 2016. They say the bloc could not afford to cut it off. NUCLEAR OPTION May seems to see this as a bargaining chip, stating in her speech that no deal is better than a bad deal - effectively acknowledging that Britain could resort to World Trade Organisation rules, which set upper limits on tariffs countries can impose. In such a scenario, Britain would face barriers on services, particularly in highly regulated sectors such as finance. That would be a "very dangerous path", according to J.P. Morgan economist Malcolm Barr. "One might expect a successful negotiating strategy to have ambitious objectives and a credible fall back position. May certainly has the former. But we doubt the prime minister has the latter," he said in a note to clients. Tellingly, just as May was setting out her pitch for an internationalist Britain built on cooperation, her finance minister Philip Hammond told parliament that Britain could get tough if a comprehensive FTA with the EU is not forthcoming, and slash business taxes in retaliation. "If we don't (get a sensible Brexit deal) the people of this country are not simply going to lie down and accept that they will be poorer," Hammond said. "We will do whatever it takes to maintain our competitiveness and protect our standard of living." (Additional reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Alistair Smout, graphic by Christian Inton, editing by William Schomberg and Peter Graff)
The Suzhou plant's import/export values un 2016 fell 37.5 percent from 2015 - $1.2 billion from $1.92 billion. Back in 2015, the company revealed its plans to invest about $470 million in Thailand by 2020. More than 2,000 people will lose their jobs this week, as the Suzhou plant closes its gates.

Seagate unveiled to the Chinese press that the cost-cutting plan was set in motion back in July 2016. After the closure of the Suzhou hard drive plant, the company will keep two hard drive manufacturing facilities - one in China and the other in Thailand. However, Samsung plans to expand its manufacturing facilities in Thailand, due to lower salaries for skilled workers than in China.

Solid state drives and even eMMC storage are burning through the profits of hard drive makers and the world's largest one, Seagate, seems to suffer a lot. As a direct consequence of the market's evolution, the company entered a global restructuring plan that involves cutting over 6,500 jobs.

- 5679 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2013 Codrut Nistor - Senior Tech Writersince 2013

In my early school days, I hated writing and having to make up stories. A decade later, I started to enjoy it. Since then, I published a few offline articles and then I moved to the online space, where I contributed to major websites that are still present online as of 2021 such as Softpedia, Brothersoft, Download3000, but I also wrote for multiple blogs that have disappeared over the years. I've been riding with the Notebookcheck crew since 2013 and I am not planning to leave it anytime soon. In love with good mechanical keyboards, vinyl and tape sound, but also smartphones, streaming services, and digital art.
Finally, winter has heated up natural gas prices, putting an end to the struggles of the commodity. Among the issues hurting the broader energy space, ample supplies and falling demand on global growth worries were primary. As a result, natural gas spot prices averaged $2.49 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) last year at the national benchmark Henry Hub, marking the lowest annual average price in about 20 years.

However, the tables turned for the space from December 2016 and has been giving a boost to the commodity in this freezing cold weather. As per EIA, nat gas inventory in underground storage fell by 151 billion cubic feet (Bcf) for the week ended January 6, 2017, easily surpassing the guidance (of 137 Bcf draw) as per the analysts surveyed by S&P Global Platts.

This brought the current storage level to 3.160 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), 10% down from last year and 0.1% down from the five-year average. The latest decline in inventory marked the eighth consecutive drawdown (read: Natural Gas ETFs Warm Up: Will the Rally Continue?).

Normally, Arctic Chills give life to this commodity every winter. The cold snap boosts electricity demand across the region putting natural gas in focus. In fact, in 2014, the Polar Vortex caused natural gas prices to jump over 50%. As almost 50% of Americans use natural gas for heating purposes, withdrawal in natural gas supplies push up the commoditys prices (read: Cold Snap Warms Up Natural Gas ETFs).

An ETF tracking natural gas futures, namely United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) added about 4.3% in the last five days (as of January 13, 2017). Investors can also take a look at United States 12 Month Natural Gas UNL which added 4.6% in the last five days and leveraged natural gas ETF ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Natural Gas BOIL which tacked on over 5.8% gains (as of January 13, 2017) (see all energy ETFs here).

Will the Rally Continue?

In its latest winter fuels outlook, EIA expects households heating with natural gas to shell out 22% more this winter compared with last winter, thanks to equal rises in prices and consumption. Residential natural gas prices are projected to surge 11% from last winter to $10.37 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) on average, while consumption is expected to jump 10%.

Story continues

Last year, weather was relatively warmer thanks to the El Nino weather pattern. However, this year, the normal winter weather is back again. EIA also went on to do a sensitivity analysis (read: Play EIA's Forecast with These ETFs).

Under a 10% cooler scenario, EIA estimates that natural gas-related heating outlays will be 31% higher than last winter and 7% higher than the base case. Under a 10% warmer scenario, EIA projects spending to be 12% higher than last winter. Apart from winter, higher export to Mexico also caused a sharp natural gas inventory drawdown.

The Henry Hub natural gas spot price averaged $2.51/million British thermal units (MMBtu) in 2016 and may rise to an average of $3.55/MMBtu in 2017 and $3.73/MMBtu in 2018, as per EIA. Inclement weather and falling reserves should act as tailwinds in the near term.

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In this image supplied by MSF, a man carries an injured child following a military air strike at a camp for displaced people in Rann, Nigeria, Tuesday Jan. 17, 2017. Relief volunteers are believed to be among the more than 100 dead after a Nigerian Air Force jet fighter mistakenly bombed the refugee camp, while on a mission against Boko Haram extremists. Medical condition of the child unknown. (Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) via AP)

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) -- A Nigerian air force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp on Tuesday, killing more than 100 refugees and aid workers and wounding 200, a government official and doctors said.

Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed an accidental bombardment in the northeastern town of Rann, near the border with Cameroon, saying "some" civilians were killed.

It was believed to be the first time Nigeria's military has acknowledged making such a mistake in a region where villagers have in the past reported civilian casualties in the near-daily bombings targeting the Islamic militants.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari expressed deep sadness and regret at "this regrettable operational mistake."

A Borno state government official, who was helping to coordinate the evacuation of wounded from the remote area by helicopters, said more than 100 refugees and aid workers were among the dead. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Doctors Without Borders said its team based in Rann counted at least 52 bodies and was treating 200 wounded, many in critical condition, and the death toll was expected to rise.

"This large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable," said Dr. Jean-Clement Cabrol, the aid group's director of operations.

As night fell, the group's team struggled to stabilize the seriously wounded. "We hope that during the night not many more people will die," said the group's head of emergency programs, Hugues Robert, describing a complex evacuation because the area is insecure.

Photographs of the carnage showed a man carrying a wounded child, his clothing stained with blood, as well as bloodied victims being treated on the ground outside a tent clinic overflowing with the wounded. Nearby, corpses lay covered by blankets and prayer mats, alongside mounds of hastily dug graves.

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After the attack, the charred remains of makeshift corrugated iron lean-tos and mud homes filled the landscape.

The International Committee for the Red Cross said six workers with the Nigerian Red Cross were among the dead and 13 were wounded. "They were part of a team that had brought in desperately needed food for over 25,000 displaced persons," spokesman Jason Straziuso said in a statement from Nairobi, Kenya.

Two soldiers were also wounded, as well as Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders, Irabor said, without giving a precise figure.

The general, who is the theater commander for counterinsurgency operations in northeast Nigeria, said he ordered the mission based on information that Boko Haram insurgents were gathering in the area, along with geographic coordinates.

It was too early to say if a tactical error was made, he said, adding that the bombing would be investigated.

Doctors Without Borders spokesman Etienne l'Hermitte in Geneva urged authorities to facilitate cross-border land and air evacuations.

"Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients. We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following the event," he said in a statement.

Villagers have previously reported civilian casualties in airstrikes on Boko Haram positions in northeastern Nigeria.

Some of the schoolgirls kidnapped by the insurgents in 2014 and freed last year have said three of their classmates were killed by air force bombardments, according to the freed girls' parents. Of the nearly 300 schoolgirls who were abducted, 196 remain missing.

The bombings have helped drive Boko Haram out of many towns and villages and, according to Buhari, the insurgents' last stronghold in the Sambisa Forest last month.

Boko Haram's 7-year-old Islamic uprising has killed more than 20,000 people and forced 2.6 million from their homes, creating the continent's worst humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning some 5.1 million people face starvation.

___

Adigun reported from Abuja, Nigeria. AP writers Ismail Alfa Abdulrahim in Maiduguri and Michelle Faul in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
Independent oil and gas company Noble Energy Inc. (NBL) announced Monday that it has agreed to acquire Clayton Williams Energy Inc. (CWEI) in a cash and stock transaction that values the latter at $2.7 billion. Including approximately $500 million in assumed Clayton Williams debt, the transaction totals $3.2 billion. The companies expect the transaction to close in the second quarter of this year, subject to customary regulatory reviews and a vote of Clayton Williams shareholders.

Clayton Williams shareholders will receive 2.7874 shares of Noble stock and $34.75 in cash for each share of Clayton Williams stock they own. That represents about $139 per share of Clayton Williams stock, a premium of 33.7% based on the stock's closing price of $103.98 last Friday.

ALSO READ: Jefferies Positive on Energy for 2017: 3 Large Cap Dividend Stocks to Buy Now

For its investment, Noble is acquiring a total of 71,000 net acres in the southern Delaware basin of the Permian Basin and another 100,000 net Permian acres to add to the company's existing 47,200 net Permian acres. The Delaware basin acreage includes 2,400 identified drilling locations with an average lateral length of 8,000 feet. The net unrisked resource potential is at least 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent in the Wolfcamp zone along with "significant upside potential in other zones."

Noble CEO David L. Stover said:

This combination creates the industry's second largest Southern Delaware Basin acreage position and provides more than 4,200 drilling locations on approximately 120,000 net acres, with over 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent in net unrisked resource. In addition to the benefits driven by larger scale, the midstream assets and planned buildout provide significant synergies and substantial dropdown potential in association with our ownership in Noble Midstream Partners.

ALSO READ: Why Wells Fargo Says Sell Exxon Mobil, Prefers 4 Other Oil Leaders

We are rapidly accelerating activity in 2017, starting the year with four rigs operating in the Southern Delaware Basin  three on Noble Energy's acreage and one on the Clayton Williams Energy position. A second rig is planned to be added to the new acreage in the second quarter, following closing of the transaction, and a third later in the year, in order to exit 2017 with a combined six rigs running in the Delaware Basin.

Story continues

Noble expects the acquired properties to be self-funding and accretive to earnings and cash flow per share beginning in 2018.

Noble will fund the $665 million cash portion of the acquisition by drawing on its revolving credit facility of $4 billion, none of which has been drawn.

ALSO READ: America's Most Hated Companies

The company forecasts production growth on the acquired acreage to rise from about 10,000 barrels a day of oil equivalent currently to at least 60,000 barrels a day by 2020. The rig count is expected to rise from three at the end of this year to five or six in 2020.

Clayton Williams stock traded up about 36% early Tuesday, at $141.25 in a 52-week range of $6.35 to $146.00. The high was posted early this morning.

Shares of Noble Energy traded up 4.2%, at $38.97 in a 52-week range of $23.77 to $42.03. The stock's 12-month consensus price target is $45.85.

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  President-elect Donald Trump and congressional Republicans who have pledged to cut federal taxes to boost the economy might consider looking first at lessons learned in GOP-controlled states that adopted similar strategies, only to see growth falter and budget gaps widen.

The situation is worrisome enough in Kansas, Oklahoma and Indiana that lawmakers are now debating whether to reverse course and raise taxes. And political leaders in states that have seen expanded Republican control, such as Arkansas and Iowa, are signaling caution about any new tax-cut proposals.

"It does not take a Ph.D. in economics to know that we can't say yes to every spending need, and we should also not say yes to every tax-cut idea," Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson warned late last year.

The reforms show that tax changes always carry an element of uncertainty  about the economy, government needs and even the prices of commodities such as oil. Although the federal and state tax systems are significantly different, both are subject to forces beyond lawmakers' control.

A recent Associated Press survey found that more than half of the states  33  are currently dealing with a budget shortfall or expect to confront one in the coming fiscal year. Experts say state economic growth has been slower than expected, with revenue in some places failing to meet projections or keep up with rising spending needs.

Hutchinson, who took office vowing to slash income taxes, has proposed a much more modest cut of $50 million annually for low-income taxpayers. Meanwhile, a top Arkansas GOP lawmaker has said any tax-cut ideas may have to be set aside for a few years until the state's financial picture improves. State revenue is running $8.8 million behind projections for the fiscal year.

After Indiana Republicans cut income, corporate and property taxes, the state developed a $300 million budget gap. GOP lawmakers are now pushing a plan to raise gasoline taxes and adopt a new registration fee for motorists to help pay for road improvements. Critics say the effort is simply shifting the tax burden from the wealthy to everyone else.

"This is going to be the first session I remember coming into that the Republicans are advocating for tax increases," said Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane, a Democrat. "At the same time, we're continuing to give tax breaks to corporations and businesses. How are they going to explain that?"

In Kansas, lawmakers have struggled to balance the budget since they slashed personal income taxes in 2012 and 2013 at the urging of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. The state has faced economic pressures related to a decline in agriculture and oil prices, but the broad-based tax cuts are viewed largely as an unsuccessful effort to stimulate the economy.

Lawmakers are now debating their third tax increase since the cuts were passed, with the state facing projected shortfalls of $1.1 billion through June 2019. The Brownback administration has proposed higher taxes on certain business owners, cigarettes, beer and liquor. Other plans include diverting highway money to general government programs, scaling back contributions to the pension program for public employees and liquidating a $317 million investment fund.

Brownback's budget director, Shawn Sullivan, warned of dire consequences if the proposals are not approved.

"You're left with huge tax increases or huge (budget) cuts," Sullivan said. "Even the mix between the two is huge."

Whatever happens in Washington is likely to affect state budgets in some way. That gives lawmakers another reason to move cautiously.

A congressional tax overhaul could eliminate key exemptions benefiting state and local governments. At the same time, the promise by Trump and congressional Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act would probably reduce the amount of federal money sent to states. In New York alone, repealing the health care law would cost the state an estimated $3.7 billion in federal funding, or roughly 2.5 percent of the state budget.

A House tax plan would reduce federal revenue by $3 trillion in the first 10 years, while Trump's plan would cut revenue by $9.5 trillion over the same period, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. Trump has disputed the analysis.

Previous tax cuts are not the only reason for downbeat budget forecasts.

In Democrat-dominated California, where voters approved tax increases and state revenue has soared in recent years, Gov. Jerry Brown is warning of a possible $1.6 billion shortfall.

Medicaid costs are contributing to budget gaps in Massachusetts, Maryland, Mississippi, New York and Rhode Island. Other states are dealing with increasing spending demands in education and health care.

Energy-producing states such as Oklahoma, Alaska and New Mexico have struggled in part because of a decline in oil and natural gas prices.

Oklahoma's budget woes were deepened by a reduction in the top individual income tax rate that took effect just as the state's economy began to contract amid lower oil and natural gas prices. Three straight years of budget shortfalls were closed largely with cuts to state agencies. Now the Republican governor and GOP-controlled Legislature are considering raising taxes on cigarettes, gasoline and some services to help fill an $870 million budget hole.

The state Department of Human Services has slashed about 1,200 non-child welfare positions to deal with the falling revenue.

"Every time the government wants to cut," said Marcellius Bell of Oklahoma City, who serves as legal guardian for three adults with severe developmental disabilities, "it seems like they cut services to the disabled, the veterans and the nursing homes."

___

Cassidy reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City; Stephen Ohlemacher in Washington, D.C.; and Brian Slodysko in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

___

Follow Christina Almeida Cassidy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AP_Christina and Andrew DeMillo at www.twitter.com/ademillo.
Strack & Van Til renovated its south Valparaiso supermarket on U.S. 30, which now has a sushi bar, a hummus and olive bar, a smoker, a gourmet popcorn shop and more than 300 types of cheeses.

The Highland-based grocery chain, the largest in Northwest Indiana, has been doing multi-million dollar renovations of all its stores. It's giving them a fresher look and a more modern selection as it faces increased competition from high-end grocers like Whole Foods, The Wholesome Cupboard, Old World Market, Charcuterie in Griffith and the new Angelo's Prime Market in Schererville.

Since my family opened the first Strack & Van Til in 1960 we have been committed to giving our loyal customers the best shopping experience," Strack & Van Til President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Strack said. "Were excited to see multiple generations of shoppers in our store and I think that my grandfather would be proud to see how hard we are working to better serve our customers."

A grand re-opening is planned at 9 a.m. Wednesday for the store at 2168 W. Highway 30, one of two that Strack & Van Til operates in Valparaiso.

Strack & Van Til expanded the floral shop, the specialty cheese section, and the deli to have more specialty cuts and the produce department so it has more organic options. The supermarket added fresh-squeezed juice, a lobster tank, a sushi bar, and a cafe where customers can have lunch while watching television.

The renovated store carries more prepared entrees and added gourmet desserts to its bakery department. Strack & Van Til also says it now has one of the "most diverse selections of craft beers and specialty wines in the city."

"We are so appreciative of the fact that the Valparaiso community continues to support us here and while theyve had to put up with a lot of product moves, hammering and dust, we hope that they are as happy with the final result as we are," Strack said.

In addition to the expanded offerings, Strack & Van Til cut an estimated 20 percent off its electricity use by installing, insulation, LED lighting, and more energy-efficient refrigeration fan motors.

For more information, call the store at 219-462-5147.
CHESTERTON  The superintendent of the Duneland School Corp. plans to retire June 30, ending a 14-year career with the school corporation.

David Pruis, 68, announced his retirement at last week's School Board meeting.

"It's bittersweet," he said. "This is a very special place to me. It was a tough decision but they say, you'll know when it's time. My wife has been retired four years after being an elementary school teacher for 35 years. We've got three kids and six grandchildren, and I would really like to spend more time with my family."

Prius started as an assistant superintendent in 2003 with Duneland. He remained in that position 10 years before moving up to superintendent, and now is in his fourth year in the top spot.

Pruis came to Duneland from Hamilton Community Schools in the northeast part of the state, and Union North United School Corp., which is between South Bend and Plymouth, where he stayed for seven years.

Pruis said he has enjoyed his years working with the Duneland School Board, the administrative team, the faculty, staff and community on behalf of the students.

"They have been very supportive since I have been here as we've worked to improve the overall quality of our school and the experiences of students," he said.

"I have been blessed and am happy to have been able to participate in many of these endeavors."

Duneland School Board President Kristin Kroeger said Pruis has been a great superintendent over the last four years, and has brought in great leaders to round out the central administration team in Lynn Kwilasz, chief financial officer, and Greg Lindy, director of support services.

Kroeger said the board hopes to have a new superintendent in place by July 1.

"We intend to talk to other school boards, other school corporations who have gone through a recent search and find out how they replaced their superintendent," Kroeger said.

"We will talk to the Duneland Teachers Association and our building administrators to find out what is important to them in choosing the next superintendent."
VALPARAISO  From womb to the tomb, what kind of person will you choose to be, Cornel West asked those who attended Monday's tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. at Valparaiso University.

King came from people who were on intimate terms with death, West said. That image of death is the key to understanding what it means to be human.

He said King learned how to die daily, meaning he was committed to a life of examining himself.

West is a lecturer and activist, professor of philosophy and Christian practice at Union Theological Seminary and professor emeritus at Princeton University.

He is the author of Black Prophetic Fire, about 19th- and 20th-century African-American leaders and their visionary legacies. He has appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher, CNN and C-Span.

West said Valparaiso is a special place with a rich history, pointing to the university's Methodist roots and its current Lutheran association.

He encouraged students to take their time in college to challenge the way they think about their lives and their treatment of others.

"You're not paying to be schooled ... you're here to be educated," West said.

There is no maturity without going through the process of learning how to die, he said.

West said King never promoted the American Dream. He said Americans are obsessed with status and brands. King never had a brand, he had a cause, West said.

He said King was not an optimist, rather "he was a prisoner of hope."

West said hope is different because it allows you to be a different kind of human being.

Conscious Humanity: What is Justice? was this year's theme and drew hundreds of participants to discussions and lectures on campus and in the community throughout the day.

"I think it's always important to talk about love and justice, no matter what context, no matter what generation," West said before the convocation. "There's no doubt now we're in the moment of Donald Trump. We need more truth telling, and we need more witness bearing when it comes to justice. We needed it under Obama, we needed it under Bush, we needed it under Reagan. We need it each and every generation. That's how timeless the message of Martin King is, how timeless his life remains."

West said he hoped his message would encourage people to act on their convictions.

"The message of today, it has to do with choices people make and lives they choose to live and make. We have to make sure the message is made available to them."

"Whether people choose to execute it through the year that's always an open question," West said.

The convocation also served as a platform to present the Martin Luther King Jr. Awards to two faculty members for their significant contributions to diversity to the campus community and beyond.

VU President Mark Heckler recognized Heath Carter and Faisal Kutty.

Carter is an assistant professor of history at VU who has organized students and faculty efforts to engage in dialogue about diversity and race. He also was instrumental in forming the city's Human Relations Council.

Kutty is an associate professor of law at the Valparaiso University Law School and was honored for enhancing the dialogue of race and inclusion at the law school. He was named the one of the 500 Most Influencial Muslims in the World, by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan.
Additional States and Outlook for 2017

MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / January 17, 2017 / Novus Acquisition and Development, Corp. (OTC PINK: NDEV), through its wholly owned subsidiary WCIG Insurance Services, Inc., is a diversified insurance entity in health, liability, annuity and accident, and, the nation's first carrier/aggregator offering a cannabis health plan, announced today that its Novus MedPlan has met the compliance standards to sell its MedPlan in Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut.

Currently there are now 29 states that have approved legalized medical cannabis of which 23 million potential patients qualify for some sort of legal cannabis nationwide. The states listed below are the states that can sell the Novus MedPlan:

California Washington Oregon Colorado Michigan Arizona Massachusetts New York Connecticut Vermont

Management Discussion & Analysis For 2017

As we head into 2017, with a new President, legal cannabis states that have revised laws, and new states that approved cannabis, is a milestone for the industry. We continue to expand the availability of the Novus MedPlan in additional legal cannabis states. The process is arduous, dealing with each State Department that regulates insurance laws, cannabis laws, securities laws and fiduciary requirement laws, making it a tedious and lengthy process.

Being the first to bring health coverage to the legal cannabis segment gives Novus a competitive advantage over other insurance companies. Since legal cannabis is not federally approved, the trepidation of competing insurance entities getting into cannabis could result in a loss of their lucrative Medicare and Medicaid contracts. Novus' objective is to be compliant on a state level and since we never take possession of the plant we don't have any risk of state line issues, brought by evidence of a our legal opinion written by the firm Vicente Sederberg the leading cannabis law firm in the country.

Story continues

The barrier of entry aside from insurance compliance is engaging with cannabis cultivators, manufacturers and dispensaries that we call our "Provider Network" or "Provider(s)". These Provider(s) are typically early stage companies and the due diligence to determine their criteria of Provider financial validity is cumbersome and getting them to gain trust in corporate America is burdensome, but Novus is and has accomplished this undertaking.

As new and existing legal cannabis states struggle with cannabis rules and regulations, some states struggle with developing markets, but it has been our determination to continue to file with states prior to their markets developing. With cash on hand, no debt or toxic financing and extremely low overhead, Novus' intrinsic value currently comes from our infrastructure expansion in legal cannabis states and diversified insurance lines.

We have overcome impediments in 2016 by stabilizing depository relationships with banking entities. Solving complexities of Internet companies not allowing our digital marketing to be placed on ad exchanges, resulting of bringing our advertising efforts in-house, where we have improved efficiencies from six thousand digital impressions per month to 1.7 million impressions with a 3-5% engagement rate in the month of December 2016 alone.

Our optimization curve on our digital ad placement platform is still being tweaked and our access to this digital marketing technology will give us the ability to increase to approximately 5-6 million viewers per month within the next 30-45 days. Our platform gives us, Big Data access, such as Nielson, whose technology allows us to target an audience who is looking for health insurance at the time the consumer is in a buying mode. In addition we have implemented a "Beaconing" technology, which allows us to create a beacon over certain locations (within 5 meters of an address) targeting the consumers location through their mobile device. Then once the consumer returns to their location of business or residence their WIFI will pick up that data and create a cross device digitization for re-targeting purposes. This technology can target consumers that visit every dispensary, every MMJ venue within our geo-demographic region. This is known as conquest marketing, to reach the consumers based on behavior, location and the most impressive, targeting consumers that have visited these locations as far back as 1 year.

Insurance Diversification

Our core business is health in legal cannabis, liability, annuities and accident insurance lines. It is our contention that we believe that smart money focuses on diversity and the competitive advantage of being an insurance company. It is imperative to let shareholders know that our focus is the cannabis sector, but understand as our popularity grows, we are being approached by other entities that grant us opportunities in diversified insurance lines that can't be ignored.

By way of comparison the next 5 years insurance lines that will increase by triple digits are the following areas:

Legal Cannabis: Projected $20 billion

Freight Trucking: Projected $1.2 trillion

Full Health Care: Projected $1.7 trillion

And Novus wants a portion of the above mentioned market share and as a shareholder we want you to gain value with respect to being diversified.

About Novus

Novus Acquisition & Development Corp. (NDEV), through its subsidiary WCIG Insurance, provides health insurance and related insurance solutions within the wellness and medical marijuana industries in states where legal programs exist. Novus has developed its infrastructure within many lines of the insurance business such as, health, property & casualty, life, accident and fixed annuities.

Novus medical cannabis benefits package will work as outside developers and will not cultivate, handle, transport grow, extract, dispense, put up for sale, put on the market, vend, deliver, supply, circulate, or trade cannabis or any substances that violate the United States law or the Controlled Substances Act, nor does it intend to do so in the future and will continue to follow state and federal laws. The statements made about specific products have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided on these press releases or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. Once a push notification is competed the transaction is solely between the state-licensed dispensary and the registered patient.

The state laws are in conflict with the federal Controlled Substances Act. The current administration has effectively stated that it is not an efficient use of resources to direct federal law enforcement agencies to prosecute those lawfully abiding by state designated laws, allowing the use and distribution of medical marijuana. However, there is no guarantee that the current administration, nor any future administration, will not change this policy and decide to enforce the federal laws strongly. Any such change in the federal government's enforcement of current federal laws could cause significant financial changes to Novus Medical Group. While we do not intend to harvest, distribute or sell cannabis or cannabis related products, we may be harmed by a change in enforcement by federal or state governments.

For more information, check out: http://www.getnovusnow.com

For NDEV 3rd Quarter Financial Filing: http://bit.ly/2hNHQSg

Learn How Insurance Companies Are Evaluated: http://bit.ly/2ddIYva

Forward-Looking Statements

This release includes forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and reflects management's current expectations. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. Some of these factors include: general global economic conditions; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; increasing competition; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of services; changes in the economy; changes in laws and regulations, includes codes and standards, intellectual property rights, and tax matters; or other matters not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements. Novus Medical Group disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact Information

Corporate:

Chairman and CEO

Frank Labrozzi

frank@ndev.biz

855-228-7355

Investors:

Hayden IR

hart@haydenir.com

917-658-7878

SOURCE: Novus Acquisition and Development, Corp.
HAMMOND  An East Chicago man was sentenced to five years in prison for selling cocaine out of his trucking company at the Gary/Chicago International Airport property, officials said.

Victor Castro, 37, the owner of Castro Trucking Service, also was ordered Friday by Chief Judge Philip Simon to serve one year on supervised release, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Castro sold a kilogram of cocaine to a Drug Enforcement Administration informant for $34,000 during a transaction at his business at 7212 Chicago Ave. in Gary, according to court records.

Authorities later executed a search warrant at the business and found a small package of suspected cocaine, a .38-caliber semi-automatic pistol and ammunition, court records say.
WESTVILLE  A mom who went to see her son Saturday at the Westville Correctional Facility wound up behind bars herself when she was caught attempting to smuggle in the drug Suboxone, according to prison officials.

Polly Smart, of Huntington, Indiana, was caught with 50 small strips believed to be Suboxone in sealed packages, officials said.

She was booked into the LaPorte County Jail and faces felony counts of attempted trafficking with an inmate and possession of Suboxone.

Her son is serving three concurrent sentences for dealing, robbery and burglary out of Huntington County with an earliest possible release date of Dec. 22, 2019, according to prison officials. He is in restricted housing under investigation.

"Staff did an excellent job of working together to prevent the introduction of contraband into the facility," said prison Superintendent Mark Sevier.

"The facility does not tolerate trafficking, and will prosecute anyone who attempts to do so," he said.

A LaPorte woman was arrested last month at the Porter County Jail on allegations of attempting to smuggle Suboxone sublingual film into the facility in the binding of a book.
CROWN POINT  A GOP leader is calling on a fellow Republican official to resign from the Lake County Council.

Andy Qunell, county treasurer for the GOP, attacked County Councilman Eldon Strong, R-Crown Point, Monday, during an appearance on WJOB radio's Lake County Republican Show. He said Strong should give up his 7th District council seat.

Qunell said Strong's choice of Jamal Washington, D-Merrillville, as vice president of the County Council for 2017 earlier this month rewards Washington's criminal behavior.

Washington pleaded guilty last month to misdemeanor invasion of privacy and battery of his wife. He admitted pushing and hurting her during an argument in late 2015. He is on probation under a plea bargain that dismissed felony strangulation charges.

Strong's vote for Washington denied the council vice presidency to Councilman Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, the Republican party chairman.

Strong said he needed Washington's support for road improvement money for the sprawling 7th District highways.

Qunell said, "It's not about politics. It's about right and wrong."

The dispute is a result of a Dec. 10 County Council choice for vice president for 2017 between Washington and Dernulc.

Washington won the largely ceremonial post in a 4-3 vote with the support of Strong and Democratic party council members Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, and David Hamm, D-Hammond.

Dernulc lost despite the support of Democratic council members Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, and Elsie Franklin, D-Gary.

Strong said Monday he wasn't undermining Dernulc or condoning Washington's battery. He said he was only trying to win Democratic support for more road improvement money for his largely rural district.

"My responsibility is to Lake County and the 7th District. I don't condone anything he did in his private life. That is up to his voters. That is not up to me," Strong said.

"I live in a district not just of Republicans, but also Democrats and independents. I represent all the people and all the roads they travel on. I'm doing what I need to do, to best improve our conditions. I'm disappointed this is the only method I've got. The last I checked, the Republican party can't dictate who can and can't stay in office," Strong said.

Qunell said of Strong, "You are rewarding a guy who is an admitted wife-beater. Last year at this time, we were talking about (East Chicago) city councilman (Robert Battle) who was sitting in jail on murder charges.

"We have a sheriff who has been charged and has a federal corruption trial coming up. This is ridiculous that we allow this to continue. We need to hold them accountable for these actions, not reward them," Qunell said.

Dernulc said, "I'm disappointed in the vote. We had the opportunity to have a Republican as the county council's vice president, and it didn't happen. I think I would do a better job. Several people of all (political) ilk said they are pretty upset with Eldon.

"I know Andy is a person of strong conviction, but so is Eldon. I hope those two will get together and see if we can come up with some kind of resolution. I don't know if I can, but I don't like to see my party be splintered," Dernulc said.

Qunell said he is talking to other Republican party leaders to join his call for Strong to resign and, if Strong refuses, to find someone to oppose him if Strong runs for re-election in 2018.

Dernulc said, "If Andy wants to have somebody run against Eldon, or me for that matter, I can't stop them."
INDIANAPOLIS  Hoosier lawmakers are pressing forward with plans to add a balanced budget requirement to the Indiana Constitution.

Currently, the state's primary governing document prohibits most forms of debt, which long has been treated by both political parties as a balanced budget mandate.

But state Sen. Brandt Hershman, R-Buck Creek, believes Indiana's commitment to responsible spending needs to be explicitly spelled out.

"It is only our own inherent fiscal discipline that has prevented us from exercising a lot of the bad judgment that other states have," Hershman said.

On Tuesday, a Senate committee voted 10-3 to advance the proposed amendment, Senate Joint Resolution 7, to the full chamber.

It requires state spending be less than anticipated revenues during each two-year budget period, or the next budget must be reduced to make up for any excess spending.

The proposal also prevents lawmakers from enacting faux balanced budgets, as often is done in Illinois, by mandating the state pay its annual pension obligations no matter what.

Though, in a financial emergency, the balanced budget requirement could be waived through a two-thirds vote of both chambers of the General Assembly.

State Sen. Mark Stoops, D-Bloomington, was among three Democrats voting against the proposal. He said lawmakers should not be cluttering up the Constitution with amendments that don't address actual problems.

The Republican-controlled Legislature previously endorsed the constitutional balanced budget requirement in 2015.

If approved again this year or next, Hoosier voters would decide at the 2018 general election whether to ratify or reject the amendment.
HOBART  Three men face charges alleging they entered a home, held two brothers at gunpoint and robbed the family, Lake Criminal Court records show.

Rickkie D. Carr, 22, of Gary; Javaris Harris, 19; of Calumet Township; and Javon R. King, 18, of South Bend and Gary, were identified as suspects after a witness told police they had been bragging about committing robberies and burglaries in Portage, Gary and Hobart, court records said.

The three are accused of entering a home Dec. 14 in the 900 block of West 38th Place in Hobart.

An 18-year-old resident went downstairs to investigate, and charged one of them before all three pulled guns and ordered the resident and his 20-year-old brother back upstairs, according to police and court records.

The men asked about guns belonging to the brothers' mother and left with shoes, cellphones and a small amount of marijuana, court records state.

Carr was in custody Monday afternoon, but Harris and King remained at large, police said. They're facing charges of felony armed robbery, criminal confinement, burglary and pointing a firearm.

Harris and King are known to carry firearms at all times, police said. Anyone with information is asked not to approach them and notify local police of their whereabouts.
HIGHLAND  The Highland Redevelopment Commission has received eight bids ranging from $2.9 million to $6.4 million to renovate the historic Town Theatre.

Town officials have previously estimated the overall project to cost between $1.9 and $2.5 million.

That estimate covered the entire project, including new walls and ceiling, interior and exterior renovations, a digital projector and all other furnishings, said Greg Kuzmar, Redevelopment Commission president.

John Morris of Morris Architects and Planners of Chicago, opened the bids Monday and read them aloud.

Morris stressed each bid was required to have nine "deducts" within the base total that town officials can subtract to lower the cost.

For example, Morris said one deduct could involve a very expensive sound system, another could involve surround sound, while another could involve expensive design features in the northern building.

These deducts are designed as individual options the town can reduce or eliminate to trim the final cost.

The lowest bid came from The Pangere Corp. of Gary at a base bid of $2,979,743. Coming in second was Gariup Construction of Gary for $2,983,500.

Hasse Construction Co., Inc. of Calumet City came in next at $2,997,000, followed by Powers & Sons Construction of Gary for $3,178,000.

The next bid was from Larson-Danielson Construction of LaPorte for $3,218,305, followed by Gibson-Lewis LLC of Mishawaka at $3,395,305.

The final two bids were from Gough Inc. of Merrillville for $3,725,000 and Lo Destro Construction of Chicago at $6,404,033.

"They seem pretty close to my notion of what it should be," Morris said of the bids.

Morris and Redevelopment Commission members will spend the rest of this week studying each bid and deciding whether to make a recommendation.

The next commission meeting is Jan. 25.

"I don't know if they'll make a decision at that time," depending on how long it takes to study all the bids, Redevelopment Director Cecile Petro said.

She added that rejecting all eight bids and requesting a new round of bidding is a possibility.

In the meantime, the commission will make a major presentation to the Town Council about the theater renovation at 7 p.m. on Jan. 23.

Originally scheduled for the police station, the meeting location has been moved to Lincoln Center.

"We've got a lot of information to get out," Kuzmar said.
CROWN POINT  Police allege two Gary men burglarized a car dealership in Hobart.

A general manager at Team Honda, 4613, E. 81st Ave., contacted Hobart police Jan. 5 and said a burglar had entered the business through a damaged door and stolen two televisions, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Police determined one of the two stolen televisions was sold to a pawn shop in Gary, the affidavit states.

A pawn shop employee told police he purchased the television from three men, one of whom identified himself as Jordan Miller.

An employee at the dealership told police another employee, Joshua Byers, had contacted him Jan. 4 and asked if he knew anyone that would help him rob the store, the affidavit states.

Byers told police in a statement he and two other men, including Miller, entered the store the night of Jan. 4 and stole the televisions, according to the affidavit.

Byers, 23, and Miller, 18, are each charged with burglary in the incident, the affidavit states.
LAPORTE  Three people were killed Tuesday afternoon when two vehicles and a semi truck collided on U.S 20 north of LaPorte.

Two other people were last reported in critical condition.

The names of the people in the crash were not immediately known, but no children were involved, said LaPorte County Sheriff John Boyd.

According to LaPorte County police, the crash happened after 12:30 p.m. at Fail Road outside the Hunter's Run subdivision, three miles west of Rolling Prairie.

The preliminary findings of the investigation indicate one of the passenger vehicles crossed the center line and hit the side of an oncoming car. Both passengers vehicles were then struck by the westbound semi-truck, police said.

Boyd said the driver of the semi-truck appeared uninjured after the crash.

A several-mile stretch of the highway was completely shut down from Indiana 39 to Indiana 2 and was expected to remain closed for at least three hours.

"There's wreckage all over the roadway," said Boyd, adding what caused the one vehicle to veer over the center line was not immediately known.

"That's something we're going to be looking into,'' he said.

Boyd noted there was no fog and the road is straight with good sight lines where the crash occurred. The road for the most part was also dry, he said.

The passenger vehicles came to rest on the travel portion of the roadway while the semi veering left went up an earthen embankment off the south side of the highway.

The New Prairie School Corporation was rerouting buses around the road closure after school let out. The Springfield and Kankakee Township volunteer fire departments were among the agencies assisting with extrication of the victims.
Looking for something to do this weekend? Try one or more of these stops throughout the area.
2 charged after

gunfire exchange

with off-duty officer

CHICAGO  Two men face attempted murder charges after gunfire was exchanged with an off-duty Chicago police sergeant.

Police say 22-year-old Fernando Brieto-Solano and 26-year-old Juan Ramirez are due in bond court on Tuesday. Authorities say the sergeant shot and wounded Brieto-Solano after Brieto-Solano opened fire on the sergeant and his companions on the city's northwest side. The sergeant and his companions were not wounded.

Police say Brieto-Solano sought treatment for his injury at Swedish Covenant Hospital. Police say Ramirez was charged after he was identified as being in the vehicle during the shooting and hiding a gun on hospital grounds afterward.

Investigators recovered a weapon.

The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating. The sergeant will be on administrative duties during the shooting investigation.

State short 600

school substitutes

a day, study finds

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  A survey of Illinois public school districts finds administrators are scrambling to find substitute teachers for as many as 600 classrooms a day.

The review of 400 districts that the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools released Tuesday reveals that teachers call in absences more than 16,000 times per week. Administrators have trouble finding enough people to fill in for nearly 20 percent of them.

Jeff Vose is association president. The regional superintendent for Sangamon and Menard counties says stricter licensing requirements are to blame. For several years the fee to become a registered substitute was $200.

Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a law last week cutting the cost by $50. But Vose says the state needs more ways to bolster backup-teacher numbers.
As Trump prepares for his inauguration, local activists are finalizing plans to protest the event.

The group Answer Coalition is holding a rally along the inaugural parade route in Washington Friday.

Participants are busy getting ready by handing out flyers, creating posters and spreading the word.

"Trump's cabinet represents billionaire oligarchs, I mean, seven people on his cabinet combined equal $11 billion. People are saying that this wasn't the choice of the people, this isn't what we voted for and most importantly people are opposing bigotry," said Rachel Silang, lead organizer with Answer Coalition. "Most importantly people are saying this is outrageous that somebody with the things that Donald Trump says that are racist, that are sexist, that are anti-Muslim, all of these things are things that we don't represent."

Organizers say they expect at least 50,000 people from around the country to participate in the protest.
The departmental trial of Officer Richard Haste in the death of Bronx teenager Ramarley Graham opened Tuesday with police prosecutors accusing the officer of not following NYPD guidelines and tactics.

They said the cop should not have entered the teen's home without calling for specialized backup.

"He broke into my home, he shot my son, in front of his brother," said Graham's mother Constance Malcolm. "A 6-year-old, and his grandmother."

NY1 was the first to obtain this surveillance video of Graham entering his East 229th street home with cops chasing him.

Haste has said he thought the teen was armed when he and Officer John Mcloughlin kicked in a second floor door. Haste shot the teen in his bathroom. But no gun was ever found, only a small amount of marijuana.

"Ramarley Graham did nothing, but walk down his own block," said City Councilman Andy King. "Ramarley Graham did nothing, but be a young, black man in the Bronx."

But Haste's attorney suggested the officer was a hero trying to get guns off the street. He called the case tragic.

"His state of mind was that there was a loaded firearm in the possession of the individual he was chasing," said Haste's lawyer, Stuart London. "And I think we had to witnesses here today that drove that point home."

Two black officers, Andrew Jarvis and Tyrone Horne testified Tuesday that they definitely saw a gun. And alerted other officers.

The teen's mother says that's an outrage.

"It is five years later, where is the gun?" she asked. "Where is the gun?"

An indictment of Haste was tossed out because of a prosecutorial mistake. A second grand jury did not indict.

And the Justice department decided against bringing federal civil rights charges.

"Were here because were looking at the tactical flaws that led to someones death," said Royce Russell an attorney for the family. "That is the lowest standard that we could ever."

Ramarley Graham's family and their supporters say there were a number of officers on the scene that day and they believe all of them should be fired.

The NYPD is looking to fire Haste who remains on modified duty without a gun. He is expected to take the stand this week.
Volunteers in Jamaica give back to homeless youth to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy.

Volunteers from the Central Queens Y packed up and donated more than 350 bags filled with food and toiletries Monday to "Sheltering Arms."

That's a 12-bed transitional facility in Jamaica that provides runaway and homeless youth with social services.

It was all in honor of the "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service."

"I'm very grateful for this. This is very useful since a lot of times we don't really have what we can't get to to support ourselves and get stuff like toiletries or whatever we need around the house," said Sheltering Arms resident Jermaine Finley.

"When young people are first coming in to housing and they don't have goods with them, they don't have toiletries with them, some of them don't have clothes, they don't have food. So this gives us the opportunity to have these items on hand these key essential items that they need," said Amy Wilkerson, Director of Sheltering Arms Youth Services .

Central Queens Y volunteers also donated items to three other facilities dedicated to serving young homeless people
BANGKOK  In a quick, one-day operation, Thai soldiers with riot shields and clubs evicted more than 4,000 Hmong asylum seekers from a holding center Monday and forcibly repatriated them to Laos, where they say they face retribution from their government.

They have been sent on their way back to Laos, said the governments chief spokesman, Panitan Wattanayagorn. They have officers waiting for them in Laos already, and Thai officers are accompanying them in the process.

Thailand acted despite protests from the United Nations and human rights groups. Even as the soldiers were trucking the Hmong over the Mekong River into Laos, the United States government was calling on the Thai government to stop.

We deeply regret this serious violation of the international humanitarian principles that Thailand has long been known for championing, said a State Department spokesman, Ian C. Kelly. The United States strongly urges Thai authorities to suspend this operation.
Treaties with more than 30 countries help bring stability to the most economically and politically important regions for the United States.

Countries with mutual defense treaties with the United States, and trade in 2015 between the United States and major partners Canada $577 billion United States China $599 billion Japan $194 billion S. Korea $115 billion Philippines European Union $699 billion Australia European Union countries Both E.U. and Nato members Canada $577 billion United States China $599 billion Japan $194 billion S. Korea $115 billion European Union $699 billion Philippines Australia European Union countries Both E.U. and Nato members Canada $577 billion United States European Union $699 billion Both Nato and European Union members European Union countries China $599 billion Japan $194 billion S. Korea $115 billion Philippines Australia Canada $577 billion United States European Union $699 billion Both Nato and European Union members European Union countries China $599 billion Japan $194 billion S. Korea $115 billion Philippines Australia Canada $577 billion United States E.U. countries European Union $699 billion China $599 billion Japan $194 billion S. Korea $115 billion Philippines Australia

More than 210,000 American military personnel are deployed overseas. Most are not in active conflict zones.

Countries with more than 1,000 American military personnel 73,500 in Japan and South Korea 79,000 military personnel in Europe 36,000 in the Middle East The U.S. operates from several bases in the Philippines. Countries with more than 1,000 American military personnel 79,000 military personnel in Europe 73,500 in Japan and South Korea 36,000 in the Middle East The U.S. operates from several bases in the Philippines.

Europe

The European Union is Americas top trading partner. Keeping Europe peaceful and unified has been a top United States priority since World War II.

NATO states European Union countries Both E.U. and NATO members Russia 47,000 military personnel in Germany Asia Europe Mediterranean Sea Middle East 15,000 military personnel and a fleet in Italy Africa NATO states European Union countries Both E.U. and NATO members 47,000 military personnel in Germany Russia Europe Asia 15,000 military personnel and a fleet in Italy Africa NATO states European Union countries Both E.U. and NATO members 47,000 military personnel in Germany Russia Asia Africa 15,000 military personnel and a fleet in Italy

What the United States puts in

Promise to defend NATO states Deterrent against Russia Sixth Fleet based in Naples, Italy Military training and exercises

What the United States gets back

NATO states promise to defend the United States $699 billion in trade with the European Union, Americas largest trade partner Bases near Russia, the Middle East and Africa Counterterrorism and intelligence sharing Allies cover 34 percent of the United States basing costs, worth $2.5 billion annually

Northeast Asia

The United States keeps a large footprint in Asia to counter the influence of China and to support allies against North Korea.

Russia Asia 28,500 military personnel in South Korea N. Korea China 45,000 military personnel and a fleet based in Japan Japan Pacific Ocean Philippine Sea Russia Asia Pacific Ocean N. Korea Japan China 45,000 military personnel and a fleet in Japan 28,500 military personnel in South Korea Russia Asia Pacific Ocean N. Korea China 45,000 military personnel and a fleet in Japan 28,500 military personnel in South Korea

What the United States puts in

Promise to defend South Korea and Japan 28,500 military personnel in South Korea 45,000 military personnel in Japan Seventh Fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan Military training and exercises

What the United States gets back

Bases near China and North Korea, and allies against them $194 billion in trade with Japan, the fifth-largest American trading partner $115 billion in trade with South Korea, the sixth-largest American trading partner Japan covers 75 percent of the United States basing costs there, worth $4.4 billion annually South Korea covers 40 percent of the United States basing costs there, worth $843 million annually

Southeast Asia

Thirty percent of global maritime trade runs through the South China Sea. The United States is competing with China to lead in that fast-growing market.

Japan China The U.S. operates from bases in the Philippines, but the size of the forces is unclear. Asia Philippines South China Sea Pacific Ocean 1,000 military personnel are in Darwin, Australia, set to grow to 2,500 in the next few years Australia Japan China Asia The U.S. operates from bases in the Philippines, but the size of the forces is unclear. Philippines South China Sea 1,000 military personnel are in Darwin, Australia, set to grow to 2,500 in the next few years Australia The U.S. operates from bases in the Philippines, but the size of the forces is unclear. China Asia South China Sea 1,000 military personnel in Australia

What the United States puts in

Promise to defend the Philippines and Australia Military personnel fluctuate up to a few thousand Military exercises in Thailand with several regional states Freedom-of-movement exercises in the South China Sea

What the United States gets back

Basing rights in Singapore Region friendlier to the United States and better able to unify against China Protect South China Sea trade worth $5.3 trillion, about 30 percent of global maritime trade. Includes $1.2 trillion in trade with the United States Philippines and Australia promise to defend the United States

Persian Gulf

In the Middle East, the United States wants to maintain access to oil and gas, and partners against terrorism and Iran.

Europe ASIA Iran Europe Persian Gulf A fleet in Bahrain Saudi Arabia Arabian Sea AFRICA Europe ASIA Iran Persian Gulf A fleet in Bahrain Saudi Arabia Arabian Sea AFRICA Europe ASIA Iran Persian Gulf A fleet in Bahrain Arabian Sea Saudi Arabia AFRICA

What the United States puts in

About 28,000 military personnel in the Persian Gulfs kingdoms Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain Pledge to defend free flow of oil and gas, known as the Carter Doctrine Implicit promise to defend allies against Iran

What the United States gets back

Counterterrorism and intelligence-sharing against Islamist terrorists and Iran Access to 34 percent of the worlds oil exports and 16 percent of natural gas exports Allies cover 60 percent of the United States basing costs, worth $658 million annually Bases near, and allies united against, Iran
President-elect Donald J. Trumps inauguration is expected to draw thousands of protesters to Washington on Jan. 20. Several groups are planning rallies around the National Mall and near the parade route.

In a normal election cycle, well see four or five First Amendment applications, said Michael Litterst, a spokesman for the National Park Service. This year, theyve received at least 20 permit requests.

Protests in Washington, D.C. Permit issued No permit issued The New York Times | Sources: National Park Service (protest permit status, inauguration area and route); Facebook event pages (protest locations)

Protest organizers have used Facebook to share information about their plans and to recruit people to join them at the inauguration. Two of the largest protest events, Inaugurate the Resistance and #J20 Resist, have a combined total of about 15,000 Facebook users who have said they will attend.

An event organized by four students, Not My President, has about 20,000 Facebook users who have said they will attend, though the group has not secured a permit.

Supporters of Mr. Trump are planning their own rallies in addition to the official inauguration events. Two motorcycle groups, Let America Hear Us, Roar For Trump! and Bikers for Trump, have secured permits from the National Park Service and are coordinating rides to Washington from around the country.

The Womens March on Washington, scheduled for Jan. 21, could be the largest inauguration-related demonstration in history even if it falls short of attracting the estimated 200,000 people who are expected to attend.

Hundreds of marches are expected to take place around the world on Saturday in coordination with the Womens March on Washington.

Other protests are being planned elsewhere around the United States, often in association with groups demonstrating in Washington. Many have been organized by students, unions and socialist groups, including Socialist Alternative and Young Progressives Demanding Action.

Some U.S. Cities Where Protests Are Planned for Jan. 20 Seattle WASH. Me. Mont. N.H. Portland N.D. Minn. Vt. Ore. Boston New York Wis. Idaho S.D. Mass. Minneapolis Conn. Mich. Wyo. r.i. Stroudsburg New York Salt Lake City Iowa N.J. Neb. Pa. Ohio Chicago Philadelphia Omaha Columbus DEL. Denver San Francisco Ind. Ill. MD. Utah Washington, D.C. Nev. Colo. W. Va. St. Louis Kan. Va. Mo. Las Vegas CaliF. KY. N.C. Tenn. Los Angeles Ariz. Oklahoma City Okla. N.M. Ark. S.C. Ala. San Diego Ga. Dallas Miss. Texas La. Houston Austin Orlando New Orleans ALASKA Fla. Miami HAWAII Seattle WASH. Me. N.H. Mont. N.D. Portland Vt. Minn. Ore. Mass. Wis. N.Y. Idaho S.D. Minneapolis Mich. New York Wyo. R.I. Salt Lake City Iowa Conn. Pa. Neb. Chicago Ohio N.J. Nev. Omaha Ill. Denver Ind. DEL. W. Va. Utah MD. St. Louis Washington, D.C. Colo. Kan. Va. Las Vegas CaliF. Mo. KY. N.C. Tenn. Okla. Los Angeles Oklahoma City Ariz. Ark. S.C. N.M. Ala. San Diego Miss. Dallas Ga. Texas La. Houston Austin Orlando New Orleans ALASKA Fla. Miami HAWAII Seattle WASH. Me. N.H. Mont. N.D. Vt. Portland Mich. Minn. Ore. N.Y. Mass. Wis. Idaho S.D. New York Wyo. R.I. Salt Lake City Iowa Conn. Pa. Neb. Ohio N.J. Ill. Ind. Nev. Denver DEL. W. Va. Utah St. Louis MD. Colo. Kan. Va. Las Vegas CaliF. Mo. KY. N.C. Tenn. Okla. Oklahoma City Ariz. Ark. S.C. N.M. Ala. San Diego Miss. Ga. Dallas Texas La. Orlando Austin New Orleans ALASKA Fla. Miami HAWAII NH WA Me Vt Mt ND Mn Or Ma Id Wi SD NY Mi Wy RI Ia Pa Ct Ne Oh Nv In NJ Il Ut WV Co DE Ks Va Mo Ca KY MD Tn Az Ok NC Ar NM SC Al Ms Ga Tx La Ak Fl HI The New York Times | Source: Facebook event pages

The largest previous opposition demonstration at a presidential inauguration was in 1973, when an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 anti-war protesters disrupted President Richard M. Nixons second inaugural. Simultaneous demonstrations took place in cities around the world, including Paris, Stockholm and Tokyo, according to inauguration historian Jim Bendat.

Anti-war demonstrators march during President Richard M. Nixons second inauguration, on Jan. 20, 1973. George Tames/The New York Times Protesters wait outside the entrance to President George W. Bushs inauguration parade on Jan. 20, 2005. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

President George W. Bush is the only other president known to have drawn large-scale protests at an inauguration. In 2001, protest organizers estimated at least 20,000 people demonstrated in opposition to the Supreme Court decision that resulted in Mr. Bush becoming president. "They carried big signs with foul language, hurled eggs at the motorcade, and screamed at the top of their lungs.While I couldn't make out their words, their middle fingers spoke loudly," Mr. Bush wrote in his 2011 memoir, Decision Points.

In 2005, opposition to the Iraq War drew more protesters to Washington for Mr. Bushs second inauguration.
In the beginning, there was hope. A racial barrier shattered. An anxious nation eager to turn the page on foreign war and economic hardship. And the audacious plans of a new president.

President Obama stood on the West Front of the Capitol on Jan. 20, 2009, and dismissed as small-minded those who would question his grand ambitions.

They have forgotten what this country has already done, Mr. Obama said, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

Days before, Mr. Obama  the African-American son of a Kenya-born father and a Kansas-born mother  had stood in the Oval Office, in a White House built in part by slaves, flanked by four white men who were the only others on the planet who understood the burden of the job he was about to take on.

With the former presidents George Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. January 2009.

Mr. Obama began with bold strokes. He signed executive orders to close what remained of the secret Central Intelligence Agency prisons. He ordered the closing of Guantanamo Bay.

He pushed through a $787 billion economic stimulus bill, and began the work to provide health coverage to 46 million Americans.

To Republicans hoping to temper his agenda, Mr. Obama had a curt message. Elections have consequences, he told Eric Cantor of Virginia, the House Republican leader.

With the new dog, Bo, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, on the South Lawn. April 2009.

His presidency could be transformational, Mr. Obama believed. He quizzed historians on how past commanders in chief had harnessed Congress to achieve great things.

He had a mind-set of getting big things done the way Lyndon Johnson was able to in the 1960s, and to be part of the pantheon of great progressive presidents, said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian who has spoken regularly with Mr. Obama. He truly believed that he could unify the country.

He found instead that it was as divided as ever.

It feels bad, he said in 2010, licking wounds from a midterm electoral loss he called a shellacking.

After Republicans won a majority of seats in the House. November 2010.

The agent of change had become a symbol of the status quo he had vowed to upend. Mr. Obama had his health care bill, but the triumph had come at a heavy cost.

This is something that I think every president needs to go through, he told reporters. In the rush of activity, sometimes we lose track of, you know, the ways that we connected with voters that got us here in the first place.

Tea Party-fueled Republicans, energized by their virulent opposition to what they derisively branded Obamacare, vowed not to let Mr. Obamas agenda advance.

And so his aspirations shifted with the political tide.

I guess in my second term, Ill be doing a lot of foreign policy, he ruefully told a group of historians at a 2011 dinner at the White House.

At the Group of 20 summit meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. June 2012.

Receiving the remains of Americans killed in Benghazi, Libya. September 2012.

David Kennedy of Stanford University was there. He just felt checked and blocked and that he couldnt get any further, he said. He went from a place of being just full of enthusiasm and hope and expectation and hope and aspiration to a real sense of disappointment, of being stymied.

It never got easier. Time and again, Mr. Obama had to comfort a nation stunned by repeated shooting rampages across the country. Spending time with families who lost young children in the gun massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December 2012, was the hardest day of my presidency, he said afterward. And Ive had some hard days.

Mr. Obamas voice crackled with anger in 2013 after the Senate defeated measures to expand gun restrictions. Three years later, while announcing a set of modest executive actions to curb gun violence, he shed tears in the East Room as he remembered the Newtown children.

Announcing executive actions on gun control. January 2016.

Every time I think about those kids, he said as he wept openly, it gets me mad.

No matter how hard he tried to avoid defining his presidency through the prism of race, it was always a powerful subtext, and sometimes a potent flash point.

His victory was heralded as the dawn of a post-racial America, but the first African-American president never really saw it that way.

At the inauguration, I think that there was justifiable pride on the part of the country that we had taken a step to move us beyond some of the searing legacies of racial discrimination in this country, Mr. Obama said several weeks after being sworn in. But that lasted about a day.

Observing the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, in Selma, Ala. March 2015.

There is more work to be done, he always said.

We just need to open our eyes and our ears and our hearts to know that this nations racial history still casts its long shadow upon us, he said when he walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act  and of Bloody Sunday, when black civil rights activists were brutally beaten by state troopers.

The deaths of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown and nine black parishioners in South Carolina forced Mr. Obama to speak out, and yet try to balance both sides.

Maybe we now realize the way racial bias can infect us even when we dont realize it, Mr. Obama said at the funeral for Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney, a victim of the mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. So that were guarding against not just racial slurs, but were also guarding against the subtle impulse to call Johnny back for a job interview, but not Jamal.

With Representative John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia. March 2015. At a funeral for the pastor killed in the Charleston church massacre. June 2015.

Standing in Nelson Mandelas jail cell on Robben Island in South Africa. June 2013.

But when he opened the White House to Black Lives Matter activists, who told him their voices were not being heard, he admonished them: You are sitting in the Oval Office, talking to the president of the United States.

With King Salman of Saudi Arabia. January 2015.

His foreign policy was one of contradictions. Nine days after announcing that he would send 30,000 more American troops to Afghanistan, Mr. Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. Even he did not believe that he had earned it yet.

Six years later, Mr. Obama had to concede that the war in Afghanistan would not end before he left office.

With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico in Ottawa. June 2016.

With President Raul Castro of Cuba in Havana. March 2016. With Pope Francis at the White House. September 2015.

But he basked in international adulation for other breakthroughs: a broad climate change agreement, the most significant in history, forged in Paris; a nuclear deal with Iran; a surprise opening with Cuba.

I didnt make any big mistakes, the Nobel Prize winner told historians in 2014 of his foreign policy legacy. That was before the Islamic State began a brutal offensive in Iraq, a ruthless new adversary on the rise.

After a Supreme Court decision upholding parts of his signature health care law. June 2015.

In the end, the victories were hard fought.

Yes, we can, was his inspirational campaign mantra in 2008, but in 2016, traveling the country to promote his rival-turned-ally Hillary Clinton, he often resorted to, Cmon, man! He watched incredulously as voters contemplated replacing him with a man who owed his political rise to a false conspiracy theory that Mr. Obama was born in Kenya.

He smiled tightly for the cameras after the election, shaking hands with the president-elect in the Oval Office only days after telling Americans that Donald J. Trump could never be trusted with the nuclear codes.

Campaigning for Hillary Clinton in North Las Vegas. October 2016.

With President-elect Donald J. Trump in the Oval Office. November 2016.

You dont need hope when things are going well, he said to heartbroken young aides. You need it when things are not going well.

Ever rational and restrained, he insisted on an orderly passing of the baton. It was jarring to aides who wanted the fiery Barack Obama of the 2008 campaign.

But he, and the country, had changed. Hope had been tempered by volatile politics, the art of the possible and the slowness of societies to evolve.

America is not a fragile thing, Mr. Obama said in a farewell address in Chicago. But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured.
Hundreds of demonstrations around the world are being planned for Jan. 21 in conjunction with the Womens March on Washington, which is expected to be the largest inauguration-related demonstration in United States history.

The March Route in Washington

The New York Times | Source: Womens March

Organizers have estimated that 200,000 people could participate in the Washington rally, which will begin at 10 a.m. near the southeast corner of the National Mall. The march is scheduled to start at 1:15 p.m. and will proceed toward the White House.

Participants are traveling to Washington from all over the country, with many arriving by bus. Many more are expected to participate in hundreds of sister marches throughout the United States.

Womens Marches Around the Nation

WASH. Me. Mont. N.D. N.H. Minn. Vt. Ore. N.Y. Mass. Mich. Wis. S.D. Wyo. Idaho R.I. Conn. Iowa Pa. Neb. N.J. Ill. Nev. Ind. Ohio DEL. Utah W. Va. MD. Colo. Kan. Va. Mo. KY. CaliF. N.C. Tenn. Ark. Okla. Ariz. N.M. S.C. Ga. Miss. Ala. La. Texas ALASKA Fla. HAWAII WASH. Me. N.H. Mont. N.D. Vt. Mich. Minn. Ore. N.Y. Mass. Wis. S.D. Wyo. Idaho R.I. Iowa Conn. Pa. Neb. Ohio Ill. N.J. Nev. Ind. DEL. Utah W. Va. MD. Kan. Va. Colo. Mo. KY. N.C. Tenn. Ark. Okla. Ariz. CaliF. S.C. N.M. Miss. Ga. Ala. La. Texas ALASKA Fla. HAWAII WA NH Me ND Vt Mt Id NY Or Ma Mi Mn Wi SD Wy RI Ia Pa Ct Ne NJ Nv Oh In DE Ut WV MD Il Ks Va Co Mo KY Az Ca NC Tn Ar Ok SC NM Ms Ga Al La Tx Ak HI Fl Me WA NH Mn Mt Vt ND Mi NY Id Or Ma Wi Oh SD Wy RI Ia Pa Ne Ct Nv In NJ Ut WV Il DE Ks Va Co Mo KY MD Tn Ar Ok NC Az Ca Ms NM SC Al Ga La Tx Ak Fl HI

March organizers have said the events primary focus is to promote equal rights for women and to defend marginalized groups. The Womens March on Washington will send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world, that women's rights are human rights, the groups website says.

More than 200 organizations have signed on as partners for the march, including Planned Parenthood, the NAACP, the National Organization for Women and Human Rights Watch. Cher, Katy Perry and Amy Schumer are among the celebrities who have said they will attend.

Womens Marches Around the World

Helsinki Vancouver Tokyo Erbil Athens San Jose Nairobi Singapore Rio de Janeiro Sydney Cape Town Helsinki Vancouver Tokyo Erbil Athens San Jose Nairobi Singapore Rio de Janeiro Sydney Cape Town Helsinki Vancouver Tokyo Erbil San Jose Nairobi Singapore Rio de Janeiro Sydney Cape Town Helsinki Erbil Tokyo San Jose Sydney Cape Town

Participants outside the United States say they are marching in solidarity with American women and standing up for the rights of women in their own countries.

The recent elections in the United States have shown how real the threat is to our collective rights and liberties, says the Facebook event page for the Womens March on Nairobi. The page for the London event, which 23,000 Facebook users have said they will attend, says, we will march...for the protection of our fundamental rights and for the safeguarding of freedoms threatened by recent political events.

Led by Mrs. Richard Coke Burleson (center, on horseback), suffragists marched on Pennsylvania Avenue on March 3, 1913, the day before President Woodrow Wilsons inauguration. Library of Congress

A previous womens movement found success in an inauguration-related demonstration. The Womens Suffrage Parade of 1913, in which an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 suffragists marched on Pennsylvania Avenue the day before President Woodrow Wilsons inauguration, drew attention to the womens suffrage movement as thousands of spectators in Washington for the inauguration witnessed the procession.

Historians consider the parade a major milestone for the movement to win women the right to vote. It is set to be depicted on the back of a redesigned $10 bill in 2020.
Hollywood has become more diverse but it still has "a lot of room for growth," Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker told CNBC on Tuesday.



The 2016 Oscars brought the issue of Hollywood diversity into the spotlight once again after the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite began trending on social media last year. Several high-profile actors, including Will Smith, boycotted the awards show because no black actors were nominated in the eligible categories.

Speaking at a CNBC event at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, Whitaker acknowledged progress had been made to address the lack of diversity but said more work is needed.

"The tapestry of film has become more diverse. I think we also have to look behind the camera. It's become more diverse, but there is still a lot of room for growth, room for growth in both areas and all these areas," Whitaker said.

"Then you have to look at the types of stories being told  to look at whether it deals with gender issues, or it's dealing with sexuality issues or class issues,  so much to still be dealt with, to be worked on, to be looked as a whole."

Whitaker won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Uganda dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 movie "The Last King of Scotland."

Many actors have spoken out against the lack of diversity in film and television. Idris Elba, the star of "Luther," said last year that black actors are often cast as"petty criminals."

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More From CNBC


Liberals are mad because Hillary lost, and they are acting out.

They kept pushing their bad policies and their disdain toward middle America until there was backlash. When America voted to elect Trump, the liberals were shocked to their core. Now they are grappling with the aftershock  that we also voted our consciences.

Democrats are used to bullying and character assassination of opponents to get their way. It didnt work with Teflon Don Trump. They have finally met their match in Trump, a man who will stand up to them. America cheered.

They want to disrupt Trump at every turn. There is even talk of sex workers in San Francisco, many involved in bondage and S&M, being sent to disrupt the Trump inaugural. Id say, Slap a cease-and-desist order on them, but Im afraid theyd just like that.

My buddy Jake Cook observed that Democrats have not been this mad since Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves. This election, with many landslide Republican victories in state seats nationwide, was not just a message to the Democrats. It was a restraining order.

Now the media, with the help of Obama intelligence appointees clinging to a few more days of power, are giving it one last shot.

In their last throes of petulant power, the Obama administration is trying to concoct and advance any narrative to delegitimize Trump and provide any lame excuse why the Democrats lost so much. Fake intelligence stories with dossiers about Trump doing weird things on the bed with hookers in Russia are fed to the media. One or some of the appointed intel chiefs leaked the stories, but they are all too cowardly to admit it. Talk about yellow!

Even Bob Woodward, of Woodward and Bernstein/Watergate fame, called the Trump hookers/bed/urinate claims a garbage document that should have never been released. There is no doubt that intelligence agencies trying to please Obama one last time leaked these documents intended to hurt Trump, a critic of the political nature of our intelligence community.

Obama has done this since his first campaign in Illinois, digging up sealed records of his opponents divorce and revealing items damaging to the couples kids. He went after $1 million Mitt Romney donor Frank VanderSloot, dumpster-diving for divorce records; then the IRS magically audited VanderSloot  twice. We all know about Obamas goons going after James Rosen and Fox News and the IRS being sicced on the Tea Party.

Then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid lied on the Senate floor, saying Romney didnt pay taxes. Democrats do not have the better policy arguments, but they do know how to play the politics of personally obliterating their opponents. They know they dont have to be liked by voters, just slightly more liked than their opponents.

The media have gone from crying about Trumps entanglements with Russia to leaks with Russia. Some in the media so wanted to believe this contrived story that they sat in the front row at a Trump press conference wearing raincoats like they were seeing Gallagher perform his watermelon smashing routine.

They so want one of these #FakeNews stories to be true. Obama could be caught on tape killing a hobo and throwing him in the Potomac, and the media headline would be: Obama helps get homeless off the streets.

Just in the last two months, the left has destroyed two great American songs. They turned Baby, its Cold Outside into a date rape song, and they have ruined Singin in the Rain for most of us.

Now Obamas Inspector General is told to look into the FBI and James Comeys investigation of Hillarys emails. But get this: They are not supposed to look into the real issue, AG Loretta Lynchs clandestine meeting on her private jet with the husband of suspect Hillary Clinton.

Liberals are even blasting the intel agencies for not releasing the kinky Trump in Russia sex allegations. I wished they had released them. Trump might have won Vermont and California.

The perplexing but good thing about Donald Trump is that you do not have to dig up or make up embarrassing information on him. You just have to sign up to follow him on Twitter or attend a rally.

Worry not. The forecast for Trumps Inauguration Day is clear and sunny, with no chance of showers.

Ron Hart is a libertarian oped humorist and awardwinning author, Ron is a frequent guest on CNN. He can be contacted at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.
Just minutes into the new year last year, a 22-year-old man was gunned down walking in the alley behind the Santa Ana apartment where he lived. Two days later, a 19-year-old was fatally wounded in a car-to-car shooting near the citys Centennial Regional Park.

Over the next 24 hours, two more men were killed in gun violence a mile apart in a gang-plagued area already targeted for special enforcement by police and prosecutors.

The four shootings in the first five days of 2016 grew to 55 over the next 45 days, a spike in violence not seen in decades in the city that dubs itself Orange Countys downtown. As broken families held vigils for the dead and wounded, investigators pored over near-daily shooting scenes and residents peered warily from their homes, law enforcement leaders, elected officials and researchers struggled to pinpoint the cause and determine if a new era of bloodshed was dawning.

And then, according to Police Chief Carlos Rojas, the spasm of violence receded. How much isnt completely clear because the Police Department stopped releasing shooting totals, which had helped fuel headlines in the first weeks of the year. Instead, Rojas noted that in February, major violent crimes reported to the FBI dropped 24 percent from the previous month and remained at roughly that level through the remainder of the year.

But community concern and the political repercussions of the surge of shootings became a central focus of the November City Council campaign, which highlighted public safety and reset the balance of power at City Hall.

POLICE UNIONS ROLE?

One political winner was the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, which criticized the leadership of Rojas and the city manager and spent nearly $300,000 supporting a slate of candidates that included the longtime mayor, Miguel Pulido. Three of the four candidates backed by the union, including Pulido, were elected, unseating an incumbent council member for the first time in decades.

Three weeks ago, in one of the new City Councils first actions, a majority that included three lawmakers supported by the police union placed City Manager David Cavazos on paid administrative leave, citing performance evaluations and concerns about a City Hall personnel matter involving him. The allegations harked back to a Pulido-initiated investigation of Cavazos relationship with a subordinate female city employee that resulted in his censure by the International City/County Management Association.

The move against Cavazos signaled a partial reversal of the 2012 election results. In that so-called Santa Ana Spring election, voters installed a slate of candidates that promised greater City Hall transparency and responsiveness and unseated a majority allied with the mayor. That group fired the previous city manager, who was supported by Pulido, and hired Cavazos. Rojas was hired under the new administration.

In the runup to the election, officers union President Gerry Serrano attacked Rojas management and policing strategies, which in part emphasized assigning officers to neighborhood beats where they would get to know residents, in lieu of beefing up specialized enforcement units.

In an email to the news media and city elected officials last summer, Serrano released figures showing a more than 550 percent increase in shootings for the first half of the year compared with the same period four years earlier, when Rojas became chief.

Specifically, Serrano criticized Rojas for reassigning officers to the neighborhood beats, cutting back on resources allocated for gang suppression, and failing to reinstate a police strike force that had been used to respond to crime hot spots.

Violent crime continues to rise at an unbelievable rate, yet patrol staffing remains below minimum staffing levels, Serrano wrote. What is Rojas doing to address this? Nothing. What is Cavazos doing to address this? Nothing.

Since Rojas took over, Serrano added, officer morale is down and many are retiring early.

CRIME STATISTICS

Pulido said in an interview that the realignment of the City Council will help ensure a return to successful policing strategies.

Violent crime prevention in the city kind of went backward, he said. We need to continue to make progress. Going backward and even holding our own is not acceptable.

Responding to the police unions portrayal of rising crime, Cavazos released a report showing Santa Ana had a 74 percent reduction in murders, aggravated assaults, forcible rapes, robberies, arsons and property crimes from 1987 to 2012, based on moving three-year averages.

Rojas cited 2016 overall crime data, reported to the FBI, which showed violent and property crimes peaked at 871 incidents in January and dipped into the 600s and 700s thereafter.

It does appear to be slowing down a little bit, Rojas said, which is good.

POLICE UNION MAILERS

In the months leading up to the election, records show the police union provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to help fund mailers and television advertisements endorsing its slate of candidates and attacking council incumbents. The expenditures included the majority of contributions to an independent political action committee, California Homeowners Association, which spent nearly $100,000 opposing council members Roman Reyna and Vicente Sarmiento, a Register analysis found.

One of the PACs mailers carried a headline asking: Want to know who to blame for Santa Anas rising crime? Its Reyna and Sarmiento! The mailer also included a reproduction of a Register article on Cavazos, the city manager, which noted that he received a bonus amid allegations of misconduct and highlighted a reference to a romantic relationship with a subordinate city employee.

The police officers associations independent spending far exceeded that by a police union-endorsed candidate, Orange County sheriffs officer Juan Villegas, who unseated Reyna.

Council supporters of the police chief and Cavazos, who clashed with Pulido over various City Hall projects, see the election results not as referendum on the citys public safety programs but as a power grab by the police union, which among other things is seeking raises for members and more officer hiring for patrol shifts.

Reyna, who grew up in a gang-infested community near El Salvador Park, said at a recent council meeting that the spike in shootings early in 2016 appeared to be tied to a struggle involving the role of a top gang leader and not deficient city policing tactics.

The other gang members all wanted to sit in that leadership position so they fought literally with guns to see who could get that position, Reyna said.

DIFFERING VIEWS

At the first meeting of the new City Council last month, Councilman Sal Tinajero, Cavazos most vocal supporter, complained about what he portrayed as political strong-arm tactics by the police union. He alleged that Serrano, the groups president, met with different folks, saying: If you fire the chief of police, we will support you. The only way to get to the chief of police is to fire the city manager. We are going to raise over $400,000 and those who support this, we will support, and those who dont, we are going to run someone against you,

He asked me  So Sal, are we going to throw a body out the window? Tinajero continued. This (police union) is whos just taken over our city.

Tinajero also defended Rojas leadership, saying: You see for the first time in our city, officers are being held accountable.  We need to help our community be safe and being safe means that we need community policing. We need a relationship with our police officers.

Serrano said evaluating the city manager is the job of the City Council, not the police union.

Its not our issue, he said. Why Councilman Tinajero wants to include me in it, I have no idea.

And his unions involvement in this Santa Ana election was nothing out of the ordinary, Serrano said.

All unions invest when it comes to election  thats what we do, we look out and try to support elected officials that are supportive of labor unions, he said. I look forward to working with our entire City Council and being part of moving the city forward.

CHANGES COMING?

Pulido said he expects that the new City Council will revive a gang suppression unit.

Part of it is we have to go back to basics.  We need to work closely with the community and do many of the things weve done in the past, Pulido said. We know what works, and itll work again.

Similarly, Jose Solorio, another police union-endorsed candidate elected in November, said bringing down gang violence and shootings will require restoring gang unit officers and more transparency of crime statistics.

Its time for the city to step up and do something about it, Solorio said. I think with the addition of myself and council member Juan Villegas, we both have very strong pro-public safety backgrounds.

Councilwoman Michele Martinez was the swing vote, siding with Pulido and his two newly elected allies to place Cavazos on leave. The councilwoman supported Cavazos hiring, but her opinion shifted after he alleged Martinez sexually harassed and made romantic advances toward him. A city-ordered external investigation found that his allegation was without merit.

Martinez said shes not aligned with either City Council camp and doesnt vote based on their agendas.

Im very independent. I think in both sides, its all political and the city manager is right in the middle, she said. I will be working with anyone who is willing to set good policy.

Pulido has said talk of an alliance between him and the police union is irrelevant, and the election results are what counts.

Do people who work harder sometimes gain more votes? Yes, Pulido said.

FIRE THE CITY MANAGER?

While the shooting-per-day average from the beginning of 2016 hasnt been the case for the first weeks of this year, last Saturday night was the most violent in recent memory, with six people shot, according to Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.

On the political front, it appears the reverberations of the November election are just beginning. Cavazos supporters say they are committed to checking the political power of the mayor and police officers association at City Hall.

We have a strong, solid team in the council that among other things supports the current police chief, Councilman David Benavides said.

Five votes are needed to fire a city manager, who has the authority to appoint and remove the police chief.

The sharply divided council is expected to revisit Cavazos employment in closed session before todays council meeting.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7762 or jkwong@scng.com
SANTA ANA  A Republican activist and former treasurer for Rep. Dana Rohrabachers re-election committee pleaded guilty Tuesday to two dozen felonies for embezzling more than $300,000.

Jack Wenpo Wu faces up to four years, four months in prison after pleading guilty to three felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement and 21 felony counts of forgery, according to the Orange County District Attorneys Office.

Prosecutors say Wu, a 46-year-old Newport Beach resident, embezzled from the Committee to Re-elect Congressman Dana Rohrabacher to repay money he was accused of stealing from another employer.

Wus attorney declined to comment on his clients guilty plea. Representatives for Rohrabacher indicated that the congressman did not wish to comment on the plea.

Along with two decades in finance, Wu has been active over the years in Orange County politics.

In freelance columns written for the Register and the Daily Pilot, Wu described himself as a longtime Republican Party loyalist.

Shortly before his arrest, Wu was appointed to the city of Newport Beachs Finance Committee, an advisory body he has since resigned from.

Wu began working as a volunteer, unpaid treasurer for the congressmans re-election committee in 2004.

For 11 years, Wu ran the committees bank accounts, served as the custodian of records and filed Federal Election Committee reports.

The congressman fired Wu in 2015 after members of his committee discovered only $187 in an account that was supposed to have about $185,000. A subsequent investigation by the District Attorneys Office led to Wus arrest nearly a year ago.

While working as a volunteer treasurer for Rohrabacher, Wu also ran his own accounting company, Wubell Services, and served as a controller for Russell Fischer Inc.

Initially earning an annual $70,000 paycheck from Russell Fischer, Wu in 2012 became an independent contractor with the company and saw his pay reduced, according to prosecutors.

In 2012 and 2013, authorities allege, Wu began embezzling from Russell Fischer, taking tens of thousands of dollars. The theft was discovered in 2013, prosecutors said. Wu was fired and reportedly agreed to make restitution payments to Russell Fischer.

District Attorneys Office investigators believe Wu paid back Russell Fischer with at least some of the $238,000 he was suspected of embezzling from Rohrabachers re-election committee.

Wu is scheduled to return to court for sentencing March 13.

Contact the writer: semery@ocregister.com
IRVINE  If your children like to spend time at Trader Joes but you dont want them strolling around a busy grocery store on their own, head over to Pretend City Childrens Museum.

Pretend City, where small children can play different roles in a kids-sized city, partnered with Trader Joes to open a replica of the popular grocery store on Monday.

The new exhibit, Trader Joes Learning and Play Grocery Store, features product props, cash registers with signature bells and fresh produce and food demo areas. Kids can pretend to shop at the kids-sized store and work as a cashier.

Donnie Martin, a regional vice president at Trader Joes, said the Monrovia-based company made sure the exhibit replicated the feel of the real stores, from crew member Hawaiian shirts and wall art to shopping carts and shelf signs.

I think the details that we put into this are amazing to make it look like a true Trader Joes, he said.

Tiffany Dambroso of Newport Beach and her 3-year-old daughter, Viviana, were among the dozens of families who attended the exhibits grand opening event Monday.

Viviana stuffed her shopping basket with items until they almost spilled out.

It was a big deal when we heard that Trader Joes was opening a kids store, Tiffany Dambroso said. The family shops at the store at least once a week, she said.

All Viviana talked about over the weekend was visiting the exhibit, her mother said. The girl is such a fan that she even asked Santa Claus for a shopping cart, her mother said.

Fellow visitor River Meier, 9, said he liked playing at the exhibit more than going to a real store.

I love how you can take a cart and put whatever you want in it, the Aliso Viejo resident said.

His mother, Maria Meier, said she likes to bring her son to Pretend City because it makes him and other children feel grown up and independent.

When Pretend City opened seven years ago, the grocery store exhibit was sponsored by Ralphs. The exhibit featured some Ralphs products, though the interior looked like a generic grocery store.

Pretend City reached out to Trader Joes four months ago to spruce up the exhibit, museum spokeswoman Hayley Burns said. The grocery store is the only exhibit designed like a specific business, she said.

Pretend City, run by a nonprofit organization, includes 17 regular exhibits and activities, such as a library, cafe, dentist and police and fire stations.

For more information, visit pretendcity.org or call 949-428-3900
President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in as our 45th president on Friday.

TEN QUESTIONS

Answers listed below.

1. What word is missing from the 35-word oath of office?

I do solemnly swear that I will execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

A) faithfully

B) properly

C) honestly

2. When George Washington was sworn in as our first president, where did it take place?

A) Washington, D.C.

B) New York

C) Philadelphia

3. What month was George Washington sworn in as the first president?

A) January

B) February

C) March

D) April

4. The picture above is believed to be the first photograph of a presidential inauguration. Which president is being sworn in?

A) James K. Polk

B) Abraham Lincoln

C) James Buchanan

5. Many events have become customary on the day, but the oath of office is the only inauguration ceremony mentioned in the Constitution. George Washington attended a church service the day he was inaugurated, but what president set a precedent of attending a morning worship service that has been followed by every president since?

A) Thomas Jefferson

B) Franklin D. Roosevelt

C) John F. Kennedy

6. In 1997, President Bill Clintons inauguration was the first to be broadcast live on the internet. What presidents inauguration was the first shown on television?

A) Richard Nixon

B) Harry Truman

C) John F. Kennedy

7. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson became the first president to ride to his inauguration in a bulletproof limousine. Two presidents walked to their ceremonies. Which of the following was one of them?

A) James K. Polk

B) Andrew Jackson

C) John Adams

8. What president was the first to take the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.?

A) Thomas Jefferson

B) Andrew Jackson

C) John Adams

9. What president had the shortest inaugural address  135 words?

A) George Washington

B) John Adams

C) William Henry Harrison

10. What president had the longest Inauguration Day parade?

A) Barack Obama

B) Ronald Reagan

C) Dwight Eisenhower

ANSWERS

1. A) The president shall faithfully execute the Office of President 

2. B) New York. In 1789, the U.S. capital was New York City. Washington took the oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street.

3. D) Washington was sworn in April 30, 1789 for his first term. Inaugurations were mostly held March 4 until 1933, when the ratification of the 20th Amendment changed the date to Jan. 20. Before modern communications became available, four months were needed to tally the electoral votes. The amount of time became a nuisance for incoming administrations needing to handle problems arising in the nation.

4. C) More than 150,000 people attended the swearing-in ceremony of Buchanan.

5. B) Franklin Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor, attended a church service at St. Johns Episcopal church, next to the White House, in 1937 and 1941. In 1945, the service was held in the White House. Every president since has attended a service, not all in the same location.

6. B) Trumans inauguration was the first shown on television. The inauguration of William McKinley in 1897 was the first to be recorded by motion picture cameras.

7. B) Andrew Jackson and Thomas Jefferson walked to the ceremony. Most of the other presidents rode in carriages or automobiles. President William Henry Harrison rode to the Capitol for his swearing-in on a white horse in 1841. Outgoing President John Tyler joined President-elect Polk in 1845 for the carriage ride to the Capitol, establishing one of several traditions of the peaceful transition of power.

8. A) When Jefferson took the oath of office at the Capitol in 1801, only the Senate wing was constructed. The building housed the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, House of Representatives and the Senate at the time.

9. A) Washingtons second inaugural address was the shortest. The longest address was given by President William Henry Harrison  8,445 words. His speech was given on a cold, wet day, and his death a month later is believed to have been brought on by prolonged exposure to the elements during his inauguration.

10. C) Dwight Eisenhowers parade in 1953 was the largest. It had 73 bands, 59 floats, horses, elephants and military vehicles and lasted 4 hours and 32 minutes. Since then, the limit is set for 15,000 participants. The only parade canceled was President Ronald Reagans in 1985, due to frigid temperatures.

Scoring:

10 correct: President

6-9 correct: Vice President

5 or less: Senator

Sources: U.S. Senate, Buchanan.org, National Museum of American History Photos: Library of Congress Compiled by KURT SNIBBE, STAFF, illustrations by JEFF GOERTZEN, STAFF
ANAHEIM  A 24-year-old murder suspect was shot and critically injured by a Los Angeles County task force Tuesday morning at an outdoor plant and flower nursery.

The task force, which included the FBI and Los Angeles Police Department, was in Anaheim investigating a man suspected of murder in a 2016 slaying in Las Vegas.

Just before 10 a.m., at least one officer shot and injured him.

Details about what led to the shooting were not immediately available except that there was a confrontation inside the nursery, Anaheim police said.

Anaheim police officials were called to the shooting scene, at Garden Grove Nursery and Flower Shop at 2715 W. Broadway, after it happened, Sgt. Daron Wyatt said.

Wyatt said the man had a warrant out for his arrest when he was tracked to Anaheim.

Authorities identified the suspect as Oscar Ramirez-Infante.

No officers were injured. Ramirez-Infante was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Traffic was closed in both directions on Broadway, between Dale and Magnolia avenues, while the scene was under investigation.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7865 or afausto@scng.com
As a first-generation immigrant from Iran, Nikan Khatibi grew up broke without access to healthcare.

Khatibi said his parents would drive him more than an hour to a county hospital so he could get vaccinations since the family couldnt afford to pay on their own.

Decades later, Khatibi, a Laguna Niguel resident, works in the healthcare industry and serves on a state board dedicated to providing better access to healthcare for under-served populations.

Gov. Jerry Brown re-appointed Khatibi to serve as trustee for a second year on the California Health Professions Education Foundation. He is one of 11 members on the board, and one of two from Orange County.

Created as a nonprofit in 1987, the foundation offers incentives for healthcare employees to work in under-served communities by offering scholarships, loan repayments and other services.

We cant just ignore those members of those communities, Khatibi said.

Though his primary duties including working as a pain and addiction medicine physician at Riverside Medical Clinic in Riverside County, Khatibi works with the board and travels to Sacramento about six times per year.

Were hoping long-term that it will help break that cycle of poverty, he said.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7844 or snewell@scng.com
Someone shot a teenager in the forehead and left her in a frigid cornfield in Caledonia, N.Y.

Her body was found Nov. 10, 1979. She had tan lines suggesting she was from a warmer climate. She wore a red and black windbreaker. Hooked inside a belt loop on her pants was a key chain with a locket that read, He who holds the key can open my heart. There wasnt much for investigators to chase.

For 36 years, she was known as Caledonia Jane Doe or Cali Doe. She was buried in Dansville, a neighboring town in Livingston County. Her headstone read, Lest we forget, unidentified girl.

For 36 years, the Livingston County Sheriffs Department led a national search for not only the killer, but also for the identity of the girl in the cornfield.

In 2015, a guy recently laid off from his accounting job at Disney Studios in Burbank and taking care of his elderly mother in El Segundo figured out who she was.

Once he found her, the Sheriffs Department had her name chiseled into what had been the back side of her headstone: Tammy Jo Alexander.

And his name, the sleuth who became an Internet hero? He was Carl Koppelman, which doesnt mean anything to you unless you dabble in the creepy world of unidentified decedents.

YOUNG SHERLOCK

Ask Koppelman, 54, about significant memories in his childhood, and hell tell you about the murders.

He said he began noticing how horrible people can be during the 1972 Olympics when terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes.

Horror got very close to home in 1977 when his brothers friend, John LaMay, 17, was murdered by serial killer Patrick Kearney, known as the Trash Bag Killer for the method in which he disposed of body parts.

In 1979, Lucinda Lynn Schaefer, 16, was killed by Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris, known as the Tool Box Killers, in the nearby city of Redondo Beach. Koppelman didnt know her, but he followed the case in the newspapers.

Ive always been intrigued by the evil that people can do to each other, Koppelman said.

Koppelman worked construction, meat room cleanup at a grocery store and in the aerospace industry. He didnt much like anything he did, so he went to Long Beach State to study accounting.

After college, he worked as an accountant for Princess Cruises, based in Santa Clarita. Then he worked at Disney Studios until his mothers illness made the drive to Burbank impossible.

He began taking care of his mother, now 94, full-time.

His precise bookkeeping skills were about to become very important.

DUGARD CASE SPARKS INTEREST

On Aug. 26, 2009, longtime kidnapping victim Jaycee Dugard was discovered by a parole officer in Concord. She had been held captive since 1991.

Koppelman remembers sitting in his mothers house clicking around the web looking for photos of Dugard. He came across websleuths.com and his life changed. Suddenly, he was on the site so much, especially a forum called The Unidentified, that he became an unpaid administrator. He started a spreadsheet that now has 17,000 names of unidentified and presumed dead victims.

Related: A woman was found dead in Huntington Beach in 1968. Who was this Jane Doe?

Today, websleuths.com has almost 115,000 members and more than 12 million posts. The website has matched more than 20 unidentified bodies with missing people  none that got more notoriety than the work Koppelman did on Cali Doe.

People like Carl are one-in-a-billion, said Tricia Griffith, the owner of websleuths.com. Carl starting to work for us was a great addition.

In 2009, Koppelman posted as CarlK90245  a combination of his name and his ZIP code. And the more he looked around at the photos, the more he noticed something  the police sketches of missing and murdered people didnt match what they really looked like if they were ever found.

Koppelman began looking at coroner photos and using a Corel Photo Paint graphics program to make dead and missing people into pictures.

He did a drawing of an unidentified body found in an abandoned Philadelphia hotel.

I opened his eyes, put an Eagles jersey on him and straightened his mouth, Koppelman said.

A website based in Pennsylvania saw the drawing and asked if they could use it. That was all the feedback Koppelman needed.

Hes now done 200 drawings of dead people.

In 2010, one of those drawings was Cali Doe.

FINDING TAMMY JO

Koppelmans drawing didnt solve the Cali Doe case immediately. He re-drew it many times over a four-year period.

He worked on it so much that Koppelman believed he would recognize her anywhere.

So he started on an almost maniacal quest going through high school yearbooks from Florida, Arizona and Southern California in 1979. (A pollen expert had examined Calis clothing and narrowed her search to those three states). But he couldnt find a match. He stopped looking.

Then, in 2014, a woman in Arizona called the Hernando County Sheriffs Office in Florida to say she believed her high school friend Tammy Jo Alexander appeared to be missing. Until that time, Tammy Jos family believed she had run away from home and started a new life. The sheriffs office, without making the connection to the missing girl in the cornfield in 1979, posted a picture of Tammy Jo Alexander.

As soon as the case file came up, Koppelman said, I said, Thats Cali. The eyebrows were the same. The teeth were the same.

He put his drawing next to Tammy Jos picture and posted it on websleuths.com. He sent copies to the Livingston County Sheriff in New York.

Bingo, Koppelman posted, I think this is Cali Doe.

Later DNA tests in the Alexander family proved Koppelman was right. In the hit true crime podcast Finding Tammy Jo, produced by WXXI Radio and the Democrat & Chronicle newspaper in upstate New York, Koppelman is (spoiler alert) one of the surprise twists in the story.

Tammy Jos name was officially announced Jan. 26, 2015. Koppelman was in the cemetery when Tammy Jo was officially laid to rest.

John York, the retired sheriff who had been working on the case for more than three decades, thanked websleuths.com.

We are so indebted to them, I cant even tell you, York said. Carl Koppelman knew, just like I did, when he saw her face who that was  Its hard to imagine somebody could just throw a child away. Its a great day to give her a name.

Koppelman, inspired by the Tammy Jo case, didnt rest. As of today, he has matched five previously unsolved missing persons with dead bodies. He has found two other people who were presumed dead until he found them.

He said he was asked recently to help with drawings of two missing persons cases in Spokane, Wash.

Its still just a hobby, Koppelman said.

His new obsession is Walker County Jane Doe, whose body was found on Halloween night in 1980.

This is a very similar situation to Tammy Jo, Koppelman said.

Will he find a match?

Its a 50-50 proposition, he said.

Contact the writer: ksharon@scng.com
WASHINGTON  President-elect Donald Trump and congressional Republicans appear to have accomplished a feat that President Barack Obama, with all the power at his disposal, could not in the past seven years: They have galvanized outspoken support for the Affordable Care Act.

People who benefit from the law are flooding Congress with testimonials. Angry consumers are confronting Republican lawmakers. And Democrats who saw the law as a political liability in recent elections have suddenly found their voice, proudly defending the law now that it is in trouble.

Thousands of people across the country held rallies over the weekend to save the health care law, which Republicans moved last week to repeal with a first but crucial legislative step. A widely circulated video showed Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., eluding constituents who had wanted to meet with him to express their concerns Saturday at a community event in Aurora, Colorado. Rallies on Sunday to save the health law drew robust crowds around the country.

We are here today  thousands strong in Boston, and at more rallies all across this country  because we will make our voices heard, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told a crowd outside Faneuil Hall in Boston. If Republicans try to rip health care out of the hands of millions of Americans, we will fight them every step of the way.

And progressive groups are planning a two-month cross-country bus tour to fight the repeal effort, starting Tuesday.

With their quick strike on the law in the first days of the new Congress, Republicans had hoped to begin the repeal process before a backlash could develop or opposition could be organized. But congressional Republicans are at risk of losing the message war, especially since they are fighting on two fronts.

On one side, the president-elect has repeatedly lobbed disruptive demands at them, such as his insistence that they prepare a replacement health bill almost immediately. To that, he added a new promise over the weekend: that the Republican version would provide insurance for everybody.

On the other front, Democratic lawmakers have taken to quoting grateful constituents to personalize what can be an arcane legislative fight: Bryce in Seattle; Randy in Rhinelander, Wisconsin; Nicole in Hockessin, Delaware; and many more. The focus of public attention appears to be shifting from the well-documented defects of the health care law to the plaintive pleas of people terrified of losing insurance if the law is repealed.

I want to thank President Obama from the bottom of my heart because I would be dead if it werent for him, Jeff Jeans, a small-business man from Sedona, Arizona, who described himself as a lifelong Republican, told House Speaker Paul Ryan on Friday at a town-hall-style meeting televised on CNN.

Republicans acknowledge their constituents concerns, but they say supporters of the health law are manufacturing them. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., blamed Democrats for amping up anxiety with scare tactics and fear mongering.

The anxiety is real, Woodall said, but its real based on the failures of the presidents health care law.

Republicans will face a new challenge: maintaining anger at Obamacare without Obama in the White House to stir their passions.

Regardless of its provenance, the health laws support has received scant attention until now. Appearing on the NBC News program Meet the Press five days after Obama signed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., predicted that as people learned about the law, its going to become more and more popular.

Some Democrats put distance between themselves and the Obama administration after HealthCare.gov crashed on its debut in 2013. More recently, with premiums soaring and insurers defecting from the Affordable Care Act marketplace in many states, Democrats were hard put to defend the law, which was passed without any Republican votes.

But as Trump and congressional Republicans race to repeal the law, Democrats are taking a more aggressive stance.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., told the story of Sonja L. Podjan, a 55-year-old blueberry farmer in Watervliet, Michigan, who was in pain for several years until she got insurance under the Affordable Care Act, which covered the cost of surgery to repair a severe tear in the meniscus of her right knee.

In an interview, Podjan said she started freaking out after the election and sent an email to Stabenow. She said she was flabbergasted when she heard back from the senators office.

Podjan said that the premium for an insurance policy covering her and her husband was about $1,000 a month, but that they paid just $62 after receiving government subsidies provided under the law.

I am scared to death we will lose our insurance, and what happens then? said Podjan, who reported that she and her husband had medical expenses totaling $41,000 in the past two years.

Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., told the story of a constituent, Kevin Kargacin, whose daughter Amber takes drugs costing more than $60,000 a year for multiple sclerosis. Kevin is scared because the cost of treating Ambers disease is so high, Udall said.

In an interview, Kargacin said he wrote to Udall because we are terrified that without the Affordable Care Act, Amber could be denied insurance or run into lifetime caps on expenditures for her treatment.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said: Many Minnesotans have contacted me in the last few months, frightened about the future of their health care coverage. I heard from a man in Orono. His wife was diagnosed with cancer this year. On top of everything his family is now dealing with, he is terrified that his family will lose coverage if there is a repeal.
WASHINGTON  Early U.S. space history is fading with the deaths of Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, John Glenn, the last of the Mercury 7 astronauts, and Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. But others survive, veterans of a time when Americans were glued to their television sets to watch their heroics, from fiery Saturn V launches to ocean splashdowns.

More than half of the first 30 astronauts NASA hired have died. Theres going to come a time and its probably going to be in the next decade or so when none of the moonwalkers are going to be left, said National Air and Space Museum associate director Roger Launius.

As this history recedes into the background and fewer and fewer people remember it, the more mythological it becomes, he said. The majority of the human race has been born since weve left the moon so they dont have knowledge of it.

Here are nine U.S. pioneering astronauts who are part of living space history:

BUZZ ALDRIN

The second man to walk on the moon is still active promoting space travel, especially to Mars. The 86-year-old veteran of Apollo 11 and Gemini 12 made news recently when he fell ill while visiting Antarctica to study conditions similar to Mars. The Florida resident was released from a hospital in New Zealand last month.

MICHAEL COLLINS

Collins, 86, circled the moon while Aldrin and Neil Armstrong walked on the moon during Apollo 11 in 1969, then went on to work for the U.S. State Department and become the first director of the National Air and Space Museum. Now living in Florida, Collins, who also flew on Gemini 10, makes a few public appearances; he has painted and written books.

JAMES LOVELL

Lovell, 88, was one of NASAs most frequent early fliers, best known as the commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, which teetered on catastrophe. Their ordeal later inspired a hit movie, in which Lovell was played by Tom Hanks (the real Lovell makes a brief appearance as a ship captain). He also flew on Gemini 7, Gemini 12 and the Apollo 8 mission that circled the moon for the first time. He lives in Illinois and makes public appearances, sometimes with Aldrin.

FRED HAISE

Haise, 83, was also on that aborted Apollo 13 mission. He was scheduled to command a flight to land on the moon, but it was cancelled. He served as a test pilot for the space shuttle prototype Enterprise and worked in the aerospace industry. Like many of the others on this list, he is the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and now lives in Texas.

JOHN YOUNG

Young, 86, was the first person to fly in space six times, including a stint commanding the first space shuttle flight in 1981. Before that he flew two Gemini missions and on Apollo 10 and 16. As commander of Apollo 16, he walked on the moon. He later became NASAs chief astronaut and a tireless advocate of astronaut safety. He lives in Texas.

FRANK BORMAN

Borman, 88, commanded Apollo 8, the first flight in which humans circled the moon. It is a crew remembered today for their Christmas Eve broadcast, in which they read from Genesis and Borman signed off wishing blessings to all of you on the good Earth  a serene ending to the tumultuous year of 1968. He had previously flown in Gemini 7. He later became chief executive of the now-defunct Eastern Air Lines.

HARRISON JACK SCHMITT

Schmitt, 81, was the first scientist astronaut, a geologist who got to walk on the moon on Apollo 17 and was the next to last person on the moon, getting in the lander before Cernan. He later was elected to the U.S. Senate from New Mexico. He teaches a bit at the University of Wisconsin and is a prominent scientist who rejects the mainstream view of man-made global warming.

ALAN BEAN

Bean, 84, was the fourth man to walk on the moon in Apollo 12 and later turned from space to art, especially painting. His paintings often have a space theme. He lives in Texas.

TOM STAFFORD

Stafford, 86, commanded Apollo 10, the second flight around the moon, which preceded Apollo 11s moon landing. Stafford, who also flew on two Gemini flights, later commanded the Apollo-Soyuz test program, which paved the way for U.S.-Soviet cooperation. A Florida resident, he would go in to a career in NASA management and was often consulted as an outside expert for the space agency after he retired.
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria  A Nigerian air force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp on Tuesday, killing more than 100 refugees and aid workers, a Borno state official said.

Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed an accidental bombardment in the northeastern town of Rann, near the border with Cameroon, saying some civilians were killed.

It was believed to be the first time Nigerias military has admitted to making such a mistake in a region where villagers have in the past reported civilian casualties in the near-daily bombings targeting the Islamic militants.

The Borno state official, who was helping to coordinate the evacuation of wounded from the remote area by helicopters, said more than 100 refugees and aid workers were among the dead. He spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Doctors Without Borders said its team based in Rann counted 52 bodies and were treating 120 wounded.

This large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable, said Dr. Jean-Clment Cabrol, the aid groups director of operations. The safety of civilians must be respected.

The International Committee for the Red Cross said six workers with the Nigerian Red Cross were among the dead and 13 were wounded. They were part of a team that had brought in desperately needed food for over 25,000 displaced persons, spokesman Jason Straziuso said in a statement from Nairobi, Kenya.

Two soldiers were also wounded, as well as Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders, Irabor said, without giving a precise figure.

The general, who is the theater commander for counterinsurgency operations in northeast Nigeria, said he ordered the mission based on information that Boko Haram insurgents were gathering in the area, along with geographic coordinates.

It was too early to say if a tactical error was made, he said, adding that the bombing would be investigated.

Doctors Without Borders spokesman Etienne lHermitte in Geneva urged authorities to facilitate cross-border land and air evacuations.

Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients. We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following the event, the statement said.

Villagers have in the past reported some civilian casualties in near-daily bombardments in northeastern Nigeria.

Some of the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 and freed last year have said three of their classmates were killed by air force bombardments, according to the freed girls parents. Of the nearly 300 schoolgirls who were abducted, 196 remain missing.

The bombings have helped drive Boko Haram out of many towns and villages and, according to Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari, the insurgents last stronghold in the Sambisa Forest last month.

Boko Harams 7-year-old Islamic uprising has killed more than 20,000 people and forced 2.6 million from their homes, creating the continents worst humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning some 5.1 million people face starvation.



Adigun reported from Abuja, Nigeria. AP writers Ismail Alfa Abdulrahim in Maiduguri and Michelle Faul in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
ANAHEIM  Police on Tuesday identified a man who was found dead in an industrial park Monday as Brian Mendez, 26, of Santa Ana.

Mendez suffered at least one gunshot wound, and the case is believed to be gang-related, said Sgt. Daron Wyatt.

The body was discovered behind a trash bin around 6:30 a.m. Monday.

A surveillance camera that makes a still picture every 10 seconds recorded the body being dumped just before midnight by someone who pulled up in a Suburban-style vehicle without license plates. The cameras owner said the photos also show Mendezs head covered.

Those photographs were turned over to police.

Anyone with information about this incident can report it to investigators anonymously via Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-847-6227.
IRVINE  A dozen sick puppies died after they were sold by a woman who set up a phony rescue operation, according to authorities who say the number of cases may increase.

Sixty-five people from Orange County have reported buying dogs from 42-year-old Megan Ann Hoechstetter, accused of setting up the fake rescue organization, Pawlosophy Inc., to sell animals possibly obtained from Mexico, said Kim Mohr, a spokeswoman for the Irvine Police Department.

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Hoechstetter was arrested last week on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges related to crimes against animals, police said. She was later released on bail.

When detectives arrested her in Irvine, Mohr said, Hoechstetter had six puppies with her in a large case in a vehicle. Thirteen additional puppies were recovered from a motel room in Cypress where Hoechstetter was living, Mohr added.

The 19 puppies of various breeds were taken to the Irvine Animal Care Center for evaluation, and its hoped they can eventually be made available for adoption, Mohr said.

For those who purchased puppies from Hoechstetter, watching their pets become increasingly sick or even die has been upsetting, Mohr said.

People are very attached to the pets, even if they have had them a short time, she said. Its sad for them to see their puppies pass away.

Investigators are still gathering information about how Hoechstetter may have obtained the puppies.

Anyone with tips about this case is asked to contact Kim Cherney, the animal services supervisor, at 949-724-7091 or at kcherney@cityofirvine.org.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7767 sschwebke@scng.com Twitter: @thechalkoutline
Hoping to mobilize a groundswell of support to save the Affordable Care Act from repeal, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi joined her Southern California congressional colleagues Monday to urge doctors, nurses, hospital officials and patients to step up and fight for the health care law.

Her appeal was made during a gathering inside downtown Los Angeles California Endowment, a nonprofit organization that works to link people with health care. It also came the day when the nation observed the 88th birthday and work of civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

King once said: Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.

Using Kings words as their backdrop, Pelosi hammered away at Republican efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act at a time when 20 million previously uninsured Americans were able to sign up for health insurance. She said repeal would weaken both Medicare and Medicaid, harm children and senior citizens, and place those with pre-existing medical conditions in danger of losing insurance coverage. Her warnings came just days before Republican President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration. Trump has said one of his priorities as president would be to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

We want to improve what we have now, not fight for survival, Pelosi said. I want people to understand the urgency. We all have to take the opportunity to hit the streets and do whatever it is.

Signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010 and dubbed Obamacare, the main provision under the Affordable Care Act is that all Americans must be covered under a health insurance plan or be penalized at tax time. The law also prohibits insurance companies from turning away customers for pre-existing medical conditions.

But Republicans have long sought to repeal it, saying it caused premiums to rise, was unfair to the middle class and forced people into coverage they didnt want or need.

Last week, both the Senate and House took the first steps toward dismantling Obamacare by adopting a measure to make it easier to repeal. But missing from their efforts so far is a plan to replace it. Trump said recently he is close to completing a plan to replace Obamacare, with the goal of insurance for everybody. But the details of his repeal and replace plan remain unclear.

Americans are also unclear about what they want.

A survey conducted last month by Kaiser Health Foundation found that of 1,204 adults across the nation, 49 percent think the next Congress should vote to repeal the law compared with 47 percent who say they should not vote to repeal it.

Members of Southern Californias Democratic congressional delegation promised to fight for the survival of Obamacare, saying they have heard many stories from their constituents about how much the Affordable Care Act has helped them.

Orange County is firmly supportive of the Affordable Care Act, said Rep. Lou Correa, whose district stretches from Anaheim to Santa Ana.

In Orange County, about 232,000 people are covered through expanded Medi-Cal, according to recent data from CalOptima, the countys Medi-Cal provider. Roughly 142,000 residents are enrolled in health plans sold by Covered California, with 88 percent receiving a subsidy, according to the state exchange.

I myself have witnessed the benefits to our communities, Correa added. We cant go back, folks. Weve got to move forward.

Staff writer Courtney Perkes contributed to this report.
Noor Salman, 30, stood before a federal judge under tight security, looking downcast and bewildered. She did not enter a plea. When she was led back to jail, she locked eyes with her tearful uncle.

She knew he was going to conduct the attack, federal prosecutor Roger Handberg told the judge. Handberg did not disclose any more details and would not comment after the 15-minute hearing, held in a courtroom packed with security officers.

Outside court, Salmans uncle Al Salman said his niece was innocent and did nothing to help her husband, Omar Mateen, plan the June 12 attack on the Pulse, a gay nightclub in Florida.

Shes a very soft and sweet girl, Salman said. She would not hurt a fly.

In an indictment unsealed Monday, she was accused of aiding and abetting Mateen in providing material support and resources to the Islamic State group between April and June of last year. She was also charged with obstruction, accused of misleading and lying to police and the FBI during their investigation. The charges carry up to life in prison.

The indictment gave no additional details on Salmans actions.

During the standoff, Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in a 911 call. He was killed in a shootout with SWAT officers. In addition to the 49 victims killed, 53 people were injured.

The couple lived in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the time of the rampage.

After repeated interrogation by the FBI, Salman was arrested Monday at a house she shared with her mother in Rodeo, a San Francisco suburb.

Al Salman said that Noor Salman was physically and mentally abused by Mateen and that she stayed with him for fear of losing custody of their son.

A judge scheduled another hearing Wednesday to discuss her possible release ahead of trial, her transfer to Florida to face the charges, and the appointment of a lawyer.

Charles Swift, director of the Richardson, Texas-based Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America, planned to represent her at that hearing, said public defender John Paul Reichmuth, who served as her attorney during Tuesdays proceedings.

Linda Moreno, a Florida attorney who also represents Salman, said after Salmans arrest that the widow had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night.

Salman told The New York Times in an interview published in November that she knew her husband had watched jihadist videos but that she was unaware of everything regarding his intent to shoot up the club. Salman also said he had physically abused her.
The sea lion needed help and found it in the open ocean  hitching a ride with a Coast Guard crew that got the malnourished creature to safety.

A team of Coast Guard officials from the Los Angeles/Long Beach division was doing a routine check on the water Saturday when it came across a tiny sea lion that had a fishing hook in its mouth and looked distressed. The sea lion was about 4 miles outside of Newport Harbor.

The 6-month-old sea lion, weighing just 24.8 pounds, approached the boat. It was hesitant to trust the crew of four, which spent an hour trying to coax the pup on board the vessel, but after the crew finally offered it water and bits of food, it hopped aboard for a ride.

He came close to the boat seeking assistance. He was looking for some help, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Andrea Anderson.

The petty officers  Phillip Gilbert, Houston Riley, Vincent Torres and Justin Andrews  named their new friend Whiskers and drove the sea lion into the harbor. They called the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach to pick up the sea lion, where it is being treated.

Believe it or not, we do a lot of marine life rescues, from turtles to dolphins, Anderson said.

In Ventura a few months ago, the Coast Guard helped a dolphin caught in fishing gear.

Its pretty regular for us to come across animals that need our help, she said. Its always great they help out those who share the ocean with us. Its always a good thing for us to do.

Krysta Higuchi, public relations coordinator for the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, said the hook was caught in the sea lions lower lip.

She said its unusual for a sea lion to hop on board a boat seeking help.

More than likely, the animal was tired swimming out there and maybe trying to seek some sort of refuge, she said.

Higuchi said the number of entanglements has increased the past few years. There have been five rescues since the start of the year, with Whiskers being the only one brought in with entanglements.

She said sea creature entanglements need to be addressed, but right now theres not much that can be done.

Its definitely something we would like to see changed, she said.

Contact the writer: lconnelly@scng.com
COSTA MESA  Three people were arrested Sunday with stolen mail and instructions on how to commit identity theft, said Lt. Victor Bakkila of the Costa Mesa Police Department.

Officers began patrolling the 1300 block of Begonia Avenue around 4 p.m. Sunday after callers told dispatchers a group of people might be rifling through mailboxes, Bakkila said.

Police approached a vehicle and spoke with the driver, Tyrone Brinson, 35, of Ontario.

During a consent search of the car, manila envelopes and folders containing stolen mail and personal information were located in the vehicle, Bakkila said.

It was later determined that Brinson was on bail for a prior identity-theft case.

A female passenger, Stephanie Senechal, 22, of Santa Ana had a folder in her purse with instructions for committing identity theft, Bakkila said.

A male passenger, Benedict Erazoquinones, 28, of Paramount initially gave officers a false name, but was later positively identified and found to have a felony probation warrant in Los Angeles, authorities said.

All three were booked for possession of methamphetamine and stolen mail, Bakkila said. Investigators were evaluating whether theyll ask the District Attorneys Office to pursue an identity-theft case against the trio.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or jsudock@scng.com
A pair of California Highway Patrol officers who shot and killed one man and injured another in Fullerton during an undercover operation have been cleared by Orange County District Attorneys Office investigators.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Brock Zimmon, in a letter outlining the results of the investigation, concluded that CHP Sgt. John Cleveland and Officer Rich Henderson were legally justified in shooting at a car driven by Pedro Erik Villanueva, killing the 19-year-old and injuring passenger Francisco Orozco Jr., 18.

Villanuevas family has filed a claim against the California Highway Patrol, contending that the CHP officers actions had no justification to shoot at Villanuevas red Chevrolet Silverado. The claim, a likely precursor to a lawsuit, criticizes CHP policies that allow officers to shoot at occupied vehicles.

Paul Kiesel, the attorney representing the family, said he has not had a chance to read the District Attorneys Office report that was released Friday, adding that he is shocked it would find the officers actions justified.

He and the family plan to move forward with a civil lawsuit, which Kiesel said would allow them to conduct their own investigation.

The night of the shooting, the officers were investigating reports of several car and truck clubs planning to attend street sideshows, meet-ups where attendees often block off streets, intersections, freeways or parking lots to show off high-risk driving maneuvers.

Cleveland and Henderson told the district attorneys investigators that they were sitting in an unmarked black Ford Taurus just after 10:30 p.m. on July 3 when they spotted Villanueva doing doughnuts in a parking lot at the Sante Fe Springs Swap Meet.

The officers reported that Villanueva sped off when they tried to pull him over, according to the District Attorneys Offices report. A pursuit, which the officers said reached speeds of 90 mph, ended in a Fullerton cul-de-sac.

The officers told the district attorneys investigators that they got out of their vehicle, at which point Henderson yelled, Police! and ordered Villanueva to show his hands.

Villanueva suddenly placed his truck in reverse and backed into a vehicle parked along the west curb of Pritchard Street, according to the DA report. The impact was severe enough to cause the rear tires of the truck to be lifted off the ground. Villanueva placed the truck in drive and drove directly toward Sgt. Cleveland.

Henderson fired a dozen shots and Cleveland fired twice as they tried to move out of the way, they told the district attorneys investigators. Villanuevas car collided with the drivers door of the vehicle where Cleveland had been standing, according to the report.

Villanueva was struck by several gunshots and pronounced dead at the scene.

Several witnesses described the officers telling Villanueva to stop or not move. They also told district attorneys investigators that they saw Villanueva drive toward the officers, followed by a series of gunshots.

Orozco, the passenger in Villanuevas vehicle, told the district attorneys investigators that Villanueva appeared to be super scared during the pursuit, ignoring Orozcos repeated suggestions to pull over, the report says. The passenger told the District Attorneys Office, the report says, that they knew it was the police, seeing at least one light and hearing a horn or siren.

District attorneys investigators noted that Villanueva was driving on a suspended license, having previously been convicted of driving under the influence.
LAGUNA BEACH  Experts at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles said Tuesday that a necropsy on a week-old gray whale found dead near Main Beach on Monday gave no indication of what may have caused its death.

Unfortunately, nothing stands out as a cause of death, said Jim Dines, who did the examination and oversees the museums marine mammal program.

Dines determined that the whale was a female, was a full-term neonate and likely was a week old. She measured 15.5 feet and weighed 1,800 pounds. There were no signs of trauma or disease.

The whales soft tissues and skeleton will be kept by the museum for research. Since 1960, the museum has kept the remaims of 60 whales that were found dead on the beaches of Orange and Los Angeles counties. Of those, about 25 have been neonates or juveniles.



We have the second-largest research collection of cetaceans in North America, Dines said. Smithsonian has the largest.

Officials from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center were notified about the dead whale Monday by Laguna Beach police after a beach walker discovered her lying along the waterline on the sand close to Bird Rock.

I went there directly, said Michele Hunter, the centers director of animal care. The beachgoer who reported it didnt know if it was alive or dead.

Hunter instantly recognized the animal was dead. She contacted Justin Viezbicke, stranding coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and sent him a photo of the animal. She and her crew measured and took skin samples from the young whale. Viezbicke confirmed it was a gray whale.

By 11 a.m. Monday, with help from Laguna Beach lifeguards and the citys Public Works crew, the body of the dead whale was taken off the beach and loaded into a PMMC truck. It was taken to the marine mammal center, where it was secured for the drive to the Natural History Museum, where the necropsy was performed Tuesday.

Since mid-November, whale watch captains have seen gray whales starting their annual migration from their rich feeding grounds in the Bering Sea to their breeding and birthing grounds in the lagoons off Baja California. Marine biologists say crowds of the leviathans may be visible along the Southern California coast in coming months after a record number of sightings last season.

Dines said that during this time of year, every two or three years baby whales have washed up dead off Orange and Los Angeles county beaches.

Its not super common but it does happen from time to time, he said. In some cases, its a stillborn.

Laguna Beach police animal services Officer John Thompson stayed with the whale until it was determined whether someone wanted the carcass, said Laguna Beach Marine Safety Capt. Tom Trager.

Typically, dead whales are wrapped and towed out to sea, Trager said.

Weve had whales on the beach before, but this is the smallest one Ive ever seen here, Trager said. Its kind of sad, but Im glad its going for a good cause.

Contact the writer: 949-378-5289 or eritchie@ocregister.com or on Twitter:@lagunaini
Kanoa Igarashi spends the year surfing the globes best waves against the worlds best competitive surfers.

But being at home on a short break where he grew up surfing, the 19-year-old couldnt pass up the chance to put on a jersey and battle it out against others on the south side of the Huntington Beach pier at last weekends Shoe City Pro.

It was no surprise that Igarashi won the three-day event for a second time at his home break. But for the contests only World Tour surfer, who is about to start his second year competing against the worlds best, it was a great way to kick off the year.

Its amazing when you set your eyes on something and get to accomplish it  this year couldnt have started better, he said in an interview with the World Surf League. Ive gotten to spend some time with my family and the people I love with a chance to do the contest so Im feeling really good mentally and physically.

The waves were in the 3- to 4-foot range, but with a south wind that made conditions challenging for the competitors.

Igarashi first won the event in 2014, as an up-and-comer looking to earn points to join the World Tour. Fast-forward to last weekends event, and Igarashi was the top-ranked surfer competing. He earned the contests highest single-scoring wave  9.50  in the semifinals, against Newports Ian Crane.

Igarashi was up against hungry competitors eager to earn points, with hopes they can one day join him on the world stage.

I know these guys are top 100 surfers and they were going to come out hungry since its a regional event, he told WSL. It means a lot to them in that way which makes them even more dangerous. But at the end of the day, I came to compete and give it my all.

Fellow Huntington Beach surfer Brett Simpson, who fell off the World Tour two years ago, made it to the semifinals.

Its always a little frustrating to lose right before the final, especially because I wanted to surf against Kanoa so bad wouldve been super fun way to end this one, Simpson said in a WSL interview.

Several Orange County surfers made it to the final round in the womens division, including San Clementes Samantha Sibley, a 14-year-old who finished runner-up to Chelsea Tuach, who traveled from Barbados for the event. Also in the finals were San Clemente native Tia Blanco, and Newport Beachs Kaliegh Gilchrist, who earned a 2016 Gold Medal in Rio for waterpolo and is now setting her sights on surfing, with hopes of entering the 2020 Olympic Games when surfing will be allowed for the first time.

It was grindy out there but couldnt be more stoked with my first (qualifying series) final  its exactly how I wanted to start the year even though the competitor in me is frustrated with a fourth-place finish, she told WSL. It lights a fire under me to just train harder.

Contact the writer: lconnelly@scng.com

Related:

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Kanoa Igarashis Willy Wonka-style golden ticket? Surfing Kelly Slaters perfect man-made waves

Shark scares pro surfers out of water, including Huntington Beachs KanoaIgarashi

18-year-old Huntington Beach surf prodigy heads to first World Surf League championship tour
In case you didnt know, shooting guns goes really well with a hearty meal and cold drink. At least thats what the owners of Modern Round, an innovative restaurant in Arizona seem to think, and judging by the success of their venue, theyre definitely on to something.

Before you go all ballistic, I should mention that the guns provided by Modern Round are not real firearms, but realistic laser replicas designed to feel like the real thing. Instead of gun range targets, patrons must shoot at virtual targets on a 16-foot-wide screen, and can choose from a variety of options, from zombie-themed games to live-action police and military scenarios. To make the experience feel as realistic as possible, the replicas are molded into the size, shape and weight of actual firearms, and some of the weapons even have a CO2 system that provides realistic recoil and blowback. So if you cant stop thinking about guns even at the dinner table, this is probably the place for you.

Photo: Modern Round/Facebook

Modern Round opened in Peoria, Arizona, last June, and is the brainchild of Mitchell Saltz, a former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson. Also involved in the project is Barry Monheit, a current board member at Smith & Wesson. The company apparently has big plans for this controversial concept, hoping to open 15 to 20 locations across the United States in the next five years.

One of the great things about Arizona is that its very gun-friendly, Bill Scheidhauer, Modern Round president, told AZ Family. You dont have people that have a big resistance to people owning guns.

Photo: Modern Round/Facebook

Weve designed some of our content for entry-level people that have never touched a gun before, Scheidhauer added. Then we also have much more complex programs where you get into shoot-dont-shoot scenarios.

The shooting-themed restaurant has an annual membership fee of $5, which gives members the right to reserve a table by the hour, and the company says that it already has over 23,000 members. However, this membership fee doesnt actually cover the use of the lounge, for which customers will need to pay an extra $25  $45 per hour, depending on the complexity of your chosen scenario. For example, video games like Duck Hunter or Saloon Shootout are cheaper, while military training simulations are pricier.

Photo: Modern Round/Facebook

The whole place allegedly has a James Bond film feel to it, with the main door shaped as a keyhole and hostesses dressed in skin tight body-con who handcuff themselves to metallic attache cases containing the weapons youll be using during your stay. There is also a professional shooting instructor roaming around and letting shooters know what theyre doing wrong and how to improve their aiming.

Modern Round is family friendly, allowing kids as young as 12 to use the virtual shooting lounge, as long as they are accompanied by an adult and take a 20-minute gun safety course. Basically, to teach them the respect they need to make sure this could, in a live fire situation, be a real weapon, Scheidhauer said.

Photo: Modern Round/Facebook

The Modern Round president claims that the restaurant gives people the chance to get used to guns, in case they ever decide to buy themselves a real one. Were giving them the opportunity to go in, feel comfortable about whats going on, so if they do choose to own one, they have a comfort level with it instead of letting it sit on the shelf and being intimidated by it, he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping 's concern that the world could fall into a trade war is premature because it's too early to know the outcome of President-elect Donald Trump 's plans, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) chief Brian Moynihan told CNBC on Tuesday.

"Xi spoke earlier this morning, and he's quoting Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address about development being 'for the people, by the people'," Moynihan said on "Squawk Box" from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.



"You start to say this is a pretty interesting world where you have the president of China quoting the great American president," he added.



In his speech, Xi said: "It is true that economic globalization created new problems, but this is no justification to write off economic globalization altogether." He also warned that populist approaches could lead to war and poverty.



Moynihan, who had lunch with Xi, reported the Chinese president is "very much concerned that there will be a retraction from trade, and the ability of trade to help the world grow, and the ability rebalance the imbalances in economies."



As one of the five co-chairs of the World Economic Forum, Moynihan said: "That's the fear out there."



But the Bank of America chairman and CEO added: "I think we've just got to let it play out for a while.

"There's always around elections ... a lot of hand-wringing about what will happen next," he added. "When you get into it, everything takes more time. People have to think it through."





More From CNBC


I was 13 years old when "Dead Poets Society" came out; my friends and I spent copious amounts of time analyzing it. Yes, I adored Robert Sean Leonard, but it was his character's suicide, because he felt misunderstood by his father and hemmed in by an already-scripted future, that remains most clearly emblazoned on my memory. The dramatic music builds to an emotional climax, and the snowy darkness mirrors the character's suffering.

The scene made his death look glamorous. And that's why I'm not planning to show the movie to my own near-13-year-old anytime soon.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, based on 2013 statistics, 17 percent of students in grades 9 to 12 had seriously considered suicide within the past year. We hear about it on the news, read about it in letters that come home from the PTA, see it on well-meaning videos that tell us how to recognize the signs. But we  adults and children alike  also read about it in popular literature and see it depicted in movies and television shows. When you throw in a celebrity suicide or unexpected death splashed all over the media, the question becomes: How do we talk to our kids about this?

My son had a lot of questions after learning that actor Heath Ledger had died, in 2008, of a drug overdose: How did it happen? Why would someone do that? It was easy for me to see how, given the right emotional circumstances, his puzzlement could have just as readily been interest. Celebrity deaths, both intentional and accidental, often lead to a wave of newspaper headlines and magazine covers, not to mention ceaseless coverage on television and online.

Jennifer Guttman, a clinical psychologist, says: "When a celebrity commits suicide, the amount of attention can seem glamorous  an opportunity to have a moment of fame or retribution. It is important to remind them that the celebrity is gone, because death is forever. The media will move on to other stories, but their families will remain grounded in suffering."

Stephanie Hartselle, assistant professor of child psychiatry at Brown University, agrees. She stresses the importance of ensuring that suicides, particularly the hyper-exposed deaths of celebrities, are discussed "openly and at an age-appropriate level."

Hartselle cites Robin Williams' death as an example of potential glamorizing: She points to the tweets after his death that included language about his death "freeing" him, which could be harmful or confusing for teens.

"While the intended sentiment may have been to acknowledge his pain," she says, "this kind of language can strongly affect children who think that if this successful actor couldn't withstand his pain and took his own life, why wouldn't I?"

The death of a noncelebrity, particularly the suicide of another child, can raise even more difficult questions. A boy in the class above mine killed himself when we were in high school. Drama surrounded the event: How had he been found? How had he done it? Our proximity to the sadness of his death made us feel more significant. Of course, that's the opposite of the message we should be sending to kids about suicide. Lynn Zakeri, a school social worker in Northfield, Ill., for more than 10 years, says that it is important to emphasize the impact created by suicide  and to tell teens that the fallout is far from glamorous.

"Avoid approaching the topic by saying 'We would miss you' because that attention may be what is most desired," Zakeri says. "Instead, focus on the finality of it by using statements like 'The loneliness or pain you might feel is temporary, but there is no happy ending to a suicide. Suicide is forever.'"

Death, particularly suicide, is hard to talk about, but Hartselle emphasizes that parents must take any questions or comments about suicide seriously. You may need to initiate the conversation. Start with a forthright question: Have you ever had suicidal thoughts? Hartselle says that, contrary to what many of us fear, "Asking about suicide does not cause increased suicidal thinking."

Guttman states that the timeliness of the discussion is also essential. "If these conversations do not occur quickly with adults," she says, "young people risk learning inaccurate information from inexperienced peers."

It's hard to keep the dialogue open and responsive, but it's up to us to make it happen. For younger children, Guttman suggests focusing on making sure the child doesn't blame himself ("It had nothing to do with how he/she felt about you") and the ways he can still feel connected to the deceased ("You can still talk to him/her in your heart because that's where you carry him/her forever"). Conversations with adolescents and tweens should also emphasize the connection that remains: "Even though he/she was desperate enough to do this, his/her ties to you will always be there" but also address that "What you can learn from this is to always talk to people when you feel despairing."

This is possibly the most important piece, the reminder that suicide occurs when there does not seem to be another option. Children should be told that, as Zakeri puts it, a person who commits suicide "did not find the help he needed, but I would always help you to find that help."

I'd rather not think that this is a conversation I need to have with my son. But I would certainly prefer having the conversation to regretting that we did not have it.

***

Madeleine Deliee is a freelance writer and a teacher, mom and recovering actor who is currently performing "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix " nightly for her kids. She lives in Northern Virginia. Find her on Twitter @MMDeliee.
BRUSSELS (AP)  European Union nations bracing for the looming Donald Trump presidency showed defiance Monday in the face of the president-elects stinging comments on everything from NATO and German cars to the crumbling of the EU itself.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the U.S. president-elects view that NATO was obsolete and his criticism that European allied members arent paying their fair share had caused astonishment.

Trump also said Britains decision to leave the 28-nation European Union would end up being a great thing, and he predicted that other countries would also leave.

At a meeting of EU ministers, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the best response to such comments was simple  it is the unity of the Europeans.

In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted: We Europeans have our fate in our own hands.

Im personally going to wait until the American president takes office, and then we will naturally work with him on all levels, she said.

French President Francois Hollande was even more outspoken in his defiance.

Europe has no need for outside advice to tell it what to do, Hollande said at a ceremony for outgoing U.S. ambassador in Paris Jane Hartley.

Europe will always be willing to pursue trans-Atlantic cooperation, but it will base its decisions on its interests and its values, he added.

Some EU officials fear Trumps frequent, often acerbic Twitter postings might be the prelude to a caustic presidency after Fridays inauguration.

We are going to move away from, I guess, a kind of Twitter diplomacy, and then into a reality, said Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen, adding that reality could be perhaps more difficult than what is going on on Twitter.

EU foreign ministers were already worried what Trump might do beyond their continent. They came out against any plan by Trump to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and warned that it could ratchet up tensions with the Arab world.

It is very important for us all to refrain from unilateral actions, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said. We hope that there can be reflection on consequences of any move that is taken, she said.

Although Trump had made similar statements about NATO during his election campaign, his recent comments still came as a bit of a surprise since his choice for defense secretary, retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, stressed his support for the NATO military alliance in his U.S. congressional confirmation hearing last week.

Trumps views, in an interview published Monday with German daily Bild and The Times of London, contradict Mattis, Steinmeier said.

If one compares the positions of the designated president and the future foreign and defense ministers, then one cant discern a common foreign policy line among the new U.S. government, he said.

There have even been fears the U.S. military commitment to Europe would wane under Trump. A German newspaper group reports that Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite has urged Trump to continue meeting the U.S.s financial obligations toward the alliance.

Trump must maintain this leadership role, to ensure security, stability and peace, she told the RND network.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Princeton Universitys president, Christopher Eisgruber, told Yahoo Finance hes been closely monitoring a debate over taxing college endowments.

Right now, college endowment earnings are exempt from federal income tax, as are donations to those endowments. But a number of people  from Malcolm Gladwell to Republican lawmakers  have been questioning endowments tax-free status. That status may be more at risk now that Republicans control Congress.

I hope that the Congress doesnt go there, Eisbruber told Yahoo Finance Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer, referring to taxing endowments.

Princetons endowment was valued at $22.2 billion at the end of its last fiscal year, making it one of the largest endowments at any US college. On its website, Princeton emphasizes that payout from its endowment funds 80% of Princetons scholarship budget and 50% of its operating budget.

Nassau Hall, the oldest building on Princeton's campus. Source: Wikipedia

From our standpoint, we feel the most important thing is to be explaining what these endowments do for colleges and universities. At Princeton, theyre supporting our financial aid program. Its more affordable to be a Princeton student today than when I was a student there, Eisgruber said. Its more affordable for most students to go to a place like Princeton University than it is to go to their local state university because that endowment is paying for half of what the college or university does.

Eisgruber added: But as we get into a polarized period of politics, where people are looking at institutions as liberal or conservative, where you see increasing pressure on discretionary budgets, its something we have to pay attention to.

For good reason. Soon, Congress will consider a proposal to mandate that a quarter of gifts to Americas richest colleges go toward middle-class financial aid, as Bloomberg points out. If colleges didnt meet that requirement, donations would no longer be completely tax-deductible. President-elect Donald Trump would likely support and sign such a measure if it passed.

Story continues

Im going to work with Congress on reforms to make sure that if universities want access to all of these special federal tax breaks and tax dollars, paid for by you, that they are going to make good-faith efforts to reduce the cost of college and student debt and to spend their endowments on their students, Trump said in September, rather than other things that dont matter.

These other things often include funding for the arts, specific academic departments, and potentially life-saving medical research.

More from Davos:

Marc Benioff: Im not changing how I run my business under Trump
An Arlington, Nebraska, woman was sentenced to three months in prison and two years of probation Tuesday in Dodge County Court for her role in the death of a patient at a Fremont assisted living facility.

Dodge County Attorney Oliver Glass had amended the charge against Anne T. Pavlik, 23, from felony abuse of a vulnerable adult to attempt of a felony, a misdemeanor. Judge Kenneth Vampola could have sentenced Pavlik to one year in prison.

We amended the charge after a careful evaluation of the evidence and deliberating with the sons of the deceased, Dodge County Attorney Oliver Glass said. We had a pretty big hurdle proving intent, but we did feel comfortable proving negligence on the part of Anne Pavlik.

Pavlik must undergo moral reconation therapy, complete 240 hours of community service and publish a public apology on Facebook. Vampola also ordered Pavlik not to work in the health care field while on probation.

An investigation by the Fremont Police Department determined that Bernard Batten, 82, woke up early on Feb. 13, 2016, and wandered around the Edgewood Vista Memory Care Facility, eventually sitting in a chair. Pavlik, the only staff member present, went about her duties and failed to notice that Batten later pulled his chair near a burning fireplace before falling asleep.

When Pavlik attempted to wake Batten, she discovered that he had been badly burned and summoned help. Batten died at the Fremont Health Medical Center the next day.

An autopsy showed that Battens death was caused by a combination of natural causes, with second- and third-degree burns he sustained at the facility as a contributing factor.

A member of Battens family who had been in court for the sentencing declined to comment. Leta Fornoff, Pavliks attorney, didnt immediately return a message seeking comment.
LINCOLN  Faculty members in the three state colleges will receive 1.5 percent raises in each of the next two years.

The State College Board of Trustees unanimously approved the raises at their meeting Tuesday at Hillcrest Country Club.

The raises were the product of collective bargaining through the State College Education Association. Board materials said a new hire at the professor level typically would make about $64,389 a year in 2017-18 and a new hire at the assistant professor level would make $46,985.

Union negotiations also produced similar raises for other employees in the state colleges, which are in Peru, Wayne and Chadron.

Librarians and non-supervisory professionals will receive 1.5 percent raises over each of the next two years. They are represented by the Nebraska State College System Professional Association.

And 1 percent raises in each of the next two years will go to support staffers represented by the Nebraska Association of Public Employees. Employees in that group will be eligible for longevity increases.
Forecasters say the ice storm that hit the region played out as they predicted.

Josh Boustead, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Valley, said the brunt of the ice storm was expected to deliver its heaviest blows in the Omaha metro area Sunday through Monday. An ice storm warning that began Sunday ended at 3 a.m. Tuesday for eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

I think the storm turned out exactly as we expected, Boustead said.

Conditions were calm Tuesday morning, with the lone remnants of the ice storm being some slick spots on side streets, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots in the Omaha area.

Temperatures remained a degree or two above freezing during the day Monday, Boustead said, which allowed road crews salt-spreading efforts to take full effect.

Also helping, he said, was a lack of wind, which lessened the likelihood of power lines swaying and snapping or being damaged by falling tree limbs.

Power lines and tree limbs are more susceptible to falling when its windy, Boustead said.

Areas south and west of the Omaha area had more ice because they had more freezing rain, he said.

A KMTV meteorologist, Ryan McPike, also said the ice storm remained true to forecasts.

I think it was exactly as expected, he said.

It (the forecast) had so much play out there from the media, McPike said, that the city got out and put down salt early on the streets.

If the city hadnt spread salt, it would have been a lot worse. Our streets would have been like our sidewalks.

The ice storm should be quickly forgotten, Boustead said.

Theres a nice warmup coming this week, he said, with expected high temperatures in the mid-40s from Wednesday through Saturday.

Omaha-area rainfall totals in inches for the 24 hours ending at 6:15 a.m. Tuesday:

Albion, .23; Beatrice, .62; Blair, .29; Falls City, .41; Fremont, .44; Lincoln, .55; Nebraska City, .39; Norfolk, .41; Offutt Air Force Base, .44; Eppley Airfield, .36; Millard, .42; Plattsmouth, .26; Tekamah, .38; Valley, .48; Wahoo, .30; Wayne, .16; Council Bluffs, .43; Harlan, .23; Red Oak, .40; Shenandoah, .45.
WHITING, Iowa (AP)  Driving on Monona County Road K-45 between Whiting and Sloan, you see a sign gracing an old barn, just off the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The yellow banner says, Thank You Union Pacific!

It comes from the family of the late Vernon and Lenora Gloyer, thanking railroad crew members for the care they took to wave at Vernon and Lenora through the years.

The track runs along the old Gloyer farm, not far from their home immediately west of K-45. The couple didnt see the train as a nuisance. They welcomed the roaring iron horses at all hours of day and night.

Vernon Gloyer died of cancer 12 years ago, according to the Sioux City Journal. Late in his life, said his daughter, Vernice Gloyer Ankerstjerne of nearby Onawa, Iowa, Vernon sat outside in a lawn chair and counted the number of cars on each train. He loved waving at the engineer and at anyone who might occupy the caboose.

Lenora kept Vernons waving tradition alive after his death. Ankerstjerne said her mother would wave a handkerchief from the kitchen window as the train passed. In the summer, the wail of the engines whistle would prompt Lenora to dash outside for a friendly salute as the UP zoomed by.

A train crew stopped to salute Lenora on her 84th birthday. When a train experienced mechanical issues in front of their home, Lenora offered her assistance by driving the engineer a mile, so he could address connection issues at the back of the train.

Lenora was 85 when she died on Nov. 28, 2015.

Months after her mothers death, Ankerstjerne learned of a Union Pacific effort to make and erect a sign for Granny Gloyers Crossing at the farm. In early November, crew members and Gloyer family members and friends numbering more than 70 turned out for a sign dedication. The sign features a decades-old photo of Vernon and Lenora holding hands.

The conductors said my mom made their trips a little more interesting and fun as they looked forward to seeing her, Ankerstjerne said. "I didnt realize how much these guys loved her until she died and I received the cards and letters.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
LINCOLN  Property taxes across Nebraska last year grew by the lowest rate in at least a decade, according to a new state report.

The Nebraska Department of Revenue report, released Friday, shows that total property taxes rose 3.26 percent in 2016, compared to their level the year before.

That means $123 million added to the $3.781 billion previously going to support schools and other local governments across the state.

The new report comes out as demands for property tax reductions are increasing.

Trent Fellers, executive director of Reform for Nebraskas Future, said the relatively small increase was good news but it doesnt alter the groups call for property tax reduction.

Property taxes are still the largest and fastest growing source of revenue paid by Nebraskans, he said. Nebraska has an over reliance on property taxes and the reality remains that total property taxes levied over the last 10 years are still up 60 percent.

Farm groups, as well as the coalition of agricultural, business and homeowner representatives that Fellers leads, want to rebalance the state tax structure so that property taxes carry less of the load.

They have proposed cutting property taxes by increasing sales tax revenues.

Gov. Pete Ricketts, who opposes increasing sales or other taxes, has offered a more modest proposal.

He would change how farm and ranch land is valued for property tax purposes.

In the new report, Ruth Sorensen, the state property tax administrator, noted that actions of local governments determine property tax levels.

Valuations are set by county assessors, while tax levies are set by the local government entities based on their spending.

Whether looking at percentage change or actual dollars, the 2016 property tax increase was the smallest since 2006, the report showed.

The largest increase in the decade was just a year earlier, when 2015 property taxes grew by 6.07 percent  or $216 million.

The report attributed half of the 2016 property tax increase, or $62 million, to higher tax bills on existing property. The increases resulted from levy hikes, higher valuations or both.

An additional $44 million, or 36 percent of the increase, was attributed to newly built or improved property.

Bond issues accounted for the last $17 million, or 14 percent of the increase. Bonds generally are subject to approval by voters.

But property tax changes varied considerably from county to county.

In Kimball County, total property taxes dropped 5.35 percent from 2015 to last year. On the other end of the spectrum, property taxes in Arthur County increased 16.47 percent.

But the biggest increase in the tax levy occurred in Adams County, where it went from 1.4145 percent to 1.5009 percent. Most counties lowered their levies as valuations increased.

The highest average levy was the 2.3000 percent in Douglas County, followed by the 2.2945 percent in Sarpy County.

The lowest levy was the 0.7613 percent in Grant County.

Ag land valuations, meanwhile, showed definite signs of moderating, after years of steep increases.

The new report showed that ag land valuations increased 6.24 percent in 2016, compared to the peak increase of 29.43 percent in 2014.

Residental valuations, meanwhile, appeared to be rebounding from the recession years. They grew 4. 06 percent last year, the highest rate since 2007.
Abortion rates have fallen to their lowest level nationwide since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973, according to a new report.

In the Midlands, the abortion rates in Iowa and Nebraska also continued to decline, with both states reporting numbers far lower than the national average in 2014, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights group that compiled the report.

Nebraskas rate in 2014 was lower than the rate recorded 41 years earlier at the time of the Roe v. Wade decision. But Iowas rate in 2014 was higher than the states 1973 rate.

Nationwide, there were 14.6 abortions performed per 1,000 women of childbearing age in 2014, the latest year studied in the report. That compares with 16.3 abortions in 1973, the report said.

The reason for the drop in abortion rates is  like many things associated with abortion  in dispute.

Anti-abortion activists attributed the drop to a rise in laws restricting or regulating abortions, while abortion-rights activists said the drop was due in large part to women having more access to family planning services, including long-term contraceptives such as IUDs that can last for years after being inserted into the uterus.

The most helpful way to reduce abortions is to help women gain access to health care and family planning services, said Rachel Jones, a co-author of the Guttmacher Institute study.

Jones acknowledged that more restrictive laws may have had some impact on the abortion rates but, she noted, the rate dropped in all but six states. And in most of the states where the rate didnt decline  Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, Michigan, North Carolina and Vermont  abortion rights have been restricted by state lawmakers.

Julie Schmit-Albin, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, argued that efforts by state lawmakers to restrict abortions have clearly had an impact.

State legislatures have been aggressive in recent years in passing more restrictions, said Schmit-Albin, noting that Nebraska passed a law in 2010 banning abortions after 20 weeks based on the possibility that fetuses may experience pain.

The report released Tuesday by the Guttmacher Institute took three years to complete. The group gathered information from abortion providers and state health and human services agencies.

The report showed that abortion rates in Nebraska and Iowa were much lower than the national average of 14.6 per 1,000 women.

In Nebraska, the rate was 6.3 abortions per 1,000 women in 2014. In Iowa, it was 7.5.

Nebraskas most recent abortion rate was lower than the rate of 7.2 at the time abortion was legalized in 1973. Because abortion rates are not readily available for all of the years since then, its not clear whether Nebraskas 2014 rate represents a new low for the state, Jones said.

As for Iowa, the 2014 abortion rate was not lower than the rate recorded in 1973  5.7 per 1,000 women  but Iowas abortion rate has been dropping over the past several years. In 2011, the abortion rate in Iowa was 9.7 per 1,000, according to the report.

Nationwide, the actual number of abortions performed each year has been dropping since the peak of 1.6 million performed in 1990.

In 2014, there were 926,200 abortions performed nationwide, 2,280 in Nebraska and 4,380 in Iowa.

The decrease in the number of abortions may indicate that some women who would want abortions are unable to do so because of a decline in the number of abortion providers, Jones said.

In some states, she said, it appears that there are fewer abortions because there are fewer clinics.

The number of facilities offering abortions declined by 3 percent nationwide from 2011 to 2014, according to the report. (There were 1,720 facilities offering abortions in 2011, compared with 1,671 in 2014.)

However, the number of facilities offering abortions in Nebraska did not drop over that same time period. Nebraska had five such facilities in 2011 and 2014.

In Iowa, the number of facilities offering abortions dropped from 18 to 13.
Why is the DMK continuing to oppose the imposition of Hindi? - 50 years of struggle and the truth!

Jallikattu ban: Over 500 arrested at Alanganallur, Madurai

Chennai

oi-Vicky

Chennai, Jan 17: The police have detained over 500 persons who were protesting the ban on Jallikattu at Alanganallur town in Madurai. Over 1,000 people took out a protest march against the ban on the sport which was imposed by the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, several villagers took to the streets to demand the release of those detained by the police

Men and women descended upon the town in Madurai, which is popular for the sport, in protest. Scores of police personnel were deployed as a security measure. The police was on its toes to prevent any untoward incident as local intelligence suggested that the situation could turn chaotic.

As a preventive measure, the police took into custody over 500 persons to ensure the situation remained peaceful.

As a mark of protest, people hoisted black flags on their homes and shops remained shut in Alanganallur. This town is famous for the sport and hence the police deployment was heavy high.

OneIndia News
Why is the DMK continuing to oppose the imposition of Hindi? - 50 years of struggle and the truth!

MG Ramachandran's birth centenary observed in Tamil Nadu

Chennai

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Chennai, Jan 17: The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday observed a public holiday to mark the birth centenary of former chief minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) founder M.G. Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR.

A huge crowd of MGR followers were gathered at his memorial at the Marina Beach in Chennai to celebrate the day. Along with the AIADMK leaders, former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar was also present in the event. However, Deepa returns without paying tribute to MGR at his memorial due to massive crowd.

[Also read: TN: Public holiday declared for MG Ramachandran's birth centenary tomorrow]

Earlier, today the TN assembly's opposition party chief MK Stalin also remembered MGR and extended his greetings on his hundredth birthday. He took to micro-blogging site Twitter to describe how close friends MGR and his father MK Karunanidhi were.

Born on January 17, 1917, MGR was a star in Tamil cinema before joining Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). He founded the AIADMK following a feud with DMK chief M. Karunanidhi in 1972 and went on to serve as chief minister of Tamil Nadu between 1977 and 1987.

OneIndia News (with inputs from agencies)
'My hands have been tied': Harish Rawat's veiled dig at Congress high command

Cong will have to adopt BJP's strategy of strengthening regional leaders: Harish Rawat

Uttarakhand polls: EC warns BJP to be more careful over sharing morphed pic of Harish Rawat

Harish Rawat: Congress leader from Uttarakhand

Feature

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Rawat is a leader of the Indian National Congress and he is the chief minister of Uttarakhand since 2016. He was the CM of Uttarakhand in the past also from 2014 to 2016. He has been elected to Parliament five times.

Date of birth: April 27, 1948.

Family: He was born in Mohanari village in Almora district of the United Provinces in a Rajput family to Rajendra Singh Rawat and Devki Devi. Rawat is married to fellow Congress member Renuka Rawat.

Education: He has two degrees, Bachelor of Arts and LL.B. from Lucknow University.

Political career:

Rawat had begun his career at village level politics. He had also worked as a trade unionist and he was member of Indian Youth Congress for many years. He has also headed Congress Volunteer Wing and Congress Seva Dal since 1980.

He was first elected to Lok Sabha in the year 1980. He had won his seat in the seventh Lok Sabha by defeating BJP's leader Murli Manohar Joshi. Rawat had contested from Almora parliamentary constituency.

He also got elected to the eighth and the ninth Lok Sabha. He was also elected to the 15th Lok Sabha and was made union minister of water resources by then prime minister Manmohan Singh. He had contested from Haridwar and won with over 3 lakh votes.

Rawat has also hold the portfolios of minister of state of parliamentary affairs, minister of agriculture, minister of food processing industries and minister of labour and employment.

In 2000 he was unanimously elected as President of Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee.

In 2002 he was elected as member of Rajya Sabha.

The last election that he contested was by-election from Dharchula assembly seat which he won by over 19000 votes.

OneIndia News
25 children win National Bravery Awards 2016

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 17: Twenty five children from different parts of the country have been selected for Indian Council for Child Welfare's (ICCW) National Bravery Awards to be presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 23. Four of the awards are posthumous.

The Bharat Award has been conferred to 8-year-old Tarh Peju of Arunachal Pradesh, who sacrificed her life in an attempt to save two of her friends from drowning. Roluahpuii and Lalhriatpuii from Mizoram, and Tushar Verma from Chattisgarh have been given Bapu Gaidhani Award posthumously.

While Roluahpuii saved two girls from drowning at the cost of her own life, Lalhriatpuii sacrificed her life in an effort to save her cousin in a car accident and Tushar Verma lost his life in trying to extinguish a fire in his neighbour's shed.

The Geeta Chopra Award has been conferred on 18-year-old Tejasweeta Pradhan and 17-year old Shivani Gond of West Bengal who showed immense courage in fearlessly helping the police and the NGO in uncovering an international sex racket leading to the arrest its mastermind here.

The Sanjay Chopra Award has been conferred to 15-year-old Sumit Mamgain of Uttarakhand who displayed outstanding bravery in fighting a leopard to save his cousin. "These awards were initiated to give due recognition to to the children who distinguish themselves by performing outstanding deeds of bravery and to inspire other children to emulate their example," ICCW President Gita Siddhartha told IANS.

The selection was made by a high powered committee comprising representatives of various ministries, NGOs as well as office bearers of ICCW. "Eligible awardees will be granted financial assistance until they complete their schooling," Siddhartha said, adding that the government has also reserved some seats for them in medical and engineering colleges and polytechnics.

IANS
AIADMK demands arrest of those responsible for vandalising MGR's statue

AIADMK dispute: OPS sits on Dy Oppn Leader's chair as EPS skips first day of TN Assembly Session

4 relatives of MGR join BJP

India

oi-PTI

Chennai, Jan 17: The adopted daughter of AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran (MGR) and three other relatives of him have joined the BJP.

MGR's adopted daughter Geetha Madhumohan and his adopted son Appu Ravindran's wife Nirmala have joined it, the BJP said today.

Besides them, the late chief minister's brother M G Chakrapani's daughter Leelavati, who had earlier donated her kidney to MGR, and her son Pravin also joined the party, a release from the office of the BJP's state unit President Tamilisai Sounderrajan said.

The announcement coincided with the birth anniversary celebration of the AIADMK founder.

PTI
AAP banks on 'real honest' Elvis to grab Goa

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

The Aam Aadmi Party declared former bureaucrat Elvis Gomes as its Goa chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming polls in December last year. The 53-year-old was the inspector general prisons and urban development secretary in Goa before he took voluntary retirement to join politics.

AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal described Gomes as a 'real honest officer' who is loved by all sections of the society in Goa. Kejriwal said Gomes understands Goa's culture and is well aware of administration in the state. Gomes is likely to contest elections from Cuncolim constituency in South Goa.

What made Elvis join politics?

His entry into politics did not surprise many in the know since Gomes had been in conflict with the incumbent BJP government in the state for over two years.

Gomes' name was second on the 2014 state list of senior civil service officers to be sent to the Union Public Service Commission for promotion to the Indian Administrative Service. However, Gomes was moved to the 4th position after two junior officers sent representations asking to be moved up.

Gomes moved the Bombay high court bench at Goa against the move and in July last year, the HC upheld his allegation and quashed the change in the list. However, in September last year, the Supreme Court stayed the high court's verdict and is hearing the matter. In the interim, Gomes had resigned from his office. Gomes' resignation was accepted and he was relieved from the Goan Civil Service on September 27.

Around the time he resigned, Goa's anti-corruption bureau filed an FIR against Gomes for alleged irregularities during his stint at the Goa Housing Board. The case surprised many as it was a part of a larger "land scam" under investigation, but which took place when Gomes was not with the board. In fact, even Goa's deputy chief minister Francis D'Souza has gone on record expressing this, stating that Gomes was "politically victimised".

[Also Read: Goa Assembly elections 2017: All you need to know]

Gomes himself has minced no words about how this made him join politics. "I have seen this administration very closely for over 19 years, where I have noticed that lot of injustice has been done to bureaucrats. We have no idea as to whom they wanted to please and why at the cost of people," he said after his induction into AAP. In another statement, he said, "The current state government is completely collapsed with corruption."

The recent events in Goa politics and AAP's entry have made the elections in this small state an interesting affair. Apart from the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, other major contenders for the assembly are the AAP, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and the Goa Suraksha Manch.

OneIndia News
(Adds another case of bribery, paragraph 7, details about fine, paragraph 9)

By Joel Schectman

WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Rolls-Royce Plc agreed to pay authorities more than $800 million to resolve charges of bribing officials in six countries in schemes that lasted more than a decade, the U.S. Justice Department and UK Serious Fraud Office said in statements on Tuesday.

The company admitted to paying officials at state-run energy companies in Kazakhstan, Thailand, Brazil, Azerbaijan, Angola and Iraq more than $35 million in order to win contracts, the Justice Department said.

In a statement, the company's chief executive officer, Warren East, apologized "unreservedly" for the bribery schemes. The company had since overhauled its compliance rules and cut back on using intermediaries, the statement said.

Among the bribes, Rolls-Royce paid a Brazilian official $1.6 million through a middleman to win numerous oil equipment contracts from Petrobras, U.S. authorities said.

The case was the third resolution related to Petrobras in the United States following a nearly three-year investigation in Brazil dubbed "Operation Car Wash" into corruption at the oil company, which has led to dozens of arrests and political upheaval in the country.

Petrobras did not return a request for comment.

In Iraq, Rolls-Royce middlemen bribed Iraqi officials after they had expressed concerns about turbines the company had sold. The Rolls-Royce bagman paid the bribe to "persuade the officials to accept the turbines" and prevent the officials from "blacklisting" Rolls-Royce from future business in Iraq, U.S. authorities said.

The settlement included agreements with U.S., UK and Brazilian authorities whom the company agreed to pay $170 million, 497 million British pounds ($616 million) and $25.6 million respectively, the Justice Department said.

In setting the penalty, the Justice Department said it weighed the fact that Rolls-Royce did not come forward with the misconduct until media reports of the allegations began to surface. But U.S. authorities also showed Rolls-Royce leniency for later cooperating with authorities and fixing problems at the company.

(Additional reporting by Sarah Young and Kristin Ridley in London; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Peter Cooney)
Arvind Kejriwal cries foul over Amarinder contesting polls against Badals

India

oi-PTI

Chandigarh, Jan 16: AAP's national convener Arvind Kejriwal today alleged that Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh is contesting polls from Lambi not to defeat Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal but to help him win the seat.

"The captain (Amarinder Singh) is fighting from Lambi to help Parkash Singh Badal win the seat and not to defeat him. Basically, he is not fighting against Badal but (doing so) to cut anti-Badal votes."

Describing Amarinder's move as "back stabbing" Punjab's people and "shameful", he said, "When there is so much anger against Badals in Punjab, the captain shook hands with them. He has betrayed and back stabbed people of the state." The Delhi Chief Minister alleged that a deal had been struck between Amarinder and Badal under a "tacit understanding". "Some persons who are very close to the captain met me today and told me that a deal has been struck between him and Badal," Kejriwal said in a video message.

"(Parkash Singh) Badal has requested the captain to fight polls from Lambi to cut anti-Badal votes," he alleged. Kejriwal claimed that Badal will be defeat in his seat by AAP's Lambi candidate Jarnail Singh. Earlier, Amarinder had said he had sought the Congress high command's permission to fight the Februray 4 Punjab Assembly polls Badal's constituency of Lambi to ensure the "total defeat" of the Akali leadership.

"The captain is saying he is contesting polls against the injustice caused by Badals and this is why has chosen to fight from Lambi. I ask him that despite being in politics for 35 years, why he did not engage the Badals directly." "If you wanted to contest then why you did not announce this two months back? You made announcement (to contest from Lambi) just 10 days before polls," he said.

Kejriwal said if Amarinder really wanted to defeat Badal then he should have stuck to Lambi and not decide to fight polls from a second constituency, Patiala (Urban).

PTI
Not farmers, we're responsible for stubble burning in Punjab, says Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal says AAP will put minister Majithia in jail

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Chandigarh, Jan 17: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said that the AAP would be forming next government in Punjab and that Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia, whom his party accuses of having links with international drug dealers, would be put in jail before April 15.

Kejriwal told media here that the name of Majithia, younger brother of Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Badal and brother-in-law of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, had figured in a multi-crore drugs racket in Punjab.

"Majithia was named as kingpin of the drugs trade in Punjab by accused Jagdish Bhola and Jagjit Singh Chahal arrested by the police in the synthetic drug racket.

"The AAP government would not allow Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and members of his cabinet, facing corruption charges, to go scot free. We will constitute a Special Investigating Team to probe the ill-gotten wealth of the Badal family and recover every single pie of money looted from Punjab," said Kejriwal, who is also the National Convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Food and Supplies Minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, son-in-law of the Chief Minister, and Agriculture Minister Tota Singh, who were involved in food and pesticide scams, would also be brought to book, he added.

He said that eradication of drugs would remain priority of the AAP government, noting 40 lakh youth were addicted to drugs and "still the Badal family is shamelessly claiming that Punjab is a progressive state".

"We are running an incomplete government in Delhi. Give us opportunity to run a full government and see the difference of governance," Kejriwal added.

IANS
Bihar- Suspected ISI link to target railways unearthed, 3 held

India

oi-PTI

Motihari, Jan 17: Bihar police today claimed to have unearthed a suspected ISI link to target the railways with arrest of three persons in East Champaran district of the state.

Police claimed the trio had confessed to having worked for a Nepalese contact suspected to be connected to Pakistan's ISI to target the railways. District Superintendent of Police Jitendra Rana told reporters here that Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar Patel and Mukesh Yadav were arrested from Adapur Police Station area of the district. The three are "professional criminals" allegedly involved in more than a dozen criminal cases, he said.

During interrogation, police claimed they confessed to having been paid Rs three lakh by a Nepali citizen identified as Brajesh Giri allegedly connected with the ISI for planting a bomb on railway tracks at Ghorasahan in East Champaran district in October 1 last year to cause an accident. "Fortunately, the bomb was detected with the help of villagers at Ghorasan and defused which prevented the sinister designs of the terror elements," Rana said.

While three persons were arrested from East Champaran district, three others have been nabbed at Tailaya in Nepal for targeting railways on behalf of suspected terror elements in this country, he said. Efforts are on to arrest in this connection two others identified as Gajendra Sharma and Rakesh Yadav who are "hiding" in East Champaran area, he said.

Rana said the anti-terrorism squad and other security agencies have been informed about the confession made by the three men who are being interrogated for more details to ascertain if the gang had any role in train accidents in Kanpur and elsewhere. East Champaran is a district bordering Nepal and Indian Mujahideen chief Yasin Bhatkal was arrested from Raxaul in the district in August 2013.

PTI
Congress, SP to fight UP assembly elections together

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

It is official, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress will fight the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections together. This announcement was made by Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior Congress leader at a presser announced that his party would fight the polls along with the SP on Tuesday.

Azad said as of now it would be an alliance with the SP and they would think about a grand alliance in the next few days.

The statement by Azad came just a few hours after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had said that a deal with the Congress will be considered in a day or two. He feels that an alliance with the Congress would help the SP combat the Bahgujan Samaj Party and BJP in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2017.

[Also read: Cycle symbol belongs to Akhilesh, rules Election Commission]

Meanwhile, Azad said that the details about the alliance would be decided in a day or two. "However, for now it is an alliance with the SP under the leadership of Akhilesh," he added. The statement by Azad promoted the Congress' chief ministerial candidate in UP to state that she would step down graciously. She said that she would like to gracefully withdraw as there cannot be two CM candidates for the elections.

On Monday, the Akhilesh faction was recognised as the real Samajwadi Party. As a result of this order by the Election Commission, the Akhilesh faction gets to contest the elections on the SP's symbol.

OneIndia News
Delhi Assembly to probe 'fiscal mismanagement in MCDs'

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 17: In the wake of the garbage crisis, the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution to set up a fact-finding committee to probe how funds are being utilised by the three municipal corporations and steps being taken to bridge the revenue gap.

The resolution was moved by Aam Admi Party MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj following discussion on alleged fiscal mismanagement in the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporations of Delhi, especially in East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC).

The resolution was seconded by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Moving the resolution Bharadwaj said: "A fact finding-committee should immediately be set up by the government so that transparency could be brought over the matter of where the money being given to MCDs by the Delhi government is going."

"The report of the fact-finding committee should be tabled in the next session of the assembly (budget session)," he said. The resolution was passed by voice vote without any opposition.

Supporting the resolution Sisodia said, "After municipal elections in Delhi we will run the MCDs with the same amount of money that we are giving to the civic bodies now and no employee will have to wait for their salaries." The move comes after the indefinite strike called by sanitation workers of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation leading to a garbage crisis, over non payment of salaries.

The BJP-ruled East Corporation has blamed the Delhi government of withholding funds and not implementing reform policies to make MCDs more financially viable. All the three municipal corporations in Delhi are being ruled by BJP, but depend financially on the state government.

IANS
'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 HC defers Zakir Naik's plea challenging ban on NGO

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 17: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday deferred the hearing of a plea filed by NRI televangelist Zakir Naik challenging the government decision to ban his NGO Islamic Research Foundation.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva posted the case for January 23. The court asked the central government to present the records relating to the imposition of the ban.

The court was hearing Naik's plea challenging the November 2016 notification of the Home Ministry that imposed an immediate ban on IRF for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The IRF told the court that the notification did not give sufficient reasons and materials for taking such a step and that the ban was imposed without giving any showcause notice.

Naik's name had cropped up for being involved in terrorism activities after one of the Dhaka cafe attackers said that he was influenced by Naik's speeches.

IANS

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 14:19 [IST]
Election effect: After being postponed, UP Board exams now from March 16

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Lucknow, Jan 17: The class X and XII examinations of students of the Uttar Pradesh Board will be held between March 16 and April 21, an official said.

While the official schedule and time table is yet to be released, officials confirmed that the Election Commission has approved the dates, which were earlier deferred due to the state assembly polls.

The High School (Class X) examinations will go on for 15 days while the class XII (Intermediate) exams will be spread out in 25 days, the official informed IANS.

Chairman of the UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, Amarnath Verma, said that details like timings, etc., are being worked out and will be announced soon.

Generally these exams are held between February and March, but this year due to the assembly polls had to be shifted to mid-March and would conclude in April. In fact, the Board had announced on December 8 last year the schedule of the examinations from February 16 to March 20, but the poll panel had put brakes on it and asked to defer it.

Nearly 26.24 lakh students are to appear for intermediate exam while 34.4 lakh students will take the high school exam. The total number of students appearing for the UP Board exam has however dwindled from previous years and has this year fallen short by 63,882.

The exams have been marred in the past by charges of mass copying and the Board this time is making arrangements to ensure minimum copying, an official said while informing that 31 districts have been declared 'sensitive' this time. These include Sambhal, Hardoi, Shahjahanpur, Moradabad, Gonda, Agra, Aligarh, Haters, Etah, Mainpuri, Firozabad, Azamgarh, Sultanpur, Bhadohi, Allahabad, Kanpur among others.

IANS


No decision yet on joining BJP or AAP, says Hardik; hails saffron party over Ayodhya issue, Article 370

Is Hardik Patel joining BJP today? This is what he says

Hardik set to enter Gujarat after six months

India

oi-PTI

Udaipur, Jan 17: Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel on Tuesday left for Gujarat after spending six months away from his home state in accordance with the Gujarat High Court's order.

The 23-year-old leader left for Gujarat along with his supporters in four vehicles and reached the Gujarat border without any incident, SP Udaipur Rajendra Prasad told PTI.

"A local SHO and some policemen were deployed to make sure he leaves peacefully in the morning today," he said.

Patel, who was released from jail in Gujarat after nine months in confinement in July last year, had to stay outside Gujarat for six months as per Gujarat high court direction. He was staying at a former Congress MLA's residence here during this period.

His return is being keenly watched by political parties with assembly elections to be held in Gujarat later this year. Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, which makes its debut in Gujarat in the next elections, has been seeking Patel support. In October, Mr Kejriwal tried to woo the Patidar community by calling Hardik Patel a "patriot".

PTI

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 14:57 [IST]
How cops in West Bengal let this Lashkar operative escape

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

One could expect several more twists in the Aurangabad arms hauls case. With the SIT blaming cops from West Bengal for the escape of an accused in the case. Shaikh Abdul Naeem suspected to be an operative of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba was an accused in the 2006 Aurangabad arms hauls case.

This was a major case reported from Maharashtra and according to police diaries, several members of the LeT were transporting arms for a terrorist attack. The arms were seized but the operatives managed to escape.

Naeem was finally arrested in West Bengal only to escape again when he was being brought down to a court in Mumbai. According to the cops, Naeem managed to escape when the train in which he was being transferred stopped in Chattisgarh.

Naeem's family moved the Bombay high court stating that he had been murdered by the police. They said that he was suffering from a kidney ailment and hence the chances of him escaping were very remote. The Bombay HC ordered the setting up of an SIT to probe into the allegations.

After a detailed probe, it was submitted by the SIT that the West Bengal police had helped Naeem escape. It was found that Naeem despite being such a dangerous and high profile criminal was being brought to the court without handcuffs. The SIT also revealed that Naeem has not been murdered as was alleged by the family. Further the agency also said that it had filed cases against the West Bengal police officials for allegedly helping Naeem escape.

Naeem is an important link to the case. It may be recalled that Abu Jundal an accused in the Mumbai 26/11 case was convicted recently in the Aurangabad case.

Investigations show that there was not enough precaution taken while transporting Naeem from West Bengal to Mumbai. The lack of proper security measures and also the fact that he was not handcuffed goes on to show that Naeem was aided by the five cops. Naeem's whereabouts are unknown and officials suspect that he may have fled to Bangladesh.

One India News

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 16:38 [IST]
UP: SP leader's car hit by truck, dragged for more than 500 meters in Mainpuri | VIDEO

I'm all for alliance with Congress: Naresh Aggarwal

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 16: Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Aggarwal on Monday said that he supported his party forming an alliance with the Congress for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Speaking to news channel Times Now, Aggarwal expressed happiness that the party faction led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav got the 'cycle' symbol, and said that "I am in favour of poll alliance with the Congress.

"This is to be decided by the Chief Minister and I also support it," he said. Aggarwal said that in a country like India when a son progresses, the father feels proud. "I would request Netaji (Mulayam Singh) to bless his son," he said, adding that "BJP agents" created problems for the party.

IANS
In his last election, Amarinder Singh dares to defeat CM Badal

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Patiala, Jan 17: This is Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh's last election and he is leaving no stone unturned. Looking a tad angry, the former chief minister of Punjab during a press meet in Patiala on Tuesday, claimed that he would defeat incumbent CM Parkash Singh Badal in his traditional seat Lambi.

"This is my last election and I will defeat Badal on his home seat," Singh told reporters.

Earlier, Singh had sought his high command's permission to fight next month's assembly elections against CM Badal.

Singh also spoke about the recent induction of Navjot Singh Sidhu to the party. "No, there is no deal behind Sidhu's joining the Congress. He himself said his father was in the Congress and that it's his 'ghar wapsi'," Singh said.

Talking about the emotive issue of Satluj Yamuna Link Canal, Singh said, "Not a single drop of water will go out of Punjab. (Mere Punjab ka ek boondh paani bhi nahi jaayega)."

The Election Commission of India has declared that polling will be held in Punjab in a single phase on February 4. Results will be declared on March 11. The Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance has been in power in Punjab since 2007.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 11:41 [IST]
Is Akhilesh buying time before declaring alliance with Congress?

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Lucknow, Jan 17: After emerging victorious on Monday as the Election Commission awarded 'bicycle'--the symbol of the Samajwadi Party--to Akhilesh Yadav-led faction of the 25-year-old political outfit--the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh is maintaining a wait and watch policy. Now, Akhilesh and his supporters will fight the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2017 as candidates of the SP.

[Also Read: Polls: 57 and counting, violation of Model Code of Conduct begins in UP]

As poll pundits are suggesting that the alliance between the SP and the Congress is likely to be formally announced on Wednesday, the UP CM on Tuesday declined to say anything in this regard.

"Please wait for some time," Akhilesh told reporters in Lucknow, when they asked him about his alliance with the Congress.

"Now, I have a big responsibility. My entire energy is focused in winning elections and forming the next government, once again in the state. (Ab badi zimmedari hai, ab hamara saara dhyaan dobara sarkaar banane par hai)," added the 43-year-old politician.

Both Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh are keen to form an alliance before entering the UP's electoral fray. Reports say both Akhilesh and Rahul are likely to campaign together in key assembly constituencies.

If the alliance materialises, the Congress and the SP together will fight against Bharatiya Janata Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.

The upcoming UP assembly elections -- scheduled to start from February 11-- is an elaborate affair. The state will go to elections in seven phases. The polling dates are February 11, February 15, February 19, February 23, February 27, March 4 and March 8, 2017.

The counting of votes in the state Vidhan Sabha, consisting of 403 assembly seats, will take place on March 11.

OneIndia News
Islamic State operative nabbed in Hyderabad

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Hyderbad, Jan 18: The National Investigation Agency has arrested Mohammad Irfan from Hyderabad from Hyderabad for his alleged connections with an Islamic State module.

Investigations revealed that Irfan along with the other accused took part in searching for hideouts to conduct training programmes.He had searched for safe houses in the outskirts of Hyderabad along with another accused Muzaffer Hussain Rizwan, the NIA states.

On the instructions of another accused Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani, Irfan collected the explosives, the NIA also states.

He is also alleged to have gone to Ananthapur town to collect explosive material. The accused persons according to the NIA had planned on carrying out attacks in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It is said that they had planned on targeting police stations in particular.

Investigations in this case have been going on since the past year. Acting on a tip off the NIA had arrested several persons from Hyderabad in June 2016. The probe revealed that this self styled module of the IS wanted to rope in several youth to carry out attacks in Hyderabad and several places in Andhra Pradesh.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Wednesday, January 18, 2017, 1:31 [IST]
Karnataka: Tumkur's 'rapist' cop dismissed

India

oi-Anusha

Tumkur, Jan 18: Following orders of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, an Assistant Sub Inspector arrested for raping a mentally challenged woman in Tumkur has been dismissed from services.

The Chief Minister demanded immediate action against the policeman post his arrest while addressing a gathering of senior police officials in the state. The Chief Minister's order came a day after range IG Seemanth Kumar Singh said that proceedings to dismiss Umesh would be initiated soon after a charge sheet is filed against him post completion of investigations.

The order of the Chief Minister comes at a time when the state and its capital has been shown in a bad light over women safety. The move is aimed at making it clear that the government will deal with an iron hand in matters concerning women safety and crimes by those in authority. A policeman allegedly raping a woman comes as a major embarrassment to the state in general and the police department as a whole.

The victim, in her early 30s, was picked up by the ASI on Saturday night on the pretext of dropping her back home in Tumkur. He allegedly raped her in a moving car and dropped her back to her residence in the wee hours of Sunday. The ASI and the driver of the car were booked and arrested the very next day following which he was suspended from service. Following the CM's order, the policeman has now been dismissed from services.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Wednesday, January 18, 2017, 0:47 [IST]
Massive protests in support of Jallikattu on Chennai's Marina Beach

India

oi-Anusha

Chennai, Jan 17: Condemning the arrests of hundreds in Alanganallur of Madurai on Tuesday morning, thousands of people gathered at Marina Beach of Chennai. Youngsters and seniors alike, close to 5000 people, gathered to condemn the crackdown on 'peaceful' protestors at Madurai in support of the 'traditional sport'. The massive crowd turned to mobile light protest to attract attention prompting more people to join in the protests.

Police had a tough time managing the massive crowd of over 5000 people who had gathered in response to social media posters and invited to support the cause of Jallikattu. The protest in Chennai was aimed at sending out the message that Jallikattu was not an issue restricted to rural Tamil Nadu but mattered to all in the state.

Meanwhile, posters of protests continue to be shared widely online. Many posters and messages asking students to boycott college in support on Jallikattu on Wednesday is doing the rounds in Tamil Nadu. The protests come in the background of attempts to organise the banned sport in Tamil Nadu forcing authorities to crackdown on those responsible for it. Tuesday also saw people, including policemen, being injured by bulls running helter-skelter during attempts by cops to drive people away from a Jallikattu venue in Madurai.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 22:09 [IST]
Microsoft offers to collaborate with Andhra Pradesh in e-governance, cyber security

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Vijayawada, Jan 17: Microsoft has offered to collaborate with Andhra Pradesh in the areas of e governance and cyber security, an official statement said here on Tuesday.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is currently in Davos, met Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Tuesday. Nadella suggested that Andhra Pradesh should nurture hybrid cloud technology and that it will be a great leap in technology for India and Andhra Pradesh in particular, according to a statement here. Microsoft has recently acquired LinkedIn and it is working closely with the Singapore government.

A skill profile of the population, professionals etc are also being digitised, said the Microsoft CEO and added that the same may be replicated in Andhra Pradesh. Nadella and Naidu agreed to make significant progress in hybrid cloud technology within a year.

The Chief Minister explained the various technological initiatives e being implemented in Andhra Pradesh. He also spoke at length on the technology that the state is using for real time governance. Naidu mentioned that he is keen on increasing the digital transactions which is at 30 percent now to 70 percent by March this year.

IANS
New app for soldiers to post their grievances

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Jan 17: The ministry for Home Affairs is coming up with an app for the soldiers on which they could post their grievances. The National Informatics Centre has been tasked with the job and have been told to come up with the app within the next three months.

The decision was taken after Tej Bahadur Yadav, a BSF constable took to the social media to vent out his anger against the poor quality of food that was being served.

The Home ministry has taken this issue seriously and does not want personnel taking to the social media to vent out their grievances. This would cause a great deal of indiscipline in the force, an official told OneIndia.

Meanwhile, the BSF is in the process of strictly enforcing the rule regarding not allowing constables to carry mobile phones while on duty. There is a rule that bars constables from carrying their mobile phones on duty, but the same has never been enforced strictly.

If the rule is implemented strictly it would mean that constables can post their grievances on the app only after duty hours. This could be a setback for the constables as they would not be able to record evidence and post it on the app.

BSF officials are, however, ensuring that the rule of no mobile phones is implemented strictly and any officer who overlooks the same could be reprimanded. The BSF following the Tej Bahadur incident has already ordered company commanders to ensure that the 'no mobile phone' rule is implemented strictly.

OneIndia News
Punjab elections: Political rumour mill at work to cut down opponents

India

oi-Anusha

Allegations of secret seat sharing agreements and conspiracy theories about back-door alliance are being used as ammo by political parties in Punjab. First, it was Shiromani Akali Dal leader and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal who alleged of a secret seat sharing arrangement between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress. Now it is Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal alleging that the Congress and the SAD are in cahoots instead.

Harsimrat Kaur had on Sunday challenged the AAP to come out clean on its back-door dealings with the Congress chief in Punjab. "There is a secret arrangement between the AAP and the Congress. We ask them to forge a pre-poll alliance for assembly polls instead of nurturing the unholy nexus," she said. The Union minister drew from the fact that AAP and Congress had formed a post-poll alliance in Delhi earlier making way for the AAP to form the government for the first time. The SAD has been accusing the Congress and the AAP to be hand-in-glove in inciting crowds to attack the Badals.

A day after her statement linking the AAP and the Congress, Arvind Kejriwal accused Capt Amarinder Singh, Congress' face in Punjab, of contesting from Lami to ensure a victory for Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He alleged that it was deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal who prompted Amarinder Singh to contest against senior Badal from Lambi. This, he said, was to ensure that no leaders from either party lose their seats. Singh is expected to contest from Lambi along with his traditional seat of Patiala-urban.

While no party apart from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the SAD has declared any alliance, allegations of secret arrangements are flying high and thick in Punjab. While the Congress has its best chance at a win in Punjab, SAD is attempting to break free of the anti-incumbency sentiment while the BJP is fighting dissent. The AAP has been seeing massive response to their campaigns with NRIs flying in to help the party that is being projected as an alternative to the corruption in the state.

OneIndia News
REVEALED: How hawala funds terror in Kashmir

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

On Monday Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti said that hawala money was used to fund terror and unrest and since 2001, there have been 173 such cases. She cited the report of the Criminal Investigation Department while submitting a written reply in the J&K assembly.

The hawala menace is not new to the valley. In fact, investigations by various agencies including the National Investigation Agency show that hawala money has been the backbone for both terrorists to spread terror and the separatists who create the unrest. In most investigations it has been found that hawala money has reached both terrorists and separatists from abroad. The highest remittances have been from Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and, of course, Pakistan.

Hawala in the Valley:

Investigators say transfer of money through hawala is still the biggest draw. In November 2011, four businessmen were booked by the Enforcement Directorate for facilitating hawala transactions through the Line of Control. It had become evident that this money was being sent by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba to facilitate its terrorists and separatists.

However, investigations had found that the businessmen were only facilitating the transfer for a fee and were not ideologically connected to the LeT. The terror groups still find hawala to be their best bet since it is safer compared to legal banking. "It is very difficult to crack this trail as the persons involved in the transfer change after every two or three transactions," the officer says.

There is a lot of trade along the border that takes place on the barter system. Terrorists, separatists and their agents pose as traders and exchange money along the border. Very often, these persons also pass on money which is in turn brought into India and handed out to separatists and terrorists.

Investigations have shown that there were at least 48 agents until 2014 who were using the barter system to fund terrorism in the valley. The NIA and the ED had found that these persons had moved Rs 7.5 million in 20 different cases.

The seizures also led to the NIA finding cheques worth Rs 1 lakh which was meant to reach a terrorist or a separatist. The investigations also revealed that at least 90 persons from different parts of the world were involved in funding terrorists in the valley. Investigations reveal that between the years 2009 and 2011 an amount of Rs 12 million had been recovered.

Fake and foreign currency was recovered from agents who were funding terrorists. In 2011, some agents had also brought in 74,000 Saudi Arabian Riyals into the valley.

Who benefits:

NIA sources say that the funding has gone both to terrorist groups and separatists. Money has been pumped into the Hurriyat Conference, Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front, Islamic Students Front, Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Jamiat ul-Mujahideen.

An 1997 FIR against separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani an FIR alleges that he had got funding to the tune of Rs 190 million from Saudi Arabia and also another donation of Rs 100 million from the Kashmir American Council. Investigations had revealed that all these funds were routed through a Delhi-based Hawala operative.

It was also found that Yasin Malik, another separatist, had received funding of USD 1 lakh and the money was being carried by a woman called Shazia. "We are looking at each case since 1995, and this will help us get a better picture of the entire racket," an NIA officer adds.

Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that the money is being used for various purposes."There is a considerable amount that goes into funding their own lavish lifestyles. The ISI which orchestrates this racket does not mind these persons living in lavish bungalows as long as they keep the fire going," says the officer.

Investigations had found that a considerable amount of the money had been used to fuel the 2010 unrest in Jammu and Kashmir. The NIA says that funding is the biggest concern and this route and channel needs to be broken. "These troublemakers do anything for money and Pakistan is not hesitant to pump in as much as is possible to keep the fire in the valley burning," the officer says

OneIndia News
Revolt within AIADMK? Deepa Jayakumar reignites Jayalalithaa legacy wars

India

oi-Anusha

Over a month after the death of Jayalalithaa, her niece Deepa Jayakumar on Tuesday confirmed that she would make her foray into Tamil Nadu politics. Making explicit her political ambitions, Jayakumar announced that "a landmark announcement" would be made on February 24, Jayalalithaa's birthday.

As if to cement her position in the Tamil Nadu political circuit, she paid homage to All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam founder M G Ramachandran at his memorial at Marina beach on his 100th birth anniversary.

"I have only two options; either join the AIADMK or float a new party. I will discuss with my supporters before making the decision," she said throwing a challenge of sorts to Sasikala Natarajan.

Hundreds of supporters including AIADMK workers gathered outside Deepa Jayakumar's residence in Chennai on Tuesday urging her to take Jayalalithaa's position in the party. Addressing the press, she said that Sasikala Natarajan's family was wrong in claiming credit for the party as well as Jayalalithaa.

"Claims made by her (Sasikala's) family are wrong. Jayalalithaa was not guarded by Sasikala's family. She functioned on her own. I will talk no more, elect me to the assembly or the parliament and I will speak there," she stated.

Refusing to take a dig at Sasikala directly, she said that Chief Minister O Panneerselvam was doing a good job with his office and that she did not think a personal comment on Sasikala was necessary. She nonetheless did not miss the opportunity to highlight her concern. "Larger section of the people are of the opinion that AIADMK has been taken over by one family. I cannot accept anyone apart from M G Ramachandran or Jayalalithaa as the leaders of the party," she said taunting Sasikala Natarajan who took over the leadership of the party recently.

OneIndia News
Parliamentarians in Russia gave a mixed reaction on Monday to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's proposal to strike a deal on nuclear arms cuts in exchange for Washington lifting sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

Konstantin Kosachev, head of the upper house of parliament's international affairs committee, was cited by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying getting the sanctions annulled was not a goal in itself and not worth making security concessions for.

"We consider them (the sanctions) a stupid legacy of the outgoing White House team that need to be consigned to history along with them," said Kosachev.

But another Russian senator, Oleg Morozov, was quoted by the same agency as saying that Moscow would be ready to discuss the issue of nuclear cuts, something he said Russia itself favored.

Trump told The Times of London in an interview published online on Sunday that he would propose offering to end sanctions imposed on Russia for its annexation of Crimea in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin .





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Rift in Karnataka BJP widens: BSY-KSE supporters come to blows

India

oi-Anusha

Bengaluru, Jan 18: Supporters of BJP B S Yeddyurappa and K S Eshwarappa clashed outside the party office in Shivamogga.

Supporters of both the leaders came to blows following an argument. The mob had to finally be disbursed. Tension between the two leaders has been high since the past couple of months and reports suggest that the two leaders are not on talking terms any longer.

Union Minister Sadananda Gowda said on Monday that the feud between the Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa factions had caused embarrassment to party workers. The two leaders have been avoiding each other and their supporters too followed suit. The problems in the two camps is no longer a secret and the incident at Shivamogga is a testimony of that.

Eshwarappa's supporters even circulated a letter criticising the functioning of Yeddyurappa as party chief. After Yeddyurappa left Eshwarappa out of the committees formed to assess the drought situation the latter went ahead and formed the Sangoli Rayanna Brigade. This did not go down too well with Yeddyurappa.

Meanwhile Sadananda Gowda said that the two leaders should not be discussing internal party matters. He said it is his duty as the Union minister from the state to keep the party bosses informed about all the developments.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Wednesday, January 18, 2017, 1:23 [IST]
TRS, BJP are two sides of same coin: Rahul Gandhi in Telangana

Rohith Vemulas suicide: Discrimination against Dalits is Indias reality

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Hyderabad, Jan 17: With heavy hearts and tears in their eyes, family, friends and supporters of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula paid homage to him on his first death anniversary in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Rohith committed suicide inside the campus of the University of Hyderabad -- his alma mater -- on January 17 last year.

The members of the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice at the UoH marked the day as Rohith Shahadath Din (Rohith's Martyrdom Day), inside the campus of the institute.

"Rohith was forced to commit suicide. He was a bright student, with dreams in his eyes. He died a sad death. His death is a reminder that discrimination against Dalits, minorities and women is a dark reality of India," rued his friend Syed Riyaz.

A huge pan-India movement demanding justice for Rohith broke out across the country, within days after he committed suicide.

The family and friends of Rohith allege that the 26-year- old committed suicide because of the harassment he faced at the hands of the university's vice chancellor Appa Rao and senior BJP leaders, including former Human Resource Development minister Smriti Irani.

"His killers are free and enjoying their lives. We will continue with our struggle till justice is delivered in Rohith's tragic death," added Riyaz.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 13:52 [IST]
RSS rebel Velingkar set to irk BJP

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Rebel Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Subhash Velingkar has floated a new political party called Goa Suraksha Manch, which is going to contest Goa assembly polls in alliance with the Shiv Sena. Velingkar was the chief of the RSS's Goa unit and parted ways with them over differences. He has also floated a parallel outfit, the RSS Goa Prant.

Velingkar wanted the ruling BJP to promote Marathi and Konkani as the medium of instruction in schools and demanded withdrawal of grants to English medium schools in Goa. He was upset with BJP for not paying heed to his demands.

Apart from AAP, BJP is likely to face a stiff challenge from regional outfits like Goa Suraksha Manch and Maharastrawadi Gomantak Party. Velingkar himself is unlikely contest polls, but his party might be grab some vote share and irk major parties. GSM is in talks with Shiv Sena, which is an ally of BJP in Maharashtra and Centre, over seat sharing in Goa.

[Read more: Goa Assembly elections 2017: All you need to know]

Velingkar's poll pitch of regional languages may appeal to section of voters and his party could have an impact on the polls.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 12:33 [IST]
SC calls status report on SIT probe into anti-Sikh riots

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 16: The Supreme Court on Monday sought a comprehensive status report on the probe into the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases being investigated by a Special Investigation Team.

The SIT, set up in February 2015, is probing the cases that were earlier closed for lack of sufficient evidence. A bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice R. Banumathi sought the report as petitioner S. Gurlad Singh Kahlon told the court that the SIT had utterly failed in carrying out the probe.

The petitioner is a member of the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee. Khalon has sought direction to the authorities concerned that no further extension be given to the SIT and it should complete its probe by February 11, 2017.

The central government earlier told the court that it has identified 22 cases out of a total 218 cases for further investigation. The court has adjourned the matter for February 20. After formation, the SIT was given six months' time to fulfil its mandate. On August 12, 2015, it was given an extension of one year.

The petitioner has contended that due to shoddy investigation, inordinate delay in recording statements coupled with lack of will, justice had been denied to 3,000 victims of 1984 riots. In Delhi alone, 2,733 people were killed in the riots triggered by the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards.

IANS
SPs cycle wars: EC order only adds credence to family drama theory

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The verdict of the Election Commission of India declaring that the Akhilesh Yadav faction is the real Samajwadi Party may have put an end to the family feud. While that is what it appears to the public, the fact is this drama is likely to continue for some time, and it looks extremely stage-managed.

Amar Singh, who had become the face of the problem mysteriously left for London on Monday, much before the ECI could deliver its verdict on which faction gets to keep its party symbol. Another factor is the manner in which the Mulayam faction argued out their case before the ECI.

Ramgopal Yadav while backing Akhilesh put out numbers to make their case. He spoke about how a large majority of the party was with Akhilesh, and hence the party's symbol should be given to them.

The Mulayam faction only said that the meeting called by Ramgopal was unconstitutional not once disputed the numbers. It may be recalled that the numbers were openly distributed before the public, but there was a mysterious silence about it during the ECI hearing.

The feud in the SP has been called by many as a drama. It was said that it was plotted by Mulayam to keep his brother Shivpal away. Moreover, Mulayam also wanted Akhilesh to take full control over the party and emerge as an independent and strong leader.

After the ECI verdict, Akhilesh and his wife Dimple met Mulayam and sought his blessings. Mulayam too wished them luck. This tone down from Mulayam came just a few hours after he had openly challenged his son. Mulayam had accused him of trying to ally with the BJP and said that he would fight his son in the elections. While many consider this to be a 'big fat' father-son drama, this portion of the ECI order of Monday only will add to what really could be going on behind the scenes.

"Except for the above vague allegation Mulayam Singh Yadav group despite repeated opportunities given it to it as above, neither filed any affidavit from any member nor indicated even the name of one member whose affidavit was considered by him to be suspect, or questioned the above numbers claimed by Ram Gopal Yadav either on 13th January, 2017 at the time of hearing or at any time thereafter," the order said.

At the hearing, the counsel for his group wanted to make a mountain of a mole hill by referring to the typographical mistake of the word 'help' instead of the word 'held' in some of the affidavits filed by the other groups. But he had no answer when a more glaring mistake was pointed out to him by the learned counsel for the other group in the letter dated January, 3, 2017 of Amar Singh where he had stated in the concluding para that 'I refute my point on the illegibility of January 01, 2017 convention of Samajwadi Party and unconstitutionality of the resolution passed thereby."

The ECI appeared to be hinting that this was a typo. What exactly was Amar Singh implying when he said refute? Had Singh really meant to use the word refute, then it would mean that the Mulayam faction had no problem with the January 1 meeting in which Akhilesh was made the boss. This is the same meeting that Mulayam had called as unconstitutional.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 11:40 [IST]
Telangana government's one of its kind sainik welfare fund

India

oi-Anusha

By Anusha Ravi

Telangana is all set to be the most rewarding state for armed forces personnel and their families. If what Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao announced in the state assembly on Tuesday is implemented, a one of its kind state army welfare fund of Rs 80 crore annually would be in place for Indian Army personnel and their families. What makes it interesting is the fact that the chief minister, his cabinet, MLAs, MLCs, MPs and state government employees will contribute towards raising Rs 80 crore on an annual basis and the fund will be used for servicemen, ex-servicemen and their families.

The CM and cabinet ministers will contribute Rs 25,000 each every year towards the fund while MLAs, MLCs and MPs will shell out Rs 10,000 each. State government employees, the chief minister said, have agreed voluntarily to give up one day's wages as a contribution to the fund. "Under this programme, army personnel who are in the service, those who became martyrs, those who became medically unfit and handicapped and retired army personnel will get benefited. Responding positively to the call given by the government, ministers, legislators, members of Parliament and others government employees came forward to contribute their lot," KCR said.

K Chandrashekhar Rao also enhanced cash rewards given to army personnel for various medals and honours making it the highest in the country. Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra awardees will be given a cash award of Rs 2.25 crore as against Rs 2 crore paid by the Punjab government that was so far the highest reward amount. For Mahavir Chakra and Kirti Chakra awardees, the Telangana government will give Rs 1.25 crore. Vir Chakra and Shaurya Chakra awardees will be given Rs 75 lakh each and Sena Medal awardees will receive Rs 30 lakh each.

For the Athi Visishta Seva Medal, the cash award will be Rs 25 lakh while Rs 20 lakh shall be given to Visishta Seva Medal awardees. For Sena Medal winners, the state government is proposing to pay Rs 5 lakh.

In more sops, army personnel who are on the move due to their job requirements need not pay any vehicle tax if already paid. The chief minister also announced that the government has decided to exempt the personnel and their spouses from paying house tax on their immovable property.

OneIndia News
Tripura CM slams Mamata for dragging his name in chit fund scams

India

oi-PTI

Bengaluru, Jan 17: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Tuesday alleged that his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee dragged his name into the Sharada, Narada and Rose Valley graft cases "just to save her skin" and dismissed it as political "narrowness".

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had alleged that Sarkar and Tripura Social Welfare Minister Bijita Nath were involved with some chit fund groups, but the investigating agency did not initiate any action against them.

"Just to save her skin from Sharada, Narada and Rose Valley cases, she (Banerjee) is saying all these things. I am an open book and a slate. This is political... what should I say narrowness. Please don't try to equate me with Mamata, I am sorry," he said.

On national politics, the Tripura Chief Minister claimed federalism has weakened in the nearly three years of Narendra Modi government at the Centre, especially after the Planning Commission was done away with.

"Weakening of federalism is going to take place gradually. That is a very bad thing. One party show. This is an authoritarian trend. Look at how federalism is being weakened. One such example is disbanding of the Planning Commission," he said at a meet-the-press programme.

Sarkar said the only alternative to BJP is the third front where the Left and all democratic forces join hands, but the opportune time has not arrived yet.

"What is the alternative to BJP? It is the Left and the democratic forces. It will not come out of the blue. It shall have to be developed. For now, it is weak. It takes time to be a force to reckon with," he said.

Asked whether a third front is possible to take on BJP in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh election, Sarkar said some sort of adjustment may take place between parties.

PTI

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 19:10 [IST]
UP elections: What bagging the 'Cycle' means for Akhilesh Yadav

India

oi-Vicky

Lucknow, Jan 17: There were jubilant scenes in the Akhilesh Yadav camp on Monday after the Election Commission of India recognised this faction as the real Samajwadi Party and allowed it to use the 'cycle' symbol.

[Also Read: Cycle symbol belongs to Akhilesh, rules Election Commission]

While the Mulayam Singh Yadav faction has decided to move the high court against the order of the ECI, the Akhilesh camp is wasting no time in getting their campaign up and running for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2017.

Winning the battle in the ECI was a huge boost for Akhilesh. The voters in Uttar Pradesh connect to the cycle. Akhilesh stands to gain in every possible way following the ECI order. He will now stake a claim to his father's legacy and the voter would see him as the undisputed leader of the SP.

Being recognised as the real SP, he would also be able to overcome anti-incumbency. He will approach the voters fresh and also send a message to the people that he is not weak. Akhilesh through his five year tenure as the Chief Minister of UP has been accused of being weak and the son that never came out of his father's shadow.

Getting to retain the symbol also lets Akhilesh talk with possible allies such as the Congress and the Rahstriya Lok Dal in a confident manner. He would also be able to consolidate the Yadav-Muslim vote bank.

With an alliance with the Congress round the corner, Akhilesh may also succeed in pulling away the Muslim votes from the Bahujan Samaj Party.

The BSP had expected a large swing where the Muslim votes was concerned. However, the ECI's decision has given a clear picture about the SP and the Muslims may now move towards Akhilesh Yadav. The UP CM will go to the voter speaking about how he fought with his own family for the sake of the state. Akhilesh is however expected to gain more from the young voter in Uttar Pradesh.

OneIndia News
UP elections: Why a SP-Congress alliance is a win-win for both

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Only an official statement is what remains of the much-talked about Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. For the SP, attempting to leave behind the criticisms over its family feud, an alliance is the best way to retain vote share while the Congress is looking at the larger 2019 general elections. As such both parties have much to take away from the alliance.

Why it works for the SP

Post the SP split, most political analysts believe that the key now lies in how the fissure affects the voters. The Congress' support would matter a great deal to the Akhilesh Yadav-led faction. Congress has been positioned at number four in Uttar Pradesh for well over two decades and recent polls have gauged its vote share at a measly 6-8 per cent. In a multi polar contest, that measly percentage may end up being the most crucial factor. Considering the expected vote share of 30-32 per cent of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the SP may end up with 25-28 per cent vote share. Congress is their only shot at surpassing the BJP.

With Congress' Sheila Dikshit already willing to step aside to make way for Akhilesh Yadav as the chief ministerial candidate, the SP has not much to lose, just about 100 seats in the bargain. The SP is aware of the Congress commanding close to 16 per cent of the Muslim vote bank while adding their own 39 per cent vote share from the 2012 assembly polls. While anti-incumbency may hinder SP's Muslim vote share, what the Congress is bringing to the alliance table may just suffice.

What Congress has to gain

The Congress is fighting hard to return to to its lost place as an important player in Uttar Pradesh politics. The Congress, the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party have time and again reiterated that the BJP needs to be stopped from coming to power in the electorally most important state in the country. The stand doesn't apply to the assembly elections alone. The Congress has its eyes set on the 2019 general elections. The alliance with SP is Congress' chance at returning to power in UP after 27 years. The move will also prompt party members for a resurgence.

Given the BJP's performance in 2014, the Congress understands that an insider, in this case, the SP, is needed for them to counter the BJP in the next general elections. Also the fact that UP has the largest representation of MPs in both houses of the parliament matters. Young leaders of the Congress and SP already share a bonhomie that may translate into a healthy alliance.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 16:15 [IST]
US envoy hails India's efforts in countering terror

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Jan 17: The Obama administration has recently delivered a "very tough" message to Pakistan asking it to dismantle safe havens of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e- Mohammed and Haqqani network operating from its soil, outgoing US envoy to New Delhi Richard Verma said on Tuesday.

Holding that India faces a "daunting challenge" from these Pakistan-based terror groups and hailing New Delhi's efforts to deal with the menace, the envoy said the world needs India's leadership in countering terrorism.

Verma, who demits office ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday, said the US also told the Pakistani leadership to come down hard on perpetrators of cross-border terrorism including in Afghanistan.

Talking about Indo-US cooperation in counter-terror efforts, he said intelligence sharing between the two strategic partners has reached "unprecedented level" which helped Indian secutrity agencies thwart various threats.

When asked about what exactly the Obama administration told Pakistan recently regarding Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Haqqani network, Verma said, "We have taken a very tough line on these terrorist groups operating from Pakistani soil."

He said the message to the Pakistani leadership has been a "very tough and concerted" one, adding Islamabad has been told to eliminate the safe havens of the terrorist groups, shut down their cross border activities and take action against the perpetrators of terror.

Talking about threat of terror India was facing, he said, "On the Western front, India faces a daunting challenge of terrorist groups operating from inside Pakistan. Some of these groups including LeT and Haqqani network, and JeM also targeted the US and Afghan security forces in Afghanistan." He said the US continued to press Pakistan at the "highest level" to take effective action against these groups and cited extension of terrorist designation to two more LeT leaders.

The envoy said India and the US must expand cooperation further in dealing with terror, radicalisation and violent extremism.

"The US India partnership stands as a global example of what is possible," he said.

He said concrete efforts were needed to understand how young people are being radicalised using digital technology by terror outfits like ISIS and come out with solution to the problem. Complimenting India for its efforts to contain insurgency in the northeastern states, particularly Mizoram, he said it can be a lesson in dealing with broader challenge of violent extremism in various parts of the globe.

Noting that social media has become a key platform for ISIS to lure young people into terrorism, he said efforts and resources must be mobilised locally and globally in fight against terror and violent extremism. He said ISIS had recruited a around 40,000 people over the last 4 years.

PTI

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 17:02 [IST]
The worlds political and economic elites met Tuesday for the first day of the annual World Economic Forum. Yahoo Finances editor-in-chief, Andy Serwer, is covering the event in wintry Davos, Switzerland, and sat down with Salesforce (CRM) founder and CEO Marc Benioff to discuss his thoughts on the conference, whether Salesforce should advocate public policy and if Benioff will work with President-elect Donald Trump when hes sworn into office.

This is a place that you can get all kinds of knowledge of whats happening in the world, Benioff told Yahoo Finance. Its a tremendous opportunity for personal growth.

The World Economic Forum is meant to help politicians and business leaders address some of the worlds most pressing social, political and environmental issues.

Benioff subscribes to the WEF stakeholder theory, which posits that an organization is beholden to its employees and community members, as well as its shareholders. He believes the conference is a place where people can commit to improving the state of the world.

Thats not just a hollow talking point, either. Benioff explained how he threw his weight behind an effort to fight Indianas proposed religious freedom law in 2015, which critics said would have allowed businesses to discriminate against LGBT individuals by refusing them service.

Our employees were calling us and saying, Look, the governor just signed a law thats going to discriminate against gays in Indiana, are you going to step in, or are you not going to step in? We had no choice but to step in, Benioff said.

The Salesforce CEO, who supported Hillary Clinton during her presidential campaign, said he will continue to advocate on behalf of his company and shareholders regardless of whos president.

Im not changing how I operate my business, Benioff said. Im continuing to operate my business for all of my stakeholders, exactly like I said, including all of our employees.

Benioff said he is moving forward with an open heart and open mind with regard to Trump.

Story continues

One thing that I certainly hope [Trump] does is to take a good, hard look at how all of our agencies operate, he explained. I know that they are still using a lot of on-premises software in the government. And I hope that theyll be looking to go to the cloud and to some of these next-generation solutions that companies like Salesforce and others offer that help them to lower costs and make things easier for all of the citizens of the United States.

More from Dan:

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
Why militants funerals in J&K are a reason for worry

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Kashmir witnessed another unfortunate scene on Monday when several thousand people gathered for the funeral of the three militants belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit who were gunned down by security forces at the Awora village in Pahalgam. The three militants had planned a major attack, before specific intelligence on them led the security forces to their hideout.

The disturbing trend of the locals attending militants' funerals in the valley does not seem to die down. An officer posted in the valley says that the people tend to attend such funerals in large numbers especially when the militant is a local. "There is no logic or justification, but it continues to happen," he says. Moreover in the midst of an operation, the locals gather around the encounter site and pelt stones at the security forces. This was witnessed in the Awora encounter too.

[Also read:The menace of Kashmiris attending militant funerals is back]

Missing the point:

The Indian Army always gives local militants a chance to surrender. There have been several such instances when a militant is holed up given a chance to surrender. When the militant has refused to surrender, the army brings the family members in a bid to coax him to give up arms.

However, there are some militants who refuse to surrender and the security forces have no option but to engage them in battle. The killing of Burhan Wani became the reason for the Kashmir unrest that began on July 9, 2016. Since then, it has become a trend for locals to attend militant funerals.

Take the case of Rayees Ahmed Dar the Lashkar-e-Tayiba militant who was gunned down in Kakpora. Crowds had come in large numbers and even raised pro-azadi slogans.

Turning them into martyrs

The death of Abu Qasim, the dreaded LeT militant also witnessed similar scenes. The man with a reward of Rs 20 lakh on his head was given a hero's good bye by the people of Kulgam. Thousands in all age groups turned up at his funeral and mourned his death. Women were wailing and the impression that one got after witnessing this was that a terrorist had been turned into a martyr. The case of Qasim is even more ironic considering he was a Pakistani.

Going by the recent events, it appears as though Kashmir is being pushed back to what it was in the late 90s. The crowds at the funerals of militants suggests a sense of defiance. People feel that Kashmir should be viewed as a political issue. There is a great deal of insecurity among the youth in particular who complain of being alienated. Such an existing scenario in Kashmir has led to this defiance and attending these funerals is nothing but an attempt to send a message out to the government.

OneIndia News
180 dead in migrant boat disaster in Mediterranean: survivors

International

oi-PTI

Rome, Jan 17: Four people died and nearly 180 are missing, presumed dead, after Saturday's migrant ship capsize in the Mediterranean, officials said today after interviewing a handful of survivors. Humanitarian workers from International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), recounted harrowing details of the latest major tragedy in waters off Libya after talking to four rescued passengers, two Eritreans and two Ethiopians, who arrived last evening in the Sicilian port of Trapani.

The survivors, three men and one woman, were described as "traumatised and exhausted". They said their two-tier, wooden boat had left Libya on Friday with more 180 people packed on board, all of them originally from East Africa. After five hours at sea, the engine cut out and the boat started to take on water. As it slowly sank, more and more of the people on board were submerged under water.

One of the survivors described his desperate effort to find his wife, who had taken a spot in the centre of the ship. After hours in the water, the survivors were rescued on Saturday 30 nautical miles from the Libyan coast by a French boat operating as part of the European borders agency Frontex's Operation Triton before being transferred to another Frontex ship, the Siem Pilot. Siem Pilot, provided by the Norwegian coastguard, arrived in Trapani last evening with the four survivors, four recovered corpses and 34 people rescued from another stricken migrant boat.

The latest deaths and rescues follow a record year for the number of migrants trying to reach Europe on the western Mediterranean route from north Africa to Italy. Some 181,000 people were registered at Italian ports in 2016 while the UNHCR recorded more than 5,000 deaths and presumed deaths on all migrant routes across the Mediterranean. Despite the mid-winter weather making crossings particularly perilous, the start of 2017 has brought no sign of departures slowing with some 2,300 migrants already registered in Italy since January 1.

PTI
In Turkey, freedom is in danger

International news brief: Series of earthquakes rattle Hawaii and more

Turkey holds off on Finland and Sweden in NATO

Breakthrough in Istanbul nightclub attack: What we know of the suspect so far

International

oi-Vicky

Istanbul, Jan 17: In what could be considered as a major relief to the Turkish authorities, the suspect in the Istanbul Reina club attack that left 39 dead, has been arrested.

[Also Read: New Year's massacre: Istanbul nightclub attacker, who killed 39, caught by police in Turkey]

The suspect has been identified as Abdulkadir Masharipov. The Uzbek national was arrested from the home of his friend in Istanbul.

The New Year's Eve attack at the Reina club had left 39 dead. The deceased included citizens of Israel, France, Tunisia, India, Belgium, Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

What we know about the Istanbul attacker?

- The suspect is said to have carried out the attack in the name of the Islamic State.

- Abdulkadir is originally from Uzbekistan

- He arrived in Konya, central Turkey, with his family in 2016

- He assumed the name Ebu Mohammad Horasani

- He rented a flat along with a woman and two children in Konya

- He arrived in Istanbul on December 15

- The suspect arrived at the Reina club on New Year's eve by taxi and then carried out the killings.

OneIndia News
Donald Trump has worst approval rating

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Washington, Jan 17: Donald Trump will become President on Friday with an approval rating of just 40 per cent, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll, the lowest of any recent President and 44 points below that of outgoing President Barack Obama.

Following a tumultuous transition period, approval ratings for Trump's handling of the transition are more than 20 points below those for any of his three most recent predecessors, reported CNN on Tuesday.

Obama took the oath in 2009 with an 84 per cent approval rating, 67 per cent approved of Clinton's transition as of late December 1992 and 61 per cent approved of George W. Bush's transition just before he took office in January 2001. According to the report, Trump's wobbly handling of the presidential transition has left most Americans with growing doubts about the President-elect's ability to handle the job.

About 53 per cent say Trump's statements and actions since Election Day have made them less confident in his ability to handle the presidency, and the public is split evenly on whether Trump will be a good or poor President (48 per cent on each side). Americans' impressions of Trump have worsened since November. Trump's favourability rating has taken less of a hit, decreasing by just 3 points to 44 per cent, shows the poll.

Despite these declines, many Americans remain confident that Trump will achieve several signature campaign promises, with most saying it's at least somewhat likely that he will impose tariffs on companies that manufacture goods in Mexico (71 per cent), renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement(61 per cent) and create good-paying jobs in economically challenged areas (61 per cent).

About 50 per cent of Americans think Trump will be able to simplify the tax code or protect sensitive electronic information from theft by foreign governments (48 per cent). About 44 per cent say it's likely that Trump will be able to build a wall along the border with Mexico. About 4-in-10 think that the President-elect will be able to defeat ISIS, down from 50 per cent in November.

More broadly, less than half (46 per cent) say Trump's priorities for the country reflect their own. The country is almost evenly divided on whether the policies he's proposed will move the country in the right direction or the wrong one (48 per cent right direction, 49 per cent wrong direction). Trump's approval rating for handling the transition is almost 30 points higher among rural residents than it is among urbanites while it is nearly 20 points higher among men than women and among whites than non-whites.

Opinions on Melania Trump are mixed, with a sizable share still unsure how they feel about the incoming first lady (36 per cent favourable, 35 per cent unfavourable, 28 per cent unsure). Trump's daughter Ivanka heads into her role in the first family with more goodwill than her father or the future first lady.

Overall, 44 per cent have a favourable impression of her, 33 per cent unfavourable, with 23 per cent saying they're unsure. The CNN/ORC Poll was conducted on January 12-15 among a random national sample of 1,000 adults.

IANS
All you need to Know about MH370:

The Boeing 777 was on its way from Kuala Lumpar to Hong Kong on March 8 2014 when it disappeared from radar with 239 passengers and crew on board.

All eyes on the lookout for any floating matter:

The Australia Defence Department, Royal Australian Air Force Loadmasters launched a Self Locating Data Marker Buoy from a C-130J Hercules aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean as part of the Australian Defence Force's assistance to the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. PTI

No end to grief or hope:

Grief-stricken woman, who had three family members on board the missing Malaysia Airline flight MH370, cries as she recounts her search for answers in Beijing. PTI

Well wisher note for the passengers of missing MH370:

A Malaysian woman writes well wishes on a wall of hope during a remembrance event for the ill fated Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 6, 2016. PTI

Ending all hopes of solving aviation's greatest mystery:

The ministers of the three countries conducting the operation announced on January 17, 2017 announced that the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 will be suspended once the current search area in the Indian Ocean has been done.

Caption: Sand artist sudarshan Pattnaik has creates sand sculpture of the missing Malayasian flight. PTI
Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat gets invitation to visit Nepal

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Kathmandu, Jan 17: Nepal has extended an invitation to new Indian Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat to visit the country in February, a Nepal Army spokesperson here said.

A cabinet meeting recently approved issuance of an invitation for the new Indian Army chief to Nepal which would possibly the first foreign visit by Gen Rawat after assuming office on December 31.

Nepal Army spokesperson Brig Gen Tara Bahadur Karki said the proposed visit of Gen Rawat has been approved recently and the itinerary of his visit would be made public soon. The visit will come at a time when Nepal and China are holding their first-ever military exercise in Nepal.

The proposed military drill between Nepal and China, with the aim of counter-terrorism and disaster management, has raised eyebrows in strategic circle in New Delhi due to traditionally close military and strategic ties between Nepal and India. During the visit, as per established practice, Gen. Rawat will be conferred with the rank of honorary General of the Nepal Army by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

A special function will be organised at the President's Office for the function where Gen Rawat, a Gurkha Regiment officer of the Indian Army, will be honoured for his "commendable military prowess and immeasurable contribution to fostering India's long standing and friendly ties with Nepal".

Nepal and India have a long-established tradition of conferring the rank of honorary General on each other's army chiefs. During his visit, Gen. Rawat will hold meetings with his counterpart, Gen. Rajendra Chhetri, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Defence Minister Bal Krishna Khand, among others.

IANS
Kremlin denies Putin-Trump meeting on neutral ground

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Moscow, Jan 17: The Kremlin denied that an agreement was reached on a meeting between the Russian President and the United States President-elect on neutral ground.

Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained on Monday that all information on preliminary agreements on a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump is incorrect, Efe news reported.

Peskov emphasized that Putin and Trump have not addressed the possibility of a future meeting and there are no preparations in progress on this matter. The spokesman pointed out that the Russian embassy in Washington has only communicated with the Trump team for protocol reasons.

A British newspaper reported that an early meeting between Putin and Trump will be held in Reykjavik, Iceland.

As for Trump's proposal to end sanctions against Russia in exchange for a new cut of the nuclear arsenals, Peskov stressed that Moscow would not take any initiative until Trump's inauguration.

IANS

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 8:34 [IST]
N.Korea lashes out at US over new sanctions

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Pyongyang, Jan 17: North Korea on Tuesday called the US' new sanctions on seven of its high-ranking officials including the younger sister of leader Kim Jong-un, "the last-ditch efforts" to tarnish Pyongyang's image.

"This is nothing but Washington's last resort to tarnish North Korea's image in the light of the present Pyongyang-Washington relations," said a statement released by the North Korean state agency KCNA.

The new sanctions, which follow those imposed on Kim and another 10 senior regime officials in July 2016, call for prohibiting the entry of North Korean personnel into the US and conducting business with Americans, and the freezing of their assets, Efe news reported.

"This is the last-ditch efforts of those whose days are numbered," KCNA said.

Pyongyang also advised President Barack Obama "not to waste time" with the affairs of others but should instead devote himself to making "good arrangements for packing in the White House".

The US Department of the Treasury on January 11 imposed sanctions on seven senior North Korean officials in response to "serious human rights abuses and censorship".

Among those included on the list is Kim Won-hong, the Minister of State Security, an agency that Washington considers responsible for torture activities in the country's prison camp network.

Kim Yo-jong, the leader's sister and deputy director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the North Korean Workers Party, as well as the State Planning Commission and Ministry of Labour, was also sanctioned.

IANS

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 14:41 [IST]
New Year's massacre: Istanbul nightclub attacker, who killed 39, caught by police in Turkey

International

oi-PTI

Istanbul, Jan 17: A gunman who killed 39 people during an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year's celebrations has been caught in a police operation, Turkish media reports said on Tuesday.

The suspect was caught in a special operations police raid on a house in a housing complex in Istanbul's Esenyurt district, private NTV television said. The report said he had been staying in the house belonging to a Kyrgyz friend.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the nightclub massacre, saying the attack was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria. The man identified as the suspect had been on the run since the attack.

Hurriyet newspaper and other media have identified the gunman as Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national. The suspect was to undergo medical checks before being taken to a police headquarters for questioning, the paper said in its online edition.

Dogan news agency published what it said was the first image of the attacker. It showed a bruised, black-haired man in a grey, bloodied shirt being held by his neck. Private NTV television said the gunman had resisted arrest.

PTI
Nigeria: Jet mistakenly bombs refugee camp, kills around 100

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Kano, Jan 18: An Air Force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists in Nigeria has mistakenly bombed a refugee camp, killing nearly 100 refugees and wounding aid workers.

The Borno state government official is helping to coordinate the evacuation of wounded, AP reported. Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirms the accidental bombardment in northeast Rann, near the border with Cameroon. The general says among the wounded are Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

This is believed to be the first time Nigeria's military has admitted to making such a mistake.

Irabor said the jet's pilot had mistakenly believed he was attacking insurgents. He said the mission had been ordered, based on intelligence about a gathering of Boko Haram fighters.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a message expressing his dismay at the loss of life and pleading for calm.

OneIndia News
Multinational software giant SAP SE (XETRA: SAP-DE) has called on the incoming Trump administration to rethink any punitive tariffs and tax policies as it sets out to create 10,000 new jobs in the U.S. over the next year.

The firm, which currently serves 25 industries across 190 countries, aims to significantly boost its business in the U.S. over the coming 13 months, chief executive Bill McDermott told CNBC's Squawk Box at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

However, he said that he was worried that added taxes and tariffs could be "problematic" for these goals.

"We obviously don't want to get into any difficulties on tariffs, we want to create jobs and create economic opportunity."

McDermott said the firm would be creating contingency plans should Trump's widely-touted punitive policies come into play, however he added that ultimately he did not believe they would cause any "real issues".





"It's hard to grow without using technology. [Trump] is obviously going to be pro-growth, pro-jobs, 'Make America Great Again'. I don't know how you could do that without tech, so I think it's going to be at the forefront of helping him with his agenda," noted McDermott.



He added that this is the generation to "unleash people", investing particularly in young recruits to drive forward business strategies.

One of SAP's main aims over the coming months and years will be automating the supply chain.

McDermott said this would be crucial alongside connecting with the consumer.

"It's okay to focus on the consumer as long as you optimize the supply chain. That's how companies grow and grow profitably."





Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.





More From CNBC


Fact Check: This video of a bus being attacked is from Egypt and not related to the ongoing violence in Iraq

Terror attack in Egypt: 8 security personnel killed

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Cairo, Jan 17: At least eight security personnel were killed and three others injured in a terror attack on a checkpoint in Egypt's New Valley Governorate, some 600 km south of Cairo, according to a statement of Egypt's Health Ministry.

The statement said that the armed forces have reached the scene and killed two attackers while in chase of others, Xinhua news agency reported.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Anti-security attacks are common in Egypt after the ouster of the Islamist president Mohamed Morsi by the army in 2013.

Most of the attacks were centred in Sinai, but others have been crept into the capital Cairo and other cities.

On December 9, six policemen were killed when bombs exploded at a security checkpoint in Cairo in a road leading to the Giza Pyramids.

IANS


Theresa May unveils 12-point plan to leave European Union

International

oi-PTI

London, Jan 17: British Prime Minister Theresa May today unveiled her 12-point plan to leave European Union, saying she wants the Brexit deal within two years, but implementation would be 'phased' to avoid a "cliff edge."

In her much-anticipated speech in London today, May also said that the both houses of the British parliament will vote on any final Brexit agreement, amid pressure from lawmakers to have more say over leaving the 28-nation economic bloc.

"I can confirm that the government will put the final deal to a vote in both houses of parliament before it comes into force," she said in the landmark 40-minute long speech.

In her address at Lancaster House to senior officials working on Brexit and representatives from around the world, May said it "remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's national interest that the EU should succeed."

The UK voted to leave the EU in a referendum on June 23 by a margin of 51.9 per cent to 48.1 per cent.

PTI
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All rights reserved.

One News is a registered trademark

of One News Page Ltd.
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New Jersey Online Gambling Revenue Hits Record-High in December 2016

Published January 16, 2017 by Elana K

New Jersey online gambling revenue hit a record-high in December 2016 - nearly $18.4 million.

New Jerseys online gaming operators ended the year 2016 on quite a high note - a record-breaking high note. Online gaming revenue in December 2016 neared the $18.4 million mark, $1 million more than the previous record, which was hit in July, and 31% more than the revenue earned in December 2015.

The Golden Nugget did a lot to contribute to this record high - it brought in $4.79 million, almost $1.9 million more than it did in December 2015. This is the third time in the past four months that the Golden Nugget has out-earned its competitors, and it now holds the record for highest monthly income earned by any New Jersey casino operator.

Borgata Casinos online sites came in second-place, with a revenue total of $3.71 million in December. On the surface, the numbers are not bad, but when compared with December 2015, it shows a 6.5% decrease.

On the other hand, Caesars Interactive came in third, with a not-too-shabby revenue of $4.66 million, up 18% from December 2015.

Overall, 2016 Was a Good Year for New Jersey

When online gambling launched in New Jersey in 2013, it got off to a bit of a rocky start. But the states operators seem to have hit their stride in 2016, with consistent increases and an overall revenue of $196.7 million - a 36% increase in casino gaming and an 11.3% increase for online poker.

Taking on 2017

Donald Trump hasnt even been sworn in yet, but speculations are abounding about what his take on online gambling will be. His nominee for Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, has come out swinging against online gambling, and has openly voiced his criticism for the 2011 interpretation of the DOJ Office of Legal Counsel that made it legal for individual states to regulate online gambling.

But New Jersey is not going to take this lying down. State Senator Raymond Lesniak has said that online gambling is "critical" to the state of New Jersey, and should Sessions try to stop it, New Jersey will slap a lawsuit on him in a heartbeat.

So while the future is unsure as of now, its good to know that New Jersey will not allow its right to be steamrolled, especially when its online gambling endeavor continues to bring in high profits.
Stephen Colbert Trump

Stephen Colbert used his opening of Monday's "The Late Show" to look back on the busy Martin Luther King Jr. weekend President-elect Donald Trump had.

It originally was to include Trump visiting the National Museum of African-American History on Monday, but those plans were changed due to "scheduling issues."

In a way that might be good. The last thing we need is Trump learning more about segregation, Colbert said.

But many believed Trump canceled his visit to the museum due to his tweets early Saturday morning calling Congressman John Lewis "All talk, talk, talk  no action."

Lewis, a civil rights icon who was alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in his historic march from Selma, Alabama, to the state capitol in Montgomery in 1965, got in the crosshairs of Trump after he said in an interview with "Meet the Press" that he didn't feel the president-elect was a "legitimate president."

John Lewis is all talk, talk, talk, unlike a real leader like Trump whos all tweet, tweet, tweet, Colbert said.

Colbert also found time to mention a story that was widely shared over the weekend, reporting that the Trump administration is possibly looking to move the press out of the White House, where they have had a spot inside since Teddy Roosevelt was in office.

So there you have it, the free press joins Trumps enemies list," Colbert said. "Along with intelligence agencies, civil rights leaders, Meryl Streep, and non-absorbent hotel mattresses."

Watch Colbert's complete opening below:

NOW WATCH: Mark Hamill is reading Trumps tweets in his iconic Joker voice  and its hilarious





More From Business Insider


Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York:

RON Transatlantic EG and HNA Capital U.S., the New York-based investment arm of $90 billion Chinese conglomerate HNA Group, will buy New York-based SkyBridge Capital for an undisclosed sum. The deal comes after news that SkyBridge founder and CEO Anthony Scaramucci was appointed assistant to the president for the incoming Trump administration.

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2017. SkyBridge declined to comment on terms.

Scaramucci will be stepping down from his role at the $12 billion hedge fund of funds firm, but the current senior management team and its full investment team will remain intact. George Hornig, CEO of RON Transatlantic Financial Holdings will join the board at SkyBridge in order to expand products and distribution channels for the firm.

SkyBridge will also spin out the SALT Conference into a standalone company around the event. This year's SALT Conference, scheduled to be held May 16-19, 2017, in Las Vegas, will continue as planned.

As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, Scaramucci was appointed assistant to the president, director of the office of public liaison, for the incoming Trump administration last week. In the role, Scaramucci will work with both the US business community and political interests to further the goals o......................

To view our full article Click here
From Dispatches From The Edge



Towards a stronger European economic governance

(Image by Simon Blackley) Details DMCA



When European Union President Jean-Claude Juncker addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg this past September, he told them the organization was facing an "existential crisis" and "national governments so weakened by the forces of populism and paralyzed by the risk of defeat in the next election."

Indeed it has been a bad year for the huge trading group:

The "Brexit," or the United Kingdom's vote to withdraw.





Rome's referendum to amend the country's constitution was trounced, and several Italian banks are in deep trouble.





The austerity policies of the EU have kept most of its members' economies either anemic or dead in the water. Even those showing growth, like Ireland and Spain, have yet to return to where they were before the 2008 economic melt down. Between 2007 and 2016, purchasing power fell 8 percent in Spain and 11 percent in Italy,

It is also true that number of national governments -- in particular those in Germany and France -- are looking nervously over their shoulders at parties to their right.

But the crisis of the EU does not spring from "populism," a term that many times obscures more than it reveals, lumping together neo-fascist parties, like France's National Front and Germany's Alternative for Germany, with left parties, like Spain's Podemos. Populism, as Juncker uses it, has a vaguely atavistic odor to it: ignorant peasants with torches and pitchforks storming the citadels of civilization.

But the barbarians at the EU's gate did not just appear out of Europe's dark forests like the Goths and Vandals of old. They were raised up by the profoundly flawed way that the Union was established in the first place, flaws that did not reveal themselves until an economic crisis took center stage.

That the crisis is existential, there is little doubt. In fact, the odds are pretty good that the EU will not be here in its current form a decade from now -- and possibly considerably sooner. But Juncker's solutions include a modest spending program aimed at business, closer military ties among the 28 -- soon to be 27 -- members of the organization, and the creation of a "European Solidarity Corps" of young volunteers to help out in cases of disasters, like earthquakes. But there was nothing to address the horrendous unemployment rate among young Europeans. In short, rearranging the Titanic's deck chairs while the ice looms up to starboard.

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This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

Heading into the Trump era, our American world already feels like it's overheating badly. The headlines careen from the president-elect's tweets against Meryl Streep ("one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood...!") to conflicts over conflicts of interest to secret briefings by the intelligence community on highly compromising (but unsubstantiated and possibly completely insubstantial) "personal and financial information" about the president-elect supposedly gathered by the Russians, including sex videos of him with prostitutes in Moscow ("'kompromat,' or compromising material, with the possible goal of blackmailing Mr. Trump in the future"). The Trump-Russian "dossier," paid for by his political opponents, including claims about contacts between his campaign and Russian officials, has reportedly been circulating for some time "among intelligence agencies, senior members of Congress, and other government officials in Washington."

In such an extreme hothouse atmosphere, it's not surprising when even the most curious of figures can start to look like -- as one former State Department official testifying before Congress put it recently -- a "stabilizing and moderating force, preventing wildly stupid, dangerous, and illegal things from happening." That was Eliot Cohen discussing retired Marine General James "Mad Dog" Mattis, Trump's nominee for secretary of defense, and it's true that if you're comparing him to retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, the new national security adviser, or Mike Pompeo, the prospective head of the CIA, Mattis may indeed look remarkably sane and even moderate.

But let's try to keep things in perspective. Recently, the Washington Post featured a piece by Greg Jaffe and Adam Entous on General Mattis's tenure as the head of U.S. Central Command that, amid the screaming headlines of this moment, came and went unnoticed. Embedded in it was this little gem: in 2011, when Iranian-backed insurgents in Iraq, using Iranian-supplied rockets, were killing American troops, Mattis grew increasingly incensed. As a result, he formulated a plan, which made it to (and was rejected by) the Obama White House, to launch a direct American "dead-of-night" attack on Iran either to take out a power plant or an oil refinery. This "World War III scenario" -- the willingness to take a chance, that is, on sparking a regional conflagration -- and the urge to act preemptively (including against "Iranian swarm boats" in the Persian Gulf) finally led to his being replaced as CENTCOM commander five months early.

This, then, is what we know of the man generally agreed to be the sanest, most down-to-earth figure on Trump's national security team. Keep that in mind as TomDispatch regular Michael Klare takes us on a quick tour of our present planetary hot spots (including Iran), any of which could blow sky high as Donald Trump and his team of "mad dogs" take office. Tom

Escalation Watch

Four Looming Flashpoints Facing President Trump

By Michael T. Klare Within months of taking office, President Donald Trump is likely to face one or more major international crises, possibly entailing a risk of nuclear escalation. Not since the end of the Cold War has a new chief executive been confronted with as many potential flashpoints involving such a risk of explosive conflict. This proliferation of crises has been brewing for some time, but the situation appears especially ominous now given Trump's pledge to bring American military force swiftly to bear on any threats of foreign transgression. With so much at risk, it's none too soon to go on a permanent escalation watch, monitoring the major global hotspots for any sign of imminent flare-ups, hoping that early warnings (and the outcry that goes with them) might help avert catastrophe. Looking at the world today, four areas appear to pose an especially high risk of sudden crisis and conflict: North Korea, the South China Sea, the Baltic Sea region, and the Middle East. Each of them has been the past site of recurring clashes, and all are primed to explode early in the Trump presidency. Why are we seeing so many potential crises now? Is this period really different from earlier presidential transitions? It's true that the changeover from one presidential administration to another can be a time of global uncertainty, given America's pivotal importance in world affairs and the natural inclination of rival powers to test the mettle of the country's new leader. There are, however, other factors that make this moment particularly worrisome, including the changing nature of the world order, the personalities of its key leaders, and an ominous shift in military doctrine. Just as the United States is going through a major political transition, so is the planet at large. The sole-superpower system of the post-Cold War era is finally giving way to a multipolar, if not increasingly fragmented, world in which the United States must share the limelight with other major actors, including China, Russia, India, and Iran. Political scientists remind us that transitional periods can often prove disruptive, as "status quo" powers (in this case, the United States) resist challenges to their dominance from "revisionist" states seeking to alter the global power equation. Typically, this can entail proxy wars and other kinds of sparring over contested areas, as has recently been the case in Syria, the Baltic, and the South China Sea. This is where the personalities of key leaders enter the equation. Though President Obama oversaw constant warfare, he was temperamentally disinclined to respond with force to every overseas crisis and provocation, fearing involvement in yet more foreign wars like Iraq and Afghanistan. His critics, including Donald Trump, complained bitterly that this stance only encouraged foreign adversaries to up their game, convinced that the U.S. had lost its will to resist provocation. In a Trump administration, as The Donald indicated on the campaign trail last year, America's adversaries should expect far tougher responses. Asked in September, for instance, about an incident in the Persian Gulf in which Iranian gunboats approached American warships in a threatening manner, he typically told reporters, "When they circle our beautiful destroyers with their little boats and make gestures that... they shouldn't be allowed to make, they will be shot out of the water." Although with Russia, unlike Iran, Trump has promised to improve relations, there's no escaping the fact that Vladimir Putin's urge to restore some of his country's long-lost superpower glory could lead to confrontations with NATO powers that would put the new American president in a distinctly awkward position. Regarding Asia, Trump has often spoken of his intent to punish China for what he considers its predatory trade practices, a stance guaranteed to clash with President Xi Jinping's goal of restoring his country's greatness. This should, in turn, generate additional possibilities for confrontation, especially in the contested South China Sea. Both Putin and Xi, moreover, are facing economic difficulties at home and view foreign adventurism as a way of distracting public attention from disappointing domestic performances. These factors alone would ensure that this was a moment of potential international crisis, but something else gives it a truly dangerous edge: a growing strategic reliance in Russia and elsewhere on the early use of nuclear weapons to overcome deficiencies in "conventional" firepower. For the United States, with its overwhelming superiority in such firepower, nuclear weapons have lost all conceivable use except as a "deterrent" against a highly unlikely first-strike attack by an enemy power. For Russia, however, lacking the means to compete on equal terms with the West in conventional weaponry, this no longer seems reasonable. So Russian strategists, feeling threatened by the way NATO has moved ever closer to its borders, are now callingfor the early use of "tactical" nuclear munitions to overpower stronger enemy forces. Under Russia's latest military doctrine, major combat units are now to be trained and equipped to employ such weapons at the first sign of impending defeat, either to blackmail enemy countries into submission or annihilate them. Following this doctrine, Russia has developed the nuclear-capable Iskander ballistic missile (a successor to the infamous "Scud" missile used by Saddam Hussein in attacks on Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia) and forward deployed it to Kaliningrad, a small sliver of Russian territory sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania. In response, NATO strategists are discussing ways to more forcefully demonstrate the West's own capacity to use tactical nuclear arms in Europe, for example by including more nuclear-capable bombers in future NATO exercises. As a result, the "firebreak" between conventional and nuclear warfare -- that theoretical barrier to escalation -- seems to be narrowing, and you have a situation in which every crisis involving a nuclear state may potentially prove to be a nuclear crisis.

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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 Kall's book, Bottom-Up: Tapping the Power of the Connection Revolution has really caused me to relook and reframe many of my thoughts on where our connectedness using social media tools like LinkedIn is headed, and not just for career trajectory but for life. If you are looking for a new perspective on our sometimes zany digital world we live in, this book will keep you reading and may ultimately revise but for sure challenge your current paradigm."



Wayne Breitbarth, author of The Power Formula for Linkedin Success: Kick-Start Your Business, Brand, and Job Search
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See original here

MEMORANDUM FOR: President Barack Obama

FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS)

SUBJECT: A Key Issue That Still Needs to be Resolved

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take the oath of office Friday, a pall hangs over his upcoming presidency amid an unprecedentedly concerted campaign to delegitimize it. Unconfirmed accusations continue to swirl alleging that Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized "Russian hacking" that helped put Mr. Trump in the White House.

As President for a few more days, you have the power to demand concrete evidence of a link between the Russians and WikiLeaks, which published the bulk of the information in question. Lacking that evidence, the American people should be told that there is no fire under the smoke and mirrors of recent weeks.

We urge you to authorize public release of any tangible evidence that takes us beyond the unsubstantiated, "we-assess" judgments by the intelligence agencies. Otherwise, we -- as well as other skeptical Americans -- will be left with the corrosive suspicion that the intense campaign of accusations is part of a wider attempt to discredit the Russians and those -- like Mr. Trump -- who wish to deal constructively with them.

Remember the Maine?

Alleged Russian interference has been labeled "an act of war" and Mr. Trump a "traitor." But the "intelligence" served up to support those charges does not pass the smell test. Your press conference on Wednesday will give you a chance to respond more persuasively to NBC's Peter Alexander's challenge at the last one (on Dec. 16) "to show the proof [and], as they say, put your money where your mouth is and declassify some of the intelligence..."



Donald Trump speaking with supporters at a campaign rally at the Prescott Valley Event Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona. October 4, 2016.

(Image by (Flickr Gage Skidmore)) Details DMCA



You told Alexander you were reluctant to "compromise sources and methods." We can understand that concern better than most Americans. We would remind you, though, that at critical junctures in the past, your predecessors made judicious decisions to give higher priority to buttressing the credibility of U.S. intelligence-based policy than to protecting sources and methods. With the Kremlin widely accused by politicians and pundits of "an act of war," this is the kind of textbook case in which you might seriously consider taking special pains to substantiate serious allegations with hard intelligence -- if there is any.

During the Cuban missile crisis, for instance, President Kennedy ordered us to show highly classified photos of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba and on ships en route, even though this blew sensitive detail regarding the imagery intelligence capabilities of the cameras on our U-2 aircraft.

President Ronald Reagan's reaction to the Libyan terrorist bombing of La Belle Disco in Berlin on April 5, 1986, that killed two and injured 79 other U.S. servicemen is another case in point. We had intercepted a Libyan message that morning: "At 1:30 in the morning one of the acts was carried out with success, without leaving a trace behind." (We should add here that NSA's dragnet SIGINT capability 30 years later renders it virtually impossible to avoid "leaving a trace behind" once a message is put on the network.)

President Reagan ordered the U.S. Air Force to bomb Col. Muammar Qaddafi's palace compound to smithereens, killing several civilians. Amid widespread international consternation and demands for proof that Libya was responsible for the Berlin attack, President Reagan ordered us to make public the encrypted Libyan message, thereby sacrificing a collection/decryption capability unknown to the Libyans -- until then.

As senior CIA veteran Milton Bearden has put it, there are occasions when more damage is done by "protecting" sources and methods than by revealing them.

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The government ethics officer who last week criticized President-elect Donald Trump for his decision not to divest himself of his assets before taking office is now under fire from both Trumps transition team and the chairman of a committee in the House of Representatives that could stand in the way of his agencys legislative reauthorization.

Without presenting any evidence, Reince Priebus, Trumps incoming chief of staff, on Sunday accused Walter Shaub, the head of the Office of Government Ethics, of being ethically compromised himself. Not long afterward House Oversight and Investigations Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) declared that he believes Shaub, in criticizing Trump, has been unethical.

Related: Blind Trust in Donald Trump Could Be Costly

The anger at Shaub arose primarily from remarks he delivered at the Brookings Institution last week, in which he declared Trumps plan to hand over management of his company to his sons while retaining ownership a meaningless gesture that does nothing to ameliorate the conflicts of interest he will face as president. Like many ethics experts, Shaub had said that only total divestiture would insulate Trump from potential accusations of self-dealing.

It's important to understand that the president is now entering a world of public service. He's going to be asking his own appointees to make sacrifices, he said. He's going to be asking our men and women in uniform to risk their lives in conflicts around the world. So, no, I don't think divestiture is too high a price to pay to be the president of the United States of America.

Priebus, in an appearance on ABCs This Week, sounded a vaguely threatening note, saying, The head of the government ethics ought to be careful because that person is becoming extremely political. Apparently, may have made a -- publicly supported Hillary Clinton as calling out the president with information on Twitter about our disentangling of the business over a month ago.

Story continues

So I'm not so sure what this person at Government Ethics, what sort of standing he has anymore in giving these opinions.

Related: 4 Ways Trumps Conflicts of Interest Could Actually Hurt the US

Chaffetz, appearing on the same program, called attention to a series of tweets from the OGE Twitter account from Nov. 30, which Shaub had written. They praised Trump for his decision to divest his assets, despite the fact that the president-elect had made no such announcement. Shaub later said that he was trying to nudge Trump in the right direction using the vernacular of the president-elects favorite social media platform.

My question is about the head of the Office of Government Ethics. Is he acting ethically when he sent out nine tweets praising Donald Trump saying that his plan was brilliant? Chaffetz asked. How did he come to that conclusion? And how does he come to his current conclusions having never done an investigation and never looked at the paperwork in the point where he can actually come to a reasonable conclusion? I think that's unethical.

Chaffetz last week released a letter he had sent Shaub demanding that he present himself to staff members of his committee for a transcribed interview and left no doubt that the funding of his agency -- and his job -- would hang on whether or not Chaffetz approved of his answers.

He also said that he was not inclined to request information on Trumps businesses once he is sworn in. Multiple ethics experts have warned that as both president and owner of the Trump Organization, Trump will immediately be in violation of the Constitutions emoluments clause, which bars elected officials from accepting payments from foreign governments. Chaffetz said investigating Trumps ties to foreign governments would be a fishing expedition.

Indeed, the emoluments clause is not as black and white as some have alleged. Two different articles by constitutional scholars highlight the ambiguity. A piece in The New York Times by Seth Barrett Tillman argues that the Foreign Gifts Clause in the constitution does not apply to the President. Whether or not Donald Trump is violating the letter or spirit of the emoluments law is argued in The Washington Post by Jonathan H. Adler who says:

Whether or not one concludes that Trumps business dealings violate the letter or the spirit of the Emoluments Clause, the underlying controversy is almost certainly non-justiciable. It is difficult to conceive of a scenario in which someone would have standing to challenge Trumps arrangements and even harder to think what sort of remedy could be ordered by a court. In other words, if there are concerns about how President Trump handles his various investments, the only remedies will be political.

Related: Trumps Health Secretary Invested in a Company Linked to the Opioid Epidemic

The pressure being put on Shaub, and the disinterest in Trumps potential conflicts has infuriated longtime ethics experts.

Ambassador Norman Eisen, the former chief ethics officer for the Obama administration, said, I think that is terrible. Walt Shaub is a dedicated public servant, has come up through the ranks under both Democrats and Republicans...Walt Shaub is a true ethics hero for speaking out.

The Office of Government Ethics has taken the right position on this, one consistent with many Republicans and Democrats, said Richard Painter, the former chief ethics officer for the George W. Bush administration.

I believe yes, if he doesn't make sure that all the foreign government payments -- and this includes banks and other corporations owned by foreign governments and sovereign wealth funds, that all of that money is not out of the Trump organization by Friday, when he takes the oath, he will be in violation of the Constitution," Painter said.

Eisen went on to criticize Chaffetz for placing his focus on a bureaucrat rather than the incoming president. Why is Congressman Chaffetz investigating Walter Shaub for doing his job...for speaking so courageously? It was one of the most extraordinary acts of courage that I've seen from a career public official. Instead of investigating the fact that the president-elect is going to be violating the Constitution?

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:


Hillary the Hacker

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As if neo-liberal sensibilities weren't hurt enough, it's time to get to the bottom of the Russian hacks. The problem is no matter what direction you investigate the hacks from, it always goes back to the Hillary Clinton campaign and the DNC. They are the responsible parties for the hacks that were done.

Based on real evidence, the Clinton campaign and the DNC are never more than one connection away from the Ukrainian Intelligence operatives that claim their hack changed the course of world politics during the past months. How many hacks claim that laurel in 2016?

This raises questions like why is the Clinton campaign working with a foreign government to change the course of the election? This assessment comes from the Clinton campaign and their hired hands as being the real result that the DNC hack caused. It's just that they didn't count on the possibility of going to trial for it themselves.

If the Clinton campaign and the DNC are shown clearly to be working with a foreign country to influence the outcome of the election, should the country be sanctioned? By the end of this, the case is made that Ukraine should undergo every sanction that has been proposed for Russia. This is because their Intel services are clearly capable of and responsible for the hacking that Obama has laid at the feet of the Russian government. The hackers in question from the group KievHunta, RUH8 (Sean Townsend) should be investigated and extradited.

Given the facts questions to the Clinton campaign and the DNC should include:

How much information have you given these ultra-nationalist Pravy Sektor operatives?

How far does their reach go into US government networks?

Why were you working with a cyber security firm (Crowdstrike) that has strong ties to Ukrainian terrorist groups like Pravy Sektor and was working for Ukrainian Intelligence? Is there an apparent conflict of interest?

When did you know Crowdstrike's Russian attribution was based on poorly manufactured evidence? Why didn't you release that information publically?

The reason for the second question is that contact with members of the Clinton campaign or DNC would have opened up members of Congress to the Ukrainian Intelligence/ neo-nazi hackers.

The reason for the third question is that previously shown, Crowdstrike is tied at the hip to neo-nazi terrorists that make their living finding civilians to put on kill lists at Ukraine's notorious Peacemaker site.

The reason for the fourth question is that there is no longer any doubt that Crowdstrike fabricated the evidence it gave to the FBI and ODNI (Office of the Director of National Intelligence). The claim for attributing the cyber attack to Russia by Crowdstrike was based on the same hacker using the same tools to target Ukrainian artillerymen. These tools are supposed to be unique to this single hacking group. This is what makes the DNC hack and the Ukrainian artillery hack inseparable. Without one of them, the other didn't happen.

That's why Crowdstrike blamed Russia for the DNC hack because Crowdstrike said Russia did the same thing to Ukrainian artillerymen using the same custom tools. Unless you are Dimitri Alperovitch, there just aren't many people that buy this lie anymore.

Just to make this point embarrassingly clear to Dima Alperovitch, in an interview with Voice of America, Alperovitch claims to get artillery figures for Ukrainian losses from International Institute for Strategic Studies(IISS), a London-based think tank. It turns out that the one thing Dimitri Alperovitch is really good at is lying.

Alperovitch did 2 interviews with US propaganda papers RFE/RL and VOA (Voice of America) one day apart from each other. RFE/RL carried the Crowdstrike story just like Alperovitch laid it out. VOA on the other hand fact checked and agreed with the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian military that the Alperovitch story about Russia hacking Ukrainian artillery positions was a lie.

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The Diego Rivera Court

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Teniente Jose Doroteo Gomez Gomez walked with much difficulty, trailing blood, down to El Rio Bravo. The pinche "El Donald" had finally completed his wall. Entonces, there were now only two places locally that the narcos, drug smugglers, could successfully cross into the States. Antes de completion of the wall across from Ciudad Miguel Aleman, smugglers and those looking for work could pass, not easily, but could pass into Texas. Now it was different. It was much more violent. Ugly. Teniente was not a very religious man; he now carried an amber and mesquite beaded rosary in his pocket. It had been his Great Grandfather's.





Teniente Gomez's Great Grandfather settled in Roma, Texas across from the Mexican village of San Pedro de Roma in 1894. He had been a cobbler in Monterrey and his Mother suggested he move his family to Texas. San Pedro de Roma became the town of Ciudad Miguel Aleman in the 1950's. Epifanio Gomez became successful in the then quietly prosperous town of Roma. His great uncle had moved there in the 1840's to participate in the salt trade between Roma and Monterrey. He later prospered in the cotton trade on the Rio Grande during the American Civil War.





Teniente Gomez's Great Grandfather, against his Great Uncle's strong protestations, crossed back across the border in 1912 and Joined Pancho Villa's forces during the Mexican Revolution. Epifanio Gomez fought valiantly with Villa all across Northern Mexico. Eventually ending up as an assistant to Sam Dreben "The Fighting Jew", the famous American machine gunner that fought with Villa. Teniente's father would threaten him with a beating with "General Obregon's arm" when Teniente was truant or petulant. Obregon lost his arm at the Battle of Celeya. It was part of family mythology that Grandfather Gomez had risked life and limb to rescue the freshly severed arm as a prize for Villa. Teniente's name, Jose Doroteo, was also the name Pancho Villa answered to before becoming a bandit.





Teniente's Great Grandfather never went back across the river. His wife brought the kids and all their belongings across to the Mexican side on a hand pulled ferry. However his extended family, living on both sides of The Rio Grande, passed back and forth just like walking next door...





The hole blown in the calf of his right leg was leaking him away. He couldn't get to the bridge. He believed that he could make it across but there was no way over the wall. His cousin's tire shop was just on the other side. He thought he could smell Delia's carne guisada.





A group of teenagers travelling down the wall, smoking mota, found him lifeless, stiff, his back to the wall and his shirt tied around his leg. They drug him down through the trampled cane, sliding him gently into the current, crossing themselves." From "La Pared" by Franklin Cincinnatus





Real life is complicated. It cannot be contained in a tweet.









Glossary





La Pared -- The Wall

Teniente -- Lieutenant

El Rio Bravo -- Rio Grande River

El Rio -- the river

Entonces -- so

Pinche -- a pejorative related to an english word that starts with F

Antes -- before

Carne guisada -- Mexican stew

Mota -- marijuana
Another old adage I like is "Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see." Recently we have heard much news about Trump supporters leaving fascist graffiti around, and I never believed this was done by Trump supporters. I am satisfied with my gut feeling by new evidence such graffiti was perpetrated by a black racist. William Tucker of southern New Jersey was arrested by Philadelphia police for vandalizing multiple vehicles and homes on Nov. 9, where he wrote messages like "Trump Rules" and "Black B*tch" on an African-American woman's car. therussophile.org/hate-hoax-blac k-man-arrested-for-racist-and-nazi-trump-graffiti.html "

A critical person will do their own research as much as possible, or think things out. For example, when someone says the Mexicans are coming to U.S. to take jobs Americans won't do, just think and realize, a Mexican, once here, will be just as ambitious (or discriminating) as any American. The solution is to pay decent wages.

A person incapable of doing research or thinking things out must choose a mentor, and sometimes a "gut feeling" is all you have.

In my humble opinion, a good mentor would be Bernie Sanders with no unreasonable conflicts of interest, not Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump with many too many conflicts.

The critical thinker would have little trouble identifying red flags, and discerning when we might be tricked into voting tax-paid subsidies to profiteers. For example, how do you promote a consensus around Republicans' current agenda to privatize education? One way is to get a gullible, uneducated group of people to condone censorship in public schools by protesting against Literary Classics - and stir up racial tension at the same time. Such anti-intellectualism in public schools might make some voters support privatization? I remember so well the quality of education I received from dedicated Catholic nuns. I also know my sons got a better education in private, pre-prep school. Am I ready to agree on privatization? No, because it should be cheaper to improve public education, rather than taking our public schools away from us and adding the profit factor to the costs. Whether the red flag works or not, at the very least societal conflict is created, which keeps our eyes off the major issue, like how elite profiteers jerk us around.

And what of environmental regulations on behalf of the handicapped, which was covered in a 60 Minutes broadcast on CNN Sunday, December 4, 2016? Perhaps another red herring. This report indicated that people who had no damage to themselves were able to sit in an armchair and sue hundreds of small businesses successfully for failing to meet environmental protection specifications. While it does indicate that there may be too much micro-management by EPA, there is much to that report that seems not quite objective. Anyone with a little knowledge of Tort Law would be skeptical.

There is a huge lobby on behalf of veterans' issues. Of course we should take pride in our veterans, especially in those who take actions in support of what they believed they fought for, on issues of equal rights, happiness, and justice for all. We have support of veterans like Timothy We also had over 11,000 Veterans protesting at Standing Rock recently.

On the other hand there are veteran "Me-Firsts" who could care less about any issues except seeing to it they get the largest share of our socio/economic help programs. Many only went into service bribed with huge bonuses and promises of education at a time when otherwise "All You Could Be" was a Pizza deliveryman. And it was advertised that way, the Pizza guy and the soldier and the music "Be All You Can Be." Many veterans are not as gallant as we would like to think they are. Most advocates for veterans, like John McCain, want them to be first in line for heath care, but they would never even consider endorsing health care of equal quality for all. Some veterans end up spending the rest of their lives in saloons, either bragging about their war exploits, or trying to forget. And now that America needs real revolutionaries, where are they?

Other organizations are also "Me-Firsts" unconcerned about any people but themselves. An outright subversive one is Black Lives Matter. The black people I love are those who have joined white masses of people seeking remedy from oppression for all people, not just one race. They rallied and voted with Bernie Sanders, even though Hillary seemed to be offering them some "Me-First" programs for minorities. I love people who appreciate the work and struggle white people made to help get Civil Rights laws passed, who marched with Martin Luther King, sat in at lunch counters, even died defending blacks from racism. Many of these older white people are now hated by members of the "Me-First" Black Lives Matter organization, which encourages white hatred. I would discriminate against the black ones who tried to take away Bernie Sanders' platform on behalf of Black Lives Matter. I shall discriminate against black people who forget how many white votes it took to elect a black President and many other members of Congress and political offices all over the U.S. I agree with Bernie that we have come a long way in the "structural" defeat of racism. Personally, I realize that, although we must have laws and use the justice system to be sure everyone has equal rights, there is no way we can force love among people who refuse to use The Golden Rule as a life style.

I awoke this morning thinking about our youth and the struggles they face. I remember in the 50s and 60s how most young people usually made a successful transition between high school and the adult socio/economic system within 5 years. The YMCA gave shelter to homeless people making transition. Some kids went to college and got jobs after graduation. Most went to occupational training institutions and became employed even faster. As for others, (like myself), employment was easy to find at the early age of 13 at a clothing store or Dime Store on Canal Street. And armed with a good Catholic school education and having learned to type at home, I got a good job as a clerk typist at age 16. Another salvation for some Catholic influenced young people was learning to think with our heads instead of rushing into pregnancy and marriage. It's not the same today. Young people today need to become more aware of consequences. A law limiting child births as was passed in China is not a cruel choice when we consider a dozen good reasons for it. I will not digress to that subject here.

If teachers learned to be as dedicated to their professions as were my Catholic nuns, we would not have kids leaving eighth grade not knowing how to write a decent essay, add up a grocery list, make a budget, and keep a checking account. The biggest problem is that too many young people, if not on drugs or alcohol, are emotionally damaged anyway. Many have the idea you shouldn't have to work for a living anyway. (I'm not sure they aren't right about that, but the day hasn't yet come when we are all allowed to retire on our common wealth. See Robert Reich: Universal Basic Income In The US 'Almost Inevitable' ) Even people with the means for a basic living need some interest or hobby in life. Some of the cures for emotional disability can be found in other paragraphs of this article.

The United States, through foreign policy, discriminates all the time. Foreign policy "friends" can torture, bomb, and otherwise mistreat it's citizens with impunity, and even be rewarded with huge weapons deals. (U.S. Imperialism No justice if you're Palestinian: A window into the cruel practices of the Israeli armed forces.) Foreign policy "enemies" - not so much! Greedy capitalist oligarchs like Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton cannot give us a foreign policy based in any measure of truth, justice, equality. The ongoing dispute between these two is simply a matter of which group of corporate elites are going to rule the world.

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President Trump told us at the beginning of his crusade that he is "really, really rich!" That was generous of him because no one bothered to ask him, given his propensity to lie about everything and given recurring rumors that his net worth it vastly inflated. So we were all presumably reassured.

But then the matter of wealth became more complicated when he also, more recently, justified his selection of billionaires for his cabinet by saying that they know how to make money. The latter remark is bizarre in many ways. For one thing, it echoes the injunction, "Get rich!" uttered by a dimwitted nineteenth century French king and by Communist China's Chairman Deng. The latter used the expression to mark the turn in the 1980s from communism to (relatively) free enterprise.

The trouble with Trump's echoing of these predecessors is that he seems not to understand that there is a difference between running a business enterprise and running a government. The former exists solely to maximize profit; the latter exists to, among a host of responsibilities, provide for a fair and just (but not equal) distribution of power and wealth. No government, whether successful or not, liberal or conservative, advanced or backward is without a fiscal deficit. Businesses, on the other hand--at least the most successful ones--have massive assets that overshadow any debts. So despite the conservative platitude that the government should be run like a business, all thinking people in government or academia, unlike those who without responsibilities just carp from the sidelines, know that that cannot be done.

Governments, moreover, even the most unregulated capitalist ones, must also attend to a host of values that are none of business's concerns--moral, spiritual, esthetic, cultural. Businesses may, if they choose to, also spend money on some of these projects but only if they can justify such actions to the monomaniacal shareholders in terms of maximizing income in the long run. Governments are, by contrast, concerned with the overall health of the polity, which cannot be quantified financially.

This is one of the ways in which both Adam Smith and Karl Marx, the godfathers respectively of capitalism and communism, agreed with each other in a way modern thinkers reject. Their outlook in effect was "follow the money!" They took little account of the nationalistic, ethnic, psychological, religious impulses that drive people into unremunerative choices, choices that are currently being studied in depth by behavioral economists, choices that conflict with the conventional notion of man, at least in the marketplace, acting rationally. In other words, following the money may lead you down a rabbit hole. But Trump is apparently really, really rich, so attention must be paid to him.

Another assumption exhibited by Trump's remark is that merely accumulating a hoard of cash makes a person an asset to the society. Of course, some people are masters of acquisition, but the question he overlooks is, At whose expense? There are, to be sure, affluent persons who behave not only legally but also ethically. But their number shrinks in size next to the many who flourished at the expense of others--by exploiting workers, keeping wages at minimal levels, busting unions, as well as befouling the environment, poisoning drinking water and the air we breathe. The business pages of the leading newspapers sometimes read like the Police Gazette, as one scandal after another regularly surfaces. The big banks, for instance, were incriminated in the 2008 scandals, except for my own Wells Fargo, which had the privilege of only belatedly exhibiting outrageous criminal behavior.

One would think that given such a track record, the various tycoons would exhibit some humility or at least reticence. Not a chance. When President Obama began implementing his domestic policies, which involved raising taxes on the wealthy and adding regulations on businesses, many of the major business kahunas went ballistic. Some notoriously compared him to Hitler, as if raising the top income tax rate 6% to the levels in effect under President Clinton is comparable to, as one of them famously put it, invading Poland. That barrage of accusations hardly faltered during the ensuing seven years.

Pardon me for not knowing that one of the major charges against Hitler was his tax policy. While invoking examples from history, these whiners might also have reminded us of the old saw that he who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it. Or the one about the only thing mankind learns from history is that we learn nothing from history. They might also have asked why, if a woman is allowed to have an abortion because of some right to privacy to be found somewhere in the Constitution, that same right does not also protect billionaires from the prying eyes of the readers of Forbes's annual listing of the top cash hoarders.

There is, however, an interesting detail that has curiously not gotten much attention: The wealth of the richest billionaires increased massively during the Obama years. It is instead the middle class and the poor who have a legitimate gripe with Obama. If the rich had any sense, which apparently they lack, they would conclude that "socialism," or at least the variant of it allegedly practiced by Obama, is a good thing and should be extended past his presidency.

And there is another observation to be made. You don't have to be a Sermon on the Mount Christian or a Buddhist monk or a stoic philosopher to raise a modest question: What sum of money will at long last satisfy conservative billionaires, who are so eager to shred the social welfare safety net and impoverish others in order to become even more prosperous themselves? If possessing billions is not enough, then they clearly are looking for happiness in the wrong places. Except for President Trump, who, bless his modest, humble, Christian heart, is happy to announce that he is really, really rich.
It appears that WTO rules directly conflict with expansion of any public services not carved out from their rules inwriting, especially state and national political campaigns for single payer healthcare, raising questions as to whether there is a cover up going on of the ability of WTO rules to block policy by politicians and the insurance and drug industries, creating a false impression that the changes taking place are reversible in normal manner, through elections, they are not. Trade deals go to great lengths to make changes, such as opening a service sector to international trade, irreversible. Which would effectively block single payer. the danger of this happening soon is substantial. In fact it really should be stated that officially, our entry into NAFTA and especially the WTO, was a committment to never create new public services again. The country was never told this. The WTO rule most important to understand and easiest to overlook in its importance is WTO GATS Article I:3(b) and(c), which explains what constitutes a "service supplied in the exercise of governmental authority", which represents one of the only exclusions available from GATS liberalisation rules.



Real Road to Single Payer

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The WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services "GATS" is a trade agreement on services, which became effective on January 1, 1995, and its coverage is extremely broad. Few people realize this but on the advice of a great many experts, it would seem to bar most of what appears to be needed in order to make healthcare insurance (and other services such as higher education, water and many others) affordable in the current and coming years. Additionally, there is a strong likelihood that the gridlock on healthcare over the last 20 years was caused by GATS and that its hiding is intentional.

If so this would have caused the death of around a million poorer Americans to date, (killed by inability to access any affordable healthcare and therefore deterred from seeking needed care by cost until it was too late) This crime of exclusion would repesent a crime against humanity with no statute of limitations.

Additionally, the nation's lack of awareness, perpetuated by an increasingly "captured" media. (see defs of "captured state", "state capture", and "control fraud") may be leading us into a lock in- a trap- an essentially unfixable situation .

The goal would be preventing the creation of any workable fix for healthcare, prolonging a murderous, but extremely profitable situation until world trade constraints, part of an increasingly recognized to be illegitimate trading system, were silently triggered.

The effect of this system could lead to the options available for the majority of Americans outside of employer provided healthcare to gravitate towards "solutions" that either were delivered offshore or which involved the large scale replacement of much of the US workforce with foreign firms who would also gain a right to use their employees, bypassing the better known pathways for work permissions, by means of "movement of natural persons" provisions in trade deals such as the "Fourth Mode of Supply" in GATS (GATS Mode Four) and similar provisions in pending deals such as the one now pending in Geneva on services (parts are available to read via leaks)

Its possible that organized efforts to force poorer Americans who had a family member with a chronic illness to leave the country to get medical care could be illegal under some international treaties. The choices between allowing a huge change that undermined wages and working conditions for skilled professions and either leaving or giving up needed healthcare has the smell of an organized campaign which is particularly troublesome.

Forcing Americans to go overseas for care or accept seriously attenuated healthcare comparable with that in much poorer nations here, (after all, its an emergency) is an example of the problems posed by endorsing systems which have been shown repeatedly to be failures. (Such as the hideously broken US model for almost totally unregulated for-profit insurance system and the market spiral drug pricing system.)

The planning of a system to open up trade in services, pushing wages in the US and other developed countries down to world average levels has been a core "feature" of the GATS since its inception. This fact is important and its been totally kept out of the media (as has anything about GATS really)

Some countries - India is notable in this respect, claim that their #1 goal in participating in the WTO is increasing their service exports. Not just as parts of standalone companies but also in a pure staffing capacity which is repugnant to many Americans because its goal is simply to replace US workers with much cheaper foreign replacements without any rationale other than avoiding prevailing wages in what are clearly professions which require substantial skill and cost to enter. (A good example is nursing and medicine)

There is no denying that the US has a healthcare affordability problem but that is caused mostly by the huge waste caused by the health insurance layer which adds so much complexity, and extra accunting costs, as well as increases the eventual cost of health care by preventing people from accessing doctors until they are literally forced to.)

It also possible that the desire on the part of the US pharma industry to lower the availability of inexpensive generic drugs intenationally has led to some kind of deal having been struck recently with India to trade jobs for market access as a domestic provider (National Treatment) a shift that would allow US pharma companies to buy out their competitors, a change that would likely lead to big increases in the prices of generic drugs a change the poor people of the world cannot afford.

GATS also seems to frame subsidies, such as Obamacare subsidies as a market failure and limit their use. It may even bar the long-term provision of subsidies as we know them today, instead forcing shifts to globalization of services. (It's quite likely that international trade will be leveraged in some manner to bring this about, a change which would not necessarily bring anything like decent quality services at low cost for the poor, because making such services attractive would likely be barred, if they caused crowd out of commercial offerings. Its likely that if they did continue, they would have to be greatly limited in scope, perhaps only available to people after they had been destituted and could no longer pay even a tiny amount.

Were the situation more like that in countries where public healthcare pre-existing to GATS (most developed nations) or delivered for free, there would be no such cripling of the public system. However, here, because of the particularly twisted way these rules work, the government entity, for example, a US state, might be subjected to successful suits in a WTO dispute resolution tribunal by foreign firms to stop it! (This bears mulling around in your mind for a moment, please think about that a foreign, non-accountable panel could determine our policy in a vital area like health care, and that the decision would be final and would be enforceable by huge fines if it was not obeyed. )

It should be noted that GATS specifically endorses the concept of selling highly tiered services such as healthcare and education without government interference as corporate rights, rights that totally exclude any much needed right to health care. And also that it operates at a supranational level, totally unaccountable to democratic rule of law. So, no US Presidential candidate or state or other candidate for office could realistically hope to fix this once it fully locks in, a danger that is imminent by the proposal by the GOP and Trump to sell one policy across state lines.

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From Common Dreams

For eight years, Republicans in Congress have complained about health care in America, heaping most of the blame on President Obama. Meanwhile, they've hung out on the sidelines making doomsday predictions and cheering every stumble, but refusing to lift a finger to actually improve our health care system.

The GOP is about to control the White House, Senate, and House. So what's the first thing on their agenda? Are they working to bring down premiums and deductibles? Are they making fixes to expand the network of doctors and the number of plans people can choose from? Nope. The number one priority for congressional Republicans is repealing the Affordable Care Act and breaking up our health care system while offering zero solutions.

Their strategy? Repeal and run.

Many Massachusetts families are watching this play out, worried about what will happen -- including thousands from across the Commonwealth that I joined at Faneuil Hall on Sunday to rally in support of the ACA. Hospitals and insurers are watching too, concerned that repealing the ACA will create chaos in the health insurance market and send costs spiraling out of control.

They are right to worry. Massachusetts has worked for years to provide high-quality, affordable health care for everyone. But there's no magic wand we can wave to simply snap back to our old system if congressional Republicans decide to rip up the Affordable Care Act and run away.

Health care reform in Massachusetts wasn't partisan. Democrats, Republicans, business leaders, hospitals, insurers, doctors, and consumers all came together behind a commitment that every single person in our Commonwealth deserves access to affordable, high-quality care. When Republican Governor Mitt Romney signed Massachusetts health reform into law in 2006, our state took huge strides toward offering universal health care coverage and financial security to millions of Bay State residents.

That law was a major step forward. Today, more than 97 percent of Bay Staters are covered -- the highest rate of any state in the country.

But Massachusetts still has a lot to lose if the ACA is repealed. One big reason for our state's health care success is that we took advantage of the new opportunities offered under the ACA. In addition to making care more accessible and efficient, our state expanded Medicaid, using federal funds to help even more people. And we combined federal and state dollars to help reduce the cost of insurance on the Health Connector.

When the ACA passed, Massachusetts already had in place some of the best consumer protections in the nation. But the ACA still made a big difference. It strengthened protections for people in Massachusetts with pre-existing conditions, allowed for free preventive care visits, and -- for the first time in our state -- banned setting lifetime caps on benefits.

If the ACA is repealed, our health care system would hang in the balance. Half a million people in the Commonwealth would risk losing their coverage. People who now have an iron-clad guarantee that they can't be turned away due to their pre-existing conditions or discriminated against because of their gender could lose that security. Preventive health care, community health centers, and rural hospitals could lose crucial support. In short, the Massachusetts health care law is a big achievement and a national model, but it also depends on the ACA and a strong partnership with the federal government.

If the cost-sharing subsidies provided by the ACA are slashed to zero, Massachusetts will have a tough time keeping down the cost of plans on the Health Connector. The state can't make funds appear out of thin air to help families on the Medicaid expansion if Republicans yank away support. And our ability to address the opioid crisis will be severely hampered if people lose access to health insurance or if the federal funding provided through the Medicaid waiver disappears. Even in states with strong health care systems -- states like Massachusetts -- the ACA is critical.

The current system isn't perfect -- not by a long shot. There are important steps Congress could take to lower deductibles and premiums, to expand the network of doctors people can see on their plans, and to increase the stability and predictability of the market. We should be working together to make health care better all across the country, just like we've tried to do here in Massachusetts.

This doesn't need to be a partisan fight. But if congressional Republicans continue to pursue repeal of the ACA with nothing more than vague assurances that they might -- someday -- think up a replacement plan, the millions of Americans who believe in guaranteeing people's access to affordable health care will fight back every step of the way.

Repeal and run is for cowards.
On the day President Trump is inaugurated, thousands of writers in the United States will express their indignation. "In order for us to heal and move forward...," say Writers Resist, "we wish to bypass direct political discourse, in favor of an inspired focus on the future, and how we, as writers, can be a unifying force for the protection of democracy."

And: "We urge local organizers and speakers to avoid using the names of politicians or adopting 'anti' language as the focus for their Writers Resist event. It's important to ensure that nonprofit organizations, which are prohibited from political campaigning, will feel confident participating in and sponsoring these events."

Thus, real protest is to be avoided, for it is not tax exempt.

Compare such drivel with the declarations of the Congress of American Writers, held at Carnegie Hall, New York, in 1935, and again two years later. They were electric events, with writers discussing how they could confront ominous events in Abyssinia, China and Spain. Telegrams from Thomas Mann, C Day Lewis, Upton Sinclair and Albert Einstein were read out, reflecting the fear that great power was now rampant and that it had become impossible to discuss art and literature without politics or, indeed, direct political action.

"A writer," the journalist Martha Gellhorn told the second congress, "must be a man of action now ... A man who has given a year of his life to steel strikes, or to the unemployed, or to the problems of racial prejudice, has not lost or wasted time. He is a man who has known where he belonged. If you should survive such action, what you have to say about it afterwards is the truth, is necessary and real, and it will last."

Her words echo across the unction and violence of the Obama era and the silence of those who colluded with his deceptions.

That the menace of rapacious power -- rampant long before the rise of Trump -- has been accepted by writers, many of them privileged and celebrated, and by those who guard the gates of literary criticism, and culture, including popular culture, is uncontroversial. Not for them the impossibility of writing and promoting literature bereft of politics. Not for them the responsibility to speak out, regardless of who occupies the White House.

Today, false symbolism is all. "Identity" is all. In 2016, Hillary Clinton stigmatized millions of voters as "a basket of deplorables, racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic -- you name it." Her abuse was handed out at an LGBT rally as part of her cynical campaign to win over minorities by abusing a white mostly working-class majority. Divide and rule, this is called; or identity politics in which race and gender conceal class, and allow the waging of class war. Trump understood this.

"When the truth is replaced by silence," said the Soviet dissident poet Yevtushenko, "the silence is a lie."

This is not an American phenomenon. A few years ago, Terry Eagleton, then professor of English literature at Manchester University, reckoned that "for the first time in two centuries, there is no eminent British poet, playwright or novelist prepared to question the foundations of the western way of life."

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Throw the Bums Out Vote Ushers in New World Order!



The Crew of the North Pacific 43 Bushwacker

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When I awoke this morning before my first cup of coffee in London at the Cleveland Hotel, the London Times Front Page greeted me with a picture of US President Elect Donald Trump covering half the front page and the rest was covered by an interview with the President Elect.

After my first cup of coffee I was greeted by an interview in the German newspaper, the Bild's interview of President Elect Trump and I now have entered that stage where I make a mental note of where I am and if indeed I am awake?

In a matter of an hour it starts to sink in, here is my take on fast developing events with more policy clarifications to date start clearing the air. Two reporting newspapers producing a forward going statement of the incoming administration's path to "making America great again".

Although as a progressive I was hearing good news on many fronts to include imagining a world incomprehensible to me only hours before.The US "throw the bums out vote" and he British BREXIT vote has done more to further progressives' cause and the possibilities of a more peaceful world through multi polar leadership than any democrat party vote or movement since Bill Clinton sold out the US citizens with never ending wars, loss of our Treasure, Commons and Inalienable Rights to name a few.

Do we now have a chance rivaling FDR's recovery of the US from the Oligarchs destruction that led to the Great Depression? FDR's "New Deal's" elimination of child and slave labor among many forward steps for our citizens and Nation seem within reach once again. Globalization by Oligarchs who told us and themselves they know better than citizens what is good for us. But has only destroyed jobs, nations and relationships worldwide.

Denying citizens' representation through the non-elected bureaucrats that have been ravaging resources and wealth worldwide. While hording we are suppose to believe the Ministry of Truth" one more time that we must cut citizens services to the bone because it is good for us, that it will make us stronger in democracy and health while protecting us from the evils surrounding us everywhere.

Globalization has not been good for the future of the clear majority AKA the 99%, the deplorables and many other Orwellian uttering from the "Ministry of Truth".

Here is a brief run through of developments in Breaking news.

NATO after failing to fight terrorism effectively loses US support. Among the numerous topics covered in the Bild interview, Trump called NATO obsolete.

Russian/US nuclear arsenal reductions on agenda to drop sanctions against Russia.

The coming EU collapse up close and personal? BREXIT is supported by coming British & US trade agreements to follow with the prediction that other European Union members would join the U.K. in leaving the EU bloc.

Germany's power in the EU is coming into question as leader of the EU Europe and bringing Merkel's possible undoing as a German and a EU leader going forward.

From Davos Switzerland's annual mid-January meetings of billionaires, investors, celebrities, politicians are becoming past history as the non-elected globalist flounder to figure out what has brought down their globalist control? .

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau facing negative headlines pulled out of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in favor of meeting ordinary citizens.

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From Wallwritings



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President-elect Donald Trump posted several insensitive and ill-informed tweets against Congressman John L. Lewis on the Saturday before Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.

The tweets displayed an ignorance of the facts about both Lewis's history of public service, and of the 5th congressional Georgia district Lewis has served since 1987.

They also displayed an indifference to a time when the nation pauses to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Instead, our next president acted with a naughty child's petulance over a congressman's questioning of his election victory.

If Trump's staff and family allow him to keep his personal Twitter account, we can only assume our next president will display that same unfettered ignorance and insensitivity, for four years, through January 20, 2021.

What led to Trump's attacks on Lewis? Marlee Kokotovic reports on the site Nation of Change that in a television interview, Congressman Lewis said, "I think there was a conspiracy on the part of the Russians and others to help him get elected. That's not right. That's not fair. That's not the open democratic process."

Lewis added that he would not attend the Friday inauguration.

As of Sunday night, members of Congress who have stated they would also not attend Trump's inauguration are Representative John Conyers, Jr., of Michigan, Representatives Raul M. Grijalva of Arizona; Maxine Waters of California; Luis V. Gutie'rrez of Illinois; Katherine M. Clark of Massachusetts; William Lacy Clay of Missouri; Nydia M. Vela'zquez, Jerrold Nadler and Jose' E. Serrano of New York; Marcia L. Fudge of Ohio; Earl Blumenauer and Kurt Schrader of Oregon; and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin.

Donald Trump could have responded to Lewis's interview by noting that Trump's election is legitimate because the Electoral College counted the votes of each state and declared it to be so.

Instead, Trump displayed both his immaturity and his inability to grasp just how inappropriate his attacks on Lewis were, by attacking Lewis on the weekend prior to King's birthday.

I know from personal experience how a temporary lack of maturity can expose anyone. As a young pastor in Georgia, I joined friends and family of a parishioner gathered in a living room. I engaged in a few words of banal social chit chat with the lady of the house.

Another church member finally turned to me and said, "You know why we are here, Reverend, her husband has just died." Of course I knew it.

I mumbled a few words of condolence and sneaked away, permanently scarred with the dark memory of a moment when I failed to be present to others.

Donald Trump, in a far more significant moment, was not present for the nation he will soon lead. He attacked a civil rights icon on this King weekend.

We have seen no sign that he is even aware of the immaturity of those tweets. The only sign is a negative one; he canceled a Monday appearance at an African-American museum.

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Conway Summons Goebbels

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On Friday January 6, Donald Trump was briefed by FBI Director James Comey about the existence of a 35-page opposition research dossier titled US Presidential Election: Republican Candidate Donald Trump's Activities In Russia And Compromising Relationship With The Kremlin.1 Compiled by Christopher Steele, a well-regarded former British spy hired by a D.C. research firm at the bequest of an anonymous client, the dossier suggests that the President-elect has certain ties to Russia that could be exploited to influence his leadership.2 One of the more salacious reports is that while in Moscow Trump engaged in sexual behavior with prostitutes that was recorded by Russian security.3 Steele and his family have since gone into hiding.4

Four days after the Comey briefing, CNN published a story stating that the FBI director and others "presented Trump with claims of Russian efforts to compromise him," but stopped short of addressing the specifics of the dossier as it could "not independently corroborate the specific allegations." 5 Fifteen minutes after the publication of CNN's report, BuzzFeed, an internet-based tabloid, published all 35 pages of the dossier so (according to its introduction) "Americans can make up their own minds about allegations about the president-elect." BuzzFeed, however, included the caveat that the dossier's "allegations are unverified, and the report contains errors." 6

Holding his first news conference as President-elect a day after the CNN and BuzzFeed reports, Trump had his communications director Sean Spicer open the event with an attack on both news outlets calling their respective stories "a sad and pathetic attempt to get clicks." Before introducing the vice-president-elect Mike Pence, Spicer went on to say, "For all the talk lately about fake news, this political witch hunt by some in the media is based on some of the most flimsy reporting and is frankly shameful and disgraceful." Pence, too, took an opportunity to allege that both BuzzFeed and CNN had engaged in publishing "fake news." When Trump finally came to the microphone, he also began his opening statement with an indictment of "one group and one television station" for producing "fake news." Trump went on to use the term "fake news" six more times during the conference. He lashed out at BuzzFeed calling the outlet "a failing pile of garbage," and when CNN's Jim Acosta repeatedly attempted to get Trump's attention so he could address the attack on CNN, the President-elect refused to call on him calling his organization "terrible" and "fake news." 7

While the tenor, tone, and approach of both stories was vastly different - BuzzFeed to titillate and CNN to probe - neither story was fake. The dossier was written and Trump was briefed on it by Comey. Whether or not the information in the dossier is "fake" is another matter, but for the record Britain's former ambassador to Russia Andrew Wood, who knows Steele and worked with him in Moscow in the 1990s, stated, "I do not think he would make things up. I don't think he would, necessarily, always draw correct judgment, but that's not the same thing." 8

Perhaps one of the most telling insights into how team Trump understands the roll of the media was revealed toward the end of the interview when Conway asked Cooper, "How are we going to move forward and have a great relationship with major news organizations if everything just sounds and looks and seems the same?" Cooper aptly responded, "To be honest, my job is not to have a great relationship with you." 10 The irony, if irony still exists after November 8, is that Trump appointed Stephen Bannon, the former chairman of Breitbart - one of the most ideological media outlets operating today which is known for publishing fake news - as a chief White House strategist and senior advisor. 11,12,13 The strategy of Trump and his sycophants is as transparent as it is dangerous; delegitimize the fourth estate so that political power can reign supreme. In light of the fact that Trump is not just politically incorrect, but morally unbalanced, it's an understandable strategy.

The morning of his January 11 press conference Trump tweeted, "Are we living in Nazi Germany?" 14 Not yet, but if propagandists like Kellyanne Conway succeed, we may soon be.15

Sources

1. FBI's Comey Told Trump About Russia Dossier After Intel Briefing: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-s-comey-told-trump-about-russia-dossier-after-intel-n706416

2. British ex-spy behind Trump dossier seen as a cool operator: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/christopher-steele-british-ex-spy-behind-donald-trump-dossier-seen-as-cool-operator/

3. These Reports Allege That Trump Has Deep Ties To Russia: http://metamorphosis.democraticunderground.com/10028454821

4. Ex-MI6 officer Christopher Steele in hiding after Trump dossier: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38591382

5. Intel chiefs presented Trump with claims of Russian efforts to compromise him: http://fox2now.com/2017/01/10/intel-chiefs-presented-trump-with-claims-of-russian-efforts-to-compromise-him/

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Paul Ryan

House Speaker Paul Ryan and other top Republicans released statements Tuesday blasting President Barack Obama's decision to commute the majority of WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning's prison sentence.

Manning was convicted of violating the Espionage Act, among other charges, in 2013 after she stole secret documents from a computer system she had access to while working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq and leaked them to WikiLeaks in 2010.

"This is just outrageous," Ryan said in a statement. "Chelsea Mannings treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nations most sensitive secrets. President Obama now leaves in place a dangerous precedent that those who compromise our national security wont be held accountable for their crimes."

Sen. Tom Cotton, a veteran, also criticized Obama's decision.

"When I was leading soldiers in Afghanistan, Private Manning was undermining us by leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks," he said in a statement. "I don't understand why the president would feel special compassion for someone who endangered the lives of our troops, diplomats, intelligence officers, and allies. We ought not treat a traitor like a martyr."

Sen. John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the commutation a "grave mistake."

"President Obama's commutation of Chelsea Manning's sentence is a grave mistake that I fear will encourage further acts of espionage and undermine military discipline," McCain said in a statement. "It also devalues the courage of real whistleblowers who have used proper channels to hold our government accountable."

He continued: "It is a sad, yet perhaps fitting commentary on President Obamas failed national security policies that he would commute the sentence of an individual that endangered the lives of American troops, diplomats, and intelligence sources by leaking hundreds of thousands of sensitive government documents to Wikileaks, a virulently anti-American organization that was a tool of Russias recent interference in our elections."

Story continues

Manning received a 35-year sentence for the leak and has served seven years in Fort Leavenworth. She will now be freed in five months, on May 17.

Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, told The New York Times on Tuesday that there's a "pretty stark difference" between Manning's case and that of former government employee Edward Snowden.

"Chelsea Manning is somebody who went through the military criminal justice process, was exposed to due process, was found guilty, was sentenced for her crimes, and she acknowledged wrongdoing," Earnest said. "Mr. Snowden fled into the arms of an adversary, and has sought refuge in a country that most recently made a concerted effort to undermine confidence in our democracy."

Jeremy Berke contributed to this report.

NOW WATCH: 11 facts that show how different Russia is from the rest of the world





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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On Global and Chinese Pipes Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2021 Report SummaryThe 'Global and Chinese Plastic Pipes Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Plastic Pipes industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Plastic Pipes manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.Request for Sample Report @The report provides a basic overview including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure and development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures.Secondly, the report states the global market size (volume and value), and the segment markets by regions, types, applications and companies are also discussed.Third, the market analysis is provided for major regions including USA, Europe, China and Japan, and other regions can be added. For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. What's more, the industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Check Discount on This Report @# Major Key Manufacturers Company ACompany BCompnay CCompany D..ContinuedTable of Contents Plastic Pipes IndustryChapter One Introduction of Plastic Pipes Industry1.1 Brief Introduction of Plastic Pipes1.2 Development of Plastic Pipes Industry1.3 Status of Plastic Pipes IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of Plastic Pipes2.1 Development of Plastic Pipes Manufacturing Technology2.2 Analysis of Plastic Pipes Manufacturing Technology2.3 Trends of Plastic Pipes Manufacturing Technology..Chapter Five Market Status of Plastic Pipes Industry5.1 Market Competition of Plastic Pipes Industry by Company5.2 Market Competition of Plastic Pipes Industry by Country (USA, EU, Japan, Chinese etc.)5.3 Market Analysis of Plastic Pipes Consumption by Application/TypeChapter Six 2016-2021 Market Forecast of Global and Chinese Plastic Pipes Industry6.1 2016-2021 Global and Chinese Capacity, Production, and Production Value of Plastic Pipes6.2 2016-2021 Plastic Pipes Industry Cost and Profit Estimation6.3 2016-2021 Global and Chinese Market Share of Plastic Pipes6.4 2016-2021 Global and Chinese Supply and Consumption of Plastic Pipes6.5 2016-2021 Chinese Import and Export of Plastic PipesChapter Seven Analysis of Plastic Pipes Industry Chain7.1 Industry Chain Structure7.2 Upstream Raw Materials7.3 Downstream IndustryChapter Eight Global and Chinese Economic Impact on Plastic Pipes 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 Plastic Pipes IndustryChapter Nine Market Dynamics of Plastic Pipes Industry9.1 Plastic Pipes Industry News9.2 Plastic Pipes Industry Development Challenges9.3 Plastic Pipes Industry Development OpportunitiesContinued.Buy This 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 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 Sulfone Polymers Market Analysis and Forecast - 2024

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The global sulfone polymers market features a markedly high level of consolidation, with the top two vendors, namely Solvay S.A. and BASF SE, accounted for nearly 80% of the overall market in 2015, observes a recent report by Transparency Market Research. It has also been observed that the demand for sulfone polymers is largely surpassing the supply on a global level. Thus, developing a strong supply chain and expansion of production units could be an excellent strategy for companies wishing to make a mark in this bullish marketplace.Leading vendors are actively looking for enhancing their distribution channels through agreements with established distributors. The distribution agreement signed by Solvay Specialty Polymers with Biesterfeld Plastic GmbH in 2015 for the distribution of Solvays sulfone polymer grades in Scandanavia and Finland is a fine account of Solvays attempt to exploit this opportunity.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical insights :Transparency Market Research estimates that the global sulfone polymer market was valued at US$805.4 mn in 2015 and is projected to reach US$1,394.7 mn by 2024, expanding at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2016 to 2024. In terms of product types/grades of sulfone polymers, the PSU segment generated US$331.0 mn of sales, accounting for 41.1% of the market in 2015. The segments share is expected to decrease by 0.4% share by 2024. Geographically, the market in North America leads, accounting for a share of more than 39% in the overall market in 2015.Demand across Medical Industry Continues to be Key Driving ForceThe global market for sulfone polymers gains a significant share in its overall revenue from business across the medical industry. Being more wear- and corrosion-resistant as compared to their metal counterparts, a variety of biocompatible grades of sulfone polymers have started replacing metals in the manufacture of medical devices and implants. Thanks to the rapidly expanding base of geriatric population across a number of countries, the global demand for medical implants has significantly increased in the past few years. Over the forecast period, the vast rise in demand for sulfone polymers from the medical field is expected to be one of the most prominent drivers of the global sulfone polymers market.Regulatory and Cost Constraints Could Impede GrowthThe use of sulfone polymers across a number of applications requires the fulfilling of a large number of regulatory terms. This is especially a huge concern when the use of sulfone polymers in the fields of medical implants, medical devices, and aircrafts is considered. The delay in obtaining the required approvals could lead to delay in introducing new products in these industries.The usage of sulfone polymers could also be limited by health regulatory bodies in food contact applications such as baby bottles, owing to the concerns regarding the leakage of bisphenol monomers into food products. Research studies have shown that these bisphenols can have endocrine system disrupting properties. As a result, the use of sulfone polymers in the food industry could witness a decline over the forecast period, hindering the overall growth prospects of the global market.Moreover, the markets growth is also constrained to a certain extent owing to the high costs involved in setting up new production facilities of sulfone polymers. This aspect has deterred many polymer companies from foraying into the market, resulting in a consolidated marketplace. The high cost of end products is compelling end-use industries to explore less expensive alternatives such as reinforced polypropylene, limiting the demand for sulfone polymers in the global market.This review of the market is based on a recent market research report published by Transparency Market Research, titled Sulfone Polymers Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024.For the study, the global sulfone polymers market has been segmented as follows:Sulfone Polymers Market: Product Type AnalysisPSUPESUPPSUSulfone Polymers Market: Application AnalysisMedicalAutomotiveAerospaceConsumer GoodsElectrical & ElectronicsIndustrialOthers (membrane, military, plumbing, etc)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.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:
Artemis Gallery Revisits Ancient Cultures with Jan. 18-19 Antiquities, Ethnographic Auction

Oversize Apulian (Magna Gaecia, southern Italy) red-figure amphora

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BOULDER, CO  On Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 18 and 19, Artemis Gallery of Boulder, Colorado, will auction 454 expertly curated lots of classical antiquities and Asian, Pre-Columbian and ethnographic art. Without exception, every item in this exciting auction event is unconditionally guaranteed to be authentic, as described in the catalog, and legal to acquire according to federal guidelines. A certificate of authenticity will accompany each purchase, and all goods will be packed in house by the gallerys own staff to ensure an enjoyable and stress-free experience for all buyers.The Wednesday, Aug. 18 session, with its focus on classical antiquities and Asian art, will open with an outstanding selection of rarities from Ancient Egypt. One of the star lots is a Late Period (circa 715-330 BCE) painted-wood sarcophagus panel, 62 inches long, with the image of Nut (also Nunut/Nuit), goddess of the sky and celestial realm. Shown in full length with well-detailed apparel, the depiction of Nut has been professionally mounted in a wood case with glass cover. It is estimated at $18,000-$22,000.During the Sixth Dynasty, it became a common practice to place wooden models of lifelike scenes in Egyptian tombs. By the time of the Middle Kingdom (circa 2060-1900 BCE), such articles were placed in the actual tomb chamber alongside the deceaseds coffin. In the most elaborate tombs, there were even separate chambers used only to house models of this type. Artemis Gallerys Wednesday session features a Middle Kingdom model of plaster and wood depicting a brewery and bakery, with figures of two men sealing beer jars and a third figure kneading dough. Formerly in a New York private collection, this remarkable tableau is expected to make $9,000-$14,000.Unquestionably a connoisseurs piece, an Apulian (Magna Graecia, southern Italy) red-figure amphora dates to circa 330-300 BCE and is attributed to A.D. Trendalls Virginia Exhibition Painter. The vase is of a grand scale, standing 39 inches high, and is profusely decorated with rival warriors, one on horseback; a female bust, floral elements and other fine iconography. Virtually no Ancient Greek paintings have survived the tests of time, said Teresa Dodge, executive director of Artemis Gallery. This makes the painted compositions found on ceramic vessels of this type invaluable sources of information about Ancient Greek visual art. They were not merely utilitarian pottery; they were works of art that were highly prized throughout the classical world. The vase is estimated at $70,000-$140,000.Ancient jewelry has become a staple in Artemis Gallerys sales and enjoys a following that is growing by leaps and bounds. On Jan. 18, bidders may choose from many Roman pieces, including gold and glass earrings, a 24K solid gold bracelet, a 20K (minimum) gold pendant with grape-leaf motif, and a 14K gold ring with a garnet intaglio of Minerva. The selection of Viking jewelry is highlighted by a glass necklace with bronze pendant, a substantial mens decorated silver bracelet, and a museum-quality knitted-silver chain adorned with a Thors Hammer amulet.Near Eastern lots of special note include a Mesopotamian cuneiform clay tablet (translated), and a rare Byzantine bronze icon of St. Nicholas; while the Asian art section is led by a superb Indian pala stone panel of the goddess Parvati, a 12th-century Khmer bronze figure of the goddess Lakshmi, and a sensational archaic Chinese jade bi disc.On day 2, Artemis Gallery will offer Pre-Columbian and ethnographic art of the finest quality. There are several choice pieces from the Valdivian people of Ecuador, one of the earliest recorded cultures in the Americas. Lots include a tall terracotta Venus figure, a jaguar-tooth amulet, and limestone roundel with double arrows. An impressive circa-3300 BCE limestone star chart displays boldly incised horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines together with drilled dots, although there is no documented explanation of their meaning. Estimate: $6,000-$8,000A wonderful array of Pre-Columbian art from other cultures includes representations from the Olmec, Mayan, Cocle, Chorrera and many other civilizations. Examples include a highly decorative Chancay (Peru, circa 1300-1470 CE) textile loincloth in superior condition to examples held in museums, estimate $4,500-$6,000; and a large and important Wari (Peru, circa 600-800 CE) polychrome urn with molded water birds and frog-like creatures in bas-relief, estimate $12,000-$18,000.Collectors will find some genuine treasures amongst the African and tribal lots, such as a pair of Sokoto male and female terracotta figures, a fine Bankoni terracotta ancestral figure, and an important 20th-century Cameroon Mambila wooden helmet mask with extensive provenance. Mask estimate: $6,000-$7,500.The market for hand-beaded 19th-century Native-American objects has never been stronger. Four remarkable examples in Artemis Gallerys Jan. 18-19 sale are: an 1880s beaded-leather gun case, Great Plains/Cheyenne beaded war shirt, Plains beaded moose-skin wedding dress, and a sensational, densely beaded womens wood and leather saddle with overall depictions of American Flags and the Great Seal of the United States. Saddle estimate: $6,000-$9,000.There are many appealing choices within the Spanish Colonial ethnographic portion of the sale, including two 18th-century paintings and a stunning 19th-century hollow-cast statue of the Madonna wearing a crown and standing atop a cloud-shrouded crescent moon. Ex Sothebys and a private East Coast U.S. collection, the latter artwork is expected to make $3,000-$4,500.Bidders may participate in Artemis Gallerys Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 18-19, 2017 auction live online, by phone (please reserve phone line in advance) or by leaving an absentee bid that will be lodged confidentially and competitively on their behalf. The sale begins at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. Bid absentee or live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers. For additional information on any item, call Teresa Dodge at 720-890-7700 or email teresa@artemisgallery.com. Visit Artemis Gallery.Artemis Gallery is an ancient art gallery and antiquities dealer specializing in Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Pre-Columbian art, as well as collections of Near Eastern, Far Eastern and Oceanographic antiquities for sale. Our extensive inventory includes ancient pottery, stone, metal, glass, textile objects and Pre-Columbian art from South America, Central America and Mexico, as well as art from Greece Italy, Rome, Egypt, the Middle East, China, India, Japan and the South Pacific. All antiquities for sale are unconditionally guaranteed authentic for as long as you own them.Teresa DodgeArtemis Gallery400 W. South Boulder Rd.Lafayette, CO 80026720-890-7700teresa@artemisgallery.com
Hydropower in Vietnam, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2016 Regulations and Company Profiles

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Albany, New York, January 17, 2017: The latest report focusing on the Energy Alternative Sources Market has been recently added to the online database of Market Research Hubs repository. It is entitled as Hydropower in Vietnam, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2016 - Capacity, Generation, Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Investment Trends, Regulations and Company Profiles. The report provides in depth insights on the market and their development activities.Request for Sample Report:Hydropower in Vietnam, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2016 - Capacity, Generation, Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Investment Trends, Regulations and Company Profiles is the latest report from GlobalData, the industry analysis specialists that offer comprehensive information and understanding of the hydropower market in Vietnam.The report provides in depth analysis on global renewable power market and global hydropower market with forecasts up to 2030. The report analyzes the power market scenario in Vietnam (includes conventional thermal, nuclear, large hydro and renewable energy sources) and provides future outlook with forecasts up to 2030. The research details renewable power market outlook in the country (includes hydro, small hydro, biopower and solar PV) and provides forecasts up to 2030. The report highlights installed capacity and power generation trends from 2006 to 2030 in Vietnam hydropower market. A detailed coverage of renewable energy policy framework governing the market with specific policies pertaining to hydropower is provided in the report. The research also provides company snapshots of some of the major market participants.Make an Enquiry:The report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, secondary research and in-house analysis by GlobalDatas team of industry experts.ScopeThe report analyses global renewable power market, global hydropower market, Vietnam power market, Vietnam renewable power market and Vietnam hydropower market. The scope of the research includes -- A brief introduction on global carbon emissions and global primary energy consumption.- An overview on global renewable power market, highlighting installed capacity trends, generation trends and installed capacity split by various renewable power sources. The information is covered for the historical period 2006-2015 (unless specified) and forecast period 2015-2030.- Renewable power sources include wind (both onshore and offshore), solar photovoltaic (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP), small hydropower (SHP), biomass, biogas and geothermal.- Detailed overview of the global hydropower market with installed capacity and generation trends, installed capacity split by major hydropower countries in 2015 and key owners information of various regions.- Power market scenario in Vietnam and provides detailed market overview, installed capacity and power generation trends by various fuel types (includes thermal conventional, nuclear, large hydro and renewable energy sources) with forecasts up to 2030.- An overview on Vietnam renewable power market, highlighting installed capacity trends (2006-2030), generation trends(2006-2030) and installed capacity split by various renewable power sources in 2015.- Detailed overview of Vietnam hydropower market with installed capacity and generation trends and major active and upcoming hydro projects.- Deal analysis of Vietnam hydropower market. Deals are analyzed on the basis of mergers, acquisitions, partnership, asset finance, debt offering, equity offering, private equity (PE) and venture capitalists (VC).- Key policies and regulatory framework supporting the development of renewable power sources in general and hydropower in particular.- Company snapshots of some of the major market participants in the country.Browse Full Info with TOC:Reasons to buy- The report will enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner.- Identify key growth and investment opportunities in Vietnam hydropower market.- Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data for hydropower market.- Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential.- Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events.- Identify key partners and business development avenues.- Understand and respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects.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:
Organic Baby Food Market Research, market Share, Competitor Strategy, Industry Trends, Forecast to 2027.

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Synopsis of the Global Organic Baby Food MarketGlobally, the market for organic baby food has been increase in demand for downstream market the; key drivers for the market are rise in disposable income and demand for high quality products.Key PlayersThe key players profiled in global organic baby food market report include- Abbott Laboratories, Danone, Nestle, Hero, HiPP, Baby Gourmet, Amara, Olli Organic, Initiative FoodsStakeholders Organic infant food companies Dairy companies Government bodies Traders, exporters, importersRequest a Sample Copy @North-America will be the fastest growing marketNorth-America and Europe dominates the market for global organic baby food market with the largest market shareSegmentsOn basis of Ingredient: fruits vegetables grains & cereals meat Dairy.On basis of Product type baby milks baby cereals dry meals finger foods baby drinks Other organic baby foods.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 50 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 Global Organic Baby Food Market Research Report - Forecast to 2027Study Objectives of Global Organic Baby Food Market In-depth market assessment for individual micro and macro markets for organic baby food To assess the market size and its various segments To understand the supply and demand dynamics of the market To provide region level market analysis and future outlook for North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) and their countries Company profiling of major players in the market Value chain analysis indicating each stage of its production process and identifying the crucial stages for improvements Supply chain analysis of the product indicating the stake of the various suppliers, both basic producers and formulators/distributors, till the end-userThe market is divided into the following segments based on geography:North America US Canada MexicoEurope Germany France Italy U.K Rest of EuropeAsia Pacific China India Japan Rest of Asia-PacificRoW Brazil Argentina Egypt South Africa OthersRequest TOC, Tables, Figures and Companies @Key questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2027 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?Related ReportGlobal Baby Food Packaging Market Research Information-By Material Type (polymer, paper, metal, glass and others), by sealing and handle (spout top, heat seal, patch handle, zipper top and others), by application (liquid milk, dried baby food, powder milk, others)and by Region - Forecast to 2022.Know 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 Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Portable Oxygen Concentrators Market Projected to Be Valued at US$ 2637.7 Mn by 2026 End

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According to a latest report published by Future Market Insights titled Portable Oxygen Concentrators Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026, the global portable oxygen concentrators market is anticipated to register a CAGR of 7.8% between 2016 and 2026 in terms of value.Portable oxygen concentrators supply oxygen to patients suffering from respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. The concentrator separates nitrogen and oxygen from air in the environment and then supplies 95% pure oxygen to patients. POCs are easy to carry as they are smaller in size compared to stationary concentrators. Moreover, POCs are of great use to mountaineers and travellers in places where oxygen is inadequate.According to Future Market Insights, the global portable oxygen concentrators market is likely to witness substantial growth owing to increasing prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, growing consumer awareness for oxygen therapy devices, and a changing consumer lifestyle. Further, adoption of new technologies in medical devices, increasing government expenditure towards healthcare and medical devices development and production, and a rise in investment by companies manufacturing homecare products is likely to boost the growth of the global portable oxygen concentrators market during the forecast period (2016  2026). However, high product costs and stringent FDA regulations pertaining to medical devices are some of the factors likely to restrain the growth of the global portable oxygen concentrators market during the forecast period.Request for sample report:Segmentation highlightsThe global portable oxygen concentrators market has been segmented on the basis of Product into Continuous Flow Portable Oxygen Concentrator and Pulse Flow Portable Oxygen Concentrator; and on the basis of End User into Hospitals, Homecare, Ambulatory Surgical Centres, and Travel Agents.The Pulse Flow Portable Oxygen Concentrator product segment is projected to be valued at US$ 1890.3 Mn by 2026, registering a CAGR of 9.0% over the forecast periodThe Homecare end user segment is projected to be valued at US$ 1820.5 Mn by 2026 and is likely to witness a CAGR of 9.0% over the forecast periodRegional market projectionsThe global portable oxygen concentrators market is segmented into the seven key regions of North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, MEA, and Japan. Growing geriatric population consequently increasing the requirement for homecare settings particularly in high income countries with increasing number of patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases is expected to result in significant growth of the North America portable oxygen concentrators market. The North America region is expected to report incremental opportunity of US$ 781.7 Mn between 2016 and 2026. Evolution of health insurance system is expected to contribute largely to the revenue generation potential and attractiveness of the Eastern Europe portable oxygen concentrators market. Rising adoption of portable oxygen concentrators in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases patients for better care is expected to fuel revenue growth in the Japan portable oxygen concentrators market over the forecast period. High product cost of portable oxygen concentrators is expected to hamper sustainable adoption in the APEJ region. Lack of product awareness is expected to hamper market growth in the APEJ and MEA regions.Send an Enquiry:Vendor insightsThe report profiles some of the top companies operating in the global portable oxygen concentrators market such as Koninklijke Philips N.V., Inogen Inc., Chart Industries Inc., Resmed Inc., Invacare Corporation, Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare, Precision Medical Inc., Besco Medical Co. Ltd., Oxus America, Inc. (Oxus), Foshan Keyhub Electronic Industries Co. Ltd., O2 Concepts LLC, and GCE Group. Key strategies adopted by leading market players in the global portable oxygen concentrators market include product approvals and commercialisation, efficient entry into markets in emerging countries, and adoption of latest innovative technologies in healthcare, thus strengthening regional proficiency and addressing customer needs effectively. New product launches, product innovation, and geographical expansion are anticipated to form the core of these strategies during the forecast period.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.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705T (UK): + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Asia Pacific Gasoline Injection Technologies Market Analysis, Segments, Growth and Value Chain 2014-2020

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OverviewThe global market for gasoline injection technologies is attaining considerable growth owing to increasing emphasis on fuel-efficient automotive vehicles. The global automotive industry is focusing on developing vehicles that offer comfort and safety, without compromising on fuel efficiency.Gasoline injection technologies have witnessed steady development  from the simple carburettor injection mechanism to the advanced multi-point fuel injection (MPFI) and gasoline direct injection (GDI). Developments in fuel injection technologies are catalysing the growth of gasoline injection technologies market in several key regions, especially in Asia Pacific (APAC), where GDI technology is witnessing steady adoption.According to Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles (OICA), APAC countries such as China, India, South Korea, and Japan lead in the number of vehicle production. At present, the gasoline injection technologies market in Asia is booming, owing to strong demand from Chinas automotive sector (24 Mn vehicles manufactured in 2015). As a result, the rising per capita income of the regions extensive consumer base has created a favourable environment for the growth of Asia Pacific gasoline injection technologies market.Request for sample report:APAC Gasoline Injection Technology Market: Growth FactorsThe APAC gasoline injection technologies market revenues are expected to witness steady growth in the near future. The key factors expected to boost demand include,Increasing automotive productionChina and India collectively account for almost one-third of worlds motor vehicle production.Shift in consumer preferencesConsumers in APAC countries are increasingly showing a preference for fuel-efficient vehicles, leading to higher adoption of GDI and MPFI technologies.UrbanisationIncreasing urbanisation has led to a considerable rise in the number of consumers buying cars and other motor vehicles, instead of opting for public transport.Focus on Fuel-efficiencyConsumers in APAC have a higher tendency to prioritise fuel-efficiency over other features. To cater to this consumer sentiment, automotive manufacturers are incorporating the latest technologies, which in turn is fuelling the growth of gasoline injection technologies market.Strict Emission StandardsChina, the largest APAC market, and India are witnessing a gradual stringentness in automotive emission policies and standards. Concerns about rising pollution levels in China are creating opportunities for incorporation of GDI technology in the manufacturing process.Key RestraintsWhile there have been several secondary facts indicating profits derived from fuel injection technologies in Asia, various challenges have emerged to restrain the growth of the regions gasoline injection technologies market. The most prominent industry restraints include,Lack of ApplicabilityGDI technologies, one of the advanced models of fuel injection technologies, are far from being incorporated in two-wheelers. Cars and other four-wheelers being the only segment for manufacturing application are restricting the adoption opportunities for gasoline injection technologies. Motorcycle manufacturers and social entrprises, such as EnviroFit are addressing this challenge with intensive R&D work.Environmental ConditionsStrict emission standards in APAC region such as China are driving the markets growth but have an underlying restraining effect as well. Since the advanced gasoline injection technologies arent completely eco-friendly, manufacturers cannot claim effective automotive emission at every standard.Downside of GDI TechnologyHigh cost, operational complexity, and the need for using strong materials resilient to high pressure and temperature are some of the common drawbacks of GDI technologies. In critically polluted APAC regions like China, the adoption of GDI could be lowered, owing to scientific findings that claim emission of black carbon particulates. However, the researchs uncertainty and complicated nature havent yet had a major impact on Chinas market for GDI technologies.Request for TOC:Key CompaniesLong after introducing the first direct injection system in the 50s, Robert Bosch GmbH continues to be a leading company in global gasoline injection technologies market, as well as in the APAC market. Mitsubishi Electric Auto Parts (China), Bajaj Auto (India) and Delphi Automotive LLP (China) are other leading companies in the APAC gasoline injection technologies market.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types, technology and applications.About us:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705T (UK): + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Bio-Based Levulinic Acid Market Expected to Expand at a Steady CAGR through 2020

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New molecules developed by Segetis, in Minnesota based on esters of levulinic acid made from using bio based hydroxyl compounds and corn cobs are known as levulinic ketals. These can be used to produce a series of products such as plasticizers, polyols for polyurethane foams and solvents.Segetis are constructing a new toll manufacturing plant for their new ketals chemistry in the Midwest and the construction of which was expected to be completed by the end of 2011. Products entering the market would start with solvents. While polyols is expected to be the last to enter in the market because of significant functional testing required. At present China is the supplier of the levulinic acid from the company but later it may use residue of wood as a feedstock.Request for sample report:The potential outcome by the development of bio based levulinic acid could be the replacement of the phthalate plasticizers which is used to make Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which is the most widely produce plastic and other plastics flexible. The company is also working directly to replace the phthalate which concerns about exposure to children. The major advantages of ketal monomers are that they attach to the PVC molecule firmly and are of natural origins.Major opportunity for the market can be obtain from the manufacture of polyols which combines with iscoyanates to produce polyurethane. The polyols which are made from bio based levulinic acid will have rigidity which in turn will help to reduce the level of iscoyanates while obtaining polyurethane having similar properties and the monomers will play the role of the performer. The cost of polyols produce by the company will be same as made from petroleum resources. But it is expected that it will help to improve the economics for formulators due to less use of iscoyanates. The major advantage for the ketals chemistry is from its total cost.Request for TOC:This research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data and statistically-supported and industry-validated market data and projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology. It provides analysis and information by categories such as market segments, regions, product type and distribution channels.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.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705T (UK): + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Power Transducers Market 2017 : AMETEK, M-System, Iskra, Moore Industries, LEM, Phoenix Contract, Algodue, Transdata Inc.

Power Transducers

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A market study based on the "Power Transducers Market" across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Power Transducers Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as present performance of the worldwide Power Transducers industry, and makes predictions on the future status of Power Transducers market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research ReportAMETEKM-SystemTransdata Inc.LEMPhoenix ContractAlgodueMECOAutotronic EnterpriseBalance Systems S.R.LCIRCUTORDEIFGiga-Tronics IncorporatedIskraMoore IndustriesPBP Optel Sp. Z O.O.The report studies the industry for Power Transducers across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Power Transducers market & dynamics of demand and supply of Power Transducers into consideration. The 'Power Transducers' research study covers each and every aspect of the Power Transducers market globally, which starts from the definition of the Power Transducers industry and develops towards Power Transducers market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Power Transducers market is classified and analysed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Power Transducers market. The geographical segmentation of the Power Transducers industry has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide market for Power Transducers is determined by evaluating the various industry participants, production capacity, Power Transducers market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Power Transducers market worldwide.Enquire Here :The global Power Transducers market 2017 is also analysed on the basis of product pricing, Power Transducers production volume, data regarding demand and Power Transducers 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 Power Transducers across the globe.About Us :Worldwide Business 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 Worldwide Business, 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 :Worldwide BusinessUnited States
Advanced United States POC Diagnostics Sales Market Size, Growth, Trend And Forecast To 2021

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Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "United States POC Diagnostics Sales Market Trend And Forecast To 2021" globally.This report studies Revenue (consumption) of POC Diagnostics in USA market, focuses on top players, with gross and market share for each player, coveringAlereRocheAbbott LaboratoriesJohnson & JohnsonSiemens HealthcareDanaherBayer HealthcareBeckman CoulterNipro DiagnosticsBio-Rad LaboratoriesNova BiomedicalBioMerieuxQuidelHelena LaboratoriesOraSure TechnologiesAccrivaAbaxisChembio DiagnosticsTrinity BiotechBy type, the market can be split intoBlood Glucose TestingInfectious Diseases TestingCardiac Markers TestingCoagulation TestingPregnancy and Fertility TestingBlood Gas/Electrolytes TestingTumor Markers TestingUrinalysis TestingCholesterol TestingBy Application, the market can be split intoClinicsHospitalsLaboratoryOthersGet The Sample Copy Of This Report:Table of Content1 POC Diagnostics Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of POC Diagnostics1.2 Classification of POC Diagnostics1.3 Applications of POC Diagnostics1.4 Development Environmental Analysis1.4.1 Global Economy Analysis1.4.2 Europe Economy Analysis1.4.3 Japan Economy Analysis1.4.4 China Economy Analysis1.4.5 USA Economy Analysis1.5 Labor Cost Analysis of POC Diagnostics1.6 Global Electricity Price of Industry by Country1.7 USA Market Size (Value and Volume) of POC Diagnostics (2011-2021)1.7.1 USA POC Diagnostics Revenue and Gross Margin (2011-2021)1.7.2 USA POC Diagnostics Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.7.3 USA POC Diagnostics Gross and Growth Rate (2011-2021)2 USA POC Diagnostics Competition by Manufacturers2.1 USA POC Diagnostics Revenue and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 USA POC Diagnostics Gross and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.3 USA POC Diagnostics Gross Margin by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)3 USA POC Diagnostics by Type3.1 USA POC Diagnostics Gross and Market Share by Type (2011-2021)3.2 USA POC Diagnostics Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2021)3.3 USA Blood Glucose Testing Gross, Revenue, Price and Growth (2011-2021)3.4 USA Infectious Diseases Testing Gross, Revenue, Price and Growth (2011-2021)3.5 USA Cardiac Markers Testing Gross, Revenue, Price and Growth (2011-2021)3.6 USA Coagulation Testing Gross, Revenue, Price and Growth (2011-2021)3.7 USA Pregnancy and Fertility Testing Gross, Revenue, Price and Growth (2011-2021)3.8 USA Blood Gas/Electrolytes Testing Gross, Revenue, Price and Growth (2011-2021)3.9 USA Tumor Markers Testing Gross, Revenue, Price and Growth (2011-2021)3.10 USA Urinalysis Testing Gross, Revenue, Price and Growth (2011-2021)3.11 USA Cholesterol Testing Gross, Revenue, Price and Growth (2011-2021)3.12 USA POC Diagnostics OverviewBrowse More In Vitro Diagnostics Market Research Reports:4 USA POC Diagnostics by Application5 Analysis of POC Diagnostics Industry Key Manufacturers5.1 Alere5.1.1 Company Profile5.1.2 Product Information5.1.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.2 Roche5.2.1 Company Profile5.2.2 Product Information5.2.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.3 Abbott Laboratories5.3.1 Company Profile5.3.2 Product Information5.3.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.4 Johnson & Johnson5.4.1 Company Profile5.4.2 Product Information5.4.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.5 Siemens Healthcare5.5.1 Company Profile5.5.2 Product Information5.5.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.6 Danaher5.6.1 Company Profile5.6.2 Product Information5.6.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.7 Bayer Healthcare5.7.1 Company Profile5.7.2 Product Information5.7.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.8 Beckman Coulter5.8.1 Company Profile5.8.2 Product Information5.8.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.9 Nipro Diagnostics5.9.1 Company Profile5.9.2 Product Information5.9.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.10 Bio-Rad Laboratories5.10.1 Company Profile5.10.2 Product Information5.10.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.11 Nova Biomedical5.11.1 Company Profile5.11.2 Product Information5.11.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.12 BioMerieux5.12.1 Company Profile5.12.2 Product Information5.12.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.13 Quidel5.13.1 Company Profile5.13.2 Product Information5.13.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.14 Helena Laboratories5.14.1 Company Profile5.14.2 Product Information5.14.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.15 OraSure Technologies5.15.1 Company Profile5.15.2 Product Information5.15.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.16 Accriva5.16.1 Company Profile5.16.2 Product Information5.16.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.17 Abaxis5.17.1 Company Profile5.17.2 Product Information5.17.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.18 Chembio Diagnostics5.18.1 Company Profile5.18.2 Product Information5.18.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin5.19 Trinity Biotech5.19.1 Company Profile5.19.2 Product Information5.19.3 Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin6 POC Diagnostics Technology and Development Trend6.1 POC Diagnostics Technology Analysis6.1.1 POC Diagnostics Technology Analysis6.1.2 Advances in Technology6.1.3 Future Outlook for POCT & Advancing Developments6.1.4 Challenges6.2 POC Diagnostics Technology Development Trend7 Research Findings and ConclusionDisclosure SectionResearch MethodologyData SourceChina DisclaimerAbout 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:ContactMr. Nachiket90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E-Mail: sales@marketresearchreports.bizFollow us on LinkedIn:Thanks..!!!!!!!!!!!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
United States Interventional Oncology Device Market Size, Technology Advances, Overview, Trends, Growth and Forecast Report 2016

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Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "United States Interventional Oncology Device Market Report 2016" globally.This report studies sales (consumption) of Interventional Oncology Device in United States market, focuses on the top players, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player, coveringPhilips VolcanoBoston ScientificGE HealthcareSilicon Valley Medical InstrumentsSt. Jude MedicalMedtronicHitachi Aloka Medical AmericaInfraredxSplit by product types, with sales, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoType IType IIType IIISplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Interventional Oncology Device in each application, can be divided intoApplication 1Application 2Application 3Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:Table of ContentsUnited States Interventional Oncology Device Market Report 20161 Interventional Oncology Device Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Interventional Oncology Device1.2 Classification of Interventional Oncology Device1.2.1 Type I1.2.2 Type II1.2.3 Type III1.3 Application of Interventional Oncology Device1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.3.3 Application 31.4 United States Market Size Sales (Value) and Revenue (Volume) of Interventional Oncology Device (2011-2021)1.4.1 United States Interventional Oncology Device Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.4.2 United States Interventional Oncology Device Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)2 United States Interventional Oncology Device Competition by Manufacturers2.1 United States Interventional Oncology Device Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 United States Interventional Oncology Device Revenue and Share by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.3 United States Interventional Oncology Device Average Price by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.4 Interventional Oncology Device Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.4.1 Interventional Oncology Device Market Concentration Rate2.4.2 Interventional Oncology Device Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 United States Interventional Oncology Device Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (2011-2016)3.1 United States Interventional Oncology Device Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)3.2 United States Interventional Oncology Device Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)3.3 United States Interventional Oncology Device Price by Type (2011-2016)3.4 United States Interventional Oncology Device Sales Growth Rate by Type (2011-2016)Browse More In Vitro Diagnostics Market Research Reports:4 United States Interventional Oncology Device Sales (Volume) by Application (2011-2016)4.1 United States Interventional Oncology Device Sales and Market Share by Application (2011-2016)4.2 United States Interventional Oncology Device Sales Growth Rate by Application (2011-2016)4.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities5 United States Interventional Oncology Device Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis5.1 Philips Volcano5.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors5.1.2 Interventional Oncology Device Product Type, Application and Specification5.1.2.1 Type I5.1.2.2 Type II5.1.3 Philips Volcano Interventional Oncology Device Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.2 Boston Scientific5.2.2 Interventional Oncology Device Product Type, Application and Specification5.2.2.1 Type I5.2.2.2 Type II5.2.3 Boston Scientific Interventional Oncology Device Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.3 GE Healthcare5.3.2 Interventional Oncology Device Product Type, Application and Specification5.3.2.1 Type I5.3.2.2 Type II5.3.3 GE Healthcare Interventional Oncology Device Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.4 Silicon Valley Medical Instruments5.4.2 Interventional Oncology Device Product Type, Application and Specification5.4.2.1 Type I5.4.2.2 Type II5.4.3 Silicon Valley Medical Instruments Interventional Oncology Device Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.5 St. Jude Medical5.5.2 Interventional Oncology Device Product Type, Application and Specification5.5.2.1 Type I5.5.2.2 Type II5.5.3 St. Jude Medical Interventional Oncology Device Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.6 Medtronic5.6.2 Interventional Oncology Device Product Type, Application and Specification5.6.2.1 Type I5.6.2.2 Type II5.6.3 Medtronic Interventional Oncology Device Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.7 Hitachi Aloka Medical America5.7.2 Interventional Oncology Device Product Type, Application and Specification5.7.2.1 Type I5.7.2.2 Type II5.7.3 Hitachi Aloka Medical America Interventional Oncology Device Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.8 Infraredx5.8.2 Interventional Oncology Device Product Type, Application and Specification5.8.2.1 Type I5.8.2.2 Type II5.8.3 Infraredx Interventional Oncology Device Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview6 Interventional Oncology Device Manufacturing Cost Analysis6.1 Interventional Oncology Device Key Raw Materials Analysis6.1.1 Key Raw Materials6.1.2 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials6.1.3 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials6.1.4 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials6.2 Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure6.2.1 Raw Materials6.2.2 Labor Cost6.2.3 Manufacturing Expenses6.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Interventional Oncology DeviceAbout 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:ContactMr. Nachiket90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E-Mail: sales@marketresearchreports.bizFollow us on LinkedIn:Thanks..!!!!!!!!!!!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
Patisserie Packaging Market - Global Industry Analysis & Key Insights by 2024

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Patisserie products are popular among all age groups and the sales are independent of occasions or seasons. Packaging plays an important role in patisserie products in increasing shelf life, marketing, prevention from mechanical damage, displaying food safety related warnings and nutrition value.View exclusive Global strategic Business report:Packaging vendors who provide innovative and creative packaging solutions are preferred by patisserie dealers, as it helps to strengthen sales by enhancing product visibility. Apart from protecting and containing the items, the packaging must be irresistible enough to appeal to a buyer and ultimately lead to a sale. Packaging supplies come in more sizes, shapes, textures, materials and printing options than ever before, hence containers that achieve a quality or feature that is extremely impressive can set any product apart from its competitors.Sale of patisserie is most commonly noted at retail outlets. In order to create a longer shelf-life, retailers have demanded the packaging manufacturers to improve the process of wrapping up such food items.Sales of patisserie have increased as urbanization has led the population to opt for food that is readily available. Increase in cases of stomach disorders are responsible for the dynamics of the global patisserie packaging market to go through unfavorable reforms. The key challenge restraining the fluent production of packaging products is the varying pack-sizes. Consumers prefer reusable plastic pouches as the ideal packaging product, which is in turn hampering the sales of traditional packaging products and declining the demand. The uneven culinary habits of the target population is also accounted as a major factor impeding the growth of the global patisserie market.Based on type of material, the patisserie packaging market can be segmented as follows:PlasticPaper and cardboard boxesCorrugated boxesFlexible packagingOthersSmall plastic patisserie packs, plastic cupcake boxes and plastic cake containers are widely used as they protect the contents from damage and leaking. Paper and cardboard boxes are used by the manufacturers in order to differentiate the product as well as to provide mechanical strength. Taken as a whole, corrugated boxes are considered to be an eco-friendly and sustainable form of packaging compared with other forms of packaging, including plastics. Huge investments are made to develop innovative solutions in corrugated box packaging. Overall, packaging manufacturers are expected to come up with resistant quality packaging materials in the coming years keeping prime focus on environmental protection and sustainability.Based on type of product, the patisserie packaging market can be segmented as follows:CakesCream bunsGateauxPastriesBased on geography, the patisserie packaging market can be segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. Overall, Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period. In countries like China, India and Japan, growth comes from an increase in the demand for poly bags. North America is expected to substantially contribute towards market growth on the grounds of rising demand for digitally-printed packages which creates a hyper-personal buying experience. Significant growth in bakery and confectionary in China will have a positive impact on the patisserie packaging market. Furthermore, growing demand for packaged foods and consumer goods is expected to increase the growth. Europe is further anticipated to boost the market growth over the upcoming years with regards to the rising demand for home delivery of patisserie products. Increase in sedentary lifestyle and eating habits in Latin America and MEA are expected to propel patisserie packaging market demand in the region.Some of the top players operating in the patisserie packaging market are Papiers Paviot, Amcor Limited, LINPAC Senior Holdings Limited, Graphic Packaging International, Inc., Coyne & Blanchard, Inc., Mahalaxmi Flexible Packaging, Berry Plastics Corporation, Sealed Air, WestRock Company, AR Packaging Group AB and others.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:
Africa Mobile Phone Accessories Market: South Africa Region Poised to Register a CAGR of 6.3% by 2026

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The Africa Mobile Phone Accessories market is anticipated to grow from US$ 2,315.9 Mn in 2016 to US$ 4,060.2 Mn by 2026, registering a CAGR of 5.8% in terms of revenue during the forecast period (2016-2026)  according to a new report Mobile Phone Accessories Market: Africa Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026 published by Future Market Insights. In this report, the Africa mobile phone accessories market is tracked in terms of value and volume, and is calibrated to obtain market revenue estimates.According to Future Market Insights, Increasing disposable income and rapid urbanisation are factors anticipated to drive growth of the Africa mobile phone accessories market over the forecast period. Increased internet usage and smartphone penetration, along with a robust growth of m-commerce is further expected to push the demand for mobile phone accessories in Africa during the forecast period. The report also identifies factors likely to hamper the growth of the Africa mobile phone accessories market. Poor economic conditions and an established market captured by Chinese vendors are some of the major challenges expected to be faced by market players in the Africa mobile phone accessories market during the forecast period.Request Free Report Sample@The overall Africa mobile phone accessories market is segmented on the basis of type, price, distribution channel, and region. The report provides market data in terms of value and volume and forecasts projections for the period 2016-2026.Segmentation highlightsIn 2015, the protective cases segment dominated the Africa mobile phone accessories market, followed by the headphones & earphones However, Future Market Insights analysts predict the power bank segment to expand at the fastest CAGR of 6.8% over the forecast period in terms of revenue. Demand for power banks is estimated to witness the highest growth rate by 2016  frequent power cuts in certain parts of Africa is a key factor likely to boost this demand.The mid-priced segment is expected to expand at the highest CAGR of 6.2% in terms of value during the forecast period. In terms of market share, the low-priced segment alone accounted for more than one-third of the revenue share of the overall market in 2015 and Future Market Insights analysts feel this segment will dominate the Africa mobile phone accessories market in the coming 10 years.The online store segment is expected to expand at the highest CAGR of 7.2% in terms of value during the forecast period. In terms of market share, the multi-brand store segment alone accounted for more than one-third of the revenue share of the overall market in 2015 and is expected to dominate the Africa mobile phone accessories market between 2016 and 2026.Regional forecastIn terms of region, Future Market Insights sees great potential in the Rest of Africa region, a segment that dominated the overall Africa mobile phone accessories market in 2015, accounting for more than one-third of the total market share. This segment is expected to be the largest revenue generator for mobile phone accessories in Africa by 2016, accounting for a revenue share of 44.1% by the end of 2016. The mobile phone accessories market in South Africa is projected to expand at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.Send An Enquiry@Vendor insightsFuture Market Insights forecasts a very promising scenario for key players operating in the Africa mobile phone accessories market over the next 10 years. Analysts are of the opinion that innovation in new product offerings and services will be a critical lever for companies such as Case-Mate, Muvit, and Mozo Accessories to consolidate their market position and establish a solid customer base.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:
Automotive Drive Shafts Market: Emerging Economies Host Manufacturing Units keeping APAC as Frontrunner

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The automotive drive shafts market across the globe is anticipated to witness a stable growth during the forecast period from 2016 to 2024. Automotive drive shafts are mechanical components used for transferring torque from the engine to the other end of the vehicle before it reaches the wheels. These components are automotive drive shafts made up of steel, aluminum and carbon fiber. Automotive drive shafts made of aluminum are light and sturdy at the same time which enables the drive shafts to be balanced, produce more rotating speed and also reduces the overall weight of the vehicle. Aluminum drive shafts are light and sturdy, enabling the overall weight of the vehicle to be light and require less fuel. Aluminum drive shafts are also more balanced and produces more rotating speed. Steel drive shafts are very heavy and requires a lot of horsepower to transmit torque and rotate. It makes the overall weight of the vehicle very heavy, requiring more fuel to run. .Global Automotive Drive Shafts Market: SegmentationBy types, the market has been segmented into hotchkiss drive shafts, flexible drive shafts and torque tube drive shafts. Hotchkiss drive shafts are the most popular form of shafts used for rear axle suspension and are commonly found in heavy commercial vehicles and passenger cars. Flexible drive shaft types have high longevity and permits continuous rotation in vehicles even at high speed. These are mostly found in passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. Use of torque tube drive shaft is comparatively less widespread than hotchkiss drive shaft system and flexible drive shaft system. It is mostly found in heavy commercial vehicles with front engine and rear drive. Torque tube drive shaft types are typically heavier and produces greater up sprung weight on the vehicle. The automotive drive shafts can also be judged based on their position which in turn depends on whether the vehicle is Front Wheel Drive (FWD) or Rear Wheel Drive (RWD). Front Wheel Drive vehicles are always the preferred choice since they are more fuel efficient and weigh less enabling the vehicle to be aerodynamic. The FWD vehicles also cost less compared to RWD vehicles, therefore their production and use is higher. In recent years, all the passenger cars and light commercial vehicles are FWD and their drive shafts are placed likewise. This positioning also protects the vehicles in case of accidents.Download PDF Brochure atGlobal Automotive Drive Shafts Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe report also discusses the demand inducing and demand restraining factors. The main drivers have been identified to be the rise in production of vehicles and depreciation of drive shafts whose replacement is supported by an efficient after sales services sector. The global automotive industry is in a reviving phase and is expected to show promising performance over the forecast period. APAC is the largest producer of automotive and is likely to maintain its dominance the forecast period. In recent years the APAC region has witnessed notable performance in terms of its GDP and development of its automobile and automotive parts industry. India, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand, among other countries in APAC have high growth potential. This region has also experienced a sudden rise in disposable income, enhancing the affordability of passenger cars.Use of electric vehicles however, is expected to reduce the need for drive shafts since they run on battery which are charged by electric power. Therefore, this factor is anticipated to pull down the growth of the automotive drive shafts market.Global Automotive Drive Shafts Market: Research MethodologyThis report provides the future anticipated market growth of automotive drive shafts during the period from 2016 to 2024 along with a current market synopsis. The report also provides in-depth analysis of the automotive drive shafts market across various vehicle types, shaft types and position types. Various economic factors predicted to affect the demand and supply of automotive drive shafts across the globe are also highlighted in this report. In addition, the report also sheds light on the detailed industry structures, market share of the leading manufacturers and future predictive demand and supply in terms of revenue in order to provide a detailed analysis of the market.By geography, the global automotive drive shafts market has been further classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America. The present market size in terms of revenue (USD Mn) along with forecast from 2016 to 2024 is also provided in this report.Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:Some of the key players operating in the automotive drive shafts market across the globe are, GKN PLC. (U.K.), American Axle Manufacturing Inc. (U.S.), Dana Incorporated (U.S), Xuchang Yuangdong (U.S.), Neapco Holdings, LLC. (U.S.) and The Timken Company (U.S.), among others.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:
Tourism industry leader rebrands to become Aurora Travel & DMC

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www.auroratravel.asia

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One of the industrys leading tour operators rebrands itself to become Aurora Travel & DMC to reflect changes in the companys place in the market. A new name, logo and website () have been developed in tandem.Hanoi, Vietnam  17th January, 2017  Committed to providing visitors to Vietnam with unique and engaging travel experiences, Aurora Travel & DMC has gradually expanded its products from Vietnam to Laos, Cambodia and Thailand over the past 13 years. The refresh in corporate identity reflects the expansion of the business.Aurora Travel made a name for itself by providing quality customized tours that emphasize the authenticity of the experience. At the turn of the year, the company will be operating under a new brand, with the new name and a new logo to match. The new brand enforces the companys commitment to supplying a varied selection of authentic, unique, and quality travel products to travelers from all over the world.The corporate logo and color is entirely new, with the letter A in Aurora stylized to evoke images of the roof of a pagoda, an iconic image in all our destinations, details Ngoc Trinh, Marketing Manager. She goes on to explain that the gradient orange against jet black presents a splendid sunrise, which symbolizes the development, reliability and success that Aurora Travel & DMC guarantees."For the last 13 years, Aurora has been a reputable travel agency in Vietnam. We have seen considerable growth to our business and operated thousands of customized tours to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand," asserts Mai Anh Nguyen, General Manager of Aurora Travel & DMC.New CI has been created upon our strategies and experiences to make sure that Aurora evolves with the marketplace while honoring the essence of our brand. Aurora Travel & DMCs new corporate identity and logo reflect both the evolution of the company and its vision for the future. In everything we do, we stay true to our mission of offering travelers tailor made and unique tours with only the highest quality service."The refreshed website will be online from 5th January, 2017, and will reflect high quality luxury twinned with a Southeast Asian orientation. The new website is client-centric, which means that the layout has been specifically designed to ease the user experience. The structure of the content has also been made more concise, so readers will be able to learn more from a quick scan.Our new site is divided into three main sections: Destinations, Tours, and Incentives, ensuring that you can get where you need to be as quickly as possible, says Van Nguyen, Director of Sales. Visitors will also be able to easily access information on tour packages and destinations, including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. Created with the user experience firmly in mind, the website has been designed using the latest technology so the site is compatible with today's browsers and mobile devices.The new website is available atABOUT AURORA TRAVEL & DMCEstablished in 2003, Aurora Travel & DMC is among the top destination management companies in Southeast Asia. Offering a wide range of travel services in countries across the region, Aurora focuses on premium experiences, with the aim to not just satisfy but exceed the expectations of high profile customers. They employ a specialized team of 50 highly dedicated and proactive travel experts to provide guests with flexible, innovative and personalized programs.Head Office91A Ly Nam De Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, VietnamTel: +84 4 3747 2597Email: sale@auroratravel.asiaWebsite:91A Ly Nam DeCua Dong ward, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi, Vietnam, 100000
Global Greek Yogurt Market 2016 Industry Growth, Demand, Segment, Statistics Report 2021

http://www.9dimengroup.com/report/100672/request-sample

http://www.9dimengroup.com/market-analysis/global-greek-yogurt-market-research-report-2016.html

Greek Yogurt Market 2016 - Global Industry Growth, Size, Trends, Share, Opportunities and Forecast to 2021 by 9Dimen GroupGlobal Greek Yogurt Industry 2016 Report is a professional and in-depth research report on the world's major regional market conditions of the Greek Yogurt industry, focusing on the main regions (North America, Europe and Asia) and the main countries (United States, Germany, Japan and China).The report titled Greek Yogurt is an in-depth and a professional document that provides a comprehensive overview of the global Greek Yogurt market.The report provides an executive-level blueprint of the Greek Yogurt market beginning with the definition of the market dynamics. The analysis classifies the Greek Yogurt market in terms of products, application, and key geographic regions. With focus on presenting a detailed value chain analysis, the study evaluates the set of region-specific approaches forged by the industry. To determine the market potential for Greek Yogurt in the international scenario, the study delves into the competitive landscape and development landscape exhibited by the key geographic regions.Request for Sample Report:Development plans and policies significantly impact the market dynamic. The report therefore studies in detail the impact of the strategies, plans, and policies adopted by leading vendors of the Greek Yogurt market. Manufacturing cost of products and the pricing structure adopted by the market is also evaluated in the report. Other parameters crucial in determining trends in the market such as consumption demand and supply figures, cost of production, gross profit margins, and selling price of product and services is also included within the ambit of the report.To provide a detailed analysis on the competitive landscape, the report profiles the key players in the Greek Yogurt industry. Information present in these chapters includes details of products manufactured by the leading companies, product specification and price, and production capacity. Using reliable analytical tools, the report evaluates the information sourced from both primary and secondary research. Results obtained through the detailed analysis helps in presenting refined forecasts regarding growth prospects of the Greek Yogurt market. Apart from this, the analysts have also conducted upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis to compile and present an exhaustive study on the Greek Yogurt market.Read Complete Report with TOC:A detailed segmentation evaluation of the Greek Yogurt market has been provided in the report. Detailed information about the key segments of the market and their growth prospects are available in the report. The detailed analysis of their sub-segments is also available in the report. The revenue forecasts and volume shares along with market estimates are available in the report.9Dimen Group 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 UsJoel JohnTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651Email: sales@9dimengroup.comWeb: 9Dimen Group
Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Sales Market Shares Investments, 2017 Base Applications and Recent Developments

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http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-medical-hyperbaric-oxygen-chamber-equipment-sales-market-report-2017.htm

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Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Industry 2016 Market Overview, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Technology, Applications, Growth, Market Status, Demands, Insights, Development, Research and Forecast 2016-2020.The analysts of the global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment market report have taken on the challenge of procuring insightful data from reliable resources and precisely segregating critical market dynamics, given the voluminous amount of information available. Established and novice players in the Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment market can secure their position on the cutting edge of the competitive landscape with the help of the in-depth analysis provided in the report. Businesses at different levels can take advantage of this information-rich market guide compiled using real references and case studies to gain an upper hand in their specific industries.To Get Free Sample Copy of Report visit @The competitive scenario of the global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment market is comprehensively discussed in the report, taking into account different geographical regions, with a view to help market players to establish groundbreaking strategies for managing their sustenance in the industry. In terms of market attractiveness, the analysts have predicted the prevalence of the rising segments in the Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment market while considering their different growth factors.The value chain presented in the global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment market report offers a coup daoeil at the current and prospective scenario between buyers, suppliers, and end-users. Using Porteras five forces model, the analysts have provided a glimpse of the vital factors that can influence the Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment market, such as the threats from substitutes, degree of competition, and bargaining power. While shedding light on the revenue and global penetration of major market players, the report puts forth a significant company market share analysis. The report also considers various decisive parameters that are likely to impact the demand in the Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment industry to mark market attractiveness on the basis of key segments.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of Contents1 Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment1.2 Classification of Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment1.2.1 Monoplace chambers1.2.2 Multiplace chambers1.3 Application of Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment1.3.1 Clinics1.3.2 Hospitals1.3.3 Others1.4 Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Market by Regions1.4.1 United States Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment (2011-2021)1.5.1 Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.5.2 Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)2 Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2011-2016)2.1.2 Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2011-2016)2.2 Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)2.2.2 Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)2.3 Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment (Volume and Value) by Regions2.3.1 Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Sales and Market Share by Regions (2011-2016)2.3.2 Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment Revenue and Market Share by Regions (2011-2016)2.4 Global Medical Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Equipment (Volume) by ApplicationFor Latest QYResearchreports Press Release Visit @QYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.QYResearchreportsContact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States+1-518-621-2074866-997-4948USA-Canada Toll freesales@qyresearchreports.comFor Latest Press Release Visit @
Global Rice Starch Market 2017: BENEO, Ingredion, Bangkok starch, Thai Flour & AGRANA

Rice Starch

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The survey report by Market Research Store is an overview of the global Rice Starch market. It covers all the recent trends including key developments in the global market in present and in future. Analyses of the global Rice Starch market trends along with the projections of CAGRs (compound annual growth rates) are provided in the research report.Further, an evaluation of the history of the global market and the basic information of the global market is included in the report. A developmental perspective of the industry is also documented in the report. Competitive profiles of the key players in the industry are also discussed.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The research report provides both an assessment of recent developments in the industry along with forecasts examining the industry from the perspective of major competitors, present players and prospective end users in the Rice Starch market.Forecasts are generated on the basis of region, type, product, supply, demand, and other vital factors of the global market. The research report analyzed the major factors driving the global Rice Starch market in various countries with a satisfactory and manufacturing and structure of the global market. Forecasts are also provided region-wise in the research report.The research report comprises several chapters, tables, figures, graphs, and various other presentations formats so as to provide a precise overview of the market. The sequence of the report is maintained in such a way that highlights the overall flow of the global market. Recent developments in the global market are further described in the research report. The report also summarizes latest trends along with abstracts of the Rice Starch market. Major competitors of the global market including commercial and non-commercial participants in the global market are also covered in the report.Inquiry For Bying Report @Thus, the research report provides in-depth analysis covering all the major regions, competitors, and vital aspects of the Rice Starch industry.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
Global Maple Water Market 2017: Seva, Oviva, Maple3, DRINKmaple & Happy Tree

Maple Water

https://goo.gl/SzSwRH

https://goo.gl/8nFlTr

The survey report by Market Research Store is an overview of the global Maple Water market. It covers all the recent trends including key developments in the global market in present and in future. Analyses of the global Maple Water market trends along with the projections of CAGRs (compound annual growth rates) are provided in the research report.Further, an evaluation of the history of the global market and the basic information of the global market is included in the report. A developmental perspective of the industry is also documented in the report. Competitive profiles of the key players in the industry are also discussed.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The research report provides both an assessment of recent developments in the industry along with forecasts examining the industry from the perspective of major competitors, present players and prospective end users in the Maple Water market.Forecasts are generated on the basis of region, type, product, supply, demand, and other vital factors of the global market. The research report analyzed the major factors driving the global Maple Water market in various countries with a satisfactory and manufacturing and structure of the global market. Forecasts are also provided region-wise in the research report.The research report comprises several chapters, tables, figures, graphs, and various other presentations formats so as to provide a precise overview of the market. The sequence of the report is maintained in such a way that highlights the overall flow of the global market. Recent developments in the global market are further described in the research report. The report also summarizes latest trends along with abstracts of the Maple Water market. Major competitors of the global market including commercial and non-commercial participants in the global market are also covered in the report.Inquiry For Bying Report @Thus, the research report provides in-depth analysis covering all the major regions, competitors, and vital aspects of the Maple Water industry.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
Semiconductor and IC Packaging Materials Market: Key Projection on the Future of Worldwide Industry

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2399

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The increasing adoption of integrated circuits (ICs) for various electronic devices is triggering the demand for semiconductor and IC packaging materials. They are used in the final stage of semiconductor device fabrication and are used to guard devices from corrosion and external impact. There are several types of materials used for semiconductor and IC packaging including organic substrates, solder balls, bonding wires, lead frames, die attach materials, encapsulation resins, thermal interface materials, and ceramic packages. Rapid advancements in technology are facilitating greater uptake of these packaging materials.Download PDF Brochure atThe research report is an in-depth and professional study that aims to provide a 360-degree view of the global semiconductor and IC packaging materials market. It offers insights into the dynamics and trends of the market. It provides a detailed analysis of the competitive landscape of the market. It profiles key players in the market along with their business strategies, latest developments, revenue generation, and contact information. For lucid analysis, the report segments the market on the basis of geography, type, and technology. Each segment is meticulously studied in terms of both revenue and volume. The data pertaining to each segment and the overall market is depicted through graphical representation for a better understanding.Global Semiconductor and IC Packaging Materials Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe incessant research and development efforts by key players towards making the electronic packaging materials highly reliable are escalating the growth of the global semiconductor and IC packaging materials market. The increasing demand for consumer electronics is augmenting the market. The rising awareness about the usefulness of electronic packaging materials in a myriad of applications is also providing a significant boost to the growth of the market. On the other hand, the fluctuating prices of raw materials are adversely affecting the growth of the market. However, players are anticipated to tap immense potential in emerging economies in order to stimulate their revenue generation.Global Semiconductor and IC Packaging Materials Market: Geographical SegmentationOn the basis of geography, the global semiconductor and IC packaging materials market can be classified into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Rest of the World. Asia Pacific will be a prominent market throughout the forecast period. The growth of the region is driven by rapid technological developments and the growing demand for advanced electronic packaging materials from end users. Moreover, the high investments on electronics applications along with low-cost production, low labor cost, and easy availability of raw materials are contributing to the growth of the region. South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and China will be major revenue contributors owing to the robust growth of the electronics industry. The Rest of the World region is expected to rise at a noteworthy CAGR during the same period, thanks to the promising conditions for semiconductor industries.Global Semiconductor and IC Packaging Materials Market: Competitive LandscapeProduct development is the main approach adopted by players in the global semiconductor and IC packaging materials market to consolidate their presence. Mergers and acquisitions are among the key strategies adopted by players to strengthen their presence in the market. Some of the prominent players in the market are Kyocera Chemical Co. Ltd., BASF SE, Toray Industries Corporation, Henkel Ag & Company, Alent Plc., Mitsui High-Tec Inc., LG Chemical Ltd., Tanaka Holdings Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd., and Hitachi Chemical Co. 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. 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:
Global Automotive Fuel Hose Sales Market Report 2017 Examined in new market research report

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/910662

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/910662

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/

"The Report Global Automotive Fuel Hose Sales Market Report 2017 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"This report studies sales (consumption) of Automotive Fuel Hose in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringDuPontContinentalToyoda GoseiManuliParker HannifinGates CorporationRAMCodan Rubber Danmark A/STianjin Peng LingSichuan ChuanHuanView Report @Market Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of Automotive Fuel Hose in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSplit by product Types, with sales, revenue, price and gross margin, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoNeoprene fuel lineNylon fuel lineTygon fuel hoseSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Automotive Fuel Hose in each application, can be divided intoAutomobileSteamshipMotorcycleOthersDownload Sample Copy Of this Report @Table of Content1 Automotive Fuel Hose Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Automotive Fuel Hose1.2 Classification of Automotive Fuel Hose1.2.1 Neoprene fuel line1.2.2 Nylon fuel line1.2.3 Tygon fuel hose1.3 Application of Automotive Fuel Hose1.3.1 Automobile1.3.2 Steamship1.3.3 Motorcycle1.3.4 Others1.4 Automotive Fuel Hose Market by Regions1.4.1 United States Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Automotive Fuel Hose (2011-2021)1.5.1 Global Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.5.2 Global Automotive Fuel Hose Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)2 Global Automotive Fuel Hose Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Global Automotive Fuel Hose Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Global Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2011-2016)2.1.2 Global Automotive Fuel Hose Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2011-2016)2.2 Global Automotive Fuel Hose (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)2.2.2 Global Automotive Fuel Hose Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)2.3 Global Automotive Fuel Hose (Volume and Value) by Regions2.3.1 Global Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by Regions (2011-2016)2.3.2 Global Automotive Fuel Hose Revenue and Market Share by Regions (2011-2016)2.4 Global Automotive Fuel Hose (Volume) by Application3 United States Automotive Fuel Hose (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Value (2011-2016)3.1.1 United States Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2016)3.1.2 United States Automotive Fuel Hose Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2016)3.1.3 United States Automotive Fuel Hose Sales Price Trend (2011-2016)3.2 United States Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers3.3 United States Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by Type3.4 United States Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by Application4 China Automotive Fuel Hose (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 China Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Value (2011-2016)4.1.1 China Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2016)4.1.2 China Automotive Fuel Hose Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2016)4.1.3 China Automotive Fuel Hose Sales Price Trend (2011-2016)4.2 China Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers4.3 China Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by Type4.4 China Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by Application5 Europe Automotive Fuel Hose (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5.1 Europe Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Value (2011-2016)5.1.1 Europe Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2016)5.1.2 Europe Automotive Fuel Hose Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2016)5.1.3 Europe Automotive Fuel Hose Sales Price Trend (2011-2016)5.2 Europe Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers5.3 Europe Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by Type5.4 Europe Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by Application6 Japan Automotive Fuel Hose (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6.1 Japan Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Value (2011-2016)6.1.1 Japan Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2016)6.1.2 Japan Automotive Fuel Hose Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2016)6.1.3 Japan Automotive Fuel Hose Sales Price Trend (2011-2016)6.2 Japan Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers6.3 Japan Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by Type6.4 Japan Automotive Fuel Hose Sales and Market Share by ApplicationMarketResearchReports.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.Mr. Nachiket90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Packaging Machinery Market: An Array of Graphics and SWOT analysis of major industry segments

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=3076

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Technological advancements and the emergence of innovative machinery have contributed extensively towards the development and growth of the global packaging machinery market. Packaging is one of the essential processes before presenting the final product to consumers. Some of the primary applications of packaging machinery are pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, chemicals, and personal care products. With innovations in the market, the application base is expected to expand, resulting in a high demand for packaging machinery across the globe. With these factors, the global market is anticipated to exhibit a healthy growth rate in the forecast period.Download PDF Brochure atThe research study offers a detailed analysis of the global packaging machinery market. The growth drivers, current trends, opportunities, and challenges in the global market have been discussed at length in the scope of the study. In addition, the key segmentation, primary application, and the competitive scenario of the global packaging machinery market have been presented in the report to offer a strong understanding to readers and market players. The company profiles, business policies, financial overview, product portfolio, and the recent development have been included in the study.Global Packaging Machinery Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe growing demand for attractive and innovative packaging from the food and beverages industry is one of the important factors expected to fuel the growth of the global packaging machinery market in the next few years. In addition, the growing demand for multipacks, single-serve, and sustainable packaging is projected to accelerate the growth of the overall market. Furthermore, the rising popularity of robotic packaging is expected to contribute substantially towards the development of the global packaging machinery market.On the flip side, several issues related to the safety and hygiene of machinery parts and the growing focus on energy-efficient packaging machinery are anticipated to restrict the growth of the overall market throughout the forecast period. Nevertheless, the rising focus of companies to offer innovative packaging in order to attract a large number of consumers is predicted to offer lucrative opportunities for the leading players in the global packaging machinery market.Global Packaging Machinery Market: Region-wise OutlookFrom a geographical perspective, the global packaging machinery market can be classified into Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, and the Rest of the World. As per the research report, North America is expected to witness substantial growth throughout the forecast period and account for a key share of the overall market. The high growth of this region can be attributed to the presence of a large number of players operating in the market.Furthermore, the leading players in the North America packaging machinery market are emphasizing on research and development activities to offer effective solutions for consumers. Moreover, the rising number of mergers and acquisitions is expected to encourage the growth of the market throughout the forecast period. On the other hand, Asia pacific is expected to witness significant growth in the near future, thanks to the increasing number of players investing in this region and the growing demand for packaging machinery across diverse industries.Key Players Mentioned in the Research Report are:The global market for packaging machinery is extremely competitive and fragmented in nature with a presence of a large number of players. To attain a leading position in the market, the prominent players are focusing on new product development and innovations. Some of the leading players operating in the packaging machinery market across the globe are Crown Holdings Incorporated, Bosch Packaging Technology, Coesia, Mamata Enterprises, Dover, Tetra Pack, Nordson, Barry-Wehmiller, Krones, Multivac, Illinois Tool Works, and Reynolds Group. With the rising number of players, the competition is expected to get intense in the next few years.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:
Gruyere Market: Excellent Source of Protein, Calcium & Essential Fatty Acids

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Gruyere is one of the finest cheese majorly used in culinary. It is a hard textured yellow color cheese originated from Switzerland named after the town in Switzerland. It is an excellent source of protein, calcium, and essential fatty acids. Gruyere, the Swiss cheese is used to make food products such as fondue, Tarts, pies, hot sandwiches, souffles, and gratins. It is known for its creaminess and is a good melting cheese. Also, it is also broadly used as a table cheese. Similar to other Alpine or Swiss cheeses, gruyere is served with wines and beers like Riesling, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Beaujolais. Production of gruyere is comparatively less than other cheese because of adherence to high standard quality during manufacturing, packaging, and storage. It is prepared by curing raw milk for six months than it is aged for several months to gain mildly nutty, earthy flavor. Gruyere is available in ranges, such as Beaufort and Comte. Gruyere substitutes are available in the cheese market among which French cheese is considered to be nearly identical. Other substitutes available in the market include Gouda, plain Swiss, fontina, appenzell, abondance, mild provolone, emmentaler, cantal, raclette or graviera.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Global Gruyere Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe ever growing demand for cheese in food products and as a table cheese with the variety of liquor has enhanced the growth of Gruyere cheese across the globe particularly in Europe and nearby regions. Being a tourist destination, many tourists around the world visit the Switzerland places to taste the variety of wine, cheese, and chocolate. Therefore the range of Swiss cheeses is getting recognized globally especially as a luxury food.Another major factor that drives gruyere market is the reduction of cheese trade barrier between Europe (EU) and Switzerland. In 2007, due to the agreement between World Trade Organization and Europe, left Switzerland government to open their cheese market worldwide. The Swiss government also reduced export subsidies and protective duties as well as eliminated milk price guarantees and quotas to enhance their dairy product market. Because of free cheese trade between Switzerland and Europe open the opportunities for food & beverage sector key players to get varieties and qualities at a lower price.Although demand for gruyere cheese in the market is recognizable; but tight competition with other cheese, availability of many gruyere substitutes in food market are some major restraint that holds gruyeres market.Browse Full Report with ToC:Global Gruyere Market: SegmentationThe global gruyere market is segmented by its product types, end users and distribution channels.Based on its products type, gruyere market is segmented into:Gruyere AOP ClassicGruyere AOP ReserveGruyere d'Alpage AOPGruyere AOP BioGruyere de Comte (French version)Austrian Alps GruyereBased on its end use, gruyere market is segmented into:IndustrialCommercialBased on its distribution channel, gruyere market is segmented into:Internet retailingMass RetailingDirect SellingOthersGlobal Gruyere Market: Regional OutlookBased on the geographies, the global gruyere market is segmented into seven regions; namely, North America gruyere market, Latin America gruyere market, Eastern Europe gruyere market, Western Europe gruyere market, Asia Pacific excluding Japan gruyere market, Japan gruyere market and the Middle East & Africa gruyere market. Free cheese trade between Europe and Switzerland made Eastern and Western Europe leading region in the market of gruyere cheese globally, neighboring countries such as Germany, France, and Spain are the prominent consumers of this luxury cheese. High-end preference of Swiss cheese in restaurants of US and Canada made North America, second largest consuming region of gruyere cheese.Global Gruyere Market: Key PlayersFew of the market players accounting on gruyere market includes La Maison Du Gruyere, Wisconsin cheese, Bel UK, Bradburys, Castelli, Harvey & Brockless, Emmi, Eurilait, Golden Acre Dairy Foods, Interprofession du Gruyere, Lactalis, Arla, Norseland Ltd, Anthony Rowcliffe & Son, The Pimpernel Wharf, and Savencia Fromage & Dairy.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:
Global Hearing Aids and Implants Market Growing at 6.25% during 2016 to 2021: Popular Trends, Opportunities and Forecasts

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ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Global Hearing Aids and Implants Market: Trends, Opportunities and Forecasts (2016-2021)(By Region, By Sub-types: Behind-The-Ear (BTE), In-The-Ear (ITE), Receiver In-The-Ear(RITE), In-The-Canal(ITC), Completely-In-The-Canal (CIC); By Implants-Cochlear, Others; By End Purchase - Independent, Retail, Wholesale, Government; By Country - USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, UK, Germany, India, China, South Africa) " to it's Large Report database.Hearing aids and implants is witnessing growth on account of growing incidences of hearing loss globally where developed economies including North America and Europe are the major markets due to higher adoption rate whereas emerging economies such as Asia Pacific and Latin America are witnessing rapid growth driven by high per capita expenditure.Rise in the aging population giving rise to increasing incidences of hearing loss combined with higher Internet savvy adult population leading active lifestyles. However, limited reimbursement coverage mainly in developing countries is supressing the growth of hearing aids and implants market, resulting in higher out of pocket expenses of patients.Technological improvements in hearing implants is growing mainly among the increasing paediatric population whereas expansion of retail channel is giving rise to quick availability and wide range of portfolio driven by the private purchasing of hearing aids.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:Research MethodologyThe objective of the research is to present the historical growth (2011-2015) and the future projections (2016-2021) of the global hearing aids and implants market (global, regional, country-specific) by various segments (Hearing Aids and their sub-types: Behind-The-Ear (BTE), In-The-Ear (ITE), Receiver In-The-Ear(RITE), In-The-Canal(ITC), Completely-In-The-Canal (CIC), Others and Hearing Implants and their sub-types : Cochlear Implant, Other Implants, By End Purchase: Independent Purchase, Retail, Buying Groups/Wholesale, Government). Historical market trend of contact catering has been figured out through secondary research (associations, annual reports, magazines, journals) and by various paid databases. For presenting the dynamics of the industry and future projections, primary research was conducted and experts from the industry were interviewed.Scope of the ReportThe report provides Segmentation by TypeHearing AidsHearing ImplantsRead All Healthcare Market Research Reports @Table of Content1. Research Methodology2. Executive Summary3. Strategic Recommendations3.1. Leverage the High Growth Cochlear Implants Segment3.2. Shifting Demand towards In-The-Canal Hearing Aids3.3. Expansion towards the Retail Segment3.4. APAC Market To Gain Traction4. Global Hearing Aids and Implants Market: An Overview4.1. Product Overview4.1.1. Global Hearing Aids and Implants Market, By Value 2011-20154.1.2. Global Hearing Aids and Implants Market, By Value 2016-2021F4.2. Global Hearing Aids and Implants Market: By Type (Hearing Aids, Hearing Implants)Global Hearing Aids Market4.2.1. By Value (Historic 2011-15)4.2.2. By Value ( Forecast 2016E-2021F)Global Hearing Implant Market4.2.3. By Value (Historic 2011-15)4.2.4. By Value (Forecast 2016E-2021F)4.3. Global Hearing Aids Market Size By Sub-Type- BTE, ITE, RITE, ITC, Completely-In-The-Canal CIC4.3.1. By Type - Actual (2016E) and4.3.2. By Type - Forecast (2021F)4.4. Global Hearing Implants Market Size By Sub-Type: Cochlear Implant, Other Implants4.4.1. By Type - Actual (2016E)4.4.2. By Type - Forecast (2021F)About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's 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. ResearchMoz's 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.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
Erectile Dysfunction Devices Market  Global Industry Analysis 2024

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Erectile Dysfunction Devices Market OverviewErectile dysfunction (ED) also known as impotence, is the inability to get an erection during sexual intercourse. It is a common medical condition in men. Though less common among the younger age group, erectile dysfunction affects 5%10% of men under 40 years of age. A recent study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine revealed that one in four patients who sought medical help for erectile dysfunction are under the age of 40 years. Men undergoing cardiovascular or diabetes treatment are at higher risk of developing erectile dysfunction. The condition is strongly related to physical and psychological health. Treatment options include ED drugs, injectable, penile implants, surgery, and vacuum constriction devices. Usually medications such as Sildenafil, Tadalafil, Vardenafil, Avanafil, Alprostadil, and Udenafil are prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction. However, a very small percentage of men are aware of the prevalence of the condition and lower still are the number of people who opt to consult an urologist about it, mainly due to social stigma attached to it. As per a study conducted by the European Association of Urology, only 25% of the men estimated to be suffering from the condition seek medical treatment.Get Free PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:Wide availability of advanced technology devices drives growth of erectile dysfunction devices marketThe global erectile dysfunction devices market can be analyzed on the basis of type of device and geography. On the basis of type of device, the global erectile dysfunction devices market is classified as vacuum pumps, penile implants (internal penile pump/inflated pump), vibrators, ED rings, and medicated urethral system (MUSE). Some of the major bands available in the market are Erektor, Viberect, SomaTherapy-ED, Encore, Bonro Medical, and Vacurect.Vacuum pump, also known as Vacuum Erection device (VED), requires no medication or surgery and is also reimbursed in the U.S. According to the National Health Services, nine out of ten men using vacuum pumps are able to have sex regardless of the underlying cause of ED. Penile implants are medicated devices, which further requires research on its efficacy and safety.Alternative treatment options hindering growth of erectile dysfunction devices marketWide availability of effective OTC oral medication such as Viagra adversely impacts demand for erectile dysfunction devices. Also, lack of awareness about proper usage of these devices and pain associated with use, inhibit the growth of erectile dysfunction devices market. Besides, alternative treatment options such as low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy, herbal medicines, and lifestyle changes also limit the demand for ED devices. New technologies such as tissue engineering and nanotechnology are being explored to develop more effective solutions for treatment of erectile dysfunction.Browse Research Report At :Regional Analysis of Erectile Dysfunction Devices MarketAmerica, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, and Middle East are major global markets for erectile dysfunction devices. Growing prevalence of ED, increasing awareness about treatment, and high disposable income in developed regions propel the growth of erectile dysfunction devices market. Major marketing activities carried out by various players in the market have contributed largely in creating awareness among the population. However, various device types and their advantages are still not known to healthcare professionals, which in turn results in lower adoption among the general population.Key Players involved in the erectile dysfunction devices marketThere are many regional players operating in this market owing to low entry and exit barriers. Being class 1 and 2 devices and fueled by increasing awareness levels, various players are entering this market. Some of the major players in the global erectile dysfunction devices market are Meda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Coloplast, Global Life Technologies, Reflexonic, LLC, Augusta Medical Systems, and Boston Scientific Corporation.ABOUT USCOMPANY OVERVIEWCoherent Market Insights is a global market intelligence and consulting organization focused on assisting our plethora of clients achieve transformational growth by helping them make critical business decisions. We are headquartered in India, having office at global financial capital in the U.S. Our client base includes players from across all business verticals in over 150 countries worldwide. We are uniquely positioned to help businesses around the globe deliver practical and lasting results through various recommendations about operational improvements, technologies, emerging market trends and new working methods. We offer both customized and syndicated market research reports that help our clients create visionary growth plans to provide traction to their business. We meticulously study emerging trends across various industries at both the global and regional levels to identify new opportunities for our clientele. Our global team of over 100 research analysts and freelance consultants provide market intelligence from the very molecular country level and also provide a global perspective of the market. Our team is of the most vital cog in our robust machinery that gives us the ability to deliver independent insight relying on our cognitive defusion training module.This allows for an objective and unbiased assessment of the market. We pride ourselves in my constantly striving to update our extremely in-depth understanding of the market by closely monitoring and analyzing markets, trends, and emerging best practices, across allfathomable industries under the sun. This enables us to equip our valued clientele with key decisive inputs to capitalize on lucrative growth opportunities in the market and to follow firmly position themselves on a high growth path in the future.CONTACT USCORPORATE OFFICE :Coherent Market Insights303, Astral Court,Above Reliance Fresh,Near Gaikwad Petrol Pump,Aundh, Pune  411045, IndiaMail Id : sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit Blog :
Global Pneumatic Nebulizer Production, Supply, Sales and Demand 2016 Market Research Report Trends, Demands, Growth and Forecast

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ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Global Pneumatic Nebulizer Production, Supply, Sales and Demand 2016 Market Research Report " to it's Large Report database.Global Pneumatic Nebulizer Production, Supply, Sales, and Demand 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth research report on Pneumatic Nebulizer. From two aspects: production and sales, the report provides detailed information of production, supply, sales, demand, price, cost, income and revenue on Pneumatic Nebulizer in US, EU, China, Japan and rest of the world.In terms of production, the report gives ex-factory price, cost, production value and gross margin etc. of different types of Pneumatic Nebulizer produced in different regions and different manufacturers.In terms of sales, the report gives sales volume, sales price, cost, sales income, and profit margin etc. of Pneumatic Nebulizer used in different fields, sold in different regions and by different companies.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:The past price of 2013-2015 and future price of 2016-2021 are analyzed according to the supply-demand relation, as well as perspectives and forecasts.Besides production and sales data, the report provides data on deals (distributors) and Buyers, giving readers an insight into the supply chain and sales details of Pneumatic Nebulizer.The import, export, stock size and relevant data of major GDP regions such as EU, US, Japan and China are listed in the report. As a global report, in addition to above-mentioned major GDP regions, we provide breakdown data of Germany, UK, and France of the EU, and data of other countries such as India, South Korea, Brazil and Australia.The report concludes with a comprehensive research result on the industry chain of Pneumatic Nebulizer.Read All Healthcare Market Research Reports @Table of ContentsChapter 1 Pneumatic Nebulizer Industry Overview1.1 Pneumatic Nebulizer Definition and Technical Specifications1.1 Definition and Specifications of Pneumatic Nebulizer1.2 Pneumatic Nebulizer Classification1.3 Pneumatic Nebulizer Applications1.4 Pneumatic Nebulizer Industry Chain Structure1.5 Pneumatic Nebulizer Industry Overview1.6 Pneumatic Nebulizer Industry Policy Analysis1.7 Pneumatic Nebulizer Industry News AnalysisChapter 2 Global Pneumatic Nebulizer Production, Supply (2013-2021)2.1 Production Analysis2.1.1 Pneumatic Nebulizer Production (volume& value) Analysis (2013-2021)2.1.2 Pneumatic Nebulizer Average Ex-factory (including tax and excluding freight) Price Analysis (2013-2021)2.1.3 Pneumatic Nebulizer Production (volume) Market Share 2015-2016, Major Companies (Manufacturers)2.1.4 Pneumatic Nebulizer Production (value) Market Share 2015-2016, Major Company (Manufacturers)2.1.5 Pneumatic Nebulizer Production (volume) Market Share 2015-2016, by Different Types2.1.6 Pneumatic Nebulizer Production (value) Market Share 2015-2016, by Different Types2.1.7 Pneumatic Nebulizer Production (volume) Market Share 2015-2016, US EU China Japan Rest of the World2.1.8 Pneumatic Nebulizer Production (value) Market Share 2015-2016, US EU China Japan Rest of the World2.2 Sales (demand) Analysis2.2.1 Pneumatic Nebulizer Sales (volume& value) Analysis (2013-2021)2.2.2 Pneumatic Nebulizer Average Sales Price (Buyer purchasing price, including tax and freight) Analysis (2013-2021)About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's 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. ResearchMoz's 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.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
Synchrophasors Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Growth And Forecast 2014 - 2020

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ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Synchrophasors Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Growth And Forecast 2014 - 2020 " to it's Large Report database.Integration of synchrophasor measurement in multi-function recorders and protective relays and increasing investments in modernization of the power grid is expected to boost the global demand for synchrophasors market. Synchrophasor is a device which measures values such as voltage and power from phasor measurement units (PMUs). The measurements are taken at high speed and time-stamped as per the common time reference. It allows synchrophasors from different utilities to be synchronized. This provides a detailed operational overview of the entire interconnection. It helps the grid operators to detect disturbances across the grid.The measurements obtained by the synchrophasors are used for fault analysis, state estimation, stability monitoring, power system control, operational monitoring, and improve grid visualization. The integration of synchrophasor devices is one of the key factors in updating high voltage substations into centers of real-time information. The increasing demand for substation automation on account of the rise in adoption of smart grid technologies is anticipated to augment the global demand for synchrophasors. The synchrophasor along with communication networks and distribution feeder automation are an integral part of substation automation. This allows faster real-time information and with more reliability.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:The global market for synchrophasors can be fragmented on the basis of application and geography. On the basis of applications, the global market for synchrophasors can be segmented as wide-area situational awareness, voltage monitoring and trending, state estimation, resource integration, power oscillation monitoring, and outage restoration. The market on the basis of application of synchrophasors is also segmented as operations planning, frequency stability monitoring, alarming and setting system operating limits, event detection, dynamic line ratings and congestion management.The primary demand for the synchrophasors is driven by their ability to determine the phase relationship between phase quantities at any location of the power system. Additionally, the escalating power demand and application of synchrophasors in smart grids is expected to boost the demand for this market.The requirement of high initial investment and a lack of clear roadmap of technology deployment can hamper the growth of synchrophasors market. The Asia Pacific region is expected to be an opportunity area for synchrophasors on account of increasing smart grid activity. China is expected to contribute the most to the growth of synchrophasors market.Read All Utilities Market Research Reports @Under synchrophasor initiatives in India, the pilot projects are deployed across the country. The pilot projects shall allow identifying the challenges that may result prior to the deployment of phasor measurement units in the country. North America is expected to drive the demand for synchrophasors worldwide in the foreseeable future. The demand in this region is driven by the lucrative policies and investment in research and development of new synchrophasor data analysis tools, and grants by the government under the North American SynchroPhasor Initiative (NASPI). Europe is expected to register moderate growth in the foreseeable future. The demand in this region is driven by the need to transmission networks both in terms of capacity and stability. The deployment of synchrophasors is likely to increase the observability of the power system and gain an awareness of the stability situation throughout the whole power network.Some of the key players in the synchrophasors market include XJ Electric Co. Ltd, Wasion Group Holdings Limited, Toshiba Corporation, Siemens AG, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Schneider Electric, General Electric Company, Arbiter Systems, Alstom, and ABB 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 ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's 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. ResearchMoz's 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.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
Global Naturally Healthy Food Consumption 2016 Market Research Report Emerging Trends, Growth Drivers, Future Outlook and Opportunities

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ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Global Naturally Healthy Food Consumption 2016 Market Research Report " to it's Large Report database.The Global Naturally Healthy Food Consumption 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Naturally Healthy Food market.First, the report provides a basic overview of the Naturally Healthy Food industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. And development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures.Secondly, the report states the global Naturally Healthy Food market size (volume and value), and the segment markets by regions, types, applications and companies are also discussed.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:Third, the Naturally Healthy Food market analysis is provided for major regions including USA, Europe, China and Japan, and other regions can be added. For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. Whats more, the Naturally Healthy Food industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Read All Food Market Research Reports @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Naturally Healthy Food1.1 Definition and Specifications of Naturally Healthy Food1.1.1 Definition of Naturally Healthy Food1.1.2 Specifications of Naturally Healthy Food1.2 Classification of Naturally Healthy Food1.3 Applications of Naturally Healthy Food1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Naturally Healthy Food1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Naturally Healthy Food1.5.1 Industry Overview of Naturally Healthy Food1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Naturally Healthy Food1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Naturally Healthy Food1.7 Industry News Analysis of Naturally Healthy Food2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Naturally Healthy Food2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Naturally Healthy Food2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Naturally Healthy Food2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Naturally Healthy Food2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Naturally Healthy Food2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Naturally Healthy Food2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Naturally Healthy Food3 3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales and Sale Price Analysis of Naturally Healthy Food3.1 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) and Growth Rate of Naturally Healthy Food 2011-20163.2 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Naturally Healthy Food by Regions 2011-20163.3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Naturally Healthy Food by Types 2011-20163.4 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Naturally Healthy Food by Applications 2011-20163.5 Global Sales Volume and Sales Revenue of Naturally Healthy Food by Companies 2011-2016About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's 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. ResearchMoz's 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.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
Dengue Vaccines Market - Global Industry Analysis 2024

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Dengue is a mosquito-borne flavivirus debilitating disease with high prevalence in most tropical and sub-tropical regions. Dengue is a painful disease that is also known as break bone fever due to the excruciating bone and joint pain associated with it. No therapeutics have been discovered for treatment of the disease caused by four closely related dengue viruses (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4). Therefore, focus has been mainly on prevention by controlling the vectors being borne. Severe dengue was discovered in the 1950s during dengue epidemics in Philippines and Thailand. The disease has since spread to Asian and Latin America countries and is one of the leading causes of hospitalization and deaths among children and adults in these regions.Get Free PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:Prevalent Scenario in the Global Dengue Vaccines MarketMember states in three of the WHO regions regularly report the annual number of dengue cases. These statistic suggest that the number of dengue cases increased from 2.2 million in 2010 to 3.2 million in 2015. The actual number remains underreported. One recent estimate by Bhatt et al., (also quoted by the WHO) mentions that there are around 390 million dengue cases worldwide each year, with number of cases reported increasing each year. In 2015, 2.35 million cases of dengue were reported in the Americas alone, of which 10,200 cases were diagnosed as severe dengue that led to 1,181 deaths. Dengue is a pertinent health issue affecting people across South America, Europe, and Asia. A large number of dengue outbreaks were reported worldwide in 2015, with over 169,000 cases in the Philippines and over 111,000 suspected cases of dengue in Malaysia. This was a staggering 59.5% and 16% increase respectively in the number of cases compared to that in 2014. The global dengue vaccines market therefore, offers lucrative growht opportunities for vaccine manufacturers.Dengvaxia  the only approved product in the global dengue vaccines marketSanofi Pasteurs Dengvaxia, is the culmination of over two decades of scientific innovation and collaboration. The vaccine received its first marketing authorization in 2015, in Mexico. Dengvaxia is the worlds first licensed vaccine for prevention of dengue. It is a tetravalent dengue vaccine that prevents the disease from all four dengue viruses in people aged 9 to 45 years. Sanofi launched the worlds first public dengue vaccination program in the Philippines (2016), followed by Brazil. Dengvaxia is approved in 10 endemic countries worldwide, namely, Singapore, Mexico, the Philippines, Paraguay, Brazil, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Peru, and Guatemala. The global dengue vaccines market is thus, expected to expand with growing market approvals.India is however taking a precautionary approach in approving this vaccine due to lack of studies among the population in the country. A scientist in India has developed a dengue vaccine that was successfully tested in monkeys. If successful in human trials, this could be a breakthrough invention for prevention of dengue among the populace in the country. Moreover, various philanthropists and global organizations are investing in developing vaccines for malaria and dengue.Browse Research Report At :Dengue Vaccines Market Outlook  Research PipelineThere are approximately five vaccine candidates under evaluation in clinical trials, including other live-attenuated vaccines, as well as subunit, DNA and purified inactivated vaccine candidates. Also, technological approaches, such as virus-vectored and VLP-based vaccines, are under evaluation in preclinical studies. In September 2016, Takeda announced the beginning of the phase 3 clinical trials of its dengue vaccine  TAK-003 vaccine. This vaccine is also aimed at prevention against all four dengue virus strains.ABOUT USCOMPANY OVERVIEWCoherent Market Insights is a global market intelligence and consulting organization focused on assisting our plethora of clients achieve transformational growth by helping them make critical business decisions. We are headquartered in India, having office at global financial capital in the U.S. Our client base includes players from across all business verticals in over 150 countries worldwide. We are uniquely positioned to help businesses around the globe deliver practical and lasting results through various recommendations about operational improvements, technologies, emerging market trends and new working methods. We offer both customized and syndicated market research reports that help our clients create visionary growth plans to provide traction to their business. We meticulously study emerging trends across various industries at both the global and regional levels to identify new opportunities for our clientele. Our global team of over 100 research analysts and freelance consultants provide market intelligence from the very molecular country level and also provide a global perspective of the market. Our team is of the most vital cog in our robust machinery that gives us the ability to deliver independent insight relying on our cognitive defusion training module.This allows for an objective and unbiased assessment of the market. We pride ourselves in my constantly striving to update our extremely in-depth understanding of the market by closely monitoring and analyzing markets, trends, and emerging best practices, across allfathomable industries under the sun. This enables us to equip our valued clientele with key decisive inputs to capitalize on lucrative growth opportunities in the market and to follow firmly position themselves on a high growth path in the future.CONTACT USCORPORATE OFFICE :Coherent Market Insights303, Astral Court,Above Reliance Fresh,Near Gaikwad Petrol Pump,Aundh, Pune  411045, IndiaMail Id : sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit Blog :
Research on Global Data Mining Equipment Market to Offer Outlook on Growth Opportunities

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The Biological Seed Treatment Market Research Report is an extensive study of the current market trends and growth prospects of the industry. The report offers comprehensive analysis for the historic period, 20112016 and the forecast period, 20162021. Industry overview is provided in terms of definition, specifications, and industry chain structure of Biological Seed Treatment. Manufacturing processes and cost structures are discussed along with raw material and equipment suppliers. In addition, in-depth analysis of types and applications is covered in the study with the help of figures offering insights on market share in similar format presented in ReportRegional analysis for the Biological Seed Treatment market is offered on the basis of market size, sales, sale price, and growth rate. In addition, import, export, supply, and consumption analysis are included for each region.Download Report Sample Copy@Following regions are analyzed:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaMajor manufacturers are analyzed in the report based on company profile, specifications, types, and contact information. Furthermore, comprehensive analysis of capacity, production, cost, price, and revenue of each manufacturer is covered.For More Information about Report@Following manufacturers are analyzed:Bayer CropScience AGMonsantoValent Biosciences CorporationItalpollina S.P.AArysta LifeScience LimitedBASF SESyngenta AGKoppert B.VNovozymesGlobal market size in terms of volume & value, growth rate, sales, and sale price are analyzed for the historic period. Moreover, an extensive analysis of market size of types, applications, and regions is offered for the forecast period. The feasibility and SWOT analysis for new project investment is explored along with marketing distributor analysis.Data & statistics are provided with the help of figures and tables to help market players, investors, and stakeholders gain thorough understanding. Research conclusions are presented at the end of the report.Split by product type, with production, revenue, price, and market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoMicrobialBotanicalsSplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Biological Seed Treatment in each application, can be divided intoOilseeds and pulsesCereals and grainsFruits and vegetablesOtherAbout Us:With the arsenal of different search reports, Research Beam helps you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency. With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly.Contact Us:5933 NE Win 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:
Global Flowering Stimulant Equipment Market to take a substantial plunge in coming years

http://www.researchbeam.com/global-flowering-stimulant-professional-survey-report-2017-market/request-sample

http://www.researchbeam.com/global-flowering-stimulant-professional-survey-report-2017-market/enquire-about-report

http://www.researchbeam.com

The Flowering Stimulant Market Research Report is an extensive study of the current market trends and growth prospects of the industry. The report offers comprehensive analysis for the historic period, 20112016 and the forecast period, 20162021. Industry overview is provided in terms of definition, specifications, and industry chain structure of Flowering Stimulant. Manufacturing processes and cost structures are discussed along with raw material and equipment suppliers. In addition, in-depth analysis of types and applications is covered in the study with the help of figures offering insights on market share in similar format presented in ReportRegional analysis for the Flowering Stimulant market is offered on the basis of market size, sales, sale price, and growth rate. In addition, import, export, supply, and consumption analysis are included for each region.Download Report Sample Copy@Following regions are analyzed:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaMajor manufacturers are analyzed in the report based on company profile, specifications, types, and contact information. Furthermore, comprehensive analysis of capacity, production, cost, price, and revenue of each manufacturer is covered.For More Information about Report@Following manufacturers are analyzed:Redox IndustriesGreenland Bio-ScienceRishabh IntermediatesMolecule AgriSIKKO INDUSTRIESNitesh Agro IndustriesAGRICHEM LIFE SCIENCEBhartiya Fertilizers and ChemicalsMolecule Agri ProductsGlobal market size in terms of volume & value, growth rate, sales, and sale price are analyzed for the historic period. Moreover, an extensive analysis of market size of types, applications, and regions is offered for the forecast period. The feasibility and SWOT analysis for new project investment is explored along with marketing distributor analysis.Data & statistics are provided with the help of figures and tables to help market players, investors, and stakeholders gain thorough understanding. Research conclusions are presented at the end of the report.Split by product type, with production, revenue, price, and market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoSolid flowering stimulantsLiquid flowering stimulantsSplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Flowering Stimulant UCB in each application, can be divided intoAgricultureHorticultureAbout Us:With the arsenal of different search reports, Research Beam helps you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency. With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly.Contact Us:5933 NE Win 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:
The Future Of Global LNG Markets To 2020 - Supply, Demand, Capacity, Projects, FLNG, Technology, Investments, Contracts And Competition Outlook

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/582109

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases

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Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "The Future Of Global LNG Markets To 2020 - Supply, Demand, Capacity, Projects, FLNG, Technology, Investments, Contracts And Competition Outlook" globally.The Future of Global Regasification Markets to 2020 is a complete research and outlook report on Global LNG regasification infrastructure, trade, investments, capacity, planned projects, technology, contracts, companies and market outlook. The premier research from LNG Analysis provides complete information on global regasification trends, opportunities, challenges and key strategies opted by companies in the current market conditions.The premium research report provides insights into global regasification LNG market outlook through quantitative and qualitative analysis on annual demand outlook, short and long term impact of oil price decline, new LNG projects, capex, contracts, trade, prices, FLNG and technology.The global regasification LNG market report provides details of country wise LNG infrastructure, trade outlook and terminal wise capacity outlook to 2020. It also details the country wise all operational and planned LNG projects, their status, feasibility of development, companies involved and their key strategies. LNG trade patterns in 2014 along with monthly LNG exports and imports are provided for 2015.Global regasification Floating LNG market evolution and estimates of future shaping is included in detail, providing information on all assets, companies, projects and market outlook to 2020. Further, all LNG long and medium term contract details are provided in the report along with country wise contracted and available capacity outlook to 2020.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:Global regasification market competition is analyzed in details with information of leading companies across the region, major countries along with the companies net weighted capacity outlook to 2020. Market structure for 2014 is also detailed to provide information on the market consolidation and fragmentation conditions. Profiles of five leading global regasification LNG companies including their Business description, LNG operations, SWOT and financial analysis is provided.All latest global LNG industry developments along with their impact on LNG companies, traders, investors, equipment service providers and other companies involved in the industry.Scope- Key Global LNG Regasification industry trends, challenges and opportunities to 2020- Regasification capacity outlook of 53 LNG markets worldwide including Albania, Argentina, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Republic of Benin, Republic of Malta, Romania, Russian Federation, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vietnam- Annual Supply outlook from 2000 to 2020 for 53 Regasification markets across the world- Complete details of 69 planned and 113 operational projects including current status (FID/FEED/Construction), operator, owners, capex, construction companies, technology, capacity and storage information- Complete picture of Global LNG trade pattern in 2014 detailing export volume flows to LNG consumers from LNG sellers- Global Floating Regasification infrastructure, new projects, regasification capacity outlook, 2005- 2020- Analysis of Global Regasification market structures and competitive scenario in each of the 53 countries across the globe- Operational and Planned LNG Project Details including Terminal Status, Operator/owner, Start Up, Capacity, Storage, capex for all 182 projects- Terminal wise annual Regasification capacity outlook from 2005- 2020 for 182 projects in 53 LNG markets- Major LNG news and industry developments and their impact on Global Regasification LNG markets- Business and LNG profiles of leading LNG Companies including KOGAS, TEPCO, Cheniere, Enagas and Chubu electricAbout 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:ContactMr. Nachiket90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E-Mail: sales@marketresearchreports.bizFollow us on LinkedIn:Thanks..!!!!!!!!!!!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
Animal Vaccine Market Globally Expected to Grow Till 2020

http://www.sa-brc.com/Global-Animal-Vaccine-Market-Assessment--Forecast-2016---2020/up38

http://www.sa-brc.com/Global-Animal-Vaccine-Market-Assessment--Forecast-2016---2020/upcomingdetail38

www.sa-brc.com

Animals are raised either as companions or with an intention of gaining profit through production and sale of meat, dairy, fertilizers and other by products such as wool, horn, leather which are aptly called commercial or livestock animals. Some of the most common livestock include pigs, sheep, cattle, goat and poultry. In recent times, this commercialization has extended into several other flightless bird species such as ostrich and emu along with some others animals such as guinea pigs and rabbits that are now raised for meat. Companion animals on the other hand are owned with an intention of providing company to humans and include dogs, cats, exotic fish and horses to the largest extent along with guinea pigs, rabbits, pigeons to a smaller extent.Free Sample Report@Livestock and companion animals are susceptible to several infectious diseases depending on the species such as Aujeszkys disease, Bluetongue, Bovine tuberculosis, Coccidiosis, Johnes disease, Foot and Mouth Disease and Liver fluke. The diseases such as Schmallenberg Virus and African swine fever are serious threats to livestock. The impact of diseases to both types of animals can be disastrous. Millions of dollars were lost in the recent avian flu in Asian continent and over 15 million poultry and fowl were culled within 3 years due to constant adaptation of the virus. The threat of diseases to these animals is faced by almost all countries in the world and situation worsens with diseases transferring to humans. Recently, Hong Kong has banned live chicken sales and plans to cull another 20,000 birds at a market to prevent the spread of a mutated form of H1N1 virus that was designated H7N9 avian flu. The 2011 outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in U.K. is estimated to have had cost of more than $5,186 million to U.K. According to the estimates, the 2003 outbreak of avian influenza and 1998-1998 outbreak of classical swine, both in Netherlands, cost $612 million and $2,520 million respectively.Click For Request TOC@The global market for animal health is estimated to be well over $90 billion in 2013 of which the biologicals market is estimated to be valued at approximately $7.2 billion. The market is further expected to grow in the coming years driven by increasing focus on animal cultivation and increased consumption of meat and dairy over the world. By 2020, this market is expected to be worth $11.9 billion categorized mainly by vaccines market that include, porcine vaccines, bovine vaccines, poultry vaccines, ovine vaccines, equine vaccines, & other animal vaccines. These vaccines have always been very effective means for eradication of diseases as well as to reduce impact on animal health and welfare. Key players in the field are Pfizer, Sanofi-Merial, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Virbac, Vetoquinol, Monsanto, Novartis, Elanco and FortDodge among several others.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:
Advanced ERP Systems Features by Bricks Technologies 2017

Bricks Technologies Systems

www.brickstechnologies.com

Bricks Technologies Systems is most progressive company with implementation of ERP software. Within a span of two years since its inception Bricks have gained numerous clients from various industries automating their business processes or entire business unit. The latest version of ERP software released from Bricks is LEAP i3 that comprises of additional module CORPORATE BUDGETING.These modules serves the other end of the business function and provide a firm control over the most struggling part of any business that is COST SAVING. ERP software equipped with BUDGETING Module whether corporate or project will help management take effective decisions likeWhether to expand or stay put??Which cost elements to decrease in near future??Which expense to increase to give mileage to your revenues??Are going in right direction??Does this decision align with our goals??Do we really need to cut down on our staff??And so on..The questions are extremely important if provided with answers or else the business decision making is driven by intuitions rather than calculated risk.As business owners CORPORATE BUDGETING is important aspect which must be diligently practiced as it eradicates uncertainty in business and make proper use of opportunities at the right time without any further delay caused due to unorganized decision making.In todays economic scenario stakes are very high and each and every decision is important with respect to business survival or growth. Competitions are fiercer than ever and everyone is claiming their share of market with prompt response, improved business methods and commendable customer service. Right from Inquiry stage till final execution all process can be optimized only with the help of technology in form of an ERP solution in Dubai, Abu dhabi, UAE and truly manage each and every resource by using it to the optimum level and apportioning their cost to relevant cost or profit centers. The best practice is the ideal way of doing business and what if these best practices are automated in form of a system reducing human error and boosting the strength of the organization to its extremes.Leap i3 is the ERP software which can provide answers to all these vulnerable questions and hence let you drive your business as desired by coordinating all aspects of your business and allow seamless flow of information from one end to another to present real time status of business.This is to introduce our company, Bricks Technologies Systems as a software solution company that can provide you with partnership to realize your business and technology goals.We at Bricks, have deep experience across systems integration, large scale custom development, consulting, information architecture design and analysis and business process services that increase entire organization'sperformance thus profitability and decrease the total cost of technology operations. Our Mission is to provide one stop solution for all kinds of software requirements to our clients and provide high level of integrationand customization with their existing system architecture.Bricks Technologies Systems. 304, 3rd Floor, Co-operative building, Beside ADCB HQ, Zayed The First St - 7 Zayed The First St - Abu Dhabi, UAE| marketing@brickstechnologies.com
Factory Automation And Machine Vision In-Depth Industrial and Market studies - Mexico Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast 2016 - 2020

http://bit.ly/2iIY0N7

Albany, New York, Jan 17,2017"Factory Automation And Machine Vision Market - Mexico Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast 2016 - 2020" The Report covers current Industries Trends, Worldwide Analysis, Global Forecast, Review, Share, Size, Growth, Effect.Description-Information and communication technology (ICT) have become crucial to the social infrastructure, therefore systems that allow society to function more efficiently are increasingly needed. Machine vision (MV) is a technology that meets these expectations and controls the movement of machinery by processing visual information. Machine vision plays vital role of factory automation (FA) in industrial manufacturing. Moreover, machine vision has also extended its scope to the fields of medicine, security, and agriculture. The growth is mainly driven by the introduction of innovative image sensing devices and the development of computing technologies, including communication. With technological advancements, machine vision not only serves as a replacement for human vision but also handle multidimensional invisible information.Get Sample Report With TOC @Machine vision (MV) uses automated technology for capturing images and transferring it to a PC. The captured images are then processed for inspection. A camera along with an image sensor is used to capture images, where in vision software analyzes it and information is communicated to the other equipment. Advancements in machine vision (MV) technology including vision-guided robotics and smart cameras have augmented the scope of the MV market with a broader application in the manufacturing sectors. These systems are utilized in applications such as manufacturing of semiconductor, pharmaceuticals, electronics, medical devices, automotive, packaging, and consumer goods.Factory automation systems are used in discrete industry and process industry applications. Mexico factory automation and machine vision market is classified by technology into Industrial Control Systems (ICS), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Execution System (MES), and Information Technology System (ITS). Different types of machine vision (MV) systems are PC-based, smart camera based and embedded based systems. Machine vision (MV) systems include various components such as camera, optics frame grabber and lighting, software and hardware.The machine vision (MV) and factory automation (FA) is a promising trend in the manufacturing industry offering smart manufacturing setup. Factory Automation (FA) offers standard production, cost efficiency, quality, reliability and flexibility in the production process. The several devices and mechanical instruments are coupled with the IT systems or smart computing for the improved results in automation. Moreover, the software systems such as Enterprise Resource planning (ERP) are helping the Mexico factory automation market to extend their service offerings.Proximity to the U.S. and Government of Mexicos movement to augment manufacturing activities has fueled the factory automation (FA) and machine vision (MV) market to the new heights. Shifting of manufacturing base of automotive companies from China to Mexico and increased in foreign direct investment is also contributing to the growth of the market. Additionally, emerging applications such as Human Machine Interface (HMI), Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, and electronic power distribution systems is further expected to fuel the demand of automation systems in the near future. Reduction in size of hardware along with decreasing price of sensors and components, embedded systems has seen reasonable growth. Emerging trend such as nanotechnology, nanotech sensors, machine-to-machine communication systems and Internet of things is further expected to escalate growth for the factory automation (FA) and machine vision (MV) market.Market players are focused on offering product that communicate with multiple I/Os and serial and parallel interfaces. For instance, machine vision (MV) system developers are providing PC-based functionality coupled with motion control, data acquisition, and image-processing hardware and software. Moreover, companies such as Keyence Corporation and Panasonic Corporation provide developers a number of ways for their products to communicate with serial and parallel interfaces and multiple I/Os. Industrial-automation companies such as Omron are trying to get an edge in the machine-vision marketplace, whereas other machine-vision companies such as Coreco Imaging, Inc., Matrox Imaging, and National Instruments Corp. are leveraging their hardware and software expertise in a number of low-cost programmable machine-vision systems.Some of the leading players in the market include ABB LTD (Switzerland), Siemens Ag (Germany), Rockwell Automation Inc (U.S.), Emerson Electric Company (U.S), Honeywell International Inc (U.S.), Johnson Controls Inc (U.S), General Electric Company (U.S.), Schneider Electric SA (France), Teledyne Dalsa Inc (Canada), Texas Instruments Inc (U.S), Eastman Kodak (U.S.) and Yokogawa Electric Corporation (Japan). 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 World This report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis. Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsResearchMoz 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
Global Blu-ray Media and Device Consumption 2016 In-Depth Industrial and Market studies Research Report

http://bit.ly/2iCK4RJ

Albany, New York, Jan 17,2017"Global Blu-ray Media and Device Consumption 2016 Market Research Report" The Report covers current Industries Trends, Worldwide Analysis, Global Forecast, Review, Share, Size, Growth, Effect.Description-The Global Blu-ray Media and Device Consumption 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Blu-ray Media and Device market.First, the report provides a basic overview of the Blu-ray Media and Device industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. And development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures.Get Sample Report With TOC @Secondly, the report states the global Blu-ray Media and Device market size (volume and value), and the segment markets by regions, types, applications and companies are also discussed.Third, the Blu-ray Media and Device market analysis is provided for major regions including USA, Europe, China and Japan, and other regions can be added. For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. Whats more, the Blu-ray Media and Device industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Blu-ray Media and Device1.1 Definition and Specifications of Blu-ray Media and Device1.1.1 Definition of Blu-ray Media and Device1.1.2 Specifications of Blu-ray Media and Device1.2 Classification of Blu-ray Media and Device1.3 Applications of Blu-ray Media and Device1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Blu-ray Media and Device1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Blu-ray Media and Device1.5.1 Industry Overview of Blu-ray Media and Device1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Blu-ray Media and Device1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Blu-ray Media and Device1.7 Industry News Analysis of Blu-ray Media and Device2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Blu-ray Media and Device2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Blu-ray Media and Device2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Blu-ray Media and Device2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Blu-ray Media and Device2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Blu-ray Media and Device2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Blu-ray Media and Device2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Blu-ray Media and Device3 3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales and Sale Price Analysis of Blu-ray Media and Device3.1 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) and Growth Rate of Blu-ray Media and Device 2011-20163.2 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Blu-ray Media and Device by Regions 2011-20163.3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Blu-ray Media and Device by Types 2011-20163.4 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Blu-ray Media and Device by Applications 2011-20163.5 Global Sales Volume and Sales Revenue of Blu-ray Media and Device by Companies 2011-20163.6 Global Sale Price of Blu-ray Media and Device by Regions 2011-20163.7 Global Sale Price of Blu-ray Media and Device by Types 2011-20163.8 Global Sale Price of Blu-ray Media and Device by Applications 2011-20163.9 Global Sale Price of Blu-ray Media and Device by Companies 2011-20164 USA Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales, Sale Price and End Users Analysis of Blu-ray Media and Device4.1 USA Market Size (Volume and Value) and Growth Rate of Blu-ray Media and Device 2011-20164.2 USA Market Size (Volume and Value) of Blu-ray Media and Device by Types 2011-20164.3 USA Market Size (Volume and Value) of Blu-ray Media and Device by Applications 2011-20164.4 USA Sales Volume and Sales Revenue of Blu-ray Media and Device by Companies 2011-20164.5 USA Sale Price of Blu-ray Media and Device by Types 2011-20164.6 USA Sale Price of Blu-ray Media and Device by Applications 2011-20164.7 USA Sale Price of Blu-ray Media and Device by Companies 2011-20164.8 USA Regional Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of Blu-ray Media and Device 2011-2016ResearchMoz 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
Global Wood Lacquer Market - Strategic Growth & Development Market 2017

Wood Lacquer

https://goo.gl/JnRGWC

https://goo.gl/IgR2IO

www.bigmarketresearch.com

Big Market Research Add New Global Wood Lacquer Market Research Report 2017 Market Research Report to Its a Database.Download sample copy of This Report @This report studies Wood Lacquer 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, covering NipponPaint Akzo NobelDulux Henkel Bauhinia Maydos PPG Taiho HuarunSplit by product type, with production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided into Water-based paint Oil paintSplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Wood Lacquer in each application, can be divided into Furniture & Decking Interior decoration OthersRequest for discount of This Report @Key points from table of content :7 Global Wood Lacquer Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 NipponPaint7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.1.2 Wood Lacquer Product Type, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Water-based paint7.1.2.2 Oil paint7.1.3 NipponPaint Wood Lacquer Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Akzo NobelDulux7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.2.2 Wood Lacquer Product Type, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Water-based paint7.2.2.2 Oil paint7.2.3 Akzo NobelDulux Wood Lacquer Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Henkel7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.3.2 Wood Lacquer Product Type, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Water-based paint7.3.2.2 Oil paint7.3.3 Henkel Wood Lacquer Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Bauhinia7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.4.2 Wood Lacquer Product Type, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Water-based paint7.4.2.2 Oil paint7.4.3 Bauhinia Wood Lacquer Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Maydos7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.5.2 Wood Lacquer Product Type, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Water-based paint7.5.2.2 Oil paint7.5.3 Maydos Wood Lacquer Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)7.5.4 Main Business/Business OverviewAbout Big Market Research: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.Our strength is in our research analysts who with their proactive approach can source best and correct information which can be detrimental in organizations success. We follow six sigma standards leaving no scope for error.Contact Big Market Research:Dhananjay Potle5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesDirect:+ 1-503-894-6022Toll Free: + 1-800-910-6452Email: help@bigmarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Membranes Market Analysis - 2020

https://goo.gl/zFC0Ew

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

A new research report by Transparency Market Research offers a comprehensive evaluation of the global Membranes Market. The study, titled Membranes Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020, is available for sale on the firms website.A membrane filter is primarily a selective barrier that allows the quick passage of constituents present in a liquid. The liquid that flows through the membrane is called as the permeate while the influent of the membrane is called as the feed-stream and the constituents that are retained in the membrane is either known as a retentate or a concentrate. The primary criteria for the selection of a suitable membrane include the membrane pore size. Based on the pore size, membranes can be classified as microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanaofiltration and reverse osmosis and reverse osmosis membranes. The thickness of a membrane is also taken into consideration, either with homogenous or heterogeneous structure. In some cases, membranes can be either neutral or charged and the flow of particles is either active or passive.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical insights :Particle transport can be facilitated by pressure, concentration, chemical or electrical gradients of the membrane process. Membranes can be classified into two types, which include systematic membranes and biological membrane. These membranes have various uses in wastewater treatment, pharmaceutical and medical industries. Membrane filters are used in these industries as its is less energy-intensive as it does not require major phase changes, it does not demand any absorbents or solvents that are expensive or difficult to handle and the equipment used is simple and modular and this facilitates the incorporation of more efficient membranes.Te main driver for the membrane filter market is its use in the water treatment process. These membranes provide critical, efficient and reliable solutions for various separation challenges and have also demonstrated high performance across a wide variety of applications as compared to other complicated technologies. The global and local environmental concerns boost the membrane technology market as in aids in the reduction of waste and enhances its general reuse. The major factors that drive the membrane market include the growing global demand for water industry, the stringent local and state government regulations and various environmental concerns. Additionally these membrane filters are reliable and highly cost effective with high permeability and selectivity.The wastewater treatment segment and the pharmaceutical segment are considered the main applications of membrane filters, however the industrial gas processing segment is anticipated t grow at a very fast rate over the next few years.North America and Europe have the highest market demand for membrane filters owing to their stringent environmental regulations. Additionally the European countries are continually investing into various research and development of various high performance membrane products for various industrial gas processing and pharmaceutical and medical uses sector.The demand for membrane filters in Asia Pacific is also high due to the increase in water and various wastewater treatments, pharmaceutical and medical industries. This rise in demand in Asia Pacific is expected to continue over the next few years. At present China is considered to be the fastest growing market in the Asia Pacific region and globally. The largest market for membrane filters for the medical industry is the European region followed by North America and Asia Pacific. however North America is anticipated to see the highest growth in the near future.Some of the key players in this market include Merck Millipore, Pall Corporation, Sartorius Biotech, 3M, Alfa Laval, GE, Graver Technologies, Koch Membrane Systems, MECO, Spectrum Laboratories, Novasep 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:
By Joel Schectman

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rolls-Royce Plc (RR.L) agreed to pay authorities more than $800 million (646.26 million pounds) to resolve charges of bribing officials in six countries in schemes that lasted more than a decade, the U.S. Justice Department and UK Serious Fraud Office said in statements on Tuesday.

The company admitted to paying officials at state-run energy companies in Kazakhstan, Thailand, Brazil, Azerbaijan, Angola and Iraq more than $35 million in order to win contracts, the Justice Department said.

In a statement, the company's chief executive officer, Warren East, apologised "unreservedly" for the bribery schemes. The company had since overhauled its compliance rules and cut back on using intermediaries, the statement said.

Among the bribes, Rolls-Royce paid a Brazilian official $1.6 million through a middleman to win numerous oil equipment contracts from Petrobras (PETR4.SA), U.S. authorities said.

The case was the third resolution related to Petrobras in the United States following a nearly three-year investigation in Brazil dubbed "Operation Car Wash" into corruption at the oil company, which has led to dozens of arrests and political upheaval in the country.

Petrobras did not return a request for comment.

In Iraq, Rolls-Royce middlemen bribed Iraqi officials after they had expressed concerns about turbines the company had sold. The Rolls-Royce bagman paid the bribe to "persuade the officials to accept the turbines" and prevent the officials from "blacklisting" Rolls-Royce from future business in Iraq, U.S. authorities said.

The settlement included agreements with U.S., UK and Brazilian authorities whom the company agreed to pay $170 million, 497 million British pounds ($616 million) and $25.6 million respectively, the Justice Department said.

In setting the penalty, the Justice Department said it weighed the fact that Rolls-Royce did not come forward with the misconduct until media reports of the allegations began to surface. But U.S. authorities also showed Rolls-Royce leniency for later cooperating with authorities and fixing problems at the company.

(Additional reporting by Sarah Young and Kristin Ridley in London; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Peter Cooney)
Green & Bio-based Solvents Market to Reach US$8.05 bn : 2023

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Transparency Market Research has released a new market report titled Green & Bio-based Solvents Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023. According to the report, the global green & bio-based solvents market was valued at US$4.32 bn in 2014 and is anticipated to reach US$8.05 bn by 2023, expanding at a CAGR of 7.2% between 2015 and 2023.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :Green & bio-based solvents are bio-based solvents manufactured using sugars, corn, beet root, and others. This makes these products safe and effective replacements for the conventional solvents made from crude oil. Green & bio-based solvents are employed in various applications such as paints & coatings, printing inks, commercial & domestic cleaning, adhesives & sealants, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics. Growth in paints & coatings, printing inks, and downstream industries is primarily estimated to augment the global green & bio-based solvents market in the next few years. Increasing research on various bio-based materials used as raw materials is projected to boost the demand for green & bio-based solvents in the next few years. However, high cost of raw materials and complexity in manufacturing are anticipated to hamper market growth during the forecast period. Rising demand for green & bio-based solvents in the adhesives & sealants, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical segments is anticipated to offer growth opportunities to the market during the forecast period.In terms of volume, bio-based ethanol was the largest product segment of the global green & bio-based solvents market, accounting for more than 45% share in 2014. Substantial commercialization and wide application of bio-based ethanol are the key reasons for the dominance of the segment. However, methyl soyate is likely to be the fastest-growing segments during the forecast period, owing to the commercialization of these bio-based solvents and their extensive demand in end-user industries.Browse the full Green & Bio-based Solvents (Bio-based Methanol, Bio-based Ethanol, Bio-based Propanol, Bio-based Butanol, Bio-based Propylene Glycol, Ethyl Lactate, D-Limonene, Methyl Soyate, and Others) Market for Paints & Coatings, Printing Inks, Commercial & Domestic Cleaning, Adhesives & Sealants, Pharmaceutical, Cosmetics, and Other Applications - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023 report atIn terms of applications, paints & coatings was the largest segment of the global green & bio-based solvents market, constituting more than 40% share in 2014. Commercial & domestic cleaning is projected to be another major application segment between 2015 and 2023. Adhesives & sealants is likely to be the fastest-growing application segment during the forecast period, due to the rising demand for these products in automotive and other downstream industries.Developed regions are expected to dominate the green & bio-based solvents market in the next few years, owing to easy availability of raw materials and considerable manufacturing expertise in these regions. North America is estimated to be the largest market for green & bio-based solvents, followed by Europe, during the forecast period. The green & bio-based solvents market in Asia Pacific is also projected to witness high growth, owing to the substantial demand for solvents in various industries and increasing awareness about benefits associated with bio-based solvents. The global market for green & bio-based solvents is expescted to expand significantly in the near future.Key players in the green & bio-based solvents market include Cargill Inc., Vertec Biosolvents Inc., BioAmber Inc., BioMCN, Corbion nv, Galactic, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Florida Chemical Company, Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc., and Cobalt Technologies.The report segments the global green & bio-based solvents market as follows:Green & Bio-based Solvents Market - Product Analysis-Bio-based Methanol-Bio-based Ethanol-Bio-based Propanol-Bio-based Butanol-Bio-based Propylene Glycol-Ethyl Lactate-D-Limonene-Methyl Soyate-Others (Including hydrogen peroxide, bio-based butanediol, etc.)Green & Bio-based Solvents Market - Application Analysis-Paints & Coatings-Printing Inks-Commercial & Domestic CleaningAdhesives & Sealants-Pharmaceutical-Cosmetics-Others (Including Agrochemicals, etc.)Green & Bio-based Solvents Market - Regional Analysis-North America-U.S.-Rest of North America-Europe-France-U.K.-Spain-Germany-Italy-Rest of Europe-Asia Pacific-China-Japan-ASEAN-Rest of Asia Pacific-Latin America-Brazil-Rest of Latin America-Middle East & Africa (MEA)-GCC-South Africa-Rest of MEATransparency 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:
Global Adhesive Tapes Market: Production of Silicone-based Pressure-sensitive Adhesive Tapes offers Long-term Benefits, By TMR

Adhesive Tapes Market

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3M, tesa Tape, Inc., Nitto Denko Corporation, and LINTEC Corporation had enjoyed collectively leading share of close to 39% of the total revenue generation in 2015, within a partly consolidated global adhesive tapes market. These players are expected to retain their high market shares over the coming years owing to efforts in improving global presence, greater efforts on consolidation, and a sizeable lead in research and development activities.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :According to a research report released by Transparency Market Research, the global adhesive tapes markets competitive landscape is expected to remain relatively unrestricted in terms of competition available from substitutes. The markets growth is however, mildly stifled by the aversion of new entrants due to high entry barriers and the volatility of raw materials. The global adhesive tapes market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.8% within a forecast period from 2016 to 2024, in terms of revenue. This revenue is expected to reach US$92.36 bn by the end of 2024, after being calculated at US$51.54 bn at the end of 2015. In terms of volume, the global adhesive tapes market is expected to climb at a CAGR of 5.9% for the same forecast period.Automotive Boom Supplements Adhesive Tape DemandThe automotive industrys advancement has so far worked excellently in the favor of the global adhesive tapes market. The current demand for adhesive tapes from the automotive industry is primarily being consolidated due to the high demand for the manufacture of lighter vehicles. The use of rivets, bolts, screws, and other traditional fastening methods and devices are steadily being replaced by the increasingly stronger adhesive tapes, thereby significantly reducing the overall weight of a vehicle as well as the amount of metal that goes into its manufacture. Traditional sealants and adhesive, for instance, are also making way to the increasingly advanced adhesive tapes that are already matching in terms of shear strength, durability, and surface adhesion, states a TMR analyst. This demand is expected to remain fairly high over the coming years due to the recovering nature of the automotive industry from its recession in the recent past.The global adhesive tapes market is also benefitting from the growing demand for electronic device miniaturization. As the disposable income of consumers strengthens, so will the demand for advanced consumer electronics that are smaller and more powerful, boosting the use of adhesive tapes.Restriction on Materials Caps Growth Rate of Adhesive Tape ManufacturersThe global adhesive tapes market is likely to be restrained by the currently stringent norms surrounding the use and emission of monitored and restricted chemicals, such as volatile organic compounds. The pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes currently in use are the ones being affect to the top degree. Pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes are currently in extremely high demand within the industries of product design and manufacturing. However, the prevention of use of VOCs which have till now been in large-scale use is creating a heavy restriction for several players associated with this product type.A key set of opportunities presenting themselves in the global adhesive tapes market is from the growing preference of pressure-sensitive and silicone-based adhesive tapes. They provide much greater physical and mechanical strengths over conventional adhesive tapes and can be used in extreme conditions and corrosive exposure, and are not in violation of the regulatory guidelines that prohibit conventional chemical use. Players in the global adhesive tapes market can definitely reap the benefits of advances in these product types to carry the market into its next phase of growth, adds the analyst.The information presented in this review is based on a Transparency Market Research report, titled, Adhesive Tapes Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024."Key segments of the Global Adhesive Tapes MarketAdhesive Tapes Market: Product Analysis-Single Coated-Double Coated-Transfer Tape-oam TapeAdhesive Tapes Market: Composition Analysis-Acrylic-Rubber-Silicone-OthersAdhesive Tapes Market: Backing Material Analysis-Polypropylene-Paper-Polyvinyl Chloride-OthersAdhesive Tapes Market: End use Analysis-Health Care-Building & Construction-Consumer Goods-Automotive-Graphics-OthersAdhesive Tapes Market: Regional Analysis-North America-U.S.-Canada-Europe-France-U.K.-Spain-Germany-Italy-Rest of Europe-Asia Pacific-China-Japan-India-ASEAN-Rest of Asia Pacific-Latin America-Brazil-Mexico-Rest of Latin America-Middle East & Africa (MEA)-GCC-Egypt-South Africa-Rest of MEATransparency 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/
Wound Closure Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Growth And Forecast 2014 - 2020

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Transparency Market Research presents this most up-to-date research on "Wound Closure Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Growth And Forecast 2014 - 2020"Overview Of The Global Wound Closure Devices MarketEach device has its own functions and needs, and may vary in design and size. Sutures, both absorbable and non-absorbable, dominate the wound closure devices market since they are used in almost every form of surgery. Sutures can be divided into two categories: braided and monofilament. While braided sutures are more commonly used due to better knot security, monofilaments are more popular in cardiovascular, neurological and ophthalmic surgeries. Companies have made constant efforts to come up with innovations to improve the quality of life for a patient. Firms that have headed the campaign for innovations include Abbott Vasculars ProGlide, Perclose and Prostar suture-mediated devices.Stapler devices have evolved from sutures, and though they possess the same function as sutures, the surgical procedure becomes easier and quicker using a stapling device. The market for stapler products has grown over the years since they are more precise, provide better safety and offer reduced recovery time than traditional sutures.Wound closure devices are apparatus that help in closing a wound by pulling the edges of the wound tissue together and aid in healing. Devices such as sutures, staples, adhesives, mechanical wound closure devices and strips aid in lending strength and tissue to the wound tissue, minimize tissue trauma and reduce risk of infection and excess scaring.Browse Full Research Report on Wound Closure Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Growth And Forecast 2014  2020We cover the global wound closure devices market, discussing a detailed overview of the industry, its emergence, development and forecast. The industry has grown with the evolution of medical science and technology, and TMRs report tracks the growth of the market at its various stages. It highlights the major factors that have strongly influenced the market and helped increase its popularity and demand. It also identifies the challenges faced, while offering strategies and suggestions to overcome the same.The report segments the market based on products, applications and geography, and also lists leading companies that operate in the global wounds closure devices market along with their financial and sales profiles.In terms of demand, mechanical wound closure devices follow after sutures in the global market.However, with the demand for minimally invasive surgeries on the rise, the prospects for wound closure devices have dimmed. Minimal invasion means reduced usage of sutures, wound strips as well as mechanical wound closure devices. Minimally invasive surgeries also reduce the size of incisions made, thereby lowering the number of sutures required for closing otherwise large incisions.On the other hand, the rise in plastic and cosmetic surgeries has led to a subsequent increase in demand for synthetic absorbable sutures.Companies mentioned in the global wound closure devices market research reportThe key players in the wound closure devices market include Sutura Inc., Teleflex Medical, Smith & Nephew, Radi Medical Systems, Ethicon Inc. (Johnson & Johnson), Abbott Vascular, Derma Sciences, and NeatStitch Ltd.Click Here To Brochure Download :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.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.ContactMr.Sudip S90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Cryptococcosis Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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Transparency Market Research presents this most up-to-date research on "Cryptococcosis Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024"Cryptococcosis, also known as cryptococcal disease is a potentially fatal fungal disease. It is caused by inhalation of an encapsulated yeast called Cryptococcus neoformans. Cryptococcosis is believed to be acquired by inhalation of the infectious propagule from the environment. Although the exact nature of the infectious propagule is unknown, the leading hypothesis is the basidiospore created through sexual or asexual reproduction.Cryptococcosis market: Types of infectionThere are three identified Cryptococcus strains that causes disease worldwide namely Cryptococcus neoformans, Cryptococcus grubii and Cryptococcus gattii. Exposure via respiratory or the gastrointestinal tract are considered as the most common and opportunistic pathway for the organism entry in the host. Cryptococcus neoformans can be found worldwide in soil, birds, animals and humans. Whereas, alternative route of administration can be through transplant of infected tissue, surgical instrument or laboratory instruments. Cryptococcosis neoformans can affect a persons lungs causing pneumonia, or central nervous system causing meningitis.People with impaired immunity, such as cancer or AIDS patients that acquire the cryptococcosis illness are predominantly infected with the C. neoformans and C. grubii, while C. gattii can cause illness in not only immunocompromised individuals but also among healthy individuals. In between 1999 and 2010, 281 cases of C. gattii have been reported to the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control among animals and human residing in Vancouver Island and surrounding areas within Canada and the northwest United States.View Full Report at :Cryptococcosis market: TreatmentWith the availability highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the management of cryptococcosis has become a combination of established antifungal treatments together with treatment of any other associated disease. Although the prevalent use of HAART has lowered the incidences of cryptococcosis in medically developed countries yet the incidences and mortality due to infection is still high in regions having limited access to healthcare, HAART and uncontrolled HIV disease. AIDS associated Cryptococcosis accounts for 50 percent of all Cryptococcal infections reported annually and usually occurs in HIV patients when their CD4 lymphocyte count is below 200/mm3.Cryptococcosis market: SegmentationMarket for Cryptococcosis can be segmented on the basis of anatomical location that is central nervous system, Cryptococcosis of bone and so on and risk groups which included HIV infected and organ transplant individual.In 2000, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) first published Practice Guidelines for the Management of Cryptococcal Disease based on clinical data evidences and expert opinion to manage and curb down the highly recognizable invasive fungal pathogen. However, over the past decade a series of new clinical issues and host risk groups have arisen which demands for revision of guideline to proper and efficient management of cryptococcosis.The major symptoms of cryptococcosis include fever, malaise, excessive coughing mental status changes and vision defects. Till date there are no novel drug or vaccines available specifically to treat cryptococcosis.Cryptococcosis market: Regions and key playersHuman disease is endemic in Australia, parts of Africa, the Mediterranean region, Papua New Guinea, India, Southern California, Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay and south-east Asia. Some of the organization/ research centers working on the development of vaccine/drug include Pfizer Inc., Janssen Pharmaceutical, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, MedStar Health Research Institute among others.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.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketDownload Sample Copy of Report at :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.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.ContactMr.Sudip S90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Veterinary Antiseptics Market - Growing Number of Companion and Production Animals Keeps Asia Pacific at the Forefront

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Transparency Market Research presents this most up-to-date research on "Veterinary Antiseptics Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023"Asia Pacific holds the leading share in the veterinary antiseptics market in Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of the World due to a strong presence of production and companion animals. The exponentially rising demand for good quality of animal-based products is expected to bolster this market in the near future. Furthermore, the growing demand for antiseptics for looking after domesticated animals is also adding to the revenues of the veterinary antiseptics market in Asia Pacific.According to the research report, the veterinary antiseptics market in Asia Pacific with be worth US$401.6 mn by 2023 as the market expands at a steady CAGR of 5.6% between 2015 and 2022. The increasing disposable incomes in China and India are encouraging consumers to adopt pets, which is expected have a positive impact on the overall market in the coming years.The veterinary antiseptic market in the developing regions (Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of the World) is witnessing impressive growth due to rising demand for animal food products and increasing adoption of companion animals such as cat and dogs. Furthermore, changing lifestyle in developing countries such as China and India has resulted in an increased adoption of pet animals. This is driving the animal health care market in the region. The study of the veterinary antiseptic market in these regions offers a comprehensive understanding of various antiseptic products, injuries therapies, animal welfare laws, animal statistics, marketing and branding strategies, and other core factors of the market. The study comprises a detailed analysis of the antiseptic products, and helps in understanding various drivers contributing to the market growth in real-time and in the near future. Furthermore, the study focuses on the best practices in animal care, the science behind antiseptic and healing wounds, and the currently prevalent standards of practice in the region. Moreover, the research includes an in-depth competitive analysis and a market model in terms of competitive strategy and current market share. The stakeholders of this report include manufacturers of antiseptic products, wound and injury care products, and companies involved in the distribution of various products such as spirit, alcohol and chlorhexidine and new entrants who wish to enter the market.View Full Report at :Key Takeaways:Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of the World veterinary antiseptics market to stand at US$401.6 mn by 2023Iodine and iodophors to lead the overall market at a CAGR of 6.3% between 2015 and 2023Asia Pacific to contribute revenue worth US$193.6 mn by 2023 as population of production and companion animals goes upThe Veterinary Antiseptics Market in Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of the World, by ProductIodine and IodophorsChlorhexidineAlcoholHydrogen peroxideOthersThe Veterinary Antiseptics Market in Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of the World, by SpeciesBovinePorcineOvineEquineCanineFelineCamelidaeThe Veterinary Antiseptics Market in Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of the World, by GeographyAsia PacificJapanChinaIndiaRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilArgentinaMexicoRest of Latin AmericaDownload Sample Copy of Report at :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.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.ContactMr.Sudip S90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Molded Plastics Market Analysis - 2023

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Ceramics that provide properties such as fabrication and polycrystalline microstructure without reinforcement are called monolithic ceramics. Monolithic ceramics is one of the major types of products of advanced and technical ceramics. Based on the attributes mentioned above, monolithic ceramics are segmented into silicon nitride, zirconium oxide, zirconium carbide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, and aluminum oxide, and others. These ceramics are used to enhance lifespan and reliability of the material, and withstand high temperature.Based on product type, monolithic ceramics have been segmented into oxides and non-oxides. Monolithic ceramics are used in various applications due to their specific properties. These ceramics are generally employed in end-user industries such as electrical & electronics, automotive, aerospace, power generation, defense & military, medical, and transportation. Electrical & electronics is one of the major end-user industries of monolithic ceramics. These ceramics are used in capacitors in the electrical & electronics industry. Monolithic ceramics are employed in the manufacture of turbine blades in the power generation industry.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical insights :High demand for monolithic ceramics in medical and health care industries is anticipated to be the major driver of the global market in the near future. The growing demand for equipment and medical devices has anticipated to create a huge demand for monolithic ceramics in near future. Major characteristics such as reliability, durability, resistance to high temperature, and wear resistance have led to wide range of applications for monolithic ceramics in various end-user industries. Monolithic ceramics are employed in sensors and alarm security systems in the automobile sector.These ceramics are used in the manufacture of engine components and equipment in the aerospace industry. Monolithic ceramics are used in these applications due to their high temperature resistance and thermal barrier characteristics. Monolithic ceramics are employed in turbine blades, capacitors, and engine components in the power generation sector. These ceramics are used in the application of semiconductors and electronic components in the electronics sector. Monolithic ceramics are employed in the manufacture of components required for armors, weapons, and shuttles. However, the high production cost is expected to act as a restraint for the market in the near future.In terms of region, the global market for monolithic ceramics has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific accounted for the largest market share, followed by North America and Europe, in 2014. Demand for monolithic ceramics is high in Asia Pacific due to the expansion of the electrical & electronics sector in the region. Countries such as China, Japan, and India have largely contributed to the growth of the market in Asia Pacific. The growth automotive sector in Asia Pacific is expected create opportunities for wide applications of monolithic ceramics products, which would led to boost the demand in the near future.The U.S. led the market for monolithic ceramics in North America in terms of demand in 2014. The power sector is one of the major contributors to the monolithic ceramics market in North America. Europe is one of the high potential markets (after North America) due to the wide application scope of monolithic ceramics in countries such as Germany, France, and the U.K. In 2014, China was the largest suppliers for monolithic ceramics in Asia Pacific. The growing demand for monolithic ceramics have forced the suppliers to take up capacity expansion.Major manufacturers operating in the monolithic ceramics market include Kyocera Corporation, CeramTec GmbH, Morgan Advanced Materials Plc, Saint-Gobain Ceramics Materials, and Zircoa Inc.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 UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Copper Sulfate Market Analysis and Forecast 2024

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Copper sulfate, also known as cupric sulfate is a chemical compound having the formula CuSO4. It is the most popular and widely used copper salt. The anhydrous form of CuSO4 is pale green powder whereas the hydrated copper sulfate is bright blue in color. Copper sulfate is widely used in the agricultural industry primarily as fungicides. Apart from the agricultural industry, it is also used in chemical industry as a source of copper, as a catalyst and for purification of gases. Copper sulfate is used as an adhesive in the production of paints and glues. In the metal and electrical industry, copper sulfate is the most preferred electrolyte for applications such as refining, electro-plating, and also used in the development of batteries. In the leather and textile industry it is used as an important reagent/catalyst in tanning process. Copper sulfate is used as a raw material for preparation of anti fouling paints.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical insights :The agricultural industry accounts for more than half of the copper sulfate consumption globally. In the agro industry copper sulfate is primarily used as herbicide, fungicides and pesticides. Copper sulfate penta-hydrate is a fungicide. However it is mixed with lime to prepare Bordeaux and Burgundy mixtures which are more effective fungicides. Paris gas, manufactured from copper sulfate, is an insecticide. It is used as a raw material for the production of Chromated copper arsenate which is a widely used wood preservative. It provides wood with insecticidal, fungicidal and UV light reflecting characteristics. Another important application of copper sulfate is as an analytical reagent, which is further used for the preparation of several reagents such as Fehlings solution, Benedicts solution and Biuret reagent. Demand for copper sulfate as an additive in animal feed is also increasing as the copper is very essential for proper body functioning.However, copper sulfate is moderately toxic when exposed for a longer period of time. As majority of the copper sulfate is produced from scrap copper, it contains toxins. Toxins such as Dioxin are no longer preferred by most of the consumer countries.Increasing number of agricultural activities in the Asia-Pacific region has fueled the demand for agro chemicals such as herbicides and insecticides. Owing to this demand for copper sulfate in countries such as China and India has subsequently increased. . Demand for the chemical compound is also expected to rise in North America as the agricultural production in U.S. and Canada is also very high. The production of copper sulfate was significant in Europe until recently.Most of the European countries are now importing copper sulfate in large quantities from the third world countries like Ukraine, Macedonia, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Russia and China. Most of the Europes surviving producers are based in Italy, Spain and France. Russia and most of the former Soviet Union countries are the nations dominating copper sulfate manufacture as majority of the copper mines are located in the Eurasian region. In other countries such as Brazil, Peru, Chile, and Columbia, demand for feed-grade copper sulfate is also increasing due to growth in the animal feed industry.Copper sulfate is a very important chemical having a broad spectrum of applications. The demand of this chemical is predicted to increase subsequently over the fore-cast period. Some of the leading producers of copper sulfate are WEGO Chemical & Mineral Corp., Allan Chemical Corporation, NOAH Technologies Corporation, and ATOTECH.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-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisAbout 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 UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Specialty Silica Market reach US$7.32 bn by the end of 2024

Specialty Silica Market

https://goo.gl/Cm327L

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Only a handful of names were visible as prominent in the global specialty silica market for 2015. In this consolidated market, the players Evonik Industries AG, Wacker Chemie AG, and Cabot Corporation, collectively held a significant 69% of its overall value. At the same time, there do exist a sizeable number of regional players in the global specialty silica market.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :As per a market intelligence publication released by Transparency Market Research, the global specialty silica market is expected to hold an increasingly intensifying rate of competition over the coming years. The current player landscape of the global specialty silica market shows a moderately consolidated structure with a medium to low presence of key global players. Meanwhile, the demand for specialty silica is increasing and the entry barriers for new players are low. The low initial investments required to initiate the manufacture of specialty silica is expected to encourage new entrants over the coming years. The global specialty silica market is expected to be valued at US$4.62 bn by the end of 2016. Between 2016 and 2024, this markets value is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.9% and reach US$7.32 bn by the end of 2024. In terms of volume, the global specialty silica market is expected to reach 5,185.0 kilo tons in 2024.Surge in Demand for Green Tires Expected Over Coming YearsThe automotive industry has consistently been a top application segment for the global specialty silica market for the past few years. Fossil fuels are depleting and emission norms are getting stricter every year. This is pressuring the automotive industry to achieve greater feats of engineering that allow vehicles to use as little resources as possible. One of the greater ways to achieve this is to use tires that give a lower rolling resistance, effectively allowing a vehicle to move further while consuming lesser fuel. And one of the leading ways to achieve a reduction in rolling resistance is to use tires created with a mixture of specialty silica with rubber. Specialty silica imparts several beneficial physical properties to tires, including toughness and a smaller coefficient of friction for rolling resistance, states a TMR analyst.Easy Availability of Substitutes Stifles Specialty Silica DemandColloidal silica and fused silica are the two key products from the global specialty silica market that are used in refractories. Both products are known to be expensive in nature and buyers are often reluctant enough to go for cheaper alternative even at the cost of lesser efficiency. Substitutes such as silica gel are not only cheaper than specialty silica but they are also easier to procure, therefore being a better preferred option for small and even medium scale buyers. This is currently a key restraining factor on the global specialty silica market, and might reduce in severity over time as development can help reduce product costs.Developments in the global specialty silica market are expected to provide the boost that manufacturers need to gain better opportunities. One of the key opportunities currently visible in the global specialty silica market includes the development and production of highly dispersible silica. HDS finds noteworthy use in high-performance tires which are commonly meant for premium cars. Over time, the growing concern over fuel usage and consistent developments on HDS by leading players should get it into the commercial markets at reasonable rates, creating a whole new world of opportunities, adds the analyst.The information presented in this review is based on a Transparency Market Research report, titled, Specialty Silica Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024.Key segments of the Global Specialty Silica MarketSpecialty Silica Market: Product Type AnalysisPrecipitated SilicaFumed SilicaFused SilicaSilica GelColloidal SilicaSpecialty Silica Market: Application AnalysisRubberTireFootwearIndustrialCrop ProtectionPaints & CoatingsElectronic ComponentsFood & BeverageAnimal FeedPlasticsPersonal Care & CosmeticsOther (textile, paper, etc.)Specialty Silica Market: Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeFranceGermanyItalySpainU.K.Rest Of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaASEANJapanRest Of AsiaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of South AmericaMiddle East & Africa (MEA)GCCSouth AfricaRest of MEATransparency 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:Visit Blog : http://cmfeglobalreports.blogspot.com/
Global Construction Sealants Industry Analysis and Forecast 2024

https://goo.gl/VeL0Gs

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Sealants are largely used in the construction industry to provide water proofing solutions to the built structure. Sealants are often substituted with the term caulking in the construction industry. In the construction industry, sealants primarily block dust, sound, heat, and fluid through the openings at the joints. These are used ubiquitously along with adhesives. However, adhesives and sealants are two different compounds used to provide shear and tensile strength and a leak proof barrier, respectively, between parts/structures. Sealants offer lower strength and higher elongation property as compared to adhesives. Sealants contain inert filler material and are usually formulated with an elastomer to give required flexibility and elongation. These are usually present in viscous liquid and semi-liquid state that has little or no-flow characteristics. Insolubility, adhesion, and corrosion resistance are some of the desirable properties of sealants. These properties make it an ideal water proofing solution in the construction industry.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical insights :The construction sealants market can be categorized based on resin type into silicone, polyurethane, acrylic, latex, polysulfide, and others. Utility of different types of sealants varies as per application in the construction industry. For instance, silicone sealants are largely used for weather and water resistance due to their high UV stability and resistance to hydraulic oils, fuels, salt, and cleaning solvents. Similarly, urethane sealants are used in joints that typically require abrasion and UV resistance. Several internal and external factors determine the success of the sealing operation. Factors such as chemical exposure, weathering, light, oxidation, moisture, and temperature have an impact on functionalities of construction sealants.The construction sealants market is significantly expanding in the fields of flooring and expansion jointing for commercial and housing applications. High growth rate of construction of residential buildings, especially in emerging economies such as China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and Russia (BRICS), is driving the construction sealants market. However, enactment of several environmental regulations regarding VOC emission is the prime restraining factor for the construction sealants market. Development of biobased and anaerobic sealants is expected to provide a significant opportunity in the construction sealants market.Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing region in the construction sealants market in the near future. Increasing urbanization and formation of smart cities is boosting the demand for construction sealants in the region. The Middle East and Africa (MEA) is estimated to exhibit significant growth rate during the forecast period due to easing government processes for residential mortgaging, especially in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Latin America is projected to witness moderate growth rate during the forecast period. Brazil and Argentina are likely to drive the construction sealants market in Latin America due to significant public investments in commercial, infrastructural, and industrial construction. Europe held a significant share of the global construction sealants market in 2014. Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, and Turkey have been identified as high growth markets for construction sealants. The construction sealants market in North America is likely to expand at a below average growth rate due to maturity of the construction industry.Research and development is an important part of the construction sealants market. Suppliers, manufacturers, and construction association invest significantly in product development, support, and technology to meet the needs of the construction industry. Ongoing trend for light and green buildings is anticipated to provide growth opportunities to the construction sealants market. Market leaders are investing continuously to develop innovative materials to provide practical, economical, and performance benefits to customers. For instance, on November 13, 2014, The Dow Chemical Company introduced LIQUIDARMOR - CM Flashing and Sealant, a liquid flashing solution that provides advanced moisture and air sealing protection to commercial buildings. This is an innovative product that can easily substitute flashing tape in the construction industry.Several players operate in the construction sealants market. These include BASF SE, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, 3M, H.B. Fuller, The Dow Chemical Company, Cytec Industries Inc., Master Bond, General Electric, Sika AG, and PPG Industries, Inc.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-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisAbout 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 UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Latin America Defoamers Market to Reach US$273.1 mn , Stimulated by Demand from Paper and Pulp Industry : 2023

Defoamers Market

https://goo.gl/2EzI5s

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/latin-america-defoamers-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Transparency Market Research has published a new report titled Defoamers Market - Latin America Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023. According to the report, the Latin America defoamers market was valued at US$196.2 mn in 2014 and is anticipated to reach US$273.1 mn by 2023, expanding at a CAGR of 3.8% between 2015 and 2023.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :Rise in demand for defoamers in paper and pulp, food and beverages, and water treatment applications in Latin America has been driving the defoamers market. Defoamers are used to reduce and prevent formation of foam. Foam poses difficulties to various industries such as chemicals, especially during the biochemical process. It hampers flow of liquid and blocks transfer of oxygen from air. Therefore, defoamers such as silicone oils are added to prevent the problem of foaming. Silicone-based defoamers are the most widely used defoamers across the globe in various applications including paper and pulp, water treatment, paints and coatings, food and beverages, and others. Growth in various application industries especially in Brazil and Argentina is driving the Latin America defoamers market. However, stringent regulatory policies are estimated to hamper the market growth in the near future.Silicone-based defoamers was the largest product segment, accounting for more than 40% share of the Latin America defoamers market in 2014. Silicone-based defoamers are considered heavy-duty defoamers and are good at both cracking down surface foam and releasing entrapped air. Oil-based defoamers constituted the second-largest share of the Latin America defoamers market in 2014. Oil-based defoamers have an oil carrier; oil may be mineral oil, vegetable oil, white oil, or any other oil that is insoluble in the foaming medium, except silicone oil. Water-based defoamers are also among the major product segments of the Latin America defoamers market.Browse the full Defoamers (Oil-based, Water-based, Silicone-based, and Others) Market for Paper and Pulp, Water Treatment, Paints and Coatings, Food and Beverages, and Other Applications - Latin America Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023 report atIn terms of demand, paper and pulp has been dominating the defoamers market since the past few years. Defoamers used in the paper and pulp industry include water-based defoamers, oil-based defoamers, powder defoamers, silicone-based defoamers, and alkyl polyacrylates defoamers. Defoamers used in the paper and pulp industry tackle problems of surface foam and entrapped air. In terms of demand, paints and coatings accounted for the second-largest share of the defoamers market in 2014. Other major applications of defoamers include food & beverages and water treatment.In terms of demand, Brazil has been dominating the defoamers market during the past few years. The region held over 60% share of the Latin America demand for defoamers in 2014. This trend is estimated to continue during the forecast period. Rise in demand for defoamers in paper and pulp, water treatment, and food and beverages are key factors driving the defoamers market in Latin America.The report provides a comprehensive view of the defoamers market in terms of volume and revenue. It includes current demand analysis and forecast for product segments and application segments in Latin America. Furthermore, the report provides detailed country-wise analysis of the defoamers market in Latin America. The defoamers market has been divided into the following segments:Defoamers Market  Latin America Product Segment AnalysisWater-based DefoamersOil-based DefoamersSilicone-based DefoamersOthers (EO/PO-based Defoamers, etc.)Defoamers Market  Latin America Application AnalysisPaper and pulpWater TreatmentPaints & CoatingsFood & BeveragesOthers (Pharmaceuticals, Mining, Printing, Agricultural Chemicals, etc.)Defoamers Market  Latin America Country AnalysisLatin AmericaBrazilColombiaArgentinaRest of Latin AmericaTransparency 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:Visit Blog : http://cmfeglobalreports.blogspot.com/
Lewis and Clark College selects Barry Glassner as its new president.

Lewis and Clark College selects Barry Glassner as its new president. Photo by Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian

(Randy L Rasmussen)

Barry Glassner, the president of Lewis & Clark College since 2010, announced his resignation Tuesday.

The 64-year-old is stepping aside from his post at the Southwest Portland liberal arts school to "focus his time and attention on his writing and his role as a public intellectual," according to a message sent to college students and faculty.

"With the climate of fear in our country at an especially high level following the recent election cycle, this is a critical time for me to contribute to the public discourse," Glassner said in the email. "Over this next period, I plan to devote myself to my research, writing, and speaking before returning to the faculty."

According to his biography, Glassner wrote or co-wrote 10 books, including a national bestseller titled "The Culture of Fear: Why Americans are Afraid of the Wrong Things." He was executive vice provost at University of Southern California and a sociology professor before coming to Portland.

Glassner will remain on Lewis & Clark's faculty, according to a school spokesman. The college declined to answer questions about Glassner's contract status or whether he was asked to leave by the board of trustees.

The board appointed vice-president and general counsel David Ellis as interim president, "effective immediately." Ellis has been in his leadership role for 13 years and worked as associate dean of the Business Law Programs at Lewis & Clark. He's also a professor of law.

"Because of his long and dedicated service to Lewis & Clark, Interim President Ellis is well prepared to continue the good work being done, and help position the College for the future," Scott Dubchansky, the college's board chair, said in the email.

The resignation came a little more than a year after some tense times on campus. A group of students sat outside Glassner's office for days in the fall of 2015 to protest and to call for a more diverse faculty and improved safety on campus. The protest, an alleged racially-motivated assault reported by a black student and a transgender student's reported assault marked a difficult stretch on campus.

Glassner subsequently hired the school's first dean of diversity and inclusion a few months later, which he cited as one of his proudest accomplishments. He also said he helped raise the college's profile nationally, boosted scholarships for students and improved the school's sustainability ranking.

The board will form a committee to search for a permanent president.



-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen
There's a strong chance Portland Public Schools could see its ninth snow day on Tuesday, further imperiling the school year's schedule and frustrating parents.

The unusually cold winter has brought the district to a standstill that feels like the "twilight zone," Courtney Wilton, Portland Public Schools interim chief operating officer, told The Oregonian/OregonLive Monday morning.

The severe winter storms -- which caused Gov. Kate Brown to declare a state of emergency -- mean Oregon schools must figure out how to make up for lost instructional time, a challenge because the state has grown more serious about make schools teach children for the full amount of time required.

This is the first year school boards aren't allowed to shorten the school year on their own in response to weather-related closures. Previously, they had the ability to cut the year short by up to 14 hours.

Now, if they want to avoid eating into summer break they must seek a waiver from The Oregon Board of Education.

State schools chief Salam Noor has said he plans to recommend the board give districts a one-time exception from the requirement that they hold school for at least 900 hours, or 990 hours for high school students, but he has not indicated what form or size of exception he envisions.

Portland and other districts are looking for ways to avoid simply tacking all the lost days on to the end of the school year. In a message on Jan. 13, Tigard-Tualatin School District Superintendent Ernie Brown told families the district is looking at converting training days and conference days into school days.

That district has already extended the school year to June 20 and still must find ways to make up time.

The Portland school board has already added two days to its school year and is supposed to consider adding yet another day at a meeting Tuesday. That would mean ending the year on June 14. The proposed plan also involves ending late start and early release days to make up time.

An ice storm forecast for Tuesday could disrupt that meeting, which is also supposed to address several issues that had been planned for a meeting last week, but were bumped when that meeting was cut short by snow.

It's a critical time for the district, which is working to hammer out language for a $750 million bond for May's ballot, hire a superintendent as well as other critical top-level hires and wrap up negotiations with the teacher's union.

The snow has also canceled meetings regarding the bond.

Wilton said in a text message the district is pushing to be open Tuesday, but he worries about how much snow and ice still covered roads, sidewalks and school grounds. Worse, there's a chance of freezing rain Tuesday, creating potentially hazardous conditions.

"No right answer on this but ultimately have to decide how much risk is OK/part of life and how much isn't reasonable for parents to endure," Wilton said.

At this point the regular rhythm of school feels like a distant memory between more than a week's worth of snow days on top of two weeks of winter break and holidays.

Snow days can be a hardship for families who are forced to take days off work to stay home or find and pay for last-minute child care. Closures can also hurt kids who rely on free or reduced-price meals from their school.

-- Bethany Barnes
The ice storm expected today might be bad. But it certainly will not be unprecedented. Portland periodically is hit with wintry hellions, sending our feet flying toward the sky and our cars skidding. One of the most memorable storms came 110 years ago this month when a "silver thaw" unexpectedly paralyzed the city.

"The greatest portion of the damage," The Oregonian wrote on Jan. 29, 1907, "was done on the East Side, where miles of telephone poles were prostrated, causing the wires to be hopelessly tangled." Communication with the outside world was cut off for much of the day and "the street railway system demoralized."

At the time, a well-known, history-minded Portlander compared what the city was experiencing to tales of an even worse weather event 70 years earlier -- "a great ice storm along the coast [with] ice coming like rain from the skies and freezing as it fell."

The story came from Colonel Frank J. Parker, who heard it from area Native Americans and the descendants of Oregon pioneers. With this 1837 storm, so the legend went, the danger was not immediate but delayed by about six months.

"From the stories told me a score of times from as many different persons, I am sure that this ice storm was the same sort of weather as we are now enduring," said Parker, a former scout for Indian fighter and famed Portland booster C.E.S. Wood. "The Indians and pioneers who told me of the severe winter of about 70 years ago declared that the ice was so thick on the trees that all the big branches were pulled off and the trunks were left bare. When summer came, these fallen limbs became as dry as tinder. In some manner, fire got started in this underbrush and raced down the coast like a hurricane."

The blaze, wrote The Oregonian, supposedly "swept from the Columbia River as far south as the present boundary between California and Oregon."

But let's have Col. Parker continue telling the story:

For miles and miles it swept everything in its path, leaving the once beautiful forests that had been growing for centuries simply a vast wilderness of seared and blackened stumps. These may be seen today by the traveler who journeys down towards the Yaquina and Coos Bay Country. There are thousands of these stumps of trees still standing, showing that before this fire some of the finest forests the world has ever known were within the boundaries of this commonwealth.

All the timber that covers that section of the state now has grown up since that fire of long ago, with but a few exceptions. Here and there one will find a giant monarch of the forest rearing its head high above its neighbors, thus proving that a few of the trees escaped the flood of flames.

The old settlers told me that before that great fire, there was no underbrush in those forests, but soon afterwards small trees that abound in Tillamook, Lincoln and Coos counties sprang up. The fire also killed nearly all of the wild animals in its track, thousands of bears, wolves, cougars and wildcats having been roasted alive. Most of the deer are supposed to have escaped into the eastern part of the state.

Now I fear that this storm will cause the limbs on the forest trees to fall as they did years ago, and when summer comes, dry out, then another fire may race through the timber, bringing ruin and death to many.

Parker's published warning caused a minor panic, but it would turn out that the reality of the 1907 storm couldn't compete with the legend of the 1837 one. The ice may have "demoralized" Portland's streetcars, but it couldn't even knock them completely out of service. In February, a real-estate company flogging property in the West Hills ran a blurb in the newspaper: "Did you notice that the Heights cars ran regular during the snow and ice storm?"

Five years later, another ice wave would hit Portland, prompting memories of the sort-of great storm of 1907. (Tales of the 1837 conflagration were not retold this time.) 1912's weather mayhem caused some $250,000 in damage, city officials estimated.

"With the city still in the throes of the wintry blast, with nearly everything encased in ice, the question of further destruction is held in the balance," The Oregonian wrote on Jan. 8, 1912. "A high wind or more icy sleet will add many fold to the ruin, while a thaw will relieve the situation very quickly. Which it will be, only time will tell."

Out of the folds of Portland's icy past come words that remain true today.

-- Douglas Perry
1portland.JPG

This photo, taken Jan. 13, shows SW Naito Parkway.

(Mike Zacchino/Staff)

In Seattle, the transportation department aims "to achieve bare and wet pavement on specified streets within twelve hours after a significant lull in the storm," according to that city's winter-weather site.

In Portland? The goal is apparently five days - and counting. Instead of bare and wet pavement, city arterials remain iced over and packed with snow despite no new accumulation since last Wednesday. Major Portland streets - including "priority" routes for public transit - are deformed by deep ruts that make for hazardous and teeth-rattling rides. And despite crews laying down sand for traction, the strategy adopted by city and state transportation officials is best summarized as: Let it melt.

This is no way to run a city. Already students in Portland Public Schools have lost eight school days due to the inability of the city and state to provide sufficiently safe streets. It's unknown whether that time will be made up.

Businesses, too, have been hurt by lost sales and their employees idled. And while the difficulty of navigating icy streets may be a mere inconvenience to some, it can be far more serious to those with disabilities or those who depend on social service agencies for assistance.

Editorial Agenda 2017

Boost student success

Get Oregon's financial house in order

Help our homeless

Honor our diverse values

Make Portland a city that works

Expand access to public records

________________________

Read more about the editorial board's priorities for Oregon.

Spokespeople for the Portland Bureau of Transportation and Oregon Department of Transportation defended their response, pointing to the amount of snow that walloped the region and the continuing cold temperatures that kept it from thawing. Certainly, that merits some slack. A record 6.5 inches of snow fell last Tuesday, followed by another 1.5 inches on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Considering the Portland area doesn't regularly get snow - much less the dumping that fell last week - it's understandable that the city largely shut down, with government offices, schools and many businesses taking the day off.

But that turned into another day. And then another day. By Monday, despite clear weather and no new snow, such essential hubs as the downtown transit mall remained a mess of ice ruts. Commuter buses run by C-TRAN from Vancouver have not come downtown since last Wednesday due to safety concerns over the poor conditions of the transit mall, said Christine Selk, a spokeswoman for C-TRAN. Meanwhile, de-icer, sand and gravel have been of limited help and cars continue to skid off roadways.

Both city and state officials need to assess their response and report back to the community on strategic changes - such as using salt, as Seattle does now, despite years of refusing to - that policymakers should consider for the next time Portland gets snow.

PBOT's website also needs to be updated. The snow and ice plan on the site dates back to 2010 and assigns responsibilities to managers who no longer work there. The bureau should delete the lengthy explanation justifying why Portland can't attend to all its streets and instead tell residents what they can expect and in what time frame.

If the City Council's attention is needed, so be it. Develop and commit to a new policy that recognizes that snowstorms happen - and may be happening more. The city cannot afford to shut down interminably, waiting for the weather to wash away what other cities capably confront on their own.

Oregonian editorials

Editorials reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom.

Members of the editorial board are Laura Gunderson, Helen Jung, Mark Katches, John Maher and Len Reed.

To respond to this editorial:

Post your comment below, submit

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If you have questions about the opinion section, contact Laura Gunderson, editorial and commentary editor, at 503-221-8378 or lgunderson@oregonian.com.

State transportation officials, who have been using salt in a five-year "pilot" project, need to drop the pretense of studying a substance commonly and effectively used throughout the country and move forward with recommendations regarding whether and how it should be used.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature is going to wreak a little more havoc before bailing the city out. With freezing rain forecast for Tuesday, the ice-grooved roads may well turn into a skating rink. "The city that works" needs to show that eventually, it will.

- The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board
KIM JON UN.JPG

North Koreans gather during a mass rally to vow to carry through the tasks set forth by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his New Year's address, at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Jan. 5.

(AP Photo/File)

By Andrei Lankov

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump sounds awfully certain about one thing. After North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared on New Year's Day that his country was on the verge of testing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S., Trump condescendingly tweeted, "It won't happen!"

As a matter of fact, it will happen -- unless a Trump administration radically rethinks U.S. policy toward the north.

The most generous interpretation of Trump's bluster is that the incoming U.S. president doesn't believe North Korea will be able to develop a functioning, nuclear-tipped ICBM. Such faith is unwarranted. To the surprise of foreign observers, the North has in recent years steadily and successfully conducted a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests, including one from a submarine. Most experts believe that sometime within the span of Trump's first term, the U.S. intelligence community will notify him that North Korea has successfully tested an ICBM and will in the near future deploy a significant ICBM and SLBM force capable of striking the continental U.S. This would make North Korea the world's third country, after China and Russia (and leaving out, for obvious reasons, the U.K. and France), capable of wiping out San Francisco.

The other way to interpret Trump's comment is as a threat, a pledge to stop any progress toward a working ICBM. None of the current strategies for doing so, however, are going to work.

Trump himself seems to believe that China "can strangle" North Korea easily. Yet it's clear now that China will never put enough pressure on the North to halt its weapons programs. This shouldn't come as any surprise. During my frequent trips to Beijing, Chinese experts and diplomats have never tired of reminding me that while China strongly dislikes North Korea's nuclear adventurism, it prefers the status quo to all other alternatives -- and won't take any steps that might destabilize North Korea.

Threatening China on other fronts -- on Taiwan, say, or trade -- is likely only to increase resistance in Beijing. Even so-called secondary sanctions that target Chinese banks and companies doing business with the North are unlikely to be effective. Chinese leaders have many ways to respond to such pressure -- for instance, by establishing a separate bank to deal exclusively with North Korea, as they did to get around sanctions against Iran.

Indeed, given the prospects for a swift deterioration in U.S.-China ties under a President Trump, it's more likely that China will weaken rather than enforce existing sanctions against the North. Since China accounts for over 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade, that would virtually guarantee their failure.

It's also important that the market-oriented reforms initiated by Kim are working. According to international estimates, the 2016 harvest was 7 percent above the 2015 level; rice production increased an impressive 23 percent. The North Korean economy, driven by an unofficially tolerated private sector, is growing at close to three to four percent. Remarkably, this recovery began soon after the sanctions were introduced -- further proof of their ineffectiveness.

This reality has, in certain circles, revived the once-taboo idea of a preemptive strike to take out North Korea's nuclear program. Yet while a successful air-and-missile campaign might set the North Korean program back a few years, there are good reasons such a strategy hasn't been on the table until now. The North would almost certainly retaliate by shelling Seoul, home to 24 million people. And even if not, a strike would likely destroy the U.S-Korea alliance. Many South Koreans would view preemptive American action as criminally selfish -- addressing a distant threat to the U.S. at the cost of creating a much more immediate threat to South Korea.

Finally, some observers seem to hold out hope that Trump, a self-described "great" dealmaker, might be able to talk Kim out of his nukes in direct negotiations. This, too, is a futile idea. U.S. and North Korean interests are fundamentally incompatible. North Korean leaders fear that giving up their nukes would leave them dangerously vulnerable; they only too well remember what happened to Moamar Gadhafi after he negotiated away his nuclear program.

The truth is that for more than a decade, there's been no real chance of fully eliminating the North's nuclear program. Even now, though, the U.S. could negotiate something better than the current situation: a verifiable freeze on nuclear and missile testing, before North Korea develops an ICBM.

Of course, Kim isn't going to restrain himself for free. In return, he will demand many things -- a hefty aid package, above all, but also political concessions, including a formal peace treaty. No doubt his regime will probably try to cheat.

The opponents of such a compromise will describe it as a terrible precedent, even blackmail -- and they may be right. Unlike Iran, North Korea will remain a nuclear power even after signing such a deal. But the alternatives -- either a major war that drags in the U.S. and China, or a fully armed North with the proven capacity to attack the U.S. mainland -- are worse. As long as there's still a chance of striking such a compromise, the new U.S. president should be doing everything he can to seize it.

(c) 2017, Bloomberg View

Andrei Lankov is a professor of history at Kookmin University in Seoul and the author of "The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia."
TRUMP27.JPG

President-elect Donald Trump, at the White House

(AP Photo/File)

By the editorial board of the Yomiuri Shimbun

The global order based on freedom, democracy and the rule of law is being shaken. Caution must be exercised against attempts by China and Russia to exploit a change of administration in the United States to increase acts of hegemony and change the order.

The peace and prosperity enjoyed since the end of World War II have been supported by the alliance forged with the United States as its pivot, as well as international cooperation and free trade. Donald Trump, who will be sworn in as U.S. president on Friday, lacks this basic understanding. His isolationist and unpredictable speech and behavior will pose the greatest risk factor this year.

At a press conference last Wednesday, Trump denounced China, saying, "[China] has taken total advantage of us economically, totally advantage of us in the South China Sea by building their massive fortress." To have China restrain its self-justified conduct, it is indispensable for him not only to sternly admonish that country, but also to closely work with Japan and other U.S. allies, thereby becoming involved in this respect.

It is worrying to note that Trump is exclusively concerned with trade interests and does not bother to put stability-related issues facing the Asia-Pacific region into perspective. There is growing anxiety that he may become involved in making deals with China, as though he was doing business.

His cabinet nominees include a conspicuous number of figures who previously served in the military and those from business circles. The number of foreign policy experts is close to nil. The secretary of state nominee is the former chief executive of a major oil company, who maintains highly friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Obviously, this appointment is aimed at improving U.S. relations with Russia.

It cannot be overlooked that Trump is avoiding criticism of Russia's annexation of Crimea and its military intervention in Syria. If he places priority on cooperation with Russia and connives at that country's actions to change the status quo by force, it would greatly lower the strength of the United States and its alliances.

At the press conference, Trump did not offer a satisfactory explanation about a reported Russia-implicated scandal involving him and about the legitimacy of becoming closer to that country. Solely interrupting questions about the scandal and railing at reports on the matter as "all fake news" will not earn him the trust of the people or international society.

What kind of diplomatic strategy and guiding principle will Trump adopt in dealing with China and Russia? He must quickly show his ideas in this respect.

Putin has his sights set on seeking to win reelection in next year's presidential race. He is emphasizing "equal relations with the United States," thereby seeking to promote vigorous foreign policy aimed at appealing to the patriotic sentiment held by his people and, at the same time, to rebuild his country's economy.

In the civil war between Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime and rebel forces, pro-government Russia mediated a ceasefire agreement toward the end of last year. Turkey, which has influence on the rebel forces, cooperated in that arrangement while the Obama administration failed to become involved.

Russia may well try to take the initiative in peace talks as well by taking advantage of the change in the U.S. administration.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militant group, which holds positions in Syria and Iraq, is proliferating the threat of terrorism. Russia may approach the Trump administration with a proposal for the survival of the Assad regime, in exchange for cooperating with the United States in wiping out ISIL.

The distribution of power in the Middle East, which centered around the alliances between the United States and countries in the region such as Saudi Arabia, has been changing. With a foothold gained in Syria, it is inevitable Russia will enhance its presence in the Middle East by deepening its cooperation with Iran and Turkey.

The Chinese administration under Xi Jinping will try to carefully judge how Trump will put into action his hard-line stance on aspects of both the economy and security.

If the new administration weakens its engagement in the South China Sea, for instance, with regard to warship patrols, Beijing may strengthen its control over the sea, backing it up with its military power.

Early this month, the Chinese military had its aircraft carrier conduct drills in the South China Sea with its carrier-based aircraft.

It is also conceivable that China may establish an air defense identification zone in the South China Sea, as it did in the East China Sea, using as a foothold the radar facilities and antiaircraft arsenal deployed on seven man-made islands.

If such movements are left as they are, "freedom of navigation," a common interest to the international community, will be threatened.

The incoming Trump administration should not forget the obligations of checking China from making unilateral maritime advances, while avoiding a military clash with China.

Prevent destabilization

At the National People's Congress of the Communist Party of China, which takes place every five years and is slated to be held this autumn, Xi's administration will enter its second term. Xi is poised to have power further concentrated in his hands. There is a possibility that he will openly display a sense of rivalry with the United States, fanning nationalism.

In response to Trump having raised doubts in regard to the principle of "one China," the Xi administration is intensifying its pressure on the administration led by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. It is also expected that tensions between Beijing and Taipei may intensify.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un, the chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, declared the country is in the "final stage" of preparations to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile. There mustn't be change in Kim's policy of speeding up his country's development of a nuclear missile capable of reaching the mainland U.S.

There is also a possibility of Pyongyang venturing to conduct another nuclear test or engaging in isolated military provocations by taking advantage of the current political confusion in South Korea. The Trump administration will be required to make continuous efforts to reinforce the United States' deterrent force.

(c) 2016, The Japan News
air force academy foyer

The US Air Force just spent $387,000 making the lobby outside a three-star general's office look really nice.

The space right outside Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson's office now has new ceiling tiles, nicer chairs, and energy efficient lighting  which came at a bargain price of $261 per square foot, nearly 2.5 times more than the going rate for commercial renovation in the Colorado Springs area, according to BuildingJournal.com.

Yes, in case you couldn't tell, that was sarcasm.

For right around that price in Colorado Springs, a person could purchase a beautiful home with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a 2-car garage.

Business Insider was unable to find the original contract solicitation for the project on FedBizOpps, though the academy has been spending on a number of projects over the years. These include multi-year renovations on Mitchell Hall (the cadet dining facility), Vandenberg Hall (the dorms), and the cadet gym.

An Academy spokesman told The Gazette a cost breakdown for the foyer project could not be revealed because it would reveal "trade secrets" of the contractors involved. However, the spokesman said the cost was approved by a committee and the Pentagon.

The renovation was also justified, according to the spokesman, because the space "sees 800 or more distinguished visitors per year."

The Air Force Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Top Air Force leadership complained that the service was "strained" by deep budget cuts caused by sequestration in Feb. 2015. "The choices will be more dire," said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James. "Very important systems would perhaps have to be shelved."

NOW WATCH: These are the secretive 18-wheelers the US government uses to transport nukes on America's roads





More From Business Insider


PUTIN8.JPG

Russian President Vladimir Putin

(AP Photo/File)

By Leonid Bershidsky

What has been billed as the last chance for Greek and Turkish Cypriots to reunite the island nation appears to be tantalizingly within reach -- but it might not get there without a nod from Russia.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded to prevent the island from being swallowed up by Greece and set up an unrecognized state in Northern Cyprus. Now, Greece, Turkey and the U.K., which has bases in Cyprus, are the guarantor states of a military status quo. Along with the leaders of the two Cypriot states, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker took part in the talks in Geneva this week. After breaking down on Thursday, the talks are scheduled to pick up next week at a lower level.

Russia offered to attend but it wasn't invited; there's no formal reason for that. Yet there are plenty of informal ones for Moscow's interest in the Cyprus process. Though Russia has officially voiced support for a settlement, the final deal -- depending on which way it sways -- could hurt its many interests in the region.

About 40,000 Russians live on the island, which has a population of 800,000. They own real estate and businesses in both the Greek-run and Turkish-run areas. Thanks to its history as an offshore haven for post-Soviet money, tiny Cyprus is officially the biggest source of foreign direct investment in Russia. According to the Russian central bank, in the second quarter of 2016 (the latest for which data are available), it accounted for $2.8 billion in investment, more than twice as much as the next country. They are also a major source of tourist revenue for Cyprus. According to the Cyprus government, 525,000 Russians visited the island in 2015; only Britain provides more tourists.

In short, Cyprus is an important place for Russia and Russians. But reunification would only benefit Moscow under certain conditions.

Russia seeks to weaken and divide the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, but a settlement could strengthen it by resolving a longstanding conflict between Greece and Turkey -- members both . It could also mean an end to Russia's military foothold in the region, gained in 2015 when Cyprus opened its ports to Russian warships taking part in anti-piracy and anti-terrorist operations. The U.K. has criticized the move. Russia hasn't used the official agreement to help its military action in Syria, but it appears to have used Cyprus ports to smuggle jet fuel to Syria despite an EU ban.

President Vladimir Putin is also seeking to forge an energy partnership with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to sell gas to southern Europe, but reunification threatens to clear the way for a competing one. Big natural gas discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean and a warming of relations between Israel and Turkey made the construction of a pipeline carrying Israeli gas to Turkey a possibility -- though the Greek government of Cyprus has linked the pipeline to reunification.

All of these interests have naturally created suspicions about Russia's role in the unification process. The local press has reported that the Russian ambassador, Stanislav Osadchiy, recently attended an anti-unification political gathering and was applauded by its participants. After that, the Cypriot foreign ministry reportedly demanded an explanation.

A Politico report suggested that Russia may meddle quietly to undermine the deal. It certainly has enough influence on the island and enough contacts with Cypriot officials and politicians to do that. More likely, however, Russia is merely signaling -- as it has often done in recent years -- that it will need to be consulted for a successful result to be achieved.

The success of the Geneva talks, which the UN envoy on Cyprus has called "the moment of truth," hinges on the resolution of tangled property issues -- but at this point, that's not what's holding up the deal. Greek Cypriots are against any special security guarantees for the reunited island, which will be an EU member. Turkey, however, insists on its guarantor status. On Friday, Erdogan said Turkish troops would remain on the island "forever."

A complete breakdown of the talks would be fine with Putin. It would preserve and perhaps deepen the Greek-Turkish rift within NATO, stave off gas pipeline projects in the eastern Mediterranean, allow Russia to keep Cyprus as the EU playground for its business and a neutral but friendly port of call for its ships.

If reunification does finally take place, Russia will need to know how its interests will be protected. What it clearly doesn't want is for NATO to be strengthened and for Cyprus to join it -- a possibility after unification. If Moscow is not satisfied, it could undermine the deal both inside Cyprus and in the UN.

(c) 2017, Bloomberg View

Leonid Bershidsky is a Bloomberg View columnist based in Berlin.


A 45-year-old Oregon State Penitentiary inmate was found dead in his cell on Tuesday.



Dtanyum Huey was pronounced dead at 8:40 a.m., about 25 minutes after he was discovered unresponsive in his cell, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections. He was the only person in the cell and his cause of death is under investigation.

No further information has been released on his death.



Huey was booked into the prison on Dec. 1, following a conviction in Klamath County for second-degree escape, the corrections department said. His earliest possible release date was Dec. 2, 2017.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
KeizerHomicide.jpg

The body of Caden Berry was found inside in a Keizer apartment Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, police said. His mother was arrested and charged with murder.

(Keizer Police)

Caden Berry was the youngest boy, the shy one who opened up around his two older brothers. In many ways, he was a typical pre-teen. He liked bicycles and video games.

But court records and interviews depict the tumult that marked his short life.

Police found the 12-year-old's body Saturday in his mother's apartment in Keizer. An autopsy on Monday concluded he was strangled.

Amy M. Robertson is now charged with aggravated murder in the death of Caden, her youngest of three sons. Caden was a seventh-grader at Claggett Creek Middle School in Keizer, police said. A memorial of candles and stuffed animals is growing outside the apartment he shared with his mother.

He was quiet but outgoing with his brothers, said Matt Casto, the father of the older boys. Casto, who lives in Coquille, said he had known Caden since the boy was an infant.

Keizer police are still building a precise timeline of the events that ended in Caden's death, including when exactly he was killed, said Deputy Chief Jeffrey Kuhns.

Robertson, 38, remains in the Marion County Correctional Facility. She will be arraigned Tuesday afternoon.

Caden was born June 16, 2004. He was two years younger than his brother, Colton, and four years younger than Colby. Robertson was raising all three boys.

She moved often, court records show. The family lived near Eugene in 2011. That fall, the oldest boy, Colby, killed himself. He was 12.

Photos show Colby and Caden shared the same dark blond hair and smile.

After their brother died, Colton and Caden lived with Robertson until last year, Casto said.

He filed for and secured custody of his son Colton in May. He wrote in court documents that he believed his son faced the risk of substantial harm if he remained with his mother. "Amy is an unfit mother and is placing Colton in serious danger," he said in the filing.

He believed Robertson suffered from bipolar disorder because she exhibited extreme mood swings in the years since they split, he said. She grew distant from her extended family, he said.

No one answered calls to Robertson's mother and other relatives Monday.

Casto said in the court documents that Robertson had pushed and elbowed their son and made him kneel on the ground with his hands raised. "Colton fears going home with Amy," Casto wrote in the filing.

He said in an interview that he reported the allegations to the Coos County Sheriff's Office, where he lived. He said he and his son also went to the Coos Bay Department of Human Services office and were interviewed multiple times by child welfare workers.

"I had concerns for Caden's well-being, also," Casto said.

Both the state and county offices were closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A cellphone message left for state Human Services Director Clyde Saiki wasn't returned.

Casto said he tried to follow up on the reports, but never received a direct answer about what happened.

Kuhns said Keizer police have no record of receiving any reports of abuse in Robertson's household. He said law enforcement agencies and state offices often cross-report such information.

Keizer police have no record involving either Caden or Colton, Kuhns said. But a records check did turn up one prior call involving Robertson - an early-morning noise complaint for a loud TV in March 2016, he said. She turned down the volume, and the officers left without taking any action, Kuhns said.

It's unclear whether Robertson worked outside the apartment she shared with Caden.

Court records show she received regular payments from a settlement that stemmed from an injury in the 1990s. Casto said Robertson was attacked by a German Shepherd, although the exact terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.

The parents of the boys all have criminal convictions, according to court records. Robertson was convicted in 1997 of forgery. Casto was last convicted in 2005 of criminal mischief.

Caden's father, David M. Berry, 38, is imprisoned in connection with a 2011 burglary case in Lane County and a 2016 drug distribution case in Benton County. He won't be released from the Oregon State Penitentiary until November at the earliest, according to state Department of Corrections records.

Caden's surviving brother, who is now 14, never recovered from his older brother's death, his father said. Now he's beside himself with the loss of his brother and his mother, Casto said. The boy lives with Robertson's mother outside Eugene as Casto finds stable housing. The two brothers last saw each other less than two weeks ago.

"I can't even begin to imagine what he is going through," Casto said.

-- Molly Young

myoung@oregonian.com

503-412-7056

@mollykyoung
mount-vernon-officer-shot.jpg

Ernesto Lee Rivas, third from left, a suspect in the shooting of a Mount Vernon, Wash. police officer, is taken by sheriff's deputies into the Skagit County jail early Friday morning Dec. 16, 2016. The officer responded to a residence on Dec. 15. Rivas, 44, was taken into custody overnight following an hour-long standoff at a home in Mount Vernon, during which he repeatedly fired at officers, the Washington State Patrol said.

((Scott Terrell/Skagit Valley Herald via AP) )

SEATTLE -- The family of a Washington police officer who was shot in the head last month while responding to a call says he may be permanently blind as a result of his injuries.



KOMO-TV reports that officer Mike McClaughry's daughter April posted on social media that the family is hoping McClaughry's brain recovers, but it is likely he will never see again.



The post says some doctors say it won't be known for sure if McClaughry can see until he is conscious enough to communicate.



He was responding to a shooting in Mount Vernon, 60 miles north of Seattle, on Dec. 15 when he was shot. After a lengthy standoff at a home, officers arrested Ernesto Lee Rivas, a 44-year-old repeat felon who has been charged with attempted first-degree murder.

-- The Associated Press
Dennis Richardson

Dennis Richardson was elected Oregon Secretary of State in November, making him the first Republican to win a statewide elected office in over 20 years.

(Stephanie Yao Long/The Oregonian)

Late Sunday night, Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson sent out an email with the subject line: "The Dreaded Phone Call... 'There's been an accident...your child is dead.'"

He sent it to 26,000 people.

Sent from a Gmail address associated with Richardson's campaign, the email detailed the death of David Schrock, the adult son of Richardson's deputy secretary, Leslie Cummings.

Richardson, criticized in the past as a "king of spam" for sending mass emails, upset some recipients with his latest mass blast.

He told The Oregonian/OregonLive Monday that he sent it out of empathy for Cummings and her husband getting the devastating notification.

"I was thinking how horrible as a parent I would feel if I got that call, and I wanted to express that," Richardson said of the email. "Some people are going to find fault with it. To those who are offended, I am sorry, and it's not my goal to offend anyone."

According to local news reports, Schrock, a 41-year-old from Waldport, died last week working as an electrical lineman in northern California. He is survived by his wife and two children, Richardson's email said.

The email directed those who "are sorry for the loss of David Schrock" to a GoFundMe page to support his family.

As of Monday afternoon, the campaign had raised more than $54,000, well past its $25,000 goal. At least two people who donated said they heard about the fundraiser from Richardson.

According to Richardson, his 26,000-person email list is made up of people who signed up for campaign updates, donated during his campaign, wrote letters of support or received his newsletters when he was a state representative and who subsequently asked to continue receiving Richardson's updates.

Richardson, who was dubbed by opponents as a "spam king" in 2012 after he used public records laws to obtain and use hundreds of thousands of personal email addresses, said none of the recipients' email addresses this time around were obtained through public records requests.

"This had nothing to do with me being secretary of state," he said. "I've got eight daughters and a son. I was thinking how horrible that would be."

He wanted to remind people to love each other and express it before it's too late, he said. He said the email wasn't politically motivated.

The email featured an unsubscribe button, and Richardson said his campaign is happy to unsubscribe anyone who doesn't want to receive future emails. Since winning election in November, he had only sent a few mass emails conveying holiday greetings, he said.



"It was just a missive on how short life can be," he said. "I'm secretary of state, but I'm still a human being, I'm still a person."

-- Anna Marum

amarum@oregonian.com

503-294-5911

@annamarum
This story has been updated with links to state policy documents.

Oregon Republicans are criticizing a new policy that forbids most state employees with licenses to carry concealed handguns from bringing guns to work, except for state police and others whose jobs require it.

The policy, put forth by Gov. Kate Brown's administrative department with her support, took effect Jan. 6 with little fanfare. Within days, Republican lawmakers in the state Senate and House issued a press release and took to social media to criticize it.

"The governor's administration has no business confiscating self-defense rights from public servants, volunteers and others, who have committed themselves to serving our state," Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, said in a statement.

People with concealed carry licenses who don't work for the state can still bring their firearms when visiting state offices.

The state adopted the policy in response to questions from employees who were unsure what to do when they encountered coworkers or visitors "who were either openly carrying a firearm or who were carrying a concealed firearm that was somehow exposed," according to a memorandum from Oregon's Department of Administrative Services. The department handles human resources for many state agencies.

House Minority Leader Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, said he will ask Brown to explain the legal basis for the new policy and, if necessary, reverse it.

"I am extremely concerned to learn that our state government has taken steps that limit employees' right to self-defense and believe that these actions may violate the Oregon Constitution," McLane said in a statement.

Oregon's Court of Appeals has ruled that public employers have the right to bar their workers from bringing guns to work, even when they have the proper license to do so, as a condition of their employment. It made that ruling in the case of a Medford teacher who said she needed a gun at work for self-defense against her ex-husband.

The new state policy applies to all executive branch state agencies and employees, most of whom report to the governor. Other statewide elected officials, such as the secretary of state and attorney general, also oversee their own offices in the executive branch. The policy does not apply to employees in the judicial and legislative branches.

It's illegal in Oregon to bring a gun or any other "dangerous weapon" into a court or other public building, unless the carrier has a concealed handgun license.

Brown supports the new concealed handgun ban, which her press secretary Chris Pair described as a clarification of existing state policy.

"This HR policy has been in development by (the Department of Administrative Services), in collaboration with state agency directors, for some time and Governor Brown supports the clarification of a state policy that has been in place for almost 20 years," Pair wrote in an email.

Oregon's Department of Administrative Services, which handles human resources for many state agencies, had a policy prohibiting guns and other weapons at state buildings since 1998, according to the department. However, that policy didn't specifically address employees with licenses to carry concealed firearms.

Preston Mann, a spokesman for House Republicans, said the caucus' legal director was told by the administrative department's government relations director that state employees with concealed handgun licenses could bring their guns to work until prior to the new policy taking effect Jan. 6. A spokesman for the agency could not be reached for comment late Friday afternoon, nor on Monday, a state holiday.

-- Hillary Borrud

503-294-4034; @hborrud
Lightbar+

(The Oregonian/OregonLive file photo)

Updated: 10 a.m. Tuesday

***

An apparently stillborn boy was found with his homeless mother at a Southeast Portland bus stop last week, police said. People at the scene said the baby was ice cold.

The boy and his mother, a woman suffering from severe mental illness, were rushed to a hospital a week ago, police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson said Monday.

An autopsy completed Jan. 11 by Dr. Karen Gunson, the Oregon state medical examiner, found the cause of death was stillbirth, said Tom Chappelle, investigator for the Multnomah County Medical Examiner.

"The baby was never alive," Chappelle said Tuesday.

Four other people, all adults, have died this year of exposure in Portland, but that doesn't appear to be the case with the baby. Simpson said there was "no indication to us that the baby was alive."

He called the death a "horribly tragic intersection of mental health and homelessness and childbirth."

Willamette Week first reported the baby's death. It quoted a text message and police report saying first responders reported the baby was breathing and an OHSU doctor also said the baby appeared viable, but Dr. Karen Gunson, state medical examiner, overruled them.

Police were called to a bus stop near a Powell Boulevard McDonald's shortly before 6 a.m. last Monday on the report of a woman with a baby who was born within the last few hours and hadn't been to a hospital, Simpson said.

Police haven't confirmed where the birth actually happened, Simpson said. Detectives are still wrapping up their investigation, he said.

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
A group of amateur scientists claim they may have narrowed the suspect pool in a case that has stymied the experts for decades.

The infamous case of D.B. Cooper and the nation's only unsolved skyjacking has left investigators befuddled since a parachuted Cooper leapt from a Boeing 727 headed to Seattle from Portland on Nov. 24, 1971.

But a team of "Citizen Sleuths" say that evidence they've uncovered could mean that Dan Cooper, the name used when the culprit bought his one-way ticket with cash, was in fact an employee of some sort of aerospace engineering firm.

The crucial pieces of newly uncovered evidence: thousands of microscopic particles on a $3 clip-on necktie from JC Penney.

"All of these particles are too small to be seen with the naked eye, but modern science can now track them to their source," the group wrote on their website. "These particles through their shape and composition can tell a story."

If you are one of the few who are unfamiliar with the saga of D.B. Cooper, here's the short version:

On that fateful day in 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper purchased a one-way ticket from Portland to Seattle on Northwest Orient Airlines. He hijacked the plane, demanded $200,000 in ransom money, and having received it during a stopover in Seattle, jumped from the aircraft wearing nothing but a business suit and a parachute somewhere over the forests of southwest Washington.

He wasn't wearing a full suit, the amateur investigators claim. A clip-on tie remained on seat 18E, where Cooper was seated.

"Of all the possible things for him to leave on the plane, the tie was incredibly fortunate for this investigation," the Citizen Sleuths wrote.

Namely because a necktie is one of the few articles of clothing that rarely, if ever, gets washed. The accumulation of particles can paint a picture of where the tie has been and the person who was wearing it.

"Each of those particles comes from something and somewhere and can tell a story if the proper instruments like electron microscopes are used," the group wrote.

The particles in question -- Cerium, Strontium sulfide and pure titanium -- are of note because because of how rare they are, lead investigator Tom Kaye told King 5 News in Seattle.

"These are what they call rare earth elements. They're used in very narrow fields, for very specific things," he said.

Of particular interest was the pure titanium. The mineral was widely used in aircraft manufacturing in the early 1970s, but titanium used in airplanes was almost always mixed with other metals, which ruled out Boeing, the region's largest aerospace manufacturer.

Beyond that, metalworkers rarely wear ties to work, so Cooper would've had to have been a manager or an engineer.

Given the other particles present, Kaye said the tie was likely in a plant that manufactured cathode ray tubes, which are vacuum tubes often used in televisions, computers and radar screens.

A look at the tie under blacklight. The circles represent areas where particles were taken from the tie.

The advanced analysis of the particles was made possible after the Travel Channel's "Expedition Unknown" show became interested in the group's work. The show funded a more in-depth examination by McCrone Associates, which specializes in particle analysis and lead Kaye and his team to identify a two firms in the Portland area that fit the bill -- Teledyn and Tektronix.

Without the official capacity of the FBI, no one is quick to turn over personnel records, however.

That's where Kaye is hoping the public will step in. Given the information his team has uncovered, he's hoping that someone who worked in this type of manufacturing in the correct timeframe will come forward.

"We've narrowed down the field of potential Cooper suspects from millions of people in the United States to a very narrow group of people," he said. "A lot of people think 'You'll never catch the guy,' but this is the closest we've been in a long time."

If you think you've got a lead on who the culprit might be, Kaye asked that you get in touch.

-- Kale Williams

kwilliams@oregonian.com

503-294-4048
John Brennan

CIA Director John Brennan is defending himself and his agency against criticism from Donald Trump. (Associated Press)

(J. Scott Applewhite)

President-elect Donald Trump, annoyed that critics suggest he may owe his White House ascension to Russian meddling, has hit out at CIA Director John Brennan over the past week.

When unsubstantiated claims that the Russians had compromised Trump were included in a presidential briefing and thus reported by news outlets, the president-elect blamed U.S. intelligence services.

Trump has severely criticized the CIA over the years, pointing out that it missed the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and led the U.S. to wage war against Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime two years later based on faulty information about weapons of mass destruction. He has hinted that the "leak" of the unverified allegations against him were payback for that criticism.

Brennan, who has spent 30 years with the CIA and nearly four as its director, is not willing to simply shrug off the president-elect's gibes. Especially a tweet from January 11 (see below).

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

Brennan said it was the FBI, not the CIA, that included in briefings the rumors of Russia having dirt on Trump.

"There was an interest on the part of the bureau to make sure that the president-elect was aware of and informed of" the allegations, he told the Wall Street Journal this week. The wild claims originated as opposition research during the presidential campaign and remain wholly unproven.

Brennan said in a television interview Sunday that Trump should be careful about giving Russia the benefit of the doubt on the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia attempted to influence the U.S. election and has undertaken other nefarious operations.

"I think Mr. Trump has to understand that absolving Russia of various actions that it's taken in the past number of years is a road that he, I think, needs to be very, very careful about moving down," he said.

The CIA director suggested that Trump's tweeting about the intelligence services' product and motives showed ignorance of both American history and the courageous work that U.S. intelligence officers do every day.

"Tell the families of those 117 CIA officers who are forever memorialized on our wall of honor that their loved ones who gave their lives were akin to Nazis," Brennan said, referring to U.S. intelligence professionals killed in the line of duty. "Tell the CIA officers who are serving in harm's way right now -- and their families who are worried about them -- that they are akin to Nazi Germany. I found that to be very repugnant, and I will forever stand up for the integrity and patriotism of my officers who have done much over the years to sacrifice for their fellow citizens."

Unlike most CIA directors before him, Brennan was a career officer in the agency. He served as station chief in Saudi Arabia and as chief of staff to George Tenant when Tenant was CIA director. Now, at 61, Brennan is heading into retirement.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," he told the Wall Street Journal. "Because this will be the last time that I serve in this agency."

Trump has nominated Republican Congressman Mike Pompeo to replace Brennan.

-- Douglas Perry
Screen Shot 2017-01-17 at 12.17.55 PM.png

(Screenshot via Facebook/Politico)

Attorney Gloria Allred announced Tuesday that she has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Summer Zervos for defamation against President-elect Donald Trump.

During the election, Zervos, a contestant on Trump's reality show, "Celebrity Apprentice," said Trump made unwanted sexual advances while she was on the show in 2007.

Trump called those accusations, and 13 others, "phony" and threatened to sue the women who accused him of sexual harassment and assault after the election was over. In November, Zervos said in a press conference, that after she came forward she was "threatened, bullied and saw my business targeted."

She teared up at that press conference saying, "I also suffered other repercussions because I chose to speak out and tell the truth."

In a press conference on Tuesday, Allred said the lawsuit they are filing is "the result of Trump's comments."

"It is in the lawsuit what we are seeking for damages," said Allred. "But it's minimal what we're asserting because what we really want is to prove that defamation has taken place."

Allred said Zervos asked Trump to retract his statement two months ago and he has yet to do it.

At the press conference Tuesday, Zervos said, "I want Mr. Trump to know that I will still be willing to dismiss my case against him immediately for no monetary compensation, if he would simply retract his false and defamatory statements about me and acknowledge that I told the truth about him."

When asked why she was filing now, Allred said, "Why not now?"

"It's time to face the consequences," said Allred. "Women are not a footnote to history."

You can watch the full press conference here:

Gloria Allred press conference Gloria Allred holds a press conference to announce that one of her clients is filing a lawsuit against President-elect Donald J. Trump. Posted by POLITICO on Tuesday, January 17, 2017

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052

lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker
Calvin Coolidge

Future President Calvin Coolidge milks a cow at his father's home in Vermont in 1920. (AP Photo)

(AP)

Would you like an extra $10 -- or more? If you live in Oregon and buy milk, you might be entitled to some cash.

All you have to do to get in on the "Fresh Milk Products Price-Fixing Class Action Lawsuit" is put your name and email address into an online form and press the "Submit Your Claim!" button.

* Go to the claim form

If you bought milk products at any time in the past dozen years while a resident of one of 15 states or Washington, D.C., you may qualify. The states are Arizona, California, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

What's this all about? Bloomberg News, The Huffington Post and other news outlets report that groups of dairy farmers allegedly attempted to restrict the supply of milk through a "herd retirement program." In a class-action lawsuit, lawyers for the animal-rights group Compassion Over Killing argued that dairy cooperatives "paid farmers to prematurely turn hundreds of thousands of cows into burgers in a sprawling scheme to prop up dairy prices."

The dairy interests -- National Milk Producers Federation, Dairy Farmers of America, Land O'Lakes, Dairylea Cooperative and Agri-Mark -- did not admit wrongdoing but settled the case for $52 million. And somewhere between $10 and $70 of that multimillion-dollar settlement could be yours. Don't worry, you don't have to show receipts for milk or yogurt. But you do have to act fast, Huffington Post points out. You must submit your claim by Jan. 31.

-- Douglas Perry
ProfilesInCourage.jpg

During a 2004 visit to Portland, the PBS series "Antiques Roadshow" included an appraisal of a copy of John F. Kennedy's book, "Profiles in Courage," which Kennedy had autographed.

(Antiques Roadshow/PBS)

PASADENA, California -- Portlanders, start rounding up those heirlooms, hand-me-downs, and the vintage items you've always thought might be worth a small fortune. "Antiques Roadshow" is coming back to town.

Today at the Television Critics Association 2017 winter press tour, PBS announced a list of cities where "Antiques Roadshow" will visit for Season 22. The summer tour consists of five cities.

For the first time, "Antiques Roadshow" will visit Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (June 3), and Green Bay, Wisconsin (June 17.)

Then the show will make return trips to St. Louis, Missouri (July 8); and New Orleans, Louisiana (July 22.)

The 2017 summer tour will end in Portland on Aug. 12.

When "Antiques Roadshow" was in Portland in 2004, appraisers examined such valuable items as circa-1852 Oregon Trail archives, a circa-1875 Frederick Boucheron necklace, and an inscribed copy of John F. Kennedy's book, "Profiles in Courage."

"Antiques Roadshow" is PBS' most-watched ongoing series, with an average of 8 million viewers weekly.

"Antiques Roadshow" will film three episodes per city, which will air in Season 22 in 2018.

Approximately 5,000 ticketed attendees will be able to have a free valuation made of their items by dealers and specialists. Each attendee may bring two items to have appraised.

To attend, you must apply for a chance to receive one pair of free tickets per household. The application process for the 2017 summer tour opens at noon PT (3 p.m. ET), Tuesday, Jan. 17.

To enter the drawing for free tickets and for detailed application information, go to pbs.org/antiques/tickets. There's also a toll-free number to call for information: 888-762-3749.

The deadline for applications is 11:59 PT Monday, April 10. For more information, go to pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/tickets/faq

-- Kristi Turnquist
The Oregon State trooper critically injured in a Christmas Day shootout has taken his first crucial steps, literally, toward going home from the hospital.

Nic Cederberg's family on Monday posted a video on YouTube showing the trooper in gray pants and a black t-shirt taking 26 steps with the support of nearby hospital workers. Cederberg suffered multiple gunshot wounds after he chased a homicide suspect in Washington County.

"On Saturday, he walked 342 feet using a walker during his five physical therapy sessions," brother Jeff Cederberg wrote Monday on his Facebook page. "And on Thursday, he walked for the very first time since the shooting. He was only able to cover about six to ten feet before taking a short break, but it was much needed progress for him and for us."

Jeff Cederberg could not be immediately reached for comment. A GoFundMe page, which also shows the YouTube video, has raised $86,595 out of a $100,000 goal from 1,202 people as of noon Tuesday.

His brother was shot seven times at close range, in both arms, his abdomen and spinal canal, Jeff Cederberg wrote on Jan. 9. A bulletproof vest blocked another five bullets that police say were shot from James Tylka, who is suspected of killing his estranged wife, Katelynn Armand, in King City.

Cederberg has suffered intense pain and numbness "described as having his right leg wrapped in white hot metal," his brother wrote. "Simply blowing on it would send him up the pain scale."

But the pain did not discourage the trooper, and as the suffering subsided, Cederberg's resolve has swelled. He is signing up for as much extra physical therapy his facility will allow.

"He always sets the bar higher the next day," Jeff Cederberg wrote, "because the only way he said he is willing to go home is if he can walk through the front door on his own with (wife) Hayley Shelton right beside him."

-- Tony Hernandez

thernandez@oregonian.com

503-294-5928

@tonyhreports
With the latest forecast calling for freezing rain during the Tuesday morning commute, some Portland metro area schools are already closing schools for the day.

Portland, Beaverton and Gresham-Barlow schools are among those closed Tuesday. For a full list of delays and closures, check this link on The Oregonian/OregonLive's closures and delays page.

According to the National Weather Service in Portland, the freezing rain is expected to start around 4 a.m. and last into the afternoon in some areas. Portland and surroundings could see about a quarter-inch of accumulations. Up to 2 inches of icy rain could hit the Columbia River Gorge.

The Oregonian/OregonLive's Kale Williams contributed to this report.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
Only a week removed from a historic storm that dropped more than a foot of snow in some parts of Portland, the city is expected to be hit by another wave of severe winter weather.

Portland is under an ice storm warning through 10 p.m. Tuesday and a flood watch from 10 a.m. until early Thursday morning.

Here's what you need to know about the incoming weather.

Freezing rain:

Colby Neuman, a National Weather Service meteorologist, expects light freezing rain to begin falling early Tuesday morning. There will be a break in the late morning and early afternoon, he said, before we experience a steadier, more substantial round of precipitation during the late afternoon and evening.

Clackamas and Washington counties may warm above freezing in the evening, Neuman said, but most other areas will likely see freezing rain into Tuesday night.

Portland's forecast calls for up to three-quarters of an inch of precipitation Tuesday night. Forecasters expect a daytime high near 36 degrees that will rise to around 38 by 9 p.m.

Ice accumulation:

The ice storm warning calls for up to a quarter-inch of ice accumulation, generally speaking. Areas east of Interstate 205 could get up to a half-inch of accumulation, however, and some spots closer to the Columbia River Gorge could get up to an inch of ice.

Driving:

Transportation officials urged people to avoid or delay traveling if possible.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation said extra road crews would begin laying down gravel and sand at key intersections early Tuesday morning. It warned drivers to beware of black ice, keep watch for cyclists and pedestrians, and carry an emergency weather kit that includes chains.

"Chains have been required for travel in many areas already this winter and will be again if needed for safety," the Oregon Department of Transportation said in a news release.

TripCheck has the latest travel alerts.

Other transportation:

Some TriMet buses are canceled, detoured or on snow routes. All buses will be operating with chains Tuesday, meaning they can't go faster than 25 mph and will be off schedule.

TriMet planned to run some MAX trains overnight Monday to help keep ice from building up on overhead wires. The Blue, Green and Red lines will run only parts of their regular routes Tuesday, while the Orange and Yellow lines will run their whole routes with reduced frequency, TriMet said in a news release.

TriMet riders should check the agency's website for service alerts, including specific MAX information. Riders should expect delays.

Cyclists and walkers should be aware of potentially slick roads and sidewalks.

People flying out of Portland International Airport should check to see if their flight is canceled or delayed. More than 20 flights were canceled by 1 a.m. Tuesday.

Closures:

Portland, Beaverton and Gresham-Barlow schools are among those closed Tuesday.

See a full list of school closures by clicking the link below.

Portland city offices will also be closed. View other closures by clicking this link.

It seems like just last week we had another big storm:

Oh, wait...

January 11 snowfall

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
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.
Mosul Iraq ISIS flag selfie

The new year has seen Iraqi government forces make marked progress against ISIS in the terror group's last stronghold in the country, the northern city of Mosul.

The Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, the country's top-tier special-forces contingent, and members of federal police forces have retaken much of the eastern half of the city since the operation kicked off on October 17.

Since then, about 100,000 Iraqi troops, police, and allies in the Kurdish peshmerga and Shiite militias have converged on the city and its environs, grappling with a few thousand ISIS militants  many of them foreign fighters  for control of Iraq's second-largest city.

In a video shared on Facebook by Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Martin, the commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division, Iraqi forces can be seen making their way through Mosul's streets, engaging in firefights and firing rocket-propelled grenades.

Iraqi forces continue to push ISIS fighters out of neighborhoods in eastern Mosul, recently liberating the Mosque of the Prophet Younis, which is believed to be the burial site of the prophet Jonah. It was one of dozens of historical sites destroyed by ISIS when the terrorist group captured the city and much of northern Iraq in summer 2014.

The head of the Counter Terrorism Service has said Iraqi security forces are getting close to seizing the entire east bank of the Tigris, which would bring the eastern half the city back under government control.

In recent days, Iraqi forces have retaken Mosul University, a sprawling complex that overlooks neighborhoods abutting the Tigris River, which divides the city into eastern and western halves.

"We entered the university and cleared the technical institute, dentistry and antiquities departments," Lt. Gen. Abdelwahab al-Saadi of the CTS told a Reuters reporter. "In the coming hours it will be liberated completely."

Story continues

ISIS militants seized research facilities at the university when the captured the city. The UN has said the terrorist group took nuclear and chemical materials from the university's labs, and Iraqi forces reportedly found chemical substances ISIS had tried to use to make weapons.

ISIS has used chemical agents like mustard gas in attacks in both Iraq and Syria.

Elsewhere in the city, Iraqi rapid-response and federal-police units  assisted by the Iraqi army and coalition air support  have taken control of portions of Mosul's southeast riverbank, rebuffing ISIS suicide-car-bomb attacks and recapturing a field hospital used by the group.

Mosul Iraq ISIS bridge

"The Yarimja area ... has been liberated, a large number of Daesh (Islamic State) elements were killed, and the rest fled to the right-hand side (western bank)," Lt. Col. Abdel Amir al-Mohammedawi told Reuters.

A CTS spokesman told state television that more than 60 neighborhoods of about 80 in eastern Mosul had been retaken since October.

More than a million civilians were in the city when the offensive began, and the months-long fight to retaken Mosul has left hundreds of thousands of them killed, wounded, or homeless. The UN has said 1,500 civilians have been treated in hospitals in nearby Irbil, though that total doesn't reflect civilians treated in field hospitals near the city.

iraqi forces car bomb mosul

Over 148,000 people have been left homeless by the fighting in the city, including 12,500 who have been forced to flee over the past week. The toll on civilians has been especially high because ISIS has been targeting them, particularly when they try to flee the city.

The terrorist group continues to fire on and shell liberated portions of the city, and ISIS' weapons of choice for large-scale attacks  car and truck bombs  are often detonated indiscriminately in the city's neighborhoods.

Iraqi civilians have also come under fire from friendly forces. An air raid in western Mosul  where narrow alleys and ancient buildings are sure to make fighting there especially deadly  killed up to 30 people last week.

Mosul market Iraq ISIS Iraqis shopping

It was not clear whether it was a Iraqi strike or one carried out by the US-led coalition.

Despite the lingering danger, many Iraqis in liberated portions of the city have gradually returned to something like normalcy.

Markets have sprung back to life and work crews have gotten busy repairing water mains and other damaged infrastructure.

"We are trying to forget," 19-year old Wisam, working in eastern Mosul's Zuhour neighborhood, told Reuters.

"It will take time  some things have got inside our heads."

You can see the full video, originally posted by YouTube user Gunnyman7, below.

NOW WATCH: Footage reveals ISIS' secret underground tunnels near Mosul





More From Business Insider


Earlier this month, political analysts at the Eurasia Group rated independent America as the top geopolitical risk of 2017.

Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer spoke with Yahoo Finance anchor Alexis Christoforous and Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer at the 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss the global climate surrounding the incoming administration.

Bremmer explained that independent America is the No. 1 geopolitical risk because the United States has elected a president that is explicitly anti-globalism. And the US has been leading globalization for generations now  Americanization, globalization, the same thing.

With the election of Trump, globalization continues while Americanization does not. And given that the U.S. is the worlds only superpower, according to Bremmer, the absence of the U.S. means a vacuum.

That vacuum creates new risks.

Around the world, that unnerves a lot of traditional American allies, and it also leads to a lot more potential for geopolitical conflict, Bremmer said. So clearly, structurally, the biggest political risk in the world this year happens to be the United States.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump gestures during a USA Thank You Tour event. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Bremmer later argued that risks aside, there may be a logic to Trumps America first policy.

As the Americans decide to engage in an exit from the US-led global order and responsibilities, the American geopolitical environment is actually pretty stable, Bremmer said. We dont have an arms race in the Western hemisphere, we dont have to worry about terrorists like crazy, we dont have to worry about refugees swimming onto our shores the way the Europeans do, the way the Turks do.

Bremmer added that Trump  who gave himself the name Mr. Brexit while predicting a comeback presidential election win  seems to be thinking along the same lines as the UKs Leave voters.

When the Brits did their exit they did it in part because they really believe that, long term, Europe was going to fall apart. They may handle it badly but the fact is if you know Europe is gonna fall apart, leaving early makes some sense.

Story continues

With the Amer-exit Trump is proposing from the global order, if you believe that the world is coming apart, countries arent gonna have jobs for their people that terrorism is gonna be this massive problem, [then] there is an argument to be made that the United States should withdraw from those responsibilities early, as opposed to getting sucked in. And by the way, Obamas perspective on the Middle East is not far from that.

MORE FROM DAVOS:
The buses are full and the women are ready to head to Washington, D.C., on Saturday. More than 56 women from Midland will participate in the Womens March on Washington to show their presence after the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States on Friday.

The Womens March on Washington will send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world, that womens rights are human rights. We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us, said Jody Liebmann, who is helping organize local participation.

Plans are for three buses to carry about 168 area residents to the march. Those numbers dont include those who will be taking other means of transportation to participate. The 300 expected Great Lakes Bay Region participants will gather from 8-10 a.m. in Hancock Park along with other participants from Michigan. From there, they will walk as one onto the National Mall to join about 200,000 other expected protesters.

With the atmosphere and political climate during the last election, I just saw things and heard opinions that I didnt think still existed, Liebmann said. The rhetoric of the past election cycle is not normal behavior from a president of the United States. It has insulted, demonized and threatened many of us: native people, those of various religions, immigrants, LGBTQIA and people of disabilities. I thought we were further along than that.

Its really difficult to differentiate between propaganda and actual news. I encourage people to be diligent in checking their sources and support their local papers.

Locally, Midland will host a Sister march on Saturday from 3-5 p.m. at the corner of Eastlawn Drive and South Saginaw Road in front of CVS. Marchers may come at any time, stay as long or short as they wish.

These marches are happening all across the state: Ann Arbor, Detroit, Kalamazoo and Lansing, Liebmann said. (2018 gubernatorial candidate) Gretchen Whitmer will head the march in Lansing.

This Thursday, organizers will hold a sign making party at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Midland, 6220 Jefferson Ave., from 7-9 p.m. Participants are also encouraged by organizers to make their own signs.

Answers to questions about the March in Washington can be found on the Womens March website at https://www.womensmarch.com/faq/
Sit Down, Rob Schneider: The Maine Governor's Hot Take on John Lewis Is Even MORE Moronic

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | January 17, 2017 |

In the back and forth between Civil Rights Hero, John Lewis, and Hemorrhoidal Blumpkin Donald Trump, weve seen a number of moronic takes. Yesterday, Rob Schneider offered what we thought would be the weeks worst.

Rep. Lewis. You are a great person. But Dr. King didn't give in to his anger or his hurt. That is how he accomplished & won Civil Rights.  Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) January 16, 2017

(Bekkas write-up yesterday, by the way, was a top post on FB trending, which meant the site was overrun with crazies. Our apologies.)

Schneiders hot take, however, is like the Rob Schneider to Adam Sandler of hot takes compared to Maine Governor Paul LePage, the worst Governor in America. And those of you from Wisconsin, or Kansas, or New Jersey, who would like to challenge LePages title as Worst Governor in America, need only see his take on the John Lewis situation as proof.

I will just say this: John Lewis ought to look at history, LePage said during his weekly appearance on the George Hale and Ric Tyler Show, on Bangor-based radio station WVOM. It was Abraham Lincoln who freed the slaves, it was Rutherford B. Hayes and Ulysses S. Grant who fought against Jim Crow laws. A simple thank you would suffice.

I think TK said it best when said: WHAT THE FUCK NO. NO. NO HE DID FUCKING NOT.

Besides ignoring 100 years of civil rights work, it also happens to display a profound ignorance of history, as it was the 1877 Compromise that allowed Rutherford B. Hayes to become President in exchange for pulling Northern troops out of the South that actually gave birth to Jim Crow laws. In other words, Hayes is partially responsible.

I should add that LePage also had thoughts on the decision of our Congresswoman Chellie Pingree not to attend Donald Trumps inauguration.

For some reason, the left has become so hateful and they are trying to bully us out of believing our constitution, LePage said. Chellie Pingree, if she wont attend on Friday, I would advise her to resign.

The worst. I rest my case.

via The Portland Press Herald





Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba.
BLOOMINGTON  Burr House Bed and Breakfast, 210 E. Chestnut St., has been sold and will close on Feb. 1.

Owner Mary Ann Brady-Rhodes said the buyers of the 1864 brick home intend to use the property as their home. A sales price was not disclosed.

The property faces Franklin Park in one of the city's historic districts. Brady-Rhodes said the Burr family lived in the house for 110 years so having it return to a private residence is "a nice thing."

The seven-bedroom house, with a first-floor private residence, has been a bed and breakfast for more than 20 years. Brady-Rhodes purchased it in 1996 and added two bedrooms with private bathrooms to the third floor.

The home was built by Luman Burr, a contemporary of Abe Lincoln and a former McLean County circuit clerk.

Brady-Rhodes will remain in Bloomington and said she looks forward to retirement and spending time with family, including three grandchildren.
SPRINGFIELD  The first bill to be introduced in the Illinois Senate during the new session of the General Assembly that began Wednesday is reserved for a long-awaited overhaul of the way the state funds public schools.

But a plan hasnt been unveiled yet because a commission that Gov. Bruce Rauner convened this summer is still working out specifics.

With the commissions Feb. 1 deadline roughly two weeks away, a draft report issued last week shows there are several items on which lawmakers of both parties and both legislative chambers have yet to reach a consensus. Among those issues is how to define what constitutes adequate funding for each school district across the state.

Despite the remaining work, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are hopeful that an overhaul of Illinois education funding formula can be part of a grand bargain on the state budget and other issues.

A bipartisan package of bills that includes tax increases, spending cuts, new casino licenses and a host of other issues has been introduced in the Senate, and committee hearings are expected to begin as soon as next week on some portions.

The effort has the backing of both Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont.

The most important piece of that package, to me, is school funding reform, state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said Monday.

Manar, whos been working on the issue since arriving in the Senate in 2013, said the commission has brought lawmakers from both parties and both legislative chambers together with Rauner administration officials for a productive conversation.

I dont think weve unearthed an easier way to accomplish school funding reform in Illinois, he said. I think its as difficult today as it ever has been since we started this conversation.

Previous reform efforts have faltered due to the political difficulties of passing legislation that would either shift money from wealthier school districts to poorer ones or result in a large increase in state spending. The issue often breaks down along both partisan and regional lines.

Given those challenges, tying school funding to the larger discussion of a budget compromise could be essential to passing legislation, said state Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, whos been a leader for his caucus on the issue.

If ever there was a time to address it, the time would be now in the context of us coming together in a bipartisan manner on all these other host of issues, Barickman said. This ones so difficult in any normal context that I think its critical to incorporate into this larger effort.

The overall goal of funding reform is to direct more state money to school districts with the greatest need while also accounting for each districts individual characteristics, such as the number of special education students and students from low-income households.

Illinois current system, which relies heavily on local property taxes, is among the worst in the nation at providing equitable funding for wealthy and poor school districts.

Manar and Barickman are both optimistic that Senate can find a bipartisan approach to solving that problem.
UPDATE: As corrected by Snopes.com, the poem believed to be the **official** poem used for Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday was simply inspired by it. AKA it's not the official poem.

The poem, which was not commissioned by Mr Trump or his transition team, refers to snatching power from "a tyrant" who has "ill-gotten power".



It was written by celebrated American poet Joseph Charles McKenzie of the Society of Classical Poets.



The group said the inspiration behind the poem is "to touch on the classical poetry existing throughout American history, and the inauguration poem marks important moments in US political history".

They are merely "recommending" it for Trump's team to use.

---

A poem written President-elect Trump's inauguration this Friday celebrates the Trump clan's Scottish roots (his mother, Mary Anne Macleod was born and raised in Scotland till she was 18) while taking time to exalt Trump to Christ status, and call President Obama a "tyrant."

Cool!



The piece was written by Joseph Charles McKenzie, from the Society of Classical Poets, premiered in The Scotsman magazine this past weekend, and contains more fuckery than you'd even fathom:

Come out for the Domhnall, ye brave men and proud,

The scion of Torquil and best of MacLeod!

With purpose and strength he came down from his tower

To snatch from a tyrant his ill-gotten power.

Now the cry has gone up with a cheer from the crowd:

"Come out for the Domhnall, the best of MacLeod!"

When freedom is threatened by slavery's chains

And voices are silenced as misery reigns,

We'll come out for a leader whose courage is true

Whose virtues are solid and long overdue.

For, he'll never forget us, we men of the crowd

Who elected the Domhnall, the best of MacLeod!

When crippling corruption polluted our nation

And plunged our economy into stagnation,

As self-righteous rogues took the opulent office

And plump politicians reneged on their promise

The forgotten continued to form a great crowd

That defended the Domhnall, the best of MacLeod!

The Domhnall's a giver whilst others just take,

Ne'er gaining from that which his hands did not make.

A builder of buildings, employing good men,

He's enriched many cities by factors of ten.

The honest and true gladly march with the crowd

Standing up for the Domhnall, the best of MacLeod!

True friend of the migrant from both far and near,

He welcomes the worthy, but guards our frontier,

Lest a murderous horde, for whom hell is the norm,

Should threaten our lives and our nation deform.

We immigrants hasten to swell the great crowd."

Coming out for the Domhnall, the best of MacLeod!

Academe now lies dead, the old order rots,

No longer policing our words and our thoughts;

Its ignorant hirelings pretending to teach

Are backward in vision, sophomoric in speech.

Now we learned of mind add ourselves to the crowd

That cheers on the Domhnall, the best of MacLeod!

The black man, forgotten, in poverty dying,

The poor man, the sick man, with young children crying,

The soldier abroad and the mother who waits,

The young without work or behind prison gates,

The veterans, wounded, all welcome the crowd

That fights for the Domhnall, the best of MacLeod!

Whilst hapless old harridans flapping their traps

Teach women to look and behave like us chaps,

The Domhnall defends the defenseless forlorn;

For, a woman's first right is the right to be born.

Now the bonnie young lassies that fly to the crowd

Have a champion in Domhnall, the best of MacLeod!

Barf.

Header photo via Neil Rasmus/BFA
Hollywood actress Uma Thurman's custody battle against ex-partner French financier Arpad Busson is starting off on a rough path. A judge handling their case in a Manhattan court has berated the former couple for being unable to settle their issues and co-parent amicably for the sake of their 4-year-old daughter Luna.

A psychologist has testified that Thurman and her ex shouldn't be in the same room together. Busson has accused Thurman of having serious mental illness and has used three types of drugs to treat her anxiety, depression and insomnia. He also didn't favor her choice for Luna's private school in Brooklyn.

Thurman, on the other hand, has accused Busson of being a bad parent as he would often times leave their daughter in the care of nannies whenever Luna is with her father. She is asking the court for visitation and travel restrictions against Busson, especially since he travels to London and Bahamas regularly and would like to bring Luna along.

"At this point I don't think that these people should be in the same room together with Luna until they have a little more ability to kind of be comfortable with each other," psychologist Dr. Sara Weiss said, according to People. The judge, however, said that the ex-couple should be able to work things out like "reasonable people."

Thurman and Busson had an on and off relationship that started in 2007. They were engaged a couple of times but never went ahead with a wedding.

According to Page Six, the couple had Luna while they were broken up and eventually reconciled. They parted ways for good in 2014 and since then, they have been embroiled in a bitter custody battle that has become a toxic environment for their 4-year-old daughter.

Thurman has two older kids with ex-husband Ethan Hawke -- Maya, 18, and Levon, 14. Busson has two kids as well with former partner Elle Macpherson -- Flynn, 18, and Cy, 14. These extended family relations have made the custody battle more complicated, according to the judge.
A man named Evenor Pineda has two children, a son also named Evenor, and a daughter named Natalia. His children recently shared their story about their father being able to take care of them and fulfill his responsibilities despite being behind bars.

The two children were interviewed by Concord Monitor and they tried to recall how their father would record CDs from prison that included audios of their father reading their favorite stories and telling them he loves them. The younger Evenor, now 15 years old, said that they would listen to the CDs the whole evening and it felt amazing.

Pineda, now 34 years old, has served 12 years behind bars for the fatal stabbing of his fellow gang member. He was convicted of the crime and was charged with second-degree murder and it is believed that he will serve six more years. The mother of the children, on the other hand, has been in and out of prison as well and is not living with them.

The Pineda siblings are with their paternal grandparents in Manchester, New Hampshire. The grandparents of Evenor and Natalia, Rosa and Normal Lavesque, said that they make sure the teens see their father regularly via Skype and in prison.

Pineda said in a statement that he tries to connect and contact his kids as much as possible because he is trying to be a positive role model for them. He added, "I'm fortunate that I have numbers and not life sentences. I know I can go home in six years - maybe sooner. My motivating factor for going home is my children."

Pineda continued to reveal he was different in the past, admitting he was selfish and simple-minded. He was also not involved in the lives of his children. However, jail time made him realized that he has to prioritize his family. Since he was convicted, Pineda completed parenting classes via the Family Connections Center and understood that he does not only need to provide the needs of his family but he also has to spend quality time with his kids.

Nola.com also reported that inmates at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola are working to keep their children out of prison. The inmates were part of the group called Malachi Dads and it's a Christian-based program that helps inmates continue to fulfill their responsibilities as parents despite being in prison.

Studies claim 33 to 43 percent of children who have a parent behind bars will also be convicted in the future. However, such cycle could be prevented if parents behind bars take part of such programs, helping them to better parents who can give their children continued guidance and support.
Staff members at the Little Angels Daycare center in Oklahoma have been accused of forcing 4-year-old boys to kiss while they were playing a game of Spin the Bottle. One of the boy's mother, Dominique Green, is speaking out against what happened as her son is now in counseling.

Green told KFOR that she learned of the incident involving her son through a friend. She was shown a video of the kids playing a seemingly harmless game that was posted by the daycare staff on Snapchat.

Green admitted that she was sickened to see her son kissing another boy. The video even had a label that the kiss was "forced."

The mother then decided to call up the daycare center's owner about the video posted online but she was brushed off. "She said I blew it out of proportion by calling the daycare," Green said that this was what the owner told her.

The mom's anger was further aggravated because this was shared on social media and was seen by the other daycare parents. "So, everybody has seen my son being bullied and doing sexual things," Green said, citing that her 4-year-old is now in therapy.

Louder With Crowder cites that what happened is a child abuse case as kids are forced into gayness. The daycare center managers defend, however, that they commonly see the children kiss and hug each other without any malice.

Meanwhile, the Department of Human Services was notified about the incident as well and the agency ruled that it was inappropriate. According to Fox 8, the staff members who were involved were either no longer connected to the daycare center or were sent to undergo training.

Parents, do you think the mother's reaction was warranted or was it an overreaction? Did the daycare handle this right? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
Student loan and school vouchers are the main concern of the citizens of the United States if and when Donald Trump's Department of Education Secretary pick Betsy DeVos will be confirmed. Due to the skepticisms over her appointment, a former education secretary gives DeVos an advice regarding the post.

The confirmation hearing of DeVos is set on Tuesday and it is expected that she will be facing tough questions regarding the department she will be handling. Many have reacted negatively against DeVos as she has made it clear that she, together with the Trump administration, might just dismantle the public school system and push for private schools and the use of school voucher.

In a report by Forbes, DeVos was described as a former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party. She initially supported Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina and Marco Rubio during the primary of the Republican Party.

In addition, DeVos is a strong proponent of charter schools and school vouchers and it is believed that she wants to privatize the education market. Many of the people and groups opposing her believe that she is not fit for the job because she was never an educator or directed a state department of education, has never attended a public school or had children who attended the public school system.

More on the student loan concern, DeVos might be questioned as to what the government plans to do about it. Trump proposed during his campaign that the payment of student loans could be based on the income of the one who has thousands of debt. It remained unclear if DeVos will be a proponent for this. DeVos might also be asked regarding the plan of New York governor Andrew Cuomo regarding free college tuition to those who belong to the low-income and middle-income families.

As for the advice of a former education secretary, NPR reported Margaret Spellings, who was under the George W. Bush administration, said that there should be transparency in order to achieve equity. She also believed the Department of Education should not be abolished instead, the new administration has to focus on the neediest students.

What do you think about the future of student loans and school voucher programs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Noor Salman, the widow of the Florida night club shooter, Omar Mateen, was arrested by authorities after they believe that she obstructed justice and aided her husband in some way before or after the attack. Authorities arrested Salman at her home in San Francisco, where she is living with her young son.

The federal charges were obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting Mateen's material support to the Islamic State (IS). CNN reported the authorities believe Salman acted of her own free will and knowingly took steps to obstruct the investigation into the killings.

Salman claimed that she was coerced due to her abusive relationship with Mateen. However, it was not enough as the evidence showed she knew Mateen was going to do something bad was heavier.

The attorney representing Salman, Linda Moreno, said her client could not predict what her husband intended to do when he left their home in June. Moreno added, "We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonors the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person." Salman was scheduled to have her first court appearance this Tuesday, The New York Times reported.

Federal officials have been wrestling with the idea of arresting Salman for months now as she gave conflicting statements about whether she knew of what Mateen would do before the attack. Salman also told the FBI her husband wanted to carry out a jihadist attack but denied that she knew anything about what he intended to do. Months before he attacked the night club, Mateen added the name of Salman to his life insurance policy and made sure she had access to his bank accounts.

Two days before the Orlando Pulse night club shooting, Mateen left his home angry and was carrying a bag of guns. Salman then begged her husband not to leave their home but he refused. Mateen also texted his wife two hours after the attack asking if she heard about the shooting. Salman replied at one point, saying she loved Mateen.

Salman married Mateen in 2011. Mateen had a first wife but she was able to escape the abusive relationship she had with Mateen with the help of her family. During the attack, Mateen killed a total of 49 people.
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The older, business generation criticizes my generation for a vague, object-less idealism. We want to change the world, but we have no idea what we would like to change it into. We want to make a difference  we are relatively inarticulate on the difference we would like to make. The criticism fits: we are hankering for some target to aim our rainbow-rays of impact-making sentiment. But the effort to locate the source of this problem in Disney movies and bad parenting misses the point. Wanting to change the world is a fundamentally religious sentiment. My generations idealism is not suffering a lack of practical goals, but a lack of practical Christianity. We do not need the advice of a CEO troubled by Millennial apathy in the workplace; we need the priest.

The philosopher Max Scheler argued that one cannot help but perform religious acts, a claim not proven, but certainly helped by the fact that there has never been evidence of a historically irreligious culture. For instance, Scheler describes the act of worship as the act that places some value as the highest value, to which all others must be subordinated. Even the most hardened of atheists and the most cowardly of Christians will have a highest value. The only question is what this value will be  life, erotic love, comfort, money, the State, the tribe, the family, etc. The fascists knew this well, and worked diligently to make the State (or blood and soil) the object of worship. My generation tends to make ourselves into our own highest value. The Middle Ages made God their priority. But all men, of all generations, worship, by the simple fact of being men who value things.

The perception of the world as fallen and in need of resurrection is another one of these religious acts. Almost without exception, every religion has some account of the Fall, whether the Original Sin of Judeo-Christianity; the fall into the world of appearances as described by the Hindus, Buddhists and Neo-Platonists; the Greek and Roman myths of separation from the gods. The great religious historian, Mircea Eliade, would describe this as the primitive division of time into sacred time (pre-fall) and profane time (post-fall)  an original act of primitive man.

This perceptive act, by which one concludes that there is a fly in the ointment, something broken or off about existence, is insufficient to explain our desire to change the world. The Stoics thought that existence was a tragedy, but they would be much more interested in a man accepting his fate than making a difference. The Buddhist knows that the world is suffering, but the movement of Buddhist instruction is not to go out there and change the world but to go within and change yourself.

It is Judaism and, in a particularly sharp way, Christianity, that inaugurates the idea the genuine possibility of saving the world. They do this by declaring that all is not lost  a Messiah is coming who will fix the broken world. The sacred time will be restored. The Christian feels this like a knife because Christianity declares that this world-changer has come  God Himself. Even more incredibly, He urges us to take part in his world-changing action. We are to make the broken world into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Millennials who vaguely want to change the world should appreciate that they are experiencing a uniquely post-Christian feeling. The fact that they cannot articulate what, exactly, they want to change the world into is because they have a Christian-act without any Christian-object, sentiment without belief, religious feeling without religion. Its not that the business leaders who criticize Millennials dont make this same, religious act; they do, but they phrase it all as a matter of money. They describe the Fallen world as an economic problem redeemed by economic solutions. Millennials are too spiritual to pin the source of salvation on smart capitalism, economic innovation and leadership and too materialistic to pin it on the Christ, and so we pin it nowhere in particular.

Jack Kerouac called his generation the Beatific or Beat Generation, because he believed they would see God. My generation is the Lapsarian generation, because, while we have given up on seeing God, we cannot help but see the Fall. We believe that the world is broken  we no longer believe in the rebellion, in the movement that makes it whole. This makes us look like idiots to an older generation. They demand that we clarify what, precisely, is wrong, and what, precisely the world ought to be changed into, and we can only say everything is wrong and something must be done. We are shoved forward by the powerful push of 2000 year tradition that demands, at every moment, that the world be radically transformed into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant (1800), by Benjamin West (1738-1820) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

*****

[The words of Reformed Baptist elder Jim Drickamer will be in blue. Words of mine cited from my older paper by Jim will be in green]

*****

You wrote that you were glad to discuss things with me if I take one of your papers and respond point-by-point, showing you where you are wrong in each particular.

Indeed.

I found this article on Biblical Evidence for Worship of God Via an Image which you posted on 10/22/15. It was a short article and appears easy for me to understand. So I thought I would give it a try. Here is my point-by-point response:

Sometimes we miss things in the Bible, though they are right in front of us.

True.

Some of our Protestant brethren (mainly Calvinists but some other denominations as well) have an almost obsessive fear of any image associated with worship at all, thinking that all such manifestations are examples of idolatry and undue exaltation of a graven image.

True. But wouldnt a reasonable, not obsessive, fear of any image being worshipped be prudent?

Fear of true idolatry potentially being present is absolutely prudent, as that is a serious sin. An irrational, almost obsessive fear (often exhibited by those of the Reformed persuasion) of every image necessarily being 1) a graven image, and 2) idolatrous in terms of how it is being viewed and used by Catholics, is unreasonable. Usually critiques of same result from incorrect premises and an inadequate understanding of the Catholic rationale for such things. This particular article was not about man-made images, but about images in nature that represented God, by Gods own statements and revelations of Himself.

Exodus 20: 4-5, You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them.

Okay, what do those verses prohibit? They prohibit the making of an idol, regardless of what that idol might be a likeness  what is in the sky, on the earth, or in the water. They also prohibit worshipping or serving those idols.

Correct. One must not make a mere man-made item a replacement for God (idolatry).

Dave wrote, This has led some fanatical elements to oppose even crucifixes and statues of Christ as idols. In other words, all images whatsoever are collapsed in this wrongheaded mentality into the category of the graven image in the Ten Commandments.

True. There is some fanaticism here.

And I have directly interacted with it: almost always from Reformed people; e.g., with one guy who goes by the nickname Turretinfan.

But it is also true that the commandment prohibited the making of an idol. If a crucifix or statue of Christ is an idol, then it would be prohibited. Is it an idol? That is the question. The commandment also forbids the worshipping or serving of idols. If people are worshipping a crucifix or a statue of Christ, as opposed to worshipping Christ, they are doing what the commandment forbids.

Thats correct, but I would contend that very few people are so stupid as to think that a wooden crucifix or plaster statue of Christ is Christ Himself, and to be worshiped. They are simply devotional aids, just as virtually all Christians would accept painted portraits of Jesus as pious items that help us reflect on our wonderful Lord and Savior and what He has done for us, making it possible to be saved from our sins and go to heaven one day. So this criticism would apply to so few people as to be miniscule and virtually an irrelevant concern: one in a thousand profoundly ignorant and nominal Catholics, if even that many.

But the Bible doesnt take this view at all. Here is one striking example: Exodus 33:8-10 (RSV) Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose up, and every man stood at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he had gone into the tent. [9] When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the door of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses. [10] And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the door of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, every man at his tent door. Note that the pillar of cloud is:

1) a creation (water, if a literal cloud); 2) visual, hence an image; and 3) thought to directly represent God Himself.

This is a very poor example. For one thing, the commandment prohibited the making of an idol. No man made the cloud.

This paper, as I noted above, is about the prohibition of any images associated with God and worship: not just man-made ones. Its a larger, more all-encompassing subject matter, directed to those opposed to any and all religious images in worship, whether man-made or natural. The biblical texts provided decisively refute this silly view, in my opinion. This passage is not only not a very poor example; it is precisely and perfectly relevant to my subject matter. I deal with man-made religious objects in these two papers:

This verse also says that when the people saw the cloud, they would rise up and worship. It does not, however, say they would worship the cloud, the image. So the cloud is not a forbidden image.

They were worshiping God, with the cloud as a direct visual image of Him or representative of Him being right there in the location where the cloud was. Of course its not forbidden. Its in the Bible. So it wipes out the most extreme iconoclastic position: extending to all images whatever: even natural ones.

Its also a supernatural manifestation, which is a major difference compared to any true idol made by the hands of men; but that would make no difference for those who mistakenly hold that any image whatsoever associated with God is impermissible. The problem comes when God Himself expressly sanctions such images, and worship in conjunction with them, as here.

True. But the issue is not whether an image is associated with God. It depends on how the image is associated with God. In the image of the cloud, it is associated with God, because He is the Creator of the image. No man made it. This is permissible according to the commandment. On the other hand, if an image is associated with God, because a man made it in a likeness which reminds him of God, then it would be forbidden. A man made it.

So you contend that there can be no such thing as a legitimate statue of Christ or a crucifix? They must necessarily be idols? If so, I think its beyond silly, as is the whole iconoclastic heresy that the Church condemned many centuries ago. Those are the direct images of God in play. Theyre not idols, nor are they themselves worshiped; they are devotional aids to help concentrate ones mind on God.

The same iconoclasts (opposers of images) have to explain away things like the burning bush (Ex 3:2-6), which is not only fire, but also called an angel of the Lord (Ex 3:2), yet also God (3:4, 6, 11, 13-16, 18; 4:5, 7-8) and the LORD (3:7, 16, 18; 4:2, 4-6, 10-11, 14) interchangeably. An angel is a creation (as is fire and cloud); yet God chose to use a created being and inanimate objects to visibly represent Him. Several similar instances occur in the Old Testament.

These are more, very poor examples. The burning bush was not man made nor was it worshipped. It is not prohibited. An angel is not man made, but at times when men did worship angels, as in Revelation 22: 8-9, they were told to stop and only worship God. Thus, Dave, you have not yet provided an example of a man made image that God permitted men to worship.

Of course I havent, because it wasnt the purpose of my paper, which you seem unable to grasp. I dealt with the man-made images in the two papers I cited above. So perhaps if you wander over to those, your reply will actually be relevant and on-topic. One can only hope!

Moreover, the Jews worshiped fire as representative of God in the following passage:

2 Chronicles 7:1-4 When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. [2] And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORDs house. [3] When all the children of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD upon the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the earth on the pavement, and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. [4] Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the LORD.

This is another very poor example. The fire came from God. It was not man made.

See my previous response. You keep making replies to imaginary arguments that I never made. This is not impressive. You would have gotten a D- in debating class, if that. Youd be lucky not to fail such a class.

In addition, the text as you quoted it here makes it clear that the Israelites were worshipping God. It does not say they worshipped fire as a representative of God.

They bowed down to the fire, precisely because it represented God. If it didnt represent Him, then they would be committing idolatry (worshiping fire as God). But the text makes clear that their actions were good and permissible.

In summary, the title of this article is, Biblical Evidence for Worship of God Via an Image. The article does not speak to that issue. Every example Dave has provided contained an image, cloud, fire, and so on, that was made by God and was not worshipped. They do not apply to situations in which men make the image and do worship it.

Yep; explained now three or four times. So your entire reply so far is either 1) freely conceding my actual argument, which was that opposition to all religious images whatsoever, through which people worship God, including those not made by man, is wrong, and 2) arguing against caricatures of my argument and straw men, which proves nothing except that you didnt comprehend what my argument was.

I think the bottom line deals with worship. The worship of an image is sinful. It should not be done. This would include images of Christ. An image of Christ should not be worshipped. Instead, Christ should be worshipped.

Thats exactly what we Catholics do: we worship Christ: through images at times.

What about merely having but not worshipping an image?

The commandment from Exodus 20 prohibits making an image. I worry about splitting hairs. If I have an image I did not make, is that permissible?

I would be concerned with images particularly in the sanctuary of a church. It seems to me that having images in a place of worship might lead people inadvertently to think they should worship them. At the very least, I think the church leaders should make it clear to everyone that worshipping the idols is forbidden.

. . . which the Catholic Church has always done. Everyone understands that these are visual aids to devotion to God. In the case of statues of saints, they help us honor or venerate them, which is a separate discussion.
Bahrain and "Iranian-Backed Terrorism"

01/17/17

By Emile Nakhleh (source: LobeLog)



2017 World Report, Human Rights Watch

In a recent article, Matthew Levitt and Michael Knights of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) highlighted Iranian support of "terrorism" in Bahrain and suggested a future path for the country "balancing security and human rights." Although the authors rightly suggest that Bahrain should do more to address human rights problems, their article suffers from three seriously flawed assumptions. They believe that Iran drives and supports the bulk of the opposition to the regime, that terrorism is at the heart of domestic unrest, and that the Al Khalifa regime has made a serious effort to implement a key recommendation of the BICI when in fact it has ignored almost all of that devastating report. Furthermore, the authors draw a dubious causality between the rise of anti-regime militancy and the P5+1 Iran nuclear deal and only mildly rebuke the regime for "treating protesters and medical professionals as terrorists."

This response is not to exonerate Iran from its nefarious activities in the Persian Gulf region but, rather, to observe that the Al Khalifa ruling family has oppressed the Shia majority for decades, beginning long before the Arab Spring of 2011 and even before the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran in 1979. Levitt and Knights seem oblivious to the regime's strategy of raising the specter of terrorism and the fear of Iran to strengthen support from the U.S. and the West. Their article seems to be a compendium of "facts" handed out by the Bahraini Ministry of Interior and/or the Bahraini National Security Agency as examples of "expanding Iranian networks" in order to justify their continued human rights violations and to buttress their Iran-bashing.

In its just-published 2017 World Report, Human Rights Watch warned against the Bahrain regime's "accelerated repression" of peaceful activists and the continued detention and prosecution of human rights protesters. The report called on the government of Bahrain to "reinvigorate a stalled process of political reform by reversing the dissolution of al-Wifaq, releasing high-profile political detainees, and ending its harassment of activists."

The article by Levitt and Knights ignores the multiple requirements that the BICI report placed on the Bahraini government in dealing with its dissidents under the law. It would be very sad indeed if the Trump administration allowed the Bahraini regime to free itself from these requirements. The Al Khalifa government has flouted the rule of law for years and has violated the rights of its Shia majority in the name of fighting terrorism. Now this same government is spending huge sums of money to get their message across to the Trump administration through Washington lobbyists, including retired diplomats, senior military officers, and think tanks.

Instead of delving into the decades-old Shia grievances against the regime, the WINEP article amounts to no more than an apologia for the regime. It appears designed to help persuade the incoming administration to take a gentle view towards the regime's continued repression as well as cement U.S. military ties to the country.

In citing "Bahrain's continued willingness to serve as home base for the U.S. Fifth Fleet," the authors seem to ignore the fact that the presence of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain serves the interests of the regime and indirectly gives it protection. Moreover, U.S. taxpayers cover its rental and use. When I asked Bahraini officials back in the early 1970s why they signed the home-porting agreement with the US Navy, they told me openly that the Fleet's presence bolstered their security. I lived for a year in 1972-73 in that same neighborhood and witnessed first-hand the interaction between senior Bahraini government officials and the US navy command. The Al Khalifa were sorry to see the British leave the island in 1971 but were happy that the Americans replaced them.

The WINEP article fails to seriously consider that the opposition to the Al Khalifa's autocratic rule is quintessentially Bahraini and not a proxy of a foreign power. Several academics have warned in recent years that, if the Al Khalifa failed to respond to the reasonable demands of the peaceful opposition and continued their draconian repression, the opposition would become more militant and radicalized. In several LobeLog articles, I argued that if government didn't meet such peaceful demands of the opposition as fair and free elections, a return to the 1973 constitution, and reinstating the dissolved National Assembly under the umbrella of the monarchy, the opposition would shift from calling for political reform to campaigning for regime change.

The execution last year of the prominent Shia leader Nimr al-Nimr in Saudi Arabia has also contributed to rising militancy in Bahrain. The continued persecution of Nabeel Rajab, other Al-Wefaq leaders, and human rights and pro-democracy activists clearly belies the regime's claims regarding Iran. According to The New York Times, this weekend Bahrain executed three Shia citizens for allegedly attacking the police in 2014. Human Rights Watch condemned the executions and said that they were based on confessions obtained through torture.

Militant groups in Bahrain, as elsewhere in the region, can easily obtain whatever weapons they need in the over-militarized Gulf region to serve their goals. Even if Iran were not in the picture, Bahraini dissidents could find a way to arm themselves in the face of a brutally repressive regime. By refusing to heed the peaceful opposition put before it over the years, the Al Khalifa regime is now reaping the whirlwind. The regime might appear to be winning against the opposition in the short term. But its victory may yet prove Pyrrhic.

About the author:



Emile Nakhleh is an expert on Middle Eastern society and politics and on political Islam. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Research Professor at the University of New Mexico. He previously served in the Central Intelligence Agency from 1993-2006, first as scholar in residence and chief of the Regional Analysis Unit in the Office of Near Eastern and South Asian Analysis and subsequently as director of the Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program. Until 1993 Nakhleh taught at Mount St. Mary's University, where he was the John L. Morrison Professor of International Studies. Nakhleh's publications include, among others, A Necessary Engagement: Reinventing America's Relations with the Muslim World (2009), Bahrain: Political Development in a Modernizing Society (1976 and 2011), and The Gulf Cooperation Council: Policies, Problems, and Prospects (1986). Nakhleh holds a PhD from American University, an MA from Georgetown University, and a BA from Saint John's University, Minnesota.
EU Diplomat Says Bloc Will Stand By Iran Nuclear Deal

01/17/17

Source: RFE/RL

The European Union head of foreign affairs says the EU will stand by the nuclear agreement with Iran, setting up a potential conflict with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has condemned the deal. Federica Mogherini on January 16 insisted that the accord serves Europe's security needs and is "proof that diplomacy works and delivers."





European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini





At the same EU ministers meeting, British foreign minister Boris Johnson also told AFP that the accord must be maintained.



Trump has consistently criticized the agreement with Iran, this weekend denouncing it as "one of the worst deals ever made."



The accord was signed by Iran and the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France, and Germany in July 2015, placing limits on Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for easing oil, trade, and financial sanctions.



U.S. President Barack Obama on January 16, marked the one-year anniversary of the lifting of sanctions,reiterating the benefits of the pact and citing its "significant and concrete results in making the United States and the world a safer place."



Based on reporting by AFP and the Times of London
Detained British Iranian's Husband Appeals to Rouhani at London Vigil

01/17/17 By Michael Lipin & Hooman Bakhtiar, VOA

WASHINGTON -British human rights activists have held a vigil outside the Iranian embassy in London to appeal to Iran's president to free a British Iranian woman detained for nine months on unspecified security charges. Richard Ratcliffe, husband of detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, spoke to VOA's Persian service from the scene of Monday's vigil, saying he wrote a letter to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani appealing for the release.

watch video



"[The letter] asks for him to intercede and ensure that justice is served in Nazanin's case," Ratcliffe said via Skype. He said he also asked Rouhani for help in securing an Iran visa so that he can visit Nazanin and their infant daughter, Gabriella, whom he said he has not seen in 10 months.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is 38, was detained at Tehran's international airport in April 2016 as she was trying to return home with her daughter to Britain from a visit to relatives in Iran. An Iranian court sentenced the charity worker in September to five years in prison for undisclosed security offenses. British media have said she is accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government.

Her husband has said Iranian authorities kept her in solitary confinement in Tehran's Evin prison last year before transferring her to a cell with other women in late December. Gabriella has been staying with Zaghari-Ratcliffe's parents in Tehran since her mother's detention began.





Vigil for Nazanin Zaghary-Ratcliffe in London, Jan. 16, 2017.

(Photo courtesy of Amnesty International)

Ratcliffe said he is waiting for an outcome to a January 4 court hearing in which he said his wife appealed her five-year prison term. "We're hoping any day soon that a good verdict will be received, but we haven't heard anything," he said.

Reaching out to Iranian diplomats

British rights activist Rebecca Dallison, whose group Amnesty International helped organize the London vigil, told VOA that participants placed Ratcliffe's letter to Rouhani at the Iranian embassy's door, along with several letters that members of the public have written to Zaghari-Ratcliffe to express their support. Speaking by phone from the event, Dallison said the letters to Zaghari-Ratcliffe were among more than 30,000 messages addressed to the detainee as part of Amnesty's "Write for Rights" campaign encouraging people to write to prisoners whose rights are "under attack" around the world.

Dallison said Iranian embassy officials told her via an intercom at the door that they would collect the letters. VOA called the embassy, but a woman who answered the phone said there was no one available to comment.

The Amnesty activist said about 20 people joined the vigil. It was timed to coincide with the first anniversary of Iran's release of U.S. journalist Jason Rezaian, who had been detained for 18 months also in connection with alleged security offenses that were not detailed by authorities. "We really want to keep the pressure going to get Nazanin released too, and reunited with her family," Dallison said.







Rights activists hold a vigil for Nazanin Zaghary-Ratcliffe in London.

Jan. 16, 2017, outside the Iranian embassy

(photo courtesy of Amnesty International)



Using detainees as leverage?

Rezaian, a Washington Post reporter, was one of four Americans freed from an Iranian prison on January 16, 2016, hours before the United States and other world powers finalized a deal with Tehran on its nuclear program. At the same time, the United States pardoned seven Iranian prisoners and dropped charges against 14 other Iranians.

Rezaian filed a U.S. federal lawsuit against the Iranian government in October, claiming he was taken hostage and tortured in an attempt to extract concessions from the U.S. government. Ratcliffe has said he believes his wife also has been used as a bargaining chip by Tehran in its disputes with the West.

The Washington Post has said Rezaian is writing a book about his ordeal, tentatively titled Hostage: 544 Days, 400 Million Dollars, the Nuclear Deal & Me. It said the book is scheduled for publication next year. VOA contacted Rezaian's publicist seeking a comment from the journalist about Zaghari-Ratcliffe's vigil, but received no response.



VOA's Persian Service contributed to this report.



About the author: Michael Lipin covers international news for VOA on the web, radio and TV, specializing in the Middle East and East Asia Pacific. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Lipin
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The Fontana grandmother accused of stabbing her 17-year-old granddaughter in the head during a fight is expected to be back in court this week, records indicate.

Ignacia Salas-Puerto, 72, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges Thursday, Jan. 12 through an interpreter in West Valley Superior court in Rancho Cucamonga, court records show.

On Jan. 9, police arrested Salas-Puerto at her home in the 16000 block of San Bernardino Avenue on suspicion of attempted murder where the grandmother allegedly grabbed a knife and stabbed the granddaughter one time in the head, causing a severe injury, Sgt. Kevin Goltara, spokesman for the Fontana Police Department, said.

Paramedics took the girl to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. She is expected to survive.

Police did not comment on what sparked the argument.

Salas-Puertos preliminary hearing is scheduled to take place this Thursday at 8:30 a.m. at West Valley Superior Court.

Salas was arrested and is being held at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga in lieu of $1 million bail.
A California Highway Patrol officer who accompanied the woman accused of killing six people in a deadly wrong-way crash in 2014 explained in court Friday why he didnt order a test to measure blood alcohol levels in her first hours at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

Defense attorneys for Fontana resident and suspect Olivia Carolee Culbreath are attempting to make a case before Judge Lisa B. Lench that the blood evidence taken from their client should not be part of the states case because it was obtained without a search warrant.

Their client is facing six counts of murder in the deaths of six people in the Feb. 9, 2014, wrong-way crash.

Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Padilla asked Marsden on Friday, Besides staying with Olivia Culbreath at the hospital, did you have any other responsibility?

Marsden said he did not.

Defense attorney Daniel Perlman asked Marsden why he took a DUI kit  a package that contains test tubes for blood evidence collection, forms and other necessary supplies  with him to the hospital.

Marsden said he took the kit in case the investigating officer needed it, because different CHP offices use different kits based on the requirements of the laboratories they work with.

Perlman asked if he was in a position to request medical personnel to collect a blood sample.

Marsden said he was not because he didnt know the facts of the crash.

Were you in a position to get a warrant? Perlman asked.

No, I was not the investigating officer, Marsden said.

To request a warrant, he needed to know who the investigating officer was, he said. He didnt.

Prosecutors accuse Culbreath of driving a Chevrolet Camaro east on the westbound 60 Freeway at about 4:45 a.m. Feb. 9, 2014 at speeds approaching 100 mph, the CHP said at the time. The car crashed head-on into a sport utility vehicle. Another vehicle then crashed into the SUV.

Six people died in the crash. Two of the victims were Culbreaths passengers: Culbreaths sister, Maya, 24, of Rialto and Chino resident Kristin Melissa Young, 21.

Four residents of Huntington Park  Gregorio Mejia-Martinez, 47; Leticia Ibarra, 42; Jessica Jasmine Mejia, 20; and Ester Delgado, 80  were traveling in the SUV. They were all thrown from the vehicle and died.

After Fridays hearing, Perlman said he was trying to establish that Marsden and the investigating officer, CHP Officer David Crislip, knew they were dealing with a possible DUI case which required collecting blood samples quickly, yet they didnt do so.

And when they finally did, they had no warrant.

The (U.S.) Supreme Court doesnt look kindly on that, Perlman said after the hearing.

Defense attorneys argue that because Culbreath was unconscious when CHP officers asked medical personnel to draw the blood samples, she was not able to consent. To take the sample under such circumstances required a warrant.

The hearing will resume Feb. 8. Medical personnel who drew the blood samples are expected to testify.

Contact the writer: morodriguez@scng.comTwitter: @PomonaNow
Idyllwild musicians Sandii Castleberry and Paul Carman are bringing their Roots of American Music show to Hemet.

An event notice says audience members will be taken on a musical tour through America, from the Appalachia mountains to California. Castleberry plays the banjo, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, spoons and washboard, while Carman plays bass, saxophone, flute, clarinet and the djembe, a type of drum.

They will perform Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Diamond Valley Arts Center, 123 N. Harvard St. Admission is $20 for members and $25 for non-members.

Tickets: thedvac.org

Contact the writer: community@pressenterprise.com
Hes the president

Re: Should Californians be opposing Trump even before he takes office? [Opinion, Jan. 10]: California should not be spending taxpayers money fighting Donald Trump. Whether the Legislature likes it or not, he is the president-elect of all the people and obligated to enforce federal laws. We, for one, do not want our tax dollars used to oppose those laws. It might solve more than a few of Californias problems if laws were upheld, not fought.

 John Cuder, Corona

Repercussions

Celebrities are just people. They arent gods and goddesses, though some might think they are. Their opinions dont hold any more weight than anybody elses opinion. It was refreshing to see that this last election cycle, approximately half of the country took their opinions with a grain of salt. They have a greatly overinflated sense of self-importance.

As for California pushing back against the incoming Trump administration, there could be negative repercussions, such as the withholding of federal funding to the state. That wouldnt bode well, considering the states 2017-18 budget is looking somewhat austere.

 Bill Liles, Riverside

Must push back

We have no choice. The president-elects proven mistreatment of his creditors, his employees and most, if not all, minorities makes it impossible for him to govern fairly and effectively.

California makes up almost 12 percent of the population and in excess of 13 percent of the nations economy. This makes us a powerful influence. Unfortunately, the negative impact of Trumps agenda will affect the changes our states Legislature has implemented.

Many of my friends and neighbors are very concerned. Its my belief that our youth need to have someone in the highest office to respect, not fear.

 Rick Raum, Banning

Cut high-speed rail

Gov. Brown and his pretend budget tightening is a joke. If he were serious about cutting spending, the first thing he would cut is his toy train project. Who is actually going to benefit from that train to nowhere other than his contractor friends and government employees?

Its time to admit his choo-choo project is draining transportation funds needed to repair our roads.

 Jon Fleischer, Hemet
Parents have petitioned Riverside school officials to expel a fifth-grader who the principal said wrote a kill list with classmates names and are vowing to keep their children from class if the student returns.

Lake Mathews Elementary School Principal Pamela Williams wrote Monday, Jan. 16, in a four-paragraph letter that the school learned Thursday, Jan. 12, that a fifth-grader showed a list of student names labeled a kill list to other pupils.

Williams said officials looked into the matter and concluded that no one at the school was in danger.

Parents said they were told the student in question, a boy, was suspended two days  Friday and Tuesday, because the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was observed Monday and was to return to class Wednesday.

The student will be back on Wednesday, said Justin Grayson, a Riverside Unified School District spokesman, who provided Williams letter. He declined to comment beyond the statement. Two Riverside County Sheriffs Department spokesmen did not comment Monday, Jan. 16.

Williams said the district, working with law enforcement, investigated the threat and whether it posed a danger to students. She said steps were taken to hold the student accountable for the creation and sharing of this list and procedures are in place to monitor the situation.

Many parents, however, remain concerned.

Mirella Madrigal, whose son found his name on a second, similar list, objected to the students return to class.

Its almost like a slap on the hand, Madrigal said by phone. I dont think its enough to demonstrate the severity of the case. How do you get a two-day suspension for writing out two kill lists? It just doesnt make sense to me.

On Friday, a parent sent a petition with 86 signatures that demanded the students expulsion to Superintendent David Hansen.

As concerned parents we feel that allowing this student on the school premises presents an imminent danger to our children, the petition states. Thus, we decided that we will not allow our children to attend school until the 5th grade student has been removed from the school premises permanently.

UPDATE: Riverside fifth-graders kill list not credible, sheriffs say

Californias education law states that a pupil may be suspended or expelled if a principal or superintendent determines a student has caused, attempted to cause, or threatened to cause physical injury to another person.

Williams letter says that authorities determined there was no danger to students at the school south of Riverside, which has about 900 pupils.

These types of behaviors are ALWAYS taken seriously by RUSD and therefore we immediately began an investigation, convened our site threat assessment team, and notified law enforcement, Williams wrote. As a result of this comprehensive process, it was determined that there was, and is, no danger to any of Lake Mathews students.

Riverside school board member Tom Hunt called the list concerning.

In todays world, you dont want to take anything like this lightly, Hunt said.

It appeared the list stemmed from a conflict with other students, he said.

It sounds to me like a young boy had some problems with some kids, he said. Obviously, the young man needs some counseling.

On Monday afternoon, about 40 Lake Mathews parents gathered outside a nearby produce market.

Some said they planned to file police reports or attend the Riverside school board meeting Tuesday, Jan. 17, to voice their displeasure. The topic isnt on the boards agenda, but the public can speak to trustees about any subject. Some said they wouldnt let their children attend school Wednesday.

Nancie Johnson said her daughter discovered the second kill list at the students desk on Thursday. She, like other parents, was concerned that she heard about the possible threat from her child and not the school.

Johnson said she questioned Williams and was told it was just a scary joke.

Riverside principals letter regarding kill list by The Press-Enterprise / pressenterprise.com on Scribd

Krystal Gross said she found out Wednesday from her daughter, who she said sits next to the student who wrote the note.

For me, I cant have my daughter go back to school and sit next to a kid who has her on a kill list, Gross said.

Parent Heather Zirwas said she wonders if the school would have notified them if their children hadnt told them and parents hadnt demanded answers.

Madrigal said her son was shaken up by seeing his name on a list, with drawings of knives with blood and skulls.

At first it didnt really dawn on him, the severity of it, Madrigal said. And now hes starting to understand it. Hes not coping well at all, and neither am I. Hes very shaken by it.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9699 orddowney@scng.comTwitter: PE_DavidDowney

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When Donald Trump is sworn in as Americas 45th president Friday, Jan. 20, at least six members of Congress from Southern California wont be there.

Theyre among more than 20 House Democrats across the nation who have announced plans to skip Trumps inauguration in Washington, D.C. In at least some cases, their decision comes in response to Trumps criticism of Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.

After Lewis called Trump an illegitimate president, Trump, a Republican, took to Twitter to write that Lewis is all talk, talk talk  no action or results and that the congressman should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape.

Trumps response angered Democrats, who said the president-elect insulted a hero of the civil rights movement as Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday approached.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, used Twitter to post a picture of Lewis marching with King with the words All talk, no action.

I stand with (Lewis) and I will not be attending the inauguration, Takano tweeted.

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, also mentioned Trumps criticism of Lewis in explaining why he wasnt going to attend the 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 said in a news release.

Others from Southern California who said they are skipping the inauguration include Reps. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena, Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Downey and Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles.

After much thought, I have decided to #StandWithJohnLewis and not attend the inauguration, Chu wrote on Twitter.

In published reports, Roybal-Allard was quoting as saying that Trumps disparaging remarks about women, Mexicans, Muslims and other groups are deeply contrary to my values.

On Twitter, Waters wrote: I never ever contemplated attending the inauguration or any activities associated (with Trump). I wouldnt waste my time.

In a telephone interview, Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-La Quinta, said that instead of going to the inauguration, he plans to be in his district so he can attend a veterans event.

I believe that its very important to respect the office of the presidency, Ruiz said. The problem is, I believe, that Donald Trump does not respect the office of the presidency or respect the American people.

Not all Southern California Democrats are skipping the inauguration. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Redlands, plans to attend, although a spokeswoman noted he also plans to participate in the Womens March on Washington the following day.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9547 or jhorseman@scng.com
Maj Gen Sampson Adeti, Chief of Staff, General Headquarters, of the Ghana Armed Forces at Burma Camp, has been indicted for allegedly appropriating a Nissan Hard-body double-cabin vehicle donated to the Southern Command of the Ghana Army by the Bank of Ghana.



Following the publication of the story by DAILY GUIDE, a summary investigation into the alleged misconduct was ordered by the then Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Maj Gen RK Opoku Adusei.



According to the investigative report  a copy of which is in the possession of DAILY GUIDE  the army officer is said to have misconducted himself for hiding the vehicle from his superiors ostensibly to pocket it.



The cover on the alleged stealing by the army chief was blown by a request made by Adetis successor, Brig M Whajah, GOC, Southern Command, who made a request to the Bank of Ghana for operational support and was informed that the bank donated a pick-up van to the command.



With no traces of the vehicle  registered GN 4240-15  in the inventories of the Southern Command, the new officer called for more details which led to visiting the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) for the registration details and the custodian of the vehicle. And it turned out that Adeti was keeping it in his garage on the blind side of the army.



Despite the damning report, Major Gen Adeti, who was then a Brigadier General, was promoted by the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration under President John Dramani Mahama  the Commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces.



The report found out that the army officer had breached military standards in respect of donated items to the Ghana Armed Forces, in spite of which however, he was promoted to the rank of Maj Gen; and the COAS who commissioned the investigation retired from the military.



The senior officer who investigated the issue, Brig RY Odoi, was also sent to the US on attachment at the Ghana Mission. Brig Gen Odoi was the General Officer Commanding the Northern Command of the Army



Recommendations



The COAS, following the investigations, endorsed the findings and recommendations of the sole investigator.



Brig Gen Adeti was found to have dishonestly appropriated the vehicle. The fact that he drove the vehicle straight from the Bank of Ghana to his Juba Villas residence without informing neither HQ Southern Command nor Army HQ using his residential number, personal phone and e-mail address to complete the transfer of ownership and changing the colour of the vehicle from white to dark grey were all indicative of his intention to usurp the vehicle, the COAS observed in the report.



He was also nailed for deliberately leaving no traces of all correspondences and documents in respect of the said vehicle.



The report recommended that the General suffer disciplinary action for dishonest appropriation of the said vehicle contrary to Section 52 of the Ghana Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105).



The misconduct, according to the report, constituted a breach of trust in respect of his position as a Superior Commander, contrary to Section 54 (a) of the Ghana Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105).



Following the developments, there was a backlash on social media from a cross-section of men and women in the military.



Maj Gen Adeti claimed when DAILY GUIDE engaged him in his office at the General Headquarters, Burma Camp, that the vehicle was his personal one, having been given to him for his invaluable services to the central bank  a claim that has been debunked by the Governor of the Bank of Ghana.



Portions of the Report of the Summary Investigations into allegations of misconduct involving Brigadier General SK Adeti follow:



The Daily Guide and Day Break newspapers published on 10 Jun, 16 and 14 Jun, 16 respectively, articles alleging the dishonest appropriation by Brig SK Adeti of a double cabin Nissan pickup reg no GN 4240-15 officially donated to HQ S/Comd by Bank of Ghana(BoG) on 18 Sep, 15.



The two stories generated a lot negative interest and social media comments nationwide and among troops at GAF. Some of the comments impugned the lack of integrity of Brig Gen SK Adeti and the Ghana Armed Forces hierarchy. The Military High Command was further challenged to investigate the matter and take appropriate disciplinary action should the matter published in the newspapers be found to be true.



Army HQ in response to the article instituted a summary investigation into the newspaper allegations leveled against SK Adeti.



Persons interviewed as part of the investigation were Brig SK Adeti, COS, GHQ; Brig M Whajah, GOC, Southern Command; Col. R. Gyane, Director, Plan GHQ (PR&D); Col EK Commey, Provost Marshal; Mr. Daniel Osei-Bio, Regional Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority; Mr. Yaw Afrifa-Mensah, Head of Security BoG; Alhaji AR Gomda, DAILY GUIDE and Prince Prah, Editor Day Break newspaper.



It is important to note that SK Adeti passed uncomplimentary remarks about AR Gomda and the DAILY GUIDE excerpts of which follow: The investigations ostensibly, following the Daily Guide publications, are part of the grand design especially over the last few months, to malign and discredit me. There is also a strong suspicion, as indicated by the Daily Guide reporter whom most people know consider bounty hunters and would publish anything to discredit people, that the initial allegation was leveled by GOC Southern Command. His motives for doing so must be examined especially in the face of several military issues and concerns being put in the domain of social media.



The following were highlights of the findings against SK Adeti who regardless of these, was promoted to the rank of Maj Gen by the Armed Forces Council, without doubt, upon the acquiescence of then President John Mahama and Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, Chairman of the Armed Forces Council, as though to spite the report.



Brig Adeti as a senior officer and GOC at the time, ought to have known this procedure (receiving donations to the military) and complied with it. When questioned as to why he didnt do so, he replied that he was aware of the procedure but did not think it was necessary to do so in respect of the donation of the pickup.



For unexplained reasons, all correspondences and documents pertaining to the request, approval and donation of Nissan Pickup reg no GN 4240 15 to HQ S/C have been removed or vanished from all files at HQ S/Comd and do not exist on any file or office in GAF. This case of missing documents is contrary to Section 250 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 and Section 54 (a) of the Ghana Armed Forces Act 1962 (Act 105).



Brig Adeti in the course of the raging controversy, handed over the vehicle to the Provost Marshal on 18 June, 16 with the expression that he was doing so out of his own volition. He had earlier stated that he did not know the location of the spare key and documents covering the said pickup.



Another critical portion of the report states, The act or conduct of Brig Gen SK Adeti in declining to disclose or surrender the said vehicle at the time it was donated, but rather to decide to do so on 18 June, 16 after publications in the press on 10 and 14 June, 16 respectively and after the Army HQ Convening Order for a Summary Investigation on 17 June, 16; is prejudicial to good order and discipline contrary to Section 54 of the Ghana Armed Forces Act 1962 (Act 105).

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 Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has revealed that the ever popular Gold House located around Kawukudi area is former President Mahamas private resident.



According to Anthony Nukpenu, President Mahama has packed out of the No. 3, Prestige Link, Cantonments bungalow and now living in his private home comfortably with his family.



Speaking on Eye Witness News, the NDC organizer confirmed that since former President Mahamas return from Nigeria and Bamako he has not set foot at the Cantonment bungalow.



The last time I came into contact with president Mahama was around Gold House, he told the host.



When asked whether Gold House is the ex- presidents private home, Anthony Nukpenu responded in the affirmative. He also gave a conflicting account whether he was referring to the Presidents brother, Ibrahim Mahamas home or Mahamas private resident.



The brothers home is his home, whatever home his brother is occupying is ex-president Mahams home. The owner of the house will only show by documentation, whoever put it up may not necessarily be the owner of the house he insisted.



Mr Nukpenu flatly denied knowledge of assertion that a private citizen in Accra has offered Former president Mahama a residential apartment at Airport residential area to live in with his family.



The NDC man also described as sheer hypocrisy and mischief on the part of the NPP and its leader, Nana Akufo-Addo regarding the resettlement of President Mahama and all the row on his bungalow request.



These are people you cannot trust in one bit, the dishonesty of people you think you can trust but we should be looking far. And that was what an out-going government and its officials didnt see it coming. Dealing with the NPP one needs to be very careful and if you want to eat with them you use a very long spoon, Anthony Nukpenu cautioned.



The former President Mahama had earlier refused to leave a state bungalow despite the expiration of his tenure saying he had been given the nod to own the property.



President Mahama subsequently in a letter addressed to President Akufo-Addo and copied to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on January 10, 2017 withdrew his request to keep the state bungalow as his retirement home and another property as his office.



He did not give further explanation for his decision but said, 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.

Source: asempanews.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The office of former President Jerry Rawlings has rebuffed suggestions in social media publications that he intended to illegally appropriate for himself a piece of land at Ridge, Accra.



His office says the former President wrote officially to the immediate past government to request for a piece of land for the establishment of a Rawlings Foundation, which he intended to dedicate to humanitarian, educational, population control, HIV AIDS, health-related projects, the preservation of nature and the promotion and preservation of cultural values.



The Lands Commission in Accra subsequently wrote to Rawlings in May 2016, informing him that then President John Mahama had approved the allocation of the land, a 4.368 acre land on the Sekou Toure Street, Ridge Residential Area, a chunk of which already houses his residence and office.



A statement by the Communications Directorate of the office of the former President, signed by Mr. Kobina Andoh Amoakwa, said consequent to this, Rawlings made further suggestions to the government, but a response directing action by the Lands and Natural Resources Minister only reached the minister on December 12, 2016 because Ambassador Kwesi Quartey, Secretary to the then President claimed he only discovered the letter directing action on the land misplaced among his papers a few days after the General elections.



No lease agreement was thus reached with the government, the office of former President Rawlings said, irrespective of documents pointing to substantial discussions on the matter.



Read Mr Rawlings's reaction to the issue and corresponding documents on the matter below.





PRESS RELEASE





January 17, 2017





RE: ALLOCATION OF PLOT TO H.E. JERRY JOHN RAWLINGS



Our attention has been drawn to information currently in the public domain of communication between The Lands Commission and His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings, former President of the Republic.



As per the content of the said communication a plot was allocated to His Excellency Rawlings for the purposes of the establishment of the Rawlings Foundation.



Upon receipt of the notification His Excellency replied to the said directive and requested for adjoining lands to the said property also for the purposes of the Foundation, which he intends to dedicate to humanitarian, educational, population control, HIV AIDS, health related projects, the preservation of nature and the promotion and preservation of cultural values.



Unfortunately the response dated May 9, 2016 received no reply till 12th December, 2016 when the Secretary to the President, Ambassador Kwesi Quartey discovered the letter misplaced among his papers and wrote to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to act upon.



No lease agreement was thus reached with the government.





Signed:



Kobina Andoh Amoakwa

(Communications Directorate)

Source: Peacefmonline.com with additional files from Graphic.com.gh









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
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.
Queensland Police raided a property in Glenarbon, near Goondiwindi in Queensland, early on Monday morning, only to find nearly 100 animals residing there, many of which were malnourished and/or injured.

Investigators found that many of the animals did not have adequate shelter or water, and two of the dogs required emergency treatment.

The RSPCA have said that majority of the dogs found were American Staffordshire bull terriers, Australian and American bulldogs, French bulldogs and pitbulls.

RSPCA Queensland chief inspector Daniel Young said the conditions that the animals were living in were very disturbing:

There was inadequate shelter and water and a number of the dogs were carrying injuries that needed urgent veterinary treatment. There was one dog that was sharing a small space with a dog that was deceased and there were the remains of a number of corpses lying near dogs that were tethered. Wed like to sincerely thank Queensland Police for their invaluable assistance in this operation.

Theres a few photos from the RSPCA below: [WARNING: EXTREMELY HEARTBREAKING]

81 dogs and puppies and 10 cats were seized from the property and had been moved to the RSPCAs Animal Welfare Campus in Wacol for further care.

Investigations are currently ongoing, and police would like to hear from you if you have purchased a pet from a 40-year-old man, with property on Bosnjaks Road in Glenarbon.

Now, if youll excuse us, well be over here crying about all the beautiful, perfect, innocent puppers and kitters, none of which deserve to be mistreated and tortured by deadass human beings. Beyond awful.

Source: ABC.

Photos: RSPCA.
**Content Warning: This article uses terms that may be upsetting to some readers, especially those within the transgender community.**

Despite a petition in 2014 to try and change the name, the events known as Tranny Bingo (which will be referred to as T Bingo in this article) are still being held across Sydney and beyond in 2017.

When the petition ran, Penny Tration, the founder of the bingo nights, declared on Facebook that the use of the word for their events was not from a place of hatred, and that the people putting on the events were in no way transphobic.

Though it may be true that the people who run the T Bingo nights do not identify as transphobes, the action of using transphobic language in venues that are spaces where transgender people very likely feel unwelcome and threatened normalises the word, making it seem okay for everyone to use it as they please.

Its been almost three years since that petition, and despite our understanding of transgender communities and language that is harmful to vulnerable groups, T Bingo still exists.



No trolls in the bingo halls, pls.





Whats changed?

Last year we saw Karl Stevanovic publicly apologise for using the word tranny repeatedly on national television, the Bank Hotel in Newtown was called out for using Tranny Two-Up on ANZAC Day, less than 100 metres from where Stephanie McCarthy was physically assaulted for her gender, and Laverne Cox admitted she felt uncomfortable when recording Sweet Transvestite for FOXs reboot of Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Society has been a lot more exposed to the fluidity of gender, and (I hope) weve begun to accept that identity is not just black and white.

Diversity is a something that is discussed a lot more openly, as people who identify as something beyond the male/female binaries garner more of a voice for themselves.

Yet the word is still plastered on signs and banners on venues across the city, drawing punters in to engage with the term, normalising the language  making it seem ok for people outside of the trans community to use it with little regard to how it affects others.

Surely after the last couple of years of society learning more about how negative the connotations are with the term, we can now have the conversation again about T Bingo.



Dab down. (Photo: Getty Images / Boston Globe.)

PEDESTRIAN.TV spoke to Liz Duck-Chong and Harriet de Kok  two people from within the trans community  about the meaning of the word and how nights like T Bingo are perpetuating the normalisation of a slur among others, especially cis-gendered people.

Like much of the language of queer diaspora, the history is murky and contexts often change, but the word as it exists today is specifically wielded against transgender people, and predominantly transgender women, Liz tells PEDESTRIAN.TV.

To me, the term tranny means fear, it means a lack of safety. I see a sign for tranny bingo on the way to work every day and feel a roll in my gut. Ive only ever had it used at me, by people who have tried to hurt or discredit me.

I see it as a term used to point out and remind me that the person using it and society more widely sees me and other trans women as less human, as unnatural things, as undesirable, adds Harriet.

Pubs around the Sydney area including Coopers Hotel in Newtown, Town Hall Hotel in Balmain and The Sugarmill Hotel in Kings Cross play host to the bingo nights regularly.

To their credit, they bring the chaos, charm, and quick wit of drag into spaces that are normally dominated by traditionally very straight-down-the-barrel, no-glitter-whatsoever events.

Im not saying that exposing more people to the culture of drag and cabaret to more people is a bad thing, but it certainly can be done without using words that are obviously controversial, and harmful to others.

Bringing a more diverse audience to these events will help normalise drag as a legitimate form of performance art, Harriet says. However, when this is done with events using slurs in their names, this also normalises these slurs as acceptable words and contributes to a culture that disregards the pain caused and associated with the use of these slurs.



Reclamation or Risque?

The phrase T Bingo itself holds a lot of power. Its risque, its controversial, and its an eye-catcher. Its powerful in that it holds a lot of taboo.

It signifies something that is typically associated with nannas at the bowlo, and turns it into an event that younger people can attend without feeling like theyre on a date with their grandparents.



NSF-ya nan (Photo: Getty Images / Rick Friedman.)

It draws in people by using a word that people outside of the trans community identifies as being something that holds power, but are typically unaware of how damaging that word is to those that see it as a very serious slur.

Its one that others trans folk, dismisses their personal experiences, and erases their existence as legitimate people expressing their preferred gender.

A part of the reason why these events havent tried to change is because theyre typically run by drag queens  people who are traditionally cis-gendered men who can revert to their lives once they take off their make-up and wig, their character.

When drag queens are cis men who can take off their costume and go about their lives without risk of transmisogynistic violence, reclaiming slurs is often less of a big deal  they are less likely to have experienced the pain associated with being called a slur in an intentionally malicious way, or the violence that can accompany the verbal abuse, Harriet says. So they lack the understanding of the pain, while still understanding that it is a controversial word  so they use it to stand out and grab attention.

Interestingly, searching drag queen bingo on Instagram brings up countless popular bingo nights from across the world  all killing it as events without any use of transphobic slurs.

Theres one group  Sydney Drag Queens  that run drag queen bingo nights led by Miss Prada Clutch in a couple of selected venues in NSW, but the overwhelmingly popular events are those that use derogatory terms to draw punters in.

Maybe its time that Australian bingo nights consider following in the sparkle-heeled footsteps of the international drag bingo scene.

Photo: World of Wonder.
Turkish security forces have reportedly arrested Abdulkadir Masharipov, the man who killed 39 people in a shooting at an Instanbul nightclub on New Years Day.

He was reportedly captured in Esenyurt, Istanbul, after allegedly being on the run since the attack in the early hours of January 1st. He was reportedly with his son when he was captured.

An image is circulating on social media purporting to be Masharipov at the point of arrest by Turkish authorities:

During the manhunt, Turkish authorities reportedly detained up to the 35 people.

Well keep you posted as more develops.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald.

Photo: Facebook.
I love beer. I just love beer so much. Few things make me happier than the thought of just sitting down, staring into space and knocking back a beer. Beer is the juice that fuels my life.

I also love yoga, but in a very different way. I love the idea of yoga. Ive thought about doing yoga probably once a week since 2008. I have never done yoga. Could I stand to be a bit more flexible? God, yes. Could I do with a little more muscle tone? Sure. Will I start doing yoga of my own volition? Very likely no.

Its intimidating  people who do yoga are all sort of well, yoga-y. They are the sort of people youd expect to do yoga who are already very good at yoga. Im the sort of person who likes to drink beers  will there ever be yoga for me?

The answer to that rhetorical question is: yes. Its called BierYoga (if you didnt guess, its German for BeerYoga) and its yoga, with beers, and its coming to Sydney this weekend.

BierYoga is visiting from Germany and it sounds like they take this stuff pretty seriously:

BeerYoga is the marriage of two great loves  beer and yoga. Both are centuries-old therapies for body, mind and soul. The joy of drinking beer and the mindfulness of yoga compliment each other, and make for an energizing experience. BeerYoga is fun but its no joke  we take the philosophies of yoga and pair it with the pleasure of beer-drinking to reach your highest level of consciousness.

The deal is you pay $10 for entry then pay at the bar for your one or two beers, which you dont just drink throughout but also incorporate into your poses.

If that sounds exactly like your jam, therell be two sessions in Sydney this weekend, both at The Sheaf in Double Bay, one at 6pm on Friday and one at 2pm on Sunday. You can check out more details here.

Source: Broadsheet.

Photo: BierYoga.
It seems that every day is a big day on Twitter for the big dog Donald Trump, but today has been something special.



Earlier this evening, the American president-elect re-tweeted this appreciative gem about his daughter, Ivanka:

There are two things to note about tweet, both of which say a bit about his personality.

The first is that Trump was, in all likelihood, searching Twitter for mentions of his name and retweeting the goods.

This hypothesis is bolstered by this self-congratulatory retweet, hurled out half an hour earlier:

@levisteveholt: @realDonaldTrump I appreciate your use of Twitter to keep us informed and maintain transparency. Very dishonest media!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2017

The second  and most important  thing to recognise is that ol m8 Dr. Goodspine tagged the wrong Ivanka. And Donald didnt exactly catch it in time.

@Ivanka actually belongs to Ivanka Majic, a digital consultant from Brighton in the UK, meaning Trump just exposed her online profile to a cool 20 million followers.

What is a misidentified Ivanka to do? Use her bewildering platform to advocate for climate change awareness while delivering a burn of her own, thats goddamn what:

@realDonaldTrump @drgoodspine And youre a man with great responsibilities. May I suggest more care on Twitter and more time learning about #climatechange. pic.twitter.com/kBMEGZYtig  Ivanka Majic (@ivanka) January 17, 2017

Seeing as climate change is more than likely the greatest threat to our species existence, its a damn good thing Majic used her exposure to promote the fact there really is scientific consensus around the issue.

Speaking to the BBC just after this went down, Majic said shes had this username for about a decade, and its a common mistake for Twitter users to mistake the two.

So much so, in fact, that she activated a Twitter bot during the election for everyone who accidentally mentioned me encouraging them to vote for Hillary [Clinton].

As always:

Source: BBC.

Photo: Mark Makela / Getty.
Volley Australia has earned itself the most revered of celebrity endorsements: the pearl-clutching think of the children cries from an ultra conservative lobbyist. And its bloody well-earned, too.

Its latest campaign  called #grassroots  is a tee-up with Ansell condoms, and features a bunch of near-naked good-looking people frolicking in cars and what not. Yknow, the good stuff.

The message is all about being comfortable in your own skin (and selling volleys), safe sex (and volleys) and loving who you want to love (and flogging loads of product).

It also crucially uses the word root multiple times in its copy. Were all about rooting, it says, meaning rooting as in for change, but also rooting as in fucking, because Aussie humour is nothing if not as subtle as an out-of-control cement truck.

Which brings us to Australian Christian Lobby campaigner Wendy Francis, who saw Volleys latest campaign and took it upon herself to warn parents about this sinful website.

Parents be aware Dunlop Volley still sell sandshoes for school kids, but their website has R rated images as theyre now all about rooting  Wendy Francis (@wendyjoyfrancis) January 17, 2017

Obviously, everyone took the absolute piss, because Twitter people are either for rooting or against rooting, and all the good ones firmly fall under the former.

my shoes have a hole in them & now im buying some dunlop volleys because of that dumb as shit tweet  Lucy Valentine (@LucyXIV) January 17, 2017

I actually refuse to root anyone who doesnt wear Volleys.  Kemal Atlay (@kemal_atlay) January 17, 2017

just cracked a half volley  kombucha commando (@maxuthink) January 17, 2017

Throw on your Volleys, cop a root  Rob Stott (@Rob_Stott) January 17, 2017

saddened to admit that i too am all about rooting pic.twitter.com/XW0WSnFoFc  Colley (@JamColley) January 17, 2017

the ACL is worried about the R rated images on this Dunlop campaign about safe sex. Do NOT share these images, repeat DO NOT pic.twitter.com/SZFy5rt9GN  Josh Butler (@JoshButler) January 17, 2017

Wish I owned a pair of volleys now. Because Im all about rooting.  Shaun Dogga (@src89) January 17, 2017

Get rooted, mates.

Photo: Volley Australia.
Australia is so chock-a-block full of things ready-made to kill humans that we sometimes forget about the humble kangaroo. Well, we all know theyre capable of some serious damage, but shaping up against our iconic marsupial just doesnt happen that often.

Still, Melbourne woman Debbie Urquharts story is a timely reminder of exactly how dangerous roos can be.

Over the weekend, Urquhart was attacked by an errant roo in Templestowe while out for a jog. She sustained some pretty serious gashes during the incident which required emergency surgery, and images of the aftermath propelled her story around the nation.

Now, Urquhart has spoken to The Project about that seriously horrific ordeal, saying Ive never been so terrified in all my life.

Shes also issued a warning to other residents who use the trail:

All I wanted to do was to make it aware to the public, that theres a lot of children who are bike riding along that area little kids on bikes and stuff, I just want to make people aware that theres a nasty kangaroo around.

Catch her retelling of the events below, and remember to keep an eye out for unexpectedly aggressive fauna:

We speak to a Melbourne jogger recovering from a vicious kangaroo attack. #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/7hOHGs7Y3M  #TheProjectTV (@theprojecttv) January 17, 2017

Source and photo: The Project / Twitter.
PennLive Business 2017

Sacunas has relocated to the Horace King Mansion in Harrisburg.

(Photo provided.)

Adam Vasquez, owner of Sacunas.

The historic Horace King Mansion on Front Street in Harrisburg has a new occupant. The mansion at 2201 N. Front St., is the new home for Sacunas, a midstate marketing company.

"We wanted to be in a building that felt like this," Adam Vasquez, the owner of Sacunas said. "It's a beautiful building."

In June of 2015, Vasquez purchased Sacunas, a marketing company from Nancy Sacunas. Vasquez had the opportunity to purchase the building that housed Sacunas at 835 Sir Thomas Court in Lower Paxton Township which was owned by Nancy Sacunas. The company leased space up until the end of 2016 but, chose to lease space at the mansion in Harrisburg instead.

"We wanted to be more centralized," he said. "We wanted to be on the river."

The 9,400-square-foot facility on Sir Thomas Court has been purchased and will house an animal emergency and specialty center, according to a press release from NAI CIR, who represented both parties in the real estate transaction.

Sacunas's new space on Front Street is larger and even includes gym space, Vasquez said.

In the short time that Vasquez has owned the company, he has expanded quickly. Last year Sacunas opened offices in Chicago, Illinois and Portland, Oregon. Sacunas also acquired Harrisburg-based FreeFall Creative, a marketing agency specializing in branding and digital design. FreeFall's managing partner, Jay Bowser and two other employees joined Saunas. The company employed six full-time people when Vasquez purchased the company. By March, he plans to employ 50 people. There are about 30 employees in the Harrisburg office

Vasquez, who previously worked for TE Connectivity and Solera Holdings, says that what separates Sacunas from a lot of other marketing companies is the company's customer research where Sacunas researches how clients perceive and interact with a company's brand. The company's four departments includes customer experience, brand experience, digital experience and public experience. The four departments work together to create, execute and manage a company's strategy based on research, Vasquez said.

Within those departments, the company offers a number of services including mobile application development, search engine marketing, public relations, crisis communications, data analytics and other services.

Vasquez has high hopes for additional expansion and he also chose to lease space rather than purchase a building in order to save money to expand and possibly acquire other companies. He hopes to not just expand locally but, also nationally and internationally in places like Europe and China. Sacunas says the company currently works with companies in about 50 cities around the world.

Sacunas, which was was founded in 1990, moved to the mansion at the beginning of the month. Vasquez says there's plenty of room for growth at the new Harrisburg office on Front Street, and is excited about the move.

"It's a great place for us to work," Vasquez said.

PENNLIVE BUSINESS IN 2017
A 36-year-old Allentown man went to Pa. police earlier this month to report a woman for "exposing herself" in the woods. Actually, the 50-something woman who is still on the lam apparently "mooned" the man as he drove through the woods in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County.

As a result, he promptly went to police.

As our sister website, LehighValleyLive.com, the male "victim," who is not identified by name in the story, told police he was driving through a wooded area along Twin Ponds Road in the township around 3:50 p.m. when he encountered the woman, whom he described as being in her 50s with dirty blonde hair and wearing all black clothing.

Then it happened.

According to the male victim, when the woman saw him, she promptly pulled down her pants and showed him her buttocks, police tell LehighValleyLive.com.

The case remains unsolved.
Amid a busy Weis supermarket in Luzerne County Monday afternoon, a 16-year-old boy stabbed a woman in the back, igniting shock among the other shoppers.

UPDATE:

WNEP-TV reports the boy, who was not identified in the report due to his age, attacked a woman by stabbing her in back in the pharmacy area of the Weis store on Memorial Highway in Dallas, Pa., around 1:30 p.m. Monday.

The teen also tried to grab two girls by the hoods of their jackets but they got away, police told WNEP.

The woman, who was not named in the story, was treated and released from a local hospital.

Authorities are crediting her heavy coat for protecting her from being more seriously injured in the stabbing.

Police did not immediately identify a motive in the stabbing.

The boy was arrested and taken into custody to face charges in the incident, WNEP reports.
Jack Black and Jason Schwartzman will be representing Pennsylvania at Sundance.

Maya Forbes' film "The Polka King" will premiere at the acclaimed Sundance Film Festival on Sunday, Jan. 22. It's a biopic of a Grammy-nominated northeast Pennsylvania legend who went from polka to prison, bilking investors out of millions.

Sundance 2017 premieres include Jack Black as a ponzi-scheming polka king and Michael Showalter's THE BIG SICK https://t.co/tGfO8mxPQr pic.twitter.com/ZOlKuSLJCM  RogerEbert.com (@ebertvoices) December 8, 2016

The Sundance website is billing the film as a tragicomedy, which recounts the true story of northeast Pennsylvania "Polka King" Jan Lewan, who rose to polka stardom in the 1980s and early 90s then fell from grace in "what became the world's only known polka Ponzi scheme." Jack Black plays Polish immigrant Lewan, with Jenny Slate as his wife Maria and Jason Schwartzman as his sidekick Mickey.

The film was co-written and directed by Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky, who previously teamed up for "Infinitely Polar Bear." The 95-minute film is based on a 2007 documentary, "The Man Who Would Be Polka King," and will be showcased in the Premieres section of the film festival, with five showings through Jan. 28.

There is no official trailer out for "The Polka King" film -- yet.

Here's the trailer for the documentary:

And now, the story of Jan Lewan, or Jan Lewandowski:

The Polish immigrant and friend of labor leader-turned-Polish President Lech Walesa, Lewan and his orchestra created a polka performance career that earned him a 1995 Grammy nomination and landed him on the stage of places like Trump's Taj Mahal in its heyday. But he also ran a shop in Hazleton selling amber jewelry from Poland, leading tours overseas and bringing back wares. But to keep the business afloat, he started selling shares, promising returns of 12 percent to 20 percent to his investors (many of whom traveled with him). Even after the state warned him to stop selling securities, he continued. Then his band's van crashed in 2001, leaving two musicians dead; Lewan's store went bankrupt; and Lewan went to prison for defrauding about 400 people in 22 states.

He served five years in prison and three years of probation, owing restitution of $4,944,593 in 2012. He had repaid $14,379 by then and was paying at least $400 a month, according to a court order cited by The Standard-Speaker.

After leaving prison in 2009, he returned to Hazleton, The Standard-Speaker reported then, and started to work on polka infused with rap, which influenced him during his time in prison. But in 2016, he was living in Florida, and his website and Facebook page said he was planning to lead a trip to Poland.

"I thought I could reach the highest stars just like that ... when I came to America. When you're coming to America you know everything is waiting for you. That's what I grow with in Poland," Lewan told The Standard-Speaker in 2012. "You come to America, you have everything. Just grab it. It's not that way."

And now, it's up to Jack Black to bring the panache, kitsch and showmanship of Lewan to life in film.
EvansBoyle.jpg

U.S. Reps. Dwight Evans and Brendan Boyle are joining dozens of Democrats in boycotting President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

Two U.S. congressmen from Pennsylvania are joining dozens of Democrats boycotting President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

Reps. Dwight Evans and Brendan Boyle, who represent the Philadelphia area, on Monday said they will not attend Trump's swearing-in on Friday.

"I #StandWithJohnLewis. I will not be attending the inauguration. Russian hacking must be investigated and I do not support the repeal of ACA," Evans said on Twitter.

I #StandWithJohnLewis. I will not be attending the inauguration. Russian hacking must be investigated and I do not support the repeal of ACA  Dwight Evans (@RepDwightEvans) January 16, 2017

Evans was referring to a recent controversy in which Congressman John Lewis called Trump an "illegitimate" president.

Trump responded on Twitter, calling Lewis "all talk" and "no action."

That has prompted a wave of support for Lewis, a civil rights leader and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree.

As of Monday night, about 40 Democrats in Congress said they were skipping the inauguration. So far, Evans and Boyle are the only lawmakers from Pennsylvania.

"The president-elect is attempting to take away healthcare from my constituents and I'm truly concerned about that," Evans told CBSPhilly.

"Secondly, in terms of the Russian hacking, I think that should be taken serious and should be investigated by Democrats and Republicans alike," he said to the TV station. "Last, but not least, his attack on Congressman John Lewis who is one of my heroes. John Lewis is all about action."

In a statement Monday, Boyle called Trump a "unique threat" to the Constitution and country.

Boyle, who said he believes in the peaceful transfer of power, said after two months of contemplation, he decided he can't participate in the inaugural celebration.

"I accept the decision of the people," Boyle said. "I respect it. But I will not celebrate it."

Boyle on Saturday responded to Trump's tweets about Lewis, saying, "You sir are not half the man he is."

Boyle also tweeted photos of himself with Lewis in solidarity.

.@repjohnlewis is a hero and I'm lucky to call him a colleague. You sir are not half the man he is. @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/f7VwPYQNiz  US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) January 14, 2017
JacksonHunter

Jackson Hunter, 8, arrived Monday to receive a life-saving treatment at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

(Facebook)

His parents are calling Children's Hospital of Philadelphia his last hope.

Jackson Hunter, an 8-year-old boy from Florida, arrived in the city Monday to begin a six-week treatment his mom and dad hope will destroy his aggressive form of cancer.

Since August 2015, Jackson has been battling acute lymphoid leukemia, and his body hasn't responded to previous care plans.

"He does not react to chemo," his mom Gina Hunter told FOX 29 in Philly. "He cannot get a bone marrow transplant unless he is completely under remission. It would have just taken over his body."

Now he is in Philadelphia for what she described as his "last hope" - a T-cell treatment not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Eric Hunter carries his 8-year-old son, Jackson, off of a private jet in Philadelphia.

The trip was made possible by an anonymous donor who shared his personal Learjet and pilot because Jackson is too sick to ride on a commercial flight.

A Facebook campaign, #Action4Jackson, and GoFundMe account has been set up to help the Hunter family pay for housing in Philadelphia, additional travel costs and more. His father, Eric Hunter, has also stopped working to help care for his son, according to the campaign.

The GoFundMe effort for Jackson has raised about $22,000 of its $30,000 goal. Find the page here.

When a FOX 29 reporter asked what he wanted to say to all the people rooting for him, Jackson said, "I love you all and thank you for rooting for me. I love you all the most."
State College police have charged 11 people in connection with the Dec. 3 riot after Penn State's Big Ten win over Wisconsin.

Estimates were that thousands of fans rallied on East Beaver Avenue the night of the 38-31 win, damaging property. After the team's upset win over Ohio State in October, 13 people were charged.

Charged in the Dec. 3 riot were:

Eli J. Wood, 19, Penn State student: Riot (felony), criminal mischief (misdemeanor), failure to disperse (misdemeanor), disorderly conduct (misdemeanor).

Kenneth Anderson, 18, Penn State student: Failure to disperse (misdemeanor), disorderly conduct (misdemeanor).

Sung Joon Roh, 19, Penn State student: Failure to disperse (misdemeanor).

Eric K. Zimmerer, 20, Penn State student: Failure to disperse (misdemeanor), disorderly conduct (misdemeanor), criminal mischief (summary).

Troy E. Johnson, 39: Failure to disperse (misdemeanor), disorderly conduct (summary).

Steven N. Clayton, 21: Disorderly conduct (summary).

Ryan J. Hampson, 23: Public drunkenness (summons).

Nathaniel N. Miller, 22, Penn State student: Disorderly conduct (summary).

Jimmy Wang, 21, Penn State student: Riot (felony), disorderly conduct (misdemeanor).

Samuel L. Dedian, 21, Penn State student: Criminal mischief (summary).

Robert F. Wasileski, 20, Penn State student: Riot (felony), police animals (felony), failure to disperse (misdemeanor).

All defendants who are currently Penn State students will also be referred to Penn State University's Office of Student Conduct for further disciplinary action, police said. The Office of Student Conduct will engage its conduct process to hold students accountable for the behaviors that violate the University Code of Conduct.

Those found responsible can face sanctions up to and including expulsion from the University.
Josh Shapiro was sworn in Tuesday as Pennsylvania's sixth elected Attorney General, bearing pledges to exercise his new law enforcement powers without fear or favor, and to serve as a steadfast protector of civil rights for all.

"Let me be very clear," Shapiro said, addressing a packed house at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in downtown Harrisburg. "Anyone who tries to roll back your rights will have to come through me.

"And, I won't be afraid to stand up to anyone--whether it's the President of the United States, a multi-national corporation, or someone on the street corner."

Shapiro also acknowledged the turmoil the Attorney General's office has passed through and the recovery it is making from the controversy-plagued tenure of the now-ousted Kathleen Kane.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht administers the oath of office to Attorney General Josh Shapiro, with his family at his side. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro takes the oath of office at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg, Tuesday, January 17, 2017. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com

Kane, who was accused of engaging in a constant stream of personal vendettas while in office, resigned last August after being convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice.

She is appealing her conviction.

But addressing the staff he has inherited, many of whom dotted the audience, Shapiro credited the work current Attorney General Bruce Beemer has done since Kane's exit, and vowed to make integrity job one in his tenure.

"I know you have been through a lot in recent years," Shapiro said in a sentiment aimed at attorneys, agents and support staff. "But I know how hard you work, how dedicated you are and today we open a new chapter together.

"No Pennsylvanian should ever again have to question the integrity of our office."

To back that up, Shapiro - who personally will be taking a prosecutor's job for the first time - has already picked experienced Bucks County prosecutor Michelle Henry as his first deputy, and created a new Chief Integrity Officer position in the office.

Shapiro also seemed to acknowledge Tuesday the ongoing concerns about fairness in the criminal justice system stemming both from the string of controversial police-involved shootings nationally, and closer to home, the email scandal that has ended two state Supreme Court justice's careers and embarrassed many in Pennsylvania's criminal justice system.

"We will work every day," Shapiro promised, "to restore your faith in the justice system and protect the rights, safety and welfare of all Pennsylvanians."

The 43-year-old Shapiro is a former staffer to U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel, represented a portion of Montgomery County in the state House from 2005 through 2011 and, most recently, has been chairman of the Montgomery County board of commissioners.

He defeated state Sen. John Rafferty, R-Montgomery County, in the 2016 general election.

Shapiro was one of three state row officers taking the oath of office Tuesday.

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale of York begins his second four-year term, and new state Treasurer Joe Torsella, a former chair of the State Board of Education, was scheduled to take his oath this afternoon at ceremonies in Harrisburg's Camp Curtin Academy Middle School.
Update: Reed's lawyers fire back

As former Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed's theft trial nears, state prosecutors are asking the judge to bar Reed's defense from bringing up two topics.



First, the attorney general's office doesn't want the jury to hear any mention of that fact that prosecutors have withdrawn or downgraded some of the charges against Reed for allegedly stealing city-owned historic artifacts.



Secondly, they don't want the ex-mayor's lawyers to introduce any evidence they can't back with valid, authenticated documentation, particularly information regarding two artifact auctions.



Senior Judge Kevin A. Hess had not ruled on either of those motions as of Tuesday. Jury selection for Reed's trial is slated to begin Monday morning in Dauphin County Court.



The 67-year-old Reed is to be tried on 112 charges that he stole historic artifacts purchased by the city during the latter years of his 28-year tenure as mayor. His trial is to begin eight years after his departure from office.



The case against Reed is really a shadow of what it was when he initially was charged in 2015. Originally, prosecutors also accused him of running a corrupt organization that put the city's finances in a death spiral during his tenure as mayor.



Hess dismissed all 305 of those corruption-related charges in May, agreeing with Reed's lawyers that prosecutors waited too long to file them and so the statute of limitations on that element of the case had expired.



According to the latest court filings, Deputy Attorney General Rebecca S. Franz is asking Hess to bar Reed's lawyers from introducing the downgrading and withdrawal of some of the surviving charges in his theft case during his trial on grounds that such information is irrelevant.



Presenting that information could unfairly prejudice and confuse the jurors, she argued. If Hess denies her request, Franz is asking to be allowed to call an expert in prosecutions to counter any defense testimony.



Reed has insisted he didn't steal anything from the city and that he legally obtained items authorities seized from his home nearly two years ago. His lawyers have petitioned the court for the return of most of the 1,791 items that were taken.



Hess has scheduled a hearing on the ex-mayor's request for March.




prison bars key.jpg

(File photo)

A wanted Adams County man managed to essentially capture himself after accidentally calling 911 last week, according to state police.

The incident occurred on Jan. 14 at a home along the first block of Tunnel Lane in Hamiltonban Township when Dalton Lee Brooks, 26, made the call, police said.

"While en route to the residence, it was learned that a resident of that location (Brooks) had an active warrant out of Maryland," police said.

Police did not provide additional information about Brooks' Maryland warrant.

Police said the call was an accident and that there was no emergency at Brooks' home. He was then taken into custody.
nicole leahy.png

Nicole Leahy

(Lititz police)

A Lancaster County woman is accused of creating a GoFundMe account to raise money for a Florida family that lost a 1-year-old boy, but never giving the family any of the proceeds.

Lititz police said Nicole Leahy, 31, of Lititz, created the account in December 2015 with the written purpose of raising money to pay for boy's medical and funeral expenses. Charging documents show Leahy and the boy's mother knew each other through a support group for mothers of twins on Facebook.

The victim told police her family had already created a fundraising page to raise money for her son's illness and expenses when she saw another page with the same information in April 2016. Additionally, the victim said she hadn't received the $560.17 raised by the fraudulent GoFundMe campaign. GoFundme said in a statement that the money did get to the family in May 2016.

The victim discovered the Facebook account associated with the fake campaign belong to "Nikki Leahy" from Lititz, police said. Police interviewed Leahy, who admitted to creating the account and raising money for the victim's family, but Leahy told police she used the money to buy gift cards and sent them to the victim's family.

Police said there were no documents to prove Leahy purchased the gift cards or sent anything to the victim. Leahy also didn't know the family's Florida address, the victim told police, adding that if she wanted to help, she could have donated to the existing GoFundMe account for her son's expenses.

Leahy is charged with a misdemeanor count of theft by deception. She is scheduled for formal arraignment in county court at 9 a.m. Feb. 10.

GoFundMe issued the following statement in response to the charges against Leahy:

"First, it's important to remember that misuse is extremely rare on our platform. Campaigns with misuse make up less than one tenth of one percent of all campaigns. With that said, there are unfortunate and rare instances where people create campaigns with the intention to take advantage of others' generosity. In the small handful of cases where misuse occurs, GoFundMe takes action to resolve the issue. In this case, we worked with law enforcement officials, recovered the funds, and delivered the donations directly to the family in May 2016. Nicole Leahy has been banned from the platform and the family received all funds raised on their behalf."

This post has been updated with a statement from GoFundMe.
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Good Tuesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

Pennsylvania's three, elected statewide row officers all take the oath of office in a series of round-robin ceremonies, starting at 10 a.m., across Harrisburg today.

And we're pained to even have to say this, but as freshmen Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Treasurer Joe Torsella get ready to embark on the adventure that is their four years in office, we have but three words of advice for them:

Don't get indicted.

Yeah ... we know.

Seems pretty simple, right? It's the bare minimum standard expected of most public officials.

But this being Pennsylvania and all ... and ... when we consider the track records of predecessors, who, like you, began with so much promise, and who were both Democrats, well ... y'know ... better safe than sorry.

Shapiro's predecessor, Kathleen Kane, went down on perjury charges after transforming from rising star to Eva Peron with subpoena power. She was found guilty by a Montgomery County jury and sentenced to 10 to 23 months in jail back in October.

Torsella's elected predecessor, Rob McCord, turned out to be little more than an elbow twister in expensive suits. McCord pleaded guilty to federal extortion charges away back in 2015 and is still awaiting sentencing. It's assumed that he's cooperating with the feds on any number of investigations.

So, again, given that history, and given the temptations of power, we'll again offer three words of advice:

Don't get indicted.

Now, as to Auditor General Eugene DePasquale - the Boy Scout thing worked for four years. We've every reason to expect that he won't break the streak.

But still ... if you're even thinking about it. Don't.

America has enough to worry about with the big guy in Washington. It'd be nice if Pennsylvania could get through four years without some kind of political scandal of some kind.

By the way, if you have some free time on your hands and want to bear witness to the the swearing-in ceremonies for the only offices that Pennsylvania Democrats appear capable of winning with any regularity, here's the schedule:

10 a.m.: DePasquale ceremony, Keystone Building, Hearing Room 3, Harrisburg.

12 p.m: Shapiro ceremony, Whitaker Center

2 p.m.: Torsella ceremony, Camp Curtin Elementary School

The rest of the day's news starts now.

Two Pa. Congressmen have jumped on the Trump inaugural boycott bandwagon, PennLive's Candy Woodall reports.

And PennLive's Charlie Thompson explains why the state budget is such a hot mess.

Philly's top public defender says Democratic billionaire George Soros' gang approached her about running for DA, PhillyMag reports.

The Post-Gazette looks at the Sarah Scaife Foundation's ties to the incoming Trump administration.

Here's your #Harrisburg Instagram of the Day:

NewsWorks/WHYY-FM explains why Sen. Bob Casey is "in the zone," as the kids would say.

Hundreds gathered to grieve Monday for slain teenager Grace Packer, The Morning Call reports.

U.S. Reps. Charlie Dent and Brian Fitzpatrick, of Pennsylvania, have joined Congressional Dems in opposing the Obamacare repeal, PoliticsPA reports.

Stateline.org considers whether social media access should be banned in prison (it wasn't already?).

Democrats and their donors are turning their attentions to state Legislatures, Roll Call's Alex Roarty reports.

Politico on the alt.right's arrival in Washington.

Heavy Rotation.

Here's something a little dance-y and trance-y to get your Tuesday morning going.

And now you're up to date. See you all back here in a bit.
donald-trump-0915a6fb90fa86e4.jpg

President-elect Donald Trump (PennLive file)

(File)

On Friday, at noon, Donald J. Trump will put his hand on a Bible, recite the oath of office administered by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, and in just three minutes' time, will become the 45th president of the United States.

But what country does Trump intend to govern? What America will he represent?

It's a question that's more than merely academic.

Just this week, the Republican tweeted that Georgia's 5th Congressional District was "falling apart" and "crime-infested."

Last summer, Trump told a campaign crowd on Virginia that the area around Pennsylvania's capital city of Harrisburg "looked like a war zone," a characterization which the locals understandably pushed back on quite forcefully.

At campaign stop after campaign stop last year, Trump depicted an America in decline, one pushed around by its allies, denigrated by its adversaries and the victim of years of bad trade and economic policies that resulted in the country never "winning" anymore.

And more than once over the last 18 months - only in the context of black voters, and largely before white crowds, he's referred to America's "inner cities" whatever and wherever they are, as "burning" and "crime-infested."

It's tough to think of any incoming president who's spoken in such openly scornful terms about vast swaths of the country he's about to inherit and entrusted to govern for at least the next four years.

Trump presumably knows that the 5th Congressional District, which grabbed headlines this week after its congressman, Democrat John Lewis, questioned Trump's legitimacy and said he'd be skipping the inauguration, is part of the United States.

PolitiFact rated Trump's claim about the district, which includes the booming city of Atlanta and its near suburbs, as "mostly false," acknowledging that, while it does have higher poverty and unemployment rates (barely) than the rest of the country, it is leading on other economic indicators.

Trump's claim that the Harrisburg region is a "war zone" is similarly defeated by a simple examination of the data. Dauphin County, which includes Harrisburg, has weathered the recession better than most of Pennsylvania.

The county's unemployment rate has hovered around 5 percent, the threshold at which most economists say that if someone wants a job - they can find one.

That Trump is unafraid of stretching the truth in pursuit of a broader rhetorical point is hardly a surprise (nor does that make him unique from politicians of either political persuasion).

But his more worrying compulsion is his ongoing (and incorrect) linking of black people and "the inner city," which he continues to depict as nests of poverty where residents can scarcely walk out the door without being shot.

As someone who makes his home in an actual inner city, Midtown Manhattan, Trump's characterizations bear little resemblance to the lives lived by the vast majority of black Americans.

Trump, as a real estate developer, is also almost certainly aware that the gentrification of most cities is pushing out poorer residents, or, alternately concentrating them in ever smaller areas.

So it's no surprise that Trump, who won only 8 percent of the black vote, made those remarks to largely white crowds as he vowed to "make America great again."

Black voters I've spoken with over the last year hear something else entirely in that phrase. Namely, an America that becomes great "again" at their expense, and at the expense of women, gays and other minorities, rolling back the progress of the last 60-odd years.

Trump will take office this week as one of the most unpopular presidents in four decades.

In an ABC News/Washington Post poll released Tuesday, more than half of respondents (54 percent) said they had an unfavorable impression of Trump just days before he takes office.

Compare that to the nearly eight in 10 who had a favorable impression of President Barack Obama in 2008 and the more than six in 10 who said the same thing about Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush as they prepared to take office.

Trump fares even less well than President Ronald Reagan, of whom 58 percent of Americans had a favorable impression, compared to 18 percent who did not.

That means the stakes could not be higher for Trump, who lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million votes, as he delivers his inaugural address.

Will he evoke Reagan, who appealed to the nation's better angels even as he vowed to rein in the size of government?

Will he echo Obama, who praised Americans for choosing "hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," as well as an "end to petty grievances and false promises."

Can Donald Trump, who nurses petty grievances like no other, rise to the occasion and govern all of America?

The onus will be on him Friday to prove that is the case.
kathy-manderino.jpg

Pennsylvania's Labor & Industry Secretary Kathy Manderino would like to see the state's unemployment compensation system return to operating the way it was in November before 521 employees were laid off and three call centers closed, but state lawmakers consider that unrealistic.

(File photo/PennLive.com)

Patience and determination are skills that recently unemployed workers in Pennsylvania have learned over the past month or so are essential in their quest to claim jobless benefits.

Since the state Department of Labor & Industry's unemployment compensation call centers were downsized, those looking to reach an agent find busy signals are more the rule than the exception.

When callers do get through, wait times that used to be 10 minutes now average around two hours.

The only surefire way of getting through to an agent is by going to a CareerLink center. There, though, people often end up in hours-long lines to use a courtesy telephone that offers a direct line to a call center agent.

"If the system was working properly everyone should be able to get through on the phone and they shouldn't need to be going into the [CareerLink] centers to try to get through," said Labor & Industry Secretary Kathy Manderino during a telephone interview on Friday.

"That gets to where we are. We are operating a crippled system right now, sadly."

She stands solidly with those who say unemployed Pennsylvanians deserve better customer service.

But until lawmakers and the Gov. Tom Wolf's administration can settle their differences over funding for the system, the waits will continue.

Kristine Gelbaugh endured a 45-minute one day last week when she arrived early to the CareerLink center in Carlisle to use the courtesy phone after long waits when she tried reaching the call centers from home.

"Take your number to wait. You're waiting and you're waiting," Gelbaugh said. "If you are not early enough, 4 o'clock they shut the line and you can't get through."

Manderino said she sympathizes with callers and can understand their frustration.

"We want them to know that we appreciate their patience," she said. "This has not been an easy thing for our staff who pride themselves on their good customer service."

Pointing to statistics that had just become available, Manderino said in the first week of January, a four-day workweek, the department averaged 110 agents to field phone calls on Tuesday and Thursday of that week.

The unemployment call centers only take calls between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays to allow staff the other two days to process benefit claims.

On the two days calls were taken that first week, she said the agents answered 10,308 of them.

During that same week, 18,398 people filed claims for jobless benefits online. Of those 5,109, she said had a discrepancy or incomplete answer that led to a letter going out to those individuals asking them to contact a call center for clarification so their claims could be processed.

The people with incomplete applications are the ones who need to get through to the call centers and why Manderino emphasizes that jobless workers should first try to file their claim online.

"Even if you only partially get through [the application], the agents can handle the calls faster because that information is already in the system and they just have to clarify the information that wasn't in the system," she said.

The department is operating the system now solely on the money it receives from the federal government, Manderino said. It has four centers to handle calls, instead of the seven it had in November, and only about half of the staff it had back then to answer the calls.

Just to briefly recap how it got to this point, the Legislature approved legislation in 2012 to allow a portion of the revenue generated from a tax deducted from working Pennsylvanians' paychecks to go toward modernizing and improving the efficiency of the unemployment compensation system for four years.

The four years ended in December. The department had come to depend on the extra dollars to help it meet or exceed the federal performance benchmarks for customer service while it continued to try a second time to replace its 40-plus-year-old computer system after a failed first effort. It asked for the supplemental funding to continue for four more years.

Lawmakers, however, reminded department officials the supplemental funding was intended to be only temporary.

The House of Representatives approved a bill that gave the department another year to figure out how to operate solely on federal funding, which has been declining over the past five years. Along with it, they asked for an audit to be done to identify how the $178 million in supplemental funding provided over the past four years was spent.

The Senate ended up not acting on the bill by the time legislative session ended, leading the governor to carry through with the layoffs and call center closings he warned would occur if the funding bill wasn't approved.

A new legislative session has now begun. Lawmakers are return to Harrisburg next week but little has been resolved about what happens next.

Manderino remains determined to push for continued state funding, pointing out more than 20 other states supplement their federal dollars to operate their unemployment compensation systems.

"I want the level of service and I know the governor wants the level of service for the citizens of Pennsylvania that we had back in November" when all seven call centers were fully operational, she said. "We were able to deliver good customer service and we were able to provide an effective and efficient system."

But Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre County, and newly appointed House Labor and Industry Committee Chairman Rob Kauffman, R-Franklin County, have a different view of the situation.

Saying it would be irresponsible to hand over money for another year without a plan to know when the need for the extra money would end, Corman pointed out a few states rely primarily on an online unemployment compensation system.

"If they need investment in technology for an online system, okay, great. Ask for it. They haven't at this point in time," he said.

Kauffman said going back to how the system operated in November "is probably not realistic" primarily because the system no longer looks like it did two months ago.

He believes going to an online system with less human interaction is appropriate.

Re-emphasizing his caucus' call for redesigning government, Kauffman pointed out many private sector businesses moved to online customer service systems to cut costs.

"I think we should be moving in that direction," he said.

Manderino, however, isn't sure unemployed citizens are ready for an online-only system when it comes to claiming benefits to help them get by until they find work again.

"That's why you see lines at CareerLinks," she said. "There is just a segment of our citizenry that is not comfortable making internet claims. They don't have the capacity. They don't have the skills. Or they don't have the confidence and they just want to talk to somebody."

Additionally, Pennsylvania's unemployment compensation law is written in a way that allows for judgment calls to be made to determine a person's eligibility for benefits. Other states have laws that don't allow for those judgment calls, she said.

She plans to meet with lawmakers after their return to Harrisburg in hopes of educating them further on how the system best operates, she said.

"I'm going to be over there with bells and whistles on," she said. "I think it's important that we get back to a well-functioning organization that serves the needs of Pennsylvania."

Meanwhile, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale is soon expected to announce whether he will perform an audit to investigate how the state dollars to prop up the unemployment system the past four years have been spent.
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer Joe Smyth takes the stand at the Commission of Inquiry into the death of Donald Dunphy in St.John's on Monday, January 16, 2017 for his first day of questioning. Smyth, who shot Dunphy in April 2015, is the only witness to the event and is expected to be on the stand for the next three days. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly
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.
Thanks for the tweet, Mayor Kenney, but the Great Rittenhouse Square No-Sitting Controversy is far from over.

For those of you who managed to stay away from your social-media feeds last weekend, Philadelphia's mayor took to Twitter on Saturday night to reverse his administration's new ban on the time-honored practice of parking your bottom atop Rittenhouse Square's elegant limestone balustrades. The tweet was a response to the mounting outrage over the ban's exclusionary implications, and to plans for a "Sittenhouse Lunchtime Sit-on" on Tuesday. "This government is very large and at times things just get by you," an apologetic Kenney wrote. "Sit where you want."

There is something wonderful about having a mayor who can be so self-effacing and responsive, and he immediately received an outpouring of praise for the message. He later tapped out another tweet promising to deal with the details later this week. Yet, as the country is quickly learning, Twitter statements are not the same as policy-making.

Two days after his declaration, a stack of issues remain unresolved: The offensive (and seriously twee) signs, which bear the logo of the city's Parks and Recreation department, remain in place next to the balustrades that encircle the square's central court. The park's security guards must not be Twitter users because they were apparently unaware of the mayor's decree as late as Sunday, according to several people who attempted to take to the walls.

We've also heard nothing about the obnoxious police cruiser that has been parked in the square, running its engine and spewing exhaust -- a violation of park rules, incidentally -- pretty much nonstop since October's drug-related shooting. If the problem with the no-sitting signs is that they make the park seem unwelcoming, the cruisers practically exude a police-state sensibility.

So, though the mayor's tweet was a crowd-pleaser, it addresses only the most superficial aspect of the larger problem: the city's increasing reliance on a private partner to manage and fund this most beloved and democratic of Philadelphia public spaces. Even though Rittenhouse Square is in the toniest part of town, there is a strong sense that these gracious seven acres belong to all of us. It's common ground.

Yet, after the Billy Penn website broke the news of the ban last week, that private group, the Friends of Rittenhouse Square, issued a statement that seemed to express more pique than penitence. Because the group raised $1 million to restore the limestone balustrades to pristine condition, the statement suggested the signs were a justified effort to protect its investment from graffiti and vandalism.

That sentiment, along with the police cruiser, is something you might expect from an authoritarian state, not the city we proudly proclaim as the birthplace of liberty. So far, not a single board member has granted an interview to explain their thinking. Of the three emails I sent to three Friends' leaders, not one was answered.

Where's the accountability? Maybe it's a coincidence, but we've seen similarly high-handed behavior from other private parks groups. In the spring, Historic Philadelphia shocked many in the city when it cordoned off another of William Penn's original parks, Franklin Square, for seven weeks in the evenings to host a ticketed Chinese lantern exhibition. It happened again over the summer during the Democratic National Convention, when protesters were told they couldn't assemble on Dilworth Park, managed by the Center City District. Like the Friends of Rittenhouse Square, the boards that run these groups are largely controlled by powerful, monied, but unelected, bigwigs.

That isn't a criticism of the work these groups do. All three have devoted themselves to rebuilding parks that were neglected and underfunded by the city. The Friends have done a superb job of restoring Rittenhouse Square's original balustrades, fountain, and planting beds, laid out by Paul Philippe Cret in 1913. Though the city employs a full-time maintenance person to empty trash cans and flag graffiti, the square wouldn't be the beauty spot it is without the Friends' vigilance. All the landscaping is funded by their contributions.

When you put so much effort into a space, it's hard not to start thinking of it as your own. Pretty soon, you start to feel you have the right to make the rules.

It's been suggested that the real motivation for the sitting ban was to discourage teens and others from smoking marijuana. Sure, that stuff goes on. Drugs were the motivation for the October shooting. Homelessness has also been a problem. But such behaviors can be handled with existing laws. Banning sitting targets everyone.

One of the wonderful things about Cret's design is the way it creates informal neighborhoods: the toddler zone around the goat, the lovers' lane around the perimeter, the bike messengers' break room at the corner of 18th Street, and, yes, the teen zone near the balustrades. A microcosm of the city, the park is the place where we learn to tolerate people who are different from us.

"What makes parks work is having as many types of users as possible," said Chris Bartlett, head of the William Way Community Center, who took to social media to condemn the sitting ban.

It's not only teens who hang out on the balustrade. I fondly recall the hours I spent there under the shade trees, watching my young daughter climb the bronze lion that she called "Aslan." The distance between the balustrade and the sculpture was just far enough that she could play without feeling a parent breathing down her neck.

Until those signs are removed, I would be considered a scofflaw. That's why I plan to stop by Tuesday's Sittenhouse, between noon and 1 p.m.

The mayor's communications director, Lauren Hitt, told me the administration intends to reevaluate its Rittenhouse Square enforcement policies, including the presence of the police cruiser. While they're at it, they should consider how to diversify the membership of the city's private parks groups. Only by including everyone can Rittenhouse Square remain a pristine and democratic space.
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Zira Spa Luxurious Lanna Colonial Spa at Affordable Price in Chiang Mai

We love to travel to Chiang Mai. The cooling weather during the winter season (November until February) or for the Loy Krathong Festival or Ching Yi Festival. There are plenty of good food and places to shop. When it comes to spa, there is one we highly recommend. Zira Spa, the Lanna Colonial Style Spa located in the middle of the Chiang Mai old town.

The first impression of Zira Spa is luxurious. The building is painted in white with architectural design inspired by Lanna style. We checked out their promotional packages and it is surprising affordable so we went into to check it out.

The spa is located at 8/1 Rajvithi Rd, a stone throw away from the popular The Phae Gate (the main gate) in Chiang Mai old town. We were told that it is the largest spa in Chiang Mai. The award winning spa can accommodates up to 60 guests at once and the beauty is all of the rooms are private rooms.

What is Lanna Colonial Style Spa?

The Thai Lanna Massage has been passed on generation to generation, and exclusively pure mineral bath with special herbs. The Thai Lanna is often referred as Northern Thai people. The Lanna Kingdom was merged with Siam Kingdom as the last princess of Lanna Kingdom, Princess Dara Rasmi married to King Rama V of Siam, King Chulalongkorn. Siam is known as Thailand in 1949. Thus, the Thai Lanna Massage is a unique massage mostly available in Northern Thailand.

We got to know this spa by a local friend. Zira Spa has been around for a few years and it is very popular with the locals and the tourists too. The spa opens from 10 am to 10 pm. The beauty of this spa is all of their rooms comes with private jacuzzi. For spa packages of more than three and half hours, you can use the jacuzzi facilities for free (30 min).

After we chose our package, consists of two hours of Lanna Colonial style massage, facial massage, body scrub and free 30 min of Jacuzzi. The total, we spent four hours at Zira Spa so please do plan your time properly if you want to enjoy the spa facilities.

We started off the spa session by choosing the mineral oil for Lanna Colonial style massage. There are five different types of mineral oil to pick so it is up to your preferences. We love the scents of the mineral oils, they are not too strong and soothing for spa session. After choosing the mineral oil, we move to the next session.

First is the feet scrubbing which is a common practise for spa in Thailand. Why they clean your feet? The masseuse going to massage your feet so clean it, it is more hygienic.

They have a few different types of private rooms and all of them comes with the jacuzzi. To us, it is more the less and it depends on individuals and room availability. Most important of all, the rooms are spacious and clean. Hygiene is very important for spas.

After we ushered to our spa room, we went for a quick shower and changed to the spas attire. Then, it was the start of the four hours of spa treatment.

The first was the facial massage. Please take note that this is not a facial treatment, this is a facial massage. The facial massage was very relaxing and soothing. The facial massage was around 20  30 minutes if not mistaken and next will be the Thai massage.

It is a two hours Thai massage with the use of mineral oil. The oil comes with a soothing scent which is not too strong and we slept throughout the massage session. Depending on individual, the masseuse can adjust the strength of the massage. We prefer to have a relaxing massage on our holiday.

The scrub massage is after the Thai massage. The session didnt feel long when it is relaxing. After the scrub massage, we went for a quick shower before the thirty minutes of jacuzzi session.

The masseuse will prepare the jacuzzi for you and you can chill and relax in this family size jacuzzi for thirty minutes (or more depending on spa packages). A quick shower again after the jacuzzi session.

Overall, the spa experience in Zira Spa is outstanding. For the spa package we paid (it is seasonal so please check on their latest promo), it is worth every penny we spent. This is luxury spa in affordable pricing and if you are visiting Chiang Mai, this is a must place to visit. You are paying the service of a six star hotel service with a boutique hotel pricing, what else do you want? We will indefinitely go back there again when we visit Chiang Mai next time.

For more information, visit their website at http://ziraspa.com/

Zira Spa Chiang Mai Address:

8/1 Rajvithi Rd., Sripoom, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Phone: +66 53 222 288

Website: http://ziraspa.com/

GPS: 18.790517, 98.992871

Wilson Ng A Father and traveler who enjoys to eat, shop, travel and taking pictures with Samsung S22 Ultra and Sony ZV-1. Im a full time blogger, youtuber and father for two. I used to travel around 17 International trips per year but now staying at home. Remember to follow us at www.instagram.com/placesandfoods and www.youtube.com/placesandfoods. For advertisements or features, contact me at [email protected] See author's posts
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President Obama is set to leave office with the highest favorability rating of any president in 24 years.

According to Gallup, The president will leave office with a much higher favorable rating than did his immediate predecessor, George W. Bush (40%). Bill Clintons rating (57%) was similar to Obamas, while George H.W. Bush left office in January 1993 with a slightly higher 62% favorable rating. Gallup began measuring presidential favorability using the favorable/unfavorable question format in 1992.

Obamas favorability rating is eighteen points higher than his successor, Donald Trump (40%). The popularity of the Obama administration goes beyond the President. Joe Biden has a 61% favorable rating, which is 19 points higher than Mike Pence (42%). First Lady Michelle Obama is easily the most popular political figure in the country with a 68% approval rating. Melania Trumps favorable rating is 37%.

Barack Obama is finally getting the appreciation that he deserves for being a good to great president. It cant hurt Obamas favorable ratings that he is being followed in office by the human train wreck known as Donald J. Trump.

Trump is not likable, and his behavior has made him reviled by a large segment of the United States of America.

The grace, dignity, and scandal free manner in which Obama served the country will be sorely missed once people get a dose of the Trump administration. Obama deserved better throughout most of his time in office. Many Americans took him and the steady hand with which he guided the country for granted.

No matter what tragedy surrounded us, Obama was there always to calmly and reassuringly reaffirm his belief in the greatness and resilience of the American people.

People may not have realized it, but they will miss the competence and intelligence of Barack Obama after he leaves office.
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Donald Trump continues to face a barrage of criticism over his ties to Russia, and a new report published Monday by the New York Times may make the controversy even worse for the president-elect.

While Trump claims that he has always shied away from doing business in Russia, the Times report shows that the incoming president has spent decades trying to strike deals to get business in the country.

More from the report:

Mr. Trump repeatedly sought business in Russia as far back as 1987, when he traveled there to explore building a hotel. He applied for his trademark in the country as early as 1996. And his children and associates have appeared in Moscow over and over in search of joint ventures, meeting with developers and government officials.

During a trip in 2006, Mr. Sater and two of Mr. Trumps children, Donald Jr. and Ivanka, stayed at the historic Hotel National Moscow across from the Kremlin, connecting with potential partners over the course of several days.

As recently as 2013, Mr. Trump himself was in Moscow. He had sold Russian real estate developers the right to host his Miss Universe pageant that year, and he used the visit as a chance to discuss development deals, writing on Twitter at the time: TRUMP TOWER-MOSCOW is next.

As the Russian market opened up in the post-Soviet Union era, Mr. Trump and his partners pursued Russians who were newly flush with cash to buy apartments in Trump Towers in New York and Florida, sales that he boasted about in a 2014 interview. I know the Russians better than anybody, Mr. Trump told Michael DAntonio, a Trump biographer who shared unpublished interview transcripts with The New York Times.

Seeking deals in Russia became part of a broader strategy to expand the Trump brand worldwide. By the mid-2000s, Mr. Trump was transitioning to mostly licensing his name to hotel, condominium and commercial towers rather than building or investing in real estate himself. He discovered that his name was especially attractive in developing countries where the rising rich aspired to the type of ritzy glamour he personified.

Trumps history of seeking business in the country that helped him win last years election is well-documented, but that didnt stop him from blatantly lying about it at last weeks disaster of a press conference.

I have no dealings with Russia, Trump said, adding: I have no deals that could happen in Russia because weve stayed away.

While Trump is right that none of his deals ever broke through in Russia, its only because his repeated efforts  which the New York Times outlined in the report  failed.

So not only has Trump been soft on Putin and Russia since he began his presidential campaign; he also has a decades-long history of trying to plant financial roots in the country, despite his latest lie claiming otherwise.

With just days until he is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, Trumps Russia problems continue to get worse.
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Since Donald Trump attack civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis, the boycott of his inauguration has grown to 30 members of Congress who will not be attending.

Will Jordan tweeted the updated list:

Now counting 30 Reps not attending inauguration because of Trump. DNC candidate Ellison (MN) & Cohen (TN) make it 16 states represented. pic.twitter.com/H5Cqu3yTqT  Will Jordan (@williamjordann) January 16, 2017

Every member who is boycotting Trumps inauguration comes from a district that Hillary Clinton carried. It isnt a surprise that the boycott has expanded in the few days after Donald Trump attacked civil rights icon, Rep. John Lewis on Twitter.

It was always a joke to think that the man who ran the most divisive campaign in decades was going to suddenly bring the country together as president. America is never going to rally around Trump, and the president-elect has done nothing to inspire the respect of those who did not vote for him.

I would expect that even more members of Congress will be announcing that they will not be attending the event on Friday. Democrats are not going to support a birther who worked to try to undermine the legitimacy of Obamas presidency.

Republicans created these wounds and divisions in the country, and they are now going to have to live with the consequences of their cynical anti-Obama strategy.

Boycotting is the right thing to do, as it sends an immediate signal to the president-elect that he is going to get absolutely nothing from Democrats in Congress.
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After facing tough scrutiny from Democrats and union activists, Donald Trumps choice for labor secretary is reportedly considering backing out of a potential job with the incoming administration.

Trumps pick, fast-food CEO Andy Puzder, is a champion of right-wing trickle-down economics, often advocating for deregulating and reducing taxes for corporations and opposing any increases in the minimum wage.

According to CNN, the harsh opposition hes faced since Trump announced him as his choice for labor secretary has given him second thoughts about following joining the administration.

More from the report:

President-elect Donald Trumps choice to be labor secretary has voiced second thoughts in recent days, because of a relentless barrage of criticism from Democrats, labor unions and other liberal groups, a business ally and GOP sources tell CNN.



He may be bailing, said a Republican source plugged into the Trump transition effort. He is not into the pounding he is taking, and the paperwork.

Puzder posted this tweet not long ago trying to quell concerns that he was bailing:

I am looking forward to my hearing.  Andy Puzder (@AndyPuzder) January 16, 2017

Aside from Puzders unconvincing, seven-word tweet, CNN also reports that he has yet to turn in the required paperwork.

His required ethics and financial paperwork also has not yet been posted by the Office of Government Ethics, which makes the filings public after nominees for top federal positions detail how they plan to comply with federal ethics rules regarding financial holdings, CNN reported on Monday.

Senate confirmation hearings for Puzder, which were originally scheduled for this week, have been postponed and probably wont be held until February.

Its not yet clear whether Puzder will decide to follow through or back out of his job with the Trump administration, but his uncertainty about is evidence that progressive opposition to the pick has been loud and effective.

If he, indeed, abandons the position, it will be a huge victory for Americans who favor an economy that benefits lower- and middle-income workers, not just those at the top.
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*The following is an opinion column by R Muse*

As the Obama Administrations days wane away, there are still Republicans who cannot possibly stop lying and demeaning a remarkable President; because he is African American, because he is a Democrat, and more importantly because he saved America after a failed Republican administration broke the country and sullied its reputation around the world. For all his accomplishments for all Americans, Republicans still cannot stop defaming Barack Obama.

The latest malcontent Republican, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), has been running his mouth incessantly for months making such statements as Obama is a communist, a Muslim sympathizer, he literally hates America, surrendered and then assisted ISIS and most recently claimed he has gone rogue and he is a professional racist.

First, DeLay claims President Obama went rogue when he levied sanctions on Russia for a cyber-attack to assist Trumps presidential campaign. He also asked what has the Obama Administration ever done or cared about cyber security and hacking over the past few years. Then he answered his own question with a blatant lie because he didnt speak from ignorance. Honest to dog, DeLay claimed on Fox News that the Obama Administration has done little to nothingthat we know of to address cyber security.

It took this author exactly 3 seconds to find reports on the Presidents 7-year and 11-month crusade to combat cyber-attacks, including hacking. A year ago the President created the Cyber Security National Action Plan (CNAP) that outside cyber-security experts said:

Was the culmination of several initiatives over the course of his Administration instructing the federal government to take action and create the necessary conditions for long-term improvements in the approach to cybersecurity across the government, the private sector, and peoples personal lives. Maybe the Presidents approach to combatting cyber security is something DeLay knows nothing about, but only because he is an ignorant cretin.

The circumstance that incited the dolt DeLay to label the President of the United States a professional racist was his reaction to a comment from the President. DeLay said it was unbelievable and indicative of the fact that Obama has never gotten over his racism that the President said,

We have by no means overcome the legacies of slavery and Jim Crow and colonialism and racism, but the progress weve made has been real and extraordinary.

The fact that the incoming Republican administration favors, and will likely enact, nationwide racial profiling under the aegis of the federal government is not only blatant racism, it is virtually enslaving people of color by keeping them in hiding from the militarized police seeking them out; it is certainly colonialism. And DeLay is well aware of the Republican efforts enacting Jim Crow laws across the Southern United States.

DeLay, like most of America, understands perfectly that every last ALEC-created legislation suppressing voting rights in Republican-led states specifically targets African American communities; that is just a bit more than one of the legacies of Jim Crow. Federal Appeal Courts have said as much in striking down voter-suppression laws and racially-motivated gerrymandering in at least three Republican states. In fact, in striking down a Pat McCrory-led Republican voter suppression law, the Fourth District Court of Appeals was very blunt and said:

North Carolinas provisions deliberately target African Americans withsurgical precisionto depress Black turnout at the polls.

It isnt entirely clear how, in dancing Toms pea-brain citing hard facts about racism in America makes President Obama a professional racist. What is clear is that DeLay is either deluded beyond comprehension or he is just the typical Republican. He also said,

When is he [President Obama] going away? My goodness gracious. This is just unbelievable, but you know, hes never gotten over his racism.

Many of us, in fact, I think the entire country has gotten over slavery and Jim Crow and all of that. Its the professional racists like Obama and his buddies that cant get over it because then theyre totally irrelevant.

DeLay then agreed with radio host Steve Malzberg that such remarks by President Obama are intended to divide the country and fuel division as the Obama Administration winds down. He said:

Certainly. And that way they can continue their welfare programs that keep people on plantations and dependent on the government. They can keep government interfering in our lives all based upon some excuse about youre a racist, so you have to do this.

So, its obvious that DeLay is more than just an ignorant moron spouting dross, he epitomizes every anti-government Republican since Reagan made it a requirement for conservatives. It is important to make one point perfectly clear; President Barack Obama is not a professional racist. However, Tom Delay is a professional asshole and a dirty liar and the personification of every Trump-supporting Republican.
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Having just learned how incredibly popular outgoing President Barack Obama is and how his own numbers represent a record low, Donald Trump got hold of his smartphone again this morning and started tweeting his denial.

He claimed in the face of all facts to the contrary, that he is incredibly popular, and that just like the election polls that failed to account for Russian hacking and FBI interference in the election process, the polls are rigged:

People are pouring into Washington in record numbers. Bikers for Trump are on their way. It will be a great Thursday, Friday and Saturday!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2017

The same people who did the phony election polls, and were so wrong, are now doing approval rating polls. They are rigged just like before.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2017

The proof will be in the numbers, and it looks like while Trump is reportedly hiring people to fill the seats there will be more protesters than Trump fans at this inauguration.

Donald Trump cannot accept the reality of his unpopularity any more than he can accept that he lost the election by 3 million votes, or that all votes taken into account, more people voted against him than for him.

Richard Cohen suggested at The Washington Post that the ancient Greeks knew A mans character is his fate, and that In that case, Trumps presidency is doomed from the outset. Those same character defects tell Trump he is the most popular guy on the planet.

The man who is half as popular as Barack Obama was in 2009 is in a class-by-itself complete denial of reality.
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We apparently now live in a country where it is considered OK for motorists to run down protesters if they are obstructing vehicular traffic on a public road, street, or highway. That is what North Dakota lawmaker Keith Kempenich is claiming in his House Bill 1203.

Most of us are horrified by the idea of vehicles plowing into groups of pedestrians, yet six other Republican legislators think its a good idea as well, as evidenced by their sponsorship of the bill, which reads:

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a driver of a motor vehicle who unintentionally causes injury or death to an individual obstructing vehicular traffic on a public road, street, or highway is not guilty of an offense.

Kempenich told the Bismarck Tribune that the legislation was aimed squarely at the Dakota Access Pipeline protesters, and that Its shifting the burden of proof from the motor vehicle driver to the pedestrian.

Flatly ignoring the requirements of the United States Constitution and the First Amendment, this Republican claims public highways are not there for the protesters. As for those who exercise their legal right to protest, Theyre intentionally putting themselves in danger.

Apparently so in Kempenichs North Dakota. At least, if he has his way. He says of the protests, It puts people on edge. People who live out there are feeling terrorized. Apparently, he wants to spread that terror around to include people exercising their constitutional right to protest.

Welcome to Donald Trumps Republican paradise. Ask John Lewis how it feels to be a dissenter in Trumps America.

Heres where this truly terrible idea was born: Kempenichs road rage:

Kempenich said his mother-in-law, on a few occasions, was traveling south of Mandan and came upon groups of protesters gathered on and near roadways.



He said, on one occasion, about 100 cars were parked along a road in Morton County and his mother-in-law was passing through and slowed down. He said at one point an individual jumped out in front of the vehicle and was waving a sign.

Which must have given birth to Kempenichs fantasies of simply being able to run down the pesky protesters. Republicans already speak of anyone showing dissent who is not a tea partier as an anarchist. It is a small step from there to dehumanize them as vermin to be driven over.

Native activist Tara Houska told NBC News,

Its shocking to see legislation that allows for people to literally be killed for exercising their right to protest in a public space. These [bills] are meant to criminalize the protests with no real concern for constitutional law.

A disregard which as of Inauguration Day will be coming from the top on down, as a man who plans to be in open violation of the Constitutions emoluments clause from Day One of his term as president is about to take office. Oh, and he happens to be a DAPL investor. As does his energy secretary.

As the Billings Gazette relates, Kempenich chairs a board that decides how some of the states billions in oil wealth is invested, so he has a vested interest in seeing the protesters driven off the roads as well.

Kempenich wants you to believe the legislation would rarely be applicable outside the protests, but one obvious problem with the legislation is that the word protester is not ever actually used the language of the bill.

In typical Republican under-thinking, the bill makes it legal to run down any pedestrian on any road, for apparently any reason, and with an Oops! I meant to hit my break! you get to walk away while they haul the pedestrian to the nearest morgue or hospital.

Remarkably, North Dakota Highway Patrol Lt. Tom Iverson opined that Our involvement in this would be very minimal and limited. With bodies potentially strewn all over North Dakotas public roadways for any number of reasons, one has to beg to differ.

We have seen a great many truly stupid bills written by Republican legislators over the years, men and women who apparently lack even two brain cells to rub together, but this piece of legislation is particularly heinous and ill-thought-out and is to be distinguished by its sheer bloody-mindedness.

The mind boggles at what other horrors might await us in the fertile minds of Republican legislators across Red State America under Donald Trump.
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We are just two days from the moment President Barack Obama will turn over the keys to Donald Trump. Each heavy minute of the countdown feels like the slow, painful countdown to doom. Tick tock, a counting clock.

I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr said on the 28th of August in 1963 during his famous I have a dream speech.

To judge President Obama on the content of his character is to find him an exceptional human and leader. Its a true shame so many missed out on this pleasure due to their own shortcomings.

President Obama has been a president who walked the talk when it came to integrity, honor, civility, love of family, and plain decency. Vice President Joe Biden gave us an insiders view to the Presidents character in his acceptance speech of the surprise Presidential Medal of Freedom.

So it is that we grieve the loss of this great man as our President, and many of us struggle to accept the incoming president-elect, even without the legitimate questions about his winning of the 2016 election and the Russian hackings that assisted him.

Even without the cloud of Putin, Donald Trump is a low blow to a people used to President Obamas high-minded civility.

The pu$$y-grabbing, impulse-impaired, loose canon of petty hate and rage that is Donald Trump feels unbearable.

But this is happening, and it is actually not unbearable. It might end up causing world problems that become unbearable, but for now, it is not unbearable. It cant be unbearable.

And the reason it cant be unbearable is because if Martin Luther King, Jr and Representative John Lewis and so many others can put their lives on the line for freedom and for equality, we can each do much less.

All that is asked of us is that we speak out loudly, that we are heard objecting, that we are seen objecting, that we are non-violent but demanding of change, that we do not let our neighbor be targeted out of cowardice, that we hold hands figuratively with those who also value civil rights, democracy, freedom, and morality.

This is a moral fight. No matter how its couched, the people must realize that our leaders are held to higher standards. This isnt a prissy morality about with whom Trump slept or whether he sexted someone. This is a deep, consistent and real morality that we recognize no matter our spiritual faith or lack thereof. It is a calling to treat others as equals, to not be a bully, to be a responsible grown up, to cherish our freedom and work hard to ensure it continues to expand to cover our brothers and sisters.

Faith is taking the first step even when you dont see the whole staircase, MLK also said this.

It seems we are covered in Trump darkness, and yet throughout history people have been called on to insist on progress. It might feel like Donald Trump is already erasing Obamas legacy, but he cant do that.

Barack Obama has been a great influence on our culture, our children, our progress  but ultimately the people made that happen. He inspired it, but now we are to carry on in his tracks, not sit on the sidelines waiting for someone to inspire us.

Donald Trump will never be known as the great man Barack Obama is, nor will he erase Obamas legacies.

Trump will try, because he cant stand that Obama is beloved by a majority of the people while he is loathed. But small thinkers do not go down in history as winners.

Trump will destroy many things, but he wont destroy the memory of a great president or the wake of hope Obama left behind him.

We are already seeing that in the people rising up to save Obamacare.

Let these peoples collective voice inspire you to speak out, to take an action today that will make a difference no matter how small. Each step we take forward is just more work for them to try to dismantle.

These are dark days, but we have been so fortunate with President Obama. We had one of the best Presidents in modern day history. Now we pay the whitelash piper, but we will still move forward. All we need to do is read one of John Lewis books or listen to MLK speaking to know Yes we can, and yes we will.

Thats what President Obama gave us, a generation who believes in hope and change because they saw it happen. Hope is the biggest weapon against fascism and dictatorships. Use it well.

For this and so much more, including the others who made this administration such an uplifting joy, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Dr. Jill Biden, I say, Thanks, Obama.

We wont forget.
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President-elect Trump called Rep. John Lewis a liar because he is still enraged that the Civil Rights icon questioned his presidential legitimacy, and in the process demonstrated why he is the most hated/least popular president-elect in the history of polling.

After complaining that his job approval polls are rigged, Trump lashed out at Rep. Lewis:

John Lewis said about my inauguration, "It will be the first one that I've missed." WRONG (or lie)! He boycotted Bush 43 also because he  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2017

"thought it would be hypocritical to attend Bush's swearing-in.he doesn't believe Bush is the true elected president." Sound familiar! WP  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2017

In less than three days, Trump is going to become the next president. Instead of getting ready for the most challenging job in the world, the president-elect is dragging a Civil Rights icons name through the mud.

Does it really matter if Lewis didnt attend Bush 43s inauguration?

No.

People had lots of questions about George W. Bushs presidential legitimacy too, and his presidency turned out to be a total disaster, so George W. Bush isnt a defense that any Republican with legitimacy issues should ever use.

The real reason why Trump is outraged has nothing to do with John Lewis himself. Trump and his administration know that they lost the popular vote by a historic margin. They know that the Russian election interference is hanging over their heads like an ax that could fall at any second. There are serious questions about Trumps legitimacy. Attacking a living hero is no way to address them.

Trumps petty attacks on Americans who deserve respect is exactly why he is the most reviled president-elect in history. With each tweet, Trump digs the hole deeper with the majority of Americans. He is making it worse instead of better.

Instead of mending fences, the president-elect is building a wall around himself to keep reality out.
"Your plan was to begin legal diligence on Friday and sign the deal on Monday," a Zenimax attorney stated, probably a little bit snarky about the whole thing.

"Yep."

Whether Zuckerberg is attempting to live up to the caricature portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg in David Fincher's 2010 masterpiece The Social Network or simply has that much contempt for the archaic legal processes that currently bind him, we may never know. What we do know, however, is that an entire day of the legal olympics currently taking place between game software behemoth Zenimax, which owns the studio behind both Elder Scrolls and Fallout, and VR's wizkid Oculus has been devoted solely to questioning the Zuckman.

The suit revolves around the accusation that a key player at Oculus VR gave away trade secrets and patented code belonging to Zenimax in order to further the development of Rift and other VR products.

New York Times tech reporter Mike Isaac, the same man who reported the aforementioned clapback, described the courtroom scene, which featured interested parties from scores of publications, as being home to "phalanxes" of lawyers for both sides.

Zenimax claims it will be able to prove that Oculus both appropriated their code and secrets in addition to destroying evidence to those very crimes. However, the focus of today's courtroom drama, apparently, was to demonstrate that Zuckerberg and the acquisitions team at Facebook purchased the company at a reckless, breakneck speed thereby skirting proper legal diligence procedures.

While this is probably the most exciting part of the entire agonizingly slow legal process, this could have a major affect on the future of gaming, VR and otherwise. If Oculus can't get along with the makers of some of the best first-person games in the business, it'll be unlikely that we see quality Elder Scrolls VR adaptions any time soon. Sigh.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 68F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 68F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Berkeley County, dating back to 1682, just 12 years after English settlers landed at nearby Charles Towne, is drenched in history, with Revolutionary War battles, a secret weapon developed during the Civil War, a man-made canal connecting two rivers and a lake built during the Great Depression. With much of the county protected in the Francis Marion National Forest, outdoor activites include hikes along the Palmetto Trail, boating and fishing on Lake Moultrie and numerous attractions such as the nature preserve Cypress Gardens, where numerous Hollywood films have been made. The county is now tapping into its assets to boost its tourism industry. Read moreBerkeley taps into battlefields, boating and butterflies to boost budding tourism business
Nearly 13 percent of registered voters in South Carolina have already cast ballots for the 2022 general election after the state opened up no excuse early voting to all for the first time. More than 438,000 votes were in as of the end of Thursday, which was the 10th day of early voting, according to statistics from the South Carolina Election Commission. Read more13% in SC have already cast ballots with new early voting
Still looking for tickets to Republican Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on Friday? First District Rep. Tim Walz's office may be able to help you out.

The DFL congressman's office was given 198 tickets to giveaway to constituents for Friday's ceremony in Washington, D.C. But it turns out there has been less interest than in years past for the tickets. Walz's Deputy Chief of Staff Sara Severs said everyone from the 1st District who requested tickets was granted them. That still left plenty of unused tickets. As a result, Walz's office has been sharing with other members of Congress who have already exhausted their inauguration ticket supply.

Even so, the Walz office still has tickets available for the inauguration ceremony. Constituents who are interested can call Walz's office at (202) 225-2472. Tickets would have to be picked up by Thursday.

It's a major change from eight years ago when Walz's office was overwhelmed with requests for tickets to President Barack Obama's inauguration. Four years later, the demand wasn't as high for Obama's second swearing-in but all the tickets were given away.

While Walz's office still has tickets to spare, it's a different story for 2nd District GOP Rep. Jason Lewis. His office has seen a "high level of interest" from constituents and has already given away of its tickets, according to Lewis spokesman Stephen Bradford.

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While some Democrats  including Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison  are vowing to boycott the inauguration, Walz isn't one of them. Severs said the Mankato Democrat plans to attend the ceremony.

"The peaceful transfer of power is a critical hallmark of our democracy, as is the right of every American to exercise their First Amendment right. That is why Rep. Walz's DC office will welcome both constituents attending the inauguration and constituents participating in Saturday's Women's' March. And while he has deep respect for the office of the president, he has deep concerns regarding the President-elect and possible Russian influence in our elections, which is why he has called for an independent investigation," Severs said in a statement.
It may have "sloppy" in the name, but that doesn't mean you have to slum it when thinking of wine pairings. Think of this recipe as sloppy Joes with an Italian accent, an updated take that skips a packet of seasoning for fresher, bolder flavors. Lush with ripe fruit flavors and darker notes of smoke, leather and pepper, hearty Old World wines help to elevate the experience, even as you reach for more napkins.



MAKE THIS

SLOPPY GIUSEPPES

Saute a finely chopped onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; cook, 1 minute. Add 1 pound ground beef, stirring it into the onions and breaking it up; cook until browned. Stir in 1/2 cup red wine, 1 can (14.5 ounces) Italian pear tomatoes, chopped, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Serve on rolls, topped with a slice of provolone and a generous helping of giardiniera. Makes: 6 servings

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Recipe by Joe Gray

DRINK THIS

Pairings by sommelier Rachael Lowe of Spiaggia, as told to Michael Austin:

2014 Castello Colle Massari Rigoleto Montecucco Rosso, Tuscany, Italy: This Montecucco Rosso DOC wine is composed of 70 percent sangiovese plus a mixture of montepulciano and ciliegiolo grape varieties. It was aged in both stainless steel and used oak barrels, offering aromas of red cherry, orange pith and strawberry. Acidity balances the tomatoes and cuts through the fat of the beef, which is itself complemented by a hint of smoke.

2014 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage, Rhone Valley, France: Graillot is the premier Crozes-Hermitage producer in the northern Rhone Valley, making focused yet varietally correct representations of the syrah grape variety. With notes of black pepper, smoked meat, black currant and raspberry, plus dried sage and thyme, this wine will not only balance the tomato and beef, but also counter the sweetness of the onion. It nicely complements the dish's herb components.

2012 Hacienda Lopez de Haro Reserva, Rioja, Spain: This blend of tempranillo and graciano grape varieties spends 20 months in both French and American oak barrels, and then a further two years in the bottle. Its flavors of dill, vanilla, strawberry, macerated cranberries, and a hint of leather will play well with the beef and herbs. The ripe fruit flavors will also mellow the giardiniera, while the acidity will cut the provolone's richness.
The ground may still be a little frozen, but the time to start thinking about spring plantings  and water runoff  is upon us.

The Olmsted Soil and Water Conservation District is holding its annual tree and shrub sale through mid-April or whenever they run out of trees.

That, said Dorothy Miller with the Olmsted SWCD, likely won't happen soon, as the district orders about 15,000 trees a year, selling them in bundles of 20-25 trees for $40. "We offer approximately 29 different varieties," she said, noting everything from conifers to large and small deciduous trees and shrubs are available. "All are conservation grade, transplant and bare root stock," she said.

Plants ordered will be delivered in mid-April, Miller said. While most trees are ordered by rural landowners, some city dwellers go in together on a bundle and split them up."The trees ... give rural landowners the opportunity to plant larger numbers of trees at a fraction of the cost you would find at a local source," she said. "We do not wish to compete with the local services and do not offer (larger) potted trees."

In addition to cleaning the air, providing oxygen and sheltering lands from wind, Miller said, trees help save water and prevent water pollution and soil erosion.

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Zumbro WRAPS Up

The Zumbro River Watershed Partnership will host a wrap-up meeting for its WRAPS  watershed restoration and protection strategies  program at 9 a.m. Jan. 28 at People's Energy Cooperative in Oronoco. The goal of the meeting will be to review the draft WRAPS document and the total maximum daily load document being prepared by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

"We will be asking for written comments later in the process, so even if you cannot attend the meeting you'll be able to weigh in," said Paul Wotzka, with the ZRWP. The WRAPS program is a step toward building a strategy for the upcoming One Watershed/One Plan program for the Zumbro River, he said.

Also, the meeting will feature a talk by an area farmer on his experience working with cover crops and livestock to benefit soil health, Wotzka said.

Birders of the feather

Photographer and nature journalist Dan Jackson will be the featured speaker at the Hiawatha Valley Audubon Society's next meeting. Covering the topic "Backyard Birding," Jackson will talk about the common birds found in the region for backyard bird watchers and he will explain how those birders can get involved in the 20th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count.

The meeting will be at 7:15 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Senior Friendship Center in Winona.

Jackson will also show attendees how to tell one bird species from another, what foods will attract certain species, and how to keep a bird feeder clean. The event is free to the public.

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More than a year after soaring costs forced it from its downtown Peace Plaza location, the Southeastern Minnesota Visual Artists (SEMVA for short) is closing in on a new home, a leader said.

The group has signed a letter of intent to lease a downtown site at 320 South Broadway and is currently in negotiations with the landlord, said Larry Ricker, SEMVA president.

"Things at this moment are looking pretty promising," Ricker said. "Hopefully, within the next week or two, it will be a done deal."

Successfully completed negotiations would provide SEMVA, a group composed of photographers and painters, woodworkers and glass makers, printmakers and drawers, with its first home since it walked away from its old art gallery site in December 2015 after a 40 percent spike in rent and declining foot traffic. SEMVA was housed there for more than 20 years.

The proposed new location is owned by Grant Michaletz's Granite Development. The first floor offers 1,849 square feet of space. The building was built in 1900.

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If the terms are reached, the property, however, will become available to SEMVA artists until June.

Ricker said a SEMVA board meeting is set for Tuesday to go over the proposed lease terms. Board members also have to decide on the level of participating artists it believes it need to move forward.

The number of artists willing to participate in the proposed gallery is key, because artists pay rent to lease the space at the site. The more artists, the easier it is to spread the costs among participants. Ricker said about 50 members have signaled an interesting in the new location. That number was on the low end of what SEMVA leaders hope they eventually end up with. The goal is to have about 60 artists.

At one point, the group had about 80 artists, Ricker estimated. Some membership was lost due to inactivity. Other artists found new venues to display their work. Some moved away, while others apparently are not so keen on the new location.

"Our membership hasn't necessarily dropped all that much, as it turns out," Ricker said, noting that some members opted not to show their work at the old gallery but simply wanted to be members. "As far as artists that are interested in the new location, we're still trying to figure that out."

Ricker said the new location has its pros and cons. The looks of the proposed venue is "head and shoulders" above those of the old one. "The inside of of this place is really fantastic." The downtown location is also a plus. A less desirable trait is that the site is on the "wrong side of the boundary." There is no easy way to get there from the Skyway, and it will likely not have the same level of foot traffic as the old site.

Andy Westreich, a past SEMVA president, viewed the development as "pretty positive." He noted that SEMVA first established itself at the Peace Plaza more than two decades ago "before there was anything else there." The gallery grew in prominence as the plaza evolved. A similar marketing effort will have to be made to build up its clientele.

"This is sort of going back to its roots," Westreich said. "It's always a challenge when starting a small business. You got to get the people to know where you are."

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Westreich voiced confidence that could be done. More than 70 percent of customers, he noted, were people who came from outside Rochester, and many of those came year after year.

"We're really excited what it looks like," Ricker said. "We realize we got got a big job ahead attracting people to this new place."
Count Ari Kolas among those displeased by the growing support at the Minnesota Capitol to scrap the state's ban on Sunday liquor store sales.

Kolas is general manager of Apollo Liquor, which has four locations in Rochester. He argues getting rid of Minnesota's 81-year-old law banning Sunday sales is a bad idea. He said some studies have shown it could lead to increase underage drinking and drunken driving. He adds that it won't mean more profits for stores. Instead, it will just spread out six days of sales over seven days.

"There's a reason these laws were put into place a long time ago. They are an effective method to control a substance that can be dangerous if not properly used," Kolas said.

Traditionally, lawmakers have come down on Kolas' side, opposing lifting the ban. That may change this year. House Speaker Kurt Daudt is co-sponsoring a bill to lift the Sunday sales prohibition and says he expects the measure to pass. The House Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee is expected to vote today on a bill sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Loon, R-Eden Prairie, that would lift the ban.

Among those rooting for the end of the Sunday sales ban is Rep. Steve Drazkowski. The Mazeppa Republican has introduced legislation to allow liquor stores to open on Sundays.

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"The people of Minnesota are speaking on this and they think it's ridiculous that a legal product like liquor and beer cannot be purchased off-sale on Sunday for people to take home for the Vikings-Packers game," Drazkowski said.

But fellow Republican Rep. Greg Davids, of Preston, disagrees. He has long opposed getting rid of the ban and said his opinion hasn't changed. He notes the association that represents many liquor stores  the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association  opposes the move. He also argues it won't lead to more business for stores and they'll be forced to be open on Sundays in order to remain competitive.

But while Davids' opposition to Sunday sales hasn't changed, he acknowledged on Monday that the political landscape is very different.

"My side is probably going to lose on it, but that's the way it goes," Davids said.

Why the big change? Historically, groups that opposed Sunday liquor stores were the only ones with a major presence at the Capitol. They have also demonstrated a willingness to spend a lot on lobbying. In 2015, the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association, the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association and the Minnesota Beer Wholesalers Association spent a combined $248,211 on lobbying, according to the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. All three groups opposed efforts to allow Sunday sales last year. Also joining them in opposition was Teamsters Joint Council 32.

In recent years, supporters of Sunday sales have mobilized and begun aggressively lobbying lawmakers. Groups include MN Consumers First Alliance and Minnesota Beer Activists. These organizations have made a point of asking legislative candidates whether they back Sunday liquor sales.

This year there are 44 new members in the Legislature. Kelly Eull, a supporter of Sunday sales who lobbies lawmakers on the issue, said new suburban and exurban lawmakers tend to favor getting rid of the Sunday sales ban. There appears to be less support for it among new rural lawmakers.

Eull has been busy putting together a list showing where lawmakers' stand on the issue. She said it appears a vote to pass Sunday liquor sales would be "close" in the Minnesota House. At this point, she said there do not appear to be enough votes in the Minnesota Senate to get the measure passed.

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Support for Sunday liquor sales does not fall along party lines. Both Republicans and Democrats can be found on either side of the issue. Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester, has long backed efforts to scrap the law. In 2013, she sponsored an amendment to allow Sunday liquor sales. It failed 104-21. Fastforward to 2016 and a Sunday liquor sales measure failed but by a much closer margin  70 to 56.

Liebling is co-sponsoring Drazkowski's Sunday sales bills and said she hopes this is the year the measure finally passes.

She added, "People should have the right to buy a legal product on the day when it's most convenient for them and if a store wants to be closed on that day, they should have the freedom to go to another store."
MINNEAPOLIS  Federal prosecutors have deemed him unfixable. Irredeemable. A man with blood on his hands.

Out of the nine young Twin Cities men who were sentenced in November as part of the nation's largest ISIS conspiracy case, Guled Omar, who was at one point the group's leader, received the harshest penalty  a prison sentence of 35 years.

He also might be the most complex figure among his friends, a potentially dangerous stew of charisma and cunning.

But to Omar and the people who believe in him, it was his sense of idealism and empathy, along with his troubled past, that drove him to want to join a terror group notorious for its cold-blooded executions.

The 22-year-old former security guard and community college student said he still is absorbing the gravity of his sentence, as well as the characterizations portrayed of him in the courtroom.

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"I don't understand; what is irredeemable about me?" Omar said to MPR News during a series of phone calls from the Sherburne County jail in December. "I feel like people see a whole different person than who I am."

In his first interview since his arrest in April 2015, Omar acknowledged a traumatic childhood fraught with abuse, drug binges and feelings of shame that he said ultimately made him vulnerable to radicalization.

Court documents filed by his attorney state that as a 9-year-old boy, Omar witnessed violence against his mother. His father then abandoned the family.

That's when Omar says he went from being an observer of violence to a victim.

In two years, from ages 9 to 11, Omar said he suffered various forms of abuse, including whippings. He declined to disclose details, saying his own family members were in the dark about it, and it was not reported to authorities.

At least some of the abuse, in the form of lasting scars, has been verified. A probation officer evaluating Omar's case before sentencing confirmed in a court document that he had "numerous dark, permanent welts across his back."

On top of that, Omar, who was born in a Kenyan refugee camp and came to the United States when he was 2, also saw how Somalia's civil war continued to haunt his family. As one of 13 children, he remembers comforting his mother in the middle of the night after she woke up screaming from nightmares.

Washing away 'impurities'

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As Omar moved into his teen years, he said he wanted to bury that pain.

"It was about me trying to be a better Muslim, trying to be a better person in the eyes of everyone else, but I constantly felt like I had downfalls," he said. "I constantly felt like I had impurities within myself."

It wasn't just the abuse that made him feel isolated. In late 2007, when he was 13, his older brother, Ahmed Ali Omar, was one of the first young Twin Cities men to leave for Somalia to allegedly join the terrorist group al-Shabab.

Five years later, prosecutors allege Omar tried to follow in his brother's footsteps when he went to the Twin Cities airport hoping to fly to Nairobi, Kenya. FBI agents were waiting for him and wouldn't let him board the plane.

To this day, Guled Omar has no idea whether his fugitive brother is alive or dead.

Nearly a decade ago, that story of Americans enlisting with a ghastly terror group drew scorn and scrutiny onto the nation's largest Somali-American community.

Even some local Somalis were blaming one another. At the Minneapolis mosque where his family worshipped, Omar, then still just a boy, said he felt his own community recoil.

"If anything, I was shunned away from everybody else. People stayed away from me," he said. "Nobody came to my family and counseled my mother, or me, or any of my brothers or sisters and talk to us about how to understand it or how to move on."

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By the time Omar was a sophomore at South High School in Minneapolis, he tried marijuana. "The first time I smoked weed," he said, "I felt like a man. I had a lot of confidence to talk about whatever I wanted to."

Eventually, he was getting high several days a week, experimenting with cocaine and regularly using Percocet and other drugs, according to a court document filed by his attorney. He also recalls being targeted by peers at school, who derided him for the way he dressed and smelled.

But the drugs that once liberated him brought on a new set of emotions. He felt shame and a sense of being "unclean," he said. In his late teens and early 20s, Omar recalls he was in a state of internal conflict.

It was about this time he and his friends started learning about the atrocities in Syria by the regime of Bashar al-Assad, Omar said. The young Twin Cities men eventually fell for ISIS and its simple promise to restore the lives of once-wayward Muslims.

Angry and disillusioned about the conflict in Syria, the young men wanted to air their grievances, but the mosque that Omar and his friends attended discouraged talk of politics. Omar said that pushed their discussions underground.

"When I hear these videos, all this propaganda, and it's telling you who a real man is  that this is what the companions of the Prophet would do  you want to be such a better person," he said. "You feel something's wrong with you constantly that you have to do something so big."

Omar insists he wasn't drawn to the violence of ISIS, even though he could be heard in audio recordings played during the trial boasting of wanting to kill people who stood in his way.

He said the trauma he experienced in his own life made him more empathetic to other people's oppression.

"I'm not infatuated by guns, by people being killed, beheadings and these kinds of things," he said. "It's more about the people you're seeing and the hurt they're going through."

No single path to extremism

The emotional and physical trauma Omar experienced growing up does not explain his decision to try to travel to Syria to become a foot soldier for the Islamic State.

Researchers readily admit there's not a single path to extremism, nor a shopping list of characteristics that can predict who will become an extremist. Most victims of trauma do not go on to traumatize others.

But studies show that harmful childhood experiences are common among those drawn to such movements.

Pete Simi, a sociology professor at Chapman University in California, has studied the life histories of white supremacists as part of his work with the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. He said as researchers asked these former extremists about their upbringing, a familiar pattern started to emerge.

"We began to note pretty quickly that we were seeing a lot of descriptions of childhood trauma  physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect  just lots of different dysfunction," Simi said. "What we found really does parallel with what we already know about juvenile delinquency, violent offenders and gang members."

For this set of extremists, the early instability sets the table for what some psychologists call a "quest for significance."

While violent ideology is important to the radicalization process, that comes later as a coping mechanism, Simi said.

"You start to feel insignificant, you start to blame yourself for being a victim of child abuse and sexual abuse," he said. "What the extremist group offers is the idea of becoming part of something important. Coming into that fold can be very attractive to someone who's lost and flailing about."

Some counterterrorism experts, however, caution that childhood trauma is not necessarily a precursor for terrorism.

John Horgan, a Georgia State University professor of global studies and psychology, said empathy is more prevalently found in radicalized individuals than personal adversity.

"The clearest evidence we can see is that identifying with the trauma and suffering of others is a key recruitment and radicalization tool used by groups to pull people in," Horgan said. "There's no doubt about it. Involvement in terrorism requires you to mobilize because of your outrage and the suffering of other people, with which you identify."

A price for being likable

Omar said he's repented his old ways and wants to be a positive voice for his community. But here's the problem that many of his skeptics can't forget: He has contradicted himself many, many times.

"Make no mistake, this defendant is extraordinarily dangerous," Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Winter said at Omar's sentencing hearing in November. "Only when backed into a corner does he attempt to offer false contrition. You can't fix manipulative. You can't fix deceitful. And you can't fix Guled Omar."

Winter also argued that Omar must pay for the friends whom he helped send into battlefields in Syria.

"He's got blood on his hands for people he's helped to get overseas who are dead," Winter said.

Some of the most emotional testimony during his trial last spring came when Omar took the stand in his defense. He was the only one out of the three defendants to testify.

His rueful remarks, in which he struggled to finish his sentences through tears, drew a chorus of sobs from family members in the courtroom gallery.

A similar display of emotions ensued at his sentencing hearing last month. Omar apologized for his actions, describing it as "an ugly, horrible path, and I never want to return to it."

U.S. District Judge Michael Davis didn't buy it.

The judge detailed how Omar repeatedly lied to his family about his true intention to travel, even after knowing how his older brother's similar path to terrorism tore apart the family. And after Omar's family members thwarted a road trip to California, which prosecutors alleged was the first leg of Omar's trip to Syria, he continued to plot his way to ISIS, Davis said.

"Everything you have said here, I don't believe," Davis said before ordering Omar to 35 years in prison.

Davis went on to say it was in part because Omar was so likable that he needed to pay a steep price and be incapacitated.

"You're charismatic, and that's why you're being locked up for the time that you are," Davis said.

Evidence presented by prosecutors showed Omar drew others into the conspiracy, provided contacts for friends trying to get to Syria and wanted to route ISIS fighters through Mexico and into the United States.

In his testimony at trial, Omar also offered alternative theories as to why he wanted to travel to California, including wanting to see a girl he met online and to celebrate his first year in college.

But the most damaging evidence against him likely was his own words, which were captured on tape by a friend in the conspiracy who started working as a secret FBI informant. Audio recordings played at trial revealed Omar boasted he would kill Turkish security guards at the Syrian border. He has insisted the talk was meaningless banter among friends.

'Why couldn't you tell us to stay away?'

Omar will be shipped off to a new facility, most likely after the start of the year.

He and his co-defendants Mohamed Farah and Abdirahman Daud  who both received prison sentences of 30 years  are appealing their convictions. Omar declined to discuss any details about the case that could affect his appeal.

But he is not silent about a poisonous ISIS narrative that he said once consumed him.

"I don't want anyone to be conflicted, pulled toward a calling that is not even real," he said. "That's why I talk to a lot of my friends and tell them to stay away from these kinds of ideology, or (those) who believe in hate, or who believe in this whole notion of 'us versus them.'"

Still, he remains critical of the investigation that led to his arrest, as well as a lack of programs to dissuade young people from progressing toward extremist movements.

Omar said federal authorities should have met with his family and community leaders to deter him and his friends from trying to leave the country as part of a more restorative approach, rather than a straight-up interrogation.

"If that intervention would have happened, I would not be sitting where I am today," he said. "We were confused and conflicted. We were just trying to figure out a way to fit in life. Sometimes we're talked about in this case as if we were grown men who experienced so much in life. But the truth of the fact was, we were 18 and 19 years old."

He also struggles to understand how his friend who was deep into the conspiracy, Abdirahman Bashir, could have decided to turn on the group and collect evidence against the young men for the government.

"If you felt this was wrong," he said, "why couldn't you tell us to stay away from this?"

During the past few months, Omar has found a friend in a familiar face from his former school.

Matthew Palombo, a philosophy professor at Minneapolis Community and Technical College and adviser to the school's Muslim student association, visits Omar in jail regularly and sends him books on topics ranging from Malcolm X to the Socratic dialogues.

In return, Omar mails pictures he's drawn for Palombo's young daughters.

Palombo is encouraging Omar to write a memoir about his experiences. He also believes Omar can shed light on some of the problems with the nation's counterterrorism efforts and mass incarceration.

"I'm incredibly optimistic about what he can do," said Palombo. "In 10 or 20 years, no one will think of him as a terrorist. They'll think of him as a leader, an activist and an inspiring voice for change."

Yet for others, the question of whether Omar and others similar to him can be rehabilitated is still an open one.

"We need to be very careful to avoid the assumption that everyone can be deradicalized," said Horgan, the Georgia State University professor. "Where and when precisely did he have this change of heart? If it happened the night before sentencing, that doesn't speak to him being genuine. But if this disillusionment was starting to creep in and was known prior to apprehension, it might tell a different story."

Omar said he's been reforming himself ever since his arrest nearly two years ago. But given his past, he understands why some might not believe him today when he says he's a changed man.

"I can see where some of the lack of trust can come from, but I cannot see how that can account to taking away 35 years of a someone's life," he said. "All in all, I've never hurt anybody, I've never killed anybody, I've never murdered anybody. But the way I was talked to, that's how I was portrayed to be. People should give me a chance."
A Jeju Air flight departing Guam for Incheon International Airport in South Korea had a tire blowout late Tuesday afternoon before the plane was able to take off.

All 186 passengers and the flights crew are safe, said Guam airport Marketing Director Rolenda Lujan Faasuamalie.

The passengers and crew of Jeju flight 3101 were transferred to hotels while waiting for the plane to be repaired, she said.

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

The incident was reported to the airport air traffic control tower at 5:14 p.m.

The budget airline is one of several serving the Guam-South Korea route.
This is all from Newsbusters. Please do check out the original post.

This afternoon, Martin Luther King III met with Donald Trump at Trump Tower. Following their meeting, reporters begged Kingpleaded with himto denounce Trump, in order to further their anti-Trump narratives. The naked partisanship of their questions would be shocking if we hadnt seen it thousands of times before. These reporters are Democratic Party operatives, nothing more and nothing less. Here are the questions they asked Mr. King, who remained commendably level-headed:

TOM LLAMAS: Mr. King, as you know, Representative Lewis still has the scars from the March on Selma. Were you offended by the President-elects tweet that Representative Lewis is all talk and no action?

***

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Sir, you know many African Americans are very concerned about a Trump presidency. A woman came in here last week and told me hes going to have black people up against the wall, both literally and figuratively. Did he allay your concerns that hell be a president for all people, black and white?

***

JIM ACOSTA: Sir, but if I may follow up, isnt there something that cuts to your core when you hear the President-elect refer to John Lewis as all talk and no action? I mean, nothing could be further from the truth, isnt that right? John Lewis is not all talk and no action.

The Democratic Party thinks it derives great power from its control over the press, but increasingly, Americans just yawn. Or laugh.

UPDATE: In a similar vein, the Village Voice attacked me today for criticizing civil rights icon John Lewis on Martin Luther King day. Well, it wasnt actually on MLK day, but whats the point? Lewis may have been a civil rights hero 50 years ago, but he has been a partisan attack dog for decades. The idea that he can launch extreme, unfair and dishonest attacks, and those attacks cant be responded to, is ridiculous. No one is buying it.
The Washington Post reports that European leaders are shocked by statements Donald Trump has made about the EU and NATO. According to the Post, these leaders fear a transatlantic split.

What should we make of this story from an American perspective?

I think we need to analyze the EU and NATO separately. Regarding the EU, Post reporter Michael Birnbaum points to a statement by Trump that he expects the EU to break up and that hes indifferent to its fate.

The predictive part of Trumps statement may well prove accurate. Trumps indifference to an EU breakup doesnt both me. Like many conservatives, Im no fan of the EU as it has panned out.

In any case, the EU shouldnt need American boosterism to flourish or survive. As Angela Merkel said in response to Trump, we Europeans have our destiny in our own hands.

One can question whether it is wise for Trump to opine right now about the EU, but the substance of what he said shouldnt be of concern

NATO is another matter. NATO does need the U.S. and, in my view, a strong NATO is in Americas interest.

What did Trump say about NATO? He called NATO obsolete and very unfair to the United States. But he added: With that being said, NATO is very important to me.

If Trump meant by obsolete that NATO is no longer useful (a meaning that corresponds to the dictionary definition), European leaders should be alarmed and so, I think, should Americans. NATO stands as a bulwark against Russian aggression. To view NATO as no longer useful is to confirm my worst fear that Trump is sanguine about Putins aggressive Russia.

But Trump did not appear to mean that NATO is no longer useful. If thats what he meant, he wouldnt have said NATO is very important to me. What Trump probably meant is that NATO is dated and in need of an overhaul.

Specifically, Trump seemed to be saying that NATO needs to be revised so that it no longer is very unfair to the United States. This would be consistent with his line on NATO throughout the campaign that some (or maybe many or maybe all) NATO countries arent contributing their fair share for their defense.

This understanding of Trumps statement is less alarming than the view that NATO is obsolete in the strict sense. However, it is not innocuous. I would hate to see NATO falter because the U.S. responded badly after failing to squeeze more dollars out of, say, Latvia or Bulgaria.

On the other hand, it makes sense to try to negotiate a lightening of the U.S. load and an increase in European responsibility for its defense. Quite possibly Trumps pronouncements on NATO are part of a strategy to negotiate these outcomes.

In my view, the jury is very much out on Trump when it comes to Russia and NATO policy.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-01-17 19:24:01

Allied World Global Markets Builds Out Australia Professional Liability Team

Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG

Media:

Faye Cook, +1-441-278-5406

Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications

Faye.Cook@awac.com

or

Investors:

Giuseppe Montefinese, +1-646-794-0690

Manager, Strategy & Investor Relations

Giuseppe.Montefinese@awac.com

www.awac.com

Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG (NYSE:AWH) announced today that Kym Beazleigh has been appointed Vice President, Professional Liability, Australia, based in Sydney. He will report to Ed Moresco, Senior Vice President, Professional Liability.

Ed Moresco said: This appointment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to strengthening our team in Australia and across the region. Kyms knowledge and experience is a welcome addition to our well established Professional Liability offering in Asia-Pacific, enabling us to build on our existing success and continue to deliver high quality client service.

Mr. Beazleigh joins Allied World from Zurich Australia Insurance Limited, where he held the position of National Underwriting Manager for the Corporate Institutions Financial Lines team. Mr. Beazleighs industry experience spans over 15 years, having previously worked at Chubb Insurance Company of Australia, Liberty International Underwriters and Canopius Underwriting Limited.

About Allied World

Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG, through its subsidiaries and brand known as Allied World, is a global provider of innovative property, casualty and specialty insurance and reinsurance solutions. Allied World offers superior client service through a global network of offices and branches. All of Allied World's rated insurance and reinsurance subsidiaries are rated A by A.M. Best Company, A by Standard & Poor's, and A2 by Moody's, and our Lloyd's Syndicate 2232 is rated A+ by Standard & Poor's and AA- by Fitch.

Please visit the following for further information on Allied World: Web: www.awac.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/alliedworld | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allied-world

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Any forward-looking statements made in this press release reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in these statements. For example, our forward-looking statements could be affected by pricing and policy term trends; increased competition; the adequacy of our loss reserves; negative rating agency actions; greater frequency or severity of unpredictable catastrophic events; the impact of acts of terrorism and acts of war; the company or its subsidiaries becoming subject to significant income taxes in the United States or elsewhere; changes in regulations or tax laws; changes in the availability, cost or quality of reinsurance or retrocessional coverage; adverse general economic conditions; and judicial, legislative, political and other governmental developments, as well as management's response to these factors, and other factors identified in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. We are under no obligation (and expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or revise any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201701170062
Estate agents have decried the drop in the price of landed property across Nigeria as a result of the economic recession plaguing the country.

Some agents and developers who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES said that the property market was seriously affected by the economic downturn, leading to huge drop in the prices being offered by potential buyers.

Seyi Sodiya, a Lagos-based estate developer, said there is a lull in the market also because the cost of production has increased.

He said even though people still build houses and buy property, production cost has doubled while the cost of workmanship has remained stable. He however expressed optimism that the market situation will change in the first quarter of this year.

Yes, people are still buying property, building houses and carrying out projects but the cost of construction has doubled in some cases.

The only thing that has been stable a bit is the labour wages. We hope that the momentum will improve in the first quarter of 2017, he said.

Mr. Sodiya, however, described the economic recession period as the choice time for buyers to bid for property, stressing that many property owners dispose their asset at lower prices at the time.

He explained that the crisis of foreign exchange and the fluctuating rate of the Naira had no impact on the prices of property last year, adding that it was largely because there was not much foreign direct investment, FDI.

I believe now is the period (to buy property) if the price and location is right because a lot of property owners are disposing some property to offset debts, execute projects and have ready liquid cash.

As per the exchange rate, there wasnt any serious effect. Not really, especially if you look at it from the angle that we did not have much foreign direct investment, FDI, Mr. Sodiya said.

He lamented that there were few buyers for the numerous property being put up for sale.

MANY SELLERS, FEW BUYERS

For Gideon Ele, a Port Harcourt-based estate agent, the property market in Nigeria today is flooded by numerous sellers and few or no corresponding buyers.

In a chat with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Ele explained that the disparity in the demand and supply rates is the cause of reduction in prices because buyers are only willing to pay less for properties.

Most residential and commercial properties are all up for consumption; either to let or for sale. But there is no purchasing power to go after them. Of course, this has drastically reduced the prices of properties in the market.

Mr. Ele said that this reduction in the purchasing power of buyers has forced many desperate property owners to put prices below the average worth of the properties.

Let me give an example: there is a detached six bedroom duplex somewhere here at the Government Residential Area, GRA, in Port Harcourt. On a normal day, the house should go for between N5 million and N6 million because of its GRA location and its interior finishing. But the landlady slashed it to N3.5 million per annum yet she has not got anyone to take it.

In fact, the lady keeps begging me every day to get a tenant to rent the place and with her level of desperation, if anyone offers her anything below that N3.5 million price, she will hurriedly grab it. This is the reality of the market.

A civil servant at the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, who declined to have his name in print, also explained that the poor situation of things is why there are many unoccupied buildings in some parts of the city. She explained further that many politicians and government officials are being forced to put up their property for sale at ridiculous prices.

For Azeez Okanlawon, an estate agent at Sango-Otta, Ogun state, cost

of property has not really decreased, even though it has failed to move up. He attributed the constant rate of property in the area to the influx of residents from Lagos city centre.

Cost of property, whether for rent or outright sales, has not reduced around here. Many people are moving into this area from Lagos and environs. But it has not really increased, either; perhaps due to the recession. You can still get a single room apartment here at N90,000.

A nice 3-bedroom flat still hovers around N200,000 to N350,000, depending on the quality of the building and facilities available, he told PREMIUM TIMES.

Thompson Olowookere, an estate agent based in Ilorin, said owners of property are putting them up for sale at this period. He also complained of low patronage as there are very few buyers. While expressing hope that the situation would improve in the new year, Mr. Olowookere said it has not been easy surviving as an estate agent in the period of recession.

It has not really been easy surviving as an (estate) agent. There are too many properties for sale and virtually no buyer; even though I tell people often that this period is the best time to acquire property.

For instance, a property worth N5 million now goes for N3.2 million or even less. Yet, no one is buying them.

WAY OUT

Commenting on the way out, Mr. Ele said that the government needs to design a blueprint that will take the nation out of economic recession. He also said that the government should develop means of making money circulate among Nigerians, adding that loots recovered from corrupt politicians should be injected into the system.

The onus lies on the government to be responsible. It should let Nigerians know our destination as a country from how the 2017 budget is implemented. Recovered loots need to be injected into the system too.

On his part, Mr. Olowookere urged the Buhari government to pump money into the system and let it circulate among Nigerians.

A resident of Surulere area of Lagos, Lukmon Lasisi, however said that activities of the estate agents also need to be checked.

Mr. Lasisi explained that due to the shenanigans of estate agents, most properties are put up for sale at prices beyond the reach of many buyers, adding that it is the reason why many properties are avoided for a long period of time by potential buyers.

The agents need to be checked, they are the cause of most problems associated with property rent and sales in Lagos here, he said.

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The UN has criticised South Sudan for failing to pursue justice after grave human rights abuses, including killings and gang rapes, were committed during an explosion of violence in Juba in July, 2016.

Forces loyal to South Sudans President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar engaged in five days of street battles with anti-aircraft guns, attack helicopters and tanks.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the UN Human Rights Office said it documented 217 cases of rape, including gang rape, committed by the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army, SPLA.

Others are the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) and other armed groups from July 8 to 25, 2016.

The South Sudan government spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

The fighting that erupted in July 2016 was a serious setback for peace in South Sudan and showed just how volatile the situation in the country is.

This caused the civilians to be living under the risk of mass atrocities, Zeid Raad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said.

He said absence of any semblance of justice and accountability for the violations perpetrated including possible war crimes, such unbridled outbursts of violence could quickly escalate for civilians to continue suffering immensely.

Concrete steps to halt this downward spiral must be urgently taken, beginning with justice and accountability.

Political rivalry between Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and his former deputy Machar, a Nuer, led to civil war in 2013 that has often followed ethnic lines.

The pair signed a shaky peace deal in 2015, but fighting has continued.

(Reuters/NAN)

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A witness in the ongoing trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki has told the Code of Conduct Tribunal that Mr. Saraki made foreign funds transfer of over $3 million while he was governor of Kwara State.

The Nigerian code of conduct bars public officials including state governors from operating foreign bank accounts.

The witness, Nwachukwu Amazu, a banker with the GTBank said Mr. Saraki made several transactions, including a transfer of over $73,000 from his dollar account, maintained with the GTBank to his foreign account in the American Express Service Europe Ltd.

He said the purpose of the transfer was to fund a foreign credit card, belonging to the American Express Bank and owned by the defendant.

He has a domiciliary account, with the GTB in US dollars and in pounds sterling. The domiciliary account is domiciled in Ilorin, he said.

When asked to explain the mode of operation of Mr. Sarakis foreign credit card, the witness said he did not know how the card operates.

I dont know anything about the card, except if I explain with my knowledge of the GTB credit card in the Nigerian perspective, he said.

Mr. Amazu who worked with the funds transfer unit of the GTB, between 2006 and 2009 before he was transferred; then returned to the unit in 2011, as its head, said Mr. Saraki made other transfers including the transfer of 761, 904. 76 in February 2010.

He also said another sum of 632, 411.7 was also transferred for the defendant to Fortis Bank in London.

He made several other testimonies of funds transferred through Mr. Sarakis domiciliary accounts to foreign accounts belonging to the Senate President abroad.

Earlier, the Tribunal chairman asked the defendant if he needed water and gestured to offer water to Mr. Saraki, inside the dock.

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Several people are feared dead after a military plane mistakenly dropped a bomb inside the Rann IDP camp in Borno State.

The Rann IDP camp in Kala-balge Local Government Area caters for thousands of persons displaced by Boko Haram.

A source at the camp told PREMUM TIMES that at least hundred people were injured and needed to be evacuated to hospitals.

At least two people are feared dead from the incident and the injured included officials of the Doctors without Borders, MSF.

The military spokesperson, Rabe Abubakar, a brigadier general, confirmed the incident but explained that it was an error that the military deeply regretted.

He explained that soldiers got information of movement of Boko Haram members and deployed ground troops and air cover to tackle the terrorists.

It was the air support that mistakenly dropped the bomb, he said.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the state government has already ordered all hospitals in Maiduguri to be prepared to receive and promptly treat the injured.

Also, an International Red Cross, ICRC, helicopter has been deployed to the camp to evacuated the wounded to the various hospitals.

The Theatre Commander of Nigerian forces in Borno, Lucky Irabor, a major general, also confirmed the attack at a press conference.

This morning today, we received reports about gathering of Boko Haram terrorists somewhere in Kala Balge Local Government area of Borno State. We got a coordinate and I directed that the air should go to address the problem.

Unfortunately the strike was conducted but it turned out that the locals somewhere in Rann were affected.

We are yet to get the details of the casualties. But we have some civilians that have been killed, others are wounded and we also have two of our soldiers that were also wounded. Among some that are wounded are local staffs of the Medicine Sans Frontiers as well as ICRC, he said.

Details later

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Poland supports Israel and the Middle East peace process, President Andrzej Duda said in Jerusalem on Tuesday, ahead of an official meeting with his Israeli counterpart Reuven Rivlin.

"Poland supports Israel on the one hand, but on the other it continues to strongly support the Middle East peace process. We would very much like this very important place for the world, where relations are often very difficult, to have the best possible relations with mutual respect of nations, but also taking account of mutual needs, and (this should be achieved) through conversation, dialogue," President Duda said at a joint conference with President Rivlin. May be of interest to you "Poland will always be on side fighting against terrorism" Polish President to Israel and Palestine for official visit

It is important that this process should be carried out "without imposing any external will by other countries", Andrzej Duda added.

"The ties that link our nations have a thousand years of history and it is a relation that is often intertwined with family relationships, but primarily cultural ones. It is a huge asset that undisputedly links our nations," the Polish president added.

President Duda thanked Rivlin for his presence at the 2014 opening of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. He noted that the facility testified "to our common thousand-year-long history", stressing the museum's importance for young people from Poland and Israel.

Andrzej Duda also recalled difficult moments in the Polish-Jewish history, including the German Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939 and the events that unfolded in German-occupied Poland, including the Holocaust.

"Today Poland and Israel have been linked by long-standing cordial relations. Poland as a country has always supported Israel and I want to assure you it continues to do so," the Polish president stressed.

President Duda expressed satisfaction with Poland-Israel cooperation in the field of modern technologies and innovative economy, noting the presence of Polish start-up firms in his delegation.

Rivlin reiterated that Poland was the first country he had visited as the president of Israel. "Our meetings with Polish authorities have always been full of content and testified to the close links between the countries and nations, which have lasted for thousands of years."

The Israeli president also spoke of "bravely facing the past - complex and painful". "At the moment there is no area that lacks cooperation between our two countries," Rivlin stressed. Israel's contacts with the EU and Poland lie at the core of the Israeli foreign policy, he added.

"We are not only trade partners, we also share common values, common goals. It is important for us to develop a joint stance towards the emerging international order," Rivlin stated.

The Polish presidential couple came to Israel on Monday evening. The official part of the visit started in Jerusalem on Tuesday with the ceremony of welcoming President Duda by President Rivlin. (PAP)
Polish President Andrzej Duda and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are to meet in Warsaw, Minister Krzysztof Szczerski of the Polish president's office said on Tuesday. Merkel is to pay a visit to Poland in February.

Szczerski asked by RMF radio station whether Merkel's visit to Warsaw is the beginning of a process of warming Polish-German relations or rather a game before upcoming elections to the German Bundestag, the minister said that it is continuation of a strategic dialogue.

The minister stressed that the continuation of the strategic dialogue is seen as necessary to maintain stability in Europe. "Europe without Polish-German dialogue will not be stable," said Krzysztof Szczerski.

Krzysztof Szczerski observed that Merkel's planned visit to Warsaw will take place at a very special moment - at the start of work of the new US administration. "We all expect changes which should be discussed." (PAP, own information)


Pobierz zdjecie Przeczytaj o zasadach pobierania zdjec President Andrzej Duda with reporters (photo by Andrzej Hrechorowicz / KPRP) (1)

Poland will always be on the side of those fighting against terrorism, and when necessary it will also join in the fight, President Andrzej Duda told reporters after meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday.

"We had a very good talk about Polish-Israeli cooperation, political as well as economic and military", the Polish president said, adding that he had great hopes for the future following the talks.

Poland is always in favour of fighting against terrorism, according to Duda. "Today I repeated our assurances that Poland will always be on the side of those who fight against terrorism, and when necessary we will also take part in this fight, and will support anyone fighting against terrorism", he said. (PAP)
Atlantic County

RUNAWAY ANGEL: exhibited through Jan. 20; works by local artists interpreting the song RunAway Angel written by Jim Allison; features jewelry, paintings, photographs, stone carvings, note cards and clay-works; Nashville North Studios, 210 New Road, Suite 8, Linwood Greene, Linwood. 609-504-5044 or NashvilleNorthStudios.com.

FOOD AS ART EXHIBIT: through Jan. 21; hours are 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9:30 to 4 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays; William Spangler Library, D Building, Atlantic Cape Community College, 5100 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing. 609-625-1111 or Atlantic.edu/ArtGal.

MUTE THINGS EXHIBIT: noon to 7:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Sundays, through March 22; closed March 11 through 19; 2:30 p.m. Feb. 7 and March 2 gallery talks; features Philadelphia artists Rebecca Saylor Sack and Cindy Stockton Moore; Art Gallery, Stockton University, Jimmie Leeds Road, Galloway Township, free. 609-652-4566 or Stockton.edu/ArtGallery.

Cape May County

JUDGES TRIBUTE SHOW: through January; honors artists who donated their time to judge shows throughout 2016; Ocean City Fine Arts League, 608 Asbury Ave., Ocean City, free. 609-814-0308.

NATURAL TRANSITION: through Jan. 31; features local artist Allisa Harris; acrylic and mixed media artwork depicting seascapes, landscapes, abstracts and more; Ocean City Arts Center, 1735 Simpson Ave., Ocean City. 609-399-7628.

WINTER WHITE SALE & RECEPTION: daily through January; pottery, painting, jewelry, photography, fiber arts, and woodworking in white; all items for sale; Cape May Artists Cooperative Gallery, 122 Sunset Blvd., West Cape May. 609-408-5820 or CapeMayArtistCoop.com.

ART PARTY CLASSES: two-hour paint lessons, led by teacher Juliana Jost, create your own artistic reproduction; 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays adult classes, $35; 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays Mommy & Me and Daddy & Me classes for kids, $40; 106 S. Decatur St., Cape May. 609-364-5304.

Ocean County

PORTRAITS OF THE JERSEY SHORE: through January; photography display by Gregory Andrus; Toms River Branch, 101 Washington St., Toms River, free admission. 732-349-6200, ext. 5100 or TheOceanCountyLibrary.org.

PORTRAITS OF THE JERSEY SHORE EXHIBIT: through January; photography display by Gregory Andrus; Ocean County Library, 101 Washington St., Toms River, free. 732-349-6200, ext. 5100 or TheOceanCountyLibrary.org.

GETTING DIRTY IN THE CERAMICS STUDIO: 7 to 9 p.m. first Friday of each month, BYOB, instructor Kerith Creo walks participants through a few introductory projects, LBI Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, 120 Long Beach Blvd., Loveladies, $45. 609-494-1241.

Items for Artsy Attractions should be sent two weeks in advance to pdollak@press ofac.com or mailed to Pamela Dollak, The Press of Atlantic City, 1000 W. Washington Ave., Pleasantville, N.J. 08232.
ATLANTIC CITY  Mayor Don Guardian took a swipe at Gov. Chris Christie Monday morning in the latest potshot in the dispute between the city and the state.

Speaking at the Atlantic City NAACP service at St. James AME Church, Guardian said the enemy of civil rights has always been governors.

"But we thought that the state governors were the southern state governors in the '60s," he told the crowd. "Never did we think that the enemy of civil rights would be the governor of New Jersey in 2016."

Guardian and Christie have repeatedly clashed in the past over the state's decision to take over the city.

Last January, both Guardian and Council President Marty Small called the bill a civil rights violation and questioned the constitutionality of such a takeover.

In February Guardian also called Christie's decision to consider a state takeover, "facist".

Christie has taken shots at Guardian's leadership and management of the struggling city.

During his June session of 'Ask the Governor', Christie mocked Guardian and the idea that the city would be able to develop a fiscal plan to avoid the state takeover.

I cant wait to see Don Guardians plan. Believe me. Great American. Cant wait to see his plan, Christie concluded.

This past week was also the unofficial beginning of the 2018 mayoral election campaign.

Guardian, a Republican, already has three Democratic opponents running against him. Small, Councilman Frank Gilliam and former city council candidate Fareed Abdullah have all declared their intention to run.

Guardian: "Never did we think the enemy of civil rights would be the governor of New Jersey in 2016" pic.twitter.com/q6uJNEaBjL  Lauren Carroll (@ACPress_LC) January 16, 2017
Harriet Tubman will be visiting Stockton Universitys Kramer Hall in Hammonton Thursday night, thanks to historical interpreter, actress and writer Daisy Century, of Philadelphia.

Century will portray Tubman, who escaped from slavery in Maryland in 1849, then made multiple trips back into the South to rescue others in the mid-1800s. She was also a spy for the North during the Civil War.

Tubman worked for a time as a cook in Cape May in 1852 and has a strong local connection.

The most important thing I want audiences to remember is how not only brave, but how brilliant she was, Century said. To not be caught and lead all of those slaves to safety  how she evaded the law and the slave catchers. She was just brilliant.

Century has her doctorate in education and has taught science for more than 20 years in the Philadelphia school system, she said.

Her one-woman show lasts about an hour and a half and ends with a question-and-answer session.

I feel so connected to these characters when I perform them, I can feel their emotions, said Century, who also portrays the first African American woman pilot, Bessie Coleman, the first published black poet, Phillis Wheatley, and others.

When I put on the costume, Im her, she said of portraying her characters.

Century said she would love to go out every day and portray these strong African American women, but most of her work comes during Black History and Womens History months in February and March, respectively.

Shell be traveling around the U.S. during that time this year, she said, performing in Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas and more.

She also does her portrayals at summer camps.

Anyone who calls, I will come, Century said.
Growing up in Rhode Island, I never heard of wearing your pajamas inside out to help cheer on a snow day, although its much less labor-intensive than the way I chose to help the cause.

My contribution involved waking up early, often before 5 a.m., then changing out of my pajamas and dressing in full winter battle gear.

My main weapon was a snow shovel. My army was the rest of the neighborhood kids, well, at least the ones I could rile out of bed to battle that early in the morning.

Our enemy: the town of Cumberland, Rhode Island, Public Works Department. More specifically, the snowplow.

Let me explain. The superintendent of the Cumberland Public Schools lived on our street. My theory, which seemed perfectly logical at the time, was that he would simply look out the window to see how the roads are and make the decision to cancel school based solely on what he saw.

And what he saw, thanks to some ill-advised yet determined neighborhood kids that called themselves the Highland Road gang, was a snow-covered road.

If the plow had not come just yet, our task was to shovel even more snow on the already-covered road.

If we arrived to find the plow had regrettably done its work, our task was to undo it. No, not the entire road. But, rest assured, the street in front of our beloved superintendents house was covered with as much snow as our bodies could shovel onto it.

Of course, if school was canceled, our gang would proudly take the credit and consider the battle won.

If there was no snow day to be had, we promised to shovel harder and faster the next time to successfully earn a coveted snow day.

Thankfully, the inside-out pajamas superstition didnt make its way to Highland Road in Rhode Island, or I may have been the only kid outside shoveling.

Do you have your own way to ensure a snow day? Leave your methods in the comments, and we can add it to our online story.

Here are readers rituals to make sure a snow day occurred.

Winter wardrobes

Patti Barnett Wythe: PJs inside out and backwards.

Barbara Blackman: I worked in the public school system for over 35 years. Superstition was that wed have a snow day if the kids wore their pajamas inside out and chanted something (cant remember).

Chris Corona Moses: I used to have my son wear his pajamas inside out! Sometimes it worked!

Ice cubes in where?

Heather Hoffman Wieland: Pjs inside out. Spoons under the pillows and ice cubes in the toilet. Bring on the snow.

Useful utensils

Whitney Katz Poppert: PJs inside out and backwards, snow dance, spoon under pillow and ice cubes in the toilet.

Elizabeth Price Maurer: Kids always sleep with the PJs inside out and a spoon under their pillows.

Out-of-the-box methods

Heather Sudol: Snow dance.

Vicki Biggs: Pray!

Diane Pannelli: When I was a child and it started to snow during the school day, it was always said that you dont tell the teacher because it would stop snowing. If you keep the secret, it would continue into the night.

Al Heston: I was a second-grade teacher and would do a Native American war chant and dance up and down my hallway, seemed to really work!
January thaws come in all shapes and sizes and arent limited to only one per January. Case in point, this week will mark our second thaw in as many weeks.

It will be a longer-lived thaw than its predecessor, lasting through the entire seven-day forecast. However, it wont bring the unseasonably warm weather or opportunities to break record highs like last weeks thaw did.

So no, I dont see anything rivaling last Thursdays record 67-degree warmth in our forecast. But what I do see is a weeklong stretch of near 50-degree high temperatures. It may sound less impressive, but when you consider our average mid-January high should be closer to 40 degrees, our upcoming mild reality becomes more apparent. And in the true spirit of a thaw, we should not see any below-freezing temperatures, day or night, through next weekend. Thats certainly a rare treat for midwinter heating bills throughout South Jersey.

Most thaws arent entirely warm and sunny, and this weeks wont be either. We will manage some partly sunny, mild and pleasant days, with Thursday probably the nicest of the bunch. Periodic rain showers will occasionally put a damper on things, with Tuesday and the second half of Friday likely bringing the wettest weather this week. Next Mondays rain has the potential to be the heaviest in the forecast.

So far this January, temperatures are running about 3 degrees warmer than average, and well likely only add to that with the persistent warmth that dominates our forecast through early next week.

For those of you flake fanatics asking when our next chance of snow will arrive, the answer is not anytime soon. But as a fellow fanatic myself, Im always looking, even if that search does take me beyond the seven- to 10- day scope when forecasting is the most reliable.

Im still keying in on the very end of January and the start of February for a return to a colder weather pattern and one that likely produces chances for snow.

But I dont have a specific date for you to circle just yet.
ATLANTIC CITY  With little fanfare, Chris Howard took over leadership of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority as it reassesses its mission.

Howard, 32, oversaw his first meeting as new head of the state agency Tuesday. Howard was appointed in December to oversee the agency replacing John Palmieri, who left the agency with a $225,000 contractually-mandated payout.

Board chairman Robert Mulcahy said that Howard has hit the ground running in his two weeks in the position.

Chris has been working overtime, Mulcahy said. Im pleased with how he has dug in with all that work that is ahead.

Howards tenure comes as the agency will no longer receive casino investment alternative taxes, all but eliminating its role in funding future development. The change has left the state agency reassessing its mission.

That money, derived from a 1.25 percent tax on gross gaming revenue and a 2.5 percent tax on internet gaming revenue, will now go to the city to help pay off its more than $500 million in debt as part of a state rescue plan.

Howard is an attorney who has previously worked for the states Authority Unit. The unit oversees New Jerseys independent state and bi-state authorities and commissions such as the CRDA.

Before becoming part of the states authority commission, Howard was hired by the law firm of Parker McCay as an associate in the Foreclosure and Bankruptcy Department in 2013. The firm is owned by Philip Norcross.

During his tenure, Palmieri focused the board's efforts and funding on redevelopment of the city's Inlet section.

William Cheatham, an 87-year-old resident of the city, said he hopes Howard works to bring more people into the city.

There are things on the drawing board but we have to get them up and running, said Cheatham, who has been attending authority meetings for the last two decades. Once that happens it will get better.
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.
Egg Harbor Citys Peace Pilgrim, known worldwide for giving up her name and all her possessions to walk the country promoting peace, has won a place in the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Its about time, said her sister Helene Young, 101, of Galloway Township. I was hoping to live long enough to see it.

Peace Pilgrim and 14 others will be inducted in a ceremony in May in Asbury Park, the hall announced Tuesday.

Members of the public voted for their choices in several categories at njhalloffame.org in the fall.

We are hoping to get the Hall of Fame van museum down in Egg Harbor for the celebration in September, said Barbara Reynolds, of Stafford Township, a board member of the international group Friends of Peace Pilgrim and a leader of the local group Peace Pilgrim 100.

The museum is a traveling exhibit.

Reynolds said coincidentally the board of Friends of Peace Pilgrim will come from all over the U.S. to meet at Youngs home the same weekend as the induction ceremony. Young and a board member will accept the induction award, Reynolds said.

Just 50 people from all historical eras are nominated for the hall in five categories each year. Most are from North Jersey.

Peace Pilgrim, born Mildred Lisette Norman in 1908, was the first woman to walk the entire Appalachian trail.

She found her career in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., to be spiritually unfulfilling, even as the peace lobbyist for the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom.

So she began walking the country for peace in 1953. She chose to be called Peace Pilgrim and told friends and family members not to use her birth name.

But the last time she was up for the New Jersey Hall of Fame two years ago, she was listed Mildred Lisette Norman, not Peace Pilgrim.

Nobody knew who she was. It was a waste, Young said.

She said her sister wanted to be anonymous, and thats why she gave up her name.

She was not looking for personal glory. She was looking for peace in the world, said Young.

Peace Pilgrim called it, living to give, not to get.

Peace Pilgrim walked the country for 28 years. She stopped counting the miles in 1964 after hitting 25,000, she said. She never carried food or money but ate what was freely offered to her as she walked and slept on the side of the road if a bed was not offered to her.

She was killed in a car crash in Indiana in 1981 while being driven to a speaking engagement just before her 73rd birthday.

Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania houses a collection of Peace Pilgrims writings in its Peace Library, and the Friends of Peace Pilgrim keeps her message alive around the globe, translated into 29 languages. The group distributes her book, Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words, and her pamphlet, Steps Toward Inner Peace, free of charge to anyone who asks.
EGG HARBOR CITY  Two years after she nearly got a new kidney from a donor found on Craigslist, city resident Nina Saria finally got the lifesaving organ transplant.

Saria, 34, received a kidney Dec. 1 from her mother, Nana Gulua, who with help from U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., got temporary admittance into the United States from the country of Georgia to save her daughters life.

Its very difficult to find kidneys these days, somebody who will donate, Saria said. The only person who I could call and ask for a kidney was my mom, but the problem was she was very far away from me. It was difficult to get her here. She was denied (a visa) three times.

More than two years ago, doctors told Saria she needed a new kidney and that dialysis would only sustain her for so long. But getting a kidney through traditional channels would be a long wait.

There were 2,453 New Jersey residents on kidney organ transplant waiting lists as of Monday, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. In 2016, 443 kidney transplants were performed for New Jersey patients, leaving a large gap between transplants and people still on the waiting list.

Saria resorted to unconventional means of finding a living donor by posting an advertisement on Craigslist in 2015. She found a viable candidate in Glenn Calderbank, of West Berlin, Camden County, who was willing to donate one of his kidneys.

Doctors at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania canceled a transplant surgery at the last minute Dec. 1, 2015, after finding trouble with Calderbanks liver, Saria told the Courier-Post in Cherry Hill.

Saria, a U.S. citizen, then reached out to her state representatives looking for help in bringing her mother, who tested as a positive match, to the United States for a kidney donation.

Menendez said he worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to get Gulua a humanitarian parole, which allows foreign nationals into the country temporarily for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.

Most applicants get denied, Menendez said, but Gulua was one of the few granted this type of parole.

When it comes to life and death, it shouldnt have to be this hard. We need more compassion and less bureaucratic red tape, he said.

Menendez, Saria, her husband, Kay, and son Nicholas, 8, spoke at a press conference Tuesday in Barrington, Camden County. Saria said she and her mother recovered well from the transplant.

Sometimes they are surprised when I say I am very thankful for this disease, because this disease taught me a lot of things, Saria said. I was a person who was worried about everything, who was planning everything ahead by five, 10 years, and this disease taught me that I have to just take each day and just be happy for every day.
Busloads of people, mostly women, from South Jersey will trek to Washington, D.C., a day after President-elect Donald J. Trumps inauguration to take part in a march expected to draw a crowd of 200,000.

Some are going to protest a new president they feel has made derogatory remarks toward women, while others, such as Thelma Witherspoon, of Hamilton Township, are worried more about the possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

I think theres some tweaking that needs to be done, but I dont think it has to be eliminated, said Witherspoon, who will board an early-morning bus Saturday from Pleasantville.

The Womens March on Washington is an effort to promote womens rights after a contentious presidential campaign, organizers say.

Bruce Springsteen cover band drops out of playing inaugural concert The B-Street Band, a Bruce Springsteen cover group out of New Jersey, dropped out of perform

I think everybodys pretty scared with this election, said Kathleen Arena, of Cape May, who is going to the event. How far weve come is actually up in the air at this time.

Arena will depart from Cape May about 4:45 a.m. on a bus packed with about 50 others. Her group plans to don pink hats with cat ears in response to vulgar remarks Trump made about grabbing womens genitals in a leaked video.

A variety of concerns besides Trumps election are motivating locals to embark on the journey to the capital, including education, health care, climate change and the funding of Planned Parenthood.

Witherspoon and Stephenine Dixon, co-chairwoman of the South Jersey Democratic Womens Forum, both said they are attending in an attempt to save health benefits Republicans have vowed to roll back.

Youre trying to eliminate something you have no backup for, said Dixon, who is organizing the trip from Pleasantville.

Dixon, who served on City Council in Atlantic City in 2002, said she struggled to get insurance when she had to take a leave of absence from her job at the now-shuttered Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino to take care of her ailing father.

If you have no insurance, you dont have anything, she said.

Im a high risk for cancer, said Dixon, adding that both of her parents died of the disease. I need my mammograms. I need my pap smears.

Witherspoon and Dixon will join more than 50 others making the trip from Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Pleasantville.

Im going to make sure that the concerns and the issues women have will be put at the forefront, said Witherspoon, a minister at the Westminster Christian Worship Center in Atlantic City and a radio host on WEHA-FM 88.7, a gospel radio station.

Alongside promoting issues important to women, outrage over the tone of Trumps campaign and his victory motivates many of the activists planning to attend Saturdays event.

Donald Trump is the worst person ever to be in the White House, and he hasnt even been sworn in yet, said Daniel Campbell, president of the Egg Harbor Township Democratic Club.

Campbells 55-member group will leave early in the morning from Ocean Heights Presbyterian Church in Egg Harbor Township.

For Campbell and others, the march is a way to push back against the new president.

Im just going because I dont want him to be president, said Janis Quiggle, 66, of Cape May, whos going on the Cape May bus. I dont agree with his policies.

Dixon was involved in the failed effort to defeat Trump. As an organizer for the Hillary Clinton campaign, she traveled to Virginia, a swing state, to try to convince voters to cast ballots for the Democratic nominee.

There, she saw the benefits of rallies and organizing events and hopes the womens march and womens forum efforts will encourage local women to seek political office.

If you look at Atlantic County, how many leadership positions do you see women in? Dixon asked.

Witherspoon said Saturdays event recalls the womens suffrage marches staged in the early 20th century.

The last march that was this large was on Aug. 28, 1963, said Witherspoon, referring to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s March on Washington. Its huge.

Those not able or willing to travel to the capital have other options. Local organizers have planned more than 380 sister marches to support the effort around the world, including in Trenton, according to the events website.

This is about trickle-down bigotry, Elizabeth Meyer, founder of the Womens March on New Jersey, said in a statement. Our America is great. On Jan. 21, we will be here, in Trenton, to make it greater. We will move forward, not backward.

The basic core of it, I guess, is womens rights are human rights, said Arena, echoing a refrain reiterated on the marchs website.
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  Two men were arrested and charged Friday in a pair of unrelated incidents after police say they both overdosed on heroin behind the wheel and crashed.

Township police Capt. Bill Adams said he thinks police have received a few more calls related to people driving while on drugs.

It does seem like its a little more than it has been in the last few years, he said.

The first incident occurred at 11:22 a.m. when Philip King, 38, of the Burleigh section of the township, rear-ended a car stopped at a red light on Route 47 near Railroad Avenue in Rio Grande, police said.

Responding officers found King incoherent and discovered what they suspected was heroin and drug paraphernalia in his car, according to a police statement.

King was transported to Cape Regional Medical Center for treatment of an overdose and charged with fourth-degree assault by auto, third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance and related drug and motor-vehicle offenses, police said.

Third-degree convictions carry a potential three to five years in prison, while a person convicted of a fourth-degree crime faces up to 18 months in prison.

Later in the day, at 5:51 p.m., John Stanton, 22, of North Wildwood, drove his vehicle off the road and struck a tree on East Shellbay Avenue in the Mayville section of the township, according to police.

Officers responding found King unresponsive, and they gave him CPR and administered Narcan, a medication used as a lifesaving opiod antidote, the statement said.

Stanton was taken to Cape Regional Medical Center and charged with driving under the influence and three other motor-vehicle offenses, police said.

Adams said its rare to have two heroin-fueled crashes in one day. But when they do happen, police on the scene call for drug-recognition experts, officers specially trained to identify people under the influence of drugs, he said.

Adams said the experts look at a persons pulse, pupil constriction or dilation and other physical signs and are trained to conduct more advanced sobriety tests than other officers.
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.




then they go on a rampage to silence a speaker.stay classy progs.My event at UC Davis tonight has been cancelled after violence from left-wing protestors. There are reports of hammers, smashed windows and barricades being torn away. The campus police can't guarantee anyone's safety so I'm not being allowed anywhere near the building. Stay safe, everyone.moreit'll be fun watching them (soros et el) perform at the inauguration and such.
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In its recent teardown of the Amazon Echo Dot (2nd Generation), ABI Research uncovers that the eCommerce giant chose to undergo a number of significant cost reductions in design to bring voice command functionality to the masses at an even lower price point. An interesting move and one that validates voice command's growing role in the smart home market, the Amazon Echo Dot (2nd Generation) proves to be a lower cost voice gateway as compared to the economically-priced, first-generation model.

"Interestingly, Amazon shaved considerable margin from its first-generation Echo Dot, which retailed for $89.99 with a bill of materials, or BOM, of $45.39," says Jim Mielke, Managing Director and Vice President at ABI Research. "The second-generation model retails for $49.99 with a BOM of $34.87. Emphasizing cost reduction in the lower tier of the Echo product line is an obvious move by Amazon to bring voice command functionality to a larger, lower income market."

The Amazon Echo Dot (2nd Generation) migrates away from a Texas Instruments chipset to one supplied by Taiwanese semiconductor company MediaTek, which continues to show a growing presence in mobile ICs through its cellular modems, application processors, and connectivity chips.

On the other end of the spectrum, ABI Research finds that the Google Home retails at a $129 price point with an estimated BOM of $43.44. While the Google Home does feature higher-end audio, it remains to be seen as to whether or not Google will follow Amazon's lead with a device aimed at the sub $50 market.

"Taking into account all the emerging voice command devices recently infiltrating the smart home market, smart speaker manufacturer Fabriq may actually prove to be the dark horse to watch," concludes Mielke. "Retailing at the same price point as the Echo Dot, the smart speaker incorporates Amazon Alexa functionality, uses a MediaTek chipset, and works in battery mode as a Bluetooth speaker for remote music streaming, relying on a mobile handset to connect to the Internet. A comparable Echo alternative, Fabriq may just give Amazon a run for its money."

These findings are from ABI Research's Teardowns (https://teardowniq.com), which include high-resolution photos and x-rays, pinpoint power measurements, detailed parts lists, and block diagrams.

About ABI Research

ABI Research stands at the forefront of technology market research, providing business leaders with comprehensive research and consulting services to help them implement informed, transformative technology decisions. Founded more than 25 years ago, the company's global team of senior and long-tenured analysts delivers deep market data forecasts, analyses, and teardown services. ABI Research is an industry pioneer, proactively uncovering ground-breaking business cycles and publishing research 18 to 36 months in advance of other organizations. For more information, visit www.abiresearch.com.

Contact Info: Mackenzie Gavel Tel: +1.516.624.2542

pr@abiresearch.com

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/276887/abi_research_logo.jpg

Related Links

http://www.abiresearch.com



SOURCE ABI Research
But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something

over there only because I am here . But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past

as past
TOKYO, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Anime Tourism Association, in collaboration with Kadokawa ASCII Research Laboratories, Inc., is accepting applications for a trail tour and trip to filming locations of "Your Name" (Kimi no Na wa), one of the biggest hit anime films in Japan.

Logo: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M101933/201701167893/_prw_OI1im_2YcxaF9U.jpg

Image: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M101933/201701167893/_prw_OI2fl_yvFp2629.jpg

A total of 30 anime fans worldwide will receive invitations to an anime tour of Japan, sponsored by the Japanese Government.

This tour will test the value of the Japanese anime community's "sacred spot" locations by relaying the locations and models for their scenes.

This anime tour includes round-trip airfare to Japan, hotels, breakfast, dinner and transportation to the anime tour (Nagoya - Hida area - Tokyo) inside Japan.

Application acceptance for the tour will begin on January 20 and end February 28. All application details will be shown on the official website or on our partner company site using the following link: http://animetourism.lab-kadokawa.com

About Anime Tourism Association:

By selecting and organizing 88 "anime sacred spot" locations that have the potential to stimulate Japan's development as a tourism-oriented country, the Anime Tourism Association will promote the discovery of tourism resources and the referral of customers to regional destinations from among tourists visiting Japan.

The Japanese Government adopted the Anime Tourism Association for this project http://www.cao.go.jp/cool_japan/kaigi/kyoten_koutiku/project/kyoten_giji.html (In Japanese)

Related Links

http://animetourism.lab-kadokawa.com



SOURCE Kadokawa ASCII Research Laboratories, Inc.
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In a preview of the upcoming Society of Critical Care Medicine's (SCCM) 46th Annual Congress, Astute Medical, Inc., developer of the NephroCheck Test, today highlighted events studying current and potential applications of the test, which identifies hospital patients at risk of developing moderate to severe acute kidney injury (AKI). The meeting will take place this month at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu from January 21 through January 25.

AKI is one of the top 10 hospital in-patient complications most likely to affect mortality, length of stay and cost.1 Until now, the lack of predictive diagnostic tools has routinely prevented physicians from identifying high-risk patients and initiating kidney-sparing strategies before damage occurs.2

The NephroCheck Test measures two biomarkers, TIMP-2 and IGFBP-7, capable of detecting kidney stress indicative of AKI risk.3 Physicians can use the test to identify patients at risk of developing moderate to severe AKI and manage them accordingly with the goal of preventing AKI and the resultant loss of kidney function.4

Society of Critical Care Medicine Congress attendees can learn more about the NephroCheck Test at Astute Medical's exhibition booth #0822.

Details of the presentations follow:

Session  PEEserving Renal Function in the ICU Title: Are Biomarkers Ready for Prime Time? Speaker: John Kellum from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Date: Jan. 22, 2017 Time: 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m., local time

Abstract #1970 Title: Acute kidney injury cell cycle arrest biomarkers in acute on chronic heart failure: a case report Authors: Savneek Chugh from the New York Medical College, Hawthorne, N.Y. and Sohaib Tariq from the Westchester Medical Center, Hawthorne, N.Y. Date: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 Time: 9:15-10:15 a.m., local time.

Abstract #1295 Title: Standardized Clinical Assessment and Management Plan for Acute Kidney Injury Using Urinary Biomarker Authors: Azra Bihorac from the University of Florida School of Medicine, Gainesville, Fla., Justin West from the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., Charles Hobson from Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, Fla., and Gloria Lipori, Neil Harris, Kenneth Rand, and Philip Efron from the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla. Date: Monday, January 23, 2017 Time: 12:30-1:30 p.m., local time.

Cardio Renal Society of America (CRSA) Symposium Title: Guiding AKI Prevention Using Next-Gen Biomarkers Real World Experiences From Modern Practices Details: A panel of experts will use patient case studies to discuss cutting-edge techniques in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of acute kidney injury. Presenters include: Harold Szerlip of the CRSA, John Kellum of the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa., Azra Bihorac from University of Florida School of Medicine, Gainesville Fla., Andrew Shaw from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. Date: Monday, January 23, 2017 Time: 6 p.m., local time Contact: (855) 712-5084 or cpaltzer@cardiorenalsociety.org

The Society of Critical Care Medicine's (SCCM) 46th Critical Care Congress is the largest critical care event, bringing together all members of the multiprofessional, multidisciplinary team. The five-day event features members of internationally renowned faculty and content sessions that highlight the most up-to-date, evidence-based developments in critical care medicine.

Important Information About The NephroCheck Test

The NephroCheck Test System is intended to be used in conjunction with clinical evaluation in patients who currently have or have had within the past 24 hours acute cardiovascular and or respiratory compromise and are intensive care unit (ICU) patients as an aid in the risk assessment for moderate or severe AKI within 12 hours of patient assessment. The NephroCheck Test System is intended to be used in patients 21 years of age or older.

About Astute Medical, Inc.

Astute Medical is devoted to improving patient healthcare outcomes through the identification and validation of novel biomarkers.

The company's focus is community and hospital-acquired acute conditions that require rapid diagnosis and risk assessment. Astute Medical's current areas of interest include abdominal pain, acute coronary syndromes, cerebrovascular injury, kidney injury and sepsis.

Astute Medical has developed the NephroCheck Test for use in determining whether a hospitalized patient is at risk of developing moderate to severe AKI in the 12 hours following test administration. Early knowledge that a patient is likely to develop AKI may prompt closer patient surveillance and help prevent permanent kidney damage or death.

The company is a founding corporate partner of 0by25, a human rights initiative aimed at eliminating preventable and treatable deaths from AKI worldwide by 2025.

Astute Medical's NephroCheck Test received 510(k)-clearance through FDA's de novo classification pathway. The test is CE-marked and available in Europe.

For additional information, please visit AstuteMedical.com.

Astute Medical, the AM logo, Astute140, NephroCheck, the NephroCheck logo, and AkiRisk are registered trademarks of Astute Medical, Inc. in the United States. For information regarding trademarks and other intellectual property applicable to this product, including international trademarks, please see www.AstuteMedical.com/US/About/IntellectualProperty. PN0612 Rev A 2017/01/10

1 Premier, Inc. Complications Research: Identifying hospital-wide harm associated with increased cost, length of stay and mortality in U.S. hospitals. June 2014.

2 McCullough PA et al. Diagnosis of acute kidney injury using functional and injury biomarkers: workgroup statements from the tenth Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative Consensus Conference. Contrib Nephrol. 2013;182:13-29.

3 Kellum JA, Chawla LS. Cell-cycle arrest and acute kidney injury: the light and dark sides. Nephrol Dial Transplant (2015) 0: 17doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfv130.

4 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work Group. KDIGO 2012 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease. Kidney inter., Suppl. 2013; 3:1-150.

Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/182230/astute_medical_inc_logo.jpg

SOURCE Astute Medical, Inc.
LONDON, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

BCRE - Brack Capital Real Estate Investments N.V.

("BCRE" or the "Company")

Contemplated issuance of Bonds under the Programme

The Company announces that it intends to issue a new tranche of bonds, with an aggregate principal amount of up to US$12,000,000 ("Bonds") under its US$180 million programme for the issuance of bonds ("Programme").

The Programme was established in 2014 and an updated base prospectus ("Base Prospectus") and a supplement prospectus dated 3 March and 24 March 2016 respectively (together with the Base Prospectus, "Prospectus") have been made available on BCRE's website: www.brack-capital.com .

It is expected that the Bonds will be issued under the Programme on the same terms and conditions as the bonds which are currently outstanding under the Programme. As such, any such Bonds will be fungible with the existing bonds issued under the Programme.

With respect to the contemplated issuance of Bonds, it is intended that a supplement prospectus, approved by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets, will be made available. The Company shall announce the definitive characteristics when the issuance is final.

Please read the disclaimer below "Disclaimer - Intended Addressees" before attempting to access this service, as your right to do so is conditional upon complying with the requirements set out below.

ENQUIRIES:

BCRE - Brack Capital Real Estate Investments N.V.

Ariel Podrojski, Chief Executive Officer

Nansia Koutsou, Chief Financial Officer / Chief Operating Officer, +31 20 514 1004

Novella Communications

Tim Robertson

Toby Andrews, +203 151 7008

DISCLAIMER - INTENDED ADDRESSEES

Please note that the information contained in the Prospectus may be addressed to and/or targeted at persons who are residents of particular countries (specified in the Base Prospectus) only and is not intended for use and should not be relied upon by any person outside these countries and/or to whom the offer contained in the Base Prospectus is not addressed. Prior to relying on the information contained in the Prospectus, you must ascertain from the Base Prospectus whether or not you are part of the intended addressees of the information contained therein.

The Bonds have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act). Subject to certain exceptions, the Bonds may not be offered, sold or delivered within the United States or to, or for the benefit of, US persons.

This announcement is for information purposes only and is not a prospectus and does not constitute an offer to subscribe for or buy shares, the Bonds or other securities of the Company (Securities) in any jurisdiction. This announcement and the fact of its distribution is not and should not be seen as an inducement in relation to a decision to purchase Securities. Investors should not subscribe for or purchase any Bonds except on the basis of information contained in the Prospectus published by the Company.

The contents of this announcement have been prepared by and are the sole responsibility of the Company.

Peel Hunt LLP, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is acting for the Company and no-one else in connection with the Programme and will not regard any other person as its client or be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Programme or any transaction or arrangement referred to in this announcement.

About BCRE

BCRE is an international real estate development and investment group, headquartered in the Netherlands and listed on the London Stock Exchange. Through its subsidiary and associated undertakings, the Company is interested in, develops and operates an international portfolio of real estate assets, predominantly located in the USA, Germany and Russia.

The Company has established local management team platforms with significant local market expertise in the US, Germany, Russia, India and the UK with exclusive access to over 550 staff. At present, the Company has offices and teams in New York, London, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Moscow, Kazan, New Delhi, Amsterdam and Limassol.

This is a disclosure announcement from PR Newswire.

SOURCE BCRE - Brack Capital Real Estate Investments N.V.
ALBANY, New York, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The competitive landscape in the Global Biodegradable Stents Market is quite consolidated as major players in the market hold a massive chunk. In 2015, Abbott Laboratories, Boston Scientific, Inc., and Biotronik led the pack with a 61.5% share in the global market. The unwavering focus of these companies on expanding their business in newer territories has enabled them to dominate the global market. In the coming years, the players are expected to invest in advanced and sophisticated products to offer better products to the overall healthcare industry.

According to the research report, the global biodegradable stents market is anticipated to be worth US$1.7 bn by 2024 as compared to US$18 mn in 2015. During the forecast years of 2016 and 2024, the global market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 30.1%.

Europe Emerges as Leading Regional Market Backed by German Demand

The two types of stents available in the global biodegradable stents market are coronary artery stents and peripheral artery stents. Of these, the coronary artery stents are expected to progress at a CAGR of 30.9% during the forecast period. The high incidence of coronary artery diseases is expected to drive this segment in the coming years.

Download PDF Brochure of Research Report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=12464

In terms of regions the global market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. The report indicates that Europe will emerge as the dominant segment in the global market in the coming years. This regional market is expected to surge at a CAGR of 27.2% during the forecast period. Germany will lead the Europe biodegradable stents market in the coming few years.

Rise in Cardiovascular Diseases Spikes Demand for Biodegradable Stents

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that coronary artery diseases are responsible for 370,000 deaths across the U.S. every years. The global biodegradable stents market has been growing against the backdrop of high incidence of cardiovascular diseases, which are related to coronary artery diseases. The market is also being driven by the high prevalence of chronic conditions and rising geriatric population, which is prone to cardiovascular disorders. "The growing preference for stenting procedures for treating coronary artery diseases over bypass surgeries is also anticipated to boost the sales in the global market," estimates the lead author of this research report. This trend is likely to be a key trend in the market as stenting reduces complications, assures better success rate, fastens recovery time, and costs less.

Bare metal stents (BMS) and drug eluting stents (DES) continue to remain in the artery long after it has eluted the drug. This can lead to thrombosis, in-stent restenosis, and other complications, which can require surgical removal of the stent. Thus, use of biodegradable stents are remarkable safer as they get completely absorbed in the artery soon after the drug is eluted. This factor has won the biodegradable stents incredible traction over the past few years.

Unaffordability of Biodegradable Stents Dissuades Patients

Although the global biodegradable stents has a noteworthy CAGR, the market is likely to suffer due to the high cost of the products. Thus, the advantages of biodegradable stents are getting stymied due to their unaffordability. The premium pricing of these stents is expected to restrain the overall market's growth in the coming years. Furthermore, the slow adoption rate of these stents in regions and countries where medical awareness is relatively low is also hampering the progress of the global market.

Request For Report Customization: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=12464

This review is based on Transparency Market Research's report, titled "Biodegradable Stents Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024."

Global Biodegradable Stents Market is segmented as follows:

Global Biodegradable Stents Market, by Stent Type

Coronary Artery Stents

Peripheral Artery Stents

Global Biodegradable Stents Market, by Material

Polymer Based

Metal Based

Global Biodegradable Stents Market, by End user

Hospitals

Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories

Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Global Biodegradable Stents Market, by Geography

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

Browse Related Research Report:

Coronary Stents Market (Bare Metal Stents, Drug Eluting Stents and Bio-absorbable Stents) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Pipeline Overview, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/coronary-stents-market.html

Nitinol Medical Devices Market - Semi-finished Raw Material (Nitinol Tubes, Wiring and Others) and Final Medical Components (Nitinol Stents, Guidewires and Others) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/nitinol-medical-devices.html

Drug Device Combination Products Market (Drug Eluting Stents, Infusion Pumps, Photosensitizers, Orthopedic Combination Products, Wound Care Combination Products, Inhalers, Transdermal Patches, Intraocular Implants and Drug Eluting Beads) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/drug-device-combination.html

About Us:

Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S. based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMR's 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 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

Blog: http://www.tmrblog.com/

SOURCE Transparency Market Research
ABU DHABI and DUBAI, UAE, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Cyber security firm is promoting a culture of innovation, which can only be fuelled by a rigorous Research & Development programme

DarkMatter, the international cyber security firm headquartered in the UAE, has inaugurated its research and development programme with the signing of a series of agreements with notable top tier institutions around the world, and the engagement of PhD-level researchers who have been given ample opportunities to innovate within the organisation.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458034/DarkMatter_Continuous_Research.jpg )



The research areas DarkMatter is tackling are cutting-edge, technically challenging and set to revolutionise the future of cyber security. Areas of research and development extend to emerging topics such as post-quantum cryptography, blockchain, and artificial intelligence applications, to cyber security, side channel analysis, next generation communication systems and others. Ultimately, the firm is looking to drive innovation in these and other areas, raising new, relevant topics for concerned communities.

DarkMatter is excited to conduct such bold and challenging research with leading global educational institutions, while also conducting deep research within the organisation, the outputs of which will be used to bolster the firm's existing cyber security solutions.

From a global research perspective, DarkMatter aims to innovate within the cyber security sphere and contribute to its technological advancement through fundamental research. DarkMatter is also focused on enhancing internal products, services and offerings, as well as publishing findings within the broader scientific forums and contributing thought leadership to the community. A driving motivation within the firm's international collaborations is the dissemination of research outcome, sharing ideas, and collaborative learning.

Commenting on DarkMatter's rising research prowess, Faisal Al Bannai, Founder and Chief Executive Officer said, "Research is a core element of an innovative company, so we take this area of our business very seriously. Combining the top-tier talent we have within the organisation with globally-recognised institutions and researchers places us in a strong position to predict market developments and scale new offerings much more quickly. We are also proud to be conducting these far-reaching activities from our base in the UAE, expanding the intellectual capital of the country."

Faisal Al Bannai continued, "We will be making a number of announcements in regards to the leading research we are conducting as well as the research partnerships we are have established to improve the security ecosystem for the industry."

At a national level, DarkMatter's research and innovation activities are aimed at contributing to and enhancing selected university programmes and curricula related to cyber security. The firm is also keen to play a central role in training the UAE's cyber security professionals of the future.

An added benefit expected from DarkMatter's research activities is the attraction of the best cyber security students, PhDs, and professionals to the firm, reinforcing the company's position as one of the best places globally for cyber security experts to work.

Photo - DarkMatter is proud to conduct far-reaching R&D activities within the UAE, expanding the intellectual capital of the country.

About DarkMatter

DarkMatter is transforming the cyber security landscape. Headquartered in the UAE and operating globally, we're the region's first and only fully integrated digital defence and cyber security consultancy and implementation firm. Our elite team of global experts deliver advanced, next-generation solutions to governments and enterprises across the cyber security spectrum.

We help clients simplify the enormous complexity of today's ever-evolving cyber threats. Our vision is to protect the future by securing its technologies. Innovation and Research are cornerstones to our development and the activities in these areas underpin our entire range of offerings, including Secure Communications, Public Key Infrastructure and Big Data & Analytics products.

They also extend to our activities in Governance, Risk & Compliance, Cyber Network Defence, Managed Security Services, Infrastructure & System Integration, Test & Validation Labs, and Smart Solutions.

For further details, visit http://www.darkmatter.ae

SOURCE DarkMatter
HONG KONG, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Frontier Services Group Limited ("FSG" or the "Company") (SEHK: 00500), a leading security and logistics services company, and Taiping General Insurance Co. Ltd (Taiping) have reached a strategic partnership agreement to develop innovative insurance products and services to comprehensively support overseas Chinese enterprises and projects.

FSG and Taiping will focus on supporting clients operating along the One Belt One Road ("OBOR") region. The new offering will provide clients with innovative insurance products and services covering the unique risks associated with frontier markets.

The new partnership will provide insurance solutions covering personnel, assets and projects from Asia to Africa. FSG's mission is to help businesses operating in frontier markets overcome complex security, logistics and operational challenges by delivering reliable and bespoke solutions. FSG will not only assist Taiping in developing insurance products, but also will be a force multiplier in risk mitigation and operational support through its comprehensive logistics security and cross-border aviation services. These services will help to mitigate risks and provide critical support all insured clients.

China Taiping is currently the longest standing national brand in China's insurance industry. Taiping was founded in Shanghai in 1929 and rose quickly to become one of the leaders in China's insurance industry. China Taiping works across many countries and regions, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Europe, Australia, East Asia and Southeast Asia.

Today's announcement follows the announcement by FSG on 22 December 2016 of the launch of its new insurance division with the objective of partnering with leading insurance firms in China to bring clients operating in frontier markets customized insurance solutions.

Erik Prince, the Chairman of Frontier Services Group said: "We are very excited about FSG's growing insurance division and the opportunity to work with Taiping Insurance. This represents a second significant player working with FSG to develop innovative insurance solutions for companies operating in frontier markets. We look forward to working together with our partners to deliver world class products and solutions to our clients."

Dr. Dongyi Hua, the CEO of FSG commented: "One Belt One Road projects will need new, innovative insurance solutions. This partnership, together with others within our new insurance division, will allow us to offer bespoke and much needed insurance solutions to our clients."

David Whittingham, FSG's head of Corporate Development and Strategy added: "Our clients are our number one priority. The new partnerships we are setting up will allow us to provide them with even better services, de-risking their projects so they can focus on their core business. Taiping is a market leader and this partnership is testament to the high standard of services we are aiming to deliver."

- Ends -

About Frontier Services Group

Frontier Services Group Limited ("FSG") (SEHK: 00500) is a publicly listed company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with its headquarters in Hong Kong and offices in Beijing, Dubai, Nairobi, and Johannesburg. FSG supports businesses operating in frontier markets overcome complex security, logistics and operational challenges. From Asia to Africa, FSG helps transport and protect your people, goods and equipment across air, sea and ground.

Media enquiries 

China media - please contact:

Wonderful Sky Financial Group Holdings Limited

Nicole Liu / Coco He / Wendy Chan

E: frontierser@wsfg.hk / po@wsfg.hk

T: +852-3970 2298 / 3641 1300 / 3970 2200



International media - contact Marc Cohen or Chris Wilson, PRO:

E: FrontierServicesGroup@theproffice.com

T: + 44 20 7284 6969



SOURCE Frontier Services Group
DUBLIN, Jan 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Flavonoids Market Size & Trend Analysis By Product, By Application, By Region And Segment Forecasts, 2014 - 2025" report to their offering.

The global flavonoids market is expected to reach USD 1.06 billion by 2025

Changing consumer lifestyles and rising demand for beauty & health supplements are expected to propel flavonoids consumption over the forecast period.



Developed countries such as Denmark, France, Australia, Belgium, Norway, and the U.S. are characterized by high cancer prevalence. Application of flavonoid as an anti-cancer drug is expected to be the major factor driving growth in these countries, over the forecast period.



Rising demand for convenience food products has increased utilization of flavonoids in functional food. Moreover, smoothing and antioxidant properties allow it to be used in the cosmetics industry for skin care applications. These are also being used to develop drugs for the treatment of various other diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular problems, prevailing worldwide, further increasing demand.



Further key findings from the report suggest:



Anthocyanins were the most commonly consumed flavonoids in 2015 with a market share of over 40% in 2015. Growing demand from the nutraceuticals and functional food segment is expected to drive this market over the forecast period.

The functional beverages segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 12% from 2016 to 2025, in terms of revenue. Antioxidant properties of this product are now being introduced in non-alcoholic beverages including soft drinks, nutraceutical drinks, and energy drinks, propelling demand in this application.

The flavonoids market in functional foods was valued over USD 130 million in 2015 on account of anti-diabetic and anti-carcinogenic properties which are expected to increase their consumption in nutraceutical and functional food products.

in 2015 on account of anti-diabetic and anti-carcinogenic properties which are expected to increase their consumption in nutraceutical and functional food products. North America demand is expected to rise on account of rapid economic development with the U.S. and Canada being major nutraceutical markets in this region, triggering growth over the forecast period.

demand is expected to rise on account of rapid economic development with the U.S. and being major nutraceutical markets in this region, triggering growth over the forecast period. The market in Central & South America is projected to grow at the second highest CAGR of over 9% from 2016 to 2025, driven by growing demand from emerging economies such as Brazil and Argentina .

is projected to grow at the second highest CAGR of over 9% from 2016 to 2025, driven by growing demand from emerging economies such as and . In January 2016 , Cayman Chemical Company, one of the leading manufacturers of this product, acquired Biomol GmbH, a Germany -based distributor of research reagent chemicals. This acquisition helped the company strengthen its position in Europe .

Key Topics Covered:



1. Methodology & Scope



2. Executive Summary



3. Flavonoids Industry Outlook



4. Flavonoids Market: Product Estimates & Trend Analysis



5. Flavonoids Market: Application Estimates & Trend Analysis



6. Flavonoids Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis



7. Competitive Landscape



8. Company Profiles



Cayman Chemical Company

Quercegen Pharmaceuticals

Foodchem International Corporation

INDOFINE Chemical Company, Inc.

Extrasynthese

Toroma organics Ltd

Pharmachem Laboratories Inc.

Organic Herb Inc.

Phytocompounds

Indena S.p.A

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/dx79dt/flavonoids_market

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



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SOURCE Research and Markets
TAIPEI, Taiwan, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Infortrend Technology, Inc. (TWSE: 2495) today announced that its storage systems provide flexible super-speed host interface support for 56Gb/s InfiniBand, 40Gb/s iSCSI and 4 x 16Gb/s Fibre Channel ports, delivering optimum bandwidth and throughput for resource intensive and mission critical applications, such as high-performance computing, media editing and big data analytics.

Storage networking technologies continue to advance to meet the high-speed and low-latency requirements by demanding applications in today's enterprise environments. Infortrend storage supports leading-edge and wide-ranging host interfaces so that customers can choose the connection protocol(s) most suitable for their application requirements and infrastructure needs. Furthermore, the I/O ports are interchangeable on a modular-design host board to provide organizations future-proof flexibility when planning or upgrading their infrastructure to meet growing storage requirements as their business scale expands.

iSCSI, scaling to 40G speed, targets enterprise data center, cloud and big data applications requiring high-performance SAN-based storage while preserving network deployment simplicity. The 4 x 16Gb/s FC ports enable high 64G throughput, supporting the most demanding virtualization applications when leveraging multicore processors, memory cache and SSD. InfiniBand is increasingly used in data centers and HPC as it drives the most aggressive performance roadmap among I/O fabric architectures.

"We understand customers' needs are constantly evolving and so are network interconnect technologies. We are committed to keeping abreast of the latest technology developments and ensuring Infortrend products always deliver high performance, optimum flexibility and forward-looking features," said Thomas Kao, Senior Director of Product Planning at Infortrend.

Super-speed host interfaces are available on certain models of Infortrend storage systems, in addition to the support for other host protocols. For more details, please click here.

About Infortrend

Infortrend (TWSE: 2495) has been developing and manufacturing storage solutions since 1993. With a strong emphasis on in-house design, testing, and manufacturing, Infortrend storage delivers performance and scalability with the latest standards, user friendly data services, personal after-sales support, and unrivaled value. For more Information, please visit www.infortrend.com.

Infortrend and EonStor are trademarks or registered trademarks of Infortrend Technology, Inc., other trademarks property of their respective owners.

For further information, please contact:

Infortrend Europe Ltd.

Agnieszka Wesolowska

Tel: +44-1256-305-220

E-mail: marketing.eu@infortrend.com

Related Links

http://www.infortrend.com



SOURCE Infortrend Technology, Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The global intracranial pressure monitoring devices market is expected to reach USD 1.9 billion 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing neurological disorders and growing awareness regarding various treatment options available is spurring the growth of these devices on a global level. In addition, constant rise in patient numbers suffering from severe brain diseases that lead to high intracranial pressure is expected to drive the growth of the market during the forecast period.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150105/723757 )



Mainly, high disease prevalence and increased research funding together are expected to positively affect the growth of the ICP monitoring devices market. However, high cost of the devices and lack of skilled professionals in the developing regions are some of the prime factors hindering growth of the market.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Intracranial Pressure (ICP) Monitoring Devices Market Analysis By Technique (Invasive, Noninvasive), By Application (Traumatic Brain Injury, Intracerebral Hemorrhage, Meningitis, Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Others), And Segment Forecasts, 2014 - 2025" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/intracranial-pressure-icp-monitoring-devices-market

Further Key Findings from the Study Suggest:

The market study suggests that invasive technique dominated the overall market in 2015 due to accurate and continuous measurements of intracranial pressure with intermittent drainage (hourly), unless clinically indicated

Among the invasive techniques, External Ventricular Drainage (EVD) occupied the largest share as it is considered as the gold standard for monitoring of intracranial pressure.

EVD also enables drainage of cerebrospinal fluid and administration of medicine intrathecally, which is positively impacting the growth of this segment

North America dominated the vertical with the largest revenue share in 2015. Presence of a large target population suffering from traumatic brain injury and high adoption rate of advanced treatment options are some of the factors driving the growth of the intracranial pressure monitoring devices in North America .

dominated the vertical with the largest revenue share in 2015. Presence of a large target population suffering from traumatic brain injury and high adoption rate of advanced treatment options are some of the factors driving the growth of the intracranial pressure monitoring devices in . Asia Pacific is anticipated to show significant growth during the forecast period. Growth of the region is primarily attributable to increasing government initiatives, growing awareness regarding neurological disorders, and the availability of diagnostic procedures for their treatment.

is anticipated to show significant growth during the forecast period. Growth of the region is primarily attributable to increasing government initiatives, growing awareness regarding neurological disorders, and the availability of diagnostic procedures for their treatment. Some of the top companies operating in this market are Medtronic plc; Codman & Shurtleff, Inc.; RAUMEDIC AG; Vittamed; Sophysa Ltd.; Orsan Medical Technologies; Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation; and Spiegelberg GmbH & Co. KG.

Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Market- http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/magnetic-resonance-imaging-market

Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Devices Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/gastrointestinal-endoscopic-devices-market

Contrast Agent Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/contrast-agent-market

X-Ray Detectors Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/x-ray-detectors-market

Grand View Research has segmented the intracranial pressure monitoring devices market on the basis of technique, application, and region:

ICP Monitoring Devices Technique Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Invasive External Ventricular Drainage (EVD) Microtransducer ICP Monitoring Noninvasive Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography Tympanic Membrane Displacement Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter MRI/CT Fundoscopy (papilledema)

ICP Monitoring Devices Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Traumatic Brain Injury Intracerebral Hemorrhage Meningitis Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Others (Cerebral Edema, CNS Infection, etc.)

ICP Monitoring Devices Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany UK Asia Pacific China Japan Latin America Brazil Mexico MEA South Africa



Read Our Blogs -http://www.grandviewresearch.com/blog/intracranial-pressure-icp-monitoring-devices-market-size-trends

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.



Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc

Phone: 1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com





Web: www.grandviewresearch.com

SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
DUBAI, UAE, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Group's investment reflects its strong confidence in the gold and diamond jewellery market despite challenging global economy.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds to add 24 outlets to its existing network of 161 outlets across Gulf, India and Far East during next 3 months.

The Group to hire more than 1,000 professionals to manage the expansion, including more than 400 in the GCC and 600 in India .

The expansion will help re-inforce the company's position among the BIG 5 gold and diamond jewellery retailers globally.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds, one of the world's largest gold and diamond jewellery retailer, announces a major investment amounting Dh 335 million (US$91.28 million) in expansion plans of its retail network. The plan will see an addition of 24 stores in three months, from January 2017 to March 2017 period, taking the number of total outlets to 185 by the end of March 2017, up from 161 as of today.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458137/MALABAR_Logo.jpg )



Out of the 24 new outlets, 9 will be in the UAE, 7 in India, 5 in Saudi Arabia, 2 in Bahrain and 1 in Kuwait. Of these, 7 outlets will be opened on January 18, 2017, taking the number of total outlets to 168, including 82 in India and 86 internationally.

The expansion will add more than 1,000 professionals to the group's existing manpower strength of 9,000 and cross the 10,000 employee mark by March this year.

The move marks a major investment in expansion at a time when many gold and jewellery retailers have struggled to manage their existing operations due to a challenging global economic environment.

Despite the tough market conditions resulted by lower demand, higher price of gold and demonetization process in India, Malabar Gold & Diamonds has decided to push ahead with expansion, which demonstrates it confidence in the growth of market in future.

"This is one of our single largest vertical expansion drives. The expansion at a crucial time reflects our renewed confidence and strong commitment to the Gulf, India and Far East markets," Mr. MP Ahammed, Chairman of Malabar Group, said. "Investment in downturn market requires courage and strong risk appetite. Our latest expansion demonstrates our long-term vision and a sustainable business development roadmap that we can manage mostly with our own resources."

"The expansion is aimed at serving more communities and nationalities, especially people from the Philippines, African Arab communities, the Levant as well as the Western countries. The extended network will help us acquire a greater customer base," he added.

The price of gold has risen in almost every major world economy during 2016, suggesting that the dark days are over and good times are coming back. The gold price is almost 10 per cent higher today than what it had been 12 months ago.

Mr. Abdul Salam KP, Group Executive Director of Malabar Group said that consumers were cautious last year. "Retail activities are a reflection of the consumer sentiment. Due to the market conditions, consumers exercised caution. However things are looking brighter as we started the New Year with a lot of positive indications," he added.

The current price of gold jewellery is ideal for buyers, company officials say.

Mr. Shamlal Ahamed MP, Managing Director - International Operations of Malabar Gold & Diamonds' says, "Due to the market conditions, consumers on an average purchased less gold. However, although the average ticket size was low, the transaction value remained almost flat - which means the number of customers have grown."

"Data from our own sales across the network shows that we have acquired more customers last year - who purchased from us for the first time - that compensated for the lower average purchase transaction value," Mr. Shamlal revealed.

"I believe the current market conditions are best suited for buyers as the price of gold is expected to rise. This year, we expect consumers to be less cautious and buy more - a trend that will lift consumption," he added.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds is the flagship company of Malabar Group, a leading diversified Indian business conglomerate. The group owned by over 1,700 investors was ranked among the top 5 jewellery retailers globally. Established in 1993 in the Indian state of Kerala, Malabar Gold & Diamonds today has a strong retail network of over 161 outlets spread across nine countries.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds had earlier announced donating 5 per cent of its profits in CSR activities aimed at supporting the societies across five key areas: Education, Women Empowerment, Healthcare and Research, Housing and Environment.

Editor ' s Note

About Malabar Gold & Diamonds

Established in 1993 in the Indian state of Kerala, Malabar Gold & Diamonds today has a strong retail network of 161 outlets spread across nine countries, 10 wholesale units in addition to offices, design centers and factories spread across India, Middle East & Far East. With an annual turnover of $4.5 billion, the company currently ranks among the big 5 jewellery retailers globally.

With 11 cluster manufacturing units in India and GCC - the company currently has 9 jewellery brands to cater to the discerning needs of customers. With headquarters in Kerala and branches across India, Middle East & Far East, Malabar Group is best known for its activities in the field of gold, diamonds, silver and lifestyle articles.

MGD - Lifestyle Jewellery is the latest offering from the group focusing on trendy and light weight jewellery that represents the independent and the modern woman through its designs and collections.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds also features an online store - http://www.malabargoldanddiamonds.com providing customers the opportunity to purchase their favorite jewellery any time and on any day from the comfort of their home.

SOURCE Malabar Gold & Diamonds
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The call for world leaders at the upcoming World Economic Forum 2017 in Davos to exercise "Responsive and Responsible Leadership" could not come at a better time. Expecting more than 2,500 global leaders in government, business and civil society, the meeting will focus on four critical leadership challenges for 2017 -- Namely, re-imagining global cooperation, revitalising the global economy, reforming capitalism and preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/457608/Coat_of_arms_of_Malaysia_Logo.jpg

For a developing nation like Malaysia, with a diverse population of 31.7 million people of different backgrounds and cultures with each community having their own specific challenges, Responsible and Responsive Leadership means ensuring long term inclusive and sustainable growth for its people by driving economic advancements through domestic and international strategic initiatives.

"Responsive and Responsible Leadership is about ensuring that all segments of society are included in our nation building efforts. It is about driving inclusive growth from a domestic and international point of view," said Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia. "Despite trends in certain countries returning to more nationalistic roots, Malaysia is firmly committed to the idea that we live in a global community."

"The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is a good example of how small to medium sized countries working together have been able to transform themselves into a single market and production based with a combined population of 625 million and a GDP of USD2.43 trillion. That gives ASEAN considerable leveraging power and equal footing when negotiating with economies like Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea to form the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), to become an economic region with a total population of more than 3 billion people and a combined GDP of USD17.2 trillion."

Recognising the opportunities and dangers that the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings if not managed properly, Malaysia has rolled out a National Internet of Things (IoT) Blueprint to help guide the nation through this new paradigm shift and to maximise the advantages and ensure inclusive growth for all its communities. Among initiatives in driving the digital economy, new identified certified locations called Malaysia Digital Hubs will be established especially for the start-up community. In addition to this, plans are underway with Australia to develop a fintech ecosystem for the country.

"The World Economic Forum is an excellent platform for world leaders and experts to get together to exchange ideas and views, and more importantly, commit to the idea that we share this world as one community," said Mohamed. "To move forward and drive meaningful inclusive sustainable growth for all, we need to do more than just align our interests. We need to align our values," he concluded.

SOURCE Nation Branding Division, Prime Ministers Office, Malaysia
SAN FRANCISCO, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The global oil free air compressors market is expected to reach USD 15.2 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Air compressors are heavily used in manufacturing applications, for instance, oil-free air is directly used in various locations as a power source for manufacturing machines. A strong demand from the food & beverage sector, owing to the mandatory health & safety requirements, is expected to drive the oil free air compressors market growth over the forecast period.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150105/723757 )



Industries such as manufacturing are espousing economical manufacturing methods so as to drive profitability. The surging demand for these systems from operative energy dissemination solicitations due to cost optimizing features is predicted to fuel the industry growth. Factors such as lower installation and maintenance cost are expected to positively elevate the industry growth.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Oil Free Air Compressor Market Analysis By Product (Stationary, Portable), By Technology (Reciprocating, Rotary, Centrifugal), By Application (Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Energy, F&B, Healthcare, Semiconductor & Electronics), And Segment Forecasts, 2014 - 2025" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/oil-free-air-compressors-market

Further key findings from the report suggest:

On account of benefits including light-weight and durability the portable oil free air compressors emerged as a dominant segment in 2015, a trend anticipated to continue towards the end of the forecast period.

Centrifugal oil free air compressors segment is expected to witness rapid growth from 2016 to 2025, which is primarily ascribed to their ability to reduce carbon footprint ensuring clean and reliable air supply.

The manufacturing sector captured the largest share in 2015; however, home appliances followed by oil & gas segment are anticipated to witness fastest growth owing to the criticality of these products, wherein even a droplet of oil result into the production equipment spoilage.

Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the fastest growing region with a CAGR exceeding 4.0% over the forecast period, mainly on account of rapid industrialization and expanding manufacturing sector.

is expected to emerge as the fastest growing region with a CAGR exceeding 4.0% over the forecast period, mainly on account of rapid industrialization and expanding manufacturing sector. The market is fragmented in nature and the key purveyors comprise Atlas Copco, Ingersoll Rand , Gardner Denver, General Electric and Bauer Group among others, wherein mergers & acquisitions along with technologically advanced product development remain to be the key strategies adopted to gain competitive advantage.

Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

Mining Drills & Breakers Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/mining-drills-and-breakers-market

Iron And Steel Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/iron-steel-market

Aftercoolers Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/aftercoolers-market

Incinerator Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/incinerator-market

Grand View Research has segmented the oil free air compressors market on the basis of product, technology, application and region:

Oil Free Air Compressors Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2025) Portable Stationary

Oil Free Air Compressors Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2025) Reciprocating Rotary/Screw Centrifugal

Oil Free Air Compressors Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2025) Manufacturing Semiconductor & Electronics Food & Beverage Healthcare Home Appliances Energy Oil & Gas Others

Oil Free Air Compressors Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2025) North America U.S. Canada Europe UK Germany Asia Pacific China India Japan Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East & Africa



Read Our Blogs - Oil Free Air Compressor Market: The need to eliminate air contamination to drive growth

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: 1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com



Web: http://www.grandviewresearch.com

SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
LEUVEN, Belgium, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

ONCURIOUS NV, an emerging oncology company focused on the development of innovative orphan drugs for the treatment of pediatric tumors, today announces that the European Commission has confirmed the orphan drug designation for TB-403 for medulloblastoma. Today's decision by the EC follows the earlier positive opinion issued by the European Medicine Agency (EMA).

TB-403 is a humanized monoclonal antibody against placental growth factor (PlGF). PlGF is expressed in several types of cancer, including medulloblastoma. In medulloblastoma patients, high expression of the PlGF receptor neuropilin 1 has been shown to correlate with poor overall patient survival.

An orphan drug designation is for "medicines to be developed for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of rare diseases that are life-threatening or very serious".

Today's confirmation by the EC follows an earlier in-depth review and positive opinion on the drug candidate by the EMA Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP). The COMP gathers a group of experts chosen on the strength of their qualifications and a number of patient organization representatives. Altogether, the COMP assesses the potential incremental benefits of a drug candidate versus existing treatments.

TB-403 is currently being evaluated in a Phase I/IIa clinical trial for treatment of medulloblastoma, a rare, life-threatening pediatric cancer.

The clinical trial is being conducted in partnership with the Neuroblastoma and Medulloblastoma Translational Research Consortium (NMTRC). The Consortium is a collaboration of 25 US academic medical centers, teaching hospitals and other entities, with the purpose of facilitating and conducting collaborative research activities and investigations of new treatments for neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma and other pediatric cancers. NMTRC is headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, USA.

ONCURIOUS nv is working with BioInvent International AB as a development partner for this project.

Patrik De Haes, MD, Executive Chairman of ONCURIOUS nv comments

"We are very happy with today's news. Gaining this orphan-drug designation is an important validation of the TB-403's scientific rationale and preclinical data. It also offers very valuable potential benefits including protocol assistance and fee waivers, as well as 10-year market exclusivity once the medicine is on the market in Europe."

Ends

For further information please contact:



Oncurious / ThromboGenics Citigate Dewe Rogerson Wouter Piepers, David Dible/Sylvie Berrebi +32 16 75 13 10 / +32 478 33 56 32 Tel: +44 20 7638 9571 wouter.piepers@oncurious.com David.Dible@citigatedr.co.uk

About ONCURIOUS NV

ONCURIOUS NV is an oncology company focused on the development of innovative medicines for the treatment of pediatric cancers. Oncurious is a venture between ThromboGenics NV and VIB, a leading life science research institute in Flanders, Belgium.

Oncurious is currently recruiting patients in a Phase I/IIa clinical program with TB-403 for the treatment of medulloblastoma, a rare life-threatening brain tumor that mainly affects children.

More information on Oncurious NV can be found at http://www.oncurious.com



About the NMTRC

The Neuroblastoma and Medulloblastoma Translational Research Consortium (NMTRC) is a group of 25 universities and children's hospitals headquartered at the Helen Devos Children's Hospital, Grand Rapids. MI, USA that offer a nationwide network of childhood cancer clinical trials. These trials are based on the research from a group of closely collaborating investigators who are linked with laboratory programs developing novel therapies for high-risk neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma.

More information on NMTRC can be found at: http://nmtrc.org/



About BioInvent

BioInvent International AB (OMXS:BINV) is focused on the discovery and development of novel and first-in-class immuno-regulatory antibodies to treat cancer. The Company's clinical programmes are BI-1206, currently in a Phase I/II for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphatic leukaemia and TB-403, in cooperation with Oncurious, currently in Phase I/II for medulloblastoma. BioInvent has an exciting pre-clinical portfolio based on novel immuno-modulatory antibodies that target regulatory T cells (T-regs) and tumour-associated myeloid cells. In December 2016, the Company signed a strategic research collaboration with Pfizer Inc. BioInvent also works with leading academic institutions including the University of Southampton, Cancer Research UK, and Penn Medicine. BioInvent generates revenues from global partnerships, including Bayer Pharma, Daiichi Sankyo, and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma and from its manufacturing facility for the production of antibodies for research through to late-stage clinical trials. More information is available at http://www.bioinvent.com.



Important information about forward-looking statements

Certain statements in this press release may be considered "forward-looking". Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and, accordingly, entail and are influenced by various risks and uncertainties. The Company therefore cannot provide any assurance that such forward-looking statements will materialize and does not assume an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or any other reason. Additional information concerning risks and uncertainties affecting the business and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement is contained in the Company's Annual Report.

This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or assets of ThromboGenics in any jurisdiction. No securities of ThromboGenics may be offered or sold within the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or in compliance with an exemption therefrom, and in accordance with any applicable U.S. state securities laws.

SOURCE ONCURIOUS NV
HELSINKI, Jan 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

STOCKMANN plc - Company Announcement 17.1.2017 at 8:00 EET

Stockmann's shareholders' Nomination Board has in its meeting decided to propose the following to the Annual General Meeting, which will be held on 23 March 2017:

The Nomination Board proposes that the number of members of the Board of Directors remain eight.

The shareholders' Nomination Board proposes that the present members of the Board of Directors, Kaj-Gustaf Bergh, Jukka Hienonen, Susanne Najafi, Leena Niemisto, Michael Rosenlew, Per Sjodell and Dag Wallgren, all having given their consents, be re-elected for the term of office continuing until the end of the next Annual General Meeting.

Board member Torborg Chetkovich has informed that she will no longer be available as member of the company's Board of Directors. The Nomination Board proposes that LL.M, M.Sc.(Econ.) Esa Lager with his consent, be elected new Board member for the term of office stated above. Esa Lager (b. 1959, Finnish citizen) is professional Board member and he has earlier had several management positions in the Outokumpu Group, e.g. as deputy to CEO and CFO.

The Nomination Board proposes that the remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors remain at the present level.

Additional information on the member proposed by the Stockmann's shareholders' Nomination Board can be found on the company's website www.stockmanngroup.com. The proposals of the Nomination Board will be included in the invitation to the Annual General Meeting.

Magnus Bargum (nominated by Svenska litteratursallskapet i Finland) acts as Chairman of Stockmann's shareholders' Nomination Board, and Kaj-Gustaf Bergh (nominated by Foreningen Konstsamfundet rf.), Ole Johansson (nominated by HTT STC Holding Oy Ab), Leena Niemisto (nominated by Kari Niemisto) and Stockmann's Chairman of the Board Jukka Hienonen act as members of the Nomination Board.

Further information:



Jukka Naulapaa,

Director,

Legal Affairs,

Tel. +358 9 121 3850

www.stockmanngroup.com

STOCKMANN plc

Lauri Veijalainen

CEO

Distribution:

Nasdaq Helsinki

Principal media

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/stockmann-oyj-abp/r/proposal-of-the-shareholders--nomination-board-for-the-composition-and-remuneration-of-stockmann-s-b,c2167264

Related Links

http://www.stockmanngroup.com



SOURCE Stockmann Oyj Abp
OSTERSUND, Sweden, Jan 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Skanska invests EUR 38M, about SEK 370M, in the first phase of Campus 6, an office complex in Bucharest, Romania. The first phase will offer a total leasable area of about 22,000 square meters on 11 stories above ground and two levels of underground parking.

The Campus 6 complex, located in the Central-West area of Bucharest, will comprise four office buildings with a total leasable area of over 82,000 square meters. The project is expected to receive LEED Gold certification.

Campus 6 will provide green spaces in an urban setting, free Wi-Fi connection and networking areas. The entire complex is designed to strengthen interpersonal interactions and work-life balance.

Construction work has already started and is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2018.

Skanska Commercial Development Europe initiates and develops office property projects. The company's operations are concentrated in the metropolitan areas of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Poland and are conducted in four local units: Skanska Property Czech Republic, Skanska Property Hungary, Skanska Romania and Skanska Property Poland.

For further information please contact:

Magorzata Kubica,

External Communication Manager,

Skanska in Poland,

Tel: +48-502-747-454

Andreas Joons,

Press Officer,

Skanska AB,

Tel: +46 (0)10-449-04-94

Direct line for media:

Tel: +46-10-448-88-99

This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/skanska/r/skanska-invests-eur-38m--about-sek-370m--in-the-first-phase-of-an-office-project-in-bucharest--roman,c2167566

The following files are available for download:

http://mb.cision.com/Main/95/2167566/615205.pdf 170117 RO office investment Bucharest http://news.cision.com/skanska/i/170117-ro-campus-6,c2057572 170117 RO Campus 6

Related Links

http://www.skanska.com



SOURCE Skanska
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Qmatic, a global leader in customer journey technology and insights, is making a big push in the American retail market through its sponsorship of the NRF Retail's Big Show in New York, the industry's most well-attended event.

Qmatic has successfully served global retail companies for many years to improve customer experience, increase sales and streamline operations. With over 10,000 installations for international retail clients like Elgiganten (Dixons Carphone), Samsung, Marks & Spencer, Coolblue, and Vodafone and backed by the experience of enabling close to 2 billion customer journeys through its platform every year, Qmatic is now launching its solutions and services for the American retail market.

Qmatic is the industry leader in many US sectors. The company's customer journey technology and mobile solutions are used to create seamless and fast services for citizens navigating the Department of Motor Vehicles in over half of the country. Also having one of the country's largest cable television network companies as a client provides a perfect platform to expand its retail operations nationwide.

Qmatic's CEO Robert Ekstrom comments on this initiative:

"The American market has massive potential and we know we can play a significant part in helping clients revolutionize the American consumer's customer journey," says Ekstrom. "As personalized customer experience, omnichannel capabilities and real-time, data-driven decisions become key business differentiators for retailers, our leading enterprise mobile and software solutions and global experience puts us in a perfect position to help retailers with these business challenges."

The NRF Retail's Big Show is put on annually by the National Retail Federation (NRF), the world's largest industry organization for retail, attended by 500 exhibitors and 33,000 participants from 94 countries. NRF Big Show is happening now at the Jacob J. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, New York, USA.

For more information, please contact:

Robert Ekstrom, CEO Qmatic

+46 70 105 4615

Robert.ekstrom@qmatic.com

About Qmatic

Qmatic Group is a market-leading technology supplier for customer journey management and insights. For over 30 years, we have helped private and public organizations create fantastic customer journeys using software and hardware solutions that seamlessly manage both digital and physical customer encounters. Our integrated software platform, mobile applications and BI tools provide insights for better managing client interactions, running campaigns, and optimizing personnel and resource planning. More than 2 billion customer journeys are made possible through Qmatic every year. Headquartered in Sweden, Qmatic has over 300 employees and operates in more than 120 countries. www.qmatic.com

CONTACT:

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/qmatic/r/swedish-company-qmatic-launches-its-retail-customer-journey-technology-platform-for-the-american-mar,c2168312

SOURCE Qmatic
DALLAS, Jan. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- More Americans now have health insurance than ever before, but that doesn't mean they are getting individualized healthcare guidance. Sixty-one percent of consumers believe that their health plan gives similar incentives and recommendations to the entire population, rather than personalized direction. The data comes from a January 2017 HealthMine survey of 750 consumers with sponsored health insurance. The findings also show that nearly three quarters of members (73%) don't think their insurance plan understands their health very well.

Which of the following statements do you believe is most true? "My health plan"

Answer Percent Gives similar incentives and recommendations to the entire population 61% Gives me personalized incentives and recommendations that are specific to my health 39%

Members' perspectives may be influenced by how their health plan communicates with them. Thirty percent of respondents said their plan's communication with them was "impersonal" or "mass oriented." Another 22% said their plan's communication with them occurred "only around my bills."

Which of the following statements do you believe is most true? "My health plan's communication with me is"

Answer Percent Impersonal/mass-oriented 30% Personal to my gender and demographics 16% Highly personalcustomized for my individual health needs 32% Only around my bills 22%

Brennan Collins, vice president of product at HealthMine said, "Health plans have more data than ever about each member, thanks to the growing digitization of healthcare--but they're not deriving value from it. Health data creates value when plan sponsors combine and translate it into useful insights that improve health outcomes and lower costs for each member. That's health intelligence." He continued, "Health intelligence provides personalized insight, personalized clinical guidance and personalized incentives to close gaps in care. It adds up to improved population health, one member at a time."

About the Survey

The HealthMine Health Plan Intelligence Survey queried 750 insured consumers who are enrolled in a wellness program. The survey was fielded by Survey Sampling International (SSI) in January 2017. Data were collected via an opt-in panel. The margin of error is 4%. Survey Sampling International (SSI) has been the Worldwide Leader in Survey Sampling and Data Collection Solutions, across every mode, for 37 Years.

About HealthMine

HealthMine is a leading healthcare technology company that delivers Health Intelligence for plan members and plan sponsors. HealthMine's cloud-based Health Intelligence Solution facilitates better health outcomes and lowers healthcare costs by providing: 1) insight into health status and risk, 2) clinical guidance on necessary health actions, 3) personalized motivation to close gaps in care and 4) measurement of outcomes. The Health Intelligence Solution derives business value from all clinical and lifestyle health data including data from existing wellness programs. HealthMine has more than 1 million users and has saved health plan sponsors more than $100 million in healthcare costs. HealthMine is on the web at www.healthmine.com.

SOURCE HealthMine

Related Links

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COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The new Golden Cincinnati initiative announced by Cincinnati City Council Member P.G. Sittenfeld included several key measures ranging from an "Aging and Accessibility Czar" to tax incentives for residential projects that are age-friendly.

State Director of AARP Ohio Barbara A. Sykes said, "When communities embrace the demographic wave of our aging population everyone wins. Crosswalks and sidewalks designed to accommodate the needs of older pedestrians also benefit the parent with toddlers or jogging stroller in tow as well. Cincinnati is one of Ohio's great cities and this intentional focus shows city leaders have the kind of vision that will keep it great in the years to come."

Since the middle of the 20th century, global life expectancy has increased by two decades. In just a few years, there will be more people over age 65 in the world than children under 5.

Findings show that an older population can contribute greatly in all walks of life. But to make the most of this opportunity, communities must address an array of challenges that can make it harder to stay independent and productive.

Sykes added, "We invite everyone to come and discover how to get involved as we partner with our volunteers, community leaders and elected officials, to help make Cincinnati #BetterTogether. It's an open invitation to be our guest at our community reception downtown on February 2."

For more information or to register for the AARP community event and reception being held at the Westin Cincinnati on February 2 from 4:30 p.m. -7 p.m. please visit www.aarp.org/Cincinnati or call 877-926-8300.

Follow us on Twitter: @AARPOhio and Facebook: AARP OH

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services.A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Espanol, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity of AARP that is working to win back opportunity for struggling Americans 50+ by being a force for change on the most serious issues they face today: housing, hunger, income and isolation. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

SOURCE AARP Ohio

Related Links

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NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Advanced Materials Market: Overview



Advanced Materials generally have superior properties than conventional materials available. They can outperform conventional materials, in terms of their applications. They are materials that are novel or have undergone modifications in existing materials to gain superior performance with respect to one or more characteristics that are essential for the applications under consideration.



Global Advanced Materials Market: Drivers and Trends



As climate change statistics are continuously rising, there's growing pressure from all areas  consumers, businesses, and governments  to search for more eco-friendly manufacturing techniques. This acts as another opportunity for advanced materials market because of always advancing technologies that are used for production of advanced materials. North America and Europe are major regions for the global advanced materials market, with them currently being and projected to remain comparatively mature markets.



The market is anticipated to undergo constant changes due to emerging technologies in various segments, as any advancement carried out on existing products results in the inclusion of the modified product in the existing market. Limited number of players operate in the advanced materials market. Their share of R&D expenditure is expected to reflect on the overall investment in R&D for advanced materials.



Global Advanced Materials Market: Scope



The report estimates and forecasts the advanced materials market on the global and regional levels. The study provides forecast between 2016 and 2024 based on volume (million tons / kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Bn / US$ Mn) with 2015 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage.



Global Advanced Materials Market: Research Methodology



The study includes drivers and restraints for the advanced materials market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market. The report analyzes opportunities in the advanced materials market on the global and regional level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through quantitative and qualitative data. These have been verified through primary and secondary resources. Furthermore, the report analyzes substitute analysis of advanced materials and global average price trend analysis.



The report includes Porter's Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the advanced materials market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users and regions have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market. The report comprises price trend analysis for advanced materials between 2016 and 2024.



Secondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to, company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.



In-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Key players' product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis team's expertise and market understanding.



Global Advanced Materials Market: Segmentation



The study provides a comprehensive view of the advanced materials market by dividing it into product, application and geography segments. The products have been segmented into ceramics, glasses, polymers, composites and metals & alloys (M&A). The applications are segmented into medical devices, automotive, aerospace, electricals & electronics (E&E), industrial, power and others. These segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends.



Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast consumption of advanced materials in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Market segmentation includes demand for consumption in all the regions individually.



Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:



The report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include 3M Advanced Materials, Morgan Advanced Materials plc, Huntsman Corporation, Hexcel Corporation, Hanwa Group, Materion Corporation and Others. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).



The global advanced materials market has been segmented as follows:



Advanced Materials Market  Product Analysis



Ceramics

Glasses

Polymers

Composites

Metals & Alloys



Advanced Materials Market  Application Analysis



Medical devices

Automotive

Aerospace

Electricals & Electronics

Industrial

Power

Others



Advanced Materials Market  Regional Analysis



North America

U.S.

Canada

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Europe

Germany

France

U.K.

Spain

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

ASEAN

Rest of Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

GCC

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04617442-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



http://www.reportlinker.com





__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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"As an agency that greatly values creativity and innovation, we're thrilled to partner with CreativeMornings," said Gabrielle Martinez, agencyEA Managing Partner and co-founder of Savage Smyth. "The partnership simultaneously supports Savage Smyth's mission to enhance creative collaboration in the city of Chicago."

Founded in 2008 by Tina Roth Eisenberg, CreativeMorning aims to discover and promote independent creatives and trends in the design community. Each month, the organization gathers creatives across disciplines and industries for a breakfast lecture series on topics relevant to its diverse audience base.

"We're excited to partner with agencyEA, whose pursuit of cutting edge ideas and out-of-the-box thinking aligns with our mission," said Jen Marquez, host and organizer of CreativeMornings Chicago. "Working with an experiential agency also presents opportunities for us to explore new realms of creative application and innovation."

CreativeMornings kicks off its 2017 programming with Susan Messing, Chicago improviser and comedian, on January 27 at the Leo Burnett Department of Design. Registration for the event opens January 23.

About agencyEA

AgencyEA is a brand experience agency. EA connects brands with their target audiences through experiential, digital and traditional engagement. Founded in 1999 as Event Architects, agencyEA has worked with esteemed clients such as Hilton Worldwide, General Electric, Target, Boeing and the Obama Administration.

About Savage Smyth

Savage Smyth (www.savagesmyth.com) is Chicago's first and only space dedicated to fostering creative dialogue and collaboration across all disciplines. Savage Smyth offers 8,000 square feet of customizable indoor space, with an additional 8,000 square-foot roof deck, for unique programming, experiences and events.

About CreativeMornings

CreativeMornings is a monthly breakfast lecture series for the creative community.

It started in New York City, and now there are over 150 chapters globally. Every month, attendees gather in cities around the world to enjoy fresh coffee, friendly people, breakfast food, and inspirational talks by some awesome creative individuals.

Media Contact:

Claire Holland

agencyEA

[email protected]

312-879-0186 ext. 27

SOURCE agencyEA

Related Links

http://www.agencyea.com


Youre having a baby! Amidst all the excitement, there are lots of questions. And one issue many new parents struggle with is whether or not to breastfeed.

The two most common reasons for not breastfeeding are inconvenience and discomfort. To help new parents develop a more positive view of breastfeeding, Fremont Health is offering informational support in the classroom as well as on the internet.

Baby Basics & Better Breastfeeding covers such topics as general infant care, car seat safety, how to calm a fussy baby, advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding, and basic breastfeeding techniques. This class if free to parents who are planning to have their babies delivered at Fremont Health.

As part of the See What You Read series put out by InJoy Birth & Parenting Education, the Understanding Breastfeeding booklet offered by Fremont Health provides access to internet videos, worksheets, checklists, and weekly My Baby & Me emails.

Each booklet comes with its own PIN as well as the link to the See What You Read website. Once the PIN is entered, the expectant parent is introduced to a wealth of information on such topics as milk production, the various ways to hold a baby, and what an effective latch looks like. Upon the initial log in, the parent is granted unlimited access to the website for six months.

It is recommended that babies are exclusively breastfed, says Tracy Moore, a registered nurse who also works as a lactation consultant. That means they receive only breastmilk until they are able to start adding foods, around six months of age.

Although most new parents want to exclusively breastfeed their newborns, Moore has heard many of them express concern about how successful they will be.

To help educate new parents on the benefits of exclusively breastfeeding their babies, Fremont Health has developed an action plan called the Fremont Community Breastfeeding Initiative.

In partnership with local obstetric and pediatric offices, the health department, WIC, Lutheran Family Services, Dodge County Head Start, and the extension office, Fremont Health is working to increase public awareness of the health benefits to both mother and baby that breastfeeding offers.

The first goal of the Breastfeeding Initiative, says Moore, is to make exposure to breastfeeding more normal in our community. Breastfeeding is healthy for both mother and baby, and it should be viewed as normal and natural and the best thing that a mother can do for her baby.

The Breastfeeding Initiative is also focused on forming a breastfeeding support group. This will be where mothers can get together with each other, bring their babies and nurse them and share with each other their common goals, strategies for success, and any setbacks they had as well as solutions to get through them.

Another priority of the Breastfeeding Initiative is to distribute a list of resources where people in the community can get help for new mothers with breastfeeding issues.

Melanie Nelson of Gretna recalls the challenges she faced while breastfeeding the first three of her five children. (She and her husband, Mark, adopted a baby girl from Guatemala and a boy from Russia.) Mastitis and clogged milked ducts were an ongoing concern.

Despite the discomfort she experienced while breastfeeding, Nelson is quick to acknowledge the health benefits her children derived from breastmilk. All three of Nelsons birth babies were breastfed well past the age of two. I wouldnt change a thing, she says.

The primary immune factor found in breastmilk is secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA), which works to guard against germs by forming a protective layer on the babys mucous membranes in the intestines, the nose, and the throat.

A new mothers breastmilk is specifically formulated for her newborn, says Moore. The mothers breast is continuously producing antibodies specific to the pathogens that her baby has been exposed to each day at the store, daycare, playdates, etc.

Moore cites diarrhea, ear infections, respiratory tract infections, obesity, type 1 and 2 diabetes, childhood leukemia, necrotizing enterocolitis, asthma and allergies, dermatitis, and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) as just some of the health risks that can be greatly diminished as a result of breastfeeding.

Although many new moms have relied on the clock to determine when its time to feed the baby, Moore points out that a mothers milk comes in most quickly when her baby guides the frequency of feedings with signs of hunger.

These signs include rooting, making sucking motions, sticking out the tongue, or putting a hand to the mouth.

Moore further points out that when babies are allowed to breastfeed for shorter, more frequent feedings, it releases the hormones that tell a mothers body to make milk for her baby. This helps to stabilize her milk supply.

Breastfed babies tend to gain less weight than formula-fed babies. Formula contains a higher level of insulin, which produces more body fat.

Moore points out that a newborn baby should be placed skin to skin with mother immediately following delivery and remain with her uninterrupted through the completion of the first feeding, as long as both mother and baby are both medically stable.

During this time, says Moore, the baby should be allowed to crawl to the breast and attach on his or her own. Allowing this process is the first and most important step to help baby establish breastfeeding.

Nelson smiles as she recalls how each of her three births were promptly followed by her baby nursing while still in the delivery room. All nursed well, Nelson says, making the discomforts and challenges minute by comparison to the sweetness of the bond I formed with each of my babies.

Mothers who have their baby stay in the room with them throughout their days and nights in the hospital actually get more sleep in the postpartum period, says Moore.

At Fremont Health a new mom can have her baby skin to skin with her in the delivery room as well as in the operating room, should a cesarean be necessary.

Megan Hayden of Elkhorn recalls the joy of holding her newborn, Addie, skin to skin in the operating room following her cesarean. Megan had phenomenal success breastfeeding her baby, says Moore, and adored the bonding that she had with her baby through breastfeeding.

Mothers also benefit from breastfeeding. Women who breastfeed are at a lower risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers, says Moore. For each month of breastfeeding, the risk of ovarian cancer is decreased 2 percent.

Moore further points out that women who do not breastfeed are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes, heart attack, aspects of metabolic syndrome, and postpartum depression.

According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2013 less than half of infants born in the U.S. were exclusively breastfed at three months of age and less than one third were exclusively breastfed until six months of age.

The goal of the World Health Organization for 2025 is for at least 50 percent of infants to be exclusively breastfed until they are six months old.

The main goal of the Fremont Community Breastfeeding Initiative, says Moore, is to support our community in reaching and exceeding the WHO 2025 goal.
NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Details

The term agricultural biologicals include different substances and compounds that are instrumental in substituting or complementing the conventional fertilizers, plant growth regulators and pesticide chemicals used widely in agriculture. These agricultural biologicals are very significant environmentally as they help in reducing the negative environmental impact of agriculture. Agricultural biologicals include naturally-occurring solutions, for example, plant extracts, beneficial insects, other organic materials, and microbial that enable agriculturalists to improve the crop yield and crop quality and promote sustainable development by using naturally derived substances for agriculture.



The global agricultural biologicals market is currently valued at $6.2bn in 2017 and is projected to grow at a robust pace.



The increasing demand for organic products, the environmental hazards caused by traditional agrochemicals, increasing area under degraded soil, and the need to increase agriculture production to meet the requirement of an ever growing population is driving the agricultural biologicals market across the globe.



Visiongain's report keeps you informed of the latest developments in agricultural biologicals and ahead of your competitors. Gain that competitive advantage.



This report answers questions such as:

- What are the prospects for the overall agricultural biologicals industry?

- What does the agricultural biologicals value chain look like?

- Which agricultural biologicals submarket will thrive over the forecast period ?

- Where are the opportunities in the agricultural biologicals industry?

- Who are the key players in the agricultural biologicals industry?

- What are the demand and supply dynamics underpinning the agricultural biologicals sector?



5 Reasons why you must order and read this report today:



1) Our study forecasts agricultural biologicals by type from 2017-2027



- Biopesticides

- Microbial

- Bacterial

- Fungi

- Virus

- Other

- Bio-Rationals

- Botanical Extracts

- Semio-Chemicals



- Biostimulants

- Humic Acid

- Fulvic Acid

- Amino Acid

- Extracts

- Other



- Biofertilizers

- Nitrogen-Fixing

- Phosphate Solubilizing

- Potash Mobilizing

- Other



2) Our study also forecasts agricultural biologicals by crop type from 2017-2027

- Cereals & Grains

- Fruits & Vegetables

- Oilseed & Pulses

- Turf & Forage Grasses

- Other Crops



3) The report provides detailed profiles of 10 leading companies operating within the agricultural biologicals market:

- BASF

- Bayer AG

- Mitsui & Co. Ltd (Certis USA LLC)

- Isagro SpA

- Koppert B.V.

- Marrone Bio Innovation Inc.

- Novozymes A/S

- T.Stanes & Company Limited

- The Dow Chemical Company



4) The study reveals where the demand is growing for Agricultural Biologicals. We show you the prospects for the following 5 regions: and 18 leading national markets. Each region and country is individually also forecast and for the 3 subsegments: Biopesticides, Biostimulants and Biofertilizers



North America

- USA

- Canada

- Mexico



South America

- Argentina

- Brazil

- Paraguay

- Bolivia

- Rest of South America



Europe

- France

- Spain

- UK

- Germany

- Rest of Europe



Asia-Pacific

- China

- India

- Japan

- Australia

- Thailand

- Rest of Asia-Pacific



RoW

- South Africa

- Tanzania

- Other Countries



Competitive advantage

This independent 163 page report guarantees you are better informed than your competitors. With 168 tables and figures examining the agricultural biologicals market space, the report gives you an immediate, one-stop breakdown of your market plus submarket forecasts, from 2017-2027 keeping your knowledge that one step ahead of your rivals.



Who should read this report?

- Anyone within the agricultural biologicals value chain.

- Agrochemicals chemicals

- Scientists

- R&D staff

- CEOs

- Asset managers

- Heads of strategic development

- Market analysts and consultants

- Existing companies

- Companies looking to enter this market

- Industry associations



And also

- Company managers

- Executives

- Investors

- Business development managers

- Marketing managers

- Banks

- Government agencies



Don't miss out

This report is essential reading for you or anyone in the agricultural sector with an interest in agricultural biological. Purchasing this report today helps you to recognise those important market opportunities and understand the possibilities there.



Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04616638-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

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"We applaud USDA moving forward on this proposal that was authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill with strong bipartisan support," said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of OTA. "OTA led the drive for this check-off because the organic industry is at a critical point. This organic check-off will provide research and key tools to encourage more farmers to go organic and help all organic farmers be more successful. It will educate consumers in a positive way about what that organic seal really means. For the benefit of all of us, this proactive program will further the success of organic agriculture for the long term."

Going on public display in the Federal Register on January 17, the organic industry proposal estimates the organic check-off, referred to as GRO Organic (Generic Research and Promotion Order for Organic), could raise over $30 million a year to spend on research to make farmers successful, technical services to accelerate the adoption of organic practices, and consumer education and promotion of the organic brand.

OTA officially submitted an application to USDA in May 2015 on behalf of the organic industry to consider implementing the program after gathering information over three years throughout the country in town hall meetings, panel discussions, surveys and phone calls. OTA submitted a revised application a year later to reflect alternatives presented to USDA from organic certificate holders.

Early in its process, OTA conducted multiple surveys of ALL organic certificate holders across the nationsome 17,500 stakeholders at that timeto gauge the interest in an organic check-off. In the various surveys, OTA got a response of around 5,000 certificate holders, which showed that twice as many certified operators supported the establishment of an organic check-off program as opposed. To date, nearly 1,400 organic stakeholders publicly support the GRO Organic check-off, with 75 percent of those organic certificate holders being farmers and ranchers.

"The time is right for a research and promotion check-off program designed for the organic sector. It's time for organic stakeholders to invest back in our movementto fund research to help organic farmers, to create and initiate projects to nurture new organic farmers. An organic check-off will allow us to speak to the American consumer in a strong and unified voice." said Melissa Hughes, President of OTA's Board of Directors and Director of Government Affairs for Organic Valley, the nation's oldest organic dairy cooperative.

The proposed organic check-off would be progressive and reform-based:

The Check-off Board would be made up of 50 percent producers and 50 percent handlers.

would be made up of 50 percent producers and 50 percent handlers. Producers will select their regional representative s through direct balloting.

s through direct balloting. Every single certificate holder subject to an assessment will have a direct votethere is no bloc voting.

will have a direct votethere is no bloc voting. Assessments would be made throughout the value chain : producers, handlers, processors, retailers.

: producers, handlers, processors, retailers. Farmers and handlers with gross organic revenue below $250,000 will choose whether or not to pay into the program.

will choose whether or not to pay into the program. At least 50 to 75 percent of the funds would be earmarked specifically for research , or for activities that work hand-in-hand with research, like technical assistance and widespread dissemination of research findings.

, or for activities that work hand-in-hand with research, like technical assistance and widespread dissemination of research findings. Twenty-five percent of the assessment from producers would be required to be used for local and regional research. A Board sub-committee of regional seat holders would recommend how those funds would be used.

would be required to be used for local and regional research. A Board sub-committee of regional seat holders would recommend how those funds would be used. All of the research, inventions and innovations resulting from organic check-off programing would

resulting from organic check-off programing would remain in the public domain.

A referendum is required every seven years to decide whether or not to continue the program.

Now is the time, say organic stakeholders

Sales of organic food and non-food products in the U.S. are soaring, and the popularity of organic products has never been higher. Total organic product sales in this country hit a new benchmark of $43.3 billion in 2015, up a robust 11 percent from the previous year's record level and far outstripping the overall food market's growth rate of 3 percent, according OTA's 2016 Organic Industry Survey. But tight domestic organic supplies, inadequate funding for organic research, and consumer confusion about organic are major challenges for the sector. Organic stakeholders say the organic community needs to come together to invest back into its future.

"Organic is done being an awkward teenager. Its place at the table is now, and it deserves our efforts to preserve and advance the hard work of the last half-century," said Todd Linsky, a veteran in the organic produce industry and now head of Todd Linsky Consulting. "I can think of no reason not to support the Organic Check-off-it just makes common sense for all of our common goals."

"We know first-hand how confused consumers are about organic in the broad sense. Is natural better? Is GMO-free as good as organic? To have a program from a high level that educates on the benefits of organic is critical," said Jesse Laflamme, co-owner of Pete & Gerry's Organic Eggs based in Monroe, New Hampshire.

"An organic check-off will provide a stable, reliable source of funding to support research into organic production methods and dissemination of new and existing research information to farmers. Check-off funds can support development of support systems necessary to enable expansion and success of organic farmers," said Doug Crabtree, organic farmer from Montana.

"We as organic brands need to consistently work together to educate consumers in clear and concise ways," said Shazi Visram, founder and CEO of Happy Family, maker of organic baby and toddler foods. "Strength in numbers and of a broad group of people with the same goals is an exciting prospect. A check-off process will allow for expansion of the organic sector in a logical, impactful way."

What's next in the process

USDA established a 60-day public comment period for interested parties to now weigh in on the proposal. Comments on the proposal are due March 20. The final step will be a referendum on the proposed check-off, with all certified organic stakeholders paying into the program eligible to vote. Approval by a majority of the organic stakeholders voting is required for implementation.

More information on the check-off is provided on the GROorganic.net site.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing over 8,500 organic businesses across 50 states. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA's Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.

SOURCE Organic Trade Association

Related Links

http://www.ota.com


- AI Adopters Expect 39 Percent Revenue Rise by 2020

- 80 Percent of AI Adopters Replacing Roles Will Retain and Retrain Employees

Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in consulting, technology, and next-generation services, today released multinational research findings on artificial intelligence (AI) business impact, market maturity and expectations. The research report, Amplifying Human Potential: Towards Purposeful Artificial Intelligence, polled 1,600 senior business decision makers at large organizations across the world.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130122/589162 )



The report revealed a clear link between an organization's revenue growth and its AI maturity: Organizations who report faster growth in revenue over the past three years were also more likely to be further ahead when it comes to AI maturity. AI is perceived as a long-term strategic priority for innovation, with 76 percent of the respondents citing AI as fundamental to the success of their organization's strategy, and 64 percent believing that their organization's future growth is dependent on large-scale AI adoption. While there are ethical and job-related concerns, 62 percent believe that stringent ethical standards are needed to ensure the success of AI - most respondents seem optimistic about redeploying displaced employees with higher value work. The majority, 85 percent, plan to train employees about the benefits and use of AI, and 80 percent of companies replacing roles with AI technologies will retrain or redeploy displaced employees.

Sandeep Dadlani, President & Head of Americas, Infosys, said, "Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption is on the rise and we are excited to see the investments in AI that businesses are gradually making to derive meaningful and creative change. The achievements are remarkable and the opportunities AI is bringing forth are vast. As we are seeing AI mature and gain momentum, our research shows that the next four years will witness further spikes in interest, and general bullishness about the significant value and benefits that can be obtained through AI adoption. As an industry therefore, we must take necessary steps to ensure AI is developed morally and ethically across every part of society and that employees are actively engaged and provided with the necessary training to be central to this journey."

Key research findings:

- Businesses expect noticeable AI adoption and growth by 2020: Organizations that have already deployed or have plans to deploy AI technologies expect to see a 39 percent average increase in revenue by 2020, alongside a 37 percent reduction in costs. 76 percent of IT and business decision makers see AI as pivotal to the success of their organization.

- Businesses plan to invest in skills development: In 80 percent of cases where companies are replacing roles with AI, organizations are redeploying or retraining staff to retain them in the business. Furthermore, 53 percent are specifically investing in skills development. Organizations that have fewer AI related skills are more likely to re-deploy workers impacted by AI adoption, whereas those with more AI-related skills are more likely to re-train employees, according to the study. The leading industries that plan to retain and retrain their workers are: fast-moving consumer goods (94 percent); aerospace and automotive (87 percent); energy, oil and gas (80 percent); and pharmaceutical and life sciences (78 percent). The research reveals AI will cause greater investment in workforces, specifically China (95 percent), France (90 percent), Germany (89 percent), the UK (82 percent), and the US (76 percent).

- Addressing ethical concerns is essential for AI success: Two-thirds of those surveyed have not fully considered the ethical issues related to AI, such as employee concerns about handing over control, and industry regulations. Further, 90 percent say their organization's employees face challenges or concerns with AI adoption, and 88 percent report challenges or concerns from customers and suppliers. In total, 53 percent agree that ethical concerns are a significant obstacle to effective application of AI technology.

- Market and Industry results show differences: Based on the responses, companies in India and China are much more likely to state that they are ahead of their industry competitors when it comes to AI use, followed by Germany, the US, UK, France. Fast moving consumer goods (57%) and telecoms (48%) are much more likely to report that they have already felt AI disrupting their sector. Pharmaceuticals and life sciences reported the widest usage of AI technologies that are working according to their expectations, leading to the highest AI Maturity Index scores by industry.

- Businesses are at the start of their AI journey: Only one in ten respondents that have deployed AI technologies believe that their organization is fully maximizing the current available benefits and capabilities of AI. The majority (90 percent) report that their organization's employees face challenges or concerns relating to the adoption of AI. Around four in ten respondents believe that the time to implement, ease of use and the interoperability with other systems and platforms are areas of AI that require the most improvement before it can be effective in their organization. There are also areas of AI adoption that need to be addressed with training, education and transparency in the workplace. Safety of data (43 percent), job security (40 percent) and pay rates (30 percent) are the foremost areas of workforce concern despite the broadly positive outlook for AI adoption.

Other key research findings include:

- AI in action: Big data automation (65 percent) and predictive/prescriptive analytics (54 percent) are the primary AI applications today. On average, the companies surveyed have invested $6.7 million in AI in the last year, and have been actively using AI for an average of two years. The IT department is the leading adopter (69 percent), followed by operations (34 percent), business development (33 percent), marketing (29 percent) and commercial, sales and customer services (28 percent).

- Risk and reward: 71 percent agree the rise of AI in the workplace is inevitable, citing positive change for business prospects, employees and society. However, over half (51 percent) admit that cost reduction is an area of AI that requires the most improvement before it can be effective for their organization.

- Deployment: 88 percent also report that their organization's customers and suppliers face challenges and concerns relating to the adoption of AI. Four in ten point to a lack of understanding of the benefits and intended uses for it, while 38 percent flag a general mistrust of the technology. A similar number (37 percent) indicated their preference to work alongside and interact with human workers rather than machines.

Overall, the study demonstrates the role AI can play in business growth, create opportunities for people to do more than what their current job and education enables, and drive long-term macro environment benefits. Decision makers believe AI will bring out the best in their organization's people (65 percent), and feel it can deliver positive societal (70 percent) and economic (76 percent) change.

For a full copy of the report and AI maturity index, please visit: Infosys.com/AImaturity

METHODOLOGY

The research report, Amplifying Human Potential: Towards Purposeful Artificial Intelligence, commissioned by Infosys and conducted by independent research agency Vanson Bourne, polled 1,600 senior business decision makers at large organizations across seven markets.

For the purposes of this research, AI was defined as an area of computer science that emphasizes the creation of intelligent machines that work and react like humans. Some of the activities computers with AI are designed for include speech recognition, learning, planning and problem solving. Examples of applied AI technologies include but are not limited to: machine learning, predictive/prescriptive analytics and avatar technologies.

About Infosys Ltd

Infosys is a global leader in technology services and consulting. We enable clients in more than 50 countries to create and execute strategies for their digital transformation. From engineering to application development, knowledge management and business process management, we help our clients find the right problems to solve, and to solve these effectively. Our team of 199,000+ innovators, across the globe, is differentiated by the imagination, knowledge and experience, across industries and technologies that we bring to every project we undertake.

Visit http://www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise thrive in the digital age.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this press release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016. These filings are available at http://www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. In addition, please note that any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of the date of this press release. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law.

SOURCE Infosys
OAKVILLE, ON, Jan. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. ("APUC") (TSX: AQN, NYSE: AQN) announced that the Board of Directors of APUC (the "Board") approved a dividend increase of U.S. $0.0424 annually per common share for a total annual dividend of U.S. $0.4659 per common share, paid quarterly at a rate of U.S. $0.1165 per common share.

APUC also announced today that the Board has declared a dividend of U.S. $0.1165 per share on its common shares, payable on April 14, 2017 to the shareholders of record on March 31, 2017 for the period from January 1, 2017 to March 31, 2017. Shareholders can elect to receive the dividend in the amount of Cdn. $0.1533.

"With the recent acquisition of The Empire District Electric Company, along with the completion of other successful renewable energy project initiatives this past year, APUC has experienced transformative growth across the organization," commented Ian Robertson, Chief Executive Officer of APUC. "This 10% increase in our dividend is well underpinned by the increased 2017 earnings and cash flows arising in connection with these achievements."

The common share dividend will be paid in cash or, if a shareholder has enrolled in the shareholder dividend reinvestment plan (the "Plan"), dividends will be reinvested in additional shares ("Plan Shares") of APUC as per the Plan, based on equivalent Canadian funds. Plan Shares will be acquired by way of a Treasury Purchase at the average market price as defined in the Plan less a 5% discount for the first quarter of 2017.

Pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) and corresponding provincial legislation, APUC hereby notifies its common shareholders that such dividends declared qualify as eligible dividends.

The quarterly dividends payable on common shares are declared in U.S. dollars. Beneficial shareholders (those who hold common shares through a financial intermediary) who are resident in Canada or the United States may request to receive their dividends in either U.S. dollars or the Canadian dollar equivalent by contacting the financial intermediary with whom the common shares are held. Unless the Canadian dollar equivalent is requested, shareholders will receive dividends in U.S. dollars, which, as is often the case, the financial intermediary may convert to Canadian dollars. Registered shareholders receive dividend payments in the currency of residency. Registered shareholders may opt to change the payment currency by contacting CST Trust Company at 1-800-387-0825 prior to the record date of the dividend.

The Canadian dollar equivalent of the quarterly dividend is based on the Bank of Canada noon exchange rate on the declaration date.

About Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

APUC is a North American diversified generation, transmission and distribution utility with $10 billion of total assets. Liberty Utilities provides rate regulated natural gas, water and electricity generation, transmission and distribution utility services to over 782,000 customers in the United States. APUC is committed to being a North American leader in the generation of clean energy through its portfolio of long term contacted wind, solar and hydroelectric generating facilities representing more than 1,150 MW of installed capacity. APUC delivers continuing growth through an expanding pipeline of renewable energy development projects, organic growth within its rate regulated generation, distribution and transmission businesses, and the pursuit of accretive acquisitions. Common shares, preferred shares, and instalment receipts are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQN.PR.A, AQN.PR.D, and AQN.IR. APUC's common shares are also listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AQN. Visit APUC at www.AlgonquinPowerandUtilities.com and follow us on Twitter @AQN_Utilities.

SOURCE Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

Related Links

http://www.algonquinpower.com


AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Myriad Development, Inc. continues to be a market leading solution for carriers looking to standardized and automate the integration of essential data into their underwriting workflow and recently added Allstate as a customer of its core offering, the Myriad UnderwritingCenterTM.

The Myriad UnderwritingCenter is a proven solution, supporting a large portion of the Property market with a focus on automating the underwriting decision process while standardizing any resulting workflow and integrating third party data, virtual surveys and physical surveys to yield an accurate and efficient action. The UnderwritingCenter's decision support is specific to each carrier's needs, providing flexibility of rules and resulting workflow to ensure all data within the process is captured and can be mined to continually refine the overall process.

Chris Roussel, CEO of Myriad Development, said, "The adoption of Myriad's solution allows a carrier to leverage technology innovation and information outside of the organization to produce better results, better serve agency partners and provide the best service possible to the insured."

"The integration of the Myriad UnderwritingCenter is key in supporting Allstate's focus of using best of breed technology and data to ensure efficiency while making accurate decisions," said Steve Meents, Allstate Product Operations Manager.

ABOUT MYRIAD DEVELOPMENT

Myriad Development, Inc. is a leading provider of underwriting decision support technology and information to the Property & Casualty, Government Agency and Real Estate Services markets for more than a decade. The company has been recognized by both Inc. Magazine and Deloitte as one of the Fastest 500 growing privately held companies in the nation.

Visit -- http://www.myriad-development.com

ABOUT THE ALLSTATE CORPORATION

The Allstate Corporation is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life's uncertainties through auto, home, life and other insurance offered through its Allstate, Esurance, Encompass and Answer Financial brand names. Now celebrating its 85th anniversary as an insurer, Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate." Allstate agencies are in virtually every local community in America.

Visit -- https://www.allstate.com

Media Contact:

Emiley Parker

Myriad Development, Inc.

866-302-3262 ext. 4318

SOURCE Myriad Development, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.myriad-development.com


DETROIT, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Detroit-based services and solutions technology company Amber Engine today announced the launch of Amber Engine for Retailers, a digital portal that allows home furnishings retailers to manage their product data in one simplified location.

A subscription-based platform, 'Amber Engine for Retailers' provides the most complete, accurate and timely product information for the home furnishing industry. Retailers are able to manage the flow of product data for the brands they carry, while supporting core operational needs with flexible and powerful product data outputs. These include exports for websites, retail management systems, point-of-sale systems, marketplaces and customized output needs.

Manufacturers in the home furnishings and decor industry have been working with Amber Engine to upload their product data and imagery for the past several months, at no cost to them. While accessing Amber Engine for Manufacturers, companies with one or multiple brands can control and share their product data with their retail partners. Retailers can easily request access to brands and get actionable alerts of product and pricing changes.

Amber Engine allows different access, visibility and functionality depending on the user. Those users can merchandise their product assortment into kits and groups for better positioning to potential customers, as well as easily manage product pricing.

"It's very exciting day for everyone," said Jesse Akre, the company's chief strategy officer. "For many years, I have witnessed firsthand the impact product data can have on businesses in home furnishings. Whether it be a manufacturer, retailer, service provider, rep or consumer  everyone is affected by the product data problem that plagues this industry. It stalls growth, inhibits innovation and cuts profitability. I'm thrilled that the solution we have all talked about for years is finally here."

Amber Engine has made significant gains in the home furnishings space by partnering with industry associations on educational initiatives and speaking at furniture markets and industry events. They launched Amber Engine for Manufacturers earlier this year, and debuted Amber Engine for Retailers at Fall High Point Market. The company will be at Winter Las Vegas Market in the Retailer Resource Center offering a 60-day free trial to retailers who sign up for the service.

"The response to our vision has been overwhelming this past year," according to CEO and Founder Jennifer Gilbert. "There has been a monumental shift in mind-set as the industry questions its own mortality. Retailers and manufacturers alike realize that the adoption of technology is no longer 'tomorrow's project', but is the single most important action 'today' to ensure their company's place in the future."

Amber Engine's purpose is to enable innovation. Gilbert states, "We believe that controlling product data is the first-step in leveraging current and future methods which will position our retailers for growth."

About Amber Engine

Detroit-based Amber Engine, part of the Quicken Loans Family of Companies, was founded by a team of home furnishing industry innovators, technologists and business experts. Amber Engine's mission is to provide the most complete, accurate and timely record of product data for the home furnishings industry. For more information on Amber Engine, visit AmberEngine.com

SOURCE Amber Engine

Related Links

http://www.amberengine.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Diabetes Association of Greater New York and Healthfirst proudly announce the 2017 EXPO being held on March 11, 2017, in the North Wing of the Jacob Javits Convention Center from 10am to 4pm.

For the fourth year in a row, Healthfirsta provider-sponsored health insurance company that serves more than 1.2 million New Yorkerswill be the presenting sponsor. This free community event will feature complimentary health screenings, healthy cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs, exercise tips from nutrition and fitness experts, access to healthcare providers, multilingual presentations regarding diabetes prevention, multicultural community areas, a living-with-type 1 diabetes area, and a diabetes-goes-digital area.

"Healthfirst is committed to raising awareness, reducing the impact of diabetes, and ensuring that New Yorkers have access to essential resources to manage diabetes and live healthier, more satisfying lives," said George Hulse, Healthfirst Vice President of Community Engagement. "We are proud to serve as the presenting sponsor of the American Diabetes Association EXPO and to help reduce the prevalence of this preventable disease."

More than 10,000 attendees are expected from the Greater New York region. The EXPO aims to attract families affected by diabetes as well as those interested in learning how to live healthier, active lifestyles and changing the future of diabetes.

"Every 11 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes," said James Sheridan, Regional Vice President at the American Diabetes Association. "The fact is, nearly 30 million adults and children in the United States have diabetesnearly 10 percent of the population. That percentage is even higher in New York City, reaching 14% in the African American and Latino population. And shockingly, many do not even know that they have the disease. That is why screening is so important."

Free, early registration is available at www.diabetes.org/newyorkexpo.

About the American Diabetes Association

The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to Stop Diabetes and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, the Association's mission is to prevent and cure diabetes, and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit diabetes.org. Information from both of these sources is available in English and Spanish.



About Healthfirst

Healthfirst is a provider-sponsored health insurance company that serves more than 1.2 million members in downstate New York. Healthfirst offers top-quality Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Child Health Plus, and Managed Long Term Care plans. Healthfirst Leaf Qualified Health Plans and the Healthfirst Essential Plan are offered on NY State of Health, The Official Health Plan Marketplace. Beginning in 2017, Healthfirst is offering Healthfirst Pro and Pro Plus, Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) plans for small-business owners and their employees, and Healthfirst Total, an EPO for individuals.

For more information on Healthfirst, visit www.healthfirst.org.

Contact:

Doreen Pustizzi

American Diabetes Association

(732) 469-7979, ext. 3517

[email protected]

Channell Mellish

Healthfirst

(212) 803-1856

[email protected]

SOURCE American Diabetes Association

Related Links

http://www.diabetes.org/


Kelly's inspiring message will include highlights from his career including the 54 days he spent in space during four space shuttle missions. He will discuss achieving success and building strong teams in challenging environments. Kelly will also share his family's personal tragedy and resilience after the 2011 assassination attempt on his wife, former US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The couple wrote about their harrowing experience, Giffords' on-going recovery, and their optimism for the future in their book "Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope."

An innovative leader, Kelly joined Angel MedFlight's Board of Directors in the fall of 2015 as an aviation expert. Kelly is involved with Angel MedFlight's efforts to educate healthcare professionals on air medical transport services.

"I'm excited about Angel MedFlight's mission," Mark Kelly said. "Angel MedFlight's partnerships with Centers of Excellence has helped lead the charge of patient-centric care. I look forward to speaking to the dedicated group of healthcare professionals in D.C. Now, more than ever, we have an opportunity to put the focus of healthcare back on the patient. Angel MedFlight is proud to be a leader in this important cause."

Angel MedFlight has a strong relationship with case management professionals across the country and has partnered with ACMA as a corporate sponsor since 2011.

"We are continually impressed by case managers' commitment to successfully guide their patients' transitions of care. It is an honor for Angel MedFlight to support the continued education of these dedicated healthcare professionals. Capt. Mark Kelly is a dynamic speaker who offers a unique perspective on teamwork and the healthcare system. We believe conference attendees will be able to apply Capt. Kelly's strategies for operational excellence to their own careers," said Jason Siegert, Angel MedFlight's President and Chief Operating Officer.

About Capt. Mark Kelly

Mark Kelly is an American astronaut, retired United States Navy Captain, New York Times best-selling author, and experienced aviator with more than 6,000 flight hours in over 50 different aircraft. He flew combat missions in the first Gulf War and has made four trips into space; his final mission as the last commander of space shuttle Endeavour. Mark serves as an independent safety advisor for SpaceX and is a co-founder of World View Enterprises, an Arizona based aerospace company, which is pioneering a frontier at the edge of space. He also serves on several corporate boards including the board of directors of Angel MedFlight.

In January 2011, Mark's wife, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was shot in an assassination attempt. This tragic event forced Mark to learn more about air medical transport options as he searched for an air ambulance service to transfer Gabby to Houston for recovery and rehabilitation.

Mark understands all too well the needs of families facing the challenge of having to move a sick or injured family member across the country. He has reviewed Angel MedFlight's best-in-class aviation and clinical safety protocols and is confident in the service that Angel MedFlight provides its customers.



Find more information about Mark Kelly's keynote presentation at http://www.angelmedflight.com/mark-kelly-astronaut.html

About Angel MedFlight Worldwide Air Ambulance

Angel MedFlight Worldwide Air Ambulance provides domestic and international air medical transportation services with a fleet of medically-configured Learjet aircraft. Built on a One Touch Promise, Angel MedFlight's compassionate team of medical, aviation, and insurance professionals simplify the coordination of air ambulance transfers for patients, their families and the healthcare professionals who care for them.

Available around the clock, the Angel MedFlight team coordinates every detail of Bedside-to Bedside patient transfers to ensure seamless service on the ground and in the air. Exceeding industry standards, Angel MedFlight's medical crew hold advanced care credentials for flight -- the CFRN or FP-C. Angel MedFlight's operational excellence in air medical transport is accredited by NAAMTA, an ISO 9001:2008 organization.

Find more information at www.angelmedflight.com, Facebook or on its blog at http://blog.angelmedflight.com/.



Contact: Kim Halloran

Office: 877.264.3570

Cell: 602.696.9269

17851 N. 85th St.

Suite 350

Scottsdale, AZ 85255

Website: www.angelmedflight.com

SOURCE Angel MedFlight

Related Links

http://www.angelmedflight.com


BELLINGHAM, Wash., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- APANA, Inc., the leader in automated water management for business, today announced the successful completion of a $3.5MM Series A round of financing, led by global water and environment management company Kurita Water Industries Ltd. of Japan.

APANA simultaneously disclosed that it has added new customers for its Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) solution, such as California vintner Fetzer Vineyards. "We are proud to be the first winery in the world to install this unique technology from APANA," said Cindy DeVries, Chief Operating Officer of Fetzer Vineyards. "Implementing digital solutions like APANA's allows us to leverage environmental data to achieve our sustainability initiatives  and to help drive forward a more sustainable way of doing business."

Carwash leader Mister Car Wash has also signed on for a multi-site pilot. Other customers include major retail grocery chains, hotels and breweries, while Costco Wholesale, an early adopter, continues to grow in locations using the APANA solution.

In addition, APANA was recently recognized for its leadership on cooling tower water use efficiency, receiving an Innovation Incubator (IN2) award funded by Wells Fargo Foundation and co-administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), as well as an Innovative Conservation Program grant from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

The Series A finance will largely be used by APANA to expand sales and marketing of its industry-leading business intelligence suite for buildings and cooling towers to direct and channel partners, and to continue development of its IIoT solution using LoRa radio technology aimed at wirelessly connecting waterflow sensors throughout an entire campus to their cloud- based analytics platform.

Michiya Kadota, President of Kurita Water Industries, said of the investment: "Kurita is deeply committed to innovation, and this strategic investment in APANA's cutting edge solution marks an important step in integrating data analytics into corporate water stewardship. We also expect to create significant synergy between APANA and Kurita."

"Since its founding 5 years ago, APANA has been making it possible for commercial and industrial businesses to make water management and savings an integral part of their operations for the first time," said Matt Rose, co-founder and CEO of APANA. "With funding from global industry leader Kurita and others, we will be able to accelerate growth and create an even more powerful water intelligence platform that combines remote sensing with prescriptive analytics at minimal capital cost."

Besides Kurita, investors include Cowles Company of Spokane, Element 8 of Seattle and Urban Innovation Fund of San Francisco.

APANA customers have demonstrated an average 22 percent savings in water use, and average payback on capital expenditure of 18 months. APANA's solution is eligible for up to 50 percent rebates in a growing number of states, including California, Washington and Nevada. Financing options are also available.

APANA has successfully deployed hundreds of systems in the United States and internationally. APANA's solution is designed to serve a wide range of water-intensive businesses in the industrial and commercial sectors, including supermarket and grocery, resort and hotel, education, carwash, food & beverage processing and manufacturing, and commercial buildings.

About APANA

APANA is a technology and services company that helps commercial and industrial businesses manage water. The APANA solution provides business with detailed insight into their total water footprint, identifying process drift, mechanical malfunctions and failure points. Real-time, automated information empowers frontline operators with data to address problems when they occur and to institutionalize best practices throughout the organization's water processes. Companies also use APANA intelligence to reduce compliance risk and strengthen operational sustainability. Learn more at www.apana.com

About Kurita Water Industries

Headquartered in Tokyo, Kurita Water Industries Ltd. is an international market leader in advanced water and environmental management. More than 5,000 employees support its customers to improve efficiency of industrial plants and reduce environmental footprints through comprehensive capabilities that combine three business segments: Water Treatment Chemicals, Water Treatment Facilities, and Maintenance Services. Learn more at www.kurita.co.jp/english

SOURCE APANA

Related Links

http://www.apana.com


CENTRAL LAKE, Mich., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Central Lake Armor Express, Inc. ("Armor Express"), a leading manufacturer and distributor of high-performance body armor solutions, announced today that the Company has secured more than $2 million in new and add-on contracts from two international law enforcement customers, namely the Jamaican Constabulary Force and a large municipal police agency in Jalisco, Mexico.

The first award disclosed is with the Jamaica Constabulary Force ("JCF"), a long-standing Armor Express customer. The Company has been supplying the JCF with both soft and hard armor solutions, most recently for its FMS armor system with Level IIIA ballistics, along with ballistic helmets. Trusted by the U.S. Army Military Police, the FMS IIIA is a high-performing, cost-effective armor system. The armor is a universal package for robust wear by officers and agents, providing ground-breaking stopping power in a lightweight ballistic offering. The Company has received an additional order from the JCF for both armor systems and helmets and intends to begin production in the first quarter of 2017.

The second award is for a new customer  a large municipal police department in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Armor Express will be providing its FMS Level IIIA ballistic system with requisite carrier, along with Level IV single and multi-curve hard armor plates. The system provided has been customized to support this customer's specific performance requirements, and production is slated to begin later this month.

"These latest awards are another testament to the quality of our products and the market's trust in our proven solutions," stated Clint Bennett, International Sales Manager at Armor Express. "With only about two weeks into the first quarter of 2017, we're very excited about the new opportunities to service our law enforcement men and women in Jamaica and Mexico with the most innovative soft and hard armor solutions available. Our Company is committed to servicing the needs of domestic and federal law enforcement, while continuing to expand its reach to America's allies. In particular, our strategy to expand throughout Latin America and the Caribbean is coming to fruition and the Mexico contract represents our first in Central America. Additionally, our recent German SK1 certification provides us with new opportunities to expand throughout Europe. This is an exciting time to be part of the Armor Express team and I look forward to working more closely with end-users and our distribution partners around the world."

"Armor Express remains committed to producing the most innovative protective solutions in the industry, and this commitment is driven by one thing  saving lives. To that end, a Jamaican Constabulary Police Officer was recently involved in an incident in which his Armor Express FMS body armor absorbed at least one round, ultimately saving his life. There is no better feeling than knowing our solutions make the ultimate difference between life and death. We are grateful to have the opportunity to partner with the JCF and equally excited about our expansion in Mexico. Keeping our servicemen and women safe, whether at home or abroad, is our #1 priority," said Matt Davis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Armor Express.

About Armor Express

Armor Express is a leading manufacturer and distributor of high-performance body armor systems. Founded in 2005, the Company has grown to become one of the largest providers of soft and hard armor products and accessories, serving the domestic and Federal law enforcement market, U.S Military and America's allies around the world. Through its strategic partnerships with technology innovators and its unwavering commitment to advance research & development, the Company's customers benefit from state-of-the-art protective solutions and best-in-class service. For more information, please visit www.armorexpress.com.

Company Contacts:

Glenn Wiener and Dionne Manchester

GW Communications (for Armor Express)

Tel: 212-786-6011 / 212-786-6068

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE Armor Express

Related Links

http://www.armorexpress.com


Tired of being cooped up during this weeks ice storm? Join the fun at the next Adult Game Night 7-9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20., in the Plattsmouth Public Library auditorium. Adult Game Nights, usually held on the third Friday of each month, are great gathering times for friends who want to play card games or board games. You may bring your own games or play one of the library's board games, including Yahtzee and Rummikub. If you'd like, bring a snack to share; coffee will be provided. No registration is required.
BURBANK, Calif., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ASIFA-Hollywood and the Animation Educators Forum (AEF) announce they are accepting applications for the 2017 Faculty Grant program. The Faculty Grant program is designed to provide support for individuals or groups with reasonable expenditures associated with research, scholarly activity or creative projects in the field of animation. Deadline to apply is Monday, February 6 at 12:00 p.m.

"I am so thrilled that ASIFA Hollywood's board of directors has allocated funding for these faculty grants," said Aubry Mintz, AEF chairman. "The faculty grants are open to animation faculty around the world to help with their creative, scholarly and research initiatives. The AEF steering committee was proud to offer scholarships to students in the past, and now that we are able to help out our fellow animation faculty, it's the icing on the cake."

All ASIFA-Hollywood's Animation Educators Forum members are eligible for Faculty Grants. To become an AEF member, simply send an email to [email protected] to request membership. There is no cost to become a member, but please include your resume or bio as proof of your full time or adjunct faculty status.

Expenditures must occur for the year running from 2017 to 2018. Awards will range from US $1,000 to a maximum of US $5,000 per recipient.

To apply, go to: http://grants.animationeducatorsforum.org and attach your proposal and supporting documents. Applications must be submitted online before Monday, February 6, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. Recipients will be announced before April 10, 2017.

If you have any questions regarding the AEF Faculty Grant please email [email protected].

Contact: Gretchen Houser, Houser PR

P: 562.235.0991

E: [email protected]

SOURCE ASIFA-Hollywood

Related Links

http://grants.animationeducatorsforum.org


HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- After taking the oath of office at Camp Curtin Academy, a Harrisburg, PA public middle school, Pennsylvania Treasurer Joe Torsella called for a commitment to government that is accountable, transparent and uses technology and innovation to financially empower all Pennsylvanians. Torsella swore the oath on a Bible that belonged to Pennsylvania Founder, William Penn [see Bible photo here], stressing that the commonwealth will have a Treasurer who is not just honest and accountable, but who also helps more working Pennsylvanians save for retirement, more families save for college and who uses our common resources to build our common future.

Speaking to students on the founding of the commonwealth, Torsella said:

"Penn called it a 'holy experiment' in self-government. And what makes that experiment work is trust. Trust in each other, and, especially, trust in the leaders we choose to make decisions on our behalf. If we want to leave the next generation with a state government worthy of William Penn's vision, it starts with rebuilding the sacred trust that has been broken far too often in recent years.

"Elected officials should be more accountable than anyone. So, as my first act as Treasurer, I'm calling for a new standard of accountability. Let's use the power of technology to open up our state's finances so that everyone can see how our money is being spent  and so that wrongdoing has nowhere to hide. Let's put more watchdogs on the beat so we can be sure that those of us who take these oaths in public live by them in private, starting with me. And let's make the office of Treasurer known for the very highest standards of integrity."

Torsella's wife, Carolyn Short Torsella, read a letter from former President George Herbert Walker Bush to the students. In it, Bush encouraged students to make a difference in their communities and country, explaining that party affiliation should not stand in the way of progress:

"I hope it does not surprise you that I am such a big fan of Joe's, despite the fact he is a Democrat, and I am a Republican. Some people seem to think these days that you can't get along with each other, much less respect and like each other, if you don't belong to the same party. Not true. Not true at all. I admire Joe because he has devoted his life to public service, and has served with great honor and distinction. He loves his state, and he loves his country. He makes decisions based on what is best for all of us, not for him or his party."

Access Treasurer Torsella's prepared remarks here.

Access President George Herbert Walker Bush's letter here.

Media contact: Scott Sloat: (717) 783-4098, (717) 695-1789 or [email protected]

The Pennsylvania Treasury is an independent department of state government led by the state treasurer, who is elected every four years. The department's primary duty is to safeguard and manage the state's public funds. It invests state money to generate income on behalf of the citizens of Pennsylvania, reviews and processes payments for state government agencies, and serves as custodian of more than $100 billion in state funds. Key Treasury programs include Unclaimed Property, PA 529 College Savings Program and the Board of Finance and Revenue.

www.patreasury.gov | Facebook | Twitter

SOURCE Pennsylvania Treasury

Related Links

http://www.patreasury.gov


SAN DIEGO, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MVP Realty Advisors announced today that Audrey Kamin, a seasoned securities professional with more than 20 years of experience, has joined the company as senior vice president, national accounts manager. The firm has also hired Engage BD, LLC, owned and managed by Bonnie Shekarabi, a real estate securities veteran with three decades of experience, as a consultant for broker-dealer relations.

"Audrey is a results driven professional who brings with her a wealth of industry relationships and a proven track record in real estate securities sales," said Mike Shustek, chief executive officer of MVP Realty Advisors. "We are pleased to welcome Audrey to the MVP team. I am also happy to announce our appointment of Engage BD in a consulting role, led by Bonnie Shekarabi, a very respected professional throughout the alternative investment industry."

Kamin joins MVP from Independent Financial Group, where she spent two years in a senior business development role. Previously, she served as a regional sales vice president with ATEL Securities and MetLife Investors. Prior to joining MetLife, she spent 11 years as a financial advisor with Great American Advisors. Kamin earned a bachelor's degree from SUNY at Stony Brook. She currently holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.

Engage BD is a business development services firm that specializes in launching new product sponsors and helping them gain momentum in the independent broker-dealer channel. The company will assist MVP Realty Advisors in introducing the recently launched MVP REIT II Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock Offering, a $50 million private placement offering for accredited investors only, to independent broker-dealer firms.

"It is my pleasure to partner with the MVP national accounts team to help launch their new preferred stock offering," said Shekarabi. "Our industry thrives on investments like this, that feature innovative structures that are investor friendly."

About MVP Realty Advisors

MVP Realty Advisors is advisor to MVP REIT I, Inc. and MVP REIT II, Inc. For more information about the companies, please visit TheParkingREIT.com.

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws and regulations. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "should," "will," and other similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions and forecasts of future results. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks include, but are not limited to: volatility in the debt or equity markets affecting our ability to acquire or sell real estate assets; national and local economic, business and real estate market conditions, including the likelihood of a prolonged economic slowdown or recession; the ability to maintain sufficient liquidity and our access to capital markets; our ability to identify, successfully compete for and complete acquisitions and loans; and the performance of real estate assets and loans after they are acquired. Although MVP believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, they can give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. MVP does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained herein to conform the statement to actual results or changes in expectations. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities.

SOURCE MVP Realty Advisors
With purchase, commercial real estate firm launches new hospitality service line; 25 members join, Keith Thompson becomes Principal

TORONTO, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm, announced today that it has acquired Atlanta-based hotel real estate brokerage company Hotel Assets Group, LLC (Hotel AG).

With the purchase, Avison Young launches a new hospitality group that will operate nation-wide in the U.S. Effective immediately, Hotel AG is rebranded as Avison Young. Twenty-five new members, including 20 brokers, join the company. Keith Thompson, Brad Sinclair, Michael Bernath (Atlanta), Andrew Broad (New York), Chris Stark (Portland, OR) and Eric Gunderson (Los Angeles) become Principals of Avison Young. Working together with Avison Young's senior leadership group, the team will co-ordinate the strategic direction of the hospitality group and manage its day-to-day operations while advising new and existing clients.

Founded by Thompson and Sinclair in 2007, Hotel AG has been involved in one hotel transaction every five days for the past four years. Today, the firm has 182 hotels on the market totaling $3 billion in market value with $600 million worth of properties under sale agreement.

"This transaction represents another milestone in our company history as we add a significant hospitality practice," comments Rose. "As a result, our strategic framework will now cover five core service offerings as hospitality complements our existing office, industrial, retail, and multi-family property sectors while serving two key client segments  investors and occupiers. Moreover, the new hospitality group will ensure that this new core service fits seamlessly with all of our other business lines."

The acquisition expands Avison Young's service offerings in Atlanta and other U.S. markets to include brokerage, capital markets and structured finance services for select-service and full-service hotel real estate in all 50 states, focusing on single-asset and large-portfolio sales. While providing these services, Avison Young hotel real estate specialists will collaborate with CMBS special-servicers, whole-loan banks and investment banks while acting on behalf of REITs, public companies, investment funds and private investors.

Rose continues: "Hotel AG is one of the most prominent and successful hotel brokerage and advisory firms in the U.S. Increasingly, our U.S. and global investor clients either own or want to explore investments in hospitality assets, and the team joining from Hotel AG will enable Avison Young to provide expert advice to these clients and help them increase, and realize, value in their hospitality portfolios. As a result of this acquisition, we will have hotel real estate specialists located in Atlanta, Washington DC, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tampa, Orlando, Portland and Dallas."

Also joining Avison Young from Hotel AG are: Rex Cagle, Matt Wilkins, Tracy Helton, Elaine Thompson, Darrell Skidmore, Jeremy Cabe, Scott Foster, Joe Jones, Justin Monsewicz, Victor Kalyanji, Wendy Blissett and Bill Bowen (Atlanta); Rick George and Mike George (Chicago); Terry Sanders (Dallas); Chelsea Wang (San Francisco); Collin Foran (Orlando); Niven Patel (Tampa Bay); and Thierry Roch (Washington, DC). The team plans to add 10 to 15 experienced hotel brokers to the practice group during 2017.

According to Earl Webb, Avison Young's President, U.S. Operations: "Avison Young has already gained footholds in multi-family and student and seniors housing, and a dramatic increase in our footprint in the hospitality sector is in line with our overall service strategy. Led by seasoned veterans and highly experienced professionals, the team from Hotel AG fits well within Avison Young's culture and will be able to expand our strategic service platform into all facets of the hospitality industry. We will also offer young, up-and-coming brokers the opportunity to specialize in the hotel property sector so that we can provide sustainable hospitality-related services and the latest technologies for decades to come."

"With one of the largest hotel real estate markets in the U.S., Atlanta is the ideal base for our new hospitality group," notes Steve Dils, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the firm's Atlanta office. "We're thrilled that Keith has brought his team to Avison Young at a time when multiple transactional opportunities involving hotel assets are emerging. Keith and his team possess a keen understanding of complex operational and sales issues that often impact value, and the team members have outstanding long-term relationships with many of their clients. The team has established a high profile in Atlanta and throughout the country, and will ensure that we offer a variety of properties, ranging from trophy-class assets to boutique hotels to specialty lodgings, while providing creative investment and financing options that meet the unique needs of all investors."

The acquisition of Hotel AG represents another step in Avison Young's ongoing aggressive global expansion program. Over the past eight years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 79 offices and from 300 to more than 2,400 real estate professionals in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Europe.

"Joining Avison Young is a great honour for all of our team's brokers and staff," says Thompson. "The Avison Young platform is global in reach yet local to the investment community. As the market sees a compression of commercial real estate firms, we believe that our hospitality group is poised to be one of the top three hospitality practice groups in the U.S. Avison Young's Principal-led and collaborative culture, integrity and professionalism match our team's existing culture, where every member and client is respected and highly valued. We look forward to working with Mark, Earl, Steve and our new colleagues across North America and in Europe. We could not be any more excited about the opportunity to move forward as Avison Young's new hospitality group and provide multiple benefits to our clients, brokers and lenders."

---

Biographies

Keith Thompson

Keith Thompson brings 27 years of real estate experience to Avison Young, most recently as the founding principal of Hotel AG. During his career, he has been involved in approximately 1,000 hotel transactions. Thompson began his career in 1980 on the food and beverage side of the industry, progressing into real estate ownership by 1988 and into the brokerage side of hotel real estate by 1990. He has earned many sales awards through the years and is often asked to speak at hospitality conferences and has written many published articles for the hospitality industry. He is an active member of Eagles Landing Baptist Church and has been a deacon for 29 years.

Brad Sinclair

Brad Sinclair brings nine years of commercial real estate experience to Avison Young, most recently as co-president of Hotel AG. He commenced his hotel brokerage career in 2007 when he helped Keith Thompson form the company. While at Hotel AG, he focused on investor relations, client database, branding and marketing, property analysis and the overall growth strategy of the firm. Prior to his time with Hotel AG, he was a pastor to college-age young adults at a local non-denominational church. Sinclair is actively involved in the community through several non-profit charities and a local church. He attended Clayton State University.

Andrew Broad

Andrew Broad has compiled more than 20 years in the commercial real estate industry, including 15-plus years in the hotel brokerage sector. Prior to joining Avison Young, he was a co-president with Hotel AG, where he developed a proven track record in hotel brokerage. He also has extensive experience with third-party hotel management contracts and brand development. In 2007, he was named one of Real Estate New Jersey's Broker All-Stars. Between mid-year 2015 and year-end 2016, he was involved personally in the sale of more than 40 hotels across the U.S. He recently served on the board of directors of Morgans Hotel group, a position that was relinquished upon the sale of MHGC in late 2016. Broad is a graduate of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration.

Michael Bernath

Michael Bernath brings 10 years of hospitality real estate experience to Avison Young, most recently as a partner with Hotel AG. Since joining Hotel AG as a broker in 2009, Bernath has helped clients execute on a wide array of single-asset and portfolio hotel transactions across the U.S. Prior to joining Hotel AG, he was vice-president of acquisitions and finance for Peachtree Hotel Group, LLC where he focused on investor relations, sourcing new acquisitions, securing financing for new acquisitions and new construction projects, and market analysis. Before that, he was assistant vice-president of originations for Moody National Companies in Dallas, focusing on securing debt financing for third-party hoteliers. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in economics from the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business.

Chris Stark

Chris Stark joins Avison Young after six years as a partner with Hotel AG, where he applied a diverse background in hotel franchise development, finance and marketing. Stark began his career in hospitality real estate as part of the franchise development team for Choice Hotels International. In that role, he travelled to every state west of Nebraska, identifying hotel sites and conversion properties for major brands, including Ascend Collection. Throughout his career, he has developed a strong understanding of hotel branding, market dynamics and the hotel development process. He is an active member of his church and volunteers regularly with several local Portland area non-profits.

Eric Gunderson

Eric Gunderson brings to Avison Young nine years of commercial real estate experience, with a focus on the hospitality sector. He was most recently a partner with Hotel AG. Prior to joining Hotel AG, Gunderson started the Northern California hospitality group at Cassidy Turley in San Francisco. He is a licensed real estate broker in the state of California and focuses on all aspects of hospitality real estate, including tourist hotels, SRO hotels and development sites, with an emphasis on California and the Western U.S. Gunderson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 2,400 real estate professionals in 79 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial, multi-family and hospitality properties.

The matters discussed in this news release may include forward-looking statements, which could involve a number of risks and uncertainties. When used in this press release, the words "will," "believes," "intends," "anticipates," "expects" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. Except as expressly required by any applicable securities laws, Avison Young undertakes no obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any of the forward-looking statements.

For further information/comment/photos:

Sherry Quan , Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: 604.647-5098; mobile: 604.726.0959





, Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: mobile: Mark Rose , Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028





, Chair and CEO, Avison Young: Earl Webb , President, U.S. Operations, Avison Young: 312.957.7610





, President, U.S. Operations, Avison Young: Steve Dils , Managing Director, Atlanta , Avison Young: 404.865-3666





, Managing Director, , Avison Young: Keith Thompson , Principal, Avison Young: 770.692.1605

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and requalified in 2015 to maintain its status as a Best Managed Gold company.

Follow Avison Young on Twitter:

For industry news, press releases and market reports: www.twitter.com/avisonyoung

For Avison Young listings and deals: www.twitter.com/AYListingsDeals

Follow Avison Young Bloggers: http://blog.avisonyoung.com

Follow Avison Young on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/avison-young-commercial-real-estate

Follow Avison Young on YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/AvisonYoungRE

Editors/Reporters

 Please click on links to view and download photos of Keith Thompson, Brad Sinclair, Andrew Broad, Michael Bernath, Chris Stark, Eric Gunderson:

http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/Keith%20Thompson.jpg

http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/Brad%20Sinclair.jpg

http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/Andy%20Broad.jpg

http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/Michael%20Bernath.jpg

http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/Chris%20Stark.jpg

http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/Eric_Gunderson.jpg

SOURCE Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)

Related Links

www.avisonyoung.com


Click to Tweet: The #GreatTradeIn is back @Babiesrus starting 1/20 (&1/17 for Rewards members)! BabiesRUs.com/GreatTradeIn

Nothing to trade in? No problem. Customers can still take advantage of 15% off applicable items from parent-favorite brands like Graco, Chicco, Fisher-Price, Baby Trend, Evenflo, Britax, Safety First and more with an in-store only coupon available at Babiesrus.com/GreatTradeIn. "R"Us Credit Card holders will receive additional savings, a 30% discount, when using their "R"Us Credit Card in store**.

CHILDREN'S PRODUCT SAFETY RESOURCES

As part of Babies"R"Us' commitment to safety, the company collaborates with safety leaders and leading manufacturers to ensure that products meet and comply with the most up to date safety standards. Customers looking to stay up to date on any recalls, updated standards, new legislation or news regarding their children's products can reference the following resources (including, but not limited to): Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), Kids in Danger, and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

* Trade-in offer available in store only. Must be regular-priced gear or furniture item. Trade-in discount does not apply to: GEAR: BOB, Cybex, Maxi-Cosi, Peg Perego, Doorway Jumpers, Baby Jogger, Bugaboo, OXO, Quinny, Stokke, Summer Infant Pop N Play, North States Super Yards, Babies"R''Us Brand Super Yards, car seat bases, infant carriers, clearance and Red Hot Deal items. FURNITURE: Mattresses, gliders/ottomans, special orders, clearance and Red Hot Deal items. Not valid with any other "R"Us offer for same item or on prior purchases. Coupon provided in store on day of trade-in. One coupon per trade-in item. Must be surrendered at time of purchase. Value is forfeited if item is returned. Only original coupons accepted. Void where prohibited. Valid USA only.

** Credit Card offer: Subject to credit approval. Cannot be combined with account opening discount or 10% off Thursday offer. An "R"Us Credit Card must be used as pay type. Valid 1/17 - 2/20/17 for Rewards"R''Us members and valid 1/20 - 2/20/17 for all customers.

About Toys"R"Us

Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 885 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam, and in 795 international stores and 259 licensed stores in 37 countries and jurisdictions. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com, the company provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Toys"R"Us, Inc. is headquartered in Wayne, NJ, and has an annual workforce of approximately 62,000 employees worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of needSince 1992, the Toys"R"Us Children's Fund, a public charity affiliated with Toys"R"Us, Inc., has donated more than $125 million in grants to children's charities. For more information, visit Toysrusinc.com or follow @ToysRUsNews on Twitter. Follow Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Toysrus and Facebook.com/Babiesrus and on Twitter at Twitter.com/Toysrus and Twitter.com/Babiesrus.

SOURCE Toys"R"Us, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.toysrus.com


RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Best College Values is a website that releases monthly rankings of both online and residential academic programs of study. These rankings, along with other resources provided on the website, highlight programs that balance affordability, reputation, and return on investment. The goal of Best College Values is to guide prospective students toward programs that will enable them to receive the best value for their tuition dollars.

This month the site has released a ranking of 10 Best Online Master's Degrees in Biomedical and Bioengineering (http://www.bestcollegevalues.com/rankings/online/best-online-masters-biomedical-bioengineering/). The ranking produced a list of ten regionally accredited colleges and universities which offer high quality online programs for earning a Master of Engineering or Master of Science in engineering sub-disciplines.

The University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, placed first in this ranking. The University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, and the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, placed second and third, respectively.

Other colleges and universities that made the ranking are listed below in alphabetical order.

Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, Ohio

Colorado State UniversityFort Collins, Colorado

Columbia UniversityNew York City, New York

Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, Indiana

Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick, New Jersey

University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California

Villanova UniversityRadnor, Pennsylvania

Biomedical engineering is an evolving discipline that is on the cutting edge of interdisciplinary collaboration between engineers, physicians, and scientists who share the common goal of developing solutions to some of the most complex medical and biological problems. Brett Gershon, site editor at Best College Values, says, "The field of healthcare is evolving at a rapid pace toward the use of more technological approaches to diagnosis, personalized and regenerative medicine, and the extensive use of information technology. For this reason, biomedical engineering is steadily becoming the world's largest industrial sector." Gershon goes onto say that the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a twenty-three percent growth curve in biomedical and bioengineering jobs between 2014 and 2024. Professionals with a Master's degree in the field will be in a position to step into high level career paths that will come in the wake of this rapid growth. This ranking draws attention to the kinds of degree programs that will prepare professionals who are interested in advancing their careers along this trajectory. The fact that they are all online as well makes them a convenient option for individuals who are already in the workforce to acquire the specialized training necessary to move into these more advanced positions.

BestCollegeValues.com is an online resource for prospective college students seeking an education worth its cost. Best College Values strives to provide the most comprehensive and rigorously researched set of online resources on the intersections of college affordability, educational quality, and educational outcomes so that individuals pursuing higher education can find the best college at the best price.

Contact:

Brett Gershon

Editor, Best College Values

http://www.bestcollegevalues.com

[email protected]

763.503.0162

SOURCE Best College Values

Related Links

http://www.bestcollegevalues.com


CHICAGO, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest ranking at Best College Values, a website devoted to providing resources to prospective students that focus on high value degree programs, has released a ranking of 25 Best Online Master's in Engineering in Aerospace Engineering and Aviation.

(http://www.bestcollegevalues.com/rankings/online/best-online-masters-aerospace-engineering-aviation/)

The ranking consists of twenty-five regionally accredited colleges and universities which offer high quality online academic and professional programs in these areas of study.

For this ranking Best College Values collected a list of all regionally accredited colleges and universities offering online programs in aerospace engineering and aviation and ranked them using a weighted methodology which aggregates publicly available data from sources that include U.S. News and World Report scores, tuition rates, return on investment according to PayScale, graduation rates, and cohort default rates to produce an overall score of 1-100.

Placing first in this ranking is Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, and University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, placed second and third, respectively.

Other colleges and universities that made the ranking are listed below in alphabetical order.

Auburn UniversityAuburn, Alabama

Embry Riddle Aeronautical UniversityDaytona Beach, Florida

Everglades UniversityBoca Raton, Florida

Florida Institute of TechnologyMelbourne, Florida

Iowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa

Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore Maryland

Middle Tennessee State UniversityMurfreesboro, Tennessee

Mississippi State UniversityStarkville, Mississippi

Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, Missouri

North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, North Carolina

Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk, Virginia

Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, Indiana

Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis, Missouri

University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, Alabama

University of Central FloridaOrlando, Florida

University of ColoradoBoulder, Colorado

University of FloridaGainesville, Florida

University of North DakotaGrand Forks, North Dakota

University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California

University of Texas, Arlington, Texas

University of WashingtonSeattle, Washington

Virginia Polytechnic InstituteBlacksburg, Virginia

Brett Gershon, site editor at Best College Values, says that the field of aerospace engineering draws on a wide range of engineering disciplines. "Because these programs are interdisciplinary by nature," says Gershon, "even professionals working outside of aerospace engineering sectors can benefit from them." Gershon also notes that programs in aviation sciences have been included in the ranking. He adds that "while aviation sciences is not, strictly speaking, an engineering field, it is related to aerospace engineering and astronautics in important ways and typically includes enough of a foundation in engineering disciplines that graduates can be positioned for careers in both aviation and aerospace and astronautics." While aerospace engineering is focused on problem solving and design of aircraft and various other flight systems, aviation sciences specializes in the troubleshooting aspects of flight systems and infrastructures. Whatever career trajectory individuals are on in these and related fields, these online degrees provide a convenient way to advance professionally into higher tier positions.

BestCollegeValues.com is an online resource for prospective college students seeking an education worth its cost. Best College Values strives to provide the most comprehensive and rigorously researched set of online resources on the intersections of college affordability, educational quality, and educational outcomes so that individuals pursuing higher education can find the best college at the best price.

Contact:

Brett Gershon

Editor, Best College Values

http://www.bestcollegevalues.com

[email protected]

763.503.0162

SOURCE Best College Values

Related Links

http://www.bestcollegevalues.com


ALBANY, New York, January 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The competitive landscape in the Global Biodegradable Stents Market is quite consolidated as major players in the market hold a massive chunk. In 2015, Abbott Laboratories, Boston Scientific, Inc., and Biotronik led the pack with a 61.5% share in the global market. The unwavering focus of these companies on expanding their business in newer territories has enabled them to dominate the global market. In the coming years, the players are expected to invest in advanced and sophisticated products to offer better products to the overall healthcare industry.

According to the research report, the global biodegradable stents market is anticipated to be worth US$1.7 bn by 2024 as compared to US$18 mn in 2015. During the forecast years of 2016 and 2024, the global market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 30.1%.

Europe Emerges as Leading Regional Market Backed by German Demand

The two types of stents available in the global biodegradable stents market are coronary artery stents and peripheral artery stents. Of these, the coronary artery stents are expected to progress at a CAGR of 30.9% during the forecast period. The high incidence of coronary artery diseases is expected to drive this segment in the coming years.

Download PDF Brochure of Research Report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=12464

In terms of regions the global market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. The report indicates that Europe will emerge as the dominant segment in the global market in the coming years. This regional market is expected to surge at a CAGR of 27.2% during the forecast period. Germany will lead the Europe biodegradable stents market in the coming few years.

Rise in Cardiovascular Diseases Spikes Demand for Biodegradable Stents

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that coronary artery diseases are responsible for 370,000 deaths across the U.S. every years. The global biodegradable stents market has been growing against the backdrop of high incidence of cardiovascular diseases, which are related to coronary artery diseases. The market is also being driven by the high prevalence of chronic conditions and rising geriatric population, which is prone to cardiovascular disorders. "The growing preference for stenting procedures for treating coronary artery diseases over bypass surgeries is also anticipated to boost the sales in the global market," estimates the lead author of this research report. This trend is likely to be a key trend in the market as stenting reduces complications, assures better success rate, fastens recovery time, and costs less.

Bare metal stents (BMS) and drug eluting stents (DES) continue to remain in the artery long after it has eluted the drug. This can lead to thrombosis, in-stent restenosis, and other complications, which can require surgical removal of the stent. Thus, use of biodegradable stents are remarkable safer as they get completely absorbed in the artery soon after the drug is eluted. This factor has won the biodegradable stents incredible traction over the past few years.

Unaffordability of Biodegradable Stents Dissuades Patients

Although the global biodegradable stents has a noteworthy CAGR, the market is likely to suffer due to the high cost of the products. Thus, the advantages of biodegradable stents are getting stymied due to their unaffordability. The premium pricing of these stents is expected to restrain the overall market's growth in the coming years. Furthermore, the slow adoption rate of these stents in regions and countries where medical awareness is relatively low is also hampering the progress of the global market.

Request For Report Customization: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=12464

This review is based on Transparency Market Research's report, titled "Biodegradable Stents Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024."

Global Biodegradable Stents Market is segmented as follows:

Global Biodegradable Stents Market, by Stent Type

Coronary Artery Stents

Peripheral Artery Stents

Global Biodegradable Stents Market, by Material

Polymer Based

Metal Based

Global Biodegradable Stents Market, by End user

Hospitals

Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories

Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Global Biodegradable Stents Market, by Geography

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FALLS CHURCH, Va., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Remine, the real estate intelligence platform, is pleased to announce that it has signed a multi-year license with Bright MLS, one of the nation's largest multiple listing services (MLS). The agreement will provide Bright's 85,000 real estate professionals with a platform to identify potential buyers and sellers, track them leveraging Big Data and empower agents with an integrated marketing engine.

"Remine brings big data to life for the first time in the real estate space," said Bright MLS Chief Strategy Officer David Charron. "Bright MLS was created with the goal to transform the model of the MLS and pioneer innovative and meaningful solutions for brokerage firms. Remine is a significant new product offering exactly that."

"We are honored to be working with the newly formed Bright MLS and share its commitment to innovation," says Leo Pareja, CEO of Remine. "We are providing Bright the most sophisticated analytics application in the industry, incorporating more than 2 billion data points and providing real estate professionals with a first-of-its-kind integrated technology platform to realize more efficiency, better returns and transactional opportunities never seen before."

"The Remine product allows for unique visualizations of property centric data. It's intuitive and powerful," said Bright MLS Chief Executive Officer Tom Phillips. "Bright real estate professionals will benefit from the significant real-time market insights and opportunities created by the application."

For more information, please visit www.remine.com.

About Remine

Remine is an innovative platform for Big Data visualization. Using property records, transactional history, and consumer data, Remine helps real estate and mortgage professionals convert new opportunities into revenue.

Remine is a private company based in the Washington, D.C. area. Remine was built for agents, by agents who have a combined 60 years of real estate experience: 7,000 transactions and $2 billion of sales volume. Remine is supported by a team of software engineers, data scientists and sales professionals. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.remine.com or call (855) 217-0171.

About Bright MLS

The Bright MLS real estate service area spans 40,000 square miles throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia. As a leading Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Bright will serve approximately 85,000 real estate professionals who in turn serve over 20 million consumers.

SOURCE Remine

Related Links

http://www.remine.com


The 16-inch 20 th Birthday Celebration Bear was created as a tribute for this special year, features a Build-A-Bear Workshop  20 th birthday logo on its paw pad, and has posable arms and legs. Guests can make their own limited-edition bear at U.S., Canada and U.K. Build-A-Bear Workshop stores, or purchase the bear at buildabear.com for $25.50 (USD) / $27 (CAD) / 19.50 (GBP), plus applicable taxes.

In appreciation of two decades of furry-friend fun, Build-A-Bear Workshop invites fans to attend in-store Parties on the 20th leading up to the company's official birthday on Oct. 27, 2017. The events will take place on the 20th of each month at all U.S., U.K. and Canada stores and will feature special offers and excitement for all ages! Guests can visit buildabear.com/20th-birthday for more details and to find a nearby store.

"Since 1997, more than 150 million furry friends and countless memories have been made at Build-A-Bear Workshop," said Sharon Price John, president and chief executive officer, Build-A-Bear Workshop. "We are incredibly grateful to those who have shared cherished memories, meaningful moments and furry friend hugs with us over the last 20 years. Many of our Guests, who discovered Build-A-Bear Workshop as kids and teens, are now bringing their own children to our stores to experience the joy of making a new furry friend. Today, we invite Guests of all ages to join us in making our 20th year the best one yet and to help us continue to 'add a little more heart to life' for years to come."

Build-A-Bear Workshop was founded in St. Louis on Oct. 27, 1997, as the first retail experience offering kids and kids at heart the opportunity to make and customize their own stuffed bears and animals. Today, the company operates more than 400 stores worldwide and offers a wide array of classic animals, popular characters and, of course, teddy bears. A photo gallery featuring furry friends through the years is available at buildabear.com/20th-birthday.

Guests can join in the 20th birthday fun by:

Attending Parties on the 20 th at local Build-A-Bear Workshop stores each month;

at local Build-A-Bear Workshop stores each month; Visiting buildabear.com/20th-birthday for complete details and to find a nearby location; and

for complete details and to find a nearby location; and Sharing favorite Build-A-Bear Workshop memories on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by tagging @BuildABear.

20th birthday shopping bags, Cub Condo carrying cases and birth certificates will begin arriving at Build-A-Bear Workshop stores across the globe in the coming months.

About Build-A-Bear

Celebrating 20 years of business in 2017, Build-A-Bear is a global brand kids love and parents trust that seeks to add a little more heart to life. Build-A-Bear Workshop has approximately 400 stores worldwide where Guests can create customizable furry friends, including company-owned stores in the United States, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and China, and franchise stores in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Mexico and the Middle East. The company was named to the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For list for the eighth year in a row in 2016. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) posted a total revenue of $377.7 million in fiscal 2015. For more information, visit buildabear.com.

Media Contact:

Maria Lemakis

(314) 423-8000, ext. 5367

SOURCE Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.buildabear.com


Tax relief is key to growing Nebraska. We have to become more competitive in order to grow the number of people in our state and opportunities for more and better paying jobs. While this might seem like common sense, not everyone shares this view. The new legislative session has begun and the lobbyists and special interests have returned to the State Capitol. Some are suggesting the state should raise taxes, even though I have presented balanced budgets that restrain spending without tax increases.

Throughout the session, I will be working with State Senators to protect you, the taxpayer, and I will work with the Legislature to fight against proposals to raise your taxes. I encourage you to follow the debate on taxes at the State Capitol closely, because your voice will be critical in building support for tax relief and stopping tax increases. Some advocates for tax relief will tout plans that actually raise taxes on one group of people to give to another. Be forewarned: talk about finding "revenues" and "new resources" and "rebalancing is simply code for raising taxes!

Last week, I proposed a tax plan in my State of the State address to provide substantial property and income tax relief to Nebraskans. When I am traveling the state, Nebraskans make it very clear that they are tired of the government taking their money. My plan controls the rate of growth in property valuations for tax purposes and puts more money back into your pocketsit does not simply shifts taxes around.

The first part of my tax plan changes the way we value ag land for taxation purposes with the Agricultural Valuation Fairness Act sponsored by Ag Committee Chair Lydia Brasch. Under this bill, the method for assessing property value is changed from a market-based system to an income-potential assessment. Income potential is a much fairer measure, and will slow the growth of ag land valuation increases. If this system were in place for 2017, it would reduce ag land valuations by about $2.2 billion.

Income potential based property tax assessment for ag land is used in North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. This method is standard across similar states with ag-based economies. It is why many Nebraska ag producers have suggested it to me. If the bill passes, the state would transition to the new system beginning in 2019 to give local taxing entities and county assessors plenty of time to prepare.

The second part of my plan provides income tax relief. Did you know its been 20 years since middle class Nebraskans saw an income tax rate cut? Income tax rate reductions should not be a once-in-generation event! High income taxes not only burden our families, but they also make our state less competitive. Only one of our bordering states has higher income tax rates than Nebraskathats Iowa. Wyoming and South Dakota have no income tax, and Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri all have lower rates.

Im also partnering with Revenue Chairman Jim Smith to to take the top income tax rate down roughly one-tenth of one percent per year, starting in 2020, as long as the states revenue growth exceeds 3.5 percent. In effect, we will have a trigger when we hit 3.5 percent growth to take that income tax rate from 6.84 percent down a little each year until its under six percent. If our revenue doesnt grow fast enough, the tax rate doesnt come down. This mechanism will protect taxpayers, and ensure the state doesnt face a budget crisis.

As the session progresses, I will work with senators on these plans, and to provide tax relief for you. Passing tax relief will not be easy, and we will need your help and support to make it a reality. Some will try to say that passing tax relief this session shouldnt happen because state revenues have slowed. However, we can still pass responsible tax relief the Nebraska way. The budgets I have proposed put the state on solid fiscal footing, preparing the way for tax relief, which will help spur growth.

If you want to see property or income tax relief happen this session, I encourage you to register your support with your State Senator. Your voice as a taxpayer matters in this discussion. You can find their information by visiting www.NebraskaLegislature.gov. As always, you can contact my office at pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or 402-471-2244.
The Pfannenstiehl case focused on the issue of trust assets as marital property in divorce proceedings, and was widely considered the biggest family law case of the decade. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) decision overturned an Appeals Court ruling that Curt Pfannenstiehl had to pay his ex-wife approximately $1.4 million that was attributed to his interest in a discretionary spendthrift trust established by his father. The case is now the definitive law on trust interests for division of marital assets in Massachusetts, and also serves as guidance for every one of the 35 plus states that use a similar equitable division statute.

In Migell, O'Regan won a major appellate victory as the conservator for Alice Migell, whose nearly $5 million estate was pilfered by one of her sons. The November 2, 2016 decision by the Massachusetts Appeals Court upheld judgments from Middlesex Probate and Family Court that returned real estate and sale proceeds for other real estate that the son received, and kept, as trustee of a family trust. The decision also upheld criminal contempt convictions against the son and his wife, Andrew and Kai Sun Migell, for their transferring assets to put them out of reach to satisfy what was owed. O'Regan received awards against the son and daughter-in-law for the legal fees caused by their misconduct by the appellate and trial courts.

"We're very proud that Bob O'Regan was selected for this prestigious list," said David Rosenblatt, managing partner at Burns & Levinson. "Clients turn to Bob because he is an incredibly talented, powerful and dedicated litigator who never stops fighting for what is right. The stellar work he did for many clients in 2016, including the high profile Pfannenstiehl and Migell cases, was extraordinary, and no one is more deserving of this recognition."

O'Regan will be honored at MLW's Leaders in the Law Event on March 2, 2017.

About Burns & Levinson LLP

Burns & Levinson is a full-service law firm with more than 125 attorneys based in Boston, with additional offices in Providence and New York, as well as in the Merrimack Valley/North Shore, Metrowest and South Shore areas of Massachusetts. The firm has grown steadily and strategically throughout the years and has become a premier law firm with regional, national and international clientele. The firm has expertise in corporate law, finance, venture capital, private equity, intellectual property, labor and employment, tax, bankruptcy, real estate, design and construction, public-private partnerships, energy, environmental, business litigation, government investigations and white collar crime defense, and a large private client group, including estate planning, probate and trust litigation, divorce and other family law issues. For more information, visit Burns & Levinson at www.burnslev.com.

Contact: Amy Blumenthal Blumenthal & Associates 617.879.1511 [email protected] Kristen Weller Director of Marketing & Business Development 617.345.3555 [email protected]

SOURCE Burns & Levinson LLP

Related Links

http://www.burnslev.com


TORONTO, Jan. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- When synthetic Fentanyl arrived on the streets in 2015, dealers were quick to market their product as top-rate. They offered free samples, inviting would-be customers to test a newly-created batch. They provided top-notch customer service. Soon, business was booming.

The rapidly-growing demand for the powerful drug, often described as 100 times more powerful than morphine, has racked up a staggering death toll across Canada in last 2 years. One dealer's recorded fentanyl sales reveals that they have sold nearly 400 grams of the high-potent synthetic opiate, enough to make roughly a hundred thousand pills.

Drug markets on the web aren't new either, this drug and others are being sold online and shipped by regular mail but despite fears over the nefarious activities happening on the unregulated, virtually untraceable corner of the internet, the majority of the marketplace postings are for small amounts of marijuana, ecstasy, and cocaine.

Opioids like heroin and OxyContin are readily available on the sites, but fentanyl and other "RCs"  short for research chemicals, which usually include drugs that were developed but never meant for human consumption  have quickly found demand on the dark corners of the web.

Since fentanyl first appeared on the market in 2015, The rise of the drug has mirrored a growing crisis across Canada as is in the U.S. and treatment centres like Canadian Addiction Recovery Network are seeing a clear rise in detox and treatment at their centres for this drug.

Statistics on the drug are spotty at best, as health agencies in America and Canada are only now trying to get a handle on the extent of the problem since it has become a clear epidemic.

In Alberta, the provincial health authority reports that the death toll went from 66 in 2013 to 272 two years later. In neighboring British Columbia, fentanyl was implicated in 474 overdoses in 2015, and in 2016 fentanyl proved to be even deadlier; nearly 1000 overdose deaths have been reported for the year, prompting the province to declare a state of emergency.

Scoring fentanyl is proving easier and easier as demand grows across the country.

The fact that fentanyl is so concentrated and easy to transport, by powder, patch, pill, or liquid, makes it all the more attractive to would-be dealers or traffickers.

In Canada, significant quantities are coming into ports from China, where the drug is not controlled by the government. Patches and pills, meanwhile, have been seized at Hells Angels clubhouses in Ontario, suggesting that the biker gang may be doing some of the domestic distribution.

In the United States, speculation has focused on Mexican cartels as being the main pushers from the drug. The Drug Enforcement Agency suspect that the gangs have imported some from China, and made some in their own lab.

The online world, however, has also been moving significant quantities. What's more, it's underscored that the drug can be made relatively easily right here at home. Many dealers are purchasing powder and pressing out hundreds of pills on each order. Each pill contains roughly four to five milligrams of the drug. Doctors say that two milligrams can be enough to kill the average person.

One buyer on the street sold product says, "This stuff almost killed me! I took a very small amount and spent the next 6 days in the hospital."

Sirens scream non-stop through the urban heart of Vancouver, as responders race toward drug addicts overdosing  and dying in such numbers that the city's morgues are full.

This wealthy Pacific coast city is the epicenter of an opioid epidemic that has claimed thousands of lives in Canada, while next door in the United States, drug overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death. The dealers as of late 2016 have now started using Carfentanil which can kill someone with a tiny amount.

"A lot of people here are under care, and targeted by drug dealers," said Neil Arao, manager of Insite, North America's only supervised injection site, located in the DTES. Canadian Addiction Recovery Network is totally against these and other government run harm reduction facilities.

Proposed solutions by Canadian Addiction Recovery Network are that we need the government to make grants available to private addiction treatment centres so they may open up some small centres that may make government sponsored beds available, after all these people have worked front line and know what it takes to make addicts successful in recovery, well a lot more successful than any government run programs or facilities.

The experts and advocates of Canadian Addiction Recovery Network agree, the solution is to reduce the numbers of drug users by solving issues that begin, for most, in a mental breakdown in the individual. It has been made known in the last 2 years that Addiction is a mental health condition brought about by concurrent disorders.

Asked to describe the current opioid epidemic, a spokesperson from Canadian Addiction Recovery Network said "to call it a 'crisis' implies there will be an end, but we are wondering if this is now our normal."

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This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com/.

SOURCE Canadian Addiction Recovery Network

Related Links

http://canadianaddictionrecoverynetwork.ca


NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Captain D's LLC, the leading fast casual seafood restaurant, announced today that Bob Kraut has joined its executive team as chief marketing officer. Bob will be responsible for leading, developing and executing the company's marketing strategies to further increase brand awareness and continue the brand's strong sales growth. Captain D's, known for serving freshly prepared seafood for more than four decades, has been generating strong growth with over five consecutive years of same store sales increases and three successive years of record high system-wide AUV's.

"We are proud of our rich history and our impressive sales growth, but we are just getting started as Captain D's is uniquely positioned for further success in 2017 and beyond. Bob brings more than three decades of experience to Captain D's, and we have no doubt that we will continue to take the brand to new heights with his marketing leadership," said Phil Greifeld, chief executive officer and president of Captain D's. "Our compounding success and ongoing nationwide expansion is a direct reflection of the efforts of our talented people, and we are thrilled to welcome such an accomplished industry veteran who shares our guest-centric values to the D's team."

Kraut has extensive experience leading the marketing activities of several national food service companies, including Papa John's and Arby's. "I am delighted to partner with Phil and the D's team. The brand's momentum is powerful and there is tremendous upside in front of us," said Kraut. Over the course of his 30+ year career, Kraut has helped several brands experience remarkable success, with Papa John's, Arby's and Pizza Hut each achieving record-breaking sales growth under his leadership. In 2014, he received the CMO Club's CMO's Choice Award and is a top 30-ranked CMO according to ExecuRank. Kraut earned a bachelor's degree in marketing and philosophy and an MBA from the State University of New York. He is also a graduate of the advanced management program for international managers at Harvard Business School.

With 518 restaurants in 21 states, Captain D's is the fast-casual seafood leader and number one seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume. Coupled with its ongoing menu innovation, Captain D's credits its new restaurant beach design with contributing to the brand's compounding success.

The company is currently seeking single- and multi-unit operators to join in the brand's rapid expansion. For more information about franchise opportunities, visit http://www.captaindsfranchising.com or call 800-550-4877.

ABOUT CAPTAIN D'S

Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Captain D's has 518 restaurants in 21 states, plus military bases around the world. Captain D's is the nation's leading fast casual seafood restaurant and was named the #1 seafood chain in the QSR 50, ranked by AUV. Founded in 1969, Captain D's has been offering its customers high-quality seafood at reasonable prices in a welcoming atmosphere for more than 46 years. Captain D's serves a wide variety of seafood that includes freshly prepared entrees and the company's signature hand-battered fish, which is cooked to order. The restaurants also offer premium-quality, grilled items such as shrimp, and surf and turf, as well as hushpuppies, desserts and freshly brewed, Southern-style sweet tea, a Captain D's favorite. For more information, please visit www.captainds.com.

Contact:

Samantha Russo

Fish Consulting

954-893-9150

[email protected]

SOURCE Captain D's

Related Links

http://www.captainds.com


Stock Market Symbols

GIB (NYSE)

GIB.A (TSX)

www.cgi.com/newsroom

GSA contract vehicle creates access to CGI identity solutions for all federal agencies

FAIRFAX, VA, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - CGI (NYSE: GIB) (TSX: GIB.A) today announced it has been awarded a task order by the General Services Administration's Federal Acquisition Service (GSA FAS) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Credential Management Task Order provides identity management services for 26 federal agencies. Issued under the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Continuous Monitoring as a Service (CMaaS) Blanket Purchase Agreement and GSA IT Schedule 70, the total contract value is US$102 million over two years.

CGI will provide the participating agencies with tools, sensors and services to implement elements of credential management, a key element of the CDM Phase 2 Program to strengthen policies and practices for all authorized users at participating agencies. CGI will also help federal agencies working to comply with the White House's Cybersecurity Strategy and Implementation Plan (CSIP), which requires strong authentication for network accounts of unprivileged users.

"We are committed to federal clients as they work to comply with evolving standards while confronting an array of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and threats," said Stephanie Mango, Senior Vice-President, CGI. "We are proud to provide this vital support to the Department of Homeland Security and provide our identity management solutions for all federal agencies involved in the task order."

The DHS contract is CGI's second award on the CDM procurement vehicle, following a consulting contract awarded by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in September. Mango said recent awards reflect ongoing momentum behind CGI's cybersecurity, identity management and other digital solutions that are increasingly in demand among federal customers. "CGI will continue to offer flexible solutions that allow agencies to strengthen cybersecurity expertise in the model best suited to their needs," said Mango.

About CGI Federal

CGI Federal Inc. is a wholly-owned U.S. operating subsidiary of CGI Group Inc., dedicated to partnering with federal agencies to provide solutions for defense, civilian, healthcare and intelligence missions. Founded in 1976, CGI Group Inc. is the fifth largest independent information technology and business process services firm in the world. Approximately 68,000 professionals serve thousands of global clients from offices and delivery centers across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, leveraging a comprehensive portfolio of services including high-end business and IT consulting, systems integration, application development and maintenance, infrastructure management as well as 150 IP-based services and solutions. With annual revenue in excess of C$10 billion and an order backlog exceeding C$20 billion, CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Website: www.cgi.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release that do not directly and exclusively relate to historical facts constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. These statements and this information represent CGI's intentions, plans, expectations and beliefs, and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, of which many are beyond the control of the Company. These factors could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. These factors include but are not restricted to: the timing and size of new contracts; acquisitions and other corporate developments; the ability to attract and retain qualified members; market competition in the rapidly evolving IT industry; general economic and business conditions; foreign exchange and other risks identified in the press release, in CGI's annual and quarterly Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") and in other public disclosure documents filed with the Canadian securities authorities (filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (filed on EDGAR at www.sec.gov), as well as assumptions regarding the foregoing. The words "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "anticipate", "foresee", "plan", and similar expressions and variations thereof, identify certain of such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. In particular, statements relating to future performance are forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. CGI disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements or on this forward-looking information.

SOURCE CGI Group Inc.

Related Links

http://www.cgi.com/


NANYANG, China, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, a microfilm named "Meeting rather than Longing" is popular in China. This microfilm was shot by Henan Xiangnian Food Company Limited, and has been widely spread on both social media and official media. Until now, this microfilm has been played for more than 50 million times.

The success of the film is based on the subject: Chinese people are trying their best to reunite with their families during the Chinese Spring Festival whether they had a great year or not.

The coming Spring Festival is the most important holiday in China. And it's also the oldest non-religious holiday celebrated by the largest number of people across the world.

Millions of Chinese people will go home to celebrate the Spring Festival with their families, although they have to line up to buy the train tickets in cold winter nights, crowd into the train for several days, or even ride motorcycles to travel all the way back home.

It will cost a lot during the Spring Festival, and will have a profound impact on the Chinese economy. During the Spring Festival, lots of factories are shut down, along with some businesses from the service industry; while some other industries can receive huge benefits from it, such as the gift industry, which can reach their peak point of the whole year.

Spring Festival is not only for Chinese in mainland China, but also for Chinese abroad. Over Spring Festival, countless Chinese living abroad travel back home. Most will spend much more time travelling than being at home, but they never regret it.

For those people who are not able to go home, whether inside or outside China, they usually shop online to buy some gifts with special meanings, such as cooking oil representing riches and noodles representing longing. Over Spring Festival, Chinese people will send their families and friends the Xiangnian noodles to express longing and love.

About Henan Xiangnian Food Company Limited

Henan Xiangnian Food Company Limited ("Xiangnian") was founded in 1998 and located in Nanyang city, Henan province, Central China. It is a leading enterprise of China senior nutrition instant dried noodles, and is also the first dried noodles brand that realized the whole industry chain of agricultural from wheat planting to noodle production. Specialized in the research, development and production of instant dried noodles, its annual output of dried noodles is more than 200,000 metric tons. All of its products comply with international quality standards and are greatly appreciated in a variety of different markets throughout the world. It ranked the No.1 in noodle industry in 2016 in Baidu Search Index which is the biggest search engine in China. As a well-known manufacture of noodles "with pure & natural materials and no additives" in China, its products are quite popular among the public and have been awarded a variety of honorary titles.

Websites: https://xnfoods.en.alibaba.com

http://www.xnfoods.com

SOURCE Henan Xiangnian Food Company Limited

Related Links

http://www.xnfoods.com


RYE BROOK, N.Y., Jan. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Precision Global, a leading global manufacturer of aerosol valves, actuators and other dispensing solutions across a variety of end markets, today announced that Claudio Contini has been appointed Vice Chairman of Precision Global's Board of Directors, effective immediately.

Mr. Contini brings over 25 years of value-added packaging experience to Precision. He previously served as Group Chief Executive Officer of Coster Group, a multinational provider of aerosol spray, dispensing packaging components and filling machines operating in four continents, overseeing approximately 1,000 employees.

Robert Strauss, a Director of Precision Global, said, "On behalf of the Board, we are very excited to welcome Claudio to Precision Global's Board of Directors. Claudio is a recognized leader in the value-added packaging industry. His direct and extensive experience with relevant products, geographies, customers and end markets is an extremely strong fit. We are confident this experience will prove extremely valuable in both helping provide strategic guidance as well as supporting the Company's talented executive team in executing against numerous growth opportunities."

Mario Barbero, Chief Executive Officer of Precision Global, said, "Personally and on behalf of the executive team, I'm delighted that Claudio has joined the Precision Global Board of Directors. His wealth of experience providing innovative dispensing solutions to a multinational customer base is nearly unparalleled, and the executive team is very much looking forward to leveraging his expertise and strategic guidance as an important resource in our continued pursuit of transformational growth around the globe."

Mr. Contini said, "It is my honor and pleasure to join the Precision Global Board of Directors. Precision Global's position as a leading aerosol and dispensing solutions manufacturer is well-established, and I'm eager to provide my full support to the team in further cementing Precision's place at the forefront of the industry."

Prior to joining Coster in 1990, Mr. Contini worked for 11 years in various manufacturing, sales and marketing roles at IBM, a leading global information technology company. Mr. Contini holds a Master's degree in industrial engineering from Politecnico di Milano.

About Precision Global

Founded in 1949, Precision Global is the inventor of the modern aerosol valve and a leading global manufacturer of aerosol valves, actuators and other dispensing solutions for a variety of end markets, including personal care, household, food & beverage, industrial and pharmaceutical. Based in New York, the Company operates a multinational network of facilities spanning 15 countries on six continents. For more information about Precision Global, please visit precisionglobal.com.

Media Contact:

Daniel Yunger

Kekst

(212) 521-4800

SOURCE Precision Global

Related Links

http://precisionglobal.com


SAN DIEGO, Jan. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareholder rights law firm Johnson & Weaver, LLP has launched an investigation into whether the board members of Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CWEI) breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the proposed sale of the Company to Noble Energy, Inc. Clayton Williams is an independent oil and gas company that explores for and develops and produces oil and natural gas primarily in Texas and New Mexico.

On January 16, 2017, Clayton Williams announced it had signed a definitive merger agreement with Noble Energy. Terms of the deal call for Clayton Williams shareholders to receive 2.7874 shares of Noble Energy common stock and $34.75 in cash for each share of common stock held. The value of the transaction, based on Noble Energy's closing stock price as of January 13, 2017, is approximately $139 per Clayton Williams share. Shareholders will be subject to the future price fluctuation of Noble Energy's stock price.

The investigation concerns whether the Clayton Williams' board failed to satisfy their duties to the Company shareholders, including whether the board adequately pursued alternatives to the acquisition and whether the board obtained the best price possible for Clayton Williams' shares of common stock. Nationally recognized Johnson & Weaver is investigating whether the proposed deal price represents adequate consideration.

Clayton Williams has a change of control provisions for key executives. As of December 31, 2015, potential payments for termination associated with a change in control, was valued at over $14 million.

If you are a shareholder of Clayton Williams and believe (1) the proposed buyout price is too low or (2) the merger benefits management more than the shareholders, and (3) you're interested in learning more about the investigation or your legal rights and remedies, please contact lead analyst Jim Baker ([email protected]) at 619-814-4471.

About Johnson & Weaver, LLP:

Johnson & Weaver, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York and Georgia. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.johnsonandweaver.com. Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Contact:

Johnson & Weaver, LLP

Jim Baker, 619-814-4471

[email protected]

SOURCE Johnson & Weaver, LLP

Related Links

http://johnsonandweaver.com


FREMONT, Calif., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the expansion of the Bing Partner Program, Microsoft named Concentrix as one of a group of key partners to act as trusted advisors to its growing customer base for search advertising opportunities with the Bing Network.

Moving into Select Partner status required Concentrix to meetor exceedadditional criteria, including growth of its client base and exceptional enterprise digital search and campaign management expertise. As a Select Partner to Bing Ads, Concentrix will continue to enhance the expertise and service provided to clients through exclusive access to training, marketing and technology development. Bing Ads continues to grow globally, with nearly one third PC search market share in the U.S., over 20% in the UK and over 10% in five additional markets.

"Our analytics-based, insight driven marketing programs deliver the right message at the right time across the entire customer lifecycle," says Anil Bhalla, Senior Vice President, Emerging Businesses at Concentrix. "Search advertising is a key part of this approach, and Bing enables us to reach a highly targeted customer segment. Bing adds to the marketing mix to optimize marketing spend, reduce customer acquisition costs, and deliver new revenue to our clients. We look forward to leveraging the additional support that Microsoft is providing through this program to help our mutual clients."

Concentrix provides services that maximize "Customer Lifetime Value" through a highly customized, targeted approach to customer engagement. It has strong partnerships with the leading search advertising and social media platforms today and proven experience in creating compelling marketing campaigns for clients.

ABOUT CONCENTRIX: Different by Design

Concentrix, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX), is a leading business services company. We focus on customer engagement and improving business outcomes for over 450 global clients across six continents. Our 90,000+ staff deliver technology-infused, omni-channel customer experience management, marketing optimization, digital, consulting, analytics, and back office solutions in 40+ languages from 125+ delivery centers. We serve automotive; banking and financial services; insurance; healthcare; technology; consumer electronics; media and communications; retail and e-commerce; travel and transportation; and energy and public sector clients. Visit www.concentrix.com to learn more.

About SYNNEX

SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX), a Fortune 500 corporation, is a leading business process services company, optimizing supply chains and providing outsourced services focused on customer relationship management. SYNNEX distributes a broad range of information technology systems and products, and also provides systems design and integration solutions. Founded in 1980, SYNNEX Corporation operates in 26 countries around the world. Additional information about SYNNEX may be found online at www.synnex.com.

Statements in this release that are forward-looking involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to be materially different from any future performance that may be suggested in this release. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release.

Copyright 2017 SYNNEX Corporation. All rights reserved. SYNNEX, the SYNNEX Logo, CONCENTRIX and all other SYNNEX company, product and services names and slogans are trademarks or registered trademarks of SYNNEX Corporation. SYNNEX, the SYNNEX Logo and CONCENTRIX Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. Other names and marks are the property of their respective owners.

SNX-G

SOURCE Concentrix

Related Links

http://www.concentrix.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Convergex, an agency-focused global brokerage and trading related services provider, is pleased to announce that in 2016, its Prime Brokerage business added new clients with a collective total of over $1 billion in assets and continues to see a steady increase in its international client-base. Enhancements to Convergex's Prime Services product offerings, including expanding its futures execution and clearing services and adding fully-paid for lending capabilities, helped generate additional interest and growth from both the U.S. and Europe.

The Convergex Prime Services team offers a full-range of services to its clients including opening and monitoring accounts, cross referencing securities and customized reporting capabilities. In addition, the team is focused on providing investors the ability to lend out and generate additional interest income on fully-paid-for or excess margin securities.

"Convergex has been seeing a steady increase in the number of European-based hedge funds looking for U.S. prime brokers as they have found the full scope of our product offerings to be a safer and more cost-effective alternative," said Doug Nelson, Convergex Executive Managing Director and Head of Global Clearing and Prime Services. "Convergex is focused on expanding its European presence through its global offerings and by providing a superior level of customer service in both the U.S. and abroad."

Convergex Prime Brokerage Services is a leading provider of integrated prime services to hedge funds, family offices, mutual funds, and registered investment advisors (RIAs). Its customized, high-end execution solutions include direct market access (DMA) platforms, multiple custody and clearing options, advanced pre- and post-trade analytics, access to securities lending providers, and capital introduction services. By combining boutique-firm service levels and pricing with professional clearing and prime brokerage services, Convergex offers a prime services package previously available only to the largest institutions.

About Convergex

Convergex is an agency-focused global brokerage and trading related services provider that takes on the industry's toughest challenges, from complicated trades to complex businesses. With clients' interests as the top priority, Convergex delivers comprehensive solutions that span global high-touch and electronic trading, options technologies, prime brokerage, clearing, commission management and beyond. Headquartered in New York with a presence in several other locations including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Orlando, San Francisco and London, the company serves nearly 3,000 clients accessing over 100 global market centers.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Convergex is an agency-focused global brokerage and trading related services provider. In the U.S., Convergex offers products and services through Convergex Execution Solutions LLC (member NYSE/FINRA/NFA/SIPC), of which Convergex Prime Services and Options Trading and Technology are divisions; Westminster Research Associates LLC (member FINRA/SIPC); and Convergex Solutions LLC, of which Jaywalk and LDB are divisions. In London, Convergex operates through Convergex Limited, which is incorporated in England and Wales (registered with company number 06262150). Convergex Limited is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the United Kingdom. Westminster Research Associates LLC is regulated in the United States by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Westminster provides services in Australia pursuant to an exemption from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services license under the Corporations Act 2001 (ASIC Class Order [CO 03/1100]).

Convergex provides brokerage services primarily on an agency basis, but may operate in a riskless principal and/or net trading capacity, and in connection with certain ETF or ADR transactions, may act as principal or engage in hedging strategies. Convergex does not engage in market making or investment banking activities.

The material, data and information (collectively "Convergex Information") that is available from Convergex is intended for institutional investor use only; is for informational purposes only; is subject to change at any time; is not intended to provide tax, legal or investment advice; and does not constitute a solicitation or offer to purchase or sell securities. Convergex Information is believed to be reliable, but Convergex does not warrant its completeness or accuracy and Convergex assumes no duty to update such information. Clients should read their account agreement(s) and documentation with Convergex carefully as those documents contain important information and disclosures about the products or services covered thereby. Convergex is not responsible for third-party information or services, including market data from the exchanges. (Rev. 01/03/17)

 2017 Convergex Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

Contact: Lynda Caravello

[email protected]

212.468.7713

SOURCE ConvergEx Group, LLC
SEATTLE, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- WatchGuard Technologies, a leader in advanced network security solutions, today announced the results of a new global channel partner survey on cyber security. It was designed to capture the reseller's perspective on customer cyber threat concerns and their overall understanding of the firewall market. Conducted by independent market research firm, Vanson Bourne, the survey examined the views of more than 1,400 WatchGuard partner organizations across the globe.

What threats do resellers think customers are most concerned about?

According to the survey, 83 percent of resellers believe that ransomware will be their customers' largest concern this year. In addition, 16 percent believe the majority of their customers would pay a cyber ransom, and 65 percent believe at least some of their customers would pay. This willingness (or necessity) to pay, coupled with the increasing threat of ransomware, could prove costly for businesses in the coming year.

"The proliferation of ransomware reached epidemic proportions in 2016, so it makes sense that resellers are forecasting it as the top threat next year," said Corey Nachreiner, chief technology officer at WatchGuard. "On top of cyber extortion, security customers are hearing about tons of other new attacks and threat vectors each day, and they're wondering how best to protect themselves."

As threats continue to grow, do resellers think customers have the proper resources in place to manage incoming alerts?

About 45 percent of reseller respondents believe that less than half their customers have the proper resources in place to adequately manage incoming security alerts. Many SMBs simply don't have the time or personnel necessary to focus on the management of network security solutions and the mitigation of growing cyber threats. As a matter of fact, only 5 percent of surveyed resellers believe all their customers have these resources in place, while 7 percent believe none of them do at all. This suggests that while many customers do have solutions in place, there is still significant room for improvement.

As customers try to address increasing security concerns, do resellers think they understand the difference between UTM and NGFW?

Of the total surveyed partner organizations, 63 percent do not think the majority of their customers understand the difference between Unified Threat Management (UTM) appliances and Next Generation Firewalls (NGFW). Nearly 80 percent do not think their customers care about the difference between the two appliance categories at all  and only want to know that their business is protected by the latest threat prevention solutions.

This suggests that security customers are trusting channel resellers and managed security service providers to make informed recommendations about security appliances and strategies. Over the course of the last two years, nearly 75 percent of reseller respondents' organizations have seen the most growth in UTM appliance sales, while only around a quarter have seen the most sales growth in NGFW appliances.

"This survey further validates the importance of the reseller and service provider community for SMBs dealing with cyber security. Organizations rely heavily on the expertise of these channel partners to provide guidance that keeps employees and customers safe from the evolving threat landscape," said Nachreiner. "For customers, it seems that the realistic impact or outcome is of more importance than the classification of threats or security solutions."

Additional Resources:

To learn more about WatchGuard's ransomware and other advanced security solutions, please visit: http://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-products/security-services#advanced

For more information about UTM vs. NGFW please visit: http://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-resource-center/help-me-choose

About WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.

WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. is a global leader in network security, providing best-in-class Unified Threat Management, Next Generation Firewall, secure Wi-Fi, and network intelligence products and services to more than 75,000 customers worldwide. The company's mission is to make enterprise-grade security accessible to companies of all types and sizes through simplicity, making WatchGuard an ideal solution for Distributed Enterprises and SMBs. WatchGuard is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. To learn more, visit WatchGuard.com.

For additional information, promotions and updates, follow WatchGuard on Twitter, @WatchGuard on Facebook, or on the LinkedIn Company page. Also, visit our InfoSec blog, Secplicity, for real-time information about the latest threats and how to cope with them at www.secplicity.org.

Media Contacts:

Chris Warfield

WatchGuard Technologies

206.876.8380

[email protected]

Anthony Cogswell

Voxus PR

253.444.5980

[email protected]

SOURCE WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.watchguard.com


In our country, we love to customize, whether its a new addition to the house or the colors and fonts surrounding our text messages. We choose everything, from our line of work to our preferred place to grab lunch (where we probably customize our lunch order). So its easy to understand why parents want more choices in their childrens education.

Parents understand that education options open doors for their children. Every child is unique, with distinct interests and learning styles. Moms and dads know that a school that might work for one student might not be a good fit for another. They know their child best and should be empowered to select the right school.

In many states, Nebraska included, lawmakers have taken action to provide a more diverse variety of school choices for families.

From January 22-28, millions of Americans will raise awareness about the importance of school choice at an unprecedented 21,000 events  including more than 130 events in Nebraska. These events are planned to coincide with National School Choice Week, the largest celebration of opportunity in education in U.S. history.

For families in the Cornhusker State, National School Choice Week provides a good opportunity to review the different types of education options available to their children.

Nebraskans can choose traditional public schools for their kids, and the state allows parents, with some limitations, the freedom to choose traditional public schools outside of their existing school zones. This process is called open enrollment, or public school choice.

Magnet schools, which focus on themes such as math, science, technology, and the performing arts, also exist.

Of course, parents in Nebraska can also pay to send their children to private schools.

Finally, parents have the freedom to educate their children in the home  and more parents are homeschooling their children than ever before.

Seventy percent of Americans support school choice, and January is the time to exercise the choices available to Nebraska families.

Parents who would like to explore their options, whether or not theyre happy with their childrens schools, should consider exploring in January. National School Choice Week is a great opportunity to visit schools, ask lots of questions of teachers and administrators, and talk with other parents to see which educational options are likely to be the best fit for their kids.

Parents who begin the school choice process in January instead of waiting till summer break will have more options available to them. Depending on which options seem best, parents may need to meet deadlines for applications or scholarships, or they may want to enroll before a school starts a waiting list.

Why is this process important?

In addition to ensuring greater peace of mind, research has demonstrated that when parents actively choose the schools their children attend, or choose to educate their children in the home, high school graduation rates increase dramatically.

A student with a high school diploma will, over the course of his or her life, earn more than a quarter million dollars more than a student who has dropped out. High school graduates are far less likely to be incarcerated, and are six times more likely to participate in community and civic affairs, than individuals without high school diplomas.

Most importantly, though: school choice matters because every child in America has potential. Todays students are tomorrows leaders, and when parents are empowered to customize their childrens education, just as they choose so many other things in their day-to-day lives, great things happen for kids, and for our country.

Andrew R. Campanella is president of National School Choice Week, the nations largest annual celebration of opportunity in education. A recognized expert on education reform, Andrew lives in Blue Mountain Beach, Fla.
KENNEWICK, Wash., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Breaching the four Lower Snake River dams would undermine efforts by the states of Washington and Oregon to reduce CO2 emissions and forestall the detrimental impacts of climate change. That is the inescapable conclusion to be drawn from a technical review prepared by the Columbia Research Corp. based in Seattle, WA, for the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association (CSRIA). The Lower Snake River dams were built in the 1960 and 1970s and serve the clean power needs of the Pacific Northwest.

Ice Harbor Dam on the Lower Snake River in Washington State Map of Lower of Snake River Dams in Washington State

The dam breaching litigation brought by the National Wildlife Federation, Earthjustice, the State of Oregon, and others against federal agencies and NOAA Fisheries' challenges the Biological Opinion (BiOp), a set of detailed hydropower operating rules that has been approved by not only the dam operators, but other Northwest states, Tribal entities, public utilities, and private interests.

Columbia Research Corp. summarized technical information from Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), and other regional power planners, describing how breaching the Lower Snake River Dams would cause the following significant adverse impacts:

Reduce capacity power generation in the Pacific Northwest by about 3,000 MW, to meet regional peak power demand in months like January.

Destabilize power voltage requirements for the Greater Tri-Cities, WA area.

Impair variable load following capability of the federal power system, and diminish required reserve power resources for system reliability.

Impede the integration of existing and new wind and solar power resources that depend on the federal hydro system for load following and real-time power dispatch.

Without the Lower Snake River dams, the BPA will likely have no other alternative than to support aggressive utility construction of new fossil fuel combustion turbines (CCCT), to replace the Snake River dams' lost capacity power generation. This action will increase regional CO2 production at a time when Washington/Oregon state environmental regulators are attempting to invoke new CO2 emission restrictions.

CSRIA representatives speculate that Washington Gov. Jay Inslee must be shaking his head wondering what his Oregon counterpart is thinking. Gov. Inslee, a BiOp lawsuit defendant-intervener, is working to convince state legislators to invoke a new, billion dollar state CO2 tax, while Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a BiOp lawsuit plaintiff-intervener, is encouraging environmental groups to destroy one of the most climate friendly power sources in the Northwest. The Snake River dams are a significant source of reliable capacity power that cannot be easily replaced.

The environmental groups' confused climate change policy, coupled with the new BiOp lawsuit, gives further credence to CSRIA's call for invoking the Endangered Species Act Committee (God Squad) to settle, with reasoned judgment, the required fish protection measures. As it now stands, the breaching advocates apparently want to destroy the environment in order to save it.

For more information, contact Darryll Olsen of Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association at 509-783-1623 or [email protected].

SOURCE Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Thursday, Dangerous Documentariesa project of the Capital Research Centerwill release America Under Siege: Civil War 2017, a new documentary exposing the radical left-wing groups responsible for recent demonstrations against President-elect Donald Trump. The film is the first episode in a five-part "America Under Siege" documentary web-series to be released over the course of 2017. Each episode will profile the influence of radical Marxists on various segments of American society. The first episode will be available for free on YouTube, DangerousDocumentaries.com, and CapitalResearch.org.



The trailer can be seen here.



While 700,000 protesters are converging on Washington D.C. for Inauguration Dayin addition to anti-Trump rallies planned in dozens of cities across the countrythe political groups behind the protests remain shrouded in mystery. As Fox News Channel first reported, Civil War 2017 uncovers an extensive network of neo-Marxist operatives coordinating highly disruptive and potentially violent protests from coast to coast. Working with Dangerous Documentaries, director Judd Saul and conservative commentator Trevor Loudon have compiled a team of researchers and undercover operatives to probe the roots of the anti-Trump movement, highlighting the ultimate goals and ulterior motives. Mr. Loudon, a regular contributor to Glenn Beck's online programming, is the foremost expert on the left-wing organizers of mass protests.



Mr. Saul is a film producer, director, and political activist. He has produced many projects for Discovery and HDNet, while directing and producing three feature-length documentaries. UnFair: Exposing the IRS premiered in more than 670 theaters nationwide in 2014 to wide acclaim from conservative audiences. His 2008 documentary, FRAG, won several festival awards and changed the professional gaming industry. Most recently, Mr. Saul directed the hard-hitting political documentary Enemies Within, which has sold over 10,000 DVDs in just three months.



The "America Under Siege" web-series is the first project from new production company Dangerous Documentaries. Based in Washington, D.C., Dangerous Documentaries is a project of the Capital Research Center and operates on a unique nonprofit model with the mission of creating liberty-minded films. While the "America Under Siege" web-series will be released for free online, future projects from Dangerous Documentaries will employ a more traditional theatrical, video-on-demand, and streaming release model.



"We're a non-profit and that informs our operations, but we believe that making films for conservatives and libertarians is currently a major missed business opportunity by the film industry," said Dangerous Documentaries founder Joseph Klein. "We intend to demonstrate that quality content for this audience can be highly profitable, and hope to encourage more investment targeting this market by doing so."



To schedule an interview, contact Cooper Nye at [email protected] or (202) 838-6102.

Media Contact: Cooper Nye

(202) 838-6102

SOURCE Dangerous Documentaries

Related Links

http://www.dangerousdocumentaries.com/


LONDON, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dermatology devices comprise lasers, RF devices, microdermabrasion devices, and other related accessories. These devices are installed in hospitals and dermatology clinics to assist physicians and non-physician clinicians to treat skin diseases and are also used to diagnose skin cancer. In terms of revenue, the global dermatology devices market is projected to register a CAGR of 7.0% during the forecast period and is expected to be valued at US$ 5,307.6 Mn by the end of 2026.

Rising demand for non-invasive dermatological procedures and increasing aesthetic awareness are factors boosting the adoption of dermatology devices globally

Growth of the global dermatology devices market is primarily driven by increasing prevalence of skin problems including acne leading to scars, growing demand for at-home devices, and significant increase in non-invasive liposuction procedures along with a growing obese population. The global market for dermatology devices is expected to witness a significant growth rate in terms of value owing to an increasing aesthetic awareness, increasing fashion consciousness, and the growing demand for non-invasive cosmetic correction procedures. Moreover, growing healthcare expenditure, increasing geriatric population, and rising disposable income is creating high potential growth opportunities for players operating in the global dermatology devices market.

However, high costs of dermatological treatments, side effects related to dermatological treatments, and uncertainty related to U.S. Healthcare reforms might hinder market growth over the forecast period (2016  2026).

Market Segmentation

By Product Type

- Lasers

- Fractional

- Diode

- InfraRed

- Alexandrite laser

- Nd:YAG

- Pulsed

- Potassium Titanyl Phosphate (KTP)

- RF Devices

- Microdermabrasion Devices

- Others

By Application

- Vascular Lesions

- Tattoo Removal

- Hair Removal

- Wrinkle Removal

- Scar Removal

- Acne Removal

- Others

By End User

- Hospitals

- Specialty Dermatology Clinics

- Private Clinics

By Region

- North America

- Latin America

- Western Europe

- Eastern Europe

- APEJ

- Japan

- MEA

Lasers product type segment expected to dominate the market by 2016 end, due to an increasing application in cosmetic correction procedures

In terms of revenue share, the Lasers segment dominated the global dermatology devices market in 2015 and is expected to dominate throughout the forecast period, registering a higher CAGR over the forecast period. The RF Devices segment is expected to witness a CAGR of 6.6% in terms of value over the forecast period.

Vascular Lesions application segment anticipated to hold high market share through 2026

The Vascular Lesions segment held maximum share in 2015 and is expected to continue its dominance throughout the forecast period. The Tattoo Removal segment is anticipated to reach US$ 943.9 Mn by 2026 owing to an increase in awareness among people regarding the health hazards caused by tattoo ink at later stages of life.

Specialty Dermatology Clinics end user segment has been growing owing to an increasing preference for specialists for cosmetic correction treatments

The Speciality Dermatology Clinics segment is estimated to account for 36.2% revenue share of the global dermatology devices market by 2016 end. Number of patients preferring private clinics over hospitals has been increasing over the years, as additional costs such as management costs are not associated with private clinics.

North America is expected to dominate the global market by 2016 end

The North America regional market is anticipated to account for 22.6% revenue share of the global dermatology devices market by 2016 end and is expected to gain in terms of market share due to increase in skin disorders, skin cancer, and a growing preference for cosmetic surgeries. In terms of value, Eastern Europe is expected to register the highest CAGR of 8.6% over the forecast period.

Dermatology devices manufacturers are likely to target APEJ and MEA markets through mergers with established local players in the laser and RF devices market to increase their customer base

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., Cynosure Inc., Lumenis, Syneron Candela Ltd., Avita Medical Ltd., Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Cutera, Lutronics Corporation, and Beijing Toplaser Technology Co. Ltd. are some of the top companies operating in the global dermatology devices market.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4598080/

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Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

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For more information:

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Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE ReportBuyer

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DETROIT, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new chief executive officer is now leading the Wayne County Airport Authority, which operates Detroit Metropolitan (DTW) and Willow Run (YIP) airports. On Dec. 21, 2016, the WCAA Board voted unanimously to appoint Joseph R. Nardone to serve as CEO. Previously, he was the Airport Authority's Vice President of Business Development & Real Estate for nearly two years before becoming Interim CEO. Nardone is credited with playing a critical role in the negotiations that led to the construction of Spirit Airlines' new maintenance hangar at DTW. The project is expected to generate $31.7 million in new private investment for Michigan's economy.

"Joe has proven to be a committed and thoughtful leader," said WCAA Acting Board Chair Michael Garavaglia. "His depth of experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectorscombined with his understanding of airport administrationwill help him successfully lead the Airport Authority. I look forward to WCAA's continued growth with Joe at the helm."

"I am grateful for the confidence the Airport Authority Board has shown in me," said Airport Authority CEO Joseph Nardone. "I also appreciate the opportunity to work with more than 600 dedicated employees, as we build on the strong foundation and community partnerships that have made our team successful. I want our team to remain focused on delivering a world-class experience for our customers."

DTW's passenger traffic continues to increase and airlines are steadily adding new routes from Detroit to destinations around the globe. Earlier this month, OAG announced Detroit Metro Airport ranked first among U.S. airports and third globally in on-time performance. Detroit Metro Airport alone supports more than 86,000 jobs throughout Michigan, and the economic impact of DTW and YIP on the state is more than $10.2 billion.

"On behalf of ACI-NA, I congratulate Joe Nardone on his appointment as the new CEO of the Wayne County Airport Authority," said Kevin M. Burke, President and CEO of Airports Council International  North America, the trade association representing airports in the United States and Canada. "Running a modern and competitive airport is no easy task. Joe is a proven and engaged leader who understands airports, people and business. I look forward to working with Joe and the excellent team at WCAA in advancing our industry's shared mission to strengthen every airport's ability to serve their passengers, customers and communities."

"We have worked with Joe Nardone for the past several years as a partner with the Airport and the Detroit Region Aerotropolis, said Doug Rothwell, President and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan. "Joe has always been very hard-working, gracious and professional. We congratulate him on his new role and look forward to continuing our strong working relationship."

"Delta Air Lines congratulates the Wayne County Airport Authority on its selection of Joe Nardone as CEO," said Andrea Fischer Newman, Delta's Senior Vice President - Government Affairs. "We look forward to partnering with him in his new role as we build on our shared goals to deliver a best-in-class air travel experience and continue to position Detroit Metro Airport as one of the premier airports in the world."

Highlights of Nardone's career include working in Europe and the U.S. while Vice President of Huron Valley Steel Corporation and Fritz Enterprises, and serving as Director of Southgate Properties, a nonprofit with multi-million dollar real estate transactions.

Nardone is a Certified Member of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and former Executive Committee Member and Interim CEO of the Detroit Region Aerotropolis. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University and is a lifelong resident of Southeast Michigan.

The initial term of Nardone's employment agreement is three years.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) welcomed more than 33 million passengers in 2015 and is one of the world's leading air transportation hubs. With service from 13 scheduled passenger airlines, Michigan's largest airport offers more than 1,100 flights per day to and from more than 140 non-stop destinations on four continents. With two award-winning passenger terminals, six jet runways, and an onsite AAA Four-Diamond Westin Hotel, DTW is among the world's most efficient, customer friendly and operationally capable airports in North America. DTW is operated by Wayne County Airport Authority, which also operates nearby Willow Run Airport  an important corporate, cargo and general aviation facility. The Airport Authority is entirely self-sustaining and does not receive tax dollars to support airport operations. Visit www.metroairport.com or www.willowrunairport.com for more information.

SOURCE Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Digipath, Inc. (OTCQB : DIGP), an independent cannabis lab testing and media firm, has entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent under which it would acquire two affiliated full service independent clinical laboratories.

The acquisition targets consist of a family-owned laboratory established in 1948, based in Northern New Jersey, providing clinical laboratory services and toxicology testing, and an affiliated fully licensed clinical laboratory operating in New Jersey and Pennsylvania that specializes in toxicology services for pain-management physicians and addiction specialists. Both companies provide a broad range of diagnostic tests (blood, urine, cholesterol, drug) for patients, physicians, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and drug and alcohol treatment programs and clinics.

The diagnostic/pathology lab testing market is estimated to be $65 billion in size, is highly fragmented, and has strong growth characteristics. Digipath believes that the highly fragmented nature of the cannabis testing industry has created substantial consolidation opportunities, and is focused on replicating the Digipath Labs model in other cannabis-legal states, both through organic growth and acquisition. Digipath intends to use a combination of cash and shares of its publicly-traded equity as consideration for its acquisitions.

Todd Denkin, Digipath Labs President, commented, "Pursuing acquisition opportunities in the clinical/diagnostic lab testing market provides both strategic and financial opportunities for Digipath and its shareholders. For those diagnostic lab companies we acquire that are domiciled in states where cannabis is legal or is expected to become so, cannabis lab testing could become an additional service offering by leveraging our expertise and know-how. Digipath management believes that the execution of its acquisition strategy will drive shareholder value by strengthening its market offering, market position, and reputation."

About Digipath, Inc.

Digipath, Inc. is an independent cannabis testing and media firm that supports the cannabis industry's best practices for reliable testing and delivers cannabis news coverage and education about the cannabis industry. Digipath's two business units are Digipath Labs and TNM News Corp. Digipath Labs is working to set the industry standard for testing all forms of cannabis-based products using FDA-compliant laboratory equipment and proprietary standard operating procedures (SOP) to ensure product safety and efficacy. TNM News Corp. has pioneered a cannabis-focused news network, The National Marijuana News, which delivers news, interviews, and education on all things cannabis.

For more information please visit http://www.Digipath.com/

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that include information relating to future events, and future financial and operating performance. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which that performance or those results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time they are made and/or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in, or suggested by, the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: the Company's need for additional funding, governmental regulation of the cannabis industry, the demand for the Company's products, the introduction of new products, the Company's ability to maintain customer and strategic business relationships, the impact of competitive products and pricing, growth in targeted markets, the adequacy of the Company's liquidity and financial strength to support its growth, and other information that may be detailed from time-to-time in the Company's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. For a more detailed description of the risk factors and uncertainties affecting Digipath, please refer to the Company's recent Securities and Exchange Commission filings, which are available at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Investor Relations Contact

Harrison Phillips

Viridian Capital Advisors, LLC

212-209-3086

[email protected]

SOURCE DigiPath, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.digipath.biz


SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Douglas Emmett, Inc. (NYSE: DEI), a real estate investment trust (REIT), announced today the tax treatment of its 2016 common stock dividends as described below. Shareholders are encouraged to consult with their personal tax advisors as to their specific tax treatment of Douglas Emmett dividends.

Record Date Paid Date Dividend Per Share Ordinary Income Capital Gain Return of Capital 12/30/15 01/15/16 $0.22 $0.0286 $0.0022 $0.1892 03/31/16 04/15/16 $0.22 $0.0286 $0.0022 $0.1892 06/30/16 07/15/16 $0.22 $0.0286 $0.0022 $0.1892 09/30/16 10/14/16 $0.22 $0.0286 $0.0022 $0.1892

Total: $0.88 $0.1144 $0.0088 $0.7568

As noted above, the common stock dividend paid on January 15, 2016, with a record date of December 30, 2015, has been allocated entirely to 2016. The common stock dividend of $0.23 per share that was paid on January 13, 2017, with a record date of December 30, 2016, will be allocated entirely to 2017.

About Douglas Emmett, Inc.

Douglas Emmett, Inc. (DEI) is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT), and one of the largest owners and operators of high-quality office and multifamily properties located in the premier coastal submarkets of Los Angeles and Honolulu. Douglas Emmett focuses on owning and acquiring a substantial share of top-tier office properties and premier multifamily communities in neighborhoods that possess significant supply constraints, high-end executive housing and key lifestyle amenities. For more information about Douglas Emmett, please visit our website at www.douglasemmett.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for the historical facts, the statements in this press release regarding Douglas Emmett's business activities are forward-looking statements based on the beliefs of, assumptions made by, and information currently available to us about known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties and factors that are beyond our control or ability to predict. Although we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, they are not guarantees of future performance and some will inevitably prove to be incorrect. As a result, our actual future results can be expected to differ from our expectations, and those differences may be material. Accordingly, investors should use caution in relying on forward-looking statements to anticipate future results or trends. For a discussion of some of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Stuart McElhinney, Vice President  Investor Relations

310.255.7751 [email protected]

SOURCE Douglas Emmett, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.douglasemmett.com


LONDON, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Europe has a special & deep relationship with Armor with the continent being its traditional birthplace & hotbed of technologies which spearheaded the development, fielding & first utilization of armor for combat in World War I which followed rapid further developments & subsequent extensive utilization in the World War II. Armor's role in providing mobility, troop protection and lethal firepower was further underscored & demonstrated effectively across the Iraq & Afghanistan war theatres during the allied war operations, which were the first major military operations of the 21st century and witnessed a significant change in threat landscape underscored by rapid & extensive utilization of IEDs, RPGs & ATGMs while combating asymmetric warfare with battlefield boundaries being nebulous at best and non-existent at the worst. This evolution of threat landscape drove the development of a new class of vehicles, i.e. MRAPs, which have proved to be an effective response to a serious threat from IEDs, RPGs and ATGMs to armor survivability; which collectively have questioned the very raison d'etre of previous generation light & medium armor in a completely altered threat landscape. This pivotal alteration in threat landscape has thus been the key driver of replacement demand for the ageing armored vehicles fleet globally dating back to the cold war era. Additionally, strategic changes in, as well as, evolution of the traditional world order & geo-political dynamics marked by the resurgence of Russia with the impressive build-up & showcasing of military capabilities across Ukraine & Syria, continued political instability & regional conflict in the Middle East and the emergence of China as a key regional economic and military power in the Asia-Pacific region have already become key drivers of defense spending across most parts of the world.



The European scenario is no different with the traditional armor stronghold facing a hectic pace of activities with the looming, credulous Russian threat backed by third generation armor as well as related technological advances and increasing Russian activities in Eastern Europe & the Baltics having already driven a significant increase in defense spending across a number of states based in Northern as well as Central Europe, in addition, to the Baltics with a significant focus & emphasis being placed on land forces and armor given the geographic location and proximity of these states to Russia. A number of large, big ticket defense modernization & replacement programs have already been initiated, announced or are in the pipeline stage across a number of European states aimed at replacement of ageing, cold war legacy armor, led by the U.K., France, Poland & a number of other European states. Long time impending upgrades to traditional heavyweight armor centerpieces like the Challenger 2 & Leclerc MBTs, too, are being rolled out now along with a number of new IFV & APC procurement programs being initiated. The numbers are likely to go up further over near to medium term with the NATO's defense spending mandate compliance likely to become a key point of contention.



The European & Global outlook for armored vehicles over medium term, thus, is bright & promising with the presence of a number of long term demand & growth drivers in the form of ageing existing hardware, strong external threat perception amid evolving geo-political dynamics and availability of next generation technologies, most notably the introduction of third generation MBTs, driving manifold increase in capabilities, mobility, protection and firepower. These strategic factors have collectively driven & are likely to continue to drive significant investments towards land systems with the initiation of a number of new, active as well as planned procurement programs for armored vehicle across most traditional & emerging markets.



Against this backdrop, this unique report analyzes the key strategies, plans and overall strategy focus across key European industry OEMs who are gearing up for demand resurgence after a long hiatus marked by the initiation of a number of new asset recapitalization & modernization programs across a number of European nations as well as other traditional & emerging markets as of late. All key European industry OEMs are pursuing upcoming defense programs across most key traditional & growth markets aggressively looking to drive business growth over near to medium term while leveraging existing product platforms & technologies intelligently besides continuing to pursue R&D activity for the development of next generation technologies. The report also maps out how the industry OEMs are preparing & likely to fit into a changing & evolving market landscape in the years ahead.



Report Excerpts:



-Analysis of BAE Systems' Strategies & Plans aimed at making further inroads into the European & U.S. Armored Vehicles Markets.



-Analysis of GDELS' Growth Plans for the Global Armored Vehicles Market pivoting around Core Platforms & Technologies



-Analysis of Rheinmetall's Growth Plans Focused on Long Term Franchise Programs, International Exports and Development of Next Generation Products & Technologies



-IFVs, APCs & MBTs to lead Demand Growth over Medium Term



-Australia, India & Saudi Arabia to be Key Growth Markets for the Industry OEMs over Medium Term



-Analysis of Mobile HEL Effectors, Evolution of Active Protection Systems (APS), Hypervelocity Projectiles & Other Emerging Technologies as well as Products



Relevance & Usefulness:



-- Strategic Planning, Assessment & Decision-Making Processes



-- Analysis of Near to Medium Term Strategy Focus and Key Strategies & Plans for all industry OEMs



-- Medium Term Market Outlook, Inputs on Market Evolution & Demand Growth Projections



-- Identification of & Insights into Potential Growth Opportunities & Avenues



-- Analysis of Key Armored Vehicle Programs across Markets & Regions



-- Development of Custom, Market-specific Strategies aligned with Potential Growth Opportunities



-- Formulation, Development & Shaping of Business Growth Strategies



-- Conceptualization, Development & Shaping of Product Platform Specific Strategies



-- Adjustment & Alignment of Overall Strategy Focus and Resource Allocation for OEMs & Key Industry Players across Value Chain



For Whom:-



The report is essential & a must have for Government, Military & Senior Industry Personnel and all those with strategic interest & stakes in the European/Global Armored Vehicles Market. The report will be extremely useful for Key Decision-Makers, Program Managers, Global Procurement Managers, Defense Contracting Executives & Departments, Top Management of Industry Players & Other Companies, Industry OEMs, Suppliers, Vendors, MRO Services Providers, Associated Equipment Manufacturers and other Key Players in the Industry Value Chain. The report will also be useful for existing & potential Investors, Industry & Company Analysts, M&A Advisory Firms, Strategy & Management Consulting Firms, PE Firms, Venture Capitalists, Financing & Leasing Companies, Researchers and all those associated with the industry/sector.



Features, Benefits & Reasons to Procure:-



The report is unique and one of the most thorough resources on European OEM strategies and the Global Armored Vehicles market featuring a combination of quantitative and lucid qualitative analysis enriched significantly by visual representation & overall presentation style and thus will be a significant value-add for industry professionals looking for the competitive edge..



--Provides Macro View and Big Picture Quickly

--Blend of Quantitative & Qualitative Analysis

--Significant Time Savings

--Visual Representation

--Meetings & Presentation Ready Format

--Superior & Enriched User Experience with Incorporation of Relevant Images



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3961500/



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

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NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential misconduct at Flowers Foods, Inc. ("Flowers" or the "Company") (NYSE:FLO).

The investigation focuses on whether the Company's Board of Directors and/or its officers committed mismanagement and breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the Company's labor practices. On August 10, 2016, Flowers filed a current report on Form 8-K with the SEC stating that "[o]n the afternoon of August 9, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (the 'Department') notified Flowers Foods, Inc. that it has been scheduled for a compliance review under the Fair Labor Standards Act." That same day, The Wall Street Journal ("WSJ") published an article concerning the compliance review, and stating that the Company "faces lawsuits in various states brought by delivery drivers who allege the company violated the FLSA by misclassifying them as independent contractors, causing them to miss out on overtime pay, benefits and other compensation given to employees." Additionally, the WSJ article quoted an analyst with Pivotal Research Group who stated that "[i]f the Labor Department ultimately finds Flowers in violation of the FLSA, the company's potential liability could top $1 billion in 'back wages, penalties, fines, health care and so on.'" As a result of the foregoing, Flowers is currently facing a securities class action lawsuit.

Request more information now by clicking here: www.faruqilaw.com/FLO. There is no cost or obligation to you.

Take Action

If you currently own Flowers stock and would like to discuss your legal rights, please visit www.faruqilaw.com/FLO. You can also contact us by calling Nina Varindani toll free at (212) 983-9330 or by sending an e-mail to [email protected] Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Flowers' conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

FARUQI & FARUQI, LLP

685 3rd Avenue, 26th Floor

New York, NY 10017

Attn: Nina Varindani

[email protected]

Telephone: (212) 983-9330

Attn: Stuart Guber

[email protected]

Telephone: (215) 277-5770

SOURCE Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP

Related Links

http://www.faruqilaw.com


LEXINGTON, Ky., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Fazoli's today announced extraordinary year-end achievements for 2016 with the signing of 11 franchise agreements to develop a total of 25 new restaurants nationwide. In addition, the brand marked a record breaking 15 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth and opened five restaurants, most recently in Washington, Missouri and Bonaire, Georgia.

"It's been an incredible year of growth for Fazoli's as we signed more than double the number of franchise agreements in the last 12 months than in the previous year," said Carl Howard, president and chief executive officer of Fazoli's. "The brand's success can be attributed to several factors, including 15 consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales, high average unit sales volume, as well as enhancements made to our menu and catering program, to name a few. From our unlimited breadsticks to warm table service, Fazoli's provides both customers and franchisees a value second to none in the fast casual industry."

As part of the brand refresh, last year, Fazoli's began remodeling some of its locations with a new, contemporary look and feel. In addition, the company introduced an upgraded menu using premium ingredients, which has been well received by guests.

To accelerate its national expansion efforts this year  which includes 16 planned openings in communities nationwide including Zionsville, Indiana; Snellville, Georgia; and Maysville and Hazard, Kentucky  Fazoli's has launched a new franchise development incentive program available through June 30, 2017. New franchisees that sign an Area Development Agreement (ADA) for three or more traditional restaurants will receive a discount of $10,000 off of the initial $40,000 franchise fee. Franchisees that sign an ADA for three or more non-traditional locations, including gas and convenience stores, will receive a $5,000 discount off of the initial $20,000 franchise fee. For these agreements, franchise owners will receive reduced royalty fees for the first two years of operations. Furthermore, franchisees that sign an ADA agreement for three or more non-traditional units on college campuses, airports and casinos will receive a $5,000 discount off the initial $15,000 franchise fee. Fazoli's is targeting new markets including Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Knoxville, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and several other cities for expansion.

"At Fazoli's, we are always seeking ways to advance our business model and, as we kick off 2017, we couldn't be more excited about the many opportunities that lie ahead," continued Howard.

This April, Fazoli's is set to unveil a modern interior redesign of its restaurants featuring a Wi-Fi bar and a warm, friendly environment for its guests. The company plans to redesign a total of 15 restaurants by year's end. Furthermore, later this year, the company will roll out an enhanced menu with more customizable options made with simple, honest ingredients to accommodate ever-changing consumer preferences.

As a testament to its success, Fazoli's franchisees are experiencing nearly three times the industry average growth rate with new franchised restaurants continually setting new systemwide records. With nearly 220 restaurants in 25 states, Fazoli's is currently seeking single- and multi-unit operators to join its successful franchise network. For more information about franchise opportunities, contact Sam Nelson, vice president of franchise recruitment and development, at 1-800-446-4368 or [email protected].

About Fazoli's

With approximately 220 restaurants, Fazoli's is America's largest Italian fast casual chain, serving freshly prepared entrees, Submarinos sandwiches, salads and pizza. One of the New York Post's five breakout fast casual restaurants and a Fast Casual.com Brand of the Year, Fazoli's franchisees are experiencing record sales growth. Visit www.ownafazolis.com for details on development opportunities.

Contact:

Elayne Jacobs

Fish Consulting

202-588-8138

[email protected]

SOURCE Fazoli's

Related Links

http://www.ownafazolis.com


The agreement at list price worth SAR 32 billion (USD 8.6 billion), which includes 80 firm orders with deliveries scheduled during 2018-2026 with another 40 purchase rights was announced today by Ayed Al Jeaid, Chairman NAS Holding and Bander Al Mohanna, Chief Executive Officer NAS Holding Group.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161004/414891LOGO )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458110/flynas_Airbus_1.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458112/flynas_Airbus_2.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458113/flynas_Airbus_3.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458114/flynas_Airbus_4.jpg )



Flynas, an all Airbus operator, currently has 26 A320ceos in service. Launched in 2007, the airline has successfully operated over 260,000 flights carrying more than 30 million passengers in the last ten years.

Ayed Al Jeaid, Chairman of NAS Holding Group said, "Flynas has come a long way very successfully to establish itself as a highly reputable airline in Saudi Arabia. With the introduction of new aircraft technology, we are confident of providing the best services to our guests. We also look forward to being the first airline in Saudi Arabia to be successfully listed in Saudi Stock exchange, which would offer equity ownership to the public to be a part of a great success journey."

Bander Al Mohanna, Chief Executive Officer NAS Holding Group said, "We have operated exceptionally well with our existing Airbus A320 fleet, which has allowed us to maintain high performance standards in operations and passenger experience. We have an ambitious growth vision and the new A320neo order will further support our plans to be a leading low cost carrier with the most advanced and efficient technology to strengthen our offerings within and outside of Saudi Arabia."

"The additional A320neo aircraft will continue to support Flynas' growth plans as a leading low-cost carrier in Saudi Arabia's fast-growing aviation sector," said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer - Customers, Airbus. Today's agreement further consolidates the aircraft's popularity that has been endorsed by operators worldwide. The aircraft will offer a unique combination of unbeatable economics, fuel and cost efficiency and outstanding passenger comfort."

To illustrate Flynas' rapid growth, the airline set a new record carrying over 6.3 million passengers in 2016, a 14% year-on-year increase. The A320neo offers Flynas unbeatable efficiency and comfort in both high-density domestic segments as well as routes with lower passenger load factors.

SOURCE flynas
Nebraska would replace Columbus Day with Standing Bear and Indigenous Leaders Day under a bill introduced Tuesday in the state Legislature.

Lincoln Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks sponsored the bill (LB485). Its seven cosponsors include Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, the first Native American ever elected to the Legislature.

Columbus Day takes place each year on the second Monday in October and has been a federal holiday since 1937.

Pansing Brooks bill says replacing the holiday in this state would honor Chief Standing Bear and the many other remarkable and noble leaders of the states indigenous peoples, including, but not limited to, Chief Blackbird, Chief Little Priest, and Big Eagle.

Standing Bear was a renowned Ponca chief who in 1877 led his people on a march to Oklahoma after the federal government forced them from their homeland in northeast Nebraska. He later returned to Nebraska to honor his dying sons wish to be buried along the Niobrara River and was captured by the Army.

He was allowed to fight for his freedom in court, and his 1879 trial led to him becoming the first Native to be legally recognized as a person.

In recent years communities have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, citing historical misunderstanding of Christopher Columbus role in American history. Native American groups also blame Columbus in part for the genocide of millions of indigenous people.

In September, the Lincoln City Council unanimously approved a resolution naming the second Monday in October Indigenous Peoples Day. The city didnt recognize Columbus Day before and still doesnt, and city offices do not close for Indigenous Peoples Day.
PLYMOUTH, Mich., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies understands what it takes to "run like a Deere." The global sealing manufacturer was recently recognized as a Partner-level supplier in North America by John Deere Power Systems during John Deere's Achieving Excellence (AE) Supplier Conference in Bettendorf, Iowa. Partner-level status is John Deere's highest supplier rating.

Freudenberg-NOK supplies John Deere Power Systems with a variety of engine and fluid power, transmission and axle components including radial shaft seals, valve stem seals, Plug & Seal connectors, gaskets and rod and piston sealing packages. The company also works closely with John Deere Power Systems on product development activities and technical engineering programs such as Value Analysis and Value Engineering.

Suppliers who participate in the Achieving Excellence program are evaluated annually in several key performance categories, including quality, cost management, delivery, technical support and wavelength, a measure of responsiveness. John Deere Supply Management created the program in 1991 to provide a supplier evaluation and feedback process that promotes continuous improvement.

"Achieving Partner status with John Deere Power Systems is the culmination of nearly two decades of highly productive relations between our companies," said Joel Johnson, Vice President of Freudenberg-NOK's Mobile Machinery sector. "We are honored to receive this top supplier rating and gratified that our years of service to John Deere Power Systems have helped the organization prosper and grow."

Freudenberg-NOK provides high quality components and technical support to John Deere Power Systems in North America through several manufacturing facilities including those located in Milan, Ohio, Manchester, N. H., Northfield, N.H., Cleveland, Ga., Troy, Ohio, Morristown, Ind. and Cuautla, Mexico. Facilities that were rated attained nearly perfect point scores from John Deere Power Systems in a broad variety of categories including technology delivery and process innovation, order fulfillment, part conformity, cost management, warranty, material compliance, product resolution and risk evaluation and management.

"Our teams representing elastomeric gaskets, axle and engine cassette seals, valve stem seals, fluid power products, radial shaft seals, and specialty molded products have collaborated with each other in critically important business areas to achieve excellent customer satisfaction," Johnson noted. "Our ongoing focus on innovation and continuous improvement has been core to our success."

About Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies

Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies runs the business operations for Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) in the Americas. Being part of the global Freudenberg Group, the company is a leading producer of advanced sealing technologies for a variety of markets including: aerospace; agriculture; appliance; automotive; construction; diesel engine; energy; food and beverage; heavy industry; and pharmaceutical. Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies is a joint venture between FST and NOK Corp. in Japan, is headquartered in Plymouth, Mich. and operates more than 20 facilities across the Americas. For additional information, please visit www.fst.com.

SOURCE Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies

Related Links

http://www.fst.com


(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150105/723757 )



For instance, according to the WHO 2016 report, globally, there were about 422 million diabetic patients (8.5% of total population) in 2014, as compared to 108 million in 1980. Furthermore, it also states that there is a decline in blindness caused by infections such as trachoma and onchocerciasis, and an increasing trend of non-communicable causes of blindness such as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and Diabetic Retinopathy (DR). Availability of advanced fundus devices such as portable and hybrid cameras at affordable rates is expected to boost the fundus camera industry during the forecast period.

In addition, supportive government regulations for medical devices are anticipated to drive the market over the coming years. For instance, regulatory agencies in the U.S. and Japan require the fundus imaging cameras to be replaced once in every 4 years. Hence, the demand of fundus cameras is consistent in these regions.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Fundus Cameras Market Analysis By Product (Mydriatic Fundus Cameras, Non-mydriatic Fundus Cameras, Hybrid Fundus Cameras, ROP Fundus Cameras), By End Use (Hospitals, Ophthalmology Clinics, Optometrist Offices), And Segment Forecasts, 2013 - 2024" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/fundus-cameras-market

Further Key Findings From the Study Suggest:

Non-mydriatic fundus cameras segment dominated the market in 2015 due to an increased demand, as it enables the practitioner to view the retinal anatomy in detail and provides enhanced diagnosis and management of eye diseases.

Non-mydriatic and mydriatic camera can be further sub-segmented into tabletop and handheld cameras. Tabletop cameras segment dominated in 2015 because of the availability of a higher number of commercialized products and ability to produce a better image quality than handheld products.

By end use, ophthalmic & optometrist offices accounted for the largest share of the market in 2015 due to the availability of well-equipped offices in North America and Europe , and preference of patients for primary eye care.

and , and preference of patients for primary eye care. North America dominated the market in 2015 and is expected to maintain its position during the forecast period, due to the local presence of major players and increased awareness about eye disorders.

dominated the market in 2015 and is expected to maintain its position during the forecast period, due to the local presence of major players and increased awareness about eye disorders. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period due to rising healthcare expenditure and increasing cases of retinal detachment, DR, and AMD.

is anticipated to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period due to rising healthcare expenditure and increasing cases of retinal detachment, DR, and AMD. Some of the players operating in this industry are Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.; Kowa Company, Ltd.; NIDEK Co., Ltd., Topcon Medical Systems, Inc.; Canon, Inc.; Clarity Medical Systems, Inc.; Optomed Oy (Ltd.); and Optovue, Inc.

Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

Infectious Vaccines Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/infectious-vaccines-market

Neurovascular Intervention Devices Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/neurovascular-intervention-devices-market

Acute Coronary Syndrome Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/acute-coronary-syndrome-market

Peripheral Intervention Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/peripheral-intervention-market

Grand View Research has segmented the fundus camera market by product, end-use, and region:

Fundus camera market Product Outlook (Revenue in USD Million, 2013 - 2024) Mydriatic Fundus Cameras Tabletop Handheld Non-mydriatic Fundus Cameras Tabletop Handheld Hybrid Fundus Cameras ROP Fundus Cameras

Fundus camera market End Use Outlook (Revenue in USD Million, 2013 - 2024) Hospitals Ophthalmology Clinics Ophthalmic & Optometrist Offices

Fundus camera market Regional Outlook (Revenue in USD Million, 2013 - 2024) North America U.S. Canada Europe UK Germany Asia Pacific Japan China Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East and Africa South Africa



Read Our Blogs - Fundus Cameras Market: Rising Retinal Disorders to Propel the Market by 2024

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.



Contact:

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Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: 1-415-349-0058

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SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Persistence Market Research presents an all-encompassing study of the global Security as a Service Market titled 'Global Market Study on Security-as-a-Service:

IT & Telecom and BFSI Industry Segments Major Adopters of Security-as-a-Service Solutions '. This study demonstrates the market dynamics and trends globally across seven regions of North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan, and MEA which influence the current nature and future status of the Security as a Service market over the forecast period. In this report, Persistence Market Research gives an overall view of the global Security as a Service market and also throws light on the market sentiment and overall segments of this market. The period of assessment of this report is for 10 years and this report enlightens clients on the crucial aspects of the global Security as a Service market in the coming decade. An in-depth study of a market was done by the highly qualified team of analysts of Persistence Market Research and information were collated on the drivers and trends that will influence the market in the coming decade. The report gives a detailed description of the effect these drivers and restraints will have on the global Security as a Service market and this gives a crystal clear picture to the client regarding how the market will shape up in the future.

Report description

This research report provides a detailed analysis of the global Security as a Service market and offers insights on the various factors driving the popularity of these security solutions. The report includes an extensive analysis of key industry drivers, restraints, market trends and market structure. The market study provides a comprehensive assessment of stakeholder strategies and imperatives for succeeding in the business. The report segregates the market based on enterprise and industries using Security as a Service across different regions globally.

The report starts with an overview of the Security as a Service market in terms of value. In addition, this section includes analysis of key trends, drivers, and restraints from the supply, demand and economy side, which are influencing the Security as a Service market. Impact analysis of key growth drivers and restraints, based on the weighted average model is included in this report to facilitate clients with crystal clear decision-making insights.

The Security as a Service market is classified on the basis of enterprise type and vertical. On the basis of enterprise type the market is segmented into a small enterprise, medium enterprise, and large enterprise. On the basis of vertical, market is segmented in BFSI, IT & Telecom, Healthcare, Retail and Consumer goods and others.

Key segments

By Enterprise TypeSmall EnterpriseMedium EnterpriseLarge Enterprise

By Industry

BFSI

IT & Telecom

Healthcare

Retail & Consumer Goods

Others

A detailed analysis has been provided for every segment in terms of market size analysis for Security as a Service across the different regions. The section provides a detailed analysis covering key trends, absolute dollar opportunity and BPS Analysis.

The next section highlights detailed analysis on of Security as a Service across various countries in the region. It provides a market outlook for 20162026 and sets the forecast within the context of Security as a Service market, including latest technological developments as well as offerings in the market. This study discusses key trends within countries contributing to the growth of the market, as well as analyzes which drivers are influencing this market in each region.

This report evaluates the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global Security as a Service market across various regions globally for the period 2016 2026. We have considered 2015 as the base year and provide data for the trailing 12 months.

In the final section of the report, Persistence Market Research has included a competitive landscape to provide clients with a dashboard view, based on categories of a provider in the value chain, presence in Security as a Service portfolio and key differentiators. This section is primarily designed to provide clients with an objective and detailed comparative assessment of key providers specific to a market segment in the global Security as a Service value chain and the potential players for the same. Report audiences can gain segment-specific vendor insights to identify and evaluate key competitors based on an in-depth assessment of capabilities and success in the marketplace. Detailed profiles of providers are also included in the scope of the report to evaluate their long-term and short-term strategies, key offerings and recent developments in the Security as a Service market space.

Key competitors covered are Gemalto NV, Intel Security Cisco Systems Inc., Oracle Corporation, Proofpoint Inc., Trend Micro Inc., Alert Logic Inc., Zscaler Inc., Qualys Inc., Okta Inc.

Research methodology

In order to offer an accurate forecast, we started by sizing the current market, which forms the basis of how the global Security as a Service market will grow in the future. Given the characteristics of the market, we have triangulated the outcome of different types of analyses based on the technology trends. Top-down approach has been used to assess market numbers for each product category. Bottom-up approach has been used to counter-validate the reached market numbers and end-use wise market numbers. Macro-economic indicators such as GDP, wholesale & retail trade, merchandise trade, and prices have been considered to arrive at indicated market numbers.

Key metrics

In addition, it is imperative to note that in an ever-fluctuating global economy, we not only conduct forecasts in terms of CAGR but also analyze the market on the basis of key parameters such as year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth to understand the predictability of the market and to identify the right opportunities across the global Security as a Service market market.

As previously highlighted, the global Security as a Service market is split into a number of segments. All segments in terms of enterprise type and vertical, and based on different regions are analyzed in terms of a basis point to understand individual segment's relative contributions to market growth. This detailed level of information is important for identification of various key trends of the global Security as a Service market.

Also, another key feature of this report is the analysis of all key segments in terms of absolute dollar opportunity. This is traditionally overlooked while forecasting the market. However, absolute dollar opportunity is critical in assessing the level of opportunity that a provider can look to achieve, as well as to identify potential resources from a sales and delivery perspective in the global Security as a Service market.

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04617961-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


HOUSTON, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodrich Petroleum Corporation (OTCQX: GDPP) today announced preliminary results on two Haynesville Shale wells in North Louisiana.

The Company has participated in two Haynesville Shale wells in Caddo Parish, Louisiana that have reached a combined 24-hour peak rate to date of approximately 72,000 Mcf per day. The Company owns a 17.4% working interest in each of the wells which came online the middle of December.

As previously announced, the Company has established a preliminary capital expenditure budget for 2017 of $40 million, which will be concentrated in the core of the Haynesville Shale play in North Louisiana. The budget, which will be monitored quarterly, contemplates 12-16 gross (3-4 net) wells for the year, with plans to commence drilling operations on its Wurtsbaugh 26-14-16 1 Alt well by early February.

The Company currently owns approximately 24,000 net acres prospective for the Haynesville Shale, with approximately 16,000 net acres in the core of North Louisiana, where it estimates 235 gross locations with an approximate 41% working interest. The Company also owns approximately 8,000 net acres in the Angelina River Trend of East Texas, where it estimates approximately 123 gross Haynesville Shale locations and 123 gross Bossier Shale locations, with an average working interest of approximately 33%.

In addition, the Company has entered into a natural gas hedge through a costless collar of $3.00 - $3.60 for 12,000 Mcf per day for calendar year 2017.

OTHER INFORMATION

Certain statements in this news release regarding future expectations and plans for future activities may be regarded as "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. They are subject to various risks, such as financial market conditions, operating hazards, drilling risks, and the inherent uncertainties in interpreting engineering data relating to underground accumulations of oil and gas, as well as other risks discussed in detail in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Initial production rates are subject to decline over time and should not be regarded as reflective of sustained production levels.

Goodrich Petroleum is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company with the majority of its properties in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The Company currently trades under the symbol GDPP on the OTCQX Market, with plans to uplift to a national exchange during 2017.

SOURCE Goodrich Petroleum Corporation

Related Links

http://www.goodrichpetroleum.com


LIVONIA, Mich., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The ELGA Credit Union near Flint, Michigan, the Georgia Credit Union Affiliates and their selected charities* are the grand prize winners in the national 2016

Love My Credit Union Campaign. From October 1 through December 16, 2016, more than 395,300 public votes were cast as part of the national contest, with 99 credit unions across 30 states participating in the campaign.

The Love My Credit Union Campaign is an annual national video contest among credit unions on behalf of their selected charities or community organizations, hosted by CU Solutions Group and its member rewards program, Love My Credit Union Rewards. Winners are selected by popular vote in a variety of categories. The Love My Credit Union Campaign has awarded tens of thousands of dollars to credit unions and their selected charities across the country.

"The Love My Credit Union Campaign highlights the special relationships and impact that credit unions have in their local communities," said Dave Adams, CEO of CU Solutions Group. "The videos submitted really demonstrate that 'people helping people' is a core mission for credit unions in their communities in addition to a dedication to serving their members with financial education and other consumer-friendly services."

2016 Grand Prize Winner: ELGA Credit Union in Michigan submitted a video about the Flint TV affiliate ABC12 Diaper Drive to benefit The Flint Diaper Bank as their charity of choice. The Flint Diaper Bank has provided approximately four million diapers for babies in Genesee County, Michigan since the nonprofit was formed in 2012. A total of 50,682 individual votes were cast for ELGA Credit Union and its support of The Flint Diaper Bank. As a result, ELGA Credit Union was able to award $21,000 to this charity. New diapers are distributed by The Flint Diaper Bank along with clean water to residents affected by the Flint water crisis.

"It's hard for many to understand that families in crisis often can't afford clean diapers for their babies," said ELGA Credit Union CEO Karen Church. "Our credit union employees see the practical needs of families in our community and participated with passion in this campaign to bring additional funds to The Flint Diaper Bank. We are so proud to be grand prize winners of the Love My Credit Union Campaign, proud of our staff, our members and the community that brought home this win."

Grand Prize Winner: The Love My Credit Union Campaign awarded $15,000 to the Children's Miracle Network  Children's Healthcare of Atlanta on behalf of Georgia Credit Union Affiliates in the credit union support organization category. Their video received more than 14,500 votes.

"Children's Miracle Network is excited that Georgia Credit Union Affiliates chose our local children's hospital, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, as the recipient of this generous donation. It will help Children's to carry out our mission: to make kids better today and healthier tomorrow," said Brittany Wilson, program coordinator of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

Five consumers across the nation who voted received a cash award for themselves and a cash award for the charity of their choice. In addition, a total of eight credit unions in four asset categories won $5,000 each for their charities in October and November.

All videos, including winners in each category and details on the campaign selection process can be found at VoteLoveMyCU.org.

About the Love My Credit Union Campaign:

The Love My Credit Union Campaign is a joint venture between CU Solutions Group and its member rewards program, Love My Credit Union Rewards, in conjunction with the Credit Union National Association.

About CU Solutions Group:

CU Solutions Group is a credit union service organization that serves the credit union industry by offering solutions in technology, marketing and performance solutions. The company's dedication to the credit union mission is reflected through service excellence to nearly 4,000 credit union clients across the country. CU Solutions Group is the home of the well-known credit union industry program Love My Credit Union Rewards. Learn more at CUSolutionsGroup.com *Charity must be a 501(c)(3)

SOURCE CU Solutions Group

Related Links

http://www.cusolutionsgroup.com


KINGSTON, Jamaica, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hinduja Global Solutions Limited (HGS) (Listed on NSE & BSE, India), a global leader in business process management, is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to celebrate the grand opening of a fourth customer experience center in Kingston, Jamaica. The first phase of this expansion includes more than 500 new career opportunities to be filled in the first quarter of 2017, with the end target of 1,000 total employees for the center. This growth is due to the company's strong business performance particularly within the healthcare industry, which the Jamaica locations primarily serve.

"This expansion is testament to the quality of service our Jamaica team delivers for HGS's global clients," said Narasimha Murthy, President of Jamaica and Corporate Shared Services, Americas at HGS. "We are excited to grow our footprint here in Jamaica where there's great potential for scale with a large pool of valuable talent to meet HGS's increased client needs. These new additions will help propel us towards greater business success."

HGS has three existing centers in Kingston, including on Worthington Terrace, Saxthrope Avenue and Constant Spring Road, which is where the fourth center is also located. HGS will recruit permanent, full-time directors, managers, team leaders, customer care associates, and data management analysts for the new center. These positions are ideal for applicants who enjoy problem solving and helping people within a supportive learning environment. Applicants interested in a career with HGS are encouraged to apply online at www.joinhgs.com or through HGS specific social portals. Walk-ins will also be accepted. Previous customer service experience and basic computer skills are an asset.

HGS offers a highly competitive compensation and benefits package to its employees. The company has a robust grassroots engagement model for employees as well as the local communities at large. This includes an internal gender diversity program and partnerships with local non-profit organizations to provide skills training to underprivileged people and youth with disabilities. HGS also partners with local educational institutions such as the University of West Indies, the University of Technology and the University College of the Caribbean to help develop local talent. To learn more, visit: http://www.teamhgs.com/

About Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS)

HGS is a leader in optimizing the customer experience and helping our clients to become more competitive. HGS provides a full suite of business process management (BPM) services from traditional voice contact center services and transformational DigiCX services that are unifying customer engagement to platform-based, back-office services and digital marketing solutions. By applying analytics, automation, and interaction expertise to deliver innovation and thought leadership, HGS increases revenue, improves operating efficiency, and helps retain valuable customers. HGS expertise spans the telecommunications and media, healthcare, insurance, banking, consumer electronics and technology, retail, and consumer packaged goods industries, as well as the public sector. HGS operates on a global landscape with around 44,000 employees in 66 worldwide locations delivering localized solutions. For the year ended 31st March 2016, HGS had revenues of US$ 507 million. HGS, part of the multi-billion dollar Hinduja Group, has more than four decades of experience working with some of the world's most recognized brands.

SOURCE Hinduja Global Solutions Limited (HGS)

Related Links

http://www.teamhgs.com


"I am very pleased to welcome Janet to our leadership team," said Larry Lyons, senior vice president of human resources. "Janet brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Hormel Foods with a proven track-record leading global human resource teams with some world-class organizations. Her experience is a strong fit for Hormel Foods, both where we are today, and where we are headed in the future as we continue our trajectory of growth."

Hogan

Hogan brings more than 25 years of experience leading HR teams. Most recently, she has led global human resource organizations including ProQuest and OshKosh Corporation. Prior to her work at these companies, Hogan served as the vice president of human resources for five years at Harsco Corporation and spent almost 20 years at Monsanto Company.

About Hormel Foods  Inspired People. Inspired Food.

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across 75 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly Guacamole, Hormel Black Label and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the eighth year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future - Inspired People. Inspired Food. - focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://2015csr.hormelfoods.com/.

Contact: Rick Williamson

Hormel Foods

[email protected]

SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation

Related Links

www.hormelfoods.com


MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's multigenerational workforce, most executives agree that each age demographic exhibits its own styles and approaches. CFOs in a Robert Half Management Resources survey said they see the greatest generational differences in employees' communication skills, ability to adapt to change and technical abilities. Only 7 percent of executives noted there are no differences.

CFOs were asked, "In which one of the following areas do you see the greatest differences among your company's employees who are from different generations?" Their responses:

Communication skills 30% Adapting to change 26% Technical skills 23% Cross-departmental collaboration 14% No differences 7%

100%

Research conducted for Get Ready for Generation Z by Robert Half and Enactus highlights key differences in these areas among baby boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1977), Generation Y (1978-1989) and Generation Z (1990-1999).

Communication style: Baby boomers tend to be more reserved, while Gen Xers favor a control-and-command style, the research indicates. Conversely, Gen Yers prefer a more collaborative approach to communication, and Gen Zers prize in-person interactions.

Baby boomers tend to be more reserved, while Gen Xers favor a control-and-command style, the research indicates. Conversely, Gen Yers prefer a more collaborative approach to communication, and Gen Zers prize in-person interactions. Change management: According to the research, Gens X and Y tend to see change as a vehicle for new opportunities, while Gen Z is accustomed to change and expects it in the workplace.

According to the research, Gens X and Y tend to see change as a vehicle for new opportunities, while Gen Z is accustomed to change and expects it in the workplace. Technical skills: When it comes to building their abilities, employer-backed training is expected by all workers. Baby boomers and Gen Xers most value traditional instructor-led courses or self-learning tools; millennials, which include Generations Y and Z, prefer collaborative and technology-centric options.

"Each generation brings unique characteristics to the workforce, which should be embraced," said Tim Hird, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources. "Too often, managers see these differences as negatives, but building a team with diverse perspectives, insights and strengths can only be a positive, leading to improved products and service levels."

Hird added that much of the consternation about generational workplace differences is frequently unnecessary handwringing. "Managing a multigenerational team doesn't have to be hard," he said. "For example, for years employers complained about how the work styles of millennials were disrupting the workplace. We know now, however, they simply have different outlooks, and the resulting changes from employers, such as new communication methods and enhanced work-life balance offerings, have benefited companies and employees alike."

Robert Half Management Resources offers five tips for managing a multigenerational workforce:

Don't overthink it. Start with the understanding that everyone wants to do a good job and help the company. This commonality lays a strong foundation for relationship-building. Customize your style. Staff possess common attributes, but they also have individual needs. Tailor your management for each person's strengths, personality and aspirations. Go off-site. Host team-building events outside the office to give employees a chance to get to know each other in a different setting. Let newer professionals take the lead. Institute reverse mentorships, where less-seasoned staff advise and share their insights with veteran colleagues. Also invite team members from all generations to share their unique areas of expertise. Mix and match project teams. Put together groups with complementary skills and diverse perspectives. This can prompt innovation and new problem-solving techniques.

About the Research

The survey was developed by Robert Half Management Resources and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on telephone interviews with more than 2,200 CFOs from a stratified random sample of companies in more than 20 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas.

About Robert Half Management Resources

Robert Half Management Resources is the premier provider of senior-level finance, accounting and business systems professionals for companies' project and interim staffing needs. Customizing its approach for each organization, Robert Half Management Resources can provide a single consultant, a financial team or full-service consulting services, delivered through Protiviti, a Robert Half subsidiary. With more than 140 locations worldwide, Robert Half Management Resources works with companies of all sizes, including more than half of the top 100 companies from the FORTUNE 500. For more information, visit roberthalf.com/management-resources.

SOURCE Robert Half Management Resources

Related Links

http://www.roberthalfmr.com


PASADENA, Calif., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Huntington Hospital today announced that it has received Healthgrades 2017 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence. The distinction recognizes Huntington Hospital as one of the top five percent of more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide for its clinical performance as measured by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.

"Huntington Hospital is deeply committed to ensuring our patients receive comprehensive compassionate care," said Stephen A. Ralph, president and CEO, Huntington Hospital. "Being recognized for the past 11 consecutive years as among the top 5% in the nation for the quality of our clinical outcomes, is the result of the hard work and dedication of each and every physician, nurse and employee to address the needs of the people in our community."

From 2013 through 2015, patients treated in hospitals receiving Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence had, on average, a 26.2% lower risk of dying (across 19 procedures and conditions where mortality is the clinical outcome), than if they were treated in hospitals that did not achieve this distinction. During this same period, if all other hospitals performed at the level of Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence across these 19 procedures and conditions, 160,322 lives could potentially have been saved. For example, patients treated at a hospital that achieved the Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence Award had, on average, a 25% lower risk of dying from a stroke than if treated at a hospital that did not achieve this distinction.

"Given the variation in quality care across the nation, it's never been more important for consumers to do their homework when searching for a hospital," said Brad Bowman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Healthgrades. "Those hospitals that have received Healthgrades 2017 Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence award have proven their long-standing commitment to providing quality care to drive better health outcomes for their patients."

The 258 recipients of the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence stand out among the rest for overall clinical excellence across a broad spectrum of care. During the 2017 study period (2013-2015), these hospitals showed superior performance in clinical outcomes for patients in the Medicare population across at least 21 of 32 of the most common inpatient conditions and procedures as measured by objective clinical outcomes performance data (risk-adjusted mortality and in-hospital complications). To learn more about how Healthgrades determines Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence recipients, please visit www.healthgrades.com/quality.

About Huntington Hospital

Huntington Hospital, www.huntingtonhospital.com, is a 619-bed not-for-profit hospital in Pasadena, California. We are named among the top hospitals in California and nationally ranked in two specialties by U.S. News and World Report. Learn more about us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/huntingtonmemorialhospital and on Twitter at @huntingtonnews.

SOURCE Huntington Hospital

Related Links

http://www.huntingtonhospital.com/


Huntsman also announced that the name of its planned spin-off will be Venator Materials Corporation. Venator is the Latin word for hunter and is intended, in part, to acknowledge the Huntsman legacy. Venator shares are expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker VNTR after the distribution to Huntsman's shareholders, which remains targeted for the second quarter of 2017.

Peter R. Huntsman, Huntsman Corporation President and CEO, commented:

"We are making significant progress toward the spin-off and are pleased with the Pigments and Additives business recovery. We expect Venator will be a premier pigments company unencumbered by excessive debt or other unrelated liabilities. Improved titanium dioxide pricing combined with the identification of business improvement opportunities that are incremental to current earnings are expected to more than offset the free cash flow that Venator would have received from the Textile Effects business.

"In addition to the progress we are making on the spin of our Pigments and Additives business, we continue to improve our free cash flow generation and grow our downstream differentiated businesses. During 2016, we also repaid approximately $550 million of debt and significantly strengthened our balance sheet."

Form 10

Venator Materials Corporation's Registration Statement on Form 10 is available on Venator's website at www.venatorcorp.com and the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The completion of the spin-off is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of a number of conditions, including the Registration Statement on Form 10 for Venator Materials Corporation's common stock being declared effective by the SEC and certain other conditions described in the information statement included in the Form 10.

To request a copy of the Venator logo email: [email protected]

Conference Call Information

We will hold a conference call to discuss this announcement on Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. ET.

Call-in numbers for the conference call: U.S. participants (888) 679  8018 International participants (617) 213  4845 Passcode 894 191 97#

In order to facilitate the registration process, you may use the following link to pre-register for the conference call. Callers who pre-register will be given a unique PIN to gain immediate access to the call and bypass the live operator. You may pre-register at any time, including up to and after the call start time. To pre-register, please go to: https://www.theconferencingservice.com/prereg/key.process?key=PF9WPRKNE

Webcast Information

The conference call will be available via webcast and can be accessed from the company's website at ir.huntsman.com.

Replay Information

The conference call will be available for replay beginning January 17, 2017 and ending January 24, 2017.

Call-in numbers for the replay: U.S. participants (888) 286  8010 International participants (617) 801  6888 Replay code 78211220

About Huntsman:

Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals with 2015 revenues of more than $10 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 100 manufacturing and R&D facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 15,000 associates within our 5 distinct business divisions including the Pigments and Additives division that we intend to spin-off as Venator Materials Corporation. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.huntsman.com.

Social Media:

Twitter: twitter.com/Huntsman_Corp

Facebook: www.facebook.com/huntsmancorp

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/huntsman

Forward-Looking Statements:

Statements in this release that are not historical are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations. The forward-looking statements in this release are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as discussed in the Huntsman companies' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Significant risks and uncertainties may relate to, but are not limited to, volatile global economic conditions, cyclical and volatile product markets, disruptions in production at manufacturing facilities, reorganization or restructuring of Huntsman's operations, including any delay of, or other negative developments affecting, the spin-off of Venator Materials Corporation, the ability to implement cost reductions and manufacturing optimization improvements in the Pigments and Additives business and realize anticipated cost savings, and other financial, economic, competitive, environmental, political, legal, regulatory and technological factors. The company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Huntsman Corporation

Related Links

http://www.huntsman.com


Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln on Tuesday introduced legislation to expand Medicaid coverage in Nebraska, suggesting it as a means of transitioning into a forthcoming Republican health care plan.

LB441 allows us to bring home $775 million (in federal funds) paid in part by hard-working Nebraska taxpayers to reduce health care costs, improve efficiency in our Medicaid system and make sure the workers who are the backbone of our states economy are as healthy and productive as they can be, Morfeld said.

President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican majority in both the Senate and the House have promised to replace the Affordable Care Act with a new GOP plan.

Congress has taken action to repeal ACA, or Obamacare, with its provisions essentially remaining in effect until a replacement plan is enacted. Current provisions of Obamacare provide a lopsided infusion of federal funds to expand Medicaid in states that enroll in the program.

Nearly 100,000 Nebraskans, most of whom hold modest-paying jobs, would qualify for the new program.

Acquiring a large influx of federal funding assistance would strengthen the states health care system in advance of the new Republican health care plan, Morfeld said.

House Speaker Paul Ryan has repeatedly indicated their desire to keep the Affordable Care Act in place until it is replaced and LB441 will ensure a smooth transition to the Republican health care plan for working Nebraskans, he said.

Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia already have created plans to participate in ACAs Medicaid expansion provisions.

The Legislature rejected the most recent plan to access that additional federal Medicaid assistance last year.

In order to access $775 million in federal funds under current ACA provisions, the state would need to provide about $12 million in state funding.

For too long, tens of thousands of Nebraskans have struggled with no way to get health insurance, Nebraska Appleseed health care director James Goddard said.

They are people we see every day working on construction sites and farms, in our schools, hotels and restaurants. These (often) are single parents fighting to give their children a better future.
Mr. Lyon's seasoned experience includes the successful scaling of platform businesses during their start-up and growth phase; the creation of, management of and strategy for intellectual property portfolios; and the preparation for and conclusion of mergers and acquisitions for Silicon Valley technology, platform and data systems companies. Most notably, back-to-back, he was brought onboard as a key executive to manage two struggling start-ups during their early growth stages, that during his tenure ended up becoming Silicon Valley success stories: Tellme Networks, Inc. and Ingenio, Inc. (acquired by Microsoft and AT&T respectively). Prior to that, he was Vice President-General Counsel for CellNet Data Systems - a publicly traded company acquired by Schlumberger. More recently, he engineered the successful acquisition of General Things, Inc. (now part of GoPro).
PANAMA CITY, Fla., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Patients at Inspira Health Network are about to be wowed with next-level accessible care, thanks to technology from Jellyfish Health, the industry leader of real-time patient experience technology. Using their mobile phones, patients can reserve a spot in a now much shorter line that can significantly reduce wait times. Jellyfish's technology is the underpinning of Inspira's new mobile app for patients, Inspira Access. The app currently offers remote check-in for urgent care, and will expand to include other ambulatory services including imaging and lab, as well as primary and specialty care physician practices.

"Patients have made it very clearwaiting for care is frustrating and they don't want to wait any more," said Dave Dyell, President and CEO of Jellyfish Health. "We're excited to help Inspira Health lead the charge in bringing truly accessible care to New Jersey, by freeing patients to make the waiting room anywhere, including their home, office or car."

What's driving demand for access?

"Patient Satisfaction" and "Patient Experience" are more than just hot buzz words right now; they are important metrics for receiving more reimbursement from Medicare and other payers that utilize patient satisfaction scores. They are also critical factors for winning patient loyalty. Patients now expect to have the same access to reserving a healthcare appointment with their mobile phone as they do with other retail transactions, such as holding a spot in line at a busy restaurant.

"In today's fast-paced world, most people don't have time to sit for long stretches in a provider's waiting room without any idea of when they'll be seen. People have jobs to do, families to raise and errands to run," Dyell noted.

He added, "One of the fastest ways to gain their loyalty is to show them their time is valued."

"Inspira Health Network is dedicated to providing innovative new technologies for our patients," said Tom Pacek, Inspira Health Network Chief Information Officer. "Our smart phone apps have been very well received by our community and we're excited to partner with Jellyfish to add new features that make accessing care easier and more convenient."

On the administrative side, the Jellyfish solution also shows staff how long patients have been waiting and real time workflow. These are valuable insights for identifying potential bottlenecks, and then assigning staff and resources where they're needed to prevent further waiting.

"Jellyfish has been an excellent partner to help us deliver a more convenient experience for our patients," said Pacek.

Pacek added, "Having a partner like Jellyfish, a technology leader in making healthcare newly convenient, definitely helps assure the success of this campaign."

Healthcare organizations and other entities interested in learning more about the convenient care movement sweeping healthcare are invited to download the free Jellyfish guide "How to Become a True Convenient Care Provider: 7 Profitable Paths to Becoming Your Community's Most Recommended Healthcare Facility."

About Jellyfish Health

Founded in 2014 and based in Panama City, Florida, Jellyfish Health transforms the patient experience through actionable data, driving greater transparency at each step of the patient journey. Its advanced mobile and online technology enables healthcare and provider organizationsincluding health systems, primary care and specialty care practices, ambulatory surgery centers and urgent care clinicsto optimize patient scheduling, wait time updates, appointment status notifications and overall patient volume. The resulting improvements in patient satisfaction positively impact healthcare and provider organizations' bottom lines while reducing the potential for poor CAHPS scores and decreased payer reimbursements. The innovative technology also enhances staff workflow efficiencies, heightening provider satisfaction with the ability to help even more patientsand delivering an exceptional patient experiencefor the ultimate competitive differentiator in the new paradigm of consumer-driven care. For more information, please visit www.jellyfishhealth.com.

Contact:

Shannon Sheibe

Jellyfish Health

850.228.9332

[email protected]

SOURCE Jellyfish Health

Related Links

http://www.jellyfishhealth.com


OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Egg, LLC will open the 54th Jimmy's Egg at 3103 North Broadway in Pittsburg, KS on January 30, 2017. The award winning chain will feature quality breakfast and lunch entrees served every day from 6:00AM  2:00PM.

"We are excited to continue expanding Jimmy's Egg in Kansas," says Kevin Burke, President of Jimmy's Egg. "We look forward to bringing fresh, cooked to order breakfast and lunch offerings to Pittsburg! At all 54 of Jimmy's Egg locations we serve cooked to order breakfast and lunch offerings accompanied by always full cups of coffee served by a friendly staff."

Breakfast menu offerings include the popular "Garbage Breakfast," premium hash brown skillets, fresh-baked bread, a variety of eggs Benedict, hot-off-the-griddle items such as buttermilk, wheat, sweet potato and decadent Cinnamon Roll flavored pancakes, French toast and Belgian waffles. Lunch offerings include fresh salads, savory sandwiches, juicy burgers and favorite luncheon entrees such as the Smoked Turkey Melt, Backyard Burger, Grilled Chicken Salad, Country Fried Steak, and a variety of lighter fare for the health conscious. The restaurant will offer hot breakfast and lunch catering options to the community and guests will enjoy free Wi-Fi service while dining onsite.

Jimmy's Egg will partner with the Wesley House and collect non-perishable food items to support the primary food pantry in Crawford County. Customers that visit the restaurant through February 12th and bring a canned food item will be entered to win Breakfast for a Year.

About Jimmy's Egg: The first Jimmy's Egg was founded by Loc Le and opened its doors for business in Oklahoma City in 1980. Mr. Le grew Jimmy's Egg from a single restaurant to the 54 unit chain it is today and remains involved as Chairman of the Board. The restaurant chain has won Best Breakfast awards countless times in multiple markets and recently made headlines in the 2015 Restaurant Business Magazine's Future 50 as one of the fastest-growing small chains in the U.S.

Jimmy's Egg began franchising in April 2008 and is rapidly expanding to new markets opening both company and franchise restaurants. Jimmy's Egg will bring 12 new restaurants to fruition over the next 12 months in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. For additional information about Jimmy's Egg franchises visit www.jimmysegg.com. Jimmy's Egg is based in Oklahoma City and is privately owned and operated.

SOURCE Jimmy's Egg, LLC

Related Links

http://www.jimmysegg.com


PLANO, Texas, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ZeOmega, a market leader in population health management, today announced that Kern Health Systems (KHS) a managed care health plan serving more than 240,000 members in California, has become its newest client. In addition, KHS will implement the end-to-end Jiva 6.1 platform to transform its care management and delivery programs while ensuring compliance with evolving State regulatory mandates.

The HIE-enabled Jiva solution will allow KHS to streamline care coordination for its Medicaid members in Kern County. The health system will leverage the platform's unmatched data integration and interoperability capabilities to replace multiple legacy systems. As a result, it will be able to bi-directionally exchange clinical data, particularly electronic medical records, between healthcare providers, community organizations, and other entities in its network.

"KHS is dedicated to improving the health status of our members through an integrated managed healthcare delivery system," said Irwin Harris, M.D., Associate Medical Director at KHS. "Technology plays a crucial role in achieving this mission. With Jiva, we can adhere to changing regulations and expand our ability to efficiently deliver high quality programs and services to the people we serve."

"We are delighted that KHS has chosen ZeOmega and recognized Jiva's innovative solutions as the optimal choice for managing unprecedented change," said Christopher Mathews, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at ZeOmega. "We look forward to helping the organization capitalize on new growth opportunities amid the complex regulatory landscape in California."

KHS will also deploy Jiva's performance management solution to streamline reporting for State and other regulatory purposes and Jiva's care transitions solution to help coordinate care between clinical settings.

About ZeOmega

Jiva, the HIE-enabled and powerful population health platform from ZeOmega, delivers high-value, strategic solutions enabling payers and care-delivery organizations to improve individual health and provider performance. With deep domain expertise and a comprehensive understanding of complex population health challenges, ZeOmega serves as a true partner for clients, offering flexible deployment and delivery models that leverage an innovative platform designed to integrate workflow, analytics, content, and communication capabilities. By consistently meeting customer expectations and project benchmarks, ZeOmega has earned a reputation for responsiveness and reliability. For more information, visit www.zeomega.com or call 214-618-9880. Follow ZeOmega on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

SOURCE ZeOmega

Related Links

http://www.zeomega.com


WEST CHESTER, Ohio, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Data Center World, the global conference for data center, facilities and IT professionals, and HostingCon, the global event for the cloud and service provider ecosystem, today officially announced Kevin Mitnick, will keynote both events, which will take place in Los Angeles, CA at the Los Angeles Convention Center April 3-6, 2017. Mitnick's address will shed light on ways companies can protect themselves from malicious hacking attempts.

Once one of the FBI's Most Wanted because he hacked into 40 major corporations just for the challenge, Mitnick is now a trusted security consultant to the Fortune 500 and governments worldwide. Mitnick and The Global Ghost Team now maintain a 100% successful track record of being able to penetrate the security of any system they are paid to hack into using a combination of technical exploits and social engineering.

"Data Center World and HostingCon attendees are going to absolutely love hearing Kevin's take on the cyber security landscape," said Kelly Kocher, VP of Event Sales and Operations. "With high-profile hacking incidents seemingly occurring every week, Kevin is the perfect speaker to share practical steps companies can take to safeguard their data and prevent hacks."

No longer involved in "black hat" activities, Mitnick now mentors leaders, executives, and staff on both the theory and practice of social engineering, topics on which he is the leading global authority. Mitnick also helps consumers  from students to retirees  learn how to protect their information and themselves from harm.

"My presentation will clearly illustrate why people are the weakest link in the security chain," said Mitnick. "Attendees will see real demonstrations of some of the most current combinations of hacking, social engineering and cutting-edge technical exploits my team and I actually use to penetrate client systems, with a 100% success rate. They will also gain strategies to protect their organizations, and themselves, from harm and to help mitigate the risks they face."

Mitnick has been a featured on CNN, CNBC, Al Jazeera, FOX News, CBC, BBC, Radio Moscow, Tech TV, National Public Radio, Good Morning America, and 60 Minutes  to name just a few. He has also testified before Congress (both the House and the Senate) on security matters affecting the United States.

"I'm honored to be addressing the combined HostingCon and Data Center World audiences at their co-located event in Los Angeles," said Mitnick. "With security concerns in the data center and cloud community at an all-time high, it's more important than ever for service providers to be aware of the methods criminals, disgruntled staff and malicious governments use to breach their infrastructure and systems."

This year, HostingCon and Data Center World will feature an expanded exhibit hall that combines the best of both conferences exhibitors. Attendees will be able to discover even more products and services than ever before and have the chance to make more connections.

Registration is now open for HostingCon at www.hostingcon.com and Data Center World at www.datacenterworld.com.

ABOUT DATA CENTER WORLD

Data Center World is the global conference for data center, facilities and IT professionals. It offers premier education, abundant networking and the broadest access to best-in-class vendors. Designed to help data center and IT infrastructure professionals with challenging issues, Data Center World presents top-quality knowledge without bias toward a specific vendor product or service. Data Center World will be held April 3-6, 2017 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. For more information, visit datacenterworld.com.

ABOUT HOSTINGCON

HostingCon is the global event for the cloud and service provider ecosystem. The conference connects the industry including hosting and cloud providers, MSPs, VARs, telecommunications providers, hardware and software vendors and other internet infrastructure professionals who make the Internet work to network, learn and grow. For details about HostingCon, visit www.HostingCon.com.

About Informa

Data Center World and HostingCon are part of Informa, the international business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events group. Informa serves commercial, professional and academic communities, helping them connect and learn, and creating and providing access to content and intelligence that helps people and businesses work smarter and make better decisions faster.

Informa has over 7,500 colleagues in more than 20 countries and a presence in all major geographies. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Andy Grider

Marketing Manager

Penton Technology

513-322-4785

[email protected]

SOURCE HostingCon; Data Center World

Related Links

http://global.datacenterworld.com


ACCRINGTON, England, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kleeneze Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JRjr33, Inc., doing business as JRJR Networks [NYSE MKT: JRJR] a Dallas, Texas based company, announced today that it has executed a 1.2 million ($1.5 million) funding agreement with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, to finance the consolidation of its world-wide product logistics operations into a 100,000-square foot warehouse, fulfillment, distribution and office center in Rochdale.

Kleeneze, a 94-year old direct sales organization, sells and distributes a wide range of household and beauty products through an extensive network of independent sales distributors throughout Great Britain and Europe.

JRJR Networks is a market leader in global direct-to-consumer product distribution through its family of 10 businesses which operate in over 60 countries with over 70,000 sales associates around the world.

Kleeneze will use the new funding to consolidate its global logistics operations into a new facility in Rochdale, providing an opportunity to expand its already successful business and to offer additional employment with more than 100 new jobs in Rochdale, North East of Manchester.

Michael Khatkar, Kleeneze Managing Director said, "We are very pleased to have the opportunity to make this contribution to the local economy and to offer additional employment support to the region. This new facility should enable us to drive our business further in 2017, expanding into new markets and enabling more people to engage in personal economic development. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with the GMCA."

GMCA Lead member for Investment and Finance, Councillor Kieran Quinn said, "This investment shows that the Combined Authority has become a vital player in the commercial finance market. More and more firms are looking to us to support their growth plans and of course we are only too happy to assist in the creation of more jobs and prosperity in the region."

John Rochon, Jr., Vice-Chairman and Founder of JRJR Networks said, "Kleeneze is an important member of the JRJR family of companies. We are very proud of Kleeneze's many accomplishments and we expect that this initiative will enable Kleeneze to make a meaningful leap in development of its already successful record, expanding profitability and greatly benefitting our customers, our sales associates and our shareholders."

About JRJR Networks (www.jrjrnetworks.com)

JRJR Networks is a growing platform of direct-to-consumer brands. Within JRJR Networks, each company retains its separate identity, sales force, product line and compensation plan, while JRJR Networks seeks synergies and efficiencies in operational areas. JRJR Networks companies currently include The Longaberger Company, a 42-year old maker of hand-crafted baskets and other home decor items; Your Inspiration At Home, an award-winning maker of hand-crafted spices and other gourmet food items from around the world; Tomboy Tools, a direct seller of tools designed for women; Agel Enterprises, a global seller of nutritional products in gel form as well as a skin care line, operating in 50 countries; Paperly, which offers a line of custom stationery and other personalized products; Uppercase Living, which offers a line of customizable vinyl expressions for display on walls in the home; Kleeneze, a 95-year old UK-based catalog seller of cleaning, health, beauty, home, outdoor and a variety of other products, and Betterware, a UK-based home catalog seller. JRJR Networks also includes Happenings, a lifestyle publication and marketing company.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "anticipate," "believe," "can," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," or "will" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology and include statements regarding the expected contribution of the new Kleeneze facility and our continued growth. These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, our ability to expand profitability at Kleeneze, our ability to expand leadership activities in support of our sales, our ability to continue to grow, our ability to integrate the entities that we have acquired, our ability to strengthen our internal controls and the other risks outlined under "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 and our other filings with the SEC, including subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contact:

Investor Relations: Tucker Gagen ([email protected])

Media Contact: Brenton Baker ([email protected])

SOURCE JRJR Networks

Related Links

http://www.jrjrnetworks.com


CINCINNATI, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) announced today Matt Perin has joined the company as Head of Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs.

Mr. Perin will be based in Washington, D.C. and responsible for Kroger's federal government relations efforts, including working closely with the company's supermarket operating divisions and other subsidiaries to counsel and guide state and local advocacy activities.

Mr. Perin previously served as deputy director of government relations for the Bayer Corporation. Before joining Bayer, he was staff director for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture's Subcommittee on Nutrition & Horticulture. He has also served as a Congressional legislative assistant and political campaign manager. He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati.

"Matt's involvement and relationships with leaders in Washington will help advance our federal and state lobbying efforts and elevate Kroger's unique story among these influential stakeholders," said Keith Dailey, Kroger's senior director of external affairs. "We look forward to having Matt's expertise on the ground in Washington."

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


GREENWICH, Conn. and PHOENIX, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A group led by L Catterton, the largest consumer-focused private equity firm in the world, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Leslie's Holdings, Inc. ("Leslie's"), the world's largest retailer and online marketer of swimming pool and spa supplies and services. An affiliate of GIC, a leading global investment firm and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, will also make a substantial investment alongside L Catterton. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1963 as a one-man pool supply operation in North Hollywood, Leslie's has grown to become the world's largest and most trusted retailer of swimming pool and spa supplies, with more than 890 retail stores in 35 states and a robust omni-channel platform. With over 30,000 SKUs, Leslie's provides everything pool and spa owners need, from chemicals and equipment, to floats and toys. Leslie's highly trained staff also provides best-in-class, personalized services, including professional on-site installation and repairs. In partnership with L Catterton, Leslie's plans to continue expanding its national footprint and enhancing the in-store and online customer experience.

Scott Dahnke, Global Co-CEO of L Catterton, said, "This is an exciting investment opportunity for L Catterton, and the first from our recently closed $2.75 billion flagship fund, L Catterton VIII. Our investment strategy is based on building enduring businesses, characterized by strong consumer demand fundamentals, and fueled by powerful and growing consumer brands. Leslie's fits this strategy perfectly, as the undisputed leader in the stable and growing, yet still highly fragmented, pool supplies and services category. With a well-deserved reputation for delivering pool products and services at great value, we are excited to work with Leslie's proven leadership team to build on the strong foundation that they have set in place."

"We are thrilled to partner with L Catterton, which brings deep retail expertise, brand building experience and an outstanding track record of growing consumer businesses," said Larry Hayward, Chairman and CEO of Leslie's. "L Catterton's partnership approach with management to create long-term value is highly attractive to the Leslie's team. They clearly distinguish themselves with their growth-oriented focus and their deep understanding of our brand and our consumer. Together with the support of our new partners, we look forward to enhancing Leslie's online and brick and mortar experience, while continuing to provide comprehensive, high-quality products and services to our ever-growing customer base."

Marc Magliacano, Partner at L Catterton, said, "The Company's intense focus on personalized customer service and support has built a strong and loyal base of pool and spa owners who look to Leslie's as a full-service provider for all their pool and spa needs and water treatment solutions. Through its successful omni-channel platform, Leslie's is well-positioned to connect with customers at every point of sale, from retail stores, to e-commerce, to commercial service centers. We look forward to partnering with Leslie's outstanding leadership team to reach even more residential and commercial pool owners to deliver outstanding and reliable product and service solutions and make Leslie's a household name."

L Catterton has significant experience investing in specialty retail brands including Restoration Hardware, Sweaty Betty, Peloton, PIRCH, Hanna Andersson, Pinarello and Baccarat.

Nomura Securities served as financial advisor to L Catterton. Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to L Catterton and Sidley Austin LLP served as legal advisor to GIC.

About L Catterton

L Catterton, formed in 2016 through the partnership of Catterton, LVMH and Groupe Arnault, is the largest consumer-focused private equity firm in the world, operating multiple funds out of seventeen offices across five continents. Since its founding in 1989, Catterton has leveraged its category insight, strategic and operating skills, and network of industry contacts to establish one of the strongest private equity investment track records in the middle market. L Catterton builds on this heritage and the strong track record of LVMH and Groupe Arnault's existing European and Asian private equity and real estate operations, conducted under the L Capital and L Real Estate franchises. L Catterton invests in all major consumer segments, including: Food and Beverage, Retail and Restaurants, Beauty and Wellness, Fashion and Accessories, Consumer Products and Services, Consumer Health, and Media and Marketing Services, as well as real estate projects anchored by luxury retail. L Catterton's investments include: Restoration Hardware, Peloton, CorePower Yoga, Sweaty Betty, PIRCH, Outback Steakhouse, Plum Organics, CHOPT Creative Salad Company, Mendocino Farms, Noodles & Company, PIADA, Hopdoddy, Vroom, Snap Kitchen, Frederic Fekkai, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Wellness pet food, Nature's Variety pet food, Kettle Foods, Odwalla, P.F. Chang's, Ba&sh, Sandro & Maje, CellularLine, Vicini / Zanotti, Cigierre, Gant, Nutrition and Sante, Pepe Jeans & Hackett, 2XU, Charles & Keith, Marubi, Bateel, Sasseur, Emperor Watch and Jewelry, Miami Design District and G6 in Ginza - Tokyo, to name a few. More information about L Catterton can be found at www.lcatterton.com.

About GIC

GIC is a leading global investment firm with well over US$100 billion in assets under management. Established in 1981 to secure the financial future of Singapore, the firm manages Singapore's foreign reserves. A disciplined long-term value investor, GIC is uniquely positioned for investments across a wide range of asset classes, including real estate, private equity, equities and fixed income. GIC has investments in over 40 countries and has been investing in emerging markets for more than two decades. Headquartered in Singapore, GIC employs over 1,300 people across 10 offices in key financial cities worldwide. For more information on GIC, please visit www.gic.com.sg.

About Leslie's

Founded in 1963, Leslie's is the world's largest specialty retailer of swimming pool supplies and related products. Leslie's currently markets its products through nearly 900 retail store locations in 35 states, 24 Commercial Service Centers, a nationwide mail-order catalog and several internet e-commerce sites, including In The Swim. In The Swim is the leading direct-to-consumer provider of aftermarket swimming pool and spa supplies and equipment to residential and commercial customers sold primarily through its catalogs and proprietary websites, as well as the online marketplaces. Leslie's corporate headquarters is located in Phoenix, Arizona.

L Catterton Contacts:

Andi Rose / Julie Oakes / Andrew Squire

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

212-355-4449

GIC Contacts:

Mah Lay Choon / Jennifer Lewis

+65 98389425 / +65 98266198

Leslie's Contact:

Steven L. Ortega

602-366-3812

SOURCE L Catterton

Related Links

http://www.lcatterton.com


Sean Wheeler, Co-chair of the firm's Global Energy - Oil and Gas Industry Group and Office Managing Partner of the Houston office, said: "Latham's Oil & Gas Industry team provides practical and creative advice to clients throughout the oil and gas value chain, from the wellhead to transportation to refining and petrochemicals. A critical component of that advice is a team of regulatory lawyers with detailed knowledge and extensive experience before government and regulatory agencies in the key jurisdictions. Pat and Gene strengthen our capabilities and will provide clients operating, financing and investing in the energy space with a valuable resource to navigate and tackle highly complex legal and regulatory issues."

"Pat and Gene are among an elite group of lawyers viewed as leaders on natural gas, LNG, and oil regulatory matters. In this areawhich has the consistent attention of energy stakeholderstheir breadth of knowledge and strong technical understanding of the energy markets will be a great asset. We're thrilled to welcome Pat and Gene to the firm, particularly now, as activity is expected to increase in 2017," said David Schwartz, Chair of the Energy Regulatory and Markets Practice and Co-Chair of the firm's Global Energy - Power Industry Group.

Michael Egge, Office Managing Partner of the firm's Washington, D.C. office, said: "Pat and Gene's reputations precede them and we are excited to welcome them to the firm. They are great additions to our talented Washington group and complement our global energy platform. They will provide key industry and regulatory insights to benefit clients here and around the globe."

"I'm excited to join Latham's preeminent energy group. The firm has a tremendous stature in the market and is well-known for offering top-notch legal advice, and the kind of creative, informed, business-focused counsel that clients most value. I am excited to be a part of the firm and to join this phenomenal team of lawyers," said Nevins.

Elrod added: "I have always been impressed with Latham's strong global platform, highly-regarded energy practice and team-oriented approach. I am pleased to join this talented group of lawyers to serve the full array of their clients' needs, and I look forward to contributing to their continued success."

Nevins and Elrod joined Latham from Hogan Lovells and Sidley Austin, respectively. Nevins received his BA in Economics from University of Virginia in 1989, graduating with distinction, and his JD from Georgetown University in 1992, graduating magna cum laude and receiving an Order of the Coif. Elrod received his AB from Dartmouth College in 1971, graduating cum laude, and a JD from Emory University Law School in 1974.

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins is a global law firm with more than 2,200 lawyers in its offices located in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States, including: Barcelona, Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Century City, Chicago, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New York, Orange County, Paris, Riyadh, Rome, San Diego, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. For more information on Latham & Watkins, please visit the website at www.lw.com.

Notes to Editors

Latham & Watkins operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in the United Kingdom, France and Italy and affiliated partnerships conducting the practice in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. Latham & Watkins operates in Seoul as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins practices in Saudi Arabia in association with the Law Office of Salman M. Al-Sudairi.

Contacts

Michael Egge, Office Managing Partner, Washington, D.C., +1.202.637.2285

Sean Wheeler, Co-Chair of the Global Energy - Oil & Gas Industry Group, +1.713.546.7418

David Schwartz, Chair of the Energy Regulatory and Markets Practice and Co-Chair of the Global Energy - Power Industry Group, +1.202.637.2125

SOURCE Latham & Watkins LLP
Rev. L. Robert Holbrook, 95, of Fremont entered into eternal rest on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, in Fremont.

Robert was born Dec. 23, 1921, to Harvey and Burnetta Holbrook at the farm home near Page in Holt County. He grew up near Orchard in Antelope County. He attended the rural school there and graduated from Orchard High School in 1940. Following graduation he entered York College. After two years, he entered the U.S. Army, serving his country until January 1946 with assignment to the 89th Coast Artillery, part of the Eastern Defense Command. He was later assigned to the 1254th Combat Engineers, serving in the European Theater.

Following his discharge from the Army, he returned to York College and graduated in 1947. Robert then entered United Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. After seminary graduation in 1950, Robert was ordained in the NE Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church. In 1968, when the EUB Church merged with the Methodist Church, he became a member of the Nebraska Conference of the United Methodist Church. Churches served include Elba-Cotesfield, Hoskins, Scotia-Ord, Dubois-Pleasant Valley-St. John's, Lincoln Heights-Pleasant Dale, Ainsworth-Johnstown, York-Benedict, Stromsburg-Swede Plain, Gothenburg (Branburg Parish), and Lyons. Robert retired in 1987, but served as chaplain for the Civil Air Patrol for 16 years and was on the Board of Nebraska Methodist Camps.

On Feb. 24, 1944, he was joined in marriage to Eloise Tabor, in Chicago. They were blessed with five children. They later divorced. On July 16, 1975, he married Pearl Leu of Stromsburg. He readily accepted Pearl's four children and considered them part of his family.

Robert was a member of American Legion Post 20, Fremont Masonic Lodge 15 A.F & A.M., and was past president of the Golden "K" Kiwanis. He was a member of the Nebraska Wing Civil Air Patrol Squadron for 32 years, retiring in 1987 at the rank of Lt. Colonel. At the Civil Air Patrol National Convention in Washington, D.C., Robert was named National Chaplain of the Year. More recently, he became a member of the Welstead Camp 3 of Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

His interests included woodworking, ham radio operation, singing with Fremont's Pathfinder Barbershop Chorus, motorcycle riding, enjoying the skies as a private pilot, and spending time with his family at his cabin near Estes Park, Colo. Above all was his unfailing love and support for his wife of 41 years and all of their children and extended family.

Preceding him in death were his parents; brothers, Elmond and Harvey Jr.; infant daughter, Elizabeth; and one grandson, Anthony.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Pearl; sister, Helen (Morris) Weaver of Tigard, Ore.; children, Dr. Gerald Holbrook (Gary Freire) of Ft. Collins, Colo., Jeanne Skybrook of Novato, Calif., Barbara Muenchau of Hot Springs, S.D., Andrew (Lynn) Holbrook of Ft. Collins and Patricia (Dan) Terpstra of Lincoln; stepchildren, Linda (James) Christensen of Dennison, Iowa, Vickie Leu of Fremont, Peggy (Howard) Speck of Omaha and Robert (Stacy) Leu Sr. of Fremont; 17 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 3-7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Ludvigsen Mortuary Chapel in Fremont with the family present from 6-7:30 p.m. A masonic service, open to the public, will be at 7:30 p.m. at the mortuary, conducted by Fremont Masonic Lodge No. 15 A.F. & A.M.

The funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church in Fremont. The Rev. Michael McGregor will officiate. Burial will follow in Memorial Cemetery in Fremont with military honors by the Fremont Honor Guard.

Memorials are suggested to the family for later designation.

An online guestbook may be signed at www.ludvigsenmortuary.com.
NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LendIt, the world's biggest show in lending and fintech, made several major announcements today related to China. First, LendIt announced the official launch of Lang Di Fintech 2017, its 2nd annual Chinese fintech conference held on July 15-16 at the Kerry Hotel, Pudong, Shanghai. Second, LendIt announced its partnership with JadeValue Fintech, a leading Chinese fintech incubator, to co-host the 2nd annual Chinese edition of the [email protected] startup competition. Finally, LendIt officially launched its daily fintech news channel called LendIt News on its brand new Lang Di WeChat channel.

Lang Di Fintech 2017 expects over 2,000 industry decision-makers from around the world to participate across six tracks of content and with over 300 speakers. The primary focus will be on how technology impacts financial services with specific topics focused on artificial intelligence, machine learning, identity verification through biometrics, the Blockchain's impact on capital markets, the emergence of insurtech, fintech cooperation with banks, financial inclusion and financial wellness, wealth management for the mass affluent, innovation in real estate technology, applying alternative data to credit underwriting and decisioning, and the emergence of digital banking among other fintech categories.

"We are advancing our goal to be the leading fintech summit in China by bringing together traditional financial services with the latest technologies and connecting industry leaders from around the world," said Peter Renton, co-founder, LendIt. "We are honored to deepen our ties with JadeValue to jointly support fintech startups by providing critical resources for their early development."

LendIt and JadeValue have joined forces to co-host PitchIt at Lang Di. JadeValue has opened beautiful co-working and incubation space in the heart of Lujiazui, the financial center of Shanghai, to provide promising fintech startups with capital, talent, advice, operating resources, and a network. Lang Di will provide the stage and the spotlight to gain visibility and influence across China and the global fintech community. The winning company will receive a RMB 1 million investment from JadeValue and co-working space for 6 months. The winner will also receive 2 tickets to LendIt USA 2018 as well as round trip airfare and full accommodations for the duration of the conference. The LendIt team will curate meetings with fintech companies and investors during their trip to the U.S. For additional information on PitchIt at Lang Di including how to apply, please visit: langdifintech.cn

Yang Tang, founder of JadeValue, added, "As a professional financial technology incubator, JadeValue is rooted in this vertical industry, hoping to discover the latest fintech innovation enterprises. Our collaboration with LendIt not only provides a local venue and service backup for PitchIt China, but also further broadens our own capability to spot the industry's emerging stars."

LendIt is also pleased to announce the launch of LendIt News translated into Mandarin on the newly formed Lang Di WeChat channel. This daily news brief is curated by the LendIt content staff to highlight the most important fintech news stories from around the world. This is the first launch of LendIt News, which rolls out in the U.S. in the coming months. You can find LendIt News at http://www.lendit.com/news/ or at WeChat account langdifintech.

About LendIt

LendIt is a recognized global Internet finance industry leader, founded in New York in 2013 by Jason Jones, Bo Brustkern and Peter Renton. Its aim is to gather industry elites to discuss and explore latest trends in the development of international financial technology. LendIt currently operates LendIt Fintech Summits in China, Europe and the U.S. and has become the largest fintech industry event in the world. LendIt also owns an industry educational channel called Lend Academy.

About JadeValue

JadeValue is a financial technology incubator located at Lujiazui, the financial center of Shanghai. It brings together the world's top entrepreneurial teams, investors and financial technology social networks. It is dedicated to discovering epoch-making innovators in five defining fintech areas, which are insurtech, Blockchain, real estate big data/artificial intelligence, robo advisors and credit diagnosis. JadeValue was founded in November 2016 by China's micro-borrowing service company Cash Bus.

Media Contact:

Melissa Barto

JCUTLER media group

[email protected]

SOURCE LendIt

Related Links

http://www.lendit.com


"We are pleased to name Jason Cooper as LENA's President and CEO," said Dr. Christian Bruch, Linde Group Executive Board. "Jason has demonstrated clear results for Linde in numerous areas of the company and in several areas of our international footprint. We look forward to the executive leadership he will bring to LENA as the company explores growth opportunities. I would also like to thank Steve Bertone for his long-time dedication to Linde and his valuable contributions throughout his more than 33 years with the company."

Mr. Cooper began his tenure with Linde eight years ago as a Business Unit Manager responsible for Hydrogen and Synthesis Gas. He later assumed roles including Vice President of Project Management and Construction and most recently served as Managing Director of the company's southeast Asia region.

"I see great opportunities for LENA's future," said Cooper. "We have a very talented team that have achieved some wonderful things over the years. Certainly there are opportunities and some challenges in the road ahead, but I know our employees at every level are committed to generating value for our customers. We will continue to push for strong collaboration with customers and partners, driving for innovative solutions and delivering successful projects."

Cooper will work primarily from LENA's Houston office and will maintain ongoing presence throughout the company's geographic footprint.

About Linde Engineering North America Inc.

Linde Engineering North America (LENA) is a member of the Linde Engineering Division of The Linde Group, a world leading gases and engineering company. LENA is a single-source technology, engineering, procurement and construction firm that is focused on providing innovative solutions to customers. Areas of expertise include gas processing, refining, liquefied natural gas (LNG), deep cryogenics, synthesis gas, air separation, and petrochemical plants as well as fired process equipment. For more information, see Linde Engineering North America Inc. online at http://www.leamericas.com.

About The Linde Group

In the 2015 financial year, The Linde Group generated revenue of USD 19.7 bn (EUR 17.944 bn), making it one of the leading gases and engineering companies in the world, with approximately 65,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. The company is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.

For more information, see The Linde Group online at www.linde.com

SOURCE Linde Engineering North America

Related Links

http://www.leamericas.com


PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- When Rooster Soup Co. ("Rooster Soup") opens on January 23rd, it will become the first for-profit restaurant of its kind to donate 100% of its profits to a non-profit organization.

A partnership between Philadelphia's legendary fried chicken-and-donuts purveyor, Federal Donuts, and Broad Street Ministry's Hospitality Collaborative, Rooster Soup will be an all-day luncheonette with a special mission: to prove that when the interests of for-profit companies and philanthropic organizations are united in addressing common problems, real social change can happen.

The restaurant will extend Federal Donuts' imaginatively delicious impact on Philadelphia's food scene while also creating a sustainable funding source for BSM's Hospitality Collaborative. The Hospitality Collaborative provides meals and essential services to those experiencing homelessness and food insecurity in Philadelphia, the poorest large city in America.

Rooster Soup is located at 1526 Sansom Street at the intersection of Philadelphia's political, economic, and cultural hubs, affording people from all walks of life the opportunity to make a tangible impact on the lives of their struggling neighbors just by eating lunch.

What's more: Rooster Soup's diner-inspired menu will be anchored by soups made from the backs and bones of Federal Donuts' chickens -- over 700 each week  which transforms food waste into profits flowing directly to Philadelphia's most vulnerable citizens.

"We often take hospitality for granted and yet many of our fellow citizens virtually never experience this fundamental human interaction," said Steven Cook, a Federal Donuts partner.

Broad Street Ministry Hospitality Collaborative founder, Rev. Bill Golderer, elaborates: "This restaurant and this partnership demonstrates the transformative power of hospitality; It is a radical concept that unleashes new and creative solutions to our most intractable social problems. Patrons can change our city and change lives by becoming a Rooster customer."

The menu at Rooster Soup will be anchored by Chef Erin O'Shea's expert southern-inspired, homestyle cooking, which begins at breakfast (8am to 11am) with her magical Egg and Cheese Biscuit ($6); Cornbread and Sausage Waffles ($8); and Sticky Bun ($5) to accompany bottomless cups of coffee.

After transforming Federal Donuts' spare chicken into nourishing broth, Rooster Soup will give special emphasis to a variety of soups ($4 cup, $7 bowl), including Matzo Ball; Beef & Vegetable; Mushroom Barley; and vegan Roasted Cauliflower. For the ultimate in soul and belly-warming power and a cornerstone of the menu, the Yemenite Chicken Pot Pie ($11), is an "American cousin" of Rooster Soup's sister-restaurant Zahav's Yemenite Chicken Soup.

And because what's better with soup than a sandwich (especially when served on house-made challah bread with salt & vinegar chips), the menu will offer a Soup and Sandwich Combo or a Soup and Salad Combo (for you health nuts) for just $13. Sandwiches will include Chef's favorite Patty Melt with Jarlsberg, Mushrooms, Onions and Everything Sauce ($11); and a nod to Rooster's Jewish deli roots with the Bacon, Latke and Tomato with Chive Mayo ($10).

And no diner is complete without a blue-plate special. From 4pm to 8pm every night, Chef O'Shea will be serving up a rotating selection of some of her favorite comfort classics, like Trout Amandine ($16); Steak Frites ($19); and Beef Stew ($17).

Visit roostersoupcompany.com for more information and to join the news mailing list, and follow us at twitter.com/roostersoupco, facebook.com/roostersoupcompany, and instagram.com/roostersoupco for updates and sneak peeks. Contact us directly at [email protected] or visit us at 1526 Sansom Street in Philadelphia.

About Broad Street Ministry

In 2005, Rev. Bill Golderer together with other committed dreamers, breathed new life into an abandoned church building along one of Center City Philadelphia's most vibrant corridors. Broad Street Ministry began as a broad-minded faith community and over time expanded into an organization that holistically addresses the challenges facing Philadelphians living in deep poverty. At the core of BSM is a commitment to extending radical hospitality to all who wish a better life and a more just world. BSM's Hospitality Collaborative incorporates stabilizing services that not only meet basic human needs, but also helps people move forward. Along with nutritious meals, guests can benefit from a mailing address, change of clothes, and personal care items. BSM collaborates with other best-in-class nonprofit organizations to offer medical and behavioral health care, legal assistance, and assistance with housing, public benefits, and personal identification.

In 2016, BSM's Hospitality Collaborative welcomed over 100,000 guests and provided over 76,000 professionally prepared meals in a manner that turns away no one, emphasizes human dignity, and enables people to live fuller lives. To learn more about BSM's Hospitality Collaborative, visit broadstreethospitality.org.

About Federal Donuts

Restaurateurs Steve Cook and Michael Solomonov (Zahav, Dizengoff, Abe Fisher ) , coffee geeks Tom Henneman and Bob Logue (Bodhi Coffee) and writer Felicia D'Ambrosio opened the first Federal Donuts in October of 2011. Serving only coffee, donuts and fried chicken, Federal Donuts quickly earned notice from press, including The New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells, who called the cake donuts "world-class." Federal Donuts has appeared on ABC's The Chew and Good Morning America, VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live, Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, and Food Network's Top 5 Restaurants: Fried Chicken. Print accolades include The New York Times, "T" Magazine, USA Today, Bon Appetit, and Saveur, which selected the Spicy PB&J donut as one of the Top 50 Donuts in America. To learn more visit us at federaldonuts.com.

Rooster Soup Co.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Rooster Soup Co.

Related Links

http://roostersoupcompany.com


SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Macerich (NYSE: MAC), one of the nation's leading owners, operators and developers of one-of-a-kind retail properties in top markets, and StepsAway announced today an expanded partnership bringing the StepsAway in-mall mobile retail platform to a total of 22 Macerich properties. Through StepsAway's patent-pending cloud-based technology platform, SAConnect, national retailers create and deliver promotions across multiple mall properties from their corporate headquarters on a single platform.

Shoppers access the web-based StepsAway app via each mall's free Wi-Fi network and then peruse offers by category, e.g., Women, Men, Kids, Shoes, or by retailer. StepsAway capitalizes on the increasing number of shoppers who use digital devices during their purchase decision process when they are at the closest point of purchase  "steps away" from a retailer's lease line.

"We are sharply focused on innovating the customer space," said Ken Volk, chief marketing officer, Macerich. "StepsAway's in-mall mobile retail solution adds another key digital touchpoint to our slate of technology offerings that enhance the shopping experience for customers. It also delivers important benefits for retailers, including the ability to communicate with shoppers when they are close to the point of purchase."

Macerich's broader deployment of StepsAway builds on the successful 2015 pilot at three high-performing Macerich centers: Queens Center (NYC), The Oaks (Southern California) and Tysons Corner Center (Washington, D.C. metro area).

"Our solution empowers mall owners to increase sales per square foot and gives retailers an innovative, mobile channel to extend their reach, acquire new customers, and influence on-property consumer purchase decisions, locally, regionally or nationally, all in one platform," said Allan Haims, CEO of StepsAway. "We are excited to expand our successful partnership with Macerich, which has one of the best mall portfolios in the country."

About StepsAway

StepsAway is a market-first, in-mall mobile retail solution offering shoppers smartphone access to hyperlocal in-store dealsdriving more brick-and-mortar transactions in nearly 150 malls nationwide. StepsAway empowers mall owners to increase sales per square foot and gives retailers an innovative way to reach and influence on-property consumer purchase decisions. Consumers access StepsAway  SAMobile  via a web-based mobile app upon signing onto a mall's Wi-Fi network and then peruse deals offered on premises. StepsAway's cloud-based proprietary technology platform, SAConnect, allows nationally based retailers to create and deliver promotions across multiple mall owners/locations. StepsAway is a privately held company, based in Los Angeles, California. For more information, visit www.stepsaway.com.

About Macerich

Macerich, an S&P 500 company, is a fully integrated self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust, which focuses on the acquisition, leasing, management, development and redevelopment of regional malls throughout the United States.

Macerich currently owns 56 million square feet of real estate consisting primarily of interests in 50 regional shopping centers. Macerich specializes in successful retail properties in many of the country's most attractive, densely populated markets with significant presence in the Pacific Rim, Arizona, Chicago and the Metro New York to Washington, D.C. corridor. Additional information about Macerich can be obtained from the Company's website: www.macerich.com

SOURCE Macerich

Related Links

http://www.macerich.com


NEW YORK and PHOENIX, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Make-A-Wish America and their agency True North Inc. were honored with two Davey Awards for the commercial "One Moment." The spot won a Silver Award for a Commercial in Commercial  Not-for-Profit and a Silver Award for a Commercial in Commercial  Low Budget (under $2500).

The One Moment video was created to help Make-A-Wish acquire new donors. Daniel Brown, Executive Creative Director, said the strategy was to "inspire and stay true to the Make-A-Wish brand, unlike other nonprofit commercials that typically evoke sadness and desperation."

One Moment - Make-A-Wish Commercial Make-A-Wish/True North Davey Awards

"By focusing on the positive impact of the wish experience, True North highlighted wish stories to illuminate the pivotal moment that helps healing and recovery, and elevated the organization's brand to motivate support," he said.

Amanda Clayton, Director of Digital Revenue for Make-A-Wish America, said, "True North understands what drives people to support Make-A-Wish. It's the positive outcomes of what we do as an organization and that's what is so inspiring about the One Moment spot," Ms. Clayton also said, "We're excited about leveraging the full potential of the One Moment video and plan to continue running it online this year."

Matt Brown, Account Director at True North Inc., said the agency has been testing into television "as a line item in our digital strategy." He said the changes in television media buying landscape have "demystified" the channel making it far more achievable for clients with smaller budgets and a need for ROI. "Television can be a powerful introducer and influencer and we look forward to its positive effect on increasing donations."

The International Davey Awards is a competition designed exclusively for the "Davids" of creativity. David defeated the giant Goliath with a big idea and a little rock  the sort of thing small agencies do each year. The annual Davey Awards honors the achievements of the "Creative Davids" who derive their strength from big ideas, rather than stratospheric budgets.

The Davey is sanctioned and judged by Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, a 700+ invitation-only member organization which includes executives from organizations such as Conde Nast, Disney, GE, Keller Crescent, Microsoft, Monster.com, MTV, Push, Publicis, Sesame Workshops, The Marketing Store, Worktank, Yahoo! and many more.

The winning commercial can be viewed here:

http://tnireview.com/portfolio/make-wish-one-moment

ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH

Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true has positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Headquartered in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world's leading children's charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 28,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 35 minutes. It has granted more than 270,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,800 in 2015 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at www.wish.org to learn more.

ABOUT TRUE NORTH INC.

True North is an independent advertising agency based in New York and San Francisco, offering integrated creative, media, technology and insights services. We help our clients reach their customers, donors and audiences through the most engaging means possible within the always-on world of modern media consumption. Visit www.truenorthinc.com to learn more.

INQUIRIES:

Bob Schwartz

[email protected]

212-557-4202 Ext. 263

SOURCE Make-A-Wish America; True North Inc.

Related Links

http://www.wish.org


The MARS DRINKS AROMA  available from Amazon.com, office supply retailers and distributor partners  was designed to bring the coffee shop experience to the workplace. With the MARS DRINKS AROMA, workplaces can provide their people with authentic cafe-style drink varieties  all without ever having to leave the office.

Like all MARS DRINKS' brewers, the MARS DRINKS AROMA consistently delivers great-tasting beverages. Brew time for both coffees and teas is under 60 seconds, and the proprietary brewing method paired with the flexible Freshpack ensures no flavor cross-contamination from drink to drink  coffees taste like coffees and teas taste like teas. The MARS DRINKS AROMA has a larger cold tank than the Keurig Office Pro K145, offering 4 more cups between tank refills (AROMA produces 10  8 oz drinks between refills compared to the Keurig's 6  8 oz drinks).

"The AROMA has been designed to incorporate the flexibility and functionality smaller workplaces demand as well as the sustainable solutions that our customers desire," said Xavier Unkovic, global president, MARS DRINKS.

The brewer utilizes MARS DRINKS' innovative Freshpacks, which are designed to keep the coffees, teas and specialty drinks inside fresh and delicious. The new Freshpack is now a more responsibly made single-serve package offering a 31 percent carbon footprint reduction compared to the previous Freshpack. Announced earlier this year, the new Freshpack was improved based on findings from an independent Life Cycle Assessment that analyzed the impact of the packaging across all stages of production  from raw material extraction through distribution.

Unkovic continued, "This new offering represents another component of our ongoing effort to become the world's most sustainable provider of workplace beverages."

The new Freshpack is just one part of MARS DRINKS' 2016  2020 Sustainability Strategy. With a focus on sustainable agriculture, operations and solutions, the company is always looking for products and processes that make a positive impact on the workplace while making as little an impact on the environment as possible.

The MARS DRINKS AROMA announcement follows the November introduction of three premium Starbucks coffees for MARS DRINKS brewers, including the smooth and balanced Pike Place Roast, Caffe Verona with its dark cocoa texture and roasty sweetness, and the mellow and flavorful Veranda Blend.

"As a company that is both 100 percent dedicated to the workplace and committed to sustainability, making the Starbucks coffees available in our new packaging is a wonderful way to start the new year," said Bobby Chacko, regional president and general manager, MARS DRINKS North America. "The addition of Starbucks to the MARS DRINKS portfolio continues our commitment to deliver taste and choice through a broad variety of both licensed and owned brands." The new Starbucks drinks are available across MARS DRINKS brewers, including the newly launched MARS DRINKS AROMA.

To learn more about MARS DRINKS, its range of workplace-designed technology and products, visit www.marsdrinks.com.

ABOUT MARS DRINKS

MARS DRINKS creates great tasting moments at work by being at the center of workplace engagement, collaboration, productivity and well-being. Throughout North America, Europe and Asia, MARS DRINKS supports businesses who want to provide great working environments for their people. Part of Mars, Incorporated, MARS DRINKS focuses its energy and resources on the workplace, with the belief that people are the most important asset to any business. In 1973, MARS DRINKS introduced KLIX, the first-ever fully automatic in-cup drinks vending machine that serves large manufacturing channels across Europe. In 1984, MARS DRINKS pioneered the single-serve hot drinks category, introducing FLAVIA, the first system for making hot drinks using fresh ground coffee and leaf teas sealed in individual servings. Through its ALTERRA Coffee Roasters coffees, THE BRIGHT TEA CO. teas and DOVE Hot Chocolate, MARS DRINKS creates more than 1 billion great tasting moments at work! Find Mars Drinks online at www.marsdrinks.com.

ABOUT MARS, INCORPORATED

Mars, Incorporated is a private, family-owned business with more than a century of history and some of the best-loved brands in the world including M&M'S, PEDIGREE, DOUBLEMINT and UNCLE BEN'S. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars has more than $35 billion in sales from six diverse business segments: Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks and Symbioscience. More than 80,000 Associates across 78 countries are united by the company's Five Principles: Quality, Efficiency, Responsibility, Mutuality and Freedom and strive every day to create relationships with stakeholders that deliver growth we are proud of as a company. Mars, Incorporated is proud to have been ranked 85th in the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For list, compiled by the Great Place to Work Institute, for the third consecutive year.

SOURCE MARS DRINKS

Related Links

http://www.marsdrinks.com


"Karmi has had amazing results! We did not expect that. It's ridiculous that it's (RCT) not (available) in Canada and USA. It could help so many people." Karmi agrees with his wife. He recently expressed his views in an interview with 640AM News: https://omny.fm/shows/the-john-oakley-show/regional-chemotherapy-saves-lives-of-two-toronto-m

Gerald Kopitowski was also treated with RCT. In July he was given four months to live after being diagnosed with aggressive oral cancer. The cancer ravaged his tongue and throat, preventing him from eating and talking and complicating his ability to breath. He had lost 80 lbs. in about three months.

Gerald's wife, Gail Smith-Kopitowski, had heard about Prof. Aigner's visit to Canada and desperately reached out to Medias Health Inc. to help get her husband to the clinic in Germany. Medias Health expedited Gail's request as critical, and within three days she and Gerald were on their way to Germany; soon after Karmi followed.

"I'd be dead by now. They wanted to remove tongue, take flesh from my side to rebuild a new tongue, put in a breathing apparatus and a tube in my side for food,  it just didn't sound like good quality of life! I wouldn't be seeing Christmas, if it weren't for Dr. Karl Aigner and his Regional Chemotherapy," says Gerald. "By the time I got to his clinic in Germany, I was just skin and bones. After only two treatments, the tumor disappeared, my tongue is in place, and I can talk and eat my steak again."

Gerald and Karmi are two of many cancer survivors indebted to Prof. Karl R. Aigner, a leading German oncologist. Prof. Aigner has been practicing Regional Chemotherapy to treat his cancer patients for over thirty years and has experienced remarkable success rates at his clinic in Burghausen. He uses RCT to target specific tumors rather than the entire body. He uses chemofiltration to filter the patient's blood following the RCT procedures in order to minimize side effects, as compared to systemic chemotherapy. See www.regionalchemotherapy.com for more information.

A social campaign #damagecancer by Medias Health Inc., a company that represents Prof. Aigner's clinic in North America and beyond, is drawing attention to this revolutionary treatment. Medias Health hopes that one day Regional Chemotherapy will be available in Canada and USA. Michael Shribman, founder and president of Medias Health Inc., has made it his life's mission to enlighten Canadians and Americans about RCT. In late September 2016 Michael flew Prof. Aigner to Toronto to present his breakthrough methodology. Both general and medical communities were surprised to learn that RCT is not available in USA and Canada, and numerous enquires flew to Medias Health.

"I've seen it work firsthand  it's like a miracle," said Michael, whose sister's stage 4 metastatic cancer was treated by Prof. Aigner. Svetlana was given a death sentence in Canada,  today, two and a half years later, she keeps fighting, working and is an active mom to her two happy young children.

All of the patients who have traveled to receive RCT treatment note that the clinic is filled with optimism. Round-the-clock care, highly professional medical staff, state-of-the-art technology and kindness make it a place of healing and hope. "Now our life is just beginning thanks to Prof. Aigner," added Ilona. "I am grateful, thankful and hopeful."

Contact:

Medias Health Inc. | USA & Canada: 1-888-896-0251 | Canada: +1-647-986-5977

[email protected] www.mediashealth.com www.facebook.com/mediashealth @mediashealth

SOURCE Medias Health Inc.
The facility, validated by the FDA, is the only location in Europe that manufactures meglumine, an amino sugar derived from glucose. The facility in Spain is solely dedicated to the production of meglumine, thereby ensuring continuity of supply to customers as well as meeting increasing demand for the excipient. As an excipient, meglumine interacts directly with active pharmaceutical ingredients to increase solubility. Therefore, the manufacture of meglumine must meet the same stringent regulatory and quality requirements as APIs.

"Our new facility was optimized around the manufacturing process to achieve greater efficiencies and meets the most stringent quality standards for manufacturing meglumine," said Andrew Bulpin, Head of Process Solutions Strategic Marketing & Innovation, Life Science. "The result is a high level of confidence in quality and security of supply for our customers."

All Merck news releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the Merck website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.

About Merck

Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life  from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2015, Merck generated sales of  12.85 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. The company holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

SOURCE Merck

Related Links

http://www.merckgroup.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Somera Road Inc. is a commercial real estate private equity platform based in New York. Somera and its leaders have a passion for improving urban real estate located within secondary and tertiary cities in the U.S. Somera is involved in a number of projects spanning various cities and markets across the country. The Company prides itself in taking an entrepreneurial approach and millennial-focused approach towards solving real estate problems and creating value for all its stakeholders.

Somera focuses on nontraditional and off-market real estate debt and equity transactions sourced through Somera's deep connections in the real estate investment and financing space. Somera has developed a roster of loyal and capable capital and operational partners who assist the Company in connection with its acquisition and management of properties across Somera's focal markets. Somera and its partners spend significant time and energy in the markets in which it invests, determined to become local experts and to develop long and lasting relationships with local stakeholders, government officials and other related parties. Over the past few years, the Company, its principals, and its partners, have acquired more than $500 million worth of real estate assets throughout various U.S. geographies.

In an effort to expand its business footprint and to improve its delivery of service, the Company has retained Michael Fralin's firm as its general counsel. Michael has over 13 years of real estate transaction and corporate law experience. Prior to starting his current firm, Mr. Fralin practiced law at several leading international law firms, as well as in-house for a number of large financial institutions, where he established himself as a consummate business lawyer. Mr. Fralin's firm will act as outside general counsel to Somera and its affiliated companies. For Somera, Michael Fralin will focus on advising the company on legal matters, including deal structure, transaction execution and litigation. Mr. Fralin's firm will also support the Company's growing asset management business. Given Mr. Fralin's vast experience in real estate and structured finance, Somera will rely heavily on his expertise to make educated investment and legal decisions that meet Somera's objectives while satisfying all applicable requirements.

On behalf of Somera, Michael Fralin will play a substantial role in the structure and execution of transactions. Moreover, due to the often distressed nature of Somera's core transactions, Somera is frequently involved in dispute resolutions, including foreclosure litigations. In such cases, Mr. Fralin shall advise Somera with respect to strategies, analysis and settlements.

Michael formerly practiced law with the international law firm of Paul Hastings LLP, where he played a vital role in the law firm's real estate structured finance group. At Paul Hastings, Michael Fralin handled all asset classes, including multifamily, office, hospitality, retail, and industrial. These transactions were comprised of the origination of mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, credit facilities and bridge loans. Mr. Fralin also has a deep understanding of secondary market transactions and securitizations, including CMBS, CLO and CDO facilities.

Prior to Paul Hastings, Michael Fralin practiced law at other leading law firms including Sidley Austin LLP and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP. In addition, Michael Fralin has substantial in-house experience garnered from serving as a business lawyer at a publicly traded investment bank, a real estate investment trust and a franchise. Somera Road Inc. will incur substantial benefits from Mr. Fralin and his firm's advice and counsel. Michael Fralin received his Juris Doctorate from Boston College Law School, and his B.A. from the University of Michigan, where he graduated from Michigan's LSA Honor's Program.

Contact

1460 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

646-766-8184 - GENERAL LINE

[email protected]

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE Somera Road Inc.

Related Links

http://www.someraroadinc.com


KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Modern Dealership, a premier digital publication developed for progressive dealerships, announces its inaugural publication in January 2017.

The magazine debuts with The Millennial Edition, releasing on January 11, 2017. Featuring Todd Crossley, President of Gary Crossley Ford, the inaugural edition takes an in-depth look at the impact of the millennial generation across all aspects of the automotive marketplace. In his feature article, Crossley discusses the stereotypes associated with millennials in the workforce, and he explains the many benefits of tapping into their seemingly unlimited creativity, energy, and enthusiasm. In addition to exploring the importance of fostering the careers of young millennial professionals, Modern Dealership examines the best ways to communicate and build relationships with millennial consumerscurrently the largest consumer group in the U.S.

A quarterly publication written by dealers for dealers, Modern Dealership examines the changing marketplace and offers actionable solutions to meet the needs of modern consumers. Dealers today know the importance of keeping up with savvy, fast-paced shoppers, and this publication delivers valuable and timely insights from professionals who have figured out what it takes to succeed in a highly competitive landscape. Modern Dealership readers will get a view of the industry through an updated and proactive lens.

The publication will consistently feature 4 distinct sections, including Sales, Fixed Ops, Operations, and Communications, as well as informative Feature Articles that highlight trending industry topics. With insights from professionals representing a variety of dealership positions and experience levels, Modern Dealership offers fresh perspectives and real-world experiences to keep readers up to date with changing trends, business practices, and consumer preferences.

About Modern Dealership

Modern Dealership is a digital publication dedicated to offering up-to-date content from industry professionals. Created by dealers for dealers, it offers an inside view of the challenges, successes, and solutions real-world dealerships encounter. Aimed at propelling its audience forward, Modern Dealership is committed to better understanding consumers, learning what impacts the marketplace, and sharing valuable information that will help automotive professionals everywhere succeed in a modern and competitive market.

Media Contact:

Modern Dealership

Email: [email protected]

http://moderndealership.com/

SOURCE Modern Dealership

Related Links

http://www.moderndealership.com


The development of the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve is part of MSC Cruises' unprecedented $10.2 billion investment plan, which includes the building of up to 11 next-generation smart ships coming into service between 2017 and 2026. The first phase of development of the marine reserve will now begin as the island is cleared of existing industrial infrastructure so it can be turned again into a pristine marine reserve.

"Working in partnership with the Government of The Bahamas, our aim is to turn an industrial wasteland into a thriving environment for man and nature alike, bringing the island and its surrounding waters back to their original stat," said Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises. "In so doing, we will substantially grow our Group's already strong investment in the Bahamian economy, offering long-term employment opportunities to the local population."

"Bearing testament to our ability to innovate, unlike other Caribbean cruise resorts, a purpose-built berth and pier will allow our cruise ships to dock directly at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. Thus the island will de facto become an extension of the ship."

"Located merely 65 miles east of Miami, Florida, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve has 11,400 feet of beautiful coastline and crystal blue waters teaming with unique marine life. The island has some of the finest aragonite sands in the world and once the work is completed, its surrounding waters will be home again to beautiful corals and rich aquatic life," added Gianluca Suprani, head of global port development and shore side activities at MSC Cruises. "It will become a truly exclusive destination for MSC Cruises guests to experience the best the Caribbean has to offer."

A comprehensive landscaping plan will see more than 80 indigenous Caribbean trees, grasses, flowers and shrubs, planted on the island, returning to their lush natural habitat.

MSC Seaside and other MSC Cruises ships operating in the Caribbean will call Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve regularly on their itineraries from November 2018 onwards. For more detailed information about itineraries that call at this destination, see www.msccruisesusa.com.

About MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises, part of the MSC Group, is the Swiss-based, world's largest privately-owned cruise line and brand market leader in Europe, South America and South Africa, sailing year-round in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Seasonal itineraries cover northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, Cuba and the French Antilles, South America, southern Africa, and Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman.

MSC Cruises' fleet is currently comprised of 12 of the most modern ships at sea: MSC Preziosa; MSC Divina; MSC Splendida; MSC Fantasia; MSC Magnifica; MSC Poesia; MSC Orchestra; MSC Musica; MSC Sinfonia; MSC Armonia; MSC Opera and MSC Lirica.

MSC Cruises has significant plans for future expansion through a $10.2 billion investment plan, which consists of up to 11 new, next-generation MSC Cruises ships coming into service between 2017 and 2026. MSC Cruises is the first global cruise line brand to develop an investment plan of this length and magnitude, spanning a horizon of over ten years.

SOURCE MSC Cruises USA

Related Links

http://www.msccruisesusa.com


TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- You can "name your own price" for a hotel room, but what if you could name your own price for a hospital stay? That is exactly what a growing number of employers are doing through their self-funded health plans, according to Rob Pariseau, executive vice president and employee benefit practice leader at Lykes Insurance.

"It's called Referenced Based Pricing (RBP) and it's saving early adopting employers 25 percent or more on their healthcare spending," says Pariseau. "For many employers, that's something worth considering, regardless of the future of Obamacare."

Traditionally, managed care networks negotiate agreements with hospital systems. The negotiated fees are often expressed as a discount off billed charges, rather like wholesale vs. retail pricing.

What most people don't know is that although these discounts can be as high as 50-60 percent, the actual prices are still 2-10 times what Medicare pays for the same service -- and Medicare may well be the hospital's largest customer.

That's where Referenced Based Pricing comes in, according to Pariseau. Here's how it works. A self-funded employer replaces its managed care network, hires an RBP claim administrator and amends its plan document to limit spending on hospital charges to a reasonable amount, such as Medicare plus 20 percent. The RBP administrator has no "in network" or "out of network" hospitals, but it does include a traditional network for physicians and prescriptions, as RBP doesn't work as well in those areas.

After a hospitalization, the employee gets a hospital bill, for example $100,000; and the RBP administrator pays the hospital the Medicare rate plus 20 percent, say $25,000. The hospital then "balance bills" the employee for the $75,000 difference. Now it gets interesting. The key to the success of the RBP strategy is that the administrator then steps in on behalf of the employee.

The administrator's legal team explains to the hospital that the plan is limited to paying Medicare plus 20 percent, and since the hospital accepts Medicare charges every day, adding another 20 percent should be more than reasonable.

The conversation might go something like this: "But the patient signed pre-admission paperwork taking responsibility for the hospital charges," says the hospital. The RBP administrator replies, "Were the actual charges listed on that paper work? How can patients consent to prices they will never see until after discharge?"

In the end, knowing that the courts recognize a reasonable payment from an unreasonable charge, the hospital settles.

"RBP is not for the faint of heart," says Pariseau. "These settlements can take weeks and hospitals can play hardball with collection agencies, but good RBP administrators know how to protect employees. Eventually, though, the hospital accepts payment. Is it worth it? With the average premium for a family of four approaching 50 percent of median U.S. income, and no end in sight, it just may be."

About Lykes Insurance

Lykes Insurance was founded in 1925 by Lykes Bros. Inc., a 101 year-old privately held Florida-based company. As a premier commercial insurance firm with offices in Tampa, Fort Myers, Winter Park and Sarasota, Lykes Insurance focuses on building long lasting partnerships with companies and individuals, providing protection for businesses, managing risk and designing innovative employee benefit solutions. For more information, please visit www.lykesinsurance.com.

Media Contact:

Suzie Boland

RFB Communications Group

813-786-1019

SOURCE Lykes Insurance

Related Links

http://www.lykesinsurance.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Roughly one in four investors are now willing to reject a fund commitment based on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) principles. Leading private equity managers have responded by weaving ESG into their investment ethos, but many are still playing catch-up.

To help managers along, Navatar will host a virtual roundtable in partnership with Invest Europe, the European private equity trade body, featuring three responsible investment specialists from PAI Partners, APG Asset Management and KPMG. Among the topics covered will be Invest Europe's new ESG due diligence questionnaire published in November and how it can help managers meet investors' growing calls for responsible investment to become a central pillar of their investment strategies.

The virtual roundtable, Finding Your ESG Mindset with Invest Europe, scheduled for January 19th (11am ET), will provide managers a practical framework for converting declared ESG commitments into action. To register for the roundtable, please visit:

http://info.navatargroup.com/roundtable-finding-your-esg-mindset-with-invest-europe

The event arrives at a time of growing interest in ESG in the private funds sector. According to a PwC survey, 70 percent of managers have made a public commitment to invest responsibly. The comparative figure in 2013 was 57 percent.

Three members of Invest Europe's Responsible Investment Roundtable, a taskforce comprised of industry professionals that played a key role in the development of the DDQ, will take part. Marta Jankovic, Head of ESG Integration Alternatives at APG Asset Management, and Chair of the Roundtable, will provide attendees with a perspective on institutional investors' heightened ESG expectations. She will be joined by PAI Partners Head of Compliance and Public Affairs and Roundtable Vice Chair Blaise Duault, who will provide the GP perspective on creation of the DDQ; as well as KPMG Senior Manager James Holley, a fellow Roundtable member, who will provide a presentation on how managers can apply the DDQ in practice.

"The creation of the ESG DDQ speaks to a wider trend of fund managers incorporating more discipline and formalized procedures into their appraisal of portfolio companies," says Navatar CEO Alok Misra. "It is yet another example of GPs desire for the right systems and tools to manage the entire due diligence process."

For more information on Navatar Private Equity, go to:

http://www.navatargroup.com/financial-services-cloud/navatar-private-equity-crm-for-salesforce.php

For other Navatar product demos, please visit:

http://navatargroup.com/financial-services-cloud/navatar-products-overview.php

ABOUT NAVATAR

Navatar is an industry-specific cloud software built for private equity, M&A, hedge funds, real estate funds, venture capital, corporate development, wealth management, private placement and other financial services companies. As a connected growth platform, Navatar centralizes disparate workflows - including investor relations, deal management, virtual data rooms, company intelligence  into one integrated cloud product.

Hundreds of financial services firms in 35 countries depend on Navatar (@navatargroup) to lead, not lag the changing markets and the competition. Navatar clients include PNC, JLL, Cowen Group and Evercore.

For more information about Navatar, please visit www.navatargroup.com.

ABOUT INVEST EUROPE

Invest Europe is the association representing Europe's private equity, venture capital and infrastructure sectors, as well as their investors.

Invest Europe's members take a long-term approach to investing in privately held companies, from start-ups to established firms. They inject not only capital but dynamism, innovation and expertise. This commitment helps deliver strong and sustainable growth, resulting in healthy returns for Europe's leading pension funds and insurers, to the benefit of the millions of European citizens who depend on them.

For more information please visit www.investeurope.eu

SOURCE Navatar

Related Links

http://www.navatargroup.com


In 2016, content consumption by HR professionals increased more than 15% YOY; in the examination of the professionals, the trends tell a story of expansion and diversification. Self-classified HR professionals consumed 52% of HR content, while 48% was driven by a diverse group of professionals from 'Executive', 'Information Technology', and 'Business Specialists' job areas. Further, the report showed that 20% of the active HR audience was comprised of mid-level professionals including: 'Senior Employees', 'Individual Contributors', and 'Owners,' in contrast to highly targeted and coveted senior-level leadership. CEO and Founder of NetLine Corporation, Robert Alvin, explains what this shift means for marketers:

The profile of active human resource professionals consuming content has continued to both broaden and deepen within organizations this year. Marketers must be mindful of possible opportunities existing between campaign target personas and market realities recognized within the greater HR functional landscape. More often than not, your target 'decision maker' is realistically an aggregate of a number of influencers who help foster the final recommendation within the organization.

Perpetual changes in the HR industry have caused organizations to struggle to remain knowledgeable and compliant, causing a need for tools and services to lighten the burden. Professionals are in constant need of information to drive future purchase decisions, making the "significance of content within the buying process priceless" and "B2B content syndication lead generation a rapidly growing solution for demand generation," stated the report.

"We've set out on a journey to bring B2B marketers real content consumption insights they can't find anywhere else. The human resources report is the first in a continuing series of industry reports NetLine will release this year. This is our next step to ensuring B2B marketers achieve success with NetLine," shared Robert Alvin.

The 2017 State of Human Resources: Content Consumption and Demand Report is available now, download the report.

About NetLine Corporation:

NetLine Corporation empowers B2B Marketers with the reach, technology, and expertise required to drive scalable lead generation results and accelerate the sales funnel. Operating the largest B2B content syndication lead generation network, NetLine reaches 125 million unique visitors and processes more than 700 thousand leads monthly across 300 industry sectors. NetLine's AudienceTarget technology drives prospect discovery, quality customer lead acquisition, and buyer engagement from real prospect intent as professionals consume content directly across the network. Superior quality, on demand access, and advanced campaign reports enable all clients to achieve lead generation success. Founded in 1994, NetLine is privately held and headquartered in Los Gatos, California. Successful B2B Marketers Start with NetLine, visit www.netline.com.

SOURCE NetLine Corporation

Related Links

http://www.netline.com


Members will have access to the industry-leading suite of transaction management tools from zipLogix including zipForm Plus

FRASER, Mich., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS (NSAR) is offering zipLogix's suite of transaction management tools as a benefit to association members. NSAR's more than 1,500 members will have access to a completely paperless transaction solution through this new relationship. The agreement marks zipLogix's first member benefit offering in Canada.

NSAR and zipLogix are delivering a seamless experience to Nova Scotia REALTORS with Single-Sign-On technology, providing members access to their entire suite of zipLogix technology within their existing MLS account. This technology eliminates the need for multiple passwords and delivers a convenient streamlined user experience. Adding to this seamless experience is the ability to import MLS data into digital forms with zipFormMLS-Connect.

"Having delivered industry-changing technology for more than 25 years to real estate professionals across the United States and Mexico, zipLogix will now be adding Canada to its North American operations. Canadian real estate professionals will now have access to our trademark suite of transaction management tools," said zipLogix Chairman of the Board Mark Petersen. "Nothing is more fulfilling than sharing our passion for technology with real estate practitioners. Thank you to NSAR for allowing us to share this with their members."

NSAR members will have access to the following zipLogix Transaction Management Solutions:

zipForm Plus, electronic forms management and transaction creation system

zipTMS, Transaction Management System

zipVault, document storage solution

zipFormMLS-Connect, integrated MLS data exchange

Single-Sign-On (SSO) integration

"This new partnership empowers our membership to seamlessly import high-quality data from our MLS directly into their transactions," said Roger Boutilier, Chief Executive Officer of Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS. "Integrating our MLS with zipLogix's transaction management tools easily connects our members to the MLS data and forms they trust in one streamlined process."

Fraser, Mich. - based zipLogix is a technology company created by, owned by and working for real estate professionals to improve productivity and efficiency industry wide. Its software automates and simplifies the repetitive and complex steps of real estate transactions, and is used by more than 650,000 real estate professionals across the country.

The Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS (NSAR) represents approximately 1,500 real estate brokers and salespeople across the province. The Association's mission is to enhance REALTORS' success by providing services and representation to enable them to best serve the public in real estate transactions.

SOURCE zipLogix

Related Links

http://www.ziplogix.com


COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Corna Kokosing, an Ohio-based construction manager/general contracting company, has recently opened a full-service office in Indianapolis to be closer to the firm's growing client base.

"For Corna Kokosing, expanding into Indianapolis was a natural evolution of our business," says Corna Kokosing President Josh Corna.

"We have been working throughout the Midwest for years, we have many existing clients in and around Indianapolis, and we recently started work on two projects in the greater Indianapolis area for NexCore Group." Corna indicates that other projects are in the planning stages.

Regional Manager David Rossi will run the Indianapolis office. Rossi's experience includes healthcare, education, and industrial projects for Corna Kokosing. Rossi indicates the company is currently recruiting for three new positions and will be looking to partner with local subcontractors.

Also, Corna Kokosing has a long-standing relationship with Purdue University. "In addition to serving on their Construction Advisory Council, the company has many long-tenured associates who graduated from the University," says Rossi. Also, the new office will sponsor one Purdue student intern for the summer.

About Corna Kokosing:

Corna Kokosing, a part of the Kokosing Group, offers comprehensive design phase and construction phase services under all delivery and contractual methods, including:

construction management

general contracting

design-build

The firm is known for their work in education, healthcare, industrial, office, retail, and specialty markets. Corna Kokosing will be based out of Kokosing Construction Company's Indianapolis office, which is located at 3862 North Commercial Parkway Greenfield, IN 46140.

To find out more about Corna Kokosing, visit www.corna.com/

SOURCE Corna Kokosing

Related Links

http://www.corna.com


One Energy works with large commercial and industrial energy users to provide on-site "behind the meter" wind energy which is directly used by the customer's facility. The company refers to these projects as Wind for Industry . By combining development, engineering, procurement, construction, and operation under one organization, One Energy is able to deliver market competitive on-site wind energy solutions to its customers.

Prudential Capital Group has extensive experience investing in the energy industry and energy projects. The One Energy financing is Prudential's first entry into financing within the multi-project commercial and industrial energy market.

"Jereme Kent and his team at One Energy have developed an innovative, vertically integrated and well thought out business plan," said Ric Abel, Managing Director, Prudential Capital Group. "We're pleased to be part of the project."

"Prudential Capital's ability to deliver one-stop financing made this deal possible," said Jereme Kent, CEO and General Manager of One Energy. "Their in-house technical expertise and ability to tailor various financial products to specific needs makes Prudential an attractive financing partner, particularly for unique companies like One Energy."

The financing will allow One Energy to continue growing its portfolio of Wind For Industry projects throughout Ohio and the United States. All of One Energy's Wind For Industry projects use turbines supplied by Goldwind. Duane Morris LLP represented One Energy and Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius represented Prudential Capital Group for the deal.

About One Energy

Headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, One Energy is a trusted expert in on-site wind energy generation, and is responsible for the largest commercial net-metered wind projects in the United States. One Energy provides Wind for Industry solutions for large electricity consumers. The One Energy family of companies delivers project assessment, development, engineering, procurement, construction, finance, and operations. Learn more at www.oneenergywind.com.

About Prudential Capital Group

Prudential Capital Group has been a leading provider of private debt, mezzanine and equity securities to companies worldwide for more than 75 years. Managing a portfolio of more than $75 billion as of September 30, 2016, Prudential Capital offers private capital to companies, worldwide. The global regional office network has locations in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles, Milan, Minneapolis, Newark, N.J., New York, Paris and San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.prudentialcapitalgroup.com.

About PGIM and Prudential Financial, Inc.

With 13 consecutive years of positive third-party institutional net flows, PGIM, the global asset management businesses of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), ranks among the top 10 largest asset managers in the world with more than $1 trillion in assets under management as of Sept. 30, 2016. PGIM's businesses offer a range of investment solutions for retail and institutional investors around the world across a broad range of asset classes, including fundamental equity, quantitative equity, public fixed income, private fixed income, real estate and commercial mortgages. Its businesses have offices in 16 countries across five continents.

Prudential Financial's other businesses also offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities and retirement-related services. For more information about PGIM, please visit https://www.pgim.com. For more information about Prudential, please visit www.news.prudential.com.

Media Contact: Rebekah Hedahl Head of Communications One Energy Enterprises LLC 419-905-6229 [email protected]

SOURCE One Energy Enterprises LLC

Related Links

http://www.prudentialcapitalgroup.com


Conversion Drill Hole SKI16010 Adds Continuity to Skirasen Zone with 6.00 meters grading 33.46 g/t gold, plus 178.00 meters grading 1.68 g/t gold.

Expansion drill hole CNT16017 yields 31.00 meters grading 2.65 g/t gold.

VANCOUVER, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Barsele Minerals Corp.  (TSX-V: BME) ("Barsele") is pleased to report an eighth operational progress update for the current exploration program within the Barsele Au-VMS Project area in Vasterbottens Lan, northern Sweden. The exploration program is being operated by joint venture partner Agnico Eagle Mines Limited  (TSX, NYSE: AEM) ("Agnico Eagle"). Ownership in the project is 55% Agnico Eagle and 45% Barsele.

During the month of November, diamond drilling with four machines were focused within and along the trend of the Avan, Central and Skirasen zones, where validation, conversion and expansion drilling has taken place. The highlight conversion hole SKI16010 yielded 6.00 meters core length (estimated 4.0 meters true thickness) grading 33.46 g/t gold uncut (6.33 g/t gold cut) at a depth of 180 meters below surface, plus 178.00 meters core length (estimated 125.00 meters true thickness) grading 1.68 g/t gold uncut (1.51 g/t gold cut) at a midpoint depth of 320 meters below surface. In addition, expansion hole CNT16017 yielded 31.00 meters core length (estimated 23.30 meters true thickness) grading 2.65 g/t gold uncut (2.60 g/t gold cut) at a midpoint of 410 meters below surface. This last intercept expands the known Central Zone by 175 meters towards the Avan Zone.

Twelve holes were completed during the month of November of which five were validation holes and seven were conversion holes that verify continuity of mineralization. During November, 4,935 meters was drilled, for a cumulative 2016 total of 30,432 meters in 79 holes. During November, there were 6,218 samples sent for analysis, with 8,014 assay results received. Basal till sampling results are yet to be received.

Barsele's President, Gary Cope states, "We continue to receive positive results in validation, conversion and expansion drilling at Barsele and we remain confident in Agnico Eagle's deposit development methodology. The 178-meter hole in the Skirasen Zone is very supportive of continuity in this sector of the deposit."

Highlight Results from the November 2016 Reporting Period Hole Category From

(m) To

(m) Core

Length

(m) True

Thickness

(m) Au

(g/t) Top-

Capped

at 20 g/t

Au (g/t) AVA16012 Expansion 202.00 213.00 11.00 8.30 2.80 2.62















AVA16013 Expansion 174.00 186.00 12.00 9.00 2.38

















AVA16014 Expansion 604.00 612.00 8.00 5.00 2.03

















AVA16015 Validation 117.00 131.00 14.00 7.50 1.46

















AVA16016 Validation 18.00 30.00 12.00 7.00 1.46

















AVA16017 Validation 135.00 160.80 25.80 18.50 1.33

















AVA16018 Validation 200.00 207.00 7.00 5.00 1.63

















CNT16014 Validation 20.00 40.00 20.00 15.00 4.93 2.35



67.00 107.00 40.00 30.00 3.94 3.13



142.10 169.00 26.90 20.20 1.02





217.00 240.00 23.00 17.30 1.15

















CNT16015 Validation 29.00 47.00 18.00 12.00 1.70





58.00 67.00 9.00 6.00 2.13





83.00 99.00 16.00 10.50 1.35





124.00 148.00 24.00 21.00 1.32





169.00 174.00 5.00 3.80 2.94





191.00 238.00 47.00 31.00 1.55





257.00 291.00 34.00 21.00 2.76

















CNT16017 Expansion 61.70 71.00 9.30 7.00 0.95





388.00 395.70 7.70 5.80 1.92





432.00 463.00 31.00 23.30 2.65 2.60



483.00 492.00 9.00 6.80 0.90

















CNT16019 Validation 10.00 21.00 11.00 8.30 4.26





65.00 77.00 12.00 9.00 1.48





88.00 100.00 12.00 9.00 1.27





113.00 144.00 31.00 23.30 1.75





154.00 158.00 4.00 3.00 3.22

















CNT16020 Validation 11.00 29.00 18.00 13.50 1.83





98.00 107.00 9.00 6.80 1.11

















CNT16021 Validation 3.50 16.00 12.50 9.40 0.56





73.00 83.00 10.00 7.50 0.89

















CNT16022 Validation 21.00 76.00 55.00 43.00 1.22





95.00 102.00 7.00 5.50 1.97

















CNT16024 Expansion 495.00 508.00 13.00 6.50 1.75





526.00 541.00 15.00 7.50 1.10

















CNT16025 Expansion 375.00 390.00 15.00 5.00 1.41





493.00 517.00 24.00 8.50 3.61 1.65



543.00 578.00 35.00 16.00 0.94

















CNT16026 Conversion 394.00 434.00 40.00 22.00 1.41





480.00 504.00 24.00 13.00 0.89





631.00 639.00 8.00 4.50 2.41

















SKI16008 Conversion 361.00 471.00 110.00 69.00 1.82 1.66

Incl. 361.00 403.00 42.00 26.00 2.32 1.89

Incl. 415.00 458.00 43.00 27.00 2.16

















SKI16009 Conversion 303.00 317.00 14.00 8.50 0.94





419.00 436.00 17.00 10.50 1.22

















SKI16010 Conversion 243.00 249.00 6.00 4.00 33.46 6.33



285.00 290.00 5.00 3.50 13.29 6.05



350.00 528.00 178.00 125.00 1.68 1.51

Incl. 420.00 428.00 8.00 5.50 9.55 5.65

Incl. 513.00 528.00 15.0 11.00 4.80





625.00 627.00 2.00 1.50 8.00

















SKI16011 Conversion 59.00 66.00 7.00 5.00 1.76





109.00 119.00 10.00 7.50 3.68 2.99



192.00 211.00 19.00 14.30 6.42 1.34



347.00 352.00 5.00 3.80 3.04





423.00 425.00 2.00 1.50 8.58

SKI16012 Conversion 248.00 263.00 15.00 7.50 2.69





386.00 413.00 27.00 14.00 3.11 3.01



494.00 525.00 31.00 16.00 0.99





534.00 560.00 26.00 14.00 5.01 2.49



652.00 659.00 7.00 3.80 3.56



Drilling continued until December 21, 2016, at which time there was a break until planned resumption in the new year.

As project operator, Agnico Eagle has developed a community relations program to engage the various stakeholders in the project area. Basic environmental assessment and surface water characterization, species studies and hydrogeology studies are ongoing. Barsele expects that Agnico Eagle will release a new mineral resource estimate for the Avan, Central, Skirasen and Norra deposits in mid-February 2017.

About the Barsele Gold Project

The Barsele Project is located on the western end of the Proterozoic "Skellefte Trend", a prolific volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits belt, where it intersects with the "Gold Line" in Northern Sweden. Both polymetallic deposits and intrusive hosted orogenic gold deposits are present in this region and on the property. Current and past producers in the region include Boliden, Kristineberg, Bjorkdal, Svartliden and Storliden.

On September 25, 2015, mineral resource estimates by Barsele were released for the Barsele Project in four zones, the Central, Avan and Skirasen Gold Zones and the Norra VMS Zone. The resource estimate for the Central-Avan-Skirasen Zones states an Indicated Resource of 14.1 million tonnes grading 1.21 g/t gold for 547,000 contained ounces, plus an Inferred Resource of 20.2 million tonnes grading 0.97 g/t gold for 627,000 contained ounces. The polymetallic Norra Zone contains an Indicated Resource of 110,000 tonnes grading 3.13 g/t gold, 30.3 g/t silver, 0.53 % copper and 0.72 % zinc, plus an Inferred Resource of 310,000 tonnes grading 1.62 g/t gold, 12.7 g/t silver, 0.26 % copper and 0.42 % zinc. All zones were estimated at a gold cut-off grade of 0.6 g/t.

Art Freeze, P.Geo. is the Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and takes responsibility for the technical disclosure contained within this news release.

About Barsele Minerals Corp.

Barsele is a Canadian-based junior exploration company comprised of highly qualified mining professionals. Barsele's main property is the Barsele Gold Project in Vasterbottens Lan, Sweden, a joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gary Cope

President

This News Release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. 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 Barsele undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

SOURCE Barsele Minerals Corp.
SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Optima Tax Relief capped a successful 2016 by earning a place on the Orange County Register's 2016 Top Workplace honor roll. The newspaper officially announced the award winners at a gala held in December at the City National Grove of Anaheim.

"This award belongs to all of our employees," says Optima CEO, David King. "Our company's great culture exists thanks to the efforts of our entire team."

Several of Optima Tax Relief's employees attended the gala held at City National Grove of Anaheim.

The Register surveyed the employees of over 1,000 Orange County companies, grading the companies on a comprehensive set of work-culture criteria, including compensation, job satisfaction, benefits, and growth opportunities. The 125 highest-scoring companies earned Top Workplace honors.

"Earning Top Workplace recognition is particularly special because it comes from the scores our staff gave us," says Optima's managing partner, Jesse Stockwell. "We're continuously striving to make Optima an unbeatable place to work, and this is great confirmation that our employees feel we're doing it right."

The Top Workplace distinction rounds out a year that also saw the company being named a finalist for the Better Business Bureau's Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics as well as its second consecutive Inc. 500 recognition.

"We are very proud to be recognized for these achievements," says Harry Langenberg, Optima's other managing partner. "They reflect our main priorities of taking very good care of our clients and significantly investing in and nurturing the development of our staff. We are constantly striving to improve in these areas."

About Optima Tax Relief

Optima Tax Relief, LLC, headquartered in Orange County, CA, is a nationwide tax resolution firm that provides assistance to those individuals struggling with unmanageable IRS or state tax burdens. The company's unique two-phase approach to tax relief is revolutionary in the industry and provides consumers unparalleled clarity into their options to resolve tax issues. Fully accredited and A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau, Optima currently employs over 400 professionals, including over 30 Tax Attorneys and Enrolled Agents. Optima offers full service tax resolution for almost any IRS or state tax issue and the company's mission is to obtain the best possible result for each client's specific situation, providing a better financial future by making their tax issues a thing of the past.

Press Contact: Brent Rickles, 800-536-0734, [email protected]

Related Links

Top Workplaces official profile, Optima Tax Relief profile

Optima Tax Relief, homepage

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com/.

SOURCE Optima Tax Relief

Related Links

http://www.optimataxrelief.com


"The Otter Products' corporate mission is 'we grow to give,'" said Otter Products Founder and Chief Visionary Officer Curt Richardson. "We believe that to whom much is given, much is expected. We are fortunate to have experienced success in our business, so giving back to our community is the right thing to do."

Giving back has been at the core of Otter Products since it was founded in 1998. Company co-founder Nancy Richardson formed the OtterCares Foundation in 2010 to formalize the charitable activities. OtterCares champions innovative education, grants and programs that teach philanthropy and entrepreneurship to kids  the ultimate investment in the future.

"Because of the DNA of Otter, Curt and I chose to focus the company's corporate giving on inspiring young entrepreneurs and philanthropists," said OtterCares Foundation founder Nancy Richardson. "If we can teach kids to be entrepreneurial and philanthropic at a young age, it will become part of the fabric of who they are. It is then that we can truly create a movement that changes the world."

OtterCares also acts as a conduit for employee volunteering. Since 2010, all Otter Products employees have received 24 hours of volunteer time off per year to make a difference for local non-profits. The company had an 86 percent participation rate in its volunteer program in 2016, compared to a national average rate of 56 percent for businesses with corporate giving programs.1 This year, the company is adding its closed2open volunteer day in order to increase its volunteer impact and raise awareness for the importance of giving back.

Follow along on social media with #closed2open. Otter Products invites other companies and individuals to join in on Feb. 9 and beyond to close their doors and open their hearts. Care to join in?

For more information and to pledge volunteer hours, visit otterbox.com/closed2open.

About OtterBox:

OtterBox boldly innovates and designs premium protective cases for smartphones and tablets. From its humble beginnings in a Fort Collins, Colo., garage, OtterBox has evolved its product lines to meet the needs of today's mobile consumer to become the No. 1 selling smartphone case in the U.S.2 From rugged to versatile to fashionable, OtterBox has a product for every lifestyle.

At the center of every OtterBox innovation is a deeper goal to effect positive, lasting change. In partnership with the OtterCares Foundation, OtterBox grows to give back by inspiring kids to change the world through entrepreneurship and philanthropy. To learn more about this mission, visit otterbox.com/givingback.

For more information, visit otterbox.com.

About OtterCares:

Established in 2010 by Nancy Richardson as the charitable arm of Otter Products, the OtterCares Foundation believes one young and inspired mind can change the world! We champion innovative education that inspires youth to become entrepreneurs and philanthropists who create lasting and impactful change in their communities. For more information, visit our website: www.OtterCares.org.

Note:

1 CECP

2 Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service: Cell Phone Device Protection/Units Sold 1/2012  7/2016

2017 Otter Products, LLC. All rights reserved. The OtterBox name and OtterBox trademarks are the property of Otter Products, LLC, registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Otter Products LLC

Related Links

http://www.otterbox.com


SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Park West Gallery is saddened by the loss of painter, sculptor, author and satirist Charles Bragg, who died on Jan. 9, 2017 at the age of 85.

"Charles was an American original full of wit, charm, and irreverence who drew upon the artistic endeavors of centuries past, but with a wholly modern interpretation," said Marc Scaglione, Park West Gallery president. "He is to the L.A. art scene what Babe Ruth was to the New York Yankees, and the likes of which we will not see again."

Bragg considered himself a "devoted student of the human race," creating humorous and whimsical works based on his keen observations of modern times.

Bragg was born in 1931 in St. Louis to two Vaudeville performers, whom he toured with during his young life. In 1949 Bragg graduated from New York's High School of Music and Art in Harlem. He later studied at the Art Students League in New York City before moving to Los Angeles.

Bragg held numerous jobs, including cab driver, factory worker and stand-up comedian, before pursuing art. When he arrived in California he painted for the wealthy and gave lessons  fueling the satirical outlook that later emerged in his artwork.

In the early 1960s, Bragg exhibited his works, exposing audiences to biting caricatures that poked fun at the military, clergy, and other professions. During the 1970s, Bragg began depicting more universal themes, but still poked fun at the mentality of his subjects.

Bragg was the subject of a documentary called "Charles Bragg  One of a Kind" in 1986. In 1999 he published a book on is work, "Charles Bragg: The Works! A Retrospective." Bragg received the Gold Medal for the National Society of Illustrators and the Award of Merit from the Art Directors Guild of New York.

"You observe the human race and the world, and if you don't get a kick out of it I think you're missing something," Bragg said.

About Park West Gallery:

Founded in 1969, Park West Gallery has connected artists to more than 2 million fine art collectors through cruise ship art auctions, art auctions in major metropolitan regions and via public art galleries in Michigan and Florida. Park West Gallery creates an entertaining, educational and welcoming environment that ignites a passion for the arts and offers an incomparable collecting experience.

John Lichtenberg

248-354-2343

[email protected]

SOURCE Park West Gallery

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MILWAUKEE, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PKWARE, a global leader in encryption software, and California-based Tevora announced a new partnership. Under the agreement Tevora will resell the Smartcrypt product suite, and PKWARE will leverage their professional services for assessments, design, configuration and implementation.

Tevora, established in 2003, specializes in cybersecurity, risk and compliance services and works with some of the world's leading companies, institutions and governments to ensure the safety of their information and their compliance with applicable regulations.

"Tevora has a great track record of protecting their customers' intellectual property, data, reputation and brand," said Rick Hofmann, vice president of North American Channels and Alliances. "We are excited to have our persistent data-protection solutions as part of their security and professional services offerings."

PKWARE's Smartcrypt Platform will be available through Tevora's cybersecurity, risk, and compliance services group, and PKWARE will use their consulting services to determine the best application of their encryption platform to customer business challenges. In addition, Tevora will work closely with PKWARE's Sales and Technical resources in the field.

"Tevora is known for assisting clients in adding value to their organizations by developing strategic solutions that transform security into an integral part of the enterprise," said Tevora CEO and Founder, Ray Zadjmool. "Having PKWARE in our suite of solutions is the next step in providing data security for our clients."

About PKWARE

For three decades, PKWARE has provided encryption and compression software to more than 30,000 enterprise customers, including 200 government entities. Inventor of the .ZIP file format, PKWARE's smart encryption security solutions armor the data itself and eliminate vulnerabilities wherever data is used, shared, and stored.

About Tevora

Tevora works with some of the world's leading companies, institutions and governments to ensure the safety of their information and their compliance with applicable regulations. With a distinctive combination of proven products and services, Tevora aids enterprises in protecting their most important assets from external and internal threats. Founded in 2003, Tevora is headquartered in Lake Forest, CA.

SOURCE PKWARE

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BOSTON, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Actifio, the copy data virtualization company, today announced that Pro Logic, a leading solutions and services provider, has deployed Actifio's copy data virtualization platform to improve business resiliency and availability while reducing complexity and infrastructure cost. With Actifio, Pro Logic can now analyze its customers' data and business processes to ensure high availability for both daily data access requirements and in the event of a need to recover from a severe outage.

Pro Logic architects and delivers agile, efficient, and reliable data infrastructure solutions based on its customers real world and hands-on experiences. The company streamlines and simplifies data and storage management environments, and designs more scalable and responsive solutions that reduce the time and costs to provision and manage IT resources. Customers mainly look to Pro Logic for services in data management & disaster recovery, data protection & breach prevention, and IT operational process management.

Actifio enables Pro Logic to offer SLA-driven services to its customers while reducing cost, risk and complexity, helping them to gain more insights from their data while addressing the unprecedented challenges posed by the explosion of data in a virtual world.

"We strive to be not just a solutions provider, but a trusted advisor to our customers, understanding their business and helping architect new solutions to improve their business goals," said Frank Rodriquez, Senior Account Executive at Pro Logic. "Our partnership with Actifio will allow us to bring our customers the best solutions and services for a data-driven world."

"As a trusted advisor to its clients, Pro Logic is helping customers navigate and solve their data management problems and concerns," said Ash Ashutosh, CEO at Actifio. "Partnering with companies like Pro Logic allows us to bring the power of copy data virtualization to more new customers, to better protect their businesses while reducing their costs."

About Pro Logic Systems

Pro Logic Systems is a preeminent solutions and services provider that architects and delivers agile, efficient, and reliable data infrastructure solutions based on real world and hands-on experiences. Our strategy is simple, Pro Logic Systems assembled the strongest technical team with the innate ability to understand client needs. Pro Logic delivers services from a business perspective  allowing our resources to architect solutions that encompass our clients' organizational needs. Pro Logic Systems streamlines and simplifies data and storage management environments; and designs more scalable and responsive solutions that reduce the time and costs to provision and manage IT resources. Recognized for our innovative approach, Pro Logic Systems brings 'insights' to our clients to help them best address the unprecedented challenges posed by the explosion of data in a virtual (and compliant) world. For more, visit Prologicsystems.com.

About Actifio

Actifio virtualizes the data that's the lifeblood of businesses in more than 30 countries around the world. Its Virtual Data Pipeline technology enables businesses to manage, access, and protect their data faster, more efficiently, and more simply by decoupling data from physical storage, much the same way a hypervisor decouples compute from physical servers. To accelerate toward hybrid cloud architectures, build higher quality applications faster, and improve business resiliency and availability, Actifio is the first and only enterprise class copy data virtualization platform. For more, visit Actifio.com or follow us on Twitter @Actifio.

Media Contact:

Meredith Kelly

Bite for Actifio

[email protected]

SOURCE Actifio

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LOS ANGELES and DALLAS, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OriginClear Inc. (OTC/QB: OCLN), a leading provider of water treatment solutions, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Dallas-based Progressive Water Treatment Inc. (PWT), recently completed the installation and startup of a $2 million boiler feedwater system for a power plant operated by a major Midwestern public utility. The project utilized all Dow Chemical products.

This is the third large power plant project that PWT designed, built, installed and successfully started up in 2016, bringing the total such orders to approximately $3.5 million for the year. The assignment was to replace an aging water treatment system dating back to the 80s, and has doubled plant capacity.

"Dow and Progressive Water Treatment have partnered to develop several treatment systems over the past 12 years," said Dow Chemical's Senior Account Manager, Tom McCandless. "PWT was the first original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in North America to design and build a system using 100 percent Dow products. We're addressing industry standards for better quality and reliability and we're looking forward to serving as the supplier on this new contract."

"PWT has built an excellent reputation over the twenty plus years of serving the water treatment industry with its design and build systems. We count several large public utilities among our longtime clients," said Marc Stevens, PWT's President. "This project was installed in one of our client's power plants in the South, and treats an onsite groundwater source for high pressure boiler feedwater. The primary processes to treat the ground water are Ultrafiltration, Reverse Osmosis and Electrodeionization, all sourced from Dow Chemical."

"The acquisition of Progressive Water Treatment, just over a year ago, has more than fulfilled our expectations," stated Bill Charneski, President of the OriginClear Group. "We continue in our strategy to build a group of water treatment service companies that provide all market applications with all water treatment technologies. OriginClear intends to become the United States of Water."

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About Progressive Water Treatment, Inc.

Progressive Water Inc., of the OriginClear Group, designs and manufactures a complete line of water treatment systems for municipal, industrial and pure water applications. The company utilizes a wide range of technologies, including chemical injection, media filters, membrane, ion exchange and SCADA technology, in turnkey systems. The company also offers a broad range of services including maintenance contracts, retrofits and replacement assistance. In addition, PWT rents equipment in contracts of varying duration. Customers are primarily served in the United States and Canada, with the company's reach extending worldwide from Japan to Argentina to the Middle East.

About OriginClear, Inc.

OriginClear is a leading provider of water treatment solutions and the developer of a breakthrough water cleanup technology serving the rapidly growing $500 billion world market. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, OriginClear provides systems and services to treat water in a wide range of industries, such as municipal, pharmaceutical, semiconductors, industrial, and oil & gas. To rapidly grow this segment of the business, we strategically acquire profitable and well-managed water treatment companies, which allow us to expand our global market presence and technical expertise. To enable a new era of clean and socially responsible water treatment solutions, we invented Electro Water Separation, a breakthrough high-speed water cleanup technology using multi-stage electrolysis, that we license worldwide to water treatment equipment manufacturers. Water is our most valuable resource, and the mission of the "Family of OriginClear Companies" is to improve the quality of water and help return it to its original and clear condition. To learn more about OriginClear, please visit our website at www.originclear.com.

OriginClear Safe Harbor Statement:

Matters discussed in this release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this update, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "may," "intend," "expect" and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of the Company and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with our history of losses and our need to raise additional financing, the acceptance of our products and technology in the marketplace, our ability to demonstrate the commercial viability of our products and technology and our need to increase the size of our organization. Further information on the Company's risk factors is contained in the Company's quarterly and annual reports as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

Press Contact:

Kaitlyn Finegan

Antenna Group

415-977-1914

[email protected]

Investor Relations OriginClear:

Tom Becker

Toll-free: 877-999-OOIL (6645) Ext. 3

International: +1-323-939-6645 Ext. 3

Fax: 323-315-2301

[email protected]

www.OriginClear.com

SOURCE OriginClear, Inc.

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MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global consulting firm Protiviti has promoted Susan Haseley from managing director to executive vice president. Haseley has had a number of responsibilities at Protiviti including leader of the firm's global Healthcare and Life Sciences Industry practice, leader of the Dallas market and, since 2010, leader of the firm's Diversity and Inclusion initiative. An accomplished business advisor to clients, Haseley has also excelled at developing opportunities for Protiviti employees. Under her leadership, the firm's Dallas office has been recognized multiple times as one of the best places to work in Texas.

Haseley will continue to drive the diversity and inclusion initiative in her executive role, as part of the firm's commitment to promoting an environment of inclusion with equal access to opportunity and advancement. Among the policies and best practices she has implemented at Protiviti were the establishment of employee network groups that serve employees interested in various initiatives and issues regarding communities including women, parents, military veterans, multi-cultural and LGBTQ. In addition to her executive team responsibilities, Haseley will continue to lead the Dallas office and will work closely with key clients in the market.

In the fall of 2016, Haseley was recognized in the Excellence in Leadership category of Consulting magazine's Women Leaders in Consulting awards. The prestigious award honors top female executives for achievements in the consulting industry.

"Susan is a welcome addition to our executive leadership team," said Protiviti President and CEO Joseph Tarantino. "This achievement reflects her career success serving clients, and also her dynamic leadership of our diversity and inclusion initiative, which enables Protiviti to offer our employees a truly inclusive and collaborative workplace. Our consultants' diverse range of backgrounds and experiences helps us offer the most creative and effective solutions to our clients."

With more than 30 years of experience focused on risk and technology consulting and internal audit services, Haseley has been with Protiviti since the firm's inception in 2002. She will report directly to President and CEO Joseph Tarantino.

Haseley received her MBA from the University of Dallas and bachelor's degree in information systems from Ohio University. She holds the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and the Project Management Professional (PMP) certifications and is trained as a Six Sigma Green Belt. Haseley is a member of several professional organizations, including The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) where she serves on the International IT Guidance Committee; Information Systems Audit and Control Association (lSACA); the Association of Healthcare Internal Auditors (AHIA); the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) and the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA).

Haseley serves on the board of the Dallas chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and participates on the Dallas Chamber Executive Women's Roundtable. She is active in community service through various organizations including the National Charity League and the Dallas chapter of Junior Achievement.

About Protiviti

Protiviti (www.protiviti.com) is a global consulting firm that delivers deep expertise, objective insights, a tailored approach and unparalleled collaboration to help leaders confidently face the future. Through its network of more than 70 offices in over 20 countries, Protiviti and its independently owned Member Firms provide clients with consulting solutions in finance, technology, operations, data, analytics, governance, risk and internal audit.

Protiviti has served more than 60 percent of Fortune 1000 and 35 percent of Fortune Global 500 companies. The firm also works with smaller, growing companies, including those looking to go public, as well as with government agencies. Protiviti is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half (NYSE: RHI). Founded in 1948, Robert Half is a member of the S&P 500 index.

Protiviti is not licensed or registered as a public accounting firm and does not issue opinions on financial statements or offer attestation services. Protiviti is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.

SOURCE Protiviti

Related Links

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Acquisition will combine Q4's disruptive technology with CapMark Clarity's market intelligence expertise to bring unprecedented speed and accuracy to shareholder identification in the UK and Europe

LONDON, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Q4 Inc., a global leader in cloud-based investor relations and capital market solutions, is announcing the acquisition of CapMark Clarity, a provider of shareholder ID and market intelligence to UK and European markets. CapMark Clarity will be merged into Q4's intelligence division, and Amit Sanghvi, CEO of CapMark Clarity, will join as senior director, international advisory.

With more than a decade of experience, CapMark Clarity set a new standard for traditional investor relations services in Europe. CapMark Clarity introduced its proprietary market intelligence technology and shareholder ID solutions to the market in 2012 and established itself as an innovative shareholder ID provider in Europe and AsiaPacific. The merging of CapMark Clarity's expertise with Q4's data-driven intelligence creates a new European powerhouse in market intelligence and shareholder ID solutions for IR professionals.

"I have always been impressed with the work Amit has done. Combining CapMark Clarity with our market-leading algorithms enables us to provide the fastest, most accurate and actionable intelligence to our UK and European clients," says Darrell Heaps, CEO of Q4. "We believe that our data science approach to intelligence allows us to provide a level of speed and accuracy that has not been previously available in the UK and Europe. We are excited to partner with Amit and the team at CapMark Clarity to bring these next gen solutions to the market."

Q4 uses next generation technology such as machine learning algorithms and natural language processing to automate processes for IR professionals with unprecedented speed, ease and precision. With the acquisition of CapMark Clarity, Q4's full suite of next gen IR solutions, including website, webcasting, shareholder ID and the firm's CRM and IR workflow platform, Q4 Desktop, will now be available to European customers.

"Q4 has been a real driver of technological innovation in the IR industry for several years. With its use of artificial intelligence, Q4 now leads the industry into a new era of smart technology. We look forward to leveraging this technology and empowering European IR professionals by bringing high-quality market intelligence and shareholder ID right to their fingertips," says Amit Sanghvi, founder and CEO of CapMark Clarity.

Q4's European intelligence division will operate out of London, UK. Now with more than 1,200 global clients and offices in New York, Toronto, Chicago, Copenhagen and London, Q4 is firmly positioned to continue its strong growth trajectory into 2017 and beyond.

About Q4 Inc.

Q4 is a global leader in cloud-based investor relations and capital market solutions. Thousands of brands around the world use Q4 website, webcasting, CRM, analytics and surveillance solutions to better connect with their investors and understand the capital markets. In June 2016, Q4 launched Q4 Desktop, the industry's first fully integrated investor relations platform, which integrates communications tools, surveillance and analytics into a fully featured IR workflow and CRM application. Q4 has offices in New York, Chicago, Toronto, Copenhagen, and London. Visit www.q4inc.com to learn more.

About CapMark Clarity

CapMark Clarity is an independent capital markets intelligence firm with a focus on delivering the highest quality and personal service to each of its clients. Backed by a team with over a decade of experience, CapMark Clarity sets a new standard for traditional investor relations services and leads the way into a new era of smarter investor relations.

SOURCE Q4 Inc.
TORONTO, Jan. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Sierra Metals Inc. (TSX: SMT) (BVL: SMT) ("Sierra Metals" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Cautivo Mining Inc. ("Cautivo"), has filed a preliminary prospectus (the "Preliminary Prospectus") with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, other than Quebec, for the purpose of qualifying the distribution by Sierra Metals to holders of Sierra's common shares ("Sierra Shares") of all of the issued and outstanding common shares ("Cautivo Shares") in the capital of Cautivo (the "Distribution") as a return of capital and to effect a rights offering under which recipients of Cautivo Shares under the Distribution will be entitled to purchase additional Cautivo Shares (the "Rights Offering"). The exercise price for the Rights Offering will be determined in the context of the market prior to the filing of Cautivo's final prospectus (the "Final Prospectus"). Dundee Capital Partners has been retained as managing dealer to solicit the exercise of Rights in connection with the Rights Offering. The effect of the Distribution and the Rights Offering will be to spin-off Cautivo as a standalone public company (the "Spin-Off") and to capitalize Cautivo to enable it to pursue its business plan.

On the completion of the Spin-off, Cautivo's main asset will be its indirect interest in the Las Lomas Project (the "Las Lomas Project"). Mark Brennan, President and CEO of Sierra Metals commented: "As part of an ongoing program to maximize value for Sierra shareholders and after completing an extensive review of the Company's assets in Peru, Sierra Metals has decided to spin-out to existing shareholders its 100% owned Las Lomas Project, consisting of approximately 32,000 hectares of greenfield exploration properties located in northern Peru, into a new public entity named Cautivo Mining. The Las Lomas Project is not considered to be part of the Company's core focus going forward. Furthermore, management and the Board of Directors believe the value of the Las Lomas Project is not fully reflected in the current share price of Sierra Metals and that the spin-out would reduce the Company's concession maintenance liability and allow for the accelerated exploration and development of the properties, enhancing value to Sierra shareholders.".

Certain details of the Distribution and the Rights Offering, including the number of Cautivo Shares to be received by shareholders of the Company for each Sierra Share held, the number of rights ("Rights") to be distributed, the subscription price for Cautivo Shares under the Rights Offering, the total size of the Rights Offering and the timing of the Distribution and the Rights Offering have not been finalized. Such details will be contained in the Final Prospectus, if any. Complete details of the Distribution and the Rights Offering, including the tax treatment of the Distribution, will also be contained in the Final Prospectus which will be sent to each holder of Sierra Shares and which will be made accessible on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under Cautivo's profile.

In connection with the Distribution, Sierra Metals intends to effect a reduction in the stated capital of the Sierra Shares in an amount equal to the aggregate fair market value of the Cautivo Shares to be distributed under the Distribution. Such a reduction will require the approval of the holders of Sierra Shares. Accordingly, a meeting of the shareholders of Sierra Metals has been called for 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time) on February 16, 2017 (the "Meeting") for the purpose of considering a special resolution to approve the stated capital reduction. The completion of the Distribution and the Rights Offering is conditional on at least two-thirds of the votes cast by holders of Sierra Shares at the Meeting being in favour of the stated capital reduction. In this regard, Sierra Metals has filed a notice of meeting and management information circular in connection with the Meeting (the "Circular'). The Circular is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile.

The Preliminary Prospectus contains important information relating to the Cautivo Shares and the Rights and is still subject to completion or amendment. A copy of the Preliminary Prospectus is available under Cautivo's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There will not be any distribution of the Cautivo Shares or the Rights until a receipt for the Final Prospectus has been issued.

About Sierra Metals

Sierra Metals is Canadian based growth oriented mining company with production from its polymetallic Yauricocha Mine in Peru, its Bolivar Copper Mine and its Cusi Silver Mine in Mexico. The Company recently completed a very successful operational improvements program at it Yauricocha mine and is now focused on completing similar programs at its other operations. Sierra Metals continues to grow its mineral resources with several exciting brownfield opportunities such as the successful Esperanza Zone at the Yauricocha Mine which went from first discovery to mining in less than one year. The Company has numerous other brownfield exploration opportunities at all three of its mines within or very close to existing mining infrastructure. The Sierra Shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") under the symbol "SMT" and on the Lima Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Valores de Lima).

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this press release may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations or beliefs as to future events or results. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to information with respect to expectations regarding completion of the Spin-Off, the expected effects of the Spin-Off on Sierra Metals and expectations for other economic and business factors. These statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Continue to watch our progress at:

Web: www.sierrametals.com

Twitter: sierrametals

Facebook: SierraMetalsInc

LinkedIn: Sierra Metals Inc

SOURCE Sierra Metals Inc.

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AURORA, Colo., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) reached another milestone in developing the U.S. Air Force Global Positioning System Next-Generation Operational Control System, known as GPS OCX, with the completion of the Factory Qualification Test of the Launch and Checkout System (LCS). GPS OCX will unleash dramatically increased performance and security of the GPS system that benefits millions of people worldwide.

Raytheon tested 74 OCX segment requirements at its Aurora, Colorado, factory in a cyber-hardened environment, verifying that the LCS is well on its way to meeting U.S. Air Force requirements. Next, the remaining OCX segment requirements will be qualified in a retest period, and those requiring external interfaces will be qualified onsite at Schriever Air Force Base prior to delivery of the overall OCX LCS in 2017. The final phase of testing  Site Acceptance Testing  will follow the delivery of the system.

"The completion of the Factory Qualification Test proves we can meet the U.S. Air Force requirements and are on a path to delivering the OCX LCS in 2017," said Bill Sullivan, vice president and program manager for Raytheon's GPS OCX. "This critical system will enable the launch of the GPS III satellites, which represents the first major capability deployment in the U.S Air Force's effort to modernize GPS."

The Factory Qualification Test achievement builds upon other OCX milestones achieved in 2016, including:

Completion of Black Wide Area Network testing of unclassified external interfaces for GPS OCX with perfect scores on mission capability and cyber controls

100 percent requirements pass rate on Electro-Magnetic Interference testing on the OCX Monitor Station Receiver Element, or OMSRE

Successful Critical Design Review for OMSRE hardware development

Completion of the LCS component-level qualification test

Risk-reduction testing functional checkout for the OCX ground system software, demonstrating OCX's capabilities for precision navigation and timing in a fully cyber-hardened environment

The U.S. Air Force-led GPS Modernization Program will yield new positioning, navigation and timing capabilities for U.S. military and civilian users across the globe. Developed by Raytheon under contract to the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, GPS OCX is replacing the current GPS operational control system and will support the launch of the GPS III satellites. The new system will provide enhanced performance, the effective use of modern civil and military signals and secure information-sharing with unprecedented cyber protection.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2015 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 94 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter.

Media Contacts

Raytheon

Michelle Lammers

+1.720.858.5777

[email protected]

SOURCE Raytheon

Related Links

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WEST MELBOURNE, Fla., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- RELM Wireless Corporation (NYSE MKT: RWC), a holding company focused on the public safety industry, today announced a number of leadership changes. The Board of RELM Wireless created an Executive Committee of the Board of Directors consisting of Kyle Cerminara as the committee's Chairman and Tim O'Neil, who will continue to serve as the Chairman of the Board of Directors. The Executive Committee will work closely with management to oversee the business and affairs of RELM Wireless and evaluate strategic investments with the objective of improving the growth and profitability of the Company.

"We believe there is significant opportunity to improve the financial performance at RELM Wireless," said Kyle Cerminara, Chairman of the Executive Committee of RELM Wireless and CEO of Fundamental Global Investors. "RELM Wireless has a long track record of providing innovative products and services to the public safety industry. The Executive Committee and the leadership of RELM Wireless will work tirelessly to increase the company's capabilities and to grow the company over the long-run."

The Board of Directors of the Company also announced the promotion of Tim Vitou to President of RELM Wireless. Tim Vitou has served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing of RELM Wireless since May 2008 and has been a critical driver of the recent increase of sales at the Company. Tim Vitou will work closely with the newly created Executive Committee and will be responsible for the day to day sales and operations of the Company. David Storey, who has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of RELM Wireless will be departing the Company, effective Tuesday, January 17, 2017.

Lewis Johnson, Board Member of RELM Wireless and President of Fundamental Global Investors added, "We are looking forward to working with Tim Vitou, the senior management team and the Board of Directors to enhance shareholder value. Fundamental Global Investors is very excited about the future of RELM Wireless. We wish David Storey good luck in his future endeavors and we thank him for his many years of service to RELM Wireless."

RELM Wireless also announced the appointment of General Gray Payne to the Board of Directors to replace the vacancy created by the resignation of Don Goebert, who has served on the Board of Directors of RELM Wireless for several decades.

General Payne has served as Senior Vice President of The Columbia Group ("TCG"), where he has been responsible for managing the Marine Corps Programs Division (since September 2010) and the Navy Programs Division (since October 2013), with combined revenue of approximately $29 million. TCG is a federal consulting firm working with the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, NOAA and private clients. TCG consults in the areas of logistics, acquisitions, program management, information technology, training, marine architecture and engineering, and command and control systems. Since December 2011, General Payne has also provided consulting services to and served on the Advisory Council of Marstel-Day, LLC, located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, which consults in the areas of conservation, environmental compliance, and encroachment. Prior to September 2010, General Payne was on active duty with the Marine Corps for 10 years, retiring as a Major General. Prior to March 2001, he worked with a number of companies in various capacities, including as a management consultant, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Executive Officer. General Payne currently serves on two non-profit boards: The Marine Corps Association (since 2004) and the Marine Corps Association Foundation (since 2010). He brings extensive strategic, operational and leadership experience to the Board.

Tim O'Neil, Chairman of the Board of Directors commented, "We would like to welcome General Gray Payne to the RELM Wireless Board. We are excited about his extensive experience and believe he will be a valuable addition to the Board. We would like to thank Don Goebert for his many years of service to the company and we hope Don will remain a friend of RELM Wireless for many years to come."

About RELM Wireless Corporation

As an American Manufacturer for almost 70 years, RELM Wireless Corporation has produced highspecification twoway communications equipment of unsurpassed reliability and value for use by public safety professionals and government agencies, as well as radios for use in a wide range of commercial and industrial applications. Advances include a broad new line of leading digital twoway radios compliant with APCO Project 25 specifications. RELM's products are manufactured and distributed worldwide under BK Radio and RELM brand names. The Company maintains its headquarters in West Melbourne, Florida and can be contacted through its web site at www.relm.com or directly at 18008212900. The Company's common stock trades on the NYSE MKT market under the symbol "RWC".

SOURCE RELM Wireless Corporation

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http://www.relm.com


WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Reynolds American Inc. (NYSE: RAI) today announced that it has reached an agreement with British American Tobacco p.l.c. (LSE: BATS) under which BAT will acquire the 57.8% of RAI common stock that BAT does not currently own for $29.44 per share in cash and a number of BAT American Depositary Shares representing 0.5260 of a BAT ordinary share, currently worth $30.20 per share based on the BAT closing share price as of January 16, 2017, and the corresponding Dollar-Sterling exchange rate.

The per-share price represents a 26.4% premium to RAI's closing price as of October 20, 2016, the day prior to BAT's public proposal to acquire the outstanding shares that BAT does not currently own. Under the terms of the agreement, RAI shareholders will receive for each share of RAI common stock they own, $29.44 in cash and a number of BAT American Depositary Shares representing 0.5260 of a BAT ordinary share. The BAT American Depositary Shares will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. RAI shareholders will own approximately 19% of the combined company.

The transaction has been approved by the independent directors of RAI who formed a transaction committee to negotiate with BAT, given BAT's existing ownership stake and representation on RAI's board of directors, and by the boards of directors of both companies.

Following the transaction, the combined companies become a stronger, truly global tobacco and Next Generation Products company, delivering sustained long-term profit growth and returns. It will maintain a presence in both profitable developed and high-growth developing markets while bringing together a compelling and complementary global portfolio of strong brands including Newport, Kent and Pall Mall. The companies' combined next-generation product development and R&D capabilities will create an innovative pipeline of vapor and tobacco-heating products, delivering both an array of new product options for adult tobacco consumers, as well as diversified sources of profit growth opportunities for investors.

"Through this transaction, we form an industry leader that will focus on innovation and brand building," said Susan M. Cameron, executive chairman of Reynolds American's board of directors. "This combination will create a truly global tobacco company with multiple iconic tobacco brands, and a world-class pipeline of next-generation vapor and tobacco-heating products."

"The transaction delivers significant value to RAI shareholders, and the independent directors on the transaction committee have unanimously voted in favor of the transaction," said Lionel L. Nowell, III, lead independent director of Reynolds American's board of directors. "This is an agreement that offers a compelling premium to shareholders, as well as continued ownership in a company that is well-positioned for long-term success."

"We look forward to bringing together the two companies' highly complementary cultures and shared commitment to innovation and transformation in our industry," said Debra A. Crew, Reynolds American's president and chief executive officer. "British American Tobacco is the best partner for Reynolds American's next phase of growth, and together the two companies will create the leading portfolio of tobacco and next-generation products for adult tobacco consumers."

"We are very pleased to have reached agreement with the board of Reynolds American as we believe that the combination of our two great companies has a very compelling strategic and financial logic that will provide a lasting benefit to shareholders, employees and all other stakeholders," said Nicandro Durante, British American Tobacco's chief executive officer. "This transaction will not only create a truly global business with a world-class portfolio of tobacco and next-generation products, but will also benefit from the highly talented and experienced employees in both organizations. We believe that this will drive long-term sustainable profit growth for the benefit of all shareholders."

British American Tobacco has a strong track record of successfully integrating acquisitions and remains committed to Reynolds American's U.S. workforce and manufacturing facilities.

The cash component of the transaction will be financed by a combination of existing cash resources, new bank credit lines and the issuance of new bonds. A $25bn acquisition facility has been entered into with a syndicate of banks to provide financing certainty. The acquisition facility comprises $15bn and $5bn bridge loans with 1- and 2-year maturities respectively, each with two six-month extensions available at BAT's option. In addition, the facility includes two $2.5bn term loans with maturities of 3 and 5 years. BAT intends to refinance the bridge loans through capital market debt issuances in due course.

The transaction is subject to shareholder approval from both Reynolds American and BAT shareholders, as well as regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and Moore & Van Allen PLLC are acting as legal counsel, and Goldman, Sachs & Co. is acting as financial advisor to the Reynolds American transaction committee.

Jones Day is acting as legal counsel and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Lazard are acting as financial advisors to Reynolds American Inc.

Conference Call and Webcast

RAI management will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the transaction in greater detail before the market opens on Jan. 17, 2017. Details of the call are as follows:

Date and Time: Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time

Speakers: Susan M. Cameron, executive chairman

Debra A. Crew, president and chief executive officer

Andrew D. Gilchrist, chief financial officer

Robert W. Bannon, vice president of investor relations



Call-in Numbers: (877) 201-0168 (toll-free)

(647) 788-4901 (international)

Webcast registration and access: The RAI conference call will be available online on a listen-only basis in the Investors section on our website at www.reynoldsamerican.com. Registration will be available as of Jan. 17, 2017. All remarks made during the conference call will be current at the time and will not be updated to reflect subsequent material developments. A replay will be available on the website.

While news media representatives will not be permitted to ask questions during the call, they are welcome to monitor the remarks on a listen-only basis.

TRANSACTION WEBSITE

For more information on the transaction, including investor presentations and SEC filings, please visit www.BATReynolds.transactionannouncement.com.

Web and Social Media Disclosure

RAI's website, www.reynoldsamerican.com, is the primary source of publicly disclosed news, including quarterly earnings, for RAI and its operating companies. RAI also uses Twitter to publicly disseminate company news via @RAI News. It is possible that the information we post could be deemed to be material information. We encourage investors and others to register at www.reynoldsamerican.com to receive alerts when news about the company has been posted, and to follow RAI on Twitter at @RAI News.

ABOUT REYNOLDS AMERICAN

Reynolds American Inc. (NYSE: RAI) is the parent company of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc.; American Snuff Company, LLC; Niconovum USA, Inc.; Niconovum AB; and R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company is the second-largest U.S. tobacco company.

R.J. Reynolds' brands include Newport , Camel and Pall Mall.

R.J. Reynolds' brands include , Camel and Pall Mall. Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc. manufactures and markets Natural American Spirit products in the United States .

. American Snuff Company, LLC is the nation's second-largest manufacturer of smokeless tobacco products. Its leading brands are Grizzly and Kodiak.

Niconovum USA , Inc. and Niconovum AB market innovative nicotine replacement therapy products in the United States and Sweden , respectively, under the ZONNIC brand name.

, Inc. and Niconovum AB market innovative nicotine replacement therapy products in and , respectively, under the ZONNIC brand name. R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company is a marketer of digital vapor cigarettes, manufactured on its behalf by R.J. Reynolds, under the VUSE brand name in the United States .

Copies of RAI's news releases, annual reports, SEC filings and other financial materials, including risk factors containing forward-looking information, are available at www.reynoldsamerican.com. To learn more about how Reynolds American and its operating companies are transforming the tobacco industry, visit Transforming Tobacco.

ABOUT BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO

BAT is a global tobacco group with brands sold in more than 200 markets. It employs more than 50,000 people worldwide and has over 200 brands in its portfolio, with its cigarettes chosen by around one in eight of the world's one billion smokers. BAT has market leading positions in at least 55 markets around the world. The Group generated 5 billion adjusted profit from operations in 2015.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements included in this communication that are not historical in nature, including financial estimates and statements as to regulatory approvals and the expected timing, completion and effects of the proposed transaction, are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this communication and in documents incorporated by reference, forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the benefits of the proposed transaction, including future financial and operating results, financial forecasts or projections, the combined company's plans, expectations, beliefs, intentions and future strategies, and other statements that are not historical facts, and other statements that are signified by the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "objective," "outlook," "plan," "project," "predict," "possible," "potential," "could," "should" and similar expressions. These statements regarding future events or the future performance or results of Reynolds American Inc. ("RAI") and its subsidiaries or the combined company inherently are subject to a variety of risks, contingencies and other uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those described in or implied by the forward-looking statements.

Among the risks, contingencies and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those described in the forward-looking statements or could result in the failure of the proposed transaction to be consummated, or if consummated, could have an adverse effect on the results of operations, cash flows and financial position of RAI or the combined company, respectively, are the following: the failure to obtain necessary shareholder approvals for the proposed transaction; the failure to obtain necessary regulatory or other approvals for the proposed transaction, or if obtained, the possibility of being subjected to conditions that could reduce the expected synergies and other benefits of the proposed transaction, result in a material delay in, or the abandonment of, the proposed transaction or otherwise have an adverse effect on RAI or the combined company; the failure to satisfy required closing conditions or complete the proposed transaction in a timely manner or at all; the effect of restrictions placed on RAI's and its subsidiaries' business activities and the limitations put on RAI's ability to pursue alternatives to the proposed transaction pursuant to the merger agreement; risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction; the failure to realize projected synergies and other benefits from the proposed transaction; failure to promptly and effectively integrate RAI into British American Tobacco p.l.c. ("BAT"); the uncertainty of the value of the proposed transaction consideration that RAI shareholders will receive in the proposed transaction due to a fixed exchange ratio and a potential fluctuation in the market price of BAT common stock; the difference in rights provided to RAI shareholders under North Carolina law, the RAI articles of incorporation and the RAI bylaws, as compared to the rights RAI shareholders will obtain as BAT shareholders under the laws of England and Wales and BAT's governing documents; the possibility of RAI's and BAT's directors and officers having interests in the proposed transaction that are different from, or in addition to, the interests of RAI shareholders generally; the effect of the announcement of the proposed transaction on the ability to retain and hire key personnel, maintain business relationships, and on operating results and businesses generally; the incurrence of significant pre- and post-transaction related costs in connection with the proposed transaction; evolving legal, regulatory and tax regimes; and the occurrence of any event giving rise to the right of a party to terminate the merger agreement. Discussions of additional risks, contingencies and uncertainties are contained in RAI's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").

Due to these risks, contingencies and other uncertainties, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this communication. Except as provided by federal securities laws, RAI is not under any obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation, to update, alter or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This communication may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed transaction involving RAI and BAT. In connection with the proposed transaction, BAT will file with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-4 that will include the proxy statement of RAI that also constitutes a prospectus of BAT. RAI plans to mail the definitive proxy statement/prospectus to its shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BAT, RAI, THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and shareholders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC by RAI and BAT through the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and shareholders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC by RAI, when available, by contacting RAI Investor Relations at [email protected] or by calling (336) 741-5165 or at RAI's website at www.reynoldsamerican.com, and will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC by BAT, when available, by contacting BAT Investor Relations at [email protected] or by calling +44 (0) 20 7845 1000 or at BAT'S website at www.bat.com.

RAI, BAT and their respective directors and executive officers and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from RAI shareholders in respect of the proposed transaction that will be described in the proxy statement/prospectus. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from RAI shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus when it is filed with the SEC. You may also obtain the documents that RAI files electronically from the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov. Information regarding RAI's directors and executive officers is contained in RAI's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and its Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, dated March 23, 2016, as supplemented, which are filed with the SEC. Information regarding BAT's directors and executive officers is contained in BAT's Annual Reports, which may be obtained free of charge from BAT's website at www.bat.com.

This communication is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities in any jurisdiction pursuant to the acquisition, the merger or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

SOURCE Reynolds American Inc.

Related Links

http://www.rjrt.com


On a trip to Manila in 2014, President Barack Obama was pressed by reporters about the weakness of his foreign policy, especially in Syria and Ukraine.

He responded sharply, Why is it that everybody is so eager to use military force after weve just gone through a decade of war? Many who were proponents of  a disastrous decision to go into Iraq havent really learned the lesson of the last decade, and they keep on just playing the same note over and over.

That response (later abbreviated into dont do stupid stuff) summarizes the core of Obamas foreign policy  and where it went wrong.

Whether the problem was Syria, Ukraine or the South China Sea, the task was to avoid the mistakes George W. Bush made by sending troops to Baghdad. Americans elected Obama because they were tired of foreign conflicts.

So far, so good, but the premise was insufficient. A robust foreign policy didnt have to repeat the military adventures of the Bush years, and projecting strength didnt require sending in the Marines.

Instead, the way Obama chose to retrench convinced friends and adversaries that America was in retreat  and bad actors rushed to fill the vacuum. The results werent what Obama intended or expected. But, then, the world of 2017 isnt the world he envisioned in 2008. Ironically, Obama was never opposed to using force abroad if there was no other option. Indeed, he shocked the crowd at his (premature) Nobel Peace Prize ceremony by making that clear. But the new president sought to offload the global policing role America had been carrying. He assumed that allies would and could take on some of those duties.

Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the worlds problems alone, he advised in his first address to the U.N. General Assembly in 2009.

He also assumed that, if he engaged longtime adversaries, including Russia, Iran and China, he could convince them it was in their interest to play by global rules. Both of Obamas key assumptions proved incorrect.

Allies proved incapable of taking on the role Obama hoped for, without a firmer U.S. leadership component. In Iraq, the presidents eagerness to withdraw on a 2011 deadline (set by the Bush team) meant the Obama administration paid too little attention to a budding Islamic State insurgency in Mosul that might have been nipped early.

In Afghanistan, Obama was so frustrated by the Karzai government that he set a public deadline for troop withdrawal  which inspired the Taliban to resist a peace deal.

In both cases, the administration has had to return U.S. military trainers and special forces to deal with continuing terrorist threats.

Then, in Libya, the presidents hope that NATO allies would do the nation-building after the removal of Moammar Gadhafi, proved unfounded. After Libya, Obama concluded that intervention  urged on him by the Europeans and Arab allies  was a mistake that shouldnt be repeated in Syria.

Fast forward to the bleeding Syrian disaster, which may define Obamas foreign policy legacy. We will never know whether U.S. help to (still existent) moderate Syrian rebels in 2012 might have forced Bashar Assad to the negotiating table. (I still believe so).

But we do know that Obamas last-minute failure in October 2013 to follow through on his own red line  to punish Assad for the use of chemical weapons  convinced the world, the Russians and Iran, that he was weak-kneed. Even his use of drones, and the belated U.S. buildup of Iraqi forces to take on the Islamic State, hasnt changed that impression.

Vladimir Putin no doubt included that in his calculations when invading Crimea in February 2014. While Obama should get credit for mobilizing sanctions on Moscow, he might have forestalled Putins incursion into eastern Ukraine with immediate defensive aid to Kiev.

A stronger U.S. stand in Ukraine might have made the Russian leader think twice before starting his massive military involvement in Syria. And so on.

The bottom line: Obamas dream of an interconnected, rules-based world adhered to by allies and adversaries, proved to be mostly a fantasy. I say mostly, since Obama made headway on a climate-change treaty and Asian nations lined up with Washington on the TPP trade deal, which was meant to buffer them against Beijing. Both these gains will disappear under President Trump.

However, that rules-based world is crumbling under pressures of globalization and a return of geopolitics. China took notice of Russias successful aggression and built up shoals in the South China Seas. Iran has signed a (useful) nuclear accord but wont stop destabilizing the Middle East. Terrorism will not die after the Islamic State does.

Yet allies in Europe, the Mideast and Asia are now desperately looking to Washington to help them fight back against Russian, Chinese and Iranian pressures. They may finally be ready to share more of the burden, militarily and financially, because the world has become so scary. It will be tragic if Trump  handed this opportunity  continues to disdain the European Union, rebuff NATO and embrace Russia in the illusion that Moscow will act as an ally.

Obamas error was to draw the wrong lesson from the Iraq disaster, interpreting it as a sign the United States must withdraw from paramount global leadership. But a Trump America First strategy will compound that error. Washington is doomed to lead or  if it no longer has the will or wallet  suffer the consequences at home and abroad.
Mr. Smith joins EMD Serono from Novartis, where he was most recently Vice President and US Head of Sales & Operations of the Cardiovascular franchise. During his 18 years with Novartis, Mr. Smith held roles of increasing responsibility across the commercial business including Executive Director and Head of the organization's Transplant franchise as well as positions in Customer Segment Marketing, Strategy & Commercial Operations for the US Specialty Medicines franchise, Brand Managed Markets strategy, pricing and contracting for the Neuroscience franchise. He began his career at Novartis as a sales representative.

"We have a longstanding focus on providing comprehensive solutions in the areas of fertility and endocrinology care through innovative products as well as financial, educational and emotional support," said Gary Zieziula, President and Managing Director of EMD Serono. "Adding Richard's expertise, passion and industry knowledge to our strong and committed team will ensure that we are well-positioned to further meet the needs of patients and customers."

EMD Serono is a long-standing leader in commercializing biologic and specialty pharmaceuticals in fertility and endocrinology. EMD Serono's GONAL-f [follitropin alfa for injection] is the world's first and most-widely prescribed recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone (r-hFSH). In 2016, EMD Serono celebrated the 20th anniversary of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of Serostim [somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection]. Serostim has been an important treatment for a subset of HIV positive patients affected by HIV Associated Wasting. EMD Serono also markets Saizen [somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection] for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency.

Mr. Smith succeeds Craig Millian, who was recently appointed Senior Vice President, U.S. Neurology and Immunology.

Mr. Smith received his Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Management from Carson-Newman College.

CONSUMER INDICATION and IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION

GONAL-f (follitropin alfa for injection) and GONAL-f RFF (follitropin alfa for injection)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPER USE AND RISKS OF GONAL-f (follitropin alfa for injection) and GONAL-f RFF* (follitropin alfa for injection)

What are the uses of Gonal-f (follitropin alfa for injection) and Gonal-f RFF* (follitropin alfa for injection)?

Gonal-f Multi-Dose and Gonal-f RFF are 2 products that contain follitropin alfa, which is similar to the human hormone follicle-stimulating hormone, referred to as FSH. FSH belongs to a group of human reproductive hormones.

Gonal-f Multi-Dose and Gonal-f RFF are used in certain infertile women to help with ovulation (production and release of a mature egg) and pregnancy. Gonal-f will not help women whose ovaries no longer work because of a condition called Primary Ovarian Failure. Gonal-f may also be used in women who are in an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) program such as in vitro fertilization to help their ovaries make more eggs.

Gonal-f Multi-Dose can also be prescribed to increase sperm production in men with a rare condition that affects sperm production.

Both products should be prescribed only by doctors specializing in infertility problems and their treatment.

Who should not use Gonal-f and Gonal-f RFF?

Gonal-f Multi-Dose and Gonal-f RFF should not be used in patients who are pregnant or think they might be pregnant, in patients with primary ovarian failure (the ovaries no longer produce eggs), or in patients with allergies to recombinant human FSH products or any other ingredients in the medication. Patients with cancer of the sex organs or brain, or with uncontrolled thyroid or adrenal disease, should not use Gonal-f Multi-Dose or Gonal-f RFF. Women with a history of abnormal bleeding from the uterus or vagina or with swollen, enlarged, or painful ovaries should speak to their doctor before starting treatment.

What are the possible side effects of Gonal-f and Gonal-f RFF?

The lowest dose expected to achieve the desired results should be used. A doctor should monitor a woman's response often to avoid overdose, which can lead to serious side effects, including blood clots. Women should contact their doctor if severe pain or bloating in the stomach or pelvic area, severe upset stomach, vomiting, or weight gain are experienced during treatment. These could be signs of a rare but serious condition known as Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome, or OHSS, which can result in hospitalization.

Use of Gonal-f Multi-Dose or Gonal-f RFF by a woman can be associated with fertilization of more than 1 egg. This can lead to complications for the woman and the birth of 2 or more babies.

The most common side effects reported by women were headache, ovarian cysts, upset stomach, and sinus infection. The most common side effects reported by men taking Gonal-f Multi-Dose were skin pimples, breast pain and growth, and tiredness. Injections may cause some discomfort.

Full prescribing information for Gonal-f can be found at: http://www.emdserono.com/ms.country.us/en/images/Gonal-f_RFF_Redi-ject_PI_tcm115_140008.pdf?Version=

CONSUMER INDICATION and IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION

What is SEROSTIM (somatropin) for injection?

Serostim is an injectable prescription medicine used for the treatment of HIV-positive patients with wasting or cachexia to increase lean body mass and body weight, and improve physical endurance. Treatment with antiretroviral therapy at the same time is necessary.

You should not take SEROSTIM if you have:

A critical illness from surgery, serious injuries, or a severe breathing problem, cancer or undergoing treatment for cancer, eye problems caused by diabetes, allergies to growth hormone.

What should I tell my doctor before using SEROSTIM?

If you have cancer or had cancer in the past. If you have diabetes, are at risk for getting diabetes, or have blood sugar levels that are higher than normal. New cases of type 2 diabetes have been reported in patients taking Serostim. If you are allergic to growth hormone, or other ingredients such as benzyl alcohol, sucrose, phosphoric acid, sodium hydroxide, or metacresol. If you are taking any other medicines (both prescription or over the counter), vitamins, or supplements because these medicines may affect each other. Your doctor may need to adjust the dose of Serostim or other medicines you are taking. If you are nursing, pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Serostim passes into your breast milk or could harm your unborn baby.

What are the most common side effects of SEROSTIM reported in clinical trials in patients treated for HIV-associated wasting or cachexia?

Swelling, especially in the hands or feet. Bone, muscle, and joint pain or stiffness. Tingling and numbness. Unusual skin sensations. Breast enlargement in men. Nausea. Extreme tiredness.

Other less common but serious side effects of SEROSTIM are:

Tumors or cancerous growths. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia/diabetes) which can include symptoms of increased thirst and urination, tiredness, or trouble concentrating. Headaches, changes in vision, nausea or vomiting, which requires immediate medical attention. Serious allergic reactions that require immediate medical attention. Numbness and tingling in the hand or arm caused by a pinched nerve in the wrist. Injection site reactions (such as pain, numbness, redness, and swelling). Pain and tenderness in the abdomen, which could be a sign of a problem with the pancreas.

These are not all of the possible side effects. Let your doctor know about any side effects you experience.

How should you administer Serostim?

Patients and caregivers should be trained by a healthcare professional on how to mix and inject Serostim prior to use. Never share Serostim with another person, even if the needle is changed.Full prescribing information for Serostim can be found at: http://www.emdserono.com/ms.country.us/en/images/Serostim_PI_tcm115_140011.pdf?Version=

CONSUMER INDICATION and IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION

What is SAIZEN (somatropin) for injection?

Saizen is a prescription medicine that is used to treat growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in:

1. Children with growth failure who produce low amounts of growth hormone.

2. Adults with GHD that started as a child or as an adult.

Saizen is an injectable form of a protein called growth hormone that is produced by your body.

Who should not take SAIZEN?

Saizen should not be used in children after the growth plates have closed. Saizen should not be used in children and adults with any of the following medical conditions because serious side effects can occur: A critical illness from surgery, serious injuries, or a severe breathing problem. Prader-Willi syndrome who are severely overweight or have a history of breathing problems including sleep apnea. Cancer or other tumors. Allergies to growth hormone. Eye problems caused by diabetes

What should patients tell their doctor before taking SAIZEN?

If you have or had cancer as a child. There is an increased risk of getting another tumor if you are a childhood cancer survivor. If you have diabetes, are at risk for getting diabetes, or have blood sugar levels that are higher than normal. New cases of type 2 diabetes have been reported in patients taking Saizen. If you are allergic to growth hormone, or other ingredients such as benzyl alcohol, sucrose, phosphoric acid, sodium hydroxide, or metacresol. If you are taking any other medicines (both prescription or over the counter), vitamins, or supplements because these medicines may affect each other. Your doctor may need to adjust the dose of Saizen or other medicines you are taking. If you are nursing, pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Saizen passes into your breast milk or could harm your unborn baby

Your doctor will perform certain tests before prescribing SAIZEN and will monitor progress during the course of treatment.

What are the most common side effects of SAIZEN reported in clinical trials in patients treated for GHD?

The most common side effects reported are:

An injection site reaction such as pain, numbness, redness, and swelling. Muscle and joint pain. Tingling and numbness. Unusual skin sensations. Headache. Adults also commonly report swelling associated with fluid retention especially in the legs, arms, and face.

Other less common but serious side effects of SAIZEN are:

Tumors or cancerous growths. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia/diabetes) which can include symptoms of increased thirst and urination, tiredness, trouble concentrating and weight loss. Headaches, changes in vision, nausea or vomiting which requires immediate medical attention. Serious allergic reactions that require immediate medical attention. Hip and knee pain or a limp in children, which can be a sign that the thigh bone and hip joint may have slipped out of place. Curvature of the spine or backbone in children (scoliosis). Pain and tenderness in the abdomen, which could be a sign of a problem with the pancreas

These are not all of the possible side effects. Let your doctor know about any side effects you may experience.

How should you administer SAIZEN?

Patients and caregivers should be trained by a healthcare professional on how to mix and inject Saizen prior to use. Children should always be supervised.

Full prescribing information for Saizen can be found at: http://www.emdserono.com/ms.country.us/en/images/Saizen_Ce_Pi_tcm115_140010.pdf?Version=

About EMD Serono, Inc.

EMD Serono is the biopharmaceutical business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in the U.S. and Canada - a leading science and technology company - focused exclusively on specialty care. For more than 40 years, the business has integrated cutting-edge science, innovative products and industry-leading patient support and access programs. EMD Serono has deep expertise in neurology, fertility and endocrinology, as well as a robust pipeline of potential therapies in oncology, immuno-oncology and immunology as R&D focus areas. Today, the business has 1,200 employees around the country with commercial, clinical and research operations based in the company's home state of Massachusetts. www.emdserono.com

Your Contact:

Melissa Manganello 1-781-681-2393

SOURCE EMD Serono

Related Links

http://www.emdserono.com


LONDON, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This BCC Research report provides the recent advances and trends in manufacturing, applications, technologies, and global and regional markets for rigid transparent plastics. Forecast trends and sales in these markets are included through 2021.



Use this report to:

- Gain information about the major types of rigid transparent plastics and their future demand.

- Analyze the recent advances and trends in manufacturing, applications and technologies of the rigid transparent plastic industry.

- Gain insight into the structural dynamics of the rigid transparent plastic industry.

- Gain information about the international targets and regulations related to rigid transparent plastic industry.



Highlights

- The global market for rigid transparent plastics will grow from $16.5 billion in 2016 to nearly $21.4 billion by 2021 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3% for the period of 2016-2021.

- The polycarbonate (PC) market is the largest segment of rigid transparent plastic industry and will grow from $6.3 billion in 2016 to $8.7 billion by 2021, with a CAGR of 6.6%.

- The poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA) market is expected to increase from $2.5 billion in 2016 to $3.1 billion by 2021, with a CAGR of 4.4%.



This chapter provides a general introduction for this report, describing the study goals and objectives, reasons for doing the study, intended audience, scope, methodology, information sources and analyst credentials, and related reports published by BCC Research.



STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goal of this study is to help readers form a comprehensive understanding of the recent advances and trends in manufacturing, applications, technologies, and global and regional markets for rigid transparent plastics. In this report, rigid transparent plastics refer to rigid plastics with light transmission percentage of more than 80%.



Four objectives are met in this report. First, major types of rigid transparent plastics and the future demand for these are described. Second, main technologies of rigid transparent plastics manufacturing are discussed. Third, commercial applications in which rigid transparent plastics are used are discussed. Last, present consumption and future demand for rigid transparent plastics are divided into five world regions: China, Asia, Europe, South America and the rest of the world (ROW). The first four regions will be evaluated and analyzed. The ROW segment is very small; to simplify the analysis, this report doesn't include the ROW market. In this report, China refers to Mainland China and does not include Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; Asia does not include Mainland China, but covers Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and other Asian countries.



This report does not cover the North American rigid transparent plastics market, which is described in the separate report Rigid Transparent Plastics (code PLS003J) by Melvin Schlechter. However, North American manufacturers are addressed if they supply the above five regions.



Trends in technology are analyzed and the impact of governmental regulations and international agreements is ascertained. Patents involving rigid transparent are discussed. The structural dynamics of the rigid transparent plastic industry are outlined, along with profiles of key manufacturers in the United States, China, Japan, Korea, India, Brazil, France, Germany, Taiwan, and other countries or regions.



This report reviews global markets for rigid transparent plastics and forecasts trends and sales in these markets through 2021. Important manufacturers, technologies and factors influencing demand are discussed. The rigid transparent plastics market is closely related to the production and supply of raw materials such as ethylene, phenol and methyl methacrylate (MMA); therefore, raw material production and supplies are briefly described. BCC Research's goal in conducting this study was to determine the current status of the rigid transparent plastics industry and to assess its growth potential over the five-year period from 2016 to 2021. The primary objective is to present a comprehensive analysis of the current rigid transparent plastics market and project its future direction.



REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY

There are three main reasons for doing this study:

Resins manufacturers

1. need to understand the trends of the market and technologies to plan their investment, production, and research and development (R&D) for the next five years and longer.

2. Plastic molders need to understand the trends of technologies and markets of rigid transparent plastics.

3. The manufacturers of automobiles, medical devices, electronics, housewares, architectural materials and appliances need to understand trends in technologies and performance of rigid transparent plastics.



SCOPE OF REPORT

The report forecasts the size of the market in current U.S. dollars for rigid transparent plastics, in value terms for each material and/or in volume terms from 2016 through 2021. The North American market is not included in this study; a separate report covers that market.



In this report, rigid transparent plastics include polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA), styrene block copolymers (SBC), styrene methylmethacrylate (SMMA), cellulosic, polyamide (PA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The ABS sector will cover the technologies and production of styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), also known as acrylonitrile styrene (AS). Forecasts are classified by product type, technology type, application and geographical region. The report also describes raw materials supplies and important players in the rigid transparent plastics industry.



INTENDED AUDIENCE

The intended audience of this report includes rigid transparent plastics (PC, PVC, PS, ABS, PMMA, PP, etc.) manufacturers and suppliers. Oil companies, chemical producers and plastic molders in various industries may also have an interest in this report.



METHODOLOGY

Estimates of current market demand are made for 2016 and projected over the next five years. Projections are made in terms of constant U.S. dollars (2016). Growth is presented in terms of compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Prices are measured at the manufacturer level.



INFORMATION SOURCES

Information sources for this report include experts, executives, professors and officials in rigid transparent plastics companies, other plastics companies, petrochemical companies, oil companies, industrial associations, universities, trade organizations and governmental departments. They include Sinopec, Saudi Basic Industry Corporation (SABIC), The Dow Chemical Co., Chi Mei, INEOS, BASF, Chevron Phillips Chemicals, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), ExxonMobil, Hanwha Chemical Corporation, Reliance Industries, Tsinghua University, the Ministry of Commerce of China, China Plastics Processing Industry Association (CPPIA) and the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS China). Information sources for the study also include online research, patent literature, technical journals, trade magazines, governmental data, and conference papers from China, Japan, Korea and the U.S.



ANALYST'S CREDENTIALS

Jason Chen has been an analyst and consultant for the polymer, composite, fiber, textile and energy industries for 15 years. He is a researcher, writer and editor for the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA), China Textile Academy (CTA), International Fiber Journal, Filtration News, Platts Emission Daily, Vision Systems Design, Pesticide and Toxic Chemical News, China Chemical Fibers and MobileTex. He has authored more than 30 books in the U.K. and U.S., including many BCC Research reports. He holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in civil engineering as well as chemicals and composites. Currently, he is the chief scientist of a filtration company endeavoring to reduce China's air and water pollution.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/1941931/



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WATERFORD, Wis., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Runzheimer, a business vehicle, relocation information and expense management services provider, earned the WorldatWork Seal of Distinction, a unique mark of excellence designed to recognize U.S. based organizations with an outstanding employment philosophy and employee benefit program.

The WorldatWork Seal of Distinction is awarded annually to organizations providing a distinct mutually-beneficial experience to their workforces as determined by the overall strength of their total rewards portfolio and success in creating positive work environments. Seal of Distinction recipient organizations set the standard for employee engagement leading to business success; thus earning a reputation as an employer of choice to attract top talent.

"At Runzheimer, we work hard and play hard. 2016 was a record breaking revenue year for us. We believe that our inclusive, stimulating and rewarding work culture directly contributes to our organizational success," said Sheryl Hopkins, Senior Vice President of HR at Runzheimer "We're excited about the recognition, as this award acknowledges all of the focus we put towards going above and beyond to meet our employees' needs."

Applicants had to meet defined standards of workplace programs, policies and practices. The judging process was weighted on several factors, such as the complexity of implementation, required organizational resources and overall level of commitment from leadership.

Successful companies earning the seal of distinction were measured on the quality of internal programs, a few of which include their health and wellness programs, their compensation packages, employee recognition and their ability to provide their employees with career development opportunities.

Runzheimer exceeds all of the required criteria for WorldatWork honorees, with a total rewards package that is unmatched in their industry. Treadmill desks throughout the office, onsite fitness center, massages, and a nurse as well as weekly yoga programs are offered through the company's Thrive Wellness program.

Runzheimer also has an abundance of opportunities for employee development. Through Runzheimer University, all employees have internal training opportunities, as well as access to external training and educational reimbursement for those looking to continue their formal education.

"The people at Runzheimer are what makes us so successful," said Hopkins. "As we continue to grow, our employees will remain the forefront of our dedication and commitment."

For information about career opportunities at Runzheimer, please visit https://www.runzheimer.com/careers.

About Runzheimer

Founded in 1933, Runzheimer connects people, companies and their vehicles in ways that drive superior productivity and impactful business intelligence. We provide expertise, technology and world class customer service that empowers companies to move their businesses forward with confidence. As a result, our customers are able to better manage cost, reduce business risk and increase employee satisfaction in the mobile workplace. Runzheimer is the leader in workforce mobility programs, designing and delivering fair, accurate and defensible business vehicle programs, relocation information services and business expense solutions. We are highly renowned and recognized for our market leading service delivery focus, an integral part of our corporate culture.

SOURCE Runzheimer

Related Links

https://www.runzheimer.com


(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458169/PRNE_Gaidar_Forum_2017.jpg )



The plenary meeting of the Gaidar Forum 2017, Russia and the World: Setting Priorities, focused on the main risks and drivers of global economic growth in the next few years.

RANEPA Rector Vladimir Mau opened the discussion he was going to moderate. He read Russian President Vladimir Putin's address to the forum participants. "These meetings are always notable for their highly relevant and diverse agenda, important participants and promising ideas," the message said. "I hope that the suggestions and recommendations that you make will help Russia meet social and economic goals, strengthen international cooperation and overcome common global challenges." According to Vladimir Mau, the world today is facing a choice of priorities; this agenda is equally relevant for all countries, but the risks and challenges the world community will have to deal with in the next three or five years can be viewed differently.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev spoke at the forum, emphasizing that his speech was not a program of any kind. According to him, economic growth is currently hindered by a lack of investment and "paralysis" of lending, with the risk of a lingering stagnation being a common problem. "It is impossible to restore economic growth through financial injections alone; structural reforms are needed," the Prime Minister said, adding that this discussion has been on for the last 15 years. According to him, the main risk Russia may face is a technology lag. "The transition to a digital economy will lead to a revision of the government's role in the economy. It will require a reform of the public administration system, which should become more flexible and compact," he said, adding that the Government is working on a plan of action to accelerate economic growth, which would boost Russia's economy to a level above the global average.

Speaking about the immediate prospects, First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund David Lipton noted that there is considerable uncertainty associated with both economic and political factors. At the same time, he said, in 2017 the world economy may show growth of 3.4-3.6%, which is higher than last year's 3.1%. "The most important thing right now is to try to reverse the economic slowdown, a recent trend observed in both emerging and developed economies, including Russia," he said.

Martin Wolf, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator at The Financial Times, said that the global economy is gradually recovering, but its further development depends largely on the new political environment: "The main issue is whether world order remains basically stable, and whether we have enough open cooperation between countries." Commenting on one of the most important political decisions of the past year, the Brexit, he said they should not have held the referendum on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union. "While before that I could describe Britain as a moderately mature and moderately democratic country, I cannot say this now," the expert said.

The discussion was attended by the former Prime Minister of Poland (2004-2005), president of the National Bank of Poland (2010-2016) Marek Belka, who listed the three fundamental problems of the global economy of the last decade. "The main problems are the structural geographic changes in the world economy: the rise of China, the relative decline of Europe and the United States, which have direct and indirect consequences for the global economy. Also, there is a technological change, particularly in information technology: financial markets operate online, while the other sectors of the economy don't, which also leads to instability and a slowdown in economic growth that we have seen for ten years." the politician said.

Former Australian Prime Minister (2007-2010, 2013) Kevin Michael Rudd said there are more risks ahead than growth drivers, adding he was mainly referring to the challenges of foreign relations, in particular between the US and China. Speaking about international cooperation, the expert recalled the G20, which was created for a thorough reform of the economy and helped avoid the escalation of the financial crisis into depression, but failed to ensure a rapid growth of the global economy.

At the same time, the Russian market can be described as healthy, Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever group, said confidently. "We believe that the country is ready for structural changes, is competitive and capable of moving forward and developing. We are observing Russia's effort to overcome its dependence on commodity exports, and to provide equal opportunities to all sectors of the economy," Mr. Polman said.

The panel discussion, Europe after BREXIT, took place on the first day of the Gaidar Forum 2017. The discussion was attended by Chief Economics Commentator of The Financial Times Martin Wolf; Vice-President of the European Parliament Alexander Graf Lambsdorff; President of Vaclav Klaus Institute and former President of the Czech Republic (2003-2013) Vaclav Klaus; President of the European Forum Alpbach and former European Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries (1995-2004) Franz Fischler; and Director of the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS) Daniel Gros. The experts concluded during the discussion that Brexit was a unique event in the modern history of the euro zone. It should be clearly understood that qualitative changes are needed to avoid similar situations.

The World Bank presented a report, Russian Federation Systematic Country Diagnostic: Pathway to Inclusive Growth, on the first day of Gaidar Forum 2017, Russia and the World: Setting Priorities. The document analyzes the state of the Russian economy, identifies the greatest challenges facing the country and the key factors limiting growth in the short and medium term.

The panel discussion, Patterns of Sustainable Development as Defined Today, took place on the first day of the Gaidar Forum. The participants included former President of Finland (2000-2012), Co-chair of the UN Secretary-General's High-level Panel on Global Sustainability Tarja Halonen; Special Adviser to the Secretary-General of the UN, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University (2002-2016) Jeffrey Sachs; CEO of Unilever Group of Companies Paul Polman; Executive Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Guido Schmidt-Traub; Senior Vice-President of the Coca-Cola Company Clyde Tuggle; and Director General and CEO of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria, Pavel Kabat.

The participants discussed current issues in meeting sustainable development goals in the interaction of the business community, government institutions and NGOs. Special attention was paid to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

The participants of the Gaidar Forum 2017 discussed the quality of human capital as part of the panel discussion, Social Development: Historical Lessons and Future Challenges. The discussion of Russia's social development strategy was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets; Minister of Labor and Social Protection Maxim Topilin; Chairman of the Russian Pension Fund Anton Drozdov; and Chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia Mikhail Shmakov.

President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin moderated the discussion. The panel experts included Branko Milanovic, professor of the City University of New York and former lead economist in the World Bank's research department (1991-2013). During the discussion, the experts noted Russia's accumulated historical experience in social environment and described the current situation in this area.

Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets was the keynote speaker. Labor relations and decent wages are key issues for the Government now, she said. "In the difficult period of 2014-2015, there was a major drop in people's incomes. Therefore, it is our primary task today to recover people's incomes and consumption. We view this not only as a social problem, but also an essential condition for economic growth. The shrinking consumption and reduction of retail trade are serious inhibitors for further economic development," she said.

The expert discussion, Rating Results of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia: Innovative Business in the Regions of Russia and Rating of Innovation Development of the Regions of Russia took place on January 12, the first day of the Gaidar Forum. The discussion was moderated by Ivan Bortnik, Advisor to the General Director of the Foundation to Promote Innovation. The discussion focused on the following questions: what regions of Russia are friendlier to innovative business; which rankings reflect the actual situation with innovation in the country's constituent regions for 2016 more objectively; how we need to supplement and improve the rankings to increase their informative value. The Rating of Innovation Development of the Regions of Russia with the detailed assessment of the regions' investment grade was presented for the first time. Following Ivan Bortnik's opening remarks, Roza Semyonova presented the ranking of innovative regions in 2016.

The panel discussion, Sustainable Economic Growth: A Model for Russia, of the second day of the Gaidar Forum 2017, was held in a new format, as an expert discussion of the keynote report.

On January 13, Chairman of the Board of the Center for Strategic Research Foundation (CSR) Alexei Kudrin delivered a report at RANEPA. "The old economic model is obviously, no longer working," he began, adding that no decisive measures that would restart the economy are being applied at the moment either. "We are facing very serious challenges, which objectively impede our economic growth and force the President and Government to take steps that are unusual and quite serious," Mr. Kudrin went on. He especially underlined the country's demographic problems, the lack of investment, the economic sanctions and Russia's distancing from world markets, its technological backwardness, low productivity and poor quality of public administration. "The main problems lie inside Russia, and its main problems are the institutional and structural problems that have accumulated today," he said.

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
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott D. Mason, a member of President-elect Donald J. Trump's transition team, will join Holland & Knight as a senior policy advisor in the firm's Washington, D.C. office on January 30. Mr. Mason also was one of the original members of President-elect Trump's Washington campaign team, serving as director of congressional relations.

"I've worked with Scott since my first term in Congress and his relationships in both the House and Senate, and now in the administration, will be a huge asset for him," said Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC). "Scott's experience on the Trump campaign and the president-elect's transition team, coupled with his years of experience running a government affairs shop in corporate America, will serve him well in his new role."

"Scott played a key role in helping us build a strong and effective Trump Caucus in the House of Representatives. This influential group of members will be vital in helping the new Trump administration meet its legislative priorities," said Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), chairman of the Trump Congressional Caucus. "His perseverance and commitment to the president-elect's cause was essential during the campaign and will serve Scott well in his new role. I know members of the Trump Caucus appreciate his efforts, value his friendship and look forward to continue working with him."

"The changes in policies, laws and regulations being considered by the new administration in Washington will impact our clients in a variety of industries," said Steven Sonberg, Holland & Knight managing partner. "Scott will be a great asset to them as they assess what these changes could mean for the health and future of their businesses and develop the appropriate strategies to have a voice on the issues that are important to them."

"Scott has served in senior public and government affairs roles for more than 25 years and is highly respected by members of Congress," said Kathryn Lehman, Holland & Knight's chief Republican lobbyist. "His experience on the Trump transition team and strong relationships with Republicans on the Hill will prove invaluable to our clients."

"Holland & Knight is one of the top lobbying and law firms in Washington, well known for its strong bipartisan team of lawyers and professionals," said Mr. Mason. "There will be many critical issues front and center before federal policymakers as the Trump administration takes the reins of power and I look forward to helping my new colleagues advocate persuasively on behalf of clients in a changed political climate."

From 2005-2015, Mr. Mason led the local, state and federal government affairs program for home improvement retailer Lowe's Companies, Inc., representing the Fortune 50 company on issues involving trade, healthcare, energy, labor and financial services. He also has grassroots, government affairs and public affairs experience with several major trade associations and other large corporations including Anheuser-Busch, Samsung North America, USAA, the Beer Institute and the American Medical Association. In addition, he spent two years in Sofia, Bulgaria, developing democratic opposition parties in preparation for free elections following the fall of communism.

About Holland & Knight LLP: Holland & Knight is a global law firm with more than 1,200 lawyers and other professionals in 27 offices throughout the world. Our lawyers provide representation in litigation, business, real estate and governmental law. Interdisciplinary practice groups and industry-based teams provide clients with access to attorneys throughout the firm, regardless of location.

SOURCE Holland & Knight LLP
SAN CARLOS, Calif., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Friday that Morgan Stanley has agreed to pay a $13 million penalty for overbilling 149,000 of its clients by more than $16 million. The Attorney General of the State of New York also announced on Thursday that Citigroup has agreed to pay a $1 million fine for overcharging its clients by $22.5 million.

"This is yet more evidence that the large financial institutions care more about making money for themselves than for their clients," said Bill Harris, CEO of Personal Capital. "They're brokers who sell whatever makes them the most money, rather than true advisors who look out for their clients' money first."

Personal Capital is a fiduciary of its clients' money  meaning that it is required to (and desires to) offer advice in the best interest of its clients, not of the firm itself. Brokers are not fiduciaries. Recently approved rules from the Department of Labor are scheduled for implementation in April of this year, and would require even brokers to operate as a fiduciary when selling 401k, 403b and Individual Retirement Accounts. These new rules have faced fierce opposition from brokers and from the well-financed financial services lobby. The incoming administration has indicated it may delay or repeal these rules. Personal Capital believes the repeal of these regulations would be a disservice to all investors attempting to provide for a secure retirement.

Christine Jockle, a spokesperson for Morgan Stanley, explained that these transgressions included "inadvertent billing errors." Financial Advisor magazine reported that "the SEC investigation uncovered 36 different types of billing errors."

"It strains credulity that 36 different types of billing errors were just snafus, and not orchestrated policies," said Harris. "I would ask how many of the 36 were in the client's favor and how many in favor of the firm? Morgan Stanley 'neither admitted nor denied' the allegations  where have you heard this before?"

"While not rising to the level of Wells Fargo's creation of over two million unauthorized accounts," continued Harris, "overbilling 149,000 clients appears to be a darn good try."

"The SEC's order further finds that Morgan Stanley failed to comply with the annual surprise custody examination requirements for two consecutive years when it did not provide its independent public accountant with an accurate or complete list of client funds and securities for examination," said the SEC in their Friday press release. "Morgan Stanley also failed to maintain and preserve client contracts."

"The custody rule's surprise examination requirement is designed to provide clients protection against assets being misappropriated or misused," said Sanjay Wadhwa, Senior Associate Director of the SEC's New York office. "Morgan Stanley failed in consecutive years to do what was required of it to give investment advisory accounts that important protection."

As to Citigroup, on Friday New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced an agreement with Citigroup to reimburse more than 47,000 Citi customers who were charged higher advisory fees than they negotiated. The agreement returns $22.5 million to about 47,000 Citigroup customers.

"I wonder," mused Harris, "what happens to the retirement money of American families if the brokers, congresspeople and incoming administration succeed in repealing the Department of Labor rules which protect retirement savings, the Dodd Frank act which protects consumers and the country from broker malfeasance, the Glass Steagall act which prevents big banks from using low-interest federal funding to gamble in investment markets (oops, that was already repealed which led to the great recession of 2008), and the Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB)  the only regulatory agency chartered to protect consumers rather than to protect the banks themselves?"

"To toot our own horn for a moment," said Harris, "we started Personal Capital to do the exact opposite. We've built a true advisory service that combines the best digital technology with dedicated financial advisors, to deliver on our mission statement 'better financial lives through technology and people'. I hope the rest of the industry moves in this direction soon."

To learn more about Personal Capital, visit www.personalcapital.com.

About Personal Capital

Personal Capital is the smart way to track and manage your financial life. Personal Capital combines award-winning online financial tools that provide unprecedented transparency into your finances with personal attention from licensed financial advisors. The result is a complete transformation in the way you understand, manage and grow your net worth. There are over 1.3 million registered users of Personal Capital's free tools tracking over $270 billion in assets.

Disclaimer: Personal Capital Advisors is an SEC registered investment advisor. Any reference to the advisory services refers to Personal Capital Advisors. SEC registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training.

Marianne Ahlmann | Personal Capital | [email protected]

SOURCE Personal Capital

Related Links

http://www.personalcapital.com


LAS VEGAS and MONTREAL, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Payment gateway provider Shift4 Corporation today announced that Texo, a Quebec-based Microsoft partner and value-added reseller (VAR), has signed a Preferred Partner Agreement with Shift4. This partnership poises Shift4 to further increase their footprint with retailers using Microsoft POS systems and allows Texo to offer their customers best-in-class payment processing.

The partnership includes:

A fully integrated payment solution: Texo's customers can experience the advanced payment processing and security technologies of Shift4's DOLLARS ON THE NET payment gateway along with the retail management strength of Retail Realm Essentials powered by Microsoft Dynamics (RRE). An additional integration with Retail Management Hero (RMH) is in progress and will be offered by Texo early this year.

Texo's customers can experience the advanced payment processing and security technologies of Shift4's DOLLARS ON THE NET payment gateway along with the retail management strength of Retail Realm Essentials powered by Microsoft Dynamics (RRE). An additional integration with Retail Management Hero (RMH) is in progress and will be offered by Texo early this year. Support for EMV: Shift4 has been certified for EMV in Canada since 2010 with Global Payments and Moneris, helping retailers to prevent the fraudulent use of stolen card data in card-present environments. Shift4's Canadian EMV solution supports the Ingenico iPP320 with all of the major card brands, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Interac, and JCB. Additional processors and devices may be added in the future.

Shift4 has been certified for EMV in since 2010 with Global Payments and Moneris, helping retailers to prevent the fraudulent use of stolen card data in card-present environments. Shift4's Canadian EMV solution supports the Ingenico iPP320 with all of the major card brands, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Interac, and JCB. Additional processors and devices may be added in the future. Omnicommerce and unified commerce: Shift4's DOLLARS ON THE NET can meet omnichannel retailers' rigorous needs, whether they're expanding their business across a variety of touchpoints (in-store, online and mobile) with various point-of-sale solutions or looking for a truly unified platform. It also provides insight into payments across an entire enterprise, advanced auditing and reporting capabilities and configurable settings.

Shift4's DOLLARS ON THE NET can meet omnichannel retailers' rigorous needs, whether they're expanding their business across a variety of touchpoints (in-store, online and mobile) with various point-of-sale solutions or looking for a truly unified platform. It also provides insight into payments across an entire enterprise, advanced auditing and reporting capabilities and configurable settings. Direct processing to American Express: Shift4 has a private, direct connection to American Express, helping merchants to reduce communication fees and receive faster transaction funding. Shift4 also allows merchants to split-process authorizations and settlements by payment card type, saving them time and lowering or eliminating third-party fees. Additionally, Shift4 fully supports American Express' OptBlue program to simplify the processing requirements of smaller merchants.

Majid Haddad, senior Microsoft Dynamics consultant, Texo, said:

"At Texo, we are committed to offering retailers innovative solutions to manage their business and increase profitability. We are proud to work with Shift4 to further these initiatives and we look forward to creating future opportunities for our clients to improve their payment processing efficiency and security."

Daniel Montellano, vice president of strategic business development, Shift4, said:

"Shift4 considers our partnerships with value-added resellers to be key in ensuring that merchants are getting the payments technologies they need to stay competitive in today's marketplace. We're proud to be working with Texo to provide comprehensive and secure payment solutions to retailers  backed by the power of Microsoft."

To learn more about DOLLARS ON THE NET, visit www.shift4.com or call 800.265.5795.

SMBs interested in learning how they can use DOLLARS ON THE NET with Retail Realm Essentials can contact Texo at 514.738.8888 or [email protected].

About Shift4 Corporation

Shift4 stands alone as the last major player in the payments space to remain independent, self-funded, privately held and merchant focused. Our DOLLARS ON THE NET payment gateway comes with all the bells and whistles: pre- and post-settlement auditing, fraud controls, support for new technologies like EMV and mobile, secure connections to nearly every major bank and processor in North America, and 350+ certified integrations to leading POS, PMS, and e-commerce platforms. Shift4 invests heavily in payment security  we invented tokenization and own nine payment-security patents. We empower our 33,000+ merchant customers with the flexibility to customize our secure payment processing solutions to fit their business. Learn more at www.shift4.com.

About Texo

Texo is a solutions oriented provider of retail and financial software which include inventory management, eCommerce integration, and customer loyalty management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses. As certified Microsoft Dynamics and Retail Realm Essentials partners, our team is dedicated to help retailers grow to their full potential, embrace innovation and the rapid changes occurring in the retail field. Texo has been helping Canadian retailers adopt their ideal point of sale solution for the past 20 years. Our strength lies in our extensive knowledge of the products that we offer, as well as our high standards of customer service. We are proud to implement Retail Management Hero and Retail Realm Essentials, and support Microsoft Dynamics RMS until its end of life cycle. To learn more, visit our website www.texo.ca.

Media Contacts

Nathan Casper

Shift4 Corporation

702.597.2480

[email protected]

Jessica M. Pasko

Nadel Phelan, Inc.

831.440.2412

[email protected]

Valerie Lacroix

Texo

514.738.8888, ext. 203

[email protected]

SOURCE Shift4 Corporation

Related Links

http://www.shift4.com


NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Silicon Ranch Corporation, a leading U.S. developer, owner, and operator of solar energy plants, has closed on an equity investment round that raised in excess of USD 55 million. Partners Group, a global private markets investment manager with over USD 57 billion in assets under management, led the round with a USD 40 million commitment on behalf of its clients. Partners Group was joined in this investment round by other Silicon Ranch shareholders, including the Greystone Infrastructure Fund managed by Greystone Managed Investments Inc., a Canadian investment management firm with over CAD 30 billion under management.

Nashville-based Silicon Ranch is a full-service renewable energy provider that develops to own all of its projects for the long-term, a unique business model that distinguishes its approach to project development, design, construction, and operation, as well as its engagement with the communities it serves. The innovative company has been a first-mover in many geographies and works with a diverse set of customers, including utilities, military and defense facilities, small to large industrial facilities, and commercial businesses.

In closing this latest equity raise, Silicon Ranch attracted more than USD 165 million of new equity capital during the course of 2016. In April, the company announced a USD 100 million equity commitment from Partners Group on behalf of its clients, a platform investment that aligned the Swiss-headquartered firm with one of the fastest-growing independent power producers in the U.S. The scale of that investment supported a growth strategy that saw Silicon Ranch more than double its operating capacity for a second straight year. In addition to constructing more than a dozen new solar plants during 2016, Silicon Ranch added significantly to its pipeline through contracts with new and existing customers across the country.

Reagan Farr, Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Silicon Ranch said, "By any measure 2016 truly was a watershed year in our company's history. Every unit of our organization worked toward a common vision to achieve tremendous growth, and this significant investment by our shareholders allows us to accelerate this momentum in 2017."

Todd Bright, Head of Private Infrastructure in the Americas, Partners Group, said, "Since the initial platform investment in April 2016, we have worked closely with Silicon Ranch's excellent management team to facilitate an expansion of its growth plan. The additional investment by Partners Group on behalf of our clients will fund that growth as the company continues to enhance its position as a leader within its peer group in the U.S. solar energy sector."

David Vickerman, Vice Chairman and Chief Corporate Development Officer of Silicon Ranch said, "To have this additional support from our shareholders, including a pair of sophisticated, global investment managers, is a strong signal of their faith in what we are doing at Silicon Ranch. The scale of this investment positions us to build on our success by developing new projects, entering new markets, and actively looking for strategic acquisition opportunities."

Jeff Mouland, Executive Director and Head of Infrastructure Investments, Greystone, said, "Greystone has participated in every Silicon Ranch equity raise since our initial investment in 2014. Greystone's partnership with Silicon Ranch presents our institutional clients with a unique opportunity to partner with a proven, best-in-class developer, owner, and operator of solar energy plants across a variety of markets in the U.S."

About Partners Group

Partners Group is a global private markets investment management firm with over USD 57 billion in investment programs under management in private equity, private real estate, private infrastructure and private debt. The firm manages a broad range of customized portfolios for an international clientele of institutional investors. Partners Group is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland and has offices in San Francisco, Denver, Houston, New York, Sao Paulo, London, Guernsey, Paris, Luxembourg, Milan, Munich, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Manila, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo and Sydney. The firm employs over 900 people and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (symbol: PGHN) with a major ownership by its partners and employees.

For more information about Partners Group, visit www.partnersgroup.com.

About Greystone Managed Investments

Founded in 1988, Greystone Managed Investments Inc. is a privately owned Canadian institutional investment manager. Employee-controlled, the firm is one of Canada's largest independent institutional money managers1 with over CAD 30 billion in assets under management. Greystone offers in-house expertise in fixed income, Canadian equities, U.S. equities, international equities, infrastructure, and real estate and mortgages. Greystone is headquartered in Regina, with offices in Toronto, Winnipeg and Hong Kong.

For more information about Greystone Managed Investments Inc., visit https://www.greystone.ca/.

1Top 40 Money Managers Report, Benefits Canada November 2016, based on Canadian pension assets as at June 30, 2016.

About Silicon Ranch Corporation

Silicon Ranch Corporation is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and is one of the fastest-growing developers, owners, and operators of solar energy plants in the United States. Silicon Ranch develops to own all of its projects for the long-term and brings the economic, environmental, and community benefits of commercial and utility-scale solar energy together in a full-service model that requires no capital investment from its stakeholders. Silicon Ranch benefits from the experience of its management team that has built over 2.5 gigawatts of conventional and renewable generation assets, including the first large-scale solar projects in Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, and Mississippi.

For more information about Silicon Ranch Corporation, visit www.siliconranchcorp.com.

Media Contact

Silicon Ranch Corporation

Matt Beasley

+1 615 577 4616

[email protected]

SOURCE Silicon Ranch Corporation

Related Links

http://www.siliconranchcorp.com


GUANGZHOU, China, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sino Agro Food, Inc. (OTCQX: SIAF | OSE: SIAF-ME) (or the "Company"), an agriculture technology and natural food company that produces and sells protein food including seafood and cattle, on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiary Tri-way Industries Ltd. ("Tri-way"), today announced it has completed important legal due diligence and made meaningful progress toward the restructuring, carve-out and subsequent spin-off of the Company's aquaculture operations into an independent, publicly traded company.

The completion of this legal due diligence represents a significant milestone in the Company's strategic plan, allowing it to move forward with the carve-out and spin-off of its aquaculture assets. The lead advisor for the planned IPO of the aquaculture business has accepted all legal opinions related to the below items.

1) JFD registered as a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise of Tri-way

The operating company of Aqua Farm 1, Jiangmen City A Power Fishery Development Co. Ltd. ("JFD") has been registered as a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise ("WFOE") of Tri-way by the Authorities of PRC Business Registration. Thus, shareholders of Sino Agro Food, Inc. are legally eligible to own shares in Tri-way directly, both prior to and at the time of IPO, under Hong Kong foreign ownership laws.

2) Legal agreements pertaining to transfer of assets secured

JFD has secured the requisite legal agreements needed to acquire all farm assets of Aquafarm 2 ("AF2")*, Aquafarm 3 ("AF3")*, Aquafarm 4 ("AF4")*, as well as the authority to determine and hire contractors for Aquafarm 5 ("AF5")*. This is a positive step toward creating an efficient and streamlined single entity, which holds all the Company's aquaculture operations, in preparation for the carve-out and spin-off of JFD's parent company, Tri-way. Today, JFD also owns and operates Aquafarm 1, a grow-out facility for fish, prawns and eels in the Guangdong Province in China.

3) Tri-way granted master license for APRAS technology

Furthermore, Sino Agro Food's wholly owned subsidiary, Capital Award Inc., has granted Tri-way a China Master License to develop and operate up to 20,000 units of its A Power Recirculating Aquaculture System ("APRAS" technology) over a 50-year period, at a combined Developer and Operator's license fee of $100,000 per APRAS. This will allow Tri-way to develop and operate additional aquaculture facilities using the APRAS technology, opening up long-term expansion opportunities in China. For a frame of reference, AF4 uses 144 APRAS modules and plans for AF5 call for 864 APRAS modules. The proprietary APRAS technology produces seafood using less water, less land, less feed, and is more bio-secure than other methods of aquaculture. Moreover, it produces a higher seafood yield and, due to its climate-controlled environment, ensures more reliable production all year round, compared with other farming methods (such as net-pen or pond culture).

Solomon Lee, the Chairman and CEO of Sino Agro Food Inc., stated, "The significant progress we have made restructuring our business and completing legal due diligence has helped with our preparation for the anticipated carve-out and subsequent spin-off of our aquaculture operations, which is designed to provide greater clarity to investors and to drive current and future value for the business and its stakeholders. Tri-way, as an independent entity, will be listed on the public markets where it is expected to trade at a market value commensurate with its peers, unleashing value for shareholders."

Mr. Lee continued, "We continue to make solid progress toward our vision to build the world's largest, indoor APRAS aquaculture farm, which will produce live shrimp, prawns, fish and eels. As we move forward with this strategic plan we are confident that our APRAS technology, high-margin seafood sales, and ability to scale means we are uniquely positioned to capitalize on increasing consumer demand from China's burgeoning middle class."

The aquaculture spin-off strategy

Spinning off Tri-way into an independent company is expected to provide the investor community with greater clarity into the financial and operational structure of the aquaculture business, and facilitate growth in the company. Sino Agro Food, Inc. believes creating a stand-alone company, afforded with a talented management team, top ranked auditor, as well as meeting the requirements set forth by the Stock Exchange, including corporate governance, will provide the necessary foundation for long-term value creation. In addition to providing dividend shares to current shareholders of Sino Agro Food, Inc., the Company, itself, will maintain a stake in Tri-way. As mentioned, Tri-way is underway with efforts toward listing on a senior exchange where it will trade as a pure aquaculture play, unlocking value for shareholders.

*The Company has recently changed the terminology it uses to refer to each farm because it is interchanging the species of seafood and prawns at its various farms. Referring to each as "aquaculture farms ("AF")" is now more accurate. Fish Farm 1 becomes AF1 and Prawn Farms 1 through 4 become AF2 - 5. These labels will be forthcoming in the Company's financial reports and collateral as the carve-out materializes.

CONTACT:

Investor Relations Contacts

Peter Grossman

+1 (775) 901-0344

[email protected]

Todd Fromer / Elizabeth Barker

+1 (212) 896-1215 / 212-896-1203

[email protected]

Erik Ahl

Nordic Countries

+46 (0) 8-120-558-30

[email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/sino-agro-food/r/sino-agro-food-provides-updates-on-the-restructuring-of-its-aquaculture-business,c2168417

The following files are available for download:

http://mb.cision.com/Main/13869/2168417/615731.pdf

SOURCE Sino Agro Food

Related Links

http://www.sinoagrofood.com/


Through Sogou's machine translation search engine, users could input Chinese words in its overseas search interface, which will automatically be translated into English, and retrieve relevant English information that will be translated into Chinese in real-time. Therefore, the users could have fast access to a dossier of relevant information abroad.

This is the first time in the world to combine the deep end-to-end neural machine translation system with search engines to create a brand-new product. Sogou Search has thus become the world's sole search engine with this feature. Sogou's CEO Wang Xiaochuan said: "Once cross-language communication becomes true, the story of The Tower of Babel will be rewritten."

Sogou Overseas Search to benefit each Chinese who is not proficient in English

According to Wang, Sogou Overseas Search has the powerful technological support from the "Sogou machine translation engine" which Sogou has developed independently. It is a type of artificial intelligence machine translation engine based on "end-to-end neural machine translation" (NMT) technology.

With NMT technology, Sogou Overseas Search can attain big data search in both English and Chinese languages, and the bilingual big data processing can lead to 80 million+ Chinese and English two-way translation data. Evaluated by various of criteria, Sogou Overseas Search is the leader in Chinese-English translation, scoring more than Google, Baidu and Youdao.

Speaking of Sogou Overseas Search's significance, Wang cited The Babylon Tower of Babel, a story in The Old Testament of The Bible. Wang said: "If cross-language communication is made possible, the civilization of our living globe will be rewritten, with less wars and the emergence of a civilization deriving from increasing exchanges of nationalities."

Through Sogou Overseas Search, users can search for any happenings of their interest, including the professional medical terms "artemisinin" and "cell immunotherapy", as well as Lady Gaga and "The Three-Body Problem", and have easy access to all medical, scientific and cultural information in the world.

At the same time, Wang noted that translation is a very delicate job. As there are new trendy words being invented every day, Sogou's search engine could cater to the changing trends and come out with innovations of new products.

Looking to the future, Sogou Corp will intensify cooperation with Tsinghua University, inputting more machine resources. Sogou Overseas Search is set to continuously optimize quality of translation, mete out multi-level translation pages, and integrate the overseas search results with web search results, so that everyone could see the whole world in real time and in Chinese.

Sogou Corp has taken leader's pole in AI innovations in China

In 2016, the new round of technology innovations began to evolve, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IOT), intelligent hardware and cloud-based architecture. As a pioneer of artificial intelligence in China, Sogou is stepping up its AI innovations in translation, Q&A and chat function, and is leading the search industry, with growing values generated by its existing products integrated with AI technology. Also, the company, leveraging its huge user base in both computers and mobile devices in China, has taken the leader's position, outpacing its competitors in accelerating new products.

According to official data, Sogou's platform accounts for 14.2 percent of all search volume in China, making it the second biggest search engine in the country. Its mobile search is particularly welcomed by younger users. In 2014, Tencent's capital injection and its QQ and WeChat entrance opening to Sogou, enabled Sogou's access to Tencent's exclusive resources.

Lately, a parade of new products, including Weixin Search, Zhihu Search, Sogou Mingyi, Overseas Search, and Academic Search, has enriched Sogou Corp's search functions, and fortified the company's competitiveness in the marketplace with differentiated high-quality search content.

Technology-driven Sogou is increasingly taking the position as China's Google. Since 2015, Google has launched some projects with Sogou. At the end of 2016, Google's Chrome browser began to recommend Sogou search on its boot page to Chinese users.

In April 2016, Sogou donated 180 million yuan to Tsinghua University, jointly setting up Tian Gong Institute of Artificial Intelligence Computing. Later on, their AI research and development achievements were brought to Sogou's innovations and gave birth to a spate of new high-tech Sogou products including voice recognition, voice correction, machine interpretation and smart sharing in 2016.

According to Sogou's CEO Wang, AI technology is redefining the earth we inhabit, and redefining the living value of people. Technological advancements in machines have freed people from labor, creating opportunities for people to produce greater values. Wang expressed his willingness to make Sogou a pioneer and pacesetter in AI research and development, destined to integrate the machine intelligent civilization with the human world, in the hope that people will become more free and more innovative.

SOURCE Sogou
Rucker received the prestigious Randy Owen Angels Among Us Award, which recognizes individuals who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through their unique commitment and humanitarian spirit. As he accepted the award, Rucker presented a $50,000 check from ACM Lifting Lives  , the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music, to support the music therapy program at St. Jude.

Rucker is a staunch supporter who has championed the lifesaving mission of St. Jude for several years  lending his talented voice and passionate heart to raise funds and awareness for the hospital.

In 2016, Rucker hosted the seventh consecutive, star-studded Darius Rucker and Friends benefit, a sold-out concert that featured performances by Charley Pride, Hunter Hayes, Drake White, Terri Clark, Locash and Scotty McCreery. The annual event has raised more than $800,000 for St. Jude, helping ensure families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food  because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.

In 2015, Rucker recorded "Possibilities," a song inspired by courageous St. Jude patient Brennan. Rucker heard the tune when Brennan presented it to him, and he later recorded it at a session in Memphis with the help of patients at the hospital.

"Darius Rucker's generosity, passion and humanitarian spirit inspire us all, and we are honored to recognize him with this well-deserved award," said Richard Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "His numerous contributions and generous donations are a testament to his continued commitment to helping St. Jude save the lives of children suffering from cancer and other life-threatening diseases around the world. We are extremely grateful for the support of Darius and countless other country music artists who lend their hearts, time and talent to help further our mission."

This award places Rucker among the ranks of only four past recipients, including ALABAMA front man and co-founder of Country Cares for St. Jude Kids, Randy Owen for whom the award is named, country artist John Rich and former ALSAC Chief Operating Officer David McKee (posthumously), and St. Jude Country Cares Advisory Council member Sharon Eaves (posthumously).

Rucker first gained fame as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning American rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. Since then, he has dominated country music charts as a solo artist. Rucker recently signed on as host for the second season of "Reel South," an anthology series highlighting 12 non-fiction stories from across the country, celebrating America's rich tradition of Southern comfort.

Country Cares for St. Jude Kids is recognized as one of the largest country music industry gatherings in the nation and brings thousands of country music industry leaders together to support the lifesaving work of St. Jude. Since 1989, the program has raised more than $650 million for the kids of St. Jude. Participants in the weekend event include country music artists, record label management, radio station general managers, promotions staff, national sales managers, program directors, and on-air staff who seek inspiration and to gain personal experiences that will help them promote and encourage support for St. Jude.

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent, and we won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food  because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook (facebook.com/stjude) and following us on Twitter (@stjude).

SOURCE St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Related Links

http://stjude.org


DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, at the World Economic Forum (WEF), Stella Artois and Water.org called for international business leaders, corporations, media and consumers to join the mission to help end the global water crisis. While onsite, Stella Artois jumpstarted its own commitment to this effort with a multi-year extension of the "Buy a Lady a Drink" campaign with Water.org, co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White. Through this partnership, they aim to help provide 3.5 million people with long-term, sustainable access to clean water by 2020.

Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/8021951-stella-artois-partner-water-org

"We believe that water has the power to unlock the potential of communities around the world," said Ricardo Tadeu, Zone President Africa, AB InBev. "That's why Stella Artois is passionate about and committed to helping Water.org end the global water crisis, but we can't do it alone. We're calling on consumers and business leaders to join us and take action in helping to end the global water crisis."

One in 10 people in the developing world lack access to safe water. This problem disproportionately affects women and children, who spend millions of hours a day collecting water instead of working, caring for family or attending school.

"I have four daughters and it is tough to imagine them having to walk for hours every day to get clean water, as so many women around the world do," said Matt Damon, co-founder of Water.org. "We want to put an end to these journeys. Through our partnership with Stella Artois and the campaign launch at the World Economic Forum, we're inviting consumers around the world to help us do this."

The partnership between Stella Artois and Water.org contributes to The World Economic Forum's 2017 Global Water Initiative. It also supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #6, which aims to ensure access to safe and affordable water for all by 2030, and is driven by the belief that a problem of this magnitude can only be solved through collaboration.

"It is unnecessary and unacceptable that every 90 seconds a child dies from a water-related disease," said Gary White, CEO and co-founder of Water.org. "We need partners and committed resources  both human and capital  to help end the global water crisis."

Since the launch of the "Buy a Lady a Drink" campaign two years ago, Stella Artois has helped Water.org provide more than 800,000 people in the developing world with access to five years of clean water, through the sale of more than 225,000 Limited-Edition Chalices and by directly donating more than $3 million to Water.org. This year, the reach and scale of the campaign will be greatly expanded through the increased investments and addition of new countries participating in the program (such as Brazil, Canada, Chile, and Uruguay), as well as new consumer touch points -- including brick and mortar retail outlets, and bars and restaurants, where consumers are already interacting with the Stella Artois brand. Additionally, the partnership aims to challenge other global companies to join the cause by showing that helping the world can also be good business.

To demonstrate the impact of this program, Stella Artois and Water.org are premiering a digital short film at the Davos meetings that features Elizabeth, a young mother from North Kapuonja, Kenya, who gained access to clean water through a new community program implemented by Water.org and its local partner KWAHO. The film tells the compelling story of how access to clean water freed Elizabeth from having to walk hours each day to collect water for her family, allowing her to tap into her natural talents and work as a seamstress for her community.

Exclusive, Limited-Edition Chalices Designed by Local Artists in Cambodia, Brazil and Uganda

Consumers can get involved and help end the global water crisis by purchasing new Limited-Edition Stella Artois Chalices. For every Chalice sold, Stella Artois will help Water.org provide five years of clean water for one person in the developing world. To date, more than 225,000 Limited-Edition Chalices have been sold through the "Buy a Lady a Drink" program.

This year's Chalices feature unique designs by three influential artists  Lisa Mam from Cambodia, Fernando Chamerelli from Brazil and Eria Nsubuga from Uganda. Each design reflects the artist's experience and artistic interpretation of the global water crisis in their country and represents one of the countries where Water.org provides support.

New for 2017, the campaign also introduces two additional donation mechanisms, further increasing the reach and scale of the program. For every six- or 12-bottle pack of Stella Artois sold in select retail stores (in the U.S., U.K.), Stella Artois will help Water.org provide six or 12 months of clean water for one person in the developing world. For every pint or bottle of beer sold in select bars and restaurants (in the U.S. and U.K.), Stella Artois will help Water.org provide one month of clean water for one person in the developing world.

Find out how we can be the generation that ends the global water crisis by visiting www.BuyALadyADrink.com.

Join the conversation online @StellaArtois #1Chalice5Years

1 World Health Organization and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP). (2015) Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation, 2015 Update and MDG Assessment.

About Stella Artois

Stella Artois is part of a Belgian brewing tradition dating back to 1366. It is the No. 1 Belgian beer in the world and is present in 95 countries. Stella Artois is a bottom filtered, blonde pilsner. It is thirst quenching with a malty middle and crisp finish delivering a full flavour and a hint of bitterness. Stella Artois is best enjoyed served between 3 and 5 degree Celsius and should be served in the unique Stella Artois Chalice according to the 9-Step Pouring Ritual to guarantee a perfect experience of this gold standard lager. Visit www.stellaartois.com for more information.

About Water.org

For more than 20 years, Water.org has been at the forefront of developing and delivering solutions to the global water crisis. Founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org pioneers innovative, community-driven and market-based initiatives to ensure all people have access to safe water and sanitation -- giving women hope, children health and communities a future. To date, Water.org has positively transformed the lives of more than 5 million people around the world, ensuring a better life for generations ahead. Learn more at www.water.org | www.waterequity.org | www.facebook.com/water.

For more information, please contact:

Stella Artois/AB InBev:

Jessica Adkins

Global Communications

[email protected]

Duncan Gordon

Global Communications

[email protected]

Water.org

Rosemary Gudelj

[email protected]

SOURCE Stella Artois

Related Links

http://www.stellaartois.com


Only North American insurance company to be listed

TORONTO, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - For the eighth consecutive year, Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) ("Sun Life Financial") has been named among the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World (the "Global 100"), in a ranking maintained by Corporate Knights, a Toronto based media and investment advisory company. Sun Life is one of only six Canadian companies across all sectors included in the ranking, and the only North American insurance company to earn a spot on the 2017 Global 100.

"At Sun Life, we understand that sustainability is key to meeting our long-term commitments to clients, employees, advisors and shareholders," said Melissa Kennedy, Executive Vice-President, Chief Legal Officer and Public Affairs, Sun Life Financial. "Being named as one of the most sustainable companies in the world aligns with our commitment to continue to strengthen our sustainability practices and advance our strategy."

Sun Life's sustainability strategy is focused on four areas where the company continues to deepen its commitment to building sustainable, healthier communities for life:

Community Wellness  Since announcing our support of diabetes in 2012, Sun Life has proudly committed over $17 million to diabetes awareness, prevention, care and research initiatives across the globe.

Organizational Resilience  In 2017, Sun Life was recognized as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers, and in 2015 received Excellence Canada's platinum award recognizing Sun Life as one of the nation's best-run corporations in areas such as leadership, strategy, client experience and engagement.

Environmental Responsibility  Sun Life has continued to ensure strong environmental stewardship across its properties worldwide, including its new global headquarters at One York in Toronto, Canada, and through investments across asset classes, including private fixed income investments in green and renewable energy projects.

In 2016, Sun Life invested approximately half a billion dollars in eight green and renewable energy projects

In 2017, Sun Life's headquarters will relocate to One York, a newly constructed office tower which is targeting LEED Platinum Certification

For six consecutive years, Bentall Kennedy, a Sun Life Investment Management company, has been ranked among the top firms around the world for its commitment to sustainable investing by the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB)

Also for six consecutive years, Bentall Kennedy has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year  Sustained Excellence Award for its continued leadership and achievements in energy efficiency

Governance and Risk Management  Sun Life was the first major Canadian life insurer to become a signatory to the United Nations supported Principles for Responsible Investment in 2014, and Bentall Kennedy was an early adopter, becoming a signatory in 2009. In 2016, Sun Life ranked in the top ten in the Globe and Mail Report on Business' Board Games review of corporate governance practices of Canada's largest companies.

The Global 100 ranking was announced today by Corporate Knights at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Applying a data driven approach, Corporate Knights assesses roughly 4,000 global mid-, large-, and mega-cap companies in all industries and geographies to arrive at the 2017 Global 100. The ranking is based on companies' scores on key performance indicators covering resource, employee and financial management and supplier performance.

To learn about Sun Life's sustainability strategy and initiatives, visit the Sustainability page on www.sunlife.com.

About Sun Life Financial

Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Sun Life Financial has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of September 30, 2016, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $908 billion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Note to Editors: All figures in Canadian dollars except as otherwise noted.

Media Relations Contact:

Krista Wilson

Director

Corporate Communications

T. 519-888-3900 ext.3414896

[email protected]

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc.

Related Links

http://www.sunlife.com


Most recently, Sundock served as General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Administrative Officer for Solantic Corporation, an urgent care provider based in Nashville. He was also Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary at Renal Advantage in Nashville, and held legal positions at Aveta Health, Gambro Healthcare, PhyCor Inc. and Waller, Landsen, Dorch & Davis.

He earned his B.A. from Vanderbilt University and his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law.

"Jon is a seasoned healthcare executive with deep industry experience and knowledge, and I am delighted to welcome him to the PhyMed leadership team," said Sami Abbasi, president and chief executive officer of PhyMed. "He has worked extensively with physicians over the course of his career, and has been intimately involved with mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, hospital affiliations, compliance, risk management, and corporate governance matters. His expertise, fresh perspective, and values make him a strong addition to the team, and he will help us accelerate the achievement of our goals."

"I am excited to join PhyMed," said Sundock. "This position is a perfect fit with my experience and desire to join an organization committed to consistently delivering outstanding patient care. PhyMed is uniquely positioned to partner with leading anesthesiology practices, and to provide them with the resources necessary to grow while navigating the changing healthcare landscape. I look forward to helping the company continue its success."

About PhyMed Healthcare Group

Based in Nashville, Tennessee, PhyMed Healthcare Group is one of the leading organizations providing anesthesia and perioperative care in the United States. It is a physician-led and owned leader of anesthesia and pain management services, and is committed to providing focused, proactive and innovative business solutions that foster high-quality, care-centered results. PhyMed Healthcare Group is a trusted partner proudly serving healthcare systems, ambulatory surgery centers and office-based anesthesia in multiple states. To learn more, visit www.PhyMed.com.

SOURCE PhyMed Healthcare Group

Related Links

http://www.PhyMed.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new Relationship Confessions survey commissioned by epi24, the makers of the popular Womanizer intimacy product line, women reveal their true feelings toward sex and relationships, including what they expect from their partners, the gifts they like least, and more.

While Valentine's Day is generally considered a special time to celebrate romance, epi24's survey suggests for many it's anything but--even for those with partners. Not only do 44% say they do not expect to receive any gifts or special dinners to mark the occasion, 41% of those in a relationship report dreading Valentine's Day more than any other holiday. Don't think you're off the hook if you're just entering into a relationship with a woman: 61% of them say length of relationship does not matter when it comes to celebrating on February 14.

Valentine's Day: Naughtiness

If you're feeling frisky the night of, be aware that sex is not a given--34% of the women surveyed would rather watch TV. And if you do make it into the sack, proceed with caution--Valentine's Day may come with its own set of rules:

43% of women do not want to try anything new or daring

want to try anything new or daring 94% of women will be particularly averse to bondage

In fact, 35% of women say they'll most look forward to... the cuddling (28% say foreplay, 21% say climax)

69% of women surveyed want more give and take when getting in the mood. And according to Womanizer's Representative, Morgan Rossi, "partners should consider using a sex toy." Rossi explains "women become aroused quicker when using a sex toy, which can create a more pleasurable experience for both people."

If you find you're still working on getting lucky, do not sing to your would-be paramour. 40% list serenading as the corniest V-Day gesture ever. (At 21%, rose petals on the bed is a distant second.)

If you're looking to maintain a strong relationship, keep in mind these two words: communication and trust. 72% of women believe communication is the most important thing in a relationship--nothing else comes close, not even having fun together (11%) or sexual attraction (2%)! And the best way to ruin a good thing? 61% say: broken trust. (At 22%, self absorption can also be a deal breaker.)

About Womanizer

The Womanizer by epi24 is the first clitoral stimulator designed to help women achieve sexual pleasure 100% of the time. It offers an effortless experience to help women maintain their sexual wellness safely. It was designed by a German couple who discovered PleasureAir technology, which produces incredibly fast, often multiple orgasms by leveraging a suction technique that does not desensitize the clitoris. In Europe, The Womanizer is one of the fastest selling erotic products and is on track to sell 150,000 units there in 2015. It is exclusively available on the US market through its parent subsidiary, epi24 USA LLC.

SOURCE epi24
FREMONT, Calif., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tailored Brands, Inc. (NYSE: TLRD) announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.18 per share payable on March 24, 2017 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 14, 2017.

About Tailored Brands, Inc.

Tailored Brands, Inc. is a leading authority on helping men dress for work, special occasions and everyday life. We serve our customers through an expansive omnichannel network that includes over 1,700 locations in the U.S. and Canada as well as our branded ecommerce websites. Our brands include Men's Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, Joseph Abboud, Moores Clothing for Men and K&G Fashion Superstores. We also operate a global corporate apparel and workwear group consisting of Twin Hill in the United States and Dimensions, Alexandra and Yaffy in the United Kingdom.

For additional information on Tailored Brands, please visit the Company's websites at www.tailoredbrands.com, www.menswearhouse.com, www.josbank.com, www.josephabboud.com, www.mooresclothing.com, www.kgstores.com, www.mwcleaners.com, www.twinhill.com, www.dimensions.co.uk and www.alexandra.co.uk.

Contact:

Investor Relations

(281) 776-7575

[email protected]

Julie MacMedan, VP, Investor Relations

Tailored Brands, Inc.

SOURCE Tailored Brands, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.tailoredbrands.com


NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Talkwalker, a leading social data intelligence company, today announced the launch of its revamped Free Social Search, a real-time search engine for online and social. This tool allows digital marketers, communications and PR professionals to immediately track and measure their brand reputation, campaign, hashtag and/or event performance across 180 countries over the last 7 days.

By simply entering a keyword of their choice, users get a snapshot of a wide range of social KPIs including total mentions, sentiment, reach, related hashtags, demographics and top performing posts/articles. The Talkwalker Free Social Search offers unlimited searches and the widest free coverage available across social media and online, giving marketers a simple yet powerful social media search tool for their daily use.

Users of the revamped Talkwalker Free Social Search can use it for:

Hashtag Tracking: Research top hashtags to find the right fit for your content and keep an eye on competitor hashtags

Research top hashtags to find the right fit for your content and keep an eye on competitor hashtags Campaign Tracking: See where your campaign is making an impact  on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, online news, blogs or forums  and allocate your resources accordingly

See where your campaign is making an impact  on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, online news, blogs or forums  and allocate your resources accordingly Event Performance: Get real-time insights about your event from the top themes of discussion to the most shared posts using your event hashtag

Get real-time insights about your event from the top themes of discussion to the most shared posts using your event hashtag Brand Reputation: View KPI metrics such as mentions, sentiment, engagement and reach over the last 7 days or even minute by minute

"If you want to get a first taste of what social media analytics can offer, Talkwalker Free Social Search is the complete package", says Talkwalker CEO Americas Todd Grossman. "It's ideal for agencies and brands that want to get a first look at how they can use social data and for small businesses who want to keep a track of the online impact of marketing and PR campaigns."

To try Free Social Search for yourself, click this link and enter the brand, hashtag, event or name you would like to analyze: https://www.talkwalker.com/social-media-analytics-search

About Talkwalker

Talkwalker (www.talkwalker.com) is one of the world's leading social data intelligence companies. Its cutting edge technology provides actionable social media insights through real-time social listening and advanced social media analytics. Talkwalker helps marketers to prove the value of their social efforts and tremendously enhances the speed and accuracy of business decision-making.

Talkwalker's state of the art social intelligence platform monitors and analyzes online conversations on social networks, news websites, blogs, forums and more, in over 187 languages. Its 1500 servers process 500 million posts from 150 million websites every day. Talkwalker's unique social intelligence software was selected to become a Twitter Official Partner in 2014.

The Talkwalker social intelligence platform is used by over 500 clients around the world, including Microsoft, HPE, Volkswagen, Benetton, and communications specialists such as Edelman, Peppercomm, Publicis, Ogilvy, and Weber Shandwick.

Media contact: Jeff Durosko 412.635.7229 [email protected]

SOURCE Talkwalker

Related Links

http://talkwalker.com


Hinton (London, 1947) is Professor of Computer Science at the University of Toronto, and, since 2013, a Distinguished Researcher at Google, where he was hired after the speech and voice recognition programs developed by him and his team proved far superior to those then in use. His research has since sped up the progress of AI applications, many of them now making their appearance on the market: from machine translation and photo classification programs to speech recognition systems and personal assistants like Siri, by way of such headline developments as self-driving cars. Biomedical research is another area to benefit  for instance, through the analysis of medical images to diagnose whether a tumor will metastasize, or the search for molecules of utility in new drug discovery  along with any research field that demands the identifying and extracting of key information from massive data sets.

For jury members Ramon Lopez de Mantaras and Regina Barzilay, Hinton's research has sparked a scientific and technological "revolution" that has "astounded" even the AI community, whose members had simply not anticipated the sector advancing in such leaps and bounds.

The deep learning field that owes so much to Hinton's expertise is described by the jury as "one of the most exciting developments in modern AI." Deep learning draws on the way the human brain is thought to function, with attention to two key characteristics: its ability to process information in distributed fashion, with multiple brain cells interconnected, and its ability to learn from examples. The computational equivalent involves the construction of neural networks  a series of interconnected programs simulating the action of neurons  and, as Hinton describes it, "teaching them to learn."

"The best learning machine we know is the human brain. And the way the brain works is that it has billions of neurons and learns by changing the strengths of connections between them," Hilton explains. So one way to make a computer learn is to get the computer to pretend to be a whole bunch of neurons, and try to find a rule for changing the connection strengths between neurons, so it will learn things like the brain does."

The idea behind deep learning, the new laureate continues, is to present the machine with lots of examples of inputs, and the outputs you would like it to produce. "Then you change the connection strengths in that artificial neural network so that when you show it an input it gets the answer right." The eminent scientist's research has focused precisely on discovering what the rules are for changing these connection strengths. For this, he affirms, is the path that will lead to "a new kind of artificial intelligence," where, unlike with other strategies attempted, "you don't program in knowledge, you get the computer to learn it itself from its own experience."

Although their most important applications have emerged only recently, neural networks are far from being a new thing. When Hinton began working in artificial intelligence  spurred by a desire to understand the workings of the human brain that had initially taken him into experimental psychology  his colleagues were already moving away from the neural nets that he defended as the best way forward. The first results had not lived up to their promise, but still Hinton chose to persevere against the advice of his professor and despite his failure to raise the necessary research funding in his home country, the UK. His solution was to emigrate, first to the United States and subsequently Canada, where he was at last able to form a team and advance his work on neural networks; back then, in the 1980s, little more than a backwater in AI research.

It was halfway through the first decade of the 21st century when the results came in that would draw scientists back to the network strategy. Hinton had created an algorithm capable of strengthening the connections between artificial networks, so a computer could "learn" from its mistakes. In the resulting programs, various layers of neural networks processed information step by step. To recognize a photo, for instance, the first layer of neurons would register only black and white, the second a few rough features  and so on until arriving at a face.

In the case of artificial neural networks, what strengthens or weakens the connections is whether the information carried is correct or incorrect, as verified against the thousands of examples the machine is provided with. By contrast, conventional approaches were based on logic, with scientists creating symbolic representations that the program would process according to pre-established rules of logic. "I have always been convinced that the only way to get artificial intelligence to work is to do the computation in a way similar to the human brain," says Hinton. "That is the goal I have been pursuing. We are making progress, though we still have lots to learn about how the brain actually works."

By 2009 there was no doubting the success of Hinton's strategy. The programs he developed with his students were soon beating every record in the AI area. His approach also gained mileage from other advances in computation: the huge leap in calculating capacity and the avalanche of data becoming available in every domain. Indeed many are convinced that deep learning is the necessary counterpoint to the rise of big data. Today Hinton feels that time has proved him right: "Years ago I put my faith in a potential approach, and I feel fortunate because it has eventually been shown to work."

Asked about the deep learning applications that have most impressed him, he talks about the latest machine translation tools, which are "much better" than those based on programs with predefined rules. He is also upbeat about the eventual triumph of personal assistants and driverless vehicles: "I think it's very clear now that we will have self-driving cars. In five to ten years, when you go to buy a family car, it will be an autonomous model. That is my bet." There is a lot machines can do, in Hinton's view, to make our lives easier: "With all of us having an intelligent personal assistant to help in our daily tasks."

As to the risks attached to artificial intelligence, particularly the scenario beloved of science fiction films where intelligent machines rebel against their creators, Hinton believes that "we are very far away" from this being a real threat. What does concern him are the possible military uses of intelligent machines, like the deployment of "squadrons of killer drones" programmed to attack targets in conflict zones. "That is a present danger which we must take very seriously," the scientist warns. "We need a Geneva Convention to regulate the use of such autonomous weapons."

Bio notes: Geoffrey Hinton

After completing a BA in Experimental Psychology at Cambridge University (1970) and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Edinburgh (1978), Geoffrey Hinton (London, 1947) held teaching positions at the universities of Sussex (United Kingdom), and California San Diego and Carnegie-Mellon (United States), before joining the faculty at the University of Toronto (Canada). From 1998 to 2001, he led the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit at University College London, one of the world's most reputed centers working in this area. He subsequently returned to Toronto where he is currently Professor in the Department of Computer Science. Between 2004 and 2013, he headed the program on Neural Computation and Adaptive Perception of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, one of the country's most prestigious scientific organizations, and since 2013 has collaborated with Google as a Distinguished Researcher on the development of speech and image recognition systems, language processing programs and other deep learning applications.

Hinton is a Fellow of the British Royal Society, the Royal Society of Canada and the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. He is also an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the U.S. National Academy of Engineers. A past president of the Cognitive Science Society (1992-1993), he holds honorary doctorates from the universities of Edinburgh, Sussex and Sherbrooke. His numerous distinctions include the David E. Rumelhart Prize for outstanding contributions to the theoretical foundations of human cognition (2001) and the IJCAI Research Excellence Award (2005) of the International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence Organization, one of the world's most prestigious in the artificial intelligence field. He also holds the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (2010)  considered Canada's top award for science and engineering  and the James Clerk Maxwell Medal bestowed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2016).

About the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards

The BBVA Foundation has as its core objectives the promotion of scientific knowledge, the transmission to society of scientific and technological culture, and the recognition of talent and excellence across a broad spectrum of disciplines, from science to the arts and humanities.

The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards were established in 2008 to recognize outstanding contributions in a range of scientific, technological and artistic areas, along with knowledge-based responses to the central challenges of our times. The areas covered by the Frontiers Awards are congruent with the knowledge map of the 21st century, in terms of the disciplines they address and their assertion of the value of cross-disciplinary interaction.

Their eight categories include classical areas like Basic Sciences and Biomedicine, and other, more recent areas characteristic of our time, ranging from Information and Communication Technologies, Ecology and Conservation Biology, Climate Change and Economics, Finance and Management to Development Cooperation and the innovative artistic realm that is Contemporary Music.

The BBVA Foundation is aided in the organization of the awards by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the country's premier public research agency. As well as designating each jury chair, the CSIC is responsible for appointing the technical evaluation committees that undertake an initial assessment of the candidates put forward by numerous institutions across the world, and draw up a reasoned shortlist for the consideration of the juries.

Information and Communication Technologies jury and technical committee

The jury in this category was chaired by Georg Gottlob, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford (United Kingdom) and Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at Vienna University of Technology (Austria). The secretary was Ramon Lopez de Mantaras, a Research Professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Director of its Artificial Intelligence Research Institute. Remaining members were Regina Barzilay, Delta Electronics Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (United States), Liz Burd, Pro-Vice Chancellor in Learning and Teaching at the University of Newcastle (Australia), Oussama Khatib, Director of the Robotics Laboratory and Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University (United States), Rudolf Kruse, Professor in the Faculty of Computer Science at the University of Magdeburg (Germany), and Joos Vandewalle, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT) at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium).

The CSIC technical committee was coordinated by Ana Guerrero, the Council's Deputy Vice President for Scientific and Technical Areas, and formed by: Gonzalo Alvarez, Tenured Researcher in the Institute of Physical and Information Technologies (ITEFI); Carmen Garcia, Research Professor in the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC) and Coordinator of the Physical Science and Technologies Area; Jesus Marco de Luca, Research Professor in the Institute of Physics of Cantabria (IFCA); Pedro Meseger, Research Scientist at the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (IIIA); and Federico Thomas Arroyo, Research Professor in the Institute of Robotics and Industrial Computing (IRII).

Calendar of upcoming award announcements

Basic Sciences Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Biomedicine Tuesday, January 31, 2017 Ecology and Conservation Biology Tuesday, February 7, 2017 Contemporary Music Tuesday, February 14, 2017 Economics, Finance and Management Tuesday, February 21, 2017 Development Cooperation Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Previous awardee in this category

The Information and Communication Technologies award in last year's edition went to mathematician Stephen Cook, for defining what computers can and cannot solve efficiently.

Five of the 79 winners in earlier editions of the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards have gone on to win the Nobel Prize. Shinya Yamanaka, the 2010 Biomedicine laureate, won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2012; Robert J. Lefkowitz, awardee in the same Frontiers category in 2009, won the Chemistry Nobel in 2012. In Economics, Finance and Management, three Frontiers laureates were later honored with the Nobel: Lars Peter Hansen, winner of the Frontiers Award in 2010 and the Nobel Prize in 2013; Jean Tirole, Frontiers laureate in 2008 and Nobel laureate in 2014; and Angus Deaton, 2011 Frontiers laureate and Nobel laureate in 2015.

LAUREATE'S FIRST DECLARATIONS AND IMAGES A video recording of the new laureate's first interview on receiving news of the award is available from the Atlas FTP with the following coordinates: Server: 213.0.38.61 Username: AgenciaAtlas4 Password: premios The name of the video is: "PREMIO TIC" In the event of connection difficulties, please contact Alejandro Martin at Atlas: Mobile: +34 639 16 58 61 E-mail: [email protected]

For more information, contact the BBVA Foundation Department of Communication and Institutional Relations (+34 91 374 5210/+34 91 374 3139/+34 91 374 8173, [email protected]) or visit www.fbbva.es

SOURCE BBVA Foundation
BROOKLYN, N.Y., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Governance Lab (The GovLab) at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering has launched a new website, DataCollaboratives.org, to encourage the formation of public-private partnerships in which participants from different sectors  private companies, research institutions, government agencies, and others  exchange data to help solve pressing public problems.

"Recent years have seen exponential growth in the amount of data generated and stored around the world, and there is increasing acknowledgement that big data could play a key role in helping to address issues such as world hunger, disaster relief, and disease prevention if data were made widely available to those in positions to glean insights from the information and act upon it," said Beth Simone Noveck, the Jerry M. Hultin Professor at NYU Tandon and director of The GovLab.

Through different partnerships with UNICEF (focused on creating data collaboratives to improve children's lives) and Omidyar Network (studying new ways to match open-data demand and supply to increase impact) , The GovLab has catalogued dozens of cases in which data collaboratives are already being used for the public good. Based upon The GovLab's research, data collaboratives provide:

Increased situational awareness and response , as demonstrated by a joint initiative between Orbital Insights and the World Bank to use satellite imagery to measure and track poverty





, as demonstrated by a joint initiative between Orbital Insights and the World Bank to use satellite imagery to measure and track poverty Greatly improved public service design and delivery , as demonstrated by governments using crowd-sourced traffic information to help create better transportation systems





, as demonstrated by governments using crowd-sourced traffic information to help create better transportation systems Enhanced knowledge creation and transfer , as illustrated by an ambitious effort on the part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 10 biopharmaceutical companies, and non-profit organizations to share data to create new, more effective diagnostics and therapies





, as illustrated by an ambitious effort on the part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 10 biopharmaceutical companies, and non-profit organizations to share data to create new, more effective diagnostics and therapies Cutting-edge prediction and forecasting , as shown when Intel and the Earth Research Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara , employed satellite imagery to predict drought and develop targeted interventions for farmers and government agencies





, as shown when Intel and the Earth Research Institute at the , employed satellite imagery to predict drought and develop targeted interventions for farmers and government agencies More effective impact assessment and evaluation, such as occurred when Nielsen and the World Food Program used data collected via mobile phones to better monitor food insecurity and allocate resources

According to Stefaan Verhulst, The GovLab's co-founder and director of research and the head of its Data Collaboratives Initiative, the diverse examples detailed on the site clearly demonstrate the potential of data collaboration as an emerging model of inter-sector digital philanthropy.

"In the coming months and years, they will be essential vehicles for harnessing the vast stores of privately held data toward the public good," Verhulst said.

Natalia Adler, a data, research, and policy planning specialist at UNICEF and UNICEF Data Collaboratives project lead, agreed: "At UNICEF, we're dealing with the world's most complex problems affecting children. Data collaboratives offer an exciting opportunity to tap previously inaccessible datasets and mobilize a wide range of data expertise to advance child rights around the world. It's all about connecting the dots."

In addition to the lessons provided by more than 70 examples of how corporate data was exchanged to improve people's lives, DataCollaboratives.org provides guidance for designing and implementing a data collaborative, including steps to take to avoid the risks that data sharing can entail.

The launch of DataCollaboratives.org is being held in concert with both the inaugural United Nations World Data Forum, in Cape Town, South Africa, where Verhulst will help facilitate a two-day workshop on data collaboratives, and the 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, whose focus this year is on "Responsive and Responsible Leadership" and where Noveck will speak on strategies for using data for public good.

About The Governance Lab

The GovLab is an action-research center with a mission to improve people's lives by changing the practice of governance. The center is dedicated to leveraging advances in technology to enable more open, collaborative, effective, and legitimate ways to make better decisions and solve public problems. For more information visit: http://www.thegovlab.org.

About the NYU Tandon School of Engineering

The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, when the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture as well as the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly) were founded. Their successor institutions merged in January 2014 to create a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention, and entrepreneurship and dedicated to furthering technology in service to society. In addition to its main location in Brooklyn, NYU Tandon collaborates with other schools within the country's largest private research university and is closely connected to engineering programs in NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. It operates business incubators in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn and an award-winning online graduate program. For more information, visit http://engineering.nyu.edu.

www.facebook.com/nyutandon

@nyutandontweets

SOURCE NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Related Links

http://www.poly.edu


WESTPORT, Conn., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Granola Bar, a healthy and indulgent all day breakfast and lunch cafe with popular locations in Westport and Greenwich, Connecticut, is pleased to announce a growth investment by and operational partnership with Trilynx Partners of Westport. Trilynx is an investment and operating platform whose founders have more than 15 years of experience in hospitality brands such as Disney and Starwood Hotels. Concurrent with the announcement of the Trilynx partnership, The Granola Bar is excited to announce the opening of new locations in Stamford, Connecticut and Rye, New York later this year.

Julie Mountain and Dana Noorily, who opened the first location in Westport in 2013, are excited to grow The Granola Bar with the help of Trilynx co-founders Adam Diamond and Michael Schwartz. "As we evaluated the next phase for The Granola Bar, we knew we wanted to find partners with extensive experience building and scaling brands," says Mountain. "Trilynx Partners is a great fit for us. Adam and Michael have jumped in and rolled up their sleeves right alongside us. As a team, we believe the sky is the limit," adds Noorily.

The Granola Bar has developed a loyal following fulfilling its mission to give the people what they want. All day breakfast and lunch includes freshly made eggs, avocado toast, sandwiches and wraps, salads, parfaits and, of course, granola. Add to that artisanal coffee, signature smoothies and an array of baked goods, and the dine-in, take-out or grab-n-go offering is ripe for growth. "From the moment we met Julie and Dana it was clear that their vision expanded far beyond Westport and Greenwich. We believe there is a white space for a significant player in this category, and Julie and Dana have struck the right chord with the right consumer," says Diamond. Adds Schwartz, "We could not be more excited to partner with Julie and Dana. They are amazing entrepreneurs, and we look forward to providing them the support they need in all facets of growing the business."

The next step in that growth will be the debut of the first ever The Granola Bar TO GO at 700 Canal Street in Stamford, Connecticut. The new location will offer the full The Granola Bar menu for take-out, delivery and catering as well as a grab-n-go fridge stocked with freshly made meals and snacks for diners on the run. Next up, The Granola Bar will venture across the New York border to Rye, conveniently located on Purchase Street next to the Rye train station. Finally (for now!), The Granola Bar is in the process of launching an extensive catering program for its surrounding communities.

About The Granola Bar

Founded in Westport, Connecticut in 2013 by Julie Mountain and Dana Noorily, The Granola Bar is a healthy and indulgent all day breakfast and lunch cafe. A bubbling community hub serving comfort food and drink in an elevated way, The Granola Bar's mission is to give the people what they want. Dine-in, take-out, grab-n-go, catering, special events  The Granola Bar does it all. For menus, please visit: thegranolabarct.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram:

Facebook:

facebook.com/TGBofWestport

facebook.com/TGBofGreenwich

facebook.com/TGBofStamford

facebook.com/TheGranolaBarofRye

Instagram: @TheGranolaBar

About Trilynx Partners

Trilynx Partners is an investment and operating platform that acquires businesses outright as well as partners with experienced and entrepreneurial owners and management teams looking to exit, restructure or enhance growth over the long term. Trilynx pursues companies with up to $10mm in EBITDA across select industries and situations. For more information about Trilynx Partners please visit: trilynxpartners.com.

SOURCE The Granola Bar
TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., the world's premier fondue restaurant and a leading polished casual dining franchise, announced today it has signed its second franchise agreement funded by its "Path to Grow" financing program (PGP), granting ownership of the Destin, Florida Melting Pot to Lucinda Hollis, who is currently an area manager of the brand's Greenville and Columbia, South Carolina locations. Hollis' fiance, Auburn Bridge, will be joining her as co-owner. PGP gave the couple the financing needed to purchase the existing restaurant located at 11394 US Highway 98, which has been serving the Destin community since November 2007.

"The signing of our second PGP franchise agreement is a true testament to the success of our unique financing program," said Dan Stone, chief business & people development officer at Front Burner. "We're thrilled to see some of our most valued managers, such as Lucinda, take advantage of the program, and we're confident both her and Auburn will bring their in-depth industry knowledge to their restaurant in Destin. Their passion and enthusiasm is unmatched, and we look forward to watching them succeed as franchisees."

Hollis first joined The Melting Pot team in 2005 as a server at the restaurant in Columbia. Under the management of Jay Kilmartin, multi-unit franchisee of The Melting Pot's Greenville and Columbia locations, Hollis made her way up the ranks and held several positions including assistant manager, general manager and was most recently promoted to area manager of Kilmartin's restaurants in South Carolina. With more than 15 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Bridge will be joining Hollis as co-owner of the Destin Melting Pot. Together, they plan on leveraging their combined experience and Hollis' passion for the brand to bring a new level of success to their restaurant.

"It's always been a dream of ours to own a restaurant, and we are beyond excited to start our journey as franchisees in beautiful Destin," said Hollis. "The 'Path to Grow' program has given us an incredible opportunity to live our dream working with a brand that represents exceptional hospitality, family and belonging, and integrity. Once we gain experience as business owners, we hope to take over additional Melting Pot restaurants in the future."

The PGP financing program takes the financial burden off operators who are approved to become franchisees of The Melting Pot by enabling them to invest as little as 5 percent liquidity into the purchase of an approved, existing restaurant. The franchisor provides up to 95% of the financing in the form of a loan to the franchise partner to allow them to acquire the location. The loan is typically serviced by the new franchisee over the course of four years. PGP financing is available for the purchase of select existing The Melting Pot franchises. Operators and managers with experience in casual dining or fine dining may qualify and apply for PGP financing  experience with The Melting Pot brand is not required.

To catapult the brand's expansion efforts nationwide, the concept will be hosting a complimentary informational franchise webinar on Tuesday, January 24 at 11 a.m. (EST) to educate qualified candidates. To register for the upcoming webinar, please visit http://www.meltingpotfranchise.com/upcomingEvents.aspx.

The Melting Pot operates more than 125 restaurants across 35 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.. The concept is known for offering an assortment of flavorful fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrees served with signature dipping sauces. The menu features a variety of a la carte selections, highlighting customizable options that invite guests to enjoy one, two, three or more courses as they select any combination of individually-priced cheese fondues, salads, entrees and chocolate fondues.

To learn more about ownership opportunities with The Melting Pot or to apply for PGP financing, contact Christina Hobbs, director of franchise development for The Melting Pot, at [email protected], or call 800-783-0867 ext. 109.

About The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot has offered a unique fondue dining experience for more than 40 years. As the premier fondue restaurant franchise, The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. has more than 125 restaurants in 35 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. A leading polished casual dining franchise, The Melting Pot was recognized as the No. 2 casual dining restaurant in the Nation's Restaurant News 2016 Consumer Picks report. Known for offering a choice of fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrees, The Melting Pot's menu also features cheese fondues, salads, fine wines and chocolate fondue desserts. Fondue fans can join The Melting Pot's Club Fondue for exclusive promotions, special events and advance holiday reservation privileges. The Melting Pot is an affiliate of Front Burner, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. For more information, visit www.meltingpot.com. To learn more about franchise opportunities with The Melting Pot, please visit www.meltingpotfranchise.com.

About Front Burner

Front Burner is a franchise management company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. It is affiliated with the corporate owners of and its management services extended to The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., founded in 1975 with 126 restaurants in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. For more information, visit http://www.frontburnerbrands.com.

Contact:

Ellie Mannix

Fish Consulting

954-893-9150

[email protected]

SOURCE The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.meltingpot.com


CHICAGO, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The next installment of the Arthur S. Kallow Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Seminar Series hosted by the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, LTD., will be held Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, at 6 p.m. at 19 S. LaSalle St. in Chicago. The lecture will be moderated by internationally renowned family law attorney Jeffery M. Leving and coordinated by 2016 Attorney of the Year, Misty Gamino.

The seminar will feature affluential family law attorney Lydia Karjaka as its keynote speaker, who will discuss varying aspects of adoption, including types, advantages and critical requirements in undergoing the process. In addition, she will identify the classifications of adoptive parents, financial obligations and other challenges parents may face. There will be other presenters, as well, concluding with an open discussion.

The CLE Series has had over one thousand attorneys attend its seminars since it began in 2014. Follow Leving Law's victories: https://www.facebook.com/FathersRightsMovement/

Please make reservations for future Kallow CLE events by emailing Jennifer Whiteside ([email protected]), as this program is close to its capacity.

About the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, LTD.

Attorney Jeffery M. Leving is nationally known as one of the foremost family law lawyers in the country. He is the creator of the concept of Fathers' Rights. Leving's many professional achievements and accomplishments have been recognized by government leaders (including the last three US Presidents and the Illinois House of Representatives), private industry, his peers, and social service and other nonprofit agencies. Attorney Leving has dedicated more than 30 years to strengthening families. Leving's latest book, How to be a Good Divorced Dad, received praise from President Barack Obama, and was endorsed by Cardinal Francis George.

CONTACT: Jennifer Whiteside

[email protected]

312.296.3666

SOURCE Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.dadsrights.com


AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) today announced that Steven J. Demetriou and James F. O'Neil III have been elected to the company's Board of Directors.

Demetriou, 58, is chairman and chief executive officer of Dallas-based Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., a global technical professional and construction services company. O'Neil, 58, is a partner at Western Commerce Group, an advisory and investment firm based in Fort Worth, Texas.

"We welcome Steve Demetriou and Jim O'Neil to our Board," said George M. Smart, chairman of FirstEnergy's Board of Directors. "Both are seasoned leaders with extensive executive and board experience, which will be valuable to our company and its shareholders."

These elections bring the size of FirstEnergy's Board to 16 members.

Demetriou has more than 30 years of leadership experience, including 15 years in the role of chief executive officer at various companies. Prior to joining Jacobs in 2015 he served as chairman and chief executive officer of Cleveland-based Aleris Corporation, a global leader in aluminum rolled products, from 2004 until 2015.

Demetriou was president and chief executive officer of Noveon, a specialty chemicals business, from 2001 until 2004; president of IMC Phosphates from 1999 until 2001; and vice president, Global Specialty Resins and president of Asian operations at Cytec Industries, Inc. He began his career at Exxon Mobil Corporation, where he held roles of increasing responsibility in operations, commercial, financial and general management during his 16 years at the company.

Demetriou has been a director of Kraton Corporation (2009 until Kraton's 2017 Annual Meeting). He was a director of Foster-Wheeler AG from 2008 to 2014, serving as non-executive chairman from 2011 to 2014. He was also a director of the OM Group from 2005 to 2015.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University.

Prior to joining Western Commerce Group, O'Neil was president, chief executive officer and a director of Quanta Services from 2011 until 2016. He was the company's chief operating officer from 2008 until 2011, and senior vice president Operation Integration and Audit from 2002 until 2008. He joined Quanta Services as vice president, Operation Integration in 1999. During his tenure as CEO at Quanta, O'Neil oversaw significant growth, as the company nearly doubled revenues and employee base, expanded into Latin America and Australia, and further diversified its services.

O'Neil began his career at Halliburton, where he rose from engineering, sales and operational roles into global leadership positions.

O'Neil is a director at National Trench Safety and at Sterling Lumber, where he was elected Chairman in 2016. He is also vice chairman of the Board and chairman-elect of American Red Cross  Houston Gulf Coast Region.

O'Neil received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Tulane University.

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. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at www.firstenergycorp.com.

Editor's Note: Photos of Demetriou and O'Neil are available for download on Flickr.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements based on information currently available to management. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. These statements include declarations regarding management's intents, beliefs and current expectations. These statements typically contain, but are not limited to, the terms "anticipate," "potential," "expect," "forecast," "target," "will," "intend," "believe," "project," "estimate," "plan" and similar words. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, which may include the following: the speed and nature of increased competition in the electric utility industry, in general, and the retail sales market in particular; the ability to experience growth in the Regulated Distribution and Regulated Transmission segments; the accomplishment of our regulatory and operational goals in connection with our transmission investment plan, including, but not limited to, the proposed transmission asset transfer to Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission, LLC, and the effectiveness of our strategy to reflect a more regulated business profile; changes in assumptions regarding economic conditions within our territories, assessment of the reliability of our transmission system, or the availability of capital or other resources supporting identified transmission investment opportunities; the impact of the regulatory process and resulting outcomes on the matters at the federal level and in the various states in which we do business including, but not limited to, matters related to rates and the Electric Security Plan IV; the impact of the federal regulatory process on Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)-regulated entities and transactions, in particular FERC regulation of wholesale energy and capacity markets, including PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM) markets and FERC-jurisdictional wholesale transactions; FERC regulation of cost-of-service rates, including FERC Opinion No. 531's revised Return on Equity methodology for FERC-jurisdictional wholesale generation and transmission utility service; and FERC's compliance and enforcement activity, including compliance and enforcement activity related to North American Electric Reliability Corporation's mandatory reliability standards; the uncertainties of various cost recovery and cost allocation issues resulting from American Transmission Systems, Incorporated's realignment into PJM; economic or weather conditions affecting future sales and margins such as a polar vortex or other significant weather events, and all associated regulatory events or actions; changing energy, capacity and commodity market prices including, but not limited to, coal, natural gas and oil prices, and their availability and impact on margins and asset valuations, including without limitation impairments thereon; the risks and uncertainties at the Competitive Energy Services (CES) segment, including FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. and its subsidiaries and FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company, related to continued depressed wholesale energy and capacity markets, and the viability and/or success of strategic business alternatives, such as potential CES generating unit asset sales, the potential conversion of the remaining generation fleet from competitive operations to a regulated or regulated-like construct or the potential need to deactivate additional generating units; the risks and uncertainties associated with a lack of viable alternative strategies regarding the CES segment, thereby causing FES to seek protection under the bankruptcy laws and the losses, liabilities and claims arising from such bankruptcy proceeding; the continued ability of our regulated utilities to recover their costs; costs being higher than anticipated and the success of our policies to control costs and to mitigate low energy, capacity and market prices; other legislative and regulatory changes, and revised environmental requirements, including, but not limited to, the effects of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan, Coal Combustion Residuals regulations, Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and Mercury and Air Toxics Standards programs, including our estimated costs of compliance, Clean Water Act (CWA) waste water effluent limitations for power plants, and CWA 316(b) water intake regulation; the uncertainty of the timing and amounts of the capital expenditures that may arise in connection with any litigation, including New Source Review litigation, or potential regulatory initiatives or rulemakings (including that such initiatives or rulemakings could result in our decision to deactivate or idle certain generating units); the uncertainties associated with the deactivation of older regulated and competitive units, including the impact on vendor commitments, such as long-term fuel and transportation agreements, and as it relates to the reliability of the transmission grid, the timing thereof; the impact of other future changes to the operational status or availability of our generating units and any capacity performance charges associated with unit unavailability; adverse regulatory or legal decisions and outcomes with respect to our nuclear operations (including, but not limited to, the revocation or non-renewal of necessary licenses, approvals or operating permits by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or as a result of the incident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant); issues arising from the indications of cracking in the shield building at Davis-Besse; the risks and uncertainties associated with litigation, arbitration, mediation and like proceedings, including, but not limited to, any such proceedings related to vendor commitments, such as long-term fuel and transportation agreements; the impact of labor disruptions by our unionized workforce; replacement power costs being higher than anticipated or not fully hedged; the ability to comply with applicable state and federal reliability standards and energy efficiency and peak demand reduction mandates; changes in customers' demand for power, including, but not limited to, changes resulting from the implementation of state and federal energy efficiency and peak demand reduction mandates; the ability to accomplish or realize anticipated benefits from strategic and financial goals, including, but not limited to, the ability to continue to reduce costs and to successfully execute our financial plans designed to improve our credit metrics and strengthen our balance sheet through, among other actions, our cash flow improvement plan and other proposed capital raising initiatives; our ability to improve electric commodity margins and the impact of, among other factors, the increased cost of fuel and fuel transportation on such margins; changing market conditions that could affect the measurement of certain liabilities and the value of assets held in our Nuclear Decommissioning Trusts, pension trusts and other trust funds, and cause us and/or our subsidiaries to make additional contributions sooner, or in amounts that are larger than currently anticipated; the impact of changes to significant accounting policies; the ability to access the public securities and other capital and credit markets in accordance with our financial plans, the cost of such capital and overall condition of the capital and credit markets affecting us and our subsidiaries; further actions that may be taken by credit rating agencies that could negatively affect us and/or our subsidiaries' access to financing, increase the costs thereof, increase requirements to post additional collateral to support, or accelerate payments under outstanding commodity positions, letters of credit and other financial guarantees, and the impact of these events on the financial condition and liquidity of FirstEnergy and/or its subsidiaries, specifically the subsidiaries within the CES segment; the risks and uncertainties surrounding FirstEnergy's need to obtain waivers from its bank group under FirstEnergy's credit facilities caused by a debt to total capitalization ratio, as defined under each of such credit facilities, in excess of 65% resulting from impairment charges or other events at CES; changes in national and regional economic conditions affecting us, our subsidiaries and/or our major industrial and commercial customers, and other counterparties with which we do business, including fuel suppliers; the impact of any changes in tax laws or regulations or adverse tax audit results or rulings; issues concerning the stability of domestic and foreign financial institutions and counterparties with which we do business; the risks associated with cyber-attacks and other disruptions to our information technology system that may compromise our generation, transmission and/or distribution services and data security breaches of sensitive data, intellectual property and proprietary or personally identifiable information regarding our business, employees, shareholders, customers, suppliers, business partners and other individuals in our data centers and on our networks; and the risks and other factors discussed from time to time in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, and other similar factors. Dividends declared from time to time on FirstEnergy Corp.'s common stock during any period may in the aggregate vary from prior periods due to circumstances considered by FirstEnergy Corp.'s Board of Directors at the time of the actual declarations. A security rating is not a recommendation to buy or hold securities and is subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the assigning rating agency. Each rating should be evaluated independently of any other rating. The foregoing factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements and risks that are included in our filings with the SEC, including but not limited to the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors, nor assess the impact of any such factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. FirstEnergy expressly disclaims any current intention to update, except as required by law, any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

Related Links

http://www.firstenergycorp.com


HOUSTON, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ultra Petroleum Corp. ("Ultra") (OTC: UPLMQ) announces that it has reached an agreement to settle Rockies Express Pipeline LLC's ("REX") $303.0 million breach of contract claim. The settlement will be submitted to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for approval and will be implemented in connection with Ultra's chapter 11 plan of reorganization.

The settlement includes a cash payment of $150.0 million to REX six months after Ultra emerges from chapter 11, but no later than October 30, 2017. Additionally, Ultra has agreed to enter into a new seven-year firm transportation agreement with REX commencing December 1, 2019 for service west-to-east of 200,000 dekatherms per day at a rate of approximately $0.37, or approximately $26.8 million annually.

Mr. Michael Watford, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said, "Our settlement of REX's claim is another major achievement in our in-court restructuring. This settlement removes the uncertainty around this very significant claim and represents a critical step towards the implementation of the plan of reorganization we filed last month. We appreciate the cooperation of REX and are pleased to be working with them again as business partners."

About Ultra Petroleum

Ultra Petroleum Corp. is an independent energy company engaged in domestic natural gas and oil exploration, development and production. The company trades over-the-counter under the ticker symbol "UPLMQ". Additional information on the company is available at www.ultrapetroleum.com.

This news release includes "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. The opinions, forecasts, projections or other statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, are based upon current expectations, and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Accordingly, although the company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, the company can give no assurance such expectations will prove to have been correct.

There are many risks and uncertainties that can affect the company and its business, including those set forth in its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year, in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2016 and June 30, 2016, and from time to time in other SEC filings made by the company. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) matters arising as a result of the company's on-going chapter 11 proceedings, including the company's ability to confirm and consummate a plan of reorganization, possible adverse effects of the chapter 11 proceedings filing on the company's business and the interests of various constituents, risks associated with third party motions that could be filed in connection with the company's chapter 11 proceedings and which may interfere with the company's ability to confirm and consummate a plan of reorganization; and (ii) matters arising in connection with the company's business operations, including the timing and extent of changes in prices for oil and gas, the timing and extent of the company's success in developing, producing and estimating reserves, possible adverse effects of weather and government regulation, availability and quality of oil field personnel, services, drilling rigs and other equipment used in the company's operations, as well as other factors listed in the reports filed by the company with the SEC. It is not possible to predict or identify all such factors and the following list should not be considered a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties affecting the company. The risks and uncertainties affecting the company could cause its actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The company assumes no obligation and expressly disclaims any duty to update the information contained herein except as required by law.

SOURCE Ultra Petroleum Corp.

Related Links

http://www.ultrapetroleum.com


BALTIMORE, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Under Armour (NYSE: UA, UAA) today announced Lance Allega as the company's Vice President of Investor Relations. In his role, Mr. Allega will be responsible for communicating Under Armour's growth strategy, financial performance, operating model, key business metrics and plans for building long-term shareholder value to investors, analysts and other external audiences. He will be based out of Under Armour's Global Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland and will start on January 23.

UNDER ARMOUR ANNOUNCES LANCE ALLEGA AS VICE PRESIDENT OF INVESTOR RELATIONS

"As we continue our global expansion, it is critical that we further sharpen our ability to communicate our vision of growth and expertise in managing our diverse portfolio of strategic investments," said Kevin Plank, Chairman and CEO of Under Armour. "Lance has a proven track record in the industry and I'm excited to add new talent to our seasoned team of leaders in the Company."

Mr. Allega joins Under Armour after serving as head of investor relations and strategic accounts for VF Corporation based in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has more than 20 years of experience in investor relations, finance, operations and brand management, including senior management roles at Nike, Oakley, Sony and Accenture. He holds an M.B.A. degree from Pepperdine University and a B.A. degree in economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

About Under Armour, Inc.

Under Armour, the originator of performance footwear, apparel and equipment, revolutionized how athletes across the world dress. Designed to make all athletes better, the brand's innovative products are sold worldwide to athletes at all levels. The Under Armour Connected Fitness platform powers the world's largest digital health and fitness community through a suite of applications: UA Record, MapMyFitness, Endomondo and MyFitnessPal. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.uabiz.com.

Under Armour has two classes of publicly traded common stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange: Class C stock trades under the ticker symbol "UA" and Class A stock trades under the ticker symbol "UAA". For more information about Under Armour's stock, please visit the Company's Investor Relations website at http://www.uabiz.com/investors.cfm.

SOURCE Under Armour, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.underarmour.com


A celebratory event will be held in Hollywood this evening to commemorate the joint venture. Wahlburgers' founders Chef Paul Wahlberg, producer/actor Mark Wahlberg, and actor/musician Donnie Wahlberg will be in attendance. The brothers will address members of the press and discuss the company's expansion plans. Guests will be treated to Wahlburgers' signature chef-inspired burgers and tater tots.

"We're excited about this wonderful opportunity to grow in Asia," said Wahlburgers CEO Rick Vanzura. "Having a savvy, financially strong partner is essential and we have a great partner in the Cachet Hospitality Group, which will bring an unprecedented level of service and strength to the Wahlburgers brand. Cachet is dedicated to family, community and, of course, bringing diverse groups of people together through great food  the very same values that drive Wahlburgers. Thanks to Cachet, we already have our first confirmed restaurant projects outside of North America, and we look forward to making history together."

The Cachet Hospitality Group (CHG), an international hospitality branding and management company based in Hong Kong, is well known in the region for excellence and a growing focus on social responsibility. According to CEO Alexander Mirza, "This is an excellent time to enter the Asia market. A shift is occurring where real estate owners and developers are repositioning mixed use properties as lifestyle food and beverage destinations from retail stores into restaurants."

Mirza continued, "Combined with the popularity of international restaurant brands in airports, hotels and office buildings, this opens the door to tremendous opportunity for our Wahlburgers Asia Pacific joint venture."

Based on the lure of Wahlburgers, CHG has signed major agreements with developers who have committed to including Wahlburgers restaurants in their projects. World Packaging Center, an existing CHG developer, agreed to sign the first restaurant in Hangzhou. Shanghai-based naked Hub has agreed to open 20 Wahlburgers in their office building complexes throughout Shanghai and Hong Kong. Thailand's Big Ho Corporation will open 20 Wahlburgers in its franchise location of Big C Supercenter stores throughout northern Thailand.

A third partner, the Arjomand Group, a holding company with businesses based in the Middle East and Africa regions, includes diverse industries such as real estate and manufacturing, is an investor in CHG and will add financial expertise and strength to the expansion plans. In addition, Arjomand Group has acquired the rights to the Wahlburgers brand for the Middle East.

According to the joint venture, the objective of this expansion is to open 100 restaurants in China and the surrounding region over the next five years. With two strategic partnerships in place, Wahlburgers Asia Pacific is in a strong position to achieve its goal of opening in a variety of locations, including shopping centers, theme parks, residential and office developments and hotel and resort properties.

About Wahlburgers: Founded by Executive Chef Paul Wahlberg and celebrity brothers Mark and Donnie and other investors, Wahlburgers debuted in October 2011 in Hingham, Massachusetts. The subject of an A&E reality show, Wahlburgers offers a fun, casual music-filled atmosphere where guests, like family, share great food, a few laughs and lots of love. While its walls celebrate the story through photos and words of the Wahlberg brothers life journeys from Dorchester, Mass. neighborhood kids to rising chef and international superstars, its the food at Wahlburgers that takes center stage.



Crafted by Chef Paul and served with heartfelt hospitality, the chef inspired menu features a variety of fresh burgers, housemade condiments, crispy haddock, seared chicken and vegetarian options. Other signature items include Moms Sloppy Joe, thin crispy onion rings, tater tots and thick creamy frappes and floats. Gluten free options are available.



Wahlburgers full-service bar is a popular gathering spot offering an impressive selection of adult frappes, cocktails, wines and beers including the signature Wahlbrewski  a Harpoon Brewery custom, unfiltered Pale Ale. Dedicated to giving back, Wahlburgers is active in every community it serves. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Wahlburgers offers full-service dining, counter service, take out and a full-service bar. For locations and more information visit wahlburgersrestaurant.com.

About Arjomand Group: Drawing on extensive experience in the financial services industry, Farooq Arjomand has served as founding chairman and CEO of Arjomand Group since 2001. Established in 2001, Arjomand Group is a multi-faced holding corporation based in the Middle East and Africa regions, that owns and operates businesses across a range of industries. Under the leadership of Founding Chairman and CEO, Farooq Arjomand, Arjomand Group operates over 15 companies, across segments such as real estate, hospitality, trade, manufacturing, trade, finance and aviation across Asia, Europe and the U.S. Arjomand Group has offices across Europe & GCC countries. www.arjomandgroup.com

About Cachet Hospitality Group: Cachet Hospitality Group (CHG) is a lifestyle hospitality branding and management company with offices in Los Angeles, Shanghai and Bangkok. CHG's mission is to be the leading innovative and socially responsible hospitality company in the Asia Pacific and North America, with recent expansion into Cabo San Lucas and New York City. With numerous projects under development, CHG is focused on establishing properties in Greater China, Southeast Asia and the Americas. For more information, please visit www.cachethotelgroup.com.

Media Contact CHG:

Karena Bibbins

Burson-Marsteller for Cachet Hotel Group

(310) 309-6663

[email protected]

Media Contact for Wahlburgers:

Lori Moretti

CM Communications

(617) 536-3400

[email protected]

SOURCE Wahlburgers

Related Links

http://wahlburgersrestaurant.com


WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) proudly celebrates their 20th Anniversary year by recognizing an exclusive group of WBENC-Certified women business owners known as Women of Distinction. These 25 women leaders have demonstrated a deep commitment to the organization and to breaking down barriers for women owned businesses in the corporate and government supply chains. The Women of Distinction program was established to create a strategic role for highly successful and dedicated Women's Business Enterprises (WBEs) as advisors to WBENC, supporting the growth and success of all WBEs. WBENC is honored to showcase the Women of Distinction as they celebrate 20 years of success.

The WBENC Women of Distinction Inaugural Group:

Tara Abraham , Accel inc

, Accel inc Alta Baker , Safe Haven Enterprises, LLC

, Safe Haven Enterprises, LLC Himanshu Bhatia , Rose International, Inc.

, Rose International, Inc. Rebecca Boenigk , Neutral Posture, Inc.

, Neutral Posture, Inc. Michelle Boggs , McKinley Marketing Partners, Inc.

, McKinley Marketing Partners, Inc. Janice Bryant-Howroyd , The Act 1 Group

, The Act 1 Group Billie Bryant-Schultz , CESCO, Inc.

, CESCO, Inc. Julie Copeland , Arbill

, Arbill Sharon Evans , CFJ Manufacturing

, CFJ Manufacturing Maggie Hardy Magerko , 84 Lumber Company

, 84 Lumber Company Lynne Marie Finn , Superior Workforce Solutions, Inc.

, Superior Workforce Solutions, Inc. Eartha Jean Johnson , Risk Mitigation Worldwide

, Risk Mitigation Worldwide Brenda Loube , Corporate Fitness Works, Inc.

, Corporate Fitness Works, Inc. Olsa Martini , OLSA Resources, Inc.

, OLSA Resources, Inc. Terri McNally , Global Capital Ltd.

, Global Capital Ltd. Sharon Olzerowicz , Hired By Matrix, Inc.

, Hired By Matrix, Inc. Pamela O'Rourke , ICON Information Consultants, LP

, ICON Information Consultants, LP Ranjini Poddar , Artech Information Systems LLC

, Artech Information Systems LLC Patricia Rodriguez-Christian , CRC Group, Inc.

, CRC Group, Inc. Andra Rush , Rush Trucking Corporation

, Rush Trucking Corporation Leslie Saunders , Leslie Saunders Insurance Agency, Inc.

, Leslie Saunders Insurance Agency, Inc. Cheryl Snead , Banneker Industries, Inc.

, Banneker Industries, Inc. Lynn Tilton , Patriarch Partners, LLC

, Patriarch Partners, LLC Nina Vaca , Pinnacle Group

, Pinnacle Group Nancy Williams , ASAP Solutions Group, LLC

The Women of Distinction will be honored during WBENC's 20th Anniversary celebration at the annual Summit & Salute event taking place March 21  23, 2017 in New Orleans, LA. The presenting sponsors of this milestone event are Accenture, EY, Ampcus Inc., and ASAP Solutions Group. The Summit & Salute is a highly anticipated event that provides access to the industry insights and senior-level networking opportunities that enable sustainable growth for all businesses. In addition to recognizing the Women of Distinction, WBENC will honor the 2016 America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises, highlight past leaders, WBE Stars, and other influential contributors who have enabled two decades of success.

To learn more about the event or the WBENC Women of Distinction, visit http://summit.wbenc.org.

About WBENC

Founded in 1997, WBENC is the leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with over 13,000 WBENC-Certified WBEs. WBENC-Certification is accepted by more than 1,000 corporations representing America's most prestigious brands, in addition to many states, cities and other entities. Throughout the year, WBENC and its 14 Regional Partner Organizations provide opportunities for interactions between more than 650 member corporations, government agencies and thousands of certified WBEs at business building events and other forums. WBENC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks and accepts donations from corporations, foundations and individuals that support its mission and programs. For more information, please go to http://www.wbenc.org.

SOURCE Women's Business Enterprise National Council

Related Links

http://www.wbenc.org


LOUISVILLE, Ky. and TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Families and individuals struggling with homelessness are often unable to prioritize their health or obtain needed preventive care such as health screenings, vaccinations or manage chronic conditions like diabetes and asthma. To address this issue, WellCare of Kentucky, a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE:WCG), has awarded $8,500 in "micro-grants" to support six organizations working to address the needs of homeless Kentuckians.

WellCare's micro-grant program is one facet of its commitment to building partnerships with community-based organizations that offer support in meeting basic social needs. These are small grants of up to $1,500 each that help communities find their own solutions to challenges that affect the health of individuals and families.

In Kentucky, these micro-grants aim to help homeless Kentuckians find their way back to stable living environments, and thus, more healthy lives. For example, one micro-grant will help pay for bus tokens and provide transportation for homeless women in Henderson County. Many women who will benefit from these grants are struggling to put their lives back together after leaving an abusive relationship, recovering from substance abuse or managing other significant life setbacks. Reliable transportation will enable them to attend interviews, find housing or go to medical appointments.

Another grant is aimed at the rapidly growing population of homeless seniors in Fayette and Jessamine counties. This program will connect seniors to area housing options they may not otherwise have known they qualify for.

This year's micro-grants related to homelessness include:

The Coalition for the Homeless in Jefferson County  A $1,500 micro-grant will support the hiring of a housing specialist who will help connect homeless individuals with housing vouchers to available housing.

 A micro-grant will support the hiring of a housing specialist who will help connect homeless individuals with housing vouchers to available housing. Mountain Comprehensive Care Center in Morgan County  A $1,500 micro-grant will support efforts to help homeless individuals get needed documents, such as birth certificates and photo ID cards, which are often needed for job interviews and housing applications.

 A micro-grant will support efforts to help homeless individuals get needed documents, such as birth certificates and photo ID cards, which are often needed for job interviews and housing applications. Bluegrass Area Agency on Living and Independent Living in Fayette and Jessamine Counties  A $1,000 micro-grant will assist homeless seniors by educating them on available resources to assist with housing or other needs.

 A micro-grant will assist homeless seniors by educating them on available resources to assist with housing or other needs. Pathways Inc. in Boyd and Rowan Counties  A $1,500 micro-grant will support teens and young adults with behavioral health challenges by providing basic clothing and other needs standing in the way of employment or educational goals.

 A micro-grant will support teens and young adults with behavioral health challenges by providing basic clothing and other needs standing in the way of employment or educational goals. Paducah Cooperative Ministry in McCracken County  A $1,500 micro-grant will help furnish a children's playroom where homeless children can play while parents can learn helpful parenting technique.

 A micro-grant will help furnish a children's playroom where homeless children can play while parents can learn helpful parenting technique. The Father Bradley Shelter in McCracken County  A $1,500 micro-grant will support the purchase of 1,000 bus tokens for homeless women and the hiring of a caseworker, who will work with homeless women to help them access services as they work toward self-sufficiency.

"These grants give community-based groups the boost they need to try new things, take promising programs to the next level, and help individuals lead healthier lives," said Bill Jones, president of WellCare of Kentucky. "Often, it's something simple that is keeping someone who is homeless from getting a job or qualifying for housing  not being able to get to a job interview, not having appropriate clothes for an interview, not having an address where they can get a copy of their Social Security card mailed. These problems can be solved by caring organizations at the community-level with just a little support."

"WellCare's micro-grant will provide the Coalition for the Homeless with critical matching funds to hire a housing specialist who will assist 75 homeless people in 2017 as they move out of a shelter or off the streets and into safe, stable housing," said Catherine McGeeney, director of development, Coalition for the Homeless.

"Paducah Cooperative Ministry is delighted and grateful to receive a $1,500 micro-grant from WellCare," said Heidi Suhrheinrich, executive director, Paducah Cooperative Ministries. "These funds will be used to help furnish the new 'WINGS' children's room at our Fresh Start Village homeless shelter. The WINGS program is designed to reduce the negative impact of homelessness on youngsters by helping parents build stronger bonds with their children in addition to learning positive parenting techniques."

As of Sept. 30, 2016, WellCare serves approximately 440,000 Medicaid members, 8,000 Medicare Advantage plan members and 20,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members in Kentucky. To learn more about how WellCare cares for Kentuckians, watch Brandi Logan's member story at http://youtu.be/YwOw5EgeSYo.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. WellCare serves approximately 3.8 million members nationwide as of Sept. 30, 2016. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.

SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.wellcare.com


OTTAWA, Ontario, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Putting politics aside, the damaging results of Russian activities described in the NCCIC "GRIZZLY STEPPE  Russian Malicious Cyber Activity" and the "Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections" are very disturbing. However, the most critical issue is that the report suggests that a New Normal is present and that "Moscow will apply lessons learned from its campaign aimed at the US presidential election to further influence efforts in the United States and worldwide, including against US allies and their election processes."

NCCIC - GRIZZLY STEPPE - Russian Malicious Cyber Activity

In CloudMask's opinion, the "Recommended Mitigations" in the report will not sufficiently address the issue of email hacking. A more comprehensive approach is to use the Snowden Playbook that recommends using encryption not only for email during the transaction (in transit) but also for the archived email and data "at rest" on each computing device.

Dr. Aggan, CloudMask's CEO stated: "It is important to understand that if the hacker can access your email for 10 minutes, he/she will copy all the information stored in your email account (such as Inbox, Sent, and Archived), not just the current message. Your data is snatched before you realize that you are hacked or ever realize that you have been hacked," he added. " Encryption of all stored email is a must; the hacker will not sit watching and snooping on every message and be at the risk of you discovering the penetration."

Dr. Aggan added, "The main problem of our traditional security stand, and in the NCCIC recommendations, is the fact that most cybersecurity these days are designed to keep attackers out, which, history has shown, isn't a viable strategy. We need to protect our data; not only the active data but also the archived datasets. In most cases, archived data is more critical and damaging as compared to the active ones."

Private industry and governments are in a perpetual catch-up race with malicious actors, intent on nefarious objectives. CloudMask provides a different solution; to protect data itself, not its accessibility. In the case of Secretary of State Clinton and the DNC, had their email been protected with CloudMask's data anonymization platform, the information obtained by the Russians would have been illegible, therefore maintaining its confidentiality. One can only speculate how this would have changed the world.

We should not limit our attention to Russia alone as other state actors, organized crime, and disgruntled employees are also sources of political and economic malfeasance. Governments and private businesses must take the actions required to properly protect its interests.

CloudMask invites you to visit their Booth at RSA 2017.

About CloudMask

CloudMask enables you to track, protect and control access to data throughout its lifecycle. It works on a zero-trust model; Only you and individuals you have explicitly trusted can see your data and nobody else along the way  not applications, not gateways, not system administrators, not cloud providers, not even CloudMask.

The solution has received its Common Criteria certification, the gold standard accepted by 26 government cybersecurity agencies around the world.

Media Contact:

Jacques Flipot

[email protected]

+1 (613) 850-1682

SOURCE CloudMask

Related Links

http://www.cloudmask.com


"Denver becomes more exciting all the time," says Richard Scharf, president and CEO of VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Each year sees more cultural experiences, citywide celebrations and annual events than the one before; and this year we are thrilled to see the return of some of our favorite things  like the ski train and Denver Restaurant Week  as well as brand new, innovative exhibitions and events. Winter 2017 is going to be an excellent time to come to Denver."

This season will be the final opportunity to see Star Wars and the Power of Costume at Denver Art Museum; and the first chance to see The Edge at Denver Zoo, a brand new, innovative tiger habitat. First Friday Art Walks give visitors a chance to meet and mingle with artists; and Denver Restaurant Week will feature a new, more flexible pricing structure.

Below are some additional details about events in Denver in the beginning of 2017; for a complete event calendar, including information on hotels and where to stay, go to www.VISITDENVER.com/new-adventures.

BLOCKBUSTER EVENTS

National Western Stock Show & Rodeo, January 7-22, 2017

Held every January at the National Western Complex, it is the world's largest stock show; and each year is bigger and better than the last, with more than 15,000 animals, Mexican rodeos, bull riders, horse shows, livestock competitions, auctions and booths selling everything from cowboy boots to Native American jewelry.

VISIT DENVER's 13th Annual Denver Restaurant Week Presented by Lexus, February 24 - March 5, 2017

The 13th Annual Denver Restaurant Week will return in late-February with an all new pricing structure. Hundreds of Denver's top restaurants will offer multi-course meals at great values  menus this year will be offered with $25, $35 or $45 price tags, depending on the restaurant. Denver Restaurant Week is always a great opportunity to try some of Denver's newest hotspots or return to old favorites.

Star Wars and the Power of Costume, through April 2, 2017

Explore the artistry of the world's most recognized cinematic costumes at Star Wars and the Power of Costume at Denver Art Museum. The exhibition features more than 70 hand-crafted costumes from the first seven blockbuster Star Wars films, along with 100 additional pieces, many of which have never been seen, sourced directly from George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch.

Vikings: Beyond the Legend, March 10  August 13, 2017

This exhibition will bring the largest collection of Viking artifacts in North America to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Vikings: Beyond the Legend lays waste to the one-dimensional stereotype of bearded barbarians with horned helmets. Visitors can marvel instead at a culture of surprising refinement, complexity and achievement, and a supernatural world inhabited by Thor, Odin and other gods and giants. Fresh insights revealed through new archaeological discoveries and more than 500 treasures, many never before seen outside of Scandinavia, show why the Vikings will always capture the imagination.

The Edge at Denver Zoo Grand Opening Week, March 17-24, 2017

Located on almost a full acre on the southeastern edge of the facility, The Edge will bring guests closer than ever to the Zoo's Amur tigers. The expansive, open space will also offer several unique ways to safely connect with these magnificent creatures and to see them from multiple perspectives in yards that mimic their native habitat.

MORE ARTS & CULTURE

Mi Tierra: Contemporary Artists Explore Place, February 19  October 22, 2017

Denver Art Museum's Mi Tierra: Contemporary Artists Explore Place will feature site-specific installations by 13 Latino artists that express experiences of contemporary life in the American West. Energizing and vibrant artwork will be presented by Denver artists and Dmitri Obergfell and Jaime Carrejo, as well as Carmen Argote (Los Angeles), Gabriel Dawe (Dallas), Claudio Dicochea (San Antonio), Daniela Edburg (San Miguel de Allende), Justin Favela (Las Vegas), Ana Teresa Fernandez (San Francisco), Ramiro Gomez (West Hollywood), John Jota Leanos (San Francisco), Ruben Ochoa (Los Angeles), Daisy Quezada (Santa Fe) and Xochi Solis (Austin).

An American in Paris, March 8-19, 2017

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) will present An American in Paris, the Tony Award-winning musical about an American soldier, a mysterious French girl and an indomitable European city, each yearning for a new beginning in the aftermath of war. Acclaimed director/choreographer and 2015 Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon brings the magic and romance of Paris into the perfect harmony with unforgettable songs from George and Ira Gershwin in the show that earned more awards than any other musical in the 2014-2015 season.

Kinky Boots, March 21-26, 2017

The DCPA will also showcase Kinky Boots, Broadway's huge-hearted, high-heeled hit. With songs by Grammy- and Tony-winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, this joyous musical celebration is about the friendships we discover, and the belief that you can change the world when you change your mind. Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots takes you from a gentlemen's shoe factory in Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan. Charlie Price is struggling to live up to his father's expectations and continue the family business of Price & Son. With the factory's future hanging in the balance, help arrives in the unlikely but spectacular form of Lola, a fabulous performer in need of some sturdy new stilettos.

Black History Month at the Black American West Museum, February 2017

Celebrate Black History Month at Denver's Black American West Museum. Throughout the month of February, there will be a series of guest speakers like JoKatherine Holliman Page  a native Coloradoan, social and political activist  and Valeria Howard-Vason, the wife of the late Lu Vason, founder of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo. Of course, there is also plenty to see throughout the museum that celebrates the history and culture of those African American men and women who helped settle and develop the American West.

MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT

First Friday Art Walks

Explore Denver's creative neighborhoods on the First Friday of every month when galleries, studios and cultural attractions stay open late for a mind-expanding night of art, food, drink and fun. Find the pulse of Denver's vibrant creative community year-round on the first Friday of each month in The Mile High City's seven neighborhood art districts. This year, RiNo (River North) Art District and the new Drink RiNo group will sponsor a free bus every First Friday from 5pm-12am (and Saturdays 2-10pm) that will have multiple stops at galleries, studios, breweries and eateries throughout RiNo.

4th Annual Collaboration Fest, March 25, 2017

America's most creative beer festival features more than 75 beer projects from more than 100 participating breweries across Colorado, the U.S. and internationally. Every beer tapped at Collaboration Fest has a unique story as two or more breweries come together to brew something special, resulting in some of the most exciting, delicious beer tappings anywhere.

Winter Park Express by Amtrak Ski Train

Denver is the only city in the country to own its own ski resort; and  after a seven year hiatus  it is now easier than ever to get to Winter Park with the Winter Park Express Ski Train. The train reopened on January 7, 2017 and will run on weekends and Monday holidays through March 26. The train allows people to hit the slopes during the day and return to Denver for apres ski, an abundance of culinary options and nearly 10,000 hotel rooms to choose from. Denver's Crawford Hotel, Oxford Hotel and Westin Denver Downtown are all offering Winter Park Express packages, featuring deals on tickets, room nights and more.

About VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau

Celebrating 107 years of promoting The Mile High City, VISIT DENVER is a nonprofit trade association that contracts with the City of Denver to market Denver as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes. A record 16.4 million visitors stayed overnight in Denver in 2015, generating $5 billion in spending, while supporting nearly 54,000 jobs, making Tourism one of the largest industries in Denver. Learn more about Denver on the VISITDENVER website and at TOURISMPAYSDENVER or by phone at 800 2 Denver. Follow Denver's social media channels for up-to-the-minute updates at: Facebook.com/visitdenver; Twitter.com/visitdenver; Instagram.com/visitdenver; and YouTube.com/visitdenver.

With press or photo inquiries, please contact:

Jesse Davis: (303) 571-9450 or [email protected]

Ashley Taufen: (303) 571-9451 or [email protected]

Rochelle Jones: (303) 571-9418 or [email protected]

SOURCE VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau

Related Links

http://www.visitdenver.com


CHICAGO, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Responding to lingering anxiety about the volume and impact of disruption in the year ahead, offsite meeting center Workspring in Chicago's Loop is offering a special Change Ready Meeting Package to help business leaders refocus on 2017 priorities and improve their team's ability to embrace coming change.

"2017 is being called the 'year of the unexpected' as change and disruption become the norm across many industries," says Workspring General Manager Danielle Galmore. "In times like these company executives need to spend highly focused time grappling with uncertainty. They need to re-evaluate their 2017 priorities, train their leaders to become more agile to respond to that uncertainty and be prepared for different outcomes."

"We're seeing an uptick in companies calling to book meetings now, in the next 30 days, versus longer-term schedules, which suggests business leaders need to regroup and reframe the coming year," adds Galmore.

Workspring's special 2017 "Change Ready" Meeting Package (offered through March 30) includes traditional meeting room accommodations tailored to the audience and number of participants plus:

Group exercises to form a change mindset

to form a change mindset Access to professional facilitators with expertise in organizational leadership, innovation and change management to help structure and lead mission-critical discussions

with expertise in organizational leadership, innovation and change management to help structure and lead mission-critical discussions Team building activity ideas to help participants improve communication and working relationships to weather uncertainty

to help participants improve communication and working relationships to weather uncertainty Frameworks to help teams generate, capture and structure their new ideas

to help teams generate, capture and structure their new ideas Complimentary digital data capture to enable teams to get to work faster on the meeting's short-term wins

to enable teams to get to work faster on the meeting's short-term wins A Happy Hour where participants can celebrate progress and leave in a positive mood

Costs of the "Change Ready" session follow Workspring's usual per person price model and can be booked by calling (800) 605-9092.

About Workspring

Located at 30 W. Monroe, Workspring (http://www.workspring.com/) is an innovative offsite meeting experience with 10,000 square feet and 10 purposely designed meeting studios to support creative collaboration, productive retreat and transformative exchange. Workspring has served 800 plus teams in this location. Workspring's highly- trained, 13-person team hosts multiple customized meeting experiences every week, involving 2 to 80 participants per meeting, hosting teams from innovative companies across the globe and the Fortune 500, including top 50 Chicago corporations. With a mission to help teams unlock their true potential, Workspring is an experiential brand of the global office furniture leader Steelcase.

SOURCE Workspring

Related Links

http://www.workspring.com


LAS VEGAS, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Motorola, an industry leader in mobile communication products, is strengthening its brand in the outdoor market through a new licensing agreement with Zenus Technology Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Altis Zenus Limited. Zenus' new extension into the outdoors is designed to advance outdoor gear with smarter, stronger and safer products.

"We've been in the outdoor industry for more than a decade, which has given us strong knowledge of the needs specific to the people and companies passionate about the outdoors," said Zenus Technology Limited CEO Bernie Auyang. "With today's connected consumers, we believe the time is right to introduce new, innovative products that have never been seen before and will provide outdoor enthusiasts with more memorable adventures."

The new Motorola license agreement brings immediate brand recognition to the products being launched over the coming months. The new product categories, including smart lanterns, modular mobile lighting and Bluetooth speakers, are available for demo at the 2017 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

The new product categories include:

LUMO200 & LUMO400 Smart Lanterns: Control your campsite's lighting from your phone with this new product and smartphone app. The lanterns feature intelligent, connected technology that syncs with weather sensors and alerts, using reliable Bluetooth connectivity. The app brings over 16 million color options to the user's fingertips. The lantern is available in models producing 200 lumens and 400 lumens, along with both traditional battery-powered and rechargeable options.

Control your campsite's lighting from your phone with this new product and smartphone app. The lanterns feature intelligent, connected technology that syncs with weather sensors and alerts, using reliable Bluetooth connectivity. The app brings over 16 million color options to the user's fingertips. The lantern is available in models producing 200 lumens and 400 lumens, along with both traditional battery-powered and rechargeable options. Hybrid Modular Flashlight + Lantern: The flashlight-lantern hybrid comes standard with a digital display temperature sensor module. Several interchangeable smart modules will be offered to vary functionality and provide customization based on user needs and preferences. The optional modules, with a smart twist cap to quickly and easily connect, include a Bluetooth speaker, power bank and an alarm.

The flashlight-lantern hybrid comes standard with a digital display temperature sensor module. Several interchangeable smart modules will be offered to vary functionality and provide customization based on user needs and preferences. The optional modules, with a smart twist cap to quickly and easily connect, include a Bluetooth speaker, power bank and an alarm. Wearable LED Lights: More robust than other wearable lights, Motorola's lights include bright, push-activated LEDs, with a reflector and carabiner-style attachment. Four unique models feature distinct category differentiators, including a pedometer, UV sensor, compass and digital temperature gauge. The wearable light is rechargeable via a micro USB port.

More robust than other wearable lights, Motorola's lights include bright, push-activated LEDs, with a reflector and carabiner-style attachment. Four unique models feature distinct category differentiators, including a pedometer, UV sensor, compass and digital temperature gauge. The wearable light is rechargeable via a micro USB port. Rechargeable Flashlights: These rugged flashlights offer between 80 to 1,100 lumens at an unbeatable price point. They are waterproof, offer thousands of hours of use and many offer easy rechargeability via micro-USB ports.

These rugged flashlights offer between 80 to 1,100 lumens at an unbeatable price point. They are waterproof, offer thousands of hours of use and many offer easy rechargeability via micro-USB ports. Weather Radios: These portable weather radio offerings will have necessary features such as a USB port, solar recharging panel, portable battery charger and hand crank. They also include a one button alert setting, AM/FM radio, and LED flashlight.

These portable weather radio offerings will have necessary features such as a USB port, solar recharging panel, portable battery charger and hand crank. They also include a one button alert setting, AM/FM radio, and LED flashlight. Bluetooth Speakers: The WAVE Bluetooth speaker series features innovative, Touch2share technology and offer the same quality, durability and connectivity featured in all Motorola products. Models are rechargeable via a USB port, feature level IPX4 water resistant rating, and offer a convenient phone conferencing feature.

Motorola Outdoors products will be available for view and demo at the SHOT Show in booth #4026.

About Zenus Technology Limited

Zenus Technology Limited is a global provider of consumer electronics solutions. The company has created a strong presence in the retail and ecommerce channels through its innovative products. They work with 200 businesses globally covering more than 10,000 store fronts.

About Motorola Trademark Licensing

For nearly 90 years the Motorola name has been synonymous with quality, innovation and trust around the world. Over 100 million products sold each year carry the Motorola name and demonstrate the brand's lasting power and continued relevance in today's ever-evolving marketplace. Motorola's Trademark Licensing Program seeks to leverage the power of this iconic brand by teaming with dynamic companies who can provide unique, high quality products that enrich consumer's lives. For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

MEDIA CONTACT:

Angie Maddox, Seed Factory, 404-996-4041; [email protected]

SOURCE Zenus Technology Limited
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
Washington, Jan 12 : 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).
Kabul, Jan 12 : The Afghan Taliban has released a new video showing an American and an Australian who were kidnapped by the group last year.

According to a report in Khaama Press on Thursday, the hostages were identified as Timothy Weekes, an English teacher from Sydney; and Kevin King, a professor from the US.

In the 13-minute video released on Wednesday, they were seen begging US President-elect Donald Trump to make a deal for their release.

Both were teaching at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul and were abducted in last August from their vehicle in western Kabul, said the report.

American hostage Weekes appealed for Trump's help saying: "Donald Trump, sir, I ask you please. This is in your hands... If we stay here for much longer we will be killed. I don't want to die here."

The US State Department declined to comment on the video or confirm its authenticity.

Australia's Foreign Ministry said it has been "working closely with other governments to secure the release of an Australian man kidnapped in Afghanistan in August 2016", but declined to comment further "in the interests of his safety and well-being".

Khaama Press quoted officials privy of the developments as saying that the two teachers are being held by the Haqqani terrorist network, which is close to the Taliban.

Meanwhile, a senior Afghan official told CNN that swapping Taliban militants in government custody for Western hostages would be politically costly for the government in Kabul.
Canberra, Jan 14 : Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday underlined the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) during his trip to Australia to discuss trade, security and the election of Donald Trump as the US President.

"We have taken a leading role in the region to ensure investment in free trade," Abe said while attending a business meeting in Sydney with New South Wales Premier Mike Baird and Australian Trade Minister Steve Ciobo.

Abe remarked that Japan and Australia have acted as leading participants in the TPP, while Ciobo stressed that the pact holds significant benefit for the 12 countries that have signed it.

Australia and Japan have been championing the implementation of the controversial TPP - that will need to be ratified by the legislatures of 12 nations that have signed it - although US President-elect Donald Trump has promised to pull out from the agreement, Efe news reported.

Abe's schedule included a meeting Saturday with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull on strengthening trade ties, and matters related to regional security.

Australia is the second stop, after the Philippines, on Abe's four-nation tour that also includes Indonesia and Vietnam.
Washington, Jan 15 : US President-elect Donald Trump harshly responded to civil rights icon John Lewis, calling him "all talk -- no action" after Lewis said Trump was not a "legitimate" President, CNN reported.

"Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk -- no action or results. Sad," Trump tweeted on Saturday.

Trump made the remarks after Lewis told NBC in an interview that the Republican would take office as an illegitimate President, citing the US intelligence community's allegations that Russia interfered in the election to harm his Democratic Party rival, Hillary Clinton.

The 76-year-old Lewis -- who spoke at the 1963 March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech -- said he would not attend the presidential inauguration for the first time in his 30 years in Congress.

Cornell William Brooks, President of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), said Trump's remarks were disrespectful and called on him to apologise.

"By disrespecting @repjohnlewis, @realDonaldTrump dishonoured Lewis' sacrifice & demeaned Americans & the rights, he nearly died 4. Apologize," Brooks tweeted, including an image of a bloodied Lewis taken during the Civil Rights Era.

Donna Brazile, the interim head of the Democratic National Committee, denounced Trump's remarks and said at a DNC gathering in Phoenix that Lewis "took action".

"He took action from marching from Selma to Montgomery. He took action in marching toward men wielding clubs across the Pettus Bridge. They fractured his skull because of the colour of his skin. But John Lewis never stopped marching for justice and equality," she said.

Meanwhile, Democratic members of Congress, highlighting Lewis' contributions to the civil rights movement, swiftly condemned Trump.

"Ahead of #MLKday2017, let us remember that many have tried to silence @repjohnlewis over the years. All have failed," tweeted House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

California Senator Kamala Harris said Lewis doesn't deserve to be attacked by Trump.

"John Lewis is an icon of the Civil Rights Movement who is fearless in the pursuit of justice and equality. He deserves better than this," she tweeted.

Later, Lewis responded to Trump's comments by saying, "Today, Donald Trump attacked me on Twitter. He said that I'm 'all talk' and 'no action',".

"I've been beaten bloody, tear-gassed, fighting for what's right for America... Sometimes that's what it takes to move our country in the right direction."

He continued: "Some leaders reject decades of progress and want to return to the dark past, when the power of law was used to deny the freedoms protected by the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and its Amendments."

"It took massive, well-organised, non-violent dissent and criticism of this great nation and its laws to move towards a greater sense of equality in America."

Lewis is one of an increasing number of Democratic lawmakers who are boycotting Trump's inauguration after learning more about Russia's role in the 2016 election.
Mumbai, Jan 15 : Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty, who worked closely with Hrithik Roshan during the shooting of the Sanjay Gupta-directed "Kaabil", says the actor was keenly active in every department of the film.

"Hrithik was hands-on from the word 'go'. He was deeply interested and active in every department of the film. And Sanjay Gupta didn't mind at all. He believes in the team spirit. And he gladly welcomed Hrithik's inputs. I was immensely impressed by Hrithik's inner knowledge of filmmaking," Pookutty said about the actor, who assisted father and filmmaker Rakesh Roshan in some early films.

Sound, it may be mentioned here, plays a very important part in "Kaabil".

"Hrithik plays a blind character. His audio-sensory perceptions are, therefore, far sharper than yours or mine. We had to create an extra-nuanced sound design for this one," Pookutty said.

Also, Hrithik plays a dubbing artiste in the film.

"Sound and voice are very important to 'Kaabil' and Hrithik. Since he plays a dubbing artiste, he experimented with various voices. Each one of them, including that of Mr Amitabh Bachchan, has come out just right."
New Delhi, Jan 16 : Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh is also contesting from Lambi constituency to help Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal win, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday.

Amarinder Singh had "stabbed the people of Punjab in the back" by saying he would contest from Lambi besides his own traditional seat Patiala, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said in a video message.

Lambi is Badal's traditional constituency.

Kejriwal said there had been a "deal" between Amarinder Singh and Badal and so the Congress leader had announced his candidature from Lambi so as to cut anti-Akali votes and thus help Badal win.

The AAP has fielded Jarnail Singh, a former Delhi legislator, from Lambi.

Kejriwal demanded to know why Amarinder Singh was contesting from two assembly seats and why he was challenging Badal directly now when he had never done so in any election until now.

"Once everyone realized that Jarnail Singh's campaign was going great, Badal requested Amarinder Singh to contest from Lambi too so that the anti-Akali votes get divided," the AAP leader said.

Calling the Amarinder Singh-Badal fight a "friendly match", he said: "Jarnail Singh will win no matter what in Lambi... And you will be ousted in such a manner that you will remember for the rest of your life."

The February 4 Punjab election has become a three-way race involving the ruling Akali Dal-BJP coalition, the main opposition Congress party and the AAP, a first-time contestant.
Ranchi, Jan 16 : The budget session of the Jharkhand assembly beginning from Tuesday is likely to be stormy as the opposition parties are gearing up to raise several issues like land acts amendments and mining leases.

The winter session of the state assembly was washed away by protests over the move of Chief Minister Raghubar Das's government to amend two land acts -- Chhota Nagpur Tenancy Act (CNT) and Santhal Pargana Act (SPT).

The amendments were passed by voice vote without discussion amid ruccus during the assembly session despite stiff resistance from opposition parties. The amendments to both the acts now facilitate use of agriculture land for non-agricultural purposes, including infrastructre.

The budget session is set to start from January 17, and the main opposition parties have made it clear that they would not leave the two land act amendments untouched in the session. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) terms it "a closed chapter" but opposition is not in a mood to let the issue die.

"The issue of amendments to CNT and SPT acts is not over. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) will not backtrack from the issue. Besides, there are other issues which will be raised during the budget session," JMM Executive President Hemant Soren told reporters.

"The worsening law and order situation, false claim of making panchayats cashless are issues which will be raised as well," the former Chief Minister who is Leader of opposition in the assembly added.

The Congress too has said that it will raise the issues of the land act amendments as well as the renewal of mining leases.

"The demonetisation impact, law and order situation and other issues will also be raised," Jharkhand Congress President and legislator Sukhdev Bhagat told the reporters.

According to BJP legislator Radha Krishna Kishore, the issue of CNT and SPT acts' amendments is over.

He said: "The amendments were passed during winter session and they have been sent to the central government for clearance. The opposition should cooperate in running the budget session and should not repeat what happened in two last sessions of the assembly."
Chennai, Jan 16 : Thousands of people on Monday took to the streets in Madurai's Alanganallur town in Tamil Nadu protesting a ban against Jallikattu, the ancient and popular bull-taming sport that marks the Makar Sankranthi celebrations.

The protesters, including both men and women, have assembled in the town well known for conducting Jallikattu.

A large contingent of police personnel has been deployed in the town to prevent any violent incidents.

Meanwhile, Jallikattu was held defying then Supreme Court's ban on it in Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu. In some places, rekla or bullock-cart races were held.

However, as Jallikattu was not allowed to be held, people hoisted black flags on their homes and shops remained closed at Alanganallur.

This time the sport was held in places traditionally not associated with Jallikattu so as to avoid the police preventing it.

Speaking to reporters here, Union Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said the event should not be seen as defying the Supreme Court order but as an expression of people's feelings.

He said organisations like PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) will submit the pictures taken on Monday to the Supreme Court and demand a ban on it.

Radharkrishnan felt that the apex court should not take into consideration such pictures as it is just a protest and nothing more.

In Jallikattu, a bull vaulter is expected to hang on to the bull's hump for a stipulated distance or hold on to the hump for a minimum of three jumps made by the bull.

The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned the conduct of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu. The court also held that bulls cannot be used as performing animals either for Jallikattu events or for bullock-cart races in the Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country.

Ever since the ban order, people have been demanding that the central government take necessary legal steps to allow conduct of the sport.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on January 9 urged the central government to promulgate an ordinance enabling the conduct of Jallikattu/bull-taming sport during the Pongal festival.

But that did not happen, and led to protest demonstrations at several places across Tamil Nadu, culminating in a massive protest at Alanganallur.
New Delhi, Jan 16 : National Award-winning filmmaker Vetrimaaran on Monday came out in support of Jallikattu saying that before asking for a ban on the traditional and ancient bull-taming sport, people should think about banning crackers on Diwali and immersing lord Ganesh idols in water during Ganesh Chaturthi which disturbs the eco-system.

"The main reason why PETA and others want to put a ban on this traditional practice (Jallikattu) is that they say it's cruelty to animals," said Vetrimaaran.

Vetrimaaran was in the capital on Monday for author Kota Neelima's art show 'Remains of Ayodhya'.

"If this is the priority to stop this practice, then I think they are misinformed as every year because of India's biggest festival, not just one breed called bulls, but every living creature is killed and lost... and that's Diwali.

"If they are really concerned about the welfare of animals, then they should ban crackers. If they are really concerned about the eco-system, then they should know that every year so much of toxic material is dumped into the sea during Ganesh Chaturthi, so they should stop that," he added.

Vetrimaaran went on to add that people are "just responding to what they see on some video clips, where someone is torturing the bulls".

"If that happens, then that need to be stopped, I don't deny that. But these are ethnic identities which go deeper into a person's psyche and when that is threatened and denied, it puts in a lot of pressure on the whole community. It's not about one act, it's about the community," he said.

"That's why so many youngsters, who didn't belong to any political party, gathering in Chennai and supported it... I feel this practice should continue," he added.

In Jallikattu, a bull vaulter is expected to hang on to the bull's hump for a stipulated distance or hold on to the hump for a minimum of three jumps made by the bull.

The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned the conduct of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu. The court also held that bulls cannot be used as performing animals either for Jallikattu events or for bullock cart races in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country.

After that, people have been demanding that the central government should take necessary legal steps for the continued conduct of the popular sport.
Rome, Jan 16 : The world's largest glasses maker Luxottica has agreed to a 46 billion euro merger with rival French eye wear firm Essilor to create a global colossus with revenues of more than 15 billion euros, the firms said on Monday.

Luxottica and Essilor shares jumped on the news of a combined company that will make both frames and lenses employing 140,000 employees with sales in more than 150 countries.

Luxottica's 81-year-old founder and executive chairman Leonardo Del Vecchio said he had realised a "dream" with the tie-up with Essilor.

"With this agreement my dream to create a major global player in the eyewear industry, fully integrated and excellent in all its parts, comes true.

"Finally ... two products which are naturally complementary - namely frames and lenses - will be designed, manufactured and distributed under the same roof," Del Vecchio said.

One of Europe's largest cross-border mergers, the deal merges Italian eyewear designer Luxottica, which owns Ray-Ban and Oakley, with Essilor, the world's leading manufacturer of ophthalmic lenses.

"By joining forces today, these two international players can now accelerate their global expansion to the benefit of customers, employees and shareholders as well as the industry as a whole," said Essilor's chairman and CEO Hubert Sagnieres.

Under the deal, Luxottica's main shareholder Delfin will be be the largest stakeholder in the new eyewear giant to be called EssilorLuxottica, Luxottica and Essilor said in a joint statement.

The deal will also help to offer a succession plan for Del Vecchio, an issue that weighed on the firm's share price, which has dropped 14 percent in the past year.

An orphan who became Italy's richest man, he founded Luxottica in 1961 and drove its growth through a series of acquisitions.

Since 2014 he has boosted investments to expand the company's retail network and increased its lens manufacturing business.
Washington, Jan 17 : The wife of Orlando nightclub gunman Omar Mateen was arrested by the FBI in connection with her husband's shooting claiming 49 lives in June, 2016, media reports said.

Noor Salman was taken into custody in San Francisco on Monday, facing charges of aiding and abetting, as well as obstruction of justice in the case of the worst mass shooting in American history, Efe news cited a CBS News report.

Mateen pledged allegiance to the extreme group Islamic State during the attack.

"I can confirm the arrest did occur," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said.

"This is a matter that we continue to take very seriously," she said. "We said from the beginning we were going to look at every aspect of this case, every aspect of this shooters life."

Mateen and Salman exchanged texts during his rampage, after Mateen's mother called her in the middle of the night, asking where he was, a source close to the family said in June.

Salman remained silent until November, when she told the New York Times that she did not know her husband was planning an attack.

She is expected to make her first appearance on Tuesday.
Istanbul, Jan 17 : The man suspected of fatally shooting 39 people in a New Year's Eve attack on an Istanbul nightclub was arrested Monday, media reports said.

The suspect, identified as Abdulkadir Masharipov, was apprehended in Istanbul in the company of his 4-year-old son, HArriyet newspaper said.

Local television reported that police found Masharipov in the home of a friend from Kyrgyzstan and Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported that three women and a Kyrgyz man were also detained.

The network broadcast images of plainclothes police hustling the handcuffed Masharipov into a car, as well as a still photograph of the suspect with a battered face and blood on his shirt, Efe news reported.

Accounts in the Turkish media last week indicated that Masharipov is an Uzbek, though officials suggested he may be a Muslim Uyghur from China who made his way to Turkey via Kyrgyzstan.

Masharipov was taken to the Vatan police station even as police mounted additional raids targeting other members of the same terrorist network.

Banned militant outfit Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the massacre at the Reina club.
Moscow, Jan 17 : Washington is "initiating a new arms race" by deploying large-scale troops to Europe, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

The US military build-up in Europe has "a powerful potential for destroying the entire architecture of European security ... threatening to trigger long-term destructive consequences in the Euro-Atlantic region," Zakharova said on Monday.

Washington is trying to impose a confrontational model of relations reminiscent of the Cold War, she added.

According to her, earlier this month the US transferred to Poland an armored brigade, consisting of about 4,000 troops and 2,500 combat hardware units.

Starting in January, 300 US marines will be deployed to a Norwegian base. In late March, a US air brigade is expected to be deployed to Germany, and a battalion tactical group will be deployed to Poland in April.
New York, Jan 17 : US President-elect Donald Trump met with the eldest son of the late civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr. amid tensions escalating between the the New York magnate and prominent African-American leaders.

Martin Luther King III said that he had "a very constructive meeting" with the president-elect and touched on how he hopes to be a "bridge-builder" to help the country "become a greater nation" moving forward, ABC News reported.

The private meeting that took place on Monday evening at the Trump Tower in New York, comes after the president-elect was criticised over the weekend for sparring with African American Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis who had marched with Martin Luther King Jr. at Selma and other key civil rights protests.

Trump attacked Lewis on Twitter after the Georgia Democrat told NBC News that he was not attending the President-elect's inauguration on January 20 and that he did not view Trump as a "legitimate president".

Martin Luther King III did not criticise Trump directly, saying that in the "heat of emotion, a lot of things get said on both sides".

"The goal is to bring America together," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Trump's incoming press secretary, Sean Spicer, announced on Twitter that the president-elect would meet with Martin Luther King III, as the nation observes the federal holiday honouring Martin Luther King Jr, ABC News reported.

Trump on Monday morning said: "We should honour Martin Luther King for being the great man that he was!"

"Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for," Trump said on Twitter.
New Delhi : A special "Nobel Series" session was a notable addition at the latest Vibrant Gujarat Summit (January 9-12).

Nine laureates were invited to share their thoughts about the challenges of humankind and what could be done to alleviate them. A Nobel exhibition is housed in Ahmedabad's Science City for five weeks post the summit. The scientists discussed the importance of science and technology for India to become a knowledge superpower. They also interacted with students and shared their research and general approach to science and technology.

While all this bodes well for the rise of Indian states in the global arena, what is important is that, of late, Indian states are recognising the need for not only inviting creative individuals but also trying to enable an ecosystem that helps people grow and make the best of every opportunity.

A question is: Why foster science and technology or even creativity? Many scholars, economists and public policy professionals have devoted considerable time on understanding the sources of a nation's prosperity. Some of them opine that economic prosperity arises as a result of "institutions" while others argue that factors like endowments and geographic location are equally important. More recently, other scholars believe that productivity is the basis of economic growth and prosperity.

Recently, scholars like Richard Florida of the Martin Prosperity Institute (MPI) at the University of Toronto have pointed out that the rise of the "creative class" could help explain the prosperity and economic development in some parts and the lack of it in other parts of the world. "Creative class", according to Florida, is a group of people engaged in creative occupations. These people, when given the right environment and ecosystem, enable innovation, which is the main driving force for economic development.

Urbanisation and the progress in technology over the past two/three centuries have meant that the flow of ideas and sharing of information can now be done much more quickly. This has led to the rise of the knowledge economy.

For tracking these developments, Florida and his MPI team have created a Global Creativity Index. The report is based on the 3T framework that forms the basis of economic progress within the city/state -- Tolerance, Talent and Technology -- that in turn leads to economic prosperity. If one looks at the most recent version of the Global Creativity Report 2015 one finds that most developed economies perform well -- Australia is on top, followed by the US, while Singapore, the only Asian nation in the top 10, is at 9, followed by the Netherlands. Also the share of the creative class in many North American and West European countries is closer to 40 percent.

Contrast this with India's performance -- 99th in a list of 120+ nations -- and there is scope for tremendous improvement. One of the reasons for this low performance is that the share of the creative class is quite low in India. This is due to an issue of quality education and skilling and outflow of people who receive good education. Less than five percent of the Indian workforce is formally skilled. The gross enrolment ratio is also quite low in India.

India is relatively good in the technology component but bad in the tolerance and talent domains. Even the BRICS as a block is not especially impressive with a diverse range of rankings. Brazil ranks the highest in the Creativity Index within the block at 29. Russia is outstandingly bad in the tolerance aspect.

The Institute for Competitiveness and Martin Prosperity Institute had previously tied up for research on India's "Creative Class". The research and ranking of the Creative Economy of Indian States was done recently.

The broad findings remain the same as last year. This year we have added a classification of Union Territories and separation from other states.

Delhi and Chandigarh retain rank 1 and 2, respectively, in the city-states/Union Territory category. Punjab moves to top spot this year from the previous years' third position (in the main states index) pushing down Kerala and Goa. States like Bihar and Orissa are bad performers overall and but have tremendous opportunity to move up in the years to come.

The maximum negative variation is found in states like Himachal Pradesh, which has moved down six places. Haryana has seen an upward movement of seven places, thus showing significant improvement in performance. States that have moved up in the ranking include Gujarat and Karnataka. The rankings among the Union Territories remained unchanged from the last year.

In the years ahead, India's economic prosperity will be driven by states and Union Territories and locations and cities within these that are creative. States that do well to foster the creative class will in turn be instrumental in driving innovation and economic progress.

(Amit Kapoor is Chair, Institute for Competitiveness, India. The views expressed are personal Amit can be reached at amit.kapoor@competitiveness.in and tweets @kautiliya. Sankalp Sharma has contributed to the article, is senior researcher with the Institute for Competitiveness)
Pyongyang, Jan 17 : North Korea on Tuesday called the US' new sanctions on seven of its high-ranking officials including the younger sister of leader Kim Jong-un, "the last-ditch efforts" to tarnish Pyongyang's image.

"This is nothing but Washington's last resort to tarnish North Korea's image in the light of the present Pyongyang-Washington relations," said a statement released by the North Korean state agency KCNA.

The new sanctions, which follow those imposed on Kim and another 10 senior regime officials in July 2016, call for prohibiting the entry of North Korean personnel into the US and conducting business with Americans, and the freezing of their assets, Efe news reported.

"This is the last-ditch efforts of those whose days are numbered," KCNA said.

Pyongyang also advised President Barack Obama "not to waste time" with the affairs of others but should instead devote himself to making "good arrangements for packing in the White House".

The US Department of the Treasury on January 11 imposed sanctions on seven senior North Korean officials in response to "serious human rights abuses and censorship".

Among those included on the list is Kim Won-hong, the Minister of State Security, an agency that Washington considers responsible for torture activities in the country's prison camp network.

Kim Yo-jong, the leader's sister and deputy director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the North Korean Workers Party, as well as the State Planning Commission and Ministry of Labour, was also sanctioned.
Kolkata, Jan 17 : Leveraging the power of social capital, community currencies such as Social Capital Credits (SoCCs) have a "very important" role in situations such as demonetisation, says its developer, New York-based Indian American Geeta Mehta.

Mehta, an architect and urban designer, developed the concept of SoCCs inspired by carbon credits and airline points.

"If you look at the history of the world -- when currencies break down, community currencies spring up. In Switzerland, WIR was launched as an alternative currency to overcome shortage of regular currency. Ecuador has a community currency called Sintral you can even pay taxes with.

"In places or situations such as demonetisation, community currencies have a very important role. They could help in the transition (to a cashless society)," Mehta told IANS.

She was speaking here on the sidelines of the International Symposium on Water Urbanism and Infrastructure Development in Eco-Sensitive Zones.

SoCCs are currently in use in India, Ghana and Kenya and in Washington.

"One of our Indian partners has been writing to us about it (demonetisation) and has asked us to bring this (SoCCs) to the government," said Mehta, Adjunct Professor of Architecture and Urban Design, at the Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation of Columbia University in New York.

SoCCs essentially work like a barter system for social good, Mehta pointed out. It incentivises people to undertake projects in waste management, tree-planting, neighbourhood improvement, river restoration and the like in their communities and earn SoCCs.

"SoCCs is the community currency for social work. People can trade their SoCC credits for healthcare, education and skill empowerment. So you can be doing social good to earn SoCCs and then spend them on personal good for your family. It's like a barter system but every time I benefit myself, I am benefiting my family as well as my community," Mehta explained.

Elaborating, she said there were two types of SoCC menus -- SoCC Earning and SoCC Redeeming -- that need to be tracked.

"Healthcare may feature on the SoCC Earning as well as SoCC Redeeming menus. For example, women may earn SoCCs for attending health camps, or getting kids vaccinated in projects where this is not already happening -- and people are not aware of their health issues.

"In other projects, SoCCs may be redeemed for purchasing health insurance, or for doctor visits. In such cases, Asia Initiatives or a local NGO or a corporate partner bears this expense," she said.

Mehta, also the founder and president of Asia Initiatives, a non-profit organisation that has supported over 200 micro-credit banks and 40 village knowledge centres, and backed education and technology initiatives, says the advantages of community currency are not restricted to times of crisis.

"What is poverty? If poverty is money poverty then that can be addressed with SoCCs. Usually, social currencies are very local. Our system is different as it is applicable to different locations," she said.

The initiative addresses community development tied to women's empowerment.

"We target the whole family, but it's aimed at women because if its women-centric development, it reaches the whole family; if it's man-centric, it might or might not. The position of women in India, and in most developing countries, is low. So, if you raise that up you raise the whole society. So it's very effective and cost-effective to work with women. Women in our projects are so enthusiastic about it," Mehta said.

While the situation is similar in India and Ghana in terms of the burden being borne by women, Mehta felt the problem in the Sub-Saharan African nations is more serious.

"It is because their families are breaking down due to excessive burden on single mothers and poverty and problems such as teen pregnancies. In such situations children may be abandoned or not adequately cared for. I think the social capital of families here (in India) is more intact," Mehta noted.

Co-author of several books on architecture, Mehta also underscored the importance of community accountability and trust to successfully implement SoCCs -- currently being used in locations in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, among others.

"Record-keeping is important and it can't be corrupted. We have to be very vigilant and careful. SoCCs are awarded in community meetings and there's a chart. So if a neighbour spots that someone has not done a particular task, they can point out. So there is community accountability," she said.

To build social capital and greater community spirit is the goal of SoCCs, Mehta said.

"Traditionally, in India, people took care of village ponds (and the like) and each other, but that is breaking down. We want to bring that back and enable people to get together and solve their own problems rather than waiting for the government or some other organisation.

"We want them to think that they can do it, and they can if they get together," she added.

(Sahana Ghosh can be contacted at sahana.g@ians.in)
As president of the United States, Barack Obama was a class act.

He led the nation with dignity at a time when the vicious forces of political polarization and the not-so-hidden poison of racism might have diverted and enfeebled a lesser man.

Even today his political opponents refuse to give Obama credit for leading America out of the worst financial meltdown since the Great Depression.

When Obama took office in 2009 the unemployment rate was 7.6 percent, and climbing fast. Before the year was over the unemployment rate would reach double digits. More than 11 million Americans were out of work. The Dow was at 7,949.

Blame the deregulated financial system that allowed things like collateralized debt obligations (once derided by Warren Buffett as financial weapons of mass destruction) to spread the subprime mortgage mess through the entire financial system until it seized up like a car without oil.

When Obama leaves office the unemployment rate will be less than half what it was when he moved into the White House eight years ago. America has posted more than 70 consecutive months of job growth. The Dow is bumping 20,000.

Obamas signature accomplishment was the Affordable Care Act. His enemies called it Obamacare  a label which the president accepted.

Regardless of what one thinks of the law, and admittedly, it was written sloppily, it did fix some glaring flaws in the health care system. For example, before its passage Americans could lose coverage through no fault of their own, possibly through a job loss, and then be unable to get insurance coverage because they had a pre-existing condition.

On the negative side of the ledger, the Obama presidency might be faulted most of all for underachieving in international matters. The previous administration was too aggressive.

Obama was too restrained, exemplified by his failure to follow through when Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad crossed the red line that Obama himself had drawn. Today the city of Aleppo is a graveyard for thousands of innocent people.

Americans had a last chance to appreciate Obamas grace and leadership when he made his farewell address last week.

There was a moment during his speech in Chicago when the crowd began to boo at the prospect of Obama handing over the presidency to his successor. No, no, no, no, no the president said, quieting the crowd, reminding them that a hallmark of our democracy is the peaceful transfer of power from one freely elected president to the next.

The nations first black president, Obama will leave office on a high note, with an approval rating of 56 percent, according to a Gallup poll earlier this month.

A passage from his farewell address is worthy of emphasis and cause for reflection:

Understand democracy does not require uniformity. Our founders argued, they quarreled, and eventually they compromised.

They 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, were all in this together, that we rise or fall as one.
Chennai, Jan 17 : Kajal Aggarwal, who had previously worked with Tamil superstar Vijay in films such as "Thuppakki" and "Jilla", is all set to team up with him for the third time. She is really excited about the collaboration.

"2017 is going to be an exciting year. I have a (Tamil) film with Ajith, and I'm working with Vijay again. I have also teamed up with director Teja, who launched me, after a decade," Kajal, who is basking in the success of Telugu actioner "Khaidi No 150", told IANS.

She is thrilled about the success of "Khaidi No 150", which grossed over Rs 100 crore in just five days since its worldwide release.

"I didn't want to miss an opportunity to work with Chiranjeevi, and I'm glad it paid off. I couldn't have wished for a better start to the year," she said.

Asked about the experience of matching steps with the 61-year-old, who is known for his dancing prowess, Kajal added: "It was so much fun. The 'Ammudu let's do kummudu' song is a hit, and it was truly my 'Kajra re' moment to share the screen with both Chiranjeevi and his son Ram Charan."

"Khaidi No 150" marked her first-time collaboration with Chiranjeevi, who returned to face the arc lights after a decade.
Shimla, Jan 17 : If the Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, the driving force behind India's first paperless legislature, has his way, a palatial building in Dharamsala that functions as the state's second assembly -- but holds only a single, week-long session annually -- would be converted into a national e-Vidhan Academy for lawmakers across the nation.

Speaker B.B.L. Butail told IANS a detailed Rs 100-crore project report has been prepared for setting up the proposed national e-Vidhan academy in the town known worldwide as the abode of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

"The basic aim of setting up the academy is better utilisation of the infrastructure round the year," the octogenarian Butail said. Members of Parliament, other state legislators and assembly staff will be trained to go paperless in their respective assemblies, he explained.

Himachal Pradesh was the first state to introduce paperless e-working in the Shimla and Dharamsala assemblies in 2014 with the commissioning of the Rs 8.12 crore e-Vidhan Sabha project of the Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Butail was the brain behind the commissioning and success of the e-assembly that helped save approximately Rs 15 crore annually.

The speaker's proposal follows his concern over the immense drain to the exchequer for the round-the-year maintenance and upkeep of palatial second assembly building, located 250 km from this state capital.

Butail explained that while the session itself costs only Rs 60-70 lakhs, the government incurs an annual expenditure of over Rs 5 crore on the round-the-year upkeep of the complex. There is a permanent staff of 15 round-the-year, while some 100 assembly staffers move to Dharamsala from Shimla for the winter session.

In what is widely regarded as a political rather than legislative exercise, the week-long winter session of the Himachal Pradesh assembly has been held in Dharamsala town since 2005.

The first winter session outside Shimla was held in that year in the town's Government Degree College. It was said to be an attempt by the then Congress government to woo the electorate of the lower hills. At that time, over Rs 1 crore was spent on holding the session.

The Congress government also started the construction of the massive assembly building in Tapovan on the outskirts of Dharamsala, where the winter sessions have subsequently been held. The complex is located on a 1.6 acre plot and cost Rs 7-8 crore to build.

With the BJP taking the reins of the state government in 2007, it became a political compulsion for it to stick to the move. In December 2012, a Congress government again came to the helm in the state and it continued with the practice of holding one session in Dharamsala.

The last winter session of the present government was held in Dharamsala from December 19 to 23, 2016. The state is going to the polls in December this year.

Butail said Rs 100 crore sought from the central government would be used for construction of hostels and running of the academy.

"Earlier, the proposal to set up the academy was submitted to Union Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. Now we have been asked to take up the issue with the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs," he said.

BJP leader and two-time former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said the practice of holding the winter session in Dharamsala was started by the Congress government.

"During our stint (2007-12) we tried to reduce the overall expenditure on holding the session in Dharamsala and we succeeded too. Our government had managed to reduce the extra expenditure to some lakhs," Dhumal told IANS.

"It's a sheer drain on the public exchequer. In bigger states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, they have one assembly. What is the need for two assembles in a smaller state like Himachal Pradesh, said a government official, declining to be named.

A senior Congress minister admitted that the decision of successive governments to hold one winter session outside the state capital has now become more their political compulsion and this practice has to be ended.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
New Delhi, Jan 17 : The Congress party on Tuesday said it will contest the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in alliance with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party.

"The Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told media persons.

Azad said the nitty-gritty of the alliance, particularly seat sharing, was being worked out.

He declined to comment on the possibility of forming a Bihar-style Grand Alliance.
Chennai, Jan 17 : The Tamil film fraternity has special plans to make the occasion of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and late actor M.G Ramachandran's birth centenary on Tuesday memorable.

MGR, as he was fondly known by his fans, was among the first south Indian actors to venture into politics via his AIADMK party and went on to become chief minister in 1977.

"It's not just a day to remember. We will celebrate throughout the year and we have planned events that will take place at regular intervals. To begin with, a grand inaugural ceremony is planned on Tuesday (evening) at Abirami cinemas where MGR's hit classic 'Ayirathil Oruvan' will be screened," filmmaker R.K. Selvamani, who is taking care of the celebrations, told IANS.

Having starred in over 100 films, MGR is still remembered for his performances in films such as "Vivasayee", "Adimai Penn", "En Annan", "Rickshawkaran" and "Ulagam Suttrum Valiban".

"Throughout the year, we plan to screen 136 films of MGR across different theatres in Tamil Nadu," he said, adding that more celebratory plans are being made.

Meanwhile, the hashtag MGR 100 has been trending on social media since Monday night.
Rio De Janeiro, Jan 17 : Brazilian driver Felipe Massa has announced he will race again for Williams this year, just weeks after retiring from Formula One.

The 35-year-old has agreed to partner Canadian teenager Lance Stroll in 2017 after Valtteri Bottas' move to Mercedes, Williams announced on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.

"I always intended to race somewhere in 2017, but Williams is a team close to my heart and I have respect for everything it is trying to achieve," Massa said.

"Valtteri has a great opportunity, given the turn of events over the winter, and I wish him all the best at Mercedes. I certainly have not lost any of my enthusiasm for racing and I'm extremely motivated to be coming back to drive the FW40."

Valtteri's switch follows the shock retirement of Nico Rosberg in November, just days after he beat Lewis Hamilton to the world title.

After starting his Formula 1 career with Sauber, Massa spent eight years with Ferrari before joining Williams in 2014.

A veteran of 250 Grand Prix events, Massa has had 41 podium finishes and 11 victories.

Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams said: "Felipe has always been a much-loved member of the Williams family, and having the opportunity to work with him again is something we all look forward to.

"He was always going to race somewhere in 2017, as he has not lost that competitive spirit, and it was important that we had a strong replacement in order for us to let Valtteri go.

"Felipe re-joining us provides stability, experience and talent to help lead us forward. He is a great asset for us."
Moscow, Jan 17 : Russia considered it appropriate to invite representatives of the Trump administration to the upcoming intra-Syria talks in the Kazakhstan capital city of Astana on January 23, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

Lavrov hoped incoming President Donald Trump-led administration would accept the invitation to attend the talks aimed to faciliate a political settlement of the Middle East country, Xinhua news agency reported.

The minister welcomed Trump's desire to make fighting international terrorism a priority.

He also said the statements by Trump and his team so far suggested they would have no double standards in the war on terror, TASS news agency reported.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : The Congress party on Tuesday said it will contest the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in alliance with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party.

"The Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told the media here, a day after the Election Commission allotted the cycle symbol to the Akhilesh faction.

Azad said the nitty-gritties of the alliance, particularly seat sharing, was being worked out.

Asked if the alliance would include the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and whether it would be on the lines of the Bihar-style Grand Alliance, Azad declined to comment.

"On that (Grand Alliance) I cannot say anything right now. Will talk about that later," he said.

"There has been speculation on whether or not this alliance is happening or not. This is to confirm that it is happening," he said.

Meanwhile, Congress chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh, Sheila Dikshit reiterated she would step down if asked to.

"I have said this earlier too (Monday), there can't be two chief ministerial faces, so I will step down," she said.

Alliance talks between the Congress and Akhilesh faction have been going on for some days, for the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh assembly elections that kick off on February 11 for 403 seats.
Beijing, Jan 17 : Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhemin will likely meet the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday.

The meet comes amid the thawing ties between the two countries after Duterte made an overture to China over the South China Sea dispute.

"Yes, he (Liu) is likely to meet the President (Duterte)," a Chinese government official told IANS.

Liu's visit comes after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Manila.

Manila and Beijing were locked in a bitter dispute over the South China Sea issue until Duterte took power last year and made an overture to China to settle the matter amicably.

He also visited China and met Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He also threatened the US -- a long-time ally -- of snapping military ties with it.

A year after China invaded Scarborough Shoal in 2012, Manila filed a case against Beijing at an international tribunal, challenging the latter's claims over the energy-rich South China Sea.

Last year, the court ruled in favour of the Philippines, rejecting Beijing's claims. China termed the ruling "legal."
Mumbai, Jan 17 : National Award winning actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who has worked with Shah Rukh Khan in the forthcoming film "Raees", says the superstar comes to the set devoid of any airs. That, he says, helped him to act well in some crucial scenes of the film.

Nawazuddin has worked with all three Khans of Bollywood -- Aamir, Salman and SRK.

Talking about his experience of working with them, Nawazuddin told IANS: "I have worked with all the Khans, whether with Aamir ji in 'Talaash', Salman bhai in 'Kick', and Shah Rukh sahab in 'Raees'. All of them have different styles and I had a great time working with them."

"When it comes to Shah Rukh Khan, I enjoyed working with him a lot because he works like an actor on set. In addition, that reflected on our performance as we have some crucial scenes in the film. He does not carry his stardom on set. He is very humble."

In "Raees", Nawazuddin plays a police inspector named Jaideep Ambalal Majmudar, who is on a mission to arrest Raees -- a bootlegger played by Shah Rukh.

An 'outsider' in the film industry, Nawazuddin started his film career in 1999 with "Sarfarosh", and he went through a long struggle period before getting visibility with films.

Asked what kept him motivated during those days of struggle, the acclaimed actor said: "See, my aim was not to get a huge role in every film. I just wanted to act in films."

"I did not get depressed thinking why am I not getting the role of a hero, but just one scene. I did not have any high expectations, but the wish to continue my journey as an actor. I am thankful to Bollywood that finally they are giving me some good roles. Having said that, I must say that there are so many talented actors here and they also deserve equal opportunity."

Directed by Rahul Dholakia, "Raees" is releasing on January 25.
New Delhi : In March 2012, Sanjay and Sunita Ambhore, parents of Aniket Ambhore, 19, a first-year electrical engineering student at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B), received a letter informing them that their son -- admitted in the Scheduled Caste (SC) quota -- had failed two courses.

Concerned, the Ambhores -- Sanjay, a bank manager, is a Dalit; Sunita, a junior-college lecturer, is not -- met one of Aniket's professors, who told them their son could not cope with IIT workload and would be happy in "normal" engineering colleges (with lower standards). He implied, they said, that SC students took up to eight years to complete a course that normally took four years. The professor suggested counselling to help Aniket focus on studies and named anti-depressants he could take.

The comments were a shock to Sanjay and Sunita, they said, who were until then mostly unaware that such attitudes existed in higher-education institutions. However, "Aniket did not find anything wrong with what he (the professor) had said, maybe because of the way it was said, as a well-meant suggestion", Sunita told IndiaSpend.

Instead, Aniket -- who scored 86 per cent in his class 12 Maharashtra State Board exam -- possibly influenced by disparaging talk of affirmative action, told his parents that he wanted to re-appear for the Joint Entrance Examination, the IIT admission test, which he cleared in 2011 -- and study engineering only if he could crack the test without affirmative action.

Between then and August 2014, the Ambhores consulted three psychiatrists to help their son regain confidence. It made no difference. Gradually, the talented Aniket turned into a student with low self-esteem.

In August 2014, a joint meeting with Aniket's head of department and the head of the Academic Rehabilitation Programme (ARP) -- a programme for academically deficient students that Aniket had been enrolled in the previous year headed by the same professor they met in 2012 -- went particularly badly. The ARP head suggested that another exam failure would devastate Aniket, so it would be best if he dropped out.

On September 4, 2014, Aniket fell to his death from the sixth floor of an IIT-B hostel. It isn't clear if it was an accident or he jumped.

The IIT system provides for an SC/ST adviser for the redressal of caste grievances, and there is acknowledgement that caste plays some role in the life of SC students (and tribal students, for whom an additional 7.5 per cent of seats are reserved).

"Some caste bias does shows up on campus, mostly as upper-caste students expressing their discontent with the reservation system," Devang Khakhar, Director, IIT Bombay, told IndiaSpend.

Questions have arisen over the efficacy of the redressal of caste grievances. Filmmaker Anoop Kumar of the 2011 documentary "Death of Merit" said that 80 per cent of those who committed suicides in the IITs between 2007 and 2011 were Dalits, and none of these institutes had a grievance-redressal mechanism to address caste-based discrimination.

Sunita now wonders if Aniket's downward turn began when he stepped into IIT-B as a Dalit, within months believing his academic woes were a result of his inability to reconcile with his origins. This left him with the belief that he was undeserving of a seat at India's premier engineering college -- an attitude confirmed by a 2013 King's College, London, study of an Indian university, now a book, "Faces of Discrimination in Higher Education in India: Quota Policy, Social Justice and the Dalits".

Could it have helped Aniket if there were at least some professors who shared his background? There are, for a start, very few Dalit professors in India's 23 IITs.

The quota system policy was designed in the 1950s as an early form of affirmative action to ensure that higher education institutions retained 15 per cent of their places for Dalit students; the same proportion of faculty was also expected to come from this background.

A 2008 government order instructed the IITs to employ 15 per cent, 7.5 per cent and 27 per cent SC, ST and other backward caste (OBC) faculty, respectively -- in line with the quota system being implemented for student admissions since 1973 -- at the entry-level post of assistant professor and lecturer in science and technology subjects and across all faculty posts in other subjects.

Almost a decade on, you can count the number of SC and ST faculty in the IITs on your fingers.

Dalit faculty made up no more than 1.12 per cent of IIT faculty positions in December 2012; 0.12 per cent were tribals, while OBC faculty were 1.84 per cent.

The proportion of SCs and STs in the country's population were 16.6 per cent and 8.6 per cent, respectively, as per the 2011 census.

This lack of SC/ST faculty could affect students from traditionally disadvantaged groups.

"Considerate and supportive faculty who are genuinely sympathetic to student's problems are few," said sociologist Virginius Xaxa, professor of eminence, Tezpur University, who has studied the adverse attitude towards SC/ST students in Delhi University. "The pervasive attitude is that students coming through quotas are undeserving."

Why do IITs lack SC/ST/OBC faculty? Too few applicants: That is the overriding reason for not having enough SC/ST faculty, the directors of IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras told IndiaSpend.

"We receive too few good-quality applications from SC/ST candidates who meet the minimum threshold for an IIT faculty," said Indranil Manna, Director, IIT Kanpur. "While we are committed to the law and our social obligation, we are also keen to protect the IIT brand, a globally recognised Indian brand that has taken 50 years to build."

Could prejudice impede the employment of faculty from disadvantaged communities? In August 2016, the Madras High Court concluded that IIT Madras had committed "gross irregularity" in passing over Associate Professor W.B. Vasantha -- a faculty member from a backward caste -- for promotion in 1995, and then again in 1997, for lesser-qualified candidates.

"There is no corner of India where prejudice against Dalits doesn't exist," said Anand Teltumbde, Senior Professor, Goa Institute of Management, formerly with IIT Kharagpur, and grandson of B.R. Ambedkar, the writer of India's Constitution.

"India has reconciled itself to admitting Dalit students in the IITs, but resistance to admitting Dalit faculty is still very strong, a Dalit must expect to fight the system."

Some of the IITs that IndiaSpend contacted for comments have started to bend the rules to increase the number of SC/ST faculty.

Almost all the SC/ST faculty on the rolls of IIT Delhi today were hired a couple of years ago during a special recruitment drive, a senior faculty member, requesting anonymity given the sensitivity of the topic, told IndiaSpend.

IIT Madras has considered conducting a special recruitment drive for SC/ST faculty, over and above its six-monthly recruitment cycle. However, "so far, a special drive does not seem like an idea that will give us more candidates as we are constantly on the lookout for SC/ST candidates during regular recruitment", said Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras.

SC/ST applicants compete against general category applicants in regular recruitment. Does that increase the odds against them?

Manna does not think so. "SC/ST candidates would not be disadvantaged because they are treated under a separate category with a different level of expectation," he said.

At the entry level, applicants need not possess "a superlative record", said Manna. A doctoral degree from a "decent" university, a good academic background, some good publications and a couple of years of work experience.

"I would definitely prefer the SC/ST candidate if I had three candidates of different social status but comparable merit and qualification," said Manna.

Improving the learning environment and training potential candidates in-house would likely help retain more SC/ST doctoral scholars.

"Students aware of the environment in the IITs may be reluctant to join as faculty," said Tezpur University's Xaxa "Academic progress depends greatly on how comfortable you feel in an environment." Aniket, clearly, did not.

(In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform. Charu Bahri is a freelance writer and editor based in Mount Abu, Rajasthan. The views expressed are those of IndiaSpend. Feedback at respond@indiaspend.org)
New Delhi, Jan 17 : He was one of the most reclusive artists of our times. Thus, whenever Sohan Qadris name surfaces, art lovers sit up and take notice. Bringing attention to some of the most sought after works of this master-artist, renowned for tantric art, is an upcoming solo exhibition, showing fifty of his paintings.

The exhibition titled "Celebration: Paintings by Sohan Qadri from 1970-2010" is a collateral event of India Art Fair, scheduled to take place from January 20 to February 5 at Kumar Gallery here.

The exhibition includes oil impastos on canvas, ink dyes and incision on paper works. Many of these works are being exhibited for the first time, Kumar Gallery said in a statement.

Sohan Qadri (1932-2011) was an internationally acclaimed artist deeply engaged with spirituality. Qadri abandoned representation early on in his long career, incorporating Tantric symbolism and philosophy into his vibrantly coloured minimalist works.

"Painting is a total and complete visual expression for me. I use colour's full and innocent power field similar to the deep state of meditation. I keep my cleverness and concern down. A paining is not a riddle. It is joy and ecstasy," Qadri has been quoted in a text, accompanying the exhibition.

In 1966, Qadri left India for East Africa, Europe and North America and later had studios in Zurich, Paris and Toronto and participated in more than forty one-man shows, in Bombay, Vienna, Brussels, London, Oslo, Stockholm, Montreal, Toronto, Los Angeles and New York. He passed away in 2011.

"The exhibition includes oil impastos on canvas from 1970s and 80s to his later works of the 90s and the new millennium that were done using ink dyes and incision on paper. This is an odyssey of a pioneering Indian abstractionist," said Sunit Kumar, Director, Kumar Gallery.
Ankara, Jan 17 : A suspect arrested for the deadly Istanbul nightclub attack on New Year's Eve has admitted to the crime, the city's governor said on Tuesday.

The man identified as Abdulkadir Masharipov, confessed to entering the upmarket Reina nightclub and shooting party goers on January 1, killing 39 and injuring 70, HArriyet newspaper reported.

His fingerprints matched those found at the scene.

The attacker was born in Uzbekistan in 1983, Governor Vasip Sahin said, adding that he was trained as a militant in Afghanistan.

Masharipov likely entered Turkey illegally from an eastern province in January 2016, Sahin said. He also stated that "it is clear that (Masharipov) staged the attack on behalf of the Islamic State".

Masharipov was apprehended in Istanbul and one Iraqi-origin man and three women of Egyptian and African origin were also detained in the operation, the Governor said.

After apprehending Masharipov and the others, the police also conducted a six-hour inspection inside the house. A total of $197,000 in cash, two guns and two drones were seized during the operation, the daily reported. Local television reported that the police found Masharipov in the home of a friend from Kyrgyzstan.

He was trying to hide under the bed when the police raided the house, said the report.

The joint operation was conducted in the provinces of Konya, Hatay and Izmir, Sahin said, adding that around 7,200 hours of surveillance camera footage was examined during the investigation.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu posted a Twitter message thanking the interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, police and intelligence organisations "who caught the Reina attacker in the name of the people."

The Islamic State group had claimed responsibility for the nightclub massacre, saying the attack was in reprisal for Turkish military operations in northern Syria.

Two Indians - Abis Hasn Rizvi, son of former Rajya Sabha MP and noted builder of Mumbai Akhtar Hasan Rizvi and Khushi Shah from Gujarat - were among the 39 people killed in the attack.

The other victims belonged to Israel, France, Canada, Tunisia, Lebanon, Belgium, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Washington, Jan 17 : The wife of Orlando nightclub gunman Omar Mateen was arrested by the FBI in connection with her husband's shooting that claimed 49 lives in June, 2016.

Noor Salman, 30, was taken into custody in San Francisco on Monday, and faces charges of aiding and abetting, as well as obstruction of justice in the case of the worst mass shooting in American history, CBS reported.

She is expected to make her first appearance in federal court in Oakland on Tuesday.

Salman has told the FBI that her husband had become radicalized in the year before the attack. Mateen pledged allegiance to the extreme group Islamic State during the attack.

"I can confirm the arrest did occur," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said.

"This is a matter that we continue to take very seriously," she said. "We said from the beginning we were going to look at every aspect of this case, every aspect of this shooters life."

Salman remained silent until November, when she told the New York Times that she was in an abusive relationship with Mateen who "beat her repeatedly and verbally abused her" and did not know her husband was planning an attack.

She told the FBI she accompanied her husband to Pulse (the nightclub) at least once before the rampage, and was with him when he bought ammunition. Records show Mateen texted her during a three-hour standoff, saying he intended to "blow the place up", Orlando Sentinel news reported.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina said he was pleased that Salman was arrested.

"Federal authorities have been working tirelessly on this case for more than seven months, and we are grateful that they have seen to it that some measure of justice will be served in this act of terror that has affected our community so deeply," he said in a statement.

Survivors on Monday thanked authorities for their thorough investigation to make sure anyone who could have helped Mateen is held accountable.

"I really think this will help us heal, because so many of us have been curious and have so many questions," said Orlando Torres, one of the former hostages.
Kolkata, Jan 17 : The LIGO India project is likely to be commissioned in 2024 and its activities would require Indian universities churning out young researchers trained in the science to take up the mantle of exploration of the universe, an official of the international collaboration said here on Tuesday.

"We hope by 2024 a crew of Indian PhDs trained in the science will be commissioning those machines and beginning first observations," said Fred Raab, associate director for operations, LIGO Laboratory (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory).

At a lecture on 'LIGO-India: International Collaboration Coming to India to Help Explore the Universe' at the Presidency University here, Raab said the proposed India-based observatory will "refine the physics" of gravitational waves detection and exploration of the universe.

India is poised to set up world's third advanced LIGO. The project operates three gravitational-wave (GW) detectors. Two are at Hanford in the state of Washington, north-western US, and one is at Livingston in Louisiana, south-eastern US.

The proposed LIGO-India project aims to move one Advanced LIGO detector from Hanford to India.

"The effect will be dramatic because it will give us tremendous location information on where the (gravitational waves) sources are. You turn on the detector in India and everywhere in the sky you can pinpoint the sources much better," explained Raab, who served as the head of the LIGO Hanford Observatory.

However, to what extent the activities succeed depends on availability of trained scientists.

"We have opened up this vast new frontier but how well this is explored will depend on raising up in Indian universities, a generation of experimental scientists who will pursue the advancement of these detectors," he said.

Dubbing the detectors as "devilishly complex" and "the most sensitive measuring devices on earth", Raab said the intent is that "LIGO India will be equally sensitive" as the other detectors.

LIGO research is carried out by the international LIGO Scientific Collaboration (which includes the GEO Collaboration and the Australian Consortium for Interferometric Gravitational Astronomy) and the Virgo Collaboration in Europe.

LIGO India will be set up as a joint scientific collaboration between LIGO laboratories of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the US, and three lead Indian institutions, namely, the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), Gandhinagar, and Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore.
Mumbai, Jan 17 : The owner of a Chandigarh dhaba where director Anees Bazmee shot a bit of his upcoming multi-starrer film "Mubarakan", has retained the name that the filmmakers chose for it.

The dhaba, called Haveli earlier, has now been rechristened Purani Haveli, Bazmee told IANS.

"We shot at this restaurant called Haveli. We had put up a special signboard for it for the film. In the movie, the restaurant is called Purani Haveli.

"The owner was so happy with it that he asked us to let him keep the signboard. He said there were many Haveli restaurants in the area, but his was the oldest of the lot. So he wouldn't mind changing the name to Purani Haveli," Bazmee added.

The film features veteran actor Anil Kapoor and his nephew actor Arjun Kapoor together for the first time. Actresses Ileana D'cruz and Athiya Shetty too are part of the project, which is produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions, Murad Khetani's Cine 1 Studios and Ashwin Varde.

The romantic comedy will release on July 28.
Lucknow, Jan 17 : The notification for the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections was issued on Tuesday.

Seventy-three assembly constituencies spread across 15 districts of western Uttar Pradesh would be going to polls in the first phase of the crucial elections, which will be held on February 11.

Western Uttar Pradesh has been witness to a major riot in Muzaffarnagar and many a communal tensions in the past five years of the Samajwadi Party (SP) rule, making it politically the most interesting round of polls even as the security agencies are keeping a tight watch, for fear of communal polarisation and unrest.

The districts going to polls in the first phase are Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), Etah and Kasganj.

Vote Verified Paper Audit Trail machines would be used in Agra (Agra Cantt and Agra South), Aligarh (Aligarh), Ghaziabad (Ghaziabad), and Meerut (Meerut), a poll panel official told IANS.

With the notification, the poll process of filing nominations and campaigning has also begun.

The last date to file nominations is January 24 while scrutiny of nomination papers would be held on January 25.

Candidates in fray can withdraw their nominations by January 27.

Voting would be held on February 11 while counting of votes would be done on March 11, along with that of rest of the seats that goes to polls later, in the six phases.
Lucknow, Jan 17 : Even as SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav is believed to be mulling his next move subsequent to the EC declaring his son and UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as the party President, the latter has already called on his father twice since Monday evening.

Mulayam Singh was beaten on Monday in a battle of supremacy in the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) by his son, as the Election Commission (EC) recognised Akhilesh Yadav as the National President of the party and allotted the party symbol of cycle to his faction.

Since the EC humbling, Mulayam Singh is said to be pondering his next move.

While there is no official word on the strategy in the mind of the 77-year-old patriarch, sources on Tuesday said the veteran politician has yet not made up his mind on whether to sit quiet or take the battle ahead by contesting against the Akhilesh camp in the state assembly election.

Aware that any such move could dent his credentials as well as the party's prospects in the election, Akhilesh met his father twice in a span of 12 hours, apparently to pacify him and ensure that he does not pit himself against the official party candidates.

The Samajwadi Party has forged an alliance with the Congress and any contest posed by Mulayam could have an adverse impact on its prospects.

Informed sources said that Mulayam, during both meetings, heard out his son but remained belligerent on the developments, thus making room for speculation that he could eventually throw his hat in the electoral ring.

It is, however, more or less confirmed that the Mulayam faction will not approach the court over the issue.

The former UP Chief Minister has also reportedly handed over a list of some four dozen party leaders loyal to him, whom he wants to be given tickets for the assembly seats of their choice. This is likely to become a bone of contention between father and son.
Kottayam (Kerala) : Kottayam (Kerala) Jan 17 (IANS) Patience is running out and there will be strong retaliation if the CPI-M in Kerala did not stop attacking its cadres, a senior BJP leader warned on Tuesday.

"If the attacks on our cadres continue then there will be intervention from the Centre and the CPI-M will know the strength of the BJP in other states in the country," said Nalin Kumar Kateel while speaking at the inauguration of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Kerala unit committee here.

Since the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left government assumed office in Kerala in May last year, BJP leaders here say that they have lost ten of their workers and several of them have been roughed up by CPI-M activists.

Kateel also pointed out that while BJP-ruled states have significantly progressed on many fronts, Kerala has become the number one state for political murders.

"The law and order situation in Kerala is similar to what the situation was in Bihar when Lalu Prasad Yadav ruled the state. The credibility of the Pinarayi Vijayan government has been eroded badly," said Kateel, who is a Lok Sabha member from Dakshina Kannada constituency in Karnataka.

The BJP in Kerala got a morale booster in the May 2016 assembly polls when, for the first time, it won a seat in the 140-member assembly.

The BJP's veteran former Union Minister of State O. Rajagopal was elected from the Nemom constituency in the capital city.
Washington, Jan 17 : Indian Americans, who comprise around one per cent of the US population, now for the first-time ever also make up one per cent of the US Congress.

The community is experiencing unprecedented political success with all of its five elected members being nominated to key Congressional panels, reported Forbes.

During last year's elections, four Indian Americans - Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Kamala Harris - were elected to the US Congress, while a fifth, Representative Ami Bera, won re-election to a third term.

This represents the largest number of Indian Americans to ever serve in Congressional history, said the report on Monday.

M.R. Rangaswami, the founder of San Francisco-based non-profit Indiaspora, told Forbes, "This doesn't count the scores of Indian Americans senior staffers serving on Capitol Hill working for dozens of members on both sides of the aisle."

Judge Dilip Singh Saund became the first Asian American to be elected to Congress in 1956. Nearly four decades later, Bobby Jindal was elected to the House of Representatives from Louisiana before launching a successful gubernatorial bid in the state.

Beyond the legislative branch, Donald Trump's election to the White House is also proving a boon to some members of the community, according to the report.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has been tapped to become the first-ever Indian American US Ambassador to the United Nations while Indiana native Seema Verma has been nominated by the President-elect to run the Centre for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Several other Indian Americans are poised to receive presidential appointments in the new administration as well. The recent slate of elections and appointments is a part of a relatively new, larger trend: the growing success of Indian Americans in the public service arena, reported Forbes.

Since American immigration laws were liberalised in 1965, Indians travelled to the US in record numbers and the Indian American community has become the wealthiest, most educated diaspora in the country.

The Forbes report said that before outgoing President Barack Obama took office for the first time, not a single Indian American had ever served as an American ambassador. Now there are two, Atul Keshap in Sri Lanka, and Rich Verma in India, who have earned consistent praise for their diplomatic work.

Nisha Desai Biswal serves as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs while her deputy, Manpreet Anand, is also Indian American.

Many other qualified Indian Americans have also served in varying levels across the Executive Branch.

The Indian American community has also made its mark on the judiciary, said the report.

In addition to numerous local and state judges like Sanjay Tailor in Chicago's Cook County, several Indian Americans are serving as so-called "Article III" judges, judges who are nominated by the President and confirmed by the US Senate.

In 2013, Sri Srinivasan became the first Indian American appellate court judge after being unanimously confirmed by the Senate to the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals.

Kentucky District Court Judge Amul Tharpar's name has been floated as a possible contender for the vacancy under Donald Trump.

"As Indian Americans have continued to succeed and prosper in the United States, their sense of commitment to the United States, desire to give back, and simultaneously strengthen and be a part of the fabric of the country has also grown as well," Sanjeev Joshipura, director at Indiaspora, told Forbes.
Hyderabad, Jan 17 : Tension prevailed at the University of Hyderabad on Tuesday as police stopped AAP activists from entering the campus to participate in a meeting to mark the first anniversary of research scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide.

Aam Aadmi Party workers staged a sit-in at the main gate, demanding that they be allowed to join the meeting.

The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, an umbrella grouping of students' bodies demanding justice for Rohith, is holding a meeting in the campus to mark 'shahdath din' (martyrdom day).

The organisers have invited Rohith's mother Radhika Vemula and Jaan Mohammed, brother of Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh over rumours of beef eating.

The university authorities have imposed restrictions on the entry of outsiders into the campus. Security was tightened at the main gate since morning.

Students and employees were allowed only after they produced their identity cards.

The Registrar issued a circular stating that outsiders including media persons, politicians and activists cannot enter the campus.

The university authorities also made it clear that there was no permission for holding any programme on the campus.

However, defying the orders, a group of students gathered at 'Velivada' (Dalit ghetto) on the campus.

Holding pictures of Rohith and placards, they raised slogans demanding the arrest of Vice Chancellor P. Appa Rao and justice for Rohith.

Protesting against the restrictions over the entry of Rohith's supporters into the campus, the students plan to march to the main gate.

Rohith Vemula, a PhD student, committed suicide by hanging himself in a hostel room on the campus in 2016 after alleged caste-based discrimination, triggering protests across India.
Seoul, Jan 17 : South Korean prosecutors independently investigating a corruption scandal involving impeached President Park Geun-hye will interrogate her in February, an official said on Tuesday.

Lee Kyu-chul, spokesman of the independent counsel team, said a face-to-face interrogation of Park could be conducted as late as the beginning of February, Xinhua news agency reported.

The prosecutors for the first time set the timing of investigation of Park, indicating its probe into the presidential scandal is getting to the point.

It remains to be seen whether Park would accept a formal request for interrogation, which the counsel team has yet to make.

Park had agreed to be quizzed by prosecutors before the launch of the probe, but she later rejected any face-to-face interrogation.

The impeached leader has been identified as a criminal accomplice to her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, who has been detained for meddling in state affairs behind the scenes and extorting money from conglomerates.

The independent counsel on Monday requested an arrest warrant for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong for multiple counts, including bribery.

Lee is accused of bribing Choi and her daughter in return for getting support from the national pension fund in the 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates to create a de-facto holding company.
Davos, Jan 17 : China on Tuesday robustly defended globalisation with its President Xi Jinping arguing at the World Economic Forum here that economic integration has powered human advancement and improved the lives of millions of people.

"Many of the problems troubling the world are not caused by economic globalisation," Xi was quoted as saying by CNN in his address to the forum as the first Chinese President to attend the mega economic summit held annually high in the Swiss mountains.

"Whether you like it or not, the global economy is the big ocean you cannot escape from."

His speech was rich in symbolism with Beijing positioning itself as a global leader at a time when Western powers, and especially the United States, are retreating from the world stage and questioning the particular brand of globalisation that now defines global trade.

"We must remain committed to free trade and investment. We must promote trade and investment liberalisation," he said.

"No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war."

This year's meeting coincides with the formal handover of power in the US, with Donald Trump's inauguration scheduled for January 20, the final day of the forum.

During the election campaign, Trump blasted international trade deals, tapping into a deep well of popular anger over globalisation.

He described one huge US-led trade agreement -- the Trans-Pacific Partnership -- as a "disaster done and pushed by special interests who want to rape our country".

Xi told Davos delegates that globalisation was a double-edged sword, and people around the world had felt the pain of its failings. But he said it would be a mistake to retreat into isolationism.

"The right thing to do is to seize every opportunity to jointly meet challenges and chart the right course for economic globalisation," he said.

China is already pushing its own free trade deal with leaders from around the Pacific. The forces of globalisation served as a catalyst for China's economic development, turning the country into a manufacturing and trade powerhouse. As international trade boomed, tens of million of Chinese joined the middle class.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : A court here on Tuesday allowed former Congress MP and industrialist Naveen Jindal, who has been accused in a coal block allocation case, to extend by three days his foreign trip undertaken for business purposes.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar on January 9 permitted Jindal to visit London and Switzerland from January 16 to 23 for business purposes, with some conditions imposed on him.

The court on Tuesday allowed his plea seeking extension of his trip till January 26.

Jindal is an accused in a case relating to the allocation of Jharkhand's Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to Jindal Steel and Gagan Sponge.

Along with the industrialist, former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayana Rao, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, former Coal Secretary H.C. Gupta and others are also accused.

The CBI in April 2015 filed a chargesheet against Jindal, Koda, Rao and Gupta.

Others accused in the case are Jindal Realty Director Rajeev Jain, Gagan Sponge Directors Girish Kumar Juneja and R. K. Saraf, Sowbhagya Media's Managing Director K. Ramakrishna and Chartered Accountant Garg.

Five private companies -- four based in Delhi and one in Hyderabad -- were also named in the CBI chargesheet.

These companies are Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd, Jindal Reality Pvt Ltd, New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd and Sowbhagya Media Ltd.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : Blaming the Centre for compromising the national interest, the Congress on Tuesday alleged the central government of collaborating with a blacklisted Britain based note printing company De La Rue.

"De La Rue has been shortlisted for printing of plastic notes in India despite it being blacklisted, showing complicity at the highest level," said Oomen Chandy, former Kerala Chief Minister and senior leader of the Congress, at a press conference here.

He said: "In 2011, the then Finance Minister of State Namo Narain Meena responding to a question regarding security printing, in the Rajya Sabha, had stated that the security clearance was denied to De La Rue after they failed to comply to the specifications stipulated in the contract."

Earlier in the month, Chandy, in a letter to Modi, cited a media report that three companies, including De La Rue, had been shortlisted for printing plastic notes, and requested the ministry concerned "publish the list of companies that are shortlisted/qualified for printing plastic currency in India".

He noted that the British company was denied security clearance in 2011 and the current status has not been explained.

Chandy also wrote that the company was blacklisted during the UPA's tenure as it could not "comply to the specifications of the contract".

Rebutting the allegation, the company in a statement on December 9, said: "De La Rue categorically refutes the defamatory and malicious allegations about its business published in Indian media."

"De La Rue is not supplying paper for printing of Indian currency and we are not associated with printing of currency in India at present in any form. De La Rue has received no notice nor are we aware that we are blacklisted in India," it said.

"De La Rue does not supply currency paper and is not printing currency for Pakistan and would never supply currency paper manufactured for one country to another," the statement added.

De La Rue designs, integrates, manufactures and delivers banknotes, banknote paper, polymer and security features.
Mumbai, Jan 17 : Child artistes Damanpreet Singh and Tunisha Sharma have been finalised for upcoming historical drama "Sher-E- Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh". They are very excited to bring his story alive on the small screen.

The show, which will air on Life OK, is based on the life and the journey of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It will feature actors like Shaleen Bhanot, Sneha Wagh, Sonia Singh and Sharad Kelkar.

Damanpreet will be seen as young Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and Tunisha as his love interest Mehtab Kaur.

"This is the first time that someone is doing a show on the life of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. I consider myself lucky as being Punjabi, it is a great honour for me to play this role as we have high regard for Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Since my childhood days, I have been hearing stories about him and now getting a chance to play him is like a dream come true," Damanpreet said in a statement.

When Tanisha was asked about the same, she said: "I have always been fascinated by stories of kings and queens, so getting to be a part of this historical period drama seemed like the perfect opportunity. Even the dialogues in the show are very powerful and will be a combination of Hindi and Punjabi, so I am very excited to be a part of this project".
New York, Jan 17 : A pack-and-mover company van has been spotted outside the new home of the outgoing first family of the US, as President Barack Obama prepares to leave the White House on January 20.

According to CBS News, the van arrived at the $4.3 million mansion in the residential neighbourhood of Kalorama. Some boxes were also seen outside the home.

The eight-bedroom home was built in 1928 and is 8,200 sq feet in area, according to Town and Country magazine, which published pictures of the home's interior.

The images, taken before the home was sold in 2014, show the house features a living room fireplace, spacious backyard, two-car garage, six-burner stove and wet bar.

Obama on Sunday said his family will be happy to be out of the White House.

"I mean, the girls, obviously, you know, they are now of an age in which the constraints of Secret Service and bubbles and all that stuff has gotten pretty old," Obama said.

"Michelle never fully took to the scrutiny. I mean, she's thrived as a first lady, but it's not her preference."

The outgoing first family will jet out of Washington immediately after incoming President Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday and they will first head to sunny Palm Springs in California, a much warmer climate.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hiked the limit on daily withdrawal from ATMs from Rs 4,500 to Rs 10,000, but a day after the decision many ATMs across the national capital were without cash.

"There is no cash in ATMs of my area...there are eight to 10 ATMs in Sector 15 of Rohini, but none of them has any cash," Mukesh Sharma, a school teacher, told IANS.

He, however, welcomed the RBI decision to raise the withdrawal limit, saying it would help reduce the long and repeated queues at ATMs.

Rajani, who lives in Bawana, said that she checked many ATMs after the RBI announced the increase in the limit of cash withdrawal, but most of these cash vending machines did not have cash.

"I was happy that now onwards one would not visit ATMs quite often, as Rs 10,000 is a good amount. But as I went out to withdraw money, none of the ATMs provided cash in my area," she told IANS.

Rajdeep Bhagat, who works as a Programme Officer with New Delhi YMCA, said that since his office is located in New Delhi -- the area under the central government jurisdiction within the Delhi capital city, there has been no issue of cash withdrawal.

"There are many banks and ATMs in the area and one or another would certainly have cash," he said.

The RBI on Monday raised the daily ATM withdrawal limit from Rs 4,500 to Rs 10,000 and doubled the weekly withdrawal limit from Current Accounts to Rs 1 lakh.

However, in South Delhi the ATMs that were in service had either short queues or nome at all.

Some other areas in the city also had ATMs working and dispensing cash, and the queues were also shorter compared to a few weeks ago.

"There is no cash in a number of ATMs, but the situation is better as we hardly see any queues now and withdraw money without much hassle," said a resident of New Ashok Nagar.

The central bank decision on Monday to raise the daily ATM withdrawal limit came as a much-awaited relief to the people.

"It is such a relief not to find big queues anymore. Also, now that the upper limit has been raised to Rs 10,000, there won't be any problem," said 34-year-old Sushma Agarwal, a resident of New Gupta Colony.

"We expect that we will soon be able to withdraw Rs 10,000 in one go, once the settings are changed," she said.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it has attached assets worth Rs 32 crore of Zoom Developers Private Ltd in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in a bank fraud case.

The properties of the firm were attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

"The ED attached assets worth Rs 32 crore of Zoom Developers, Indore, in a bank fraud case. Total attachment in the case now is worth Rs 132 crore," an ED official said.

He said this was one of the biggest bank loan frauds in the country.

After suspecting the role played by some of the banks in granting loans, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had also initiated a separate probe, they said.

The company, engaged in contract works in engineering and logistics, is also under the scanner of the Income Tax Department.

The CBI is investigating 10 cases of cheating and forgery against Zoom Developers and its promoters, and has filed chargesheets in at least five cases so far.

Zoom Developers, promoted by Vijay Chaudhary, operates from Indore and Mumbai.

Chaudhary, who is allegedly absconding, had taken loans from at least 26 state-owned banks, totalling Rs 2,200 crore for realty projects in Europe.

However, no project was ever undertaken and the money was allegedly siphoned off by Chaudhary.

The ED had also provisionally attached 1,280 acres of land belonging to Zoom Developer worth Rs 1,000 crore in the United States in 2015.
Hyderabad, Jan 17 : Protests rocked the University of Hyderabad on Tuesday as police stopped students and activists from entering the campus on the first anniversary of research scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide.

Police arrested scores of protestors as they tried to defy the ban orders and enter the campus to pay tributes to Rohith and take part in a meeting.

Tension continued till late in the evening as police stopped Rohith's mother Radhika Vemula and others from entering the campus. The protestors were trying to hold a meeting at the main gate to raise their demands.

Activists of Aam Admi Party (AAP), Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), Osmania University Joint Action Committee and other student groups were among those who gathered at the main gate.

Police erected barricades to stop outsiders from entering the campus.

There was pushing and jostling between police and protestors, leading to tension.

The students who had gathered for a meeting on the campus came in a rally to the gate, demanding the police to allow the protestors in.

Police had tough time in controlling the protests on both sides of the gate. At one stage, the protestors forced open the gate, leading to arrests.

The student groups lodged their protest over the use of force by police.

Vijay Kumar, one of the friends of Rohith, said the police were trying to suppress a peaceful gathering.

The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, an umbrella grouping of student bodies demanding justice for Rohith, was holding a meeting in the campus to mark 'shahdath din' (martyrdom day).

The organisers invited Jaan Mohammed, brother of Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh over rumours of beef eating, Fathima Nafees, mother of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, suspended student and Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association leader Rahul Sonpimple.

The Registrar had ordered that outsiders including media persons cannot enter the campus.

The university made it clear that there was no permission to hold any programme on the campus. However, defying the orders, a group of students gathered at 'Velivada' (Dalit ghetto) on the campus.

Holding pictures of Rohith and placards, they raised slogans demanding the arrest of Vice Chancellor P. Appa Rao and justice for Rohith.

Rohith Vemula, a PhD student, committed suicide by hanging himself in a hostel room on the campus in 2016 after alleged caste-based discrimination, triggering protests across India.

He resorted to the extreme step during a protest along with four other Dalit students over their suspension by the university following a clash with ABVP leader.

The Joint Action Committee is also seeking a legislation named after Rohith to curb caste-based discrimination on campuses.
Dubai, Jan 17 : Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his "Raees" co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui will visit Dubai ahead of the film's release to promote the action thriller.

"Raees", directed by Rahul Dholakia, is slated to release on January 25.

According to a report in Khaleej Times, Shah Rukh and Nawazuddin will visit Bollywood Parks, a first-of-its-kind theme park, and will later visit the Night Court of Arabian Center where they will meet and greet fans.

The team is likely to be here for a two-day visit, said a source in the know of developments. But it is not yet clear if Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, who features in a pivotal role in the movie, will be part of the Dubai promotions.

Shah Rukh had last month assured Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray that Mahira will not come to India for promoting the film. This came after the MNS had strongly protested against hiring of Pakistani actors by Indian filmmakers following the September 18, 2016 Uri attack that left 19 Indian soldiers dead.

Dubai is also a place close to Shah Rukh, who had last month also featured in a #BeMyGuest film by Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), inviting people to be his "guest" at the city of sun, sand and adventure. He also owns a house here.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : Their daredevil acts in dire straits surpass the everyday acts of courage that we read or hear about. These confident and audacious children have been selected for National Bravery Awards for they are an inspiration to us, all in all for their conscience and moral bravery.

One of them fought a leopard to save his cousin, another one sacrificed his life to extinguish a fire in his neighbour's shed. Then there is one who bravely saved his classmate from a 4-feet-long black cobra.

Two of these children showed immense courage in fearlessly helping the police and an NGO in uncovering an international sex racket leading to the arrest of the mastermind in Delhi.

There are incredible stories of bravery in the world and what stands the 25 of them apart is how they address the value of life by boiling it down to the matter of morality.

They will take pride of place at the head of the Republic Day parade as it rolls down Rajpath here on January 26.

Nine-year-old Sonu Mali from Manohar Pura, Rajasthan, who saved his classmate from a cobra attack, felt no fear while doing so.

"I wasn't at all scared. For me, it was important to save my classmate from the snake," the bright-eyed Mali told IANS.

His mother, Rameshi Devi, was petrified when she heard his story. "I scolded him saying, 'Why did you have to risk your life'. To which he said 'I had to save his life'," she said.

Tejasweeta Pradhan and Shivani Gond from Darjeeling helped the police and an NGO in uncovering an international sex racket leading to the arrest of the mastermind in Delhi.

The girls befriended the traffickers on Facebook in May 2016. They then spent days communicating with them by telephone, convincing the traffickers that they were willing to run away from home before leading them to the police.

"We were obviously scared. There was a lot of fear. But, we didn't withdraw ourselves from uncovering the racket," 18-year-old Tejasweeta Pradhan told IANS.

Pradhan with deep compassion spoke about the everyday cases of molestation, rape, and trafficking. "We read about pathetic incidents and abominable acts. We need to take big action against such cases."

"We can't tell our girls to stay back at home, to behave in a certain way or to dress in a manner to stay safe. We really need to spread awareness among the male community to respect women as their equals."

"I believe girls can do anything and everything that a boy can do. The need of the hour is to spread awareness in the society about equality.

Undoubtedly, there is glory and heroism not just in their words but also in their deeds. These kids haven't gained national fame for nothing.

Another unimaginable story is from Uttrakhand where 15-year-old Sumit Mamgain daringly fought a leopard to save his cousin.

"We were going to a nearby field to graze cattle. A leopard that was hiding in the bushes attacked us. Holding its tail, I hit it with a chopper. It went away and came back after some time. This time again I hit it with same chopper and it fled."

This 15-year-old kid's par excellence story astonishes every adult.

There also are those who died during their undaunted and noble deeds. These children have been awarded the bravery award posthumously.

Eight-year-old Tarh Peju from Arunachal Pradesh sacrificed her life in an attempt to save two of her friends from drowning. Lalhriatpuii from Mizoram sacrificed her life in an effort to save her cousin from a car accident.

Tushar Verma from Chattisgarh lost his life as he tried to extinguish a fire in his neighbour's shed.

Roluahpuii from Mizoram sacrificed her life in a bold act of saving two girls from drowning.

We always talk about learning much from children -- how they look at things so lightly and how they live in their own worlds and spread happiness. There are efforts to inculcate strength in them, the quality that we only relate with adulthood.

These children and their real life stories prove the opposite. Such rare acts of golden strength are the kind that they read in their story books and feel inspired by, but these 25 are the children who inspire those stories to be written.
Gurugram, Jan 17 : Four close aides of slain gangster Sandeep Gadoli, who were allegedly planning to kill the policemen involved in last year's shootout killing of Gadoli, were arrested by the Haryana Police Crime Brach in Rohtak, police said on Tuesday.

According to the police, the four members of the Gadoli gang -- Dinesh alias Sonu, Monu alias Popi, Deepak alias Deepu and Ravikant -- were arrested near Industrial Model Township (IMT) in Rohtak and five pistols, cartridges and a car were seized from their possession.

Gadoli's family claims that the Gurugram Police had murdered Gadoli on the behest of a rival gangster-turned-politician Binder Gujjar, who is lodged in Gurgaon jail.

A team of eight policemen, headed by Sub-Inspector Pradhuman Yadav, had reportedly shot Gadoli in Airport Metro Hotel in Andheri area of Mumbai on February 7.

Gadoli was there with another accused and his alleged girlfriend, Divya Pahuja.

The police said the four were planning to kill the policemen involved in the allegedly staged shootout and also gangster Binder Gujjar.

"We are grilling them in police remand. Five pistols, cartridges and a car were seized from those arrested," a senior police officer said.

Gadoli's family on September 1 finally claimed Gadoli's body, which had been lying in Mumbai's J.J. Hospital morgue since the shootout.

During investigation, Mumbai Special Investigation Team (SIT) had booked five policemen, including PSI Yadav, for staging a shootout.

Following a three-month investigation, the SIT told the Supreme Court in May, that the FIR lodged by the first informant PSI Yadav was false and the shootout was found to be fake.

The SIT informed the Supreme Court that it had altered the original charge, including that of attempt to murder against Gadoli, and instead invoked sections relating to murder, destruction of evidence, punishment for false evidence, giving false information to public servant, conspiracy along with relevant sections of the Arms Act against the five policemen and three others.

Divya and her mother Sonia Pahuja were also arrested.

On October 18 last year, four persons killed Binder Gujjar's elder brother Manish Gujjar, a liquor trader, in Gurugram and injured his driver and a close aide in an apparent gang war.

Gujjar, a liquor trader, was on his way to his shop to collect cash whe he was attacked.

Later, slain Gadoli's brother and a few others were arrested in connection with the murder.

Gujjar's another close aide and gangster Mahesh -- alias Attack -- was also shot dead by his rival Kaushal and his accomplices on September 21, 2016 near Jharsa Chowk here.

Kaushal was reportedly close to gangster Gadoli.
New Delhi/Lucknow, Jan 17 : Setting the stage for a triangular contest in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress on Tuesday said it will contest the assembly election along with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party.

Akhilesh Yadav said in Lucknow there would be an alliance with the Congress for the staggered election starting on February 11.

"The Congress-Samajwadi alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said in New Delhi, a day after the Election Commission allotted the 'cycle' symbol to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Azad said the nitty-gritties of the alliance, particularly seat sharing, was being worked out.

Asked if the alliance would include Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Azad declined to comment. "On that (Grand Alliance), I cannot say anything right now.

"There has been speculation whether or not this alliance is happening. This is to confirm that it is happening," he said.

According to NDTV, Akhilesh Yadav confirmed that his Samajwadi Party was closing a deal with the Congress and a number of smaller regional parties like the RLD.

It said Akhilesh Yadav had tried convincing his father Mulayam Singh Yadav to agree to an alliance with the Congress for a sweeping win.

Meanwhile, the Congress Chief Ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh, Sheila Dikshit, said she would step down if asked to. "There can't be two Chief Ministerial faces, so I will step down."

Alliance talks between the Congress and the Akhilesh faction have been on for some days for the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh election.

Akhilesh Yadav met Mulayam Singh Yadav twice since Monday evening, apparently to pacify him and ensure that he does not pit himself against the official party candidates.

Mulayam Singh on Monday lost the battle for the 'cycle' symbol to his son after the Election Commission recognised the Chief Minister as the leader of the Samajwadi Party.

Since then, Mulayam Singh is said to be pondering his next move.

Informed sources said the veteran 77-year-old patriarch had not yet made up his mind on whether to sit quiet or take the battle ahead by contesting against the Akhilesh camp.

The sources said Mulayam Singh heard out his son on both occasions since Monday but remained belligerent over the developments, igniting speculation that he could eventually throw his hat in the electoral ring.

The former UP Chief Minister has reportedly handed over a list of some four dozen party leaders loyal to him whom he wants to be given ticket for assembly seats of their choice.

This could become a bone of contention between the father and son.

Amid the new developments in state politics, the BJP took on the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.

"During UPA, they came together to ruin the country and now they are trying to experiment the same in Uttar Pradesh. I wish them all the best. The Uttar Pradesh government is characterised by corruption, torture of women, lawlessness and no development," Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said in Delhi.

BJP National Secretary Siddharth Nath Singh said: "The Congress has called Akhilesh a failed Chief Minister. Now they will contest under the same failed Chief Minister."
Thane (Maharashtra), Jan 17 : A teenaged girl from this Maharashtra city is off to Washington to attend the new US President Donald Trump's inaugural on Friday and attend a five-day US Presidential Inauguration Leadership Summit.

Oishika Neogi, 17, who is a first-year B.A. student of Symbiosis National University, Pune, will represent India at the global summit of youngsters and attend the inaugural.

"I am so excited by this rare opportunity that I couldn't sleep for the past few nights," an excited Oishika told IANS while on way to catch her flight at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Tuesday evening.

Among the other invitees expected for the Trump inaugural are the world's youngest Nobel Peace laureate, Pakistani girl education activist Malala Yousafzai and her father Ziauddin, besides prominent students and youths from all over the world.

Oishika, along with delegates from all other countries, will make presentations at various conferences from January 18 to 22, speaking about how the new Trump administratio would affect their individual countries.

She plans to attend a special gala evening for delegates on January 21 before travelling to New York and returning home by the month-end -- to prepare for another youth conference in China next June.

The Kolkata-born Oishika got the opportunity to attend the inagural after winning a contest at the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) in the US in June 2015, and following her excellent performance at the Harvard Model United Nations competition in Hyderabad.

"The UN Model debates were specially conducted for students interested in international relations to expose them to a global audience. The Model United Nations events are designed for this," she said.

Until 2016, she studied at Mumbai's B.K. Gadia A Level Junior College, run by the D.G. Khetan International School, in Malad suburb. It conducts a Mock UN Debate annually which Neogi trumped, and then excelled at the Hyderabad event before travelling to Washington DC and New York that year for the GYLC.

On her future plans, Oishika said she wants to become a television media professional and cover the United Nations sometime, which she considers as "a dream assignment".

Besides pursuing undergrad studies and quenching her thirst for knowledge about global affairs, she is training in western dancing and theatre, and does painting. She also loves to gorge alike on continental and spicy Indian cuisine.

She lives with her mother Chumki Neogi in Thane's Mira Road suburb, adjacent to Mumbai.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : About 250-300 students, staging a demonstration here to mark the first death anniversary of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, were on Tuesday detained when they blocked the crucial Janpath road in Connaught Place area of New Delhi, police said.

Following a protest call from JNU Students' Union, around 1,000 students from the JNU, Delhi University, and the Jamia Milia Islamia, among other universities, took out a rally from Mandi House, intending to go to Ministry of Human Resource Department (MHRD), only to be faced with elaborate barricading at Janpath.

The police corralled the students at the red light near Janpath Metro Station and ferried them in three buses to Parliament Street Police Station.

Rohith Vemula, a PhD scholar at Hyderabad University, committed suicide on this day last year. In his suicide letter, he accused the university administration of persecution and discrimination on the basis of caste.

Earlier in 2016, his fellowship was stopped as a disciplinary action following a dispute between him and ABVP members over the screening of a documentary 'Muzaffarnagar Abhi Baaki Hai'.

He was a member of Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) which held a screening of the documentary at the university campus. The ABVP members reportedly disrupted the screening and called it anti-Hindu.

The protesting students on Tuesday were demanding an enquiry into the suicide and termed it as an 'institutional murder'. They also demanded registering of cases against university Vice Chancellor P. Appa Rao for neglecting his duty and doing nothing to defuse tensions.

Scores of students were also arrested in Hyderabad when, defying ban orders, they tried to enter the University of Hyderabad campus to pay tribute to Rohith and take part in a meeting.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : Two minority schools here on Tuesday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the January 7 circular of the Delhi government restricting private schools built on public land to admit students only using the neighbourhood or distance criteria.

Justice Manmohan posted for January 19 the pleas of Mount Carmel School and Somerville School, saying their pleas would be heard along with other pending petitions filed by two private schools groups and some parents.

The two minority schools have said that the notification was against their right to establish and administer their institutions and to admit students.

Last week, the High Court had directed 300-odd private schools to accept applications based on their own criteria as well as city administration guidelines.

The Action Committee of Unaided Recognised Private Schools and Forum for Promotion of Quality Education had challenged the DDA's condition for allotting land to some private unaided schools that requires them to reserve 75 per cent seats for students in the neighbourhood.

The circular has enforced the land allotment clause and thereby restricted admissions to schools on DDA land to their locality.
Beijing : Beijing , Jan 17 (IANS) China on Tuesday announced more measures to attract foreign investment, promising easier access and better environment.

Foreign firms will face fewer restrictions when entering service, manufacturing and mining sectors, said a State Council document, according to Xinhua news agency.

The government will relax entry controls for banks, securities brokerages, and futures and insurance companies, and lift restrictions in rail transport equipment manufacturing, motorcycle production, fuel ethanol, and oil and fat processing.

Thresholds in oil shale, oil sand and shale gas sectors will be lowered for overseas companies.

The document also cited sectors including accounting, architecture design, telecom, internet, culture, education and transport.

Foreign-funded companies will be encouraged to invest in high-end, smart and green manufacturing, participate in infrastructure work in energy, water conservation and environmental protection, and build plants in less-developed central, western and northeastern areas.

China will support foreign companies setting up research and development centres and strengthening cooperation with domestic peers, and will allow them to join national science and technology programs.

To create a sound business environment, the government will beef up protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) and encourage the establishment of IPR arbitration centres in China.

China will allow foreign firms to go public and issue bonds in the Chinese market to expand financing channels.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland maintained steady growth last year on the back of strong investment in the service industry.

FDI rose 4.1 per cent year on year to 813 billion yuan (around $118 billion) in 2016.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the relations between India and US are witnessing expansion across the spectrum.

"With the United States, our actions have brought speed, substance and strength to the entire spectrum of economic, business, commercial, and security engagement," said Modi in his inaugural address at the second edition of the "Raisina Dialogue", India's flagship geo-political conference.

"In my conversation with President-elect Donald Trump, we agreed to keep building on these gains in our strategic partnership."

On January 20, Donald Trump will be sworn-in as the 45th President of the US.
Vijayawada, Jan 17 : Microsoft has offered to collaborate with Andhra Pradesh in the areas of e governance and cyber security, an official statement said here on Tuesday.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is currently in Davos, met Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Tuesday.

Nadella suggested that Andhra Pradesh should nurture hybrid cloud technology and that it will be a great leap in technology for India and Andhra Pradesh in particular, according to a statement here.

Microsoft has recently acquired LinkedIn and it is working closely with the Singapore government.A

Skill profile of the population, professionals etc are also being digitized, said the Microsoft CEO and added that the same may be replicated in Andhra Pradesh.

Nadella and Naidu agreed to make significant progress in hybrid cloud technology within a year.

The Chief Minister explained the various technological initiatives e being implemented in Andhra Pradesh. He also spoke at length on the technology that the state is using for real time governance.

Naidu mentioned that he is keen on increasing the digital transactions which is at 30 percent now to 70 percent by March this year.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel, who is to appear before the Parliaments standing committee on finance on Wednesday, will face several questions from the members on demonetisation, the most pertinent being if the central bank's autonomy has been compromised.

According to one of the members of the committee, besides the RBI Governor, Finance Ministry officials will also be present at the meeting.

The chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance is M. Veerappa Moily.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8 had announced banning Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

The government "advised" the the central government on November 7 to demonetise the higher currencies and the RBI's board recommended it on the same day the Prime Minister announced it.

"The RBI governor will be asked every question pertaining to demonetisation, including autonomy of the central bank," one of the panel members told IANS.

Among the other major concerns of the committee include whether the decision to demonetise higher currencies was legal, and whether cashless economy was feasible in a country like India where more than 90 per cent transactions are done in cash.

The other questions include if the banking system in the country was well equipped to carry out the government's demonetisation policy.
Melbourne, Jan 17 : A five-year-old Sikh boy was denied entry by a school here for wearing a turban as it said that the religious head gear was not in conformity with the school's uniform policy.

"It is disappointing that my son has been forced to abandon his religious practices and identity for access to an education in Melbourne's Melton Christian College," the boy's father Sagardeep Singh Arora was quoted as saying by Australian TV network SBS on Tuesday.

"We lodged a claim with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC). I believe having a common school uniform is important in promoting school identity and integration. However, it is also important to recognise that there is no hindrance to the practice of various cultures and faiths," said Arora.

He further said that students should be able to wear their significant religious symbols and articles of faith. "It's immoral for a school to not allow students to practice their beliefs," he argued.

Arora said he has had a dialogue with the school (MCC) in which he cited other examples of Australian institutions which have re-evaluated their policies in similar instances, said the report.

"We were in discussions regarding the importance of hair and turban in Sikhism and acceptance of turban as uniform by different organisations (like schools, Army, and police) in Australia and other countries," said Arora.

"Yet, the college has refused to review their uniform policy."

Given the long history of the Sikh community in Australia, it's disappointing that they still struggle with issues such as this, said Arora.

"While practising our religious beliefs, we wish to show an expression of solidarity with the wider Australian community. And all we demand is respect for our religious beliefs," he said.

However, the school, in a written response to VEOHRC, refused to include any additional items in the existing permitted uniform protocol, the report said.

"We acknowledge the disappointment that Sagardeep and his family feel. We respectfully recognise his disappointment that the uniform protocol of this school mean that non-prescribed items are not permitted to be worn in addition to the school uniform."

"We have considered the complaint and our options carefully. The result is that we have agreed that college uniform will be maintained as it is, without permitting additional items," the school said.

In a landmark case in September 2008, a Brisbane private school was forced to back down on a strict uniform policy that would have forced a Sikh boy to cut his hair and remove his turban.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed concern over the increasing air pollution saying it was "very serious problem" and solutions need to be found urgently.

A bench of Justice M.B. Lokur and Justice P.C. Pant said that some victims of air pollution suffer due to inefficient systems and non-implementation of norms.

"This pollution problem is very serious. If you talk for years for a solution, then it is a problem," said the bench after it was told by amicus curiae and senior advocate Harish Salve that there was a need to ensure 100 per cent compliance of Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificates and linking them with the insurance of vehicles done every year.

The bench asked Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Central government, to specify the number of PUC centres in Delhi, and was told that there are 962 such centres in the capital with each of them inspecting around 5,000 vehicles every three months.

Show cause notices have also been issued to some 174 centres for irregularities and licences of 14 centres have been cancelled, he said, adding that licences of 75 centres have been suspended and warning notices issued to 78 such centres, Kumar told the bench.

Hearing this, the court asked the Central government to file a status report regarding show cause notices issued to PUC centres. It also directed the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) to inspect all 962 PUC centers and submit the report about their functioning.

After the bench was informed that consultations among all stakeholders is being done regarding banning of petcoke and furnace oil as industrial fuel in Delhi-NCR region, it asked the government to file the status report in this regard before the next date of hearing on February 6.

The bench also sought from Centre an Action Taken Report on setting up of real time Air Quality Monitoring Centres in Delhi-NCR region in compliance with its earlier order.
Itanagar, Jan 17 : Arunachal Pradesh can be developed through small and micro industries, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti said on Tuesday.

Speaking at 'Arunachal Pradesh Food Pro', a programme jointly organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Sadhvi said the central government is giving special attention to the development of the northeastern region.

"India cannot develop without the Northeast," she said, adding that the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has been created to look after the development issues of the northeastern states.

"Efforts would be made to promote the region further," she said quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Stating that the food processing industry contributes a total of 13 per cent to the national growth, the Union Minister said Arunachal Pradesh with varied agro, horticultural and other ethnic produces has huge potential for development of food processing industry.

"Though an industrially backward state, Arunachal Pradesh can be developed through small and micro industries," she added.

Appreciating the locally-grown fruits, in particular 'kiwi', which is much better in taste and quality than that of Germany and New Zealand, Sadhvi said that through food processing, the whole nation can be developed.

"The four mega food parks being set up in the northeast would provide enough scope for promotion of the sector, besides creating job opportunities for the youths," she said.

The minister assured the state she would look into its problems and extend support from her ministry for its development.

Arunachal Pradesh Industries Minister Tamiyo Taga said that the food processing industry is of enormous significance for socio-economic development and employment generation.

"It (food processing industry) does value addition to the agriculture, horticulture and other edible produces, thereby reducing wastage of food products and contributing to the growth of agro, food processing and plantation industries."

Highlighting the status of the sector in the state, Taga said that 94 per cent of the state's population depends on agriculture to earn its living.

The state experiences varied agro-climatic conditions and smooth topography, which enables a good growth of horticultural produces, like spices, aromatic and medicinal plants and flowers and mushrooms, besides food crops, Taga said.
Bengaluru, Jan 17 : Irked by leading e-retailer Amazon selling skateboards and bedspreads with images of Hindu god Ganesha, Hindus in the US on Tuesday urged it to immediately withdraw them from its online platform.

"We are disappointed with Amazon.com for continuing to carry skateboards, bed covers, duvet covers and bedspreads showing images of our deity Lord Ganesha on its site. They should be withdrawn," said Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement from Nevada in the south-west state of the US.

As Ganesha is revered in Hindusim and worshipped by millions of Hindus the world over in temples and homes, Zed said it was insult to put the Hindu God's images on skateboards, used for placing feet, or bed covers for sleeping.

"Inappropriate use of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other purposes hurts the sentiments of the faithful," reiterated Zed.

Asserting that Hindusim was the world's oldest and third largest religion with over a billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought, Zed said symbols of any faith, should not be mishandled or taken frivolously.

"Trivialisation of Lord Ganesha is disturbing to the Hindus. Though we are for free artistic expression and speech, faith is sacred and attempt to trivialise it hurt millions of his followers," noted Zed.

The elephant-headed deity in the Hindu pantheon, considered son of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati, is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles. His name is also invoked on auspicious occasions or starting any venture.

"Amazon President Jeffery P. Bezos should not only apologise for allowing his online platform to marketing products with images of Ganesha, but also withdraw them immediately as they are offensive to us," added Zed.

The Seattle-based e-commerce player had on January 12 apologised for selling doormats depicting the Indian tricolour (national flag) and removed them from its Canadian website after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj threatened to revoke visas of its official in India.

Expressing regret for offending Indian sentiments, Amazon India Manager Amit Agarwal wrote to Swaraj that the company was committed to respect Indian laws and customs.

Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das on Sunday told Amazon to desist from being flippant about Indian symbols and icons after the Indian diaspora in the US brought to the government's notice that flip-flops (beach sandals) with Mahatma Gandhi's image were being sold on its American website by a third-party vendors.

Amazon's Indian subsidiary is headquartered in Bengaluru.
Moscow, Jan 17 : Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that those who spread "fake news" about US President-elect Donald Trump are "worse than prostitutes".

The Russian leader fielded questions about the incoming US President during a news conference with his Moldovan counterpart at the Kremlin, CBS News reported.

He dismissed as a hoax a privately-prepared intelligence dossier that claimed Russian intelligence agencies had compromising material on Trump, including candid video shot at a Moscow hotel when he was there in 2013 for the filming of the Miss Universe pageant.

Putin accused the outgoing Obama administration of trying to "undermine the legitimacy" of Trump's "convincing" election victory, suggesting it was the White House that made the dossier public.

US officials have not confirmed the details of the dossier, but they have told CBS News they believe Russia may well have collected what is known as "kompromat" on Trump. It is a widely-known and well-documented practice of Putin's intelligence services to collect such material for blackmail.

Multiple government and intelligence officials told CBS News a week ago that an addendum to the classified intelligence report on Russia's efforts to interfere in the US election contained unverified details of potentially compromising information that Russia has gathered on Trump.

The officials said the information originally came from a former British intelligence officer and was eventually turned over to US intelligence, as well as other government officials last year.

The Kremlin has dismissed the claims of compromising material on Trump as "a fabrication and utter nonsense."

Russia has been blamed by President Barack Obama and myriad Democratic and Republican lawmakers -- citing conclusions drawn by the US intelligence community -- for hacking Democratic institutions and interfering in the American presidential election process in favor of Trump.

Putin's government has flatly rejected the allegations of hacking, also.

Trump, who takes over as President on January 20, himself finally accepted, in his first news conference since winning the election, that Russia was likely behind the hacking of the Democrat's servers, but has dismissed as "fake news" the claims of Russian compromising material on him.

The Russian leader said on Tuesday he hoped Trump's presidency would allow for the normalization of US-Russian relations.
Mumbai, Jan 17 : Tata Power on Tuesday said its total generation capacity from renewable energy sources has reached 3,060 megawatt (MW) till date in the current fiscal.

"The company's total generation from non-fossil operating capacity stands at 3060 MW, making it the largest renewable energy company in India," a Tata Power release here said.

The company's non-fossil fuel portfolio comprises 693 MW of hydro, 918 MW of solar, 1,074 MW of wind, and 375 MW of waste gas based generation, it said.

"Taking a step further towards building a greener portfolio last year, Tata Power revised its share of non-fossil fuel based capacity up to 35-40 per cent by 2025," the statement added.

"Crossing the 3000 RPT 3000 MW mark is one of the many key milestones in our endeavour to generate 35-40 per cent of Tata Power's total generation capacity from clean energy sources," company Chief Executive Anil Sardana said.

In the last fiscal, it wholly owned subsidiary, Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL), completed the acquisition of Welspun Renewables Energy Private (WREPL) to become the largest renewable energy company in India.

"WREPL has one of the largest operating solar portfolios in India spread across ten states. It has about 1,008 MW of renewable power projects comprising about 862 MW solar and about 146 MW of wind power projects," the statement said.

Tata Power has renewable energy projects in states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan and is currently in the process of implementing nearly 500 MW of renewable power projects at various locations, it added.
Patna, Jan 17 : Pakistan's ISI may be behind the derailment of the Indore-Patna Express train near Kanpur that claimed 140 lives and the failed attempt last year to blow up goods and passenger trains near Ghorasahan station in Bihar, police said on Tuesday.

East Champaran Superintendent of Police Jitendra Rana said Moti Paswan, one of three criminals arrested in the district recently, confessed during interrogation that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had planned the derailment of Indore-Patna Express in November last year.

Rana said police have also found evidence linking the three arrested criminals -- Paswan, Umashankar Prasad and Mukesh Yadav -- to ISI.

An Intelligence Bureau team has already interrogated them, and the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) have been informed about their arrest.

"Paswan said he was involved in the train derailment, along with some others including Zubair and Ziaul, who have been arrested in Delhi. Paswan has already identified the two persons nabbed in Delhi," Rana said.

The police officer informed that three persons have also been arrested from Nepal in this connection.

"We have got information from Nepal police that the ISI had hired Brajkishore Giri -- one of three criminals arrested there -- to execute terror activities in India," he said.

The ISI has been using Nepal as the base to implement its terror actions through Bihar using hired criminals, Rana added.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : The world needs India's sustained rise as much as India needs the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday but warned "parochial and protectionist attitudes" are threatening globalisation goals and "non-state actors" are stoking instability, violence and extremism.

He also pitched for a new "open and inclusive" security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region and asked Pakistan to abandon terrorism if it wanted dialogue with India.

Modi also said that the relations between India and US are witnessing expansion across the spectrum.

"India's transformation is not separated from its external context. Our economic growth, employment opportunities for our youth, our access to capital, technology, markets and resources and security of our nation are all deeply impacted by developments in the world. But, the reverse is also true. The world needs India's sustained rise as much as India needs the world," Modi said while inaugurating the Second Raisina Dialogue, India's flagship geo-political conference.

Noting that self interest alone is "neither in our culture nor in our behaviour", he said that India's economic and political rise represents a "regional and global opportunity of great significance".

"Our actions and aspirations, capacities and human capital, democracy and demography, and strength and success will continue to be an anchor for all round regional and global progress," Modi said.

Attacking Pakistan over its support to extremism, Modi said that India alone cannot walk the path of peace and that Pakistan must reciprocate the sentiment in letter and spirit.

"A thriving well-connected and integrated neighbourhood is my dream... My vision for our neighbourhood puts premium on peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia. That vision had led me to invite leaders of all SAARC nations, including Pakistan, for my swearing in. For this vision, I had also travelled to Lahore.

"But, India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan's journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India," he added.

The Prime Minister pointed out that India has redefined, despite uncertainty and conflict, partnerships with Gulf and West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Iran.

Vis-a-vis China, MOdi said it was "not unnatural" for two large neighbouring powers to have "some differences".

"In our engagement with China, as President Xi and I agreed, we have sought to tap the vast area of commercial and business opportunities in the relationship. I see the development of India and China as an unprecedented opportunity, for our two countries and for the whole world," Modi said.

The Prime Minister said that over the past two and a half years, his government has given a strong momentum to India's engagement with the US, Russia, Japan and other major global powers.

"These partnerships are a good fit with India's economic priorities of capital and capacities, commerce and technology, industry and infrastructure, skills and development, and defence and security," he said.

On the US, he said he and President-elect Donald Trump have "agreed to keep building on these gains in our strategic partnership".

Modi noted that the world's multi-polarity, and an increasingly multi-polar Asia, is "a dominant fact today", and India welcomes it but with "vibrant pools of progress", rising ambition and festering rivalries are generating "visible stress points" and sought a "transparent, balanced and inclusive" security architecture.

"The steady increase in military power, resources and wealth in the Asia-Pacific has raised the stakes for its security. Therefore, the security architecture in the region must be open, transparent, balanced and inclusive. And, promote dialogue and predictable behaviour rooted in international norms and respect for sovereignty," he said.

He said that in its march of progress, the world will find India "a beacon of peace and progress, stability and success, and access and accommodation".

Organised by think-tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in collaboration with India's External Affairs Ministry, the Raisina Dialogue seeks to examine "the prospects and opportunities for Asian integration as well as Asia's integration with the larger world".

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper were also present among the audience.
Kolkata, Jan 17 : A man was shot dead and another received bullet injury in his arm in a violent clash between villagers and police on Tuesday evening in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district as an ongoing protest against a proposed power grid project in the area intensified.

A number of policemen also sustained injuries during the clash in the district's Bhangar-II block.

Following the violence, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee assured the villagers that no land acquisition would be done without their consent and the proposed project would be relocated, if needed.

South 24 Parganas' Bhangar, known for its history of political violence, is on the boil since last week over "forced" acquisition of 16 acres of farmland -- spread over the villages of Khamarait, Machhi Bhanga, Tona and Padmapukur -- by the state government for the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL).

The area flared up when angry protestors fought a pitched battle with police when the latter tried to enter Padmapukur.

In the face of fierce resistance, police beat a retreat.

The injured protestor was rescued by the villagers and later taken to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The confrontation escalated on Tuesday afternoon when a huge police force, accompanied by a battalion of the Rapid Action Force, tried to enter the village.

Stones were pelted at the police vans from all directions injuring several police personnel.

The villagers torched a police van while two other police vehicles were pushed into a pond, police said.

In a tweet later, Banerjee said: "No land will be acquired if people don't want to give away land. Proposed power grid will be relocated, if required."

Food Procurement and Horticulture Minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah, who is also the local legislator, said he would have a word with Banerjee about the demand of the villagers. Mollah, who could not enter the spot, claimed "outsiders have entered the villages" .

"The CPI-ML Red Star and other Naxalite groups have been organising the protestors for quite some time. The CPI-M and the Congress are also behind the disturbances.

"I'll have a word with the Chief Minister about people's demand in Bhangar. I am against taking land from people forcefuly without proper compensation packages," he said.

"Outsiders have entered the village and they are misguiding the villagers. They were conducting meetings in these villages for a long time," he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, nearly 10,000 protestors gathered with sticks and rods and put up road blockades at various points using tree trunks to protest against alleged torture by police on Monday night.

The armed villagers surrounded the police personnel posted near the under-construction power grid and demanded that they leave the village. Police carried out a baton charge and fired teargas shells at the agitators to take control of the area.

The agitators also accused the RAF and the police of terrorising the villagers and breaking into their houses in the darkness of the night.

"The RAF and police are beating us mercilessly. They are trying to terrorise us. Even the women and children are not being spared. We will not tolerate this," said a resident of Machhi Bhanga village.

The anti-acquisition agitators demanded thatPower Minister Sovandeb Chatterjee should come to Bhangar and announce cancellation of the project.

"The government is saying the plan to build a power grid in our village has been dropped, but then why is the construction work still on? The Power Minister has to come here and announce cancellation," an agitator said.

However, on Tuesday afternoon, Chatterjee claimed he has already ordered a halt to the power grid work while also accusing "outsiders" of fuelling the violence.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India-Marxist State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra held Banerjee responsible for the disturbances. "The Chief Minister is solely responsible for the violence. She should consider whether she now has the moral right to continue in office".
New Delhi, Jan 17 : Days after a prolonged garbage crisis hit east Delhi, setting off a war of words between the AAP government and the BJP-ruled Municipal corporations, the Delhi assembly on Tuesday resolved to set up a fact-finding committee to look into the "extremely poor financial management" in the three municipal corporations.

The resolution was moved by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj following discussion on alleged fiscal mismanagement in the Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCDs).

The resolution was seconded by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Supporting the resolution, Sisodia said, "After municipal elections in Delhi, we will run the MCDs in the same amount of money that we are giving to the civic bodies now, and no employee will have to wait for their salaries."

Sisodia added that all the employees of the three MCDs can get their salaries in just 10 per cent of the money that municipal councillors earn in bribes.

Moving the resolution Bharadwaj said a fact finding committee should immediately be set up by the government so that transparency could be brought in the financial management of the corporations and it could be found out where the money being given to MCDs by the Delhi government is going.

The Delhi government earlier said it had given significantly more money to the three MCDs in the last two years compared to the previous governments.

"This House condemns the sorry state of affairs that has led to non-payment of salaries of employees in these two corporations, particularly the sanitation workers and the resultant hardships being faced by the residents of Delhi due to piled up garbage and other related problems," the resolution read.

"This House notes that the MCDs have failed to pay the salaries of their employees despite having received enhanced funds from the Government of Delhi and the residents of Delhi have a right to know how the MCDs are utilising these funds," it added.

It also asked the Delhi government to take all possible steps to look into the finances of the MCDs and to direct the municipal corporations to inform the steps being taken to improve their financial condition.

Bhardwaj said that the report of the fact finding committee should be tabled in the next session of the assembly (budget session).

The resolution was unanimously passed by a voice vote.

During the discussion over the issue, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta said that the financial crisis has become a huge problem for the MCDs.

"The crisis will not be over till a lasting solution is found. There will again be a strike, I tell you, if revenue gap is not bridged," Gupta said.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain responded that the gap was not just in the revenue and expenses of MCDs, but also in the "income and expenses of the MCD councillors".

"These councillors earn Rs 100 in bribe for every work worth Rs 10. Then they complain about the revenue gap."

"People are waiting for the AAP to take over the MCDs. They know that the BJP and the Congress are the two sides of the same coin and now they (people) are going to demonetise that coin," he said.

The move comes after the indefinite strike called by sanitation workers of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation leading to a garbage crisis, over non payment of salaries.

The BJP-ruled East Corporation has blamed the Delhi government of withholding funds and not implementing reform policies to make MCDs more financially viable.

All the three municipal corporations in Delhi are being ruled by BJP, but depend financially on the state government.

The garbage strike by sanitation workers in east Delhi was the fifth such strike in two years.

The move to set up a fact-finding panel is likely to heat up the AAP-MCD politics with municipal polls due later this year, The erstwhile unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was trifurcated in 2012 into North Corporation, South Corporation and East Corporation.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : With the Union Environment Ministry notifying an action plan to curb air pollution, including the odd-even scheme, Delhi Transport Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday said he had learnt that the city government will get only two days to implement the traffic restriction plan in case of rise in pollution levels.

Jain said he had learnt that the government will have to implement the odd-even measure to curb pollution in case of contingency but said the government needs more time to make people aware.

"We will do it when needed. I had requested that the Union Environment Minister make provision of at least seven days' time for starting odd-even scheme, but I have come to know that in the notification (of graded response system) the time given is only of two days," Jain said.

Jain added that he had not yet seen the notification.

The Environment Ministry on Monday notified the action plan to implement a graded response system for air pollution, including implementation of the odd-even traffic rationing policy.

The Supreme Court had on December 2 asked the central government to notify the Graded Response Action Plan for air pollution, which talks of initiating a set of measures when Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 or PM 10 reaches specific levels in Delhi and the National Capital Region.

The plan has been made by the Supreme Court-authorised Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA).

The set of actions includes the implementation of the odd-even scheme and shutting of construction work if PM 2.5 crosses 300 micrograms per cubic metre (Ag/m3) or PM 10 crosses the 500 mark.

EPCA will implement the plan in collaboration with the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan and is slated to hold a meeting with the stakeholders this week.

According to EPCA officials, a meeting will be held with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), state pollution control authorities and the Meteorological Department on Friday.

These agencies will make a framework to provide information on pollution levels and air quality forecast.
New Delhi, Jan 17 : The government on Tuesday rubbished the Congress's allegations that a British company had been shortlisted for printing of plastic notes in India.

The government said the security clearance for the firm had been withheld and no contract had been signed with it for the past three years.

The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the central government collaborated with a blacklisted British note printing company De La Rue.

"De La Rue has been shortlisted for printing of plastic notes in India despite it being blacklisted, showing complicity at the highest level," said Oommen Chandy, former Kerala Chief Minister and senior leader of the Congress, at a press conference here.

The Ministry of Finance, without naming the company, in a statement said: "No fresh contract has been given to this company by the Government during the last three years."

"The security clearance for this company has been withheld by the Ministry of Finance. Hence, no fresh orders have been placed with the said company since 2014," said the statement.

"The said company had been supplying bank note paper till 2010. Further, as per the decision taken in 2013, the company was permitted to supply a security feature for bank notes till December 2015," it added.

"The company has applied for setting-up a factory in India. No action has been taken on their application," said the Finance Ministry statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chandy said: "In 2011, then MoS Finance Namo Narain Meena responding to a question regarding security printing, in the Rajya Sabha, had stated that the security clearance was denied to De La Rue after they failed to comply to the specifications stipulated in the contract."

Earlier in the month, Chandy, in a letter to Modi, cited a media report that three companies, including De La Rue, had been shortlisted for printing plastic notes, and requested the concerned ministry to "publish the list of companies that are shortlisted/qualified for printing plastic currency in India".

He noted that the British company was denied security clearance in 2011 and the current status has not been explained.

Chandy also wrote that the company was blacklisted during the UPA's tenure as it could not "comply to the specifications of the contract".

Rebutting the allegation, the company in a statement on December 9, said: "De La Rue categorically refutes the defamatory and malicious allegations about its business published in Indian media."

"De La Rue is not supplying paper for printing of Indian currency and we are not associated with printing of currency in India at present in any form. De La Rue has received no notice nor are we aware that we are blacklisted in India," it said.

"De La Rue does not supply currency paper and is not printing currency for Pakistan and would never supply currency paper manufactured for one country to another," the statement added.

De La Rue designs, integrates, manufactures and delivers bank notes, bank note paper, polymer and security features.
Hyderabad/New Delhi, Jan 17 : Police arrested Rohith Vemula's mother and a few students as protest rocked University of Hyderabad on Tuesday on the first death anniversary of the Dalit research scholar. Students staging demonstration in New Delhi were also detained by the police.

Radhika Vemula was arrested late in the evening soon after she addressed protesting students outside the main gate of the university as she was denied entry into the campus.

Tension prevailed at the main gate as police took Radhika and a few students into custody amid strong protest by dozens of pro-Rohith students.

During her speech, Radhika said she was facing a threat to her life from the central government. She alleged that during the last one year she and her other family members were harassed on false charges that they are not Dalits.

Earlier, police arrested scores of protestors as they tried to defy the ban orders and enter the campus to pay tributes to Rohith and take part in a meeting.

Activists of the Aam Admi Party (AAP), Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), Osmania University Joint Action Committee and other student groups were among those who gathered at the main gate.

Police erected barricades to stop outsiders from entering the campus.

Vijay Kumar, one of the friends of Rohith, said the police were trying to suppress a peaceful gathering.

The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, an umbrella grouping of student bodies demanding justice for Rohith, was holding a meeting in the campus to mark 'shahdath din' (martyrdom day).

The organisers invited Jaan Mohammed, brother of Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh over rumours of beef eating, Fathima Nafees, mother of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, suspended student and Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association leader Rahul Sonpimple.

The university had made it clear that there was no permission to hold any programme on the campus. However, defying the orders, a group of students gathered at 'Velivada' (Dalit ghetto) on the campus.

Holding pictures of Rohith and placards, they raised slogans demanding the arrest of Vice Chancellor P. Appa Rao and justice for Rohith.

Rohith Vemula, a PhD student, committed suicide by hanging himself in a hostel room on the campus in 2016 after alleged caste-based discrimination, triggering protests across India.

He resorted to the extreme step during a protest along with four other Dalit students over their suspension by the university following a clash with ABVP leader.

The Joint Action Committee is also seeking a legislation named after Rohith to curb caste-based discrimination on campuses.

About 250-300 students staging a demonstration to mark his death anniversary were detained when they blocked the crucial Janpath road in Connaught Place area of New Delhi.

Following a protest call from JNU Students' Union, around 1,000 students from the JNU, Delhi University, and the Jamia Milia Islamia, among other universities, took out a rally from Mandi House, intending to go to Ministry of Human Resource Department (MHRD), only to be faced with elaborate barricading at Janpath.

The police corralled the students at the red light near Janpath Metro Station and ferried them in three buses to Parliament Street Police Station.
Dimapur, Jan 17 : Following the arrest of one of its senior leaders by the Indian Army's Sikh Regiment, the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) on Tuesday questioned the government's seriousness over the ongoing Naga Framework Agreement.

The NSCN-IM -- which inked an agreement with the central government to end the six-decade-long conflict in 2015 -- also accused New Delhi of undermining the talks, especially when it is expecting a final solution.

"The NSCN--IM seriously takes note on the arrest of our senior leader Z.D. Bob, steering executive member, on the morning of January 16, 2017, when he was returning home along with his family members, including children and in-laws," said a statement issued by the NSCN-IM.

The NSCN-IM said that there is a need for the Indian Government to control its armed forces, make them behave and adhere to the agreed ceasefire ground rules.

Seeking the release of the arrested leader, the NSCN-IM said: "Long-awaited peaceful solutions should not be relegated to the back-burner due to such unmindful actions of Indian armed forces. Equally it is viewed as potential threat to peaceful environment between India and Nagas that in any eventuality the government should be held responsible for."
New Delhi, Jan 17 : Congress, making light of the BJP's demand seeking withdrawal of its 'hand' election symbol, said on Tuesday that the BJP will not gain anything by lodging "false complaints" and that "the hand was even capable of purifying the lotus mired in slush".

Congress also advised the central ruling party not to worry or be afraid but do more ha rdwork.

"This is nothing but nervousness of a losing BJP in Uttar Pradesh. As (Congress Vice President) Rahul Gandhi said, I would like to tell them "Don't be afraid," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

"The hand symbol can also purify the lotus mired in slush. It can not only give strength to people but also confidence to move forward.

"The fact that they are losing in UP miserably, that's why they are trying to make mountain out of a molehill," he added.

"Can they deny that symbol of 'Ashirwaad' is also done with hand? So we want to tell them not to worry, not to be afraid and they should do hardwork because their performance is already known to people," said Surjewala, noting that "such wrong complaints will not fetch them anything".

The BJP had lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh against Congress Vice President Gandhi and his party for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct by "co-relating the Congress election symbol with religious figures".

It had sought the withdrawal of the Congress' election symbol 'hand' as well as cancellation of its recognition as a national party.
New Delhi, Jan 18 : Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor on Tuesday launched his autobiography, titled "Khullam Khulla - Rishi Kapoor Uncensored", here in the presence of his wife Neetu Singh and daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni.

The event, which took place at The Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi, was attended by veteran actress Nafisa Ali, Rishi's son-in-law Bharat Sahni, comedian Papa CJ and Union Minister Babul Supriyo, who paid a tribute to the "Bobby" actor by singing his famous song "Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karenge".

In his autobiography, Rishi has revealed some of the unknown aspects of his life, right from his and his late father Raj Kapoor's affairs with co-stars to his belief on father-son relationships, and his passion for acting.

Rishi has co-authored the book with Meena Iyer.

"The most difficult part while writing this autobiography was to remain honest, and me and Meena had very verticals. So, we had to choose as we had to reflect on cinema, family, career etc. She assembled it all part by part and we took it forward. We took three and a half years to write this book," Rishi said at the launch, where he had a conversation with actor Suhel Seth.

Talking about his wife, Rishi said: "I guess she (Neetu) has lost weight. People normally tell me that you don't feed your wife. No, but I must tell you that Neetu and writer Meenu have coped up with a very impatient man."

"Neetu has been with me since last 37 years. Meena has been there since last three and a half years. I really marvel the way they have coped with it."

During the launch while sharing some insights about the book, Rishi revealed some of his past incidents right from when he had an awkward encounter with one of his past girlfriends, to sleeping drunk next to his father and his conversation with late filmmaker Manmohan Desai regarding 1977 film "Amar Akhbar and Anthony".
London, Jan 18 : British Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain was to leave the European Union's single market but would pursue ambitious new trade agreements.

During her eagerly-awaited Plan for Britain speech at Lancaster House in London on Tuesday, the Conservative leader outlined the government's 12-point program of goals they hoped to achieve during the negotiation period.

May said retaining Britain's access to the single market was not an option as it would not control immigration to Britain from Europe and end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, Efe news reported.

The British leader said, however, that the UK would "pursue a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement with the European Union."

May also said the final Brexit deal struck between the UK and EU would be submitted to a vote in both chambers of Parliament.

She called for the greatest possible access to the single market on a reciprocal basis that would afford British companies the maximum freedom to operate within Europe and let European companies do the same in the UK. But she also wanted to foment trade agreements, unfettered by EU oversight, with the rest of the world.

"I want us to be a truly Global Britain -- the best friend and neighbour to our European partners, but a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe too," May said.

Britain is to leave the EU Customs Union, the PM said, in order to set its own trade tariffs at the World Trade Organization.

She added that a new EU-Britain customs agreement should be drawn up.

The Conservative leader said Britain wanted to remain close to its European allies, but warned that punitive measures taken by the EU during the negotiation period would be "an act of calamitous self-harm."

"I am equally clear that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain," said the PM.

As well as striking up new trade agreements with the EU, May said the government would pursue greater cohesion between the four nations of Britain and guarantee free travel across Britain's only land border with the EU between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The PM vowed greater control over immigration from the EU to Britain but said the government sought to guarantee the rights of EU citizens in Britain, as well as British expats in Europe, as soon as possible.

May has said the government planned to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty -- the mechanism that invokes a two-year negotiation period for a nation ceding from the bloc -- by late March 2017.
Abuja, Jan 18 : A Nigerian air force jet on Tuesday mistakenly bombed a civilian camp in the northeastern state of Borno, which led to at least 50 persons being killed, media reports said.

MAdecins Sans FrontiAres (MSF) said its staff on the ground had seen at least 100 wounded and 50 dead following the bombing, while Nigerian state officials put the death toll higher, the Guardian reported.

Commander of army operations in Borno, Lucky Irabor said the incident occurred at Rann Internally Displaced People's camp in the state capital of Maiduguri, after an intelligence report was received that Boko Haram terrorists were regrouping there.

"I coordinated and I directed that the air component of the operation should go and address the problem. Unfortunately, the strike was conducted but it turned out that other civilians were somewhere around the area and they were affected," Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.

The military has already sent a helicopter to evacuate the wounded persons, while the Borno State government has also ordered free treatment of the victims in all government hospitals.

Terror group Boko Haram has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 2.3 million other since their insurgency started in 2009.

However, Nigeria has made a considerable gain on the Boko Haram front, with its security forces operating in the restive region dislodging the Boko Haram fighters from the Sambisa Forest, their last enclave in the country.

In a statement late Monday, the Nigerian military said it was intensifying aerial and ground patrol in the country's northeast, extending its offensive mission around the Green Belt Region near Niger and Chad.
Naples, Jan 18 : Police in southern Italy on Tuesday arrested 45 suspected members of Naples mafia drugs gangs who allegedly used women and children in their operations and whose clients included taxi drivers.

The bust targeted the Naples mafia or Camorra's Elia clan, and the suspects face charges of mafia association, drugs trafficking and pushing, extortion and possessing illegal weapons, police said.

The suspected gang members used women and children to make up the doses of cocaine and other drugs and deliver these to clients and pushers, investigators said.

The Elia clan earned up to 5,000 euros ($5,400) a day pushing drugs in northern Naples and has been fighting a turf war with the rival Amato-Pagano Camorra clan for control of the lucrative business, according to investigators.

Local taxi drivers were allegedly both clients and pushers of the drugs, a local Naples daily reported.

Clan bosses Ciro and Antonio Elia regularly dined free of charge at a well-known restaurant in Naples that was targeted by their extortion racket, the daily said.
The new Hampton Inn in Plant City progresses towards opening planned for March. The guest rooms are currently taking shape. The Florida hotel is located off I-4 and Thonotosassa Road exit. The exit is along the growth corridor between Tampa and Orlando and about 30,000 cars get off the hotels exit daily. Plant City is home to the iconic Florida Strawberry Festival.

The Hampton Inn has 89 guest rooms as well as a 500 square-foot meeting room, an outdoor pool, a 24-hour fitness center for guests and an in-house, coin-operated laundry facility. The hotel covers 49,900 square feet on 1.66 acres of land. All guests are also welcome to free Wi-Fi and complimentary breakfast.

Management will be seeking candidates for hotel staff soon. Naples Hotel Group, a leading hotel management and development company, has the contract is overseeing construction and management with owners Henderson Properties, LLC. As part of the contract Naples Hotel Group will manage all aspects of the opening and operations. The general contractor for the building is Pinkerton & Laws.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact Brittany Bou-Sliman at brittany(at)napleshotelgroup(dot)com or 239-206-4273.

About Naples Hotel Group

Naples Hotel Group is a hotel development and management company founded in 1999. NHG has achieved superior results and has a proven ability to enhance the performance of hotels using their experience, responsiveness and extensive resources. NHG, based in Naples and Orlando, prides itself on building long-term relationships with quality people and organizations. To learn more visit,

http://www.napleshotelgroup.com.
INNOVATE 2017 is shaping up to be one of our best conferences yet. Between our new hands-on training and our dynamic keynote speaker, you will not want to miss this conference, specifically designed for nonprofit finance professionals.

JMT Consulting Group announces that registration has formally opened for INNOVATE 2017. This two day educational training conference, taking place May 16-18 at the Mohegan Sun Casino Resort in Connecticut, is specifically tailored for nonprofit financial professionals. Attendees will be eligible for up to 12 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits.

This years keynote speaker is Vu Le, speaker and writer of the blog Nonprofit with Balls. Vu Le is also the Director of the Rainier Valley Corps, a leadership and capacity building organization focused on immigrant and refugee communities in Seattle's Rainier Valley. Vu will be bringing extensive expertise in the nonprofit world to INNOVATE, and will surely delight and engage attendees with his unique brand of humor.

The theme of this years INNOVATE conference is Waves of Change; Oceans of Opportunity. The two-day conference features:



Thought leadership sessions for C-level nonprofit finance professionals

Hands-on labs, demo stations, and software training for all attendees

Over 40 Abila MIP Fund Accounting and Intacct educational sessions

Session topics include but are not limited to: cost allocation, cloud financials, financial reporting and mastering both Abila MIP and Intacct, as well as HR and Performance Management subject matter. Demo stations, Computer labs, hands-on training and access to one-on-one sessions with JMT Consultants and JMT Management will also be available.

We are very pleased to be taking INNOVATE 2017 back to the Mohegan Sun, says Jacqueline Tiso, Chief Executive Officer of JMT Consulting, goes on to say, INNOVATE 2017 is shaping up to be one of our best conferences yet. Between our new hands-on training and our dynamic keynote speaker, you will not want to miss this conference, specifically designed for nonprofit finance professionals.

Whether you are just starting out in nonprofit accounting or are a senior leader of a nonprofit finance team, INNOVATE 2017 will be sure to meet your specific needs and provide invaluable networking experiences with your peers. It has been carefully constructed for attendees to walk away with a better understanding of the software they already use, first-hand exposure to the latest financial technology ant trends, and knowledge to build a sustainable future for their organization.

JMT Consulting, celebrating its 26th year in business, started INNOVATE in 2005 as a way to train and network with other nonprofit finance professionals. It has grown to become one of the most comprehensive conferences for financial management in the nonprofit industry. INNOVATE is an all-in-one opportunity to get formal training, learn best practices, and network with other users at an affordable rate.

To register or learn more about INNOVATE, go to http://www.jmtconsulting.com/innovate-2017.
EyeforTravel Europe, one of the longest running European conferences for digital & data travel executives, today announced that Glenn Fogel, the newly appointed CEO of Priceline group will be opening the keynotes at EyeforTravels European flagship conference 2017 in London (UK) on May 3-4. Priceline is one of the worlds leading providers of online travel & related services, operating 224 countries(1).

In addition to the keynote opening by Glenn Fogel, EyeforTravel Europe will include an all-star line-up of keynote sessions that include:

Keynote Panel: Who is Best Placed to Own the Customer?

Simon Breakwell, COO of Trove (Founder & President of Expedia International) along with Chris Bayley, CIO of TUI group will discuss the evolving role of major online players like Expedia or TripAdvisor and how much they depend on Google as well as Googles goals in the travel industry.

Keynote presentation: Produce a Digital Experience that Enhances your Physical Travel Product

The industry wants to inspire loyalty, drive revenues up and reduce costs. What can your digital product do for your business? Roland Schutz, CIO of Deutsche Lufthansa, Guy Stephenson, CCO of Gatwick Airport, Chris Bayley, CIO of TUI Group

Keynote presentation: Bridge Technology with the Human Touch to Inspire Direct Bookings

How do you build a digital brand with a human touch? The CEO and MD of Momondo, a pioneer of online travel in the UK discuss how they expanded into new markets.

EyeforTravel Europe has been the meeting place for European travel since we founded the event in 1997. For our 20th anniversary, were leaving no stone unturned said Tim Gunstone, Managing Director of EyeforTravel Ltd. The travel industry is going through major disruption and innovation, and our keynotes this year reflect that. Not only do we bring together some of the brightest minds in travel, we design our events to be an informal setting where you can actually start conversations, make deals and get your questions answered.

The 20th EyeforTravel Europe Summit features a number of networking coffee and lunch breaks as well as a special Jack the Ripper Pub Crawl to create an informal setting where you will get business done.

Additional experts speaking at EyeforTravel Europe include:



Rod Cuthbert CEO, Rome2rio; Founder & Former Chairman & CEO, Viator

Arnaud Masson, Chief Operating Officer, Voyages-SNCF.com

Fernando Vives, CCO, NH Hotels Group

Jouni Oksanen, SVP eCommerce, Sales and Marketing, Airbaltic

Genevieve Materne, Director of Distribution Strategy, Starwood

Lennert De Jong, CCO, Citizen M Hotels

Jeremy Ellis Marketing and Customer Experience Director, TUI Group

Susanna Mander, VP Marketing and Brand Development, Melia Hotels

Michael Mrini, Director of Information Technology, Edwardian Hotels

Gumundur Gunason Director, Icelandair Digital Labs

Stephen Glenfield, Head of Digital, Heathrow Airport

Jose Murta, Global Head of Hospitality, Trivago

Richard Singer, President, Travelzoo

Breffni Horgan, Head of Product and Design, Hostelworld

Christel Schoger, Analytical Consultant, Google

Amir Segall, VP International, Hoteltonight

Tim Hentschel, CEO, Hotelplanner

More information about EyeforTravel

Launched in 1997, EyeforTravel is an established hub for senior-level travel, transport and hospitality executives to share ideas and stay abreast of technology, marketing, pricing and retail trends that are being driven by rapidly shifting consumer behaviour. By providing our community with commentary, events, reports and other indispensable expert-driven content, we aim to facilitate intelligent dialogue and debate.

For More Information:

Nikhil Vijayan

nikhil(at)eyefortravel(dot)com

+44 (0) 207 375 7165

(1) http://www.pricelinegroup.com/about/














11-05 05:18
Yasuhide Watanabe

Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce that Yasuhide Watanabe, a highly regarded mergers & acquisitions lawyer admitted in New York, California and Japan (bengoshi), has joined the firms Corporate Group in New York. Mr. Watanabe comes to Morrison & Foerster from Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, one of Japans largest law firms, where he was most recently the managing partner of its New York office.

Yasuhide will play a key role in growing the firms already strong capability in representing Japanese companies doing transactions around the world, said Thomas Knox, global co-chair of Morrison & Foersters Corporate Department. His extensive transactional and business experience with Japanese companies doing deals in the United States will enhance our worldwide representation of major Japanese clients.

Ken Siegel, managing partner of Morrison & Foersters Tokyo office and the head of that offices 50 attorney M&A team, added: Weve worked both with and across the table from Yasuhide for many years and know him to be an outstanding M&A lawyer. We are pleased to welcome such an acclaimed bengoshi to the firm.

Mr. Watanabe brings more than 30 years of experience with Japanese corporate clients and other clients in the United States and internationally as part of a corporate practice focused on M&A, international joint ventures and business alliances, antitrust, trade regulations, and dispute resolutions including arbitration and mediation.

Part of what drew me to Morrison & Foerster is its strong global platform, said Mr. Watanabe. I was also attracted by the firms clear commitment to further building in the Japan market, as well as its outstanding Japan- and U.S.-law capabilities. These will be extremely important for my practice and clients.

Mr. Watanabe is ranked by Chambers & Partners 2016 Global Edition in the Japan Corporate/M&A category and also is recognized by Chambers 2016 as a Foreign Law Expert Based in the USA, the only bengoshi in the United States so honored. He earned his LL.B. from the University of Tokyo and his LL.M. from Columbia Law School.

Morrison & Foerster is the leading international law firm in Japan, with more than 120 attorneys in Tokyo. Morrison & Foerster has been named Japan International Law Firm of the Year by Chambers Asia Pacific for the last four years and was recognized by Chambers Asia Pacific 2016 in more top-tier practice rankings and more top-tier leading individuals than any other international firm in Japan  including a Band 1 ranking for Corporate/M&A. The firms U.S. offices represent many of Japans largest corporations in U.S. and global transactions including M&A, joint ventures, and strategic investments.

ABOUT MOFO

We are Morrison & Foerster  a global firm of exceptional credentials. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, investment banks, Fortune 100, and technology and life sciences companies in the world. The Financial Times has named the firm to its lists of most innovative law firms in Northern America and Asia every year that it has published its Innovative Lawyers Reports in those regions. In the past few years, Chambers USA has honored MoFos Bankruptcy and IP teams with Firm of the Year awards, the Corporate/M&A team with a client service award, and the firm as a whole as Global USA Firm of the Year. Our lawyers are committed to achieving innovative and business-minded results for our clients, while preserving the differences that make us stronger.
Data for a Smarter Mobile World zeotaps focus on bringing the best data assets together in one single platform is a unique opportunity for data owners and buyers alike.

zeotap today announced its Series B funding round of 12 million euros. The new investment reflects both zeotaps achievements in telecom data onboarding for advertising targeting and measurement, and its potential to grow into the single platform that aggregates deterministic data across industries.

Data is increasingly the cornerstone of the mobile advertising market that accounted for more than 50% of the $200 billion in digital ad investment in 2016 (eMarketer). It determines the efficiency of any buying or selling decision in the programmatic advertising ecosystem, which represents the majority of the advertising market in the US and is growing quickly around the world. However, the paucity of large-scale, high-quality data sources to continues to beleaguer the industry.

At its inception in September 2014, zeotap aimed to solve this problem by creating a global platform to effectively integrate deterministic data from different telecom operators. Leveraging these telecom assets as a nucleus, zeotap has proven the efficacy and value of its data by achieving up to four times the average data price in the market. Simultaneously, Mozeo, zeotaps Indian joint venture established a few months ago with local partner Mogae Media, has seen strong progress. With Mozeo, were providing a unique solution that promises to comprehensively improve how advertising is bought and sold in India today, said Sandeep Goyal, chairman of Mogae Media and industry veteran.

zeotap has recently broadened its ambitions to other deterministic data sources that diversify its data graph while still adhering to the same quality standards. In just the last six months, the company has signed several partners including a globally exclusive contract with a leading security company as well as a top navigation services provider. For data buyers, the platform becomes even more attractive with a variety of impactful data attributes, including socio-demographic, location, interest and even deterministic mobile purchase intent signals, available from a single trusted source. Consequently, zeotap has earned several distinctions for its solution, including the i-Com Global Mobile Award 2016 and a Special Corporate Award by FMCG giant Unilever.

One of the key reasons large enterprises choose zeotap is its focus on data security and privacy. zeotap is unique in affording data owners complete control and preventing buyers from storing data against persistent identifiers. This solves one of the fundamental problems of the mobile data business, where datasets are still traded loosely and leakage is rampant. zeotap has simultaneously maintained its strict adherence to data de-identification (via methods such as surrogacy, clustering and redaction, among others) to ensure consumer safety. It has already been certified for the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that comes into effect in May 2018. Our unrelenting focus on Privacy by Design principles in systems engineering is one of our most formidable assets, said Projjol Banerjea, co-founder and Chief Product Officer, who earned the Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT) qualification from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) last year.

These developments have led to the latest funding round in which New Science Ventures (NSV), a New York based venture fund with $500m under management, and HERE, a leading global provider of mapping and location-based services backed by German automotive companies Audi, BMW and Daimler, join existing investors Capnamic Ventures and Iris Capital (backed by Publicis and Orange Telecom), who also contributed to the new round. zeotap has also attracted several strategic business angels, including Seth Schuler (former SVP Strategy of T-Mobile US), Alex Pentland (Professor at MIT, co-creator of the MIT Media Lab and one of the most cited authors in computer science globally), Mark Grether (co-founder and former COO of Xaxis, the worlds biggest trading desk which is part of GroupM/WPP) and Thomas Duhr (board member of IAB Europe). The new round brings zeotap's total funding to over $20 million.

zeotaps focus on bringing the best data assets together in one single platform is a unique opportunity for data owners and buyers alike. We are effectively escaping a world where companies have to manage the complex integration of a multitude of sources before they can draw any real value from data, said Somu Subramaniam, Managing Partner of New Science Ventures.

I am impressed with the data ecosystem zeotap has built in such a short period. Their speed of delivery is exciting and their solution comes at a time when many data owners are looking for the right partner, added Edzard Overbeek, CEO of HERE.

We are happy we could show that we set the right priorities with our privacy-centric platform-based approach. We work hard every day to make a world with data-driven decision making as simple and safe as possible, and it is a very rewarding journey, said Daniel Heer, co-founder and CEO of zeotap.

With the new investment, zeotap is looking to grow its team in the areas of engineering and data science in Bangalore as well as data onboarding, data monetization and marketing in Berlin, New York, Madrid and Milan.
"The goal of the mentoring program is to not only give the students tools, but more importantly, the attitude and behaviors needed to build a rewarding and productive career."

MalikCo CEO Stephynie Malik announced MalikCo will pilot an innovative public school mentoring partnership during the 2017/2018 school year. We are always looking for opportunities to support public education, and strengthen local communities, Malik said. We are excited to have the opportunity to partner with several local schools in Little Rock Arkansas to assist in preparing high school graduates for the world of full time employment and career success.

The program will help each student build and develop their career in the form of their own startup company and provide them with tools, information resources, and support, encouraging them to complete high school and focus on building personal and professional skills. Basic business practices such as planning, branding, marketing, finance, and metrics will be key behaviors that are taught and linked to each individuals career objective. Each school is a participant in the Jobs For Americas Graduates program, whose mission is helping resolve our country's dropout and transition problems by expanding state organizations and local programs that help young people greatest at risk overcome barriers to graduation from high school and become college and career ready! Research shows that partnerships between businesses and schools that that provide onsite support over multiple sessions and align with their curriculum are critical to success, Malik added. Each school is a unique community with their own needs, opportunities, and barriers to success. So the initial focus will be on developing content to support the various JAG teachers in their specific buildings.

While the initial focus of the pilot program are high school juniors and seniors, designing and delivering content to expand JAGs middle school curriculum in the state may also be a part of the pilot program. One of my favorite quotes is Oprah Winfreys The ship that youre waiting for to come in may very one be the one you need to build, said Malik. Personal responsibility and accountability are essential for success in any field and the goal of the mentoring program is to not only give the students tools, but more importantly, the attitude and behaviors needed to build a rewarding and productive career.

About MalikCo

MalikCo LLC is a global leader in Consulting Services, Innovation within Emerging Markets and Outsourcing Solutions. MalikCo has delivered 21 years of award winning performance, recognizing enterprise goals through efficient delivery of quality resources, a clear understanding of industry specific needs, and the agile use of a deep knowledge base to support businesses worldwide. MalikCo's earned reputation for meeting the most complex business needs, sets us apart as the go-to partner for Fortune 500 companies, mid-size corporations and government agencies across the globe. Visit http://www.malikco.com to learn how MalikCos dynamic team of experts can take your business to the next level.

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John Thompson was only a boy when a car stuck him, leaving him a quadriplegic. Despite the paralysis of both arms and legs, Thompson used his personal setbacks as motivation to drive forward and create a fulfilling life for himself. He now looks to inspire others to do the same with his book No Backing Down.

Based on true events, No Backing Down chronicles Thompsons journey from youth to adulthood with C-4 quadriplegia. He shares raw details about the car crash that left him paralyzed, as well as his intense medical journey.

Guided by his faith and embolden by his struggles, Thompson refuses to let lifes ill-fated circumstances stop him from achieving happiness. He returns to school where he earns a degree in psychology, using his new education to become a family counselor.

Too often Ive watched as disabled people get put into a facility and deprived of life, Strong said. Despites years of setbacks and unimaginable challenges, I was able to build a life for myself because I refused to let anything or anyone hold me back. I want to foster the same kind of motivation in others with No Backing Down.

His story is one of redemption and perseverance, demonstrating how undesirable circumstances do not determine ones future.

No Backing Down

By John Thompson

ISBN: 9781496904676 (hardcover) 9781496904683 (softcover) 9781496904669 (e-book)

Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and AuthorHouse

About the author

John Thompson works as a family counselor out of Olympia, Washington. He attended University of Phoenix and received his degree in psychology. A C-4 quadriplegic since childhood, Thompson challenges societys view on the capabilities of the disabled and inspires others to push their limitations as well.

###

Review Copies & Interview Requests:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Jacquelyn Brazzale

480 998 2600 x 569

jbrazzale@lavidge.com

General Inquiries:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Satara Williams

480-998-2600 x 586

swilliams@lavdige.com
This, coupled with the sizable depth, reach and precision of our data, has allowed us to partner more closely with Horizon Media to help their clients reach their desired audiences more effectively while pushing the boundaries of innovation.

Horizon Media, the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world, is pleased to announce that its programmatic buying operation, HX, has selected Adbrain, a global provider of intelligent cross-device technology solutions, as its primary cross-device partner. The partnership allows HX to use cross-device ID mapping in any programmatic platform across Horizons network. This partnership is the result of a series of successful client beta tests utilizing Adbrains data in 2016.

With HX, we provide complete clarity into the market and across all pricing and campaign activity, while also driving quick delivery of programmatics best offerings for clients, said Adam Heimlich, SVP, Managing Director, Programmatic, HX. Intelligent technologies continue to rapidly advance, and HXs agile approach allows us to easily integrate best-in-breed programmatic solutions such as Adbrains cross-device technology to deliver efficiencies and further improve ROI for our clients.

The Adbrain Identity Platform uses patented algorithms to accurately predict device identifiers of anonymous individual consumers. The technology allows Horizons clients to anonymously recognize consumers across all the devices they use and approach the right consumers with a personalized and consistent story.

Most, if not all consumers are choosing to use multiple devices, making it challenging for our clients to identify and interact with their consumers intelligently and efficiently," said Trevor Mengel, HXs Director of Product. We had great results during our cross-device campaign testing period with Adbrain, resulting in further optimized programmatic plans and a better ROI for our clients.

Adbrain is the only cross-device data partner to focus exclusively on data sales. This razor-sharp focus has made its data over 95% accurate when measured by a 3rd party. Adbrain also has one of the largest reaches in the U.S., with 80% of smartphones matched to other devices.

"Adbrain benefits from a unique position in the market, thanks to our media-agnostic, tech-focused approach, said Gareth Davies, CEO, Adbrain. This, coupled with the sizable depth, reach and precision of our data, has allowed us to partner more closely with Horizon Media to help their clients reach their desired audiences more effectively while pushing the boundaries of innovation.

Led by Horizons Adam Heimlich, SVP, Managing Director, Programmatic, HX, is the only fully transparent trading desk within an agency. Built on the tenets of transparency and trust, HX reduces the cost structure and generates significantly increased value for the agencys clients by delivering more working dollars to active media. Most recently, HX partnered with independent programmatic intelligence company Ad/Fin to become the first programmatic trading desk to embrace independent, third-party verification of its programmatic transactions at the impression level, generating more efficient targeting and ROI.

About Horizon Media

Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York and has a second full service office in Los Angeles. Horizon Media was chosen as 2011 Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost, 2010 U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, Brandweek, and Mediaweek as well as by Ad Age and as one of the worlds ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company in 2011. In 2012, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder, was honored by Advertising Age as Industry Executive of the Year. Most recently, in 2014, Bill Koenigsberg was named 4As Chair of the Board and is the first person from a media agency to hold this prestigious position in the 100-year history of the 4As, the marketing industrys leading trade association.

The companys mission is To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere. By delivering on this mission through a holistic approach to brand marketing, Horizon Media has become one of the largest and fastest-growing media agencies in the industry, with estimated billings of over $6.5 billion and over 1,500 employees.

For more information, please visit horizonmedia.com.

About Adbrain

Adbrain is a global provider of intelligent cross-device technology, which powers the smartest advertisers, agencies and technology vendors alike. Consumers are seamlessly moving across devices throughout the day, and this behavior makes it difficult to identify and reach the right people. Adbrain makes sense of this multi-screen world by allowing marketers to understand who their audiences are, enabling both precise and innovative cross-device applications from media buying to analytics and attribution. Adbrain is a high-growth enterprise technology company with offices across the US and Europe, backed by leading institutional investors including Cisco, Kreos Capital, Octopus Ventures and Notion Capital.
Amy Bradshaw

Today mySidewalk announced that Amy Bradshaw has joined the mySidewalk team as the vice president of finance. Previously the vice president of finance for Netsmart Technologies, a behavioral health EHR and human services software company, Bradshaw will work closely with mySidewalks senior leadership and board of directors. She will be responsible for analyzing potential sales and customer opportunities, structuring monthly company reporting, managing the companys budget and forecasting sales growth.

We are thrilled to welcome Amy as part of our team, said Stephen Hardy, mySidewalks CEO. The team here is pretty fast-paced, and Amy is a great fit for this sort of environment. Shes already hit the ground running and will improve our ability to serve our customers.

Though Bradshaw was hired on for a finance position, she juggles various interests, skillsets and educational backgrounds: she holds a BS in manufacturing engineering, a BS in accounting and an MBA in general business. Besides accounting positions, Bradshaw has worn many hats during her career, including consulting and communications roles. Her broad expertise will be an asset to the team at mySidewalk.

About mySidewalk

Based in Kansas City and partnered with 180 organizations across the country, mySidewalk is a data tool for people who want to understand places. With mySidewalk, its easy for anyone to use data to make better, more confident decisions. In 2016, mySidewalk participated in The Opportunity Project, a White House initiative designed to put data and digital tools into the hands of families, communities and local leaders. mySidewalk also recently partnered with the EPA to produce a webinar on how communities can use data to become more sustainable. To learn more, visit mySidewalk.com.
PPA is excited to bring the Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) credential to NYIP students and alumni through this exclusive partnership

The New York Institute of Photography (NYIP) has partnered with the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) to offer their students and graduates a widely recognized industry certification. The CPP (Certified Professional Photographer) designation is the official credential for photographers that want to set themselves apart within the highly competitive creative industry.

The Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) program from PPA assures potential clients of a photographers knowledge, experience and continuance to develop new skills and techniques. It is a declaration of professional competence and ability. Through this exclusive partnership, photographers who study with NYIP can qualify to take the CPP exam and earn their certification.

Photographers who earn their CPP credential do so for three primary reasons. First, it gives them an edge in advertising their services, as certification promotes trust in the minds of clients and consumers. Second, it is a way to justify the price of services offered by the worlds top photographers. Finally, the peer validation step that is required to earn the certification signals to the photography world that you truly care about your craft.

PPA is excited to bring the Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) credential to NYIP students and alumni through this exclusive partnership, says Julia Boyd, CAE, Director of Certification at PPA. As the world's largest non-profit photography association PPAs mission of creating a vibrant community of successful professional photographers by providing education, resources and industry standards of excellence is in sync with NYIPs values and goals. We are eager to spread the power of Certification as both organizations continue to raise the bar in the photographic industry.

The CPP program can be added to any of NYIPs online photography classes at the time of enrollment for $473. This cost is $50 less than the price typically offered by PPA and includes one year of PPA membership. Students and graduates already enrolled in NYIP courses may purchase CPP directly for the same price.

After purchasing, the path to certification is a simple, 3-step process. First, students will declare their candidacy to PPA. Second, they will study for and pass the CPP exam. Finally, they will submit a set of images for official review. Once said images are approved, the photographer will have earned their CPP designation.

For more information or to get started on your path to photography certification, you may visit http://www.nyip.edu/courses/cpp-photography-certification.

About the New York Institute of Photography

The New York Institute of Photography offers ten great online photography courses. Founded in 1910, NYIP is the largest and longest running photography school in the world, having successfully trained thousands of photographers for more than 100 years. Located in the heart of the art capital of the world, New York City, NYIP brings high quality photography education straight to its students doors. NYIP currently offers ten online photography courses in areas such as portraits, weddings, travel, nature, photojournalism, video making and Photoshop. NYIP is owned and operated by Distance Education Co., LLC, which also operates the New York Institute of Art and Design, the premier home-study school for creative professionals.

About Professional Photographers of America (PPA)

Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is the world's largest non-profit photography association organized for professional photographers, by professional photographers and with more than 29,000 creative members in more than 50 countries. Our mission is to create a vibrant community of successful professional photographers by providing education, resources and industry standards of excellence.
Yuko Nishio

Founder of prestigious NNNY Skincare, and founding esthetician of Tokyo-based Nature Sage Salon, Yuko Nishio will be arriving in Los Angeles for the annual Indie Beauty Expo in January 2017. Nishio will attend the event to demonstrate her unique Japanese facials using NNNY products which are highly coveted by A-list celebrities and models in Tokyo who demand only the best in skin care and health.

Reserved for industry professionals, the press will be able to meet Nishio in person (and experience her facials) as she makes a very special and exclusive appearance at the IBE on Thursday, January 19th, between 10am and 5pm.

IBE 2017 - TRADE INDIE

California Market Center

110 East Ninth Street

Penthouse 13C

Los Angeles, CA, 90079

To attend please go to: http://indiebeautyexpo.com/attend/

ABOUT IBE 2017

Founded by celebrity esthetician, Jillian Wright, and entrepreneur, Nader Naeymi-Rad, the Indie Beauty Expo was established to help the fast-growing category of Indie Brands to connect with buyers, the press and consumers.

This is the second year in Los Angeles with over 100 brands attending. Some are returning brands and some are new, but all hold a common thread. They are all run by entrepreneurs who see a different path for beauty; one that is more mindful, more sustainable and better for all in the long run.

IBE 2017 Los Angeles will run from January 17th - 19th 2017, with the 19th open specifically for industry professionals and the press at the California Market Center.

For more information on IBE 2017 please visit http://www.indiebeautyexpo.com

ABOUT NNNY SKIN CARE

Founded by top Japanese esthetician, Yuko Nishio, NNNY Skin Care is at the forefront of Nano-Natural Anti-Aging Skin Treatment technology. Originally sold exclusively in Nishios Nature Sage Salon, the exclusive line is now available in the United States. NNNY Skin Care has been featured on Hollywoods red carpet events including the Annual Golden Globe Awards and the Critics Choice Movie Awards. All NNNY Skin Care products are fragrance free, colorant free and paraben free.

ABOUT YUKO NISHIO

Yuko Nishio is the NNNY Skin Care founder and celebrity esthetician to her own prestigious Tokyo-based Nature Sage Salon. She is the mastermind behind the glow of numerous A-list celebrities, models, and women in Japan who demand only the highest standards in skin care and health. A naturally charismatic woman of grace and humility, Nishio applies great consideration and care to everything she sets her mind to.

As once the CEO of a successful Japanese modeling agency, Nishio traveled extensively and found that her skin became extremely dehydrated. At the age of just 27, she was shocked at the signs of aging that had appeared on her face. She tried many expensive products but found that they were either heavily fragranced or filled with synthetic ingredients and did not perform well. In search for a solution, Nishio began to research botanical medicine and the effects that plants have on the body, both internally and externally.

Nishio came to the United States to do research at the Phyto-Aromatherapy Institute in Philadelphia where she learned how certain plant extracts and essential oils profoundly repaired damaged skin, as well as help prevent many of the visible signs of aging. Through extensive research, and certification as an instructor at the institute, Nishio gained first-hand knowledge of how botanicals protect and renew the skin.

In 1995, Yuko Nishio opened Nature Sage Aromatherapy Salon in Tokyo, a very exclusive spa where she would only take 2 clients a day on a referral basis and where its location is hidden from the public. In 2004, she launched NNNY Skin Care products, with proprietary Nano-Natural Technology, created from her 20 years of botanical and skin care research. The line was initially created exclusively for her spa clientele, but today, her products are known world-wide to A-List celebrities, royal family members, and makeup artists who care deeply about healthy radiant skin.

When asked about her mission in life, Yuko Nishio says, I would like to give as many women as possible the gift of beauty and health, at any age. Today Yuko Nishio is pleased to be fulfilling that purpose.

For more information please visit nnnyskincare.com

For questions please email info(at)nnnyskincar(dot).com
Dr. Benjamin Sintay, the chief physicist for Cone Healths radiation oncology departments, will be they day one keynote during the 2017 Carolina Games Summit with his presentation titled: Using Games to Cure Cancer. The presentation will take place February 4th at 12:30pm in the Paramount Theater downtown Goldsboro, NC.

The skills utilized in simulation and games are being used to cure a multitude of diseases both in research and practical applications, Johnna Koonce Executive Producer of Carolina Games Summit states, this talk will give our attendees a broader knowledge of the impact simulation and game design can have on all our lives.

Dr. Sintay will speak about the sophisticated, high-stakes process used to design radiation treatments for nearly 1 out of every 6 Americans in their lifetime. Members of the audience will get a behind-the-scenes look at everything from generating a high-energy beam of radiation, to the supercomputer systems calculating the best treatment options in a game of skill that changes lives.

Tickets are available to the public and may be purchased online or at the door. Visit the official web site, http://www.carolinagamessummit.com, for a full listing of all the speakers, exhibitors, and additional details. Contact the event organizers at info(at)carolinagamessummit.com for more information on attending, exhibiting or speaking at the Carolina Games Summit.

About Dr. Benjamin Sintay

Dr. Benjamin BJ Sintay is the chief physicist for Cone Healths radiation oncology departments overseeing the treatment of cancer with radiation. Dr. Sintay received Bachelor of Science degrees in electrical and computer engineering from North Carolina State University in 2004. He received a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Wake Forest University in 2008. Dr. Sintay is board certified in Therapeutic Medical Physics by the American Board of Radiology, and has been with Cone Health since 2009. Dr. Sintay is currently president-elect of the Southeast Chapter of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. His interests include image-guided radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, image processing, computer programming and automation.

About Carolina Games Summit

Carolina Games Summit will be held Saturday, February 4, 10AM  8:30PM and Sunday, February 5, 2017 10AM - 6:00PM in downtown Goldsboro, NC. This hybrid event will once again delivers industry speakers, video game tournaments, concerts, exhibition booths, cosplay, educational sessions, and trading card games. Attendees will be able to compete against gamers from all over the country in a variety of popular tournaments. Enjoy all your favorite platforms including arcade, computer, and console games with both tournament and free-play options available. Additional information can be found on the official web site: http://www.CarolinaGamesSummit.com
Outcry: Holocaust Memoirs Triumphant  a humbling experience

Steinbergs powerful story of the suffering and survival of a young man and his brother in the death camps has been downloaded more than 140,000 times.

According to the Talmud, The righteous are greater in death than in life.

A year after his death on December 21, 2015, Manny Steinbergs Outcry  Holocaust Memoirs is the Number One Kindle book on Amazons best-seller list. Two years after its release, Steinbergs powerful story of the suffering and survival of a young man and his brother in the death camps has been downloaded more than 140,000 times.

To meet rising international interest, Dutch-based Amsterdam Publishers plan on foreign-language editions that will include Spanish and German. The book is already published in book and electronic formats in several languages.

Thousands of readers have expressed how they have reacted to Steinbergs powerfully direct, matter-of-fact retelling of events that still seem beyond human imagining. Readers on Amazon, where over one thousand readers have given Outcry  Holocaust Memoirs a near-unanimous five-star rating, call it a tale of triumph of the human spirit over evil," triumphant  a humbling experience, I read it in a few hours. I couldnt put it down.

More than an autobiography, Outcry is the cri de coeur of both the terrified young boy trying to make sense of the unfathomable, and of the much older man still asking the same questions.

The manuscript of Outcry  Holocaust Memoirs is nearly as remarkable as the story it tells. After the war, Steinberg built a new life in Los Angeles. But he couldnt escape the memories that continued to haunt him. Written in his 40s, the manuscript was set aside for several more years after a mishandled first edition was met with indifference. Finally, in 2014, with the reprint and audio edition, Steinbergs work shot to the top tier of Amazons listings, where it has remained ever since.

A year later, at the age of 90, Steinberg accepted an invitation to revisit two of the concentration camps, Vaihingen an der Enz and Dachau, where he was interred during the war. Only a few months later, Steinberg died. "Some Holocaust survivors are never released from a lifetime of pain until death frees them," says Gary Steinberg. "My father was able to die in peace, secure in the knowledge that he had at last been able to tell the world his extraordinary story."

Holocaust survivor, author and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel once said, For us, forgetting was never an option. Steinberg could never forget, and even after death the literary legacy of his memory continues to attract new readers.

Get the Kindle Version.

About the Formats: Outcry: Holocaust Memoirs, by Manny Steinberg is available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle eBook (179 pp) in English, French, Chinese, Czech and German (Spanish forthcoming) and audio (English only). ISBN: 978-9082103137

About the Publisher: Amsterdam Publishers is owned by Liesbeth Heenk, Willem de Zwijgerlaan 14, 2341 EJ Oegstgeest, The Netherlands tel. +1 31 6 51858260; info(at)amsterdampublishers(dot)com

Publicity Contacts: All requests, email Gary Steinberg at gary_steinberg(at)mac(dot)com
A week after opening its 2017 session the Iowa House finally has some bills to work on.

No bills were introduced during the first week of the session, but Tuesday 22 bills and a pair of resolutions were read in and now eligible for consideration. Senators, on the other hands, have filed 97 bills since Jan. 9.

Other years weve read them in sooner, House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said, chalked up the change to the pomp and circumstances of the opening week and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Monday.

Upmeyer also said shes been trying to focus lawmakers attention on the Legislatures first order of business: Cutting the current year budget by about $118 million.

I think now were ready to start looking at other things, she said Tuesday afternoon.

Among the bills read in Tuesday were several proposals majority Republicans say are part of their smaller and smarter government agenda. They include proposals for school vouchers, eliminating a variety of business- and occupational-related regulations, removing a requirement that taxpayers indicate on their tax returns whether they have health care coverage for their dependent children, exempting Iowans from required vaccinations based upon personal conviction, and calling for the future repeal of the individual income tax checkoff and the Iowa election campaign fund.

Also introduced was a resolution designating the regal fritillary as the state butterfly as the perfect symbol to represent the prairie heritage of Iowa.

The budget adjustments are necessary due to reductions in projected tax collection growth brought on my sluggish farm prices and other economic factors.

Branstad proposed adjustments of $25 million at regent institutions, $20 million for the Department of Human Services, $15 million for prisons and community corrections, $8.7 million for community colleges, $7.7 million for the courts, $5.5 million for the Department of Education and $3.8 million for public safety.

Republicans in the House and Senate have said they are looking at alternatives to the cuts GOP Gov. Terry Branstad proposed in his Condition of the State address Jan. 10. They have an agreement in principle, Upmeyer said.

You know there are always details we want to make sure we can work out, but at some point we also need to move forward, Upmeyer said. We have much work to do this session and we cant be waiting on this bill forever. We need to get moving.

However, the legislative process moves slowly.

The way the paper moves, we certainly cant have it to the floor this week, but we can start moving it through the process this week, she said.
OrthoSpace Enrollment of 184 patients at 19 North American sites is on track to be completed by the end of 2017, demonstrating a brisk pace of patient accrual and ongoing momentum for this technology as the Company prepares its FDA marketing submission.

OrthoSpace Ltd. (OrthoSpace or the Company) announced today that it has surpassed the midway point for patient enrollment in its U.S. Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) pivotal study of the InSpace biodegradable balloon system for the treatment of massive rotator cuff tears. Enrollment of 184 patients at 19 North American sites is on track to be completed by the end of 2017, demonstrating a brisk pace of patient accrual and ongoing momentum for this technology as the Company prepares its FDA marketing submission.

Patient interest in the InSpace device for massive rotator cuff repair is accelerating, and our investigator teams, who recognize the potential value of this device, remain committed to meeting enrollment targets and the continued collection of high-quality data, commented Nikhil N. Verma, M.D., of Rush University Medical Center and the Principal Investigator for the study. The treatment of massive, irreparable rotator cuff tears remains a challenge for physicians and patients, and we are optimistic that, upon marketing approval by the FDA, the InSpace device will provide a valuable, simple and safe option for pain relief in this patient population.

The study is a randomized, single-blinded, controlled study that compares the InSpace System to conventional repair or partial repair of full-thickness massive rotator cuff tears. Patients will be followed for adverse events and other safety measures. The studys primary efficacy outcome is the change in the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC), which assesses patient-reported quality-of-life metrics, at 12 months post-operatively when compared to baseline. Secondary outcomes measures include changes in American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores, changes in Constant shoulder outcome scores and changes in Quality of Life (as measured by the EuroQOL [EQ-5D-5L] five dimensions questionnaire) at up to two years of follow-up.

InSpace is currently commercially available outside of the United States and has been implanted in over 10,000 patients in 15 countries. Details for the U.S. pivotal study, including participating institutions and complete eligibility requirements, are available at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT02493660.

About OrthoSpace Ltd.

OrthoSpace is a privately held medical device company located in Caesarea, Israel. The Company's product, InSpace, is an orthopedic biodegradable balloon system that is simple, safe and a minimally invasive method that addresses unmet clinical needs in rotator cuff repair. InSpace is CE Marked and commercialized in Europe and Israel and has been granted an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) to initiate a pivotal human clinical study of the InSpace System in the United States.
Performing Artists and Healing Arts Presenters for Upcoming Retreat "We chose to go to the sacred lands of Peru as Ambassadors of Goodwill and as a symbolic christening of this partnership, hoping to convey that this event is about more than just a Spiritual Journey & Retreat. It is really a sacred call to mankind..."

The Sacretherapy Institute's UR2.Global Project - a psycho-spiritual arts project to uplift the self-esteem of humanity and Gandhi's BE Magazine - an organization dedicated to spreading Mahatma Gandhi's legacy to "be the change you want to see in the world" have formed a partnership alliance to spread the message globally that "When Inner-Peace Is Accomplished World Peace Is Achieved!" This first annual event by the two not-for-profit organizations will be held in Machu Picchu, Peru which is one of the seven wonders of the world this July 9 - 15, 2017, with pre-retreat teasers starting this week. The spiritual journey also include tours to Sacred Valley and Cusco's most popular Inca sites and ruins.

The event features award winning musicians and best-selling holistic authors such as: UR2.Global's Honorary Artist Premik Russell Tubbs - multi-instrumentalist, and artists-in-residence: Kristin Hoffmann and Dr. K's Music Therapy who have also been honored as Gandhi's BE Magazine's "Artists for Peace." Authors from the United States, Puerto Rico and France, such as Dr. Andrea Pennington - author of How To Liberate & Love Your Authentic Self, Dr. Ivan Figueroa - an award winning author of Spirituality 101 and former Holistic Physician of the Year, Dr. Edwige Bingue - author of You're Not Crazy - You're Awakening, and Dr. Antoine Chevalier, Ph.D., MPP, HK - a White House Staff member and author of the new release: Hidden Powers of Creation, Dr. Amelia Kemp, Ph.D., LMHC - author of From Psychotherapy to Sacretherapy - Alternative Holistic Descriptions & Healing Processes for 170 Mental & Emotional Diagnoses Worldwide, and Missy Crutchfield - co-author along with Dr. Kemp of the musical psychodrama: 'GAIA-Sacred Geometry: Inner Peace = World Peace' to be presented and filmed on the final day of the retreat during the Dinner Theatre and Jam Session for Peace that will also include local Peruvian artists.

"We chose to go to the sacred lands of Peru as ambassadors of goodwill and as a symbolic christening of this partnership, hoping to convey that this event is about more than just a Spiritual Journey & Retreat. It is really a sacred call to mankind and a celebration of the "all-is-oneness" in the universe where we implore all who share our intention to join us as we shift the consciousness of mankind from outer-directed superficial concerns to inner revelations - where as esteemed beings we experience the sacredness of our spirit, where true peace begins" states Dr. Amelia Kemp, President of The Sacretherapy Institute's UR2.Global Project (pronounced "sacred-therapy" with a silent "d").

Missy Crutchfield - Editor-n-Chief of Gandhi's BE Magazine, and President/CEO of Gandhi Global Center for Peace (co-founded with Gandhi's grandson Arun Gandhi) agrees, stating that "In order to 'be the change' that Gandhi spoke of we must begin with these small demonstrations of faith. World Peace is possible when each person chooses to see all others as equals. Real faith fosters truth, tolerance and helps us see the beauty in all living organisms which is why we have included: GAIA Talks: "The Earth Speaks' which promotes a holy relationship with the earth and all its inhabitants."

Melissa Turner - Co-Founder of Gandhi BE Magazine adds, "Ultimately, I think we are demonstrating what Margaret Mead once declared which is to "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has". "That's exactly it," states Lamarr Kemp, Sr., MBA - Co-Founder of UR2.Global, "We're going to Peru with a small delegation of likeminded souls that join us in our intention, but our energy and mission is massive enough to 'move the needle' and help uplift the world."

In an effort to begin uplifting the world now, "Pre-Retreat Teasers" began this week as a pre-welcome to the Spiritual Journey and Retreat for peace. Presenters and participating authors will continue to offer bi-weekly glimpses of their sessions (every other Monday) to give attendees a taste of what they can expect in Peru, from now through to the month of April, that may be read on Gandhi's BE Magazine.org. Topics of the biweekly teasers are as follows:

Today-Jan 17 - Amelia Kemp, Ph.D., LMHC - Sacretherapy - A Sacred Retreat to Inner Peace: If We Could Just Be Still!

Mon. Jan 30 - Missy Crutchfield - Gandhi's Be the Change - A Retreat for World Peace and Non-Violence

Mon. Feb 13 - Dr. Andrea Pennington - A Re-Treat: How To Liberate & Love Your Authentic Self

Mon. Feb 27 - Antoine Chevalier, Ph.D., MPP, HK - How Retreats Unlock "Hidden Powers of Creation"

Mon. Mar 13 - Dr. Ivan Figueroa - Retreating with Spirituality 103: The Forgiveness Code - Finding the Light In Our Shadows

Mon. Mar 27 - Edwige Bingue, Ph.D. - Retreating To A Sacred Space Where It's Understood: "You're Not Crazy - You're Awakening"

Mon. Apr 10 - Melissa Turner - Photo-Linguistics: Looking Through the Lens of Peace - Do You See What I See?

Please click the below link for more information and to register. Space it limited. Sponsorship packages available. Also, please enjoy the attached promotional video and click here to visit: https://www.ur2.global/joint-retreat-fundraiser-with-gandhi-be-magazine.html or contact: Linda Thrasher at UR2(dot)Global(at)gmail(dot)com.

-End-
The summit opens with a Combined Plenary Session featuring keynote addresses by PLN Persero on its Role in Enabling Renewable Power Growth, Mayer Brown on Navigating the Challenges in Land Access & Regulatory Structure and a Financing Panel deliberating on Renewable Power Projects in Indonesia & SE Asia led by IFC, PT Indonesia Infrastructure Finance, Societe Generale Asia, OPIC and ReEx Capital.

Post morning plenary, the summit breaks into two individual tracks with 3rd Biomass & BioEnergy Asia spotlighting on Indonesias biomass-to-energy projects by Ata Marie Group and Solcofin while a senior rep from General Electric leads a discussion on the Techno-Economics for Indonesias municipal solid waste to energy projects.

The track also covers Asias biogas market outlook via sessions on:



Development of Biogas Projects  Reflections and Opportunities for Value Creation in Palm Oil Based Biogas  Felda Palm Industries

Operating Experience of Biogas Plants in SE Asia & Value -Add with Biogas Refining  Asia Biogas

Specificities of Biomass & Biogas Projects: What Makes a Project Bankable?  ReEx Capital Asia

Techno-Commercial Comparison of Biomass & Biogas Power Plant Technologies  Owl Energy

Other sessions in this track are  Optimizing Use of Bamboo Biomass for Energy & Fiber in Thailand & SE Asia by Kasetsart University and Creating Sustainable Access of Energy for Small Island Communities in Indonesia with Bamboo as Biomass Energy Feedstock by PT. Charta Putra Indonesia.

The concurrent track on Indonesia Renewable Power features a key presentation on IPPs & Investment Prospects/Options of Geothermal Energy Projects in Indonesia by P.T. Star Energy that will be followed by sessions on:



Risk Management of Geothermal Exploration in Indonesia  Societe Generale

Project SPORE - An Off-Grid Renewable Energy Demonstrator - ENGIE Lab

Drivers & Key Considerations for Foreign Investors on Indonesian Hydro IPPs - Pinsent Masons

Operating Utility-Scale Solar Power Plant in Indonesia - Conergy

When to Use EPC(M) instead of EPC as Contracting Model for Solar Projects  Owl Energy

Utility-Scale Wind Power Plant in Indonesia  Case Studies & Perspective  Asia Green Capital and UPC Renewables Indonesia

Organized by Centre for Management Technology (CMT), the program includes a Separately Bookable Pre-Conference Workshop titled Optimal Thermochemical Utilization of Your Agricultural Residues: Present & Future. The summit also have Vermeer as exhibitor.

Visit 3rd Biomass & BioEnergy Asia website for more information or contact Ms. Hafizah at +65 6346 9218.

Visit Indonesia Renewable Power website for more information or contact Ms. Grace at +65 6346 9147.
Peerwith "With investment from Digital Science, we will be able to achieve our goal of becoming the number one marketplace for author services.

Digital Science, a technology software company that makes the research process simpler and more efficient, today announced it has invested in Peerwith  a marketplace for author services, matching academics seeking support for their work with experts who can provide a plethora of services to increase the scientific impact of their work. These include: editing, translation, illustration and consultancy. Moreover, Peerwith allows its 800+ experts to build a visible profile through ratings and recommendations.

Amsterdam based Peerwith has also formed valuable partnerships with leading publishers and societies, offering a white-labelled platform that caters to their needs. Current partnerships include Brill, the Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS) and Emerald Publishing. Their customised Peerwith offering enables their authors to connect with experts to achieve their academic goals.

Peerwith was founded by Joris van Rossum and Ivo Verbeek, who both have extensive backgrounds in academic publishing, product development, and launching startups. Digital Sciences investment will enable the company to scale its activities, expand its reach to academic institutions to allow researchers and students to optimally access author services through Peerwith.

Joris van Rossum, co-founder and CEO, Peerwith said:

Academics often have difficulties finding highly skilled individuals in specific areas, regularly relying on intermediaries to connect them. Peerwiths aim is to change these slow processes making it more affordable, transparent and efficient. With investment from Digital Science, we will be able to achieve our goal of becoming the number one marketplace for author services.

Digital Science supports a suite of renowned author and publishing services, across a global portfolio of companies including: Overleaf, ReadCube, Figshare and Altmetric. Steve Scott, Director of Portfolio Development at Digital Science will join the Peerwith supervisory board:

The addition of Peerwith to our portfolio enables the support of more comprehensive solutions for authors and researchers. It is already integrated into the authoring tool provided by another of our portfolio companies, Overleaf and offers an exciting addition to our portfolio of author, publisher and institutional offerings.

About Peerwith

Peerwith is a platform for author services, matching academics seeking support for their work with experts who can help out with language editing and translation, format and design, consulting, or whatever else academics need. Through Peerwith, experts in author services are able to collaborate directly with clients and set their own prices and conditions, and build a network of global clients. Moreover, Peerwith allows experts to build a visible profile through client ratings and recommendations. For more information see http://www.peerwith.com and follow @peerwith on Twitter.



About Digital Science

Digital Science is a technology company serving the needs of scientific and research communities at key points along the full cycle of research. It invests in and incubates research software companies that simplify the research cycle, making more time for discovery. Its portfolio companies include a host of leading brands including Altmetric, BioRAFT, Figshare, Labguru, Overleaf, ReadCube, Symplectic, UberResearch, TetraScience and Transcriptic. It is operated by global media company, the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. Visit http://www.digital-science.com and follow @digitalsci on Twitter.
Technology Room

On January 18-20 M3 Global Research is exhibiting at the QRCA 2017 Annual Conference in Los Angeles, CA as a platinum sponsor. Lindita Mezani, Vice President of Market Research and Amber Esco, Chief Strategy Officer, will be at booth 108 making connections and providing insights on M3s focus group facilitys capabilities.

M3 Philadelphia Studios opened its doors in January 2016 on the 30th floor of the iconic Philadelphia landmark in the heart of the business district of Center City Philadelphia, One Liberty Place. M3 Philadelphia research facility offers Wi-Fi throughout an expansive space, HD streaming in every suite, and custom designed AV technology. The technology room for its Philadelphia focus groups offers seating for up to 12 observers and an interactive video wall to watch studies as they are being conducted. By combining two of the rooms, M3 has the largest conference room for market research in Philadelphia that is suitable for mock trials, taste test, and other research study groups which require extended space.

M3 is also a QRCA annual partner. QRCA is a global not-for-profit association of consultants involved in the design and implementation of qualitative research including focus groups, in-depth interviews, in-context and observational research.

In the first quarter of 2017 you can find M3 Global Research at PMRC on February 1-2 in Parsippany, NJ and PMRG/PMSA Symposium on March 7 in San Francisco, CA.

About M3 Global Research

M3 Global Research provides the most comprehensive and highest quality market research recruitment and support services available to the industry with relationships reaching respondents in more than 70 countries worldwide. M3 Global Research maintains ISO 26362 and 27001 certifications with the highest quality data collection and project management capabilities that cover the spectrum of quantitative and qualitative techniques utilized today. M3 services incorporate all of the most advanced statistical and attitudinal methodologies allowing clients to provide world-class offerings and support services to their end-client customers throughout multiple industry sectors. Beyond healthcare providers, M3 Global Research creates and maintains relationships and panels of Patients, Caregivers, and general consumers. M3 has offices in Tokyo, Washington D.C., Fort Washington, PA, Oxford, London, Beijing, and Seoul.
AIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce that Timothy ONeill, Technical Marketing Manager, will present at the IPC APEX EXPO 2017 taking place February 14-16, 2017 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.

AIMs Technical Marketing Manager, Timothy ONeill, will present his white paper Assessing the Effectiveness of I/O Stencil Aperture Modifications on BTC Void Reduction on February 15th, 2017 at the Voiding and Solder Reflow session from 10:30 AM  12:00 PM. ONeills paper covers the challenges that PCB assemblers face due to the combination of leadless terminations with underside ground/thermal pads, including tilting, poor solder fillet formation, difficult inspection and  most notably  center pad voiding. The study focuses on I/O pad stencil modifications rather than center pad modifications. It shows a no-cost, easily implemented I/O design guideline that can be deployed to consistently and repeatedly reduce void formation on BTC-style packages.

About Timothy ONeill

Timothy O'Neill is the Technical Marketing Manager for AIM Solder. Operating out of AIM U.S. Headquarters, Mr. O'Neill is responsible for developing and optimizing product and technical information, collaborating with complementary suppliers and equipment manufacturers and ensuring AIMs products exceed expectations and meet market requirements.

Mr. O'Neill is also a technical writer and presenter for industry trade publications and events. He has co-authored several papers on PCB assembly subjects.

About AIM

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, AIM Solder is a leading global manufacturer of assembly materials for the electronics industry with manufacturing, distribution and support facilities located throughout the world. AIM produces advanced solder products such as solder paste, liquid flux, cored wire, bar solder, epoxies, lead-free and halogen-free solder products, preforms, and specialty alloys such as indium and gold for a broad range of industries. A recipient of many prestigious SMT industry awards, AIM is strongly committed to innovative research and development of product and process improvement as well as providing customers with superior technical support, service and training. For more information about AIM, visit http://www.aimsolder.com.

Upcoming Events:

February 28  March 2, 2017  Strategies in Light & LED Show  Anaheim, California
Family Investment Center Many of the money practices held dear by middle class citizens are woefully outdated. Taught with the best intentions, they were practical for a simpler era.

What if Americans middle class background  and their middle class beliefs  are holding them back from the success they want? Surprising answers to this question and more are available in Dan Danfords new book Stuck in the Middle: The Mistakes that Jeopardize Your Financial Success and How to Fix Them.

With more than 30 years experience across banking and investments, Danford, CEO and founder of Family Investment Center, has seen many investors with long-held and incorrect beliefs. Its these experiences that led him to pen Stuck in the Middle, and he explains how middle class beliefs about money are often wrong, detailing a number of scenarios in simple terms. Danford gets specific about these issues in 20 diverse chapters on how to handle tax refunds and windfalls, diversifying investments, self-managing portfolios, common investment mistakes, annuities and more.

Stuck in the Middle also touches on an important and timely public policy issue. While many economists and politicians lament Americas shrinking middle class, Danford suggests a powerful reason why: Many Americans lack the financial education and tools necessary to thrive today. Many of the money practices held dear by middle class citizens are woefully outdated, Danford explains. Taught with the best intentions, they were practical for a simpler era.

Additional middle class concepts from the book include:



Lack of knowledge that the investment world operates in layers, similar to retail or wholesale industries. This means one investment product could be offered across many different pricing schemes according to the type of advisor and amount of products selected.

Many middle class investors may not realize that debt can be employed wisely to magnify wealth-building potential.

The reality that banks are often used by the middle class for investing, a habit not embraced among the wealthy.

A common belief that investing and finance is boring.

Danford, cited in many articles and interviews for his unconventional approach about finances  including Forbes, Wall Street Journal and the Kansas City Star  rejects the notion that personal finance has to be boring. This is evident in the conversational voice and jargon-free tone of the book. However, Danford realizes that the immediacy of daily life often takes precedence over investment and financial issues.

Financial management becomes a secondary concern, he said. Many people, however well intentioned, simply dont have time to follow the financial markets with the necessary dedication. Stuck in the Middle offers a guide for people who are interested in educating themselves about finances and investments, but find themselves crunched for time.

The book is available for purchase on Amazon and other fine booksellers.

About Dan Danford and Family Investment Center

Danford is author of the recently-published book Stuck in The Middle: The Mistakes that Jeopardize Your Financial Success and How to Fix Them. The book asks the question What if your middle class background is holding you back from the financial success you want? Danford answers the question by explaining that many middle class money beliefs are just plain wrong, and he explains why in simple terms. He is also the creator of the podcast Money is Freedom, available on iTunes and Sound Cloud.

Dan Danford serves as Founder/CEO of Family Investment Center, a full-service, commission-free investment advisory firm. Based in St. Joseph, MO, Family Investment Center also serves clients in the Kansas City Northland area and across the country.

Danford holds a business MBA and a second Masters degree in Personal Finance. in 2012, he was featured in the book Americas Top Financial Advisors. A 2009 Wall Street Journal article outlined Danfords unique birthday messages to clients, complete with a $2 bill inside the envelope. In 2009, Danford was also quoted on ABC News for his insight into how parents can protect funds for their childrens college education. He is a CFP and was listed as one of the 150 Best Financial Advisors for Doctors in 2008 and 2009 by Medical Economics magazine. A 2006 article in The New York Times quoted Danfords insights on working with a financial advisor. In 2014, Danford was featured in an article exploring solutions to math anxiety in the Voices section of the Wall Street Journal.
This is the second consecutive year that Chapman has been included in the magazines annual listing of the top lawyers in the state.

Chelsea Chapman of the McIlveen Family Law Firm was voted as one of Business North Carolinas 2017 Legal Elite. Less than 3% of North Carolinas lawyers - 644 in all - made the list of North Carolinas top lawyers in business-related categories. This is the second consecutive year that Chapman has been included in the magazines annual listing of the top lawyers in the state.

Since 2002, Tar Heel lawyers have been honored through Business North Carolinas Legal Elite - a list of the top state lawyers in 14 business-related categories. Winners are not chosen by BNC editors, but by the lawyers themselves. Every active lawyer throughout North Carolina is given the opportunity to participate and vote.

The selection process for the latest winners began in June 2016. Ballots were sent to over 23,000 active members of the North Carolina Bar, asking one simple question: Of the Tar Heel lawyers whose work you have observed firsthand, whom would you rate among the current best in these categories?

Lawyers were then requested to select peers in 14 different categories. Though they were not allowed to vote for themselves, lawyers were permitted to cast a vote for a lawyer from their own firm provided that they also chose an attorney in the same category but from an outside firm. More weight was given to outside votes.

Business North Carolina is a Charlotte-based magazine renowned for winning over 90 national awards for its reporting, writing, and design. Published monthly, the magazine focuses on the people, trends and events that shape businesses all throughout North Carolina.

Chapman, a graduate of Appalachian State University and the Charlotte School of Law, genuinely believes in making a positive difference in the lives of others. She is deeply devoted to empowering and educating her clients, and strives to do this in the most personalized manner possible. Apart from being selected to be among Business North Carolinas Legal Elite for Family Law in 2016 and 2017, Chapman was also selected to be among the 10 Best Family Law Attorneys in North Carolina by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys for both 2015 and 2016.

The McIlveen Family Law Firm is a reputable law firm solely focused on North Carolina family law. They are fully committed to helping families from across the state resolve issues such as divorce, child custody, prenuptial agreements, alimony, domestic violence, grandparent rights, adoption and more. For more information call (704) 865-9011 or visit http://www.mcilveenfamilylaw.com
Everyone is invited to be a part of WOVENs Circle of Peace for a nonviolent world this Thursday, January 19 from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm. We will meet at 96th Street and Lexington beside Samuel Seabury Playground.

Participants will join hands to link the nearby Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church, Islamic Cultural Center of NY, a Mosque and a synagogue. Through this New York City-endorsed unification, the participants make an important statement: Discrimination against any one religion is discrimination against all religions.

This stand for peace, particularly on the evening before the Presidential Inauguration, is a demonstration of interfaith and tolerance, as a part of WOVENs mission to end violence in our lifetime.

Diane Wege, our founder and board chair, is available for interviews about the event, and we welcome all inquiries. Contact Emily Wexler at 646.584.7846 / emily(at)wovenow(dot)org / wovenow.org

About WOVEN WOVEN, inspired by the commitment We Oppose Violence Everywhere Now, is building a global network to end violence. Online, through urban print art, and grassroots organizing, we unite issues of violence with problem solvers for peaceful, effective solutions. WOVEN is the aggregate of individuals, communities, and nations who choose peaceful resolutions and refuse to accept violence as an inevitable, incurable norm. This includes our network of over 55 organizations who work towards achieving peace through their unique initiatives. WOVEN is a neutral, common ground to collaboratively organize and engineer effective solutions to violence. We believe that, provided the resources, support and appropriate platform, we can end violence on this planet. Our vision is to end violence in our lifetime.

About Diana Wege | Founder & Board Chair Wege (pronounced WEG-ee) is an artist and activist for conflict resolution and education, as well as wild lands conservancy and protection. She is currently serving on several boards including IPCNY (International Print Center New York). She co-founded the Conflict Resolution Education Fund in 1998. In 2013, she founded WOVEN after reading Randol Contreras book, The Stickup Kids and hearing of Mary Kennedys suicide. That same year, Wege created lithographs for advertisements in bus kiosks across New York City with the words, REJECT VIOLENCE, REJECT VIOLENCE, REJECT VIOLENCE, REJECT VIOLENCE. She expanded the campaign to include taxi top advertisements in September 2014. Wege and WOVEN continue to create strategic anti-violence campaigns that center on providing direct communication to the people on the streets.

For more information: Contact Emily at 646.584.7846 / emily(at)wovenow(dot)org / wovenow.org
We are delighted to have Sandra Lee join us as our keynote for this years Miami Breast Cancer Conference" - Phil Talamo

Physicians Education Resource, LCC (PER) announces philanthropist, author, television personality, and breast cancer survivor Sandra Lee as keynote speaker for the 34th Annual Miami Breast Cancer Conference, on March 9-12, 2017 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, Florida.

In making the announcement, PER president, Phil Talamo, said, We are delighted to have Sandra Lee join us as our keynote for this years Miami Breast Cancer Conference. For over 3 decades, Miami Breast has focused on providing information to attendees that they can take home and use in their practice the following day. Hearing from Sandra, and her personal perspective and experience during the course of her treatment, will be something that all participants will resonate with and be able to use after the meeting.

Sandra Lee, who is known for her work as a television chef on shows Semi-Homemade Cooking and Sandras Money Saving Meals; the best-selling author of 27 books including a novel, The Recipe Box, and a memoir, Made from Scratch; and Editor in Chief of Sandra Lee Magazine and sandralee.com, was diagnosed with breast cancer in May of 2015, and has become a leading advocate for mammograms and early detection. Lee, who has been cancer free since September 2015, has continued to speak candidly about her experiences in order to uplift and inspire women who are battling breast cancer.

The 34th Annual Miami Breast Cancer Conference is a renowned CME conference with over 1,000 attendees every year, and is dedicated to advancement of state-of-the-art treatments by fostering innovation through bringing top surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists together to collaborate on the latest therapeutic approaches to optimize patient care. The conference is open to any oncologists, nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants, researchers, and other health care professionals. For more information or to register for this years conference visit http://www.gotoper.com/conferences/mbcc/meetings/34th-annual-miami-breast-cancer-conference

About PER

Since 1995, PER has been the educational resource of choice for live and online activities focusing on oncology and hematology. PER provides high-quality, evidence-based activities featuring leading national and international faculty with a focus on practice-changing advances and standards of care in treatment and disease management. Activities also include topics on emerging strategies currently under investigation, supportive care, diagnosis and staging, prevention, screening and early detection, and practice management. With the rapid advances occurring in the field of oncology, understanding how to use molecular data to diagnose and stage patients, selecting the most appropriate candidates for novel therapeutic agents, individualizing treatment based on tumor type, and referring patients to clinical trials will continue to ensure the highest level of patient care is provided. PER serves the oncology health care community, including physicians, fellows, advanced practice nurses, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, and researchers. PER is part of the Cranbury, N.J.-based Michael J. Hennessy Associates, Inc. family of businesses. Learn more at http://www.gotoper.com and http://www.mjhassoc.com
A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest for Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017:

READINESS REPORT: Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a new state website that shows how prepared students are for success in postsecondary education and training upon graduation from public high schools in Iowa.

Its part of the Branstad administrations emphasis on making sure all students are prepared for post-secondary education and training. Currently, 71 percent of Iowa high school graduates enroll in college or training within one year of graduation. That doesnt include nearly 3 percent who say they intend to enlist in the military.

Iowa needs all of the states high school grads generally ready for college or career training to succeed in a knowledge-based, technology-driven economy, Reynolds said. That will open up great opportunities in their personal and professional lives and it certainly will go a long way to helping us close the skills gap employers talk to us about as we travel the state to all 99 counties.

Among the concerns, according to Department of Education Director Ryan Wise, are the 19 percent of Iowa high school graduate who take a remedial math class in college and 9 percent who take a remedial English class.

TENTATIVE ON TENURE: Saying she and Gov. Terry Branstad are looking for ways to empower educators at all levels and to give them the tools to be successful, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds declined to take a position on a proposal to end tenure at the states three regents universities.

As a former legislator, Reynolds said it doesnt do anybody any good to weigh in on bills that are filed because a bill never ends up the same as it was when filed.

Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, has sponsored Senate File 41 that would prohibit the establishment of tenure for any university employee.

BRANSTAD AWARD: Members of the National Biodiesel Board recognized Gov. Terry Branstad at its annual conference in San Diego Tuesday for his national leadership on renewable fuels and what they called his unwavering support of the biodiesel industry. Branstad was given the National Energy Leadership Award for his work last year on the Iowa Biodiesel Production Tax Credit, Biodiesel Promotion Retail Tax Credit, and the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program. He accepted the award via a video recording.

The governor did not attend his weekly news conference in Des Moines on Tuesday morning. Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds said he was feeling under the weather and spent the day resting at Terrace Hill after a visit to his doctor.
The overall idea with the Evolve Planner is to plan your life and manage your money to live the life you want.

Andrea de Fraga, a Business Management professor at Chicagos Columbia College, believes that money is a powerful resource to reach big personal goals. She created a tool to help people visualize their goals and keep them accountable through the Evolve Planner.

Needing funds to cover the planner production costs, de Fraga led a Kickstarter Campaign to reach $10,000 within 30 days last fall. Two hundred and thirty-seven backers made her dream possible as they pledged $10,376.

I was overwhelmingly pleased with the response of this campaign,  she says. This shows me that people are willing to take their financial situations into their own hands and become responsible for the outcome of their dreams.

In order to effectively promote the Kickstarter campaign, de Fraga utilized social media influencers and formed partnerships with local businesses. Many bloggers were invited to ask de Fraga questions through Facebook Live chats. She is also working with organizations to present the Evolve Planner at educational seminars.

With the Kickstarter pledges, de Fraga can now produce more of the Evolve Planner to sell to the public. The goal of this planner is to teach the importance of financial literacy to all ages whether one is a millennial, Gen Xer or a Baby Boomer. Handling finances is something everyone can learn.

The overall idea with the Evolve Planner is to plan your life and manage your money to live the life you want, she says. I make it as simple as possible.

To purchase The Evolve Planner and Excel document available as a companion to the planner, visit https://myevolveplanner.com/.

About Andrea de Fraga, Creator of the Evolve Planner:

Andrea de Fraga is a Business Management professor at Chicagos Columbia College. Most of her career concentrated in finance for mid-size companies. She was responsible for reaching company goals through careful money management. Building assets and funds were the tools to achieve those objectives. She uses her experience and knowledge in her own financial life and teaches students the basic principles of management. De Fraga is passionate about the idea that once people learn to use money as a tool, they have the freedom to live the life they want. She created The Evolve Planner as an important tool that can help people build habits to achieve their life goals and ultimately have the freedom to live the life they desire.

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One platform to replace them allthat was our goal. Brokers no longer have to build a load, look externally for capacity, or pricing, weve integrated all day to day functions into one single platform. Its the TMS you never have to leave.

HaulFox LLC, a transportation logistics software company, announces the release of its proprietary cloud-based Transportation Management System (TMS). This new proprietary TMS enables transportation/logistics providers (3PLs and Freight Brokers) to execute all necessary day to day function in one single brokerage platform.

One platform to replace them allthat was our goal. Brokers no longer have to build a load, look externally for capacity, or pricing, weve integrated all day to day functions into one single platform. Its the TMS you never have to leave, said HaulFoxs founder and COO, Jonathan Drouin.

HaulFoxs proprietary TMS offers technology that eliminates the necessity of switching in and out of systems, whether accessing capacity on load boards, carrier safety checks, tracking, CRM or external pricing tools. 3PLs and Freight Brokers will be pleased to learn that HaulFoxs TMS applies the newest technologies to enable the automation of shipper/carrier matching that was previously a human-exclusive task.

HaulFox has designed their TMSs user interface to be highly intuitive with the intent to offer the user a fresh, innovative platform that is extremely robust and easy to use.

HaulFoxs TMS includes their original Back Haul matching technology and the recently released pricing module. Included in HaulFoxs TMS is Back Haul, HaulFox's first software platform, which focuses on the "big data" that freight brokerages and 3PLs typically fail to leverage. The software tool takes both current available carrier capacity and unawarded customer opportunities through their proprietary cloud based platform to instantly match up the most advantageous customer/carrier alignment. HaulFoxs tools enable the broker to significantly increase revenue within their current customer base.

About HaulFox, LLC

HaulFox LLC is a proprietary software company based in Dallas, TX. HaulFox focuses on developing freight technology platforms to service the Transportation/Logistics Industry with an emphasis on 3PLs. The HaulFox team is comprised of experienced 3PL practitioners, Senior Software Developers, and Data Scientists who are creating value added solutions to the industry (including TMS, Pricing, CRM, Live Tracking, Accounting and Capacity Solutions).
Livionex, LIVFRESH, LIVFREE We are extremely pleased with the results of this study, particularly in view of the controversy surrounding the use of triclosan in various healthcare products because of its potential links to cancer, antibiotic resistance and hormone disruption.

Livionex, Inc., a Silicon Valley healthcare company focused on treating biofilms and inflammation, today announced the results of a double blind clinical study for its dental gel that shows significant reduction in plaque levels and gum inflammation and bleeding when compared to a leading national brand of toothpaste containing triclosan. The study was conducted at the Beckman Laser Institute at UC Irvine and has been published in Dentistry, a peer reviewed research journal. It reaffirms the results of a previous study published in 2014.

We are extremely pleased with the results of this study, particularly in view of the controversy surrounding the use of triclosan in various healthcare products because of its potential links to cancer, antibiotic resistance and hormone disruption," said Livionex CEO Amit Goswamy. We are encouraged that this recent study confirms that the Livionex Gel is superior to toothpaste containing triclosan. The level of efficacy that we have shown for reducing plaque has never been achieved before and, thus, our product represents a new and more effective way of dealing with oral health issues, added Goswamy.

The 8 week double-blind crossover clinical study showed highly statistical plaque reductions by Livionex when compared to a commercially available toothpaste containing triclosan. Findings revealed that subjects starting on Livionex showed steep reduction in plaque levels. When they switched over to the traditional toothpaste with triclosan, 100% of subjects showed a significant increase in plaque levels. Subjects starting on the traditional toothpaste did not show much response. When they switched over to Livionex, 100% of subjects showed significant reduction in plaque levels.

Clinical dentists and academic researchers agree that dental plaque, an oral biofilm is the root cause of cavities, gingivitis, periodontitis, and bad breath. Oral diseases like periodontitis have been linked to systemic diseases like cardiac disease, arthritis, diabetes and more. Instead of using detergents, abrasives, and antimicrobials, like conventional toothpaste, the Livionex formulation uses activated Edathamil to interfere with the ability of plaque to stick to teeth. Data from the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and British Medical Journal shows a silent epidemic is wreaking havoc on our mouths. Approximately 90% of adults suffer from gingivitis and 47% of all Americans have periodontitisboth caused by plaque buildup.

This level of efficacy for reducing plaque has never been achieved before, said Livionex Founder and CEO, Amit Goswamy. This latest study not only confirms the previous study showing higher efficacy for Livionex science, but it also shows that our more than 100,000 customers are right. There is a better way to cleaner teeth and a healthier mouth that doesnt include triclosan.

Researchers at UC Irvine conducting the study concluded, An activated edathamil dental gel formulation (Livionex) provides effective plaque control and reduced gingival inflammation compared to a triclosan/co-polymer dental gel.

About Livionex

Livionex Inc. was founded in 2009 with the goal of enhancing the quality and longevity of human life. The company is focused on addressing the role of metal ions in aging and diseases of the human body. The technology is the result of over 10 years of extensive research by key members of the Livionex team in close collaboration with scientists at world renowned research institutions including the University of Texas and the University of California. Livionex is a recipient of prestigious research grants from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the US Department of Defense (DOD). In addition to Livionex Dental Gel, the company is leveraging its technology platform to develop products targeting large unmet medical needs in oral care, ophthalmology and dermatology. The gel is currently available on-line at http://www.livionexdental.com, Amazon.com and select dental offices across the country.
BGV recognizes exceptional employee performance with annual Grandy Awards, which were presented by the BGV Developers during the holiday party at Beaver Run in Breckenridge last month. Dudick and Millisor noted the success of their Breck Inn team by stating, "This team has demonstrated incredible improvement in performance, guest satisfaction, team unity and overall efficiency in delivering Grand vacations to all guests and owners."

Local timeshare developer and employer of choice in Summit County, Breckenridge Grand Vacations (BGV) recently hosted its annual holiday party at the Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center. With over 800 attendees, about 500 of which were employees, this was BGVs biggest holiday bash yet, upholding its reputation as the grandest party in town.

During the reception, BGV Owners/ Developers Mike Dudick and Mike Millisor presented the annual Grandy Awards, recognizing employees who have gone above and beyond for BGV. Awards and recipients for 2016 included: Superior Service - Cesiah Bolda, Behind the Scenes Hero - Ben Molina, Greatest Change - Rick Marchiori, Safety Empowerment - Scott Wilson, Culture Champion - Nadia Williamson, Rob Millisor Volunteer of the Year - Shae Loomis, Kaizen Award - Breck Inn Team, Top Traditional Line Sales Agent - Peter O'Neill, Top In-House Sales Agent - Brent Henry, Top Line Tour Booker - Sean Berg, Top GTL OPC Sales Agent - Carl Bauer, and Top GL7 OPC Sales Agent - Kendra Hall.

Additionally, a total of 179 employees were acknowledged for their years of service with BGV, which ranged from three to 17 years, signifying the companys strong employee retention. Dudick and Millisor also applauded employees who had received Grand Vacations Awards(GVAs) for outstanding employee performance in 2016. GVAs are awarded monthly, and for each GVA they had earned in 2016, employees received an entry into a drawing to win a vacation. Dudick and Millisor present this gift at the holiday party each year, which features a trip to any Interval International resort in the U.S. or Mexico, flights for two and $500 to spend. Debby Grosse, who had received 7 GVAs in 2016, was drawn as this years winner.

The staff at Beaver Run Resort provided BGVs attendees with first-rate service and gourmet food at one of the top venues in town. BGV employees and their guests were treated to appetizers, an open bar and professional photographs during the cocktail hour. Dinner followed, which consisted of plated three-course meals as well as complimentary wine and cocktail service. While dining on sirloins, Mahi Mahi and vegetarian entrees, guests enjoyed a short film featuring the BGV executive team. After dinner and presentations concluded, attendees danced to live music from Funkiphino, documented memories at the photo booth, and celebrated another successful year for BGV.

As a thank you for the generosity and support given by Mike Dudick and Mike Millisor to employees and the community, BGV personnel raised over $1,200 to donate in the honor of their Developers. This gift was donated to The Summit Foundation and benefits charitable causes throughout Summit County and the surrounding area.

ABOUT BRECKENRIDGE GRAND VACATIONS: Created in 1984, Breckenridge Grand Vacations (BGV) was built by brothers Mike and Rob Millisor and friend Mike Dudick upon the belief that the success of their company would be determined by the positive impact it had on their owners and guests, employees and the community. The developers of the company also embraced the concept that BGV would be the best in sales if they were first and foremost the best in customer service. The company has embraced the Net Promoter methodology company-wide and consistently beats industry averages with its high scores. BGV now creates Grand vacations for nearly 22,000 owners and employs over 500 staff members. Sadly, Rob Millisor passed away in October, 2015 while on a humanitarian visit to Nepal. His example and service to the needs of others remains a strong focus with BGVs leadership and staff. He is greatly missed and his legacy of success and giving continues.
Larry Chiavaro Larry Chiavaro has been absolutely invaluable as the Faculty Advisor for the conference. Were looking forward to his lively and informative sessions.

Larry Chiavaro, Executive Vice President of First Associates Loan Servicing will be moderating two panels at the iiBIG Marketplace Cloud Lending Summit and Expo on Thursday, January 19th.

The event will be presented by the International Institute for Business Information & Growth (iiBIG) and the Cloud Computing Association (CCA) and will be held on January 19-20, 2017 at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Chiavaro is serving as Faculty Advisor for the summit, which will bring together leading marketplace lenders, investors, technology vendors and advisors.

The Funding & Liquidity in Marketplace Cloud Lending session will feature Chiavaro and other industry leaders, providing insights into securitization, working with institutional investors, crowdfunding, secondary markets and more. The Loan Origination, Servicing & Collection Solutions for Cloud-based Marketplace Lenders session will delve into the latest developments and best practices to increase efficiency and maximize portfolio performance.

As our industry continues to evolve, its crucial to keep informed of the latest developments, technology, best practices and trends, said Chiavaro. This conference also offers investors and platforms an opportunity to build long-term strategic relationships.

A leader in the online lending industry, Chiavaro has more than two decades of progressive experience in the consumer finance industry working with banks, investment banks, finance companies and credit unions. He has a wealth of industry leadership in the mortgage, auto finance industries and more.

Larry Chiavaro is one of the most well-connected professionals in the space and has brought together the industrys top leaders for this event, said Don Buford, CEO of iiBIG. Larry Chiavaro has been absolutely invaluable as the Faculty Advisor for the conference. Were looking forward to his lively and informative sessions.

First Associates has over 30 years of experience in the consumer finance industry and is the leading cloud lending loan servicer. First Associates has participated in both rated and unrated marketplace lender securitizations in 2015, involving the industrys top firms. As a bridge between originators and capital markets, First Associates is a trusted intermediary for, and advisor to, the diverse participants in the securitization process from sponsors to rating agencies.

About iiBIG

The International Institute for Business Information & Growth, LLC (iiBIG) is a boutique business-to-business conference organization founded in 2006 specializing in conferences, seminars and real-time meetings for executives in the investment/financial services, life sciences/clinical research; and IT/Cloud Computing sectors. Their events are designed for BIG thinkers, those who occupy leadership roles in their companies and organizations who know the value of taking a step back from the exigencies of their day-to-day responsibilities in order to focus on the BIG picture. For more information, please visit http://www.iibig.com.

About CCA

The Cloud Computing Association (CCA) is an independent membership organization, founded by iiBIG in 2012. The organization is dedicated to building a community of end-users and service providers of cloud-based solutions and products. Their mission is to promote the adoption and use of cloud-based technologies by large-cap and small to middle-market enterprises (SMEs) across all industry sectors. To achieve its mission, the CCA creates online and face-to-face opportunities where cloud-based providers and end-users can meet, network and learn about the challenges and benefits of adopting cloud-based technologies to promote commerce, enterprise-wide efficiencies, effectiveness and cost-savings.

About First Associates Loan Servicing, LLC

Based in San Diego, First Associates Loan Servicing is the fastest growing third-party loan and lease servicer in the United States. The company offers a wide range of solutions for a variety of asset classes including marketplace lending, automotive, motorsports, business, retail purchase finance, solar, timeshare and student loans. First Associates has world class management and staff, full SSAE 16 II audit, best-in-class IT infrastructure, as well as strong institutional relationships with commercial and investment banks, finance companies, investment funds and credit unions. First Associates leads the consumer finance industry in providing customized technology and customer service solutions for its partners. The company celebrated its 30-Year Anniversary in 2016. For more information, please visit http://www.1stassociates.com.
Gateway Bronco's 1977 Ford Bronco 'Coyote' Edition Acquiring the first Ford Bronco built that was also once owned by the legendary Carroll Shelby is the ultimate barn find for our team.

Gateway Bronco, innovative builder of the first generation Ford Bronco, will be featuring their sympathetically restored trucks and unveiling the recently acquired first Bronco built at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction, Jan. 14  22 at the Gateway Bronco booth (LUX-4, near the Salon Showcase). Attendees can learn about the iconic truck during a discussion with Gateway Bronco owner Seth Burgett at 2:00 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Gateway Bronco booth.

Gateway Bronco, barn find specialists that offer three variations of the early Bronco, guarantees a two-month delivery by producing trucks the way Henry Ford envisioned  on a production line with quality checks each step of the way. All trucks are backed by an industry-leading, up to five year bumper-to-bumper warranty. Gateway Bronco uses proprietary solutions to protect each truck built from rust as well as make the ride smoother and more comfortable with proprietary solutions for noise and vibration.

Acquiring the first Ford Bronco built that was also once owned by the legendary Carroll Shelby is the ultimate barn find for our team, said Seth Burgett, owner of Gateway Bronco. We are honored to unveil this iconic truck to the car collector community at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale.

In addition to the first Bronco, Gateway Bronco will showcase its sympathetically restored and modernized early Ford Broncos and other highly sought barn finds:



1972 Ford Bronco Sport: Restomod FuelieTM  the vintage Bronco, reborn with new paint, leather interior and outrageous power. Base price: $80,000, price as displayed: $108,750.

1977 Ford Bronco: Coyote Edition SurvivorTM  a new truck with 40-year old paint, perfectly preserved with an injection of modern power and rugged luxury including a frame-off restoration, Coyote 302, leather interior and 4-wheel disc brakes. Base price: $120,000, price as displayed: $129,450.

A pair of 1967 Shelbys: A GT350, one of only five produced and a GT500 with original floorpans and interior, and fresh mechanicals ready for the track. Both listed in the Shelby Registry.

Boss Bronco, a 1969 high performance prototype Bronco created by Bill Stroppe, head of Fords West Coast racing division, and Kar-Kraft.

First Ford Bronco

The first Ford Bronco prototype was built at the Ford Michigan pre-production plant and delivered to Carroll Shelby at his Shelby American Los Angeles facility in 1967. While at the facility, Shelby repainted the truck his classic red and white color scheme, added a 289 V8 and made a multitude of other changes. During Shelbys ownership, the prototype Bronco was used as a work truck on Shelbys Christmas Mountains Land & Cattle Co. ranch in Texas. In 1978, it was sold to the second owner, Vinnie Yakubanski, for $100. Gateway Bronco acquired the truck in October 2016 and is only the third owner of this unique and historic vehicle. The Gateway Bronco Booth is located near the Salon Showcase, LUX 4 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale.

About Gateway Bronco

Gateway Bronco, innovator in original-paint Ford Broncos, guarantees a two-month delivery schedule by producing trucks the way Henry Ford envisioned  on a production line. Gateway Bronco products are backed by an industry-leading, bumper-to-bumper warranty of up to five years. Each product is equipped with a Ford Coyote 302 engine and is protected from rust and deterioration using proprietary solutions exclusive to Gateway Bronco. For more information, visit http://www.gatewaybronco.com and follow us on Facebook at Gateway Bronco.
Home care...allows people to remain independent and maintain a higher quality of life.

Michigan nursing home rates are the fifteenth highest in the nation, with an average annual cost of approximately $83,585 (based on the cost of semi-private rooms), or about $6,965 per month.

Michigan seniors needing nursing home care can now view the most recent ratings and costs of nursing homes in their area by using the interactive Caregiverlist Nursing Home Directory. This months update of the Michigan Caregiverlist Index indicates that the average cost of a nursing home in Michigan is $229 per day for a semi-private room or $256 for a private room. Of the 455 total Michigan nursing homes, just about half (222) rate 4-stars or better.

Caregiverlist Rating Criteria National Averages:

2 hours, 28 minutes: C.N.A. Hours per Resident per Day 40%

15.7%: Long-stay Residents with Increasing Activities of Daily Living Needs 20%

1.0% Short-term Residents with Pressure Sores (Bed Sores) 20%

Overall Medicare Star-Rating Score 20%

Heres a snapshot of the Caregiverlist Nursing Home Cost and Rating Index for Michigan

for January 2017:

Total Number of Nursing Homes: 455

Average Single Price: $256

Average Double Price: $229

Average Rating: 3.0 (out of 5)

Star Rating Snapshot:

5-Star: 36

4-Star: 186

3-Star: 189

2-Star: 20

1-Star: 24

You can also see Caregiverlists at-a-glance Infographic for Michigan Nursing Home Costs for January 2017 here.

The Caregiverlist rating combines 4 criteria to calculate an overall star-rating with a 5-star rating as the highest and a 1-star rating as the lowest score, as rated against the results for the total number of nursing homes.

Michigan seniors and their families must remember that nursing homes have become an extension of a hospital stay and many times Medicare health insurance will authorize a hospital discharge directly to a nursing home for rehabilitation after a major medical event has occurred, but only if after three days if senior has been formally admitted as an inpatient. If a senior has been admitted under observation, they may have to pay for subsequent nursing home rehabilitation out of pocket. This means researching the right nursing home ahead of time will ease the transition should a medical emergency occur.

Costs of senior care are always a factor when choosing the right senior care option, as many seniors live on a fixed income. Low-income seniors in Michigan may qualify for Medicaid if they meet the financial qualifications. Medicaid will pay for long-term care in a nursing home for as long as the senior qualifies for needing care, even if this means multiple years of care until death. Visit the Caregiverlist Michigan Medicaid Eligibility Requirements for for more information.

If around-the-clock care is not needed, in-home caregiving is an attractive alternative to institutional care. Deborah Moerland, FirstLight Home Care owner in Okemos, MI says, Being at home is a much more comfortable place for most people. They are familiar with their surroundings and they have a much higher morale when staying in their own home. It is also much more affordable than other options. Home care also allows people to remain independent and maintain a higher quality of life.

Seniors should review the ratings and costs of nursing homes in their area and then visit the nursing homes which meet their budget parameters. Ratings for nursing homes are only a starting point and while the Caregiverlist Index calculates a custom rating based on the most important criteria for quality, Medicare will only begin auditing the nursing homes submitted information for C.N.A. staffing next year. Right now all of the information for the nursing home ratings is self-reported.

About Caregiverlist

Caregiverlist.com is the premier service connecting seniors and professional caregivers with the most reliable senior care options, highest quality ratings and outstanding careers nationwide. Founded by senior care professionals, Caregiverlist delivers the efficiencies of the internet to senior care companies by providing online job applications, caregiver training, background checks and industry news. Seniors and caregivers can access senior service information by state, view nursing home costs and star-ratings and learn about all senior care options and quality standards. For more information, please visit http://www.caregiverlist.com.
EiQ Networks Were confident that being certified as a SOC 2 compliant company will put organizations at ease and confident that we are extremely serious and vigilant about protecting their data assets," said Bruce McDonald, VP of Global Services, EiQ Networks.

EiQ Networks, a pioneer in hybrid security as a service, today announced that its' SOCVue Security Operations and Analytics Platform (SOAP) is now SSAE-16 SOC 2 Type 1 compliant. Developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 compliance is based upon Trust Services Principles, whereby an independent auditor tests and reports on the design and operational effectiveness of a service organizations controls.

With SOC 2 compliance, EiQs SOCVue, which includes a world class team of security experts, threat detection technologies, 24x7 continuous monitoring, and remediation guidance, is ideal for credit unions, banks, financial, healthcare, and educational organizations, or any resource-contained company that requires protection for their corporate IT assets and customer data from cyber attacks while meeting regulatory mandates such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA, FFIEC, GLBA, and more.

Customers that leverage EiQs SOCVue can now rest assured that they are dealing with a partner who has implemented well-established security controls and security best practices to handle customer data.

Various regulations require that customer data, irrespective of where it resides, be protected, said Bruce McDonald, Vice President of Global Services, EiQ Networks, Were confident that being certified as a SOC 2 compliant company will put finance, healthcare, and governmental organizations at ease and confident that we are extremely serious and vigilant about protecting their data assets.

Continuous Threat Intelligence

In addition, EiQ also announced the availability of a new Threat Intelligence feature. Available as part of SOCVue Security Monitoring, threat intelligence data is correlated with security event and log data to detect and analyze activity from suspicious actors and domains. EiQs SOC team leverages threat intelligence to obtain additional context around an alert and to prioritize security incidents that are more likely to have a higher or more devastating impact, while improving security protections through a better understanding of an attacker's motivations and methods.

New SOCVue Security Monitoring Threat Intelligence includes:



Correlation of alert data from the customers environment with blacklisted IP addresses

A threat indicator allowing the SOC team and customers to quickly prioritize alerts associated with malicious actors

Alert drill downs provide detailed information on security events

Continuously updated threat data to ensure relevant and current security context

More About SOCVue

EiQ delivers comprehensive proactive and reactive security monitoring programming to protect against modern-day cyber threats while meeting regulatory mandates. EiQs SOCVue offerings, including Security Monitoring and Vulnerability Management services, combine the best people, process, and technology for an enterprise-class IT security program:



Security Monitoring

EiQs SOCVue Security Monitoring service gives customers visibility and control over their IT environment with around-the-clock threat detection, analysis and notification, proactive remediation guidance, and compliance auditing.



Vulnerability Management

EiQs SOCVue Vulnerability Management service uses Qualys technology to mitigate risk with unlimited scans, analysis, and remediation guidance  so customers can focus on what matters most: their core business.

About EiQ Networks

EiQ, a pioneer in hybrid security as a service, is transforming how mid-market organizations build enterprise-class security programs. Acting as an extension of our customers IT teams, EiQ provides continuous security operations based on best-of-breed technology at a fraction of the cost of alternative solutions. EiQ is a trusted advisor to organizations that need to improve their IT security and compliance posture and protect against cyber threats and vulnerabilities. For more information, visit: https://www.eiqnetworks.com.

Legal Disclaimer

 2016 EiQ Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. EiQ, the EiQ logo, the SOCVue logo, SecureVue, ThreatVue, SOCVue, ComplianceVue, ForensicVue, and Continuous Security Intelligence are trademarks or registered trademarks of EiQ Networks, Inc. in the US and/or other countries. All other product names and/or slogans mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. All information presented here is subject to change and intended for general information.
National Vehicle We have always taken pride in the fact that we help our customers sell their vehicles in the most straight-forward, profitable way possible.

National Vehicle, the industry leader in connecting sellers and buyers of all kinds of vehicles, has today announced that it is introducing three new packages that help take the guesswork out of privately selling a vehicle. In business since 1999, National Vehicle is leveraging its strong reputation and expertise in the industry to offer its customers additional tools to sell their vehicles. The packages  VIP Exclusive, VIP Plus, and VIP Premium  are available to customers beginning today.

National Vehicle, which specializes in facilitating the sales of cars, motorcycles, RVs, boats, trucks, and more, is introducing these new service packages at a time where demand for efficient selling and buying experiences is at an all-time high. Through the rise of online retail as a primary method of purchasing, the company is providing expanded ease-of-use through these new product offerings and improving the overall sales experience.

The three packages include the following benefits to sellers:

VIP Exclusive Package



A 30-day nationally advertised classified listing on eBay motors portal for private sellers, which is the longest uninterrupted duration listing that eBay offers and is currently only available to licensed dealers

Make offer button on all Exclusive listings that promotes highly-qualified offers from active buyers in real-time

Vehicles will be listed in live auctions to ensure viewership from millions of registered bidders nationwide, increasing the odds of closing a sale

Personalized sales liaison provided to validate offers on sellers behalf

VIP Plus Package



A 10-day reserve bid eBay motors auction

Enables multi-party bidding to help ensure the seller will receive the highest price possible from the auction

Action-oriented advertising, enabling targeting for potential buyers

2 full weekends of eBay exposure, increasing the likelihood of a sale

Premium placement based on National Vehicles eBay seller status

Ability to accept, decline, or counter incoming offers in real-time

Personalized sales liaison provided to validate offers on sellers behalf

VIP Premium Package



A 21-day live Buy-It-Now auction, which is the longest available on the market

Clearly-listed asking price to assist in driving bids closer to the asking price

Premium placement based on National Vehicles eBay seller status

Personalized sales liaison provided to validate offers on sellers behalf

At National Vehicle, we have always taken pride in the fact that we help our customers sell their vehicles in the most straight-forward, profitable way possible, said Kevin Tadlock, Sales Manager at National Vehicle. These expanded service offerings simply add to the already-effective selling methods that have made us the industry leader that we are today.

For more information on these new package deals, please visit http://nationalvehicle.com or call toll-free at 1-800-320-9557.

About National Vehicle

National Vehicle was founded in 1999 in downtown Omaha, Nebraska with the goal of providing an effective way to bring buyers and sellers of vehicles together. Operating as a marketplace that extends far beyond the boundaries of more traditional, local classified newspaper advertising, the company provides access across the world. Listed on the Inc. 5000 and the recipient of the 2015 eBay Presidents Award, National Vehicle is a proven leader in the industry.
LoveLife Family Services 3315 West Spring Mountain, Las Vegas, Nevada 89102 702-754-3484 Improving mental and behavioral health is more than just speaking with a counselor, its establishing a sense of normality and having the ability to access the things we need on a daily basis.

LoveLife Family Services (LLFS), a mental and behavioral health services provider, is taking additional steps to help clients achieve a better quality of life with the addition of several amenities and features. LLFS is finalizing construction and implementation of its added services at its new 25,000-square-foot office, which will be available at no cost to clients when they are completed in early February.

President and Chief Executive Officer Clevonne Funches said the additional features of the LLFS office are intended to create normalcy for clients, helping them improve their mental and physical health in multiples ways. Among the key new amenities being finalized include: an equipped exercise room, a grooming and styling area, a game room with a pool and foosball table, a Quiet Room for reading and meditation, and a laundry room with six total washing and drying machines. In addition to the offices new amenities, LLFS also provides clients with a full breakfast and lunch five days a week.

Improving mental and behavioral health is more than just speaking with a counselor, its establishing a sense of normality and having the ability to access the things we need on a daily basis, said Funches. We want to create a vibrant, community environment where clients can come and know that their needs are met to help them get back onto a path of self sufficiency, he added.

On Jan. 19, LLFS will hold its Client Appreciation Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the office. The event is LLFS way of continuing to give back and to have all of its clients come together. Clients will be able to participate in game tournaments, such as bingo and spades. There will also be a raffle where clients have the opportunity to win several prizes, including flat screen TVs, microwaves, blenders and bedding. Regular activities will also resume that day. LLFS will also serve breakfast along with a BBQ lunch including ribs, chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans and potato salad.

Providing quality care for our clients includes looking out for the wellbeing of their children to ensure they also have the tools to become strong, independent adults. Family is a vital part of our everyday support system, and we want make sure that their needs are never overlooked, said Funches.

LLFS is an approved Medicaid provider and offers services to clients from ages 5 to 100. The company welcomes all Medicaid applicants to apply for assistance. All services are free to qualified applicants. LLFS also provides several important services, including individual counseling and family therapy, basic skills training, clinical outpatient, transportation, free grooming and additional social services.

For more information about LoveLife Family Services, visit http://www.LLFS.net or call 702-754-3484. LLFS is located at 3315 West Spring Mountain, Las Vegas, Nevada 89102.

Stay connected and follow LLFS on social media at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lovelifefamilyservices/ and Twitter @LLFSLasVegas

For Media Inquiries and Interviews please contact YM & Associates PR | Marketing | Branding at YMoralesY(at)YM-PR(dot)com or call 949-244-9769.

Yvette Morales

YM & Associates

PR | Marketing | Branding

California | New York

Phone: 949.244.9769

Email: YMoralesY(at)YM-PR(dot)com
One of only two known Quad City survivors of Pearl Harbor died Monday.

Alvis "Al" Taylor was 93.

For many years, the Davenport veteran declined to speak of his memories of Dec. 7, 1941. Late in life, however, he shared many details, especially with his family.

"He remembers every minute of that day  from the time he woke until he passed out from exhaustion," his son, Brian Taylor, said in a 2014 interview. "He'll take it with him."

The senior Taylor was a frequent fixture at local veteran-related events and was thoroughly honored by the public and by his fellow veterans. In fact, it was members of Vietnam Veterans Chapter 299 that paid the way for Taylor and Eldon Baxter, now the last known living Pearl Harbor survivor, to travel to Hawaii in 2013 for memorial ceremonies at the USS Arizona Memorial.

75 years: Remembering North Iowas Pearl Harbor attack survivors, now passed MASON CITY  Most of the North Iowa men who were stationed at Pearl Harbor 75 years ago are 

He was hesitant to make the trip to the place that haunted his memories for seven decades.

About two months before his first return to "The Pearl" in 2013, Taylor disclosed his reservations. He and Baxter met for a photo and interviews at the American Legion in Davenport, and Taylor told me he was nervous  afraid his emotions would get the best of him  even after 72 years.

On the day the Japanese attacked the U.S. Navy fleet at Pearl Harbor, Taylor was an Army man. He was in charge of the fleet of ambulances that transported hundreds of wounded sailors to island hospitals. After suffering a stroke in 2002, Taylor suddenly found himself able to talk about that day.

"It's not easy now," he acknowledged that October day at the Legion, his speech marred by stroke. Tears rose in his eyes as he explained: "So many dead sailors. That's why I have such a hard time going back."

As he spoke, Taylor continuously clutched the arm and hand of Baxter, who was seated next to him.

I later asked him whether the trip had been as hard as he feared. His answer: "Harder."

Harlan Searle, Pearl Harbor survivor, dies MASON CITY | Harlan J. Searle, Mason City's last Pearl Harbor survivor, died Monday at Good 

When the war ended, Taylor served at a naval port in New York, where he supervised the discharge of war dead from ships. Some ships carried the remains of thousands of dead soldiers, and every casket had to be inspected. This meant every casket had to be opened before the remains were assigned escorts and transported home or to national cemeteries for burial.

His wife, Sharon Taylor, explained the routine: "When the ships came in, there were two buglers  one on shore and one in the hold (of the ship)  and they would play taps one note apart. When they were short a bugler one day, they found out that Al plays, and they went to him. Very reluctantly, Al went in the hold and played."

His chin quivering with emotion, Taylor added, "I cried through the whole thing."

Just prior to the anniversary of Pearl Harbor in 2014, Brian Taylor told about the time his dad's memories  and the pain that came with them  came tumbling out.

"It was shocking," he said. "After he told it, I understood why he kept it to himself. The first time I saw my dad in tears and turmoil was that day. There was some terrifying stuff  tugging on bodies and their skin falling off."

The younger Taylor had seen pictures and video footage of the attack, but he realized after hearing his father's story what the images failed to capture.

"You can see the pictures, but you can't smell it and taste it," he said. "My dad can still smell that smell and taste that taste 73 years later. I sat there stunned and silent for the better part of an hour. Afterwards, we both were stunned  him from remembering and me from realizing what he'd done.

"The things he told me  you don't forget that. It's your dad, with tears rolling down his face."

He added: "He's a hero to our family. He's a hero for me. But you call him a hero, and he says, 'No. The heroes are all dead. They died that day.'"
Don Knepper, Chief Revenue Officer Both Don and Kevin have incredible track records at fueling growth in their previous roles, and were delighted theyre joining the Striim team to help further drive our early momentum, said Ali Kutay, Chairman, President and CEO, Striim

Striim, provider of an end-to-end, real-time data integration + streaming analytics platform, today announced the appointment of Don Knepper to the position of Chief Revenue Officer, and Kevin Colon to the position of Vice President of Sales, East. In his new role, Knepper will lead Striims global sales team and architect the companys strategy for rapid revenue growth following a record-breaking 2016. A key executive on Kneppers team, Colon will be responsible for driving sales in the East U.S. region, as well as execution strategy.

Knepper brings more than 35 years of experience in the technology industry to Striim, including over 20 years at Oracle where he was most recently Senior Vice President & General Manager, Enterprise Technology, North America Sales. At Oracle, Knepper created a collaborative culture integrating direct sales, overlays and presales teams to develop and implement successful go-to-market strategies. Knepper led the North America-based division with revenue responsibility in new software and PaaS cloud sales, teaming with channel and integration partners to deliver valued solutions into Fortune 500 and Private 100 companies across all verticals.

Colon joins Striim with more than 25 years of enterprise software sales experience, most recently as Director of Strategic Accounts, North America for Informatica. At Informatica, Colon created a widely adopted corporate value presentation and related go-to-market strategy. Colon was responsible for creating a culture of success and teaming, while tripling sales revenue. Prior to Informatica, Colon held multiple sales management and strategy positions at leading companies including Oracle, BEA Systems and webMethods.

Striim is coming off an explosive 2016 where we saw record growth in the number of companies using our real-time integration and streaming analytics platform to make better decisions on fast data, said Ali Kutay, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Striim. Both Don and Kevin have incredible track records at fueling growth in their previous roles, and were delighted theyre joining the Striim team to help further drive our early momentum.

The Striim platform is game-changing when it comes to real-time integration and intelligence, said Knepper. I could not be more thrilled to join such an incredibly seasoned and successful team at Striim, and look forward to propelling even greater adoption of the Striim platform throughout the industry.

The leadership, products, and market focus at Striim are impressive advantages in the new world of instant-information requirements for customers, said Colon. I am excited about our collective opportunity to meet the demands of a real-time world.

For more information on the Striim leadership team, please visit http://www.striim.com/company/.

About Striim

Striim (pronounced stream) is an enterprise-grade, real-time integration + intelligence platform. Striim makes it easy to create streaming data pipelines  including change data capture  for real-time log correlation, cloud integration, edge processing, and streaming analytics. Companies worldwide use Striim to deliver real-time analysis and visualizations for fraud/cybersecurity, customer experience/QoS, replication risk management, and Internet of Things (IoT) analytics. For more information, please visit http://www.striim.com, read our blog at http://www.striim.com/blog or follow @striimteam. The fully loaded Striim platform is also available for download.
14th Annual Best of San Antonio: Breast Cancer  Bench to Bedside Community and academic clinicians rely on this meeting each year to analyze results and have them discussed within the context of daily breast cancer practice.

For breast cancer clinicians and researchers who were unable to attend the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) or those who desire a more intimate review and analysis of its highlights, a novel half-day, complimentary meetingthe 14th Annual Best of San Antonio: Breast Cancer  Bench to Bedsideis being offered by Imedex on February 4, 2017 in Chicago. Chaired by Kathy S. Albain, MD, FACP, FASCO from the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Illinois. Bench to Bedside addresses the educational needs of clinicians who provide clinical care to patients with breast cancer.

For the most part, results presented at SABCS are not yet published, yet many are ripe for incorporation into practice standards. Bench to Bedside encourages with this translation from research to practice. Community and academic clinicians rely on this meeting each year to analyze results and have them discussed within the context of daily breast cancer practice. This meeting fills a major gap in learning for the participants, as evidenced by the many who return year after year," said Dr. Albain.

With an all-star faculty line-up, including the chair, Suzanne A.W. Fuqua, PhD (Houston, TX), Constantine Godellas, MD, FACS (Maywood, IL), Dawn L. Hershman, MD, MS (New York, NY), Hope S. Rugo, MD (San Francisco, CA), Debu Tripathy, MD (Houston, TX) and Eric P. Winer, MD (Boston, MA), the half-day agenda includes discussion on updates in novel therapeutics, neoadjuvant and adjuvant approaches, predictive biomarkers, prevention and survivorship care. The complete agenda is available at http://www.breastcancerbenchtobedside.com.

The meeting, held in the Midwest, is certified and organized by Imedex, an industry leader in providing live and online oncology CME. Imedex is pleased to once again provide this complimentary, educational program to the breast cancer community. For more information and to register, please visit http://www.breastcancerbenchtobedside.com.

###

About Imedex

Imedex is the industry leader in developing and delivering independent, accredited healthcare education. The Companys programs specializing in hematology, oncology, and gastroenterology are provided through live events around the world as well as through effective online educational opportunities for on-the-go healthcare providers.

Imedexs high-quality scientific programming translates the latest research into clinically relevant information. Our activities facilitate the needs of time-constrained healthcare professionals who are inundated by information through exceptional organization and outstanding educational value  all with a proven and sustained impact on patient care.

Imedex provides over 50,000 E-learning experiences annually and its live conferences have welcomed more than 100,000 attendees since 2001. The Company has a global footprint and operates in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

At Imedex, we believe education is the best medicine. For more information on Imedex and upcoming conferences, visit us online at http://www.imedex.com, on our E-learning Center at http://elc.imedex.com, or via email at registration(at)imedex(dot)com.

Other upcoming Imedex events:

Great Debates & Updates in GI Malignancies

March 24-25, 2017 | New York, New York

Wyndham New Yorker Hotel

http://www.greatdebatesingimalignancies.com

Great Debates & Updates in Hematologic Malignancies

April 7-8, 2017 | New York, New York

New York Marriott Downtown

http://www.greatdebatesinhematologicmalignancies.com
E-Z Photo Scan, the leading marketer and rental agent of desktop photo-scanning systems, announced RootsTech attendees personally scan their prints and slides for free during the event, Feb. 8-11, 2017, in Salt Lake City. This is the first event in the companys year-long program to Make 2017 the Year to Digitize Your Family Photos, encouraging all families to make their family histories digital.

To participate, RootsTech attendees can bring any quantity of photo prints, scrapbook pages and slides to expo booth #1111 during exhibit hours Tuesday-Friday. Attendees will have the chance to use professional-grade, high-speed scanners to digitize family memories, without having those treasured photos leave their possession. To make image storage easy and simple, E-Z Photo Scan will make photos available after the event. Also, on Saturday, E-Z Photo Scan is part of the interactive activities of Family Discovery Day. This year, E-Z Photo Scan expects to eclipse a combined total of 250,000 family photos scanned from its three RootsTech appearances.

This first event of the year-long Digitize Your Family Photos program is going to be bigger than ever," says Richard Rick Lippert, president, E-Z Photo Scan. "We are bringing lots of professional Kodak Picture Saver Scanners, SlideSnap 35mm slide scanners, and the brand new SlideSnap X1 auto-slide scanner. Plus, we are working with Scannx in introducing the very latest Zeutschel Scanners powered by Scannx Software for digitization of modern or historical books, manuscripts, or other cultural heritage.

We are also encouraging all RootsTech attendees to bring family history books for scanning at the neighboring FamilySearch booth, adds Lippert.

At RootsTech, FamilySearch will have a separate book-scanning booth, across from E-Z Photo Scan, says Dennis Meldrum, Manager, Book Scanning Operations at FamilySearch. We will scan personal history books at the conference and make them available on at books.familysearch.org website within a week. There are currently 320,000 books on the site, and hope to add 300 more at RootsTech.

E-Z Photo Scan will also offer free consultations with professional personal photo organizers.

RootsTech attendees understand the value of pictures and realize the importance of family treasures in the form of photographs, says Kathy Craig, of Memories Managed, a certified member of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO) based in Columbia, S.C. They come with hearts full of family and enjoy their pictures.

RootsTech attendees will also be able to take advantage of sale prices on photo-scanning equipment, story patches from Stkr.It (while supplies last), and a chance to win one of three free week-long rentals of either a photo scanner or a slide scanner.

For information about attending RootsTech, visit http://www.rootstech.org

About E-Z Photo Scan

Founded in 1995, E-Z Photo Scan has worked with many community centers, historical societies, museums, and individuals to help them organize and preserve their photos and documents. Their team has long recognized the need for photo organization and management service providers, having seen individuals who find digitizing photographic archives to be a daunting, expensive and time-consuming task. It was awarded Kodak Picture Saver Scanning Systems Global Value-Added Re-Seller Leader of the Year.

About RootsTech

RootsTech is a global family history event, where people of all ages learn to discover, share, and celebrate their family connections across generations through technology. At RootsTech, there is something for everyone, no matter your experience in family history or your skill level in technology. RootsTech will be held on Feb. 8-11, 2017, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Innovator Summit will be held on Feb. 8 2017, also at the Salt Palace.
SaltWorks launches three new packaging styles for Artisan: boutique glass jars with black walnut lids, salt shakers, and ceramic salt grinders. We are confident that customers are going to love the beauty and versatility.

Bulk sea salt supplier SaltWorks, Inc. will exhibit at the upcoming Specialty Food Association 2017 Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, CA from January 22-24. SaltWorks will be located in the North Hall of the Moscone Center at booth number 164. During the show, SaltWorks will debut three new retail-ready packaging styles for its reimagined gourmet and specialty sea salt brand Artisan Salt Company.

The Artisan line debuted in 2005 and was the first full line of gourmet sea salts ever offered, comprised of traditional sea salts from around the globe, artisanal finishing salts and all-natural handcrafted smoked salts. The new packaging offers tremendous benefits to retailers and consumers alike, and reinforces SaltWorks passion for and commitment to producing the highest quality sea salts available on the market.

"To reimagine and refresh our Artisan brand, we designed packaging and invented containers that are unique, attractive and highly functional," said SaltWorks CEO Mark Zoske. "We are confident that customers are going to love the beauty and versatility, and will be proud to display Artisan on their restaurant tables or in their home kitchens."

Designed from scratch in-house by SaltWorks, the innovative patent pending packaging includes:

New boutique glass jars: The jars were thoughtfully redesigned to be short and wide, making it easy to grab salt with your fingers or use a spoon. The lids are made of solid black walnut wood that is sustainably harvested in the NE United States and feature a food-grade silicone seal invented by SaltWorks to ensure the jars remains airtight.

New salt shakers: Designed to be the standard display width to fit in retailers' spice racks, the unique square shape ensures that the shakers always face forward. With the look and feel of glass, the containers are made of BPA-free polycarbonate that is highly durable for everyday use. SaltWorks' engineering team redesigned the lid to make the containers much easier to refill and ensure the caps close tightly to keep the container airtight when not in use.

Brand new cutting edge salt grinders: Exclusively designed and offered by SaltWorks, the grinder containers are made of the same high quality, unbreakable polycarbonate as the salt shakers and feature a revolutionary ceramic grinding mechanism that is infinitely adjustable to produce any desired granulation, from a very fine powder-like consistency to coarse, crunchy crystals. The container can easily be refilled and reused.

SaltWorks focused on sustainability and each packaging style is meant to be refilled and reused by consumers. The new packaging options are available for retailers in wholesale case quantities of six containers on SaltWorks' wholesale website: http://www.seasalt.com/wholesale.

For more information on the new packaging options, visit SaltWorks at booth number 164 in the North Hall during the Winter Fancy Food Show (January 22-24), or contact the salt experts at 1-800-353-7258.

About SaltWorks, Inc.

The most trusted name in the salt business, SaltWorks has been satisfying salt enthusiasts around the world since 2001. Serving wholesale, distributor, and bulk customers as well as individual consumers, SaltWorks offers a superior selection of the highest quality all-natural sea and mineral salts in a range of exact grain sizes and quantities to suit any application. The first and largest specialty salt company in the world, SaltWorks truly pioneered the gourmet salt business and produces the finest brands including Artisan Salt Company, Ancient Ocean Himalayan Pink Salt, Fusion naturally flavored salts, Pure Ocean, Pacific Blue Kosher Flake Sea Salt, Ultra Epsom and Bokek Premium Dead Sea Salt. SaltWorks continues to revolutionize the natural salt industry with its steadfast dedication to innovation, product integrity and world-class customer service. Proudly certified SQF Level 2 with an Excellent rating, SaltWorks is also fully HAACP and GMP accredited by NSF International. All SaltWorks products are all natural, kosher certified and guaranteed for purity and quality. Discover the SaltWorks Difference and shop the best sea salts in the world at http://www.seasalt.com.
Augusta Precious Metals Awards Gold IRA Content Contract to Foster Executive Writing We want to continue providing that much-needed information and transparency even after they become gold IRA customers, and Foster Writings work will help us do that in a helpful and meaningful way.

Augusta Precious Metals, a leader in the physical gold IRA industry, today announced the award of a content production contract to Foster Executive Writing and Editing of Lincoln, Nebraska, for production of gold IRA information to help customers learn about and understand the value and inner workings of gold IRAs.

When our customers work with Augusta Precious Metals retirement specialists to learn about the way physical gold IRAs and silver IRAs work, they become very knowledgeable and confident about their own precious metals investments, said Augusta president and CEO, Isaac Nuriani. We want to continue providing that much-needed information and transparency even after they become gold IRA customers, and Foster Writings work will help us do that in a helpful and meaningful way.

Kindra Foster, president of Foster Executive Writing and Editing said, We are excited to work with Augusta Precious Metals for a number of reasons, not the least of which is their integrity. They are growing fast, and we love being associated with companies that treat their customers well. Foster said the company will work on content ranging from blogs and articles to social media content, press releases and web pages.

One of the harbingers of a company with integrity is that they are not afraid to share information with their customers and remain transparent, Foster said. Augusta Precious Metals has given us direction to do just that. It makes our job easy, and its gratifying to be a part of such an effort.

Augusta Precious Metals Positive Consumer Reviews

Foster said the content production company is particular about which clients it works with, and a rigorous vetting process is used before aligning with any organization. Weve learned its not worth becoming involved with enterprises that do not have the same values we do, she said. It might seem crazy, but we dig pretty deep to find out if a company is on the up-and-up.

A part of the vetting process included visiting with the companys leaders, talking with customers and vendors of the company, posing as a potential gold IRA investor, and reviewing independent consumer reviews. Reviews and calls give us an opinion of the company right from the horses mouth, so to speak, Foster laughed. If customers are happy, and they can cite specific reasons their purchasing experience has been good, you can pretty well depend on that information as a viable judgment of the company.

She said Augusta Precious Metals even has received positive reviews by third-party industry websites, such as IRAgoldadvisorin spite of the fact that some of those companies have attempted to discredit or eclipse Augusta Precious Metals in online searches.

Its an extremely competitive market, Foster explained, But when a company honestly does treat its customers right, its pretty difficult to manipulate the buying landscape too much. In the end, the company with true integrity will win out, and that makes our job as information producers much easier.

Other Augusta Precious Metals Advantages for Gold IRA Content Production

Nuriani added that the gold IRA company has earned a number of other certifications and indicators of the companys integrity, including a A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and an AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance.

We adhere to the standards of the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) for coin grading, and we are an industry-recognized Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) authorized dealer, he said. According to Nuriani, the company stays abreast of industry regulations and is dedicated to proper compliance through membership in the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA) and membership in the National Ethics Association.

The Augusta Precious Metals website claims that the company operates under values-based business practices and the family behind the company has more than 40 years of experience in the gold and silver business.

ABOUT AUGUSTA PRECIOUS METALS

A thought leader and respected provider of physical gold, silver and other precious metals products, including precious metals contained in gold IRAs and silver IRAs, Augusta Precious Metals is committed to helping Americans protect their hard-earned assets by making the gold and silver buying process affordable, easy and personal. The Nuriani family has thrived in the gold and silver business for more than 40 years, providing high integrity, knowledgeable and friendly personal service, and the industrys lowest prices. Read the companys more than 98% five-star reviews at Trustlink.org. Learn more about Augusta Precious metals gold IRA products and services at Augustapreciousmetals.com.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and DuPont Protection Solutions announced today that they inducted 27 officers to the IACP/DuPont Kevlar Survivors Club in 2016.

The IACP/DuPont Kevlar Survivors Club honors law enforcement personnel who, in the course of protecting the communities they serve, have survived potentially debilitating or life-threatening incidents thanks to their body armor. The 2016 inductees include officers serving in Colorado, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee and other states. The situations they faced were as varied as the job of law enforcement itself, but the outcomes were the same: survival, the chance to return home to family and continue doing the jobs they love.

We look forward to working together with DuPont in the upcoming year to continue to raise awareness of the importance of officer safety practices, said IACP President Donald W. De Lucca, Chief of the Doral, Florida, Police Department. Through the Center for Officer Safety and Wellness, IACP is committed to looking at officer mental well-being, physical health and tactical safety through a diverse number of programs. DuPont has been a steadfast supporter of these efforts and is equally committed to keeping officers safe.

For more than 50 years, DuPont Kevlar has helped keep law enforcement officers safe so they can in turn help keep their communities safe. The everyday dangers officers face while protecting the public make the increased use of body armor essential to reducing the likelihood of death and disability.

DuPont continues to be committed to research and development of new technologies with Kevlar to help maintain the safety of law enforcement personnel and improve their chances of survival in the event of life-threatening situations, said Steve LaGanke, Global Marketing Manager, Kevlar Protection. Were dedicated to helping protect those who protect us.

Founded in 1987, the IACP/DuPont Kevlar Survivors Club has, to date, honored well over 3,000 officers whose body armor helped save them from death or serious injury. For details about the IACP/DuPont Kevlar Survivors Club, visit http://www.theiacp.org/survivorsclub.

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About the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)

The International Association of Chiefs of Police is a professional association for law enforcement worldwide. For more than 120 years, the IACP has been launching internationally acclaimed programs, speaking on behalf of law enforcement, conducting groundbreaking research, and providing exemplary programs and services to members across the globe.

Today, the IACP continues to be recognized as a leader in these areas. By maximizing the collective efforts of the membership, IACP actively supports law enforcement through advocacy, outreach, education, and programs.

Through ongoing strategic partnerships across the public safety spectrum, the IACP provides members with resources and support in all aspects of law enforcement policy and operations. These tools help members perform their jobs effectively, efficiently, and safely while also educating the public on the role of law enforcement to help build sustainable community relations.

About DuPont Protection Solutions

DuPont Protection Solutions is a global leader in products and solutions that protect what matterspeople, structures and the environmentand enables its customers to win through unique capabilities, global scale and iconic brands. DuPont Kevlar helps protect law enforcement officers, military personnel, athletes and astronauts; DuPont Nomex helps protect firefighters, industrial workers and race car drivers, as well as mass transit and wind energy systems; DuPont Tyvek helps protect chemical industrial workers, as well as sterile medical devices and building construction; and DuPont Corian resists the growth of bacteria to help protect hospital patients against infection. For more information about DuPont Protection Solutions visit: http://www.dupont.com/protection-solutions.

# # #

DuPont and Kevlar are a trademark and a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.
Harris FliteScene CERTON provided an effective, timely, and in-depth analysis in their important role as a FACE Verification Authority and are valuable partners in achieving this goal.

Day 2 of the final Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Consortium meeting of 2016 convened to discuss and promote reusability and interoperability of software components. Harris Corporation, in addition to hosting the FACE meeting at their Palm Bay facility, announced conformance for their FliteScene software. Judy Cerenzia, The Open Group FACE Consortium Program Director, presented Brad Truesdell, Director of Programs for Avionics Business Unit at Harris, with the official FACE Conformance Certificate for FliteScene. Brad states, Harris Corporation has been a proud member of the FACE Consortium since its inception, and conformance verification for Flitescene is a momentous step forward. Harris FliteScene Digital Map is a high performance, combat proven, feature rich, digital moving map software product that provides advanced situational awareness for the most demanding conditions faced by both civilian and military flight crews. FliteScene supports advanced terrain awareness and obstacle avoidance features to help keep you safe during your mission. http://www.Harris.com/solution/flitescene-digital-map

The Open Group FACE conformance Verification Authority (VA) activities were executed by CERTON Engineering in Melbourne, FL. CERTON is a trusted leader in DO178, DO254, ARP4754, and ARP4761 airborne safety certification. Doug Williams, Chief Systems Engineer at Harris, had the following to say about the interactions with CERTON and the FACE Conformance Process:

Conformance verification activities ensure that our customers receive quality solutions that meet the growing need for common software architecture. The standards established by the FACE Consortium are a significant step forward in open architecture initiatives. CERTON provided an effective, timely, and in-depth analysis in their important role as a FACE Verification Authority and are valuable partners in achieving this goal.

CERTON is one of only two commercial VAs and the only commercial VA to have performed verification activities on a FACE Certified UoC (Unit of Conformance). FACE Certification was affirmed by the FACE CA Certification Authority, Vanderbilt University. Justin Bragan, CERTON Director of Sales and Business Development, said:

The FACE Technical Standard is an important enabler for building meaningful and reusable software components for today and tomorrows airborne systems. CERTON is proud to be a part of the FACE consortium and honored to be one of only a handful of FACE VAs. Our goal as a VA is to accurately verify FACE conformance with minimal impact to the companies developing FACE UoCs. For FliteScene, CERTON completed our VA activities in less than 10 days. We hope our involvement promotes additional interest and utilization of the FACE Technical Standard.

About The FACE Technical Standard

The FACE Technical Standard, http://www.OpenGroup.org/FACE, is the open avionics standard for making military computing operations more robust, interoperable, portable and secure. The standard enables developers to create and deploy a wide catalog of applications for use across the entire spectrum of military aviation systems through a common operating environment. The latest edition of the standard further promotes application interoperability and portability with enhanced requirements for exchanging data among FACE components and emphasis on defining common language requirements for the standard.

About CERTON

Over the last decade, CERTON has established an identity of unparalleled safety-critical certification solutions in the aerospace, medical device, and transportation industries. CERTON has internally developed tools and exclusive technology designed to streamline approvals of safety-critical systems, software, and complex hardware. These competitive advantages allow CERTON to minimize the time-to-market of customer products while providing a Firm-Fixed Cost to its customers. CERTON provides expertise in all phases of systems, software, and complex hardware product design life cycles to support rapid approval of safety-critical customer products.

Contact CERTON today at sales(at)certon(dot)com or visit http://www.CERTON.com to see how we can reduce the overall cost of your safety-critical software or hardware approval.
Hannah Spencers The Wolf of Allendale The fates of two wise men from the same village living in different time periods are connected by one mythical creature  and forces they cannot control  in this compelling supernatural tale.

In a Druid village in Northumberland, England, Bran, the village leader, must face two dangerous opponents: an otherworldly animal and formidable invaders from the south.

Two thousand years later, at the dawn of the Industrial Age, this sleepy English village once again faces the frightening menace. Something is killing the sheep-and leaving large, mysterious footprints across the countryside. Bert, an old shepherd, is the only villager who understands what is happening. The beast that once terrorized this land, a mythical wolf, has been disturbed for the first time since the Iron Age, and only one weapon can stop it: an ancient ritual that has nearly been lost to time.

Separated by eons, Bran and Bert must battle this fearsome wolf using the sacred practice that has been passed down from generation to generation. Both must face the threat of the mysterious beast and the end of their way of life. Bran's culture is imperiled by Roman conquest. Bert's shepherd life is threatened by the railways and mines that encroach upon his small town.

In The Wolf of Allendale (January 17, 2017; E-Book; ISBN 9780062656735), Hannah Spencer uses the well-known legend of the Wolf of Allendale as a creative lens to examine the clash of progress and tradition and brings to light ancient folklore that is nearly forgotten.

About the Author

Hannah Spencer is the author of The Story of Light (Moon Books, 2014) and numerous short stories that have been published by Cracked Eye, Penny Shorts, Bewildering Stories, Writing Magazine and Writers Forum. Between writing, Spencer works on a dairy sheep farm in Warwickshire, England. Visit her online at hannah-spencer-author.weebly.com.

About HarperLegend

HarperLegend is a new line of eBooks from HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. We seek to discover and publish authors of visionary and transformational fiction in digital first format. For more information, please visit http://www.harperlegend.com.
Jacob Beaver's The Man Who Walked on Water The Man Who Walked on Water challenges the assumptions and certainties of a logic-driven, mainstream urban culture and offers an inviting alternative perspective that is open to mystery and new beginnings.

Dumped, depressed, and bored with his dead-end job, Londoner John Mallory decides to shake up his life. He accepts his journalist brother's offer to help him on a documentary film investigating a pastor in rural Tennessee who claims he can walk on water. Locals are convinced it's the Lord's work. John and his brother, Steve, have their doubts, and hope the film will answer the question: Is it a true miracle--or a giant hoax?

When John arrives in Appalachia, he discovers a few unexpected surprises, including a charming hotel receptionist who catches his eye and the charismatic, deeply religious pastor who coyly dodges the fact-focused investigation. The deeper John becomes immersed in this charming bucolic community that is so different from the harried, cold London he knows, the further conflicted he becomes. At a spiritual crossroads, John must decide what he wants: to force a decent man to prove his faith and return to an empty urban life--or to explore the possibilities this new world of mystery, warmth, and faith-focused life holds?

Jacob Beaver's beautiful and witty novel The Man Who Walked on Water (January 17, 2017; E-Book; ISBN 9780062664563) challenges the assumptions and certainties of a logic-driven, mainstream urban culture, offering an inviting alternative perspective that is open to mystery and new beginnings.

About the Author

Jacob Beaver was born in Kenya in 1964 and grew up in England. A part of the London publishing world for twenty years, he worked as an editor at the Royal College of Art and at Goldsmiths, University of London. In 2007 he married in East Tennessee, where he now lives. His writing has appeared in the London Review of Books and other British publications. Find him online at jacobbeaver.com.

About HarperLegend

HarperLegend is a new line of eBooks from HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. We seek to discover and publish authors of visionary and transformational fiction in digital first format. For more information, please visit http://www.harperlegend.com.
KMR Aviation dba West Coast Worldwide is now part of the West Coast Aviation Services brand portfolio With the addition of West Coast Worldwide to the West Coast Aviation Services brand, we have expanded our capabilities to provide worldwide services to our customers, said Gary Standel, West Coast Aviation Services Founder and President.

Leading aviation services provider, West Coast Aviation Services, is proud to announce that long time alliance partner; KMR Aviation has officially joined its brand portfolio under the dba West Coast Worldwide. The rebrand aligns the two companies to offer greater capabilities and expanded services while creating a seamless experience for their customers.

Established in 1989, KMR Aviation dba West Coast Worldwide offers aircraft management and global private jet charter services. In 2008, the company hired West Coast Aviation Services to expand and manage its aircraft management and charter business. Through its reorganization and the efforts of a dedicated staff, under the leadership of Gary Standel and Laura Trenerry, the company strengthened its infrastructure and now manages the largest Challenger 604 fleet in Southern California. The success of the alliance has also led to expanded capabilities as West Coast Worldwide has been granted approval, as one of a select handful of operators, to conduct charter operations in and out of Cuba, with restrictions. As its services continue to expand, the rebrand to West Coast Worldwide offers the companys new parent organization, West Coast Aviation Services, greater cohesiveness and strategic growth capabilities in the private charter marketplace.

Effective immediately, the West Coast Worldwide (WCW) brand will join West Coast Charters (WCC) as part of the Part 135 charter fleet offered by West Coast Aviation Services continuing to bring together a diverse fleet of over 30 aircraft available for on-demand charter. The two distinct fleets greatly complement one another, from turboprops to light, midsize and large cabin jets, to offer customers a wider range of charter options to meet their unique travel needs.

The two companies share an administrative, accounting, charter, sales and marketing staff streamlining internal processes, further enhancing the customers experience. Laura Trenerry, West Coast Aviation Services Vice President of Flight Operations, oversees the two separate flight operations teams based in Orange County John Wayne Airport and Ontario Airport, while Jerry Hansen, the Director of Operations for both certificates, is responsible for maintaining a fully compliant, safe and reliable Part 135 and Part 91 operation. Additionally, the capabilities of the West Coast Aviation Services Part 145 Maintenance facility in Long Beach can provide expert support for the entire WCW and WCC fleets.

With the addition of West Coast Worldwide to the West Coast Aviation Services brand, we have expanded our capabilities to provide worldwide services to our customers, said Gary Standel, West Coast Aviation Services Founder and President. As we complete trips to Europe and the Hawaiian Islands, I am also excited about our new certification of approval to operate flights to and from Cuba. With our fleet of six 12 passenger Challenger 604s based in California, availability is good to book your next trip.

About West Coast Aviation Services

West Coast Aviation Services is a full-service aviation company providing Part 135 Charter Services in turboprops, light, mid-size and heavy jets; Fractional Shares of King Air B200s and 350s; Aircraft Sales, Management and Consulting Services; as well as Aircraft Maintenance. In business since 1987, the company is headquartered at the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California (KSNA) and maintains two charter certificates for aircraft based at various locations throughout Southern California and Nevada. The Part 145 Repair Station located in Long Beach, CA (KLGB) is an Authorized Hawker Beechcraft Service Center and Piper Service Center, Authorized vendor for Raisbeck Engineering, and Blackhawk, and is a Dealer for Garmin, Rockwell Collins and Bendix King Avionics among others.
MASON CITY | Court documents shed new light on the moments after Mason City police were called to a double homicide in the city's Highland Park neighborhood.

The documents, part of a search warrant application, contain details of what police say they saw, heard and found while responding to a report of a shooting Nov. 17 at 1620 N. Hampshire Ave.

Investigators found Caleb Christensen, 37, and Mindy Kavars, 54, both of Mason City, dead inside the home.

Peter Veal, 30, of Lake Mills, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

Although the search warrant application was written the night of the killings, it was not made made public until mid-December.

The witness, Christensen's cousin, called 911 and said Veal had shot his cousin and then hit him, the witness, in the head with a pistol, according to the documents.

Police found Christensen dead on the floor of the living room. Kavars was slumped over the left side of a recliner.

Blood was spattered on the walls and floor, according to the search warrant, and there were footprints.

An autopsy later determined Christensen died from stab wounds and Kavars from a single gunshot wound to the chest and neck.

Two officers, Roungaroun Phaiboun and Josh Stratmann, wrote that they attempted to provide first-aid to the victims but could not detect any signs of life.

Phaiboun spotted a handgun on the floor between the recliner, where Kavars was sitting, and the night stand next to it. The gun did not have any rounds in the chamber but there were bullets in the magazine, he noted.

The reports do not say if police believe that gun was used to shoot Kavars.

Investigators took a Walther handgun, a magazine and four unfired rounds as evidence, according to the search warrant return.

The return, an itemized list of what was taken, also notes an unfired round found on the living room floor, a metal fragment, a shell casing, blood samples and clothing.

Investigators also collected a container of a white crystallline substance or powder from the end table in the living room and a glass vial filled with a leafy substance.

A police officer reported seeing a meth pipe on the floor next to Christensen's body.

Veal was spotted about four blocks from the home.

He ran and was caught a few blocks away, behind a house at 12th Street Northeast and North Carolina Avenue, according to a police report.

The documents do not say if Veal said anything to officers who took him into custody.

His attorneys, assistant public defenders Nellie O'Mara and Steven Kloberdanz, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

A staff member who took messages for them on Tuesday said both were in court.

Veal, who was taken to a hospital after his arrest, was handcuffed to his bed when police arrived about 5 a.m. to pick him up, according to the documents.

Originally slated to go to trial next week, Veal's case was delayed so he can undergo a psychiatric assessment to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial.

His mother, Leann Veal, testified at a court hearing earlier this month that her son had a history of paranoia and delusions.

Peter Veal remained jailed Tuesday on $1 million bond at the Cerro Gordo County Jail in Mason City.
Naperville Attorneys Adam Wirtz & John Fioti Roscich & Martel Law Firm, LLC, in DuPage County, announces the hiring of Associate Attorney Adam Wirtz and Attorney John L. Fioti who will serve as of counsel.

Roscich & Martel Law Firm, LLC, located in Naperville, Illinois, is pleased to announce the hiring of Associate Attorney Adam Wirtz, and Attorney John L. Fioti who will serve as of counsel to the firm.

Naperville Attorney Adam Wirtz will concentrate his practice in personal injury, civil litigation, and criminal and traffic law. He also has extensive experience in handling family law and collections matters.

Prior to joining Roscich & Martel Law Firm, LLC, Wirtz managed a successful solo practice in Naperville, and also spent over five years working with a well-known general practice law firm in Aurora. Wirtz obtained his B.S. with honors from Northern Illinois University, and went on to earn his J.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During law school, he worked with the University of Illinois Civil Litigation Clinic, the Federal Public Defenders organization, and the University of Illinois Office of Technology Management. Wirtz is an active member of the Illinois State Bar Association, DuPage County Bar Association, and Kane County Bar Association.

DuPage County Attorney John L. Fioti brings over 25 years of litigation experience to his role as of counsel to Roscich & Martel Law Firm, LLC. Fioti primarily focuses his practice in the areas of criminal law, traffic and DUI law. He earned his B.S. in Finance and Economics from Elmhurst College, and graduated with his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. Fioti holds several special qualifications; he is a Chair Qualified Arbitrator for the Circuit Courts of DuPage County, Cook County, and Kane County.

Fioti is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, where he served on the Associations General Assembly for three terms. He is also a member of the DuPage County Bar Association, the West Suburban Bar Association, and the Justinian Society of Lawyers. He currently serves as city prosecutor to the City of Oakbrook Terrace, and is the administrative adjudicator for the Village of Carol Stream.

About Roscich & Martel Law Firm, LLC:

Roscich & Martel Law Firm, LLC is located in Naperville, Illinois. The DuPage County family law firm provides high-quality legal counsel in the practice areas of divorce, family law, criminal law, traffic law, and personal injury. The firm also handles matters pertaining to business and corporate law, real estate, and estate planning.

The accomplished Illinois lawyers have been recognized by numerous professional organizations including: Super Lawyers, The American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, The National Trial Lawyers Organization, Leading Lawyers, and AVVO. For information or to schedule an initial consultation with a member of our legal team please call 630-355-5222 or visit http://www.randrattys.com.
Nikaza, Inc. today announced the launch of Nikaza Context Hub, a service that connects indoor location companies, beacon networks, and Wifi networks with programmatic advertising. With its proprietary technology that embeds location and context in bid requests, Nikaza is able to inform bidders of the exact location and context of a mobile user, allowing them to deliver a more relevant experience to those consumers. As a key part of this launch, the company has signed an agreement with Corner Media, a leading Digital-Out-Of-Home (DOOH) media firm, to create a proximity network of over 400 retail and mixed-use destination venues in key US DMAs. Corner Medias real estate network will provide Nikaza with current consumer context and intent-to-buy information on a projected 100 to 150 million mobile users in the US, giving digital advertisers an unprecedented opportunity to reach consumers during critical in-the-moment buying behavior.

According to a recent ComScore study, content consumption via mobile devices has exceeded content consumption through the desktop and has grown about 82 percent since 2014. Nikaza is positioned to take advantage of this growth and enable publishers and advertisers to reach this growing market.

"Nikaza Context Hub is designed for brands to take advantage of the context of content consumption to influence in-the-moment engagement and conversions versus solely relying on offline intent signals and data that are stitched together, said Mano Pillai, CEO of Nikaza. Our partnership with Corner Media gives us a very rapid start in establishing our service as one of the most valuable data sources in the digital advertising industry.

Corner Media will immediately begin deploying a Nikaza network comprising of 10,000 connection points within the year. Both companies expect to reach between 250,000 and 900,000 individuals per venue, per month with the possibility of reaching millions of individuals on a daily basis across hundreds of venues throughout the top US DMAs.

With the fragmentation of beacon networks and proximity solutions, Nikaza unifies these disparate networks via the Context Hub, opening up monetization opportunities through a context-oriented header bidding service. Proximity service providers and beacon networks implementing physical web experiences can take advantage of it to monetize their inventory. Our partnership with Corner Media is the first among many networks that we plan to activate in the coming months, said Pillai.

This partnership represents a great opportunity for Corner Media to further expand our location-based media offerings for our advertisers and real estate partners, said Joe Kunigonis, President of Corner Media. We expect this segment of location-based data enrichment to grow rapidly, as this is a critical component to the success factor of mobile programmatic advertising within the physical environment.

About Corner Media

Corner Media is a location-based digital media company that brings together digital outdoor, mobile and data to the physical space. The company focuses on choice, high-pedestrian traffic locations  the irreplaceable community corners  where brands can reach their ideal customers. Corner Media offers innovative outdoor campaigns, including digital displays and cutting-edge mobile advertising products with advanced targeting capabilities. For more information, visit http://www.cornermedia.com

About Nikaza

Nikaza, Inc. is one of the first companies to make the most valuable targeting information - mobile consumer context - available to the digital advertising industry. The Nikaza Context Hub is a cloud-based service through which advertisers and publishers can identify the best opportunities for placement based on intent-to-buy information. Nikaza Context Hub brings this information together from a variety of proximity networks, including physical web, beacons, and wi-fi. The company also offers the Nikaza Connection Point (NCP), an advanced IoT node that identifies and transmits this information to the Nikaza Hub from any number of key locations. Together, these technologies change the landscape of digital advertising by providing richer, more accurate consumer context data. For more information, visit http://www.nikaza.io

Press Contact:

Ken Chow

443.472.2179

ken(at)growthcurvemarketing(dot)com
Shweiki Media presents a new webinar on VR and AR for business VR is a valuable tool that businesses can utilize in their digital marketing strategy to truly grow their business, and with essentially endless possibilities, it has the potential to serve as a real competitive advantage. Past News Releases RSS The Importance of Word of Mouth:...

Why It Pays to Be Customer...

Copywriting Tips for Social Media...

Virtual reality is a type of technology that is becoming more and more prevalent -- not only in the world of video games, but in everyday life. It's also a valuable tool that businesses can utilize in their digital marketing strategy to truly grow their business, and with essentially endless possibilities, VR has the potential to serve as a real competitive advantage.

Shweiki Media Printing Company is pleased to announce that they have teamed up with Mitch Joel to present a new digital marketing webinar featuring strategies for growing a business with virtual reality and augmented reality.

Mitch Joel has been dubbed the rock star of digital marketing by Marketing Magazine, as well as one of North Americas leading digital visionaries. As president of Mirum, a global digital marketing agency operating in close to 20 countries with over 2,000 employees, he is able to share his innovative insights into digital marketing and business transformation on a worldwide scale. He is also an author and blogger with keen insights into virtual and augmented reality and how businesses can best use the technology.

In this webinar, Joel begins with a brief intro to virtual reality and augmented reality.

Virtual reality is basically taking what's on the internet -- including information and experiences -- and moving that from a flat screen to a real or three-dimensional world. Virtual reality is a bit of a weird and interesting immersive experience, like in Facebooks Oculus Rift. During the experience, the user is immersed in, and blocked out of, the real world.

In contrast, augmented reality allows users to see the real world as they would currently see it, with information from the internet or three-dimensional information layered on top of it. Examples of this reality include Pokemon Go or Microsofts HoloLens product.

Joel also discusses the following topics:

-Setting goals for augmented reality and virtual reality

-Producing content using these technologies

-Business models for AR and VR

-Possibilities for big and small businesses

The webinar is available on Shweiki's YouTube channel and, with an accompanying blog, on Shweiki.com. Click here to watch the webinar now!

Shweiki Medias mission has always been to help publishers improve by providing the most profitable, hassle-free printing experience possible. This includes guaranteeing the highest quality product, exceptional customer service, world-class communication, an on-time guarantee, and no surprises whether printing magazines, postcards, flyers or anything else.

As a printer and publisher, Shweiki Media also believes that this hassle-free experience includes making their clients better. Utilizing relationships with industry experts, Shweiki Media strives to educate clients and help them thrive in the exciting world of publishingwhile having lots of fun along the way!

For more great info from and about Shweiki Media, please check out our blog at shweiki.com/blog (and sign up for our free weekly expert webinars!), and subscribe to our Youtube Channel at youtube.com/shweikimedia. You can also follow us @ShweikiMedia and like us at Facebook.com/shweikimedia
Alan B Pearl, Chair Labor & Employment Group - SilvermanAcampora LLP Our focus is delivering unequaled service to our clients with the development of practice areas populated by industry leading practitioners. Anthony Acampora

SilvermanAcampora LLP announce, with immediate effect, the merger of Alan B Pearl & Associates into the firm. As part of the continued development of the Labor & Employment Law Group the firm has created an expert team of industry wide respected attorneys who bring unparalleled experience and expertise to the firm.

Were delighted to welcome Alan Pearl and his associates, Brian Shenker and Lisa Skruck to the SilvermanAcampora team. I believe Alan is one of New Yorks, if not Americas, leading labor and employment law attorneys with a 40-year pedigree that has rightly earned him a distinguished reputation. Our focus is delivering unequaled service and support to our clients with the development of practice areas populated by industry leading practitioners. Commented Anthony Acampora, Partner-In-Charge, SilvermanAcampora LLP.

Alan B. Pearl, Esq.

Alan Pearl has represented management clients as both a consultant and in a legal capacity for 40 years. Alan began his career as a labor attorney representing unions and currently serves as General Counsel for PMP as well as principal partner in Alan B. Pearl & Associates, P.C.

Alan is a graduate of Adelphi University and Brooklyn Law School. Alan has been a speaker for many organizations throughout the New York-Metropolitan area. His articles on labor and employment issues appear regularly in numerous trade periodicals such as in the heating, air-conditioning and restaurant industries. Additionally, Alan contributes articles to various chambers of commerce publications.

Alan represents management in all aspects of labor and employment matters in the private and public sector, including regulatory compliance under FMLA, OSHA, FLSA, Title VII, ADA, and ADEA. Alan regularly appears on behalf of clients before federal and state regulatory agencies, including the NLRB, EEOC, NYSDHR, and their state counterparts throughout the country. As counsel, Alan has tried jury and non-jury cases in both state and federal courts.

Brian J. Shenker, Esq.

Brian represents employers in all labor and employment matters. He focuses his practice on assisting employers in taking preemptive approaches to employment matters, such as drafting employee handbooks and ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations. He advises clients regarding matters such as ADA accommodations, sexual harassment, hiring and termination decisions, employee discipline, and the implementation of personnel policies.

Lisa Skruck, Esq.

With over 12 years experience Lisa has extensive experience practicing on both sides of the employer-employee fence. Thus, she has a keen understanding of each sides concerns, priorities, and motivations  an understanding which informs her approach, whether she is negotiating a contract or litigating a dispute.

SilvermanAcampora LLP

SilvermanAcampora LLP is a full-service law firm, based in Jericho, NY (Long Island) serving the entire tristate (New York, Connecticut, New Jersey) region. Founded in 1999 by Kenneth Silverman and Anthony Acampor a the firm quickly established itself as one of the premier law firms in New York state. Practice groups include; Corporate, Litigation, Employment & Labor, Real Estate, Government & Compliance, Corporate Restructuring & Bankruptcy.
Small businesses are an underserved market and we are delighted to provide them with access to a wellness program they can afford.

MeYou Health (MYH) and Wellness Corporate Solutions (WCS) have partnered to offer the WellWork Kit Pro, a robust, turn-key wellness program, to small employers. Whereas 90% of large employers have a wellness program, only 22% of small employers currently offer such programs to their population, according to the National Small Business Association. The WellWork Kit Pro enables these employers to bring wellness into their small organization in a dynamic yet affordable way.

The WellWork Kit Pro combines Wellness Corporate Solutions extensive program design experience with MeYou Healths expertise in software development, automation, and social therapeutic communities that drive engagement and outcomes. Were excited to seamlessly integrate with one of the best-marketed firms in wellness, says MeYou Health CEO Rick Lee. Wellness Corporate Solutions has an enviable and respected brand in wellness; we enable our partner to extend into a rich, untapped market full of small employers.

WCS CEO Fiona Gathright agrees. Small businesses are an underserved market and we are delighted to be able to leverage our expertise and the MeYou Health digital platform to provide small businesses with access to a wellness program they can afford.

The WellWork Kit Pro includes:



a full-feature wellness portal, which includes robust online communities, a health assessment, and a dashboard for employers to gain insights into risks across their population

proven programs that help members quit smoking, get more active, and eat healthier

a comprehensive wellness culture guidebook

monthly health education flyers

on-site wellness event guides

To order the WellWorkKit Pro, go to myh.bz/wellworkkitpro.

About MeYou Health

MeYou Health (MYH) delivers a proven engaging, clinically effective, zero-maintenance wellness platform for small employers. Its health interventions use the strength of existing therapeutic social networks, which power engagement and encourage behavior change within small populations. The fully configurable technology platform is optimized for the needs of small group operations. For more information, please visit meyouhealth.com.

About Wellness Corporate Solutions

Wellness Corporate Solutions is a nationwide provider of comprehensive wellness programming and biometric screenings headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Since its founding in 2004, WCS has provided wellness services for more than 700 public- and private-sector clients, including Fortune 100 companies with more than 150,000 employees. For more information, please visit wellnesscorporatesolutions.com.
Comview announced today that it is one of two nominees to receive honorable mention for Mobile Expense Management in the 2017 AOTMP Mobility Awards. AOTMP presented the awards at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 5, 2017.

Comview was nominated for its mobile expense management solution, which is part of its integrated fixed/mobile platform. The company provides customer-centric Telecom Expense Management (TEM), Mobility Management and Call Accounting software and services that reduce cost, complexity and risk of managing telecom expenses, usage and assets for enterprises throughout the communications lifecycle.

Over 80 members of the press and industry-leading analysts who cover the mobile and wireless industry selected the 2017 AOTMP Mobility Awards. This coveted awards program, which has been in place since 2001, represents the most innovative, state-of-the-art mobile and wireless products and solutions in todays market.

The 2017 AOTMP Mobility Awards program included 73 awards from 16 different categories ranging from Smartphones to Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Nominations, which were received by companies and consumers alike, ended on November 29th; and a committee of both members of the press and mobility analysts then voted for the finalists, based on criteria specific to product/solution category.

Were proud to be a finalist for this honor and to be among so many great companies, stated John Perri, Comview Founder and CEO, We congratulate all of the winners across the different categories.

About Comview Corporation

Comview provides fully integrated Telecom Expense Management (TEM), Mobility Management and Call Accounting solutions backed by industry-leading customer service. The companys cloud-based, unified software suite allows companies to easily manage all telecom usage and assets, throughout the communications lifecycle, from a single intuitive interface, including: Invoice Management, Wireless Management (with BYOD and MDM integration), Audit & Optimization, Call Accounting, IT Asset Management, Procurement and more. A managed service/BPO approach and customer for life philosophy provides customers with the highest level of service and support and sustainable ROI. For additional information, visit Comview at http://www.comviewcorp.com.
The Cruise Web Shows Off New Silver Muse Cruise Ship with Infographic We are looking forward to welcoming Silver Muse to Silverseas fleet and await our clients feedback as they sail on this luxurious brand new ship said Karolina Shenton, Senior Marketing Manager at The Cruise Web.

In April of 2017, Silver Muse will make her much-anticipated cruising debut from Monte Carlo, Monaco. The spacious, yet intimate 596-passenger ship raises the bar once again for ultra-luxury cruising. To uncover what makes Silver Muse Simply Divine  as Silversea Cruises rightfully claims  The Cruise Web designed an infographic introducing the lines next masterpiece.

Explore the new Silver Muse luxury cruise ship with The Cruise Webs in-depth infographic:

http://cruiseweb.com/images/cw-infographic-silversea-silver-muse.jpg

With indulgent amenities and plush accommodations, Silver Muses ultra-luxury suites are simply amazing. When guests arent enjoying the walk-in closets, marble bathrooms and elegant decor, the floor-to-ceiling glass doors beckon travelers to visit their private balconies to take in the views.

With suites so spectacular, Silversea Cruises really had to outdo themselves to create public spaces and dining venues enticing enough to convince guests to leave the luxurious accommodations. Relax with a cigar at the Connoisseurs Corner, enjoy a full-scale live production at the LOpera Theatre, mingle with fellow guests while enjoying the view from the Panorama Lounge or recharge in the Spa by Silversea. Or perhaps the inviting waters of Silver Muses Pool and Jacuzzi area will call guests in for a dip!

The onboard culinary experience is a huge part of Silver Muses design, emphasized by the eight distinct dining options. La Terrazza features authentic Italian with an interactive olive oil cellar, mozzarella bar and salumeria. For tapas, look no further than Silver Note where the small plates are accompanied by live music and dancing. La Dame by Relais & Chateaux serves unparalleled French cuisine while Atlantide serves fresh seafood. Silver Muse even offers guests two Asian-inspired dining venues: Kabuki with its Japanese sushi and teppanyaki, and Indochine for the flavors of India, Thailand and Vietnam. Outdoor dining options include the oven-baked pizzas of Regina Margherita or the lava-stone cooking of Hot Rocks.

We are looking forward to welcoming Silver Muse to Silverseas fleet and await our clients feedback as they sail on this luxurious brand new ship said Karolina Shenton, Senior Marketing Manager at The Cruise Web.

Silver Muse debuts just in time for a spectacular season of Mediterranean cruising from April through August of 2017, followed by a repositioning to the Americas for a winter season in the Caribbean and South America.

Learn more about cruising aboard Silverseas Silver Muse by contacting The Cruise Webs luxury cruise experts today!

About the Cruise Web

The Cruise Web is a travel agency specializing in cruise vacations. With more than 20 years of cruise consulting experience, The Cruise Web takes the stress out of cruise vacation planning while pairing travelers with itineraries that meet their needs and exceed their expectations. The Cruise Webs experienced travel agents provide cruisers with the best value for both their time and money. Contact The Cruise Web today at 1-800-377-9383 (toll-free) or 1-240-487-0155 (local), and visit The Cruise Web online at CruiseWeb.com for the best cruise deals.
If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity.

PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move.
MASON CITY  Thirty-seven Mason City High School students will witness the inauguration of Donald Trump as president Friday, thanks to the efforts of history teacher John Lee.

Lee and five other adults will leave Mason City with the students at 2:30 a.m. Thursday, fly out of Des Moines at 6 a.m. and attend the inauguration at noon on Friday.

He said the trip was planned long before the November election. "This is not about who won. This is about giving these students the chance to experience what has made us a unique nation since the 1700s," said Lee.

"It's a prerequisite for a democracy."

History will be made this Friday An historical event, which happens every four years, takes place this Friday morning.

Four years ago, Lee took a group of 17 students to the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

It's special for the students, he said, because for most of them it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"The trip was open to anyone who wanted to go. It's expensive  a little over $2,000," said Lee. "But we put the word out early enough to give kids time to raise some money  and some 'scholarship' money was donated for some who needed it."

People who want to keep up with the students' activities can go to a Facebook page Lee is creating: MC in DC.

The entourage will fly back to Des Moines Sunday night, arriving in Mason City at about 1 a.m. Monday "if everything goes according to plan," said Lee.
OSAGE | Robert Rob Lenz, 70, of Osage, died Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, at the Mitchell County Regional Health Center  Emergency Room, in Osage.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, at the First United Methodist Church in Osage, Iowa, with Pastor Julie Schubert and Pastor Gary Gilbert officiating. Burial will be in the Osage Cemetery with military rites conducted by the Osage American Legion Post 278. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home in Osage.

Rob was born June 8, 1946, in Osage, the son of Duane Thomas and Ellen (Richards) Lenz. He attended Riceville Community School and graduated in 1964. On Sept. 3, 1966, he married Karen Dutton. To this union three sons were born and they later divorced in 1995.

Rob entered the Iowa National Guard in 1966 and retired as Sgt. 1st Class in 1990. He worked for 30 years in the automotive parts business for Osage Motor Supply, Sieg Auto Parts, Big A Auto parts and Car Quest. In 2000, Rob went to work at TOPS Manufacturing and retired from there in February 2015. For over 55 years he owned and operated Lenz Signs.

Rob was united in marriage to Linda Wilken Meek from Greene, on June 23, 2001. Robs family grew from five to twenty overnight and he handled it very well. Many times at family get-togethers you would find him standing back with his hands to his chin, taking it all in, shaking his head and we were sure wondering what he had gotten himself into, but he handled that very well also. He loved each new son and daughter-in-law and grandchild as his own. They will miss him when they have a project or repair to be done. He was always at their beckon call and dropped everything to help them out.

Rob was a life member of the American Legion and a member of the Osage Jaycees for 18 years, where he held numerous titles as an officer on the local and state levels. Rob also was very active in local snowmobile club and was a past president of the Mitchell County Groomers where he helped with fund raising and establishing and grooming of the local trail system.

Rob is survived by his wife, Linda Lenz of Osage; children, Tony Lenz (significant other, Linda Herman) and his daughter Ellen of St. Ansgar, Nick (Katelind) Lenz and their children Thomas and Lauren of Osage, Robert Meek (significant other, Deann Crabtree) and children Charity, Tristan, Hunter and Hayley of Charles City, Lisa (Jeff) Bramer and their children, Dillon, Hayden and Tucker of Osage, John Meek (fiancee, Lisa Stabenow) and son Kamden of Charles City, Richard Meek and children, Caleb, Coryne and Cooper and their mother Lisa Reed of Osage; special extended family, Kate (Chad) Shoars, Nick, Jasmine, Nic, Natalie and Kylah all of Mitchell; step-mother, Elaine Lenz; uncle, Roger (Gilma) Lenz; aunts, Bonnie (Al) Gemaehlich and Margaret Fey; and numerous cousins.

Rob is preceded in death by an infant son in 1977; parents; grandparents, Clinton (Mary) Richards and Tom (Bessie) Lenz.

Information available and condolences accepted at www.champion-bucheitfuneralhome.com

Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home, Osage 641-732-3706
Readers Respond

Yiannopoulos Controversy Continues

The controversy over Simon & Schuster imprint Threshold Editions deal to publish Dangerous by Milo Yiannopoulos, a Breitbart editor, continued throughout last week. We published several stories, and comments showed our readers to be fairly divided on whether the publishing community ought to protest the publication of the book or whether that would amount to censorship.

We reported that many booksellers are planning not to stock the book but would special order it for customers who want it. This offended one reader, Neil McCaffrey, who said, This is censorship plain and simple.

Later in the week, we reported on a letter of protest sent to S&S CEO and president Carolyn Reidy signed by more than 160 childrens authors and illustrators. A bookstore owner praised the eloquence with which this stance was taken:

This is another reason why I so love the childrens book author and artist community. Not only have these incredibly talented folks taken a principled stance, but they have done so with eloquence, integrity, and dignity. I am both elated and humbled by their action.

Peter Glassman (founder/owner, Books of Wonder)

From the Newsletters

Tip Sheet

Derek B. Miller, author of The Girl in Green (HMH) and an international affairs specialist, selects five books on the complex relationship between media and government.

Childrens Bookshelf

More than 160 childrens book authors and illustrators have signed a letter protesting Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopouloss deal with Threshold Editions.

Religion BookLine

Talking with Wm. Paul Young about the film adaptation of his blockbuster book The Shack (Windblown), due in theaters in March.

BookLife Report

The indie authors guide to Amazon reader reviews. publishersweekly.com/amazonguide

Sign up for these and other great, free newsletters here.

The most-read review on publishersweekly.com last week was The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson (Random House).

Blogs

ShelfTalker

Elizabeth Bluemle of Vermonts Flying Pig Bookstore on some lessons shes learned since she became the stores sole proprietor.

Podcasts

Week Ahead

PW senior writer Andrew Albanese discusses the AAPs hiring of former register of copyrights Maria Pallante and previews the upcoming ALA Midwinter Meeting in Atlanta.

More to Come

The More to Come crew on the rise in print graphic novel sales last year, the end of Scribds subscription comics service, and DCs plan for new Watchmen stories.

PW Radio

James Kwak discusses his new book Economism: Bad Economics and the Rise of Inequality Pantheon), and PW editorial director Jim Milliot takes a look at 2016 in numbers.
New stores prep for openings in Texas and North Carolina; a store takes root in the former home of a long-time Pennsylvania bookstore; an Illinois bookstore considers going nonprofit; and more.

Childrens Bookstore Coming to Raleigh: Former teacher and librarian Christine Brenner is opening Read With Me, a childrens book and art shop, in March. On January 16, Brenner launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $50,000 to set up the bookstore, art gallery, and workshop for children ages 0-17.

Book Warehouse Opening in Laredo: Book Warehouse, with 19 discount stores across the country from Auburn, Wash., to Daytona Beach, Fla., is opening a new location in March in conjunction with the opening of the Laredo Outlets in Laredo, Tex. The chain offers books discounted 50-80%.

West Chester Books Thrives in Former Home of Chester County: Michael Fortney, a longtime employee and brother-in-law of retired owner Kathy Simoneaux of the Chester County Book Co., opened a store in the same location in the West Goshen Shopping Center in West Goshen, Pa., last November. The response has been phenomenal, Fortney told the Daily Local. Chester County closed in July.

Indigo to Relocate Corporate Office: Canadian chain Indigo signed a long-term lease to move its home office to a mixed-use development at King Portland Centre in Toronto in 2019. The new offices, which are nearly 15,000 sq. ft. larger than their current ones, will be close to 80,000 sq. ft. spread over four floors.

Time to Dissolve Seminary Co-op?: Although sales are up for the first time in more than a decade at Chicagos Seminary Cooperative Bookstores, it still ended the year with a $205,136 operating deficit. At the annual meeting last month, director Jeff Deutsch suggested changing the co-ops articles of incorporation and becoming a nonprofit.

Towson Circle B&N to Reconfigure: Retail Properties, which owns Towson Circle in Towson, Md., wants to increase visibility for its businesses. As part of its redevelopment plans, Barnes & Noble will consolidate onto street level and give up its below-grade space. Retail Properties is also planning to build 371 apartments.

Willow Books Closes in Acton, Mass.: On Thursday, January 12, David Didriksen began a closing sale for the bookstore that he founded 20 years ago. In May 2014, he put the store briefly on the market before deciding to continue to run it. If I was 10 years younger, I wouldnt be closing, Didriksen told WCVB-TV. But Im at that point where my kids dont want to do it and I didnt find a buyer.

Obituary: Duttons Books Owner Dave Dutton (1937-2017): Longtime Los Angeles bookseller Dave Dutton died from complications from Parkinsons on January 13. He was 79. Duttons death came almost exactly ten years after he closed the North Hollywood Duttons store. In 1961, he returned from Europe to manage his parents bookstore for what was supposed to be only a year. In the mid-1970s, he and his wife, Judy, took over ownership of Duttons and opened shops in other locations. My dad loved not only literature, but he loved people, and our bookstore was a place for everybody in Los Angeles to gather, and to browse, or just to hang out, his son, Dirk Dutton, told the LA Times.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Spensa Technologies Inc., a precision agriculture technology company, announces a unique insect phenology model that can more accurately predict insect patterns in near real-time.

Traditional phenology models start from an assumed insect population distribution based on historical data. Spensas new Dynamic PhenologyTM instead makes use of current trap data from a specific field to accurately predict future insect stages.

The new capabilities allow growers and agronomists to predict timing for insect life-cycle events such as when they hatch and when they fly, critical data for the effective use of pesticides. Unlike traditional prediction models, Dynamic Phenology incorporates real-time weather data and pest observations to sustain a much higher degree of accuracy.

Located in the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette, Indiana, Spensa Technologies creates technologies that assist agribusiness to better control insects, weeds and disease.

With Spensas Dynamic Phenology capabilities, growers get instant access to vital insect updates that could be harmful to their crops, allowing them to be proactive with their spraying and pest management solutions, said Johnny Park, founder and CEO of Spensa Technologies. We are incredibly proud to present this revolutionary capability to the market and help growers protect their valuable crops while also saving resources for occasions when spraying isnt necessary.

Changes in insect phenology have occurred and will continue to occur due to insecticide pressure, changes in climate and regional differences. Dynamic Phenology automatically compensates for these changes to get a custom solution for each field.

Dynamic Phenology is part of Spensas Trapping Insights, an enhanced decision-making solution that can be used alongside the companys Z-Trap and MyTraps products. With Trapping Insights, users also gain access to additional features including pest alerts and a degree day calculator.

The Dynamic Phenology technology update was accompanied by the release of the Spensa Agronomic Platform (Spensa AP), which integrates precision ag products into a single, easy-to-use interface.

For more information regarding Spensas innovative pest management technologies or to view current career opportunities with the company, visit www.spensatech.com.

About Spensa Technologies Inc.

Spensa Technologies Inc. was founded in 2009 in the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette, Indiana. Spensas mission is to develop a network of industry-leading devices and innovative technologies to better manage agronomic pests such as insects, weeds and disease. We strive to reduce reliance on manual labor, foster eco-friendly farming and enhance crop production to help feed the world. Spensa gathers high-resolution data, models that use data to reveal insights, and clearly presents findings to help agriculturalists make the most informed decisions possible. For more information, visit www.spensatech.com.

About Purdue Research Park

The Purdue Research Park is the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country. The Purdue Research Park manages the Purdue Technology Centers in four sites in Indiana located in West Lafayette, Indianapolis, Merrillville and New Albany. The more than 260 companies located in the park network employ about 4,500 people who earn an average annual wage of $63,000. The park is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2014 Incubator Network of the Year by the National Business Incubation Association for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.

Purdue Research Foundation Contact: Curt Slyder, 765-588-3342, caslyder@prf.org

Source: Teresa Weirich, 317-730-6105, teresa.weirich@spensatech.com
CLEAR LAKE | Firefighters called to check out a suspicious object someone feared might be a person in the icy waters of Clear Lake instead found a bird.

The object was spotted about 12:15 p.m. Tuesday in the open water created by aerators off City Beach.

Firefighters determined the floating object was a bird, not a person, said Clear Lake Assistant Fire Chief Mike Keefe.

"Most likely a goose," he said.

Fog hanging over the lake early Tuesday afternoon made it difficult to clearly see the object, Keefe said.

"It was a little harder to tell exactly what it was," he said.

-- Molly Montag
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  A gene known to suppress tumor formation in a broad range of tissues plays a key role in keeping stem cells in muscles dormant until needed, a finding that may have implications for both human health and animal production, according to a Purdue University study.

Shihuan Kuang, professor of animal sciences, and Feng Yue, a postdoctoral researcher in Kuangs lab, reported their findings in two papers published in the journals Cell Reports and Nature Communications. The results suggest modifying expression of the PTEN gene could one day play a role in increasing muscle mass in agricultural animals and improve therapies for muscle injuries in humans.

Muscle stem cells, called satellite cells, normally sit in a quiescent, or dormant, state until called upon to build muscle or repair a damaged muscle. Inability to maintain the quiescence would lead to a loss of satellite cells. As humans age, the number of satellite cells gradually declines and the remaining cells become less effective in regenerating muscles, resulting in muscle loss  a condition called sarcopenia.

Kuang and Yue, in the Nature Communications paper, explored the role tumor-suppressor gene PTEN plays in satellite cells. The PTEN gene encodes a protein that suppresses the growth signaling, thereby, limiting the growth of fast-growing tumor cells. Mutation of the PTEN gene is associated with many types of cancers, but how the gene functions in muscle stem cells is unknown.

To understand the function of a gene, the authors first wanted to know how the gene is expressed.

This gene is highly expressed in the satellite cells when the cells are in the quiescent state. When they become differentiated, the PTEN level reduces, Yue said.

By knocking out the PTEN gene in resting satellite cells, the researchers found that satellite cells quickly differentiate and become muscle cells. So PTEN plays an essential role in keeping satellite cells in their quiescent state.

You no longer have the stem cells once you knock out the gene, Kuang said.

In their Cell Reports paper, Kuang and Yue took a step further to examine PTEN function in proliferating stem cells. This time, they knocked out PTEN in embryonic progenitor cells, those that will later become muscle in the mouse. They found that as the mouse grew, muscle mass increased significantly  by as much as 40 percent in some muscles  over that of a normal mouse.

That would be significant in an animal production point of view, Kuang said.

The increased muscle came with a cost, however. Besides creating muscle, those progenitor cells create satellite cells. Without PTEN, not only fewer satellite cells were created, but the resulting satellite cells cannot maintain dormancy, leading to an accelerated rate of depletion during aging.

The faster depletion of satellite cells during aging wouldnt matter much in an animal production scenario, Kuang said. Beef cattle, for example, are harvested before they age. The increase in muscle mass, however, would be a significant advantage in production efficiency.

The findings may lead to improvement in human health, the authors said. The ability to control the expression of PTEN could lead to therapies for quicker healing of muscle injuries.

If you want to quickly boost up the stem cells to repair something, you need to suppress PTEN, Kuang said. After that, youd need to increase PTEN to return the cells back to quiescent state. If we could do that, you would suspect that the muscle would repair more quickly.

Knowing that PTEN also suppresses tumors in many types of tissues, the authors noted that the elimination of the gene did not cause tumor formation in the muscle cells they studied. That suggests regulation of PTEN could be a feasible method for improving human health and animal agriculture.

The National Institutes of Health, the Purdue University Center for Cancer Research and other Purdue resources funded the research.

Writer: Brian Wallheimer, 765-532-0233, brian.wallheimer@gmail.com

Sources: Shihuan Kuang, 765-494-8283, skuang@purdue.edu

Feng Yue, 765-496-6274, fyue@purdue.edu

ABSTRACT

Pten is necessary for the quiescence and maintenance of adult muscle stem cells Feng Yue1, Pengpeng Bi1 , Chao Wang1 , Tizhong Shan1 , Yaohui Nie1,2, Timothy L. Ratliff3,4, Timothy P. Gavin2 & Shihuan Kuang1,3 1 Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, 901W State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 2 Department of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University, 800W. Stadium Ave, West Lafayette, Indiana 3 Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, 201S University Street, West Lafayette, Indiana. 4 Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, 625 Harrison St, West Lafayette, Indiana Satellite cells (SCs) are myogenic stem cells required for regeneration of adult skeletal muscles. A proper balance among quiescence, activation and differentiation is essential for long-term maintenance of SCs and their regenerative function. Here we show a function of Pten (phosphatase and tensin homologue) in quiescent SCs (QSCs). Deletion of Pten in QSCs leads to their spontaneous activation and premature differentiation without proliferation, resulting in depletion of SC pool and regenerative failure. However, prior to depletion, Pten-null activated SCs can transiently proliferate upon injury and regenerate injured muscles, but continually decline during regeneration, suggesting an inability to return to quiescence. Mechanistically, Pten deletion increases Akt phosphorylation, which induces cytoplasmic translocation of FoxO1 and suppression of Notch signaling. Accordingly, constitutive activation of Notch1 prevents SC depletion despite Pten deletion. Our findings delineate a critical function of Pten in maintaining SC quiescence and reveal an interaction between Pten and Notch signaling. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14328

ABSTRACT

Loss of Pten in Myogenic Progenitors Leads to Postnatal Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy but Age-Dependent Exhaustion of Satellite Cells Feng Yue, Pengpeng Bi, Chao Wang, Jie Li, Xiaoqi Liu, Shihuan Kuang Skeletal muscle stem cells (satellite cells [SCs]) are normally maintained in a quiescent (G0) state. Muscle injury not only activates SCs locally, but also alerts SCs in distant uninjured muscles via circulating factors. The resulting GAlert SCs are adapted to regenerative cues and regenerate injured muscles more efficiently, but whether they provide any long-term benefits to SCs is unknown. Here, we report that embryonic myogenic progenitors lacking the phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten) exhibit enhanced proliferation and differentiation, resulting in muscle hypertrophy but fewer SCs in adult muscles. Interestingly, Pten null SCs are predominantly in the GAlert state, even in the absence of an injury. The GAlert SCs are deficient in self-renewal and subjected to accelerated depletion during regeneration and aging and fail to repair muscle injury in old mice. Our findings demonstrate a key requirement of Pten in G0 entry of SCs and provide functional evidence that prolonged GAlert leads to stem cell depletion and regenerative failure. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.11.002

Agricultural Communications: (765) 494-8415;

Darrin Pack, dpack@purdue.edu

Agriculture News Page
"ADM already sells more than 50 ingredients and commodities that are used by more than 70 percent of all pet food companies in North America," he said. "With five production facilities and a wide range of successful products, Crosswind represents a strong opportunity to expand our capabilities, and a great fit not just with the Animal Nutrition business, but across ADM's wider portfolio of ingredients, colors and flavors for pets."
Dick Cheney, back when he was vice president, insisted all the TVs in his hotel suite be tuned to Fox News before he arrived.

Its not just conservative politicians who like to stay ideologically insulated, though. So do campus liberals. Consider what happened two years ago at Rutgers University when Condoleezza Rice was invited to be commencement speaker. The faculty council objected and students protested vehemently enough that the former secretary of State backed out.

Theres been a lot of talk about how Americans are stuck in partisan bubbles, especially on Facebook and Twitter. Anecdotes like the ones above remind us that bubbles dont happen accidentally or passively. Instead, many politically minded people are in a state of motivated ignorance: They neither know -- nor want to know -- what the opposition has to say.

As social psychologists, we wondered whether liberals and conservatives were equally resistant to learning about each others views. Some psychology studies, for instance, have suggested that conservatives are more prone to the confirmation bias -- meaning they selectively consume information, like biased news, that aligns with their existing opinions. But we werent so sure that liberals were any more open-minded.

So we created some experiments to check. In one, we offered a chance to win $10 to participants who opposed letting gay couples marry. There was a catch: To qualify for the prize drawing, they had to read eight arguments for legalizing same-sex marriage. As an alternative, they could read eight anti-same-sex marriage statements -- but any potential prize money would be reduced to $7. Greed and curiosity were teamed up against motivated ignorance.

Motivated ignorance won. Most conservatives (61 percent) chose to stay in their bubble and forgo the extra cash. And when we gave liberals the same dilemma? Slightly more, 64 percent, chose to stay in their bubble.

The general trend held regardless of the issue or how we probed their interest. We asked about legalizing marijuana, climate change, gun control and abortion. We even asked about elections (including Donald Trump versus Hillary Clinton). The result was the same: Neither side much wanted to hear from the other.

Participants on both sides acknowledged being largely unaware of the other sides views, and this was confirmed by how poorly they did on a quiz before diving into the rest of the experiment. Rather, participants said that hearing from the other side just felt lousy; they reported it was about as unpleasant as taking out the trash or standing in line for 20 minutes.

Participants pointed to social ramifications too. In a separate study, people we surveyed said they anticipated getting angry if they were to listen to the other side, and suspected that it might damage their relationship with the person spouting off. This might explain why holiday dinners are both cherished (the meal part) and dreaded (the conversation part). Socially speaking, the safe bet is to stay in your bubble.

Although our research found that both liberals and conservatives are averse to learning about the other side, it is fair to ask whether both sides ideas are equally worth hearing. To be civically informed, one should consider a spectrum of reasonable views; fake news, baseless claims and lies are not necessarily in bounds. Trump and his surrogates notoriously played fast and loose with facts and propagated baseless claims. So perhaps opponents of Trump have reasonable grounds to ignore what he has to say.

Still, plugging ones ears can prove costly. For example, during the election, mainstream media spotlighted Trumps most unhinged moments and largely ignored his dominant message -- economic populism. Focusing on coverage of Trumps gaffes made it too easy for the anti-Trump camp to dismiss his supporters as deplorables.

Those who feel politically embattled arent likely to unilaterally abandon motivated ignorance. But they should -- and for their own sake. If their political opponents feel understood, they might be more receptive to hearing what others have to say. Listening to the other side could at least help prepare an arsenal of counterarguments.

Talking past each other is unhealthy for our entire political system. A functioning democracy requires that citizens make informed choices -- which voters cant do if their information sources are ideologically monochromatic. Motivated ignorance replaces the marketplace of ideas with two isolated, noncompeting monopolies. Its a scary situation if, in this deeply partisan moment in U.S. history, the one thing both sides have in common is a lack of curiosity about what the other thinks.
WATERLOO | The Grout Museum District is opening a new temporary Korean War exhibit in summer 2017, featuring the "Faces of the Fallen," honoring Iowans who died during the war.

It will go on to become a permanent part of the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum.

The museum is seeking high-resolution photographs of the following individuals to complete the piece:

 Virgil D. Clark and Everett H. Pendarvis, Cerro Gordo County.

 William F. Garrett, Franklin County.

 Monte M. Auen, Hancock County.

 Joie Korte, Kossuth County.

The photographs should be scanned as JPG files at 300 dots per inch.

Photos can be emailed to chris.shackelford@gmdistrict.org.

Call 319-234-6357 for instructions on how to scan and send a photo.
Go To The Polls And Pull The Lever

We hope everyone turns out to pull the lever next Tuesday (Nov. 8). Actually, new voters wont know what we are talking about, as the...

Letters To The Editor

Street Closure Dangers Neighbors, Friends, Citizens of NYC/QUEENS: Many may not know that NYC has decided to close off miles of streets to cars in...
OSLOs central station at rush hour is a scene not too different from any other main station in any other major European capital: a steady flow of people and trains arrive and depart as they head to destinations all over the country.

What is notable, however, is the volume of people now passing through Norways major rail hub, and using its trains in general. Ridership on state-owned Norwegian State Railways (NSB) services has increased by 5% in each of the last five years to reach 67.1 million passenger journeys in 2015, as more people turn away from the car and take the train.

Recent government investment in new rolling stock and infrastructure capacity improvements as well as more customer-oriented services have all contributed to this upturn. While the previous 10-year National Transport Plan (NTP), which is updated every four years, laid the foundations for this change, the latest 2013-2023 version, is upping the ante.

In total the latest NTP for rail is worth NKr 168bn ($US 19.86bn), an increase in spending of 49%. Investment in 2017 is set to reach NKr 21.9bn while spending in the first four years of the plan has actually exceeded the expected allocation by 7%, or NKr 4.6bn, as the government strives to transform Norways railway into a more important element of its transport matrix.

Greater investment in the network is married to structural changes to how the railway sector is run. Indeed, Norways railway entered a new era on January 1.

Heralded as the most significant change in the Norwegian railway for a generation by the administrators overseeing the transition, the reform has been five years in the making. The most obvious changes are to the two state-owned companies that have overseen the Norwegian network since infrastructure was split from operations in 1996.

Infrastructure manager Jernbaneverket now ceases to exist and has effectively been split into two entities: a new infrastructure manager Bane Nor and a separate Railway Directorate. The Directorate will coordinate developments in the sector, including high-level planning of infrastructure investments and tendering operations contracts for the countrys 4167km railway network, which will be divided into six to eight separate biddable packages.

Among those to which it could award contracts is previous monopoly operator NSB. This company has been streamlined into solely an operating company, severing its rolling stock, real estate, and passenger ticketing divisions into separate state-owned companies.

The Ministry of Transport has driven these changes, and Mr Fredrik Arnesen, the ministrys director general, who is overseeing the railway sector, says they are reflective of how far the railway has come, and the governments vision to establish a more cost-effective and efficient railway sector.

Ive been here for 13 years and when I entered into this office in 2003, the railway sector received very little attention among the politicians in the government, the parliament and in the media, Arnesen says. No one expected that much of the Norwegian railway and it wasnt very good.

Now 13 years later we have a very different situation. We have three times the level of public spending. The transport sector in general, and rail especially, is high on the political agenda and the railway has a positive development and is written about very often by the media.

While plans for reform had been mooted for a number of years, the winter of 2009-2010 was a watershed moment.

The poor performance of the rail network during a particularly harsh winter prompted the government to ask sector leaders to form a taskforce to identify its major problems. Arnesen participated in this process and says that it was commonly understood that the standard and capacity of the infrastructure at that time was poor. However, rather than describing this in-depth, he says the emphasis of the report was on what the authors identified as the three major challenges facing the sector.

an over emphasis on building capacity into the network without considering specific customer needs

an absence of market-led efforts in the sector, which was resulting in a lack of efficiency, and

too many overlaps of responsibility and misunderstandings between the leading bodies.

In response the government allocated more funds for the railway, which is reflected in the projects included in the NTP, including a programme of track doubling, constructing the new 22km Follo Line, and the rollout of ERTMS, and vowed to develop a long-term strategy, which would clarify rails role within the larger transport sphere in Norway.

These changes were given further impetus following the September 2013 general election and the formation of a new minority Conservative-Progress coalition government. The new administration decided to push ahead with major structural reform of the sector, outlining three major political aims:

improve strategic governance to emphasise greater operational freedom

improve relations between different entities working in the sector, and

clarify the laws governing entities working in the sector and to shift some strategic responsibilities between different players where appropriate.

We think that these political ends were well adapted to what we said the challenges were and that we had a very good foundation for reform, Arnesen says. Importantly we also had support from the sector itself, with the main entities - and their employees - open to reform because they saw some weakness in the sector we have today.

The task then was to find a system that was right for Norway. Arnesen says that the Ministry consulted with the industry to see what it thought needed to be improved. It also looked at other countries approach. Our first observation was that there is no perfect model that all countries have chosen to follow, Arnesen says. All models are adapted to specific national differences.

While conscious of developing a system appropriate to Norways star-network centred on Oslo, which features significant single-track sections, among the lessons learned from Switzerland according to Arnesen was the understanding that when you break up the sector that there is always one entity strong enough to hold the others together.

From Britain, Arnesen says of particular interest was how it manages competition processes and how they try to be as predictable as possible. The ministry also looked at how the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) negotiates its contract with Network Rail, the infrastructure manager, and how this situation plays out in Germany. As its nearest neighbour, Swedens approach to market liberalisation was also closely monitored. We tried to find some inspiration in these, he says.

Once they had settled on a model, it was up to the government to negotiate with its coalition partner to agree on a white paper for reform. This was presented to parliament in spring 2015, and approved in June 2015.

Implementation

Arnesen says that since then work has focused on implementation, specifically in three main pillars: reforming Jernbaneverket; introducing competition; and reforming NSB (see below).

I have never before worked on something so complex, Arnesen says. We are changing the structure of the whole sector, which is financially challenging. There are also many people working in the sector, and for many their entire work will change.

Among the biggest obstacles according to Arnesen is the reforms to Jernbaneverket. He says that in its previous form it faced two major challenges: one of which is to be a kind of production entity, which is responsible for building, maintaining and developing the infrastructure. At the same time, it is kind of a strategic rail authority, looking to where we should build railways in the future and supplying the Ministry with the basis for these plans, he says.

As a result, the planning element has been stripped out leaving Bane Nor as an organisation solely focused on building, developing and maintaining infrastructure. Funding will be delivered in four-yearly cycles rather than yearly-appropriations and performance measured in terms of the quality of the existing infrastructure, punctuality and quality of service.

Another key change is the establishment of a board to oversee its activities and improve accountability when things did go wrong.

Bane Nor will also assume ownership of NSBs commercial real estate division, which as Mr Christoffer Serck-Hanssen, managing director of the Railway Directorate, points out doesnt employ a great number of people, but is extremely valuable. We are getting away from a situation where NSB owned the whole station and JBV the railway infrastructure, which gives a better opportunity to coordinate station development, Serck Hanssen says.

Around 3900 Jernbaneverket employees have transferred to Bane Nor with the remainder of its 4000-strong team moving to the directorate. Serck-Hanssen says that as well as Jernbaneverket employees, the organisation is staffed with people from NSB, consultants and people from outside of the industry, including from utilities and the oil sector.

In addition to leading the operations tendering process and purchasing infrastructure services, the directorates work will also inform the National Transport Plan process, all of which Serck-Hanssen says will offer much-needed coordination.

Previously the ministry had the responsibility of putting all of this together without the capacity to do it, he says. We are a more rail-specific unit than the ministry which often had to lean on JBV on certain issues. Now the directorate will look after these.

The litmus test for the reforms are the first two train operating packages: Package South, which encompasses the long-distance service from Oslo to Stavanger and various local and regional services along the route; and Package North, which includes the long-distance service from Oslo to Trondheim, and related regional diesel services as well as diesel services in the north of the country as far as Bod.

Bidding for these packages was initially expected to open in February and May respectively with the goal of starting services at the December 2018 timetable change. However, the ministry says it has revised the timetable in order to clarify some questions relating to the process and to avoid running two competitions simultaneously. Specifically, the ministry requires more time to assess future pension arrangements and also to give the new companies more time to understand their role as sub-suppliers to passenger operators by allowing more dialogue to take place with prospective bidders. In addition, the ministry is keen to accommodate the outcome of the 2018-20289 NTP in the invitations to tender. While no date has been confirmed for bidding on Package South, the expectation is that the contract will still start in December 2018, with Package North following in December 2019.

The ministry led the development of the tendering process up to January 1 with the directorate taking over from that point. Arnesen says that these two packages were chosen to kick off the bidding process as they were straightforward to separate out and have limited impact on the capacity constraints in the Oslo area.

Prequalification began in mid-2016, with approved bidders set to secure five-year eligibility to bid for contracts. And while the competition is constrained by the timetable, the use of existing rolling stock, and the networks capacity limitations, bidders are encouraged to look at how they might be able to grow traffic, including the possibility of running more trains. Arnesen says bids will be judged on price (40%) and quality of service (60%) and could potentially differentiate in areas including management of personnel, sales and distribution, how passengers are met on the trains, and how the operator will work with other transport companies to offer good onward connections.

Strike

However, he is mindful of shaking things up too much. Last autumn Norway experienced its first rail strike in decades as drivers walked out at plans to cut 300 jobs at NSB causing widespread disruption.

Arnesen describes getting the balance between reforming the sector and keeping the unions on side as one of the most difficult things of our work. He says that the unions submitted 13 requirements to the minister and the terms of the tender will reflect the governments response to these concerns.

He adds that going ahead with two smaller packages first will also provide the directorate with the flexibility to alter its approach to more complicated subsequent tenders. In particular, this may inform thinking of how to effectively divide the packages that will serve the Oslo metropolitan area, and multi-use stations such as Skien. Ultimately though Arnesen says the goal is to issue one package per year, and to have completed a single cycle by 2023-2024.

With only two of the networks routes operated on a commercial basis government subsidy will remain crucial to rail operations in Norway. However, experiences from the Gjvik tender in 2005, which reduced the cost to the state by 10%, and from elsewhere in Europe, show that introducing competition can cut this contribution.

When we visited Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany, we heard how opening up regional services there helped to reduce government payments by 50%, Arnesen says. We dont expect to have such large potential in Norway, but we expect to have more efficiency. NSB has said that it is cutting 300 out of 700 administrative positions to prepare for competition. The fact that they can do that makes us think that there is potential for greater efficiency and savings.

2017 is a year of transition for the Norwegian railway sector: for the Ministry of Transport as it takes on ownership of five separate companies; the new Railway Directorate and Bane Nor as they adjust to their new roles; and NSB as it adjusts to becoming a streamlined operator and prepares to bid for the first two tenders.

It will be a few years until the results of the reforms become apparent, indeed before passengers begin to use different branded trains. But change and competition is very much here to stay in Norway as it joins the growing list of European countries to liberalise its passenger market.

NSB prepares for life as a competing operator

INEVITABLY as the incumbent monopoly operator, NSB has the most to lose from opening the passenger rail market to competition. Indeed, the structural reforms have already had a profound impact on the organisation, its identity, and working culture.

Mr Tom Ingulstad, NSB senior vice-president and head of NSB Passenger Trains, says that since the reforms were announced work has focused on overseeing the successful transfer of the companys rolling stock division, real estate holdings, and sales and distribution channels to new independent companies, while preparing the new NSB to compete for future operations tenders.

Relinquishing these sectors is intended to create a level playing field for competition and to prevent a conflict of interest with other prospective bidders. NSB, and third party operators, will lease trains from Materiellselskapet, and award maintenance contracts to Mantena. Critically ticketing will go through a single channel operated by Entur to avoid any discrimination in the market and to provide complete access for passengers, although Ingulstad says NSB is keen to retain its NSB.no web portal and ticketing app. It will also continue to operate services under a revised agreement with the ministry until they come up for tender.

We have to transform into a company without a protected home base for operations, because by definition we will lose this as the ministry gradually divides the network in the next few years, Ingulstad says. Generally, when you are no longer a protected monopoly business, you have to be fewer, you have to run faster, you have to cut costs.

Cost cutting has come in the form of job losses - an estimated 300 by the end of 2016 - with an emphasis on reducing administrative staff and experts in certain areas where NSB can no longer afford to take the lead, particularly in research and development.

Many people will transfer to one of the new companies or the directorate, and Ingulstad hopes that these bodies retain the same motivation as NSB to push the boundaries, pointing to past successes of the NSB passenger app and its approach to the environment.

However, he also emphasises that this is not the first time that NSB has cut jobs.

These are the rules that we have to play by and it is not a case, at this stage, of the management looking to maximise profits, its just about survival, Ingulstad says. We have to calculate the margin and that will be a modest margin, and the rest will be costs. We all need to keep costs as low possible, and sell as many tickets as possible.

The loss of the real estate business and the transfer of its rolling stock debts will result in a major change to the companys financial structure. Ingulstad says the ministry has yet to conclude the level of financial support that the operator will receive for daily operations and to compete in the market, admitting that there is a fine balance between what is required and what might be perceived as unlimited funds from the state.

He did confirm the companys intention to bid for the first two packages, which represent 25% of NSBs current revenue. However, he envisages that any bid will be quite different from the existing operation.

We cannot use the fleet as we used to, we cant use the conductors and the drivers in the same way because they have to be isolated, Ingulstad says. We will also have to run it with less staff and less administration. We are looking for alternatives and to try new ideas and we have come up with some. But it wont be until the government defines exactly what they want, that we will know what to offer.

This is not the first time that NSB has been exposed to competition in its domestic market. In 2005 NSB secured the 10-year public-service obligation contract for the Gjvik Line from Oslo to Gjvik and Skyen to Jaren, holding off competing bids from the likes of Arriva, Veolia, Danish State Railways (DSB) and Keolis. NSB subsequently established its NSB Gjvikbanen subsidiary to operate services which commenced in June 2006. This contract was due to expire in December 2017 following the award of an 18-month extension in 2014, but the ministry agreed with NSB Gjvikbanen in February 2016 to extend the contract until December 2020 in order to facilitate the introduction of competitive tendering.

Ingulstad says unlike the Gjvik Line, NSB will not establish individual subsidiaries to operate any individual packages that it might win. However, separate subsidiaries will be used during the bidding period to avoid a conflict of interest with existing operations.

NSB also has experience in bidding for operations contracts in Sweden through its Tagkompaniet subsidiary. NSB initially purchased a 34% stake in 2005, increasing this to 85% in 2006, and since then the company has gradually increased its footing in the Swedish market. This includes securing the contract to operate Norttag-branded services in Swedens four most northly counties in August 2016, local and regional services in Gavleborg and Varmland, and an international service from Gothenburg to Oslo in cooperation with NSB. It also operated weekend Stockholm - Vasteras - Ludvika services until December 2016.

Ingulstad says NSB is continuing to explore opportunities in Sweden through Tagkompaniet, including a possible bid for the upcoming Pagatag regional tender in Skane.

Business in Stockholm is just as valuable for us now as business in Stavanger, Ingulstad says. The language and the currency are obviously different, but it doesnt matter too much. We are looking at Sweden now as more or less a home market to us.

Denmark and Finland are other prospective markets that Ingulstad says NSB is monitoring closely. However, he is realistic about the companys capabilities and rules out Britain as a target. It would be like bringing a small platoon into battle, he says. We are too small and would be wiped out.

Ingulstad adds that NSBs Swedish experiences have exposed it to the potential competitors in its home market. While the identities of the prequalified bidders have yet to be confirmed, for many expansion across the border is a logical extension of their operations. Ingulstad is therefore anticipating a number of close competitions over the next few years, beginning with the South package when bidding opens at some point in 2017.
Abellio has held the franchise, which operates commuter, regional and inter-city services in eastern England since 2012 and following a competitive tender the company won a new contract to operate the network last August. Abellio has pledged to invest 1.4bn over the nine-year term of the new franchise, completely renewing the rolling stock fleet with new trains from Bombardier and Stadler.

We are delighted to have reached agreement with Mitsui, fulfilling our long-standing objective of running the franchise as a 60:40 joint venture, says Abellio UK managing director Mr Dominic Booth. With the introduction of Mitsuis knowledge and experience, we look forward to delivering significant improvements for Greater Anglias customers, including through the introduction of a brand new fleet.

The sale of a stake in Greater Anglia marks Mitsuis entry into Britains rail franchise market, although the company is a minority partner in a consortium with Abellio and JR East which is bidding for the West Midlands franchise.
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Nearly two months ahead of its US debut on 9 March on FOX, Lionsgate has signed major international format deals for its Kicking & Screaming reality series.





Format rights covering France, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have now been licensed to international production group Banijay. And, Lionsgate has also finalised a deal with Sony Pictures Television Networks' VIASAT for the format and series rights in Hungary, where it will be broadcast on VIASAT3.Kicking & Screaming teams ten expert survivalists with partners to face a series of challenges. From executive producer Matt Kunitz (Wipeout, Fear Factor), in association with Lionsgate Television, and hosted by Hannah Simone (New Girl), the competition series drops the duos into a tropical jungle in Fiji, where they must team together not only to brave obstacles, adversity and the elements but to survive each other. To win the competition and a cash prize, the experts will have to drag their partners, Kicking & Screaming, to the finish line."Kicking & Screaming is the kind of truly entertaining, large-scale adventure series, which Banijay's locally based teams produce so well, said Carlotta Rossi Spencer, head of global format acquisitions at Banijay . "Our broadcast clients are reassured by our first-hand experience in creating successful big formats such as Fort Boyard and 71 Degrees North, and we look forward to bringing this exciting new reality concept to European audiences."
MIPTV has announced the panel of judges for the inaugural MIPTV Digital Short Form Series Pitch, a forum for creators and producers of digital native short form series.





With short online formats enjoying a surge in popularity, especially with younger audiences, the MIPTV Digital Short Form Series Pitch sets out to find the best creative talent and to provide a unique opportunity for creators to meet key international decision-makers looking for innovative content. MIPTV will run in Cannes, France from 3-6 April 2017, and the MIPTV Digital Short Form Series Pitchtakes place over the first two days in the Palais des Festivals. The MIPTV Digital Short Form Series Pitch features two categories: Drama (all genres), and Kids Content (animation and youth live action, ages six to 11). The six finalists in each category will pitch their projects to the MIPTV audience, and will benefit from one-to-one meetings with Jury members, whose status as leading decision-makers for the commissioning of short form content for their digital platforms means privileged access to potential partners. The finalists will be announced at the beginning of March.Submitted projects will be reviewed by an international Jury of commissioners from leading networks and digital platforms.
Bolotnaya case defendant Buchenkov to stay detained until March

Context Final charges brought against Bolotnaya case defendant Buchenkov

MOSCOW, January 17 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko)  The Moscow City Court has upheld the extension of detention for Dmitry Buchenkov, who stands charged with participation in the riots on Bolotnaya Square on May 6, 2012, his lawyer Svetlana Sidorkina told RAPSI on Tuesday.

Buchenkov will remain in jail until March 6.

In October, final charges were brought against the defendant. He stands accused of participating in mass riots and attacking persons in a position of authority. There are 6 charge counts and 7 victims in the case against him, Sidorkina said earlier.

Buchenkov pleaded not guilty.

Over 400 people were arrested and scores were injured in the authorized Bolotnaya Square protest that turned violent in May 2012. Dozens were later charged with inciting mass riots and battery against law enforcement officers.

Riot organizers Leonid Razvozzhayev and Sergey Udaltsov were sentenced to 4.5 years in prison each.

Other defendants in the case received prison terms ranging from suspended sentences to four years. Several defendants were pardoned; one is undergoing compulsory mental treatment.
Google files appeal against Russian courts refusal to review its $8,000 fine

MOSCOW, January 17 (RAPSI)  Google Inc. filed an appeal against the Moscow Commercial Courts refusal to overrule the Federal Antimonopoly Services (FAS) decision to fine the corporation 500,000 rubles ($8,000), court documents read on Tuesday.

Earlier, a lower courts ruling in this case was upheld by the Moscow Commercial Court behind closed doors.

The watchdog held that Google Ireland Ltd. and Google Inc. had violated anti-monopoly law by abusing their dominance on the Russian market of mobile applications.

The Moscow City Court dismissed a lawsuit against the watchdog in March. On August 17, the Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals upheld the ruling.

On November 2, the watchdog fined the companies 500,000 rubles each for their failure to comply with its order.

On November 30, FAS announced that it had filed a lawsuit with a commercial court against Google, forcing it to follow the order.

Yet in September, Igor Artemyev, the Head of FAS, stated that the agency was ready to fine Google every two weeks if the company failed to comply with the order.

In case we see the process is dragged out, we will meet every two weeks to impose new fines on them for failing to comply with the order, Artemyev said. It will continue until the final victory [is achieved - ed.] and final court judgement [is passed - ed.], according to Artemyev.
NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yappn Corp. (Yappn or Company) (OCTQB:YPPN), a real-time innovative language solutions Company is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract for eCommerce Translation with Reebonz Limited (Reebonz), one of the most established online luxury companies in Southeast Asia.



Over the summer, Yappn worked on a successful pilot project with Reebonz that included Arabic translation for a number of Reebonz sites in that region. After the successful pilot project, Yappn was awarded a contract to support real-time translation on their newly launched global website. Yappn will initially support four languages with an additional seven languages to be added at a later time.

Steve Taylor, Chief Sales Officer said: Our teams worked exceptionally well together during the pilot and we were able to deliver a great user experience and high quality real-time translation on the Arabic sites. We are very pleased to be taking this relationship to the next level and supporting the new Reebonz global launch.

The annual contract includes translation for the Reebonz.com main site as well as their marketplace site. Yappn has initially translated over 130,000 products and will continue to translate additional products as they are added on a daily basis to the Reebonz site.

Torres Oey, CTO of Reebonz stated: Yappns real-time enhanced machine translation solution allows us to handle the large and dynamic product mix that makes up Reebonz.com and our marketplace site. This solution allows for large-scale translations to be executed at a fraction of the cost of human translation and at the speed and quality we require given the scale and fluidity of our product offering. The customization and enhancement of the translation is an ongoing process based on a collaborative effort between Yappn and Reebonz.

Yappns translation solutions dramatically improve upon traditional translation methods by translating context and syntax along with words, preserving accuracy, meaning and relevance from one language to another. These solutions are hosted on Microsoft Azure, an open and flexible cloud platform allowing Yappn to build applications using multiple languages, tools and framework to deliver Reebonz and all its clients, a dependable offering with a scalable solution that addresses a global marketplace, all in real-time.

Yappn offers a dramatic paradigm shift in the art of translation by providing a seamless, fast, cost effective solution thats hosted on Azure and supports customers anywhere in the world, said Mary-Ellen Anderson, VP Developer Experience & Evangelism with Microsoft Canada. Azures platform provides Yappn and its customers a secure, automated system that can be automatically scaled to meet seasonality, special events, or monthly growth trends.

About Reebonz Limited

Reebonz is one of the most established online luxury sales companies in Southeast Asia. Modelled around the concept of accessible luxury, members can shop on web or mobile for an exciting collection on new and pre-owned luxury merchandise. Reebonz targets customers in the Asia-Pacific region with business operations in eight countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia and South Korea.

About Yappn

Yappn Corp. (OTCQB:YPPN) empowers clients to grow their business and capture new markets through its proprietary innovative language solutions. Offering a complete customizable set of tools to engage consumers in up to 67 languages, Yappns technology gives people, brands and organizations the power to be social, conduct commerce and communicate freely without a language barrier.

For more information, please visit http://www.yappn.com or contact:

Jeanny So, VP, Corporate Communications

E: jeanny.so@yappn.com

T: 1.800.395.9943 x 228

To be added to the news release distribution list, please email: investor.relations@yappn.com with the word News on the subject line.

Forward Looking Information

Legal Notice and Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, and those preceded by or that include the words believes, expects, given, targets, intends, anticipates, plans, projects, forecasts or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. Although Yappn Corp.s management believes that such forward-looking statements are reasonable; it cannot guarantee that such expectations are, or will be, correct. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's future results to differ materially from those anticipated. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in the Company's filings with the SEC including the Current Reports on Form 8-K and the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Reports on Form 10-K. The Company assumes no obligation to update any of the information contained or referenced in this press release.
Dispute over $8 mln between IKEA and Russian businessman to be reviewed

MOSCOW, January 17 (RAPSI)  The Supreme Court of Russia ordered reconsideration of a 507 million-ruble ($8 million) dispute between IKEA's Russian division IKEA Mos and businessman Konstantin Ponomarev over rented diesel generators, RAPSI reports from the courtroom on Tuesday.

The case will be reviewed by the Khimki Court in the Moscow Region.

The Supreme Court overturned lower courts rulings in this case.

In August 2016, the Krasninsky District Court in Smolensk ordered IKEA to pay 507 million rubles to the businessman.

The ruling was handed down after Joakim Virtanen, former general manager at IKEA division in St. Petersburg, had admitted to giving false testimony against Ponomarev in the case.

Virtanen said that he lied to investigators and gave false testimony in court at the request of lawyers who acted on behalf of IKEA Mos.

As a result, Alexander Khokhlov and Semyon Shevchenko who had been hired by IKEA Mos are suspected of pressing witnesses, evidence tampering and procuring perjury. A complaint against the lawyers has been filed with the Prosecutor Generals Office. Moscow City Bar was requested to check the lawyers for breach of Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.

In October, the Smolensk Regional Court dismissed an appeal filed by IKEA Mos against a lower courts ruling in the companys dispute with Ponomarev. The court also upheld seizure of monetary assets belonging to IKEA Mos and prohibition on its reorganization.

Ponomarev is embroiled in a long-standing dispute with IKEA that opted to rent diesel generators to power its shopping malls in St. Petersburg. Five criminal cases were opened against the businessman at the request of the Swedish retailer. However, a probe over alleged fraud found nothing, and the cases were dropped.

As a matter of fact, Ponomarev is one of the key witnesses in the case against Hermitage Capital Management CEO William Browder who stands accused of tax evasion on a large scale in Russia. According to investigators, Browder and Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer and auditor, set up an illegal scheme to siphon off over 500 million rubles (about $7.9 million). Browder was sentenced in July 2013 to nine years in prison in absentia. Magnitsky, who died in prison in suspicious circumstances, was found guilty of tax evasion in a posthumous trial.
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Netsurion and EventTracker CISO John Christly has been named to the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) Small Merchant Task Force. As a seasoned IT security professional, Christly will serve as a voice for SMBs and multi-location merchants to help make PCI compliance even more achievable and payment data even more secure. Netsurion is a leading provider of managed data and network security services for multi-location businesses, and its subsidiary EventTracker is an innovator in security information and event management (SIEM) technology.



SMB retailers vary from small operations with one or a few locations, to larger entities with many edge locations, such as franchises or branch offices. The dispersed nature of their businesses can create security gaps and challenges, leaving them vulnerable to data breaches. Operating remotely with minimal IT budgets and internal resources, they often cannot fortify their payment systems on their ownlet alone efficiently gain and maintain their PCI compliance.

These types of small, remote franchise locations present a huge risk to leading brands across the retail, restaurant, and hotel sectors. Reputational damage and revenue loss from breach news going public impact the individual edge locations, as well as the corporate brand on a national or global scale. Clearly, more needs to be done to improve security at each and every location under the brand umbrella.

According to the 2016 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, remote attacks against the environments where card-present retail transactions are conducted resulted in 534 total incidents, of which 525 had confirmed data disclosure.

The Small Merchant Task Force is a dedicated global effort to help improve payment data security for small businesses. Co-chaired by Barclaycard and the National Restaurant Association (NRA), the task force collaborates on guidance and resources that simplify data security and PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance for some of the most vulnerable businesses preyed upon by cybercriminals.

The task force relies on cross-industry expertise to develop resources that help small merchants understand why and how to protect payment card data and resolve risks to their businesses. Specifically, the group provides:

Best Practices: Recommendations on what is needed to protect the payment environment, including working with security assessors, vendors, and service providers

Simplified Guidance: Easy-to-understand content and resources unique to small business needs that will help them take advantage of PCI best practices, standards, training programs, and solutions

Market Insight: Ongoing input to PCI Council on current trends, issues, and concerns for small merchants

Christly has more than 25 years of experience in technical and cybersecurity-related operational, project, and program management, as well as industry regulations including PCI DSS, HIPAA, HITECH, and more. He formerly served as the CISO and HIPAA security officer for Nova Southeastern University in Florida and was the co-founder and CEO for OMC Systems, a Florida-based cybersecurity advisory firm.

According to Christly, All businesses, even small merchants, need to be able to quickly detect and prevent threats from causing massive damage to their networks and systems, by monitoring and protecting all of their endpoints. A managed firewall is essential but no longer a significant enough barrier on its own. Risk mitigation has become crucial, including monitoring outbound traffic for exfiltrating data.

He currently leads cybersecurity and compliance efforts for Netsurion and EventTracker, providing support to in-house corporate teams, customers, and partners. This post enables him to consistently gain insights into small merchant compliance pains and needs, making him a valuable addition to the task force.

Both Netsurion and EventTracker have fingers on the pulse of many SMB operations and their compliance needs, so we understand the struggles that they go through, said Kevin Watson, CEO of Netsurion. We are honored that John is representing our companies within the group and helping to shape the PCI standard to better meet the needs of our customers and small merchants everywhere.

On every device, computer and network there are new methods thieves are creating to steal data from companies around the world, and smaller businesses are particularly at risk, said PCI SSC International Director Jeremy King. Having a group that is focused on this specific challenge is a critical part of our work to increase security awareness and defend against breaches globally. Its great to have Netsurion and EventTracker, and a wide variety of industries and geographies on board, and we look forward to working together to better protect small businesses.

For more information on the PCI SSC Small Merchant Task Force, please visit https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/pci_security/small_merchant.

Tweet this: .@Christly, CISO of @Netsurion + EventTracker (@logtalk) named to #PCISMB Task Force http://bit.ly/2iuKDBE #SMB #security

Resources

Netsurion Security Blog

Netsurion Success Stories

EventTracker YouTube

EventTracker Case Studies

About EventTracker

EventTrackers advanced security solutions protect enterprises and small businesses from data breaches and insider fraud, and streamline regulatory compliance. EventTrackers platform comprises SIEM, vulnerability scanning, intrusion detection, behavior analytics, a HoneyNet deception network and other defense-in-depth capabilities within a single management platform. The company complements its state-of-the-art technology with 24/7 managed services from its global security operations center (SOC) to ensure its customers achieve desired outcomessafer networks, better endpoint security, earlier detection of intrusion, and relevant and specific threat intelligence. The company serves the retail, hospitality, healthcare, legal, banking and financial services, utilities, and government sectors.

EventTracker is a division of Netsurion, a leader in remotely-managed IT security services that protect multi-location businesses information, payment systems, and on-premise public and private Wi-Fi networks. www.eventtracker.com. Twitter: @logtalk.

About Netsurion

Netsurion is a leading provider of remotely-managed IT security services that protects multi-location businesses information, payment systems, and on-premise public and private Wi-Fi networks from data breaches and other risks posed by hackers. Its new service offering  SIEM-at-the-Edge  is powered by its subsidiary, EventTracker, which helps deliver comprehensive security benefits to edge locations that normally would not have the means to leverage such a solution. Netsurions award-winning remote network security services and PCI compliance solutions help keep businesses of any size secure. Any sized branch or remote office, franchise, or sole proprietor operation can use Netsurion without the costs of onsite support. The company serves the retail, hospitality, healthcare, legal, and insurance sectors. www.netsurion.com
For All Our Sakes, Trump Must Stand Up for Religious Freedom for Muslims, Too

After widely publicized fears of Donald Trump as a threat to pluralism and freedom, it is heartening to see Rex Tillerson, Trumps nominee for Secretary of State, reject the idea of a Muslim registry during his confirmation hearing. When questioned on his position, Tillerson stated, I do not support targeting any particular group.

In the past, there have been instances where the United States has taken a clear and strong stand on religious freedom under the Republican leadership, even when the persecuted community was Muslim.

In 2005, the George W. Bush administration revoked U.S. visas of then-Governor of Gujarat State in India, Narendra Modi, for his role in anti-Muslim pogroms that left some two thousand Muslims dead in his state. Likewise, the 113th Republican Congress passed resolution H.Res 418 urging the Government of Burma to stop the persecution and extermination of Muslim Rohingya population.

At Tillersons confirmation hearing, Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) posed the only question about religious freedom. He asked Tillerson what he would do in India, where faith-based humanitarian organizations from his state were being targeted by the Indian government because of their Christian affiliation as part of the Hindu nationalist onslaught against religious minorities. While Mr. Tillerson did not respond in detail, he was interested in learning more. Clearly Sen. Gardner has opened the door to an important conversation about the future of U.S. policy in Indiaand on religious freedom.

Modis rise to the Prime Ministerial position in India raises important questions about the future of U.S. policy towards a nation that is home to 1.2 billion people, including the third largest community of Muslims and significant populations of Christians, Buddhists, and Sikhs. Each of these communities has faced large scale attacks by militant Hindu nationalist groups that supported Modis rise to power.

What will the U.S. position be toward countries like India where the present administration is promoting violent sectarian sentiments? Will the U.S. turn the other way when even democratically elected governments fuel religious conflict and place religious minorities in the path of increasing religious persecution? How will President Trump stand by Muslim communities who, along with Christians, are fearful of the growing nationalist intolerance that places their community and faith at risk in India?

The U.S. needs to stand for what Tillerson referred to as a position of moral clarity, where human rights are part of American interests, and not an either or propositionboth at home and abroad. We should be guided by our universal aspirations, of which religious freedom is an integral part.

America has an opportunity to stand for freedom at home and abroad, joining with millions of Muslims in America and around the world who want the same thing and will work with us to attain it.

Apparently, this is the approach Tillerson seems to have taken. He stated in his confirmation hearing, If confirmed, I will ensure the State Department does its part in supporting Muslims around the world who reject radical Islam in all its forms.

He would find millions of partners in Indian-American Muslims and their co-religionists in India.

America is home to nearly 3.3 million individuals who practice the Muslim faith. Many of these individuals come from communities that fled violence and persecution, much like many of Americas founding fathers, and are deeply committed to religious freedom.

A Pew Research report from 2007 indicates the Muslim American community is mainly middle-class and mainstream, with very little inclination for radical ideas. Per a Rand Corporation report in 2010, the local Muslim community rejected al Qaedas appeals and actively intervened to dissuade those with radical tendencies from violence. This is especially true for Muslim families that came to the U.S. from Iraq, the Balkans, China, and India. The U.S. has long championed their freedom and provided them refuge from persecution.

There is also a strong business case for the billionaire businessman turned President-elect to shore-up religious freedom. Denials of religious freedom are associated with poorer economic performance and lower global competitiveness, according to a study by researchers at Georgetown University and Brigham Young University. The study looked at GDP growth for 173 countries in 2011 and controlled for two-dozen different financial, social, and regulatory influences.

Across the globe, Muslim leaders are risking their lives to defend persecuted Christians and other religious communities. In Iraq, a country unraveling from ISIS, a Muslim judge who attended trainings conducted by Hardwired Global on religious freedom realized the need to defend minority faiths affected by ISIS in the courts. When ISIS sent him a photo of them beheading his brother, he responded by saying that This is the fate that awaits every Iraqi if we do not stand together for religious freedom.

It is time to come together to call on the President to present a robust policy for religious freedom in the new administration. It is something that Muslims and Christians and every person of faith requires to ensure we all have the freedom to live our faith and traditions openly and fully.

Americans have reason to be afraid of terrorism, including that perpetrated by those professing the Muslim faith. But if our responses are guided by our fears and suppress the religious freedom rights of others, no one will be safe from government oppression on the grounds of deeply-held beliefs.
We live in such a harsh and noisy age that silence can sometimes seem unbearable.

But theres a particular type of silence that is most disconcerting of all. Its a silence we all can experiencenon-believers certainly, but believers, as well.

Its Gods silence in response to the violence and persecutions that ravage our world. Its God silence in response to our seemingly unanswered prayers.

Or its what we take to be Gods silence.

Thats the Silence in Shusaku Endos historical novel and Martin Scorseses recently released movie adaptation of the book.

Non-believers point to this silence, sometimes with contempt, in making their case against Gods existence, but even the most devout believers have experienced that silence. Saint Teresa of Calcutta certainly didfor the last 50 years of her lifeas her letters and diaries make painfully clear. The martyrs depicted in Silence most certainly did while experiencing the brutal persecutions of Christians in 16th and 17th century Japan.

Endos main character, a Jesuit missionary, writes back home to Portugal: Already two years have passed since the persecution broke out; the black soil of Japan has been filled with the lament of so many Christians; the red blood of priests has flowed profusely; the walls of the churches have fallen down; and in the face of this terrible and merciless sacrifice offered up to Him, God has remained silent.

Silence is the story of two Portuguese priests (Father Rodrigues, played by Andrew Garfield, and Father Garrpe, played by Adam Driver) who sneak into Japan in search of their former teacher (Father Ferreira, played by Liam Neeson). There, they learn that, like so many Japanese Christians, Father Ferreira has apostatized. He has been forced to trample the fumieto walk on the image of Christ and, thus, publicly recant his Christian faith. Ferreira is now married to a Japanese woman and living at a temple while working on a book refuting Christianity.

Captured and imprisoned, Rodrigues faces a similar choice: Apostasy or deathnot own his death, but the unspeakably cruel deaths of several devoted Japanese Christians. This was just one of many diabolical tortures Japanese authorities employed to try to eradicate a Christian presence that once numbered some 300,000 followers.

What do I want to say? I myself do not quite understand, Rodrigues writes home to his superiors as he experiences his own Gethsemane and listens to two Christian friends being tortured. Only that today, when for the glory of God, Mokichi and Ichizo moaned, suffered and died, I cannot bear the monotonous sound of the dark sea gnawing at the shore. Behind the depressing silence of this sea, the silence of God the feeling that while men raise their voices in anguish, God remains with folded arms, silent.

Rodrigues agony becomes, and remains, ours. In accomplishing this, Silence at once enlarges our capacity to empathize with the Jesuit priests and Japanese Christians who stepped on the fumie and reduces our ever-ready inclination to judge and condemn.

Thats part of the beauty and truth of Shusaku Endos book and Martin Scorseses film.

The issues of religious persecution, martyrdom and apostasy are all too realfrom Syria to Iraq to Nigeria and other corners of the world today. Stepping on the fumie can take less graphic, more intimate forms in even the most peaceable societies, where its easiermore temptingto deny faith on a daily basis in order to maintain comfortable private lives and a tranquil public life.

Silence helps us explore whether we have stepped on our own private fumie in our daily trials. Do we not face religious persecution of a different kind in todays public square, and how do we respond? And what is our response to those deemed to have fallen short? Is there redemption beyond betrayal? Have we not all raged against the silence?

Yes, Silence teaches us that God works in the silence and our suffering, but it teaches us more: that we are so much more than what is evident on the surface, that we are all weak and fragile, and that we owe it to ourselves, our neighbors and God to focus less on Gods silence and more on ours. To be less ready to judge and condemn and more ready to accept that theres something greater at work in the world, in our brothers and sisters, than well ever know. Christian, Jew, Muslim or pagan, secular or sectarian, Republican or Democrat, left or right, Trump or Clinton or Obama... whateverwe all only see through a glass darkly. At times, Gods silence may be Gods testimony and our silence is itself a witness, for good or ill.

It doesnt require a spoiler alert to share the novels last, beautiful words. Even now I am the last priest in this land, says Rodrigues. But our Lord was not silent. Even if he had been silent, my life until this day would have spoken of Him.

Endo and Scorseses Silence abounds with grace, both artistic and spiritual. See the movie, read the book, though not necessarily in that order. Silence is a story for all times, and maybe especially our own harsh and noisy time.
TULSA, Okla., Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SemGroup Corporation (NYSE:SEMG) is scheduled to attend the U.S. Capital Midstream Corporate Access Day in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017.



SemGroup Chief Executive Officer Carlin Conner and SemGroup Vice President of Corporate Planning and Strategic Initiatives Tim OSullivan will conduct one-on-one meetings with members of the investment community. The presentation materials are accessible in the investor relations section of the SemGroup website at www.semgroupcorp.com.

About SemGroup

Based in Tulsa, Okla., SemGroup Corporation (NYSE:SEMG) is a publicly traded midstream service company providing the energy industry the means to move products from the wellhead to the wholesale marketplace. SemGroup provides diversified services for end-users and consumers of crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, refined products and asphalt. Services include purchasing, selling, processing, transporting, terminalling and storing energy.

SemGroup uses its Investor Relations website and social media outlets as channels of distribution of material company information. Such information is routinely posted and accessible on our Investor Relations website at www.semgroupcorp.com, our Twitter account and LinkedIn account.
I am loath to write another piece on the Russians, the CIA and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Under normal circumstances, the United States touches most events in the world. Now with most of the world's leadership obsessed with Trump's intentions, it has become difficult to do geopolitical analysis without also discussing the incoming Trump administration. And so this constantly brings us back to the triad of Trump, the CIA and the Russians. This will of course pass. But for the time being, avoiding the subject is impossible. The idea that Russian intelligence might have information with which to blackmail the American president has to be examined with care.
Dr. Jessica Ashooh is Deputy Director of the Middle East Strategy Task Force at the Atlantic Council. 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.

This past November, a crowd of more than two thousand young Saudis gathered in Riyadh, the buttoned-up capital of the ultraconservative Saudi kingdom. Uniformly dressed in traditional white kandouras for the men and enveloping black abayas for the women, they sat, rapt, as they listened to an older, bearded man hold forth. Although softly spoken, his words carried a passionate intensity.

The man who so captivated his youthful audience was not an Islamic cleric, or mufti as they are known, many of whom achieve a kind of pious rock star status in the Kingdom. He wasnt a Saudi, or even a Muslim at all. It was Alvy Ray Smith, the co-founder of Pixar, recounting the story of how the groundbreaking animation studio almost never was, having been turned down for financing dozens of times. The gathering was the MiSK Global Forum, an initiative of Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman to provide support and resources to young Saudi entrepreneurs -- women and men -- who are seeking to found startups in Saudi Arabias underdeveloped private sector.

The Saudi startup drive emerges out of a number of current trends in the Middle East that are typically seen as liabilities. A youth demographic bulge means that 70 percent of the Saudi population is under the age of thirty. Yet dramatically lower oil prices mean that the government can no longer afford to absorb them into the public sector, which employs about two-thirds of working Saudis.

In the past, such structural realities would have presented a dangerous story and not much else. But with technological advances that are only a few years old -- including the smartphone revolution -- there is more potential than ever to move these young people into the private sector. The Saudi government is starting to recognize that potential and has made tech-enabled entrepreneurship a backbone of its Vision 2030 reform plans. Its an ambitious undertaking, and its success is not certain. But in an economic and demographic environment where there are few good options other than empowering these young people, it represents a bold step in the right direction that is worthy of U.S. support for clear national security reasons.

These events in Saudi Arabia are part of a broader trend in the Middle East toward tech-enabled entrepreneurial activities. The United Arab Emirates, long an island of stability in a dangerous neighborhood, is seeking to attract startup talent from across the region through its Dubai Future Accelerators program, which challenges Middle East entrepreneurs to develop marketable solutions to the problems of the modern world. In Egypt, female techies crowdsource HarassMap.org to help them map and report Cairos notorious street harassment.

Far from being a fringe effort of the elite, tech-enabled entrepreneurship is developing even in the direst circumstances of the Middle Easts conflict zones. Syrian refugees living in Jordan have founded 3Dmena to train their peers in using 3D printing technology; one of the projects biggest successes was the development of a prosthetic limb component at a cost 95 percent reduced from that of existing manufacturers. Jamalon, the Middle Easts largest online bookseller, was founded by a Palestinian refugee raised in a camp. And at last summers Global Entrepreneurship Summit, held at Stanford University, a young Gazan recalled colleagues using Skype to pitch investors in Silicon Valley even amid the bombardments of the 2014 Gaza war.

Entrepreneurship is also empowering women in the Middle East. More than one-third of startup founders in the Middle East are women -- compared to only 3 percent of tech founders in Silicon Valley. In many cases, women are using social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook as digital showrooms, giving them access to global markets. The additional income that these initiatives provide has the benefit of demonstrating the value of womens work to more conservative family members -- particularly in a time of financial belt-tightening -- and is slowly breaking down retrograde attitudes about gender.

In a Middle East that remains intensely unstable, these developments portend real interests for the United States and deserve the attention of the new administration. Some in Washington are beginning to see the potential of this wave of startup energy. In their bipartisan Middle East Strategy Task Force report, Madeleine Albright and Stephen Hadley assert that [t]he regions people are its most important resource, and push for supporting as a matter of urgency those countries that are trying to develop their human capital, with an emphasis on youth, women, and refugees.

The challenge, however, is to tamp down the current violence in the region to allow these positive initiatives to flourish. In this regard, enhanced U.S. security engagement in the Middle East is crucial. Spoilers like ISIS cannot be defeated without a degree of military pressure, and outsourcing the job to people like Syrian ruler Bashar Assad or Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose security strategies rely on crushing independent initiative rather than nurturing it, is a recipe for an unending cycle of conflict.

Instead, American security engagement should sharpen its focus on the terrorism that is challenging the Middle Easts state system, while simultaneously coupling that engagement with long-term human development efforts that foster inclusive, well educated, and just societies. These are the environments where small businesses can thrive, and it is small businesses and individuals -- not massive state efforts -- that will stabilize Middle Eastern societies and set the region on a more promising path.

The future of the Middle East lies in its people. A small but important group of countries in the region are beginning to recognize this, and deserve support not just because it is right, but because it is smart strategy. An American policy that treats the Middle East not as a short-term problem to be managed but a long-term investment may yield an unexpected dividend: peace.
Property details:

40 ACRES REMOTE AREA FENCED LAND ARIZONA AZ COCHISE COUNTY This listing is for Arizona property for sale by owner; my father spends Winters there now. He is 83 and can no longer travel back and forth to Wisconsin. The Property includes 40 acres of fenced land in Cochise County, Arizona. The legal description is The Southeast quarter of the Northeast quarter of Section 20, Township 19 South, Range 32 East of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Cochise County, Arizona. The property is locat...

Price: $ 49,900 Seller State of Residence: Wisconsin Property Address: Sunset Ranch Est State/Province: Arizona City: Winslow Type: Recreational, Acreage Zoning: General 10 Location: 856**, San Simon, Arizona

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AUSTIN, TEXAS, Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 360training.com, a leading provider of e-Learning courses, is offering an off-premise alcohol seller course to meet the Responsible Beer Vendor Requirement for the state of Tennessee.

When submitting application for Certification of a Responsible Beer Vendor you will be required to provide identification of the training program used. The Learn2Serve Tennessee Off-Premise Alcohol Seller course is approved by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and meets the state's requirements for vendors who sell beer for off-premise consumption.

Upon finishing the course the student will learn how to:

Describe alcohol use.

Recognize the effects of alcohol.

Identify the seller's role in the enhancement of public safety.

Discuss the vendor's responsibilities and obligations under the law.

Define blood alcohol concentration and how it is calculated.

Describe the effects of mixing alcohol with other drugs.

Recognize intoxicated individuals.

Refuse a sale to someone with little conflict.

Prevent disturbances in the establishment and handle stressful situations.

Check IDs accurately, and identify clues for when an individual is using a fake ID.

Recognize second-party sales.

Take the Tennessee Off-Premise Alcohol Seller Training Course and get your certificate immediately upon completion. After finishing the course and passing the test, a digital copy of the official certificate will be available to you. Visit 360training.com and enroll now.

About 360training.com

360training.com is a leading online and classroom-delivered eLearning marketplace. We deliver best in class training content for workforce compliance, continuing education, professional development, and career certification, as well as learning and content management software. Since 1999, our course libraries have grown to include more than 15 industries and 6,000 individual titles. Joining the list of over 3 million learners who have chosen 360training.com to meet their training needs are businesses, training providers, associations, colleges, universities, and subject matter experts.
On Jan. 21, members of the Athens community gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens to take part in Athens First Annual Social Justice Symposium. This event, put together by University of Georgias School of Social Work welcomed students, faculty, business owners and more to hear from advocates of the social justice movement in Athens.
University of Georgia Dining Services was ranked No. 10 in the nation by Niche, a company that compiles information about schools. This student is eating breakfast in the Bolton Dining Commons.
Bolton Dining Commons feeds hordes of hungry students every day. Inside, some food stations have notoriously long lines while others seem to have no wait at all. The infamous lines have everything to do with the popularity of the station. Here is a definitive hierarchy of Boltons food stations - let the big dawg eat.
On April 9, downtown Athens donned a new look for the University of Georgias 18th International Street Festival  strings of flags from countries all around the world hung and tents filled with students eager to share their cultures lined the streets.
For years, a trip to the hair salon for Heidi Truax would inevitably come with awkward exchanges. Stylists wouldn't always know what to charge her, a woman getting a short and traditionally "masculine" cut. So frustrated were she and her spouse, a transgender male, that they cut their own hair at home for several years.

"We both had short hair, and it just got really annoying to sit in somebody's chair and have them be like, 'So do you have any kids?' " said Truax, a 33-year-old Belmont Cragin resident. "Like I don't need the heteronormative small talk, and then I don't need to walk out paying $60 when you cut off an inch of my 3-inch hair. So we just did it at home for a long time."

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When Truax and her spouse were gearing up to get married, they decided to give professional salons another try. But given their experiences, they were looking for a place where they wouldn't feel judged for their sexuality. After taking recommendations from their queer-identified friends, they ended up at Logan Parlor.

Owners Jamie DiGrazia and Tricia Serpe, who opened the salon in Logan Square in 2014, strived to create a space that exudes vibes of relaxation, comfort and acceptance.

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"Just the way that we operate in this space, and I think the way that the space is set up, and the way we've decorated it and everything, I think really makes people feel comfortable," said Serpe, 36.

"We want people to come in, sit at the bar, grab a coffee, read the paper, eat cookies, and then by the time that they get to the chair, they're relaxed and can actually have an open conversation and ask questions," DiGrazia added.

DiGrazia, 34, said she's inspired by her clientele and believes a consultation before the haircut is key.

"We both came in together, and Jamie D. sat us down and was like, 'Tell me about your hair,' " Truax said. "And I know that sounds weird, but it was the first time anybody had asked me about my hair when I walked into a hairdresser. Usually they say, 'What do you want?' and then they try and talk to you about B.S. Whereas Jamie was like, 'Tell me about your hair. Which way does it go? What does it do? What does it not do? When is it dry?'

"And it was the first time that I was ever able to be like, 'I want the queerest haircut you can possibly imagine; that's what I'm going for right now.' "

Women typically are charged more for hair services than men; the industry has propped up that expectation over time. Most of the time, clients don't even think to question the salon's prices.

Lauren Kieninger (left), a co-owner of the hair salon Barbara &Barbara in Logan Square, works with a client. (Lenny Gilmore)

Such a price structure can put LGBTQ people in an uncomfortable position. They are often charged more or less for a service because of their gender assigned at birth, rather than the amount of time it took the stylist to complete that service. So gender nonconforming people face more struggles than most in a salon setting, where typical small talk might be awkward and a stylist might have to ask invasive questions to determine the price of a cut.

Mia Smith, a 42-year-old transgender female, faced many of the same struggles during her transition. Although she's had many wonderful experiences with stylists, she recounted a number of bad ones, including being publicly outed in a busy North Carolina salon when she was 18. But now, having been a stylist herself for 23 years, she saw a void in the industry and wanted to fill it. She did that by starting Safe In My Chair.

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"I wanted to create a resource for transgender clients to be able to find salons and stylists that were not only safe but who were warm, welcoming, inviting and open to embracing their transition," Smith said. "The salon means so much more to me than it does to anybody else. While I'm a stylist as well and being transgender, the salon for so many years as Mark was reallyand in the chair, not behind it, but in the chair was the only place that Mia existed, other than in my head."

Safe In My Chair's purpose is to educate salon stylists and beauty professionals as well as to provide a free resource for the transgender community. Smith said she gives stylists the knowledge and tools necessary to accommodate the needs of transgender and other LGBTQ clients, transforming salons into welcoming environments.

"Myself and my team, we have vetted these people, we've vetted these salons, we've vetted the stylists, and if they see the little icon next to their name, then they can tell that that stylist has not only been vetted but they have been certified and passed my training course," Smith said. "They have spent four hours with me in a very hands-on training course to know what it's like to have to deal with transgender people, to know what it's like to have to deal with a dysphoric meltdown, to prepare your salon, to prepare yourself, to be able to listen without responding. Too many people these days want to listen to respond. They don't want to listen to understand."

Logan Square salon Barbara & Barbara has a class with Safe In My Chair scheduled for Feb. 20 (other stylists are welcome to attend; see the salon's Facebook page for tickets), and Logan Parlor is in the process of scheduling training with Smith. Both businesses offer gender-neutral pricing, meaning the amount patrons shell out for a trim is based on the length of their hair and the time it takes to cut it, not their gender.

"As a gender nonconforming trans person myself, I have struggled in the past with gender price discrimination in salons and was unable to maintain short haircuts because I wasn't able to throw down $60, not including tip, every four weeks," said Sea Lawrence, 31, salon supervisor and front desk manager for Barbara & Barbara. "After becoming comfortable with myself and my gender identity and comfortable with the stylist I had been seeing, I expressed my beliefs, and she has since changed the way she operates her salon."

"I believe that salons that structure their services based on gender would do better by their clientele and for themselves if they, too, recognized that one, the gender spectrum is broad, and two, in a gendered lens, women shouldn't have to pay more than men to have good hair," Lawrence said.

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Sea Lawrence (left) andLauren Kieninger of Barbara & Barbara, a Logan Square salon that features gender-neutral pricing. (Lenny Gilmore)

Similarly, Katy Roxbury, 30, who wears her hair short, was looking for a place where she felt comfortable after years of getting her hair cut at chain salons.

"I think the biggest thing is just comfort level [at Barbara & Barbara]," the Lincoln Square resident said. "I can come in, I can sit on the couch, I can relate to people that I see around me, I can relate to people that I see cutting hair, so it's kind of a community, I guess. Even if I'm only here every four weeks or every five weeks, it's a good time. I'm not stressed out about getting my hair cut, which before is what it amounted to."

Lauren Kieninger, a co-owner of Barbara & Barbara, which operated as a gallery space before opening as a hair salon in 2010, believes the salon's gender-neutral price structure has been vital to their success.

"It is kind of across the board just promoting gender equality and education on that, so other communities that might not understand gender politics and things like that, they'll come in and ask us questions like, 'Well why do you charge the same for short hair on men and women?' " said Kieninger, 28. "And it's like, 'Well, why should they be charged differently if it's the same cut? It's just on a different gendered person.

"The LGBTQ community really understands it and has always embraced us, and that has been part of our mission statement from the get-go is working specifically with the LGBTQ community. However, it's opening up all communities to understand the issues surrounding gender, not only in the beauty industry but just in general."

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

Serpe and DiGrazia said they wanted the focus of Logan Parlor to be on education for their stylists and for their guests. They also want it to be a place where they can connect with the community.

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"The biggest for me was to have that education being able to be implemented through the salon to help the girls grow," DiGrazia said. "I wanted to be a good mentor to them, and I wanted them to feel confident that whatever walks through the door that they can handle. ... There was no space I wanted to work inwe had to create it."

"But also there's an initial complete understanding that gender isn't binary," Truax said. "That's huge. And that hair doesn't have gender but that it is a representation of who we are. And so like, to be able to just be thoughtful about like, 'Here's how I want to present myself, can you make my hair help me do that?' That's huge."

Lawrence believes more salons will follow in the footsteps of Logan Parlor and Barbara & Barbara.

"I do believe that as people are becoming more aware of a gender-neutral culture and community that more salons are adopting less gendered payment structures," they said. "There aren't many of us yet, but we're out there."

For a complete list of Chicago salons that have been vetted by Safe in my Chair, click here.

@RianneCoale | rcoale@redeyechicago.com
But is the newcomer as good as the O.G.?

Mini-review: Publican Anker

1576 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-904-1121

Rating: !! 1/2 (out of four)



Lately I've been thinking a lot about whether or not I truly exist. It's mostly because I recently rewatched "The Matrix," the premise of which is that the human world is a simulation created by sentient machines to distract us from the fact that those machines are farming humans to subsist on our bodies as an energy source. Normally I'd dismiss such a premise as temporary amusement or stoner fodder, but the recent launch of Publican Ankerthe newest restaurant from One Off Hospitality Group (Avec, The Violet Hour, Big Star)has me wondering if I'm actually living in a simulation.

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According to the movie, a sign of the Matrix is experiencing deja vu, which is explained as a programming glitch made by machines. On the surface, Publican Anker feels like deja vu. It's an extension of a far-reaching brand that includes Publican Tavern at O'Hare Airport, Publican Quality Meats, PQM at the United Center and, of course, mothership The Publican in West Loop. But the restaurant group's name is One Off, a nod to the fact that they're not about creating soulless replicate franchises like TGI Fridays. And yet here we are, five Publicans in. Maybe there's a glitch in the system?



The experience: I don't begrudge the One Off crew for building a brand and profiting. They've launched so many important first moves in this citycraft cocktails at The Violet Hour, new American sustainable and local food at Blackbird, gourmet tacos at Big Starthat I'd be fine with them buying and running all the local Red Lobsters if they wanted.

At first glance, Publican Anker feels a lot like a bar version of The Publican, complete with globe lantern lighting, good beer and oysters. Maybe the most egregious repeat from the original is communal seating. No one likes communal seating. It violates human nature. I doubt even Bill Clinton, the most extroverted extrovert of all time, is like, "I can't wait to sit next to total strangers all night while food runners have no idea whether a plate should be delivered to me or the party next to me."

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Throughout the night, I elbowed or was bumped by the people sitting next to me. I didn't get a chance to taste the marginal pork selection (marginal relative to the original Publican) because the pork collar we ordered was given to the group next to us by mistake. By the time I realized this, we were halfway into dessert and didn't want the pork anymore. The dudes next to us were so loud that our server couldn't hear our order and as a result brought us a half-dozen extra oysters instead of splitting the six oysters we ordered between grilled and raw, as requested. That said, you'll love the loud buzz of the room if you're kicking off or ending a night of drinking in the Wicker Park area.



The food: Unlike the room, the food, which is focused on seafood and vegetables, is a bigger differentiator. "I'm from California. I joke that I have kale and avocado running through my veins," executive chef Cosmo Goss said. "People want foie gras or black truffles, but I'm yearning for plums and peaches. The other day I freaked out about these golden turnips."

Fried eggplant at Publican Anker (Lenny Gilmore / RedEye)

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Goss' pull to veggies is apparent and best represented by a plate of fried eggplant ($11) with "Wisconsin halloumi," a wink and nod description of what turns out to be straight-up cheese curds. The eggplant and cheese are crusted in Parmesan tempura batter, which adds a crystalline salty lightness. They eat like fluffy savory doughnuts dripping with chili-spiked honey. Beets ($12), on the other hand, are a little more pedestrian. They're cooked well, and I appreciate that instead of being paired with tired goat cheese, they're spiked with dill and sour cream. My only critiques: The salad on top is slightly bitter and not particularly bright, and the dish would be better as a smaller portion with a bit more acidity. I almost single-handedly polished off a plate of chicken wings ($12) spiked with honey, burnt chili and fish sauce served with a cooling yogurt dip. The crust was crackling, and the swirl of sweet, spicy and funky flavors addictive.



Publican devotees will be happy to know that Anker also has an abundance of oysters. The East Coast Aunt Dottys on offer the night I visited had a supreme natural salinity, so much so that I was convinced they'd been salted by the kitchen. They were not. The Anker kitchen offers them raw with lemon ($3.50 each) or grilled with yuzu koshu butter ($4 each). Mackerel ($15) cured in sugar, salt and sour beer had a lilting note of smoke. Piled on crispy grilled bread and slathered with thick tzatziki and crunchy radish salad, the combo transported me to the Mediterranean. The only bit of seafood that didn't wow me was a flat green chili fish stew ($29). The mussels were mushy, the maitake mushrooms were soggy, and while I was looking for a punchy garlicky broth that would stave off the winter chill, it never came.

Blood sausage at Publican Anker (Lenny Gilmore / RedEye)

One advantage of being in the Publican family is that the Anker crew has access to the excellent encased meat options from Publican Quality Meats, including a transcendent blood sausage ($13). Instead of thick gamey blood custard like the French do it, the PQM link is a satisfying 50-50 blend of pork meat and blood. In size, it's more comparable to a breakfast link than a thick wurst, which is texturally more appetizing.

Of course, there's also a burger ($11.50). Despite the fact that my eyes rolled into the back of my head over another fancy pub burger, I ordered it. Thank the lord. Swaddled in a pillowy brioche bun, the custom ground Slagel Family Farm beef layered with mushroom powder and something Goss calls "Ten Thousand Island" dressing featuring a touch of dashi, this thing was an umami bomb. Each bite made me want another. I couldn't stop until it was gone.

Publican Anker (Lenny Gilmore / RedEye)

The drinks: The beer list is deep and left me desirous. I especially loved the Baba schwarzbier ($7), a black lager featuring notes of coffee and chocolate from Salt Lake City's Uinta Brewing. Menu notes about wine, written by Nico Osteria wine director Bret Heiar, are approachable and sometimes hilarious. I ordered the Melon de Bourgogne ($9) from Muscadet, France, solely because it was described as tasting "like being saved by Liam Neeson." I don't know what that means, but the melon notes were fantastic and paired well with the oysters.

Warm sticky banoffee pudding at Publican Anker (Lenny Gilmore / RedEye)

The dessert: My dining companion that night isn't a dessert guy. I've probably dined with him about 20 times and he's never taken more than a spoonful or two of anything sweet I've ordered. He went to town on pastry chef Dana Cree's warm sticky toffee banoffee pudding ($10) loaded with butterscotch and pecans. I don't know that I've had a sticky toffee pudding that was as moist as this one. We lightened the load with a side of velvet-smooth blood orange creamsicle ice cream ($6) that tasted like a more complex and satisfying version of the Good Humor popsicles of my youth.



Bottom line: A friend once told me that although she knows that most of the music she likes was inspired by the Beatles, she doesn't particularly love the Beatles. I never really got this until I dined at Publican Anker. Something was nagging at me about the experience. The original Publican brought the beer, oyster and pork gastropub phenomenon to Chicago and has since launched a thousand imitators. As a result, dining at Anker didn't feel as original or vital as The Publican once did. In some ways, Anker was a victim of its own success. But this is me looking through the very fine lens of a professional food critic. If I look at Anker like a regular diner, someone who's just looking for great food in a rousing space, it hits all the right notes. Unlike so many imitators who serve cliche pork belly dishes and pedestrian roast chicken, the One Off crew is serving pork collar with apple and persimmons and chicken wings with a honey and fish sauce lacquer. That's the kind of deju vu I can get behind.

Michael Nagrant is a RedEye contributor.

Reporters visit restaurants unannounced, and meals are paid for by RedEye.
James Wilson has been tracking the demonetisation drive since it was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8.

During his investigation, he discovered that contrary to claims, no new security features have been added to the new currency notes apart from what existed in the ones that were demonetised, and hence counterfeiting is not going to be halted.

He posted his findings on his blog titled 'Decipher the Demonetisation'.

With Wilson's kind permission, Rediff.com is sharing his views with our readers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while announcing the demonetisation of high value denominations on November 8, 2016, told the nation:

'Terrorism is a frightening threat. So many have lost their lives because of it. But have you ever thought about how these terrorists get their money? Enemies from across the border run their operations using fake currency notes. This has been going on for years. Many times, those using fake five hundred and thousand rupee notes have been caught and many such notes have been seized.'

Demonetisation was welcomed by many Indians since they viewed it as a panacea for all the ills like black money, terrorism abetted by fake currency, etc. There were a lot of Indians who believed that there is lakhs of crores of black money and fake currency in the system.

In the initial weeks of demonetisation, a narrative was spread by the evangelists of demonetisation, that black money and fake currency (Fake Indian currency notes, or FICN) was rife, and many argued that it was almost 30-40% of the total currency in circulation.

RBI data shows that as on November 4, 2016, the currency in circulation was Rs 17.975 Lakh crores. We were later informed in Parliament that out of this, 86%, ie, Rs 15.44 Lakh crores, were of high denomination notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000.



FICN estimates

Now lets examine the quantity of FICN in circulation from government's own database.

The minister of state for finance disclosed in Parliament (Lok Sabha, Unstarred Question No.3285 05.08.2016) that:

A study on Fake Indian Currency Notes issues, including estimation of FICN in circulation, has been undertaken by Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata under the overall supervision of National Investigation Agency (NIA). As per the study, the face value of FICN in circulation was found to be about Rs 400 crores. It was found the value remained constant for the last four years.

Yes. The government's own agencies estimated the quantity of FICN at just Rs 400 crores, not running into thousands of crores, forget the lakhs of crores as propagated. This Rs 400 crores is only 0.02% of the currency in circulation.

Though it is a small quantity, FICN is used for various subversive activities such as espionage, smuggling of arms, drugs and other contraband. As per the NIA probe, which has a Terror Funding and Fake Currency Cell, Pakistan is the major supplier of FICN in India.

Further, the finance minister disclosed in Parliament on November 18 that the details of FICN detected by police and law enforcement agencies during 2013-16 (up to September 30), as per he records of the National Crime Records Bureau.

M eanwhile, the annual report 2015-16 of the RBI reported that 632,926 notes of various denominations were detected by the banking system from a total 90,266 billion notes in circulation, ie, 0.0007% of the volume.

Value-wise this amount of FICN is Rs 29.642 crores out of the total Rs 16.42 lakh crores currency in circulation, ie, 0.0018% of the value.

If we consider this Rs 29.642 crores of FICN denomination-wise, that comprises Rs 14.310 crores of Rs 1000 notes (143099 no.s), Rs 13.085 crores of Rs 500 notes (261695 no.s) and Rs 2.215 crores of Rs 100 notes (221447 no.s), which are 0.0023%, 0.0017% and 0.0014% respectively of the total value of the above denominations in circulation.

The RBI made it clear that the above data does not include counterfeit notes seized by the police and other enforcement agencies.

We can see that the banking system detected around Rs 30 crores of FICN annually and law enforcement agencies seized around Rs 40 crores of FICN annually for the last couple of years. Hence a total of around Rs 70 crores of FICN detected during the last couple of years by the checks and balances in the system.

So if we take the ISI, Kolkota, study as a yardstick, only Rs 70 crores of FICN of the estimated quantity of Rs 400 crores, ie, 17.5% of the FICN, is seized by our systems. Kindly note that the ISI study, is a statistical one using certain parameters, the real FICN may be more or less than the above figure.

Meanwhile, ISI, Kolkota who did the study on FICN, however, concluded that "the existing systems of seizure and detection are enough to flush out the quantum of FICN being infused". The institute says that if detection can be improved, the value of FICN in circulation can be reduced by at least 20% annually.

I don't know whether our government and RBI have considered the above report and these facts before taking the decision on demonetisation. I don't get the logic of demonetising 86% of currency amounting to Rs 15.44 lakh crores to trap Rs 400 crores. It looks like firing a cannon at sparrows.



The RBI instructed banks to report daily the details of FICN detected in the system during the 50-days period post-demonetisation. But so far it has not disclosed the quantity of FICN detected in the system to the public.

We should recall that around 0.0018% of FICN of the total currency (value) was detected in the last financial year by the banking system without all these disruptions. Till the RBI officially discloses the FICN figures, we cannot reach any conclusion.



Detailed analysis of FICN detection in the banking system (2000-16)

I have analysed the RBI's annual reports from 2000-01 to 2015-16 to gather pointers about the FICN detection in the banking system (Except the FY 2009-10, denomination wise FICN data is available for all other years). The following table is prepared from the above data gives a clear picture of the FICN detected in the system by volume (denomination wise).

From the table it can be seen that a majority of FICN is in high denominations of Rs 1000, Rs 500 and Rs 100. This is quite natural considering the printing and hoarding parameters. The volume and value of lower denominations of FICN are very insignificant compared with the high denomination notes, which constitute 96% of the total currency in circulation.

The RBI reintroduced Rs 1000 notes in October 2000, after demonetising it in 1978 along with Rs 5000 and Rs 10,000 notes. From the above table it is evident that it took almost eight years to counterfeit these Rs 1000 notes to a substantial quantity, of more than 10,000. This fact shall be compared with the news now pouring in of the counterfeit notes of new Rs 2000 denominations amounting to lakhs of rupees within a couple of months after its introduction. So it is high time that we think whether demonetisation can throttle the fake currency in this digital age or not.

Systematic improvements for better detection of FICN

For handling the increasing quantum of notes received for examination, the Reserve Bank had commissioned very sophisticated Currency Verification and Processing Systems at the Bhopal and Chandigarh issue offices as a pilot project during FY 2000-01. These systems can sort the notes into issuable and non-issuable categories, detect counterfeit notes and destroy the non-issuable notes in an eco-friendly manner through shredding and briquetting systems.

In the year 2002-03, RBI commissioned 22 CVPS at its issue offices, which can process 50,000-60,000 notes per hour. By the end of FY 2003-04, RBI had installed a total of 48 CVPS at 18 offices. They procured six more CVPS in 2004-05 and another 5 CVPS in 2009-10.

The annual report of 2011-12 says there are 59 CVPS already under RBI. After that the annual reports does not mention any additional procurement of the same.

During the year 2000-01, banks were instructed by RBI to equip their branches with ultraviolet detectors and staff from banks, government departments, the police and other enforcing agencies are being regularly trained on security features in bank notes to facilitate the detection of forgeries.

In the year 2002-03, RBI advised all banks to establish Forged Notes Vigilance Cells at their headquarters for dissemination, monitoring and implementation of the Reserve Bank's instructions on forged notes to their branches and compiling of data on detection of forged notes and follow-up of cases filed with police etc.

During 2004-05, banks were advised by RBI to install Note Sorting Machines (NSM) capable of detecting counterfeit banknotes at currency chests. Banks with less than 100 currency chests were given time till the end of May 2005 for installing such sorting machines in each of the currency chests. Banks with 100 or more currency chests were given time till November 2005. Bank branches with average daily cash receipts of Rs 50 lakhs were advised by RBI to use such NSMs by end-March 2011.

The increased use of NSMs, facilitated the detection of FICN at the branch level itself before they reached RBI. The share of the counterfeit notes detected at the Reserve Banks offices declined from 96.1 per cent in 2005-06 to 56.4% in 2006-07 and further to 10.4% in 2010-11, indicating the increased effective use of NSMs at currency chest branches. As of 2015-16, only 5% counterfeit currency was detected at the RBI level and the rest 95% are detected at other banks.

A high level group on systems and procedures for currency management (chairperson: Usha Thorat, deputy governor, RBI) constituted by the bank, submitted its report in August 2009, to enhance the integrity and efficiency of the systems and procedures for stocking and distribution of currency notes. The group suggested different measures for detecting counterfeit notes and maintaining good quality notes in circulation, and strengthening security systems.

As per its recommendations, to ensure the issuance of only clean and genuine notes to the public, banks should use note-sorting machines. The Reserve Bank, in turn, should set parameters and standards for such machines. To instill confidence in the public in the banknotes in circulation, banks have been advised to re-align their cash management in such a manner as to ensure that cash receipts in denominations of Rs 100 and above are not put into re-circulation without the notes being machine processed for authenticity. The Reserve Bank also introduced an incentive-penalty system relating to detection and reporting of counterfeit notes by banks.

Security features in currency notes

Ashoka Pillar Banknotes

The first banknote issued by independent India was the one-rupee note issued in 1949. While retaining the same designs, the new banknotes were issued with the symbol of Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath in the watermark window in place of the portrait of King George.

The name of the issuer, the denomination and the guarantee clause were printed in Hindi on the new banknotes from the year 1951.

The banknotes in the denomination of Rs 1000, Rs 5000 and Rs 10000 were issued in the year 1954.

Banknotes in Ashoka Pillar watermark series, in Rs 10 denomination were issued between 1967 and 1992, Rs 20 denomination in 1972 and 1975, Rs 50 in 1975 and 1981, and Rs 100 between 1967 and 1979. The banknotes issued during the above period, contained the symbols representing science and technology, progress, orientation to Indian Art forms.

In the year 1980, the legend 'Satyameva Jayate' was incorporated under the national emblem for the first time. In October 1987, the Rs 500 banknote was introduced with the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi and the Ashoka Pillar watermark.

Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Series 1996
Benefits of demonetisation come at a heavy price for Fintech firms. They will spend a massive amount on securing and reinforcing their cyber security apparatus this financial year. Karan Choudhury reports.

IMAGE: A security research expert displays a device that can record and transmit credit card chip information at the 2016 Black Hat cyber-security conference in Las Vegas, Nevada . Fintech companies are getting in touch with firms in America, Israel and Russia to ensure the best protection for their back-end processes. Photograph: David Becker/Reuters .



For financial technology companies such as those offering mobile wallets or payment gateways, the benefits of demonetisation come at a heavy price. To be precise, $50-100 million (Rs 340-680 crore). This is the amount the digital transaction system will spend this financial year on securing and reinforcing their cyber security apparatus.

Two-and-a-half months after demonetisation, protecting the surge of users and the business has become of utmost important at fintech entities for long-term gain. Sector experts say these companies are getting in touch with firms in America, Israel and Russia to ensure the best protection for their back-end processes.

"Third-party security audits are very important to know where the gaps are in cyber security. All companies, small and big, have started spending more on cyber security -- investing in lobbying servers, monitoring systems, back-up systems, among other things. Companies from the US, Israel and Russia are in the forefront of providing cyber security tech," said Nitin Sachdev, vice-president, technology, at Chi Networks.

According to business chamber Assocham, fintech companies would increase their spending on this to around $100 million.

"Companies, together with banks and the government, must make appropriate investment in software and hardware, along with training employees about cyber security, to minimise financial data breaches that have been on the rise due to lack of data encryption," said D S Rawat, secretary general.

Companies in the segment, said the body, need to win customers' trust and that means completely secure, private and reliable services, 3-D or OTP (one time password) security options, data back-up systems and others to spread awareness among people.

The government is also planning to make the rules tighter in this regard, so that there is no lag on network security.

"We are taking a whole lot of initiatives around it. We have set up a digital payment segment in CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team), we have issued advisories on how merchants and bankers need to conduct themselves. We have told the banks that if they see any unusual movement on their payments system, they should report to us immediately. Drills are being conducted and security audits as well," law and information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said.

Mobile wallet companies say they are devising new ways and doing regular checks at their back-end operations.

"How much ever cyber security money is required is the first call on our resources. For the past 12 months, we have been writing our own algorithm for anomaly detection. Today, we have 500 checks that keep on happening in the background in real time as we do the transaction," said Govind Rajan, chief executive at FreeCharge.

"On cyber security, we have always been ahead of the competition," claims Upasana Taku, co-founder, MobiKwik.
CRAWFORD & COMPANY APPOINTS GEOFF PIGGOT NEW CEO FOR GLOBAL TECHNICAL SERVICES(TM) DIVISION

LONDON (Jan. 17, 2017) - Crawford Global Technical Services (GTS(TM)) has named Geoff Piggot its new chief executive officer. The appointment reflects Crawford & Company's commitment to and investment in the growth of Crawford GTS.

Piggot joins GTS(TM) from Gen Re and replaces Mike Reeves. Reeves retired after 40 years of distinguished service, during which time he was key in the formation of GTS.

Reporting to Crawford's International Operations CEO Ian Muress, and based in London, Piggot will lead an established global brand with a highly skilled workforce comprising several hundred adjusters, engineers and forensic accountants, many of whom are dual-qualified. Piggott's duties include increasing global GTS revenue and expanding its breadth of services.

"Crawford GTS is recognised as the market's leading specialist technical claims solution, and Geoff is fully capable of leading our global network," Muress said. "He joins Crawford at a time when we are making unparalleled investment in our consulting business to ensure the company continues to lead the claims industry.

"Geoff's impeccable credentials include being a former board director at one of the world's largest global reinsurance corporations, where he has carried out claims leadership roles for 18 years. He has extensive experience supporting global property, marine and facultative reinsurance claims functions and, as such, can provide a unique customer perspective our clients will appreciate."

Crawford GTS serves reinsurers, the corporate market, insurers' major loss/catastrophe divisions, and the London Market and Lloyd's syndicates. Crawford GTS was created in 2009 to deliver a targeted solution for clients seeking a unified major loss handling service. Crawford GTS adjusters respond anywhere in the world and have attended every claim situation imaginable, including the Japanese earthquake and Tsunami of 2011, as well as Hurricane Matthew and the New Zealand earthquake in 2016.

"I am excited to join Crawford GTS," Piggot said. "The business is known for employing the best people and deploying them worldwide. I look forward to building on the work of Mike Reeves and the Crawford GTS team and continuing this brand's development as the pinnacle of global insurance claims management."

Piggot's appointment also marks the end of an era. "As our new CEO joins the business, I would like to thank Mike Reeves for his Crawford service," Muress said. "GTS has been in safe hands during his tenure and is now placed to move to the next level under Geoff's leadership. Mike will be missed not only for his professionalism, but as a charming and popular individual."

About Crawford

Based in Atlanta, Ga., Crawford & Company (www.crawfordandcompany.com) is one of the world's largest independent providers of claims management solutions to the risk management and insurance industry as well as self-insured entities, with an expansive global network serving clients in more than 70 countries. The Crawford Solution offers comprehensive, integrated claims services, business process outsourcing and consulting services for major product lines including property and casualty claims management, workers compensation claims and medical management, and legal settlement administration. The Company's shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbols CRD-A and CRD-B.

###

Attachments:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1cfba45e-7732-4175-8074-e1642766b16f

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/35b2af27-3b84-40dc-bce9-724ebcab4cff
Trading in other derivative products in currency, commodities expected to begin soon.

BSE's India INX, the country's first international exchange, started trading on Monday at GIFT or Gujarat International Finance Tec-City. Trading remained confined to equity derivatives, more specifically index futures, which registered lukewarm volumes.

On the first day of trade, only 37 contracts of Sensex 50 futures and another two contracts each of Sensex January and Sensex February futures were traded, going by data on the exchange's website on 6 pm.

Trading in other derivative products in currency and commodities is expected to begin soon.

"Volumes will pick up in a few months," said an expert. "There has to be a compelling case for business to shift to India from other international exchanges. If we compare the different international financial services centres (IFSCs), India still has a long way to go to match up to some of the other exchanges," he said.

The exchange will be a beneficiary of several tax sops, including exemptions from stamp duty, service tax, dividend distribution tax, as well as commodity and securities transaction tax (STT).

This, feel experts, will eventually encourage a lot of investors and traders to take up positions in derivatives products through the route of GIFTCity.

"STT is one of the biggest sore points for investors participating in derivatives and the new exchange will eliminate that. A lot of Indian traders dealing in equity derivatives from Singapore and Dubai could be tempted to set up desks here," said a broker.

India INX will be open for trading for 22 hours every day. The exchange will open for trading activity daily at 4 am when exchanges in Japan open, and close at 2 am when exchanges in the US close.

BSE will be investing about Rs 500 crore in the international exchange over the next three years.

India INX will be the fastest international exchange in the world in terms of order response time, with a median trade speed of four microseconds.

This is better than BSE's domestic exchange at Mumbai, which has an order response time of six microseconds.

In comparison, the second-fastest international exchange at Singapore has an order response time of 60 microseconds.

As many as 250 trading members have expressed interest to function at India INX. The latter and the Indian Clearing Corporation had commenced mock trading from India INX's data centre at GIFTCity from December 17 last year.

Several emerging IFSCs around the world, such as those in Shanghai and Dubai, are aspiring to play a global role in years to come. London, New York, and Singapore are among the global financial centres.

Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates India's first international exchange, India INX, in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) in Gandhinagar, on January 9, 2017. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters.
Government planning to slash the number of days required to start a business in Mumbai, Delhi from the current 26.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com.

The central government plans to cut to four the number of days taken to start a business in Delhi or Mumbai, from the current average of 26 days.

The department of industrial policy & promotion (DIPP) aims to do so via a combination of measures -- streamlining the application process, single-window clearance and more digitisation.

Ramesh Abhishek, DIPPs secretary, has told state commerce ministers and officials these would be in place by March. He has also asked states for detailed business process engineering to overhaul the current process in this regard.

These two cities are the testing ground for the World Banks ranking on ease of doing business in this country. The latest ranking for India is 131 of 189 countries surveyed.

The development should have an effect on entrepreneurship in other cities, too. As for the measure on starting a business, one of the 10 on which the World Bank does the ranking, this country is at 155th position, further down from 151 a year before.

Currently, there are 14 procedures to start a business in Mumbai and 12 in Delhi, down from an average of 29 only two years earlier.

Among these, the maximum time is taken by two steps -- reserving the company name online with the registrar of companies and registering for medical insurance at the regional office of the Employees State Insurance Corporation.

While most procedures have been put online and government departments in charge of approving these told to maintain efficiency, problems such as slow rate of clearance, duplication and technological hurdles will be targeted by DIPP.

More synergy between agencies, which provide clearances belonging to the central government, as well as those at the state and municipal levels, are needed, says Anirban Guha from consultancy Deloitte.

Getting power connections, securing building permits and registering property are all dealt at the municipal level, where more policy action is needed.

While some states have instituted a specific body such a single-stop secretariat to look at all concerns of a new business, others are yet to do so, a DIPP official said.

The World Bank rankings come against the backdrop of government officials repeatedly saying Indias ranking would be impressive in the 2017 report.

Prime Minister Modis stated aim is to push India among the top 50 nations by the time the 2018 report comes. That means rising 80 places in a year.

Officials contend the target is being maintained, with key ministries being made responsible for delivering on various parameters.
With passengers flying Indian skies getting more and more unruly, day by day, airlines are forced to stock rope and handcuffs on board, and use them, reports Arindam Majumder and Aneesh Phadnis.

Airlines operating out of India are becoming proactive. They have stopped shying away from taking extreme measures against misbehaviour on flights.

In a recent onboard incident, an IndiGo passenger, Chhatu Bhagat, was handcuffed on a Dubai-New Delhi flight.

Bhagat was restrained through a three-hour flight after he created a ruckus and then asked the cabin crew to open the plane door.

After these incidents, domestic carriers are more aggressive in their policy to control unruly passengers.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has also allowed the use of extreme measures to avoid these incidents.

"We have instructed (keeping) handcuffs on board so that passengers causing a commotion could be restrained," said Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani.

A business class passenger on a US-bound Air India flight from Mumbai to Newark was accused of groping a woman passenger, said an airline official.

"Our crew kept a watch on him following the complaint and handed him over to the authorities after landing," the official added.

Air carrier IndiGo now carries nylon ropes and other restraining device on board to stop such incidents.

The airline has trained its cabin members to follow a four-level procedure to thwart such incidents.

If there is verbal abuse, a warning is given. However, if a serious act like breaking into a cockpit takes place, then the person can be handcuffed.

'Restraining devices should be used when all conciliatory approaches have been exhausted,' the airline said.

"At Jet Airways, management of the situation depends on the perceived threat level and mechanics to address them. The vary from an initial 'soft verbal approach' to finally 'restraining' -- should such a situation arise, to manage on board security," said an airline spokesperson.

AirAsia, too, confirmed their crew were authorised to handcuff a passenger if the situation gets out of control.

"If a situation gets out of control, cabin crew are authorised to use the restraining device to protect cabin crew members, other guests and ensure safety of the aircraft," an airline spokesperson said.

Indian aviation ministry officials said the government was working to create a blacklist, similarly like the United States, to bar such passengers from flying.

"We are working on creating a robust identification process of unruly passengers and prevent them from flying in future," an official said.

A biometric entry has been launched as a pilot at some airports like Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

Vistara said it has rarely faced such situations. But it has trained its crew to manage these situations.

"An action can be taken against such passengers on careful evaluation of each unique case with options including but not limited to offloading them when on ground or handing over warning letters if airborne," said a Vistara spokesperson.

The number of incidents involving unruly passengers has jumped 12-fold in four years, according to the International Air Transport Association.
Standing committee on finance to also focus on RBI autonomy and citizen's rights.

Amit Agnihotri reports.

Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel will face questions on demonetisation and its aftermath when he appears before Parliament's standing committee on finance on Wednesday, January 18.

Opposition party members on the panel, said sources, were not satisfied with the documents the RBI and the finance ministry had given the committee, in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's November 8 announcement banning Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

A major concern of these members was whether the RBI's autonomy was compromised by the note ban decision.

Another issue would be if the decision violated citizens' rights over their legal money in banks, guaranteed by the RBI, with withdrawal limits.

Further, the members would like to know if the cashless economy agenda being pushed by the Centre was feasible as several major economies such as the US, Japan, the UK and Singapore have still not gone completely cashless.

Members would also ask questions on whether the banking system was equipped to implement the note ban.

The fact that at least 100 people reportedly lost their lives in the aftermath of the note ban and if their relatives got compensation would also be thrown at the RBI chief, sources said.

"The note ban has messed up the economy. All the concerns of the public would be raised at the meeting," a lawmaker said on condition of anonymity.

The government had advised the central bank on November 7, 2016, to consider the note ban and the RBI's board recommended the same on November 8, hours before Modi announced the note ban.

"We would like to know how many new currency notes were printed and what is the cash supply situation," said another member.

"We would like to know the impact of note ban on industrial production, agriculture and resultant job losses."

According to the documents submitted before the panel by the RBI and the ministry, the Centre was alarmed at the spurt in circulation of counterfeit Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, and wanted to take immediate action.

The data provided to the panel showed an increase of 76.4% in the supply of fake Rs 500 notes and 109% in fake Rs 1,000 notes over the previous five years.

Fearing that the infusion of fake currency by a neighbouring country contributed to terror funding and black money, the government opted for the note ban.

Estimating the fake currency in India at Rs 400 crore (Rs 4 billion), the government document said authorities had seized fake currencies worth Rs 27.79 crore (Rs 277.9 million) till September 2016.

It was Rs 43.8 crore (Rs 438 million) in 2015 and Rs 41 crore (Rs 410 million) in 2014.
Electronic transactions are rising fast, so are cases of payment failure and delayed settlement.

One needs to be proactive, says Tinesh Bhasin.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

The government's demonetisation drive has forced people to adopt digital payments. But as the numbers of electronic transactions are rising rapidly, so are issues related to those.

While shopping online, Deepika Kohli used a mobile wallet for payment. The service provider e-mailed that her transaction was successful. But the online retailer claimed it didn't receive the money.

It has been over a week and she has no clue where the money disappeared.

"Depending on the instrument used for a transaction, it can take from a few seconds to seven working days for settlement. If it takes longer, the money usually is in a pool account that wallets or banks maintain with the payments network provider," says Hari Velayudan, head-service delivery at PayU India.

The Reserve Bank of India has timelines for reconciling failed ATM (Automated Teller Machine) transactions. No such guidelines have been issued for newer instruments such as wallets or unified payment interface.

Banks need to reconcile failed ATM transactions within seven working days after a customer has lodged a complaint. Else, there's a penalty of Rs 100 each day of delay.

Claiming your funds

If you or the vendor has not received money within two to seven days, depending on the transaction, you should approach the wallet service provider.

"After demonetisation, the volume of transactions has increased 10 times but the headcount has only gone up by 1.5 to 2 times. Some players might therefore take longer to resolve transaction failure queries," says Akash Gupta, vice-president (marketing), MobiKwik.

But wallet players are increasing headcount rapidly.

Before November, the MobiKwik team had 160 employees and by March-end, the count could touch 1,000.

If you don't receive a satisfactory response at first level, escalate the issue.

"Every wallet player has grievance redressal guidelines on its Web site that provides contact details of different authorities," says Vinay Kalantri, managing director, The Mobile Wallet.

The final authority for resolving problems with most is the Grievance Officer.

"If customers are not happy after escalation, they can approach the grievance cell of the RBI," says the Freecharge spokesperson.

Sony Joy, co-founder and chief executive of Chillr, says posting on the company or bank's social media pages can help in quick resolution.

"Brands are very cautious about their social image. A user should reach out to the brand through their social media handles if it is has taken more than seven days."

While seven days is the maximum it should take for you to get your money back in most cases, you should start following up with the wallet provider after 48 hours.

Transfers via net banking

When an individual transfers money from a bank account to a wallet via net banking, it happens in a two-step process.

There's a payment gateway between the two, which fetches money from the bank and forwards it to the wallet.

A transaction failure can happen after money leaves the bank account but doesn't reach the payment gateway due to bad connectivity, server problems, etc.

Payment gateway companies settle payments with banks every day. A user should get his money back in the bank account within two business days.

If not, he should start following up proactively.

If the failure happens after the payment gateway receives the money, the funds should reach the wallet within two business days.

"The individual needs to contact the wallet company to help resolve the issue," says Velayudan.

Deepak Abbot, senior vice-president at Paytm, says delays are only experienced when a customer transfers money to a bank from the wallet.

"Delays are often due to queues at the bank level to process the refund. We immediately issue a reference number to the customer, which can be quoted to the bank for faster redressal," says Abbot.

"Paytm has no control over a bank's processes. We can only guide the customers who reaout to us," adds Abbot.

Transfers via cards

The process is similar to transfers done using net banking.

But it can take as many as seven business days for the money to reach back to the user's bank account or card.

It depends on the process an individual's bank follows.

Some banks have a central pool, from which the money is transferred to the customer's account.

Some also have individual pool accounts for each branch.

In such cases, it can take longer for a person to get his money back if transactions fail.

Failure at merchant

If you pay a merchant using a wallet and the transaction is not completed, as with Kohli, the funds should be back in your wallet immediately.

A merchant only accepts payment from a wallet if it is on the same platform.

As there are no other parties involved, it should take a few seconds for the transaction to reverse.

An individual should seek the help of her/his wallet the next day in such transaction failures.

This is also applicable when you have done a booking for a bus, train or flight using a wallet, but later cancel the tickets.

Once the merchant issues a refund, it should not take more than a few minutes to reflect in the individual's wallet.

"In the digital space," says Gupta of MobiKwik, "a person needs to be cognisant and watchful, as it is a relatively new way of payments. The systems and processes of digital payments players are evolving."
'That will affect the economy, employment, agriculture, and ultimately, youngsters, the working class and job opportunities.'

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

"The Budget session is slated for eight to nine days. In my political career, I have never seen such a short Budget session," Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar tells Sanjay Jog.

The Supreme Court has outlawed political parties seeking votes in the name of religion, caste, race, community or language. How do you read this?

It is a path-breaking order.

However, there are a lot of issues that need to be looked into, as the apex court has clearly said that seeking votes in the name of religion, caste, race, community or language is illegal.

In such a situation, what will happen to those seeking votes in the name of language, say, Marathi (without naming the Shiv Sena or the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena).

Besides, there is religion in the name of certain political parties, namely the Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League.

We need to consult legal luminaries on the impact of the apex court order.

What is your view on demonetisation?

It looks like there was no proper preparation.

When somebody takes such a major decision, that authority has to keep an alternative plan absolutely ready.

If you are going to demonetise practically 86 per cent of the currency in the country and you have not provided an alternative, then there will definitely be a crisis.

There will be chaos. We are facing that situation now.

The only thing is people are not reacting. Everybody is keeping quiet. I am not worried about that.

I can tell you one thing: When Indira Gandhi announced the Emergency, initially, there was no reaction, barring from a few political leaders.

However, it is in the elections that people across the country react differently. They even defeated Indira Gandhi and a new government came to power.

A similar situation prevails now and we are going in that direction.

Will it impact the BJP's poll prospects in the assembly elections in five states?

I can't say. But I can definitely say that demonetisation will adversely impact the Indian economy and ultimately affect common citizens.

If 86 per cent of the currency is removed, it is bound to affect the system, if alternative arrangements are not offered after six months or a year.

In case of industry, it won't be able to revive itself in even six months; it may take two or three years and its liabilities will increase manifold.

The second important issue is of unemployment.

One of the Mumbai-based industry giants has sacked 20,000 workers.

My colleague and Shiv Sena member of Parliament R N Dhoot, who is associated with the Videocon Group, has informed that it has removed about 2,000 employees.

I know many construction companies, which have started sending notices of a job cut.

Unemployment will be a serious issue if the government does not take corrective action.

If work is not provided, there may be law and order problems that will affect the economy, employment, agriculture, real estate and the construction industry and ultimately, youngsters, the working class and job opportunities.

But the prime minister, in his December 31 address, claimed that demonetisation was a big success and has announced populist measures. What is your comment?

People were quite anxious to know what the future course of action after demonetisation would be; therefore, they were eager to listen to the prime minister's speech on December 31.

However, little has been provided to the common man. Some of the decisions were announced on the eve of the new year, but government notifications for a few were issued in the past.

Will you join the Opposition for a common strategy against the government on the note ban?

A rollback is not possible, as we have gone too far into the process.

However, Opposition parties are discussing the future course of action, especially how to take on the government on demonetisation.

The NCP will fully cooperate with the move.

Some Opposition parties are pressing for postponement of the Budget due to the Election Commission's announcement of assembly polls in five states. Will the Budget influence voters?

The Budget session will begin on January 31. The prime minister has already announced some of the policy decisions and Budget proposals ahead of the presentation of the Budget.

However, these won't have a far-reaching impact. Nor are they aimed at giving much-needed relief to the people, who had faced a lot of hardship due to the note ban.

The Parliament session is slated for eight to nine days.

In my political career, I have never seen such a short Budget session -- I am more concerned about that.

Generally, it is spread over 22 days.

We used to hear about Gujarat's Budget session winding up in just three and four days.

The NCP will speak to other Opposition parties and decide the future strategy in this regard.
The arduous underwater search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was suspended on Tuesday, nearly three years after the plane vanished mysteriously over the Indian Ocean with 239 people, including five Indians, angering the grieving families who termed the move irresponsible.

IMAGE: An electronic billboard displays an image of missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photograph: Rufus Cox/Getty Images

Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft, according to a joint statement issued by Chinese, Australian and Malaysian officials.

The three countries had been leading the massive underwater search for Flight MH370, which disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board.

Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended. The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness, the statement said.

The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness, the statement said.

The Boeing 777-200s disappearance remains one of the greatest aviation mysteries in modern history.

Searchers spent millions of dollars scouring tens of thousands of square miles, but so far have yielded little new information about the planes final moments.

-- 12 weird conspiracy theories on Flight MH370

In July last year, Australia, China and Malaysia agreed that if the aircraft was not located by the time 120,000 square kilometres had been covered, the search would be suspended.

There were 14 nationalities represented in the 227 passengers and 12 crew travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The majority -- 153 people -- were Chinese. There were five Indians and one Indian-origin Canadian on board.

The five Indians, including three from one family, were identified as Chetna Kolekar, 55, Swanand Kolekar, 23, Vinod Kolekar, 59, Chandrika Sharma, 51, and Kranti Shirsatha, 44.

An Indo-Canadian, Muktesh Mukherjee, 42, was also on board.

So far, only seven of the 20 pieces of recovered debris have been identified as definitely or highly likely to be from the Boeing 777.

IMAGE: A family member of victim of MH370 plane crash wipes away tears during a memorial event MH370 Day of Remembrance at The Square of Publika on March 8, 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photograph: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

A report in November 2016 said the plane probably made a high and increasing rate of descent into the Indian Ocean.

But Tuesdays joint statement said no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft despite numerous studies, but the three countries remained hopeful this would happen in the future.

Reacting to the development, K S Narendran, who lost his wife of 25 years, Chandrika Sharma, said he was perplexed and disappointed.

Voice370, a family support group, said the search must continue and be extended to include an area of some 25,000 sq km north of the current one, recommended by a report released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau last December.

It was an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interests of aviation safety.

Stopping at this stage is nothing short of irresponsible, and betrays a shocking lack of faith in the data, tools and recommendations of an array of official experts assembled by the authorities themselves, the statement said.

According to what is known, Flight MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport for Beijing at 12:41 am local time on March 8, 2014. It was heading north but after its last message of Good night Malaysian Three Seven Zero, it changed course toward the west, according to a Malaysian military radar.

From there, investigators believe it turned south around the edge of Indonesia and across the vast Indian Ocean.

Investigators confirmed in July that MH370 captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah had tracked a route deep into the Indian Ocean on his home flight simulator, very similar to the one officials believe the missing plane took.

Based on some of the wreckage thats been found, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau determined the wing flaps had been stowed when MH370 crashed.

The report suggested the plane had been out of control, spiralling downward at a rate of almost 300 miles per hour at its last satellite transmission.

These findings suggested two early hypotheses, according to CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo; either that a fire on board the plane incapacitated everyone through smoke or fumes, or that a rapid decompression, perhaps because of a breach in a window, led to their deaths hours before the plane ran out of fuel and spiralled downward.

Timeline of MH370 disappearance
Globalisation is a "double-edged" sword" but cannot be blamed for the world's problems, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday while pushing for greater role for emerging economies in governance of global institutions.

Sending out a clear message amid rising concerns over protectionism, he said "nobody will emerge as a winner in a trade war".

Stating that some people blame economic globalisation for the problems, Xi said many of the issues facing the world are not caused by it.

However, he added that "economic globalisation is a double-edged sword".

Participating in the WEF Annual Meeting for the first time, Xi said there are global challenges like terrorism and refugee issues and many people are wondering what has gone wrong with the world.

To answer and know the solution that we must understand the problem, he said.

Against the backdrop of global uncertainties fuelled by Brexit and victory of Donald Trump in the US Presidential race, Xi pitched for efforts to re-balance economic globalisation, ensuring all people get to share the benefits.

He emphasised the need for more effective international cooperation, new models of global governance as well as bold action and a commitment to avoid protectionism.

"We should not develop the habit of retreating to the harbour whenever encountering a storm," he said at the opening plenary of the meeting.

According to him, the refugee problem is not because of globalisation. It is war, conflict and regional turbulence that has created this problem and the solution lies in restoring peace, he said.

Even financial crisis did not happen because of economic globalisation but due to problems of financial institutions, he added.

Invoking famous author Charles Dickens, he said today we live in times of contradictions.

"There is a growing call for reforming global economic systems and architecture... Emerging markets deserve better representations... IMF quota reforms have come into effect and it should sustain," he said.

While stating that there is no justification to write off economic globalisation altogether, Xi said his country had at first doubted the wisdom of joining the World Trade Organisation but had "bravely gone ahead" with the membership.

"If one is always afraid of the bracing storm, one will get drowned in the ocean sooner or later," he said.

Images: Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 17, 2017. Photographs: Ruben Sprich/Reuters
Patel quota leader Hardik Patel on Tuesday returned to Gujarat after spending six months away from his home state and received a grand welcome from his supporters at Ratanpur on the border with Rajasthan.

The 23-year-old leader, who had shifted base to Udaipur, left for Gujarat along with his supporters in four vehicles and entered the Gujarat border without incident, Superintendent of Police, Udaipur, Rajendra Prasad said.

Hundreds of Patel community youths welcomed Hardik as he entered his home state through the Ratanpur border on Tuesday afternoon. He then headed to Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha district to address a rally of Patel community.

Upon his arrival, Hardik vowed to get justice for his community.

"I bow down to this land of great leaders and martyrs. I will always fight for my community to give them justice," he said.

Asked about his future strategy, he said, "Strategy is meant to be executed when time\ comes, I cannot reveal it now."

The firebrand leader, who is facing sedition charges, was released on bail by Gujarat high court on July 15 last year on the condition that he will stay outside the state for six months, starting July 17. He had been staying at Udaipur in Rajasthan since then.

Commenting on the development, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said his government is ready to hold talks with Hardik and other stakeholders on the issue of reservation.

"We have given him permission to hold the rally (in Himmatnagar). We are always ready to hold talks in a positive atmosphere with all the stakeholders to resolve various issues," Rupani said.

The Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti has described Tuesdays rally as the start of the second round of the Patel quota agitation.

In August 2015, Hardik had addressed a massive rally at GMDC ground demanding inclusion of the community in the OBC category for quota benefits.

After addressing the rally today, Hardik will reach Gandhinagar to seek blessings of former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel. In the evening, he will leave for Pune to take part in Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad.
In a goof up, Indian flag was placed upside down on the table during Power Minister Piyush Goyal's visit to an energy summit in Abu Dhabi.

On Monday, Goyal met his Abu Dhabi counterpart at the World Future Energy Summit 2017, and also addressed the first India-specific session on international renewable energy.

A picture showing Indian flag placed upside down during the meeting of two ministers went viral. The picture was released by photo agencies.

A section of media also reported that the Indian flag was seen upside down during Goyal's meeting with his counterpart in Abu Dhabi.

A member of delegation accompanying Goyal said, "The minister had a bilateral meeting at Abu Dhabi's Four Seasons hotel with the Saudi minister. They had made all the arrangements and the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi has taken up the matter with them."

Sources in New Delhi said that Goyal "did not notice that flag is placed upside down and thus he did not asked to put it in the right manner".

This is not the first instance when Indian flag was in wrong manner, as an inverted flag was seen at an international meet earlier.

The Indian tri-colour was reportedly placed upside down when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2015 at ASEAN summit in Malaysia. Modi noticed it immediately and asked to place the flag in right manner.
MONACO, Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Navios Maritime Partners L.P. (Navios Partners or the Company) (NYSE:NMM), an international owner and operator of container and dry bulk vessels, announced today the completion of the previously announced sale of the MSC Cristina, a 2011 South Korean-built Container vessel of 13,100 TEU. The vessel was sold to an unrelated third party for a total net sale price of $125.0 million. Approximately $100.0 million of the sale proceeds were used to repay bank debt.



About Navios Maritime Partners L.P.

Navios Partners (NYSE:NMM) is a publicly traded master limited partnership which owns and operates container and dry bulk vessels. For more information, please visit our website at www.navios-mlp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements (as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) concerning future events including Navios Partners 2016 cash flow generation, future contracted revenues, future distributions and its ability to have a dividend going forward, opportunities to reinvest cash accretively in a fleet renewal program or otherwise, potential capital gains, our ability to take advantage of dislocation in the market and Navios Partners growth strategy and measures to implement such strategy; including expected vessel acquisitions and entering into further time charters. Words such as may, expects, intends, plans, believes, anticipates, hopes, estimates, and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements include comments regarding expected revenue and time charters.

These forward-looking statements are based on the information available to, and the expectations and assumptions deemed reasonable by Navios Partners at the time these statements were made. Although Navios Partners believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of Navios Partners. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, uncertainty relating to global trade, including prices of seaborne commodities and continuing issues related to seaborne volume and ton miles, our continued ability to enter into long-term time charters, our ability to maximize the use of our vessels, expected demand in the dry cargo shipping sector in general and the demand for our Panamax, Capesize, Ultra-Handymax and Container vessels in particular, fluctuations in charter rates for dry cargo carriers and container vessels, the aging of our fleet and resultant increases in operations costs, the loss of any customer or charter or vessel, the financial condition of our customers, changes in the availability and costs of funding due to conditions in the bank market, capital markets and other factors, increases in costs and expenses, including but not limited to: crew wages, insurance, provisions, port expenses, lube oil, bunkers, repairs, maintenance and general and administrative expenses, the expected cost of, and our ability to comply with, governmental regulations and maritime self-regulatory organization standards, as well as standard regulations imposed by our charterers applicable to our business, general domestic and international political conditions, competitive factors in the market in which Navios Partners operates; risks associated with operations outside the United States; and other factors listed from time to time in Navios Partners filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 20-Fs and Form 6-Ks. Navios Partners expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Navios Partners expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based. Navios Partners makes no prediction or statement about the performance of its common units.
The Turkish Police has arrested the main suspect of the deadly terrorist attack on an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people on New Years Eve, including two Indians.

Turkish news agency Anadolu quoted security sources as saying that the suspect was captured during a police operation in Istanbuls Esenyurt district.

Agency reports said he had been staying in the house belonging to a Kyrgyz friend.

The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group, asserting that it was in reprisal for 'Turkish military operations in northern Syria'.

The local media has identified the gunman as Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national.

At least 39 people were killed and many other injured when the gunman went on a rampage at the waterside Reina nightclub where revelers were celebrating the New Year.

The deceased Indians were Abis Hasn Rizvi, son of former Rajya Sabha MP and noted builder of Bandra in Mumbai Akhtar Hasan Rizvi; and Khushi Shah from Gujarat.
The role of Pakistan's intelligence outfit, Inter-Services Intelligence in the recent train disaster in Kanpur is being suspected after Bihar police on Tuesday arrested three people who they claimed were working for the agency to target Indian railways.

During interrogation, the three arrested persons provided some "positive lead" about the Indore-Patna Express derailment in Kanpur, District Superintendent of Police Jitendra Rana said.

He said ATS and central agencies have been apprised of it for comprehensive investigation.

Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar Patel and Mukesh Yadav were arrested from Adapur police station area and they allegedly confessed to having worked for a Nepalese contact suspected to be connected to ISI to target the railways, Rana told reporters.

The three are "professional criminals" involved in more than a dozen criminal cases.

The three were paid Rs 3 lakh by a Nepali man Brajesh Giri, who allegedly has connections with Shamsul Hoda of Dubai who has links with ISI, the SP said, adding that the money was paid to them to plant a bomb on railway tracks at Ghorasan in East Champaran district, bordering Nepal, in October 1 last year.

"Fortunately, the bomb was detected with the help of villagers at Ghorasan and defused which prevented the sinister designs of the terror elements," Rana said.

The arrest of the trio came in course of investigation in the murder of two persons of East Champaran district in Nepal on December 28 last year for failing to successfully blast bomb on track in Ghorasan, he said.

Efforts are on to arrest, in this connection, two others identified as Gajendra Sharma and Rakesh Yadav, who are "hiding" in East Champaran, he said.

While three persons were arrested from East Champaran district, three others have been captured earlier at Tailaya in Nepal for targeting railways on behalf of suspected terror elements in India, the SP said.

East Champaran is a district bordering Nepal. Indian Mujahideen chief Yasin Bhatkal was arrested from Raxaul in the district in August 2013.
'India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan's journey to make,' says Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the government's geo-political flagship initiative "Raisina Dialogue-II".

In a clear message amidst the chill in bilateral ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked Pakistan to walk away from terror if it wants to have dialogue with India.

Outlining his approach for an integrated neighbourhood, Modi said his vision for country's neighbourhood puts premium on peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia.

"But, India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan's journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India," he said while addressing the participants at the government's geo-political flagship initiative "Raisina Dialogue-II".

He also recalled several initiatives taken by him to normalise ties with Pakistan including travelling to Lahore.

There is a deep chill in Indo-Pak ties due to series of cross-border strikes including in Pathankot and Uri by Pakistan-based terror groups.

In an obvious reference to Pakistan, the prime minister also asserted that India's belief in delinking terrorism from religion, and rejecting artificial distinctions between good and bad terrorism, are now a global talking point.

"And, those in our neighbourhood who support violence, perpetrate hatred, and export terror stand isolated and ignored," he said.

Referring to India's ties with China, Modi, at the opening of the three-day Dialogue, said it was not "unnatural" for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences but both sides should show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests.

"I see the development of India and China as an unprecedented opportunity, for our two countries and for the whole world. At the same time, it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences.

"In the management of our relationship, and for peace and progress in the region, both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each other's core concerns and interests," Modi said, adding he and Chinese President Xi Jinping have sought to tap the vast area of commercial and business opportunities in the relationship.

Asserting that the century belongs to Asia, he said the sharpest trajectory of change is happening in the continent and there are large and vibrant pools of progress and prosperity that dot the landscape of this region.

"But, rising ambition and festering rivalries are generating visible stress points. The steady increase in military power, resources and wealth in the Asia-Pacific has raised the stakes for its security.

"Therefore, the security architecture in the region must be open, transparent, balanced and inclusive. And, promote dialogue and predictable behaviour rooted in international norms and respect for sovereignty," he said.

In his address, the prime minister gave a run down of India's foreign policy priorities, security interests in the Indian Ocean and bilateral engagement with neighbouring countries, Gulf nations and major powers including the US, China and Russia.

He also emphasised that 'Sab Ka Saath; Sab Ka Vikas' is not just a vision for India but a belief for the whole world.

Nepalese Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and Gowher Rizvi, International Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister of Bangladesh, are among the nearly 250 foreign participants from 65 countries.

On Afghanistan, Modi said despite distance and difficulties in transit, India's partnership assists in reconstruction, by building institutions and capacities.

"Amidst shifting politics, our security engagement has deepened. The completion of Afghanistan's Parliament building and the India-Afghanistan Friendship Dam are two shining examples of our dedication to forge developmental partnership," he said, adding the compelling logic of regional connectivity for peace, progress and prosperity.

In this regard, he cited two examples -- the tripartite agreement with Iran and Afghanistan on Chabahar; and India's commitment to bring on line the International North South Transport Corridor.

"However, equally, connectivity in itself cannot override or undermine the sovereignty of other nations. Only by respecting the sovereignty of countries involved, can regional connectivity corridors fulfil their promise and avoid differences and discord," Modi added.

Talking about ties with the United States, Modi also referred to his conversation with President-elect Donald Trump and said "we agreed to keep building on these gains in our strategic partnership."

Asserting that instability, violence, conflict, extremism, exclusion and transnational threats continue to proliferate in dangerous directions, he said, "And, non-state actors are significant contributors to the spread of such challenges. Institutions and architectures built for a different world, by a different world, seem outdated. Posing a barrier to effective multilateralism."

The prime minister said India's maritime interests are strategic and significant and that the primary responsibility for peace, prosperity and security in the Indian Ocean rests with those who live in the region.

"Ours is not an exclusive approach. And, we aim to bring countries together on the basis of respect for international law. We believe that respecting Freedom of Navigation and adhering to international norms is essential for peace and economic growth in the larger and inter-linked marine geography of the Indo-Pacific," he said without naming any country.

Delving on ties with Gulf and West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Iran, Modi said his government has redefined, in a short span of time, and "despite uncertainty and conflict".

"We have not just focused on altering the angles of perception. We have also changed the reality of our ties. This has helped us protect and promote our security interests, nurture strong economic and energy ties and advance the material and social welfare of around 8 million Indians," he said.

The prime minister said India was pursuing its transformation in "unsettled times" as also when the world is going through profound changes.

"But, sluggish growth and economic volatility are also a sobering fact. Physical borders may be less relevant in this age of bits and bytes. But, walls within nations, a sentiment against trade and migration, and rising parochial and protectionist attitudes across the globe are also a stark statistic," he said.

Apart from the US, Modi also talked about India's engagement with Russia, Japan and other major global powers.

"With them, we not only share a desire to cooperate. We also hold converging views on opportunities and challenges that face us.

"These partnerships are a good fit with India's economic priorities of capital and capacities, commerce and technology, industry and infrastructure, skills and development, and defence and security. With the US, our actions have brought speed, substance and strength to the entire spectrum of economic, business, commercial, and security engagement," he added.

Terming Russia as an "abiding friend", the Prime Minister said their trusted and strategic partnership, especially in the field of defence has deepened."

India also enjoys a truly strategic partnership with Japan whose contours now stretch to all fields of economic activity.

"As a society, we have always favoured needs of many over the want of one. And, preferred partnerships over polarisation. We hold the belief that success of one must propel the growth of many. Our task is cut out. And, our vision is clear. The journey of national rejuvenation begins at home," he asserted.

With "resolute steps at home, and expanding network of reliable friendships abroad, we will grasp the promise of a future that belongs to over a billion Indians. And in this endeavour, you will find in India, a beacon of peace and progress, stability and success, and access and accommodation," Modi said.

The prime minister said the government was spreading the benefits of India's civilisational legacies, including Yoga and Ayurveda, as a global good.

"Transformation, therefore, is not just a domestic focus. It encompasses our global agenda," he said.

Talking about the International Solar Alliance, he said it was an effort to harness the energy of sun to propel human growth.

"A high point of our efforts has been the revival of international interest in the cultural and spiritual products of India's civilisational stream.

"Today, Buddhism, yoga and Ayurveda are recognised as invaluable heritage of humanity as a whole," he said.

On ties with countries of the East Asia Summit grouping and ASEAN, he said both the blocs have helped India enhance commerce, technology, investment, development, and security partnerships in the region.

"It has also advanced our broad strategic interests and stability in the region," he said.

On ties with African countries, Modi said "With our brothers and sisters in Africa, we have further strengthened our ties in the last couple of years. And, built meaningful development partnerships on the solid foundation of decades of traditional friendship and historical ties.

"Today, the footprint of our development partnership stretches all across globe."

Referring to regional connectivity initiatives, Modi said "We appreciate the compelling logic of regional connectivity for peace, progress and prosperity."

At the same time he said connectivity in itself cannot override or undermine the sovereignty of other nations.

"Only by respecting the sovereignty of countries involved, can regional connectivity corridors fulfil their promise and avoid differences and discord," he said.

The prime minister further said, "With resolute steps at home, and expanding network of reliable friendships abroad, we will grasp the promise of a future that belongs to over a billion Indians.

"And in this endeavour, you will find in India, my friends, a beacon of peace and progress, stability and success, and access and accommodation."

Photographs: Press Information Bureau
Dattatreya Hosabale and Manmohan Vaidya have been invited as speakers at the literary event starting tomorrow.

Radhika Ramaseshan reports.

When Dattatreya Hosabale and Manmohan Vaidya were asked to speak at the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival, beginning Wednesday, January 18, the invites sparked a buzz in literary and political circles.

The idea of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh seniors occupying the dais at an event largely seen as one dominated by Left-liberal opinion-moulders seemed anathema to many.

Hosabale is effectively the third in command in the RSS hierarchy and Vaidya is the chief spokesperson.

Namita Gokhale, a director of the Jaipur fest, could not comprehend what the uproar was about.

"We have always invited people from different ideological viewpoints. There is need to understand every perspective and point of view as part of the ongoing exercise of making sense of our times," explained Gokhale, a writer and publisher.

J Nandakumar, the RSS' joint publicity chief, said the fest organisers approached him, asking if the "top brass" could be part of it.

Gokhale confirmed the proposal came from the organisers who have programmed two equivalent sessions -- one titled 'The Legacy of the Left' and the other 'Saffron and the Sangh' -- to present in her words, "these two points of view which between them represent a spectrum of perspectives."

Nandakumar said why the RSS went ahead. "Every second lit fest discusses the RSS by bashing it. Those who speak have no knowledge of the Sangh, but they start and end their speeches by bashing us. It's time these people give proper space to the Sangh," he said.

Prafulla Ketkar, editor of the RSS' English weekly, Organiser, was less rosy-eyed than the others about urban lit fests, calling these "islands of intellectual activity." He, however, welcomed the hand extended by the Jaipur grandees towards the Nagpur pracharaks.

"At least they acknowledged that our people should be heard. Ultimately, the Jaipur fest is not a pro-RSS or a pro-Left forum. The basic purpose of literature is to evolve a complex and dialectical relationship with society and, therefore, if you want to accommodate all the changes within society, you should understand all points of view," Ketkar stressed.

Anirban Ganguly, director of the BJP-affiliated Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, had a political reason for why the BJP and RSS' representatives might become the flavour of fests in time to come.

Ganguly, who co-authored The Modi Doctrine: New Paradigms in India's Foreign Policy, ascribed the trend to popular curiosity and interest in the saffron fraternity.

"The BJP is an entrenched pole in the Indian polity. People want to know what the BJP is about, whether its relationship with the RSS is symbiotic or not. In the last two-and-a-half years, (Narendra) Modi and the others have vigorously articulated a certain narrative that has forced people to take cognisance of the Sangh," said Ganguly.

"The RSS feels the need to have a greater outreach to tell various communities its own story."

He believed lit fests were a useful forum for the RSS-BJP to leverage its growing clout to disseminate an "alternate intellectual narrative."

"While winning elections and forming governments are important, at the end of the day, this is a battle of ideas. One side frames it as a battle for the Idea of India, we say, it's a battle for Ideas of India, for multiple ideas," said Ganguly.

However, in the "battle" that Ganguly framed, it's not as though the Sangh always itched for ideological combat.

Sources claimed at Jaipur, Hosabale and Vaidya would endeavour to project a "modern" portrait of the Parivar, and try and disabuse the stereotype of an outmoded organisation, out of synch with modern concepts of gender and social justice.

A BJP source said the Sangh took a cue from Hosabale who, at a media conclave last year, rejected the idea of treating the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community as criminal and emphasised that but for physiological differences, men and women were on a par.

"He is going to take the exercise forward at Jaipur," the source said, "so that the audience picturises the Sangh differently."

Bolstered by the influence of lit fests as "thought vehicles", Nandakumar even hosted his own in Kochi last December, unfazed by the Left Front government's antagonism towards the Sangh and BJP.

"Kerala lacks intellectual discourse, so I thought why not conduct something that brings different languages and ideologies under one umbrella?" he said, adding that the "success" of the annual book festivals he has held since 1997 at Kochi, despite the political hostility, spurred him to hold a lit fest.

Has the Kerala experience hit home the importance of state patronage to see through jamborees like lit fests?

A BJP source conceded it had.

"The Sangh thinks having a full majority BJP government at the Centre is a good opportunity to use all platforms and propagate its ideas. This is thanks to the leadership of the present RSS head (Mohan) Bhagwatji."

"The Sangh has no issue feeling it is part of the larger ruling dispensation. The BJP has no inhibition in saying we are part of the same nationalist family. That's the difference between the Vajpayee and Modi regimes," he said.

IMAGE: RSS leaders Dattatreya Hosabale, right, and Manmohan Vaidya at a press conference.
A special Central Bureau of Investigation court on Tuesday charged Indrani Mukerjea, her husband Peter Mukerjea and former husband Sanjeev Khanna with murdering her daughter Sheena Bora, clearing the decks for commencement of trial in the sensational case from February 1.

Indrani expressed her wish to obtain divorce from Peter to which the judge said it was a matter to be decided between them and the court has nothing to do with it.

She also orally informed the judge that she would like to change her 'will' as she desired to donate her share in the family property to charitable organisations.

All the accused were charged with IPC sections 120(b) (conspiracy), 302 (murder) and other offences, after which judge H S Mahajan fixed February 1 as the date for the trial to commence.

All the three accused pleaded "not guilty" to the charges, which were explained to them individually, being called to the box one by one.

The prosecution case was that Sheena was murdered on April 24, 2012, and her body burnt and disposed of at a forest in nearby Maharashtra's Raigad district the next day.

All the three accused were charged under IPC sections 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 364 (kidnapping), 302 (murder), 203 (giving false information in respect of an offence) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).

Additionally, Indrani and Sanjeev were charged under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 120(b) (conspiracy) for plotting to kill her son and Sheena's brother Mikhail Bora.

Mikhail had earlier alleged that Indrani had spiked his drink on the same day when Sheena was killed.

Besides, Indrani was also charged under IPC section 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record).

Indrani was arrested in August 2015. Subsequently, others -- Peter, Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyamver Rai -- were also taken into custody.

Rai later turned approver in the case and disclosed to the CBI how the crime was committed by the accused.

All the three accused were present in the court. They sat separately in the dock and were seen talking to their lawyers outside the court.

The CBI, on December 19 had started arguments on framing of charges in the case, saying it was her relationship with Rahul, Peter's son from an earlier marriage, that led to Sheena's murder.

The case, initially investigated by Mumbai police under its then chief Rakesh Maria, was later transferred to the CBI by the Maharashtra government to ensure that the probe was carried out without any prejudice or interference.

The CBI, in its chargesheet filed in November 2015, had named Indrani, Khanna and Rai as accused in the case.

The agency filed a charge sheet against Peter on February 16 last year for his alleged role in the murder plot.

In October last year, the CBI also filed its second supplementary chargesheet, stating that Indrani kept Peter updated on phone over the selection of the spot for disposal of the body.

The Bombay high court recently rejected the bail plea of Peter, observing there was prima facie evidence pointing to his involvement in the case.

Indrani, Khanna and Rai were arrested in August 2015 after Rai spilled the beans while he was being interrogated in a case pertaining to illegal possession of arms.

Police exhumed skeletal remains of Sheena from a forest in Raigad district, and later claimed forensic tests confirmed that the DNA samples of the skeletal remains matched those of Indrani and Mikhail Bora.

Right from the day the lid went off it, the case remained a sensational one as a web of deceit, lies and intriguing relationships emerged.

It came to light that Indrani had introduced her daughter and son to people as sister and brother and she was also said to have claimed that Sheena had gone to the US for higher studies, to those who enquired about her.

Peter had then said he believed that deceased was Indrani's sister and not her daughter while Mikhail said Sheena was the daughter and not Indrani's sister.

Maria, who led the initial investigation, was shunted out of the post of the Mumbai Police Commissioner in September 2015 and promoted as Director General of Police Home Guards.

As various theories floated over reasons for Maria's transfer, state home department dismissed suggestions that that it had some links with the probe in the Sheena murder case.

Maria was alleged to have taken "unusual interest" in the case and frequently visited Khar police station for questioning the accused, including Indrani.

In June last year, Indrani's former driver Shyamvar Rai was made approver by the CBI into the Sheena murder case after he expressed his intention for the same. He had told the court that he was present when Bora was murdered in 2012.
A group of protesters on Tuesday tried to gatecrash into the University of Hyderabad to take part in a meet organised in memory of Rohit Vemula on his first death anniversary but were whisked away by police.

The protesters comprising a number of students' organisations had assembled in front of university's main gate as part of "Shahadat Din" of Vemula, who was found hanging in a hostel room on the varsity campus on January 17 last year.

A section of students under the aegis of Joint Action Committee for Social Justice -- the UoH said they would gather at the 'Rohit Stupa' to remember his legacy and to vow that fight will go on against "casteism and communalism".

The protesters marched towards the main entrance gate of the university, raised slogans against vice-chancellor Apparao Podile and sought immediate his arrest.

Holding placards reading "Justice for Rohit Vemula", the protesters marched towards the main gate and tried to forcibly enter by removing the barricade placed in front of the main gate.

The police immediately took them away in a vehicle even as JAC members assembled near the main gate after coming from inside the campus.

Vemula's suicide had sparked massive protests nationwide, resulting in a fierce political slugfest, with a string of political parties and Dalit organisations siding with students and accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party and varsity administration of being anti-Dalit.

Also, it had triggered a huge political furore with the then Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani coming under attack along with Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya for having written a letter related to the matter.

Raising questions on Rohit Vemula's Dalit status, a commission constituted by the HRD ministry after the scholar's death had said the material on record did not establish it and attributed his suicide to personal reasons.

However, National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman P L Punia had rejected the judicial commission's report on Vemula's suicide as fake and fictitious, and said the deceased research scholar was a Dalit.
A day after she issued an apology on social media after being trolled for meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, superstar Aamir Khan has come out in support of his Dangal co-star Zaira Wasim.

The 51-year-old actor said Wasim, who shot to fame with her portrayal of the younger version of Geeta Phogat, is a role model for him even as he appealed people to leave her alone.

I have read Zairas statement, and I can understand and imagine what lead her to make that statement. Zaira, I want you to know that we are all with you.

The beauty is that bright, young, talented, hardworking, respectful, caring and courageous kids like you are role model for kids not only in India, but across the world. You certainly are a role model for me! May god bless you. Love Aamir, he posted on Twitter.

PS: I appeal to everyone to now leave her alone and respect the fact that she is just a 16-year-old girl trying her best to deal with life, he added.

Zaira, 16, on Monday posted an apology for offending and unintentionally hurting people after her meeting with Mehbooba kicked up a row.

She replaced her first post with another one, asking people not to blow the issue out of proportion but deleted this post too.

Wasim also denounced her performance in the movie, saying she should not be looked up as a role model.
BURBANK, Calif., Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imaging3, Inc. (OTCQB:IGNG) announced the company has closed a financing arrangement with five key shareholders, whereby fourteen separate 10% original-issue-discount secured convertible notes held by these shareholders (twelve of which were in default) with an aggregate balance due of about $770,000 have been amended such that (i) the maturity date of all notes is now August 31, 2017 and (ii) the notes are now convertible into subsequent rounds of financing rather than being convertible at $0.01 per share. Should there be an event of default under these amended notes, the conversion price will revert back to $0.01 per share.

As part of the financing arrangement, fifteen separate warrants held by these same shareholders were also amended such that the number of shares exercisable pursuant to each warrant has been reduced by 75%. The exercise price of these warrants remains at $0.01. In consideration for this reduction, Imaging3 has issued to the five holders new convertible promissory notes in the total principal amount of $124,687.50 in the same form as the notes described above, as amended. The resulting reduction in the number of warrant-shares outstanding is 49,875,000.

Furthermore, these shareholders agreed, as part of the arrangement, to lend Imaging3 up to an additional $200,000, in increments of $50,000, at the companys discretion, as long as the original notes are not in default. These loans will: (i) be evidenced by notes in the form of the notes described above, as amended; (ii) be due on August 31, 2017; (iii) bear interest at 10% per annum; and (iv) have a face value of 118.75% of the funds actually advanced. In addition, Imaging3 shall issue warrants granting the noteholder the right to purchase, at $0.01 per share, that number of common shares of the company equal to 25 times the number of dollars loaned.

The arrangement described above was contingent on the two officers of Imaging3Chief Executive Officer Dane Medley and Chief Financial Officer Xavier Aguileraagreeing to restate their respective employment agreements, which they both have done.

As part of his restated employment agreement, Mr. Medley waived all possible claims against the company, accepted the title of president (and thereby dropping the chief executive officer title), sold all his shares of Preferred Voting Stock (entitling him to 750,000,000 common-share-equivalent votes) back to the company for a price of $60,000 (to be paid over time), and agreed to accept 4,000,000 restricted stock units as soon as practical after a stock incentive plan that allows such issuances is approved. Mr. Medleys compensation and severance package are also defined in his restated agreement.

As part of his restated employment agreement, Mr. Aguilera waived all possible claims against the company and agreed to accept 2,000,000 restricted stock units as soon as practical after a stock incentive plan that allows such issuances is approved. Mr. Aguileras compensation and severance package are also defined in his restated agreement.



Another important development is that, on December 14, 2016 and prior to the effective date of the arrangement described above, one of the 10% original-issue-discount secured convertible notes held by the key shareholders, in default and with an amount owed (including interest) of $70,747, was converted into 7,074,700 common shares of the company.

All the details of this financing arrangement are set forth in our 8-K filing, which can be found by going to https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html and entering Imaging3 in the Company Search window.

Stated Dane Medley, president: This is the most exciting development for Imaging3 in the three-plus years since I started. The stage is now set for the company to move forward without a dark cloud hanging over its head. It is proof-positive that Scott Pancoast can make good things happen for Imaging3.

Scott Pancoast, consultant to the company, said, As a result of this fundamental restructuring and extension of our previously delinquent debt, Imaging3 is now positioned for success. We can focus on obtaining equity financing and building a world-class team of executives who can then get our breakthrough technology approved, our manufacturing capabilities established, and our first-in-class products to market.

About Imaging3

Imaging3, Inc., founded in 1993, has developed a patented medical imaging technology, called SmartScan, that will produce 3D X-ray images, virtually in real time. The SmartScan technology will allow healthcare professionals to perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures more quickly and accurately, resulting in higher throughput for the clinicians and fewer safety risks for the patient. The technology also allows for greater portability, easier installation, and a significantly reduced cost burden for the healthcare system overall. Imaging3 is planning to submit a 510(k) application to the FDA in 2017 in order to gain approval to commercialize the SmartScan technology.

Visit the companys website at http://www.imaging3.com for detailed information about the Companys technology.

Safe Harbor Statement

Imaging3 cautions you that any statement included in this press release that is not a description of historical facts is a forward-looking statement. Many of these forward-looking statements contain the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "may" "intend," "expect" and similar expressions. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of the company and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties inherent in the Imaging3s business, including, without limitation: the company may not ever obtain FDA approval for any of its devices; the company may not be able to secure the funds necessary to support its product development plans; and the company may not ever achieve the market success to sustain a profitable business. In addition, there are risks and uncertainties related to economic recession or terrorist actions, competition from much larger imaging companies, technological obsolescence, unexpected costs and delays, potential product liability claims, and many other factors. More detailed information about Imaging3 and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the companys Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Such documents may be read free of charge on the SECs website at www.sec.gov. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Imaging3 undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ReachLocal, a leader in powering online marketing for local businesses, today announced it won three Gold One Planet Awards including:



Female Executive of the Year for Sharon Rowlands, ReachLocal CEO

Best New Product or Service of the Year in the Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations Category for ReachEdge, an award-winning marketing automation, analytics and lead management software currently used by over 3,000 local businesses

Best PR or Marketing Campaign of the Year for All Dry USA success story

Our team is proud to win each of these awards, but we are especially proud of the recognition for the All Dry USA success story, said Sharon Rowlands, CEO of ReachLocal. The success of our customers digital marketing is the ultimate testament to our dedication to helping local businesses grow and meet their business goals.

Before working with ReachLocal, All Dry USA, a provider of restoration services to homes and businesses in Florida and New York, was trying to tackle digital marketing, while attempting to grow the business. They quickly realized the amount of time, energy, and expertise that goes into running a digital marketing program and all the different aspects they would have to manage in order to successfully grow the business through online marketing.

By outsourcing our digital marketing to ReachLocal, we are able to devote more time to helping our customers quickly get their life back on track after an emergency situation such as a hurricane or a broken water pipe, said Ben Suiskind, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer at All Dry USA. Working with ReachLocal has enabled us to focus more time on customer service, without reducing our marketing efforts. As a result, our business has doubled in size every six months, we expanded our Florida office and we opened a new office in New York.

About ReachLocal

ReachLocal helps local businesses grow and operate their business better with leading technology and expert service for our clients' lead generation and conversion. A subsidiary of Gannett Company, Inc. (NYSE:GCI), ReachLocal is headquartered in Woodland Hills, Calif. and operates in four regions: Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. For more information, visit www.reachlocal.com.

About One Planet Awards

One Planet Awards are an annual industry and peers recognition program honoring employees and Companies of all types and sizes in North America, Europe, Middle-East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin-America. More information can be found at www.oneplanetawards.com.
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.
Brazil: More than 120 killings in 16 days signals national prison crisis

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 16 January 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Brazil: More than 120 killings in 16 days signals national prison crisis, 16 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587e124b4.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.

Brazil's chaotic prison system is facing crisis with more than 120 inmate deaths reported since 1 January 2017, Amnesty International said today after the confirmation of a further 26 killings inside Alcacuz prision, Rio Grande do Norte state.

More than 120 government prison inmates have been killed in the past 16 days during riots in the northern and northeastern states of Amazonas, Roraima and now, Rio Grande do Norte.

"It is appalling that so many people have been killed in such a short amount of time while in government custody. The crisis that started with the killings in Amazonas State prison on 1st January is worsening and spreading throughout the country," said Renata Neder, Human Rights Advisor at Amnesty International Brazil.

"The authorities are playing a dangerous game in underestimating the depth of the emergency in the prison system; and are therefore failing to prevent further gruesome killings."

The vast majority of the 26 inmates killed in the latest disturbances at Alcacuz prision in Rio Grande do Norte were beheaded. There are also reports that some of the victims were quartered and others burned. Parts of the prison facilities were destroyed during the riot, which lasted for over fourteen hours.

More than 8,000 people are imprisoned in Rio Grande do Norte state, though its prison system has capacity for just 3,500. As far back as March 2015, the government declared a "state of calamity" in its prison system due to the number of riots that had taken place.

The overcrowding and poor facilities of Brazilian prisons have been widely denounced before the National Justice Council, by the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture in a 2016 report.

Amnesty International is calling on authorities to ensure a prompt, thorough and independent investigation, by civilian authorities, into the killings. All those suspected of criminal responsibility must be brought to justice in fair trials.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Dublin, Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Internet of Things (IoT) Device Management: IoT Device Administration, Monitoring, and Diagnostics Market Outlook and Forecasts 2017 - 2022" report to their offering.



This research examines IoT Device Management requirements and functionality as well as leading companies and solutions. The report evaluates market opportunities and challenges for IoT Device Management solutions across various industry verticals. The report includes forecasting for global and regional markets as well as potential across deployment types and sectors including automotive, manufacturing, smart cities, and more.



The Internet of Things (IoT) represents a complex system of networks, platforms, interfaces, protocols, devices, and data. IoT devices range from sensors, actuators, gateways, and embedded hardware/software within products and assets.



The number and type of IoT devices, as well as the associated use cases for apps and services, grows exponentially within leading industry verticals. One of the critical success factors for IoT operation will be certain Operational Support Systems (OSS) for IoT such as IoT Device Management.



"The Need for IoT Device Management Software is a Rapidly Building Area of Concern and Opportunity"



IoT Device Management encompasses device provisioning, administration, monitoring, and diagnostics important for trouble replication and corrective measures. Important IoT Device Management functions include Enrollment/Provisioning, Configuration/Association, Software Updates, and overall Management and Control. As IoT systems and networks grow in complexity and importance, there will be an increasingly urgent need within enterprise for IoT device management platforms and software.



Select Report Findings:



IoT Device Management to be one of fasted growing areas for solution providers

Substantial market opportunity for PaaS and SaaS based IoT Device Management

Asia PAC IoT Device Management Systems in Smart Cities will reach $247M by 2022

North America to lead IoT Device Management platform market, reaching $958M by 2022

PaaS and SaaS based IoT Device Management solutions to be lead market, reaching $3.1B by 2022

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Executive Summary



3. Overview



4. Market Analysis and Forecasts 2017 - 2022



5. IoT Device Management Service Delivery Analysis



6. IoT Device Management Company and Solution Analysis



Advantech

Aeris

Allegro Software Development Corporation

Amplia Soluciones S.L.

ARM Ltd.

Bosch Software Innovations GmbH

Devicepilot

ETI Software Solutions

IBM

Microsoft

Particle

Proximetry Inc. (Relayr)

PTC

SiteWhere LLC.

SmithMicro Software

Telit

Tibbo Systems

Wind River

WSO2

Xively (LogMeIn)

Zentri

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/xhf93s/internet_of




UN envoy in Yemen meeting with President, senior officials to push for greater aid access

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 16 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN envoy in Yemen meeting with President, senior officials to push for greater aid access, 16 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587e12ad40c.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.

16 January 2017 - The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, is today in Aden, highlighting the need for a truce to allow in humanitarian aid and move along the peace process.

We are encouraging the parties to commit to restoring the 10 April Cessation of Hostilities and take immediate measures which will prevent further deterioration of the economic and humanitarian situation, the Special Envoy said referring to an agreement by Yemeni parties in 2016, but whose terms and conditions have since been violated.

The current political stalemate is causing death and destruction every day, the UN Special Envoy said. The only way to stop this is through the renewal of the Cessation of Hostilities followed by consultations to develop a comprehensive agreement.

Yemen's political elites have a responsibility to shield people from further harm, protect their country's future and commit to a peaceful settlement, he continued.

Earlier today, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed arrived in the eastern Yemeni city for meetings with President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, Prime Minister Ahmed bin Daghr and Foreign Minister Abdel Malik Mekhlafi, according to a UN spokesperson.

The visit follows a week of meetings with senior officials from the Governments of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar in Riyadh, Muscat and Doha, respectively.

In a meeting with President Hadi, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said he discussed the key elements of a comprehensive agreement, based on consultations in Kuwait, which would help bring an end to the war and Yemen's return to a peaceful and orderly transition.

I asked the President to act swiftly and engage constructively with the UN's proposal for the sake of the country's future, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said, stressing that a peace agreement, combined with a well-articulated security plan and an inclusive government formation is the only way to end the fighting.

According to the UN spokesperson, the Special Envoy will travel to the capital city of Sana'a in the coming days to share the same message with the Representatives of Ansar Allah and General People's Congress.
UN refugee agency lauds Europe's rescue efforts in Mediterranean amid 'tragic start' to New Year

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 16 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN refugee agency lauds Europe's rescue efforts in Mediterranean amid 'tragic start' to New Year, 16 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587e12db40c.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.

16 January 2017 - The United Nations refugee agency praised the Italian Coastguard in coordination with Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, for rescuing some 1,500 people from boats on the Mediterranean struggling in rough weather throughout the weekend.

In what is already a tragic start to 2017 on the Mediterranean Sea, I am really heartened to see the first priority of saving lives in action through the rescue efforts of the Italian Coastguard and Frontex who have braved such extreme weather to rescue so many people, said Vincent Cochetel, Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Refugee Crisis in Europe.

In the wake of at least one known shipwreck of an over-crowded and flimsy vessel off the coast of Libya, at least eight bodies were recovered by European authorities. According to the Italian Coast Guard, on Saturday a French ship operating under Frontex sighted and rescued four people on the high seas 30 to 40 miles, or between 48 and 64 kilometres, from Libyan shores.

The survivors  whether refugees or migrants  have gone through unimaginable physical and psychological suffering, said Cochetel, adding that UNHCR will work closely with authorities to refer them to health services.

Early reports from survivors say that at least 100 people were on board a dinghy that collapsed off the Libyan coast  between Tripoli and Misurata. That same day, the Italian Coastguard rescued another 34 people close to oil platforms some 55 miles (88 kilometres) from the Libyan coast.

Italian authorities also reported that three survivors from another rescue operation had died from hypothermia, while another two were suffocated on board a dinghy.

Survivors and victims from recent rescue efforts have disembarked in Lampedusa on Saturday and in the port city of Messina, on the north east coast of Sicily, on Sunday.

UNHCR staff assisted during both the operations and mourning of the victims.

Last year was the deadliest year on record on the Mediterranean Sea with more than 5,000 deaths recorded  as compared to the 3,771 documented in 2015.

The deadly start to 2017 highlights the urgent need for States to increase pathways for admission of refugees, such as resettlement, private sponsorship and family reunification, so they do not have to resort to dangerous journeys and the use of people smugglers.
Killings, rapes in South Sudan continued 'unabated' after July 2016 violence, UN reports

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 16 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Killings, rapes in South Sudan continued 'unabated' after July 2016 violence, UN reports, 16 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587e1363412.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.

16 January 2017 - Hundreds of people were killed in South Sudan during an outbreak of violence last July and more than 200 people were raped, according to a United Nations report today released which emphasizes the need for accountability and justice for those human rights violations.

The report by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the UN human rights office (OHCHR) found that throughout the fighting that occurred between 8 and 12 July 2016 between the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), the belligerents blatantly ignored international human rights law and humanitarian law.

The fighting that erupted in July 2016 was a serious setback for peace in South Sudan and showed just how volatile the situation in the country is, with civilians living under the risk of mass atrocities, said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.

The report his office co-authored found that SPLA and SPLM/A-IO showed complete disregard of civilians continuing to target women and children, and in particular, Nuers with tribal markings on their foreheads, after 12 July, and that six months later, there remains widespread impunity, as violations continue unabated.

Information documented and verified by the Human Rights Division suggests that hundreds of people including civilians were killed and many more wounded during the fighting in various areas of Juba, the report stated.

UNMISS documented 217 victims of rape, including gang-rape committed by SPLA, SPLM/A-IO and other armed groups during and after the fighting between 8 and 25 July. According to victims' testimonies and witnesses' accounts, most cases of sexual violence were committed by SPLA soldiers, police officers and members of the National Security Services (NSS).

UNMISS and OHCHR urge the Transitional Government of National Unity to break the cycle of violence and impunity, including through the establishment and operationalization of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan by the African Union.

AUDIO: Serious action is needed "right now" to stop ethnically-based killings in South Sudan warns the UN Mission in the east African country. Credit: UN News

The report also recommends that the State ensure that all victims of human rights violations and abuses, as well as violations of international humanitarian law, have access to an effective remedy, just and fair reparation, including compensation and rehabilitation.

In August of last year, Zainab Hawa Bangura, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sexual Violence in Conflict, urged the South Sudanese Government to protect its citizens.

The women and children of South Sudan do not deserve [to be treated like] this, Ms. Bangura told UN Radio Miraya. Those who think they will get off 'scot-free' must be joking because we will go after them. It doesn't matter who they are or where they are. We will go after them and hold them accountable for these crimes.
Title A Report on Violations and Abuses of International Human Rights Law and Violations of International Humanitarian Law in the Context of the Fighting in Juba, South Sudan, in July 2016

Publication Date January 2017

Country South Sudan

Cite as UN Mission to South Sudan (UNMISS), A Report on Violations and Abuses of International Human Rights Law and Violations of International Humanitarian Law in the Context of the Fighting in Juba, South Sudan, in July 2016, January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587e14594.html [accessed 4 November 2022]

Comments This report is jointly published by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
'We must not let 2017 repeat tragedies of 2016 for Syria' - top UN aid officials

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 16 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, 'We must not let 2017 repeat tragedies of 2016 for Syria' - top UN aid officials, 16 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587e147140c.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.

16 January 2017 - While efforts to fully implement a ceasefire in Syria continue, senior United Nations humanitarian officials today appealed for immediate, unconditional, and safe access to reach the children and families who are still cut off from relief aid across the Middle Eastern country.

We must not let 2017 repeat the tragedies of 2016 for Syria, said a joint statement signed by World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Ertharin Cousin, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Anthony Lake, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan, and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

The statement was issued in the Swiss town of Davos, ahead of the World Economic Forum (WEF) from 17 to 20 January 2017, which is expected to be attended by top leaders from the business and political circles.

According to the statement, in Syria today, there are 15 besieged areas where up to 700,000 people, including an estimated 300,000 children, still remain trapped, and nearly five million people, including more than two million children, live in areas that are extremely difficult to reach with humanitarian assistance due to fighting, insecurity and restricted access.

All over Syria, people continue to suffer because they lack the most basic elements to sustain their lives  and because of the continued risk of violence. We  indeed, the world  must not stand silent while parties to the conflict continue to use denial of food, water, medical supplies, and other forms of aid as weapons of war, the statement stressed.

The statement also noted that children are at heightened risk of malnutrition, dehydration, diarrhoea, infectious diseases, and injury. Many need support after being exposed to traumatic events, violence and other violations. Tragically, far too many children have known little but conflict and loss in their young lives, it warned.

The horrors of the siege of the eastern districts of Aleppo have disappeared from the public consciousness  but we must not let the needs, the lives and the futures of Syria's people fade from the world's conscience, the statement added.
Saudi Arabia/Sudan: Secret detention of Messrs. Waleed Imam and Algasim Mohamed Sidahmed

Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 17 January 2017 Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, Saudi Arabia/Sudan: Secret detention of Messrs. Waleed Imam and Algasim Mohamed Sidahmed, 17 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587e332c4.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 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Saudi Arabia.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the arrest and detention of Messrs. Waleed Imam and Algasim Mohamed Sidahmed, two Sudanese social media activists residing in Saudi Arabia, where they continue advocating for the respect of human rights in Sudan.

According to the information received, on December 20, 2016, two units of Saudi security forces arrested Messrs. Waleed Imam and Algasim Mohamed Sidahmed, as they were heading to their cars outside their workplace in Riyadh. Following their arrest, they were taken to their homes where four security personnel searched their houses before taking them to an unknown place. No arrest or search warrants were presented during the search and Mr. Waleed Imam was prevented from communicating with his wife who was standing in the next room.

Mr. Algasim Mohamed Sidahmed, whose mobile phone was confiscated during the search, called his wife at around 2 am for only 40 seconds from a prison in Riyadh. They have been held incommunicado since their arrest. No reason for their arrest has been given and their whereabouts remain unknown as of publication of this appeal.

According to information received, several officials of the Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) would have since arrived in Saudi Arabia in order to interrogate the two above-mentioned human rights defenders.

The Observatory strongly condemns the arrest and incommunicado and secret detention of Messrs. Waleed Imam and Algasim Mohamed Sidahmed. These cases illustrate the repressive trend targeting Sudanese human rights defenders residing abroad as the Sudanese Government exercises pressure to harass its nationals carrying out human rights activities abroad.

The Observatory further fear that the two would be at risk of torture and ill-treatment if they were sent back to Sudan, which would be contrary to Saudi Arabia's obligations under Article 3 of the United Nations Convention against Torture.

The Observatory urges authorities in Saudi Arabia to immediately disclose the whereabouts of Messrs. Waleed Imam and Algasim Mohamed Sidahmed and release them immediately and unconditionally as their detention is arbitrary since it only seems to aim at sanctioning their human rights activities.

Background information:

Founding members of Abna' Al-Sahafa (Citizen of Al-Sahafa) in Khartoum, Messrs. Waleed Imam and Algasim Mohamed Sidahmed were providing assistance and basic services to Sudanese people in need.

Since they left Sudan to Saudi Arabia for work reasons in 1998 and 2013 respectively, they have remained active in the organisation from Riyadh, providing logistic and financial support for those in need of medicine and medical treatment in Sudan. Moreover, Mr. Algasim Mohamed Sidahmed is managing a Facebook page that has over 80,000 members calling for peaceful political transformation in Sudan. He was active during the recent civil disobedience movement in Sudan.

Actions requested:

Please write to the authorities of Saudi Arabia and ask them to:

i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Messrs. Waleed Imam and Algasim Mohamed Sidahmed and all human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia;

ii. Immediately disclose the whereabouts of Messrs. Waleed Imam and Algasim Mohamed Sidahmed and release them immediately and unconditionally as their detention is arbitrary since it only seems to aim at sanctioning their human rights activities;

iii. Guarantee the access of Messrs. Messrs. Waleed Imam and Algasim Mohamed Sidahmed to their lawyers;

iv. Put an end to all acts of harassment - including at the judicial level - against Messrs. Waleed Imam and Algasim Mohamed Sidahmed and all human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia;

v. Conform in any circumstances with the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted on December 9, 1998 by the UN General Assembly, in particular its Articles 1, 6, 8, 9 and 12.2;

vi. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights instruments ratified by Saudi Arabia, and most notably to comply with Article 3 of the Convention against Torture (CAT), to which Saudi Arabia is a party, which states that "no State Party shall expel, return ("refouler") or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture".

Addresses:

 His Majesty, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, Fax: (via Ministry of the Interior) +966 11 403 3125; Email: [email protected]

 H.E. Waleed bin Mohammad Al Samaani, Minister of Justice, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Fax: + 966 11 401 1741 / + 966 11 402 0311 / +966114055399

 His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Minister of Interior, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Fax: +966 11 403 3125; Email: [email protected]

 H.E. Adel bin Ahmed El Jubeir, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fax: +966114030645; Email: [email protected]

 H.E. Abdulaziz Alwasil, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland. Fax: +41 22 758 00 00. Email: [email protected]

 H.E. Abdulrahman bin Soliman Al-Ahmed, Ambassador, Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Brussels, Belgium. Fax: +32 2 6468538. Email: [email protected]

Please also write to diplomatic representations of Saudi Arabia in your respective countries.
Iraq's growing mental health problem

Publisher IRIN Author Annie Slemrod Publication Date 16 January 2017 Cite as IRIN, Iraq's growing mental health problem, 16 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587e337d4.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.

Iraq already had shortages of psychiatrists and psychologists before the rise of so-called Islamic State. Now, as hundreds of thousands of civilians emerge from years of IS rule, the impact of those shortfalls is becoming painfully clear.

Many of those needing help are children, like Emir Ibrahim. The 14-year-old was lined up against a wall, gunshots scattered around his head. And this was just the beginning of his punishment.

The teenager, who had been accused of attempting to escape his northern hometown of Hawija, recalled what happened after he was brought before an IS judge. He "had a metal pole and started beating me with it... my back was covered in blood. Then, they put me in prison," he said.

Released thanks to a payoff from his father, Ibrahim and his family fled to Debaga Camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, a northern swathe of Iraq run semi-autonomously by the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).

Even when they were safely set up in the camp, Ibrahim was still afraid to go outside. In the end, the boy's mother, Aya, sought out mental health support.

"Everyone has problems like this," Aya told IRIN. "I went because my neighbour said they helped cure her son, so I went to ask for help."

Overwhelming needs

Almost 150,000 civilians have already fled Mosul as the effort to oust IS from its largest Iraqi stronghold intensifies. With as many as a million people still inside amid an increasingly bitter siege, more families like the Ibrahims will likely seek professional help in coming months.

Elektra Noutsou, until recently mental health activity manager for Medecins Sans Frontieres Switzerland in Baghdad, told IRIN that despite plenty of warzone experience as a psychologist, she was shocked by both the level of need and the forthrightness of patients in Iraq.

Noutsou described patients knocking on the window of her car in Tikrit, where many people arrived from areas near Mosul. She assumed they were seeking a general physician for some kind of physical injury or illness. "They said: 'No I just want to talk to you and also my neighbour would like to see you too.'

"At first, I was overwhelmed," Noutsou recalled. "I didn't know which person to help first because so many people were coming up to me."

MSF is the only aid group with specialist teams dealing with severe mental health cases for those displaced from Mosul.

Bilal Budair, MSF mental health manager in Erbil - the de facto capital of Iraqi Kurdistan - said his teams had even stopped doing outreach activities in Debaga because so many camp residents were knocking on their doors (although they do similar work elsewhere).

"People are suffering, and their suffering has led them to go to our services," he said. "We receive many patients on a daily basis."

More than Mosul

It's easy to focus only on the big battles, but Iraqis throughout the country are in need of assistance.

This is laid bare in Abu Ghraib, a Baghdad suburb best known outside the country for hosting an infamous American prison.

MSF has a small clinic there made up of several caravans.

When IRIN visited at the end of October, mental health support had only been on offer for a month. Doctor Duniyah Akbar, one of the clinic's GPs, had been pressing for it almost since she started a year earlier.

The reasons for such high general needs are manifold, she explained, in between appointments - her patients seated in an outdoor waiting area. "With displacement and low socio-economic status, here in Abu Ghraib you find a lot of cases of depression, stress, and a lot of cases of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, especially in people who fled military operations against [IS]."

Doctor Akbar said that while a few of her patients were concerned how their families might view treatment, most were just keen to get better. In fact, she thought patients with epilepsy suffered greater stigma than those with psychological or psychiatric diagnoses.

All her patients were being screened for mental health issues, and plenty had referred themselves to a nearby caravan - decorated with posters about the causes and symptoms of anxiety - where two women were waiting to see a psychologist.

Skills shortage

There are simply not enough trained clinical psychologists in Iraq to deal with the needs. The country itself doesn't offer clinical psychology as a degree, although the KRG does have courses.

In addition to MSF's teams and those connected with other aid agencies, there are only around 80 clinical psychologists working in Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, up from 47 in 2010, according to official figures. There are more psychiatrists - some trained in techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - but they are overworked too.

Doctor Ahmed al-Rudaini, an Iraqi health ministry spokesman, agreed that mental health care was "very important these days", but it was clearly not his government's main priority.

"We are focusing on saving people's lives and providing surgeries and first aid treatment in the areas of operations [against IS], rather than focusing on psychological issues," he said.

The government has plans to "train and encourage and educate people about the importance of such fields," but this, al-Rudaini added, "needs time".

Some aid agencies, including the UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, are trying to fill at least some of the gap by training aid workers in what's called "psychological first aid".

"Staff are trained to carefully listen to families, allow individuals to discuss what they have gone through and identify their needs, followed by immediate referrals to service providers," a UNHCR spokesperson explained in an email. Psychological first aid isn't meant to replace treatment, but can be a useful tool in the aftermath of a traumatic event.

MSF is also training new staffers in these techniques. But not everyone is good at listening and talking, Noutsou pointed out, highlighting the need to find the right people.

It was easy to see why Rasha was one of those MSF had selected to train up in psychological first aid. At the Abu Ghraib clinic, IRIN found her administering questionnaires to patients and helping them schedule appointments.

The 29-year-old was easy to talk to and had the sensitivity to move even a whispered conversation about patients outside the quiet waiting room. In only three weeks at the clinic, she had already heard plenty of stories she wanted to forget.

"Most of the people who come here have attempted suicide already," Rasha told IRIN, mentioning a young woman who set herself on fire because of ongoing family problems.

Many patients want to talk about divorce, stress, and depression, she said. "Some people are shy, and others love to talk and come here just to seek help from our psychologists."

Less stigma?

A unique positive to take from the situation is that the stigma surrounding mental illness in Iraq appears greatly diminished.

MSF's Noutsou believes it is partly the scale of the trauma that Iraqis have been subjected to over the past two years, since IS entered the country in January 2014, that has broken the seal of shame.

"'We've been through wars we know war,' she recalled patients telling her. 'This is unprecedented. This, we have never experienced this before.'"

Hussein Shaati, a psychologist at Abu Ghraib, told IRIN that mass displacement - currently hovering at around three million - also played a role, in that a lack of local and/or family support systems meant many were now forced to overcome any stigma they might previously have felt.

"They were supported," he said. "But after trauma [and displacement] they have to go and seek help."

This idea was echoed by Rasha, who said several patients had told her that any care they once had had gone.

But therapy doesn't necessarily bring the immediate relief of a pill. And doctors told IRIN that convincing patients in Iraq to keep coming back for repeated appointments was still a major hurdle.

It's not just that, MSF's Budair's pointed out. "You are treating patients at the same time war is still going on [One of the main] challenges to our activities is treating patients while the war is running. Many are worried about their family in Syria or in Mosul, and this creates a lot of anxiety. We have patients with multiple diagnoses."

In a recent statement, MSF said that as the battle for Mosul drags on, the severity of the events patients describe increases.

And while witnessing public beheadings certainly causes trauma, that isn't the right term for everything MSF is dealing with.

Both Noutsou and Budair told IRIN they see many people with pre-existing conditions that have gone untreated for the past two years: depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, marriage issues.

Budair was frank about the future, adding simply: "We are expecting to see more patients."

(Additional reporting by Samya Kullab)
Afghanistan's Domestic Violence Loophole

Publisher Institute for War and Peace Reporting Author Zarghona Salihi Publication Date 16 January 2017 Citation / Document Symbol ARR 563 Cite as Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Afghanistan's Domestic Violence Loophole, 16 January 2017, ARR 563, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587e35c14.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.

Campaigners are calling for the Afghan government to follow through on promises to change parts of Afghanistan's penal code that they argue actually serves to legimitise violence against women.

Article 398 of the Afghan penal code states that a man who sees "his wife or other family members" in a compromising position and kills or injures one or both of them "in order to defend his dignity and respect" will not be prosecuted for violent assault or murder.

Instead, he may be liable to a term of imprisonment of no longer than two years.

"We can see that Afghan law gives men freedoms regarding domestic violence and the killing of women which they misuse," said Latifa Sultani, head of the department of women's rights at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC).

Quite apart from the human rights implications, Clause 398 showed clear gender bias, she continued.

Women can already be imprisoned under the loose category of moral crimes, which encompasses actions such as running away from home, and face prison sentences of up to five years if convicted of adultery.

"If a man discovers his wife committing adultery with another man and kills her, he will be imprisoned for two years. However, if a woman finds her husband committing adultery with another woman and kills him, she will face the most serious punishment possible, and this is clearly discrimination and a problem with the laws of Afghanistan," Sultani said.

Clause 398 was also being exploited to punish victims of sexual violence, too.

"Unfortunately, there are some cases there have some cases that have come before the courts in which rape has been deemed to be adultery, so that the woman ends up being imprisoned because of our male-dominated society that doesn't believe in women's rights," she said.

Parwin Rahimi is in charge of the department to combat violence against women at the attorney general's office.

She said that suspects often tried to exploit Clause 398 in order to minimize their sentence.

"Our investigations have shown that most murders and perpetrators of violence against women are not [related to honour killings], but there are some people who try to change their cases into ones of domestic violence in order to decrease their punishment," she said.

Officials say that action is planned to amend the controversial clause.

"The ministry of justice is planning to bring changes in the criminal law of Afghanistan," Sayed Mohammad Hashimi, a deputy minister at the ministry, told IWPR. He said that Clause 398 would be removed from the statute books and that all cases of murder would be treated as such.

However, international and Afghan human rights groups have long campaigned for the penal code to be brought into line with the international norms and the government has previously made such assurances without making any amendments to the law.

There were high hopes for the implementation of the Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which was enacted by presidential decree in 2009 and prohibited a range of abuses from assault and rape to marriages that were coercive, involve minors or amount to a transaction between two families. However, the law was rejected by parliament in May 2013, and has been shelved ever since.

A culture of impunity had thus effectively encouraged sexual abuse and other forms of violence, Sultani explained, adding said that nearly 600 instances of so-called honour killings had been registered with the commission over the last five years. Most perpetrators had either evaded justice or received a lenient sentence at trial.

She said that the real figure was likely to be much higher, because of the culture of shame surrounding such cases.

"When we hear about a case, we go to the families, to the hospitals, and speak to witnesses and document the case because honour killings are not often reported," she said.

Shahla Farid, a lecturer of law and political science at Kabul university, said, "There are many reasons for domestic violence and women being killed; men consider women their property."

She said that quite apart from the problems with Afghan criminal law, conservative traditions, poverty, illiteracy, and ignorance of Islamic precepts of human rights lay behind such murders.

Observers note that murders of this kind were often the result of men resorting to murder on the merest suspicions about female relatives, without even trying to establish whether their fears had any basis.

In a recent case in September 2016, 18-year-old Fariba - a resident of Dahan Zara in Takhar province - was shot dead by her husband on her wedding night. He then escaped.

One of Fariba's neighbours, Mirwais, said that she had not consented to the marriage.

"This girl wanted to marry another boy but was forced to marry this man, and when the groom and bride were carried home, she was immediately shot by her husband," he said.

Razm Ara Hawash, head of the provincial women's affairs department, said that the husband should have handed his new wife over to the courts if he believed a crime such as adultery had been committed.

Calling for the suspect's arrest, she said that men had no right to take the law into their own hands.

In a similar case, lawyer Masoma Haidari said that she was currently working on a case in which a man living in the Kampany area of Kabul city who had killed his wife in September 2016.

Having been married for 13 years, the couple had no children and the husband recently took another wife.

But when the new wife conceived, he suspected her of sleeping with another man and killed her.

MISUSE OF AUTHORITY

Officials insist that action is being taken to address domestic abuse.

Spozhmai Wardak, a deputy minister at the ministry of women's affairs, condemned all extra-judicial violence against women.

"As well as running awareness programmes regarding women's rights, the ministry also works together with relevant organisations and departments to arrest and punish those who violate women's rights," she said. "Serious action must be taken against domestic violence."

Sidiq Sidiqi, spokesman of ministry of interior affairs, said, "Arresting those who violate women's right is one of the priorities of the police."

Rahimi added that the attorney general's office was working hard to prosecute those suspected of domestic violence.

"Over 926 cases of violence against women have been registered with our office so far and 30 out of 926 cases are related to the killings of women," she said, adding that 545 cases have been successfully investigated and 342 were still ongoing.

But others argue that a culture of impunity surrounding those who committed so-called honour crimes meant there was no deterrent to stop others following their example.

"The reason that women are killed or raped in families is that the criminals are not seriously punished; most of them avoid any punishment," Sultani said, adding that corruption and the intervention of powerful people also had an impact on cases of domestic violence.

There are persistent complaints of widespread graft in the judicial system. Women are at a particular disadvantage as, without financial resources or influential connections, they have little protection.

"Corruption and the misuse of authority means the people who murder or rape women and have connections to a [militia] commander, a lawyer or a judge are not punished," she said. "They know that they are free from punishment and so feel free to murder and rape with impunity."

Sultani added, "It is vital to increase public awareness of this issue and punish criminals in order to lower rates of domestic violence and the murder of women in our country."

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
Russia: Government vs. Rights Groups

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 17 January 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Russia: Government vs. Rights Groups, 17 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587e36841.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.

For the past four years, the Kremlin has sought to stigmatize criticism or alternative views of government policy as disloyal, foreign-sponsored, or even traitorous. It is part of a sweeping crackdown to silence critical voices that has included new legal restrictions on the internet, on freedom of expression, on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and on other fundamental freedoms.

Association of NGOs in Defense of Voters' Rights "Golos" (Moscow)  June 5, 2014 Regional Public Association in Defense of Democratic Rights and Freedoms "Golos" (Moscow)  June 5, 2014 Center for Social Policy and Gender Studies (Saratov)  June 5, 2014 (the organization was shut down  May 22, 2015) Women of Don (Rostov region)  June 5, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  February 29, 2016) Kostroma Center for Support of Public Initiatives (Kostroma)  June 5, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  June 19, 2015) Interregional Human Rights Association "Agora" (Kazan)  July 21, 2014 (the organization was shut down  December 29, 2016) Regional public organization "Ecozaschita!  Womens' Council" (Kaliningrad)  July 21, 2014 Public Verdict Foundation (Moscow)  July 21, 2014 Human Rights Center "Memorial" (Moscow)  July 21, 2014 Lawyers for Constitutional Rights and Freedoms / JURIX (Moscow)  July 21, 2014 (the organization was shut down  May 26, 2015) Soldiers' Mothers (Saint Petersburg)  August 28, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  October 23, 2015) Freedom of Information Foundation / Institute for Information Freedom Development  August 28, 2014 PIR Center  September 3, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  February 24, 2016) Association "Partnership for Development" (Saratov)  October 2, 2014 (the organization was shut down  November 6, 2015) "News Agency MEMO.RU" (Moscow)  November 20, 2014 Regional Press Institute (St. Petersburg)  November 20, 2014 Moscow School of Civic Education  December 9, 2014 Rakurs, Arkhangelsk regional non-governmental LGBT organization  December 15, 2014 All-Russian movement "For Human Rights"  December 22, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  December 30, 2015) Human Rights Center (Kaliningrad)  December 25, 2014 Krasnodar Regional Social Organization of University Alumni  December 25, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  April 22, 2016) Regional social organization "Public Commission for Academic Sakharov's Heritage Preservation"  December 25, 2014 Resource Human Rights Center (St. Petersburg)  December 30, 2014 (the organization was shut down  November 3, 2015) Regional Public Organization "Man and the Law" (Republic of Mari El)  December 30, 2014 Center for Social Development "Vozrozhdeniye" (Pskov)  December 30, 2014 Public Human Rights Organization "Civil Control" (St. Petersburg)  December 30, 2014 The League of Women Voters (St. Petersburg)  December 30, 2014 (the organization was shut down  May 22, 2015) Free Press Support Foundation  December 30, 2014 Interregional Non-Governmental Organization "The Committee Against Torture"  January 16, 2015 (the organization was shut down  September 13, 2016) Educational Center "Memorial" (Sverdlov region)  January 16, 2015 Autonomous non-profit human rights organization "Youth Center for Consulting and Training"  January 20, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  July 22, 2015) "Information Bureau of the Nordic Council of Ministers in St. Petersburg"  January 20, 2015 Jewish regional branch of the Russian public organization "Municipal Academy" January 26, 2015 (the organization was shut down  May 22, 2015) The noncommercial partnership "Press Development Institute - Siberia"  January 30, 2015 Center for social, psychological and legal help to victims of discrimination and homophobia "Maximum" (Murmansk)  February 4, 2015 (the organization was shut down  October 28, 2015) Interregional public fund for civil society development "Golos-Povolzhye" (Samara)  February 6, 2015 Interregional charity organization "Siberian Environmental Center" (Novosibirsk)  February 12, 2015 Center for Civic Analysis and Independent Research / GRANI (Perm)  February 13, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  June 19, 2015) Municipal public organization "Samara Center for Gender Studies" (Samara)  February 16, 2015 Regional Fund "Center for Defense of Mass Media Rights" (Voronezh)  February 26, 2015 Regional Charitable Social Foundation "For nature" (Chelyabinsk)  March 6, 2015 Regional Ecological Social Movement "For nature" (Chelyabinsk)  March 6, 2015 Humanist Youth Movement (Murmansk)  March 13, 2015 (the organization was shut down  August 25, 2015) Regional Social Organization for Contribution to Harmonization of Interethnic Relations "Azerbaijan"  March 13, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  July 22, 2016) Regional Social Environmental Organization "Bellona-Murmansk"  March 19, 2015 (the organization was shut down  October 16, 2015) "Educational Center for Environment and Security" (Samara)  March 20, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  October 8, 2015) Foundation "Migration XXI Century"  March 27, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  November 25, 2016) Eco-logika (Rostov)  April 3, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  March 30, 2016) Transparency International Russia - April 7, 2015 Social Environmental Organization "Planeta Nadezhd"  April 15, 2015 Foundation for Consumers' Rights Defense (Novosibirsk)  April 17, 2015 (the organization was shut down  May 12, 2016) Civil Assistance Committee  April 20, 2015 Foundation 19/29 - Foundation for Support of Investigative Journalism  April 24, 2015 Commemorative Centre of History of Political Repressions "Perm - 36"  April 29, 2015 (the organization was shut down  August 18, 2016) Women's League (Kaliningrad )  April 29, 2015 (the organization was shut down  December 16, 2015) Legal Expert Partnership "Soyuz "  May 7, 2015 (the organization was shut down  25 August 2015) Center for Development of Non-Commerical Organizations  May 13, 2015 Club of Accountants and Auditors of Non-Commercial Organizations  May 13, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  March 30, 2016) Informational Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Northern Countries (Kaliningrad)  May 13, 2015 Sutyajnik (Yekaterinburg)  May 15, 2015 Human Rights Academy (Yekaterinburg)  May 15, 2015 Ecological Center "Dront" (Nizhny Novgorod)  May 22, 2015 The non-profit organization "Liberal Mission" Scientific Foundation of Theoretical and Applied Research  May 25, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  September 11, 2015) The non-profit Dynasty Foundation  May 25, 2015 Union of Employers (Tula region)  May 28, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  December 13, 2016) Youth organization "Nuori Karjala/Young Karelia"  June 19, 2015 (the organization was shut down  March 25, 2016) Siberian Center for Support of Social Initiatives  June 19, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  September 21, 2016) Interregional Social Foundation for Peace in the South and in the Northern Caucasus  June 19, 2015 Informational Center "Free Inform"  June 22, 2015 (the organization was shut down  June 21, 2016) Center for Independent Sociological Studies (St. Petersburg)  June 22, 2015 Regional Organization for Population and Development  June 23, 2015 Geblerov Ecological Societ (Barnaul)  June 23, 2015 Association "Legal Basis" (Yekaterinburg)  July 3, 2015 Interregional Non-governmental Organization "Northern Environmental Coalition" (Petrozavodsk)  July 8, 2015 (the organization was shut down  December 1, 2015) Komi Human Rights Commission "Memorial" (Syktyvkar)  July 21, 2015 Altai Regional Public Fund for 21st Century Altai (Barnaul)  July 22, 2015 (the organization was shut down  March 28, 2016) Interregional Public Foundation for Civil Society Development "GOLOS-Ural" (Chelyabinsk region)  July 22, 2015 SREDA Foundation  July 28, 2015 Non-governmental environmental organization "Green World" (Nizhny Novgorod)  July 29, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  October 28, 2016) Civic Action Foundation (Perm)  August 5, 2015 Alliance of Funds of Local Communities of the Perm territory  August 11, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  October 26, 2016) Kabardino-Balkaria Human Rights Center  regional branch of the "For Human Rights" All-Russian movement (Nalchik)  August 18, 2015 (the organization was shut down  November 6, 2015) The Human Rights Center of the Chechen Republic (Grozny)  August 21, 2015 Interregional Social Ecological Foundation "ISAR-Siberia" (Novosibirsk)  August 26, 2015 Perm Regional Human Rights Center (Perm)  September 3, 2015 Siberia's lifeline (Novosibirsk)  September 3, 2015 Golos Foundation in Support of Democracy  September 4, 2015 (the organization was shut down  June 21, 2016) Jewish Cultural Center "Hesed-Teshuva" (Ryazan)  September 11, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  December 13, 2016) Sakhalin Environment Watch (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk)  September 18, 2015 Yasavey Manzara Information and Research Center (Naryan-Mar)  September 23, 2015 (the organization was shut down  June 15, 2016) Consumer Rights and Environment Protection Association "Princip" (Moscow region)  October 5, 2015 Far East Center for the Development of Civil Initiatives and Social Partnership (Vladivostok) October 13, 2015 Russian Research Center for Human Rights  October 20, 2015 Women of the Don (Rostov region)  October 27, 2015 Friends of the Siberian Forests (Krasnoyarsk)  October 28, 2015 (the organization was shut down  December 6, 2016) Photography Club "Sobytiye" (Omsk)  October 28, 2015 (the organization was shut down  December 16, 2015) Research and Information Center "Memorial" (St. Petersburg)  November 6, 2015 Baikal Environmental Wave (Irkutsk)  November 10, 2015 (the organization was shut down  August 1, 2016) Glasnost Defense Foundation  November 19, 2015 Human Rights Institute  November 20, 2015 Center for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North  November 27, 2015 Green World (Leningrad region)  December 2, 2015 Mashr (Republic of Ingushetia)  December 8, 2015 Woman's World (Kaliningrad)  December 11, 2015 Panorama Information and Research Center (Moscow)  December 18, 2015 Dauria Ecological Center (Chita)  December 30, 2015 (the organization was shut down  September 1, 2016) Yekaterinburg Memorial Society (Yekaterinburg)  December 30, 2015 Bureau of Public Investigations (Nizhny Novgorod)  January 14, 2016 Committee for the Prevention of Torture (Orenburg)  January 14, 2016 Institute of Forecasting and Resolving of Political Conflicts (Nizhny Novgorod)  January 22, 2016 Ryazan Historical, Educational and Human Rights Center "Memorial" (Ryazan)  February 1, 2016 Society of Assistance to Social Protection of Citizens "Peterburgskaya EGIDA" (Saint Petersburg)  February 2, 2016 (the organization was shut down  April 26, 2016) Center for Health and Social Support "SIBALT" (Omsk)  February 15, 2016 Chelyabinsk Regional Organ of Public Independent Action "Ural Human Rights Group" (Chelyabinsk)  February 15, 2016 Women of Eurasia (Chelyabinsk)  February 15, 2016 Ural Democratic Foundation (Chelyabinsk)  February 15, 2016 Legal and Social Support Charitable Foundation "Sphere" (Saint Petersburg)  March 1, 2016 Centre for Civic Education and Human Rights (Perm)  March 3, 2016 The International Development Fund for Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation "Batani" (Moscow)  March 11, 2016 Center for Social and Labor Rights (Moscow)  March 21, 2016 Arkhar (Gorno-Altaysk)  April 5, 2016 (the organization was shut down  October 6, 2016) Publishing House "Valentin Manuylov"  April 15, 2016 Tengri School of Soul ecology (Altay) - May 17, 2016 Hanse Buero / Information Bureau of Schleswig-Holstein in Kaliningrad (Kaliningrad) - May 24, 2016 (the organization was shut down  December 30, 2016) Krasnoyarsk Regional Public Organization Agency of public initiatives (Krasnoyarsk) - May 27, 2016 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  September 21, 2016) Saratov Regional Public Organization "Socium" (Engels) - May 30, 2016 Perm regional non-governmental organization "Perm Civil Chamber" (Perm) - June 9, 2016 ("foreign agent" status was suspended  September 21, 2016) Regional non-governmental organization Integration center "Migration and Law" (Moscow) - June 16, 2016 Non-Profit Partnership "ESVERO" (Moscow) - June 22, 2016 Andrey Rylkov Foundation for Health and Social Justice (Moscow) - June 29, 2016 Altai regional sport and patriotic youth public organization "Arctica" (Biysk) - July 6, 2016 Autonomous non-governmental organization "Free Word" (Pskov) - July 13, 2016 The Institute of Economic Analysis (Moscow) - July 22, 2016 Penza regional youth civic organization for prevention of negative phenomena among youth "Panacea" (Kuznetsk) - August 15, 2016 (the organization was shut down  December 8, 2016) Samara regional, civic organization "American alumni club" (Samara) - August 26, 2016 Autonomous non-for-profit organization "Publishing house 'Park Gagarina'" (Samara) - August 31, 2016 Levada Analytical Center (Moscow) - September 5, 2016 Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (Maikop) - September 13, 2016 Autonomous non-for-profit human rights organization "Draftee's school" (Chelyabinsk) - September 21, 2016 Foundation for support of civil freedoms "Legal mission" (Chelyabinsk) - September 21, 2016 International Historical, Educational, Human Rights And Charitable Society Memorial (Moscow) - October 4, 2016 Sverdlovsk regional non-profit foundation "Health Era" (Ekaterinburg) - October 11, 2016 Chapaevsk non-profit organization "Chapaevsk city medical personnel association" (Chapaevsk) - October 21, 2016 Regional charity foundation "Samarskaya gubernia" (Samara) - November 2, 2016 Non-profit partnership "Internet Community" (Samara) - December 13, 2016 Autonomous non-profit organization for social support "Project April" (Tolyatti) - December 19, 2016 ANNA Centre for the prevention of violence (Moscow) - December 26, 2016 Southern Human Rights Centre (Sochi) - December 26, 2016 Sverdlovsk branch of the International Historical, Educational, Human Rights And Charitable Society Memorial (Ekaterinburg) - December 29, 2016 SOVA Center for Information and Analysis (Moscow) - December 30, 2016 Sverdlovsk civic organization for assistance to legal migration "Nelegalov.Net [No Illegals]" (Ekaterinburg) - January 10, 2017 Environmental human rights center Bellona (Saint Petersburg) - January 16, 2017

And the four NGOs which registered voluntarily:

Non-commercial Partnership "Supporting Competition in the CIS Countries"  June 27, 2013 "The Union of Young Political Scientists", KarachayCherkess Republican Youth Social Organization  December 15, 2014 Regional Social Movement "Novgorod Women's Parliament" (Veliky Novgorod)  March 6, 2015 Center of Independent Researchers of the Altai Republic  June 10, 2015

Leader of at least 1 NGO faces criminal charges personally:

Women of Don (Rostov region) - criminal proceeding is in process. Chair Valentina Cherevatenko faces up to two years in prison for "malicious evasion of the duty to file the documents required for inclusion in the register of nonprofit organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
SANTA FE, N.M., Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sigma Labs, Inc. (OTCQB:SGLB) (Sigma Labs or the Company), a provider of quality assurance software under the PrintRite3D brand, today announced that it has appointed Sam Bell and Frank Garofalo to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Bell is a retired CPA who worked for 39 years with Ernst & Young at various locations throughout the country. His last position, as an Area Managing Partner, was in the Pacific Southwest  where he oversaw the largest region for Ernst & Young in the United States. He has also served as President of Los Angeles Business Advisors, a not-for-profit organization, as well as been active in the United Way. Mr. Bell is currently a Director of TCW Funds, TCW Strategic Income Fund, Inc. and Point 360, and he was previously a director of the Broadway National Bank. He has a B.A. in Business and Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin.



Mr. Garofalo is the founder and Managing Partner of Garofalo & Associates, a strategic consulting and financial advisory firm primarily dedicated to technology growth companies. Prior to founding the firm in 2000, he served for 15 years at PaineWebber (now UBS), where he rose to become Vice President within the companys investment banking division. Mr. Garofalo has also worked at Arthur D. Little as well as been involved in several technology-related startups. He has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from MIT, a M.S. in Computer Control Engineering from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from Harvard University.

I am delighted to announce the addition of these two esteemed individuals to Sigma Labs Board of Directors, said Mark Cola, President and CEO of Sigma Labs. Together, Sam and Frank bring many decades of financial, operational, and strategic expertise to our company and will serve us well as we enter an exciting period of growth. They are both well connected within the industry and possess an entrepreneurial passion that will help us manage the complexities of expanding our business, serving our customers, strengthening the balance sheet, and bringing value to our shareholders. It says a great deal that individuals of such caliber share the same vision as Sigma Labs  one where we believe our proprietary PrintRite3D software will transform mass production processes through the use of advanced additive manufacturing.

About Sigma Labs, Inc.

Sigma Labs, Inc. is a provider of quality assurance software under the PrintRite3D brand and a developer of advanced, in-process, non-destructive quality assurance software for commercial firms worldwide seeking productive solutions for advanced manufacturing. For more information please visit us at www.sigmalabsinc.com.
Burma: Kachin Christians Feared 'Disappeared'

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 16 January 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Burma: Kachin Christians Feared 'Disappeared', 16 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587e37ce4.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.

Burmese authorities should urgently provide information on the whereabouts and well-being of two ethnic Kachin Baptist leaders who were apparently forcibly disappeared in Northern Shan State, Human Rights Watch and Fortify Rights said today. Langjaw Gam Seng, 35, and Dumdaw Nawng Lat, 65, who had guided journalists reporting on Burmese airstrikes that allegedly severely damaged a Catholic church, were last seen on December 24, 2016 traveling to a military base.

The disappearances raise grave concerns for the safety of the two men and witnesses to the incident, the two organizations said. The Burmese government and military should immediately address these issues and allow the visiting United Nations human rights expert to visit the area.

"The apparent enforced disappearance of these two Christian leaders has created a climate of fear and terror in Northern Shan State," said Matthew Smith, chief executive officer of Fortify Rights. "The government should urgently investigate and report on this case and ensure protection for those with information."

On December 24 at about 5:30 p.m., Langjaw Gam Seng, a youth leader with the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) in Mong Ko, reportedly received a phone call from a person representing himself as a member of the Burmese military. The caller requested that Langjaw Gam Seng and his cousin Dumdaw Nawng Lat, an assistant pastor with the KBC, go to the Byuha Gon military base in Northern Shan State's Mong Ko town, in Muse Township near the Burma-China border, to assist with the release of civilians detained there. Local residents last saw the two men that evening traveling by motorbike towards Byuha Gon base, where Burmese Army Battalions Nos. 99 and 55 are located.

On January 3, representatives of the KBC and family members filed a missing persons report at Myo Ma police station in Muse Township. The KBC's repeated inquiries to local government authorities have failed to elicit any information on the whereabouts of Langjaw Gam Seng and Dumdaw Nawng Lat.

The government has subsequently denied that the military detained the two men. On January 10, presidential spokesperson Zaw Htay stated that, "According to our ground report, they were taken by the Kachin Independence Army, not the military." However, he provided no further information to substantiate that claim or the basis for his assertion.

"The nature of the two men's disappearance means the military has some serious questions to answer," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director. "This is a crucial case for Aung San Suu Kyi and other government leaders to demand cooperation from the army, which has continued to resist civilian authority."

Prior to their disappearance, Langjaw Gam Seng and Dumdaw Nawng Lat helped journalists document the destruction of civilian structures in Mong Ko during clashes in November and December 2016 between the Burmese military and the Brotherhood of the Northern Alliance (BNA), a coalition of four ethnic armed groups. On December 3, a journalist with The Irrawaddy, with the assistance of the two religious leaders, photographed serious damage to the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Mong Ko after it had allegedly been bombed by Burmese military airstrikes. The journalist reported that the Mong Ko township administrator subsequently contacted him and asked him not to publish the photographs of the church. However, the photographs surfaced on the internet several days later.

On December 18, the Burmese defense ministry issued a statement denying allegations that military airstrikes were responsible for the damage to the church, saying it was "fabricated news." The ministry instead claimed that "the rebels" had hidden explosives and ammunition in the church.

Catholic Bishop Philip Za Hawng then published a letter stating that the Burmese military called members of the church to their outpost on December 8 and claimed responsibility for the bombing, agreeing to rebuild the church. Bishop Za Hawng described the church as "badly destroyed by bombswhen the government military planes carried out several sorties of airstrikes" and rejected the defense ministry's suggestion that the damage was due to weapons "stored up" in the church, fearing the public might believe the church is "collaborating" with "the rebels."

Yanghee Lee, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma, who has been a 12-day monitoring mission to the country, has been denied access by the government to conflict-affected areas of Shan State.

Human Rights Watch and Fortify Rights called on the government to grant Lee and other human rights monitors unfettered access to Shan State and all other conflict-affected areas.

Under international law, an enforced disappearance occurs when state officials or agents arrest or detain someone and refuse to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or conceal their fate or whereabouts, placing them outside the protection of the law. Enforced disappearances violate various rights protected under international law, including prohibitions against arbitrary arrest and detention; torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment; and extrajudicial execution. The authorities have a legal obligation to investigate alleged enforced disappearances and fully and fairly prosecute those responsible.

Armed conflict in Kachin and Shan States has intensified since June 2011. In Mong Ko town, fighting increased between November 20 and December 4. On November 20, the BNAcomprising the Kachin Independence Army, Burma National Democratic Alliance Army, Ta-ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and Arakan Armycarried out attacks against the police in Mong Ko and reportedly fired unguided rockets into surrounding civilian areas. The Burmese government reported that 10 civilians died in the attacks, but that could not be confirmed. The BNA seized the town of Mong Ko for several days before the military drove them out in early December with airstrikes from helicopter gunships and warplanes as well as heavy artillery.

For many years, Kachin and Shan civil society organizations have documented unlawful killings, torture, rape, forced labor, and other abuses committed by Burmese military forces against civilians in Northern Shan and Kachin States. In 2014, Fortify Rights documented the systematic use of torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment of more than 60 civilians by government forces during fighting in northern Burma from June 2011 to April 2014. In 2012, Human Rights Watch documented how army soldiers attacked Kachin villages, razed homes, pillaged properties, and forced the displacement of tens of thousands of people.

On January 20, 2015, the bodies of two female teachers with the Kachin Baptist ConventionMaran Lu Ra, 19, and Tangbau Khawn Nan Tsin, 20 were discovered in a room they shared in Kaungkha village, Northern Shan State. The Burmese military subsequently threatened legal action against anyone alleging that the military was involved in the killings. A report issued by the Kachin Women's Association Thailand and Legal Aid Network in January 2016 contended the women's bodies showed signs of torture and sexual violence, implicating the army's Light Infantry Regiment No. 503 in the killings. No one is known to have been arrested or prosecuted for the killings.

"Perpetrators of grievous abuses in Kachin and Shan States need to be brought to justice," Robertson said. "Atrocities won't stop so long as the military can commit them against civilians with impunity."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
New York, New York, Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

The New York City Regional Center is pleased to announce an award of $45 million in New Market Tax Credits from the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund of the U.S. Department of Treasury. The credits will be allocated to NYCR-CDE, a Community Development Entity managed by the New York City Regional Center. This allocation marks the first New Market Tax Credit award received by the New York City Regional Center and among the first managed by an EB-5 regional center. The $45 million award provides a unique opportunity for the company to continue its mission of providing financing that creates jobs and stimulates community revitalization in underserved areas of New York City.

The New Market Tax Credit Program was created by Congress in 2000 in an effort to stimulate private investment and economic growth in low income neighborhoods and rural communities that lack access to capital. Historically, low-income communities often have difficulty attracting investment, as evidenced by vacant commercial properties, outdated manufacturing facilities, and inadequate access to education and healthcare service providers. The New Market Tax Credit Program aims to break this cycle of disinvestment by attracting the private investment necessary to reinvigorate struggling local economies. Private capital is incentivized by providing federal income tax credits to investors in exchange for making equity investments in low income neighborhoods.

The $45 million New Market Tax Credit allocation will be used to provide financing to community development projects that typically face financing challenges, such as health care centers, community facilities, industrial space, grocery stores, and small business retailers located in underserved areas of New York City.



We are proud of our eight-year track record of providing capital for economic development projects throughout New York City, said George L. Olsen, Co-Managing Principal of the New York City Regional Center. This $45 million allocation from the U.S. Department of Treasury will allow us to expand our capacity and mission to spur economic development and job creation in areas of need in New York City.



We are thrilled to receive this allocation, added Mary King, Chief Operating Officer of the New York City Regional Center. The $45 million New Market Tax Credit award will help spur economic growth, create jobs, and bring new services and opportunities where they are most needed in New York City. We look forward to supporting many community projects and businesses throughout the city.



The 120 organizations receiving awards were selected from a pool of 238 applicants across the nation and will receive a total of $7 billion in New Market Tax Credit awards. This is the largest single award round since the New Market Tax Credit Program was created.



To receive a New Market Tax Credit allocation award from the U.S. Department of Treasury, the New York City Regional Center was required to demonstrate a mission and track record of providing investment capital for low income communities. Since its designation in 2008 by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the New York City Regional Center has secured $1.36 billion of capital for twenty-one different economic development projects. Examples of investment in New York City include:



$165 million to finance projects in the Bronx including the construction of a food processing and distribution center in the Harlem River Yard and the expansion of the Hutchinson Metro Center



$107.5 million to finance projects in Washington Heights (an Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone) including the redevelopment of the George Washington Bridge Bus Station and the construction of a mixed-use medical office facility adjacent to area hospitals



$767 million to finance projects in Brooklyn including seven projects within the Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York Citys largest industrial park; and,



$225 million to finance the construction of a public high-speed wireless infrastructure network in all New York City subway stations and along the city streets.



We are pleased that the New York City Regional Center has been recognized as an organization with a proven track record of providing capital to areas in need of investment, said Paul Levinsohn, Co-Managing Principal of the New York City Regional Center. The allocation from the U.S. Department of Treasury provides a terrific opportunity to deliver financing to underserved communities and continue our role in supporting economic development and job creation.





About New York City Regional Center

The New York City Regional Center was approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2008 to secure foreign investment for real estate and infrastructure projects within Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx. The company was the first EB-5 regional center approved in New York City. Examples of projects utilizing loans provided by New York City Regional Center-managed funds include the following:



the redevelopment the Brooklyn Navy Yard;

the redevelopment of the George Washington Bridge Bus Station in Washington Heights;

the construction of the City Point development in Downtown Brooklyn;

the redevelopment of a new cargo facility at JFK International Airport;

the construction of a food processing and distribution facility in the South Bronx;

the expansion of Steiner Studios, New York Citys largest film and television studio;

the construction of a hotel and medical office complex in Washington Heights;

the construction of a wireless infrastructure network in New York Citys subway stations;

the expansion of the Hutchinson Metro Center in the Bronx;

the construction of LinkNYC, the public-private initiative that is bringing the nations largest and fastest public Wi-Fi network to the streets of New York City.

In addition to fueling economic development, New York City Regional Center offerings have enabled over 2,400 individuals to become permanent residents of the United States through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. To date, investors in its offerings have received over 2,340 I-526 petition approvals and over 800 I-829 approvals. Over 5,100 EB-5 investors and family members in New York City Regional Center offerings have also received conditional residency in the United States.

For more information about the New York City Regional Center, please visit www.nycrc.com.







About the New Markets Tax Credit Program

Established by Congress in 2000, the New Markets Tax Credit Program permits individual and corporate taxpayers to receive a non-fundable tax credit against federal income taxes for making equity investments in vehicles known as Community Development Entities (CDEs). CDEs that receive tax credit allocation authority under the program are domestic corporations or partnerships that provide loans, investments, or financial counseling in low-income urban and rural communities. The tax credit provided to the investor totals 39 percent of the cost of the investment and is claimed over a seven-year period. The CDEs in turn use the capital raised to make investments in low-income communities. Since 2001, New Market Tax Credits have generated more than $42 billion in investments in low-income communities and businesses, resulting in the creation and retention of more than 500,000 jobs, and the construction or rehabilitation of more than 164 million square feet of commercial real estate.

NYCR-CDE, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Provider.
ATLANTA, Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLBank Atlanta) announced today that funding for its 2017 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) Set-aside products is available for home purchase or home rehabilitation.

Since its inception, FHLBank Atlantas AHP Set-aside products have provided more than $176 million in grant funding that has enabled more than 25,800 households to purchase or rehabilitate a home. In 2016 alone, FHLBank Atlanta member financial institutions delivered $16.4 million in home purchase and rehabilitation grant funding leveraging more than $306 million in first mortgage financing to assist 2,377 households.

To learn more about the 2017 AHP Set-aside products suite click here, or see a summary listing below:

First-time Homebuyer Product

The First-time Homebuyer Product provides up to $5,000 in down-payment, closing-cost, and principal reduction assistance for eligible first-time homebuyers.





The First-time Homebuyer Product provides up to $5,000 in down-payment, closing-cost, and principal reduction assistance for eligible first-time homebuyers. Community Partners Product The Community Partners Product provides up to $7,500 in down-payment, closing-cost, and principal reduction assistance for first-time or non-first-time homebuyers who are currently employed or retired law enforcement officers, educators, firefighters, health care workers, and other first responders.





The Community Partners Product provides up to $7,500 in down-payment, closing-cost, and principal reduction assistance for first-time or non-first-time homebuyers who are currently employed or retired law enforcement officers, educators, firefighters, health care workers, and other first responders. Foreclosure Recovery Product

The Foreclosure Recovery Product provides up to $15,000 in down-payment, closing-cost, and principal reduction assistance for eligible homebuyers purchasing properties from the Real Estate Owned (REO) inventory of any FHLBank Atlanta member financial institution.





The Foreclosure Recovery Product provides up to $15,000 in down-payment, closing-cost, and principal reduction assistance for eligible homebuyers purchasing properties from the Real Estate Owned (REO) inventory of any FHLBank Atlanta member financial institution. Community Rebuild and Restore Product

The Community Rebuild and Restore Product provides up to $10,000 in funding for the rehabilitation of an existing owner-occupied home located in the Banks district in a Major Disaster Declaration area as designated by FEMA. The homeowner must have at least 30 days of current ownership by life estate or full interest in the fee title and have ownership of the subject property at the time of the Major Disaster Declaration.





The Community Rebuild and Restore Product provides up to $10,000 in funding for the rehabilitation of an existing owner-occupied home located in the Banks district in a Major Disaster Declaration area as designated by FEMA. The homeowner must have at least 30 days of current ownership by life estate or full interest in the fee title and have ownership of the subject property at the time of the Major Disaster Declaration. Veterans Purchase Product

The Veterans Purchase Product provides up to $7,500 in down-payment, closing-cost, and principal reduction assistance for first-time or non-first-time homebuyers who are veterans or active-duty members of the U.S. military, their spouses, or their surviving spouses.





The Veterans Purchase Product provides up to $7,500 in down-payment, closing-cost, and principal reduction assistance for first-time or non-first-time homebuyers who are veterans or active-duty members of the U.S. military, their spouses, or their surviving spouses. Returning Veterans Purchase Product

The Returning Veterans Purchase Product provides up to $10,000 in down-payment, closing-cost, and principal reduction assistance for first-time or non-first-time homebuyers who are currently serving or have served in an overseas military intervention for any branch of the U.S. military, their spouses, or their surviving spouses.





The Returning Veterans Purchase Product provides up to $10,000 in down-payment, closing-cost, and principal reduction assistance for first-time or non-first-time homebuyers who are currently serving or have served in an overseas military intervention for any branch of the U.S. military, their spouses, or their surviving spouses. Veterans Rehabilitation Product

The Veterans Rehabilitation Product provides up to $12,500 in funding for the rehabilitation of an existing owner-occupied unit for homeowners who are veterans or are active-duty members of the U.S. military, their spouses, or their surviving spouses.





The Veterans Rehabilitation Product provides up to $12,500 in funding for the rehabilitation of an existing owner-occupied unit for homeowners who are veterans or are active-duty members of the U.S. military, their spouses, or their surviving spouses. Returning Veterans Rehabilitation Product

The Returning Veterans Rehabilitation Product provides up to $15,000 in funding for the rehabilitation of an existing owner-occupied unit for homeowners who are currently serving or have served in an overseas military intervention for any branch of the U.S. military, their spouses, or their surviving spouses.

A listing of member financial institutions is available on the FHLBank Atlanta website at www.fhlbatl.com.

If you need assistance finding a member financial institution to work with, or for more information, call the Banks Community Investment Services department at 1.800.536.9650, option 3, option 0.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta

FHLBank Atlanta offers competitively-priced financing, community development grants, and other banking services to help member financial institutions make affordable home mortgages and provide economic development credit to neighborhoods and communities. The Bank's members  its shareholders and customers  are commercial banks, credit unions, savings institutions, community development financial institutions, and insurance companies headquartered in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. FHLBank Atlanta is one of 11 district banks in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Since 1990 the FHLBanks have awarded approximately $5.0 billion in AHP funds, assisting more than 791,000 households.
CHICAGO, Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As businesses face new pressures to modernize their operations, 2017 will see an inflexion point when legacy mainframes cease being an asset and become a liability. This is according to multinational technology innovator TmaxSoft Inc., which believes that legacy mainframes can act as a brake on enterprise innovation, rendering organizations less able to compete in the digital age.



Joshua Yulish, CEO at TmaxSoft, explains: The shelf-life of business models is rapidly decreasing and surviving in this age of digital disruption depends on businesses ability to use technology to constantly reinvent themselves and react flexibly to changing market conditions. Organizations stuck on legacy mainframes - which are fundamentally at odds with the new business paradigm and make it difficult to exploit new technologies such as cloud computing - will find this disruption particularly painful. If they are to avoid experiencing their own Kodak moment and fend off the competition, these organizations will need to abandon their legacy mainframes  and to do so quickly.

According to Microsofts recent Digital Transformation report, 43 per cent of business leaders believe that their business models will cease to exist within the next five years, while more than half of companies expect disruption to impact their industries within the next two years.

TmaxSoft espouses that organizations are limiting the scope of their digital transformation strategies by depending entirely on these legacy technologies, which have been around for decades. Slow time-to-market inhibits innovation by making the process of launching new services and responding to competitors a time-consuming, lengthy ordeal.

Fast moving trends such as big data, hybrid/cloud data management and the Internet of Things (all offering agility, speed, scaling and high-impact business outcomes) create an incredible amount of strategic and tactical decision making capabilities. With many legacy mainframe architectures being unable to live up to the demands of these trends, they can pose serious headaches for businesses with sluggish and inert technologies looking to remain competitive and agile. Without capable hardware, software and applications, many companies will lack the performance necessary to take advantage of these new initiatives.

Not only do companies incur high mainframe maintenance costs, they also have restricted access to best-in-class software. There are other severe limitations facing the traditional mainframe  including being locked into a single provider, as well as being exposed to the risk of an ever-contracting pool of people with the skills and experience to work with this legacy technology.

The age of disruption is here and businesses must do everything they can to make sure they can fend off the competition from new market entrants and other established businesses  and that means moving away from mainframes and taking advantage of new technologies. Organizations who fail to acknowledge the importance of this from both a business and IT perspective, risk suffering serious consequences and depreciating their competitive advantage, CEO Joshua Yulish concluded.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About TmaxSoft, Inc.

TmaxSoft is a global software innovator focused on infrastructure and data modernization, with solutions that offer enterprise CIOs viable alternatives to support their global IT powerhouses and drive competitive advantage. Tibero is the best enterprise RDBMS for the Virtual Data Center. Our licensing model allows enterprises to fully maximize their virtualization investment by only licensing the cores associated to a given VM, resulting in drastically lower TCO. OpenFrame is a legacy rehosting solution that enables mainframe applications, resources and data to be migrated to a less expensive, high performance open or cloud system while reducing TCO and minimizing risk of migration. JEUS is the first Web Application Server in the world to be J2EE 1.4, JAVA EE 5, and JAVA EE 6 Certified, and delivers improved security over traditional WAS. TmaxSoft was founded in 1997 in South Korea and today has over 800 employees in 12 strategic centers around the world. The companys global headquarters is located in Chicago, IL, USA. Please visit www.tmaxsoft.com for more information.
RADNOR, Pa., Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP reminds General Cable Corporation (NYSE:BGC) (General Cable or the Company) shareholders that a class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against General Cable on behalf of purchasers of the Companys securities between February 23, 2012 and February 10, 2016, inclusive (the Class Period).



Important Deadline Reminder: General Cable shareholders who purchased their securities during the Class Period may, no later than March 6, 2017, petition the Court to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. For additional information, or to learn how to participate in this action, please visit https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/general-cable-corporation#join

General Cable Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes copper, aluminum, and fiber optic wire and cable products for the energy, industrial, construction, and specialty and communications markets worldwide.

The Complaint alleges that during the Class Period General Cable and certain of its executive officers made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) General Cable paid millions of dollars in bribes to government officials in foreign countries, including Angola, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Indonesia, India, and Thailand, in order to secure business; (ii) the foregoing conduct was in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the FCPA); (iii) General Cables revenues were therefore in part the product of illegal conduct, and, as such, subject to disgorgement and unlikely to be sustainable; and (iv) the foregoing conduct, when it became known, would subject the Company to significant regulatory scrutiny and financial penalties. The complaint further alleges that, as a result of the foregoing, General Cables statements about its business, operations and prospects were false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

On September 22, 2014, General Cable disclosed that it was reviewing payment practices, the use of agents, and the manner in which the payments were reflected on our books and records in connection with the Companys operations in Portugal, Angola, Thailand, and India. On this news, shares of the Companys stock fell $0.93 per share, or 4.7%, to close at $18.96 on September 22, 2014.

Subsequently, on February 10, 2016, General Cable reported that it had increased a disgorgement accrual for a potential FCPA settlement to $33 million after identifying certain other transactions that may raise concerns. On this news, shares of the Companys stock fell an additional $3.05 per share, or 31.6%, to close at $6.60 on February 11, 2016.

Finally, on December 29, 2016, The Wall Street Journal reported that General Cable had entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and agreed to pay $75.8 million to settle allegations it paid bribes across Africa and Asia and . . . agreed to an additional $6.5 million penalty to settle accounting-related violations. The article further reported that the Companys subsidiaries, over a period of a dozen years, paid about $13 million to third-party agents and distributors, who in turn paid bribes to government officials in Angola, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia and Thailand to get business in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check (Darren J. Check, Esq., D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq. or Adrienne O. Bell, Esq.) at (888) 2997706 or (610) 6677706, or via e-mail at info@ktmc.com.

General Cable shareholders may, no later than March 6, 2017, petition the Court to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed as a lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class members claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the class member will adequately represent the class in the action. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. For additional information, or to learn how to participate in this action, please visit https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/general-cable-corporation#join

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check is a driving force behind corporate governance reform, and has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of institutional and individual investors from the United States and around the world. The firm represents investors, consumers and whistleblowers (private citizens who report fraudulent practices against the government and share in the recovery of government dollars). The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, please visit www.ktmc.com.
MENDRISIO, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nozomi Networks, the pioneer in cyber security and operational visibility for industrial control systems (ICS) and other Members of the International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Committee 57 Working Group 15 (IEC TC 57 WG15) met today in Lugano, Switzerland, for the first of three WG15 meetings in 2017. The working group is responsible for developing end-to-end cybersecurity standards for power system communications protocols.



Its an honor to host the first WG15 meeting of 2017, said Nozomi Networks Co-Founder and CTO Moreno Carullo. As a member of IECs WG15, Nozomi Networks is part of an elite group of industry professionals responsible for establishing global standards to strengthen cybersecurity for the worlds energy operators. Weve made significant progress in the last 18 months and expect 2017 to be a breakthrough year as we clear the way for effective end-to-end security for power systems.

WG15 is comprised of ICS operators, SCADA engineers, security and networking experts representing 90 organizations worldwide including ABB, Siemens, Schneider Electric, General Electric, Enel, IREQ and others. In 2017 WG15 is continuing to focus on developing secure-by-design industrial systems, with end-to-end encrypted communications as a foundation of the system.

To enable reliable operation of these new architectures, network monitoring and deep packet inspection of encrypted communications will be important keystones to standardize  and Nozomi Networks R&D is on top of that, Carullo said.

The working group was formed in 2000 to develop cybersecurity standards for power system communications, with a specific focus on 1) developing standards for security and the communication protocols defined by the IEC TC 57, 2) developing standards and technical reports on end-to-end security issues and 3) reviewing and advising on cyber security for TC57 standards that are under development. Nozomi Networks has been a member of WG15 since 2015.

About Nozomi Networks

Nozomi Networks has been delivering innovative cybersecurity and operational visibility solutions for industrial control systems (ICS) since 2013. Its next generation solution automatically builds an internal model of the industrial network and physical process and uses behavioral analytics and continuous monitoring to detect changes to baseline states. The result is real-time insight into ICS networks, devices and process status, rapidly identifying and enabling fast remediation of cyberattacks and process anomalies. Deployed in some of the worlds largest industrial installations, operators trust Nozomi Networks products to enhance cybersecurity, maximize uptime and deliver real ROI. The company is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, and Mendrisio, Switzerland. Visit www.nozominetworks.com.

About IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission)

Founded in 1906, the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) is the worlds leading organization for the preparation and publication of International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies. IEC provides a platform to companies, industries and governments for meeting, discussing and developing the International Standards they require. All IEC International Standards are fully consensus-based and represent the needs of key stakeholders of every nation participating in IEC work. The IEC is one of three global sister organizations (IEC, ISO, ITU) that develop International Standards for the world. Learn more at http://www.iec.ch/

Follow @nozominetworks on Twitter

Visit and Follow the Nozomi Networks Corporate Page on LinkedIn
TBC Bank Group PLC ("TBC PLC") together with its subsidiary JSC TBC Bank ("TBC Bank") is pleased to announce the appointment of David Chkonia to the Management Board of TBC Bank as Chief Risk Officer and Deputy CEO with immediate effect.

Mr. Chkonia brings 15 years of international banking and risk management experience. Prior to joining TBC Bank, he was a Director at BlackRock in the BlackRock Solutions group advising financial institutions and regulators on areas related to enterprise risk management, balance sheet strategy and regulation. Mr. Chkonia also served as Senior Vice President at PIMCO responsible for the risk advisory practice focusing on origination and execution across European credit and capital markets.

In his earlier career, Mr. Chkonia has held different managerial roles at European Resolution Capital, Goldman Sachs, and EBRD. David holds a BSc from San Jose State University and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Commenting on the appointment, Vakhtang Butskhrikidze, Chief Executive Officer of TBC Bank said, "I am very pleased to welcome David to TBC Bank's Management Board as our Chief Risk Officer. David brings with him extensive financial services and risk management expertise. I am confident that David will contribute a great deal to the Bank's further growth and development."

For further enquiries, please contact:

Head of Investor Relations

Anna Romelashvili

ir@tbcbank.com.ge

About TBC PLC

TBC PLC is a public limited company registered in England and Wales that was incorporated in February 2016. TBC PLC became the parent company of TBC Bank on 10 August 2016. TBC PLC is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol TBCG.

About TBC Bank

TBC Bank, together with its subsidiaries, is the leading universal banking group in Georgia, with a total market share of 29.7% of loans (37.2% with Bank Republic) and 30.6% of non-banking deposits (35.5% with Bank Republic) as at 30 September 2016, according to the data published by the NBG.
In these undated file photos, Hun Sen ( right ) and Sam Rainsy speak to reporters after a meeting at the National Assembly.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has threatened to retaliate against the opposition party for its attempt to free a group of political activists from jail by stripping a rival politician of his parliamentary title.

On Monday Hun Sen told pro-government media that he wants to strip Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader Kem Sokha of the minority leader title because of the oppositions push to get political prisoners released from prison.

Speaking at the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Hun Sen told Fresh News that he wants to amend the National Assemblys internal rules because the CNRPs use of minority leaders office is frustrating, and that the CNRPs attempt to use it to negotiate for the release of the prisoners infringes on the judiciary power.

The rule puts the National Assemblys minority leader on roughly the same parliamentary footing as the prime minister.

Since I initiated [the rule] I now propose for an amendment to the rule to be endorsed by the CPPs members of parliament and the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP), he said.

CNRP leaders have made a concerted push for the release of the so-called Kem Sokha Five and other jailed activists since King Norodom Sihamoni granted Kem Sokha and a provincial CNRP leader a royal pardon late last year.

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 were arrested in April.

They are accused of attempting to pay hush money to Kem Sokhas purported mistress in the governments wide-ranging probe into the alleged affair.

In December Kem Sokha and a provincial CNRP official Seang Chet were granted royal pardons in the case against the CNRP leader, but the other five people accused in connection with the case remain in prison.

Their royal pardon they were granted came at the behest of Hun Sen, who also heads the ruling CPP.

Opposition leaders were also pushing for the release of land-rights activist Tep Vanny, who was convicted on Sept. 19 of insulting and obstructing public officials and was sentenced to six months in prison in relation to a protest in November 2011 near Hun Sens residence.

Tep Vanny gained prominence as an activist fighting the Boeung Kak lake land grab, when some 3,500 families were evicted from the neighborhood surrounding the urban lake in Phnom Penh. The lake was filled with sand to make way for a development project with close ties to Hun Sen and the CPP.

Seizure of land for developmentoften without due process or fair compensation for displaced residents is a major cause of protests in Cambodia and other authoritarian Asian countries, including China and Laos.

Phnom Penhs political tango

Following Hun Sens remarks, plans for a meeting between CPP and CNRP officials that was tentatively set for Jan. 25 were scrapped.

Majority Leader Sar Kheng, who is also the countrys minister of the interior, on Jan. 17 sent a letter Kem Sokha telling him the much-anticipated meeting is postponed and no new date is set.

CPP spokesperson Chim Phal Virun told RFAs Khmer Service that the collapse of the talks is the CNRPs fault.

The CPP cannot be cajoled by the CNRP to destroy the integrity of the three separate powers of government that are clearly stipulated in the constitution, he said. We shall not be lured to infringe on the independence of the judiciary.

CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann pointed said they were willing to meet anytime.

It takes two to tango, he said. If the CPP is too busy to meet or has other reasons not to meet, I dont know what we can do about it.

In Cambodia, judicial independence seems to depend upon the mood of Hun Sen, as opposition lawmakers and outspoken opponents of the government face severe penalties while allies of the prime minister are seldom charged.

The CNRPs exiled president Sam Rainsy continues to face a barrage of legal entanglements in Cambodia.

On Tuesday, the countrys appeals court heard arguments in Sam Rainsys attempt to get a defamation conviction overturned.

On Nov. 8 a Cambodian trial court found Sam Rainsy guilty of defamation for claiming that Hun Sens social media team bought likes on Facebook from click farms abroad to bolster his support.

On Tuesday, after the appeal hearing, Som Soeun, chief of the technical group for the CPP website, accused Sam Rainsy of fabricating the claim.

Sam Rainsy invented the allegation, he said. He has twisted the facts and defamed me. The court verdict which will be publicized will clear me of this accusation and find me justice.

Som Sokong, an attorney for Sam Rainsy, said he has little faith in the lower court, but he thought the higher court might give his client a fair shake.

I hope this higher court will exercise its independence to render a decision in favor of my client, he said.

Of Facebook, bribes and leaks

While Sam Rainsys legal team was in court on Tuesday defending him in the defamation charge, he is likely to face more legal action for his accusation that Hun Sen bribed a former CNRP activist named Thy Sovantha to switch parties.

Hun Sen, before his trip to Switzerland, allowed me to act on his behalf to prepare a lawsuit against Sam Rainsy who, recently, has accused the Prime Minister of bribing Thy Sovantha a million dollars, Hun Sen attorney Ky Tech told Fresh News.

I have collected enough evidence for the lawsuit, he said, according to the report. We will seek a million dollars in damages from Sam Rainsy.

Over 2016 Thy Sovantha transformed from one of the biggest pro-opposition social media activists in the country to one of the oppositions most aggressive critics.

On January 14, in Paris, Sam Rainsy, who was joined by Kem Sokha via Skype, talked about judicial double standard faced by the CNRPs members and human rights workers who are jailed over charges over what amount to a few hundred dollars.

What about Hun Sen who bribed Thy Sovantha a million dollars? he told the supporters. Why has no one taken any actions against him? That one million dollars comes from the proceeds of corruption and is used to bribe bad people to organize demonstrations and attacks against the CNRP.

According to an article in Phnom Penh Post, Thy Sovantha recently announced that that she has received $3 million from international donors to fund a series of university scholarships.

Leaked phone messages allegedly show the prime ministers second son Hun Manith  head of the militarys intelligence unit  conspiring with Thy Sovantha to discredit opposition leader Kem Sokha, according to local media reports.

Reported by Thai Tha, Sonorng Khe and Moniroth Morm for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.
English French

Press release

2016 revenue

 Sales up 91%

 Excellent prospects

Building on its leading positions in the burgeoning zero-emission mobility and renewable energy storage markets, McPhy Energy has moved into a phase of strong growth.

( millions) 2016 2015



Change First half 2.2 1.8 + 24% Second half 5.3 2.1 x 2.5 12 months 7.5 3.9 + 91%

La Motte-Fanjas (France), 17 January 2017 - McPhy Energy, the designer, manufacturer and integrator of hydrogen equipment for the energy and industrial sectors, achieved very strong growth in sales and orders in 2016. The company is moving into a phase of sustainable accelerated growth.

While the global energy system's transition has become an irreversible reality since the Paris Climate Agreement, the deployment of renewable electricity production is exceeding all forecasts. Investment in renewable energies is reaching record levels and the development of zero-emission mobility, launched by major car manufacturers, is now ramping up.

In line with this acceleration, McPhy Energy is seeing the first benefits of its investments from the last few years to position itself as a key player for new hydrogen applications. Its solutions to capitalize on surplus electricity linked to the intermittent nature of renewable energies and refuel hydrogen vehicles are confirming their effective fit to meet these new challenges.

The very strong increase in sales and orders over 2016 confirms the commercial potential of the Group's solutions in these burgeoning markets, as well as the market for industrial applications.

Operating highlights

 Three major contracts confirming the relevance of McPhy Energy's electrolysis solutions to monetize surplus renewable electricity

Thanks in particular to the three major calls for tenders won during the year, McPhy Energy has gained international recognition for its solutions to capitalize on surplus renewable electricity for conversion into hydrogen and injection into gas networks (Power-to-Gas).

The contract for a 4 MW electrolysis and solid-state storage solution signed with the state-owned Hebei Construction and Investment Group is its first reference in China, the world's leading market for renewable electricity .

The contract signed with GRTgaz as part of the "Jupiter 1000" project has positioned McPhy Energy at the heart of France's first Power-to-Gas project, preparing for this sector's deployment in the country.

The call for tenders won with the German green energy specialist Energiedienst, which McPhy Energy will be supporting with the deployment of a 1 MW hydrogen generation unit, in addition to research on monetization and long-term maintenance for the facilities.

Only the first two contracts started up during the second six months and contributed to revenues for the year. The Energiedienst contract will be recorded in 2017.

 McFilling market leadership further strengthened in France

During the year, McPhy Energy actively contributed to the deployment of hydrogen refueling stations throughout France, equipping GNVert in Lyon, the Valence-Romans metropolitan area and the Sarreguemines Confluences metropolitan area (CASC) with its McFilling solution, in addition to winning the call for tenders issued by Metropole Rouen Normandie. The McFilling turnkey solution has now been rolled out at 7 of the 14 hydrogen stations in France.

In the US, the consortium which McPhy Energy is part of has completed its development of SimpleFuelTM, an affordable small-scale hydrogen refueling solution designed for general public and businesses markets, which is opening up major prospects.

 Promising new developments for industrial solutions

While industrial groups are starting to make commitments to reducing their emissions in order to tackle climate change, McPhy Energy is currently equipping a first industrial platform in France with a solution combining zero-emission onsite hydrogen generator and a solid-state storage unit.

Alongside this, the Group has opened up a new sector and will be delivering an onsite hydrogen production solution for the Chinese thermal power generation plant CPI Zaoquan to equip its alternator's cooling system.

 Organization further strengthened

To fully benefit from its transition into this strong growth phase, the Group has further strengthened its organization with the arrival of two experts with extensive track records and complementary expertise in cleantech technologies and operational structuring.

Pascal Mauberger has brought on board Jean de Vauxclairs (50, Ecole Polytechnique) as Senior Advisor. Jean de Vauxclairs brings expertise in infrastructures and related technological solutions for the environment and energy sectors.

Jean de Vauxclairs held various executive management positions with the energy services specialist Dalkia, before becoming Chairman of its subsidiary Crystal, a French market leader for climate control engineering. He then joined Veolia Water Technologies, the world leader for technological solutions for water treatment facilities, as Deputy CEO, before being appointed Chief Executive Officer.

In addition, Gilles Cachot (60, INSA Lyon, INSEAD) has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer. With his expertise in managing major projects, operational structuring and change management, in France and internationally, he is responsible for supervising McPhy Energy's operations.

Gilles Cachot began his career with Alstom, where he spent 20 years. He became a specialist in turnkey projects and maintenance as CEO of Alstom Maintenance et Services. He then joined SPIE as Chief Executive Officer of Spie Est, before being appointed Chairman of the industrial equipment firm Axorys. Recently, he has headed up the French subsidiaries of a German renewable energies group.

 Outlook

Thanks to these first references and strong growth in its order book, McPhy Energy, with 8.1 million( ) in cash at 31 December 2016, is confident that it will continue moving forward with this accelerated growth.

The company is looking to explore various strategic options in 2017 to accelerate its development in this burgeoning market. These options, which may include bringing industrial partners on board if applicable, will be communicated on subsequently, once potential partners have been identified and the conditions for potential operation have been defined.

Upcoming events:

2016 results - Tuesday 14 March 2017 after close of trading

About. McPhy Energy

In the framework of the energy transition, and as a leading supplier of hydrogen production, storage and distribution equipment, McPhy Energy contributes to the deployment of clean hydrogen throughout the world.

Thanks to its wide range of products and services dedicated to the hydrogen energy, zero emission mobility and industrial hydrogen markets, McPhy Energy provides turnkey solutions to its clients. These solutions are tailored to our client applications: renewable energy surplus storage and monetization, fuel cell car refueling, raw material for industrial sites.

As a designer, manufacturer and integrator of hydrogen equipment since 2008, McPhy Energy has three development, engineering and production units based in Europe (France, Italy, Germany).

The company's international subsidiaries ensure a global sales coverage of McPhy's innovative hydrogen solutions.

McPhy Energy is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris (Segment C, ISIN code: FR0011742329; ticker: MCPHY).

www.mcphy.com

Follow us on @McphyEnergy and

Press contact

McPhy Energy

Calyptus

Marie-Anne Garigue

Tel: + 33 1 53 65 68 63

marie-anne.garigue@calyptus.net
Hundreds of rights activists and petitioners converged on the home of late ousted Chinese premier Zhao Ziyang on Tuesday, marking the 12th anniversary of his death under house arrest.



Zhaos family home in Beijing's Fuqiang Hutong was thrown open on Tuesday, with a constant stream of visitors coming to pay their respects to Zhao, who was purged for his sympathetic stance towards the 1989 Tiananmen pro-democracy movement, and his opposition to the use of force against the students.



Among them was Beijing housing rights activist Ni Yulan, recipient of the U.S. State Department's 2016 International Women of Courage award, who arrived with her husband to visit Zhao's shrine.



"Security is always tight on this date, and the [state security police] escorted us here, walking behind us all the way," Ni, who was left disabled by a beating she received in police custody, told RFA.



"When we got on the bus, they got on the bus; there were two plainclothes officers and a police officer in a marked car following the bus."



The courtyard of the Zhao family home was packed with people paying their respects, Ni said.



"There were also a few dozen police standing guard nearby," she said. "They didn't detain anyone at the scene, but they stopped journalists from interviewing people."



"We were allowed to go inside, right inside the courtyard; there were people who had brought fresh flowers and various gifts," Ni said. "People signed a guestbook and left messages after they had paid their respects."



Security police posted



Fellow Beijing rights activist Zhang Zhenmin estimated that several hundred people had visited while she was at the Zhao residence.



"There were a lot of state security police outside the front door, posted every few paces down the street, watching us," she said. "But when we got to the front door, someone let us in, and that's how we got inside."



Veteran rights activist Hu Jia said he had been prevented from going to pay his respects.



"When I went downstairs this morning to take out the trash ... I saw that there were more state security police on duty than usual," Hu said. "Normally there are three or four of them, but today there were seven or eight of them."



"The entire gatehouse for security guards was full of them, even the ones who don't usually show their faces," he said, adding that he was unable to leave his home to visit the Zhao memorial event.



Another person who attended the event but who asked not to be named said around 100 people were there when they went.



"People were coming in in small groups the whole time," the mourner said. "They weren't being stopped at the door, but there were plainclothes police and citizen security guards in red armbands."



Ordered not to go



Zhao's former top aide Bao Tong, who is himself under tight surveillance after serving a seven-year jail term in the wake of the 1989 military crackdown on unarmed civilians, said he was told outright not to go to the event.



"The relevant authorities told me not to go, and not to give interviews or write any articles on this topic," said Bao, who frequently pens eulogies to his former boss.



"This was very different from previous years, when they would just ask me if I planned to go," he said.



Bao said he chose not to go for fear of jeopardizing the event with a tight security presence.



"I think I would ruin the atmosphere if I went along," he said. "I want people to be able to commemorate Zhao without something stressful happening. I can always go another time."



Tiananmen Mothers member Zhang Xianling, who lost her 19-year-old son Wang Nan during the Tiananmen massacre, said she had also been ordered not to go.



"The authorities wouldn't let me go," Zhang said. "A bunch of police cars and plainclothes officers showed up in the compound at about 8.00 p.m. yesterday evening and told me not to go."



"They haven't let me go for four or five years now," she said. "The [ruling Chinese Communist Party] should be honored that so many people want to pay their respects to one of its former leaders."



Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.




Human rights groups called on Myanmar authorities on Tuesday to provide information about two Kachin Christian leaders they fear have been forcibly disappeared in northern Shan state for taking reporters to a Catholic church allegedly damaged by airstrikes in clashes between the government army and ethnic guerillas.



New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), Southeast Asia-based Fortify Rights, and London-based Amnesty International want authorities to disclose the whereabouts and conditions of Langjaw Gam Seng, 35, and his cousin Dum Daw Nawng Lat, 65, both of whom have been missing since Dec. 24, 2016, when they were heading to a military base.



HRW and Fortify Rights also called on authorities to allow Yanghee Lee, the United Nations human rights envoy for Myanmar, and other rights monitors to visit conflict zones in Shan state. Lee, who is currently on a 12-day visit to Myanmar, has been denied access to violence-affected areas in Shan state.



Langjaw Gam Seng is a youth leader with the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) in the town of Mong Ko in northern Shan state, and Dumdaw Nawng Lat, is an assistant pastor with the KBC, according to statements issued on Tuesday by HRW and Fortify Rights.



The Baptist-denominated evangelical organization headquartered in Myitkyina, Kachin state, has been helping internally displaced people who have fled fighting between the government army and ethnic militias in both Kachin and Shan states.



Someone claiming to be a member of Myanmars armed forces called Langjaw Gam Seng on the evening of Dec. 24 and requested that he and Dumdaw Nawng Lat go to the Byuha Gon military base in the town of Mong Ko in Muse township near the border with China to help with the release of detained civilians, according to the press releases.



Local residents reported last seeing the two men, who were helping reporters document the destruction of civilian structures in Mong Ko during hostilities between a coalition of four ethnic armies and government forces last in November and December, traveling by motorbike to the base where Myanmar army battalion numbers 99 and 55 are located, the statements said.



The apparent enforced disappearance of these two Christian leaders has created a climate of fear and terror in northern Shan state, said Matthew Smith, chief executive of Fortify Rights.



HRW and Fortify Rights noted that civil society organizations in Kachin and Shan states have documented unlawful killings, torture, rape, forced labor, and other abuses committed by Burmese military forces against civilians in the two states.



Amnesty International weighs in



In a separate statement, Amnesty International urged people to write to Myanmar authorities to order an immediate investigation into the mens disappearances, to release them if they are in custody, and to stop violating international human rights law against ethnic civilians in conflict and cease-fire areas.



The nature of the two mens disappearance means the military has some serious questions to answer, said Phil Robertson, HRWs deputy Asia director. This is a crucial case for [Myanmars de factor leader] Aung San Suu Kyi and other government leaders to demand cooperation from the army, which has continued to resist civilian authority.



The two mens family members and KBC representatives filed a missing persons report at Myo Ma police station in Muse township on Jan. 3.



Seven days later, Zaw Htay, spokesman of the Presidents Office, said that a ground report from the government army indicated the pair had been arrested by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which is engaged in hostilities with Myanmar soldiers in northern Shan state.



Armed conflicts in Kachin and Shan states intensified last November when the Northern Alliance of four ethnic militiasthe KIA, Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA)launched coordinated attacks on government and military targets in northern Shan state.



The government has reported that 10 civilians have died in ground and air strikes, while thousands of others have fled over the border into southwestern China.



The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that the fighting in Kachin and Shan states has displaced more than 100,000 people.



More civilians flee



Meanwhile, more than 100 people have fled the town of Namhsan in Tawngpeng district, northern Shan state, on Tuesday to the central city of Mandalay to escape ongoing fighting between TNLA troops and the government army, a Mandalay official said.



Win Naing Zaw said 113 people from 32 households have sought refuge in the Myinwun Mingyi monastery in Myanmars second-largest city.



As far as I know, 93 people arrived first, and then 20 people from five households arrived yesterday, Win Naing Zaw, Mandalay district administrator, told RFAs Myanmar Service.



CSOs and the regional military headquarters helped them yesterday by providing rice, cooking oil, clothing, mosquito nets, blankets, and other goods they need, he said.



Altogether, more than 2,000 people have fled to Mandalay and the towns of Lashio, Kyaukme, Thibaw, Naungcho, and Pyin Oo Lwin to escape the clashes that have killed two people and injured 10 others, he said.



Reported by Thiri Min Zin for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Authorities in southwestern Chinas Sichuan province have temporarily halted demolition work at the Larung Gar Buddhist Academy as winter moves into the area, with the destruction of monastic dwellings expected to resume at a more aggressive pace in the spring, sources say.



Thousands of Tibetan and Han Chinese monks and nuns, along with a few Western students, have already been expelled from the makeshift dwellings that once lined the hillsides around Larung Gar as authorities seek to reduce the centers population by about half to a maximum level of 5,000.



With winter slowing the work of destruction, though, the expulsions of Larung Gar residents and destruction of their homes were suspended at the beginning of January, a resident of the area told RFAs Tibetan Service.



However, we hear that it will begin again in April, and that this time it will be more aggressive and widespread, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



For now, things have calmed down considerably, the source said.



Many thousands of Tibetans and Han Chinese once studied at Serthar (Seda) countys sprawling Larung Gar complex, which was founded in 1980 by the late religious teacher Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok and is one of the worlds largest and most important centers for the study of Tibetan Buddhism.



The number of students now left at Larung Gar is still unclear, though all monks and nuns coming originally from the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and western Chinas Qinghai and Gansu provinces have been removed and sent back to their native regions, RFAs source said.



Those sent back to the TAR have been subjected to month-long courses of political reeducation before being allowed to return to their family homes, sources said in earlier reports.



Hundreds of nuns coming from Tibetan-populated counties of Sichuan are meanwhile being housed in temporary camps of two-storey buildings set up in desolate areas of the province until more permanent accommodations can be found.



Larung Gars annual exams will be held in the 12th month of the Tibetan Year [in late January or early February], and we dont know if the monks and nuns who have been expelled will be allowed to return to take part, RFAs source said.



When they were first sent away, they were told that they would be allowed to come back to take their exams, he said.



Reported by Kunsang Tenzin for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Richard Finney.




Chechen and Russian security personnel have launched the largest sweep operations in a decade in an attempt to round up suspected members of a group of fighters said to be planning large-scale terrorist attacks at the behest of the extremist group Islamic State (IS).

Details of how many men have been apprehended or killed, and what their precise intentions were, remain unclear, however. Some Russian analysts have expressed skepticism over official statements by Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov.

Since January 10, at least four, and possibly as many as 10, men have been killed and up to 100 apprehended in eight towns and villages southeast of Grozny. And, in an indication that opposition to Kadyrov could permeate even his closest entourage, one of his personal bodyguards was reportedly executed on January 15 for abetting the group.

One day earlier, a man identified by security personnel as the group leader was apprehended and is said to have confessed that they planned to assassinate government officials and members of the Muslim clergy. According to Kadyrov, the group had received "orders from abroad" to seize tanks with the aim of attacking the military base at Khankala on the eastern outskirts of the capital, Grozny.

As is frequently the case with such police operations in Chechnya, details of what happened are sketchy and unclear. On January 10, Kadyrov convened a meeting of local officials in Kurchaloy in which he fired the local district head and appointed a successor. That evening, Kadyrov disclosed in an Instagram post that a group of young men (he did not say how many) had "recently" been apprehended in the village of Tsotsin-Yurt, near Kurchaloy, including a relative of Chechen field commander Isa Muskiyev, who was killed in an ambush in Tsotsin-Yurt in September 2006.

The men detained, according to Kadyrov, were planning "serious crimes," in preparation for which they had stockpiled arms, ammunition, and explosives.

Two explanations were subsequently given for how the group was discovered. The first is that they were betrayed by the young men captured during the attacks on police in Grozny on December 17-18, who informed their interrogators of the existence of a network of fighters in Shali and Kurchaloy districts. The second was that security personnel intercepted messages between them sent via WhatsApp.

On the night of January 10-11, Tsotsin-Yurt was completely surrounded. Police and security personnel then conducted house-to-house searches on January 11 and apprehended 21 men, all of whom were subsequently released bar one, whose surname was given as Madayev.

Some 35 young men were similarly detained in Geldagan, a couple of kilometers southeast of Tsotsin-Yurt, and others in the villages of Mayrtup and Bachi-Yurt. On January 12, Novaya Gazeta published a list of 22 detainees from Tsotsin-Yurt, including Makhna Muskiyev, who was subsequently identified as a distant relative of Isa. RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service calculated the total number of detainees, most of them men under the age of 25, at around 100. Interfax on January 16 quoted security officials as saying some 60 men had been detained.

Artillery fire was reported between Geldagan and Kurchaloy on January 11. Kadyrov announced late that evening that four militants and a police officer had been killed during a "special operation." Chechen Interior Minister Ruslan Alkhanov subsequently identified the four as Umar Ozdiyev; Raybek Idrisov; Alikhan Kupchiyev; and Uzum-hadji Madayev, 36, who had reportedly been jailed for 12 years in 2004 for membership in the insurgency.

It is not clear whether Uzum-hadji Madayev was the same Madayev who had been detained earlier that day. If he is, suspicion arises about the circumstances of his death.

Kadyrov added that one militant escaped under cover of darkness, but the area where he was believed to be hiding had been cordoned off. An Interior Ministry source told the Russian daily Kommersant on January 12, however, that the man, identified as Imran and said to be the group leader, had escaped and headed for the mountains.

On January 14, Kadyrov announced that the man who had escaped, whom he identified as Imran Datsayev, had been detained at a street market in Grozny after hurling a hand grenade at police as they sought to apprehend him.

Kadyrov further claimed that Datsayev, whom Interior Ministry officials subsequently identified as the leader of the group, killed police officer Ayub Dautmerzayev last fall on orders he received from Islamic State. The website Caucasian Knot noted in that connection that only one police officer, whose name was not made public, was reported killed in Chechnya between September-November 2016.

Three more members of Datsayev's group, which reportedly numbered "several dozen," were detained on January 16.

It was only on January 12, two days after Kadyrov first announced the detention of the group, that Kadyrov and Alkhanov alleged its connection with Islamic State. The website KavkazCenter quoted Kadyrov as saying a total of 10 local residents had been killed in Kurchaloy district, all of them recruiters for IS.

That claim should be treated with skepticism, however. The brutality, corruption, and total disregard for basic rights and freedoms that characterize Kadyrov and his henchmen has alienated many, to the point that some young Chechens appear to sympathize with IS. Two years ago, slogans openly expressing support for IS were daubed on buildings in Khosi-Yurt district. In the wake of last month's attacks in Grozny, video footage surfaced showing the attackers pledging allegiance, albeit in broken Arabic, to IS.

But at the same time, many Chechnya watchers are inclined to discount the possibility of the kind of systematic recruitment drive by IS that Kadyrov has alleged, or even formal contacts.

Moscow-based observers similarly dismiss Kadyrov's claim that the men apprehended in Tsotsin-Yurt were planning an attack on Khankala on instructions from IS. They point out that if that were indeed the case, they would surely have been provided with adequate quantities of weaponry to carry out those orders.

According to KavkazCenter, however, the confiscated weapons shown on local TV amounted to just a few rusty guns that had clearly been recently unearthed from where they had been buried.

In a curious postscript, in the wake of the Tsotsin-Yurt detentions, Kadyrov appointed as head of his personal secretariat Vakhit Usmayev, who had served most recently as district head in Gudermes.

That appointment makes Usmayev one of the most powerful men in Chechnya after Kadyrov and parliament speaker Magomed Daudov. As commander of the Akhmed Kadyrov special police (spetsnaz) regiment, Usmayev played a key role in the killing of Isa Muskiyev 10 years ago.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.
First he went after the domestic opposition.

When Vladimir Putin returned to the Kremlin five years ago, he launched a massive crackdown on dissent, jailing opposition leaders, staging a series of show trials, and cracking down on social media.

He called them fifth columnists and tools of the West.

Outside of Russia, a lot of people didn't notice or didn't care.

A crackdown against the Russian opposition, after all, didn't really affect their lives.

Who are Pussy Riot, the Bolotnaya protesters, and Sergei Udaltsov anyway.

And then Putin went after Russia's neighbors.

Three years ago, Putin launched his war on Ukraine, forcefully and illegally annexing Crimea and effectively invading the Donbas.

He claimed to be saving Ukraine from a Western-backed coup.

Outside the former Soviet space, many shrugged their shoulders.

After all who ever heard of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. Just another conflict in some faraway land.

And now Putin is coming after the West itself.

With a coordinated series of cyberattacks, disinformation and fake-news dumps, electoral interference, and support for xenophobic and antiestablishment forces in Europe and North America, Putin's regime took careful aim at the soft underbelly of Western democratic institutions.

And now, suddenly, he has everybody's attention.

Now, suddenly, we're living in a brave new world.

Now, suddenly, Putin is impossible to ignore.

But this assault on the West did not come out of the blue.

It had been prepared for, and it had been telegraphed, for years.

Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.
The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions against Republika Srpskas nationalist leader, Milorad Dodik, saying that he is actively obstructing efforts to implement the 1995 Dayton accords that ended the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The sanctions imposed on January 17 by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) allow U.S. authorities to block access by Dodik to any of his property or assets under U.S. jurisdiction.

Dodik, the president of Bosnia's autonomous Serb entity, has been criticized by Western powers for pushing forward with so-called Republika Srpska Statehood celebrations on January 9.

The celebrations were staged in Banja Luka in violation of a court order from Bosnia-Herzegovinas capital, Sarajevo, and warnings from the West that the activities threaten the countrys unity and constitutional order.

John Smith, the acting director of OFAC, said that "by obstructing the Dayton accords, Milorad Dodik poses a significant threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina."

With reporting by Reuters
Over the past five years, Iranian officials and state media have touted the "indigenous" ingenuity in the Islamic republic's mass-produced Mohajer-6 combat drone, which Russia has deployed in its war against Ukraine.

But a new investigation by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, has found that electronic components underpinning Tehran's production of the Mohajer-6 are far from homegrown.



The Mohajer-6 drones contain components produced by companies from the United States and the European Union, both of which have sanctions restricting the export to Iran of such technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes  dual-use technology.

The presence of these components in the Mohajer-6 does not mean their producers are in violation of U.S. or EU sanctions, and RFE/RL does not have evidence that this is the case.

The investigation also found Mohajer-6 components produced in China, including a real-time mini-camera made by a Hong Kong firm that said it was "very sorry" that its products were being used in war.

At least one major foreign-produced component of the Mohajer-6 has previously been identified by reporters in a Mohajer-6 recovered from the battlefield by the Ukrainian military: an engine made by the Austrian manufacturer BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG, a subsidiary of the Canadian company Bombardier Recreational Products.

But Ukrainian intelligence assesses that the Iranian combat drone contains components from nearly three dozen different technology companies based in North America, the EU, Japan, and Taiwan, the Schemes investigation has found. A majority of these companies are based in the United States.



A Schemes reporter who personally inspected the foreign-made drone parts identified components produced by at least 15 of these manufacturers.

These include parts made by the U.S. technology firm Texas Instruments, which said in a statement that it does not sell into Russia or Iran and complies with applicable laws and regulations.

To identify these components, Schemes reporters examined parts of the Mohajer-6 drone that the Ukrainian military shot down over the Black Sea near the Mykolayiv region coastal town of Ochakiv. They also reviewed Ukrainian intelligence records on the sources of these components.

The drone also contains a microchip bearing the logo of a California technology company and a thermal-imaging camera that Ukrainian intelligence says may have been produced by a firm based in Oregon or China.

Both Western officials and experts on illicit technology transfers say Iran has built a broad, global procurement network using front companies and other proxies in third countries to obtain dual-use technology from the United States and the EU.

"Exporters will look at the request coming from the [United Arab Emirates] or another third country, and they'll think that they're selling to an end user based there, when really the end user is in Iran," Daniel Salisbury, a senior research fellow with the Department of War Studies at King's College London, told RFE/RL.

In September, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions specifically targeting Iranian companies that Washington links to the production and transfer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Russia for deployment in its war on Ukraine. Fighting rages with no sign of an end more than eight months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked invasion on February 24.

"Non-Iranian, non-Russian entities should also exercise great caution to avoid supporting either the development of Iranian UAVs or their transfer, or sale of any military equipment to Russia for use against Ukraine," U.S. Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement announcing the sanctions.

Chinese Cameras, California Chips

Development of the Mohajer-6, the latest model in a series of drones Tehran has used since the 1980s Iran-Iraq War, began in 2017, while mass production began the following year. During a ceremony commemorating the Islamic Revolution, then-Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami said that the new tactical drone could perform surveillance, reconnaissance, as well as help destroy targets.

Hatami extolled what he described as the drones domestic design, a portrayal echoed in later reports by Iranian media.

"The homegrown drone was made through cooperation among the army, Defense Ministry, and Quds Aviation Industries," the English-language Tehran Times quoted an Iranian military official as saying in July 2019.

The dismantling of the Mohajer-6 drone recovered by the Ukrainian military shows that the UAV is packed with foreign components.

One of these parts is a bright-orange real-time mini-camera produced by the Hong Kong-based company RunCam Technology. Documents seen by Schemes show that Ukrainian intelligence has also identified RunCam as the producer of the camera, which likely assists in remote guidance of the drone.

Founded in 2013, RunCam is involved in the development and production of so-called "first-person-view" real-time cameras. "Our users are our friends," the company's website states. The site says that RunCam has two authorized Iranian dealers.

Reached by Schemes for comment about the use of its camera in the Iranian drone deployed by Russia in its war on Ukraine, RunCam said in an e-mailed response: "We are very sorry to know that RunCam's products were used in warfare. RunCam is specialized in producing products for model aircraft hobby. We never contact any customer related to military."

The provenance of the Mohajer-6 drone-s thermal-imaging camera is more difficult to determine. A Ukrainian intelligence assessment reviewed by Schemes indicates it could be the Ventus Hot model produced by Sierra-Olympic Technologies, based in the U.S. state of Oregon, but that it also resembles a cheaper analog available for sale by the Chinese company Qingdao Thundsea Marine Technology.

Qingdao Thundsea Marine Technology said in an e-mailed statement that the company did not "have any business with Iran," because "it will affect our business." The company said it specializes in marine services and is not involved in manufacturing. It also said that it did not have a single successful order for its online advertisement of the thermal-imaging camera resembling the one recovered from the Iranian drone.

Sierra-Olympic Technologies did not respond to a request for comment on the possible use of its thermal-imaging cameras in Iranian combat drones in time for publication.

Microchips recovered from the drone also featured the logos of the California-based company Linear Technology Corporation and its parent company, the Massachusetts-based semiconductor company Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI). ADI did not respond to an e-mailed request for comment on the possible use of its technology in the Iranian combat drone.

Schemes reporters also observed among the components of the Iranian drone a voltage step-down converter produced by Texas Instruments. The company said in an e-mailed statement that it "does not sell into Russia, Belarus, or Iran."

"TI complies with applicable laws and regulations in the countries where we operate, and does not support or condone the use of our products in applications they weren't designed for," Texas Instruments said.

Schemes reporters also saw several components produced by the California-based technology manufacturer Xilinx, whose parent company is the multinational semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), also based in California.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, one of these Xilinx components was integrated into a video data-link module located in the wing of the Mohajer-6 that helped carry out attack missions.

"This module transmits information from the board to the missile head. That is, guidance for the missile. With the help of this module, it was possible to guide the missile to the target," a Ukrainian military intelligence representative told Schemes.

AMD did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

'No Authorization'

Previous media reports about the components of the Mohajer-6 drone, including by CNN, have shown evidence that its engine was produced by the Austrian manufacturer BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG, whose parent company is the Quebec-based Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP).

The Canadian company responded to the reports on October 21, saying in a statement that it "has not authorized and has not given any authorization to its distributors to supply military UAV manufacturers in Iran or Russia."

"As soon as we were made aware of this situation, we started an investigation to determine the source of the engines," BRP said. .

But Schemes reporters found that the authorized Rotax distributor listed on the Austrian manufacturer's website advertised itself as a Rotax aircraft engines distributor for Iran as recently as December 2020.

The distributor, the Italian company Luciano Sorlini S.p.a., has posted multiple magazine advertisements on its websites in which it describes itself as a Rotax distributor for numerous countries. Prior to January 2021, Iran was listed among these countries.

The Rotax website also lists a Tehran-based company -- MahtaWing -- as an official service center for its engines. The company, known in Persian as Mahtabal, conducts repairs of Rotax engines, including the Rotax 912 iS, the engine that was found in the Mohajer-6 combat drone recovered in Ukraine.

BRP said in an e-mailed statement on November 4 that while Luciano Sorlini S.p.a. is the appointed distributor of Rotax aircraft engines in Iran, "since 2019, no Rotax engines have been sold in Iran, and we will not sell any engines to Iran moving forward."

The Canadian company said it had "internal controls" that "significantly" restrict the sale of its products for military purposes.

"For example, the sale of any BRP product to operators with any military activity in Iran, Turkey, and Russia is strictly prohibited," BRP said. "We conduct our business in compliance with all EU, Canadian, and U.S. applicable regulations."

BRP described the Iranian company MahtaWing as a "local service center" that "offers maintenance services for previously sold aircraft engines."

Shahriar Siami of RFE/RL's Radio Farda contributed to this report.
A top Sunni cleric in Iran has called for an immediate referendum with the presence of international observers to "change policies based on the wishes of the people."

In his Friday Prayers sermon on November 4 in the southeastern Iranian city of Zahedan, Molavi Abdulhamid Ismaeelzah asked the Qom seminary and the country's authorities to listen to the voices of the people who have been protesting for the past 50 days.

The cleric, who is known across the country as Molavi Abdolhamid, has previously called on the countrys rulers to respond to the demands of the protesters.

There has been no comment from the Iranian government on his call for a referendum.

The cleric, regarded as a spiritual leader for Irans Sunni Muslim population, is the director of main Sunni seminary in Iran. He is a vocal critic of the Iranian government and has been under pressure for his comments against the Islamic republic.

Earlier this month in his Friday Prayers sermon, he said senior officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were "responsible" for the killings in Zahedan on September 30.



At the same time, people in different cities of Sistan and Baluchistan Province demonstrated in the streets for the fifth consecutive week after the September 30 massacre in Zahedan.



According to the videos published on social media on November 4, the security forces shot directly at protesters in the city of Khash, near Zahedan.



Reports also indicate clashes and shooting at protesters in some other cities of Sistan and Baluchistan Province, including Saravan, Zahedan, and Iranshahr.

It was not possible to independently verify the social media posts and the reports of violence at protests across Iran.



Gatherings took place on November 3 in the cities of Tehran, Tabriz, Shiraz, Rasht, and many other cities of Kurdistan Province in western Iran.



According to the videos published on social media, in the central Iranian city of Arak hundreds of mourners gathered at the grave of Mehrshad Shahidinejad, a 19-year-old aspiring chef who reportedly was killed after being arrested during a protest.



Reports also indicate that on November 3 in the city of Isfahan state security forces fired tear gas as mourners gathered at the grave of Mahsa Mougoei, an 18-year-old woman who was killed on September 22 during the nationwide protests against the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.



At least one woman was shot in Isfahan on November 3, a video published on Twitter indicates. The woman is shown on the ground with blood on her face, apparently shot in the head. The video also shows people trying to revive her. Theres no report about her condition.



In the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, security agents prevented the memorial of late RFE/RL journalist Reza Haghighatnejad. People who had gone to the location of the ceremony protested the security agents' move, chanting slogans in memory of Haghighatnejad and in protest of the government.



Iranian authorities secretly buried Haghighatnejad on October 30 at a location near Shiraz after seizing his body upon repatriation to Iran, angering his family.



Meanwhile, domestic and international reactions to the suppression of protesters in Iran continue.



Iranian wrestling legend and Olympic gold medalist Rasoul Khadem addressed President Ebrahim Raisi on his Instagram account and criticized him for suppressing the protests.



Also, more than 100 professors at Tehran University protested the October 29 attack on the university in a statement describing the attack of the security forces on the students as "barbaric." The statement says the continuation of security approaches and actions such as the "terrible attack" of the plainclothes security forces on the university is disastrous.



The signatories said that all detained students should be released unconditionally.



The antigovernment protests have been met by a harsh crackdown that the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights says has killed at least 277 people, including 40 children.



The Iranian government has not taken responsibility for the killing of protesters and in most cases has attributed their deaths to reasons such as suicide, illness, and accidents.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lectra's latest fashion PLM solution reaps highest score in industry expert evaluation

Extended scope and strides forward in key functionalities, including material forecasting, deliver number one industry ranking for Lectra Fashion PLM in WhichPLM benchmark study

Paris, January 17, 2017 - Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, receives a glittering result in WhichPLM's recent benchmark evaluation for the newest version of Lectra Fashion PLM which extends the scope from design and product development to production for retailers, manufacturers, and brands.



Providing greater visibility over fabric management and collection development processes, and guiding companies towards making the right decisions before production, Lectra's extremely capable PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) platform scored at, or above, the industry average in all of the 43 functional areas WhichPLM measured, achieving the highest-scoring solution evaluated by WhichPLM to date.



"With the creation of tools that support the real business of fashion, and the extension of the solution's footprint, we are extending our recommendation of Lectra to be shortlisted by any fashion and apparel brand, retailer or manufacturer-of any size and geographical spread," underlined Mark Harrop, CEO and Founder of WhichPLM.



The WhichPLM benchmark evaluation measures against the industry average (a composite score of over 10 modern PLM solutions' capabilities), the key product lifecycle functions a prospective PLM customer should seek. The study also probes the vendors' capabilities, industry knowledge, customer insights, services and support facilities. For WhichPLM, Lectra's technology, which clinched four four-star ratings, 'is among the best the industry has to offer; its roadmap is clear; and its extended fashion platform reveals a persuasive vision.'

Stellar performance compared to industry average



One of the most significant additions to the Lectra solution, explains WhichPLM, is the Material Forecast module: "This is the first instance WhichPLM has seen of scientific material intelligence being made digestible and useful for non-technical users of PLM." With the cost of raw materials, a pressing concern for the industry, particularly as an average of 60% to 75% of product cost is materials, Lectra's module provides real visibility into accurate material consumption at the vital early stages of product development.



Further key functional areas in which Lectra's updated Fashion PLM 'sufficiently improved' compared to the 2015 evaluation, to earn a higher star rating in 2016, include: creative design (CAM), color integration, material development, sample management, supplier management, auditing & compliance, sustainability, quality auditing, collaboration & integration, mobile applications, user interface and dashboards.



WhichPLM's assertion that 'Lectra's integration to Illustrator remains one of the best the market has to offer,' reflects the extension of PLM's reach throughout the product lifecycle, and deeper links between Lectra Fashion PLM and third party applications, like Adobe Illustrator, as well as Lectra's own desktop solutions.



"This benchmark study, carried out by reputable PLM experts, WhichPLM, clearly demonstrates the real value of the Lectra Fashion PLM. Our solution brings more people into PLM, and places our customers firmly at the center of our approach to make both core, and extended functionality, as broadly useful and intuitive as possible," explained Celine Choussy Bedouet, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Lectra.



About WhichPLM

WhichPLM is an independent digital magazine dedicated to product development for the fashion industry. Since its launch in September 2008, WhichPLM has become an industry institution, packed with exclusive news, interviews, analysis and insight. It attracts a readership of the biggest names in retail, footwear and apparel from around the globe.

For more information please visit www.whichplm.com

About Lectra

Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions (software, automated cutting equipment, and associated services) specifically designed for industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles, and composite materials to manufacture their products. It serves major world markets: fashion and apparel, automotive, and furniture as well as a broad array of other industries. Lectra's solutions, specific to each market, enable customers to automate and optimize product design, development, and manufacturing. With more than 1,500 employees, Lectra has developed privileged relationships with prestigious customers in more than 100 countries, contributing to their operational excellence. Lectra registered revenues of $264 million in 2015 and is listed on Euronext.

For more information, please visit www.lectra.com
The former deputy chief of Turkmenistans Committee for National Security (KNB), Tirkish Tyrmyev, has reportedly died in custody at the age of 66.

An international human rights campaign called Prove They Are Alive issued a statement on January 16 saying that Tyrmyev's body had been delivered to his relatives on January 13.

The group's statement came three days after Tyrmyev's daughter wrote on Facebook that her father's body was handed to their relatives in Ashgabat.

There was no official confirmation of Tyrmyev's death.

Sources in Ashgabat confirmed to RFE/RL that Tyrmyev's body was delivered to relatives.

Tyrmyev was arrested in April 2002 and sentenced in May 2002 to 10 years in prison on charges of abusing his power. Other top security officers were arrested with him, including KNB chief Muhammed Nazarov.

In 2012, just days before he was due to be released, Tyrmyev was convicted of attacking a prison guard. His prison term was extended to 2019.
Vlado Trifunovic, a former Yugoslav Army general who was convicted of treason by Serbias wartime nationalist leadership during the Balkans wars of the 1990s, has died at the age of 78.

Serbian state media report that Trifunovic, a native of Bosnia-Herzegovina, died on January 15 in Belgrade. There was no immediate confirmation about the cause of his death.

Trifunovic was in charge of a Yugoslav Army unit in the town of Varazdin in independence-seeking Croatia as war broke out there in 1991.

He disobeyed orders from Belgrade to fight and instead negotiated safe passage for his troops.

Trifunovic was convicted of treason by the nationalist government of Serbia's then-President Slobodan Milosevic.

But antiwar Serbs hailed Trifunovic as a hero for saving the soldiers' lives.

In 2010, Trifunovic told the Associated Press that "Varazdin would have been destroyed if I gave the orders to fight."

Based on reporting by AP and The Washington Post
Iraq's Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi says Iraqi forces have begun "moving" against Islamic State (IS) militants in western Mosul, a part of the city still fully held by the extremist group.

Abadi's announcement on Iraqi state TV on January 17 came as Iraqi forces fought the last remaining pockets of IS resistance within Mosul to the east of the Tigris River.

Fighting on January 17 included a battle inside a military base in northeastern Mosul.

Iraqi military officials say they will soon control the entire east bank of the Tigris River.

Before the U.S.-backed campaign within Mosul began more than three months ago, five bridges crossed the Tigris within the city.

All have been destroyed by U.S. air strikes, preventing IS militants from resupplying fighters in the east.

The battle for western Mosul is expected to be as complicated and slow-going as the three-month urban battle in the east.

Based on reporting by Reuters and ndtv.com
The dawn of the new year has unsurprisingly witnessed global media turn toward the incoming U.S. administration with an intensity bordering on the obsessive. Cabinet confirmations, Russia's alleged hacking activities, and intelligence agency squabbles now dominate international headlines.

Meanwhile, events of arguably equal or greater importance are sacrificed in favor of the story of the day. Nowhere is this failing clearer than with the lack of recent coverage of the ongoing campaign to drive the extremist group Islamic State (IS) from one of its last remaining urban strongholds: Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul.

The battle for Mosul is as much symbolic as it is strategic. The city stands at the center of IS's emergence as a global force of terror.

Before IS took Mosul on June 10, 2014, security services largely dismissed the threat it posed. The prevailing attitude was perhaps best summed up in U.S. President Barack Obama's interview with David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker magazine, in January of that year.

"The analogy we use around here sometimes, and I think is accurate," he said, "is if a J.V. team puts on Lakers uniforms, that doesn't make them Kobe Bryant."

But the "JV team" entered the big leagues when it captured Mosul. Indeed, it was the city's seizure that allowed its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, to announce on June 30, 2014, the establishment of IS's long-standing goal of an Islamic caliphate that straddles Iraq and Syria. At its peak, the caliphate encompassed an area the size of Great Britain. No extremist group in modern history had been so successful. IS, with the wealth captured from stolen oil fields, looted antiquities, and "taxes" levied on the population under its control, became hugely wealthy. It ran hospitals. It had its own police force and administrative authorities. It was a state in almost everything except formal recognition. The global brand that IS has become was only made possible through its capture of Mosul 2 1/2 years ago.

As we enter 2017, things look very different indeed.

The group has lost vast swaths of territory. Along with Raqqa in Syria, Mosul is the last major urban center left under the group's control. Its once seeming invincibility -- its inexorable march across the Middle East that drew thousands of recruits from across the Arab world, South and Central Asia, and the West toward the black flag -- is long gone.

Now IS is attacked from all sides. On the western edge of IS's "state," Turkish forces and Syrian rebel groups dealt the extremist group some serious defeats over the late summer. They are besieging the IS stronghold of al-Bab and are pushing deeper into IS territory, though those efforts have slowed considerably in recent weeks.

In the center of the caliphate, U.S.-backed Kurdish forces are advancing downward from northern Syria, just west of the IS capital city of Raqqa. That campaign is making significant gains, though that success could breed more problems since Turkey considers these forces to be linked to a terrorist organization.

On the eastern front, Iraqi security forces backed by Turkish Army units, Kurdish militia groups, U.S. Special Forces, and coalition air strikes, are advancing. The operation to retake the city, which began late last year, saw the coalition make strong initial progress as several villages and towns around the city were seized before the offensive slowed.

That changed on January 13, when Iraqi special forces entered Mosul University and took control of a neighborhood bordering the university and the technical institute within the campus.

"We broke through the terrorists' defenses and we destroyed their lines and their units and their bases," said Major General Sami al-Aridi, who oversaw the operation.

Iraqi forces have now almost completely surrounded Mosul, but the city's layout makes taking it difficult. Bisected by the Tigris River into eastern and western halves, Mosul contains two distinct sections that will have to be conquered in order to drive IS out for good. Iraqi security forces are pushing heavily into IS's eastern front (where the university is), but the extremists still maintain a stranglehold on the city's west.

More alarmingly, IS has had ample time to prepare for the assault. The city will undoubtedly be filled with booby traps to inflict as many casualties on Iraqi security forces as possible once they enter the city. Meanwhile, IS militants have dug tunnels and fortifications that will further increase the difficulties facing Mosul's potential liberators.

As Alberto Fernandez, vice president at the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), observes: "It is a very tough fight and not unexpected. Mosul is the single-largest population center left to ISIS. In the past (such as in Ramadi), they fought hard and eventually cracked, and this may happen again."

The fight will be difficult. It will be bloody. It may even be long. But it is difficult to see anything other than IS's eventual expulsion from the city. The question then naturally arises: What comes next?

Fernandez rightly points out that "two big questions will be: What shape [Iraqi security forces] will be in on total liberation day; and can local governance be (even slightly) more effective and inclusive than it was in 2014? ISIS will survive the fall of Mosul but will be diminished, and there will be more pressure on it to show that it can still model its global ambition and inspire more international acts of mayhem."

Part of the reason IS was able to grow so large and so fast in such a short space of time was that it took advantage of the harsh sectarian rule of former Iraqi President Nuri al-Maliki. Maliki's exclusion of Sunnis from government, combined with a series of national policies designed to persecute them across Iraq, drove many into the arms of IS as the only counterweight to the suffering they endured. Mosul may well be liberated, but once that happens it will have to be governed efficiently or else Baghdad will have driven IS out but failed to solve the underlying problems that led -- in part -- to the city's capture in the first place.

As far as IS goes, once Mosul falls, so does any remaining realistic claim that the group still controls a state of any kind. But, as Fernandez points out, IS will not go quietly into the night. Instead, the group will seek to its expand its extremist activities, ideally (as far as it is concerned) in the West.

This is the Catch-22 facing the world. The more defeats IS suffers in the Middle East, the more it must expand its operations abroad. The more military battles with tanks and soldiers it loses, the more it will resort to classic terror tactics of suicide bombers and lone gunmen.

IS may be losing battles, but the war is still a long way from being won.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.


ASTANA -- Prominent Kazakh journalist Bigeldy Gabdullin has gone on trial in Astana on extortion charges.

The prosecutor read out the charges against Gabdullin on January 17, alleging that he extorted cash from state officials by publishing or threatening to publish material damaging their reputations.

Gabdullin pleaded guilty at a preliminary hearing on January 11.

His lawyer said that Gabdullin had paid more than $60,000 to victims, without giving an explanation.

Gabdullin was arrested in November.

Gabdullin, 61, became known in the 1990s for articles criticizing President Nursultan Nazarbaev. He fled for the United States in the early 2000s, saying he feared for his life.

Gabdullin returned to Kazakhstan in 2004 and became the editor in chief of the pro-government Central Asia Monitor newspaper. He also founded the news site Radiotochka.kz.
Kyrgyz families began to bury their loved ones who were killed when a Turkish cargo plane crashed into their homes. They gathered on January 17 to mourn, after a Boeing 747 came down in their village adjacent to the runway of Bishkek's Manas airport a day earlier. (RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service)
Moldovan President Igor Dodon has told Russia that a landmark agreement bolstering ties between Moldova and the European Union was concluded "hastily" and suggested he wants to abandon it.

Dodon, who won the presidency in November after promising better ties with Moscow amid popular discontent with the governments pro-Western policies, was making his first trip abroad since he was sworn in as president on December 23.

Meeting with the head of Russia's upper parliament house, Valentina Matviyenko, Dodon said on January 17 that Moldova "signed certain agreements with the EU that hastily came into force in 2014."

He was referring to the Association Agreement that aims to create closer political ties and remove trade barriers between the EU and Moldova, a small former Soviet republic that borders EU member Romania and Ukraine.

Dodon, who met later with President Vladimir Putin, said that Moldova will seek new agreements but did not say with whom or discuss any other details.

Dodon has made conflicting statements about the Association Agreement, telling Russian media and officials he would work to scrap it while acknowledging in meetings with Western officials and reporters that he does not have the power to cancel it.

Moldova is a parliamentary republic in which the president has largely symbolic tasks, but Dodons legitimacy is enhanced because he is the first president in 15 years to be elected through direct voting.

With reporting by Interfax, TASS, RIA Novosti, and Deschide.md
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that a Russian law barring Americans from adopting Russian children led to human rights violations.

The ruling posted on the Strasbourg court's website on January 17 said that the legislation, which President Vladimir Putin signed in December 2012, resulted in breaches of articles of the European Convention on Human Rights that prohibit discrimination and guarantee the right to respect for family life.

The court found that the ban illegally discriminated against prospective American parents of Russian-born children because it prevented their adoption "purely on the basis of the prospective parents' nationality," the ECHR said in a statement.

It also said the ban was "disproportionate to the [Russian] government's stated aims, given that it had been retroactive, indiscriminate, and was applied irrespective of the status of proceedings or the individual circumstances."

The complaint was filed by 45 U.S. citizens on behalf of themselves and the 27 Russian children they were in the final stages of adopting when the law took effect. The prospective parents said that "a bond had already formed between the adults and children" and that the ban "violated their right to family life," the court said.

The ECHR obliged Russia to pay the prospective parents a combined sum of 75,000 euros ($80,000) in compensation and 13,600 euros ($14,400) for expenses.

Russia plans to appeal the ruling, Moscow's representative to the court, Deputy Justice Minister Georgy Matyushkin, told Ekho Moskvy radio.

Putin signed the so-called Dima Yakovlev Law in retaliation to a U.S. law imposing asset freezes and travel bans on Russians accused by the United States of human rights abuses, including those believed involved in the death of whistle-blower Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow jail in 2009.

It contributed to a deterioration of Russian-U.S. ties that began around the time Putin revealed plans to return to the Kremlin in 2012 and accelerated after Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014.
The United States on January 17 urged Serbia and Kosovo to avoid "dangerous rhetoric" as tensions between the two increase.

The latest incident occurred on January 14 after Belgrade sent a train with the words "Kosovo is Serbia" painted on the side toward a Serbian-dominated enclave in northern Kosovo.

The train was halted at the border after Kosovar authorities said they would intervene to stop it.

Belgrade, which doesnt recognize the authority of the Kosovar government, said it halted the train because Kosovos security forces were planning to attack it.

Kosovo, supported by the U.S. and other Western states, declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Belgrade still considers it part of its territory. While 114 countries recognize Kosovo's independence, Serbia and Russia do not.

President Hashim Thaci of Kosovo has accused Belgrade of planning to seize a segment of northern Kosovo using the "Crimea model," a reference to Russia's annexation of the peninsula.

His Serbian counterpart, Tomislav Nikolic, has said Pristina showed it wanted war by deploying special police at the border to block the train.

The U.S. Embassy in Pristina, in its statement, said: "Kosovo is a sovereign, independent country, and we respect the right of Kosovo to manage who and what crosses its borders. We urge all sides to avoid dangerous rhetoric and continue to work for the normalization of relations."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on January 17 that the EU must act to help deescalate the situation in the Balkans. He said the tensions were being created "by the policies pursued by those who are imposing the so-called European values in a new, modernized post-Christian manner on all peoples in the Balkans."

Serbias Nikolic said that U.S. politics had caused "trouble" in the region and expressed hope the new Trump administration would be more supportive of Serbia's policies.

Kosovo's mostly Muslim ethnic Albanians make up 92 percent of its 1.8 million population. Northern Kosovo is home to about 50,000 Serbs, who do not accept Pristina's rule.

With reporting by Reuters, TASS, and The Washington Post
English French

InteGRIDy has secured funding of more than 12 million euros from the European H2020 program, becoming the largest project in its category

Paris, Madrid, 16 January 2017 - Atos, international leader in digital transformation, coordinates the inteGRIDy European project, which seeks to connect innovative services, technologies and emerging mechanisms of intelligent electric networks through the deployment of a scalable and replicable platform. This platform will allow the connection of the current energy network with the different market players, as well as providing improved capabilities for the monitoring of consumption and generation profiles.

The ultimate goal is to facilitate the optimal and dynamic operation of the power distribution network, boosting network stability while coordinating the inclusion of distributed energy sources, virtual power generation plants and innovative and collaborative energy storage schemes, with an increasing percentage of renewable energies.

The most relevant innovations include the integration of existing automation systems and intelligent meter reading with intelligent IoT infrastructure. Also included is the development of modeling mechanisms oriented to the management of network topology, the introduction of real-time response models and to perform battery recharging profiles. InteGRIDy also incorporates predictive algorithms to manage energy generation and demand in real time.

The 10 pilots that will take place in 8 European Union countries (Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, UK, Greece, Cyprus and Romania) will benefit from powerful visual analysis applications and dynamic simulations that will allow them to make predictions and make optimal decisions on the resources to be used.

Andrea Rossi, Energy sector coordinator at Atos Research & Innovation department and director of inteGRIDy project, comments: "All these innovations will be demonstrated in 10 environments with different conditions. The pilots will be located in different European countries and therefore governed by different socio-economic markets and contexts."

Based on pilot results, the project will propose new consistent business models with the energy paradigm proposed by inteGRIDy, which covers real-time demand management and allows new market players to participate in network operations.

In addition to coordinating the project, which consortium involves 30 partners, Atos contributes to the design and development of different elements of the ecosystem, leading the establishment of business models that make sustainable the deployment of the technology developed in the project.

The project started on January 1st, 2017, and the consortium includes Atos, Gas Natural Fenosa and Aiguasol (Spain), SIEMENS, Teesside University, Isle of Wight, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Synergy Systems, EMSc (UK) and AT Kearney (United Kingdom), Engineering, ASM Terni, University of Rome "Sapienza", Polytechnic of Milan, Azienda San Severino Marche, Energy@Work and UNE (Italy), INNED (France), University of Cyprus and Electricity Authority of Cyprus (Cyprus), PH Energy, LISBOA E-NOVA, Portuguese Catholic University and Virtual Power Solutions (Portugal), SIVECO Romania and Societatea De Distributie Si Furnizare to Energiei Electrice (Romania), Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Sunlight, WATT+VOLT and TREK (Greece).

For more information: www.inteGRIDy.eu

About Atos

Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is a leader in digital transformation with circa 100,000 employees in 72 countries and pro forma annual revenue of circa  12 billion. Serving a global client base, the Group is the European leader in Big Data, Cybersecurity, Digital Workplace and provides Cloud services, Infrastructure & Data Management, Business & Platform solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting edge technologies, digital expertise and industry knowledge, the Group supports the digital transformation of its clients across different business sectors: Defense, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications, and Transportation. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and is listed on the Euronext Paris market. Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline.

Press contact:

Sylvie Raybaud - sylvie.raybaud@atos.net - +33 6 95 91 96 71 - @Sylvie_Raybaud
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says any claims that Moscow is staging cyberattacks to interfere in European elections are "dreamt-up."

Speaking at an annual news conference on January 17, Lavrov also said U.S. intelligence agencies that he said tried to prove President-elect Donald Trump had compromising links to Russia "have drawn a blank and should be fired, because they've done worthless work."

He described the former British spy who wrote a dossier on Trump's alleged links to Russia, including an account of an alleged episode with prostitutes at a Moscow hotel, as a charlatan.

U.S. intelligence agencies said earlier this month that they had concluded "with high confidence" that "Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election," and that "Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for...Trump" over his rival in the November 8 vote, Hillary Clinton.

Lavrov called the accusations of hacking by Russia ahead of European elections a "provocation" and said that Moscow did not feel obligated to prove them wrong because "there is presumption of innocence."

Strategic Dialogue

Lavrov also said that Moscow expected to engage in a dialogue with Trump's administration on issues related to strategic stability, including nuclear weapons, after the U.S. president-elect takes office.

Lavrov said that specific topics of discussion could include hypersonic weapons, the missile shield the United States is building in Europe, space weapons, and nuclear testing.

He said that Russia is ready to meet with Trump's administration for discussions on these topics after he takes office on January 20.

Lavrov said that Moscow did not interpret recent remarks by Trump as an offer to scrap sanctions imposed by the United States over Russia's actions in Ukraine and elsewhere in exchange for a nuclear-arms-reduction deal.

In an interview with The Times of London and German magazine Bild published on January 15, Trump said: "They have sanctions on Russia -- let's see if we can make some good deals with Russia. For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, that's part of it."

Syria Summit Invitation

Lavrov also said at the news conference that he thought it is right to invite the incoming Trump administration to Syria peace talks scheduled for January 23 in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.

Lavrov also expressed hopes Russia and the United States can cooperate more effectively on Syria under Trump than they have during President Barack Obama's administration.

He said he hoped the Trump administration will attend the talks in Astana.

Trump transition-team members and Russian officials had made conflicting remarks about whether the United States was invited.

Lavrov said one of the main aims of the talks is to "consolidate" a Syrian cease-fire mandated by a deal backed by Russia and Turkey and announced on December 29.

The United States has largely been excluded from the recent Russian-Turkish diplomacy on Syria, where Moscow has backed President Bashar al-Assad's government throughout the six-year-old civil war.

With reporting by Reuters, TASS, AFP, and Interfax
VIDEO REPORTS

Russian President Vladimir Putins assault on the West did not come out of the blue.

Outgoing U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden urged the incoming Trump administration to continue to be a strong supporter of Ukraine.

Battle-hardened veterans belonging to an ultra-nationalist paramilitary group in Russia have been training young children for combat.

At least 38 people were killed when a Turkish cargo plane crashed into homes near the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.

Tajikistan is seeing booming business in organ transplants, a treatment that has been available there for only five years.

OTHER NEWS

Making his final visit to Kyiv as U.S. vice president on January 16, Joe Biden urged the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump to support Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says any claims that Moscow is staging cyberattacks to interfere in European elections are "dreamt-up."

Moscow has welcomed U.S. President-elect Donald Trumps reference to NATO as "obsolete," calling the alliance a vestige of the past, as key NATO ally Germany reacted with concern to his remarks.

Lawyers for the Russian government and former shareholders of defunct Russian oil giant Yukos are back in court in what could be the final stages of a $50 billion battle over ex-tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovskys once-massive energy company.

Alikhan Muzaev, a former police officer and personal bodyguard to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, was detained on January 15th on suspicion of plotting an armed anti-government attack. Authorities presented his body to his family a few hours later, explaining his death as a suicide. (In Russian, Current Time TV)

Russian protest-performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky says he has fled Russia after authorities questioned him about allegations that he tried to rape a woman.

An exodus from the Russian PEN Center took a new turn when the organization claimed that 2015 Nobel Literature Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich could not have quit because she was neve

Ukraine has sued Russia at the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague, accusing Moscow of acts of "terrorism" and "discrimination" in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.

Charles Kushner, the father of President-elect Donald Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, whose family has roots in todays Belarus, will donate $60,000 to fund the construction of a memorial wall in the Museum of Jewish resistance in the town of Navahradak. (Belarus Service)

Russian media are reporting that Moldovan President Igor Dodon has arrived in Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin for talks, with the breakaway Moldovan region of Transdniester to be on the agenda.

Turkish authorities say they have captured the man they believe gunned down 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day.

In the latest in a series of high-level detentions in Kazakhstan, a former deputy chief of President Nursultan Nazarbaev's administration has been arrested.

A commercial matchmaker has come under fire in Kazakhstan over efforts to recruit bachelorettes for wealthy Chinese customers willing to plonk down hard cash for a mate.

Political analyst Andrey Piontkovsky told RFE/RL that Russia needs the U.S. to counter Chinas expansion, since any Western partnership with China leads to Russias marginalization, the subordination of its interests to China, and a loss of control over the Far East and Siberia. (over 42k views on Russian Service website)
ON MY MIND

Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci thinks Serbia is looking to follow the Crimea model in northern Kosovo. In an interview with Reuters (featured below), he said Belgrade's attempt to send a train painted in Serbia's national colors and bearing the words "Kosovo is Serbia" across the border was an attempt by Belgrade to provoke a conflict and create the pretext for military intervention. The train, he said, was donated by Russia. And the aim was to seize part of northern Kosovo, home to some 50,000 ethnic Serbs.

We don't know if this is indeed the case, although Serbia's president, Tomislav Nikolic, has threatened military intervention in northern Kosovo. And we don't know, although we have ample grounds to suspect, whether Moscow is encouraging Belgrade's behavior.

But what we do know, is that an attempted annexation of northern Kosovo -- something Serbia wouldn't have dared just a few years ago -- is much more likely in the post-Crimea world.

And this illustrates the degree to which Russia's annexation of Ukraine's sovereign territory has set a precedent for others to follow. And it illustrates the degree to which Moscow has already succeeded in eroding the rules-based post-Cold War international order.

It may not happen in Kosovo this time. But sooner or later, somebody somewhere is going to follow the Crimean precedent.

IN THE NEWS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he thinks it's right to invite the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to Syria peace talks scheduled for January 23 in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.

Lavrov says that Moscow expects to engage in a dialogue with the incoming Trump administration on issues related to strategic stability, including nuclear weapons, after the U.S. president-elect takes office.

Russia appears to have rejected U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's offer to lift U.S. economic sanctions against Russia in exchange for a deal to curb nuclear arms.

Moscow has welcomed Trump calling NATO "obsolete," as key NATO ally Germany reacted with concern to his remarks.

Russian media are reporting that Moldovan President Igor Dodon has arrived in Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin for talks, with the breakaway Moldovan region of Transdniester to be on the agenda.

Lawyers for the Russian government and former shareholders of defunct Russian oil giant Yukos are back in court in what could be the final stages of a $50 billion battle over ex-tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovskys once-massive energy company.

An exodus from the Russian PEN Center took a new turn when the organization claimed that 2015 Nobel Literature Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich could not have quit because she was never a member.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has warned that Ukrainians may become disillusioned with their pro-European path if the European Union further delays closer integration with Kyiv.

Ukraine has sued Russia at the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague, accusing Moscow of acts of "terrorism" and "discrimination" related to its backing separatists in eastern Ukraine and its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

Making his final visit to Kyiv in eight years as U.S. vice president, Joe Biden urged the international community to stand against what he called Russian aggression and urged the incoming administration of President-elect Trump to be a strong supporter of Ukraine.

Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci says Serbia plans to seize a slice of northern Kosovo just as Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014, Reuters reported.

WHAT I'M READING

What Russia Wants

Michael O'Hanlon has a piece on the Brookings Institution's website exploring potential security arrangements for countries like Georgia and Ukraine that fall in the gray zone between NATO and Russia.

And in The Moscow Times, Vladimir Frolov explains what Russia is really after.

"It is precisely the U.S. system of alliances underpinning the liberal international order that Russia is after," Frolov writes.

"The goalposts have moved since Putin made his Munich conference speech in 2007. It is no longer enough for Moscow that the West recognizes its security interests and the zone of influence in the former Soviet Union by eschewing further enlargement of NATO and the EU, as some propose. Russia has now moved beyond Helsinki (a territorial status quo between the blocks) and is heading toward a new Yalta[and] Yalta as we know it did not envision NATO or the EU, and neither must the next Yalta."

The Spy Who Wrote The Dossier

David Corn of Mother Jones spoke to the former MI-6 agent who produced the controversial and yet unverified dossier on Trump's ties to Russia.

Here are the money graphs: "The former spy said he soon decided the information he was receiving was 'sufficiently serious' for him to forward it to contacts he had at the FBI. He did this, he said, without permission from the American firm that had hired him. 'This was an extraordinary situation,' he remarked.

"The response to the information from the FBI, he recalled, was 'shock and horror.' After a few weeks, the bureau asked him for information on his sources and their reliability and on how he had obtained his reports."

The Internet Weapon

Maria Farrell has a piece in Slate on "why Russia is using the Internet to undermine Western democracy."

More Post-Truth Stuff

Francis Fukuyama has a column for Project Syndicate explaining the emergence of a post-truth world

And Sebastian Dullien and Jeremy Shapiro have an essay on the European Council on Foreign Relations website explaining how to avoid it.

The Populist Threat

Writing in Foreign Policy, Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, argues that "the global rise of populism is a dangerous threat to democracy and human rights. And if it goes unchecked, the rollback of Western values could be staggering."

The article is adapted from a recent report by Human Rights Watch, The Dangerous Rise Of Populism.

Moscow Flashback

In The New York Times, former Moscow correspondent Serge Schmemann recalls "that time the KGB slipped me vodka."

"For those of us who worked in the old Soviet Union as reporters or diplomats, all the talk of 'kompromat' and 'dezinformatsiya' that has emerged with the Trump dossier -- unverified -- has been a blast from what we thought was a distant past," Schmemann writes.

Reports Of My Death Are Greatly Exaggerated

The Daily Beast has a feature on how actress Sasha Grey found herself caught up in Russia's propaganda war in Ukraine.

What Did We Learn In Syra?

The Center for Strategic and International Studies held a symposium on the lessons learned from Russia's intervention in Syria. Participants included Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Center for the Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, Michael Kofman of the CNA Corporation, and Olga Oliker, director of the CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program. You can watch a video of the event here.

Looking Ahead To The Trump-Putin Relationship

Hal Brands,a professor of global affairs at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, has a piece in the War On The Rocks blog asking whether the Trump-Putin relationship will result in "peace through strength or peace in our time."

SRB Podcast

The latest installment of the SRB Podcast, hosted by Sean Guillory of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies, looks at Russia's mass protests five years later. Sean's guest is Marc Bennetts, author of the book I'm Going To Ruin Their Lives: Inside Putin's War On Russia's Opposition.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has warned that Ukrainians may become disillusioned with their pro-European path if the European Union further delays closer integration with Kyiv.

The EU agreed to provide visa waivers for Ukrainians last month after weeks of stalling, but the decision has not gone into effect.

"To delay further would be flagrantly unfair as Ukraine has paid a high price," Poroshenko told foreign ambassadors to Ukraine on January 16.

"It would also be dangerous because more unreasonable delays would undermine Ukrainians' faith in Europe. This is exactly what Russia wants," he said, adding that Ukraine's EU Association Agreement also should be ratified.

Delays have raised criticism that the bloc was reneging on pledges to help Ukraine as it seeks to move away from Moscow's orbit in the wake of a 2013 uprising that ousted a Kremlin-backed president.

After the change in power, Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region and is accused by Kyiv and NATO of fueling a pro-Russia separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.

"We are all witnesses to efforts to build a new iron curtain and it is today's Russia that is building it," Poroshenko said.

With reporting by Reuters
Lawyers for the Russian government and former shareholders of defunct Russian oil giant Yukos are back in court in what could be the final stages of a $50 billion battle over ex-tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovskys once-massive energy company.

The group, led by the former main shareholder GML, are appealing a Dutch court's April 2016 decision to overturn an award of more than $50 billion in damages that the Russian government had been ordered to pay the former shareholders.

The Dutch court said the arbitration panel that originally ruled in favor of the former shareholders in 2014 had lacked jurisdiction to make such an award.

During a hearing on the case on January 16, a judge told lawyers for the shareholders to submit their arguments for the latest appeal by January 31.

Court participants said it could be several months before an actual hearing date is set.

Yukos, once Russias largest oil company, was broken up after Khodorkovsky, a leading Kremlin critic, was arrested in 2003.

Yukos was sold off to state-owned companies, including Rosneft, now one of the worlds largest energy companies.

The former Yukos shareholders say the company was illegally broken up in a political move and sued in 2005 for compensation for their loss.

Based on reporting by AFP and TASS
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tower One Wireless Corp (CSE:TO) (CSE:PT) (OTC:PCFTF) (Frankfurt:A2AFT9) (the Company) announces it will be attending the 2017 Cantech Investment Conference on January 18, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario. The Company will be located in the Investors Exhibit Hall at booth # 413. This is a one-day investment conference which brings institutional and retail investors together with Canada's leading technology companies at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. It is the ultimate showcase for Canadian technology development and investor opportunities.



About Tower One Wireless Corp.

Tower One Wireless was founded in 2015 with a mission to own and operate high-quality cellular network infrastructure sites in South American markets that are experiencing strong usage growth.

Tower One Wireless focuses primarily on building towers in municipalities where there is limited or no cellular coverage. This enhances the probability of multiple carriers sharing the tower and minimizes competitive risk. Tower One Wireless has assembled a decorated management team that has top-tier cellular development experience with one of South America's largest tower developers. Tower One Wireless is currently focused on 4G LTE infrastructure expansion in Columbia and will look to open other territories.

About Cantech Investment Conference

Entering its fourth year, The Cantech Investment Conference is where Canadas next great technology companies meet the investment community and where Canadas innovation sectors convene. The conference, brought to you by Cantech Letter and Cambridge House International, attracts public market investors, VCs, angel investors and media to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for a one-day exhibit and presentation. Past speakers included Chris Hadfield, Sir Terry Matthews, and Dragons Den star Michael Wekerle.

This years conference takes place January 18.

For more information on the conference please visit www.cantech17.com

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or any state securities law and may not be offered or sold in the United States, as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

For further information, please contact:

Robert Nick Horsley, Director



nick@toweronewireless.com

(604) 559-8051

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements included in this press release constitute forward-looking information or statements (collectively, forward-looking statements), including those identified by the expressions anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect, intend, may, should and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Company or its management. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect current expectations regarding future results or events. This press release contains forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and various estimates, factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors.

Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative.

All information in this press release concerning T1 has been provided for inclusion herein by T1. Although the Company has no knowledge that would indicate that any information contained herein concerning T1 is untrue or incomplete, the Company assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any such information.
The somewhat unexpected snowstorm earlier this month may have left employers wondering how to pay their exempt and nonexempt employees who either could not get to work or were off because of office closures.

The best practice for employers is to address how employees will be compensated during an inclement weather or other emergency event well ahead of its occurrence.

If you havent written a policy yet, or still have concerns, here are answers to the most frequently asked questions by employers:

Question: We closed the office for two days. Our policy states we only pay for one day of inclement weather. Can we dock the pay for all employees for the second day?

Answer: An employer can dock the pay of nonexempt employees (those who are entitled to overtime  typically hourly or salaried nonexempt) for any time not worked.

And while I think such a policy will surely kill office morale, it is also legal to dock the pay of a nonexempt employee who doesnt work when the office is otherwise closed.

In addition, even if the nonexempt employee is paid, for example, on Monday for a snow day, and then works 40 hours during the rest of the week, the nonexempt employee is entitled to 48 hours straight time, but not eight hours of overtime, because overtime is based on hours worked not hours paid for nonworking time.

An employer cannot deduct the pay of an exempt employee. But the Department of Labor states that an employer can require that the exempt employee use paid time off or vacation to be compensated.

If, however, the employee has not accrued sufficient paid time off or the employee is out of paid time off or vacation, he or she must be paid for the time.

The Department of Labor generally requires that if an exempt employee is ready and available to work, he or she must be paid if that employee works any part of the week.

If the office is closed an entire week and the exempt employee doesnt work any part of the week, the employee need not be paid.

The issue in todays workplace is that even if an exempt employee fails to come to the office, that employee is most likely doing some work during the day, even when the office is closed, such as responding to email.

If an exempt employee performs any work during a workday, that employee is considered to have worked and must be paid for the entire day.

Question: My nonprofit organization was open on the Monday after the snow, but several employees (exempt and nonexempt) called out saying their kids were home from school or that they couldnt drive in because of the roads.

Can I dock their pay and/or is there anything else I can do, because this is a great inconvenience to the business?

Answer: Under this scenario, the no show employees need not be paid, unless the exempt employee is otherwise working from home and works any part of the day.

An employee who is absent as a result of bad weather (such as transportation difficulties) for personal reasons can have a full days pay deducted from his or her salary, unless the employee performs some work during the day.

The employer can require that the employee use a vacation/paid time off day or make the employee take the day unpaid.

The employer can also, in some cases, take additional disciplinary action if the absence has an impact on the business.

Industries such as nursing homes and hospitals and even retail establishments such as restaurants and drug stores can be negatively impacted if employees dont come to work, regardless of inclement weather.

In these situations, employers can take additional disciplinary action against those employees because of the impact on the organization.

Employers, however, need to bear some responsibility by finding other transportation arrangements for employees who cannot drive during inclement weather.

Setting expectations and communicating consequences will alleviate confusion and misunderstandings for future weather events.
A Richmond man and a woman have been indicted in federal court here on charges of providing false statements in the straw purchase of AR-15 semiautomatic rifles last year from Green Top Sporting Goods in Hanover County and Southern Gun World in Chesterfield County.

The four-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Richmond charges Nehemyah H. Penn, 21, with two counts each of making false statements during the purchase of a firearm and providing false information to two firearms dealers that the businesses are required to maintain under law. A co-defendant, Vanessa C. Stringfield, has been indicted on two counts involving the purchase of one of the rifles.

The indictment says Penn and Stringfield made false statements to purchase an Eagle Arms Armalite Eagle-15 semiautomatic rifle from Green Top Sporting Goods on Sept. 12. The defendants stated they were the actual buyers of the firearm but in fact were purchasing the firearm for someone else, and did aid and abet each other in doing so, the indictment says.

The indictment does not name the person for whom they allegedly were making the purchase. It also does not make clear the connection between Penn and Stringfield.

The indictment says Penn alone made false statements to purchase a second weapon  an American Tactical Imports Omni Hybrid Maxx AR-15 semiautomatic rifle  from Southern Gun World on Dec. 16. Penn knowingly made a false written statement that was intended and likely to deceive Southern Gun World as to ... the lawfulness of such sale of firearm to the defendant, according to the indictment.

The indictment also alleges that Penn provided a false address to the firearms dealer in making the purchase.

According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint against Penn, ATF agents received information that Penn was buying a firearm from Southern Gun World and the agents responded to the store, where they observed Penn leaving and carrying a large cardboard box. He was seen placing the box in the back seat of his car and driving away.

The agents conducted surveillance on Penn as he departed and obtained from Southern Gun World employees the home address Penn provided on his firearms purchase application form.

The agents then contacted Midlothian Village Apartments in the 4000 block of Midlothian Turnpike  the address listed by Penn  and was told that Penn had been issued a no trespassing letter on Oct. 20 that barred him from the property. The management also advised that Penn had never held a lease on any of the apartments, the affidavit says.

The agents then conducted a traffic stop on Penn shortly after he purchased the rifle. Penn was the cars only occupant, the agents said, and they found the AR-15 had been removed from the box and was sitting on the front passenger seat, the affidavit says.

Penn is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges today, followed by a hearing to reconsider the setting of bail.

The charges against Penn and Stringfield come one month after federal authorities unsealed indictments that charged a New York man and his alleged accomplice in the Richmond area in a gun trafficking scheme that authorities said involved the straw purchase of firearms in central Virginia that were destined for illegal sale in New York City.

The man with ties to the Richmond area, Jermaine Barlow, told ATF agents after his Nov. 18 arrest that he supplied 12 firearms purchased locally  including those acquired at a gun show at the Richmond International Raceway complex  to the New York man, Jake Knight, who also was charged in the scheme, according to unsealed federal court papers.

Barlow was indicted in early December on a federal charge of transferring and delivering firearms to an out-of-state resident.
Henrico County police are looking for a man who attempted to rob a Papa John's at gunpoint earlier this week.

The robber, who was wearing a mask, entered the pizza restaurant in the 8900 block of Patterson Avenue in the West End about 2 p.m. Monday, pulled out a handgun and demanded cash, police said.

He left without any money and was last seen running east through the restaurant's parking lot.

The suspect is described as a black male who is 18 to 25 years old, 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall and about 140 to 180 pounds. He was was wearing black pants, a black hooded sweatshirt, a black-and-red stocking hat, a mask and gloves.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Henrico police at (804) 501-5000 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. You can also send a text message to Crime Stoppers at 274637, using the keyword iTip followed by the tip.
Fifty years ago, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. asked: Where do we go from here: chaos or community?

For much of the nation, the question appears to have been answered, and not in a good way. As one social media post stated on the MLK national holiday, just days before the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump: This week begins with a dream and ends with a nightmare.

Obviously, thats nowhere near a universal sentiment, or Trump would never have won the election. But his Twitter attack on Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., the battered civil rights icon of the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, Ala., did not augur well for Kings vision of a beloved community defined by love, peace, justice and inclusion. Nor did the nomination of an Alabaman for attorney general whose record suggests little empathy for the marginalized.

The run-up to this inauguration appears as unsettled as any in memory. Thats saying something if you consider the political tumult surrounding the 2000 election or the economic upheaval of eight years ago.

For groups who found themselves in candidate Trumps crosshairs during the election, the King holiday was part of a countdown to dread.

Were definitely sensing a new reality with minority communities and particularly the Muslim community, where theres a heightened sense of anxiety and concern about the future, said Imad Damaj, president and founder of the Virginia Muslim Coalition for Public Affairs.

Amid talk of a ban on Muslims from entering the country and a registry for immigrants from Muslim countries, theres concern about where we are going with all that, Damaj said. Was it really all talk, really politics, or this is where were heading?

But, he noted, its Martin Luther King Day. We have to continue to be positive, to be hopeful, and continue to work with others, because its not just the Muslim community, its all of us. ... Were all impacted.

The Muslim community will continue to build bridges, explain and advocate, while making sure people understand its reality and anxieties. Its going to take some time. Im overall hopeful that we will get to the best sense of us, Damaj said.

Eileen Davis, co-founder of Women Matter, among the sponsors of Saturdays Womens March on Washington, was preparing for that event even as she recalled Kings legacy.

Larry Scott, a King photographer and a relative of Coretta Scott, was the individual who got her involved in social activism, Davis recalled. He was the photographer at Davis wedding.

In many ways, this is a crisis opportunity, she said. As Larry used to say years ago, people got woke.

As for the march, its not an anti-Trump rally, she said. Rather, its a gathering to promote equality and equity in leadership, said Davis, a proponent of the Equal Rights Amendment, which reads: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

Its so simple, you can tweet it, she said. If we cant get that done, what makes you think we can have a female president?

But just as the anti-womens suffrage pamphlets of a century ago warned of petticoat rule, Davis attributes reduced voter turnout to lots of men didnt want Hillary Clinton because they didnt want petticoat rule. Such bias led people to embrace absurd conspiracy theories such as the idea that a Washington pizza and pingpong emporium was the hub of a child sex-trafficking ring connected to Clintons campaign chairman.

For the same reason, Barack Obama was a Kenyan Muslim, she said.

Whereas Muslims have been threatened with a clearly unconstitutional religious ban, Mexicans immigrants were labeled as criminals and rapists as Trump pledged to build a wall to keep them out.

Oscar Contreras, a U.S. citizen who immigrated to the U.S. from Guatemala 21 years ago, spent part of his morning show on WBPK (1380 AM) schooling his Latino Christian audience on MLK.

Hearing of the struggles of the civil rights movement, including such indignities as separate bathrooms and drinking fountains, lends perspective to the Latino struggle, he said. And Kings status as a Baptist preacher resonates with his Christian audience, who are amazed at what the civil rights leader was able to achieve with peaceful protest.

Along those religious lines, Contreras audience is conflicted about how to feel and what to expect as Trump takes office. Some are strongly opposed to abortion and are excited about the new administration, even if they dont agree with other things he has proposed. Others are fearful about what it will mean for immigration policy.

So when I go on air, I try to give both of them a chance to express their sentiments, Contreras said. He is hearing hope and fear. Probably thats what the whole country is going through.

Angeles Hernandez, a Mexican immigrant from Chesterfield County, said that the day after the election, Latino children were told by their schoolmates: What are you doing here? Go back to your country.

Shes disappointed that there was no immigration reform during Obamas presidency. At the end, we feel frustrated because nothing happened. But disappointment and frustration under Obama has morphed into fear in the walk-up to this next presidency.

I believe we are under Gods protection, Hernandez said. I just wish that that dream, the American dream, it comes true, and he changes his mind.

The more that dream becomes unattainable, the less we become one nation. Chaos makes community unsustainable. Weve got to rediscover the best sense of us.
Pal Svenkerud is appointed acting Chief Executive Officer of Bank Norwegian AS and Norwegian Finans Holding ASA from and including 20 January 2017, since the current Chief Executive Officer, Erik Jensen, shortly will step down from his position. Pal Svenkerud has had the position as Chief Financial Officer of Bank Norwegian since its inception in 2007. He will act as Chief Financial Officer of Bank Norwegian and Chief Executive Officer of both companies until new Chief Executive Officer has taken position.

This disclosure is made subject to Oslo Brs Continuing Obligations section 3.2 (1) no. 8.
Governor Terry McAuliffe today declined to grant clemency for Ricky Gray, who will die by injection Wednesday night at the Greensville Correctional Center for the capital murders of two young sisters 11 years ago unless the U.S. Supreme Court steps in.

I have decided not to intervene in this case. Mr. Gray was convicted in a fair and impartial trial, and a jury sentenced him to death in accordance with Virginia law. Federal and state appellate courts have extensively reviewed his case and denied his requested relief. Unless a court intervenes, the Department of Corrections will carry out the execution in accordance with the order of the sentencing court," said McAuliffe in a prepared statement.

The governor said, It is the Governors responsibility to ensure that the laws of the Commonwealth are properly carried out unless circumstances merit a stay or commutation of the sentence. After extensive review and deliberation, I have found no such circumstances. I will continue to pray for all of the individuals and families affected by these tragic and horrible crimes.

Gray's lawyers filed an emergency request for stay of execution with the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday afternoon.

Gray and his nephew and accomplice Ray Dandridge, shook the city of Richmond in January 2006, murdering seven people in six days and setting off a police manhunt that ended with Gray's capture in a Philadelphia basement on Jan. 7.

The execution is set for 9 p.m. at the prison located in Jarratt, just off Interstate 95, and would be the first in Virginia since October 2015 when serial killer Alfredo Prieto was put to death by injection.
A Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee killed a bill to repeal the states voter photo ID law Tuesday, making short work of a legislative proposal Gov. Terry McAuliffe highlighted this year.

The Republican-controlled House elections subcommittee voted down several other Democratic-sponsored bills to expand absentee and early voting and add out-of-state college IDs and IDs issued by nursing homes to the forms of ID acceptable for voting purposes.

Republican lawmakers argued the ID law is working as intended and suggested that all Virginians can get an acceptable form of ID with little difficulty.

Del. Stephen E. Heretick, D-Portsmouth, sponsored the bill to repeal the photo ID requirement.

One of the few bills to survive the subcommittee would add stricter photo ID rules for absentee voting. It would require would-be voters to enclose a copy of their ID both with their application for an absentee ballot and when returning the ballot itself.

That proposal, sponsored by Del. Hyland F. Buddy Fowler Jr., R-Hanover, will go to the House Appropriations Committee for a closer examination of its fiscal impact. In an interview, Fowler said he plans to amend the bill to require an ID only with a ballot application.

All were asking is you make a copy and send it in with the application, Fowler said.

Under current law, photo ID is required for in-person absentee voting, but not for ballots filled out remotely. Fowler said his bill would bring uniformity to the process.

McAuliffe called for a full repeal of the law before the 2017 legislative session began last week and repeated the call in his opening speech to lawmakers.

When it was passed, our photo ID law made it significantly harder for many Virginians to vote, without any evidence that voter fraud is a problem in Virginia, McAuliffe said in the prepared text of his speech.

On Tuesday, Republicans pointed to a few recent examples of voter registration fraud in Harrisonburg and Alexandria to make the case that the ID requirement is a necessary safeguard.

To say theres no voter fraud is either being willfully ignorant or being naive, said Del. Mark L. Cole, R-Spotsylvania, who chairs the House Privileges and Elections Committee.

Democrats argued that the solution could lie in opening early or absentee voting for a three-week period before elections without needing an excuse for not being able to get to the polls on Election Day.

Isnt this what everybody wants? They want someone to come in with a photo ID, said Del. Mark D. Sickles, D-Fairfax. If youre really concerned about voter fraud, this is your bill.

One by one, Republicans voted down the early-voting bills after raising concerns about the logistical and fiscal impact on local registrars. Other bills to add an age-based excuse for absentee voting at either 65 or 80 years old met the same fate.
WASHINGTON

Republicans can argue until their last breath that Trump objectors are sore losers, but isnt more at stake than mere politics? This phrase has been rendered quaint by such serious issues as: Russian hackers apparently trying to tilt the election toward Donald Trump; the FBIs possibly politically motivated practices; Trumps initial resistance to the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence community; Trumps refusal to release tax records, which might mollify concerns about his relationship with Russia.

These arent partisan issues, or shouldnt be, as evidenced by the Justice Department inspector generals decision to investigate how FBI Director James Comey handled the probe of Hillary Clintons email and private server. The focus will be on Comeys statement in July that Clinton and her colleagues were extremely careless with classified information but that he wasnt recommending criminal charges  as well as his announcement to Congress just a week and a half before Election Day that, because of new information, he was reopening the investigation.

This fresh look pertained to new emails found on the laptop of Carlos Danger, aka Anthony Weiner (but, really, why the name change?), estranged husband of top Clinton adviser Huma Abedin. The emails subsequently were found to be inconsequential, but if there were any fence-sitters left at that point, many of them probably toppled into Trumps camp, from sheer exhaustion if not outright disgust.

Let me help you: Eleven days to go and the man who had said theres nothing to see here suddenly says, Hey, there might be something after all! And no ones supposed to think this affected the election?

How could it not have? Anecdotally, I can report at least a dozen friends who say, That was it for me. But polling, too, suggests a consequential voter shift in the final days of the campaign.

FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silvers polling/analysis group, reported that Clinton had an 81 percent chance of winning in mid-October. About a week after Comeys announcement, that number dropped to 65 percent. This rapid shift didnt occur because people suddenly recognized that Trump is a brilliant foreign policy strategist. Its true that undecided people often return to their party at the last minute, but this may not account for Clintons sudden drop.

While its impossible to prove that Comey had any impact, theres enough reason for dissatisfied Americans to continue to protest the results  even on Inauguration Day. For certain, Comey acted against bureau policy never to interfere politically or discuss investigations so close to an election. If theres any justification, Comey might have felt that the information would be leaked anyway.

Adding suspicion to skepticism, the hacking and release of Democratic National Committee emails also may have affected election results, though, again, its impossible to know how much since, as far as Im aware, we cant read peoples minds (yet).

Thus, were left to draw inferences from suppositions from what little else we know.

We do know that our intelligence community concluded that Russia hacked the DNC, and Trump finally accepted this last week. To concede that Russia was behind the hacking (rather than a 400-pound person sitting in a bed somewhere, as Trump at one point theorized) was, presumably, to admit that Russia helped him win. Well, didnt it? Didnt Trump loudly call upon Russia to hack Clintons emails?

For the undecided (or the unpersuadable), lets pose a hypothetical: What if Clinton had publicly asked Russia to hack Trumps records and release his tax returns  and Russia did? And what if the FBI announced less than two weeks before Election Day that it was going to investigate fraudulent practices at Trump University? Lets say that Trumps number dipped dramatically and he lost.

Do you reckon Republicans would be a tad upset?

The inspector generals investigation into Comeys conduct, as well as Congress investigation into Russias apparent interference in the election, are urgent, overdue, and probably useless. Mostly, Comey is guilty of poor judgment. And Russia is being Russia  a fact best quickly absorbed by the soon-to-be president.

Yes, democracy needs saving and the republics foundation is showing wear. But isnt the crucial question the very one that cant be answered: Did we really elect Donald Trump to be president of the United States?

We may never know precisely who sowed the wind, but to be sure, were all going to reap the whirlwind.
NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International House, a premier residential community dedicated to preparing the next generation of globally-minded leaders, is pleased to present a new music performance series, Music at I-House: Then and Now.

Over four distinctly curated events, the words and music of some the Houses most famous former residents will be celebrated through exciting interpretations by a highly talented roster of current residents from around the world who proudly share the experience and honor of learning through living at the legendary 500 Riverside Drive institution.

Resident performers include graduate students from Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, and Mannes School of Music, as well as highly talented part-time musicians studying engineering, economics, law, education, and other areas at Columbia, NYU and other area institutions. This exclusive series continues in the strong tradition of cross-cultural collaboration at I-House, an important piece of the resident experience since the first class of residents entered in 1924. This series compliments other longstanding and acclaimed resident performance series including the All Nations Festival and Sunday Suppers.

Tuesday, January 24, 7-9 pm

A Celebration of the Words and Music of Leonard Cohen (Class of 57)

The legendary Canadian artist was an International House resident while attending Columbia Universitys School of General Studies during the 1956-7 academic year. It was at I-House that Cohen met Anne Sherman, a lover who would become the model for Shell in his 1963 novel The Favorite Game, as well as several works of poetry. While he has described his graduate school year as passion without flesh, love with no climax, Cohen remained a supporter of International House for many years. Selections include Suzanne, Field Commander Cohen, You Got Me Singing (with verses sung in nine languages), and, of course, Hallelujah. Cohens signature Red Needle cocktails will be served.

Thursday, February 9, 7-9 pm

The Music and Legacy of Leontyne Price (Class of 52)

The world renowned diva who became one of the first African Americans to perform in a lead at the Metropolitan Opera was an International House resident while studying at Juilliard. The popular community member worked at the front desk and often gave impromptu recitals on Sunday afternoons in the Main Lounge, where this 2017 series will take place. Ms. Price went on to serve on the International House Board of Trustees for more than 30 years and even gave a benefit concert at the House in 1992 to support resident programs. On the eve of her 90th birthday, I-House residents will be joined by alumnus and celebrated bass baritone Donovan Singletary (10) in a celebration of her music and the spirit they share through the I-House experience. The program will include selections from Porgy and Bess and Aida, as well as personal favorites like the spiritual I Will Overcome, The Boy Next Door from Meet Me in St. Louis, (which Price enjoyed performing at resident recitals), and Samuel Barbers Sure on This Shining Light. While Ms. Price is not expected to attend this special concert, she has sent her warmest wishes for the residents and alumni participating.

Thursday, March 23, 7-9 pm

A Celebration of Musical Theater

Part of the International House legacy lies in having served as a home to so many artists who went on to find success on Broadway. These notable alumni include legends like Burl Ives (39), Roscoe Lee Browne (49), and Patti LuPone (69), as well as Irene Sankoff (02) and David Hein (03), the creative team behind the new musical Come From Away, who lived at I-House during 9/11, an experience that influenced the development of that play. For this concert, residents will celebrate this cherished legacy with performances of works made famous by notable alumni, as well as favorites and original works that capture the values and spirit of the I-House community and experience.

Thursday, April 20

A Tribute to Sakura Sweethearts at I-House

In addition to being a renowned hub for successful cross-cultural learning and collaboration, there are hundreds of great romances that have had their start at International House. These Sakura Sweethearts, named for the cherry blossom-lined park that borders the Houses front gates, have been part of life at I-House for generations. They include well known couples like Paul and Daisy Soros, who met at I-House in the 1950s, as well as couples who built lives together despite ethnic, religious or other barriers that may have kept them apart had they met anywhere else. This concert of original compositions and popular romantic tunes chosen by our residents will celebrate the special loves, friendships and relationships that have grown at the House.

Proceeds from all performances support I-House leadership programs and financial aid for deserving residents.

About International House

Founded by the Rockefeller and Dodge families in 1924, International House is a non-profit programmatic and residential center dedicated to fostering the next generation of global leaders. Each year, I-House serves as home to more than 750 carefully selected graduate students and young professionals from 100 countries, representing more than 70 leading universities, businesses, and cultural, non-profit, and government institutions. We provide unrivaled opportunities for residents to learn and thrive through daily interaction in a culturally, politically, and economically diverse community and through programs designed to encourage diversity of thought and experience. I-House is the destination of choice for the best and the brightest of the millennial generation who seek the skills necessary to navigate and lead the conversations that will shape our world. Learn more at www.ihouse-nyc.org.

MUSIC AT I-HOUSE: THEN AND NOW A CELEBRATION OF I-HOUSE THROUGH THE WORDS, MUSIC AND SPIRIT OF OUR ALUMNI WHEN Tuesday, January 24, 7-9 pm A Celebration of the Words and Music of Leonard Cohen (Class of 57) Thursday, February 9, 7-9 pm The Music and Legacy of Leontyne Price (Class of 52) Thursday, March 23, 7-9 pm A Celebration of Musical Theater Thursday, April 20, 7-9 pm A Tribute to Sakura Sweethearts at I-House WHERE International House, 500 Riverside Drive, New York, NY TICKETS $30 in Advance, $35 at the Door, $125 VIP Visit www.ihouse-nyc.org/ihmusic to purchase tickets and for more information.




A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Carilion Clinics CEO will be among a select group of hospital executives meeting this month in an effort to shape the debate over repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Nancy Agee, chairwoman-elect of the American Hospital Association, said the organization has been talking with president-elect Donald Trumps advisers and with members of Congress.

What we want is replacement right away, Agee said. Absent that, the hospitals are asking the government to restore Medicare and Medicaid payments to the methods used before passage of the Affordable Care Act.

The hospitals greatest concern is that a Republican-controlled Congress, impatient for repeal, will move quickly to scrap President Barack Obamas signature law without devising a way to keep millions of Americans from losing insurance coverage. Repeal without replacement would destabilize the hospital and insurance industries, she said.

The Affordable Care Act provided subsidies to help Americans without workplace insurance afford to purchase it through exchanges, and it also enabled states to expand Medicaid to the lowest wage earners. To cover the cost, Medicare payments were reduced under the theory that hospitals would not be harmed because they would have more paying patients.

That didnt happen in states such as Virginia that did not expand Medicaid. Agee said Carilion lost $200 million over seven years from reduced Medicare payments.

The hospital association is warning that hospitals could close or reduce services if they lose paying patients and hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicare cuts are not restored.

Before the Affordable Care Act, Medicare paid hospitals a fee for each service performed. Today, payments are more complicated, with some tied to performance measures and others to providing coordinated care.

Agee said hospitals have incurred large administrative expenses in keeping up with hundreds of new and changing regulations, some of which have yet to show value in improving patients health. Repeal offers an opportunity to ask for meaningful reforms, she said.

Trumps nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, U.S. Rep. Tom Price, has proposed repealing all provisions of the Affordable Care Act and starting over. Other proposals, such as legislation that Congress passed but Obama vetoed, would have repealed only parts of the act. The Medicare funding cuts remained.

The hospital associations executive committee will meet for three days in California later this month to work on what it would like to see. The association represents 5,000 hospitals and health care systems. Agee, who is on the board of trustees, is in line to become chairwoman in 2018.

She said she hopes policymakers will begin to take a longer, broader view and shift the focus from regulating health care systems to looking at ways to encourage healthy communities.
RICHMOND  The potential replacement of the Affordable Care Act with a federal Medicaid block grant alarms both the General Assembly Republicans who oppose the federal health law and the administration of Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat who supports it.

Administration officials and Republican budget leaders agreed Monday that the adoption of a block grant to replace the Medicaid entitlement program could put Virginia at a severe disadvantage in funding services ranging from childrens health to treatment of mental illness.

Virginia will forever be punished for having been frugal, Secretary of Health and Human Resources Bill Hazel said between briefing the House Appropriations Committee and a Senate Finance subcommittee on the potential consequences of repealing the Affordable Care Act without a workable plan to replace it.

House Appropriations Chairman Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, and other House leaders said they, too, are concerned about the possibility that Virginia could be required to live on a block grant based on spending that ranks 47th per capita in the United States.

This is not a 30-second political sound bite, Jones said after the briefing by Hazel, who has served seven years as secretary under McAuliffe and his Republican predecessor, Gov. Bob McDonnell. Were thinking of the lives of hundreds of thousands of Virginians.

House and Senate budget leaders are working on language to create an ongoing subcommittee to monitor and respond to the actions of president-elect Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress, who have vowed to move ahead with repealing the law championed by President Barack Obama even without a clear plan to fill the hole left in the nations health care system.

Congress is in a box, but its a box that they chose, said Senate Finance Co-Chairman Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, after Hazel briefed the subcommittee on health and human resources.

The possibility of a Medicaid block grant, capping funding for what has been an entitlement shared equally by the state and federal governments, also worries advocates for children who rely on the program for basic health care, as well as treatment of mental illness and other behavioral disorders.

We stand at the point of potentially rolling back 50 years of progress in health care for children, said Margaret Nimmo Holland, executive director of Voices for Virginias Children.

Hazel said the costs to Virginia from such a repeal of Obamacare include the net loss of $123.2 million in state funds in the next fiscal year and $191.2 million in the next budget year that begins on July 1, 2018.

Most of the losses would come from the elimination of drug rebates that Virginia couldnt receive for its managed care insurance program before the Affordable Care Act was adopted. The loss of those rebates alone would cost the state more than $237 million over two years, he said.

The state also stands to lose an additional $114 million from a reduced federal share of the childrens health insurance program, which operates in Virginia as FAMIS, or Family Access to Medical Insurance Security.

Repeal also would cost the state almost $50 million in current savings to hospitals that have shouldered a smaller burden in caring for people without health insurance since the laws passage in 2010.

The costs to the state would be offset partly by reduced federal spending on a program created two years ago to provide critical community services to people with mental illness, as well as services for former foster care youth and substance abuse treatment financed under a Medicaid waiver adopted last year.

Congress needs to be very careful in considering repeal not to throw the baby out with the bathwater, Hazel told the House committee.

Appropriations Vice-Chairman Steve Landes, R-Augusta, has been a leader of legislative opposition to expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, but he, too, expressed concern Monday about the potential harm to Virginia of a block grant that would lock in historically low spending on benefits.

At this point, its anybodys guess what theyre going to do, Landes said of Congress and Trump, who will take office Friday. Do they understand the unique situation Virginia has?

One of the reasons we did not expand Medicaid is we did not trust the federal government to make good on its promise to pay for no less than 90 percent of the cost, he said after the briefing. Block grants are the same thing.

Hospitals already have raised concerns about the potential for a block grant program that would reward states with high Medicaid spending per capita while putting Virginia at a significant disadvantage.

Simply basing Medicaid funding amounts on historical precedent would not only disadvantage Virginia, but it would continue the trend of spending more funds on states with higher costs and poorer outcomes, Sean Connaughton, president and CEO of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, wrote to the states congressional delegation early this month.

Alternatively, Congress should consider targeted incentives that reward states with low costs and better outcomes and not punish those states that are attempting to control and have controlled Medicaid costs, Connaughton wrote.

State officials and legislators dont expect clear answers during the legislative session that began last week and is scheduled to conclude on Feb. 25.

It may become an emergency, suggested Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, who raised the possibility of a special legislative session. It may become a need to deal with a potential block grant.

The creation of a joint legislative subcommittee, first proposed by Jones in November, would allow the legislature and administration to assess changes to the health care system by Congress and the Trump administration.

It will be a working subcommittee, vowed Jones, who said he wants to make the new panel a permanent fixture of the legislative process.

Right now, state officials and legislators dont know what to expect from the new administration. Repealing Obamacare presumably would eliminate the federal health exchange which currently is enrolling about 400,000 Virginians for health insurance, the great majority of them relying on federal subsidies to pay their monthly premiums.

But Trump told The Washington Post in a weekend interview that his replacement plan would have a goal of insurance for everybody.

The president-elect has said a number of things, Hazel observed. Its hard to know what theyre going to do.
SMITHFIELD, Va., Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield continues to invest in competition barbecue by sponsoring events and pitmasters in 2016. The brand is pleased to help fuel the sport of barbecue by announcing the Smokin With Smithfield Grant Program for 2017. The Smokin With Smithfield Grant Program is designed to provide monetary and event support to sanctioned barbecue competitions across the United States. Grants will be awarded to a variety of non-profit, community, and event organizers that host barbecue events, in addition to meeting a number of qualifications and falling within the guidelines of one of the sports major sanctioning bodies.



Qualified events that are selected for a Smithfield Grant will receive prize money that will enhance their event and will deepen the prize pool to payout the top 20% of the field. Qualifying criteria for events include sufficient advertising, a guarantee of basic services for participating pitmasters, and that the event be family-friendly.

In 2016, Smithfield committed to an investment in the competition barbecue market through partnerships with winning pitmasters, the creation of the Smokin With Smithfield Committed Cooks program, which rewards teams who cook with Smithfield products, and became the first ever Presenting Sponsor of the American Royal World Series of Barbecue in Kansas City. Smithfield-sponsored pitmasters Tuffy Stone of Cool Smoke Barbeque and Darren Warth of Iowas Smokey Ds took home Grand Champion Titles at the Jack Daniels Invitational, the Sams Club Invitational, and the American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open respectively in 2016.

The Smokin With Smithfield Grant Program applications are available starting January 18, 2017. To download an application and to learn more about qualifications for the Grant Program, the Committed Cooks Program, or where to buy Smithfield products, please visit www.SmokinWithSmithfield.com.

About Smithfield

A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia. From hand-trimmed ribs, loins and bacon and slow-smoked holiday hams to marinated tenderloins, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor, and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the United States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfield's products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com, www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand, and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield. Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cook's, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curly's, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny, and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.
In blaze-orange hats and camo jackets, they fanned out across the Capitol, hunting for lawmakers they feel are coming after their dogs.

The Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance turned out in force Tuesday at the General Assembly to oppose a bill that would authorize localities to create a $100 civil penalty for dogs "running at large" on other people's property, legislation the group sees as taking aim at Virginia's hunting traditions. Hounds are used to track deer, bear and other wildlife, and long chases can occur with dogs paying little mind to property lines.

"The vast, vast, vast majority of people who live in the rural sections understand this is part of rural Virginia," said John Morse, a Chesapeake resident who serves as VHDA's chairman. "They may not be pro-hunting. But they understand that occasionally you may have a dog on the property. You may hear a gunshot in the distance. It's just part of the living in the country."

The issue has potential to divide the Republican-controlled House of Delegates along rural and urban/suburban lines. For Republicans, the calculation is complicated further because the bill's sponsor is House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, who wields considerable power over what moves in the House and what doesn't.

In an interview, Howell said the bill is not meant to punish the owners of dogs who venture onto land where they're not wanted just once. What it would do, Howell said, is provide relief to property owners dealing with a pack of dogs on their land "for the umpteenth time."

"The bottom line is: This is about property rights," Howell said in an interview.

The bill has not yet been assigned to a committee. Howell said he plans to amend it to specify that landowners will have to go to the courthouse and pay filing fees in order to seek relief under the law.

"That's a pretty big deal for somebody who's the victim of a dog accidentally running across his yard one time," Howell said. "But the guy who's got 20 hounds every Saturday, he's talked to the people in the hunt club and they ignore him, it gives him a remedy."

Under Howell's bill, House Bill 1900, dog owners would have to pay $100 for each dog and each occurrence of trespassing. Penalties would only apply in situations where a landowner has given notice verbally, in writing, through posted signs or by painting blue marks on trees near roads and entrances to the property.

The bill would not set a statewide penalty. It would authorize localities to pass ordinances with the penalty.

One rural lawmaker enlisted two four-legged lobbyists  Big Money and Big Puppy  to stand by the George Washington equestrian statue as legislators made the walk to the Capitol for the midday session.

"I just want people to see that these are not really bad dogs," said Del. Matthew Fariss, R-Campbell, who held one dog's leash while his son, Hunter, held the other.

When Howell approached, Hunter Fariss sensed opportunity.

"Mr. Speaker, you want to see my hunting dog?" he asked.

"All numbered and everything," Howell replied. "That's good."

Last year, with the support of the dog hunting community, Fariss passed a bill establishing trespassing penalties for hunters who "intentionally" release dogs onto land where no-trespassing notices are posted.

Hunting dog enthusiasts argue that law should be given more time to work before considering more legal avenues to escalate disputes that hunters could resolve privately with landowners.

"Instead of working out their issues, they're going to go to law enforcement or whatever and make this a much bigger deal than it needs to be," Morse said.

Kirby Burch, a Powhatan County resident and CEO of the hunting-dog association, said hunt clubs help preserve open space in Virginia by providing extra revenue to farmers and timberland owners.

"We're not here looking to get advantage, to grow our sport at the expense of other people," Burch said. "We're simply here saying this has value. We are not a problem to society. To our communities. We are the community in rural Virginia."

Howell insisted his bill won't affect the "good hunt clubs" who occasionally have to retrieve an intruding dog, but he feels the problems are widespread enough to require action.

"They always say 'Well it's just for rogue groups,'" Howell said. "There must be a lot of rogue groups out there."
BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:HST) (the Company) has learned that certain affiliates of MacKenzie Capital Management, LP (Purchaser) made an unsolicited mini tender offer for up to 240,000 operating partnership units (OP Units) of Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. (Host L.P.) at a price of $14.01 per OP Unit less any cash distributions made by Host L.P. after December 31, 2016 (the MacKenzie Offer). This follows two earlier mini tender offers by the Purchaser launched in 2016. Neither the Company nor Host L.P. are in any way associated with the MacKenzie Offer, and holders of OP Units are under no obligation to take any action with respect to the MacKenzie Offer.



Mini-tender offers seek less than 5 percent of a companys outstanding equity. This allows the offering company to avoid many of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) disclosure and procedural requirements for tender offers. The SECs guidance to investors on mini tender offers is available at www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/minitend.htm. This guidance advises that mini-tender offers have been increasingly used to catch investors off guard and that investors may end up selling their securities at below-market prices.

After careful evaluation of the MacKenzie Offer, the Company and Host L.P. recommend that the holders of OP Units reject this unsolicited offer. In making this recommendation, the Company primarily considered that the offer price in the MacKenzie Offer is below the $18.20 per share closing stock price of the Companys common stock on January 9, 2017, the date the Company became aware of the mini-tender. Further, the $14.01 per OP Unit price in the MacKenzie Offer will be reduced by the upcoming January 17, 2017 distribution of approximately $0.25 per OP Unit. Although there is no trading market for the OP Units themselves, at any time holders of OP Units may request that the Company redeem their OP Units and the Company, in its discretion, may either redeem the OP Units for cash or, in the alternative, issue 1.021494 shares of the Companys common stock in exchange for each OP Unit, which shares may then be sold. Based on the closing price of the Companys common stock on January 13, 2017 of $18.26, an OP Unitholder would receive shares with a market value of approximately $18.65 compared to the cash MacKenzie Offer of approximately $13.76 after including post December 31, 2016 cash distributions.

The Purchaser has made many similar unsolicited mini-tender offers for equity of other companies and two earlier unsolicited mini-tender offers to holders of Host L.P. units at a similar discount to current market value. Like its other offers, this offer puts individual investors at risk because they may not realize they are selling their OP Units at a discount. The Company urges investors to get current quotes for the Companys common stock for which their OP Units may be redeemed, consult their financial advisors and exercise caution with respect to the MacKenzie Offer. The Company recommends that OP Unitholders who have not responded to the Purchasers offer take no action. The Company encourages brokers and dealers, as well as other market participants, to review the SECs letter regarding broker-dealer mini-tender offer dissemination and disclosure at:

http://www.sec.gov/divisions/marketreg/minitenders/sia072401.htm.

Holders of OP Units should consult with their personal financial advisor or other legal, tax or investment professional(s) regarding any questions they may have.

The Company requests that a copy of this press release be included with all distributions of materials related to the MacKenzie Offer.

About Host Hotels & Resorts

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is an S&P 500 and Fortune 500 company and is the largest lodging real estate investment trust and one of the largest owners of luxury and upper-upscale hotels. The Company currently owns 89 properties in the United States and 7 properties internationally totaling approximately 54,000 rooms. The Company also holds non-controlling interests in six joint ventures, including one in Europe that owns 10 hotels with approximately 3,900 rooms and one in Asia that has interests in five hotels in India. Guided by a disciplined approach to capital allocation and aggressive asset management, the Company partners with premium brands such as Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Westin, Sheraton, W, St. Regis, Le Meridien, The Luxury Collection, Hyatt, Fairmont, Hilton, Swissotel, ibis, Pullman, and Novotel as well as independent brands in the operation of properties in over 50 major markets worldwide. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.hosthotels.com.

*This press release contains registered trademarks that are the exclusive property of their respective owners. None of the owners of these trademarks has any responsibility or liability for any information contained in this press release.
BROOKFIELD NEWS, Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Trustees of Brookfield Canada Office Properties (TSX:BOX.UN); (NYSE:BOXC) announced a distribution of $0.1092 per trust unit payable on February 15, 2017 to holders of Trust units of record at the close of business on January 31, 2017.



The distributions are declared in Canadian dollars. Registered unitholders resident in Canada will receive payment in Canadian dollars and registered unitholders resident in the United States will receive the U.S. dollar equivalent unless they request otherwise. The U.S. dollar equivalent of the distribution will be based on the Bank of Canada closing exchange rate on the record date or, if the record date falls on a weekend or holiday, on the Bank of Canada closing exchange rate of the preceding business day. Beneficial unitholders will receive payment in Canadian dollars unless they request to receive the U.S. dollar equivalent.

About Brookfield Canada Office Properties

Brookfield Canada Office Properties is Canadas preeminent Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). Our portfolio is comprised of 26 premier office properties totaling 20 million square feet in the downtown cores of Toronto, Calgary, and Ottawa, in addition to a development site in Calgary. Our landmark assets include Brookfield Place and First Canadian Place in Toronto, and Bankers Hall in Calgary. Further information is available at www.brookfieldcanadareit.com. Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information.

Brookfield Canada Office Properties is the flagship Canadian REIT of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $250 billion in assets under management. For more information, go to www.brookfield.com.
HAMPTON, Va., Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods Helping Hungry Homes initiative, a program focused on alleviating hunger across the country, joined forces with Harris Teeter to donate 30,000 pounds of protein to Virginia Peninsula Foodbank. The donation, which is equivalent to more than 120,000 servings, will help alleviate hunger across the Greater Peninsula, where one in seven Virginians struggle with hunger.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/37800904-4df1-4a0a-8903-ee3aee53f76b

Protein is critical to a well-balanced meal and a much-needed resource to our food bank, said Michele Benson, Chief Development Officer for Virginia Peninsula Foodbank. We are grateful to Smithfield and Harris Teeter for this donation, which will help us sustain our 170 member agencies as they strive to meet the ever-growing needs of our community.

Representatives from Smithfield and Harris Teeter presented the donation to Virginia Peninsula Foodbank at the event this morning. Members from all three organizations spoke about the issue of hunger in the local community and the significance of this donation. In the Greater Peninsula area, 74,000 individuals do not know where their next meal will come from, and one in six of those are children.

Like Smithfield, Harris Teeter is committed to ending hunger in the communities we serve, said Danna Robinson, Communication Manager for Harris Teeter. Together, we are proud to extend our support to Virginia Peninsula Foodbank, which works day-in and day-out to reduce food insecurity in Southeastern Virginia.

Smithfields donation to Virginia Peninsula Foodbank kicked-off the 2017 Helping Hungry Homes nationwide hunger-relief tour. Throughout the annual tour, Smithfield will provide food banks with large-scale protein donations, partnering with local retailers along the way.

We look forward to this yearlong cross-country tour and providing nutritious protein to families across the country, said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. We feed peopleits what we do. Through this program, were doing what we can for our neighbors in need.

Helping Hungry Homes, now in its ninth year, will help fight hunger this year through more than 50 large-scale protein donations to food banks across the United States. To date, Helping Hungry Homes has provided more than 65 million servings of protein to food banks across America. For more information about Helping Hungry Homes and a list of upcoming donation events, visit helpinghungryhomes.com.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cook's, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curly's, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Virginia Peninsula Foodbank

Since 1986, the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank has been providing hunger relief to the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg, and the counties of James City, Gloucester, Mathews, Surry and York. With the support of almost 175 member agencies and programs, the organization has provided over 137 million meals in 30 years. The Foodbank is a proud member of Feeding America, the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, and the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula. Our vision is to inspire hope by leading the effort for a hunger free and properly nourished community. For more information, visit us online at www.hrfoodbank.org, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/VAPenFoodbank, and on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/hrfoodbank.

About Harris Teeter

Harris Teeter, with headquarters in Matthews, N.C., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR). The regional grocery chain employs approximately 30,000 associates and operates stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Delaware, Florida and the District of Columbia.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (Washington REIT or the Company) (NYSE:WRE) announced the income tax treatment of its 2016 dividend distributions. This information represents final income allocations. Shareholders are encouraged to consult with their personal tax advisors as to their specific tax treatment of Washington REIT dividend distributions.



Common Share Dividends



NYSE Ticker Symbol: WRE



CUSIP #939653101



Dividend

Paid Date Gross Distribution

Per Share Ordinary Taxable

Income

Per Share

(Return of Capital)

Non-Taxable

Distribution Per Share

Unrecaptured Sec.

1250 Gain Per

Share 01/05/2016 $ 0.30000 $ 0.19891 $ 0.09745 $ 0.00364 03/31/2016 $ 0.30000 $ 0.19891 $ 0.09745 $ 0.00364 06/30/2016 $ 0.30000 $ 0.19891 $ 0.09745 $ 0.00364 09/30/2016 $ 0.30000 $ 0.19891 $ 0.09745 $ 0.00364 TOTALS: $ 1.20000 $ 0.79564 $ 0.38980 $ 0.01456 100.00 % 66.304 % 32.483 % 1.213 %

Washington REIT is a self-administered, self-managed, equity real estate investment trust investing in income-producing properties in the greater Washington metro region. Washington REIT owns a diversified portfolio of 49 properties totaling approximately 6 million square feet of commercial space and 4,480 residential units, and land held for development. These 49 properties consist of 19 office properties, 16 retail centers and 14 multi-family properties. Washington REIT shares are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:WRE).
BURGLARS broke into a takeaway and a DIY shop on the same night.

A plea has been launched by police to identify men caught on camera in connection with two burglaries in Parkgate.

Cash and stock were taken in the burglaries and damage was caused to both properties.

Between 5.30pm on Friday, January 6 and 10am on Saturday, January 7, Zias Thai Takeaway and Mak Home Improvements were both broken into and police have released a CCTV image of men they would like to speak to in connection with the incident.

If you have any information about the burglaries or the men pictured, call police on 101, quoting incident number 323 or 370 of January 7.
Mbada Diamonds, which is one of the firms that mined diamonds in Marange from 2007 until early 2016 when government took over their operations, has been accused of prejudicing Harare of millions of dollars by under-declaring its diamond sales over the years.

The companys average price per carat was allegedly about three times lower than that of other firms extracting gems from Marange, according to The Herald newspaper.

The underpricing scandal emerged during a tour of Marange diamond fields by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines last Friday.

"Anjin, when they sold, their average price per carat was $44, DMC (Diamond Mining Company) $46,66, DTZ (OZGEO) was at $49,42 and Jinan had the highest which is almost $89 per carat followed by Marange at $67,60 and the worst performer was Mbada at $23," Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) acting chief executive officer Ridge Nyashanu was quoted as saying.

When you look at Mbada, it had the highest gem and concentration but what leaves a lot to be desired is what happened, which resulted in them having an average price of $23.

"To me, probably it's good reason for consolidation. You need transparency and you need to monitor what happens to your diamonds. It's the best concession (Mbada's) yet with the worst result."

Mbada was among firms that resisted a forensic audit of Marange diamond mining operations initiated by Government, forcing the State to invoke the Auditor-General's powers to proceed.

The audit was still underway.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




Japan will on Tuesday see final November numbers for industrial production, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

The prior reading called output higher by 1.5 percent on month and 4.6 percent on year, while capacity utilization gained 1.4 percent on month.

Australia will release November figures for home loans and new motor vehicle sales. In October, home loans were down 0.8 percent on month, while the value of loans also fell 0.8 percent. Vehicle sales were down 0.6 percent on month and 1.1 percent on year.

Singapore will provide December data for imports, exports and trade balance. In November, imports were worth 35.30 billion SGD and exports were at 40.23 billion SGD for a trade surplus of 4.93 billion SGD.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
The Thai stock market has moved lower in two of three trading days since the end of the two-day winning streak in which it had advanced almost 9 points or 0.6 percent. The Stock Exchange of Thailand now rests just above the 1,570-point plateau, and the market is looking at another soft start on Tuesday.

The global forecast for the Asian is soft over concerns of a hard Brexit, although a bump in the price of crude oil should limit the downside. The European markets were down and the U.S. bourses were closed, and the Asian markets also figure to open in the red.

The SET finished modestly lower on Monday as losses from the financial shares were tempered by support from the energy producers.

For the day, the index eased 3.44 points or 0.22 percent to finish at 1,571.80 after trading between 1,567.65 and 1,576.82. Volume was 11.410 billion shares worth 49.057 billion baht. There were 748 decliners and 460 gainers, with 359 stocks finishing unchanged.

Among the actives, Advanced Info added 0.32 percent, while coal miner Banpu was unchanged, Bangkok Bank shed 0.30 percent, Bangkok Expressway tumbled 1.96 percent, Kasikornbank dropped 1.07 percent, Krung Thai Bank lost 0.54 percent, PTT and PTT Exploration and Production both added 0.78 percent, PTT Global Chemical spiked 2.76 percent and Siam Commercial Bank retreated 1.59 percent.

Wall Street was shuttered on Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, although the European markets all moved lower,

Investors figure to be cautious on growing concerns about a hard Brexit, awaiting a speech later today from U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May - who will outline her Brexit plans.

Financial stocks also may weigh after Canadian rating agency DBRS cut Italy's sovereign credit rating.

Brent crude oil was up 41 cents a barrel on Monday, or 0.7 percent, to $55.86. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude added 27 cents or 0.5 percent to $52.64 a barrel.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc (RYCEF.PK,RR.L,RYCEY.PK) announced Monday that it has agreed to pay 671 million pounds to settle bribery and corruption charges with UK, US and Brazilian regulators.

In its statement, the company said it in principle reached a Deferred Prosecution Agreement or DPA with the UK Serious Fraud Office or SFO, which was the subject of a preliminary court ruling on Monday. The proposed DPA is subject to final judicial approval and the SFO and Rolls-Royce will appear at court on January 17 to seek this approval.

In addition, Rolls-Royce has also reached a DPA with the US Department of Justice or DoJ and a Leniency Agreement with Brazil's Ministerio Publico Federal or MPF.

These agreements relate to bribery and corruption involving intermediaries in a number of overseas , concerns about which the company passed to the SFO from 2012 onwards. These are voluntary agreements which result in the suspension of a prosecution provided that the company fulfils certain requirements, including the payment of a financial penalty.

If finalized, these agreements in total would result in the payment of approximately 671 million pounds. Under the deal terms, Rolls-Royce will pay 497.25 million pounds plus interest under a schedule lasting up to five years, plus a payment in respect of the SFO's costs.

Rolls-Royce has also agreed to make payments to the DoJ totaling $169.92 million and to the MPF totaling $25.58 million. der the terms of the DPA with the SFO,

Total payments by Rolls-Royce in the first year of all three agreements would be 293 million pounds.

The company said it has co-operated fully with the authorities and will continue to do so.

Rolls-Royce will report full year 2016 results on February 14. Early indications are that the company has had a good finish to the year with both profit and, in particular, cash expected to be ahead of expectations.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Rex Energy Corp. (REXX) announced its two-year financial and operational plan and provided a financial update.

Rex Energy's net operational capital expenditures for 2017 are expected to be in the range of $70.0 - $80.0 million, with approximately 80% allocated to the development of the Marcellus and Upper Devonian Burkett shales in the Moraine East and Legacy Butler Operated Areas. Approximately 20% is allocated to the development of the Utica Shale in the Warrior North Area. The 2017 capital budget is expected to be funded through cash flow from operations and asset divestitures.

The company plans to run one drilling rig in its Butler Operated and Ohio Utica Warrior North Area and expects to drill 21.0 gross (11.1 net) wells, complete 26.0 gross (12.7 net) wells and place into sales 23.0 gross (11.2 net) wells.

Average daily production is estimated to be in the range of 194.0 - 204.0 MMcfe/d, representing year-over-year growth of approximately 5% to 10% as compared to the company's full-year 2016 production guidance.

Full-year 2018 net operational capital expenditures are expected to be in the range of $20.0 - $40.0 million, with approximately 100% of the net operational capital expenditures allocated to the development of the Marcellus and Upper Devonian shales in the Moraine East and Legacy Butler Operated Areas. The 2018 capital budget is expected to be funded through cash flow from operations and cash on the balance sheet.

The company plans to run one drilling rig in its Butler Operated Area and expects to drill four gross (2.8 net) wells, complete six gross (3.8 net) wells and place into sales nine gross (5.3 net) wells.

For full-year 2018, Rex Energy estimates that average daily production will be in the range of 223.0 - 233.0 MMcfe/d, representing 15% - 20% year-over-year growth as compared to the midpoint of 2017 production guidance. Liquids production is expected to account for approximately 45% of the company's 2018 production at the midpoint of guidance.

With the plan to fund 2017 and 2018 net operational capital expenditures from cash flow from operations and asset divestitures, the company expects to grow its EBITDAX by approximately 80% - 85% in 2017 and 10% - 15% in 2018. The targeted increase in EBITDAX assumes current strip pricing as of December 31, 2016 and is driven by expected production growth of 5% - 10% in 2017 and 15% - 20% in 2018 combined with hedging at favorable pricing.

The company anticipates reducing its debt-to-EBITDAX ratio by approximately 35% - 40% in 2017 and 15% - 20% in 2018, on a year-over-year basis and a total reduction of approximately 50% from year-end 2016 to year-end 2018.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Army, popular forces achieve victories in several military fronts

SANA'A, Jan. 17 (Saba)  The army and popular forces have achieved a number of victories during the last hours in different fronts against the US-Saudi aggression.



A military official told Saba that a Saudi soldier, Mohammed Yahya al-Najei, was killed in Najran region at the hands of army and popular forces.



The army and popular forces targeted Rajlah military site and al-Hamr and al-Sudais Controls in Najran.



Al-Talab and al-Khashal military sites were also targeted by the army and popular forces .



A weapon store was also destroyed at al-Tabah al-Wustah, in the eastern compound in al-Rabou'ah in Aser region by the army and popular forces .



The army and popular forces pounded Saudi gatherings and their ordnance at al-Shabakah military site in Aleb, causing direct injuries.



Meanwhile, the artillery of Saudi-paid mercenaries targeted others mercenaries on a site of the Brigade 103 military site in Mareb .



Tens of mercenaries were killed or injured in the mercenaries' attack.



Saleh Bahih, a leader of the site of the Brigade 103th military site in Mareb, was injured at the hands of the army and popular forces.



Yahya Hanshal was seriously injured who appointed by the aggression for 312t h in Kawfal in Mareb at the hands of the army and popular forces.



Some leaders of Saudi paid mercenaries were killed or injured in Saudi-paid mercenaries artillery shells in Serwah.



The army and popular forces repulsed an attempt to advance towards parts of Serwah district under air cover backed by the aggression warplanes.



Tens of Saudi-Paid mercenaries were killed or injured in the failed attempt.



Tens of Saudi-paid mercenaries were killed or injured when the army and popular forces targeted their gatherings in Thubab front in Taiz province.



Hamada Nasser al-Dhalei, a leader of the Coastguard, was killed.



The army and popular forces targeted Saudi-paid mercenaries gathering in the west of Kahbob area.



The army and popular forces repulsed an attempt to advance towards al-Amri military camp under heavy cover backed by the aggression warplanes and apache as well as warships pounding.



At least 37 Saudi-paid mercenaries were killed and 23 were injured in Usailan district in Shabwa province when they tried to advance towards al-Saq, al-Alam and others sties.



Five Saudi-paid mercenaries were killed and five others injured of the Brigade 21st at the hands of the army and popular forces in Shabwa.



Six Saudi-paid mercenaries and 17 others injured of the Brigade19th in Sabwah.



26 Saudi-paid mercenaries were killed or injured of the Brigade 26th in Shabwa.



A military vehicle of Saudi-paid mercenaries was destroyed by the army and popular forces a the hands of the army and popular forces.





A tank was destroyed with a guided missile in al-Saq area in Shabwa a the hands of the army and popular forces.



BMB vehicle was also destroyed in al-Ramala area in Usailan in Shabwa a the hands of the army and popular forces.



A tank was also burnt with an anti-armor missile in al-Saq in Shabwa.



Saleh al-Aqeli, a figure of pro-aggression, and tens other were killed in Baihan area in Shabwa.



The army and popular committees pounded Saudi-paid mercenaries gatherings in the surrounding of al-Moton complex in Jawf province.



The Saudi-paid mercenaries were also targeted by the army and popular committees in al-Baidha area in al-Masloub district in Jawf.



The army and popular forces captured 24 pro-aggression soldiers in several military fronts.



HA

Saba

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[17/January/2017]
US-Saudi aggression warplanes and battleships kill citizens in different provinces

SANA'A, Jan. 17 (Saba) - The US-Saudi aggression warplanes and battleships targeted during the past few hours Yemeni citizens public and private properties in number of provinces in Yemen.



A military source told Yemen News Agency (SABA) that one citizen was killed due to the US-Saudi aggression warplane raid on a vehicle in Alkhokha district of Hodeidah province, and six people were killed and two others were wounded on another raid which targeted them will they were shopping in Maran area that belongs to Haydan district of Saada province.



The source added that six citizens were killed, including women and children and five others were wounded due to a bombing launched by an aggression battleships on the houses in Almwaijer village in Maqbanah district of Taiz governorate.



"The aggression warplanes launched a raid on Kilo 16 area in Alhali district of Hodeidah province and three raids on Aljahlan and Almakhdarah areas in Serwah district in Marib province and a raid on dobab district in Taiz province as well as two raids on the Aljar farms in Abbs district of Hajah province." The source said.



"The aggression also launched a raid on the alnahdeen area south of the Sana'a city and three raids on Al Magda , Takhyah and Mandabah areas in Baqim district and another raid on a Alsabah area in Aldhaher district of Saada province, as well as canon and missile strikes on Menabeh district in Saada province." The source added.



TN





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[17/January/2017]
Vice President meets Albaidha governor

SANA'A, Jan. 17 (Saba) - Vice President of Supreme Political Council Dr. Qasim Labuza, met today at the presidential palace with Albaidha governor Ali Al Mansouri .



The meeting they discussed the situations in Albaidha province and province and local authority leadership efforts which aim at maintaining security and providing citizens there with public services and their role in confronting the Saudi aggression and the siege imposed on our country as well as the Saudi aggression escalation on west coast of Yemen that aim at strangling the Yemeni people economically after their failure in the ground in all the eternal fronts.



Labuza praised the qualitative military achievements of the army and the popular committees in Albaidha province front as well as the big victories achieved, especially in the west coast front, which reflects the high military competences of the army popular committees.



Pointing out that Albaidha province has a strategic importance of the province and its role in the confrontation because it is linked to eight provinces and it is geographically the gate and the road to the Sanaa capital .



He urged the province leadership to further their efforts at various levels and to work with the National Salvation Government constructively to achieve its overall program came out of real suffering experienced by Yemenis who are living under injustice aggression and siege . He revealed that government has succeeded in the last period alleviate the bad impacts and of the aggression and its siege on the Yemeni citizens.



TN



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[17/January/2017]